Hong Kong: Advisory body to CE established

The Government announced today the establishment of the Chief Executives Council of Advisers.

Chaired by the Chief Executive and comprising 34 members, with key government officials' participation, the council is a high-level advisory body to advise the Chief Executive on Hong Kongs strategic development, leveraging on opportunities from national and global developments.

The first term will take effect immediately and end on June 30, 2025.

The Government said the council's formation is particularly timely and crucial, as the city is now on the path to resume normalcy after the pandemic, seeking to rekindle momentum to return to the international stage as the most effective gateway between the world and the country.

With its unique advantages and strengths under the "one country, two systems" principle and its strong fundamentals, the Government will spare no effort in advancing Hong Kong's economic development and prosperity, tapping the enormous business potential arising from innovation and technology, and its further integration into the national development as well as deepening regional and global collaborations.

Welcoming the advisers on board, Chief Executive John Lee said they are all distinguished and eminent leaders in their respective fields and some of them are internationally renowned scholars or experts.

They will certainly be in the best position to provide me with valuable insights and wise counsel to the benefit of the long-term strategic development of Hong Kong.

He added that the council will be organised along three broad streams to facilitate more focused and in-depth dialogues, involving economic advancement and sustainability, innovation and entrepreneurship as well as regional and global collaborations.

I do look forward to working closely with them in the coming years.

This story has been published on: 2023-03-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Population of 100 million provides many great opportunities for Vietnam: UNFPA

Naomi Kitahara, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative in Vietnam, speaks to Vietnam News reporter Thu Trang about the milestone of Vietnam's population passing 100 million next month, and the challenges and opportunities that this will bring.









Naomi Kitahara.  Photo courtesy of the UNFPA

What do you think about Vietnam's population passing 100 million people next month? In comparison with other countries in the region and the world over, how will be Vietnams population scale?



Vietnams population will soon reach 100 million and Vietnam will become the 15th most populous country in the world. This should be seen as an important milestone for Vietnam, and I would like to congratulate the Government of Vietnam as this demonstrates a story of triumph. Vietnam, which was once a war-torn country, has successfully taken a substantial number of people out of poverty, and achieved remarkable socio-economic growth including health, education, employment, technological advancement, and so on.





The world is changing at rapid pace and Vietnam should not fall behind. Having a population of 100 million means a sizable domestic market with possibilities to attract more foreign direct investment with the availability of healthy, well-educated and skilled labour force who have innovative and creative minds, and strong dynamism in the country. It is therefore critical to recognise that 100 million in 2023 is not just the number. Its a vision of building a forceful Vietnam for todays and for tomorrows generations.





What are the opportunities and challenges Vietnam will face in the coming years?





As we launched last year the #8BillionStrong campaign, when the world reached eight billion population, the milestone Vietnam will reach means 100 million hopes, 100 million dreams, and 100 million possibilities.





Given Vietnams progress in improving the socio-economic status of its population, the country can now benefit from an increased pool of skilled human resources.





Vietnams unique demographic window of opportunities is still open until 2039, when the demographic bonus can be tapped into, with the presence of young and productive population groups, so as to accelerate the countrys socio-economic growth further.





The challenge is that Vietnam will soon complete a demographic transition.





People are healthier and live longer, and having less children. With fertility decline and limitation over the past decades, Vietnams population is aging fast.





Vietnam is expected to become an aged country by 2036 when the number of people aged 65 and above will reach 15.5 million, accounting for more than 14 per cent of the total population.





Also, given the son preference, which is still prevalent in Vietnams society, coupled with fertility decline and limitation and availability of technology, prenatal sex selection is common, and 47,000 girls are estimated to be missing every year.





It is projected that by 2034, Vietnam will have an excess of 1.5 million men aged 15-49, and the number will reach 2.5 million by 2059.





What should the country do to take advantage of having a population of 100 million?





In Vietnams path to sustainable development, it is critical to emphasise that people are not the problem, but people are the solution.





It is not about the number, or more or fewer people, but it is about ensuring more and equitable access to opportunities for all. The best way is to support the rights of people, including sexual and reproductive rights and choices, and gender equality.





As a guardian of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which Vietnam signed up to, UNFPA advises that it is time for Vietnam to be fully in line with the ICPD principle that individuals and couples should be able to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of children.





In doing so, we all must ensure that every woman, every mother, and every couple should be able to access quality sexual and reproductive health care, as well as child and housing support services particularly for young couples. UNFPA globally estimates that every US$1 invested in maternal health can expect $8.4 of economic return by 2050. Likewise, for every $1 invested in family planning, $10.10 of economic return can be delivered.





Given such significant demographic shifts which are happening in Vietnam, also as part of the global Mega-Trend, it is more critical than ever before that population dynamics and demographic analysis are carefully integrated in Vietnams Socio-Economic Development Strategy and Plan, as well as in the National Action Plan for Sustainable Development.





Here, particular attention must be paid to special needs of vulnerable population groups such as women and girls, adolescents and youth, older persons, ethnic minorities, migrant workers, people with disability, and survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. No one should be left behind in the countrys sustainable development process.
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Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2023) - On March 4th, Genetica, a leading biotech company in Asia, had the honor of welcoming Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to their lab during his visit to the National Innovation Center (NIC).

The Prime Minister was accompanied by several government officials, including Minister of Defense Phan Van Giang, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Science and Technology Huynh Thanh Dat, Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung, and leaders of central ministries, industries, and Hanoi city.





Prime Minister visited Genetica's lab

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8199/158915_740bb8b8f4dc3884_001full.jpg

During the visit, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of developing biotechnology as a key driver for innovation and economic restructuring. Specifically, by 2030, Vietnam aims to become a top 10 country in Asia's biotechnology industry with high-quality human resources, robust infrastructure, and sufficient financial resources.

To help Vietnam achieve the goal in 2030, Genetica aims to accelerate gene decoding and precision medicine to benefit billions of people by establishing its AI-Powered decentralized science platform - GenomicDAO. "We are proud to own an AI-powered platform for gene decoding, a patent-pending gene-decoding chip for Asian genomes, and a CLIA-certified genomic lab," said Dr. Duyen Bui, Co-Founder & CSO of Genetica. "These capabilities enable us to revolutionize healthcare for people in Asia and beyond. We strongly believe our work aligns with the Vietnamese government's goals of becoming a biotech unicorn by 2030."

About Genetica and GenomicDAO

Genetica is a biotech company providing genetic testing services powered by AI. Learn more about Genetica: https://genetica.asia/.

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GenomicDAO is an AI-Powered decentralized science platform built by Genetica to empower billions of people to join forces to advance precision medicine.

Social Platforms:

Website: https://genomicdao.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/genomicdao

Twitter: https://twitter.com/genomicdao

Telegram Channel: https://t.me/GenomicDAOchannel

Telegram Group: https://t.me/GenomicDAOgroup

Media Details:

Name: GENOMICA PTE. LTD.

Email: support@genomicdao.com

City: Singapore

Country: Singapore

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/158915
Purpose Investments Inc.

TORONTO, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Purpose Investments Inc. (Purpose) today announced that its board of directors have approved a proposal to expand the investment objectives of Purpose High Interest Savings Fund (the Fund), the worlds first high-interest savings ETF, which launched in October 2013 and established a new category of ETFs, as follows (the Proposal).



Current Investment Objectives Proposed Investment Objectives The fund seeks to maximize monthly income for unitholders while preserving capital and liquidity by investing in high-interest deposit accounts. The fund seeks to maximize monthly income for unitholders while preserving capital and liquidity by investing in high-interest deposit accounts and/or high-quality money market securities .

Purpose does not expect to make any changes to the Funds portfolio in the near term as a result of the proposed change to the Funds investment objectives.

While there will be no change to the underlying holdings of the Fund in the near term, Purpose believes that the change in investment objectives of the Fund will provide unitholders with several benefits, including providing the Fund with the flexibility to diversify its portfolio holdings with high-quality short-term fixed-income investments, if needed to sustain an attractive yield in the long term, which should benefit the Fund and its Unitholders through market cycles.

With the Purpose High Interest Savings Fund, our firm was the first in the world to offer retail investors a high-interest savings ETF that provided a safe and attractive yield option for their cash balances. Until then, these yields were generally only accessible to high-net-worth individuals. In the spirit of continuing to offer investors best-in-class yield for their cash holdings, we are looking to expand the Funds investment objectives to have the flexibility to invest in high-quality money market instruments in the future, said Vlad Tasevski, Chief Operating Officer of Purpose.

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Purpose has called and will hold a special meeting of unitholders of the Fund on April 21, 2023, to consider and vote upon the Proposal. A management information circular (the Circular) describing the Proposal is being prepared and will be mailed to the unitholders of the Fund. The Circular will also be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and posted on the Funds website at www.purposeinvest.com. Implementation of the Proposal is subject to required regulatory approvals.

If the Proposal is approved, as mentioned Purpose does not anticipate any immediate change to the holdings of the Fund and plans to continue to operate the Fund as it has since its inception. The Fund will continue to deposit its assets in high interest deposit accounts with Schedule I Canadian Banks for the foreseeable future. The ability to invest in high-quality money market securities and/or funds is only expected to be used if necessary to ensure the Fund continues to provide unitholders with attractive yields.

About Purpose Investments

Purpose is an asset management company with approximately $15 billion in assets under management. Purpose has an unrelenting focus on client-centric innovation, and offers a range of outcome-focused products. Purpose is led by well-known entrepreneur Som Seif and is a division of Purpose Unlimited, an independent technology-driven financial services company. For more information, please visit: www.purposeinvest.com.

For further information please contact:

Keera Hart

Keera.Hart@kaiserpartners.com

905-580-1257

Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investment fund investments. The prospectus contains important detailed information about the investment fund. Please read the prospectus before investing. There is no assurance that any fund will achieve its investment objective, and its net asset value, yield, and investment return will fluctuate from time to time with market conditions. Investment funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. Investment fund securities are not covered by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any other government deposit insurer.

Certain statements on this site may be forward-looking. Forward-looking statements (FLS) are statements that are predictive in nature, depend on or refer to future events or conditions, or that include words such as may, will, should, could, expect, anticipate, intend, plan, believe, estimate or other similar expressions. Statements that look forward in time or include anything other than historical information are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results, actions or events could differ materially from those set forth in the FLS. FLS are not guarantees of future performance and are by their nature based on numerous assumptions. Although the FLS contained in this document are based upon what Purpose believes to be reasonable assumptions, Purpose cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with these FLS. The reader is cautioned to consider the FLS carefully and not to place undue reliance on the FLS. Unless required by applicable law, it is not undertaken, and specifically disclaimed, that there is any intention or obligation to update or revise FLS, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.




TORONTO, March 17, 2023 /CNW/ - RBC Global Asset Management Inc. (RBC GAM Inc.) today announced March 2023 cash distributions for unitholders of RBC ETFs, as follows:

RBC Logo (CNW Group/RBC Global Asset Management Inc.)

FUND NAME FUND

TICKER CASH

DISTRIBUTION

PER UNIT RBC 1-5 Year Laddered Canadian Bond ETF RLB 0.040 RBC 1-5 Year Laddered Corporate Bond ETF RBO 0.040 RBC Target 2023 Corporate Bond Index ETF RQK 0.035 RBC Target 2024 Corporate Bond Index ETF RQL 0.041 RBC Target 2025 Corporate Bond Index ETF RQN 0.045 RBC Target 2026 Corporate Bond Index ETF RQO 0.030 RBC Target 2027 Corporate Bond Index ETF RQP 0.045 RBC Target 2028 Corporate Bond Index ETF RQQ 0.045 RBC Target 2029 Corporate Bond Index ETF RQR 0.045 RBC Canadian Discount Bond ETF RCDB 0.020 RBC PH&N Short Term Canadian Bond ETF RPSB 0.035 RBC Short Term U.S. Corporate Bond ETF RUSB 0.045 RBC Short Term U.S. Corporate Bond ETF (USD Units)* RUSB.U 0.033 RBC Canadian Preferred Share ETF RPF 0.090 RBC Quant Canadian Dividend Leaders ETF RCD 0.090 RBC Canadian Dividend Covered Call ETF RCDC 0.115 RBC Quant Canadian Equity Leaders ETF RCE 0.190 RBC Vision Women's Leadership MSCI Canada Index ETF RLDR 0.250 RBC Canadian Bank Yield Index ETF RBNK 0.095 RBC Quant U.S. Dividend Leaders ETF RUD 0.080 RBC Quant U.S. Dividend Leaders ETF (USD Units)* RUD.U 0.058 RBC Quant U.S. Dividend Leaders (CAD Hedged) ETF RUDH 0.065 RBC U.S. Dividend Covered Call ETF RUDC 0.101 RBC U.S. Banks Yield Index ETF RUBY 0.045 RBC U.S. Banks Yield Index ETF (USD Units)* RUBY.U 0.033 RBC U.S. Banks Yield (CAD Hedged) Index ETF RUBH 0.045 RBC Quant U.S. Equity Leaders ETF RUE 0.130 RBC Quant U.S. Equity Leaders ETF (USD Units)* RUE.U 0.095 RBC Quant U.S. Equity Leaders (CAD Hedged) ETF RUEH 0.110 RBC Quant European Dividend Leaders ETF RPD 0.055 RBC Quant European Dividend Leaders ETF (USD Units)* RPD.U 0.040 RBC Quant European Dividend Leaders (CAD Hedged) ETF RPDH 0.060 RBC Quant EAFE Dividend Leaders ETF RID 0.060 RBC Quant EAFE Dividend Leaders ETF (USD Units)* RID.U 0.044 RBC Quant EAFE Dividend Leaders (CAD Hedged) ETF RIDH 0.060 RBC Quant EAFE Equity Leaders ETF RIE 0.150 RBC Quant EAFE Equity Leaders ETF (USD Units)* RIE.U 0.109 RBC Quant EAFE Equity Leaders (CAD Hedged) ETF RIEH 0.220 RBC Quant Emerging Markets Dividend Leaders ETF RXD 0.055 RBC Quant Emerging Markets Dividend Leaders ETF (USD Units)* RXD.U 0.040 RBC Quant Emerging Markets Equity Leaders ETF RXE 0.120 RBC Quant Emerging Markets Equity Leaders ETF (USD Units)* RXE.U 0.087

* Cash distribution per unit ($) amounts are USD for RUSB.U, RUD.U, RUBY.U, RUE.U, RPD.U, RID.U, RIE.U, RXD.U, and RXE.U



Unitholders of record on March 24, 2023 will receive distributions payable on March 31, 2023.

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For further information regarding RBC ETFs, please visit www.rbcgam.com/etfsolutions.

Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investments in exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"). Please read the applicable prospectus or ETF Facts document before investing. ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. ETF units are bought and sold at market price on a stock exchange and brokerage commissions will reduce returns. RBC ETFs do not seek to return any predetermined amount at maturity. Index returns do not represent RBC ETF returns. RBC ETFs are managed by RBC GAM Inc., a member of the RBC GAM group of companies and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada.

RBC Target 2023 Corporate Bond Index ETF, RBC Target 2024 Corporate Bond Index ETF, RBC Target 2025 Corporate Bond Index ETF, RBC Target 2026 Corporate Bond Index ETF, RBC Target 2027 Corporate Bond Index ETF, RBC Target 2028 Corporate Bond Index ETF and RBC Target 2029 Corporate Bond Index ETF, (collectively, the "TMCB ETFs") do not seek to deliver a predetermined amount at maturity, and the amount an investor receives may be more or less than their original investment. The TMCB ETFs have been developed solely by RBC GAM Inc., and are not in any way connected to or sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the London Stock Exchange Group plc and its group undertakings (collectively, the "LSE Group").

All rights in the FTSE Canada 2023 Maturity Corporate Bond Index, FTSE Canada 2024 Maturity Corporate Bond Index, FTSE Canada 2025 Maturity Corporate Bond Index, FTSE Canada 2026 Maturity Corporate Bond Index, FTSE Canada 2027 Maturity Corporate Bond Index, FTSE Canada 2028 Maturity Corporate Bond Index and FTSE Canada 2029 Maturity Corporate Bond Index (collectively, the "FTSE Maturity Corporate Bond Indices") vest in the relevant LSE Group company which owns the FTSE Maturity Corporate Bond Indices. "FTSE" is a trade mark of the relevant LSE Group company and is used by any other LSE Group company under license.

The FTSE Maturity Corporate Bond Indices are calculated by or on behalf of FTSE Global Debt Capital Markets Inc. or its affiliate, agent or partner. The LSE Group does not accept any liability whatsoever to any person arising out of (a) the use of, reliance on or any error in the FTSE Maturity Corporate Bond Indices or (b) investment in or operation of the TMCB ETFs. The LSE Group makes no claim, prediction, warranty or representation either as to the results to be obtained from the TMCB ETFs or the suitability of the FTSE Maturity Corporate Bond Indices for the purpose to which they are being put by RBC GAM Inc.

The RBC Canadian Bank Yield Index ETF, RBC U.S. Banks Yield Index ETF, and RBC U.S. Banks Yield (CAD Hedged) Index ETF have been developed solely by RBC GAM Inc. and are not sponsored, promoted, sold or supported by Solactive AG ("Solactive"). The Solactive Canada Bank Yield Index, Solactive U.S. Bank Yield NTR Index and Solactive U.S. Bank Yield NTR (CAD Hedged) Index are calculated and published by Solactive. Solactive does not offer any express or implicit guarantee or assurance regarding the results to be obtained from the use of the index or index price nor does Solactive make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the ETFs.

The RBC Vision Women's Leadership MSCI Canada Index ETF is not sponsored, endorsed or promoted by MSCI Inc. ("MSCI"), and MSCI bears no liability with respect to the ETF or any index on which the ETF is based. The prospectus of RBC Vision Women's Leadership MSCI Canada Index ETF contains a more detailed description of the limited relationship MSCI has with RBC GAM Inc. and the ETF.

About RBC

Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 97,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.

We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact.

About RBC Global Asset Management

RBC Global Asset Management (RBC GAM) is the asset management division of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) and includes money managers BlueBay Asset Management and Phillips, Hager & North Investment Management. RBC GAM is a provider of global investment management services and solutions to institutional, high-net-worth and individual investors through separate accounts, pooled funds, mutual funds, hedge funds, exchange-traded funds and specialty investment strategies. The RBC GAM group of companies manage approximately $525 billion in assets and have approximately 1,500 employees located across Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia.

SOURCE RBC Global Asset Management Inc.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2023/17/c1548.html
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Dublin, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Research Report on Southeast Asia LED Lighting Industry 2023-2032" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



With the rapid economic growth in Southeast Asia, the rising demand for lighting in residential life and industrial and commercial scenes has contributed to the growth of the LED lighting market in Southeast Asia.



According to the publisher's analysis, the Southeast Asia LED lighting market size has exceeded US$3 billion in 2022 and is growing.



Since 2016, electronic equipment products can be sold in other ASEAN countries after obtaining certification in one of the countries in ASEAN. The implementation of the unified standard has undoubtedly brought significant development opportunities to the Southeast Asian market.

According to the publisher's analysis, for LED lighting companies, there is no need for multiple standard certifications to enter the Southeast Asian market, which directly saves export costs and time. For local markets and consumers, the implementation of unified standards can help improve the quality and standards of LED lighting products, thereby allowing more consumers to accept LED lighting.



According to the publisher's analysis, there are fewer local LED lighting-related enterprises in Southeast Asia, so Southeast Asian LED lighting products are very dependent on imports, especially from China. Due to the low per capita income in Southeast Asia, the Southeast Asian market is therefore more sensitive to the price of LED lighting products, and the publisher suggests that LED lighting companies should give priority to low- and medium-priced products when entering the Southeast Asian market. It is expected that in 2023-2032, there will be more LED lighting companies to build factories in Southeast Asia.



Southeast Asia in this report includes 10 countries: Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Brunei, Laos and Cambodia. With a total population of over 600 million by the end of 2021, Southeast Asia has an overall economic growth rate higher than the global average and is one of the key drivers of future global economic growth.



According to the publisher's analysis, the economic levels of the 10 Southeast Asian countries vary greatly, with Singapore being the only developed country with a per capita GDP of about US$73,000 in 2021. While Myanmar and Cambodia will have a GDP per capita of less than US$2,000 in 2021. The population and minimum wage levels of each country also vary greatly. Brunei, which has the smallest population, will have a total population of less than 500,000 people in 2021, while Indonesia, which has the largest population, will have a population of about 275 million people in 2021.



The publiser expects that the LED lighting industry in Southeast Asia will maintain growth from 2023-2032. On the one hand, Southeast Asia lighting market has a lot of room for development. On the other hand, Southeast Asian governments support the development of LED lighting industry, which attracts more LED lighting related companies to build factories in Southeast Asia and promote the development of Southeast Asian LED lighting industry.



Topics covered:

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Southeast Asia LED Lighting Industry Status and Major Sources in 2018-2022

What is the Impact of COVID-19 on Southeast Asia LED Lighting Industry?

Which Companies are the Major Players in Southeast Asia LED Lighting Industry Market and What are their Competitive Benchmarks?

Key Drivers and Market Opportunities in Southeast Asia LED Lighting Industry

What are the Key Drivers, Challenges, and Opportunities for Southeast Asia LED Lighting Industry during 2023-2032?

What is the Expected Revenue of Southeast Asia LED Lighting Industry during 2023-2032?

What are the Strategies Adopted by the Key Players in the Market to Increase Their Market Share in the Industry?

What are the Competitive Advantages of the Major Players in Southeast Asia LED Lighting Industry Market?

Which Segment of Southeast Asia LED Lighting Industry is Expected to Dominate the Market in 2032?

What are the Major Adverse Factors Facing Southeast Asia LED Lighting Industry?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Singapore LED Lighting Industry Analysis

1.1 Singapore LED Lighting Industry Development Environment

1.1.1 Geography

1.1.2 Population

1.1.3 Economy

1.1.4 Minimum Wage in Singapore

1.2 2018-2022 Singapore LED Lighting Industry Operation Status

1.2.1 Production Status

1.2.2 Sales Status

1.2.3 Import and Export Status

1.3 Analysis of Major LED Lighting Companies in Singapore



2 Thailand LED Lighting Industry Analysis



3 Analysis of LED Lighting Industry in the Philippines



4 Malaysia LED Lighting Industry Analysis



5 Indonesia LED Lighting Industry Analysis



6 Vietnam LED Lighting Industry Analysis



7 Myanmar LED Lighting Industry Analysis



8 Brunei LED Lighting Industry Analysis



9 Laos LED Lighting Industry Analysis



10 Cambodia LED Lighting Industry Analysis



11 Southeast Asia LED Lighting Industry Outlook 2023-2032



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rztvf8

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900




LONDON, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NSE: INFY) (BSE: INFY) (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced a partnership with Sandwell Council to launch its Springboard digital learning platform in the region, making it available to Sandwell residents, colleges and schools.

Infosys Logo (PRNewsfoto/Infosys)

Springboard is Infosys' flagship digital learning platform designed to empower people, communities, and society with skills to be successful in the 21st century. The platform features content spanning digital learning, emerging technologies, and life skills, and is led by a team of experts through collaborations with curriculum partners, non-profits, and a global network of leading educational institutions.

Infosys Springboard will help Sandwell residents acquire new skills and increase employability, supporting individuals, communities, and businesses alike. In particular, it aims to:

Be available to everyone for free to help increase digital literacy across the board and ensure nobody is left behind.

Support digitally engaged communities and makes devices and digital assets available to those who cannot afford them.

Help entrepreneurs realise their ideas or small and medium sized businesses improve their services through digital efforts.

This program builds on Infosys' work with local councils across the UK. In 2021 Infosys deployed Springboard in collaboration with Brent Council, which, during the pandemic, witnessed the number of unemployment claimants aged 18 to 49 in Brent treble. So far, over 48,000 Brent residents have registered and are actively using Infosys Springboard.

Councillor Simon Hackett, Cabinet Member for Children and Education, Sandwell Council, said: "Springboard is a fantastic opportunity for Sandwell residents. The opportunity to work alongside a multi-national organisation like Infosys, will equip our enterprises such as, schools, colleges and training providers with the tools needed to increase digital accessibility and help achieve higher aspirations. It will also enable our residents to access a wealth of opportunities for future careers and gain greater prosperity for Sandwell."

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Thirumala Arohi, Senior Vice President and Head  Education, Training and Assessment, Infosys, said: "Upskilling and reskilling is part of our DNA at Infosys, and we couldn't be happier to be collaborating with Sandwell Council on this important project. Ensuring equitable access to digital education is central to achieving a digitally engaged community and I certainly look forward to seeing what residents go on to achieve as a result."

For more information about Infosys Springboard, please click HERE.

About Sandwell Council

Sandwell is a large, diverse, metropolitan borough and offers exciting opportunities for all. Situated at the very heart of the West Midlands, we are the fifth largest metropolitan borough in the region with six main towns: Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury and West Bromwich. It is home to more than 300,000 people and around 9,000 businesses. Sandwell Council has a strong reputation for development and is continuously growing, with up to 1.8bn of investment planned between 2022 and 2027 to fund regeneration across the six towns, improving quality of life and making Sandwell a more sustainable and greener place to live, work and explore. Sandwell Council is the largest employer in the borough with 3,921 employees and provides a comprehensive range of services to local people throughout their lives. The borough has excellent access to the national motorway network, and we are just seven minutes by rail to Birmingham city centre. We also benefit from a mainline train station Sandwell and Dudley and the Midland Metro. The borough has 1,200 hectares of parks, playing fields and local green space and more than 30 miles of canals.

About Infosys

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. Over 300,000 of our people work to amplify human potential and create the next opportunity for people, businesses and communities. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer clients, in more than 50 countries, as they navigate their digital transformation powered by the cloud. We enable them with an AI-powered core, empower the business with agile digital at scale and drive continuous improvement with always-on learning through the transfer of digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. We are deeply committed to being a well-governed, environmentally sustainable organization where diverse talent thrives in an inclusive workplace.

Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NSE: INFY) (BSE: INFY) (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects, financial expectations and plans for navigating the COVID-19 impact on our employees, clients and stakeholders are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding COVID-19 and the effects of government and other measures seeking to contain its spread, risks related to an economic downturn or recession in India, the United States and other countries around the world, changes in political, business, and economic conditions, fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India and the US, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry and the outcome of pending litigation and government investigation. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law.

Media contact:

Dena Tahmasebi, Director of Communications EMEA, Infosys

Email: Dena.Tahmasebi@infosys.com

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Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sandwell-council-collaborates-with-infosys-to-provide-free-digital-learning-platforms-for-residents-colleges-and-schools-301774920.html
SIPC vs. FDIC

Whether you're saving money in a bank account or investing it in the market, you want some reassurance that it's safe. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) ensure banks and other financial institutions, offer protection for your assets. But they aren't exactly the same when it comes to what they cover. If you have bank accounts or investment accounts, it's important to understand the differences between SIPC vs. FDIC protections.

What Is the FDIC, and What Does It Do?

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is an independent federal agency that protects deposit accounts at banks and other financial institutions. The FDIC was formed in 1933 and offers coverage to more than 5,000 institutions as of March 2021. That figure doesn't include credit unions, which are insured by a separate entity, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA).

The FDIC insurers certain types of deposit accounts held at FDIC-insured banks, including:

Checking accounts

Savings accounts

Money market accounts

Certificate of deposit (CD) accounts

Negotiable order of withdrawal (NOW) accounts

The FDIC can also insure specific instruments issued by banks, such as money orders or cashier's checks. This insurance coverage is designed to protect customers when a bank fails.

Say your bank unexpectedly goes under and shuts down temporarily. If the bank is FDIC-insured, the money in your accounts doesn't simply disappear. Instead, the FDIC can do one of two things.

First, it can arrange the sale of a failed bank to another bank. So if you're used to banking with ABC Bank, the FDIC could arrange its purchase by XYZ Bank. You'd then become a customer of XYZ Bank, without losing access to your money along the way.

If there's no ready buyer for a failed bank, the FDIC can pay out funds to depositors directly. This involves sending out checks to people who had accounts at the bank. It can take a few days to receive payments in this scenario but again, your money doesn't just disappear because the FDIC protects it.

Story continues

What Is the SIPC, and What Does It Do?

SIPC vs. FDIC

The Securities Investor Protection Corporation protects assets held in brokerage accounts. For example, if you've set up an online brokerage account or you use an investment app it's possible that you may have SIPC coverage in place. The SIPC's role is to protect investors against negative impacts that may occur when a brokerage is financially troubled.

For example, say you hear about a new investing app that's trending. You decide to open an account but six months later, the startup goes bust. If the brokerage had SIPC insurance, your assets would be protected. Covered assets held in a brokerage account can include:

Stocks

Bonds

Broker-issued certificates of deposit

Mutual funds

Money market funds

It's important to note that there's one thing the SIPC doesn't do and that's protecting investors against financial losses. So if you invest $1,000 into a hot stock that ends up fizzling out, the SIPC isn't responsible for paying your money back to you.

SIPC vs. FDIC: Coverage Limits

FDIC insurance coverage isn't unlimited. The FDIC insurance limit is $250,000 per person, per bank and per ownership category.

Just like the FDIC, the SIPC imposes limits on coverage. The SIPC coverage limit is $500,000 in total value per customer. Of that $500,000, $250,000 can be cash. That's helpful to know if you regularly keep uninvested cash in your brokerage account.

Just like the FDIC, this limit applies to all the assets you have at a single institution. If you have multiple brokerage accounts at different companies then the SIPC limits would apply to each one, assuming the brokerage has SIPC coverage.

Here are some examples of what your coverage may look like, depending on whether you're single or married and what type of accounts you have.

Scenario 1: You're single and have a checking and savings account at the same bank.

Having multiple accounts doesn't mean the $250,000 cap applies to each account. Instead, the FDIC insures all single accounts you own at the same bank for up to $250,000 total. You can, however, get around this limitation by opening single accounts at multiple banks.

Scenario 2: You're married and have a joint checking account and a joint savings account.

When a deposit account is owned by two or more people, each co-owner's share of the account is insured up to $250,000. This covers all the accounts at the same bank.

Say you have a $250,000 balance in joint checking and a $250,000 balance in joint savings. Under FDIC rules, you and your spouse would be both be covered up to the full $250,000 limit.

Scenario 3: You're married with a joint checking account, but individual savings accounts.

Ownership type determines your FDIC coverage. So again, let's say in this scenario you and your spouse have a $250,000 balance in a joint checking account. You also have $250,000 in a savings account that's in your name only.

In this case, you'd each have $125,000 in coverage for the joint checking account. But you'd also be covered for the entire $250,000 balance in your single-owner savings account. The FDIC offers an online tool called EDIE the Estimator to help you determine your coverage limits.

SIPC vs. FDIC: Key Differences

Understanding the differences between the SIPC vs. FDIC is important in the event that a worst-case scenario happens and your brokerage or bank fails. Not all banks and brokerages maintain FDIC or SIPC coverage so if you have money at an institution that isn't covered, you could have a difficult time trying to recover any of your savings or investments.

Assuming that you're doing business with an FDIC- or SIPC-insured bank or brokerage then a failure may be nothing more than an inconvenience. Either institution can act to ensure that you have access to your funds as quickly as possible following a bank or brokerage's shutdown.

The easiest way to know if you have either type of coverage is to ask. Banks typically advertise their FDIC-insured status online and at branch locations, so it's relatively easy to verify. With brokerages, you may have to dig a little deeper into the fine print to learn if the company is SIPC-insured. If you can't find the answer on your own, contacting the brokerage is the next step.

SIPC vs. FDIC: Final Comparison

SIPC vs. FDIC

With SIPC and FDIC insurance, one isn't necessarily better than the other since they both protect you in different ways. If you have bank accounts or brokerage accounts, having both types of coverage can help you feel reassured about the safety of your savings or investments. And neither one costs you anything to have. Again, however, keep in mind that neither one of them protects you against investment losses. SIPC and FDIC insurance is not meant to make you whole if an investment doesn't turn out the way you'd planned.

Bottom Line

Knowing the differences between the SIPC vs. FDIC is helpful for managing your money and keeping it safe. The former is for clients of broker-dealers who go bankrupt. (There are similarities in purpose between the SIPC and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation). The FDIC, on the other hand, is for customers of banks. The most important thing to keep in mind is coverage limits. If you have multiple bank accounts or brokerage accounts, be aware of how much coverage you have at each institution you're doing business with.

Tips for Investing

Consider talking to a financial advisor about the best way to maximize your account selections. Finding a financial advisor doesn't have to be hard. SmartAsset's 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 you're ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

If you're interested in adding alternative investments to your portfolio, such as foreign currencies or commodities, note that the SIPC doesn't extend coverage to them as they're not considered to be securities. The SIPC also excludes futures contracts unless they're held in a margin account so consider that carefully before diversifying with these investments.

Photo credit: iStock.com/Vadmary, iStock.com/alexsl, iStock.com/designer491

The post SIPC vs. FDIC: Understanding Key Differences appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.
Contrive Datum Insights Pvt Ltd

According to a market research study published by Contrive Datum Insights, The United States is the biggest market in North America for smart connected street lights, Europe is a big market for smart street lights that are connected to the internet

Farmington, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Smart Street Lights Market is expected to grow at a 23.4% CAGR and help the market reach a final valuation of 14,751.1 Million by the end of the forecast period in 2030. Municipalities and utilities carry the most expensive and essential infrastructure asset: street lamps. Increasing infrastructure development, especially in developing nations like India and Japan, is a significant factor propelling the growth of the smart/connected street light market. These government initiatives for smart country development are driving the smart/connected street lighting market's expansion. Additionally, LEDs were implemented to decrease energy costs. Due to these factors, numerous cities have adopted energy-efficient lighting solutions. Another factor contributing to the expansion of the smart/connected street light market.

Request Sample Copy of Report  Smart Connected Street Lights Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Opportunities, Future Trends, Covid-19 Impact, SWOT Analysis, Competition and Forecasts 2022 to 2030 , published by Contrive Datum Insights.

Smart Connected Street Lights Market Recent Developments:

Philips Lighting will help the Dutch island of Ameland secure energy-efficient LED street lights. Philips ClearSky is a light spectrum specifically designed to reduce the damage and harshness faced by migratory birds. Additionally, the availability of fresh and robust infrastructure will help achieve sustainable targets that will help save energy and reduce pollution levels over the forecast period 2017-2023.

Itron Inc. announces collaboration with VINCI Energies' Electrix and Transport Canberra and City Services. This will help create Internet of Things networks for industry and will help support this technology and the idea of developing smart cities and energy solutions in Australia's capital, Canberra. It is said to be Australia's largest stand-alone lighting project. This idea was presented in April 2019.

In the same year, a collaboration between Samsung SDS and Telensa was announced to develop a smart city initiative. The two companies are working as a team to develop intelligent streetlights.

Story continues

Smart Connected Street Lights Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

Customers are increasing their use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which is dramatically increasing the distances of street lighting systems. Soon, commercial settings that support the high penetration of connected street light technology as part of smart city initiatives will serve as a significant market growth driver. In addition, utility companies and government agencies are embracing the use of intelligent lighting technologies to save money and reduce carbon emissions through 2023. In addition, prominent market participants are catering to the rising demand over the forecast period. Adopting green strategies and supporting the global objective of adopting and attaining sustainable development throughout the period 2017-2023 is anticipated.

Restraints:

However, market leaders for smart street lights foresee a number of obstacles for the market over the 2017-2023 forecast period. As a consequence of underdeveloped network structures and low internet penetration rates, developing countries and economies have an inadequate infrastructure. This also results in a lack of available bandwidth, introducing additional new challenges to the expanding market through 2023.

Regional Outlook:

The United States is the largest market for smart connected street lamps in North America. The region is expanding due to the increased demand for energy-efficient illumination, the government's efforts to reduce carbon pollution, and the use of smart city technologies

Europe is a significant market for internet-connected smart street lamps. The United Kingdom, Germany, and France are the region's largest markets. Government initiatives to reduce energy consumption, increase energy efficiency, and reduce carbon emissions are driving growth in the area. Utilization of smart city technologies and the presence of major players in the region also contribute to the growth.

Asia-Pacific is a significant market for internet-connected smart street lamps. China, Japan, and India are the region's largest markets. Rapid urbanization, government initiatives to increase energy efficiency, and the use of "smart city" technologies all contribute to the region's development. Along with a growing population and an increase in urbanization, the demand for energy-efficient lighting is anticipated to stimulate economic expansion in the region.

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https://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/buy/7143/

Scope of Report:

Report Attributes Details Growth Rate 23.4% from 2023 to 2030 Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 14,751.1 Million By Type Hardware

Software

Services

Other By Applications Infrastructure

Shopping Plaza

Industrial Area

Public Road

Others By Companies Cisco Systems, Inc., Citelum, DimOnoff Inc., Echelon, EnGo Planet, General Electric Company, Philips Lighting (Signify Holding), LED Roadway Lighting Ltd., LonMark International, and Others Base Year 2022 Historical Year 2017 to 2021 Forecast Year 2023 to 2030

Smart Connected Street Lights Market Key Segments Covered:

Top Market Players:

Cisco Systems, Inc., Citelum, DimOnoff Inc., Echelon, EnGo Planet, General Electric Company, Philips Lighting (Signify Holding), LED Roadway Lighting Ltd., LonMark International, and Others.

By Type:

Hardware

Software

Services

Other

By Application:

Infrastructure

Shopping Plaza

Industrial Area

Public Road

Others

Regions and Countries Covered

North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America)

Europe: (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific: (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

The Middle East & Africa: (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Latin America: (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)

Rest Of the World

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Cloud Services Brokerage Market - The Global Cloud Services Brokerage Market size was valued at USD 10.59 Billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 42.13 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 16.58% from 2022 to 2030. Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region in the market study, owing to exponential growth in adoption of cloud services across all types of businesses.

Online Corporate Meeting Services Market - The Global Online Corporate Meeting Services Market Size Reached US$ 5.0 Billion In 2022, Expects The Market To Reach US$ 7.1 Billion By 2029, Exhibiting A Growth Rate (CAGR) Of 6.04% During 2022-2029. 40% of the market growth will occur in North America during the forecast period. The United States and Canada are major markets for North American online corporate meeting services. However, market growth in this region will be slower than that of the APAC market.

HVAC Services Market - The Global HVAC Services Market stands at US$ 71.1 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to progress steadily at a CAGR of 6.2%. Asia Pacific dominates the HVAC systems market with a revenue share of over 40.0% in 2021. Increasing urbanization, growing population, and increasing disposable income of consumers are the key success factors behind the region's tremendous growth over the years.

Pipeline Maintenance Services Market - The global Pipeline Maintenance Services market size is expected to reach close to $34.8 Billion by 2030 with an annualized growth rate of 7.9% through the projected period. With the largest hydrocarbon pipeline infrastructure, the United States has been leading the market for several years. The market is expected to grow further at a healthy rate due to the expansion of oil and gas fields in the country. Thus, North America, accounting for 1.44 billion units in 2020, is expected to lead the pipeline and process services market going forward.

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MAXIMIZE MARKET RESEARCH PRIVATE LIMITED

Smart Retail Market is segmented based on Solution and Distribution Channel. Bottom-Up approach was used to estimate the Smart Retail Market size. Rise in contactless operations and social distance give consumers access to alternative retail solutions are expected to influence the Smart Retail Market growth.

Dublin, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Maximize Market research, a global Consumer Goods & Services business-consulting firm, has published a market intelligence and competitive landscape report on the  Smart Retail Market . The total market opportunity for the Smart Retail Market was USD 24.2 Bn in 2021 and is expected to grow at 21 percent CAGR over the forecast period to reach USD 111.19 Bn by 2029.



Market Size in 2021 USD 24.2 Bn Market Size in 2029 USD 111.19 Bn CAGR 21 percent (2022-2029) Forecast Period 2022-2029 Base Year 2021 Number of Pages 260 No. of Tables 125 No. of Charts and Figures 117 Segment Covered Solution, Distribution Channel Regional Scope North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, South America Report Coverage Market Share, Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20222029, Market Dynamics, Growth Drivers, Restraints, Investment Opportunities, and Key Trends, Competitive Landscape, Key Players Benchmarking, Competitive Analysis, MMR Competition Matrix, Competitive Leadership Mapping, Global Key Players Market Ranking Analysis.

Request For Free Sample Report:

https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/request-sample/24096

Smart Retail Market Scope and Research Methodology

The report offers a comprehensive analysis of the Smart Retail Market. The report include the smart retail markets drivers, restraints, challenges, opportunities and their impact on the market. The report covers the current trends prevailing in the Smart Retail Market along with estimations about future trends to help understand investors identify investment and opportunities in the Smart Retail Market. The Smart Retail Market report provides an overview of the Smart Retail for stakeholders, investors, market players and followers and new entrants for developing investment strategies and marketing strategies.

Story continues

The report covers all the aspects of the industry with a dedicated analysis of key players that include market leaders, followers, and new entrants. The Smart Retail Market was analysed by region, revenue, financial status, portfolio, technological advancement, social, social medial presence, and mergers and acquisitions. SWOT analysis was conducted to provide the strengths and weaknesses of the Smart Retail Market and PESTLE was employed to understand the potential impact of the micro-economic factors affecting the Smart Retail Market. Thus the report provides a detailed overview of the Smart Retail Market.

Smart Retail Market Overview

The smart retail refers to the fusion of conventional shopping methods with new smart technologies. By this, the customer can benefit from a more tailored, quicker and smarter experience. It helps retailers keep up with the growing demands of customers given massive promotions and social media marketing by various brands. With the increase of advanced technologies, the number of smart retail is expected to witness growth over the forecast period.

Get a Sample Copy of the Report:

https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/request-sample/24096

Increasing Number of Smart Stores is expected to influence the Smart Retail Market growth

A major factor driving the Smart Retail Market growth is the cost-effectiveness offered by it, leading to the increased profitability and enhanced supply chain management. Social media marketing has contributed heavily in attracting the millennial. It has enabled retailers to focus on providing a smooth shopping experience with minimal interference from social media. Such stores are utilizing visual marketing for their products and offerings in the form of product snapshots and videos to engage customers and gain customer attraction on e-commerce websites. Such development by retailers is expected to drive the Smart Retail Market growth over the forecast period.

Rise in the use of digital payment modes such as debit cards, credit cards, prepaid cards, electronic wallets and other digital platforms are expected to witness significant growth of Smart Retail Market over the forecast period.

Digitization in Smart Retail Market is expected to influence the growth of market over the forecast period.

Digitalization benefits retailers in the form of new customers and reduced operational costs, among other benefits. Advances in technology, the advent of innovative sensors, improved connectivity, and availability of seamless communication solutions are expected to help online retail stores in contributing significantly to the growth of the market over the forecast period.

North America region is expected to be the fastest growing Smart Retail Market over the forecast period

North America dominated the market in 2021 holding 36 percent of the market share. The increasing number of supermarkets, department stores, other types of retailers offers point of sale solution, smart cards and self-checkout systems. These factors are driving the growth of the North American Smart Retail Market. European market is also growing at a significant rate with the increase in the chain of supermarkets and hypermarkets.

Asia Pacific have most lucrative opportunities for the growth of the Smart Retail Market. Factors such as increasing investments in smart city development in China & India, large customer base and increasing trend of digitalization are expected to influence the Smart Retail Market growth.

Get Customization on this Report for Specific Research Solutions:

https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/request-customization/24096

Smart Retail Market Segmentation

Based on Solution, Hardware segment is expected to dominate the Smart Retail Market growth over the forecast period

The hardware segment held the market share of 64 percent in 2021. With the increasing use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) devices, point of sale (POS) systems, Bluetooth beacons, and radio frequency identification (RFID) systems to provide customers with a seamless shopping experience in the store.

Based on Distribution Channel, Visual Marketing is expected to dominate the Smart Retail Market growth over the forecast period

The visual marketing segment held the market share of 32 percent in 2021. Retailers also consider beautiful storefronts, digital signage, indoor displays, and state-of-the-art lighting visual marketing to be one of the key requirements for smart retail solutions to keep customers interested.

By Solution

Hardware

Software

By Distribution Channel

Visual Marketing

Smart payments

Smart label

Others

Smart Retail Market Key Players include:

IBM

Intel Corporation

Cisco Systems Inc.

NXP Semiconductors N.V.

Microsoft

Huawei Investment & Holding Co. Ltd

NVIDIA Corporation

Samsung Electronics

Google Inc.

PTC Inc.

Trigo

Standard Cognition

Caper Inc.

Zippin

Walmart Inc.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited

Amazon.com Inc.

Albert Heijn BV

LOTTE

Estimote Inc.

AWM SMART SHELF

Smartcart

Cozy Infosystems

Focal Systems Inc.

Request For Free Sample Report:

https://www.maximizemarketresearch.com/request-sample/24096

Key questions answered in the Smart Retail Market are:

What is Smart Retail?

What was the Smart Retail Market size in 2021?

What is the forecast period of Smart Retail Market?

What will be the Smart Retail Market size by 2029?

What is the growth rate of the Smart Retail Market?

Which factors are expected to influence the Smart Retail Market growth?

What factors are expected to hamper the Smart Retail Market growth?

Which segment dominated the Smart Retail Market growth?

What is the demand pattern for the Smart Retail Market?

Which region held the largest share in the Smart Retail Market?

Who are the key players in the Smart Retail Market?



Key Offerings:

Past Market Size and Competitive Landscape (2018 to 2021)

Past Pricing and price curve by region (2018 to 2021)

Market Size, Share, Size & Forecast by different segment | 20222029

Market Dynamics  Growth Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities, and Key Trends by region

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis by Solution, Distribution Channel

Competitive Landscape  Profiles of selected key players by region from a strategic perspective Competitive landscape  Market Leaders, Market Followers, Regional player Competitive benchmarking of key players by region

PESTLE Analysis

PORTERs analysis

Value chain and supply chain analysis

Legal Aspects of business by region

Lucrative business opportunities with SWOT analysis

Recommendations

Maximize Market Research is leading Consumer Goods & Services research firm, has also published the following reports:

eSIM Subscription Market : The total market size was valued at USD 512.15 Mn in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 32.3 percent from 2022 to 2029, reaching USD 4812.62 Mn. High internet speeds and increased network capacity is expected to influence the market growth.

Digital Led Retail Banking Market : The total market size was valued at USD 15.64 Bn in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.7 percent from 2022 to 2029, reaching USD 50.22 Bn. The rapid adoption of online & mobile banking platforms is expected to influence the market growth.

Retail Cloud Management Solutions and Services Market : The total market size was valued at USD 28.10Bn in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.3percent from 2022 to 2029, reaching USD 94.06 Bn. The increasing adoption of advanced technologies such as AI, ML, BI is expected to influence the market growth.

Retail Analytics Software and Services Market : The total market size was valued at USD 1.86 Bn in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.7 percent from 2023 to 2029, reaching USD 6.19 Bn. The growth of big data analytics is influence the growth of market.

Retail Robotics Market : The total market size was valued at USD 10.60 Bn in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 32.5percent from 2023 to 2029, reaching USD 76 Bn. Increasing automation and personalization in Retails sector is influence the growth of market.

About Maximize Market Research:

Maximize Market Research is a multifaceted market research and consulting company with professionals from several industries. Some of the industries we cover include medical devices, pharmaceutical manufacturers, science and engineering, electronic components, industrial equipment, technology, and communication, cars, and automobiles, chemical products and substances, general merchandise, beverages, personal care, and automated systems. To mention a few, we provide market-verified industry estimations, technical trend analysis, crucial market research, strategic advice, competition analysis, production and demand analysis, and client impact studies.

CONTACT: Contact Maximize Market Research: 3rd Floor, Navale IT Park, Phase 2 Pune Banglore Highway, Narhe, Pune, Maharashtra 411041, India sales@maximizemarketresearch.com +91 96071 95908, +91 9607365656




(Bloomberg) -- South Koreas biggest battery event of the year turned into a beauty parade of US, European and Australian officials all trying to lure investments to their regions.

Most Read from Bloomberg

With LG Energy Solution Ltd., Samsung SDI Co. and SK On Co. among the 420 exhibitors at this weeks InterBattery conference, state and national representatives took the opportunity to engage in some heavy lobbying.

Eight US states  including Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Indiana  delivered presentations on the benefits they can offer Korean firms as a base for new manufacturing plants, including low corporate tax, talented engineers, integrated logistics and supply chains, and cash incentives.

We want to be the best cost, the best value, the best service, and the best return on your investment, Jeff Noel, secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development, said in a presentation during the US EV Battery Forum seminar at the conference. Just ask the folks at SK and Ford, he said. Kentucky has attracted part of Ford Motor Co.s $11 billion investment in new battery plants with SK On.

Koreas three top battery makers hold around 20% of the global market, which is dominated by Chinas CATL and BYD. LG Energy has about 10% of the market, followed by SK On at 5.6% and Samsung SDI with 4.2%, according to Seoul-based SNE Research.

However, President Joe Bidens climate bill is pushing US carmakers to find reliable battery suppliers outside China to ensure their vehicles qualify for the maximum $7,500 subsidy, and Europe is following suit.

Korean battery firms have secured almost 90% of new orders from US automakers recently, Jang Young-Jin, Koreas vice trade minister, said in his opening speech to the conference.

Story continues

Officials from NAATBatt, a trade association for battery makers in North America, pushed Korean companies to invest more.

Korean companies, especially equipment makers, are still trying to export products to the US rather than building a plant, Fred Lee, co-chair of the OnShoring Technology Committee of NAATBatt said during a seminar at the conference. But German companies are already coming to the US, and Japanese firms can do the same anytime.

Firms from Korea need to act fast to compete, according to Lee. Dont hesitate to invest, he said. You should hurry.

Among European countries, Hungary was eager to lure business from Korea. The Asian nation plowed 8.2 billion euros ($8.7 billion) into Hungary between 2014 and 2022, making it one of the Eastern European nations largest foreign investors. Samsung and SK On have battery plants in the country that supply automakers such as Volkswagen AG and BMW AG.

We have a very competitive tax system, very good logistics to serve European markets and excellent education, said Martina Almasi, director at the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency, pointing out that Hungarys corporate tax rate is just 9%, compared to around 25% in Korea.

State government officials from Australia, which has abundant reserves of key battery minerals such as lithium, talked up the benefits of their battery supply chains. Korean companies have been showing more interest in potential investment in critical mineral projects as they seek suppliers that enable them to comply with the US climate bill, according to Jessica Williams, an official from Australias Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

Australia is well positioned to attract investors from Korea and Japan as it has high governance standards that give the country a commercial advantage, Williams said. She also pointed out Australia has a free-trade agreement with the US, a key requirement for the EV subsidies in Bidens climate bill.

Liesje Schreinemacher, the Netherlands trade minister, was also spotted at the LG Energy Solution booth on Wednesday. The previous day, she met with Korean trade minister Ahn Duk-geun where the pair signed seven memorandum of understandings in areas such as green mobility and renewable energy.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Austen Allred, the CEO and cofounder of Bloom Institute of Technology, formerly known as Lambda School. Lambda School

Students of the Bloom Institute of Technology have filed a class-action lawsuit against the school.

They say the coding boot camp, formerly known as Lambda School, advertised false job-placement rates.

They also say the school engaged in unlicensed lending and wasn't properly registered until 2020.

Four students at the coding boot camp Bloom Institute of Technology, formerly known as Lambda School, have filed a class-action lawsuit against the school.

The National Student Legal Defense Network, along with cocounsel Miner, Barnhill & Galland and Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, filed the lawsuit Thursday on behalf of the students. The school, known as BloomTech for short, offers students the option to pay up-front tuition, or to pay no up-front tuition fees and instead pay back their tuition through an income-share agreement, meaning that when a student lands a job paying $50,000 or more, they must pay back 14% of their income for four years or until they hit a cap of $40,000.

The students, who attended from March 2020 until the present, say in the lawsuit that they enrolled because they were attracted by the high job-placement rates in tech. They allege that the school had false and misleading information about job-placement rates on its website and on CEO Austen Allred's Twitter account.

What's more, they say that BloomTech engaged in unlicensed lending and point out that the school operated without California state approval until August 2020. The students are asking for equitable relief, such as canceling their income-share agreements or getting a refund.

While students have previously taken legal action against BloomTech, this is the first class-action lawsuit against it.

Alex Elson, the vice president of Student Defense, said the organization has received many complaints about the school, particularly about the misleading job-placement rates, as well as dissatisfaction with the quality of education.

"They wouldn't have gone if they didn't know what the true rates are," Elson told Insider.

Story continues

BloomTech has raised over $129 million from investors like GV (formerly Google Ventures), Stripe, and Ashton Kutcher.

Former BloomTech students said that the school fell short of its promise, with underqualified instructors and an incomplete curriculum, Insider first reported. They said they often had to rely on self-teaching and were brushed off when they voiced concerns about the program or complained about harassment. Leaked documents also showed that BloomTech's job-placement rates were much lower than advertised, Insider previously reported.

Income-share agreements have become popular among coding boot camps because students don't have to pay tuition up front. But income-share agreements can be risky because they're not clearly regulated by federal laws, which focus on consumer loans.

BloomTech did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Got a tip? Contact this reporter via email at rmchan@insider.com, Signal at 646.376.6106, or Telegram at @rosaliechan. (PR pitches by email only, please.) Other types of secure messaging available upon request.

Read the original article on Business Insider
DENPASAR, Indonesia, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ritz -Carlton, Bali is delighted to announce the appointment of Subin Dharman as the new General Manager. Subin brings more than 20 years of illustrious experience in the hospitality industry to guide and nurture the five-star property in Nusa Dua.

Subin Dharman - General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Bali

Subin first started his hospitality journey in the F&B industry as the F&B Supervisor of Sheraton Schiphol, Netherlands. Over the years, he steadily grew and gained prestigious stints in pivotal positions, such as the Director of Food & Beverage at Hotel Missoni in Kuwait, the Executive Assistant Manager of F&B at The Ritz-Carlton Doha in Qatar and The Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas in the United States.

In July 2017, Subin's career expanded beyond F&B as he was appointed Hotel Manager at The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Mega Kuningan. Less than two years later, he was announced the General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place, where his hands-on approach led the hotel to achieve the Gold Standard of Hospitality for guests' and employees' satisfaction.

During his leadership at The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place, the property was also awarded Best Hotel for Business Travelers in Asia Pacific by CNBC International in 2022. Prior to joining The Ritz-Carlton, Bali, Subin also gained coveted achievements, including being named APEC Luxury GM of the Year in 2022, and appointed Co-Chair for Marriott Business Council in Indonesia.

Subin's passion for the hotel industry is rooted in the dynamic nature of the job, including the opportunity to travel and see the world, as well as learning from meeting and interacting with different people from around the world. As a General Manager, Subin is thrilled to inspire and bring out the best in his team.

"It is an honor to be at the helm of this exceptional property. Ladies and gentlemen at The Ritz-Carlton, Bali will continue to present the timeless charms of Indonesian hospitality and especially the warm welcome that Bali has to offer." says Subin. "I am excited to commence my new endeavor at this property and I look forward to working together with my team to write a new chapter, as well as showing new and long-time guests what makes The Ritz-Carlton, Bali special."

Story continues

As a husband and father, off the clock, Subin enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. He also has a penchant for fitness training for both physical and mental health, as well as traveling and reading in his spare time.

ABOUT THE RITZ-CARLTON, BALI.

Built on a sprawling 12.7 hectares white beach front and elevated cliff top settings, The Ritz-Carlton, Bali feature 313 oceanfront suites and villas, enjoying the unobstructed view of the Indian Ocean and the resort's lush garden. Completing the experiences, a glass elevator connects the cliff and the beach-front, five restaurants and bars, The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom and meeting facilities, a wedding chapel, as well as The Ritz-Carlton Spa. Ladies and gentlemen at The Ritz-Carlton, Bali is proudly presents the timeless charms of Indo-Balinese hospitality.

ABOUT THE RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL COMPANY, L.L.C.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. of Chevy Chase, Md., currently operates 88 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. More than 30 hotel and residential projects are under development around the globe. The Ritz-Carlton is the only service company to have twice earned the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which recognizes outstanding customer service. For more information, or reservations, contact a travel professional, call toll free in the U.S. 1-800-241-3333, or visit the company web site at www.ritzcarlton.com. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR)

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/subin-dharman-appointed-general-manager-of-the-ritz-carlton-bali-301774897.html

SOURCE The Ritz-Carlton, Bali
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / Yum! Brands



Yum! Brands, Friday, March 17, 2023, Press release picture

Taco Bell Blog

At Taco Bell, we empower our teams to be fearless, embrace difference and drive change. We believe that each one of us has a story to tell.

This year's nationwide Women's History Month's focus is Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories, which you can learn more about on nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org.

To honor and celebrate this year's focus and women at The Bell, we will continue to tell their stories and amplify their voices. We will share their stories every week in the month of March in hopes that they not only educate but inspire you to drive positive and intentional impact within your community.

But first, a little Women's History Month background... March is dedicated as Women's History Month in the U.S., United Kingdom, and Australia. In 1982, Women's History Week was officially launched in the United States. Five years later, the entire month of March was devoted to acknowledging courageous trailblazers across all backgrounds - creating room to celebrate the cultural impact of past, current, and future generations.

Throughout the year, we will continue sharing the incredible stories of our Taco Bell teams; the sharing and celebration doesn't stop here.

Jasmine B. - Live Mas Scholar

Even at young age, Jasmine knew she wanted to be a journalist and did everything she could to gain experience, including editing videos and photos. When she was a senior in high school, she was a news anchor on the student newscast, and even co-directed a documentary named A Woofing Inspiration, which won third place in the Virginia High School League Competition. She used her video skills to create a Live Mas Scholarship submission and her hard work was rewarded - she received a $25,000 Live Mas Scholarship from the Taco Bell Foundation to pursue her college education. The Taco Bell team, the school staff and her mother were all there to give her the news, which gave her a sense of pride and even more confidence to take the next step in her education journey.

Story continues

In high school, she wanted to attend a four-year university with a major in Mass Communication and Minor in Creative writing. At the time, she was stressing about her financial situation and how she could afford college, especially her dream school... Hampton University. This scholarship helped make all those dreams come true, "I feel very lucky to be working at this restaurant [Taco Bell] that has provided me with these types of opportunities. I do not know where I would be if I had not applied to Taco Bell in my junior year of high school. I know that other companies provide opportunities to their teams, but I feel like Taco Bell has a family environment that I could never get anywhere else. I know when I come home for a break from school, I have a second home where I can come and feel a sense of nostalgia from a place that has given me a chance to follow my dreams."

But Jasmine is not only a student - she's a big sister, was co-captain of her dance team, and a seasonal Taco Bell restaurant team member at franchise organization BurgerBusters, Inc. And now, she attends Hampton University, is a member of the Freshman Executive Council, a member of Hampton University Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists and has her very own YouTube channel. All in all, there is never a dull moment in her life.

But she couldn't do it without the support and love of her family, especially her mother and grandmother. The women in her family taught her determination and strength.

"As a woman, I'm proud to have a month [like Women's History Month] that celebrates me being a woman and all the accomplishments women have made in the world. But it means more to me as an African American woman. It's double the impact for me because I can appreciate all the achievements these women have made that enhanced the world in a positive way."

She uses that knowledge every time she steps out of her comfort zone and tries new things, and she knows that her mother will always be there to support her on her new adventures. She thanks her mother, grandmother and all the women before her for the way they have nurtured her to become a leader and role model.

"As an aspiring leader, I know it can be difficult to lead others when you aren't 100% sure what you want to do. To be a good leader, you must also know how to follow. This means you must be comfortable in your confidence in order to learn how to be a better leader."

With this new chapter ahead at Hampton University, she's ready to take on her dream of becoming a broadcast journalist. As a future woman in journalism, Jasmine hopes that she will become a role model for little girls, especially her two little sisters. With all she has accomplished thus far, there is no doubt that she will make a true impact in the world.

"I'm excited for the future and what the world will challenge me with. My hard work and determination to be successful will help me achieve any new goals I make. The future is unknown to everyone and that's exciting because you never know where you will end up so it's essential to live life to the fullest."

Her favorite color is blue. She's a Libra. She loves Nacho Fries. She's a powerhouse. She's Jasmine; she's a Live Mas Scholar and future broadcast journalist. Jasmine, we can't wait to see you on the screen in the future and feel proud to know you.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Yum! Brands on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Yum! Brands

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/yum-brands

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Yum! Brands





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/744423/Taco-Bell-Honors-Womens-History-Month-Meet-Jasmine-B-Live-Ms-Scholar




According to Kevin Dulaney, the executive VP of technology and innovation at Hotwire Global, it takes inspiration, visualization, and ethics to successfully utilize tech at a company. Hotwire Global

Kevin Dulaney leads tech innovation at Hotwire Global, a marketing and communications consultancy.

Dulaney told Insider that tech-focused strategies and AI tools can help other companies improve.

This article is part of "Tech Leadership Playbook," a series that shares advice from the most innovative tech execs.

Kevin Dulaney has a tall order. As the executive vice president of technology and innovation at Hotwire Global, a marketing and communications consultancy, he must deliver an IT strategy that connects a global team of over 400 employees and empowers them to execute innovative campaigns for a diverse roster of international clients.

But Dulaney  who was included in PRWeek's 2023 "Dashboard 25" list honoring influential people in communications technology  is up for the challenge. When it came to developing and implementing Hotwire Global's IT strategy, Dulaney made sure to view technology as "an enabler" for the entire business and not "just another toolset," he told Insider.

Dulaney and his team encourage employees to "embrace technology in every aspect of their work" to boost efficiency. He believes that data and insights, in particular, enable staff to do their best work alongside clients and the company's internal teams.

This strategy has helped the company over the years as it gains accolades: In 2020, Forbes named Hotwire Global one of the best PR agencies in the US; in 2021, The Sunday Times honored the consultancy as the best small company to work for in London; and just this year, Insider recognized Hotwire Global's senior director Maribeth Darling as an emerging leader in public relations.

Of course, encouraging everyone to embrace technology is no easy feat as some people might fear change. But a big part of Dulaney's job is to inspire curiosity over hesitancy.

As an expert with over 20 years of IT and tech innovation experience, Dulaney shared insight into how companies can bolster tech use within their organization.

Story continues

Always be in-the-know and foster connectivity

With technology advancing at a rapid rate, Dulaney's team must stay up to date on the latest developments and apply them to different areas of the business. "My team looks at tools as soon as they come up or as soon as it is identified," he said. "We then evaluate the tool to see if there is a use case for it in the business."

As part of its IT strategy, Hotwire Global has implemented a concept called "One Team" that works as a "collective without borders and collaborates regardless of locations or backgrounds," Dulaney said. At the heart of this strategy is a technology-based collaboration suite.

"The pandemic highlighted the importance of this technology," Dulaney said. "It showed us that conventional offices may no longer be a thing, so how do we keep that same connectedness and culture of business?"

He added: "The only way to do that is through synchronous and asynchronous collaboration tools like Slack and Zoom, and all the other tools that we use to help create the conversations for ourselves as well with our clients."

Get your teeth into tech that gathers data and insights

Data, insights, and automation also form a vital part of Hotwire Global's IT strategy, particularly when it comes to the client experience. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive modeling allow clients to leverage data to improve the effectiveness of marketing and communications campaigns, Dulaney said.

"Leaning into these technologies helps us bridge the gap with our clients by giving them the real power of data to optimize strategies, measure impact, and enable business growth," he added.

Recently, Hotwire Global's IT team developed a language library powered by AI chatbot ChatGPT. The aim was to help employees "look for solutions, answers, and information in a way that is most comfortable to them," Dulaney said.

While Internet of Things (IoT) solutions like Alexa and Google Home are oriented around question-and-answer interactions, Dulaney said, ChatGPT is more conversational. "It is more like having a conversation with your manager or colleague to get information," he said. "It breaks down that barrier of, 'Am I asking the right question?' and focuses on 'Am I having a conversation?'"

The AI-based language library  which is ChatGPT's colloquial rendering of Hotwire Global's original language library  is underpinned by Hotwire Global's existing processes, documents, information, and internal communications. The result, Dulaney said, is "more conversational data versus just automated responses."

Create ethics guidelines around tech use

Dulaney is clear that generative AI solutions like ChatGPT can't be a "complete replacement" for human talent. Instead, he sees it as a tool to inspire creativity across the agency. To ensure employees use tools like ChatGPT ethically, Hotwire Global's IT team has created AI guidelines and best practices.

"Part of those guidelines also touch on how untrustworthy these tools can be," Dulaney said. "It has been proven not to have legitimate information and sometimes just makes up data altogether. And when you consider it from a diversity and equity lens, it is creating its knowledge base from information that is already out there. This system is pulling from databases and pulling from sources that already have biases baked in."

Visualize and materialize

For leaders at other companies who want to use technology more in day-to-day roles and operations, Dulaney recommended that they create a vision that takes into account business priorities and the desired technology to be adopted.

They should then invest in and roll out tech to an initial group of stakeholders to measure return on investment and make any necessary changes to the strategy. Another tip is to ensure that those working on the IT team understand the business and the daily challenges it faces so that they can find effective technical solutions to problems.

Look onward, and prepare for more advancements

In the near future, Dulaney expects technologies such as automation and AI to continue transforming the skillsets of PR professionals. He believes they'll need to know how to create prompts to get required information through AI tools and use automation to improve efficiencies in their roles.

However, he expects technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality to have the biggest impact on the PR industry in the coming decades. "That universe is going to open a whole new demo for us to do immersive experiences and storytelling," Dulaney said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
TVM Life Science Management GmbH

Company highlights key investments from its commercial-stage medtech portfolio

MONTREAL and MUNICH, Germany, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TVM Capital Life Science (TVM), a leading international venture capital firm focused on investments in life sciences innovation, today announced that Dr. Luc Marengere, Managing Partner, and Dr. Sascha Berger, General Partner of TVM, will participate in the upcoming LSI USA 23 Emerging Medtech Summit 2023, which brings together leading innovators, active investors and committed strategics from the medtech industry to partner and build next-generation healthcare technologies. The conference will take place March 20-23, 2023, in Dana Point, California, USA.

Medtech innovation plays a pivotal role in the healthcare ecosystem and has the potential to revolutionize the industry by improving patient outcomes, increasing efficiency, and reducing costs. One key component of our strategy is to invest in disruptive, breakthrough, commercial-stage technologies that map essential future trends and significantly transform current standard-of-care. In addition to connecting with fellow investors and dealmakers to discuss market opportunities and needs, we look forward to meeting young, highly innovative companies at the LSI Summit to further expand TVMs strong medtech portfolio, said Dr. Luc Marengere.

TVM pursues a unique two-pronged strategy, investing in differentiated medical technologies with commercial proof-of-concept and late clinical-stage therapeutics as well as financing innovative early-stage therapeutics through a single asset company approach (Project-Focused Company, PFC) that leverages TVMs strategic relationship with global pharmaceutical firm, Eli Lilly and Company. With its late-stage medtech investments, the Company focuses on innovative businesses from North America or the EU working to transform medical practice with their groundbreaking devices and technologies.

Story continues

Dr. Sascha Berger added: TVMs track record of successful collaboration highlights our partnership and value-building approach with innovators. As true partners, we work closely with our portfolio companies, striving to understand their ideas, and find ways to advance their innovations to accelerate growth, facilitate market expansion and ultimately help them become or continue to be a leader in their respective markets. With our current fund TVM Life Science Innovation II, we continue to expand our strategy, that has been validated through a number of companies in both Fund I and II, to build a portfolio of differentiated products with strong leadership teams.

Investment highlights from TVMs medtech commercial-stage portfolio include:

Access Vascular Inc. has developed and commercializes award-winning intravenous catheters addressing the most common and costly complications of intravenous therapy: infection, thrombosis, and phlebitis. Engineered to mimic the bodys natural chemistry, Access Vascular catheters are designed to evade foreign body response and related complications.





Egg Medical has developed and commercializes a lab radiation protection system that dramatically reduces scatter radiation exposure during interventional angiographic procedures. During an X-ray, radiation reflects off a patient and scatters to anyone else in the room. This results in an increased risk of cancer chromosomal abnormalities, skin damage and eye injury for healthcare professionals in this field. EGGNEST reduces scatter radiation exposure by 91% for the entire team without interrupting the workflow.





Emovis technologies and AI solutions address clinical challenges that exist through the continuum of care for patients with knee pain and pathology. The Company has developed the only FDA cleared, Health Canada licensed and CE Marked medical device to assess the 3D motion of the knee and understand what is happening in patients knee in order to better identify causes of symptoms and propose a successful care plan.





Kent Imaging, a leading innovator in near-infrared tissue oxygenation imaging, develops, manufactures, and markets medical technology that supports real-time decision-making in wound care, vascular and surgical subspecialties and tracks the healing process. Kent Imaging targets limb preservation and reconstructive surgical markets - areas with clear unmet need, as non-healing wounds are a major burden to patients and the healthcare system.





Panthera Dental, a world leader in CAD/CAM implant solutions and dental sleep appliances, has successfully combined creativity, science and know-how to bring to market its proprietary innovative technology to offer next-generation products to the dental industry as well as a novel innovation to treat sleep apnea. The Company just recently launched a new product: The Magnet-XTM, the worlds first removable magnetic implant bar offering stable forces, lateral guidance and stability and easy handling for patients with less dexterity.





About TVM Capital Life Science

TVM Capital Life Science (TVM) is a leading international venture capital firm focused on investing in life science innovations. The Company has a highly experienced transatlantic investment team and approximately $900 million under management. TVMs portfolio focuses on therapeutics and medical technologies from North America and the EU that represent differentiated first-in-class or best-in-class assets with the potential to transform standard of care.

TVM pursues a unique two-pronged strategy, financing innovative early-stage therapeutics through a single asset company approach (Project-Focused Company, PFC) that leverages the firms strategic relationship with global pharmaceutical firm, Eli Lilly and Company. TVM also invests in differentiated commercial-stage medical technologies and late clinical-stage therapeutics.

With its late-stage investments, TVM focuses on differentiated medical technologies with commercial proof-of-concept as well as late-stage therapeutics expected to quickly reach major development or regulatory milestones. This strategy has been validated through a number of companies in both Fund I and II and the Colucid Pharmaceuticals exit.

The TVM investment team has worked together for over a decade to effectively utilize this innovative approach to maximize returns for investors and finance new therapies and technologies to meaningfully improve patient lives.

Media Relations

MC Services AG

Europe: Anne Hennecke

Tel: +49 211 529 252 22

North America: Laurie Doyle

Tel: +1 339 832 0752

Email: tvm@mc-services.eu




Mordor Intelligence

Hyderabad, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a new market research report titled UAE Fintech Market - (2023 - 2028)", the UAE fintech market is expected to grow at a CAGR of >10%. The United Arab Emirates ranks first in fintech innovation potential, market size, and growth prospects. According to current figures, the United Arab Emirates has more than 134 financial technology companies that provide employment for 2,000 people. Dubai is the regional hub for 80 out of these companies, which is a significant 20% of the total. The United Arab Emirates is an attractive location for start-ups because of its many innovation initiatives and drives toward digitization across all industries.

UAE Fintech Market Analysis - The development of advanced technologies is driving the market:

A strategic study of the UAE e-commerce industry conducted by Dubai Economy and Visa revealed that more than half (49%) of UAE customers prefer purchasing items online due to the pandemic. Further, consumers' preference for digital wallets is increasing, and more than three out of five (61%) utilize them for paying for products and services online instead of cash on delivery. Analysts expect this trend to continue pushing further growth in the e-commerce sector.

According to our research experts, some of the major market trends shaping the UAE fintech market are the following:

Innovations in blockchain technology and open banking will drive the development of financial services in the future.

Neobanks are game changers because they take on traditional banks' high fees and convoluted pricing structures to gain the trust of clients with streamlined, digital-only services.

When it comes to receiving personalized offers and support, machine learning is changing how individuals interact with banks and insurance firms.

Another trend is the emergence of new integrated payment providers with platforms that can add payments as an extra component to business management systems.

Story continues

Data-Driven technologies are driving the UAE Fintech Market:

With the development of machine learning, data-driven investment tools have become increasingly commonplace. Investors can place more informed wagers with a higher chance of success by entering related market data and algorithms into an application. Thus, these technologies have proven to be more accurate than humans in predicting changes in asset values.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has steadily maintained one of the highest growth rates in the world, leading its government to create policies that promote innovation and investment, including favorable taxation for foreign investors, advertising campaigns designed to draw attention to investment opportunities, and cost-effective living.

Who are the key players in the UAE Fintech Market?

Huge sums of money are invested in this market segment by businesses worldwide. Numerous companies compete for small market shares in the UAE's FinTech market. These FinTech Companies are:

Tabby

YallaCompare

Beehive FinTech

Sarwa

Shuaa Capital

Souqalmal

Mamo Pay

Channel VAS

Zinna

Now Money

Recent developments in the UAE Fintech Market:

In December 2022, the new real-time payment technology was launched in the United Arab Emirates to speed up financial transactions. The new Instant Payment Platform (IPP) will debut in the first quarter of 2023 with a trial group of authorized financial institutions and will be implemented in stages.

In December 2022, a start-up in Dubai developed a technology that would increase restaurant sales and enable personnel to get three to five times as much in gratuities.

Briefly, the Mordor Intelligence UAE Fintech Market Research Report is a must-read for start-ups, industry players, investors, researchers, consultants, business strategists, and all those looking to understand the UAE Fintech industry. Get a glance at the https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/uae-fintech-market

About Mordor Intelligence:

Mordor Intelligence is a market intelligence and advisory firm. At Mordor Intelligence, we believe in predicting butterfly effects that have the potential to change or significantly impact market dynamics.

Our market research reports are comprehensive and provide exclusive data, facts and figures, trends, and the competitive landscape of the industry.

Other trending reports you may like:

Attachment

CONTACT: Company Name: Mordor Intelligence Email: info@mordorintelligence.com Phone: +1 617-765-2493 Location: Hyderabad, Telangana Country: India




Company Logo

Dublin, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "U.S. Prostate Cancer Testing Market - A Country Analysis: Focus on Type of Biomarker, Application, End User, and Region - Analysis and Forecast, 2022-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The U.S. prostate cancer testing market is anticipated to reach $1,901.6 million in 2030 from $544.1 million in 2021, with a CAGR of 14.7%, during the forecast period 2022-2030.

The growth in the U.S. prostate cancer testing market is expected to be driven by high investments in the field of cancer research and the rising prevalence of prostate cancer in U.S. In addition, the focus of business leaders is establishing a deep understanding to address the unmet needs in clinical research to understand the prostate cancer market.

One of the main reasons for the expansion of the prostate cancer testing market in the upcoming years is the rise in prostate cancer cases. Prostate cancer is the second most frequent disease diagnosed in men, and its frequency is rising across the globe.

Prostate cancer is thought to be diagnosed in one million additional cases worldwide each year. Due to an aging population, growing urbanization, and accompanying lifestyle changes, the overall incidence of prostate cancer has increased over the past few decades.

Impact of COVID-19

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a number of disease models issued warnings about an excess of cancer fatalities brought on by missed cancer screenings as a result of the general population's quarantine and a lack of healthcare resources.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on early diagnosis in the specific case of prostate cancer, the second most common cancer in men, by reducing participation in screening programs and on time from diagnostic testing to surgery/radiotherapy, which may translate into a worse prostate-cancer-specific death rate in the coming years. Additionally, in other areas, including Florida, state governments disallowed non-essential healthcare services.

Story continues

Significant reductions in cancer screenings were seen in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a research paper published in January 2022 by the University of Florida, screenings for prostate cancer were reduced by 74%. Due to these screening figures, there may have been thousands more cancer deaths in the U.S. than were registered.

For instance, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing rates and the identification of several urological malignancies, including prostate cancer, have been found to be declining in significantly afflicted populations. Several Australian urologists worry that men with possibly curable prostate cancer may have missed their chance for a cure due to low screening test uptake during the lockdowns of 2020.

According to a research paper published by BMC Urology in June 2022, a total of 4,048,099 PSA tests and 118,328 prostate biopsies were performed in Australia over the six years of data analysis. In the years 2019 and 2020, 68,429 prostate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed. Between 2015 and 2019, there were, on average, 19,573 prostate biopsies and 678,082 PSA testing performed per year.

Market Segmentation

Based on biomarker type, the pre-biopsy test in the U.S. prostate cancer testing market is expected to be dominated by the biomarker type segment. This is due to the increasing popularity of prostate cancer testing and rising awareness related to prostate cancer testing.

Based on application, the U.S. prostate cancer testing market is dominated by the diagnostics biomarkers segment owing to the rising R&D activity focused on the development of prostate cancer testing. The diagnosis of prostate cancer has developed a new molecular-based diagnostics technology. To detect clinically relevant cancer upon diagnosis, several tools or therapeutic options are required to improve the patient's quality of life.

As of 2021, the U.S. prostate cancer testing market (by end user) was dominated by ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), holding a 28.55% market share with a market value of $155.3 million.

The TAM of the pre-biopsy/post-negative biopsy testing segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period 2022-2030 in the South U.S. prostate cancer testing market. Several established diagnostics manufacturers in this region who are focusing on expanding their portfolios in prostate cancer testing and are collaborating with service providers and pharmaceutical giants to co-market prostate cancer testing solutions with its complementary precision medicine solutions.

Moreover, the U.S. government is currently undertaking several initiatives to develop tests for cancer and provide funds to new start-ups in the cancer diagnostics field.

Key Market Players and Competition Synopsis

The companies that are profiled have been selected based on inputs gathered from primary experts and analyzing company coverage, product portfolio, and market penetration.

Key Companies Profiled:

Abbott.

Abcam plc.

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Bio-Techne. (ExoDx)

Cleveland Diagnostics, Inc.

Danaher. (Beckman Coulter, Inc.)

Exact Sciences Corporation

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd (FOUNDATION MEDICINE, INC.)

H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. (Fujeribio)

mdxhealth.

Siemens Healthcare GmbH

Myriad Genetics, Inc.

NeoGenomics Laboratories.

OPKO Health, Inc. (GenPath)

Veracyte, Inc.

Key Topics Covered:

Market: Overview

Market Footprint and Growth Potential

Future Potential Evolution of Prostate Cancer Testing

Epidemiology of Prostate Cancer in the U.S.

COVID-19 Impact on U.S. Prostate Cancer Testing Market

Industry Analysis

Legal Requirements and Framework in the U.S.

National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Guidelines

American Urological Association (AUA)

American Cancer Society (ACS)

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)

Patent Analysis

Patent Filing Trend

Patent Analysis (by Year)

Role of Biomarkers In Prostate Cancer Management (Guidelines for treatment of PCa in the U.S)

Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Rising Prevalence of Prostate Cancer in the U.S.

Increasing Number of Prostate Cancer Screening and Testing

Government Initiatives Related to Prostate Cancer

Market Restraints

High Probability of False Positives during Prostate Cancer Testing

Clinical Gaps Related to Prostate Cancer Testing

Market Opportunities

New Treatment Therapy and Technique for Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer Testing Market: Competitive Landscape

Corporate Strategies

Mergers and Acquisitions

Synergistic Activities

Business Expansions and Funding

Business Strategies

Product Launches and Approvals

Regulatory and Legal Activities

Licenses and Agreements

Other Activities

Reimbursement Scenario in the U.S.

State Efforts to Ensure Prostate Cancer Screening Coverage

Medicare Coverage for Prostate Cancer Screening

Biomarker Testing Reimbursement Scenario in the U.S.

Market Share Analysis (by Company)

U.S. Prostate Cancer Testing Market (by Biomarker Type), Value ($Million), 2021-2030

Initial Evaluation: Prostate-Specific Antigen (Total PSA, Free PSA)

Pre-Biopsy/Post-Negative Biopsy Testing

Blood-Based Biomarker

Urine-Based Biomarker

Imaging

Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (mp-MRI)

Post-Biopsy Tissue Testing

Tissue-Based Biomarker

U.S. Prostate Cancer Testing Market (by Application), Value ($Million), 2021-2030

Diagnostic Biomarkers (PHI, 4KScore, SelectMDx, etc.)

Prognostic Biomarkers (Prolaris, OncotypeDx, Decipher, etc.)

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3tw7n1-s-prostate?w=12

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900




Vancouver, BC --News Direct-- MarketJar

Source: Getty Images

Uranium was the only commodity to increase in value in February, as the price of nearly every other major raw material declined.

As the push to replace fossil fuels with lower-emission energy sources gains momentum, uranium has exited its decade-long downturn and professionals in the industry are excited about the sector's future.

Japanese, French, South Korean, Indian, British, and American governments, among others, have all announced new nuclear energy projects and increased support for the sector over the last 18 months. New term contracts and spot purchases have also been made by utilities and financial institutions.

Sprott's physical uranium trust keeps on buying spot pounds. As a result, utilities are less likely to be able to complete their order books by taking advantage of the discount between spot and contract pricing.

The CEO of Sprott Inc, Whitney George, talked during an interview with BNN Bloomberg about the company's move to renewable energy and his predictions for precious metals. He says that Sprott Physical Uranium Trust has made it possible for the company to move into the area of energy transition. According to George, uranium prices will see repricing soon as demand keeps going up.

Canada Is a Key Player in the Uranium Resurgence

Although rising prices and the announcement of restarts at some mines indicate that demand may be met in the near term, economists agree that additional production will be needed to keep up with long-term growth projections. Uranium projects in countries like Canada are vital to the nuclear renaissance because consumers of nuclear fuel throughout the world are shifting away from main suppliers Russia and Kazakhstan because of persistent hostilities.

Canada is the world's second largest producer of uranium and the only country with large, high-grade reserves. In fact, the average grade in Canadas Athabasca Basin is approximately ten times higher than the world average.

Story continues

Fission Uranium Corp. (TSX:FCU) (OTCQX:FCUUF), a Canadian resource company, is concentrating its efforts on the development of its Patterson Lake South (PLS) property, which includes a proposed high-grade uranium mine and mill.

PLS is located in the renowned Athabasca Basin uranium district and is home to the region's only major, high-grade deposit discovered at shallow depth - a significant benefit in terms of building time, technical risk, and competitive cost. In reality, this advanced uranium project has the potential to become one of the world's lowest-cost uranium mines.

On March 2, Fission Uranium announced that it has filed a technical report for its PLS projecton SEDAR in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards. The Feasibility Study (FS), which details a high-grade mining and mill scenario for PLS, is summarized in the Report.

Some of the highlights from the report include an increased mine life of ten years, a lower-than-expected initial capital expenditure, increased mineral reserves, an operating cost of just C$ 13.02/lb, and after-tax NPV 8% of C$ 1.2 billion, and an after-tax IRR of 27.2%.

For more information on Fission Uranium Corp. (TSX:FCU) (OTCQX:FCUUF) and its PLS project, please visit this link or the companys website.

Disclaimer

1) The author of the Article, or members of the authors immediate household or family, do not own any securities of the companies set forth in this Article. The author determined which companies would be included in this article based on research and understanding of the sector.

2) The Article was issued on behalf of and sponsored by, Fission Uranium Corp. Market Jar Media Inc. has or expects to receive from Fission Uranium Corp.s Digital Marketing Agency of Record (Native Ads Inc.) ninety two thousand six hundred and forty CAD for 53 days (38 business days).

3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not Market Jar Media Inc., its directors or officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Market Jar Media Inc. for this Article. Market Jar Media Inc. was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this Article. Market Jar has not independently verified or otherwise investigated all such information. None of Market Jar or any of their respective affiliates, guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any such information. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Market Jar Media Inc. requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Market Jar Media Inc. relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Market Jar Media Inc. has no means of verifying its accuracy.

4) The Article does not constitute investment advice. All investments carry risk and each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her individual financial professional. Any action a reader takes as a result of the information presented here is his or her own responsibility. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Market Jar Media Inc.'s terms of use and full legal disclaimer as set forth here. This Article is not a solicitation for investment. Market Jar Media Inc. does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on pressreach.com should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Market Jar Media Inc. does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on pressreach.com.

5) Market Jar Media Inc. and its respective directors, officers and employees hold no shares for any company mentioned in the Article.

6) This document contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, (collectively, forward-looking statements), which reflect management's expectations regarding Fission Uranium Corp.s future growth, future business plans and opportunities, expected activities, and other statements about future events, results or performance. Wherever possible, words such as predicts, projects, targets, plans, expects, does not expect, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, anticipate or does not anticipate, believe, intend and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative or grammatical variation thereof or other variations thereof, or comparable terminology have been used to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements relating to: (a) revenue generating potential with respect to Fission Uranium Corp.s industry; (b) market opportunity; (c) Fission Uranium Corp.s business plans and strategies; (d) services that Fission Uranium Corp. intends to offer; (e) Fission Uranium Corp.s milestone projections and targets; (f) Fission Uranium Corp.s expectations regarding receipt of approval for regulatory applications; (g) Fission Uranium Corp.s intentions to expand into other jurisdictions including the timeline expectations relating to those expansion plans; and (h) Fission Uranium Corp.s expectations with regarding its ability to deliver shareholder value. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management in light of managements experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, as of the date of this document including, without limitation, assumptions about: (a) the ability to raise any necessary additional capital on reasonable terms to execute Fission Uranium Corp.s business plan; (b) that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner; (c) Fission Uranium Corp.s ability to procure equipment and operating supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis; (d) Fission Uranium Corp.s ability to enter into contractual arrangements with additional Pharmacies; (e) the accuracy of budgeted costs and expenditures; (f) Fission Uranium Corp.s ability to attract and retain skilled personnel; (g) political and regulatory stability; (h) the receipt of governmental, regulatory and third-party approvals, licenses and permits on favorable terms; (i) changes in applicable legislation; (j) stability in financial and capital markets; and (k) expectations regarding the level of disruption to as a result of CV-19. Such forward-looking information involves a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements of Fission Uranium Corp. to be materially different from any future plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, without limitation: (a) Fission Uranium Corp.s operations could be adversely affected by possible future government legislation, policies and controls or by changes in applicable laws and regulations; (b) public health crises such as CV-19 may adversely impact Fission Uranium Corp.s business; (c) the volatility of global capital markets; (d) political instability and changes to the regulations governing Fission Uranium Corp.s business operations (e) Fission Uranium Corp. may be unable to implement its growth strategy; and (f) increased competition.

Except as required by law, Fission Uranium Corp. undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future event or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Neither does Fission Uranium Corp. nor any of its representatives make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, sufficiency or completeness of the information in this document. Neither Fission Uranium Corp. nor any of its representatives shall have any liability whatsoever, under contract, tort, trust or otherwise, to you or any person resulting from the use of the information in this document by you or any of your representatives or for omissions from the information in this document.

7) Any graphs, tables or other information demonstrating the historical performance or current or historical attributes of Fission Uranium Corp. or any other entity contained in this document are intended only to illustrate historical performance or current or historical attributes of Fission Uranium Corp. or such entities and are not necessarily indicative of future performance of Fission Uranium Corp. or such entities.

Contact Details

James Young

+1 800-340-9767

campaigns@pressreach.com

Company Website

https://pressreach.com

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/uraniums-impressive-performance-in-troubled-times-whats-behind-the-surge-336815018
Initial work to begin this month on Victory's wholly owned Tahlo Lake Property in B.C.'s Babine Copper-Gold Porphyry District

British Columbia's Babine Copper-Gold Porphyry District contains American Eagle Gold Corp.'s (TSXV: AE)'s NAK property, the Morrison deposit and the historical Bell & Granisle mines

The Tahlo Lake property overlies a significant NNW trending magnetometer high within the Hazelton Group rocks. Porphyry Cu-Au mineralization in the Babine camp is often associated with mag highs

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / Victory Battery Metals (CSE:VR)(FWB:VR61)(OTC PINK:VRCFF) ("Victory" or the "Company") is pleased to provide its initial exploration plan for its wholly owned Tahlo Lake Property in British Columbia's prolific Babine Copper-Gold Porphyry District, 8 km northwest of American Eagle Gold's (TSXV: AE) NAK Property.

Recently American Eagle Gold (TSXV: AE) has been having positive exploration results on its Nak Property, releasing results on January 25th describing drilling 527 m of 0.45% copper equivalent ("CuEq") from surface, including 185 m @ 0.74% CuEq, and ended in high-grade mineralization (88 m @ 0.98% CuEq).1

Tahlo Lake Initial Work Program Highlights

Geological mapping and interpretation of the overburden anomalies will be assisted by an airborne magnetometer survey over the property in March 2023

Assisted by results, the Company will initiate a 10-day work program in late June to assess whether the Noranda soil anomaly represents a window through the till, and could be part of a larger mineralized system. This is suggested by the widespread but erratic, anomalous Cu, Zn and Au results in regional till and stream sediment sampling on different parts of the property

Mapping and sampling will be undertaken to characterize the overburden and aid in the interpretation of the anomalies. As no detailed work has been done on the Property aside from the Noranda soil survey, prospecting and reconnaissance mapping will also be undertaken

Story continues

"Victory's exploration team recently expanded the Tahlo Lake property, building upon our research efforts, where historical findings showed significant promise," noted Mr. Mark Ireton, Victory Resources President. "With the success of Victory's recent raise, the Company is in a strong position to advance key properties in both Canada and USA, and in addition to the upcoming drilling on our Smokey Lithium Property in Nevada, our team is very excited about the prospects for Tahlo Lake."

About The Tahlo Lake Property

Victory's 1688-hectare Tahlo Lake property lies within the Babine Copper-Gold Porphyry District 8km NW of American Eagle's NAK Property (TSXV: AE), and 16km NW of the Morrison deposit

The Tahlo Lake Property is adjacent to the same NNW trending fault as the Morrison deposit and underlain by Jurassic Hazelton Group rocks

Babine porphyry deposits, such as NAK, Morrison, Bell and Granisle, are hosted by Jurassic strata and associated with major NNW trending faults

The property overlies a significant NNW trending magnetometer high within the Hazelton Group rocks. Porphyry Cu-Au mineralization in the Babine camp is often associated with mag highs

A regional geochemical survey silt sample in the center of the property returned over the 96th percentile for Cu and over the 98th percentile for Zn. Surrounding RGS samples form a cluster of elevated Cu and Zn values

Noranda reported a linear soil anomaly approximately 50 m x 500 m, trending NNW, with Cu values ranging from 60 to 720 ppm Cu to the southwest of the area drained by the highly anomalous silt sample site. Noranda never followed up on the anomaly and no work has been reported since

A regional till sample taken about half a kilometer east of the soil anomaly returned elevated Cu and highly anomalous Zn (>98th percentile). A till sample about 2 km down ice from this site on the returned over the 95th percentile for Au.

Another till sample on the newly staked property returned 49 ppb Au, which is over the 98th percentile for the region

Top left: Babine Deposits Top right: Tahlo Lake geology Bottom left: Tahlo Lake magBottom right: Tahlo Lake anomalous historical sampling

Scientific and technical information contained in this press release was reviewed and approved by Mr. Helgi Sigurgeirson, Victory Geologist, and a "qualified person" under NI 43-101.

1https://americaneaglegold.ca/news/american-eagle-drills-527-metres-of-0.45-copper-equivalent-from-surface-including-185-metres-of-0.74-copper-equivalent/

For further information, please contact:

Mark Ireton, President

Telephone: +1 (236) 317 2822 or TOLL FREE 1 (855) 665-GOLD (4653)

E-mail: info@victorybatterymetals.com

About Victory Battery Metals

VICTORY BATTERY METALS (CSE: VR) is a publicly traded diversified investment corporation with mineral interests in North America. The Company is also actively seeking other exploration opportunities.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws.

SOURCE: Victory Battery Metals Corp.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/744309/Victory-Announces-Exploration-Plans-for-Its-Tahlo-Lake-Project-in-British-Columbia




ANN ARBOR, MI / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / Zomedica Corp. (NYSE American:ZOM) ("Zomedica" or the "Company"), a veterinary health company offering point-of-care diagnostics and therapeutic products for companion animals, announced that it has appointed Peter L. Donato as its Chief Financial Officer, effective March 16, 2023.

Zomedica Corp., Friday, March 17, 2023, Press release picture

Mr. Donato brings over 30 years of public and private company experience in a wide range of finance and business functions primarily in the human health sector, having held a number of senior positions from CFO, President and CEO, Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President, Vice President and Controller. Prior to joining Zomedica, Mr. Donato had a successful consulting practice specializing in public company readiness and was the Chief Financial Officer of Standard Bariatrics, a surgical company specializing in obesity surgery which was acquired by Teleflex in September of 2022. Mr. Donato has extensive experience with initial public offerings, business development and capital fund raising. Mr. Donato graduated from the Ohio State University, magna cum laude, with a BSBA in accounting and an MBA from the University of Akron, College of Business Administration.

"Peter brings a broad range of skills and experience as a public company CFO that will be increasingly important to us as we move forward," said Larry Heaton, Zomedica's Chief Executive Officer. "We are excited to welcome him to the Zomedica team."

Peter Donato commented, "Throughout my career, I've worked at public or soon-to-be public companies where I can make an impact on the business and the customers it serves. I'm excited to join Zomedica and its seasoned executive team, adding my experience to help accelerate the growth of the Company while improving the care of companion animals and the success of the veterinarians who care for them."

Mr. Donato succeeds Ann Marie Cotter, who served as Zomedica's Vice President of Finance from August 2018 until October 2020, and subsequently as Chief Financial Officer. She is retiring to pursue personal interests.

Story continues

"As part of the executive team who helped transform Zomedica, Ms. Cotter's accomplishments on behalf of the Company are numerous and significant. All of us at Zomedica are appreciative of her efforts and wish her the very best as she continues to expand her horizons. I am pleased that Ann will continue to work with us for the next 30 days to ensure a smooth transition for Peter, and beyond as a consultant to provide her valuable insights as we move forward. On behalf of myself personally, our colleagues and our board of directors, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to Ann for her considerable contributions to Zomedica over the years," commented Mr. Heaton.

For additional information regarding TRUFORMA, please click on the TRUFORMA tab at the top of the home page on the Zomedica website (www.zomedica.com).

About Zomedica

Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Zomedica (NYSE American:ZOM) is a veterinary health company creating products for horses, dogs, and cats by focusing on the unmet needs of clinical veterinarians. Zomedica's product portfolio includes innovative diagnostics and medical devices that emphasize patient health and practice health. Zomedica's mission is to provide veterinarians the opportunity to increase productivity and grow revenue while better serving the animals in their care. For more information, visit www.zomedica.com.

Follow Zomedica

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements - Safe Harbor

Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking information") within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur and include statements relating to our expectations regarding future results. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance, or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information.

Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, including assumptions with respect to economic growth, demand for the Company's products, the Company's ability to produce and sell its products, sufficiency of our budgeted capital and operating expenditures, the satisfaction by our strategic partners of their obligations under our commercial agreements, our ability to realize upon our business plans and cost control efforts and the impact of COVID-19 on our business, results and financial condition.

Our forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: the finalization of the accounting procedures necessary to report our financial results for 2022, the application of generally accepted accounting principles, which are highly complex and involve many subjective assumptions, estimates, and judgments, uncertainty as to whether our strategies and business plans will yield the expected benefits; uncertainty as to the timing and results of development work and verification and validation studies; uncertainty as to the timing and results of commercialization efforts, as well as the cost of commercialization efforts, including the cost to develop an internal sales force and manage our growth; uncertainty as to our ability to successfully integrate acquisitions; uncertainty as to our ability to supply products in response to customer demand; uncertainty as to the likelihood and timing of any required regulatory approvals, and the availability and cost of capital; the ability to identify and develop and achieve commercial success for new products and technologies; veterinary acceptance of our products; competition from related products; the level of expenditures necessary to maintain and improve the quality of products and services; changes in technology and changes in laws and regulations; our ability to secure and maintain strategic relationships; performance by our strategic partners of their obligations under our commercial agreements, including product manufacturing obligations; risks pertaining to permits and licensing, intellectual property infringement risks, risks relating to any required clinical trials and regulatory approvals, risks relating to the safety and efficacy of our products, the use of our products, intellectual property protection, risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact upon our business operations generally, including our ability to develop and commercialize our products, and the other risk factors disclosed in our filings with the SEC and under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in our expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Contact:

Dave Gentry

RedChip Companies Inc.

1-800-RED-CHIP (733-2447)

Or 407-491-4498

ZOM@redchip.com

SOURCE: Zomedica Corp.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/744325/Zomedica-Appoints-New-Chief-Financial-Officer




A man who killed his brother in 2021 for reasons that remain unknown was ordered Thursday to serve 18 years in prison.

Brian Edward Hall, 35, brutally killed 36-year-old Richard Hall on June 6, 2021, at a home in southern Stafford. Evidence presented in court showed that the brothers were best friends, worked together and had just returned from a Florida vacation.

Hall blamed his actions on demons and voices in his head, but after two evaluations he was deemed to not be insane. There were no illegal drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of the attack, during which he nearly decapitated his brother with a pocket knife.

Judge Bruce Strickland sentenced Hall in Stafford Circuit Court to a total of 40 years with 22 years suspended. Prosecutor Amy Casey had requested 30 years, the maximum amount called for in Halls plea agreement.

Hall, who was represented by attorney Jason Pelt, made a tearful apology to family members in the courtroom in which he said he never meant to hurt his brother. Teary-eyed family members, including Halls mother, responded with whispers of I love you.

Richard Hall was found in a childs nursery with multiple stab wounds to his eyes, ear, torso and neck areas. He also had damage to his lungs and heart.

Brian Hall was found in an upstairs bedroom after the slaying. He told Detective Kurt McBride that he did something he shouldnt have and said his brother had been demonized and I had to do what I had to do.
A man who sexually assaulted a woman in 2021 after breaking into her Colonial Beach home has been ordered to serve 26 years in prison.

John Christopher Heasley, 45, of Bryans Road, Maryland, was sentenced March 10 by Judge Herbert Hewitt in Westmoreland Circuit Court to a total of 60 years with 34 years suspended. He had previously pleaded guilty to object sexual penetration and breaking and entering.

According to the evidence presented by Commonwealths Attorney Julia Sichol, Heasley entered the womans home on July 17, 2021, after cutting a screen on the victims porch. He then sneaked into her bedroom, where the victim was sleeping with her husband.

The woman woke up while the assault was in progress. Her husband woke up as well and chased the intruder out of the home and called 911. With the assistance of a drone, deputies found Heasley hiding in a field across the street.

Heasley later told a detective, I dont even know what went on that night. First I was partying with people, next thing Im running from people.

The victim did not know Heasley, but the investigation showed that he had been there before with a repairman who fixed an air-conditioning unit at the home.

Heasley apologized to the victim and said he was intoxicated and does not remember what happened. His attorney, John Hamilton, asked for leniency, citing Heasleys remorse and lack of a violent criminal history.

Sichol pointed out that Heasley had loosened light bulbs in the home prior to the attack in an attempt to avoid detection. She called the crime was every womans worst nightmare and said that while Heasley claims to not remember the incident, the victim would never forget it.
A murder charge against a Stafford man was sent to a county grand jury Thursday following a preliminary hearing.

Tarik O. Shiggs, 23, is charged with murder and a firearms offense in connection with the Feb. 21, 2022, slaying of Christopher McDuffie. McDuffie, 25, was shot multiple times at the Garrison Woods apartment complex in North Stafford.

Shiggs hearing had been delayed several times previously because prosecution witnesses failed to show up for court. But prosecutors Jay Chichester and Greg Holt put two witnesses on the stand Thursday in Stafford General District Court before Judge Angela OConnor sent the charges to circuit court.

Both witnesses identified Shiggs as the shooter, but one man was clearly reluctant to testify. He was crying when he got on the witness stand and said he feared for his own life.

The witness could barely be heard in the courtroom and repeatedly said, it all happened so fast.

The other witness, Bruce Williams, was brought to court from the Rappahannock Regional Jail, where he has been since Feb. 24. He testified that he came outside after being told about the shooting and saw Shiggs running away with a black and pink gun in his hand.

Defense attorney Jason Pelt said the witness stories lacked credibility and he questioned Williams claim that he was able to identify Shiggs from more than 50 yards away running in the opposite direction.

Shiggs was arrested several weeks after the slaying in Sumter County, South Carolina.
Midland University will host the Central College Flying Pans Steel Band for a concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at Clemmons Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.

From Pella, Iowa, the Central College Flying Pans Steel Band performs diverse styles of music from traditional calypso, soca, and reggae to that of classical, Latin, disco, techno, and rock and roll.

The Flying Pans have traveled extensively throughout the United States performing concerts, workshops, and clinics for elementary through high schools, colleges and universities, island parties, and festivals since 2000.
Methodist Fremont Health has been recognized as a LEARN (Lactation Education Across Rural Nebraska) Breastfeeding Hospital Champion by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

The LEARN Breastfeeding Hospital Champion Campaign is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions mPINC (Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care) Survey and is designed to increase breastfeeding initiation and support in Nebraska hospitals.

Due to a collaborative effort in providing immediate postpartum care, ample rooming-in opportunities, comprehensive feeding education, continued support after baby arrives home and more, Methodist Fremont Health was fourth in the state to earn the recognition.

Being named a LEARN Breastfeeding Hospital Champion isnt only a testament to the level of care we provide our moms and babies, Melissa Heavican, MSN, RN, director of acute care at Methodist Fremont Health, said in a media release. By fostering a safe, comfortable and supportive breastfeeding environment through expert care, education and innovation, were improving the health of our entire community.

Methodist Fremont Health, the only hospital in Nebraska to receive the IBCLC (International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners) Care Award in 2022, is home to experienced lactation consultants and serves as a milk depot location for approved breastmilk donors. The hospital is part of a larger network of lactation support and resources, which include classes, support groups, evaluations, milk pump and storage training, guidance on feeding multiples or special needs babies, outpatient appointments, and a breastfeeding boutique that carries the necessary tools for a successful breastfeeding journey.
District staff for Congressman Mike Flood will host mobile office hours from 10-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 22, at North Bend Public Library, 110 E. 13th St., in North Bend.

During the office hours, district office team members will be available to assist with challenges regarding federal agencies, military academy nominations, scheduling requests and any other needs constituents might encounter.

Congressman Flood maintains permanent offices in Lincoln and in Washington, D.C. Location and contact information for the permanent offices can be found at https://flood.house.gov.

Anyone with questions may contact Kim Kwapnioski at 202-834-2780, or if you are unable to meet on that date, you may set up an appointment.
Editors Note: This is the first in a two-part series about Vietnam veterans. March 29 is designated as National Vietnam War Veterans Day.

It wasnt the job Richard B. Harrison was trained to do.

But during the Vietnam War, the Fremont man was on a Landing Ship, Tank (LST) on a river in the Mekong Delta. He was the leading gunners mate who sat on the bow, ordered to fire at anything suspicious floating in the water to keep it from hitting the ship and exploding.

One night, the ship was heading up a river when crew members heard firing and saw flashes of light. They were ordered to begin firing.

****

So many years have passed since Harrison was a 20-year-old Nebraskan in Vietnam. Today, he looks back with perspective on that time.

Fifty years ago  on March 29, 1973  the U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, was disestablished and the last U.S. combat troops departed Vietnam.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of that date as the nation remembers a war in which more than 58,200 American military personnel died.

Various local veterans groups are planning an observation at noon April 1 at the Vietnam Veterans Perpetual Living Memorial in Clemmons Park in Fremont. The public is invited to the event during which Dodge County residents killed in Vietnam are remembered.

****

Harrison, a Fremont High School graduate, was 18 when he went into the U.S. Navy in 1967.

My parents didnt have the money to send me to school and I really was not the college type to begin with so I decided to go into the military, Harrison said.

He was following a military legacy. His father, Richard Y. Harrison, joined the U.S. Army before World War II.

His father had met his mother, Laurene Parham, after his unit was sent to Little Rock, Arkansas, in the early months of 1941.

They married on Dec. 6.

The next day, they were having lunch when they heard on the radio that Japanese forces had bombed Pearl Harbor. It was Dec. 7, 1941, and the start of World War II. Harrisons father would serve in England, France and later in Germany.

Years later when Harrison said he planned to enter the military, his dad encouraged him to go into the U.S. Navy or U.S. Air Force so he could get an education he could use after he got out of the service.

The younger Harrison entered the U.S. Navy. After basic training, he went to fire control school in September 1968. He learned to maintain, operate and repair fire-control radar used to control the targeting of guns on naval warships. He worked with early day computers.

His orders took him to various places. At one point, Harrisons orders said he was being transferred to the USS Caddo Parish, LST-515, a tank landing ship built during World War II.

The ship was among those that made the D-Day crossing to Normandy in 1944. Harrison would learn he was being sent to Saigon. He showed his orders to a chief petty officer.

Oh, thats not good, the man told him.

Harrison wondered why he was assigned to a landing craft, when hed been trained to work on fancy equipment.

He was sent home to Nebraska for two weeks.

After Harrisons time at home ended, his dad was taking him to the Omaha airport when the car they were in quit working.

They were on the side of the highway, when Tim Maack from West Point stopped. Maack recognized the younger Harrison, whod been a bus driver and roadie for a Fremont rock and roll band called The 7 Legends.

Maack gave Harrison a ride to the airport. Harrison was grateful he didnt miss his important flight.

From there, Harrison went to San Francisco, Honolulu, the Philippines and to Saigon.

His travels werent over. Hed be sent back and forth between bases in Vung Tau and Cat Lo, then to Saigon, before getting orders to the Philippines.

In the Philippines, he and other military personnel had a harrowing ride aboard a school bus on mountain roads to the USS Caddo Parish LST in Subic Bay.

Harrison got an unexpected assignment when told hed be the leading gunners mate. Hed be on almost every river in the Mekong Delta.

With his M1 rifle, Harrison sat on the ships bow in the river watching for anything that might contain an explosive device.

Youd get stuff floating down the river all the time, he said.

If the object looked suspicious, hed shoot through it before it could hit the ship and detonate.

I never detonated one, though, he said. I never found one that was an explosive.

He remembers going up the My Tho River to Dong Tam, where four barracks ships were located.

You travel at night, he said. You dont have any lights outside.

But as they approached the ships, they could hear firing and see flashes of light.

As we got up there, they quit. We anchored and were instructed to start firing our 40 millimeter cannon over into the free fire zone toward the shoreline, south side of the My Tho River, he said.

He recalls what happened next.

Inside of 45 minutes, we put out 243 rounds of ammunition, he said.

He recalls the unnerving situation.

Id never done anything like this before, he said about firing all the rounds.

Months later, he was transferred to the USS Arlington, an aircraft carrier converted into a major communications relay ship.

There, Harrison did what hed been trained for  working as a fire control technician. That ship was decommissioned in 1970 in San Francisco.

Harrison then went to the USS Hector AR-7 repair ship until he got out in June 1970. He stayed in the Naval Reserves until 1974.

In the meantime, he returned to Fremont in 1970 and worked for the Chicago and North Western Railway Company for 39 years before retiring. He and his wife, Barbara, married in 1973. They have two children, Christopher and wife, Shannon, and Kelly and husband, Josh, Miller and four grandchildren.

Looking back, Harrison notes that the government never actually declared what occurred in Vietnam as a war.

Hopefully, we will not allow this government to get us into another conflict like the Vietnam War, he said. Hopefully, weve learned something from the past.

If he had it to do over again, Harrison said he still would have served.

This is my country, he said. Ill serve it as best I can in any way that I can.

A postscript: The fall of Saigon occurred on April 30, 1975, thus effectively ending the war.
Amy Gillentine, former publisher of the Colorado Springs Independent alternative newspaper and the Colorado Springs Business Journal, will step down on Feb. 6 from her current role as publisher of Sixty35 Media.

It seems like the right time to go, she said Monday. Its time to take a step away and regroup and explore other options.

Gillentine had been publisher and executive editor of the nearly 30-year-old Colorado Publishing House when it shut down last fall and became reborn under a nonprofit model and the name Sixty35 Media.

She led the re-created company through the changeover, which included shuttering its separate publications  the Independent, the Colorado Springs Business Journal, the Southeast Express, the Pikes Peak Bulletin, two military newspapers, legal announcements  and merging the content into one news magazine called Sixty35.

I did what I set out to do, which was to create something sustainable, as the new publication has taken off and shows every sign of being successful, Gillentine said.

Gillentines departure does not deter us from continuing to pursue our new mission, said Ahriana Platten, Sixty35 Media board president.

This week marks the fourth issue of the weekly news magazine, which is direct-mailed to subscribers and select ZIP codes on a rotating basis to cover the city. Its also available at 120 newsstands around the Pikes Peak region.

This has not been a solo effort; everyone here has worked really hard to make sure this publication is successful and meets the needs of the community, and Im forever grateful to have worked with hard-working, creative, fun people, Gillentine said.

Getting the publication off the ground involved some obstacles, she said.

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The staff is in a groove now after some really difficult logistical and other issues that always crop up when you devise something new, she said.

Platten praised Gillentines work and impact on the company as well as the community.

We applaud Amy for all she has done through the years, but especially her tireless efforts in helping create Sixty35 Media and a promising new product with a fresh online presence, Platten said in announcing Gillentines resignation.

The board selected Platten and Ralph Routon, former executive editor of the Independent, Business Journal and Pikes Peak Bulletin, to serve as interim co-publishers, while a national search gets underway for Gillentines replacement.

Gillentine has been a local journalist for 17 years, beginning in 2005 as a reporter with the Colorado Springs Business Journal. She stayed with the publication after Colorado Publishing House acquired it in 2012, moving up to editor of the Business Journal in 2015, executive editor in 2017 and publisher in 2018.

In 2019, she also became publisher of the Independent.

Regardless of who is at the helm, the commitment to independent, local journalism will never change, Gillentine said. Keeping as many media outlets and sources for actual journalism is so vital.

Id encourage the community to support journalism in whatever means and platform they can.
Renaming Mt. Evans

Re: Colorados Mount Evans Name Change Hits Mysterious Snag in Final Hour, March 9.

The Gazette has pointed out the abrupt cancellation of the vote by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to change the name of Mount Evans.

From the beginning, the process to rename Mount Evans was flawed.

The Wilderness Society lobbied Congress to approve the name Blue Sky rather than following procedure with the BGN. This was against federal rules and unfair to the proponents of other proposals waiting to be heard  and apparently didnt work anyway.

The Northern Cheyenne made clear at the state board meeting on Oct. 11, 2022 that they considered use of the term Blue Sky a sacrilege because it referenced a tribal ceremony that they did not want to share with the public as the name of the mountain overlooking Denver.

The Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board called a vote on the name at their Nov. 17, 2022 meeting anyway, in violation of the states sunshine laws. The agenda for the meeting did not include a vote. The Northern Cheyenne boycotted the meeting, once again making clear that they felt betrayed by the process.

In spite of these irregularities, which should not have been honored, Gov. Jared Polis approved changing the name of Mount Evans to Mount Blue Sky on March 3.

The federal naming board scheduled a vote a few days later, on March 9 which was scrapped after an emergency request from the Northern Cheyenne, who at last halted the process.

The reasons for changing the name of Mount Evans were just, but the process was political and ignored important considerations of tribal members.

Beverly Bennett

Aurora

Danger posed by rail lines

Two train derailments in Ohio have shown a spotlight on the danger posed by freight rail lines like those that run through Denver. In the most recent accident, a 212-car train derailed; 28 cars left the track.

Fortunately, the cars that left the track were not carrying hazardous materials.

The residents of East Palestine, Ohio, were not as fortunate. That accident spilled toxic chemicals leading to a controlled burn that released toxins into the air. Residents near the rail line were evacuated. While government officials have said they havent detected dangerous levels of chemicals in the air or municipal water, residents worry about the long-term health impacts. Their complaints of headaches, coughs and rashes have, as yet, not been tied directly to the accident. Residents also reported chickens, cats and dogs falling ill. The Kentucky Department of Natural Resources estimates 38,222 small fish or minnows were killed, and 5500  5550 other aquatic species.

In a bi-partisan action, the U.S. Senators from Ohio have introduced legislation to regulate rail carriers and hold railroad companies accountable. Senator Bennet has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to suspend a decision to allow 4.6 billion gallons of waxy crude oil to be shipped through Colorado from the Uinta Basin in Utah to the Gulf Coast. This would dramatically increase the amount of hazardous materials traveling through Denver.

Denver cant wait for federal action to protect our environment and our citizens. The city has the power and responsibility to mitigate risks from hazardous materials incidents and derailments, as well as to be prepared to respond to incidents and use its power to regulate land use close to rail lines. Our fire department continually trains to respond to rail incidents. I assisted the department in securing a grant to acquire a rail tank car training apparatus that simulates flammable liquid incidents and several contaminant detectors to quickly identify chemicals. Now it is time to turn to regulating land use and development.

Blueprint Denver, the citys primary planning document, calls for continued development along rail corridors.

Four of the five regional centers identified in Blueprint Denver for the highest intensity of development are located along railroad main lines. In the past, when fewer rail cars were traversing the city, we approved development of apartment buildings like Encore Evans Station (18 feet from the edge of the railroad right-of-way) and apartments in the Central Platte Valley that are 26 feet from the railroad right-of-way without appropriate mitigation of risks associated with release of hazardous materials or train derailments. It is time to provide city agencies the power and responsibility to review these developments for risk mitigation during the permitting process.

We also must assure that residents have clear evacuation routes and that emergency responders have access in the event residents are required to evacuate.

Debbie Ortega

Denver City Council

Underinsured jeopardized

I am a local family physician. I have been reading with interest your recent articles and guest opinions about HB 23-1215 regarding facility fees that are billed to patients on top of copays. I agree with the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative that we do need to protect consumers from health industry practices that jeopardize health.

Five years ago I had a pediatric patient who had signs, symptoms, and an event that required a medical work-up with an echo-cardiogram. The patients parents were both self-employed. Like the millions of other self-employed Americans, no one was giving them health insurance on a silver platter. They were uninsured. When I contacted Childrens Hospital to find out the self-pay price for a pediatric echo-cardiogram, something that I think should have cost around $700 or $1,000 at most, I was quoted the self-pay price of $5,000. I assume the extra $4,000 was facility fees. This price for a pediatric echo-cardiogram was incomprehensible to me and undoable for the family. Are the facility fees really paying the salaries of essential professional and non-professional staff or are they making up for an overabundance of administrators in healthcare and unnecessary complexity in healthcare billing?

The echo-cardiogram was not done. The medical signs and symptoms have recently evolved. Five years later, I still need that study to properly diagnose and treat my patient. The health of underinsured Coloradans has been jeopardized by the lack of transparency in facility fees.

Jamie Glover

Monument
A woman who was fired because she refused to comply with her employer's COVID-19 vaccination policy, while seeking neither a religious nor a medical exemption, is not entitled to unemployment benefits, Colorado's second-highest court decided last month.

Kristen Bara worked as the office manager at the Mental Health Center of Boulder County. After her termination, a hearing officer decided Bara's resistance to getting the vaccine was based on "reasonable concerns" about her health and safety, and that Mental Health Center offered "no reasonable alternatives."

A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals found those conclusions questionable, given that Mental Health Center's policy did offer alternatives to vaccination that Bara never pursued. Further, the mandate itself was justified.

"MHC implemented the policy to protect the health and safety of its employees, clients, and partners; to maintain its federal funding; and to better serve its clients," Judge Stephanie Dunn wrote in the Feb. 23 opinion. "Bara doesnt explain how any of these business interests are not objectively reasonable."

Under Colorado law, the purpose of unemployment benefits is to compensate people who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. However, there are circumstances in which an employee is ineligible for payments. If the termination was the result of "deliberate disobedience of a reasonable instruction" or violation of a company rule that "could have endangered the life of the worker or other persons," the benefits are barred.

In September 2021, Mental Health Center announced a vaccination and testing policy in anticipation of bringing workers back to the office. Twelve employees requested a religious exemption and they all received it. Bara, who is Catholic, reportedly researched the vaccines on the Internet and was concerned about the health effects and the use of fetal stem cell lines in their development.

Nonetheless, she did not request an exemption.

After Mental Health Center terminated her and Bara applied for unemployment benefits, an employee within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment found she was disqualified under the law from receiving payment. A hearing officer reversed that decision, deeming Bara not at fault for her unemployment.

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The Industrial Claims Appeals Office in turn reversed the hearing officer, concluding Bara's failure to comply with her employer's vaccination policy was "fully under her control" and not "objectively reasonable."

Bara then challenged the ruling in the Court of Appeals, where she railed against the "forced COVID-19 injection policy." Represented by Randy Corporon  a Republican Party officer who has litigated against Colorado's public health orders and called COVID-19 the "Chinese Communist Party Wuhan Virus"  Bara framed the issue as one of religious liberty.

"Requiring her to be vaccinated despite firmly held religious convictions about the source of the vaccine and its ingredients placed Claimant in an impossible situation  abide by her religious convictions or abandon them and be vaccinated," her lawyers wrote.

Mental Health Center countered that Bara never tried to advance an official religious justification at the time the policy was announced. The hearing officer's decision in her favor, claimed the Center, would enable workers to "thumb their nose" at their employers and receive public benefits for doing so.

"These were decisions entirely within the control of Ms. Bara  she chose not to vaccinate, she chose not to seek an exemption, and she therefore chose to be terminated from employment rather than comply with her employers reasonable policies to protect the health and safety not only of its patients but also its employees," wrote attorney Benjamin Hase.

The Court of Appeals panel agreed with Mental Health Center. The organization risked losing government funding if it did not enact a vaccination rule, and Bara's rejection of the vaccine stemmed largely from a review of "online sources," Dunn pointed out.

"Protecting employees and the community from a lethal virus is not objectively unreasonable," she wrote.

The case is Bara v. Industrial Claim Appeals Office et al.
The trial for a Colorado Springs woman accused of attempting to hire a hitman to kill her ex-fiance was delayed again on Thursday when her defense attorney announced he was not ready for trial.

Unbeknownst to Vanessa Lavaty, 33, the hitman she attempted to hire was an undercover Colorado Springs detective, according to prosecutors.

She is accused of trying to arrange a hit on Timothy Hanes three days before a shared custody hearing over their 2-year-old daughter was set to take place.

Lavaty is charged with three counts of attempted first-degree murder, and her trial was scheduled to begin April 3.

Her attorney Edward McNeal Favorite II told Judge William Moller that he was not ready for trial because of issues with a piece of evidence that he wanted jurors to hear.

Prosecutors said they were ready for trial and objected to an additional continuance, but did so acknowledging that "reasonable minds could disagree" on the need for a postponement. The prosecution also elaborated on the piece of evidence that caused the trial to be continued, saying the issues are with an audio recording from a wire that a witness was wearing while speaking with Lavaty. The quality of the audio is not usable for trial.

Favorite argued that the audio from the wire was necessary for Lavaty's defense, while the prosecution argued that the audio was not vital.

Four months before the alleged deal for the hitman was made, Lavaty asked her then-boyfriend, Marty Jorgenson, 50, for help finding a person to kill Hanes. As time went on, she made comments such as, I want his (expletive) buried, and I really want this (expletive) dead, according to previous reporting by The Gazette.

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A detective who testified at Lavaty's preliminary hearing in August said police began investigating after Jorgenson came to the Colorado Springs Police Department on May 16, concerned about Lavatys requests.

That same night an undercover officer posing as a hitman arranged to meet with Lavaty and Jorgenson at a Taco Bell in east Colorado Springs to discuss the hit, where prosecutors say Lavaty agreed to pay him $4,000 to kill Hanes.

The detective who posed as the hitman testified this summer that he gave her opportunities to not move forward with it.

Lavaty was originally scheduled to go to trial Dec. 12, but the judge granted a defense request for a continuance when Favorite announced not ready at a December pre-trial readiness conference. The prosecution objected to the continuance.

Lavaty's trial is now scheduled to begin Aug. 7, and she will appear in court on July 27 for a pre-trial readiness conference.

Following her arrest, Lavaty posted a $75,000 bond. She appeared at Thursday's hearing out of custody.
Attorneys on Friday withdrew a motion to have DNA evidence suppressed at the trial of Joshua Johnson, the man accused of killing 17-year-old co-worker Riley Whitelaw at a Colorado Springs Walgreens last year.

Initially, Johnson's defense attorneys had filed a motion to suppress DNA evidence collected by law enforcement, but Friday they informed Judge Eric Bentley they would be withdrawing that motion.

Defense attorney Deana O'Reily said the motion was withdrawn because she understood the prosecution didn't intend to enter testimony about the DNA evidence they had wished to suppress. O'Reily did not comment on the nature of the DNA evidence.

Prosecuting attorney Anthony Gioia also raised a second DNA-related issue with the court, informing Bentley that they are still waiting on some DNA evidence to be analyzed at a federal lab.

Gioia told the court that the prosecution submitted finger nail and buccal swabs to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for analysis in January, and that results are still pending. Gioia stated he was confident that analysis from the CBI would be ready prior to trial, but potentially only shortly before.

Gioia and O'Reily stated they did not believe this would impact the start of Johnson's trial, and both indicated they are still ready to proceed with Johnson's May 8 trial date.

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Johnson, 28, allegedly killed Whitelaw in the breakroom of the store at 6820 Centennial Blvd., in June 2022. At Johnson's preliminary hearing in September, Colorado Springs police testified that Whitelaw told friends, family and co-workers that Johnson had a romantic interest in her that made her feel uncomfortable.

Detectives at the hearing testified that Whitelaw had made complaints to her manager at Walgreens about Johnson more than a year before her death, saying he was making advances towards her that made Whitelaw uncomfortable.

Several weeks before her death, Whitelaw had requested different hours so she would no longer have to work with Johnson, police said. However, when Whitelaw asked for additional hours, she was told it would require her to work with Johnson.

Attorneys representing Johnson will return to court next week on Friday, March 24, for a review hearing where they will discuss a subpoena that was filed for a Walgreens representative to appear in court.

Johnson has pleaded not guilty to the charge of first-degree murder and remains in custody at the El Paso County jail on a no-bond hold. If found guilty of first-degree murder, Johnson will be given a mandatory sentence of life in prison.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in the murder trial of Letecia Stauch, who is accused of killing her 11-year-old stepson Gannon in January 2020 and driving his body to Florida, where his remains were later found by law enforcement.

The prosecution and defense will select a 16-person jury, four of whom will be alternates.

Jury selection could last up to two weeks because of the likelihood that many potential jurors will be unable to be present for the entire trial, which is scheduled to last six weeks. Judge Gregory Werner also said it's likely that the jury pool has been exposed to media coverage of the case, which means it could take longer for prosecutors and the defense to impanel an impartial jury.

Opening statements are scheduled to begin on the afternoon of April 3.

Delays in the case have occurred, in part, because of two sanity evaluations that needed to be conducted on Stauch, as well as difficulties navigating the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Initially, Stauch, 39, pleaded not guilty to the charges, but in February 2022 Werner allowed her to change her plea to not guilty by reason of insanity.

To accommodate Stauch's plea, a sanity evaluation was conducted at a psychiatric hospital in Pueblo, and a second evaluation was conducted by an expert hired by Stauch's defense attorney.

The first evaluation found Stauch to be sane, Werner said at a hearing in August. The findings of the second evaluation have yet to be revealed.

District Attorney Michael Allen indicated at the pre-trial readiness conference on March 9 that not having the second report was a serious complication.

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Allen said that if the report was not received before trial, the prosecution could move to exclude the expert conducting the sanity evaluation, who was referred to as "Dr. Lewis" throughout the hearing, from testifying at trial.

Allen said not having the report borders on "bad faith" from the defense's expert.

"This is a disrespect to court deadlines," Allen said. "I've never seen anything like this."

Werner, who shared Allen's frustrations, gave a hard deadline of Wednesday for the second sanity report to be filed.

"Convey to your expert that it's not a suggestion, it's not a guideline ... it's a deadline," Werner said. "If she (Dr. Lewis) wants to testify here in this case, it has to be done (by the deadline)."

Court records show that Stauch's attorneys filed a report, the contents of which are unknown, on Thursday.

Stauch faces 13 charges including first-degree murder, child abuse and tampering with evidence.

In addition to the first-degree murder case, Stauch also faces a second case in which she is accused of attempting to escape from the El Paso County jail in May 2020.

Stauch was arrested in South Carolina in March 2020 and has been in jail ever since. She faces life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder.
Sallie Clark is our best choice

Since I left office eight years ago as Colorado Springs first strong mayor, I have refrained from endorsing any political candidate or issue. Now, however, I feel compelled to come forward with a deep concern about our future as our city faces rising crime, rapidly declining affordable housing, a difficult homeless situation and uncertainty over our long-term water supply.

While I was mayor, I worked closely with Sallie Clark who was then a county commissioner. She and I disagreed some on city-county matters, but we also worked closely together on the Waldo Canyon fire recovery and a much needed increase in state funding for our highways. In every interaction with Sallie, I found her to be professional, willing to listen and solutions oriented.

Sallie Clark has lived here a long time, has succeeded as a small businesswoman through many economic cycles and served in government leadership at the local, state and federal level. She is a battle-tested political leader with a backbone who will not bend to special interests. Sallie is uniquely qualified to be our next mayor. Please join me in voting for her on April 4.

Steve Bach

Colorado Springs

We need real change

KKTVs Candidates Night revealed much more than I expected. Thanks to Adam Atchison for excellent moderation. Along with the usual Im qualified because  statements, there were consistent messages of unhappiness, and even desperation: Things are just wrong with the current leadership, and no one in power is listening. We might wince at Jim Millers delivery and anger, but his frustrated pleas about safety and taxes paid for services not received need to be heard. Safety and the problems causing (and caused by) homelessness were the major messages. Which candidate has the best ideas and leadership skills is the voters dilemma, but all have real goals that matter to all of us. Their message: Current leadership and direction arent working. They are concerned about where were headed.

We need real change and a leader who listens. Decades ago, Colorado Springs was a nicely growing gem. Greed and power crept in and soiled the citys charm and beauty.

Among things that need new direction: Nonlocal developers building ever more dwellings, using mostly nonlocal contractors and inflicting lasting damage on our city and neighborhoods. Our economy sees little of that money  they take it and run  and many developments are unattractive and lack integration with their surroundings. Our city is being defaced by developers.

Edmond D. Van Doren

Colorado Springs

Consequences of the safety net

Joe Barrera made some valid points in his column Wednesday about the futility of fighting the illegal drug use in this country, and the resulting mayhem it causes in Mexico and Latin America. But I had to roll my eyes when he said that if street drugs were legalized, addicts would get treatment instead of jail.

Oh really? By what compulsion? So, drugs become legal and more readily available, and this will cause more addicts to seek treatment?

I kinda doubt it, and I think our experience with Colorados legalization of marijuana tends to indicate otherwise.

We have a societal problem with indolence and a failure to instill a positive sense of responsibility. This is the unintended consequence of providing such a comprehensive government safety net: those who are deserving benefit, but many less deserving come along for the ride. Government seems incapable of adequately screening them out. Realistically, with legalization, we can expect to see even greater addictive drug use, while illicit, cut-rate distribution, sales, and related crime will continue.

Dave Schouweiler

Colorado Springs

Pass gun safety laws

Ownership of guns causes multiple problems in our country.

Children injure and kill themselves and others with guns they find in their homes. Angry people pick up a gun and use it against others or themselves. Arguments turn into massacres.

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Why does one need a gun when we have police departments charged with our safety?

Civilians do not need assault weapons.

We should be proud of our country having a tradition of our government protecting citizens, not of having a gun to protect ourselves.

Let us stop this insanity of gun violence. Pass gun safety laws.

Anna T. Lopez

Colorado Springs

Balancing the budget

Our national debt is out of control and must be addressed immediately. It has been far too long ignored by our politicians as well as most Americans. How much more debt must we incur until America is bankrupt?

In other words, is there a limit and if so, how much. We should not continue to spend like we have in the past or else the government will need to prioritize spending cuts in other areas such as defense, Social Security or Medicare.

I would think that defense spending and interest on national debt would be off the table relative to cuts.

Tax increases and the printing of more money are never the answers to decreasing our debt or improving our economy.

The circulation of available funds in the market causing improved productivity is of better benefit to everyone which then helps increase GDP which consequently reduces the debt.

Our economists must make an effort to balance our budget which will take many years. As my mother used to say  money doesnt grow on trees.

John Childs

Colorado Springs

Cars with expired license plates

Today as I was driving, I noticed the car in front of me had a temporary paper license dated Dec. 14, 2021.

Dont we have anyone to follow up on the expired licenses?

We could repair some of our streets if we had more license fees, right?

Helynn Bode

Colorado Springs
One of the more contentious debates over a bill that would have almost no impact on the industry its trying to regulate got just hot enough on Thursday to cost it the Democratic support it needed to move forward.

Senate Bill 38 originally was intended to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption. That bill, sponsored by Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont, would address a problem that doesnt exist in Colorado, or anywhere else in the United States.

The last slaughterhouse in the United States that handled horses, in Texas, was shuttered in 2007. Those facilities still exist in Mexico and Canada, with importation of the horse meat to countries where its considered a delicacy. China, Kazakhstan and Mexico are the top consuming countries.

The bill as introduced wasnt what was negotiated with ag groups last summer, as evidenced by testimony in the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in a Feb. 16 hearing.

Those opposed to the bill included Colorado Farm Bureau, the Colorado Cattlemens Association and Colorado Woolgrowers Association.

Landon Gates, representing the two latter groups, said they were shocked by the original version of SB 38, which was not what Jaquez Lewis told them it would address. The bill she proposed last summer was about how horses are transported.

Jaquez Lewis offered a rewrite of the bill in the ag committee that went back to what was originally agreed upon with the ag groups: to require humane transportation of 20 or more horses headed for slaughter to those foreign country slaughterhouses, along with a change in the title to reflect that new language.

But that also raised questions about whether such a law would even be enforceable, particularly once the transport has left Colorado.

On the Senate floor Thursday, Jaquez Lewis offered a new amendment that walked back the compromise with the ag groups.

The strike-below, she said, would condone the transport of horses for slaughter. Her new amendment would help identify those who buy horses at auctions with the purpose to sending them off to slaughter.

Its a meeting of the minds, she said.

Not according to fellow Democrats on the ag committee. Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Eagle, the ag committee chair, said the bill went through a long process in his committee. We all agreed, working with the ag community and others on the strike-below, and hinted that without it the bill would not have gotten out of the ag committee.

Advocating for a no vote on the new amendment, Roberts said it significantly alters the strike-below and changes the agreement made with the ag groups. It would move the bills title back to the original, also not supported by the ag groups.

Roberts reiterated that horse slaughter doesnt happen either in Colorado or even in the United States. To prohibit something that happens in Mexico and Canada through a state law in Colorado isnt realistic, he argued, and the bill isnt enforceable.

In addition, the bill would put a chilling effect on horse owners who are looking for new homes for sick horses or those that they cant keep anymore, he added.

Jaquez Lewis disputed the claim the bill wouldnt be enforceable.

The change also cost the bill the support of Sen. Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo, the ag committees vice chair. What was agreed upon, and that we could all support, without harming the ag industry, is that standards in place in law for ethical transportation of horses should be enforced, and thats what led to the strike-below. This amendment undoes all of that agreement.

While the bill, along with the new amendment, was declared approved by the Senate (despite the no votes being considerably louder than the yes votes), the opponents didnt give up.

When the Senate confirmed its work through the committee of the whole report, Roberts took to the mic again, asking that the bill be declared dead.

Sen. Kevin Priola, D-Henderson, also on the ag committee, said he voted for the bill and new amendment, because it would dissuade kill buyers on the economics.

There are a lot of forces down here on many bills, that use process ... as a way to get what they want. Im here to call (expletive) on that, which earned him a fine from the Senate president.

I get that things are amended from one committee to another, and there was no grand deal that the bill would not be changed, Hinrichsen said. But there were agreements made on the bill that were entirely erased, he said. It would mean the committee process does not matter, he argued.

The vote on the committee of the whole amendment, which would kill the bill, passed 20-14, with eight Democrats siding with the 12 Republicans.
Wayback is making a comeback in the Pikes Peak region.

East Coast-based Wayback Burgers, a fast-casual hamburger chain that operated a location in Colorado Springs several years ago, will re-enter the local market with at least four new restaurants.

A franchisee will open Wayback's first new location this summer, possibly in July, in Woodland Park, west of the Springs, said Patrick Conlin, Wayback's president. The restaurant will occupy a 2,032-square-foot space in the City Market-anchored Gold Hill shopping center at U.S. 24 and Colorado 67.

A second franchisee plans to open three more Wayback restaurants in the Colorado Springs area, Conlin said; the first might debut this fall and the others would follow within six months to a year. Those locations still are being determined, he said.

Founded in Delaware in 1991 as Jake's Hamburgers and now based in Connecticut, the chain grew to 10 restaurants over 17 years and began to add franchised locations, according to its website.

In 2009, it rebranded itself as Jakes Wayback Burgers and now is known as just Wayback Burgers. It operates in 35 states, with more than 170 locations nationally and internationally, according to a news release. An Englewood location, in suburban Denver, has been open for seven to eight years, Conlin said.

Wayback Burgers' first Colorado Springs location opened in a north-side shopping center in 2014 but closed soon after. A franchisee at that time suffered health issues after the restaurant opened, which led to its premature closing, Conlin said.

But Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region remained attractive because of their demographics, including strong household incomes and a growing population, Conlin said.

Meanwhile, franchisee Claudia Polczer-Lauzon and her husband, Rob, were moving to Woodland Park, "fell in love with the area" and contacted Wayback about becoming restaurant operators and opening a location in the mountain town, he said.

Wayback, Conlin said, is a "better burger" concept that focuses on quality food and a nostalgic way of doing business.

All of its burgers are made from fresh, never frozen, ground beef, and food is prepared when it's ordered, he said.

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"It's not pre-made, it's not sitting under a heat lamp," Conlin said.

Restaurants have 30 to 50 indoor seats, and pick-up and third-party delivery options. Unlike many chains, most Wayback locations don't offer drive-thru service, Conlin said.

The optimum time for customers to receive their food after ordering is eight minutes, he said. As a result, a drive-thru would mean motorists would have to order, pull over and park for several minutes until their food is carried out to them, which isn't desirable, Conlin said.

Wayback's menu, he said, is more diverse than some of its competitors. It features several varieties of hamburgers, including plant-based Impossible burgers; chicken sandwiches and tenders; hot dogs; cheesesteaks; fries, onion rings, tater tots and fried pickles; fountain drinks; and hand-dipped milk shakes that use real ice cream.

Wayback's theme, embodied in franchisee training and customer support employees, is a "nostalgic feeling" and a "level of service that you used to get years ago that really sets you apart," Conlin said. "We know our food is great, but that friendliness and that caring and making that a connection with the guest when they come into the restaurant is what really sets us apart.

"When the guest comes in and orders at the (point of service), we ask them their name," he said. "That's how we deliver the food to their table; we don't give you a number, which is very impersonal. We walk the food out to your table and say ... 'here's your double bacon cheeseburger and your Oreo milkshake.'"

Wayback re-enters the Colorado Springs-area market at a time when several popular brands have established a local presence.

In addition to familiar fast-food, fast-casual and gourmet brands such as McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Red Robin and Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, California-based In-N-Out Burger and Whataburger of Texas now have several Springs-area locations.

Conlin, however, said Wayback is confident about its food and customer service and has done battle with competitors in other markets.

"We've had Five Guys and burger restaurants open up across the street from us," he said. "People want to try the new guy in town, but then they've always come back to us, and it hasn't hurt us anywhere where that's happened. We're typically lower-priced than the other guys in the better burger segment. That's kind of our pricing strategy. It works well for us."
DES MOINES  Legislation that would prohibit transgender youth from using school bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity is headed to Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds for her signature.

The Iowa House voted 57-39, with five Republicans joining Democrats in opposition, to pass Senate File 482.

The legislation requires public schools to maintain separate bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, dressing areas and overnight accommodations for biological boys and biological girls.

Students wishing for greater privacy would need parental permission to request use of alternative facilities, such as a single-occupancy or faculty bathroom or locker room. Schools would be required to evaluate such requests and, to the extent reasonable, offer options for alternative facilities.

The bill states that schools cannot be punished for restricting bathrooms and locker rooms to members of the same biological sex. It also directs the Iowa Attorney Generals Office to investigate complaints of alleged violations of the legislation and file action in court to seek equitable relief should it determine that legal action is warranted.

Senate Republicans passed the bill last week, describing the proposal as a common sense way to ensure the privacy and safety of all Iowa students.

The issue addressed in this legislation at one point  was not up for debate, but the goal posts have now been moved, said Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, the bills floor manager. For many decades, schools have separated locker rooms and bathrooms and hotel rooms on school trips by biological sex. This is nothing new.

Data, though, overwhelmingly shows that incidents of sexual assault in school bathrooms are rare, and that transgender individuals are far more likely to be victims of sexual assault than non-transgender people, including at schools with prescriptive bathroom policies.

Opponents of the bill have repeatedly said that there have been no incidents of transgender students in Iowa harassing their peers or misbehaving in bathrooms over the last 15 years. And have noted that Iowa schools have been able to provide accommodations without issue.

Holt countered that he knows of six school districts  which he would not name  that have expressed concerns, and claimed school superintendents are begging for guidance; on the issue. He added hes not interested in waiting until a child is raped; in a restroom by someone pretending to be transgender.

Democrats contend it's another in a growing attack this legislative session on transgender Iowans that would paint the state as unwelcoming and exacerbate Iowa's workforce recruitment and retention issues.

House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said forcing students into bathrooms that don't match their gender identity puts their safety at risk, and notes it is already illegal to enter a restroom to harm someone or invade someone's privacy.

Konfrst said the legislation is another way of singling out transgender students, and equated the bill to state-sponsored bullying.

Holt said he empathizes with transgender students uncomfortable using a facility that doesnt correspond with their gender identity. He said accommodations should be made when possible to keep that child comfortable; however, that should not be done at the expense of the privacy and safety of our daughters.

We cant afford to lose workers

North Carolina was thrust into the national spotlight in 2016 for passing similar legislation, which was subsequently partially-repealed. The bill sparked a nationwide backlash, causing far-reaching political and economic damage.

Doug Neumann, executive director of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, said while the economic impact of such legislation is hard to measure, Iowa businesses have already seen impacts on workforce.

Weve been far more engaged in discussions in recent years, particularly on social issue bills that have a direct impact on businesses and their workplaces, Neumann said in a statement. We strongly encourage legislators, employers and citizens to advocate policies that are welcoming to all populations and encourage people to come to, and stay in, Iowa. We cant afford to lose workers or make it any harder than it already is to attract talent."

Advocates decry relentless attack on transgender Iowans

A record 29 unique pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation were introduced already this legislative session, said Keenan Crow, a lobbyist with LGBTQ activist group One Iowa. That, they said, compares to 28 LGBTQ-related bills introduced during the two-year General Assembly from 2021-2022.

State lawmakers last week passed a ban headed to Reynolds for her expected signature that would prohibit Iowa doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy to transgender children under the age of 18. It would also prohibit any surgeries on minors intended to affirm a gender that does not match up with their sex at birth.

House Republicans have also passed a ban on instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in kindergarten through sixth grade. The bill, which has yet to pass the Senate, has drawn comparisons to Floridas so-called dont say gay law.

One Iowa, in a statement, called on Reynolds to veto the bill and other legislation that harms LGBTQ Iowans and benefits no one.

Reynolds office did not immediately respond Thursday when asked whether she plans to sign the bill into law once it reaches her. The bill, once signed, would go into effect immediately.

If the bill is signed into law, it likely will be at least temporarily halted by a legal challenge.

Gender identity was added as a protected class to the Iowa Civil Rights Act in 2007. The protections extend to education and public accommodation. At the federal level, Title IX protects gender identity when it comes to restroom and facility access in schools.

This bill is a solution to an imaginary problem, all for the sake of bullying trans children, Becky Tayler, executive director for Iowa Safe Schools, said in a statement.

Iowa Safe Schools provides education, outreach, advocacy and victim services for LGBTQ and allied youth.

Our organization continues to be disappointed by the disproportionate amount of time and effort the Iowa Legislature has spent attacking LGBTQ kids this legislative session, Tayler said.

The Human Rights Campaign  the nations largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization  said transgender students deserve the fundamental human dignity of being able to use the bathroom at school without being targeted or humiliated.

Transgender youth have a right to an education, and not being able to use the bathroom safely at school abridges that right, the campaign said in a statement.

Erin Murphy of The Gazette Des Moines Bureau contributed to this report.
A Mitchell County man charged with first-degree murder is asking the court for a change of venue for his trial.

According to court records, Nathan James Gilmore of Osage is arguing he cannot receive a fair trial by an impartial jury in Mitchell County. The motion was filed Thursday morning.

Gilmore argues news media reported extensively on his charges and the facts at issue in the case. The filed document does recognize that coverage was initially intense, but has reduced in frequency recently.

The filing also argues that prior to the media coverage, photos of an item that would become a central piece of evidence was shared on social media platforms around Mitchell County by an individual connected to the person that discovered said evidence. The filing does not elaborate on what that evidence was.

Gilmore was charged in August of 2022 for the murder of Mason City resident Angela Bradbury. Bradbury, 29, was last seen alive in April 2021. A hiker discovered a skull propped up on a post or stick on a trail near the Green Belt in Mitchell County on July 12, 2021. The remains were determined to be those of Bradbury's in March 2022.

Gilmore allegedly picked up Bradbury in Cerro Gordo County near the correctional facility on April 6, 2021, and drove her to a home in Mason City. Bradbury later voluntarily left with Gilmore to travel to St. Ansgar where Gilmore lived. Bradbury was not heard from again.

Department of Motor Vehicle records led officials to Gilmore, who also had been at the scene when the remains were discovered and had already given a statement to police.

A forensic review of Gilmore's phone turned up disturbing messages in which Gilmore vaguely describe details of a stabbing death. Another search turned up what appeared to be a drawing of a satanic goat head along with a series of numbers.

The drawing had blood droplets on it, and the numbers corresponded with the date Bradbury went missing as well as the latitude and longitude coordinates of the Green Belt trail.

Gilmore was booked into the Mitchell County Jail on $1 million bail. Gilmore waived his right to a speedy trial Wednesday. A change of venue hearing has not been filed as of Thursday morning.

Photos: North Iowa history book, 1940s-1960s 1962 Band Festival Hamilton basketball South Federal Avenue 1961 McDonald's Drive-in MCHS wins championship Lock store Hawke hemp farm Gone with the Wind Federal Avenue at night 02-23-1949.jpg Main and State streets Christian Church fire Navy books 1962 Band Festival Tug of War in East Park Officers find ammunition in car
The initial weeks of a permit hearing for Summit Carbon Solutions proposed carbon dioxide pipeline will take place during this falls harvest, despite the objections of farmers who want to attend.

These are the days and times, said Geri Huser, chairperson of the three-member Iowa Utilities Board, which will decide whether to approve Summits permit. If any changes occur to these three weeks, it will be to remove a day due to board conflicts, not party conflicts.

The board held a meeting Wednesday to help solidify the procedural timeline for Summits request to construct about 680 miles of pipe in northern and western Iowa. The project would connect to ethanol plants to transport their captured carbon dioxide for underground sequestration in North Dakota.

It is one of three such proposals in the state and is furthest along in the regulatory process.

An order from the board is forthcoming for the schedule, but Huser said a weekslong evidentiary hearing will start Oct. 23 in Webster County.

That hearing is tentatively set to conclude in December but could spill into next year. It will include parcel-by-parcel discussions about the companys eminent domain requests.

The hearing would be preceded by four public comment hearings in outlying counties starting in mid-September and four days of public comment hearings in Webster County the week before the evidentiary hearing starts.

This is not workable, said Dean Kluss, chairperson of the Wright County Board of Supervisors.

Kluss said he is a farmer who starts harvesting crops about Sept. 20 and doesnt finish until the middle of November.

In the past five years, corn harvest in Iowa has begun mid-September and was 90% complete by mid-November, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Harvest of that crop is usually most active in October, but in cooler years that can be delayed to November because it takes longer for corn to mature.

IUB staff had first proposed holding the evidentiary hearing in May 2024, but two of the three board members decided to start in October, according to IUB records.

I am concerned that the process is being expedited without valid reason, which increases the chance of mistakes, wrote Josh Byrnes, a board member, in opposition to a February board order to hold the hearing starting in October. The parties deserve a meticulous and careful analysis of this petition. It takes time to complete a thorough and comprehensive review of infrastructure projects, and the procedural schedule should reflect this.

Huser and board member Richard Lozier overruled Byrnes. Their order did not include a rationale for the start date.

If we end up having a cool year, harvest could go into November, which would overlap harvest and the proposed hearing even more, further straining farmers located on the proposed route who want to, at a minimum, follow along with the hearing, Byrnes wrote. A hearing in October could require landowners to choose between attending this hearing or their income for the year.

Huser said Wednesday that the hearing will be available for live viewing online but wasnt sure whether it will be recorded for later viewing.

Pipeline opponents have broadly sought delays to the proceedings with the hope that they will lessen the pipelines chances of success. The project grows more costly as time passes.

May is just delay for the sake of delay and trying to kill the project strategically, said Bret Dublinske, a Summit attorney.

He proposed moving the hearing date to late summer to avoid harvest. The feasibility of that suggestion is unclear because of the voluminous amount of information board staff must compile before the hearing.

The board is expected to issue an order to officially set the hearing date yet this month.
On Tuesday, the Danville Police Department hosted a community walk on Arnett Boulevard. Officials said neighbors were "very responsive" as officers reminded the residents to keep valuables locked away and out of sight of vehicles to prevent theft, an problem that's increased in recent months. "They also reminded everyone that if they see something happening that may be suspicious in nature, to say something," officials wrote on a Facebook post.
Ken Salazar, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, met with the Los Angeles Times for more than an hour while visiting California in November. He was eager to talk up the celebrations surrounding the U.S.-Mexico diplomacy bicentennial. We were eager to talk about the border. The pas de deux featured a lot of platitudes, a couple of tense moments, and a number I cant shake: 13,000.

That was the estimate Salazar gave for the number of Mexicans who were studying at our universities at the time. Many of us were surprised to hear it was so low. Weve been friends with Mexico for 200 years, and thats all our diplomacy could muster? By comparison, our geopolitical adversary China had north of 300,000 on our campuses.

The reason for the gap between the two nations is obvious: Chinese students bring in an estimated $15 billion to the economy each year. Mexicos economy is robust  the 15th largest in the world  but China is second only to the U.S. Apparently that number matters more than those 200 years.

And therein lies the rub.

Instead of sending 300,000 college students to the U.S. like China does, Mexico is being trampled by those two giants: China funnels fentanyl through Mexico to the U.S. market, and the U.S. exports guns to Mexico so the cartels can protect their product. Its an ugly triangle of illicit trade, and Mexico gets the worse end of every deal.

And yet when drugs and guns claim lives on both sides of the U.S.s southern border, Mexico is chastised for not doing more. More what exactly? President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had his own critique for Americans this month: Why dont you take care of your young people? Why dont you take care of the serious problem of social decay? Why dont [you] temper the constant increase in drug consumption?

Those remarks came after Mexican authorities rescued the two Americans who were kidnapped by members of a drug cartel in Tamaulipas state this month. Two others were killed.

Does Lopez Obrador sound a bit harsh there?

He raises reasonable questions. American politicians dont have great answers to offer though.

Instead, after the kidnappings, calls for U.S. military intervention have grown in some conservative circles, because there are those who rarely see a problem that an endless war couldnt exacerbate. This on the heels of 21 attorneys general calling for President Biden to designate the cartels as terrorist organizations  sometimes a useful tool to cut off financing, but also potentially a dangerous pretext for escalation and military intervention.

And can you imagine if the U.S. were to send troops into Mexico? They would face a vast arsenal of weapons made in America.

Thats not Mexicos fault. The nation has no equivalent to the 2nd Amendment. Roughly 50 gun permits are issued per year. Theres only one store in all of Mexico where it is legal to buy a gun, and it is controlled by the military. Legal gun sales in Mexico are not the problem.

However it is estimated that over 200,000 guns are trafficked into Mexico from the U.S. each year. The U.S. gun industry has been arming Mexican drug cartels for as long as there have been Mexican drug cartels.

Up to 90% of guns used in crimes in Mexico and traced turn out to have originated in the U.S., mostly Arizona and Texas. Gun proliferation has made mass shootings common at home  last year was the deadliest yet  and now our pastime has been exported to Mexico.

The U.S. is the major customer keeping Mexican cartels in business. Were the major supplier of the guns that make them so deadly. This is the relationship we have created with Mexico. Its a sad reality that was only driven home by the ambassadors numbers from our conversation in November: 300,000 students from China, 13,000 from Mexico.

Chinese students benefit from the U.S. educational system because theyre paying top dollar. Meanwhile our neighbors, with whom the U.S. is so proud to have had diplomatic relations for 200 years, are barely represented in an educational exchange that could benefit both sides of the border.

This dynamic exposes the inherent flaw in our approach to foreign policy. We expect other nations to be the ideological purists we lack the fortitude to be. And every now and then a world leader reminds us of our hypocrisy.

Sometimes it comes from an enemy like Russian President Vladimir Putin, who recently called out Americas own social ills after critiques from Biden.

Sometimes its a friend like Lopez Obrador.

We supply most of the worlds guns. We have long been the most prolific drug users in the world. And what do we do? Blame one of our oldest friends for the trouble weve caused.
GREENSBORO  Gov. Roy Cooper visited Northern Guilford High School on Thursday to tout his newly released budget proposals  including a plan to raise teacher salaries by an average of 18% over the text two years.

On hand and boosting his message was Leah Carper  the educator who has been on leave from Northern this school year in her role as the 2022 North Carolina Teacher of the Year.

We have 1.5 million public school students in our state who deserve this investment, Carper said. When we are investing in them we are investing in their future, but we are also investing in the future of North Carolina.

She shared a long list of activities shed completed in just the last couple of weeks, everything from training beginning teachers at N.C. A&T to feeding a pig as Carper toured school districts across the state.

Superintendent Whitney Oakley also pointed to Coopers proposal to raise teacher pay in her remarks.

Here in North Carolina a teacher entering the field with zero years of experience can make the same as an Uber driver here in North Carolina, Oakley said. And while those are important, think about the credentials that are needed to be a classroom teacher.

On Thursday, Cooper said the state has 5,000 teacher vacancies.

Theres a reason for that, he explained. We need to treat our educators with more respect and we need to give them better pay and and more support.

If enacted, Cooper proposals would, within two years, result in a minimum salary for teachers of $46,000 a year, with most making somewhat more due to local supplements.

Oakley also had a chance to speak with Cooper privately and pitch the districts legislative agenda to the Democratic governor. That includes trying to secure state money for high dosage tutoring and learning hubs  academic interventions needed to help students recover from pandemic learning loss that the district has been funding with federal dollars and grants.

For Coopers benefit, the school held a special learning hub session so he could see students and tutors in action. At Northern, those typically take place before or after school and on some Saturdays.

Also on Thursday, N.C. Rep. Ashton Clemmons, a Democrat representing Greensboro, filed a bill that would provide $3.3 million for learning hubs, $3.1 million for the high dosage tutoring program and $2.5 million to support signature career academies, which are part of the districts career and technical education offerings.
Partisans and progressives who fear open, civil debate and free inquiry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have misstated the origin of its proposed School of Civic Life and Leadership  a misrepresentation the press has done far too little to correct.

Lets set the record straight: The UNC-CH Board of Trustees, of which I am a member, did not introduce the idea for the school  the universitys faculty and administration did, over several years. Afterward, our trustees endorsed the idea and urged its acceleration.

The ensuing uproar among some faculty, partisan activists and numerous media commentators has obscured the origin of the proposed program, perhaps to avoid discussing its merits.

The true timeline

As university administrators explained during our last trustee meeting and at a subsequent meeting of the Faculty Council, both of which were public, the proposed new school is an outgrowth of the universitys Program for Public Discourse and its IDEAs in Action curriculum, which themselves arose from campus discussions dating to 2017. Their aims are to promote open, civil debate on campus and to equip students for success in our diverse nation and world.

The Program for Public Discourse was presented to the faculty several years ago, after senior administrators reviewed similar programs at Arizona State University and Princeton University. The Faculty Council discussed the proposal twice, in September and October of 2019, and voted in favor of it both times.

The program is known for its speaker series, but it was always envisioned to include a curricular component to promote free and open democracy. The faculty discussed the concept, and how their teaching experiences might contribute to it, in three roundtables in the fall of 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic soon intervened, and the curriculums exploration was put on hold. Last fall, Jim White, the universitys new dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, requested funds that would finally move the full program forward as originally envisioned.

In December, university administrators prepared a draft state budget request for the proposed new school and an outline of its curricular components. They shared their budget memo with trustees, since part of our role is to advocate for greater university funding.

A month later, our bipartisan board endorsed the concept without objection and urged the administration to work with the faculty to accelerate long-awaited plans for the school. Anxious opponents are exploiting a false narrative to try to smother the civic-curriculum baby in its crib.

Trustees legal authority

The university belongs to all the people of North Carolina, not just to a few dozen faculty leaders or outside interest groups. Our state Constitution directs the elected General Assembly to provide higher education to the states citizens. The legislature established a Board of Governors to supervise the statewide university system and empowered boards of trustees to oversee individual campuses, including ours.

By law, campus trustees are to serve as advisor(s) to the chancellor concerning the management and development of the institution. The chancellor, in turn, shall be responsible for carrying out policies of the Board of Governors and of the board of trustees. The chancellor also is charged with recommending educational programs and personnel, again subject to BOG and BOT policies.

And at the campus level, we trustees help shape and approve our universitys annual budget.

Each of these facts makes it entirely appropriate for our board of trustees to have endorsed and urged the acceleration of a program, six years in the making, as proposed by the universitys administration and already approved by its faculty.

Shared governance?

Recently, the Faculty Council reversed its two former votes in favor of the program, insisting that only it should consider such an idea, as if its multiple discussions and support of the program in 2019 had never occurred. But of course, as university administrators have said publicly, the PPD faculty, not we trustees, will develop and implement the programs details.

What faculty leaders want, it seems, is not shared governance of the university after all, although the faculty already have that. Instead, they want total control of a major public asset that belongs to North Carolinas almost 11 million diverse people. Thats unreasonable  and contrary to law.

The fury with which partisan progressives have torched a modest, worthy and long-overdue proposal to allow a diversity of viewpoints on campus and to teach students vital communication skills for our complex world shows why the program is so badly needed.
Members of the Board of Regents from the Montana University System were in Helena this week for two days of meetings, but stopped by a gathering of a grass-roots group of residents and business people to discuss education issues and comment about one of its two-year schools, Helena College.

The board met early Thursday at the Montana Club with Hometown Helena. Members were in town as the board rotates its meetings around the state and holds gatherings with the public, chair Brianne Rogers said.

She discussed the board's goals and said much of their legislative agenda centers on securing state resources, investments of general fund dollars and providing programs for Montanans at affordable costs.

Rogers said they wanted to offer classes to Montana students without costs or location being a barrier. She discussed the 123 dual-enrollment program that provides students with college coursework for free. She said that has tripled the number of students taking college coursework during high school in the past decade.

She also mentioned the Sprint Degree Initiative which works with an employer to allow a student to proceed at an accelerated pace while ensuring the program leads to a good job.

The overall goal is to provide more students more access to degree programs at a cost that is the lowest for in-state residents. She said college can transform lives and provide Montana employers with the work force they need.

There is no community more important to us than Helena, she said. And no campus more important to us than Helena College in our system of 40,000 students and 16 campuses.

The panel was asked about student housing in Helena.

Clayton T. Christian, Montana University System's commissioner of higher education, said Helena had one of the fastest-rising rental costs in the nation. While still lower than what students are facing in Missoula and Bozeman, rent costs are rising rapidly.

But he noted that education is more affordable at Helena College. If people take advantage of certain grants, tuition and fees can be paid.

"We use more state resources at the smaller campuses, so they get a higher state allocation that makes it more affordable," he said. Where we cant always fix the housing side, we try address that in terms of overall affordability.

He said many of the two-year campuses have less of a residential demand that the four-year schools, but affordability is still a big piece. He said the overall cost could be much less at Helena College than other institutions.

One father in the audience said his child was planning to attend college out of state. The child told him they were not a girl nor a boy, but was somewhere in-between. He said he had attended hearings in the state Capitol where lawmakers were debating defining sex based on sex organs and chromosomes.

Basically it boils down to are you a boy or girl and thats it, he said, asking what the colleges are doing for students who identify as non-binary or transgender to make feel safe and welcome in state.

How are we taking care of these kids and how can we do better? he asked.

We want everyone to be welcome (at) our Montana university system, Rogers said, adding some officials have testified against some of the proposed sex definition legislation, citing concerns about federal funding laws.

Seth Bodner, University of Montana president, said the universitys mission is two words: inclusive prosperity.

We work really hard to cultivate an inclusive (atmosphere) on campus, he said, adding there is support in place for people to engage.

He said a group of students made their voices widely known in a March 10 protest about proposed legislation that the UM campus is a place of inclusion.

Waded Cruzado, president of Montana State University, said the school focuses on diversity inclusion.

Its important for us to speak with courage about these important (things), she said.

Cruzado said she was proud of the fact that at MSU it is the straight students who have taken it upon themselves to protect the LGBTQ students.

Its a goal about diversity, understanding and inclusion, she said. We dont win if we live people behind.

She told the father to tell his child there are wonderful opportunities in Montana.
The flags colors of green and orange represented Irish nationalism and the Protestant minority. The white in the middle symbolized lasting peace.

For his participation in the failed rebellion, Meagher was given a death sentence, but the sentence was commuted to a life in an Australian penal camp. By 1852, Meagher had made his escape and soon found his way to America, where he became a successful lawyer and newspaperman.

When the Civil War broke out in the United States, Meagher joined the Union army, leading the Fighting 69 Irish brigade. By wars end, he was a brigadier general.

Not long after wars end, Meagher was named Montanas territorial governor. On July 1, 1867, the 43-year-old was in Fort Benton and allegedly fell from a steamboat and drowned. His body was never found.

The Montana Standard's Tracy Thornton contributed to this story.
The city of Helena's Community Development Department is set to host neighborhood planning workshops and has invited residents to discuss with city planners their vision for the Sixth Ward.

The meetings are scheduled for March 20 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and March 22 from 9 a.m. to noon.

All meetings will be held at the National Alliance on Mental Illness Montana Chapter headquarters, 1331 Helena Ave. in the Sixth Ward.

Community Development Director Chris Brink said such meetings are important because "it actually reaches the public, who at the end of the day, we want involved in the process.

"It's their neighborhood," he said.

The meetings will be facilitated by Helena's Planner II Michael Alvarez, who said he wants to hear from residents of the Sixth Ward, people who work in the neighborhood and anyone who frequents the area.

"They're the experts in how the neighborhood is supposed to feel and look," Alvarez said.

He said the people who regularly "move through the area" have a keen understanding of what works and what does not.

The Sixth Ward stretches from Missoula Avenue north to Cedar Street and from I-15 west to Montana Avenue.

The department will use the feedback gleaned from the community to make informed recommendations on topics such as zoning or transportation in the neighborhood to the Helena City Commission.

"First we want to understand the neighborhood," Alvarez said. "It's gotta work for the people who are there."

For more information, call Alvarez at (406) 447-8459.
Three years ago, a Bozeman-based engineering firm sent four nearly identical letters to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation sketching out loose plans for a 41-lot subdivision proposed for a rural, predominantly agricultural landscape along the eastern shore of Canyon Ferry.

The four letters, all sent on the same day, correspond with the four phases of a subdivision proposed by one of Montanas most politically well-connected families and largest landowners, the Galts. As explained in the letters, the 435-acre Horse Creek Hills subdivision would use exempt wells  so-named because theyre exempt from DNRC permits designed to ensure new wells wont adversely impact other water users  to supply water to the projects 39 homes and two businesses.

The attached layout currently shows four projects, however this letter is only addressing the water usage for project #1 of the 4 total projects, the first of the four letters reads. Each proposed project/phase will not utilize more than 10-acre feet of water  per the current DNRC [exempt-well] standards.

That letter, and the three that followed, closed with a request that the DNRC provide concurrence that Horse Creek Hills water plan is in agreement with the DNRC standards for this region.

A week later, a DNRC employee in Helena replied that the project, as described, did indeed fit the current rules and laws pertaining to the filing of an exempt water right.

DNRC issued that preliminary green light largely because Horse Creek Hills is a phased development. Had it been proposed as a single residential project, it probably would have been limited to just one exempt well  not enough water to serve 39 homes and two businesses. The initial all clear in hand, the developer, 71 Ranch, proceeded with the Horse Creek Hills subdivision application.

In the three years since that correspondence, the subdivision has garnered intense pushback, largely due to concerns that it will deplete and degrade the rivers, streams and groundwater of the Upper Missouri basin. Opponents of the proposal say it could threaten agricultural operations, dewater a tributary of the Missouri that serves as rainbow trout spawning ground, and add further nutrient pollution to Canyon Ferry, which already suffers from toxic algal blooms.

But the application advanced. After bouncing back and forth between the Broadwater County Planning Board, the Broadwater County Commission and the DNRC, the preliminary plat application for Horse Creek Hills was approved by the county commission last July.

In August, environmental nonprofit Upper Missouri Waterkeeper and five adjacent and nearby landowners sued the DNRC and Broadwater County Commission over that decision, arguing that despite an unprecedented volume of opposition, county and state regulators have failed to adequately examine the subdivisions impacts to water supply, water quality, wildlife and public health and safety.

Welcome to the messy, contentious and uncertain world of exempt wells, a tool developers are using with increasing frequency to secure water in basins where all available surface water rights are already spoken for.

Broadly speaking, developers like the loophole, senior water rights holders disdain it, and regulators approach it with trepidation given conflicting interpretations of how it comports with the 50-year-old Montana Water Use Act, which grants water supply seniority to those with the oldest water rights.

Upper Missouri Waterkeeper Executive Director Guy Alsentzer described the exempt-well trend as a race to the bottom that will hamper not only water quantity, but also water quality.

The cost is going to be shouldered by our rivers, our streams, and by those who already depend on that flow and availability of water, he said.

Exempt wells are also the source of one of the biggest water fights before state lawmakers, who are walking a perilous regulatory tightrope. Legislators are making a concerted effort to increase housing supply in one of the nations fastest-growing states by reforming and streamlining permitting processes without running afoul of a constitutional directive to guard against unreasonable depletion and degradation of natural resources or by inspiring a knock-down, drag-out fight with agricultural producers.

So far, if a heated hearing on House Bill 642 seeking to change exempt-well permitting is any indication, that tightrope act doesnt appear to be going well. About 40 people lined up before the House Natural Resources Committee on Feb. 22 to offer testimony on HB 642, which is sponsored by Casey Knudsen, a Republican rancher and real estate agent from Malta.

Knudsens bill would do away with references to combined appropriation, which puts limits on the loophole to protect existing water rights holders. It also grants larger groundwater allowances for subdivisions that are larger than 20 acres and requires meters to be installed on some wells or developed springs to help DNRC track water withdrawals.

One of HB 642s proponents is Joceylyn Galt Cahill, who appeared to reference the Horse Creek Hills subdivision when she urged committee members to pass HB 642 to clarify law and stop unnecessary lawsuits. (Montana Free Press reached out to 71 Ranch owner Errol Galt and the engineering firm and lawyers working on the Horse Creek Hills development for comment; none responded.)

Other proponents, including representatives of the Montana Realtors Association and the Montana Water Well Drillers Association, said HB 642 would alleviate the states housing crunch and allow lawmakers, rather than judges, to steer the discussion.

Cory Shaw with the Montana Building Industry Association argued that research has shown that domestic well use is indeed de minimis  negligible  in comparison to the agriculture industrys water consumption and the loss of water through evaporation.

We feel that were spending a lot of time over a de minimis use of water, and wed like to see this process cleaned up and streamlined so we can get houses on the ground and people in homes affordably, Shaw said.

Opponents, including agricultural producers, environmental groups and at least two municipalities, countered that SB 642 will grossly expand the current exemption and allow developers and many existing exempt-well owners to steal water from senior water rights holders, who will have little or no recourse if irrigation ditches, domestic wells, municipal water supplies or aquatic ecosystems dry up.

This is the most anti-ag, anti-private property rights, anti-prior appropriation doctrine bill Ive seen in more than 30 years working on a policy, rancher and property rights attorney Hertha Lund told the committee. This bill is a step toward following in Californias footsteps, which means that money and development trump all else.

Travis Stuber, a seed potato-grower who farms with water rights secured by his wifes great grandfather, said he worries that his son will be unable to run the family farm in Gallatin County if those water rights are threatened.

This bill is a giant loophole that erodes my sons future and our farms future, Stuber said. I ask that you vote no on this bill.

Andrew Gorder, a former Montana Water Court water master and current legal director of environmental nonprofit Clark Fork Coalition, told the committee that the bill is so riddled with flaws its hard to know where to start.

In a follow-up conversation with MTFP, Gorder said hes not alone in his struggle to understand how HB 642 would be applied. He said hes discussed the bill with other experienced water law attorneys and couldnt reach a consensus on exactly how it would work in practice. But there was consensus, Gorder said, that its not good.

The way I see it, this is both allowing for additional appropriations of groundwater for existing subdivisions and incentivizing further sprawl into rural, agricultural lands, open spaces, he said. I think its pretty apparent that this bill is being driven by the development industry.

HB 642 has a retroactive element that would entitle those who have drilled wells in the last decade to more water, so in addition to revamping its existing well process, DNRC could be tasked with revisiting about 28,000 exempt-well certificates the department has processed since 2014.

In his closing remarks, Knudsen addressed some of those issues, saying its time to end the never-ending cycle of litigation and interpretation.

Its time to stop pushing this off for another two years, which is what weve been doing for a decade, he said. Its time we come together to work toward a solution instead of poking holes in every solution thats actually brought.

That argument appeared to resonate with Republican members of the House Natural Resources Committee. On Feb. 24, all of the committees GOPs, save for Rep. Kenneth Walsh, R-Twin Bridges, voted to approve an amendment that effectively gives House lawmakers another month to debate the measure before running up against a transmittal deadline by adding a fiscal element, a $150 filing fee to accompany exempt-well notices of completion. (The current exempt well filing fee is $125.)

Since that vote, no additional committee action has been taken on HB 642, which has more than 60 GOP co-sponsors, and there are no additional amendments available for review. The current transmittal deadline for bills with a fiscal element is April 3.

As for the Horse Creek Hills subdivision, Alsentzer, with Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, said the preliminary plat approval has remained in force while the lawsuit proceeds.
Leroy Brenteson was driving a tractor across his fields in eastern Montana nearly 30 years ago when suddenly the ground gave out beneath him.

There aint much to tell. I was driving across the fields, and I fell in, Brenteson said.

Brenteson, 83, lives on property that his family has owned for generations. He is one of two remaining residents in the former town of Coalridge, so named for a vein of coal that settlers began mining in the early 1900s. He knew there was a mine under his property because he had worked in that very mine for 15 years as part of his familys business, Acme Coal Mining. He just didnt expect to fall into it.

I didnt drive into a hole; it was under-mined, Brenteson said.

In the years after the incident, Brenteson has worked with Montanas Department of Environmental Quality Abandoned Mine Lands program to fill in holes across his property, remnants from a previous era.

Since it began in the early 1980s, the Abandoned Mine Lands program has closed more than 1,600 hazardous mine openings around the state. But with almost 7,000 abandoned mines in Montana, demand for the programs services isnt likely to abate soon. Following a funding reauthorization stemming from the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act of 2021, the program has secured funds for the next 15 years of work. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality manages the AML program, which seeks to protect public health, safety and property from the adverse effects of mining.

The $2.8 million that AML receives each year from the federal government comes primarily from a fee on coal mining. As such, the focus of the program is on closing abandoned coal mines, but AML works with mineral and metal mines, as well.

The type and concentration of abandoned mines varies across the state. The town of Coalridge is located in Sheridan County, which, according to the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geologys abandoned and inactive mines database, has an estimated 40 abandoned mines. Most are coal or gravel mines. Just to the south, Roosevelt County has 101 abandoned mines.

These are little old farmers back in the homesteader days that got a little hole in the hill and took out  its usually poor-quality  coal to heat their houses or their barns, longtime eastern Montana resident Connie Iversen said.

Iversen and her husband, Dick, own and operate a cattle ranch along the Missouri River that sits on the border of Roosevelt and Richland counties, about 24 miles west of the North Dakota border. The Iversens werent aware there were old mines on their property until two of them caught fire.

In 2017, a prairie fire ignited by an spark from a neighbors metal cutter burned roughly 8,000 acres across the Iversens land and neighboring properties. It wasnt until a windy fall day two years later that the Iversens noticed smoke and realized two abandoned coal mines were burning on their property.

You could stand on [the ground] and feel the heat 20 feet away, Dick Iversen said.

Their first call was to the local fire department. As one of the firefighters was walking along the fire and trying to extinguish it, he fell up to his waist into a burning coal seam. Dick Iverson said other firefighters were able to pull him out, but the firefighters legs were badly burned and required hospital treatment.

The Iversens next call was to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, which directed them to the AML program and Scott Graham, one of just two field employees working in the program.

Graham uses software like Google Earth to identify possible abandoned mines before heading out to the site. Occasionally, he will get a call from landowners like the Iversens who are having trouble with a particular mine.

In the case of abandoned coal mines, Graham said once a coal seam catches fire it essentially burns until the coal runs out. Graham visited the Iversens property in June 2020 to survey the extent of the undermined area and determine if it was eligible for AML funding. Graham then hired a contractor to facilitate the rehabilitation of the coal mine, which he estimates dates back to the early 1900s.

The burning coal seam was dug up in three places. In each area, workers mixed the burning coal with soil and water to quench the fire before putting the material back in the ground. Then they graded the surface to match the natural contours of the land and seeded the ground with native grasses.

Such work can be costly, but Graham said the agency is good at leveraging funds and working with other groups like the DNRC to help communities and property owners not only reclaim sites but make them beneficial.

We show up with a wheelbarrow full of money, Graham said.

Qualifying for AML funding was crucial for the Iversens. The cost of excavating and extinguishing the fires without county and state assistance would have been significant.

You cant afford not to because it could burn the whole countryside down in the middle of the night, Connie Iversen said.

Despite the fires on the Iversen property, which werent extinguished until the spring of 2022 due to the dangers of digging them up during an ongoing drought, Connie Iversen said theyre not too concerned about discovering another mine on their land.

Worried? No, not really, she said. I wouldnt be surprised if we had another one, but its not something that keeps us awake at night.
OAKLEY  David A. McGee, the Oakley man already convicted of the attempted aggravated criminal sexual assault of a 78-year-woman, is now accused of the criminal sexual abuse of a 58-year-old female victim.

A sworn affidavit from the Macon County Sheriffs Office said McGee, 43, had been staying with the 58-year-old woman in Oakley since December after being released from prison.

He was sentenced to 15 years incarceration after a Macon County jury convicted him in October 2016 of the attempted sex attack on the 78-year-old victim, who had been gagged with duct tape. The conviction was later upheld after appeal court judges rejected the defendant's claim his defense had been compromised because evidence the victim suffered hallucinations should have been heard at his trial.

The new case against McGee dates to the night and early hours of Feb. 16 when the affidavit quotes the 58-year-old woman as saying she was awakened in her bedroom by feeling a tug on her jeans.

She realized David was in her room, with no clothing on, attempting to pull her pants down, said the affidavit, signed by Deputy Todd Choatie. Later, she realized her pants were unbuttoned and her zipper was down. Her pants were buttoned and her zipper was up when she fell asleep.

Choatie said the woman was so worried after the incident she was unable to go back to sleep and texted McGee to gather his belongings because she was throwing him out.

McGee was found and arrested Feb. 18 and appeared in Macon County Circuit Court on March 7 to be arraigned on the latest charge. He has yet to enter a formal plea and Judge Lindsey Shelton scheduled the case for a preliminary hearing on March 22.

McGee remained held in the Macon County Jail on Thursday with bail set at $50,000, meaning he must pay a $5,000 bond to be freed.

A check of his record shows McGee is listed as a sexual predator on the sex offender registry maintained by the Illinois State Police. Information there said he had earlier been convicted of the aggravated criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a 14-year-old victim.

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
SPRINGFIELD  Sparks are flying in the effort to recruit more female firefighters, particularly in rural fire protection districts with decreasing numbers of volunteers.

With the aging of the fire service, especially on the volunteer side, firefighters are not volunteering like they were 40 years ago, said John Swan, fire chief for Colona and past president of the Illinois Firefighter's Association. We are struggling for retention and recruitment, not only on the volunteer side but also on the paid side.

National Fire Protection Agency data shows that career firefighters are more common in urban areas while most rural areas rely on volunteers to operate their fire protection services, with 65% of firefighters being volunteers.

Swan said as department's struggle for retention of service members, they are starting to increase recruitment efforts for women to ensure that districts are protected.

It seems like we wait until we get into a war before we start recognizing the women on the other side that can very much contribute to the success of the fire service, Swan said. "Without (women), we would be really struggling, and thats happening all around Illinois and this country. Realizing that we need both sexes to be able to do our jobs out there, to protect lives and property.

National Fire Protection Agency data shows there were 676,900 volunteer firefighters in 2020 in the United States, with 72,400 of them being female. The agency also reports that there were 364,300 career firefighters in 2020, with 17,200 of them being female.

One of the primary obstacles for women to enter the fire service is the candidate physical ability test, which was designed for male body types.

Were a lot shorter, mostly, than men and our body strength is better in other areas than men, said Paula O' Driscoll, president of Fire Service Women of Illinois. So, we are just working on trying to help people (with) what they need to do as far as exercise, nutrition to be able to pass the test. Not change it in any way, just be able to help women pass it because of our body type.

The test includes multiple stations that require participants to swing an ax, crawl through confined spaces, pull hose, use a pole to pull down ceilings, and use a stair stepping exercise machine while wearing a 75-pound weighted vest.

Swan echoed sentiments that the long held stigma of women being unable to serve in the fire serve because they are unable to perform the agility test is incorrect.

They can meet those standards, Swan said. The physical strength might be a little different between women and men, but they can adapt. Ive been in the fire service for 45 years, and there was this mindset that women could not contribute to the success of the fire service, and that was completely wrong.

Organizations such as the Fire Service Women of Illinois encourage females to enter this field and provide training to assist women in fulfilling testing requirements. O' Driscoll said that she wants to encourage women who are not in the fire service to ask questions about how they can get involved.

Measures have been introduced in the Illinois General Assembly to assist in making the fire service industry more accessible to women by ensuring that women have access to family leave.

House Bill 3908, introduced by state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, would provide six weeks of paid family leave to firefighters. The measure has been referred to the rules committee.

Other efforts being taken to incorporate more women into the field include renovating firehouses to include female dorms.

Close Charleston firefighters Jordan Philpott and Phillip Mazar conduct a vehicle extrication demonstration during the Charleston Fire Department's annual open house on Saturday. Charleston police officer Brandon Spindler portrays a suspect being detained by police K-9 Vito during a demonstration Saturday that was part of the Charleston Fire Department's annual open house. Charleston police K-9 officer Chris Darimont and K-9 Vito conduct a vehicle search demonstration during the Charleston Fire Department's open house Saturday. Five-year-old McKenna Lovejoy of Charleston crawls through a tunnel that was part of a kids' obstacle course at the Charleston Fire Department's open house Saturday. Rylan McSparran, 5, of Charleston gets help from Charleston firefighter Jordan Philpott trying out a fire house during the Charleston Fire Department's open house Saturday. Charleston firefighter Tom Chaney helps his daughter Myka, 8, get into kid's sized fire gear during the Charleston Fire Department's open house Satruday. Charleston Fire Department open house A variety of activities took place Saturday during the Charleston Fire Department's annual open house. The open house was in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week and took place at the department's station No. 2 at 1510 A St. Charleston firefighters Jordan Philpott and Phillip Mazar conduct a vehicle extrication demonstration during the Charleston Fire Department's annual open house on Saturday. Charleston police officer Brandon Spindler portrays a suspect being detained by police K-9 Vito during a demonstration Saturday that was part of the Charleston Fire Department's annual open house. Charleston police K-9 officer Chris Darimont and K-9 Vito conduct a vehicle search demonstration during the Charleston Fire Department's open house Saturday. Five-year-old McKenna Lovejoy of Charleston crawls through a tunnel that was part of a kids' obstacle course at the Charleston Fire Department's open house Saturday. Rylan McSparran, 5, of Charleston gets help from Charleston firefighter Jordan Philpott trying out a fire house during the Charleston Fire Department's open house Saturday. Charleston firefighter Tom Chaney helps his daughter Myka, 8, get into kid's sized fire gear during the Charleston Fire Department's open house Satruday.
Vote now until noon on April 20th to support the businesses that you think are the best in the New Braunfels area.
BRISTOL, Va.  Mayor Neal Osborne used words like scary and sobering to sum up the citys precarious financial situation Thursday, following a presentation about alternative ways to fund landfill work.

City leaders are attempting to solve the riddle of how to pay for millions of dollars worth of state-mandated landfill improvements without breaking the backs of its residents, undoing years of solid financial improvement or wrecking the citys credit rating.

On one side is the citys massive long term debt  roughly $130 million  which greatly limits its ability to borrow substantially  a total capped by state law at about $30 more million. On another is a reserve fund carefully built to more than $20 million through conservative spending, no borrowing and policies requiring the city to set funds aside.

David Rose of Davenport & Co., the citys long-time financial advisers, told the council Thursday it is those reserves and policies which have put the city in good stead with creditors and rating agencies. And draining those funds would send the city on a negative spiral as much or more than borrowing the maximum amount then dramatically raising real estate tax or garbage collection rates to repay it.

Financially the city has done its part for the last half-dozen years and gotten to a good place. There are all kinds of good things going on in the city and the future looks bright. But all of this dwarfs all of that, Rose told the council.

In the near term, the city has a number of substantial projects at the landfill which must be completed within 12 to 18 months. City officials previously estimated those costs at about $30 million. However, based on recent project bids coming in much higher than expected, Rose now estimates those construction costs could be up to 50% higher, or $52 million over the next 18 months.

A figure that doesnt include required landfill closure costs of $23 million, but that process would likely not begin for another five to ten years, he said.

Assuming the city uses $8.5 million of federal ARPA funds and transfers $7 million from reserves, it would have to borrow $37 million  beyond its general obligation bond capacity  and generating an estimated annual debt service increase of $3.3 million to the budgets bottom line, Rose said.

Once all costs are factored in, using just the real estate tax rate, would require raising the tax rate from $1.12 per $100 of assessed value to $1.96  by far the highest rate in Virginia.

For the owner of a $150,000 home, their tax bill would skyrocket from $1,680 to $2,933. One cent on the real estate tax rate generates about $125,000

Thats not realistic, Rose said.

Neither is putting the full weight of the borrowing on the trash collection fee which would theoretically go from $33 per month to $157 per month  a 377% increase.

Beyond that, Rose said, adding both phase one and the closure cost borrowing of phase2 to the citys debt would push that total to nearly $190 million, more than double the average Virginia city with an A credit rating and nearly double the $102 million average of Virginia cities with an Aa rating.

Last year Moodys rated the citys long-term debt as A2, an improvement from A3.

Also, typical Virginia cities with a similar rating have debt at about one times its operating revenue. Bristol is presently at 2.2 times and would climb to more than three times its average operating revenues, Rose said.

Twelve to 18 months back you started making serious investments in the landfill. With all of the uncertainty going on with the state, were going to sit down after this meeting  after you talk  and try to really see under different scenarios  were going to come up with some recommendations for you, Rose said.

He expects to return in April to present those recommendations; timing which could slow the citys process of approving its budget for the fiscal year which begins July 1.

I dont think the timing will be affected significantly, City Manager Randy Eads said after the work session. We may have to adjust some of the May dates for the readings of the budget.

It is an astronomical number, Osborne said after the work session. Its an astronomical amount of money we need to come up with to do these projects. Right now we are working with to secure funding from the state, we are making our plea to the federal government because we dont want the type of numbers presented tonight to fall on city residents. At the end of the day we have to come up with a way to pay for this and we want to do it with minimal impact to taxpayers.
Power politics is blocking the election of two judges to the State Corporation Commission, which is now relying on one member and a substitute to rule in cases of statewide importance to business and consumers.

Created in the 1902 state constitution as a body independent of the General Assembly and its political interests, the SCC has been a hostage of legislative politics for a year. House Republicans and Senate Democrats have refused to agree on candidates to fill two seats. The two vacancies initially had appeared to make it possible for each party to get one pick.

Instead, the two chambers are locked in a political stalemate with no end in sight, despite the assemblys passage last month of legislation to restore some authority to the SCC to regulate electric utility rates.

Right now, youre in a standoff and waiting for the other side to blink, House Majority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, acknowledged on Tuesday.

Waiting in the wings is Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who might be able to step in an make the appointments himself if the assembly is no longer in session. Except, Senate Democrats say, they never adjourned a special legislative session last year (even though the House did), and will remain in session until the new assembly elected in November takes office in January.

Youngkin spokesperson Macaulay Porter said Tuesday, I will decline to comment on the SCC.

It was not supposed to be this way. Former SCC Judge Judy Jagdmann resigned from the commission at the end of last year, in part to make it easier for the assembly to fill a seat. It already had been vacant for almost a year, after House Republicans refused to re-elect Judge Angela Navarro to the three-member panel. Two years earlier, Democrats, who then controlled both chambers, had refused to re-elect  or even interview  Judge Patricia West, a Republican who had joined the commission a year earlier.

Republicans and Democrats had even come up with an innovative way to make the two terms almost equal in duration. With five years left in Navarros term and just one for Jagdmann, they introduced bipartisan legislation in each chamber to add a fourth seat with a six-year term. The legislation then would eliminate the seat that Jagdmann had held for 17 years.

But the legislation died on Feb. 25, the final day of the General Assembly session, because House Republicans and Senate Democrats still could not agree on candidates to fill the two seats. The Senate wanted to re-elect Navarro, a former deputy secretary of Commerce and Trade and previously deputy secretary of Natural Resources in Democratic administrations, but the House refused because it had rejected her a year earlier.

They dont want us to tell them who to pick, but they want to tell us who we cant pick, fumed Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax. He said Republicans had rejected Navarro last year as payback for the decision by Democrats to strip West from the commission in 2020.

They took her off strictly for retaliation, Saslaw said Tuesday. It had nothing to do with her ability.

Lost in the political fray is stability of what is sometimes called the fourth branch of Virginia government.

The SCC  created as constitutionally independent to counteract the railroad industrys political control of the assembly at the beginning of the 20th century  regulates public utilities, insurance companies, banks and financial institutions, and registers corporations and other entities doing business in Virginia. In January, it will begin operating the states first health insurance marketplace.

These are important things the commission does  banking and insurance and utilities, lamented former Commissioner Hullie Moore. It shouldnt be political.

Instead, Moore said, Theyre trying to make the commission not really be independent. Its This person isnt enough on my side, and that person is too much on your side.

The irony of the impasse is that the General Assembly finally agreed to restore some measure of authority to the SCC over electricity rates charged by the states two big investor-owned utilities: Dominion Energy and American Electric Power. The move came after more than two decades of restricting the commissions ability to rule impartially on major projects and the rates that monopoly customers pay for electricity.

In order for somebody to be looking out for the little guy, we have to have a regulator thats ready to follow through on all of the discretion thats being given to them under this bill, Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said on the assemblys final day as the Senate prepared to adopt a compromise on the utility legislation.

None of this works unless we can reach that compromise and it hasnt happened yet, he said, and thats very disappointing to me.

Surovell had introduced one of the bills to temporarily expand the commissions size and then eliminate the seat with one year left in its term. House Commerce and Energy Chair Kathy Byron, R-Bedford, introduced the House version, which would have made the two remaining seats almost equal in duration.

But they disagreed, not only on who should fill the seats, but on how the candidates should be selected.

Byron said House Republicans would not accept Navarro after they rejected her the previous year. But the Senate just doubled down and said, Its this person or no one, she said.

She described the Senates position as: We get a pick, you get a pick. We cant question yours. You cant question ours.

Thats now how we want to make an appointment, Byron said.

But Surovell said that is exactly what House Republicans demanded in 2022, when the legislature elected two judges to the Virginia Supreme Court, as well as a member to the Court of Appeals after Judge Wesley Russell rose to the high court.

Now there are two spots [on the SCC] and they say the rules are different, Surovell said.

Both majority leaders acknowledged Tuesday that the battle comes down to which philosophical viewpoint holds a majority on an odd-numbered commission. Then-Gov. Ralph Northam appointed the lone permanent member of the panel, Judge Jehmal T. Hudson.

Kilgore suggested that the assembly could simply expand the commission to four members to encourage compromise on contentious issues. Chief among them is how to interpret and apply the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which the assembly adopted in 2020 under Democratic control and over Republican opposition.

Im all for doing some of this green energy stuff, but we need ... somebody over there calling balls and strikes to make sure its affordable and reliable, he said.

Saslaw called the idea of a four-member commission unworkable because of split decisions and deadlock.

You dont want that, he said.
An 85-year-old man who fell into Lake Hickory said he is grateful for the St. Stephens firefighters who came to his rescue.

Andy Brinkley said he went to his dock to check the battery on his boat on the afternoon of Feb. 15. Brinkley said he planned to use the boat the next day.

Brinkley didnt expect to be at the dock for long. He had just placed a chicken into the oven for dinner, he said. Needless to say, the chicken was black by the time I got it out of the oven, live-in partner Karen Bennett said.

The boat was suspended over the water and could sway back and forth. Brinkley said as he stepped off the boat onto the deck, the boat moved. Brinkley lost his footing and fell into the 52-degree water. Brinkley was stuck between the boat and the dock, Bennett said.

The cold water took its toll.

It was not terrible while I was in the water, Brinkley said, but as soon as they got me out and started taking my clothes, hypothermia kicked in. I just started jerking and shivering and was just totally out of control.

When members of the St. Stephens Fire Department and Catawba County EMS arrived at Brinkleys home, they found him clinging to one of the support poles under the dock. The water under the dock was approximately 12 feet deep, according to a news release from the fire department.

Brinkley was trapped in the middle of the dock. The only way to get back onto the dock was a ladder on the outside of the enclosed dock. Brinkley said he grabbed on to a pole to keep from drowning.

After donning life jackets, the firefighters entered the water and placed a life jacket on Brinkley. Brinkley said the firefighters helped him over to the ladder through an opening under the dock.

Brinkley said he sustained some scrapes and bruises. The Catawba County EMS took Brinkley to a hospital for treatment. He was released later the same night, he said. Brinkley still has soreness from the fall, he said.

The firefighters were treated and released at the scene, according to the release.

Brinkley estimated he was in the water for around 40 minutes. Bennett said she did not know Brinkley went to the dock that afternoon. She was sitting in the living room area when she heard a noise that sounded like a voice. Bennett said she realized she was hearing Brinkleys calls for help. Bennett called 911.

(I thought) How the heck am I getting him out of there? Bennett said. Because he had on a heavy down jacket and it had just totally absorbed the water.

She added that she was worried when she heard the 911 operator reporting her call as a potential drowning. I went, Wait, wait, wait, Im still talking to him (Brinkley), Bennett said.

Brinkley and Bennett said they were impressed by the dedication and professionalism of the firefighters.

What surprised us the most after going through all this, Bennett said. We got up on Saturday morning and these guys had come out and sewn grass and hay down where they messed up the yard. Brinkley added that deed was going beyond what was expected of the firefighters duties.
HICKORY  Catawba Valley Community College student Yanira Rodriguez Mendez has been named a 2023 Coca-Cola Academic Team Silver Scholar.

By receiving this honor, Rodriguez Mendez will receive a $1,250 scholarship.

I wasnt expecting to receive this scholarship, but I am very happy, Rodriguez Mendez said. This is going to be very helpful to me in college when I transfer to a four-year college. I need to get as many scholarships as I can. Earning this one is very meaningful to me. It motivates me to keep working hard towards my career. I wasnt expecting to receive this scholarship because its such a competitive program, but I am very happy,

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation sponsors the Coca-Cola Academic Team program by recognizing 50 Gold, 50 Silver and 50 Bronze Scholars with nearly $200,000 in scholarships annually. Each scholar also receives a commemorative medallion.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has a long history of providing financial assistance to outstanding students at community colleges, said Jane Hale Hopkins, president of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. We are proud to partner with Phi Theta Kappa to make it possible for more deserving students to achieve their educational goals and support tomorrows leaders of the global community.

Students are nominated for the academic team by their college administrators. Selection is based on academic achievement, leadership, and engagement in college and community service.

Coca-Cola Academic Team members will be recognized in both local and statewide ceremonies and will also be recognized internationally during Phi Theta Kappas annual convention  PTK Catalyst  to be held in Columbus, Ohio on April 20-22.

We thank the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation for recognizing these student leaders and for investing in their futures, said Lynn Tincher-Ladner, president and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. Scholarships like these are integral to the success of these students in reaching their educational and career goals.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation supports more than 1,400 exceptional college students each year. Learn more at coca-colascholarsfoundation.org.
Dicus and Aker are serving alongside school resource officer Erica Roa in the otherwise all male police department. The two new recruits said they recognize what their new jobs mean in the grand scheme of things as they enter male-dominated fields.

Aker said she also hopes to encourage young women who may feel discouraged from pursuing a job in law enforcement because of their gender.

I've had a lot of people not agree with my choices and think I shouldn't do it because I'm a female. Some people just think that, that females shouldnt be cops, Aker said. "For the women out there who are thinking about it, who want to do it, go do it. If that's your dream, if that's what you want to do, then go for it and don't let anybody stop you.
A former state representative testified at the ComEd Four trial Thursday that he never passed another bill after he refused to vote to reinstall House Speaker Michael Madigan at the beginning of a new term.

Ex-Rep. Scott Drury, a Democrat from Highwood, said he also was denied a chance to be a committee chairman once he started his own third, two-year term, a practice that Madigan had generally followed for years.

Drury followed former Democratic Rep. Carol Sente of Vernon Hills to the stand after she said she lost her chairmanship of a committee for 10 months after she proposed limiting to 14 years the length of time that could be served in the four top legislative positions in Springfield.

Prosecutors have called the former lawmakers to explain to the jury how Madigan wielded so much political power over the General Assembly that he called virtually every shot on what bills made it through committee, including having a key ally sitting by the House calendar with a red stamp for legislation that the speaker wanted tabled.

In his testimony, Drury said that no one specifically tied his failure to pass bills or get a chairmanship after his present vote, which is basically abstaining from support or opposition, when Madigan sought to be re-elected speaker in January 2017.

But he said that every other lawmaker with at least three terms was appointed to a committee chairmanship. Others would have received ranking leadership positions.

Drury said the bad blood began when Madigan whistled him in for a meeting in early 2017 at the speakers law office in Chicago, where Madigan asked about whether rumors that Drury was considering not voting for Madigan for speaker  or possibly even running himself.

Drury told the jury that while he never wanted to be speaker himself, he had indeed reached out to other representatives to see if theyd consider not supporting Madigan, because it only took nine or so votes to deny him another term.

Did you find nine people who would vote against the speaker? asked Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz. Drury smiled, and replied, No.

Did you find anyone? the prosecutor asked. No, Drury said.

Drury said that from his perspective, Mike Madigan was the most powerful politician in Illinois and there was no comparison between him and any other legislator.

Its a very disconcerting feeling, he said. They were the speakers rules. He controlled the flow of legislation ... no one else had that power.

Drury and Sente are among several witnesses prosecutors plan to call to educate the jury on the political process of politics and lobbying in Springfield, a world that Madigan lorded over for decades during his record-breaking run as speaker.

On trial are Michael McClain, 75, an ex-ComEd lobbyist; former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, 64; ex-ComEd lobbyist John Hooker, 73; and Jay Doherty, 69, a lobbyist and consultant who formerly led the City Club of Chicago. All four have pleaded not guilty to bribery conspiracy and other charges alleging they covered up illegal payments on ComEds books.

Madigan, meanwhile, has pleaded not guilty to a separate racketeering indictment accusing him of an array of corrupt schemes, including the ComEd bribery plot. McClain is also charged in that case, which is scheduled to go to trial in April 2024.

One of the issues that did not come up during Drurys direct examination was that Madigan gave special clocks to all of his Democratic troops  except Drury  that commemorated Madigan becoming the longest-serving speaker in American history.

The clock caper had been long symbolic of Drurys relationship with the speaker.

During his freshman term, Drury said, he and Madigan met for dinner to discuss how Drury wanted to pass a bill to address wrongful convictions.

After the dinner, Drury said, Madigan got behind the bill and it passed.

But Drury said Madigan didnt support reform bills the junior lawmaker wanted, including a bill that would have blocked lawmakers from moving into lobbyist jobs for two years after they left the General Assembly.

After he voted present for Madigan for speaker, Drury said he introduced a bill to ban bump stocks on guns following a mass shooting in Las Vegas. But another lawmaker introduced a similar bill later and passed it while Drurys bill stalled.

Sente, who left the legislature in 2019, spent most of her time on the witness stand describing for prosecutors Madigans overall power and control over the legislative process.

Sente said she entered Madigans Capitol office after her proposal to set term limits on the four legislative leaders in control of each party. She said Madigan showed her a copy of the legislation and asked if I could explain the bill, and why I was running it.

She recalled that Madigan, who eventually served a national record 36 years as speaker, suggested it takes a while to get things organized.

She said she responded: 35 years?

At about that point, Sente said, the meeting was largely concluded, saying Madigan thanked her and got up from his chair. It reflected a style often used by Madigans mentor, Mayor Richard J. Daley. Sente introduced the term-limit proposal twice, but it died in the House Rules Committee, an elite panel of Madigans loyalist members.

In a demonstration of Madigans style, Sente learned that she lost her chairmanship of the small business committee shed run when the panel disappeared from the legislative web site.

Sente said she arranged for a meeting with Madigan to talk about losing the committee and chairmanshipa job that comes with an extra $8,000 to $10,000 annual stipend. But no meeting took place, Sente said.

She said she lost the committee chairmanship for 10 months before it was restored and eventually was given chairmanship of a separate committee.

Pressed by a defense attorney, she was asked if Madigan actually told her he was punishing her. He did not, she said.

She testified about a bill addressing a constituent interest in predatory lending. But when that bill was also blocked, she asked Madigan about it while on the House floor.

Madigan, who had dealt with predatory lending legislation over the years, was visibly upset, saying, Dont bring that bill up again. Its not moving forward.

On another bill, she testified about a budget-related bill that she introduced but in which she suddenly was removed as the sponsor, replaced by Madigan, and told by him the bill would not move unless it had an amendment he wanted on it.

She said she went along, was returned as the chief sponsor of the bill, and the legislation passed. She said she did not think it would have passed without the amendment that Madigan wanted.

Like Drury, Sente on Wednesday testified that Madigans power, particularly in her own party, was almost absolute in the House, where he set the rules, decided who served on the various committees, and deployed a team of people who constantly pressured members to vote a certain way.

When asked if she found it challenging to vote in an independent way that she felt was in her districts best interest, Sente answered, Very much so.

We were told if we voted the wrong way, it could be used for campaign fodder in the next election, she said. ... It was rather strong.

Testimony began Wednesday in U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenwebers courtroom after a jury of six men and six women was selected to hear the case, which is expected to last up to eight weeks.

In her opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Streicker said ComEd poured $1.3 million into payments funneled to ghost subcontractors who were actually Madigans cronies, put a Madigan-backed person on the ComEd board, and gave coveted internships to families in his 13th Ward, all part of an elaborate scheme to keep the speaker happy.

And, it worked, Streicker said, because over the eight years of the scheme, Madigan helped ComEd win three lucrative pieces of legislation, including the Smart Grid bill in 2011 and another bill in 2016 that held a rate structure in place and extended the life of two of the companys nuclear plants.

The defendants attorneys, meanwhile, all contended that the so-called scheme was nothing more than legal lobbying, part of the states high-stakes, often-messy politics where myriad interest groups and stakeholders compete for access to lawmakers.

Its not a crime, and its not a conspiracy, said Patrick Cotter, who represents McClain. And you know what? Its not even suspicious. Its a profession.

Cotter also accused overzealous investigators of developing tunnel vision in their zeal to bring down a big political target in Madigan, which in the end led to them getting it terribly, tragically wrong.

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Before I had kids, I can remember thinking, as I watched a mom struggling with her toddler in the grocery store: I wont ever find myself in such a predicament. Ive read a ton about effective parenting strategies. I will know what to do. Its simple.

Eight years into motherhood, I recognize the absurdity of such a thought.

In parenting, there are factors and considerations you dont realize until your kid is throwing a tantrum in aisle 9.

Thats when your high ideals fade away, and the simple tricks heralded by all the parenting experts go out the window very quickly. Because, reality.

Governing is the same way: There are challenges you dont truly appreciate until youre in the thick of it.

And, of course, you never imagined that your proposed solutions, so seemingly simple and straightforward, might actually fail  sometimes spectacularly.

Thats the first thought that crossed my mind when I read a headline about how the Biden administration is considering restoring the Trump-era immigration policy of family detention  a policy that President Joe Biden vehemently criticized during his campaign and swiftly ended after taking office.

Reality seems to have set in for the president, along with the realization that there arent any easy fixes and that many of his idealized, progressive border policies have only exacerbated existing problems.

This reality includes months of record border crossings, increased violence along the Texas-Mexico border, and the bombshell story that many of the migrant children released into U.S. custody (under Biden-era policy) end up with sponsors who force them to work full-time jobs in violation of federal law.

The approach to migrant families crossing the border illegally that he once called pretty simple actually creates even more complications.

And two years of administration officials demonizing Border Patrol agents and sparring with border governors have proved to be folly as well.

The risky but ultimately genius political maneuver by Gov. Greg Abbott, who bused hundreds of migrants to northern sanctuary cities, also proved effective at driving home the practical challenges of having a porous border.

Big-city mayors such as New Yorks Eric Adams, who only weeks before were befuddled by the inability of tiny border towns to absorb and care for the endless stream of migrants, quickly found themselves on the verge of self-proclaimed humanitarian crises.

Public services and even charity groups were overwhelmed by what amounted to a fraction of the humanity entering Texas border towns every day.

But a window into the practical consequences of oversimplifying our nations border challenges was opened, as Texas problems became New York City and Chicago problems, too.

Its probably safe to assume that behind closed doors, there is pressure on the Biden administration to take some definitive action.

That seems evident in the flurry of new policy proposals coming out of Washington.

Indeed, only last month the administration announced a proposed rule that would establish a rebuttable presumption of asylum ineligibility for anyone who passes through another country to reach the U.S. border with Mexico without first seeking protection there.

While the rule would offer a few exceptions to migrants in extreme circumstances, it is otherwise very similar to  surprise  another vilified Trump-era proposal that was struck down by a federal court.

Still, news of the possible policy reversal is a trial balloon and not yet a decisive policy change. The administration is testing the waters to see just how angry its most progressive allies will get.

If the musings of MSNBC analysts and op-ed writers in progressive journals are any indication, the pushback will be fierce.

But the return of family detention will be only one of many immigration proposals the Biden administration will tease before Title 42, the pandemic-era policy that allows for the rapid expulsion of migrants at the southern border for public health reasons, expires May 11, when illegal entries are expected to soar.

Whether the Biden administrations apparent immigration policy reversals are an attempt at triangulation as the presidential campaign draws closer or just a trial balloon that will pop, its evident that on immigration, the realities of governing dont fit nicely onto a bumper sticker.

Even for Biden, nothing is pretty simple when it comes to managing the border.
Episode 81: If, as some people believe, there has never been a better time to be living in America, why do so many people  especially young people  feel so depressed about their lives and their futures.

Hosts Rick Kyte and Scott Rada discuss this dichotomy and how catastrophizing plays a role in the lack of optimism many people feel about their lives.

Links to stories discussed during the podcast:

Why are young liberals so depressed?, by Matt Yglesias, Slow Boring

Were missing a key driver of teen anxiety, by Derek Thompson, The Atlantic

About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Carrie Tolstedt, who played a lead role in the Wells Fargo & Co. fraudulent customer account scandal, is the first former or fired executive heading to federal prison over the events.

Tolstedt, 63, and the former head of Wells Fargos Community Bank unit, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of obstruction of a bank examination, the U.S. Justice Department said.

Tolstedt was retroactively fired with cause by Wells Fargo shortly after the scandal erupted in September 2016.

The plea agreement carries a 16-month federal prison sentence. The statutory maximum sentence for obstruction of a bank examination is five years. Both parties are requesting the U.S. District Court to set a hearing for April 7.

The Justice system and regulators rely on corporations and their executives to fully cooperate during investigations into potential wrongdoing, acting U.S. attorney Joseph McNally said in a statement.

But, in this case, Ms. Tolstedt took steps to cover up misconduct at Wells Fargo.

Obstructing an investigation compromises the mission of those seeking the truth, and we will hold accountable any individual who attempts to conceal wrongdoing.

Separately on Wednesday, Tolstedt paid a $17.5 million fine ordered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The regulator issued a prohibition order against Tolstedt.

Background

Tolstedt served about nine years as Wells Fargos head of the Community Bank, which operated the banks consumer and small business retail banking business.

Wells Fargo has admitted that from 2002 to 2016, excessive sales goals led Community Bank employees to open millions of accounts and other financial products that were unauthorized or fraudulent.

In the process, Wells Fargo collected millions of dollars in fees and interest to which it was not entitled, harmed customers credit ratings, and unlawfully misused customers sensitive personal information.

Examples of fraudulent accounts included: using existing customers identities  without their consent  to open accounts; forging customer signatures to open accounts without authorization; creating PINs to activate unauthorized debit cards; and moving money from millions of customer accounts to unauthorized accounts.

Other examples included: opening credit cards and bill pay products without authorization; altering customers contact information to prevent customers from learning of unauthorized accounts and to prevent Wells Fargo employees from reaching customers to conduct customer satisfaction surveys; and encouraging customers to open accounts they neither wanted nor needed.

Wells Fargo acknowledged in 2017 the opening and issuing of at least 3.53 million unauthorized checking and savings accounts, debit cards and credit cards between 2009 and October 2016.

Although the bulk of the fraudulent accounts were established in California and Arizona, the bank told the Charlotte Observer it could not rule out that 38,722 unauthorized customer accounts were established in North Carolina and 23,327 in South Carolina.

According to the plea agreement, Tolstedt acknowledged that she knew of those fraudulent practices in 2004, including that some retail employees had been fired over those tactics.

Yet, internal investigations within the Community Bank flagged only a small portion of the potentially problematic activity for investigation, according to Justice officials.

As of July 2014, only the most egregious 0.1% to .05% of employees engaging in activity considered a red flag for sales practices misconduct were investigated  with the remaining 99.95% to 99.99% percent left unexamined under this process.

In May 2015, Tolstedt participated in the preparation of a memorandum that the OCC would receive in connection with its examination of sales practice issues at Wells Fargo.

To minimize the scope of the sales practices misconduct within the Community Bank, Tolstedt corruptly obstructed the OCCs examination by failing to disclose statistics on the number of employees who were terminated or resigned pending investigation for sales practices misconduct, Justice said.

She also failed to disclose that the Community Bank proactively investigated only a very small percentage of employees who engaged in activity flagged as potential sales practices misconduct.

According to the OCC notice, Tolstedt was significantly responsible for the systemic sales practices misconduct at the bank.

The notice further alleged that the banks business model imposed unreasonable sales goals on its employees, along with unreasonable pressure to meet such goals.

In February 2020, the bank agreed to pay $3 billion to settle U.S. Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission investigations into fraudulent sales practices by its Community Bank division.

The investigation period covers from 2002 until the scandal on customer-account practices erupted publicly in September 2016. At that time, Wells Fargo agreed to pay a combined $185 million in fines to resolve regulatory complaints.

The biggest shadow still hanging over Wells Fargo is the Feds order, issued Feb. 3, 2018, that prohibits the bank from increasing its total assets beyond the $1.93 trillion it had on Dec. 31, 2017.

Cross-selling practices

The SEC noted that the banks cross-selling practices with customers were at the heart of the scandal.

Wells Fargo publicly touted to investors the success of its Community Banks cross-sell strategy  selling additional financial products to its existing customers  which it characterized as a key component of its financial success, the SEC said.

The Community Bank also pressured customers to buy products they did not need and would not use.

The Community Banks business model was highly profitable because it resulted in a greater number of legitimate sales than would have been possible without the unreasonable sales goals and sales pressure, the OCC said in its complaint.

The SEC said Community Bank management intimidated and badgered employees to meet unattainable sales goals year after year, including by monitoring employees daily or hourly and reporting their sales performance to their managers, subjecting employees to hazing-like abuse, and threatening to terminate and actually terminating employees for failure to meet the goals.

The Community Banks business model and the senior leaders of the bank presented a stark dilemma to employees every day for 14 years: they could engage in sales practices misconduct  much of which was illegal  to meet their goals, or they could struggle to meet their goals and face adverse consequences, including losing their jobs.

The bank fired as many as 5,300 of those lower-level employees over five years.
The new $83.5 million owner of the Plant 64 apartment complex in downtown Winston-Salem said it views its purchase as a long-term investment.

TBR Plant 64 Owner, an affiliate of TriBridge Residential, completed the purchase of the 243-unit property at 545 Power Plant Circle on March 8. It was the most ever paid for an apartment complex in Forsyth County history.

Mark Zhang, TriBridges director of acquisitions, called Plant 64 a generational opportunity to own a best-in-class asset in an incredible neighborhood.

Zhang added that TriBridge viewed the purchase price as affordable because we took advantage of an existing, assumable loan with extremely low cost of interest.

Although it is TriBridges second purchase of a downtown Winston-Salem apartment complex in the past two years, Plant 64 is only the companys fifth apartment complex transaction in North Carolina. In April 2021, TBR/Small Gallery Lofts Owner paid $18.8 million to purchase Gallery Lofts, an 82-unit complex at 181 E. Sixth St. in Innovation Quarter.

At that time, a separate TriBridge affiliate paid $438,500 for two small adjacent lots at 102 E. Seventh St. and 582 N. Chestnut St.

We believe these historic properties only become cooler with time and offer irreplaceable charm and character to our residents, Zhang said. After purchasing Gallery Lofts just a few blocks away, we sought more investments in the growing Innovation Quarter due to the neighborhoods strong employers, great food and beverage options, walkability and historic character.

Out-of-state buyers

Since early 2018, there have been at least 109 apartment or multi-family complex transactions in Forsyth  with some properties sold two or more times  for a combined value of at least $1.2 billion. The purchases have been primarily fueled by out-of-state groups.

Still, no single-property sale has been larger than Plant 64.

This clearly shows that downtown Winston-Salem is a great place for a large investment, and that residential living has a long and bright future in our downtown, said Jason Thiel, president of Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership. Plant 64 was much larger than the projects before it, not only in size, but in the number of units. It started the trend of larger projects to follow.

The previous most expensive single-property sale came in December 2019 when the luxury 229-unit West End Station apartment complex near downtown sold for $52.5 million to an affiliate of EBSCO Income Properties of Alabama.

This clearly confirms and validates the strength of the downtown residential market, Mayor Allen Joines said. Such positive returns is one reason we are enjoying robust investment in the downtown area.

Growth spurts

Thiel refers to the downtown apartment unit growth in three phases: 1983 to 2004, 2004 to 2009, and 2010 to the present.

At the turn of the 21st century, downtown Winston-Salem was not recognized as a residential center, Thiel explained. It had two historic housing neighborhoods: Holly Avenue and West End. This window (from 1953 to 2005) of stark decline in housing investment in downtown Winston-Salem by private investors is hard to imagine after the past 20 years when there have been 34 projects yielding a combined total of 2,527 units.

Between 1983 and 2004, there were 10 downtown projects featuring a residential component, the largest being 86 units with the Tanners Park development in 1996.

The first 100-plus unit development came in 2005 with the historic rehabilitation of the Nissen Building into 145 units.

It took until 2014 for another 100-plus unit development with the 243-unit Plant 64 off Fifth Street across from Wake Forest BioTech Place.

Since 2014, 10 of the 14 apartment complexes that have been completed, under construction or proposed contain at least 105 units.

Thiel said the housing boom comes during a time when downtown is gaining more retail, restaurant and services options.
A public hearing is set for April 18 on a proposed a $246.5 million, 36-bed community hospital that would be opened in northern Greensboro by July 2026.

An affiliate of Atrium Health, High Point Regional Health System, filed in February a certificate-of-need application with the N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation to relocate 36 acute care beds and two operating rooms from High Point Medical Center to the proposed Greensboro Medical Center.

The public hearing will be held at 1 p.m. in the Greensboro Public Library, Benjamin Branch, 1530 Benjamin Parkway.

Anyone may file written comments concerning this proposal. Comments must be received by the Healthcare Planning and Certificate of Need Section no later than 5 p.m. March 31.

Atrium, which owns and operates Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, is attempting to fill what it considers as pivotal health-care market gaps  internally and within the Triad  with the Greensboro hospital proposal.

The Charlotte-based system projects getting a decision from the N.C. Division of Health Service Regulation by Sept. 1 and  if approved  construction commencing by December 2024.

Atrium has said little publicly about its proposal.

Its clear, however, from the application that Atrium desires a hospital presence in the states third-largest city, which also is the largest city without two competing hospitals.

Atrium also wants to become the first health-care system to operate a hospital in the Triads three largest cities.

Approval of Greensboro Medical Center will enable Greensboro to match the other top five North Carolina cities in hosting multiple hospital systems and having local hospital competition, which will be a benefit to local residents, according to the application.

Atrium said the proposed campus at 2909 Horse Pen Creek Road would provide more health-care services for city residents and surrounding counties.

Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan said she looks forward to learning more about the proposal and why the Horse Pen Creek location was chosen.

Last year, Cone Health opened a new integrated health-care facility less than two miles away, she said. We have a need for health care in underserved areas of our city. We welcome more health care providers especially in areas where they can really have an impact.

Replanting flag

Atrium would be able to replant a strategic flag as it grows comfortable in its affiliation with Advocate Health, the nations fifth-largest health-care system.

This time, the Atrium brand would be front and center in Greensboro.

Keith Debbage, a joint professor of Geography & Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality at UNCG, said that a health-care market that offers choice may well translate to health-care services that offer more competitive, affordable prices.

Given the large market share that Cone enjoys in Guilford County, he said, this may be a good thing.

In June 2012, Atrium (then branded as Carolinas HealthCare System) entered into a 10-year management contract with Cone in which it gleaned valuable operational insight into the Greensboro and Guilford County marketplaces.

That contract ended in February 2020 by mutual consent as Atrium was negotiating with Wake Forest Baptist to expand its collaboration beyond a November 2019 agreement.

That agreement proved to be the catalyst that led to Atrium acquiring all of Baptist in October 2020.

Meanwhile, Cone said it will carefully study the proposal (from Atrium) to build a new hospital in Greensboro.

In 2022, Cone opened the 160,000-square-foot MedCenter Greensboro facility at Drawbridge Parkway thats just 2.1 miles away from the proposed Greensboro Medical Center site.

For 70 years, Cone Health has been the health-care provider of choice to people in the Greensboro area. In that time, we have developed a reputation for compassionate, nationally-leading, high-quality health care. That will not change.
Happy O'Friday. Something sartorially resplendent and green today.

All kidding aside - fear not, the puns and jokes will come in due time - there is seriousness of purpose in hearing again Dr. Gene Pascholds story about the importance of colonoscopy as a diagnostic.

Paschold, an oncologist by trade, will tell anyone within earshot about why that particular test needs to be scheduled - and the appointment kept.

He learned the hard way.

Paschold, though he most certainly knew better, didnt have his first colonoscopy right at age 50. Now 71, he dragged his feet and put it off for two years past the recommended age.

You know the old sayings about the mechanics car being in the worst shape or lawyers making the worst clients The same theories sometimes apply to physicians.

"I knew it was important, but I was busy," he said. "Then I came home one day, and my wife handed me a card with an appointment on it."

It doesnt take a Mensa member to figure out what happened next.

This being Colon Cancer Awareness Month - a handy notice that popped up in the Novant mychart app made that clear- it seems an appropriate time for a public-service announcement.

The note also brought back a memory about making Pascholds acquaintance to discuss a subject - colonoscopy - that often serves as the butt of wisecracks.

(All together now, just to get em out of the way  I forgot to pay the bill for my colonoscopy, now Im in arrears  Hey, doc, could you tell my wife that my heads not up there?  and, just for today  What do you call an Irish proctologist? Colin OScopy.)

Moving along, as youve probably guessed, Pascholds belated colonoscopy revealed that he had cancer.

Surgery obviously followed, and his doctor learned that cancer spread to Pascholds lymph nodes.

Six months of chemotherapy followed that.

Despite the ordeal, to this day Paschold remains grateful to his wife for scheduling the colonoscopy and insisting that he follow through with it.

I came home one day and she had the appointment card in her hand, he said. If Id had (the colonoscopy) earlier I might have been able to avoid the chemotherapy. She literally saved my life.

Statistics support his case. Paschold, after all, is a scientist and as a group, theyre big on empirical evidence.

About 150,000 cases are diagnosed each year and about a third of those patients end up dying.

But heres the kicker.

Almost all of them could be prevented, Paschold said. It's about the only cancer I know of - some of the breast (cancer) people argue the point - that can be prevented.

So if youre waiting around - or dont relish the disgusting preparatory purge - remember Dr. Gene Paschold.

Pull your head out of the way and schedule the colonoscopy. The life you save might be your own.

And with the latest advances in anesthetics, once you get the prep out of the way, you wont care how big the camera is - or where it goes.

Long awaited study

GREENSBORO - Any fool with a lawn chair, a handheld tally counter and a huge bottle of sunscreen can sit at an intersection and come up with a traffic count.

Figuring out what to do about it is another matter entirely.

Which is why Greensboro city officials have scheduled public meetings (and collecting online surveys) about the abomination that is the Battleground Avenue-Lawndale Drive-Westover Terrace axis of vehicular evil.

(Winston-Salem people, its not dissimilar to Hanes Mall Boulevard except that there are more neighborhoods nestled among it.

Anyhow, the first meeting is scheduled for March 27 at Guilford Park Presbyterian Church on Fernwood Drive.

Leave early, though. We hear traffic can be a problem.

Camera registry

WINSTON-SALEM - Kudos for the catch phrase: Our newest recruits never blink.

City officials, via social media, have rolled out through the Winston-Salem Police Department Connect Winston-Salem - a program that will link property owners security cameras with the citys first responders.

The idea is that in the event of an emergency, cops and/or firefighters can get a first look at the situation through cameras installed on homes and businesses.

And if a crime has been committed, police will grab the footage to be used as evidence in case an arrest is made - statistically a longshot for most property crimes including burglaries and larcenies.

A website - connectwinstonsalem.org - indicates that 436 cameras have been registered and another 1,153 have been integrated so far.

On the one hand, it seems like a leap forward to use 21st technology to aid police.

But on the other, as indicated by public comments, some of us remain wary.

How very Orwellian!, wrote James Mitchell.

A second, posted by a man named Ray Kimel, is more nuanced. Though security cameras are a good idea, if the goal of this program is to replace officers patrolling the city and attempting to identify criminals after the crime has happened, its not going to work.

Hes right, of course. The city has a woeful shortage of working police and no amount of spy cameras can replace veteran beat cops.
A Fremont pork processing plant will be able to add a second shift and double its capacity to 5.6 million pigs a year once the company completes a plant renovation and expansion under way, a company official said this week.

Wholestone Farms will be "one of the most modern, efficient pork plants, not only in the U.S. but the world," said Luke Minion, interim chief executive officer and board chairman.

Wholestone Farms, which is owned by 200 farmers in several midwestern states, has been renovating the plant since acquiring it from Hormel in 2018.

A $25 million federal grant, announced last week, will pay a portion of the costs. Minion said his company is grateful for the grant. He said the total costs of the project are "well above" the grant amount. For comparison, he said, a new plant can cost $500 million.

The company's goal is to restore the plant to "like-new status," he said.

"That includes a number of projects: a new wastewater treatment plant that's completed already; a rendering facility, which is just about completed...; a brand-new what we call cut floor, which will be finished in September," he said. "A whole bunch of things."

Currently, the Fremont plant has about 1,300 employees and can process about 11,000 pigs a day with an eight-hour shift, he said. In a year, that's about 2.8 million pigs, he said.

Once the construction is done, the plant will be able to run 16 hours a day, adding a second shift and raising the annual capacity to roughly 5.6 million pigs a year.

The plant would add between 800 and 1,000 employees, he said.

Minion said he's confident that with some planning the company can staff the second shift from within the area.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the plant remained open, and currently it doesn't have a staffing problem, he said.

"This facility has been in this town for a very long time," he said. "And so there's a lot of people familiar with this work, familiar with this workforce, and now the facility is really all new and so it's a great place to work."

Minion said consumers should start seeing the Wholestone Farms brand more often in the retail market.

From 2018 to 2021, Wholestone Farms sold all of its products from the Fremont plant to Hormel. So people would have been buying Wholestone Farms pork with the Hormel label, he said. In 2022, the company started selling to others in addition to Hormel.

In January, for the first time, the company started putting the Wholestone Farms label on retail products, Minion said.

"You'll see Wholestone Farms in grocery stores, all across the Midwest and across the United States, and that customer list is growing for us here, and we're pretty excited about that," he said.

The grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program.

According to the USDA, the program provides grants to help eligible processors expand their capacity.

USDA Rural Development, it said, designed the expansion program to "encourage competition and sustainable growth in the U.S. meat processing sector, and to help improve supply chain resiliency."

Minion said per-capita pork consumption hasn't changed much in the U.S., so the demand domestically has been flat, other than increases for a growing population. But exports have been growing for many years, he said.

He said that there have been discussions in the industry about whether the pork supply chain in the United States is concentrated in too few owners.

"The big four that own over 85% of the U.S. pork supply chain are not farmer-owned," he said. "So it's not only expansion of capacity. It's expansion of capacity along with diversifying who's in control of the pork supply chain."

Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg said Wholestone Farms has been a good corporate partner.

"It's been tremendous to see their growth and commitment to Fremont," he said.

He said the Wholestone Farms expansion hasn't stirred controversy the way a Costco chicken plant did a few years ago.

"Agriculture is our strength," he said.

Wholestone Farms took over a plant that was there for decades and invested hundreds of millions of dollars in it, he said.

For the most part, he said, everybody in Fremont wanted to get behind that.

"The last thing that we wanted to do in Fremont was to shut the plant south of town," Spellerberg said. "I think that we understand our strengths. We also understand the opportunities that these companies give to the people that are around the Fremont community and the businesses that support them."

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Photo: The Canadian Press The Canadian Human Rights Commission logo is seen in this undated handout. A union representing public service lawyers says the government has found discrimination and systemic racism at play in an institution specifically designed to root it out.THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO

A central government agency has found discrimination against workers within a Canadian institution specifically designed to root it out.

The Treasury Board Secretariat found last week that the Canadian Human Rights Commission, whose mandate is to protect the core principle of equal opportunity, discriminated against Black and racialized employees.

A decision dated March 6, obtained by The Canadian Press, says the commission breached the "no discrimination" clause in its collective agreement with three major public service unions.

"I encourage the parties to engage in mediation to seek a meaningful resolution to the issues outlined in this policy grievance," Carole Bidal, an associate assistant deputy minister at the agency, said in her decision.

"As federal institutions, we seek to create a workplace that is diverse and inclusive, and where every public servant can make the best possible contribution to serving Canadians."

The Association of Justice Counsel said in a statement that the decision is "an important win," and one that will have consequences across the federal public service.

The union, which represents government lawyers, had filed a formal grievance in 2020, in tandem with the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Canadian Association of Professional Employees.

The grievances alleged that "policies, procedures, practices and attitudes" had a negative impact on Black and racialized people and were "barriers to their advancement, health, safety and overall well-being."

In a press release, the lawyers union said it was dissatisfied with the commission's response when employees told management about their experiences after the commission made a public statement supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.

"We attempted to work with the commission to help improve the workplace and help the commission regain the trust of its racialized and Black employees," the justice counsel association said in a press release on Thursday.

But the commission responded by "conducting a unilateral, non-inclusive investigative process involving outside parties without fully consulting with employees or their bargaining agents," it said.

"Racism has absolutely no place in our institutions," Justice Minister David Lametti said in a statement, adding that the information arising out of the grievance is "both concerning and disappointing, not least because of the institution involved."

Lametti noted that the chief commissioner's position is currently vacant and said "we are working to appoint new leadership."

He said he had a "frank conversation" with the current leadership to discuss the steps the institution is taking to address the issue.

The commission said in an email Thursday night that it has an updated action plan to deal with the effects of societal systemic racism and discrimination as an employer, service provider and regulator, and human rights advocate.

"As an employer, we are committed to creating an open, healthy, safe and inclusive workplace that has at its core the principles of anti-racism and equity," the commission said.

"We value and respect the diversity of our commissioners, leadership and staff. We are mindful of the various historic and structural inequities that have created societal barriers for Indigenous, Black and other Racialized people.

"We are committed to ensuring that anti-racism and equity measures continue to promote full participation of our diverse staff."

Bidal's decision said that the commission had already taken "proactive steps to address these matters," and had indicated an interest in engaging with bargaining agents and employees to find a solution. It did not detail what steps the commission has taken.

The lawyers union said Thursday that in light of the Treasury Board's decision, it hopes the commission's leadership will now join the calls for a formal audit. It had written to parliamentarians and the federal auditor general with such a request in 2021.

"If the CHRC is to maintain the trust and confidence of Canadians to protect them from systemic racism, then it must first look inwards and reform its internal practices," the union's press release said.

The union added that following the Treasury Board decision, it is "considering its options" in consultation with its members and sister bargaining agents.

The Treasury Board Secretariat said in a statement that it is "committed to ensuring access to a robust grievance process that addresses issues as they arise."

It said it "remains available, at the request of the parties, to support the parties as they continue to work towards achieving a harassment- and discrimination-free workplace."
OMAHA  Youve may have seen Jun Kanekos sculptures at the Joslyn Art Museum, the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium and the Buffett Cancer Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

This weekend, you can see one of them in a whole new environment, with a purpose beyond sheer beauty.

Composer and percussionist Andy Akiho will be playing one of Jun Kanekos ceramic pieces as a musical instrument in the world premiere of a symphonic work he wrote to honor the Omaha-based artist, whose work is also seen around Lincoln.

The Omaha Symphony commissioned the piece after Kaneko received the 2021 Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award from the International Sculpture Center in Hamilton, New Jersey.

When we heard he was getting this, we wanted to honor him and highlight him as a wonderful contributor to the culture of Omaha, said Ankush Kumar Bahl, the symphonys music director.

Akiho, known internationally himself as a Grammy Award-nominated composer, spent months in Omaha getting to know Kaneko, his wife, Ree, and his body of work, including the different mediums he employs.

While Akiho was here, he attended symphony concerts and learned about the orchestra, enjoyed the restaurant scene and the Old Market, and, as a jogger, ran hundreds of miles around Omaha, Bahl said.

In the process, Akiho and the Kanekos became very close.

The connection they have now is very special, Bahl said, like a familial relationship.

The result of all that time together is Sculptures, Akihos nine-movement, world-premiere piece that will be the finale of Omaha Symphony concerts on Friday and Saturday nights.

The performance will include Akiho playing a Kaneko sculpture live as well as on videos that will be shown as the orchestra and smaller ensembles play his composition.

Bahl said the piece is modern, rhythmic and tuneful. Akiho gets in grooves and you can start humming along, Bahl said, adding that the grooves are layered on top of each other.

It has breadth, with moments of epic proportion and expansive orchestration to moments with less instrumentation, and it effectively captures the essence of Kanekos art, which is immense, amazing and impressive as well as stunning in its smaller details, Bahl said.

To further honor Kaneko, the symphony will perform excerpts from The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven and Madame Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini, three operas for which the artist designed entire productions. Elements from each of those operas  set pieces, etc.  will be on display.

We had costumes shipped in from the East Coast and West Coast to demonstrate what Jun worked so hard to produce, Bahl said. Theyre all three-hour operas, so a lot goes into the design. Some of these he worked on for 10 years.

On Saturday night, an after-party will follow the concert. Both will take place at the Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St., and the concerts start at 7:30 each night. Akiho and two members of his contemporary rock band will entertain at the post-performance party, which requires an extra ticket but has food and an open bar. Tickets and more information are available at omahasymphony.org.

Bahl is excited about the entire weekend. The concert, he said, is something really special that will put a spotlight on the city.

This is the most exciting thing happening in classical music this week, in all the classical world, he said. And its something that can only happen in Omaha, so we are really proud to present it.

Close The blue head, untitled, by artist Jun Kaneko was installed this spring in the Sheldon Museum of Art's Sculpture Garden. Artwork by artist Jun Kaneko at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (Courtesy photo) J. Robert Duncan was named the 116th King of Ak-Sar-Ben on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012. Duncan's outfit was designed by artist Jun Kaneko. This untitled ceramic art piece is near the Rose Garden located in the Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha, several sculptures featured by Jun Kaneko entitled Outside Kaneko. These heads, dangos, triangular dangos and slabs can be found throughout the gardens. (BRYNN ANDERSON / Lincoln Journal Star) Kyle Penney of Council Bluffs plants spring annuals in the Festival Garden at Lauritzen Gardens. Ceramic sculptures by artist Jun Kaneko are part of an exhibit at the gardens. (BRYNN ANDERSON / Lincoln Journal Star) This untitled ceramic art piece is near the rose garden in Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha. It is part of the exhibit "Outside Kaneko" by artist Jun Kaneko. (BRYNN ANDERSON / Lincoln Journal Star) Untitled (head) by artist Jun Kaneko faces south toward the Lied Center for Performing Arts in the Sheldon Memorial Sculpture Garden on June 5, 2013. Jun Kaneko's art is featured on new Union Bank & Trust debit cards. Jun Kaneko's art is featured on new Union Bank & Trust debit cards. Jun Kaneko's art is featured on new Union Bank & Trust debit cards. Artwork by artist Jun Kaneko at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (Courtesy photo) Artwork by artist Jun Kaneko at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (Courtesy photo) Ascent, the multicolored sculpture in Tower Square designed by artist Jun Kaneko, stands at 13th and P streets. Tower Square at 13th and P streets includes the multicolored sculpture, Ascent, and other features designed by artist Jun Kaneko. Jun Kaneko's work on display Click through images of other work created by Jun Kaneko. The blue head, untitled, by artist Jun Kaneko was installed this spring in the Sheldon Museum of Art's Sculpture Garden. Artwork by artist Jun Kaneko at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (Courtesy photo) J. Robert Duncan was named the 116th King of Ak-Sar-Ben on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012. Duncan's outfit was designed by artist Jun Kaneko. This untitled ceramic art piece is near the Rose Garden located in the Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha, several sculptures featured by Jun Kaneko entitled Outside Kaneko. These heads, dangos, triangular dangos and slabs can be found throughout the gardens. (BRYNN ANDERSON / Lincoln Journal Star) Kyle Penney of Council Bluffs plants spring annuals in the Festival Garden at Lauritzen Gardens. Ceramic sculptures by artist Jun Kaneko are part of an exhibit at the gardens. (BRYNN ANDERSON / Lincoln Journal Star) This untitled ceramic art piece is near the rose garden in Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha. It is part of the exhibit "Outside Kaneko" by artist Jun Kaneko. (BRYNN ANDERSON / Lincoln Journal Star) Untitled (head) by artist Jun Kaneko faces south toward the Lied Center for Performing Arts in the Sheldon Memorial Sculpture Garden on June 5, 2013. Jun Kaneko's art is featured on new Union Bank & Trust debit cards. Jun Kaneko's art is featured on new Union Bank & Trust debit cards. Jun Kaneko's art is featured on new Union Bank & Trust debit cards. Artwork by artist Jun Kaneko at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (Courtesy photo) Artwork by artist Jun Kaneko at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (Courtesy photo) Ascent, the multicolored sculpture in Tower Square designed by artist Jun Kaneko, stands at 13th and P streets. Tower Square at 13th and P streets includes the multicolored sculpture, Ascent, and other features designed by artist Jun Kaneko.
OMAHA  A 1920s building that once housed a Safeway supermarket has been transformed into The Mill coffee shop.

After several delays, the shop at 31st and Leavenworth streets opened Thursday to enthusiastic crowds. Owners Dan and Tamara Sloan said they had hoped to be up and running in December, but supply issues for an extensive remodel set them back.

The Sloans own four other locations of The Mill, all in Lincoln. Omahans have been looking forward to getting their own version of the shop since it was announced last year.

It was worth the wait. The Sloans basically gutted the inside of the structure, which also had been a paint store, to create a warm and cozy atmosphere in 4,500 square feet. They did all their own design work.

We didnt even know these skylights were here, Tamara said, referring to the finished product.

The couple had been searching for an Omaha site for some time when they happened upon the building.

We decided to come look at (it), and as we pulled up St. Marys (Avenue) I said, I love it, and he said, Oh, no, Tamara said.

Dan, however, was on board. He loves the neighborhood, which has been undergoing something of a renaissance with the relocated Legends Comics, a new high-end beauty salon, new and remodeled apartments and homes and, a block or so away, The Bubbly Tart bakery.

Its walkable, theres good visibility. It checked all the boxes, he said.

They created space for 136 seats inside, with another 60 outside. The high ceilings have wood beams, and both the coffee bar and a full cocktail bar are made of richly colored wood. White pillars separate the two areas. Extensive bookshelves filled with scores of reading material take up a whole wall.

In addition to coffee, the Sloans also sell T-shirts, drink accessories such as cups and French press pots and other related items.

They serve the usual lattes and cappuccinos, plus hot chocolate. Tamara also made sure there was a large tea selection.

I dont drink coffee, she said.

The bar focuses on classic cocktails. Alcoholic drinks make up more than 80% of their business in Lincoln, the Sloans said.

They sell pastries made in-house at their kitchen in Lincoln and baked in Omaha. They also recently became certified as Nebraskas only organic coffee roaster and have introduced a new line of brews.

The Omaha location has the small chains first drive-thru and would be open from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The shop will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. The shops website is millcoffee.com.

The Sloans have been in the coffee business since opening their first Mill location in 1975 in a bike shop on 13th Street in Lincoln. They moved to the Haymarket in 1988 before it was redeveloped, opened a shop on Prescott Avenue in College View in 2000 and opened two shops in 2017, one at the University of Nebraska Innovation Campus and one in the Telegraph District.

From coffee to cola: The most popular nonalcoholic beverages in the US ranked Ranking the most popular nonalcoholic beverages #7. Diet beverages #6. Milk #5. Fruit beverages #4. Tea #3. Sweetened beverages #2. Coffee #1. Water
Just off the historic U.S. Route 66 in eastern New Mexico, a 10-bed hospital has for decades provided emergency care for a steady flow of people injured in car crashes and ranching accidents.

It also has served as a close-to-home option for the occasional overnight patient, usually older residents with pneumonia or heart trouble. Its the only hospital for the more than 4,500 people living on a swath of 3,000 square miles of high plains and lakes east of Albuquerque.

We want to be the facility that saves lives, said Christina Campos, administrator of Guadalupe County Hospital in Santa Rosa. Its leaders have no desire to grow or be a big, profitable business, she said.

But even with a tax levy to help support the medical outpost, the facility lost more than $1 million in the past six months, Campos said. For years, weve been anticipating kind of our own demise, praying that a program would come along and make us sustainable.

Guadalupe is one of the nations first to start the process of converting into a Rural Emergency Hospital. The designation was created as part of the first new federal payment program launched by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for rural providers in 25 years. And though it is not expected to be a permanent solution to pressures facing rural America, policymakers and hospital operators alike hope it will slow the financial hemorrhage that continues to shutter those communities hospitals.

More than 140 rural hospitals have closed nationwide since 2010, and health policy watchers arent sure how many of the more than 1,700 rural facilities eligible for the new designation will apply. CMS officials said late last month that seven have already filed applications. Dr. Lee Fleisher, director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality at CMS, said how long it will take to review the applications will vary. The agency declined to provide the names or locations of hospitals seeking the designation.

Facilities that convert will get a 5% increase in Medicare payments as well as an average annual facility fee payment of about $3.2 million in exchange for giving up their expensive inpatient beds and focusing solely on emergency and outpatient care. Rural hospitals with no more than 50 beds that closed after the law passed on Dec. 27, 2020, are eligible to apply for the new payment model if they reopen.

The new program strikes me as the first time we are saying, you know, maybe we can just take the beds away, said Dr. Paula Chatterjee, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvanias Perelman School of Medicine. Outpatient and emergency visits already make up about 66% of Medicare payments for rural hospitals that are eligible to convert, according to Chatterjees recent research.

Still, she found that many would likely need to scale up some outpatient services, such as telehealth and substance use care. Even then, the payment model might not be able to shift the foundational pressures of declining, aging and sicker populations that are making it hard to deliver care in rural America, she said.

This feels like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic, Chatterjee said.

More than 50 hospitals and other organizations have expressed interest in the rural emergency designation, said Janice Walters, chief operating officer of programs for the Rural Health Redesign Center, which has a federal grant to provide technical assistance to facilities interested in converting.

Most hospitals are still trying to figure out, Is the math going to work? Walters said.

Those showing immediate interest are very small, with three or fewer patients staying overnight any given day, and, generally, they long ago gave up maternity care to save on expenses. The federal law will need to be amended to help larger rural hospitals with more overnight stays, said Brock Slabach, chief operations officer for the National Rural Health Association.

Its enough for now, Slabach said. But is it going to be enough for the long term? I dont think so. Top priorities for the group include adding the ability for hospitals to participate in a federal drug discount program and allowing for longer patient stays.

At Stillwater Medical in Oklahoma, Chief Administrative Officer Steven Taylor said the switch already makes sense for two of the systems smaller hospitals that have struggled financially. The small regional health systems outpost in Perry, which rarely has more than two inpatients a day, has already filed an application, and its facility in Blackwell will likely do so soon, he said.

Keeping emergency services is the most important thing for the small communities, he said. The new model requires a 24-hour emergency department and a clinician on call. It also caps the average length of patient stays at 24 hours  which Taylor said is not a problem. One patient may need to be watched for 12 hours for chest pain while another, with pneumonia, may need to stay for 36 hours, but that will average out to less than 24 hours for the year, he said.

Plus, he said, anybody who needs more intense care can be transferred to their regional hospital in Stillwater. Oklahoma, like other states, is working to update state laws for licensing or regulations to ensure hospitals can be credentialed with the rural emergency designation quickly.

John Henderson, president and chief executive of the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals, agreed with other speakers at the National Rural Health Associations February policy conference in Washington, D.C. The new rule could be a relief valve for very small rural hospitals, he said. A two-bed facility in Crosbyton confirmed for Henderson earlier that day that it was the first in Texas to be approved for the new payment mechanism.

Henderson said he knew of several more of the states 158 rural hospitals that are applying or have already applied, and others are considering it: These are the folks that are just hanging on."

8 statistics that explain the rural doctor shortage 8 statistics that explain the rural doctor shortage Nearly 4 in 5 rural U.S. communities are short on medical staff There are fewer health care providers per capita in nonmetropolitan areas 1 in 4 rural teensand 1 in 5 rural adultsdon't have a primary care doctor who they see regularly Compared to metropolitan areas, there are more than twice as many rural counties in health professional shortage areas Medical practices in the most rural locations treat four times as many Medicare patients as metropolitan practices 142 rural hospitals have closed since 2010 1 in 5 medical schools ran a formal rural program in 2019 Hundreds of millions of dollars are going toward mitigation efforts and solutions for this shortage
Lincoln Police are investigating the death of two people at a southwest Lincoln home Friday. The deaths are believed to be accidental, the department said.

Shortly before noon Friday, police were called to a home in the 700 block of Old Cheney Road, where they found a 31-year-old man and a 30-year-old man dead in a garage at the rental home, according to a news release from LPD.

According to the release, a 35-year-old man reported that he discovered two of his roommates unresponsive in the garage.

Four additional residents of the home were transported to an area hospital as a precaution for suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the release.

Several people who lived at the residence spoke with officers as police and fire vehicles blocked traffic. A few of those individuals went with police to be interviewed along with a Spanish-language interpreter.

Police said the investigation is in the very early stages. Investigators were still on the scene Friday afternoon collecting evidence.

LPD is asking anyone with information about the incident to call 402-441-6000 or if they wish to remain anonymous to call Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600.
As temperatures plummeted and snow fell on Thursday, Aaron Schoen was stacking freeze-dried Skittles on shelves inside the Lancaster Event Center.

Schoen, who owns Wicked Good Foods along with his wife, Kylee, is attending the Husker Lawn & Leisure Show for the first time this year.

"We want to get our name out there," Schoen said.

The Beatrice-based company has its freeze-dried goods in stores in eight different states, and Wicked Good Foods can be found in Hy-Vee grocery stores across Nebraska and Iowa.

Paula Widholm, promotions manager of the event, says vendors like Schoen are what this event is all about.

"There is nothing like face-to-face advertising, I'm thoroughly convinced," Widholm said.

Widholm has been with the show since the beginning -- 21 years in all -- and knows that small and local businesses like Wicked Good Foods are its foundation.

"We're a small family business," she said. "We're not an association, we make the decisions and we are all in 100%. We strive to help these businesses."

About 160 different vendors have booths at this year's event, which begins Friday and runs through Sunday.

For Schoen, it's not just about selling fruit and candy. He'll be leaving early on Saturday to attend a Daddy Daughter dance.

"I wouldn't miss that for the world," he said.

Some vendors, like Extreme Iron Works, are at the Events Center to make connections with other vendors and offer their signage services.

Others, like the Thompsons with Premium Carpet Care, look to connect with customers.

"It gives us a chance to get one-on-one with the client and explain our process and the services we offer," said Premium Carpet Care's Nikki Thompson, who is hosting a booth with her husband, Travis.

Travis and Nikki Thompson have been at the event for more than 10 years, and say the response they've gotten makes the weekend worthwhile.

"We build our business on referrals, so providing information is more than just offering service, its building relationships with the clients," she said.

The lawn and leisure show's longevity has led to more than just business connections, Widholm said.

"Doing this 21 years I have relationships with a lot of the exhibitors," she said. "They've seen my children grow up. I've seen their businesses grow.

"They may have started alone, and now have three different branches and 20 employees."
A Lincoln man has been charged with two felony gun crimes and remains under investigation for felony child abuse in the suspected homicide of a 22-month-old boy, police and prosecutors alleged in court filings.

Police were sent to CHI Health St. Elizabeth on Sunday after the child's mother, a 30-year-old woman, brought the unresponsive boy to the east Lincoln hospital with "numerous bruises and injuries to his body," Lincoln Police Officer Brent Lovette said in an emergency custody affidavit filed Tuesday in Lancaster County.

Hospital staff later told police that the boy had suffered "significant injuries" and was taken by helicopter to an Omaha hospital in critical condition.

Multiple family members later announced the boy's death on social media.

His mother told police that she had noticed numerous bruises and injuries on the boy's body since she began dating her boyfriend, Joshua D. Tackett, in January, Lovette said in the affidavit. Tackett is not the child's father.

The boy's mother said Tackett, a 32-year-old Lincoln man, had "passed out" while holding the 22-month-old in late February and fell on top of him, Lovette said.

The boy had not put weight on his swollen left leg since then, his mother told police. But she did not take him to a doctor.

The 30-year-old woman also told police that the boy fell down a staircase at their apartment, near Seventh and G streets, late last week, but seemed uninjured from the fall, Lovette said in the affidavit.

The boy's condition worsened over the course of the weekend until around noon Sunday, when his mom put him down for a nap, Lovette said in the affidavit.

When she tried to wake her son three hours later, he was unresponsive, according to the affidavit. She then took him to the hospital  weeks after his leg was injured and nearly three full days after he fell down the stairs.

Police suspected Tackett was involved in the boy's injuries nearly immediately and began surveilling his apartment, according to court records.

Hours after the boy's mom had taken him to the hospital, Tackett's own mom  58-year-old Karen Vestecka  arrived at his apartment at 720 G. St. at around 7 p.m. and left soon after, carrying a pair of shoes and a green rifle case.

Investigators performed a traffic stop on Vestecka, who told them that she had learned the 22-month-old had suffered a brain bleed, a black eye, a swollen ankle, bruising and wouldn't open his eyes, Lincoln Police Investigator Patrick Murphy said in an affidavit stemming from the traffic stop.

Police believe Vestecka retrieved Tackett's Ruger AR .556 rifle from the apartment in an effort to shield her son from felony gun charges, since Tackett is prohibited from owning firearms due to prior felony and domestic violence-related convictions, Murphy said in the affidavit.

Instead, prosecutors charged both Vestecka and her son.

The 58-year-old was charged with tampering with physical evidence, a felony, for interfering with the investigation.

And prosecutors charged Tackett  the man suspected of causing the injuries that led to the 22-month-old's death  with two counts of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person after police found a second gun, a shotgun, in his apartment, Murphy said in the affidavit for the 32-year-old's arrest.

Police arrested Tackett at his brother's house Tuesday and took him to the Lancaster County jail.

At his initial court appearance Thursday afternoon, prosecutors described Tackett as a suspect in an ongoing child abuse investigation that had led to "serious injury or death."

Deputy County Attorney Jessica Murphy said Tackett had evaded law enforcement for two days after the 22-month-old was taken to the hospital by "hiding out" at a relative's house.

Tackett has not been charged in the boy's death.

For the firearms charges, Judge Laurie Yardley set Tackett's percentage bond at $500,000. The 32-year-old must pay $50,000 to be released.

Three other children who lived at the apartment Tackett shared with the 22-month-old's mother have been taken into state custody.

It's unclear if the mother is under criminal investigation in her son's death.

The Lincoln Police Department did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Thursday afternoon.

Most dangerous cities in Nebraska Dangerous Cities in Nebraska 6. South Sioux City 5. Scottsbluff 4. North Platte 3. Lincoln 2. Grand Island 1. Omaha A note about the numbers
After spending 16 years in an aging building in Lincoln's University Place neighborhood  and a few short months crowded into the Police Department's downtown headquarters  LPD's Northeast Team has moved into its new digs.

The new state-of-the-art station opened its doors to the public Friday morning following a news conference that marked the end of a years-long process of finding and outfitting a new home for the Northeast Team.

The standalone police station, at 5201 R St., replaces the Northeast Team's previous facility at 4843 Huntington Ave., where the team spent 16 years in the footprint of the Nebraska Wesleyan University campus.

The geographical police team outgrew that 1920s-era building, which the city leased, and moved out in January.

"They're happy as a clam," Assistant Police Chief Brian Jackson said at Friday's news conference, joking about the crowd of police officers and civilian staff members standing a few feet behind him in the station's parking lot along R Street.

Jackson, who helped guide the project from its origins under former Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister, appeared at the news conference alongside Police Chief Teresa Ewins, Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, four City Council members and dozens of police personnel.

Gaylor Baird, who has touted millions' worth of investments her administration has poured into the city's public safety agencies amid her reelection campaign, described the new police station as a "long-term investment in public safety" that would aid in the department's ability to police the growing city.

The new station, which sits a few blocks north of O Street, is roughly a mile south of the previous Northeast Station. Jackson has repeatedly said the move south won't affect the department's response times to calls for service in northeast Lincoln.

"We have to realize our officers call this home, but once they're ready to start their shift, have their lineup, (then) they're out in the community; they're in their cars," he said.

"Our response time is not dictated by a single point on the map. Our response time is based on where our officers are at any given time when those calls for service come out."

Still, for Capt. Jeff Bucher, who took over the Northeast Team in September after serving as the head of LPD's criminal investigation division, the move came with a sigh of relief after the team's two-month stay downtown  4 miles from the new station.

The renovated building was initially set to be ready late last year, but a supply chain delay on a crucial electrical panel caused months of delays. The panel  which was supposed to ship in October  still hasn't arrived, but city inspectors approved occupancy without that piece of equipment.

"We worked a bypass with the city to get us in here a little bit quicker, because I felt it was a huge public safety issue, the fact that we were downtown for a while, coming to Northeast and the time delay," Bucher said.

Bucher said much of the new station was designed with input from officers including Capt. Mayde McGuire, who Bucher replaced as the head of the Northeast Team after she transferred to the department's education and personnel unit.

The single-story station includes a lineup room, co-ed locker room, private changing and shower rooms, two break rooms, three interview rooms, a weight room, a garage for fingerprinting and storage and a storm shelter with 2-foot concrete walls.

The bay of desks and offices that will house officers and sergeants on duty is designed with an open-floor plan to foster open and seamless communication  something that Bucher said at times proved difficult on Huntington Avenue, where the station was two stories.

Bucher joked that it was "scary" finally moving into the new building after spending months in limbo.

"It's a good feeling," he said, more seriously. "I think I need to get settled in here and then get back into the community, but I think it's gonna be a really good thing. (I think) it's gonna be a positive thing for the community, I really do."

Lincoln's 911 dispatch center, which the city shares with Lancaster County, will also move into the new building, when work on the western half of the building is finished and the electrical panel the city has been waiting on arrives.

Jackson said the city's decision to combine the Northeast Station and dispatch center into one project was an act of "good stewardship" from city leaders.

The building cost the city $7 million to purchase and renovate  but ultimately cost city taxpayers a fraction of that, Jackson said.

The city paid for the station with $4.5 million in federal CARES Act funds and a combined $2.5 million of asset forfeiture funds and money re-appropriated from elsewhere in the department's annual budget.

When the Northeast Team moved into the University Place station in 2006, the City Council signed a 15-year lease with the Kinport Corporation, which owns the building. It cost the city $184,800 in the initial year and the rate was adjusted annually based on changes to the consumer price index, according to the lease agreement.

The city extended its lease an extra year in September 2021, paying $20,101 per month through the end of August 2022, when the city signed a final, five-month extension with Kinport. The city paid $20,101 to lease the building in September and $21,000 per month for the last four months of the lease.

Most dangerous cities in Nebraska Dangerous Cities in Nebraska 6. South Sioux City 5. Scottsbluff 4. North Platte 3. Lincoln 2. Grand Island 1. Omaha A note about the numbers
NEW YORK  Lance Reddick, a character actor who specialized in intense, icy and possibly sinister authority figures on TV and film, including "The Wire," "Fringe" and the "John Wick" franchise, has died. He was 60.

Reddick died "suddenly" Friday morning, his publicist Mia Hansen said in a statement, attributing his death to natural causes. His death was first reported by celebrity website TMZ.com.

Tributes flashed across social media after news of the death.

Filmmaker James Gunn called Reddick "an incredibly nice guy, and an incredibly talented actor" in a tweet.

Wendell Pierce, Reddick's co-star on "The Wire," also paid tribute on Twitter. "A man of great strength and grace," he wrote. "As talented a musician as he was an actor. The epitome of class."

Reddick was often put in a suit or a crisp uniform during his career, playing tall, taciturn and elegant men of distinction. He was best known for his role as straight-laced Lt. Cedric Daniels on the hit HBO series "The Wire," where his character was agonizingly trapped in the messy politics of the Baltimore police department.

"I'm an artist at heart. I feel that I'm very good at what I do. When I went to drama school, I knew I was at least as talented as other students, but because I was a Black man and I wasn't pretty, I knew I would have to work my butt off to be the best that I would be, and to be noticed," he told the Los Angeles Times in 2009.

Reddick also starred on the Fox series "Fringe" as Special Agent Phillip Broyles, the smartly dressed Matthew Abaddon on "Lost" and played the multi-skilled Continental Hotel concierge Charon in Lionsgate's "John Wick" movies, including the fourth in the series that will be released later this month.

"The world of Wick would not be what it is without Lance Reddick and the unparalleled depth he brought to Charon's humanity and unflappable charisma. Lance leaves behind an indelible legacy and hugely impressive body of work, but we will remember him as our lovely, joyful friend and Concierge," Lionsgate said in a statement.

Reddick earned a SAG Award nomination in 2021 as part of the ensemble for Regina King's film "One Night in Miami." He played recurring roles on "Intelligence" and "American Horror Story" and was on the show "Bosch" for its seven-year run.

Born and raised in Baltimore, Reddick was a Yale University drama school graduate who enjoyed some success after school by landing guest or recurring roles on "CSI: Miami" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." He also appeared in several movies, including "I Dreamed of Africa," "The Siege" and "Great Expectations."

It was on season four of "Oz," playing a doomed undercover officer sent to prison who becomes an addict, that Reddick had a career breakthrough.

"I was never interested in television. I always saw it as a means to an end. Like so many actors, I was only interested in doing theater and film. But 'Oz' changed television. It was the beginning of HBO's reign on quality, edgy, artistic stuff. Stuff that harkens back to great cinema of the '60s and '70s," he told The Associated Press in 2011.

Reddick attended the prestigious Eastman School of Music, where he studied classical composition, and he played piano. His first album, the jazzy "Contemplations and Remembrances," came out in 2011.

He is survived by his wife, Stephanie Reddick, and children, Yvonne Nicole Reddick and Christopher Reddick.

Photos: Notable Deaths in 2023 Raquel Welch David Crosby Richard Belzer Cindy Williams Lisa Marie Presley Jeff Beck Gary Rossington Wayne Shorter Burt Bacharach Tom Sizemore Charles Kimbrough Stella Stevens Annie Wersching Tim McCarver Billy Packer Dave Hollis David Jude Jolicoeur Barrett Strong Lloyd Morrisett Robbie Knievel Gina Lollobrigida Lynette Hardaway ("Diamond") Adam Rich Bobby Hull Charles White Jerry Richardson Sister Andre Tatjana Patitz Russell Banks Cardinal George Pell Ken Block Walter Cunningham Anton Walkes Robert Blake Chaim Topol Bobby Caldwell Pat Schroeder Lance Reddick Willis Reed Seymour Stein Klaus Teuber
On this version of Hot off the Wire:

 Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is telling Congress and the nation that the U.S. banking system remains sound.

 A group of Wall Street banks is planning a rescue package of around $30 billion for First Republic Bank.

 Attorneys for the family of a Black Virginia man who died in police custody say video of the incident shows seven sheriffs deputies pushing down every part of his body with absolute brutality.

 Two BNSF trains derailed in separate incidents in Arizona and Washington state on Thursday, with the latter spilling diesel fuel.

 New data suggests U.S. deaths of pregnant women dropped significantly in 2022. It comes after a year when the maternal death rate was the highest in nearly six decades.

 The North Dakota Supreme Court has ruled that a state abortion ban will remain blocked while a lawsuit over its constitutionality proceeds.

 The decision by Utahs Republican governor to sign into law a ban on abortion clinics is raising concerns about how already overburdened hospitals will accommodate becoming the only place for legal abortions in the state.

 Allies of former President Donald Trump have filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics accusing Gov. Ron DeSantis of violating campaign finance and ethics rules by running a shadow bid for the White House.

 The first Republican presidential primaries are nearly a year away and the candidate field is unsettled. But already, a shadow contest of another sort is underway with several Republicans openly jockeying to position themselves as potential running mates to Donald Trump, the early front-runner for the nomination.

 Polands president says his country plans to give Ukraine around a dozen MiG-29 fighter jets.

 British authorities say they're banning the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok from government mobile phones on security grounds, following similar moves by the U.S. and European Union.
Preserving, remembering and honoring the past is important for any state, region or city. It is especially so for Nebraska, a place driven, since its naming, by its historical roots.

That is the primary goal of LB474, a bill now pending before the Legislatures Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee that would authorize the spending of $35 million on the refurbishing of Fort Robinson State Park, purchasing the Mayhew Cabin in Nebraska City and developing a Standing Bear and Ponca Cultural Center on Ponca tribal land near Niobrara.

Co-sponsored by Sens. Justin Wayne of Omaha, one of the two Black members of the Legislature, Tom Brewer of Gordon, a registered Oglala Sioux tribe member, and Brian Hardin of Gering, LB474, in Waynes words, focuses on some really great intersections between rural history, Nebraska history, African American history and Native community history and overall our countrys history.

Specifically, it would develop the 149-year-old former U.S. Army post to emphasize its historical importance as the site of the 1877 death of Lakota legend Crazy Horse, its role in the 1879 Cheyenne Outbreak and its function as one of the two bases of the all-Black 9th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers.

In addition to focusing the forts now scattered, often difficult to find historical messaging, the bill would also provide for refurbishing the parks existing buildings and tourist amenities.

The proposed cultural center would focus on the states greatest civil rights leader, 19th century Ponca Chief Standing Bear, who won the right to return to Nebraska from Oklahoma after an 1879 federal trial in which the judge ruled that Native people are persons within the meaning of the law in his home lands. The only Standing Bear museum now is in Oklahoma.

It should be noted that LB474 would provide the state money for Fort Robinson and the cultural center as matching funds to private money raised for each of the projects.

The Mayhew Cabin, sometimes incorrectly called John Browns Cave, is Nebraskas lone surviving outpost on the westernmost leg of the Underground Railroad that ferried escaped slaves from Bloody Kansas to safety in what was then the Nebraska Territory.

The tunnels beneath the cabin, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, and a nearby museum were damaged by flooding in 2013 and 2019, triggering legal disputes and allowing the area to fall into disrepair.

Under the bill, the state would purchase, refurbish and operate the cabin and tunnels.

LB474 needs some fine-tuning before it can be advanced to the full Legislature. Given that Brewer is the committee chair, that work should get done in time for the bill to be approved and, we hope, signed by Gov. Jim Pillen.

History needs to be remembered  and historic places preserved  for future generations to learn where Nebraska came from and how that past, in many ways, continues to push the state into the 21st century.
China's modernization drive offers new prospects for humanity

Xinhua) 08:08, March 17, 2023

This aerial photo taken on June 19, 2022 shows wind turbines in a forest park in Raohe County, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

As a role model for the world, Chinese modernization has provided great wisdom and opened up a new prospect for humanity's sustainable development.

BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- "The ultimate goal of modernization is people's free and well-rounded development," Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said Wednesday in a keynote speech during the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting.

"Modernization does not fall into our laps automatically. It is the result of hard work with strong historic initiative," Xi said, stressing that political parties worldwide should integrate party building with national modernization.

Xi also proposed the Global Civilization Initiative, emphasizing that tolerance, coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations play an irreplaceable role in advancing humanity's modernization.

International observers said Xi's remarks elaborate on the responsibilities of global political leaders in advancing humanity. As a role model for the world, Chinese modernization has provided great wisdom and opened up a new prospect for humanity's sustainable development.

CHINESE MODERNIZATION NOT BUILT IN A DAY

China's modernization embraces the masses while balancing development with the harmony of nature, setting an example for the world, said Dogu Perincek, chairman of the Patriotic Party of Turkiye.

"The modernization of the People's Republic of China has followed a path that embraces the society as a whole and attaches importance to the spiritual enrichment of humanity," he said, adding it is admirable to achieve modernization with a population of 1.4 billion people thanks to Chinese socialism.

Zaher Raad, foreign affairs commissioner of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party, said Xi's speech answered many questions of concern to the participating parties and proposed that political parties should take on the responsibilities of promoting modernization. Ensuring people-centered modernization is the key to advancing the modernization cause.

This aerial photo taken on March 16, 2023 shows a China-Europe freight train heading for Moscow at Mafang railway station in Pinggu District of Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ren Chao)

Xi further expounded his important proposition on modernization and development, which is conducive to reducing the Global North-South Gap and establishing a security and development model featuring fairness, justice, joint contribution and shared benefits, said Andres Alvarez, secretary of the International Relations Department of the Colombian Communist Party.

With this model, he added that people worldwide would have more rights to make their own choices.

The realization of Chinese modernization is not achieved overnight. It requires strong leadership and precise policy-making by a political party, said Benjamin Anyagre, general secretary of the Ghana-China Friendship Association.

He added that the CPC, which is leading the Chinese people on the path of modernization, has set an example for African political parties.

NEW TYPE OF INT'L RELATIONS

In his speech, Xi called for leveraging the strength of a new type of party-to-party relations for the building of a new type of international relations and expanding global partnerships by fostering stronger partners with world political parties.

Pakistan's political parties welcome the remarks, which promotes people-to-people exchanges, said Asif Luqman Qazi, director of foreign affairs of the Jamaat-e-Islami Party in Pakistan.

As one of the major political parties in Pakistan, he said the Jamaat-e-Islami Party looks forward to further enhancing cooperation and exchanges with the CPC through think tanks, youth organizations, women's organizations and other channels.

Wang Yi (C), a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, attends a closing meeting of the talks between the Saudi delegation led by Musaad bin Mohammed Al-Aiban (L), Saudi Arabia's Minister of State, Member of the Council of Ministers and National Security Advisor, and Iranian delegation led by Admiral Ali Shamkhani (R), Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Luo Xiaoguang)

Gustavo Pinto, a Brazilian professor, said China's role in facilitating the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran demonstrates its responsibility as a major country.

Pinto said Chinese civilization advocates inclusiveness and magnanimity, something other countries should understand further since it will create a better future for the world.

The CPC is committed to upholding international fairness and justice, promoting world peace and stability, advocating and practicing genuine multilateralism, and safeguarding the international system with the United Nations as its core, according to Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based international relations scholar.

"Without peace, no country can develop. The Communist Party of China has set a good example in this regard for other political parties in other countries," said Adhere.

NEW INITIATIVE MEETS NEEDS OF THE TIMES

Xi's Global Civilization Initiative respects different civilizations, said Vanxay Tavinyan, deputy chief of the Propaganda and Training Board of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee.

He noted that the initiative conforms to the call of the times and helps different civilizations coexist and learn from each other.

People visit Jianchang ancient city during the Spring Festival holiday in Xichang, southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Jan. 27, 2023. (Photo by Li Jieyi/Xinhua)

Attending the conference, Sergey Sanakoev, deputy chairman of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society and president of the Asia-Pacific Region Research Center, said that the initiative is a natural development in the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, adding that the new initiative would help build a multipolar world and promote common prosperity.

Eleni Karamalengou, director of the BA in Archaeology, History and Culture of Ancient Greece at the University of Athens, said that China's efforts to enhance mutual learning among world civilizations are significant.

Taking Greece-China cooperation as an example, Karamalengou, who has closely cooperated with Chinese universities in recent years, said deepening cooperation between the two countries in culture and education has helped promote more frequent and fruitful Greece-China collaboration.

Countries should develop peacefully, and civilizations should respect each other. The Global Civilization Initiative will help the world work together to meet pressing global challenges, reduce conflicts and confrontation, and realize harmonious coexistence, said Stephanos Stephanou, secretary general of Cyprus' Progressive Party of Working People.

Asadollah Badamchian, general secretary of the Islamic Motalefeh Party of Iran, noted that both Iran and China are ancient civilizations with thousands of years of history, and both have contributed to the development of world's civilization.

He added that the Global Civilization Initiative would help people of all countries emerge from the shadow of colonialism, imperialism and hegemony.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Photo: The Canadian Press The Yukon territorial flag flies on a flagpole in Ottawa, Monday, July 6, 2020. A Yukon First Nation has declared a state of emergency related to the opioid crisis, calling it an "emergency that is terrorizing the public."

A small Yukon First Nation says it's dealing with an "opioid emergency" that is terrorizing citizens and families with violence, crime, overdoses and death.

The First Nation of Nacho Nyak Dun in Mayo, 400 kilometres north of Whitehorse, declared a state of emergency Thursday and called for a meeting with the Yukon government, the RCMP and the Village of Mayo to develop an action plan to protect its members.

The declaration says the "emergency must be addressed immediately in order to protect the lives of (its) citizens, ensure public safety and promote community wellness."

It says the action plan could include increased law enforcement within its territory, limiting when non-citizens can be on settlement land, check stops, or the eviction of tenants in First Nations housing who are engaged in illegal activities.

The plan could also include "action to warn and protect people who use drugs," and treatment opportunities for its citizens.

The declaration comes after a double homicide on Saturday of two Whitehorse men whose bodies were found on a main roadway belonging to the First Nation.

Yukon RCMP said in a statement Monday about the deaths that police were "aware of the impact of the substance use emergency on the community of Mayo," and were actively supporting community safety.

Mayo Mayor Trevor Ellis said he fully supports the declaration.

He said struggles over the last few years with illicit drugs in the community of 500 are not that different from larger cities but have been less out in the open, one of the reasons it "really snuck up on us and kind of got out of hand."

"We've seen every aspect of it. We've had overdoses, we've had suicides, we've had violence," he said, adding that the community believes the two weekend murders were drug-related.

He said people need to come together to help those who are struggling and those struggling need to understand their actions are having a severely detrimental effect on the community.

He said treatment and recovery is the ultimate goal.

"That's the question that every community is grappling with right now. How do you achieve that treatment and recovery for lasting wellness?" he said.

"It's going to take a number of different approaches but I think the declaration's a start. It gets the conversation happening. It gets the resources into the community. As well it sends a strong message to the people."

Tracy-Anne McPhee, who is both the territory's health and justice minister, said the government has been working with the First Nation and the community since before the weekend, and a community meeting is being planned.

"We have been working through the Department of Health and Social Services, as well as the Department of Justice, to co-ordinate supports for that community," she said.

McPhee called the emergency declaration important and said the territorial government is "absolutely dedicated" to helping.

We will be at the table to speak to Nacho Nyak Dun and the community of Mayo to determine how to best give life to their stated objectives in the declaration, she said.

Yukon RCMP said in an email statement issued Thursday that senior management met with Chief Simon Mervyn and the First Nations administration about the proposed action plan.

Mayo Detachment and the Yukon RCMP are committed to continue working with (the First Nation), Village of Mayo and the Yukon Government to understand and work towards meeting the needs of the community in Mayo through this action plan and any other community safety initiatives, the statement said.

The Mounties say it would be premature to comment on any role they might have in the proposed measures listed in the declaration.

They say the homicides are still under investigation and they won't comment on potential avenues of that probe.

Nacho Nyak Dun is not the first Yukon Indigenous nation to sound alarms about drugs in their community. In January 2022, the Carcross Tagish First Nation declared a state of emergency after illicit drug-related deaths.

The Yukon declared its own substance use health emergency that same month in response to a surge in substance use-related harms, including what it called "a drastic increase in opioid-related deaths."

Yukon chief coroner Heather Jones reported that last year, the territory had 25 deaths attributed to toxic substances, 20 of which involved opioids. The territory's population is about 43,000.

Jones said the overdose toll puts Yukon at the top in Canada for per capita illicit drug-related deaths.
A Kenosha Police detective tasked with investigating the disappearance and death of Rosalio Gutierrez Jr. testified in court Thursday during the homicide trial of the man accused of killing him.

Det. Vicente Correa testified for the state in the third week of the jury trial of Zachariah Anderson, of Mequon. Anderson, 42, is accused of killing 40-year-old Gutierrez with blunt force the evening of May 17, 2020, inside Gutierrezs first-floor Wood Creek apartment in what prosecutors have called a jealous rage.

Prosecutors allege Anderson killed him because he was deeply upset that Gutierrez began having a romantic relationship with Sadie Beacham, his ex-girlfriend and mother of his children.

Gutierrezs body has never been recovered and his friends and family have not heard from him in nearly three years. Prosecutors maintain Gutierrez is dead based on the large amount of blood spatter found inside his apartment.

Gutierrez, a father of two young children, was reported missing May 19, 2020, after Beacham went to his apartment in the 3700 block of 15th Street, and found the patio door open with heavy blood stains on the floor, door and furniture. Beacham testified that she had been trying to reach him by phone before driving to his apartment out of deep concern for his well-being.

Kenosha Police focused on Anderson after Beacham reported that Anderson had been stalking and harassing her in the weeks after she began developing a relationship with Gutierrez.

Anderson is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, a Class A felony that carries a sentence of life in prison if convicted. Anderson is also charged with felonies of hiding a corpse and stalking.

The prosecution used Correas testimony to connect evidence and statements previously highlighted by the state during the trial.

Correa testified that several text messages were sent between Anderson and Beacham in the week before the Gutierrezs death. Correa also showed jurors the movements Anderson allegedly made in Kenosha near Gutierrezs residence in the days before his disappearance and death based on data from his cellphone. He said Anderson also searched the internet for information about Gutierrez.

Correa also said Anderson searched the internet on his smartphone for general home improvement store hours the morning after he allegedly killed Gutierrez, including a Walmart.

Correa also testified about the search warrant executed on Andersons property in the days following Gutierrezs disappearance. Correa said investigators searched Andersons work van  the vehicle prosecutors suggested he used to move Gutierrezs body  and found carpet had recently been ripped up and it smelled of chemicals.

Within that van they discovered that there were apparent bleach spots, that the vehicle had smelled like bleach, there was carpet ripped out and from what they observed possible apparent blood droplets, Correa said.

Correa said hes spent thousands of hours investigating the case.

Lengthy trial continues

Judge Bruce Schroeder is presiding over the trial before a jury of eight women and five men, which includes one alternate.

The prosecution is led by District Attorney Michael Graveley who throughout the trial has argued Anderson killed Gutierrez out of jealousy and an obsession over his ex-girlfriend.

Defense attorney Nicole Muller has argued Kenosha Police failed to look at other possible suspects and prematurely zeroed in on Anderson based on claims made by Beacham.

The prosecution is expected to rest this week. The trial, in its third week, is expected to last another week at least.

Child testified Tuesday

On Wednesday, Anderson and Beachams child, who the Kenosha News is not naming, said Anderson suggested to her that he would follow Gutierrez.

She also testified that on May 16, 2020, the day before prosecutors believe Gutierrez was killed, that Anderson took her and her siblings to his familys tree farm with his work van, the same van Anderson allegedly drove to a Saukville Walmart the morning of May 18, 2020, to purchase trash bags, cleaning wipes and gloves.

The girl said that the van was not missing a portion of its carpet and did not have bleach stains when she rode in it to the tree farm.

Investigators would later find a speck of a dried rust colored fluid that tested positive for Gutierrezs DNA and evidence of scrubbing with bleach. The van also had portions of the interior carpet removed.

Anderson is being held on a $750,000 cash bond at the Kenosha County Jail. He has been in custody since shortly after Gutierrezs disappearance, initially charged with stalking.

The homicide charge was added in December 2020 after an investigation found evidence that indicated Anderson may have moved Gutierrezs dead body in his van to another location.
In its first meeting since the turmoil in which three founding members resigned, Kenosha Countys Racial and Ethnic Equity Commission met Thursday determined to continue its work on race and arrests, while awaiting the confirmation of two new members who could be seated as early as next month.

The commission, established two years ago as a nine-member panel, met with just four of its remaining members after commissioners Brad Backer, Derrell Greene and Mimi Yang all resigned within days of each other earlier this month.

Its  obviously, disappointing, you know, to lose members that were with us from the very beginning. Its disappointing, said Commissioner Justin Crosby to a crowded auditors meeting room, which barely held the 30 people in attendance. Im not gonna lie. Its disheartening because its kind of leaving it in the air of `Wheres this committee gonna go? to be honest with you.

Five vacancies

With five vacancies now to be filled, according to Crosby, the prospect of jump-starting the commission with more than half of it missing doesnt appear encouraging.

It doesnt get the motor going, he said.

Supervisor Daniel Gaschke, who along with Supervisor Brian Thomas are County Board representatives on the commission, reminded the panel and audience that Friday (March 17) was the deadline to apply or nominate candidates to apply for the newly vacant positions.

Commissioner Elizabeth Garcia said she imagined County Executive Samantha Kerkman would also be drawing from a previous list of applicants in addition to the most recent call for nominees.

I really hope that the people in the room that keep coming to meetings, telling us how much they have so many thoughts and exciting ideas, apply  I hope people take this seriously and apply because we need support and we need members, she said.

Gaschke said that he did not fault the commissioners for resigning, adding that they all had different perspectives and that everybody has to do what the need to do.

Displeasure over nominees

Backer and Greene resigned March 3 citing displeasure over County Executive Samantha Kerkmans recent nominations to appoint A. Brian Gonzales and Xavier Solis, one a retired Kenosha Police officer, the other a Bristol attorney. Her nominations have yet to be confirmed by the County Board. On March 23, the Executive Committee is expected to consider and vote on Kerkmans nominations before they go to the full County Board for consideration in April.

The resignations, however, have led to public outcry from local religious and civil rights leaders who have challenged the county executive and the board to reconsider the nominees. Before and during last weeks County Board meeting, Congregations United to Serve Humanity, Leaders of Kenosha and Black Leaders Organizing Communities protested the nominations saying they represented extremist interests seeking to take over the commission responsible for coming up with solutions to the disparities racial and ethnic groups face in the county.

The groups have especially questioned her recommendation of Gonzales pointing to his statement to the County Board in 2021 opposing the need for an equity and diversity coordinator and saying he had not experienced the racism they talk about. Gonzales, who ran unsuccessfully for sheriff, was directly involved in the police shooting of Michael E. Bell in 2004 and wrote a book detailing the violence that led to a libel lawsuit by Bells father. Solis previously represented the attorney of a foundation that initially raised the $2 million bail for Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager who was later acquitted in the shooting deaths of two men and injury of a third, during the riots in August of 2020.

Backer, a local attorney, and Greene, a retired county veterans affairs division director, have criticized Kerkman for not taking racism seriously, accusing her of not filling the two vacancies in a timely manner after commissioners Brian Martinez, the former chair, and Tyler Arentz resigned last year before their terms were to expire at the end of 2022. Backer has said Kerkman attempted to whitewash the problem of racism, while Greene pointed to her selection of two men when the commission has never had a Black woman on it.

Yang, a Carthage College professor who was the vice chair and had been splitting her time between Kenosha and Boston, cited her research and increased travel as reasons for why she chose to step down. Backers commission was to expire at the end of this year, while the terms for Greene and Yang positions end Dec. 31, 2024.

Thomas said that filling the three latest vacancies theoretically might not occur until June as they would undergo the same selection, vetting and committee process as the two that will come before the Executive Committee next week.

May re-do report

At Thursday nights meeting, the commission also discussed the presentation of the race and arrests report that went before the Executive Committee in February. The committee unanimously rejected the commissions findings and recommendation to hire a consultant to investigate countywide arrest disparities by race. Comprising the Executive Committee are the chairs of the countys standing committees.

Among the commissions findings was that Black adults were 6.7 times more likely to be arrested than white adults, while Black juveniles were as many as 5.5 times more likely to be apprehended by law enforcement than their white peers countywide. The commissions report based its data on the states uniform crime report summary.

The committee turned down the report after raising a number of questions about the data and indicating it wasnt complete enough, as it lacked dis-aggregation of figures for arrests of Hispanics, considered an ethnicity and not a race. The committee also asked whether the report considered mandatory arrests and questioned the commissions premise for reviewing race-based arrests countywide as Kenosha County has no jurisdiction over those made by other law enforcement agencies. In the county there are four other independent police agencies: Kenosha, Pleasant Prairie, Twin Lakes and University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

Thomas, who joined the commission in August, had previously presented more demographic data to his colleagues, but it had not been considered in the report.

Talking about this, I think we should probably  once we have more than four (commissioners)  review those numbers and that we present them from a county law enforcement standpoint the best we can instead of a countywide (perspective), he said.

Thomas said it would be helpful to re-do the report and restore some of the confidence that the community needs in how our county law enforcement is handling their efforts.

Garcia said that the report to the committee should have also been able to include the personal anecdotes of the people they heard from at the listening sessions held over the last year.

Weve done a lot of good work already, she said.

Lack of leadership

Garcia said the commission has lacked leadership needed to act on its mission, something that became more evident as data-laden reports were prepared for members, but devoid of synthesis in promoting the community engagement from the listening sessions.

Its even more frustrating because one of the parts of our report should be that we are lacking leadership of some sort, she said of the quarterly reports the commission presents to the committee.

Thomas said that Garcia was referring to the internal leadership of the commission and not that of the administration or the Executive Committee. He said the commission is self-run with some guidance from the committee.

It was a commission issue with the chairperson not fulfilling the responsibilities he agreed to when he took the job of chair, he said. Thats led to lots of other things, like being frustrated, because we werent getting things done and it is a little disheartening.

I think theres still a lot of the core of us here, he added. I think, obviously, we still want to get things done because were here, while being patient while this gets done.

IN PHOTOS: Kenosha's first listening session Listening session listening Alvin Owens.jpg Rev Peeples. at listening session listening overall.jpg
Disarmament  is a continuing imperative.

That public statement is not from an ideologue on the left, but rather President Dwight D. Eisenhower in his Farewell Address. He delivered the address to the nation early in 1961, while preparing to leave office.

President Joe Biden raised arms control to a top policy priority, but that is now unraveling. In January 2021, the new START treaty with Russia was extended for five years. The agreement, which was about to expire, limits nuclear warheads on each side to 1550, plus limitations on missiles and bombers.

However, last November talks on inspections were suddenly suspended. Russia has announced the treaty is now in jeopardy. In January, Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Rablov denounced U.S. efforts to impose strategic defeat on Moscow in Ukraine.

The Trump administration experienced frustrations in arms control. Initial emphasis on ending North Koreas nuclear weapons program was unsuccessful. In August 2019, the administration withdrew from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, complaining of violations by Russia.

The Obama administration emphasized Nuclear Summits involving large numbers of nations and international organizations. The 2016 Nuclear Summit in Washington D.C. concluded with a formal statement underscoring nuclear weapons control.

Unfortunately, Russia did not participate. That reflected strained relations with the U.S. and other nations following annexation of Crimea.

Nonetheless, the major conference reinforced the important, tangible UN framework to coordinate national efforts. The first Nuclear Summit took place in 2010, also in Washington D.C.

In 1986, during a summit meeting in Iceland, Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev and President Ronald Reagan surprised their staffs as well as the world by pledging the abolition of all nuclear weapons. That utopian vision fostered a practical result: the INF Treaty sign in 1987.

Reductions are desirable, but efforts to outlaw all nuclear weapons fundamentally flawed. Destroying all known nuclear weapons would provide a decisive advantage to any power which decided  openly or secretly  to hold back even a few. Verification remains vexing.

Another benchmark in the history of nuclear weapons, arms control and the Cold War occurred in 1972 when the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) led to treaties between the U.S. and the Soviet Union limiting missile systems. A second round of negotiations resulted in a follow-on agreement in 1979, but the U.S. Senate did not ratify the treaty, in reaction to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan that year.

After the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, concluded when the Soviet Union withdrew nuclear weapons from the island, President John F. Kennedys political standing rose considerably. During the Christmas season, JFK held a televised discussion with network correspondents. He gave emphasis to a world soon to contain a number of nuclear powers.

In fact, proliferation has moved much more slowly than anticipated at the time. Various nuclear-capable nations, including our close ally Canada, have decided that any conceivable benefits are simply not worth the expense and risks.

Additionally, the International Atomic Energy Agency, an initiative of President Eisenhower, facilitates peaceful nuclear energy and provides a long-term drag on military pressures to get the Bomb. Ike, always comprehensive in vision, also achieved demilitarization of Antarctica.

International commitment to arms control is firmly established. Russia today clearly is on the defensive.

Military threats are not only external. Eisenhower closed his Farewell Address by warning of the dangers inherent in our massive arms establishment, which he termed the Military-Industrial Complex.

Learn more: Arthur Larson, Eisenhower: The President Nobody Knew.
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1. Yes. Switching back and forth every spring and fall is cumbersome and annoying.

2. Yes. It makes sense, although it would take a bit of getting used to at first.

3. No. The bill isnt enforceable. The federal government would have to approve the switch.

4. No. If other states dont follow suit, it could make long-distance travel problematic.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say without knowing all the impacts of the proposed change.

Vote

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Photo: The Canadian Press

The former Minneapolis police officer serving time for the 2020 murder of George Floyd has pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion.

Derek Chauvin entered the plea Friday in a Minnesota court before Washington County Judge Sheridan Hawley.

Chauvin appeared via Zoom from a federal prison in Tucson, Arizona. He was standing in a room and paced around before the hearing began.

Chauvin and his now ex-wife were charged with multiple counts of underreporting their income and failing to file tax returns.

His ex-wife pleaded guilty earlier to two counts.

Chauvin was previously convicted on state murder charges for the May 2020 killing of Floyd and on a federal count of violating the Black mans civil rights.
Teens 14 or 15 years of age who work on farms, or others who are interested in learning about tractor and farm equipment safety practices, can register for a safety training course offered at seven locations across Nebraska from May 22 through June 8.

The course is sponsored by the University of Nebraska Extension and the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health.

Students will complete the first day of the course by attending a hands-on event at one of two locations or online through the eXtension Foundation Campus website. The hands-on events will occur on May 22 in North Platte and May 30 in Grand Island. After completing the hands-on event or the online course and testing, the required driving test will be offered at seven locations across Nebraska from May 23 through June 8.

Federal law prohibits children under 16 from using specific equipment on a farm unless their parents or legal guardians own the farm. However, certification received through the course grants an exemption to the law allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to drive a tractor and to do field work with specific mechanized equipment.

Aaron Yoder, PhD, associate professor at the UNMC College of Public Health, reports that a common cause of agricultural-related injuries and deaths in Nebraska is overturned tractors and ATVs and equipment entanglements. He emphasized that this course trains students to avoid these incidents and many other hazards on the farm and ranch.

The hands-on event and the online course will cover the required elements of the National Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program, including quizzes that students must pass to attend the driving portion of the training. Once a student is registered, the coordinators will send instructions, materials, course paperwork and a link to the online course if they do not attend one of the two hands-on events.

The onsite driving training and exam will include a driving test, equipment operation and ATV safety lessons. Students must demonstrate competence in hitching and unhitching equipment and driving a tractor and trailer through a standardized course. Instructors also will offer education on emergency preparedness, personal protective equipment, and safe behaviors and laws for ATVs, utility-task vehicles (UTVs) and other off-road vehicles (ORVs).

Instructors for the course are members of the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health: Aaron Yoder, PhD, Ellen Duysen, MPH, Risto Rautiainen, PhD, and graduate student Sarah Tucker; and Nebraska Extension educators Randy Saner, Ron Seymour and John Thomas.

The course costs $35 and includes educational materials and supplies. Participants can pay at the time of registration or before the driving exam. Only checks and cash are accepted.

If you have questions, please contact the administrator listed above at your driving site or contact Ellen Duysen at ellen.duysen@unmc.edu.
Alat Free Economic Zone in Azerbaijan / Courtesy of Embassy of Azerbaijan in Korea









By Ramin Hasanov







Azerbaijan continues its efforts in economic diversification, non-oil sector development, the further promotion of equal progress of the country's regions, increasing national economic competitiveness and efficient integration into global supply chains.







Ramin Hasanov

In the context of non-oil sector development, Azerbaijan focuses particularly on information-communication technologies, the chemical industry, the light industry, transport and logistics, agriculture, food processing, renewable energies and tourism. With the aim of fully realizing the untapped potential in the non-energy sector, various support mechanisms are being implemented to stimulate production, improve the export structure, foster export-led growth and promote the Made in Azerbaijan brand.







The government's timely response to COVID-19 enabled the national economy to swiftly adapt to the new global context, secure macroeconomic stability and efficiently handle the effects of the crisis.







In 2022, Azerbaijan has continued to successfully implement the Azerbaijan 2030: National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development, Socioeconomic Development Strategy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022 to 2026 and the State Program of socio-economic development of the regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2019 to 2023, to ensure the country's smooth transition to a more diversified, competitive, innovative, sustainable, resilient, as well as technological, intellectual-property-based and knowledge-based economy.







The country's core priorities for socio-economic development include sustainably growing a competitive economy, a society based on dynamic, inclusive and social justice, competitive human capital and space for modern innovations, the "Great Return" to liberated territories, a clean environment and green growth country.







Despite the global economic crisis in 2022, real GDP grew by 4.6 percent and non-oil sector growth was recorded at 9.1 percent. This is a historic achievement for the country in the post-COVID-19 era. During the same period, the share of the non-oil and gas sector in GDP accounted for 47.8 percent. The state budget revenues rose by 16.2 percent compared to 2021. The country's strategic foreign currency reserves stood at $58.5 billion (76 trillion won) and constituted 74.4 percent of the GDP. Furthermore, the official currency reserves of the Central Bank increased by 27.1 percent, or $9 billion, compared to 2021.







The post-COVID-19 and post-conflict period of 2022 to 2030 ushers in a new and completely different strategic development phase for Azerbaijan. In this strategic period, Azerbaijan aspires to reach new heights in building a society of well-being through inclusive development by engaging state-of-the-art and sustainable growth drivers, placing a stronger emphasis on innovation and financial stability and global value chain integration and deploying a new generation of structural and institutional adjustment measures.











In the face of turbulent times, the intensification of economic reforms remains a top priority for the country's development agenda, so as to further facilitate foreign trade, as well as improve the business and investment climate.







Consequently, a favorable economic and investment environment has been established in Azerbaijan, and significant measures have recently been realized to further improve the business climate so as to attract foreign investments  various tax-related benefits and other government payments, the expansion of public-private partnerships and the provision of loans on preferential terms.







The potential investment areas include the chemical, metallurgical and energy industry, mechanical engineering and production of building materials, food and light industry, material and technical base of the agricultural sector, plant-growing, cattle-breeding, information-communication technologies and tourism.







The Alat Free Economic Zone, as well as the industrial, high-tech and agri-parks operating in Azerbaijan, are aimed at boosting foreign investment in the non-oil sector, enhancing the country's export potential and international competitiveness, as well as promoting a digital economy. Furthermore, the economic zones and clusters will foster the country's production capabilities, strengthen Azerbaijan as an investment hub, ensure efficient integration into global value chains, promote the Made in Azerbaijan brand, as well as Make in Azerbaijan and Invest in Azerbaijan concepts.







Moreover, the Alat Free Economic Zone and Azerbaijan's industrial, high-tech and agri-parks, are the most appropriate sites for investment in the region. They offer a multitude of favorable business conditions and commercial advantages for foreign companies and investors. Thanks to these incentives, the number of residents of the country's clusters dynamically grows.







Korean investors are welcome to examine the investment opportunities in Azerbaijan, including in the country's liberated territories, which benefit from favorable transport and logistics opportunities, as well as explore tremendous advantages provided by the economic zones and clusters.







Ramin Hasanov is ambassador of Azerbaijan to Korea.
French President Emmanuel Macron delivers his speech during the National Roundtable on Diplomacy at the foreign ministry in Paris, Thursday, March 16. AP-Yonhap



French President Emmanuel Macron ordered his prime minister to wield a special constitutional power on Thursday that skirts parliament to force through a highly unpopular bill raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a vote.



His calculated risk set off a clamor among lawmakers, who began singing the national anthem even before Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne arrived in the lower chamber. She spoke forcefully over their shouts, acknowledging that Macron's unilateral move will trigger quick motions of no-confidence in his government.



The fury of opposition lawmakers echoed the anger of citizens and workers' unions. Thousands gathered at the Place de la Concorde facing the National Assembly, lighting a bonfire. As night fell, police charged against the demonstrators in waves to clear the elegant Place, but hundreds remained nearly an hour later.



The unions that have organized strikes and marches since January, leaving Paris reeking in piles of garbage, announced new rallies and marches in protest. "This retirement reform is brutal, unjust, unjustified for the world of workers," they declared.



Macron has made the proposed pension changes the key priority of his second term, arguing that reform is needed to keep the pension system from diving into deficit as France, like many richer nations, faces lower birth rates and longer life expectancy.



Macron decided to invoke the special power during a Cabinet meeting at the Elysee presidential palace, just a few minutes before the scheduled vote in France's lower house of parliament, because he had no guarantee of a majority.



"Today, uncertainty looms" about whether a majority would have voted for the bill, Borne acknowledged, but she said "We cannot gamble on the future of our pensions. That reform is necessary."



Borne prompted boos from the opposition when she said her government is accountable to the parliament. Lawmakers can try to revoke the changes through no-confidence motions, she said.



"There will actually be a proper vote and therefore the parliamentary democracy will have the last say," Borne said.



She said in an interview Thursday night that she was not angry when addressing disrespectful lawmakers but "very shocked."





Students chant during a demonstration in Marseille, southern France, Thursday, March 16. French President Emmanuel Macron has shunned parliament and imposed a highly unpopular change to the nation's pension system, raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. AP-Yonhap



"Certain (opposition lawmakers) want chaos, at the Assembly and in the streets," she said.



Opposition lawmakers demanded the government step down. One Communist lawmaker called the presidential power a political "guillotine." Others called it a "denial of democracy" that signals Macron's lack of legitimacy.



Marine Le Pen said her far-right National Rally party would file a no-confidence motion, and Communist lawmaker Fabien Roussel said such a motion is "ready" on the left.



"The mobilization will continue," Roussel said. "This reform must be suspended."



The leader of The Republicans, Eric Ciotti, said his party won't "add chaos to chaos" by supporting a no-confidence motion, but some of his fellow conservatives at odds with the party's leadership could vote individually.



A no-confidence motion, now expected early next week, needs approval by more than half the Assembly. If it passes  which would be a first since 1962  the government would have to resign. Macron could reappoint Borne if he chooses, and a new Cabinet would be named.



If no-confidence motions don't succeed, the pension bill would be considered adopted.



The Senate adopted the bill earlier Thursday in a 193-114 vote, a tally that was largely expected since the conservative majority of the upper house favored the changes.



Raising the retirement age will make workers put more money into the system, which the government says is on course to run a deficit. Macron has promoted the pension changes as central to his vision for making the French economy more competitive. The reform also would require 43 years of work to earn a full pension, amid other measures.



Leftist leader Jean-Luc Melenchon told the crowd at the Concorde that Macron has gone "over the heads of the will of the people." Members of Melenchon's France Unbowed party were among the lawmakers singing the Marseillese in an attempt to thwart the prime minister.



Furious union leaders announced even more strikes a day after nearly 500,000 people protested against the bill. Francois Hommeril of the CFE-CGC, representing energy workers among others, said the government "forces a vote when it is sure to win it" and "prevents the vote when they know they would lose."



Economic challenges have prompted widespread unrest across Western Europe, where many countries, like France, have had low birthrates, leaving fewer young workers to sustain pensions for retirees. Spain's leftist government joined with labor unions Wednesday to announce a "historic" deal to save its pension system.



Spain's Social Security Minister Jose Luis Escriva said the French have a very different, unsustainable model and "has not addressed its pension system for decades." Spain's workers already must stay on the job until at least 65 and won't be asked to work longer  instead, their new deal increases employer contributions for higher-wage earners. (AP)




Ahead of the Wisconsin Spring Election on April 4, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reminds voters how to obtain identification, free of charge, that is valid for voting.

Valid identification for voting purposes includes a driver license, identification card, military or student ID card, etc. There is no separate voter ID. A federally compliant REAL ID card is not required for voting purposes. Anyone unsure if their identification meets the requirements should visit the Wisconsin Elections Commission website to check.

To obtain identification to show at the polls, begin online. A list of the required documents to bring to a DMV Customer Service Center is available at wisconsindmv.gov. If the required documents needed for an ID are not readily available, DMV has a process, called the Voter ID Petition Process (IDPP), to obtain the necessary information. This process, available free of charge, may be used to quickly obtain a receipt valid to take to the polls for voting while the remaining documents or verifications are obtained.

Anyone with questions related to obtaining an ID that can be used to vote should call the DMVs toll-free hotline at 844-588-1069. Questions regarding voter eligibility, poll locations, voter registration information or other election information can be directed to the Wisconsin Elections Commission at elections.wi.gov.

Start the application now at wisconsindmv.gov or at a local DMV Customer Service Center. To find a DMV, check hours, services and wait times, visit wisconsindmv.gov/centers.
Bail has been set for three teenagers accused of yelling death threats and foul language at elementary school students while they were outside for recess.

Hunter N. Gundlach, 19, and Alex P. Pataska, 18, both of La Crosse, are being held on cash bonds of $5,000 and $2,500. Both face felony charges of terroristic threats and misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and bail jumping.

A third defendant, 19-year-old Brady P. Hove, was released on a $5,000 signature bond. He faces a felony charge of terroristic threats and a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.

La Crosse County Circuit Court Judge Ramona Gonzalez imposed the bonds during a Thursday bail hearing.

According to the La Crosse Police Department, officers responded Wednesday to Blessed Sacrament Elementary School shortly after noon. School officials told police that a vehicle drove past the school and yelled concerning statements at students. Police located the vehicle less than 30 minutes later and took the three suspects into custody.

Assistant District Attorney Julie Nelson described the statements as obscenities and threats to kill elementary kids. She requested cash bonds for Gundlach and Pataska.

Threatening to kill kids at school is not acceptable, Nelson said.

Gundlachs attorney, Zachariah Fudge, asked for a signature bond. Fudge described his clients behavior as very, very stupid but said his actions didnt rise to the level of a credible threat.

Gonzalez said multiple open cases against Gundlach and Pataska factored into her decision to set cash bail. Gundlachs open cases involve a threat conveyed by telephone, carrying a concealed weapon and criminal damage to property. Pataskas cases involve carrying a concealed weapon, retail theft and criminal damage to property. None of the open cases are felonies.

Hove has no previous criminal record. His bond conditions include no contact with his co-defendants, Blessed Sacrament School or anyone under the age of 18.

Making terrorist threats is a Class I felony. If convicted, a Class I felony is punishable by up to 3 years in prison and fines up to $10,000.

Nelson said she expects to have criminal complaints filed in the case Friday.
Designs for a completely remodeled Onalaska Middle School, including expanded classroom size, a more secure front office and space for a Boys & Girls Club, are nearing completion, with construction slated to begin as soon as July.

Onalaska voters in November passed a $75 million referendum earmarking $50 million to remodel the middle school after a community task force endorsed a complete renovation of the building. Vantage Architects presented designs at Monday nights board of education meeting.

The board members were very happy with where were at with the design phase, said Onalaska Superintendent Todd Antony. They thought everything that was identified as deficiencies in the existing building that our facility study task force identified were being remedied. So theyre ecstatic.

The remodel addresses the buildings structural problems attributed to an open concept design from the 1970s. The school, constructed in 1976 and rebuilt after a fire in 1978, had no interior walls to separate classrooms. Walking between classes was disruptive and there were no barriers to stop sounds from traveling between classrooms.

The district added walls in 2006, which left more than half of the schools classrooms without windows. The middle schools hallways and classrooms are the smallest per student in the district.

The library currently has no walls and is surrounded on three sides by heavily used hallways. The interruptions are inevitable, said Onalaska Middle School Principal Jed Kees.

Natural light

The new design incorporates natural light into almost all instructional spaces, including rooms with no exterior walls, a feature consistently requested by staff.

Classrooms and hallways will increase in size but are not expected to serve more students. Onalaska Middle School currently enrolls around 680 students, and enrollment is decreasing.

We wanted to be really cognizant about designing what we are designing for the students that we have now, Kees said.

Art, music, technical education and physical education classrooms will also have more space for updated equipment, room for storage and extra work spaces.

Our music, tech ed and art, and being able to continue to improve and offer these programs that lead into our great high school programs, Kees said.

The remodel also includes new science and technology resources to replace equipment dating back to the 70s. Kees, a former science teacher, said the current science labs are inadequate and that dated equipment is largely unused and takes up much-needed space.

Grade separations

Grades will be split into separate wings of the new building to reduce disruptions during transition times. Eighth grade students currently walk through other grade level areas to access science labs and other classrooms. The pods of classrooms will also have a larger neighborhood corridor drawing on the 2014 renovation of the Northern Hills Elementary School.

It gives greater flexibility in how to provide instruction. Students can leave the classroom and go work in the neighborhood area, Antony said. Its been very well received there.

As a result of the 1970s open concept plan, the schools office is located in the middle of the building, leaving the main entrance unmonitored until a front desk was added in the early 2000s. The new office will be attached to the main entrance, which will be moved to Eighth Avenue.

The design also incorporates an office for a Boys & Girls Club, with many of the interior rooms being shared spaces with the middle school. For our middle school students, 11 to 14-year-olds, theres nothing in our area for them after school. This fills a void that we had.

Other improvements include expanded bleacher seating in the gymnasium, expanded playground facilities, upgraded kitchen equipment and a streamlined cafeteria layout. Parking will be doubled, and a new drive from Oak Avenue to Eighth Avenue dedicated to parent student pick up and drop off will be added on the north side of the building to reduce traffic congestion.

Remodeling the middle school will eliminate $4 million in maintenance costs deferred due to state budget restrictions.

The buildings exterior design is consistent with the three Onalaska schools constructed or renovated in the past two decades. This project is the next logical step in the projects weve done leading up to this, Antony said.

Antony said construction documents are expected to be finished in mid-May, with a contractor expected to be selected in June. Construction is slated to begin this summer and is expected to end in 2025. The project will be completed in phases to minimize the number of classrooms displaced by the project at any one time.

We try to emphasize every time we talk about this the absolute gratitude for the community for taking all of this into consideration, said Antony. The elementary and the middle school will be facilities that serve our staff and students well into the future.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing the Conservatives of launching "horrific, partisan attacks" on former governor general David Johnston.

Trudeau delivered a full-throated defence of Johnston on Friday after tapping him this week to serve as special rapporteur on foreign interference.

The Conservatives say Johnston is too close to Trudeau, while the Bloc Quebecois allege he has been "chummy" with China.

Both opposition parties, along with the NDP, have called for a public inquiry in to the allegations of foreign meddling in the last two federal elections.

Speaking at an event in Guelph, Ont., Trudeau sidestepped questions about his own relationship with Johnston.

He instead defended the former governor general, who was appointed to that role on the recommendation of Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, as a Canadian of the highest integrity.

"David Johnston has served this country in many, many different ways through a long and unimpeachable career," Trudeau said.

Johnston's appointment came after Global News and the Globe and Mail newspaper reported allegations of Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

If the Liberals had been hoping the appointment would put a lid on the partisan fighting that has surrounded the allegations, that hasn't been the case.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has criticized Trudeau for appointing someone he once described as a "family friend," while noting the former viceregal is also a member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

The foundation, which supports mentorship programs for aspiring scholars and leaders, has figured prominently in the Tories' allegations about links between Trudeau and China.

Trudeau did not specifically address his personal relationship with Johnston or the rapporteur's role on the foundation bearing his father's name when asked by reporters.

The prime minister accused the Conservatives of being more concerned with scoring political points than defending Canada's democracy.

"There is no better name than David Johnston, which makes it so astonishing, but also so clarifying, to see the Conservative party simply not interested in actually getting answers," Trudeau said.

"They are engaging in horrific partisan attacks against a man of extraordinary integrity."

In a statement to The Canadian Press, Johnston described attempts to undermine the country's democracy as "serious matters."

He said he was "privileged" to have accepted the appointment as special rapporteur and was finalizing the details around his role.

"I will work with officials to finalize the mandate, which will be made public promptly, to look into foreign interference in the last two federal general elections," he said, "and make appropriate recommendations on how to further protect our democracy and uphold Canadians' confidence in it."
La Crosse County will enter a settlement agreement with the distributors and manufacturer of opioids. The count also is joining a nationwide initiative to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses in county jail.

The county's Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the two resolutions Thursday.

The opioid settlement is the second from a multistate litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors that the county joined, along with 70 other Wisconsin counties, in 2018.

The second settlement is an estimated $2.7 million that will be distributed to the county over 10 to 15 years because each manufacturer and distributor is under a different settlement payout timeline.

This second batch of defendants includes pharmaceutical distributors like Walgreens, Walmart and CVS and smaller manufacturers of opioids Allergan Finance and Teva Pharmaceuticals.

In 2021, the first settlement concluded and it was determined La Crosse County would get $3.4 million, again paid out over 9 to 18 years.

The initiative to reduce mental illness in jails, called Stepping Up, was launched in 2015 as a partnership between the Council of State Governments Justice Center, the National Association of Counties and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation.

Tonya van Tol, justice support services manager at the county, said currently there is no alternative place in the county for people with serious mental illnesses who commit a crime. The initiative is an urgent need to address this gap, according to van Tol.

Stepping Up works to provide counties with resources and tools to effect comprehensive, cross-systems changes that address the prevalence of mental illness and substance use disorders in local justice systems.
Born in Brooklyn to Russian immigrants, Ginsburg was encouraged to gain an education by her mother. At Harvard, Ginsburg was one of only nine women in a class of 500. While attending a dinner held by the dean for the few women in her class, he asked the women to explain what they were ... doing in law school taking a place that could be held by a man. Despite that sexist view, Ginsburg graduated top of her class from Columbia Law School.

Throughout her career, Ginsburg was a quiet but firm voice that argued for gender equality. In 1972, she helped found the American Civil Liberties Union Womens Rights Project and became the first female tenured professor at Columbia Law School. Between 1973 and 1975, Ginsburg argued six gender discrimination cases before the Supreme Court, winning five of them. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton, the second woman to sit on the court. Her tenure was known for her active participation in oral arguments, her support for voting rights, support for the Affordable Care Act and her famous dissents, which she often read aloud.

In 2013, a law student created a Tumblr blog entitled The Notorious R.B.G. and turned Justice Ginsburg into a progressive and feminist folk hero, with humorous information on her fashion style with fancy collars on judicial robes, her exercise routines, which were rigorous for her age, her ideas and commentary.
The North Star Circuit competition is coming to Coulee Region for the first time March 25, with the La Crosse and Onalaska Winter Guard teams to take the stage as exhibition groups.

The North Star Circuit of Color Guards for the Upper Midwest has been around since 1962, and in recent years the local winter guard teams have traveled to the Minneapolis area for competitions. For the inaugural local event, held at 6 p.m. at Onalaska High School, the La Crosse Stars and the Onalaska Winter Guard will perform but not compete, with River City Rhythm, Minnesota Brass Inc. and Royal Guard from the Twin Cities and a team from UWL up for scores.

Always performing out of town limits who knows who we are and what we do, so Im really happy we have a chance to perform for our community, said Lincoln Middle School band director Jason Harden. I feel we have a good product for young people, and they may see it and think, I want to join. 

Said Onalaska High School band director Robbie Coe, We really encourage the community to come out support local students  its an opportunity for someone to get a really good snapshot of what students are doing in our area.

Last year was the first official season for the La Crosse Stars, founded by Jason Harden. The group originally started in January 2020, but the pandemic forced them to take a long pause before regaining momentum during the 2021-2022 school year.

Winter guard, similar to color guard but performed indoors to prerecorded music, is a staple in many schools but absent from the School District of La Crosse until Hardens daughter expressed interest in such a program. With years of experiencing in the marching arts  he previously performed with Suncoast Sound, Magic of Orlando and the University of Central Florida Marching Knights  Harden was just the person to get a local group off the ground.

With grant funds, Harden put together a cadet team, comprised mostly of middle school students, and a varsity team with majority high school students. The groups include members from other regional schools that do not offer Winter or Color Guard. Currently, the La Crosse Stars have a total of 19 participants across both sectors who perform a combination of dance, flag twirling and prop use.

The Onalaska Winter Guard, which includes 12 students, was established 5 years ago, and is led by Kay Dale. It is an auditioned extension of the band, with members also part of fall guard.

I think it gives students an opportunity to travel and perform do something they really enjoy, says Coe. It gets them connected to the school which is a really important aspect of student success. The more involved they are at school the greater the chance of participation and the higher the rate of graduation and success beyond high school.

Though not competing in the March 25 event, the Onalaska and La Crosse teams will still receive detailed feedback from the five judge panel, which will prove valuable in improving their craft. As to be expected, the La Crosse Stars were underdogs their first season, and Harden told team parents his goal was to get last place in every event that year.

Of course, I got a little chuckle from that, but the way I think of it is, we didnt exist before, explains Harden. And if we can work hard and travel a bit and just be in the show we made a big accomplishment. And we did come in last place, well, one was second to last. And I was happy about that.

Adds Harden, My thinking with competition is we can only control our performance. Were comparing to scores we received last year or from the previous show. And were doing well.

The La Crosse Stars practice on Sundays throughout the school year, with an additional day each week leading up to competitions. They recently performed at the Dance for Hope, and have four competitions and a showcase this season.

The Onalaska Winter Guard polishes their skills throughout the year, as they participate in marching band and fall guard.

Harden hopes to grow the La Crosse program as funding allows. Financial contributions are welcomed and will go towards flags, props, performance floors, clinicians, choreography, competitions fees, supplies and member scholarships.

I feel really motivated to keep this going, says Harden. I have felt compelled to bring this experience to other kids.

Tickets are $12 for general admission, $8 for students and free for age 5 and under. For more information or to buy tickets visit lacrossestars.org.

50 most popular food and snack brands 50 most popular food and snack brands #50. Honey Nut Cheerios #49. Rice Krispies Treats #48. Milky Way #47. Reese's Pieces #46. Tostitos #45. Goldfish #44. Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn #43. French's Mustard #42. Jif #41. Lifesavers #40. Land O'Lakes (butter) #39. Kraft Foods #38. Oreo Cookies #37. Smucker's #36. Fritos #35. Cheerios #34. Ghirardelli #33. Chiquita #32. Nabisco #31. Twix #30. Kellogg's #29. Chips Ahoy! #28. Frito-Lay #27. Campbell's #26. Land O'Lakes #25. Lay's Chips #24. Cheetos #23. Snickers #22. Nestle Toll House #21. Pringles #20. McCormick #19. Ruffles #18. Dove #17. Planters #16. Quaker #15. Reese's #14. Dove (chocolate) #13. Heinz Tomato Ketchup #12. Pillsbury #11. Doritos #10. Hershey's Kisses #9. Heinz #8. Oreo #7. Betty Crocker #6. Kit Kat #5. Ritz #4. Reese's Peanut Butter Cup #3. Lay's #2. Hershey's #1. M&M's
Liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Janet Protasiewicz said she favors the court debating its administrative rules in public, but conservative candidate Daniel Kelly said such a policy promotes grandstanding instead of efficiency.

Those hearings should be open, Protasiewicz told the Wisconsin State Journal editorial board on Tuesday. Im all about transparency.

She noted that Kelly was among the five conservative justices who in 2017 voted to curtail the 22-year practice of allowing the public access to Wisconsin Supreme Court meetings where the justices deliberate on rules pertaining to the state court system.

I find that decision disturbing, she said.

In the previously public meetings, Wisconsin high court justices would discuss and vote on changing judicial policies across the state court system, from when they should recuse themselves from Supreme Court cases and rules regarding evidence to coming up with new ways to encourage state lawyers to provide free legal services.

Some hearings on proposed rules remain public under a state law, but the votes on those rules are private.

It was obvious to me that when the camera was on, there were people who were grandstanding, Kelly told the State Journal editorial board on Thursday in describing his opposition to making the meetings public. His vote to return to closed meetings was meant to facilitate frankness and open conversation between the justices, he said.

Deliberating over rules in closed meetings brought about the openness and willingness to test and to debate the issues that came before us, which trumped the lack of transparency by not allowing public access, Kelly said.

In 1995, the Wisconsin Supreme Court justices voted unanimously to meet in public when it deliberates on petitions to alter its rules, making it the first state in the country to do so. Four years later, the court further expanded its open meeting policy.

That policy allowed the public to tune into, for example, the justices considering whether concealed weapons should be allowed in the court and whether they should recuse themselves from cases in which the litigants have donated to their campaigns.

In 2012, the court rolled back its open meetings policy, and did so again five years later, drawing ire from the liberal bloc on the court.

Proponents of the change said closed sessions would promote collegiality. Opponents said it would reduce transparency.

Kelly also expressed doubt Thursday about proposed rules that would require justices to recuse themselves from a case if theyve received a campaign contribution from litigants or their attorneys.

If those who advocate (for) a particular person being elected would know that theres no possibility that (the candidate) could sit on a case that they would have, that would chill their speech, Kelly said. Theyd be unwilling to speak, because they would want the full court to have the ability to sit on and decide the case thats come before it.

The candidates previously differed on a similar recusal question. Protasiewicz said she would recuse herself from cases involving the Democratic Party of Wisconsin after the organization donated $2.5 million to her campaign. Kelly, who hasnt received a direct donation close to that amount, said hed consider recusing himself on a case-by-case basis.

Thats one of the reasons why Ive not received contributions like that, because I dont want that to create a potential recusal problem, Kelly said.

The Republican Party of Wisconsin raised $56,061 in the first five weeks of 2023. The Democratic Party of Wisconsin raised over $3.5 million in that period.

Republican Party of Wisconsin chair Brian Schimming since said on WisconsinEye that the partys fundraising numbers have since increased drastically.

One proposed recusal rule asked for justices to recuse themselves from cases if a litigant donated $1,000 or more to their election campaigns. Another proposed rule would require recusal if a litigant or one of the lawyers on a case donated $10,000 or more.

Every single proposal that Ive seen so far deals with half the ledger, Kelly said. We talk about what if an individual or organization has supported you in your run for the court? And we never talk about what happens if an individual or organization spent massive amounts opposing you.

Resentment is a more powerful emotion than gratitude, he added.

But he expressed doubt about a rule requiring justices to recuse themselves from cases involving groups based on their donations, saying it could lead to sophisticated gameplay.

You could have organizations that would choose to spend heavily against a justice, knowing that if that justice wins and then a case comes before the court, you can force them off the case, Kelly said.
Republican lawmakers began circulating a bill Thursday that would designate a lever-action rifle produced in northwestern Wisconsin as the states official rifle.

The bill from state Reps. Dave Armstrong, Treig Pronschinske and James Edming and Sen. Romaine Quinn would designate the Henry All-Weather .45-70 as Wisconsins official state rifle.

The bill is symbolic only. But it would give the rifle and its manufacturer, Rice Lake-based Henry Repeating Arms, plenty of publicity and help the bills authors score points with gun supporters.

Armstrong is from Rice Lake; Quinn is from Cameron, about 7 miles south of Rice Lake. Edmings district includes Ladysmith, home to a Henry Repeating Arms factory.

The companys Big Boy All-Weather Rifle won the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerces Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest in 2019. Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce is the states largest business association and a staunch Republican ally.

Pronschinske, who hails from Mondovi in west-central Wisconsin, said the bill is a way to recognize a Wisconsin company and the states manufacturing sector, as well as honor the states hunting traditions.

The nice part about this bill is that it simply honors a longstanding tradition that many Wisconsinites enjoy, he said. Something that pays homage to many generations of hunters is in no way political and should not be framed as such.

Armstrong declined comment. Quinn and Edming didnt return messages.

At least nine other states, including Alaska, Arizona and Texas, have designated official state firearms, according to the National Rifle Association. North Dakota lawmakers on Wednesday rejected a proposal to make the Winchester Model 1876 rifle that states official firearm. One of the Legislatures handful of American Indian members, Democrat Jayme Davis, complained that the rifle was used to wipe out buffalo in the 1800s, robbing Indigenous people of a key resource.

State Sen. Chris Larson, a Milwaukee Democrat, scoffed at the Wisconsin bill. His city has been grappling with a sharp uptick in homicides since the COVID-19 pandemic began and guns have been the weapon of choice.

According to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel database, about 200 people have been killed in the city in each of the last three years. Ninety percent of the victims last year and in 2021 were shot; 79% of the victims in 2020 were shot.

Are you kidding me? Larson said of the bill. Why? Why? You know, there are mounting problems in our communities that people are facing. It seems silly that were trying to go down a path of trying to designate things that are just bumper-sticker signals to a base.

The GOP legislators are seeking co-sponsors to sign on by March 24. Aides to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu didnt immediately respond to emails inquiring about the bills prospects.

Britt Cudaback, a spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, also didnt respond to an email asking if the governor would support the measure, but it appears unlikely that Evers would sign the bill into law if it gets to him.

The governor called a special legislative session in 2019 to pass bills creating universal background checks on gun purchasers and to allow judges to disarm people deemed to be a threat. Republicans gaveled in and gaveled out within seconds without taking any action on the measures.

Last year, Evers vetoed a set of GOP bills that would have expanded concealed carry rights.

From Badgers to Kringle, test your knowledge of Wisconsin's state symbols
Gov. Tony Evers on March 17 announced his appointment of former State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski to Secretary of State of Wisconsin. The appointment fills a vacancy created by Secretary of State Doug La Follettes retirement, effective March 17.

La Follette was first elected as Secretary of State in 1974 and then again in 1982, holding the office for 11 consecutive terms spanning more than 40 years.

In a constitutional office that has been held by fewer than 30 individuals since 1848, Godlewski will be only the third woman in Wisconsin state history to serve as Secretary of State. Glenn Wise made Wisconsin state history as the first woman to serve as Secretary of State when she was appointed by former Gov. Walter J. Kohler Jr. in 1955. Vel Phillips was the second woman to serve as Secretary of State. In 1978, she became the first woman ever to be elected to the position and the first African American elected to statewide office in Wisconsin.

Secretary of State La Follettes retirement after more than 40 years of state service leaves an incredibly important role to fill, and I want to thank him for his years of dedication to the people of Wisconsin throughout his long career, Evers said. In a critical position that has seen no turnover in decades, maintaining continuity with a leader whos prepared and committed to fulfilling this offices constitutional obligations could not be more important  and theres no one more uniquely qualified or better suited for the job than Sarah.

Godlewski, who most recently served as Wisconsin State Treasurer from 2019 to 2023 before deciding not to seek re-election to the office, is no stranger to state constitutional office roles and responsibilities. In 2018, Godlewski led the fight to protect the constitutional office of the state treasurer and to save the states fiscal watchdog, as a constitutional amendment abolishing the office altogether was set to be put before Wisconsin voters for final approval. The effort was rejected by more than 60% of Wisconsin voters in April 2018. Later that year, in November 2018, Godlewski was elected to the office she helped save, winning her first-ever campaign for public office.

The people of Wisconsin placed their trust and faith in Sarahs experience and values to serve as our state treasurer, and shell bring those same qualities to her new role as Wisconsins Secretary of State," Evers said. "Sarah will bring unparalleled leadership and vision as a tenacious advocate whos passionate about making smart, sound financial decisions that protect our states future, and Im excited to continue our work together over the next four years."

The Wisconsin State Treasurer is a constitutional officer charged with helping manage state trust funds, executing certain financial instruments and checks, and promoting transparency within the unclaimed property program. As state treasurer Godlewski worked to revitalize the treasurer's role as the states chief financial officer, pushing to restore confidence in the offices fiscal management and reinstate the responsibilities and powers that had been removed or transferred as part of the decades-long effort to slowly dismantle the office. In addition, Godlewski also helped launch a homeownership network designed to empower Wisconsinites to buy and stay in their homes and advocated for creating a child savings account program called 401(K)ids.

In 2019, Evers also appointed Godlewski to chair the Governors Task Force on Retirement Security, created by Executive Order No, 45, charged with developing new strategies to address growing concerns for Wisconsins aging population and lack of retirement savings and security, identify barriers to retirement savings and planning, and promote awareness about financial sustainability and solvency.

It was a privilege to serve the people of Wisconsin as state treasurer for four years, and I am humbled that Gov. Evers has called upon me to serve as secretary of state, Godlewski said. To become just the third woman in our states history to hold this office is the honor of a lifetime. I know how important this role is and my responsibilities are, and Im looking forward to getting to work.

The Wisconsin Secretary of State is a constitutional officer charged with maintaining official legislative and gubernatorial acts and affixing the Great Seal of Wisconsin to all official acts of the governor. Additionally, and importantly, the Secretary of State also serves on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands (BCPL), one of Wisconsins oldest agencies. Godlewski brings unparalleled experience to BCPL, having already served on the board in her capacity as state treasurer.

The BCPL, established by the Wisconsin Constitution, has several key responsibilities, including holding title to nearly 77,000 acres of school trust lands and managing four trust funds totaling more than $1 billion in assets, including the Common School Fund, the net earnings of which are distributed annually to public school districts.

The daughter of two public school teachers, Godlewski is a fifth-generation Wisconsinite, born and raised in Eau Claire, who learned at an early age the importance of public service. Prior to her time in state government, Godlewski worked for almost a decade at the Pentagon.

She was co-founder of MaSa Partners, an impact investment firm that funds early-stage businesses; and a co-founder of WE Capital Fund, which empowers female entrepreneurs through financing opportunities.

In 2022, Godlewski ran for the U.S. Senate, advocating for reproductive healthcare, affordable child care, and paid family leave.

Godlewskis appointment is effective March 18 and will fill the remainder of La Follettes four-year term ending in January 2027.

In 44 Photos: Big Foot High School presents "Peter Pan and Wendy, " March 3-5, 2023 "Peter Pan & Wendy" - Bedtime stories in Neverland "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Captured "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Cast and Crew Photo "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Peter Pan and Wendy 1 "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Peter Pan and Wendy 2 "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Darling Children in the Nursery "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Captain Hook and Peter Pan Duel 2 "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Captain Hook and Peter Pan Duel 3 "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Flying to Neverland "Peter Pan and Wendy Hook" - Scene 2 aboard "The Jolly Roger" "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Scene aboard The Jolly Roger "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Jubilant Peter Pan "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Shall I Give You a Kiss? "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Show Artwork "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Schoolwork in Neverland with Wendy "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Mr. & Mrs. Darling "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Nana the Dog "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Narrator "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Peter Pan and Wendy's daughter Jane "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Peter Pan enters the nursery window as Wendy Darling sleeps "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Captain James Hook and his band of pirates aboard The Jolly Roger "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Aboard the Jolly Roger with Captain Hook and his pirates "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Captain Hook and his crew listen for sounds of Peter Pan and the Lost Boys "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Walking the Plank "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Playbill "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Mr. and Mrs. Darling and Nana are sad to find their children gone to Neverland "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Wendy and Peter Pan "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Peter Pan and Wendy talk "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Peter Pan tries to reattach his shadow "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Tech crew in the lighting and sound booth "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Peter Pan's Neverland fairy "Tinkerbell" "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Mrs. Darling and a younger Wendy "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Captain James Hook and Peter Pan duel aboard The Jolly Roger "Peter Pan and Wendy" - Peter Pan duels Captain James Hook aboard The Jolly Roger
Photo: Family photo

Jury selection for the trial of a man accused in the 2017 murder of 13-year-old Marrisa Shen began in Vancouver Supreme Court this morning after numerous adjournments over the last six years.

Shens body was found in Burnabys Central Park in the early morning hours of July 19, 2017, after her family reported her missing the night before.

Ibrahim Ali was charged with her murder in September 2018, after what police described as one of the longest and most resource-intensive investigations in the history of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

Alis jury trial was originally set for September 2020, but jury selection was cancelled a month before it was scheduled to begin, and the court was told the trial wouldnt start until September 2021.

Since then, pre-trial applications have pushed that start date back four more times, to Jan. 10, 2022, Sept. 19, 2022, Jan. 16, 2023 and finally to April 3.

It is anticipated that the time between now and the start date will be sufficient to accommodate jury selection and remaining pre-trial matters, B.C. Prosecution Service spokesperson Dan McLaughlin said in an emailed statement.

McLaughlin said the trial will likely run through to June 30.

Shen was set to start Grade 9 at Moscrop Secondary School before she was killed.
Bailout of Credit Suisse Is a Bailout of Wall Street

March 16, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)The Swiss financial website In$ide Paradeplatz, gives interesting background information today on why the Swiss National Bank was forced to intervene in Credit Suisse with $54 billion, what they call the largest bailout in history in Switzerland. (Formally, the bailout of UBS in 2008 was larger, but it included taxpayers money, whereas this time it is only central bank money.)

An initial blow was given by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which, on March 8, blocked the publication of CSs annual report. Why? Some irregularities were mentioned, but one can assume that they were so big, and with CS being a convicted felon in this field, that the SEC did not feel like allowing it this time. However, the action was a clear blow to Credit Suisses credibility.

The second blow came from the Saudi government (9.8% shareholders), as they refused to step in to the bailout. Chairman Ammar Abdul Wahed Al Khudairy of Saudi National Bank (the Kingdoms largest commercial bank), in an interview with Bloomberg TV on March 15, categorically ruled out any further aid. Although Bloomberg cites regulatory reasons, it is nonetheless highly interesting, given the repositioning of Riyadh away from the collapsing Western systemespecially because bailing out Credit Suisse meant bailing out Wall Street.

And the third aspect: According to In$ide Paradeplatz, orders were given to the Swiss National Bank to bail out CS, given Credit Suisses high exposure to American banks. CS can now meet its obligations in dollars, thanks to the swap agreement between the Fed and the Swiss National Bank.

The dimensions of the bailout are a scandal in itself. You could build three Gotthard Basis Tunnelsthe largest infrastructure so far built in Switzerlandwith that money. It will certainly have political repercussions. It is also more than the annual GDP of all but 12 of the countries in Africa.

And the question is, will it be enough? Pam and Russ Martens of Wall Street on Parade accurately point to the fact that U.S. banks are counterparties to CS derivatives, and that four banks retain 88.6% of all notional amounts of derivatives in the U.S. banking system. Furthermore, U.S. banks that are not directly exposed to CS, are exposed to banks that are.

All eyes were on Christine Lagarde today, who announced the European Central Bank decision on rates. As if nothing had happened, Lagarde announced another hawkish increase of 50 basis points.
(The Penticton bike lane project) must be completed. This is the future and I am now able to bike safely to more locations and drive less.

As a 40-year resident, I am proud of the forward-thinking residents of this community.

Penticton is joining major communities around the world, from Vancouver to New York to many European cities, who join in recognizing the future of transportation.

Penticton continues to set an example of putting the environment, recreation and health first.

Peter Schick

Choosing to complete this project has made me so proud of this community and opened up transportation and recreation opportunities for me that are the envy of my family and friends from elsewhere.

This is consistent with the enormous reputation Penticton maintains as a recreation paradise.

My family in Mexico, with such a better climate for biking, witnesses what happens to health and quality of life when you choose the opposite direction.

Paty Razumoff, Penticton

I watched (Castanets) video about people's opinions about the bike lane. I would like to voice my support for the bike lane. I think it is an excellent addition to our transportation infrastructure.

Bob Wood
French President Emmanuel Macron ordered a highly unpopular bill Thursday to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. Macron acted without the support of Parliament.

The countrys lawmaking body is expected to react with proposals to withdraw parliamentary support of Macrons government. Police vehicles circled the National Assembly building in preparation for possible unrest.

The proposed retirement age and pension changes have led to major strikes and protests across the country since January. Macron argues that reform is needed to keep the pension system from falling into deficit.

The decision to use special constitutional powers to order the measure was made during a Cabinet meeting. It took place just a few minutes before Parliament was to vote on the proposal. Macron had no guarantee of a majority in Frances lower house of parliament.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne tried to officially announce the decision at the National Assembly. Some members interfered by singing the French national song. The speaker had to briefly suspend the meeting to return order to the process.

Borne said the presidential order was a necessary measure. We cannot take the risk to see 175 hours of parliamentary debate collapse  We cannot gamble on the future of our pensions, she said.

Borne said her government is accountable to the parliament. Opposition members answered her with booing.

Lawmakers on the liberal and conservative sides quickly confirmed their next moves.

Marine Le Pen said her National Rally party would present a proposal to withdraw support. Communist Party lawmaker Fabien Roussel said a similar proposal is ready from his group.

The mobilization will continue, Roussel said. This reform must be suspended.

A withdrawal of support requires at least half the members of Parliaments lower house to vote in favor of the proposal. That means 287 votes. The last time the French government was forced to resign was in 1962.

If proposals to withdraw support fail, the pension bill would be considered enacted.

Earlier Thursday, the French Senate adopted the retirement age raise bill in a 193-114 vote.

Macron wants to raise the retirement age so workers put more money into the system.

He has pushed the pension changes as a central method for making the French economy more competitive. The reform would raise the lowest age for pension. It also would require 43 years of work to earn a full pension, along with other changes.

Almost 500,000 people protested against the bill around the country Wednesday.

Economic difficulties have led to widespread unrest across Western Europe. In Britain on Wednesday, teachers, doctors in training and public transport workers were striking for higher wages. And Spains government joined with labor unions to announce a historic deal to save its pension system by raising social security costs for higher wage earners.

All three European nations are members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In 2020, the OECD says, the average normal retirement age among member nations was 64.2 years for men and 63.4 years for women.

Im Caty Weaver.

The Associated Press reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English.

_____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

pension n. an amount of money paid on a usual basis to a person especially following retirement

gamble v. to take action that has an element of risk

mobilization n. the act of putting something into movement or circulation

boo v. to shout disapproval or contempt

______________________________________________________________________

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The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners sell their share of the company or face a U.S. ban, the company told Reuters Wednesday.

The move is the strongest in a series of recent steps against the company by U.S. officials and lawmakers. American officials have raised fears that TikTok's U.S. user data could be passed on to China's government. There is also concern that pro-Chinese propaganda could be pushed through the app.

TikTok remains very popular and is used by two-thirds of teenagers in the United States.

Wang Wenbin is Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson. He told reporters that the U.S. has not presented evidence that TikTok threatens American national security. He also said the U.S. was using the excuse of data security to suppress foreign companies.

ByteDance, which owns TikTok, confirmed that 60 percent of its shares are owned by foreign investors.

It is the first time Biden, a Democrat, has threatened to ban TikTok. Former President Republican Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok in 2020 but the move was blocked by U.S. courts.

Brooke Oberwetter is a TikTok spokesperson. She told Reuters the company had recently heard about the possible ban from the U.S. Treasury-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

CFIUS is a powerful national security body. It had recommended in 2020 that ByteDance sell TikTok. Under pressure from then-President Trump, ByteDance unsuccessfully tried to sell TikTok to Walmart and Oracle in late 2020.

TikTok head Shou Zi Chew is set to appear before the U.S. Congress next week. It is not clear whether the Chinese government would approve any sale or divestment.

Last month, the White House gave government agencies 30 days to remove TikTok from federal devices and systems. More than 30 U.S. states have also banned employees from using TikTok on government-owned devices. On Thursday, Britains government announced that TikTok is banned from government devices, effective immediately.

Any U.S. ban could large face legal blocks and also have possible political effects.

Last week, Democratic Senator Mark Warner said it was important the U.S. government do more to explain the national security risks from TikTok.

TikTok and CFIUS have been negotiating for more than two years on data security requirements. TikTok said it has spent more than $1.5 billion on data security efforts and rejects spying accusations.

Last week, the White House backed legislation to give the administration new powers to ban TikTok and other foreign-based technologies if they threaten national security. That could give the Biden administration more strength in court if it bans TikTok.

China has long been concerned about foreign social media and communications apps. It bans most of the best-known ones, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Im Dan Novak.

Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by Reuters and The Associated Press.

______________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

teenager  n. someone who is between 13 and 19 years old

divest  v. to sell or give away
OMAHA  A lawsuit brought against Catholic Charities of Omaha by an employee after an active-shooter drill raises a novel legal question about whether an employee can sue their employer in civil court for a workplace injury.

Sandra Lopez, a Catholic Charities employee, was at the organization's office May 19, 2022, when gunshots rang out. A man brandishing a semiautomatic handgun banged on the windows and fired shots into the air. One person laid on the ground covered in what looked to be blood.

Lopez, terrified, ran across the street, jumped off a retaining wall and took shelter inside a nearby Scooter's drive-thru. When Lopez's son called her employer to let them know she was safe, he was told that the shooting was "play acting" and a "safety drill."

Aside from three Catholic Charities executives, employees were not informed that a safety drill was taking place  and many believed that they were in a real-life active shooter situation. Local police also were not notified.

Catholic Charities had paid $2,500 to John Channels, the fake gunman who is now facing a litany of criminal charges, to facilitate an active shooter training. The nonprofit has said Channels insisted that leadership not tell employees it was a drill in order to make it as lifelike as possible. Channels, 28, denied that through his attorney and said the organization wanted it to be realistic.

Earlier this year, Lopez filed a lawsuit against Catholic Charities alleging assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress and requesting damages. Lopez suffered a back injury from jumping off the retaining wall and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the staged shooting.

Catholic Charities has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which Douglas County District Court Judge Timothy Burns took under advisement Tuesday. He will consider briefs from both parties and issue a written opinion.

If Burns dismisses the lawsuit, Lopez's attorney, Thomas White, will appeal to the Nebraska Supreme Court.

The lawsuit presents what White sees as a novel legal question that hasn't been decided in Nebraska: Do workers' compensation courts have exclusive jurisdiction over workplace injuries even if the employer specifically intends to do harm?

Under Nebraska law, Workers' Compensation Court is the exclusive remedy for work-related injuries. But White said that an exception to that exclusivity should exist in cases where the employer "specifically intended to create the complained of injury."

White, in a court filing, said that failing to hold employers accountable for intentional harms would create a dangerous precedent.

"An employer who can escape general liability even when intentionally injuring his or her employee is given license to commit mayhem," the filing reads.

In its filing, Catholic Charities claimed that the issue has already been litigated, citing multiple Nebraska Supreme Court cases that denied employee's attempts to assert intentional wrongdoing in common court and instead sent them back to Workers' Compensation Court.

Other states have litigated the issue and come to different conclusions. For example, the Texas Supreme Court has repeatedly reaffirmed an intentional injury exception in cases where injury or death is "substantially certain to result" from an employer's actions.

Top Journal Star photos for March 2023
Two men were arrested Saturday after a traffic stop on Interstate 80 uncovered 44 pounds of meth and roughly 9,000 fentanyl pills.

Seward County Sheriff's deputies stopped a Chevrolet Tahoe heading east near mile marker 382, according to a news release. Deputies say they were tipped off by suspicious behavior by the vehicle's occupants.

A search of the vehicle also found a stolen gun, authorities said in a news release.

Authorities arrested Fausto A. Castro-Mendoza of Phoenix and Jesus Villanueva of Denver on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Villanueva was also found to have outstanding warrants in Colorado.

They were taken to jail without incident.

Top Journal Star photos for March 2023
Floor action in the Nebraska Legislature returned to a more steady pace Thursday as lawmakers reached an agreement that could mean the end of a three-week long filibuster.

Speaker of the Legislature John Arch announced he and state Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha agreed to let floor debate continue as normal Thursday, while debate on a controversial bill that was the impetus of Cavanaugh's one-woman filibuster will begin next week. However, the agreement doesn't guarantee a permanent end to her effort.

"I am going to take a break," Cavanaugh said Thursday.

Cavanaugh has been filibustering as much as she can for the last three weeks, bringing the pace of action on the floor to a crawl. With the Legislature more than halfway through its session, her efforts have resulted in few bills advancing through the first of three rounds of debate, and none have entered the second round.

Cavanaugh was mainly protesting LB574, which would ban gender-altering care to individuals under 19. She contends the bill "legislates hate" and targets transgender children.

She initially intended to stall progress on the bill, but Cavanaugh and her allies now want to kill it outright. They believe LB574 doesn't have the 33 votes it needs to pass a filibuster-ending cloture motion. The bill has 23 co-sponsors, not including its principal introducer Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha.

Cavanaugh has resisted the idea that the Legislature might debate the bill for a few hours before setting it aside  not advancing it, but also not killing it. On Wednesday, she said she wanted lawmakers to vote on the measure because she wants the bloody hands of its supporters on the record.

"I want your vote on these bills," Cavanaugh said.

Arch said Thursday that LB574 will see a cloture vote. Debate will begin on the bill Tuesday, and will likely continue until Thursday. He said he spoke to Kauth about the agreement on Wednesday, and she indicated she also wanted to bring the bill to debate.

The fate of Cavanaugh's filibuster efforts will depend on the outcome of the cloture vote. Cavanaugh said if LB574 reaches cloture and advances to the second round of debate, she will resume her filibustering to stall its progress. If the bill is killed, she said, she will not continue her filibuster.

Top Journal Star photos for March 2023
I am glad to see both Poland, and now Slovakia, giving fighter jets to Ukraine to help stop the Russians and the irony that these planes are Soviet-era Migs is not lost.

If the Russians' own weapons can help defeat them that would be great. It's obvious (Russian President Vladimir) Putin doesn't intend to stop his insane attack, so hopefully equipping the Ukrainians better will.

Putin has now been charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court for abducting Ukrainian children and for deliberately attacking civilian sites.

I doubt he will ever go to trial but acknowledging his crimes to the world is important. It will have consequences for him eventually. These dictators who think they can do whatever they want need to be challenged and removed if we want a peaceful world.

The Ukrainians have proven their resilience over this past year and they still need the world's support to stop Putin.

A Mullins
The Legislature's Executive Board on Wednesday advanced a bill calling for a study of the short- and long-term costs of replacing Nebraska's coal and natural gas plants with resources like wind and solar.

The committee advanced the bill (LB566) from Sen. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard on a 5-2 vote. Two other senators -- Speaker John Arch and Sen. Ray Aguilar of Grand Island -- were absent.

Bostelman's proposal would appropriate $30,000 to hire a consultant to examine the trends and potential economic impacts of increased reliance of renewable energy in Nebraska, and would look at the economic benefits of maintaining coal, natural gas and nuclear.

The chair of the Natural Resources Committee said the bill seeks to understand how renewable energy "threatens the ability of power suppliers in the state to maintain existing baseload generation."

At a hearing on Feb. 24, several Omaha high school students said the bill did not consider the declining costs of solar and wind generation and ignored the negative impacts of maintaining electricity generated from coal and gas-fired plants.

The members of Students for Sustainability also said that if Nebraska keeps on its current track it could fall further behind other states that have embraced renewable energy.

While Bostelman said he was open to amending the bill, the Executive Board advanced it to the floor without any amendments.

Voting in favor of the bill were Sen. Tom Briese of Albion; Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston; Sen. John Lowe of Kearney; Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar; and Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln.

Opposed to advancing LB566 to the floor were Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln and Sen. Tony Vargas of Omaha.

Meet the Nebraska state senators making laws in 2023
Lukas van den Berge (Utrecht University - Faculty of Law; Utrecht University) has posted The Fragility of Liberal Democratic Law: Reflections on the Work of Johan van der Walt (Netherands Journal of Legal Philosophy, Vol. 52, No. 1, 2023, pp. 3-15) on SSRN. Here is the abstract:

With populism and political illiberalism on the rise, established principles of liberal democracy and the rule of law have shown to be fragile. Consequently, many scholars of legal philosophy and political theory have set out to investigate how these principles could be defended against outward threats. In his recent work, legal philosopher Johan van der Walt takes another approach, aimed at rethinking the core principles of liberal democracy and the rule of law themselves. The Netherlands Journal of Legal Philosophy has now published a special issue in which Van der Walt explains how his newly developed concept of liberal democratic law relates to the ideas of Rawls and Habermas. His article is followed by responses from Hans Lindahl (Tilburg), Chiara Raucea (Tilburg), Irena Rosenthal (Nijmegen), Stefan Rummens (Leuven), Ronald Tinnevelt (Nijmegen), Manon Westphal (Munster) and Nikolas Vagdoutis (Luxembourg). The present paper introduces the reader to the special issue and provides some reflections on Van der Walts recent work on liberal democracy and the rule of law.

Recommended.
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Paul Ivkovich, 49, of Middleton, started his Verona toy shop when he was young child.

His first two action figures were the famous Star Wars franchise protagonist and Jedi knight Luke Skywalker wearing X-Wing pilot attire and R5-D4, a droid that appeared in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, the first movie of the franchise, released in 1977. Ivkovichs toy collection grew with him, and the small business owner would later realize he could sell said toys.

My dad had the foresight to let me know that if I took care of (my toys) that someday they would be valuable, Ivkovich said. He was right. When I was in college in the 90s, I attended my first toy show. I bought a table, I put out my toys, and I walked away from that show with several thousand dollars in my pocket.

Both action figures now sit inside a display case at The Toys Of Our Lives, a vintage toy and collectibles store Ivkovich opened on Veronas Main Street last fall.

He operates the shop with his daughter, who he said handles the business social media accounts and general online presence.

Foot traffic has so far been fantastic, said Ivkovich, adding that The Toys Of Our Lives has built up a steady roster of roughly 40 regulars. It helps that the health technology giant Epic Systems campus is down the road. Ivkovich offered he companys 11,600 a discount upon opening. He said he guessed that tech workers might enjoy what he has to offer.

Customers come to the store at 103 S. Main St. to buy the shops merchandise, conduct trades or to sell their own collectibles.

Some even work with The Toys Of Our Lives on a consignment basis, Ivkovich said, in which sellers can display their products. They keep the majority of resulting profits, and the shop keeps the rest, Ivkovich said. The name of his shop is a loose reference to the soap opera Days of Our Lives, which debuted in 1965.

The interior of the store is divided into decades, starting with the 1970s. Each section has shelves lined with toys, comics and other wares popularized during that decade, as well as a television playing nostalgic TV advertisements.

I was born in the early 70s, but the 80s was really my generation, Ivkovich said of his personal favorite section of his shop. Star Wars toys and Transformers and G.I. Joe and SilverHawks and ThunderCats  so many great lines.

Prices range from Pokemon card packs worth a few dollars to vintage vehicle pieces from G.I. Joe, an American military science fiction television series from the 1980s, retailing for a couple thousand.

Besides what customers bring in, inventory consists of Ivkovichs own toy collection, as well as treasures he finds at antique malls, conventions and other toy stores, he said.

The business also hosts decade-themed trivia nights, he said, adding that the business has a Star Wars trivia night planned for May the fourth, pun intended.

When asked about plans to expand The Toys Of Our Lives, Ivkovich said he hopes to open locations in large metros like Las Vegas and San Diego.

Collecting was a way for me to escape from the darker times of my life, he said, adding that he finds joy in sharing his passion with customers, as well as helping those same customers reawaken their inner child.

Throwback photos: Vintage Christmas toy ads from the '20s through the '80s You can tell a lot about how American culture has changed in the last century by looking at what changed  and what didn't  in the toy ads that ran in the Wisconsin State Journal between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 1920s The earliest toy ads in this look through the archives reveal the limitations of both manufacturing and worldview of early 20th Century Americ 1930s When the Great Depression struck the United States, toy advertisers turned to more practical gifts for children. Ads promoted value, sale pric 1940s The practicality of the 1930s continued early in the 1940s, but the end of World War II (which gave rise to the "Baby Boom") and the arrival o 1950s Christmas ads from the 1950s show a growing toy landscape, with more variants and higher complexity in toys than before. Note the ad for the 1 1960s The space race is evident in some of the ads from the 1960s, with science-tool toys like microscopes and telescopes finding their way into Chr 1970s Electronics began their slow ascent to the top of the gift-giving list in the 1970s, with calculators, televisions, cameras, watches and clock 1980s Electronic entertainment continued its rise to dominance with the debut of the laser disc and video game systems like Atari. The next generati
For an orchestra conductor, raising the baton at the start of a concert is a tiny fraction of the job.

Id say its about 5% of what we do, says Andrew Sewell, music director for the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.

Its that other 95% that Kelby Schnepel and Daewon Kang are learning as graduate students at the UW-Madison Mead Witter School of Music  and now as the first recipients of a new conducting fellowship with the WCO.

The fellowship program aims to give hands-on, real-world professional experience to young conductors, adding to the experience they get in the classroom and while serving as conductors or assistant conductors of university-level ensembles.

It bridges the gap between the schooling and the professional world, said Schnepel, who is completing a masters degree in conducting in May.

Its just a great opportunity for me to walk down the street, observe rehearsals and chat with Andrew about, Hey, youre rehearsing something this way  why? That motion you do  whats that about? And you learn how an orchestra functions. I cant imagine stepping into a professional orchestra without knowing some of the procedures from this fellowship.

The 33-member WCO regularly performs its Masterworks concerts in the Overture Centers Capitol Theater. Its the orchestra that plays on the Capitol steps during the summer Concerts on the Square, performs a sold-out Handels Messiah each year and serves as the live orchestra for Madison Ballets annual production of The Nutcracker. In 2021, the WCO launched its first composer-in-residence program with composer and author Bill Banfield.

Sewell had already collaborated with Oriol Sans  director of orchestra activities at the Mead Witter School of Music, and music director and conductor of the UW Symphony Orchestra and University Opera  to bring in UW graduate conducting students to observe and work with the WCO.

But last year we felt that it would be nice to make it more formalized (with a fellowship), so they would get more out of it, and it would be more of a partnership, Sewell said.

Fellows get to see the inner workings of a professional orchestra (and) at the same time study the repertoire, he said.

They also serve as a cover conductor for certain WCO performances  which means attending rehearsals, learning the scores, studying the conductors work and stepping in to lead the orchestra when needed.

When I was a student, just recently graduated, that was part of my training  to be a cover conductor with the Detroit Symphony, Sewell said.

Its mutually beneficial. I like the idea of a mentorship, a professional liaison, and at the same time, we get the benefit of another set of ears in the hall.

And you never know  thats how careers are made, when somebody is indisposed at the last minute and  here you go, its your turn, he said. As a cover conductor, youre to be prepared should something go wrong. It gives you that sense of preparedness, so you know whats at stake.

Sans agreed. Its great to give them this professional experience while they are still students at the university, he said. In the competitive field of orchestra conducting, they are one step ahead.

Wonderfully terrifying

Schnepel grew up in Virginia, where he started to play music in his schools fifth-grade strings program. He first tried the violin, but switched to cello after a friend told him that if he did, they could sit together.

Later while earning a bachelors and masters in music education from Old Dominion University, he learned all the instruments  so that he could teach them. He served as orchestra director at Norfolk Academy and was an adjunct professor teaching music theory at Virginia Wesleyan University.

He and Kang are both assistant conductors for the UW Symphony Orchestra and University Opera, filling in if Sans is absent, or sometimes working with separate sections of the orchestra on their parts. They also co-conduct campus ensembles made up of non-music majors or even staff and faculty.

Schnepel, 30, was cover conductor for Nutcracker in December and the WCO Masterworks concert The Four Seasons in late January.

As an undergrad, Schnepel had to take a conducting course where the final exam involved leading a student ensemble. That experience led him to consider a conducting career.

After taking more lessons, I realized just how much there was to know, he said. I thought, Theres so much here to learn, so much I can explore and discover.

Today, conducting for Schnepel is so wonderfully terrifying, he said. What Im focusing on here, with Oriol (Sans), is connecting with the musicians. And its hard, because theyre all staring at you. And you have this responsibility to make it go right. But when you connect with them, its a whole other level of goodness. You just feel it  this is a connection.

Collaborating with musicians

The artistic head of an orchestra selects the music, auditions the musicians, hires the soloists, oversees the schedule for rehearsals and performance, and is the public face of the orchestra, giving lectures and interviews, interacting with donors and  of course  studying and interpreting every nuance of a composers score.

The cover conductor serves as another pair of ears, often sitting in the concert hall and taking notes for the conductor during rehearsal.

You have to know exactly what theyre looking for, said Alison Norris, who earned a masters of music in orchestral conducting at UW-Madison in 2022 and is now applying for further professional studies programs.

Norris, 27, was a cover conductor for a WCO Beethoven concert in 2022 and The Nutcracker in 2021.

The threat of COVID hung over The Nutcracker that year, and the end of the run had to be canceled after some cast members got sick. It was a little bit scary with COVID, Norris recalled. Still, you have to be ready to step in.

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Norris was a mechanical engineering and flute performance major in college, but got into conducting after creating a wind ensemble that toured the U.S.

I realized I like music leadership, said Norris, who uses they/them pronouns. I really like collaborating with musicians.

And the professionals in the WCO are particularly very welcoming, very positive and kind, they said. Sewell is a fantastic person. Hes always eager to sit down and talk about his experiences and the art of conducting.

Though they graduated before the formal start of the fellowship program, Norris also worked with the WCO last summer during Concerts on the Square, calling the shots for live video of the concert. That entailed following the score and instructing the video crew when, for example, to focus on a soloist or certain section of the orchestra.

Thats one more duty of todays cover conductor, said Schnepel, who calls video shots for UW Symphony Orchestra concerts.

Its great working with Sewell, Schnepel agreed. Hes so informative about everything he does. During Nutcracker, we would go for coffee, and he would explain how he plans his day and what hes picking up on during rehearsals.

Sewell also introduced Schnepel to good music thats not performed as often as some of the classics. One thing that has astounded the young conductor? How rapidly the WCOs highly skilled musicians learn the music and put together a concert.

I knew it was going to be faster paced than a university orchestra, Schnepel said. I think it was a shock how fast everything comes together. The first rehearsal, theyre still putting things together. The second rehearsal, its almost concert-ready.

Finding a voice

For Daewon Kang, who is pursuing his doctor of musical arts in orchestral conducting at UW-Madison, the conducting fellowship is another way for young conductors to find their own voice.

Every conductor has their own musical interpretations and ideas, he said. It is really important to have our own musical idea, which makes each conductor special. It takes time to find our own voice and it can only be learned from countless experiences at the podium and studying on the score.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Kang comes from a musical family. My mom is a composer and organist, which means that the first memories of my life were all (of) music, he wrote in an email from Houston during the universitys spring break.

As a youth, Kang moved to Hamburg, Germany, to study music and I fell in love with the sound of the oboe, he wrote. Since then, I have worked with professional orchestras and played under renowned conductors, which inspired me a lot. I started to watch conductors more often during performances and in rehearsals, which led me to a great interest in conducting.

Kang has since lived and studied in Los Angeles and New York, and earned a masters of music in orchestral and choral conducting at Bard College Conservatory of Music. Like Schnepel, he came to Madison largely to study with Sans.

UW-Madison is a wonderful school located in a peaceful environment to concentrate and deepen my conducting studies, with friendly support from the faculty and colleagues, he said.

Kang covered the WCOs Messiah concert in November, and will serve as cover conductor for the orchestras May 12 performance of Banfield and Beethoven.

Preparing the Beethoven Symphony (No. 6, the Pastoral) is challenging and at the same time very exciting, because Beethoven is so essential for all of us. It has a lot of musical details and imagination, he said. Every time when I open the score, I find new musical interpretations and ideas, which makes me focus more and more on his music.

I think conducting is all about trust and communication, said Kang. If we really communicate and give our trust to the musicians, they will give the trust back.
AUGUSTA, Maine  A Maine vegan whose custom license plate contains the word tofu is one of the motorists caught in a state crackdown on vulgar tags.

Car owners across the United States can pay an extra fee to customize license plates, sparking creativity and personality but causing headaches for state officials who have to decide whats acceptable.

Maine had for several years allowed people to put just about any combination of letters and numbers on their vehicle plates, including words and phrases that other states would ban. But the state decided to change course and this year recalled 274 plates it deemed inappropriate.

Some people are fighting back.

So far the state has rejected all of the appeals, including one brought by the vegan whose license plate referenced tofu.

The state concluded the license plate LUVTOFU couldve been seen as a reference to sex instead of admiration for bean curd.

The motorist insisted there was no mistaking his intent because the back of his car had several tofu-related stickers.

Its my protest against eating meat and animal products, Peter Starostecki, the disappointed motorist, said after a zoom session with a hearing examiner for the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

Heather Libby and her best friend grudgingly gave up their matching license plates that contained a word for a female dog.

People are so sensitive nowadays, said Libby, of Jonesport, after a hearing examiner rejected her appeal. I just think its foolish.

When the state effectively ended the review process for so-called vanity license plates in 2015, some residents filled their plates with all manner of profanities, including F-bombs, either spelled out or abbreviated.

Residents in a state known for being laconic and even-tempered soon were sporting uncensored plates pairing the F-word with snow, haters, and ALS,  the incurable neurodegenerative disease.

After license plate freedoms spiraled out of control, the Maine Legislature directed the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to reestablish a system for vetting the states roughly 120,000 vanity license plates.

The new rules ban derogatory references to age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion or disability. Also banned is language that incites violence, or is considered obscene.

Restored as censors, Maines vehicular officials now walk a similar tightrope as their colleagues in other states.

In 2020, a federal judge ruled that Californias ban on plates that are offensive to good taste and decency was overly broad, and violated constitutional rights to free speech. Earlier this year, Texas officials rejected a license plate similar to Starosteckis  LVTOFU  leading to rebukes from an animal rights group.

Maines rules were narrowly crafted to pass legal muster, officials said.

Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said motorists have the freedom to express themselves, but she said that they should do it on a bumper sticker, not a state-issued license plate.

We have a public interest in keeping phrases and words that are profane or may incite violence off the roadways, she said.

She said shes happy that most motorists have relinquished their objectionable license plates without a fight. So far, there have been only 13 appeals, but there could be more.

If a motorist loses an appeal to a hearing examiner, then they can sue in Superior Court. So far, no one has taken that step.

As for Starostecki, he was offered another license plate that had become available, V3GAN. But he decided he was done with vanity plates. Hes awaiting a new license plate  a boring one randomly selected by the state.

Libby, who lost her B-word plate, got a custom plate celebrating her dog Zeus, named for the mythical god of thunder. That could be offensive to someone because its a Greek god, she quipped. But I hope not.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Ziegler has been reelected by her fellow justices to a second two-year term leading the states highest court.

The court announced Thursday that justices had voted in private to keep Ziegler in the post she first assumed in 2021. The court did not announce the vote breakdown.

The chief justice has no additional voting power on the Supreme Court. However, the person who holds the title is the administrative head of the states judicial system and has administrative authority over the procedures adopted by the Supreme Court.

Ziegler has served on the court since 2007. She is part of the four-justice conservative majority.

The April 4 election to replace retiring Justice Patience Roggensack will determine whether conservatives maintain their 4-3 majority or liberals take over. Democratic-backed candidate Janet Protasiewicz is running against Republican-backed Dan Kelly.

Roggensack was the first chief justice elected by fellow justices in 2015. That happened after voters approved a constitutional amendment giving justices the power to pick their chief. Before the amendment the longest-serving justice was automatically the chief.
Photo: Chung Chow. Vancouverites can now day-trip to Seattle by train from Vancouver's Pacific Central station

Vancouverites can now day-trip to Seattle by train.



Amtrak announced last week that it has fully restored its Cascadia corridor train service, once again connecting Portland, Seattle and Vancouver by passenger rail.



It is the first direct service to operate between all three cities since the pandemic-induced suspension of rail service across the Canada-U.S. border began in the spring of 2020. This is a welcome development for B.C.s tourism industry in particular, since Washington state represents the provinces biggest tourist source.



Before the pandemic, the train from Vancouver to Portland  with a stop in Seattle  was one of the most popular, according to Janet Matkin, communications manager for the Washington state department of transportations rail, freight and ports division.



Until recently, Amtrak ran one round-trip service between Seattle and Vancouver. The train travelled to Vancouver from Seattle in the morning and returned at night. This meant that British Columbians could not train to Seattle for a day trip and were unable to get to Portland by rail at all.



Matkin says the reason the Seattle-to-Vancouver train was restored earlier was not because of lower customer demand, but rather the result of equipment and labour shortage issues. Matkin added that market demand for those travelling south to Seattle and those travelling north to Vancouver was roughly equal.



Amtrak had increased its bus service through the corridor to make up for lost train service. Matkin said that Amtrak will continue the increased bus service for now and will re-evaluate in the future to determine whether there is sufficient demand to support increased bus service along with added train routes.



In terms of long-term planning for rail transportation in the Pacific Northwest, B.C., Washington state and Oregon are all working towards developing a high-speed rail option. Last year, the provincial government invested $300,000 in the next phase of the Ultra High Speed Ground Transportation Project, which is being led by the Washington state department of transportation, in partnership with B.C., Oregon and other regional and local agencies.



Now, in our vision, it will coordinate with Amtrak Cascades, not necessarily displace Amtrak Cascades. So it would be very high speed, up to 250-miles-per-hour trains that stop at fewer stations. Amtrak Cascades will service more stations, but at slower speeds, said Matkin.



As for adding rail destinations south of Oregon, the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration is looking at possibly reinstating long-distance services that were discontinued in the 1970s, including service to areas like Northern California and Los Angeles.



But diminished train service is not the only thing slowing travel south of the 49th parallel. Backlogs with Nexus, the travel program that allows Canadians and Americans to cross the border through an expedited process, are contributing to slower border crossings.



According to a written statement to BIV from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), it can take up to 12 to 14 months for new applicants to complete the Nexus registration process.



Backlogs have increased because enrolment centres were closed during the pandemic. This delayed some applications by up to 24 months. CBSA highlighted that processing times may vary based on the complexity and thoroughness of the application, and the overall volume of applications that have been received. New joint-country enrolment centres opened along the Canada-U.S. border in New York state and Maine, and on Jan. 25, eight Canadian airport enrolment centres reopened.



Both countries are working to shorten wait times and increase capacity at enrolment centres, according to the CBSA. This includes the introduction of split interviews at two Ontario enrolment centres, where people can interview with Canadian and American border officers during the same visit.



CBSA said the new split interview option may be expanded to additional land locations along the Canada-U.S. border.



B.C. handles a disproportionate amount of Nexus enrolments and Nexus-based travel. More than a quarter of all enrolments are finalized in the Pacific region, which includes the West Coast, Yukon, Okanagan and Kootenay, as well as Metro Vancouver.



In 2019, more than half of all Nexus land crossings  56 per cent  happened in the Pacific region, along with 19 per cent of air traffic.
The Columbia County Board is taking two approaches to voice concerns with large-scale solar projects. The first asks that a proposed project be denied, the second requests that Wisconsin lawmakers revise the law.

The County Board voted on Wednesday, March 16 in favor of two resolutions regarding solar projects. One of the resolutions is the Planning and Zoning Committees list of concerns with a proposed project in the form of public comment. This resolution includes asking the Public Service Commission to deny the application.

High Noon Solar is a proposed large-scale solar project in the towns of Arlington, Leeds, Lowville and Hampden. It could be a patchwork of solar arrays on approximately 2,000 acres of private property with the potential of producing 300 megawatts. It is being developed by Invenergy.

However, March 1 was the deadline for submitting public comment on the PSC application.

The resolution outlines several concerns including a decrease in property value, cost of electricity and environmental factors including fugitive dust that would not only have an environmental impact but also would threaten public health, safety, and welfare as this dust is considered hazardous to human health.

Supervisor Andrew Groves said since the time for public comment has passed this resolution is asking the PSC to accept their comments.

This is strictly an ask to the Public Service Commission. They can put it in the trash can as soon as they get it, Groves said. But its what this board has been asked by its constituents to do.

Groves was speaking about a group of concerned citizens who have demanded action from the county board since November. The group has repeatedly voiced their concerns as many of them have stated their property is near or next to High Noon Solar.

The concerns range from declining property values, environmental impacts on local wildlife and safety concerns like fires on or near the proposed project.

Supervisor Matt Rohrbeck said the county board must act and also mentioned issues with the PSC process.

This is absolutely important that we do something because weve heard from months now about people upset that clearly want their voices heard. The problem is this entire process isnt done, in my opinion, in front of everybody, Rohrbeck said. Its done a lot by a bunch of bureaucrats at the PSC.

He added since the PSC members arent elected to serve they dont have the same accountability as county board members or other elected officials.

We have to go back and ask our constituents to elect us, Rohrbeck said. These unelected bureaucrats only answer to the governor, whoever that may be at the time.

Invenergy Renewable Development Manager Cooper Johnson spoke during the meeting and called the resolutions inaccurate. He stated he was disappointed in the county for proposing the resolutions.

Supervisor Tess Carr was opposed to both resolutions and said they show the county as a bad negotiating partner. Carr added that concerns with the project can be addressed in a joint development agreement with Invenergy and the county.

Larry Nelson is a participating landowner with the High Noon Solar project. He asked board members to vote against the resolutions.

This solar project will generate clean energy for everyone, Nelson said. This is a golden opportunity for Columbia County.

Nelson he lives on a century farm and said that the solar panels will give the cropland a rest from the chemicals and fertilizers. He added the PSC has more resources than Columbia County officials and that is why they should make these decisions and not the county.

Nelson said he is one of about 30 landowners participating in the project and has been talking with Invenergy representatives for over two years.

We are at a critical time when we can impact climate change and benefit our environment, but the clock is ticking and the opportunity and the window is closing fast, Nelson said.

Request to state lawmakers

The other resolution being sent to officials in Madison asks lawmakers to revise solar energy system laws.

A copy of the resolution will be sent to Gov. Tony Evers, all members of the state legislature representing Columbia County and the Wisconsin Counties Association.

The resolution was written by Planning and Zoning Committee Chair Denise Brusveen. She states that there are 14 solar and battery energy storage systems proposed for Columbia County.

The resolution states these projects pose a number of concerns which could include, untold number of acres of prime farmland, wildlife habitat, threatened and endangered species of plants and animals that have been documented within project areas, scenic country views, lives, and livelihoods could be destroyed with little to no opportunity for the county to intervene.

Public utility companies and private developers are using a loophole in Wisconsin State Law that allows these solar projects to be exempt from meeting the same standards as utility companies. These proposed projects receive their Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, then immediately turn around and sell the project to a public utility company.

The resolution asks state lawmakers to revise the solar energy laws to give Wisconsin counties the authority to site utility-scale solar installations in order to maintain orderly planning and comply with the statutory requirement.

This would allow the county to adhere to the objectives, goals, and policies contained in the countys comprehensive plan.

There is a bill currently in the State Assembly that was mentioned on Wednesday. AB 46 was introduced by State Rep. Jon Plumer and co-sponsored by State Senator Joan Ballweg among other Wisconsin lawmakers in February.

The bill would require a company like Invenergy or a developer, intent on purchasing or leasing land for building large solar electric generating facilities to notify the municipalities  towns and counties  of their interests at least 30 days before contacting the landowner about the purchase or lease.

Close PHOTOS: New Sauk City pet store promises its bark is as strong as its bite Tails were wagging in Sauk City Saturday morning as the official opening of Pet Supplies Plus was sealed with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Among the attendees was Sauk City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tywana German, who said she was particularly looking forward to utilizing the new pet shop as it carries the food her own pet bulldog eats, food she typically has to order online.
Inside the battle over the upcoming 2-year Wisconsin budget

Over the next several months, the Republican-led Legislature and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers will battle their way through the the 2023-25 biennial budget process as the state has a projected surplus of more than $7 billion.
Wisconsins longest-serving secretary of state, Doug La Follette, resigned Friday from the position he has held for more than four decades, with former state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski tabbed to lead the office.

The 82-year-old La Follettes announcement comes just months after the Democrat was reelected in November to his 11th consecutive term in office in a narrow win over Republican state Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, of Clinton.

In his resignation letter to Gov. Tony Evers, La Follette said serving as secretary of state has been the honor of my lifetime.

I am so proud of all I have accomplished in my many years of public service, and grateful for the many people Ive had the privilege of getting to know in this role, La Follette said.

Evers, a Democrat, appointed Godlewski, 41, to the role of secretary of state, effective Saturday. She becomes the third woman in state history to hold the office, according to the governors office.

Godlewski will serve the remainder of La Follettes four-year term, which concludes in January 2027.

Evers said in a statement La Follettes retirement leaves an incredibly important role to fill, and I want to thank him for his years of dedication to the people of Wisconsin throughout his long career.

In a critical position that has seen no turnover in decades, maintaining continuity with a leader whos prepared and committed to fulfilling this offices constitutional obligations could not be more important  and theres no one more uniquely qualified or better suited for the job than Sarah, Evers added.

Some pushback

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, in a statement criticized Evers for filling La Follettes seat, rather than calling for a special election. LeMahieu called on the governor to order a special election for the seat and, in the meantime, appoint either current staff or a nonpartisan individual to hold the seat until a special election is completed.

This suggests a premeditated action to award the power of incumbency to a partisan ally, LeMahieu said. It is an insult to voters of Wisconsin and our democratic process.

Godlewski led the bipartisan effort against a constitutional amendment seeking to abolish the state treasurers office. The effort was ultimately rejected by more than 60% of Wisconsin voters in 2018. Godlewski was elected state treasurer later that year.

Rather than seek reelection last year, Godlewski opted to run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Ron Johnson, of Oshkosh, but dropped out of the race before the August primary. Johnson ultimately won a third term in office last fall.

Now we see why Godlewski ducked out of the U.S. Senate race, as she was apparently promised a soft landing, Republican Party of Wisconsin chairman Brian Schimming said in a statement.

I am humbled

Godlewski was appointed by Evers in 2019 to chair the Governors Task Force on Retirement Security, which worked to develop new strategies to address concerns among the states aging population, including the lack of retirement savings and security.

It was a privilege to serve the people of Wisconsin as state treasurer for four years, and I am humbled that Governor Evers has called upon me to serve as secretary of state, Godlewski said in a statement. To become just the third woman in our states history to hold this office is the honor of a lifetime. I know how important this role is and my responsibilities are, and Im looking forward to getting to work.

La Follette fended off a GOP push for his office last year that included proposals to install into the office more controls over state elections  powers that currently reside with the Wisconsin Elections Commission. The bipartisan agency faced mounting criticism from Republicans over how it handled the 2020 election, despite no evidence of widespread fraud.

Loudenbeck told The Associated Press that those who voted for La Follette should be upset and those who voted for her should be outraged.

This move coming so soon after the election raises questions once again about the tactics used by those in power who will do anything to keep that power, she said in a statement.

La Follette faced legal threats from then-state Sen. Kathy Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, last year for not sending out documents to Congress and other states  as required by approved legislation  about holding a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution to limit federal powers. La Follette ultimately sent the documents shortly before the August primary.

Less influence

The Legislature already has stripped many of the secretary of states powers over the years. Former Republican Gov. Scott Walker removed the offices power to publish bills after La Follette delayed publishing the former governors Act 10 collective bargaining law in 2011.

The offices budget and staffing also have been reduced over time, and the office currently has just a few duties, including processing annual requests to authenticate documents for trade, travel, adoptions and education.

After many years of frustration, Ive decided I dont want to spend the next three and a half years trying to run an office without adequate resources and staffing levels, La Follette wrote in his resignation letter. After decades of public service, I must now focus on my personal needs.

La Follette did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

The secretary of state also serves on the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, one of the states oldest agencies. The board has several responsibilities, including holding title to nearly 77,000 acres of school trust lands and managing more than $1 billion in assets, including the Common School Fund, which distributes annual net earnings to public school districts.

La Follette, a distant relative of former governor and U.S. Sen. Robert Fighting Bob La Follette, was first elected secretary of state in 1974 and served one term before stepping down to run for lieutenant governor.

Vel Phillips, the first Black candidate to hold statewide office in Wisconsin, was elected after La Follettes departure.
When Tana Feiner lost her father to suicide in 2014, she initially thought only those in her household would understand her grief.

But after some time, Feiner wanted to channel her grief toward something positive.

Thats when I started volunteering with (the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention), Feiner said. First, I went to an event they had for loss survivors, and it just felt good to connect with other people who had similar experiences.

Then it just felt like something I should do so that other families didnt go through the same thing my family went through, she said.

That brought Feiner to the state Capitol on Thursday, where she met lawmakers and aides on behalf of the Wisconsin chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The Capitol visit is one of several nationwide in which suicide prevention advocates are seeking more funds for state crisis services, such as the 988 mental health crisis number launched in 2020.

Originally a 10-digit suicide prevention hotline number, 988 is meant to help those in crisis have an easily memorized phone number to call. The phone numbers rebrand went nationwide in 2022.

Between August and December, the (Wisconsin) 988 center received a 66% jump in call volume compared to the same period in 2021, so we know people are using it and hearing about it, Feiner said.

Since 2020, mental health has been an ongoing topic for lawmakers, both on a state and local level.

The Legislatures Republican leaders and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers say they want to improve mental health in the state, though they dont necessarily agree on how much to spend.

Locally, on March 10, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi announced a location for the long-awaited county mental health crisis center, in the Huber Center on Madisons South Side.

According to a 2020 suicide prevention plan by Prevent Suicide Wisconsin, research showed suicides rose 40% from 2000-2017 in Wisconsin. And while suicide rates among Wisconsin LGBTQIA+ teens dropped during online learning, teens reported having more anxiety.

Although Feiner lives nearby in Monona, advocates from across the state were scheduled to join her in meeting their state representatives and members of the Assembly Committee on Mental Health.

We need funding so people in Wisconsin have someone to call, someone (who) responds and somewhere to go, said Feiner, who is now an official public policy field ambassador for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

I started attending walks and connecting with other people around the state, then got involved with the board and public policy. It does feel like the right thing to do, Feiner said. I feel strongly that there are a lot of preventable deaths from suicide, and 988 is a great example of that.

The foundation is pushing for $1 million in state funds to be allocated for the creation of statewide suicide prevention programs and campaigns, along with a bill creating suicide death review teams.

That allocation would be in addition to the $3 million Evers proposed for the 988 call center in his 2023 State of the State address.

The death review teams would collect and report suicide data, while working to develop ways to prevent future suicides.

I think that there isnt as much of a stigma around suicide as there was 10 years ago, Feiner said. Were all talking about it more and important legislators want to talk about it, volunteers want to share their stories, and thats really positive.

Art of the Everyday: A recap of May in photos from Wisconsin State Journal photographers
Wisconsin is sitting on the wrong side of history.

In the 1990s, Wisconsin led the nation in Medicaid innovation and eligibility. Under Gov. Tommy Thompsons leadership, Wisconsin obtained a federal waiver to expand BadgerCare eligibility. Thirty years later, Wisconsin Medicaid eligibility has eroded, and the state now lags behind much of the rest of the country as one of only 11 states yet to expand Medicaid.

The time is now to expand Medicaid in our state. Here are five reasons why:

It makes financial sense.

Medicaid is a state-federal partnership, with the federal government paying a portion of each states Medicaid costs. Medicaid historically covered the poor and disabled and those with children in every state. In Wisconsin, the federal government pays about 60% of these Medicaid costs.

The Affordable Care Act, approved in 2010, allows states to expand Medicaid to cover childless adults up to 138% of the federal poverty line, which is annual income of $20,120 for an individual. Wisconsin has not expanded Medicaid, despite the federal governments commitment to pay 90% of this expansion population bill.

Though counterintuitive, if Wisconsin expanded Medicaid, it would both insure more people and bring an additional $1.6 billion in federal money into the state over the next two years. Without expansion, a large part of this cost will instead be borne by the taxpayers of Wisconsin.

There has never been a more critical time to expand Medicaid in Wisconsin.

Due to congressional action in both the Trump and Biden administrations, health insurance was made more accessible and affordable during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the lowest uninsured rate ever in America.

One pandemic-era law required states to suspend Medicaid reviews of whether a person was still eligible for Medicaid, with the idea that it was important to have and maintain health insurance during the public health emergency. But because the governments declaration of a public health emergency is set to expire this spring, reviews of eligibility will restart and more than 49,000 Wisconsinites will lose Medicaid with no other option for health insurance.

Expanding Medicaid is the best way to mitigate these losses and ensure all Wisconsin residents have health care access.

Rural Wisconsinites and hospitals would be most likely to gain if Wisconsin expanded Medicaid.

Rural Wisconsin tends to be disadvantaged and uninsured rates among rural residents are disproportionally higher in states that have not yet expanded Medicaid, according to a report by the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation. The rural uninsured rate was nearly twice as high in non-expansion states as expansion states (21.5% vs. 11.8%) in 2019.

Uninsured Americans may delay or forgo care due to cost. Having insurance is critical to health.

A recent American Hospital Association report detailed accelerating rural hospital closures, in part due to the higher rate of uninsured persons in rural communities. Because hospitals serve anybody who comes through their doors, hospitals caring for the uninsured may not get reimbursed for care delivered.

Rural hospital closures worsen health care access for people already geographically distant from the nearest health care center. According to the president of the Wyoming Hospital Association: Weve seen examples in surrounding states where, by expanding Medicaid, their small hospitals that have been struggling have actually had net gains and actually have profit margins for the first time.

Expanding Medicaid may help attract health care workers.

The United States is facing a health care workforce shortage of about 3 million workers. Health care workers may be attracted to work in areas where patients can get what they need for their health. Wisconsin is the only non-expansion state in the upper Midwest, putting us at a recruiting disadvantage compared to Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota and North Dakota.

Medicaid is not government assistance any more than employer sponsored health insurance is.

Some have argued against Medicaid expansion in the name of smaller government. Yet all types of health insurance in the United States are to some extent government funded.

Medicare, Medicaid, the military and the marketplace exchanges are partly government funded, but so is insurance obtained through an employer, which the majority of Americans enjoy. Heres why: a government expense may be something purchased, like an army tank. An expense may also be revenue that the government decides not to collect in tax exemptions, like employer-sponsored health insurance premiums.

In fact, the exclusion of employer-paid premiums for health insurance from federal income and payroll taxes is the single largest tax expenditure, costing the federal government an estimated $273 billion in fiscal year 2019, according to a briefing book by the Tax Policy Center of the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution. Depriving Medicaid-eligible people access to health insurance because it is government supported is inconsistent with the benefit nearly every insured American enjoys.

What should Wisconsin do? Recently, some states that previously declined to expand Medicaid are reconsidering Medicaid expansion. South Dakota voters last year elected to expand Medicaid. Recently, the Republican-controlled North Carolina Legislature, working with its Democratic governor, announced a proposal to expand Medicaid.

The Wyoming Legislature is also considering expansion, and the Republican chair of its appropriations committee, Steve Harshman, R-Casper, has changed his mind.

Ive voted against this probably 10 times, Harshman said. As the appropriations chair, I cast the deciding vote in committee that killed it  in a year it probably would have passed. Ive just learned so much and as Ive learned more  its the right thing to do for the people. And I think the people of Wyoming who have been opposed to it have come around. I think youve even seen that nationally.

With Medicaid reviews for eligibility just around the corner, expanding Medicaid is the single most important health policy decision our state can make this year, and is the cornerstone of advancing health equity in Wisconsin. Lets join the ranks of states rethinking our prior decisions on Medicaid expansion and get back on the right side of history.
This State Journal editorial ran on Feb. 28, 1993:

It's the transportation equivalent of the age-old question, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" If Highway 12 between Middleton and Sauk City is expanded to a four-lane divided highway, will the state be laying the "egg" of more development and traffic? If the state fails to modernize one of the most unsafe highways in southern Wisconsin, is it ignoring a 400-pound "chicken" that is certain to devour more victims?

There is no question in our minds which comes first, and that's plucking the killer chicken. It is time to put the lives of people ahead of the overblown fears of those who think a wider strip of asphalt will forever destroy the rural character of northwest Dane County.

To travel from Middleton to Sauk City along Highway 12 can be a pleasure drive. Neat farms, rolling hills and picturesque valleys are there to break up the monotony for motorists -- if they dare take their eyes off the road. For all its scenery and character, Highway 12 is treacherous. It has a fatal accident rate more than three times higher than other routes in its class. In the past seven years alone, 20 people have lost their lives on this highway and scores more have come dangerously close.

Each day, according to the state Department of Transportation, 11,000 vehicles travel this stretch of Highway 12. That's up 1,000 vehicles per day from the previous year. By 2000, no other rural two-lane highway in Wisconsin will carry more traffic. ...

Opponents say a four-lane highway only invites more development and more traffic, but the reality is that Highway 12 congestion will only get worse, no matter what the state does to improve the road.

The DOT's "Brake 12" route safety program has helped, but it's only a stopgap solution. The Highway 12 Study Committee, the state Transportation Projects Commission and most local officials agree - a four-lane freeway is overdue. The Dane County Regional Planning Commission has included a four-lane Highway 12 in its regional transportation plan since 1978, and the Transportation Projects Commission recently ranked Highway 12 expansion at the top of its priority list.

What about the "egg'' argument? Won't a four-lane Highway 12 invite sprawl? Not if citizens, local officials, regional planners and the DOT insist otherwise.

It's important to remember that DOT is planning an expressway much like Highway 151 in western Dane County, which means limited access. The agency has already promised it will restrict access to points approved by local governments. That precludes strip development. The DOT has also pledged to work with public and private agencies on carpooling, van-pooling and commuter bus strategies for Highway 12 and elsewhere in Dane County.

A four-lane expressway will cut the death rate by 70%, reduce the accident rate by even more, save energy and serve people and businesses in Sauk City, Baraboo, Reedsburg and Middleton. There are legitimate environmental and planning concerns, but they can be met while proceeding with Highway 12 expansion plans. The chicken comes first; the egg can be kept in its shell.
Silicon Valley Bank  a California-based bank that largely catered to technology, venture capital and startup-focused customers  made news as it swiftly collapsed, creating great concern over the billions of dollars it held in deposits.

The bank was insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., and on Monday, the FDIC took over SVBs operations so customers wouldnt lose their funds, even those above the insurable limit. These customers, some of which were businesses that needed to be able to pay their employees, have likely been spared from financial catastrophe.

The FDIC is working to resolve things for SVBs customers, but you may still be wondering what you should do if your bank fails in the future. Another bank, New York-based Signature Bank, also recently collapsed and was bailed out by the FDIC, so banks failing in the future could be a reality, though generally unlikely. Here are some common questions that have come out of SVBs collapse.

How does FDIC insurance work?

FDIC insurance protects your funds in case your FDIC-insured bank fails. It typically covers up to $250,000 per depositor per institution for each ownership category  such as single accounts, joint accounts and trust accounts  so if your bank balance is $250,000 or less, your money will be returned to you no matter what happens to the bank. If your balance is over $250,000, however, there are other ways to guarantee your money is fully protected.

How do I ensure all of my funds are insured?

At the bottom of your banks website, it will say member FDIC or show the FDIC logo if your bank is federally insured. You can also check the FDIC bank search tool to confirm whether your bank is covered. If you keep your money at a credit union, your funds will be insured through the National Credit Union Administration, or NCUA, and the coverage is typically the same.

Is my money safe in the bank?

Yes. If your bank or credit union is federally insured, your money will be protected. In the case of Silicon Valley Bank, the FDIC said on Monday it transferred all the deposits, both insured and uninsured, of Silicon Valley Bank to Silicon Valley Bank, N.A., a full-service 'bridge bank' that will be operated by the FDIC. Even if you had more than the federally insured $250,000 amount in your account, your funds will be protected.

A bridge bank is meant to bridge the operational gap between when a bank fails and when the FDIC can stabilize the institution and implement an orderly resolution.

What if I dont get a paycheck?

There shouldnt be an issue with payroll from SVB accounts or those from Signature Bank.

All customers who had deposits in these banks can rest assured theyll be protected and theyll have access to their money as of today, President Joe Biden said in a Monday press conference. That includes small businesses across the country that bank there and need to make payroll, pay their bills and stay open for business.

How can I cover my expenses if my bank fails?

Its important to know how to manage your expenses in case you lose access to your bank account.

Plan ahead. Consider spreading out your emergency fund at multiple banks so that if one account is temporarily unavailable, you still have money to pay your bills. It could also be helpful to keep some cash at home in a safe place.

Figure out your essential payments. If you suddenly lose access to your money, you will need to figure out how to pay your most important expenses. For your rent or mortgage and utilities, contact your landlord, lender or service provider. They may be able to connect you with a hardship program to keep you afloat. If youre having trouble paying for food, you may need to stretch whats in your pantry or see what services are available in your area.

What if my payment apps are connected to SVB and they won't work?

If you have another bank account that you can connect to your payment app, such as Venmo or Cash App, then link the new account information to your profile as a preferred payment method. As a last resort, you can also link a credit card to your app profile, but this option comes with a 3% credit card fee.

Bank failures are rare and the FDIC is typically able to protect customers, but it can still be a jarring experience to have your bank suddenly shut down. Having a backup plan is always a smart idea when it comes to managing your finances.

(Disclosure: NerdWallet also banked with SVB before its closure.)

Chanelle Bessette writes for NerdWallet. Email: cbessette@nerdwallet.com.

The article Ask a Nerd: How Does SVBs Closure Affect Me? originally appeared on NerdWallet.
TWIN FALLS  An employee at Canyon Ridge High School is facing two felony counts of sexual battery of a minor and two felony counts of destroying evidence.

Kyle Anthony McClure, 24, of Twin Falls was arrested Tuesday after admitting to police that he had performed sexual acts with a minor, according to court documents.

In an affidavit in support of the arrest warrant, Twin Falls Police Detective Jason Kelly said that he had received a report of a sexual relationship between a high school student and a teacher at Canyon Ridge.

Twin Falls School District spokesperson Eva Craner told the Times-News that McClure was not a teacher but a supervisor of the in-school suspension room where his duties were to maintain order and discipline.

McClure was placed on administrative leave without pay as soon as the district became aware of the arrest, the district told Canyon Ridge parents in a statement. His employment with the TFSD has since been terminated.

McClure was in his first year working at Canyon Ridge.

During the investigation, the 17-year-old girl told police that her relationship with McClure became physical in January or February, according to the affidavit.

The girl also reported that McClure told her to delete text messages from him, the affidavit said. While in the interview, she received a message from McClure to delete her Instagram as well.

When interviewed, McClure told investigators that he and the girl were just friends, according to the affidavit. McClure also confirmed to the investigator that he had performed sexual acts with her and that he was aware she was 17.

McClure told the detective that he had deleted his text messages with the girl.

Following an initial court appearance on Wednesday, McClure posted a $50,000 bond and is on house arrest. He has been instructed to have no contact with the minor, according to court documents.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 24.
A Loves Travel Stop is expected to open in Jackpot, Nevada, this summer.

The 9,000-square-foot travel stop is expected to employ 30 to 40 people, spokesperson Brett Dawson told the Times-News in an email.

The parking lot will include spots for 44 trucks and 38 cars, and the facility will feature a Subway restaurant, fresh food, snacks, and restrooms along with a Mobile to Go Zone, selling some of the latest technologies from Bluetooth gadgets to CB radios.

Jackpot is a good fit for Loves, Dawson said, and will offer easy access for customers.

It typically costs from $10 million to $15 million for Love's to build a truck stop, Dawson said.

Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores has 600 truck stops and convenience stores in 42 states. In 2020, the chain opened its largest facility ever in Bliss that has parking for 115 trucks.

There is also a Loves Travel Stop in Heyburn.
The age-old saying goes If you ate today, thank a farmer.

We have an opportunity to thank our farmers in Idaho and help provide them with what they need. Senate Joint Memorial 101 is an answer to the pleas of those in agriculture who are becoming casualties at the hand of President Joe Bidens failed immigration policies.

The joint memorial states; The Federal government has failed to meet its responsibility to secure our Nation ... and has failed to provide a guest worker Visa program that can meet the labor demands of domestic business ... This Memorial expresses the desire of Idaho citizens and businesses that the Federal immigration system be modernized to secure the border, to provide for a legal workforce of guest workers, and asks that Idahos delegation become National leaders on this topic.

This is a no-brainer for anyone who has interacted with farmers and ranchers recently. Those with the responsibility of feeding the world will tell you that labor is the issue that keeps them awake at night. Too many politicians who dont understand what it takes to feed the world are doing what they do best, getting in the way of helping Idaho farmers.

MOON: Republican legislators must say 'no' to illegal immigrant labor MOON: Theres a simple solution to the workforce shortages identified by Idaho Republican legislators. And it doesnt require Idaho to adopt the liberal policies of California.

Its an idle politician who panders to the political talking points and hopes that the voters stay uninformed. Those who are criticizing this bill have never known the panic of digging spuds before they freeze or bailing hay before it rains.

We are not going to sit back and let Idaho agriculture be sacrificed to the failure of the Biden administration. If they arent going to lead on immigration reform, then we will. If they are not going to help our farmers, then we will.

Make no mistake, we are not soft on immigration. We do not support amnesty and neither does Idahos agriculture industry. No reasonable human is suggesting we look the other way while illegal immigrants flood into our nation. We are calling for the same thing that the Trump administration called for; secure the border, have a legal and merit-based immigration system.

Unfortunately, there are consequences to inaction on this issue. Idahos economy is synonymous with agriculture. It is our heritage, our culture and how many of our friends and neighbors pay the bills. The ripple effects of Idaho farming affect every facet of our economy. This industry will fail without employees to support it.

We echo the words of the Idaho Republican Party platform calling for a strong and viable agriculture industry with an effective guest worker program that allows for a consistent and legal workforce. This is what our farmers need and this is how we can support and thank them.
Photo: .

Famous for providing some comic relief during the pandemic, a popular Vancouver adult nightclub continues to garner laughs with witty messages on its eye-catching marquee.

The Penthouse Nightclub features two festive messages for St. Patrick's Day on its signage. One side of the marquee reads, "Top (less) of the morning to you," while the other teases that the "Irish drink free" and then clarifies below: "JK imagine? Lol."

The Penthouse reopened its doors to the public after a year and a half in September 2021. During the hiatus, the club kept passersby entertained with its world-famous cheeky marquee. The satirical signage is frequently changed by a trio of bartenders known as The Marquee Boys.

One of the showroom's most popular signs related to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in January 2021.

"Better security than the US Capitol" read the sign, which alluded to how easily the Pro-Trump demonstrators were able to storm the capitol building.

Whether your celebrations include eating green foods or drinking copious amounts of alcohol, there are many spots and events to do so in Vancouver. Check out Vancouver Is Awesome's guide to enjoying St Patrick's Day in the city.

With files from Maria Diment.
(Editor's note: The third paragraph has been edited for clarification and attribution.)

This week, Republicans in the Idaho Legislature advanced a resolution calling upon President Joe Biden, as well as Congress, to grant an amnesty to the millions of illegal immigrants pouring across the border and to flood the United States labor market with more foreign workers.

An overwhelming majority of Americans consistently express an opinion that immigration levels are already too high. Whats interesting is these Americans drastically undercount actual immigration numbers.

The U.S., in 2019, granted more than 186 million foreign national admissions, according to Department of Homeland Security data. Separately, every year, nearly 2 million legal immigrants enter the United States and obtain immediate lawful permanent residence status (green cards).

And so-called guest worker visa programs also produce enormous numbers of immigrants every year. The U.S. admits nearly 900,000 guest workers  and some visa programs enable guest workers to bring their dependent family members  every year.

Something lost on many Americans, as well, is that the vast majority of illegal immigrants present in the U.S. come not from unlawful border crossings, but visa overstays. Nearly 65% of Americas growing unlawful immigrant population entered the country legally but then refused to leave as required by the terms of their visa.

Fundamentally, this issue is about what is right and fair for American workers. Everywhere immigrants are relied upon to fill the workforce, domestic worker labor force participation drops dramatically. Everywhere immigrants are relied upon to fill the workforce, domestic worker compensation  including young workers recently graduated from college  drops dramatically. Everywhere immigrants are relied upon to fill the workforce, welfare spending increases.

The irony of Senate Joint Memorial 101 is that it is written by a number of Republicans who claim to be fiscal hawks, who work overtime to reduce the size and cost of government and the intrusion of government in the free market.

Yet, theres no greater growth in government than asking for subsidized workers whose terms of employment  including controls on wage rates  are dictated by government. Theres no greater intrusion in the labor market than asking big government to find subsidized workers through visas.

Theres a simple solution to the workforce shortages identified by Idaho Republican legislators. And it doesnt require Idaho to adopt the liberal policies of California. Its called the law of supply and demand. If the demand for the supply of labor is higher, workers should be paid more. And, yet, American workers havent seen a real wage increase in 40 years.

Ironically, those stagnant wages coincide with the growth of our illegal immigrant population and the explosion of Americas legal guest worker programs. Putting Idahos hardworking men and women first means saying no to more illegal immigration.
Idaho Democrats had many priorities entering this legislative session, but two topped the list. First, a mandate from voters to increase school investment. Our schools  rural schools, in particular  face dire challenges in retaining staff and a nearly $1 billion backlog in facilities needs. Second, finally address property taxes.

Now these priorities, shared by Idahoans, are at risk.

A fast-moving GOP bill, House Bill 292, couples property tax reduction that homeowners desperately need with a poison pill threatening the financial stability of our schools. Specifically, it eliminates the March election schools use for voter-approved levies and bonds.

Ideally, schools would receive adequate, reliable state funding and would never need levies and bonds. These options are challenging, uncertain measures to secure funding. Schools only pursue them to ensure a quality education for their students.

Sadly, levy reliance has become the norm. Eighty percent of Idahos districts require supplemental levies for day-to-day costs like teacher salaries, supplies and utilities. The March election date allows them to make timely salary offers to retain their staff for the following school year.

If schools have to wait until the May election to get their full budget, many educators may have taken more certain job offers across state or district lines. The only other election opportunities, August and November, are generally useless because the school year has already started.

Even with levies, Idaho is 51st in the nation for school investment. Its worrisome to imagine where our kids would be without an opportunity for voters to bolster school funding when needed. And while the state is poised to boost investment this year, this commitment is never guaranteed for the future and is less than half the funds school districts sought in this weeks election.

At its core, this legislation strips control from local school boards and voters themselves. Residents will no longer have the power to make timely decisions about what supplemental funding they wish to support.

This bill recently passed the House just like another recent property tax fix. In 2021, HB389 was sold as critical legislation to reduce property taxes. Of course, the promised benefits never materialized. But the bill did cause harm, taking away property tax assistance from some low-income seniors and impeding local governments ability to set budgets.

Republican legislators and the governor enacted bad legislation because they got the message there would be no other option to meet a desperate constituent need.

Today, we need the courage and thoughtful reflection that was lacking in 2021. The Idaho Senate and Gov. Brad Little must hold the line and reject HB292 as written. The future of our schools depends on it.
TODAYS WORD is mawkish. Example: When the power went out for a few hours at Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School, Steves son sent him repeated melodramatic and mawkish texts asking to be picked up because the boy considered himself in hardship.

THURSDAYS WORD was lodestar. It means someone or something that serves as an inspiration, model or guide. Example: Martinsville recently has been seeing Danvilles downtown area as the lodestar that can inspire Martinsvilles uptown on a similar upward trajectory.

The luck o the Irish

With today being St. Patricks Day, you may be saluted, Luck o the Irish to you!

But where did the Irish get the reputation for being lucky, other than the four-leaf clover?

The saying did not come from Ireland but rather got its start during the Gold Rush in the United States, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Some actually consider it a derogatory term, because when the Irish struck gold they were called lucky rather than given credit for the hard work they put into the search for it.

Many if not most of the Irish who immigrated to the U.S. during the 19th century did so to escape the food shortages, starvation and disease in their home country.

Craft show

People love the twice-yearly Bassett Band Boosters Craft Show and have been asking the Bulletin when the next one is. Is your calendar handy and ready to receive the answer? The next craft show ill be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 1.

Road to Rooster Walk

The Rooster Walk Arts & Music Festival is not only growing ... it also appears to be spreading.

Rooster Walk is advertising an event called The Road to Rooster Walk with Empire Strikes Bass, Big Fat Gap and Isaac Hadden. That show will be held in North Carolina  Friday, April 14, in the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, starting at 8 p.m.

Saxapahaw is a charming little town which used to be centered around a cotton mill. It has a population of 1,340 people and is sort of equal driving distance from both Burlington (15 miles north of it) and Chapel Hill (17 miles to the east), both about half an hour. If youre interested in going, thatll be an 80-mile drive from Martinsville, slightly more than an hour and a half.

Todays chuckle

Parker told Tyrone that he was going to propose to Chenelle. Tyrone recommended doing that over a romantic home-cooked meal with roses and candlelight.

Around 7 that evening, Tyrone texted his pal to see how it was going.

Im totally humiliated, Parker texted back. She insisted on washing the dishes.

Whats wrong with that? Tyrone replied.

We hadnt started eating.

THURSDAYS TRIVIA ANSWER: A Ridgeway grandfather clock is the prize given to NASCAR race winners at the Martinsville Speedway.

TODAYS TRIVIA QUESTION: Who was the first race car driver to win a Martinsville Speedway grandfather clock trophy?
The family of a mental health patient who died while in sheriff's custody described in painful and excruciating details how the 28-year-old perished, while shackled and handcuffed, and had the life squeezed out of him.

Irvo Otieno's mother and his brother, flanked by supporters and their lawyers, choking back on their emotion, detailed what they saw on surveillance video as Otieno was assaulted at the Henrico jail and then later at Central State Hospital after he was taken into custody on March 3, and then his death about 72 hours later.

It was torture. My son was tortured," said Caroline Ouko, Otieno's mother, at a news conference outside the Dinwiddie County's prosecutor's office.

"Those three days at the jail were horrific. Ive seen it in the video. Mental illness should not be your ticket to death. There was a chance to rescue him..and I dont understand how all systems failed him. My son was treated like a dog. Worse than a dog. I seen it with my own eyes in the video. He was treated in humanely and it was traumatic. And it was systematic."

Otieno died last week in the custody of Henrico County sheriff's deputies while being admitted to Central State Hospital. His family has criticized his being treated as a criminal rather than a mentally ill patient.

Words cant describe what I just saw today," said Otieno's brother, Leon Ochieng. What I saw was a lifeless human being  with no regard for his human life.

I witnessed a homicide," he added. "I did not think in my lifetime Id witness my own blood brother being murdered.

The family and their legal team portrayed a gruesome scene of Otieno being beaten at the jail while naked and then later at the hospital as sheriff deputies piled on top of him -- even though Otieno posed no threat and was not combative -- while other officers watched on but did nothing.

"What we just viewed on the videos was a commentary on how inhuman law enforcement officials treat people who are having a mental health crisis as criminals -- rather than treating them as people who are in need of help. I mean it was inhumane to see how they treated Irvo, said Ben Crump, the nationally recognized civil rights attorney who joined Otieno's attorney Mark Krudys on Wednesday.

In the videos  he was never confrontational with them, he is not posing a threat," Crump said.

"He needed mental health help, he needed help from physicians - not the brutality of correctional officers," Krudys said.

3 additional murder charges filed

In describing was on the video, Krudys described how Otieno was taken from the jail to Central State. "He's carried out by the arms and legs, almost upside down...they carry him like an animal into the vehicle. He's almost lifeless. Then he's transported to eventually Central State Hospital. Lights and sirens. Why? If there really was an important medical event that was occurring....why wasn't he taken to the hospital, literally one minute away."

Krudys said the footage of Otieno at the hospital was unsettling.

"I was not really prepared so see this -- it was a circumstance where you see seven deputies.. And the force of them, you can see they're putting their back into it. Every part of [Otieno's] his body is being pushed down with absolute brutality. You cannot even see his image all the time."

Krudys said he and Crump looked at each as the video played. "And we kept on saying ... why? Why is this occurring? He's in handcuffs and leg irons at that point. He poses no danger."

As the family addressed the media, their supporters cried out several times, "Justice for Irvo" as the lawyers called for federal investigations.

The family spoke to the media just after the prosecutor's office announced that three more people have been charged in Otieno's death. They have been identified as employees of Central State Hospital: Darian M. Blackwell, 23, of Petersburg; Wavie L. Jones, 34, of Chesterfield County; and Sadarius D. Williams, 27, of North Dinwiddle.

All three, who surrendered to authorities Thursday morning, were charged with second-degree murder.

Dinwiddie County Commonwealth Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill said, in announcing the charges, said, A key element of that evidence is the surveillance video from Central State Hospital that captures the intake process. To maintain the integrity of the criminal justice process at this point, I am not able to publicly release the video."

Both Crump and Krudys said that the issue of law enforcement dealing with the mentally ill is a national issue, but is even more dire for the Black community and that the mix of race and psychiatric problems is a "death sentence" for Blacks.

"He needed mental health help, he needed help from physicians - not the brutality of correctional officers," Krudys said.

Crump also expressed shock that after the death of George Floyd has not changed how some law enforcement treat people in custody. "It is truly shocking that nearly three years after the brutal killing of George Floyd by police, another family is grieving a loved one who allegedly died in nearly the same exact manner - being pinned down by police for 12 agonizing minutes," he said in a statement earlier in the day.

In total, 10 have now been charged in Otieno's death.

Seven Henrico sheriff's deputies were charged on Tuesday with second-degree murder in the March 6 death of Otieno, who died of asphyxiation, according to the state medical examiner's preliminary cause of death.

Otieno held down for 12 minutes, prosecutor says

During court hearings Tuesday for the seven accused deputies who were first charged in the case, Baskervill said, the officers held down Otieno for 12 minutes while he was shackled and handcuffed, eventually "smothering him to death." She said he was asphyxiated from the weight of the officers laying on top of him, which included knees that were pressed "fiercely" into parts of his body.

On Tuesday, two of the deputies were freed on $15,000 and $10,000 bonds, respectively, after their attorneys successfully argued for their release.

Three others were appointed attorneys by Dinwiddie Circuit Court Judge Joseph M. Teefey Jr. after he questioned them about their finances and determined they could not afford to hire counsel. Two other deputies indicated they were in the process of hiring attorneys.

Because the case has unfolded publicly in recent days, the deputies have not yet had an opportunity through attorneys to present their view of what transpired at Central State Hospital. The attorneys for the deputies who were granted bond cited their clients' unblemished records and years of experience and service.

Attorney Edward Nickel, who is representing Deputy Bradley Disse, told the court that his client has been employed 20 years with the Sheriff's Office and has an exemplary record. Nickel said Disse received an exemplary service award a week before the Central State Hospital incident.

Henrico Commonwealths Attorney Shannon Taylor issued a statement in conjunction with Henrico Sheriffs deputies.

I want to assure the public that I am conducting a review of what happened in the Henrico jail on March 6, 2023, including studying the video evidence," the statement said.

"This will be a thorough and comprehensive investigation of what occurred, and I will be releasing my findings upon its completion. I understand and share the publics concerns and will do whatever I can to determine what occurred and how.
The failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank  the second- and third-biggest financial institution collapses in U.S. history  have many people worried about their money.

It also has a boatload of experts paddling to the scene of this Titanic-like disaster as quickly as possible to provide analysis and advice, even Cousin Junior, a frequent contributor to this column who may or may not exist only in my imagination.

Cousin Junior, a jack-of-all-trades who previously worked as a bounty hunter, blogger and backyard chemist among other vocations, recently opened Cousin Juniors Financial Services, specializing in money management, tax preparations and taxidermy.

He called me, somehow circumventing the blocked number system, and began to ramble on.

I guess you heard about them banks going under, he said. I figured you would want to tell the four or five people who still read your little article or whatever its called in the paper what a well-respected financial expert like me thinks about the whole deal and how we as a nation are going straight to hell in a handbasket, financially speaking, unless we start listening to well-respected financial experts like me. 

When did you become a financial expert?

When I opened my office in a converted shipping container down where the blacktop ends on Big Snake Road, next to the lot where the adult bookstore used to be before Rev. Jenkins ran through it with a bulldozer. Its a prime location. Ive got people in and out of there all the time, and not all of them asking what happened to the adult bookstore.

Do you have any actual clients?

Oh, yeah. Just the other day, a fellow came in and asked me what he should do with the money he got from the scrap metal he stole, uh, I mean collected, and I told him it would behoove him to diversify. He shouldnt bury all his money in a mayonnaise jar in the backyard. He should put a little bit in a coffee can and push it way back in the cabinet. Maybe put another handful in a paper sack in his outbuilding. And, as his financial adviser, I should have explicit details as to exactly where this money is in case something bad should happened to him, such as a Prius falling on him while he adjusted the catalytic converter.

Tell you what, Cousin Junior, you send me a press release and if I cant come up with something else to write about, Ill use it.

Unfortunately for you, the reader, thats what happened.

Headline: Well-respected financial expert offers perspective on bank failures.

BIG SNAKE ROAD  Are you worried about your money after the second- and third-largest bank failures in U.S. history?

Cousin Junior offers reassuring advice.

If I was you, I would absolutely be soiling my britches over this, said the Big Snake Road-based financial expert. This is bad. This is holding-a-tin-cup-on-the-street-corner bad. This is stealing-all-the-copper-wire-out-of-grannys-house-to-pay-for-taxidermy bad.

According to Cousin Junior, here are some signs your bank may be failing:

At Christmas, it gave out calendars for 1975.

The drive-thru no longer takes deposits but does serve fries.

The name on the presidents door has been changed to Milburn Drysdale.

The bank guard wears Kevlar and has orders to shoot to kill.

These certainly are uncertain times, said Cousin Junior. But with me, you can rest assured that whether you need advice on what to do with your lottery winnings, fake receipts to accompany your tax filings or you just want that prized critter stuffed and mounted, you are in good hands at Cousin Juniors Financial Services.

Make an appointment today, before another bank goes belly up.
The president of the parliament of Guinea-Bissau, Cipriano Cassama, will travel Friday to Moscow to attend the International Conference Russia-Africa Parliamentary in a Multipolar World, the Peoples National Assembly (ANP) announced on Thursday.

This meeting of the Russian parliament with the summit of the legislative power of African countries is part of the excellent relationship of solidarity and cooperation established over several years and aims to draw new political prospects for deepening ties of economic and political cooperation, the Guinean National Peoples Assembly said in a statement.

The ANP also stresses that the conference also aims to diagnose the areas of intervention of the respective parliaments in the circle of a multipolar world situation.

Cipriano Cassama travels accompanied by three deputies and a legal advisor.

During his stay in Moscow, the president of the Guinean parliament will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and counterparts from several African parliaments.
A classroom collapsed Thursday in Zimbabwe, injuring at least 17 students, authorities said, blaming the accident on illegal mining activities.

The elementary school in Kwekwe, a town about 200 km southwest of the capital Harare, is located near two gold mines. The school management had complained in the past about illegal mining activities under the school.

One girl seriously injured was hospitalized, said a local official, Judith Tobaiwa. Photos posted on social networks show a gaping hole in the middle of the floor in the classroom, through which desks, chairs and school bags have disappeared. Seventeen students aged 10 to 11 were injured, according to Tobaiwa.

Theyre still blasting and the whole school is shaking, she added in a telephone exchange from the scene. Provincial Affairs Minister Larry Mavima said authorities had ordered the school closed and were trying to find an alternative for the students.

In 2020, a report by the International Crisis Group (ICG), a think tank, estimated that 1.5 million people had turned to artisanal mining due to economic hardship. Accidents are relatively common in disused mines, especially when the underground is flooded with rainwater.
The Mozambican President announced an aid of 250 million meticais (about 4 million dollars) for the reconstruction of schools and other public infrastructures affected by storm Freddy, mainly in Zambezia province.

In total, in Zambezia, Nampula, Tete and Niassa provinces, 253,000 people were affected, of which 150,000 in Zambezia, where the storm left 51 dead, according to the latest update from the authorities.

In Quelimane, where he was on Thursday to see the situation, Filipe Nyusi also announced the creation of a Technical-Scientific Commission for climate change issues, which will serve to advise the Government, and expand the scope of work of the Post-Idai Recovery Office.

The Head of State listed 13 measures to help the recovery of the affected areas, such as the exemption of up to 500 kg of cargo in air transport for products that serve as an emergency in the affected provinces, and tariff reduction in cabotage transport and docking fees so that ships can take products, especially emergency products, to the affected populations.

Nyusi also visited the more than two thousand families in the accommodation center of the school that bears his name.
Sahrawi woman Khadijettou Mohamed Mahmoud has recounted how she has been raped by a polisario member when she was 18-year-old and the sufferings she endured since then.

The young woman, who was participating in a conference under the theme Sexual violence in politics, held in Dusseldorf, Germany, Thursday March 16, 2023, described the ordeal she went through after having been raped at the age of 18 by Brahim Ghali, then Polisarios representative in Algiers and current leader of the separatist movement.

In her address before the conference, she also denounced the lack of support from society in general, as well as the guilty silence of the Algerian authorities who covered up this sexual assault.

Khadijatou, who worked as a translator in the Tindouf camps from 2005 to 2010, was raped in 2010 by Ghali, whom she sued at a Spanish court the same year.

In this connection, Khadijettou highlighted her difficult but ongoing struggle to obtain justice in the courts of Spain, where she resides.

She then described how human rights are systematically flouted in the Polisario-controlled Tindouf camps as well as the appalling living conditions of the populations sequestered in these camps live, before denouncing the endemic corruption which prevails among the leadership of the separatist movement as well as the embezzlement of international humanitarian aid by these same leaders.

Khadijettou Mohamed Mahmoud ended her address by calling on German authorities to make more efforts to promote the rights of Sahrawi women and girls in the Tindouf camps.

The other speakers participating in the conference, held in the Das Gerhart-Hauptmann-Haus Foundation, included Ms. Sarah Lee Heinrich, President of the Federal Youth Office of the German Greens; Mrs. Franziska Brandmann, President of the Federal Office of German Liberal Youth; Ms Christina Kampmann, Spokesperson for Home Affairs of the SPD Parliamentary Group in the Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia; and Mrs. Tessniem Kadiri, journalist and presenter on German television.
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Northwestern Medicine scientists have developed a new tool to help physicians predict the risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with adult-type diffuse gliomas, results published in the journal Blood.

Venous thromboembolisms (VTE), blood clots that form in veins, can be life-threatening for patients with adulttype diffuse gliomas, the most common type of malignant tumor arising in the brain.

To create the risk prediction tool, investigators analyzed arterial blood, tumor tissue and other data from 483 patients with newly diagnosed adult-type diffuse glioma.

They found seven factors which predicted increased risk of VTE in those patients: prior history of VTE, hypertension, asthma, elevated white blood cell count, higher glioma grade, increasing patient age and elevated body mass index.

Conversely, investigators found that mutations in IDH1 or IDH2 genes, hypothyroidism, and MGMT gene inactivation all predicted a reduced risk of VTE.

Those ten variables were then combined to create a novel web-based VTE prediction tool, said Craig M Horbinski, MD, Ph.D., director of Neuropathology in the Department of Pathology, director of the Pathology Core Facility at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, and senior author of the study.

"For the first time, we have an evidence-based prediction of venous thromboembolism specifically for glioma patients," he said. "This tool is a web-based calculator. You enter in basic information about the patient and tumor, and get a percent of risk at one, three, six and 12 months."

Armed with that information, physicians can weigh the risk of a clot against other risks that come with preemptively administering anticoagulants, which can sometimes cause brain hemorrhages, Horbinski said.

"When I informally polled physicians on how they assess the risk of these blood clots, I got various answers," Horbinski said. "It all depends on how aggressive they are about anti-thrombotic prophylaxis. Physicians can give patients heparin up front but often would not know if a particular patient was really at risk of a blood clot or not. Plus, heparin administration is painful and may increase the risk of bleeding in the brain. Before now, there's just never been rigorous evidence to guide that decision-making."

Now, Horbinski said he is planning to conduct a trial with high-risk patients to further validate the tool and provide better guidance on which patients would benefit the most from preventative anticoagulants.

More information: Kirsten Bell Burdett et al, Determining venous thromboembolism risk in patients with adult-type diffuse glioma, Blood (2022). DOI: 10.1182/blood.2022017858 Journal information: Blood
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California state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, speaks on the floor of the California Senate on May 30, 2018. Skinner on Friday, March 17, 2023, announced a bill in the state Legislature that aims to provide legal protections to health care providers who mail abortion pills to patients in other states. Credit: AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File

Doctors in California who mail abortion pills to people in other states would be protected from prosecution under a new bill announced Friday in the state Legislature.

The bill would not let California extradite doctors who are facing charges in another state for providing abortion medication. It would also shield doctors from having to pay fines. And it would let California doctors sue anyone who tries to stop them from providing abortions.

The bill would only protect doctors who are in California. If a doctor left California to provide an abortion to someone in another state, that doctor would not be protected. It also would not protect patients in other states who receive the medication.

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, a Democrat from Berkeley and the author of the bill, said her intent is to make sure California residents who are traveling in other states or living there temporarilylike college studentscan still have access to medication that's legal in their home state. But she acknowledged the bill would also apply to California doctors who treat patients who live in other states.

"This is essential health care," Skinner said. "Our health care practitioners should be protected for treating their patients regardless of where their patients are geographically."

Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Maryland and Vermont have proposed or passed similar laws, according to Skinner's office. Connecticut's law, among other things, blocks criminal summonses from other states related to reproductive health care services that are legal in Connecticut while also blocking extraditionunless the person fled from a state requesting them.

"Obviously, if a provider is engaging in telehealth services with someone, even if they do inquire about where they are, they kind of have to take it on faith," said Connecticut state Rep. Matt Blumenthal, a Democrat and co-chair of the General Assembly's Reproductive Rights Caucus. "We don't want to make providers their police for their patients. And we don't want to make them have to do an investigation every time they perform telehealth."

Other states have tried to block the distribution of the abortion pill, known as mifepristone. Attorneys general in 20 states, mostly with Republican governors, have warned some of the nation's largest pharmacy companies they could face legal consequences if they distribute the pill within their states.

Most abortions are outlawed in Idaho, including medication abortions. Blaine Conzatti, president of the Idaho Family Policy Centera group that opposes abortion rightssaid California has a responsibility to extradite physicians who break Idaho laws.

"The arrogance of such a proposal is astounding," Conzatti said of Skinner's bill. "It flaunts the traditional relationship between states and would upend our federal system altogether."

Skinner's bill goes beyond abortions. It would also protect doctors for mailing contraceptives and transgender-related medications.

California already has laws that prevents courts from enforcing out-of-state judgments on abortion providers and volunteers. That law was aimed at protecting doctors who provide abortions to people who travel to California from other states. Abortion opponents say laws like that are illegal because they violate a clause in the U.S. Constitution that says states must give "full faith and credit" to the laws of other states.

Federal courts have recognized an exception to that clause, including laws in one state that violate the "public policy" of another state. Skinner's law declares it is the public policy of California that doctors should not be charged for providing abortion medication.

"We're very careful," Skinner said.

Abortion pills have been legal in the U.S. for more than two decades and can be used up to the 10th week of pregnancy. It's now the most common abortion method in the U.S. A federal judge in Texas is weighing whether to revoke or suspend the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of the drug, a decision that would apply to all states and not just the ones who have outlawed abortions.

Skinner's bill is one of 17 pieces of legislation Democrats have introduced in California this year to protect abortion rights, including proposals to improve access to contraceptives and protect patients' privacy.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Kalina Michalska, second from right, conducts a workshop for community members. Credit: Christophe Katrib.

Until recently, psychologist Kalina Michalska had never used community-based participatory research, or CBPR, in her work, but now she can't imagine not using it.

CBPR, which dates to the early 1930s, is an intensive research approach that involves partnerships between researchers and community members throughout the research process, giving communities a voice in how the research proceeds and allowing them to make use of the findings more effectually.

The study led by Michalska, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, is published in the journal Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience and is part of a special issue on equity and diversity in neuroscience research. The study began with a focus on the neural bases of disruptive behavior disorder and conduct problems in Latina youth, based on Michalska's prior work.

Through speaking with families, however, Michalska's team found that the issues under study were more nuanced than behavioral disorders.

"We learned that what girls in our community were instead struggling with was elevated panic, and separation and social anxiety," Michalska said. "We then re-evaluated the aims of our study to prioritize these concerns. An important aspect of community-engaged research is the condition that community members work with researchers as equal parties and shape the research of which they are a part."

"I am now such a believer in CBPR that I will not go back to not using it," Michalska said. "When you listen to the community and give its members a voice about their own lived experiences, you prioritize the issues the community has, not the issues researchers think the community has. CBPR treats participating community members as experts, and it better reflects community needs and issues. And because CBPR doesn't just advance science but also improves the community, it's an opportunity for researchers like me to give back to society."

According to Michalska, had her research team not incorporated a CBPR approach, many of the team's ongoing research directions would not exist. Now, her team shares with participating families a biannual newsletter produced by the Kids Interaction and Neurodevelopment (KIND) Lab at UCR, which Michalska directs, as well as results, in lay language, on relevant published research papers and conference proceedings.

Michalska said CBPR asks: how will the lives of people in communities be impacted by a specific piece of research and do those people have a voice in whether and how the research will be conducted? She explained that psychology and neuroscience have not typically used CBPR.

Image shows excerpts from a KIND Lab newsletter. Credit: KIND Lab, UC Riverside.

"But as magnetic resonance imaging and other neuroscientific techniques get more incorporated into the mental health research agenda, it is incumbent on neuroscientists to pay close attention to diversity and representation in their work. Regrettably, in neuroscience, many discussions around these issues today do not involve the community under study."

Neuroscientists' research questions, hypotheses, and methods can have unacknowledged biases, Michalska said.

"We need to open communication channels and check in with our research participants to help minimize such biases," she said. "Already, neuroscience research has a severe underrepresentation of marginalized groups as study participants; Black, Latina, and other women of color are conspicuously absent. Such exclusion directly harms communities and prevention and intervention approaches, such as medical protocols, mental health recommendations, and governmental policy creation, can get biased. CBPR can be a remedy and facilitate impactful change in neuroscience."

Michalska believes community-engaged research can increase public trust in science and the scientific process.

"Including communities in the research design and interpretation can be a powerful learning opportunity for community members to experience first-hand how research is done," she said. "This could especially empower young people."

Next, Michalska's team plans to incorporate youth voices in its research and interact more closely and strengthen partnerships with communities.

"Going forward, whenever possible, we plan to include measures in our research that are developed from the perspective of participating communities, including measures addressing systems of inequality," she said.

Michalska and Mullins were joined in the study by graduate student Shayna La Scala of UCR, and Rengin Firat of the Korn Ferry Institute. Firat was an assistant professor of sociology at UCR when the study was done.

The title of the research paper is "Equity, diversity, and inclusion in developmental neuroscience: Practical lessons from community-based participatory research."

More information: Shayna La Scala et al, Equity, diversity, and inclusion in developmental neuroscience: Practical lessons from community-based participatory research, Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience (2023). DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.1007249 Journal information: Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience

Provided by University of California - Riverside
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Credit: Arek Socha, Qimono, CC0 Public Domain

Research in the International Journal of Services and Operations Management has looked at the pharmaceutical industry in Jordan from the perspective of lean manufacturing practices and operations, demonstrating that a lean approach can be beneficial to costs, speed, and reliability in the industry but does not apparently affect quality or innovation significantly.

The concept of lean operations is an approach to manufacturing that emphasizes the elimination of waste and the optimization of efficiency. It was first developed by the Toyota Motor Corporation in the 1950s and has since been adopted by many other manufacturers.

The goal of lean operations is to create value for customers while minimizing waste, such as overproduction, defects, excess inventory, unnecessary movement, waiting, over-processing, and unused talent. A number of tools and techniques are used to facilitate lean operations, such as value stream mapping, continuous flow, pull systems, standard work, visual management, error-proofing, and continuous improvement.

Abdel-Aziz Ahmad Sharabati of the Business Faculty at the Middle East University in Amman, Jordan, surveyed 116 managers from 10 of 14 Jordanian pharmaceutical manufacturing organizations on how lean operations are used in their organizations. Alongside the above findings, the work also showed that lead-time, setup time, inspection time, and delivery time were significant factors in determining a company's competitive advantage, while inventory was not.

The work suggests that similar research might be usefully carried out in other industries across Jordan and in the pharmaceutical industry in other countries to see whether the findings are more widely applicable. In an increasingly globalized world, this research could help companies recognize what needs to be done to improve their competitive edge in the face of international competition. Of course, for the pharmaceutical industry itself, any such changes in practices and operations must also comply with regulations in the industry at the national and international level.

More information: Abdel Aziz Sharabati, Lean Operations and Competitive Advantage in the Pharmaceutical Industry, International Journal of Services and Operations Management (2023). DOI: 10.1504/IJSOM.2021.10038296
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Raccoon dogs are seen at a cage in Tokyo's Ueno zoo Saturday, May 24, 2003. International scientists who examined previously unavailable genetic data from samples collected at a market close to where the first human cases of COVID-19 were detected in China said they found suggestions the pandemic originated from animals, not a lab. Other experts have not yet verified their analysis, which also has not appeared so far in a peer-reviewed journal. Credit: AP Photo/Chika Tsukumo, File

Genetic material collected at a Chinese market near where the first human cases of COVID-19 were identified show raccoon dog DNA comingled with the virus, adding evidence to the theory that the virus originated from animals, not from a lab, international experts say.

"These data do not provide a definitive answer to how the pandemic began, but every piece of data is important to moving us closer to that answer," World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday.

How the coronavirus emerged remains unclear. Many scientists believe it most likely jumped from animals to people, as many other viruses have in the past, at a wildlife market in Wuhan, China. But Wuhan is home to several labs involved in collecting and studying coronaviruses, fueling theories scientists say are plausible that the virus may have leaked from one.

The new findings do not settle the question, and they have not been formally reviewed by other experts or published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Tedros criticized China for not sharing the genetic information earlier, telling a press briefing that "this data could have and should have been shared three years ago."

The samples were collected from surfaces at the Huanan seafood market in early 2020 in Wuhan, where the first human cases of COVID-19 were found in late 2019.

The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, sits closed in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province on Jan. 21, 2020. International scientists have examined previously unavailable genetic data from samples collected at a market in China close to where the first human cases of COVID-19 were detected and said they have found suggestions the pandemic originated from animals, not a lab. Credit: AP Photo/Dake Kang, File

Tedros said the genetic sequences were recently uploaded to the world's biggest public virus database by scientists at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

They were then removed, but not before a French biologist spotted the information by chance and shared it with a group of scientists based outside China that's looking into the origins of the coronavirus.

The data show that some of the COVID-positive samples collected from a stall known to be involved in the wildlife trade also contained raccoon dog genes, indicating the animals may have been infected by the virus, according to the scientists. Their analysis was first reported in The Atlantic.

"There's a good chance that the animals that deposited that DNA also deposited the virus," said Stephen Goldstein, a virologist at the University of Utah who was involved in analyzing the data. "If you were to go and do environmental sampling in the aftermath of a zoonotic spillover event  this is basically exactly what you would expect to find."

The canines, named for their raccoon-like faces, are often bred for their fur and sold for meat in animal markets across China.

Ray Yip, an epidemiologist and founding member of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control office in China, said the findings are significant, even though they aren't definitive.

In this file photo dated Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, security personnel clear the way for a convoy of the World Health Organization team to enter the Huanan Seafood Market on the third day of field visit in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province. International scientists have examined previously unavailable genetic data from samples collected at a market in China close to where the first human cases of COVID-19 were detected and said they have found suggestions the pandemic originated from animals, not a lab. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File

"The market environmental sampling data published by China CDC is by far the strongest evidence to support animal origins," Yip told the AP in an email. He was not connected to the new analysis.

WHO's COVID-19 technical lead, Maria Van Kerkhove, cautioned that the analysis did not find the virus within any animal, nor did it find any hard evidence that any animals infected humans.

"What this does provide is clues to help us understand what may have happened," she said. The international group also told WHO they found DNA from other animals as well as raccoon dogs in the samples from the seafood market, she added.

The coronavirus' genetic code is strikingly similar to that of bat coronaviruses, and many scientists suspect COVID-19 jumped into humans either directly from a bat or via an intermediary animal like pangolins, ferrets or racoon dogs.

Efforts to determine the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic have been complicated by factors including the massive surge of human infections in the pandemic's first two years and an increasingly bitter political dispute.

It took virus experts more than a dozen years to pinpoint the animal origin of SARS, a related virus.

In this file photo dated Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021, a convoy of vehicles carrying the World Health Organization team enters the interior of the Huanan Seafood Market on the third day of field visit in Wuhan in central China. International scientists have examined previously unavailable genetic data from samples collected at a market in China close to where the first human cases of COVID-19 were detected and said they have found suggestions the pandemic originated from animals, not a lab. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File

Goldstein and his colleagues say their analysis is the first solid indication that there may have been wildlife infected with the coronavirus at the market. But it is also possible that humans brought the virus to the market and infected the raccoon dogs, or that infected humans simply happened to leave traces of the virus near the animals.

After scientists in the group contacted the China CDC, they say, the sequences were removed from the global virus database. Researchers are puzzled as to why data on the samples collected over three years ago wasn't made public sooner. Tedros has pleaded with China to share more of its COVID-19 research data.

Gao Fu, the former head of the Chinese CDC and lead author of the Chinese paper, didn't immediately respond to an Associated Press email requesting comment. But he told Science magazine the sequences are "nothing new. It had been known there was illegal animal dealing and this is why the market was immediately shut down."

Goldstein said his group presented its findings this week to a WHO advisory panel investigating COVID-19's origins.

Michael Imperiale of the University of Michigan, a microbiology and immunology expert who was not involved in the data analysis, said finding a sample with sequences from the virus and a raccoon dog "places the virus and the dog in very close proximity. But it doesn't necessarily say that the dog was infected with the virus; it just says that they were in the same very small area."

He said the bulk of the scientific evidence at this point supports a natural exposure at the market, and pointed to research published last summer showing the market was likely the early epicenter of the scourge and concluding that the virus spilled from animals into people two separate times. "What's the chance that there were two different lab leaks?" he asked.

A view of the P4 lab inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology is seen after a visit by the World Health Organization team in Wuhan in China's Hubei province on Feb. 3, 2021. International scientists have examined previously unavailable genetic data from samples collected at a market in China close to where the first human cases of COVID-19 were detected and said they have found suggestions the pandemic originated from animals, not a lab. Credit: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File

Mark Woolhouse, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Edinburgh, said it will be crucial to see how the raccoon dogs' genetic sequences match up to what's known about the historic evolution of the COVID-19 virus. If the dogs are shown to have COVID and those viruses prove to have earlier origins than the ones that infected people, "that's probably as good evidence as we can expect to get that this was a spillover event in the market."

After a weeks-long visit to China to study the pandemic's origins, WHO released a report in 2021 concluding that COVID-19 most probably jumped into humans from animals, dismissing the possibility of a lab origin as "extremely unlikely."

But the U.N. health agency backtracked the following year, saying "key pieces of data" were still missing. And Tedros has said all hypotheses remain on the table.

The China CDC scientists who previously analyzed the Huanan market samples published a paper as a preprint in February suggesting that humans brought the virus to the market, not animals, implying that the virus originated elsewhere. Their paper didn't mention that animal genes were found in the samples that tested positive.

In February, the Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Department of Energy had assessed "with low confidence" that the virus had leaked from a lab. But others in the U.S. intelligence community disagree, believing it more likely it first came from animals.

Experts say the true origin of the pandemic may not be known for many yearsif ever.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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By the age of four months, the retinas of mice carrying a mutation in the gene encoding PDE6 (left) are thin and lack rod photoreceptors (red). But mice who have had this mutation corrected through the PESpRY system (right) have much thicker retinas containing numerous rod cells. Credit:  2023 Qin et al. Originally published in Journal of Experimental Medicine. DOI: 10.1084/jem.20220776

Researchers in China have successfully restored the vision of mice with retinitis pigmentosa, one of the major causes of blindness in humans. The study, to be published March 17 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, uses a new, highly versatile form of CRISPR-based genome editing with the potential to correct a wide variety of disease-causing genetic mutations.

Researchers have previously used genome editing to restore the vision of mice with genetic diseases, such as Leber congenital amaurosis, that affect the retinal pigment epithelium, a layer of non-neuronal cells in the eye that supports the light-sensing rod and cone photoreceptor cells. However, most inherited forms of blindness, including retinitis pigmentosa, are caused by genetic defects in the neural photoreceptors themselves.

"The ability to edit the genome of neural retinal cells, particularly unhealthy or dying photoreceptors, would provide much more convincing evidence for the potential applications of these genome-editing tools in treating diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa," says Kai Yao, a professor at the Wuhan University of Science and Technology.

Retinitis pigmentosa can be caused by mutations in over 100 different genes and is estimated to impair the vision of 1 in 4,000 people. It begins with the dysfunction and death of dim light-sensing rod cells, before spreading to the cone cells required for color vision, eventually leading to severe, irreversible vision loss.

Yao and colleagues attempted to rescue the vision of mice with retinitis pigmentosa caused by a mutation in the gene encoding a critical enzyme called PDE6. To do this, Yao's team developed a new, more versatile CRISPR system called PESpRY, which can be programmed to correct many different types of genetic mutation, regardless of where they occur within the genome.

When programmed to target the mutant PDE6 gene, the PESpRY system was able to efficiently correct the mutation and restore the enzyme's activity in the retinas of mice. This prevented the death of rod and cone photoreceptors and restored their normal electrical responses to light.

Yao and colleagues performed a variety of behavioral tests to confirm that the gene-edited mice retained their vision even into old age. For example, the animals were able to find their way out of a visually guided water maze almost as well as normal, healthy mice and showed typical head movements in response to visual stimuli.

Yao cautions that much work still needs to be done to establish both the safety and efficacy of the PESpRY system in humans. "However, our study provides substantial evidence for the in vivo applicability of this new genome-editing strategy and its potential in diverse research and therapeutic contexts, in particular for inherited retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa," Yao says.

More information: Huan Qin et al, Vision rescue via unconstrained in vivo prime editing in degenerating neural retinas, Journal of Experimental Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1084/jem.20220776 Journal information: Journal of Experimental Medicine
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Credit: The Conversation

President Joe Biden's 2024 proposed budget includes plans to shore up the finances of Medicare, the federal health insurance program that covers Americans who are 65 and up and some younger people with disabilities.

His administration aims to increase from 3.8% to 5% an existing Medicare tax that's collected on the labor and investment earnings of Americans who make more than US$400,000 annually. It also aims to reap some savings from having the government negotiate prices on more prescription drugs.

The White House projects that these changes would generate an additional $650 billion in revenue over a decade. Some independent experts concur.

As economists who have long researched the Medicare and Social Security programs, we believe the president's proposal is an important first step in opening the necessary debate on strengthening Medicare's finances.

Part A's precarious funding

Medicare consumes more than 15% of the federal budget. The program cost $975 billion in 2022, out of the government's $6.5 trillion in total federal spending.

As anyone who has enrolled in it can tell you, the program itself is rather complicated. It's divided into three parts, known as A, B and D, each of which relies on revenue from a different mix of sources.

Medicare Part A covers care delivered at hospitals and nursing homes, as well as home health care. Part B pays for doctor's visits and outpatient procedures, and Part D pays for prescription drugs. There's also Part C, a private insurance option, known as Medicare Advantage. However, its costs are included in the accounting for Parts A and B.

Part A is primarily funded by a 1.45% Medicare payroll tax on both employees and employers. When that tax and the program's other tax revenues don't raise enough money to cover Part A's costs, the program dips into the Medicare Hospital Insurance trust fund to make up the difference. The trust fund, amassed from past surplus payroll taxes, currently stands at around $143 billion.

Without spending cuts, funding increases or a combination of the two, the Medicare program's trustees have predicted in their annual report that the Medicare trust fund will be exhausted by 2028. The trustees are the secretaries of the Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services departments, plus the Social Security commissioner. There can be up to two additional trustees, but those seats are vacant.

Medicare's expenses are rising rapidly with the retirement of baby boomers, the large generation of Americans born between 1946 and 1964, and rising health care costs.

Should the trust fund be emptied out, the trustees predict that hospital benefits would have to be cut by 10%. But those cuts are widely considered to be politically unacceptable, as illustrated by statements from Biden and his predecessor, former President Donald Trump.

In addition to proposing an increase in the tax levied on the investment earnings of high-income Americans, Biden also proposes that these revenues be fully dedicated to the trust fund. Currently the government treats that money as general revenue that can be used for any government program.

Two very different scenarios

Unlike Medicare Part A, Parts B and D are funded largely by general federal revenue and by premiums paid by retirees.

Because the government is allowed to use general revenue to pay for them, the funding of Parts B and D isn't jeopardized by the depletion of their trust fundno matter how fast those costs rise.

Even without Biden's proposed changes, official Medicare spending projections rise rapidly through the mid-2030s and then plateau as a percentage of gross domestic product.

However, those projections are based on a presumption that payments to hospitals are constrained as specified in the Affordable Care Act and that other spending constraints on physician payments are realized.

Unfortunately, history provides little assurance that lawmakers will maintain all of these requirements to restrain future payments to health care providers.

We say this because of what happened after 1997, when Congress approved the sustainable growth rate system, which was intended to limit the annual increase in cost per Medicare beneficiary to the rate of economic growth. Starting in 2002, Congress passed legislation year after year to override itand only stopped doing that once it did away with the system altogether in 2015.

Reflecting this uncertainty, the annual trustees report features an alternative projection that is arguably more credible and more scary. It indicates that Medicare costs will grow much faster than the economy starting in 2036.

Competing demands

The Social Security program, a national pension program that primarily supports older Americans, faces similar funding shortfalls.

Its trustees anticipate that the Social Security trust fund will be depleted by 2035 without changes in funding, promised benefitsor both. In that event, Social Security benefits may have to fall by about 20% from anticipated levels.

Medicare and Social Security are the nation's largest entitlement programs. Almost all Americans, if they live long enough, will eventually be eligible to obtain these benefitsregardless of their income or wealth.

While Americans do not yet agree on how to put these programs on a steadier fiscal footing, the math is clear.

Our elected representatives cannot avoid making hard decisions that involve increasing taxes, reducing benefits or both.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Kenya has seen an overall improvement in maternal and newborn health outcomes. Credit: Belen B Massieu/Shutterstock

Maternal and newborn deaths are a major public health problem in Kenya. In 2020 the maternal mortality ratio was 530 deaths per 100,000 live births. This is much higher than the global average of 223 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. The ratio of babies who die in the first month of life (neonatal deaths) is also higher than the global average. Kenya's neonatal death rate is 21 deaths per 1,000 live births. The global rate is 18 deaths per 1,000.

Most of these deaths can be prevented if women receive maternal health services. These include care during pregnancy and skilled attendants during childbirth. The World Health Organization has recognized that user fees are a major barrier to care like this.

To provide more women with healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth, Kenya introduced free maternity health services in 2013. The programknown as Linda mamaconsists of a package of benefits. The benefits include antenatal care, attended delivery and outpatient care for infants up to nine months. This program is a step towards universal health coverage for Kenya.

Pregnant women can use these services at a range of healthcare facilities including those run by the government, faith-based organizations, nongovernmental organizations, or private providers. Women with alternative medical insurance are excluded from the service.

In our recent study, published in The European Journal of Health Economics, we wanted to show the impact of this policy. We focused on: neonatal deaths; skilled birth attendants; and children born with low birth weight. Further, we presented the cost-benefit analysis of the free maternity policy. Estimating the policy's contribution is important to guide its sustainable funding through budgeting.

We found an overall improvement in maternal and newborn health outcomes. More womenespecially poor womenare now able to access maternal care. And the net benefits of the policy were much greater than the costs. Further investment into the free maternity policy could potentially avert even more maternal and neonatal deaths.

Our study

We used data from Kenya's demographic health survey to evaluate the impact of the free maternity care policy on a key set of indicators. We compared the rates before and after the start of the policy. The indicators we focused on were:

We also did a limited costbenefit analysis to assess the net social benefit of the free maternity policy. We used the most appropriate cost-effectiveness indicators (cost vis-a-vis effectiveness) and compared the annual cost of implementing the policy to the average annual per neonatal death averted.

With the policy shown to have resulted to on average 4,015 fewer neonatal deaths after its implementation, the cost-to-benefit ratio of the policy was 21.22. The net benefits received from the policy were 21 times higher than the cost. This shows that the free maternity policy is associated with a high return to the country. Policymakers need to look at ways of further expanding and sustainably funding the free maternity policy for even better outcomes.

Way forward

The reduction in early neonatal and neonatal mortality and increase in skilled delivery brought on by the policy can be maintained if more women are encouraged to give birth in health facilities. This can be done by promoting awareness of the policy and the benefits package.

The government must address the health system challenges that could hamper the policy's positive impact. The challenges include health worker shortages, increased workload and shortages of drugs.

In addition, more facilities should be accredited to provide free maternity services. This will address the issue of people having to travel long distances to access the free maternity benefits.

More information: Boniface Oyugi et al, Does a free maternity policy in Kenya work? Impact and costbenefit consideration based on demographic health survey data, The European Journal of Health Economics (2023). DOI: 10.1007/s10198-023-01575-w

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The scientists analyzed the structural language connectome of native German and Arabic speakers. Credit: MPI CBS

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig have found evidence that the language we speak shapes the connectivity in our brains that may underlie the way we think. With the help of magnetic resonance tomography, they looked deep into the brains of native German and Arabic speakers and discovered differences in the wiring of the language regions in the brain.

Xuehu Wei, who is a doctoral student in the research team around Alfred Anwander and Angela Friederici, compared the brain scans of 94 native speakers of two very different languages and showed that the language we grow up with modulates the wiring in the brain. Two groups of native speakers of German and Arabic respectively were scanned in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine.

The high-resolution images not only show the anatomy of the brain, but also allow to derive the connectivity between the brain areas using a technique called diffusion-weighted imaging. The data showed that the axonal white matter connections of the language network adapt to the processing demands and difficulties of the mother tongue.

"Arabic native speakers showed a stronger connectivity between the left and right hemispheres than German native speakers," explained Alfred Anwander, last author of the study that was recently published in the journal NeuroImage. "This strengthening was also found between semantic language regions and may be related to the relatively complex semantic and phonological processing in Arabic."

As the researchers discovered, native German speakers showed stronger connectivity in the left hemisphere language network. They argue that their findings may be related to the complex syntactic processing of German, which is due to the free word order and greater dependency distance of sentence elements.

"Brain connectivity is modulated by learning and the environment during childhood, which influences processing and cognitive reasoning in the adult brain. Our study provides new insights how the brain adapts to cognitive demands, that is, the structural language connectome is shaped by the mother tongue," said Anwander.

This is one of the first studies to document differences between the brains of people who grew up with different native languages and could give researchers a way to understand cross-cultural processing differences in the brain. In a next study, the research team will analyze longitudinal structural changes in the brains of Arabic-speaking adults as they learn German over six months.

More information: Xuehu Wei et al, Native language differences in the structural connectome of the human brain, NeuroImage (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119955 Journal information: NeuroImage
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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A new study published in the journal Human-Animal Interactions reveals that your lovable pet dog or cat may lead to you having more restless nights than those graced with long periods of peaceful sleep.

The research, led by Dr. Lauren Wisnieski of Lincoln Memorial University, U.S., focused specifically on pet ownership in the U.S. and drew upon data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted in 2005-2006.

Dr. Wisnieski, Assistant Professor of Public Health and Research and Affiliation, found that having a dog was associated with greater odds of having a sleep disorder and having trouble sleeping while having a cat was associated with a higher chance of having leg jerks.

While the causal nature of pet ownership on sleep quality and sleep disorders was unable to be established, the results of the study are consistent with previous studies that found that pet ownership has a negative impact on sleep quality.

Dr. Wisnieski said, "Prior studies on the association between pet ownership and sleep quality and sleep disorders have varied results.

"On the one hand, dogs and cats may be beneficial for an owner's quality of sleep due to the social support that pets providepets offer a sense of security and companionship, which may result in improvements in levels of anxiety, stress and depression. Yet on the other hand, pets may disrupt their owners' sleep.

"This cross-sectional study aimed to determine if there is an association between dog and cat ownership and sleep quality and sleep disordersincluding consideration of aspects such as snoring, waking up during the night, needing pills to sleep and leg jerks."

The research built multivariable logistic regression models that also included sleep quality factors such as feeling unrested, feeling sleepy, not getting enough sleep, taking longer than 15 minutes to fall asleep and getting less than six hours of sleep on average.

Dr. Wisnieski suggests that the differences in the association of sleep quality and cat versus dog ownership may be because cats tend to be more active at night.

Furthermore, she found that there were fewer differences in sleep quality indicators between cat and non-cat owners compared to dog and non-dog owners.

Dr. Wisnieski added, "If the causal relationship is established through further investigation, the results will have implications for clinician recommendations for treating patients with poor sleep quality.

"Additionally, educational resources can be developed to inform pet owners about the risks of sleep disruptions and offer potential solutions, such as crating the pet or restricting access to the bedroom at night."

In conclusion, the study recognizes that there may be potential positive aspects of co-sleeping with a pet, but the data obtained from NHANES did not state whether owners indeed slept with their dogs or cats.

"In the future, studies would benefit from measuring the human-animal bond, so that we can understand how the strength of it affects quality of sleep," Dr. Wisnieski added.

More information: The association of pet ownership and sleep quality and sleep disorders in United States adults, Human-Animal Interactions (2023). DOI: 10.1079/hai.2023.0005

Provided by CABI
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Outline pedigree of two kindreds (A and B) from the ORCADES study. Filled circles are breast or ovarian cancers, red outlines are sequenced V1736A carriers, dotted red outlines are obligate carriers. The founders of kindred A, the largest, were born in Westray in the 1760s. All four of the other kindreds also eventually lead back to Westray common ancestors, in the 19th century (but with deeper ancestry there back to the same time depth). In kindred C, mostly resident in the East Mainland of Orkney, the Westray common ancestors were born in the early 1800s. Credit: European Journal of Human Genetics (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41431-023-01297-w

One in 100 people who have grandparents from Orkney have a gene variant that causes a higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, a study has found.

Published in the European Journal of Human Genetics, leading geneticists from the Universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh have linked a variant in the gene BRCA1 to a historic origin in Westray, Orkney.

Currently in Scotland the test is available to those who know of a direct family connection to the gene or have a history of ovarian or breast cancer in their family.

Now planning is underway for a small pilot trial organized by NHS Grampian that will offer testing for the gene variant to anyone living in Westray with a Westray-born grandparent, regardless of a family history.

If the pilot is successful, the long-term aim is to offer the test to everyone in Scotland with a Westray-born grandparent who wants it.

Most breast and ovarian cancers happen due to chance damage to genes. However, some cases are caused in part by inherited alterations which increase the chances that women will get one or both of these conditions. One of the most common of these predisposing genes is BRCA1.

Around one in 1,000 women across the UK have a BRCA1 variant giving them a high lifetime chance of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

Over many years, the North of Scotland NHS genetics clinic team found the same specific single variant in the BRCA1 gene repeatedly in women from Orkney with breast and/or ovarian cancer. The genetics team used clinical genealogy to show that the patients with the variant linked into one large family with an origin in the Orkney outer isle of Westray.

University of Edinburgh scientists examined genetic data from more than 2000 volunteers with Orkney grandparents in the Orkney Complex Disease Study (ORCADES). The study is part of Viking Genes, a project which aims to discover the genes and variants that influence the risk of disease.

They found the BRCA1 variant in 1% of men and women with Orkney grandparents. Many of the ORCADES participants with the variant are not closely related to branches of the family identified in the clinic, but all share historic Westray ancestors.

Professor Zosia Miedzybrodzka, professor of medical genetics at the University of Aberdeen, is Director of the NHS North of Scotland Genetic Service based within NHS Grampian in Aberdeen and has run the Orkney genetic clinic for over 20 years.

She said, "Developing cancer is not solely down to carrying the BRCA1 variant alone. There are many complex factors, and some people with gene alterations will not get cancer. However, we know that testing and the right follow-up can save lives."

"Many people who have the gene alteration are unaware of it. Not everyone wants to have a genetic test that looks into their future. In the long run we want to make a test available to those with Westray grandparents who want to know if they have the gene variant."

"As it is hereditary, the gene variant can affect multiple members of families. Risk-reducing surgery, breast screening with MRI from age 30 and lifestyle advice can all improve health for women with the gene. Men do not need to take any particular action for themselves, but they can pass the gene onto female descendants."

Professor Jim Wilson, professor of human genetics, University of Edinburgh added, "The fact that one in a hundred Orcadian women carry a high-risk variant for breast and ovarian cancer highlights the value of population studies such as Viking Genes, without which we would not know this. It is imperative that Scottish island populations are represented in research, to allow equitable delivery of genomic medicine across the country."

Orcadian Karen Scott was tested for this BRCA1 gene variant following her own cancer diagnosis in 2018. She also works for charity Clan Cancer Support in Kirkwall which provides emotional and practical support to people affected by a cancer diagnosis.

She said, "This important medical finding reflects Orkney's unique heritage. Having personally taken part in this test, I understand the significance of this research for my family and the Orkney community. We must act on this new knowledge to improve our children's future."

Professor Henry Watson, from Friends of ANCHOR said, "It is clear there is a strong case for offering this targeted testing. The Friends of ANCHOR committee promptly approved the application for funding so that this program can be rolled out to the Westray population as soon as possible."

"This project will give Westray residents who have a grandparent from the island, control over the decision to find out more about their heritage-related risk factors."

"On a personal note my maternal grandmother came from Westray and so the outcomes of testing may have implications for my family. This shows why the research impacts beyond Westray."

More information: Shona M. Kerr et al, Clinical case study meets population cohort: identification of a BRCA1 pathogenic founder variant in Orcadians, European Journal of Human Genetics (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41431-023-01297-w Journal information: European Journal of Human Genetics
The icon for the video sharing TikTok app is seen on a smartphone, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, in Marple Township, Pa. TikTok was dismissive Wednesday, March 15, of reports that the Biden administration was calling for its Chinese owners to sell their stakes in the popular video-sharing app, saying such a move wouldn't help protect national security. (Matt Slocum/AP)

TikTok is once again fending off claims that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, would share user data from its popular video-sharing app with the Chinese government, or push propaganda and misinformation on its behalf.

Chinas Foreign Ministry on Wednesday accused the United States itself of spreading disinformation about TikToks potential security risks following a report in the Wall Street Journal that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.  part of the Treasury Department  was threatening a U.S. ban on the app unless its Chinese owners divest their stake.

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So are the data security risks real? And should users be worried that the TikTok app will be wiped off their phones?

Heres what to know:

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WHAT ARE THE CONCERNS ABOUT TIKTOK?

Both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have warned that ByteDance could share TikTok user data  such as browsing history, location and biometric identifiers  with Chinas authoritarian government.

A law implemented by China in 2017 requires companies to give the government any personal data relevant to the countrys national security. Theres no evidence that TikTok has turned over such data, but fears abound due to the vast amount of user data it, like other social media companies, collects.

Concerns around TikTok were heightened in December when ByteDance said it fired four employees who accessed data on two journalists from Buzzfeed News and The Financial Times while attempting to track down the source of a leaked report about the company.

HOW IS THE U.S. RESPONDING?

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby declined to comment when asked Thursday to address the Chinese foreign ministrys comments about TikTok, citing the review being conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investment.

Kirby also could not confirm that the administration sent TikTok a letter warning that the U.S. government may ban the application if its Chinese owners dont sell its stake but added, we have legitimate national security concerns with respect to data integrity that we need to observe.

In 2020, then-President Donald Trump and his administration sought to force ByteDance to sell off its U.S. assets and ban TikTok from app stores. Courts blocked the effort, and President Joe Biden rescinded Trumps orders but ordered an in-depth study of the issue. A planned sale of TikToks U.S. assets was also shelved as the Biden administration negotiated a deal with TikTok that would address some of the national security concerns.

In Congress, U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Jerry Moran, a Democrat and a Republican, wrote a letter in February to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urging the Committee on Foreign Investment panel, which she chairs, to swiftly conclude its investigation and impose strict structural restrictions between TikToks American operations and ByteDance, including potentially separating the companies.

At the same time, lawmakers have introduced measures that would expand the Biden administrations authority to enact a national ban on TikTok. The White House has already backed a Senate proposal that has bipartisan support.

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HOW HAS TIKTOK ALREADY BEEN RESTRICTED?

On Thursday, British authorities said they are banning TikTok on government-issued phones on security grounds, following similar moves by the European Unions executive branch, which temporarily banned TikTok from employee phones. Denmark and Canada have also announced efforts to block it on government-issued phones.

Last month, the White House said it would give U.S. federal agencies 30 days to delete TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices. Congress, the U.S. armed forces and more than half of U.S. states had already banned the app.

WHAT DOES TIKTOK SAY?

TikTok spokesperson Maureen Shanahan said the company was already answering security concerns through transparent, U.S.-based protection of U.S. user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification.

In June, TikTok said it would route all data from U.S. users to servers controlled by Oracle, the Silicon Valley company it chose as its U.S. tech partner in 2020 in an effort to avoid a nationwide ban. But it is storing backups of the data in its own servers in the U.S. and Singapore. The company said it expects to delete U.S. user data from its own servers, but it has not provided a timeline as to when that would occur.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is set to testify next week before the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the companys privacy and data-security practices, as well as its relationship with the Chinese government.

Meanwhile, TikToks parent company ByteDance has been trying to position itself as more of an international company -- and less of a Chinese company that was founded in Beijing in 2012 by its current chief executive Liang Rubo and others.

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Theo Bertram, TikToks vice president of policy in Europe, said in a Tweet Thursday that ByteDance is not a Chinese company. Bertram said its ownership consists of 60% by global investors, 20% employees and 20% founders. Its leaders are based in cities like Singapore, New York, Beijing and other metropolitan areas.

ARE THE SECURITY RISKS LEGITIMATE?

It depends on who you ask.

Some tech privacy advocates say while the potential abuse of privacy by the Chinese government is concerning, other tech companies have data-harvesting business practices that also exploit user information.

If policy makers want to protect Americans from surveillance, they should advocate for a basic privacy law that bans all companies from collecting so much sensitive data about us in the first place, rather than engaging in what amounts to xenophobic showboating that does exactly nothing to protect anyone, said Evan Greer, director of the nonprofit advocacy group Fight for the Future.

Karim Farhat, a researcher with the Internet Governance Project at Georgia Tech, said a TikTok sale would be completely irrelevant to any of the alleged national security threats and go against every free market principle and norm of the state departments internet freedom principles.

Others say there is legitimate reason for concern.

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People who use TikTok might think theyre not doing anything that would be of interest to a foreign government, but thats not always the case, said Anton Dahbura, executive director of the Johns Hopkins University Information Security Institute. Important information about the United States is not strictly limited to nuclear power plants or military facilities; it extends to other sectors, such as food processing, the finance industry and universities, Dahbura said.

IS THERE PRECEDENCE FOR BANNING TECH COMPANIES?

Last year, the U.S. banned the sale of communications equipment made by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE, citing risks to national security. But banning the sale of items could be more easily done than banning an app, which is accessed through the web.

Such a move might also go to the courts on grounds that it might violate the First Amendment as some civil liberties groups have argued.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Tanzania has dispatched a team of health experts to investigate a mysterious disease that has claimed the lives of five people, the government said.

The illness was detected in "a total of seven people (with) symptoms including fever, vomiting, bleeding in various body parts and kidney failure", the health ministry said in a statement released late Thursday.

The government has sent a rapid response team to the northwestern region of Kagera which borders Uganda to investigate the "communicable disease", Tanzania's chief medical officer Tumaini Nagu said in the statement.

"Samples have been taken from the patients and the dead in an effort to identify the source and type of illness," she said, urging the public to remain calm but take precautions to avoid contagion.

The probe follows an Ebola outbreak in Uganda, that lasted nearly four months and claimed the lives of 55 people before the government in January declared an end to it.

Last year, Tanzania identified an outbreak of leptospirosis or "rat fever" which killed three people in the southeastern region of Lindi.

The bacterial infection is commonly spread through consuming water or food contaminated by infected animal urine.

Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan said at the time that the disease may have been caused by "growing interaction" between humans and wild animals as a result of environmental degradation.

 2023 AFP
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A study aiming to determine if the replacement of missing teeth with fixed prostheses may protect against cognitive decline was presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the AADOCR, in conjunction with the 47th Annual Meeting of the CADR. The AADOCR/CADR Annual Meeting & Exhibition took place at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland on March 15-18, 2023.

The study by Elizabeth Kaye of Boston University examined 577 men in the VA Normative Aging Study (NAS) and Dental Longitudinal Study. Tooth status and type of replacement, if any, were recorded at triennial dental exams (1969-2001). Masticatory efficiency was assessed with carrot chewing tests. The Spatial Copying Task (SCT) was administered up to four times between 1995 and 2001. The investigators defined poor cognition as any weighted SCT score <13 (lowest tertile of initial SCT scores in all NAS participants). Tooth-level Cox proportional regression, accounting for clustering within individuals, estimated the hazard of poor cognition, adjusted for education, epilepsy medication use, and time-varying values of tooth status (present, absent, fixed bridge/implant, removable replacement), age, cigarette smoking, and coronary heart disease.

The mean age at initial cognitive testing was 687 years. Forty-five percent of men had at least one low SCT score. Twenty-nine percent of participants lost no teeth during follow-up, 34% lost teeth that were not replaced, 13% had missing teeth subsequently replaced with fixed prostheses, and 25% had missing teeth replaced with removable prostheses. New fixed prostheses were associated with a lower hazard (HR=0.72, 95%CI=0.52-0.99) of poor cognition while new removable prostheses were associated with a higher hazard (HR=1.26, 95% CI=1.01-1.56). Loss of a tooth with no replacement was not associated with a significantly higher hazard (HR=1.05 95% CI=0.91-1.21) of poor cognition. Masticatory ability declined 6% in men with new fixed prostheses compared to 9%, 10%, and 13% in men with no tooth loss, new removable prostheses, and tooth loss but no replacement, respectively.

The study found that the replacement of missing teeth with fixed prostheses may protect against cognitive decline, and conservation of masticatory ability may play a role in the protective association.

More information: This research was presented as part of the Interactive Talk presentation, "Fixed Prosthetic Replacements May Lower Cognitive Impairment Risk," which took place on Thursday, March 16th, 2023, at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-07:00) during the "Oral and General Health" session from 8 a.m.9:30 a.m.

Provided by International Association for Dental Research
Do you have an event to list? Go to Missoula.com/events and submit your information by Monday.

Friday, March 17

Art

Hearts Afire, 2246 W. Central Ave., 406-926-3435, heartsafirepottery.com: Adult Night Out with your spouse, friends, family or co-workers. Spend the evening painting pottery or stoneware, glass fusing or DIY canvas. Book your seat, or first come, first serve. 21 and up. BYOB. 5-8 p.m.

Painting with a Twist: A Stellar View, 2100 Stephens Ave., 7 p.m. $39. RSVP at paintingwithatwist.com/studio/missoula.

Kids stuff

Missoula Public Library, 455 E. Main St., 721-2665, missoulapubliclibrary.org: MakerSpace walk-in hours, 9:30-12:30 p.m. Families First Learning Lab: St. Patrick's Day activities, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. tiny Tales, 10:30-11 a.m. Story Time, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Families First Learning Lab: Community connections, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Watercolor painting class, 12-2 p.m. Yarns @ MPL, 12-2 p.m SpectrUM Discovery Activity: All About Anatomy, 2-6 p.m. Lego Club, 2:30-5 p.m. UM Living Lab: Research studies and activities for kids, 3-6 p.m. Young adult writers' group, 3:30-5:30 p.m. D&D Guild for Adults, 6-8 p.m. Cheap date night, 6:30-9 p.m

Bitterroot Public Library, Hamilton, 363-1670, bitterrootpubliclibrary.org: Preschool story time, 10:30 a.m., registration required. All ages chess club, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

North Valley Public Library, Stevensville. 777-5061, northvalleylibrary.org: Open World Fridays, 4-6 p.m., registration required.

Potpurri

Backcountry Brewfest 2023, Caras Park: Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with fun games, live music, food trucks, raffles and the best beer from across Montana. $25 tickets, includes three beer tickets and a cup. 5-9 p.m.

Theater

Missoula Community Theatre, 200 N. Adams St., 406-728-7529, mctinc.org: Presenting "The Bridges of Madison County," through March 19. Based on the 1992 novel by Robert James Waller and brought to the stage by the Tony Award winning duo of Marsha Norman and Jason Robert Brown. 7:30 p.m. $20-$30.

Missoula Community Theatre, 200 N. Adams St., 406-728-7529, mctinc.org: Play-In Day, day-long theatre camp. Students will rehearse and perform a small musical in just one day. 9 a.m.-5:45 p.m. $65.

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Rendezvous 2023, 1101 South Ave. West, backcountryhunters.org: A field to table dinner, backcountry brewfest, wild game cookoff, campfire stories, seminars and awards. Full weekend tickets: $200. BHA celebration dinner: $35. Campfire Stories: $20. Chapter cook-off: $10. Single day pass to Bender area and seminars: $15. Tent camping area ticket: $100. RV/Camping Area: $125.

Buddy DeFranco Jazz Festival, 32 Campus Dr., Dennison Theatre, griztix.com: 43rd annual festival. Daytime activities, masterclasses, performances and two days of unbelievable music and jazz education. Tickets range from $10-$25. 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 18

Art

Painting with a Twist: Colorful Elk, 2100 Stephens Ave., 2 p.m. $39. RSVP at paintingwithatwist.com/studio/missoula.

Painting with a Twist: Lil' Bit of Montana, 2100 Stephens Ave., 7 p.m. $39. RSVP at paintingwithatwist.com/studio/missoula.

Dance

Flamenco Montana, Show Tyme Academy for the Performing Arts, 2825 Stockyard Road Unit C-5, 406-396-4007, flamencomt.com: Victoria Lenihan offers Flamenco I every Saturday from 12:15.-2 p.m. Class is $30 per month or $10 per class.

Kids stuff

Missoula Public Library, 455 E. Main St., 721-2665, missoulapubliclibrary.org: MCAT tour and training, 10-10:45 a.m. Story time, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Tech connect: Tech Time @ MPL, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. MCAT: Young kids dance party, 11-11:45 a.m. Western Montana Genealogical Society work day, 12-4 p.m. MCAT: Stop animation workshop for kids, 1-3 p.m. Montana Rep's First Reads: "The Christians" by Lucas Hnath, 2-4 p.m. spectrUM Discovery Activity: All About Anatomy, 2-6 p.m. MakerSpace walk-in hours, 2:30-5 p.m. MCAT: Virtual reality, 4-5:30 p.m.

Theater

Missoula Community Theatre, 200 N. Adams St., 406-728-7529, mctinc.org: Presenting "The Bridges of Madison County," through March 19. Based on the 1992 novel by Robert James Waller and brought to the stage by the Tony Award winning duo of Marsha Norman and Jason Robert Brown. 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. $20-$30.

Montana Repertory Theatre and Missoula Public Library host a four part staged reading series "First Reads," 2 p.m., Copper Room, Missoula Public Library, 455 E. Main St. Featuring "The Christians" by Lucas Hnarth. Free admission.

Potpourri

Missoula Valley Winter Market, 2901 Brooks St.: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Next to Scheels.

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Rendezvous 2023, 1101 South Ave. West, backcountryhunters.org: A field to table dinner, backcountry brewfest, wild game cookoff, campfire stories, seminars and awards. Full weekend tickets: $200. BHA Celebration Dinner: $35. Campfire Stories: $20. Chapter Cook-Off: $10. Single day pass to Bender area and seminars: $15. Tent camping area ticket: $100. RV/camping area: $125.

Sunday, March 19

Kids' Stuff

Missoula Public Library, 455 E. Main St., 721-2665, missoulapubliclibrary.org: MCAT: Music Sunday at MCAT Studios, 12-1:30 p.m. MCAT: Community radio DJ auditions, 2-4 p.m. MCAT: One day short film production, 2-5 p.m. MakerSpace Walk-In Hours, 2:30-5 p.m.

Potpourri

Bonner History Roundtable: "Gandy Dancers and Ethnicity: The Immigrants Who Built Montana's Railroads," with Bill Taylor, 2-4 p.m., St. Ann Catholic Church, 9015 Highway 200 E., Bonner. Free. Meal prepared by St. Ann parishioners available after program. $7 eat in or $5 takeout. 406-370-5929, bonnermilltownhistory.org.

Theater

Missoula Community Theatre, 200 N. Adams St., 406-728-7529, mctinc.org: Presenting "The Bridges of Madison County," through March 19. Based on the 1992 novel by Robert James Waller and brought to the stage by the Tony Award winning duo of Marsha Norman and Jason Robert Brown. 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. $20-$30.

Potpourri

Bingo, doors open at noon, games start 1 p.m. Lolo Community Center. Face masks encouraged.

Western Cider, 501 N. California St., Yoga and cider. $15 gets you yoga and cider afterwards. 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Monday, March 20

Art

Clay Studio of Missoula, 1106 Hawthorne St., 406-543-0509, theclaystudioofmissoula.org: Spring break camps for kids and teens. Sculpture Explorers for ages 8-10 and up. Teen Throwing for ages 12-18. Pottery for kids for ages 5-7 and up. Half-day camps all week. From $160-$175.

Kids' stuff

Missoula Public Library, 455 E. Main St., 721-2665, missoulapubliclibrary.org: Lego Club, 2:30-5 p.m. "Mycoremediation: How Mushrooms Digest Toxic Waste into Possibility," 5;30-7 p.m. Frenchtown Library: World Cinema, 7-10 p.m.

Bitterroot Public Library, Hamilton, 363-1670, bitterrootpubliclibrary.org: Fabric puzzle blocks take-home kit for kids, first come, first served.

North Valley Public Library, Stevensville. 777-5061, northvalleylibrary.org: Art for Kids ages 5-10, 4-5 p.m., registration required.

Potpourri

North Valley Public Library, Stevensville. 777-5061, northvalleylibrary.org: Belly Dance Class, 6-6:45 p.m., registration required.

Tuesday, March 21

Kids stuff

Missoula Public Library, 455 E. Main St., 721-2665, missoulapubliclibrary.org: Families First Learning Lab: Preschool Art with a Purpose, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. MCAT: Video camera tour, 2-4 p.m. SpectrUM Discovery Activity: Magic of Chemistry, 2-6 p.m. Big Sky 3D printing open hours, 4:30-7:30 p.m. MCAT: Introduction to Podcasting, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Families First Learning Lab: Parenting education, 6-7:30 p.m.

Bitterroot Public Library, Hamilton, 363-1670, bitterrootpubliclibrary.org: Coloring Club for Adults, 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Builder's Club, 4-5 p.m., registration required. Code Girls United Club, 5:15-6:15 p.m.

North Valley Public Library, Stevensville. 777-5061, northvalleylibrary.org: Role Playing Games for Teens, 4-6 p.m., registration required.

Wednesday, March 22

Kids stuff

Missoula Public Library, 455 E. Main St., 721-2665, missoulapubliclibrary.org: Big Sky: Book Madness, all day. Families First Learning Lab: Blue Block Wednesday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. MCAT: Learn to video edit, 2-4 p.m. spectrUM Discovery Activity: Magic of Chemistry, 2-6 p.m. MakerSpace walk-in hours, 2:30-5:30 p.m. Middle School Writers' Group, 3:30-5 p.m. Big Sky Writers' Group, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Learn MCAT's three-camera studio, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesdays with the Mayor, 6-7:30 p.m.

North Valley Public Library, Stevensville. 777-5061, northvalleylibrary.org: Songs and Stories for Preschoolers, 10;30-11 a.m. Wild and Weird Wednesdays with Science Officer Lisa, 4-5 p.m.

Potpourri

Bonner Milltown History Center and Museum, coffee, 9-11:30 a.m., 9397 Highway 200, Bonner.

Trivia at Stave and Hoop Speakeasy, 223 N. Higgins Ave.: First come, first serve. 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 23

Dance

Sunrise Saloon, 1101 Strand Ave., Country dance lessons. 8 p.m.

Kids stuff

Missoula Public Library, 455 E. Main St., 721-2665, missoulapubliclibrary.org: Tiny Tales, 10:30-11 a.m. MCAT: Introduction to Podcasting, 2-3 p.m. SpectrUM Discovery Activity: Magic of Chemistry, 2-6 p.m. Fossils rock lecture series, 2-3:30 p.m. MakerSpace Walk-In Hours, 2:30-5:30 p.m. SpectrUM special guest: Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium visit, 3-5 p.m. Families First Learning Lab: Art with a Purpose, 3-5 p.m. Big Sky 3D printing open hours, 4:30-7:30 p.m.

Bitterroot Public Library, Hamilton, 363-1670, bitterrootpubliclibrary.org: Little Explorers, 10-11 a.m., registration required. "Observe the Moon" nnight at the library, 6;30-8:30 p.m., registration required.

MNHC miniNaturalists, 120 Hickory St.: Encouraging curiosity for the natural world through exploration and play. 10-11 a.m. Best for ages 2-4, though any age is welcome. Free with cost of admission and free for members.

Potpourri

Western Cider, 501 N. California St., Trivia. Bring a team for five rounds of questions. Starting right at 7 p.m.

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Rendezvous 2023, 1101 South Ave. West, backcountryhunters.org: A field to table dinner, backcountry brewfest, wild game cookoff, campfire stories, seminars and awards. Full weekend tickets: $200. BHA celebration dinner: $35. Campfire Stories: $20. Chapter cook-off: $10. Single day pass to Bender area and seminars: $15. Tent camping area ticket: $100. RV/camping area: $125.

North Valley Public Library, Stevensville. 777-5061, northvalleylibrary.org: Houseplant swap social, 12-1:30 p.m. Tech petting zoo for adults, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Just 2 kids in the world have this rare genetic disease. Their parents united for a cure. Unique changes in DNA slowed each child's development, but two sets of parents are now working together with researchers to form a foundation to tackle the disease. Read more

Just 2 Kids Worldwide Are Known to Have This Rare Genetic Disease. Their Parents United for a Cure THURSDAY, March 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- When Yoni Silverman, now 13, was a toddler, his parents fretted as he missed milestone after milestone. The New York City couple took their son to a host of specialists, searching for answers about why he wasnt speaking and had difficulty with balance, among other developmental issues.

For new moms in pain, prescribing an opioid won't harm baby. Infants exposed before birth were no more likely to be admitted to a hospital than infants whose moms were not prescribed a narcotic, research shows. Read more

Fertility meds are no threat to people with MS. Giving patients certain treatments before fertility procedures seemed to help prevent relapses of the neurological illness. Read more

Fertility Treatments Pose No Danger to People With MS THURSDAY, March 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Women with multiple sclerosis who want to undergo fertility treatment can do so without worry, according to a new study.
THURSDAY, March 16, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For youth, factors such as higher childhood neighborhood area deprivation index (ADI), age, sex, and obesity are associated with a primary diagnosis of hypertension, according to a study published online March 15 in JAMA Network Open.

Carissa M. Baker-Smith, M.D., M.P.H., from Nemours Children's Health in Wilmington, Delaware, and colleagues examined the association between neighborhood measures of deprivation and diagnosis of primary hypertension in youth aged 8 to 18 years between Jan. 1, 2014, and Dec. 31, 2019. The cross-sectional study included 65,452 youths, of whom 98.3 percent were without a hypertension diagnosis and 1.7 percent had a diagnosis of primary hypertension.

The researchers found that residence within communities with ADI 50 was associated with significantly increased odds of a hypertension diagnosis (odds ratio, 1.61). Greater odds of primary hypertension diagnosis were also seen in association with older age (odds ratio, 1.16 per year), obesity diagnosis (odds ratio, 5.16), and longer duration of full Medicaid benefit coverage (odds ratio, 1.03), while lower odds were seen in association with female sex (odds ratio, 0.68). Including a Medicaid-by-ADI interaction term in the model was significant for the interaction; the odds of hypertension diagnosis were slightly higher for youth with ADI <50 versus those with ADI 50 (odds ratio, 1.03 versus 1.02). There was no association observed for race and ethnicity with a primary hypertension diagnosis.

"Screening algorithms and national guidelines may consider the importance of ADI when assessing for the presence and prevalence of primary hypertension in youth," the authors write.
China releases plan on reforming Party and state institutions

Xinhua) 08:10, March 17, 2023

BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council have released a plan on reforming Party and state institutions, and issued a circular demanding the faithful implementation of the plan.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, efforts have been made to further reform Party and state institutions, leading to systemic and holistic transformations of their functions, the plan said.

However, the institutional setup and the allocation of functions of Party and state institutions are not yet fully adapted to new tasks, the plan noted, adding that further reforms and adjustments are needed.

It stated the aim of reforming Party and state institutions is building a functional system of Party and state institutions that is well-developed, procedure-based and efficient.

The plan said important arrangements were made at the 20th CPC National Congress for deepening the reform of Party and state institutions, which is of far-reaching significance.

Efforts are needed to deepen institutional reform in key areas and ensure that the Party's leadership over socialist modernization becomes more refined in institutional setup, more optimized in the division of functions, more improved in institutions and mechanisms, and more efficient in operation and management, according to the plan.

The plan listed several reforms on CPC Central Committee institutions.

A central commission for finance will be established to strengthen CPC Central Committee's centralized and unified leadership over financial work.

It will be responsible for top-level planning, coordination, overall advancement of financial stability and development and for supervising the work's implementation. The commission will also study and deliberate major policies and matters in the financial sector, among others. An office of the commission will be set up, the plan said.

A committee will be formed to strengthen the unified leadership over the Party's work in the financial sector.

A central commission for science and technology will be set up to enhance the CPC Central Committee's centralized and unified leadership over the work of science and technology, the plan said.

Its functions include pushing forward the building of a national innovation system and structural scientific and technological reform, studying and deliberating major strategies, plans and policies for the country's sci-tech development, and coordinating efforts to resolve major issues of strategic, guiding and fundamental significance in the sci-tech sector.

A social work department of the CPC Central Committee will be formed, the plan said. It will coordinate and guide the work in handling public complaints and soliciting people's opinions.

The department will also be responsible for Party building work in mixed-ownership and non-public enterprises, and new types of economic and social organizations and among groups in new forms of employment, according to the plan.

The department will oversee the National Public Complaints and Proposals Administration.

Party committees at the provincial, municipal and county levels will set up their social work departments accordingly.

A Hong Kong and Macao work office of the CPC Central Committee will be formed on the basis of the existing Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, according to the plan. The new office will function as a working body of the CPC Central Committee. The name of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council will be retained, said the plan.

On deepening reform of the National People's Congress (NPC) institutions, the plan said that a commission on work related to NPC deputies will be set up.

On deepening reform of State Council institutions, the plan said the Ministry of Science and Technology will be restructured.

A national financial regulatory administration will be set up. Local financial regulatory mechanisms will be reformed.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission will be placed directly under the State Council.

Local branches of the People's Bank of China will also be reformed, according to the plan.

The state-owned financial capital management system will be improved, said the plan.

The management of the staff of financial regulators will be unified and standardized, according to the plan.

A national data bureau will be established, said the plan, adding that the functions of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will be optimized.

The plan also specified efforts to improve the elderly-care work mechanism and the management mechanism for intellectual property rights.

On deepening the reform of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee institutions, the plan said that the makeup of its sectors will be optimized. A new sector -- the environment and resources sector -- will be added to the CPPCC National Committee, among other changes.

The allocation of the staffing resources for Party and state institutions will also be optimized, according to the plan.

Central Party and state institutions will downsize their staff by 5 percent, said the plan. Most of the retrieved staff resources will be invested in key areas and major projects.

Staffing resource reduction at local Party and state institutions is left to the discretion of provincial-level Party committees in light of situations on the ground.

Central authorities are expected to complete the reform by the end of 2023 while localities are expected to complete the reform by the end of 2024, according to the plan.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
WASHINGTON  Besieged Republican Rep. George Santos arrives on the House floor most days to deliver short speeches  celebrating women-owned small businesses, a special high school in his district or raising concern about various countries in crises.

At other times he can be seen dashing through the halls of the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers do, from one meeting to the next. He once passed out doughnuts to the press corps staking out his office.

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Far from being chastened by the widespread criticism, mockery and rejection that Santos has received after having admitted to fabricating many aspects of his life story, the newly elected congressman is breezily carrying on in Congress. He is refusing calls for his resignation all while rewriting the narrative in real time.

For Santos, its an unusual up-is-down approach that would have been almost unthinkable in an earlier generation but one that signals the new norms taking hold amid the deepening of a post-truth era in Congress.

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I was elected by the people to come here to represent them, and I do that every day, Santos told The Associated Press in a brief interview off the House floor.

Its a hard job. If I said it was easy, Id be lying to you  and I dont think thats what we want, right?

Pressed about the idea of a post-truth era, Santos said, I think truth still matters very much.

Perhaps not since Donald Trump launched his presidency with exaggerated claims of the crowd size at his inauguration has an elected official arrived in Washington and sought so brazenly and defiantly to convince the public of reality different than the one before their very eyes.

Santos is coming of political age at a time of an unmooring in civic life, when a duly-sworn member of the U.S. Congress can persevere, business as usual, despite having admittedly lied to voters about his resume, experience and personal life as he ran for elected office.

While Santos faces a crush of investigations  by the House Ethics Committee and a county prosecutor in New York  as well as questions from earlier charges in Brazil, where he lived for a time, he appears unmoved by the challenges.

Just a few days ago, Santos filed paperwork to potentially seek reelection.

It used to be that when a politician lied, and they got caught, they were ashamed  or there was some sort of accountability, said Lee McIntyre, the author of Post-Truth and a research fellow at Boston University.

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What I see in the post-truth era is not just that people are lying or lying more, its that theyre lying with a political purpose, he said. The really scary part is getting away with it.

At stake is not just truthiness, as comedian Stephen Colbert once called falsehoods in public life, but broader questions over the expectation of truth-telling from political leadership.

Santos has admitted he had portrayed himself as someone he was not  not a college graduate, not a Wall Street whiz, not from a Jewish family of Holocaust survivors, not the son who lost his mother in the 9/11 World Trade Center attack.

In the time since, more questions have flowed, including about the origins of a $700,000 loan he made to his campaign for Congress and his own reported wealth.

Fellow Republican Rep. Anthony DEsposito of New York, a freshman who won election last fall from the neighboring Long Island district, said: I dont think its the state of politics. I think its state of an individual  and the state that hes in is one of delusion.

DEsposito has introduced a pair of bills that would prevent elected officials from profiting off wrongdoing and said he is working with others to ensure Santos is not the face of our party. Weve made it very clear. Hes not our brand. Hes not part of us.

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While Santos did remove himself from his committee assignments while the investigations are underway, he has withstood the pressure from Republicans to resign and from Democrats to be expelled from office.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who won a slim Republican majority with just a few seats to spare, has said the voters elected Santos and he has a right to serve. If wrongdoing is found, Santos could be removed from office, he said.

He should have resigned a long time ago, said Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the Democratic president of the freshman class who sponsored the resolution to expel Santos.

This is not just Democrats saying this and his Republican colleagues in New York, Garcia said in an interview. Nobody wants him in D.C.

But Santos appears emboldened as his profile has risen, even being parodied on Saturday Night Live. He has introduced his own bills in Congress  including one to require cognitive tests for presidents  and is trying to move on.

Ive owned up to it, and I came clean on it, he said referring to the public apologies he made in December.

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When President Joe Biden arrived to deliver the State of the Union address last month, Santos infuriated colleagues by situating himself on the center aisle  the place to see and be seen greeting the high-profile guests. He was scolded by fellow Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, who said it was improper for Santos to be parading in front of the president and others.

Senator Romney just echoed something I heard my entire life, right, coming from a minority group, coming from a poor family: Go to the back room and shut up. Nobody cares to hear about you, Santos recalled. Well, Im not going to do that.

Santos often turns the tables, engaging in the whataboutism that has become commonplace in modern politics  the verbal somersault of equating ones actions with those of others, even when they are not quite comparable situations.

You know, Santos said, have you ever not told a lie? Think hard.

Its what McIntyre calls a classic disinformation tactic designed not to bring clarity but confusion, and avoid accountability.

Asked if he was here to stay, Santos said, Im here to do the job I was elected to do for the next two years.

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But will he run for reelection? Maybe.
Micah Hill accepted the Missoula County Public Schools Boards offer to serve as the districts next superintendent on Thursday.

Vice Chair Arlene Walker-Andrews and Trustee Grace Decker shared the news on Facebook Thursday evening. The district confirmed the announcement with the Missoulian on Friday morning.

We have a new superintendent, Walker-Andrews wrote in the post. Micah Hill has signed a contract and written to members of the board to thank them.

She extended gratitude to her fellow board members, teachers, staff, students and families who were involved in the search.

Hill is currently the superintendent at Kalispell Public Schools and was the lone finalist interviewed by the board from a pool of nine candidates after trustees opted to reopen their search last month. The board rejected all three interviewed candidates from an earlier slate of applicants.

Hill will begin his new position in Missoula on July 1.

Tracy Long, the district's executive administrative assistant, said she had not yet seen Hill's contract and was unsure what salary he and the board agreed to.

The board unanimously decided to offer Hill the position at a meeting on Tuesday after meeting in executive session for about an hour.

Decker said at Tuesdays meeting the board received a lot of comments from the MCPS community after Hills interview and public meet and greet last week.

We were really pleased to see such a positive consensus among those comments about their impressions of the candidate as well, which really aligned with the impressions that most of us shared from having had a chance to interview the candidate, Decker said at the meeting.

Trustee Jeff Avgeris added that the comments regarding Hill were generally very positive.

I think hes got the skill set of what we need at MCPS and will do a great job for us, Avgeris said.

KaCee Ballou, president of the Missoula Education Association, thanked the board for their deliberations and for considering the input from the MCPS community. Moreover, she noted that both unions representing MCPS employees were in support of the boards decision to offer Hill the position.

I think we learned the $27,000 lesson that maybe weve got our own in-house way of doing things that works really well, Ballou said.

The board picked the Nebraska-based consulting firm McPherson & Jacobson LLC to spearhead the search after former superintendent Rob Watson departed the district last summer to take on a new role as executive director of School Administrators of Montana. The boards contract with the consulting firm was set to not exceed $27,000.
A $23.5 million new bank and mini-plaza is coming to the Midtown area of Missoula using an innovative form of construction, and the project will get a boost from public funding.

On Wednesday the Missoula Redevelopment Agency approved spending $711,083 in Tax Increment Financing to pay for deconstruction of two existing older buildings and improvements to public streets and sidewalks around the new building. The money will also pay for adding street trees and burying an overhead utility line.

First Security Bank plans to consolidate operations from multiple facilities into a new threestory building at the corner of Garfield Street and Dearborn Avenue, explained Annie Gorski, the deputy director of the MRA. The bank is requesting funding for public improvements in the right of way surrounding the site, as well as deconstruction of two existing buildings onsite."

She recommended that the board approve the project, which it did unanimously.

"If approved, Urban Renewal District III assistance will leverage $23.5 million in private investment for this catalyst project in Midtown, developed using innovative cross-laminated timber," Gorski said. "The (TIF) assistance will prevent building materials (asphalt, wood, roof trusses, siding, door hardware and interior finishes) in two obsolete buildings from going to the landfill.

The deconstruction of one of the buildings at 2500 Garfield Street has already happened, as the MRAs board in June of 2022 allowed the bank to proceed with the project without prejudicing their future TIF request.

Gorski said the TIF funds awarded for the project would be repaid over a two- to three-year period from the additional property taxes on First Security Bank.

Currently the two First Security Bank properties pay $76,000 in property tax, she said. Projected new property tax is estimated to more than triple, creating new revenue that can be invested in things like implementing the Midtown Master Plan, funding new parks and trails and helping to build affordable housing.

A representative from First Security Bank said that cross-laminated timber (also called mass timber) construction for the new building means they wont have to use steel for the frame of the structure and will instead use a renewable resource, wood.

The bank will create a sort of public mini-plaza with places to sit outside of the new building.

The project is supported by the Missoula Midtown Association.

The Southgate Triangle is a major focus area of the Midtown Master Plan and First Security Bank's exciting project is located in an area identified as a top priority for commercial redevelopment," said Mark Bellon, Missoula Midtown Association past president and current board member. "The MRA's investment in improving the infrastructure of Midtown's commercial core will lead to additional development and we welcome this new building as a vital improvement to Midtown and an example of a good project we hope other property owners will consider as Midtown grows.

Bellon said his company, Territorial Landworks, was able to utilize TIF funding to revitalize an aging building in the same neighborhood 12 years ago.

Urban Renewal District III TIF Funding allows us to add new positions and provide an improved environment for our staff so I know firsthand that Midtown employers rely on this economic tool to make facility improvements pencil, Bellon said.

Jack Lawson, an MRA board member, expressed support for the project. Lawson is the president and chief executive at Clearwater Credit Union.

This is a pretty obvious major improvement to the site in this locality, this is a really meaningful improvement, Lawson said. The return on investment is a pretty obvious slam dunk for us, it seems, in terms of improving a property tax base, and Id really like to applaud the bank on commitment to environmental performance. It means a lot."

Lawson also noted that the project will create a lot of temporary construction jobs and will be a boon for local businesses that supply products to the project.

"Banks have choices on whether to invest and were living in a time when fewer and fewer banks are making physical investments to communities so Id like to applaud that as well," he said.
A legislative proposal to redirect marijuana tax revenues from outdoor access to the county roads that get users to those recreation areas got an initial green light from the Senate this week.

Sen. Mike Lang, R-Malta, said his Senate Bill 442 would be a balm to counties hit hard by travelers who head into the rural areas to recreate. It would move the marijuana tax revenues previously distributed to Habitat Montana, which purchases land in order to open access to public lands, to the new envisioned account.

"Getting the marijuana money, which was for Habitat, we want to give you access to your habitat," Lang said in introducing the bill last month in the Senate Taxation Committee. "We want to have good roads all the time if we can and this money will be just for going to the habitats."

Lang's bill is the third proposal lawmakers have debated this session that would scrap the revenue stream from recreational and medicinal marijuana sales to outdoor access purchases by the state.

Rep. Marta Bertoglio, R-Clancy, is sponsoring House Bill 462, the governor's envisioned shake-up. It would allocate the Habitat Montana share of marijuana tax revenues to public safety needs like recruitment and retention efforts at the prison, and additional highway patrol troopers to snatch up drug traffickers.

Rep. Bill Mercer, R-Billings, likewise sponsors House Bill 669, which would do away with all the accounts that receive marijuana tax revenues and reroute that stream directly into the state's general fund.

Both of those bills remain under consideration in the House Appropriations Committee. Lang's bill in the Senate is the first to emerge from committee and receive an endorsement from the chamber.

Outdoors groups have rallied against any effort to redirect that funding, pointing to the legalization ballot initiative that first sought to direct tax revenues for Habitat Montana and the Big Snowy Mountains Wildlife Management Area, which used over $5 million of marijuana taxes to open 100,000 of public lands access.

Intentional or not, Lang's bill appears to attempt a compromise: the money wouldn't be used for the state to purchase access to habitat, but it would get recreationalists better access to those lands.

Montana providers made an estimated $300 million in marijuana sales last year, delivering about $50 million in tax revenues to the state. After the first $6 million is delivered to a substance use disorder and treatment fund, the following 20% is currently allocated to Habitat Montana.

All these marijuana taxes, I don't think theres a better place to put this, Beaverhead County Commissioner Mike McGinley, fiscal officer for the Montana Association of Counties, testified in committee in February.

Gov. Greg Gianforte said at a press conference Thursday he has decided after consulting with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks that the funding for habitat access is sound.

"We have more money than we can spend. It's fully funded," Gianforte said. "That being said, we have a crisis in addiction and mental health."

In the Senate debate on Lang's bill Tuesday, Democrats largely carried the outdoors' groups contention that the Habitat Montana funding remain intact. Sen. Denise Hayman, D-Bozeman, brought an amendment to Lang's bill on the Senate floor Tuesday to give 20% of the tax revenues to county roads, while maintaining the 20% for Habitat Montana.

"There is enough tax revenue to expand new budget priorities without sacrificing our commitment to fund public access, wildlife conservation and keep farms and ranches operating," Hayman testified in her pitch to the Senate. "County roads absolutely deserve more attention, but we don't need to force a false choice between conservation and infrastructure."

Hayman's amendment died on a 19-31 vote.

Lang's bill passed on a party-line 33-17 vote by the Republican majority, and now moves to the Senate Finance and Claims Committee. It's scheduled for an 8 a.m. hearing Friday.
Alison Hammonds role as the new co-host of The Great British Bake Off is just, if youll pardon the pun, the icing on the cake of a 21-year screen career, which has been filled with some of the most hilarious and surreal moments ever committed to television.

The Birmingham-born star has, over the decades, knocked a sailor into the Thames, had Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling in fits of giggles, and joined forces with Ainsley Harriott to terrorise a woman called Jill in her living room.

Those are just a few of the chaotic moments Hammond has given us, which you can read about below, along with many more

The time she nearly got arrested in Italy

During a 2019 segment for This Morning in which she was promoting a 300,000 cash prize competition  filmed in Pisa, Italy, for reasons Im struggling to decipher  Hammond got in a spot of trouble with the Italian police. As a stern officer tried to shoo Hammond and the cameras away, the presenter could be seen panicking.

Oh my gosh, she told viewers. We havent got a permit. Listen guys, were in Pisa, were not allowed to be here Im gonna get arrested. I love you loads! Laters! As the camera retreated, she could be heard telling officers: Im so sorry. Buongiorno. Please. A later segment showed her hiding in her hotel room, wearing large sunglasses and a blanket wrapped around her head as she told the camera: My holiday has turned into The Bourne Identity.

Her marriage to The Rock

In 2017, Dwayne The Rock Johnson made Hammond the happiest woman alive when he proposed to her on This Morning. That December, he married her on the show, with Kevin Hart officiating the wedding. The whole scene was like a fever dream, with Johnson looking increasingly worried, and Hammond screaming YES before Hart could read out her husband-to-bes whole name. The skit continued into 2019, with a clip of Hammond sobbing into a box of popcorn over their devastating divorce.

The sailor incident

In 2018, Hammond tried her hand at presenting the weather. Not with a green screen like most people to do, obviously, but by jumping around on a floating weather map of the UK, that had been installed on the Thames. She caused quite the splash when she made the jump from Scotland to Northern Ireland, and ended up shoving a topless sailor into the river. Luckily, he could swim.

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When she interviewed a tree

Hammond met a 1,000-year-old tree in 2020, which was in the running for European Tree of the Year. She decided, of course, to interview it. First of all, you are up for this amazing prestigious title, how do you feel? she said. A tree whisperer, who was luckily on hand, replied: It feels very exciting. Its an honour to be recognised in this way. Hammond then proceeded to stroke the tree and grill it on whether it thought it had a good chance of winning and whether other trees were jealous of it.

On the lash with Harrison Ford and Ryan Gosling

Harrison Ford has become known for appearing grumpy while promoting his movies. Earlier this year, he dismissed speculation that its because he has social anxiety, saying: No. I dont have a social anxiety disorder. I have an abhorrence of boring situations. He was definitely not bored in this 2017 interview with Hammond, who had him and Ryan Gosling drinking whiskey and dissolving into helpless laughter throughout.

The time she lost her oven door on Bake Off

Hammonds job as GBBO host wont be her first time in the tent. She appeared as a celebrity contestant on the Stand Up for Cancer special in 2020. It was a memorable appearance, of course. She declared herself a natural baker and noted numerous times how smoothly things were going for her, that was, until the door of her oven disappeared. Wheres the door gone? she asked, bewildered, until she realised the fancy ovens on Bake Off have doors that slide into a drawer underneath.

Poor Jill

On Mothers Day 2018, a woman called Jill in Cheshire got the shock of her life. She was sitting on the sofa watching This Morning when Alison Hammond burst into her living room to surprise her with chocolates, flowers and a free TV. If that wasnt enough, Ainsley Harriott joined the party. Why hello Jill! he announced, dancing towards her as he held out a saucepan. Just perfect.

When she totally lost it over Barry Humphries congratulating Dermot OLeary for coming out as gay

During an interview on This Morning in 2021, veteran comedian Barry Humphries mistook Dermot OLeary for Phillip Schofield and congratulated him for bravely coming out. OLeary managed to hold it together, letting out a small giggle, but Hammond did not. She began howling with laughter, with Humphries completely baffled by her response to what he probably just thought was a lovely thing to say.

Her short, destructive stint on Big Brother

Hammond was first beamed into peoples living rooms as a contestant on the 2002 series of Big Brother. While on the show, she managed to break two chairs, a bed, a lounger and a table. Its very hard not to laugh at footage of that final piece of furniture meeting its demise, especially the bit when she told Big Brother: I can probably bend it back. She was voted out on day 15.

The Great British Bake Off returns to Channel 4 later this year.
Editors note: Alexis Allen Winter began her casting career in North Carolina in 2007 on One Tree Hill, and moved to L.A. in 2012 where she has worked in the offices of Laray Mayfield, Rich Delia, Courtney Bright and Nicole Daniels, Tamara Notcutt, Gail Goldberg and Sheila Jaffe, winning an Artios in 2020 for her work on To All the Boys Ive Loved Before. Deadline asked her to weigh in on the current autition controversy involving self-tapes and how it is impacting her business.

I, like most of the casting community, have spent time reading over the latest articles on the current state of casting (and the comments on those articles). It has been gut-wrenching to read and try to digest, especially as someone who learned this industry in the Southeast, where self-tapes have been the prominent form of auditions since I started in 2007 working as a casting assistant and in extras casting.

More from Deadline

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It leaves me feeling as if Im in Quantum Leap where in this reality, self-tapes are a brand new idea, and especially happening during the week of the first in-person Artios Awards since 2020.

It feels like our process is mostly misunderstood, because I assume it is. I come from a film and TV background, so I cant speak for reality, commercial, VO and other casting specialties. However, from my experience, auditions are a very important part of our job, but they are just that: a part. Casting directors have a long and storied, vital part of this industry that has mostly gone thankless and forgotten  as the Oscars just reminded us on Sunday night. Wrap parties that forget to invite us. Articles and press that mention every actor, producer, agent, and manager but fail to give a nod to the casting department attaching those amazing actors that often are the very reason those projects get financing and distribution. Its worth mentioning that most casting directors are women and/or members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We ourselves are an underrepresented group in the industry, especially at the department head level.

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Technology has done a lot of wonderful things for our industry across the board, but has mostly left casting behind. We have a significant lack of software that streamlines our process, which is why a very large part of an assistant and associate duties are manually creating and entering hundreds (usually thousands) of actors into various spreadsheets and tables while we track availability and auditions requested/seen. We spend hours downloading and uploading auditions and self-tapes from one platform to another. We are a department of three people if were lucky, but usually two, handling thousands of auditions, spreadsheets, databases, cast lists, deal memos, offers, etc. We are, as one casting professional said, in the middle of a see-saw between actors/agents/managers and production. Our workload has increased, yet we have been vilified for making our process fit the current industry standard to be able to see more actors, which benefits all actors.

We are now expected to (and need to) see between 100-500 actors per role. We physically can not do that in person, nor should we be expected to. We should be allowed to embrace and utilize technology just as every other industry has. It is vital to the process. It is our process, and we should be able to regulate how it best works for us and production, just as every other industry does in their interview process.

Cutting out or reducing the amount of self-tapes does not mean more in-person sessions, it just means less people get auditions. We can only see 30-50 people in person per day. My experience is that in-person auditions arguably cost actors more money and time than self-tapes and require a certain amount of privilege. Any actor who has had to go to Santa Monica at 4 p.m. on a Friday, pay for parking, give up a shift, find a babysitter, to spend 5 minutes in the room would likely agree. And being in the room doesnt offer any advantage or influence for the large majority of auditions. Actors need to remember that the final choice is not ours, it is producers/directors/executives who have final say and most of the time they make that decision off of  yes  a tape on a link that we send them. Rarely are they meeting anyone in person unless it is a high-level role.

You will never be right for every single role. No one is. It doesnt mean your audition wasnt good, and it doesnt mean we dont notice you. Thats why the audition is the win, youre being seen. Turn in a good audition and let it go. If those audition requests keep happening, you can know without a doubt that casting is trying to get you booked. We want to give you as many chances as possible to get in front of producers and directors. We are on your side.

Yes, we do get thousands of submissions and we do watch hundreds of tapes. Do we watch them all? Yes. Do we watch ALL of them all? Not all of the time. If someone is right, theyre right and we can see that right off the bat. If Im not sure, I skip around to beats where I want to see the choice the actor made. Thats how I gather who is on the right track, and thats why self-tapes are so vital, because it allows us to meet the demand and keep up with the influx of actors coming into the industry while maintaining our own physical and mental health.

A lot of the discourse appears to be actors viewing all of this as one great competition against each other, which it isnt. Its everyone doing uniquely great work and offering themselves as a one-of-a kind solution to a creative opportunity. I personally believe a lot of it is valid anger that the industry is so hard; acting takes a lot of talent but also work, and casting is an easy target for that frustration. I get it. At the end of it, we just need to see your performance. So much pushback seems to be people not believing us when we say: It all comes down to the acting every time. Not the headshot, not the resume, not the reel, not the production quality of your tape, not being in the room, not your slate. Its the acting, the audition, every single time. And when your acting is in place and you fit the role? Its so simple it sounds stupid: Thats the magic formula. Everything else is just noise.

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Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/The Hill

Conservative critic Bethany Mandel was the physical embodiment of a deer in the headlights this week.

On this episode of The New Abnormal, hosts Danielle Moodie and Andy Levy discuss the viral moment Mandel criticized woke culturebut completely floundered when asked to define the term.

She wasnt asked some obscure question, it wasnt a gotcha question. She was asked to define a word she will not stop using, Levy says.

To me thats like if she kept saying the sky is blue and the clouds are in the sky, and someone said to you, what do you mean by sky? You dont need to give a scientific definition of the atmosphere, but you can at least say its the blue thing above your head.

Despite the flub, we still have learned a thing or two about what it means to be woke, along with the fact that more than half of Americans actually support wokeness, according to a recent USA Today-Ipsos Poll.

Subscribe to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Overcast.

Then, Mehdi Hasan, host of the Mehdi Hasan Show on MSNBC and author of the new book Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading and Public Speaking joins the show to reveal that in December a federal judge in Florida asked one of Governor Ron DeSantis lawyers to define wokeand their definition wasnt half bad.

He didn't do what Bethany Mandel did and, freeze, which was embarrassing and revealing enough. But he said something else even more revealing, Hasan says.

He actually did define it and he said, and I quote: The belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them. Wow. That's actually a really good definition. I actually agree with that definition. I would argue the majority of Americans would support that definition.

How the Silicon Valley Bank Implosion Leads Back to Trump

Plus! Heather McGhee, former co-chair of the systemic risk task force with Americans for Financial Reform that helped shape key provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, discusses the fall of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bankand how we got here.

Story continues

Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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President Biden has put Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in a difficult spot by approving a controversial Alaskan oil-drilling project that the former New Mexico lawmaker opposed when she served in Congress.

Bidens decision to proceed with the Willow Project will allow ConocoPhillips to produce up to 180,00 barrels a day at its peak, which a ConocoPhillips spokesperson said should be within the first few years of startup. The project is expected to produce 576 million barrels of oil over 30 years.

The president and supporters of the project say Willow will create thousands of jobs in Alaska and help keep the U.S. energy independent, an increasingly important notion for Biden ahead of an expected 2024 reelection bid likely to take place against a backdrop of elevated gas prices aggravated by the Russia-Ukraine war.

But the project will also produce an estimated 239 million metric tons of carbon emissions over the next 30 years, which is equivalent to driving 51 million cars for a year.

Thats why Haaland, the first Native American to lead the Interior Department, opposed the project when she was a member of Congress.

And its why the decision to approve Willow undercuts her standing and puts her in a tough spot going forward  especially with groups opposed to the project, who believe their lead defender within the administration was just big-footed.

It seems clear that the White House decided to override Secretary Haaland, as well as many other career staff who believe that this project should not have been approved throughout the department, said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity, which is suing the federal government over the approval. I think the Biden White House is forcing them to take the blame and swallow a decision they did not agree with, for very political reasons.

Haaland likely knew she could be in a tough spot with Willow as early as her confirmation hearing in 2021, when she was asked about her opposition to the project by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), a prominent supporter.

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Murkowski specifically asked Haaland if she would allow it to proceed as Interior secretary.

I think being a [Cabinet] secretary is far different from being a member of Congress, Haaland said at the time.

Murkowski was the only Republican on the Senate Energy Committee to vote for Haalands confirmation.

Interior did approve the Willow Project, but that approval does not show Haalands name.

Instead, the No. 2 official at Interior, Deputy Secretary Tommy Beaudreau, an Alaskan nominated for his post after Murkowski and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) signaled they would block Bidens first choice, signed the approval.

Haaland made her first public comment on the approval Monday evening, saying in a video posted to Twitter that the decision was a difficult and complex one that Biden inherited from former President Trump.

The Interior Departments public announcement of the signoff also pointedly deemphasized the approval itself. Instead, it focused on the departments decision to reduce the area on which Conoco may drill  a battle won in a war that was lost.

Interior also announced new protections from drilling for a broad swathe of the Arctic over the weekend as rumors swirled that the Willow approval was imminent, an indication the department also senses the political minefield and is seeking to limit the damage.

Environmental groups arent publicly upset with Haaland and say they interpret the fact that Beaudreau signed the approval suggests their longtime ally wasnt in favor of the decision.

The fact that Beaudreau signed it tells, in my mind, that Deb Haaland was not on board with this decision to some extent, Hartl said.

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), who, like Murkowski, has been a longtime backer of the Willow Project, suggested Wednesday that Haalands involvement in negotiations had been minimal.

Deb Haaland was not in the loop on this at all, Sullivan told reporters Wednesday. She was the official in the federal government least involved. And in part, Im sure, because she was so adamantly against it as a congresswoman. But whatever theyre saying, she had nothing to do with it.

An Interior spokesperson declined to comment on Sullivans specific remarks but sharply contested the idea that Haaland had been removed from the decision-making process.

The Secretary has been actively involved in Willow discussions from the beginning, the spokesperson said. In addition to traveling to Alaska and holding stakeholder meetings in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Utqiagvik, she has met with Alaska Native leaders on both sides of this issue multiple times in D.C. and virtually, as well as conservation and other groups, and members of Congress.

Either way, the decision would appear to undercut Haaland, suggesting she was overruled and raising questions about her influence in the administration.

[Were] very much aware of the legal battles and the complexities that may have strong-armed those who do want to take more progressive actions on the climate, Jade Begay, director of policy and advocacy at the Native American advocacy group NDN Collective, told The Hill in an interview.

There were influential groups pushing Biden to OK the project, including Alaskas congressional delegation, the American-Canadian union Laborers International Union of North America and a group of Alaska Native state leaders who recently met with Haaland.

And with the 2024 election approaching, Biden has shown signs of tacking right, both with the Willow announcement and with his support of a bill to override changes to Washington, D.C.s criminal code.

With the crunch resulting from the invasion of Ukraine, we got a kick in the energy reality teeth last year, said Frank Maisano, who represents energy clients at the law and government relations firm Bracewell LLP, and its just evident that we cant run away from fossil fuels as quickly or as much as environmentalists want us to.

The Biden administration has had to moderate and unfortunately that puts them in a tough spot, Maisano added.

Supporters of Haaland say that while the Willow approval was a major loss and a blow to morale, they still think she can be an effective ally within the administration.

Both things can be true: we still hold her in great regard but this Willow decision, they got it completely wrong and I think a lot of people at the agency know it, said Athan Manuel, director of the Sierra Clubs Lands Protection Program.

Its the White Houses choice of how they want to proceed here, Hartl said. Do they want to keep handcuffing Interior because they feel like Lisa Murkowski is more important than the future of our planet? Thats their decision.

Rachel Frazin contributed.

Updated at 9:33 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Facebook And Instagram Verification Checkmarks Photo Illustrations

Credit - Jakub PorzyckiNurPhoto/Getty Images

Social media platforms have battled bots, spam, hacks and impersonation for many years. Now, Meta and Twitter have come up with a new approach to tackling the problem: passing the cost of better security on to users.

Meta announced on Feb. 19 it would be launching Meta Verified, a subscription service that offers additional verification, security and customer service features, for the price of $11.99 a month on the web and $14.99 on iOS. It is currently being tested in Australia and New Zealand. The process: users can sign up for the service, provide their government ID for screening and then if approved, they will get a blue badge and Meta will proactively monitor against fake accounts and provide direct customer support.

This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services, wrote Meta CEO Mark Zuckerbeg in an announcement on his Facebook page. Its quite similar to Elon Musks Twitter Blue service that recently relaunched, which offers perks like a blue verified check mark (a once free feature reserved for the notable and famous) and the ability to edit your tweets, for $11 a month. Its not just a blue check mark that users are paying for, but also a security feature that has become standard for various online accounts: from late March, non-Blue users will no longer have access to Twitters two-factor authentication via text message system. (If you dont disable the feature, you may be logged out of your account after March 20).

These services seem to be targeting content creators, with a growing following, who may want the extra security. But the average user is still vulnerable to hacking and impersonation. Nearly one-fifth of U.S. teens and adults experienced their social media accounts getting hacked within the first three months of 2022, according to a survey conducted by Deloitte. Half of the respondents said they were concerned about online security breaches.

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More from TIME

Cybersecurity experts are concerned that these paid features will create a two-tiered system of social media users. Its like offering an optional lock at the front door of a new house for security, says Peter Tran, chief information security officer at cybersecurity firm InferSight, Theyre creating a modulate view of security to potentially have an upsell affect in their business model, which is very dangerous, because then it becomes the haves and have-nots of security. Pay-to-play schemes, Tran says, are among the most egregious security decisions hes seen.

Many users are just as dissatisfied with the decision to charge for the service. Facebook user Jason Waterfalls tweeted, Making users pay for account verification and security services is like a car manufacturer charging extra for seatbelts and airbags. Twitter, instagram [and] Facebook gotta do better. A Twitter user, Ramon Rivas II, tweeted, So do I want to pay $15 a month for security on Twitter? No. So will I? No. Im probably just going to get hacked and send everyone a virus at some point.

Making users pay for account verification and security services is like a car manufacturer charging extra for seatbelts and airbags. Twitter, instagram/Facebook gotta do better.  Jason Waterfalls (@JaxxDynamite) February 19, 2023

So do I want to pay $15 a month for security on Twitter + $15 a month for security on Instagram + $15 a month for Facebook? No. So will I? No. Im prob just gon get hacked and send everyone a virus at some point.  Ramon Rivas II (@BlazerRamon) February 20, 2023

Metas Zuckerberg claims providing security to the nearly 4 billion users of Facebook and Instagram comes at a high cost.He responded to a user criticizing the choice to charge for the service with a comment saying, Verifying government IDs and providing direct access to customer support for millions or billions of people costs a significant amount of money. Subscription fees will cover this and will also pace how many people sign up so well be able to ensure quality as we scale.

The Meta CEO also says the company already provides some level of protection and support to all users. Meta says it has over 35,000 global employees that work on identifying and deleting the more than 5 billion fake and cloned profiles that exist on the site annually.

Twitter Help Center currently asks that impersonator accounts be reported via its help center. If the report is deemed valid, the impersonated account can be suspended from the platform. If a user is hacked and cannot log into their account, Twitter asks the user to request a password reset or to contact their support team.

Yet, security on these platforms remains a concern. Meta has had a long history of bot accounts, as well as data privacy and security concerns, including using users personal data for extensive advertisement targeting. Many users have reportedly had their accounts compromised and gone through laborious processes to get their access restored.

If you can imagine from the hacker or cyber criminal perspective, this is absolutely fertile ground to start to plan attacks, says Tran.

Tran isnt convinced that only needing a government ID for verification is secure enough. The process is flawed in that it takes the government ID at face value, he says. Tran questioned how Meta would authenticate and store ID information, highlighting these as further areas of security concern.

Theres no guarantee that these programs will be popular, as users think twice when it comes to spending their money. Since Twitter Blues first launch in November, it has gained just 180,000 U.S. subscribers, which only accounts for 0.2% of all Twitter users. Tran believes the changes will ultimately lead to non-subscribed users engaging with these platforms less altogether.

How to protect your account without paying

If youve decided you dont want to pay for either Meta Verified, or Twitter Blue, you can try protecting yourself more by having strong security hygiene, according to Tran. Simple steps you can take to limit platforms access to your information include disabling the applications access to your camera, microphone and geo-locations. To prevent hacking, you should create more complex passwords and Tran suggests rotating them every 90 days. However, some cybersecurity experts now advise against this practice. Tran encourages users to be judicious about communications over direct messages and to be careful when clicking on links from users they dont know. And if your account has been compromised, be sure to report it to the platform to document the experience. Lastly, consider diversifying your social media interactions, to avoid sharing an endless amount of information to just one platform.

Ultimately, Tran doesnt believe users should have to take these measures for a safe experience on Facebook and Twitter. The onus and responsibility of security and a trusted secure space should fall under these platforms.
A key Kansas Senate Republican proclaimed the potential legalization of medical marijuana dead Thursday, despite the hopes of advocates from across the state.

A key Kansas Senate Republican proclaimed the potential legalization of medical marijuana dead Thursday, saying his committee had "bigger fish to fry" and that outstanding questions on the policy's merits remained.

The development, which came after two days of hearings on the issue, will mark 2023 as the third straight year where the issue of legalization languished in the Senate.

It will be viewed as a major blow for advocates, who hoped that a more robust lobbyist effort and popular support for legalization across the state would be enough to get a bill to Gov. Laura Kelly's desk.

But Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, told reporters that it wasn't to be, with his comments coming moments after the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee he chairs voted to table the bill in an unscheduled move.

"You've got all these questions that go unanswered," Thompson said. "We've got bigger fish to fry at this point."

In moving to table the bill, Sen. Alicia Straub, R-Ellinwood, said, "We really need to protect our children and I don't think we're ready to work this bill."

"This definitely needs to be given a lot of thought," Straub said.

More:Marijuana opponents descend on Kansas Statehouse, as hopes for legalization bill dim

Thompson has been skeptical of the prospects of legalization, calling a pair of hearings earlier this month where opponents of the idea exclusively presented and urged lawmakers against passing any bills.

While the subsequent debate over the bill on Wednesday and Thursday were more even-handed, Thompson said he was sympathetic to the concerns presented by law enforcement and others. Those groups argued medical marijuana would create a black market for the drug and that it had few medical benefits, though research would refute that point for some conditions.

Thompson said the bill, drafted following a 2022 special committee during the Legislature's annual break, was "as close to full-on recreational as a version of medical that you could possibly get"  even though experts said the proposal for Kansas was far more restrictive than policies passed in other states, such as neighboring Oklahoma.

Story continues

"This bill wasn't a serious bill to begin with," Thompson said.

The move also comes weeks after Missouri began allowing the sale of recreational marijuana, with significant cross-border cannabis purchasing expected in the greater Kansas City area.

More:Kansas lawmakers must decide who will thrive with medical marijuana  if bill even advances

In 2021, the Kansas House took the historic step of approving a bill to legalize medical cannabis, a move that seemed to put the state on the precipice of joining 37 other states with a public-access medical marijuana program.

Senate Bill 135, the 2023 proposal, would only allow non-smokeable forms of marijuana, have a list of around 20 conditions that would make an individual eligible for a medical marijuana card and have relatively high fees for grower or dispensary licenses.

The bill's author, Sen. Jeff Longbine, R-Emporia, said he was frustrated that lawmakers did not tell anyone they planned to take up the bill Thursday.

Getting a proposal through the Senate, he said, would potentially require years of work and, perhaps, a change in the body's makeup.

"Quite honestly, it may take another election cycle before this bill is considered strongly," Longbine said. "We as elected officials most often hear from our constituents and do our viewpoints as we are running for re-election."

In a social media post Thursday afternoon, Gov. Laura Kelly, a proponent of medical cannabis, urged constituents to contact legislators and get them to reverse course.

I am disappointed that some legislators are saying they dont want to move forward with legalizing medical marijuana this year  effectively turning their backs on our veterans and those with chronic pain and seizure disorders. (1/2)  Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) March 16, 2023

"I am disappointed that some legislators are saying they dont want to move forward with legalizing medical marijuana this year  effectively turning their backs on our veterans and those with chronic pain and seizure disorders," Kelly said.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Medical marijuana bill dead for 2023 in Kansas, key Republican says
Chicago police process a crime scene in the 1300 bock of East 79th Street in Chicago where a male was shot and killed on March 16, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

A 22-year-old man shot multiple times Thursday afternoon while sitting in a vehicle in a parking lot on the South Side has died, Chicago police said.

The shooter was inside a car that pulled up alongside the mans car in a lot in the 1300 block of East 79th Street, police said.

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The unidentified man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead after the 2 p.m. attack, police said.

No one was in custody and detectives were investigating.
Between 175 to 200 volunteers will gather at the Paddys Creek Access at Lake James State Park on Saturday for an annual clean up of the area surrounding the lake.

The cleanup is a joint effort sponsored by Community of Lake James Inc., the Lake James Area Wildlife and Nature Society, Duke Energy Foundation, Republic Services, Lake James State Park and several area restaurants that will provide lunches for volunteers. Howard Morgan with Community of Lake James Inc. said the cleanup has been an annual event since 1998 and draws dozens of people from lakeside communities. He said the event usually provides opportunities to high school students who need community service credits to graduate.

We have a lot of students from area high schools come, even as far away as Rutherford County and Boone, Morgan said. Weve got, so far, about 70 students signed up  we get a lot of good volunteers for that.

During the cleanup, volunteers will remove trash from the lake and from along the shoreline. Groups also will pick up trash along the roads surrounding the lake and others will travel on boats to some of the islands to clean up there.

We do the Burke County side of the lake, Morgan said. Its a pretty big project. It takes three to four months to put it all together  we also started doing the roads around the lake because all that (trash) ends up in the lake, too.

Community of Lake James Inc. will supply safety vests, grabbers, trash bags and drinking water. The cleanup will last until about 1 p.m., and lunch will be provided back at Paddys Creek after it is over.

This weekends cleanup will be CLJs biggest event of the year in terms of number of volunteers, but its hardly the only project the organization is involved in. Morgan said CLJ was formed in 2004 when a special tax district was being considered for the area and, since then, it has grown to encompass a wider mission.

The original goal was to keep residents and community members informed about issues like the special tax district. Over the years, however, CLJ has taken on other projects in addition to its original mission, including protecting land, water and wildlife and representing the interests of the area and its residents. Everyone who lives within a mile of Lake James is automatically considered a member.

Its more of a community service organization and to keep people informed on whats going on around the lake, Morgan said.

Through the wildlife and nature society, CLJ also does habitat, wildlife and conservation work in the lake and surrounding areas.

We do habitat work through our wildlife organizations, Morgan said. Weve put out wood duck boxes. We got grants and put out fish habitats all over the lake with the help of North Carolina Wildlife.

He said the group has put out more than 400 fish habitats so far as well as several bass benches, which provide cover for bass to spawn underneath.

Since theres so much habitat taken out of the lake due to the development, we get grants to do that, Morgan said. Fish like to get under a tree and spawn because they feel like theyre hidden, so these bass benches give them that.

Morgan said the group is already seeing results from their work.

Its working, weve watched them, he said. And the habitats are working, a lot of people fish (the lake) now.

The annual Lake James cleanup will take place Saturday beginning at 8:30 a.m. Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Morgan at 828-584-0876 or arrive at the Paddys Creek Access on Saturday morning with warm protective clothing and closed-toed shoes.
The EPA will review health data in Butte to identify any gaps that could set the stage for a potential health assessment, the agencys Region 8 office announced.

The agency also promised it would redouble its efforts to be transparent in its Butte Superfund efforts.

Weve heard from community members that there is a desire for a broad health assessment for Butte, spokeswoman Taylor Gillespie told The Montana Standard on Thursday.

Our first step will be to reach out to those community members to gain a deeper understanding of their concerns, goals for a health assessment, and potential data gaps. With that information we can determine how best to support the community in gathering data needed for the potential health assessment, Gillespie added.

I recently made my third trip to Butte to hear from community members and officials, said KC Becker, EPA regional administrator, in a prepared statement. During the visit, my staff and I heard from community members about the desire for more transparency and are taking action to ensure the community can meaningfully engage in decisions related to the Superfund cleanup.

One of the people Becker heard from on her recent trip was Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher.

I told her that Butte-Silver Bow had been thrown in front of the community while the regulators sat back and allowed us to be the face of Superfund. Were a part of it but the regulators are the ones who should be leading community engagement. And they should be able to do any necessary studies to assure the public that were getting the cleanup we deserve.

Thursday, Gallagher praised the federal agencys commitment to further transparency and community engagement.

Im glad they came forward and are making the commitment to be more accountable to us here in the community, he said.

We need to open these meetings directly to the public. The public needs to be able to weigh in. I dont think that was being achieved and I didnt realize it myself until we sat down and really started looking at this, Gallagher said. The public needs full transparency and we werent even getting that ourselves.

EPA said it's committed to hosting more frequent public meetings to include both in-person and hybrid virtual options for public attendance. These meetings will be recorded and posted to EPAs website and will be an additional opportunity for the public to ask questions and provide feedback.

The agency said it is also in the process of recruiting at least one additional community involvement coordinator to work in the agencys Montana office, which is in Helena, who will be available to support the community in Butte.

EPA said it will be hosting a public meeting in April to update the community on cleanup progress and our actions to improve community engagement. No date and location have yet been announced.

Our goal is to be responsive and supportive of the communitys requests and provide opportunities for meaningful public involvement, the EPAs Gillespie said Thursday.

Regarding the need for a thorough health assessment, Gallagher said that instead of discounting the source of earlier studies, EPA must be able to assure us that we have a community that has been studied, and people are safe raising their kids here.
NEW YORK  A bank run conjures images of "It's a Wonderful Life," with anxious customers crammed shoulder to shoulder, desperately pleading with a harried George Bailey to hand over their money.

The failure of Silicon Valley Bank had the panic but few other similarities, instead taking place on Twitter, message boards, mobile phones and bank websites.

What made it unique compared to past failures of large banks was how quickly it collapsed. Last Wednesday afternoon, the $200 billion bank announced a plan to raise fresh capital; by Friday morning it was insolvent and under government control.

A pedestrian carries an umbrella Tuesday while walking past a Silicon Valley Bank Private branch in San Francisco.

Regulators, policymakers and bankers are looking at the role that digital messaging and social media may have played in the collapse, and whether banks are entering an age when the psychological behavior behind a bank run  mass fear from depositors of losing their savings  may be amplified and go viral quicker than bank officers and regulators can successfully respond.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation estimates that customers withdrew $40 billion  one fifth of Silicon Valley Bank's deposits  in just a few hours, prompting the agency to shut down the bank before noon ET, instead of waiting until the close of business, which is the regulator's typical operating procedure.

Some other well-known bank failures, such as IndyMac or Washington Mutual in 2008 or Continental Illinois in the 1980s, happened after days or weeks of reports indicated those banks faced deep financial difficulties. Then a run occurred and regulators stepped in.

Hundreds of customers of the insolvent Penn Square Bank line up to withdraw their money July 6, 1982, in Oklahoma City after federal officials closed the bank.

The Silicon Valley Bank run was, in many ways, the first of the digital era. Few depositors lined up at a branch. Instead, they used bank apps and phone calls to access their money in minutes. Venture capitalists and business owners described the early stages of the Silicon Valley run being led by private message boards or Slack channels, where entrepreneurs were encouraged to withdraw their funds.

Silicon Valley Bank also was unique in being almost entirely exposed to one community: the tech industry, venture capital and startups. When this close-knit community of depositors talked to one another  using digital channels to do so quickly  the bank likely became more vulnerable to rumors and a run. This was a risk outside of the growth of social media, industry experts said.

Sam Altman, CEO of Open AI, tweeted: "the speed of the world has changed. things can unwind fast. people talk fast. people move money fast."

While the withdrawals initially may have been orderly, they became a full-on bank run Thursday evening after the news spilled over to Twitter that billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel advised his invested companies to close their Silicon Valley Bank accounts.

Customers and bystanders form a line Monday outside a Silicon Valley Bank branch location in Wellesley, Mass.

For David Murray, the warning of the first bank run of the social-media age came in a one-sentence email. He's a co-founder of Confirm.com, an employee performance management company in San Francisco that had millions of dollars sitting in accounts at Silicon Valley Bank.

Murray received a terse email Thursday morning saying that a run was underway there and recommending everyone pull their money out immediately. The email came from an investor whom Murray hears from so infrequently that his co-founder wondered if it was a phishing attempt or other scam.

After verifying the email and seeing the steep drop in the stock price of the bank's parent company, SVB Financial, Murray and his colleagues rushed to withdraw the company's money. Instead of heading to a branch, they quickly pulled up a webpage and logged in. It took a few tries, but they eventually moved every cent to an account at a different bank within a half hour.

Murray could see fear rising among other startup companies in real time.

"We have a trusted network of founders" of startup companies who communicate with each other over Slack, Murray said. "Normally these chat groups are dead. But that day, all the Slack groups were lit up."

Crowds gather Dec. 11, 1930, outside the Brownsville Branch of the Bank of the United States in New York City after it had been ordered to shut down and taken over by the New York State Banking Department.

Between 1930 and 1933, during the Great Depression, roughly 9,000 banks failed. Because a bank run can happen at random and is hard to stop once started, the U.S. government created the FDIC to stop future bank runs under the premise that depositors' funds would be insured.

Since the FDIC's creation in 1933, bank runs have become much rarer. According to the FDIC, there were 562 bank failures between 2001 and 2023, with the vast majority of those happening during the 2007-09 recession.

Banks are now grappling with the fact that they could be the next target of a social media-fueled bank run.

Several prominent investors issued bombastic predictions that if the federal government did not step in to make all Silicon Valley Bank depositors whole  both insured and uninsured  there would be more bank runs on Monday.

In the end, Washington capitulated. Under the plan announced Sunday, depositors at Silicon Valley Bank were able to access all their money. A new Federal Reserve program will allow banks to post certain high-quality securities as collateral and borrow from a government emergency fund. Both Treasury and Federal Reserve officials told reporters over the weekend that the programs were created in part due to concerns further bank runs  fueled by social media  could occur.
MUSCATINE  HNI Corporation has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Kimball International Inc. to acquire all the outstanding shares of Kimball in a cash and stock transaction valued at about $486 million.

According to a press release from HNI, Kimball International stockholders will receive $9 and 0.1301 shares of HNI common stock for every share of Kimball common stock. As a result, Kimball shareholders will own about 10% of the combined company.

A call to Gladstone Place partners, HNI's media firm, requesting additional information on the impact of the merger on Muscatine was not returned before press time.

We are excited about joining with Kimball International, a high-quality company we have long admired for its recognized brands, furnishings expertise built over 70 years and established relationships across multiple sectors, Jeff Lorenger, HNIs chairman, president and CEO said. The combined company will have a stronger platform for growth, delivering significant benefits for our shareholders, members, dealers, and customers. We look forward to welcoming the talented Kimball International employees to HNI.

Kimball is a leading omnichannel commercial furnishings company with expertise in the workplace, health, and hospitality segments. Brands include Kimball, National, Interwoven, Kimball Hospitality, Dstyle and Poppin. It is based in Jasper, Indiana.

The release said a combined HNI and Kimball will have a broader, more comprehensive product offering, tailored go-to-market strategies, and enhanced manufacturing capabilities. Kimballs strong presence in secondary geographic areas and expertise in ancillary products will enable the combined company to better benefit from post-pandemic trends in the fastest growing markets.

Im incredibly proud of what we have built at Kimball International, and this agreement is a testament to our teams commitment and dedication, Kristie Juster, Kimballs CEO said. Joining HNI is an important next step in our companys history and will provide our employees with more opportunities for career growth and development as part of a larger more diversified leader that also shares our deeply rooted values. We are confident that combining with HNI represents the ideal fit for our family or brands and will deliver enhanced value to all stakeholders.

Following a close examination of the transaction, the combined company will continue to be led by Lorenger. Juster will remain in her current role until the closing to ensure a seamless transition.
WAPELLO - A vacant elected city position should be filled by appointment, the Wapello City Council has agreed for the second time in less than four months. The councils latest decision came Thursday when it approved filling Brett Shafers at-large council seat through the appointment process.

Shafer won a three-way race for mayor on March 7, filling the vacancy created when former mayor Shawn Maine resigned Dec. 31. Maine had previously won a seat on the Louisa County Board of Supervisors.

The city council had initially decided to fill the mayor vacancy by appointment, but rescinded that action after citizens launched a petition drive seeking a special election.

The mayors race was then combined with referendums from the Wapello and Lone Tree school districts to create the March 7 special election, which Wapello City Clerk Mike Delzell said cost just under $4,900. He said the city of Wapello paid around one-third of the cost.

The expense was a key point for council member Tony Hammer, who proposed filling Shafers council seat through the appointment process to save taxpayers the cost of another special election. He also pointed out the appointment would only be until November, when Shafers council term ends and a new election is held.

Shafter, conducting his first meeting as mayor read a full explanation of the appointment process. As mayor pro-tem Shafter had been serving as the citys chief executive officer since Maines resignation.

The council agreed to appoint a person to Shafers seat at its April 20 meeting. Residents wishing to be considered for the position should contact city hall prior to that date.

Residents could also request another special election.

At least one resident has already thrown his hat into the ring to be appointed to the position.

Nathan Belzer, a 25-year resident of Wapello spoke during the public participation portion of Thursdays council meeting and said he was interested in serving on the council. Belzer also pointed out he would be willing to run again in the regular city/school election in November to earn his own term.

In other action, the council held a public hearing on the citys Fiscal Year 2024 budget. There were no written or oral comments presented during the public hearing.

Later in the meeting, the council approved the budget, which includes total revenue and other sources of $3,063,734; and total expenditures and transfers out of $2,951,746. The $111,988 of excess revenue will boost the budgets anticipated beginning balance of $1,061,539 on July 1, 2023, to an ending balance of $1,173,527 on June 30, 2024.

The estimated tax levy of slightly over $14.05 per $1,000 taxable valuation will be basically unchanged from the FY 23 rate.

The council also:

 Approved a $5,678 radio purchase for the Wapello Community Ambulance Services (WCAS) new ambulance unit. The cost will be substantially and perhaps fully reimbursed by the Louisa County E911 Service Board;

 Approved hiring Public Consulting Group, which has an office in Chicago, to conduct a standard Medicare Ground Ambulance Data Collection Survey for $2,500. If the survey is not conducted, there would be a 10 percent reduction in Medicare payments to the WCAS;

 Approved up to five chickens (no roosters) each for LeeAnn Swanson and Darby Tackenberg.
A western Iowa care facility for people with disabilities has been fined $10,000 for contributing to the death of a resident.

Larry Overturf, 65, had a moderate intellectual disability and had lived at Courage Homes, a 45-bed care facility in Sioux City, for three years prior to his death in December 2022.

State inspection records indicate Overturf began refusing meals on Nov. 26 and complained repeatedly of stomach pain over the next four days. A supervisor later told state inspectors that in addition to Overturfs complaints of stomach pain, his color looked off and he was activating his call-light about every 30 seconds to summon help, which was something he had never done before.

The supervisor told inspectors she grew upset with the nursing staff over their perceived lack of response to the situation and eventually told two registered nurses, Hes going to die before you finally decide to help him.

In speaking to inspectors, one of the two nurses acknowledged she spoke to Overturf the evening of Nov. 30, which was the night before he died. She allegedly stated Overturf was weeping while complaining of pain, and acknowledged she was aware he had been complaining of stomach pain for almost a week and that she did not check his vital signs.

According to inspectors, on the night of Nov. 30, Overturfs use of his call-light prompted a worker to move him out of his room and into a living room area where he could lay on a couch with the call-light out of reach. The worker later told inspectors Overturf moaned loudly all night and appeared to be in a lot of pain.

Overturf was found unresponsive early the next morning and was taken to a hospital where he died that afternoon. The cause of death was a twisted or strangulated bowel, according to state records.

The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals investigated and, citing Overturfs death, concluded the home had placed residents in immediate jeopardy by failing to respond to residents medical needs. The agency fined the home $10,000.

Courage Homes is a state-licensed intermediate care facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities and is managed by Mid-Step Services.

Overturf grew up in Thornton and over the years had resided at the Eagle Grove Group Home, Opportunity Village in Clear Lake and the Heritage Care and Rehabilitation Center in Mason City. He participated in the Special Olympics, enjoyed church and was a fan of the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins.

His sister, Debra McLarty of Sioux City, said her brother and their mother each moved from Mason City to Sioux City in 2019 so the family could see more of each other.

It was important for us to be close to him  and it was important for him, too, she said. He had a very caring family who loved him very much.

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Legislation that might limit the acquisition of new public lands  and was approved by the Iowa Senate on Tuesday  did not advance from a House subcommittee on Thursday amid significant public opposition.

Senate File 516 was tabled by an environmental protection subcommittee because only one of the three committee members thought it was ready for wider consideration.

It was refreshing to see people there that were willing to listen to both sides of the argument, sort it out for themselves and figure out which way to vote rather than just putting the Farm Bureaus stamp on it and moving on, said Fred Long, president of the Iowa Conservation Alliance.

The bill would strip existing wording from Iowa law that directs state agencies to acquire and protect open space lands and to create recreational trails throughout the state. The bill would prioritize maintenance for existing public lands and trails over new acquisitions.

Environmentalists, hunters, bicyclists and county leaders decried the bills perceived intent to limit new public areas in the state.

Rep. Dean Fisher, a Garwin Republican who led the subcommittee meeting and was the lone supporter for the bill, said it would merely insist on the common sense practice of maintaining what weve got.

I dont see this as limiting growth in trails and parks and public lands whatsoever, he said.

The bills initial sponsor, Sen. Annette Sweeney, an Alden Republican who leads the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee, has also said her aim is not to restrict those acquisitions.

However, limiting public land acquisition is precisely why the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation supports it, according to one of its representatives. It is the only lobbyist group to declare support for the bill.

Our members have set policy that the state of Iowa should concentrate on management of currently owned land and reduce the efforts to acquire more public land, said Kevin Kuhle, state policy advisor for Farm Bureau. Our members feel strongly about this issue.

He said there is low-cost, less-desirable farmland and potential pasture land that could be sold to beginning farmers rather than sold to the state for public parks or wildlife areas.

Another bill last year proposed by Sweeney  which advanced from her committee but didnt get a vote by the full Senate  would have limited the amount of money the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and counties could pay for land, and would have effectively penalized landowners who sold to the state or counties.

The true potential effects of the current bill are unclear, opponents said, because it is a vaguely written modification of current law.

Theres some nebulous, subjective language on maintenance in there, said Eric Goranson, who represents Iowa Pheasants Forever and the Iowa Bowhunters Association. And were not quite sure why it was rewritten that way, unless its to set up for frivolous lawsuits or something else.

Pete Hildreth, conservation and recreation division administrator for the DNR, said any notion that public land his department manages is not being well maintained is not accurate.

The bill ultimately failed to advance Thursday because Rep. Austin Baeth, D-Des Moines, outright opposed it  This is a horrible bill, he said  and because Rep. Helena Hayes, R-New Sharon, said it needs to be discussed further.

There are some significant issues you guys have brought up that really, really do concern me, and I want to give you due diligence, she said.

The bill had passed in the Senate with a 33-14 vote.
AMERICAN CANYON  American Canyons big plan for a $15 million remake of Green Island Road is starting in earnest with a utility undergrounding project as an initial phase.

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When everything is done in a couple of years, this busy lifeline to the citys industrial area will have a whole new look. Crumbling pavement will be smooth. A center turning lane and bicycle path for the Napa Valley Vine Trail will be added.

Thats a long shot from whats there today.

This was a two-lane country road built over 50 years ago, Mayor Leon Garcia said. It was for a few farmers down at the end of the road and over the hill.

Rural-looking Green Island Road is crumbling under the constant pounding from big trucks headed to huge warehouses. Garcia said the road pavement rating is a 12 on a scale of 1 to 100, with 100 being best.

Basically, this road is going to have to be replaced and built up to sustain the type of heavy traffic that we have, Garcia said.

Thursday morning, the city held a ceremony to kick of the construction phase of the project  finally.

This project has been underway for about nine years so far, City Manager Jason Holley said. The design, acquisition and permitting process has taken that long because of how complicated and how important it is.

Speakers used a microphone, which was essential, given the noise on adjacent Green Island Road from a steady stream of trucks.

This isnt staged, Rep. Mike Thompson said as truck after truck passed by. This is every day. And this clearly shows the impact that this traffic has on area.

St. Francis Electric LLC is to underground the utilities this year, removing about a mile of poles to make room for the road widening. Work on widening is to begin in 2024 and last about 18 months.

If you ever drive down this road, it is the heart of the industrial area, but it also is in very, very bad shape, American Canyon Chamber of Commerce CEO Valerie Zizak-Morais said. You have to go slow. You have to avoid the holes that are in the road.

The businesses are paying a tax to the city of American Canyon to help with the project. Zizak-Morais said businesses ask her when the money is going to be spent.

So here it is, she said. Its coming.

Plans go beyond putting some new pavement on this narrow road. Green Island Road is to be widened to accommodate that center turn lane and bike path. In addition, Hanna Drive, Mezzetta Court and Jim Oswalt Way are to be reconstructed.

Altogether, about two miles of roadway will be made brand-new. A portion of the bike and pedestrian path will serve the regional Vine Trail, which then heads north on Devlin Road toward the city of Napa.

Among the funding sources is a 979-acre industrial area special taxing district and federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act. Partners on the project include PG&E, AT&T and Comcast.

Some preparation work was done in 2020 at two railroad crossings along Green Island Road. That included boring under them for utilities, replacing rails and improving signals.

From this point on, the dirt should be flying.

The project that the mayor explained is going to be good for public safety, its going to be good for the community, its going to be good for the economy, said Thompson, D-St. Helena.

PHOTOS: American Canyon celebrates the Holi Festival
A Napa mans brief attempt to flee a sheriffs deputy  first on dry land and then by water  ended in his arrest after half an hour, authorities said.

Scott Allen Lesher, 43, was detained Tuesday evening after running from a Napa County sheriffs deputy on Hartle Court and then riding a kayak south on the river nearby, according to Henry Wofford, spokesperson for the sheriffs office. He was booked into the Napa County jail on two felony warrant counts along with a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest.

The deputy first contacted Lesher at about 6 p.m. in the 300 block of Hartle Court, and a foot pursuit ensued, Wofford said Thursday. Lesher ran toward Tulocay Creek, jumped into the water, and eventually found and entered a kayak, according to Wofford.

Deputies deployed a boat during the search, and at about 6:30 p.m. found and detained Lesher in the 100 block of Riverside Drive  several hundred yards south of the Maxwell Bridge, Wofford said.

Due to the high river level and rainfall in the midst of a Bay Area storm, medical personnel tended to Lesher before his arrest, according to Wofford.

It was not immediately clear how Lesher obtained a kayak, Wofford added. While Lesher was booked into the Napa jail on three allegations, there was no theft charge listed in the jails online log.
A man who shot and killed a teenage supermarket employee nearly three years ago did so in retaliation for a police citation he blamed on another worker from the same grocery chain, according to court filings by Napa County prosecutors ahead of a murder trial set to begin next week.

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The brief, filed by the office of District Attorney Allison Haley, gives the first public account of what prosecutors say was Christopher Roly Youngs motive for allegedly killing 18-year-old Nathan Gabriel Garza on Aug. 16, 2020, outside the American Canyon Safeway where Garza worked. The 26-year-old Young faces a first-degree murder charge and firearm-related allegations in a trial slated for Napa County Superior Court.

It is the Peoples assertion that the defendants motive was to seek revenge on Safeway and on a Safeway employee, Napa County Deputy District Attorney Diane Knoles wrote in a brief filed Feb. 24.

Knoles filing described Garza  a Fairfield resident and recent Rodriguez High School graduate who had never met Young  as an unwitting target of Youngs anger after an incident a week earlier in which a worker at another Safeway in Fairfield called police, who cited Young and arrested two others.

Proceedings at the Napa County courthouse are scheduled to begin Monday, when a judge will hear a motion by Youngs defense to move the trial out of Napa County due to what his lawyers called excessive and prejudicial publicity about the case. Other filings by Keeley seek to implicate Youngs roommate Tyler Howell, who told police Young took his Cadillac without his knowledge in the hours before Garzas death.

If convicted of murder, Young may face lifetime imprisonment with no possibility of parole.

Knoles filing last month states that the slaying of Garza stemmed from Youngs earlier arrest in Fairfield, an incident that would have put him at risk of punishment for violating his probation and bail terms after an arrest earlier in the year.

On Aug. 9, 2020, Young, Tyler Howells older brother Jordan Howell and Jordans girlfriend went to the Safeway on Business Center Drive, according to Knoles. A grocery employee noticed them, saw what appeared to be a handgun in Jordan Howells waistband, and went inside to call 911, the prosecution brief states.

Fairfield Police officers arrived, arresting Jordan Howell for having a loaded gun and his girlfriend for drug possession  and also citing Young for possessing the drug Ecstasy and a smoking pipe, according to the filing.

The citation put Young in danger of violating his probation and bail terms for an arrest in Alameda County that April, prosecutors wrote.

Young saw the worker at the Fairfield Safeway speaking with police, and the employee was similar to Garza in height, weight, skin color, hair and age  and was wearing a Safeway uniform similar to the one Garza wore a week later, Knoles brief states.

Prosecutors pointed to four arrests of Young since 2016 they said show a pattern of violent behavior and threats. In particular, they noted an October 2018 incident in which Young assaulted a man  the husband of a woman who later had Youngs child  before warning him: No cops, snitches get stiches (sic), according to the briefs. Young was convicted and was still on probation for that case when Garza was killed, prosecutors said.

It is the Peoples theory that the defendant shot and killed Nathan in retaliation for (the Fairfield workers) snitching to the police on August 9, wrote Knoles.

One week later, Garza pushed a cart outside the Safeway at 103 W. American Canyon Road to deliver groceries to a customer in a drive-up-and-go parking space. A minute after noon, he was fatally shot twice in the back with a handgun fired from the driver-side window of a parked car that then sped away, according to prosecutors.

An hour after the shooting, police arrested Young a mile away on Wetlands Edge Road, initially on a trespassing allegation after prosecutors say several residents reported a man driving and then running past their homes. Later, a murder charge was added when his roommate Tyler Howell reported that Young had taken his white four-door Cadillac without his knowledge, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors say Howell and Young  who both were arrested after the Alameda County robbery in April  were staying in an American Canyon home booked through Airbnb at the time.

The fact that the defendant chose to exercise his vengeance at a Safeway store much more accessible to him (1 mile away from the Airbnb, versus 8 miles away in Fairfield) and upon a random Safeway employee with whom he had no previous contact clearly indicates a considered plan, Knoles said in the February filing. Were it not for Youngs pursuit of revenge, she wrote, Nathan Garza would still be alive.

Legal sparring between prosecution and defense has intensified in the past week.

On Monday, defense lawyer Michael Keeley moved to introduce evidence he said would implicate Tyler Howell instead of Young for Garzas death. Keeleys filing argues that only circumstantial evidence exists against Young and that no one has positively identified Young as a driver or passenger in Cadillac that sped away from the Safeway after the shooting.

The motion also states that a woman who was parked next to the assailants car later picked Howell, who is white, not Young, who is Black, from a police photo lineup. (Prosecution briefs state that the woman later admitted to police she was uncertain about the identification.)

The defense filing further states that a DNA sample from the magazine slide of a .45-caliber handgun found in the car  which police discovered abandoned on Cattail Drive less than a mile from the Safeway  matched Howell but not Young, and that the presence of Howells DNA on other items could not be ruled out.

In her February briefing, Knoles  arguing against the admission of the theory at trial  said only Youngs fingerprints and not Howells were found on the guns magazine slide, and that only Youngs DNA and not Howells were detected on the gloves found in the abandoned car.

Defense filings also questioned the methods used to identify the gun and bullets and match them to Garzas killing, and stated that gunshot residue particles on Howells clothing and hand on the night of the shooting were consistent with being within close proximity of the discharge of a firearm.

In addition, Keeley asked Judge Elia Ortiz to shift Youngs trial to another county, saying that news coverage in Napa County makes it impossible to find an impartial jury. The coverage has been pervasive and has contributed to an environment where it is reasonably unlikely that Mr. Young will be unable to have a fair trial in the present venue, the defense motion reads.

(The Napa Valley Register has published seven previous stories about Garzas death and its aftermath in the 31 months since the shooting, but none since a June 17, 2022 article about the scheduling of Youngs trial.)

In addition to murder, Young faces counts of shooting from a motor vehicle, firearm and ammunition possession by a felon, and giving false information to a police officer for allegedly giving a fake name during his arrest.

Photos: Scenes from the Alex Murdaugh murder trial
Chicago police Superintendent David Brown briefs reporters outside Mt. Sinai Hospital, where a Chicago police officer was transported after being fatally shot during a domestic dispute call in the Southwest Side, March 1, 2023. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago police Superintendent David Brown quietly stepped down Thursday, three years after he was picked to lead the Police Department.

First Deputy Superintendent Eric Carter, Browns second in command, will take over as interim superintendent, the department said in a news release.

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We will continue the progress we made under the leadership of Superintendent Brown to build trust in our communities and strengthen safety across every neighborhood, Carter said.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot called Brown a humble leader as he came to Chicago in April 2020 seeking to reduce crime and make the department more transparent and accountable after working as police chief in Dallas. But his aspirations were quickly complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the civil unrest that followed the police murder of George Floyd in Minnesota.

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Gun violence sharply increased in the city under his leadership and the department was slow to make progress on court-mandated reforms as it struggled to navigate the pandemic and protests.

A month into the job, Brown called getting Chicago to under 300 annual homicides a moonshot goal. Homicides rose from 498 in 2020 to 797 in 2021, then 695 in 2022, according to city data.

Some critics have denounced Browns department as insufficiently willing to reform, pointing in particular to Browns decision to fire Robert Boik, the CPD official leading the departments reform efforts to comply with the consent decree.

Other critics have blamed Brown for declining officer morale and thousands of police vacancies caused in part by a wave of officer retirements. They argue Browns scheduling policies overburdened officers.

Brown announced his plans to resign in early March, the day after Lightfoot lost her mayoral reelection bid. He is taking a position as chief operating officer at a personal injury law firm, he said at the time.

Lightfoot, who hired Brown after firing former Superintendent Eddie Johnson amid scandal, praised Brown for promoting more women and for the departments record numbers of illegal gun recoveries.

Brown declined to talk about his accomplishments and the criticism he has faced in a phone call with the Tribune on Thursday.

He spoke last week at the funeral of slain Officer Andres Mauricio Vasquez Lasso, but did not attend a police graduation ceremony earlier that week. Brown reportedly left Chicago on Wednesday to little fanfare within the department.

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[ Chicago police Superintendent David Brown to exit CPD this month in the wake of mayoral election ]

Chicago police Superintendent David Brown, right, marches with First Deputy Superintendent Eric Carter on May 1, 2022, at the Gold Star Families Memorial and Park outside Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Carter, a 30-year department veteran, has worked in various patrol and investigation positions, including periods focusing on gangs and narcotics, the departments news release said. He led the counterterrorism and special operations bureau before serving as Browns second-in-command for nearly all of the outgoing superintendents tenure.

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The interim superintendent appointed by Lightfoot will lead the departments 11,700 sworn members into the summer months, when violent crime typically spikes in Chicago.

The next superintendent will be chosen in large part by the winner of the April 4 mayoral runoff election between former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson. The candidates offer contrasting takes on policing, but both have signaled they would prefer a local nominee to lead the department.

The candidates had said they would fire Brown before he announced his resignation. They declined to name the prospective leaders who might be on their police superintendent shortlist in a recent debate.

Choosing a new superintendent from within the department could pose a challenge. Many of the departments top leaders have left the force in the past few years.

Whoever takes over as superintendent will contend with a federal consent decree, strong calls for accountability, a rise in violent crime, challenges with morale and staffing and a new mayor with their own vision for what changes the department needs to take.

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jsheridan@chicagotribune.com
A former Napa Police sergeant and president of the Napa Police Officers Association resigned in 2020 after an investigation sustained three allegations about his harassment of other officers based on race and sexual orientation, documents released by the city of Napa show.

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And though the city filed intent to terminate Ryan Cole, the former sergeant, he was able to resign and then, six months later, sign a separation agreement with the city.

The agreement relieved the city of legal liability in return for removing documents related to the investigation into Coles alleged derogatory comments from his personnel file  making the files disclosable to third parties only when required by law or when authorized by Cole.

With the agreement, the city also recorded Coles separation as it would any resignation of an employee in good standing, agreed to approve a concealed-carry weapons permit for him, and agreed not to contest any unemployment insurance benefits he might receive from the state of California.

Cole was a 25-year employee of the Napa Police Department who had been a sergeant for about a decade when he resigned on April 29, 2020. That was several months after the city hired an independent investigator, Kramer Workplace Investigations, to look into the allegations of his derogatory comments. That investigation resulted in a Feb. 25, 2020 investigation report that sustained the three allegations, for incidents that reportedly occurred between August 2019 and January 2020.

According to the heavily redacted report, Cole allegedly used a slur for a gay man when referring to the school resource officer role  for sworn officers who work in school settings  in August 2019 when possibly discouraging another officer from filling a vacancy.

Then, on Sept. 4, 2019, Cole was one of several officers discussing a Napa Police command staff decision about potential transfers and employee movements within the department, and he allegedly referred to someone in the agency  the name has been redacted  with an anti-Black slur, according to the report. The conversation involved that they did not like the direction the Department was going in and decisions he made.

Then-Napa Police Chief Robert Plummer  the first Black person to head the department  was the only Black member of the agencys command staff in 2019, according to city staff records, and Napa Police only had two Black employees overall.

In another interview with the independent investigator, an officer described Coles alleged comment as to the effect of, What do you expect? (Redacted) just another (anti-Black slur), or Another (expletive) (anti-Black slur).

In January 2020  after returning to work late the previous month following an administrative leave that followed the initial allegations  Cole was reported by an officer for allegedly using a different anti-Black slur on two occasions, the report says.

The Kramer Workplace Investigations report found that Cole had more likely than not made the comments that were attributed to him by the other officers.

Neither Cole nor his attorney at the time, Michael Rains, immediately responded to requests for comment on Thursday.

Cole claimed culture of racialized banter

In the Nov. 1, 2019 and Feb. 12 2020 interviews with Kramer, Cole said he didnt remember saying the anti-Black or anti-gay comments, though said it was possible he had.

Cole added that he sometimes says things he shouldnt, according to the report, that he was known for speaking freely and being direct, and that no one had ever indicated they were upset or uncomfortable by comments of a racial nature that hed made.

But Cole argued he wasnt unique, that everyone in the department bantered, teased and used inappropriate, race-related terms, the investigation report says, and that such jokes had been a part of the Napa Police culture for the 25 years hed been there.

He also said there has to be a definite culture change within our building in reference to the banter, that the tone of it and the types of comments needed to change, the report says.

As for the alleged Sept. 4, 2019 anti-Black comment, Cole stated that he had a great relationship with the person in question, and that as president of the Police Officers Association, they often agreed to disagree.

Nonetheless, then-assistant city manager Fran Robustelli sent Cole a notice of intent to terminate on March 27, 2020, following the investigation findings. That started a pre-disciplinary process, which included a negotiation regarding the separation between the Napa Police Officers Association, the city and Cole, according to current Napa Police Chief Jennifer Gonzales.

Cole then resigned on April 29, 2020. Gonzales said that the city didnt receive any legal claims by Cole between then and the separation agreement, which Cole signed on Oct. 10 that year, and that the separation agreement was largely delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a letter sent to Napa City Manager Steve Potter for Coles pre-disciplinary hearing held April 17 that year, Coles attorney, Rains, outlined 10 arguments against the termination of Cole. The arguments generally placed Coles long career alongside his alleged uses of the slurs, arguing that they didnt sufficiently establish that he had a negative bias against individuals based on their race or sexual orientation.

Rains noted that Cole undoubtedly used bad judgment in those conversations, but that wasnt enough to demonstrate he was unfit to serve as a law enforcement officer. Rains also referred to the Notice of Intent to Terminate that was sent to Cole as an overreaction.

Rains went on to state that Cole had arrested very few Black people compared to white and Latino people during his time as an officer, which he said went against the allegation that Cole had a negative bias.

In addition, Rains argued that the allegations would have been difficult to sustain had Cole not admitted to the possibility of making the comments, and that he was being singled out as something of a scapegoat within the overall culture of the police department.

If an appeal of the termination were to occur, Rains wrote, a claim of disparate treatment would most assuredly be raised and extensive testimony elicited concerning the culture of the police force.

Rains recommended a disciplinary penalty that ensured the alleged speech would not be repeated by Cole, and that he be charged upon returning to work with initiating and directing a dialogue and discussion in the police department which changes the culture which has undeniably existed.

Gonzales contended Thursday that Coles actions were not consistent with the culture of Napa Police. The chief added that the city doesnt tolerate discrimination, harassment or disparate treatment of any kind, that it takes action immediately when such behavior is reported, and has consistently gone further than required by law to incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion into the work culture.

The fact that the original complaint was made by Mr. Coles fellow officers further demonstrates his actions violated the permissible culture and policies of our organization, Gonzales wrote in a statement. As the Chief of Police, I am proud of the employees who stood up to combat the racist and homophobic comments being made by Mr. Cole in their presence. We cannot ask our community to trust their law enforcement professionals if we, as leaders of the city of Napa, do not establish and hold a standard of policies, expectations, and culture for all to be safe and valued.
ST. HELENA  In 2017, Chappellet Winery spent $200,000 for $80 million in insurance coverage. After the North Bay wildfires of October 2017, its premium rose to $250,000 for $50 million in coverage. Now, in the aftermath of the 2020 Napa County wildfires that ravaged the Napa Valley, the winery pays $1.2 million for just $25 million of protection.

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From 2017 to 2020, wildfires burned through more than half of Napa County's land area and destroyed more than 1,500 structures. The valley's fire risk has had major repercussions for wineries'  and all North Bay landowners  ability to buy affordable insurance.

As Chappellets premiums were climbing, the owners of the winery located on Pritchard Hill in St. Helena worked with their neighbors to lessen fire risks specific to their property. Chappellets president, Cyril Chappellet, thinks those efforts have been effective, yet the premiums have not come down.

It doesnt work in the long term. In the long term, its not sustainable to keep these rates going up like this, said Chappellet, who said the high cost of insurance along with the costs for fire mitigation threaten to kill the winerys cash flow. Its a real challenge.

Last week, Chappellet was one of more than a dozen speakers at the Estate Yountville for the Wildfire Resiliency Summit hosted by Galway Holdings, a financial services and insurance distribution company. The conference brought together winery and insurance representatives and wildfire experts to discuss the regions wildfire threats, and to brainstorm ways to restore insurability to a Napa Valley wine industry that has increasingly struggled to find affordable insurance since 2017.

There was nobody leading any industry initiatives around bringing insurance companies, reinsurers, risk modelers, mitigation experts and the winery owners  no one was bringing them together, said John Hahn, executive chairman of Galway Holdings.

Everybody right now is just individually oriented, so each winery owner hires a broker to represent them, they go to insurance companies (and) they do the best they can do," Hahn said at the March 9 event. "They come back with typically, now, a lousy product at a lousy price. So the transactional wheel doesnt work. Were trying to create a different concentrative wheel thats got a lot more impact, and also lot more data analytics associated with it, so better decisions can be made.

Patrick Gallagher, head of analytics at EPIC Insurance, spoke about the high premiums wineries paid from 2017 to 2022. In that period, he said, there was $371 million in insured winery wildfire claims in the North Coast AVA, a region that encompasses grape-growing areas in six counties including Napa and Sonoma.

According to Gallagher, no wineries in that region filed wildfire claims in 2021 or 2022. An analysis by EPIC Insurance brokers estimates those wineries paid $275 million in premiums last year. And while information is not available for 2021, according to Gallagher, similarly to 2022, 2021 also had elevated rates compared to 2017 and prior.

This data suggests insurers would have recouped losses over the six years given the high premiums paid in the past two years, when no regional wineries filed wildfire claims.

The insurers may be sitting on the sidelines because they're conflating risk with all properties in California," said Gallagher. "But Napa wineries have invested more in protection and theyve suffered higher rate increases than has the broader California wildfire market relative to their historical claims.

On Friday, insurance company representatives boarded shuttle buses and headed to Chappellet Winery and Harlan Estate in Oakville to tour their properties and to learn about the wineries' fire mitigation steps, which include field reduction, vegetation treatment, emergency egress and dozer lines.

Ralph Salce, a vice president at Tokio Marine America, an insurance and risk management group, said that taking fire risk into consideration when deciding whether to insure wineries is critical to what they do. But after the presentations he saw at the summit, he said current approaches may be too broad.

When youre underwriting back in the office, you dont see these things, physically seeing whats actually going on, on the ground," said Salce. "And I think this opportunity gives you a real sense of clearing up brush (and what it means) to take fuel away from the area or stuff like that. Its very abstract but when you see it on the ground, you realize that makes a lot of sense. This actually is improving the risk.

After learning about progress wineries like Chappellet are making to lessen their fire risk, Salce said he planned to return to his base in Jersey City, New Jersey to share some findings that are not obvious to underwriters weighing such risks across the country.

Being here, kind of seeing exactly whats being done on the ground, is extremely helpful, and it (gives) a real understanding to whats going on as opposed to them telling us, This is what were doing, said Salce.

Stu Smith, founder of Smith-Madrone winery in St. Helena, attended the summit hoping it would give insurance agents the proper context to work toward a solution to the insurance cost problem he and his peers have endured in recent years.

They make money off of us. But also, we need them. So to come together in a synergistic way is really important, added Smith. Ultimately, what were hoping is the insurance companies will look at our properties and evaluate them based on risk and not ZIP code.
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The Minister of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Armenia has released a statement regarding the false claims and bellicose statements by the President of Azerbaijan. The statement reads as follows:

The speech of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev delivered on March 16 during the summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States was a clear manifestation of territorial claims against the Republic of Armenia and preparation of another aggression.

Presenting the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia under the fictitious name Western Azerbaijan the President of Azerbaijan grossly violates the UN Charter, the UN GA Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the UN Charter, the Alma-Ata Declaration, but also his own commitments undertaken by the Prague and Sochi statements to which he is referring in this exact speech.

Azerbaijan continuously obstructs the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions, while at the same time announcing that it is going to resettle the territories that came under its control as a result of the deportation of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Having violated basically all the points of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020 and with the narrative, which he himself admits as fictitious, about the corridors the President of Azerbaijan is obstructing the process of opening of regional communications.

The bellicose rhetoric of the leader of Azerbaijan is aimed at completely disrupting the efforts to establish stability in the South Caucasus and resorting to the use of large-scale force against both the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Moreover, the insulting language used against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is accompanied by actions aimed at creating a humanitarian catastrophe on the ground, demonstrates Azerbaijan's unconcealed policy of ethnic cleansing at the highest level.

Moreover, voicing such provocative theses in Ankara aims not only to undermine the ongoing peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also to hinder the positive dynamics in the process of normalisation of Armenia-Turkey relations.

All partners interested in the stability and peace of the region should give an assessment to this policy of the President of Azerbaijan without any hesitation and take active steps to eliminate the violations of international law by Azerbaijan and exclude the manifestations of the use of force.
Evan Berkowitz, left, with Infrastructure Engineering and John Leavell of Current Water test wastewater for the presence of coronavirus variants on Chicago's Northwest Side on July 21, 2022. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

The Chicago Department of Public Health announced on Friday it has begun monitoring for the polio virus in wastewater.

No cases of polio have been identified in Chicago or Illinois, but the department said its proactively testing the water from plants in the city and surrounding suburbs with several partnering agencies including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Polio has been considered eradicated in the United States since 1979 following the dissemination of the vaccine that began two decades earlier.

But one case of paralytic polio was identified in New York state in July 2022, and further wastewater testing found poliovirus in New York counties with low vaccination rates.

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The New York case highlights the importance of rapid detection, CDPH Deputy Commissioner Massimo Pacilli said in a news release.

New York health officials also issued an advisory last week asking anyone traveling to Israel to get fully vaccinated after four children recently tested positive in northern Israel.

Most adults and children in Illinois have been vaccinated against polio. The Illinois Department of Public Health, like many other states health departments, requires children to be vaccinated for polio among other diseases to enroll in school and child care facilities.

Polio is a contagious disease for which there is no cure. It can infect a persons spinal cord, causing paralysis, and before the vaccine became available it caused major public health scares, with tens of thousands of cases occurring a year in the U.S., according to the CDC. Many of its victims were children. Among those who suffered paralysis as a result of polio was President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Local wastewater is already monitored for the presence of COVID-19, which helped public health officials track the virus during the pandemic.

rrequena@chicagotribune.com
The Parliament of Catalonia has issued a statement demanding Azerbaijan to stop its military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh and on the border with Armenia, and to return to the status quo established by the ceasefire.

The statement says: "The Parliament expresses its concern regarding the continuous violation of the borders of Armenia by Azerbaijan, for its destabilizing actions.

"Calls for the resumption of peace negotiations in order to achieve long-term peace in the South Caucasus.

"Demands that the Republic of Azerbaijan cease military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh and on the border of contact, it should refrain especially from violating the borders of the Republic of Armenia and return to the status quo established by the ceasefire, which is reflected in the tripartite statement of 2020. At the same time, it calls on the parties to do everything with the diplomatic tools at their disposal to restore peace.

"The Parliament requires the European Union to use its leverage to first return to the 2020 ceasefire agreement and then take steps to achieve a just and lasting peace. Also, it demands immediate cessation of all arms sales to Azerbaijan.

"Calls for the immediate release of the [Armenian] prisoners of war who are still in captivity in Azerbaijan.

"Underscores that the Azerbaijani authorities implement the cease-fire agreement after the war in 2020, and that at the same time those [Armenian] captives receive fair treatment in accordance with international humanitarian law."
Pedro Soto, a former Chicago Public Schools executive who took benefits from a consultant trying to help a company land a janitorial contract, leaves the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse after his sentencing on March 16, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

A former top aide to a Chicago Public Schools CEO was sentenced to 18 months of probation Thursday for lying to the FBI about passing secret bid information on a $1 billion custodial contract to an operative working for one of the bidders.

Pedro Soto, 45, who resigned as then-CEO Janice Jacksons chief of staff in 2020, admitted in a plea agreement with federal prosecutors that he repeatedly fed details about CPS internal bid deliberations to the operative in exchange for various benefits.

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Sotos sentence includes a $3,000 fine and 100 hours of community service at the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

In a statement to the court, a tearful Soto took several pauses to apologize to his wife and colleagues. Trust was placed in me, and I failed that trust, he said.

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U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman said the sentence was meant as a deterrent for other offenders who hope they can get lighter sentences for similar offenses. The maximum sentence Soto originally faced was five years in custody.

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FBI agents interviewed Soto in his home in 2017. Authorities said he solicited, was offered, promised or had received benefits from a lobbyist he told non-public information to, and that was the reason for Sotos receiving those benefits.

In his 19-page plea agreement, Soto admitted hed had numerous discussions about private CPS deliberations with an operative in 2016 and 2017, including providing details of what a CPS evaluation committee was looking for in the bids.

Details revealed in Sotos plea agreement show Company A  which eventually lost its bid for the contract  was GCA Services Group.

Soto resigned a week before the charges against him were made public. Jackson later sent a letter to the CPS staff saying her office took away Sotos access to the districts information systems and started an internal review as soon as she learned about the allegations.

The 2016 bid was part of a CPS plan to privatize building maintenance duties amid the districts bleak financial condition.

Chicago Tribunes Jason Meisner contributed.

rrequena@chicagotribune.com
Each week, Emory Report is featuring one of the six focus areas of One Emory: Ambition and Heart, the reimagined strategic framework announced by President Fenves during the Feb. 7 Charter Week gathering.

Staff make everything at Emory possible.

With those words, President Gregory L. Fenves introduced a new focus area to the reimagined One Emory strategic framework  one he characterized as crucial. Acknowledging the universitys status as the regions largest private employer, the president set the goal of making Emory the employer of choice for staff, especially given the competitive nature of the current job market.

Fenves outlined several steps to help ensure that talented staff choose Emory and then, once here, have the ability to thrive and build a fulfilling career while contributing fully to the universitys mission.

Cultivating an environment of respect, inclusion and well-being that allows each staff member to excel in their job.

Striving to provide competitive, equitable compensation and benefits, which includes planning for a 4% merit pool for Emory University employees in fiscal year 2024, pending final approval of the university budget.

Recruiting diverse and talented staff members who represent a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

Recognizing and supporting staff members lives outside of their Emory jobs. An example of this is the recent doubling of paid parental leave for Emory University employees from three to six weeks.

Offering opportunities across the university for staff members who want to advance in their careers at Emory.

Encouraging new ideas and creativity and celebrating staff achievements and successes.

Staff power our mission and Emorys partnerships with institutions and organizations across the Atlanta metro area, the president said. I want them to know they are valued and there are opportunities for growth here.



Commitment to Our People: Three questions with Bob Crowder, assistant director for facilities, Campus Life

When Ben Perlman, then-director of Emory Student Center operations and events, called Bob Crowder to seal the deal on Crowders joining Emorys facilities staff, Crowder was a bit nonplussed, having earlier received a rejection letter.

That correspondence had been sent in error, it turns out. Thankfully, neither man let it hinder what quickly became a productive relationship as they worked together toward readying the Emory Student Center for its grand opening on Sept. 11, 2019.

Crowder has enjoyed several successful career paths. An Army veteran of the Vietnam War, he earned a Bronze Star as a helicopter crew chief. He also worked as a police officer in DeKalb County with the ambition to work my way up the ranks to police chief. However, he learned that, in law enforcement, you can make it to a certain rank with your talent and education; after that, it becomes political.

Crowder earned an LLM and JD from Atlanta Law School, taught law-related courses part-time at DeVry University and Keller Graduate School of Management, and then was employed as a facilities superintendent for Georgia State Universitys Student Center and the University Center, which housed the CineFest Film Theatre.

At Emory, being responsible for the Alumni Memorial University Center (AMUC) and Cox Hall as well as the Student Center, Crowder quickly developed a reputation for an unwavering commitment to two things: bringing Emorys facilities into the 21st century and ensuring a great student experience.

He was, he confesses, incredulous at seeing bulletin boards in the AMUC when he first arrived. That is an element from my own elementary school, he says. I helped Emory make the needed turn to digital signage.

Currently, Crowder is liaising with the staff of Planning, Design and Construction to ready the Cox Hall identity spaces by the time of students return for the fall semester.

Three questions with Bob Crowder

Q: You feel a deep commitment to Emory students in the work you do. Describe how you interact with them.

All of us serving with Enku Gelaye, senior vice president for Campus Life, approach our jobs the way she does. You wont find her in her office. She is engaging students every day. I do the same.

It gave me so much joy to have students who graduated before the opening of the Student Center make trips back to campus just to see the facility. By creating what we called a student-centered Student Center, we have provided a space that answers their diverse needs  whether they are there to relax, eat, play games, study, attend an event or catch up with friends.

Every day, I am in listening mode. Students let me know about things they want and elements that might not be working for them. I receive so much from them, having the chance to learn about the communities they come from.

Q: You run toward challenges. Why?

Simply put, I love knowledge, and challenges give me the opportunity to learn new things and apply them for the good of our community. I admire the thinking of philosopher Eric Hoffer, who says, In a world of change, the learners shall inherit the Earth, while the learned shall find themselves perfectly suited for a world that no longer exists.

I often am here on the weekend  not because anyone expects it of me but because I love my job and have a thirst to learn more and do more. When Ben Perlman was here, he supported me in making things happen. Whatever your expertise, he allowed you to work that space. And it is no different now. The spirit remains the same. I am grateful for the progressive leadership at Emory. The many partners I work with are pulling in the same direction.

Q: What is next for facilities at Emory and your own professional development?

I derive so much from being a leader in a variety of professional associations, where I push for innovation and bring back ideas for better facilities for community members, especially our students. A degree program for facilities might take shape soon. I would love to be part of that as a teacher. Remember, in Hoffers terms, I am a learner, and for me, teaching is learning.

In Campus Life, we understand that word of mouth, from satisfied current students, goes a long way in terms of alerting future students to what is good here. As much success as we have had in upgrading our facilities and being a leader among peer institutions, we dont let ourselves get complacent. Right now, I would give Emory an A for the work its doing. But heres the catch: that is just for this semester. We have to keep it up.



Commitment to Our People: Three questions with Valerie Molyneaux, associate dean for academic affairs at Oxford College

In many ways, Valerie Molyneauxs career at Emory is a testament to the vision the president has espoused for staff. After discovering her passion for student affairs while an undergraduate at Case Western Reserve University, Molyneaux has carried out this work at Emory in a variety of roles, both on the Atlanta campus and at Oxford.

Molyneaux jokingly describes her dream job as being a don at the University of Oxford, looking out a window of the Radcliffe Camera and taking advantage of one of the best libraries in the world. Until that offer comes, she is deeply engaged here, where I am in a position to hear things, to listen, to make connections and hopefully to make changes that benefit our whole community.

Intellectual to her core, Molyneaux could have envisioned a faculty role for herself. She was not, however, willing to brave the grueling humanities job market. I wanted to do something that kept me connected to a university community. I am a deeply curious person, and I cannot tell you how enriching it has been to work at a university where you can learn almost anything.

Having earned a doctorate in student affairs administration from the University of Georgia, Molyneaux began at Emory in Campus Life as area director and then assistant dean for student conduct. Moving to Goizueta Business School in 2008, she directed the schools international programs for nine years and then transitioned to academic advising. Since 2018, she has been at Oxford College, serving as associate dean for academic affairs.

At each stop, she has been there, with understanding and resources, for students who are struggling and with shared enthusiasm for their victories. The latter has included, as part of Goizuetas international program, sending a Questbridge student from Idaho to study language in Beijing. He was so brave to give it a shot; it was so different from anything he had experienced, Molyneaux recalls.

Three questions with Valerie Molyneaux

Q: What is your reaction to the emphasis on supporting and valuing staff that has become part of One Emory?

I was thrilled. Our primary function as an institution is academic, but I am so aware of the extent to which staff, working alongside faculty, bring that mission to fruition. I am glad that Emory is acknowledging that it is not just classroom teaching that is changing our students lives and our community; its the whole experience.

Q: How do you describe the work of academic advising and how do you carry it out?

Done correctly, academic advising is more than graduation requirements. It is about what matters to a student, what they value and, in many cases, what their families or communities value. For some of our students, it is a question of shoring up missing skills or deepening ones they already have. I applaud Emory for keeping faculty in their mentoring roles while also investing in more professional advisers whose full-time job is to figure out how to use the power of Emorys resources to shape a students path.

Our students come from many places with deep experience and havent always seen themselves reflected in our curriculum, which is why I am proud that Emory has a race-and-ethnicity requirement now. This is not some inaccessible, bookshelf topic; it is one that matters to our students.

As far as how I seek to have an impact, I encourage students to bring concerns or questions to me, but I also go to them. Before an academic deadline, I will go to the dining hall and ask students, Do you know what is coming up? Do you have any questions about it? I learn a lot from that. It begins with me talking, but on the most successful days, I am able to stimulate conversation.

I thank every student who brings something to my attention. We cant do everything they want or do everything as fast as they would like, but we really do depend on them for their input.

Q: What should be next for Emory and what is next for you in terms of how you are evolving your role?

When we talk about courageous inquiry at Emory, I think we have further to go and am confident that the president and provost will push us to get there. With initiatives like student flourishing, we are asking students to move out of their comfort zones; as an institution, we need to do the same.

For my part, I am pushing myself to help students and their families explore other outcomes besides the well-known, prestigious careers that many of them focus on when they think of an institution of Emorys prominence. We have an opportunity and an obligation to help students define what it is that may let them share their unique talents with the world.
The word most people use to describe it is cool.

Yes, there is a cool new interactive machine near the Banjo Coffee shop on Level 1 of Woodruff Library  a Short Story Dispenser. The dispenser is an Emory Arts project to highlight poems, prose and comics by Emory authors, particularly students, as well as literature from writers around the world.

The dispenser is already a hit: In just its first week in the library, the dispenser saw 1,000 uses. Students, instructors, staff and visitors are invited to use it; its an ideal way to pass the time if youre waiting before an appointment or meeting, enjoying a coffee or study break, or taking a breather from your cellphone.

Those at Oxford College or another Emory site away from the Atlanta campus can still get a short story boost by reading selections on the Emory Short Story Edition webpage, where members of the Emory community can also submit creative entries.

Maggie Beker, an Emory Arts project coordinator focused on student engagement, discovered the Short Story Dispenser while searching for ways that creative students can share their work and receive recognition. She says works by students in the performing and visual arts are traditionally easier to share through performances and exhibits.

I started thinking, how can our students who are writers share their work? Beker says, especially in a more public way. Literary magazines may have too narrow an audience, and the possibility of rejection is daunting to students. With the Short Story Dispenser, students don't need to worry whether their piece is the right fit for a particular journal or wait to be published if their submission is accepted. They also can submit more than one piece at any time.

This machine is great. It lowers the barrier for students to get published as opposed to traditional lit magazine submission opportunities because were accepting any genre and submissions are always open, says Beker.

Emory Libraries is the first home for the Short Story Dispenser on the Emory campus. Emory University owns the dispenser, which will be moved to different campus locations to reach a variety of audiences. It will stay on Woodruff Librarys lower level through late April, then move to the librarys main floor or another high-visibility spot on campus during Commencement Weekend.

Students, faculty and staff love the touchless story dispenser, and many have stopped in the library specifically to try it out. Patrons can get a mental refresher and choose a 1-, 3- or 5-minute story or poem which is printed out on a scroll of paper. Keeping sustainability in mind, Beker chose a refurbished machine that also uses recycled, recyclable paper.

I had to try out the Short Story Dispenser, and its fun, says Lisa Macklin, associate vice provost and university librarian. With the wave of a hand, the story dispenser will print out a short piece of creative writing on sustainably sourced paper. Its a surprise since you have no idea what your story will be about, and the story provides a few moments of fun or reflection.

I printed out a short poem about a young girls relationship with her family, says Lily Hollenberg, a sophomore interdisciplinary studies major. I had already heard about the story dispenser, and I enjoy reading and writing short stories and poems, so I thought it would be fun to take one. I think it's great having the dispenser on campus, especially in the library to take advantage of during a study break. I dont want to submit anything myself, but I think it's great that there's an option for students to have their work read.

Partnering with a French publishing house

According to its website, the company, Short Edition, is a French publishing house of short literature: poetry, short stories, and flash fiction. In addition to our online platform, we publish fiction around the world via our Short Story Dispensers for the public to enjoy a serendipitous literary experience, free of charge. The company has placed dispensers in libraries, airports, hospitals  anywhere there is people traffic and the element of waiting or needing to take a mental break.

The Emory campus is the first dispenser location in the Atlanta metro area, and only the second in Georgia (the other one is at Thomas County Public Library in Thomasville, Georgia, 35 minutes from the Florida state line).

The Short Story Dispenser provides students an opportunity to read a story as they take a break from studying and computer screens. We can all benefit from the creative arts, and this is a way to bring stories directly to students, solely for their enjoyment, Macklin says. Were happy the Emory Libraries can be the first home on campus for something that brings so much joy to the Emory community.

Once the Short Story Dispenser accumulates a robust archive of Emory-written stories, one of its buttons can be re-programmed so patrons can choose an Emory story, Beker says. There are already several poems and short stories written by Emory authors, she adds.

It is a genius way to connect art, literature and technology, and its a nice stress-relief corner in the library, says Kacey Gu, a junior majoring in art history and philosophy who received a poem about clouds. I will definitely submit my own writings if it allows submissions in different languages. It is super easy to translate with current technology, and I think it will be fun if we can submit works in our own language while receiving a short story in other languages.

I think its a fabulous chance to expose writers that are hard to encounter otherwise, says junior Christian Tang, who is pursuing a BBA in finance and applied math and statistics. I may submit my own writings, but since Im not the kind of person to publicly share my work, it will be great if there is an anonymous option.

Note to these students: Beker checked with Short Edition, and yes, you can submit stories anonymously and in non-English languages.

For more information about the Short Story Dispenser, contact Maggie Beker at mbeker2@emory.edu.
Florida Supreme Court Justice John D. Couriel will be the featured spring speaker for The Alan S. Becker and Gary A. Poliakoff Preeminent Leaders in Law Speaker Series April 18, 2023, on the campus of the University of Miami.

Couriel is the 90th Justice of the Florida Supreme Court and was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis June 1, 2020.

The Fort Lauderdale-headquartered law firm of Becker & Poliakoff established the speaker series in 2021 to honor the legacy of the founding shareholders by bringing renowned national and international legal experts to Miami Law every semester.

"This is sure to be a great evening," said Gary Rosen, managing partner of Becker & Poliakoff. " We look forward to an interesting, lively discussion learning about Justice Couriels background, career path and his insights into the state of the judiciary today in Florida."

Becker, J.D. '69, and Poliakoff, J.D. '69, were two distinguished Miami Law alumni and prominent legal community leaders. They met when they were paired for a mock trial competition while attending law school, which led to a partnership and, ultimately, the firm's formation. Most notably, Becker and Poliakoff helped conceive, draft, and pass the laws governing shared ownership housing in Florida.

The firm, which has since evolved into a multidisciplinary practice, is now one of Florida's largest, with 11 offices in Florida, plus additional locations in New York, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C.

According to his official biography, Couriel received his A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2000 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2003.

He clerked for the Honorable John D. Bates of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia before joining Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York. His practice included securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy matters, and investigations.

In 2009, he became an assistant United States attorney for the Southern District of Florida. He prosecuted hundreds of federal offenses, including international money laundering, public integrity, health care fraud, and human trafficking crimes.

In 2013, he joined Kobre & Kim LLP, specializing in cross-border disputes and investigations relating to financial products and services, asset recovery, and government enforcement defense, emphasizing clients in Latin America.

Couriel is a native speaker of Spanish. His parents emigrated from Cuba in the 1960s, and his father was one of approximately 14,000 unaccompanied minors welcomed to the United States as part of Operation Pedro Pan.

The Tuesday, April 18, 2023, event is free and open to the public with advance registration. A 5 p.m. reception will precede the 6 p.m. lecture at the Storer Auditorium, 5250 University Drive, Coral Gables, Florida. Valet parking will be available.
Nine students represented the University of Miami through the Butler Center for Service and Leadership at the Clinton Global Initiative University annual meeting, a three-day event that connects action-oriented students deemed as emerging leaders in their communities.

Founded by former President Bill Clinton in 2007, the Clinton Global Initiative University annually connects thousands of students from across the country to inspire emerging leaders to tackle pressing challenges facing their campuses, communities, and the world.

The 15th Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) meeting convened this year on March 3 at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and brought together leaders and global experts in business, public service, and social impact to discuss with the students the development of innovative solutions to global challenges. The group participated in trainings, modules, and events that introduced the necessary tools to transform their ideas into action. During the trainings, they also learned how to develop skills such as fundraising, organizing, and resilience.

The magnitude of the impact of attending the Clinton Global Initiative University is beyond measure. It was truly inspiring to hear from world leaders, their words of wisdom about resilience, authenticity, bravery, and kindness really emphasized the power we all have to create positive change, said Lindsey Goldstein, associate director for the Butler Center. This experience added so much value by connecting the students from the University of Miami with fellow global changemakers and mentors as well as resources to bring their commitments for social change to action.

Beyond the three-day event, students selected for the initiative engage in a 10-month curriculum that focuses on the development of early-stage social impact ideas into scalable projects. They also receive personalized mentorship opportunities and access to funding streams to facilitate their projects.

Some of the students discussed their experience at the Clinton Global Initiative University.

Ashley Babulal, a sophomore majoring in microbiology and immunology:

The chance to take part in CGI U was certainly a once in a lifetime opportunity. I gained a greater understanding of what my next steps should be from discussing projects with students from around the globe to speaking one-on-one with recognized global leaders. I was able to identify the foundation we established for Student Ambassadors for Vaccine Equity (SAVE) and the possibilities we have to grow this organization, thanks to the different panel discussions held by the Clinton family. As I continue on this journey, I am optimistically looking forward to meeting my mentor. The major takeaway from this opportunity is that as global leaders, we recognize those who are taking action to creating the change our world needs.

Caitlin Slattery, a junior studying marketing and business technology:

My experience was a lot larger than just advancing my project. The connections I was able to establish will follow me through the rest of my life and I am forever grateful for this! For example, I connected with someone in Arkansas doing similar work to me, and we are now planning to work together in the future. I am truly grateful for this experience. I cannot wait to see the fruits of what CGI U will bring me beyond what it has already.

Demi Trimm, a senior majoring in accounting:

I had the opportunity to embrace a powerful truth that change is possible, and success is the fuel to do more. My experience at CGI U gave me insight on the kind of impact I would like to make serving in my community, while building and fostering relationships to be the next changemaker. If my freshman self could see how far I have come in terms of involvements and leadership, she would be proud. Being able to travel to CGI U and share my projects with my peers motivated me to continue pursing change in my community. The investment in me is an investment in my people.

Ethan Tieu, a first-year student majoring in neuroscience and computer science:

Words cannot describe how stunned and honored I am to have participated in the CGI U 2023 annual meeting. Not only was I given the rare opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced and motivated minds that the fields of leadership and social impact have to offer, but I was able to forge connections with future movers and shakers who have changed the way in which I will pursue my passions and grow my Commitment to Action. Few words can describe how grateful I am to have been able to attend this life-changing event, and fewer words can express my gratitude.

Gayathri Samuel, a senior studying business law and finance:

The Clinton Global Initiative brought together some incredible aspiring leaders and global experts in business, public service, and social impact to develop innovative solutions to global challenges. I'm grateful to call those aspiring leaders my network and to have partaken in such an incredible opportunity. I'm excited to implement all that I've learned and gained into my global initiative, Hygiene for Women. The idea that was once only a plan is now in full-force action. I am extremely grateful to have met global and national leaders and changemakers. Getting to hear speeches and panel discussions by some true trailblazers such as Bill Clinton, and so many others, was an experience of a lifetime.

Paul Douillon, a senior studying political science:

My time in Nashville at CGI U was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Having the opportunity to connect with young changemakers from across the globe discussing the plethora of ways in which we want to change the world had to be one of the most unique experiences I have ever had. It is fascinating to see how passionate, innovative, and inspired this generation of leaders are. We understand that modern problems require modern solutions, and we are coming up with these modern solutions by combining our creative ideas with cutting-edge technology. CGI U reminded me that we are ready, willing, and committed to tackling the issues of our time and that we are no longer dreaming of others to solve our problems. Youth all over the world are waking up, getting to work, and being the change that they want to see in the world. I am immensely grateful and honored to be a part of such a network of students and changemakers.
First Republic Bank, facing a crisis of confidence from investors and customers, is set to receive a USD 30-billion lifeline from a group of America's largest banks, CNN Business reported. "This show of support by a group of large banks is most welcome, and demonstrates the resilience of the banking system," the Treasury Department said in a statement on Thursday. The major banks include JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Truist. The USD 30-billion infusion will give the struggling San Francisco lender much-needed cash to meet customer withdrawals and buttress confidence in the US banking system during a tumultuous moment for lenders, CNN Business said. A First Republic spokesman declined to comment. In a statement, the banks said their action "reflects their confidence in First Republic and in banks of all sizes," adding that "regional, midsize and small banks are critical to the health and functioning of our financial system." First Republic's shares, which were halted several times for volatility on Thursday, ended the day up more than 10 per cent. The bank's problems underscored continued worries about the banking system in the aftermath of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank. According to CNN Business, both Fitch Ratings and S and P Global Ratings downgraded First Republic Bank's credit rating on Wednesday over concerns that depositors could pull their cash. Many regional banks, including First Republic, have large amounts of uninsured deposits above the USD 250,000 Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) limit. Although not close to SVB's massive percentage of uninsured deposits (94 per cent of its total), First Republic has a sizable 68 per cent of total deposits that are uninsured, according to S&P Global. CNN Business said that led many customers to exit the bank and put their money elsewhere, creating a problem for First Republic: It has to borrow money or sell assets to pay customers their deposits in cash. Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday met privately in Washington with JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon before 11 banks agreed to deposit USD 30 billion in First Republic Bank to stabilise the teetering lender, according to two people familiar with the matter told CNN Business. The meeting served as a culmination of what had been a series of conversations over the last two days between Yellen and other US officials and leaders from some of the country's largest banks as they sought a private sector lifeline for the battered California bank. CNN Business said Yellen had driven the effort from the government side, while Dimon led the effort to organize the bank executives that would eventually get behind the dramatic infusion of deposits. Yellen first conceived of the idea of the largest US banks coming together to direct deposits toward First Republic, according to a separate source familiar with the matter told CNN Business. The move was seen as critical to stabilizing the bank's deposit base - but also a critical signal to financial markets about both the bank and the US financial system. (ANI)
Emphasising that the Indian banking system is resilient and strong amid the Silicon Valley Bank-led crisis in the US banking system and contagion effect on some others in a matter of less than a week, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said startups should opt Indian banks as their preferred partners. Union Minister of State for Electronics & IT said special provisions available at Gift City in Gujarat can be quick and impactful support for Indian startups. During a session at the Lenovo Tech World India 2023 themed 'Smarter Technology Empowering a Changing world' on Thursday evening, the minister also spoke about the transfer of bank deposits worth over USD 200 million to GIFT City, Gujarat, which according to him was a sign of the Indian banking system's growing prominence. "Today what is attractive about the banking system is not their appetite to take risk instead it is their prudency which makes them strong. What startups are looking for is not risk or risky instruments, instead they are looking for safe havens where capital can be deposited," he said further. Further, he spoke about India Stack, and also announced India Stack Global Conference will be held in May where 7 to 8 countries are expected to sign up and implement the India stack -- which are open-source, low cost, interoperable and scalable. When asked about the Digital India Act, Chandrasekhar said, "We need a legal and cyber law framework that is contemporary and future-ready. Disruption is normal and innovation will push the conversation of what is acceptable. Thus, we need laws that can keep pace with the rate of change." The proposed Act, he said, will be contemporary, and future-proof for the current ecosystem and can show the rest of the world what a modern day legislation for the tech ecosystem looks like. On the issue of semiconductors which are in huge demand, the minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and support have been crucial for the inroads that India has made in the domain of semiconductors. "We are certainly on course to announce a fab investment and a packaging investment being approved by the Government of India." He also announced the setting up of India Semiconductor Research Center, which will create capabilities and capacities in the leading edge of research in semiconductors. (ANI)
After signing the agreements, the Union minister for steel Jyotiraditya Scindia said about Rs 30,000 crore in new investments in specialty steel in India would be generated with the help of these incentives.

"The employment that would be generated through this (PLI) will be roughly about 50,000-55,000, and it will certainly result in value addition in the steel sector which is extremely important. The steel sector is slowly moving and evolving towards the demands and needs of the downstream industries," Scindia told reporters.

The five categories of specialty steel which have been chosen in the PLI scheme are coated/plated steel products, high strength/wear resistant steel, specialty rail, alloy steel products and steel wires, and electrical steel.

Production-linked incentive (PLI) Scheme for specialty steel was approved by Union Cabinet on July 22, 2021, with a five-year financial outlay of Rs 6322 crore to promote manufacturing within the country by attracting capital investment, generating employment and promoting technology up-gradation in the steel sector.

The Scheme was notified in the official Gazette on July 27, 2021, and detailed guidelines came in October same year.

A total of 79 applications were received from 35 small and large steel-making companies, the ministry said in December 2022. (ANI)
Reports of a possible deferment of the disinvestment of IDBI Bank are speculative and baseless, and the transaction continues to be on track, said the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) on Friday. "Reports appearing in a section of the media indicating the possibility of deferment of IDBI Bank disinvestment are misleading, speculative, and baseless," the DIPAM secretary said in a tweet. According to the tweet, the transaction continues to be on track as per the defined process in the post-Expression of Interest stage following receipts of multiple interests. Earlier on Friday, a media report, quoting sources, said the government may defer the IDBI Bank privatization plan over concerns of "market volatility". In May 2021, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its in-principle approval for strategic disinvestment along with the transfer of management control in IDBI Bank. The government of India and LIC together own more than 94 per cent of equity of IDBI Bank (government 45.48 per cent, LIC 49.24 per cent, the government then said. It was expected that the strategic buyer will infuse funds, new technology and best management practices for optimal development of business potential and growth of IDBI Bank Ltd. and shall generate more business without any dependence on LIC and government assistance or funds. (ANI)
The meeting will see delegates from G20 member and invitee countries, representatives from multilateral organisations, and stakeholders from the Indian startup ecosystem.

"The Sikkim Sabha offers a unique opportunity to bring the Startup world to the pristine North East of India and showcase its unique and growing ecosystem," an official release on Friday quoted Startup20 Chair Chintan Vaishnav as saying.

The Sikkim Sabha will forward the agenda finalised during the inception meeting held in Hyderabad in late January 2023.

During the inception meeting, the objectives, and deliverables of the three taskforces, namely Foundation and Alliances, Finance, and Inclusion and Sustainability, were reworked to incorporate suggestions from all the delegates.

At the Sikkim Sabha, the taskforce members (comprising of delegates from the G20 nations) of the Startup20 Engagement Group will be discussing and deliberating on the first draft of the official policy communique.

The event will also host a variety of side events, Startup20X events, startups showcase at MG Marg, and delegates visit to the Rumtek Monastery.

The first draft of the policy communique will be worked and reworked during the coming months and other intervening events which will be hosted by Startup20.

Expected outcomes of Startup20 are the official Policy Communique, a Startup Handbook with a set of commonly agreed upon definitions and terminologies, a Global Innovation Centre to foster collaborations across borders, and promotion of Startup20 as a Global Point of Contact for startup ecosystems worldwide. (ANI)
Birders gather at Steelworkers Park on Chicago's South Side to get a glimpse of a Ross's gull on March 15, 2023. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

It was 8:15 on a Saturday morning when Woody Goss phone started buzzing.

Annoyed, he checked the screen to find that one of his birding groups was puzzling over a small white gull with distinctive black markings. The bird looked like a Rosss gull  a very rare visitor from the high Arctic that last stopped for an extended visit at Chicago-area beaches in 1978.

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But could it be?

Goss  a gull person among birders  had no doubt. He ran out of the house and drove from Lakeview to Rainbow Beach on the South Side faster than Ill admit to a reporter.

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And there it was, 2,000 miles from its icy home.

This is about as good as it gets for me, not just as a birder, but in life, said Goss, 34.

The bird that drew crowds of up to 200 people Saturday, and reappeared to the delight of onlookers at nearby Steelworkers Park on Tuesday and Wednesday, is indeed the long-awaited Rosss gull, according to John Bates, curator of birds at Chicagos Field Museum.

Its absolutely happening, said Bates, who saw the bird foraging on the shoreline at Rainbow Beach on Saturday.

Most of the time theyre only above the Arctic Circle, and occasionally they wander down into the lower 48, but they often dont stay around very long. So the idea that this bird allowed itself to be seen by so many people was really fun, Bates said.

Bigger than a crow, with a small black beak and a lovely wash of soft pink across its breast and head during breeding season, the Rosss gull typically prefers places such as Siberia, northern Canada and the icy Arctic Ocean.

A Rosss gull at Rainbow Beach Park on March 11, 2023, in Chicago. (Tom Lally)

But every few years, for reasons that are not clearly understood, one of these hearty little seabirds will venture south to the United States, according to Bates. These visits can be very brief. About a dozen years ago, a Rosss gull was spotted at Montrose Beach. One person took a good photo, birders said, and then the gull was gone.

What really gets the birding community excited is when a Rosss gull stops in for a nice leisurely visit, and the last time that happened in Cook County was 1978.

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A few years earlier, a Rosss gull appeared near Boston, drawing crowds of up to 3,000, according to The New York Times.

You never know where its going to be, and because of that, it has this kind of mythical reputation, Goss said.

[ Important local birds are on the rise in Chicagoland, with many doing better here than in rural Illinois, study says ]

This time, the storied bird made its initial appearance at Park 566, just north of Steelworkers Park. Dan Lory, 68, of Hyde Park, was doing his customary bird walk there when he spotted an unusual bird out of the corner of his eye. He thought it might be a Bonapartes gull or a black-legged Kittiwake, but when he consulted his field guide there was only one identification that really made sense.

Lory posted a photo of the bird on Cook County Bird Chat, not even daring to say what he thought he had found, but the rest of the group confirmed his suspicion  and within an hour close to 100 people had arrived on the scene.

Among those who have seen the bird in recent days is John Viramontes, 71, a retired accountant who lives in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood. During a break from the search at Rainbow Beach yesterday, he pulled up a photo on his camera that showed the distinctive m-shaped black markings along a young Rosss gulls upper wings; the short black beak; the dapper wedge-shaped tail.

Amanda Parrish, 37, a lab manager from Woodstock, managed to see the bird Saturday, despite crutches and a broken ankle. She was back for more Wednesday with friends from the McHenry County Audubon Society.

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Also on the scene was Greg Neise, the American Birding Associations web czar and a longtime Chicago birder.

Neise had left his home in the west suburbs while the bird was still in view at Steelworkers Park in the South Chicago neighborhood, but by the time he arrived, it had flown north and disappeared.

This is a 45-year-long saga, Neise said with a sigh. He was just 15 during the 1978 Rosss gull sightings, but he was there at North Avenue Beach, trying to get a look. The blizzard of 1978 had started, but birders stood their ground. Someone spotted the gull, and Neise ran over. Two experienced birders told him, There it is, and just as they said it, the bird got up and started flying.

It got it in my binoculars and it flew away into the snowstorm, and I never saw enough on it to identify it for myself, Neise said.

Then, about 10 years ago, he tried again. He did manage to see a Rosss gull in Cherry Creek, Colorado. It was way out in the water, but then it started flying toward him.

It comes flying in, and as it gets close, my camera malfunctions  and it came right in front of us, Neise said.

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Neise joined about 15 birders at Steelworkers Park, in a trash-strewn field perched above the copper-green waters of Lake Michigan. The wind blew, fingers grew stiff, but the mood was upbeat as birders with powerful scopes on tripods peered out over a channel where the bird had been seen earlier that day.

Greg Neise takes a last look at the slip at Steelworkers Park on Chicago's South Side before heading home without a glimpse of a rare Ross's gull, March 15, 2023. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

A Rosss gull wades at Rainbow Beach Park on March 11, 2023, in Chicago. (Tom Lally)

[ In a win for endangered piping plovers like Chicagos Monty and Rose, the Great Lakes has record breeding season ]

Birders had come in from as far as Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota.

Its a good day for a drive anyway, and lets keep our fingers crossed, said Kris Knutson of Berrien County, Michigan, a birder of 30 years who made the trek with her husband, Denis Fortin, a teacher.

Darlene Friedman, a retired veterinarian who drove in from the Detroit area with a friend, said they had missed the gull by about 15 minutes.

Neise stayed at Steelworkers Park on Wednesday afternoon, holding a camera as big as his forearm and chatting with a fellow birder, Tom Lally of Chicago. They looked into the pale winter sky, they scanned the bright waters, they speculated as to their targets whereabouts.

It could be sitting in a grassy field, just loafing, Neise said.

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It could be in the slip at 92nd, Lally mused.

Birds did show up. A male red-breasted merganser with a jade-green Mohawk settled in on a tiny stretch of beach across from the birders, as if waiting patiently for his close-up.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >

A kestrel, Americas smallest falcon, sat high up in a tree, bright orange markings on full display. With the aid of one of the birders scopes, you could even see the tiny legs of the mouse the bird held in its claws.

Snow-white gulls soared majestically overhead. Red-winged blackbirds called out their electric twe-ee-ee-ee-ee.

And still, the birders waited.

Finally, at about 6 p.m., with the sky over the lake blushing faintly and dusk just starting to fall, Neise was ready to leave. In a nod to his previous bad luck with the Rosss gull, he told the crowd of about 20 that the bird, which he had missed earlier in the day by about an hour, would likely show up within 15 minutes of his departure.

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Asked how he was feeling, he laughed and declared the defeat par for the course.

Decades of disappointment! Neise said. You just kind of have to say, Pile it on! Ill take it.

nschoenberg@chicagotribune.com
New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI/SRV): Mumbai Coworking, the city's most affordable and creative coworking space, has announced the launch of a new campaign featuring the judges of Shark Tank India. The quirky campaign is set to promote Mumbai Coworking's top-notch amenities and encourage entrepreneurs and startups to join their workspace. Mumbai Coworking offers affordable desk space starting at just Rs 6,000 per month. Their workspaces are creative and quirky, offering a perfect environment for startups to brainstorm and develop their ideas. In addition to the workspace, Mumbai Coworking provides a range of amenities, including high-speed internet, conference rooms, a gaming room, a terrace lounge, and more. Mumbai Coworking has a long-standing history of being the first office space for many of the top startups in India, including Practo, Unacademy, Coupondunia, and Filmygyan. With over 100+ startups currently operating from their workspace, Mumbai Coworking has become a hub for entrepreneurs and startups in Mumbai. The workspace has recently relaunched its Moroccan lounge and gaming zone, which is available for filming Reels, web series, brand films, corporate films, music videos, TVCs, and more. The Moroccan lounge and gaming zone have already been used by celebrities such as Krystal Dsouza, Avneet Kaur, Bhuvan Bam, and others for shooting. One can rent the Moroccan lounge for Rs 2000 per hour. Mumbai Coworking is proud to provide an affordable, creative, and dynamic workspace for startups and entrepreneurs," said Waqar Azmi, Founder & CEO of Mumbai Coworking. "We are excited to showcase our unique amenities, including the Moroccan lounge and gaming zone, which provide the perfect setting for young businesses to thrive." Mumbai Coworking is situated in the heart of Mumbai and is just one minute away from the Oshiwara metro station, making it easily accessible for startups and entrepreneurs from all corners of the city. The judges of Shark Tank India have gained popularity for their keen sense of business and their ability to spot emerging trends and potential startups. The campaign plans to leverage the same.The promotion will be rolled out across various social media platforms, and interested entrepreneurs can contact Mumbai Coworking for more information. About Mumbai Coworking: Mumbai Coworking was founded in the year 2015 by Waqar Azmi. Being a startup ourselves, we realized the biggest issue faced by bootstrapped startups is finding a coworking space in Mumbai for rent to grow their business. Freelancers, stock brokers, entrepreneurs, or even companies sending employees to another city would need an office to work out of. And that's why Mumbai Coworking was initiated. Our mission is to foster a vibrant and supportive community of like-minded professionals where creativity, innovation, and collaboration thrive. Our state-of-the-art facilities are designed to provide a comfortable and inspiring work environment, equipped with high-speed internet, printing facilities, and other essential amenities. visit www.mumbaicoworking.com Email: buzz@mumbaicoworking.com Phone: +91 92222 13191 This story has been provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV)
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 11.25 lakh on IGH Holdings Private Limited, Mumbai (the company) for some non-compliance with the provisions of RBI Act, among some others. In a release, RBI said the action is based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers. According to publicly available information, IGH Holdings Private Limited is majorly in the transport, storage, and communications business. The action against the entity was based on the "deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers", RBI said in the release. The statutory inspection of the company was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2021 and examination of the Risk Assessment Report, Inspection Report, supervisory letter and all related correspondence pertaining to the same revealed that the company failed to comply with the statutory requirement of transferring 20 per cent of the net profit as disclosed in its profit and loss account for the financial year 2020-21 to the Reserve Fund; become member of three out of four CICs; and furnish any credit information to even the CIC, of which it was a member. Against that backdrop, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for failure to comply with the provisions of the RBI, among others. (ANI)
What a moment! Aditya Roy Kapur can't keep calm as he interacted with the OG Night Manager who is none other than Hollywood star Tom Hiddleston. Taking to Instagram, Aditya dropped a snapshot of the video chat with Tom Hiddleston. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp4Xj-xt9lC/ In the other picture, directors of the Indian version of 'The Night Manager' Sandeep Modi and Priyanka Ghose were also present. Sharing the pictures, he wrote, "The OG Night Manager watched our show yesterday ! He had some kind words to say. Bas aur kya chahiye." As soon as he shared the pictures, the actor's fans and industry friends showed their excitement. Katrina Kaif wrote, "Wow." Siddhanth Kapoor dropped a hilarious comment, "This is that Snapchat filter nA. Jk ..." One of the fans wrote, "OMG OMG OMGGG *screaming* truly an iconic moment!!" Sandeep Modi also shared series of pictures and captioned it, "What a beautiful evening with the generous and charming man that is @twhiddleston. Our Shaan @adityaroykapur and pine came face to face in London over video at the special screening by @simoncorn and team @the_ink_factory_ and we were over the moon with the praise ! Also in the pictures is the genius #DavidFarr whose work on the original me and @shridhar_raghavan adore thank you from me , @picsofpinks , @rajeshchadha @banijayasia @disneyplushotstar and the whole team behind #TheNightManager. @anilskapoor @sobhitad @tillotamashome and the rest of my cast and crew were so missed." https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp3nZWJovpu/ Sandeep and Priyanka Ghose met Tom Hiddleston during the special screening of Indian adaption of 'The Night Manager' in London. And they made sure to share this moment with Aditya Roy Kapur who acted in the Indian version over a video call. 'The Night Manager' is a 1993 novel by British author John Le Carre, who passed away in December 2020. The series is an official Hindi adaptation of John le Carre's novel 'The Night Manager', produced by The Ink Factory and Banijay Asia. The story revolves around the night manager of a luxury hotel, a former soldier, who is recruited by a government espionage organisation, to infiltrate the inner circle of an arms dealer. Helmed by Sandeep Modi 'The Night Manager' stars Anil Kapoor, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sobhita Dhulipala, Tillotama Shome, Saswata Chatterjee, and Ravi Behl in lead roles and streaming exclusively on the OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar. Meanwhile, Tom Hiddleston is set to reprise his role as protagonist Jonathan Pine in the second Season of John le Carre's adaptation 'The Night Manager', which is in the works. According to Deadline, the show's Season 2 will film later this year in London and South America under the codename 'Steelworks'. Although it's yet to be formally greenlit by Amazon and the BBC, the outlet has reported that it is set to receive a two-season order. Also, David Farr, who wrote the original, is back to write Season 2. Since the first season's conclusion in late 2016, there have been numerous rumours of a second, with the second season of The Ink Factory's adaption understood to be set in the present day. At the end of Season 1 after British arms dealer Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie) being taken away by the Syrians, Hiddleston's Pine is informed he is dead two years later, and he has to face up to a new, even more deadly challenge, reported GSM Arena. Pine, a former British soldier and night manager of a five-star hotel in Cairo, is hired by the head of a Foreign Office team to infiltrate Roper's inner circle. The first season's remarkable cast also included Olivia Colman, Tom Hollander, Elizabeth Debicki, and David Harewood. It was written by Farr and directed by Susanne Bier. (ANI)
After 'Goliyon Ki Rasleela - Ram Leela' film, actor Richa Chadha who is working with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali in his upcoming debut series on a global OTT platform 'Heeramandi' expressed how lucky she is to be part of this project. Recently, the makers unveiled the first glimpse of his first global drama series. The major cast of the series, Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sharmin Segal, and Sanjeeda Sheikh look regal, dressed in similar coloured outfits and heavy jewellery. Sharing about her experience working with Bhansali not once but twice. Richa said ,"Sanjay sir is a visionary, magician, storyteller... I have never felt so stretched out of my comfort zone as a performer. So many times, I go on a set and the director tells me 'app to kar hi logi, you were so great in this film, that film. Honestly, i feel like saying that was 10 years ago, I am not the same person I was even one year ago. i have evolved, I have grown. I am a director's actor, I love being pushed to my maximum potential. I like to be challenged till my throat is dry and i have nausea from nervousness." She added, "And hence, I loved working with Sanjay sir as he is so respectful of collaboration. He doesn't suffer fools easily and has high standards. I'd rather work with a taskmaster who holds himself to a high standard than a director who coddles me but makes a shit film. Being associated with SLB and his project in any capacity is always an honour. And I feel lucky that I got that chance twice, the first one being Goliyon Ki Rasleela - Ram Leela. But Heeramandi will always be special place since it is one of many firsts. You will see." 'Heeramandi' will explore stories of courtesans and the hidden cultural reality of Heeramandi, a dazzling district, during pre-independent India. Basically, it is a series about love, betrayal, succession, and politics in the kothas which promises SLB's trademark larger-than-life sets, multi-faceted characters and soulful compositions. (ANI)
Oprah Winfrey has some sound advice for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. People Magazine reports that Oprah was recently interviewed by Gayle King, a longtime friend of the television legend, on CBS Mornings about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attending King Charles' coronation on May 6. "It's been reported that Harry and Meghan have received an invitation to the coronation," King asked Oprah. "Do you think they should go? Do you think they should not go? Is it something you'd like to comment on?" Oprah replied, "I think they should do what they feel is best for them and for their family. That's what I think. That's what the bottom line is -- it comes down to: What do you feel like is the best thing for you?" "They haven't asked me my opinion," Oprah continued, as reported by People Magazine. A week ago, People Magazine reported that a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex said in a statement, "I can confirm The Duke has recently received email correspondence from His Majesty's office regarding the coronation. An immediate decision on whether The Duke and Duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time." Buckingham Palace has not made any official comment about it so far. Relations between the Sussexes, who relocated to Meghan's home state of California in 2020, and the royal family have remained strained after Prince Harry's memoir was released this January. In an interview with ITV's Tom Bradby surrounding the book, Harry said of the coronation, "There's a lot that can happen between now and then. But, you know, the door is always open. The ball is in their court. There's a lot to be discussed, and I really hope that they are willing to sit down and talk about it." King Charles, 74, was said to be eager for the situation "calm down" in time for his coronation. As reported by People, a source close to the royal household earlier revealed: "It is such a momentous occasion for Charles, and he would want his son to be at the coronation to witness it. He would like to have Harry back in the family. If they don't sort it out, it will always be part of the King's reign and how he has left his family disjointed. He has had a reputation as a distant parent, and it would be awful for him for that to continue." (ANI)
David Letterman recently visited "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and praised Kimmel for hosting the Oscars. After shading Tom Cruise for not being present at the Oscars, he complimented Kimmel for hosting the show. According to Variety, Letterman said, "More to the power of your success". He added, "If Mr Big Shot (Tom Cruise) was not there, the show was still never more successful. Nice going, Jimmy." He also mentioned to Kimmel that Tom Cruise shouldn't have skipped the Academy Awards this year. He asked Kimmel, "Where was Tom Cruise?" According to Variety, Cruise missed the 2023 Oscars despite "Top Gun: Maverick" receiving six Academy Award nominations. Cruise was reportedly too busy filming the "Mission: Impossible" sequel in Italy to attend the ceremony, but the actor showed up in London two days later to attend Michael Caine's 90th birthday celebration. Moreover, in February, Cruise attended the Oscar Nominees Luncheon. "We don't know where Tom Cruise was," Kimmel answered Letterman. "We heard production issues." "What does that mean?" Letterman asked, as per Variety. "That's nonsense." "Exactly. It's very non-specific," Kimmel said. "But we have no idea what happened." Letterman continued by saying that Cruise "should've been" celebrating his "big jet pack Maverick show" at the Oscars, to which Kimmel replied, "Yeah. It seems like he should've been there, but he was not there. Maybe he feels like he wasn't going to win so he didn't want to come." "But between you and me, he should have been there right?" Letterman then asked Kimmel, as per Variety. Letterman, however, praised Kimmel for hosting the Oscars. "More to the power of your success," Letterman added. "If Mr Big Shot was not there, the show was still never more successful. Nice going, Jimmy." Not just Cruise but several well-known figures skipped the Oscars. James Cameron, the director of "Avatar: The Way of Water," also didn't appear, leading Kimmel to remark during his monologue, "You know, Tom and James Cameron didn't show up tonight. The two guys who insisted we go to the theatre didn't come to the theatre." (ANI)
It's a big moment for actor Alaya F as her "favourite actor" and global superstar Priyanka Chopra has praised her for being unique and called her the next Bollywood superstar in one of her recent interviews. During a recent interview, Priyanka was asked about her opinion on Bollywood's next superstar from the current lot. Priyanka Chopra took Alaya F's name and said, "I really like Alaya. She is Pooja Bedi's daughter. I have told her when I met her. I think she is cool, has a unique perspective. She is not trying to be like everyone else. But I think, I don't know. We will find that in a few years". After the video went viral on social media, Alaya took to her Instagram stories to express her gratitude and excitement. Alaya mentioned how Priyanka's words mean the world to her. She shared the video on her Instagram stories and wrote, "I can't even begin to describe how overwhelmed and grateful I'm feeling!! When your most most most favourite actor picks you when asked who they think deserves to be the next Bollywood superstar, there is LITERALLY no better feeling in the world!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you @priyankachopra. Going to be smiling and dancing all day." Priyanka mentioned this in an interview she gave in Texas recently while promoting her upcoming Amazon series 'Citadel'. As mentioned, Priyanka will be next seen in 'Citadel' which is an upcoming spy-thriller web series. The show will stream on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video from April 28, 2023, with two adrenaline-fueled episodes, followed by a new episode released weekly every Friday through May 26. 'Citadel' is a fictional story wherein Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden play elite spies who work for an organisation called Citadel. The series is also getting an Indian adaptation. Raj and DK are creating the Indian version of Citadel featuring Varun Dhawan and Samantha Ruth Prabhu in the lead roles. Talking about Alaya F, she is gearing up to enthral the audience with the moving story of Indian visionary Srikanth Bolla, titled 'SRI'.He was an industrialist who didn't let his visual impairment come in the way of his vision and founded Bollant Industries. In the upcoming film, Alaya will be sharing the screen space with Rajkummar Rao. Helmed by 'Saand Ki Aankh' director Tushar Hiranandani, the biopic also stars Sharad Kelkar and south actor Jyothika in pivotal roles. She will also be seen in the upcoming film 'U-Turn'. (ANI)
"With regret we inform that the pilot and the co-pilot of the helicopter lost their lives in the accident," Army PRO Lt. Col. Mahendra Rawat told IANS.

The deceased were identified as Lt. Col. VVB Reddy and Major Jayanth A.

Five search parties of the Indian Army, SSB and ITBP were immediately launched after the news of the crash emerged.

The wreckage of the helicopter was found near Banglajaap village, near Bomdila.

"A Court of Inquiry is being ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident," Rawat added.

Meanwhile, army sources said that local villagers discovered that the crashed chopper caught fire and they informed the police.

The visibility in the area was very poor due to inclement weather, which may be the reason behind the crash.

The Cheetah helicopter that was on an operational sortie was reported to have lost contact with the Air Traffic Control at 9.15 a.m. on Thursday morning.

--IANS tdr/pgh

( 187 Words)

2023-03-16-19:32:03 (IANS)
North Goa Superintendent of Police Nidhin Valsan said that Panaji Town Police station and Sardarpura Police station (Rajasthan) personnel nabbed wanted criminal Pavan Solanki, a native of Mandor in Rajasthan's Jodhpur.

"He is an active member of Lawrence Bishnoi gang, and was absconding after commission of crime which is registered in Sardarpura Police Station, Jodhpur," he said.

The SP said that on March 4, the accused, along with his associates, wearing face masks, entered the office of Jesaram, who works as a collection agent, in Jodhpur, tied his hands, assaulted him and robbed lakhs of rupees from his office and fled.

"Accused was taken by Sardarpura police for further investigation," Valsan said.

--IANS sbk/vd

( 150 Words)

2023-03-16-19:36:02 (IANS)
Baghel, in a video stated that she would lodge an FIR against Rai if he did not apologise for his act.

According to sources, furious over Rai's post, Baghel had reached his Indore residence on Wednesday night, however he was not home.

Soon after Baghel expressed her disappointment over the post, Rai deleted it and tendered his apology on his account, which was later deleted.

Baghel accused Rai of misleading tribal youths and ruining their future.

"He has been misleading tribal youths since 2013. He would often ask tribals not to do 'murti puja', and his act is against the belief of a particular community and the society. He uploaded a video which has no authenticity. Though he has apologised for his act, I will not leave him," Baghel added.

Rai, while speaking to IANS over phone said that the matter has been sorted out.

--IANS pd/fs/bg

( 207 Words)

2023-03-16-19:46:05 (IANS)
A fire in the 500 block of North Central Avenue in April 2022 seriously injured Herrsterstine Burns, 57, who died three weeks later. Investigators found the apartment had no smoke alarms, even though city inspectors had visited the building as recently as early 2021 on other issues, records show. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)

Public safety is the key issue that ruined Mayor Lori Lightfoots chance for reelection.

To hear mayoral runoff contenders Brandon Johnson and Paul Vallas tell how they would fix the citys policing problem is to understand just how complex the answers can be. Yet in their focus on violent crime, the candidates so far are overlooking another public safety problem that could readily be fixed: the scourge of fatal fires in some of the citys poorest neighborhoods.

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Vallas would seek to reduce violent crime by filling more than 1,000 vacant Chicago Police Department positions. He wants proactive policing that would put beat cops on street corners and increase arrests. He would dig into surplus funds from special taxing districts to increase police spending.

Johnson wants 200 more detectives in order to crack more cases. He would find cost cuts rather than spending more. He wants to channel CPD resources toward mental health and social services and use neighborhood investment to address the root causes of crime.

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The stakes are high. Chicago saw 695 homicides and 2,874 nonfatal shootings last year, according to city data, the harrowing recent tallies in a three-year spike in violent crime. But the candidates remedies are unproven, and no major city so far has found a way to meaningfully address a nationwide surge in violent crime.

But lets not forget  residential fires are killers, too. They disproportionately victimize people of color. And unlike with violent crime, in the fight to prevent fatal fires, clear answers are readily at hand: Mandate and even install tamper-proof smoke detectors, inspect buildings and focus on problem landlords who put their tenants lives at risk.

Those are a few of the fixes that the Chicago Tribune and my organization, the Better Government Association, presented two years ago in a series of stories about needless fire deaths in the city of Chicago  and what could be done to address the hazards.

Our reporting showed that 61 people died in 42 fires over five years in which the citys Buildings Department failed to address known fire dangers. We detailed nine effective fire-remediation measures taken by other cities, from Los Angeles and Minneapolis to Detroit and Washington. The Failures Before the Fires series won a Pulitzer Prize for local reporting.

Lightfoot dismissed the findings. Its an interesting historical piece, but I have to deal with the here and now, she said at an April 2021 news conference. She claimed an updated scofflaw landlord list and stricter enforcement of smoke-detector regulations would address the danger of killer fires. The City Council made noise for a while but failed to act, too.

And because the city chose inaction over action, people are still dying  by the dozens. New reporting published this week by the Tribune and the BGAs Illinois Answers Project found that smoke detectors were missing or not working in 57 of 87 fatal residential fires from 2020 through 2022. Five people died in buildings where the city did not address known safety issues, and 21 deaths occurred in buildings that hadnt been inspected for at least a decade, mostly on the South and West sides.

In an infuriating irony, the Chicago Fire Department actually helped prevent a city response to killer fires. When Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, in 2019 sought to pass an ordinance requiring tamper-proof smoke detectors, either hard-wired or with batteries that last a decade, Fire Department leaders lobbied to kill the proposal.

The Fire Department did so, Tribune and Illinois Answers reporting showed, in order to protect a long-standing program of giving away low-cost, battery-operated smoke detectors to city residents. Villegas told reporters that the Fire Department giveaways sometimes are found unused, lying on tables or in drawers, in fire-damaged homes.

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It does not need to be this way. The lives of city residents need not be at risk. Other cities have shown the way  as the Tribune and Illinois Answers again found.

Philadelphias fire department since 2017 has installed sealed-battery smoke detectors in homes  placing 27,000 units in 2022 alone. Seattle keeps a registry of the citys roughly 19,000 landlords and conducts randomized inspections of every dwelling at least once a decade. Denver licenses its roughly 25,000 rental properties, but only after they pass an inspection with a 25-point habitability checklist.

A cohort of midsize cities including Syracuse, New York; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, have replaced complaint-based systems  the approach used in Chicago  with comprehensive inspection regimes that rely on apartment registries, not resident complaints.

Studies show, and the reporting by the Tribune and Illinois Answers has demonstrated, that systems that rely on residents complaints dont work. Inspectors are overworked and underfunded; follow-through even on hazard citations is rare, and residents are unaware that theyre living in fire traps or are lulled into inaction over time.

Violent crime is a pressing, urgent problem in Chicago, an obvious top issue in the mayoral election. But fires are killers, too. Like violent crime, fires prey on people in poor neighborhoods and are disproportionately a danger to people of color. The death toll may not be as high as the one from violent crime, but every life counts, and mayoral candidates should address fire safety, too.

Lightfoot missed her chance. The current City Council, too. And they did so, despite the fact that the answers are available, field-tested by cities nationwide.

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But the irresponsible inaction on this life-or-death issue need not continue. Come inauguration day in May, all it would take is for the new mayor  whether Johnson or Vallas  and the new City Council to take action and save lives.

David Greising is president and CEO of the Better Government Association.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
The French Senate on Thursday adopted the definitive version of the pension reform bill, which will lift the retirement age by two years to 64 from 2027. A total of 193 French senators voted on Thursday in favour of and 114 against the bill that was elaborated on the day before by the joint committee of seven senators and seven members of the National Assembly, Xinhua news agency reported. The bill will be voted by the National Assembly where the government doesn't have an absolute majority. The vote in the National Assembly will be decisive for the bill to become a law. French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne could also use an article in the Constitution to pass the bill in the lower house of the French Parliament without a vote. But unions and opposition parties have already threatened to further action if the government uses this constitutional power. The French Interior Ministry on Wednesday announced that 480,000 people across the country had participated in the eighth general mobilisation against the reforms, organised by the unions. However, France's largest union, the General Confederation of Labour, said that more than 1.7 million people took to the streets to defend their retirement scheme. Major unions have already announced that they would be marching in front of the National Assembly on Thursday to push "one last time" the deputies to reject the pension reform bill. Borne laid out details of the pension reform plan in January, under which the legal retirement age would be progressively raised by three months a year from 62 to 64 by 2030, and a guaranteed minimum pension would be introduced. Under the plan, as of 2027, at least 43 years of work would be required to be eligible for a full pension. In 2021, France's expenditure on the pension system equalled 13.8 per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). However, the country's Pensions Advisory Council (COR) said that the share of pension expenditure will rise sharply due to the sharp contraction in GDP and would vary between 14.2 per cent and 14.7 per cent between 2027 and 2032. In a report published by the COR in September 2022, the pension system watchdog said that from 2022 to 2032, the country's pension system would be in deficit. Earlier, as hundreds of thousands of people protested across France over controversial pension reforms, a joint committee of Parliament debated the draft text of the bill. After eight hours of talks, the committee of seven senators and seven members of the National Assembly reached a consensus late Wednesday night on details of the text of the bill, particularly articles concerning long careers, mothers, and long-term contracts for seniors, reports Xinhua news agency. French workers also went on strike on Wednesday, to support their unions and push deputies to consider dropping the pension reforms. Following Wednesday's general mobilisation, many public service sectors announced that they would extend their strikes, but services will be less disrupted. The public transport operator in the Ile-de-France region (RATP) said traffic will be as normal on Thursday, except for the express trains that connect Paris and the suburbs. The country's national railway company SNCF said that two out of three fast trains and three out of five inter-city trains would operate on Thursday, but rail traffic in Ile-de-France will remain heavily disrupted. Meanwhile, air traffic authorities have also ordered airlines to cancel 20 per cent of their flights leaving Paris Orly Airport on Thursday, as they did on Wednesday. --IANS int/prw/bg ( 598 Words) 2023-03-16-20:52:03 (IANS)
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday said bringing iron chains into the Vidhan Sabha was against the dignity and sanctity of the Assembly. The CM made the remark in response to media queries after members from the principal Opposition, BJP, staged protests in chains outside the Assembly and his chamber at the Assembly Secretariat, against the government's move to stop the release of MLA funds, citing a fiscal crunch. The chief minister said there is no precedent of such a protest in the 75 years of the Assembly's history. On the third day of the ongoing Budget session of the Assembly on Thursday, the Opposition members, especially from the BJP, created a ruckus both outside and inside the House over the MLA fund issue. Calling the disruption of proceedings unfortunate, the CM said, "Never in the history of our Assembly did the members of the Opposition bring iron chains to the House. This happened for the first time in 75 years. The Opposition members violated the sanctity and decorum of the Vidhan Sabha. They tried to disrupt the proceedings in the House today." Sukhu alleged that former chief minister and the present Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly, Jairam Thakur, instigated the ruckus inside the House instead of holding a meeting with him on the issue. "There are many ways to protest. But the Opposition members should be mindful of the sanctity of this august House," the chief minister said. Earlier, on March 15, BJP MLAs staged a walkout on the opening day of the Budget session, claiming that they were dissatisfied with the CM's reply on the issue of MLA funds being stopped. The chief minister, in his reply on the issue on the floor of the Assembly, said each citizen of the state was in debt of Rs 1 lakh. The CM made the remark in response to an adjournment motion brought by the BJP members for a discussion on the MLA fund issue. The motion was rejected by the Speaker, prompting the BJP members to stage a walkout from the House. LoP Jairam Thakur told reporters, "This is the first time, and unfortunately so, that the Opposition members staged a walkout from the Assembly on the very day of the Budget session." The opening day of the Budget session was witness to a ruckus as the Opposition members brought an adjournment motion under Rule 67, seeking a discussion on the Congress government not releasing the last instalment of the MLA funds. Dissatisfied with the CM's reply, the BJP MLAs left the House in a huff. Thakur alleged that the CM wanted to fulfil his election guarantees by stopping the MLA funds. (ANI)
The Delhi BJP has decided to bring a no-confidence motion against the Kejriwal government in the upcoming budget session of assembly starting on March 17. The BJP has also given the notice to extend the budget session by 10 days and discuss 10 different issues. BJP Legislature Party meeting was held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri. Party MLAs Mohan Singh Bisht, Vijender Gupta, Omprakash Sharma, Jitendra Mahajan, Anil Kumar Bajpai, Abhay Verma and Ajay Mahawar took part in the meeting. The party in the meeting said that two ministers of the Kejriwal government are behind the bars and the government is accused of many scams including liquor, hawala, espionage, classroom, Delhi Jal Board, advertisement, electricity subsidy, construction workers, DTC, and hospital scams. In such a situation, this government has no moral or constitutional right to be in office. That's why a no-confidence motion is being brought against the government. Bidhuri expressed dissatisfaction over the short duration of the budget session. "The budget session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly has been called only for five days, out of which the provision of question hour has been kept for only two days. This is killing the rights of the legislators and this government is continuously robbing the rights of the legislators," he said. The BJP leader reminded that the first budget session of the first Vidhan Sabha in 1994 lasted for a month and four days and had 19 sittings. On the one hand, it was the historical era of democracy and on the other hand, it is the era of dictatorship in which even question hour is not being held. BJP MLAs have demanded that the budget session must be of at least 15 days and there should be a provision for question hour every day. Bidhuri said that the BJP MLAs have given notices to discuss the serious problems of Delhi in the Assembly and "We want that all issues should be discussed so that the truth can come before the public. The topics for which notices have been given include discussions on the activities of the government steeped in corruption, the serious situation of air pollution, the drinking water crisis, the collapse of the transport system, non-opening of new school colleges, and lack of teachers in schools, non-supply of ration, irregularities in Mohalla clinics, non-cleaning of Yamuna, acquisition of farmers' land on very cheap rate for the construction of Barapullah bridge and continuous neglect of rural areas and farmers," he stated. Bidhuri said that ever since the Aam Aadmi Party government came to power, the right of the opposition to speak has been snatched away but the BJP will continue to struggle to raise its voice in a democracy. --IANS dr/uk/ ( 472 Words) 2023-03-16-21:14:03 (IANS)
Taking a dig at Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over six Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) legislators joining the Congress, state unit BJP president Satish Poonia on Thursday said the veteran Congress leader has "swallowed six elephants". Six BSP MLAs had joined Congress soon after the formation of the government and extended full support to Gehlot. The elephant is the party symbol of the BSP. On Thursday, a protest -- 'Halla Bol' programme, was organised by the Rajasthan BJP in Bharatpur against the "Congress' policies". Bharatpur district unit BJP president Jagat Singh said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should be put in a mental asylum. "Rahul Gandhi should be put in a mental asylum. Next time, when the BJP comes to power, the 'entire Congress party' will be put in jail," Jagat Singh said. Meanwhile, Poonia said: "No one can eat an elephant but Gehlot is a magician. This time, BSP - 'Bijli, Sadak aur Pani' - will become the reason of the Congress' downfall." He further said that Rahul Gandhi and his mother -- the former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, will be sent to their maternal grandparents. "There is a state of complete anarchy in Rajasthan... farmers, young women, Dalit, etc., are deprived of their rights. They are upset as well," he said. Poonia said that Rahul Gandhi had promised that if the Congress comes to power in Rajasthan, it would waive the entire loan of the farmers. "... but even after 1,500 days, 200 farmers of Rajasthan committed suicide," he said. He claimed that Rajasthan has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country at 28 per cent. He also said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a BJP-led government will be formed in Rajasthan in 2023 and for the third time in 2024, Modi will become the Prime Minister with another historic victory. After the meeting, an attempt was made to gherao the Bharatpur collectorate under the leadership of Poonia. The workers broke the barricades and tried to enter the collectorate. Later, the BJP workers, including Poonia, were arrested and they were dropped in the BJP office in 3 buses. --IANS arc/pgh ( 366 Words) 2023-03-16-22:34:05 (IANS)
The youth was identified as Nasir Waja, son of suspected terrorist Yousuf Waja, killed in an encounter with security forces in the Kashmir Valley.

An officer of Katihar's town police station confirmed the development did not shared any details about the accused.

Waja was roaming around the Shahid Chowk area of Katihar city and his activities were deemed suspicious by local residents who informed the police. The Katihar police detained him and questioning is underway.

The police said that Waja, after his father's death, went to Finland and stayed there till 2021. After that, he returned to Kashmir.

"The motive of Waja's Katihar visit is not ascertained yet. As he has also visited foreign countries, the other security agencies will also question him. We are scanning the CCTV cameras of the city to find which other places he has visited. He confessed that he stayed in Katihar railway station for a few hours as well," a police official, who did not want to be named, said.

--IANS ajk/vd

( 199 Words)

2023-03-16-22:40:06 (IANS)
The Delhi Police on Thursday issued a notice to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to provide details about the victims of sexual harassment who had approached him seeking security. A senior police officer said the notice was issued after the police took cognisance of social media posts and sent a list of questionnaires. "Delhi Police has issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi to give details about those victims who approached him regarding their sexual harassment. Police have asked him to give details of these victims so that security can be provided to them," said the official. " ... in one particular case, I asked a girl (who had been raped) if we should call the police? She said 'don't call the police... I will be shamed'," Rahul Gandhi had said during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Srinagar. Reacting to the notice, the Congress in a statement said: "A government rattled by Rahul Gandhi's questions on Prime Minister Narenrda Modi and Gautam Adani's relationship hides behind its police. After 45 days of Bharat Jodo Yatra was completed, Delhi Police has, via a notice, sought details of women who met him and spoke about harassment and violence they may have faced. "We will respond to the notice in due course in accordance with law. This notice is yet another proof of a government n panic and their latest salvo to weaken democracy, women empowerment, freedom of expression and role of the opposition," the statement added. --IANS ssh/pgh ( 261 Words) 2023-03-16-22:40:08 (IANS)
As Bihar Police cracks down on people who are playing vulgar Bhojpuri songs on loudspeakers, RJD MLC Sunil Singh accused that BJP of being responsible for promoting those actors singing such Bhojpuri songs. Speaking in the Legislative Council, Sunil Singh, who is very close to Lalu Prasad Yadav family, noted that Bhojpuri is a very sweet language. "Over 6 crore people in the country speak Bhojpuri language and overall 25 crore across the world. Many countries like Mauritius, Fiji and West Indies have Bhojpuri as a dominant language but here in our country, people are making vulgar songs. Interestingly, actors like Ravi Kishan, Manoj Tiwari and Dinesh Lal Yadav alias Nirahua sang many vulgar Bhojpuri songs and the BJP gave them tickets for the Lok Sabha. They are representing Gorakhpur, North East Delhi and Azamgarh Lok Sabha constituency," Singh said. Following his statement, BJP MLC Nawal Kishore Yadav objected, saying Singh is expressing his view in Question Hour. He should ask questions and not wasre the precious time of the house, he added. Following the objection, the presiding officer interrupted the RJD leader and directed him to ask only a question. Interacting with media persons outside the legislature later, Singh said: "The youths of Bhojpuri origin follow those actors and if the latter produce vulgarity, then how could we expect good behaviour from our youths." Singh, in the house, had also demanded a censor board for Bhojpuri songs and movies to stop vulgarity from coming out in public domain. --IANS ajk/vd ( 266 Words) 2023-03-16-22:46:03 (IANS)
Fire fighting personnel were battling to douse the fire which started from the third floor of Swapnalok Complex and spread to the upper floors of the eight-storey building, which houses offices.

Four fire tenders rushed to the scene and were engaged in the fire fighting operation. More vehicles were being rushed there along with other equipment.

Huge flames were leaping out of the building, causing panic among people in the area. Police were vacating residents staying in adjoining buildings.

A police official said seven people have so far been rescued by fire services personnel with the help of a ladder. Omega Computers MD Sudheer Reddy was among those rescued.

According to locals, the fire broke out between 7.30 and 8 p.m. The cause of the fire was not known.

State minister T. Srinivas Yadav rushed to the spot and was monitoring rescue and relief work. He said there was still no clarity on the number of people trapped inside.

This is the second major fire accident in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad, in less than two months.

Three persons were killed in a huge fire at a multi-storey commercial complex on January 28. The building was completely gutted in the fire and it was later demolished by the authorities as the structure had become weak.

--IANS ms/vd

( 255 Words)

2023-03-16-22:48:03 (IANS)
Speaking at a press conference, former Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said: "Rahul Gandhi has insulted India on foreign soil for which he should apologise. The BJP will run a campaign for his apology."

Prasad said that it has become Rahul Gandhi's habit to insult the people of India and democracy on foreign soil. "How long will he mislead the country?" he questioned.

He said Rahul Gandhi does not apologise, the BJP will run a campaign against him in which the Congress leader will be exposed.

The BJP leader further said that "Rahul Gandhi has not expressed regret for his statement yet".

Addressing the former Congress president, Prasad said: "Your ego is not bigger than the country."

--IANS dr/pgh

( 172 Words)

2023-03-16-23:28:03 (IANS)
He informed further that the patient has been kept in home isolation.

Seasonal influenza is an acute respiratory tract infection caused by 4 distinct types of viruses -- Influenza A, B, C and D belonging to the Orthomyxoviridae family.

Among these types, Influenza A is the most common pathogen for humans.

Globally, influenza cases are typically seen to increase during certain months of the year. India usually witnesses two peaks of seasonal influenza one from January to March and another one in the post-monsoon season.

According to the Union Health Ministry, the cases arising from seasonal influenza are expected to decline from March end.

In most cases, the disease is self-limiting with symptoms of cough and cold, body ache and fever etc. and usually resolves within a week or so.

However, potentially high-risk groups such as infants, young children, pregnant women, elderly above the age of 65 years and people with comorbidities might experience more symptomatic illnesses requiring hospitalization also.

Disease transmission is mostly airborne from person to person, through large droplets generated by the act of coughing and sneezing. Other modes of transmission, include indirect contact by touching a contaminated object or surface (fomite transmission), and close contact including handshaking.

The Union Health Ministry has prescribed Oseltamivir as the drug recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for curing the infection.

"The drug is made available through the Public Health System free of cost. The government has allowed the sale of Oseltamivir under Schedule H1 of the Drug and Cosmetic Act in February 2017 for wider accessibility and availability," it said. (ANI)
The new Cook County flag is hung outside the County Building in Chicago in September. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Cook County has pulled the plug on one of its federally funded small business grant programs after being sued over its constitutionality.

The suit, filed in December on behalf of Chicago chiropractor Domenic Cusano Jr., alleged the Small Business Source Grow Grant program treated applicants differently based on their owners race, and specifically prioritizes persons of color. 

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The lawsuit claimed that was a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, discriminating against individuals on the basis of their membership in a racial group, and that Cusano, who identifies as white and Caucasian, would not be on equal footing with other applicants. The suit was filed by the California-based law firm Pacific Legal Foundation, which defends Americans liberties when threatened by government overreach and abuse, according to its website.

Litigation was recently filed against the County regarding the Cook County Grow Grant program, the program website says. In order to assist small businesses as quickly as possible, we have chosen to rescind the Grow Grant program and restructure and redesign our small business grant program.

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It is wrong for the government to grant preferential treatment based on race, Andrew Quinio, an attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation, said in a release when the case was filed. The government is attempting to pick winners and losers based on race, in utter disregard for the Constitution. The 14th Amendment protects individuals from discrimination due to arbitrary classifications like race.

Grow Grant was announced in late September. Using funding from the federal COVID-19 American Rescue Plan Act, it was slated to award $71 million in grants to small businesses in early 2023. The countys Bureau of Economic Development planned to provide $10,000 grants paired with one-on-one business advising to historically excluded businesses  including those owned by entrepreneurs of color, women, veterans, LGBQT+ and persons with a disability  to close racial wealth and opportunity gaps, according to a county release.

Applicants had to be a for-profit business in Cook County with fewer than 20 employees, in operation prior to the pandemic and have experienced a decrease in revenue or gross receipts, increased costs, or greater financial insecurity due to COVID. Applicants were asked to mark their ethnicity, race, and whether the business was at least 51% minority-owned, operated, and controlled. The programs pause was first reported by Cook County Record.

There were no restrictions on applicants, Nick Mathiowdis, a spokesman for Preckwinkle, told the Tribune in an email. Any business that met the eligibility criteria below and submitted their application with all the correct documentation would have been considered.

The application also noted that historically excluded populations would be prioritized, however.

Cusanos complaint asked that the county be permanently barred from enforcing the programs prioritization of minority business owners, pay for attorneys fees and $1 in damages.

The 22,000 individuals who applied for help in October have been in limbo since, WBBM-Ch. 2 reported earlier this month. County officials plan to launch a larger program in the coming months, but business owners will have to apply again.

We decided to rescind, restructure and refine the program to try to get the money out to small business as quickly as possible  rather than trying to litigate it, Preckwinkle said at a news conference Thursday following the County Boards monthly meeting.

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Cusano could not be reached for comment Friday, but Quinio, his attorney, released a statement saying its encouraging that the county has backed off from its discriminatory program. We look forward to all small business owners getting a fair and equal shot at receiving assistance without regard to their skin color. The county should never use a crisis to violate the constitution.

Asked whether the county had concerns about whether the program could be considered discriminatory when it was released, Laura Lechowicz Felicione, special counsel for Preckwinkles office, said we believe we had strong arguments, based upon the individuals and communities that were hardest hit by COVID. We were comfortable when we structured and issued the grant, but based upon the litigation, to fight that out in the courts could take some time.

Well be working with our grant subrecipient and referral partners to restructure the grant, Lechowicz Felicione continued. Well be looking at probably qualified census tracts and bringing a revised program back to the county board for approval in late spring or early summer.

Any and all business information contained in a submitted Grow Grant application will remain confidential and secure, Mathiowdis said. The revamped grant program will include additional funds unspent from the countys $1 billion ARP distribution. Businesses that had applied previously will have to reapply but may not have to resubmit documents provided previously.

Preckwinkle encouraged businesses to visit the Cook County Small Business Sources website, which offers events and business advising sessions.

aquig@chicagotribune.com
A massive fire broke out at a mattress factory in the Siraspur Industrial area of the national capital, informed officials on Friday. As many as 20 fire tenders were at the spot at the time of filing this report. According to Delhi Fire service officials, 2-3 blasts were reported in the building after the fire, due to which 80 per cent of the building collapsed. "2-3 blasts were reported in the building after the fire, due to which 80 per cent of the building collapsed. A total of 20 fire tenders are at the spot, trying to douse the fire. No injuries have been reported so far," said Pravesh, STO, Delhi Fire Service. The reason for the blast is yet to be ascertained, he said. Further details are awaited. Earlier, on Thursday, a massive fire broke out at a factory in Wazirpur industrial area around 10.30 pm in the national capital, officials said. "We have 12 fire tenders at the spot. Metal and plastic work was done at the factory. There is no reports of any casualties so far. A total of 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot," an officer from Delhi Fire Service, AK Sharma told ANI. He said that prima facie, it appeared that the building did not have necessary fire safety equipment. "Prima facie it appears that the building did not have the equipment to fight the fire. With only one exit and temporary work on the roof, we found it hard to fight the fire. If it is found that they do not have a NOC, action will be taken against them," he added. Earlier on March 16, some documents and office records were gutted in a fire that broke out at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Delhi's Rohini, officials said. Delhi fire service said that as soon as they received information about the blaze, five fire tenders were rushed to the spot. "A fire broke out at Cyber Crime police station at Sector 17, Rohini. A call about the fire was received around 3 pm and 5 fire tenders were sent to the spot. The fire broke out on the top floor of the building," the Delhi Fire Service said. "Some documents and office records were gutted in the fire," it added. On March 12, one person was killed after a fire broke out in Suleman Nagar in Delhi, late at night, officials informed, adding that the incident occurred at a house in Suleman Nagar, Kirari area in the national capital. Three fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire was eventually brought under control, officials said. Earlier, on Saturday, another fire broke out at a paint shop in Jaitpur in southeast Delhi, leaving one person dead. (ANI)
The founder of Dal Khalsa and former pro-Khalistan leader Jaswant Singh Thekedar has lauded the work undertaken and accomplished by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the country's Sikh community, saying that he admires the community and has done a lot for its people. In an interview with ANI, Thekedar said, "Our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has done a lot for Sikhs and Sikhism. He loves our community. He has done a lot -- ended the blacklists, opened Kartarpur Corridor, and talked about Chhote Sahibzadas (the sons of Guru Gobind Singh)." He said the Central government led by PM Modi has worked to meet major demands put forward by members of the Sikh community. "The government has worked on major demands, and only a few demands and left to be fulfilled. All will be good if they agree to meet these demands," he said. Earlier, Prime Minister Modi had met prominent Sikhs from across the country at his official residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. The delegation thanked the Prime Minister for taking steps for the welfare of the Sikh community, and especially for honouring Chaar Sahibzaade through his decision to declare December 26 every year as Veer Baal Diwas. Each member of the delegation honoured Prime Minister Modi with 'Siropao' and 'Siri Sahib'. PM Modi said people in many regions of the country are not aware of the contribution and sacrifice of Chaar Sahibzaade. He recalled that whenever he got an opportunity to speak in schools and in front of children, he always spoke about Chaar Sahibzaade. The decision to observe December 26 as Veer Baal Diwas will go a long way in making children from different corners of the country aware of them, PM Modi said. He thanked the leaders of the Sikh Community for visiting him, saying that the doors of his house were always open for them. He recalled his connection with them and the time spent together during the course of his stay in Punjab. He also praised the spirit of service of the Sikh community, saying that the world needs to be made more aware of it. He said that his government was fully committed to the welfare of the Sikh community. He talked about several steps taken by the government in this regard. He discussed the special arrangements that were made to bring back Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan with full honour while also talking about the steps taken by the government through diplomatic channels to open up the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor for Sikh pilgrims. In February last year, Prime Minister Modi met members of a Sikh-Hindu Delegation from Afghanistan at his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg residence. They honoured and thanked him for bringing Sikhs and Hindus safely to India from Afghanistan by virtue of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Prime Minister Modi welcomed the delegation saying that they are not guests but are in their own house, adding that India is their home. He talked about the immense difficulties faced by them in Afghanistan and the help provided by the government to bring them to India safely. He also talked about the significance of the CAA and its benefits for the community while assuring them of his government's continuous support in future as well to resolve all issues and difficulties faced by them. Prime Minister Modi also talked about the significance of the tradition of honouring Guru Granth Sahib, in light of which special arrangements were made to bring back Swaroop of Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan. He also brought up the immense love that he has received from Afghans over the years and fondly recalled his visit to Kabul. Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who was also part of the delegation that met PM Modi, thanked him for sending help from India for bringing back the community safely, saying that when no one stood with them, Prime Minister Modi ensured constant support and timely help. Other members of the delegation also thanked PM Modi for standing up for them in times of distress. They said that they had tears in their eyes when they heard him talking about making special arrangements to bring back the 'Swaroop' of Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan to India with proper reverence. They also thanked him for bringing into force the CAA, which they said will be of immense help to the members of their community. On Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistan leader and chief of 'Punjab Waris De' who made headlines following clashes with the police at Ajnala in Amritsar on February 23, Thekedar said he knows "nothing about Khalistan". He added that Singh will not succeed in his plans. "Amritpal is not a Khalistani, he knows nothing about it. But he has certainly made a lot of money in the name of Khalistan. I don't think he will succeed in his plans going forward," the former pro-Khalistan leader said. On Pakistan's intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence or ISI, he said it does not use an asset for a lifetime and will pick another person as soon as it is determined that the previous person is no longer of any use. "When he (Amritpal Singh) was in Dubai, he was clean-shaven. He is not a (traditional) Sikh. He does not know anything about Sikh history. I must add that several more like him will crop up in the coming years. Because the ISI doesn't run its assets for a lifetime. When they feel that a person is no longer of any use, they replace him with others who are in line," Thekedar said. He added that Pakistan would not let a separate Khalistan be carved out as it is aware that the pro-Khalistanis have their eyes on Lahore next. "Pakistan knows that if a country of Sikhs comes into being, they will target Lahore next. They will come to Nankana Sahib and Panja Sahib. They won't let this happen. It is Pakistan, not India, which is the real enemy of Khalistan," he said. The former pro-Khalistan leader cautioned the Punjab government of the Aam Aadmi Party against going soft on pro-Khalistan elements, saying that the regime under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was, in effect, helping the revival of the Khalistan movement by not taking timely action. "This Punjab government is not capable of dealing with this (threat of revival of the Khalistan movement). There is not a single person in the administration who handle this. I feel that by not taking timely action, they are only aiding the revival of the Khalistan movement," he said. Suggesting that the Centre consider agreeing with the demands of the Khalistan leaders, he said it would stop the movement from growing further. "Their demands for the release of Sikh political prisoners, and removal of Sikhs from Section 25B-2 could be met. It won't bring any harm to the country if the government were to meet these demands. If the government accedes to their demands, this movement could be nipped in the bud. Every issue has a political solution. The government can also consider putting together a committee comprising former Khalistan leaders. Through such moves, the government can bring the Khalistan movement to an end," he said. (ANI)
Singh in the notice said, "Adani has misappropriated public money and the central government is answerable to the public. PM Modi's silence on the loss of crores of money is questionable. An in-depth discussion of the issue is the need of the hour."

On Thursday, Congress MP Ranjit Ranjan moved a Suspension of Business notice demanding discussion on the Adani issue.

After a daylong adjournment on Wednesday due to protests from both sides, the Parliament Sabha will reconvene on Thursday to debate the Union Budget 2023.

Today is the fifth day of the second leg of the budget session.

On Wednesday, Parliament faced disruptions for the third day with Congress and other opposition parties insisting on their demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani-Hindenburg row and the BJP members seeking an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his remarks made in London.

The second half of the budget session began on Monday and has been marked by disruptions and ruckus over the last three days. BJP has accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of maligning India's institutions on foreign soil. (ANI)
Two more persons have been arrested for allegedly firing on one person in Gokalpuri village in the national capital, said the police on Thursday. Earlier three accused involved in the incident were arrested. The police have identified the accused as Robin, Rohit, Arun, Rahul, Vishal Gandhi, Brahma and Lokesh. Detailing the incident that took place on the day of the Holi festival, the police said, the matter pertains to March 8 when a firing incident was reported at Gokalpuri village, New Delhi. In the CCTV cameras, the accused were seen allegedly firing with illegal weapons at the victim's house in Gokalpuri. "The victim has been identified as Vishal Kumar and his uncle Shivam", added the police. "On the basis of the complaint of Vishal Kumar, a case u/s 323/452/307/34 Indian Penal Code and 25 Arms Act were registered at Gokalpuri police station, said the police. "After analyzing the CCTV, one accused, Robin was arrested and interrogated. He further disclosed that he had previous enmity with Vishal'uncle, Shivam. Thus to settle the score, Robin with his other friends reached Vishal's residence and opened fire on him on March 8, the police said. According to the police, another accused Rohit was apprehended on March 13 near the Gas Agency in the tyre market, in the village of Gokalpur. One sophisticated semi-automatic pistol with 10 live cartridges of 0.32 bore was recovered from his possession. Two more accused Arun and Rahul were also apprehended, said the police. Later, during the intervening night of 14/15 March, another accused Vishal Gandhi was apprehended, and one country-made pistol loaded with one live cartridge of 0.315 bores was recovered from his possession, added the police. Meanwhile, the police said that efforts are being made to apprehend other two absconding accused persons, Brahma and Lokesh. Investigation into the case is underway, said the police. (ANI)
Congress MP Manish Tewari on Friday gave an adjournment notice in Lok Sabha to have a discussion on the "essence, substance and spirit" of Freedom of Speech accorded to Members of Parliament under Article 105 of the Constitution. "Of late, there have been public discussions involving eminent constitutional functionaries about the contours of the right to free expression of Members of Parliament guaranteed under the Constitution. These discussions have centred on the question of what should be permissible speech," Tiwari said in his notice "Prima facie, such enquiries militate against the right to freedom of speech of members of Parliament which is expressly protected by the Constitutional text. This issue is, therefore, central to the functioning of parliamentary democracy in the country", Tewari said The Congress MP said said that it is this unfettered right to free expression in Parliament which forms the bedrock of democratic discussion and deliberation. Meanwhile, the logjam in Parliament continued for the fourth successive day on Thursday with the ruling BJP and opposition parties sticking to their stands. The BJP demancded an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in the UK while the Opposition members pressed for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research against the Adani Group. Rahul Gandhi held a press conference at the party headquarters yesterday and said he had asked relevant questions from the government on the Adani issue. Rahul Gandhi referred to his speech during the motion of thanks to the President's address and said it had rattled the government. He also referred to ministers taking jibes at him for his remarks during events in the United Kingdom. "I went to Parliament this morning with the idea of putting what I have said, what I feel on the floor of the house. Four Ministers have raised allegations against me in Parliament House. It is my right to be allowed to speak on the floor of the house. I requested to the Speaker today. I went to his chamber and I requested him. I told him that people from the BJP have made allegations against me and as a Member of Parliament, it is my right to speak," Gandhi said. He said the Speaker was "non-committal". "This story started, the day I gave my speech in Parliament about Adani. I asked some fundamental questions to the Prime Minister about his relationship with the businessman, about how Mr. Adani has been given pretty much the entire India-Israel defence relationship? How he is being given the Bombay Airport, other Airports, how rules have been changed to allow him to be given these things...," he alleged. "These are relevant questions and the whole idea is that these questions must not be under table and that is why, this whole exercise or four or five Ministers, the Prime Minister is giving a speech to distract from this fundamental question which is, what is the relationship between the Prime Minister of India and Mr. Adani and his companies and more importantly, whose money is in the shell companies? Who is this unknown person, whose money is in the shell companies? What is his relationship with Mr. Adani? These are the questions," he added. Gandhi said he hoped to speak in parliament in detail. The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were initially adjourned till 2 pm on Thursday and later for the day amid continued protests directed from both the aisles. The ongoing second part of Budget session began on March 13. (ANI)
Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan on Friday gave suspension of business notice in Rajya Sabha under rule 267 and demanded a discussion on the Government's "questionable role in promoting the business interest of the Adani group". In a notice addressed to Rajya Sabha Chairman, Ranjan further said, "That this House do suspend Zero Hour and relevant rules relating to Question Hour and other businesses of the day to discuss the Government's questionable role in promoting the business interests of the Adani Group, including through inaction on serious charges of corporate fraud, political corruption, stock-market, manipulation and financial mismanagement, illegal coal mine allocations, stations with foreign countries for big-ticket projects, etc." Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on Friday also gave a Suspension of Business Notice in Rajya Sabha under rule 267 and demanded a discussion on the Adani issue. Singh in the notice said, "Adani has misappropriated public money and the central government is answerable to the public. PM Modi's silence on the loss of crores of money is questionable. An in-depth discussion of the issue is the need of the hour." The logjam in Parliament continued for the fourth successive day on Thursday with the ruling BJP and opposition parties sticking to their stands. The BJP is demanding apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in United Kingdom and the opposition parties are pressing for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the Hindenburg-Adani row. On Wednesday, Parliament faced disruptions for the third day with Congress and other opposition parties insisting on their demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani-Hindenburg row and the BJP members seeking an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his remarks made in London. The second half of the budget session began on Monday and has been marked by disruptions and ruckus over the last three days. BJP has accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of maligning India's institutions on foreign soil. (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday, expressed condolence and announced immediate relief for the victims of the cold storage collapse incident in Sambhal, which killed eight people. As per an official statement, the Uttar Pradesh government will give Rs 2 lakhs each to families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each to those seriously injured. In addition, it has also been announced that all the injured will be given free treatment. A committee has also been formed under the chairmanship of the Commissioner and the DIG, which will investigate the causes of the incident and give a report soon, the statement added. Earlier in the day, CM Yogi expressed condolence over the deaths in the roof collapse incident. Taking to Twitter, CM Yogi said, "The loss of lives in the cold store accident at Chandausi in Sambhal district is extremely painful. My condolences are with the bereaved families. May Lord Shri Ram grant the departed souls a place at his holy feet and strength to the family members to bear this immense sorrow. Om Shanti!" A total of eight people were killed, while 11 have been rescued so far, after the roof of potato cold storage collapsed in the Chandausi area of Sambhal, informed officials. The incident happened at around 11: 30 am on Thursday. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are carrying out rescue operations. Sambhal DM Manish Bansal told ANI that the officials are using sniffer dogs to search for the people trapped in the debris. "We have rescued 11 people and five people have died. NDRF is searching for the trapped people with the help of sniffer dogs. We've increased our force for the morning. Other teams of NDRF and SDRF will also come by morning," he said. Superintendent of Police (SP) Sambhal, Chakresh Mishra said that FIR has been registered against the owner. "FIR registered against the owner and two others. We have detained four people for questioning. The main accused are absconding and are being searched. We will be able to tell the real reason for the collapse of this building only after the debris is removed," he said. Earlier in the day, it was reported that the godown was already in a dilapidated condition. The owners were identified as Ankur Agarwal and Rohit Agarwal. Moradabad DIG had said that both the owners had been booked by the police. "An FIR has been registered in the matter. Two accused (Ankur Agarwal and Rohit Agarwal) have been booked under section 304. Both the accused are the owners of the property where the incident took place," he said. The DIG added, "ADM-level inquiry has also been conducted in this matter. The part of the cold storage that has collapsed was constructed some time ago and was not constructed by following the laid down standard". Further details are awaited in the case. (ANI)
On the fifth day in a row, the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day on Friday within minutes of convening its proceedings as both the treasury and Opposition benches created a ruckus on remarks of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in London regarding democracy in India and over Adani issue. The chaos erupted soon after the papers were laid on the table as the Rajya Sabha assembled at 11 am. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members sought an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his democracy in India remarks in London and criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, Congress leaders also raised objections and they also started speaking against the government demanding a probe into the Adani Group by a Joint Parliamentary Committee. Amid the disruptions, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned the House till 11 am on March 20. The row over Gandhi's remarks in London reverberating in the House since March 13-- day one of the second phase of the Budget Session-- leading to continued adjournment of the House every day. The Rajya Sabha faced adjournment for the whole day on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday too amid pandemonium as treasury benches sought an apology for Gandhi's remarks in London on democracy in India and the Opposition objecting the matter and demanded a probe into the Adani Group by a Joint Parliamentary Committee. In a veiled attack on Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal on Tuesday raised the matter, pointing "this is the first time" that a Member of Parliament used words against the democracy of India while his visit outside the country, and sought his apology. "He (Rahul Gandhi) should apologise...," Goyal had said. However, the Opposition members had sought a probe into the Adani Group by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Tuesday and accused the Centre of being silent on a report by a US firm that alleged stock manipulation and accounting fraud by the group. During his address to the British parliamentarians in London recently, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the "functioning microphones of Opposition leaders in Parliament are often silenced." He made several other allegations including on PM Modi, an 'attack on democracy', and the China issue. In Cambridge, the Congress MP again alleged that the Opposition's voice was being stifled in Parliament. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court on Friday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking direction to the Centre and Election Commission of India (ECI) to take apposite steps for compulsory voting in the Parliament and State Assembly elections and said casting a vote is a matter of choice and the judiciary cannot pass such directions. The bench of Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad on Friday also said, "casting vote is their (eligible citizen of India for voting) right, their choice". Noting the court's observation, the petitioner decided to withdraw the petition. The Petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, a practising Advocate and BJP leader had also sought direction from the Law Commission to prepare a report on Compulsory Voting. Plea stated that low voter turnout is a persistent problem in India. Compulsory voting can help to increase voter turnout, particularly among marginalized communities. It ensures that every citizen has a voice and that the government is representative of the people's wishes. When voter turnout is high, the government is more accountable to the people and is more likely to act in their best interests. Compulsory voting has been implemented successfully in countries like Australia, Belgium, and Brazil. These countries have seen significant increases in voter turnout and improvements in the quality of democracy, stated the plea. The Supreme Court and High Court have repeatedly issued directions in the past to the Election Commission to exercise its powers under Article 324 with respect to superintendence, direction and control of the conduct of elections to Parliament and the State legislatures to redress violations of the fundamental rights and to protect the purity of the electoral process and there is a good reason why the Court must take steps for simultaneous election, the plea said. The Constitution provides for the right to vote as a fundamental right under Article 326. This right is subject to reasonable restrictions imposed by law. Compulsory voting can be implemented as a reasonable restriction in the interest of ensuring the smooth functioning of democracy. The Supreme Court has also held that the right to vote is a statutory right, and the government has the power to impose reasonable restrictions on this right, plea read. (ANI)
There is a mountain of evidence indicating stress is a primary cause of common and fatal diseases such as heart attacks, diabetes, asthma, cancer, osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, memory loss, and premature ageing. But how much of a role does 'toxic' leadership play in workplace stress, and what are the signs of a toxic leader? Recent data has shown that three-fifths of the world's employees say their job impacts their mental health more than anything else. Backed up by 40 years of research, wellbeing expert Professor Simon L. Dolan PhD says that leaders with low self-esteem are most likely to pass on stress to their teams. "The stakes for leadership have always been high," Professor Dolan states, "but knowing you're affecting people's mental health is cause for leaders to take stock and ensure they're doing all they can to be their best and have their most positive impacts on people." Toxic at the top Almost every working adult will have experienced a bad boss at some point in their working career. But at what point does a bad boss become a truly toxic leader, and what can you do about it? Professor Dolan, a respected scholar in human resources, has trawled decades of research to create De-Stress at Work. The guide is designed to help people understand if their manager or leader affects their mental health, and what can they do to deal with it. "Leadership can make or break an organization," Professor Dolan argues, "with good leaders motivating teams to be creative and productive. But on the other side of the coin, a bad leader can demotivate teams, cause low morale and the effect on teams can be devastating." After extensive research, Professor Dolan suggests the main characteristics to identify a toxic leader are those who: are jealous of their team's success; are constantly concerned about competition or workplace 'enemies'; often take credit for other people's work; constantly compare themselves to others; consider their self-worth to be solely driven by their latest results. "Whether knowingly or not, a toxic leader is one who abuses their authority and violates trust to satisfy their own ego," Professor Dolan continues. The truth about leadership Leadership requires hard work and there can be a stereotype of leaders having almost superhuman characteristics of stamina and strength, Professor Dolan argues. He says: "This can be really harmful, because they are required to hide their feelings even when under immense pressure. Pretending to be a superhuman causes a lot of damage to the mind and body - really the key is to be realistic about your strengths and weaknesses. "A leader needs to be able to proactively manage their emotions well enough to project calm and rational to their teams." In order to do this, they need to equip themselves with emotional regulation tools, Professor Dolan suggests. In De-Stress At Work, Professor Dolan offers practical solutions to tackling work-related stress both individually and on an organizational level, from best practice communication methods for companies, down to individual relaxation techniques for employees. "However, although leaders are expected to be confident, it is important not to confuse this with over-confidence," Professor Dolan says. "A great leader needs to be respectful, supportive and nurturing of growth - not just someone who is self-assured." He also highlights the importance of validation - leaders who offer recognition for a job well done can provide an essential source of people's perception of psychological success and self-esteem. Who is susceptible? Professor Dolan argues that specific inherited characteristics, early experience in life, and, learned cognitive predispositions make individuals susceptible to the effects of stressors. He explains: "There are many factors that contribute to a toxic personality, including a compulsive need to display their worth to others, but mainly out of a lack of deep-rooted self- esteem. This is usually a culmination of a lack of ethical and emotional development throughout their lives." Typical reactions to stress vary depending on personality traits, such as neurotic anxiety, introversion and extroversion, rigidity, flexibility, and ambition - but the main factor, according to Professor Dolan, is someone's perception of control. "Someone who feels they are in control of their lives, environments and actions are less stressed," Professor Dolan explains, "this is really the core of emotional intelligence. "Even if someone is not innately confident, it is possible to change their internal perception so they feel more in control." (ANI)
Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson greets his supporters during his election victory celebration at the Marriott Marquis Chicago hotel on April 4, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago mayoral candidates Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson highlighted their campaign strategies Thursday evening in a contentious debate where they were given the opportunity to ask one another a question.

Johnson, a Cook County commissioner, went first, asking Vallas to disavow a group of demonstrators who crashed one of his campaign events that morning.

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Vallas, a former Chicago Public Schools CEO, did not acknowledge the event and instead said supporters on both sides have caused a ruckus during a rough-and-tumble campaign in Chicago.

I really dont know quite what hes talking about, Vallas said. At the UIC Pavilion, I continually was interrupted, particularly my closing comments, and Ive said nothing about that.

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Johnson in his rebuttal indirectly compared the disruption to the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol two years ago  an attempt to paint Vallas as an extremist.

We know there are a lot of people who are animated, but we also know that Jan. 6 was a brutal day for this country, Johnson said.

Vallas then used his turn to ask Johnson about his past support for the defund the police movement and his plans to raise taxes such as the hotel tax.

Now, first of all, Paul, Im not going to defund the police, and you know that, Johnson said. ... You cant run a multibillion-dollar budget off of bake sales.  You refuse to offer any real budget plans of how were going to generate revenue to save lives.

Vallas scoffed and said, Im basically debating with someone who never managed a budget  So please dont lecture me on managing multibillion-dollar budgets.

The hourlong debate, moderated by ABC-7 anchor Judy Hsu, was the latest forum in which the candidates argued about schools, crime and economic development.

Vallas and Johnson also argued over the shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vallas attacked Johnson over the Chicago Teachers Unions refusal to teach in person.

The exchange started after Vallas blamed juvenile crime spikes on closed schools. He said schools should remain open evenings and summers and have work-study programs.

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Johnson, meanwhile, accused Vallas of creating policies in the 1990s that later led to school closings under ex-Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

What has failed us is the politics of old, Johnson said. My opponent talks about school closures. Well, he set up the market for schools to be closed. He got so good at it, he went around the country doing it.

Johnson then argued there is a link between violence and neighborhoods that faced school closures or privatization. To that, Vallas said his opponent is the one who should be to blame for any classroom shutdowns.

The only one up here who has closed schools is my opponent, Vallas said, before touting new schools built and rising CPS enrollment when he led the school district. ... Have you ever been to New Orleans? Have you ever seen New Orleans after Katrina? Eighty percent of the schools were destroyed.

I had rebuilt this school district out of nothing, from scratch, Vallas continued. Every single child is in either a brand-new school or a completely renovated public school governed by local community boards. ... And that school district led the state for seven consecutive years after Katrina.

Johnson retorted that there was a 100-year pandemic and said: I have been to New Orleans. And Im going to take a vacation there once I become mayor of the city of Chicago. ... People from New Orleans actually came here to Chicago today, Paul, to talk about your failures, a reference to a news conference Johnson held earlier Thursday with parents from school districts Vallas previously led.

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On crime, Vallas and Johnson argued over law enforcement resources and Johnsons past remarks in support of defunding the police.

Johnson said he would hire 200 detectives, implement the consent decree and enforce red flag laws for individuals with guns while also spending money on violence prevention investments. Meanwhile, Vallas said the city needs to put police officers on CTA platforms and get officers across the city out in their beats and patrolling the streets.

The bottom line is my opponent wants to defund the police, Vallas said in the first negative attack of the night. He doesnt want to fill the (1,500) vacancies. He does not want to bring back retired officers. ... Youve got to fill the ranks. Youve got to fill those vacancies and youve got to deploy the police into the community so that there are officers there to respond when those 911 calls are made.

Johnson responded: First of all, Im not going to defund the police. I never said it. That was misleading, however, as Johnson was a vocal supporter of redirecting money from police budgets starting in 2020 but has since backed away from that position during the mayoral race.

Asked to speak on how to keep neighborhoods like Little Village safe, Johnson and Vallas again disagreed over their policing plans. Johnson knocked Vallas for criticizing his plan to promote 200 officers to detectives and said, Paul doesnt believe that hiring people to solve crime solves crime. That doesnt make sense. For these small vendors, know that you will have somebody thats willing to listen, to actually help come up and devise a plan that the community can get around.

Vallas replied that his plan to attract more Chicago police recruits is a better strategy and that once he restores morale, former officers will return.

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Now, if you want to protect the vendors, you have to have patrol, Vallas said, adding that hed held a forum in his office with vendors who said they were afraid there are no consequences for them being intimidated or threatened, and that when they call, it can take two to three hours for the police to respond.

Each candidate also again promised not to raise property taxes, with Johnson defending his plan for a bundle of levies by saying that Democrats believe in raising taxes on the rich. Then he blamed Vallas for the citys structural deficit.

Im surprised hes not criticizing me for being behind the grassy knoll in Dallas, Vallas remarked before moving on to attack Johnson on finances. You are not going to promote business by raising the head tax.

After arguing that Johnsons plans for adding a $4-per-employee tax on Chicago companies, raising the hotel tax and more are not tax the rich ideas, Vallas ended by saying: If you knew something about budgets, you would know that the first priority is to assess and evaluate how those budgets can be spent more effectively.

Johnson responded: Look, Ive passed multibillion-dollar budgets. You clearly dont know much about budgets, because everywhere you go youve failed. Then he defended one of the proposals  raising the hotel tax  by hearkening back to his father.

Were talking about $1 per room, Johnson said. I was raised in the 80s. My father is as frugal as they come. Even Dad can find $1, right?
Addressing the people, CM Yogi Adityanath said, "Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna had to resign from his position as Chief Minister due to disagreements when the Congress attempted to strangle democracy in this country, but Bahuguna ji never gave up on his values and ideals."

Yogi said that the late Bahuguna was born in the present-day Pauri district of Uttarakhand.

He added, "After receiving his childhood education in the village, he came to Prayagraj for further studies. During his higher education, he became a part of the national freedom movement. He actively took part in various movements, including the Quit India movement. He gave his able and brilliant leadership as the state's Chief Minister while associating with many social, and political activities in independent India."

Deputy Chief Ministers of the state Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya, Finance Minister Suresh Khanna, and Chief Secretary Durgashankar Mishra remained present. (ANI)
He added that polling for Mahbubnagar-Ranga Reddy-Hyderabad teacher's constituency has set the mood for Assembly elections.

While speaking to the mediapersons, Sanjay said, "This is the first time in the history of Telangana that the BJP won the MLC seat in the Teachers' constituency. This election proves strong anti-incumbency against the BRS, especially among government employees and the educated sections. This election has set the mood for the Assembly elections in November."

The polling for the Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad Teachers Constituency was held on March 13, with about 29,720 voters enrolled spread over nine districts in the constituency.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-backed candidate AVN Reddy won the Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad Teachers' Member of Legislative Council (MLC) seat in Telangana.

After 21 rounds of counting, AVN Reddy secured 13,436 votes, crossing the required quota of 12,709 votes to emerge victorious. (ANI)
YSR Telangana Party Chief YS Sharmila on Friday hit out against chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and alleged that he was imposing Section 144 in residential areas to thwart protests against his government and asked whether the State had become a "Taliban-ruled" one. "You (KCR) are imposing Section 144 in residential areas so that there is no protest and we don't go against the government. There is no democracy in Telangana," Sharmila told ANi. Sharmila alleged that she was not being allowed to leave her residence to hold to hold a protest at Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) office over the alleged leak of a question paper leak of a recruitment exam held by the TSPSC on March 5. "KCR is going to make all attempts to thwart those reports that are not in his favour. YSR Telangana party is winning hearts and gaining people's trust. Why am I not allowed to protest in my own compound," she asked. She said,'' Kavitha has let down the women of Telangana by being involved in the liquor case. There is 144 section here. Why? Is this Taliban?'' BRS MLC and daughter of Telangana Chief Minister had been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a case related to the Delhi Excise Policy. She raised several questions including whether Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had become CM to save his daughter? "Shouldn't KCR respond to this issue?; Is this a hack or did the BRS leaders do this purposefully? Sharmila said. She further alleged that the TSPSC board is being involved in the assistant engineer (civil) recruitment exam leak case and a mere SIT enquiry will not suffice. "How can we trust that your leaders did not do this? Why is the entire TSPSC board not removed? she asked demanding a CBI inquiry into the issue. ''Well, there is a paper leak. The Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) board is involved. We don't know who all are involved. An SIT enquiry will not suffice. We demand an enquiry by CBI and sitting judges otherwise truth won't come out," she said. On Tuesday, Police said that Section 144 has been imposed in the surrounding areas of the TSPSC. While talking to ANI, Sharmila said, "You are imposing Section 144 in residential areas so that there is no protest and we don't go against the government. There is no democracy in Telangana." On Tuesday, Hyderabad Police arrested nine people for their alleged involvement in TSPSC exam paper leak. The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Telangana Party chief Sharmila was detained by police during a protest in Delhi on March 14, against the Telangana government. Sharmila was staging the protest alleging irregularities in Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, a multipurpose irrigation project on Godavari River in Telangana. (ANI)
Despite good progress, the aviation sector has still not achieved gender parity, and it is considered even unusual to find women from the Muslim community as pilots, but this trend is slowly getting brushed off, as several names are changing the perception. Although there is still a long way to go in achieving gender parity in the aviation sector, the industry is opening up for women pilots, as in recent years more and more airlines and aviation organizations have been actively recruiting and supporting women pilots. For example, in 2018, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) launched the "25by2025" initiative, which aims to increase the number of women in senior leadership positions and in the aviation industry overall to 25 per cent by the year 2025. Many airlines have also launched initiatives to increase the number of female pilots in their ranks, such as easyJet's Amy Johnson Initiative and Qantas' 'IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards' program. Furthermore, there are now many organizations and networks that support women in aviation, such as Women in Aviation International, the Ninety-Nines, and the International Society of Women Airline Pilots. These organizations provide mentorship, networking opportunities, and support for women pilots and other aviation professionals. The one place where it was considered surprising to see Muslim women, was as pilots. But, even this is now fast becoming a trend for women of Islamic heritage. There have been several Muslim women who have made their mark in the aviation industry. For example, India witnessed three Indian Muslim female pilots as early as the twentieth century - Abida Sultan, Begum Hijab Imtiyaz Ali, and Zeenat Harooon Rasheed. India has always remained a progressive nation. Right from the very beginning, both males and females have achieved great heights in many fields. Abida Sultan, the first female Indian Muslim pilot was the eldest daughter of the Last Nawab of the princely state of Bhopal, Haji Nawab Hafiz also known as Hamidullah Khan. Abida was born in August 1913, and died at the age of 88 in May 2002. Right from her childhood, she was extremely fond of flying planes and her dream turned into a reality after she successfully got her license to fly a plane in the late 1920s, making her the first female Indian pilot. Abida took training to fly planes from the Bombay flying club and Calcutta flying club. Sultan had hobbies that were unusual among the women of her era. She loved driving cars as a pastime. It is said that Begum Hijab Imtiyaz Ali was the first Indian female pilot of the British Empire. She belonged to an extremely progressive family that allowed her to pursue her dream even after getting married and having a daughter. Hijab was an excellent writer too. She wrote multiple stories and remained an editor of a magazine, Tehzeeb-e-Nizwaan. Zeenat Haroon Rasheed, daughter of Sir Abdullah Haroon, a well-known politician of British India, who made major contributions towards developing and defining the role of Muslims in economics, was one of the first pilots of British India and one of the forty-nine women to have organized an association of the Australian Women Pilots during early 1951. Now, Syeda Salva Fatima is one of the four Muslim women in India who hold a Commercial Pilot's Licence (CPL). After her multi-engine training in New Zealand and type-rating in Bahrain, this Hyderabad woman was endorsed by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) which enabled her to fly the Airbus A320. The daughter of a bakery worker, Syeda comes from the poverty-stricken neighbourhood of Sultan Shahi in the old city of Hyderabad. What makes Syeda's story stand out is her lower middle-class background and the fact that she wore a hijab during the entire course of training in India and abroad. Saarah Hameed Ahmed is an Indian pilot from Bangalore, Karnataka. As of March 2015, she worked for SpiceJet. According to Ahmed's father, in the traditional community in which she was raised, a woman's responsibility is to her home and children, with few seeking outside jobs without an escort. Ahmed did not initially receive support within the community and her family tried to discourage her. But they relented when she insisted and a friend of her father's who is a pilot with Southwest Airlines offered reassurances. After a year of study and logging 200 flight hours, Ahmed received her commercial pilot's license in 2008. She returned to India and undertook the process to convert her license to an Indian certification, which required both a waiting period and additional training in Lithuania to learn about specific commercial aircraft types. However, Muslim women may face several challenges in the aviation sector. For example, they may face discrimination, hatred and negative perceptions about women wearing hijab. They may also be concerned about their personal safety due to internal theological contradictions regarding Muslim women's rights, roles, and responsibilities, which the ulema enforce and the liberal intelligentsia hesitate to tackle. Plus, the rise of anti-Muslim bigotry in public and online spaces, hate crimes and prejudices about Muslims of Islamic heritage also make it a challenging profession. So, one way to support Muslim women in aviation is by promoting cultural awareness. This can help combat damaging stereotypes and anti-Muslim bias. There have been some famous Muslim women pilots globally such as Shaesta Waiz, an Afghan American pilot who became the youngest woman to fly solo around the world in a single-engine aircraft. She is also the founder of the non-profit organization 'Dreams Soar', which aims to inspire and empower young women to pursue careers in aviation and STEM. Then there is Ayesha Farooq, a Pakistani fighter pilot who became the first female fighter pilot in the history of the Pakistan Air Force. She has flown various combat missions and is considered a role model for young women in Pakistan. Sabiha Gokcen was a Turkish aviator who was adopted by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. She became the world's first female fighter pilot and flew more than 22 types of aircraft during her career. Asli Hassan Abade is a Somali pilot who became the first female pilot in the Somali Air Force. She is also the first woman in her family to receive a formal education and has been recognized for her contribution to promoting gender equality in Somalia. Hanadi Zakaria al-Hindi was a Saudi Arabian pilot who was one of the first female pilots in the Saudi Royal Air Force. She died during a suicide attack on a commercial airliner in 2003 and is considered a hero and a symbol of women's empowerment in Saudi Arabia. Overall, while progress has been made in recent years, there is still work to be done to ensure that women have equal opportunities and representation in the aviation industry. (ANI)
National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against two radicalised B.Tech graduates, in the Shivamogga Islamic State (IS) conspiracy case that relates to the conspiracy hatched to further the activities of the outfit by carrying out acts of arson sabotage and violence in Karnataka. The anti-terror agency filed the charge sheet on Thursday against Maaz Muneer Ahmed, 23, and Syed Yasin, 22, of Shivamogga under sections 120B, 121A and 122 of IPC, 1860, sections 18, 18B, 20 & 38 of UA (P) Act, 1967 and sections 4 (i) & 5 of ES Act, 1908 and section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971. Both B.Tech graduates had been radicalised and motivated by an online foreign-based handler to target public and private properties, including warehouses, liquor outlets, hardware shops, vehicles and properties belonging to citizens belonging to a particular community, said the NIA. "In furtherance of a conspiracy hatched by the Islamic State, Maaz and Yasin had committed over 25 incidents of arson and sabotage." The NIA said the level of their commitment is evident from their activities. Maaz and Syed Yasin went to Agumbe and Varahi river backwaters forest area of Shivamogga district for trekking and recce for hideouts, said the anti-terror agency, adding "they procured explosives and prepared to fabricate an IED." Syed Yasin conducted a trial explosion of one of the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at Varahi river bank in Shivamogga, burnt an Indian National Flag and recorded a video to establish his anti-India credentials, said the agency. "The terror operatives were being paid in cryptocurrencies by their online handler by fund transfers from abroad." Investigations have revealed that Maaz received a Crypto equivalent of around Rs 1.5 lakhs from the online handler into the accounts of his friends. In contrast, Syed Yasin received Rs 62,000 into the account of a friend. As part of the larger IS conspiracy, the NIA said, accused Mohamed Shariq had planned to carry out an IED blast at Kadri Temple, Mangaluru on November 19 last year. However, the agency said, the IED had exploded prematurely due to a timer malfunction when Shariq was enroute to the target location averting a potential disaster. Further investigations against six other arrested accused persons are in progress, said the NIA. NIA re-registered the case in September last year and took over the investigations of the case registered by Karnataka Police after the stabbing of one Prem Singh at Shivamogga (Karnataka) on August 15 last year by accused Zabiulla and others. (ANI)
As the budget session of the Delhi legislative assembly commenced on Friday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the Aam Aadmi Party-led government has performed despite several "roadblocks". Talking to media after the conclusion of the first day of the budget session of Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal said, "Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena addressed the Assembly today. He said that ever since the AAP government has come, Delhi is progressing rapidly. In every direction, education, health, tourism, electricity, water, roads, infrastructure, there has been a robust development". The Delhi CM said that the AAP government has performed despite the "roadblocks". "The LG even said that there were many obstructions, but the government performed despite all that. We all have seen the different types of interference that a publicly elected government has been facing, but the AAP government has been working by countering all those roadblocks. Not just the people of Delhi, but also of the country believe that" he said. Kejriwal further added, "I believe that democracy should be respected, and if two crore people have elected a government, it should be allowed to function. Creating roadblocks in its working is not right". On being asked about the disturbance in the Assembly during the LG's speech, the Delhi CM said, "Creating a disturbance during the LG's speech is against the rules and a contempt to the house. We have passed a resolution against this and will send this to the concerned committee". BJP and AAP legislators raised slogans against each other during the LG's address. LG Saxena, however, said that despite all differences the relationship between the LG and the Delhi government will stay "intact". "Undoubtedly, some lines have been crossed in the past few days. I would give the answer through a poem. "Roz girati hai patte mere, phir bhi hawaon se tut ten nahi hain rishte mere" (Leaves of the tree shed daily, but that doesn't end relation between the tree and the wind). Similarly, our relation will also remain intact," Saxena said. (ANI)
The Delhi Police apprehended two persons during an informal visit to the Kamla Nagar Market in Delhi for keeping a sharp-edged cleaver and also seized a stolen bike on which they were riding, said the police on Friday. "On 16.03.2023, at around 11 AM while on an informal visit to the Kamla Nagar Market, two constables spotted two suspicious looking men both in their twenties rashly driving through Agrasen Cut. They were coming from Spark Mall roundabout side. They were riding on a black and red colour Pulsar 220 CC bike, which was later found stolen", said the police. The two persons have been identified as Mohammed Imran aka Chand Nawab, 27 years, resident of Chauhan Bangar, New Seelampur, Delhi and Mohammed Hashim aka Lapalap, aged 23, resident of Chauhan Bangar, Zafrabad, Delhi. The police said, "Constable Shravan recovered a sharp-edged cleaver was recovered from Mohammed Imran's possession, which was pinned down on his belt. And they were brought to Geeta Colony police station and SI Nishant was the officer on emergency duty. He further checked the details and asked to verify the registration details of the bike which was later found stolen." According to the police, the two men tried to escape the spot at the sight of the police, which added to the suspicion. Then while turning the bike around, they lost balance and both of them along with the bike fell to the ground. The two men again got up and started to run towards Spark Mall roundabout but the police too were quick to follow them and nab them both within a distance of about 50 meters. Further investigations are underway. (ANI)
A three-day International Ramayan Convention started at Manas Bhawan in the state capital Bhopal on Friday. The convention is being organised by Ramayana Centre, Tulsi Manas Bhavan Samiti and an American organisation. Around 80 researchers across the world have registered themselves for the convention. Of these researchers, about 70 researchers are bringing their research papers and they will present them in this International Ramayana Convention. Positive references regarding Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas will be discussed in this convention. President of Tulsi Manas Bhawan Sanstha, Raghunandan Sharma said, "We will discuss positive references regarding Ramayana and Ramcharitmanas. We do not pay attention to critics or those who spread negativity." About 700 researchers across the globe are associated with the Bhopal-based Ramayana Center, who have done research on Ramayana. The Ramayana Center has prepared a database of about 7000 such storytellers, whose livelihood runs only on Ramkatha. Director of the Ramayana Center, Dr Rajesh Srivastava said, "I have a compilation of more than 300 Ramayanas on which different people have done research. There are many such incidents which we get to see in storytellers and Ramlila, but no one knows where they are available. The Ramayana Centre has so far conducted more than 100 online and offline seminars. Through which the right information is reaching the people." (ANI)
Karnataka Congress Chief DK Shivakumar on Friday said that the party wants to give more tickets to women and youth, ahead of assembly elections in the state. While talking to ANI, Shivakumar said,'' Now, I think a big change has come and the entire state is looking for a new Government with governance. Karnataka has become the corrupt capital of this country. So, more than 1300 applicants have filed for the Congress ticket, and they're very serious contenders.'' He added, ''But we are not able to give tickets to all of them, only 224 candidates are there. So, we will sort it out...We want the younger generation and more women to be accommodated.'' On Thursday, sources said that the Congress Central Election Committee will meet in the national capital on Friday, to pick the candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections. Karnataka is scheduled to go to polls later this year. While the BJP has already hit campaign mode in the southern state where it is in power, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit Belagavi on March 20 to campaign for the polls.Earlier, on March 9, top Congress leaders held consultations on ticket distribution for constituencies in Karnataka's Vijayapura district, as part of its preparations for the upcoming electoral contest. Among those present at the meeting were Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, the party's Election Ticket Scrutiny Committee chairman Mohan Prakash, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Commitee president DK Shivakumar and former chief minister and Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, Siddaramaiah. Earlier, on March 6, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar talked up his party's prospects in the upcoming elections, claiming that the ruling BJP would not be able to secure more than 65 seats. "We're confident of securing good numbers in the elections. We know the BJP will not get more than 65 seats. From what I have gathered from my sources, the BJP's tally might even come down to 40 seats," Shivakumar told reporters, recalling the time when the saffron party won a paltry 40 seats under the chief ministership of BS Yediyurappa. Shivakumar claimed that all the people in his state, including farmers, were saying that the BJP will not get more than 65 seats this time. "We have almost finalised 75 per cent of seat allotments. A decision on all seats will be taken soon after we will send the names of candidates to the high command for its approval," he added. On March 2, in an exclusive interview with ANI, Karnataka CM Basavraj Bommai said the BJP will win the Assembly elections with a full majority and the Congress's attempt to wrest power by making false promises will not succeed. On Congress's prospects in the elections, Bommai said the grand old party was making a desperate attempt to win the polls but they won't succeed as their track record while in power was bad. The CM said the Congress, during its tenure, did nothing for the people and only worked to create divisions in society. "They did nothing for the SCs and STs. That is why they are not in the government. Now they are trying to wrest power by making promises that are impossible to meet. They are saying they will give Rs 2,000 to each household and for that, they require Rs 24,000 thousand crores. How will they raise this huge amount? The Congress is desperate to win the polls, which is why they are making such false promises," Bommai said earlier this month. (ANI)
The Tamil Nadu Government on Friday apprised the Supreme Court that they have filed fresh petitions against the Madras High Court order relating the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) route march in the state. A bench of justices V Ramasubramanian and Pankaj Mithal adjourned the matter for March 27 for further hearing. In the fresh petitions, the Tamil Nadu Government has challenged two orders of the Madras High Court dated September 22, 2022, and November 2, 2022. The court was hearing the Tamil Nadu government's appeal against the Madras High Court order permitting RSS for its route march in the state. On February 10, Madras High Court directed Tamil Nadu police to grant permission to RSS to undertake route marches in various districts across the State on public roads. In the last hearing, Tamil Nadu Government told the Supreme Court that they are not totally against the RSS route march but can't permit it in sensitive locations. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had also assured the Supreme Court that it will not hold any route march on March 5 in Tamil Nadu as the organisation has decided to postpone the rally. Tamil Nadu Government had also said that they will have a dialogue with the RSS on proposed routes for the march as they are not totally opposed to it. The state government had apprised the court that the government denied holding route marches in the sensitive areas, which have faced PFI incidents and have border areas with disturbances. The lawyer said that the government had some intelligence reports. The lawyer for Tamil Nadu Government had stressed that they are not entirely opposed to the procession but to the manner in which it is proposed to be done. "The ground the state government mentioned is that Popular Front of India (PFI) was banned by Central Government and it is a threat to the organisation. They are not able to control terrorist organizations and that is why they want to ban the route march", said the RSS lawyer. Tamil Nadu Government has moved to the top court against the Madras High Court order permitting the RSS to take out its route march in Tamil Nadu on rescheduled dates. (ANI)
U.S. Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia endorsed Brandon Johnson for Chicago mayor Friday, giving the Cook County commissioner a potential boost in the April 4 election.

The endorsement follows a disappointing mayoral campaign for Garcia, who entered the race as a front-runner but staggered to a fourth-place finish in the first round of voting Feb. 28.

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As a candidate, Garcia often spoke of replicating the 1983 multiracial coalition that ushered Harold Washington into the mayors office. Instead, Johnson leapfrogged Mayor Lori Lightfoot to face off against former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas in the runoff.

Now the two erstwhile rivals are reuniting to fortify the progressive movement and try to prevent Vallas from taking City Halls top job.

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Speaking in a Little Village church, Garcia talked of the history of Chicago political coalitions and the importance of Black and brown residents coming together in the mayors race.

The choice is clear. Chicago is a city of strong public schools, thriving neighborhoods and progressive values, Garcia said. It is through this lens that I see Brandon Johnson as the right choice, and why Im endorsing him for mayor.

Johnson returned the compliment, praising Garcia for his long history as a progressive.

Every time this city needed a leader and a champion, Chuy Garcia was there, he said.

Cook County Commissioner and mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson speaks after receiving the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia at La Villita Community Church on March, 17, 2023. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

How much of a boost Garcias support gives Johnson remains to be seen. In addition to losing his own race on election night, Garcia faced a setback in the 25th Ward where Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez beat back a challenger supported by the congressman.

Despite the defeats, Garcia remains one of the citys most prominent politicians, and his support could help Johnson grow support with Southwest Side Latinos and white liberals who live along the lakefront.

The Chicago Laborers District Council, meanwhile, endorsed Vallas. The laborers are a big-hitter trade union and have often been generous with financial support for their favored candidates. That endorsement highlights the ongoing split between public-sector and trade unions supporting Johnson and Vallas, respectively.

Johnson also picked up an endorsement Friday from famed civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
The Supreme Court on Friday while hearing a petition by Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) seeking to convert 1.33 acres of land of the Supreme Court, allotted by the Centre,into a chamber block for lawyers, remarked how can it take over the buildings judicially, to expand its premises. The Supreme Court further suggested to take up the issue with the government administratively. A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, and also comprising Justice SK Kaul and Justice PV Narasimha expressed its inclination to take up the issue with the government on the administrative side. The court, which reserved the order, said that how can it do this judicially to take over all buildings across the Supreme Court including the Foreign Correspondents' Club. "We can take it up with the government administratively. This has been the old tradition of the judiciary in our country," the court said. Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for SCBA, said that several buildings were taken to expand Delhi High Court. The court said that this was done on the administrative decision taken by the government. CJI DY Chandrachud remarked that "lawyers are a part of the institution and said that if it uses judicial orders then the message will be like look what is the Supreme Court doing. You are taking judicial powers and using it for your expansion, today it is land, tomorrow it will be something else." The court cited the example of e-courts projects whereby the government allotted 7000 crores of funds for the project and said that the government does engage with them on the administrative side. Senior Advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing on the behalf of Supreme Court Advocate on Record Association, said about the requirement of chambers for AORs. She said that AORs, who are an integral part of the institution, need to have chambers close to the court. She asked for their requirements to be considered. The court said that it will take into account all stakeholders but on a proper administrative level. Senior Advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, who is chairperson of the Bar Council of India, said that the bar council has no place to accommodate some time when they have to conduct legal education programmes and seminars. Attorney General R Venkataramani said that the flexibility of the administrative side will be beneficial. After hearing the submission of all the parties, the court reserved the matter for order. When the hearing began, SCBA President Vikas Singh said that the bar is grateful to the court for hearing them and they will never do anything to undermine the authority of this institution irrespective of whatever happens in this case. The court was hearing a plea filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association. Senior Advocate Vikas Singh appeared for the association. The plea was filed through an advocate-on-record Yugandhara Pawar Jha. In the plea, SCBA has urged the top court to issue a direction to the Ministry of Urban Development to grant permission for the conversion of the entire land admeasuring 1.33 acres allotted to the Supreme Court behind the petrol pump near ITO as a chamber block for lawyers. The petitioner also sought to direct the ministry to convert the entire area around the Supreme Court as a Supreme Court Complex so that all the buildings across the Supreme Court on Bhagwan Das Road including the Foreign Correspondents Club of South Asia, Indian Law Institute, Indian Society of International Law among others can be utilized either for conversion into the chamber or for re-development as chamber block/use for the activities of the Supreme Court or for other amenities for lawyers. The plea also sought to issue direction to the ministry to allot the government bungalow presently being occupied by the Foreign Correspondents Club to the petitioner. (ANI)
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said crucial information has been revealed by Manish Sisodia during his custody while seeking extension of former Delhi's deputy chief minister's remand in connection with the Excise Policy case. ED further said, in view of the findings, we have issued summons to Rahul Singh, ex-Excise Commissioner, the then Excise Commissioner for March 20 (who was first issued summons for March 15 but had taken adjournment of at least 4 days as he is suffering from viral infection and fever). C Aravind, the then Secretary, Deputy CM for March 21, Dinesh Arora for March 17; and Amit Arora for March 20 have already been issued, said ED. The above findings and persons need to be confronted with Manish Sisodia, said ED. The Special Judge MK Nagpal on Friday noted the submissions of both sides reserve the order on remand application of ED. The order will be passed in sometime today. Appearing for Sisodia, Senior Advocate Mohit Mathur opposed the remand application of ED. "This change of phone was part of the CBI remand and is now the part of ED application. Personal liberty is paramount. The court is the custodian of our liberty. My liberty is at your hand. During 7 days of custody, they had only 4 people to be confronted. Confrontation need not custody," the lawyer added. Appearing for ED, Advocates Zohaib Hossain submitted that huge mail data, and mobile data all of that are being forensically analyzed. The mobile phone was changed the day when LG wrote to the CBI, which was used by Sisodia for a long time. Counsel for ED further submitted that the statements were confirmed by the recovery of the data received from the computer of the arrestee. Mobile data, email data, and cloud data were also received during the interpretation, ED said. Earlier, ED said, the act of pro-active destruction of evidence leads to only one inference that Manish Sisodia made conscious efforts to destroy evidence of the offence of money laundering, said Enforcement Directorate while seeking remand of Manish Sisodia in connection with the Excise Policy case. Appearing for ED, Advocates Zohaib Hossain and Naveen Kumar Matta had earlier submitted that even in the statement given by Manish Sisodia on March 7 and March 9, he has been untrue. "On being asked about his association with Dinesh Arora, who handled the transfer of kickbacks from the South Group to Vijay Nair, he gave an answer contrary to what has been revealed by independent persons/stakeholders. Sisodia was on Friday presented before the court at 2 pm after the end of his remand period in the case, granted earlier by the same court. The ED earlier also told the court that Manish Sisodia had purchased SIM cards and mobile phones in other people's names. There was a conspiracy behind framing the excise policy. The conspiracy was coordinated by Vijay Nair, along with others and the Excise policy was brought out for extraordinary profit margin for wholesalers, ED argued in the court. ED told the court that the margin of 12 per cent of wholesale profit margin to private entities was never discussed in the GoM meeting. The probe agency had also apprised the court about the meeting between Vijay Nair and K Kavitha (BRS MLC). ED stated that accused Butchibabu Gorantla disclosed a political understanding between then Dy CM Manish Sisodia and K Kavitha who also met Vijay Nair. Butchibabu is the former auditor of K Kavitha and is presently on bail. Countering Sisodia's lawyer's arguements, the ED lawyer told the court that if the policy is a matter of executive then there would not be a coal scam or a 2G scam. Earlier, Sisodia was arrested last week by ED in money laundering in connection with the excise policy case. He was arrested during his Judicial custody in Tihar Jail, where he was lodged in. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 9 arrested former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the liquor policy case, after hours of questioning at Tihar Jail. Sisodia was arrested by the CBI in the liquor policy case on February 26 and was sent to 14-day judicial custody on March 6. The ED also made another arrest in the case earlier, as it took Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai into its custody. The ED, on Thursday, summoned Bharatiya Rashtriya Samiti (BRS) MLC and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao's daughter K Kavitha for questioning in the liquor policy case. Sisodia was arrested by the CBI earlier in its ongoing investigation of a case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD). Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court sent him to Judicial Custody till March 20. (ANI)
Assam Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu on Friday said that the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) would announce a new date for the Assamese following the leakage and cancellation of the paper. "Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has advised SEBA to reschedule the Assamese exam also," Pegu said. Assam CM on Thursday evening informed about the leakage of the paper which was cancelled days after the General Science question paper leak of the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examination. "It has been brought to my notice that the arrested accused centre incharge of Luhit Khabalu HS School has, during interrogation, confessed to leaking Assamese paper as well. In view of this, I have advised SEBA to reschedule the Assamese exam also," Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted. On the other hand, Assam Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu said that SEBA has informed him that as advised by the Chief Minister, the examination of all Modern Indian Language (MIL) subjects, including English (IL) of HSLC scheduled for 18 March, will be rescheduled. "SEBA has informed me that as advised by HCM @CMOfficeAssam, the exam of all MIL subjects, including English (IL) of HSLC scheduled for 18 March, will be rescheduled. The new date will be announced tomorrow," Dr Ranoj Pegu said. According to Assam police, the alleged mastermind who is the teacher of Luhit Khabalu HS School of Lakhimpur district has been arrested by police. Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan, IGP (L&O) and Spokesperson of Assam police told ANI that, police have so far arrested 28 persons including students so far in connection with the question paper leakage case. "We arrested Pranab Dutta, a teacher of Luhit Khabalu HS School last night. So far, 28 persons have been arrested," Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan said. However, the state police have detained 22 people in connection with the General Science question paper leak in the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examination. Police detained people from Guwahati, North Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Sadiya, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia. "Further lawful action as mandated by law is being taken against them. We remain committed to unearthing the network of people involved in the leak of the question paper and the conspirators," said police. (ANI)
The second meeting of the newly formed Startup 20 Engagement Group under India's G20 Presidency will be held on March 18-19 in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. According to NITI Aayog, the meeting will invite delegates from G20 member and invitee countries, representatives from multilateral organisations, and stakeholders from the Indian startup ecosystem. Startup20 Chair Chintan Vaishnav stated that, "The Sikkim Sabha offers a unique opportunity to bring the Startup world to the pristine North East of India and showcase its unique and growing ecosystem." The Sikkim Sabha will forward the agenda finalised during the inception meeting held in Hyderabad on January 28-29 January with the support of all attendee delegates. During the inception meeting, the objectives, and deliverables of the three taskforces, namely Foundation and Alliances, Finance, and Inclusion and Sustainability, were reworked to incorporate suggestions from all the delegates. The Foundation and Alliances Taskforce will work to harmonize the global Startup ecosystem through consensus-based definitions. It will set up a global knowledge hub for startups that would showcase and share best practices within G20 countries. The taskforce will also create Bilateral and Multilateral collaborations with governments, policymakers, academic and research institutes, industry associations and international organizations with startups including those focusing on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), said the NITI Aayog statement. Finally, it will create mechanisms for global access to markets and talent for startups operating in G20 nations and recommend supportive policies for industry players and government organizations to work with startups. The Finance Taskforce will aim to increase access to capital for Startups by providing financing and investment platforms specifically to broaden the array of financial instruments available to Startups. It will provide ease of access towards patient capital with timely access through non-equity based financial products and allocate a specific sum of money to prioritized sectors. The taskforce will also harmonize tax and legal regulations to encourage public investment in startup funding and interact with the foreign investor ecosystem of G20 nations. Lastly, it will create pitching, capacity building and networking opportunities for startups with the global investor community through a best practices document on startup investments. The Inclusion and Sustainability Taskforce will identify the specific needs of startups/entrepreneurs led by women, PwDs, LGBTQ+, minorities, other groups; and support them through access to market, financial resources, training and government led support schemes and promote startups working towards making the world more inclusive on the back of technologies (eg assistive tech). The taskforce will also promote/support startups working towards the SDGs in terms of focused investment, incubation and mentorship support, cross-market access, enabling regulatory mechanisms etc. and encourage startups to adopt sustainable business models for their long-term profitability. At the Sikkim Sabha, the taskforce members (comprising of delegates from the G20 nations) of the Startup20 Engagement Group will be discussing and deliberating on the first draft of the official policy communique. The event will also host a variety of side events, Startup20X events, startups showcase at MG Marg, and delegates visit to the Rumtek Monastery. The first draft of the policy communique will be worked and reworked during the coming months and other intervening events which will be hosted by Startup20. Expected outcomes of Startup20 are the official Policy Communique, a Startup Handbook with a set of commonly agreed upon definitions and terminologies, a Global Innovation Centre to foster collaborations across borders, and promotion of Startup20 as a Global Point of Contact for startup ecosystems worldwide, the statement added. (ANI)
The President was welcomed by Swamiji Amritaswarupananda Puri, the Vice-Chairman of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math to the ashram and was greeted with traditional Indian hospitality, as Sannyasinis of the Ashram welcomed her by applying tilak on her forehead, garlanding her, and presenting her with a shawl.

During her visit, President Murmu had a half-hour meeting with Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, lovingly known as Amma.

The Governor of the State, Arif Mohammad Khan, accompanied the President on the visit.

Later, the President visited the Bhavatarini Temple of the Ashram and also held an informal meeting with six members of Mexico's Parliament who were visiting Amma as part of the Civil 20 (C20) and Group of 20 (G20) initiatives.

Amma is Chair of C20, an official engagement group of India's G20 Presidency that represents civil society and non-governmental organizations.

Dr Maneesha V Ramesh, Provost of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, gave a brief walkthrough on the humanitarian initiatives of the Ashram, highlighting its impact across the world.

Kollam District Collector Afsana Parween, Thiruvananthapuram Range DIG R. Nishanthini, and Kollam City Police Commissioner Merin Joseph also accompanied the President during her visit. (ANI)
Amid a sharp surge in H3N2 virus and covid cases in the country, Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel on Friday said that 100 per cent treatment of influenza is available and there is no need to fear. Rushikesh Patel said, "100 per cent treatment of influenza is available and there is no need to fear the virus but precautions have to be taken by all so that we can curb the spread till the end of March." "In recent times, influenza cases are being seen in the state. Category A - normal cough, Category B - constant cough and slight fever and Category C - the infection spreads to the lungs and the patient complains of high fever," he added. The Health Minister further said, "As per the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Indian Government guidelines, category Category A influenza can easily be cured, in Category B and C it is a bit concerned case but these can also be cured by taking proper medicine. We also have facilities to treat category C-type influenza. We have 2.75 lakh medicines and we have made the same available across the state, free of cost to treat the virus." "We can see a gradual increase in the covid cases and yesterday, 119 positive cases have been reported. So we have increased the number of tests and daily 8,000 to 10,000 tests are being done for covid. Seven patients are on ventilators but those are all senior citizens or have a comorbidity," he added. Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Thursday wrote to the State governments of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka to follow a five-fold strategy of test, track, treat and vaccinations as these states witness a rise in Covid-19 cases. India has observed a significant decline in the number of Covid-19 cases during the past few months. However, in the past few weeks a rise in cases has been noted specifically in certain parts of the country with a total of 2,082 cases reported in the week ending March 8, 2023, which rose to 3,264 cases in the week ending March 15, said the Union Home Ministry's letter. There are few States which are reporting a higher number of cases indicating the possible localized spread of infection and there is a need to follow a risk assessment-based approach to prevent and contain the infection, without losing the gains made so far in the fight against the pandemic, said the Union Health Ministry. Gujarat has reported an increase in weekly cases from 105 in the week ending March 8, 2023 to 279 in the week ending March 15. Further, the State reported a positivity rate of 1.11 per cent in the week ending March 15 which is higher than India's positivity rate of 0.61 per cent during the same period, the letter said. (ANI)
The central government on Friday announced the sites for setting up of seven PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks for the Textile industry. According to the Ministry of Textiles, the Parks will come up in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Inspired by the 5F vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (ie Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign), the PM MITRA Parks is a major step forward in realising the Government's vision of making India a global hub for textile manufacturing and exports. It is expected that these parks will enhance the competitiveness of the textiles industry by helping it achieve economies of scale as well as attract global players to manufacture in India. These seven sites were chosen out of 18 proposals for PM MITRA parks which were received from 13 States. Eligible States and sites were evaluated using a transparent Challenge Method based on objective criteria taking into account a variety of factors such as connectivity, existing ecosystem, textile/industry policy, infrastructure, utility services etc. PM Gati Shakti- National Master Plan for Multi-modal Connectivity was also used for validation. PM MITRA Parks will help in creating world-class industrial infrastructure that would attract large scale investment including foreign direct investment (FDI) and encourage innovation and job creation within the sector, said Textiles Ministry statement. The Ministry of Textiles will oversee the execution of these projects. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) owned by Centre and State Government will be set up for each park to oversee the project's implementation. The Ministry of Textiles will provide financial support in the form of Development Capital Support upto Rs 500 crore per park to the Park SPV. A Competitive Incentive Support (CIS) upto Rs 300 crore per park to the units in PM MITRA Park shall also be provided to incentivise speedy implementation. Convergence with other central government schemes shall also be facilitated in order to ensure additional incentives to the Master Developer and investor units. State governments will provide a contiguous and encumbrance-free land parcel of at least 1,000 acres of land and will also facilitate the provision of all utilities, Reliable Power Supply and Water availability and Waste Water Disposal system, an effective single window clearance as well as a conducive and stable industrial/textile policy. The parks will offer excellent infrastructure, plug-and-play facilities as well as training and research facilities for the industry. PM MITRA Parks represent a unique model where the Centre and State Governments will work together to increase investment, promote innovation, create job opportunities and ultimately make India a global hub for textile manufacturing and exports. Nearly Rs 70,000 crore investment and 20 lakhs employment generation is envisaged through these parks. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing on Congress leader Pawan Khera's plea seeking clubbing of FIRs registered against him and extended it interim relief till March 20. A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud adjourned the hearing on Pawan Khera's plea on the request made by his counsel. The court said that it will take up the matter on Monday. Earlier, in an affidavit, the Assam police and Uttar Pradesh police opposed Pawan Khera's plea seeking clubbing of FIRs. Assam police had questioned Khera over his apology before the court whereas UP police said that he is trying to stall investigations into deliberate utterances of defamatory words relating to one of the highest Constitutional functionaries of this country. The response of the UP and Assam police came on a counter affidavit filed in response to Khera's plea seeking clubbing of FIRs. In reply, Assam police had told the Supre Court a closer look at the available audio video clearly reveals that Pawan Khera has mischievously uttered sentences only with an extreme degree of irresponsibility and taking the level of discourse at its lowest. Assam Police had also told the Supreme Court that Pawan Khera has neither tendered any apology in the petition nor has tendered any apology after the Court passed an order on Feb 23 and the submission made before this top court tendering an apology clearly appears to be a practical submission to get a preventive order without any repentance. Assam Police also cited recent order passed by Apex court whereby it was stated that even an FIR registered subsequently as a leading FIR/First FIR and to be investigated by the investigating agency where the subsequent FIR has been registered. "Such decisions it is respectfully submitted, are taken on the basis of facts and circumstances of a case and Judicial discretion in this respect cannot be scuttled by contending any straight-jacket rule," Assam Government said. Assam Government opposed the prayer of transfer and clubbing of the FIRs. Three separate FIRs were registered against Pawan Khera for allegedly making an objectionable comment against Prime Minister. One was registered at Halflong Police Station in District Dima Hasao in Assam, and two in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow Police and Varanasi Police have lodged separate FIRs against Khera. Uttar Pradesh Police told the Supreme Court that any interference in the course of an investigation is impermissible, and Pawan Khera is not entitled to seek the intervention of the top court in the course of an investigation. UP police submitted that the relief which survives for consideration by the Court is limited to clubbing and consolidation of all FIRs, lodged pursuant to the deliberate attempt of the petitioner to denigrate a constitutional functionary, in one jurisdiction. UP Police said that Khera through his petition is trying to stall due investigations into deliberate utterances of defamatory words relating to one of the highest Constitutional functionaries of this Country. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court on Friday in its judgement stated that Union Ministry as well as the GNCTD shall forthwith attend to the requests of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for extension of sovereign guarantees/subordinate debt enabling it to liquidate its liabilities under the Award. The Bench of Justice Yashwant Varma on Friday has passed the judgement in the ongoing case of unpaid dues in the arbitral award won by the Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL) run by Reliance Infrastructure against DMRC. The bench said, "The decision be taken within a period of two weeks from today. If permission is accorded to the DMRC in respect of either of the two modes as suggested by it, it shall proceed to deposit the entire amount payable under the Award along with up-to-date interest in terms thereof within a period of one month therefrom." "If the Union Ministry or the GNCTD decline the request for providing sovereign guarantees or subordinate debt, the Union Ministry shall forthwith and at the end of two weeks, revert and repatriate all money received by it from DMRC post-March 10,2022, pursuant to its directives so as to ensure that the credit balance in the Total DMRC Funds, Total Project Funds and Total Other Funds reflects the balance as it existed on March 10, 2022," said the Court. "Upon receipt of the aforesaid money, DMRC shall forthwith transfer to the escrow account, an amount equivalent to the total amount payable in terms of the Award along with interest. In case of a failure on the part of parties to proceed in terms of the above directions, the entire amount standing to the credit of Total DMRC Funds, Total Project Funds and Total Other Funds as of today shall stand attached forthwith without reference to Court," said the Court Judgement. "In case DMRC fails to clear all outstanding amounts payable in terms of the Award despite the directions set forth above, the Court reserves the right to frame further appropriate directions against the Union Ministry and the GNCTD consequent to the corporate veil having been duly lifted as per the findings recorded hereinabove," added the court in order. The Delhi High Court recently impleaded Centre Government and Delhi Government as parties in the ongoing case of unpaid dues in the arbitral award won by the Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL) run by Reliance Infrastructure against DMRC. Delhi Govt's counsel in the matter earlier submitted that a shareholder cannot be held liable for a company's liabilities except in case of fraud etc. It is not the case of DAMEPL that there is any element of fraud for which Govt of Delhi can be held liable in the execution proceedings. Central Govt had earlier stated that there may be certain cases like force majeure etc when a decree may become un-executable either in law or on facts of the case. The Judge asked whether he should record this submission, to which the Addl. Solicitor General ( Chetan Sharma) said that it may not be recorded. Recently, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) told the Delhi High Court that a request has been made to its shareholders, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA) and Delhi Government a sum of Rs 3565.64 Crore may please be provided as interest-free subordinate debt at an early date. The affidavit filed by DMRC stated that "the decision of its Board of Directors, has approached its shareholders, i.e., GOI and GNCTD and had written letters dated 18.01.2023 to MOHUA and GNCTD, in which DMRC requested to MOHUA and GNCTD that a sum of Rs 3565.64 Crore may please be provided as interest-free subordinate debt at an early date so that the Supreme Court directions may be complied with. In December 2022, the Supreme Court directed the Delhi High Court to execute within three months the arbitral award of Rs 7,200 crore won by the Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL) run by Reliance Infrastructure against DMRC. The affidavit stated that this matter was discussed in the 148th Board Meeting of DMRC, held on January 16, 2023, and in view of GNCTD's disinclination and also in view of the inability of DMRC to raise money from the open market because of its adverse financial position, it was decided to approach both the shareholders i.e. GOI and GNCTD to share the total awarded amount of Rs. 7,131.28 Crore in equal proportion as interest-free subordinate debt. "Though this step of interest-free subordinate debt brings more financial burden on DMRC, however, the less financially burdensome option of issue of Equity Shares, which was explored earlier, failed to materialise," stated DMRC The matter was listed in Delhi High Court on Thursday, but later got adjourned for January 31, 2023, because of the non-availability of the Attorney General in the matter. Earlier, the government of NCT Delhi (GNCTD) informed DMRC that, "It is not inclined to provide money for payments arising out of disputes or contractual defaults to the Reliance Infrastructure subsidiary's Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL)." GNCTD said, "Shareholders cannot be held liable for payments arising out of disputes or contractual defaults. It is further submitted that DMRC may raise money from Open Market or through externally aided Funds or loans from the Government of India to meet this liability." The Court earlier made clear that if the amount is not paid within time, the Court shall be constrained to call the appearance of the Managing Director of the DMRC before this Court. The Delhi High Court earlier had directed DMRC to provide details of funds in its bank account in connection with a Reliance Infrastructure subsidiary's (DAMEPL) plea for the execution of an arbitral award against it. The Reliance Infrastructure subsidiary Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd (DAMEPL) had filed an application requesting Delhi High Court to direct Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC) to deposit Rs 6,208 crores available in its various bank accounts into the project escrow account without any delay. DAMEPL, in its application, had rejected any out-of-court negotiations/ settlement or assignment of debt to the DMRC. DAMEPL plea states, "The Decree Holder is not agreeable to settling the matter out of the Court. Accordingly, no alternate proposal by DMRC is acceptable to Decree Holder and it presses for the execution on merits at the earliest." The plea further stated, "The delay in payment by DMRC is causing immense prejudice to DAMEPL and its Promoter, Reliance Infrastructure Limited. In case the reliefs as sought for are not granted, the Decree Holder shall suffer irreparable loss and injury." The Supreme Court (SC), on 7 September 2021, upheld the arbitration award of Rs 7,200 crores in favour of DAMEPL. In 2008, DAMEPL entered into a contract with DMRC for running the airport metro line till 2038. As disputes arose between the parties, DAMEPL stopped operating the metro on the airport line and invoked the arbitration clause against DMRC alleging violation of contract, and sought a termination fee. (ANI)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed two chargesheets against a total of 68 Popular Front of India (PFI) leaders, cadres and members in two separate cases in Kochi (Kerala) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu). With these, the total number of chargesheets filed by NIA against PFI cadres this month has gone up to four. The first such chargesheet was filed in Jaipur on March 13 and the second in Hyderabad on March 16. The chargesheets filed on Friday in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the two states where PFI is the most active, relate to separate criminal conspiracies hatched by the PFI to create a wedge between people of different communities through the radicalisation of impressionable Muslim youth, providing them with training in handling of weapons, and raising funds for carrying out acts of terror and violence with the ultimate objective of establishing an Islamic Rule in India by 2047, said the NIA statement. Kerala PFI case was registered in September 2022 by the NIA to probe the criminal conspiracy hatched by the PFI and its leaders and cadres to create a wedge and between people of different communities through the radicalisation of impressionable Muslim youth, training them in handling of weapons and raising funds for carrying out acts of terror and violence with the ultimate objective of establishing an Islamic Rule in India by 2047. In addition to the above mentioned criminal conspiracy, the NIA has, in its Kerala chargesheet, also included the connected case of the brutal killing of a Palakkad resident, Sreenivasan, who was hacked to death by armed PFI cadres. NIA investigations had shown some of the accused in the PFI criminal conspiracy case (September 2022) to have been involved in the Sreenivasan killing too, according to an agency spokesperson. The accused in the two chargesheets filed today have been charged under various sections of IPC, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and the Arms Act, 1959. In the Kerala case, registered in September 2022, the chargesheet has been filed in the Special Court for NIA Cases, Ernakulam, against the PFI as an organisation and 58 other accused persons. NIA had arrested 16 of the accused after taking over the case in 2022, while the others were arrested earlier by Kerala Police. The Kerala chargesheet has been filed after searches conducted by the NIA at more than 100 locations across the state. The NIA has also attached 17 properties as they were identified as 'proceeds of terrorism' and frozen 18 bank accounts of the accused during the course of its investigations. Investigations in the case revealed that the accused had been conspiring to drive a wedge between different communities and groups living in India, spread the concept of violent extremism and Jihad in India with the objective of dismembering the country and taking it over by establishing Islamic Rule in India by 2047. To achieve these objectives, PFI established various wings and units, such as 'Reporters Wing', 'Physical and Arms Training Wing' and 'Service Teams', said the NIA statement. Investigations by the NIA revealed that PFI was using its various campuses, facilities and infrastructure to impart arms training to selected cadres in the guise of physical education, yoga training etc. They also established a 'Reporters Wing' and 'Service Teams or Hit Teams' to eliminate their 'targets'. Whenever required, PFI pressed into service its loyal and highly trained cadres of their 'Service Teams', as 'executioners' of the Orders pronounced by their parallel Courts, called 'Dar-ul-Qaza'. In a separate case registered and investigated by NIA Branch Office in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, NIA has also filed a chargesheet against 10 accused on Thursday. This case was also registered in September 2022 to probe the criminal conspiracy, hatched by the PFI and its leaders to divide people based on religious affiliations through radicalization and weapons training. Some of the prominent PFI leaders and office bearers chargesheeted in this case on Friday include Abdul Sathar state general secretary, Yahiya Koya Thangal state executive member, Shihas MH Ernakulam zonal secretary, alongwith district secretaries/president sainudhen TS, Sadik AP, CT Sulaiman and PK Usman state general secretary Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) Kerala. In the Tamil Nadu case, the chargesheet filed before the NIA Special Court Chennai has named 10 accused, including Khalid Mohammed, the state vice president of PFI. This case was also registered in September 2022, when nine of the accused were arrested by NIA. The 10th accused was taken into custody a few months later. NIA investigations in the case had shown that the accused had conducted radicalization programmes to motivate, instigate and recruit gullible Muslim youth, who were then provided weapons training in training camps. PFI cadres used to carry out instructions of PFI office bearers and leaders to conduct recce and attack adversaries and commit unlawful and violent activities. (ANI)
China urges U.S. to cease slandering Chinese military

Xinhua) 08:15, March 17, 2023

BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday urged the United States to immediately cease making irresponsible comments about and slandering the Chinese military.

The Chinese military has been dealing with air and maritime encounters with foreign military forces in accordance with laws and regulations, and has always been a staunch force for world peace, said Tan Kefei, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, in response to a media inquiry about the recent comments from the United States Department of Defense concerning the Chinese military.

China firmly upholds the freedom of navigation and overflight by all countries in accordance with international law, and safeguards the security of sea passages, as noted in the white paper titled "China's National Defense in the New Era," the spokesperson said.

On the contrary, the U.S. side has been leveraging its hegemonic military power to execute coercion, lockdowns and warfare around the world, seek exclusionary blocs and incite confrontation, posing the greatest threat to global peace and stability, Tan said.

The Chinese military is willing to join hands with military forces from other countries to resolutely deliver on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, fulfill its international responsibilities and obligations, and make positive contributions to building a human community with a shared future, said Tan.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
After the state Democratic Party filed a complaint against him for failing to disclose more than $1 million in receipts to the political action committee he runs, right-wing radio talk show host and GOP political operative Dan Proft is blaming the discrepancy on a near $3 million typo.

Proft on Wednesday filed a new campaign finance report for the independent expenditure PAC that he runs called People Who Play By The Rules.

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In a quarterly campaign report filed Jan. 20, covering October through December of last year, the PAC reported a negative balance of $1.2 million, after raising $17.4 million and spending $18.6 million.

[ Democrats file another election complaint against Dan Profts political operation, alleging $1.2 million in undisclosed contributions ]

Negative balances cannot be reported unless a committee receives a loan or other receipts or lists a debt. The Jan. 20 report showed no loans, debts or other receipts, prompting a complaint to the Illinois State Board of Elections by the Democratic Party of Illinois.

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In the amended report filed Wednesday, Proft showed what had been originally reported as a $3,000,078.33 expenditure for advertising on CBS-2 Chicago was in reality a $300,078.33 ad buy  $2.7 million less than originally reported.

As a result, instead of having a negative cash balance, the PAC reported an ending balance of $1.5 million in cash available after raising about $17.3 million and spending nearly $15.9 million in the quarter.

The complaint, filed Tuesday by Ben Hardin, the executive director of the Democratic Party of Illinois, accused Proft of committing one of his most egregious violations of the law yet by failing to disclose all of his PACs financial records completely and accurately.

Officials with the state Democratic Party said they were in the process of withdrawing their complaint.

Were glad to have helped Dan Proft find his missing $2.7 million, said state Democratic Party spokesperson Kiera Ellis. One would have thought that someone who runs Play By The Rules PAC wouldnt need an election complaint to balance his books.

Profts independent expenditure PAC was almost entirely funded by conservative billionaire megadonor Richard Uihlein, the founder of the Uline office supply and packaging firm.

The PAC spent tens of millions of dollars in support of far-right GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Baileys unsuccessful bid against Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker in November.

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Uihlein has long been Profts financial patron. Records show Uihlein gave the People Who Play By The Rules PAC $42 million, including roughly $34 million from the time Bailey won the GOP nomination for governor in late June up to the November contest.

Democrats previously filed a complaint on Nov. 4, just prior to the general statewide election, alleging Profts PAC illegally coordinated with Baileys campaign. As an independent expenditure PAC, People Who Play By The Rules is not allowed to coordinate spending activities with a political candidate.

[ Conservative GOP operative Dan Profts involvement in Bailey campaign matter raises questions about his role ]

The Tribune previously reported Proft tried to intercede in an internal dispute between the Bailey campaign and one of his former political workers over an unspecified human resources matter. The complaint noted Profts involvement in the personnel incident and also alleged that illegal coordination between Proft and Bailey occurred involving Baileys appearances on Profts conservative radio talk show.

The complaint also accused Proft, who lives in Naples, Florida, of consistently acting in cooperation, consultation, or concert with the Bailey campaign. It contended his communications amounted to improper in-kind contributions  donated services or expenses that help campaigns.

That complaint was ruled by a hearing officer to have been filed on justifiable grounds and the full state elections board is scheduled to hold a hearing in coming weeks.

rap30@aol.com
The two Indian Army personnel sacrificed their lives in the line of duty on Thursday while they were on an operational sortie in Arunachal Pradesh.

"Obeisance was paid with full military honours at Tezpur to the mortal remains of Lt Col VVB Reddy and Maj Jayanth A of Army Aviation, who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty on March 16 while on an operational sortie in Arunachal Pradesh," read the Indian Army release.

Defence Guwahati Public Relations Officer Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Rawat said that the wreath was laid on behalf of a grateful nation for the untiring service to the nation by the officers.

The mortal remains have been moved to their home towns Yadadri (near Hyderabad), Telangana and Madurai, Tamil Nadu in a Special Military Plane, it added.

Officials said that an Indian Army Aviation Cheetah helicopter flying an operational sortie near Bomdila in Arunachal Pradesh crashed near the Mandala hills area of the state on Thursday.

Rawat said that the aircraft was reported to have lost contact with the Air Traffic Controller at around 9.15 am on Thursday.

Previously, thirteen 13 Indian Air Force personnel died after an AN-32 aircraft crashed on June 3, 2019, after taking off from Assam's Jorhat.

The aircraft was headed for Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in Arunachal Pradesh when it lost contact with ground authorities at around 1 pm.

After a massive search and rescue operation for eight days, during which assets from several agencies were deployed, the wreckage of the aircraft was located by a Mi-17 chopper.

The remains of IAF personnel were retrieved on June 20 from Arunachal Pradesh where the plane crashed.

The wreckage was located 16 km north of Lipo in Arunachal Pradesh at an elevation of 12,000 feet. (ANI)
NEP (National Education Policy) will serve as the medium for everyone to showcase their worth and utilise their potential to the core, said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday. Terming the New Education Policy as India's most significant reform amid Covid-19 period, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said, "NEP (National Education Policy) will serve as the medium for everyone to showcase their worth and utilise their potential to the core." He further termed the NEP as India's most significant reform amid the Covid-19 period. Addressing the convocation ceremony of the Tirthankar Mahavir University in Moradabad, the CM said, "The convocation doesn't mark the end but it paves the way in the right direction, for an individual to further excel in life." CM Yogi said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country set the best example of Covid management in the world. "In the fight against Covid, the whole country came forward together and followed discipline. Even the Tirthankar Mahavir University and Medical College came forward to save lives," he said. He further said that during the Covid-19 period, India became the first country to give free vaccines to the world. "The country not only saved its people but also provided shelter and free foodgrains to the needy. Remember Prime Minister's 'panch prann' of developed India, freedom from every thought of slavery, pride in heritage, unity-solidarity and duty of citizens," Yogi said. Referring to the construction of the Ram temple, and the revival of Kashi Vishwanath Dham, Kedar Nath, and Mahakal Dham, CM Yogi said that this is the golden period of India. Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna and BJP State President Bhupendra Singh Chowdhary remained present during the occasion. On the occasion, CM Yogi honored the meritorious students by giving them gold medals, titles and degrees. He distributed degrees to 5988 students in 2020-21-22. In this, 104 gold, 103 silver and 98 students were honored with bronze medals. (ANI)
The Delhi High Court on Friday granted bail to Delhi-based Shakti Bhog Foods Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Kewal Krishan Kumar in a money laundering case. The High Court granted relief considering the age of the accused and his medical history. It also noted the fact that the investigation related to the accused is complete but the chargesheet has not been filed yet. He has been in custody for the last 18 months. While granting bail to Kumar, the High Court said that a person who is infirm would still be entitled to seek the benefit of the exceptions in the proviso to Section 45 (1) PMLA Act. "Since 'sick' and 'infirm' are separated by 'or', consequently, a person who, though, not sick but infirm would still be entitled to seek the benefit of the exception in the proviso to section 45(1) PMLA and vice-versa," Justice Jasmeet Singh said in the judgement. "Mere old age does not make a person 'infirm' to fall within section 45(1) proviso. Infirmity is defined as not something that is only relatable to age but must consist of a disability which incapacitates a person to perform ordinary routine activities on a day-to-day basis," the Court observed. Justice Singh also referred to the lexicon meaning of "infirm" in Stroud's Judicial Dictionary of Words and Phrases, Eight Edition connotes infirmity as "some permanent disease, accident, or something of that kind". The High Court noted that a perusal of the Applicant's medical records shows that he has had seizure disorders and mild behavioural disorder (BPAD) which coupled with old age is a cause of concern. Requiring an attendant for quotidian activities further goes to show the seriousness of the Applicant"s infirmities. The Counsel for the accused informed the court that the Applicant is 70 years of age and has a chronic medical history having undergone bariatric surgery and a chronic case of varicose veins and is functioning with 20 per cent stomach capacity due to bariatric surgery. In addition, he has gallbladder stones (Cholelithiasis). The Applicant is also suffering from seizure and behavioural disorders and hypertension. The High Court also noted that the accused was arrested in the present case on July 4,2021. He was on interim bail for a period of 31 days from June 10, 2022 to July 11, 2022 on medical grounds. The application for an extension of interim bail was rejected and pursuant thereto, the applicant surrendered. As per the allegations levelled by Enforcement Directorate, on December 31, 2020, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR on the complaint of the State Bank of India against the applicant and other accused Persons regarding bank fraud committed during 2013-2017. The allegations were that Shakti Bhog Foods Limited (SBFL), where the applicant was one of the directors, promoter and guarantor and had availed of various loan facilities from a consortium of banks led by State Bank of India from 2006 onwards, and in order to acquire more loan funds from Banks, the company resorted to round-tripping and money laundering using its various group companies as platforms. It was further alleged that SBFL had rotated its funds to group companies in the form of share investment, share application money, share premium, inter-corporate deposits, compulsorily convertible debentures, loans and advances and inter-group purchases with the sole intent to launder and change colour of these loan funds from liabilities to assets. The role ascribed to the Applicant in the prosecution complaint is that the Applicant was a director, guarantor and promoter of SBFL. He in cohorts with other accused persons generated and acquired proceeds of crime by availing loan from a consortium of banks after submitting fake invoices of shell companies, fake transport documents for LC payments, forged and inflated financials and Monthly Stock Statements/ DP Statements. He knowingly and deliberately concealed the actual financial condition of the group companies from lending banks and misled them to sanction credit facilities and loans. The agency alleged that the accused diverted the funds released by the banks to group companies and the disbursed funds were utilised for purposes other than for which it was sanctioned, thereby cheating the banks. He was also instrumental in routing and re-routing the borrowed funds through group companies and shell companies and ultimately used for purchasing of various assets, ED said. The complaint stated that the applicant was a master of the entire scheme to dupe the banks of public money. He was a direct beneficiary of the proceeds of crime and therefore, liable for the offence under section 3 PMLA. (ANI)
"No alliance with anyone. We are going alone. We are fighting alone. We will come (to power) alone," Shivakumar told ANI.

Shivakumar took part in the party's Central Election Committee meeting to decide candidates for the assembly polls.

Party sources said candidates have been finalised for more than 100 seats. They also said that all sitting MLAs will not be repeated and the party will drop few sitting legislators.

They said the first list will be out in a few days.

The CEC meeting was chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by party leaders Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, Siddaramaiah, Mukul Wasnik and Randeep Singh Surjewala and other members of the panel.

Surjewala is the AICC general secretary incharge of the state.

The Karnataka assembly elections are likely to be held in April-May. Political parties including the BJP and Janata Dal-Secular have intensified their campaign in the southern state. The polls are being seen as particularly crucial for Congress for its national ambitions for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. (ANI)
According to the police statement, on March 2, 2023, the CID wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police gave information to the Police about the arrival of an impersonator in Kashmir.

SSP Srinagar immediately sent a team led by SP East to the Lalit hotel, the statement added.

The particulars of this person were found as Kiran Bhai Patel son of Juddesh Bhai Patel resident of Ahmadabad, Gujarat who was impersonating himself as Additional Director (Strategy and campaigns) PMO New Delhi, the statement said.

As his replies were found suspicious, he was taken to Police Station Nishat wherein he admitted his crime. Ten fake visiting cards and two mobiles were seized from him, the statement added.

Cases under sections 419,420,467,468, and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) were registered in Police Station Nishat on March 2, 2023, and the investigation was taken up.

According to the statement, a team of SP East Srinagar, SDPO Nehru Park, and SHO Nishat are leading the investigation.

The accused Kiran Bhai Patel was arrested on March 3, 2023, and is in police remand up to March 17, 2023, the statement added.

Many relevant persons have been examined in this case. The case is at the initial stage of the investigation. Further details of this case will be shared later on, the statement said. (ANI)
The Assam Police have arrested 27 people so far in connection with the leakage of the question paper of the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examination which was scheduled earlier on March 13, said the officials on Friday. "Police have so far arrested 27 persons and detained four others in connection with the case of question paper leak of High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examination conducted by Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA)," Assam DGP GP Singh. Addressing a press conference held in Guwahati, the Assam DGP said that police have cracked down the entire chain of the question paper leak incident and arrested 27 persons and detained four others. He further said that four other persons have been detained in the case. "Two teachers have been identified as the masterminds of the HSLC examination paper leak. We have detained one of two and another is still absconding and I hope we will catch him soon. We will arrest Pranab Dutta, the headteacher and centre in charge of Luhit Khabalu High School of Majuli, who is also one of the masterminds," GP Singh said. The Assam DGP also said that another mastermind is Kumud Rajkhowa, a teacher of Daflakata High School in Lakhimpur district, who is a close associate of Pranab Dutta and police will catch him soon. The Assam DGP further said that police recovered remnants of burnt question papers from the house of Pranab Dutta and those are being sent for forensic examination. HSLC or Matric Science exam was scheduled for March 13 but was cancelled in view of media reports of leakage of the question paper. However, Assam High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) General Science paper will now be held on March 30. Meanwhile, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday evening informed about the leakage of the paper which was cancelled days after the General Science question paper leak of the HSLC examination. (ANI)
A Bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sudhanshu Dhulia passed the order while hearing the Punjab Government's plea against the High Court order.

Punjab and Haryana High Court in August 2022 granted bail to Majithia.

Majithia surrendered after the expiry of the protection period.

The apex court on January 31, 2022, had granted protection to Majithia from arrest till February 2023, in view of the February 20 assembly polls to contest as a SAD candidate from the Amritsar East assembly constituency.

Majithia who was a former minister in the state said, "The cases were politically motivated, contending they had already been investigated by high-ranking police officers."

On March 20, 2022, in his first orders to Punjab Police after assuming charge, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann reconstituted the four members Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the drugs case against Majithia.

The previous SIT was a three-member team.

The SIT was formed to probe allegations against Majithia based on an FIR lodged under various sections of the NDPS Act on December 20, 2021. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed the arrangements for the G20 meeting at the Chief Minister's Camp Office on Friday. The Chief Minister instructed to complete all the necessary arrangements on time for the first meeting of the G20 to be held in Ramnagar at the end of this month. The Chief Minister gave instructions to ensure that there is no deficiency in the arrangements for the event. In the meeting, Commissioner Kumaon and District Officers Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital were also associated with the meeting through video conferencing with Chief Secretary Dr SS Sandhu and high officials of the government. The Chief Minister said, "There is a good opportunity for Uttarakhand to be recognized at the world level by the G20 meetings being held in the state." He also instructed the concerned officers to ensure timely arrangements for this event. The Chief Minister said, "This is also an opportunity to acquaint the whole world with the state's rich cultural heritage, tourism and biodiversity, for which better arrangements should be made at all levels." He instructed the District Magistrate Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital that the road from Pantnagar to Ramnagar should be streamlined. Along with the repair of roads, special attention should be given to cleanliness, security and beautification of the areas around the road. He said, "This is also a good opportunity to give recognition to the local products of Uttarakhand at the national and international levels. It should be ensured that the uniqueness of the products that we can get global recognition on a large scale is identified." The Chief Minister has instructed the officials that stalls based on local products of Uttarakhand should be set up at the venue of the G20 meetings. Cultural programs should be organized to promote the rich cultural heritage of Uttarakhand. Arrangements for Yoga and Panchakarma should be made at the venue. He said, "Suggestions of political and social organizations should also be taken for better organization of G20 meeting to be held in the state." In this regard, he also stressed the promotion of widespread public awareness. (ANI)
The operation was carried out by Red Shield Division of the Indian Army, under the aegis of Spear Corps with Lekhapani Police at Bisa Gaon.

The operation was launched on a specific input regarding the movement of a suspected cadre with weapon in the general area Lekhapani.

According to Army, the apprehended person was identified as Subash Chetry (30). He is a resident of Dibong Bari. One 7.62 mm pistol with four live rounds was recovered from him.

Later, during the joint interrogation, the man confessed that he had links with ULFA (I) outfit. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to examine a plea of a Muslim woman who claimed that the partition of the property as per Shariat Law is discriminatory. A bench of justices Krishna Murari and Sanjay Karol issued notice to the petitioner's 11 siblings. "Considering the facts, both parties are directed to maintain status quo in respect of nature and possession over the property as it exists today," the court said. The court was hearing a petition filed by Bushara Ali, challenging the Kerala High Court order dated January 6, 2023. Kerala HC on January 6 rejected her plea challenging a trial court order whereby as per preliminary decree dated January 19,1995, she was allotted 7/152 shares of items 1 and 2 of plaint schedule property having 1.44 acres each. As per the petitioner, she was only allotted 4.82 cents of property. The grievance of the petitioner was that in spite of the guarantee of the Constitution, Muslim women are subjected to discrimination. She submitted that the partition of the property as per Shariat Law is discriminatory and the same needs to be set aside. The Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, to the extent of not giving an equal share to a female compared to a male is violative of Article 15 of the Constitution and therefore void as per Article 13 of the Constitution, the petitioner said. The petitioner was represented by advocate on record Bijo Mathew Joy, and advocates Manu Krishnan and Atul Sohan. The petitioner submitted that her father died intestate leaving behind his wife, seven sons and five daughters. "Being a daughter, as per Shariat Law, Petitioner was only allotted 1/2 the shares as of her male counterparts i.e, Petitioner was allotted 7/152 shares whereas her male counterparts were granted 14/152 shares," the woman said in her plea. The lady claimed that the trial court and High Court have erroneously dismissed her plea. (ANI)
Speak Out is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you theres something youd like to comment on, send an email to ksorensen@tribpub.com. Please include speak out in the subject line.

Must be nice: Illinois governor/trust fund baby has forced private businesses to give their employees, for any reason, one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked, while those businesses receive nothing for that hour except temporary short-handedness and an expensive hour of lost production. J.B.s last mandate for private businesses was his brilliant COVID dictate that resulted in untold small businesses closing permanently, putting countless people out of work. I wonder what its like to be able to spend other peoples money freely.

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Not all lives equal: I see that South Carolina is not only the citadel of the Old South but of hayseed hypocrisy as well. The state legislature is now trying to pass a law that anyone getting an abortion is subject to the death penalty. So much for keeping alive the solemn belief in the sanctity of human life.

No accountability: One year after the slap heard round the world, Will Smith is now hurt and offended by Chris Rocks recent remarks regarding the incident. That, in a nutshell, is whats so wrong with our society today. That is, no one is responsible, much less accountable for their actions. So-called news organizations are allowed to spread untruths with impunity while reality stars turned politicians are free to undermine our democracy with calls for insurrection. You have to wonder why anyone would believe in anything anymore.

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Fox News still my channel: After all the derogatory comments about Fox News recently, Id just like to say Ill watch that channel any day over the far left so-called journalists on CNN, MSNBC and others. Also, Fox news tells people to go to church on Sundays, and what could be better than telling their audience that? As our Holy Bible says, you know people by their fruit. Matthew 7: 15-20.

Big picture not shown: Does anyone actually believe that the media doesnt focus on the most action in a story? If videoing a crowd, will they focus on those milling around or those yelling, screaming and breaking things? Get real. That is what they did on Jan 6. They rarely pulled back and showed the big picture. That is called misleading.

Theres a difference: Wokeism is not communism. It is treating all people the same as human beings.

Fascism in Florida: Ron DeSantis is attempting to dismantle public education as we know it. Next, he will use that same Orwellian approach to attack the press. Thats not culture war, its fascism. He would love to overturn previously settled law on restrictions to sue the media for criticizing government officials. Even more worrisome, Supreme Court justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch seem to be open to the idea. Ive got a suggestion for a DeSantis campaign slogan: make Russia great again!
Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader and West Bengal Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari on Friday lashed out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and termed her a "fake Hindu". Suvendu Adhikari took a dig after CM Banerjee's meeting with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Kolkata today. In a program today, he said, "Mamata Banerjee is a fake Hindu. That's why people don't believe her." Launching an attack on Samajwadi Party, he said, "Samajwadi Party is a regional party of Uttar Pradesh. Before the elections, the party got a response from the people there. Samajwadi Party's alliance partner has also gone away." "Akhilesh Yadav could not bring his family members under one umbrella. But he is meeting Mamta Banerjee here," he added. He further said, "Everyone knows what happened to those who shook hands with Mamata Banerjee. They would drink tea together and discuss how to deal with CBI and ED. Nothing will work." Elaborating on Ram Temple construction, he said, "Ram Temple will be established in Uttar Pradesh in January 2024. This time around one crore people will participate in the Ram Navami festival in Bengal, he claimed. 10,000 processions will be taken out." Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav on Friday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party over "unemployment and price rise" and alleged there is no action by probe agencies against those who join the ruling party at the Centre. Addressing a workers' meeting on Saturday, Yadav also congratulated the people of West Bengal for defeating BJP and voting Trinamool Congress back to power in the last assembly polls. "I congratulate the people of Kolkata for defeating BJP and voting for Didi. Samajwadi Party will do everything for saving the constitution. BJP is accusing Congress of defaming the nation but UP CM also disrespected the constitution, BJP must listen to that," Yadav said. "Unemployment and cost of living have increased so much. No ED, CBI raid on those who have joined their (BJP) party. Whoever has disrespected the constitution, we will fight them. We will save the constitution at every cost," he added. (ANI)
A Delhi Court on Friday awarded a compensation of more than Rs one crore to Tamanna Sharma, a resident of Haryana's Gurugram, who met with an accident in December 2016 and had multiple injuries all over the body. She lost her right leg in the accident caused by the negligent driving of the DTC bus driver. She has suffered 80 per cent permanently disabled in her right limb after the accident. Her right leg had come under the front tyre of the DTC Bus and could not be saved during the treatment. At the time of the accident, she was 22 and a student in her MSc second year. The Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT) Presiding Officer Ekta Gauba Mann awarded a compensation of Rs. 1,04,62,000 and directed the public sector insurance company to pay the same within 30 days. The Court said that the insurance company is directed to pay Rs 1,04,62,000 to the petitioner as compensation within 30 days from today failing which, it would be liable to pay further interest at the rate of 9 per cent per annum on the amount of Rs 69,38,467 from the date of award till its realization. Interim amount, if any paid to the petitioner be deducted from this amount. The Court said petition is allowed and an award of Rs 1,04,62,000 which includes 67 months and 21 days interest at the rate of 9 per cent per annum from the date of filing the petition till the date of award is passed in favour of the petitioners and against the insurance company. The Court said that admittedly the vehicle was insured. However, Insurance Company has taken certain technical pleas, but no witness has been examined nor any document has been placed on record to support the contention of its counsel and admittedly it has no statutory defence. The victim had filed a petition against Driver Rakesh Kumar, Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), United India Insurance company seeking a compensation of Rs two crores. The petitioner is of 22 years of age and was a student of MSc second year. She was earning a monthly income of Rs 20000 by imparting tuition. Due to the grievous injuries inflicted in the accident, she was in the hospital for 14 days. In brief, the facts of the case are that on December 28 in 2016, the petitioner and her grandmother were returning from Narela to Bahadurgarh on a DTC bus and at about 8.30 in the morning, they de-boarded the said DTC bus but driver Rakesh Kumar of said DTC bus without caring for the passenger started the bus in rash and negligent manner and in a hurry. As a result of which, the right leg of the petitioner came under the front wheel of the said DTC bus. The petitioner suffered multiple grievous injuries all over her body. She was taken to R.J. Super Specialty Hospital, Bahadurgarh, for treatment. It was stated in the petition that during the treatment her right leg could not be saved and she spent more than Rs 10 lakh on her treatment, medicines, conveyance charges, attendant etc. and she required Rs 6 lakh for her future medical treatment. The petitioner has claimed a total compensation of Rs 2 crores on various heads. Respondents' driver and DTC in their joint written statement stated that Rakesh Kumar was not driving the vehicle negligently and it is a false case against them. Their vehicle was duly insured and they have all valid documents. They denied all other facts of the accident. Though the Insurance company had not disputed the accident and the fact that the vehicle was duly insured with it on the date of the accident. However, it has taken the plea that in case it is found that there is any breach of terms and conditions of the insurance policy, then it is not liable to pay any compensation. It was further alleged that the accident had occurred due to sole negligence on the part of the petitioner herself. The Insurance Company had denied its liability on certain other technical grounds as well. (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will hand over appointment letters to 496 officers selected in various departments in a grand programme in Lucknow on March 20. During the event, appointment letters will be given to the successful candidates of the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission examination. To be held at Lok Bhawan Auditorium, the programme will be organized as a part of the 'Mission Rozgar' run by the state government. The Chief Minister will also inaugurate the 'e-adhiyachan Portal' on this occasion. Among the candidates who are being given appointment letters, maximum 78 appointment letters are related to Housing and Urban Planning Department. The CM will distribute appointment letters to candidates selected on posts like Assistant Civil Engineer, Assistant Electrical Engineer and Engineer of Housing Development Council, said the official statement. Apart from this, 60 candidates will be given appointment letters for the posts of Manager (Administration/General), Finance and Accounts Officer and Assistant Store Purchase Officer under the Industrial Development Department. Additionally, 52 candidates each are from the Department of Revenue and the Department of Appointment and Personnel. Fifty appointment letters will be given to newly selected veterinary officers in the Livestock and Dairy Development Department. In the Public Works Department, 44 candidates will get appointment letters selected as Assistant Engineer. In addition, appointment letters will be given to selected candidates for the positions of Deputy Warden and Superintendent Prison, Deputy Registrar, and Block Development Officer in the departments of Stamp and Registration, Rural Development, and Prison Administration and Reforms. As many as 31 candidates will be given appointment letters in each of these departments. On the other hand, appointment letters will be given to officers selected for 29 posts (Deputy Superintendent of Police and Fire Officer) in Home Department, 15 posts (Assistant Civil/Mechanical Engineer) in Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply, 12 posts (Assistant Civil Engineer) in Rural Engineering Department and 11 posts (Assistant Engineer/Executive Officer Category-1/Assistant Municipal Commissioner) in Urban Development Department. A total of 13 departments will get new officers through this programme. (ANI)
A Delhi Court on Friday directed to frame charges against 19 accused persons under sections related to conspiracy for rioting, promoting enmity between two groups, arson, dacoity, murder etc. The accused persons also include a school owner. This incident of rioting pertains to the area of Dayal Pur in February 2020. This case pertains to an alleged incident of rioting, arson, and vandalism in a school during the riots on February 24, 2020. It is alleged that during the incident, one of the accused fired at one of the victims. "Members of the mob were determined to harm Hindus by all means, including killing them. Accordingly, the mob was also determined to cause loss to DRP School by all means," the Court said. The court directed to frame charges under Section 153 A (1)(b) and said, "In this case, accused persons indulged in targeting the properties of Hindus and their such acts were apparently prejudicial to the harmony between communities of Muslims and Hindus." The judge further said that the accused disturbed the public tranquillity through their actions. "Accused Faisal Farooq facilitated this mob to attack upon the property belonging to Hindus including DRP School. Therefore, all named accused are also liable under this provision," the judge said. All these acts prima facie show a case against him for an offence punishable under section 1208 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with 147/148/153A/302/395/427/435/436/450 IPC; for an offence punishable under section 153A and 585 IPC, as well as for offence punishable under section 147/148/307/395/427/435/436/450 IPC read with 1208 IPC. Additional Sessions Judge (AS3) Pulastaya Pramachala directed to frame charges against the accused persons namely Faisal Farooq, Shahrukh Malik, Shahnawaz alias Shanu, Rashid alias Monu, Mohd. Faisal, Mohd. Sohaib alias Chhutwa, Shahrukh, Azad, Ashraf Ali, Parvez, Aarif, Sirajuddin, Faizan, Irshad, Anis Qureshi, Md. Parvez, Md. Illyas, Md. Furkan, and Mohd. Ansar in the matter. "I find that (1) accused persons are liable to be tried for offences punishable under section 1206 read with 147/148/153A/302/395/427/435/436/450 IPC," ASJ Pramachala said. The Court also directed to frame additional charges against the accused persons namely Shahrukh Malik, Shahnawaz alias Shanu, Rashid alias Monu, and Mohd. Faisal, Mohd. Sohaib alias Chhutwa, Shahrukh, Azad, Ashraf All, Parvez, Aarif, Sirajuddin, Faizan, Irshad, Anis Qureshi, Md. Parvez, Md. Illyas, Md. Furkan, and Mohd. Ansar, The Court directed to frame additional charges against the accused Faisal Farooq in the matter. The court said that the accused is also liable to be tried for an offence punishable under sections 147/148/387/395/427/435/436/450 IPC read with 1208 IPC, and for an offence punishable u/s 153A and 505 IPC, the court directed. The Court said that it is apparent that the accused Faisal Farooq was not in the mob, which attacked DRP School. "For the purpose of invoking 5.149 IPC, it is necessary that such accused is shown to be a member of the unlawful assembly during the commission of alleged acts, which were committed in pursuance to the common object of the assembly," the court said. The court further noted that since the accused Faisal was not physically present there with the mob, therefore, section 149 IPC cannot be invoked against him. "But his (Faisal Farooq) school was made based on this mob and Faisal did allow the same. Arrangements were also made in his school to throw petrol bombs etc. by catapult," the judge noted. The court further said that all these acts of the accused show that he had a meeting of mind with other members of this mob for facilitating an attack against the properties of Hindus and DRP School. "He also made a provocative statement against Hindus, which had the effect of encouraging hatred between the community of Hindu and Muslim," the court observed. The prosecution has placed on the record a list of articles, as provided by the complainant, which was allegedly damaged in this case, the court said in the order. The Court also directed to frame additional charges under Arms Act against the accused Mohd. Ansar. The Court said that the accused Mohd. Ansar is also liable to be tried for offences punishable under sections 25 and 27 Arms Act. "Accused Ansar was identified as the person, who fired at Roop Singh. A pistol with two live cartridges was also recovered at his instance. Therefore, a case for an offence punishable u/s 25 and 27 Arms Act is made out against him," the Court said. As far as Section 307 IPC is concerned, it has come in the statement of the witness Roop Singh that there had been firing From the side of a mob towards him and that accused Ansar had fired towards him. "The mob was exhorting to kill Hindu, after seeing him and the same was followed by firing at him. All these circumstances do show that firing at him was done as part of the common object of the mob to kill Hind. The statement of Yatender Sharma and other persons from DRP School does show that articles were damaged and burnt inside the school, which had value more than Rs. 100," the court added. "The complaint of February 28 in 2020 of Yatender Sharma read along with statements of witnesses namely Roop Singh, Geeta, Ashok, Manoj, Anil Kumar, and Himanshu Kumar, leave, no doubt that there was an assembly of more than 5 persons in the form of a mob and this mob was equipped with such weapons which could cause death," the court observed. This mob indulged in vandalism and arson in DRP School, as it belonged to a Hindu. Therefore, it is beyond doubt that an unlawful assembly was formed with a common object to attack the properties belonging to persons from the Hindu community, it added. The Court said that the account of facts given by the witnesses show that accused persons participated in the above-mentioned acts of vandalism and arson being part of an aforesaid nob. "It is also well reflected that as per conspiracy, this mob trespassed into DRP school with the intention to commit such offences, which are punishable with life imprisonment," it added. This mob caused fear of instant death to Roop Singh and his family, so as to compel them to flee away and looted articles from that school, which makes out a case of dacoity as well, the court said. The Special Public Prosecutor Madhukar Pandey for Delhi Police argued that there is sufficient material to frame charges against the accused persons. As per the allegations, on February 24 in 2020 at about 03:00 PM, on the instigation of accused Faisal Farooq (owner of Rajdhani School), riotous sob attacked and started to burn and damage DRP School and nearby properties situated near Shiv Vihar Tiraha. The riotous mob were using Rajdhani School as a base for the purpose of throwing petrol bombs and pelting stones at the properties belonging to Hindus, the complaint alleged. It was alleged that the rest of the accused persons are alleged to be part of this mob. The riotous mob also robbed valuable items from the school like computers, laptops, printers, amplifiers, sound systems and many more valuable items. On the basis of the statement of witnesses, accused persons were identified. These accused persons were thoroughly interrogated and later on, these accused persons were also arrested in the present case. (ANI)
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has diverted traffic between Mahipalpur & Rajokari on NH 48 for 500 meters in Delhi-National Capital Region to facilitate the construction of the Dwarka Expressway, a release said. It informed that the arrangement is likely to continue for the next 3 months. "Facilitating the traffic movement, a 17-meter-wide slip road has been constructed which is wider than the existing NH 48. Further, NHAI has deployed Traffic Marshalls and has installed cameras at diversion locations. Tow-away recovery cranes have also been deployed to maintain a smooth flow of traffic. This arrangement is likely to continue for the next 3 months," read a statement. More than 3 lakh vehicles use NH 48 every day. The construction of the expressway will help to reduce traffic congestion, address valuable waste of work hours and will reduce vehicular pollution of Delhi NCR, it informed. "To ease the ever-increasing traffic, NHAI is constructing Dwarka Expressway which will bypass NH 48 between Shiv Murti near IGI Airport and Kherki Daula near Manesar. It will be full access controlled grade separated 14 lane Expressway, the first of its kind in the country," the statement added. It informed that the state of art highway will have an 8-lane elevated structure along with India's first 4 km long 8-lane tunnel. The take-off point of Dwarka Expressway will be an interchange having 2 underpasses below the existing NH 48 combined with an elevated corridor. To avoid inconvenience, the statement said, "NHAI has made all the necessary arrangements to ensure a smooth flow of traffic on the diverted stretch to facilitate the construction of the Dwarka Expressway". (ANI)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and appealed to him to expedite several issues pending even nine years after state's bifurcation. In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister reminded him that some key issues remained unsolved despite several rounds of discussions held by the special committee constituted under the Chairmanship of the Union Finance Secretary to attend to a plethora of issues mentioned in the AP Reorganization Act. He urged the Prime Minister to release the pending amount of Rs 36,625 crore under Resource Gap Funding for the fiscal 2014-15 and enhance the credit limit of Rs 17,923 crore which was reduced from Rs 42,472 crore post Covid-19 pandemic, besides reimbursing the arrears of Rs 2600.74 crore incurred by the state government on Polavaram Project. He also appealed to the Prime Minister to accept the Technical Advisory Committee's estimates of Rs 55,548 crore on Polavaram Project, treat the drinking water supply component as its part and parcel and release Rs 10,000 crore immediately on ad-hoc basis to expedite the construction besides paying compensation to the displaced persons. Jagan Mohan Reddy requested Modi for speedy steps to ensure that the Telangana government clears its dues of Rs 7,058 crore outstanding from the TS Discoms to the APGENCO for the power supplied between 2014 and 2017. The Chief Minister told him that the state has so far incurred a financial burden of Rs 5,527 crore on supplying ration to 56 lakh families under the PMGKAY due to irrational selection of beneficiaries under National Food Security Act. To compensate this, unused ration stocks should be allotted to AP as recommended by NITI Aayog, he said. The Chief Minister further appealed to the Prime Minister to grant permission for 12 medical colleges in the state for which clearances were pending, allot required mines to APMDC to cater to the raw material needs of the steel plant in YSR Kadapa district and grant Special Status to AP as promised in Parliament by the Centre. --IANS ms/uk/ ( 360 Words) 2023-03-17-19:12:02 (IANS)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday said that they have filed two charge sheets against a total of 68 Popular Front of India (PFI) leaders, cadres and members in two separate cases in Kochi (Kerala) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu). The NIA filed the first charge sheet against the PFI members in Jaipur on March 13 and the second in Hyderabad on March 16. The charge sheets filed on Friday in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the two states where PFI is the most active, relate to separate criminal conspiracies hatched by the PFI to create a wedge between people of different communities through radicalisation of impressionable Muslim youth, providing them with training in handling of weapons, and raising funds for carrying out acts of terror and violence with the ultimate objective of establishing an Islamic Rule in India by 2047. An official said that Kerala PFI case was registered in September 2022 by the NIA to probe the criminal conspiracy hatched by the PFI and its leaders and cadres to create a wedge and between people of different communities through radicalisation of impressionable Muslim youth, training them in handling of weapons and raising funds for carrying out acts of terror and violence with the ultimate objective of establishing an Islamic Rule in India by 2047. In addition to the above mentioned criminal conspiracy, the NIA, in its Kerala charge sheet, also included the connected case of the brutal killing of a Palakkad resident, Sreenivasan, who was hacked to death by armed PFI cadres. The NIA investigations had shown some of the accused in the PFI criminal conspiracy case (September 2022) to have been involved in the Sreenivasan killing too. The accused in the two charge sheets filed on Friday were charged under various sections of IPC, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act. In the Kerala case, registered in September 2022, the charge sheet has been filed in the Special Court in Ernakulam, against the PFI as well as an organisation and its 58 leaders. The NIA had arrested 16 of the accused after taking over the case in 2022, while the others were arrested earlier by Kerala Police. The Kerala charge sheet has been filed after searches were conducted by the NIA at more than 100 locations across the state. The NIA also attached 17 properties as they were identified as 'proceeds of terrorism' and frozen 18 bank accounts of the accused during the course of its investigations. Investigations in the case had revealed that the accused had been conspiring to drive a wedge between different communities and groups living in India, spread the concept of violent extremism and Jihad in India with the objective of dismembering the country and taking it over by establishing Islamic Rule in India by 2047. To achieve these objectives, PFI had established various wings and units, such as 'Reporters Wing', 'Physical and Arms Training Wing' and 'Service Teams'. The NIA investigations also revealed that PFI was using its various campuses, facilities and infrastructure to impart arms training to selected cadres in the guise of Physical Education, Yoga Training etc. They also established a 'Reporters Wing' and 'Service Teams or Hit Teams' to eliminate their 'targets'. Whenever required, PFI pressed into service its loyal and highly trained cadres of their 'Service Teams', as 'executioners' of the orders pronounced by their parallel courts, called 'Dar-ul-Qaza'. In a separate case registered and investigated by NIA Branch Office in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, NIA also filed a charge sheet against 10 accused. This case was also registered in September, 2022 to probe the criminal conspiracy, hatched by the PFI and its leaders to divide people based on religious affiliations through radicalisation and weapons-training of impressionable Muslim youth to launch an armed struggle against the Government of India with the objective of establishing Islamic Rule in India by 2047. The charge sheet, filed before the NIA Special Court Chennai in the Tamil Nadu case, named 10 accused, including Khalid Mohammed, the State Vice President of PFI. This case was also registered in September 2022, when nine of the accused were arrested by the NIA. The NIA investigations in the case had shown that the accused had conducted radicalisation programmes to motivate, instigate and recruit gullible Muslim youths, who were then provided weapons training in training camps. PFI cadres used to carry out instructions of PFI office-bearers and leaders to conduct recce and attack adversaries and commit unlawful and violent activities. --IANS atk/uk/ ( 762 Words) 2023-03-17-19:52:03 (IANS)
The Delhi Police on Friday said that they had busted an inter-state gang indulged in supplying illegal arms and ammunition to criminals and gangsters in Delhi and its surrounding areas with the arrest of two arms traffickers. Police have also recovered 12 illicit pistols of .32 bore from the possession of the two accused, identified as Mohammad Aziz, 39, and Arshad Khan, 30, both residents of Chhattarpur in Madhya Pradesh, a police official said. Both the accused persons were supplying illicit weapons to gangsters of Delhi-NCR, western UP, and Rajasthan since a very long time, as per police. "The accused used to procure illicit pistols for Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 per piece and sell the same to criminals of Delhi-NCR, western UP, and Rajasthan for Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000 per pistol," said the official. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Alok Singh said that in view of use of illegal firearms in various crimes in Delhi and adjoining states, a team was working round-the-clock to thwart the nefarious designs of such anti-national elements. "Accordingly, information about illegal firearms suppliers and their associates active in Delhi-NCR were being collected through various sources. Further, during investigation of various cases, it transpired that the firearms traffickers of Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan are in touch with illicit firearms suppliers of Madhya Pradesh and Bihar and procuring illegal firearms from them," he said. The police team on March 15, after receiving specific inputs a trap was laid near Sarai Kale Khan Bus Terminal and two key members of an arms syndicate, Aziz and Arshad were nabbed. On interrogation, it was revealed that the duo was involved in trafficking of illicit pistols for over two years. "They used to procure illegal pistols from Dinesh and sell the same to the criminals of Delhi/NCR, western UP, and Rajasthan. They also made revelations that Dinesh, who is the resident of Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh), visited Delhi in the first week of March 2023 and met one of the associates of Rashid Cablewala, a member of Hashim Baba gang," the DCP said. The accused further revealed that they had come to Delhi to deliver this consignment of illicit pistols to the above-mentioned associate of Rashid Cablewala on the direction of Dinesh. "Further investigation is on to identify all the forward and backward linkages of this arms and ammunition network," the official added. --IANS ssh/vd ( 411 Words) 2023-03-17-20:14:03 (IANS)
Amid the controversy over the alleged leak of the allotment of the official residence of former minister Manish Sisodia to Delhi Education minister Atishi, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party on Friday hit out at Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena saying that he has an obsessive publicity disorder and has no work other than to spew malice against the AAP. "He is insulting the dignity of a constitutional office by leaking news to the media like this. It is ironic that a person, who the whole country saw in a viral clip assaulting a woman activist like a street thug, is leaking privileged information to the media," the AAP said in a statement, launching a scathing attack on the L-G. The AAP claimed that law and convention mandate that a minister, on resigning from his or her office, is bound to vacate his official residence. "As far as the order regarding the former Deputy CM's residence is concerned, there is a law which says that a minister, on resigning his or her office, has to vacate his official or government residence within 15 days," the AAP said. Further, according to the ruling party in the national capital, led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the order to this effect was issued in compliance with the law. "The Aam Aadmi Party unequivocally reaffirms that not only CM Arvind Kejriwal but the whole country stands behind Manish Sisodia. The whole country is in awe of his work in education, the party said in its statement. Further, invoking the arrest of Sisodia in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case, which it called "unjustified", the party stated, "The AAP has been running a signature campaign across Delhi and the country and we have seen that everyone feels that Manish Sisodia's arrest is unjustified." Earlier, on March 9, in a move necessitated by the resignation of arrested ministers Sisodia and Satyendar Jain in the liquor policy and money laundering cases respectively, AAP MLAs Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj were sworn in as ministers in the Delhi cabinet. Sisodia was arrested by the CBI in the liquor policy case on February 26 and was sent to 14-day judicial custody on March 6. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) later summoned Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao's daughter, K Kavitha, for questioning in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. Sisodia was arrested in the case related to alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of the excise policy of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD). Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court recently sent him to judicial custody till March 20. Atishi was allotted Education, PWD, Power and Tourism portfolios after being sworn in as a minister while Bharadwaj was entrusted with Health, Water and Industries and Urban Development. They were administered the oath of office by L-G Saxena. (ANI)
"Extortion section 385 of the Indian Penal Code has been added against the accused, who threatened to make two videos viral and demanded a bribe from Amruta Fadnavis," said an officer of Mumbai Police.

Anishka was arrested from Ulhasnagar on Thursday.

"The accused woman had sent two videos to Amruta Fadnavis, threatening to make them viral unless she paid a bribe of Rs 10 crore. The videos were not made by the accused woman," the officer said.

The Mumbai Police informed further that they were on the lookout for the person to who made the videos with which the accused woman tried to extort the deputy CM's wife.

The arrest was made after Amruta Fadnavis filed a complaint with Mumbai Police alleging she was threatened and asked to pay a bribe of Rs 10 crore by an acquaintance whom she identified as Anishka, a designer.

"A case was registered against Aniksha and her father for allegedly trying to extort Rs 10 crore from Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis," Mumbai Police said on Thursday.

Anishka had known the deputy chief minister's wife for over 16 months, police said.

After allegedly receiving calls and messages on her phone, Amruta filed a complaint at the Malabar Hill police station on Thursday, police said, adding that they were searching for the second accused, Anishka's father Anil Jaisinghani.

Police said that Anishka's father, a bookie, is wanted in 16 cases and has been absconding for five years. ANI)
The IMD's Chennai Regional Meteorological Centre on Friday night predicted thunderstorms and lightning to lash the city over the next few hours. "Light to moderate rain with thunderstorms and lightning is likely to occur at one or two places over Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Erode, Salem, Coimbatore, Thiruppur, Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi, Thirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts of Tamilnadu during the next three hours," the IMD said in a statement. The weather department further said light to moderate rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places in various areas. "Light to moderate rain is likely to occur at one or two places over Thiruvallur, Chennai, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Vellore, Thirupattur, Thiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Cuddalore, Karur, Namakkal, Nilgiris and Sivagangai districts of Tamilnadu and Puducherry during the next three hours," the statement read further. Earlier, on March 17, Thursday, the IMD's Mumbai Regional Meteorological Centre had predicted thunderstorms and lighting in Maharashtra. "Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning and light to moderate spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 30-40 kmph very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Raigad, Pune, Ahmednagar, Satara, Solapur, Nanded, Dhule during next 3-4 hours," the IMD said earlier. Further, the IMD also advised people to take necessary precautions in anticipation of wet and stormy weather. The IMD in Nagpur has also issued a yellow alert for three days and an orange alert for 24 hours in a few parts of the state. 'There is a possibility of rain accompanied with storms, wind and lightning in some districts of Vidarbha," an IMD official had said. "Hailstorm is likely to occur in Gadchiroli, Gondia, Yavatmal and Nagpur. An orange alert has been issued for the next 24 hours and a yellow alert has been issued for the next three days," the official had informed further. Heavy rains lashed several parts of Hyderabad on Thursday, bringing much-needed respite amid the summer heat and lowering temperatures a few notches below normal at a few places. Vikarabad district, Marpally village and parts of Zaheerabad in Telangana received rains accompanied by gusty winds and hailstorms on Thursday. (ANI)
The mortal remains of Major Jayanth A of Army Aviation, who died in a chopper crash in Arunachal Pradesh, arrived at Madurai for his last rites. Officers of the Indian Army paid a ceremonial tribute to Major Jayanth A at the airport. Apart from Major Jayanth A, Lieutenant Colonel VVB Reddy, who was also in that ill-fated chopper that went down in Arunachal, was bade a tearful farewell with full military honours at Assam's Tezpur. The two Army officers were on an operational sortie in Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday when the chopper crashed. "Obeisance was paid with full military honours at Tezpur to the mortal remains of Lt Col VVB Reddy and Maj Jayanth A of Army Aviation, who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty on March 16 while on an operational sortie in Arunachal Pradesh," read a release by the Indian Army. Defence Guwahati Public Relations Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Mahendra Rawat, said the wreath was laid on behalf of a grateful nation for the untiring service to the nation by the officers. The mortal remains have been moved to their hometowns Yadadri (near Hyderabad), Telangana and Madurai, Tamil Nadu in a special military plane, it added. According to officials, the Army Aviation Cheetah helicopter flying an operational sortie near Bomdila in Arunachal Pradesh crashed near the Mandala hills area of the state on Thursday. The aircraft was reported to have lost contact with the Air Traffic Controller at around 9.15 am on Thursday. Previously, thirteen 13 Indian Air Force personnel died after an AN-32 aircraft crashed on June 3, 2019, after taking off from Assam's Jorhat. The aircraft was headed for Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) in Arunachal Pradesh when it lost contact with ground authorities around 1 pm. After a massive search and rescue operation over eight days, during which assets from several agencies were deployed, the wreckage of the aircraft was located by a Mi-17 chopper. The remains of IAF personnel were retrieved on June 20 from Arunachal Pradesh where the plane crashed. The wreckage was located 16 km north of Lipo in Arunachal Pradesh at an elevation of 12,000 feet. (ANI)
Presiden Droupadi Murmu on Friday graced a civic reception hosted in her honour by the Kerala government and released 'Chuvadu', a booklet on 'Kudumbasree', one of the largest women's self-help networks in the world. "Hon'ble Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan presenting copy of #Chuvadu, a booklet on #Kudumbasree to Hon'ble President Smt Droupadi Murmu ji, at the civic reception accorded to Hon'ble President @rashtrapatibhvn at Thiruvananthapuram:PRO, KeralaRajBhavan," tweeted Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan. Apart from Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was also present at the function. The President inaugurated the silver jubilee celebration of 'Kudumbashree' and launched 'Unnathi', an umbrella programme to create opportunities for employment and self-employment, among the youth belonging to SC and ST communities. She also presided over the release of technical, engineering and diploma books translated into Malayalam. Addressing the gathering, the President said that Kerala's lush green forests, beautiful beaches and backwaters, fascinating hills, lovely lakes, ambling rivers, swaying coconut trees and rich biodiversity make it 'God's Own Country'. "That is why Kerala is one of the most attractive tourist destinations. It is also a major hub of health resorts, especially those based on nature cures and Ayurveda. The talented and hard-working people of Kerala have earned global respect for their sincerity, skills, and enterprise. She appreciated the people of Kerala for spreading the glory of India through the highly respected Malayali diaspora," Murmu said. She said the cosmopolitan outlook of the people of Kerala is worth emulating, adding people of all faiths and religions have been living together in harmony, bound by the language and culture of the state. "Sex-ratio in Kerala is by far the best in the country. Kerala also has the highest literacy rate including women's literacy. On the parameters of promoting maternal health and preventing infant mortality, Kerala's performance is the best in the country," the President noted. She said assigning important roles to women brings about the overall betterment of society. In Kerala, women have been more educated and empowered and the same is borne out through its performances in multiple Human Development indices. The President expressed confidence that the educated and dedicated youth of Kerala would make a huge contribution to making India a developed country during the 'Amrit-Kaal'. (ANI)
Gangster Prince Khan of Wasseypur in Jharkhand's Dhanbad has emerged as a new challenge for the police in the region due to his frequent threats to businessmen, traders, officials, police officers and politicians, apart from his alleged involvement in several killings. In one of his latest video messages, he threatened a member of the influential 'Singh Mansion' -- BJP leader Ragini Singh, warning her to not to make any political interferences in "other matters". 'Singh Mansion' was the residence of Suryadeo Singh, said to be the "most powerful strongman" in the Dhanbad coalfields region from 70s till the 90s. Ragini is the wife of former legislator Sanjeev Singh, who is currently in jail in connection with a murder case. Recently, at a press conference, she accused Jharia MLA Purnima Neeraj Singh (Congress) of providing protection to Prince Khan. In fact, Khan's latest video emerged after the claims made at the press conference. He warned Ragini Singh not to make any remarks against him otherwise he will "freshen up the memories of 70s and 80s". Khan said a similar situation would be brought back when her father-in-law (Suryadeo Singh) "used to move in some areas in a discreet manner". Last week, on late Tuesday, his henchmen opened fire at the residence of a coal trader, Bunty Singh, in Dhanbad. In a note, it was warned that Singh along with his family will be eliminated if he does not pay the extortion amount of Rs 1 crore. Khan has also issued threats to two strongmen of Uttar Pradesh -- Brajesh Singh and Dharmpal Yadav, saying "they should be told this is Dhanbad, not UP. Whether you pick one coal weighing 1 kg or one tonne, you will have to pay". Over 12 incidents of firing by Khan's henchmen have been reported in the last one and a half years. A few months ago, Khan had claimed responsibility for the firing at coal trader, Pappu Mandal's house in Dhanbad. Last year, in May, the police arrested five of his henchmen in connection with the gunning down of W. Ansari. In 2021, his henchmen had killed a Wasseypur-based businessman, Nanhey Khan. Prince Khan, in one of his videos, had challenged the Dhanbad Senior Superintendent of Police. Last year, the police recovered a currency counting machine from his house that was also sealed. Later, his father surrendered to the police. --IANS snc/pgh/ ( 407 Words) 2023-03-17-22:56:02 (IANS)
Russian forces on Thursday (Local Time) fired on the Ukrainian city of Kostiantynivka, leaving one person dead and seven others injured, CNN reported citing Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office. The prosecutor's office, in a Telegram post, said the Russian forces fired on the city of Kostiantynivka and several villages with artillery and Uragan multiple rocket launchers. The office further added that the shelling hit "the railway station, market and private houses". The woman who died was 50 years old and living in Pivdenne, where one other person was hurt, according to the prosecutor's office. The six other people who were injured were in Kostiantynivka, including one Polish citizen, it added. Shell fragments damaged more than 30 residential buildings, the prosecutor's office said. Russia launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and since then both the country lost thousands of lives and properties destroyed. Earlier, Poland President Andrzej Duda, on Thursday, said the country is set to provide Ukraine with four MiG-29 fighter jets in the coming days. Warsaw has taken a lead among NATO allies in supplying Kyiv with heavy weapons, including Soviet-designed fighters. "When it comes to the MI-29 aircraft, which are still operating in the defence of Polish airspace, a decision has been taken at the highest levels, we can say confidently that we are sending MIGs to Ukraine," Duda said. "We have a dozen or so MIGS that we got in the 90s handed down from the German Democratic Republic and they are functional and play a part in the defence of our airspace. They are at the end of their operational life but are still functional," he added. "In the coming days we will hand over four planes to Ukraine, the remaining machines are being serviced and prepared for handover. We will replace them with deliveries of South Korean FA-50s and American F-35s," the Polish president said. (ANI)
The United Nations has said the Black Sea grain agreement would be extended for 120 days after Russia agreed to a 60-day extension of the deal after negotiations in Geneva, CNN reported. The Black Sea Grain Initiative is an agreement between Ukraine and Russia, brokered by the UN and Turkey, that was established in July 2022 to guarantee safe passage for ships carrying grain and oilseeds -- some of Ukraine's most important exports. "The agreement is public, it's an open document. It foresees a rollover of 120 days," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, according to CNN. As the Black Sea grain agreement expires this weekend, Russia agreed to the 60-day extension. Russian state-run news agency RIA, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko, reported on Monday that Russia and the UN had agreed to a 60-day extension of the grain deal after the negotiations in Geneva. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday the addition of 60 days was a "goodwill gesture" on Russia's part when asked by reporters why the deal had not been extended by 120 days. Earlier, on November 2, Russia resumed its participation in the Black Sea grain deal, after securing guarantees from Ukraine on the non-use of the humanitarian corridor and ports designated for the export of agricultural products for military operations. "With the help of an international organisation and Turkey, the necessary written guarantees from Ukraine on the non-use of the humanitarian corridor and Ukrainian ports designated for the export of agricultural products for military operations against the Russian Federation were obtained and submitted to the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) on November 1," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement. "The Russian Federation believes that the guarantees received at this time are adequate and resumes implementation of the agreement - the Initiative for the Safe Transportation of Grain and Food from Ukrainian Ports (the Black Sea Initiative) - which had been halted following the terrorist attack in Sevastopol," the statement added. The UN-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed during a ceremony in Istanbul in July. Under the deal, ships transporting grain from three Ukrainian ports travel along an agreed corridor to markets worldwide. (ANI)
Amid the hike in prices of commodities and cash crunch, Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar asserted that they won't "compromise" on the nuclear and missile programmes, Dawn reported. Speaking at the Senate session on Thursday, Dar said, "Let me assure you that [...] nobody is going to compromise anything on the nuclear or the missile program of Pakistan -- no way." In the Senate, Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Raza Rabbani raised the question of the reasons behind the delay in the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which would offer a critical lifeline to tame a balance-of-payments crisis, according to Dawn. The PPP leader lamented that the Senate had "neither before nor today been taken into confidence on what are the conditionalities of the IMF". Terming the delay "absolutely out of the ordinary -- extraordinary", Senator Rabbani said that the question arises if the delay is being made because of some sort of pressure to be exerted on Pakistan's nuclear [programme]. Responding to Senator, the Finance Minister said that there won't be any compromise on Pakistan's nuclear programme and also promised that the "moment the staff-level agreement and the EFFP (Extended Fund Facility programme) would be finalised [...] it will be put up on the website of the finance ministry". He added, "Nobody has any right to tell Pakistan that what range of missiles it can have and what nuclear weapons it can have. We have to have our own deterrence", reported Dawn. "We represent the people of Pakistan [...] and we have to guard our national interests," he said. Responding to the questions raised on the delay, Dar said the delay was "not on the part of the government". Indirectly blaming the PTI's government that signed the agreement in 2019, he said that "it seems as if the arrangements of 2019 with the IMF has been a different and [a] new program". He added: "It looks like that each time, the review is a new program which is very uncustomary with the IMF. "It has been an extensive engagement -- unusual, too lengthy, too long, too demanding -- but we have completed everything." Asserting that the programme "should have been over by 2022", the PML-N leader said that the law amendments were passed by "this very parliament, after which the monetary policy has become too independent, in my opinion," as per Dawn. Dar is assuring of "no compromise" in the nuclear programme and on the other hand seeks confirmation from Saudi Arabia for securing additional deposits of USD 2 billion and a USD 950 million loan programme from the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for the signing of a Staff-Level Agreement (SLA) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) within the coming week, reported Geo News. "We are hopeful," a government official dealing with the IMF replied when asked about the development. Saudi deposits nod is crucial for clinching the IMF deal as Pakistan facing difficulty in its talks with IMF due to China-US hostility and IMF is reluctant to give any time frame for finalising the deal while the country is in economic chaos, reported Geo News. The World Bank's Resilient Institution for Sustainable Economy (RISE-II) has offered AIIB lending of USD 950 million only if Pakistan secures the IMF bailout. China had already re-financed two commercial loans of USD 1.2 billion in two instalments, USD 700 million and USD 500 million. Now two more instalments of USD 500 million and USD 300 million would be re-financed by Chinese commercial banks in the coming days. (ANI)
Taliban's policy on women's education and work will impact negatively Afghanistan's relations with the international community, former Minister of Finance, Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal said, TOLOnews reported. In an interview with TOLOnews, the former Minister of Finance said that the constitution and the people's support are important for governance. "There were policies that made the space unfavourable. The trust that the people needed has not been formed. Our relations with the world countries have been undermined," Zakhailwal said. He even suggested that the issue of women's education should be solved within Afghanistan so that the international community won't interfere in internal affairs. "A government is legitimate when it has a constitution and the support of the people. No government has full legitimacy without the support of the people," TOLOnews quoted Zakhailwal saying. Political analyst Mohammad Hassan Haqyar, said on the remarks of Zakhailwal: "The policies of the Islamic Emirate about the education and work of women created problems for the Islamic Emirate inside and outside the country. It almost isolated the Islamic Emirate. It created problems about recognition and reduced the attention of the international community to Afghanistan." The closure of girls' schools in Afghanistan has drawn criticism from all over the world. Since the Taliban retook control in August 2021, numerous limitations have been placed on women. One of these restrictions, the university ban, has outraged people worldwide, particularly Muslims. Earlier, the Taliban banned girls from going to school and after that, they have been banned to visit universities as well. The Taliban regime issued the ban after accusing female students of disobeying the university's rigorous dress code and requiring them to travel to and from campus with a male relative. TOLOnews recently reported that, as Afghan women continue to grapple with challenges related to education due to Taliban-imposed bans, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a statement said that the females in war-torn Afghanistan are living in exile in their own country. The UN Chief reiterated that the basic rights of Afghan women and girls are trampled due to the ban on education by the de-facto authorities, reported TOLOnews. Female students in Afghnaistan have repeatedly called out to the Taliban to open education institutions for girls to attend at the earliest. (ANI)
The detainees were brought from the prisons in Pakistan through the Spin Boldak border crossing. Afghanistan's department of Refugees and Repatriation, on Wednesday, said that women and children were imprisoned in Sindh because of the lack of residency documents. They were among the detainees who had been released.

Over the past few months, hundreds of undocumented Afghan nationals, including women and children, have been imprisoned in Pakistan's prisons, including Karachi and Sindh, confronting fierce criticism by national and international entities.

The organisations, particularly the Pakistan Human Rights Commission and the UN Refugee Agency, urged the government of Pakistan to treat Afghan citizens decently, reported Khaama Press.

137 Afghan citizens were released from Karachi prison earlier this month and returned home.

Earlier, in the early weeks of March, Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested five Afghan citizens from Peshawar airport during the immigration process. The arrested Afghan citizens were all set to board an international flight to London on fake Afghan passports.

Those arrested were handed over to an anti-human trafficking cell for further investigations, as per Khaama Press.

The Afghan consulate in Karachi in January said that over the past three months, at least three Afghan refugees have died in prisons in Pakistan, Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported.

This comes as Afghan refugees in Pakistan complain of mistreatment by the country's police.Pajhwok Afghan News recently reported that Pakistan's military forces torture and harass Afghans who travel through the Spin Boldak-Chaman gate.

The Spin Boldak-Chaman Gate also known as The Friendship Gate is located on the Durand Line (Pak-Afghan border).

Passengers travelling to Pakistan say the Pakistani forces misbehave with them, keep them waiting for hours on different pretexts and extort them.

The Spin Boldak-Chaman border between Afghanistan and Pakistan border is crossed by more than 20,000 people daily for trade, treatment and other purposes. (ANI)
At least 11 Afghan nations were killed by Iranian border guards while they were trying to enter Iran illegally, Khaama Press reported. According to Khaama Press citing Iran International, the Iranian border forces on Friday handed over the dead bodies of eleven Afghan citizens to the Taliban officials at the Nimroz border crossing. Four days ago, eleven Afghan citizens were shot dead by Iranian security forces in Sistan and Baluchistan province who were trying to enter Iran illegally. The dead Afghan nationals were around the age of 20, including two, whose bodies are believed to be 18 years old. Iranian officials and Taliban authorities have not yet commented regarding the killings, according to Khaama Press. Taliban in Nimruz province said that over the past eleven months, more than 470 dead bodies of Afghan refugees have been transferred to the country through this province. Taliban authorities state that these individuals have died in incidents including traffic incidents. In February, the Taliban authorities of the Refugee and Repatriation Department of Nimruz province also said Iran deported 7,612 Afghan refugees back to their homeland over the last week, the Khaama Press reported. The director of the Refugees and Repatriation Department of Nimruz province, Sediqullah Nasrat, on Sunday said many of them, who were in dire straits financially, had received cash from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, to facilitate migration. Last week a video went viral in which some Afghan refugees were saying that Iranian forces fired on their vehicle in Baluchistan, which resulted in the injury of one of them. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, several Afghan nationals, fearing death threats and persecution by the Taliban have migrated to the neighbouring countries including Iran and Pakistan. Since a large majority of these migrants have entered neighbouring countries through illegal channels, now face serious challenges. Although Iran and Pakistan have accommodated millions of Afghans for decades, now have taken serious measures to deal with undocumented Afghan nationals. Iran, in particular forcefully deports Afghan refugees who fail to provide legal stay permits or visas on a weekly basis. Additionally, Iran and Pakistan are accused of violating fundamental rights by mistreating Afghan refugees on several occasions. According to Khaama Press, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation had earlier reported the return of some 3,000 Afghan migrants, a majority of whom were forced to leave Iran, while others left of their own will. (ANI)
North Korea said that Thursday's launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Hwasongpho-17 was a "stronger warning" to the US and South Korea for their provocative and aggressive large-scale war drills, North Korea said in a press release. In the state news agency, KCNA, North Korea said, "Under the grave situation in which the most unstable security environment is being created in the Korean peninsula due to the frantic, provocative and aggressive large-scale war drills conducted by the US and the south Korean puppet traitors against the DPRK, the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) saw to it that a launching drill of the ICBM Hwasongpho-17 was conducted on March 16." This statement came after North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Thursday. "The launching drill of the strategic weapon serves as an occasion to give a stronger warning to the enemies intentionally escalating the tension in the Korean peninsula while persistently resorting to irresponsible and reckless military threats in defiance of the DPRK's severe warning, and give an understanding of the concern about the armed conflict which has come to a threatening reality, and to more clearly show the practical will of the Party and government of the DPRK to counterattack with overwhelming offensive measures anytime," the statement added. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un guided the launching drill of an ICBM unit on the spot. Leading officials of the WPK Central Committee and commanding officers of the Missile General Bureau watched the launching drill in the presence of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un. The drill was aimed at confirming the mobile and normal operation and reliability of the DPRK's nuclear war deterrent. "The ICBM Hwasongpho-17, launched at the Pyongyang International Airport, travelled up to a maximum altitude of 6 045km and flew a distance of 1 000.2 km for 4 151s before accurately landing on the preset area in the open waters of the East Sea of Korea," according to the statement. North Korea further assured that the launching of the drill had no negative impact on the security of neighbouring countries. The drill confirmed the war readiness of the ICBM unit and the exceptional militancy of the DPRK's strategic forces and strictly verified their reliability. In the statement, Kim Jong Un expressed great satisfaction and said that the drill clearly proved once again the conviction and guarantee of the operating systems of the nuclear strategic forces undergoing rapid development. "Noting that our action orientation and line to cope with the long-term security environment of the state and the enemies' threat remains unchangeable, he stressed the need to strike fear into the enemies, really deter war and reliably guarantee the peaceful life of our people and their struggle for socialist construction by irreversibly bolstering up the nuclear war deterrent," the statement read in KCNA. "Saying that we will continue to make the US and South Korea, which show open hostility towards the DPRK and frequently stage large-scale military drills in and around the Korean peninsula, find themselves being reckless, he mentioned our policy for counteraction against the enemies that is to make them realize themselves that their persistent expanded anti-DPRK military moves will bring an irreversible, grave threat to them," the statement added. Reiterating the solemn declaration of the WPK and the DPRK government that they would react to nuclear weapons with nukes and frontal confrontation in kind, Kim Jong Un called for strictly maintaining the rapid response posture of the strategic forces to cope with any armed conflict and war. The nuclear strategic forces of the DPRK will make perfect preparations for carrying out their important mission anytime. (ANI)
Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will leave no room of any sort for Taiwan independence separatist activities and will resolutely protect the country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Xinhua News Agency reported citing a Chinese defence spokesperson. A report published by Xinhua News Agency on Thursday quoted Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China's defence ministry while addressing the media regarding recent aggressive actions by the United States that have increased tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Tan said that the Democratic Progressive Party authorities' provocative actions to collaborate with outside forces in pursuit of "Taiwan independence" and their obstinate determination to stand in opposition to the Chinese nation's fundamental interests are the leading causes of rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait. According to Xinhua News Agency, Tan also said that it was OK for the PLA to conduct military operations in reaction to outside meddling and secessionist actions calling for "Taiwan independence." Tan emphasised that the Taiwan question is the first line that cannot be crossed in relations between China and the United States, adding that Taiwan is China's Taiwan and the Taiwan question is solely an internal Chinese affair and at the core of China's core interests, Xinhua News Agency reported. According to Tan, China vehemently opposes any official or military contact between the US and Taiwan as well as the US boosting its substantive relations with Taiwan in any way.Tan stated, "We encourage the United States to discontinue its 'salami tactics' and further action on the Taiwan subject and give up its attempt to use Taiwan to restrict China." Notably, China claims Taiwan, a self-governing island home to 24 million people, as its own. It is a thriving democracy that generates the great majority of the advanced computer chips in the world, despite being 100 perilous miles away from China's southeast coast. Given that Xi Jinping has stated he wants to seize control of the island within his lifetime, it is also critical to his plan to restore China's status as a great power, Xinhua News Agency reported. (ANI)
A total disregard for education has reduced opportunities for higher studies in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, reported Asian Lite International. According to the report, Prime Minister of PoK, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, has recently expressed his regret about the high rate of school dropouts, particularly among girls. An editorial in the Siasat newspaper, as cited by Asian Lite International, responded to Khan's claim by pointing out how unemployed youth are being nursed into militancy, which gives the ruling class a 'political edge' at the federal level of the Islamabad hierarchy. The newspaper also notes that Sardar Khan's worry is mistrust of the calibre of universities while the educational standards in PoK are shockingly low. "We take education only to get something and not to give," read the newspaper. In the editorial, as mentioned by Asian Lite International, it is stated that it is improper to place all the blame on universities because they are being utilised as political props. As a result, they cannot carry out their functions as effectively as they should. "In our society, obtaining a government job and income is the sole goal of education. Those who have the potential to contribute to the world are respected in today's society. Forget about the nation or community, the research level in our universities is not even advantageous to researchers themselves," the editorial sneers at the subpar standards of higher education. Adding a pithy comment, the writer says, "PhD, M.Phil and MA degree holders keep approaching matric pass ministers for getting a government job. There is a big difference between the job holder and the job provider. Here everyone wants to get a job but not to give jobs." Despite the promotion of science and technology at universities around the world, "We are still doing a study on personalities only." It should come as no surprise that "universities have evolved into factories for awarding degrees." "Countries adept in inventions are not only offering facilities to the world but are also making a great deal of income in addition to dominating the world economy," read the Asian Lite International report. This is not the case with the majority of Pakistani universities, where standards are subpar and vital study topics are ignored. According to Asian Lite International, the author also claims, "Our governments are not giving these colleges the funding they require for higher standards and research. The educational system is conformist and promotes conformism rather than encouraging students to question and inquire. The majority now claim that professors earn such high incomes because of what they perform. People's arguments are valid if measured against the standards of our colleges, and if people's positions are considered, quality is also crucial." The author argues that universities should continue to be places for teaching and learning rather than political hotspots, saying: "It is necessary that all universities obtain essential standards and that they be free from any political interference or influence and that they be provided with all the resources necessary for performing at par with international standards." The author forewarns that "masters will come out begging with degrees as begging bowls in their hands" if this doesn't happen, Asian Lite International reported. (ANI)
At least 4 Palestinians were killed and 23 others were wounded in Jenin on Thursday in the occupied West Bank region, CNN reported citing the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry. The Health Ministry stated that five of those injured are in critical condition. However, the Israeli security forces said that those neutralized were suspected of terrorist activity. In a statement, the Israeli security forces said they "neutralized two operatives of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist organization who are suspected of significant terrorist activity." A third person "was neutralized after he tried to attack the fighters with an iron crowbar," the statement added, CNN reported. During the operation, armed persons fired at the forces, and casualties were seen as a result. Hamas announced in a statement that two of the Palestinians killed in Jenin were its members, according to CNN. "The cowardly assassination of two leaders of the resistance will not go unpunished. The occupation has tried us before, knows for sure that our response is coming and that the march of the resistance continues until liberation," the Hamas statement read. Hamas, a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization, which took control of the Gaza Strip by removing the Fattah officials. It resulted in the change in powers and the de facto division of the Palestinian territories into two entities, the West Bank governed by the Palestinian National Authority, and Gaza governed by Hamas. Hamas is regarded as a terrorist organization by the majority of Western countries. The latest incident in what has become a vicious cycle of bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that 88 Palestinians, including terrorists and civilians, have died since the start of this year, CNN reported. (ANI)
He made the remarks at a UN meeting in Geneva.

"The Taliban have also forced NGOs to register and provide information which has led to the interference with the equitable delivery of humanitarian aid," Afghanistan's Mission in Geneva said.

During the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women was taking place, Rina Amiri, the US special representative for Afghan women and girls, tweeted, "I focused on drawing attention to the need for political solidarity & concrete support for Afghan women & girls."

Unrecognized by most of the international community, the Taliban-led government has committed to disrespecting the human rights and rights of women. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the humanitarian crisis in the country has deepened.

People lack basic amenities and are not allowed to speak freely.

Afghan women are staring at a bleak future due to a number of restrictions imposed by the Taliban governing aspects of their lives within 10 months of Afghanistan's takeover.

The UN mission in Afghanistan also expressed concern about the announcement earlier, saying that this decision contradicts numerous assurances regarding respect for and protection of all Afghans' human rights, including those of women and girls. (ANI)
Pakistan's Islamist political party, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Friday staged a demonstration in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir supporting the government's decision to make hijab a compulsory part of the uniform for female students and teachers in the region, reported Dawn. "Hijab is part of my faith; Hijab is our pride," read some of the placards of activists of the women's wing of Jamaat-i-Islami which they were holding during the demonstration staged on a main thoroughfare outside Press Club Muzaffarabad. Appreciating the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for the decision, they castigated the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmakers for tabling an adjournment motion against it "in the name of civil liberties and personal freedom," reported Dawn The PoK's education department's order on March 6 specifically targets co-education schools where girls and women teachers in rural areas are merged with the boy's schools since their numbers and school infrastructure do not match the requirements. The decision applies to all female students and teachers. Speaking to reporters, Faiza Saleem, an office-bearer of the JI women's wing, maintained that "since the 99 per cent population of the liberated territory comprised Muslims with a strong attachment to religion, the decision by the education minister was exactly in accordance with the teachings of Islam and sentiments and aspirations of the local people." She said that it was deplorable that the PPP legislators opposed the move by tabling an adjournment motion against it in the Legislative Assembly. The introduction of mandatory hijab in educational institutions across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is a move towards Talibanisation of the region, said Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza, an author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoK. Jamat e Islami has been active in PoK for decades and is founded on the slogan 'Kashmir Banay Ga Pakistan' (Kashmir with become Pakistan). Moreover, Pakistan is facing economic bankruptcy and it has cancelled most of the subsidies and development funds for both PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan. Therefore, both heads of government in PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan are facing the wrath of their indigenous people who consider them as stooges of Pakistan military establishment. For almost three years now, protests against load shedding, shortages of wheat and water, increased progressive taxation and land grab by the Pakistan military has been a daily occurrence. (ANI)
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday suspended non-bailable arrest warrants issued for PTI Chairman Imran Khan till March 18, providing him with a chance to appear before the trial court hearing the Toshakhana reference against the former premier, Dawn reported. IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq also instructed the Islamabad district and sessions court and capital police to provide adequate security to Imran. Embroiled in legal complexities, Imran has been resisting arrest in the Toshakhana case and is holed up inside his Zaman Park residence surrounded by hundreds of supporters, who have fought "pitched battles" with the police and Rangers over the past few days, Dawn reported. The Islamabad police, backed up by their Punjab Police compatriots and the Rangers, arrived at the ex-premier's house on Tuesday to execute non-bailable arrest warrants issued by an Islamabad sessions court for him in the Toshakhana reference, in which he has skipped several hearings. However, the law enforcement agencies retreated on Wednesday evening, saying that the operation had been paused during the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL). On Thursday, the Islamabad sessions court, where PTI had gone for the suspension of Imran's arrest warrants, upheld the warrants that it issued, observing that the PTI chief had "challenged the dignity and writ of the state". It also maintained its order to arrest the ex-premier and present him in court by March 18. Earlier on Friday, the former prime minister filed yet another petition in the IHC challenging the verdict of the trial court. In the plea, Imran prayed that the trial court's order be set aside and his arrest warrants be suspended "till the final disposal of the petition" so that the PTI chief could appear in court on March 18, Dawn reported. During the hearing, Imran's lawyer Khawaja Haris submitted an undertaking by his client, assuring that the PTI chief would appear in court on March 18. At the outset of the hearing, the court inquired about the basis on which the trial court rejected the undertaking provided by Imran to which Haris said the trial court stated that non-bailable warrants could not be cancelled. The lawyer also stated that Imran had security concerns. "I have been informed by the administration that security arrangements were being made. The trial court judge has also issued orders in this regard and I will ensure this as well," Justice Farooq said. He also warned that contempt of court proceedings could be initiated against Imran if he violated the undertaking submitted. "My client will appear in court tomorrow no matter what happens," Imran's lawyer replied. Subsequently, Justice Farooq suspended Imran's arrest warrants till the sessions court's hearing tomorrow and stopped Islamabad police from "harassing" him. He also instructed Imran to appear in the trial court on March 18. Imran is to go to LHC to assure an in-person appearance in the Islamabad sessions court. Separately, PTI's Musarrat Cheema said that the PTI chief will leave for the high court at 3 pm. Court to hear Imran's pleas seeking protective bail in 9 cases. The LHC has accepted Imran's petitions, seeking protective bail on nine first information reports (FIRs) registered against him in Islamabad and Lahore, for hearing. In an interview with France 24 on Thursday night, Imran asserted that he would appear before the Islamabad sessions court in person on March 18. "Yes, of course, I'm going to court on the 18th," Imran said when the host asked him if would be going to court tomorrow. "And they knew it." On Friday, Dawn.com's correspondent present outside Zaman Park said that police were not present in the vicinity, but hordes of PTI supporters outside Imran's house were armed with sticks and stones, prepared for any police operation. (ANI)
Balochistan, rich in natural resources with a great geopolitical location, is a land of immense potential but has suffered a legacy of exploitation under Pakistan's colonial policies, writes Asghar Ali, president of Baloch National Movement Germany Chapter. The end of the second world war not only marked the defeat of Nazi Germany and fascism but also proved to be a nail in the coffin of British colonialism. The Subcontinent after the 1847 mutiny had come under the direct control of the British Queen and was going to be a free land. However, the British while working on its divide-and-rule policy sliced the Indian continent into two halves, by creating a state, Pakistan in the given name of Islam with a futuristic vision to protect its interest in the region. In the process, Balochistan, which was under British rule as a semi-autonomous country, fully threw off the shekels of slavery and declared itself a free country. After the partition of India, on 27 March 1948, Pakistan Army stormed into Balochistan and annexed it through the barrel of guns. The Baloch people under Prince Abdul Karim resisted joining Pakistan and staged a rebellion. The revolt was eventually quashed by the Pakistani authorities, who imposed a military regime and used oppressive tactics to force the Baloch people into submission. Since then, the Pakistani government has resorted to a policy of suppression. No colonial rule will survive without the support of native people. Pakistan in order to maintain its rule have empowered tribal Lords. All the Sardars of Balochistan are working as cronies of Pakistan. They are considered the stumbling block in the path of national liberation. People lacking in education are preached to adore tribal loyalty. Such a frame of mind immensely helps Pakistan to keep a good percentage of people away from coming into the fold of national discourse. Furthermore, the Pakistani government has also used religion as a tool to maintain control over the region. Religious schools are being constructed at every knock and corner of Balochistan in order to suppress nationalistic views in the name of the Muslim Brotherhood. Only in Turbat city in the last ten years has more than four Madrassas been created, each having a capacity of around 300 hundred students. The nationalists see such development as a well-orchestrated plan of the state to counter the growing waves of nationalism. The people of Balochistan are deprived of modern education. Stereotyping has always remained a powerful weapon of colonisers to justify their hegemony over the colonised. "The white men's burden" for civilising their colonies or terming the Africans as none but "Aps" remained a common theme during Western colonial rule. Pakistan follow-suiting its predecessors in labelling Baloch as tribesmen and are self-responsible for their miseries. Even Pakistani textbooks in order to justify their colonial control defined Baloch as barbaric and uncivilised. The cherry on the cake: this policy of keeping the people of Balochistan away from education is proved to be a double-edged sword for Pakistan: to keep Baloch people backwards as well as get financial support across the world through UN agencies and Western powers. Apart from this, Pakistan has been targeting Baloch leaders and intellectuals, those who raised their voices against Pakistan's occupation of Balochistan and those who championed the freedom of Balochistan and even the basic rights for the people of Balochistan. The 75 years of colonial rule of Pakistan in Balochistan is full of deceit and false promises. All those treacheries, from Nourz Khan's imprisonment to the killing and dumping of the mutilated bodies of Ghulam Mohammad and his friends, at the hands of Pakistan, turned out to be symbolic milestones in the path of Baloch nationalism. All such sour experiences only deepened and more radicalized the belief of Baloch that freedom from Pakistan is the only way to their emancipation. The Islamabad-led colonial policies have only served to further alienate the Baloch people from the rest of the country. Apart from propagating an oppressive rule, Balochistan has also been ignored in terms of its economy. The life of the people of Balochistan heavily depended on border trade and the profession of fishing. However, Pakistan has adopted a regressive policy. Pakistani paramilitary force, Frontier Corps (FC) which controls Balochistan, has shut down the Iranian border for the flow of trade. As a result, thousands of people have lost their means of livelihood. The people of Gwadar, which is the port city and termed the hub of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), are deprived of fishing. Illegal trawling, with full support of the Pakistan Army, has even made their lives worse. The government arrested the leaders of Haq Do Tahreek, which is formed to protect the basic rights of Gwadar and Balochistan, who have been detained and framed false cases against them. In the same way, according to human rights groups Pakistan's military and its other forces, now and then, are involved in burning the crops in the region of Awaran, Dera Bugti and Barkhan, as well as killing the livestock during military operations. The forced migration of people by the military has exacerbated the miseries of people. Pakistani colonialism in Balochistan has had a great impact on the media and press, particularly in terms of suppression and censorship. Pakistan sought to use the media to spread its own ideals and ideas, and thus restricted the publication of any information that would discredit its control on Baloch land. In doing so, Pakistan has not only limited the press's ability to criticize its own policies but also ensured that its own views and opinions are disseminated to the population. There is information about Black Holes in Balochistan. The Baloch journalists are in constant threat. Several journalists such as Haji Abdul Razzaq, Razak Gul, Irshad Mastwi, Ilyas Nazar and several others were killed by Pakistani forces. The Daily Tawar and Daily Asap were forced to stop publishing newspapers that constantly reported on the ongoing atrocities of the Pakistan Army in Balochistan. International media and journalists are forbidden to visit Balochistan. Carlotta Gall, the author of "The Wrong Enemy" were beaten by Inter Service Intelligence(ISI) officials in Quetta. However, social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have become effective tools for Baloch political activists and social activists to expose the colonial mindset of Pakistan in Balochistan. Online newspaper and media publishing groups, like Radio Zrumbesh, The Balochistan Post, Balochistan Times and Twitter spaces are giving hard time to Pakistan to suppress the voices in Balochistan. Baloch's national struggle with the turn of the century has marked several positive and incremental developments. The formation of political parties championing a free Balochistan organised and lasting guerrilla warfare against Pakistani forces, and the formation of human rights groups that are reporting the human rights abuse in Balochistan are shaking ground to keep them motivated to keep their struggle for a free Balochistan alive and kicking. It is safe to remark, despite a lot of existing issues, spreading from societal setup to the political front, Baloch has a purpose and a goal to fight against the colonial ambitions of Pakistan. (ANI)
Calling India a rising power and a powerful economy, Iranian Envoy to India Iraj Elahi said that India is strong enough to resist the pressure of the West as it resisted the pressure of buying oil from Russia. The Envoy also hoped that India would start importing oil from Iran adding that it would benefit the Indian economy. "India is not Taiwan. India is not South Korea. India is not this or that country. India is a rising power. India has a powerful economy. So, India could easily resist the pressure of the west. As India resisted the pressure for buying oil from Russia. We believe that India could and we hope that for the benefit of the Indian economy and people, the Indian government will start importing oil", said the Iranian Envoy. India suspended oil imports from Iran in 2019 because of the threat of US secondary sanctions. The envoy also highlighted that Iran is ready to resume its export to India but it is up to India to decide. Further, stressing the sanctions imposed on Iran, the envoy said that day by day the sanctions on countries are increasing and one has to learn to live with it. "Iran is an oil producer and oil is important in our economy. Despite the sanctions and not short sanctions, you know more than 10 years, we have been under sanctions. We have found some ways to sell our oil and oil products like petrochemicals and other products. We always express our readiness to resume our export to India. It's up to India", said the Iranian Envoy. "The number of countries under sanctions is increasing day by day. All countries should learn how to live under sanctions otherwise they will lose their interests. Now, India is getting the benefit of the situation in Russia. And no one can blame India. India is following its own national interest and Iran also follows its own national interest. We are ready and we have learned how to deal with Sanctions. Not only in the field of oil export, but also in the field of money transfer", the envoy added. Further Highlighting India's role in supporting Iran as a full member of SCO, the Envoy said that he hopes that according to the SCO program, Iran will be a full member of SCO. "India as a member of SCO has supported membership of Iran and according to the calendar of SCO, the next summit of SCO will be held in India and we hope that according to the program of SCO, Iran will be a full member of SCO". "Ofcourse, the president will come to India and we are waiting for the summit and the president will participate", said the envoy while being asked if the Iranian President will attend the summit. (ANI)
Amid the economic crisis, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserted that it is natural for India to stand by Sri Lanka during its difficult time as "blood is thicker than water". "Blood is thicker than water. It was natural for India to see what it could do to stand by Sri Lanka at this very difficult time, " said Jaishankar. In the time of crisis, India has time and again stood by the countries surrounding it following its "Neighbourhood first policy". India, under its 'Neighbourhood First' policy, has always come forward to help debt-ridden Sri Lanka, and in the latest instance, New Delhi has also distributed the ration in Kalmunai on March 16. EAM S Jaishankar was speaking at the inauguration of The Exhibition Sri Lankan Architect 'Geoffrey Bawa' in New Delhi on Friday. "(Sanjay) Kulatunga, Trustee, Geoffrey Bawa Trust) and I was talking about (India and Sri Lanka), I reminded him of the saying that blood is thicker than water. For us, it was natural at the moment of difficulty that we should see what we could do within our resources, capabilities and efforts to stand by Sri Lanka at this very difficult time," Jaishankar said while speaking at the event. "When I think of Sri Lanka, Geoffrey Bawa is a figure that comes to my mind," EAM said. "He is the father of the tropical modernist movement. The introduction was to us to visit the parliament building. What we saw was very simple and revolutionary, inspiring many other parts of the world. His achievements are not just in Sri Lanka," he added. "I am confident that this exhibition will promote a very close relationship between the two countries," EAM said. Speaking on the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, Jaishankar said, "It is very natural for India to step forward. Blood is thicker than water. It is natural at a moment of difficulty. I have always believed that you will come through this challenge but it is important to have real friends standing by you (Sri Lanka)." "Culture is one expression of people-to-people exchanges and today we are exchanging many. Sri Lanka is very much part of our shared history. I am delighted to be present here showcasing the work of renowned artist Geoffrey Bawa," Jaishankar added. Sri Lanka Envoy Milinda Moragoda and MoS External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi were also present at the inauguration of the exhibition. Geoffrey Bawa was a Sri Lankan architect. He was among the most influential Asian architects of his generation. He was born in 1919 and he passed away in 2003. India helped Sri Lanka more than any other country, especially when the island nation was struggling through an unprecedented crisis, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said during Raisina Dialogue 'Ideas Pod" earlier in March. Earlier in January too, India extended aid worth USD 3.9 billion to help Sri Lanka sustain itself in face of the acute economic and financial crisis and meet its immediate needs such as medicines, cooking gas, oil and food items, Sri Lanka-based news publication News 19 reported. India's EXIM bank and State bank of India, for the import of essential commodities, extended export credit facilities worth USD 1,500 million to Sri Lanka. India also concluded a USD 400 million agreement with Sri Lanka to help preserve the country's forex reserves. A USD 1 billion credit line for essential goods, a USD 500 million credit line for fuel, and a USD 55 million credit line for fertiliser have been extended to Sri Lanka, News 19 reported. India has been helping Sri Lanka with donations out of goodwill and humanitarian assistance. India will supply Sri Lankan Transport Department with a fleet of 500 buses. A total of 75 buses were handed over to Sri Lanka by India's High commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Bagalay. (ANI)
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian official Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova for the alleged scheme to deport Ukrainian children to Russia, reported CNN. The Hague-based ICC accused the Russian president of responsibility for war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine during the war that has been ongoing for over a year. The Hague-based court said in a statement on Friday Putin "is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of the population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation." It also issued a warrant for the arrest of Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the commissioner for children's rights in the office of the president of the Russian Federation on similar allegations, reported Al Jazeera. Russia did not immediately comment following the ICC's move on Friday. Russia denies committing atrocities since it invaded Ukraine in February last year. The warrants came a day after a United Nations-backed inquiry accused Russia of committing wide-ranging war crimes in Ukraine, including the forced deportations of children in areas it controls, reported Al Jazeera. The UN genocide convention defines "forcibly transferring children of the group to another group" as one of five acts that can be prosecuted as genocide. However, the successful extradition of President Putin could prove a far greater challenge as Russia does not recognise the jurisdiction of the international criminal court in The Hague, reported DW News. Russia denies deliberately harming civilians but its defence ministry has claimed to have targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Russia signed the Rome statute, which governs the ICC, in 2000 but never ratified the agreement to become a member. It formally withheld its signature from the founding statute of the ICC in 2016, a day after the court published a report classifying the Russian annexation of Crimea as an occupation. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Kremlin has severed ties with several prominent international organisations, deepening the country's isolation from the west. In March last year, Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights watchdog, over its attack on Ukraine. Moscow is also pulling out of the International Space Station after 2024 and has threatened to withdraw from the World Trade Organization and the World Health Organization. (ANI)
Iranian Ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi on Friday lauded India's effort in the development of its Chabahar port. Speaking at a press briefing, he said, "The core concept of cooperation between Iran and India in Chabahar has three elements - construction of ports, its connection with the main railway network of Iran and sending cargo through Chabahar. By these three components, we can judge the level of cooperation with India." Chabahar Port is a seaport in the Sistan-Balochistan province of Iran, on the Gulf of Oman. It serves as Iran's only oceanic port and consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti. Its geographic proximity to Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) gives it the potential to develop into one of the most important commercial hubs. Elahi further elaborated that Iran could itself build infrastructure in Chahbahar, we did not need the help of other nations and reasoned out why India was its foremost choice for the collaboration. "Since the beginning, there were three elements - first of all, we asked India to send its cargo through Chabahar, India is a maritime country, too many ports -- is a well-experienced, skilful country in maritime. We expected that India will send its cargo through Chabahar and help us, teach us, and train Iranians to expand its ports. Moreover, due to sanctions, Iran did not have enough money for investments and construction of different infrastructures we sided with India," said the Iranian envoy. Chabahar Port Project is one of the focussed projects of India. India, in May 2016, signed an USD 85 million Chabahar Agreement to establish the International Transport and Transit Corridor. Construction of the Chabahar Port and the construction of a rail line from Chabahar port to Zahedan are the major highlights of the project. Through the Chabahar Port Project, the cargo would be brought to the Bandar Abbas port and Chabahar port and free Kabul from its dependence on Pakistan. The Chabahar Port will give India access to Afghanistan and beyond to Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Europe via the 7,200-km-long multi-modal North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). One of the key projects of keen interest to India and Iran was linking Chabahar Port to the Zaranj-Delaram Highway in Afghanistan. The Zaranj-Delaram Highway in Afghanistan is a 215 km long highway that was already built through assistance provided by India. Moreover, the Chabahar Port Project provides an option for an alternate supply route of goods, thus reducing the weightage of Pakistan, which was the only option available till some time back. The Chabahar Port Project will strengthen Indo-Iranian ties, which could balance out growing Chinese-Pakistani cooperation. Also, the US sanctions on Iran have no bearing on India's Chabahar Port Project, and the port is functioning well. The Biden Government in the US has given separate exceptions for the strategic Chabahar port project. (ANI)
Japanese envoy on Friday underscored that there are immense possibilities and potential to expand the relationship and cooperation between India and Japan. "There are many potentials and possibilities to expand the relationship and cooperation between India and Japan, the Consulate General of Japan in Chennai will continue the work for the India-Japan relationship and cooperation," said the Deputy Consul General, Consulate General of Japan in Chennai, Kenji Miyata. He was speaking at the Indo-Japan International Conference organized by the Center for Public Policy Research in Kochi. The two-day Indo-Japan International Conference organized by the Center for Public Policy Research, Kochi, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Japan, concluded at Kochi on 17th March 2023. The conference was a unified platform for discussions and collaborations related to India-Japan cooperation. Delegates and speakers from India and Japan participated and shared their insights. Experts in geo-strategy, foreign policy, maritime commerce, technology, and climate change related to India-Japan diplomatic relations spoke at the conference. "We've had active discussions, where lots of issues were discussed and there were many good analyses, ideas, and suggestions. Also, we have difficulties and challenges as well. But I realized that there are many potentials and possibilities to expand our cooperation. In this sense, I thank all speakers and panellists for your contribution. We discussed connectivity in many fields and we can take this confidence further for our future cooperation," said Kenji. "I think this is a very relevant conference that we are concluding now. Japan's Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida will be visiting India this month to explore ways to expand bilateral cooperation in a range of areas including trade and investment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Japan in the month of May 2023. PM Fumio Kishida is here for the second time which shows the growing partnership and engagement between the two countries. And I am sure this particular conference will add to the beautiful literature between India and Japan. I am so happy that we had a very fruitful and engaging conversation on various topics related to India-Japan relations," said Dr D Dhanuraj, Chairman, Centre for Public Policy Research. Various issues related to India-Japan cooperation were discussed and deliberated in the five sessions of the conference. Insights were gathered from the key sessions revolving around Synergies between IPOI, FOIP, and AOIP; Cooperation in Emerging Technologies, Shipping, and Seaports; Best Practices in Disaster Risk Management; Opportunities and Challenges in India-Japan Relations: Special Strategic and Global Partnership, and Convergences and Challenges for India and Japan in Indo-Pacific: Security and Defense Co-operations. (ANI)
Dagana district will not allow serving meat items, including eggs during the annual Tshechu and other religious events in gewog lhakhangs from here on. The recently concluded Dzongkhag Tshogdu decided to go with only vegetarian items on the menu for such events. The local leaders said, serving meat items during religious events is not in line with religion, reported The Bhutan Live. Tsendagang Gup,Bal Bdr. Rana, who is also the chairperson of Dagana Dzongkhag Tshogdu moved the motion. Accordingly, other local leaders supported the move. Some members said, serving meat items during the annual Tshechu and other routine rituals conducted in gewog lhakhangs have become an expensive affair for both the government and individual organisers. "I served as a procurement officer during the Dagapela Tshechu a few months ago. I had spent around Nu 50,000 just to buy meat despite strict control. And I spent another Nu 25,000 on alcohol. Therefore, it would be nice if we could ban meat and alcohol during annual Tshechu and rituals because Tshechu is all about religion," said Mani Kumar Ghishing, Gesarling Gup. "Firstly, serving vegetables during the annual Tshechu and rituals would help low-income families to conduct any religious activities. Secondly, mask dances during the annual Tshechus teach devotees about what we should do to accumulate merit and what we should not do to avoid sins. But it is useless to witness Tshechu if we cannot avoid consuming meat during Tshechu," said Chador, Kana Gup. "In my Gewog, we tried to impose restrictions on using meat items during the Tshechu, but we could not do it, so far. But I heard some chiwogs in other gewogs have already stopped using meat during religious functions. So, I am supporting the motion," said Sangay Wangmo, Gozhi Gewog Mangmi. The restriction will come into effect after the Dzongkhag Tshogdu's resolution is passed on to relevant offices, reported The Bhutan Live. Bal Bdr. Rana said "lhakhang is a place where we accumulate merit and seek blessings. But consuming meats and alcohol during the annual Tshechu and in the lhakhangs is not a good example and it is also a sinful deed." Dagana district hosts three major annual Tshechu of Daga Dzong, Dagapela and LhamoiDzingkha Dungkhag. Similarly, chiwogs in all the 14 gewogs conduct routine rituals on auspicious days. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar on Friday inaugurated the Sri Lankan exhibition "Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential To Be There", at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi. Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture of India, Meenakshi Lekhi was also present on this occasion. The historic exhibition which features the works of Sri Lanka's iconic architect the late Geoffrey Bawa is jointly organized by the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi, the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi and the Geoffrey Bawa Trust to mark the 75th anniversary of Indo-Lanka diplomatic relations, which falls this year. A large number of invitees including diplomats, senior officials of the Government of India, academics, journalists, art lovers and professionals attended the ceremonial opening of the exhibition. Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to India Milinda Moragoda, Director of the National Gallery of Modern Art Temsunaro Tripati, and Trustee of the Geoffrey Bawa Trust Sanjay Kulatunga joined External Affairs Minister Jaishankar in inaugurating the exhibition. "Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential To Be There", the first major exhibition that draws from the archives to look at the Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa's practice, is the first retrospective exhibition of Bawa's works to be shown internationally since 2004. Earlier, his work had been exhibited at multiple venues in Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, North America, Australia, India, Brazil, Singapore, and Germany. Over 120 documents from the Bawa archives are on view in the exhibition, including a section on unbuilt work and Bawa's own photographs from his travels. It explores relationships between ideas, drawings, buildings and places, and the different ways in which images were used in Bawa's practice. Geoffrey Bawa has designed several iconic buildings in India as well. "Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential To Be There", which has been organized under the Sri Lanka-India Cultural Exchange Programme, will be on display until 07 May 2023. (ANI)
On the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) 52nd General Session in Geneva Women in Data (WiD) announced plans to launch its Data Curiosity Program in India in coordination with the Centre For Global Affairs and Public Policy (CGAPP), The program seeks to stem the Gender Gap in STEM fields and add more women to the workforce in these sectors. India has made strides in achieving gender parity in STEM graduates, but the proportion of women working in these sectors is lower, informed the Geneva Women in Data. Women make up 34 per cent of the workforce in the Indian IT sector, with most of them being under the age of 30. The Data Curiosity Program intends to encourage girls aged 12-16 years to take up careers in data and STEM fields. CGAPP and WiD also held a roundtable conference to discuss Sustainability Enablement Through Technology. The roundtable brought together representatives from Civil Society, Business, Government and Foundations. Several tech-enabled sustainability projects from India were discussed, such as the Inspection as a Service (IaaS) module developed by TCS which uses an AI engine to monitor toilet sanitation in over 45,000 schools in India. Participants also shared ideas about other use cases for the technology in development, such as the use of AI and Machine Learning for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) norms, Health, Re-skilling and Education. Dinanath Kholkar, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Partner Ecosystems and Alliances at TCS, delivered the inaugural address at the conference congratulating WiD and CGAPP for organising the event. He acknowledged the importance of discussing stories of development through technology from across the world and looking for new use cases. In her remarks, Sudeshna Choudhury, Director, PE&A, TCS pointed out that the benefits of having more women in the workforce are often ignored. She shared a case study of Inspection as a Service from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where a TCS-developed AI model is being used to track sanitary conditions in school toilets. Director, CGAPP Anindya Sengupta noted that as G-20 chair, India has identified a set of priority areas, which include tech-enabled development in sectors ranging from agriculture to education and the promotion of digital public infrastructure. Stories of technology from education, climate, health and development good need to be brought to the global platform, he said. Sadie St. Lawrence, Founder and CEO, WiD, shared that addressing the Gender gap can add close to 35% to the global GDP according to the World Economic Forum. She also emphasised the need for reskilling for women as climate change and other challenges lead to changes in the labour market. Lawrence talked about various initiatives of WiD to address gender disparity through their programs. Various sector experts also discussed innovative uses of AI in their fields ranging from climate sustainability, energy transition, health, and other areas. Tatyana Kanzaveli, Founder and CEO, Open Health Network, Maria Hutcheson, Head of Growth, TheMathCompany, Shuchi Rana, Global Head of Whitespace, ServiceNow, Veronica Grasso, Scientific and Program Officer, World Meteorological Organization & Navin Rauniar, Sustainability Partner, Tata Consultancy Services took part in the roundtable and shared their sectoral insights & case studies and discussed other potential areas where technology can be leveraged for development with other attendees. (ANI)
The National Commission of Human Rights (NHCR) report of police brutality during Women's March highlights the grim reality of gender-based violence in Pakistan, reported Afghan Diaspora Network (ADN). The police lathi-charge on participants of the Aurat (Women's) march in Islamabad (8 March 2023) provides the context for a perusal of the plight of women in Pakistan. The incident sparked anger among politicians and activists, as well as a large number of people on mainstream media and social media, reported ADN. The NHCR report shows that around 63,000 cases of gender-based violence were reported over the past three years. Some 4,000 of these incidents were reported in the first half of 2020, when lockdowns were imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus. The report notes that while the data was based on reported cases, the actual number could be much higher, said ADN. The Commission quotes figures from the Human Rights Ministry which said 80 per cent of these cases were related to domestic violence, while some 47 per cent of domestic rape where married women experienced sexual abuse. Senator Sherry Rehman and MNA Shazia Marri termed these cases the tip of the iceberg. Senator Rehman, who is also the Minister for Climate Change, said violence against women was a display of "power" and called such cases a "hidden pandemic" and "statistics of shame," reported ADN. "The statistics are staggering, 90 per cent of women face some form of domestic violence in their lifetime, yet 50 per cent do not report it, and only 0.4 per cent of them go to courts," she said. Rights activist Farzana Bari said that there were some "planted people in police and media persons" who deliberately tried to create disturbance and unrest among the marchers so that the peaceful march would fail to achieve its targets. The annual Aurat March which coincided with International Women's Day, was lathi-charged by the police in a bid to prevent them from reaching D-Chowk. The march was supposed to start at the National Press Club (NPC) and end at D-Chowk in Islamabad, reported ADN. Participants of the march arrived at the Press Club in Islamabad at 2 pm (8 March) but were shocked to see barbed wires placed around the venue which made it difficult for them to reach their destination. When the marcher began their protest, on-duty police officials tried to stop them. Suddenly, the police unleashed a baton charge on the protesters. The reason for this ostensibly was that one of the marchers had allegedly slapped a police officer after an exchange of heated words, reported ADN. Senator Sherry Rehman, who later visited the site, condemned the Islamabad Police for using violence against the Aurat March and sought a thorough investigation. She said it was a shame that such things were happening on International Women's Day. The lathi-charge on the Aurat march reflects the prevailing attitude towards gender in Pakistan and demonstrates that change will be slow in coming to Pakistani women! The NHCR policy document calls for advocated training for law enforcers and health professionals, the inclusion of male allies in campaigns against domestic violence, and legal aid systems available to women at all levels. (ANI)
Narinder Kaur, 53, from Cleverton in Wiltshire, was convicted of all 26 counts on an indictment which included fraud, possessing and transferring criminal property, and perverting the course of justice, Sky News reported.

Between July 2015 and February 2019, Narinder Kaur, also known as Nina Tiara, travelled all over the UK, defrauding various retailers more than a thousand times, targeting multiple branches of chains, including Boots, Monsoon, House of Fraser and Homesense.

The police found 1,50,000 pounds and many stolen goods from her house after searches.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Narinder Kaur had "very many" bank and credit card accounts and made shoplifting her full-time career.

"Close examination of her accounts confirmed the pattern of purchases and refunds and that the same process seen on the CCTV was being repeated on hundreds of occasions," the CPS was quoted as saying in Sky News.

During the trial, prosecutor Gareth Weetman described her as "an intelligent but highly dishonest and manipulative individual" who had deceived shops, banks, solicitors, and even the courts.

The CPS, along with the police, used financial data, retail records, witness evidence and CCTV which proved Narinder Kaur's pattern of offending.

She was arrested in Swindon while attempting to get a refund, which led to the discovery of 49 shopping bags filled with goods.

Narinder Kaur, whose trial at Gloucester Crown Court lasted four months, will be sentenced at a later date.

--IANS mi/vd

( 279 Words)

2023-03-17-19:06:02 (IANS)
United States President Joe Biden met Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the White House on Friday and spoke in the support of the Windsor Framework, which the UK and the European Union struck a deal on February 27 regarding post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland, CNN reported. The Windsor Framework is a post-Brexit trade rule for Northern Ireland with a view to removing the border between Britain and Northern Ireland running through the Irish Sea. With the Irish Taoiseach's visit to the US, the country resumed the St. Patrick's Day tradition for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic and for the first time the president, who often notes his Irish roots, has been in office, CNN reported. The St. Patrick's Day festivities, complete with a green-dyed White House fountain, come ahead of an anticipated presidential trip to Northern Ireland to mark the upcoming anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement which the United States helped broker a quarter-century ago to bring an end to decades of sectarian violence. Biden said earlier this week that he intends to make the visit, although formal details have not been announced by the White House. At a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office with the Taoiseach, also known as the Irish prime minister, the president called the visit "a big day." "Ireland and the United States share friendship and long, long traditions," Biden said. President Biden also thanked Varadkar for his partnership on the Ukraine war and on economic issues. Later Friday afternoon, Biden attended the Friends of Ireland Caucus St. Patrick's Day Luncheon on Capitol Hill, using the moment to wax poetic about his family ties to Ireland and seek common ground with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, according to CNN. "I agree with the speaker. There's no reason why we can't find common ground," the president said at the luncheon, adding, "There's no reason why we can't hope to change this direction of extremes (in) both parties are pushing ... I think it's really important and that is the power of friendship. I think it's a power of strength of our partnership if we work at it, and simply put, I think it's the Irish of it." On Friday evening, the White House will host Varadkar again for a Shamrock presentation and reception, where former One Direction star Niall Horan will also perform. Vice President Kamala Harris welcomed Varadkar to the Naval Observatory Friday morning, CNN reported. (ANI)
After the United States, the UK and New Zealand became the latest western countries to ban the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform TikTok on "government devices" citing security fears, The New York Times reported. The UK, on Thursday, announced the ban of TikTok with immediate effect citing security fears linked to the video-sharing app's ownership by a Chinese company. Speaking in the parliament, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden described the ban as "precautionary," even though the United States, the European Union's executive arm, Canada and India had already taken similar steps. Dowden said social media apps collect and store huge amounts of user data including contacts, user content and geolocation data on government devices which can be sensitive, according to The New York Times. Post Covid, TikTok has aroused more suspicion than most because of its owner, the Chinese company ByteDance. Britain's actions reflect fears expressed across a variety of Western governments that TikTok might share sensitive data from devices used by politicians and senior officials with the government in Beijing. The ban was announced on Thursday after the announcement of hardening the policy in Britain. On Monday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described China as an "epoch-defining challenge" to the international order. The new instruction applies only to the official work phones of government officials, and it was described by Dowden as a proportionate approach to addressing a potential vulnerability of government data, reported The New York Times. In a statement on Thursday, TikTok said it was disappointed with the British government's decision, saying that the bans imposed on it were "based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics." It added that it was taking steps to protect British users' data. Several British government departments have TikTok accounts as part of their public outreach, including the country's defence ministry, and as recently as one day ago, Michelle Donelan, the secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, said the app was safe for British people to use. "In terms of the general public, it is absolutely a personal choice, but because we have the strongest data protection laws in the world, we are confident that the public can continue to use it," she told lawmakers in Parliament. Earlier, the US threatened to ban TikTok from the country unless the app's Chinese owners agree to spin off their share of the social media platform, TikTok acknowledged Wednesday evening. In response to that message, TikTok's Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew said, divesting the company from its Chinese owners -- a move the US is now demanding -- doesn't offer any more protection than a multibillion-dollar plan the company has already proposed, Wall Street Journal reported. (ANI)
Armies of 25 African countries will attend the India-Africa Chiefs Conclave in Pune on March 28, a senior Indian Army official said. In the two sessions from the Indian side, the participants, including senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs and the Services, as well as ex-Servicemen, will also attend the conclave. "The first session will explore the key pillars of India Africa Defence Partnership. The second session will focus on Indian Defence Industry's Outreach to Africa. Eminent speakers from Africa will form part of the panel discussion," the Army offical said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also scheduled to attend the conclave and deliver an address. African army chiefs from the Republic of Congo, Niger, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Uganda, Seychelles, Gambia, Tanzania and Kenya have confirmed their participation at the event. Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Rwanda, Eswatini (Swaziland), Morocco, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Lesotho and Senegal will also send representatives of their army chiefs at the conclave.Along with the India-Africa chiefs' conclave, the second iteration of Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX) will also be held from March 21. A senior Indian Army offical said, "Objective of the exercise is to continue building upon the initiatives taken to strengthen India-Africa relations, with a focus on enhancing peace and security, creating opportunities to exchange ideas and perspectives." The offical also stressed that this exercise will help to learn from the African experience in cooperative security and management of security crisis situations, while also promoting a collaborative approach to capacity enhancement of African armies. AFINDEX exercise will commence on March 21 in Pune and culminate on March 30. The exercise will be divided into four phases.Initially, the trainers, themselves will be administered training and the same would be followed by a Humanitarian Mine Action and a Peace Keeping Operations Phase. Finally, a validation exercise will be conducted to assess the results of the training conducted. The validation exercise will be conducted on March 29, with the chiefs of the African armies in attendance. Senior Army officials stressed that the exercise will involve large-scale use of indigenously-made defence equipment. New generation equipment manufactured in India will be showcased during the exercise in a bid to demonstrate their efficacy to the troops of the participating nations. For AFINDEX, 9 contingents, with 78 personnel each, will participate in the exercise. These contingents will arrive from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Niger, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Another 11 countries -- Botswana, Cameroon, Congo, Egypt, Eswatini / Swaziland, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Zimbabwe and Morocco -- will send 21 Observers for AFINDEX. A defence equipment display will also be organised by the Indian defence manufacturing industry on March 29 in a bid to showcase the defence manufacturing capabilities of the country. The first Africa-India Field Training Exercise was held in Pune in March 2019. It saw participation from 20 African nations. The first India-Africa Defence Ministers Conclave was held on the sidelines of the DEFEXPO, 2020 in Lucknow. The Lucknow Declaration, which was adopted at the conclave, laid down the future path of cooperation between India and African nations in the defence space. (ANI)
Pakistan military media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), confirmed that two children were killed during an operation against suspected "militants" on the border of North and South Waziristan districts, Dawn reported. According to ISPR, two children died during the operation, in which officials alleged that eight people, whom the media wing called "militants" also left two soldiers wounded. "Upon information about the presence of militants in the Zinghara area of South Waziristan, security forces carried out an operation," said the statement. Earlier, unconfirmed media reports claimed that the children were killed in a drone strike but in the ISPR statement, there was no mention of a "drone strike," reported Dawn. It confirmed that an intense exchange of fire took place between security forces and militants in which mortar shells were also fired. "Unfortunately, two children embraced martyrdom during the exchange of fire," the statement read. Local officials said the offensive was launched following a tip-off about the presence of militants late on Wednesday night. This is the second offensive in less than a week in North and South Waziristan districts reported Dawn. Earlier, on March 10, at least five suspected militants were killed by security forces in an intelligence-based operation carried out in the two districts. Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the militants' possession. Meanwhile, on January 5, at least 11 alleged terrorists, including a militant commander and two suicide bombers, were killed in an offensive in the Wana area of South Waziristan. According to the security forces, the deceased terrorists were planning a "high-profile" attack which was "successfully foiled," as per the Dawn report. Taking note of the rise in criminal cases and the attack on police in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, a US State Department report, earlier, had warned that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was aiming to push the government of Pakistan out of the province and establish Sharia by waging a terrorist campaign against the military and state, Dawn reported. According to the 2021 Country Reports on Terrorism, the TTP uses the tribal belt along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border to train and deploy its operatives. According to a US State Department report, TTP draws ideological guidance from Al Qaeda, while elements of AQ rely in part on TTP for safe haven in the Pashtun areas along the Afghan-Pakistan border. "This arrangement has given TTP access to both AQ's global terrorist network and its members' operational expertise," the report stated. Further, according to the report, Pakistan "experienced significant terrorist activity" during the year in review -- 2021. Underlining the link between terrorism and lack of economic activities, the report pointed out that "the United States provides assistance to support trade and economic growth" in Pakistan, Dawn reported. (ANI)
The PTI chief had approached the LHC earlier in the day to seek protective bail in nine cases. Five of those cases are registered in Islamabad and four in Lahore, Geo News reported.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh and Justice Farooq Haider conducted the hearing on bail pleas filed against the cases that are lodged under terrorism sections.

For the five cases in Islamabad, the court granted bail to the PTI chief till March 24 and for the three cases in Lahore, Khan received bail for 10 days (March 27), Geo News reported.

Justice Sheikh also heard the bail pleas that Khan filed against the civil cases registered against him, in which he approved the PTI chief's protective bail till March 27.

The high court has also granted police access to Zaman Park for investigating the incidents that transpired on March 14 and March 15 -- when clashes left several injured.

The court also wrapped up Fawad's plea against the operation at Zaman Park and ordered the party to ensure it cooperates with the authorities, Geo News reported.

Hundreds of PTI supporters accompanied Khan when he visited the high court, while authorities had also allowed his bullet-proof vehicle to enter the court premises.

At Khan's Zaman Park residence -- which became a battleground recently -- workers shielded the party chairman's home to thwart his possible arrest. Later, the situation was calm as the Islamabad High Court restricted police from arresting him in the Toshakhana case, Geo News reported.

--IANS san/pgh

( 304 Words)

2023-03-17-21:10:03 (IANS)
At least seven people, including a tribal elder and his two brothers, were killed after unidentified shooters sprayed their vehicle with bullets in Balochistan's Zhob district, Dawn reported. According to Dawn, the deceased tribal elder, identified as Ahmed Khan Kibzai, was travelling in the vehicle along with his two brothers and some other people. When his vehicle reached the Khurlam, located close to the Pakistan-Afghan border, unidentified shooters attacked them with automatic weapons leaving seven people dead on the spot, and one person injured. "The victims tried to escape from the vehicle but were not given a chance to save their lives," a senior Levies official said, adding that the bodies of Kibzai and his two brothers were charred after the vehicle later caught fire due to firing. Levies officials rushed to the site after receiving information about the incident and shifted the bodies and injured to the district hospital in Zhob. "We have received seven bodies and one injured in the hospital," hospital sources said, adding that all victims died of multiple bullet injuries, reported Dawn. Officials said the reason behind the attack is still unknown and the authorities were investigating the incident. However, officials said Ahmed Khan Kibzai was wanted in many cases by the Levies Force and was an absconder. He also had tribal enmity. Six other victims were identified as Wahid Khan Kibzai, Abdul Manan Kibzai, Naik Mohammad Badeenzai, Sultan Khan Badeenzai, Fazal Rehman Kibzai and Najibuddin Kibzai. The man injured in the incident was identified as Jalal Khan. A month ago in February, the Pakistani tribal chief in Karmanzai and his son were shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the Dera Bugti district, Dawn reported. The victims, 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 Dawn. 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 in Salarzai tehsil of Bajaur tribal district where a landmine explosion took place. A woman and her son were injured in the incident. "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. Spreaking 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, reported Dawn. A Rescue 1122 official said both the injured, identified as the wife of Jan Sardar and her 15-year-old son Abdullah, were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital, Khar, by a team of rescuers. (ANI)
Former United States President Donald Trump wrote his first Facebook post on Friday (Local Time) after being banned from social media platforms for two years. "I'M BACK," Trump posted along with a 12-second video which seems to be his victory speech after winning the 2016 election and also tried to put out his campaign for the 2024 election in that video. After the 2016 video, Trump put his famous slogan "Make America Great Again" or MAGA, which came to be popular during his last successful presidential campaign. Earlier, in February, Meta restored Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts. Andy Stone, policy communications director at Meta, has confirmed the development, NBC News reported. The reinstatement had been expected after Facebook's president of global affairs Nick Clegg in January said that the suspension will be lifted, as per the news report. Trump's accounts on Facebook and Instagram were suspended by Meta after January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The ban was announced initially as an indefinite ban that included the last two weeks of his presidency, as per the NBC News report. The ban on Trump's account was later formally extended for two years. At the time of writing this news article, Trump has not shared any new posts on his Facebook or Instagram accounts. His last Instagram post, dated January 6, 2021, promoted the 'Save America' march where he would encourage his supporters to march on the Capitol. Sharing the post on Instagram, Trump captioned it as, "I will be speaking at the SAVE AMERICA Rally tomorrow on the Ellipse at 11 AM Eastern. Arrive early - door open at 7 AM Eastern. Big Crowds!" Trump's last post on Facebook before the suspension called for people to leave the Capitol. In the post on Facebook, Trump stated, "I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order -- respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!" Meanwhile, on Friday, YouTube restored Trump's account. Taking to Twitter, an Youtube insiders said, "Starting today, the Donald J. Trump channel is no longer restricted and can upload new content. We carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence, while balancing the chance for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run-up to an election." "This channel will continue to be subject to our policies, just like any other channel on YouTube," YouTube added. (ANI)
Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia next week, making it his first trip to Moscow since the country launched its special military operation in Ukraine, according to the statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. "At the invitation of President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation, President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia from March 20 to 22," the statement read. The visit is being seen as a powerful show of China's support for Russia in Western countries, where leaders have grown increasingly wary of the two nations' deepening partnership as war rages in Europe, according to CNN Meanwhile, in China, while addressing the presser, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that President Xi's upcoming state visit to Russia will be a trip for friendship. It will further deepen mutual trust and mutual understanding between China and Russia and cement the political foundation and public support for the long-standing friendship between the two peoples, according to the statement released by China's foreign ministry. "In recent years, President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin have maintained close exchanges. They have charted the course and provided guidance for the sustained sound and steady growth of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era. The two sides have found a path of major-country relations featuring strategic trust, good neighbourliness and cooperation, setting a new model for international relations," the statement read. "During his upcoming state visit to Russia, President Xi will have an in-depth exchange of views with President Putin on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of mutual interest, boost strategic coordination and practical cooperation between the two countries and inject new impetus into the growth of bilateral relations," it added. President Xi's visit will be a trip for cooperation. It will boost mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation across the board, form greater synergy and deepen cooperation between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, and help both countries achieve their respective goals of development and rejuvenation, Wenbin said. Xi's visit will be a trip for peace. On the basis of no alliance, no confrontation and no targeting of any third party, China and Russia will continue to practice true multilateralism, promote greater democracy in international relations, work towards building a multi-polar world, improve global governance and contribute to development and progress in the world, he added. While responding to a media query over China providing assistance to Russia, the foreign ministry spokesperson said, "I would like to reiterate that China always handles export of military items in a prudent and responsible manner and regulates the export of dual-use articles in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. At the same time, we are consistently opposed to unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction with neither basis in international law nor UN Security Council mandate. China's consistent position and practice stands in sharp contrast with the acts of certain countries that apply double standards on arms sales and keep adding fuel to the fire on the Ukraine crisis", according to the statement. (ANI)
The five children of 1,000 Hours Challenge founder Ginny Yurich display a blown-up version of an hourly fresh-air tracker available on the movement's website. (Photo: Ginny Yurich)

Kids between 8 and 18 spend an average of 7.5 hours in front of a screen  every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its probably not the most shocking statistic, since, between video games, TikTok and the latest streaming series, theres a lot to do in front of a screen. But what happens if you replace a good chunk of those hours with time spent outdoors, looking at trees or a sky or even the ground? For some parents, the answer is simple: only good things.

Enter the 1000 Hours Outside movement. Michigan-based mother of five Ginny Yurich started the blog of the same name in 2013, followed by related books and the popular podcast, inspiring parents across the globe to get outside with their children  and track their hours with a goal of reaching 1,000. And by 2021, Yurich told Today, more than a million kids had participated in the challenge. Today, there are more than 607,000 #1000HoursOutside posts on Instagram.

Prior to starting her blog, Yurich struggled with parenting her young kids. She was constantly shuffling them from activity to activity, and was frustrated by how short the bursts of time were. Then a friend read the writings of British educator Charlotte Mason, who encourages outdoor play for children, and asked Yurich if she wanted to try to spend some time outdoors with both of their kids at the park. While Yurich had low expectations initially, she was shocked by how refreshed she felt afterwards. She kept it up.

I started to notice that our kids were thriving, Yurich tells Yahoo Life. They were sleeping better, they were eating better. They weren't getting sick as much. They were trying new sorts of things outdoors, new sorts of movements. And over the past 10 to 12 years I've come across just stacks and stacks of research about how simple outdoor play helps kids with every facet of their development. It helps their cognition, it helps their physical abilities, it helps them emotionally, it helps them with their social skills  and it does a whole lot for the parents, as well.

Story continues

Why get outside?

Much has been written about why getting outdoors is so important for children, including how it helps them synthesize vitamin D from the sun, which is important for building a healthy immune system. A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health states that children ages 3 to 12 who spend more time outside are less sedentary, meaning they are more likely to hit the CDC's 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity each day for optimal health.

Michelle Kondo, a scientist with the U. S. Forest Service, tells Yahoo Life that the mental health benefits of outdoor play may be the most impressive.

Being outside can help improve our mood, it can reduce our stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression, she says. Time spent outside can reduce loneliness. Being outside can also improve how our brain functions. It helps us focus and pay attention.

A study published in Science Advances in 2019 found that there is a link between nature experiences and psychological well-being, as well as a reduction in risk factors for certain kinds of mental health issues, such as ADHD and anxiety disorders, something the American Psychological Association (APA) echoed in a 2020 synthesis of nature's mood and cognitive benefits.

Theres also evidence that unstructured social play can be enormously beneficial for children. Many parents may think that giving their kids ample organized activities is ideal  but allowing them to have free time not dominated by organized activities, requiring them to come up with their own fun, can help them develop creativity, per research from the APA.

What parents are saying

Followers of the challenge, who can track their progress thanks to a chart available on Yurichs website, dont need any concrete evidence to know that getting outside is a great idea: The proof is in how their families feel after getting lots of fresh air, sun and nature time.

We do a lot of parks days and walk trails, North Carolina mother Makenzie Alaniz tells Yahoo Life of her two kids, ages 5 and 2. As a homeschooling parent, she was looking for ways to fill her kids' days "with adventure and fun," and is confident her family will hit the 1,000-hour mark, as theyre already at 200 hours. Once the weather warms up, we will be at the beach. We also have a horse, so taking care of her and riding takes up quite a bit of time  If its above 40 degrees, then we have at least an hour or two of play!

Natalie Waddell, a Texas mom of two kids, 2 and 4, also loves the challenge. She decided jump aboard at the end of 2022, after she noticed her kids were getting sick often and engaging in too much screen time. They keep it simple by playing in front of their house on most days.

When I think of my weekend plans I try to find something that would double for hours outside as well, she says. If the weather is bad we try to power through it, and if it's not working we take a small walk and make up the hours another day. Texas has pretty crazy weather and we just roll with it. For instance February's goal was an hour a day and most days we would do two hours or 20 minutes, but still made our goal.

Since starting the challenge, she notes, her kids have not gotten sick  something that was previously rare in January and February.

Plus, she says, My kids fall asleep a lot faster and sleep better throughout the night."

Social media influencer Carly Riordan also sees the practical aspect of spending more time outdoors, telling Yahoo Life that the fresh air has been amazing for her family's overall mood.

Then there are some practical benefits.

We've had the bonuses of longer naps and a cleaner house, too, she says. [Theres] way more time hanging with friends. It's easier to meet at a park than to feel pressure to invite a family over into our home. No need to clean before or after!

Mostly, Riordan says, she loves not having to plan activities in order to entertain her toddler.

And, say says, he is happy outside with minimal effort or guidance on my part."

Wellness, parenting, body image and more: Get to know the who behind the hoo with Yahoo Life's newsletter. Sign up here.
Spring is in the air...which means it's not too early to start thinking about your summer. And specifically, vacations! If you're looking for an off-the-beaten path escape away from the crowds, you're in luck. Here are some lesser-known alternatives to popular summer vacation destinations that are well worth a trip before word gets out further  both in the US and beyond.

US & CANADA:

1. Instead of Hawaii, go to Oregon.

There are some pretty obvious differences between Hawaii and Oregon (namely, that only one of these places is an island with a year-round tropical climate. But hear me out: Oregon offers sweeping Pacific coastline, a temperate rainforest, incredible hiking, scenic farmland, waterfalls, and some of the most picturesque scenery in the country. There may not be palm trees and coconuts, but Cannon Beach is a pretty spectacular place to sunbathe on a warm summer day. And while you won't find the Road to Hana, a drive along the Pacific Coast Highway isn't too shabby. Getty Images

The landscapes throughout the state are so diverse and nothing short of jaw-dropping.

The Oregon Coast  from Astoria to Bandon  is home to jagged coastline, state parks, hiking trails galore, sweeping sand dunes, and freshly caught seafood. You can even go whale watching or boating for Dungeness crab. In the Columbia River Gorge you can hike to hidden waterfalls and sip on hard cider made at local apple and peach orchards. And don't forget about Crater Lake National Park, a giant volcanic crater surrounded by cliffs and the Valley of the Giants, a rainforest that houses some seriously impressive Douglas-fir and Hemlock trees. Chase Dekker Wild-life Images / Getty Images

2. Instead of Cape Cod, go to Fire Island.

Cape Cod is one of the most visited vacation destinations in the Northeast, and with good reason. But high season on the Cape comes with hefty price tags to match on hotels and home rentals. For a similar down-to-earth feel, beautiful beaches, stunning summer sunsets, and quaint, small-town vibe, Fire Island is an excellent alternative. This tiny barrier island (just 31-miles long) is close to New York City, making it easily accessible for a short weekend or longer vacation. And you won't find any cars on slow-paced Fire Island; rather, the preferred method of transportation is bicycle or boat. Annemarie Leonardi / Getty Images/EyeEm

Each of Fire Island's hamlets has a totally distinct feel.

Ocean Beach is the most lively town complete with seafood restaurants, ice cream parlors, bars, and shops; Cherry Grove is a favorite among LGBT travelers; Kismet is a free-spirited hamlet known for its party scene, and hotel-free Saltaire is the place to go for its peaceful, relaxing atmosphere. Whether you're looking to rent a house, lay low, and cook your meals at home or stay in a hotel, beach-hop, and explore the surrounding towns, Fire Island offers something for every type of traveler. Scott Heaney / Getty Images/iStockphoto

3. Instead of the Canadian Rockies, go to Idaho.

Summer is high season in the Canadian Rockies, when people flock to take in the natural beauty of Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, and glacial-fed Lake Louise. But right here in the US, Idaho is an exceptionally underrated destination for the great outdoors. It boasts both Rocky Mountain and Pacific Northwest scenery, complete with deserts, water falls, lava fields, mountains, and lakes galore. J. Christopher Photography / Getty Images/500px

This state is paradise for anyone who loves the great outdoors.

Hike in Sun Valley, raft down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, camp and fish in the Sawtooth Mountains, explore Coeur dAlene with its forested lake, and blend urban comforts with outdoor adventure in the hip city of Boise. And make a point to visit Stanley, a small town with a big personality in the Sawtooth Valley, which is the gateway to all the rafting, fishing, and great outdoors the area has to offer. Anna Gorin / Getty Images

INTERNATIONAL:

4. Instead of Santorini, go to Tinos.

When you think of the Greek Islands, your mind likely immediately travels to Santorini. And while this popular Aegean destination is most certainly beautiful, it's over-saturated with tourists from all over the world. For a similar vibe, equally stunning scenery, and very few crowds, consider Tinos instead. Lemonan / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Set just 30 minutes from Mykonos by boat, this island feels like an undiscovered gem.

In Santorini you'll struggle to get a seat at the packed and overly expensive restaurants, but each of the dozens of villages in Tinos boast down-to-earth tavernas serving simple, perfectly cooked seafood from just offshore. There are picture-perfect villages to explore like Pyrgos and Kardiani, wineries where you can sip local Greek varietals, and glistening beaches like Livada, Kolimvithra, and Ormos Giannaki. Mariedofra / Getty Images/iStockphoto

5. Instead of Sicily, go to Sardinia.

As if Sicily weren't already popular enough, the most recent season of White Lotus has all but guaranteed that everyone and their mother will be flocking to Palermo this summer. For a quieter Italian beach getaway with all the same allures, check out the nearby island of Sardinia. The jewel of the Mediterranean Sea floats between Italy and North Africa. And like Sicily, it's home to idyllic beaches, jutting mountains, and a blend of charming fishing villages and posh resort towns. Andrea Pistolesi / Getty Images

Sardinia's Costa Smeralda  a 12-mile stretch of coast  is the most popular part of the island among visitors, but there's so much more to explore.

There are ancients ruins and ports like Su Nuraxi Nuraghe and Porto Flavia, natural wonders like Neptune's Grotto, and the enchanted town of Castelsardo. While you're there, take a boat ride around Maddalena Islands, explore the island's fantastic hiking trails, and sample the local cuisine like pane carasau, Sardinian flatbread, and culurgiones, a stuffed pasta similar to ravioli. Ellen Van Bodegom / Getty Images

6. Instead of the Algarve, go to Alentejo.

There's no doubt that the Algarve is a beautiful beach destination, but summer is primetime tourist season where you'll be fighting for a tiny sliver of beach. If you're looking for a quieter Iberian getaway, set your sights on the Portuguese region of Alentejo. This historic area, a place made unique by its Portuguese, Roman, and North African influences, has everything from the bustling cities of Evora and Portalegre to golden beaches and scenic countrysides dotted with wildflowers and cork forests. Alexander Spatari / Getty Images

You won't find any of the Algarve's summer crowds in this up-and-coming region.

The sleepy beach town of Comporta feels worlds away from the busy Algarve towns like Albufeira and Lagos. Here, you'll find seafood shacks just steps from the Atlantic Ocean, bike paths alongside rice paddies, and highly curated boutiques selling locally designed goods. And it's worth mentioning that Alentejo is quickly putting itself on the map as a renowned wine destination. Joe Daniel Price / Getty Images

7. Instead of Croatia, go to Slovenia.

In recent years, Croatia has become one of the most popular summer destinations in Europe, but people are only just beginning to understand all the allures of its northern neighbor, Slovenia  a safe and budget-friendly country with so many diverse landscapes. For an urban escape, there's the capital city of Ljubljana with its green spaces, bridges spanning the Ljubljanica River, open air markets, and outdoor cafes. Westend61 / Getty Images/Westend61

From alpine lakes and gorges to medieval cities, this country has it all.

Beyond the city, the Alps surround Lake Bled and the lesser known Lake Bohinj, while Vintgar Gorge offers similar scenery to Plitvice Lakes National Park but without all the tourists. And finally there's Piran, a popular resort town on the Adriatic Coast with a colorful main square and medieval walls that will give you serious Dubrovnik vibes. Janoka82 / Getty Images/iStockphoto

8. Instead of the Italian Alps, go to Georgia.

You could visit some combination of Piedmont, the Dolomites, and Lake Como in the Italian Alps this summer, or you could head to Georgia before it inevitably becomes one of Europe's most popular destinations. With a unique history shaped by Russia, Turkey, and Persia and its incredibly diverse landscapes (think: monasteries built into rocky caves, deep gorges, dramatic mountains, and fairy-tale-like towns built deep in valleys. Stefan Cristian Cioata / Getty Images

Tbilisi might just be one of the coolest cities in Europe.

The capital city of Tbilisi is a fascinating, hipster locale with narrow streets, a thriving food scene, leafy squares, and an old town that feels stuck in time. It's also a great base camp from which to take day trips to nearby Gori, Uplistsikhe, and Mtskheta. Georgia also claims to be the birthplace of wine, and you can visit many family-run vineyards to taste the country's signature orange wines in Sighnaghi or Kakheti. Claude Letien / Getty Images

9. Instead of Iceland, go to the Faroe Islands.

Over the last decade, affordable, short flights have made Iceland an ever-trending destination. But sadly, it's getting harder and harder to avoid the tour buses in this beautiful country. So instead of Iceland, check out the Faroe Islands. Technically part of Denmark, this archipelago sits between Iceland and Norway in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Summer is the best time to visit as the Faroe Islands burst into green, mossy life, wildflowers bloom, and the days are long and bright. Roberto Moiola / Getty Images

Like in Iceland, the weather changes here in an instant, so bring your layers, but the scenery is nothing short of jaw-dropping.

Drive past Mulafossur Waterfall and fjords surrounded by mountains; take a ferry to Kalsoy island with its jutting, green cliffs; spot puffins in Mykines; hike to Lake Srvagsvatn, a lake "infinity pool" overlooking the sea; and explore the colorful fishing towns of Nolsoy and Gjogv. The capital city of Torshavn may be small, but it's well worth exploring the historic area of Tinganes with its grass-covered roofs, quaint streets, and cozy nordic restaurants. Abbphoto / Getty Images/iStockphoto

10. Instead of Paris, go to Dordogne.

Dreaming of a French getaway this summer? While everyone flocks to Paris and the South of France, do something a bit more original by visiting the Dordogne Valley. This picturesque area in southwestern France  just east of Bordeaux  is home to fairy-tale medieval villages, rolling meadows, and some of the most charming scenery in the country. Xantana / Getty Images/iStockphoto

The towns that make up this French region could have come straight out of a storybook.

Don't miss the hilltop town of Domme, Beynac-Et-Cazennac with its cobblestone streets and chateaux, and Sarlat known for its open-air markets selling everything from regional cheeses to fresh strawberries. If there's one main reason to travel to Dordogne, it's for the cuisine: it's known for some of France's most luxurious foods like Perigord truffles, foie gras, and Bergerac wines. Fraser Hall / Getty Images

11. Instead of the South of France, go to Turkey's Turquoise Coast.

The Turkish Riviera, also known as the Turquoise Coast, is a stretch of Mediterranean beach towns between Fethiye and Antalya (and once you see the glistening beaches and iridescent water, you'll understand exactly why it deserves the nickname). Here you'll find ancient cities like Xanthos and Arykanda that are perched high on hilltops and rich in spectacular ruins. There are also gorgeous resort towns like Kas, Bodrum, Kalekoy, and Alanya, which are set between the mountains and the sea. Anna Cinaroglu / Getty Images/EyeEm

You'd be hard pressed to find this unique blend of history and scenery anywhere else.

History buffs will love the ancient ruins like the Temple of Apollo, the Temple of Athena, and ancient theaters. And the beaches and landscapes are as striking as any of the rivieras in western Europe, only this is more affordable and less populated. One of the best ways to see the Turquoise Coast is by boat, stopping to snorkel in the azure Mediterranean, and sunbathe at the best beaches like Oludeniz, Iztuzu, and Patara. Getty Images
A golden lion tamarin.

New animals and plants are being lost to extinction every yearmore than 160 species disappeared just in the past decade. Many more are teetering on the edge, and some are in endling stage: when just one individual remains, the last of its kind.

But on some rare occasions, species are saved from the brink. Through the intrepid work of biologists, geneticists, and other conservationists, these unique animals have continued on.

Read more

Scimitar-horned oryx

An adult oryx with a calf.

The scimitar-horned oryx is a species of antelope native to northern Africa. Built for life in the desert, the oryxes have suffered due to habitat loss to agriculture, overhunting, and drought. Note the distinctive curve to their horns.

Calves have been born through artificial insemination at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, a helpful boost to the population. The species was extinct in the wild, but populations are slowly being reintroduced to the grasslands of northern Africa.

New Guinea singing dog

A New Guinea singing dog.

It looks like a bit like a dingo; after all, it too is a wild dog. But the singing dogs of New Guineaso named for their propensity for prolonged, high-pitch vocalizationswere presumed extinct in the wild until they were rediscovered in 2020.

The discovery is a boon to conservation efforts, which have struggled with genetic bottlenecking amongst the captive population. Hopefully, the newly discovered bunch can provide some much-needed genetic diversity.

Golden lion tamarin

A golden lion tamarin.

The golden lion tamarin was certainly on the brink of extinction in the late 20th century, when its wild numbers were estimated at around 200 individuals. Now there are about 2,500hardly a complete comeback, but the petite primates are well on their way. About 30% of the wild population are descendants of tamarins raised in human care, according to the Smithsonians Conservation Biology Institute.

Story continues

Louisiana black bear

A Louisiana black bear stares at the camera.

The state mammal of Louisiana was listed as threatened in 1992, after years of hunting and deforestationthe same problems that afflicted its less-fortunate neighbor in southern swamps, the ivory-billed woodpecker.



But beginning in the late 90s, the bears habitat was restored and population numbers were better monitored. In 2016, the bear was removed from the list of endangered species.

American bison

A bison.

You may be familiar with the famous, tragic photo of bison skulls piled up in the late 1870s. At one point, there were fewer than 1,000 of these bovidsthe largest terrestrial mammals in North Americaleft on the continent. They were overhunted wholesale, including by the U.S. government, which killed the animals to hurt Native American populations that relied on the animals for their livelihoods.

Bison have bounced back considerably since, with conservation herds numbering around 30,000, according to the Smithsonian Institute.

Bald eagle

A bald eagle flying.

Yes, even the airborne image of American liberty (couldve been the turkey!) was once on the brink of extinction. Bald eagles were severely impacted by the use of the pesticide DDT, and the raptors were added to the endangered species list in 1972.

The species was deemed fully recovered in 2007, and in 2021 the population was around 317,000 individuals, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

Guam kingfisher

A Guam kingfisher.

This petite kingfisher is extinct in the wild. There were as few as 30 individuals left in 1986, due to the introduction of the brown tree snake, which preyed on the small birds.

There were 139 birds in captivity as of March 2020, according to the Smithsonian Institute. Until the invasive snake population is brought under control, reintroducing the kingfishers to their native habitats in Guam may be a pipe dream.

Guam rail

A Guam rail.

Guam rails were once so rare that they were presumed extinct in the wild. Today, theyre only found on the adjacent islands of Rota and Cocos.

Like the fate that befell the kingfisher, the Guam rail fell prey to brown tree snakes, which arrived via cargo ships. With no defenses to this foreign predator, the rail population plummeted from around 10,000 to just 21 in 1985.

Breeding programs have improved the rails numbers, though theres still plenty of ground to cover.

Monito gecko

A monito gecko.

The Monito gecko is endemic to an island of the same name, off the coast of Puerto Rico. This adorable reptile met its match in a familiar foe to humans: rats, which invaded the island and decimated the gecko population, according to the National Wildlife Federation. By 1982, the gecko was endangered, and 10 years later, the Puerto Rico government launched a campaign to get rid of the rats.

By 2014, Monito island was rat free, and in October 2019, the gecko was removed from the endangered species list. Their population is now estimated to be around 7,600, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Black-footed ferret

An adult and a juvenile black-footed ferret.

The only ferret species native to North America, the black footed ferret has a fairly remarkable comeback story. In the mid-1980s, only 18 animals were known in the wild. The animals were then bred in captivity, and in 2021, one such ferret became the first animal cloned in North America. Elizabeth Ann became a symbol of increasingly modern approaches to conservation, especially as some groups begin to eye the cloning of extinct species like the dodo and the thylacine.

Whooping Crane

A whooping crane in flight.

Whooping cranes are native to North America and are the tallest birds on the continent.

The primary threat to the animals is habitat loss, but they also strike power lines and are sometimes illegally shot. In the 1940s, the last wild flock was down to fewer than 20 birds, according to the American Bird Conservancy.

One self-sustaining populations still summers in Texas, but other reintroduced populations are now established on the East Coast and in the Rockies.

Panamanian golden frog

A Panamanian golden frog.

This dazzling amphibian wears natures classic dont-you-dare-try-to-eat-me coloration. It is a Panamanian golden frog, a critically endangered creature whose range has diminished in last half century. The frogs have struggled with the chytridiomycosis, a fungal pathogen has killed swathes of the animals.

Some frogs are cared for by humans, but the wild population is just hanging on.

California condor

An adult condor and a chick.

The largest land bird in North America, California condors were nearly killed off by the late 20th century. When their numbers were down to just 27, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service captured the remaining individuals and focused on breeding them.

Over 1,000 chicks have since hatched. Last year, in a truly miraculous finding, researchers found that two condors had been hatched via parthenogenesisin other words, virgin births. Scientists arent quite sure why it happened, but it was exciting news nonetheless.

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Here is a Lexington list and guide of the best weekend events around Central Kentucky on Friday, Saturday and Sunday if you are bored and need things to do from live music concerts, theatre shows, musicals and plays, kid-friendly events, craft fairs, vintage clothing sales, circus performances, comedy shows, dance performances, 5K charity runs, improv performances and St. Patricks Day events and parties.

KHSAA Boys Sweet Sixteen Basketball Tournament at Rupp Arena

The KHSAA Boys Sweet Sixteen Basketball Tournament will continue through March 18 at Rupp Arena. Remaining game times are on March 17 at 11 a.m., 1:30, 6 and 8 p.m. and March 18 at 11 a.m., 1:30 and 7 p.m. Tickets start at $17. 430 W Vine St. RuppArena.com.

The Great Pages Circus at the Madison County Fairgrounds

There will be aerial, juggling and clown acts plus motorcycle stunts in Earharts Globe of Death from The Great Pages Circus at the Madison County Fairgrounds. Performances, which will also include liberty ponies, horses, and camels, are March 17 at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. and March 18 at 3 and 6 p.m. Adult tickets are $20 and include admission for up to two children ages 14 and below. 3237 Old Irvine Rd, Richmond. PagesCircus.com.

Comedian Josh Blue at Comedy Off Broadway

Comedian and 2006 winner of NBCs Last Comic Standing, Josh Blue, will perform at Comedy Off Broadway four times through March 18. 161 Lexington Green Cir #C4. ComedyOffBroadway.com.

Comedy skits and improv at The Spotlight Playhouse in Berea

Enjoy an evening of comedy skits and improv at The Spotlight Playhouse in Berea on March 17 and 18 at 7 p.m. and March 19 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $6-16. 214 Richmond Rd N, Berea. TheSpotlightPlayhouse.com.

Jonathan Grunert as Professor Henry Higgins, Madeline Powell as Eliza Doolittle and John Adkison as Colonel Pickering in The National Tour of My Fair Lady.

Broadway Live musical: My Fair Lady at the Lexington Opera House

The 2022-2023 season of Broadway Live at the Lexington Opera House will continue with performances of My Fair Lady on March 17 at 7:30 p.m., March 18 at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and March 19 at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Boasting such classic songs as I Could Have Danced All Night, The Rain in Spain, Wouldnt It Be Loverly and On the Street Where You Live, the musical tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a proper lady. But who is really being transformed? Tickets start at $60. 401 W Short St. LexingtonOperaHouse.com.

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St. Patricks Day celebration at Rock House Brewing

There will be a St. Patricks Day Ceili at Rock House Brewing, 119 Luigart Court, March 17 starting at 8 p.m. featuring the McTeggart Irish Dancers and musicians of the Kentucky Irish Music Academy. Tickets are $20 and comes with two drinks. facebook.com/events/2746139035536204

St. Patricks Day is coming. Heres your playlist from the Emerald Isle and far beyond.

Willi Carlisle concert at The Burl

Arkansas based folk artist and poet Willi Carlisle will perform at The Burl with support from Willy Tea Taylor on March 17 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. 375 Thompson Rd. TheBurlKy.com.

Fayette County Farm Bureau auction at the Kentucky Horse Park

Fayette County Farm Bureau is holding its 40th annual Farm Equipment Consignment Auction at the Kentucky Horse Park on March 18 at 8:30 a.m. The event is free to attend. 4089 Iron Works Pkwy. FayetteCoFarmBureau.com/EquipmentAuction.

Shamrock Shuffle 3K at Fasig-Tipton

The 17th annual Shamrock Shuffle 3K will take place at Fasig-Tipton on March 18 at 8 a.m. Tickets are $20-30. 2400 Newtown Pike. ShamrockShuffle3k.com.

Irishfest at the Gateway Regional Arts Center

The Gateway Regional Arts Center, 101 E. Main St. in Mt. Sterling, will host an Irishfest celebration March 18 at 1 p.m. At the Main Street Park Stage there will be Irish dancers followed by a cash bar, a baked potato bar, Irish music and games at the arts center. The event is free to attend. facebook.com/events/707809867643012

Play: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory at the Lexington Childrens Theatre

The Lexington Childrens Theatre will present a production of the Roald Dahl classic Charlie and The Chocolate Factory on March 18 at 2 and 7 p.m. (the latter show is pay what you will) and March 19 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15-20. 418 W Short St. LctOnStage.org.

The Reigning Belle of the Bluegrass Region at the Lexington Public Library

Actress, playwright, oral historian and teacher Rose Buckner will present a performed reading of her solo play The Reigning Belle of the Bluegrass Region at Meeting Room B the Lexington Public Librarys Central Library on March 18 from 2-4 p.m. The event is free to attend but does require pre-registration online. 140 E Main St. LexPubLib.org.

Vintage clothing market: Kentucky Vintage Festival at the Central Bank Center

Over 60 vintage clothing vendors will gather at the Central Bank Center for the inaugural Kentucky Vintage Festival on March 19 from 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets are $5-15. 430 W Vine St. Eventbrite.com.

Spring Renewal Market at Rock House Brewing

Jump into spring with a makers market featuring live music, food and more at Rock House Brewing on March 19 from 2-6 p.m. The event is free to attend. 119 Luigart Ct. facebook.com/events/1570634266743672.

1971: The Greatest Year In Music at The Burl

Celebrate the music of 1971 with a special tribute concert at The Burl on March 19 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20. 375 Thompson Rd. TheBurlKy.com.

Matt Wickstrom is a freelancer covering food, music and more. You can follow him on Instagram at @WickstromWrites .
Courtesy of Rachel Wright

Rachel and Kyle Wright began pursuing polyamory around 2019 after a few years of marriage.

They met another married couple in 2020, and a year later, all four lived together as a "polycule."

Each "original" couple divorced so they could pursue a multi-partner domestic partnership.

Rachel Wright never understood monogamy. As early as age 14, she remembers wanting to kiss a guy in choir while still being in a relationship with her boyfriend. "I don't understand why that's not possible," Wright said she thought.

So when she learned about non-monogamy in graduate school for psychology, she felt liberated. "People do this!" she thought. "I'm not just some deviant sexual weirdo that wants variety and enjoys sex as a hobby sometimes."

Still, it took Wright years to pursue polyamory  and an amicable divorce to create the nontraditional family she lives with today.

Wright, now a 34-year-old licensed marriage family therapist in New York, shared her story with Insider to raise awareness of polyamorous, queer relationships and the legislation  like the emergence of multi-person domestic partnership agreements  that supports them.

"These kinds of laws create a mindset shift" in communities, workplaces, and families, Diana Adams, Wright's lawyer and the executive director of the Chosen Family Law Center, told Insider. "It's a seal of approval from the government that this is something that's legitimate and should be respected."

Wright and her future husband discussed polyamory on their first date

On Wright's first date with her future husband, Kyle, they talked about their interest in non-monogamy. "But because our society is so mono-normative, I didn't really have the courage to say, 'Yes, this is what I want,' and neither did Kyle," Wright, who also identifies as bisexual, said.

Instead, the couple decided to stay together exclusively but check in frequently about potentially opening up their relationship. After nearly six years together, including a few years of marriage, they decided it was time.

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The couple downloaded the Feeld app, listened to the Multiamory podcast, and started dating other people in 2018 and 2019. Around this time, Kyle also came out publicly as bisexual. "I found so much joy in watching Kyle blossom, and was feeling more and more like myself," Wright said. "It was just so fun."

Then, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and the couple resorted to polyamorous online communities for "dates." In one early chat room, Wright met Yair Lenchner, who was in an open relationship with his wife, Ashley Giddens. "We just really clicked," Wright said.

Courtesy of Rachel Wright

Soon enough, Wright was flirting with Giddens, Kyle was joking with Lenchner, and all four couldn't stop texting.

At first, their dates were over Zoom. Then, the foursome met up outside in Brooklyn while maintaining six feet of distance to protect themselves from the coronavirus. "We just didn't stop talking," Wright said.

After a few months, they merged "pods" and alternated between homes and date nights. The women would have a romantic night at the Wright's apartment, for example, while the men, who are platonic, would watch movies at Lenchner and Giddens' place. Or, Kyle and Giddens would have a date night, or a triad or all four would go out.

"You know those relationships where all of a sudden you're like, 'Do we live together? Are we engaged?' It's the kind of whirlwind where it's happening, you're aware and you're consenting, but it's happening without you really pushing it," Wright said. "That's exactly how it was."

The couples moved in together, then started planning divorces to feel more equal

In 2021, about a year and a half after they met, the Wrights moved out of their Brooklyn apartment and into Giddens and Lenchner's upstate New York home. The "polycule" adopted a puppy and made spreadsheets organizing meals, laundry, home repairs, and who was spending which night with whom.

They were acting like a family of four  not two couples cohabitating or even swinging  but their legal unions didn't reflect that. Plus, the Wrights were helping to pay the mortgage, but weren't building equity.

That's when they sought the help of Adams, the lawyer, who's been on the front lines of passing multi-partner domestic partnership laws in three Massachusetts cities. There, poly families can gain protections like access to each others' health insurance or the ability to visit one another in the hospital.

"With that multi-partner domestic partnership, you could be married to one person, but a domestic partner to a different person, which is really radical and has never happened before," Adams, a founding member of the Polyamory Legal Advocacy Coalition, said. "It also means that three of you could get into domestic partnerships with each other, or if I have a boyfriend and a girlfriend who are not in a relationship with each other, I could get into domestic partnership with each of them."

"So it really allows for the flexibility and the variety of relationships that we're seeing now," they added.

They are part of a nationwide movement to recognize multi-partner partnerships

In consulting with Adams, Wright's polycule decided to file for divorces in late 2022 to get one step closer to a legally recognized foursome. Adams expects multi-partner domestic partnerships to become legal in smaller, progressive cities like Ithaca and Berkeley in the next six months or so, while bigger cities like New York will take longer to adopt similar policies, they said.

More immediately, divorce allowed Wright and her partners to be listed individually on a cohabitation agreement, and therefore work more equally toward home ownership. It also paved the way for them to choose who's on whose health insurance and relieved some burdens, like student loan debt, that spouses take on.

"With domestic partnerships, you don't entangle your finances like marriage," Adams told Insider. "In some ways, I think that's a good thing."

Since their divorces went through, Kyle has split from the polycule  a mutual, loving decision Wright said reflected divergent views of their futures, not the initial reason for divorce. She, Giddens, and Lenchner are still looking into securing a domestic partnership either in Massachusetts or closer to home, if and when the option becomes available nearby.

Cutting marital ties as a first step, Wright said, "was worth it to live a life that legally represents our relationship, both logistically and emotionally. Anything is worth that: to be able to be yourself."

Read the original article on Insider
A lifelong Tallahassee resident, Carmen Conner grew up in Leon County public schools, watching the city grow up with her. She is a born educator who remembers setting up a classroom of her own and playing school. Even if I had a classroom of nobody, I would pretend to be the teacher, she laughs.

That instinct led her to create a career in education that serves the community she loves, and to inspire those around her as one of Tallahassees 25 Women You Need to Know.

Carmen Conner, one of the 25 Women You Need to Know for 2023

After earning a degree in Elementary Education from Florida A&M University, Conner spent 14 years as a classroom teacher at Hawks Rise Elementary before becoming the assistant principal at Roberts Elementary. Now, you can find her proudly walking the halls of Pineview Elementary, a school that was failing when she arrived and now boasts at B grade.

Class of 2023:Who do you know? Meet the 2023 Class of 25 Women, 5 Young Women

25 Women:25 Women for 2023: Carmelesa Crosby-Harley enjoys sharing time, resources

She vividly remembers hearing her second-grade teacher, Mrs. Roy, reading the "Boxcar Children." Thats when I fell in love with books, she shares. I would go home and pretend that I was one of the boxcar children.

As principal, she relishes the opportunity to share that same joy of reading and learning with the students in her school. The most important thing I can do for our students is to offer unique experiences, she says. As a Title 1 school, many of our students, for a variety of reasons, dont have access to things that could spark an interest in future studies.

To that end, she writes grants to fund field trips, musical instruments, and after school programming. I want them to have the same experiences as their counterparts on the other side of town. She recalls a high school field trip to the Salvador Dali museum, which opened her eyes to new concepts and ideas and inspired her to invest in student experiences beyond the classroom. About one third of the students in my school dont leave home other than to go to school. If we can connect them with a glimpse of what else is out there, I want to do it.

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Carmen has a sense of adventure, recently taking up beekeeping as a hobby. I had the idea that I was going to make honey and give it away to my friends, and then I learned more about it and how hard it could be, she laughs. Im going to give it a real effort, we will see how it works out!

Spending time with her husband and their adult daughters takes priority during free time, and you can often find them kayaking on area rivers seeking out manatees or at a local restaurant enjoying good food. When we travel, as soon as we decide where to stay, we decide where to eat! she says with a chuckle. She enjoys exploring the city as it evolves and changes, finding joy in the revitalization of FAMU Way and Cascades Park, saying, I enjoy visiting large cities, but the vortex of Tallahassee is strong!

Carmen invites the community to visit Pineview Elementary and discover the opportunities to volunteer and engage with the students. In a Title 1 school, over half of the students have not attended preschool because of a variety of reasons, she explains. Of all of the volunteer opportunities in our city, giving time as a mentor or volunteer at a school like mine really helps.

Her passion for equity in education led to service on the first Childrens Services Council, where she is finishing a two-year term. It is exactly what the families of schools like mine need, she says. I put my name in to be considered and was appointed by the Governor to serve. I feel proud to have been part of the inaugural group to get this support into the lives of children who need it.

From student to teacher and now principal and community advocate, Carmen Conners classroom is no longer empty. The children and families that she reaches each day are inspired by the passion, joy, and leadership that define who she is.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 25 Women for 2023: Carmen Conner guides Pineview Elementary to success
A 28-year-old woman was found dead with a gunshot wound late Thursday afternoon, according to the Dallas Police Department. A suspect was arrested.

At about 5:20 p.m Thursday, police responded to a shooting call in the 4200 block of Tacoma Street. When officers arrived, they found Rajean Jackson dead with a gunshot wound in the passenger seat of a black Dodge Charger, according to the preliminary investigation.

Jackson was a mother of two, according to family members.

The suspect, Devante Traylor, 30, who was the driver of the Dodge Charger, shot Jackson in the 1500 block of Duncanville Road, the investigation determined.

Traylor faces a murder charge.

This is an ongoing investigation.
Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

3 GOP lawmakers announced plans to overturn Biden's student-debt relief using the Congressional Review Act on Friday.

The Act is an oversight tool Congress can use to overturn final rules put in place by federal agencies.

The Education Department said Biden's student-debt relief should not be subject to that Act.

Republican lawmakers just introduced a new way to block President Joe Biden's student-debt relief plan.

On Friday, GOP Sens. Bill Cassidy, John Cornyn, and Joni Ernst announced their plan to put forth a Congressional Review Act, or CRA, resolution to overturn Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for federal borrowers making under $125,000 a year.

The CRA is an oversight tool that Congress can use to overturn final rules put in place by government agencies. The Senate education committee asked the Government Accountability Office whether Biden's debt relief plan would qualify as a rule that could be impacted by the CRA, and the GAO responded on Friday that the plan meets "the definition of a rule under CRA and that no exception applies. Therefore, ED's Waivers and Modifications are subject to the requirement that they be submitted to Congress."

"President Biden's student loan scheme does not 'forgive' debt, it just transfers the burden from those who willingly took out loans to those who never went to college, or sacrificed to pay their loans off," Cassidy said in a statement. "Where is the relief for the man who skipped college but is paying off his work truck, or the woman who paid off her loans and is now struggling to afford her mortgage? This resolution prevents these Americans, whose debts look different from the favored group the Biden administration has selected, from picking up the bill for this irresponsible and unfair policy."

As the GAO explained in its decision, the CRA was enacted in 1996 to "strengthen congressional oversight of agency rulemaking." Since the Education Department published its debt relief plan on the Federal Register and it implements law and policy by "waiving and modifying" student-loan balances, the GAO considers it a rule subject to congressional review.

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Still, the Education Department said in its response that the debt relief plan should not be subject to CRA because it's a "one-time, fact-bound application of existing and statutorily prescribed waiver and modification authority."

Since Biden announced the broad debt relief plan in August, it ran into challenges not only by GOP lawmakers, but conservative-backed groups who filed lawsuits to block the plan. In November, two of those lawsuits succeeded in pausing the relief's implementation, and the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the cases last month. It will issue a decision on the legality of Biden's relief by June. Until then, millions of borrowers just have to wait and see whether they will resume repayment this year with any relief.

Clearly, Republican lawmakers don't want to wait for a Supreme Court decision. Along with the CRA resolution on Friday, some GOP lawmakers have also introduced bills to block student-debt relief and end the student-loan payment pause, currently set to expire 60 days after June 30, or 60 days after the lawsuits are resolved, whichever happens first.

The House education committee is also holding a hearing next week to examine Biden's student-loan policies, with Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development Chair Burgess Owens saying in a statement that "Biden lacks the executive authority to implement his $1 trillion executive re-write of the federal student loan program and overlooks this single basic fact: Debt cannot be canceled, only transferred from those who borrowed to those who did not."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Richland School Board member Rick Jansons should not have been cut off at a recent school board meeting as he attempted to find out how much money board members Audra Byrd, Kari Williams and Semi Bird have cost the school district in legal fees over the past year.

Board President Williams wanted to get through the agenda and told him he could speak at the end of the meeting, which he did. But he still felt like he was being shut down so at the next board meeting he used the time reserved for citizens to talk at the podium.

It was a sad, unprecedented move and indicates the level of dysfunction on the school board right now.

Fortunately for taxpayers, though, Jansons was able to get a few financial questions in and now he has some answers.

As suspected, it turns out the attorney costs brought on in the past year range in the thousands of dollars and Jansons still doesnt have the full report.

So far, he said he has found out that the school district spent $8,800 to get advice from multiple outside attorneys over the states mask requirement, and $2,700 for an outside attorney to evaluate Richland School District Attorney Galt Pettett.

In addition, it cost the school district $24,900 in attorney fees over charges that Byrd, Williams and Bird broke the Washington state Open Meetings Act and $5,000 to settle the case.

Jansons is also interested in finding out the cost of hiring outside attorneys to investigate the superintendent and other school employees. All the concerns were unfounded, he said.

The Herald reported last month that the school district has refused to pay a $30,800 legal bill from a private attorney submitted last July to defend board members Byrd, Williams and Bird in a recall effort. Its unclear how high those costs might be now.

When Jansons asked at the Feb. 28 school board meeting if those attorney fees were going to be discussed by the board any time soon, Williams told him that the situation is covered by attorney-client privilege and it would be illegal for them to discuss it openly.

Story continues

Seriously? The school district has been sent a bill and that cant be discussed in the open?

Attorney-client privilege typically covers the attorney side. Clients can waive that protection if they want to  and in this case, for transparencys sake, they should.

Altogether, legal fees that we know of so far have cost the Richland School District $72,200.

Whats ironic is that Byrd, Williams and Bird now claim they never broke the law when they voted last year to make masks optional.

If thats true, why did they spend so much time and money trying to find a legal way around the state mask mandate?

Ever since the recall effort against Byrd, Williams and Bird has started to gain steam, emotions are again running hot at school board meetings and the divide in the community is growing wider.

And now Byrd has added to the drama by suggesting a succession plan for the school district, which could be code for finding a way to get rid of Richland School Superintendent Shelley Redinger.

Byrd said she wants a deputy superintendent hired before summer.

How much do you think that will cost the school district?

The last Richland School District deputy superintendent retired Jan. 31 and reportedly made nearly $199,000. School leaders were conscientious about not filling that position in order to keep administrative costs lower and use that money for students.

Redinger made the safe and wise decision to close school for two days after Byrd, Williams and Bird made the unexpected decision to make masks optional in defiance of Gov. Jay Inslees emergency COVID orders.

If Redinger had not closed schools, there could have been children waiting at street corners for buses that never came. That alone is a risk that the school district couldnt afford to take. The school district also was at risk of losing state funding if it had defied the mask mandate.

Byrd, Williams and Bird were reckless to think they could make masks optional and at the same time force teachers and other school district employees to also go against the law.

Redinger did her job. She also has a contract. Yet it appears Byrd might be trying to fire her which would result, no doubt, in more legal costs to the district.

The Richland School District has spent way too much on attorneys already, and Jansons was right to request a breakdown of those costs so far. Sadly, if Byrd has her way implementing a succession plan, even more money could be wasted.
Only three women are currently on death row in Florida, including Tina Brown of Pensacola, who is attempting to appeal her sentence for the horrific murder of Audreanna Zimmerman, who was shocked with a stun gun, beaten, and set on fire. Heres a look at the women of death row.

Tina Brown of Pensacola is on death row for murdering neighbor

Tina Brown listens to testimony during her appeal at the Escambia County courthouse in Pensacola on Tuesday, May 15, 2108. Brown was sentenced to death for the 2010 murder of Audreanna Zimmerman.

Tina Brown, 52, arrived on death row in October 2013 for the brutal murder of her neighbor, 19-year-old Audreanna Zimmerman. Brown, with help from a friend and her then 16-year-old daughter, Britnee Miller, ambushed Zimmerman in a trailer, attacked her repeatedly with a stun gun, gagged her, stuffed her in the trunk of a car, drove her into the woods, beat her with a crowbar, doused her with gasoline, set her on fire and left her to die.

Despite being severely burned, Zimmerman managed to walk to about a third of a mile to residence and seek help. She reportedly named her attackers and asked EMTs to protect her children. She died in an Alabama burn ward 16 days later.

Although Brown has not denied her involvement in the murder, she has sought to have her conviction and sentence overturned in a series of appeals. In a 2022 motion to vacate her conviction and sentence, Brown's attorneys claimed a key witness against Brown, Corie Doyle, had lied on the witness stand at the behest of Heather Lee, another co-defendant in Zimmerman's murder. Lee, a friend and neighbor of Brown, was an accomplice in the killing, and she was sentenced to 25 years in prison after making a plea agreement with the state and testifying against Brown.

Death row:Pensacola woman Tina Brown condemned to death in brutal 2010 murder

Related:She's put away many of Pensacola's most notorious killers. You probably don't know her name.

Tiffany Cole of Jacksonville is on death row for murdering elderly couple

Tiffany Cole, 41, was sentenced to death on March 6, 2008, in Duval County after being convicted in the July 2005 kidnappings and murders of James and Carol Sumner in Jacksonville. Cole was one of four people who kidnapped Carol and Reggie Sumner, both 61, from their St. Nicholas home in 2005 and drove them to Charlton County, Ga., where they were buried alive. She is currently on death row at Lowell Correctional Institution.

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Michael James Jackson, 27, the mastermind of the murder plot, and Cole's boyfriend, Alan Lyndell Wade, 27, are also on Death Row. A fourth participant, 27-year-old Bruce Nixon, testified against the others and was sentenced to 45 years in prison for second-degree murder.

More:Woman on Death Row wants new trial in kidnapping disabled couple, burying them alive

Margaret Allen of Brevard County is on death row for murdering her housekeeper

Margaret A. Allen was sentenced to death on May 19, 2011, after being convicted in the kidnappings and death of her housekeeper, friend, and neighbor, Wenda Wright, in Brevard County in 2005.

Margaret Allen, 57, was found guilty of torturing and murdering her former housekeeper, Wanda Wright, in 2005 after a dispute over possible stolen money. A jury in 2011 unanimously recommended the death penalty for Allen after she and two associates disposed of Wright's body in a wooded area near Mims.

Court records show Allen accosted Wright after a missing purse with $2,000 inside. When Wright denied stealing the money, Allen began beating her before pouring bleach and other household chemicals down her mouth.

Allen then put tape over the victim's mouth and strangled her to death with a belt at her Robbins Avenue home. Two accomplices, James Martin and Quinton Allen, were convicted of helping Allen bury Wright's body in a remote area of Brevard County near State Road 46 in February of 2005.

How many women have been executed in Florida?

Seventeen women in Florida have been sentenced to death, but only two have been executed, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.

Judias Goodyear Buenoano was the first woman executed in Florida

Judias Goodyear Buenoano of Gulf Breeze was the first woman to die in the electric chair in Florida. She was sentenced to death on Nov. 26, 1985 for the death of her husband, Air Force Sgt. James Goodyear, a former spouse of Buenoano's who died of a strange illness a few months after returning from Vietnam in 1971. Investigators later determined that Buenoano was poisoned with arsenic.

More: Pensacola's most memorable crime stories

Nicknamed the Black Widow, Goodyear was also convicted and sentenced to life for the May 13, 1980 drowning murder of her paralyzed son, Michael Goodyear, in Milton. Michael suffered paraplegia and wore leg braces, and prosecutors said Buenoano took him onto the East River in Milton in a canoe and pushed him overboard.

Buenoano had two death warrants signed and stayed. On March 30, 1998, the state of Florida executed Bueonano.

Aileen Wuornos was the last woman executed in Florida

Aileen Wuornos was sentenced in Volusia County on Jan. 31, 1992 for the Dec. 1, 1989 shooting murder of a Clearwater businessman. Wuornos was believed to be a serial killer who preyed on men who hired her as a prostitute. Wuornos was sentenced to death for six of the murders and on Oct. 9, 2002, after 12 years on Florida's death row, was executed by lethal injection for the murder of Richard Mallory, 51, a Clearwater electronics shop owner.

Where are women executed in Florida?

Women on death row in Florida are housed at Lowell Correctional Institution in Ocala, Florida. The institution currently has 1,465 inmates, including three women on death row.

Men on death row in Florida are housed at Florida State Prison in Raiford.

According to the Florida Department of Corrections, a Death Row cell is 6 x 9 x 9.5 feet high. Florida State Prison also has Death Watch cells to incarcerate inmates awaiting execution after the governor signs a death warrant for them. A Death Watch cell is 12 x 7 x 8.5 feet high.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Women on Florida's Death Row: 3 killers await execution
meshaphoto / Getty Images

The failure of several banks and the ensuing market turmoil has put investors on edge in the past week. While regulators and the Biden administration have tried to quell the concerns of jittery American consumers, the ripple effects are continuing to rattle the economy and many questions remain.

See: 10 Places in Florida Where You Can Live Only on Social Security

With a Recession Looming: Make These 3 Retirement Moves To Stay On Track

One of them is: Are retirement savings  notably 401(k)s  protected from a collapse? The answer is: It depends.

First off, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures up to $250,000 in deposits per depositor, but there are investments that are not protected. These include stock investments, bond investments, mutual funds, crypto assets, life insurance policies, annuities, municipal securities, safe deposit boxes or their contents, and U.S. Treasury bills, bonds or notes. Also, the FDIC only insures deposits if the institution is an FDIC-insured bank.

Most 401(k) plans are not usually backed by insurance, American University finance professor Valentina Bruno told Newsweek. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) only covers deposit accounts. This means that if your 401(k) is invested in stocks, bonds, or mutual funds, youre not covered against those investments losing value.

However, the FDIC covers money market deposit accounts (MMDA) and time deposits such as certificates of deposit (CDs).

Retirement plans the FDIC covers include IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs, up to $250,000, according to the FDIC.

And in terms of self-directed defined contribution plan accounts, the FDIC coverage includes self-directed 401(k) plans, self-directed SIMPLE IRA held in the form of a 401(k) plans and self-directed defined contribution profit-sharing plans, according to the FDIC website.

As Newsweek explained, if a 401(k) or other eligible retirement account is worth $100,000 and is 50% invested in stocks, 25% in bonds and 25% in a money market account, solely the $25,000 in the money market account would be covered by the FDIC if the bank were to collapse.

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In addition, Synchrony Bank explained that if you had CDs worth $250,000 held in two 401(k) accounts at the same FDIC-insured bank, you would still only get coverage for a total of $250,000. To get more coverage, you would need to transfer the amount above the insured $250,000 to another FDIC-insured bank and make sure its in a deposit account or type that the FDIC covers.

Take Our Poll: How Much Salary Would Buy You Happiness?

More: Can I Draw Social Security at 62 and Still Work Full Time?

Finally, experts recommended checking the custodian of your 401(k).

Many will be at a brokerage which is covered by SPIC [The Securities Investor Protection Corporation], but it may be possible that your account is at a bank and covered under FDIC instead. Both plans cover up to $250,000 in cash but SPIC will also cover securities held in the account to a $500,000 limit, said Jay Zigmont, Ph.D., CFP, and founder of Childfree Wealth.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Is Your 401(k) Retirement Money Protected From a Bank Collapse?
Sommelier and best-selling author Vanessa Price is stopping by the TODAY studio to shake up fun and festive cocktails for St. Patrick's Day. She shows us how to make marshmallow cereal milkshakes, emerald-hued Grasshoppers, classic Irish coffee cocktails, a bubbly Black Velvet drink, a citrusy Dubliner tipple and a green Chartreuse sipper.

Leprechaun Cereal Milkshakes by Vanessa Price

I love this festive milkshake because I can make the nonalcoholic version for the whole family to enjoy when hosting or add a little Irish vodka to make these more adult-friendly for St. Patrick's Day festivities.

Grasshopper by Vanessa Price

This is a classic cocktail typically reserved for after dinner sipping but with its iconic green hue, it's perfect for sipping anytime on St. Patrick's Day. First created in 1918 by a bar in New Orleans, it became popular enough to join the International Bartenders Association official list of cocktails. Lesser known today, it's an easy one to make with a recipe that calls for the three ingredients to be combined in equal parts.

Irish Cream Coffee by Vanessa Price

While the espresso martini may currently be giving this liquor-coffee combo classic a run for its money, this remains the true pot o' gold standard for St. Patty's Day imbibing.

Black Velvet by Vanessa Price

Intricate cocktails have their time and place, but when hosting a large-scale party or simply not in the mood for complicated, a simple drink that you can construct quickly is ideal. Two-ingredient drinks come in many forms and while it may seem counterintuitive, Guinness and Champagne make for a winning combo in the category. As the story goes, the Black Velvet was created by a London steward and was served while the country was in mourning over the 1861 death of Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, because the dark beer added a somber note to the usually festive Champagne. While that may be this simple cocktail's origin story, it can certainly be enjoyed on a day of celebration as well!

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Dubliner by Vanessa Price

Zhuzh up a staple for the holidays! This citrusy take on a Manhattan cocktail was born in the late 1990s New York bar scene, thanks to bartending icon Gary "Gaz" Regan. His book "Joy of Mixology" is a must for any at-home or professional mixologist. For extra St. Patrick's Day flair, don't skip the green maraschino cherry garnish!

The Last Word by Vanessa Price

Arguably the most popular in the list of green Chartreuse cocktails: the Last Word. This pale-green gin sour is a classic cocktail that was all but lost to history. But with the revival of cocktail culture, this one come back strong. It's equal parts sharp, sweet and sour, and its ingredient ratios are the equal parts same.

Make sure you pick up the green version of Chartreuse (the yellow version is much sweeter). Yellow Chartreuse is noted with flavors of honey, saffron and anise spice, whereas green Chartreuse shows more prominent flavors of lime, citrus, spice and fresh-cut herbs. Also, in fashion with the Irish holiday, it is a riff on an Irish whiskey cocktail of Prohibition. This cocktail has been lauded by modern mixologists since the rise of cocktail culture up ticked in the 1990s.

If you like those lucky drink recipes, you should also try these:

Valerie's Irish Coffee with Lemon-Vanilla Whipped Cream by Valerie Bertinelli

Shamrock Shake by Casey Barber

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
A pedestrian was struck and killed near the Clemson University campus and a student has been charged with driving under the influence, according to South Carolina officials.

The pedestrian, later identified as 68-year-old Robert Barrett, was struck just after 8:00 p.m. on March 15, according to a news release from the Pickens County Coroners Office and the Clemson University Police Department. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Michael Lee Lyon III, a student, is charged with driving under the influence, according to a report from the Clemson University Police Department.

An officer who spoke to Lyon after the crash reported that his eyes were glossy and dilated and a very strong odor of burnt marijuana was coming from the vehicle, the report says.

Witnesses told police that Barrett appeared to hesitate in a median before crossing the street outside of a crosswalk and getting hit, according to the report.

Officers later took a religious medallion off of Barretts body to give to family members/, who said he always carried it with him, the report says.

Barrett is remembered as a treasured husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, according to his obituary. He was an avid pickleball player and member of the Clemson University Methodist Church, where he led Bible study and started the group Methodist Men.

He once worked as a professor in the Clemson University business school and retired as the Dean of the Business School at Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina, the obituary says.

He volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels and programs helping low income families file taxes, according to his obituary.

Most of all, Bob poured his heart into the grandchildren he adored, the obituary says. ... His kindness and selfless spirit will be remembered by many.

A friend of Barrretts wrote on Facebook that he was a precious, sweet, kind, bright star in the pickleball community.

Even though he was one of the strongest players he was so sweet about playing with the weaker ones, she wrote. ... I truly enjoyed every minute I got to play with him. He was amazingly fast.

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Other players wrote in comments that they enjoyed playing with Barrett and were grateful for having known him.

Always one of my favorites to play with from day one, one person wrote. He radiated kindness and encouraged all the time.

He was always so welcoming from day one, inviting me to play, giving encouragement when I was not doing well, praised me when I hit a good shot, another friend said. A sweet kind soul.

Clemson is about 140 miles northwest of Columbia.

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A woman in a busy subway station. d3sign/Getty Images

A record 7.7 million Chinese youths sat for an intense test to try to secure one of 200,000 government jobs.

With unemployment raging, people are fighting for the one-in-40 chance to work in the civil service.

Despite low pay, graduates are attracted to these "iron rice bowl" jobs, said China expert Alfred Wu.

More than 7.7 million Chinese youths sat for tests to secure 200,000 government jobs this year  the highest number ever recorded, per CNBC.

The applicants were all fighting for the one-in-40 chance to serve the Chinese government. These jobs are considered respectable vocations and have been dubbed "iron rice bowls" because of the stability and job security they bring, per the South China Morning Post.

This staggering eight million figure  slightly less than the population of New York  was a five-fold increase from the 1.4 million people who took the exam in 2021.

The application tests for these public service jobs are similar in intent and style to the ancient Chinese imperial examinations, a series of tests conducted by the state to find candidates best suited to serve the bureaucracy. These tests were conducted during China's Han Dynasty and were immensely difficult to pass, per the World History Encyclopedia.

The modern-day civil service tests are not far off the mark from their ancient iterations. The tests now assess candidates on multiple criteria like their language skills, data analysis, "common-sense judgment," and more, per CNBC.

In spite of the tough tests required to secure these jobs, civil service jobs are not high paying.

CNBC reported that civil servants earned an average of $6,979 a year in 2012. The state-run Chinese media outlet News 163, meanwhile, presents a far more dismal figure. It reported that 60% of civil servants earned less than $3,600 yearly in 2008 and 2009.

The vast number of applicants for the 2023 round is indicative of a growing demand for stable jobs as China's unemployment rate surges to new highs.

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This comes as Xi Jinping was confirmed for an unprecedented third term as China's leader on March 10, per The Guardian.

The civil service provides much-needed security in uncertain times

More people are likely to flock to civil service jobs now because of China's flagging economy, said China expert Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

"In general, civil service jobs could bring with them benefits for the whole family, like connections to positions of power," Wu said. "Some youths' parents may have realized during COVID-19 that their children would be far better off with stable jobs in the public sector, than unstable  albeit higher paid jobs  in the private sector."

Wu said there is a significant pay disparity between the public and private sector, primarily due to Chinese leader Xi Jinping's nationalistic push to give state-owned businesses priority over the private sector.

"There is a lack of trust in the private sector now," Wu said. "Young people and fresh graduates will likely be more attracted to stable, 'iron rice bowl' jobs, because working for the government is a safer bet."

The rush to secure jobs in the public service comes amid skyrocketing unemployment

In August, China's national development and reform commission said its youth unemployment rate hit 19.9% in July. This meant that one in five jobseekers aged 16 to 24 were out of work.

This dismal number prompted Willy Lam, a China expert at the Jamestown Foundation in Washington, D.C., to call this China's "worst job crisis" in four decades.

"Mass unemployment is a big challenge for the Communist Party," Lam told CNN in September.

There are many reasons underpinning this wave of unemployment that's hitting China. Beijing's steadfast commitment to its zero-COVID policy cratered the job market. At the same time, Xi's government in 2021 enacted a sweeping regulatory crackdown on the tech sector  an industry where highly-paid positions were once coveted by Chinese job-seekers.

At the same time, some Chinese youths are rebelling against the rat race and pushing back against the idea that they must work "9-9-6" hours. The term refers to China's "hustle" culture, where people work 12 hours a day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week. Alibaba founder Jack Ma once advocated for this lifestyle, and in 2019 called the 72-hour workweek a "blessing."

In the summer of 2021, scores of Chinese millennials said they were joining the movement to "lie flat" after watching their friends work themselves to death.

The "lying flat" movement evolved in 2022 into a different, more sinister iteration  "letting it rot." This was a push amongst Chinese youths to not work, and pass one's time in open decay.

For those who want to be active participants in the workforce, civil service jobs continue to be a solid option. In January, some young civil servants told The New York Times that they've settled for civil service jobs because they don't know if they can find better positions in the private sector.

Amy Liu, who's worked as a clerk for the Beijing city government for six years, told The Times that she is mostly happy at work. But Liu was irritated when her bosses in the municipal government roped her in to manage crowds at the city's COVID-19 testing sites every week, for three years.

"My parents think it's good to be a civil servant," Liu told The Times. "They think I should never leave."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Mr. Pickles is quite special.

For starters, this radiated tortoise is considered the most genetically valuable radiated tortoise in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan.

His species is critically endangered, and as the species is known to only produce a few offspring, any babies are worth celebrating.

And now Mr. Pickles, at 90 years old, has given zookeepers at the Houston Zoo three unexpected reasons to celebrate.

Mr. Pickles is not only the oldest animal at the zoo in Texas, but also the newest dad, according to a March 16 news release.

He and his companion, aptly named Mrs. Pickles, are the new parents to three radiated tortoises  Dill, Gherkin and Jalapeno.

The new hatchlings came as a surprise when a herpetology keeper happened upon Mrs. Pickles as the tortoise was laying her eggs at closing time, zoo officials said. The animal care team quickly went to work uncovering the eggs and getting them to the safety of the Reptile & Amphibian House.

The soil in Houston isnt hospitable to the Madagascar native tortoises, and its unlikely the eggs would have hatched on their own if the keeper hadnt been in the right place at the right time, officials continued.

Dill, Gherkin and Jalapeno will remain behind the scenes in the Reptile & Amphibian House until they are big enough to safely join their parents, according to the release.

Their parents  Mr. and Mrs. Pickle  have been together at the zoo since 1996. They had one other baby pickle, born in 1997.

Radiated tortoises are native to the southern and southwestern parts of Madagascar, according to the Smithsonians National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.

The Houston Zoo said they are critically endangered from over-collection for the illegal pet trade.

Baby sloth cuddled up with parents might be cutest thing you see all week. Take a look

Rare tiger  with three even rarer cubs  spotted in Thai rainforest, video shows

This California condor is making history and giving hope in Utahs Zion National Park
An attempted car theft left one man dead after the vehicles owner shot the alleged thief, Alabama police said.

Around 6:20 a.m. on March 17, Huntsville police were called to a business after reports of a shooting, according to a news release.

A man is accused of trying to steal a vehicle while the owner went inside the business, according to police. When the vehicle owner saw the man in his car, he confronted the would-be thief.

Police say the car owner repeatedly asked the man to get out of his vehicle.

Then, the man tried to drive away in the stolen vehicle, prompting the cars owner to pull a gun and shoot at him, according to police.

The owner hit the alleged thief, who was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead, police said.

Police did not release the name of the accused thief as next of kin were being notified.

The Huntsville Major Crimes Unit said that the Madison County District Attorneys Office was made aware of the case, and it has decided not to pursue charges against the vehicle owner at this time, according to the release.

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With the spring equinox taking place on Monday, March 20, AccuWeather's expert team of international forecasters has released the details of what the upcoming spring season will hold in Europe.

On March 9, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center officially declared that the El Nino-Southern Oscillation phase has transitioned from La Nina to neutral, meaning neither El Nino nor La Nina is underway. This neutral phase is expected to persist through the end of spring into early summer and play a role in influencing global weather patterns, transitioning to El Nino sometime during the summer months.

AccuWeather meteorologists have incorporated this factor when developing the European spring forecast and say that the prevailing weather patterns across Europe from the end of March into the start of June will feature residually cold air across northern Europe early, mild conditions in the eastern regions, a dominant storm track across the south at times and an early ignition of severe weather for some spots.

Although springtime is generally associated with a leap toward warmer days, March, as observed already, can still bring bouts of wintry weather including impactful snowfall events. Portions of the United Kingdom, Scandinavia and the Alpine region are likely to end the month of March with anomalously higher snowfall totals, while many other parts of the continent will trend near to below the historical average.

A weather phenomenon called a sudden stratospheric warming event has played a large role in forcing cold conditions across much of northern Europe during the first half of March. Every few years, this event is triggered by a disruption in the upper levels of the Earth's atmosphere, where the polar vortex resides.

The polar vortex is a band of cold, strong westerly winds circulating around Earth's polar regions. At times, the bands can temporarily weaken, resulting in the cold air previously contained by the vortex descending very quickly from the stratosphere to the surface. As the disruption occurs, however, it causes stratospheric temperature levels to rise rapidly, hence the phenomenon's namesake.

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These sudden stratospheric warming events are responsible for what brought the famous 'Beast from the East' to the United Kingdom and Ireland from late February to March 2018.

Flakes fluttered across London during the second week of March, while heavy and disruptive accumulations of snow were observed in the Midlands, Wales and portions of Scotland. During the first half of the month, temperature departures from the historical average for this time of year trended between 0.5 and 2.5 degrees below zero Fahrenheit for major cities such as Edinburgh, Scotland; London, England; Paris, France; and Berlin, Germany.

However, the chilly conditions and active pattern that developed across northern Europe in early March will eventually transition to milder, tranquil weather sometime during early spring.

Temperatures across the U.K. are expected to trend closer to the historical average into late April, but AccuWeather forecasters say that this transition might not come as a smooth, gradual increase to warmer days.

"The United Kingdom and Ireland may feature a roller coaster of temperatures through the end of April but may end up balancing out to near the monthly historical average," explained AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys.

People sit in St James' park in the sunshine on a warm day in London on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Temperatures may trend above the historical average for a stretch of time across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland; however, waves of frontal passages can disrupt the springtime warming trend and drop conditions to slightly below average for a time. This turbulent temperature pattern may even out the monthly trend to near the historical average overall for April.

The risk of frost or freeze is expected to linger into mid-April across parts of the United Kingdom, stretching as far south as the Midlands. Snowfall chances that push into spring will likely be isolated to the higher terrain across Scotland, England and Wales, while the lowlands will face a lower threat of springtime wintry showers as temperatures begin to moderate.

Overall, precipitation values across the U.K. may trend near to slightly above the historical average during April and May. In a typical year, the driest months for London include the stretch from February to May, when average values for each month often range between 1.3 and 1.5 inches (33 and 38 mm) in the city.

In a typical year, the United Kingdom windstorm season is considered to last from October through the end of March.

So far, for the 2022-2023 season, the UK Met Office has named one windstorm in mid-February, designated Storm Otto. By mid-March of the previous 2021-2022 season, the UK Met Office had already named six windstorms, indicating that the 2022-2023 windstorm season will likely conclude as much less active in comparison to last year.

The primary storm track across southern Europe in March could spell trouble for water levels and drought across the United Kingdom, Ireland and even parts of France. Already this year, many regions have observed anomalously dry conditions, igniting concern for future water levels for not only residents but also the environment.

There was a remarkable lack of rain across the United Kingdom in February. Provisional observations from the UK Met Office indicated that England observed its driest February in 30 years. London recorded only 8% of its typical rainfall in February, while observations from Birmingham, England, totaled only 16% of the historical average rainfall for February.

According to Meteo France, a stretch of 32 consecutive days without measurable rainfall (less than 1 mm of rain daily) was observed from Jan. 20, 2023, to Feb. 21, 2023. This set a new record for the longest consecutive stretch of days without measurable rainfall since 1959. Another notable stretch was back in 2020 from March 17 to April 16, when there were 31 consecutive days without measurable rainfall recorded.

A usually submerged section of the lake Serre-Poncon in southern France, Tuesday, March 14, 2023. France recorded the longest such winter drought since record-keeping began in 1959. Around France, residents are sharing images of dried-up riverbeds or shrunken lakes, shocking sights in the depths of winter. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

On the flip side, a dominant storm track into southwestern Europe and a projected increase in springtime precipitation across southern and south-central regions are raising concerns among forecasters for a flood threat in locations such as Italy and the Balkans.

"Given how warm the Mediterranean is, storms could provide additional moisture and lead to an increase in flood threats. This is particularly a concern for the western slopes of the Apennines and the Dinaric Alps," explained Roys.

Springtime showers and rainfall may be welcomed across the Alpine region to help replenish the reservoirs and river levels that resulted from below-average winter precipitation. Forecasters say that the snowpack in most of the Swiss, Austrian and Italian Alps is 60-70% below its typical amount for early March.

The lack of snow across the Italian Alps will play a significant role in adequate river levels and flow rate downstream this spring. Snowmelt from the Italian Alps every year helps to ease irrigation struggles for the key agricultural resource of the Po River Valley and is a primary source for the Po River itself which empties into the Adriatic Sea near Venice, Italy.

In Italy, an influx of moisture during the first half of spring could also lead to an increased danger of severe weather, which could usher in various threats such as damaging winds, hail and flash flooding. However, early-spring moisture may prove beneficial to only the short-term drought ongoing across the region.

As the impacts of the sudden stratospheric warming event gradually cease across northwestern Europe by late March, a trend of high pressure can take control over the region to promote drier and warmer conditions. However, shots of moisture will still be possible, making forecasters believe that precipitation totals this spring can trend near the historical average.

From France to Poland, warmth will gradually build as spring gets into full swing, and the topic of severe weather will come to the forefront of the conversation as the traditional severe weather season in Europe begins. In early to mid-March, severe thunderstorms already ignited across parts of France, resulting in a damaging tornado that struck Pontarion, France.

Forecasters have specifically highlighted Germany and Poland as two countries that are facing a significant severe weather risk this spring, along with neighboring areas north and east of the Alpine regions.

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Parts of western Spain and Portugal will also face an unsettled start to spring, which may help to moderate how quickly the heat builds across the region although much of eastern and southeastern Spain has recorded only about 50-75% of its typical rainfall from last autumn to mid-March and warmth can potentially ramp up rapidly across this sector this spring.

"As spring begins, we can see unsettled conditions kick up across the Iberian Peninsula before the pattern trends drier and hot later in the period," explained AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert.

Much of southeastern Europe will continue to face warm conditions this spring, becoming even warmer by May and early June.

Locations from Rome to Bucharest, Romania, which were experiencing mid-March temperatures typical of late April, will maintain this warming trend over the course of the next few months, accompanied by occasional rounds of wet weather. During early spring, it is not out of the ordinary for storms to fire up across the Balkans into southeastern Europe.

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.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Global markets will need time to process actions by regulators and banks this week, U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told CNBC on Friday, adding that U.S. officials will remain vigilant going into the weekend.

Adeyemo said deposits have stabilized over the course of this week and backed actions by large U.S. banks on Thursday to give San Francisco-based First Republic Bank a $30-billion lifeline.

"The market is taking time to price in the actions that have been taken by regulators but also by the biggest banks," he told CNBC. "What we've done now, because of liquidity facilities, is given the institutions to think through how they organize their businesses going forward."

Thursday's rescue deal, in addition to Swiss aid for Credit Suisse, failed to arrest a slide in share prices on Friday just as SVB Financial Group filed for bankruptcy days after its former unit Silicon Valley Bank was taken over by U.S. regulators.

Adeyemo said a number of U.S. banks pre-positioned themselves by utilizing the Federal Reserve's discount window, but they have been taking less funds as the week progressed.

"What we expect to see over time, is that they're going to need less liquidity from the discount window," he told CNBC.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey; editing by Rami Ayyub and Nick Zieminski)
By Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -One of the top priorities for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security this year is to add more companies to a sanctions list for using forced labor in China's Xinjiang region, a senior DHS official said on Friday.

Robert Silvers, DHS undersecretary for strategy, policy, and plans, said another priority this year was to work to persuade like-minded countries in Europe, as well as Japan, Australia, India and others, to pursue enforcement regimes similar to the United States.

The department was assigned by the U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act to create a sanctions list for companies known to traffic in forced labor.

"One of our highest priorities for 2023 is to add additional entities to that list," Silvers told an event at the Hudson Institute in Washington.

"We are very aware based on credible reporting from the NGO and other communities that there's a significant number of companies that are operating in Xinjiang or around Xinjiang that are engaging in these abhorrent practices and we want to name them and we want to ensure that their goods do not come into this country."

Beijing denies any abuses and rejects allegations by rights groups and governments of forced labor and internment of Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority of around 10 million people in the western region of Xinjiang. The United States has accused China of genocide in Xinjiang.

"We've seen darkness in Xinjiang province, we continue to see darkness," Silvers said, adding that DHS was in a position to step up the pace of imposition of sanctions.

It is also possible to remove companies from the entities list if they proved they had "cleaned up" their act, Silvers said. DHS was very interested in using technology, such as DNA testing, to determine whether or not cotton products came from Xinjiang, he said.

(Reporting by Michael Martina and David Brunnstrom; editing by Grant McCool)
Key Insights

Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, AerCap Holdings' stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions

The top 6 shareholders own 51% of the company

Using data from analyst forecasts alongside ownership research, one can better assess the future performance of a company

Every investor in AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE:AER) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 54% to be precise, is institutions. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

And so it follows that institutional investors was the group most impacted after the company's market cap fell to US$13b last week after a 5.4% drop in the share price. This set of investors may especially be concerned about the current loss, which adds to a one-year loss of 2.2% for shareholders. Institutions or "liquidity providers" control large sums of money and therefore, these types of investors usually have a lot of influence over stock price movements. Hence, if weakness in AerCap Holdings' share price continues, institutional investors may feel compelled to sell the stock, which might not be ideal for individual investors.

Let's take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about AerCap Holdings.

See our latest analysis for AerCap Holdings

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About AerCap Holdings?

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in AerCap Holdings. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of AerCap Holdings, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Story continues

Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. Hedge funds don't have many shares in AerCap Holdings. General Electric Company is currently the company's largest shareholder with 32% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 6.8% and 3.6% of the stock. Additionally, the company's CEO Aengus Kelly directly holds 2.2% of the total shares outstanding.

We also observed that the top 6 shareholders account for more than half of the share register, with a few smaller shareholders to balance the interests of the larger ones to a certain extent.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. Quite a few analysts cover the stock, so you could look into forecast growth quite easily.

Insider Ownership Of AerCap Holdings

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group.

We can see that insiders own shares in AerCap Holdings N.V.. It is a very large company, and board members collectively own US$342m worth of shares (at current prices). we sometimes take an interest in whether they have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public-- including retail investors -- own 12% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders.

Public Company Ownership

Public companies currently own 32% of AerCap Holdings stock. We can't be certain but it is quite possible this is a strategic stake. The businesses may be similar, or work together.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand AerCap Holdings better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with AerCap Holdings (at least 1 which is a bit unpleasant) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Monica Macias, sightseeing at the Forbidden City in Beijing - Duckworth

In a brilliant 2008 comedy sketch, David Mitchell and Robert Webb played a pair of SS soldiers noticing that their hats were decorated with skulls and beginning to suspect they might be the baddies. In 1989, Monica Macias experienced that unpleasant sensation for real, while at university in North Korea. Long taught to consider president Kim Il-sung as a God-like power, she was appalled to see a visiting Syrian student casually sit down on a newspaper with the Great Leaders face printed on its front page. When she told him to get up, he just laughed at her unquestioning devotion to authority and sighed that a girl brainwashed by the North Korean regime would never be able to think independently.

But Macias proved him wrong. Despite the temptation we all feel to cling to long-held world views, she began to challenge what she had been taught and, saw fences in my mind that until then had been invisible to me. And her extraordinary memoir, Black Girl from Pyonyang, asks Western readers to start asking themselves similar questions. Because  having lived in Africa, America and Europe since leaving Pyongyang in 1990  Macias thinks were all equally guilty of making oversimplified assumptions that were the goodies.

Her unusual life story certainly gives her a unique vantage point from which to comment on global divisions. For Macias (who currently lives in London and works in a clothes shop) was born in 1971, the fourth child of the first legitimate president of independent Equatorial Guinea, Francois Macias. Fearing for her safety and seeking to strengthen his countrys ties with the communist bloc, he sent her to be raised in North Korea by the man she calls her adoptive father: Kim Il-sung. Shortly after she arrived in Pyongyang, aged eight, her father was accused of perpetrating atrocities and executed by firing squad  although nobody told her he was dead.

Feeling abandoned by her family, the young Monica struggled to fit into Korean society. At first she rebelled against its military discipline but eventually chose Korean culture over her own. Her Great Leader had promised her father that he would educate her and send her home to serve her own country. So he employed a Spanish teacher to ensure she kept up with her native language, but she refused to learn it and cleaved ever closer to Kims dictatorial regime, until the incident with the Syrian student and the newspaper.

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After that, Macias resolved to quit her sheltered, counterfeit existence in Pyongyang and visit her maternal grandfathers country, Spain. Are you strong enough to live in that harsh capitalist world? Kim Il-sung asked her. She felt she was. But she was in for a series of destabilising perspective flips as she began travelling the world. In Spain (where she worked as a nanny) she loved the sexual freedom but struggled with the racism. In China she finally spent time with Americans and South Koreans and realised they were not evil as she had been taught. But a visit to Seoul taught her that South Koreans were just as blind to the humanity of those in the North as her Northern friends were to that of those in the South. In New York (where she designed and sold jewellery) she was depressed by the American obsession with money and began to suspect that capitalism built just as many fences in the mind as communism. In America people struggled to pay for basic medical treatment, while a visit to Equatorial Guinea taught her that African superstition put up equal barriers to life-saving care. Her experiences made her question whether any nation has earned the moral authority to lecture others.

Monica Macias (centre) with her family and North Korea's First Couple, Kim Il-sung and Kim Song-ae - Duckworth

London initially offered Macias a good balance of the American individualism she admired with a more Asian-style commitment to good manners. Having been nicknamed a sheep (for her African hair) in Korea and been on the receiving end of much more abusive racism in Spain she was delighted to find that people could identify as black British on job applications in the UK. That might not strike native inhabitants as unusual, she writes, but it was both revolutionary and pleasing to me It seemed you could succeed in London no matter your origins. Alas, a stint as a maid at a Park Land hotel taught her that a woman with brown skin and mop in hand would not be granted the respect she had expected.

Along the way she tried to tell her story and reconcile her personal experience of Francois Macias and Kim Il-sung as kindly men with their Western reputation as brutal dictators. In Spain, she met with one of her fathers former advisors who told her that her father was a decent man  although they had parted company when her father insisted on making himself president for life. In London, Macias began a thorough investigation of her fathers regime for a Masters Degree in International Studies and Diplomacy at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. She claims she was determined to find the truth at all costs. She interviewed 3,000 witnesses to his regime and concluded that he was not directly responsible for the heinous crimes committed during his tenure. She argued that if he had embezzled funds, her mother would not have ended up selling plantains for a living, nor would she have been scrubbing toilets. Though readers can draw their own conclusions, shes certainly right to point out that it was in neither the interests of her fathers deposers nor the ousted Spanish colonists to defend his honour.

She also continues to defend Kim Il-sung (whose human rights record is condemned as catastrophic by Amnesty), arguing that life in North Korea was pretty good before the famines of the early 1990s, and quoting from defectors who now regret leaving for the South and wish to return. Yet she doesnt really acknowledge that her own experience of Pyongyang was highly privileged and not reflective of the general population. For one thing: she was free to leave as the food ran out.

But you dont have to buy all of Maciass conclusions to admire her attitude. As social media algorithms herd us all into bubbles which protect us from the discomfort of differing worldviews, we could all learn a lot from her lifelong quest to challenge her own prejudices. She remains open minded and makes no claim to have access to absolute truths. We can apply her commitment to critical thinking on smaller scales too, always asking ourselves who has a vested interest in spinning which stories. We might still decide that some people really are the baddies. But we should all, constantly, be questioning the symbols on our own hats.

Black Girl from Pyongyang is published by Duckworth at 18.99. To order your copy call 0844 871 1514 or visit Telegraph Books
The Illinois Attorney Generals office announced Friday it filed criminal charges against a 22-year-old Cahokia Heights man accused of possessing an estimated $243,000 worth of stolen merchandise from local retailers as part of an organized retail crime.

The stolen merchandise included power tools, electronics and lawn equipment, which the man allegedly purchased to resell, according to an Attorney General news release. It did not name the specific retailers where the merchandise came from.

Garrett R. Bass, of Cahokia Heights, faces the following charges:

Class 2 felony organized retail crime, punishable by up to seven years in prison.

Two counts of Class 1 felony theft, each punishable by up to 15 years in prison

Three counts of Class 2 felony theft, each punishable by up to seven years in prison.

Class 1 felony money laundering, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Bass felony arraignment took place Friday morning in St. Clair County court. Any plea he entered was not yet available in the court record as of Friday afternoon. His case is currently awaiting assignment to a trial judge, according to the circuit clerks office.

Attorney Benedict Y. Song, who is representing Bass, could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

Bass has no previous charges in St. Clair County, online court records show.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a news release the charges were the result of work by his offices Organized Retail Crime Task Force. Through the task force, law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions have access to and investigate data and tips from retailers about thefts.

The effects of organized retail crime are not limited to any one region of Illinois, particularly when the sales of stolen merchandise often fund additional criminal activity, Raoul stated. ... Todays charges demonstrate the importance of the collaborative work that my offices Organized Retail Crime Task Force is doing to hold individuals accountable.

Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Revenue were also involved in the investigation.
The Biden administration is raising alarm that Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to call for a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine, warning that support for such a move would play to the favor of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Friday that an unconditional cease-fire halting Russias offensive in Ukraine would legitimize Moscows hold on an estimated 17 percent of Ukrainian territory that was taken by force.

A cease-fire now is  effectively the ratification of Russian conquest, Kirby said.

And of course, it would be another continued violation of the U.N. Charter.

The remarks from the White House come ahead of an expected summit early next week between Xi and Putin in Moscow.

Xis visit to Russia also comes following Beijings publication of a 12 point peace plan to end Russias war in Ukraine but criticized by the U.S. and its allies as an empty position paper that fails to hold Moscow accountable for its aggression.

Kirby called for Xi to reach out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if the Chinese are serious about being a neutral arbiter.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday said he spoke with Chinas State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, where the two discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity and underscored the importance of Zelenskys Peace Formula to end Russias war, which in part calls for Russia to withdraw its troops from all the territory it occupies in Ukraine.

Chinese officials have sought to portray their stance on Russias war in Ukraine as neutral, but Washington, Kyiv and its supporters have criticized Beijing for failing to condemn Moscows invasion and violation of Ukraines territorial sovereignty  a principle that China holds up when warding off outside criticisms against its designs on subsuming the democratic island of Taiwan.

And China has further offered diplomatic and economic cover for Russias war through its ongoing engagement with Putin and robust commercial ties; China is a key importer of Russian oil, and Chinese companies are implicated in supplying Russias military sector.

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Kirby said it would be part of the Chinese playbook for Xi to come out of his meeting with Putin portraying Beijing as a moral arbiter calling for a cease-fire to end fighting that has cost thousands of lives on the part of Russia and Ukraine, without recognizing Moscow as the guilty party.

The reason why the rest of the world is not calling for that right now is because, as I said, it would effectively ratify Russias geographic gains inside Ukraine, and it would put Mr. Zelinsky at a distinct disadvantage.

And the White House has said it has privately and publicly warned Beijing against supplying Putin with lethal military assistance, a move that the U.S. says China is considering, but has not made a decision to carry out.

We still have the same level of concern that we did last week about the potential for China to supply lethal weapons and lethal capabilities to Russia, Kirby said.

We still dont believe theyve taken it off the table, but we also havent seen any indications, any confirmation that theyve made a decision to move in that direction or have actually provided anything. We dont believe, weve said this privately to the Chinese, as well as publicly to all of you, that this is in Chinas best interest.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Clockwise from top right: Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Gerard Butler and Julia Roberts (Rex)

The Irish accent is consistently voted one of the most attractive in the world, yet even some of the worlds finest actors have trouble with it. Leonardo DiCaprio tried, as did Julia Roberts (twice), and dare we even mention Brad Pitt?

Today (17 March) marks St Patricks Day, and if you have no pub and/or beer plans, why not experience the next best thing: reminiscing about the wonkiest Irish accents in film history.

Relatively new to this great lineage of bad accents is Wild Mountain Thyme, a romantic drama released in the UK in early 2021 and so inexplicable that even literal Irish actors seemed to speak with fake Irish accents in it.

Such is the evil power of this particular bit of fakery, though  Hollywoods bastardised visions of Ireland so all-encompassing and destructive that few can survive it.

To celebrate this most Irish of days, weve ranked 10 notorious times American filmmaking has treated the country and its people with absolutely no respect.

10. Cameron Diaz in Gangs of New York (2002)

Quintessential California beach babe Cameron Diazs decision to star in Gangs of New York lies somewhere between gutsy and foolish. Playing an Irish sex worker and pickpocket, Diaz tries her best but is inarguably out of her depth. In fairness, Leonardo DiCaprio is just as wonky here in the accent stakes, but, with his messy goatee and slight paunch, he at least looks the part.

9. Justin Theroux in Charlies Angels: Full Throttle (2003)

Diaz handed the bad Irish accent baton over to her Charlies Angels co-star Justin Theroux, just one year after the release of Gangs of New York. Youd think that playing a flamboyant Irish mobster named Seamus OGrady would help make Therouxs performance a camp delight, as opposed to aggressively shrill. Reader, it did not.

8. Pierce Brosnan in Taffin (1988)

If you havent seen Brosnans pre-Bond action film Taffin (and you absolutely have not), you still may have seen a specific 14 seconds of it, with the actor commanding his love interest to leave his home using a delivery that can only be described as Tommy Wiseau-esque. But Irish viewers have even more reason to be confused, namely that Brosnan is from the Republic of Ireland but speaks in an incomprehensible Northern Irish accent throughout. His line Then maybe you shouldnt be living heeeerrrre is entrenched in cinematic lore.

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(Rex Features)

7. Tommy Lee Jones in Blown Away (1994)

Tommy Lee Jones stars as an IRA terrorist who makes bombs while playing U2 on his stereo  inadvertently summing up the grim taste level of this forgotten thriller. Its not quite as offensive as Joness accent, though.

6. Julia Roberts in Mary Reilly (1996) and Michael Collins (1996)

What did Ireland do in 1996 to deserve not one, but two horrid Julia Roberts performances in which she butchers the Irish accent? She slightly gets away with it in Mary Reilly, a psychological horror movie so uber-serious that it veers into pure camp, but she sticks out like a sore thumb in the historical biopic Michael Collins. Few other actors have ever been so poorly miscast.

5. Gerard Butler in PS I Love You (2007)

The Scottish actor publicly apologised to Ireland for his work in this terrible romantic drama, which says it all, really. At least we can rest assured that its unlikely hell attempt it again anytime soon.

4. Chris ODonnell in Circle of Friends (1995)

A Hollywood-ified circus of Irish woe  built on the premise that Minnie Driver is too repulsive to find love  Circle of Friends features a cavalcade of accent horrors. Its most egregious, though, is Chris ODonnell, who essentially speaks in his normal American accent but throws a few ahh-roit thens in for good measure.

(Rex Features)

3. Tom Hanks in Cloud Atlas (2012)

It might be incorrect to place Hankss performance in Cloud Atlas on this list, because its difficult to discern whether hes actually playing an Irish person. Sure, the character is described in the script as Irish gangster turned-novelist Dermot Hoggins, but Hanks seems to be playing him with what sounds like a Cockney accent. Whatever the truth, it is quite breathtaking to behold.

2. Literally everyone in Wild Mountain Thyme (2020)

Wild Mountain Thyme is a treacly romantic drama that, thanks to the surreal accents of its stars, broke the internet upon the release of its trailer. The film, starring Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan, is a veritable feast of poorly-accented horror. Set on a mystical Irish farm in an indiscernible year (is it 2019 or 1953? Who knows!), the film features a cast of incredibly talented A-listers mercilessly bludgeoning the Irish accent beyond all recognition. Christopher Walkens is straining for Mullingar but sounds more like Pirate Christopher Walken; Blunts is baffling; then theres Jamie Dornan, who is actually Irish but sounds like someone whos never set foot in the country.

1. Tom Cruise in Far and Away (1992)

Tom Cruise is actively terrible in Far and Away, a bizarre Ron Howard adventure film that marked the second of three wildly divergent collaborations with Cruises then-wife, Nicole Kidman. His Irish accent is fluttery noise, there one minute and gone the next. But it speaks to how we ended up here: non-native speakers have been fed so many stereotypes about Ireland over the decades that few can spot the real thing anymore.
Which? is calling for urgent action from government and regulators to make airlines refund passengers. Photo: Danny Lawson/PA via Getty

Airlines have run up millions of pounds in county court judgments (CCJs) after failing to pay passenger expenses and refunds, an investigation by consumer body Which? has revealed.

CCJs collectively worth more than 4.5m have piled up against airlines including EasyJet (EZJ.L), Ryanair (RYA.IR), Tui (TUI.L) and Wizz Air (WIZZ.L), according to official records.

Which? said that Wizz Air accounts for almost half the total amount, despite carrying fewer passengers than some of its rivals.

Wizz Air has 1,601 outstanding CCJs worth almost 2.2m, according to Registry Trust, which maintains the official statutory register of judgments, orders and fines for England and Wales on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

The register also shows that both EasyJet and Ryanair have high numbers of outstanding judgments. EasyJet had 884, amounting to 611,436 and Ryanair had 840 worth 549,892. Tui had fewer, at, 313, but they were worth almost 1.3m.

Jet2 (JET2.L) has four outstanding judgments amounting to 1,434. Meanwhile, BA (IAG.L) has 82 totalling 96,042.

In one case, a customer's flight to Portugal with their family was cancelled by Wizz Air without explanation three hours before they were due to take off.

Read more: Revealed: UK's least favourite airlines

Wizz Air had a legal obligation to reroute him as soon as possible, but instead suggested that he book himself on to a new flight and promised to refund him. He paid for a last-minute BA flight for his family of five that cost 2,500  and incurred other out of pocket expenses as a result of the change. Although Wizz Air refunded the original flight  after several weeks of chasing  it failed to reimburse his expenses.

The airline didnt respond to the case he brought through the small claims court. The customer was therefore awarded a judgment by default, but still did not get his money.

In October 2022, he had to instruct court bailiffs. The bailiffs visited Wizz Air at Luton Airport and finally forced the airline to pay him more than 4,500, including costs, in December  seven months after his original flight.

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In another case, a Wizz Air passenger was failed by a voluntary dispute resolution scheme for air passengers when he tried to escalate a claim for a cancelled flight. The passenger had a flight booked with Wizz Air in June 2022 but was told that his flight had been cancelled when he arrived at the gate.

He received no further confirmation of the cancellation, or explanation of why it was cancelled from Wizz Air, and was forced to book a night in a hotel and a new flight himself from another airport, costing almost 800.

Wizz Air failed to refund him or pay his expenses, so he escalated his claim to AviationADR, which initially ruled that he should get a refund for the flight, but not his expenses. When he queried this it sent him a second final determination that he should get expenses but not a refund.

When he also queried this it sent him a third final determination that he was entitled to nothing  as the flight had never officially been cancelled. However, Which? has seen an email from Wizz Air to another passenger, booked on the same flight, saying that it was cancelled and confirming a refund.

AviationADR ultimately closed the case and stopped responding to emails. As a result, The customer said he regrets not going straight to court. Wizz Air has since said it is reinvestigating the case.

Read more: Airlines accused of selling more tickets than available seats on flights

Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: The scale of court judgments piling up against major airlines is a result of a system where the odds are stacked against passengers and airlines feel empowered to routinely ignore their legal obligations to pay out refunds and compensation.

The CAA must get tough with airlines and make clear that it will consider using all the powers at its disposal  which may include reviewing the licences of the worst offenders if appropriate.

To avoid a repeat of this mess in future, the government must also prioritise reforms that put passengers first, which means giving the regulator powers and resources to require information from airlines as to their compliance with the law and to directly fine rogue operators that do not comply.

Easyjet told Which? it now has no known unpaid CCJs and that the register has not been updated to reflect its current position.

Trust Online, the official register of court judgments, told Which? that: Even when a judgment is paid, the judgment will continue to show as unsatisfied until the court records are updated.

It said defendants  airlines in this case  are responsible for providing updates about the payment status of CCJs.

Watch: Airline refunds: What are your rights as a consumer?

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
Civil and voting rights advocates quizzed the seven Democrats running for Akron mayor on their social justice agendas Thursday evening a mile from where Akron police shot and killed Jayland Walker last summer.

The event  organized by the Akron NAACP, League of Women Voters of the Akron Area, Akron Interfaith Social Justice Group, The Freedom BLOC, Akron Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and LWVAA  pressed the candidates on what they would have done differently had they been mayor during the days, weeks and months of protests and calls for reform after police killed Walker.

Candidate Mark Greer said "getting justice for Jayland Walker" is the biggest issue in the city. Everyone else on stage said crime and public safety is priority No. 1.

Mayoral candidate Mark Greer answers a question during the Social Justice Mayoral Forum on Thursday at Garfield Community Learning Center.

Before a crowd of a couple hundred people inside the auditorium at the new Garfield high school in Akrons Firestone Park neighborhood, the candidates took familiar questions about their police reform and crime reduction plans while covering new ground, including ways to boost city contracts and economic opportunity for minorities, eliminate food deserts, create a "people's budget" and support immigrants, whether documented or not.

Akron mayor's race:Akron mayoral Democratic candidates exchange insults and ideas in first debate with all 7 present

Volunteers with voter registration forms reminded attendees that early voting in the May 2 primary begins April 4, and that state law now requires a government-issued ID at the polls  utility bills wont do anymore.

What the candidates have to say about social justice

Inside the auditorium, moderator Cynthia Peeples, a board member on the League of Women Voters and founding director of Honesty for Ohio Education, asked the candidates to politely refrain from name-checking one another and keep their responses on their own positions as they answered questions on a series of social justice issues.

Akron Councilwoman Tara Mosley said signs around town proclaim Akron a "Welcoming City" but she would "hope that we would be a sanctuary city if we had to be." That status has been adopted by other city leaders who openly refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials if they come looking for immigrants here illegally, who Mosley said should have a path to citizenship.

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Cellphone store manager Joshua Schaffer would fill vacant houses with immigrants and decriminalize marijuana, shifting money instead to mental health services.

Mayoral candidate Joshua Schaffer answers a question during the Social Justice Mayoral Forum on Thursday at Garfield CLC.

Akron Councilman Shammas Malik would open up community learning centers and demand more community policing, explaining that officers currently run from call to call to call, which the police chief confirmed this week in a budget hearing.

Mayoral candidate Shammas Malik answers a question during the Social Justice Mayoral Forum on Thursday at Garfield CLC.

Mosley echoed the need for more foot patrols and reiterated her call for police substations in neighborhoods. She and Cleveland teacher Keith Mills would end high-speed police chases.

Mayoral candidate Tara Mosley answers a question during The Social Justice Mayoral Forum on Thursday at Garfield CLC.

Mayoral candidate Keith Mills answers a question during the Social Justice Mayoral Forum on Thursday at Garfield CLC.

Deputy Mayor for Intergovernmental Relations Marco Sommerville again pitched a non-lethal dart system for police cruisers. The tracking darts would let officers make arrests when a suspect stops driving instead of forcing a dangerous chase.

He said after the event that it was "wrong" of him to say officers would "move in for the kill" instead of make the arrest.

Mayoral candidate Marco Sommerville answers a question during the Social Justice Mayoral Forum on Thursday at Garfield CLC.

County Councilman Jeff Wilhite would drop prefabricated homes at $60,000 a pop onto vacant city lots to boost homeownership.

Mayoral candidate Jeff Wilhite answers a question during the Social Justice Mayoral Forum on Thursday at Garfield CLC.

How would the candidates create economic opportunities for minorities?

Peeples asked the candidates how they would create economic opportunity and open city contracts to Black and brown business owners.

Greer, a former small business program manager in Mayor Dan Horrigans administration, said hes worked inside city government long enough to know that the same contractors have been getting the same contracts over and over and over again.

Malik said he questioned the administration this week about how long it will take to replace the person who left in January from a position designed to boost the city's poor job at giving contracts to minorities, who got only 5% of the work in 2020.

Sommerville said he would hire local, like he did when he employed Black architects, accountants and builders for his funeral home business.

Schaffer urged less investment downtown and a green jobs economy.

Wilhite suggested not only hiring more Black business owners but marketing their products and services so we can support them with our wallets.

Was the Jayland Walker situation handled correctly?

The first question from the audience asked what each candidate would have done differently in the handling of what the person who wrote the question on a note card called the murder of Jayland Walker.

Walker, a 25-year-old DoorDash driver, was shot 46 times by Akron police after a crosstown vehicle pursuit that zigzagged through residential streets in Firestone Park from state Route 8 to a parking lot off East Wilbeth Road on the Bridgestone Americas campus.

Mills and Schaffer, who interned for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, called the shooting a "murder."

The state Bureau of Criminal Investigation is continuing to review the incident, and the officers involved have not been criminally charged.

Mosley and Greer said the eight officers should have been fired. Though they condemned the level of deadly force used, they stopped short of calling for charges.

Mosley, Schaffer, Greer and Mills said the police union could fight to get the eight officers jobs back while the state investigates and a grand jury determines whether to indict any or all of the officers.

With Police Chief Steve Mylett in attendance, Greer criticized the administration for reinstating the eight officers the day after he and hundreds of people walked in a March for Jayland Walker" in October.

Sommerville touted the administrations choice to turn over the investigation to the Ohio Attorney Generals Office, which is something Akron officials had been contemplating for more than a year, according to the city prosecutor.

Wilhite would have immediately turned over all evidence, including body-worn camera footage, to state investigators. Instead, Horrigan and Chief Mylett, who are required by the city charter to release footage within seven days, called a press conference in which police narrated what happened. Sommerville, who said Thursday that Akron cant heal until the state investigation is over, stood with the chief and mayor at the July press conference.

Greer criticized the press conference for accusing Walker of firing a weapon, which police say is the bang heard on body-worn camera video and the flash from Walker's window caught by an Ohio Department of Transportation camera.

If we want to talk about waiting for an investigation to be finished, well, let's stop casting judgment on a dead young Black man who was shot at over 90 times, said Greer, adding that he, as mayor, would have named the officers involved.

Malik disagreed with several actions taken by the city following the incident, including the removal of police name tags and an out-of-town protester punched in the face by an officer. The lawyer gave his opinion on why charges have been dropped for many people arrested during protests days after the July press conference.

Pepper spray, excessive force claims:What happened during the Jayland Walker Akron protests?

There's all these people who were arrested for protesting," he said. If someone hurt someone, if someone broke windows, you should prosecute them. The people being prosecuted and getting let off because they were arrested just for being out there in the street.

How would the candidates increase resident engagement?

The audience asked about the candidates plans for public participation in the budgeting process and how each would root out corruption.

Sommerville, who has been in city government for more than 20 years, said he wasnt aware of any corruption. He pushed for an online survey program to engage residents.

Most time we dont hear from the community when we should, he said.

Mosley said the community is watching but not always engaged because they dont feel that they have a seat. She called for each ward to have its own budget.

Wilhite said neighborhoods feel neglected. Hed create an endowment managed by ward council members and spent on neighborhood projects in partnership with the mayors office.

Greer said the problem isnt that the people arent engaged but that city leaders arent listening.

On a question from the audience prompted by the Beacon Journal reporting this week on $30 million in contracts mostly unknown to council, Malik and Mosley responded by saying city lawmakers should approve all spending over $50,000, as the city charter requires.

Transparency in government:Akron council scrutinizes city contracts they didn't OK, including Plusquellic contract

It may not be bad, Malik said of the way city councils for 60 years have let the mayor spent without their approval, but it looks terrible.

Greer said he wasnt surprised, noting that in his four years at City Hall, hes seen proposals for contracts written in a way that ensures certain people get the work, to the detriment of small and minority business owners.

Reach reporter Doug Livingston at dlivington@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3792.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: What Akron mayor candidates had to say about Jayland Walker, more
An Alabama school has introduced whiteboards that can act as shelters during mass shootings and storms.

Cullman City Schools revealed the new safety system on Monday which is meant to fold out from the wall and protect students during natural disasters and active shooter situations.

Superintendent Kyle Kalhoff said it can make a difference between life or death in the unimaginable school shooter situation, according to AL.com.

At West Elementary School, two special education classrooms have been outfitted with the whiteboards, at a cost of $120,000.

Its the first school in the US to put the convertible saferooms in place. When deployed, the saferoom can fit about 60 children or 20 adults.

Democratic State Representative Anthony Daniels told AL.com: We cant afford not to do anything. Weve been having conversations for too long and someone has come up with a solution to solve the problem.

I serve on the Budget Committee and so for me, this is something thats needed and its something that Im certainly on board with, he added.

Here is the safe room in action! While its simple to put in place, both teachers with one in their classroom said they keep them set up and students use them as sensory or hang out rooms https://t.co/QGDh2gFxj1 pic.twitter.com/5FEgGTNt1L  Gillian Brooks (@GillianBNews) March 13, 2023

Special Education teacher Hali Marquette said she usually leaves one of the saferooms in use, providing her with an additional teaching space.

The doors lock from the inside and there are no door handles on the outside. The locks are controlled by a teacher or an administrator.

An Alabama teacher demonstrates the use of a whiteboard that can turn into a storm shelter and bulletproof safety room (Screenshot / Twitter / Gillian Brooks)

Ive started using it as a sensory space for my children, Ms Marquette said, according to the local outlet. Its an incentive  if you behave, if you do what is asked of you, you can go in and have some free time. So its been really good so far. They love it. And thats the most important thing is making it a safe space for them.

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Kevin Thomas, from Cullman, came up with the idea for the system following the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on 24 May last year when 19 students and two teachers were killed.

An Alabama teacher demonstrates the use of a whiteboard that can turn into a storm shelter and bulletproof safety room (Screenshot / Twitter / Gillian Brooks)

The company making the whiteboards, KT Security Solutions, said they can withstand up to a .308 calibre rifle. There was no information available on any testing done on storm safety, according to AL.com.

The president of National School Safety and Security Services, Kenneth Trump, told the outlet that quick fixes and lots of gadgets and products often leads to security theater where products and hardware provide an emotional security blanket to make people feel safer, but that may not necessarily actually make them safer.

Active shooters are only of many school safety threats and school leaders need to spend as much time, if not more, on prevention and planning for more likely security threats such as non-custodial parent issues at elementary schools or fighting and issues that require heightened adult supervision to prevent incidents.

Last year there were 46 school shootings in the US, which is more than at any point since 1999, according to The Washington Post.

We want to get this implemented legislatively. Ultimately, the goal is to have these be just like fire suppression systems, Mr Thomas told AL.com of the school safety system.
Alec Baldwin on the set of "Rust" after the fatal shooting. Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office

Alec Baldwin was charged in connection to the October 2021 accidental shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.

New Mexico prosecutors filed two involuntary manslaughter charges against Baldwin in January.

He faces a maximum sentence of up to 18 months in prison if convicted.

Alec Baldwin could spend up to 18 months in prison if he's convicted in connection with the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust" in 2021.

In January, New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies charged Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the set's armorer in charge of weapons, with two counts each of involuntary manslaughter.

Attorneys for Baldwin, Gutierrez-Reed, and a spokesperson for the district attorney's office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Friday.

Both are being charged in the alternative, meaning the jury can only convict them on one of the charges, not both. Baldwin and Gutierrez-Reed face a maximum of 18 months in prison if convicted on either charge.

Initially, prosecutors included a firearms enhancement on one of the charges, which carries a mandatory five-year prison sentence. But it was dropped in February after Baldwin's lawyers complained it was unconstitutional.

Baldwin was practicing a scene on the set of "Rust" when the weapon he was holding fired and a bullet fatally struck the film's cinematographer, Hutchins, and injured the film's director, Joel Souza.

File photo of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Fred Hayes/Getty Images

In an affidavit for a search warrant, obtained byDeadline in 2021, Santa Fe Sheriff's Department Detective Joel Cano described the lead up to Hutchins' death, saying that Assistant Director Dave Halls had grabbed "one of three 'prop-guns' that was set up" by Gutierrez-Reed on a cart.

Cano said he learned that Halls then grabbed one of the prop-guns and took it to Baldwin, yelling "cold gun" to indicate that the gun didn't have any live rounds in it.

Cano said Baldwin then fired the weapon, striking Hutchins and Souza.

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Investigators have not revealed how a live round ended up in the gun.

Baldwin told ABC News two months after the shooting that he never pulled the trigger, but an FBI report countered that, saying "the revolver could not be made to fire without a pull of the trigger."

Baldwin's attorney, Luke Nikas, told Insider in January that the decision to bring charges against the actor "distorts Halyna Hutchins' tragic death and represents a terrible miscarriage of justice."

"Hannah is, and has always been, very emotional and sad about this tragic accident. But she did not commit involuntary manslaughter," Gutierrez-Reed's lawyer, Jason Bowles, said in a statement in January.



"We intend to bring the full truth to light and believe Hannah will be exonerated of wrongdoing by a jury," the statement said.

Read the original article on Insider
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy briefs reporters on Jan. 26, 2023, on the indictment of five former Memphis Police officers in the deaths of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols.

Lately, theres been local discussion on some well-publicized cases of defendants controversially being released on bail. As the Shelby County District Attorneys Office continues to prioritize the violent crime that has steadily increased over the past decade, its useful to clear up a few misconceptions about bail. Most importantly, bail isnt whats driving crime in Shelby County.

Additionally, the DA doesnt make bail decisions; very few persons released on bail commit another crime while awaiting trial; and all such rearrest while on bail casestaken togetherare a small fraction of the overall crimes committed.

The DA does not set bail. Decisions about whether defendants will be released or jailed pending trial are made by the judges. In the high-profile cases over the last few weeksthe Whitehaven lounge shootings, the murder of Pastor Eason-Williams, and othersthe DA office actually opposed the release of those defendants. When a defendant charged with a serious crime has a serious criminal history, we tend to favor pretrial detention.

Recent controversial bail decisions are not the result of bail reform. Before I took office, Shelby County adopted a new bail hearing procedure to avoid litigation. It didnt take effect until February 17. Cases prior to that date were not affected at all by the new bail procedure.

Both the former DA and I supported this new procedure. I did so because it conformed our practices to the Constitution and Tennessee law. All it does is guarantee the defendant (1) a bail hearing within 72 hours of arrest, with their lawyer present; and (2) consideration of their actual ability to pay before the bail amount is set.

More:Shelby County to get new bail hearing room, with support from both Weirich and Mulroy

Allowing bail does not threaten public safety. Releasing an arrestee pending trial is only a problem if that arrestee commits another crime while waiting for their case to be resolved. We need to do everything we can to make sure this doesnt happen. Fortunately, this does not in fact happen frequently. Only about 23% of Shelby County defendants are arrested for another crime while out on bail; rearrests for violent crimes while out on bail occur less than 4% of the time.

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While Id prefer those percentages be zero, we have to also worry about how often an innocent person is held in jail for months or years until their case can be resolved. That happens far more frequently than released arrestees reoffending violently while out on bail. When it happens, it disrupts communities, making it harder for them to stay law-abiding; and sows distrust in those communities, making them less willing to cooperate with law enforcement.

More important: if you added up all cases in a given year where a defendant was rearrested while out on bail, it would add up to less than one-eighth of all total offenses, and less than one percent for violent offenses, in that year. Even if we denied everyone bail, we would still have an unacceptably high crime rate.

We should be under no illusions about the seriousness of our crime problem. Violent crime has been rising steadily for the last decade, to the point where weve been among the countrys highest for the last several years. While violent crime overall went down last year, carjackings, robberies, and auto thefts have been rising disturbingly.

People deserve to feel safe when they pump gas. Over the past 5 months since Ive been sworn in, our office has been working hard to partner with law enforcement and address this problem, and we will continue to do so. Weve set up a Cold Case Unit; refocused on violent crime; and cracked down more on nonfatal shootings, among other things. Well continue to work on these issues, and welcome partnerships with businesses, clergy, and others.

But focusing primarily on bail is a distraction, one which wont solve our crime problem. We shouldnt let citizens who dont know better, and politicians who should, tell us otherwise.

Steve Mulroy was sworn in as Shelby County District Attorney on Sept. 1, 2022. He is a former federal prosecutor and U.S. Justice Department civil rights lawyer.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Allowing bail does not threaten public safety Shelby County DA
For the first time, American Democrats' views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have shifted to show more sympathy for Palestinians than Israelis, a Gallup poll has found.

The survey by the Washington, D.C.-based research company, released Thursday, revealed that 49% sympathized with Palestinians and 38% with Israelis.

The steep drop in sympathy for Israelis has taken place over a decade or more and was largely driven by millennials  those born after 1980. Older generations of Americans are more sympathetic to Israelis. In 2013, American Democrats were more sympathetic to Israelis compared to Palestinians by 55% to 19%, according to Gallup.

The views of American Republicans on the issue were largely unchanged from the last Gallup poll, in January 2022. Nearly eight in 10 (78%) Republicans sympathize more with Israelis than side with Palestinians (11%), the poll found.

Antony Blinken visits Israel: tensions flare over Iran drone strike, violence at home

Palestinians burn tires and wave the national flag during a protest against an Israeli military raid in the West Bank city of Jenin, along the border fence with Israel, in east of Gaza City, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023.

However, the U.S. public overall still has a more favorable view of Israelis (54%) than Palestinians (31%), figures that are similar to last year's Gallup poll on the topic. And a majority of Democrats (56%) still hold positive views about Israel.

"Americans' views on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have become more polarized as Democrats increasingly commiserate with the Palestinians, while Republicans maintain their solid alignment with the Israelis," the survey's authors noted in a commentary.

"The escalation of Israeli-Palestinian hostilities over the past year, resulting in a high number of Palestinians killed, could partly explain the most recent shift in Democrats perspective. But Democrats waning religiosity may be a factor in the longer-term trend. Sympathy for Israel has historically been highly correlated with religion," Gallup said.

The Gallup survey comes as Israel's President Benjamin Netanyahu has sought to overhaul the country's judiciary. Critics say the move will undermine Israel's democratic institutions. It has sparked weeks of mass protests. The decades-long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians has for years shown little signs of resolving.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Democrats now sympathize more with Palestinians than Israelis: Poll
Editors Note: This commentary first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to their newsletter.

My stepfather, brother, and I served in Afghanistan and Iraq. We are still there, frozen in the suck  a boomer, a Gen Xer, and a millennial  ducking mortars, mourning dead colleagues, and waiting for care packages curated by Mom.

For seven years, I was an aid worker outside the wire and embedded with the U.S. military inside the wire. In the mid-2000s, I overlapped with one or both of my family members in each war zone. We rarely speak of it.

In my multigenerational, vast military family, the suck strained the bonds of love and commitment. Our individual experiences, worldview, and the impact of the wars upon us differed such that only silence maintains family cohesion. In sleep, we cry out what we cannot express in daylight, fighting our way out of the same village, the same valley, the same unarmored aid project pickup truck, again and again.

In the summer of 2021, bearded Taliban fighters swaggered from the shadows where theyd been governing secretly for decades and into the presidential palace to make their takeover official. Commentators in America lamented, How did we come to this? I didnt ask that question. I sat alone in the dark sipping bourbon, staring out the window of my house in the African country where I now work. No one I served with asked that question as we texted our heartbreak. How else could the suck have possibly concluded? Yet still, the callouses of our collective cynicism didnt buffer the gut punch of watching it unfold in real-time.

The two halves of the war blur together in a sandy haze of beige frustration. Iraq was bonkers, but Afghanistan was a special kind of hell. Iraq wore me down with unceasing explosions so regular the coffee tasted like plastic explosives by the time I departed. Afghanistan made me rethink my own nationalism and question the cognitive abilities of our elected officials. I arrived there in 2010 hoping that rural provinces were somewhat permissive, hoping that aid projects could have more success than in Iraq.

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A USAID-funded project needed an aid worker to assist military personnel on a joint U.S.-Afghan army outpost in Nangarhar province, on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. I had completed an 18-month tour on an embedded provincial reconstruction team in Iraq, so they selected me for the job in Afghanistan. My task at the Nangarhar outpost was to cover for a colleague who departed on an extended absence. I didnt ask why, but I suspected the kidnapping of aid worker Linda Norgrove pushed my colleagues mental resilience to the limit, necessitating a break.

My helicopter transport to the outpost included a U.S. Army personnel recovery team on a search mission for Norgrove, whod been employed on another American USAID-funded project when she was taken. Fresh from Iraq, I wasnt surprised. Aid workers are easy to kidnap. I hoped Linda would be found alive, and I wondered if this helo ride would finally be the one that killed me. Too many deployments made a person paranoid  each helo or convoy could be the last. But in my military family, I couldnt show my face at Thanksgiving or survive my own mirror test if fear prevented me from completing an assignment.

The moon rises over Pekha Valley, Achin District, Nangahar Province, Afghanistan, Sept. 3, 2017. (Cpl. Matthew DeVirgilio/Army)

The voyage began at Bagram Airfield and progressed to the outpost in Nangarhar. As we lifted off, soldiers barked instructions familiar to me from many years in Iraq  do not move, talk, complain, make noise, pass out, get in the way, demonstrate a need for any bodily function, or act like a fragile civilian female snowflake. I acknowledged with a smile. Roger that.

As we flew toward Nangarhar province, we dropped in on mountain villages. The soldiers searched for Norgrove and distributed pamphlets. Rooted in my designated seat, each time the unit leaped from the open doors and sprinted off, I counted minutes. I scanned mountainsides and brush for hairy, bearded mujahideen with Kalashnikovs or rocket-propelled grenade launchers. When the unit jumped back into the Black Hawks, I counted soldiers. After six nerve-bending hours of mountaintop sorties without locating Norgrove, the Black Hawks touched down for half a minute on an empty gravel landing zone at a Nangarhar combat outpost. A soldier kicked my pack out behind me and shouted, Thanks for not being a shitty civilian. Dont get kidnapped, then lifted off.

Within days I discovered the aid project that brought me to this remote outpost couldnt move the needle forward in rural Afghanistan any more than we could move needles forward in Iraq. I reread 30 pages of handover notes. Our aid projects couldnt brand materials or equipment as American taxpayer-funded. There could be no sticker with the handshake and quote from the American people. Association with America meant a swift, guaranteed death of project grantees and beneficiaries.

When I inquired about local municipal approval and improving community participation in projects, my Afghan counterparts said  in a tone indicating How many times do I have to explain this to ignorant Americans venturing outside of Kabul  that the municipal government had no real control over the area. The shadow government, the Talibans parallel governance structure, needed to allow any project to take place in any area, or theyd attack the project site, the grantee, and the community beneficiaries. I put my head down on the plywood desk, defeated. Shadow government? Awesome. Same shit, different war zone.

When soldiers and I ventured out of the rural Nangarhar outpost on foot to meet with Afghan officials, they received us with polite rudeness, commanding painted tea boys to serve chai as they scowled at us across a low table. As in Iraq, visits from Americans marked Afghan counterparts for reprisal. We talked in circles through an interpreter whom they refused to look in the eye.

While we were hiking to a nearby town with soldiers to discuss the rehabilitation of local government buildings, kids threw rocks at us until I let down a waist-long braid from under my Kevlar helmet, my femaleness providing cover for the soldiers closest to me. Those in the rear took rocks in the face until we exited the town. At another meeting, the shadow government stepped into the day shift when the mayor looked at the Army captain to my right and asked why he brought a woman and a piece of shit (our Afghan interpreters eyes were slanted, his accent wasnt local).

Two thoughts occurred to me in that moment. Go fuck yourself, Mr. Taliban  and, If a soldier and an aid worker meet Taliban shadow government officials like its cool, weve lost the whole damn war.

The Taliban shadow government, like the militias in Iraq, circled our aid projects and military outposts like sharks, sinking in their teeth on occasion, reminding us of their presence. Every project and village we assessed and placed on our stability continuum charts fell back into the red one after the other. In Nangarhar, the Taliban collected a protection tax from the population, surveilled aid projects, and took control of, or ruined, most of what any project managed to accomplish. The Taliban, like militias in Iraq, happily claimed new wells, rehabilitated clinics, and better roads, and blew up girls schools and womens nursing colleges. Back in Iraq, soon, the black flags of ISIS would fly over many other USAID project locations.

U.S. paratroopers conduct a tactical ground movement through Pekha Valley, Achin District, Nangahar Province, Afghanistan, Sept. 3, 2017. (Cpl. Matthew DeVirgilio/Army)

In Nangarhar, locals unleashed their fury on the first American they could. For every Afghan grateful for the assistance provided, others spat at us because a drone strike or military operation killed their family members at a wedding, in their fields, at a funeral, or while they were driving down the road. Afghan kids had a name for our drones  buzzbuzzak. If children heard that unmistakable buzzing sound, they became inconsolable. Walking back to the outpost from one meeting, while kids shouted buzzbuzzak at us and chucked rocks, I asked the soldier ahead of me, Captain. What the actual fuck are we doing here?

Never taking his eye off the path ahead, he said, Maam, I was gonna ask you the same thing.

At the outpost in Nangarhar, we received incoming rockets or mortars every other night, with no sign of the glossy Kabul-like progress, no women graduating from colleges on the nearby Afghanistan-Pakistan border, no cappuccinos in cafes. One night, I bear-crawled from the female shower latrine to a bunker during a rocket attack, soaking wet and fully clothed because I always washed myself and my clothing in the shower. Covered in soap, I clutched a switchblade given to me by my Marine stepfather under my jacket sleeve, blade against my soapy wrist. Next to me, a shaking Army boot lieutenant, smooth-cheeked and barely out of college, held his weapon at low ready. A senior enlisted soldier, older and insubordinate under fire, commanded the young lieutenant to stay put and guard me, the only female civilian in the outpost, while all remaining soldiers manned the outpost perimeter. I contemplated suicide instead of captivity. I sure as hell wasnt going to accept an extended slumber party with the Haqqani All-Stars.

Linda Norgrove didnt survive. Aid workers died when captured in the suck, in Iraq, Afghanistan, and later, Syria. Id given Iraq seven years of my youth. I decided not to waste what remained in Afghanistan. I completed my duties and refused follow-on assignments to Kandahar. I supported the program from Washington, D.C., and conducted the project close-out after-action review years later. I didnt return to Afghanistan. But our military counterparts, like my stepfather and brother, cousins, uncles, and family friends, didnt get to choose to go home. For our men and women in uniform, refusing a bullshit assignment or asking our leaders to take responsibility led to losing rank, clearances, jobs and benefits.

I know the havoc endless war with no outcome wreaks on a military family. Born the year after the Vietnam War ended, I suffered its aftermath in fists across my four- and five-year-old face. My mother, a veteran herself, cried many nights, broken on the floor, both of us at the mercy of an enraged two-tour Vietnam veteran. A few years later, I watched a stepfather, a towering hulk of a Marine, crying in front of the television as his fellow Marines pulled body parts from rubble in Beirut less than a day after he left that same barracks to catch a flight home. During the Gulf War and Somalia, I watched my mother anguish, my brothers act out, while yet another stepfather packed his gear in the garage. The divorces, wars, and military bases blurred together as they do in military families. In Afghanistan and Iraq, I wasnt surprised to see the familiar suicide watch posters plastered everywhere. Ive known since childhood that when people return from a deployment, military or civilian, theyre different. Some dont make it.

As I continue to process the heinous conclusion of the forever wars, rage and nightmares haunt me, as distracting and painful as the weeks and months after my deployments ended. Ive lost hours and days in emotional emails with colleagues and family members or overthinking our American anomalies. Ive woken up yelling and thrashing as I held my infant daughter. I struggle with our American habit of turning victory upside down and the decades spent squandering our legacy and mind-fucking the men and women who fought for it. Now that it is over, and America has gained nothing for the effort, I check military suicide rates. There are no statistics for the aid workers and other civilians who deployed. I hear by word of mouth that they are dying, too.

Like my family and me, many of those who served bounced between forever war zones. We lost spouses, legs, custody of children, memories, and bits of skull. We returned to find we had less freedom than when we deployed. While we wasted our youth in the suck, the Supreme Court and certain state governments showed their appreciation with an epic Thanks for your service, but fuck you by gutting the Civil Rights Act, reducing rights and access to voting, and eliminating reproductive independence. Those of us who served represented America in the best way we could. We returned to a budding authoritarian state at war with itself, upending a lifetime of American ideals and freedoms that we carried with us into war because we believed them to be everlasting. When we returned, we didnt recognize our own country.

The anger this generates is such that when anyone says Thank you for your service to anyone who served in the suck, resisting the urge to throat punch them is difficult. At best, it sounds like they are saying, Thank you for a bit of lucky success, thank you for volunteering to be trapped in a nasty ideological-political experiment. Thank you for surviving a 20-year bipartisan shitshow so they could stay home and train with a government-hating militia or play with the newest smartphone and eat avocado toast. The worst is a thank you with indifference from the politicians we voted for, who cant bear to face mangled bodies, the twitch of trauma, or the poverty of a veteran.

Civilians like me  the aid workers, diplomats, intelligence officers, and defense contractors  we box up our traumas, hide them behind a game face like military kids. We arent veterans; therefore, we arent permitted a sloppy PTSD breakdown or suicide. But we didnt evade despair. We know the sum of loss from the 20-year forever wars is immeasurable, and contemplating it bends the brain into psychosis. All the years sacrificed, dead and disappeared Afghan and Iraqi colleagues, battle buddies and youth lost, wasted money, and squandered American reputation and global leverage.

Its been 21 years since the invasion of Afghanistan, 20 years since the invasion of Iraq. I am not over it. My family is not over it. The United States is not over it. Americas been fighting the same war in different iterations since Vietnam, wrecking military personnel and federal employees along the way like were all expendable deep-state trash. Because this is what we do in America. We pause. We forget. Then we begin the next war.

M. Tabar worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Gabon and then on USAID and State Department-funded assistance projects in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Jordan, the Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Cameroon, Sri Lanka, Togo, and Haiti. She lives in West Africa with her family, where she is working on an aid program and revising a memoir on the forever wars.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  The government's response to the failure of two large banks has already involved hundreds of billions of dollars. So will ordinary Americans end up paying for it, one way or another? And what will the price tag be?

It could be months before the answers are fully known. The Biden administration said it will guarantee uninsured deposits at both banks. The Federal Reserve announced a new lending program for all banks that need to borrow money to pay for withdrawals.

On Thursday, the Fed provided the first glimpse of the scale of the response: It said banks had borrowed about $300 billion in emergency funding in the past week, with nearly half that amount going to holding companies for the two failed banks to pay depositors. The Fed did not say how many other banks borrowed money and added that it expects the loans to be repaid.

The goal is to prevent a broadening panic in which customers rush to pull out so much money that even healthy banks buckle. That scenario would unsettle the entire financial system and risk derailing the economy.

Taxpayers will probably bear no direct cost for the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. But other banks may have to help defray the cost of covering uninsured deposits. Over time, those banks could pass higher costs on to customers, forcing everyone to pay more for services.

Here are some questions and answers about the cost of the bank collapses:

HOW IS THE RESPONSE BEING PAID FOR?

Most of the cost of guaranteeing all deposits at both banks will likely be covered by the proceeds the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. receives from winding down the two banks  either by selling them to other financial institutions or by auctioning off their assets.

Any costs beyond that would be paid for out of the FDIC's deposit insurance fund, which is typically used in the event of a bank failure to reimburse depositors for up to $250,000 per account. The fund is maintained with fees paid by participating banks.

Story continues

Both Silicon Valley and Signature banks had a strikingly high share of deposits above that amount: 94% of Silicon Valleys deposits were uninsured, as were 90% of deposits at Signature. The average figure for large banks is about half that level.

If necessary, the insurance fund will be replenished by a special assessment on banks, the FDIC, Fed and Treasury said in a joint statement. Though the cost of that assessment could ultimately be borne by bank customers, it's not clear how much money would be involved.

Kathryn Judge, a law professor at Columbia University, said a bigger cost to consumers and the economy could stem from potentially major changes to the financial system that result from this episode.

If all customer deposits were considered guaranteed by the government, formally or informally, then regulations would need to be strengthened to prevent bank failures or lessen their costs when they do happen. Banks might have to pay permanently higher fees to the FDIC.

It's going to require us to revisit the entire bank regulatory framework," Judge said. That's far more significant than the modest costs that other banks will pay.

WILL TAXPAYERS BE ON THE HOOK?

President Joe Biden has insisted that no taxpayer money will be used to resolve the crisis. The White House is desperate to avoid any perception that average Americans are bailing out the two banks in a way similar to the highly unpopular bailouts of the biggest financial firms during the 2008 financial crisis.

No losses associated with the resolution of Silicon Valley Bank will be borne by the taxpayer, read the joint statement from the Treasury, Fed and FDIC.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen defended that view Thursday under tough questioning from GOP lawmakers.

The Fed's lending program to help banks pay depositors is backed by $25 billion of taxpayer funds that would cover any losses on the loans. But the Fed says it's unlikely that the money will be needed because the loans will be backed by Treasury bonds and other safe securities as collateral.

Even if taxpayers aren't directly on the hook, some economists say the banks' customers still stand to benefit from government support.

Saying that the taxpayer wont pay anything ignores the fact that providing insurance to somebody who didnt pay for insurance is a gift, said Anil Kashyap, an economics professor at the University of Chicago. And thats kind of what happened.

SO IS THIS A BAILOUT?

Biden and other Democrats in Washington deny that their actions amount to a bailout of any kind.

It's not a bailout as happened in 2008, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, said this week while proposing legislation to toughen bank regulation. It is, in effect, protection of depositors and a preventive measure to stop a run on other banks all around the country."

Biden has stressed that the banks' managers will be fired and their investors will not be protected. Both banks will cease to exist. In the 2008 crisis, some financial institutions that received government financial aid, like the insurer AIG, were rescued from near-certain bankruptcy.

Yet many economists say the depositors at Silicon Valley Bank, which included wealthy venture capitalists and tech startups, are still receiving government help.

Why is it sensible capitalism for somebody to take a risk, and then be protected from that risk when that risk actually happens? asked Raghuram Rajan, a finance professor at the University of Chicago and former head of India's central bank. Its probably good for the short term in the sense that you dont have a widespread panic. ... But it is problematic for the system long term."

Many Republicans on Capitol Hill argue that smaller community banks and their customers will shoulder some of the cost.

Banks in rural Oklahoma "are about to pay a special fee to be able to bail out millionaires in San Francisco, Sen. James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, said on the Senate floor.

___

Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein and video journalist Rick Gentilo contributed to this report.
The United States has sent a new reconnaissance drone toward the Ukrainian Crimea annexed by Russia. According to the Flightradar service, the RQ-4 Global Hawk with the call sign FORTE10 headed for the Black Sea.

Source: Crimea.Realities



Details: The UAV entered the Black Sea, having circled in Romanian airspace for several hours before that.

The drone reportedly took off from the Sigonella air base near the Italian city of Catania.

Background:



The US Air Force issued a statement on 14 March, in which it was reported that a Russian Su-27 fighter jet damaged an American MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance and strike UAV over the Black Sea during an interception, as a result of which the drone had to be sunk.





The US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, John Kirby, noted that while Russian intercepts of US aircraft over the Black Sea are not uncommon, Tuesday's episode was unique regarding how "dangerous, unprofessional and reckless" Russias actions were.





The Russian Defence Ministry stated on the evening of Tuesday that their Su-27 fighter jets had nothing to do with the crash of the MQ-9 Reaper American UAV in the Black Sea. In addition, they said it approached annexed Crimea and was flying in violation.





The US Department of Defense, in turn, said it was working to declassify visual information related to the incident in the international airspace over the Black Sea. The US military published a video of a Russian Su-27 fighter jet attacking the MQ-9 Reaper American UAV over the Black Sea.





The US is conducting an assessment of its drone operations in the Black Sea area following the incident. It is "taking a close look" at the drones routes and assessing how to better deconflict with Russian forces.





Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, said that the attack on the American drone was carried out over part of Russian territory, and the Americans were completely impudent, so there is no need to "stand on ceremony" with them.





Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu decorated the Su-27 pilots who shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
School districts across California are still struggling with teacher and staffing shortages even as retirements and concerns about the pandemic have waned.

About 20,000 teaching positions are still vacant across California  2,300 of which are across Sacramento Countys 13 school districts.

But hiring new employees is not the only goal, said Dave Gordon, Sacramento Superintendent of Schools. SCOE is committed to fostering diversity on campuses and encouraging teens and young adults to pursue a career in education at the start of their college journey in hopes to retain strong, qualified candidates.

One of our goals to better serve our young people is to hire more people who look like our young people and those they serve, said Gordon. Thats been difficult to achieve.

About 80% of U.S. public school teachers are white, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. In California, about 23% of the student population is white, while 63% of teachers are white. Nearly three-quarters of the California teacher workforce is female, according to the California Department of Education.

Greater diversity of teachers may mitigate feelings of isolation, frustration, and fatigue that can contribute to individual teachers of color leaving the profession when they feel they are alone, the CDE states on its website.

A job fair could help

The Sacramento County Office of Education hopes to fill those jobs through an employment fair on Saturday, March 18.

More than 60 school districts from Sacramento to the Bay Area will participate, including Natomas Unified, Sacramento City Unified, Elk Grove Unified, Twin Rivers Unified and Folsom Cordova Unified. About 45 school districts will be on-site. Registration is free.

School districts across Northern California are looking to hire more teachers, language, speech and hearing therapists, mental health clinicians, and para-educators. Office staff and food service members are also in need.

Story continues

SCOE is also looking to hire 300 mental health clinicians over the next few years.

Folsom Cordova Unified officials are focusing on hiring Spanish and 17 special education teachers. They have 61 teacher openings for the 2023-24 school year. The district is also looking for 20 additional bus drivers, 83 learning assistants, and 35 year duty supervisors.

Shortages have been around for a long time

Teacher shortages are not new.

Teacher prep programs have seen dwindling numbers in recent years, according to The American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. They predate the coronavirus pandemic, but they have been exacerbated in recent years with concerns over health, safety and the states high cost of living.

Education experts say exams that education systems use as barriers to entry to the profession disproportionately affect aspiring teachers of color. Gordon doesnt think education officials have confronted these barriers squarely enough.

Many of our young people are from underserved communities, and they dont have the support from their families, he said. They need paid work along the way to get through the stages of community college, then a four-year college, and a very long and expensive licensure.

School districts across the region significantly raised substitute teacher wages in recent months, placing a bandage on a crisis not going away any time soon.

Retirements and resignations are slowing down, but I dont think they have disappeared entirely,Gordon said.

But shortages have continued to stress families out this school year. In August, Elk Grove Unified made changes to its special education program due to staffing shortages, separating dozens of specialists from students who trusted them.

Gordon said one of the challenges is creating a pipeline from high school to employment in many of these careers in education. Getting students into mentorships and internships early on their careers is key, Gordon said.

This is more than an employment fair, Gordon said of the event. SCOE is working to assist students with support and training.

We really believe one of the weak spots in our system in finding young people is trying to help them financially, Gordon said, adding that many students need assistance with early steps like registering for community college and accessing mental health clinicians.

The employment fair will take place at SCOEs office at 10474 Mather Blvd in Mather, CA on Saturday, March 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m.
LUANDA (Reuters) - Angola will send 500 soldiers to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo to secure areas held by the M23 rebel group after the southern African country's parliament approved the deployment on Friday.

Insecurity has spiralled in Congo's volatile east over the past year, partly due to the resurgence of the M23, a rebel group claiming to represent the interests of ethnic Tutsis, which has seized large parts of Congo's North Kivu province.

The conflict has sparked a diplomatic crisis between Congo and neighbouring Rwanda, which Kinshasa accuses of backing the rebels, including by sending its own troops into eastern Congo. Rwanda denies any involvement.

Last year, Angolan President Joao Lourenco mediated talks between Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame who agreed to de-escalate tensions, but a declared ceasefire did not hold.

Angolan lawmakers present at Friday's vote gave their unanimous approval of a one-year deployment of troops in Congo's eastern provinces.

The minister of state Francisco Furtado said earlier this week that the deployment could cost Angola 11.2 billion kwanzas ($22.30 million), but that it expected to receive contributions from international organisations, including the African Union and the United Nations.

Congo's minister of foreign affairs, Christophe Lutundula, said on Monday that Angola was planning to send troops not to attack but to help maintain peace.

Kenya, Uganda and Burundi have also deployed troops to eastern Congo in the last year as part of an East African regional force aiming to help end militia violence.

($1 = 502.2000 kwanzas)

(Reporting by Miguel Gomes in Luanda and Sonia Rolley in Paris; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Nellie Peyton and Raissa Kasolowsky)
French-Moroccan director Sofia Alaoui made a splash at Sundance with her sci-fi thriller Animalia, which used genre to explore dark sides of Moroccan society. The filmmaker is now employing similar tropes on a TV series in early stages titled Let the Earth Burn.

Animalia, winner of the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision within Sundances World Cinema Dramatic Competition, is about a pregnant young woman from a rural Berber background who winds up emancipating herself as aliens land in Morocco.

More from Variety

Let the Earth Burn, unveiled during the Doha Film Institutes Qumra Arab film and TV series projects incubator this week, takes its cue from real abductions and slayings in remote areas of Morocco of kids known as Zouhri whom the kidnappers believe have supernatural powers.

I read about these kidnappings in the newspaper, and I thought, This is crazy!' Alaoui told Variety. The [medieval] practice is that they sacrifice these young children in order to gain some supernatural force themselves. I said to myself: how can this still exist? And I wondered whether these crimes say something about the society.

In Let the Earth Burn, a rookie female police academy graduate named Kenza is posted to a remote station in a small town in Moroccos Atlas Mountains. Surrounded by misogynistic, unwilling colleagues, Kenza learns, despite their indifferences, that some shepherds children have gone missing and decides to investigate. The Arabic-language detective series, which Alaoui says is tinged with fantasy and social drama, will lead Kenza to explore a fractured country and its social inequalities and power struggles.

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Like Animalia and Alaouis previous short So What If the Goats Die  which won both the Grand Jury Prize for shorts at Sundance in 2020 as well as Frances Cesar for best short  the TV series will combine supernatural and sociopolitical elements with Alaouis trippy visual flair.

Producer Sophie Penson is working with Moroccan producer Said Hamich Benlarbis Paris-based shingle Barney Production on the project. She said the Let the Earth Burn pilot and screenplays are being co-written by Alaoui with a Nordic noir scribe, whose name is still being kept under wraps. Its great to mix Sofias talent with someone who is used to writing thrillers, she noted.

We have great characters and the right plot for a thriller with mystical elements, Penson pointed out, adding that they are now working to improve the arc of the story to make it really surprising and give it greater international appeal.

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Heavy rains from a series of atmospheric river storms have filled another San Luis Obispo County lake to the brink of spilling for the first time in more than two decades.

Lopez Lake near Arroyo Grande was at 92.6% capacity as of Friday afternoon, according to data from SLO County Public Works, a massive gain from where it was just three months ago.

As recently as Dec. 10, Lopez was at a mere 22% of capacity. On Jan. 1, it was at 24%.

Less than a week ago, however, the reservoir had improved to 66% filled.

The combination of multiple atmospheric rivers in January and March now have it nearly at capacity.

Its definitely going to spill, San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department spokeswoman Paula McCambridge told The Tribune. Its the last of the (county-maintained) reservoirs to reach 100% capacity.

McCambridge said because the reservoir continues to fill with runoff from the recent storm, the lake level is rising each day. If the region got no more rain, she said Public Works estimates Lake Lopez would spill in about eight days.

Tuesdays storm could be enough to put it over the top, she said.

McCambridge said the last time the reservoir spilled was in 1999. In the lakes more than five decades in operation, it has spilled 18 times in total, she added.

As of Friday afternoon, the water level at Lopez Lake was at 518 feet, while the spillway level is at 522 feet, according to Public Works.

The reservoir, which was established in 1968, can store a maximum of 49,388 acre-feet of water and contained 45,751 acre-feet of water as of Friday, according to the data. It is also used for recreational activities such as boating, camping, fishing and mountain biking and also provides water to residents of the Five Cities area of SLO County.

The view of Lopez Lake from the Hi Mountain Condor Lookout Aug. 4, 2010.

Public Works to monitor for flooding impacts from lake spilling

Although the lake hasnt spilled in 24 years, McCambridge said Public Works has ensured that the condition of the spillway itself  which will direct the overflowing water into Arroyo Grande Creek  has been maintained through that time with regular maintenance and inspections.

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We want the public to know that the reservoirs arent something that come to our attention just in the case of heavy rains, she said. Its our highest priority, public safety. So we dont wait to react to situations.

According to McCambridge, when the reservoir does spill, the Public Works Department will keep a close eye on stream gauges and perform on-site monitoring to watch out for potential flooding along the creek area.

It is possible that there would be flooding, she said. If we have a high-impact storm, we are expecting a lot of water.

Oceano in particular has already been at risk of flooding throughout this winters extreme storms thanks to its location near the Arroyo Grande Creek Levee. During recent storms, officials issued evacuation warnings and in some cases, orders, as water levels rose in the area.

McCambridge said if there is a need for an evacuation due to an extreme influx of water in the creek during the next storm, the county is prepared to issue orders immediately.

Weve got boots on the ground and people at their computers, and so at the earliest sign of information that the public needs to have, the public will have it, she said.

Two other SLO County reservoirs already spilling

Lopez Lake would the the third local reservoir to reach capacity this winter.

Earlier this week, Whale Rock Reservoir near Cayucos spilled for the first time in 18 years.

The last time Whale Rock was close to capacity was in May 2019 when it reached 90%.

By the afternoon of March 11, the reservoir reached 111% capacity.

And Santa Margarita Lake has been overflowing into the Salinas River since Jan. 9.

It was at 105% of capacity as of Friday.
Local officials and water quality experts are calling for a renewed emphasis on infrastructure to reduce the frequency of harmful algae blooms like red tide.

Congressman Vern Buchanan led a red tide roundtable Friday to discuss the impact of the algae and brainstorm solutions. The group agreed that reducing stormwater runoff and wastewater spills could alleviate algae blooms.

Improvements to water infrastructure, such as the pipes that carry sewage, could produce substantial benefits to water quality. Old pipes and wastewater systems contribute to spills and leaks that harm local waterways.

Its all about nutrients  and we have proof, said Sandy Gilbert, founder of the Solutions to Avoid Red Tide (START) organization.

Since October, a persistent bloom of red tide has plagued Southwest Florida, including Manatee Countys beaches on Anna Maria Island. Red tide, which is caused by a microscopic organism called Karenia brevis, can lead to widespread fish kills and cause respiratory issues for humans.

Buchanan started the discussion by highlighting the challenges that red tide can make for the region. Visitors and residents choose Florida for its environment, but red tide tends to keep people away from the beach.

In the past few weeks, Manatee County has removed more than 3 1/2 tons of dead fish that washed ashore.

Young people enjoy the beach and weather just feet away from a roundtable discussion on increased levels of red tide in the Southwest Florida at the Beach House Restaurant in Bradenton Beach Friday.

Red tide threatens local water quality

I cant think of anything more important than water quality, said Buchanan, R-Longboat Key. Red tide has wreaked havoc on marine life, our waters and the many businesses that rely on Floridas tourism-based economy.

While several groups are researching the effects of red tide and how to mitigate its frequency, policymakers agree that the main goal should be the reduction of nutrients entering the water. Ed Chiles, a passionate water quality advocate, said reducing fertilizer use or preventing sewage overflows can help.

Its not one thing. Its everything, said Chiles, who leads the local All Clams on Deck initiative using clams to promote clean water. It is whats going on with wastewater treatment plants. Its what going on in your yards.

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Chiles Beach House restaurant, 200 Gulf Drive in Bradenton Beach, hosted Fridays roundtable discussion.

Ed Chiles talks about the All clams on deck program during a roundtable discussion on increased levels of red tide in the Southwest Florida at the Beach House Restaurant in Bradenton Beach Friday.

Nutrients feed algae, experts say

Studies have shown that red tide blooms grow stronger when K. brevis is fueled by nitrogen and phosphorus, which are common nutrients in sewage, fertilizer and stormwater runoff. Investing in infrastructure that collects those nutrients before entering Florida waterways is one way to clamp down on red tide, the roundtable concluded.

Were seeing some impacts that are very troubling, said Ed Sherwood, executive director of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, referring to local seagrass losses. The work we need to do is really focused on improving our aging wastewater infrastructure, our stormwater and also looking at the contribution of emissions.

Red tide is a naturally occurring phenomenon, but scientists say human activities and nutrient pollution tend to make the blooms worse.

Fertilization is running off into the water, and its a big factor, Buchanan said.

U.S. Congressman Vern Buchanan (R) participates in a roundtable discussion on increased levels of red tide in the Southwest Florida at the Beach House Restaurant in Bradenton Beach Friday.

Buchanan backs infrastructure needs

Ron Huibers, chairman of the city of Holmes Beachs Clean Water Committee, urged Buchanan to support local infrastructure needs.

Buchanan, who has previously pushed bills supporting red tide research across the finish line, said he supports using federal money for local projects that could reduce the frequency of harmful algae blooms.

If you need infrastructure, I want to find a way to get that done, Buchanan said. I dont care what it costs.

Theres a lot of infrastructure that we can do. Its going to be expensive, but its the right thing to do, he added.

Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge also touted the countys capital improvement plan, which includes over $1 billion toward projects that improve wastewater systems over the next five years.

The congressman said he hopes to have another proposal signed into law. Buchanan recently filed a bill that would allow states suffering from harmful algae blooms to qualify for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Buchanan has successfully advocated for red tide funding before. In recent years, he has secured $8 million for red tide research and another $100 million to combat harmful algal blooms.

Longboat Key town commissioner Maureen Merrigan, center, during a roundtable discussion on increased levels of red tide in the Southwest Florida at the Beach House Restaurant in Bradenton Beach Friday.

Ed Chiles talks about the All clams on deck program during a roundtable discussion on increased levels of red tide in the Southwest Florida at the Beach House Restaurant in Bradenton Beach Friday.

John Chappie, Mayor of Bradenton Beach during a roundtable discussion on increased levels of red tide in the Southwest Florida at the Beach House Restaurant in Bradenton Beach Friday.
A Kentucky man who received a state pardon from former Gov. Matt Bevin for a drug-related homicide but later went to federal prison over the same death has lost his bid to overturn the conviction.

Patrick Baker had petitioned the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals to set aside his conviction, but a three-judge panel of the court instead upheld it, ruling against Baker on every point his attorneys raised.

The decision was released Thursday.

Baker, formerly of Laurel County, was convicted in state court in 2017 of reckless homicide in connection with the death of Donald Mills, a drug dealer in Knox County who was shot to death when two men invaded his home to rob him of pain pills and money.

A state judge sentenced Baker, who is now 44, to 19 years in prison.

Just two years later, however, Bevin commuted Bakers sentence and pardoned him on Dec. 6, 2019.

Bevin said in his order that the evidence against Baker was sketchy at best, even though the Kentucky Court of Appeals had said in an earlier ruling that the evidence of his guilt was overwhelming.

Bevin, a Republican who had lost reelection in Nov. 2019, issued hundreds of pardons and commutations at the end of his term, but his decision to free Baker was among several that caused an outcry.

Patrick Baker, left, who was convicted in a 2014 homicide, stood with attorney Elliot Slosar, right, on Dec. 17, 2019, as he talked about being pardoned by former Governor Matt Bevin, resulting in his early release from prison.

The reason in Bakers case was that some of his family members had held a political fundraiser for Bevin in 2018, pulling in $21,500 to pay debt from his 2015 campaign, according to state records.

State lawmakers from both parties slammed Bevin over the pardons.

Two Democrats in the legislature said the pardon for Baker raised an appearance of corruption, though Bevin denied politics played a role in his decision.

Federal authorities picked up cases against some of the people Bevin pardoned. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives opened a new investigation of Baker in connection with Mills death.

A federal grand jury charged him with murdering Mills during the commission of a drug crime.

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Attorneys for Baker argued the new prosecution violated Bakers right not to be punished twice for the same crime.

However, U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom said the law allows different sovereign governments  the state and the U.S.  to prosecute a person based on the same conduct, and that the federal charge was different from the ones Baker faced in state court.

At his federal trial in August 2021, Baker denied killing Mills, and his attorneys pointed to a convicted felon who lived in the area as the killer.

Several witnesses undermined Bakers story, however.

Former Gov. Matt Bevin talked to reporters at the state Capitol on Friday.

Nathan Wagoner, who said he had used drugs with Baker, said Baker was in a financial bind because of his addiction to pain pills and that Baker told him about an idea to rob a drug dealer.

Another witness, Christopher Wagner, said he went with Baker to try to rob Mills. Baker had an idea to pose as police to intimidate Mills  they expected to get up to $200,000 in cash and hundreds of pills, Wagner said.

Wagner testified that after Baker kicked in the door of Mills mobile home early in the morning, he took Mills wife and children to a bedroom to watch them while Baker was with Mills in another bedroom trying to find drugs and money.

Wagner said he heard shots and that as they fled, Baker said he had to shoot Mills because Mills pulled a gun.

Bakers ex-wife also said Baker told her he shot Mills.

A jury convicted Baker after deliberating for a little over six hours.

Boom sentenced Baker to 42 years in prison in January 2022, but gave him credit for the 30 months he served in state prison before his trial and after his conviction in state court, making his federal sentence 39 years and six months.

Baker raised several arguments in his appeal, including that the federal governments decision to prosecute him was vindictive.

That argument fell short for several reasons, the appeal panel said in Thursdays ruling, including the separate sovereign doctrine  that the state and federal governments can pursue separate prosecutions  and that federal prosecutors have broad discretion in decisions to charge people.

Baker did not present any facts to suggest that federal prosecutors acted as rubber stamps for the state instead of using their discretion, and did not show any complicity between state and federal prosecutors, the appeals panel said.

Donald Mills, of Knox County, was shot and killed in 2014 when two men broke into his house to rob him.

Baker also didnt show the federal prosecution was unreasonable because new evidence  Wagners testimony  was developed between the time Baker was convicted in state court and his federal trial.

That new evidence provided a possible explanation, unrelated to his pardon by Bevin, for the decision to prosecute Baker in federal court, the appeals judges said.

The judges did say they were troubled by the timing of the prosecution in federal court and by the impression that Baker may not have received such a lengthy federal sentence but for his acceptance of a state-law pardon.

However, the appeals judges said they could not conclude that Boom abused her discretion by finding there was not reasonable likelihood of vindictiveness against Baker under the circumstances.

Cases may arise in which the facts demonstrate that the federal government had a stake in defeating a defendants exercise of their state-law rights, and thus under such circumstances, a defendants due-process rights may be violated by a subsequent prosecution by a separate sovereign, the appeals panel said. In this case, however, Baker has not made such a showing.

Baker also argued the evidence was not sufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he killed Mills during the commission of a drug-trafficking conspiracy.

However, the appeals judges said there was sufficient evidence presented at the trial for the jury to conclude Baker, Wagner and another man conspired to rob Mills for the purpose of distributing the pain pills they took.

Another argument Bakers attorneys made on appeal is that the government didnt present sufficient evidence that he acted with malice aforethought in killing Mills. He pointed to testimony from Wagner and others that Baker told them he shot Mills in the chest after Mills pulled a gun, indicating he didnt go into the house intending to shoot him.

However, Mills wife testified she didnt hear a struggle or fight before the shooting which cuts against Bakers self-defense theory, the appeals judges said.

Whats more, the appeals court has ruled in an earlier case that aiming a gun in the victims direction and firing it supports a finding of specific intent, a higher standard than malice aforethought, the appeals judges said.

Finally, Bakers attorneys argued Boom erred by denying his request for a hearing on whether Wagoner received an agreement for a reduced sentence in return for pointing the finger at Baker, and if so whether Wagoner lied when he said he hadnt been promised such a deal.

Wagoner did get his sentence cut after testifying against Baker, from nearly 12 years down to just over seven years.

However, the appeals judges said Baker didnt provide any information to suggest Wagoner had an agreement or understanding with the government before testifying.

As a result, Boom didnt err in denying a hearing on the issue, the appeals panel said.

The panel pointed to an earlier ruling that said the fact that a witness sentence was cut after testifying was not evidence that a deal existed prior to the testimony.

Melinda Mills, the sister of Donald Mills, told the Herald-Leader federal officials called her late Thursday night to let her know Bakers appeal had been denied. She said she called other family members after hearing the news.

I actually didnt sleep much last night, I was so excited, she said. We are very happy.

Baker is serving his sentence at a prison in West Virginia. His current release date is January 2055.
Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE:ADM) has had a rough three months with its share price down 17%. But if you pay close attention, you might gather that its strong financials could mean that the stock could potentially see an increase in value in the long-term, given how markets usually reward companies with good financial health. Specifically, we decided to study Archer-Daniels-Midland's ROE in this article.

ROE or return on equity is a useful tool to assess how effectively a company can generate returns on the investment it received from its shareholders. In other words, it is a profitability ratio which measures the rate of return on the capital provided by the company's shareholders.

See our latest analysis for Archer-Daniels-Midland

How Do You Calculate Return On Equity?

The formula for ROE is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations)  Shareholders' Equity

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Archer-Daniels-Midland is:

18% = US$4.4b  US$25b (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2022).

The 'return' refers to a company's earnings over the last year. So, this means that for every $1 of its shareholder's investments, the company generates a profit of $0.18.

Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?

So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. Depending on how much of these profits the company reinvests or "retains", and how effectively it does so, we are then able to assess a companys earnings growth potential. Generally speaking, other things being equal, firms with a high return on equity and profit retention, have a higher growth rate than firms that dont share these attributes.

A Side By Side comparison of Archer-Daniels-Midland's Earnings Growth And 18% ROE

At first glance, Archer-Daniels-Midland seems to have a decent ROE. On comparing with the average industry ROE of 12% the company's ROE looks pretty remarkable. Probably as a result of this, Archer-Daniels-Midland was able to see an impressive net income growth of 20% over the last five years. However, there could also be other causes behind this growth. For instance, the company has a low payout ratio or is being managed efficiently.

Story continues

We then compared Archer-Daniels-Midland's net income growth with the industry and we're pleased to see that the company's growth figure is higher when compared with the industry which has a growth rate of 6.9% in the same period.

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. Has the market priced in the future outlook for ADM? You can find out in our latest intrinsic value infographic research report.

Is Archer-Daniels-Midland Using Its Retained Earnings Effectively?

Archer-Daniels-Midland has a three-year median payout ratio of 35% (where it is retaining 65% of its income) which is not too low or not too high. By the looks of it, the dividend is well covered and Archer-Daniels-Midland is reinvesting its profits efficiently as evidenced by its exceptional growth which we discussed above.

Besides, Archer-Daniels-Midland has been paying dividends for at least ten years or more. This shows that the company is committed to sharing profits with its shareholders. Upon studying the latest analysts' consensus data, we found that the company is expected to keep paying out approximately 31% of its profits over the next three years. However, Archer-Daniels-Midland's future ROE is expected to decline to 10% despite there being not much change anticipated in the company's payout ratio.

Summary

In total, we are pretty happy with Archer-Daniels-Midland's performance. In particular, it's great to see that the company is investing heavily into its business and along with a high rate of return, that has resulted in a sizeable growth in its earnings. Having said that, on studying current analyst estimates, we were concerned to see that while the company has grown its earnings in the past, analysts expect its earnings to shrink in the future. Are these analysts expectations based on the broad expectations for the industry, or on the company's fundamentals? Click here to be taken to our analyst's forecasts page for the company.

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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[Source]

As the nation commemorates the second anniversary of the deadly Atlanta-area spa mass shootings, gunman Robert Aaron Long still faces the death penalty, a process that could drag on for years after repeated delays.

Long, 23, is already serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to the four murders that took place in Cherokee County on March 16, 2021. However, he pleaded not guilty to the other four killings in Fulton County later that year.

Fulton prosecutors have since pursued the death penalty, which could mark the first application of the law in the county. They are also seeking a hate crime enhancement as they believe race and gender played a role in the crime, considering all of Longs victims in Fulton County were Asian women.

The Fulton shooting victims were Soon Chung Park, 74; Suncha Kim, 69; Yong Ae Yue, 63; and Hyun Jung Grant, 51.

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The death penalty trial was expected to proceed in October 2022 but was pushed back at the request of prosecutors.

Attorneys for both sides agreed that they needed more time to prepare in light of a new Supreme Court decision and a new state law on expert testimony.

More from NextShark: Uber Driver Endures Vicious Coronavirus Jokes From Unruly Riders in San Diego

A status hearing earlier this year resulted in another delay, according to a new report.

As it turned out, Chief Judge Ural Glanville had scheduled motion hearings in May.

Certain days in May have been set aside for a motions hearing, a spokesperson with the Superior Court of Fulton County said, as per 11Alive. While the delay has been caused by many different factors, one of the most significant is the need for the parties to prepare and respond to the numerous motions that have been filed.

More from NextShark: 2 arrested in fatal shooting of security guard who protected news crew in Oakland

Longs legal team filed several motions last year to keep him off death row. In one of their arguments, they claimed that Long  who was 21 at the time of the shootings  was yet to have a fully-developed brain when he walked into the spas and shot his victims, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis has stated that Longs death penalty has the complete support of the victims' families.

The decisions that I made to seek death were with the complete support of the family, Willis told reporters in August 2021. I am very comfortable with my decision to request sentencing enhancement based on the fact that race and gender played a role.

More from NextShark: Real Estate Agent Targeted With Racist Graffiti in North Carolina

Lady Justice is finally blind ... every single person in this community has value and we will fight for them as hard as we would fight for any victim, she added.
China's defense ministry vows to leave no room for "Taiwan independence" separatist activities

Xinhua) 08:17, March 17, 2023

BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday said the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will resolutely safeguard the country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will leave no room for "Taiwan independence" separatist activities in any form.

Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China's defense ministry, made the remarks in response to a press inquiry on recent provocative acts by the United States, which have heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

The root cause of increasing tensions in the Strait is the Democratic Progressive Party authorities' provocative acts to collude with external forces in seeking "Taiwan independence," and their obstinate determination to stand on the opposite side of the Chinese nation's fundamental interests, Tan said.

It is justified for the PLA to carry out military operations in response to external interference and secessionist activities seeking "Taiwan independence," Tan added.

Taiwan is China's Taiwan, and the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair and the core of China's core interests, Tan said, stressing that the Taiwan question is the first red line that can not be crossed in China-U.S. relations.

China firmly opposes any form of official exchanges or military contact between the United States and Taiwan, and resolutely opposes the United States elevating its substantive relations with Taiwan in any form, Tan said.

"We urge the United States to give up its attempt to use Taiwan to contain China, and cease its 'salami tactics' and further action on the Taiwan question," Tan said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Erin Morrow Hawley, an attorney and wife of one of Missouris senators, is at the center of a federal lawsuit in Texas that could cancel approval of a common drug used to terminate pregnancies, threatening abortion access in Kansas and across the country.

Hawley is one of the key lawyers fighting to end the Food and Drug Administrations decades-old approval of mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in medication abortions, after the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned Roe v. Wade. Hawley, an appellate attorney who was also involved in that case, is married to Republican Sen. Josh Hawley.

Whether or not Hawley and the other attorneys on the Texas case are successful, they are pushing the legal envelope following the end of Roe. Hawley is helping to pioneer a new frontier of abortion litigation targeting existing  sometimes longstanding  laws and regulations that help uphold abortion access.

Hawley is senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, which pursues lawsuits on behalf of social conservative causes. ADF helped draft a challenged Mississippi anti-abortion law that led to the decision overturning Roe.

The Hawleys have together worked to limit abortion in ways that complement each other. Sen. Josh Hawley has previously sought to block judicial nominees he deems insufficiently anti-abortion. Thats helped shape the federal courts in ways that ultimately make it more receptive to lawsuits brought by Erin Hawley and other conservative attorneys.

The couple has at times cultivated a joint public image. The Hawleys in 2021 co-hosted a podcast, This Is Living, paid for by Sen. Hawleys campaign, that explored issues like parenting and marriage. The last regular episode was posted in December 2021, but bonus episodes about the overturning of Roe v. Wade were released last July.

While Erin Hawley has been involved in the Texas lawsuit since it was filed in November, she took a more public role this week in the litigation, participating in oral arguments Wednesday in federal court in Amarillo, Texas, over whether Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, should issue a preliminary injunction that could effectively end the use of mifepristone in abortion.

Story continues

The lawsuit has been brought on behalf of Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a group of doctors objecting to the FDAs approval of mifepristone. Hawley and other Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys are representing the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine.

On Wednesday, Hawley told the court that doctors in this group have been forced to treat patients who have had complications and in some instances have had to use surgical procedures to complete abortions against their deeply held beliefs, NPR reported.

Hawley also argued that agency gamesmanship by the FDA through changing guidance about the drug and changes to its dispensing requirements had given the court an opening to reconsider FDA approval, the Texas Tribune reported.

Alliance Defending Freedom didnt respond Thursday to a request to interview Hawley. Erik Christopher Baptist, who is the lead plaintiffs attorney in the lawsuit, didnt respond to a request for comment.

We have turned the page on Roe and started a new chapter in Americas journey to better protect women and their unborn children, Hawley said in written testimony to the U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee last July.

The judicially manufactured right to abortion  a gruesome symptom of our collective failure to take care of one another  has been interred, opening the door for a new birth of public and private efforts to celebrate and value mothers and the precious lives they carry.

During an appearance on the American Moment podcast last year, Erin Hawley described traveling to Mississippi with an ADF team in April 2021 to talk about strategy surrounding the Dobbs case, which eventually led to the end of Roe. She said she took her child, Abigail, with her on the trip.

There was also something really special, and kind of tangible, about the fact of having Abigail with me at the time we were considering this case that might have the potential of overruling Roe vs. Wade and allowing every state to protect Abby, she said.

In a statement Thursday, Sen. Josh Hawley said: Erin is a smart, fierce lawyer, and Im proud of her work.

While overturning Roe allowed states to ban abortion, the Texas lawsuit holds the potential to curtail abortion access even in states where it remains legal because medication abortion is one of the most common methods of ending a pregnancy. While Missouri immediately banned abortion, it remains legal in Kansas. Mifepristone was used in about 68% of Kansas abortions in 2021, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The Alliance Defending Freedoms effort to block mifepristone has the support of Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, as well as Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach.

The state attorneys general, both Republicans, have submitted briefs in support of the lawsuit. Kobach, Bailey and other Republican state attorneys general contend the FDAs approval had legal problems and that the agency over time has set aside safety standards.

But abortions rights advocates have voiced strong opposition.

Mifepristone is one on the safest and most studied drugs in the U.S., and no matter what Judge Kacsmaryk rules, until we receive an FDA directive, Mife remains legal & Trust Women will continue to provide medication abortions with mife + miso, Trust Women, which operates clinics in Kansas and Oklahoma, said on Twitter, referring to mifepristone and misoprostol, the other drug used in medication abortion.

The U.S. Department of Justice urged Kacsmaryk not to overturn the authorization for mifepristone, warning it could wreak havoc on reproductive health care across the country.

An injunction here would interfere with the interests of every state in the country, Julie Straus Harris of the U.S. Justice Department, which represented the FDA, said during the hearing, according to the Associated Press.

The immediate impact of a decision blocking mifepristone may be minimal in Missouri because the state already bans abortion. But it could make it more difficult for Missouri residents to obtain medication abortions in other states, such as Kansas and Illinois.

At times, Erin Hawley, who was previously a law professor at the University of Missouri, has attracted controversy beyond the inherently divisive nature of her legal work related to abortion.

A March 1 appearance by Hawley at Georgetown Law about where the pro-life legal movement can and should go in a post-Roe world drew condemnation from the law schools LGBTQ student group and others. The event was organized by the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organization.

ADF and Ms. Hawley provided the model legislation for the Dobbs case and boasts their involvement with a slew of other anti-choice cases at the state level, the groups said in a joint statement ahead of her appearance. The Washington Examiner reported the event wasnt disrupted.

Erin Hawley also filed a criminal complaint against an activist who led a protest outside the couples northern Virginia residence in January 2021 over Sen. Hawleys attempts to block certification of the 2020 presidential election. The couple has residences in both Missouri and Virginia.

The complaint was later dismissed after the activist reached an agreement in which he would have pleaded no contest if he violated the conditions that he have no contact with Erin Hawley and did not visit the familys home. Because he met those conditions, the case was dismissed.
(Bloomberg) -- Baidu Inc. surged more than 14% Friday after brokerages including Citigroup tested the companys just-unveiled ChatGPT-like service and granted it their preliminary approval.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Baidus leap reversed a 6.4% loss on Thursday after founder Robin Li debuted Chinas answer to ChatGPT via recorded video, disappointing investors hoping for a real-time demo of the countrys highest-profile entry in a race to dominate the technology.

Artificial intelligence is now a critical area of US-China competition, and Baidu is seen as the frontrunner in this field from Chinas tech sector. Its product, which the company calls Ernie Bot, is closely watched as a gauge of how Chinas offerings stack up against those from Alphabet Inc. and ChatGPT maker OpenAI Inc. The disappointment of the launch event was swept aside by the positive analyst reviews.

We tried testing ERNIE Bot for a few tasks like advice, analysis, paper writing, picture generation and we are satisfied with the results, said Bank of America analysts including Miranda Zhuang in a note. Their sample size was small and may not have been representative, they added, but the product is not static but continuous learning and improving.

In a meeting on the day of the launch, Citigroup also put Ernie through its paces and found that, while it wasnt perfect, it could answer the majority of complicated or absurd questions put forward, analysts including Alicia Yap wrote.

Baidus shares gained their most on an intraday basis in over a month, driving a rally of between 8% and 15% in AI-linked stocks including SenseTime Group Inc., chip designer Cambricon Technologies Corp. and Arcsoft Corp.

Story continues

Some of the questions in Baidus own debut videos appeared rudimentary and addressable by conventional search engines, such as: Which part of China does the Three Body Problem author come from? Many users took to Chinese social media to poke fun at the event, with one calling it a low-energy debut.

Read more: Baidu Surge as Analysts Positive After Bot Demo: Street Wrap

Thursdays launch was to have been a watershed moment for Chinas technology industry, lifting the lid on how AI has progressed in the worlds largest internet economy. The omission of a live demo raised questions over Ernies ability to match OpenAIs ChatGPT, which has both impressed and worried users since its November launch.

Chinese AI efforts lag their US rivals at the moment, though they should catch up over time thanks to vast data hoards and experience with rapid rollouts, according to industry pioneer and bestselling author Kai-Fu Lee.

Read more: China Can Quickly Catch Up to US AI, Says Venture Veteran

(Updates with analyst comment from fourth paragraph)

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SHANGHAI (Reuters) -Baidu and Pony.ai said on Friday they have won permits to provide fully driverless ride-hailing services in the Chinese capital of Beijing.

Baidu's Apollo service will deploy 10 fully autonomous vehicles in a technology park developed by the government of Beijing, the Chinese ride-hailing giant said in a statement.

The permit marks a step forward from December, when Baidu said it had been granted a license to test the service. Baidu will now operate driverless robotaxi services in three Chinese cities including Wuhan and Chongqing.

The vehicles will not have humans in the driving seat nor safety operators.

Beijing-headquartered Baidu, which generates most of its revenue from its internet search engine, has been focused on self-driving technologies over the past five years as it looks to diversify.

Pony.ai, backed by Toyota Motor said in a separate statement that it had also received such a permit from Beijing city. It already operates a robotaxi service in the southern city of Gaungzhou.

(Reporting by Eduardo Baptista and Brenda Goh; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Lincoln Feast.)
Editor's note: The Kyiv Independent is not revealing the soldiers' full names or the exact location of their deployment due to security concerns amid the ongoing war.

Donetsk Oblast  Just a few dozen kilometers from Bakhmut, Ukrainian infantry train to ready themselves for brutal days ahead.

Nearly 20 soldiers from a platoon with the 80th Air Assault Brigade gathered at an undisclosed location in the eastern Donetsk Oblast on their day off to fire some shots.

They had just returned from a two-day shift on the Bakhmut front, the epicenter of the war in Ukraine, where bloody trench warfare had raged for many months.

"We practice regularly to avoid losing our combat skills and continue improving them," 27-year-old platoon commander Vladyslav said as he observed his soldiers shooting at cardboard targets in late February. "And then starting tomorrow, we'll go back (to the front line) and perform combat tasks again."

The situation is not easy anywhere, but we are holding on, and we are ready for any scenario of this war, he added.





The lieutenant said that the focus of the training that day was tactical movement and shooting.

Vladyslav said five hours isn't enough time to learn a new skill, but it's nevertheless important for the soldiers to work as a team, even on their days off.

His platoon consists of soldiers with varying levels of experience and ages, Vladyslav said, so maintaining a cohesive team, where each person can rely on the other, is crucial.

"The first and the most important thing to gain from this training is cohesion," Vladyslav said.

Over the past weeks, Russia has intensified its offensive on Bakhmut and nearly encircled the apocalyptic-looking city where 70,000 residents once lived. The Russians are conducting "constant assaults" on the Ukrainian holdouts in the city from "all sides," according to Vladyslav.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Story continues

Note from the author:

Hi, this is Asami Terajima, the author of this article.

Thank you for reading my story till the end. I spent a month in Donetsk Oblast to get to know Ukrainian soldiers and illustrate the situation on the front line through their eyes. Most soldiers I met in eastern Ukraine had never served in the military before the full-scale invasion began in 2022, but they dropped everything at home to defend their country. They are eager to go back to their families once the war is over and do normal things like play with their children outside. To help the Kyiv Independent tell more stories of Ukrainian soldiers and continue reporting on the ground, please consider supporting us by becoming our patron.
Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, notes that the defence of Bakhmut on the Donetsk front is now of key importance, if the situation changes, the decision will be made by the Supreme Commander-in-Chiefs Staff.

Source: Danilov in an interview with Radio Svoboda

Quote: "The phrase hold Bakhmut has a purely military meaning. We held a meeting at the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff, and it was once again confirmed by Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhnyi, General Syrskyi, and all those present at the meeting that Bakhmut is very important to us and a key point.

We understand that this annoys some people, and some people think that we should give in. But this is our land, and we have no right not to defend it.

If our military makes certain decisions, they will be discussed at the Staffs meeting, and then we will take certain actions."

Details: Danilov recalled that every day, a huge number of terrorists who invaded Ukrainian territory remain near Bakhmut forever.

Quote: "The land around Bakhmut is littered with them. That is, wherever these terrorists are today, they remain there. This is a very important and key point for us.

At least until that period, before the start of other military operations, Bakhmut is a very important fortress for us. You are right that this is our fortress."

Previously: Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated that the defence of Bakhmut is key to the future counteroffensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on this front.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
HYANNIS  The steel structure taking shape on Bearse's Way adjacent to Balise Hyundai will soon be an Anchor Collision Repair shop.

Balise Cape Cod Properties LLC is expanding its Cape automotive empire with the construction project.

A building permit issued in September 2022 calls for a 1,400-square-foot building on the 1.6-acre lot. It is expected to be complete in mid-summer. According to an employee who didn't want to be named, the state-of-the-art body shop will have two drive-through booths, six bays and two frame machines that will enable mechanics to restore frames to the original manufacturer specifications.

Balise bought the site in 2018 for $1.2 million. The company razed the Van Lines building to make way for this new construction.

Anchor Collision Repair is under construction at this Bearse's Way location in Hyannis.

Balise properties in Hyannis are assessed at over $15 million.

In the block formed by Falmouth Road, Bearse's Way and Corporation Street, Balise owns six parcels and close to five acres. Balise Hyundai, at 322 Falmouth Road, Balise Flash Car Wash, a smaller parcel with an Anchor Collision Repair, and a drycleaner/laundry occupy the prime commercial real estate.

The assessed value of those properties combined is close to $9.8 million.

A Balise Ford dealership and Anchor Collision Repair on High School Road Extension encompasses another 2.65-acres. According to assessor records, the property is owned by Kurker, Wayne, Trustee, C/O Balise Ford, and is assessed at $5.6 million. The auto service and sales business takes up 52,000 square feet. Anchor Collision shares space with Ford mechanics in the service area.

The shop currently has 11 employees, all of whom will be moving to the new shop when it is complete.

The Balise Auto Group, headquartered in Springfield, employs more than 1,500 associates at facilities in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, according to the company's website. Anchor Collision has five shops, including two in western Massachusetts, two in Rhode Island and one on Cape Cod.

Story continues

Electric vehicles:Interest in electric vehicles high on Cape Cod, but there's no inventory

The body shop industry is worth $35 billion in the United States, and is expected to grow to $37 billion by 2025, according to Broadly, a digital marketing agency. The industry statistics include do-it-yourselfers to shops that offer repair work. As more technology is incorporated into vehicles, and the sales of electric vehicles increase, repair work by professional technicians is expected to increase. A variety of repair services, including painting, were included in the estimates.

Anchor Collision's Vice President Robert Stone wasn't immediately available for comment.

Contact Denise Coffey at dcoffey@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @DeniseCoffeyCCT.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Construction: Bearse's Way Anchor Collision Repair, near Balise Hyundai
Executives at First Republic Bank sold companys stock worth millions of dollars in the months before this weeks crash, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The banking executives sold $11.8 million worth of stock in the company over the last two months, with First Republic Executive Chairman James Herbert II selling $4.5 million worth of his shares since the start of 2023, per the Journal.

Combined, First Republics chief credit officer, president of private wealth management and chief executive sold $7 million worth of company stock.

First Republics insider sales appear to have gone largely unnoticed, as it is now the only S&P 500 company that reports such sales to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) instead of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Signature Bank, which collapsed on Sunday, was also exempted from filing with the SEC.

First Republic Banks stock plummeted more than 50 percent this week, as panic ensued over the widely-reported failures of other regional banks, including Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank.

Amid concerns of a potential run on First Republic, some of the largest U.S. banks  including Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley  agreed to help stabilize the banks balance sheets on Thursday with $30 billion in deposits.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Switzerland's central bank and Finma, the country's financial regulator, orchestrating talks between the two companies - DADO RUVIC

UBS is reportedly in talks to buy Credit Suisse as Swiss regulators bring the country's two biggest banks to the table in a bid to prevent a broader crisis.

Switzerland's central bank and Finma, the country's financial regulator, were said to be orchestrating talks between the two companies, which could see UBS snap up all or part of its beleaguered rival.

The potential takeover, which was first reported by the Financial Times, will see the boards of both companies meet separately over the weekend to weigh up a potential deal.

UBS is worth more than $56bn, while Credit Suisse closed on Friday with a value of $8bn after its share price tanked this week.

It came as European banks were racing to cut back ties to Credit Suisse on Friday night as executives at the troubled lender prepared for weekend crisis talks over its future.



At least four rivals were restricting or more closely scrutinising trades with the Swiss bank on Friday evening, including HSBC, Societe Generale and Deutsche Bank.



Credit Suisse, which insists it has strong, healthy finances, declined to comment on the reports.



Efforts to restore confidence fell flat on Friday, with the banks shares falling by as much as 12pc. The latest slump came just a day after the Swiss central bank said it would lend up to $54bn (44bn) to shore up Credit Suisse.

Global regulators met last night to discuss how to stabilise the bank and the wider financial system, the Financial Times reported.



Top executives at Credit Suisse were preparing for talks this weekend to discuss options, which could include a more radical restructuring and a more rapid wind-down of its investment banking arm.



A potential break-up is also being looked at, with one person involved in the talks telling the Financial Times: Were looking at everything possible that could be done. There is nothing that is taboo.



Some analysts have suggested only a takeover by arch-rival UBS would be enough to stabilise the situation.

Story continues

Major institutions were limiting or monitoring dealings with Credit Suisse on Friday.



Frances Societe Generale was maintaining existing trades with Credit Suisse but has decided not to increase them, while Deutsche Bank has slashed the value it places on Credit Suisse securities that are put up by clients as collateral for loans, sources told Reuters.



HSBC has also started scrutinising loans linked to Credit Suisse securities more closely, Reuters said. However, the bank is thought to be waiting until next week to make any decisions on lowering exposure.



Another global bank is seeking to reduce its exposure to Credit Suisse through unsecured debts, Reuters reported, while a fifth has asked Credit Suisse to gross settle, or provide upfront payments, in trades.



Societe Generale and Deutsche Bank declined to comment on the report. HSBC did not immediately respond.

Johann Scholtz, a banking analyst at Morningstar, said stubborn worries about Credit Suisse reflected ongoing doubts about the viability of the turnaround plan put forward by Ulrich Koerner, the banks chief executive, and chairman Axel Lehmann.



He added that investors were also fearful that markets could be headed for a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis, even though the banking sector is better-capitalised today thanks to various reforms.



Mr Scholtz said: With these kinds of events, it's driven a lot by sentiment and fundamentals go flying out of the window.



We do not think it should be 2008 all over again The risk of contagion should actually be contained. Hopefully, sanity will prevail at some stage.



He said the situation could improve if Credit Suisse bosses come out with a credible restructuring plan, adding: I think the expectation in the market is that there's going to be a lot of work done over the weekend.



Frederique Carrier, head of investment strategy at RBC Wealth Management, also warned that more action was needed.



When confidence is dented, it is difficult to restore, so we expect further measures to be announced, she told the The Telegraph.



Credit Suisse shares had initially been positive but plunged on Friday afternoon, despite the pledge of support from the Swiss central bank.

It came amid a wave of selling for US bank shares. Shares in California lender First Republic plunged another 30pc in New York despite a $30bn deposit infusion from a coalition of Wall Street banks on Thursday evening.

Earlier investor Bill Ackman had publicly said the rescue plan, which was spearheaded by JPMorgan and backed by the US Government, increased the risk of financial contagion.

Other regional banks also faced pressure, with PacWest down 20pc and Western Alliance falling 17pc.

Banking stocks have plunged following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) last week. Lenders in the US, Europe and Japan have now collectively lost $459bn in value so far this month.



Goldman Sachs trading desk lost $200m in the market chaos following SVBs collapse, the Financial Times reported.



Silicon Valley Banks former parent company filed for bankruptcy yesterday, a week after its banking unit was seized by regulators. SVB Financial Group listed assets and liabilities of as much as $10 billion each in a Chapter 11 petition filed in New York.



Meanwhile, in a further blow, Credit Suisse was hit with its first lawsuit from US investors over its recent difficulties, alleging that it overstated its financial prospects to shareholders.



Credit Suisse declined to comment on the suit.
Anatoliy

In response, Kupol has offered to resign.

In the interview, Kupol stated that the Ukrainian army lacks ammunition. He also complained about the poor quality that training of newly mobilized soldiers receive to replace more experienced troops.

"The most valuable thing in war is combat experience. A soldier who has survived six months of combat and a soldier who came from a firing range are two different soldiers. It's heaven and earth. And there are only a few soldiers with combat experience. Unfortunately, they are all already dead or wounded, The Washington Post quoted Kupol as saying.

A screenshot of the title and main photo of the article, because of which "Kupol" decided to suspend it Screenshot from washingtonpost.com

Read also: Soldier shot by Russians for uttering Glory to Ukraine was Moldovan citizen

Read also: Ukrainian soldier carries body of dead wife over two kilometers from battlefield

The Ukrainian military has suggested Kupols demotion is because he did not seek and was not granted permission by his commanding officer to speak to the media.

Kupol is not the first Ukrainian soldier to be disciplined for speaking to the media.

Sergeant with the Air Assault Forces Oleksandr Pohrebyskyi, who is also a member of Kyiv City Council, was demoted from the combat unit to company chief instructor at a training center of the AFU following an interview to Ukrainska Pravda on the situation in Soledar that was encircled and seized by Russian troops in January 2023.

Addressing Kupols demotion in a Facebook post, Pohrebyskyi wrote that his favorite commander was punished for the truth the same as he was. He also wrote that Kupol was an excellent commander, beloved by every soldier.

Anonymous German officials have estimated Ukrainian losses at 120,000 dead and wounded, the Washington Post article said.

The outlet emphasized that it is difficult to see the full picture of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' combat capabilities as Kyiv prepares its troops for the upcoming counteroffensive.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
[Source]

An academic who went viral after his kids crashed his live BBC News interview six years ago has shared new photos of his family.

Robert E. Kelly, a political science professor at South Koreas Pusan National University (PNU), was commenting on South Korean politics from his home for the virtual interview on March 10, 2017, when his children burst into his room.

Marion, who was then celebrating her fourth birthday, was the first to waltz into her fathers room. Her school had just thrown a party for her, which explains why she was in a hippity-hoppity mood, Kelly said.

Seconds later, then-8-months-old James barged in with his walker.

More from NextShark: Stray Puppy Plays With Teacher as Students Take Their Exam in China

At that point, the father-of-two said he knew it was over.

Kellys wife, Kim Jung-a, then entered the scene in a desperate attempt to retrieve their children and save the interview.

More from NextShark: Chinas most handsome man to sue online critics who say he's nothing more than an attractive face

But, as the story goes, it was too late, and the moment would soon be immortalized in a now-viral video with over 54 million views.

In an update tweet on Tuesday, Kelly shared new photos of his family, showing Marion and James all grown up.

Some BBC Dad content since the 6th anniversary of the original video was last Friday, Kelly wrote. Marion had a singing performance this past weekend, so we got some nice family pictures.

More from NextShark: Shes being very Asian: Viewer criticizes Korean American anchor for talking about dumpling soup on New Years Day

The doting father thanked those who have continued to support him.

Thanks again to all of you who follow me because of the video. My family and I [are] flattered by your kindness.

Some BBC Dad content since the 6th anniversary of the original video was last Friday. More from NextShark: 10-year-old boy filmed threatening to stab Shanghai health worker with knife during COVID test Marion had a singing performance this past weekend, so we got some nice family pictures. Thanks again to all of you who follow me bc of the video. My family and I flattered by your kindness. pic.twitter.com/1SWVtJME5e  Robert E Kelly (@Robert_E_Kelly) March 14, 2023

People responded with delight to what has become an internet core memory.

I do think its the best thing the internet has ever produced, wrote Brandon Stanton, creator of Humans of New York.

Story continues

Journalist Benjamin Ryan replied: I love your story because it gave everyone a chance to laugh at the craziness of family life.

Lovely pictures. Your video always brings joy, journalist Nitasha Natu commented.

Meanwhile, businessman and podcaster Joel J. Miller hailed Kelly as a trailblazer.

You have a beautiful family. And you prepared us all for the post-pandemic world of Zoom. Trailblazer.
(Reuters) - Bed Bath & Beyond said on Friday it was seeking shareholder approval for a reverse stock split, sending the struggling retailer's shares 13% lower in extended trading.

The company plans to hold a special meeting on March 27 to determine the split at a ratio in the range of 1-for-5 to 1-for-10, with the final ratio to be decided by the board.

The news comes less than two weeks after it was announced that the stock would be removed from the small-cap S&P 600 index, following a near 60% plunge this year as the retailer fights to stave off bankruptcy.

"The board believes that the reverse stock split will likely result in a higher per-share trading price, which is intended to generate greater investor interest in the company," Bed Bath & Beyond said in a regulatory filing.

CEO Sue Gove said the move would enable the company to continue rebuilding liquidity to execute its turnaround plans and better position it financially.

In February, the company said it was planning to raise some $1 billion through an offering of preferred stock and warrants. So far, it has raised $360 million out of the planned total.

Bed Bath & Beyond shot to popularity in the 1990s as a go-to shopping destination for couples making wedding registries and planning for new babies, but it has seen demand dwindle as its merchandising strategy to sell more store-branded products flopped.

(Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko visits fellow Russian ally Iran to discuss the countries bilateral relations and look into ways to potentially bypass growing international sanctions.

In Belarus, Lukashenko signed a law introducing the death penalty as punishment for civil servants and military personnel convicted of high treason.

Belarusian authorities conducted mass arrests nationwide in the aftermath of the Machulishchy military airfield explosion in late February.

Meanwhile, more politically-motivated trials begin in Belarus.

The head of Vitsebsk Oblasts Executive Committee signs an economic cooperation agreement with Russian proxies in occupied Crimea. Despite Minsk not officially recognizing Russias illegal annexation of Crimea,

Lukashenko has falsely claimed that the peninsula is Russian on numerous occasions.

Lithuanian intelligence: Belarus concealed defects in the nuclear plants reactors

On March 9, the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense released the eighth National Security Threat Assessment report stating that Belarus and Russian corporation Rosatom, responsible for constructing Belarus first nuclear power plant in Astraviets, concealed defects in the plants reactors.

According to Lithuanian intelligence, in May 2022, cracks in the plants first reactor were spotted. The information was concealed, while required maintenance wasnt performed.

The Belarusian Energy Ministry denied the allegations.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant in Astraviets has been an ambitious project aimed at producing electricity for Belarus and neighboring Baltic states.

Since April 2022, when the first power unit was connected to the grid, the plant has been turned off and on repair for 45% of the time.
Belgiums Ministry of Defence is planning to hand 240 military trucks over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Source: European Pravda, citing De Standaard, a Belgian news outlet

Details: The first batch of 240 Volvo Cargo, Volvo Shelter, Volvo Fassi and Volvo Manumat trucks will be sent to Ukraine as early as next week.

The Belgian army owns a total of 400 Volvo trucks, some of which are covered or have a crane, and some of which are tow trucks. While Belgium is expecting shipments of new vehicles throughout this year, the majority of the old ones will be sent to Ukraine instead of being gradually phased out and decommissioned.

"There is often a focus on arms supply, but Ukrainian units also eagerly anticipate the arrival of these trucks. Logistics is at least as important as weapons during conflict," the Belgian Defence Ministry said.

The trucks have been in service since the early 1990s. A few months ago, Belgium initiated extensive inspection and repairs. The Ministry of Defence is convinced that the 240 trucks that are now being sent to the Ukrainian army are in good condition. All the manuals and spare parts that were still in stock are also included in the shipment.

The Defence Ministry has denied the idea that the Belgian army was sending its "old junk" to Ukraine.

"Thorough consultations are taking place in the Ukraine Defence Contact Group. Nothing is supplied to Ukrainians that they have not requested and needed," the Defence Ministry said.

Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder said that Belgium assesses Ukraines every request in terms of the Defence Ministry and industry capabilities.

"During the meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group on Wednesday [15 March 2023 - ed.] I confirmed that our country is giving all the support it can and will continue to do so," she noted.

Dedonder added that 100 Belgian military instructors will join efforts to train Ukrainian soldiers.

Story continues

As for the military trucks, Volvos main advantage is the simplicity of its controls. The Ukrainians do not need additional training to be able to use and service the Belgian trucks.

Background: Since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine, the Belgian treasury has frozen 58 billion worth of Russian assets, the highest amount of any EU Member State.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Volvo military trucks

The Belgian army owns around 400 Volvo trucks, including lifting vehicles and breakdown trucks. Current plans see the country replacing them in 2023.

Read also: Belgium to send its largest arms package to Ukraine

Close consultations were held with Ukraine on whether the aid would meet Ukrainian defense needs to diffuse allegations that Belgium was simply offloading old junk.

Read also: Belgium freezes Russian assets worth EUR 58 billion

"There is close consultation on this with the Ukraine Defence Contact Group. Nothing is being delivered to the Ukrainians that they have not asked for and need themselves. The focus is often on arms deliveries, but the Ukrainian units are also really waiting for these trucks. During a conflict, logistics are at least as important as weapons, Belgian Minister of Defense Ludivine Dedonder said.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, hopes that China will not be an accomplice of Russia.

Source: Danilov in an interview with Radio Svoboda

Quote: "..of course, there is a great hope among Russians for great China, that China will help Russia.

We don't understand why China should help Russia or why this thing is needed. Because China is a great country, a country that has its own path of development. And whether there will be a combination of these things, you need to understand how the world should react to it.

And I emphasise once again that we believe that China is a sovereign country and it will not be an accomplice of Russia. Because these countries start participating in these things together with Russia, they are accomplices in the murder of civilians. Putin has killed 500 of our children since 24 February, during this hot phase of the war. Unfortunately, we have lost [children] thanks to this modern Hitler, a modern fascist who gave the order to kill our children."

Details: The National Security and Defence Council secretary warned that if someone wants to be an accomplice in this process, they should bear in mind that sooner or later they will have to bear responsibility for all this.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Despite Tacomas challenges, Mayor Victoria Woodards said she believes the city can navigate through them in her annual State of the City address Thursday night at Mount Tahoma High School.

Woodards, who became mayor in 2018, spoke to the theme, Building Tomorrow Together. In her address, she focused on safety, housing and homelessness, the citys response to climate change and the economy.

Woodards said she remains optimistic about Tacoma but knows the city faces challenges.

Were solution oriented, hard working people driven by a sincere desire to make Tacoma better, she said. Thats why I know despite what were facing now, our best days are ahead of us.

The mayor acknowledged that Tacoma residents dont feel safe in the city. Tacoma recorded its highest number of homicides on record in 2022. This is not the type of record that we want to set as the city, Woodards said. So far in 2023, the city has already logged six homicides.

Woodards said the level of violence is unacceptable and must stop. She said the city cannot give up.

She outlined some programs to address crime and safety that the city already has in place, like Vision Zero, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries, and Safe Routes to School. Tacoma Polices Violence Crime Reduction Plan will enter into phase two, dubbed problem oriented place based policing, in the coming weeks, she said. The phase involves blight abatement and disrupting crime networks.

Woodards spoke about several initiatives upcoming to address safety concerns holistically.

We need to add more police resources and we need to free up our officers to do what theyve been trained to do: protect and serve, Woodards said. We cant expect them to simultaneously be social workers, substance use disorder and mental health counselors and more.

She said she plans to work with the city council members to start a Community Services Officer Program, which would increase the level of response and bring support to non-emergency situations that are not an active threat to life or property. Woodards said she will be asking the council to commit $1 million for the program.

Story continues

Woodards also said the Tacoma Fire Department has hired two people to co-lead the Behavioral Health Crisis Response Team. They will start in April. The unit will respond to 911 calls involving people in mental health crises, instead of police who are not trained or equipped to respond.

Woodards announced the city will partner with Tacoma Cease Fire for a community trauma response team to enhance its response to traumatic events and better support those impacted by violence.

The mayor said the police department will increase its retention and recruitment efforts by introducing a $10,000 bonus. She said the department has 29 vacancies, coupled with 50 police officers who are eligible for retirement in the next three years.

The city will fund more than $2 million for youth violence prevention programs, she said.

Tacoma will also launch a community safety plan in the spring.

Woodards said safety is foundational for a thriving community, but if people who work in Tacoma cant afford to live in the city, then we lose the true meaning of community.

She said the city needs to have affordable housing for every person, at every income level.

Woodards said the city had 1,165 shelter beds at the end of 2022. Two shelters will be added in April, according to a presentation at Tuesdays city council study session.

The mayor said the city is making steady progress to address homelessness. In 2022, 3,000 people were placed into shelters in Tacoma, and 549 people moved into permanent housing.

Woodards said the city is facing high demand for housing because people want to live in Tacoma.

She said she wants to build a Tacoma where everyone can afford to have a roof over their heads and they have the opportunity and access to well-paying jobs.

Woodards said the city needs to look at its future livability and address climate change, despite other pressing issues like homelessness and lives lost to gun violence. She said the city is funding green jobs, air quality relief and vehicle electrification.

I can seem overwhelmingly optimistic when it comes to this city, Woodards said. I love it so much. But I see the real realities and the challenges that we face. I know we can successfully navigate through these challenges, because weve done it before. Were called the Grit City for a reason.

Woodards said she is paying attention to Tacomans.

I am right here with all of you living in this city, grappling with our shared reality, she said. I take my responsibility to drive real solutions very seriously.
The federal government is threatening a nationwide ban on TikTok if the company isn't separated from its Chinese owners. (Michael Dwyer / Associated Press)

Reports that the Biden administration is threatening to ban TikTok, the most downloaded and one of the most heavily used apps in the country, caused users to erupt in suspicion and indignation Thursday.

Some called it a violation of the 1st Amendment. Others claimed it was a ploy to help Instagram Reels, the short-video service from Facebook owner Meta. Some wondered why TikTok was being singled out as a threat, considering how many apps hoover up their users' personal data.

And some simply appealed to policymakers for compassion. "Please don't ban TikTok. My teenaged son and I have a blast there," a Twitter user named Aimee Vance tweeted, then added, "Together..."

Here's a quick rundown of what's happening and why, along with some of the pros and cons of the administration's stance.

What does the administration want?

President Biden is trying to do the same thing President Trump sought to do: Take TikTok out of the hands of a Chinese company subject to Chinese law. The app was created by ByteDance, an internet-focused company founded in China in 2012. Although ByteDance has attracted some global investors, it is still controlled by its Chinese founders.

The Trump administration went so far as to ban TikTok in the United States in 2020. That order was blocked by two federal courts, however, which held that the administration had overstepped its authority.

More recently, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, a group of federal agencies that examines the national security issues raised by such investments, has given ByteDance an ultimatum, according to the Wall Street Journal and several other outlets: Sell TikTok or face a ban in the United States. A TikTok spokesperson has said a sale wouldn't address national security concerns because it wouldn't put any new restrictions around access to the app's data.

TikTok's chief executive is scheduled to testify at a congressional hearing next week. The company has proposed storing U.S. users' data in this country, with technical and corporate protections designed to prevent the Chinese government from gaining access. But U.S. officials apparently are not convinced that this approach would effectively address their concerns.

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Congress, meanwhile, is considering a nationwide prohibition on apps subject to Chinese government control. And the federal government, like many national and local governments around the world, has banned TikTok on devices issued to its employees. Orange County joined their ranks Tuesday.

Could the government really ban TikTok?

Telecom industry experts say that it's technically possible, but there are issues.

The key players here are the two companies that make the dominant operating systems and app stores for mobile phones, Apple and Google. They could help the government enforce compliance by removing TikTok from their app stores, which would force anyone who wanted to install or update the software on their phones to "sideload" it from some other source.

That's not hard on an Android phone, but on an Apple iPhone, it's trickier  at least for now. Under pressure from the U.S. and European governments, Apple reportedly will allow sideloading in the new operating system it is expected to release this year.

Apple and Google could go further, though, using their control over the software on their devices to make their phones incompatible with TikTok. At the very least, they could force current TikTok users to stick with the current version of the software, whose performance would probably degrade over time.

There's a trade-off to this approach, however, said Emma Llanso, director of the Free Expression Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology. Without regular privacy and security updates, the app would become "a great target for people looking to exploit out-of-date software," she said, adding, "It creates this other kind of vulnerability that would be affecting millions of people, including a lot of young people."

If the government formally outlawed TikTok, network operators could conceivably block traffic between the company's servers and U.S. users. But the app's enormous user base may rush to find ways to circumvent any barriers, such as using virtual private networks to connect to TikTok through other countries, said Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Project at New America. "Savvy Chinese can do it, so [it] should be so much easier here," Calabrese said. "I wouldnt be surprised if this became a thing."

Why is TikTok a target?

The Biden administration and members of Congress from both parties have been raising concerns about TikTok for months. Although some lawmakers have complained about the network's content and its effect on young people, the main issue is the network's owners.

Sara Collins, senior policy counsel for the advocacy group Public Knowledge, said the potential for exploitation by China's authoritarian government is what makes the app's privacy threats unique. "If TikTok were magically owned by a U.S. company, we would be talking about it in the same breath as Google or Facebook," she said.

TikTok collects a lot of data about its users, including their location and contacts, Collins said. Other companies do too, largely because federal law doesn't protect that information. In fact, Collins said, "there is an entire industry of data brokers selling this data."

"It's hard to pick apart a TikTok problem when the U.S. has a privacy problem," she said.

Still, one fear is that the Chinese Communist Party or Chinese government officials will demand access to the data for purposes much less benign than personalizing your video feed. Under Chinese law, ByteDance has to turn over personal information relevant to national security whenever the government demands it.

It's not clear what sensitive data, if any, the government in Beijing has collected from TikTok. Part of the challenge in evaluating the Biden administration's stance, Llanso said, is that the intelligence community hasn't shared the information underlying its concerns about TikTok  and it probably never will.

In December, however, the public got a peek at TikTok's potential for mischief when the company admitted that some of its employees had used the app to track the location of journalists. TikTok said the employees were tracing news leaks within the company, but to some critics, the episode illustrated what the Chinese government could do through the platform.

Not only could China's government tap into the data TikTok already collects, critics say, it could force the app to collect additional information purely for the government's purposes. And beyond the surveillance threat, they say, China could manipulate TikTok's video feeds or the app itself to advance its propaganda.

At a congressional hearing last year, FBI Director Christopher Wray said TikTok raised a number of national security concerns. "They include the possibility that the Chinese government could use it to control data collection on millions of users or control the recommendation algorithm, which could be used for influence operations if they so chose, or to control software on millions of devices, which gives it an opportunity to potentially technically compromise personal devices," Wray said, according to National Public Radio.

Yet there again, neither China nor TikTok are unique, Llanso said. Anyone using social media networks should assume that multiple governments are trying to influence them, she said  not just authoritarian regimes, but Western democracies too.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
At the end of 2021, a group of elderly residents living near the centuries-old Nanchizi Street close to the Forbidden City in Beijing was invited to visit a stone-built complex near their homes.



The complex had long been shrouded in mystery, with numerous passersby stopping to peek through a crack in its front gate to glimpse the architectural splendors within.

For nearly 500 years, the Huangshicheng complex stood quietly to the east of the Forbidden City  China's imperial palace from 1420 to 1911, which is now also known as the Palace Museum. Huangshicheng translates as "the archives that hold royal history".

Wu Huanliang, a scholar at the First Historical Archives of China, which manages the complex, said, "When these seniors arrived in the courtyard at the complex, they were excited. They said they had lived alongside the complex for a long time, but had never been able to visit it. This is a good way to reconnect history with present-day life."

In 2021, the north courtyard at Huangshicheng  which stored archival material in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties  opened to the public after renovation work. The south courtyard, which is also being renovated, is expected to follow suit soon.

A grand chapter of history at risk of being overshadowed by the Forbidden City is now finally on view to visitors.

In 1534, Emperor Jiajing (1507-67) decided to build a stone complex to house imperial files, fearing they might be destroyed by fire in the wooden buildings of the Forbidden City.

It took two years to complete the complex, which initially comprised the main palace, east and west side halls, and a gate. A pavilion was added next to the main palace during the reign of Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820) to house a tablet bearing words written by him recounting refurbishment work carried out to the complex during his reign.

Wu said the complex also features nine glazed statues of mythical creatures on the rooftop of the main palace.

"The number of statues denotes the status of this building. Huangshicheng has nine statues, second only to those of Taihedian, or the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the biggest palace in the Forbidden City, where emperors held grand ceremonies," Wu added.

As a symbolic ancient complex situated alongside the central axis of Beijing, Huangshicheng enriches the historical and cultural connotations of the axis, and bears witness to the city's ancient history, Wu said.

The central axis, which boasts a history of more than 750 years, stretches for 7.8 kilometers from the Bell and Drum Tower in the north to Yongding Gate in the south. Many landmarks, including the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven, are located on or alongside the axis.

History of debate

As Emperor Jiajing spent much time and effort in building Huangshicheng, he probably wanted to produce far more than a safe stone house to store historical records.

Jiajing succeeded to the throne from his cousin, Emperor Zhengde (1491-1521), who died childless. According to ancient tradition, Jiajing had to be "adopted" posthumously by his late uncle to correctly extend the royal lineage.

However, he did not want such an "adoption", but expected to honor his biological father through rituals held exclusively for emperors. His wishes triggered lasting and widespread debate among officials over such rites.

Li Weiwen, an architectural archaeologist at the Palace Museum, considers Huangshicheng an example of how Jiajing made clear his views on rites by having the complex built.

" (Amid the controversy), Jiajing found it difficult to directly lend his father's name to sacrifices at imperial ancestral temples, so he switched to designing a new center for rites ceremonies," Li said.

Huangshicheng was also a crucial part of Jiajing's ambitious plan to introduce a new ceremonial system that did not rely solely on temples.

He finally won the debate, thus consolidating his rule. Jiajing largely altered the layout of the center of Beijing by remodeling the Forbidden City and many other examples of stately architecture in the capital.

Wu said, "After the imperial years ended, the role of Huangshicheng took in national politics, and royal rites no longer existed, but its cultural significance in prolonging the cultural lineage of Chinese civilization continues to highlight its exceptional status."

Rich legacies

In Huangshicheng's main palace, the most important archival material was placed in large golden cabinets known as jingui, with each one weighing 166 kilograms. The interiors of the cabinets were made from nanmu, a precious mothproof wood, and the exteriors  which featured engraved patterns of dragons and clouds  from a mixture of gold and copper.

A total of 152 jingui still exist, of which 19 were made during the Ming Dynasty and the remainder in the Qing Dynasty. Some of them are on display, with about 30 retained in the main palace, and the rest stored at the First Historical Archives of China for better protection, Wu said.

"The cabinets were made in different times. Although they follow the same format, there are differences in the detailed craftsmanship. Some have more exquisite patterns, while others were made in a relatively perfunctory way," he said.

Wu described how Huangshicheng functioned in the past. When an emperor died, his successor started to organize government officials to compile shilu ("veritable records"), chronicles of major events during the reign of the late emperor, and also to gather his important sayings to form another collection called shengxun ("the imperial sermon").

After a ceremony in the Forbidden City, shilu and shengxun were sent to Huangshicheng, where they were placed in the cabinets. Copies of them were sent to the Imperial Palace in Shengjing (present-day Shenyang, Liaoning province). The imperial palace of the early Qing emperors was regarded as their home.

Drawings of how the golden cabinets were arranged remain to this day.

After Huangshicheng was built, Emperor Jiajing ordered 109 people to make a copy of Yongle Dadian, the world's largest general encyclopedia made from paper in ancient times, which was commissioned by Emperor Yongle (1360-1424) in 1403.

It took five years to complete this work. The duplicate was stored at Huangshicheng for more than 160 years, before being moved to Hanlinyuan, the imperial academy during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng (1722-35). The original collection has been lost, and the volumes that remain are part of the duplicated versions.

According to records from the time of Emperor Qianlong (1711-99), 19 people worked at Huangshicheng. They guarded the site and placed the documents in the sun in spring and autumn to better preserve them.

Unlike modern archives, where records can be accessed by the public, those stored at Huangshicheng were seldom borrowed unless permission was granted by the emperor. They remained in the cabinets most of the time.

Wu said, "At a time when there were no modern facilities such as air-conditioners, the construction of Huangshicheng shows that the best possible measures were taken to protect the archives from fire and damp, and keep the temperature at which they were stored constant."

The main palace is constructed on a platform 1.4 meters above the ground, with the cabinets placed on another platform the same height above the platform, making it difficult for rainwater to reach them.

The main palace was also built with extremely thick walls.

"The south wall is more than 6 meters wide, the north wall exceeds 5 meters, and the east and west walls are both 3.7 meters wide. The walls ensure the palace remains warm in winter and cool in summer," Wu said.

Restoration work

Despite the apparently solid structure of Huangshicheng, time has taken its toll on the buildings.

In its long history, the courtyard has been renovated many times. Such work has been carried out five times since 1949, with the most recent renovation starting in 2020.

Ma Xiangyu, who was engaged for the fifth renovation of Huangshicheng, which focused mainly on the west side hall and the base and walls of the north courtyard, said, "We were required not to change the original face of this cultural heritage, and to minimize interference with the buildings."

In 2019, the first time he visited the complex, Ma saw that each building needed repairs.

"The original base was paved with large bricks, but some of them had become fragmented, as had the glazed tiles. Some bricks in the walls had weathered away, and the tops of the walls were overgrown with weeds," he said.

Drainage posed the biggest problem. With Huangshicheng situated about 50 centimeters below the street running beside it, water often flowed into the complex on rainy days.

Ma said that without an advanced drainage system, the accumulated water sometimes reached up to his shin.

The renovation work, which took place in a central area home to numerous institutions and residents, required much negotiation, and the overall plan was revised three times after problems were found during this process.

The task was not easy for Ma, who was working on reconstructing ancient buildings for the first time.

"Our aim was to repair the old sections and prevent them becoming increasingly eroded. We learned how to do this from ancient construction methods documented in books, or passed down by word of mouth," he said.

Ma was impressed by the sophisticated ancient construction techniques. He said the foundations of the Huangshicheng gate are extremely solid, as elaborate efforts were made to lay them several hundred years ago.

"Although people in ancient times didn't have the technology that we have, they made achievements comparable with those of today. This shows the wisdom of the Chinese in such times," Ma said.

The drainage problem was solved by improving the system. "Since the renovation work was completed, Huangshicheng is no longer flooded on rainy days," he added.

Security and fire protection facilities at the site have also been upgraded.

"We built a security protection and control system by using new technology that meets present-day requirements and plays an important role in safeguarding such an ancient complex," Ma said.

During the renovation work, a door was discovered in the south courtyard at Huangshicheng.

During the reign of Emperor Qianlong, a drawing of Huangshicheng showed a door in the south wall, but buildings had subsequently hidden the door. The newly discovered door, which has also been renovated, matches that depicted in the drawing.

Documents revitalized

Huangshicheng is not the only place to store records from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Documents were also housed in the imperial cabinet repository and other buildings in the Forbidden City.

Chinese dynasties have a tradition of respecting and guarding archives.

Wu said: "The Taoist philosopher Laozi was responsible for keeping imperial files for the royal family in the Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-256 BC), after which professional agencies managed the archives. Huangshicheng is the oldest and most complete structure of its kind that still stands today in China."

The idea of storing historical records inside golden cabinets in stone-built structures can be traced to Shiji, or Records of the Grand Historian, the foundation text of Chinese history dating to the 1st century BC.

"The aim was to protect paper-based literature from fire, water and changing temperatures," Wu said.

The First Historical Archives of China are now home to more than 10 million Ming and Qing historical records. Most of them are from the latter dynasty, and they provide a vivid portrait of that era, down to details such as Emperor Qianlong's food and clothing on a specific day, Wu said.

On Feb 15, a display of Ming and Qing historical records  part of exhibitions of "four great discoveries" of the early 20th century from ancient literary artifacts  opened at the National Museum of Classic Books in Beijing, showcasing 123 archival items and related cultural relics.

Some of the archives were stored at Huangshicheng, including Emperor Qianlong's shengxun and shilu, along with a golden cabinet used originally to store records from the days of Emperor Yongzheng. These items are exhibited with other records such as government decrees, ancient maps and documents about imperial life.

Gu Heng, director of the National Library of China's exhibition department and executive curator of the exhibition, said: "These exhibits were imperial secret records, and they have been preserved well. They systematically record the political, economic and technological development of that era and illustrate many facets of that society, just like an encyclopedia."

Rao Quan, vice-minister of culture and tourism, said at the exhibition's opening ceremony: "During the uninterrupted history of our civilization, Chinese people have created an ocean of literature and archives. They have become carriers of our culture, and play an irreplaceable role in helping us study history, inherit civilization and spread the spirit of our country."
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden on Friday asked Congress to expand the government's ability to hold executives accountable for bank collapses, saying he doesn't have the authority he needs to respond to the recent failures at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

"The law limits the administrations authority to hold executives responsible," Biden said in a statement. "Congress must act to impose tougher penalties for senior bank executives whose mismanagement contributed to their institutions failing."

Biden said it should be easier to:

Claw back compensation from executives, including gains from stock sales;

Impose civil penalties;

Ban executives from working in the banking industry again when their banks enter receivership.

President Joe Biden speaks about the U.S. banking system on March 13, 2023 in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

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What is Biden reacting to?

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, took control last week of SVB's assets after the bank ran out of cash. Federal regulators also assessed that Signature Bank of New York presents a systemic risk and took it over. Biden said Monday that managers of the banks would be fired, and investors would not be protected.

Is it a bank bailout?: On SVB, White House fights comparisons to 2008 as Biden confronts bank crisis

What authority does the federal government have now?

Several federal entities  the FDIC, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice  have the authority to investigate what led to the bank failures.

The Justice Department and the SEC launched preliminary investigations this week after the FDIC took control of SVB and Signature Bank.

SVB fallout: Yellen tells Congress that banking system 'remains sound,' savings 'remain safe'

What additional authority is Biden asking for?

The FDIC has limited ability to claw back any compensation or gains from stock sales that senior executives may have received shortly before their banks entered receivership, according to the White House. Biden wants that clawback authority to cover more than the largest financial institutions so it would also apply to banks the size of SVB and Signature Bank.

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Biden also wants to lower the legal standard for barring executives from continuing to work in the banking industry after their banks enter receivership. Under existing law, the standard is willful or continuing disregard for the safety and soundness of a bank.

And Biden wants Congress to expand the FDICs authority to impose monetary penalties on negligent executives. Currently, executives can be fined for recklessly engaging in a pattern of unsafe or unsound practices, regardless of whether their bank enters receivership.

More: Silicon Valley Bank collapse explained in graphics

When Silicon Valley and Signature Banks collapsed, we took steps to stabilize the banking system at no cost to the taxpayer, protecting jobs and small businesses.



Now, Congress must do more to hold senior bank executives accountable. pic.twitter.com/BupUZbQ5ul  President Biden (@POTUS) March 17, 2023

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden calls on Congress to impose tougher penalties for bank failures
President Biden is calling on Congress to give regulators the authority to claw back executive compensation in the wake of a string of bank failures.

"When banks fail due to mismanagement and excessive risk taking, it should be easier for regulators to claw back compensation from executives, to impose civil penalties, and to ban executives from working in the banking industry again," Biden said in a statement.

"Congress must act to impose tougher penalties for senior bank executives whose mismanagement contributed to their institutions failing."

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the banking crisis after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank, in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

Biden's comments come after the president said Monday "no one is above the law" and those responsible for the failures should be held accountable.

Senate Banking Committee Chair Sherrod Brown (D-OH) is also calling for stronger rules to rein in risky behavior of banks, and said he and the committee will look at ways to hold executives accountable.

"We need stronger rules to rein in risky behavior and catch incompetence," Brown said. "Our job on our committee is oversight, and we will be looking at all the ways we can protect working families' money from risky bets that didnt pay off in Silicon Valley or on Wall Street."

Waters calls on regulators to finish 'long overdue' process

House Financial Services Committee ranking member Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) also sent a letter Friday to Fed Chair Jay Powell, FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg, and SEC Chair Gensler urging them use the full extent of their authority to hold Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank executives accountable.

Waters also urged regulators to explore their ability to claw back compensation.

"I ask that any punitive action consider profits or gains these executives may have made by selling their stock in the days and weeks leading up to the bank's failures, whether the sale was due to 10b5-1 plans, direct sales, or through broker discretionary accounts, through derivatives or hedging activities," the letter reads.

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Waters also said she is working to develop and enact legislation to advance President Biden's direction to Congress.

"Your agencies must finish that long overdue rule-making this year and ensure it also includes a robust clawback requirement and consider taking further measures so that executives are not rewarded with big bonuses if their bank is mismanaged or fails," the letter reads.

Along with Waters, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) also called for clawbacks of executive compensation earlier this week. Both have blamed a Trump-era rollback of capital requirements for small and mid-sized banks for the bank failures. Warren, along with Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), has introduced legislation to repeal those changes.

The actions come as reports surface Silicon Valley Bank's CEO cashed out of stock and stock options just weeks before the bank's failure.

Officials are trying to contain problems from the failure of Silicon Valley bank and Signature Bank from rippling through the banking system and infecting other banks.

Late last Sunday night, the Treasury Department, along with the FDIC and Federal Reserve, announced it would backstop all deposits at Silicon Valley Bank, as well as seize Signature Bank, as cracks in the financial system rocked markets.

Treasury Secretary Yellen said during testimony before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday policymakers need to examine the liquidity requirements needed for a bank with such a heavy reliance on uninsured, runnable deposits.

Click here for the latest economic news and economic indicators to help you in your investing decisions

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
WASHINGTON (AP)  Sporting a green tie and shamrocks for St. Patricks Day, President Joe Biden on Friday voiced his support for a recent economic accord affecting Ireland as he hosted the republic's prime minister, a longstanding meetup scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic the past two years.

While the annual Washington tradition is about celebrating the historic bonds of Ireland and the United States, Biden also took time to reflect on the approaching 25th anniversary of the U.S.-brokered Good Friday accord  the agreement that helped end sectarian violence that had raged for decades over the question of Northern Ireland unifying with Ireland or remaining part of the United Kingdom.

The president also underscored a more recent agreement, known as the Windsor Framework, that aims to ease tensions over Northern Ireland's trading status in the aftermath of the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union and to maintain the quarter century-old peace accord.

Its a vital, vital step and thats going to help ensure all the people in Northern Ireland have an opportunity to realize their full potential, Biden said of the framework during remarks at a Capitol Hill luncheon to mark the holiday.

Earlier at the White House, he was presented with a bowl of shamrocks from Leo Varadkar, known as the taoiseach, a tradition that began in 1952.

The shamrocks made it to the White House last year even though then-prime minister Micheal Martin didnt. He came down with COVID-19 and had to join the meeting virtually while isolated in nearby Blair House, where world leaders often stay. Biden and Martin's first annual meeting was virtual, too, because of the pandemic.

Biden, who often speaks of his Irish heritage and is fond of quoting Irish poets, declared March Irish-American heritage month. The White House even dyed the water of the South Lawn fountain green for the occasion.

Biden has said he plans to soon visit both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is a part of the United Kingdom, to mark the 25th anniversary of the big peace accord. In addition to his praise in that area, Vradeker saluted Biden and the U.S. for helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia.

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We really want to profoundly thank you and America for your leadership in relation to Ukraine," Varadker said. Were going to roll out the red carpet for Biden's visit in Ireland, he said.

The Good Friday agreement came under increasing stress following the U.K.s exit from the European Union, but the recent accord between the U.K. and the EU addresses some of the issues that arose around commerce and goods that cross the Irish Sea from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

The White House said the Windsor Framework is an important step in maintaining the peace accord and Biden on Friday spoke of support for the framework, though Northern Ireland's political leaders have called for changes.

Biden, at an early evening White House reception for Varadkar, noted last months attempted murder in Northern Ireland of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell, a well-known officer who has led investigations into murders, organized crime and dissident paramilitary groups.

The 1998 Good Friday peace accord largely ended the conflict, known as the Troubles, but small IRA splinter groups continue to mount sporadic attacks on security forces.

The leaders of Ireland's five biggest political parties, including Irish nationalists Sinn Fein  which was allied with the IRA during Northern Irelands decades of Catholic-Protestant violence  and the Democratic Unionist Party, issued a rare joint statement to condemn the attack on Caldwell.

Biden said it was important for the parties to stand shoulder to shoulder following the attack. Well have to continue to work to protect peace and stability, he said.

Varadkar took over in December for a second term as part of a job-sharing deal made by the countrys centrist coalition government. The two leaders discussed the continued support of Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion.

Varadkar and his partner, Matthew Barrett, attended a breakfast with Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff at the Vice Presidents home, and Varadkar told the crowd there that Ireland is grateful for the close and deep bond with these United States.

He said the U.S. has played a central role in promoting peace in Ireland at critical points when few others had the influence to do so. And Varadkar said the U.S. has been strong on LGBTQ rights.

From Stonewall to Sacramento to San Francisco. America has led the way when it comes to LGBT equality, he said. I dont think I would be here today were it not for what America did.

Varadkar met with the president in the Oval Office before heading to the Capitol for a lunch with congressional leaders.

Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy noted that the annual lunch at the Capitol has brought together Republicans and Democrats dating back to President Ronald Reagan and Democratic House Speaker Tip O'Neill to "set aside the issues of the day to gather to toast Ireland.

McCarthy, who like Biden has Irish ancestry, joked that a clash is brewing between the president and himself.

I think you might be able to settle this for us: Which one of us is more Irish ?

I think we have a chance to make hope and history rhyme with all our differences, Biden said. I agree with the speaker. Theres no reason why we cant find common ground. Theres no reason why we cant hope to change this direction.

Varadkar, who as a college student spent a summer working on Capitol Hill, quipped that "its a pleasure to be sat next to the speaker and the president, not to keep the peace but rather to thank them for doing so much to protect peace and prosperity on the island of Ireland.

___

Associated Press writers Hannah Fingerhut and Aamer Madhani contributed to this report.
President Biden on Friday traveled to Capitol Hill for a St. Patricks Day luncheon, where he and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) expressed optimism their shared Irish heritage could provide a foundation for a productive working relationship.

In prepared remarks, both men spoke of their desire to work together and invoked the relationship between former President Reagan and former Speaker Tip ONeill (D-Mass.), who helped start the tradition of the St. Patricks Day luncheon.

McCarthy noted the parallels between those two leaders and him and Biden. One was a conservative from the West Coast and the other a Democrat from the East Coast.

President Biden, from one Irish American to another, I want to strive every day to live up to the example of President Reagan and Tip ONeill, McCarthy said. Our positions may be reversed, but our goals can be the same: that we put this country first.

McCarthy quipped that a clash is brewing between him and Biden with national implications before asking the visiting Irish prime minister, Which one of us is more Irish?

McCarthy and Biden were seated at the same table at the luncheon, which was attended by roughly 50 lawmakers and guests, including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). McCarthy began his remarks by expressing his special thanks to Pelosi for taking part in the luncheon, a notable comment considering the notoriously bitter relationship between the two Californians.

Biden, who talks often about his Irish roots, suggested his shared heritage with McCarthy could be a way for the two leaders to come together to find common ground at a time of heightened polarization.

I think those of us who have been coming to this dinner a long time have never been in a case where, from the perspective of the public, the parties and the politics have been so divided as it is now, Biden said. But I agree with the Speaker. Theres no reason we cant find common ground. Theres no reason why we cant hope to change this direction of extremism both our parties are pushing. I think its important.

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Also in attendance was U.S. Special Envoy for Northern Ireland Joe Kennedy III, the political scion who previously served as a Democratic member of the House. McCarthy said he and Kennedy became friends simply because of our heritage, and told the story of a present he gave Kennedys daughter when she was born.

We celebrated together when he had his first child, Ellie, and I wanted Ellie to have the experience that I had as an Irish American, McCarthy said. And so I sent Ellie a gift: I sent Ellie a rocking elephant.

One night late on the floor, Lauren, his wife FaceTimes him. Were not supposed to answer the phone, but hes a good father, he does. And Im sitting next to him, and theyre sitting in Ellies room and Ellie is rocking on this elephant, McCarthy recalled. And I proudly look at Joe and I said, Shes gonna have the same experience that I did: Shes born into an Irish Democrat family, and shes gonna become a Republican.

While the atmosphere Friday was jovial, it marked a rare face-to-face meeting for Biden and McCarthy. The two men met at the White House in February to discuss the debt ceiling and briefly interacted at the State of the Union, but otherwise have had limited direct communication.

The White House last week released a budget proposal calling for tax increases on the rich to fund Medicare and other government programs. McCarthy called the proposal, which is dead on arrival in Congress, unserious.

Biden later said he was ready to meet with McCarthy again to discuss raising the debt ceiling as soon as House Republicans released a budget proposal. The conference was initially expected to release its proposal by the middle of April, but that timeline has been delayed.

The topic, however, is expected to be a major point of discussion when GOP lawmakers meet for their retreat next week.

Russias war in Ukraine was also discussed at Fridays luncheon. Varadkar  who worked in a House office during a Washington summer program in 2000  underscored Irelands support for Kyiv and thanked the U.S. for leading the free world amid the conflict.

The battle between Ukraine and Russia has become a contentious topic within the GOP, with top figures differing on whether or not supporting Kyiv should be a priority for the party. McCarthy has expressed support for Ukraine but not a blank check for the country. And earlier this week, former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) both said that supporting Ukraine amid the conflict is not a vital national interest.

Mr. Speaker, today we must also remember how Russia is attempting to deny the people of Ukraine any kind of future through its brutal invasion, Varadkar said. While Ireland is a militarily neutral country, were not politically neutral in the face of violations of international law and human rights.

Biden has vowed to support Ukraine as long as it takes, and he thanked Varadkar for standing with Ukraine during a meeting in the Oval Office earlier Friday.

Varadkar echoed that sentiment during remarks at the St. Patricks Day luncheon on Capitol Hill.

We stand with Ukraine because silence means surrender, Varadkar said. And well not stay silent when liberty, freedom and fundamental human rights are being attacked. So we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Updated at 5:23 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Jeff Mason and Pete Schroeder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday called on Congress to give regulators greater power over the banking sector, including leveraging higher fines for managers, clawing back executives' compensation and barring officials from failed banks, according to a statement released by the White House.

"No one is above the law," Biden said in the statement, "and strengthening accountability is an important deterrent to prevent mismanagement in the future."

The current law "limits the administrations authority to hold executives responsible," he said.

Specifically, Biden is asking Congress to give the Federal Depository Insurance Corp greater authority to claw back compensation, "including gains from stock sales  from executives at failed banks like Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank," the White House said in a second statement.

Silicon Valley Bank CEO Greg Becker sold $3.6 million worth of shares in late February, about two weeks before the bank entered FDIC receivership, Bloomberg and CNBC reported.

"The President urges Congress to expand the FDICs authorities to expressly cover cases like this" the White House statement said, citing Becker's stock sales.

The president is also asking Congress to give the FDIC more authority to ban bank executives from the industry when their banks go into receivership, and to fine bank managers whose banks fail.

Currently, the FDIC is limited to clawing back executive pay only if one of the nation's largest institutions were to fail, and can only bar executives from the industry if they were found to be engaging in "willful and continuing disregard" in running a bank safely.

Separately, the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial reform law also directed regulators to draft new rules aimed at ensuring banker pay packages do not encourage them to take on unnecessary risk. But that multiagency effort has been stalled for years.

Story continues

Democrats who have been calling for tougher banking regulation were quick to hail Biden's statement, but it is unclear whether it has bipartisan support in Congress.

"We need to claw back every penny of their unjust pay and bonuses, impose real penalties, and ensure these executives never work in the banking industry again," Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Costas Pitas; writing by Susan Heavey and Heather Timmons; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Chris Reese)
Greg Becker, former chief executive officer of Silicon Valley Bank - Lauren Justice/Bloomberg

Joe Biden has called for negligent executives at failed American banks to face fines, industry bans and pay clawbacks.

On Friday, the US President urged lawmakers to pass legislation that would allow regulators to target bosses if their actions contributed to the collapse of lenders.

His comments follow the implosions of tech-focused lenders Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank this week, which in turn triggered further fears for regional banks such as First Republic.

Mr Biden claimed the White House and the Federal Reserve had taken decisive action to stabilise the banking system in the wake of SVBs collapse, even as First Republic faced large numbers of withdrawals and its shares plummeted.

This was despite major banks, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Trust, uniting on Thursday to provide an emergency $30bn (24.6bn) funding package.

In a statement, Mr Biden demanded accountability for those responsible for this mess, adding: No one is above the law.

When banks fail due to mismanagement and excessive risk taking, it should be easier for regulators to claw back compensation from executives, to impose civil penalties, and to ban executives from working in the banking industry again, the US President said.

Congress must act to impose tougher penalties for senior bank executives whose mismanagement contributed to their institutions failing.

U.S. President Biden - REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

In a briefing note released with Mr Bidens statement, the White House said the executives who ran SVB and Signature Bank had been removed since the lenders were placed under the control of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

But it said FDIC could only claw back the compensation of executives at the largest banks in the nation, with other penalties on bosses requiring proof of recklessness or acting with wilful or continuing disregard for their bank's health.

Mr Biden wants Congress to pass laws that would let the regulator also impose penalties for negligent executives  a lower legal threshold.

Story continues

The White House pointed to reports that Gregory Becker, chief executive of SVB, sold $3m worth of shares in the bank in the days before its collapse.

The shuttering of SVB last Friday and of New Yorks Signature Bank two days later has revived bad memories of the financial crisis that plunged the US into the Great Recession about 15 years ago.

Yesterday, SVBs parent company filed for bankruptcy protection in New York.
A bill that would outlaw vehicle booting in Georgia cleared a big hurdle at the state capitol this week.

The legislation introduced by Democrat State Senator Josh McLaurin and Republican Senator John Albers would ban booting by both private companies and government agencies.

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I came to the conclusion I think its time to just shut the entire industry down, McLaurin told Channel 2 Consumer Investigator Justin Gray.

The senate bill banning booting has been attached to a bill thats already passed the house.

It was passed out of committee in the Senate this week.

TRENDING STORIES:

But it is opposed not just booting companies but also some property owners concerned with how they would enforce parking in their lots or garages, without booting.

What youve got is an inherently predatory industry that relies on the overuse and abuse of these boots to stay afloat, McLaurin said.

Jackie Moore got booted outside of popular midtown Atlanta restaurants on Juniper Street.

He refused to take the boot off my car until I paid 75 bucks, Moore said.

She thought she had paid for parking at the pay station. But it turns out that was for the neighboring lot.

Moore thinks the confusion was intentional

He sits right here, and he waits, and they look for who pays here, and they boot them, she said.

Matt Wetherington is an Atlanta attorney who estimates hes handled tens of thousands of booting cases.

This is a process where the booting company acts as judge jury and executioner for their own perceived crimes and theres no recourse available to them, Wetherington said.

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He says its time for the industry to go.

Story continues

Im trying to work myself out of a job, Wetherington said.

The bill is now in the hands of the Senate Rules Committee that will decide if and when it gets a vote before the full Senate.

I dont have any illusion that its going to be easy to get a senate floor vote, McLaurin said. I bet you if we put this bill on the Senate floor for a vote, I bet it would pass.




















Billionaire investor Bill Ackman calls for a temporary systemwide bank deposit guarantee immediately. REUTERS/Mike Blake

Bill Ackman said a plan to deposit $30 billion into First Republic Bank creates a "false sense of confidence."

He said the banking crisis is beyond what the private sector can solve on its own.

He is calling for a temporary systemwide deposit guarantee immediately.

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman has criticized a plan by 11 US banks to deposit $30 billion into First Republic Bank, or FRB, saying it creates a "false sense of confidence" in the San Francisco lender.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, a former Fed chair, has apparently pushed the big Wall Street banks to "recycle" some of the deposits they have received from First Republic, by putting the billions back into the lender, Ackman said in a long tweet on Thursday.

"The result is that FRB default risk is now being spread to our largest banks," the founder and CEO of hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management added.

"Spreading the risk of financial contagion to achieve a false sense of confidence in FRB is bad policy," he said.

He is instead calling for a temporary systemwide deposit guarantee immediately. The US has guaranteed access deposits at the collapsed Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, New York, but the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation only insures up to $250,000 per account owner, per ownership category.

"We are beyond the point where the private sector can solve the problem and are in the hands of our government and regulators," he said.

Ackman said he has no investments in the banking sector but was just "extremely concerned about financial contagion risk spiraling out of control and causing severe economic damage and hardship."

"I have said before that hours matter. We have allowed days to go by. Half measures don't work when there is a crisis of confidence," tweeted Ackman.

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, New York has rattled the banking sector, sparking fears of a contagion that could lead to the next global financial crisis.

Story continues

Both banks were shut after a run on deposits, which drove fears that the panic could also cause a run on other regional banks. Consumers are now moving their deposits from smaller to larger banks, such as Bank of America, Citigroup, and JPMorgan Chase, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

First Republic has been assuring customers of its liquidity since the implosion of Silicon Valley Bank  which in turn triggered concerns about the financial health of regional banks. On Sunday, First Republic said it was getting $70 billion of additional funding from the Federal Reserve and JPMorgan Chase after its share price slumped sharply.

But ratings agencies S&P Global and Fitch still cut the lender's credit rating on Wednesday due to concerns that depositors could pull their funds.

First Republic Bank's shares closed 10% higher at $34.27 apiece on Thursday and were 6% lower in pre-market trade at 5.41 a.m. on Friday. The stock is down 72% so far this year.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The long-stalled African American monument on the State Capitol grounds would get $3 million to fund it if lawmakers include North Carolina Gov. Roy Coopers proposal in the final budget. And a top Republican has indicated his support.

The African American monument project has been waiting for several years and would be built on the southeast corner of the Capitol grounds. There is no monument at the historic Capitol in the center of downtown Raleigh that recognizes the contributions of African American people in North Carolina.

Senate leader Phil Berger, an Eden Republican, told reporters on Thursday he still supports the project, which has been stalled for more than three years.

Funding for the project was part of the 2019 state budget that never became law, and after briefly resurfacing in 2020, was tabled after protesters and the government removed statues honoring the Confederacy on the Capitol grounds. The 2021 budget did not include funding for the African American monument, The N&O previously reported.

Weve supported it in the past. Well just see how it works out as far as the budget this time, Berger said Thursday, adding that he hasnt talked to Republican budget committee members about it.

But I think its known that I have supported that in the past, and will continue to support it, Berger said.

The N&O has asked lawmakers about the project on and off for years.

Sen. Dan Blue, the Senate minority leader and a Raleigh Democrat, told The News & Observer last month that the project needs to move forward more urgently now than before. He referenced all the springtime field trips students make to the Capitol complex.

There is no experience on the Capitol grounds of Black existence in North Carolina, Blue said.

Coopers budget proposal released Wednesday would allocate $3 million this upcoming fiscal year for the project. The money, higher than the $2.5 million for it in the failed 2019 budget bill, would be used to complete the planning, design and construction of the monument. The project, would be led by the African American Heritage Commission within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Story continues

Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson told The N&O in an interview Thursday that the project has been in pause mode waiting for legislative funding.

Wilson said the Capitol is the most important block of honor in the state, and sends a message about what the state chooses to honor.

If the funding comes through this year, next steps would be selecting a designer after a bidding process, then creating a more significant and concrete design for what the area would look like, and then finally construction.

Confederate monuments are gone

A 2016 state report about the monument said it should be designed with the most frequent Capitol visitors  schoolchildren  in mind. The report recommended several aspects of what the monument would look like, including that it would feature a bas relief timeline on the small hill adjacent to the Wilmington Street sidewalk. Bas relief is slightly raised images off a flat surface. The monument could stand on multiple elevations on the grounds. Recommended materials are bronze and granite, like other monuments at the Capitol.

At the time of those recommendations, the African American monument would have been placed on the same Union Square with mostly monuments featuring white men and three honoring the Confederacy, The N&O reported in 2020. Protesters tore down Confederate soldier statues that year during the protests that followed Minneapolis polices killing of George Floyd, and the rest of the monuments were removed by the state.

A new African American monument could mean that women would be represented at the Capitol. One of the Confederate statues had featured a nameless woman. The only woman on the Capitol grounds now is Lady Liberty, holding a palm frond atop the large memorial to World War I, World War II and the Korean War on the Edenton Street side of the Capitol.

Wilson said the monument would recognize and honor the many contributions African Americans have made to the state of North Carolina. Thats an important message for people to see and hear and experience, whether its a school field trip or people going down to the bluegrass festival.

Thats why its so important to have on the Capitol grounds  that it signifies the state recognizes that, he said.

A few blocks away, a separate project honoring the Black experience in North Carolina  particularly the struggle for freedom  will open this summer. North Carolina Freedom Park, which is being built with public and private money, features a steel piece of public art at the center called the Beacon of Freedom. Quotations from North Carolinians are inscribed along the walls of the park. Freedom Park, which could be finished in June, takes up part of the block between the Executive Mansion and the Legislative Building.

The legislature has given funding to Freedom Park, but not the Capitol monument. The Legislative Black Caucus continues to have the monument on its list of priorities.

I think it was a missed opportunity, Sen. Natalie Murdock, a Durham Democrat, told The N&O in February. I think with the reckoning weve honestly had nationwide, it really, really should be there.
Tennessee police are seen during a White Lives Matter rally (Getty Images)

A Georgia couple is fighting to get back the custody of their five children, including a four-month-old baby, after they were forcibly taken by child services following a traffic stop where police allegedly found a gun and marijuana in their possession.

Deonte Williams and Bianca Clayborne were stopped in Tennessee on 17 February for dark tinted windows and travelling in the left lane while not actively passing, Tennessee Lookout reported.

Officers searched the couples car and found a gun and five grams of marijuana  a misdemeanour under Tennessee state laws.

Mr Williams was arrested and Ms Clayborne, who was told she is free to leave with the children, followed the police car to arrange for her partners release in Coffee County Justice Centre.

Almost six hours later, Mr Clayborne received an emergency court order placing her children in state custody of child services.

Her children, a breast-feeding four-month-old, and two, three, five and seven-year-olds were forcibly removed from her side as she waited for Mr Williams, it reported.

The Department of Child Services said in a petition that there was probable cause that the children were neglected and there was no less drastic alternative to taking the children from their parents.

Attorneys for the couple have described the child services actions as extreme, abnormal, and a violation of the parents rights as the five children remain in their custody for almost a month.

A Black family from Georgia was pulled over in rural Tennessee for driving with 'dark tint and traveling in the left lane while not actively passing'



Within hours, they had lost custody all five of their children, including a nursing babyhttps://t.co/iiiG1mI3HD via @TNLookout  Anita Wadhwani (@anitawadhwani) March 16, 2023

They said the couple received shocking treatment because they are Black and would not have faced such action if they had a different background.

Story continues

Its just so shocking to the conscience that in 2023 this is happening, said Jamaal Boykin, a Nashville attorney representing the family in their custody case.

I just have to believe if my clients looked different or had a different background, they would have just been given a citation and told you just keep this stuff away from the kids while youre in this state and theyd be on their way.

A week after Mr Williamss arrest, the parents were asked to undergo a drug test by a Coffee County juvenile judge during a hearing.

The first drug test revealed Mr Williams was positive for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and Ms Claybornes test was negative. A second hair follicle test came positive for methamphetamines, fentanyl, and oxycodone in both parents, who deny using the substances.

An amended petition by child services said the children were not only neglected but they were abused.

The attorney of the family planned to change the results of the hair follicle tests on the suggestion of experts that the test conducted on the couple is known to generate too many false positives.

However, they were told by child services that it will not be possible to challenge the results as the drug court does not hold onto them.

Ms Clayborne told Tennessee Lookout on Monday that she is left traumatized by the events and remains in touch with the children during visits to the foster care and through phone calls.

She said the children cry when they speak to her and hug her, refusing to leave her when she visits.

The family is also on the verge of bankruptcy due to the legal battle and trips to see their children in Tennessee.

Tennessee Senator London Lamar has demanded child services to return the children to the family.

Im demanding, publicly, that DCS give this couple their children back, Ms Lamar said at a press conference. The Coffee County justice system was completely out of line for taking their children over a misdemeanour charge.

SENATOR LAMAR TO @TN_DCS: GIVE THIS FAMILY THEIR CHILDREN BACK.@SenatorLamar demands @TN_DCS release 5 (Black) kids after a month in state custody after THP charged the father for simple marijuana possession during a traffic stop. (From @TNSenateDems)pic.twitter.com/zWPFTDxXuG  The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) March 16, 2023

Ms Clayborne said her kids have asthma and no one at the child services asked for her childrens health or needs.

My kids  they have asthma and youre not asking about nothing, she said. I breastfeed. They didnt give me anything. They just ran off with my kids.

The couple will return to Coffee County Juvenile Court on Monday.
Aerial photo taken on Dec. 8, 2020 shows two cruise ships, the Changle Gongzhu (or Princess Changle, L) and the Nanhai Dream at a port in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. [Photo/Xinhua]



China's cruise tourism market is expected to revive this year, supported by the country's optimized COVID-19 measures.

For international arrivals, starting Wednesday, Shanghai resumed visa-free entry for overseas cruise tour groups. In addition, in the 15 days after entering the metropolis, vessels carrying the groups can visit other Chinese coastal ports valid for cruise docking and passengers can go ashore to explore the areas during docking.

For domestic travelers, many domestic travel agencies and cruise line operators reported that all tickets for their cruise itineraries this year have been sold out.

Global cruise tourism demand is also booming, said the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world's largest trade association in the cruise sector.

According to a recent CLIA survey of 4,500 travelers, 91 percent of respondents who previously had taken a cruise said they intend to take such trips again, while 72 percent of those who have never taken a cruise said they were open to taking one.

China is now second only to the United States in terms of the number of cruise travelers. With a view of the recent massive sales growth, the Chinese cruise market has the potential to become the world's largest by 2030, according to China Merchants Viking Cruises.

The China Merchants Shekou Yidun cruise ship, carrying nearly 100 tourism industry representatives, set sail from Shenzhen's Shekou Port in Guangdong province last month.

The ship visited Sanya of Hainan province before returning to Shenzhen after completing an eight-day itinerary.

"There has been an increasing number of tourists taking cruises to Sanya, as it is a leisurely, elegant and luxurious way to travel," said Wang Ying, a representative of the Sanya Tourism Promotion Board, during a tourism promotional conference held on the ship.

"Taking a cruise to Sanya is a brand new experience for me," said Li Yanmei, a passenger. "I'll consider bringing other family members to experience this relaxing and fun tour next time."

This year, Sanya's cruise market has shown a strong recovery. According to the Sanya Maritime Safety Administration, among travelers visiting Sanya during the Spring Festival holiday from Jan 7 to Feb 15, there were more than 16,000 cruise passengers, a year-on-year increase of 25.24 percent.

Sanya will join hands with neighboring cities and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions to explore multi-destination cruise tour products to share resources, construct a whole chain for the cruise industry and develop cruise-based industrial clusters, according to the Sanya Tourism Promotion Board.

With such efforts, China's cruise tourism sector is expected to gain more traction.

Chen Yin, president of China Tourism Group, revealed earlier this month that China Travel Cruises, a subsidiary of the group, has joined hands with COSCO Shipping Group and China Communications Construction Co to resume the Nanhai Dream cruise ship sailing for the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea.

"Promoting the in-depth integration of transportation and tourism and enriching the products of the Xisha passenger liners can better serve the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port," said Wang Xianjin, vice-president and chief engineer of the China Academy of Transportation Sciences, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Transport.

Hu Defang, chairman of Bohai Shipyard Group Co, said he believes that the future of China's international cruise tourism industry is promising.

"More international cruise routes should be established as soon as possible to improve the supply capacity and service level of cruise tourism products and form a diverse cruise tourism consumption that combines the Yangtze River, China's coastal areas and transnational waters," Hu said.
Despite a landslide runoff victory in 2019, Mayor Lori Lightfoot didn't place highly enough in her reelection bid last month to continue to an April 4 runoff.

Despite a landslide runoff victory in 2019, Mayor Lori Lightfoot didn't place highly enough in her reelection bid last month to continue to an April 4 runoff.

When Lori Lightfoot was elected mayor of Chicago in 2019, it was a double first: the first Black woman and the first openly gay person to hold the office. But she hardly got to enjoy the moment. In Chicagos mayoral election last month, after a turbulent first term, Lightfoot failed to even make the cut in the first round  after she won the popular vote in a runoff four years ago by nearly 50 percentage points. Its the latest proof that the times and the political tenor have changed drastically; the optimism that usually attends the kind of ceiling-breaking achieved by Lightfoot has been dulled by new urban realities that are really old urban realities which, like so many other things these days, have reached a breaking point: the lack of affordable housing, the state of public schools, the upheaval of local economies. And, of course, crime.

Crime obscures all of the above, for all mayors, but especially for Black mayors who have to prove themselves first and foremost by making their cities safe. In our very tense racial climate, Black officials are more responsible than their non-Black predecessors for addressing public unease about safety, an unease thats always tied to the fact that everywhere in America, crime (no matter who actually commits it) has a Black face. In an era of revitalized demands for racial justice, that is still true, perhaps more true than ever. Greatly aided by social media and the likes of Fox News, the old tough-on-crime conservative narrative is regaining traction across party lines, part of a long backlash to the push for police reforms that began in earnest 10 years ago with the birth of Black Lives Matter.

What an irony  or maybe just perfect timing  that this is also the same moment when there are so many Black mayors of major cities, from Chicago to Los Angeles, Houston to New York. Yet they are being burdened as never before with solving a problem that has no quick or easy solution. At the same time, theyre tasked with addressing police brutality complaints from BLM activists and ordinary citizens who are rightly concerned that the new hyper-focus on crime is meant to scare people of all colors and siphon energy away from the kind of systemic change that BLM and antiracist movements continue to demand.

Story continues

Is it a double standard and a double bind for Black mayors? Yes. But it has to be viewed through a wider lens. Our national politics is, to put it mildly, insane. We are still living in the eye of a fierce white blowback that started unofficially with the rise of BLM, which itself started in the midst of the first term of Americas first Black president. The tenure of Barack Obama, a son of Chicago who once organized Black folks, caused so much white Republican resentment that it prompted a new political movement, the tea party, which eventually morphed into Donald Trumps Make America Great Again base; blowback on top of blowback. Inner cities were deemed hopeless and violent, period. Yet the GOP was becoming more openly brutal toward anyone who wasnt a hetero white male. During the Obama years, bullet and gun sales skyrocketed as Republicans willingly stoked a narrative of a radical Black president who was hellbent on taking their guns away and  more critically  giving too much quarter to undeserving (i.e. criminal) Black folks.

Since Obama left office, that white antipathy has gone completely toxic. Elected officials, led by Trump and the remade GOP, have practically condoned the far rights violent responses to state and local officials proposed safety measures to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as mask and vaccine mandates. And when all that roiling white discontent culminated in the violent and deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Republican leaders lauded it outright, said too little or said nothing at all.

So street-level violence is the norm now. But, of course, theres a big difference between white and Black violence: The former is tolerated as justified political expression, the latter simply proof of Black pathology that must be contained. It is Black pathology that Black mayors are really responsible for, even though white pathology around race frames the violence thats become so pervasive in America, destabilizing our democracy and making us all very, very unsafe. But weve always managed to make Black violence its own thing; self-sustaining, separate and unconnected to any bigger trends. Its interesting how we decry Black-on-Black violence as a uniquely immoral phenomenon when white people and other ethnic groups kill each other at similar rates.

Once upon a time, Black mayors were beacons of democratic (small d here) hope. When Tom Bradley was elected as Los Angeles first Black mayor in 1973, it was the triumph of the citys multiracial coalition that included Blacks and Jews. The days of a Black figure like Bradley, Obama or Harold Washington (one of Obamas role models and the 51st mayor of Chicago) unifying constituents across racial lines feels very far away, impossible to recapture. Bradley, after serving for 20 years, chose to bow out of electoral politics altogether after the civil unrest in 1992 laid bare a city riven by racial tensions, with largely Black South Los Angeles seen by the world as ground zero for racial injustice, and also for violence and crime. The white mayor who followed Bradley, Richard Riordan, was a wealthy businessman who ran on a platform of restoring efficiency and law and order, which has been a foundation of local politicking ever since.

Not that Black mayors are all staunch progressives, even after the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd in 2020. Hardly. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms supported plans for the controversial Cop City training facility before she left office. Bradley was a career cop, a lieutenant in the Los Angeles Police Department, New York Mayor Eric Adams a New York Police Department captain; both are moderates, at best.

Karen Bass, elected L.A.s first Black woman mayor last year, with a reputation for being progressive, started out political life in the early 1990s as a grassroots community organizer, as did Obama. As mayor, she has clashed very early on with BLM for cutting police too much slack, namely by keeping the departments funding levels in place. Bass, a coalition builder, has made her priority homelessness  seemingly a crisis constituents can all agree is a crisis for everyone. But its a crisis intertwined in the publics mind with crime and, because of their disproportionate representation in the homeless population, with Black folks. Crime, in other words, is a tangled web that only seems to grow tighter.

Nowhere do things feel more constricted at the moment, and more complicated, than in Washington, where Muriel Bowser is mayor. Bowser, a Black woman, actually vetoed the District of Columbias new criminal code, an attempt at criminal justice reform that changed mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes. Her opposition opened the door to the code being recently nullified (technically, disapproved) in a bill passed by Congress, a measure supported by both parties and that Biden (reversing his earlier position) promises to sign. Beyond the startling racial optics of such a move  upending established law in a significantly Black city headed by a Black woman  overriding local law is a dangerous undermining of democracy, on top of all the undermining thats been going on for years now. D.C. is a special case in that it has long struggled to achieve autonomy via statehood and get out from under the Capitols political meddling. But the bill feels like a message to Black mayors everywhere trying to set their own course on public safety, to say nothing of a course for the city as a whole.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)  A police captain for the Oklahoma City Police Department was filmed repeatedly asking a sergeant turn off his body camera during a DUI stop earlier this week, as seen in new footage released by the department.

On May 12, Captain James Matt French of the OKCPDs homicide investigation team was pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving.

Sergeant Chris Skinner, a fellow police officer, stopped French just after 1:30 a.m. that morning. Captain French, a 32-year veteran on the force, was allegedly swerving and speeding in his city-issued vehicle. French later said he drank a few beers and a poker game four blocks away.

3 hospital employees, 7 deputies charged with murder in death of Black Virginia man

In the video, French appears to open his car door before the sergeant approaches.

Get back in your vehicle, Sgt. Skinner says.

Im, French starts to say.

Drunk? Skinner suggests.

Skinner said Frenchs eyes were watery and he was slurring his speech. The video captures the captain making sure the arresting officer knows hes a captain of the police department, and asking seven times for Skinner to turn off his camera.

Sir, can I  can you turn that off? French asked the officer one of the times. Im asking you. Im a captain at the police department.

I dont care if youre a gangbanger or the president of the United States, Skinner says at one point. If I were to treat you differently than I was to treat some South Side Loco or some pedo, how does that look on me?

French ultimately agreed to a field sobriety test, which he failed. Skinner placed him under arrest.

The incident occurred after, what the captain said, was a few beers and a poker game four blocks away.

PHOTOS: Florida police rescue young manatee from red tide

Police Chief Wade Gourley said Sgt. Skinner did everything by the book.

Story continues

The officer did exactly as he should have and handled it, you know, very professionally, in my opinion, said Chief Gourley.

The Chief said now the department has to conduct a criminal investigation and a subsequent administrative investigation.

In an administrative investigation  [there are] other questions we can delve into that we cant do on the criminal side, said Chief Gourley. Theres oftentimes a lot of things that you cant answer just from viewing a video.

The criminal investigation will take place before the departments internal investigation.

Right now, French is on leave with pay, but that could change depending on those investigations.

I hate that were in this position. I hate it for Captain French. I hate it for our organization, said Gourley.

The Police Chief said French otherwise has a clean history.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Body camera footage from a Paterson, N.J., police officer captures a standoff on March 3 between Najee Seabrooks and police. (Paterson Police Department via New Jersey Attorney General's Office)

Four hours of officer body camera footage was released Thursday in the police killing of Najee Seabrooks, a 31-year-old violence intervention activist, who was fatally shot in Paterson, N.J., during a mental health crisis.

Uploaded to a public Dropbox by the New Jersey attorney generals office, more than a dozen redacted clips of video and 911 calls give new insight into the tense moments between Seabrooks and a group of officers during a five-hour standoff before his death.

In the two weeks since the fatal encounter on March 3, community members and advocates had held a number of demonstrations across the city calling for the release of the footage and demanding police accountability and reform. And while the videos and calls answer some questions about what exactly took place in the run-up to Seabrookss death, for many advocates they raise even more questions about why lethal force was used at all. For others, it also substantiates what they already knew: Seabrooks should still be alive.

Najee was experiencing a mental health crisis, Zellie Thomas, leader of the Paterson chapter of Black Lives Matter, told Yahoo News after the release of the body camera footage. Everyone has a right to live, especially people in a state of mental or emotional distress.

Najee Seabrooks, center, with his best friend, Terrance Drakeford, left, and another man at a street festival representing the Paterson Healing Collective, where Seabrooks and Drakeford worked. (Paterson Healing Collective)

Most frustrating to critics, Seabrooks, who worked with the Paterson Healing Collective (PHC), a group dedicated to providing support for survivors of violence, had called members of the group during the standoff asking them to intervene, but officers refused. Paterson Police Department did not return Yahoo News' request for comment.

The shooting

Police had responded to calls of a mentally disturbed person in his home just before 8 a.m. on March 3, according to the state AGs account, and when they arrived at the scene, Seabrooks had barricaded himself inside the apartment. Family members of his told police that he was hallucinating and behaving erratically.

Twelve clips of video from seven officers body cameras, alongside seven emergency phone calls, some coming from Seabrooks, show that officers had repeatedly told him to put multiple knives down during the standoff. At one point Seabrooks says, Yall are trying to kill me, as armed officers stand outside the bathroom he is in.

Story continues

An unidentified officer responds, No one will kill you here. Were worried about you.

Throughout that morning, several officers, including members of the department's emergency response team, as well as crisis negotiators and the EMS, responded to the apartment, according to authorities.

The badge of an Paterson Police Department officer with police hats behind it. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

At another point in the encounter, officers tell Seabrooks to stop cutting himself with the knives, as he repeatedly says, Dont shoot me. He also asks to speak to his mother one last time.

An officer attempts to reassure him, saying, Im sure she doesnt want to see you like this, moments before Seabrooks appears to lunge at an officer, allegedly with a knife in his hand. Two officers, both members of the emergency response team, Anzore Tsay and Jose Hernandez, discharged their weapons, striking Seabrooks, according to the state AGs office. Officers then moved to handcuff him. He was later pronounced dead at St. Josephs Regional Medical Center in Paterson.

Reaction to video footage

For Michael Mitchell, an assistant professor of African American studies and criminology at the College of New Jersey, the video footage shows that not all options were exhausted.

The videos release certainly adds more questions as to why non-law enforcement personnel, for example, the psychiatric team at St. Josephs Medical Center, and/or members of the Paterson Healing Collective, were either not called to the location or denied some access at the very least to assist in de-escalation, Mitchell told Yahoo News in an email.

The edited and partially redacted video and phone calls released Thursday left many community members unsatisfied.

Despite what the videotape revealed  the edited, blurred, redacted videotape revealed  nothing trumps our real-life testimony, PHC member Casey Melvin told the Paterson Press. We were there. We know he walked in and left out on a stretcher.

The release of the audio and video footage comes just three days after dozens of grassroots advocacy groups across the state wrote a letter to the Department of Justice, urging it to launch its own investigation into the Paterson Police Department, citing years of unlawful and unconstitutional conduct.

In the joint letter, advocates cited at least two dozen news reports and audits of the police department in the last decade, along with Seabrookss death, as reasons for the probe.

Paterson residents and others march to Paterson City Hall on March 7 at a rally for Seabrooks. (Marquise Francis/Yahoo News)

Mitchell, a former detention service officer in a large county jail mental health housing unit, says the video highlights the complexities of dealing with someone experiencing a mental health crisis, something he says that police officers are typically not equipped to handle.

On several occasions, I have personally encountered individuals experiencing a mental health crisis inside of a correctional facility, he said. In my experience, these encounters take time, patience, empathy and individuals/professionals with specialized training in crisis intervention.

A growing body of research underscores the complexities of mental illness and violence, and law enforcement responses alone, without assistance of mental health professionals or individuals trained in crisis intervention, can be counterproductive. Unfortunately, the result for Najee was death.

Officials said they could not deploy their Tasers, because Seabrooks had broken pipes in the apartment and started a small fire that left significant amounts of water on the floor, making the use of the electrical device too dangerous.

The state AG's office said the shooting remains under investigation.

Najee Seabrooks. (Paterson Healing Collective)

In the two weeks since Seabrookss death, much of the city has been in mourning, expressing anger, outrage and sadness at various rallies and press conferences. At a City Council meeting Tuesday, two city officials nearly came to blows as a council member and the citys finance director approached one another after a tense verbal exchange.

The case, for many, has exposed a stark divide between members of the community and most city leaders, many of whom have remained tight-lipped since Seabrookss death. But Thomas said the fight for justice in the killing will only continue.

As long as we feel its justifiable that someone should be killed for experiencing a mental health crisis, when other resources exist to keep them safe, we will continue fighting, Thomas said. There will always be someone in this country experiencing a mental health crisis, but they dont always have to die.

_____

Cover thumbnail: Penitas Police Dept. via AP
(Reuters) - Boeing Co said on Friday it had signed a contract with the U.S. army and international customers, including Australia, to build 184 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters.

The $1.9 billion contract value will bring the total funded value to $2.1 billion and can increase to more than $3.8 billion with future contracts, Boeing said in a statement.

(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler)
 Read the full article on Motorious

Here comes the crushing hand of government

Back in the day cruising down Main Street in your local town was considered pretty much harmless fun. However, since the 1990s there has been an increasing movement to quashsuch activity, the latest example coming from Boise, Idaho.

Check out the Motorious Podcast here.

According to a report from Idaho Statesman, the Boise City Council is using a revision to the municipal traffic laws to stop people from cruising through downtown on warm summer nights. Among the reasons cited for wanting to stop cruising is noise, dangerous driving, and pollution. Yep, the Boise City Council is going to save the planet by stop young people from cruising around in their Mustang.

The way this practice of cruising is described in the report, it sounds like downtown Boise is taken over by the cast of Mad Max: Fury Roadwhat with all the loud music, crazy light effects, and overall scofflaw nature.

It shouldnt be illegal to drive your car in a circle, and it should be illegal to drive your car in a circle like a jerk, Council Member Patrick Bageant said at the meeting. Has anyone told this guy about street takeovers? It could be so much worse.

One person told the city council that some businesses have changed their hours because of the cruising practice. From the sound of things, cruising is apparently a new event in Boise. That sounds pretty amazing considering it was a thing in many other areas since the 50s if not the 60s and continued strong into this century. Is Boise really that far behind the times?

Anyway, stopping this hooligan behavior will involve targeting specific behaviors since a city government cant target citizens for simply driving down a road. Supposedly. The city council has imposed restrictions on engine revving, playing amplified music, loud exhausts, excessive fumes from cars, smoke, exhausts creating a noise similar to gunfire (we cant make this up), and rolling coal.

Story continues

Anyone caught doing any of the prohibited things risks a fine upwards of $300, although picking up two exhaust-related fines could mean a fine of up to $1,000 and six months in jail.

Source: Idaho Statesman

Images via YouTube

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By Allison Lampert and Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York state judge on Friday rejected an attempt by Bombardier Inc to dismiss a lawsuit by a group of hedge funds that accused the business jet maker of short-changing them by selling new debt after divesting major businesses in 2020 and 2021.

Justice Andrew Borrok of the Manhattan Supreme Court said the hedge funds did not waive their right to declare Bombardier in default on their bonds, part of a $250 million issuance maturing in 2034, when it sold the businesses, including its commercial aircraft program.

The hedge funds Antara Capital Master Fund, Corbin ERISA Opportunity Fund and Corbin Opportunity Fund sued Bombardier last January, after the company sold an additional $260 million of the bonds to another investor.

That sale gave the investor a majority of the now $510 million issuance, and it voted to waive the default.

The three hedge funds said it had no right to do that. They claimed that the default required Bombardier to pay them $398 million, including outstanding principal plus the present value of future interest payments.

Borrok dismissed some of the plaintiffs' claims but said they could replead them.

Bombardier did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Duane Loft, a partner at Pallas Partners who represents the plaintiffs, said: "We're pleased that the court interpreted the indenture to mean what it says - that these new notes don't count for purposes of waving the past default."

Bombardier now focuses mainly on private jets. Its rivals include Gulfstream jet maker General Dynamics Corp and Cessna jet maker Textron Inc.

The case is Antara Capital Master Fund LP et al v Bombardier Inc et al, New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No. 650477/2022.

(Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal and Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Maiya Keidan in Toronto; editing by Grant McCool)
Two people were arrested after being accused of injuring a man with a booby trap they had set up near the front door of their home, Colorado officials said.

On March 10, officials with the Douglas County Sheriffs Office received reports of someone being injured by a booby trap, according to a March 16 release from the sheriffs office.

The victim told deputies that around 2 p.m. on March 9, he was conducting business in Highlands Ranch and went to the front door of one of the houses, officials said.

As he approached the front door, he heard and felt a loud boom and saw that a wire was caught around his lower leg, deputies said.

The man said he had a pain in his ear and his vision was affected, according to the sheriffs office.

With the help of a co-worker, the victim left the area and went to a hospital, the sheriffs office said.

On March 15, deputies executed a search warrant and found the trip wire attached to a cylinder device that represents a shotgun shell, deputies said.

The sheriffs office told McClatchy News in an email that there was another device found in the backyard of the house with some sort of chemical agent inside.

During their search, deputies had a brief standoff with a woman inside the home before the pair was taken into custody, according to the release.

The two, 61 and 53, were arrested and booked on charges of second-degree assault, felony menacing and prohibited use of a weapon. Their bond was set at $25,000, officials said.

Officials said the investigation is ongoing and deputies are unable to provide a motive.

Highlands Ranch is about 20 miles south of Denver.

A mans homemade booby trap killed him on Thanksgiving, Maine police say

Home Alone-inspired Airbnb rental in Texas features imagery from iconic 1990s movie
A Western Washington man pleaded guilty Thursday to supplying fireworks to a Kennewick man to make explosive devices to target police officers.

Connor Duane Goodman, of Auburn, Wash., pleaded guilty in federal court in Richland to conspiracy to make or possess an unregistered destructive device.

Daniel James Anderson of Kennewick has a trial scheduled in federal court in April on the same charge, plus possession of an unregistered destructive device that he is accused of making.

A FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force Office began working with a confidential informant in spring 2021 to build the cases against Anderson and Goodman.

Both men adhere to Boogaloo Bois beliefs, according to court documents.

Boogaloo Bois is a loosely connected group of people who share anti-government and anti-authority sentiment and advocate violence.

Some extremists have used the term Boogaloo to refer to an upcoming politically motivated uprising against the government because of perceived threats to Constitutional rights  including the Second Amendment  or other perceived government overreach, according to a court document.

Goodman ran a social media chatroom called Verified Bois with 30 members of self-dubbed anarcho-capitalist extremists.

Its participants were waiting for an over-aggressive law enforcement action, such as at a public protest, to target officers with violence, according to a court document.

Anderson participated in Goodmans chatroom and attended some of the events it organized, according to a court document.

The group held training events, including in Ellensburg and Easton, Wash., to practice raids, firearms handling and survival skills.

When Kennewick police were called to an apartment neighboring Andersons in April 2021 to prevent a possible suicide, Anderson armed himself and put on body armor in case police tried to enter his apartment, according to court reports.

The confidential informant said Anderson had illegally modified an AR-style pistol to create a short-barreled rifle.

Story continues

On social media Anderson discussed ways to steal explosive materials from another members employer and how to bypass security at Sportsmans Warehouse.

Anderson told the confidential informant the Verified Bois participants were getting serious and done messing around.

He said that too many members of Verified Bois were not taking training seriously enough and they did not understand the group was training to kill people right now, according to court documents.

Kennewick man makes explosives

In July 2021, Anderson received Thundercracker fireworks that Goodman had obtained from a tribal reservation.

Anderson then made and tested explosive devices, although only two of the three he tested worked as planned, he told the confidential informant, according to court documents.

Shown is a screenshot from a video taken by an FBI confidential informant that federal court documents say shows Daniel James Anderson, of Kennewick, inserting a charge into an explosive device he made.

Anderson said he designed the devices to be small, so that he could carry them in a backpack while on a motorcycle, according to court documents.

Anderson said this was important so he could deploy his explosive devices against law enforcement and escape from the scene easily and with speed, according to a court document.

Anderson posted on social media that the explosive devices were for distraction, before also posting that they arent training tools. I wouldnt be anywhere near this thing. Its going to throw shrapnel like a MF.

He showed the confidential informant one device, a sealed glass jar designed to explode and project glass fragments and shotgun pellets, and the informant was able to capture video of it, according to a court document.

In December 2021, Goodman sold the confidential informant 12 mortar-style fireworks, and Anderson showed him how to extract material from them to make improvised explosive devices, according to a court document.

Thirteen days later federal law enforcement agents searched Andersons apartment and found an improvised explosive device, which Anderson said he created using fireworks provided by Goodman, according to a court document.

Anderson told federal agents that he did not intend to use the device against law enforcement.

Goodmans home also was search and special agents found multiple firearms, including a sawed-off shotgun and a short-barreled rifle.

In Goodmans plea agreement, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Washington agreed to ask Judge Mary Dimke to sentence him to no more than three years and one month in prison.
Paris Hilton arrives at the Pre-Grammy Gala on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. | Richard Shotwell, Associated Press

At the Provo Canyon School, Paris Hilton remembers being stripped of her name and given a number, routinely sent to isolation rooms, subjected to random, late-night gynecologic exams, and recalls seeing staff dominate uncooperative students.

Thats all according to Paris, a new memoir released this week that, among other things, details the celebrity entrepreneurs early life and the time she spent in the teen treatment industry, including an 11-month stint at the Provo, Utah institution.

Writing this book has been one of the most terrifying yet rewarding things Ive ever done, she wrote on Twitter Tuesday.

Today is the day!!! My book, "Paris: The Memoir" is available NOW!  Writing this book has been one of the most terrifying yet rewarding things I've ever done. I can't wait for you to get to know the real me. Order your copy here  https://t.co/jlGGX589gQ pic.twitter.com/0iwTVTdwoa  ParisHilton (@ParisHilton) March 14, 2023

Hilton over the past three years has put a spotlight on Utah, spearheading a protest in 2020 to urge the closing of Provo Canyon School, pushing lawmakers to pass a bill during the 2021 General Session to bolster regulations for troubled teen centers, and joining Utah Sen. Mike McKell in Washington, D.C. to promote industry reform at the national level.

The 2021 law ultimately passed in Utah. It requires the state to perform more inspections on treatment centers, restricts what kinds of physical restraints and drugs can be used, and directs institutions to record instances where employees forcibly restrain students.

Provo Canyon School is still open after being acquired in 2000 by a different company  Universal Health Services. However, there have been allegations that trouble continued under new ownership.

Story continues

Hilton told Utah lawmakers in 2021 the Provo Canyon School excuses their abusive behavior by saying they are now owned by a new company.

In a statement to the Deseret News on Wednesday, Universal Health Services said it cannot comment on the operations or student experience prior to acquiring Provo Canyon School.

While we acknowledge there are individuals over the many years who believe they were not helped by the program, we are heartened by the many stories former residents share about how their stay was a pivot point in improving  and in many cases, saving  their lives, the statement reads, noting that the interventions detailed by Hilton  including solitary confinement  are not used anymore. The school also said it supports increased transparency in the teen treatment industry.

We are concerned that the current media coverage may increase the stigma around seeking help for behavioral health concerns. This would be a disservice if it leads people away from seeking necessary care and increases the stigma around mental health that providers, organizations, advocates and members of the public have worked so hard  and made much progress over the years  to break.

Related

Bad things happen there

The Provo Canyon School wasnt Hiltons first experience at a treatment center. In Paris, she recalls first being sent to the now defunct CEDU, a boarding school in California; Ascent, a wilderness treatment program in Montana; then The Cascade School, also in California.

But even across state lines, the Provo Canyon School instilled fear in the students, Hilton writes.

Trust me, you do not want to get sent to Provo, one of her bunkmates at CEDU told her, Hilton writes. Bad things happen there, kids would say, according to the book.

At all three schools, Hilton described abuse  both mental and physical. But as she was being admitted to Provo, she was forced to undergo a full pelvic exam which she described as a step beyond what I experienced at CEDU, Ascent and Cascade.

Hilton recalls abusive staff at Provo

Hilton explains, in detail, the lengths the staff would go to make students at Provo Canyon School uncomfortable. Many of the employees, she claims, degraded children.

Among the staff were orderlies, large, intimidating men who acted as the schools enforcers, tasked with restraining uncooperative students. These hulking athletes could dominate a 98-pound kid with ease, Hilton wrote, and if the students resisted, they were injected with a syringe of sedative.

I dont know what was in it, but I saw kids immediately go slack when it hit them, Hilton said of the sedative, which she asserts was used often.

Solitary rooms and medical exams

Hilton describes the year she spent in Provo as basically a giant hole in my life. Much of that is because of the time spent in an observation room which, according to Hilton, is akin to solitary confinement punishment.

The observation room is first detailed in her book after she was caught refusing to take the pills prescribed to her. The room was dimly lit and cold, described as a meat locker. In the next room over, a girl screamed and screamed for what seemed like a long time, Hilton wrote.

Those kinds of experiences led to suicidal ideation, Hilton said.

... They took everything from me: light, space, comfort, my clothes, my name. We weren't allowed to dance, sing, or even hum. I had no canvas to paint, no clay to sculpt, no way to write, sketch, sew, collage  nothing.

Hilton says her time at Provo Canyon School gave her a love-hate relationship with sleep that would plague her well after she left Utah. Some of that trauma is a result of what she calls digital rape.

They called it a medical exam, Hilton writes of the unannounced, late-night trips to the infirmary for a pelvic exam.

The experience was so bad that a student devised a plan to stab one of the employees with multiple syringes that were on hand in the infirmary, then try to escape, according to Hilton. When one of the girls asked what if he dies? the student responded: What if we die? Hilton writes.

Staff ultimately discovered the plan, and the students were all punished, according to Hilton.

After Provo

Hilton says she tried to suppress the trauma from her teenage years, describing it as a basement door that Id kept locked a long time.

Years after Hilton left Utah, she Googled Provo Canyon School and to her surprise, found that it was still operating. She also came across Reddit forums dedicated to exposing and sharing stories of the abuse.

Survivors of Provo and CEDU began to piece together a history of abandonment and abuse. The extent of the wreckage was heartbreaking: addiction, PTSD, suicide, shattered sleep, ruined families, Hilton writes in her book.

In 2020, Hilton helped produce a documentary called This is Paris  during production, she reconnected with several girls from Provo Canyon School, an experience she says she was beyond nervous for.

Hilton writes that her advocacy ramped up after the documentary  including her work in Utah and Washington, D.C.

As my advocacy work expands, Im focused on urgently needed legislation that protects children still in custody, but Im agonizingly aware of the families torn apart by the troubled-teen industry  families who start out in crisis and end up utterly dismembered with crippling debt and deep, deep emotional scars.
Vehicles for export park at the inspection area of Horgos port, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 16, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]



The foreign trade volume of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region soared 86.4 percent year on year to 44.4 billion yuan (about 6.4 billion U.S. dollars) in the first two months of this year.

According to Urumqi customs, the region saw exports reach 38.15 billion yuan in the period, up 91.6 percent year on year, while its imports grew by 59.8 percent year on year to 6.24 billion yuan.

By the end of February, there were 15,308 registered foreign trade enterprises in Xinjiang. The number increased by 7.3 percent compared with the same period last year.

In the first two months, private enterprises in Xinjiang conducted foreign trade worth 42.7 billion yuan, an increase of 99.7 percent year on year and accounting for 96.2 percent of the region's foreign trade volume.

Labor-intensive, mechanical, and electrical products were Xinjiang's major export items. The export of new energy products, including lithium batteries, solar cells, and new energy vehicles, increased significantly, according to the customs.

The customs vowed to continuously optimize the clearance of imported fertilizers to cope with the domestic demand for spring plowing. In the first two months, the import value of fertilizers chalked up to 1.1 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 101.6 percent.
On the snowy border between New York and Canada, the local sheriffs office is calling for the U.S. Border Patrol to put more manpower behind what the locals call a growing crisis: The number of illegal border crossings in the area over the last five months is nearly 10 times what it was over the same time last year, and the border crossers are in danger of freezing to death.

From Oct. 1 to Feb. 28, about 2,000 migrants crossed the border between Canada and New Hampshire, Vermont and New York south through the forests, compared to just 200 crossings in the same period the previous year.

The migrants are mainly from Mexico, and they can travel to Canada without visas before they cross illegally into the U.S., often to reunite with their families.

Last weekend, Clinton County, New York, Sheriff David Favros team assisted Border Patrol in rescuing 39 migrants, some whose clothes had frozen to their bodies.

A U.S. Border Patrol agent apprehends seven Mexican citizens near Mooers, N.Y., who had crossed into the U.S. from Canada illegally on March 7, 2023. (U.S. Border Patrol Swanton Sector)

We are seeing more and more people, and it can be a deadly terrain if youre not familiar with it," Favro said.

He said responding to rescues like that has taxed the resources of his department, already stretched thin to cover the residents of his rural county, population 80,000, which shares about 30 miles of border with the Canadian province of Quebec.

The only way to really be able to cover and protect [the northern border] is boots on the ground, Favro said.

Just last week, Customs and Border Protection added 25 agents to the area, the Swanton Sector, to deter migration. But Favro and other locals who spoke to NBC News in Mooers, New York, said thats not enough.

Mooers Fire Chief Todd Gumlaw said he recently helped rescue two Mexican women stuck in an icy swamp in the middle of the night. Gumlaw, along with Border Patrol, local police and EMS workers, was able to render first aid and get the women to a hospital to be treated for frostbite and mild hypothermia after they lost their shoes in the swamp, he said.

Locals and U.S. Border Patrol in Mooers, N.Y., use human snow tracks, seen here on March 13, 2023, to determine whether migrants had recently crossed the area. (NBC News)

Preservation of human life is first and foremost with my department. We put [immigration status] to the back of our mind, Gumlaw said.

Story continues

The Mooers/Champlain region is a clump of small blue-collar residences and farms, where, according to locals, everyone knows everyone and properties can be several blocks apart, adding a sense of unease among some of the locals witnessing the mass migration in the region.

According to local first responders, southbound migrants often seek shelter in empty sheds and barns to shield themselves from the cold.

April Barcomb, a Mooers resident, said she has had migrants show up at her doorstep and is now saving up for security cameras.

Its not something I would usually do, she said. But it makes me think twice. And with the kids and the family, I gotta install cameras.

While most locals who spoke to NBC News said they understood that most migrants crossing the region arent threats, neighbors are keeping their eyes open for unusual activity.

People are scared, a Clinton County resident said. Its the fear of the unknown. Theyre [neighbors] worried about their safety, because they dont know these people.

Most of the migrants are Mexicans, who are frequently blocked from crossing the southern U.S. border and believe they will have an easier time if they fly to Canada and then cross into the U.S. from the north.

According to a CBP spokesperson, the Swanton Sector has been the site of more than 67% of all migrant crossings at the northern border across all eight sectors through February.

Unlike the southern border, where over 16,000 Border Patrol agents are responsible for staffing roughly 2,000 miles, about 2,000 border agents patrol the 5,000-mile border between the U.S. and Canada, which includes Alaskas land boundaries, making it the longest international land border in the world.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, asked Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a letter Tuesday to step up enforcement along his states 51-mile border with Canada or allow his police forces more authority to do so.

Over the last few months, the State of New Hampshire has attempted to assist the federal government in securing our northern border. These offers of assistance have been repeatedly rejected. The Biden administration has cut funding and hindered the states ability to assist in patrolling the northern border, Sununu said.

A spokesperson for CBP said the additional agents who were just sent to the Swanton Sector will help deter migration.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The situation on the Bakhmut front remains tense, with border guard units fighting with the occupiers twice yesterday: eight invaders were killed, and eight more were wounded.

Source: State Border Guard Service

Details: It is stated that one fight took place on the evening of 16 March and lasted for about an hour. Border guards stopped the advance of Russian infantry through suburban areas with grenade launchers.

A fierce confrontation in one of Bakhmut's industrial areas also continued during daylight hours. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine notes that the Russians are using large units of the Wagner Group to break through the defence line in this area.

In addition, the occupiers actively used the artillery to support the attack, and the vast majority of buildings in this location were destroyed.

Quote: "Despite the constant shelling, the State Border Guard Service repelled the enemy assault in close combat. The border guards killed eight invaders and wounded eight more in the gunfights."

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
A man has been arrested in connection with a deadly double shooting in Boston last month, officials announced Friday.

Stephen Freeman, 33, of Boston, is slated to be arraigned in Roxbury District Court on charges of murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a loaded firearm and assault, and battery by means of a dangerous weapon in the death of 37-year-old Terrell Banks, also of Boston, according to the Boston Police Department.

Officers responding to a ShotSpotter activation at 958 Tremont Street on Saturday, Feb. 18, found two men suffering from gunshot wounds.

Banks was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The second victim was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Freeman was nabbed Thursday night in the area of Shawmut Avenue and Hammond Street after homicide detectives secured warrant for his arrest.

An investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Boston police at 617-343-4470.

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
Boston Police is seeking the publics help in locating a 12-year-old boy from Dorchester who was last seen on Monday.

Antony Fonseca was reported missing Wednesday night but was last seen at about 9:20 p.m. on Monday. Police said Antony was last seen after he left his residence on Armandine Street.

He is described as a black male, about 44, 95 lbs., with black hair, brown eyes, and a thin build. There is no last known clothing description available at this time.

Anthony has run away in the past and is known to frequent the area of the South Bay Mall and the Burger King located at 100 Washington Street, police said.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is advised to contact 911 or B-3 Detectives at 617-343-4275.

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
Watch: Boston Strangler trailer

The chilling true story of the Boston Strangler, one of America's most notorious serial killers, has been turned into a new Disney+ film.

Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon star as Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole, the pioneering reporters who covered the story in the early 1960s.

The true-crime thriller, simply titled Boston Strangler, is out on the streaming platform today. Here's everything you need to know about the real case.

Who was the Boston Strangler?

The Boston Strangler was a serial killer who murdered at least 11 women in the US city from 1962 to 1964.

Most of the victims were sexually assaulted and strangled with articles of their own clothing, mostly their nylon stockings. The killer was given several nicknames by the press, including the 'Phantom Fiend', the 'Phantom Strangler' and the 'Mad Stranger of Boston', as the crimes sent shockwaves through the city and made national headlines.

The youngest and final victim, Mary Sullivan, was 19 when she was raped and murdered in her apartment, just days after moving to Boston. The oldest victim, Mary Mullen, was 85.

Carrie Coon and Keira Knightley in true-crime thriller Boston Strangler. (Disney+)

Albert DeSalvo, a factory worker and military veteran, confessed to being the killer in 1965, when he was held in a psychiatric ward after being charged with an unrelated rape.

However, police lacked the evidence to bring him to trial, and he was never convicted of the murders. According to the Associated Press, DeSalvo did not match witness descriptions of the attacker, and was not on investigators' lists of more than 300 suspects.

Read more: The best movies new to streaming this weekend

In 1967, he was jailed for life at a maximum-security prison for a string of armed robberies and sexual assaults. He later recanted his confession to the 11 killings, and was fatally stabbed in his cell by another inmate in 1973.

Confessed 'Boston Strangler' Albert DeSalvo at Walpole Prison. (The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The mystery of the killer's identity lingered for decades, and police reopened the case in 1999 in an attempt to get closure for the victims' families. The remains of DeSalvo and victim Mary Sullivan were exhumed in 2001 for DNA testing.

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Forensic scientists found no DNA match until 2013, when new technology finally linked DeSalvo to Sullivan's killing.

Martha Coakley, the then-attorney general of Massachusetts, said: "This leaves no doubt that Albert DeSalvo was responsible for the brutal murder of Mary Sullivan, and most likely that he was responsible for the horrific murders of the other women he confessed to killing."

Knightley plays journalist Loretta McLaughlin. (Disney+)

Despite the breakthrough a decade ago, the full case may never be solved. Similar DNA was not recovered from the scenes of the other murders, meaning there is no conclusive proof that DeSalvo was responsible for all the killings.

Daniel Conley, the then-district attorney for Suffolk County, said at the time: "These developments bear only on Mary Sullivan's murder. They don't apply to the other 10 homicides popularly attributed to the Boston Strangler. Even among experts and law enforcement officials there is disagreement to this day about whether they were in fact committed by the same person."

Who were Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole?

The new film Boston Strangler focuses on two female reporters, Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole, who covered the story for the Boston Record American newspaper. The pair, portrayed by played by Knightley and Coon, battled sexism from police and colleagues to uncover the truth about the killings.

The film's director and writer Matt Ruskin, who grew up in Boston, told Empire magazine: "I always loved journalism stories and in researching the case, I discovered these two journalists, starting with Loretta McLaughlin, the first journalist to connect the murders, and in her reporting, she actually gave the Boston Strangler his name.

Keira Knightley plays Loretta McLaughlin. (Disney+)

"It was a really monumental story for her in her career in the early 1960s. She was a very ambitious reporter in a male-dominated field and this was a real turning point for her. In reading about Loretta and her partner Jean Cole, the other reporter she worked with, I discovered that Jean Cole's granddaughter is an old friend of mine."

McLaughlin died aged 90 in 2018 and Cole died aged 89 in 2015, but the film has the blessings of both their families.

Ruskin says the journalists' relatives welcomed him "with open arms" as he researched the murder cases, sharing press clippings and old photos with him.

"So at that point, I was really hooked and devoted to telling their stories," he said.

Boston Strangler is streaming on Disney+ now.
People partying with borgs for St. Patrick's Day. Screenshot/TikTok - @hiimgoode

Ahead of St. Patrick's Day, Boston University is warning students about the TikTok-trendy drink 'borg.'

The school is heeding caution following an incident at UMass Amherst earlier this month where 28 ambulances were called to parties.

Despite these warnings, the drink continues to grow in popularity on TikTok.

Boston University is warning students ahead of St. Patricks' Day about "BORGs," or "blackout rage gallons," an alcoholic drink that's been made trendy on TikTok.

This follows similar alarms the University of Massachusetts Amherst sounded earlier this month after the school blamed "BORGs" for causing 28 ambulances to be called to off-campus parties.

On Tuesday, BU's Student Health Services shared a post on its Facebook page urging its students not to partake in the viral trend. Or, if they do, to use much less alcohol than popular recipes ask for.

"You may have heard of BORGs  either online or in the news because of alcohol emergencies," the organization wrote. "For a safe St. Patrick's Day, read through for tips about BORGs, safer alternatives, and getting help in an alcohol emergency."

The school included several informational slides, including one denoting all the hazards of BORG drinks. "Many recipes call for up to 17 shots of liquor," it read. "Even if consumed over many hours, this is enough alcohol to cause an emergency."

BORGs are large jugs that mix water, hard liquor, electrolytes, and other flavoring for taste. The idea  or misconception, perhaps is that one can stay hydrated and avoid a hangover after drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Experts are wary of this notion because it does not negate the dangerous amounts of alcohol in a gallon of BORG.

"We don't recommend drinking a BORG," one of BU's slides plainly states. However, if a student partakes, the school recommends drinking slowly over time, or measuring out "one shot per hour" that they plan to drink.

"You could also add no alcohol, nobody will know!" a slide also states.

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Insider has reached out to the school for comment.

While the trend gained popularity in 2022, BORG videos and concoctions date back to at least 2020. Most recently, BORG drinks have become incredibly viral among college-aged students. Over the last two weeks, TikTok has been flooded with BORG content ahead of St. Patrick's Day festivities,.

The hashtag for "borg" has garnered over 100 million views on TikTok, with people sharing tutorials on how to make borgs, and comedy skits about the concept of the drink and its name. There have also been clips of creators documenting their "first BORG drink."

Earlier this month, UMass Amherst pointed to the viral drink to account for 28 ambulances that were reportedly called to student parties. While none of the cases were life-threatening, droves of students were reportedly seen carrying BORGs during the school's "Blarney Blowout" weekend, an annual school celebration that typically comes before St. Patrick's Day.

Read the original article on Insider
Almost two years after it opened, the Boxyard RTP development is full of places where visitors can eat, shop around and have fun.

The development, a 15,000-square-foot space built out of shipping and cargo containers, is located between Raleigh and Durham in the Research Triangle Park, and is intended to be a place where coworkers and members of the surrounding Triangle communities can meet, eat, connect and unwind inside the Park.

The development opened in June 2021 with 13 permanent vendors and several pop-up ones, from big-name, local favorites to others new to the Triangles dining and retail scene.

As the Boxyard development continues to attract visitors to its unique space, weve compiled a list of vendors at the site  plus descriptions from the vendors and Boxyard  to help you navigate it all. Well update this story as vendors change, come and go from the space.

What restaurants are at Boxyard RTP?

 Beyu Caffe  A Durham favorite with a handful of locations, Beyu Caffe expanded to Boxyard as one of the developments first vendors. The brand is rooted in a love for coffee, community and bringing people together in a place where they can simply be themselves. The Boxyard cafe offers coffee and tea, plus several food selections for breakfast and later-in-the-day fare. Grab your food and drinks to-go, or spend time in the cool in-store vibe. Find out more about the cafe and view the menu at beyucaffe.com.

Bulkogi Korean BBQ has opened a brick & mortar at the new Boxyard RTP. The restaurant has menu favorites including kimchi French fries topped off with an egg.

 Bulkogi  Another local favorite, Bulkogi is best known for its food truck that serves up Korean barbecue fare in a variety of forms, from atop a traditional bed of rice to tacos and burritos. The popular truck established a permanent spot at Boxyard when the development opened in 2021, allowing the brand to provide a unique experience and expand our creativity. Learn more about Bulkogi and see the truck and Boxyard menus at bulkogi.com.

 Buzzy Bakes  A Boxyard vendor since the start of the development, Buzzy Bakes offers a variety of sweet treats, from cupcakes to cookies and more. The locally-owned bakery previously operated out of a vintage camper, but the permanent space at Boxyard has allowed the brand to experiment with new flavors and create beautiful experiences for visitors. Learn more about Buzzy Bakes at buzzybakes.com.

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A line of taps at Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, N.C.. Fullsteam is one of the many craft breweries to spring up in the state in the last decade.

 Fullsteam RTP  One of the Triangles most well-known breweries, Fullsteam has two locations locally, including one at Boxyard. The brewery aims to craft distinctly Southern beer that celebrates the farm and food traditions of the American South. At the Fullsteam Boxyard location, look for pizza, sandwiches, wings and more  and, of course, plenty of beer options, plus wine, cider and cocktails, to wash it all down. Learn more about the Fullsteam brand and its two locations at fullsteam.ag.

 Lagoon Bar  Described on the Boxyard website as a leisure tiki bar with mid-century modern vibes, Lagoon Bar offers resort-style beverages and cocktails crafted with creativity, intention and top-shelf liquor. The bar sits atop Lawrence Barbecue at the development and comes from the team behind that spot. Learn more about Lagoon at boxyard.rtp.org/vendors/lagoon-bar.

 Lawrence Barbecue  Lawrence Barbecue offers a barbecue menu unlike any other in the state, with traditional smoked meat options served alongside oysters and unique sides. Weekly features and daily specials keep options fresh and exciting, but visitors can always count on good vibes and good food. Learn more about Lawrence Barbecue and see the restaurants menu at lawrencebarbecue.squarespace.com.

Chef Jake Wood in the kitchen at his restaurant, Lawrence BBQ, located in the new Boxyard RTP on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021.

 Leroys Taco Shop  Another food vendor from the team at Lawrence Barbecue, Leroys Taco Shop is new to the Boxyard line-up. The taco spots origins are in the birria brisket tacos offered at Lawrence, which became wildly popular when they were on the menu. Now, diners can enjoy those tacos and more in a space of their own, complete with beer offerings to complement them.

 Meat & Graze  Charcuterie seems to be all the rage these days, and Meat & Graze at Boxyard takes the trend a step further by offering gourmet cheeseperiences. Whether youre looking for a personal-sized grazing option or larger grazing tables for events, Meat & Graze offers palate-inclusive options with a variety of meats, cheeses, fruits and more. They even have options for your pets, offering barkcuterie for dogs. Learn more about Meat & Grazes personal charcuterie and catering options at meatandgraze.com.

 RTP Uncorked  Boxyards destination for wine enthusiasts, RTP Uncorked offers a wide selection of wines by the glass and bottle to enjoy on-site or at home. The space features  a relaxing atmosphere where visitors can meet and unwind. Learn more about RTP Uncorked at boxyard.rtp.org/vendors/rtp-uncorked.

The Boxyard, photographed on Friday, June 11, 2021 in Durham, N.C., is a collection of renovated shipping containers that house restaurants other retailers on NC 54 in Research Triangle Park.

What else is at Boxyard RTP?

 Game On Escapes & More  Put your logic and intellect to the test at Game On Escapes, where visitors can take on bite-size escape games and challenges. The space also offers virtual reality experiences. Learn more about the offerings at Game On Escapes at gameonescapes.com/boxyard.

 Honeypress  From stationery to magnets to keychains and more, Honeypress offers a wide variety of novelties. The store aims to create a space for culturally and racially diverse artists, especially in the Asian community, to display their work and pride. Learn more about the store at honeypress-nc.com.

 Secondhand Concession Stand  This pop-up vendor will be at Boxyard through mid-May, offering secondhand and vintage clothing in a 90s/Y2K atmosphere. The brands collection of vintage spiritwear for local teams is expansive, and they feature a new local vendor in the stop each week. Learn more about Secondhand Concession Stand at 2ndhandconcessionstand.com/about-us.

 Wonderpuff  Going beyond the typical cotton candy of your childhood, Wonderpuff offers artisanal and organic takes on the classic sweet treat, plus a wide variety of fun gift items and more. Bright colors and disco balls fill the fun space thats all about honesty, well-being and gentleness. Learn more about the shop at ohwonderpuff.com.

Jackie Morin of Wonderpuff is located in the new Boxyard RTP. Morin makes artisanal organic cotton candy in a variety of non-traditional flavors.

Where is Boxyard RTP?

Boxyard RTP is located at 900 Park Offices Dr., Research Triangle Park.

Full list of vendors at Boxyard RTP

You can find the full list of Boxyard RTP vendors and additional information about them at boxyard.rtp.org/vendors.

Pop-up vendors at the development rotate throughout the year. See the list of upcoming vendors at boxyard.rtp.org/popbox.
By Victor Pinheiro

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - The Brazilian government is studying whether to regulate Internet platforms with content that earns revenue such as advertising, its secretary for digital policies, Joao Brant, said on Friday.

The idea would be for a regulator to hold such platforms, not consumers, accountable for monetized content, Brant told Reuters.

Another goal is "to prevent the networks from being used for the dissemination and promotion of crimes and illegal content" especially after the riots by supporters of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia in January, fueled by misinformation about the election he lost in October.

Brant said President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government also intends to make companies responsible for stopping misinformation, hate speech and other crimes on their social media platforms. Platforms would not be held responsible for content individually, but for how diligent they are in protecting the "digital environment," he said in an interview.

Brant did not detail what the regulatory body would look like, but said the government wants to regulate monetized content and prevent the platforms from spreading misinformation.

"What the body would do is monitor whether the platforms are fulfilling their obligations well, and not deal with individual content published by users. That must be up to the courts," he said.

Brant did not specify the role the judiciary would play in fighting misinformation.

Any proposal would require changes to the regulatory framework in the 2014 law known as the "Marco Civil" that governs the Internet in Brazil and protects the rights of users.

The law's Article 19 exempts platforms from legal responsibility "for damages resulting from content generated by third parties", unless there is a specific court order for the removal of the content.

For Brant, the current framework "generates an incentive for platforms not to take care of the public space of debate."

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The absence of accountability for content that is promoted, monetized or presented as advertising must be reconsidered, he said, adding: "For them to have zero responsibility for that content is very bad."

Brazil's Supreme Court has been discussing the constitutionality of Article 19 since 2017, based on a lawsuit filed by Meta Platforms Inc Meta, owner of Facebook and WhatsApp.

Meta questioned its responsibility for removing content without a court decision in a case involving a fake Facebook profile. The court scheduled a public hearing on the issue for March 28.

(This story has been refiled to correct byline)

(Reporting by Victor Pinheiro, Debora Ely and Bernardo Barbosa; Editing by David Gregorio)
More than one home burglary in Bellingham is being linked to a brazen West Coast gang of masked thieves who have ransacked homes from Whatcom County to the Seattle area and farther south, according to police and published reports.

Bellingham Police Lt. Claudia Murphy confirmed in an email to The Bellingham Herald Friday, March 17, that a detective is investigating the cases.

Murphy was unable to provide details immediately, but police in Bellevue said the burglars have been targeting homes along urban bike and pedestrian corridors like Bellinghams well-known Greenways trail system.

Theyre using the trails that run up against these houses as a mean of escape, Bellevue Police Capt. Joe Nault told KCPQ-TV in Seattle, which first published about the crimes.

Bellevue Police said at their website that at least 16 break-ins are the work of an organized crew that attacks in groups of three.

They often enter the home through the back door but have used a second-story window. The burglars target jewelry, cash, purses and safes, and they tend to burglarize more than one home in a neighborhood,

They all wear masks and seem undaunted by security cameras  but they flee at the sound of an alarm or one voice through a remote surveillance system, Nault told Channel 13.

Burglars have used trash cans or ladders stored outside to enter through a second-story window, sometimes even while people are home.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official allegedly overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia.

"Vladimir Putin, born on Oct. 7, 1952, President of the Russian Federation, is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation," the International Criminal Court statement reads.

In its statement, the ICC writes that it believes Putin bears individual criminal responsibility as the leader of Russia for the crimes committed against Ukrainian children.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova dismissed the news, declaring that decisions of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including from a legal standpoint, Russian independent media Meduza reported.

Russia withdrew from the ICC in 2016 following its criticism of Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea.

On Feb. 16, Putin praised Lvova-Belova for her work overseeing the deportation of Ukrainian children, portraying it as a humanitarian effort to protect Russian citizens.

According to the ICC, there are reasonable grounds to believe that Putin is directly responsible for overseeing the deportations and that he failed to exercise control over the Russian military personnel and civilians who implemented the crime throughout occupied Ukrainian territory since the start of the full-scale invasion.

President Volodymyr Zelensky met with ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan in Kyiv on Feb. 28 and underscored the critical importance of bringing those responsible for war crimes in Ukraine to justice. He stressed the need to return kidnapped Ukrainian children to Ukraine, saying that he would be very grateful to the ICC for ideas on facilitating it as quickly as possible.

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According to the U.S. ambassador to OSCE Michael Carpenter, Russia, has deported almost 2,000 children from Ukraine since Jan. 1. More than 16,000 children were forcibly removed from Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion, the National Information Bureau wrote.

A United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine published a report on March 16 that found Russia's relocation of Ukrainian children likely constitutes a war crime.

Head of Presidents Office Andriy Yermak responded to the news by writing, its only the beginning.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also weighed in, writing that "the wheels of justice are turning."

"I applaud the ICC decision to issue arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova over forcible transfer of Ukrainian children. International criminals will be held accountable for stealing children and other international crimes," Kuleba wrote.

Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin called it a "historic decision" not only for Ukraine but for the entire system of international law.

"World leaders will think three times before shaking (Putin's) hand or sitting down at the negotiating table with him. The world received a signal that the Russian regime is criminal and its leadership and henchmen will be held accountable," Kostin said.
A visitor test drives an product of China's Sany Group at the 2023 CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas, the United States, on March 14, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]



Chinese manufacturers of construction equipment are ready to embrace a greener and more intelligent future, presenting electric versions of multiple vehicles and the application of smart technologies at North America's largest construction trade show opened in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG) unveiled a pure electric heavy-duty off-road dump truck with a rated load of 67 tonnes and two pure electric battery counterbalanced forklifts at the show named CONEXPO-CON/AGG.

Liu Quan, chief executive officer with XCMG America, told Xinhua that XCMG would prioritize the introduction of electric products including electric loaders, excavators, road rollers and mining equipment to dealers and key clients as the world attaches more importance to climate change and environmental protection.

A single drum roller equipped with the latest unmanned control technology and automatic rolling construction accuracy of less than 2 centimeters was showcased by XCMG.

At the show, XCMG also exhibited 17 types of excavators, all of which adopt electric hydraulic systems with improved fuel efficiency. Auxiliary construction such as intelligent weighing and one-touch automatic slope repair or leveling is available as options, said XCMG in a release.

"We have cracked the core component problems such as battery, electric control and motor, and have actually achieved mass production of the products," said Dong Yuzhong, vice president with the research institute of XCMG's Excavating Machinery Division.

Liugong Machinery Co., Ltd., which brought an electric wheel loader and an electric excavator, announced on Tuesday that it has sold its first battery electric vehicle in the United States.

"The industry is talking about battery electric vehicles at a greater volume than in the years past, particularly going into CONEXPO," said Andrew Ryan, president of LiuGong North America.

People look at exhibits of China's Liugong Machinery at the 2023 CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas, the United States, on March 14, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]



Sany Group showcased an electric wheel loader and a mini electric excavator with an eye on opportunities from electric transition in the United States.

Still, Sany is not selling the electric versions of equipment in the United States and Sany "just let people know that Sany is looking towards the future, looking to understand where machines and the equipment are gonna go from an electric standpoint," said Gabriel Weiss, director of marketing and digitization with SANY America.

"The whole intent of what we're trying to do is to find what fits within the U.S. market and bring it to the U.S. market at the appropriate time for our customers," Weiss told Xinhua in an interview on Wednesday.

Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology exhibited multiple green and intelligent aerial work platforms at the show.

The whole industry is developing in a green, smart and digital manner with the application of technologies on 5G, big data and the Internet of Things and Zoomlion attaches importance to the long-term and sustainable development, said Bruce Liu, general manager assistant with Zoomlion International.

Chinese construction equipment makers as a whole have made fast progress in offering green, digital, informationized and large-scale products, said Shi Yonghong, vice president of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products.

New models powered by electricity, hydrogen and hybrid fuels were developed and Chinese players are basically at the same level with the world's top-level manufacturers, Shi told Xinhua.

Shi noted that impressive progress has been made by tapping technologies on the Internet of Things, industry cloud as well as augmented reality.

Held triennially in Las Vegas, the massive show of CONEXPO-CON/AGG runs from Tuesday through Saturday, showcasing the latest equipment advances and newest technology applications in every field of construction.
Brendan Rodgers, pictured, has highlighted the threat of Ivan Toney (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)

Brendan Rodgers has highlighted the threat of Ivan Toney as Leicester prepare to face Brentford on Saturday.

Toney has been in fine goalscoring form again this campaign having notched 16 so far, behind only Erling Haaland and Harry Kane in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old has earned another call-up to Gareth Southgates England squad to face Italy and Ukraine in the Euro 2024 qualifiers.

Ivan has been fantastic, Rodgers told a press conference.

You can see that hes grown since hes come in, he has that confidence, that technical quality but hes a street player also.

Hes aggressive, strong and just an outstanding player so we have to be ready for the team because theyve got some other good players and we collectively have to go and play well as a team to get the result.

Leicesters meeting with Brentford will be the last of this month as teams go into the upcoming international break.

The two sides have contrasting results heading into the match, with Brentford losing just once in 14 league matches and Leicester on a four-game losing streak.

Rodgers said: We will give the players that are here and some of the staff a chance to reset.

Its been a challenging season and thats always important in long and hard seasons but at the same time we will get some work done and welcome the boys back from the international break free of injury.

But then weve got a real run of games that we can look forward to.

Rodgers has dismissed any murmurs about players not trying and insists his squad have always shown fight.

I dont think thats in question  I think the players have given everything, he added.

Clearly, obviously they are not at the height of confidence but I think the players have given everything and I think the frustration is in those costly moments and maybe we do switch off or dont quite get into position and then we get punished by it.

But the players are really really good. An honest group of players and my job is to stay positive with them in this tough moment and we have shown before that we can come through that.

Victor Kristiansen and Jonny Evans are doubts for the trip to the Gtech Community Stadium due to injury.

Fellow defender Wout Faes is suspended as he was sent off late in the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea last weekend after receiving two yellow cards.
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain and Japan agreed to co-operate in space on Friday, the latest move in a deepening of defence ties between the two countries which are building a new fighter jet together.

Britain said on Friday that it signed an arrangement with Japan to facilitate future space co-operation including sharing space information, collaborative training and personnel exchanges.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida signed a defence agreement in January, building on their joint project, announced last year, the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).

On Friday, Britain's Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston said in a statement that the UK and Japan are working closely together and share common values and strategic interests.

"The space domain is critical to our shared security and prosperity, and a vital area of cooperation, underpinned by UK Space Command and the Koku-Jietai," he said.

(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by William James)
Burien Police Chief Ted Boe didnt mince words when describing a recent incident where officers witnessed a burglary but legally werent allowed to pursue the suspects, according to a social media post from the Burien Police Department.

Boe said he found himself incredibly frustrated with the restrictions placed on law enforcement by the Washington State Legislature and 10.116.060, which made pursuits by law enforcement difficult to justify.

I have no doubt the law is well intended, Boe said.

The recent angst was brought on by an incident that Boe said occurred Friday morning when two of his officers found two people burglarizing a Burien business and had to let them drive away.

Boe said not only are the businesses now out thousands of dollars, but since burglary is not a Class A felony, the officers could not pursue the individuals.

He said the officers did everything they could to arrest them, but the law prevented his officers from using methods such as a Pursuit Immobilization Technique (PIT) or spike strips.

Boe said his officers are trained to use those methods safely, but are legally prevented from doing so.

He said the suspects not only removed all identifying information from their car, they also obscured their faces, making an investigation of this nature extremely difficult.

Boe said it is likely the suspects will never be brought to justice.

He ended his post by saying, I applaud our officers for doing everything in their power to catch these criminals and feel for the businesses left to pay for the damages.
House Oversight Committee James Comer (R., Ky.) on Friday sent a letter to Biden family associate Rob Walker asking him to participate in a transcribed interview with Committee staff, one day after subpoenaed bank records revealed Walker doled out more than a $1 million to Biden family members after receiving a $3 million payout from a Chinese energy company.

Rob Walker is a key witness in our investigation of President Bidens involvement in his familys business schemes, Comer said in a statement on Friday. After receiving a $3 million dollar payout from a Chinese energy company two months after Vice President Biden left office, Rob Walker then sent over a million dollars in incremental payments to Biden family accounts and a similar amount to another Biden family associate.

He added: These records reveal that the three parties likely all received a third of the money from China and it is unclear what services were provided in return.

Comer noted Rob Walker, in speaking about his dealings with the Bidens, once said that exposing him would bury all of us, man.

Why? The Oversight Committee has many questions for Rob Walker and we look forward to getting answers for the American people, Comer concluded.

The letter to Walker says the committee has identified him as a critical witness in its investigations into President Bidens involvement in his familys business practices and invites him to participate in a transcribed interview.

Hunter Biden, James Biden, Hallie Biden and an unknown fourth Biden received a total of $1.3 million in payments from accounts related to Walker in 2017 shortly after Walker received a $3 million wire from a Chinese energy company, the committee revealed Thursday.

A memo Comer released on Thursday was the first time Hallie Biden, the widow of Bidens late son Beau Biden, had been connected to the Biden family business schemes.

The subpoenaed bank records show that State Energy HK Limited, a firm affiliated with CEFC China Energy, wired $3 million to Robinson Walker, LLC on March 1, 2017  less than two months after then-vice president Joe Biden left office. The following day, Robinson Walker, LLC wired $1,065,000 to European Energy and Infrastructure Group in Abu Dhabi, a company associated with James Gilliar, another business partner to Hunter Biden, according to the memo.

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The Biden family members and their companies then began receiving incremental payments over a period of approximately three months, the memo states. The recipients of the money included Hallie Biden, companies associated with Hunter Biden and James Biden, and an unknown bank account identified as Biden.

The unknown Biden account received $70,000 from Robinson Walker, LLC between March and May of 2017, according to subpoenaed bank records obtained by the committee.

Robinson Walker LLC sent Hallie Biden $25,000 on March 20, 2017, according to the memo. One month earlier, she received a $10,000 transfer from Robinson Walker LLC shortly before it received the $3 million payment.

At the time of the payments, Hallie Biden was dating Hunter Biden. The pair were romantically involved from 2016 to 2019 after Beau Bidens death from brain cancer in 2015.

Meanwhile, an account belonging to Hunter Biden received $500,000 during that time frame, while an account belonging to James Biden received $360,000.

White House spokesman Ian Sams dismissed the latest reporting.

After a disgusting attack lamenting that the Presidents deceased son Beau was never prosecuted while he was alive, Congressman Comer has now decided to go after Beaus widow, Sams said. Instead of bizarrely attacking the Presidents family, perhaps House Republicans should focus on working with the President to deliver results for American families on important priorities like lowering costs and strengthening health care.

More from National Review
Dog Swallows Fitbit That Keeps Tracking Her Movement

Pet Poison Helpline

When Marie Fournier's Fitbit went missing from where it had been charging, she thought it must be lost in her bedroom.

But after a few days of looking, the dog owner from Caseville, Michigan, checked out her fitness app and noticed something strange  the exercise tracker had logged activity since its disappearance.

"I opened the app and confirmed it must be around because someone was using it. It was hilarious. It had been tracking movement, and it was like I rode my bicycle outside for 20 minutes," Fournier said in a Pet Poison Helpline release.

Before the device's disappearance, Fournier last saw her Fitbit charging on her dresser in the upstairs bedroom of the home she shares with her husband, Norm, and their two dogs, Harley and Halley.

After talking with Norm, Fournier ruled him out as the Fitbit thief who logged a 20-minute bike ride, so only two suspects were left.

"When I realized it must be one of the dogs who took the Fitbit, I began to suspect that perhaps Halley had eaten it because she was acting strangely," Fournier said.

RELATED: Orlando Shelter Dog Called 'Ugly' by Potential Adopters Finds Home Where She Is 'Cherished'

Dog Swallows Fitbit That Keeps Tracking Her Movement

Pet Poison Helpline

"I put Halley in the car with me and drove around the block, but the app wasn't tracking. Then I did the same thing with Harley and found out she was the real culprit. Halley's strange behavior must have been empathy for her sister," the dog mom added.

After determining the location of the Fitbit, Fournier made a quick call to the Pet Poison Helpline, which recommended she head to a veterinarian immediately.

Dr. Renee Schmid, a senior veterinary toxicologist at Pet Poison Helpline, said there was concern about the lithium polymer battery inside the Fitbit, which can cause tissue damage from generating an electrical current.

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.

"Since it was more than 24 hours since ingestion, there was a concern the Fitbit would not pass on its own, and we recommended surgery," Dr. Schmid said. The team at Caseville Small Animal Clinic gave Harley a radiograph; sure enough, there was the Fitbit.

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RELATED: What's Next for Gunther, the World's Richest Dog? Offering to 'Buy Nicolas Cage's Island'

"But there was another mass that they couldn't identify in her lower intestines. At first, they tried to induce vomiting. Nothing came up, but the mass moved, and we could see it better," Fournier said.

Surgery uncovered the Fitbit, including its silicon band and a rock the size of a prune inside the canine.

Fournier said it ended up being fortunate that her pup ate the Fitbit because "if she hadn't, we wouldn't have known about the rock, and it might have caused far more damage or death." Harley recovered from the surgery and is doing well.

And if you were wondering if the Fitbit survived its Magic Schoolbus-style adventure, Fournier said she just needed to replace the device's band. "The Fitbit itself continues to track. I'm keeping it out of reach now," she said, adding, "apparently, Fitbits can also take a licking and keep on ticking."

Pet Poison Helpline states owners should seek urgent veterinary care if a pet ingests any battery.

"Depending on the specific type of battery, whether it was punctured, and how much was ingested, treatment can vary from at-home monitoring, starting medication to provide gastrointestinal protection, or potentially surgery. Lithium batteries, especially round, button-type batteries, tend to become lodged in the esophagus, creating even more concerns," a statement from the helpline said.
Californias attorney general has warned Elk Grove officials that they must reverse their rejection of an affordable housing development planned for the citys Old Town or face legal consequences.

In a letter Thursday to Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, Attorney General Rob Bonta said that the citys ruling last summer against the proposed 66-unit Oak Rose project violates state laws that require streamlining of affordable housing construction.

Too many Californians across this state worry about keeping a roof over their heads, or lack housing altogether. State housing laws are in place to provide all Californians, regardless of income level, the opportunity to access affordable housing and have a place to call home, Bonta said.

Were committed to enforcing the law, and we will not stand idly by in the face of housing discrimination. I urge Elk Grove to reconsider its unlawful denial of the Oak Rose Apartment project, or face the legal consequences.

Singh-Allen in a statement Thursday evening denied that Elk Grove broke state housing law. She said the city wants to work with Oak Roses developers to find an alternate site for the project, but said the projects developers have been non-responsive.

Elk Grove remains committed to providing housing for all. We reject the notion that Elk Grove is engaged in unlawful discrimination. We remain committed to supporting solutions that balance the needs of all in the community, Singh-Allen said. The applicant has been non-responsive to our attempts to negotiate a solution that we think offers an alternative site with similar access to amenities. The city remains open to a productive dialogue with the applicant to come to a mutually beneficial resolution.

Elk Groves dispute with the state and developers over Oak Rose, and the citys record on affordable housing more broadly, stretches back months.

The city came under criticism almost immediately last July when it rejected plans for the three-story structure on Elk Grove Boulevard near Kent Road in east Elk Grove. It is near a bus line, shopping and a planned new library.

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The building, developers said, would have been the first in Elk Grove to provide permanent housing and services for low-income families who had been homeless. The Elk Grove City Council maintained the project was too dense and said plans for ground-floor residences did not comply with Old Towns zoning requirements. Leaders called on project applicants Oak Rose LP to work with the city to find alternate sites.

Oak Rose LP sued the city to allow the development to go forward and, days later, state housing officials issued their own scathing report that largely mirrored the Oak Rose suit.

The report alleged Elk Grove discriminated against the project, employed double standards, failed to fulfill its own goals of promoting and providing affordable housing stock and did not promptly notify developers that the project fell outside city zoning standards.

The citys response should include, at a minimum, a specific plan for corrective action, including allowing the project to move forward at 9252 Elk Grove Blvd., David Zisser, a state housing assistant deputy director, said in the October report.

Elk Grove responded in November, defending its record on affordable housing, and standing by its no vote on the Oak Rose project.

The city takes its housing obligations seriously and supports the states efforts to address the housing crisis, its letter said.

Elk Groves rejection of Oak Rose and the lawsuit and report that followed came amid a revival of its east side Old Town historic district. Last spring, planners greenlighted a market-rate housing project that features ground floor units similar to those rejected in Oak Rose.

Elk Grove has about 2,300 affordable housing units, according to city officials. But it needs to build more than 4,200 units for very-low and low-income families this decade, according to a recent regional housing needs analysis by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.

Elk Grove officials say the city is gaining ground. More than 1,100 new affordable housing units are in some form of development in Elk Grove, with nearly 800 of these units being built. More than 100 units are expected to open within the next month, officials said, while more than 350 additional units have entitlements or loan commitments from the city.

The 387-unit, 17-acre Poppy Grove apartments will be Elk Groves largest affordable housing development when it opens to residents in September 2024, and will include units for families with extremely low incomes. As many as 1,500 people will live at Poppy Ridge, developers say.

But affordable housing continues to be a need in Elk Grove, city officials acknowledge.

At an Elk Grove town hall on homelessness in February, city housing manager Sarah Bontrager said 5,600 people applied for 180 units at one such development.
In 2020, pandemic lockdown initiatives allowed restaurants such as San Pedro's La Siciliana to begin serving customers outdoors on closed streets and in parklets. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

After years of pandemic-spurred pivots and local concern regarding the possible loss of parklet dining permits , restaurants could get help from a new state bill that would extend the life of temporary outdoor dining.

Assembly Bill 1217, authored by California Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Woodland Hills), aims to prolong the benefits of local and state programs such as L.A. Al Fresco that streamlined the application process and waived fees for restaurants and bars when operators could not seat guests indoors.

These neighborhood restaurants are the backbone of communities across California, Gabriel told The Times, and during the pandemic so many of them were barely hanging on by a thread. Outdoor dining became this critical lifeline for them.

In 2020 owner Christy Vega Fowler said she spent $30,000 on two outdoor dining tents for Mexican restaurant Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks, plus $10,000 monthly to rent them. The hospitality group behind East Hollywoods Found Oyster spent roughly $22,000 to install a parklet patio, while ownership of Los Feliz restaurant All Time said they spent around $30,000 on a new patio; should they lose it under L.A.s proposed ordinance, they will have to retool their business plan and cut staff. A number of restaurateurs in Whittier each spent $2,000 to $3,000 solely on tables, umbrellas and planters.

If passed and subsequently signed into law, the statewide regulation would sustain many of the permitting leniencies and programs designed to help businesses pivot to outdoor dining by allowing the conversion of parklets, alleyways and sidewalks to new dining spaces. It also would supersede city and county ordinances such as Novembers proposed ordinance in the city of Los Angeles, which is still under consideration and would require new permit applications and fees for restaurants hoping to maintain their Al Fresco-program setups.

In short, our zoning rules clearly articulate a series of rules that restaurant owners must adhere to from parking to hours of operation, among many other considerations, Yeghig Keshishian, L.A. City Planning chief external affairs officer, told The Times last month. These rules did not go away with the emergency orders; they were merely relaxed for a specified period of time. In the end, all of our policies should balance business interests along with community impacts.

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In part, the new state bill was inspired by the news of L.A.s recently proposed rules. AB 1217, introduced in February and yet to be scheduled for an assembly hearing, is in its nascent stages, though Gabriel expects a hearing in the coming weeks.

The proposed bill would build upon some of the pandemic relief found in Assembly Bill 61, a bill co-authored by Gabriel. That bill  which was signed into law in 2021  extended flexibility to restaurants with temporary catering licenses, allowing for more outdoor food preparation, among other practices. Similarly, AB 1217 would extend the currently temporary relief measures such as conditional use permits for outdoor dining expansion and parklet conversion to al fresco seating.

The assemblymember says he saw firsthand that the passage of AB 61 resulted in increased outdoor cooking for some restaurants, as well as new use of spaces such as alleyways and parking lots. The bill passed with bipartisan support, and Gabriel said the legislative team worked closely with the city of L.A. to create it; he remains hopeful that constituents and legislators across the aisle and in cities across California will rally around AB 1217 as well.

The point here is to work with local governments and hopefully not to get in a fight with them, the assemblymember said. But at the end of the day, we're not going to allow local governments to kill outdoor dining.

A representative for L.A. City Planning did not respond to The Times' request for comment regarding the possibility of cooperation with state legislators but did note that there are some similarities between the proposed state bill and the city's proposed ordinance: "City Plannings initial reading of the bill is that the City of L.A. is already moving in the same direction related to lessening parking requirements within planning and zoning provisions. City Planning is also taking the necessary steps to streamline the zoning rules to ease the process for existing Al Fresco participants, as well as new participants."

Should the bill pass the assembly in the coming months, AB 1217 could be moved to Gov. Gavin Newsom around September, with the governor determining whether to sign the bill and others into law during the fall. With a number of state COVID-19-inspired programs and provisions set to expire in 2024, the proposed al fresco continuations could provide some permanence to a restaurant industry plagued for years by uncertainties and additional pandemic-induced operating costs.

A lot of these businesses made major investments in outdoor dining during the pandemic; they invested tens of thousands of dollars, and a lot of them are still struggling, Gabriel said. They're coming out of probably the worst couple years for restaurants in many, many decades.

Updates:

12:40 p.m. March 17, 2023: This story has been updated with a quote from L.A. City Plannings chief external affairs officer, Yeghig Keshishian, and comment from an L.A. City Planning representative.



This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Workers use shovels to clear storm drains at a flooded orchard in Porterville, Calif., recently. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Though California may be ending its winter with quenched reservoirs and near record snowpack, meteorologists are warning that the state will face increased flooding risk in the coming months as Sierra Nevada snowmelt fills rivers and streams.

On Thursday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's spring flood outlook reported that drought conditions will continue to improve in much of the state, but the potential for flooding will worsen in the face of heavy snowpack and elevated soil moisture.

Approximately 44% of the U.S. is at risk for flooding this spring, said Ed Clark, director of NOAAs National Water Center. Californias historic snowpack, coupled with spring rain, is heightening the potential for spring floods.

The severity of that flooding remains to be seen, however, and depends on a variety of weather factors, experts say.

"It's going to happen, and the question is whether it happens quickly versus slowly," UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said. "Is it gradual snowmelt  in which case the flood concerns would be mostly minor  or is it more rapid  in which case we could be talking about something in the major flood territory."

Potential triggers for rapid snowmelt could be an early season heat wave or another series of warm storms, Swain said, both of which could lead to "significant snowmelt flooding, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley and on some of the Sierra east-slope watersheds that drain in the Great Basin and into Nevada."

The NOAA report forecast moderate flooding in the Central Valley and Sierra, and minor flooding in nearly all of Northern California and along the coast.

For a state that has endured three years of drought, only to be hammered by 11 atmospheric rivers since the start of the year, the prospect of clear sky flooding comes as a mixed blessing as some of that water is bound to soak into badly depleted aquifers.

But for communities that have suffered deaths and displacement as a result of being inundated, the forecast is alarming. Such communities include Pajaro, in Monterey County, which was flooded after a levee breached late Friday night.

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The flooding displaced hundreds of people in the primarily migrant town, with no clear timeline for returning. It also raised significant concerns about crop yields in the heavily agricultural region this year.

A similar series of storms in January breached levees along the Cosumnes River near Sacramento, flooding low-lying fields and roadways and contributing to the deaths of at least three people.

State and federal officials who were contending with dwindling reservoirs just months ago are now making strategic releases from dams to make room for incoming flows.

Water managers are "making sure that the reservoir releases are coordinated as best as they can be  given the amount of snowpack  to minimize to the extent possible downstream impacts," Jeremy Arrich, manager of the Division of Flood Management with the California Department of Water Resources, said during a briefing Wednesday.

"However, there's a ton of snow above these watersheds, and we do expect a significant amount of flows coming through through the snowmelt season.

Minor flooding is already occurring along the Sacramento, Salinas, Merced and San Joaquin rivers due to the recent storms, and "many rivers and streams along the Sierra Nevada foothills, especially in the San Joaquin Valley, will continue to run high through the next week from a combination of heavy rainfall and snowmelt," the NOAA outlook said.

The latest round of storms saw a near-record crest on the San Joaquin River at Patterson, with water rising to less than a foot of its high-water mark from February 2017, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The Pajaro River at Chittenden reached its highest crest since February 1998, while the nearby Salinas River at Spreckels rose 3.89 feet above flood stage, second only to the record set in 1995. The Nacimiento River edged out its 1969 high-water mark by 1.51 feet.

Such swells only add to the potential for flooding, as melting snow will arrive atop rivers, creeks and tributaries that could be running high.

Snowfall at the U.C. Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab at Donner Pass has exceeded 650 inches this season, compared with a normal full-season total of around 360 inches.

"If we have average or below-average temperatures and no significant warm atmospheric rivers with rain, there will still be plenty of snowmelt, but it will be more gradual," said Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist at the snow lab. "If we see long periods of uncharacteristically high temperatures, then flooding can become a significant risk from this large snowpack."

Though the storms and associated floods have proved dangerous and deadly, they have also been a boon for water supplies and other conditions in the state. The latest drought monitor update shows nearly 64% of California is no longer classified in any category of drought, including 45% out of drought completely and 19% considered "abnormally dry." That's a remarkable turnaround from just three months ago, when nearly all of the state was deeply mired in record dryness.

The areas out of drought completely include the northwest coast, much of Central California and the Sierra, and portions of Southern California including swaths of Kern and Los Angeles counties.

Drought tendency is improving in the West. (Paul Duginski / Los Angeles Times)

What's more, no part of California remains in the two worst categories  extreme or exceptional drought  compared with 36% just three months ago.

The Department of Water Resources increased its allocation of supplies for state agencies to 35% last month, and officials this week said that number may grow.

The bounty has also enabled the state to divert more water to groundwater basins, including diverting more than 600,000 acre-feet from the San Joaquin River to areas where it can spread and percolate into the aquifer beneath the San Joaquin Valley.

On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California  the wholesaler that supplies 26 agencies and 19 million people in the region  rescinded its unprecedented water conservation mandate. That mandate, which went into effect last June, saw nearly 7 million people under strict water use limitations, including one- and two-day-a-week outdoor watering limits.

However, officials warned that although the state has seen an improvement in drought and water conditions, Southern California's other major source, the Colorado River, remains imperiled.

"One of the big challenges for California lies outside of California, in the Colorado River Basin," said state climatologist Mike Anderson. "The basin has been in drought for 23 years and running, facing some pretty significant challenges."

He added that spring will see a "very dynamic condition as we try and manage all of the water that has shown up, both in January and in March here, as well as in February, when a lot of it was snow."

Indeed, California's 154 primary intrastate reservoirs gained 9.9 million acre-feet of water between Nov. 30 and Feb. 28, according to the drought monitor, bringing their total storage  23.2 million acre-feet  to 96% of the historical average for the time of year.

But in the Colorado River system, storage on Feb. 28 stood at 15.1 million acre-feet, just 46% of average and 29% of capacity.

The rest of March looks to be potentially wetter, with yet another atmospheric river expected to hit California early next week and possibly another one after that. Both may be colder storms that will add to the state's snowpack.

The forecast arrives only days after climatologists declared the end of La Nina, a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific associated with drier-than-normal conditions in the state, particularly Southern California.

The El Nino-La Nina Southern Oscillation, sometimes referred to as ENSO, has a major influence on temperature and rainfall patterns in different parts of the world. ENSO-neutral conditions are expected to continue into early summer, with increasing chances of a wetter El Nino pattern developing soon after.

Surveying the damage in Pajaro on Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom said winter's wild run was indicative of extreme weather swings driven by climate change.

"You look back at the last few years in this state  it's been fire to ice, and no warm bath in between," he said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Kansas Court of Appeals ruled Friday that voting is a fundamental right and that restrictions on it must clear the highest possible bar, in an opinion drawing upon a prior ruling that upheld abortion rights under the state constitution.

The appeals court found that a state law limiting the number of advance ballots someone can deliver restricts the right to vote. It also ruled a provision requiring election officials to verify signatures on advance ballot envelopes impairs the right to vote. If the opinion stands, lawmakers may have a much more difficult time in the future passing limits on access to the polls or advance voting.

The opinion is a victory for voting rights advocates who sued to overturn the law. But Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a Republican who has long championed voting restrictions, sharply attacked the ruling and said he will appeal it.

The opinion demonstrates the continuing consequences of the Kansas Supreme Courts landmark 2019 decision upholding abortion access by finding that bodily autonomy is a fundamental right under the state constitution. The appeals court extensively referenced that 2019 decision, finding that restrictions on voting  as a fundamental right  should face strict scrutiny, the highest standard of legal review.

There is no question that the right to vote is a fundamental right protected by the Kansas Constitution. The right to vote is the foundation of a representative government that derives its power from the people. All basic civil and political rights depend on the right to vote, the appeals court said in the 48-page decision on Friday written by Judge Stephen Hill, who was appointed by Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in 2003.

Our Supreme Court has instructed that strict scrutiny applies when a fundamental right is implicated, Hill wrote, quoting from the 2019 abortion decision. We follow the command and presume that strict scrutiny applies.

The appeals court didnt strike down the law, but sent the case back to a district court judge for review under strict scrutiny. The decision could be appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court.

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Fridays decision came as part of a lawsuit over legislation approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2021 over Democratic Gov. Laura Kellys veto. The legislation was part of a nationwide push by Republican state legislators to use unfounded claims of voter fraud during the 2020 election as grounds for revising election rules.

The message is dont create laws that adversely affect the right to vote, Pedro Irigonegaray, a Topeka lawyer who represented the League of Women Voters of Kansas, Loud Light, the Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice and the Topeka Independent Living Resource Center, which all sued to block the law.

This all came about as a consequence of a false premise, he said. The false premise was that elections were rigged, that elections were somehow fixed.

The bills made several revisions to voting law, limiting the number of advance ballots a Kansan can return on behalf of other voters to 10 and curbing the powers of the governor, secretary of state and courts over elections. The legislation also required election officials to match signatures on mail-in-ballots with voter signatures on file before counting the vote and banned the distribution of advance mail applications from out-of-state groups.

Kobach in a statement called the decision clearly wrong and the most radical election law decision in the country.

The decision is directly contrary to what the U.S. Supreme Court has said, as well as what every state supreme court has said on the matter. The decision is also illogical, Kobach said.

Having election officials make sure that it is your signature on your advance ballot doesnt hurt your right to vote. It protects your vote from being stolen by someone else. This is especially true because the Kansas statute gives the voter a second chance to sign again when the signatures dont match.

He didnt directly address the rulings comments on the ballot return provisions.

Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a Republican, said his office was reviewing the decision and that it appears to be a substantial change to the judicial standard of reviewing state election laws.

Kansas currently has a strict photo voter ID law and Republicans in the Legislature are actively pursuing more changes to election laws.

Todays decision was shocking and endangers every election integrity measure currently on the books, Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said in a statement.

The Kansas House and Senate have both approved bills that would eliminate an existing three-day grace period for mail-in ballots to arrive at an election office after Election Day. Kobach has backed an effort to severely restrict drop boxes, arguing their existence makes it impossible to enforce the challenged law restricting returning other voters advanced ballots.

Voting rights advocates said Republican to reconsider these efforts in the wake of Fridays decision.

I would hope that gives legislators kind of pause and calms them down, said Davis Hammet, president of Loud Light, a Kansas-based civic engagement group that participated in the lawsuit.

And instead of just rushing to pass legislation theres a more serious attitude towards, Oh, do we actually know that a problem exists?
A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday said the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will resolutely safeguard the country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will leave no room for "Taiwan independence" separatist activities in any form.

Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China's defense ministry, made the remarks in response to a press inquiry on recent provocative acts by the United States, which have heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

The root cause of increasing tensions in the Strait is the Democratic Progressive Party authorities' provocative acts to collude with external forces in seeking "Taiwan independence," and their obstinate determination to stand on the opposite side of the Chinese nation's fundamental interests, Tan said.

It is justified for the PLA to carry out military operations in response to external interference and secessionist activities seeking "Taiwan independence," Tan added.

Taiwan is China's Taiwan, and the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair and the core of China's core interests, Tan said, stressing that the Taiwan question is the first red line that can not be crossed in China-U.S. relations.

China firmly opposes any form of official exchanges or military contact between the United States and Taiwan, and resolutely opposes the United States elevating its substantive relations with Taiwan in any form, Tan said.

"We urge the United States to give up its attempt to use Taiwan to contain China, and cease its 'salami tactics' and further action on the Taiwan question," Tan said.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP)  Centuries-old cultural artifacts that had been illegally smuggled out from Cambodia were welcomed home Friday at a celebration led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, who offered thanks for their return and appealed for further efforts to retrieve such stolen treasures.

Many, if not all, of the items displayed at the governments offices Friday had been looted from Cambodia during periods of war and instability, including in the 1970s when the country was under the brutal rule of the communist Khmer Rouge. Through unscrupulous art dealers, they made their way into the hands of private collectors and museums around the world.

A statement from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts described the returned artifacts as embodying the priceless cultural heritage and the souls of generations of Khmer ancestors.

The statement credited the items return to tremendous cooperation and support from public and private institutions, national and international experts, and close relations with other countries through bilateral, multi-lateral and international institutions, including UNESCO.

It also singled out cooperation between the Cambodian and U.S. governments. Many of the items returned so far have come from the United States.

The returned items included important Hindu and Buddhist statues, as well as ancient jewelry from the once-mighty empire of Angkor.

In February, a spectacular collection of jewelry was returned to Cambodia from the estate of antiquities collector and dealer Douglas Latchford, who was accused of buying and selling looted artifacts. The 77 pieces of jewelry included crowns, necklaces, bracelets, belts, earrings and amulets. U.S. prosecutors indicted him in 2019 on charges related to alleged trafficking in stolen and looted Cambodian antiquities. Latchford, who died in 2020, had denied any involvement in smuggling.

In remarks to an invited audience that included U.S. Ambassador W. Patrick Murphy, Hun Sen said that some Cambodian sculptures are still missing and held in foreign countries, and he appealed for their return in the spirit of goodwill. He said his government is determined to use all means at its disposal to secure those stolen artifacts, including negotiations and legal action.

The United States joins Cambodians in celebrating the return of looted artifacts back to their rightful home in the Kingdom, said a statement from the U.S. Embassy.

"For 20 years the United States has worked to protect, preserve, and honor Cambodias rich cultural heritage with local partners, American academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations," it said. Through a long-standing U.S.-Cambodia cultural property agreement, the United States has facilitated the return of over 100 priceless antiquities."
[Source]

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen recently unveiled and celebrated the return of stolen artifacts that had been looted from the nation during periods of war and instability.

On Friday, the artifacts, including a collection of stolen Angkor crown jewelry, were displayed at the governments offices.

The treasures included gold crowns, necklaces and amulets from the Angkor period of the ninth to 14th centuries A.D. when the Khmer empire dominated in Southeast Asia.

The stolen jewelry, which made their way to private art collectors and museums around the world, also included Hindu and Buddhist statues.

More from NextShark: Poll: Japanese gamers' top 50 favorite Pokemon from Scarlet and Violet

So far, many of the returned artifacts have come from the U.S. These items are expected to be displayed at the national museum.

In February, Cambodias culture ministry received 77 pieces of jewelry from the family of the late British antiquities collector and dealer Douglas Latchford, who was accused of buying and selling looted artifacts.

In 2019, U.S. prosecutors reportedly indicted Latchford on charges related to trafficking stolen and looted Cambodian antiquities, according to The Associated Press. He died in 2020 while awaiting trial.

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The United States joins Cambodians in celebrating the return of looted artifacts back to their rightful home in the Kingdom, the U.S. Embassy said in a statement.

For 20 years the United States has worked to protect, preserve, and honor Cambodias rich cultural heritage with local partners, American academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Through a long-standing U.S.-Cambodia cultural property agreement, the United States has facilitated the return of over 100 priceless antiquities.

The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts has described the returned artifacts as priceless cultural heritage and the souls of generations of Khmer ancestors.

More from NextShark: Interview: Karen X Cheng on her LNY metaverse and how AI can benefit artists everywhere

The government is still negotiating the return of more Khmer artifacts with other countries and private collectors.

Story continues

I appeal to museums, institutions and Khmer artifact collectors to continue to return those items voluntarily to Cambodia, Hun Sen said at the ceremony. Heritage items should be returned to their country of origin.

More from NextShark: 'Pokemon' 25th-anniversary video celebrates Ashs journey across the land searching far and wide
The City of Cambridge has hired a world-renowned consultant to review police department protocols and procedures after the shooting of a college student in January.

The Police Executive Research Forum will conduct an independent review of the department to determine if training and protocols can be revised in situations similar to the shooting of Arif Sayed Faisal.

On January 4, Cambridge police received a 911 call from a Cambridgeport resident describing that a man jumped out of an apartment window with what appeared to be a machete. The man was then seen cutting himself with the weapon and broken glass from the window he jumped out of.

Officers arrived at the scene and located the male, identified as Sayed Faisal, 20 of Cambridge, bleeding in an alley behind a Sidney Street building.

Faisal then ran from the area carrying the weapon, which investigators described as a foot-long kukri knife, leading police through several blocks in the Cambridgeport neighborhood before officers attempted to verbally engage with him on Chestnut Street.

Officers then requested Faisal put the knife down when he reportedly moved towards the officers while still in possession of the weapon, Ryan said. Officials said when officers tried to de-escalate the situation with a less lethal weapon, Faisal refused to release the knife and continued to advance toward them until an officer discharged his department-issued firearm and struck Faisal.

Faisal was immediately rendered medical aid by police until transported to an area hospital, where he died of his injuries.

City Manager Yi-An Huang called the shooting tragic in a February statement.

Following the tragic police shooting of Arif Sayed Faisal, I have been committed to charting a path forward by working with the Police Commissioner and City department heads to evaluate our existing services and implement the six recommendations outlined by the City Council that will strengthen our overall safety and support for the Cambridge community, said City Manager Yi-An Huang in a statement Friday. Bringing on PERF is one of several commitments we are in the process of implementing and they have a strong record on police reform and helping departments make meaningful changes. We are looking forward to their review and recommendations.

Story continues

PERF has more than 40 years of experience assisting state, county, and local police departments and sheriffs offices, as well as federal and international law enforcement agencies, according to Cambridge city officials.

A great deal of work has been prioritized by the City and our department in the aftermath of this tragedy, said Police Commissioner Christine Elow. Uniquely suited to perform this work, PERF is a highly respected leader within law enforcement. They will help us continue to learn and grow from the January 4th fatal shooting, particularly from the lens of our policies and procedures. Additionally, we expect they will help us with recommendations on less-than-lethal alternatives, how we could evolve the department and citys capacity for alternative responses to mental health crisis; and identify new or enhanced prospective training opportunities that would support safe, effective crisis response services to residents with behavioral health challenges. Ensuring that our officers and staff receive training that is consistent with national best practices will enhance the safety of our residents and officers, and help promote trust within the community.

Authorities have not released the name of the officer who opened fire.

Faisal, who was known as Prince by his family, was an only child who was never violent and had never been involved with law enforcement before, according to his parents.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on May 6, Canada will host a ceremony in Ottawa to mark the coronation of the new monarch, King Charles III.

His Majesty has a long history and a special relationship with Canada, and we look forward to celebrating his Coronation in May. In addition to the ceremony in Ottawa, I invite Canadians to take part in events and activities that will take place in their communities to mark this important occasion. Together, we look to the future and the continued betterment of the Commonwealth and its people, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote in a press release.

On May 6th, Canada will mark the Coronation of its new monarch, His Majesty King Charles III. In Ottawa and across the country, Canadians are invited to take part in events and activities to mark this important occasion. Learn more here: https://t.co/JZITMMehjs  CanadianPM (@CanadianPM) March 16, 2023

Despite the national coronation, a majority of Canadians are not in favour of keeping the monarchy. In 2022, a poll from Angus Reid detailed that 51 per cent of Canadians would prefer to abolish the constitutional monarchy, though two-thirds of Canadians viewed the late Queen Elizabeth positively.

The poll also showed that half of Canadians say the Royal Family is no longer relevant to them personally.

Moreover, three out of five Canadians believe that countries like Barbados and Jamaica made the right decision to cut ties with the monarchy. In 2022, Barbados officially became a republic, removing the Queen as its head of state in the process.

More recently, a survey conducted by Leger showed that 56 per cent of those who participated believed that Canada should reconsider its ties to the monarchy following Queen Elizabeths passing.

Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022.
TORONTO (AP)  A 16-year-old who allegedly killed two police officers before shooting his mother and then killing himself is believed to have shot a Pizza Hut employee earlier in the week, an official familiar with the matter said Friday.

Police said the teen shot the officers in the hall of his apartment early Thursday in Edmonton, Alberta, then struggled with his mother over the firearm before shooting her and killing himself.

On Sunday, someone walked into a Pizza Hut a block from the apartment and shot an employee who survived. An official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that police believe it is the same suspect. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Police said the male suspect in Thursdays shooting previously received a mental health complaint that involved police. He did not have a criminal record, police said.

Authorities said the officers were called to a family fight but there was no indication that the call was high risk or dangerous or that the teen had a gun.

When the two officers arrived, they were met by a 55-year-old female complainant outside of the complex. The two officers then responded to the suite where she resided, along with her 73-year-old male partner and their 16-year-old son, police said in a statement.

Immediately upon arriving at the suite, both constables were shot multiple times by the 16-year-old male, and were immediately incapacitated. A struggle reportedly ensued between the mother and son over the firearm, and the suspect shot his mother before turning the firearm on himself, taking his own life. The father was not physically injured during the shootings.

Police said the mother remained unresponsive in a hospital and had not yet been talked to. The father is cooperating in the investigation, police said.

Police identified the dead officers as Travis Jordan, 35, who had been with the Edmonton force for 8 1/2 years, and Brett Ryan, 30, an officer for 5 1/2 years.

Edmonton police are also investigating a shooting earlier in the week at a nearby Pizza Hut. It is not known whether that is related.

The killings were the first for the Edmonton Police Service since an officer was shot to death in 2015. Before that, an officer was fatally shot in 1990.
WASHINGTON  U.S. Capitol Police officials were not told that the surveillance video of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, which they gave to House Republicans, would be passed on to Fox News host Tucker Carlson, the department's top lawyer said in a sworn court filing.

In a declaration filed Friday in Washington federal court, Capitol Police general counsel Thomas DiBiase said police found out from a media report on Feb. 20 that Carlson's staff were reviewing thousands of hours of footage from the day of the riot that had not been made public at the time.

The Republican-led Committee on House Administration had requested access to the footage from Capitol police just 12 days earlier, according to DiBiase in the filing, first reported by Politico.

Demonstrators clash with U.S. Capitol police officers while trying to enter the Capitol building during a protest on Jan. 6, 2021. (Victor J. Blue / Bloomberg via Getty Images file)

DiBiase said he was told that "personnel from the Tucker Carlson Show were allowed to view whatever footage they wanted while supervised by staff from CHA but that no footage had physically been turned over to the show."

He said he had "numerous conversations" with the committee's staff director in the weeks that followed asking to review every clip that would be made public.

Carlson aired dozens of clips on his Fox News show this month. He said on his show: "We do take security seriously, so before airing any of this video we checked first with the Capitol Police. Were happy to say the reservations were minor and for the most part, they were reasonable. In the end, the only change that we made was in blurring the details of a single interior door in the Capitol building."

In his declaration, DiBiase said out of the numerous clips that were broadcast on Carlson's show March 6 and 7, he was only shown one clip before it aired.

DiBiase said that clip was from a list of locations that had been designated "sensitive" and he approved its use.

The other approximately 40 clips, which were not from the Sensitive List, were never shown to me nor anyone else from the Capitol Police," DiBiase said.

Story continues

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has said he had agreed to share the video with Carlson as an exclusive.

A spokesman for McCarthy, Mark Bednar, said, We worked with the Capitol Police ahead of time to identify any security-sensitive footage and made sure it wasnt released."

He added that, In subsequent conversations, the USCP General Counsel confirmed that the department concluded there are no security concerns with what was released."

A spokesperson for Fox News did not respond to a request for comment on the court document.

Using snippets of the footage, one Carlson segment featured rioters walking through the Capitol and not doing any damage or committing any acts of violence. The host said most of the rioters were peaceful sightseers and not insurrectionists.

The segment was blasted by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle as being misleading. More than 900 people have been arrested in connection with the attack on Jan. 6, 2021, which left about 140 officers injured.

In a letter to the Capitol Police force that was obtained by NBC News, the agency's chief Thomas Manger said that Carlson's report was "offensive."

The program conveniently cherry-picked from the calmer moments of our 41,000 hours of video, Manger wrote. The commentary fails to provide context about the chaos and violence that happened before or during these less tense moments.

DiBiase's declaration was filed in the case of a Jan. 6 defendant named William Pope, who's said he believes the videos could include footage that might help exonerate him.

Other Jan. 6 defendants have tried making similar arguments to no avail.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
St. Patrick's Day this year coincides with Lenten Friday, when Catholics traditionally abstain from meat. But after several dioceses across the United States granted dispensations, some Catholics will be able to indulge.

The Lenten loophole has been granted in a number of cities, including Boston, Washington, D.C., and in both of the dioceses covering New York City.

"This year, the Feast of St. Patrick, the patron saint of our Archdiocese, falls on a Friday during Lent. Given the importance of this feast in the life of the Archdiocese and in the lives of many Catholics, Cardinal Sean is granting a dispensation from the Friday Lenten abstinence on March 17, 2023, to those who wish to take advantage of this opportunity," the Archdiocese of Boston wrote in a statement. "This is a one day only dispensation."

The dispensation will allow Catholics to eat classic St. Patrick's Day meals like corned beef and cabbage and shepherd's pie.

Catholic leaders in Houston, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Cleveland and Minneapolis issued similar dispensations. Dioceses stressed that Catholics who plan to eat meat should visit churches, engage in pious acts and perform other acts of penance to compensate for eating meat on Friday. In Washington, D.C., the archdiocese suggested that Catholics who eat meat on St. Patrick's Day should abstain from eating meat on a different day during Lent.

Catholics in Chicago did not receive a general dispensation.

"Instead, Catholics who find themselves at an event where meat is served in celebrating St. Patrick may in good conscience substitute the general rule of abstinence with another form of penance or a significant act of charity that benefits the poor," the Archdiocese of Chicago wrote in a statement. "Regardless, it is important to take seriously the obligation to observe Fridays in Lent as a way of uniting ourselves to Jesus who died on Good Friday. That should not be undervalued as we reflect on his sacrifice on the Cross for the salvation of the world in this holy season."

Story continues

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A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday urged the United States to immediately cease making irresponsible comments about and slandering the Chinese military.

The Chinese military has been dealing with air and maritime encounters with foreign military forces in accordance with laws and regulations, and has always been a staunch force for world peace, said Tan Kefei, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, in response to a media inquiry about the recent comments from the United States Department of Defense concerning the Chinese military.

China firmly upholds the freedom of navigation and overflight by all countries in accordance with international law, and safeguards the security of sea passages, as noted in the white paper titled "China's National Defense in the New Era," the spokesperson said.

On the contrary, the U.S. side has been leveraging its hegemonic military power to execute coercion, lockdowns and warfare around the world, seek exclusionary blocs and incite confrontation, posing the greatest threat to global peace and stability, Tan said.

The Chinese military is willing to join hands with military forces from other countries to resolutely deliver on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, fulfill its international responsibilities and obligations, and make positive contributions to building a human community with a shared future, said Tan.
A Collier County Sheriffs deputy walks outside during a death investigation in the 3500 block of the Golden Gate Estates in Naples on Friday, March 17, 2023.

A woman who lay on a driveway, not breathing and unconscious, another individual crying on the ground, launched a Collier County Sheriff's Office death investigation late Thursday.

Collier County deputies continue the probe in the 3500 block of Eighth Avenue Southeast in Golden Gate Estates.

Adam Fisher, spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office, said deputies are investigating it as a suspicious death.

Collier County Sheriffs deputies conduct a death investigation in the 3500 block of the Golden Gate Estates in Naples on Friday, March 17, 2023.

Suspect arrested:Suspect arrested, video shows deadly shooting at Fort Myers Restaurant Depot

According to a Sheriff's Office's report, deputies responded just before 11 p.m. Thursday to reports of an unconscious woman who wasn't breathing.

Deputies said an individual lay in the driveway, crying, as another man stood on the driveway.

Fisher said it's an isolated incident and no one has been arrested.

No further information was immediately available.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Collier County Sheriff probes suspected homicide in Golden Gate Estates
DONETSK OBLAST  The Donbas battlefront meanders for over 1,000 kilometers through a land that has not known peace since 2014.

In some points like Bakhmut, it flares into a meat grinder of incalculable human loss. At others, it appears to be coiled and waiting, limited to probing attacks by Russians looking for a chink in the nations armor. Defenders think that nothings stopping these areas from also ramping up into meat grinders in the future, once the soil firms up.

Their mobilization never ended, they keep gathering their forces, says Yehor, standing in front of his T-64 tank some five kilometers from the front line on March 3. The bottom part of the visible tread is submerged in mud. Most likely, these swamps will dry out and we will again see large assaults and breakthroughs thousands strong every day.

Yehor commands a tank platoon in the 1st Tank Brigade, arguably Ukraines most famous armored force. They won glory in their defense of Chernihiv during Russias first offensive in February and March 2022.

Over the course of six weeks, almost completely surrounded, the 1st Tank Brigade took on an armored Russian force many times its size and threw it back from the city, while inflicting heavy damage on the invaders. As the battered Russians were ordered to pull out from the north, the brigade recaptured the M01 highway connecting Chernihiv to Kyiv.

Now, a year later, some from the brigade have sadly been killed near Bakhmut, Yehor says. Others are spread along the front line further south, slapping down Russian thrusts and waiting for escalation or counterattack, as they contend with the wars thousand frustrations.



Front line soldiers asked only to be identified by their first name or callsign due to security concerns.

Sanctuary

If you want to get started meeting troops and civilians in this area, its hard to go wrong with this one local cafe, whose owner asked for its name and location to remain unrevealed, for security reasons  we know the front line may suddenly move towards us.

Story continues

Its a unique eatery for the area: cozy and rustic but with a modern, professional vibe like something you might find in a larger city.

Arriving late in the morning, we see some of the tables are already occupied by Ukrainian soldiers, eating pork steak with fries, pelmeni dumplings or solyanka soup. One of them invariably wants a selfie with the foreign-sounding journalists. There will be even more of them later in the day, enlisted and officers alike.

The soldiers like to come eat a tasty meal and sit around in a pleasant atmosphere, says Olga, the proprietor. When the soldiers come, I try to put on relaxing music, create a nice environment, and interact with them if they want, which they really like.

As a result, she and her husband seem to have made friends with a lot of the soldiers that roll through the area at all hours of the day.

Some come at 8 a.m. sharp (when the cafe opens) and eat a lot of food, she says. Sometimes were even surprised how much some people can eat for breakfast. They come from the zero line, all hungry.

Having tasted both Olgas cooking and local MREs, I am not surprised. Whether youre an infantryman in a muddy trench fending off attacks, a tank commander fighting a stalemate against his geriatric machines maintenance needs or an artilleryman driven to wits end by his officers, her cafe offers sanctuary, peace of mind and a decent hot meal.

When front line access and accompaniment is granted, its a straight shot to the besieged ruin of Velyka Novosilka or any number of nearby front line territories.

Infantry

The road to the 1st Tank Brigades infantry positions is poor. Its rough, potholed surface urges you to slow down. Knowing youre in the Russians artillery range tells you to floor it.

If I get hit, dont try to rescue me, says a press officer, as he floors it towards the approach.

The 20-minute walk from the road to the frontmost trenches perfectly illustrates every article talking up March weather in Ukraine as an obstacle to offensive operations. The black mud clings to your shoes like youre its last chance to escape the war zone and it wants to bring its entire extended family. Twenty steps and youre wearing pounds of the stuff caked over each sole, which makes the final 50-meter sprint to the trench look unintentionally comical.

In the trench, Ukrainian forces reveal that a hostile drone may have seen that approach. But the Russians are about 3 kilometers away, at least two tree lines over, and arent accurate at that range. Most of the serious combat occurs at closer quarters. But its rare for a few minutes to go by without some distant shot or explosion.

The trench is cold and damp but its defenders are warm and welcoming as they give a tour of their kingdom. Were invited into a dugout that sleeps two men at a time, to see Volodymyr sitting on the raised sleeping surface, with a three-week-old kitten in each hand, trying to summon their mother. This is our joy that brings us peace and calm, he says.

Some of the grunts find peace in other ways, such as by praying. A small guardian angel figurine overhangs the sleeping area. Some just speak with the phlegmatic poise of men who have gotten used to constant battle but managed to avoid heavy casualties.

The question of morale comes up as I sit with Ruslan and a different Volodymyr while they clean their guns. Before the full-scale war, the two last served in the military 30 years ago.

We feel excellent, says Ruslan. But he quickly hedges that with we feel normal."

"As much as thats possible, adds Volodymyr.

A Ukrainian soldier with the 1st Tank Brigade looks through the sight of a man-portable rocket launcher in a front line trench in Donetsk Oblast, three kilometers away from Russian positions on March 2, 2023. (Anna Conkling)

Most of them spent over four months at this position, four days at a time, constantly fending off Russian mechanized infantry with rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, assault rifles and Cossack indignation. Sometimes, the attacks are tank-supported, often requiring the brigades own tanks or artillery to come to the rescue.

The Russians like to begin their attacks by laying down smoke screens, which dissipate in five minutes and arent very effective, Im told. If the Russians have a tank to work with, this is when it opens up on Ukrainian positions. Russian BMP infantry fighting vehicles and/or BTR personnel carriers approach as theyre able.

The Russian infantry dismount their vehicles and try to get close enough to throw grenades into the trench, under the cover of the tanks gun, the BTRs machine gun or the BMPs autocannon. Even after attacks are repelled, artillery often continues for the rest of the day.

If the Russians succeed in grenading a trench, that position is usually lost. This one held, even through late December and January, when Russians made small strikes along the line every 2-3 days, poking in and retreating, leaving their destroyed vehicles on the battlefield.

"They tried to break through with three BTRs, one BMP and two tanks once," said Ruslan. "Only one tank escaped."

By March 2, the date of our visit, these attacks slowed down. Instead, the Russians are using tanks and artillery to try to soften up the Ukrainian positions. Sometimes tanks shoot from maximum range before retreating out of harms way.

While the position is still secure, the tree line above the trench looks mangled. The soldiers arent sure how many of these trees are still alive enough to mask them with foliage, after being torn up by shells or having their roots damaged by the Ukrainians own digging.

Though the turn of the month brought something like a lull, everyone expects hostilities to heat up with the weather.

"When it gets warmer, we expect it to intensify," says Ruslan. Volodymyr chimes in: "When there's mud, it's bad for us and bad for them. But soon, there will be more vegetation, making it harder to stop them."

Ruslan looks through the overcast gloom of the late afternoon. "You can't just sit there facing each other forever, sooner or later they'll try to push through."

Tanks

We see action constantly, says Yehor, who commands a platoon of T-64 tanks with the 1st Tank Brigade. Theres no such thing as total quiet.

Its a bright, sunny morning, some half-dozen kilometers from the front line. In fairness, things do seem very quiet but he says they could ramp up at any time.

The frequency of the attacks changes. There are moments where the enemys guns wont shut up for two weeks, he explains. Then their supplies run out and they go quiet for a number of days before starting up again.

Because of weather conditions, the mud makes it difficult, says Yehor. Its not a lull, he says, not really. Infantry movements are constant.

Yehors platoon rides into action whenever the Russians attempt an armored breakthrough that Ukrainian infantry and artillery cant shut down on their own. We go out and extinguish that breakthrough.

If a massed breakthrough attempt happens, only tanks can handle it, he says. Its the only unit that has enough armor and firepower to handle any problem  infantry or other tanks.

Or at least tanks could handle it for a while. Though Ukrainians have been able to squeeze an incredible amount of value from their Soviet-era T-64s, its getting harder and harder to just keep them running.

Case in point: One of Yehors tanks refuses to start. His men climb in and out of it, tinkering. The other tank, parked 30 meters away, eventually backs up, as the men attach tow cables. The forward tanks engine roars as it plows ahead, snapping small tree trunks. The malfunctioning machine is yanked forward, churning up enormous furrows of mud.

Why is Ukraine asking for tanks? says Yehor, when hes not supervising. Because our machines are no longer pulling off whats being asked of them, theyre no longer able to fulfill their assignments.

We have situations where 3-5 tanks go out to extinguish a push and 2-3 of them fail to fire. Today, it could be working fine, it starts up, everything is good; tomorrow it goes out and cant shoot.

He thinks back on joining one of his crews in their tank during a recent operation. The vehicle commander, gunner and mechanic had told him that the tank had been in perfect working order three days earlier. We get in, drive to the new borderline, the gunner tries to fire, the machine doesnt shoot.

When Yehor tried to engage the override and take control of the turret, it seized up and stopped working entirely.

Whenever they are not in combat, the tank crews are constantly fiddling with their rides. Once, Yehors unit was able to replace an entire engine at a position not unlike this one. At other times, the tanks had to be towed to the rear due to smaller issues. And sometimes, they had to fix them while uncomfortably close to the enemy.

One time after a night engagement, Yehor found himself limping back to an underground supply depot close to the front line, as friendly artillery covered him. The mechanic comes out (from the underground supply dugout) and sees that the front rollers and half a tread have been destroyed by a mortar (shortly beforehand), he says.

So were sitting there, 3-4 kilometers away from the enemy, in the middle of the night, repairing a tread by the glow of a red flashlight, because the tank has to be evacuated and you cant exactly drag it behind you, it weighs 40 tons.

A Ukrainian soldier with the 1st Tank Brigade pokes his head out from a tank half a dozen kilometers away from the front line in Donetsk Oblast on March 3, 2023. (Anna Conkling)

The tank crews hope that Ukraine gets enough modern Western tanks for their units to get some too. If Ukraine gets too few Leopards, Challengers and Abrams, Yehors people cant hope for much more than modified T-72s, which is hard to get excited about.

We have our own 72s, Yehor says. We also have to drag them around, poke around them in swamps and if something bursts or springs a leak, you have to spend two hours shoveling just to get in there. And then youd be picking around in its insides for God knows how long. That consumes time and resources and it happens constantly.

If we actually get 700-800 normal tanks in adequate condition, ready to fulfill their assignments, we could end this war in a few months and forget all about it, he says, insisting Ukraine needs that many to challenge Russias numbers.

Adequate conditions may be complex. Western and Ukrainian experts have noted that for all the modern tanks advantages, if a computerized system goes down, Ukrainians probably wont repair it in the field, like they can with older tanks. A Ukrainian tank forces officer said he believes that older tanks with more parts could be more useful for the country.

That argument wont persuade a tank commander like Yehor, however.

Im hoping for the Abrams, I really am, he says.

Artillery

Part of the brigades artillery unit is spread out and camouflaged throughout this patch of forest nearby. Theres a deep dugout roughly in the middle, where a couple of journalists are caught during an enemy drone alert, until someones radio reports the bird has flown.

Birds are a cause for concern. In the past two weeks, an enemy Grad launcher has been lurking in the area, shooting rockets here and there. One came 300 meters from a concealed Ukrainian weapon. The pieces here are Soviet-era artillery, which is not as precise or reliable as the toys that some other artillery units already have.

Where there are indirect fire weapons, there are ammunition shortage complaints, like clockwork. An artillery crew that comes by the dugout confirms the rationing has already begun. Soviet rounds have been shot, Ukrainian-made rounds are presumably being shot somewhere, while this crew has been trying Swedish and Polish-made ones on for size.

An artilleryman named Serhiy says he can always use more ammo as it takes at least a pair of shots to get on target. Apparently, the serious shots usually start with number three.

Like the tank operators, everyone is hoping for new equipment thats up to NATO standards, with their better performance and theoretical abundance of ammo and spare parts.

And just like the tank operators, the artillery mens days are spent elbows-deep in their weapons mechanical guts to make sure they work right or are properly concealed. They often sleep next to them, needing to be ready to strike within two minutes of a command.

Weve been sitting awake since 1 a.m., and nobodys had any sleep, Serhiy says of his crew on the same days afternoon, as the sky wheels towards evening.

I think its beautiful how the orange sunset shines through the trees. But not everyone may share in my appreciation for this forest. An artilleryman with the callsign Hitman has been stuck here for over a month now, unable to leave for even a few hours to take a shower.

Hitman says hes supposed to spend every other month at his firing position. But his second month here is well underway and he has no idea when he'll be relieved. "I talk to my wife, I don't know what to tell her. My whole life is in the woods, in the trench."

Asked if there have been any casualties, he thanks God that there havent. No, its his leadership thats wearing him down, he explains.

"I'm not as senior as our leadership, which served in the USSR and is doing the same things it did back then," he says. "Over the past two days, my hands were even shaking. I'm so fed up with them, thats it."

When asked to clarify, he looks impatient.

"They're f*cking around. The vehicle was covered and concealed. Someone gave the command to put up a net (over it). I put up a net, then I had to conceal that net, because you could see it from the sky. They don't know where my vehicle is but they give me orders, sight unseen."

Hitman complains about how they spent two days covering up the artillery piece, only for the exhausted crew to be told to uncover it and entrench it into the soil, by someone who wasnt there. In the process, he says they disturbed the soil, possibly making themselves more conspicuous.

I told them, I am not suicidal They dont give a shit, he says. I want victory so I can go home. I am psychologically worn out.

While Serhiy doesn't seem upset like Hitman, he, too, longs for home and victory. Serhiy says that next month it will be a year since hes left home to fight.

Still, he doesnt believe theyll be here long. With warmer weather and foliage coming back, the artillery units expect to participate in major offensive actions sooner rather than later.

In the winter, they try to keep you in one place, Serhiy says. In the spring, we will be moving constantly.
graduate management education

Sangeet Chowfla, the former CEO of the Graduate Management Admissions Council, reflects on the business of business education

Graduate Management Education (GME) seems to be entering its third cycle and this transition, like most cyclical transitions, creates changes in supply and demand with attendant winners and losers.

The first phase, Wharton, Tuck, and Harvard in the early 1900s (or ESCP a century earlier if you want to go that so far), were largely national constructs. They sought to provide a holistic education in business to the sons (women were not even admitted into HBS till the mid-1950s) of the nations elites. There was little diversity and limited international participation till well into the post war period. GME was largely a western product for the western world. Both demand (students) and supply (business schools of quality) were in the West.

The second phase started in the 60s and 70s, accelerated in the 90s and took off early this century. Indias balance of payments crisis (1991) and Deng Xiaopings reforms in China (1992) started opening two dormant economies with enormous populations. Chinas accession to the WTO (2001) contributed to a new era of globalization. The resulting economic growth in India and China, with spillover effects into other developing economies, created large middle classes with a hunger for education and the development of the next generation. Demand for education, primarily in business and engineering, surged faster than capacity at domestic educational establishments of quality. Two other factors contributed. One was the globalization of business and the demand within corporations for truly global managers rather than western expatriates. The second was the liberalization of immigration regimes in the West, opening a pathway that could be accessed through an advanced degree.

There were more focused effects as well. China joining the World Trade Organization created a need for staff with an understanding of western accounting standards such as GAAP and IFRS. Suddenly there was a surge of Chinese applicants to such programs in the West.

Story continues

A THIRD PHASE OF BUSINESS EDUCATION IS TILTING TOWARD THE EAST

Demand became global but supply was largely in the West. Many Western business schools responded by expanding capacity and programming.

All this is changing in the third phase. Demand continues to be global but is tilting towards the East. Only 53% of aggregate GME applications in the U.S. were from domestic students after a decline of almost a quarter over the previous year (see GMAC 2022 application trends survey). In Europe, domestic applications were only 17% of the total. Business schools in the West are increasingly dependent on their international pipelines, but these pipelines themselves are changing as illustrated in the following GMAT score sending data which demonstrates the evolving patterns of student mobility.

ECONOMIC GROWTH AND THE AVAILABILITY OF QUALITY SCHOOLS IN ASIA ARE DRIVING CHANGE

There are multiple reasons for these changes. One is simply underlying economic growth in these economies. It is typified in a conversation I had some years ago with a student studying at Fudan in Shanghai. I asked him why he chose a school in China rather than studying abroad. His answer was that he saw his future career working within the Chinese startup sector or with the likes of Alibaba and Tencent. Why then would he drop out of the local network to study at a school abroad? He volunteered that if he had been accepted at a top (his words) school like Harvard, Stanford, or Wharton he would have considered it but not for the other good, but not top schools.

The picture is a bit different in India where a desire for international careers rather than a domestic one plays a bigger role. In a study done some years ago, we found that six out of 10 Indian students that applied to Graduate Management Education programs abroad were driven by a desire to build an international career while only 1 out of 10 Chinese students were. But China is further along the development journey than India. We dont have the data, but would Chinese students have had similar motivations to Indian ones 20 years ago? Will Indian students be more like the Chinese 20 years hence? Of course, social factors like language fluency will also play a part.

Another factor is the flip side of the coin. The supply picture. Quality business education was once largely provided in the West. Beyond a narrow sliver of schools (the IIMs and ISB in India, the likes of Tsinghua, Peking and Fudan in China) a prospective student had no choice but to consider a Western business school. That has changed dramatically in the last two decades as is demonstrated vividly when you analyze the trends in the FT listing of the top 50 global MBA programs.

In 2000, MBA programs domiciled in the U.S. occupied 38 of the top 50 positions. Schools in Asia had none. This year the U.S. had 29 positions while Asia had 8. Europe makes up the rest. Its not that US schools have gotten worse, its just that others have caught up, students have more choices and the combination of these factors is creating a regionalization effect with students choosing to stay closer to home for career reasons and having that decision validated by the availability of high-quality programs within the region (I am not even getting into East/West collaborations and offshore campuses that will only exacerbate this trend).

EUROPEAN PROGRAMS ARE BECOMING MORE ATTRACTIVE

The increased acceptance of business masters programs is also playing a part. Europe has had a historical lead, particularly in pre-experienced Master in Management (MiM) programs, and a younger application cohort is drawn to these programs.

There are other, subtler, factors at play here. The Pandemic limited international travel and students who were locked into a particular study destination paradigm (frequently the US) were forced to look for alternatives. Europe, with its geographical and time zone proximity, appealed to many in Asia. They had good outcomes, and the word spread. Schools like Rotterdam, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, ESMT Berlin, and BI Norwegian Business School are now on the list. Shorter, lower cost, European programs are financially attractive. Many are in countries with liberal work visas and immigration policies. You can see the impact in the GMAT scores sent to Europe in the chart above.

THE IMPACT OF ONLINE PROGRAMS IS UNCERTAIN

The last factor is the impact of technology and the growth of remote or online learning. Here the picture is muddier. At one level it increases access and should draw in more international candidates. On the other, does a student in Asia want to make the investment in time and treasure to study from his crowded apartment back home, often at an inhospitable hour due to time zone differences? Potentially, if the value proposition is compelling and the programming is asynchronous. Programs from Indiana and Boston (Mid-twenties tuition and largely asynchronous) seem to be attracting a good international mix. Others with much higher price points and synchronous components are not.

Online education creates another risk for some. A 2021 study found that a third of international students (and half of the domestic students) said that they would consider an online program from a higher-ranked school over an in-person program from a lower-ranked one, potentially setting up a flight to quality.

SUMMARY

Business schools in the West responded to strong international demand during the globalization era (GME phase 2) by increasing capacity. A case in point is the expansion of accounting masters programs that was largely filled with students from China. That demand picture is changing due to economic growth in Asia, the availability of quality options closer to home, the increased attractiveness of European programs. Online programming may be a boon to some but a risk to others. This has created excess capacity that is not being met by matching demand.

In the U.S., the picture is clouded further by a decline in domestic interest in GME. Perhaps that will change as the economy turns and countercyclical effects take hold. It certainly has in the past.

Larger, global, brands are likely to continue to hold their position and attract both domestic and international candidates. Others will need to adapt to sustain themselves. For some, the answer may lie in building a market position amongst fast-growing population segments  for example, Hispanic Americans, the subject of my last column. Others by carving out specific industry or domain positions. One thing is clear, generic mid-tier schools will have a difficult time maintaining previous enrollment levels.

Everything, everywhere, all at once took home seven Oscars, including best picture. But it may not be a viable position for a business school.

Sangeet Chowfla

Sangeet Chowfla led the Graduate Management Admissions Council as president and CEO for nearly ten years from 2014 to 2022. A globally recognized and respected executive with deep experience in the technology, telecommunications, and venture capital sectors, he began his career in New Delhi with IBM/IDM. Chowfla went on to spend 18 years with Hewlett-Packard Co. in Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and the United States. He culminated his tenure with the company as vice president and general manager of the Inkjet Media Division from 1995-2001. He then moved to Timeline Ventures as a partner in the venture capital partnership. In 2007, Chowfla became the chief strategy officer and executive vice president of the Mobile Services and Global Market Units of Comviva Technologies, a leading Indian telecommunications software company. Chowfla joined GMAC during a period of disruption in the organization and industry. During the last three years of his tenure, he helped to stabilize the candidate pipeline, renewed GMAT exam growth, diversified GMACs footprint and ensured a strong financial foundation to enable future investment.

DONT MISS: A Decade Of Graduate Management Education: I Love You, Youre Perfect, Now Change or Why Diversity Is Essential To The Health Of The U.S. Domestic Student Pipeline

The post The Changing Face Of International Student Mobility appeared first on Poets&Quants.
Determined is a word that best describes Rosemary Dew Blanchard.

Whether reeling in a catch while deep sea fishing off the North Carolina shores or learning to ride horses at age 57, Blanchard would say: It isnt life that matters so much, its the courage you bring to it, her son George Blanchard III told The Charlotte Observer.

A Virginia native and longtime Charlotte resident, Blanchard died Feb. 9 at age 99.

The eldest of four children, she was the first person in her family to go to college.

Blanchard was 16 when she started her studies at Roanoke College in Virginia, graduating with a bachelors degree in biology and chemistry. In 1940, 3.8% of women had completed four years or more of college, according to Statista, a market and consumer data company.

She always wanted to make a contribution to society, her son said. She was interested in the medical field and wanted to make a difference.

Rosemary Dew Blanchard was involved for many years with the Charlotte Symphony.

A path to science and love

After graduating college, Blanchard was invited to work at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville on cutting-edge science research developing electroencephalogram device in the emerging field of brain wave studies. The EEG was revolutionary at the time, her son said.

Blanchard would spend nine years conducting lab research there, where in 1951, she earned a masters degree in speech pathology. She also met her groom-to-be, George Blanchard Jr., who was studying to be a neurosurgeon.

A year later, they married.

Rosemary and George Jr. Blanchard met when she was working in the lab at University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

From science to the symphony

In 1954, after their son was born, the Blanchards moved to a home in Charlottes Plaza Midwood neighborhood.

As George Blanchard Jr. set up his neurosurgeon practice, his brides focus turned from her career to making a difference in the community.

She always put other people first, George III said. Looking through family photos, he said he realized she was the one behind the camera, not in front of the camera.

While a stay-at-home mom for George III and her daughter Jane, born in 1956, Blanchard became committed to growing arts and culture in Charlotte, mostly working with the Charlotte Symphony for over 20 years.

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She was not a musician but had a deep appreciation for the music, George III said. His father, who died in 1983, also loved music and played a little piano.

She served on the board of directors and president of the Symphony Womens Association, as well as the American Symphony Orchestra board and as chairwoman of the search committee that brought Maestro Leo Dreihuys to Charlotte.

Driehuys, who died in 2019, arrived in Charlotte in 1977 from the Netherlands, leading a Charlotte Symphony of part-time musicians, The Charlotte Observer previously reported. When he retired in 1993, he had doubled the number of full-time musicians in the orchestra, led them on a European tour and was playing in a state-of-the-art uptown venue uptown he helped push for.

Leo Driehuys was the eighth music director for the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. He held the role from 1977 to 1993.

Blanchard involvement in the orchestra led to a meeting with First Lady Nancy Reagan at The White House in the 1980s and took her to Poland in the 1990s.

Blanchard also was a founding member of the North Carolina Association of Symphonies and The Charlotte Assembly social organization. She was involved in other local groups, too, including the Arts & Science Council, the Mint Museum Auxiliary and the Golden Circle Theatre.

She inspired me to be involved in the arts myself, said George III, who earned a drama degree in theater from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He also went on to earn a special education degree.

She encouraged us to try, and always pointed you in the right direction, he said.

Rosemary Blanchard in the late 1960s with her two children, son George III and daughter Jane, who died in 2020.

Kind, fun and accomplished parents

George said his mother put her family first, even sitting through a Jimmie Hendrix concert in 1969 when his parents had to take his sister to the concert because he didnt want to sit with her.

Blanchard loved roses of any color, the PBS television series Downton Abbey and of course, classical music. She was an impeccable dresser and great cook.

Family friend Margaret Ducky Calhoun Hemenway praised Blanchards chipped beef on toast for breakfast and red snapper caught at Litchfield Beach in South Carolina, on the Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service website. Jane and George were blessed to have two kind, fun and accomplished parents who made their homes such joy-filled and inviting places, she said.

Blanchard also loved her friends, who she would meet up with weekly when she was able to shop and dine out, said Patricia Tolbert, Blanchards caregiver of nine years.

She was my employer, friend, mother. Thats how she treated me, and she loved all her friends.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City has created a schism in the charter school movement with its application for the nations first openly religious charter school.

Activists and policy experts supportive of charter schools in general are divided over the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School application currently under consideration by the Oklahoma charter school board, with a meeting on the subject set for Tuesday.

Charter school advocates have struggled for years to convince skeptics that the privately run, publicly paid-for institutions are equivalent to government-run schools.

We dont think that you can have a religious charter school in place because charter schools are public schools and public schools cannot teach religion. So right now, as public schools, this is not a door that can be opened, Nina Rees, president of the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools, told The Hill this week.

While charter schools are publicly funded and have similar rules to follow as government-run public schools, there are other regulations they forgo, such as school board elections.

But those in favor of the Oklahoma application say charters are not directly comparable to public schools.

Charter schools are called public schools by every state charter school law. I dont deny that, said Nicole Garnett, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute who has been advising the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City on their efforts. But, she added, For the purposes of the Constitution, the federal Constitution, it doesnt matter what the law calls them.

The question is, are they government actors, are they state actors, or are they acting on behalf of the government? Or are they private actors? They can be called public schools and still be private actors for purposes of the Constitution, and, in my view, thats what they are, Garnett said.

The Catholic Church was emboldened to submit its application after outgoing Oklahoma Attorney General John OConnor said the charter school laws in the state were unconstitutional because they did not allow them to be run by religious organizations.

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Although the current attorney general for the state has reversed that opinion, saying it would lead to state-funded religion, the archdiocese is moving forward with its proposal for St. Isidore despite the almost certain prospect of litigation.

Undoubtedly, even if it were approved in one state, it would then be involved in a long court battle. So probably the real lifting of the lid on religious charter schools wouldnt come until not only one state approved it, but it made it through court, said Neil McCluskey, director for the Center for Educational Freedom at CATO Institute.

Charter school laws currently exist in 45 states across the country, with sometimes vastly different standards and regulations.

For anyone to say, with a broad brush, that all charter schools are public schools is disingenuous because each state has a different program, said Brett Farley, the executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma. We believe in Oklahoma that charter schools are non-state actors because our framework is very loose.

Religious institutions seeking to open education facilities typically go the private school route because it allows them more freedom to follow their religious doctrine without interference from the government. But charter schools open the door to public funding.

Derrell Bradford, president of 50CAN, an organization that advocates for high-quality education at the local level, says the constraints on charters, such as needing approval from the government to just expand, dont combine well with the goals of private religious institutions.

Independent schools and private schools and religious schools, they have their own role to play. They do their own thing and that thing, too, is important. And for me, the idea that we would substitute those things for, you know, what charter schools have in the process of starting religious charter schools is the worst of both of these worlds, Bradford said.

A religious charter school would also be obligated to follow anti-discrimination laws, while private religious schools are known for not accepting students that dont follow or believe their doctrine.

For those types of individuals who really want to have a truly religious education in a school, you cant do that in a public setting because our public schools are open to everyone and they cannot discriminate. And that is, to me, at least, the key hurdle to doing this in our schools. We have a commitment to serving all kids, Rees of the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools said.

Bradford, however, said taxpayer funding could be too much for certain religious institutions to resist.

Lots of private schools, religious schools are underwater, right? Constantly fundraising to, you know, just to break even in an environment that is more competitive, because charter schools are free, right? And some of them are spectacular at free, he said.

Even if you take the current conversation about religious charter schools off the table, the financial incentives around being a charter school are much better than being, you know, an independent school, a private school, a religious school that serves low-income kids, in particular, he added.

Another potential incentive to get into the charter school space is because many people see charter schools as competition to privately run institutions rather than government-run public schools, even if that is not the intention.

Charter schools are already more or less unfair competition for private schools, McCluskey said Thats not the intent. I dont think people intended charter schools to do that. But many people see charter schools as private schools, only they dont have to pay tuition for them. And so a private school is at a huge competitive disadvantage because they dont get government money usually.

The immediate question, however, is one of legality, and Garnett said the issue strikes her as more of a religious liberty case.

Im not a part of the charter school movement. I think its good to be inclusive. So I assume that when people in the charter school movement say its bad for the charter school movement, theyre not making a legal determination. Theyre making a political one.  But whether or not theyre right about being a better path, it doesnt make it less concrete, unconstitutional to prohibit religious charter schools, Garnett said.

While the national debate rages on, Farley says the church has seen much more support locally for the virtual religious charter school than expected.

We anticipated that there would be some difference of opinion, even amongst the school choice ranks.  Ive actually been surprised at how much local support we have amongst the school choice camp, so theres actually not as much dissension as I thought there would be. No, not everyone is saying that publicly, but I talked to people privately who are cheering us on because they recognize that this is going to be a game changer, Farley said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 PA28

Charvel has announced a new signature guitar for session guitarist and virtuoso Prashant Aswani, and one that offers some of the highest levels of attention to detail of any model in the production-line Charvel catalog.

Assembled in the Ensenada, Mexico factory, the Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 PA28 is pretty much designed from the ground up.

Sure, on face value, its heavily indebted to the Stratocaster, but the lightweight alder body hides a scalloped lower back bout and shredders cut heel. Thats teamed with a graphite-reinforced bolt-on maple neck, which packs a 12 radius rosewood fingerboard and 42mm Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut.

Intriguingly, Aswani has also specd the neck to taper from 42mm at the nut to approximately 42.9mm at the heel, making for a wider surface area up at the widdly end.

The pickups were a fresh design, too: armed with a set of alnico III magnets, the humbuckers promise everything from crystalline cleans to fiery distorted leads.

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Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 PA28

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Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 PA28

Other Aswani-specified tweaks include Luminlay side dots, Dunlop Super Pots, plus a Wilkinson WVS 130 CR two-point locking tremolo bridge, which promises Floyd Rose stability without the need for a locking nut.

The whole package is wrapped up in a rather dashing Inca Silver thin-skin nitro lacquer finish with parchment pickguard.

Guitar is a tool for me to express the music I have inside of me. Once you plug it in, the tone of my signature model will take people on a journey of their own, says Prashant Aswani.

All the specs on the PA28 were meticulously implemented because I felt the guitar had to be expressive and easy to play. From the neck profile to the vintage inspired modern pickup set, Charvel nailed the specs and tone I was after. This might be my signature model, but it has the ability to be the signature instrument for whoever creates music with it.

The Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 PA28 is available now for $1,399. Head over to Charvel Guitars for more info.

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Charvel Prashant Aswani Signature Pro-Mod So-Cal Style 1 PA28

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigiegs husband Chasten Buttigieg said former Vice President Mike Pences recent remark about his husbands paternity leave runs contrary to his reputation as a family values Republican.

The thing about what he said is it flies in the face of what he says he is, Buttigieg said during an appearance on ABCs The View on Thursday. He says hes a family values Republican. So, I dont think hes practicing what he preaches here.

Pence joked at the annual Gridiron Dinner on Sunday that Pete Buttigiegs paternity leave was connected to recent flight disruptions. Buttigieg adopted twins with his husband in September 2021.

When Petes two children were born, he took two months maternity leave, where upon thousands of travelers were stranded in airports, the air traffic system shut down, airplanes nearly collided in midair, Pence said. I mean, Pete Buttigieg is the only person in human history to have a child and all the rest of us get postpartum depression.

Chasten Buttigieg called the comment misogynistic and homophobic on Thursday, suggesting that it discounted and made assumptions about womens roles in families.

Its a bigger conversation about the work that women do in families, taking a swipe at all women and all families and expecting that women would stay at home and raise children I think is a pretty misogynistic view, he told the panel on The View.

The Transportation secretarys husband previously called out the former vice president in an Instagram post on Monday, with a photo of Pete Buttigieg holding his child at a hospital. The couples son spent several weeks in and out of the hospital and on a ventilator after he was born.

An honest question for you,@mikepence, after your attempted joke this weekend, Chasten Buttigieg said. If your grandchild was born prematurely and placed on a ventilator at two months old  their tiny fingers wrapped around yours as the monitors beep in the background  where would you be?

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The White House also slammed Pence over the joke on Monday, calling for him to apologize.

The former vice presidents homophobic joke about Secretary Buttigieg was offensive and inappropriate, all the more so because he treated women suffering from postpartum depression as a punchline, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. He should apologize to women and LGBTQ people, who are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
If youre heading to the airport anytime soon, things look a little different.

On Friday, Charlotte Douglas International Airport permanently closed Checkpoint B, shuffling thousands of passengers into the other security lines.

Now, there are stop signs that greet you at Checkpoint B. Itll be closed until the holiday season.

PREVIOUS: Security checkpoint at airport to close ahead of busy spring, summer travel season

John Paul Mariano said his job as a compliance manager has taken him in and out of Charlotte Douglas at least 100 times in the past several years. He thinks the terminal lobby expansion is a good thing.

I like it. Charlotte has seen its time over the years, and wear and tear. The upgrades we see right now will only enhance the travel experience, Mariano said.

Those upgrades include closing four standard security lanes at Checkpoint B to make room for six automated screening lanes, plus two standard lanes -- at least doubling the previous capacity.

Airport officials said Checkpoint B handled an average of 7,300 passengers last summer. That traffic will now be split between the remaining four security checkpoints.

ALSO READ: FAA: Fuel leak triggers planes emergency landing at CLT

Anastasia Seifert travels to LAX often, and said these improvements arent that bad in comparison.

This is much more seamless, a lot easier, not as much up and down and across the airport, she said.

Its good perspective for frequent fliers like Mariano, who shared his one big travel tip.

If you could avoid checking bags, he said.

Airport officials said TSA will reposition employees to other checkpoints to help with the added traffic.

The airports $3.1 billion expansion will renovate nearly 200,000 square feet of space and add 175,000 more. For perspective, 175,000 more square feet is like adding the whole Biltmore Estate to the airports footprint.

(WATCH BELOW: Charlotte Douglas Airport firearm discoveries hit all-time high in 2022, TSA says)




Galopin Des Champs Gold Cup victory proved the jewel in the crown as Willie Mullins and Paul Townend once again secured the top trainer and jockey honours at the Cheltenham Festival.

The duo endured a sticky start to the week when favourite Facile Vega was turned over in the Supreme Novices Hurdle, but the winners soon started to flow with El Fabiolo getting the duo off the mark for the week in the Arkle.

Mullins enjoyed a second victory on Tuesday as his son Patrick steered Gaillard Du Mesnil to the National Hunt Chase, while Wednesdays card produced two further wins for the Mullins-Townend axis as Impaire Et Passe bossed the Ballymore and Energumene was too good in the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

The Closutton team drew a rare blank on Thursday, but Lossiemouth had them smiling again after victory in Fridays Triumph Hurdle, before Galopin Des Champs justified market confidence with a clear-cut Gold Cup verdict.

Townends five winners mean he is now the most successful active jockey at the Festival with 28 victories and a third top jockey title, while Mullins is streets ahead of his fellow trainers in having saddled 94 winners overall at the meeting. He has been the fixtures top trainer on 10 occasions now.

Patrick Mullins, representing his father, said: To win the Gold Cup and the Champion Chase, they are half of the major races so that was fantastic. Galopin Des Champs winning the Gold Cup though really was the cherry on the top.

Six winners is probably where we need to be hitting at least. The amount of horses we have and the standard we have, we needed to do everything we did this week.

Last year was just one of those years after Covid and everything and we were never going to match that total of 10.

Taking the Gold Cup and Champion Chase while El Fabiolo (Arkle) and Impaire Et Passe (Ballymore) look like they could be anything so we were very pleased to see them win as well. Galopin Des Champs really was the big one and thankfully he delivered.

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JP McManus finished the week as the leading owner, with Impervious and Iroko giving him two victories on the final day, although Sire Du Berlais shock 33-1 success in Thursdays Stayers Hurdle was the highlight.

He said: We finished strong which was great. You never know how you are going to get on as it is very competitive here. You are hoping to get a winner or two and it was nice to get off the board on Wednesday night.

The Stayers Hurdle was a lovely race to win and to finish off with the Martin Pipe was great and we topped it off winning the Mares Chase. It has been wonderful. Any time you get a winner, they are really precious and they were all very special in fairness.

The Prestbury Cup - the annual competition between British and Irish trainers - was sealed on Thursday with victory once again going to the raiding party.

Irish handlers ended the meeting with 18 victories, with the British team landing 10 - equalling the 2022 result.
Cheltenham is a lucrative week for bookmakers (Getty Images)

Cheltenham Festival enters its third day with punters ready to again assess the runners and riders and consider the best expert tips and fancies in the ongoing battle with the bookies to secure betting success.

With millions wagered each year on events like the Gold Cup, it is a lucrative week for the bookmakers, with forecast wind and rain perhaps making 2023s races even more unpredictable than usual.

A number of the United Kingdoms biggest bookies are offering free bets to celebrate Cheltenham week. Here are the best offers if youre looking to have a flutter:

SkyBet

SkyBet are offering new customers the chance to get 30 in free bets when you place a bet as part of their welcome offer.

Bet365

Bet365 have a similar offer, with new customers who stake 10 earning a further 30 in free wagers.

William Hill

William Hill are offering a maximum bonus of 60 with stakes in selected games on their Vegas platform and in any available sportsbook market. They are also offering huge odds of 150/1 on Rachael Blackmore to win the Gold Cup, with winnings paid as free bets

Paddy Power

Paddy Powers offer to new users who place a 5 bet on Cheltenham includes ten free spins for their daily jackpot games, alongside 30 in free bets.

Betfair

Betfair similarly offer ten free spins on their casino games and 30 in free bets if new customers wager 10 on sportsbook.

Coral

Corals new customers receive a 20 free bet when betting on Cheltenham if they stake a minimum of 5 within 14 days of account registration at minimum odds of 1/2.

BetUK

BetUK are giving away 60 in free bets when you bet 20 as a new customer

Betfred

At Betfred, you can get 40 in free bets when you stake 10, using the promo code CHELT40
Representatives of 43 enterprises from Luohu recently attended a job fair in Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The 43 companies from Luohu received a total of 2,680 resumes from job hunters during the fair. At least 578 job hunters and relevant employers reached initial agreements on employment details.

The Luohu delegation, led by the Luohu district government, also took part in a meeting with representatives from the Guilin University of Aerospace Technology (GUAT).

The Luohu delegation introduced recent industrial developments and the implementation of its talent policy in the district to the GUAT. The two sides also signed a talent cooperation framework agreement during the meeting.

Luohu will arrange for its enterprises to soon attend job fairs in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, according to the district government. Prior to visiting Guilin, Luohu delegates also attended similar events in Changchun, the capital of Jilin province. Both Wuhan and Changchun are known to have many higher learning institutions and institutes.
(Bloomberg) -- Chicagos mayoral frontrunner Paul Vallas is taking a leaf out of Rahm Emanuels book to try to lure businesses back.

Most Read from Bloomberg

As the city grapples with rising violence and high-profile corporate departures, the former boss of school districts has pledged to be tough on crime, the No. 1 issue for corporations. He also wants to hold the line on taxes, fines and fees, and reduce bureaucracy in a bid to sell Chicago as a business-friendly destination.

Its something that former Mayor Rahm Emanuel  who ran the Windy City for two terms until 2019  did particularly well. He famously counted cranes on the citys skyline as a marker of his success and lobbied for CME Group Inc. and Cboe Global Markets Inc. to stay when they threatened to leave over a tax spat with the state.

Rahm was really good at selling the image of the city, Vallas, 69, said in an interview at Bloombergs office in Chicago Thursday. If you can sell Chicago as a city thats going to be business friendly when it comes to a regulatory standpoint, I think you can very quickly begin to change the image of the city.

The third-largest US city has been grappling with rising crime that sparked outrage among residents and business leaders. Billionaire Ken Griffin cited violence and state taxes as reasons for moving his Citadel hedge fund to Miami, while the boss of CME, Terry Duffy, recently said his wife had been carjacked in the city.

Crime Statistics

Crime incidents jumped 41% last year and gained 33% since 2019, the year Mayor Lori Lightfoot came to office. Her failure to deal with crime cost her reelection last month, which hadnt happened to an incumbent since 1983. Vallas will now face Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, 46, in a runoff on April 4.

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Vallas, who raised almost $11 million with the help of executives from Citadel and private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners, pledged to restaff the police. Johnson, running to the left, raised about $8 million and is focusing on mental health as a central part of his public safety plan.

As a banking crisis unfolding threatens to bring about a worse-than-expected recession, Vallas said he is the right candidate to steer Chicago through tough financial times. Keeping finances in check will be crucial for the city, which last year shed its junk rating.

If elected, he plans to present five-year budgets that allow government and businesses to plan. He also said he would look to the administrations of Emanuel and Richard Daley to fill the position of Chicagos chief financial officer.

Back to Basics

Chicago has to return to the fundamentals, he said. And what are those fundamentals? To have responsible budgets that do not increase the cost of doing business in Chicago.

Vallas cited his experience in the tumultuous 1990s managing the city budget under Daley, leading the schools in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans in 2008 at the start of the financial crisis, and heading to Haiti and Chile after earthquakes.

Still, he has been criticized for decisions when he led Chicago Public Schools that may have contributed to the underfunding of its pension fund. In New Orleans, he was called out for closing traditional schools in favor of charters, and in Philadelphia, the school district faced a deficit by the end of his tenure.

Ive dealt with crisis situations before, he said.

--With assistance from Steve Stroth, Bill Allison, Jonathan Roeder and Kenneth Hughes.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
BEIJING (AP)  China appealed Friday to other governments to treat its companies fairly after Britain and New Zealand joined the United States in restricting use of TikTok due to fears the Chinese-owned short video service might be a security risk.

Governments are worried TikToks owner, ByteDance, might give browsing history or other data about users to Chinas government or promote propaganda and disinformation.

We call on the countries concerned to recognize the objective facts, effectively respect the market economy and provide a non-discriminatory environment" for all companies, said foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.

TikTok is one focus of conflicts between China and other governments over technology and security that are disrupting processor chip, smartphone and other industries.

Legislators and employees in New Zealands Parliament will be prohibited from having TikTok s app on phones, the government said Friday. Britain announced a ban Thursday on TikTok on all government phones.

In February, the White House told federal agencies to delete TikTok from government-issued mobile devices within 30 days. Congress, the U.S. armed forces and more than half of American state governments prohibit use of the app by their employees.

India has banned TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps, including the WeChat message service, on security and privacy grounds.

The United States also has imposed restrictions on access by Chinese companies to processor chip and other technology on security and human rights grounds.

The Chinese government accused Washington of spreading false information about TikTok following a report by The Wall Street Journal that U.S. authorities were considering a ban if ByteDance doesnt sell the company.

The ruling Communist Party blocks most internet users in China from seeing TikTok and thousands of social media and other websites. ByteDance operates a sister short-video service, Douyin, that can be seen in China.
BEIJING  Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Russia from Monday to Wednesday, in an apparent show of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin amid sharpening East-West tensions over the war in Ukraine.

Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine is expected to dominate Putin and Xi's discussions. China has refused to condemn Moscows aggression and sought to project itself as neutral in the conflict even while Beijing declared last year that it had a no-limits friendship with Russia.

The meeting between the leaders was announced by both countries on Friday.

China has said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, while condemning Western sanctions and accusing NATO and the United States of provoking Russia into military action.

Video: Pentagon releases video showing Russian jets dumping gas on a US drone

Ukraine updates: Poland to send fighter jets to Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, gestures while speaking to Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Sept. 16, 2022. China said Friday, March 17, 2023, President Xi will visit Russia from Monday, March 20, to Wednesday, March 22, 2023, in an apparent show of support for Russian President Putin amid sharpening east-west tensions over the conflict in Ukraine.

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba that Beijing was concerned about the year-old conflict spinning out of control and urged talks on a political solution with Moscow.

China has always upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks," Qin said.

Kuleba later tweeted that he and Qin discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity.

I underscored the importance of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys)s peace formula for ending the aggression and restoring just peace in Ukraine, wrote Kuleba, who spoke the same day with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a daily briefing on Friday that Xi will have an in-depth exchange of views with President Putin on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of common concern, promote strategic cooperation and practical cooperation between the two countries, and inject new impetus into the development of bilateral relations.

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"Currently, the world is entering a new period of turbulences and reform with the accelerated evolution of changes of the century. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and important major countries, the significance and impact of the China-Russia relations go far beyond the bilateral sphere, he added.

The trip comes after the destruction of a U.S. drone over the Black Sea following an encounter with Russian fighter jets, which brought the two countries closest to direct conflict since Moscows invasion of Ukraine a year ago.

The Kremlin on Friday also announced Xi's visit, saying it would take place at the invitation of Vladimir Putin.

Xi and Putin will discuss issues of further development of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China, as well as exchange views in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese cooperation in the international arena, the Kremlin said in a statement.

The two leaders will also sign important bilateral documents, the statement read.

Putin invited Xi to visit Russia during a video conference call the two held in late December. The visit, Putin said, could demonstrate to the whole world the strength of the Russian-Chinese ties and become the main political event of the year in bilateral relations.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Xi Jinping to visit Russia: China president shows support for Putin
Xi Jinping

One of the largest state defense contractors in China, China North Industries Group Corporation Limited, sent CQ-A rifles, which are modeled after the U.S. M16 assault rifle, designated as civilian hunting rifles, to Russian company Tekhkrim in June 2022.

Read also: Washington suggests direct China-Ukraine talks

According to customs data, Russian companies also received 12 shipments of drone parts and more than 12 tons of Chinese-made body armor, transferred through Turkey. Politico also found out that China supplies Russian companies with dual-use equipment, which can be used for military purposes.

Chinese company Da-Jiang Innovations Science & Technology Co. (DJI), which is under U.S. sanctions, also shipped drone components to a Russian distributor in November-December 2022.

Read also: EU prepared to sanction China if it supplies Russia with weapons, Reuters reports

Customs data also indicate that in December 2022, Russia managed to import more than $10 million worth of body armor manufactured by Turkish company Ariteks. Most of them were imported from Turkey, some went through the UAE. Russia also imported body armor from Chinese company Xinxing Guangzhou Import & Export Co.

Politico also found that the Russian state company RosOboronExport has been importing microchips, thermal visors, and parts such as gas turbine engines in 2022 from countries ranging from China, to Serbia, to Myanmar.

Read also: US expects China to deepen ties with Russia

The United States and its allies have repeatedly stated in recent weeks that China was considering supplying weapons to Russia. According to U.S. media reports, potential list of supplies includes drones, ammunition, and artillery. Beijing officials denied these reports.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
This combination photo shows Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on Sept. 16, 2022, and Chinas President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Dec. 2, 2019. China says Xi will visit Russia from Monday, March 20, 2023, to Wednesday in an apparent show of support for Putin. | Sergei Bobylev, Noel Celis, Pool Photos via Associated Press

Chinas top leader Xi Jinping will visit Russia next week to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The move shows an effort to strengthen ties between Russia and China, and it could have impacts on the war in Ukraine, The New York Times reported.

The trip will be watched by the U.S., Europe and other Western countries to see if the countries declare an alliance. Three weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, Putin visited Xi in Beijing and discussed a no limits friendship, per the Times.

Has China provided aid to Russia during the war?

China has not provided any weaponry or direct aid to Russia in its efforts to conquer Ukraine, but they have been considering it, CNN reported.

Related

According to BBC, Russia declared the two world leaders would be talking about a comprehensive partnership and strategic co-operation during the meeting.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang expressed concerns on Thursday about the war between Ukraine and Russia getting drawn out and spinning out of control, NPR reported.

Qin said China has always upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks, per NPR.

What will Xi and Putin be doing during meetings?

Monday, the leaders will be having lunch and Tuesday is when talks will take place, per BBC.

They also plan on signing important bilateral documents, according to The Guardian.

It appears Xi wants to support his best friend, as Xi has called Putin in the past, but China also wants to protect its own interests after suffering difficult economic downturns during the COVID-19 pandemic, per The Guardian.

Related

How will the U.S. respond to Xis visit with Putin?

The U.S. will be monitoring the visit closely next week.

Story continues

We think that its important that China has the perspective of Ukraine, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told CNN. Clearly, Russias motivations are nefarious. They illegally invaded and have occupied Ukraine. We hope that President Xi and the Chinese government would be able to have the benefit of understanding what exactly the impact of their support to Russia is having.

Related
Kuleba commented on the possibility of supplying weapons to the Russian Federation by China

I don't think China has reached the moment now when it's ready to arm Russia he said.

China has been unresponsive to Kyivs efforts to schedule a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leader of the Peoples Republic of China, Xi Jinping, he added.

The Ukrainian president remains ready for a telephone conversation with the leader of the Peoples Republic of China.

Read also: Lukashenko to meet with Xi Jinping to help Russia and China circumvent sanctions, reports ISW

Xi Jinping is set to meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin next week.

In recent weeks, Washington and its allies have repeatedly said that China is considering supplying Russia with weapons. According to the American media, it may be drones, ammunition, and/or artillery. Beijing denies the insinuations.

Read also: US expects China to deepen ties with Russia

Read also: China supplied rifles and body armor to Russia in 2022, Politico reports

Kyiv insists it has not seen any signs to corroborate the allegations.

China released its so-called peace plan on Feb. 24, outlining its position on resolving Russias war on Ukraine. The document contained 12 points, including a call for a ceasefire and negotiations, but notably made no mention of Russia withdrawing its troops from occupied Ukrainian territory.

Following the release of the document, US President Joe Biden dismissed Chinas position, stating that it would only benefit Russia if implemented.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy welcomed the fact that China was engaging in dialogue about Ukraine, but disagreed with certain points of the plan.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Russia will take place from March 20 to 22, according to a statement published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

It will be Xi's first trip to Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine started in February last year.

The Kremlin also confirmed the visit at the invitation of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, saying the two leaders would discuss "strategic cooperation."

"An exchange of views is also planned in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese cooperation in the international arena," Putin's administration added. "A number of important bilateral documents will be signed."

Reuters and the Wall Street Journal previously reported the Chinese president's plans to travel to Moscow this spring.

Xi's meeting with Putin will be a part of a push for multilateral peace negotiations as Beijing claims it wants to play a more active role in ending the war against Ukraine, the WSJ sources said.

On Feb. 24, China's Foreign Ministry released a 12-point statement that detailed Beijing's stance on achieving a "political settlement" to resolve Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. The "peace plan" was criticized by U.S. President Joe Biden, who claimed it would likely only work in Russia's favor, and other top Western officials. President Volodymyr Zelensky said he did not consider China's proposal a peace plan.

The Chinese government has avoided explicitly criticizing Russia for the full-scale invasion, instead accusing NATO of provoking the war.

Multiple U.S. officials have publicly stated over the past month that China was considering providing lethal aid to Russia. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi that doing so "would have serious consequences in our relationship."

Trade and customs data from between June and December 2022 showed that Chinese companies had exported 1,000 assault rifles and other equipment, such as drone parts and body armor, to Russian entities, Politico reported on March 16.


You are here: World

 Flash

A helicopter crashed in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region of northern Iraq, killing all passengers onboard, the regional Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) said on Thursday.

The Eurocopter AS350 helicopter crashed near a village in Duhok province at 8:40 p.m. (1740 GMT) on Wednesday, according to a statement released by the Kurdish CTS.

"An explosion inside the helicopter caused the crash, and initial information indicates that seven people onboard were killed," a Kurdish security source who asked to remain anonymous said.

The source said that the helicopter crashed near an oil field, which was not affected by the incident.

According to the Kurdish CTS statement, the Iraqi government, the U.S.-led coalition, and the Turkish government have all denied ownership of the helicopter.

The Kurdish security forces have launched an investigation into the ownership of the helicopter, the statement said, adding some of the victims were identified as militants of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union.

The Turkish forces frequently carry out ground operations, airstrikes, and artillery bombardment in northern Iraq, especially the Qandil Mountains, the main base of the PKK.
By Eduardo Baptista

BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Russia next week to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin, the two countries said on Friday, as Beijing touts a plan to end the grinding Ukraine war that has received a lukewarm welcome on both sides.

Xi's March 20-22 trip comes after China last month published a 12-point plan for "a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis" and after a senior Chinese diplomat called on Thursday for negotiations in a call with Ukraine's foreign minister.

The plan calls for the protection of civilians and for Russia and Ukraine to respect each other's sovereignty.

However, the United States and NATO have said Beijing's efforts to mediate are not credible as it has refrained from condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a "special military operation".

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Xi's visit to Russia - his first in nearly four years - was in part to promote "peace", although he made no explicit mention of the Ukraine war.

He said the leaders would also exchange opinions on major regional and international issues, strengthen bilateral trust and deepen economic partnerships.

'NO LIMITS' PARTNERSHIP

The Kremlin said in a statement that Xi and Putin would discuss "topical issues of further development of comprehensive partnership relations and strategic cooperation between Russia and China". The statement also made no mention of Ukraine.

Xi will hold a telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy following his Russia visit, according to some media reports. Beijing has not confirmed the call.

China and Russia announced a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympics, days before he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine, triggering the biggest conflict seen in Europe since World War Two.

Story continues

Beijing and Moscow have since continued to reaffirm the strength of their ties. Bilateral trade has soared since the invasion and China is Russia's biggest buyer of oil, a key source of revenue for Moscow.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and millions have fled their homes in Ukraine since the invasion and there is currently no sign of either side actively seeking an end to the conflict.

Ukraine has taken issue with Beijing's proposals for not stating that Russia should withdraw behind borders in place since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, though it later said it was open to "parts of the plan".

Russia welcomed Beijing's initiative and said it would make a "nuanced study" of the plan but has also said it sees no sign for now of a peaceful resolution.

Moscow says Ukraine must accept its annexation of four regions in the east and south of the country along with the loss of Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula it forcibly annexed in 2014.

Russia says its actions in Ukraine are a defensive pushback against a hostile and aggressive West, while Kyiv and its Western allies say they represent an imperial-style land grab.

(Reporting by Eduardo Baptista in Beijing and Reuters staff; Writing by Caleb Davis and John Geddie; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Chinese state-sponsored hackers have found clever ways to circumvent cybersecurity tools which have allowed them to get into the networks of governments and companies and spy on people, a practice theyve been conducting for several years without detection, The Wall Street Journal reported.

According to Google researchers, the newly discovered hacking techniques are different from the usual cyber espionage Chinese hackers are known for.

Instead of infiltrating systems behind the corporate firewall, they are compromising devices on the edge of the network  sometimes firewalls themselves  and targeting software built by companies such as VMware Inc. or Citrix Systems Inc, the Journal said.

The researchers told the news outlet that the new hacking techniques represent a new level of ingenuity and sophistication from China.

This comes as tensions between the U.S. and China mount over a myriad of issues, including security concerns over TikTok, cyber espionage, election security, spy balloons and recent export control restrictions.

Just this week, the Biden administration threatened to ban TikTok in the U.S. if its Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance, did not sell its stake to an American company. This follows months of pressure from U.S. and state lawmakers, primarily Republicans, to ban the social media app, especially on government-issued devices.

TikToks CEO Shou Zi Chew, who is scheduled to testify before a House panel next week, said selling the app wouldnt solve any security concerns that they havent already addressed.

U.S. officials have also recently raised the alarm on growing Chinese threats in cyberspace.

Earlier this month, U.S. Cyber Command Director Gen. Paul Nakasone said that China has become a very capable force and a very formidable foe in cyberspace.

And last month, an FBI cyber official warned state officials that Chinese hackers pose a growing threat and that their attempt to target political parties prior to the 2022 midterm election shows there will be significant Chinese cyber activity  in the coming year, CNN first reported.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. ALEXEI DRUZHININ/Getty Images

Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit Russia next week to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Xi and Putin will discuss how to deepen "Russian-Chinese cooperation," the Kremlin said.

This marks the first time that Xi will be traveling to Russia since the start of the Ukraine war.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is scheduled to meet with Russia's Vladimir Putin during a state visit from March 20 to 22, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Xi's visit would mark the first time China's leader will visit Russia since Moscow launched its war on Ukraine in February 2022.

Xi and Putin will discuss "deepening Russian-Chinese cooperation" between their nations, the Kremlin said in a Friday statement.

"During the talks, topical issues of further development of comprehensive partnership relations and strategic cooperation between Russia and China will be discussed," the statement read.

"A number of important bilateral documents will be signed," the Kremlin added.

"This will be a trip for friendship and peace. On the basis of no-alliance, no-confrontation and no-targeting of any third party, China and Russia have been promoting greater democracy in international relations," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying on Friday.

Ahead of the announcement, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang called his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, on Thursday evening.

Qin told Kuleba that Beijing "stands ready to work with Ukraine," recalling China's earlier proposals for peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv.

China has been attempting to establish itself as a key mediator for the war in Ukraine, proposing a 12-point peace plan in February for a ceasefire. It called for "dialogue and negotiation," but offered few specifics.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in February that he planned to meet Xi to hear China's proposal.

While Russia's Foreign Ministry initially welcomed the plan, the Kremlin later put a dampener on it. "For now, we don't see any of the conditions that are needed to bring this whole story towards peace," said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on February 28.

Story continues

Xi's visit also comes as American relations continue to sour with both Russia and China.

President Joe Biden discouraged any consideration of China's peace plan for Ukraine, saying on February 26 that it was skewed in favor of Russia.

"The idea that China is gonna be negotiating the outcome of a war, that's a totally unjust war for Ukraine, is just not rational," he said.

The Biden administration had also warned that it believes Beijing may be considering providing lethal aid to Russia, though it has not publicly produced any evidence to substantiate this claim.

China has repeatedly denied the US accusations, calling them "disinformation" and instead accusing Washington of escalating the war by sending weapons and ammo to Ukraine.

China has been among Russia's key international backers, with the nations announcing a "no limit partnership" before Russia launched its unprovoked war on Ukraine in February 2022.

The nations have strengthened trade ties in the wake of the invasion, and China has provided Russia with key diplomatic support. Officials expect trade between the two nations to reach more than $200 billion in 2023 after it hit a record $190 billion in 2022.

Xi did, however, warn Putin against using nuclear weapons last November, after the US said that Russia may use a tactical nuclear weapon in Ukraine in a bid to reverse battlefield losses.

China is now one of the main export markets for Russian oil, which has helped keep the Russian economy afloat amid punishing sanctions from the West.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin enter a hall for talks in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, June 5, 2019

Chinese president Xi Jinping will embark on a three-day trip to Moscow in an apparent show of support for Vladimir Putin.

The rumoured trip was officially confirmed on Friday by Chinas foreign affairs ministry. Russia said the Chinese president is visiting at the invitation of Mr Putin.

The Kremlin said that Mr Putin would have a one-to-one meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Monday and hold further negotiations on Tuesday, followed by a statement to the press.

Mr Xi is also reportedly planning to call Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky after his Moscow visit, their first interaction since the invasion.

China has insisted it remains neutral in the conflict, and has called for a ceasefire without offering a concrete proposal on how to achieve a resolution.

Beijing has even offered to help broker peace talks, but Western nations doubt Chinas credibility and impartiality, given that Mr Xi has before touted a no-limits friendship with Mr Putin.

On Friday it emerged that Chinese companies, including state-owned defence contractors, have sent assault rifles, drone parts and body armour to Russia, according to a report by Politico based on customs data from the second half of last year.

Some of the items being shipped by China are dual-use  commercial goods that could be used for military purposes.

Beijing continues to refrain from criticising Mr Putin, going to lengths not to call the war an invasion, instead terming it the Ukraine crisis.

In a 12-point political settlement statement, released on the one-year anniversary of the war, China demanded an end to Western sanctions against Russia, and for nuclear facilities to be secured.

The US has issued sanctions against Chinese firms for providing goods and services that it said supported Russias operations in Ukraine.

One Chinese space satellite firm was blacklisted for providing imagery over Ukraine, and a group of companies were sanctioned for supplying parts for Iranian drones used by Russia.

Story continues

Mr Xis visit to Russia follows a flurry of calls that Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba held separately with US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Chinese counterpart Qin Gang.

'Cheerful' Putin

Kremlin insiders say Mr Putin's outlook has changed in recent weeks, and the Russian leader appears more relaxed and cheerful than he has been for months.

Six months ago, Mr Putin watched from the Kremlin as the Russian army appeared to be on the brink of an embarrassing collapse in Ukraine, he was forced into a humiliating public apology to Mr Xi for his invasion of Ukraine and an economic meltdown.

But Mr Putin yesterday cracked jokes during a two-hour speech and question and answer session with Russian oligarchs.

Putin was joking a lot at this business meeting. He is pleased with how the Russian economy has withstood the blow of total sanctions, said Sergei Markov, a former Russian presidential adviser and a pro-Kremlin commentator. That's why Putin joked merrily and also why the billionaires laughed merrily. They have survived.

TASS, a Kremlin-linked news agency, published photos of Mr Putin grinning and some of Russias richest men laughing and clapping.

Mr Putin drew one of his biggest laughs when he appeared to poke fun at a shortage of tomatoes in British supermarkets.

We have offered to help them make the switch from tomato salads to turnips. Its a good product. However our harvest significantly exceeds Europes, he said. Itll be difficult for them to match us without our fertilisers.
Christina Ricci has been in show business for 35 years  and shes witnessed a lot of changes along the way.

Us older ladies talk about it all the time, the actor said Wednesday on The View during a discussion about some of her younger co-stars on Yellowjackets. Ricci appeared on the talk show to promote the Showtime series second season, which is set to premiere later this month.

Its amazing to see that they dont have to necessarily go through the things that we had to go through, she explained. Theyre able to say, I dont want to do this sex scene, Im not going to be naked.

Christina Ricci attends the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 12 in Los Angeles.

Christina Ricci attends the Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 12 in Los Angeles.

They can set boundaries for themselves that we were never allowed to do, she said, sharing an example of a time she attempted to construct such a boundary for herself but was denied.

Someone threatened to sue me once because I didnt want to do this sex scene in a certain way. So its just really changed, and its great to see, Ricci said.

Now that its more of their choice instead of something youre forced to do, then you can get into the artistry of it or know how important it is for the story, she continued. When you take away somebodys control over something like that, it just makes you never want to do it.

One of the panelists on The View mentioned that experts are now present on sets, seemingly a reference to the rise of intimacy coordinators involved in Hollywood productions.

In 2019, HuffPost spoke with Alicia Rodis of the New York nonprofit Intimacy Directors International. She explained the role of coordinators and how they aim to help actors navigate difficult scenes or overcome existing power dynamics.

After Me Too, people are realizing they dont have to just go along with it. That they have a right to sovereignty of their bodies and their experiences, Rodis said at the time. We have specifically trained ourselves to have those conversations and to do the work, so that if you dont have the language for it, weve got language for you.

Related...
The City of Troy has announced changes to its location and hours of its Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA).

The changes took effect Thursday, according to the city.

>>RELATED: City of Troys DORA to go into effect this week

It will now include West Main Street extending to Adams Street as well as sections of South Walnut, East Canal, East Race and North Mulberry Streets, the city announced on its social media page.

It will no longer include the south side of W. Franklin Street.

The hours of operation will now be from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on a daily basis after previously be held from 12 p.m. until 10 p.m.

The Troy DORA has had a positive response since voters approved in 2021, according to Robin Oda, the City of Troys mayor.

>>RELATED: Troy residents vote to add outdoor refreshment area (DORA) in downtown

Voters approved the citys DORA in the November 2021 general election.

Visitors 21 years old and older are allowed to consume alcoholic beverages outdoors and in participating businesses within the areas boundaries during designated hours, according to DORA rules.

For information on DORA in the city of Troy, visit this website.




BOSTON  The former owner of three South Shore restaurants has been charged with exploiting his workers by "creating a climate of fear," threatening them with deportation and abusing them physically and verbally, federal law enforcement officials said.

Stavros Papantoniadis, 47, of Westwood, was charged with one count of forced labor. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Boston on Thursday and was ordered held for a detention hearing Monday morning.

Papantoniadis owns Stash's Pizza in Dorchester and Roslindale. His former restaurants include Boston Pizza Co. in Norwell and Randolph and Pacini's Italian Eatery in Weymouth.

Prosecutors allege that over the course of several years, Papantoniadis targeted victims who lacked legal immigration status, employed them at depressed wages and demanded they work, in most cases, six or seven days a week, at times for far more than eight hours per day and often without breaks or overtime compensation. Papantoniadis also allegedly withheld wages.

'The best, most powerful tool':Most South Shore police don't wear body cameras

He is also accused of routinely threatening to have employees deported from the United States and using violence and threats to scare victims and make sure that they complied with his demands.

"Stavros Papantoniadis is alleged to have underpaid, threatened and physically assaulted his employees, creating a climate of fear," said Matthew B. Millhollin, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England.

Rachael Rollins is the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts.

In announcing the arrest, U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said forced labor is a form of human trafficking and a federal crime.

"The allegations in this case are horrific," Rollins said in a statement. "Nobody has the right to violently kick, slap, punch or choke anyone, and certainly not an employer to an employee. This case illustrates the manipulative, violent and abusive tactics some employers utilize for their own greed and financial gain."

According to court documents, one of Papantoniadis' accusers worked for him from 2001 to 2015. The man alleged that Papantoniadis kicked him in the genitals, requiring him to undergo surgery. On another occasion, Papantoniadis allegedly slapped and choked the man, breaking his teeth so badly they had to be removed.

Story continues

The charge of forced labor provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

Rollins said anyone who has information related to the case may call 888-221-6023 and select option 5. They can also send an email to USAMA.VictimAssistance@usdoj.gov.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy E. Moran, chief of Rollins' Organized Crime and Gang Unit, and Brian A. Fogerty, of Rollins' Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit, are prosecuting the case.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

Reach Fred Hanson at fhanson@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Ex-owner of three local restaurants faces federal forced labor charge
Swapping out grass lawns for water-saving alternatives has become the new normal.

But instead trading of your lawn for turf have you ever considered clover?

The idea has gained momentum online. A quick search on TikTok with the hashtag clover lawns has 14.7 million views. People in Sacramento have also taken to Reddit to ask if its worth making the switch over to clover.

Masterclass, an online education system, has also designated a class giving green thumb enthusiasts a play-by-play to starting their very own clover lawn.

The Sacramento Bee spoke with Lance Eicher, a Sacramento city water conservation specialist, to understand some of the benefits and drawbacks of making the switch to clover:

Benefits

Its low maintenance

The weekly work that a traditional lawn requires isnt necessary with clover. Which from a sustainability perspective is great, Eicher said. You dont have the two-cycle engines or lawn mowers and edgers and leaf blowers and all this stuff.

Huge pollinator

Clover is a tremendous pollinator. Which, depending who you ask, can be a good or bad thing.

Kurapia is also a popular lawn alternative, Eicher said. It looks very similar to clover, but doesnt attract too many bees.

Youll water significantly less

Theres a lot that goes into achieving proper clover lawns, like soil type and irrigation systems, Eicher said. However, if done right, you can save a significant amount of money on watering.

Clover or crop Kurapia alternative is going to require 25% of the water that you would typically need for a turf lawn area, Eicher said.

Drawbacks

Bee attraction

Clover being a huge pollinator is a big pro environmentally, but if homeowners have children or pets it may not be the best option.

If youre trying to make an area for children to play, this is not a good alternative for small children and pets, Eicher said.

Aesthetics

If youre someone who wants to switch over to a clover lawn solely because it would look good, think again.





Story continues

Keep in mind that its not good for high traffic areas, Eicher said. Its not the type of product that you would want to use to replace a terrarium for children to play in or for a dog thats going to be active in a backyard, because theyre going to damage it.

Its going to get damaged and it wont hold up to that that kind of traffic.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
In pics: ruins of Suoyang City in NW China's Gansu

Xinhua) 08:25, March 17, 2023

This photo taken on March 16, 2023 shows the ruins of Suoyang City in Guazhou County, northwest China's Gansu Province. The site of Suoyang City was one of the locations along the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor of the Silk Road, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

This photo taken on March 16, 2023 shows the Ta'er ancient temple site at the ruins of Suoyang City in Guazhou County, northwest China's Gansu Province. The site of Suoyang City was one of the locations along the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor of the Silk Road, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Tourists visit the ruins of Suoyang City in Guazhou County, northwest China's Gansu Province, on March 16, 2023. The site of Suoyang City was one of the locations along the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor of the Silk Road, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

This photo taken on March 16, 2023 shows the southwest barbican site of inner city at the ruins of Suoyang City in Guazhou County, northwest China's Gansu Province. The site of Suoyang City was one of the locations along the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor of the Silk Road, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

This photo taken on March 16, 2023 shows the Ta'er ancient temple site at the ruins of Suoyang City in Guazhou County, northwest China's Gansu Province. The site of Suoyang City was one of the locations along the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor of the Silk Road, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

This photo taken on March 16, 2023 shows the ruins of Suoyang City in Guazhou County, northwest China's Gansu Province. The site of Suoyang City was one of the locations along the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor of the Silk Road, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
 Flash

A cargo train marking the 10,000th trip made by China-Europe freight trains operated by the China-Europe Railway Express (Chongqing), waits for departure at Tuanjie Village Central Railway Station in Chongqing, southwest China, June 23, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

Through participation in common projects, especially ones that tackle common challenges such as climate change, China and Europe can enhance trust for better relations, said Reinhard Bachmann, a leading expert in the field of trust research based in London.

"Trust is something that gives people a strategic advantage, it creates value and can save transaction costs  And what I realized is that in China, it is very important to build a relationship first before you talk about business," said Bachmann, who first traveled to China in 2007 and has been in contact with many Chinese researchers and institutes.

As a long-time scholar focusing on trust as a social mechanism to coordinate interaction between individual and collective actors, Bachmann is the director of the Centre for Trust Research under the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Bachmann categorized trust into two forms  interpersonal trust and system trust. The latter means people trust each other not because they know each other but because they are members of the same organizations or follow the same set of rules.

"I think the way forward when it comes to reestablishing trust between China and the West is to build system trust because it complements the interpersonal trust development," said Bachmann, noting the recent worsening relations between China and the United States and some European countries.

Working together

"People need to work together in working groups so that they feel that they are part of the same project rather than just being friends," he said. "For example, if we start an environment agency between the West and China, and let people come together to define certain projects that both want to do in the future, I think that would help.

"If we can work on big international joint projects to meet challenges which the whole mankind is concerned, that would get both sides into the same organizational structure and follow the same set of rules," said Bachmann, adding that there are many areas in which China is now leading and Europe could benefit from.

Bachmann also noted that some European countries have been holding back from cooperation programs on climate change and renewable energy.

"But I think it's necessary for us to create a common platform and collaborate as much as possible if we want to have a good future," he said.
There's a new host coming to the big white tent.

British actor and TV personality Alison Hammond will be joining "The Great British Baking Show" as a co-host for Season 14, the U.K.s Channel 4 announced on March 17.

She is replacing co-host Matt Lucas, who is leaving the baking competition show after three seasons.

Alison Hammond (Karwai Tang / WireImage)

Lucas congratulated Hammond on Twitter after the news broke, saying she was "born" to co-host the show and said she will be "brilliant."

Hammond, 48, has been a presenter on ITV's This Morning for more than two decades, and has also appeared on reality shows including Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing. She will be the first person of color to host the show, which first aired in the U.K. in 2010.

She celebrated the news with a showstopper bake of her own  a cake topped with fondant figurines of herself standing next to co-host Noel Fielding and judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood.

Do you know what, Im just absolutely thrilled Im going to be meeting the bakers very soon, she said in an Instagram video of the cake.

Im so very excited, she added, as the camera panned to the icing versions of her Baking Show co-stars. As you can see, all my colleagues are absolutely speechless.

All of Hammonds future colleagues on the show, which is known in the U.K. as "The Great British Bake Off," welcomed the presenter with open arms.

Huge congratulations Alison, you will be magnificent and I cant wait for your infectious laugh to be ringing through the tent, Leith commented on her Instagram post.

Congratulations and Welcome to the tent lovely !! Fielding chimed in. "We are gonna have an absolute blast together. I cant wait. Im buzzing. Two naughty kids together :) x x x.x The bakers will love you  x.

Hammond also scored a virtual Hollywood handshake, with judge Paul Hollywood writing in the comments, See you on the tent  welcome xx.

This actually wont be Hammonds first visit to the white tent; she appeared as a baker on the show in 2020s Celebrity Bake Off.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
HILLSDALE  A Kinderhook area resident, Daniel Remsing, 52, will face more charges for convincing a Lowell grandmother to molest her granddaughter and send him the video.

First Remsing will face criminal sexual conduct charges from six and seven years ago in Hillsdale County.

Court news

Remsing is scheduled for a probable cause conference on March 22 on four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct from April 1, 2015, after a monthlong investigation.

Hillsdale City Police Detective Brad Martin also sought charges of first-degree criminal sexual from Dec. 1, 2016. Bond at arraignment was $1.4 million on both cases with 10% allowed.

All the charges are life felonies and allegedly involved young children.

Hillsdale Police Department told police in Lowell in Kent County they had reviewed information from Remsing's phone during their investigation. On the phone were two videos, and one photo of a child, all involving sexual abuse.

Hillsdale asked Lowell police to investigate Heather Wallace, 43, an online acquaintance of Remsing, as the person who made the videos. Wallace claimed she accidentally deleted the conversations between the two.

When confronted with the material from Remsings phone, Wallace admitted making the videos at Remsings, request according to court documents.

Wallace was arrested on charges that include second-degree criminal sexual conduct, aggravated child sexually abusive activity, aggravated possession of child sexually abusive materials and using a computer to commit a crime. She faces a minimum of 20 years in prison if convicted.

Remsing is expected to be charged in Kent County related to her case.

In 2008, Remsing was sentenced to 19 months to 10 years in prison after he admitted he stole $38,000 in items from six units at Shaftmaster Storage on North Angola Road. He was paroled in 2010.

 Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DReidTDR.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Coldwater-area man charged in Hillsdale CSC cases, child porn in Lowell
The Georgia House of Representatives unanimously approved legislation this week to require the state to assess whether educational requirements for many state jobs are necessary.

The Reducing Barriers to State Employment bill also requires the Georgia Department of Administrative Services (DOAS) to insofar as practicable reduce the number of jobs for which a four-year college degree is necessary. The state could continue to require college degrees or other certifications for jobs that are deemed to require them.

As you know, both the private and public sector right now are in a war for talent, and we dont want to place any artificial barriers in their way, said Rep. Scott Hilton, R-Peachtree Corners, who sponsored the bill in the House.

We want to make sure that were not requiring a four-year degree, advanced degree or certification that does not apply to the [state] job were currently hiring for and lose out on the opportunity to have our best and brightest apply for that job.

Georgia experienced record-high turnover during the last fiscal year, according to a state workforce report published by the DOAS.

What good is it to get people in the front door if they just walk right back out of the back door for a job with more competitive pay?, said Rep. Jasmine Clark, D-Lilburn, during a brief debate on the bill.

Wages for state jobs are not on par with the private sector, which makes it tough to retain state employees, Clark said.

Gov. Brian Kemp has proposed a $2,000 pay raise for most state employees in his fiscal 2024 budget. Law enforcement officers on the state payroll and employees in several agencies with particular high turnover would receive additional $2,000 increases for a total pay hike of $4,000

The bill, which the state Senate passed last month, now moves to Kemps desk for his signature.

This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.
Season six is set to be The Crown's final season. Screenshots from TikTok

Students at the University of St Andrew's in Scotland have been going viral on TikTok this week.

The students have been capturing actors on the set of Netflix's hit show "The Crown."

Season six of the show is set to portray Prince William's time at the university in the mid-2000s.

Students at the University of St Andrew's in Scotland are sharing behind-the-scenes footage of actors from Netflix's "The Crown," as they film scenes for the show's latest season on campus.

The videos, many of which have been posted under the hashtag #standrews, show actors Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy, who will star as Prince William and Kate Middleton in the upcoming season, filming scenes together inspired by the true story of how the two royals met while studying together at St Andrew's.

According to British news outlet The Independent, the actors have been filming in Fife, Scotland, for several days, and were at one point spotted with Dominic West, who plays Prince Charles on the show.

One TikTok clip had on-screen captions saying that "the actors were actually so sweet," and the student and her friends were holding up a sign that said "go girlie" while the actor was filming. It showed Bellamy pointing and smiling at a student's camera and then holding up a signal with her hand that formed half of a heart shape.

Another TikTok posted by the same user, which has 255,000 views, featured a slideshow of images taken on campus, which she said showed what it looked like behind the scenes during filming. On-screen captions on the images described "police everywhere," and "students constantly accidentally walking into the filming area."

A different user said in a video that crew from the show asked to put a filming light in her university room, and paid her 50, or around $60, to do so.

Story continues

"If the lighting is looking extra good in season six of The Crown just know it was coming from my bedroom," a caption on the post, which has 746,00 views, read.

The user and representatives from "The Crown" did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Commenters under the viral clips said they were excited to see advance glimpses into what the upcoming season of the show looked like, and some also said they thought the casting was incredibly believable.

"I have seen so many st andrews crown clips that I have basically seen season 6," one user wrote.

On TikTok, user-generated behind-the-scenes clips from big film sets often go immensely viral. In November, students at the University of Greenwich gained millions of views for capturing footage from the set of the Netflix series "Bridgerton," which was being filmed on their campus at the time.

Prince William and Kate Middleton married in April 2011, six years after graduating from St Andrew's. According to Deadline, season six of Netflix's "The Crown" is set to explore William's time at the university, while also portraying him as a younger man, played by Rufus Kampa, as he copes with the death of his mother, Princess Diana.

Season six is set to be the show's final season; a release date for the episodes is yet to be confirmed, according to Digital Spy.

For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.

Read the original article on Insider
By Luis Jaime Acosta and Carlos Vargas

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's government presented a labor reform bill to Congress on Thursday that would reduce working hours and boost overtime pay, but critics say the measures could hurt job creation.

The bill is part of a raft of reforms being pushed by President Gustavo Petro, the country's first leftist leader, as he looks to fight poverty.

Congress passed a major tax reform last year and is debating changes to the healthcare system. The government is expected to present a pension reform proposal next week.

Petro's coalition has a majority in Congress, though the health reform has caused friction with some legislative allies and led to the exit of one member of his cabinet.

"It is precisely the reduction of salaries, job instability, which have not allowed the growth of productivity in Colombia," Petro told a crowd in central Bogota, before the bill was formally proposed to Congress.

The initiative, which must be approved by both lawmakers and the Constitutional Court, seeks to enshrine eight-hour work days, reduce the normal work week to 42 hours and guarantee at least one day off every seven days. The standard workweek in Colombia is now 48 hours.

The reform risks hurting job creation, Jaime Alberto Cabal, president of merchants association Fenalco, told journalists earlier on Thursday.

"(The bill) forgets about the unemployed, the opportunity to access work and the possibilities for informal workers to get formal work due to the high costs," he said.

The bill includes a measure to enshrine daytime working hours at between 6 a.m and 6 p.m., increasing the chance of overtime pay. Daytime hours currently run until 10 p.m.

Overtime cannot exceed two hours per day or 12 hours per week under the planned proposal, while work on Sundays or holidays will mean double pay.

The bill also seeks to ensure health and pension contributions for those who work through delivery apps and other digital platforms.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta, Nelson Bocanegra and Carlos Vargas; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Mark Porter, Robert Birsel)
A Columbus police cruiser

Columbus police have released the identity of a man who was a victim of an apparent homicide nearly a week after he was found shot on the city's South Side.

Richard M. Carr, 62, was identified Monday by the Franklin County Coroner's Office as the man found dead Saturday afternoon inside a residence on the 1800 block of Lockbourne Road, according to police. The police division released his name publicly Friday morning after his next of kin was notified of his death.

Carr's body was found inside a two-story apartment building when police were called at 3:46 p.m. Saturday on a report of a shooting. Police have not identified any suspects or motive behind the shooting.

Anyone with information can call the Columbus Police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477.

Eric Lagatta is a reporter at The Columbus Dispatch covering public safety, with a focus on in-depth coverage of social justice issues and crime trends.

elagatta@dispatch.com

@EricLagatta

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police identify man shot dead inside South Side apartment
Conor McGregor has labelled the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) a garbage organisation after it said the Irishman should be in its testing pool.

In January, the UFC announced that McGregor will make his comeback later this year, as the former champion takes on Michael Chandler. However, no date, location or weight class has been confirmed for the fight, with McGregor yet to re-enter Usadas testing pool.

In order to compete in the UFC, fighters must have been present in the Usada pool for six months and have submitted two negative tests  and zero positives. However, Usada issued a statement on Thursday (16 March), responding to comments made by McGregor on Wednesday and declaring that the UFC can make an exception in exceptional circumstances.

Usada said that such an exemption may be made in instances that are manifestly unfair to athletes, but the agency insisted: Our position, which we have made clear, is that Conor should be in the testing pool for the full six-month period.

McGregor responded by tweeting, Usada is going in the bin, before writing in a since-deleted tweet: This is my issue. Ive not lied once. Nor have I tested positive. Ever.

I have over 70 clean tests under this program, yet they are consistently coming out after I speak in a manner that makes it seem I am lying. Its ridiculous. F*** [Usada]. You are in The Bin.

Over 70 clean tests. Never violated once. I will not be scapegoated by this garbage organization. You are not the be all end all in this equation usada.
Gov. Ron DeSantis uses his new political memoir to describe how he views the future of the Republican Party, and hes making a bet that most conservative voters are ready for it.

It is a vision that jettisons the limited-government philosophy of the GOP of the past in favor of the aggressive use of state power to implant conservative values in government and society using what he has advanced in Florida as his template.

DeSantis embraces former President Donald Trumps combative approach to opposition and the media and, rather than looking abroad, focuses on the enemy from within: entrenched elites and politicized institutions that operate government by bureaucratic fiat, not popular consent.

The concept is not exactly a new governing philosophy in the GOP, but many Republicans and scholars say it is what the partys voters increasingly want from their leaders.

DeSantis is interested in a more philosophically coherent approach to being a conservative in office, and using the power of government to achieve conservative ends in a way that Trump grasped at in different ways, said Patrick T. Brown, a fellow at the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center. But Desantis is more methodical.

On an array of issues, the governor has taken what was a vaguely defined instinct from the former president and turned it into a policy agenda more far-reaching than anything Trump pursued in the White House.

Indeed, in his book, The Courage to Be Free, DeSantis describes how he used his executive authority against school boards, cruise lines, Disney, universities, race studies, local governments and activist corporations. He writes with contempt for free-market Republicans who caved to the demands of large corporations, and argues instead for government intervention in issues of speech and personal choice in a way that protects individuals from these powerful institutions.

Wielding authority

DeSantis vision has been derided as authoritarian by critics and, even within the GOP, the idea that the party is eschewing its long-held policy of government restraint has put many Republican faithful in a difficult position.

Story continues

He writes that an energetic executive should serve as a check on the power of private businesses, including Big Tech and traditional corporations, and he scolds his Republican predecessors, arguing that the way Republicans did business is no longer a sufficient check on the growing influence of the liberal movement.

For years, the default conservative posture has been to limit government and then get out of the way, he writes. ...In this context, elected officials who do nothing more than get out of the way are essentially green-lighting these institutions to continue their unimpeded march through society.

The approach is similar to Trumps, whose application of state force included railing against liberal censorship and then imposing speech restrictions on government contractors, universities and federal agencies to silence talk of systemic racism.

Like Trump, DeSantis has imposed bans on speech relating to gender and diversity at universities. In addition, he has advanced policies that withhold state investments in banks that practice environmental, social and diversity policies. He has prosecuted felons for voting, even though they received government-issued voter ID cards.

He threatened Disney, suggesting he would dissolve its special taxing district because of its advocacy on behalf of LBGTQ rights and against his proposals. He banned companies from requiring vaccinations, and battled cruise lines over vaccine passports. And he ousted Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren from office, calling it a clear signal to other prosecutors around Florida not to follow Warrens lead on progressive policies.

For DeSantis, who served three terms in Congress before becoming governor, Republicans are as to blame for the status quo as Democrats, and he openly advocates for the use of state power to punish private businesses.

For decades, a huge swath of GOP elected officials have campaigned on free market principles, but governed as corporatists  supporting subsidies, tax breaks, and legislative carve-outs to confer special benefits on entrenched corporate interests, DeSantis writes.

The state of Florida fought in court to block Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings from requiring passengers show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to board its ships.

The governors pressuring of private businesses continued this week, when the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation filed a complaint against the Hyatt Regency Miami, putting the hotel chain on notice that its state liquor license will be revoked because of a drag show at the adjacent James L. Knight Center in which the state claimed minors were present.

He has expanded the scope of his executive authority, issuing hundreds of executive orders each year, and adopted rules to restrict speech and public gatherings.

For example, the Florida Department of Management Services last year issued a rule to empower law enforcement to remove from the Capitol demonstrators they think may prove disruptive. This year, the agency issued a new rule banning any organization, including companies and advocacy organizations, from reserving space in the Capitol unless the DeSantis administration has determined that it aligns with its mission.

Schoolchildren holding signs against the concept of critical race theory stand on stage alongside Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as he addresses the crowd before signing HB 7, titled the Individual Freedom bill but also dubbed the Stop Woke Act, during a press conference at Mater Academy Charter Middle/High School in Hialeah Gardens, Florida, on Friday, April 22, 2022.

Before DeSantis got his start in politics, he wrote a book in 2011, Dreams from Our Founding Fathers, in which he laments the decline in the countrys limited government roots. As a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, he focused on fiscal restraint, immigration and identifying the shortcomings of the modern Republican establishment.

Republicans, in general, believe that the free market should prevent the government from dictating to corporations, and DeSantis aggressive approach is not only a striking contrast to the governors prior positions, it also has left some members of his party uncomfortable.

I have concerns about the follow on, said former Vice President Mike Pence during an interview on CNBC in February. Disney stepped into the fray, they lost, but then [targeting] the taxing authority  that was beyond the scope of what I, as a conservative, limited-government Republican would be prepared to do.

Policy inconsistencies

John Thrasher, a former head of the Republican Party of Florida, former Florida House speaker and now-retired president of Florida State University, says the governors policies include a little inconsistency about free speech and the First Amendment.

He recalled how DeSantis came to the FSU campus in 2019 and issued a statement calling for the states public colleges and universities to adopt a resolution protecting student free speech, commonly known as the Chicago Statement.

And yet now the Legislature seems to be wanting to tell the faculty members what they can say and what they cant say and when they could say it, which is a little bit inconsistent, Thrasher said.

Using extensive government power while proclaiming to protect individual rights is not unique to DeSantis, said Nicole Hemmer, historian and author of two books on the conservative right.

Thats something that Donald Trump did as well and it met very little resistance among his supporters and among the Republican base, she said. Its not necessarily ideologically consistent, but that ideological inconsistency has been part of conservative politics for decades.

DeSantis also distanced himself from some conservatives in his party this week when he responded to questions about Ukraine in a questionnaire from Fox News host Tucker Carlson. The governor  who as a congressman criticized the Obama administration for not supporting Ukraine forcefully enough against Russian aggression  described Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine as a territorial dispute and suggested that the defense of Ukraine should not be a priority for an American president.

Former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he reacts to the crowd after announcing his bid for the U.S. Presidency from his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida on Nov. 15, 2022.

Party shifts

DeSantis strong-executive vision may clash with the post-Reagan and pre-Trump conservative approach, but many Republicans today argue the party is changing rapidly, shifting away from affluent voters more interested in limited-government orthodoxy and toward blue-collar workers who feel increasingly overlooked by a shifting global economy and evolving social norms.

This is no longer the party of country clubs, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said earlier this month at the Conservative Political Action Conference, a high-profile annual gathering of conservatives from across the country.

Others see it in harsher terms.

Mac Stipanovich, a former GOP consultant including for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, describes the dominant viewpoint in the Republican Party today as one of right-wing populist authoritarians.

DeSantis approach to government is a stark contrast to the Reagan ideal of the best government is the government closest to the people, he said.

Just look at his savaging of local governments and local voters, whether its school boards, city councils or county commissions  he is just dictating everything out of Tallahassee with highly centralized government, he continued. ....DeSantis decides who can come in and cant come into your business, and what you can and cant tell your employees when youre giving them human resources training.

That is about as un-conservative and un-Republican, historically speaking, as you could possibly conceive.

For scholars like Brown who have studied the evolution of American politics, DeSantis decision to shift from the libertarian, small-government advocate to strong-government activist parallels the Republican Party as a whole, compared to where we were 10 years ago.

The party is much more willing to be open to the idea that government doesnt just need to take its hands off the wheel and let the free market do the rest, but that there is a role for the government to play, he said.

At a recent retreat for high-value donors hosted by the conservative Club for Growth, DeSantis scorned his fellow Republicans because they act like potted plants in culture war battles against the mainstream media and the Left, according to Fox News.

Im not content to just keep taxes low and stay out of anything else, he said. My policies are helping to protect people from having the woke ideology shoved down their throats in institution after institution.

Sleight of hand

Hemmer, the historian, said that one argument Democrats may seize upon against DeSantis is that Florida is restricting freedoms in ways that polls consistently show are not popular, such as pushing to deregulate guns and banning abortions at six weeks.

But DeSantis has also adopted a particularly effective sleight of hand, Hemmer said.

By cultivating an image as a crusader for freedom and taking on issues such as COVID-19 lockdowns, sending migrants to Marthas Vineyard, banning drag shows and gender discussions in schools, he is focusing on issues that are both really emotionally satisfying to the base in Florida and across the nation, she said. And they have a trigger the lib quality to them  where they provoke a kind of real outrage and reaction from people who oppose those policies.

But most importantly, she said, is that DeSantis is also re-coding all of that as protecting freedom  because so much of the policies that he is pursuing actually take away freedom.

Despite writing a book, major parts of the governors overall vision for the country remain unanswered. Scholars, for instance, say its still unclear how much of the populist economic agenda DeSantis will embrace, including policies like expanding the child tax credit or economic nationalism.

One thing is clear, DeSantis views the future of the Republican Party as one that pursues policies that limit speech, restrict corporations, penalize protests, and allow citizens to sue officials over ideological differences, all in the name of targeting wokeness.

It may seem to be a contradiction, Hemmer said, but it reflects the shift in thinking that has been occurring for decades in the Republican Party.

Ron DeSantis just represents a continuation of the turn that the party has taken not just in the past decade, but really over the past 20 or 30 years, she said. He is adding a little sophistication to the Trump program, but hes not just grafting it on to his own politics. This is just an evolution in the same direction.

CORRECTION: An early version of this story incorrectly stated that Mac Stipanovich was chief of staff to former Gov. Jeb Bush. He was an advisor to Bushs campaign and a chief of staff to former Gov. Bob Martinez.

Mary Ellen Klas can be reached at meklas@miamiherald.com and @MaryEllenKlas
Update at 3:30 p.m.: A man in his 50s died, according to York County Coroner Pam Gay. His death was a suicide.

Reported earlier:

Northern York County Regional Police and the York County Coroner's Office responded Friday morning to a call in Manchester Township, said Ted Czech, public information officer for the York County Office of Emergency Management/York County 911.

A woman who was walking in the 200 block of Masonic Drive saw a man lying in the grass and was concerned, Czech said.

The call came in to York County 911 shortly after 9:30 a.m., he said.

Businesses are located along Masonic Drive in the township.

Check back later as this is a breaking news story.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York County Coroner, police respond to individual found lying in grass
pensions 401(k)

With a few notable exceptions, the age of pensions is largely over in the U.S. Traditional defined benefit plans have replaced largely by defined contribution retirement vehicles like 401(k) plans. A new study from the National Institute on Retirement Security, though, seems to suggest that the end of pensions may not actually be as beneficial to companies as once thought. In fact, a giving employees a traditional pension plan may actually be less costly than operating a 401(k) or other defined contribution plan.

If you want help saving for retirement, consider finding a financial advisor using SmartAssets free financial advisor matching service.

Why Are 401(k) Plans Costlier Than Pensions?

The logic behind why companies wanted to switch to defined contribution plans is pretty simple. In a traditional pension plan, the company is on the hook for a predetermined payment every year until a worker dies. If they live particularly long, that can get expensive. With a defined contribution plan like a 401(k), however, the payment is entirely determined by how much an employee saved during their working years  and of they run out, it doesnt impact the employer.

The group nature of a pension plan, though, may actually result in lower costs for the employers, though, according to the new NIRS study.

Pensions have economies of scale and risk pooling that just cant be replicated by individual savings accounts, said Dan Doonan, the NIRS executive director, in a statement. This means pensions can provide retirement benefits at a much lower cost.

The study found that in order to replace 54% of income for employees after retirement, a DB plan required contributions of 16.5% of total payroll. A DC plan, meanwhile, required 32.3% of payroll to get to the same endpoint.

These cost differences are a key consideration for employers and policymakers given that most Americans are deeply worried about retirement and retirement savings levels are dangerously low for the typical U.S. household, Doonan notes. Policymakers are wise to protect existing pensions while also fostering innovation in DC plans to improve the financial security of those relying on 401(k) accounts.

Story continues

Pension Plan Basics

pensions 401(k)

A pension plan works by having money contributed to a pool by both the company and employees who are enrolled in the plan. There may be a cliff at which point a person becomes vested in the plan  meaning that you become eligible for benefits after working at the firm for a certain amount of time.

The money put into the pool is then invested in the market so that it grows. There will often be either an investing board or a financial advisor who makes investing choices. The money from the pool is then used to pay predetermined amounts of money to retired employees, often based on how long a person has worked at the company and what their salary was while they were there.

401(k) Plan Basics

A 401(k) plan is much more individualistic. Each person contributes money to their own account and choose from a menu of investment options. Once they retire, they can schedule their own drawdown plan to take money out as needed. Money contributed to a 401(k) is put in pre-tax, so participants will pay taxes when they take money out in retirement.

There is sometimes an employer element to 401(k) plans  an employer match. This is an option some employers use as a part of employees compensation package. Basically, a firm will match a certain amount of money the employee contributes. This could be a dollar-for-dollar match or a possible match, but generally the company only contributes based on how much each employee contributes.

The Bottom Line

pensions 401(k)

For the past several decades, pension plans have largely been phased out in favor of defined contribution plans, except in a few industries, notably the public sector. New research, though, shows that the conventional wisdom may be wrong and pension plans may actually cost employers less than offering a 401(k) plan.

Retirement Planning Tips

No matter what type of retirement plan your company offers, a financial advisor can help you plan for your golden years. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesnt have to be hard. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors in 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.

Its important to know how much youll need to live your retirement dreams. Use SmartAssets retirement calculator to see what youll need and if youre on pace to get there.

Photo credit: iStock.com/insta_photos, iStock.com/pinkomelet, iStock.com/SrdjanPav

The post Pensions May Actually Be Cheaper For Employers Than 401(k) Plans appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.
 Flash

China urged the United States on Thursday to stop spreading false information on data security issues and unreasonably suppressing related companies, as Washington had yet to provide evidence that Chinese-owned short video platform TikTok threatened U.S. national security.

The U.S. government should provide an open, fair and nondiscriminatory environment for companies from all countries to invest and operate in the U.S., Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a daily news briefing.

Wang made the remark after The Wall Street Journal quoted anonymous sources as saying that the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has demanded that TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance sell its stakes in the popular video-sharing app or face a possible U.S. ban on the app.

China always holds that the data security issue shouldn't be a tool that some countries leverage to generalize the concept of national security and abuse state power to suppress companies from other countries, Wang said.

"We remain confident that the best path forward to addressing concerns about national security is transparent, U.S.-based protection of U.S. user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting and verification, which we are already implementing," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.

"If protecting national security is the objective, a ban or divestment doesn't solve the problem, as neither option solves the issues of data access or transfer," the company said, adding that a forced sale won't resolve national security issues.

Bai Ming, deputy director of international market research at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said the U.S. uses the "national security threat" as an excuse to contain the rise of Chinese companies, which completely deviates from the principle of fair competition in a free market.

"Such practices will not only affect the normal business activities of Chinese companies in the U.S. and violate their legitimate interests, but also harm the rights of U.S. consumers, given that TikTok has gained wide popularity among the country's younger generation," Bai said.

Late last month, the White House required all U.S. federal agencies to remove TikTok from their phones and systems within 30 days, and Canada announced that it is banning TikTok from all government-issued mobile devices.

Li Yong, deputy head of the Expert Committee of the China Association of International Trade, said that the U.S. government uses political measures to crack down on Chinese companies operating in the U.S., which is a kind of hegemony that severely damages TikTok's corporate image and reputation, and also violates international economic and trade rules.

TikTok has announced it will spend $1.5 billion on a plan known as "Project Texas", in a bid to bolster data security through storing U.S.-based user data in the servers of U.S. tech company Oracle.

It also announced a series of new measures last week to strengthen the protection of user data in Europe. These measures include further enhancing controls on access to user data by introducing security gateways that will determine employee access to European TikTok user data and data transfers outside of Europe.

The company also plans to build its second data center in Ireland, and another in Norway. Last year, TikTok established its first European data center in Dublin, Ireland. All of these data centers will be co-location sites operated by third-party service providers, the company said.




Democrats are growing increasingly hostile toward TikTok over its ties to China, appearing to align themselves with more hawkish Republicans who have long called for curbs on the platform.

TikTok is owned by ByteDance, which is based in Beijing, and top U.S. officials have been warning that the technology could be used to pass on U.S. users private data to the Chinese government and even influence Americans to benefit China.

Fueling these concerns is the countrys national security law, which requires Chinese companies and those operating within China to share data with its government if requested.

Bidens top intelligence adviser, Avril Haines, has described the country as Americas most serious and consequential intelligence rival.

But any possible ban on TikTok could have political implications for the White House and Democrats at large.

TikTok Gets An Ultimatum

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. is a committee of top Cabinet and intelligence officials who review foreign transactions in American businesses for national security concerns. CFIUS has been trying to broker a deal with the platform for the past two years and has now given TikToks Chinese owners an ultimatum: Either sell their stake in the company or risk a nationwide ban in the U.S., according to a Wall Street Journal report published Wednesday.

TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter denied that a sale would meaningfully address security concerns.

If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesnt solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access, Oberwetter told the Journal.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Thursday said the administration was letting CFIUS lead the charge on TikTok.

Theres a process here, she told reporters. We try to stay away from that process.

Caitlin Chin, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told HuffPost it would be much harder this time around to find a buyer for TikTok than it was when then-President Donald Trump tried to force a sale of the company in 2020 citing concerns about the safety of Americans data.

Story continues

Oracle and Walmart had reportedly struck a deal to buy 20% of TikTok at the time, but that agreement fell apart after courts ruled that Trumps threats to ban TikTok went beyond his authority.

TikToks market share and user base have expanded significantly in the years since, meaning that any company that wants to buy the social media giant would need to be even bigger than TikTok, but also be willing to endure the global scrutiny around the technology, Chin explained.

There are not many companies that both have the resources to buy TikTok and have the economic or the strategic motivation to do so, Chin added. And I think that any sale will also potentially raise antitrust concerns, just because the U.S. social media market is so concentrated.

More Bipartisan Consensus In Congress

Momentum against TikTok has been building in Congress.

Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) last week introduced the Restrict Act, meant to address the threat of technologies created by U.S. foreign adversaries. While the legislation doesnt specifically target TikTok, it could be used to ban the platform in the U.S. The bill was co-sponsored by 10 senators from both parties, and has also been endorsed by the White House.

This legislation would provide the U.S. government with new mechanisms to mitigate the national security risks posed by high-risk technology businesses operating in the United States, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement last week.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee has also advanced a bill brought by its chair, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), that would give President Joe Biden more power to take action against TikTok.

How Americans Feel About A Possible TikTok Ban

A new Quinnipiac University national poll released Wednesday found that almost 50% of Americans support a ban on foreign technology, including TikTok.

But crucially, support for a possible ban seems to be split along party lines.

While 64% of Republicans and 50% of independents support a ban, only 39% of Democrats agree with the action.

Just a third (33%) of Americans ages 18-34 would back a ban, the poll found.

During hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee earlier this month, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the vice chair, asked top intelligence officials whether the apps popularity with younger people should stop efforts to curb it.

Not from my perspective, replied FBI Director Christopher Wray, who has also been critical of TikTok.

Asked if Democrats should be concerned about alienating young voters if they supported action against TikTok, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), a co-sponsor of Warners Senate bill and one of the most vocal critics of the platform in the Democratic Party, said other platforms would fill that gap.

If we ever get to that point, there are going to be plenty of alternatives, Bennet told HuffPost on Wednesday.

But in reality, Chin said, users dont have that many options to go to, given that social media is one of the most consolidated markets in the U.S.

While Instagrams Reels feature appears to be a close competitor to TikTok, its parent company Meta collects just as much personal information from users, and it would be one of the most direct beneficiaries of action against the Chinese-owned platform.

Chin added that TikTok creators who have amassed a following on the app would have a hard time migrating their communities elsewhere.

How Banning Or Restricting TikTok Could Hurt Democrats

Some Democrats have expressed concern that action targeting TikTok could hurt the partys standing with younger voters.

While Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo has endorsed the Restrict Act, she previously warned that action specifically against TikTok could hurt the Democratic Party.

The politician in me thinks youre gonna literally lose every voter under 35, forever, she told Bloomberg. However much I hate TikTok  and I do, because I see the addiction in the bad shit that it serves kids  you know, this is America.

The White House and Democrats more widely have previously appeared to embrace TikTok.

Biden once invited eight TikTok influencers to the White House and had a one-hour private meeting with them in the lead-up to the midterm elections.

The influencers trip to Washington, D.C., was organized by the Democratic National Committee in an effort to turn out voters for the party in November. Apart from the White House visit, the creators met with former President Barack Obama and received a private tour of the U.S. Capitol, among other things.

We know people listen to trusted messengers, and as an increasing number of young people turn to Instagram, TikTok and other platforms for news and information, we need to engage with the voices they trust directly, Rob Flaherty, the White House director of digital strategy, told The Washington Post at the time.

But currently the White House appears to think the drawbacks outweigh the benefits.

Still, there are lawmakers who continue to use TikTok.

Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) both post on the platform frequently. Booker has a following of 330,000 people, while Sanders count stands at 1.4 million followers.

During an interview with CBS Face the Nation last month, Booker recognized security issues around TikTok, but did not directly say whether the U.S. should ban it.

Sanders and Booker did not immediately respond to HuffPosts requests for comment on a potential ban.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and his Republican opponent Mehmet Oz also actively used TikTok during the 2022 campaign.

The DNC joined TikTok in March 2022 to engage more young voters ahead of the midterms, and also to learn lessons about how to effectively use the platform in future campaigns, according to Axios.

Nell Thomas, a former chief technology officer for the DNC, told Peter Kafkas Recode Media podcast in August 2022 that Democrats were taking several precautions to manage the security risks of using the technology, but that TikTok was crucial to connecting with voters.

We, at this point, dont feel like we can ignore the audience that is on TikTok, Thomas said. And we think its really, really important for Democratic values and wins and successes to be told where people are.

Chin expects that a TikTok ban would have an effect on 2024 political campaigns given how critical social media has become for voter outreach, and how popular the app is with young Americans.

If TikTok is banned, its just unclear to me how political campaigns will shift their communication strategies in the future to make sure that theyre reaching everybody, Chin told HuffPost.

Arthur Delaney contributed reporting.

Related...
By Nell Mackenzie

LONDON (Reuters) - Credit Suisse saw more than $450 million in net outflows from its U.S. and European managed funds from March 13 to 15, Morningstar Direct said on Friday, as retail and institutional counterparties pulled money out of funds managed by the embattled Swiss lender.

The more than 300 European funds managed by the bank had an estimated net inflow of just over $14 million on March 13.

By March 14 that had flipped to net outflows of $205 million, data provider Morningstar said.

On March 15 there were net outflows of just over $211 million, it said.

More than 20 U.S. funds tracked showed a $22,000 net outflow on March 13 which widened to $20 million the next day and to $29 million on March 15, Morningstar said.

(Graphic: Credit Suisse outflow - https://www.reuters.com/graphics/CREDITSUISSEGROUPAG-FUNDS/byprlmrqkpe/chart.png)

Data after March 15 was yet to be collected and not all funds report daily, Morningstar said. The data included open-end funds and exchange traded products, it said.

Credit Suisse shares hit record lows on Wednesday after its main shareholder, the Saudi National Bank, said it could not invest more money for regulatory reasons.

On Thursday, the bank tapped the option of a $54 billion loan from the Swiss National Bank, helping the shares to recover.

Yet sentiment remained fragile and on Friday Credit Suisse shares were last down more than 10%.

The lender confirmed last month that clients had pulled out 110 billion Swiss francs ($118.71 billion) of funds in the fourth quarter while the bank reported an annual loss of 7.29 billion Swiss francs ($7.87 billion), its largest since the 2007-08 financial crisis.

Credit Suisse Group's average liquidity coverage ratio, a measure of how much cash-like assets the bank has, did not change between March 8 and March 14, it said on Thursday.

($1 = 0.9266 Swiss francs)

(Reporting by Nell Mackenzie; Graphics by Vincent Flasseur; editing by Dhara Ranasinghe and Jason Neely)
ZURICH (Reuters) - Credit Suisse sees its access to 50 billion Swiss francs ($53.98 billion) of central bank funding as "precautionary liquidity" to allow the embattled lender to continue its revamp, the head of its Swiss business said.

Following a crisis of confidence that wiped 25% off the value of Credit Suisse shares on Wednesday, the bank sought an emergency liquidity line from the Swiss National Bank in the first such move for a global lender since the financial crisis of 2008.

"We see it as precautionary liquidity so that we can carry out the transformation of Credit Suisse and continue to work well in this turbulent situation," Andre Helfenstein, CEO of Credit Suisse's Swiss bank, told broadcaster SRF in an interview published late Thursday.

"Of course 50 billion francs is a big number. However, the 50 billion should be seen as a sign that we want to continue our transformation successfully and also send a clear signal to the market and to our clients."

Helfenstein said Credit Suisse was working hard to stem customers outflows, although this could take time.

"We work on it consistently every day," he told SRF in the interview. "But it's also not something that happens overnight.

"We have to try to get in touch with our customers and win them back step by step with open discussions," he added.

($1 = 0.9262 Swiss francs)

(Reporting by John Revill; Editing by Sam Holmes)
Trump Iowa

Former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he lands at Quad City International Airport en route to Iowa on March 13, 2023, in Moline, IL. Credit - Jabin BotsfordThe Washington Post via Getty Images

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg may be poised to bring criminal charges against Donald Trump, the kind of moment that would doom many political careers.

Yet Trump is likely to find being the subject of such a historic legal action would provide a boost of energy, and potentially donations, to his latest presidential bid. Its happened before.

When he was impeached for the first time in late 2019, his re-election campaign raised millions off of it, telling supporters that it was a deranged effort by Washingtons elite to stop him. When the FBI executed a search warrant on the former Presidents Mar-a-Lago Club in August for classified documents he was keeping there, his approval ratings among Republicans ticked up, and a political group associated with him saw a surge in donations.

Now, a Manhattan grand jury, convened by Bragg, is weighing an indictment as it hears evidence about an alleged hush money payment Trump made to pornographic film actor Stormy Daniels weeks before the 2016 election. Trump allegedly wanted to stop Daniels from speaking publicly about what she has said was a consensual affair with Trump in 2006. Bragg is reportedly considering arguing that the payments amounted to illegal campaign donations since the news of an affair could have hurt Trumps campaign.

Daniels met with Manhattan prosecutors on Wednesday, according to her lawyer. And Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen testified before the grand jury this week. Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to campaign violations he says were part of a scheme to help Trump pay off Daniels.

Trumps legal team has seized on the possibility that an indictment could boost Trumps political fortunes as a way to scare off Bragg from bringing charges. If they bring this case, I believe this will catapult him into the White House, Trumps defense lawyer, Joe Tacopina, said on MSNBC on Tuesday. An indictment against Trump, Tacopina added, will show how they are weaponizing the justice system. Theyre taking the vote out of the voters hands.

Story continues

Trump is currently facing more legal investigations than any former President in history. He is under scrutiny by Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis for trying to overturn Bidens 2020 win in Georgia, and Department of Justice Special Council Jack Smith is investigating Trumps handling of classified material and his efforts to reverse his 2020 election loss. Last year, Bragg declined to press charges against Trump for allegedly misleading lenders and insurers about the value of his properties.

Trump has survived decades of lawsuits and investigators nipping at his heels. Amid years of high-profile investigations into whether he or his associates colluded with Russia, or his role in a deadly riot against the Capitol, the prospect of Trump getting indicted over his alleged efforts to cover up an affair may come across as underwhelming to even many of his critics. Trump has said he would continue his presidential campaign if he was indicted.

Charges related to the Daniels hush money payments would be old news to most people, says Whit Ayres, a Republican strategist and pollster, and he could easily spin this as just a liberal democratic vendetta against him.

An indictment by Bragg, Ayres adds, would have substantially less effect than an indictment in Georgia or by the Department of Justice would have because its a New York Democratic prosecutor who would be doing it.

Hogan Gidley, a former Trump White House spokesman who still speaks regularly to Trump, agrees that the former Presidents 2024 campaign would be able to make hay out of criminal charges.

It definitely gets people angry that the government and other entities would attack somebody in this way, and it absolutely increases support for Trump, says Gidley.

Trump, who refuses to admit he legitimately lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, announced his candidacy for President in December. More than two years after his defeat by Biden at the ballot box, Trump still has strong support among Republicans. But hes failed to clear the field of challengers going into 2024, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who has not officially launched a presidential campaign, is drawing strong attention from GOP donors and in polling. At a campaign speech in Iowa on Monday, Trump slammed DeSantis, calling him Ron DeSanctimonious.

After federal agents searched Trumps Mar-a-Lago club last year, many Republicans, including DeSantis, rallied around Trump and criticized the action. A similar pattern is likely to occur if Bragg indicts Trump.

Hans von Spakovsky, who manages the Election Law Reform Initiative at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C., says that the case Bragg is pursuing is questionable. Hush money payments themselves arent illegal, he says, and a local prosecutor shouldnt even be pursuing a case focused on alleged campaign violations. Such cases, he argues, belong with federal prosecutors at the Department of Justice and the Federal Election Commission who have known about Cohens guilty plea related to campaign violations since 2018. Clearly, the two federal agencies responsible for enforcing the law and federal campaign finance laws, none of them thought this was a violation worth charging Trump.

Von Spakovsky thinks that a potential indictment from the Manhattan district attorney would only reinforce the strong feelings most Americans already have about Trump.

The world is divided into two halves, von Spakovsky says, and I suspect the people who are really big supporters of Trump will say, See, this is another sign of the way people that hate him are willing to do anything to get him. Whereas, I think folks on the other side who dont like Trump will say, See, this just shows how bad he is.
The candle on the Malicious Women Co. website called "DD-214"  a reference to the paperwork service members receive when they are discharged. Malicious Women Co, miniseries/Getty Images

Kacie Kicinski said in a TikTok that a customer took issue with one of her candle labels.

They thought a reference to being discharged from the military was "making fun" of veterans.

Kicinski said the customer clearly didn't realize that she is a Navy veteran herself.

Kacie Kicinski explained in a recent TikTok how a customer took issue with a candle label that included a reference to being discharged from the military, but this customer didn't realize Kicinski is a veteran herself.

Kicinski, who is the daughter of the owner of candle shop Malicious Women Co., has posted dozens of videos about "Karens" who come to the store  a nickname given to people who behave in an irrationally entitled manner. They even have a board in the store where they keep count, which also notes how many days it has been "since our last Karen."

This latest TikTok, which has been viewed over 470,000 times, was the tale of Karen number 149.

Kicinski explained that a group of people came to the store and they didn't seem like they would be an issue. They appeared to be enjoying the irreverent candle labels, which say things like "Every Great Mom Says The F Word," "Not Today, Mansplainer," and "Fuck Your Abortion Law!", until one member of the group came up to her.

This woman, Kicinski said, thought a certain candle label was "making fun" of military veterans.

The candle in question is called "DD-214  Infused with 'An Identity Crisis'" on the Malicious Women Co. website. It is a reference to the paperwork veterans receive when they are discharged from the military, otherwise known as a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.

"It's 'infused with an identity crisis' because when you spend some time in the military and you get out, it takes a little while to kind of find out who you are again, because nobody's there telling you who you are," Kicinski explained.

Story continues

Kicinski said the woman told her she was "an actual military wife" and "it is not cool to make fun of our service members and the issues that they go through."

"I then told her that nobody is making fun of anybody," Kicinski said. "A big part of our brand is to use humor, and sometimes dark humor, to normalize and talk about some of the real things and the real issues that people go through. Candles are just the vessel that we use to do that."

The woman continued, saying she didn't think the candle was funny, and Kicinski had "no right" to speak about such topics. She then left the store saying "she would be taking her business elsewhere."

Little did this woman know, Kicinski had a military background herself.

"What I could have done was show her my office and let her know that I did four years and two deployments in the Navy," Kicinski said, showing the certificates hanging on the wall. "But sometimes it's just easier to let the negative energy take care of itself and leave the store, and make fun of them on TikTok."

Malicious Women Co. was set up by Kicinski's mother, Lacie Marsh-Carroll, in 2017, after losing her best friend to depression and suicide a year prior. A cut of each candle sale is donated to The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Washington's The Daily Herald reported.

Read the original article on Insider
A Boston man was arraigned on murder charges for the deadly shooting outside Slades Bar and Grill in February.

Stephen Freeman, 33, was charged with murder and multiple firearm offenses after prosecutors say he shot and killed 27-year-old Terrell Banks at the Roxbury restaurant.

Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Sarah McEvoy says Banks was shot in the back as he stood outside the restaurant on Tremont Street at approximately 11:30 p.m. Authorities were able to identify the gunman using surveillance video.

The next day, investigators walked the flight path of the alleged gunman. Authorities found a sweatshirt, a t-shirt, a mask and a gun that was a match for the items on the surveillance video. The gun was also a ballistic match for a shell casing found at the scene.

Once again were dealing with the deadly outcomes of too many illegal guns flowing into our neighborhoods and too many people willing to buy them, carry them and use them. Were doing everything we can at the local level but we need full commitment from national leaders to fashion a truly effective approach, Hayden said.

Freeman is due back in court on April 20 for a probable cause hearing.

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A man is facing criminal charges after prosecutors say he lifted his wife out of her wheelchair and attempted to throw her over a railing into Bostons Fort Port Channel earlier this week because he thought she was an imposter.

Jonathan Pinney, 38, of Boston, was arraigned Thursday in Boston Municipal Court on charges of assault and battery on a family or household member and assault and battery on a disabled person, according to Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden.

Officers responding to a 911 call for an assault in progress in the area of Summer and Melcher streets around 3 p.m. Wednesday spoke with a witness who said he saw Pinney lift the victim from her wheelchair and attempt to throw her over the railing and into the Fort Point Channel below, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors noted that the victim, who officers noted was shaking and attempting to catch her breath, confirmed the witnesss account. The victim was transported to Tufts Medical Center for treatment.

Pinney was tracked down a short while later following a search of the area. While being booked, Pinney allegedly told officers that he believed his wife was an imposter and was attempting to dump her into the channel.

Pinney is said to also have a history of crimes in Illinois, California, and Arkansas.

In a statement, Hayden said, Considering the air and water temperatures Wednesday, along with the victims disability, we would likely be looking at a far more tragic scenario had this man been successful in his stated intent.

A judge sent Pinney to Bridgewater State Hospital for a 20-day clinical evaluation.

Pinney is due back in court on April 14.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
A Dallas Independent School District teacher was arrested Friday on charges of a sexual relationship with a student, according to the Dallas Police Department.

The Dallas Police Departments Child Exploitation Unit received information March 9, 2023, that an employee with the Dallas Independent School District was involved in a sexual relationship with a former DISD student.

Police arrested Kaylen Cottongame, 34, Friday and charged her with improper relationship between educator and student.

Cottongame was taken to the Dallas County Jail.
Mecca. Bethlehem. The Wailing Wall. And now: Doge.

Zealous followers of Kabosuthe wide-eyed Shiba Inu featured in the original Doge meme, whose fluffy visage adorns the popular Dogecoin cryptocurrency birthed in that internet phenomenons wakenow have the opportunity to make the pilgrimage to the dogs earthly residence in Sakura, Japan.

The trip comes courtesy of Own the Doge, a Doge-oriented NFT community backed by Doge DAO, a doge-focused decentralized autonomous organization (DAO)... itself born from PleasrDAO, a collection of NFT artists and collectors who pool their funds to acquire culturally relevant digital art.

We are undertaking a journey to Japan to meet the actual Doge and her momma (@kabosumama) Would you want to join us for this 3.5-day magical meme adventure? Here is everything you need to know about The Doge Pilgrimage#meetthedoge pic.twitter.com/hp9N6aB0De  Own The Doge  (@ownthedoge) March 14, 2023

We think of Pleasr as The Louvre of the internet, and of Doge as her Mona Lisa, tridog, a pseudonymous core contributor to Own the Doge and PleasrDAO member, told Decrypt.

Tridog, himself a strict adherent to D.O.G.E. thought (Do Only Good Everyday), visited 17-year-old Kabosu and her hooman, the Dogemother Atsuko Sato, a local kindergarten teacher, in Japan last fall. Forever changed by the encounter, tridog is now thrilled to be sharing his religious catharsis with select members of the Doge community.

Truly a life changing moment to meet you today @kabosumama  pic.twitter.com/areTzjLj7X  tridog (@tridog) August 27, 2022

This pilgrimage will explore the genesis of one of the greatest legends of internet history, and provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go back to [Kabosus] roots in and around Tokyo, a place known for its wacky and wonderful happenings, tridog said.

Story continues

The trip, set to take place from May 3 to 7, will feature visits to dog-themed temples and statues in the Tokyo area, go-karting on city streets, and a Geisha performance dinner. Of course, it will also include a trip to the small city of Sakura, where lucky trip participants will meet the Doge, walk the Doge, pose for meme-reenactment photos with the Doge, and visit the future site of a bronze statue of the Dogefor which Doge DAO previously raised $100,000 to erect in the city.

We are taking the time to carefully consider all aspects of the statue's design, including its size, shape, and details. We understand that many of you have been eagerly awaiting updates on the statue and we appreciate your patience. /4 pic.twitter.com/nfMKOYuMDB  Bronze Doge (@BronzeTheDoge) January 20, 2023

Also joining revelers on their spiritual journey will be honorary pilgrimage guest Kyle Craven, aka Bad Luck Brian, subject of another iconic 2010s meme. Though Craven's face will likely be on display for most of the trip, those guests wishing to anonymously indulge in Doge revelry will be provided "Doge big heads," or Doge-themed masks to wear during the duration of the trip. ("We will def make this trip 'anon-frenly,'" tridog said.)

Anyone is able to apply to join the trip, though per Own the Doge, space has almost run out. On the trips application, would-be pilgrims are asked to reveal their true motivations for making the trek. To snap a photo with the Doge? To dine with the Doges human, Atsuko? Or perhaps to shake the hand of Atsukos husband (finger featured in meme)?

One lucky raffle winner, though, will have their $4,200 base trip fee plus airfare (up to $1,500) covered by Doge DAO. To enter, contestants must own at least one Doge Pixel NFT. Whats that, you ask? In 2021, PleasrDAO bought an NFT of the original Doge meme from Atsuko Sato for $4 million (much wow), then fractionalized it into billions of DOG tokens.

Individual pixels from that photo can now be owned for roughly $48 worth of DOG tokens apiece. And the more Doge Pixels a person owns, the higher their chances of winning the Doge pilgrimage raffle (although such fractionalizing and reselling of NFTs has been deemed potentially illegal by even vocally pro-crypto regulators).

Last month, PleasrDAO auctioned the couch from the original Doge meme to raise funds for humanitarian organization Save the Children. The couch fetched a price of 21 ETH, worth just shy of $35,000 at the time.
DARTMOUTH  Eversource customers who are identified as low income may benefit from a solar energy project in Dartmouth by having their energy bills reduced.

The 11.8-megawatt community solar-plus-storage project that is expected to generate 15.7 gigawatt hours of solar each year for local residents and small businesses in the community was acquired by DSD Renewables, Oct. 3, from New Leaf Energy, formerly Borrego.

The project qualifies for the Massachusetts' Low Income Community Shared Solar program that offers electricity bill credits to low-income subscribers as well as local businesses.

DSD Renewables has a solar and battery storage project in Schenectady, New York.

Who will benefit?

An effort is underway to identify specific low-income areas. DSD is working with a subscription manager in the market to identify geography-based areas as well as income-based residents who are eligible to qualify for the project.

Low-to-moderate-income qualified customers across Eversource East are eligible to subscribe to the community solar project through the website: https://www.eversource.com/content/residential.

How does it work?

The Massachusetts SMART program must meet statutory requirements to ensure that low-income residents can access the program. At least 50% of the projects capacity will be allocated to low-to-moderate income residential customers to provide bill savings.

The remaining capacity will be subscribed to by larger corporate offtakers in the area, similarly providing bill savings on a monthly basis.

Customers who subscribe to the project will receive bill credits, and the credits will be applied to their electric bills to offset the monthly cost.

This is an example of a DSD Renewables solar project in White Plains, New York.

What is the project about?

The site will include a solar array and a ground-mount energy storage system totaling 5 megawatt hours. Its anticipated that the project will become operational this summer, according to Ryan Lloyd, DSDs director of acquisition.

Were proud to deliver yet another project backed by Massachusetts solar programs that will deliver a positive impact to the local community, he said

Story continues

Working with New Leaf Energy has allowed the company to continue the companys expansion in Massachusetts, according to DSD Vice President of Asset Acquisitions Jon Morton in a press release.

The savings community solar projects like this bring to the Dartmouth area will provide real economic benefit to those who can gain the most, especially as electricity bills continue to rise.

Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at kgallerani@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @kgallreporter. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Low-income subscribers expected to benefit from Dartmouth solar project
[Source]

International researchers have discovered new genetic material collected at a Chinese market indicating that COVID-19 originated in coronavirus-infected animals.

According to The Atlantic, a team of virologists, genomicists and evolutionary biologists identified raccoon dog DNA that had commingled with the virus from collected samples at the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, China.

The data was collected from a stall that is known to have been involved in the illegal wildlife trade in early 2020. It shows that raccoon dogs sold at the venue could have been carrying the virus at the end of 2019. This suggests that the animal could have been infected by the virus first before it was passed along to humans.

However, Stephen Goldstein, a virologist who was involved in analyzing the data, noted that while the genetic sequence indicates that wildlife may have been infected with the coronavirus at the market, it is also possible that humans were first to infect the animals.

More from NextShark: Chinese father-of-2 works 19-hour shifts to help 7 additional children from struggling families

Goldstein also noted the possibility that humans may have just left traces of the coronavirus near the animals.

On Tuesday, the researchers presented their findings to the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens, a group assembled by the World Health Organization (WHO) last year.

These data do not provide a definitive answer to how the pandemic began, but every piece of data is important to moving us closer to that answer, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday, according to The Associated Press.

More from NextShark: Third-ever historical resolution by CCP paves way for Chinese President Xi Jinping to have third term

Ghebreyesus also criticized and called on China to share more of its COVID-19 research data after the genetic sequences were removed from the worlds biggest public virus database by scientists at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Story continues

Before it was removed, a French biologist was able to share the information with a group of scientists outside of China who were exploring the viruss origin.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHOs COVID-19 technical lead, also cautioned that the analysis did not find any hard evidence that any animals infected humans.

More from NextShark: Lee Chae-un wins S. Korea's first title, China's Cai Xuetong is champ for third time at 2023 Freestyle Worlds

What this does provide is clues to help us understand what may have happened, she said. Theres molecular evidence that animals were sold at Huanan market and that is new information.

Other experts will verify the analysis, which has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. The sequences will have to be matched to the genetic record of the historic evolution of the COVID-19 virus to see which came first.

More from NextShark: Miss Taiwan cries after allegedly being banned from waving islands flag on stage
David Moyes praised a professional display from West Ham (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)

David Moyes hailed a professional job by West Ham United after they swept past AEK Larnaca to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League.

Goals from Gianluca Scamacca, Jarrod Bowen and teenager Divin Mubama secured a 4-0 victory on the night, and 6-0 on aggregate, to make it a perfect 10 wins out of 10 in the competition.

We did a really professional job, said Moyes. It was always a risky game and if they got a goal back wed maybe get a bit anxious.

Its really pleasing. It doesnt happen all the time, two quarter-finals in two years in Europe.

Weve had some great trips, played in some brilliant stadiums. Its been great for the club, the staff and the players.

Italian striker Scamaccas scuffed finish got the ball rolling a few days after Moyes criticised his work-rate.

He did OK, added Moyes. The goal was a wee bit fortunate but he needs goals for confidence.

Hes a really good lad and did a lot of good things tonight. Hopefully it will bring him on.

After Cypriot side Larnaca were reduced to 10 men when Gustavo Ledes saw red for a foul on Pablo Fornals, Bowen scored two quickfire goals to put the tie well and truly out of reach.

Its really important. Jarrod was a huge player for us and tonight and he got a couple of goals, so its really good for him, added Moyes.

Local lad Mubama, 18, put the icing on the cake with 25 minutes remaining with a deft flick to score his first professional goal.

Nothing gives you more pleasure than giving young players an opportunity, said Moyes.

Its a really difficult road, especially in the Premier League, but tonight the result gave us an opportunity.

He runs and he does the work and doesnt think twice about his effort. Hes done really well.

Defeat brought an end to Larnacas European odyssey which has also seen them play in the Champions League and the Europa League this season.

Boss Jose Luis Oltra said: Im very proud of my team, my players and the supporters. But Im not happy. I asked the players to compete.
The Horry County Police Department is asking for help in the New Years Day death of a Horry County man.

On Jan. 1, Emauel Taysean Melvin was found dead at the G Spot bar off of Highway 90 in the Longs area, according to a Twitter post by police. His death was determined to be a homicide.

The investigation is ongoing and police are asking for community tips to help further the case.

Anyone with information about Melvins death is asked to contact the Horry County Police Departments tipline at 843-915-8477 or email to crimetips@horrycountysc.gov.
Have you ever signed a contract on a house, then immediately had buyers remorse? A change is coming on Hilton Head that may make it easier to get out of that contract.

Hilton Head Area Realtors will end its use of a separate Hilton Head sales contract thats been around for more than 20 years and adopt the South Carolina Association of Realtors contract. HHAR is a trade association for real estate agents in the Lowcountry.

This will make it easier for buyers to get out of their contract during the home inspection period  even if its for something as simple as not liking the wall color. On the other hand, it also holds the buyer accountable for a termination fee should they back out.

[Its] a little bit more freedom, for both parties, really, according to board attorney John Carroll.

The vote earlier this year by the HHAR board of directors followed months of meetings soliciting feedback from local brokers, agents, closing attorneys and mortgage lenders, according Carroll. HHAR is currently in a transition period and the new contract will begin exclusively July 31.

The sales contract is a legally binding agreement between a buyer and seller that governs the sale of a property. It determines what conditions must be met to close the sale and transfer property ownership. Realtors arent legally required to use the new contract, almost anything could serve as a contract, but often brokerages will mandate use of the local Realtor association-supported contract.

Hilton Head real estate has nuances such as gated communities, transfer fees and property owners association fees that differentiate it from the rest of South Carolina real estate, which made the state contract not always workable in Hilton Head, according to HHAR CEO Jean Beck.

The state contract has evolved over time where now it can be used in our market, Beck said.

Hilton Head Realtors will begin using the statewide sales contract this summer rather than their own.

Overall, the state contract is less ambiguous than the Hilton Head contract. Aside from the state contract being over 10 sections longer, there are multiple differences between the two, particularity in how buyers can withdraw from a sale. It more explicitly defines terms, even down to exact times when some tasks must be completed. The switch will also make it easier for real estate agents to amend their contracts.

Story continues

The change in contracts shows how vital it is that prospective buyers and sellers recognize the sales contract theyre signing as a step toward purchasing or selling their home. Whether buyers or sellers are using a real estate agent or not, they should understand the agreements being made.

For real estate agents, this means taking the time to learn a new contract or risk mediating a sale that they  and in turn their clients  dont fully understand.

Id say the vast majority of local associations throughout the country use a state adopted contract instead of having their own unique local contract, Carroll said.

Difference between the two contracts

Do real estate agents have to switch? The short answer is no.

A Realtor could write a contract on a napkin, said Carroll, the HHAR attorney and partner at Hilton Head law firm Burr & Forman.

However, many insurance agencies will only provide a certain level of errors and omissions to brokerages if their real estate agents continue to use the local Realtors association contract, according to Carroll. This leads to many brokerages mandating their agents to switch from the Hilton Head Island sale contract to South Carolinas contract.

Re/MAX is one of the brokerages requiring the change. If real estate agents at RE/MAX make an offer using the Hilton Head contract after July 31, they wont get their commission check, according to Director of Operations Kim Ciuffreda.

Thats because the real estate agents who use the Hilton Head Island contract after the switchover date risk copyright infringement because they no longer have permission from the HHAR to use it, said Ciuffreda, who has over 20 years of real estate experience, including 10 in Beaufort County. Another is for insurance reasons.

Regardless of the HHAR shifting what contract they support, a real estate agent is still required by state law to present any offer to their client, usually the seller.

Its up to the client then to make a decision, even though a real estate agent can advise against using the outdated form and instead have a new contract written up. If the client decides to sign an outdated form, the brokerage will still process it, according to Ciuffreda.

We can always counter offer on the state contracts, but the law states that you have to present the contract and your seller has to make the decision, she said.

Carroll, the attorney, said its a change that allows both parties more freedom.

For example, a buyer can say I want the carpet changed to be the color pink instead of color gray, and if you dont do that Im walking out on the deal, he said. And seller can either agree to that or not agree to that.

Under the Hilton Head Island contract, the buyer wouldnt be able to make those requests in the first place, according to Carroll.

It will be easier to get out of a contract

Compared with the Hilton Head Island contract, the South Carolina contract allows buyers to terminate the contract during the due-diligence period, sometimes called the inspection period, for any reason, not just if the seller refuses to make repairs.

After a sales contract is signed, the buyer is given a due-diligence period to get an appraisal, run a title search, perform property inspections or anything else to ensure the buyer is getting what theyre paying for and a bank is comfortable funding the purchase. Depending on how the contract is negotiated, this period can be anywhere from a couple days, a couple of weeks or no time at all.

In the Hilton Head contract there isnt a fee to terminate, but the buyer is restricted to only terminating if repairs need to be made to specified aspects of the house, and if the seller is unable to pay for or make the repairs.

The South Carolina contract also has a designated space to determine a termination fee that the buyer would have to pay if they exit the contract during the due diligence period.

However, if the seller declined to make repairs, as theyre obligated to do under the contract, the buyer wouldnt have to pay that fee.

In a way, the termination fee holds the buyers feet to the fire in the deal, according to Carroll.

Under state law, all real estate agreements are required to be in writing and signed. However, the South Carolina contract explicitly states that buyers and sellers are signing solely based on what is written the contract, not based on what a real estate agent might have previously said.

This offers more protection to the real estate agent. It also stresses the importance of ensuring everything is written, agents said.
WASHINGTON  The Army is seeking ways to identify, monitor, target and strike opponents from farther distances and with greater precision amid the U.S. militarys pivot to the Indo-Pacific.

To do so, the service is pursuing what officials, including Secretary Christine Wormuth and Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville, dub deep sensing.

Key to the effort is a family of in-development situational awareness tools, Wormuth said this week at the McAleese and Associates defense conference in Washington, D.C. They include the Terrestrial Layer Systems, or TLS, that can provide soldiers with cyber and electronic warfare assistance; the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System, or HADES, an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance jet outfitted with advanced sensors; and the Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node, or TITAN, meant to centralize and accelerate the collection, parsing and distribution of data.

The first operational imperative for the Army of 2030 is really to be able to see and sense farther and more persistently, at every level across the battlefield, than our enemies, Wormuth said. So how are we going to do that? Weve got to be able to collect and analyze unprecedented quantities of raw data from many different sources.

How the Army is tackling these six goals for future wars

The Armys fiscal year 2024 budget documents underline deep sensing as necessary to address challenges in the Indo-Pacific, home to some of the worlds largest militaries and nearly two-thirds of its economy. The documents also highlight plans to spend $191 million on HADES and $143 million on TITAN.

The service in 2022 tapped Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics Mission Systems for work on the TLS variants and L3Harris Technologies and Raytheon Applied Signal Technology for HADES sensor development. The year prior, it turned to Palantir and Raytheon to flesh out TITAN.

The deals totaled tens of millions of dollars. The Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors, or PEO IEW&S, had a hand in them all.

Story continues

To improve our deep-sensing capabilities, were investing in sensing technologies, data analytics and target recognition aids, Wormuth said Wednesday. The Armys latest budget proposal comes to $185.5 billion, about 5% more than its previous ask.

As the U.S. prepares for potential conflict with China and Russia and moves away from smaller-scale counterinsurgency campaigns, defense officials are emphasizing the value of observation across vast distances as well as speedy decision-making.

The thinking may be best encapsulated by the Pentagons Joint All-Domain Command and Control initiative, or JADC2, which envisions a seamlessly linked military, with information securely flowing to and from land, air, sea, space and cyberspace.

Army sets sights on 2024 for next Project Convergence

Each service has its own contribution to JADC2. The Army has Project Convergence, a weekslong crucible during which technologies and networking techniques are tested under realistic scenarios. In 2022, the experiment folded in the Air Force and Navy as well as troops from the U.K. and Australia. Canada and New Zealand observed.

Weve really got an array of ISR capabilities that we want to knit together, McConville said at the McAleese conference. Some of that is on the joint side, some of that is with us. And thats where the whole sense of convergence comes in.

The real secret sauce, the chief of staff added, is the ability to quickly corral available data, make sense of it and forward it to the appropriate shooter or effects mechanisms. And that well-situated force could be wielding keyboards, jammers, rifles or something heftier.

If were going to do long-range precision fires, you need to do long range-precision targeting, McConville said. In order to do that, you have to have deep sensing.
Rick Allen of Def Leppard was attacked by a 19-year-old spring breaker in Florida last weekend. (Evan Agostini / Evan Agostini/invision/ap)

Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen suffered a head injury after a 19-year-old spring breaker allegedly attacked him outside his Florida hotel over the weekend.

Max Edward Hartley  an Ohio resident vacationing in Fort Lauderdale  was hiding behind a pillar before he ran full speed toward the 59-year-old drummer, according to a Fort Lauderdale police report cited by the Daily Mail. Allen has only one arm due to a New Years Eve car accident in 1984.

Allen was standing near the valet area of the Four Seasons Hotel, smoking a cigarette, when he suffered the blow. He was knocked to the ground, and his head hit the cement, causing injury, the police report said.

A woman came running from the hotel to help the musician, but then Hartley allegedly turned on her, attacking her as she attempted to run back inside. According to police, Hartley continued to batter her while she was on the ground. He then grabbed her by the hair and dragged her from the lobby to the sidewalk before he fled the area, the report said.

Hartley was allegedly watching the musician before he assaulted him. The 19-year-old was arrested shortly after the attack near the Conrad hotel, where he damaged several vehicles in the parking garage. Allen provided a statement to police and requested prosecution.

Hartley was charged with two counts of battery, four counts of criminal mischief, and a count of abusing an elderly or disabled adult.

Allen was staying in the Fort Lauderdale area to perform at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood on Sunday. Def Leppard and Motley Crue are in the midst of their World Tour 2023, which began last month and will conclude in August.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Our communities deserve accountable and responsible regulation of cannabis, also known as marijuana. A regulated cannabis market will help our law enforcement partners stay laser focused on addressing violent crime rather than arresting Delaware residents for cannabis possession.

That is why HB1 and HB2 are so critically important. HB1 will end criminal charges for personal possession of less than an ounce of cannabis, and HB2 will create a regulated, legal industry for cannabis sales overseen by a state oversight committee. As a former Wilmington police officer, an FBI unit chief, and a professor in criminology for more than two decades, I believe these bills represent a major win for public safety and opportunity in our Delaware neighborhoods.

Prohibition forces people in the cannabis trade onto an illicit market that is besieged by gun violence to resolve disputes that legal businesses handle in court. Legalizing and regulating cannabis sales will deal a devastating blow to organized crime by redirecting its profits back into the communities that have been harmed the most by the illicit market through a state Justice Reinvestment Fund. Regulating the industry and reinvesting in our communities will likely create thousands of dignified jobs for our states young people, as it has in other states, empowering them to avoid a life in organized crime.

Marijuana plants are grown from seed at First State Compassion, Delaware's first licensed medical marijuana distribution center and largest cannabis growing facility. Marijuana is used in a new line of edibles.

Last year, the regulated legalization of cannabis was blocked by the governors office, which claimed that regulated sales could result in more crime. However, once our officers are no longer burdened with policing cannabis possession, they will have more time to focus their attention on working with communities to end the conditions that give rise to violent crime. We know this is true because other places have seen it work in practice. A causal analysis of legalization in Denver, Colorado found that neighborhoods around retail cannabis businesses saw a near 20 percent decline in crimes of all categories. There is also evidence that states neighboring other states that have legalized cannabis experience do not experience any increase in crime or cannabis-related offenses.

These bills offer our communities a critical opportunity to educate adults on driver safety as well. Evidence from other states has shown that legalization does not increase the number of cannabis-related traffic fatalities. And in fact, HB2 would give our state an Oversight Committee that can help educate drivers about the harms of driving under the influence, as Massachusetts has done successfully.

Legalization also represents a win for preventing adolescent cannabis use. A study of the state of Washington found that among middle school and high school aged youth, use fell between 10% and 20% following legalization. This is because legal cannabis facilities require proof of age whereas the illicit market does not. This made it far more difficult for young people to access cannabis by putting illicit distributors out of business.

In light of this evidence, HB1 and HB2 represent a way for us to refocus police resources on what matters most: helping communities recover from decades of unjust conditions that give rise to violent crime and social hardship. Ending prohibition is not just a statement against this injustice, but it will also likely weaken the organized crime that distributes cannabis so recklessly and irresponsibly despite decades of criminalization. Our communities deserve a regulated model in the name of public safety and opportunity.

Dr. James Nolan is a professor of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University, speaker with the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, a former lieutenant with the Wilmington Police Department and unit chief with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

James Nolan

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware General Assembyl legal weed 2023
Drivers heading back to the Gadsden area on Interstate 59 from Tennessee or Georgia can expect lane closures and delays beginning Monday, according to the Alabama Department of Transportation.

A.G. Peltz Group, a contractor, is set to repair concrete slabs on the southbound side of the roadway from north of Hammondville to Fort Payne, according to a news release from ALDOTs Huntsville office. Those repairs are in preparation for all interstate traffic to be shifted to the southbound side, while an 8-mile stretch of the northbound roadway, from mile markers 225 to 233, is removed and reconstructed.

Once the slab repair is finished, according to the release, Peltz will begin constructing temporary crossovers in the median to prepare for the traffic shift. After that, drivers should expect possible lane closures in each direction.

The northbound roadway replacement will cost $40.8 million and take about two years to complete, according to the release. Another 8-mile replacement on the interstate through Fort Payne was recently completed, and workers currently are reconstructing 11 miles of the interstate from north of Reece City to Collinsville.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: More roadway work on tap for Interstate 59
A flight bound for Atlanta was diverted to Dallas Thursday evening due to a passenger on board.

Delta Airlines Flight 731 from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California was bound for Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

However, Delta said the flight had to land at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport because of an unruly passenger on board.

Delta officials said after the aircraft landed around 4 a.m., the passenger was deplaned and the flight continued to at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

We apologize to our customers on board for the disruption and delay to their travel plans, Delta officials said in a statement.

TRENDING STORIES:

Delta did not specify what caused the passenger to become unruly.

However, FBI office in Dallas wrote in a statement the passenger had a medical emergency. They did not specify what kind of medical emergency.

FBI Dallas is aware of a flight in route to Atlanta that diverted to DFW Airport. There was a medical emergency during the flight and a passenger was transported by EMS to a local hospital after it landed. The flight eventually did depart to Atlanta, the statement read.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

The identity of the passenger has not been released. It is unclear if the passenger will face any charges.

IN OTHER NEWS:
WASHINGTON  Australia plans to buy the latest version of Americas long-range Tomahawk land attack missile in a $985 million deal announced Thursday.

Its the latest in a surge of demand for the Raytheon Technologies-made Tomahawk, after U.S. Navy officials said this week their proposed budget, with foreign military sales, would max out the production line. Japans new budget would reportedly bulk-buy 400 Tomahawks for as much as $1.6 billion, among other counterstrike capabilities.

The State Department approved a U.S.-Australia deal for up to 200 Block V and 20 Block IV rounds, plus related support, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announcement.

Canberra has said the missiles would be fielded on its Hobart-class destroyers, enabling them to strike land targets at greater distances, with better precision. Variants of the Block V can change targets in flight and strike moving targets at sea.

Tomahawks range of more than 1,000 miles is especially important in the Asia-Pacific region, where Chinas rocket force has extraordinary reach as its DF-26 and DF-21 missiles have ranges of 2,490 and 1,335 miles respectively, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

New Japanese strategy to up defense spending, counterstrike purchases

The U.S. Navy in 2021 began fielding the Block V Tomahawk for the vertical launching systems on surface ships, but also on attack submarines that can more easily operate within range of Chinas rocket force.

The U.S.-Australia deal comes days after the two countries and Britain announced Australia would acquire nuclear-powered submarines by 2040  first hosting and later buying U.S. Virginia-class attack subs during the interim.

Canberra in 2021 announced its intent to purchase Tomahawks, along with Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles-Extended Range for its fighter jets and Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles, which are both made by Lockheed Martin. It is also participating in the U.S.-led Precision Strike Missile program, or PrSM.

The proposed sale will improve Australias capability to interoperate with U.S. maritime forces and other allied forces as well as its ability to contribute to missions of mutual interest, the State Department announcement reads.

By deploying the Tomahawk Weapon System, Australia will contribute to global readiness and enhance the capability of U.S. Forces operating alongside them globally. Australia will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense.
Kyle Terada/Reuters

Kylie Jenners on-and-off-again paramour Travis Scott tends to be a controversial character in the celebrity universehes recently, for instance, been accused of assaulting a sound engineer and of hitting a fan in the head with a cellphone, both of which Scott has denied. Now, the Houston rapper is being called out by Chicago Bulls legend Dennis Rodman over a sneaker design.

Back in 1994, Rodman debuted a pair of white and aqua shoes, the Nike Air Darwins, which had the distinctive design quirk of featuring a backwards version of the brands iconic logo. In 2019, Scott collaborated with the brand to release the brown and white AJ1 Retro High OG sneakers, which also happened to feature a backwards Nike swoosh.

In a video from the Got Sole sneaker convention in Chicago this week, Rodman holds up a pair of Scotts shoes to the camera, pointing out the similarities and claiming his own Air Darwins were the first to carry the logo.

Travis Scott has copied my shoe, Rodman says in the clip, which you can see below. Come on Travis, give me some credit, you know? You copied my shit. This aint new, brother. Either way, congratulations.

Scott has yet to respond to the public call-out, probably because hes got his hands full with those aforementioned assault allegations, his sons name change saga, and who knows what else.

Dennis Rodman accuses Travis Scott of ripping off his shoe design https://t.co/52WCdDsvQr pic.twitter.com/ADrYpFQVRZ  HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) March 16, 2023

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Derek Chauvin has pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges as he remains behind bars for the murder of George Floyd.

The disgraced former Minneapolis police officer and convicted killer entered a guilty plea on two counts of tax evasion in a Minnesota court on Friday.

He appeared via Zoom from a federal prison in Tucson, Arizona, where he is serving time for the Memorial Day 2020 murder of the Black father.

Chauvin and his now ex-wife were charged with multiple counts of underreporting their joint income by more than $460,000 between 2014 and 2019 and of failing to file tax returns.

His ex-wife pleaded guilty last month to two charges.

This comes months after Chauvin filed an appeal against his state murder charges, claiming that he was deprived a fair trial due to the high-profile nature of the case.

Chauvin is currently behind bars after being convicted on both state and federal charges over the murder of Floyd.

Back on Memorial Day 2020, the veteran Minneapolis police officer knelt on the Black mans neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds as he begged for air saying I cant breathe until he died.

Cellphone footage captured the horrific killing, leading to protests across the globe demanding racial justice and an end to police brutality against Black people.

In April 2021, Chauvin was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter at his state trial and was sentenced to 22-and-a-half years.

Eight months later, he then pleaded guilty to federal charges of violating Floyds civil rights when he murdered him  in a plea deal that saw him moved from a Minnesota state facility to a nicer federal prison.

In July 2022, he was sentenced to 21 years on the federal charges.

The two sentences are being served concurrently.
Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero/The Daily Beast/Reuters

Begun, the clone war has. Ron DeSantis declaration to Tucker Carlson this week that the war in Ukraine is a territorial dispute not in Americas vital national interests signals that his Republican primary strategy is to run as Donald Trumps doppelganger (minus the gross tweets, attempted coups, and election losses).

Many of us have been saying for a long time that DeSantis offers Republicans everything Trump does, only in a younger and more competent package. In that regard, DeSantis decision to ape Trump is not surprising at all. On the other hand, DeSantis hadnt FULLY committed to the bit until nowwhich makes this development both significant and (for some of us) demoralizing.

Nothing Brings Out Crank Populism Quite Like a Banking Crisis

Thats because some of us Reagan conservatives were, perhaps naively, holding out hope that DeSantis might also be more normal than Trump. That he might try to be something of a hybrid who marries Reagan Republicanism (which encompasses ideas like family values, fiscal conservatism, a strong national defense, and the sense that America is a beacon of hope in the world) with todays more populist zeitgeist.

Having watched that fantasy evaporate this week, we Never Trumpers are left hoping that DeSantis is simply lying and pandering to the America First base to win the Republican nomination.

To be sure, his statement on Ukraine offers escape hatches for a future flip-flop. At some pointin a general election or in the White HouseDeSantis could potentially exploit one of those loopholes and keep supporting Ukraine (without sending in American troops) as Joe Biden has.

But what we know is that DeSantis has committed to running as a Trump-Tucker clone as he attempts to wrest control of the GOP nomination.

And the question is: Is this a smart strategy?

I mean, shouldnt DeSantis want his brand to stand in stark contrast to Trumps? And wouldnt Ukraine be a great place to lay down that marker?

Story continues

DeSantis clearly believes that the Trump-Tucker side of the argument is gaining steam.

What is more, DeSantis wants the contrast to be about his identitynot policy. If you love Trumps accomplishments but want someone who wont send a bunch of crazy tweets, Ron wants you to know hes your guy. Conversely, he wants to diminish any sense of contrast with Trump on policy issues.

This reminds me of an economic principle that applies to competition in business. Heres a very simplistic explanation of it, as described by Wikipedia: Hotellings law is an observation in economics that in many markets it is rational for producers to make their products as similar as possible... [This law also] predicts that a street with two shops will also find both shops right next to each other at the same halfway point. Each shop will serve half the market...

I know this is an imperfect analogy, but think of it this way: DeSantis decision to position himself right next to Trump, while still staying ever-so-slightly on the sane side of Trump, theoretically positions him to win over everyone except Trumps die-hard MAGA base.

Biden Is Smart to Confront the Left Over D.C.s Crime Code

Its not a crazy gambit. On the other hand, there are some serious dangers inherent in this strategy.

Because DeSantis has caved to pressure, he looks weak and like a follower (instead of a leader). Trump and Nikki Haley have already accused DeSantis of copying Trump. A big part of Trumps appeal is that he comes off as the alpha dog. DeSantis has just proven that hes more of a lap dog.

Another point that liberal columnist Bill Scher brought up to me during a recent conversation: What does DeSantis do if Trump starts to stake out even more radical positions on Ukraine?

At some point, cloning Trump becomes untenable to anyone who wants to preserve a shred of dignity and respectability. Not only can you not outbid Trump, you cant even keep pace.

What happens if and when, for example, Trump says Ukraine should surrender to Russia or starts saying disgusting things about Volodymyr Zelensky? At some point, hugging Trump is too messy.

The GOP Blew It By Calling Everything Woke

Theres also this: Even if you concede the trend is toward isolationism, we are still talking about a lot of Republicans who might see support for Ukraine as a sine qua non. Its entirely possible that DeSantis comments about Ukraine will boost other, more traditional non-Trump Republican candidates, which would split the non-Trump vote and help Trump win with a mere plurality.

Its impossible to know how this contest will play out, but what we do know is that DeSantis has taken a betand its a big betthat he can win by going full MAGA.

He has just jumped in the deep end of the Republican primary, and it looks like the water is cold. He may sink or he may swim, but one thing is for sure: Trump will be throwing him bricks.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Gas station food calls to mind prepackaged snacks, Big Gulp sodas or, worst-case scenario, health risks.

A handful of legitimately excellent (and safe) local restaurants are the exception to that rule. Theyve set up shop inside gas stations convenience stores around the Sacramento region, slinging everything from Chinese porridge to nationally-renowned cinnamon rolls.

El Cora Birria Estilo Tijuana serves quesabirria tacos at a Sacramento Choice Gas station.

El Cora Birria Estilo Tijuana (7900 Fruitridge Road, Sacramento): One of my favorite taquerias makes thick, cheesy quesabirria tacos in southeastern Sacramentos Choice Gas station. The beef or goat stew is juicy enough on its own, but dipping in consomme adds another rich layer of flavor.

Four Seasons Gourmet Chinese Restaurant (1601 Research Park Drive, Davis): Its not just an egg roll or two rotating around the hot dog roller inside Fast and Easy Mart near UC Davis. Four Seasons makes hearty portions of 100 items, from taro-and-clam congee to roasted duck.

Spinners is inside a Sacramento Union 76 station in Land Park and offers critically-acclaimed cinnamon buns, ranging from plain, with raisin and with nuts.

Spinners Cinnamon Rolls (1400 Sutterville Road, Sacramento): Some of the best cinnamon rolls in Sacramento  or the entire Western U.S., according to a AAA article published in November  come from Larry and Sandy Taings micro-bakery inside a 76 Gas Station in South Land Park, with added flairs such as walnuts or apples.

Birria Boys (9611 Auto Center Drive, Elk Grove): There are more quesabirria tacos, yes, but also mulitas, hefty burritos and even ramen at Chris Cornelis Mexican restaurant inside a Shell station. Originally run out of a taco truck, Birria Boys is working on opening a second location.

Short Stuff Cafe (1505 Eureka Road, Roseville): Neon signs and comfy classics such as bacon cheeseburgers, tuna melts on sourdough and 18 types of breakfast burritos help give Short Stuff Cafe an old-timey diner feel inside its Chevron station.

What Im Eating

Yiannis Bar & Grills most eye-catching dish is saganaki, flambeed kasseri cheese soaked in brandy and served with pita.

Yiannis Bar & Grill isnt far from Carmichaels busy Marconi Avenue/Fair Oaks Boulevard intersection. In spirit, though, this Greek American grillhouse feels straight out of the California Delta.

Story continues

Wooden fixtures, old decor and a snug but lively dining room give Marko and Rania Tzikas 14-year-old restaurant a homey, divey air. Old-fashioned, meaty entrees and specials underscore that ambiance, as do a crowd of locals perpetually gathered around the bar.

Yiannis menu described the saganaki ($15) as unforgettable, and its not wrong. A metal bowl of kasseri cheese is doused in brandy and flambeed before being walked out to the table, an eye-catching appetizer if there ever was one. Served with soft pita, the gooey cheese was similar to fondue, with a religieuse (thin layer of cheesy crust) encasing the pans bottom.

Chicken souvlaki ($24) was well-executed, its herbal, lemony marinade shining through the three skewers of char-grilled poultry. Served over rice pilaf with green beans, it came with a container of terrific housemade tzatziki for dipping.

The lamb chop dinner ($36) featured four beautifully-grilled but small pieces of bone-in meat; spring for the lamb chops by the pound ($58) if youre really hungry. A slightly bitter pilsner from Greek brewery Septem and Kourtaki Retsina of Attiki white wine stood out on an otherwise American drinks list.

Yiannis Bar & Grill

Address: 6628 Fair Oaks Blvd., Carmichael.





Hours: 4-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Friday, 5-10 Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday.

Phone number: (916) 482-0796

Website: https://yiannisbarandgrill.com/

Drinks: Full bar.

Animal-free options: Well, the I make lamb scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding is iconic for a reason. But Yiannis has a few salads, several meatless appetizers and one vegetarian entree (fettuccine sauteed in brown butter and topped with mizithra cheese).

Noise level: Relatively noisy.

Openings & Closings

The Melt reentered the greater Sacramento market through Local Kitchens food halls last year. Now the San Francisco-based chain has a standalone location in Folsoms Palladio shopping center, as of last week. Its famous for grilled cheeses, cheeseburgers and macaroni and cheese, as the name might imply.

Mexico Lindo just opened in Rosevilles Palisades Plaza, the newest location for the Bay Area mini-chain with an El Dorado Hills outpost. Look for slow-cooked birria tacos, mango ceviche or vegan portobello fajitas.

Rocklin brunch spot BarnBurner is shutting down after seven years, its owners having sold the restaurant to Hot Off The Griddle, as The Bees Molly Jarone reported. Hot Off The Griddle has its own brunch following at sister restaurants in South Natomas and Orangevale.

Sign up for our free weekly Food & Drink Newsletter

Whether it's the newest restaurant in town or the hottest brewery to check out, our free, weekly Food and Drink newsletter will make sure you're the first to know about the next big thing in the Sacramento region. Sign up here!

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Sequels for "Deadpool 2," "The Lion King," "Avatar 2," and "Frozen 2" are all on the way. 20th Century Studios, Disney, 20th Century Studios, Disney Animation

Walt Disney Studios is constantly updating its expansive film schedule.

In addition to "Star Wars" movies and Marvel projects, Disney also distributes Fox films.

Disney acquired Fox's studios (20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures, and Blue Sky Studios) in 2019.

"Chevalier"  April 7

Kelvin Harrison Jr. in the film "Chevalier." Larry Horricks/Searchlight Pictures

The biographical drama from director Stephen Williams ("Lost") is based on the life of violinist and composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the son of a slave and plantation owner.

A gifted musician, who was sometimes referred to by the derogatory name Black Mozart, the film explores the racism Chevalier faced, a love affair he had with whom?, and a falling out he had? with Marie Antoinette.

Kelvin Harrison Jr., Samara Weaving, and Minnie Driver star.

You can watch the trailer here.

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3"  May 5

Chris Pratt in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3" Marvel Studios

The final film in James Gunn's "Guardians" trilogy will follow a heartbroken Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), still grappling with the loss of Gamora in "Avengers: Infinity War," and processing that the Gamora who exists isn't the woman he loved.

Peter needs to pull it together as the Guardians face a new threat to the universe that could spell their doom if he's not focused.

Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, and Vin Diesel all return. Maria Bakalova voices Cosmo the Spacedog.

Watch the latest trailer here.

"The Little Mermaid"  May 26

Halle Bailey is Ariel in "The Little Mermaid." Courtesy of Disney

Disney's live-action adaptation of the 1989 Oscar winner follows Ariel (Halle Bailey) and her quest for more than life under the sea once she meets and falls in love with a human, Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King).

"The Little Mermaid" will star Bailey, Awkwafina, Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, Javier Bardem, and Melissa McCarthy. It will include some of the original songs as well as new ones from Alan Menken and "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

You can watch the trailer here.

"The Boogeyman"  June 2

"The Boogeyman" is based on Stephen King's 1978 short story of the same name and is directed by Rob Savage. 20th Century Fox

Originally set to debut on Hulu, the Stephen King adaptation will now get a summer theatrical release. The short story follows two sisters who are haunted by a mysterious presence in their home following the death of their mother.

Story continues

Madison Hu, Vivien Lyra Blair, David Dastmalchian, and Chris Messina star.

"Elemental"  June 16

A still from "Elemental." Disney/Pixar

Directed by Peter Sohn ("The Good Dinosaur"), Pixar's next movie follows the bond between anthropomorphic fire and water elements who can't touch.

In development for seven years, Sohn told The Hollywood Reporter the film is inspired by his relationship with his parents, who both died during the making of the film.

The film stars Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie.

"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny"  June 30

Harrison Ford in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." Lucasfilm

Harrison Ford returns one final time in the long-awaited fifth "Indiana Jones" film.

The sequel follows Indy and his goddaughter, Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), as they go up against ex-Nazis who are working for NASA to help in the space race.

James Mangold ("Logan") directs "Dial of Destiny," the first film in the franchise that isn't directed or written by Steven Spielberg or George Lucas. Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, and Mads Mikkelsen also star.

"Haunted Mansion"  July 28

The logo for the new "Haunted Mansion" film. Walt Disney Studios

Based on the Disney parks' attraction, the reboot of the 2003 film follows a single mom who hires experts to rid of spirits from her new home.

The film has a pretty big cast, including Danny DeVito, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rosario Dawson, LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Winona Ryder, and Dan Levy.

Jared Leto will play the beloved Disney attraction icon, The Hatbox Ghost.

"A Haunting in Venice"  September 15

Kenneth Branagh in "Death on the Nile." Rob Youngson/20th Century Studios

In 20th Century Studios' third film based on Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot mystery series, the retired super sleuth "reluctantly attends a seance at a decaying, haunted palazzo" on Halloween.

He's forced back into action when a guest is murdered.

Kenneth Branagh returns to direct and star as the detective alongside a new cast consisting of Tina Fey, Jamie Dornan, Michelle Yeoh, and Kyle Allen.

"Theater Camp"  July 14

Molly Gordon and Ben Platt in "Theater Camp." Searchlight Pictures

The Searchlight Pictures' comedy is an adaptation of a 2020 short that follows the staff of an upstate New York camp.

Directed by Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman, Gordon and Ben Platt star.

"True Love"  October 6

John David Washington stars in "True Love." Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SBIFF

Directed and written by Gareth Edwards ("Rogue One"), the sci-fi crime comedy stars John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Allison Janney, and Ken Watanabe.

The plot is currently unknown.

"The Marvels"  November 10, 2023

Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Nia DaCosta, and Kevin Feige at D23 in September 2022. The Walt Disney Company via Getty Images

The "Captain Marvel" sequel finds Carol Danvers' (Brie Larson) powers tangled with those of Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) and Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), who Marvel refers to as Carol's "estranged niece."

Marvel Studios recently pushed the sequel, directed by Nia DeCosta ("CandyMan") back from a July release date.

You can read more on the sequel here.

"Wish"  November 22

Ariana DeBose voices Asha in the Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn-directed film. Disney Animation

Disney's next big animated film will focus on the origin story of the wishing star seen across many Disney classics.

The film will follow Asha (Ariana DeBose) in the kingdom of Rosas as she sets out to save her home with a tiny cosmic sidekick named Star.

Alan Tudyk also stars.

"Magazine Dreams"  TBD 2023

Jonathan Majors attends the 2023 Academy Awards. Arturo Holmes/Getty Images

The film follows Jonathan Majors as an aspiring bodybuilder. Majors received high praise for his performance in the film at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The film's expected to be released later this year.

"Poor Things"  TBD

Willem Dafoe and Emma Stone will star in "Poor Things." Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Quiver Distribution, Steve Granitz/FilmMagic via Getty Images

Based on the novel by Alasdair Gray and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, an eccentric doctor (Willem Dafoe) brings his daughter (Emma Stone) back to life using the brain of her unborn child.

Also starring Mark Ruffalo and Ramy Youssef, the movie is currently in post-production.

"Elio"  March 1

Artwork released for Elio from 2022's D23 Expo. Pixar

Elio follows an 11-year-old child who meets aliens and becomes Earth's ambassador. Starring America Ferrara and Yonas Kibreab, it will be directed by Adrian Molina.

"Snow White"  March 22, 2024

Rachel Zegler at Los Angeles premiere of "Shazam: Fury of the Gods" premiere. Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

Marc Webb ("The Amazing Spider-Man") directs the upcoming adaptation with "West Side Story" star Rachel Zegler playing the iconic Disney princess. Gal Gadot assumes the role of her stepmother, the Evil Queen.

"Snow White is the girl you remember, but she's definitely made for the modern age," Zegler told the D23 crowd. "There's such an emphasis on what it really means to be the fairest of them all. For Snow White, it's coming to terms with finding herself and finding her inner voice and finding a sense of agency so that she can be a just ruler and a wonderful queen."

The fairy tale will have new music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who wrote the songs for "The Greatest Showman" and "La La Land."

The D23 crowd got a sneak peek at both Snow White and the Queen in their costumes. Gadot looked spot on.

"Captain America: New World Order"  May 3, 2024

Sam Wilson's Captain America is a combination of Cap and the Falcon. Disney Platform Distribution

Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) is the new Captain America in the fourth film in the franchise.

At the 2022 D23 Expo, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced that Shira Haas would play superheroine Sabra while Tim Blake Nelson will reprise his role from 2008's "The Incredible Hulk" as The Leader, a Hulk villain.

Danny Ramirez and Carl Lumbly will also reprise their roles from "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." Director Julius Onah ("The Cloverfield Paradox") described the sequel as a thriller.

"Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes"  May 24, 2024

The sequel will follow Caesar's son. Fox

A sequel to 2017's "War for the Planet of the Apes," Wes Ball will direct the fourth film in the 20th Century Studios' saga which will take place years after the last movie.

Humans have regressed while apes have taken over the Earth, but are enslaving clans. The film will star Owen Teague as Caesar's son.

"Inside Out 2"  June 14, 2024

Joy and Sadness in "Inside Out." Disney/Pixar

"It takes place in Riley's head, only this time, she's a teenager," Amy Poehler said at 2022's D23 Expo, adding there will be "new emotions that show up."

"Inside Out 2," which is still in early production, will be directed by Kelsey Mann who worked on "The Good Dinosaur," "Lightyear," and "Onward," with a script from Meg LeFauve who wrote the original 2015 film.

"Mufasa: The Lion King"  July 5, 2024

2019's "The Lion King" is getting a prequel. Walt Disney Studios

"'Mufasa' is the origin story of one of the greatest kings in the history of pride lions," director Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight") told fans at 2022's D23 Expo, saying that the film will be told in different time frames as it shifts between the present and past.

Rafiki, Timon, and Pumbaa are all narrating Mufasa's story, which will show how he came into power.

"Mufasa was actually an orphaned cub who had to navigate the world alone, by himself," Jenkins said of the prequel. "In telling this story, we get to experience the real journey of how Mufasa found his place in the Circle of Life."

You can read more on the prequel here.

"Thunderbolts"  July 26, 2024

Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jake Scheier, Kevin Feige are seen revealing the cast of "Thunderbolts" at D23 Expo. The Walt Disney Company via Getty Images

"There's currently a world without the Avengers," Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said at the D23 Expo in September 2022, when asked about the state of the MCU in the next "Captain America" film. "Just because there is not an organization of the Avengers, doesn't mean there's not a group of superheroes in the MCU."

"Thunderbolts" features a ragtag bunch of antiheroes, including a group of characters we've seen introduced in various movies and Disney+ shows. Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), US Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Red Guardian (David Harbour), Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko), and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) will all star in the upcoming movie. The group basically seems like Marvel's version of the Suicide Squad.

"It's good to be back. I'm as excited as the most boring Avenger," Russell joked about returning to the MCU.

"They look like a good, troubled bunch, and maybe I know a thing or two about that," Stan, whose character has dealt with a lot of PTSD, said about Bucky being a part of a group again.

"I think it tells you all you need to know about the Thunderbolts when beloved Winter Soldier is the most stable among them," Feige said.

"Blade"  September 6, 2024

Mahershala Ali in 2021. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Although Wesley Snipes originated the role in the 1998 movie, Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali is playing the human/vampire hybrid, who protects humans from vamps, in the reboot.

Ali's Blade was first teased in a post-credit scene of "Eternals."

Untitled "Deadpool 3"  November 8, 2024

Ryan Reynolds confirmed the release date on September 27, 2022. 20th Century Studios / Marvel Studios

Ryan Reynolds surprised fans with a video update to the third movie, announcing that his pal Hugh Jackman would reprise his role as X-Men character Wolverine.

In an 80-second clip, the actor said he'd had a tough time finding the right way to introduce the raunchy character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"His first appearance in the MCU obviously needs to feel special. We need to stay true to the character," Reynolds said. "Every Deadpool needs to stand out and stand apart. It's been an incredible challenge that has forced me to reach down deep inside, and I have nothing."

Reynolds teased that his one idea involved asking Jackman if he'd like to join him in the sequel to play Wolverine "one more time." Jackman, walking in the background of the video, said, "Sure, Ryan."

"Avatar 3"  December 20, 2024

A scene from "Avatar." Fox

"Avatar 3" was shot simultaneously with "Avatar 2."

Disney currently has three more untitled theatrical releases set for 2024.

Disney CEO Bob Iger recently announced a third "Frozen" movie. Walt Disney

This list does not contain 20th Century and Searchlight Pictures films.

February 14, 2024  untitled Disney film

August 16, 2024  untitled Disney film

November 27, 2024  untitled Disney animation

"Fantastic Four"  February 14, 2025

Kang has frequent run-ins with the Fantastic Four. Marvel Comics

First announced several years ago, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige confirmed at the 2022 San Diego Comic Con that the "Fantastic Four" reboot will kick off Phase Six of the MCU.

At D23 Expo in 2022, Feige revealed that "WandaVision" director Matt Shakman would direct the reboot. No cast has been named for the film.

"Avengers: Kang Dynasty"  May 2, 2025

Jonathan Majors as Kang in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." Marvel Studios/Disney

The next "Avengers" movie will revolve around Jonathan Major's character and will kick off summer 2025.

An untitled "Star Wars" movie  December 19, 2025

Taika Waititi is getting his own "Star Wars" movie. Disney

It's believed this will be Taika Waititi's ("Thor: Love and Thunder") "Star Wars" movie.

"Taika's approach to 'Star Wars' will be fresh, unexpected, andunique," Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said on Disney's 2020 investor day of Waititi. "His enormous talent and sense of humor will ensure that audiences are in for an unforgettable ride."

We expect more "Star Wars" projects to be announced at Star Wars Celebration event in April.

Disney currently has nine untitled Disney, Marvel, and Pixar projects set for release in 2025.

Disney CEO Bob Iger recently announced a "Zootopia" sequel. Walt Disney Animation Studios

This list does not contain 20th Century and Searchlight Pictures films.

March 7, 2025  untitled Disney film

April 11, 2025  untitled Disney film

May 23, 2025  untitled Disney film

June 13, 2025  untitled Pixar film

July 2, 2025  untitled Disney film

July 25, 2025  untitled Marvel movie

August 15, 2025  untitled Disney film

November 7, 2025  untitled Marvel movie

November 26, 2025  untitled Disney animation

"Avengers: Secret Wars"  May 1, 2026

The logos for the next two "Avengers" movies were shown on screen at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con. Kirsten Acuna/Insider

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige originally announced that a second "Avengers" movie will close out Phase 6 a few months later in 2025. As of October 11, 2022, the film had been pushed to a summer 2026 launch.

"Avatar 4"  December 18, 2026

A scene from "Avatar." Fox

Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana star in the "Avatar" movies.

Disney currently has 13 untitled Disney, Marvel, and Pixar projects set for release in 2026.

Bob Iger recently announced a fifth "Toy Story" film. Disney/Pixar

This list does not contain 20th Century and Searchlight Pictures films.

January 16, 2026  untitled Disney film

February 23, 2026  untitled Marvel movie

March 6, 2026  untitled Pixar movie

March 27, 2026  untitled Disney film

April 17, 2026  untitled Disney film

May 22, 2026  untitled Disney film

June 19, 2026  untitled Pixar movie

July 10, 2026  untitled Disney film

July 24, 2026  untitled Marvel movie

August 14, 2026  untitled Disney film

September 18, 2026  untitled Disney film

November 6, 2026  untitled Marvel movie

November 25, 2026  untitled Disney animation

Untitled "Star Wars" movie  December 17, 2027

A scene from "The Last Jedi." Lucasfilm

Maybe this will be one of Rian Johnson's expected "Star Wars" projects.

"Avatar 5"  December 22, 2028

A scene from "Avatar." 20th Century Fox; Media Magik Entertainment/YouTube

James Cameron had ideas for "Avatar 2" and "Avatar 3" in 2010. He then announced "Avatar 4" in 2012, before revealing he planned for a fifth film in 2015.

Read the original article on Insider
Djimon Hounsou at the UK special screening of "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" in March 2023. Mike Marsland/WireImage

Djimon Hounsou said that he is "still struggling to try to make a dollar" in Hollywood.

The "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" star's breakthrough role was in Steven Spielberg's 1997 film "Amistad."

Hounsou said that things are improving for him, but he still gets low balled on pay.

Djimon Hounsou said that he feels "tremendously cheated" by the film industry and still faces difficulties getting paid his worth despite his wide-ranging career in Hollywood.

Hounsou currently stars in the DC superhero film "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" as the Wizard. The actor told The Guardian that, despite a decades-long career and multiple Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild nominations, he's "still struggling to try to make a dollar."

"I've come up in the business with some people who are absolutely well off and have very little of my accolades," Hounsou told The Guardian. "So I feel cheated, tremendously cheated, in terms of finances and in terms of the workload."

Hounsou's breakthrough role was in Steven Spielberg's 1997 film "Amistad." He went on to star in films like "In America" and "Blood Diamond," earning best supporting actor nominations from the Academy for both roles. At the same time, his "Blood Diamond" costar Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated in the best actor category, even though the film focused on Hounsou's character.

Hounsou told 'The Guardian" that he felt "seriously cheated" and bereft of industry and media support, as well as that of his "own people," some of whom have yet to regard him as "a true actor." He also spoke about being lowballed for acting roles and being forced to "prove why I need to get paid,"

On the other hand, Hounson has also noticed improvements in the way that he's valued in the industry.

"From time to time, they themselves make the point of saying: 'We should give him more, he's a little underappreciated.' I think they recognize that themselves," he told The Guardian. "Hey, it's the struggle I have to overcome!"

Read the original article on Insider
A doctor was found with dozens of electronic devices containing child pornography, including a hidden camera that he reportedly wore to film young patients during medical exams, federal officials said.

The doctor, a 32-year-old Massachusetts man, was arrested on March 14, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts.

An attorney for the man could not be immediately reached for comment by McClatchy News.

I can think of no greater fear as a parent or guardian than potential harm coming to your child, U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins said in the release. Today we allege that this doctor, who held a position of trust with access to children, maintained child sexual abuse material.

During searches of two of the mans residences in February, investigators discovered about 80 devices that reportedly contained over a thousand photos and videos of probable child pornography, officials said.

Some of the victims appeared to be between 6 and 11 years old.

One of the devices  a hidden camera attached to a bracelet  contained several secretly recorded videos of the man providing medical exams to minors, officials said.

It is alleged that two minors who investigators believe to be patients could be heard and, at times, partially seen in the videos, officials said.

An investigation of the seized devices is ongoing.

The man has been charged with possessing child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, officials said.

Dutch man convicted of sex stealthing. What is that, and is it illegal in the US?

Man fatally stabs intruder with kitchen knife as he breaks in through window, cops say

Driver dies when truck flips and crashes through business, North Carolina cops say
House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi Thursday defended his plan to spur housing construction in Rhode Island against concerns it will erode local control of development.

Shekarchi wants to combat Rhode Island's worsening affordability crisis by making it easier to build homes and reverse the state's lowest-in-the-nation residential construction rate.

He unveiled a 14-bill package last week that would streamline the permitting process for subsidized housing, allow property owners to create accessory apartments for non-family members, convert commercial buildings into residences and build larger buildings near transit hubs. It would also ban charging prospective tenants application fees to rent an apartment.

Shekarchi has sought to reassure skittish local officials and homeowners that his housing package will not force communities to allow low-income housing or take away their authority to block development that doesn't make sense.

Familiar worries surface in legislative debut of housing package

But at the first hearing on the package Thursday night, those concerns bubbled up from lawmakers and local leaders.

West Warwick Republican Rep. Patricia Morgan objected to legislation that would prevent cities and towns from limiting the number of bedrooms in affordable-housing projects or requiring that new developments have more than one parking spot per home.

RI House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, shown here with House Majority Leader Chris Blazejewski: "Look, I'm a realist. If a municipality doesn't want a project, they are going to find a way to stop a project. I am trying to eliminate as many of those barriers as possible while still leaving local control."

"In West Warwick we can have so many cars parked along the roads ... and you just don't want the roads just constantly cluttered with cars," Morgan said with Shekarchi at the witness table.

"The thought process behind the bill is you don't want a project denied for people who don't have cars," Shekarchi said. "A lot of these projects are designed for people in high density areas near transit that don't have cars or share cars."

Morgan: "I know you know what it looks like when there are too many cars in a neighborhood. It drives down the value."

Shekarchi: "Look, I'm a realist. If a municipality doesn't want a project, they are going to find a way to stop a project. I am trying to eliminate as many of those barriers as possible while still leaving local control. I want people to look at housing differently. I want people to understand just because someone is poor or needs affordable housing, they are not bad people."

Story continues

In written testimony, Rhode Island Republican National Committeeman and Cranston Planning Commission member Steven Frias objected to measures in Shekarchi's housing package that would allow accessory apartments in single-family zones and permit developers to turn commercial properties into homes.

"This legislation overrides local zoning. Basically, it mandates certain permitted uses within commercially zoned properties and imposes this requirement on all commercial properties in all municipalities," Frias wrote about the commercial-to-residential conversion bill. "The conversion of commercially zoned property to residential property can make sense, but it may not make sense for all commercial properties all of the time."

House Speaker says local control sometimes has a downside

When it comes to turning old mills, shopping malls, hospitals and other commercial buildings into homes, Shekarchi said taking local control away could be a feature and not a bug.

"I absolutely want to take municipal control away in that situation," Shekarchi told the Journal after testifying. "Because this is a building that existed as a factory, that has high capacity sewer already in it, has high capacity water already in it, has in some cases dozens, if not hundreds, of people coming and going all day, deliveries, manufacturing trucks, noise and odors. So if a city or town has already approved that and it is already existing, tell me why we can't put in subsidized housing, elderly housing or housing in general."

Frias also objected to a bill that would prevent municipalities from denying a housing project based on a community's comprehensive plan if that plan has not been updated in more than a dozen years. Given the effort needed to update a comprehensive plan, he suggested municipalities get two years to come into compliance before the old plans can no longer be used to deny projects.

Shekarchi said he is open to such a grace period.

Who supports the legislation designed to increase RI housing stock?

As expected, the housing package has broad support from a wide range of charities, housing advocates, the real estate industry and low-income housing developers. The list of supportive groups includes the United Way, Housing Network of Rhode Island, One Neighborhood Builders, Rhode Island Association of Realtors and Rhode Island Builders Association. The accessory apartment bill is AARP's top legislative priority in the state.

Gov. Dan McKee, a former mayor and longtime defender of local control, on Thursday came out in support of eight of the nine bills in Shekarchi's housing package, including commercial conversions, accessory apartments and banning rental application fees. The one bill in the package McKee did not mention was the bill that would invalidate expired comprehensive plans.

"Housing is one of the most crucial issues facing Rhode Island and states across the nation," McKee wrote in a letter to lawmakers on the House Housing and Municipal Government Committee. "For too long, we have heard that the development process in Rhode Island is convoluted and lengthy. I and many others want to see increased production at all affordability levels..."

The Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns agrees with the housing package "conceptually" but is asking for changes to some of the bills, including exempting lots with no public water supply from the accessory apartment law and providing a two-year grace period for towns to update their comprehensive plans.

Jordan Day, associate director of the League, said 11 communities have out-of-date comprehensive plans.

Last year Rhode Island cities and towns approved building permits for 1,401 housing units, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, nine more than in 2021 but still the fewest in the nation.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Shekarchi defends affordable-housing bills; local control in spotlight
A dog darted under a drivers car, then disappeared.

It was anyones guess where Georgia firefighters would find it.

Well when we opened the engine bay ... and see a dogs face staring at us behind some wires, it was fairly obvious where he was, City of Marietta firefighter engineer Mark Fisher told McClatchy News in a phone interview.

On March 16, Fisher was among the crew on Truck 52 who helped pull the pooch to safety after it climbed into the sedans engine compartment and got stuck. Marietta firefighters Dawson Tucker and Greg Pinizzotto also aided in the rescue.

Firefighters said they got the call before lunchtime, between 10 and 11 a.m. The driver, who wasnt named, was coming down the road when they spotted the dog and stopped.

When they got out to see if it had gotten out safely, the dog jumped and crawled its way into the engine bay, firefighters said.

Photos shared on the city governments Facebook page show the dogs eyes peeking out from the quandary of engine parts.

We opened up the hood, and the dog was actually stuck between the motor itself and the engine box, Tucker said. We took apart the air box, and that was able to get us access to ... pick up the dog from the top of the engine bay.

In about 10 minutes, the firefighters said they removed the necessary parts, saved the pup and put everything back together before sending the driver on their way.

Both Tucker and Fisher said the unique rescue was a first for them.

First time for a dog  weve done cats in an engine bay before, but no dogs, Fisher said.

With no ID tags and no one around to claim the dog, Cobb County Animal Services stepped in and took the animal to safety.

Marietta is about 20 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta.

Lap dog runs from parking lot into ocean  then swims to sea, California rescuers say

Leopard spotted in Ohio turns out to be wild African cat on drugs, officials say

Python escaped and ended up behind refrigerator  in someones 29th-floor apartment
WASHINGTON  The Department of Justice and FBI are investigating TikTok, including previously disclosed allegations that the company's employees spied on journalists, a law enforcement official with knowledge of the matter said Friday.

The investigation is being conducted by Justice Department prosecutors in Washington and in the Eastern District of Virginia, along with the FBI, the officials said.

The DOJ and FBI declined to comment.

In response, a ByteDance spokesperson told NBC, "We have strongly condemned the actions of the individuals found to have been involved, and they are no longer employed at ByteDance. Our internal investigation is still ongoing, and we will cooperate with any official investigations when brought to us."

News about the probe was first reported on Thursday by Forbes, which said the employees implicated in the surveillance were fired after it was confirmed they were trying to find the sources of leaks to journalists from inside the company. A ByteDance investigation found that the employees gained access to the IP addresses and other data of the reporters and some of their contacts connected to them through their TikTok accounts, Forbes reported.

The federal investigation into ByteDance comes as concern over the security threats to Americans related to TikTok has intensified this week. The Biden administration has threatened a potential ban on the popular social media app in the U.S. if its Chinese owners refuse to sell their stakes in it, a source close to the company told NBC News on Thursday. That came after U.S. intelligence officials expressed concerns that China can use TikTok to spy on Americans or influence U.S. public opinion.

Asked what message the White House is sending to TikTok users in the U.S., press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Thursday, "Weve expressed concerns over Chinas potential use of software platforms that could endanger or threaten Americas safety and their national security. So that is the presidents concern. That is why we have called on Congress to take action."

Story continues

Jean-Pierre reiterated that a group of federal agencies are currently conducting a review of TikTok's software.

Biden backs legislation introduced earlier this month by a bipartisan group of senators that would allow the federal government to regulate and ban foreign-produced technology, including TikTok.

The bill would give the secretary of commerce the power to regulate tech produced by six countries that have adversarial relationships with the U.S.: China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela.

On Capitol Hill, there is an appetite to address the issue, although it's not clear how far lawmakers are willing to go.

Asked Friday if he believes TikTok represents a national security risk, Speaker Kevin McCarthy said, Yes.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The Justice Department is reportedly investigating ByteDance, the Chinese-based company that owns TikTok, over allegations that it has been spying on American citizens, including several tech journalists.

The DOJs criminal division, the FBI and the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia opened the investigation late last year after ByteDance acknowledged that it had inappropriately obtained the data of U.S. TikTok users, including two reporters, Forbes reported.

Emily Baker-White, a Forbes journalist who said ByteDance used her TikTok account to track her location in an effort to find her sources, reported Thursday that the FBI and DOJ are investigating the situation.

ByteDance admitted to the surveillance after an internal investigation, which led to the firing of Chris Lepitak, the employee who oversaw the team responsible for the surveillance.

The news comes as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) ordered the Chinese owners of TikTok to sell their stake in the company or face a potential U.S. ban. Sixty-percent of ByteDance is owned by international investors, 20 percent is owned by employees and 20 percent is owned by its founders who carry disproportionate voting rights.

CFIUS issued its ultimatum last week, but TikTok has been dismissive of the idea of divestment as a means to address user privacy and data sharing concerns.

If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesnt solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access, TikTok spokeswoman Brooke Oberwetter said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal.

The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, U.S.-based protection of U.S. user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification, which we are already implementing, she added.

To address concerns about TikToks collection of user information, including biometric location data for more than 100 million users in America alone, TikTok has launched Project Texas, an initiative to store all American data in the United States.

More from National Review
The Justice Department is investigating the possible surveillance of U.S. journalists by the owners of the social media app TikTok, three sources familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News Friday.

The investigation into the Beijing-based company ByteDance is being led by DOJ's Criminal Division in tandem with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and comes as the Biden Administration comes under increasing pressure to address the potential security threats presented by TikTok, the sources said.

The people familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC that the investigation began late last year, after the company acknowledged some of its employees had wrongfully accessed the data of several journalists who cover the tech industry in order to try and track down their sources.

MORE: Biden admin demands TikTok's Chinese owner sell stakes or risk being banned: Official

A Forbes journalist who has alleged she was one of the reporters whose data had been collected by ByteDance was the first to report on the DOJ's investigation, which was confirmed Friday by the New York Times.

A DOJ spokesperson declined to comment.

PHOTO: TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken, Aug. 22, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters, FILE)

MORE: TikTok has your data even if you've never used the app: Report

In a statement to ABC News, a ByteDance spokesperson said, "We have strongly condemned the actions of the individuals found to have been involved, and they are no longer employed at ByteDance. Our internal investigation is still ongoing, and we will cooperate with any official investigations when brought to us."

MORE: Senators propose bill giving president, commerce secretary power to ban TikTok

The news comes on the same week that the Biden Administration issued a demand to ByteDance to sell its stake in TikTok or risk the video-sharing app being banned within the U.S.

TikTok confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday it was recently contacted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) which said that it would prefer ByteDance sell its stake rather than reach an agreement with the government to mitigate serious national security concerns.

Story continues

President Joe Biden has also voiced support for bipartisan legislation that could empower the administration to ban TikTok.

TikTok's chief executive Shou Zi Chew is scheduled to testify before Congress next week.

DOJ investigating TikTok owners for possible surveillance of US journalists: Sources originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The Department of Justice is investigating whether the Chinese parent company of TikTok unlawfully surveilled US users of the popular social media site, including multiple tech journalists, The New York Times reports.

Tech firm ByteDance, based in Beijing, admitted in December that employees had inappropriately obtained US user data, including information related to two journalists, as part of an investigation into leaks to the media.

Federal officials have subpoenaed information from ByteDance regarding the companys alleged attempts to determine the location of multiple US journalists, Forbes reports.

We have strongly condemned the actions of the individuals found to have been involved, and they are no longer employed at ByteDance. Our internal investigation is still ongoing, and we will cooperate with any official investigations when brought to us, a company spokesperson told the magazine.

The Independent has contacted ByteDance for comment.

The Biden administration has reportedly pushed the company to sell its stake in the US version of TikTok, citing national security concerns.

TikTok has more than 100m users in the US.

The company has argued that forced divestment isnt the right solution.

If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesnt solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access, it said in a statement to Axios. The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, US-based protection of US user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification, which we are already implementing.

ByteDance has said it will spend $1.5bn on a set of data sequestration plans known as Project Texas, which will see the company house US user data on domestic servers overseen by a US team with government oversight.

States including Texas have announced plans to ban the use of TikTok on government devices, citing security risks because of the companys alleged ties to the Chinese government.

The security risks associated with the use of TikTok on devices used to conduct the important business of our state must not be underestimated or ignored, Mr Abbott said in a statement earlier this year.

More than half of US states have partially or fully banned TikTok from government devices, a CNN analysis found.
The Justice Department (DOJ) is investigating the Chinese company that owns the video-sharing platform TikTok over the potential surveillance of journalists who cover technology, multiple outlets reported Friday.

Three people familiar with the matter told The New York Times that the DOJ is investigating the companys surveillance of U.S. citizens broadly, too. The Times reported that the probe seems to be related to the admission from ByteDance, which owns TikTok, in December that some of its employees inappropriately gained access to some U.S. citizens user data.

Internal emails that the Times obtained showed the company conducted an internal investigation and found employees gained access to data from two journalists and people associated with them. Forbes reported following the Timess report that two additional journalists that work for the outlet were also tracked.

The employees were working as part of a monitoring program to try to find the source of leaks. All four employees involved in obtaining the data were fired.

A person with knowledge of the situation told the Times for its Friday report that the DOJs criminal division, the FBI and the U.S. attorneys office for the Eastern District of Virginia are conducting the investigation.

A DOJ spokesperson told the Times that they had no comment on the report.

A spokesperson for TikTok referred the Times to ByteDance for questions.

A ByteDance spokesperson told The Hill that the company strongly condemns the actions of the employees who obtained the data on the journalists and are no longer working for the company.

Our internal investigation is still ongoing, and we will cooperate with any official investigations when brought to us, they said.

Forbes also confirmed the investigation before the Times report.

The Biden administration has recently been increasing pressure on TikTok following criticism of the app over concerns about the security of its U.S. users data on a platform run by a Chinese company. Critics have expressed worries that the data could be obtained by the Chinese government, while TikTok has insisted that the data is not at risk.

Story continues

The administration has told ByteDance that it must sell its stake in TikTok or the app could possibly be banned in the country. The app has been banned on devices owned by the federal government and more than two dozen state governments amid the backlash.

Legislation has also been introduced in Congress to ban the app in the country entirely.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Dollar General says it has raised wages by 23% over the past three years. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Discount retailer Dollar General is the latest employer to join the industry's "labor hoarding" war.

The company said it will spend $100 million to increase the number of scheduled hours for store employees

Average wages have already gone up 23% in the past three years  similar to raises at Walmart and Kroger.

Retail's "labor hoarding" war now has a General  Dollar General, that is.

The Tennessee-based discount store brand said Thursday it, too, will spend big cash this year to attract and retain its workers, following similar moves from major brands like Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe's, Kroger, and more. Retailers are taking, in some cases, extraordinary measures to "hoard" workers so they won't be short-staffed when the economy picks up  even as companies in other sectors are laying people off in droves.

CEO Jeff Owen told investors to expect an additional investment of approximately $100 million in 2023 as the company aims to boost scheduled hours for store associates.

Owen pointed out that the focus on hours comes after a 23% wage increase over the past three years  a comparable rate to what other retail employers have reported in recent weeks  though he declined to disclose what the company's average wage currently is.

CFO John Garratt asked investors to bear with the squeeze this will have on the company's budget, saying, "we believe it is the right thing for the business and will drive stronger in-store execution, positioning us well to build on the momentum we have with our customers."

Owen said shoppers should start to see improvements in store standards, as well as in-stock and on-shelf availability.

Rolltainers full of candy, toilet paper, and other dry goods sit in cage-like rolltainers outside of a Dollar General store in Minnesota. Insider source

Keeping shelves stocked and unpacking inventory has been a problem for many Dollar General locations. Some stores have been so overwhelmed by inventory that fire marshals have cited them for safety violations and ordered the locations to close until they can remedy them. The chain has also accumulated $15 million in fines from OSHA for problems including fire code violations.

Story continues

Several Dollar General employees at stores around the US have since told Insider that management has not allotted their locations enough hours to unpack the inventory and meet other demands of running the store, such as working the register.

For workers, higher hourly wages aren't worth much without enough hours scheduled to earn a substantial paycheck, so the additional available hours could lead to meaningfully higher annual earnings.

The median Dollar General worker was a part-time store associate who earned $17,773 in 2021, according to the company's most recently available proxy filing.

"The other thing you've got to remember is where our stores are located  they're located in rural communities," Owen said Thursday. "75% are in communities of 20,000 or less, and we provide career growth opportunities that are unmatched in retail."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Some people in the Miami Valley have been our celebrating St. Patricks Day since as early as 5 a.m. this morning and an attorney is talking about OVI penalties for anyone thinking of getting behind the wheel after being out today.

Many of those celebrating have been drinking for hours. Many of those people have told News Center 7 that they have a plan to get home safely.

>> PHOTOS: St. Patricks Day festivities kick off at Dublin Pub

We are going to take advantage of the Uber free ride that theyre offering, Jake Fryman, of Beavercreek, said.

News Center 7s Kayla McDermott spoke with an attorney who has experience with those who dont come up with a plan.

An OVI conviction in Ohio are graduated based on the severity of the crime and the number of priors that you would have, Patrick Mulligan, owner of L. Patrick Mulligan & Associates, said. And the look back period is now 10 years. So its very relevant what your prior record was in the past 10 years.

Mulligan, who has been an attorney for nearly four decades, explained that for a first offense people could face three days in jail or go to a program. If their alcohol limit is at a 1.7 or higher, then they could face six days in jail.

On a second offense, the mandatory minimum jail is 10 or 20 days in jail, he said.

>> I immediately took action; Springfield teacher credited with saving choking second grader

A third offense could land a person in jai for 30 to 60 days. A fourth offense will land a person in prison.

Each offense also comes with a fine which can vary:

First Offense: $375-$1,075

Second Offense: $525-$1,625

Third Offense: $850-$2,750

Fourth Offense: $1,350-$10,500

In the worst case scenario, someone could kill another person. In that case, the person gets charged with a felony.

Heavy duty felony penalties, Mulligan said. It can be a second degree felony, which carries [a] mandatory eight years in the penitentiary.

The attorney said an OVI charge can be extensive and confusing for most and shared his advice for those going out.

Best advice, dont drink and drive. If you do, then you need truly an expert to help you, he said.
Donald Trump. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Donald Trump has launched a preemptive attack on Alvin Bragg ahead of a possible indictment.

Bragg is the prosecutor overseeing the Stormy Daniels hush money payments case.

Trump may be indicted in the coming days following testimony from his former fixer, Michael Cohen.

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday evening launched a preemptive attack against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said he is "completely innocent" and "did nothing wrong."

"Now Democrats are at it again, pushing the 'Nuclear Button' and attacking a President because of a disgraced extortionist," Trump wrote, likely referring to Stormy Daniels  the adult film actress who says she had an affair with Trump in 2006.

In his statement, Trump accused Bragg  without substantiation or evidence  of being a "George Soros-backed Radical Left Democrat prosecutor" and running a "sham" investigation against him.

There is no evidence that Soros  a lightning rod for right-wing conspiracy theories  has anything to do with Bragg's investigation into Trump. Trump did not elaborate on what kind of support he thinks Soros is giving Bragg.

In his post on Thursday, Trump also appealed to his supporters to sympathize with him, writing: "If the Democrats can do this to President Trump, they can do it to you."

Trump also falsely claimed the investigation is only happening because he's ahead in the polls "by a large margin against both Democrats and Republicans."

There is no evidence that Trump's polling has factored into Bragg's ongoing investigation  the DA's office has been looking into the case for years. Trump was named as "Individual-1" in the 2018 charging documents for his former personal lawyer and turned nemesis, Michael Cohen.

Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance charges related to the hush money payments scheme. He was sentenced in December 2018 to three years in prison and was disbarred in February 2019 by the New York Supreme Court .

Story continues

Trump is privately beefing up his staff so he can ramp up attacks against Bragg, The New York Times reported, citing two people close to Trump. Part of the Trump camp's game plan is to spread allegations that President Joe Biden is behind Bragg's investigation, per The Times.

There is now a real chance that Trump may be criminally indicted in New York. Bragg is investigating whether Trump's payments to Daniels violate New York election and document laws and if it should be considered an illegal Trump campaign expense.

Trump has consistently denied allegations that he had an affair with Daniels. He also denied that he paid her $130,000 worth of hush money to keep quiet about the relationship before the 2016 election.

Cohen finished testifying in front of a New York grand jury on Wednesday.

"At the end of the day, Donald Trump needs to be held accountable for his dirty deeds, if in fact, that's the way that the facts play out," Cohen said on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Trump and representatives for Bragg at the Manhattan District Attorney's office did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Donald Trump has met the enemy in a campaign video released Thursday  and it is still anyone real or imagined who doesnt like Donald Trump. (Watch the video below.)

The 2024 candidate aimed to spike anxiety among GOP voters as he promised to prevent World War III and nuclear Armageddon while rooting out Americas greatest threat.

That would be deep-staters, U.S.A.-hating people, President Joe Bidens administration, NATO as it currently stands, and Marxists who would have us become a godless nation worshipping at the altar of race and gender and environment.

Trump talked up his opposition to U.S. aid for Ukraine in its fight against Russia. He appeared to relegate the invading nation to far less of a danger than his political opponents. He called for immediate peace but not did offer any plan to accomplish that to the satisfaction of both countries.

Our foreign policy establishment keeps trying to pull the world into conflict with a nuclear-armed Russia based on the lie that Russia represents our greatest threat, Trump said. But the greatest threat to Western civilization today is not Russia. Its probably, more than anything else, ourselves and some of the horrible U.S.A.-hating people that represent us.

These forces are doing more damage to America than Russia and China could ever have dreamed, he added. Evicting the sick and corrupt establishment is the monumental task for the next president. And Im the only one who can do it.

Trump is likely to face stiff opposition from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOPs race for the White House. He also has other challenges ahead  including a possible indictment in the hush-money case involving adult film star Stormy Daniels and a continuing investigation into allegations that he tried to reverse 2020 election results in the swing state of Georgia.

Related...
YouTube is the latest internet giant to restore former President Donald Trump's accounts. The Google-owned video service has lifted a ban on video uploads from Trump's channel. YouTube says it made the decision after weighing the "continued risk" of violence versus the opportunity to hear from major political candidates. Trump will still be subject to the same policies as other users, the company says.

YouTube blocked uploads on Trump's channel days after the January 6th, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by supporters hoping to overturn presidential election results. The site also deleted certain videos. It didn't scrub the channel outright, however. Meta and Twitter were stricter, banning Trump entirely over concerns his statements might incite violent acts.

1/ Starting today, the Donald J. Trump channel is no longer restricted and can upload new content. We carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence, while balancing the chance for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run up to an election.  YouTubeInsider (@YouTubeInsider) March 17, 2023

Trump hasn't posted any new videos to YouTube since the upload restriction disappeared. As a rule, he hasn't used Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other services that have removed bans and other limits. He instead prefers to use his own Truth Social platform, where he has an agreement to give content at least a six-hour exclusive.

The change of heart comes soon after House Republicans unveiled plans to grill tech giants' CEOs over content moderation policies. For years, conservatives have alleged that Google, Meta and other big-name brands censor right-wing views under the guise of fighting misinformation and hate speech. The companies have repeatedly denied these claims, and evidence has emerged that companies sometimes made policy exceptions for conservative outlets over fear of a backlash.

The derestrictions at this stage are more symbolic than practical. However, they illustrate the fine line YouTube and other internet heavyweights are trying to walk between free speech and the desire to keep potentially troublesome content away from their products.
This article was collaboratively written by Lizzie Grams + Buzzy, our creative AI assistant.

You want fresh air, gorgeous water views, and food so good it'll make your taste buds sing? Throw out the airbnbs in Santorini, forget about Bali, and say "see ya later" to Costa Rica! Buckle up, cause I'm about to show you a magical land so breathtaking and awe-inspiring that it's been flying under the radar for way too long.

Lizzie Grams

So why Door County, you ask? Well, let me give you a list:

The lakes!

Door County is surrounded on three sides by Lake Michigan and Green Bay, which means you're in for some stunning views no matter where you go. Whether you're hiking through the woods, kayaking on the water, or just chilling on a beach, you're going to feel connected to the natural world in a way you never thought possible. Rafsun Mashraky / Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Food

Wisconsin is known for its delicious cheese (and trust me, they've got plenty of that in Door County), but you'll also find farm-to-table restaurants, beachside fish boils, and old-fashioned ice cream parlors. I'm not saying you'll gain ten pounds on your trip, but you might want to bring some stretchy pants just in case. Dennis Garrels / Getty Images

The FRESH Air

Okay, sure, you can get fresh air pretty much anywhere. But there's something special about the way it smells in Door County. Maybe it's all the trees, or maybe it's just the fact that you're miles away from the nearest city. Either way, take a deep breath and savor the moment. Rafsun Mashraky / Getty Images/iStockphoto

If you do decide to make the journey, here are a few tips: the best time to visit is in the summer, when the weather is warm and the water is perfect for swimming. Be sure to check out Peninsula State Park, which has miles of hiking trails and a stunning lookout tower. And don't leave without trying a Door County cherry (they're famous for them!).
The legal investigations into former president Donald Trump roll on, with news breaking Thursday that dozens of Mar-a-Lago staffers, including members of Trumps inner circle at the Florida estate, have been subpoenaed to testify in front of a grand jury probing the former presidents handling of classified documents.

Multiple sources familiar with the situation described the escalating situation to CNN and said that one of Trumps advisers who moved with him to Florida  communications aide Margo Martin  appeared Thursday before the Washington, D.C., grand jury. In addition to the handling of classified documents, special counsel Jack Smith is investigating the former presidents alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

Smith has sought information from a variety of people: Trumps attorneys who represent him in the matter as well as people who work on the grounds of Mar-a-Lago, including a housekeeper and restaurant servers. According to CNN, investigators are trying to learn if anyone heard anything in their daily duties or whether they saw boxes or documents in Trumps office suite.

Last summer, FBI agents recovered more than 100 classified documents during a search of Mar-a-Lago. Trumps legal team has turned over additional materials since then.

Theyre casting an extremely wide net  anyone and everyone who might have seen something, a source told CNN.

Investigations in other parts of the country are gaining steam as well.

Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen testified in front of a New York grand jury on Monday. Porn actress Stormy Daniels did not appear before the grand jury herself, but she met with New York prosecutors on Wednesday, according to the Hill. A final decision on an indictment, related to a hush-money payment paid by Cohen to Daniels on Trumps behalf, is expected soon.

In Georgia, where the Fulton County district attorney is investigating Trumps alleged attempts to interfere in the 2020 election, a third recording involving Trump was played to the grand jury. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was told by five members of the grand jury that they listened to Trump placing a call to late Georgia house speaker David Ralston. They said they heard the president ask Ralston to convene a special session of the Legislature to overturn Joe Bidens narrow victory in Georgia.

Story continues

Ralston, who died in November, did not accede to Trumps demand to convene a special session.

More from National Review
Lisa Ellen Spoors  who is facing charges of murder, DUI and fatal hit and run  had a cocktail of mostly prescription drugs in her system the day she struck and killed a 15-year-old Hoover High student in Fresno, a toxicologist testified Thursday.

The 39-year-old Spoors is accused of killing Rashad Al-Hakim Jr. as he was crossing the street in front of Hoover High School at First and Barstow avenues Oct. 4.

During a preliminary hearing Thursday, Dr. Patil Armenian, a toxicologist and emergency room physician at Community Regional Medical Center, testified that she reviewed toxicology reports and body cam footage of Spoors being interviewed by police that are specially trained to recognize drug use.

Armenian said a blood draw from Spoors revealed the presence of several prescription drugs and methamphetamine. The drugs in Spoors system are typically used for the treatment of ADHD, anxiety, mental illness and seasonal allergies.

Prosecutor Steven Ueltzen asked Armenian if the drugs could have impaired Spoors ability to drive. Armenian said, yes, especially methamphetamine.

It really causes a lot of inattention and confusion, Armenian said. I have seen it many times in car crash patients. People are not aware of their surroundings and whose reactions are not fast enough.

Armenian also testified that Spoors appeared confused in the body cam footage when an officer asked Spoors to open their phone and Spoors struggled to do it.

Spoors defense attorney Marc Kapetan challenged Armenians analysis, saying Spoors does not appear under the influence in the body cam video.

Kapetan asked Armenian how was it possible for Spoors to communicate coherently with police, who asked Spoors to return to the scene of the crash. Spoors initially left the scene but returned about 20 minutes later.

Spoors also answered the officers questions during the investigation without an issue. Kapetan also pointed out that one of the investigating officers determined, based on a drug recognition evaluation, that Spoors was not under the influence and could safely drive a vehicle.

Story continues

As for the trouble opening the phone, Kaptan dismissed it as irrelevant.

He said Spoors used the phone three times prior to that moment and didnt have problem.

There is a 10-second period of time when she cant open her phone, Kapetan said. If there is any confusion maybe it was because she was in a horrific accident.

The preliminary hearing continues Friday in Dept. 50.
The driver of a car that went past a security gate at Naval Air Station Key West without stopping Thursday afternoon, prompting a full lockdown at the base, is a member of the military, the base confirmed Friday.

A service member failed to stop at the security gate of Naval Air Station Key Wests Trumbo Point Annex yesterday, March 16, base spokeswoman Danette Baso Silvers said in a statement. The member was located by base security and Key West police, and the incident is currently under investigation.

Baso Silver would not confirm with which branch of service the person serves, and hes not been identified.

The car drove through the gate around 3:30 p.m., and base security immediately locked down all over gates, Baso Silvers said.

They eventually found the person, and the base was reopened at 4:55 p.m.

Any violation to our security measures is taken very seriously, and we want to remind personnel to always follow proper security procedures, Baso Silvers said.

Trumbo Point is one of the Navys seven annexes spread across the Lower Keys, occupying nearly 30 miles of shoreline.

The heavily patrolled bases have been subject to several security breaches in recent years.

Last March, a group of five foreign nationals were detained by base security after they entered on NAS Key Wests Truman Annex. They were released by federal agents after it could not be concluded that they intentionally trespassed on the base.

Since the fall of 2018, four Chinese nationals have been arrested on charges of taking photographs of military facilities in Key West.
WASHINGTON  It was yet another fraught moment in a tumultuous relationship, and it didnt end well.

Senior Biden administration officials were heading to Mexico City this month for pre-arranged talks about the fentanyl crisis as the news unfolded that drug cartel gunmen had kidnapped four Americans in Mexico, two of whom were shot dead.

But after Mexican officials quickly found and retrieved the surviving Americans  with U.S. help  the Biden officials were hopeful they could still emerge from the fentanyl meeting with something good to announce.

It wasnt to be. Even before the talks began, Mexicos president upended them. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stood before television cameras to proclaim that fentanyl is Americas problem and falsely stated that none of the dangerous drug is produced in Mexico.

March 09, 2023, Mexico City, Mexico: Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador speaks during his briefing morning conference , at the Intelligence Center of the Ministry of Public and Citizen Security, on March 9, 2023 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Carlos Santiago / Eyepix Group/Sipa via AP)

Current and former U.S. officials say the bizarre episode is symptomatic of just how badly the relationship between the two countries has deteriorated in what used to be called the drug war  at the precise moment when joint action is most needed.

Theres really been minimal to nonexistent law enforcement cooperation, said Vanda Felbab-Brown, a drug-trafficking expert and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. The Mexican government has not been allowing joint raids or even observation by U.S. law enforcement. Now this blatantly false statement by [Mexicos] president.

Matthew Donahue, who retired last year after three decades with the Drug Enforcement Administration, agreed that cooperation was nonexistent and added that the biggest problem is corruption in Mexico and how it has infiltrated many levels of their government.

This is the worst it has ever been in Mexico, he said. What is frustrating is that we know where the traffickers are, but the U.S. government has been unable to persuade Mexico to act, so all that operational intelligence gathering is wasted.

Andrew Rudman, the director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center, a public policy think tank, said: If you cant cooperate with Mexico, youre not going to solve this problem  theres just no way. It really does call into question how much cooperation can really take place in the next two years if every step forward is met with a step backward.

Story continues

The U.S. delegation to Mexico, including Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and White House homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall, flew home after the talks and steadfastly refused to comment on Lopez Obradors remarks. The White House statement on the trip included no mention of the Mexican presidents comments and little of substance related to targeting fentanyl trafficking in Mexico.

Mexicos Foreign Affairs Ministry said Thursday on Twitter that its government is not only dedicating resources, dozens of Mexican security forces lives have been lost in the fight against fentanyl.  We are not saying we will stop Mexicos cooperation. We are not saying we will not go forward. No, the Mexican government is saying we will strengthen our cooperation  but we will not do it under disrespect of saying that we are not doing anything.

In a statement after the trip expressing sentiments not shared by any former official or expert consulted by NBC News, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said, We have robust law enforcement cooperation with Mexico, which has enabled us to take successful action against cartels, transnational criminal organizations, drug traffickers and human smugglers, and that will continue.

Donahue, who spent two years in Mexico City and went on to become the DEAs deputy chief of operations, said, I would not call their almost complete lack of cooperation on the counternarcotic efforts robust.

After Watsons statement was issued, a senior Biden administration official acknowledged to NBC News that we need to be doing a lot more on the law enforcement side but added, Weve found that we make a lot more progress by having the candid discussions in private rather than wagging our fingers in public.

The official said the Biden administration has made progress after it inherited a completely broken law enforcement relationship in January 2021.

I give them a B-plus for effort and a D for results, said John Feeley, a former senior State Department official who spent decades focusing on counternarcotics in Latin America in administrations of both parties.

A decadeslong problem

The multibillion-dollar trade in illegal drugs has long been a festering sore on the North American continent. U.S. demand for cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin fuels vicious, well-funded criminal organizations that thrive in a Mexico rife with corruption and lawlessness. The cartels use their riches to buy American weapons and bribe U.S. officials. U.S. politicians denounce the cartels while saying little about where their money comes from.

Meth found in a spare tire at the Ysleta port of entry in El Paso, Texas, on June 15, 2021. (CBP)

But the synthetic opioid fentanyl, which is killing Americans at a fast clip, has raised the stakes dramatically. Washington is angry, and U.S. lawmakers are calling for military action against the cartels  potential acts of war against Americas neighbor and largest trading partner.

We have a game changer here, and the game changer is a hundred thousand dead people a year, Feeley said. Yet, when we most need cooperation on law enforcement and rule of law, we have almost nothing.

In 2021, 106,000 people died of opioid overdoses in the U.S., more than 70,000 of them largely from fentanyl, according to the National Institutes of Health. Increasingly, people are dying because they took drugs they werent aware were fentanyl-laced. No community or demographic group has been spared.

National Institute on Drug Abuse

U.S. officials and international experts say the vast majority of the fentanyl sold in the U.S. is produced in Mexico using precursors imported from China.

The Sinaloa cartel and the Jalisco cartel and their affiliates control the vast majority of the fentanyl global supply chain, from manufacture to distribution, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram told Congress last month. The cartels are buying precursor chemicals in the Peoples Republic of China,, transporting the precursor chemicals from the PRC to Mexico, using the precursor chemicals to mass produce fentanyl, pressing the fentanyl into fake prescription pills, and using cars, trucks and other routes to transport the drugs from Mexico into the United States for distribution.

She said it costs the cartels as little as 10 cents to produce a fentanyl-laced fake prescription pill that is sold in the U.S. for $10 to $30.

The cartels are engaging in deliberate, calculated treachery to deceive Americans and drive addiction to achieve higher profits, she said.

When he took office in 2018, Lopez Obrador, a leftist populist, announced that his policy toward drug cartels would be hugs, not bullets.

Last week, he told reporters, Here, we do not produce fentanyl, and we do not have consumption of fentanyl.

He blamed the U.S. overdose crisis on social decay in American society, adding, We deeply lament whats happening in the United States  but why dont they fight the problem ... and more importantly why dont they take care of their youth?

Fentanyl pills, meth and other drugs seized in Tempe, Ariz., on Feb. 23. (Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes via Twitter)

It wasnt always this way. The relationship slowly decayed from its peak, when joint U.S.-Mexico operations became common in the 2000s under Presidents George Bush and Felipe Calderon. They had started to fall off when Enrique Pena Nieto took office in 2013. After the U.S. arrested Mexicos defense minister on corruption charges in October 2020, Lopez-Obrador largely ended what little cooperation remained, even making it difficult for DEA agents to remain in the country, Feeley and other experts said.

Mexico was so incensed by the arrest that then-Attorney General William Barr ultimately dropped the case and handed the minister back to Mexico, which exonerated him despite evidence he worked on behalf of a violent drug cartel. Officials on both sides were left seething by the whole affair, current and former U.S. officials say.

A complicated relationship

Privately, U.S. officials say that in his comments about fentanyl, Lopez Obrador was reacting to comments from Republican lawmakers in recent weeks calling on military action against the drug traffickers in Mexico and proposing to designate drug cartels as terrorist organizations.

Were going to unleash the fury and might of the United States against these cartels, said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who called on the president to give the military the authority to go after these organizations wherever they exist.

The idea of unilateral U.S. military action against the cartels inside Mexico is anathema to almost any Mexican politician, let alone one who stakes his identity on defying the U.S.

The reality is that the U.S. badly needs Mexicos cooperation on a host of issues, experts say, not least the mass migration crisis on the southern U.S. border. Mexico is Americas largest trading partner and its most common tourist destination, and it hosts the biggest community of expatriate Americans. The possibility that a U.S. president will take military action in Mexico against the wishes of the government there seems extremely remote.

We are not contemplating military action against Mexico, Watson, the NSC spokeswoman, said in a statement.

Everyone acknowledges the Biden administration is in a difficult bind. It needs Mexicos help on fentanyl, but it isnt getting much, and it has very little leverage to do anything about it.

A spokeswoman for the DEA declined to comment for this article. But Milgram of the DEA detailed for Congress recently how Mexico refuses to share even basic data.

We are not getting information on seizures of precursor chemicals, she said. We are very concerned about the clandestine labs across Mexico, and we have offered and continue to offer and stand ready to work in partnership with Mexican authorities to dismantle and take down those clandestine labs throughout Mexico jointly and to be of any service that we can.

Furthermore, she added, Mexico is slow-walking dozens of U.S. extradition requests.

One of the things we are looking for Mexico to do is to arrest and extradite more individuals to the United States, she said. Last year, Mexico extradited 24 drug-related defendants to the United States, but there are 232 drug-related defendants that are awaiting extradition.

Donahue said the corruption runs so deep in Mexico that Mexican law enforcement spends more time surveilling DEA agents than it does cartel members.

The problems are obvious. Much less clear is how to solve them. One proposal, embraced by some Republican lawmakers and a few experts, such as Feeley, is to designate the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Barr, the former attorney general, recently argued that the U.S. should use the military to defeat the cartels, although he left it hazy whether he was saying the U.S. should do that even without Mexicos permission, which could qualify as an act of war.

Feeley says the U.S. cant take unilateral action in Mexico, but he and others argue that a terrorist designation would allow prosecutors to more easily go after Americans who help the cartels, using a material support for terrorism charge that carries far more stigma than a drug offense.

The Biden administration opposes the terrorism designation, a senior administration official said, but it isnt opposed to expanding legal authorities to target cartels.

I do think the Biden administration has been pretty patient with Mexico, said Rudman of the Wilson Center. Maybe at times too patient.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
If you find yourself in Jenny Yangs third-grade classroom at Vang Pao Elementary in southeast Fresno, youll hear students recite the Pledge of Allegiance in the mornings in the Hmong language.

When Yang grabs her acoustic and slips the guitar strap over her shoulders, youll hear the students sing This Land Is Your Land, alternating between the English lyrics and a Hmong translation  all before a receptive audience of Hmong dolls in traditional clothing smiling down from the shelves.

Her classroom is one thats home to Fresno Unified School Districts Hmong Dual Language Immersion program.

Its one of only a handful of similar learning opportunities in public school districts nationwide. The program uses the dual immersion method, meaning students receive instruction for part of each day in English and part in Hmong.

They embrace their American culture, and they see the importance of the Hmong culture, as well, Yang said of her students. Versus me when I was growing up  there werent a lot of teachers that looked like me, that really embraced my culture.

After launching in 2018 in response to demands from Fresnos Hmong community  the second-largest in the country, behind the Hmong population in Minnesotas Twin Cities  the program is already showing social-emotional and academic benefits.

Even though 50% of the time youre learning Hmong, youre not missing out on any of the English at all, Vang Pao Principal Yua Lee told The Bees Education Lab. As a matter of fact, its been enhancing the achievement of our students in English.

This is no exception to what many researchers have concluded about dual immersion programs: that participating students outperform their peers on standardized assessments in English Language Arts.

What distinguishes Fresno Unifieds program, however, is its placement in neighborhood schools  unlike some DLI programs that are choice schools and can become difficult to access, including for the families who asked for them in the first place.

Story continues

How did we get here?

A Hmong dual immersion program like Fresno Unifieds wasnt always possible.

About 25 years ago, California voters passed Proposition 227, restricting bilingual education in public K-12 settings, especially for English learners.

Then in 2016, voters passed another measure, Proposition 58, which largely overturned Prop 227s restrictions on bilingual education and paved the way for the expansion of dual immersion at schools across the state.

In Fresno Unified, the push for more robust Hmong language instruction came from the districts Hmong families, the programs manager Doua Vu told the Ed Lab.

These conversations date back to 2015 when the district was revising its Master Plan for English Learner Success and seeking feedback from parents on how language instruction was going.

In some of those community meetings, Vu said, parents actually in the Hmong community expressed that they saw that their students are losing the (Hmong) language and not being able to communicate with the elders anymore.

This is a crisis the Hmong American community faces beyond Fresno. The language only developed a written form in the Roman alphabet 70 years ago and hasnt commonly been taught in American schools.

Fresno Unified piloted Hmong dual immersion courses in summer school and after-school programs in 2017. Then, the first cohort of 55 students hit the ground running in the 2018-19 school year.

The program more than quadrupled in size to 257 students last year. There are cohorts in preschool through fifth grade at Vang Pao. The district also expanded the program to Balderas Elementary in Fresno Unifieds Sunnyside region in 2020.

Some dual immersion programs  often for more commonly spoken languages  strive to enroll half native English speakers and half native speakers of the other target language. That ratio differs for Fresno Unifieds Hmong program, where about 90% of students learn Hmong as a second language while 10% are native Hmong speakers.

This helps students like Michael Her maintain the language of his family.

If there wasnt a Hmong dual immersion program, the 10-year-old fifth-grader in the program said, I wouldnt be learning any Hmong.

Opportunities for students to study and refine the language continue into high school through Heritage Speaker courses available at all seven of the districts comprehensive high schools and two middle schools, Gaston and Terronez.

Kindergarten teacher May Yang leads a lesson in Fresno Unifieds Hmong Dual Immersion program at Vang Pao Elementary Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023 in Fresno.

A day in the life of dual immersion students

Students in the program at Vang Pao and Balderas start the day with science and social studies classes in Hmong. Then, for the second half of the day, they study language arts and math using English.

The daily switch between languages can be especially challenging going from Hmong to English, said fifth-grade teacher Kristina Yang. The Hmong language has fewer words than English. It also has more words with multiple meanings.

Kristina Yang enforces the strict divide between Hmong time and English time using the class cash she distributes at the beginning of the year. Students pay a fine if they use English during Hmong time or vice versa. At the end of the school year, they can use however much class cash theyve held onto during a class auction.

Still, Kristina Yangs students have also found ways to bend the rules  as any fifth-grader dutifully would.

Theyve convinced me that if somebody says an English word, if they translate it into Hmong, that there should be no fine, she said. So theyve been keeping each other accountable. And theyve been trying to help each other translate so that their friends dont have to give up the class cash.

Kristina Yang leads a 5th grade Dual Immersian class at Fresno Unifieds Vang Pao Elementary Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023 in Fresno.

In addition to teaching literacy in the Hmong language, the curriculum weaves in lessons about Hmong culture and history.

When kindergartners in the program learn about the plant life cycle and harvest, for example, teachers will also talk about the rice harvest in Laos, Vu said.

And when fifth-graders make crafts, they stitch their own flower cloth, called a paj ntaub  a traditional form of textile art.

District leaders said theyve watched the program foster a greater sense of pride in Hmong culture through these parallel efforts of language instruction and lessons in Hmong history.

Before, typically you wait until the cultural holidays for kids to wear their Hmong attire, Vu said, but when the program first launched, kids were wearing their Hmong outfit to school on a regular school day.

Kristina Yang has two of her own children enrolled in the program. She said shes seen them become a bridge between their grandparents and other members of her family who have lost the Hmong language.

Theyve been teaching their older cousins the simple (words), she said. Hello, bye, or thank you, no thank you, (and) Im full. Its really nice to see that. And my daughters just get so proud when they get to be the person who has to translate.

Fresno Unifieds Hmong Dual Immersion program at Vang Pao Elementary not only focuses on language but the Hmong culture with classrooms decorated with traditional arts, photographed Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023 in Fresno.

Would you be my, could you be my neighborhood dual immersion school?

Vicky Xiong-Lor is a Hmong language consultant who has worked with programs like Fresno Unified in California and Minnesota and Wisconsin for almost 20 years.

She told the Ed Lab that the attitude toward bilingual education changed over that period, mostly for the better.

But shes still worried about whos able to access dual immersion programs.

Xiong-Lor said its often been her white, affluent colleagues who can transfer their children to dual immersion schools.

However, the Hmong families or other ethnic families, who wanted these programs, were not able to, she said. Instead, they end up on waiting lists for programs offered at their own neighborhood schools.

The programs Xiong-Lor works with in Minnesota are also mainly at charter schools.

Vu acknowledged that this had historically been a problem with Fresno Unifieds Spanish dual immersion schools, particularly when that program launched almost 20 years ago.

Before we started adding more Spanish programs, they were all at choice schools, meaning that anybody can come, you know, if someones parents provide their own transportation, she said. But I think after a while, we realized that some neighborhood kids couldnt get into the program because the interest was so high that they had to go into a lottery system.

Now, she added, a lot of our DI (dual immersion) programs are (at) neighborhood schools, meaning that its just for those kids.

That includes the Hmong program at Vang Pao and Balderas. Students who live in the neighborhood surrounding either school have a streamlined path to enrolling in the program.

Meanwhile, students from other parts of the city must submit a transfer request form before entering into a lottery system for any available slots.

Most students enrolled in the program are Hmong, program leaders said.

But there are also a handful of students from different language backgrounds learning Hmong through the program too, such as 10-year-old Alexa Vera.

The fourth-grader at Vang Pao, who also speaks Spanish, told the Ed Lab shes the only member of her family to speak Hmong. Shes becoming trilingual through the program.

Lee, Vang Paos principal, said she hopes to build the programs capacity in the coming years to reach other parts of Fresno.

I know there are still many kids and many parents across the district, she said, that would love to be able to have this program near where they live.

Benefits of dual immersion

Studies have suggested a range of advantages of bilingual education programs like dual immersion. That includes anything from improving students empathy to fighting off dementia later in life.

One of the most consistent findings demonstrates that dual immersion students score better than others on English language reading assessments.

A 2017 study from the RAND Corporation found that was true of both native English speakers and English learners who participated in dual immersion.

As for whether this is reflected in Fresno Unifieds data, the program at Vang Pao has only four years worth so far  with at least two of those years upended by the pandemic and abrupt transition to distance learning. Balderas program has even fewer years of data to look at.

But initial results show promise.

Vang Pao students have outperformed the district as a whole on the English Language Arts category of the states Smarter Balanced assessments since 2016, before the program launched.

But the margin between Vang Paos performance and Fresno Unified has grown every year since the programs launch.

In the 2017-18 school year, for example, 38.5% of Vang Pao students met or exceeded state ELA standards versus Fresno Unifieds 36.8%  giving the students at Vang Pao.

Then, in the programs first year, that edge got bigger: 41.5% of Vang Pao students met or exceeded ELA standards to FUSDs 38.3%.

Even in the wake of the pandemic, that margin has continued to grow.

In 2021-22, 36.1% of Vang Paos students met or exceeded the ELA standard while 32.2% of students districtwide.

Lyam Vang, a third-grade student, studies a lesson in Fresno Unifieds Hmong Dual Immersion program at Vang Pao Elementary Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023 in Fresno.

Whats next?

Still, even the existing data fails to give a complete picture of how the Hmong Dual Immersion program impacts students.

On the one hand, these are the results for the entire school  not just the students at Vang Pao who are enrolled in the program.

On the other hand, these assessments only measure students proficiency in one of the two languages theyre learning.

Thats another problem: There is no accepted standard to measure Hmong literacy.

Fresno Unified developed its own Hmong benchmark assessment to assess students progress three times a year, according to district leaders. In the meantime, they hope to work with other districts on a standard.

Were partnering up with other Hmong colleagues across the nation that also have DLI programs to see if we can streamline our assessments, Vu said, so that way, its kind of like a common test that we can all use.

Xiong-Lor is helping lead nationwide efforts on that front.

Between California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, she said, were collaborating to work on these standards so that we can measure students across the board.

Still, not all the impacts of the programs can be pinned down by metrics. Like the joy of seeing your culture celebrated in school or learning about a new culture, Lee said.

You can see that in the excitement of the kids wanting to be a part of the Hmong dance or wanting to go to Hmong New Year, she said. You cant measure that.

Keyno Yang, right, and other third-grade students take turns singing songs in Hmong and English in Fresno Unifieds Hmong Dual Immersion program at Vang Pao Elementary Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023 in Fresno.

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harry - REUTERS/Toby Melville

The Duke of Sussex argued that he and his wife, Meghan, could not afford to pay for their own security until they could earn their own money, court documents have revealed.

Prince Harry sent an email to Sir Edward Young, the late Queens private secretary, in April 2020 in which he says he made it clear we couldnt afford private security until we were able to earn.

The message was disclosed in legal documents relating to the Dukes libel claim against the Mail on Sunday, which hinges on a false claim concerning his willingness to pay for his own police protection in the UK.

He has asked Mr Justice Nicklin to rule in his favour without a trial, an application the newspaper said was wholly without merit.

The Duke is suing Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over an article published last February concerning his legal challenge against the Governments decision to deny him and his family the right to automatic police protection in the UK.

The article said he had tried to keep secret parts of his legal fight with the Home Office over his security and had attempted to spin the dispute in his favour by claiming he had offered to pay for protection himself.

It suggested that when news of the Dukes legal battle with the Government was first revealed, his PR team released a statement saying that he had offered to pay personally for UK police protection, but that it was refused.

harry meghan - REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

The Duke argued that the story suggested he had lied and had improperly and cynically tried to manipulate and confuse public opinion.

Prince Harry insists that he offered to pay for his own security during the so-called Sandringham Summit in January 2020, a meeting at which the late Queen and King Charles were present, but that the offer was dismissed.

He reiterated the offer at a meeting with Sir Mark Sedwill, then cabinet secretary and UK home security adviser, the following month, he says.

An email then sent to Sir Edward is also said to have referred to his offer to pay, but at the same time suggested that he could not afford to do so until he and Meghan had become financially independent.

Story continues

The Duke eventually sought a judicial review against the Home Office decision to deny his family automatic security in September 2021.

ANL is contesting the claim on the basis the article expressed an honest opinion and that it did not cause serious harm to his reputation.

It argued that the Dukes offer to pay for his own security was not made or communicated to the Home Office committee that makes such decisions - the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) - before the Duke launched legal proceedings.

'Nothing to do with the Royal family'

Andrew Caldecott KC, for ANL, said: The fact that the claimant asked at a family meeting at Sandringham is nothing to the point unless that offer was communicated to the Government.

It is the Government that is being sued, it is the Government that makes the decisions. It's nothing to do with the Royal family.

He added: This whole case is built on sand.

Justin Rushbrooke KC, for the Duke, said it would be ludicrous to suggest that the Sandringham Summit was some sort of cosy fireside chat involving members of the Royal family.

He said Harry believed and hoped that his request to pay for his security would be passed on to those responsible for making the decisions.

The court heard that the Mail on Sunday sent a series of questions to the Dukes lawyers seeking clarity about the judicial review application before publishing its article.

However, its questions were ignored, prompting Mr Justice Nicklin to observe: I don't understand the reluctance to answer what appear to be straightforward questions about legal proceedings.

Meanwhile, the newspaper argued that the public statements issued on the Dukes behalf criticising the Governments decision were materially misleading.

He added: The public statements were a criticism by a prominent member of the Royal family of an alleged and specified government decision directly affecting him to his detriment.

That is a serious context requiring accuracy. on the claimants case, an offer was made to his family and dismissed by them.

The Duke won the right to a judicial review after arguing he had been denied a clear and full explanation of the composition of Ravec and others involved in its decision making. A date for the hearing has not yet been set.

The judge reserved judgement.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson - Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters

Ever since Rishi Sunak announced his new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, the DUP have been playing for time.

The Prime Minister increased the pressure on the DUP to get off the fence by scheduling a de facto vote on the Windsor Framework next Wednesday.

But Sir Jeffrey Donaldson cant back the deal  and end the year-long boycott of Stormont over the Irish Sea border  until after local elections on May 18.

Supporting the new Windsor Framework could see the DUP lose seats to the virulently anti-Protocol Traditional Unionist Voice party, and ultimately cost Sir Jeffrey the leadership of his party.

He is struggling to contain divides between his politicians in Northern Ireland, who broadly favour a return to the Assembly, and those in Westminster, who do not.

How can he bridge those two camps without being accused of betrayal by one of the partys several loose cannons?

Rejecting the deal outright is not an option at this stage.

The new Windsor Framework will be implemented in Northern Ireland with or without the DUPs support.

Understandably, Sir Jeffrey has been keen to claim credit for the changes to the Protocol that have been banked.

Rejecting the new deal will sacrifice the slowly dissipating leverage for more concessions exerted by the Stormont boycott.

Far better now, for Sir Jeffrey to be seen as a player battling for a better deal from the big boys in London, Brussels, Dublin and Washington.

Joe Biden will be in Belfast in April to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Maintaining the boycott against the wishes of the most powerful man in the world sends a message of strength to DUP supporters.

But the visit will also expose the DUPs isolation as the only major party in Northern Ireland opposing the new deal  and the restoration of the executive  in a country sick and tired of the deadlock.

Momentum is shifting behind the Windsor Framework and against the DUP, which cant rely on government support since it signed the agreement with the EU.

Story continues

The European Research Group for Tory backbenchers, who claim to be DUP allies, have not revolted against their Prime Minister and look unlikely to do so.

The omens arent good for a party unceremoniously thrown under the bus by the Tories after Boris Johnsons 2019 election triumph made the Protocol possible.

The longer Sir Jeffrey delays his decision, and the longer the DUP pore over the deal, the greater the risk its critics will tear it apart and make it impossible for him to accept.

Sir Jeffrey will remember how his former party, the UUP, was hollowed out after accepting the Good Friday Agreement. He needs to maximise his wins before it is too late.

After weeks of insisting he was neither positive or negative about the agreement and was waiting for legal analysis, he subtly changed his messaging this week.

He said that the new deal was a significant improvement on the Protocol but there were still areas of concern that needed clarification or change.

Sir Jeffrey cant tell Rishi Sunak to get back to the negotiating room during Wednesdays debate if he rejects or accepts the deal.

So he should tell his DUP MPs to abstain, which spares them the choice of rebelling or going down in history supporting an agreement hated by loyalists and hardline unionists.

This is purely symbolic as the vote will pass, with Labour support if necessary, but symbolism matters in Northern Ireland.

Sir Jeffrey stands no chance in getting the Windsor Framework changed but he could get clarification from the UK and EU.

Brussels has a long track record in producing supplementary, non-binding documents to clarify its treaties to secure domestic support for agreements from reluctant partners.

For Sir Jeffrey, such a document might be enough cover to allow him to end the boycott and return to Stormont once the May local elections are over.

Even that will lose the DUP support among loyalists and hardline unionists.

But Sir Jeffrey can gamble that the fear of another term with a Sinn Fein First Minister will see them return in force for the next Assembly elections.
The East St. Louis city clerk has been charged with misdemeanor election interference.

City Clerk Debra Hamilton-Tidwell, 67, is accused of using her official title and signature along with city letterhead during an ad campaign to promote her re-election, according to authorities.

She faces one count of election interference, a Class B misdemeanor, in St. Clair County court.

When reached by phone Friday, Hamilton-Tidwell referred questions to her lawyer, who could not immediately be reached for comment.

Hamilton-Tidwell previously spoke to a columnist for the St. Louis American newspaper this month about an allegation that she used official city clerk letterhead to solicit campaign donations in violation of state law.

The March 4 column stated that Hamilton-Tidwell told the columnist she was unaware of the violation and has ceased using the letterhead in her solicitations.

The Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Special Investigations Unit started investigating an election allegation against Hamilton-Tidwell on Feb. 6, the agency stated Friday in a news release.

The St. Clair County States Attorneys office approved the charge on Wednesday, and Hamilton-Tidwell surrendered herself to the St. Clair County Sheriffs office on Thursday.

She has been released from custody after posting bond. Her first court appearance is scheduled for June 1.

Illinois State Police said Friday the investigation was open and ongoing and no further information would be released.
By Alexandra Valencia

QUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador has secured $150 million in financing to manage its expanded marine reserve around the Galapagos, but remains open to blue bonds to benefit the environmentally sensitive area, Environment Minister Gustavo Manrique said Friday.

The South American country last year expanded the marine reserve by 60,000 square km (23,166 square miles), in addition to the 138,000 square km (53,282 square miles) already in place, to protect endangered migratory species between the Galapagos and the Cocos Island in Costa Rica.

The Ecuadorean government's plan to finance the expansion of the Hermandad reserve included a potential debt-for-nature swap, but the Andean nation has not yet finalized the agreement.

"In Lisbon, Portugal, we signed $150 million in contributions from private and multilateral agencies that must be invested over the next five years for the protection of the Hermandad marine reserve," Manrique said in a telephone interview with Reuters.

"Blue bonds are always an option in these financing mechanisms," he said.

The country's economic policymakers have said the deal would be finalized later this year, but plans could be disrupted by an impeachment effort against President Guillermo Lasso by opposition lawmakers, which could result in his censure or removal from office.

"Blue bonds are not the only tool we have, there are other sources of funding for the control and monitoring of these areas," Manrique said.

Ecuador also recently announced the creation of a marine reserve eight nautical miles along its mainland coastline to protect species like the humpback whale, manta rays, sharks and four of the world's seven species of sea turtles.

Permanent financing for the new area, which will cover an area of 1.5 million hectares, is still being defined, but the area will help guarantee the livelihoods of tens of thousands of small-scale fishermen in the South American nation, Manrique said.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Editing by David Gregorio)
By Alexandra Valencia

QUITO (Reuters) -A group of opposition legislators in Ecuador has formally requested to hold impeachment hearings against President Guillermo Lasso on allegations of corruption, which Lasso has vehemently denied.

Lawmakers earlier this month backed a report accusing Lasso of connections to possible crimes against state security and public administration, amid investigations by the attorney general's office into alleged graft at state companies.

Legislators also voted to declassify files related to corruption investigations in search of evidence to shore up the impeachment attempt, but neither Lasso nor any of his family members appeared in the documents.

The formal request, presented by a lawmaker from the party of former President Rafael Correa, had 59 signatures of support.

"In this accusation it will be demonstrated how President Guillermo Lasso Mendoza participated in a structure of corruption to obtain benefits for himself and others," the request said.

In a statement, the government rejected the effort.

"This request completely lacks the political and legal elements which would support a process against the President," the government said, adding the effort was a "destabilization" attempt by the assembly.

Proponents need approval from the constitutional court for an impeachment trial to take place.

Ninety-two lawmakers from the 137-member body would need to approve Lasso's censure or removal from office if the process comes to a final vote.

"The president is politically responsible for crimes of extortion and embezzlement. This assembly will establish political responsibility and the justice system must establish criminal responsibility," said Viviana Veloz, who presented the request.

Veloz said there was "abundant" evidence for the impeachment request, adding that facts point to embezzlement occurring at state companies like Petroecuador. She said she was confident the request would get the needed 92 votes.

Lasso supporters have scoffed at what they say are desperate attempts by the opposition to tie Lasso, a conservative who has an antagonistic relationship with the national assembly, to a "soap opera."

(Reporting by Alexandra ValenciaWriting by Julia Symmes CobbEditing by Leslie Adler)
This article was collaboratively written by Claire Shriver + Buzzy, our creative AI assistant.

If you're anything like me, you've got a serious case of wanderlust, and you're always on the lookout for the next big adventure. Well, let me tell you about the most underrated travel destination I've ever been to: Ecuador. This small South American country is an absolute gem, and I'm here to tell you why.

Mike Matthews Photography / Getty Images

The cuisine is straight-up incredible.

Oh, the food. From mouthwatering ceviche to hearty locro de papa soup, Ecuadorian cuisine is nothing short of amazing. I'm not exaggerating when I say I gained at least 10 pounds during my trip, and it was worth every single delicious bite. Alessandra Taryn Bea / Getty Images

And the landscapes are diverse and extraordinary.

You want beaches? Ecuador's got 'em. You want mountains? They've got those too. What about the Amazon rainforest? Yep, Ecuador has a piece of that as well. Seriously, there's something for every type of nature-lover in this incredible country. Mark Fox / Getty Images

It may be a small country, but big adventures await you.

Because Ecuador is relatively small (about the size of Colorado), you can see and experience a lot in a short amount of time. During my trip, I went from hiking in the Andes to relaxing on the beach in just a few days. Talk about a diverse vacation! Guenterguni / Getty Images

Finally, the people are so friendly and welcoming.

Last, but certainly not least, the people of Ecuador are some of the kindest and most welcoming I've ever encountered. Whether you're in a big city or a small village, you'll feel right at home in this beautiful country. Catherine Nicole Will / Getty Images/EyeEm

The one downside to traveling in Ecuador: the roads are windy as heck.

If you're prone to car sickness or get easily queasy on buses, this might not be the trip for you. However, let me tell you, it's worth it to venture into the cloud forest, where you'll see some of the most beautiful and surreal landscapes you've ever encountered. Kevin Schafer / Getty Images

Thinking of booking your trip? There's seriously no bad time to go.

So, when should you go? Anytime! Ecuador's diverse climate means there's always something amazing happening, no matter the time of year. Just be prepared for a little altitude adjustment if you're planning on visiting the Andes! As for getting there, flights into Quito or Guayaquil are your best bet. From there, it's easy to travel throughout the country by bus or car (just remember those windy roads). John Coletti / Getty Images
British Vogues editor-in-chief Edward Enninful has said that watching the past months fashion shows has been like stepping into a time machine, due to the lack of different-sized models on the runway.

Enninful, who is also the European editorial director of Conde Nast, shared the April 2023 cover of British Vogue on his Instagram and hailed cover models Paloma Elsesser, Precious Lee and Jilla Kortleve as the fashion industrys brightest stars.

He spoke of his pride in having the three models, who are all deemed plus-size, but took the opportunity to reflect on how Fashion Month transpired this year.

Like many editors, I recently returned from Fashion Month, but honestly I thought I had gotten into a time machine, Enninful wrote.

Show after show dominated by one body type, so many limited versions of womanhood, it felt like we were slipping back.

He also referred to the recent awards season, which saw numerous stars step out onto the red carpet. Many stars displayed drastic weight loss, which is often unofficially credited to Ozempic, a diabetes drug that has become popular among the Hollywood elite as a weight loss solution.

From runways in Milan and New York, to the red carpets of the recent awards season, we all saw it happen: one prescribed notion of beauty prevailed again, and it felt like the reality of so many women around the world were being ignored, Enninful continued.

But how can you ignore perfection like these three [Elsesse, Lee and Kortleve]? This cover wasnt conceived to be a statement. It is simply Vogue: the most charismatic models of the moment, in important fashion, embodying the mood of now.

Like the supermodels who came before them, Jill, Precious and Paloma are what fashion means today. From their spirit to their beauty, they are the ones setting the real tone of the times.

Enninfuls observations come after brands faced criticism for appearing to dial back on body inclusivity on the runway, with thin models dominating the catwalks.

Story continues

In its Autumn/Winter 2023 size inclusivity report, released earlier this week, Vogue Business analysed all shows and presentations to determine the representation on display and noted that theres a long way to go.

The report found that, of more than 9,100 looks from 219 shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris, only 0.6 per cent were plus-size (larger than US14/UK16) and 3.8 per cent were mid-size (US6-12/UK8-14).

This meant the vast majority (95.6 per cent) of looks presented this Fashion Month were in a size US0-4/UK4-6.

Only 17 brands featured at least one plus-sized look in their AW23 collections. The brands with the highest percentage of plus-size models were Sinead ODwyer, Ester Manas, Karoline Vitto, Di Petsa and Bach Mai, while brands that had zero percentage of plus-sized looks included Christian Dior, Ottolinger, CFCL, Vivienne Westwood, Chloe and Coperni.
WASHINGTON  Hunter Biden filed a claim Friday in federal court over a laptop filled with his personal information that was widely distributed, alleging that a computer repairman violated his privacy, took part in a conspiracy and helped others invade his privacy.

The filing from President Joe Biden's son came in response to a $1.5 million lawsuit for alleged defamation that the repairman, John Paul Mac Isaac, filed in Delaware Superior Court against Biden, CNN, Politico and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. The case has been moved to U.S. District Court in Delaware.

The filing marks a significant escalation in Hunter Biden's response to revelations from the laptop, which sparked congressional investigations. Bidens lawyers have already called for the Justice Department to investigate how personal information from the laptop was released and published.

Biden's filing called Mac Isaacs conduct "an egregious violation of Mr. Bidens right to privacy."

Mac Isaac's lawyer, Ronald Poliquin, said he was reviewing Biden's claims and would "respond appropriately in court."

Here's what we know about the laptop so far:

Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, is seen during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 18, 2022.

What happened with Hunter Biden's laptop?

Mac Isaac has said Biden dropped off his laptop at his Mac Shop for repairs on April 12, 2019, and an external hard drive the next day, but never returned to pay the $85 fee or pick up the equipment.

After 90 days, Mac Isaac argued Biden abandoned the laptop and he owned it. During the rest of 2019, Mac Isaac acknowledged examining the files and turning the contents over to the FBI and others, including former President Donald Trumps personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who publicized its contents before the 2020 election.

The files included pictures of Hunter Biden using drugs, without clothes and in intimate relations with other adults.

Rep. James Comer, R-KY., is seen during the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing on Protecting Speech from Government Interference and Social Media Bias, Part 1: Twitters Role in Suppressing the Biden Laptop Story," on Feb. 8, 2023 in Washington.

What is Hunter Biden alleging?

Hunter Biden argued in his claim Friday that under Delaware law he had a year to claim the laptop, rather than 90 days. He also noted Mac Isaac said in media interviews and a book that he began examining files on the laptop long before 90 days had expired.

Story continues

Hunter Biden said he never granted Mac Isaac permission to access, review, copy or disseminate data stored on the laptop.

Mac Isaac knew or should have known that the data he possessed and shared contained private and confidential information and content, including sensitive and private photographs and video of Mr. Biden, and that Mr. Biden had a reasonable expectation of privacy in this data, and that Mac Isaacs conduct would expose Mr. Bidens personal life in an egregious violation of Mr. Bidens right to privacy, the filing said.

Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, boards Air Force One with the president on Feb. 4, 2023, in Syracuse, N.Y.

House GOP has focused investigations on laptop

The House Oversight and Accountability Committee has focused its investigations of President Biden and his family on information from the laptop.

The panel held a hearing last month about Twitter's decision to temporarily suppress news stories about the laptop. This week the chairman, Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., released data about payments to Hunter Biden and his business associates that are mentioned in emails from the laptop.

But the latest federal court filing reflects how Hunter Biden's lawyers have begun to fight back.

Abbe Lowell, one of Biden's lawyers, notified U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika he would like to depose Mac Isaac "as soon as feasible." Lowell also plans to depose Giuliani and others who distributed the laptop's contents.

Last month, Hunter Bidens lawyers sent letters asking the Justice Department and Delawares attorney general to investigate who accessed, copied and disseminated information from the laptop.

Lowell said the actions taken with the laptop more than merit a full investigation and, depending on the resulting facts, may merit prosecution under various statutes.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hunter Biden laptop: Lawsuit alleges computer repairman invaded privacy
Typhoon Faxai.

Typhoon Faxai was a Category 5, super typhoon which lasted between December 13 - 25 the 2001. Credit - Universal History Archive

After three years of La Nina, the pattern is forecast to weaken in the coming months, and the start of an El Nino is possible in summer or fall 2023, according to seasonal forecasters. Such a transition would likely have multifarious impacts on weather worldwide, as past El Ninos have. But the increasing impact of human-induced climate change places the possibility of an El Nino now into a new contextand raises some new questions.

El Nino and La Nina are the opposite phases of the so-called El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon, in which the normally cool waters of the equatorial eastern Pacific ocean warm up (El Nino) or cool down even more than usual (La Nina). But these events have global ramifications: a typical El Nino causes drought in Indonesia, Australia, southern Africa, and India; rainy winters in southern California and dry ones in the Pacific Northwest; quiet hurricane seasons in the Atlantic but intense ones in the Pacific; and other consequences around the world.

In short, ENSO is like a natural form of climate change. But ENSO is natural, while global warming is human induced; one goes persistently in one direction, the other goes back and forth every few years. That said, ENSO and global warming are connected in a few key ways.

ENSO noticeably affects the Earths global average surface temperature. A major El Nino event can raise it by as much as a few tenths of a degree Celsius (or around half a degree Fahrenheit). Since our average temperature has already increased by 1.2 C since pre-industrial times, a sufficiently major El Nino event could even push the planet, temporarily, past 1.5 C warming. International negotiations have aimed, with increasing desperation, at reducing greenhouse gas emissions fast enough to keep us below that threshold, and the IPCC special report in 2018 described the consequences of crossing it. Would it then be too latecould ENSO make 1.5C warming a done deal?

Story continues

In the most important and meaningful senses, no. When we talk about global warming, we are talking about changes in long-term averages, not the kinds of year-to-year fluctuations that ENSO causes. Those who deny or downplay climate change like to elide this distinction to confuse. By measuring the change in temperature starting at the year of the last big El Nino event (2015), when it was temporarily above the long-term average, they can then make the totally misleading claim that there has been no warming since that year. So it would be equally disingenuous to interpret a short-term warming due to an El Nino at present as representative of the long-term trend, and claim that we have passed 1.5C warming because of it.

Nonetheless, its telling that we are close enough to the 1.5C warming mark to start thinking this concretely about itand the prospects of cutting emissions fast enough to stay under the 1.5C target are poor, El Nino or not. Global warming has gone from the predicted future concern it was in my youth to a very real and present one.

Accordingly, governments and businesses are recognizing that we have to adapt to the climate change that is already here, and the more that is coming soon. For example, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed a rule that would require public companies to disclose their climate risks. And here, uncertainties related to ENSO may play another role, one that challenges our scientific understanding.

Our climate models predict that, as the planet warms due to increasing greenhouse gases, the tropical Pacific will shift towards a long-term average state more similar to El Nino than in the past. All else equal, that would lead us to expect the kinds of future impacts weve historically associated with El Nino events to occur on a more regular basis: more active Pacific typhoon seasons and less active Atlantic hurricane seasons, for example, or a wetter Los Angeles and drier Seattle.

But over the last 50 years, notwithstanding the substantial greenhouse gas-induce warming weve experienced, the Pacific state has actually gone towards greater incidence of La Nina, the opposite of what the models predict should have happened.

Its possible that the disagreement between models and observations is just a fluke. 50 years is still a short time to assess trends in a system that, like the tropical Pacific, is prone to big, erratic year-to-year fluctuations. But more climate scientists are starting to question whether the models may be fundamentally wrong about the tropical Pacifics response to warming.

If so, it would not invalidate our big-picture understanding of climate change; the planet would still be warming due to human emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, and we would still need to stop burning fossil fuels. But it would mean that our expectations about many specific regional manifestations of climate change may be wrong, at least in the next few decades. Compared to current projections, future Atlantic hurricanes may be more frequent, Pacific ones less so, and drought in the southwest US more persistent, while southeast Asia, northeast Brazil, and southern Africa would trend more towards wet conditions than the dry ones currently projected, to take just a few examples.

To make things even more complicated, our current understanding suggests that while the the models could be wrong now, the reason for that could be transient, so that eventuallymaybe by 2100, maybe latertheyll be right, and the trend towards El Nino-like conditions will materialize. But even if so, this isnt particularly helpful for climate adaptation efforts with time horizons of decades.

Over the next month or two, it will become clearer whether or not we are likely to have an El Nino event in 2023. The direction of longer-term change in the tropical Pacific will take longer to determine. More research can hope to increase our confidence over the next few years, as the scientific community has begun to focus on this problem more seriously than in the past. Because what happens in the Pacific ripples so strongly around the world, the answer is critical to preparations for the coming decades on our warming planet.
Starlink kits are assisting illegal mining efforts in remote parts of Brazil. IBAMA / Associated Press

Starlink kits are being used for illegal mining efforts in Brazil, per the Associated Press.

As the internet system has spread, so have reports of Starlink being used for unintended purposes.

There have been previous reports of the Ukrainian military using Starlink for offensive operations.

When Elon Musk launched Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service, in 2020, he envisioned connecting people and businesses around the world  particularly in remote areas.

In Brazil, Starlink internet terminals have done just that. But, according to an investigation by the Associated Press, some of those terminals are assisting illegal mining efforts in parts of the Amazon, where such activities have contaminated waterways and caused disease and famine to spread.

In the last five weeks, seven Starlink terminals were found and seized at illegal mining sites in Yanomami land, Brazil's largest Indigenous region, the Brazilian environment agency Ibama told the AP.

"This technology is extremely fast and really improves the ability to manage an illegal mine," Hugo Loss, operations coordinator for Brazil's environment agency, told the AP. "You can manage hundreds of mining sites without ever setting foot in one."

Before Starlink's internet service, illegal miners relied on heavy, stationary antennae, but the internet connection was often unreliable, per the AP. When miners moved sites or ran from raids, they would often have to leave the internet equipment behind, the AP reported.

The illegal miners are now using Starlink terminals to plan logistics, payments, and anticipate law enforcement raids, the AP reported.

Brazil first got access to Starlink's high-speed internet in 2022. That year, Musk tweeted his excitement about launching Starlink to connect 19,000 schools in Brazil's rural areas.

Starlink did not respond to a request for comment from Insider, nor did it respond to a series of questions from AP.

As Starlink has expanded, reports have surfaced about its terminals being used for unintended purposes, including in the war in Ukraine.

Story continues

By June of last year, Musk had sent 15,000 Starlink kits to Ukraine, reconnecting parts of the war-torn country where internet service had been lost. In January, Musk tweeted about how Starlink was not allowed to be used for long-range drone strikes in Ukraine's war efforts.

Days later at a Federal Aviation Administration conference in Washington DC, SpaceX's COO Gwynne Shotwell said that the company was working to limit Ukraine's use of Starlink in offensive military operations, after the country had used Starlink "in ways that were unintentional and not part of any agreement."

As Musk's Starlink service becomes more and more widespread, cases of misuse are to be expected.

This past year, the service spread to all seven continents. By the end of 2022, the number of users skyrocketed to more than one million worldwide  up from the 145,000 users at the start of the year.

Read the full the Associated Press report here.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Twitter Blue was rolled out to European Union countries in February and March. Getty Images

Elon Musk's Twitter Blue subscription is a flagship project to make the company profitable.

But the advertised subscription prices in the European Union don't factor in taxes.

An EU consumer protection watchdog told Insider this breached pricing rules in the bloc.

Elon Musk's Twitter Blue subscription is breaking European Union rules about unfair business practices, a consumer watchdog in the bloc told Insider.

Specifically, the advertised subscription prices don't factor in taxes, which violates consumer-protection laws in the 27-country union, a spokesperson for the watchdog said.

Twitter Blue is one of Musk's flagship projects designed to make the social-media company profitable. It was rolled out to EU countries in February and March.

In EU countries that use the euro currency, Twitter Blue has an advertised monthly price of 8 euros, or about $8.50, for the web app  a little more than the $8 price in the US. The advertised annual price for most EU users is 84 euros, or about $88.50, versus $84 in the US.

However, the EU prices don't include value-added tax, a kind of sales tax which is different across Europe; for instance, it's 17% in Luxembourg and 25% in Sweden. While in the US sales tax is added to the advertised price at checkout, the EU requires companies to advertise the total price including the VAT.

That means Twitter users in Europe wouldn't know the subscription could actually cost an extra $20 a year until the Stripe checkout page automatically adds the tax after a second or two.

Insider tested the Twitter Blue subscription process in the UK and, through a VPN, in Belgium and Germany. At checkout, 20% VAT was added in each instance. VAT in the UK is 20%, in Belgium it's 21%, and in Germany it's 19%.



The website in Germany initially showed 84 euros for an annual subscription, but that rose by 20%, or 16.80 euros, to 100.80 euros, at checkout. The final price wasn't shown anywhere prior to checkout.

While tax is added at checkout in the US, the value-added tax must be advertised in the price in Europe. Twitter

Subscriptions to digital services like Spotify, Netflix, and YouTube include the VAT in their advertised prices in Europe.

Story continues

A spokesperson for the European Consumer Centre in Ireland  part of a network of offices that are designed to protect consumers and that are co-funded by the European Commission  said they reached out to legal staff in ECCs across the EU, and got responses from Belgium, Germany, Croatia, Ireland, and Malta, after being contacted by Insider.

"I can confirm that the pricing display and associated promotions are in breach of Articles 6 and 7 of the 'unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices' directive," they said.

The legislative provisions in question, which refer to misleading actions and misleading omissions, say that "a commercial practice shall be regarded as misleading if it contains false information and is therefore untruthful or in any way, including overall presentation, deceives or is likely to deceive the average consumer, even if the information is factually correct."

The legislation says this includes "the price or the manner in which the price is calculated."

The ECC Ireland spokesperson said: "When advertising the pricing, Twitter should state the final VAT-inclusive price."

The ECC network functions to give advice to consumers across borders and does not have enforcement powers, which are held by individual nations' competition and pricing regulators.

In the UK, where Twitter Blue has been available since November, local laws require 20% VAT to be included in advertised prices.

People familiar with the workings of the UK's competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority, told Insider that companies not including the VAT in their advertised prices could be in breach of UK consumer-protection regulations.

When contacted about Twitter Blue, the authority said it doesn't comment on individual businesses.

Twitter didn't respond to requests for comment from Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. states cannot block shipments of hazardous waste from a Feb. 3 Ohio train derailment to licensed disposal sites, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Friday.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan's warning came after Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said earlier this week he had blocked a shipment of hazardous waste from the derailment to a facility in his state.

The derailment of the Norfolk Southern operated train in East Palestine, Ohio, has shone a spotlight on railroad safety as residents worry about the health impacts of living near the toxic material.

Regan told reporters he sent letters to all states warning "any attempts to impede interstate shipments of hazardous waste threatens the integrity of the system." He said the Oklahoma site has a permit to receive the waste.

The EPA said there are typically 97,000 shipments of hazardous waste in the U.S. per month and two-thirds may cross state lines.

Regan said he would hold Norfolk Southern accountable and demanded it enforce its contracts to dispose of contaminated materials from the site.

"EPA will take all actions to ensure the safe hazardous waste handing continues across this country," he told reporters. "We expect Norfolk Southern to execute and implements its contracts and hold contractees accountable for receipt of this waste."

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine praised the EPA statement for making clear states must accept shipments.

Both Regan and DeWine said there was nothing unusual about the material from the East Palestine derailment.

"It's kind of crazy because what we're sending from here is no worse than stuff they are taking every other day," DeWine told reporters. "In fact, they are taking a lot worst stuff than we're sending them."

Regan said to date the railroad has excavated nearly half of contaminated soil from the tracks and transported 6.8 million gallons of liquid waste and 5,400 tons of solid waste. Regan estimated it would take another three months to complete the site cleanup.

Story continues

"EPA ordered Norfolk Southern to clean up the mess it made  and no one should impede or prevent this cleanup as we return East Palestine to the beautiful community residents know it to be," he said.

Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw has said the railroad is fully committed to cleaning the site and will testify next week before the Senate Commerce Committee, his second appearance this month before senators.

Norfolk Southern said in a statement it shares "the EPAs urgency to complete the remediation safely and thoroughly.... We will keep working until the job is done."

On Tuesday, the state of Ohio sued Norfolk Southern over the derailment that released over a million gallons of hazardous materials and pollutants.

(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Marguerita Choy, Josie Kao and Lincoln Feast.)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his nations parliament will ratify Finlands application to the Western security alliance NATO in an agreement that for now would leave out fellow Nordic applicant Sweden.

Erdogan announced the news at a press conference in Ankara on Friday with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto after the two leaders met for bilateral talks in the Turkish capital.

When it comes to fulfilling its pledges in the trilateral memorandum of understanding, we have seen that Finland has taken authentic and concrete steps, the Turkish leader said.

Niinisto said the decision for Turkey to approve his nations bid to join NATO was a hopeful sign as Russia wages a war in Europe, but also pushed for the approval of Sweden as well.

Its not complete without Sweden, the Finnish president said. We have so much common interest, being neighbors in the Baltic Sea area.

Erdogans party holds a majority in the Turkish Parliament, and ratification for Finland is expected before presidential elections on May 14.

Turkey will join 28 other nations that have already announced they will ratify Finlands bid to join the security alliance, which requires approval from all 30 members.

Hungary has yet to approve the application for either Finland and Sweden.

Erdogan has expressed deep opposition to ratifying Sweden over concerns that the Nordic nation has supported what he calls terrorist organizations, particularly a Kurdish separatist movement that has been fighting Turkey for decades.

Although we welcome todays decision made by Turkiye to formally ratify Finlands accession protocol, Turkiyes decision to decouple Finlands NATO bid from Sweden is disappointing and unnecessary, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), co-chairs of the bipartisan Senate NATO Observer Group, said in a statement.

We call on Hungary and Turkiye to fulfill their obligations to the transatlantic family and vote on both accession protocols without further delay, the lawmakers added.

Story continues

Sweden and Finland, the latter of which borders Russia, both moved to join NATO last spring, shortly after Moscow invaded Ukraine.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Updated at 11:54 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WORCESTER - It wouldnt take much thought for a shopper walking past Erin Giftstore to realize the kiosk at the middle section of the Worcester Public Market brings a piece of Irish culture to the city.

Since February, flatcaps and newsboy caps, wool mitts, scarves and sweaters with braided knitting and Celtic insignia and shamrocks on jewelry, have added a bit of green to Worcester, a city which Ireland-born-and-raised Jennifer Courville has called home since 1990.

The Irish heritage in the U.S., and especially in Worcester, is so important, said Courville. People have kept it alive for generations and I find that extremely impressive. That means a lot to me, especially as I grow older and I'm far away from where I'm from.

Jennifer Courville, owner of Erin Giftstore at Worcester Public Market, talks with a customer.

Courville  whose maiden name is Lane  imports all the goods at Erin Giftstore from Ireland with few exceptions with the help of her siblings living there.

Her brothers lead a family business with roots in their fathers ambition to sell wool knitwear which started in 1964.

For the Lane family, who operated under the name Erin Knitwear, it was very much a family business in which both parents and children were involved.

The name of the business was inspired from the phonetic spelling of the Irish language pronunciation of Eirinn.

I want people who are of Irish (origins) to feel that they are in an Irish store. If you were to go home to Ireland and walk into my familys store, which is much bigger than mine, you will see the same things. I want it to make Irish people feel at home. Jennifer Courville, owner of Erin Giftstore

In Ireland, the tradition of knitting and crocheting wool sweaters, hats, purses, gloves and other items originate from the Aran Islands, a cluster of islands off the countrys western coast.

Courville said that since a young age, she helped with measuring, tagging, bagging and transporting anything made of locally sourced wool from area knitters to stores.

Jennifer Courville, owner of Erin Giftstore at Worcester Public Market.

In 1979, the Lanes opened their own brick-and-mortar store first called The Irish House and later Erin Giftshop, next to Blarney Castle, a medieval landmark not far from Courvilles home in Cork.

Story continues

Courville was 27 years old when she decided to leave her life in Cork, Ireland as an insurance broker in 1990 to pursue - what she told her mother at the time - a change.

More:'What does it mean to be Irish in this country?' In Worcester, a question amid celebrations as St. Patrick's Day nears

At the time, the plan was to be back home in just six months, but a Worcesterite husband and two children later, Courville is still living in Worcester.

Not long after moving to the United States, Courville started working in the graphic design department at the Worcester Telegram & Gazette until 2006 when she put her career on hold to focus on caring for her two sons with special needs.

There is a lot of work involved when you have special needs children especially with school, said Courville. I sort of worked part time throughout the next few years.

In recent years, with Courville's sons now grown and comfortably independent, the idea of extending the family business to Worcester was not sounding so foreign to Courville.

When the lease at the Worcester Public Market expired for a similar store like Courville's called The Tinkers Cart and the owner decided against renewing, founder and president of the market Allen Fletcher looked for a business to fill the space.

Hearing of the opening, Courville brought up the idea to Fletcher. In an email, he said of Courville, She had done her homework, and we had confidence in her.

Weeks later, she was offered the space, which naturally prompted a call to her siblings.

First, they said Youre mad, laughed Courville. Then they said, Its one thing to have worked in the store all these years, another to begin it from scratch.

But if you want to do it, we will come and we will help.

When Courville visualized the shop in her head, she wanted it to be as authentic as what you'd find in Ireland.

Other than the clothing, other items also include porcelain ornaments with sayings in Irish language writing fonts, perfumes, whisky chocolates and even donkey milk soap - a spicy-scented soap made of actual donkey milk.

Courville says what the shop represents, culturally and visually, is what she often misses from her country of origin since moving to Worcester.

I want people who are of Irish (origins) to feel that they are in an Irish store, said Courville. If you were to go home to Ireland and walk into my familys store, which is much bigger than mine, you will see the same things.

I want it to make Irish people feel at home.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Since February, Jennifer Courville has operated an Irish wool clothing shop at the Worcester Public Market
Key Insights

CapitaLand Investment's estimated fair value is S$3.55 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of S$3.47 suggests CapitaLand Investment is potentially trading close to its fair value

The S$4.24 analyst price target for 9CI is 20% more than our estimate of fair value

Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of CapitaLand Investment Limited (SGX:9CI) as an investment opportunity by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple!

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. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for CapitaLand Investment

The Method

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

Story continues

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (SGD, Millions) S$990.7m -S$507.7m S$1.57b S$1.70b S$1.80b S$1.89b S$1.96b S$2.03b S$2.09b S$2.15b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 7.98% Est @ 6.17% Est @ 4.90% Est @ 4.01% Est @ 3.38% Est @ 2.95% Est @ 2.64% Present Value (SGD, Millions) Discounted @ 10% S$898 -S$417 S$1.2k S$1.1k S$1.1k S$1.0k S$985 S$922 S$860 S$800

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = S$8.5b

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 1.9%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 10%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = S$2.1b (1 + 1.9%)  (10% 1.9%) = S$26b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= S$26b ( 1 + 10%)10= S$9.7b

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is S$18b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of S$3.5, the company appears about fair value at a 2.1% discount to where the stock price trades currently. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent.

dcf

The Assumptions

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 CapitaLand Investment 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 10%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.422. 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 CapitaLand Investment

Strength

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Interest payments on debt are not well covered.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Real Estate market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Singaporean market.

Current share price is below our estimate of fair value.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Revenue is forecast to grow slower than 20% per year.

Next Steps:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it 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. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For CapitaLand Investment, there are three further factors you should further research:

Risks: We feel that you should assess the 4 warning signs for CapitaLand Investment (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) we've flagged before making an investment in the company. Future Earnings: How does 9CI'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 Singaporean 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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Key Insights

The projected fair value for Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad is RM2.37 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of RM2.31 suggests Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad is potentially trading close to its fair value

Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad's peers are currently trading at a premium of 102% on average

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad (KLSE:YSPSAH) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex.

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad

The Calculation

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Seeing as no analyst estimates of free cash flow are available to us, we have extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the company's last reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

Story continues

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM33.3m RM29.0m RM26.7m RM25.5m RM24.9m RM24.8m RM25.0m RM25.5m RM26.0m RM26.7m Growth Rate Estimate Source Est @ -20.06% Est @ -12.97% Est @ -8.01% Est @ -4.53% Est @ -2.10% Est @ -0.40% Est @ 0.79% Est @ 1.62% Est @ 2.21% Est @ 2.62% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 10.0% RM30.3 RM24.0 RM20.1 RM17.4 RM15.5 RM14.0 RM12.9 RM11.9 RM11.1 RM10.3

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM167m

After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 3.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 10.0%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = RM27m (1 + 3.6%)  (10.0% 3.6%) = RM431m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM431m ( 1 + 10.0%)10= RM167m

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is RM334m. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of RM2.3, the company appears about fair value at a 2.4% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

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 Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 10.0%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. 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 Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad

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 Pharmaceuticals market.

Opportunity

Current share price is below our estimate of fair value.

Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine YSPSAH's earnings prospects.

Threat

No apparent threats visible for YSPSAH.

Next Steps:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad, we've compiled three further elements you should look at:

Risks: You should be aware of the 2 warning signs for Y.S.P. Southeast Asia Holding Berhad (1 is a bit concerning!) we've uncovered before considering an investment in the company. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered! Other Environmentally-Friendly Companies: Concerned about the environment and think consumers will buy eco-friendly products more and more? Browse through our interactive list of companies that are thinking about a greener future to discover some stocks you may not have thought of!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
Estonia will provide military aid to Ukraine

Pevkur explained that the Baltic state is joining the EU initiative to purchase artillery shells, but that it is also necessary to continue sending smaller and more targeted aid packages.

Read also: Baltic countries call on Germany to deliver Leopard tanks to Ukraine as soon as possible

Reportedly, Tallinn will provide Kyiv with semi-automatic rifles, sniper rifles, optical sights, binoculars, ammunition, individual and special equipment, patrol boats and thermal imagers.

Medical equipment will also be provided.

The total value of the military aid is EUR 494,300 ($525,000). Donations of equipment do not affect the capabilities of the Defense Forces.

Read also: Israel mulls providing military aid to Ukraine

Estonia has been one of Ukraines most ardent supporters since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The country has already provided military assistance to the Ukrainian army worth almost EUR 400 million ($425 million), or more than 1% of GDP.

Lithuania is also handing over a new military aid package to Ukraine.

According to Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anusauskas, it will include 155-mm ammunition, vehicles, and military rations.

He noted that the total value of military support provided by Lithuania to Ukraine will soon reach EUR 450 million ($478 million).

Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins traveled to Kyiv on March 16 to meet with Zelenskyy.

Read also: Latvian PM argues for Ukraines speedy EU accession and eventual NATO membership

Zelenskyy thanked Latvia for its commitment to Ukraine, which includes support in building mechanisms to hold Russia accountable for its war crimes as well as a total aid package equal to 1% of the countrys total GDP.

On Feb. 26, Pevkur arrived in Ukraine and met with Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. He announced another package of military aid to be transferred to the Special Operations Forces.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas reacts to e-vote results on March 5, 2023. Raigo Pajula/AFP via Getty Images

Estonia, a small country in northern Europe, reached a digital milestone when the country headed to the polls on March 5, 2023.

For the first time, over 50% of voters cast their ballots online in a national parliamentary election.

As a political science researcher who focuses on elections, I was in Estonia to learn about the process of internet voting. In the capacity of an international election observer, I visited standard polling places and also attended the final internet vote count held in the parliament building.

As someone who also regularly volunteers as a poll worker in the United States, I found the contrast between Estonias integrated information systems and internet voting, and the patchwork system operating in the U.S., to be notable. And with several U.S. states withdrawing from the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, that contrast is growing sharper.

I believe Estonia offers America an important example of how information sharing can be used to enhance the integrity of elections.

Estonias e-governance system

Estonia has long been seen as a pioneer in digitizing the democratic process.

Internet voting, which began in Estonia in 2005, is just a small part of the e-governance ecosystem that all Estonians access regularly. Using a government-issued ID card that allows Estonians to identify themselves and securely record digital signatures, they can register a newborn baby, sign up for social benefits, access health records and conduct almost any other business they have with a government agency. This ID card is mandatory for all citizens.

Central to the success of Estonias digitization revolution is a secure data-sharing system known as the X-Road.

Government agencies collect only the personal information they require to provide their services, and if another agency has already gathered a piece of information, then it is accessible through the X-Road. In other words, each piece of personal information is collected only once and then shared securely when it is needed. A persons home address, for example, is collected by the population register and no other government entity. If its needed by election administrators, health care workers, a school or any other agency, those organizations request it from the population register online.

Story continues

So, imagine that you are applying for admission to a university, which requires both your date of birth and your school grades. These are stored by two different agencies. By using your ID card, you can auto-populate the application using data that the system instantaneously pulls in from the two agencies that store that information.

Because of this information sharing, election officials know who is eligible to vote and which online ballot they should receive no matter where they live in the country.

A decentralized approach in U.S.

For many reasons, the U.S. system of election management is very different from Estonias, and online voting is rare.

Developing and maintaining an e-governance system requires technical, political and social forces to align. Because each U.S. state manages its own elections, and decisions can vary at the county level or below, it is difficult to envision a consistent technical solution. It is also more challenging to coordinate a solution across such a large country and safely implement secure online voting given current U.S. internet voting technology.

Additionally, concerns about federal interference in state matters have prompted political and social pushback on recent election reforms. Public consensus on instituting a nationally mandated electronic ID similar to the one that forms the foundation of Estonias internet voting appears unlikely.

Research shows that most Estonians trust their e-governance systems, although there are skeptics. Some critiques focus on perceived security shortcomings.

The internet voting process has also become politicized. In the most recent election, one political party that had discouraged its voters from using online voting  and unsurprisingly trailed its rivals in the online count  challenged the process in court. Its effort to annul internet voting failed. The U.S. witnessed a similar dynamic around absentee ballots in the 2020 elections.

Nearly all U.S. voters vote in person or by absentee or mail-in ballot. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Balancing security, efficiency and access

While the United States decentralized approach has its advantages, it also creates shortcomings in security, efficiency and access.

Secure elections means that only people who have the right to vote are able to cast a ballot and that they arent improperly influenced in the process. Efficient elections means the process is smooth  voters dont have to wait in long lines, and their ballots are counted quickly and accurately. And access emphasizes that people who have the right to vote can register, gather the information they need in order to vote, and successfully cast their ballot.

Sometimes changes to voting practices that enhance one of these values  say, security  may create impediments for another  say, access. Requiring a photo ID to vote, for example, may reduce the small likelihood of voter impersonation, but it also risks preventing a legitimate voter who forgets to bring, or doesnt have, a valid photo ID from exercising their right to vote. Finding an acceptable balance among these values is a challenge for citizens and policymakers alike.

Misinformation derails digital efforts

Several states, including my own state of West Virginia, recently made a decision that I believe undermines all three of these values by making our elections less secure, less efficient and less accessible.

In early March, West Virginia joined Florida, Missouri, Alabama and Louisiana in withdrawing from the Electronic Registration Information Center. ERIC is a multistate, data-sharing effort to make voter rolls more accurate and encourage eligible citizens to vote. The 28 participating states and the District of Columbia provide voter registration and drivers license data to ERIC and receive an analysis that shows who has moved, who has died and who is eligible to vote but has not registered.

These reports help states clean up their voter rolls, identify incidents of fraud and provide unregistered voters with information about how to vote.

In other words, ERIC is designed to enhance security, efficiency and access. However, over the past year, unsubstantiated claims have circulated that ERIC is being used as a partisan tool to undermine election integrity.

ERIC was established, however, as a nonpartisan information provider with bipartisan support. States that exit ERIC may be sacrificing the integrity of their election process based on unfounded conspiracies.

The U.S. can learn a tremendous amount from Estonias e-governance revolution. Estonia faces a hostile security environment with an antagonistic Russia next door. But its integrated systems have helped balance security, efficiency and access in a wide range of government services. With the decision to withdraw from ERIC, some states are in danger of pulling the U.S. in the other direction.

This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent 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: Erik S. Herron, West Virginia University.

Read more:



Erik S. Herron receives funding from the US Department of Defense Minerva Research Initiative.
Ammunition near Ukrainian military positions in Bakhmut

Read also: Ukraine opposes Russias upcoming chairmanship of UN Security Council

The European Council welcomes facilitation in the immediate provision of ammunition to Ukraine, in particular through joint procurement. However, it should be noted that this passage has not yet been finalized and the wording may still be subject to changes until March 23-24, Handelsblatt reported.

Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Finland, and Romania are among the group of countries that insist on a specific promise regarding shells for Ukraine. France supported the initiative, while Germany is still considering.

Research by analysts in Brussels shows that Ukraine now produces 110,000 projectiles per month, while 350,000 are needed for a successful counteroffensive during this period, the publication said.

Read also: Russia attempting to import 20,000 artillery shells from Iran, says Budanov

Representatives from over 50 countries discussed the provision of ammunition to the Ukrainian military, including artillery, tanks, and air defense, at the 10th Ramstein-format meeting on March 15.

The EU is expected to sign off on a joint ammunition procurement plan for Ukraine in the coming week, said Bloomberg.

Read also: Germanys Rheinmetall stands ready to fill Ukraines ammunition needs, pending additional EU spending

Ukraine has appealed to the EU to send Kyiv 250,000 artillery shells a month to ease a critical shortage, reported The Financial Times.

Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov stated that Ukraine requires one million shells in total.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Several European Union countries are expected to sign a "Project Arrangement" on the joint procurement of 155 mm artillery shells for Ukraine on Monday.

Source: a senior EU official said this to the Reuters agency on Friday, European Pravda writes.

The official could not confirm how many countries would sign but said they were "quite confident of seeing many signatures on Monday", and other countries could join it at any time.

Quote: "(The Project Arrangement) is the basis for the European Defense Agency and its member states to move on, ... the terms of reference that are the legal basis to move on," the official stated.

Reminder: On 8 March in Stockholm, the defence ministers of the EU countries agreed to speed up the supply of artillery shells and purchase more ammunition to help Ukraine, but they are yet to decide how to implement these plans.

As reported, the EU can use the short-term instrument of joint procurement of weapons with a budget of 500 million euros to speed up the industrial production of 155mm ammunition needed by Ukraine.

So far, EU countries have provided Ukraine with 350,000 155mm artillery shells, which Kyiv needs more of to maintain its defence line and start the expected spring counteroffensive.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Eva Longoria says she has some advice for politicians: Dont park a taco truck outside her door ahead of every election and expect to get her vote.

I am an activist and an advocate for many things and many causes, but I dont speak for Latinos. And I think thats what politicians get wrong, is they want to speak for people, Longoria said in a preview clip released Friday from an upcoming episode of Whos Talking to Chris Wallace?

The interview with the former Desperate Housewives actor airs Friday morning on HBO Max and Sunday on CNN.

What I try to encourage politicians to do is not knock on our door every four years with a taco truck and try to get our vote, Longoria, who served as a national co-chairwoman on former President Obamas 2012 reelection campaign, told Wallace.

Dont say our vote matters when our lives dont matter, said the performer and host of CNNs Searching for Mexico program.

You have to engage in these communities every day, not every four years, Longoria said.

While Longoria hosted the first night of 2020s virtual Democratic National Convention and delivered remarks at the same event for Democrats in 2012 and 2016, she said she has no interest in making the leap from Hollywood to Washington as a political candidate.

Asked if shed ever consider running for office, Longoria replied, No, and especially in this moment of politics. Its so divisive, and I dont see how theres faith in politicians in this moment.

I can see where voter apathy comes in, Longoria, 48, said. And for me, I really strongly believe the most powerful part of democracy is the citizen. We have way more power as a citizen than as a politician.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux issued a new evacuation warning Thursday afternoon.

Boudreaux said the warning is for residents and businesses  including all roads, avenues and access roads  within the communities of Alpaugh and Allensworth.

The evacuation warning area would consist of Avenue 88, south on Highway 43, to Avenue 16, west on Avenue 16 to the east side of the Tulare/Kings County Line at Road 16, north to the Homeland Canal, northeast to along the Homeland Canal to Highway 43.

The sheriff said residents should evacuate to Delano by taking southbound Highway 43 to Cecil Avenue.

Northbound Highway 43 is closed because of flooding.

Boudreaux urged people to stay clear of waterways due to increased flows.

Late Wednesday, the sheriffs office visited homes Wednesday along the Tule River in Porterville due to an evacuation order.

The order was announced just before midnight due to water levels rising in Success Lake to the point it was running over the spillway at Schafer Dam.

Officials say they are also monitoring Lake Kaweah and Terminus Dam as the region has been pelted with rainfall in recent weeks.
A raccoon dog foraging in a forest

A raccoon dog foraging in a forest. Credit - Philippe ClementArterra/Universal Images Group /Getty

In another twist to the ongoing search for where COVID-19 originated, an international group of researchers stumbled upon new genetic material that had been posted on a public scientific databaseand then abruptly deleted.

As first reported in the Atlantic, in early March, Florence Debarre, an evolutionary biologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research, was searching the public database GISAID, where scientists upload genetic sequences of pathogens they study. On the site, she found sequences from samples collected in Jan. 2020 from the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China, shortly after the market was closed because of concerns that the COVID-19 virus might have originated in animals sold there.

Debarre, along with researchers from the U.S. and Australia, studied the genetic sequences further and found that one could be traced to a cart from a stall that one of the scientists from the team remembered from a visit to the market back in 2014, according to the New York Times. At that time, raccoon dogs were kept on a cart in which their cages were placed on top of cages housing birds, a setup that infectious disease experts know can promote the spread of viruses from species to species. The sample taken from the cart in 2020 also contained SARS-CoV-2.

In Feb. 2022, Chinese officials had issued summarizing results of swabs taken in 2020 from air, surfaces, and animals at the market, although all of the genetic sequences from those samples were not uploaded to GISAID. That report found no virus among the 18 animal species sampled, although the virus was prevalent in the environmental samples, such as the air and on surfaces, which suggested that people were harboring the virus and potentially spreading it at the market.

The scientific and political communities have long been divided over whether SARS-CoV-2 came from animals and spread to humans, or whether the virus was createdeither intentionally or accidentallyby researchers at the nearby Wuhan Institute of Virology and then spread to animals and people around the globe. In the most recent intelligence report on the subject, the U.S. Department of Energy leaned toward the lab-leak hypothesis, but classified its conclusion as low confidence. Four other U.S. government groups and the U.S. National Intelligence Council determined the virus likely came from animals and jumped to people, but their assessments were also of either low or moderate confidence, leaving open the question of how COVID-19 began.

Story continues

The new samples Debarre found may help to provide some answers. But shortly after she and other scientists reached out to the Chinese team who had written the original report, the genetic sequences disappeared from GISAID.

During a Mar. 17 press conference, Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organizations COVID-19 technical lead, called upon China to make the deleted data available to scientists. The big issue right now is that this data exists and that it is not readily available to the international community, she said. In its first investigation, the World Health Organization suggested that the virus likely spread from bats to people, although the organization earlier this year scaled back the next stage of its planned analysis, citing challenges in obtaining access to data from Chinese health authorities. We need to look at all of the data that are needed to assess each one of these [hypotheses] so that we can say this may have happened, this may not have happened.

While the latest genetic evidence found animal and viral genes in the same location, it still does not point to an infected animalor an animals genetic sequence that shows evidence of infection with the virus. But the fact that raccoon dog DNA and genetic material from the virus existed in such close proximity means that its possible that SARS-CoV-2 infected raccoon dogs and then jumped to humans who frequented the market.

The sequence Debarre found suggests that there are more data from those initial tests at the market that Chinese authorities have not fully revealed or analyzed. That incompleteness leaves the mystery of where COVID-19 originated unsolved.
A former editor of a top orthodox Jewish newspaper has been arrested in connection with the Jan 6 insurrection.

An affidavit by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said Elliot Resnick, 39, was chief editor of The Jewish Press when he joined the crowd of Donald Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol on 6 January 2021, reported the Associated Press.

He was arrested on Thursday on charges including civil disorder and assault of or interference with law enforcement for allegedly interfering with police officers who were trying to protect the Capitol building.

Before the riot, Resnick posted social media messages echoing the former presidents claim that the 2020 presidential elections won by Joe Biden were stolen from him.

In April 2021, Politico reported that video showed Resnick inside the Capitol on the day of the riots.

The report added that Resnick later wrote an article defending the Capitol riot without acknowledging his presence in the building that day.

In a statement to the outlet, The Jewish Press editorial board confirmed Resnick was in the Capitol on 6 January and had been covering the rally and the rest of the days terrible events for the newspaper.

However, an FBI agents account of Resnicks actions portray him as an active participant in the riot.

Video showed Resnick repeatedly gesturing for others to come up stairs toward the Capitol after rioters broke through a line of police officers, said the FBI affidavit.

Resnick had been a reporter and editor at The Jewish Press since 2006. He left the newspaper in May 2021, before the FBI said it began investigating him.

The newspaper has not yet issued a comment on Resnicks arrest.

At least 1,000 people have been arrested in connection with the Capitol Hill riots, including more than 320 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, according to the Justice Department.

Additional reporting by agencies
Chasten Buttigieg on The View

Chasten Buttigieg is fed up with the homophobia recently directed at his husband and family, and while the author appeared on two popular television shows this week to discuss his upcoming new book I Have Something to Tell YouFor Young Adults (an adaptation of his best-selling memoir), he did address recent attacks by former Vice President Mike Pence.

Buttigieg criticized Pences recent remarks at the Gridiron Dinner, claiming Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg had taken maternity leave when his twins were born.

Pete is the only person in human history to have a child, and everybody else gets postpartum depression, Pence added.

His remarks were widely criticized online and by the White House, which asked for an apology that never came.

The comment, Chasten Buttigieg said, flies in the face of Pences supposed strong family values.

I think its not woke to say that something is homophobic or misogynistic, Buttigieg said. It doesnt make you a snowflake to tell someone that theyve made a mistake.

He explained that he would always defend his family and that Pences discourteous and offensive remark was particularly painful given the experience the Buttigiegs have endured as their prematurely born twins struggled with some health challenges.

Gus, the couples son, required intubation and intensive care admission two months after he was born, and the couple had to divide their time caring for one child while the other was critically ill, he explained.

I would watch Pete have to peel Guss fingers back and duck into the little bathroom in his room so he could do a Zoom with a virtual background so nobody would see that hes in the hospital, Chasten said.

He explained that he has spoken up about the insulting commentary because we all have an obligation to hold people accountable for when they say something wrong, especially when its misogynistic; especially when its homophobic.

He added, I just dont take that when its directed at my family, and I dont think anybody else would, especially when you bring a very small, medically fragile child into it.

Story continues

Pence defended his comments Thursday night after speaking at a Republican Party dinner in New Hampshire, according to the Associated Press.

The Gridiron Dinner is a roast. I had a lot of jokes directed to me, and I directed a lot of jokes to Republicans and Democrats, he said. The only thing I can figure is Pete Buttigieg not only cant do his job, but he cant take a joke.

Pence isnt the only Trump administration official to direct vitriol at the gay cabinet secretary and his family.

Jenna Ellis, the disgraced former Colorado prosecutor who served as legal advisor to former President Donald Trump's presidential campaign, authored an extremely offensive tweet.

A user wrote, I am extremely saddened by the hateful and homophobic comments made by Mike Pence. This is Pete Buttigieg and his family, [reply with a blue heart] if you support them, along with a photo of Pete, Chasten, and a toddler.

This isnt a family. Its two sexual perverts and a child that deserves an actual family: a mom and a dad. Childrens rights matter. Kids are not commodities, Ellis tweeted to her nearly more than 950,000 followers.

Jenna Ellis tweet

Ellis was forced to admit that she made repeated false statements about the 2020 election, and Colorado legal officials recently censured her for that unethical conduct.

Democratic strategist Kurt Bardella noted Elliss tweet and put a finer point on the bigotry, wondering whether the Christian lawyer and the Christian former vice president share the sentiment.

Wonder if @Mike_Pence shares the same sentiments as his former advisor, he wrote.

None  (@)

Though not directly speaking about Elliss tweet but rather about GOP anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment more broadly, Chasten discussed the Republican fad of attacking queer and transgender Americans during an appearance on The Daily Show with guest host out actor Kal Penn Thursday evening.

Its a sad trend of people on the other side using homophobia and misogyny to try to make a point, Chasten said.

Watch Chasten Buttigieg with the ladies of The View below.


While former President Jimmy Carter, 98, is in hospice care at his home, many people are reminiscing about the impact he had on the nation, the world and their own lives.

One of those people is Dickey Betts, an iconic rock star who believes Carter was a rock star in his own right.

Betts, a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band, served as lead guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the group  and may be best known for writing and singing the hit song Ramblin Man.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, who at the age of 78 lives in Florida and is retired from music, remembers getting to know Carter when he was the governor of Georgia.

He really liked the Allman Brothers Band. We kind of, to him, represent musically the state of Georgia. He come to the studio one night and we were all excited about him coming by to hear our new record we were working on, and he came by and really enjoyed himself, Betts told Yahoo News exclusively in a phone interview.

Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter visits Capricorn Records, circa 1974. Left to right, Carter, Capricorn co-founder Phil Walden, producer-engineer Johnny Sandlin and Dickey Betts. (Herb Kossover/Getty Images)

Carter returned later and said hed spoken to their manager about the possibility of having the band perform for his campaign  for president.

Well, that tickled the hell out of us, Betts said. We said, Wow, you know, a Georgia boy elected president, we liked that idea. We experienced him as the governor, so we knew what kind of guy he was. He put some sunshine back into Georgias reputation, we became a good place to go. We said, 'Yeah, well do some shows.'

Betts believed Carter was a great person to represent Georgia, a state that had long contended with a reputation for racism and negative stereotypes. Carter won the bid for the 1976 Democratic nomination before going on to win the general election on Nov. 2 of that year.

Presidential candidates have often had well-known music for their rallies, and in some cases have had celebrity musicians backing them with concerts and, more recently, social media posts. But Carter, originally a peanut farmer from Plains, Ga., took his affinity for music to the next level by aligning himself with artists he respected.

Story continues

Carter, sporting an Allman Brothers Band T-shirt, talks with the press on Jekyll Island, Ga., shortly after the 1976 Democratic convention. (Wally McNamee/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)

A documentary by Mary Wharton, Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President, highlights how his famous friends like Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Jimmy Buffett helped him get elected. In the film, he singles out one group in particular.

The Allman Brothers helped put me in the White House by raising money when I didnt have any, Carter says.

The bands impact was a direct one: They gave him a big boost with a benefit concert, showcased in the film, that they performed on Nov. 25, 1975, at the Providence Civic Center in Rhode Island. Another scene shows Betts performing a solo country classic during a Capricorn Records picnic attended by Carter.

Douglas Brinkley, who interviewed Carter and wrote The Unfinished Presidency: Jimmy Carter's Journey Beyond the White House, said their impact on his campaign was bigger than just a benefit concert  they helped him reach new audiences.

Betts performing in New Haven, Conn., in 1975. (in Costello/Redferns)

The Allman Brothers were at the pinnacle of their fame. They were a very hot and kinetic band. Southern rock was in the zeitgeist with Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top and major countrified Southern acts, Brinkley told Yahoo News.

The Allman Brothers Band formed in 1969 in Jacksonville, Fla., and eventually based themselves in Macon, Ga., a small city that has produced some of the most iconic R&B and rock legends.

The founding members were Duane Allman (slide guitar and lead guitar) and his brother Gregg (vocals, keyboards, songwriting), as well as Betts (lead guitar, vocals, songwriting), Berry Oakley (bass), Butch Trucks (drums) and Jaimoe Johanson (drums). Along with classic Southern rock, the group drew heavily on blues, jazz and country.

Jimmy Carter loved Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts because they were neighbors, and they developed a keen fellowship, Brinkley said. Carter was a father in that era with three sons, and they were all Allman Brothers fanatics. No matter who you are and youre a father, you want to show off to your kids, and the fact that Jimmy Carter's hanging out with the Allman Brothers just was downright cool.

Carter with his family on election night 1976 in Atlanta. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The big thing is that President Carter, coming from Sumter County, Ga., when he entered politics, he became close with Phil Walden of Capricorn Records. Walden was one of Carter's earliest backers when he ran for governor and president.

The groups first two albums, "The Allman Brothers Band" and "Idlewild South," didnt hit on a national scale, but their 1971 live release At Fillmore East was a breakthrough.

Their 1973 studio release Brothers and Sisters included Bettss hit single Ramblin' Man and the instrumental Jessica, both of which put the group on the map. Internal turmoil, including substance abuse issues, overtook them soon after, and the group dissolved in 1976.

Carter and Gregg Allman developed a particular kinship, and Carter respected it, Brinkley added. It mattered because Gregg Allman had alcohol problems and drug problems, but so did Jimmy Carter's nephew. So Carter was always very sympathetic to people going through alcohol and drug rehab or never held it against you or looked down on you. ... Gregg Allman became like a friend and adviser to Carter, because President Carter, if he takes you in friendship, its a real deal.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Gregg Allman told the bands archivist, Kirk West, that Jimmy Carter didnt mind being seen with us at all, despite being set up for ridicule by his opponents for hanging out with a bunch of hippie drug users.

Betts at the Peach Music Festival in Scranton, Pa., in 2018. (Jay Blakesberg/MediaPunch)

Carter returned to Macon for Gregg Allmans funeral on June 3, 2017. The former band frontman, who was once married to Cher and had five children, died at the age of 69. This was the last time Carter and Betts saw each other.

I cant say enough good about the man, Betts said. When Gregg passed away, Jimmy Carter came to his funeral. ... That brother showed a lot of character to me. Here he is, almost 90 years old or so, and one of the guys who helped him be president, he never forgot it. He had one bodyguard there that I saw with him. He was a great guy.

As much as Carter appreciated the "Ramblin' Man," Betts valued him as a giving person who maintained his generosity post-presidency.

God, hes done so much more after he was president, you know, with [Habitat for Humanity]. Ive never heard of another president doing much good work after their term was up, but he did.

Carter, accompanied by his wife, Rosalynn, visits Capricorn Records in 1974. (Herb Kossover/Getty Images)

Betts, who wishes the family the best, said its kind of strange talking about someone as if hes died already, but also said you dont have to wait for someone to die to talk about the good theyve done.

Hes one of the people that Im really grateful to have met, and honored to be considered a friend of his. I got a couple of letters he wrote to me hanging on my wall and postcards, Christmas cards. You don't get a Christmas card from the president, thats kind of an unusual thing, you know, he said.

Hes 98 years old. I mean, he had a good life. ... I have fond memories of Jimmy Carter, and thats about all I can say.
By Drazen Jorgic, Jackie Botts and Stephen Eisenhammer

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's army has dramatically revised upward the number of drug lab raids it says it conducted under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, according to government data and leaked military documents reviewed by Reuters.

The documents, found among a trove of millions of emails leaked last year by the Guacamaya hacker group, show the upward revision being due to the army retroactively including hundreds of inactive labs on its seizures list under Lopez Obrador's presidency. Figures for the years of previous administrations were left unchanged.

Mexico's army, in a response to a freedom of information request in February, now says it seized 635 synthetic drug labs during 2019, 2020 and 2021 - the first three years of Lopez Obrador's administration - up from 104 busts it had previously reported for the same period.

The army also said it seized nearly 500 laboratories in 2022, according to a military response to a Reuters request in January, by far the highest annual figure this century.

(Graphic: Drub labs raided by Mexican military, https://www.reuters.com/graphics/MEXICO-DRUGS/klpygqedjpg/chart.png)

The hiked up figures are not credible, say two former senior law enforcement figures in Mexico and the United States, as well as two serving Mexican security sources.

"These numbers are outrageous and not worth the paper they are written on," said Matthew Donahue, former U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Regional Director who was previously based in Mexico and retired from the agency last year, when presented with Reuters' analysis of the data.

In his view, the numbers were aimed at "placating the United States and to make it appear they are doing something, when clearly they are not."

Donahue said his allegations were based on past experience of working in Mexico, though Reuters could not independently verify his claims.

Story continues

The description of the drugs the Mexicans say they seized in the labs also raises questions about the accuracy of the lab data, said two of the security sources. In the data sets reviewed by Reuters, almost all the labs raided are labeled as methamphetamine labs and none are labeled as producing fentanyl, a synthetic opioid driving record American overdose deaths.

The absence of fentanyl lab raids is highly improbable as Mexican crime syndicates had long ago pivoted to mass producing the drug on home soil, according to the two security sources, a trend that accelerated after China classified fentanyl as a controlled substance in 2019.

In response to detailed questions from Reuters about the revised lab counts, the Mexican Defense Ministry (SEDENA) said that it "has no information that answers the request". SEDENA, which oversees the army, also did not respond to additional questions about allegations that it included "inactive" labs on seizure lists and that the figures lacked credibility.

The presidency did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the changes to the data. On Thursday, President Lopez Obrador said in a regular morning press conference: "We are constantly destroying laboratories."

The White House and the DEA declined to comment on Reuters' findings. A State Department spokesperson said the U.S. supports Mexico's efforts to "effectively seize and investigate clandestine drug labs" and is working with Mexican counter-narcotics agencies to "establish protocols" for reporting such seizures.

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, commented on Reuters' findings after the publication of the story by warning the epidemic of overdose deaths requires "close collaboration" with Mexico to address drug trafficking.

"If Mexican leaders are not doing their part, or trying to minimize the issue, that's deeply concerning and we should hold them accountable," Kaine told Reuters in a statement.

FENTANYL OR NOT?

Laboratory busts, often in hard-to-reach mountainous areas, have historically been a key metric for how active Mexican security forces have been in targeting drug trafficking groups.

According to the documents reviewed by Reuters, the revisions to the data occurred a few weeks prior to Lopez Obrador's July 2022 visit to the White House amid intensifying U.S. pressure for Mexico to do more to combat the production and trafficking of fentanyl. Mexico denies fentanyl is produced there.

On Wednesday, in the president's daily press conference, officials again fought back against U.S. claims that fentanyl is produced in Mexico and presented a video that said the current administration had raided 153% more drug labs than the previous one.

Mexico's foreign ministry said on March 13 that its security services had "no record" of fentanyl production in the country, contradicting DEA claims that Mexican cartels dominate the entire global fentanyl supply chain.

Recent fentanyl seizures by U.S. authorities at the southern border with Mexico have broken records year after year. U.S. officials intercepted 14,104 pounds (6,397 kg) of fentanyl in fiscal year 2022, a 33% increase on the previous year, according to the U.S. Customs And Border Protection agency.

Mexico's foreign ministry responded to Reuters questions about the lab raids data by forwarding Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard's Wednesday statements on fentanyl trafficking, in which he said that fentanyl was pressed into pills in Mexico, but the drug itself was not manufactured there.

Ebrard said the drug is imported to Mexico from the United States and unspecified "Asian countries".

Relations between the United States and Mexico have been strained under Lopez Obrador, who has curbed security cooperation and chastised the conduct of DEA agents in Mexico, accusing them of trampling on Mexico's sovereignty.

DEA head Anne Milgram last month told the U.S. Congress the agency was "very concerned about clandestine labs across Mexico", adding that "virtually all" the fentanyl seized in the United States is produced there.

"INACTIVE" LABS

While the army has publicized the higher lab raid figures in recent monthly security reports, it has offered no public explanation for the data changes, and the inclusion of inactive labs has not been previously reported.

In addition to Donahue, the former DEA regional director, three other Mexican and foreign security sources said they doubted the veracity of the lab seizure figures.

The changes to the data were a "mockery," said one of them, Guillermo Valdes, Mexico's civilian spy chief between 2007 and 2011, when Reuters showed him the data. "It is shameful that the army is willing to do that and gamble with its credibility."

Internal military documents found among the millions of leaked army emails released by the Guacamaya hacker group show that in June 2022 the army began including "inactive abandoned" labs in its tally of seizures.

In a draft report of crime-fighting statistics attached to an email dated May 30, the army said 232 labs were raided under Lopez Obrador (including 2019, 2020, 2021 and part of 2022). A week later, in a revised version of the same report sent on June 7, the army had increased that total to 873, explaining that 232 were active laboratories, while the rest were "inactive abandoned" labs.

The four former and serving security officials Reuters spoke to say there is no obvious reason to place inactive labs, which may have been abandoned for years, on its seizures list.

One army dataset, provided in response to a freedom of information request in August 2022, shows 14 lab raids conducted on one day in June 2022 and 12 lab busts two days later - more than the army had managed in the entire year in 2021 under the old counting method.

Mexico's Attorney General's Office (FGR) also tallies lab raids and its figures include seizures made by other security agencies. FGR data has historically been slightly higher than, though broadly in line with, figures provided by the army, which is responsible for the vast majority of raids.

For 2021, FGR recorded 23 lab seizures whereas the army now claims to have done 217 (raised from 21 in previous data).

In 2022, FGR reported 18 lab raids by all security agencies, compared to the army's count of 492 raids.

FGR did not respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Drazen Jorgic, Jackie Botts and Stephen Eisenhammer; Additional reprting by Sarah Kinosian, Dave Graham, Lizbeth Diaz and Alex Alper; editing by Claudia Parsons)
By Stefania Spezzati and Oliver Hirt

LONDON/ZURICH (Reuters) - Credit Suisse AG will hold meetings over the weekend to assess scenarios for the bank as it struggles to regain the market's confidence, people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday.

The meetings will involve teams reporting to Chief Financial Officer Dixit Joshi, the people said. Executives will run through the numbers and formulate scenarios that might reshape Credit Suisse's future, the sources added.

Credit Suisse declined to comment.

On Thursday, the bank said it would seek a $54 billion loan from the Swiss National Bank after its customers pulled more than $100 billion in funds in recent months and its shares plunged 25% on Wednesday.

The emergency lifeline has provided the embattled lender with some relief but its shares resumed their descent on Friday.

With investor confidence still weak, some analysts have said the loan facility has only bought Credit Suisse time to work out what to do next strategically to restore profitability.

Among possible scenarios, analysts, bankers and investors speculate that Credit Suisse could sell or wind down some of its existing businesses with a break-up potentially on the cards.

A more decisive solution could be an outright takeover by a rival.

A string of scandals over many years, top management changes, multi-billion dollar losses and an uninspiring turnaround strategy can be blamed for the troubles that the 167-year-old Swiss lender finds itself in.

The sell-off in Credit Suisse's shares began in 2021, triggered by losses associated with the collapse of investment fund Archegos and Greensill Capital.

In July, new CEO and restructuring expert Ulrich Koerner unveiled a strategic review that failed to win over investors.

An unsubstantiated rumour on an impending failure of the bank in the autumn sent customers fleeing.

Credit Suisse confirmed last month that clients had pulled 110 billion Swiss francs of funds in the fourth quarter while the bank suffered its biggest annual loss of 7.29 billion Swiss francs since the financial crisis. In December, Credit Suisse had tapped investors for 4 billion Swiss francs.

On Wednesday, Saudi National Bank, the bank's top backer, told reporters it could not give more money to the bank as it was constrained by regulatory hurdles, though it was supportive of the bank's turnaround plan.

(Reporting by Stefania Spezzati and Oliver Hirt; Editing by Elisa Martinuzzi, Tom Sims and Elaine Hardcastle)
With nearly 78 stabbings inside the Fulton County Jail, Sheriff Pat Labat sat down with Channel 2s investigative reporter Mark Winne to discuss his plans to decrease violence.

The sheriff told Channel 2 Action News that over 200 shanks and homemade knives were located Wednesday during a massive shakedown inside the jail.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

One of the things with a massive shakedown of this size, we inspect everything and we found weapons inside these phones, Labat said, showing Winne some of the things that were confiscated.

Inmates have found creative ways to create weapons and it continues to happen as inmates take parts of the building and make weapons.

These are parts of the building that have been used to create weaponsother types of weapons besides knives. Hard pipes to assault people with, Labat said as he showed the weapons found during the shakedown.

The sheriff said nearly all the inmate-made weaponry involved items scavenged from the infrastructure of the aging jail and he has made it clear that he wants a new one.

TRENDING STORIES:

Labat told Channel 2 Action News the massive haul came after he brought in help from the outside, including from the Georgia Department of Corrections arranged through Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver.

Sheriffs from Coweta, Henry, and Fayette counties sent people, plus the Atlanta City Detention Center sent people to help Fulton County supplement their own employees from inside and outside the jail.

Our goal is to continue to defeat these efforts of destroying the building and create a safer environment, Labat said.

Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts said the county doesnt need and cant afford to build an entirely new jail right now but can renovate the existing main jail on Rice Street, a jail annex in Union City, and an old jail on Jefferson Street.

Story continues

Pitts said the county could use a recently renovated jail in Alpharetta and acquire the Atlanta City Detention Center for less money. Plus, Pitts said he hopes the countys criminal justice system can eventually function more efficiently resulting in fewer jail inmates.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
By Olzhas Auyezov and Mariya Gordeyeva

ALMATY (Reuters) - Russian companies have flooded their Kazakh partners in recent weeks with new requests to help them circumvent Western sanctions and import badly needed goods, seven sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

After Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year, the West imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia's $2.1 trillion economy, prompting Moscow to seek circuitous routes for importing technology and goods.

With the sale of thousands of items banned by the West, traders established an elaborate network of supply chains through third countries to bypass the restrictions. Many goods enter via Turkey and former Soviet republics, economists say.

The seven sources, who all spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said they had seen a rise in Russian requests to help get everything from bearings and aircraft parts to rare earth metals across Kazakhstan's 7,591-kilometre (4,717-mile) land border with Russia.

Two of the sources linked the increased Russian interest directly with reported Turkish plans to crack down on the transit of sanctioned goods.

"This means the boom is just beginning," said one businessman involved in foreign trade who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

RARE EARTH METALS

Another Kazakh entrepreneur said he had been offered $1 million to help move a truckload of rare earth metals originally from Australia.

"From phones and bearings to airplane parts and rare earth metals," the entrepreneur said, giving examples of requests, all of which he said he had turned down.

The Kazakh government did not reply to a request for comment.

Russians have a very long shopping list which includes industrial equipment, railway bearings, advanced electronics, radio equipment, turbines, airplane parts, raw materials, and even bank card materials, the sources said.

Story continues

Some Russian firms have sought to establish long-term sanction-busting partnerships, the sources said.

Under Russian law, it is an offence to comply with the Western sanctions and sanctions-busting has become a profitable boom industry for some entrepreneurs.

President Vladimir Putin has quipped that Western luxuries are still available in Moscow, though they are more expensive.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken urged Central Asian countries during a visit to the region this month to uphold the sanctions and promised to help them deal with collateral damage.

But a Central Asian official, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Blinken's visit, said governments could do little to stop traders from re-exporting goods to Russia.

"I walk into a European company's office and inquire about certain equipment, they say they cannot sell it because it might end up in Russia," said one Kazakh businessman dealing in industrial equipment.

"As I walk out, I get a call from a Turkish company offering me that same equipment."

Turkey, a NATO ally, said last month it did not export products that could be used in Russia's war effort, after U.S. warnings about exports of chemicals, microchips and other items. Ankara also said it would not allow Western sanctions to be violated in or via Turkey and was taking steps to prevent this.

BOOMING TRADE

Russia remains Kazakhstan's biggest trading partner. Kazakh exports to Russia rose by a quarter to $8.8 billion last year and sales of some items surged. For example, exports of bearings doubled to $111 million, official statistics showed.

Exports of plastic pipes, certain kinds of which Russia has had trouble producing or sourcing, more than tripled last year to $12 million.

At the same time, Kazakhstan sharply increased imports of computers from European countries and Taiwan, although it is unclear how many of them were then re-exported to Russia.

Sometimes no law is even broken, the sources said. Often complex items include sanctioned components but are not explicitly banned themselves. So sharp is the rise in trade that Kazakh customs are overloaded, they added.

Another source said Russian banks were importing equipment and plastics needed to produce bank cards via Kazakhstan.

Still, such business comes with additional costs. Kazakh businessmen reselling goods to Russia are normally eligible for a 12% VAT refund but those who move "suspicious items" do not file for it so as not to expose the whole supply chain, the businessman said.

One source, though, used a Russian proverb to explain why he had decided to get involved in the illicit trade: "For some war is grief and misery but for others it is a way to flourish."

(Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Gareth Jones)
Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

Executives at First Republic Bank and Silicon Valley Bank sold stock right before the banking crisis.

First Republic's chief risk officer sold shares two days before the Silicon Valley Bank implosion.

President Joe Biden called on Congress to allow regulators to claw back bank executives' compensation following the collapse.

Executives at First Republic Bank and Silicon Valley Bank sold stock right before the crash of their respective shares.

Silicon Valley Bank CEO Greg Becker sold $3.5 million worth of stock on February 27, nine days before the bank announced a big loss from selling a portion of its bond portfolio, setting off a domino effect that led to a run on its bank and several others.

According to SEC filings, Becker's timely stock sale was tied to the exercise of options and part of a rule 10b5-1 trading plan that was put into place on January 26, about two months before the bank's downfall. In other words, the transaction was pre-scheduled months in advance, meaning it was likely nothing more than great luck.

Becker sold his stock at $105.18 per share. Today, SVB stock remains halted but is essentially at zero after Silicon Valley Bank was taken over by the FDIC and SVB Financial filed for bankruptcy.

First Republic Bank executives also managed to sell stock right before the crash. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, First Republic's chief credit officer sold shares on March 6, two days before Silicon Valley Bank imploded and dragged down shares of other regional lenders.

Meanwhile, the First Republic CEO James Herbert II has sold $4.5 million worth of shares since the start of the year. All-in, insiders at First Republic Bank sold about $12 million in stock in 2023 at an average price of just below $130 per share. Today, shares of First Republic Bank trade 81% lower at $25.12.

A spokesman for Herbert told the Wall Street Journal that the stock sales were consistent with his annual estate planning.

First Republic is not required to report insider sales to the Securities and Exchange Commission due to an exemption for some banks that goes back to the Securities Act of 1933. Instead, it reported the trades to the FDIC, and self-reported the trades on its website.

Story continues

On Friday, President Joe Biden called on Congress to put new measures in place that would allow regulators to claw back executives' compensation.

"When banks fail due to mismanagement and excessive risk taking, it should be easier for regulators to claw back compensation from executives, to impose civil penalties, and to ban executives from working in the banking industry again," Biden said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Reuters) - Generative artificial intelligence has become a buzzword this year, capturing the public's fancy and sparking a rush among Microsoft and Alphabet to launch products with technology they believe will change the nature of work.

Here is everything you need to know about this technology.

WHAT IS GENERATIVE AI?

Like other forms of artificial intelligence, generative AI learns how to take actions from past data. It creates brand new content - a text, an image, even computer code - based on that training, instead of simply categorizing or identifying data like other AI.

The most famous generative AI application is ChatGPT, a chatbot that Microsoft-backed OpenAI released late last year. The AI powering it is known as a large language model because it takes in a text prompt and from that writes a human-like response.

GPT-4, a newer model that OpenAI announced this week, is "multimodal" because it can perceive not only text but images as well. OpenAI's president demonstrated on Tuesday how it could take a photo of a hand-drawn mock-up for a website he wanted to build, and from that generate a real one.

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

Demonstrations aside, businesses are already putting generative AI to work.

The technology is helpful for creating a first-draft of marketing copy, for instance, though it may require cleanup because it isn't perfect. One example is from CarMax Inc, which has used a version of OpenAI's technology to summarize thousands of customer reviews and help shoppers decide what used car to buy.

Generative AI likewise can take notes during a virtual meeting. It can draft and personalize emails, and it can create slide presentations. Microsoft Corp and Alphabet Inc's Google each demonstrated these features in product announcements this week.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT?

Nothing, although there is concern about the technology's potential abuse.

School systems have fretted about students turning in AI-drafted essays, undermining the hard work required for them to learn. Cybersecurity researchers have also expressed concern that generative AI could allow bad actors, even governments, to produce far more disinformation than before.

Story continues

At the same time, the technology itself is prone to making mistakes. Factual inaccuracies touted confidently by AI, called "hallucinations," and responses that seem erratic like professing love to a user are all reasons why companies have aimed to test the technology before making it widely available.

IS THIS JUST ABOUT GOOGLE AND MICROSOFT?

Those two companies are at the forefront of research and investment in large language models, as well as the biggest to put generative AI into widely used software such as Gmail and Microsoft Word. But they are not alone.

Large companies like Salesforce Inc as well as smaller ones like Adept AI Labs are either creating their own competing AI or packaging technology from others to give users new powers through software.

HOW IS ELON MUSK INVOLVED?

He was one of the co-founders of OpenAI along with Sam Altman. But the billionaire left the startup's board in 2018 to avoid a conflict of interest between OpenAI's work and the AI research being done by Telsa Inc - the electric-vehicle maker he leads.

Musk has expressed concerns about the future of AI and batted for a regulatory authority to ensure development of the technology serves public interest.

"It's quite a dangerous technology. I fear I may have done some things to accelerate it," he said towards the end of Tesla Inc's Investor Day event earlier this month.

"Tesla's doing good things in AI, I don't know, this one stresses me out, not sure what more to say about it."

(This story has been refiled to correct dateline to March 17)

(Reporting By Jeffrey Dastin in Palo Alto, Calif. and Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)
To a country that finds something to celebrate nearly every day of the year, proclaiming Feb. 25, 2023, a National Day of Hate sounds un-American.

And yet, a handful of neo-Nazi groups from across the nation tried it, challenging their furtive social media followers to join in a day of mass anti-Semitic action by hanging banners, spray-painting Swastikas and scattering fliers and stickers with incendiary messages about Jewish people.

Phil Brodsky, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Raleigh, had to take seriously the possibility that one or more neo-fascists might go further. Last year, someone painted Swastikas on an I-540 overpass, and at least three times, hateful leaflets were sprinkled around Raleigh neighborhoods, making Jewish residents feel targeted and mildly unsafe.

Brodsky shared an alert about the proposed day of hate with local police and synagogues, as did other Jewish leaders across the country, so they could step up their regular security measures.

We are asking our Jewish community to be vigilant and situationally aware, he said in an email urging people to call 911 if they saw anything suspicious.

After the day had passed with no major incidents, Brodsky tried to put it into context.

I think were at a unique point in history right now, he said.

Extremist groups are proliferating. Hate crimes, according to updated numbers released by the federal government last week, hit a record high in 2021, increasing more than 33% over the previous year while remaining vastly under-reported.

Beliefs once considered to be the tattered fringe of the far right or left are being welcomed and amplified by celebrities and politicians in speeches and social media posts.

People want scapegoats, Brodsky said. Whatever issues were facing as a country, its the Jews fault.

Or its because of Black people. Or white people. Or Mexicans. Or Islamists. Or Catholics. Or LGBTQ people. Or Democrats. Or Republicans. Or those with mental or physical disabilities. Or any attributes that make them other than whoever is looking for someone to blame.

Story continues

On Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017, white supremacist groups clashed with hundreds of counter-protesters during the Unite The Right rally in Charlottesville, Va. Dozens were injured in skirmishes and many others after a white nationalist plowed his sports car into a throng of protesters. One counter-protester died after being struck by the vehicle. The driver of the car was caught fleeing the scene and the governor of Virginia issued a state of emergency.

Extremists seek social collapse

Prejudice in America is as old as the nation itself. But those who monitor extremists in the U.S. say this time of widespread disquiet  fed by the COVID-19 pandemic, financial strain, residual belief that the 2020 election was stolen and other stressors  may present the best opportunity in decades for violent outliers called accelerationists to try to bring about the social collapse they desire.

If extremists, acting together or as scattered lone wolves, can exploit the moment by sowing anger and distrust while simultaneously disrupting social institutions and services such as power, water or food supplies, they believe America will descend into chaos. When it does, they believe, it will open the door for supremacists to take control and rebuild the nation as a white ethnostate.

The question, experts say, is whether a relatively small number of extremists, some of whom are active in North Carolina, will continue to push their views into the mainstream until words and actions once regarded as radical, anti-democratic and anti-American start to seem normal. Or people believe, as former President Donald Trump asserted in 2017 after a far-right protester drove into a crowd of counter-protesters at a rally in Charlottesville, Va., killing one and injuring 19 others, that there are very fine people on both sides.

Thats the crux of the problem, said Jon Lewis, an investigator with the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center at the University of Nebraska Omaha, a research fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University and a specialist in white-supremacist and anti-government groups.

Jacob Anthony Angeli Chansley, known as the QAnon Shaman, amid the U.S. Capitol riot in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6. Twitter owner Elon Musk expressed support for Chansley, based on disinformation being peddled by Fox News conspiracy theorist Tucker Carlson. (Brent Stirton/Getty Images/TNS)

He said the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol illustrates the reach and the outsized risk posed by extremist groups that, as dots on a map, may not look like much of a threat.

Organized groups such as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers played a central role that day, and some of their members are on trial now for conspiracy, Lewis said.

But without the mob, the 30,000-odd people who were there with them, who were brought there by those conspiracies, who believed the election had been stolen, the day is quite different. There is no breach of the Capitol without those thousands of people.

Hate groups are symptoms of the broader disease, Lewis said  a cell here that claims a dozen members, five or six people there with an unmoderated channel on (messaging app) Telegram. The real threat, Lewis said, is the level to which their messaging is accepted and spread by people who dont claim membership in their groups but have power or influence.

Its Congresspeople, elected officials and individuals who are part of the societal group in New York or D.C. or North Carolina, Lewis said.

The most succinct way to put it is, the call is coming from inside the house.

Hate and anti-government groups in NC

On maps it updates annually, the Southern Poverty Law Center names 28 hate groups and 17 anti-government groups active in North Carolina. The SPLC differentiates between them by the history of their evolution and their ideals for the nations future.

Megan Squire, who studies hate groups for the SPLC, says those typically target others based on immutable characteristics, dehumanizing or demonizing people because theyre Black, for example, or gay or an immigrant or a Muslim. The America they wish for is made up primarily of white people.

Joseph Wiinikka-Lydon, who monitors anti-government groups for the SPLC, says they generally view the federal government and internationalism, including membership in the United Nations, as part of an evil plot to strip Americans of their rights. They want an America that is decentralized, eschews international rules and relies on armed militias. Some anti-government groups want the country to have a strong Christian identity and some would like to see the U.S. as a white nation.

Supporters of President Donald Trump use bats, batons, and other items during a riot as they fight police defending an entrance to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C.

The SPLC notes overlap between the types of groups: an anti-government group may also be anti-Muslim, for instance, and a group that hates immigrants may also believe the government has no right to restrict gun ownership.

Both types, Squire said, are very opportunistic at times, changing what they want or appear to want to fit the times. A lot of them are savvy enough to want to meld a little bit, enough to think about PR and recruitment.

According to the SPLC and others who track it, extremist activity in North Carolina appears comparable to that of many other states, with a possible exception: the state has a huge active-duty military presence and the eighth-highest veteran population in the country. Nearly 642,000 veterans lived here in 2019, according to UNC demographers, and their military training makes them prized recruits for violence-prone extremists.

Proud Boys and demonstrators flash hand gestures that the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as an attempt to troll liberals during a downtown Raleigh rally in support of President Donald Trump Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020.

In October 2021, Dr. Seth G. Jones, counterterrorism specialist and director of Georgetown Universitys Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs that while extremists were increasing their attacks on military, government and police personnel, at the same time, active-duty service members and veterans also were getting involved more frequently on the side of the extremists.

Jones told the committee the data shows that veterans  along with active duty and reservists  have been involved in a growing percentage of domestic terrorist plots and attacks. Some veterans have also been involved in extremist activity on cyber and digital platforms. In addition, extremist networks seek to embed their members in the military and actively recruit current and retired military personnel  including veterans.

Veterans have valuable skills that extremist networks want, such as small unit tactics, communications, logistics, reconnaissance and surveillance.

Neo Nazis, Alt-Right, and White Supremacists take part a the night before the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Questions about Moore County outage

While a power outage was still spreading across Moore County on the night of Dec. 3, plunging more and more people into darkness, some residents were exhausting their phone batteries to speculate on social media about the cause.

A few wondered at first if there had been a malfunction of Duke Energys equipment, perhaps a wintertime overburdening of a system unable to meet demand. But as word spread that the outage was actually the result of a firearms attack on two electrical substations in the county, discussion quickly turned to a drag show that was being staged at the historic Sunrise Theater in downtown Southern Pines at the time the lights went out.

Hours before the show, protesters had been outside the theater demanding the Downtown Divas performance be canceled to protect local children, though no one under 18 was to be allowed in.

Several other shows by the same performers in prior months had faced opposition by some of the same protesters.

Outside a Halloween Drag Brunch at the Hugger Mugger brewery in downtown Sanford, masked members of a Proud Boys chapter had passed out recruitment fliers, carried signs about state-sponsored pedophilia and posed for photos while flashing white-power signs.

The power outage spread to about 45,000 customers, affecting most homes and businesses in the county, some of which didnt have electricity again for five days.

More than three months later, a total of $100,000 in reward money offered for information leading to a prosecution in the case is so far unclaimed. The Moore County Sheriffs Office, which is leading the investigation with support from the FBI and SBI, has made no arrests and announced no suspects except to say that whoever shot up the substations knew exactly what they were doing.

That description does little to limit the suspect pool; electrical substation attacks have become almost commonplace as there are about 55,000 of the sites across the nation, most in rural areas protected by nothing more than a perimeter fence. Anyone who wants to learn what type of gun to use and where to aim it can find an instructional video online with only slightly more work than it takes to get YouTube help on changing the oil in their truck.

Meanwhile, the state Senate approved legislation Tuesday to make attacks on substations and other critical facilities Class C felonies. Senate Bill 58 now heads to the House.

Lewis, the counterterrorism specialist, said that in some ways it doesnt matter whether the substation attacks were intended to distract law enforcement to allow for the commission of some other crime; to test a technique; or to see how police and residents would respond. It doesnt even matter, he said, whether they were carried out by an extremist cell or one guy with poor impulse control and a high-powered weapon.

The effect can be the same, Lewis said: to sow fear, distrust, even paranoia in people by suggesting that civilization hangs by a thread and that government would be impotent against a systemwide takedown, leaving them to fight for themselves and their families to secure scarce resources.

The real threat is neither the groups nor the lone wolves, Lewis said.

Its the power of the conspiracies.

NC hate crimes amendment

Since the attacks of 9/11, the U.S. has developed robust programs to fight the threat of foreign terrorism, which the FBI calls its number one priority. But the agency is more constrained in dealing with homegrown extremists, explaining on its website that it investigates domestic hate groups within guidelines established by the attorney general. Investigations are conducted only when a threat or advocacy of force is made; when the group has the apparent ability to carry out the proclaimed act; and when the act would constitute a potential violation of federal law.

Though Congress did define domestic terrorism in the Patriot Act in October 2001, it didnt designate it as a federal crime. So even if the FBI investigates a group or an individual suspected of violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature, any charges brought would be for the acts themselves, such as murder, assault, theft, property damage or weapons violations.

A woman walks through Oakwood Cemetery as a group of about nine mostly-armed demonstrators gathered to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights in front of the main gateway at the cemetery in Raleigh Friday, May 1, 2020.

Thats in part because lawmakers and civil liberties advocates on both the left and the right know the First Amendment is both a cornerstone of the American experiment in liberal democracy, and the reason that extremist groups are able to gain any traction within it. Congress and the Supreme Court so far have been unwilling to sacrifice the ideal of free speech for the sake of limiting speech that is hateful or might be construed by some as a call to violence.

North Carolina State Sen. Jay J. Chaudhuri, the Democratic whip, met First Amendment resistance in the state legislature when he proposed an amendment to House Bill 40. The law, which has been sent to Gov. Roy Cooper for his signature, increases the penalties for people convicted of rioting or inciting a riot that results in injury or property damage. Chaudhuris amendment would have increased the scope and punishment of hate crimes, improved hate crime reporting and improved law enforcement training around hate crimes.

Chaudhuri is North Carolinas first Indian-American legislator.

From my perspective, Chaudhuri said, hate crimes tear at the very fabric of our community and our democracy. If we allow hate crimes and hate groups to go unchecked, it only results in more division in our communities and in our state.

Reporters Jaymie Baxley and Jonathan Bym of The Pilot in Southern Pines contributed to this report.
The South Carolina Department of National Resources investigated the possibility that Tyler Doyles disappearance may have been connected to a past brush with law enforcement, records show.

The documents released Thursday as part of a Freedom of Information Act request are the first official confirmation that investigators seriously considered whether the disappearance was intentional.

State and local authorities looked into every part of Doyles life to determine what might have happened to him. There were even questions about a past charge of attempted murder.

In 2020, Tyler and his father, Brian Doyle, were charged with attempted murder. The case never went anywhere because the victims never made a court appearance, according to a report by S.C. DNR investigator Kevin Pardue.

The Sun News has been unable to confirm other details about that 2020 arrest or charges.

The report details difficulty finding the information and a mugshot of Tyler Doyle. Floyd said an agent finally called a defense attorney who represented Doyle to confirm there were charges, that the charges were dismissed and expunged, according to a Feb. 9 report.

Tyler Strong: Prayer vigil held in Little River for missing SC boater Tyler Doyle

Water temperatures were 39 degrees with air temperatures at 50 degrees on the afternoon of Jan. 26, when Doyle was out hunting ducks off the Little River jetties.

With all the many super sleuths out there on the internet and the many tips and stories I have listened to, I still at this point do not have any information that would lead me to any other conclusion other than that Tyler Doyle is drowned in a boating accident and has yet to be located, state Department of Natural Resources lead investigator Ronnie Floyd concluded in a Feb. 9 report.

Tyler Doyle photos, name of friend released by SCDNR. Heres what we know.

Floyds narrative was included among a trove of information released to The Sun News through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Tyler Doyles criminal record consisted only of a traffic violation and wildlife charge, according to a supplemental report by S.C. DNR investigator Kevin Pardue.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of responsibility for the war crime of illegal deportation of children from Ukraine.

In its first warrant for Ukraine, the ICC called for Putin's arrest on suspicion of unlawful deportation of children and unlawful transfer of people from the territory of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

Russia, which is not a party to the court, said the move was meaningless. Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations that its forces have committed atrocities during its invasion of its neighbour.

Here are some facts about the ICC.

* The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression when member states are unwilling or unable to do so themselves. It can prosecute crimes committed by nationals of member states or on the territory of member states by other actors. It has 123 member states. The budget for 2023 is about 170 million euros.

* The ICC is conducting 17 investigations, ranging from Ukraine and African states such as Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya to Venezuela in Latin America and Asian nations, such as Myanmar and the Philippines, according to its website.

* The ICC website says there have so far been 31 cases before the court, with some cases having more than one suspect. ICC judges have issued 38 arrest warrants.

* Twenty-one people have been held in the ICC detention centre and have appeared before the court. Fourteen people remain at large. Charges have been dropped against five people due to their deaths. The judges have issued 10 convictions and four acquittals.

* The ICC has convicted five men of war crimes and crimes against humanity, all African militia leaders from Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and Uganda. Terms range from nine to 30 years in prison. The maximum possible term is life imprisonment.

Story continues

* A top fugitive is former Sudanese leader Omar al Bashir, wanted for genocide in Darfur. The first former head of state ever to appear before the ICC, former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo, was acquitted of all charges in 2019 after a three-year trial.

* Although the court is supported by many United Nations members and the European Union, other major powers like the United States, China and Russia are not members, arguing it could be used for politically motivated prosecutions.

* The Ukraine investigation opened on March 2, 2022, and its focus is alleged crimes committed in the context of the situation in Ukraine since Nov. 21, 2013, according to the ICC website. Protests erupted in 2013 against then President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia when he was ousted in 2014.

(Reporting by Angus MacSwan and Edmund Blair; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Swiss central bank ready to bail out Credit Suisse as its shares plummet

Xinhua) 09:03, March 17, 2023

This photo taken on Feb. 13, 2023 shows a building of Credit Suisse, Switzerland's second-largest bank, in Lucerne, Switzerland. As shares of Credit Suisse fell to a record low on Wednesday, the Swiss central bank said it would provide the troubled investment bank with liquidity if required. Since Tuesday, Credit Suisse's shares have fallen continuously, slumping by more than 20 percent on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

GENEVA, March 15 (Xinhua) -- As shares of Credit Suisse fell to a record low on Wednesday, the Swiss central bank said it would provide the troubled investment bank with liquidity if required.

Since Tuesday, Credit Suisse's shares have fallen continuously, slumping by more than 20 percent on Wednesday.

The bank's shares opened at 2.28 Swiss francs (2.46 U.S. dollars) per share on Wednesday morning, before falling to 1.55, and closing at an all-time low of 1.70.

Founded in 1856, Credit Suisse is the second-largest bank in Switzerland, and has an important influence on the global capital market.

Since 2021, the bank has been plagued by negative news such as investment losses. The stock price of Credit Suisse has continued to fall, and its market value has significantly declined.

In early February, Credit Suisse posted a net loss of 7.3 billion Swiss francs for 2022, while in 2021 its net loss was 1.7 billion Swiss francs.

According to the bank's 2022 annual report released on Tuesday, there was "material weakness" in internal controls over financial reporting.

Meanwhile, the Saudi National Bank, a major shareholder of Credit Suisse, said on Wednesday that it would not increase its stake in the bank.

These two events have further battered Credit Suisse's stock prices, and the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in the United States has seen the stock prices of European banks generally plummeting.

Later on Wednesday, the Swiss central bank, Swiss National Bank (SNB) and the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA, issued a statement on market uncertainty.

They said that Credit Suisse's stock exchange value, and the value of its debt securities, have been particularly affected by market reactions in recent days.

However, the two institutions said that the problems of certain banks in the U.S. do not pose a direct risk to Swiss financial markets.

"Credit Suisse meets the capital and liquidity requirements imposed on systemically important banks. If necessary, the SNB will provide CS with liquidity," the statement said. (1 Swiss franc = 1.07 U.S. dollar)

This photo taken on Feb. 13, 2023 shows a building of Credit Suisse, Switzerland's second-largest bank, in Lucerne, Switzerland. As shares of Credit Suisse fell to a record low on Wednesday, the Swiss central bank said it would provide the troubled investment bank with liquidity if required. Since Tuesday, Credit Suisse's shares have fallen continuously, slumping by more than 20 percent on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

This photo taken on Feb. 13, 2023 shows a building of Credit Suisse, Switzerland's second-largest bank, in Lucerne, Switzerland. As shares of Credit Suisse fell to a record low on Wednesday, the Swiss central bank said it would provide the troubled investment bank with liquidity if required.Since Tuesday, Credit Suisse's shares have fallen continuously, slumping by more than 20 percent on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
By Gabriella Borter and Sharon Bernstein

(Reuters) - State legislatures are wrestling with how much to restrict or expand abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year.

Here is a snapshot of pending and passed legislation seeking to restrict or protect access in 2023.

RESTRICTIONS

FLORIDA: Florida's Republican-led Senate passed a six-week abortion ban on April 3, which includes exceptions for rape, incest, human trafficking and the life and health of the mother. It is now being considered by the House, and Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has signaled his support. Meanwhile, a 15-week ban is in effect and is being challenged in court.

KANSAS: Although Kansans voted in favor of state abortion rights on a ballot measure last year, the Republican-led state Senate has passed a prohibition on prescribing abortion pills via telemedicine. The House is considering the measure.

IDAHO: Idaho's Republican-led Senate passed legislation on March 31 that would make it illegal to help a minor cross state lines to get an abortion without the permission of a parent or guardian. Offenders would face two to five years in prison. The Republican-led state is currently enforcing a total abortion ban, with exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother.

MONTANA: The Republican-led state Senate has passed a bill seeking to overturn a 1999 state Supreme Court ruling that found that the state constitution protected a right to abortion. That ruling has prevented lawmakers in the conservative state from restricting abortion further than the current 24-week limit. The bill is being considered by the House.

The House in March passed legislation seeking to ban abortion after 12 weeks, which is now under Senate review, and the House is also considering a bill that would limit abortion access for Medicaid patients.

NEBRASKA: Lawmakers in Nebraska's 50-seat unicameral legislature have introduced a six-week abortion ban. While supporters say they have a slim majority to allow the bill to move forward for consideration, one member has proposed amending it to allow abortions up to 12 weeks. Abortion is currently legal in the state up to 22 weeks.

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NORTH CAROLINA: House Republicans have introduced a bill to ban abortion from conception, except to preserve the life or health of the mother. Abortion is currently legal up to 20 weeks. If it passes the legislature, the bill would likely be vetoed by the Democratic governor and would need Democratic lawmakers' backing to override the veto.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Despite the fact that the state Supreme Court recently struck down a six-week abortion ban in a 3-2 vote, Republicans have introduced a near-total abortion ban and a six-week ban this year. Both bills have passed one chamber and have been transferred to the other for consideration; the Senate has passed the six-week ban, which includes some exceptions, and the House has passed the near-total ban.

TEXAS: While abortion is completely banned with very limited exceptions in Texas, Republican state representatives have introduced legislation that would compel internet providers to block websites that supply abortion pills or provide information on how to obtain an abortion.

UTAH: Republican Governor Spencer Cox in March signed legislation to prohibit the licensing of abortion clinics, which abortion rights advocates say would effectively eliminate access in the state. Abortion is currently banned after 18 weeks in Utah.

WYOMING: The Republican-led state legislature passed a bill in March banning the use or prescription of medication abortion pills, and Republican Governor Mark Gordon signed it into law. It is due to take effect July 1. Abortion is currently legal until viability, about 24 weeks, while a state court is reviewing a challenge to a near-total "trigger" ban, which was prompted to take effect when Roe v. Wade was overturned.

WEST VIRGINIA: Republican state senators have introduced a bill to remove the rape and incest exceptions from the state's near-total abortion ban, which is currently in effect.

PROTECTIONS

CALIFORNIA: A Democratic state senator has introduced a bill to protect doctors who prescribe medication abortion pills to patients in other states.

MICHIGAN: Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Wednesday signed legislation repealing a 1931 bill that criminalized abortion.

ILLINOIS: Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker in January signed a law protecting abortion providers and out-of-state patients from legal attacks waged by other states.

MINNESOTA: Democratic Governor Tim Walz in January signed legislation passed by the Minnesota legislature's new Democratic majority that codifies abortion rights in state law, as well as a right to contraception and fertility treatment. The Democratic-led House passed a bill to shield abortion providers and patients from other states' legal attacks, and the Senate is considering it.

OHIO: Abortion rights supporters are trying to collect enough signatures to put a constitutional amendment on the November 2023 ballot that would assert a right to abortion. Abortion is currently legal up to 22 weeks.

(Reporting by Gabriella Borter in Washington, D.C., and Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, California.; Editing by Colleen Jenkins, Matthew Lewis and Aurora Ellis)
A standard was set when the city of Memphis quickly released video of the beating of Tyre Nichols and the officers involved were subsequently fired and charged, said attorney Jake Brown Friday.

But that standard, he said, has not been followed by the Shelby County Sheriffs Office in the death of Gershun Freeman, who died after a physical altercation with correctional officers in the Shelby County Correctional Facility, known as 201 Poplar.

Those deputies that we all watched beat this young man, this helpless young man on the ground  those deputies are still as we speak in charge of detainees at the Shelby County Jail, Brown said.

At a news conference Friday, the family of Nichols joined Freemans family, together calling for justice for their loved ones.

Shortly before the news conference, the families and attorneys, including noted civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, met with Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, who has recused himself from the case. The investigation is being handled by Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk.

Funks office released video earlier this month of Freeman being punched, kicked and pepper sprayed after running out of his cell. Eventually, officers can be seen kneeling on his upper back.

MORE QUESTIONS REMAIN:Questions remain following release of footage showing jailed man being beat by corrections officers

RELATED:Surveillance footage from jail shows officers kneeling on inmate's back for almost 6 minutes

An autopsy said Freeman died due to exacerbation of heart disease due to the physical altercation and being subdued by officers, classifying the death as a homicide.

(We saw) another video of an unarmed Black man being killed by law enforcement in Shelby County, Tennessee, Crump said. What is going on in Memphis is what people are asking?

Kimberly Freeman, Freemans mother, said she wants to know exactly which officers were involved in the altercation with her son and see them charged, as five officers have been charged in the death of Nichols.

Story continues

They have blood on their hands, she said. My son had a lot of dreams, a lot of admiration. He cared for people in general, and for the people to murder my son in this hellhole, we want answers.

At one point, Nichols mother RowVaughn Wells clasped hands with Freemans mother. The two share something in common, Wells said.

Yesterday was the worst day of her life, Wells said, as she brought home her sons ashes in an urn.

Im here today to give support to this lady. She also lost her son in a brutal way and she lost her only son, Wells said. I could just imagine what shes going through right now. No mother, no mother, no mother regardless of what should have to bury their child as we have.

More mental health care needed, advocates say

Freemans death also shows the lack of care for people with mental illness, attorneys said.

Before his death, Freeman was naked and alone in his cell,which is how 201 Poplar handles suicide watch, said attorney Brice Timmons.

About 15-20% of those incarcerated in the jail at any given time have an identified mental health issue, Timmons said  and that only counts those who are identified.

I dont know what is happening in America where law enforcement feels they can treat mental health issues like criminal issues, especially if theyre marginalized people or color, especially if theyre Black men, Crump said. Why is law enforcement treating a man with a mental health crisis with a death sentence?

Freeman was not watched by medical personnel and when he began behaving erratically, officers opened the door armed with pepper spray instead of calling for medical professionals, Timmons said.

Crump urged people to think of their own loved ones who have mental illness and to vote for leaders who will prioritize mental health care.

However, attorneys said they believe there is precedent for charging the officers involved with Freemans death, since officers nationwide have been charged in the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and Tyre Nichols.

Katherine Burgess covers government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Families of Gershun Freeman, Tyre Nichols call for prosecutions
Farmworkers were leading a five-day, 45-mile (72-kilometer) trek on foot this week from one of the poorest communities in Florida to a mansion-lined, oceanfront town that is one of the richest in an effort to pressure retailers to leverage their purchasing power for better worker pay and working conditions.

The farmworkers said they were marching to highlight the Fair Food Program, which has enlisted companies like McDonalds, Walmart, Taco Bell and Whole Foods to use their clout with growers to ensure better working conditions and wages for farmworkers. They hoped to use the march to pressure other companies, like Publix, Wendys and Kroger, to join the program that started in 2011.

The march began Tuesday from the farming community of Pahokee, one of the poorest in Florida, where the median household income is around $30,000. The march's launching point was a camp where farmworkers were coerced into working for barely any pay by a labor contractor who was convicted and sentenced last year to almost 10 years in prison. The contractor confiscated the Mexican farmworkers' passports, demanded exorbitant fees from them and threatened them with deportation or false arrest, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The marchers were on schedule to arrive Saturday in the town of Palm Beach, which has a median household income of almost $169,000 and is lined with the mansions of the rich and famous, including billionaire Nelson Peltz, who is Wendy's chairman, and former President Donald Trump.

According to the Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers, which organized the march, the program has ensured that farmworkers are paid for the hours they work; guaranteed them on-the-job safety measures such as shade, water and access to bathrooms; and has reduced the threats of sexual assault, harassment and forced labor under armed guards in the fields where tomatoes and other crops are harvested. Immokalee is a southwest Florida farming town in the heart of the state's tomato-growing area.

Story continues

Growers have benefitted since it reduces turnover and improves productivity, according to the coalition.

Wendy's said in a statement that it didn't participate in the Fair Food Program because it sources its tomato supply from indoor hydroponic greenhouse farms, while the program operates for farmworkers predominantly in outdoor fields, so there is no nexus between the program and our supply chain. The fast-food chain said it requires third-party reviews to make sure no abuses are involved in the harvesting of the tomatoes it gets from suppliers.

The idea that joining the Fair Food Program, and purchasing field-grown, commodity tomatoes, is the only way that Wendys can demonstrate responsibility in our supply chain is not true, Wendy's said.

The coalition on Friday in a statement described Wendy's response as a dodge.

Officials from Publix and Kroger didnt respond to emailed inquiries.

The idea to pressure retailers to use their clout with growers to improve pay and conditions for Florida tomato pickers took off in the early 2000s when the Coalition of Immokalee Workers led a four-year, nationwide boycott of Taco Bell. The boycott ended in 2005 when the company agreed to pay a penny more per pound for tomatoes purchased from Florida growers in order to raise farmworkers' wages.

The Fair Food Program followed several years later in an agreement with Florida tomato growers, and it now includes more than a dozen participating corporations. Leaders of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Fair Food Program have been recognized with a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, a Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights award and presidential award presented by then-Secretary of State John Kerry.

So now workers enjoy the right to complain without fear of retaliation. Workers also have water and shade as part of these agreements, said Gerardo Reyes Chavez, a coalition official, at the start of the march in Pahokee. The program has proven to be the solution, the antidote to the problem of modern day slavery, the problem of sexual assault, and the problems that have always plagued the agricultural industry.

___

Daniel Kozin in Pahokee, Florida contributed to this report.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at @MikeSchneiderAP
A contrabass clarinet from the 1960s, a violin from 1972, a trumpet from the 1960s held together with electrical tape, and an oboe made in 1912  the year the Titanic passenger liner sank  were shown to board members during a budget workshop Thursday where various district staff talked about their departments needs.

Fine Arts Director Katherine Lowther had picked up the violin from Cardinal Valley Elementary Thursday morning (its being shared among schools) and said the violin was not getting better with age.

The tuning pegs get loose, Lowther said, and the wood is old.

About 5,000 Fayette County students are taking traditional band and orchestra.

Its very difficult when they dont have the necessary equipment, said Lowther. At some schools they have these old instruments. At some schools they are able to use their booster raised funds and have great instruments.

But overall, we are looking at equitable access to instruments. Students especially in certain neighborhoods do not have access to high quality instruments or instruments at all, said Lowther.

This spring, Superintendent Demetrus Liggins team will review current initiatives and new budget requests. A tentative budget is due to the Kentucky Department of Education by the end of May, and a final version by Sept. 30.

Liggins said there are campuses that have fresh, plentiful instruments as a result of fundraising from parents and boosters.

But at many schools, theres no budget for piano tuning. The $50 needed to restring an instrument isnt always available.

Teachers buy a lot out of pocket, Lowther said. Teachers and students are making do.

The contrabass clarinet shown at the school board meeting was also held together with electrical tape, has exposed wires and was taken out of circulation this week because the clips wont align.

The oboe was missing a reed. It had gone through World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War and is currently being played by students at Lexington Traditional Middle School, Lowther said.

Story continues

Several aging instruments are in use at LTMS, she said. Kentucky Department of Education records said 82.5% of students at the school are economically disadvantaged.

District staff are not saying they want to replace all 5,000 instruments at one time, but they do want to start an instrument replacement cycle.

Lowther said she does not have specific numbers at this point of how much money schools need, only projections.

Board member Amanda Ferguson confirmed one elementary school council this week cut its general music teacher.

One elementary school only has a band teacher provided by the district, with no general music or visual arts teacher, said Lowther. School councils make those decisions.

When those students who have little music instruction in elementary school, move on to middle or high school, she said, theyre lost.

The state of Kentucky requires students to have a full credit of arts and humanities in order to graduate.

At the high school level its imperative that we do keep as much of the staffing as possible so that we can have our students graduate, said Lowther.

The Fayette school board makes an allocation for instrument repairs, but it runs out, said Lowther.

School board member Tom Jones asked whether the district had been consistent in funding fine arts, particularly in music, and whether the board needed to do some make up.

If theres been a neglect here in funding of arts programs, the board needs to be aware of that as we think about where we might want to place our priorities, Jones said.
The FCC is cracking down on Robotexts with new law

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) confirmed it is implementing rules against scam texting, becoming the first rule of its kind to combat an influx of targeted spam texts in recent years. Robotic text messages are highly likely to be illegal, the FCC said in a press release and confirmed that under the new rules, mobile service providers will be required to block robotext messages.

Robotexts can be identified if they come from invalid, unallocated, or unused numbers and includes numbers that are identified by government agencies as not used for texting, the FCC reported. The FCC also proposed that carriers put flagged numbers under a Do-Not-Call Registry that would protect consumers from companies sending their information to hundreds, if not thousands, of marketers stemming from a single consent form. This presents a loophole in the Telephone Consumer Protection Acts limits which was intended to protect consumers from unwanted text scams.

Read more

These robotexts are making a mess of our phones, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in an emailed statement to Gizmodo. They are reducing trust in a powerful way to communicate. The new rules received support from the Attorneys General from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, but Rosenworcel said, We are not stopping here. Because we also adopt a rulemaking to explore other ways to stop unwanted text messages, including authentication measures and rules to prevent the abuse of consumer consent.

The FCC reported from 2015 to 2022 the number of scam texting complaints rose from 3,300 to 18,900 per year and recent reports show a direct correlation between the increasing numbers of scams and a rise in financial losses for Americans. A 2022 FBI crime report revealed consumers were robbed of more than $10 billion last year alone, resulting in part from robotexts and calls as well as spam emails and ransomware attacks.

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Rosenworcel said, Scam artists have found that sending us messages about a package you never ordered or a payment that never went through along with a link to a shady website is a quick and easy way to get us to engage on our devices and fall prey to fraud.

An FCC spokesperson told Gizmodo that the FCCs new rule will take effect six months after the Federal Register publishes the approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act.

While consumers wait for the new rules to take effect, the FCC recommends in its press release to take steps to protect themselves from text scams.

The FCC directs consumers to not interact in any way with suspicious texts, click on suspicious links, or provide any information via text or website. If a consumer has received a scam text message, in addition to deleting it, they should forward it to SPAM (7726) and can file a complaint on the FCC website.

Updated: 11:55 a.m. to include a comment from the FCC.

More from Gizmodo

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Donald Trumps campaign has launched a fierce attack on the Manhattan prosecutors investigating the Stormy Daniels hush money payments in what could be a sign the former presidents camp is worried about a looming indictment.

Mr Trumps campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung released a statement on Thursday slamming Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs office over what they claim is a witch hunt against the one-term president.

President Donald J. Trump is completely innocent, he did nothing wrong, and even the biggest, most Radical Left Democrats are making that clear, said Mr Cheung.

From Russia, Russia, Russia, to the Mueller Hoax, to Impeachment Hoaxes 1 and 2, and even the Unlawful Mar-a-Lago Raid, Democrats have investigated and attacked President Trump since before he was elected  and theyve failed every time.

Now, Democrats are at it again, pushing the Nuclear Button and attacking a president because of a disgraced extortionist.

The statement claimed that New York prosecutors are out to get Mr Trump because he is leading in the polls by a large margin against both Democrats and Republicans  a statement that is also up for debate.

The latest poll from Quinnipiac University this week shows Mr Trump has a 14-point lead over his potential biggest GOP rival Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

However, President Joe Biden has a four-point lead over Mr Trump, the poll shows.

Mr Trumps campaign went on to claim that DA Bragg is making a political donation of a different kind to Joe Biden.

Americans will not tolerate Radical Left Democrats turning our justice system into an injustice system to influence a presidential election, the statement reads.

Our country is not going to let this happen.

While Mr Trump has repeatedly attacked the New York investigation on his Truth Social platform, the lengthy official statement suggests that his camp is growing increasingly concerned that a criminal indictment may be just around the corner.

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Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event on Monday (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

This week  the same week that adult film star Ms Daniels and Mr Trumps former fixer Michael Cohen testified before the grand jury  Mr Trumps attorney Joe Tacopina went on a media blitz slamming the probe in a number of testy exchanges with journalists.

DA Braggs office also invited Mr Trump to testify this week  an invitation he unsurprisingly turned down.

While it was an invitation he was unlikely to accept, it sent the clearest signal to date that he could be criminally indicted for his role in the hush money payments to Ms Daniels.

Under New York law, a person has a right to appear before a grand jury before a prosecutor asks the grand jury to indict them on charges.

Manhattan prosecutors have been investigating whether Mr Trump falsified the Trump Organizations business records when Mr Trumps former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen made a payment of $130,0000 to Ms Daniels days before the 2016 election.

Prosecutors claim that the money was used to silence Ms Daniels about an alleged affair she had with Mr Trump.

Mr Trump has long denied having an affair with the adult film star.

If prosecuted, Mr Trump would become the first former president in American history to face criminal charges.
This week, Boisean Yvonne St Cyr was found guilty of two felonies and four misdemeanors for her participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attempted insurrection.

This comes after fellow Boiseans Josiah Colt and Pam Hemphill pleaded guilty to offenses related to the attack on the U.S. Capitol. In all, eight people have been arrested in Idaho on a variety of offenses tied to the attempt to overturn the election with violence.

None of these people were anything resembling a central figure that day at the U.S. Capitol  someone akin to Oathkeepers leader Stewart Rhodes. They could easily have had their actions overlooked by federal prosecutors.

But federal prosecutors have decided to be comprehensive. Well over 1,000 indictments have been issued so far, and more are expected to come for months or years into the future.

This stands in stark contrast to Idahos recently sad record of dealing with extremism.

Months before the attempted insurrection, Idaho had its own Jan. 6-like incident when protesters shattered doors to the Capitol in August 2020. They never faced any consequences at all. Their behavior was rewarded, when they were given exactly what they wanted: the right to sit in the gallery without observing mask rules.

Even before that, meetings of the Southwestern Health District had to be canceled because Ammon Bundy and allied extremists physically forced their way, unmasked, into the building where the meeting was being held. Again, there were no consequences.

This behavior later escalated into intimidation outside private homes.

There was at least an effort to push back against that. Rep. Greg Chaney, R-Caldwell, who was targeted outside his home by protesters who hung him in effigy for his children to see, teamed up with Rep. Brooke Green, D-Boise, in an attempt to ban picketing outside private homes. Again, the Legislature failed to act.

In the following election, Chaney was defeated by now-Sen. Chris Trakel, R-Caldwell, whose behavior has at times resembled that of the mobs that targeted Chaney.

Story continues

Now in response to the ever-more-common sight of AR-15s at protests, lawmakers seem poised to revoke a century-old prohibition on private military groups and armed parades.

This persistent failure of Idaho to impose accountability on extremists who cross the line into intimidation and violence is leaving an indelible mark on Idaho.

Its just a welcome mat. Its a big green light, said author David Neiwert, who has spent a long career following the far-right in the Northwest, in a recent episode of Lunch with the Idaho Way.

The current trend is frightening. Neiwert, who has watched the evolution of the far-right from the John Birch Society in the Idaho Falls of his youth to the rise of the Aryan Nations and The Order in North Idaho, has never seen a more dangerous time than today.

When the Aryan Nations first moved to Hayden Lake, preaching the notion of turning Idaho into a homeland for the white race, where extremists could form the majority, Neiwert laughed it off. He was then an editor at a North Idaho newspaper, and he and his publisher decided not to cover Richard Butler and his rag-tag group of neo-Nazis.

Dont give them oxygen, and theyll fade away, they thought. Neiwert said it wasnt long at all before they realized that was impossible. But as visible as the Aryan Nations were, they were shunned.

When Neiwert looks at Idaho today, the picture he sees is even more disturbing than it was in the 70s and 80s.

Back then, it was a fringe thing, and I dont think we really anticipated that Butlers vision would ever come true, he said. But its coming true.

Its up to us to stop it. And stopping it means working to impose accountability, something Idaho government has not yet even tried to do.

Statesman editorials are the unsigned opinion of the Idaho Statesmans editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe, and newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser.
States that rely on water from the over-tapped Colorado River want the U.S. Supreme Court to block a lawsuit from the Navajo Nation that could upend how water is shared in the Western U.S.

The tribe doesn't have enough water and says that the federal government is at fault. Roughly a third of residents on the vast Navajo Nation dont have running water in their homes.

More than 150 years ago, the U.S. government and the tribe signed treaties that promised the tribe a permanent home  a promise the Navajo Nation says includes a sufficient supply of water. The tribe says the government broke its promise to ensure the tribe has enough water and that people are suffering as a result.

The federal government disputes that claim. And states, such as Arizona, California and Nevada, argue that more water for the Navajo Nation would cut into already scarce supplies for cities, agriculture and business growth.

The high court will hold oral arguments Monday in a case with critical implications for how water from the drought-stricken Colorado River is shared and the extent of the U.S. governments obligations to Native American tribes.

A win for the Navajo Nation won't directly result in more water for the roughly 175,000 people who live on the largest reservation in the U.S. But it's a piece of what has been a multi-faceted approach over decades to obtain a basic need.

Tina Becenti, a mother of five, made two or three short trips a day to her mom's house or a public water spot to haul water back home, filling several five-gallon buckets and liter-sized pickle jars. They filled slowly, sapping hours from her day. Her sons would sometimes help lift the heavy containers into her Nissan SUV that shed drive carefully back home to avoid spills.

Every drop really matters, Becenti said.

That water had to be heated then poured into a tub to bathe her young twin girls. Becentis mother had running water, so her three older children would sometimes go there to shower. After a couple of years, Becenti finally got a large tank installed by the nonprofit DigDeep so she could use her sink.

Story continues

DigDeep, which filed a legal brief in support of the Navajo Nation's case, has worked to help tribal members gain access to water as larger water-rights claims are pressed.

Extending water lines to the sparsely populated sections of the 27,000 square-mile (69,000 square-kilometer) reservation that spans three states is difficult and costly. But tribal officials say additional water supplies would help ease the burden and create equity.

You drive to Flagstaff, you drive to Albuquerque, you drive to Phoenix, there is water everywhere, everything is green, everything is watered up," said Rex Kontz, deputy general manager of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority. You dont see that on Navajo.

The tribe primarily relies on groundwater to serve homes and businesses.

For decades, the Navajo Nation has fought for access to surface water, including the Colorado River and its tributaries, that it can pipe to more remote locations for homes, businesses and government offices.

It's a legal fight that resonates with tribes across the U.S., said Dylan Hedden-Nicely, the director of the Native American Law Program at the University of Idaho and an attorney representing tribal organizations that filed a brief in support of the Navajo Nation.

The Navajo Nation has reached settlements for water from the San Juan River in New Mexico and Utah. Both of those settlements draw from the Colorado River's Upper Basin.

The tribe has yet to reach agreement with Arizona and the federal government for water rights from the Colorado River in the Lower Basin that includes the states of California, Arizona and Nevada. It also has sought water from a tributary, the Little Colorado River, another major legal dispute that's playing out separately.

In the U.S Supreme Court case, the Navajo Nation wants the U.S. Department of the Interior to account for the tribe's needs in Arizona and come up with a plan to meet those needs.

A federal appeals court ruled the Navajo Nation's lawsuit could move forward, overturning a decision from a lower court.

Attorneys for the Navajo Nation base their claims on two treaties the tribe and the U.S. signed in 1849 and 1868. The latter allowed Navajos to return to their ancestral homelands in the Four Corners region after being forcibly marched to a desolate tract in eastern New Mexico.

The Navajo Nation wants the Supreme Court to find that those treaties guaranteed them enough water to sustain their homeland. And the tribe wants a chance to make its case before a lower federal court.

The federal government says it has helped the tribe get water from the Colorado Rivers tributaries, but no treaty or law forces officials to address the tribes general water needs. The Interior Department declined to comment on the pending case.

We absolutely think theyre entitled to water, but we dont think the lower Colorado River is the source, said Rita Maguire, the attorney representing states in the Lower Basin who oppose the tribe's claims.

If the Supreme Court sides with the Navajo Nation, other tribes might make similar demands, Maguire said.

Arizona, Nevada and California contend the Navajo Nation is making an end run around another Supreme Court case that divvied up water in the Colorado River's Lower Basin.

The first question in front of the court now is: why is the lower court dealing with the issue at all? said Grant Christensen, a federal Indian law expert and professor at Stetson University.

Even if the justices side with the Navajo Nation, the tribe wouldn't immediately get water. The case would go back to the U.S. District Court in Arizona, and rights to more water still could be years, if not, decades away. The Navajo Nation also could reach a settlement with Arizona and the federal government for rights to water from the Colorado River and funding to deliver it to tribal communities.

Tribal water rights often are tied to the date a reservation was established, which would give the Navajo Nation one of the highest priority rights to Colorado River water and could force conservation on others, said Hedden-Nicely of the University of Idaho.

Given the likelihood of a long road ahead, Kontz of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority says many older Navajo wont live to see running water in their homes.

Becenti, the 42-year-old mother of five, remembers shedding tears of joy when running water finally was installed in her house and her family could use a flushable indoor toilet.

It was a relief to go to the facility without having to worry about bugs, lizards, snakes, she said.

___

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
Lucky numbers, special bracelets and coins are popular good luck charms both sides of the Irish sea (Getty)

Take this quiz to find out how lucky you really are  you may be surprised.

It comes after a study of 2,000 UK adults and 500 in Ireland revealed the luck of the Irish is REAL.

Those living in the Emerald Isle experience 40 fortunate moments a year, but people from the UK get just 37  nearly 10 per cent fewer.

Irish folks are also more likely to describe themselves as lucky, with 49 per cent believing theyre blessed, compared to 40 per cent elsewhere.

And the poll also found 66 per cent of UK adults claimed theyre due a bit of good luck in their lives.

But 26 per cent admitted they dont truly know the meaning of luck and think its too hard to define.

A spokesperson for Lottoland.co.uk, which has launched the lucky in life quiz to celebrate its Irish Lotto draw this St Patricks Day, said: Luck is such a strange concept  most people question whether it even really exists.

Some people certainly seem luckier than others  something our lotto winners would attest to.

"But theres no real evidence to show how or why luck might come about  it could be anything from wearing our lucky pants to finding a four-leaf clover. Or maybe its just in the stars!

To increase their chances of good fortune, 23 per cent of UK adults have used a lucky charm  rising to 38 per cent of Irish respondents.

Lucky numbers, special bracelets and coins are popular good luck charms both sides of the Irish sea  with Irish people more likely to opt for a four-leaf clover.

UK adults are most likely to consider themselves blessed with good luck when it comes to family, friends and relationships.

And 25 per cent consider having good health something to be thankful for, as it can often be decided by luck.

On the other side of the coin, Irish adults are 17 per cent more likely to believe in bad luck than people from the UK (67 per cent compared to 50 per cent).

And 57 per cent of those polled from the Republic of Ireland have experienced beginners luck  doing well at something on their first try.

Story continues

This compares favourably to only 36 per cent of people in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, according to the Onepoll data.

Lottolands spokesperson added: It seems people in Ireland not only think of themselves as being luckier, they actually are!

The question is, do you have to be born in Ireland to enjoy that luck, or can you simply move from bad-luck Brighton to Dublin or Galway, and enjoy a boost to your fortunes right away?

Top 10 lucky charms in Ireland:

Lucky number Bracelet Coins Ring Four leaf clover Ladybugs Socks Horseshoe Rainbow Underwear

Top 10 lucky charms in the UK:
Stephane Mahe/Reuters

Thousands of people furious with the French governments plan to raise the retirement age by two years gathered to stage a protest on Thursday, with the demonstrations escalating into clashes with the police and fire-setting after reports emerged that President Emmanuel Macron would ram the reform through without a parliamentary vote.

Inside the National Assembly chamber, where lawmakers had just learned theyd been denied a vote on the measure, equally livid representatives from both sides of the aisle banged on their desks and belted out La Marseillaise, the French national anthem, trying to drown out Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne as she attempted to explain what had just happenedand why.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne used a special procedure to push an unpopular pensions bill, which would up retirement age, through the National Assembly without a vote. Left-wing lawmakers shouted and brandished placards opposing the reform https://t.co/UIsr424F9p pic.twitter.com/A71MnYndEP  Reuters (@Reuters) March 16, 2023

We cannot bet on the future of our pensions, she said from the speakers dais, according to CNN. Macrons deeply unpopular pension bill would raise the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 and tighten restrictions around granting full pensions before age 67.

This reform is necessary, she added, barely audible over the jeers.

Pacal Rossignol/Reuters

Borne gave up after less than 10 minutes, The New York Times reported. Opposition lawmakers streamed out of the chamber to angrily denounce the decision to invoke Article 49.3 of the French Constitution, allowing Macron to avoid a vote in the assembly, where hed had no guarantee of a majority. Hed invoked the constitutional power in a Cabinet meeting just minutes before the vote had been scheduled to be held.

Story continues

Today is the first day of the end of Emmanuel Macrons term, Mathild Panot, the leader of the left-wing France Unbowed party, fumed to reporters downstairs.

La foule continue daffluer a Marseille, devant la prefecture barricadee.

Ce soir on vous met le feu #NonALaReformeDesRetraites #Greve16mars #DirectAN pic.twitter.com/ntxYPWwBVT  Marcel (@realmarcel1) March 16, 2023

The governments use of the 49.3 procedure reflects the failure of this presidential minority, Charles de Courson, an independent lawmaker, told the BFMTV news channel. They are not just a minority in the National Assembly, they are a minority in the whole country. The denial of democracy continues.

Elsewhere in the throng, Marine Le Pen, the head of the far-right National Rally party, expressed the same sentiment. Later, she tweeted, After the slap that the Prime Minister just gave the French people, by imposing a reform which they do not want, I think that Elisabeth Borne should go.

Stephane Mahe/Reuters

Opposition leaders on both sides suggested that a no-confidence motion would be brought against Macron and his government on Friday. If successful, it would mark the first such case since 1962. Macron previously survived two no-confidence votes over a budget bill similarly forced through under 49.3 last October, four months after his centrist alliance lost its parliamentary majority.

Outside and across the river Seine, people had gathered in the Place de la Concorde to demonstrate, waving flags, signs, and balloons amid a generally jovial atmosphere. Students marched and called for a general strike. A group of women danced to Gloria Gaynors I Will Survive, the Times reported, having amended the lyrics slightly: To the grave for the working class. No to 64 years. One man sold sandwiches out of the back of his van.

But as night fell, police moved in to clear out the square, and the protests became more chaotic. Jean-Luc Melenchon, a leftist and former member of the National Assembly, told the crowd at the Place that Macron had gone over the heads of the will of the people, according to the Associated Press. A fire was lit in the center of the square as officers in riot gear fired tear gas at the crowds. At least 217 people were arrested, Paris police headquarters said late Thursday, according to Le Monde.

Union leaders vowed to maintain their opposition to the pension reform, a deeply sensitive subject in France, with the Confederation Generale du Travail announcing another national day of strikes and demonstrations next Thursday. It would mark the ninth such day in two months, according to the Times.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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If you happened to stop by the State House on Wednesday, you would have seen massive Irish and Italian flags flanking the Senate rostrum, in honor of two of Rhode Island's largest ethnic groups.

But March isn't just the month of St. Patrick's Day and St. Joseph's Day. It's also the month of Norooz, also known as Persian New Year. So, this week, a traditional haftsin table also appeared in the State House  for the first time ever.

"Its a way to build community and come together," said Maryam Attarpour of the Iranian-American Cultural Society of Rhode Island, who played a major role in making it happen.

Maryam Attarpour packs up cookies and flowers from a display table set up outside the State Room on Thursday afternoon in a first for the the RI State House, an honoring of the Persian New Year coming on Monday.

Haftsin tables are the symbol of the Persian New Year, which occurs on the spring solstice. They typically display at least seven different items whose names start with the letter "S" in Farsi, including garlic, an apple, sumac, and a dish of vinegar.

A bowl of goldfish was also once considered customary, but putting live animals on display is frowned upon today. The State House haftsin, which is located on the second floor overlooking the atrium, gets around that by incorporating a candle with a goldfish design.

Most of the items come from Attarpour's personal collection. She said that she was excited to give people an opportunity to learn about her favorite Iranian holiday.

Attarpour came to Rhode Island when she was 3, and grew up in Pawtucket and Providence. Back then, Rhode Island's Iranian community was so small that taking part in cultural gatherings required driving to Boston.

Political Scene: The little-known story of House Speaker Shekarchi's Iranian roots

"For the longest period in my life, I didnt really have much connection to my Iranian culture," she said.

When she got to URI, she discovered that there were actually quite a few students from Iran on campus, and petitioned to create the university's Iranian cultural alliance.

Attarpour, who now works for the United Way of Rhode Island, said that State House staff were "really, really receptive to the idea" when she proposed having a haftsin table on display for Norooz. (Although House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi is Iranian, the Iranian-American Cultural Society didn't coordinate directly with him, she said.)

Story continues

During the time that it took her to set up on Wednesday, several people stopped to ask about the haftsin table, Attarpour said.

"The curiosity is there, which is great," she said.

The Iranian-American Cultural Society is also hosting a Norooz potluck celebration on Saturday at the International House of Rhode Island, which is located on the East Side of Providence. As of Wednesday afternoon, free tickets were still available for the 10am to 12pm time slot.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Norooz or Persian New Year honored at RI State House with haftsin table
Chinook salmon along the coast of California and southern Oregon Coast continue to suffer lingering impacts from the region's mega-drought, and it has cost fishermen a chinook season this spring.

It's also likely chinook salmon fishing will remain closed off the California coast for the next year as the Pacific Fishery Management Council tries to help the fish rebuild from years of record drought.

Given conditions in the Klamath and Sacramento rivers over the last year, the canceling of a season in April and early May wasn't a surprise to sport fisherman Jim Yarnall, a member of the councils salmon advisory subpanel of fishing and tribal representatives.

The season, which could have taken place along the California coast and northward to Cape Falcon, Oregon through May 15 was canceled to protect fall chinook in the Sacramento River, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service.

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READ MORE: Latest climate change news from USA TODAY

Salmon in California's Sacramento River were at near-record low numbers last year, and the Klamath River fall chinook had the second lowest abundance forecast since current assessment methods began in 1997.

The proposed management plan for the California coast for the coming year includes no alternatives that allow fishermen to keep chinook salmon, but a limited season is possible off southern Oregon. After a public hearing, the Council will meet in early April to finalize the schedule.

A chinook salmon jumps in the Sacramento River in California.

Drought impacts salmon

Salmon, including chinook, Californias predominant species, rely on plentiful waters to hatch and travel from their spawning grounds to the ocean, and then to migrate back again and drop the eggs that produce the next generation of fish.

Water in California and much of the west has been anything but plentiful for years.

Low river flows and high river water temperatures have affected the salmon's survival, especially as they emerge as eggs and need to go downstream to the ocean, said Robin Ehlke, salmon staff officer for the management council. "There are just less and less fish."

Story continues

Its likely some fish also die as they return to spawning grounds

Banner seasons in the past couple of years, even though limited, may also have played a role.

Scientists use models to estimate how many fish there are and anticipate fishing pressure from commercial and recreational fishermen, based on data for catch and field surveys for returning salmon.

CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS: What are the effects of climate change? How they disrupt our daily life, fuel disasters.

DEFINITIONS: Is climate change the same thing as global warming? Definitions explained.

Their current forecasts for the Sacramento river chinook are low and not much above the goal needed to ensure viability, Ehlke said. Right now some of those salmon stocks are forecast to be at a low level and it would be pretty risky to have a fishery and not meet those conservation goals."

For the past couple of years, the models used to estimate fish populations have been performing poorly, thanks to the impacts of climate change and the drought, Yarnall said. The people running these models, theyre pulling their hair out. Its an unfortunate place where we are and its going to impact a lot of livelihoods.

A complex puzzle

Managing the salmon, the regions water supply and the fishing seasons is a complex puzzle, Yarnall said. Thats in part because it would be hard to butcher a watershed much more than the present-day Sacramento-San Juaquin regional river system, with all its dams and reservoirs, he said.

Federal and state water managers juggle all the moving parts, trying to manage water flow for flood control, agriculture irrigation, public water supply and wildlife. Sometimes, Yarnall said, the fish get the short end of the stick.

How are salmon fishing seasons set?

Seasons are set a year in advance, with the possibility of amendment.

NOAA Fisheries gives the management council and its advisory panel guidance on the numbers they expect to see.

State fisheries managers release abundance numbers.

The council knows it needs to get a set amount of salmon back out of the ocean and up the rivers to their spawning grounds to keep a healthy stock of salmon, Ehlke said.

The council and its advisory panels craft proposed seasons that meet the minimum goals

A public hearing and comment period take place

A final proposal is forwarded to NOAA Fisheries for review and approval.

Having no spring season was one option crafted by the advisory panel last year for the annual management plan for 2022-2023, she said. Based on that advice, the council concluded the no fishing option was the most reasonable and posed the least risk.

Obviously everyone wants to fish, but most fishermen understood the status of where the salmon are and understand they need to make sure those salmon stocks remain healthy, she said. Taking a pause of a year  so hopefully the salmon has time to regain their strength  seems appropriate.

Hope for the future

Yarnall remains optimistic about the chinook in California.

If theres a silver lining in all of this, California has been wet here since December, he said. Snowpack is high. The reservoirs are filling and salmon are an amazingly resilient species.

If we get out of the way and given half a chance, he said, you can see them bouncing right back in three years to an abundant fish stock.

Dig deeper:

Dinah Voyles Pulver covers climate and environment issues for USA TODAY. She can be reached at dpulver@gannett.com or at @dinahvp on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fishing season canceled: Feds close California chinook salmon season
[Source]

A San Diego-based dance crew composed of Asian American members is celebrating middle-aged women worldwide.

Earlier this month, Ajumma EXP, which has more than 30 members, brought joy to the streets of San Diego with hip-hop flash mobs in honor of Womens History Month, specifically in recognition of International Womens Day on March 8.

According to Lee Ann Kim, flash mob organizer and co-founder of Ajumma EXP, the crew prepared for this event for over five months. The preparation, which ranged from choreographing to wardrobing, created a special sense of camaraderie among the women.

Kim told NextShark that most of the crews members were initially strangers who had come from different walks of life, and that some of them had never even danced before. Their shared courage to do something new together is what transformed their group into a sisterhood, bringing joy to people around the world who appreciate that life does indeed get better with age.

More from NextShark: Why 'K-Pop Dreaming' podcast host Vivian Yoon kept her love of Korean music a secret for years

The long months of preparation finally came to fruition on March 5 at three San Diego locations: Chicano Park, Fashion Valley Mall and Mission Beach.

"The whole day flew by but the moments when we were dancing pleasantly stretched. All those smiles from our families, friends and Ajumma fans were so fun to see while dancing, Saerin Cho, a member of Ajumma EXP, told NextShark. I'm grateful for the sisterhood of Ajumma EXP. And I hope we inspire all middle-aged women to find joy and celebrate where they are in life!"

Though the term ajumma, which is a Korean word for a middle-aged woman, tends to have negative connotations, Ajumma EXP are reclaiming the title with pride.

More from NextShark: China warns citizens that peaches cannot treat COVID amid hoarding of the fruit for its 'magic' healing

On their official website, the group describe themselves as fierce women who embrace growing older, getting wiser, and being able to laugh at ourselves.

Story continues

Nowadays, it is considered an insult to be called an Ajumma, but we believe that Ajummas are fierce, tenacious, and have endured challenges throughout their lives. They have earned the right to be who they want to be, say what they want to say, and deserve the worlds respect. We are Ajummas and proud.

Kim recounted the event that sparked the creation of Ajumma EXP with friend and co-founder Sonia Chin.

More from NextShark: Puppeteer Kathy Kim on how 'Sesame Street' created Ji-Young, the shows first Asian American muppet

On Kims 47th birthday, her friends surprised her by showing up in ajumma outfits consisting of brightly patterned floral pants, sensible shoes, mismatched tops, visors and, to top it all off, tightly permed wigs. After a quick outfit change to match the rest of the group, Kim and her friends headed into town for a night out.

Despite their roaring celebration and eye-catching outfits, they received little attention at the bar. This experience served as a reminder to Kim of how often women are overlooked simply because of their appearance.

The rage Kim felt that night from feeling invisible incited her and Chin to create Ajumma EXP after some personal introspection into her own biases. Kim began to think about how she also tended to overlook and feel embarrassed by older Asian women, similar to how she hoped others did not perceive her. This moment of realization led Kim to want to showcase the vitality of these women who remain youthful and capable under their perms and visors.

More from NextShark: BTS may soon take a hiatus to complete mandatory military service for 18 months

We asked ourselves, what would be the most unexpected thing we could do dressed up as ajummas? A flash mob, of course. And not just any flash mob, it has to be hip-hop! Kim said, highlighting the importance of surprise and unpredictability in Ajumma EXPs performances.

Just one week after Kims birthday, Kim and Chin began planning their first flashmob, then successfully executed it within two months. Though the group initially practiced in Kims garage, they soon outgrew the space and rented a studio to accommodate their growth.

Ajumma EXP member Janet Kim initially joined the group while searching for some fun and joy, but she ended up finding much more.

According to Kim, the women of Ajumma EXP care deeply and arent afraid to take risks. She described participating in the flash mobs as a total blast since it provides the opportunity to dress up incognito and dance, while stretching not only our bodies, but also boundaries and expectations.

For six years and counting, Ajumma EXP have been working tirelessly to defy the stereotype of undesirable middle-aged women confined to motherhood.

The groups fearless members celebrate women of all backgrounds by shining a spotlight on the vibrant and multifaceted lives of ajummas. With no signs of slowing down, Ajumma EXP continue to push boundaries and inspire others.

In the past two years, Ajumma EXP have gone viral in South Korea; performed in a rap music video for the film Summertime with Dumbfoundead; and even received an invitation from the White House to participate in its virtual Lunar New Year commemorations.

Those interested in joining Ajumma EXP can contact the group through their website. Kim emphasized that no dance experience [is] needed, and you dont even have to be Korean or Asian. The only requirement to join their crew is being middle-aged, or more accurately, ajumma status.
Footage of the 1997 Fleetwood Mac reunion concert The Dance is doing the rounds on social media, as fans delve into the fictional band drama that plays out in Amazon Prime Videos Daisy Jones & the Six.

The new series, starring Sam Claflin and Riley Keough, has received mixed reviews from critics due to the quality of the original songs, and the overly slick look of the show and its characters.

It is based on the novel of the same name by US author Taylor Jenkins Reid, who has said she was partly inspired to write the book after watching performances of Fleetwood Mac on TV.

The cast have also spoken about how they watched clips of the band themselves, with Claflin citing one moment in particular as a major influence.

The performance in question took place at Fleetwood Macs reunion concert at Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California in May 1997, and showed the band playing Silver Springs, the B-Side to their Rumours single Go Your Own Way.

Stevie Nicks wrote Silver Springs about the end of her romantic relationship with bandmate Lindsey Buckingham. She originally intended it to appear on Rumours but the track was removed by Mick Fleetwood in favour of her other song, I Dont Want to Know.

Nicks has said she was devastated by the decision, telling the BBC in 1991: I started to scream bloody murder and probably said every horrible mean thing that you could possibly say to another human being, and walked back in the studio completely flipped out. I said, Well, Im not gonna sing I Dont Want to Know. I am one-fifth of this band.

And they said. Well, if vou dont like it, you can either (a) take a hike or (b) you better go out there and sing I Dont Want to Know or youre only gonna have two songs on the record. And so, basically, with a gun to my head, I went out and sang I Dont Want to Know. And they put Silver Springs on the back of Go Your Own Way.

In an MTV interview the year of the reunion, she explained she wanted the song to let Buckingham know: Im so angry with you. You will listen to me on the radio for the rest of your life, and it will bug you. I hope it bugs you.

Story continues

Stevie Nicks wrote Silver Springs to bug Lindsey Buckingham about their breakup (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

I wrote Silver Springs uh, about Lindsey. And we were in Maryland somewhere driving under a freeway sign that said Silver Spring, Maryland, she recalled to Classic Albums a year later. And I loved the name... Silver Springs sounded like a pretty fabulous place to me. And uh, You could be my silver springs... thats just a whole symbolic thing of what you could have been to me.

She later revealed that the visible emotion and tension in the performance only appeared that night, and hadnt been present during rehearsals.

In six weeks of rehearsal, it [performing Silver Springs for the MTV special] was never like that she told Arizona Republic. Only on Friday night did we let it go into something deeper. When we went on Friday, I knew wed bring it out in case it was the last thing wed ever do. I wanted people to stand back and really watch and understand what [the relationship with Lindsey] was.

In an interview with the Miami Herald that same year, she also explained that performing the song live offered a form of closure for her and Buckingham: Well, since that performance I have to sing Silver Springs to him almost every day, so Lindsey and I get to do and say things that we wouldnt get to say to each other in real life.

Its like a release, she explained. Even now, we dont talk much, so when those songs come around and are directly involved with our relationship its very therapeutic to work that stuff out. This way we get to have closure.

Performing Silver Springs was a particularly special moment, she told MTV, due to it being kicked off Rumours 20 years ago.

I was so genuinely devastated... because I loved the song and it was one of the Rumours songs, she said. So I never thought that Silver Springs would ever be performed on stage, would ever be heard of again so it, like, and my beautiful song just disappeared. So for it to come back around like this has really been, really special to me.

(Getty Images For The Rock and Ro)

Jenkins Reid told The Guardian in 2019 that the Silver Springs performance was a major inspiration for the book and inspired one of the original songs, Regret Me.

That concept of a womans right to be angry is absolutely based on Stevie Nicks singing Silver Springs at Lindsey Buckingham during their reunion [album and] show, The Dance [in 1997], she said.

I have always been very moved by Stevie Nicks singing that song the way she did then.

Claflin, who plays band frontman Billy Dunne in the series, told Elle magazine that a friend also sent him the performance ahead of his audition for the role: He was like, Just channel this mate.

After being successfully cast, Claflin then sent the clip to his co-star, Keough, who plays Daisy Jones.

Shes like, Whoa, this is Billy and Daisy, he says. So I think we kind of, in a sense, wanted to channel that through the process.

Its so electric, the chemistry between Lindsey Buckinham and Stevie Nicks, knowing what Fleetwood Mac had been through in that moment and knowing the history behind it and the history behind them as a couple, their relationship, it just carries so much more weight, he said in a separate interview with MTV.

Riley Keough and Sam Claflin in Daisy Jones & The Six (Lacey Terrell/Prime Video)

The duo attempted to challenge the palpable chemistry between Nicks and Buckinham during the show when their characters perform Regret Me.

Theyre on stage and she basically just turns away from the audience and just stares at him and just sings. And hes like, Oh God. And hes sort of reluctantly staring back at her, Claflin said.

And I think that that was the energy that we wanted to basically bring to that song every time they perform it. I think theres a reluctance that [Billys] having to sing it.
The author. Courtesy of Alison Karlene Hodgins

I traveled from Canada to Australia for my boyfriend.

He broke up with me in Bali, Indonesia, away from anyone and anything I knew.

I found self-confidence, independence, and community through solo travel.

The rain poured into the gutters, drowning out the persistent honks of scooters, the whines of stray dogs, and the words I sputtered to my now-ex-boyfriend: "Are we breaking up? In Bali?"

"I'm sorry," he replied.

I closed my eyes and remembered arriving at Sydney Airport only a few weeks ago; the overcast skies were my first warning that this trip might not be everything I'd hoped for.

I'd met my ex-boyfriend at our local swimming pool back home in Canada, and I was instantly infatuated, as only 18-year-olds can be. When I learned that the sweet farm boy with strong arms and a soft singing voice was leaving for an eight-month round-the-world trip with his brother and best friend, I tried to accept that our timing was obviously wrong.

After three months of long-distance Skype calls and lovesick messages, I changed my mind. I flew across the world to join him and his travel companions, hoping to stay for up to three months. The four of us spent three weeks in Australia, road-tripping the Great Ocean Road, learning to surf near Byron Bay, and boating through crocodile-infested rivers in Darwin before traveling to a remote village in northern Bali, Indonesia.

That's where he dumped me.

The day after our breakup, I woke up in our shared accommodation, my eyes raw and puffy. I walked to a decrepit-looking internet cafe that promised a connection to home. That was all I really wanted  to go home.

This wasn't a typical breakup

People usually get their hearts broken within driving distance of family members and loved ones: friends to take them out dancing and parental figures to squeeze in bear hugs. A sticky communal computer was my lifeline to everyone who knew and still loved me.

The boys and I had booked a flight to Singapore, but I knew I couldn't keep traveling with them. I also wasn't willing to go home early, tail between my legs. I wasn't sure what to do  I'd never intended to travel the world alone.

Story continues

I found an affordable flight to Perth, Western Australia, and decided to nurse my broken heart abroad until I felt ready to return to Canada.

But something unexpected happened.

I fell in love with solo travel

Instead of spending my days isolated and miserable, I was traveling solo, and when people noticed, they struck up conversations with me. They invited me to play beach volleyball, share beers, and cook dinner together. I felt accepted and grew bolder.

I attended my first punk-rock music festival, alone, and danced in a sweaty crowd of strangers. When I landed in Hobart, Tasmania, I invited myself on a camper-van trip with three fellow backpackers. I traveled to New Zealand, where I trekked across a glacier, went bungee jumping, and cycled beneath snow-capped mountains.

I felt invigorated and lost, free and uncertain, frightened and more alive than I ever had before. Traveling by myself was difficult, but I kept going  and I've never really stopped.

Twelve years after that fateful breakup in rural Bali, I'm a full-time editor and writer specializing in travel and adventure. I've visited over 35 countries, most of them alone. I might have lost a boyfriend, but I gained something much better: a love of solo travel.

If I could say anything to that heartbroken girl, sobbing in the downpour while the world around her seemed to shatter, I would tell her: You're going to be OK. It will get better. This was all meant to be.

And to my ex: Thank you for letting me go.

Read the original article on Insider
LEOMINSTER, Mass. (AP)  The music was blaring on a February afternoon when Francisco Torres stopped by a Massachusetts barbershop, proclaiming he was half-angel, half-devil.

He wanted a dozen people to come outside the shop and shoot him with an automatic weapon stored in his car trunk. Before anyone could make sense of the request, Torres fled the shop and drove off. They never saw a weapon and he didn't return.

I didnt get what he was saying but then I realized he was talking about a gun. I told him there are kids in here, why are you saying this, said Saul Perez, who was visiting friends at the shop and noted that an employee called 911, ushered children into the back and shut down the shop. I was spooked.

The incident took place about a week before Torres would be arrested for attacking a flight attendant and attempting to open the planes emergency door on a cross-country United flight from Los Angeles to Boston earlier this month.

Confrontations on flights have skyrocketed since the pandemic started, with some altercations captured and replayed endlessly on social media.

In a video taken by a fellow passenger, Torres loudly threatens to kill people and promises a bloodbath before charging the front of the plane, where a group of passengers tackled him down to the ground to restrain him.

He remains behind bars pending a mental health evaluation, with a judge ruling he may presently be suffering from a mental disease or defect rendering him mentally incompetent.

Torres objected to the evaluation through his federal public defender, Joshua Hanye, who didn't return a call Thursday seeking additional comment. A relative for Torres would not comment on the case.

The flight attack was part of a decadeslong pattern of Torres demonstrating signs of a mental illness. He spent time in mental health facilities, according to lawsuits since closed that he filed in 2021 and 2022 against two hospitals in Massachusetts. Torres says he argued in one of the lawsuits that he was misdiagnosed for a mental illness and, in the other, that he was discriminated against for being vegan.

Story continues

In December 2022, police confronted him at his house in Worcester County, where he was outside in his underwear saying he was protesting climate change, according to a police report. On another occasion in 2021, police responded to a call from his mother reporting that he was yelling homicidal threats out a window. He told police that he was in World War III and he had a special device giving him super sonic hearing," which he used to listen to his neighbors talking about him.

His case history demonstrates the challenges facing airlines and federal regulators when handling passengers like Torres. Especially since experts say data shows those with mental illnesses are more often the victims of crimes than those responsible for committing violent acts.

Despite repeated run-ins with police, authorities said that he rarely acted violent. He once was accused of grabbing his mother's arm, but those charges were dismissed. He didn't legally own a weapon, even though he often talked about guns. And there were no signs of trouble when he boarded that cross-county flight last month, a passenger said, or during the first five hours in the air.

He is really a nonviolent offender," said Leominster Police Chief Aaron Kennedy, who is familiar with Torres from previous run-ins. This guy was pretty mild.

And even if past incidents raised red flags, experts said there isn't a whole lot that airline companies can or should be doing. Airlines say they don't share banned passenger lists with each other, though there have been a few cases so notorious that the passenger's name became widely known.

The FBI maintains a no-fly list for people suspected of terrorism, to which special agents and other approved government employees can submit names for consideration.

People with mental illnesses are not prohibited from getting on a plane, according to Jeffrey Price, an aviation-security expert at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Federal law gives U.S. citizens a public right of transit through the navigable airspace, he said.

Legislation backed by airlines and their labor unions was introduced in Congress last year to create a new no-fly list including people who were charged or fined for interfering with airline crews. The bills died without hearings in the Senate or House, but backers plan to re-introduce them later this month.

Several Republican senators opposed the proposal, saying it could be used to punish critics of the federal rule requiring passengers to wear masks  even to equate them to terrorists. From January 2021 to April 2022, while the federal mask mandate was still in effect, the vast majority of unruly-passenger cases reported by airlines involved disputes over masks, according to Federal Aviation Administration figures.

Some liberal groups also opposed the legislation, arguing that the current no-fly list of people suspected of terrorism is opaque and unfair.

The American Civil Liberties Union has sued the government several times over the last decade on behalf of people who didn't know why they were on the list or how to be removed from it. The ACLU also has accused the FBI of putting some people on the list to pressure them to become informants in counter-terrorist investigations against Muslim communities in the U.S.

The captain of an airline flight can decide not to fly with a particular passenger on board, although flight attendants say this usually happens when a passenger appears to be drunk.

The government runs what it calls trusted traveler programs such as TSA PreCheck, which lets people who are fingerprinted and pass a background check speed through security without removing shoes, belts, jackets and laptops from their bags. People can be denied PreCheck for certain crimes, which extends to those who are found not guilty by reason of insanity. But of course people who are denied PreCheck can still fly.

Adding travelers like Torres to any no-fly list or barring them from a flight raises a host of logistical and constitutional questions. And determining who would get on a list would be controversial in a country that prides itself on protecting individual rights and keeping health information private by following strict HIPAA rules.

Plus, having a mental health challenge" is "not a prediction, necessarily, that someones going to have outbursts, have unpredictable behavior, said Lynn Bufka, a psychologist and the American Psychological Association's associate chief of practice transformation. Thats not going to be a good marker for determining whether or not someone should safely board.

Before Torres became agitated and threatened those around him, fellow passenger Jason Loomis said he didn't exhibit any strange behavior during boarding and was quiet for the beginning of the flight. Hours later though, Loomis witnessed his outburst. Initially, he spoke with Torres to try to calm him down, but when Torres' anger escalated, Loomis joined other passengers in restraining him.

Still, Loomis said he couldn't envision keeping Torres off the flight in the first place. Instead, he said it was a reminder that society needs to take better care of mentally ill people.

I know there has been a lot of talk about airplane security and safety these days, but this was a very rare occurrence," Loomis said. "It wasn't like he was shouting in the airport. He wasn't threatening anything. He was perfectly fine and then something just snapped.
An English professor in Florida was fired this week over what he said was his decision to teach racial justice lessons in his class.

Samuel Joeckel, a professor of English at Palm Beach Atlantic University, said in an Instagram post on Thursday that his contract was not renewed for him to teach during the next academic year after his university was influenced by the toxic political ideology of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

They did this for a clear reason: my decision to teach and speak about racial justice, Joeckel said. The timing of this is not a coincidence as we are dealing with an anti-woke crusade from Governor DeSantis and other far-right politicians and activists.

Joeckel said he first became aware of the potential for his contract to not be renewed last month, when the dean and provost waited for him outside his classroom to tell him that it would not be renewed until the university reviewed his syllabus and PowerPoint presentations on racial justice to ensure that he is not indoctrinating students.

Joeckel noted that he has been teaching a racial justice unit in a course at the university for more than a decade, and The Palm Beach Post reported that he said he had not heard any concerns from administrators about it before.

The Post reported that the inquiry began after a parent complained about the lessons. Students in the class discuss racial justice, read and analyze passages about the topic and write essays about it, but Joeckel said he does not insert his personal views, nor does he require his students to have a certain opinion, according to the outlet.

The university is a private, Christian school with a student population of about 3,700.

Joeckels dismissal comes as DeSantis has widely pushed back against racial justice teaching in schools in Florida.

DeSantis signed the Stop WOKE Act into law last year, placing restrictions on certain conversations about race in schools and businesses and banning the teaching of critical race theory and educational material that could make members of a certain race feel guilty for past actions that members of their race committed. A federal judge in November blocked part of the law that prevented public college employees from discussing eight concepts related to race during teaching.

Story continues

DeSantis also decided in January to reject an Advanced Placement African American studies class from being taught in Florida schools in January.

Joeckel said the universitys actions go against Christian beliefs that he has and the school claims to have. He said he is taking legal action against the university to show it and other institutions that they cannot get away with this.

The university declined to comment to the Post, but the outlet reported that the provost said in an internal memo last month that she was trying to better understand the pedagogical rationale for including these extensive lectures in the class.

The Post reported that a petition has gathered more than 300 signatures from current and former students supporting Joeckel and opposing his firing.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON  Florida remains unable to enforce its "Stop Woke Act" pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis after a federal appeals court ruled against removing a temporary block on the legislation.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a preliminary injunction last year temporarily prohibiting the state from enforcing the law at colleges and universities. The state of Florida appealed the injunction and requested a stay, which would allow the state to continue enforcing the law until the appeal was resolved. Both requests were denied Thursday.

Tallahassee U.S. District Judge Mark Walker blocked enforcement of the law in November after ruling it was unconstitutional, arguing it violates the First and 14th Amendments as well as the Equal Protection Clause. Walker issued a similar ruling in August, preventing the law from taking effect in businesses. The law remains intact for K-12 schools.

More: Trump's blistering attacks on Gov. Ron DeSantis continue. Will he ever hit back?

Our professors are critical to a healthy democracy, and the State of Floridas decision to choose which viewpoints are worthy of illumination and which must remain in the shadows has implications for us all, Walker wrote in the November order. But the First Amendment does not permit the State of Florida to muzzle its university professors, impose its own orthodoxy of viewpoints, and cast us all into the dark."

Whats the Stop WOKE Act?

The Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees Act, also known as the Individual Freedom Act, is legislation that restricts how race is discussed in Florida schools, colleges and workplaces. The state Legislature approved the measure last March, and it was signed into law by DeSantis in April.

Under the law, schools and universities are prohibited from teachings that could make a student feel as if they personally bear responsibility for historic wrongs because of their race, color, sex or national origin. Businesses also are restricted from diversity practices or training that could make an employee feel similarly.

Story continues

The law has sparked a nationwide debate about censorship, diversity training and critical race theory, which is the study of examining the role racial discrimination has played in shaping American history and modern society.

Why are colleges offering more DEI degrees? Demand for diversity expertise is growing.

Whats next?

The state still faces several lawsuits, which were almost immediately after the bill passed, but no hearings have been scheduled.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ron DeSantis' 'Stop Woke Act' blocked again, law unable to be enforced
TALLAHASSEE  Floridians would find it harder to file lawsuits but easier to obtain a taxpayer-financed voucher to attend private school under Republican priority measures approved by the state House.

Gov. Ron DeSantis had called for the lawsuit changes that advanced Friday by an overwhelmingly Republican House majority. But hes voiced some concerns about the scope of the largest voucher expansion in state history, also a key priority for GOP leaders in the Legislature.

Still, thats unlikely to derail the plan.

I think the governor is a champion for educational freedom, which this bill really represents, said House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, after the measure (HB 1) was approved 83-27, mostly on party lines.

With DeSantis leaning into a likely bid for Republican presidential nomination, the Legislature is moving swiftly to showcase his top issues this session. Both bills now head to the Senate, which has a slightly different version of the voucher plan but is in line with the House on the civil justice overhaul.

Lawsuit limits rev up opposition:Why Florida bikers are leading the attack on lawsuit limits backed by DeSantis, Republicans

Vouchers for more:Florida House speaker pushes to open private school vouchers to all

An earlier insurance fix:Florida lawmakers end property insurance session with 'hope' rates may fall

The voucher bill and the civil justice overhaul (HB 837) were fought by outnumbered Democrats, who warned each would upend key institutions in Florida  public schools and the court system.

The end result of this path is defunding our public school system, Rep. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston, said of the voucher expansion.

But Rep. Josie Tomkow, R-Polk City, said there was nothing wrong with letting parents receive taxpayer dollars to send their children to private school  or public school.

The Florida House, under Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, moves swiftly to advance lawsuit limits demanded by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Help Florida students, not system, supporters say

We need to empower the student and not the system, Tomkow said.

Story continues

The legislation makes every student eligible to receive taxpayer-financed scholarships to attend private school, regardless of their family income level, removing a barrier that had somewhat restrained Floridas current voucher programs.

Democrats ridiculed the lack of financial requirements as basically paying the private school costs of Floridians, at the expense of public schools. Families would be eligible to receive the amount state and county taxpayers contribute to public education, an average of roughly $8,200 per child.

Its an $8,000 coupon for millionaires, Bartleman said.

How much would expanding school vouchers cost?

House estimates put the expansion at a cost of about $209.6 million to public schools, while a Senate analysis of its own bill puts the price tag at $646 million. The Florida Policy Institute, an Orlando-based progressive research organization, said both figures are way off, with public schools facing the loss of potentially $4 billion next year when the expansion is added to the states current voucher programs.

The idea that taxpayer money could finance those who can afford private education has caused even DeSantis some pause. The governor also has questioned whether private schools could accommodate what may be a crush of new students backed by state vouchers.

Democrats warn thats what will undermine public schools  the loss of students to private classrooms. Taxpayer dollars pour into county school districts based on the number of students enrolled, so a significant shift to private schools will reduce what is available for public education.

As a matter of principle, I support universal (choice), being able to do it, DeSantis said on the sessions opening day last week. But I also know were in a situation now in Florida, we have a limited number of seats that we could even accommodate in private schools.

Lawsuit limits are sweeping

The civil justice changes are also sweeping, and were approved 80-31 with most Democrats opposed.

The bill revamps attorney fees, the time frame for filing negligence lawsuits, bad faith cases against insurers, premises liability and comparison of fault, an issue which has brought a parade of motorcyclists to the Capitol during earlier committee hearings on the billd concerned the changes will limit their ability to sue when injured in accidents.

Rep. Tom Fabricio, R-Miami Lakes, said the legislation is about bringing balance to the court system.

A sponsor of the bill, Rep. Tommy Gregory, R-Lakewood Ranch, said that currently, consumers and their attorneys are inclined to sue and likely to win jury awards of damages from businesses, or force these defendant companies to opt for a costly settlement.

Such payouts are driving up insurance costs for businesses, and prove a drag on their ability to operate.

Weve learned that the good intentions of helping consumers have hurt the court system, Gregory said.

Floridas leading business organizations all praised the changes, which Democrats said will primarily help insurance companies who already benefited from a December special session which placed new restrictions on property owners looking to sue insurers over claim disputes.

This bill will harm all Floridians," said Rep. Katherine Waldron, D-Wellington.

John Kennedy is part of USA TODAY Networks Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jkennedy2@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @JKennedyReport.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida making it harder to sue, easier to get private school vouchers
The Republican-controlled House on Friday passed a measure that would make every Florida student eligible for taxpayer-backed school vouchers, as Democrats and other critics slammed the expansion as a coupon for millionaires.

House members voted 83-27 along almost straight party lines to pass the bill. The Senate could consider a similar bill (SB 202) as early as next week.

The proposals have sailed through the Legislature, and Gov. Ron DeSantis has pledged that he would sign a vouchers expansion.

Opposition to the House bill centered, in part, on eliminating income-eligibility requirements that are part of current voucher programs. Families would be eligible to receive vouchers under the bill if the student is a resident of this state and is eligible to enroll in kindergarten through grade 12 in a public school in this state.

READ MORE: Miami-Dade School Board adopts prayer proclamation, displays state motto over dais

Rep. Marie Woodson, D-Hollywood, echoed many other opponents Friday when she criticized the possibility that wealthy families would receive vouchers.

This bill is an $8,000 gift card to the millionaires and billionaires who are being gifted with a state-sponsored coupon for something they can already afford, Woodson said.

The Florida Education Association teachers union also derided the measure as providing an $8,000 taxpayer funded coupon for millionaires and billionaires, saying in a tweet that the measure is a terrible idea.

Republican supporters have pushed back on such arguments, saying that wealthy voucher recipients would have received the same roughly $8,000 in per-student funding from the state to enroll their children in public schools.

Rep. Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto, pointed to the potential growth of alternative options as a way to make all systems of education better. The measure would create what are known as education savings accounts. The accounts would allow recipients to spend voucher funds on a range of purchases beyond private-school tuition, including instructional materials, tutoring costs and fees for various exams.

Story continues

Competition works. Competition makes public schools better. Competition makes private schools better. And the other systems that we actually are encouraging by these education savings accounts, Massullo said during debate on the House floor.

House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, made the bill a major priority for the 60-day legislative session. Renner cited the spending flexibility, saying that the measure stands to improve educational outcomes for students:

This bill  will forever change the course of education in Florida. It allows for customized education for each and every child in this state, Renner said after the bill passed Friday.

In another major change, the proposal would allow families of home-schooled students to receive voucher funds.

Home-schooled students who receive the vouchers would be classified as participating in a personalized education program under the bill.

Those parents would have to apply for vouchers through whats known as a scholarship-funding organization and sign an agreement to annually submit a sworn compliance statement that would include various requirements.

For example, parents of home-schooled students would have to agree to a requirement that their students take a nationally norm-referenced exam or statewide assessment and report the test results to the organization.

Rep. Bruce Antone, D-Orlando, told his fellow members that I believe in school choice  but voiced concerns about the potential ballooning of participation in the programs and the volume of vouchers being administered by scholarship-funding organizations.

Im really concerned that, come 2027-28, and Im just basing this on the staff analysis and their figures, one scholarship organization is going to have maybe [500,000], 600,000 students. That is bigger than Dade County and Broward County [school districts] combined, he said.

The measure would make other changes, such as requiring the education commissioner to create an online portal to help parents navigate Floridas range of school choice options.

The State Board of Education also would be directed to develop recommendations for the governor and Legislature aimed at reducing regulation of public schools.

Meanwhile, a disagreement has persisted about how much the voucher expansion would cost the state. House and Senate staff analyses have included different estimates, with the House giving a ballpark estimate of $209.6 million, while a Senate analysis estimated a price tag of roughly $646 million.

But the Florida Policy Institute, a nonprofit group that opposes the voucher plan, estimates that the proposal would cost about $4 billion.

It is alarming that the Florida House passed HB 1 without any guardrails to mitigate the unprecedented cost and impact this legislation would have on our public schools, Florida Policy Institute CEO Sadaf Knight said in a statement.

House sponsor Kaylee Tuck, R-Lake Placid, defended the bill against concerns about its potential costs.

Weve heard a lot today about the dangers and the economic concerns that come with opening up eligibility to everyone. But I posit you this, we should be empowering every single family and every single child, Tuck said.
In the name of protecting the little guy, lawmakers are advancing a bill to make it easier to sue the media. Meanwhile, they are also trying to make it harder for that same little guy to sue negligent insurance companies and nursing homes.

As the Legislature picks who is worthy of bringing legal action  and against whom  it is the little guy who could be left holding the bag when their ability to seek remedy in civil court for wrongs committed against them, or their loved ones, is diminished.

One bill would would add obstacles to filing wrongful-death lawsuits against nursing homes and assisted-living facilities at a time when incidents at nursing homes have nearly doubled since 2019, as the Tampa Bay Times reported in February. Luckily, so far, House Bill 1029 and its Senate companion arent moving through the legislative process. But another piece of legislation to protect the insurance industry is on the fast track.

The legislation is a push to reform Floridas tort laws, also known colloquially as the law of wrongful injuries. Proponents say it will help lower insurance costs for businesses and Floridians and rein in what Gov. Ron DeSantis described as a cottage industry of litigation.

We have got to do something to fix this mess, sponsor Sen. Travis Hudson said at a Thursday Senate hearing.

Certainly, South Florida is littered with billboards and your typical slip-and-fall radio and TV ads by personal-injury law firms. But its unclear whether making it harder to sue insurance companies will help lower premiums for policyholders, the Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau reported. Under that premise, the Legislature already limited lawsuits against property insurance providers. Its too early to tell whether that will work, though premiums for homeowners are expected to continue to rise this year.

House Bill 837 and Senate Bill 236 expand those limits to other types of insurance, such as auto, life, liability and health. Theres little evidence the highly profitable insurance industry is suffering, at least judging by the $74 million its donated to politicians and business groups since 2010, according to the Herald/Times. Auto insurers made nearly $30 billion in profit in 2020, according to the Consumer Federation of America.

Story continues

Even former President Trump has weighed in, accusing DeSantis  his likely adversary in the fight for the GOP presidential nomination  of delivering an insurance company BAILOUT.

Whats changing

The bill would do away with the requirement that insurance companies pay a policyholders attorney fees if that person wins in court. This requirement dates back to the 1980s and was put in place to level the playing field between regular people and insurance companies  and their high-caliber lawyers  that draw up the terms of a policy. This would make lawyers less likely to take up cases.

In negligence lawsuits, like after a car crash, plaintiffs would get nothing in damages if they are found to be more than 50% responsible for the accident. Currently, a jury calculates the amount of blame between both parties and awards damages accordingly. Under this new scenario, a defendant found 51% responsible would pay damages, but if they are found to be 2% less responsible, they are off the hook.

Motorcyclists have organized against the legislation. They worry they could be found more than 50% at fault for not wearing a helmet, even though Florida allows them not to do so. Hudson doesnt believe that would be the case.

Say a hotel gets sued in civil court for negligence by failing to secure its property, leading to a crime against a guest. The guest sues. The bill would require juries to consider not only the hotels actions but the criminals contribution to the injury.

Hudson said in Georgia, which has laws similar to his bill, that information hasnt dissuaded juries from finding businesses liable in big cases. But its hard to believe that the intention of this provision is not to present juries with information that would dissuade them from holding a property owner accountable. Think of the Parkland school shooting. Should the gunmans actions minimize the failure by schools and police to protect students?

The legislation also would limit how much victims could be reimbursed for their medical expenses and future care. In the case of uninsured patients  about 12% of the state population  they would receive the equivalent of 120% of the Medicare reimbursement rate or 170% of the Medicaid rate.

Those rates are notoriously low and would not be nearly enough to cover the costs for people who suffered catastrophic injuries, such as the 18-year-old woman who was T-boned by an off-duty Palm Beach County deputy. Farrah Fox, now 23, told a Senate committee she was on life support for 17 days and suffered a traumatic brain injury. She had to relearn to talk and requires continuing care that she said she would not get under this legislation.

If this bill goes through, a lot of people will be forced to be trapped inside their own bodies, Fox said.

Critics point out this legislation means the difference between victims of catastrophic injuries getting state-of-the-art treatment versus institutional, bare-minimum care. This might be good for insurance companies, and maybe  maybe  for policyholders premiums.

But is it good for Floridians? We dont think so.
When a fourth-grader in Florida was frustrated about having to sit out his afternoon recess, he penciled a word on an outdoor bench: kill. A teacher asked him about it, and he said it was what he wanted God to do to him.

His mother, Marah Marino, guessed he was hurt and angry. "He's not a mature 10-year-old," she said.

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But soon, a sheriff's deputy who was working in the school stepped in, using a controversial state law to order an involuntary psychiatric evaluation and confinement for up three days in a mental health facility. Marino, who rushed to the school after getting a call about the incident, was stunned, pleading with the officer and asking to be with her son.

The deputy drove away with the terrified boy, and Marino followed closely behind them in her car, watching her son stare out the back window, sobbing, his hand on the glass.

Every day in Florida, children and adolescents are involuntarily committed for psychiatric assessments under the Baker Act, a 1971 law. In fiscal year 2020-21, involuntary exams happened more than 38,000 times to children under 18 - an average of more than 100 a day and a nearly 80 percent increase in the past decade, according to the most recent data. The law is so deeply enmeshed into the state's culture that it is widely used as a verb, as in: The 6-year-old was "Baker Acted."

Some children have been taken away in handcuffs.

Florida's reliance on forced psych exams is rising amid a national mental health crisis among school-aged children. The percentage of girls who reported depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts climbed in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are too few clinicians for the expanding need for mental health care. And in Florida, Baker Act intakes hit a high. By contrast, the number for adults dropped, according to a report by the Baker Act Reporting Center at University of South Florida.

Story continues

While the law is useful for the most serious cases, critics say, it is too often used with kids who have behavioral issues, students with disabilities and those who say something they don't mean. Children as young as 5 or 6 have been temporarily committed, and opponents contend that some mental health facilities are profit-driven and substandard and fail to keep parents informed about their children.

Supporters say that the longtime Florida law has helped keep people from hurting themselves or others - and that it can force a family to reckon with a child's need for professional care. When police and others involved are sufficiently trained, the process can work well "as one strategy for intervention," says Stephen Roggenbaum, chair of the Florida Suicide Prevention Coalition.

Florida is not alone in detaining children this way. But of the six states that keep publicly available data on the practice - including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia and Wisconsin - Florida is an outlier, said David Cohen, a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles who studies the issue. In 2018, the state committed children nearly 16 times more often than Wisconsin, one of the less zealous users of its provision.

"The public has no clue how much involuntary commitment and coercion are going on right now," Cohen said.

By law, the Baker Act can be used when a person is thought to be mentally ill and poses a "substantial likelihood" of serious harm to themselves or others in the near future if they don't have care or treatment. Police, mental health clinicians and others with the power to invoke the law used it more than 5,000 times in school settings in Florida during the 2021-22 fiscal year, according to data collected by school districts.

This school year, a 16-year-old who made a joke about running into traffic, a 6-year-old who made an unspecified threat in class and a 15-year-old who spoke of self-harm when the school declined to recognize their gender identity all found themselves Baker Acted.

The most recent data showed a commitment rate of 1,231 per 100,000 minors, compared to 740 per 100,000 a decade ago.

The Florida Department of Children and Families did not provide comment - in response to repeated inquiries by The Washington Post - on the law's benefits and challenges, including oversight and lack of parent involvement.

Elizabeth McGill, a mother of two in northeastern Florida, watched her 6-year-old be led away in handcuffs last year for allegedly saying he would shoot others or harm himself - words she was certain he did not fully understand. School officials could not be reached for comment this week.

McGill and the boy's father were not allowed to visit him at the mental health facility where he spent three nights, she said, but she called frequently. Each time, McGill said, the kindergartner pleaded: "Mama, when are you getting me out?"

In the early 1970s, when lawmakers crafted the Florida Mental Health Act, commonly called the Baker Act, support was growing for community-based mental health efforts that would reduce long-term psychiatric hospitalizations. Fifty years later, those hospitalizations are no longer the norm.

But the law has no age parameters and, critics contend, little oversight, and sometimes children or adolescents are kept longer than the 72 hours permitted by the statute, according to parents and advocates.

One problem is that not everyone using the law is equally trained. April Lott, chief executive of a Florida mental health nonprofit called Directions for Living, sat on a statewide task force convened to study the Baker Act in 2017. Some police officers get training in crisis intervention, she said, but it is not comparable to the expertise of mental health or medical practitioners. "It should require extensive training," she said.

Sixty percent of cases for people under age 18 were initiated by police, and 40 percent were made by health professionals, according to state data. Florida has mobile mental health response teams that get involved in cases, but "there's just not enough of them," Lott said.

In 2020, just weeks before the pandemic, 6-year-old Nadia King was sent for a compulsory psychiatric exam for being "a threat to herself and others" and "out of control." But body-camera footage from that day shows a calm child as she is led away from her school by sheriff's deputies. Later, as the officers confer, one is heard saying that nothing seems to be wrong with the girl.

"She's been actually very pleasant," the officer said. The other agreed. "I think it's more of them just not knowing how to deal with it," he said, appearing to refer to the school.

School officials said at the time of the episode that the decision was made by a mental health professional sent by a nonprofit, according to a story by The Washington Post. It was not clear whether school officials considered other ways to resolve the incident.

The law's detractors say even a night of psychiatric detainment is traumatic in the life of a child. Some had never slept away from home. Some interpret it as being jailed or punished. And after the ordeal, some parents move their children into new schools, scared it will happen again.

Adding to the toll, some families are saddled with medical bills for the time their children spent in psychiatric facilities. The tab may be several thousand dollars, depending on insurance and other factors, several parents and lawyers said.

Critics say the process is traumatic without being helpful. "Kids leave there with recommendations for treatment but no way to get it," said Robert Latham, associate director of the Children & Youth Law Clinic at the University of Miami Law School. Standing in the way, he said, are waiting lists for therapy, insurance limitations, access problems and geographical barriers. Most of the time, nothing changes afterward, he said.

Florida newspapers have often pressed the issue. In 2019, a Tampa Bay Times investigation found cases of children being housed with adults in mental health centers, or being physically or sexually abused there. It cited instances of children being Baker Acted after saying something on Snapchat, scribbling about death in a textbook or crying in a counselor's office.

Efforts to change the law have been mixed. One change in 2021: Parents must now be notified before a child is removed from a school. But their consent is not needed. Other changes from 2022 require each school system to designate a mental health coordinator and police to restrain people in the least restrictive manner "available and appropriate under the circumstances."

Caitlyn Clibbon, a public policy analyst with Disability Rights Florida, said that the change to police practices could reduce the use of handcuffs on children but that the wording leaves room for interpretation. "We should not be treating them like criminals," she said.

While revisions from 2017 say psych exams on minors must start within 12 hours of arrival at a facility, the wording is vague and parents report children detained for days.

Some argue for more scrutiny of the Baker Act process as it begins, so that children are not pulled into facilities unnecessarily. "I wish there were an intermediate step where the facility that they're brought to can sort of reevaluate and see that they really need to be admitted or not," said Michael Shapiro, a Florida psychiatrist.

For Latham, the most important issue is that the Baker Act solves little in the lives of children. They may get some medication management and possibly some group sessions while detained, but they typically don't receive therapy or other services, he said. "If it was the front door to something that would help, that would be different," he said. But "it traumatizes and puts a kid through all of this with nothing on the other end."

Superintendent Bill Husfelt of Bay District Schools on the Gulf Coast makes no apologies for supporting the Baker Act. His students have been pummeled by Hurricane Michael - a Category 5 storm that ripped away houses, paychecks, stability and hope - and then a pandemic that brought more stress and chaos. Some are immigrants from Honduras, Guatemala and Ukraine who experienced hideous traumas before they arrived.

During the previous school year, children were Baker Acted 121 times in school settings, district data show. This year appears to be similar.

But Husfelt said that in his district of 27,000 students, the Baker Act is not used lightly. Well-trained mental health staff conduct a thorough examination, he said, in a process that could take "an hour or two easy before that decision is made." Usually, he said, parents are there.

Still, he said, "there are more Baker Acts of elementary school students than I've ever seen."

State data on use of the Baker Act in 2020-21 shows a majority of students ages 5 to 10 were boys, while a majority of those ages 11 to 17 were girls. More than 60 percent of students were White, 23 percent Black and 11 percent other races, with 20 percent identifying as Hispanic. The racial makeup largely reflects the population.

Husfelt cites examples: A 9-year-old said she was hearing voices that were telling her to hurt herself and who planned to turn on the oven and climb inside. A 16-year-old with a history of self-harm who needed counseling but was hamstrung by her family's disapproval and now wanted to hurt herself.

"I would rather every child get counseling, and nobody get Baker Acted," he said. "But I also don't want to be the one that finds out that one of our students committed suicide because we didn't do anything about it."

On the other side of Florida, on another side of the debate, advocates assert that the best way to apply the Baker Act is sparingly. The better-safe-than-sorry approach presumes that the risks of not using the Baker Act are greater than the trauma children experience from commitment, they say.

In Palm Beach County, the nonprofit Disability Rights Florida and several families sued the school system in 2021 for allegedly overusing the law, an action that followed a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center detailing the "costly and cruel" practice.

More than 1,200 students went from district schools to psychiatric facilities from 2016 to 2020, the suit said, including more than 250 students in elementary school. The suit also accuses the county of having "seized Black children for involuntary examination at twice the rate of white children, a disparity that worsens for young children: 40 of 59 children under age eight examined under the Act in that period were Black."

Those students did not get the benefit of de-escalation strategies, and they instead were taken into custody by police officers working for the district - often without parental input or over parents' fierce objections, the suit alleged.

Palm Beach County school officials said in a statement that the case points to the need for student mental health support. Each student involved in the suit was experiencing a mental health crisis, they said, and "the appropriate individuals, acting in good faith . . . made the decision that these children should be transported to the hospital for the appropriate medical personnel to evaluate them and provide them with help."

The legal team behind the case said that de-escalation strategies should precede a referral and that parents should be involved in decision-making. They want handcuffs used in only the most severe circumstances and cases to receive after-action reviews to see whether they were preventable.

Brian Martinez's son was 10 years old when he was caught up in the Baker Act. The boy was part of a special program for children with autism in a public school in the Orange County school district in Orlando. After students teased him one April day in 2018, he said he wanted to hurt himself, the father said.

Teachers and principals can't order a student's psychiatric removal through the Baker Act, but they can involve police officers or mental health personnel who have the authority to do so.

In the Martinez case, a school administrator alerted police, who beat Martinez and the boy's mother to the school, he said. The decision had already been made by the time they arrived. Martinez recalls pleading that his son not be handcuffed. He dropped to his knees to tell his son it would be okay.

Once at the psychiatric facility, the 10-year-old refused to eat or shower. He shared quarters with teenagers as old as 17, the family said. Martinez hired a lawyer who won the boy's release the next day. "He had a developmental disability, not a mental illness," said attorney Kendra Parris, who argues that teachers and police need more training on how to use the law.

But for the boy, the experience was not over, Martinez said. He had nightmares for two years. He worried more. At 14, he still struggles with "saying the wrong thing" and facing detention again, Martinez said.

"Kids say stupid things all the time," he said. "It doesn't mean they're going to go kill themselves. You're telling me, with all the advances and all the science and all of the education, we can't diagnose this and know the difference?"

School officials in Orange County said that they could not speak directly on the case because of student privacy protections, but that the district has threat assessment teams set up at each school, and centrally, and relies on law enforcement to determine when a Baker Act is needed.

Nev Jones, a University of Pittsburgh professor who interviewed dozens of affected teenagers and young adults in Florida, said a substantial number reported feeling worse after their psychiatric stay than before it - more despondent, depressed and hopeless. None had received therapy during a Baker Act commitment.

Families have reported that children have trouble sleeping after they come home. Some lose faith in adults at school. Some children of color, who already fear interactions with police, feel even more frightened. Many children and adolescents vow to protect themselves by never disclosing their mental health difficulties.

"I don't want to share my feelings, even with people I trust," said a 16-year old from Melbourne who was Baker Acted during the 2022-23 school year and spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect her privacy.

Foster kids are especially vulnerable to Baker Acts, said Latham, of the Children & Youth Law Clinic. Many lose their placements after being sent away, he added, and then are harder to place because of the stigma that attaches to them.

"I've had kids held in Baker Acts for way longer than they should be," Latham said. "No placements would take them, so they wound up getting stuck there for months."

The 10-year-old who wrote "kill" on the bench at his public charter school - which said it could not comment because of student privacy laws - was one of the lucky ones. He was taken to a hospital where a doctor saw the boy quickly and decided he had been wrongly Baker Acted. According to Marino, the doctor called it a "grave overreaction."

Together, mother and son headed home.

- - -

If you or someone you know needs help, visit 988lifeline.org or call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

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A Florida textbook publisher removed all references of race from a lesson about civil rights icon Rosa Parks in order to get a Florida committees approval, according to The New York Times.

Parks helped spark the Montgomery Bus Boycott after she refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Ala., bus in 1955.

In the current lesson by Studies Weekly, which is used in 45,000 elementary schools, the event is described: The law said African Americans had to give up their seats on the bus if a white person wanted to sit down.

But in an early version created for Floridas review by Studies Weekly, the lesson changed to: She was told to move to a different seat because of the color of her skin.

In the groups second updated version, race is removed completely from the lesson: She was told to move to a different seat.

Studies Weekly also made changes to their fourth-grade lesson about segregation laws.

In the initial version, the text explained how Black Americans were affected by Jim Crow laws that arose after the Civil War, but like its updates to the Parks lesson, the second version eliminated almost every direct mention of race. Instead, the lessons were changed to say it was illegal for men of certain groups to be unemployed and that certain groups of people were not allowed to serve on a jury.

Florida is currently reviewing social studies curriculum, which includes flagging any topics that could be deemed as critical race theory, a collegiate-level framework used to explain systemic racism in the United States that has become a political catch-all buzzword for any teaching on race.

Though Floridas Department of Education mandates the teaching of Black history, critical race theory is banned in Florida public schools  though most experts on the subject say it is not taught in elementary or even high schools.

Still, the theory has become a major point of contention for Republicans, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who signed legislation last year that prohibits instruction that could make students feel responsibility, guilt or anguish for what other members of their race did in the past.

Story continues

DeSantiss administration has taken this law and used it to reject more than 40 math textbooks for allegedly incorporating prohibited topics or unsolicited strategies, including critical race theory. This year, his administration banned an Advanced Placement African American studies course from running in schools, accusing the college board of indoctrination not education.

Meanwhile, Republicans in the state this month introduced legislation to ban Florida colleges and universities from running programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion in colleges and universities.

Still, the Florida Department of Education suggested that Studies Weekly had overreached in its efforts to follow Florida law, saying that any publisher that avoids the topic of race when teaching the Civil Rights movement, slavery, segregation, etc. would not be adhering to Florida law, the department said in a statement to the New York Times.

But during the curriculum review, Florida Citizens Alliance, a conservative education group whose co-founders served on DeSantiss education advisory team during his transition to governor, advised the state to reject 28 of the 38 textbooks it was tasked to review, including more than a dozen by major national publisher McGraw Hill. According to the New York Times, the groups members accused publishers of promoting their bias.

The group objected to a fifth-grade textbook mentioning slavery 189 times and that an eighth-grade book gave too much attention to the negative side of the treatment of Native Americans without detailing instances of their own violence, such as the Jamestown Massacre of 1622, when Powhatan warriors killed more than 300 English colonists.

Studies Weekly has removed its second version of the curriculum from its website and withdrawn its lessons from the states review following questions from New York Times. Florida is expected to announce its textbook decisions in the coming weeks.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.  A Florida English professor whose lessons about racial justice put him at odds with his university's administrators has been fired, the professor said.

Sam Joeckel, a veteran professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University, said in a statement Thursday that the West Palm Beach school had made the disappointing decision to terminate my contract early.

The move comes a month after school administrators told Joeckel they were investigating a concern raised by a parent that he was indoctrinating his students by incorporating lessons about racial justice into his writing composition course.

Joeckel, who has taught at the 3,700-student Christian school for two decades, said he has long included teachings about racial justice in the class and that administrators had never expressed concerns about them before.

They did this for a clear reason: my decision to teach and speak about racial justice, Joeckel said. The timing of this is not a coincidence as we are dealing with an anti-woke crusade from Governor DeSantis and other far-right politicians and activists. PBA was clearly influenced by this toxic political ideology.

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Palm Beach Atlantic University English Professor Samuel Joeckel was been placed under review for alleged "indoctrinating" students by teaching about racial justice in his Writing and Composition class. The professor was later fired by the university, he says.

School investigates Joeckel's class

Students in Joeckel's class read and analyze passages about the topic, discuss them and write short essays of their own. But he said he does not express his own opinions on the issues examined and does not require students to take a certain stance on them.

The school declined to comment on the matter, but its provost said last month in an internal memo obtained by The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network, that she was seeking to better understand the pedagogical rationale for including these extensive lectures in a Composition II class.

Faculty are free to choose a theme that unifies their Composition II course, Provost Chelly Templeton wrote. However, it is important that the Composition II objectives remain the focus of the course.

Story continues

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After administrators alerted Joeckel that he was being investigated, the professor announced what had happened on Instagram.

Joeckel noted in the Feb. 16 post that he was first told that his contract would not be renewed until the university completed its investigation on the same day DeSantis was scheduled to appear at PBAU for a speaking engagement.

Students campaign in support of Joeckel

The post spread quickly, drawing a campaign by some of Joeckel's students to protect his job.

Students and former students peppered the university president's office with calls of support and published a letter signed by more than 300 students and former students. A separate online petition to save his job has garnered more than 1,800 signatures.

Danielle Hawk, a former student of Joeckel's and an organizer of the letter drive, said last month that the incident underscored the need for the school's professors to have more academic protections.

More: DeSantis push to overhaul Florida universities advances in state legislature

'A chilling effect': What happens to our culture when books are banned

They got a complaint and his contract was immediately put on pause," she said. "There was not any sort of due process where they can appeal. They do not have tenure. So one of the things that we want to see out of this is a due-process policy created for faculty members.

Professor may seek legal action

The battle over his position may not be over, though. Joeckel has hired an attorney and said that he may fight his termination in court.

Because PBA took these actions, I will have no choice but to pursue my legal options to fight back and show PBA, and other institutions, that they cannot get away with this, he said.

What's everyone talking about? Sign up for our trending newsletter to get the latest news of the day.

Follow reporter Andrew Marra on Twitter: @AMarranara.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach Atlantic professor fired after racial justice lessons
WASHINGTON (AP)  A retired Air Force officer who stormed the U.S. Capitol dressed in combat gear and carried zip-tie handcuffs into the Senate gallery was sentenced on Friday to two years in prison.

Larry Brock, 55, of Grapevine, Texas, joined other rioters on the Senate floor only minutes after then-Vice President Mike Pence, senators and their staff evacuated the chamber to escape the mob attacking the building on Jan. 6, 2021.

U.S. District Judge John Bates also sentenced Brock to two years of supervised release after his prison term and ordered him to perform 100 hours of community service. Brock, who declined to speak in court before the judge imposed his sentence, remains free until he must report to prison at a date to be determined.

Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Bates convicted Brock in November after a trial without a jury. Brock waived his right to a jury trial.

The judge said Brock expressed "very troubling" and violent rhetoric before the Jan. 6 riot. The judge read aloud several of Brock's social media postings calling it really pretty astounding that a former high-ranking military officer expressed those words.

That's chilling stuff, and it does reflect a purpose to stop the certification of the election, Bates said.

Brock believed baseless conspiracy theories that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Republican incumbent Donald Trump, prosecutors said.

When we get to the bottom of this conspiracy we need to execute the traitors that are trying to steal the election, and that includes the leaders of the media and social media aiding and abetting the coup plotters," Brock wrote in a Nov. 9. 2020, post on Facebook.

In a Facebook message to another user on Christmas Eve, Brock outlined what he called a plan of action if Congress fails to act on Jan. 6. One of the main tasks in his plan was to seize all Democratic politicians and Biden key staff and select Republicans.

Story continues

"Begin interrogations using measures we used on al-Qaida to gain evidence on the coup," he wrote.

Brock flew combat missions in Afghanistan before retiring from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel.

His plan of action also called for a general pardon for all crimes up to and including murder of those restoring the Constitution and putting down the Democratic Insurrection.

Do not kill LEO unless necessary, he wrote, apparently referring to law enforcement officers.

Brock didnt engage in any violence on Jan. 6, but prosecutors said his behavior was disturbingly premediated.

Had the Senate Gallery not been emptied minutes before, Brock could have come face-to-face with the politicians he had fantasized about seizing and interrogating, they wrote in a court filing.

Bates convicted Brock of all six counts in his indictment, including obstruction of an official proceeding, the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress for certifying President Joe Biden's electoral victory, The obstruction charge is a felony; the other five counts are misdemeanors.

Defense attorney Charles Burnham said it is inconceivable that (Brock) was motivated by anything other than genuine concern for democracy.

If Mr. Brock was sincerely motivated by high ideals, it significantly reduces his culpability even if the Court should privately disagree with his view, Burnham wrote in a court filing.

Brock attended the Stop the Steal rally where Trump addressed a crowd of supporters on Jan. 6. He was wearing a helmet and tactical vest when he joined the mob that attacked the Capitol. He entered the building through Senate wing doors roughly 12 minutes after other rioters initially breached them.

On the floor near the East Rotunda stairs, Brock picked up a discarded pair of zip-tie handcuffs. He held the flex-cuffs in his right hand in the Senate gallery. On the Senate floor, he examined paperwork on senators' desks.

This was consistent with Brocks stated overall mission on January 6, which was intelligence gathering to stop the certification and the transfer of power, prosecutors wrote.

Brock graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1989. He was on active duty until 1998 and served in the reserves until 2014.

In a letter to the judge, a retired Air Force major general praised Brock's military service. The major general, whose name was redacted from public court filings, said Brock risked his life to protect U.S. forces from a Taliban attack, flying below mountain peaks into a valley saturated with enemy forces.

"The result thwarted enemy advances on U.S. personnel, saved U.S. lives and defused an ever-escalating situation for the forces at that remote base in Afghanistan, the major general wrote.

Brock was employed as a commercial airline pilot on Jan. 6. His lawyer said the Federal Aviation Administration revoked Brock's licenses after his January 2021 arrest.

Approximately 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Jan. 6 riot. More than 400 of them have been sentenced, with over half getting terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 10 years.

At least 70 of the sentenced rioters have served in the military, according to an Associated Press review of court records.

Also on Friday, a rioter who signed up for the Air Force after assaulting police at the Capitol was sentenced to three years and four months in prison by U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton. Aiden Bilyard was 18 when he sprayed a chemical irritant toward a line of police officers before using a baseball bat to smash a window at the Capitol.

Bilyard was attending basic training at Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio, Texas, when the FBI questioned him several months after the riot. He later separated from the Air Force and returned home to Cary, North Carolina. Bilyard, now 20, pleaded guilty to an assault charge last year.
A former Air Force officer who stormed the U.S. Capitol dressed in combat gear and carried zip-tie handcuffs into the Senate gallery was sentenced Friday to two years in prison.

Retired Lt. Col. Larry Rendall Brock Jr., 55, a Texas native who lives in Grapevine, a Dallas suburb, joined other rioters on the Senate floor only minutes after then-Vice President Mike Pence, senators and their staff evacuated the chamber to escape the mob attacking the building on Jan. 6, 2021.

The Air Force Academy graduate flew combat missions in Afghanistan and remained on active duty until 1998 before retiring from the Air Force Reserve in 2014, according to the service.

U.S. District Judge John Bates also sentenced Brock to two years of supervised release after his prison term and ordered him to perform 100 hours of community service. Brock declined to speak in court before the judge imposed his sentence. He remains free until he must report to prison at a date to be determined.

Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Bates convicted Brock in November after a trial without a jury. The judge said Brock expressed very troubling and violent rhetoric before the Jan. 6 riot. The judge read aloud several of Brocks social media postings calling it really pretty astounding that a former high-ranking military officer expressed those words.

Thats chilling stuff, and it does reflect a purpose to stop the certification of the election, Bates said.

Brock believed baseless conspiracy theories that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Republican incumbent Donald Trump, prosecutors said.

When we get to the bottom of this conspiracy we need to execute the traitors that are trying to steal the election, and that includes the leaders of the media and social media aiding and abetting the coup plotters, Brock wrote in a Nov. 9. 2020, post on Facebook.

In a Facebook message to another user on Christmas Eve, Brock outlined what he called a plan of action if Congress fails to act on Jan. 6. One of the main tasks in his plan was to seize all Democratic politicians and Biden key staff and select Republicans.

Story continues

Begin interrogations using measures we used on al-Qaida to gain evidence on the coup, he wrote.

His plan of action also called for a general pardon for all crimes up to and including murder of those restoring the Constitution and putting down the Democratic Insurrection.

Do not kill LEO unless necessary, he wrote, apparently referring to law enforcement officers.

Brock didnt engage in any violence on Jan. 6, but prosecutors said his behavior was disturbingly premediated.

Had the Senate Gallery not been emptied minutes before, Brock could have come face-to-face with the politicians he had fantasized about seizing and interrogating, they wrote in a court filing.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Larry Rendall Brock Jr. was sentenced to two years in prison, plus two years of supervised release, for his actions during the Jan. 2, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol .(Grapevine, Texas, Police Department via AP)

Bates convicted Brock of all six counts in his indictment, including obstruction of an official proceeding, the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress for certifying President Joe Bidens electoral victory, The obstruction charge is a felony; the other five counts are misdemeanors.

Defense attorney Charles Burnham said it is inconceivable that (Brock) was motivated by anything other than genuine concern for democracy.

If Mr. Brock was sincerely motivated by high ideals, it significantly reduces his culpability even if the Court should privately disagree with his view, Burnham wrote in a court filing.

Brock attended the Stop the Steal rally where Trump addressed a crowd of supporters on Jan. 6. He was wearing a helmet and tactical vest when he joined the mob that attacked the Capitol. He entered the building through Senate wing doors roughly 12 minutes after other rioters initially breached them.

On the floor near the East Rotunda stairs, Brock picked up a discarded pair of zip-tie handcuffs. He held the flex-cuffs in his right hand in the Senate gallery. On the Senate floor, he examined paperwork on senators desks.

This was consistent with Brocks stated overall mission on January 6, which was intelligence gathering to stop the certification and the transfer of power, prosecutors wrote.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Larry Brock walks out of Parker County Jail upon his release on Jan. 14, 2021, in Weatherford, Texas. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News via AP)

In a letter to the judge, a retired Air Force major general praised Brocks military service. The major general, whose name was redacted from public court filings, said Brock risked his life to protect U.S. forces from a Taliban attack, flying below mountain peaks into a valley saturated with enemy forces.

The result thwarted enemy advances on U.S. personnel, saved U.S. lives and defused an ever-escalating situation for the forces at that remote base in Afghanistan, the major general wrote.

Brock was employed as a commercial airline pilot on Jan. 6. His lawyer said the Federal Aviation Administration revoked Brocks licenses after his January 2021 arrest.

Approximately 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Jan. 6 riot. More than 400 of them have been sentenced, with over half getting terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 10 years.
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Friedman and Aven may sell their stakes in the former Ukrainian Alfa Bank

Read also: Alfa Bank Ukraine rebranding into Sense Bank

In April 2022, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) appointed Dyankov to manage Sense Bank assets owned by sanctioned individuals.

In the interview, Dyankov said he is in communication with a potential investor from Poland regarding the sale of Sense Bank.

In the near future I will have meetings at the NBU (National Bank of Ukraine) and the Office of the President, where I would like to agree on our further steps, Dyankov said.

According to him, both he and the Polish investor sent NBU letters of intent regarding the purchase. He added that a corresponding memorandum had already been signed and preparations for due diligence are undedrway.

We offered the potential partner to delegate his representative to an independent member of the (Sense Banks) Oversight Board, said the banker.

Read also: No reason to nationalize former Alfa-Bank, NBU says

Im now writing a plan in which I detail our next steps.

According to Dyankov, during the first stage of the agreement with the investor, it is planned to significantly reduce the share of sanctioned shareholders in Sense Bank. He noted that the shareholders are ready to sell their shares.

But we need to conduct due diligence and, based on its results, decide who will own what in the new bank, Dyankov emphasized.

Read also: Russias Alfa-Bank preparing deal to sell co-owners shares

Further steps need to be approved. We are interested in moving quickly. The path is not easy.

Read also: National Bank of Ukraine wants to lift currency restrictions

In December 2022, Alfa-Bank Ukraine rebranded to Sense Bank  to avoid association with Russias Alfa-Bank.

A week earlier, the Financial Times reported that Russian oligarchs Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven were dumping their stakes in Russian Alfa Bank to Russian entrepreneur Andrei Kosogov, hoping the move would get them off Western sanction lists.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A Merced County jury on Friday found former Baywatch star Alexandra Paul and animal rights activist Alicia Santurio not guilty of misdemeanor theft after they rescued two chickens from a Foster Farms truck in Livingston in September 2021.

The Merced County District Attorneys office prosecuted the case that captured international attention from animal rights activists, who have targeted large-scale processors like Foster Farms.

Paul and Santurio, who are members of the animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere, faced the possibility of up to six months in jail if they were found guilty.

Paul, in an interview after the verdict, said it would have been worth it.

The only reason people like us go into these places is because law enforcement and the government arent helping these animals, Paul said. No one is comfortable with abusing animals, even if they are chickens, and I think the jury understood that.

Paul said the two rescued chickens were given the names of Ethan and Jax. Both chickens received medical attention and were found to be sick.

Ethan died a few days later.

A necropsy report from UC Davis found that Ethan had infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), enterococcus faecium, and E. coli., according to Direct Action Everywhere.

Dr. Sherstin Rosenberg, who testified in the trial, said IBV is an extremely contagious coronavirus with a mortality rate as high as 60% and that the enterococcus faecium and E. coli pathogens posed a public health risk.

Cassie King, spokesperson for Direct Action Everywhere, said Fridays court decision was also a victory for the concept of open rescue.

People who rescue animals that are sick and suffering are showing their faces and wanting the world to know what they are doing, she said. We have nothing to hide; we are doing what is moral and legal.

Paul said she would do it again if necessary.

I will continue to do my investigatory work if I find a sick animal, she said. I cant rescue them all. And we are hoping that public opinion will be the thing that turns the tide. People are realizing this is wrong, and we cant do this anymore.

Foster Farms officials declined to comment about the jury verdict.

We have no comment at the present time, said Ira Brill, company spokesman.
Luke Burton, former director of the Licking County Board of Elections office.

NEWARK  Luke Burton is in employment limbo, neither the director nor the assistant director of the Licking County Board of Elections office, but still working in the office performing the same duties.

During a reorganization earlier this month when the director and assistant director have traditionally flipped positions every couple years, Republican Brian Mead, the deputy director, was named director of the office. But the two Democrats on the four-member Licking County Board of Elections (BOE) pushed at the March 6 board meeting to replace Burton, a Democrat, with Alex Rolletta, another Democrat and former Newark city councilman. The two Republicans votes no, which left Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose to break the 2-2 tie.

LaRose sent the issue back to the Licking County BOE members to correct some procedural errors and compare the qualifications of the candidates. He noted that he's received bipartisan praise for Burton, whom he said has "exemplary work ethic and understanding of election matters."

At a special meeting Thursday, there were no nominations by the four-member BOE for the deputy director position, leaving the position vacant. There were eight public comments at the meeting, five supporting Burton, two critical of the Democrats on the board and one praising the operations of thLicking County elections.

Because there has not been three votes by the BOE to remove Burton, he remains employed as Licking County elections administrator, Mead said.

The board's next regularly-scheduled meeting is 11:30 a.m. April 10, when it could vote on a deputy director. Mead said there could also be another special meeting before then.

"I'll remain here in the office, doing my duties as I have," Burton said following Thursday's meeting. "I will not leave until removed by a majority vote of the board or by the secretary of state.

"However, I hope the board members will take the public comments, consider how the public viewed this meeting and move forward with the important work we do in elections administration and leave any of their personal feelings of current or past members or administrations at the door."

Story continues

Without a deputy director, BOE chairman Freddie Latella, a Democrat, will for the time being sign necessary documents in that role.

New board member Kaye Hartman, a Democrat, declined to provide specific reasons why she did not want Burton to remain in the job, but made it clear she had strong feelings on the issue.

I have no trust in Luke," Hartman said. "In this particular position, the board member has to have some faith and trust in the person theyre appointing to this position, and I do not have it. Thats my reason.

Hartman also said Burton never submitted a resume or letter expressing interest in continuing in the deputy director position, so she assumed he wasn't interested in remaining.

But Mead said "that is not the norm for a sitting director or deputy director. He was the sitting director and hes not required to resubmit.

Latella said Burton does not communicate with Democrats like Burton does with the Republicans.

Luke did the bipartisan job that he was supposed to do when someone came to the counter or someone called and asked him questions, but the Democrats put Luke in that position," Latella said. "(Burton) complains we didnt communicate with him, but he certainly didnt communicate with us, either. I think thats a big problem.

His counterpart does that tremendously. I know Brian makes sure that they know whats going on. As a Democrat, we have no idea whats going on in there because nobody calls us.

Park Shai, a Republican new to the board this year, said he was troubled by the discussion to remove Burton from his job.

I have a hard time believing we should oust a guy thats in a good-paying job with a family and has done a good job, from all indications that I have," Shai said. "I also have a hard time of putting the burden on the board on a daily basis for something that I dont see as a big enough argument to get rid of him. That frustrates me.

The Licking County Democratic Club issued a statement in support of Burton, saying he is a loyal Democrat, generous with his time and a tremendous asset to Licking County voters. The club's statement urges the BOE Democrats to re-appoint Burton.

"I know Luke to be an effective and responsive leader who was well-liked and respected by his colleagues, and who brings a specialized skill set to the board of elections, which is crucial for good elections administration," said Melinda MIller, president of the Licking County Democratic Club and a BOE member until her term ended last week.

"I was dismayed at the attempt by the current Democratic members of this board to what amounts to firing Luke for no good cause," she said.

Miller said that Latella had originally applied for the director job at the same time as Burton, but Latella was not interviewed because he was deemed to be not qualified.

David Lipstreu, a Democrat who ran for Newark City Council in 2021, said Burton "was very helpful to me. He provided excellent information and showed a great breadth of knowledge."

kmallett@newarkadvocate.com

740-973-4539

Twitter: @kmallett1958

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Former Licking County Board of Elections director in employment limbo
(Getty/iStock)

A former detainee of the Guantanamo Bay prison camp has claimed that Florida governor and 2024 presidential contender Ron DeSantis witnessed him being tortured during the time he was stationed there.

Mansoor Adayfi, a Yemeni citizen who was held for 14 years on the US Naval base in Cuba, told The Independent in an extraordinary interview that he was brutally force-fed by camp staff during a hunger strike in 2006, and that Mr DeSantis was present for at least one of those sessions.

The United Nations has characterised the force-feeding of hunger strikers at Guantanamo Bay as torture. The US government has denied that the practice amounts to torture, and it has been used against prisoners over successive administrations during hunger strikes.

Mr DeSantis was stationed on the base between March 2006 and January 2007, according to his military records.

An investigation by The Independent details the following claims:

Two prisoners held at the camp at the time Mr DeSantis was stationed there claim he witnessed the forced-feeding of hunger-striking prisoners.

Mr Adayfi claims that Mr DeSantis had initially told him he was there for the detainees welfare.

Mr DeSantis was stationed at Guantanamo during a year marked by riots, hunger strikes and death.

Part of his role was to field concerns and complaints from prisoners.

Mr DeSantis emerged from his time at Guantanamo as an advocate for its continued use, and against the release of detainees.

Mr DeSantis has not responded to several requests from The Independent for comment on the allegations and for clarity about his role in the notorious prison camp.

As an assumed candidate for the 2024 election, Mr DeSantis is likely to face questions about this time in his career and what impact  if any  witnessing the treatment of Guantanamo detainees has had on his politics.

Until now, he has not spoken in detail about this part of his career. In public, he has advocated for the continued use of Guantanamo Bay to hold detainees suspected of involvement of terrorism, but he has not spoken in detail about his time spent at the camp.

Story continues

Bleeding, vomiting and screaming

Mansoor Adayfi describes it as one of the worst stretches of his 14-year imprisonment at Guantanamo Bay. In 2006, he was in the midst of a hunger strike with a number of his fellow detainees in protest over the conditions inside the notorious prison. A new team had been brought in to break the strike with a more aggressive form of force-feeding. One day, he recounts with emotion in his voice, he was strapped to a chair in the yard by his head, hands, waist and feet, and a feeding tube was forced into his nose. He was bleeding and vomiting and screaming while an assortment of uniformed military personnel watched from the side.

Mansoor Adayfi spent 14 years as a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay prison camp. He lives in Belgrade, Serbia (The Washington Post/Getty)

Years later, now released from the camp without charge and trying to rebuild his life in Serbia, Adayfi came across a photograph online of someone he says he recognised from that day. Until then, he says he knew the man as a young Navy lawyer stationed at the prison, but now he had a name: Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida.

Adayfi says that the same man had watched the terrible episode unfold from behind a chain link fence.

He was watching, and I was really screaming, crying, Mr Adayfi, a Yemeni, tells The Independent in a lengthy video interview from his home in Belgrade. I was bleeding and throwing up. We were in the block yard, so they were close to the fence.

Mr DeSantis has spoken sparingly of his time at Guantanamo Bay, where he served between March 2006 and January 2007 with the US Navy, at 27-years-old, as a judge advocate general (JAG), a job which entailed providing legal representation to military personnel and ensuring the US military complied with the law. There is little mention of it in his new book and he has offered few details of what he did on the campaign trail.

But since serving at the controversial military prison, Mr DeSantis has consistently argued for it to remain open, and spoken against the release of prisoners, even though most are held for years without charge.

At a time when Mr DeSantis appears to be preparing to run for president, the accusations from the former prisoner may shed new light on the potential candidates military career. They allege that he witnessed treatment of detainees that the United Nations condemned as torture, and went on to become a champion of the facility that practised it.

Mansoor Adayfi was held at Guantanamo Bay for 14 years (AP)

In 2006, the year Mr DeSantis arrived at Guantanamo, the camp was rocked by hunger strikes, violent riots and protests from prisoners over their conditions. Camp officials began to take a more aggressive tack to bring the hunger strikes to an end in the early part of the year.

In February of that year, camp authorities began to implement a more aggressive regime of dealing with hunger strikers, according to a New York Times report from the time.

That method, according to the Times, involved strapping some of the detainees into restraint chairs to force-feed them and isolate them from one another after finding that some were deliberately vomiting or siphoning out the liquid they had been fed.

Mr Adayfi says his first interaction with the young navy lawyer was memorable. When they first met, he didnt know his name  camp staff do not use their real names around prisoners for security reasons  but the man he would later come to learn was Mr DeSantis told Mr Adayfi that he was there to help him.

I dont remember exactly when DeSantis came because we had no watch, no calendar, nothing, he says. He came to talk to us along [with] others  medical staff and interpreters. And we explained to him why we were on hunger strike. And he told us, Im here to ensure that you get treated humanely and properly. We were talking about our problems with the brothers, the torture, the abuses, the no healthcare.

This was something strange, because nobody told us that before, Mr Adayfi adds.

Mr DeSantis was memorable for his appearance, too.

He was handsome with beautiful eyes, he says.

Mr Adayfi recalls that he initially believed Mr DeSantis when he told him he was there to help, but he says that quickly changed after he claims he was present for his force-feeding. On the day in question, Mr Adayfi says Mr DeSantis was standing behind a fence in the yard behind the November and Oscar blocks of Camp Delta, watching him being strapped to the chair and force-fed.

He knows about everything  about the hunger strike, the torture, the abuse in the camps. And his job was to ensure that we were treated humanely

Mansoor Adayfi

He was there with medical staff, there was other officers, there was some interpreters. There was like a group of them there, he says.

In his memoir, Dont Forget Us Here, Lost and Found at Guantanamo, Mr Adayfi describes one incident of force-feeding in detail.

Guards pushed me into the chair. They tightened the chest harness so that I couldnt move, then strapped my wrists and legs to the chair. Every point of my body was tightly restrained  I couldnt move at all. One of the male nurses stood in front of me holding a long, thick rubber tube with a metal tip. Another nurse grabbed my head and held it tightly while the male nurse forces that huge tube into my nose. No numbing spray. No lubricant. Raw rubber and metal sliced the inside of my nose and throat. Pain shot through my sinuses and I thought my head would explode. I screamed and tried to fight but I couldnt move. My nose bled and bled, but the nurse wouldnt stop.

When they were done feeding me, the nurse pulled hard on the tube and ripped it out of my body. It felt like a knife coming through my nose and it bled badly. Blood ran everywhere. I couldnt breathe and my stomach was so full I thought I would explode.

Throughout lengthy questioning from The Independent about the finer details of his interactions, Mr Adayfi was insistent that the man he knew as a lawyer at Guantanamo was Mr DeSantis. Mr Adayfis description of his initial interaction with Mr DeSantis, for example, where he claims the young lawyer explained his role at the camp, matches the description given by Mr DeSantiss superior of his job. The dates of key events in the camp during 2006  such as the deaths of three prisoners  match publicly available information regarding the timeline of Mr DeSantiss posting.

Amounting to torture

Mr Adayfi characterises the forced-feeding episodes he suffered as torture. That assessment is supported by numerous United Nations reports, including one in 2006 which said of the practice at Guantanamo: [t]he excessive violence used in many cases during transportation, in operations by the Initial Reaction Forces and force-feeding of detainees on hunger strike must be assessed as amounting to torture as defined in article 1 of the Convention against Torture.

The World Medical Association said in 2006 that the force-feeding of hunger strikers constitutes a form of inhuman and degrading treatment.

The US government, over several administrations, has defended the practice and consistently denied that it amounts to torture. In a lawsuit brought by four detainees in 2013, government lawyers said of the practice: It is the policy of the Department of Defense to support the preservation of life and health by appropriate clinical means and standard medical intervention, in a humane manner, and in accordance with all applicable standards.

Barack Obama, who as a candidate promised to close the prison at Guantanamo, but defended force-feeding there when he was president, replied to a question about it by saying: I dont want these individuals to die.

A US Navy doctor displays a restraint chair in the detainee clinic in the Gitmo maximum security detention center at the US Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (Getty)

After Mr Adayfi says he saw Mr DeSantis at one of these force-feeding incidents, he didnt talk to him again.

At that time, I dont want to see his face. But other prisoners, they talked to him. Some of the prisoners splashed him with faeces and urine and spit on him, he says.

Mr Adayfi was released from the prison camp in 2016 with no charges. He kept in touch with other former detainees spread across the world in various locations and started to try to rebuild his life. Then one day, in 2020, he saw a photograph of Mr DeSantis online.

He says he shared the image with some other released former detainees, who also recognised him. He also shared the image with his book editor at the time, Antonio Aiello. When contacted by The Independent, Aiello confirmed this account and says he had multiple discussions with Mr Adayfi about Mr DeSantis going back roughly two years.

Mr Adayfi first made the claims publicly in November 2022, on the Eyes Left podcast. That account of Mr DeSantiss presence during force-feeding matches the one he gave to The Independent.

But Mr Adayfi is not the only former detainee who says that they recognised Mr DeSantis from their time at the prison camp.

Ahmed Abdel Aziz, a former prisoner who was released after 13 years without being charged with a crime and is currently back at home in Mauritania, also claims that Mr DeSantis witnessed the force-feeding at Guantanamo.

Although he did not take part in the hunger strike himself, Mr Aziz tells The Independent that he witnessed dozens of force-feeding sessions in 2006 himself, and it was not uncommon for large groups of camp staff to watch them from the side.

Sometimes a big bunch of people will come, sometimes two or three, sometimes the medical staff would come alone with the guards. Among them was this man, he says, referring to Mr DeSantis.

He was not there all the time, he says. He was watching. He cannot stop it, he doesnt have the authority, but he could stand against that or write to his higher-ups, to Washington, to other departments and tell them whats going on.

Like Mr Adayfi, Mr Aziz says doesnt remember exactly when he realised the lawyer he knew from Guantanamo was Mr DeSantis, but he dates it roughly to a few years ago, when one of his friends sent him a picture.

As soon as I saw his picture I know him very well because he spent a long time there, maybe six months or eight months, he says. Most of the people in there, once we see them, we dont forget them, he adds.

Mr Adayfi says many of the force-feeding incidents took place outside the Oscar and November blocks of Delta Camp. (The Independent)

Mr Adayfi says he believes the American people should know that Mr DeSantis  now a national political figure on the cusp of declaring a run for the White House  was aware of and observed what he endured at Guantanamo.

Im not trying to say DeSantis was giving orders to the force-feeding. I didnt see him giving orders to the guards, and I dont think he was in a position to give orders to the guards. But he was there watching. He knows about everything  about the hunger strike, the torture, the abuse in the camps. And his job was to ensure that we were treated humanely, he says.

Mr DeSantiss military records show that he had duties at Guantanamo Bay Naval base between 1 March 2006 and 31 January 2007. His duties are listed as Trial Counsel, Command Services Attorney, as well as JTF-GTMO scheduler/administrative officer.

Retired Navy captain Patrick McCarthy, who served as staff judge advocate at the detention facility and supervised Mr DeSantis, said in a 2018 interview that his duties required interacting with detainees and hearing their complaints.

If any complaints were raised, Ron would have been among the folks I sent down to talk to the detainees, Mr McCarthy told the Miami Herald. He said in the same interview that Mr DeSantis would have made sure the complaints were addressed in a way that was consistent with the law.

In his recently released book, The Courage to be Free, Mr DeSantis wrote that part of the reason he enlisted in the military in 2004 was so that he might be able to take part in prosecutions at the camp.

One recruiter told me that the assumption was that the Iraq campaign would be over relatively quickly, and that there would be a need for military [judge advocate generals] to lead prosecutions in military commissions of incarcerated terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, he wrote. He added that it seemed like a good opportunity to make an impact.

Mansoor Adayfi (Slavoljub Milanovic)

At the time, allegations of torture and ill-treatment of detainees at the camp were rife. The International Committee of the Red Cross, which had conducted visits to the camp since 2002, wrote to the US government in June 2004 to decry the system of interrogation there as an intentional system of cruel, unusual and degrading treatment and a form of torture. The report, which became public in November of that year, alleged humiliating acts, solitary confinement, temperature extremes, use of forced positions, as well as exposure to persistent loud noise and music and some beatings.

The use of torture at Guantanamo Bay  euphemistically referred to as enhanced interrogation by the Bush administration  was approved by defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld for use as early as 2002. Those techniques included hooding, stress positions, isolation, stripping, deprivation of light, removal of religious items, forced grooming, and use of dogs, according to a 2005 Human Rights Watch report.

The chaotic situation at the camp continued throughout the year. On 10 June 2006, three prisoners died in one night. The US military determined that Yassar Talal al-Zahrani, Mani Shaman Turki Al Habardi al-Tabi, and Ali Abdullah Ahmed, all died by hanging, but researchers claimed the investigations into their deaths "failed to conform to minimum standards.

Enemy combatants

As of February 2006, the month before Mr DeSantis arrived, the US government held more than 500 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay as alleged enemy combatants. Mr Adayfi was one of them.

Born in a small village in Yemen, he was just 18 when he went to Afghanistan in 2001 to conduct what he says was a research mission into al-Qaeda on behalf of a sheikh at an Islamic institute outside of Sanaa, the Yemeni capital. According to his account, detailed in his book, Mr Adayfi was captured by Afghan warlords and handed over to the CIA at a time the intelligence service was offering rewards. He then says he was taken to a CIA black site, where he was tortured.

According to a Department of Defense file on Mr Adayfi that called for his continued detention in Guantanamo, dated 2008, the US government described Mr Adayfi as an admitted member of al-Qaeda who possessed prior knowledge of the 11 September 2001 attacks as well as other planned attacks against US interests, and also claims that he was identified as a commander of evacuating front line forces assessed to be Usama Bin Ladens (UBL) 55th Arab Brigade during hostilities against US and Coalition forces.

Mr Adayfi says he repeatedly denied the interrogators accusations that he was a member of al-Qaida, but says he later gave a false confession in anger at his ill-treatment.

I was angry. I was hurt. I said things that I didnt mean, but I was in a deep, dark hole, he recalled in his memoir. I wanted to teach them that they couldnt kill and torture us and expect us to love them for it.

Before his release, the US government also amended its assessment of Mr Adayfi, saying in a declassified report that it was unclear whether he actually joined al-Qaeda and was probably  a low-level fighter.

Mr Adayfis sister and brother died during the 14 years he was held at Guantanamo. He emerged from the prison he entered at 19 years old a different person. He says he still suffers from the impact of the time he spent at Guantanamo, and the force-feeding was just one part of it.

They totally destroyed our life. The interrogations, sexual assault, the beatings, the long-term confinement, mental, psychological, physical abuse, just name it, he said of his treatment at the prison camp and in CIA custody before his arrival.

They broke our lives, and we still struggle to live now, he adds.

DeSantis speaking at a rally in Hialeah, Florida in November (Reuters)

When asked how he feels about Mr DeSantis today, Mr Adayfi says he has no ill will towards him, but does not believe he should be president.

Hes a bad person, you know. I like America, and such people, when they come to power, they create a lot of problems.

I have no hate against him. But at the same time, as a lawyer, as someone who is a graduate of law and believes in the law, he should have known better, he says.

I would ask him why would he want to keep Guantanamo open. As a lawyer, there should be a presumption of innocence, not guilt. If you love your country, if you love your people, if you believe in American values, you should be the first one who called for the closure of Guantanamo. And if you think we are criminal terrorists, okay, take us and try us before your justice system.

Following his time at Guantanamo, Mr DeSantis went on to serve as a JAG in Iraq. Later, he became a congressman for Floridas sixth congressional district, at which time then-president Barack Obama had proposed closing the prison by executive order. Mr DeSantis spoke out numerous times against the idea.

At a congressional hearing chaired by Mr DeSantis in 2016, the then-congressman forcefully argued for Guantanamo to remain open.

The presidents conclusion that the detention facility should be closed is based in part on his idea that the facility is a recruiting tool for Islamic jihadists, but this represents a misunderstanding of the nature of the terrorist threats we face., he said. These are not the type of people that will abandon their jihad against America and our allies simply because we close Guantanamo Bay, he told the House of Representatives Subcommittee of National Security, part of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

In the same session, he spoke briefly of his time there.

When I was in the Navy I was there for a time and it is a very professionally run facility. Anybody in this room would rather spend a night there than in like the Fallujah jail or something like this. I mean, it is just night and day. And the people that are guarding that facility are under an awful lot of pressure because those detainees are very hostile to them, and they know that if they do anything that they are all of a sudden going to be subject to  so it is a very stressful environment for our uniformed personnel who are there, he said.

In a campaign ad for his successful 2018 run for governor, images of Mr DeSantis in his navy uniform are shown as a narrator described him as a JAG officer who dealt with terrorists at Guantanamo Bay.

Mr DeSantiss office did not respond to several requests for comment.
Former J.P. Morgan executive Jes Staley will be deposed next week over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender and financier who killed himself in jail after being arrested for sex trafficking in 2019.

Reuters reported on Thursday that attorneys for J.P. Morgan said during a hearing that they would question Staley next Thursday and Friday.

Staley, who also previously served as CEO of Barclays before stepping down from his position in 2021 amid an internal investigation about his ties to Epstein, reportedly has acknowledged that he was friends with Epstein but has denied that he knew of Epsteins crimes and said he regrets having contact with him.

Barclays said its investigation makes no findings that Staley saw or was aware of Epsteins actions. The probe scrutinized how Staley characterized his relationship with Epstein to Barclays and the United Kingdoms Financial Conduct Authority, which conducted the investigation along with the Prudential Regulation Authority.

Reuters reported the J.P. Morgan has filed a lawsuit to make Staley return eight years worth of compensation and reimburse the company for damages it might take on from other lawsuits. The company has accused him of intentional and outrageous conduct in not being open about his ties to Epstein.

The Hill has reached out to Staleys attorney for comment.

Reuters reported that Judge Jed Rakoff pushed back the trial date for the case from Sept. 5 to Oct. 23 to consolidate cases from an anonymous Epstein victim and the U.S. Virgin Islands against J.P. Morgan with the banks suit against Staley.

The Associated Press has reported that the last time of contact between Epstein and Staley was in 2015, shortly before Barclays hired him. Staley and his wife visited Epsteins private island for lunch.

Epstein was facing multiple charges for sex trafficking of minors at the time he was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019. The New York City medical examiner ruled his death was caused by suicide by hanging.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Dr. Russell J. Levenson, former rector of The Episcopal Church of the Ascension in Lafayette, was in town recently to promote a book about his special relationship and time spent with a very prominent couple from Houston.

Levenson, who was a friend and priest to President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush, shared tidbits of his new book "A Witness To Dignity: The Life and Faith of George H.W. and Barbara Bush" with members of the community he still considers a very special home for his family and him.

"A Witness To Dignity" was published in November 2022, and includes never-before shared correspondence, experiences, and personal stories. Levenson said it offers insight into the Bushes wit and wisdom, their commitment to family and friends; their tireless desire to bless the lives of others; and their steadfast loyalty to their church, their faith, and God.

Rev. Russell Levenson, George H.W. Bush's and Barbara Bush's priest, pastor, and friend speaking at The Episcopal Church of the Ascension about the release of his book, Witness to Dignity. Wednesday, March 15, 2023.

While working for his alma mater, Birmingham Southern College, Levenson began to enter the process that would lead to full-time ordained ministry. He served as a Lay Assistant at the St. Lukes Episcopal Church in Alabama and received his Master of Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia in 1992.

As an English major, he said he has always enjoyed writing. It was while writing articles for religious magazines and theoretical articles that he decided to write his first book.

Speaking at his former church on Wednesday, Levenson talked about his first encounter with Bush. He briefly met him in college but he never expected years later that he would become Bush's priest. It was not until 2007 when Levenson, relocated to Houston that he connected with the Bushes. He serves as rector of St. Martins Episcopal Church in Houston where George and Barbara were active members for more than 50 years.

Levenson remembers a time that he got a phone call letting him know the president wanted to have dinner. "I kept thinking what I am doing here? I'm a redneck from Alabama. What can I talk about with the president? Then there were moments where I thought was this a one-time thing or will this ever happen again?" he said.

Story continues

Rev. Russell Levenson, George H.W. Bush's and Barbara Bush's priest, pastor, and friend speaking at The Episcopal Church of the Ascension about the release of his book, Witness to Dignity. Wednesday, March 15, 2023.

During his friendship with the Bushes from 2007 until the time of their deaths in 2018, Levenson believes he was invited into private moments so he could serve as a witness: a witness to observe, and a witness to tell. In 2018, he officiated at the memorial service for First Lady Barbara Bush in Houston, and later that year, he co-officiated and preached at the State Funeral for President George H.W. Bush.

Before beginning to write "A Witness To Dignity", Levenson sought and received the blessing of all the Bush children, including the 43rd president, George W. Bush.

In the book, Levenson shows readers how the Bushes lived out their faith in their day-to-day lives and showcases the untold eyewitness and intimate stories of the character, integrity, service, faith, and dignity of the former president and first lady.

Levenson said that he's read many books about the Bushes, but not a book about their faith. Knowing them as their priest, not as someone in politics, Levenson says he observed their faith and wanted to tell that story. "Their faith was very strong, so I wanted to write a book to honor them, to honor their faith, and honor the Christian faith."

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Dr. Russell Levenson returns to Lafayette to talk about his new book
Joseph Kade Abbott, a former Maryville Apostolic Christian Academy middle school teacher, has been charged with two more counts of sexual abuse by an authority figure, this time in a different county, Knox News has learned.

The charge is related to the same girl Abbott was charged with abusing in Blount County.

Abbott turned himself in and quickly posted $75,000 bond March 17.

Abbott, 26, previously taught at the Maryville Apostolic Christian Academy, the school housed within First Apostolic Church of Maryville. He was listed as a staff member as recently as August.

He was also a worship leader, appearing on albums and projects with the church.

Where was Abbott charged?

The new charges stem from a Sevier County grand jury, which returned the charges after determining there was enough evidence to show Abbott committed a crime against a minor.

Public records don't disclose how the two were interacting in Sevier County, but First Apostolic Church of Maryville has a satellite campus in Sevierville.

Abbott's attorney Jonathan Cooper said Abbott voluntarily surrendered to Sevier County authorities Friday and was released on bond.

"We have not yet had an opportunity to carefully review or investigate the allegations, but these allegations were not unforeseen," Cooper said in an emailed statement to Knox News.

"We will follow all conditions of release and appear in court as scheduled," he said.

How we got here

Abbott was arrested in January in North Carolina and brought to Blount County on a charge of sexual battery by an authority figure after being accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. He was released on a $200,000 bond.

He was originally scheduled to be back in Blount County court March 17 for a status hearing but that has been postponed until April 17.

Joseph "Kade" Abbott was a middle school teacher at Apostolic Christian Academy which is housed inside the First Apostolic Church of Maryville.

A Blount County judge allowed Abbott to return to Mississippi, where he's from, with a monitoring device. He has not yet been arraigned on the new charges in Sevier County.

Story continues

The family has filed a lawsuit

Abbott, First Apostolic Church of Maryville and the school it runs have been sued by the parents of the girl on allegations he sexually assaulted her several times in 2022. The family is suing for $4.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

Why were not naming the alleged victim

Police began investigating Abbott in June after he was accused by the girl's parents of sex abuse. Knox News is not naming the girl or her family because she is a minor and says she's a victim of sexual abuse.

Why was he in North Carolina?

As previously reported by Knox News, Abbott moved after being accused of having the relationship with the girl. He made his way to Matthews, North Carolina, where he volunteered at Abundant Life Church, an Apostolic congregation near Charlotte.

While at the church, Abbott led a group named Balling, which was "a small group meant to fellowship in the love of recreational activities to get the ole pumper going. The page listing the group has since been removed from the churchs website.

The churchs pastor, Brent Watts, has said he was not aware of any legal issues for Abbott.

What do the charges mean?

The charge of sexual battery by an authority figure is used against defendants who use their job or legal status to take advantage of their victim, or who have parental or custodial authority.

Tyler Whetstone is an investigative reporter focused on accountability journalism. Connect with Tyler by emailing him at tyler.whetstone@knoxnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @tyler_whetstone.

Make our community, our society and our republic stronger by supporting robust local journalism. Subscribe online at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Former Maryville Apostolic teacher facing new sexual abuse charges
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner in the 2024 election, will hold his first rally as a declared candidate in Waco on March 25.

He will speak at 5 p.m. at Waco Regional Airport, about 90 minutes south of Fort Worth, his campaign said Friday.

The 45th president could be under indictment by the time he lands in central Texas. News reports Friday cited law enforcement sources saying Trump could be charged in New York as early as next week on alleged hush money paid to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels. Trump has denied the allegations.

So far, the only other widely known declared candidate for the GOP nomination is Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor who served as ambassador to the United Nations under Trump. But the list of Republican politicians expected to enter the race include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

President Joe Biden is expected to seek a second term.

For Trumps rally, undisclosed guest speakers begin at 2 p.m. ahead of his 5 p.m. remarks.

On the eve of last falls election, Trump staged a Save America rally near Corpus Christi. In January 2022, Trump spoke to thousands in Conroe ahead of the March primaries. The summer before, Trump appeared with Gov. Greg Abbott at the Mexican border to criticize Bidens immigration policies.
Its no secret that artificial intelligence (AI) is currently the talk of the town.

On March 30, AfroTech is taking the topic to center stage at AfroTech Executive 2023 in Seattle, WA, where Black corporate executives, investors, and tech moguls will convene.

Jessica O. Matthews, founder and CEO of Uncharted, and Jonnie Bradley, Acting Director and Responsible Artificial Intelligence Official at the U.S. Department of Energy, are set to discuss how to sustainably take control and maximize AI.

While AI is being utilized to advance industries, there is the danger of errors and bias on the other side of the coin. To combat such a danger, Larry Adams took action.

Adams is the founder and CEO of X_Stereotype, an AI-powered platform that analyzes content through a lens of diversity and inclusion. The companys website describes it as the worlds first inclusion operating system eliminating stereotypes and bias in marketing.

Adams spoke with AfroTech about helping promote inclusion through his platform, the evolution of AI, and what ways the Black community should tap into the technology.

Editorial Note: Portions of this interview have been edited for clarity and length.

The post Founder And CEO Larry Adams Aims To Use AI To Eliminate Stereotypes And Bias In Marketing appeared first on AfroTech.

AfroTech: How would you say that your background in digital marketing and media laid the groundwork for creating the first inclusion operating system?

Larry Adams: My experience with digital product design and marketing was key to me kicking off the development of X_Stereotype. It was important in a couple of ways  one, understanding how data drives experiences, and two, understanding how to leverage large data sets to create automated decisions.

AT: How have you personally watched AI evolve in real time from when you first brainstormed X_Stereotype to its official launch?

LA: At the beginning of digital, I watched years pass before broadband became widely available. Then years passed again before mobility took over as the primary way users interacted with digital experiences. Now were in the AI phase, but this is different because were seeing changes to AI happening in months, not years. When we started 18 months ago we were explaining AI and machine learning. Now, lots of people are using generative AI and figuring out their data strategies.

Story continues

AT: Your platform is all about working toward more inclusivity. However, in what specific areas of AI do you hope to see more inclusion?

LA: We use AI to scale data generated by real-life people, whose responses offer insights into emotionality, sentiment, bias, inclusion, authenticity, and purchasing intent. Our platform is helping move content creators to be more inclusive by incorporating human intelligence into training natural language processing AI models. X_Stereotype has incorporated over 4 million points of data. I hope to see more inclusion on the training level for AI so that it can continue to provide authentic, human-centric, and non-racist insights.

AT: Weve been focusing on more of the positive impact of AI in this discussion, but can you also speak to the dangers of AI that create harmful effects?

LA: AI is only as good as its underlying data. X_Stereotypes mission is to create data that represents all of us. By putting our experiences and points of view into the AI ecosystem, we dont get AI that is biased and incomplete. The danger of using AI is that without human intelligence, results and decisions could be filled with errors and bias. At X_Stereotype, we are tackling removing stereotypes and bias out of the data we use to make decisions.

AT: As AI continues to make headlines, there are some skeptics who dont see a positive influence from its usage. How does X_Stereotype hope to present itself as a platform that is a safe space for users, especially those of the Black community?

LA: AI is not going anywhere; its only going to be used in more and more applications. However, we will have widespread proliferation of biased information without reliably and consistently training AI with the diversity experiences + data of everyone  every racial group, and especially the Black community. For those of us among the community, it is imperative that we lean in to take an active role in the data that represents us and lead how our digital narrative is crafted.
(Getty)

Private communications made public in a defamation lawsuit against Fox News revealed some of the networks top stars and executives acknowledging baseless conspiracy theories surrounding the 2020 presidential election.

The $1.6bn lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems, the company at the centre of bogus on-air statements from Donald Trumps allies, argues that the right-wing media network knowingly presented false claims that energised competing networks that threatened Fox viewership.

Private admissions detailed in court filings show text messages, emails and sworn testimony questioning or ridiculing unreliable guests and spurious arguments while at the same time conceding that publicly rejecting those claims would risk alienating their viewers.

Embarrassing and potentially reputation-damaging behind-the-scenes revelations, stitched together in Dominions sprawling case alleging a media empire that relies on lying to its audience, may be compelling evidence, but they are not necessarily enough to reach the high bar in a billion-dollar defamation case, according to legal analysts.

Those findings will be enormously helpful for a jury to consider Dominions case if a trial begins as scheduled in April. But prevailing in court means Dominion must prove that Fox aired defamatory statements knowing that they were false or with reckless disregard for the truth, and link those accusations to the states of mind of those responsible for airing them.

Those hurdles are outlined in the US Supreme Court precedent established in The New York Times v Sullivan, a landmark press freedom case from 1964 that has also been at the centre of right-wing attacks on the media, including recent lawsuits from Sarah Palin and Donald Trump.

Some analysts argue that Dominions case against the most-watched cable media outlet could deliver a blow to press freedom protections while, ironically, powerful right-wing figures launch their own legal challenges to strip the Sullivan precedent entirely.

Story continues

A spokesperson for Fox News told The Independent that Dominion joins a long line of public figures and corporations across the country that have long tried to silence the press, and this lawsuit from Staple Street Capital-owned Dominion is nothing more than another flagrant attack on the First Amendment.

Fox News will continue to fiercely protect the free press as a ruling in favor of Dominion would have grave consequences for journalism across this country, the statement said.

In another twist of fate, Dominions case literally involves the levers of democracy, things that we should be very wary about punishing, according to Andrew Geronimo, director of the First Amendment Clinic within the Milton and Charlotte Kramer Law Clinic at Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

We want to encourage a robust and wide-open discussion about public affairs, especially about how to run our governments, and we want to allow for some breathing room  to let people talk about this without having to do the full journalistic run at it, he told The Independent.

But what you cant do is knowingly lie about somebody in a way that damages them, he said.

The big media story driving Dominions case against Fox

Dominion submitted dozens of pages outlining the considerations needed to meet the actual malice standard, including statements and messages from the networks on-air personalities, producers and executive leadership, as well as Fox Corporation chairman Rupert Murdochs admission in a sworn deposition that some of his stars were endorsing a false narrative around the 2020 election.

Attorneys for Fox News argue that Dominion has sought to distract from its evidentiary deficiencies by cherrypicking anything it can find from any corner of the Fox News organisation that shows that anyone at Fox News doubted or disbelieved the presidents allegations.

From there, it posits that Fox writ large  not the specific person(s) at Fox News responsible for each statement  knew that that specific statement was false, according to court filings from Fox News.

In addition to uncovered messages and admissions in sworn testimony, Dominions case has relied on showing a much-larger picture of the Fox organisation, its decision making, and its concerns over declining viewership with competition from other right-wing networks that have indulged the former presidents conspiracy theories.

That is the media story narrative driving Dominions case, so you dont get the plausible deniability of were just putting newsworthy stuff on air, which is the argument [Fox] is making, Mr Geronimo said.

In legal briefs, attorneys for Fox News have argued that news organisations have an obligation to air newsworthy allegations, especially those from a sitting president. But those claims are likely to dissolve if the network was driven by profit rather than facts, according to legal analysts.

The fact that there was arguably a motive by Fox to publish these accusations against Dominion based on its own economic interests in retaining Trump viewers would, if believed by the jury, probably destroy that argument, Rutgers University law professor Ronald Chen told NPR.

Why havent Dominion and Fox reached a settlement?

Attorneys for Fox News have argued that Dominion was not damaged anywhere close to the $1.6bn the voting machine company is seeking.

But if there are boards of elections around the country canceling contracts with Dominion and citing some of this reporting that turns out to be false, I think that is a way to show damages, Mr Geronimo said.

I think what a trial really should do in this case is go through statement by statement, and figure which of them are statements of fact, and if they are statements of fact, which of them are false, he told The Independent. And if theyre false, which of them damaged Dominion?  I think there should be a pretty granular and specific analysis of what was said, who knew what and when, and only if all those boxes are checked should there be some kind of liability.

Richard Tofel, former president of nonprofit investigative news publisher ProPublica, argued that the parties should settle. For Dominion, that means reaching a conclusion long before a potentially lengthy trial, conviction and sentencing that could take months or years to enforce.

Dominion has proved the hardest part of its case, that Fox not only repeatedly broadcast untruths in the days and weeks after the election, but that it did so knowingly, and for the base motive of pandering to viewers, especially as some defected to rival networks, and thus preserving profits, he wrote.

Fox, on the other hand, could settle to avoid a potentially even-larger trial verdict amount, and, perhaps more importantly to its business, the network would avoid having to publicly and repeatedly admit a series of truths that, as court filings have revealed, could damage the business and crash viewership.

A settlement scenario would not necessarily be an admission of guilt but could include an agreement that Fox News agrees to say those things we got sued over, he said.

I dont think a settlement would change how Fox does business really in any way, he told The Independent. This whole incident  might make them a little bit more cautious.

Rupert Murdoch (REUTERS)

Tim Heaphy, a former federal prosecutor and the lead investigator for the House select committee investigating January 6, said that the legal system in this case reveals its function as a forum in which people can address grievances and get justice, and there is an important sort of public discourse benefit, because a lot of that plays out in a public way.

He suggested that Dominion may not want to settle exactly for that reason.

They want a lot of these facts to be laid bare in a courtroom in a public proceeding, he told MSNBC. Were headed there. There may be more of these kinds of behind-the-scenes allegations, and I do think that theres a useful long-term benefit for people to understand.

Will a victory for Dominion be a slippery slope for the First Amendment?

A victory for Dominion at a trial could be a devastating blow to Fox. Longtime First Amendment attorney Lee Levine told The Los Angeles Times: I have a hard time envisioning a scenario in which Fox wins before a jury.

But some legal analysts fear that elevated scrutiny into a media outlet on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars in damages  or more, if a jury decides  could cause long-term harm to US newsrooms.

Generally speaking, it is not a good idea to permit a wholesale inquiry into newsroom decisions as a whole, and also I include ownership as part of that inquiry, according to James Goodale, the New York Times general counsel who advised the paper to publish the Pentagon Papers, speaking to NPR.

No matter how much I might personally deplore what Fox is alleged to have done, I worry a lot more about the longer term-ramifications, according to Jane Kirtley, University of Minnesota media law professor and a former executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, speaking to NPR.

To simply say Fox is a bunch of liars  that they shouldnt be allowed to get away with this and their wild speculations should not be reported and should not be protected  I just think that that is a slippery slope, she told the outlet.

But the problem is that by lifting the veil on the editorial decision-making process, we are now going to see all news organizations called into question going forward, she added.

Fox has argued similarly in statements to the press; a spokesperson told The Independent that the case presents an unprecedented assault on the First Amendment.

But even if Dominion makes their case and convinces a jury to shovel truckloads of Foxs money to [Dominion], nothing in this case presents a meaningful threat to the First Amendment, according to former Bloomberg counsel and New York University professor Charles Glasser, speaking to NPR.

It really comes down to the facts about how the story was crafted and disseminated, he added.

Mr Geronimo told The Independent that a jury, in the end, might just not like you.

And if they dont like you, then they might be inclined to fight against you, he said.

I dont think we want people just picking sides and apportioning liability there, because then what, when the sides are flipped? he added. Thats a dynamic that I will be watching if it goes to trial: Are they doing what I think the analysis requires, which is finding specific statements, and checking off the elements? Or is it all just like, Look how bad Fox was?  and not be as specific with which statement was a false statement of fact.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang meets with Pakistani Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed Khan in Beijing, capital of China, March 17, 2023. (Xinhua)

BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Friday met with Pakistani Foreign Secretary Asad Majeed Khan in Beijing, saying that China will advance and deepen friendly cooperation with Pakistan.

Noting that the iron-clad friendship between China and Pakistan has withstood the test of time and the changing international landscape, Qin said China appreciates Pakistan for its strong support on issues concerning China's core interests.

China stands ready to work with Pakistan to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, unswervingly advance and deepen friendly cooperation, and push for greater progress in the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and bilateral all-round cooperation, Qin said.

Majeed said Pakistan regards its relations with China as the most important bilateral relationship and firmly pursues the one-China policy.

Pakistan is willing to further deepen cooperation with China in various fields, strengthen coordination and cooperation on international and regional affairs and constantly consolidate the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between Pakistan and China, Majeed said. 
PARIS  Piles of stinking trash lay next to people sitting in Paris chic street cafes, uncollected for days. Torched cars and burned out tires litter some of the French capital's roads.

Paris is no stranger to political and popular unrest, but in recent days thousands have taken the streets and stormed police barricades, facing tear gas and water cannons in response.

Protesters across the country are angry about President Emmanuel Macrons long-promised plans to raise the national retirement age from 62 to 64 during an acute cost-of-living crisis, exacerbated by spiralling inflation.

The French government says that with rising life expectancy the reform is essential to ensure that the pension system remains intact. But the policys critics are not convinced.

France's showdown over a bill raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 is heading toward a climax, either via a parliamentary vote or through a special presidential move to force it through the legislature. (Lewis Joly / AP)

Their fury only increased after Macron, facing a divided Parliament and lacking the support of the right-wing Republican Party, instructed Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to invoke article 49.3 of the Constitution on Thursday, allowing the legislation to pass without a vote from lawmakers.

Thousands gathered Thursday in Place de la Concorde, which faces the National Assembly building, and sporadic protests persisted into the night. Large plumes of black smoke rose early Friday over Gare du Lyon, a busy rail station on the eastern side of town.

Protests also played out in many towns and cities, including Rennes in the west and the southern port city of Marseilles.

Some 310 people were arrested, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.

The next nationwide day of strikes  the eighth in the last three months  is set for next Thursday, unions have said.

In the meantime, the piles of garbage littering Paris famous streets are a very visible  and pungent  symbol of the anger felt by public-sector workers over the pension plans. Paris City Hall estimates there are some 13,000 tons of it on the streets.

The citys enormous tourist economy continued regardless, with tours of major sites ongoing. But the experience had some added and unwanted features.

Story continues

France's showdown over a bill raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 is heading toward a climax, either via a parliamentary vote or through a special presidential move to force it through the legislature. (Michel Euler / AP)

Doris Arseguel, navigating a small group of Brazilian tourists through the narrow cobblestone streets of the garbage littered 5th arrondissement, told them to be careful of any rats, which are having a field day.

Its very difficult to show the beauty of Paris to tourists with all the garbage and barricades, Arseguel, 53, told NBC News. Paris beauty is completely covered up now. Its become too much.

The anti-reform cause has also been enthusiastically taken up by young people, who face working longer under tighter financial constraints.

At the prestigious Lycee Henri-IV school in central Paris, around 100 students blocked the entrance Friday morning in protest of the policies of Macron, an illustrious former student.

A stones throw from the 18th-century Pantheon, the monument that houses the remains of the French philosophers Voltaire and Rousseau, the students clapped and cheered wildly, chanting: Macron, youre done! Your high school is on the streets!

I want to get my voice to be heard because its the only way we can show we dont agree with whats going on. Its important for the young to tell what they feel because without a voice you dont count, said Emma Mendzesel, 16.

Soren Lafarge, also 16, said the students were making their voices heard despite not having the right to strike or vote in elections.

We are here to show that we support the movement against the pension reform of the people and that we are all against that kind of system of democracy where you can pass a law without a vote and that we advocate a better democracy, he said.

This weeks civil unrest was the capitals worst since the gillet jaunes, or yellow vest, protests in 2018 and 2019, which were triggered largely by the cost of gas but evolved into a populist movement against Macrons centrist, technocratic government.

Those protests ended in a partial U-turn, with Macron scrapping a carbon tax rise. But there is much less chance of him reversing the pension age plan, which was a key manifesto commitment ahead of his re-election win last summer.

The French president on March 16 rammed a controversial pension reform through parliament without a vote, deploying a rarely used constitutional power that risks inflaming protests. The move was an admission that his government lacked a majority in the National Assembly to pass the legislation to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. (Loic Venance / AFP - Getty Images)

But the saga is far from over.

Opposition lawmakers say they will present motions of no-confidence in Prime Minister Borne, who pushed the reform through, calling for her to resign. Parliamentary votes on this are expected over the weekend or on Monday.

But even if they succeed in removing her from office, Macron is unlikely to change course, according to Rainbow Murray, an expert in French politics at Queen Mary University of London.

Macron is secure, hes elected on a five-year term. But his reputation is damaged. This is obviously bad and not what he wanted. He wanted a parliamentary majority but couldnt achieve it, Murray said.

Borne, she added, risks being the scapegoat in order to cleanse himself of all this.

Unlike most political leaders in such a febrile situation, it could be that Macron isnt all that worried, Murray said.

Hes well-positioned to do it: hes a second-term president, he cant run for a third, and unlike pretty much every president before him he doesnt care in the same way about his partys legacy because his party was created around him  his party is him. she said.

Im sure people within his party are concerned about this, but he doesnt have the loyalty to the bigger picture in the way that others do," Murray said. "In a way hes got political capital to burn, and hes burning it.

Nancy Ing and Bill OReilly reported from Paris, and Patrick Smith from London.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Erich O. Barbee

A Franklinton man is wanted after Columbus police identified him as the gunman who is suspected of shooting two women in the early hours of Thursday, severely wounding one and killing the other.

Columbus police announced Friday that they have charged Erich O. Barbee II, 30, with murder and felonious assault and issued a warrant for his arrest. Barbee's last known address is listed in court records as being on the 700 block of Bellows Avenue, two blocks south of Sullivant Avenue west of Ohio 315 on Columbus' West Side.

Police also on Friday identified the woman who was fatally shot as Marissa Saultz, 44.

Police suspect Barbee of shooting Saultz and another 29-year-old woman at a home on the 40 block of Rodgers Avenue, which is less than a mile north of his residence.

The shooting was reported at 2:58 a.m. Thursday at the Franklinton address, police said.

When police officers arrived, they reported finding the 29-year-old woman on the top of the house's roof with multiple gunshot wounds, according to a probable cause affidavit in Franklin County Municipal Court. The woman told officers that another victim had been shot inside the house, court records state.

Officers found Saultz inside the home, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. The 29-year-old woman was transported to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, where she remains in critical but stable condition, police said.

A child was also at the home but unharmed, police have said.

Witnesses who detectives interviewed and other information they gathered indicated that Barbee was the suspected shooter who had fled the scene prior to officers' arrival, according to the affidavit.

Anyone with information can call the Columbus Police Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477.

Eric Lagatta is a reporter at The Columbus Dispatch covering public safety, with a focus on in-depth coverage of social justice issues and crime trends.

elagatta@dispatch.com

@EricLagatta

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police seek Franklinton man suspected in fatal shooting
Some of Sacramentos more than 1,000 fallen trees were turned into mulch following the January storms and starting this weekend, you can stock up on as much of it as you want.

Sacramento is hosting two free mulch events from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 18 and Saturday, March 25 at William Land Regional Park. Just remember to bring your own tools including containers and a tarp, the city wrote on its website.

Where are fallen trees in Sacramento taken? Heres the journey the canopy takes

Mulch is any material  wood, leaves, straw or compost  spread over a surface to cover soil. When applied, it helps prevent evaporation, improve soil health and control weeds, the city wrote.

Large tree trunks will also be available for the taking, perfect for woodworkers and educators.

The giveaway is limited to city residents but addresses wont be verified, said spokeswoman Gabby Miller with the city of Sacramento in an email to The Bee. The mulch is not for businesses.

Staff will help load mulch into vehicles.

Here are the details:

Location: East Park Road near Sutterville Road and Freeport Boulevard

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.
The cancelation of Friday's College of the Desert board meeting drew criticism from Palm Springs Mayor Grace Garner.

COD canceled the meeting because the five-member board was not able to establish a quorum "due to unforeseen circumstances," according to a notice posted to the board's website.

The board must have three members physically present to fulfill a quorum.

Garner criticized the move, saying it only happened because Trustee Fred Jandt, who is leaving the board for health reasons, was not allowed to participate remotely.

Saying that Jandt had offered to participate if he could do so remotely, Garner said in a statement: The law requires that requests for reasonable accommodations by individuals with a disability be swiftly resolved in favor of accessibility. It is unfortunate that COD has chosen to ignore that legal requirement when one of their own appears to have a need for reasonable accommodation. In the interest of democracy, I urge COD officials to immediately reschedule this meeting.

Garner's comment adds to a feud between the city and college that includes a pending lawsuit filed by Palm Springs against the college for what it alleges to be a lack of compliance with the California Public Records Act. Much of the tension surrounds COD's planned campus in Palm Springs.

Earlier this week, Jandt announced in a letter to the board that he would be resigning from his position at the end of the month due to health concerns.

In addition to Jandt's resignation, the board was scheduled to discuss an array of business Friday, including:

Personnel appointments, including the appointment of a vice president of administrative services

Changes to academic curriculum

Health care for adjunct faculty members

Capital projects

Over $450,000 in large purchase orders

A $50,000 contract for legal services for the board of trustees on "two confidential board matters"

College of the Desert Trustee Fred Jandt

How will board replace Jandt?

COD board policy says that once a deferred resignation is filed, the board has 60 days to determine whether to order an election or make a provisional appointment to fill the vacancy.

Story continues

Due to Friday's cancelation, the conversation about how to fill Jandt's seat will have to wait to begin.

"If an election is ordered, it shall be held on the next regular election date no less than 130 days after the occurrence of the vacancy."

There are currently no Riverside County-administered elections scheduled, according to the California Secretary of State.

The next statewide election is not until the March 2024 presidential primary.

Jonathan Horwitz covers education for The Desert Sun. Reach him at jonathan.horwitz@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: College of the Desert cancels meeting; Palm Springs mayor critical
The Gardner Heist remains Bostons last great unsolved mystery.

Early in the morning of March 18, 1990, two fake Boston police officers talked their way into the Gardner Museum, tied up two security guards in the museums basement, and helped themselves to 13 pieces of precious artwork.

In 2020, Gardner Security Chief Anthony Amore walked me through the museum and showed me how the thieves pulled it off.

The frame was taken out and put on the floor, basically in front of where it hung. And one of the thieves went to work cutting it out with what I think was probably a box cutter, razor knife, Amore explained.

The FBI believes a confederation of local mobsters pulled off the heist and later moved the artwork out of New England to Connecticut, ultimately offering it for sale in the Philadelphia area in 2002.

From there, the trail goes cold.

In a new statement, the FBI says, it is still looking.

The FBIs investigation into recovering the 13 pieces of stolen artwork is very active. We continue to pursue the case based on a well-defined investigative strategy. This includes gathering intelligence, sharing information, and working with our partners to identify any and all investigative angles that should be considered, the statement said.

This crime isnt going to be solved by an armchair detective. Its going to be solved by a person who feels its time to provide the missing link in this case, Gardner Security Chief Anthony Amore told me in 2020.

In the meantime, inside the museum, the empty frames still hang on the wall.

And the mystery of the Gardner Heist, at 33 years, only deepens.

Its sad that someone took that and they still yet to retrieve it and dont know who did it and why, Mary Alice Gould told me after she visited the Gardner Museum.

One of the first things I did as U.S. Attorney is make this an active investigation again, said U.S. District Attorney Rachel Rollins. " We hope to be announcing shortly some renewed ways we can educate the public about these priceless 13 pieces of art.

Story continues

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is offering a $10,000,000 reward for information.

You can email the Gardner Museum at Reward@GardnerMuseum.org

Or call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
By Andreas Rinke

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's education minister will visit Taiwan next week with a view to improving cooperation between Berlin and Taipei on semiconductors, a ministry spokesperson said on Friday, adding that the issue of sovereignty will not be the focus of the trip.

China views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory and has increased military, political and economic pressure to assert those claims. The politically sensitive visit will take place at a time when Berlin is reviewing its previously close ties with China.

A visit to Taiwan in January by a delegation of high-ranking lawmakers from the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), the smallest party in Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-way coalition, led to protests from Beijing.

Bettina Stark-Watzinger, also of the FDP, will begin her visit early next week, a ministry spokesperson said.

A source with direct knowledge of the visit said Stark-Watzinger would not see President Tsai Ing-wen upon the instructions of the German government to avoid irritating China too much.

The source stressed the trip was a working visit to discuss areas under Stark-Watzinger's portfolio and not directly about sending a message of support from Germany to Taiwan.

Scholz reiterated before a planned trip to Japan on Saturday that he stands by Beijing's so-called "one China" policy. Berlin nonetheless maintains lower level contacts with Taiwan.

Tsai meets most senior visiting foreign officials and lawmakers, though not all.

Speaking at a regular news conference in Berlin, the education ministry spokesperson said the agenda during Stark-Watzinger's visit will also include battery research and supply chains.

Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC is currently considering investments in Europe and Germany.

In a departure from the policies of Germany's former chancellor, Angela Merkel, Scholz's government is developing a new China strategy to reduce dependence on Asia's economic superpower, hitherto a vital export market for German goods.

Story continues

Last year, China condemned a visit to Taiwan by then-U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the highest-level U.S. visit in 25 years, as a threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.

Merkel took big business delegations on her frequent trips to China, which became Germany's top trade partner in 2016.

Shortly before leaving office in 2021, Merkel told Reuters she may have been naive at first in some areas of cooperation with China.

(Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard, Friederike Heine and Miranda Murray; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Matthias Williams, Barbara Lewis, Angus MacSwan and Paul Simao)
(Bloomberg) -- Germany will send a federal minister to Taiwan for political talks for the first time in 26 years next week, a trip which could anger the government in Beijing at a time of growing tensions between China and Europe.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Bettina Stark-Watzinger, who oversees the education and research portfolios in Chancellor Olaf Scholzs ruling coalition, plans a two-day trip to Taipei, a spokesman for her ministry said Friday at the regular government news conference in Berlin. The visit will focus on expanding research cooperation in computer chips, green hydrogen and batteries, the spokesman said.

The trip by Stark-Watzinger, a member of the liberal, pro-business Free Democrats, comes amid discussions among senior members of Scholzs cabinet about how Berlin should position itself in light of Chinas increasingly assertive stance on Taiwan.

Scholzs chief spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, stressed that Germanys one-China policy has not changed and highlighted regular and close contact with the Chinese leadership.

The fact that the education and research minister is visiting Taiwan does not call into question our policy in any way, Hebestreit said at the regular news conference.

China is by far Germanys biggest trading partner and any retaliation for a perceived slight over Taiwan could have severe consequences for Europes largest economy.

Germany is in the final stages of drafting a National Security Strategy in which economic resilience and reducing one-sided dependencies on countries like China will play an important role. China is expected to be described as an international partner, competitor and systemic rival.

Story continues

Russias war in Ukraine has exposed the dangers of over-reliance on a single supplier for imports of energy and Scholzs government is keen to avoid similar dependencies when it comes to raw materials.

Scholz was the first major European leader to visit China in more than two years when he met Chinese President Xi Jinping for talks in Beijing in November. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is more outspoken about China, is expected to visit her Chinese counterpart in the coming months.

Christian Wagner, a spokesman for the foreign ministry in Berlin, said Germany maintains close and good ties with Taiwan especially in the areas of industry, culture, education, science and research.

Taiwan is a democracy and an important trade and investment partner of Germanys and in that sense a regular exchange and mutual visits by ministers are completely normal, Wagner said at Fridays regular news conference.

The challenge of increasing economic resilience and reducing one-sided dependencies will be top of the agenda during high-level talks between Scholz and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday in Tokyo.

--With assistance from Agatha Cantrill.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
People attend a funeral of Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city of Jenin, March 16, 2023. Palestine on Thursday condemned the Israeli killing of four Palestinians during a raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin. The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a press statement that four Palestinians were killed and more than 20 others were injured by Israeli soldiers during the raid in Jenin. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Thursday condemned the Israeli killing of four Palestinians during a raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a press statement that four Palestinians were killed and more than 20 others were injured by Israeli soldiers during the raid in Jenin.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of the Palestinian presidency, said in a press statement that "the new massacre committed by the Israeli occupation forces in Jenin aims to detonate the situation and drag the region into a square of tension and violence."

Palestinian factions in Jenin called for a general strike and a day of grief for the death of the four Palestinians.

Israel's paramilitary Border Police said in a statement that two Islamic Jihad militants who were planning a "significant terrorist action" were killed amid a fire exchange in Jenin, while a third person was shot and killed after "attempting to attack the forces with a crowbar."

The tension between Israel and Palestinians has been rising since the start of this year. The Palestinian Health Ministry said that 84 Palestinians have been killed so far this year by Israeli soldiers, while official Israeli figures show that 14 Israelis have been killed in attacks by Palestinians. 

Relatives mourn during a funeral of Palestinians killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city of Jenin, March 16, 2023. Palestine on Thursday condemned the Israeli killing of four Palestinians during a raid in the northern West Bank city of Jenin. The Palestinian Health Ministry said in a press statement that four Palestinians were killed and more than 20 others were injured by Israeli soldiers during the raid in Jenin. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)
By Sakura Murakami and Andreas Rinke

TOKYO (Reuters) -Germany and Japan agreed to cooperate closely on economic security on Saturday during their first ever high-ministerial government consultations, held amid tensions over global supply chains and economic disruptions caused by the war in Ukraine.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, accompanied to Japan by six ministers, is looking at ways to reduce German dependence on Chinese raw materials.

"The Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as the COVID-19 pandemic have made us painfully aware of the difficulties that can arise when there is too much economic dependency in critical areas," Scholz said at a news conference following the talks.

"We must react to this. Together with Japan and other partners, we are working on drawing the right conclusions from these experiences," he added.

In a joint statement, the two countries "affirmed their intention to strengthen cooperation on economic security" and to work towards establishing "a legal framework for bilateral defence and security cooperation activities, such as rendering logistical assistance and support".

'STRATEGIC AREAS'

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Germany and Japan aimed to boost cooperation "in strategic areas including mineral resources, semiconductors, and batteries, and share our best practices to counter risks in order to build a resilient supply chain that is safe and sustainable".

Germany holds inter-governmental consultations with a number of countries including France and China. German officials said the decision to hold its first such consultation with Japan was of considerable political and symbolic importance.

Given Japan's passing of a bill on economic security, Berlin hopes to learn about its raw material strategy and follow Tokyo's lead on how to cut dependency on imports, a German government official said of the visit.

In a move primarily focused at China, Japan's parliament passed an economic security bill last year aimed at guarding technology and reinforcing critical supply chains.

Story continues

Trade between Germany and China rose to a record level last year, making the Asian country Germany's most important trading partner for the seventh year in a row despite political warnings in Berlin about excessive dependence.

Goods worth around 298 billion euros were traded between the two countries in 2022, up around 21% from a year before, according to data from the German statistics office.

Japan is Germany's second largest trading partner in Asia, but volumes in 2022 were less than a fifth of those with China.

Germany's centre-left government is now taking a tougher line towards Beijing than its centre-right predecessor and is exploring ways to wean itself off heavy reliance on China's economy.

"As democracies and as highly industrialized, export-oriented economies, Japan and Germany face similar challenges in shaping the digital and ecological transformation and strengthening the resilience of their economy in difficult geopolitical times," Franziska Brantner, state secretary in Germany's economy ministry, told Reuters.

(Reporting by Sakura Murakami and Andreas Rinke in Tokyo and Riham Alkousaa in Berlin; Editing by Sonali Paul and Gareth Jones)
Some of the worlds largest snails were recently found right here in metro Detroit.

The size of a human fist, giant African land snails can grow up to 8 inches in length and 5 inches in width.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized six giant African snails at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) from a citizen of Ghana on March 9.

Giant African Land Snail

Steven Bansbach, Public Affairs Specialist for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the Chicago Field Office, wrote in an email to the Detroit Free Press saying giant African snails are prohibited in the country.

Although they may appear to be harmless, giant African snails may harbor parasites dangerous to humans and they have a voracious appetite for hundreds of types of native plants, Bansbach said. Prohibited agricultural items can harbor plant pests and foreign animal diseases that could seriously damage Americas crops, livestock, and the environment, along with accompanying economic consequences."

He further wrote giant African snails are often consumed and sometimes kept as pets in other countries.

A news release to the Detroit Free Press said the snails were intended for consumption by the traveler and have since been confiscated for further analysis.

Bansbach said the snails were discovered when the traveler failed to disclose the contents of his luggage, requiring further inspection.

Travelers are required to declare all meats, fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds, soil, animals, as well as plant and animal products they may be carrying, he wrote.

Bansbach said CBP agriculture specialists often study these pests and assess their dangerous impact on U.S. agricultural resources.

Prohibited agriculture items may be retained to obtain positive identification, country of origin, or any evidence of additional pests, to include eggs or larvae, or disease, he wrote.

Giant African Land Snails

Jeb Foods says the giant African snail can be consumed and is a strong source of protein. These snails are not poisonous and benefit those with high cholesterol and heart disease as they are comparable to egg protein. It is unsafe to eat snails raw and they should be cleaned and cooked before consumption to eliminate parasites and diseases.

However, despite a thorough cleaning process, snails could still carry diseases. According to a report from WLRN radio, to stay as safe as possible its necessary to feed the snails properly to rid any trace of toxins before consuming them.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Giant snails confiscated from traveler at Detroit Metro Airport
A Michigan zoo is celebrating a new addition  a rare, critically endangered one, at that.

Calling the animal "one of the most majestic and endangered members of the antelope family," the Potter Park Zoo welcomed a female eastern bongo calf on March 5.

This is the second time an eastern bongo was born at the zoo since 2014. It's the zoo's fifth overall, the zoo said on its website.

Staff at the zoo in Lansing said the calf is healthy and putting on weight. For now, she's indoors with her mother but the zoo plans to update social media users when she's able to go outside.

Bongo are critically endangered, so each birth is special. The calf appears healthy and the mother has raised calves successfully in the past, said the zoos Director of Animal Health Dr. Ronan Eustace in a news release.

The zoo offered social media users a glimpse at the calf as well, posting footage and photos of the calf.

An eastern bongo was born at the Potter Park Zoo in Michigan on March 5.

Zoos: How an elephant's historic pregnancy could signal the future of zoo breeding programs

Animals: Gretchen the cheetah escapes enclosure, forces brief closure of Nebraska zoo

More on eastern bongos

Eastern bongos, also called mountain bongos, are found in Kenya and are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

They can be up to 4 feet tall and over 8 feet in length, the zoo said. Both males and females have long, spiraling horns.

There are around 100 eastern bongos left in the wild. They are often sought by hunters and poachers for their horns and orange coloring, the zoo said.

"With approximately 300 eastern bongos residing in zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums ... across the nation, captive breeding programs like the one at Potter Park Zoo play an essential role in preventing their extinction," the zoo said.

An eastern bongo born at the Potter Park Zoo in Michigan on March 5, 2023.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia  the 757  and loves all things horror, witches, Christmas, and food. Follow her on Twitter at @Saleen_Martin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Endangered eastern bongo born at Potter Park Zoo in Michigan
Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets

Read also: Russia presses Ukrainian prisoners in Luhansk Oblast into military service

"We have other evidence of Russians executing our unarmed prisoners of war. We got this information from our sources in the security agencies. Later videos are surfacing on social media. Russians are executing openly and cynically. They are accepted by their commanders and certain that no punishment will follow," Lubinets wrote.

He noted that Russia does not comply with the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, systematically commits war crimes, and continues to violate the laws and customs of war.

"I inform the international community about each such crime, because bringing Russia to justice is not only a goal, but also a duty of the entire civilized world," he emphasized.

A grim video went viral on social media on March 6. It shows Russian soldiers executing an unarmed Ukrainian prisoner at close range. After the camera was pointed at the prisoner, Matsiyevsky says Glory to Ukraine! and immediately a soldier shoots him in the head and then several times in the body.

Upon some efforts it was found out that the Ukrainian soldier from the video was a sniper of the 119th Brigade of Chernihiv Territorial Defence Forces, Oleksandr Matsiyevsky.

Read also: Russia sentences captured Ukrainian human rights activist to 13 years in prison

Matsiyevsky, 42, was a resident of Moldova but had lived in Nizhyn in Chernihiv Oblast. He volunteered to fight at the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion.

Read also: Ukraines MoD establishes unit to investigate Russian war crimes

Matsiyevsky was executed on Dec. 30, 2022. His body was exchanged in February, Ukraine's Security Service revealed.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posthumously awarded him the title of Hero of Ukraine, the countrys highest national title conferred upon citizens.

Other videos of Russians' war crimes had surfaced earlier.

Read also: Soldier shot by Russians for uttering Glory to Ukraine was Moldovan citizen

Story continues

Last July, a video of the brutal torture of a Ukrainian prisoner was posted online. It shows Russian soldiers pressing a Ukrainian soldier to the ground and using something that looks like a clerical knife to remove his genitals, and then they hold them up to the camera.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Meteorologists are predicting flood threats for a large portion of the U.S. this spring.

About 44% of the U.S. is at risk for flooding, Ed Clark, director of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Water Center, told reporters on Thursday.

PHOTO: Floodwaters from the Mississippi River have overtaken much of Foley, Missouri, June 1, 2019. (Scott Olson/Getty Images, FILE)

There is a risk of flooding in most of the eastern half of the U.S. including most of the Mississippi River Basin, NOAA said. Currently, nearly 1.5 million people on Mississippi River are under major flood threat this spring, John Gottschalck, chief of operational prediction branch at NOAAs Climate Prediction Center, a division of National Weather Service, told ABC News.

In the West, the historic snowpack along the Sierra Nevada mountain range, combined with elevated soil moisture, is heightening the potential for spring floods across much of California's coast.

MORE: Extreme flooding, drought is making risk management difficult and ineffective, researchers say

Two weather patterns came together to create such extreme winter precipitation over California, including the jet stream extending further south and an increase in available moisture in the Pacific due to a reoccurring phenomena known as Madden Julian Oscillation, an eastward moving disturbance of clouds, rainfall, winds and pressure, Gottschalck said.

Most residents near the Sierra Nevada range don't live where major snow melt and flooding are forecast, Clark told ABC News.

PHOTO: Spring Flood Outlook Map (ABC News)

Near record snowfall in the upper Midwest this past winter will also contribute to the flooding, Gottschalck said.

The snow melt will bring much-needed water to California and the Great Basin. The reservoirs that depend on the Colorado River, such as Lake Powell and Lake Mead, are currently at record low water levels following years of drought.

PHOTO: A vehicle navigates a snowy roadway lined with snowbanks piled up from new and past storms in the Sierra Nevada mountains, in the wake of an atmospheric river event, March 12, 2023, in Mammoth Lakes, California. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

With the spring snowmelt, the water in Lake Powell is expected to rise 34 feet, Clark said. Because the lake is at record low level for this time of the year, it would only fill up to 36% capacity, Clark said.

Story continues

Climate change is driving both wet and dry extremes, NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad said.

Moderate to exceptional drought coverage across the U.S. is at its lowest since August 2020 and is likely to continue improving, or end entirely, across much of California and the Great Basin due to the heavy influx of moisture in recent months.

MORE: Sea level rise is expected to worsen coastal flooding -- even on sunny days, according to new NOAA report

Extreme to exceptional drought across parts of the southern High Plains will likely to persist through the spring season, with droughts also expected to develop into parts of New Mexico. Across parts of the Northwest U.S. and northern Rockies, drought conditions are also expected to continue. Droughts may develop in Washington state.

The spring wet season is expected to improve drought conditions across parts of the northern and central Plains, while current drought conditions in Florida are expected to improve or be alleviated during the next three months.

PHOTO: Cracked earth is visible in an area once under the water of Lake Mead at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, on Jan. 27, 2023, near Boulder City, Nev. (John Locher/AP, FILE)

A multi-decade drought cannot be reversed with one snowy and rainy reason, Clark said.

"Its great news that the abnormally wet winter has improved drought conditions, but the risks for flooding in the Missouri and Sierra Nevada and especially the upper Mississippi River Basin are particular concerning," Shana Udvardy, senior climate resilience policy analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists' climate and energy program told ABC News via email.

Above-average temperatures are likely for much of the southern and eastern half of the U.S. this spring, forecasts show.

MORE: 1-in-100-year floods happening so often, the term may change

For April through June, the greatest chance for above-average temperatures exists from the southern High Plains and northward along the East Coast.

PHOTO: Drought Outlook Map (ABC News)

Above-average temperatures are also likely for Hawaii and northern parts of Alaska.

Below-average temperatures are predicted for the central Great Basin and the northern Plains.

NOAA forecasters predict above-average precipitation this spring across the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and into parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Below-average precipitation is most likely for the Southwest and parts of the Pacific Northwest.

"With climate change we are seeing wetter wet conditions and drier dry conditions," Udvardy said. "We cant escape the fact that we simply arent prepared. Federal leadership is needed to both slash emissions more deeply and protect people from flooding and other weather extremes."

Most of eastern US, California coast under flood threats this spring, NOAA says originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
At a news conference Thursday, March 16, 2023 in Dinwiddie County, Leon Ochieng hugs his mother, Caroline Ouko, while the family's attorneys Ben Crump, left, and Mark Krudrys look on. Ochieng has set up a Go FundMe account for final expenses for his brother Irvo Otieno, who died March 6 after allegedly being suffocated by Henrico County sheriff's deputies and Central State Hospital personnel, all of who are facing second-degree murder charges in his death.

The brother of a man who died at Central State Hospital while in the custody of Henrico County sheriffs deputies earlier this month has started a GoFundMe account to cover funeral and other final expenses.

Leon Ochieng identifies himself on the page as the sibling of Irvo Otieno, who he said was senselessly killed while in the care of police and medical personnel March 6 at the state-run mental hospital in Dinwiddie County. Ochieng set up the account Thursday with a goal of $100,000, and as of midday Friday, March 17, roughly $9,000 had been raised.

Otieno, a 28-year-old native of Kenya who lived in Henrico County, died in a hospital admissions area when seven Henrico deputies are shown in a video holding him down on the floor by laying their bodies over his. The video footage is key in the Dinwiddie commonwealths attorneys second-degree murder case against those deputies and three hospital employees.

According to lawyers for Otienos family, one of the deputies can be seen with his knee across Otienos neck  invoking similarities to a 2020 video that showed a Minneapolis police officers knee across the neck of a Black man who later died in custody.

The video has been shown to his family and his familys attorneys but has not yet been viewed by the press or public. Ann Cabell Baskervill, Dinwiddies chief prosecutor, has said she does not plan to release the video publicly because she does not want to jeopardize the case or the death investigation by the Virginia State Police.

Ochieng set a goal of $100,000. By midday Friday, 24 hours after it was started, the account had raised $8,800.

Seven Henrico deputies and three employees of Central State Hospital are facing second-degree murder charges in Otienos death Two of the deputies have been released on bond.

More:Mother of murdered Central State patient says deputies, hospital staff 'smothered my son'

At Thursdays news conference and again in the GoFundMe narrative, Ochieng noted his brothers battle with mental-health issues. At the time he was taken into Henrico custody, Otieno apparently was in the midst of a crisis, and Ochieng said authorities used that to their advantage when they took him into custody on March 3, three days before the Central State incident..

Story continues

He was suffering a mental illness breakdown and was already vulnerable before they carried out their actions, he wrote. They were all aware of his condition, yet they took advantage of him and killed him. He was treated inhumanely before his right to breathe was compounded away by 7 officers and additional state hospital staff.

Irvo Otieno's brother set up this GoFundMe account to cover final expenses. Since this image was taken, the account has raised more than $8,800 and the goal has been set at $100,000.

Ochieng and his family also dispute the deputies claim that Otieno was combative and aggressive toward them, and that prompted the restraint. The videos from Otieno's cell in Henrico County and at the CSH intake area showed the victim as quite lethargic and weakened.

Irvo did not put up a fight, Ochieng said. He was in handcuffs and leg shackles, weak, tired and yet they still used excessive force to kill him. Irvos life was forcefully ended.

The final autopsy report on Otieno has not been

Otieno was an aspiring musician and hip-hop artist who, according to his mother, could write a song in five minutes. When he was four, his family came to Virginia, and Ochieng said he wanted to earn enough money to help people in their native country.

He wrote and performed under the name "Young Vo."

Ochieng, whose birthday was around the same time Otieno died, said he was coming to the Richmond area to celebrate and to assist Otieno with his career. Instead, he now is dealing with his brothers death, and he called every waking hour a nightmare for us.:

"This is the begin of a very difficult journey to fight for Justice for Irvo Otieno! Ochieng wrote. The family wants to get the Justice Department involved in the case, and they encouraged their supporters to ask their elected representatives for some kind of legislative relief.

We have seen this nightmare happen too often before, and its time we as a nation need to push legislators to initiate an end to it, Ochieng wrote in the GoFundMe account. They wouldn't want any family members or associates to experience this kind of pain, so why is it OK for black families to be the majority of this injustice???

More:Why was Irvo Otieno treated with such brutality? Family still searching for answers.

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Va. mentai patient's family sets up GoFundMe for final expenses
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., speaks during hearing on Capitol Hill, Feb. 8, 2023, in Washington. | Carolyn Kaster, Associated Press

The House Oversight and Accountability Committee issued a memo Thursday stating relatives of President Joe Biden secured over $1.3 million from a family business associate shortly after the associate received money from China.

The House GOP subpoenaed the records as part of its investigation into the Biden familys business dealings.

Bank accounts connected to James Biden Sr., the presidents brother; Hunter Biden, the presidents son; Hallie Biden, the presidents daughter-in-law; and an account identified as Biden, collectively received over $1 million in payments in 2017 from family business associate John Robinson Rob Walker, according to the memo.

According to House Republicans, Walker paid out the money soon after receiving a $3 million wire transfer from a Chinese energy company in March 2017, two months after then-Vice President Joe Biden left office.

The committee noted that Walkers business account balance was less than $160k before the multi-million dollar transfer was received.

Walker also transferred over $1 million the next day to companies connected to associates of the Bidens, according to the committee. The committee obtained the records after serving a subpoena to Bank of America.

Related

It is unclear what services were provided to obtain this exorbitant amount of money, GOP chairman Rep. James Comer of Kentucky said in a statement.

Comer said he released the memo after the committees ranking Democrat, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, mischaracterized the findings of the subpoena by calling attention to Walkers miscellaneous purchases of Papa Johns and coffee at Starbucks.

It must be frustrating to my GOP colleagues to have even Fox News commentators rolling their eyes about this tiresome fishing expedition, but I want to stress that there always remains the possibility of doing serious bipartisan legislative oversight work together, Raskin said, according to USA Today, referencing the GOPs multi-year investigation into Hunter Biden.

Story continues

But Comer said the committee was concerned about the national security implications resulting from President Bidens family receiving millions of dollars from foreign nationals.

We will continue to follow the money trail and facts to determine if President Biden is compromised by his familys business schemes and if there is a national security threat, he said.

A spokesperson for Hunter Biden did not deny the amounts disclosed by the committee but said Comer was perpetuating a conspiracy theory.

Here we go again as Rep. Comer takes something old and tries to make it new by wrapping it in a wild and baseless right-wing conspiracy, the spokesperson said.

Hunter Biden, a private citizen with every right to pursue his own business endeavors, joined several business partners in seeking a joint venture with a privately-owned, legitimate energy company in China, the spokesperson told Fox News. As part of that joint venture, Hunter received his portion of good faith seed funds which he shared with his uncle, James Biden, and Hallie Biden, with whom he was involved with at the time, and sharing expenses.

White House spokesperson Ian Sams likewise accused Comer and House Republicans of investigating with political motives, according to the New York Post.

After a disgusting attack lamenting that the presidents deceased son Beau was never prosecuted while he was alive, Congressman Comer has now decided to go after Beaus widow, Sams said. Instead of bizarrely attacking the presidents family, perhaps House Republicans should focus on working with the president to deliver results for American families on important priorities like lowering costs and strengthening health care.

Hallie Biden is the widow of the presidents deceased son, Beau. Earlier this month, Comer said Beau Biden should have been prosecuted for alleged campaign donation violations when he was still alive.

The committee memo said they will continue to use all tools at their disposal to investigate. They also pledged to develop legislation to strengthen reporting requirements related to certain foreign transactions involving senior elected officials family members.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Michigan is now the 22nd U.S. state to ban anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination through legislation.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, signed a bill to that effect into law Thursday. The action caps decades of effort to expand Michigans Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to cover sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. The new protections apply to employment, housing, and public accommodations.

The Elliott-Larsen Act was passed in 1976 and took effect in 1977, banning discrimination based on race, religion, sex, and other factors. The first bill to add sexual orientation to it was introduced in 1983 by Rep. Jim Dressel.

For 40 long years, amending Elliott-Larsen has been the battle cry of our community, gay Sen. Jeremy Moss, president pro tempore of the Michigan Senate, said at the signing ceremony, held at UrbanBeat, a bar in the state capital in Lansing, and broadcast on Facebook Live.

In recent years, the expansion of Elliott-Larsen had stalled due to Republican control of the legislature, but since both houses now have a Democratic majority and Michigan has a Democratic governor, this year it succeeded. There had been some GOPers, however, who supported the measure in the past, and a few joined Democrats in passing it this year.

While Im running through the tape today, talking all of you with me, this baton has been passed from generation to generation, Moss noted. He mentioned the names of several activists who have worked for this legislation, including Jim Toy, Jeff Montgomery, Henry Messer, and Ruth Ellis, and so many more who devoted their lives to this movement and did not live to see this day.

Erin Knott, executive director of Equality Michigan, also gave a shout-out to activists outside Michigan, including Stonewall veterans Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. The passage of Michigans pro-LGBTQ+ legislation comes while 400 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in states around the nation, she observed.

Story continues

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a lesbian who is the states first out elected statewide official, mentioned that in 2015, when she was an attorney in private practice and the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled for marriage equality, she received calls from newly married same-sex couples whod been denied services or seen one member fired after marrying  discrimination the new law will prohibit.

The Michigan Supreme Court last year ruled that the Elliott-Larsen Act covered anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, but it was still important to write that into law, Nessel said.

Were all well aware that court decisions can change depending on the composition of the jurists, she explained. The expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Act is the first piece of pro-LGBTQ+ legislation ever passed in Michigan, she added.

Rep. Jason Hoskins, a Black man whos the first out gay person of color in the legislature, sponsored the House version of the bill. At the ceremony, he noted that some Twitter users were angry about the bill, but its a new day in Michigan, and they can either get on board or stay mad. With its passage, all Michiganders will be able to live fully and authentically, he said.

SNiyah Tate, an activist with Stand With Trans, remarked that the passing of this bill shows that love will always prevail, even if hate is all around us, including in neighboring states. She encouraged other members of the community to never stop fighting, never lose hope.

Speaking just before the governor was former Michigan Rep. Mel Larsen, one of the namesakes of the civil rights law. The rationale behind the law always was that everyone in Michigan had the right to be protected against discrimination, and he was glad to see the expansion, he said. He urged attendees to never forget Daisy Elliott, the Black woman who is the other namesake of the measure. Elliott, a Democrat, had to get a Republican to back the legislation in order for the leadership to consider it, and no Republican came along until Larsen did. Elliott died in 2015.

Were all on this earth to move the pendulum a little bit in our lifetime, and if we do that, weve done something, Larsen said.

Whitmer thanked Larsen, the voters of Michigan, the organizations behind the bill, legislative leaders, and all those onstage with her for fighting to make this day a reality.

Michigan is a state where we stand up for peoples fundamental freedoms, she continued, including to be who you are, love who you love. She quoted Detroit native Lizzo in saying Its about damn time for legislation like this.

Whitmer said she had always been an LGBTQ+ ally, but the issue is also personal for her, as she is the mother of a gay woman. She went on to say that banning discrimination is good for the economy, signaling that Michigan is welcoming, and like others, she noted that her states move comes at a time when political attacks on LGBTQ+ people, especially trans people, are rampant in other states.

I am so proud to be here, and I am excited to put our state on the right side of history, she said, then signed the bill to great applause.

LGBTQ+ groups lauded Michigans move.

Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson said in a statement, This is an incredible and historic day for LGBTQ+ people, for the people of Michigan, and for all Americans across our nation. Last fall we witnessed a dangerous, anti-LGBTQ+ campaign by extremist politicians in Michigan  a campaign that ultimately failed because the voters of Michigan overwhelmingly rejected it. Today, due to the will of those voters and the turnout efforts of the Hate Wont Win coalition, we witnessed Governor Whitmer sign LGBTQ+ protections into law. Michiganders have worked so hard and for so long for this moment, and we could not be prouder to have worked alongside them."

Robinson added that the bill is "a beacon of hope for those fighting for their rights."

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Whitmer signs bill to protect LGBTQ rights in Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act | WATCH LIVE: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is signing a bill that will expand the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections for LGBTQ... | By WXYZ-TV Channel 7 | Facebook

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is signing a bill that will expand the Elliott-Larsen...
Updated March 20

They sympathize with the workers. Some plan to join them on the picket line at LA Unified schools.

But when it comes to union and district leaders, LAUSD parents are skeptical and angry.

SEIU Local 99, LAUSDs 30,000-member union representing employees like custodians, bus drivers, and special education assistants, plans to strike next Tuesday through Thursday. In solidarity, United Teachers Los Angeles has asked its 35,000 members not to cross picket lines.

All district schools would shut down, affecting 420,000 students and their families.

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Leaders from both unions say they are fighting for students. Better pay and working conditions, they reason, translate to a healthier learning environment. District leaders say the same. Closing schools during the work stoppage will keep students safe, they say, while refusing the unions full demands will safeguard the districts financial health.

And then there are the families caught in the middle.

Anytime someone says, we are for the students, or students are first priority, and its all about the kids, I just have to take it with a grain of salt, said Paul Robak, chair of LAUSDs Parent Advisory Committee. Because clearly, the ones who would lose most in any work slowdown of any union in the school district are the students.

The three-day strike would be the latest in four years of major disruptions across LAUSD, beginning with the six-day teachers strike in January 2019 and rolling through more than a year of fully remote schooling, during which enrollment sagged and chronic absenteeism spiked.

Related: Four Things Carvalho Learned From Following Chronically Absent Students

Parents sympathize with Local 99s members. With an average salary of $25,000 a year, they struggle to make it in LA, and many are parents themselves. But they are also exhausted and fear the consequences a strike could have for their children and the district as a whole, especially after the pandemic kept district schools closed for a long time, and students academics and mental health suffered.

Story continues

They blame union and district leaders for the shutdown.

Its both the districts fault and their labor partners. They put parents in the middle of it, said Christie Pesicka, a leader in the groups California Students United and United Parents LA.

Diana Guillen, chair of LAUSDs District English Learner Advisory, said a strike violates kids rights on the heels of the pandemic. I think its an ethical failing from the unions, she said, speaking in Spanish.

Parents immediate concerns, however, are more basic. Where will working parents send their young children? How will students who depend on school-provided meals eat? After years of academic setbacks, how will students avoid further losses?

At a Wednesday press conference, LAUSD superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district is partnering with community organizations to make food available at 60 locations across the city and to provide childcare. As for academics, students will receive homework packets to keep them occupied.

The LA Times reported community groups and agencies, from the Boys and Girls Club of the Los Angeles Harbor to the LA County Department of Parks and Recreation, are preparing for an influx of students during the day.

Some students, whose parents fully support the striking workers, will spend at least part of the week on the picket line.

When the teachers originally went on strike a couple years ago, I was all for it. My kids were out there marching, said Yazmin Arevalo, whose 4th grader attends Gates Elementary in Lincoln Heights. I would do it againbecause they deserve it. If they havent been able to come to an agreement, then why not?

But she added other parents at Gates Elementary, who also supported teachers in 2019, felt betrayed when many of their children languished through remote schooling. This time, theyre wary of supporting striking workers.

Based on recent messaging alone, Carvalhos chief concern is the safety and wellbeing of students.

We should not be depriving our students of an opportunity to learn, an opportunity to feel safe, or an opportunity to receive social and emotional support  and food, he said at Wednesdays press conference.

But that evening, at a massive joint rally held by Local 99 and UTLA that filled up Grand Park in front of Los Angeles City Hall, union members demonstrated their commitment to students in a way Carvalho, on his own, could never match.

Among the thousands of rally participants, there were children everywhere.

They clambered over playground structures, and held their parents hands as they threaded clusters of attendees. Some wore UTLA red, others SEIU purple. When UTLA president Cecily Myart-Cruz shouted over the loudspeaker, asking parents in the crowd to identify themselves, a wave of hands shot up. Local 99 often points out 43% of its members have school-age children.

Attending the rally was Jesus Flores, a special education assistant at 75th Street Elementary whos worked in the district for 18 years. He spends six hours a day on the districts clock and picks up extra work as an Uber driver.

Flores has three kids, ages five, six, and eight, all at LAUSD schools. He considers striking a short-term sacrifice thats in their long-term interest.

At the end of the day, Ill be thinking about my kids future, he said.

Next week, he and his wife, also a special ed assistant with the district, will be switching off on childcare duty. But he said he hopes the union and district will come together before Tuesday to work out a deal.

Lets hope it doesnt happen, he said of the strike. Missing that pay really does take a toll.

The district meeting Local 99s demands would mean a 30% wage increase for Flores and other union members, among other benefits.

So far, the districts core offer includes three 5% wage increases, the first two retroactive, respectively, to July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022, and the third to take effect July 1, 2023.

UTLA, which is further behind in negotiations, is asking for a 20% raise over two years, part of its sweeping Beyond Recovery platform.

Local 99s scheduled three-day strike is whats known as an unfair practice charge strike, meant to protest allegations of harassment by district officials.

The unions other weapon is an economic strike, which would last indefinitely, but is only legal once the state-facilitated negotiation process has been exhausted.

At the districts Wednesday press event, Carvalho and board president Jackie Goldberg urged union leaders to meet them at the negotiating table before Tuesday, where they would be ready 24/7 to hash out an agreement that goes beyond what has already been offered.

Im ready, willing, available to meet nonstop, day and night, with our labor leaders to avoid a strike by finding a solution where everyone is a winner, beginning with our kids, Carvalho said.

We have more resources to put on the table. There is time.

Information for families  including where they can pick up meals for their children during the work stoppage  can be found at this LAUSD website: https://achieve.lausd.net/schoolupdates.
ADEN, Yemen, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's government force on Friday engaged in intense clashes with fighters of the Houthi militia in the country's northeastern oil-rich province of Marib, a military official told Xinhua.

"The Houthis carried out attacks on government-controlled sites in Harib district of Marib, sparking hours of intense clashes in the area," the local military official said on condition of anonymity.

The clashes resulted in the killing of four soldiers and injury of six others, he said, adding that the Houthi group also suffered casualties but didn't provide details.

The eruption of armed confrontations in Marib comes two days after the United Nations envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg urged the warring parties to exercise maximum restraint, expressing his concern about the escalation of fighting in several areas of the country.

On Wednesday, Grundberg called for efforts toward a nationwide cease-fire and a sustainable political settlement of the years-long military conflict in Yemen.

The overall military situation in Yemen continues to be relatively stable in the past months. Since a truce came into effect on April 2, 2022, Yemenis have experienced almost a year of lower levels of violence, but "this is fragile," said Grundberg.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia stormed several northern cities and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa. A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in 2015 to support the Yemeni government. 
A private charter airline employee who lives in Grapevine was on Friday sentenced on six crimes in connection with his involvement in the January 2021 intrusion and riot at the U.S. Capitol.

in Washington, U.S. District Judge John Bates ordered Larry Brock, 55, to serve two years in prison for the felony count of obstruction of an official proceeding.

Brock was sentenced to a total of 18 months in prison for five misdemeanor counts: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a Capitol Building; entering and remaining on the floor of Congress; disorderly conduct in a Capitol Building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol Building. Bates ordered the sentences to run concurrently.

Bates in November found Brock, 55, guilty of the crimes at a bench trial.

When the riot occurred, Brock worked for a private charter airline that operates from Fort Worths Alliance Airport. He is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel.

A private charter airline employee who lives in Grapevine was on Friday sentenced on six crimes in connection with his involvement in the January 2021 intrusion and riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Beyond the prison term, Bates ordered Brock to pay $2,000 in restitution.

The obstruction crime carries a maximum of 20 years in prison The misdemeanor crimes carry a combined maximum of 3 1/2 years in prison.

At a detention hearing in Fort Worth four days after his arrest on Jan. 10, 2021, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Weimer argued that Brock was a danger because he believed that he was participating in a civil war, he intended to take hostages at the Capitol and may have injured government officials had they not evacuated the Senate chamber.

Brock wore a tactical vest and had a helmet on the Capitol grounds and in the building, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia. He entered the Capitol through the Senate wing doors. Brock was in the Capitol building for 37 minutes. He went to the Senate floor, where he rifled through paperwork on senators desks. Brock spent about eight minutes on the Senate floor.

While in an area near the rotunda doors, he picked up a discarded pair of plastic flex handcuffs and kept them while he was in the building.

In a Dec. 27, 2020, social media message, Brock wrote, I prefer insurrection at this point, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. On Jan. 5, 2021, he wrote, our second American Revolution begins in less than two days.
When the pandemic shut down Adam Bessies classroom in March 2020, the longtime California community college instructor was teaching a unit titled, appropriately enough, The End of the World as We Know it: The Literature of the Apocalypse.

Better yet, his students were discussing The Machine Stops, a 1909 E.M. Forster story in which future humans live in isolation, even from family members, forever in fear of toxic air and human contact. The characters see each other only through screens.

Forsters story frames the narrative of Going Remote: A Teachers Journey, the debut graphic memoir by Bessie, along with the artist Peter Glanting, which offers a surreal, often grim take on the pandemic and its effects on both Bessie and his students. The book also bemoans the diaspora that the pandemic brought forth, concluding that while it didnt create inequality, standardization and corporatization in public education, it made them more painfully visible than ever.

So far the book is garnering lavish praise: Publishers Weekly gave it a coveted starred review, calling it poignant and excerpting one of the chapters. It also named it one of Spring 2023s Top 10 graphic novels and adult comics.

Bessie entered the Spring 2020 semester in the middle of a personal crisis, returning to campus as he recovered from chemotherapy after surgery to remove a brain tumor. He had long enjoyed the infectious energy and electrical current that flows through a good classroom, invoking educator Bob Moses observation that students are the power in the room.

Related: SXSW Interview: Friendship School CEO Patricia Brantley on Why Virtual Learning Will Thrive Long After the Pandemic

So he naturally mourned the loss of face-to-face instruction and dreaded the flattening that took place on Zoom. Once distinctive, quirky individuals, his students quickly became identical in size, dimension, proportion, equal tiles in a perfect grid. They often showed up with cameras and microphones turned off, black boxes on mute.

Story continues

That sudden absence gave Bessie the opportunity to step back and see the transformation taking place not just in his classroom but in his life, as he continued cancer treatments. He began to see himself as an experimental subject whose day job was guiding his own students through another kind of experiment, as his college broadened its pre-pandemic reliance on technologies like Zoom, Canvas and Google. While these tools tethered the community together during the crisis, he writes, they also came with their own strict demands: access to a computer, stable wifi and a quiet study space, all parameters set by the software requirements, not educators. These demands soon overwhelmed many students, some of whom never returned.

In an interview, the longtime English instructor said giving in to these demands could threaten community colleges open access mission, squeezing out the neediest students  the very students theyre designed to uplift. In a way, he said, the book is an exploration of this question: To what degree are we ceding public control of the Commons to corporations?

Adam Bessie (photo by Sharrie Bettencort)

The narrative in Going Remote, Bessie said, was immediately a comic. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to express this story in a graphic form. As soon as the pandemic began, he found himself writing and drawing to myself about this, because I said, There is going to be something new after this.  I had this feeling like, This is going to be a major shift.

Hed always been drawn to comics, largely for their ability to translate abstract, complex concepts into visual form  early on, Glanting, the artist, illustrates Bessies lingering brain cancer as a pint-sized, white-eyed blob, leaning against a stack of books on a shelf in Bessies office.

Bessie also drew inspiration from the graphic adaptation of University of Illinois scholar William Ayers memoir To Teach.

Like Ayers, Bessie writes from a distinctly leftist perspective, making the case that community colleges from the beginning were both profoundly democratic and steeped with the virus of classist and racist contempt for their students, part stepping stool and part gate-keeper.

Community colleges play a big role in Bessies own family history: His father, a penniless Korean War veteran who suffered a profound hearing loss, enrolled in a California community college and found educators who believed in his potential, despite his disability. He eventually found his way to the University of Southern California, training to become a physical therapist and going on to a successful career.

When I come into the classroom, I still have that feeling: Each one of these students is somebody that could have been my own father, is somebody that society didnt think would be educated, he said.

Yet he also warns that theres a dark side to community colleges legacy. Founded more than a century ago, the system began with an intentional design, he said, that, just as often as it uplifted marginalized students like Bessies father, excluded others from the mainstream of elite higher education.

Related: Painting Black History in the Time of Censorship for Young Readers: A Conversation with Nikkolas Smith, Illustrator of 1619 Projects Born on the Water Childrens Book

So in the winter of 2020, when his students  starting with his most marginalized and ending with his best, most outgoing students  began disappearing altogether from Zoom, Bessie was, in a way, not surprised. Whether beset by technical problems, work and family obligations, or something else altogether, he concluded that they were really the victims of a kind of longstanding neglect that systematically deprives them of opportunities.

Even now, three years after the first lockdowns, with students slowly returning to campus (Bessie never reveals the name of his Bay Area institution, Diablo Valley College), he said he and his colleagues must take on more responsibilities, becoming frontline emotional workers to students in crisis: Since late 2020, he has served on his campus CARE (Campus Assessment, Response, and Evaluation) team, which works with students experiencing homelessness, mental health issues, family crises, and even spousal abuse. Since the pandemic, he said, CARE reports have gone through the roof.

He sees this as a key function of institutions like Diablo Valley.

When Im looking at the future of community college, to me, I want us to put as much energy in these systems of care as we do in these systems of technology.  All of us were trained in how to use online technology. But none of us were trained in what to do when a student says, I attempted suicide.

Related: Virtual Nightmare: One Students Journey Through the Pandemic

Now back in the classroom roughly half-time  Bessie is teaching two fully in-person classes and two hybrid classes  he feels more optimistic than I did in finishing the book. Classes, he said, have amazing energy, with engaging conversations about readings that resemble those he and his students enjoyed pre-pandemic.

And hes doing his best to remain open-minded about technology. The series of remote semesters, he said, actually forced him to consider not just how students can shine in an online classroom, but also the limitations of face-to-face teaching. When hes teaching online, for instance, students who didnt hear something the first time  hes a very fast talker, hell admit  can go back and rewatch the lesson.

Excerpt from Going Remote: A Teachers Journey, published by Seven Stories Press

But he still has concerns. Enrollment, for one thing, has dropped precipitously since the pandemic, forcing the college to reduce offerings. Ironically, even though Zoom proved to be difficult for many students, a fair share are now clamoring for remote, fully asynchronous classes. He worries that, given the hybrid schedule, many new students will never get that campus experience  of being pulled into community. Between lower enrollment and online coursework, he estimated, the college seems about one-fourth as populated as in 2019.

In the end, though, its more vibrant than when I finished the book, he said. A few days ago, for the first time in months, he smelled the aroma of someone vaping tobacco outside his office building. And then he heard someone else playing music a bit too loud. And I was just like, Yes, were back!
WASHINGTON  The U.S. government has approved the sale of dozens of Assault Amphibious Vehicles to Greece roughly a year after the Marine Corps barred the tracked vehicles from regular deployments following a fatal sinking incident in 2020.

The U.S. State Department approved NATO ally Greece to buy up to 76 Assault Amphibious Vehicles worth $268 million, according to an announcement on Friday. The Marine Corps, which maintains the vehicles are safe, intends to supply the vehicles from its inventory.

Greece, which has sought the deal since at least 2022, has asked to buy 63 of the personnel variant of the so-called AAV, nine of the command variant and four of the recovery variant, with 63 50-caliber machine guns, as well as MK-19 grenade launchers and M36E T1 thermal sights among the related equipment.

Panel hears dueling versions of deadly Marine AAV sinking

After the July 30, 2020 sinking, which killed nine troops, the Marine Corps in December of 2021 restricted its fleet of decades-old AAVs to the land and barred it from deployments or water training except in emergencies. A Marine Corps probe reportedly found that inadequate training, shabby maintenance and poor judgment by leaders led to the sinking of the AAV in one of the deadliest Marine training accidents in decades.

In a statement to Defense News on Friday, a Marine Corps spokesman said that while fleets average age is 40 years, the vehicles have undergone a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP), a Reliability Availability Maintainability/ Rebuilt to Standard Program (RAM/RS), and scheduled cycles through depot-level maintenance throughout their lives.

The AAV is a safe vehicle and a viable platform for amphibious operations. As with all combat systems and equipment, strict compliance with maintenance standards is an essential prerequisite to safe and effective operation, said the spokesman, Maj. Jim Stenger.

According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announcement, the sale to Greece will provide an effective capability to protect maritime interests and infrastructure in support of its strategic location on NATOs southern flank.
The Gwinnett County School Board decided to not change the way they teach sex education, at least not yet.

The board decided to pull the discussion off the table just minutes into Thursdays meeting.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

It was a packed room of teachers, students and parents on Thursday night at the Gwinnett County Public School Board meeting.

Im here to watch the vote, said Holly Terei.

Terei was in the crowd as she waited on a discussion and a vote on whether the school board would adopt a new curriculum for sex education, but that vote never happened.

Instead, the school board decided to remove the item...at least for now.

That item has caused an uproar through the county.

Its one thing for parents to have to guard the social media, and the movies and the music. Its another thing when we drop our kids off at school and we have to worry about our children being exposed to curriculum that teaches them how to perform sexual acts, said Terei.

For the past 22 years, the Gwinnett County School System has taught Abstinence-Only classes for sex education. But now, school leaders are considering a new comprehensive sex education curriculum.

TRENDING STORIES:

They said it will align with state standards. That program is called Health Smart. It would include conversations about sexual and gender identity.

Some parents support that program.

Health Smart provides resources for parents to have conversations on sensitive issues. The more informed and comfortable a parent is, the less likely the kids are to engage in those risky behaviors, said one parent.

Meanwhile, Terei said shes hoping the school board will listen to the majority.

Story continues

Im hoping that theyll do the right thing and abide by parents wishes, said Terei.

The Georgia Department of Education Superintendent sent the school leaders a letter.

That letter asked them to delay the vote to change the curriculum. A spokesperson with the district told Channel 2s Larry Spruill that the board will probably discuss the curriculum at the next board meeting.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
WASHINGTON (AP)  In early March, President Joe Biden met with members of Alaska's bipartisan congressional delegation as they implored him to approve a contentious oil drilling project in their state. Around the same time, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland held a very different meeting on the same topic.

Gathering at Interior headquarters a half-mile (0.8 kilometers) from the White House, leaders of major environmental organizations and Indigenous groups pleaded with Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet member, to use her authority to block the Willow oil project. Environmental groups call the project a carbon bomb that would betray pledges made by Biden  and Haaland  to fight climate change and have mounted a social media #StopWillow campaign that has been seen hundreds of millions of times.

The closed-door meeting, which was described by two participants who insisted on not being identified because of its confidential nature, grew emotional as participants urged Haaland to oppose a project many believed Biden appeared likely to approve even as it contradicted his agenda to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.

Haaland, who opposed Willow when she served in Congress, choked up as she explained that the Interior Department had to make difficult choices, according to the participants. Many Native groups in Alaska support Willow as a job creator and economic lifeline.

Less than two weeks later, the Biden administration announced it was approving Willow, an $8 billion drilling plan by ConocoPhillips on Alaskas petroleum-rich North Slope.

Haaland, who had not publicly commented on Willow in two years as head of the U.S. agency overseeing the project, was not involved in the announcement and did not sign the approval order, leaving that to her deputy, Tommy Beaudreau.

In an online video released Monday night, 10 hours after the decision was made public, Haaland said she and Biden, both Democrats, believe the climate crisis "is the most urgent issue of our lifetime.''

Story continues

She called Willow "a difficult and complex issue that was inherited'' from previous administrations and noted that ConocoPhillips has long held leases to drill for oil on the site, in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

As a result, we have limited decision space,'' she said, adding that officials focused on reducing the projects footprint and minimizing impacts to people and wildlife. The final approval reflects a substantially smaller project than ConocoPhillips originally proposed and includes a pledge by the Houston-based oil company to relinquish nearly 70,000 acres (28,000 hectares) of leased land that will no longer be developed, she said.

The video had received more than 100,000 views by Friday.

Haaland declined to be interviewed for this story. But in a statement, the department said Haaland had been actively involved in the Willow decision from the start and met with Alaska Natives on both sides of the issue, conservation and other groups and members of Congress.

Dallas Goldtooth, a senior strategist for the Indigenous Environmental Network, called it problematic" that Haaland's video was the Biden administration's primary voice on Willow. Biden himself has not spoken publicly on the project.

They use people of color for cover on these decisions,'' said Goldtooth, a member of Mdewakanton Dakota tribe.

The White House pushed back on the idea, saying in a statement Friday that as interior secretary, of course the video came from her.

But Haalands body language  at times looking away from the camera  made her appear very uncomfortable in the two-minute video, Goldtooth said.

Haaland's statement did not seem to be a wholehearted defense of the decision,'' said Brett Hartl, government affairs director of the Center for Biological Diversity, another environmental group. "It was almost an apology.''

Allowing Haaland to be the administration's public face on Willow strengthens Biden's expected reelection run by allowing him to avoid public scrutiny on an issue on which some of his most ardent supporters disagree with him, environmentalists said.

"It's clear-cut D.C. politics,'' Goldtooth said. "I've seen this play run before,'' including when former Biden environmental justice adviser Cecilia Martinez was put forward to address tribal concerns about two other energy projects, the Dakota Access and Line 3 oil pipelines in the upper Midwest.

Asked about Willow on Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the oil company has a legal right to those leases, adding: The departments options are limited when there are legal contracts in place."

Goldtooth and others involved in the Willow fight say the project was largely advanced by Beaudreau, Haaland's deputy, who grew up in Alaska and has a close relationship with the state's two Republican senators. Beaudreau is especially close to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a former Senate Energy chair who has cooperated with Biden on a range of issues. Murkowski played a key role in Haaland's confirmation, and she and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia teamed up to get Beaudreau installed as deputy after they objected to Haaland's first choice, Elizabeth Klein.

Murkowski told reporters this week that she and other Alaska officials had long realized that the decision on Willow was likely to be made by the White House, despite repeated comments from Jean-Pierre that the decision was up to Interior.

The senator, who personally lobbied Biden on Willow for nearly two years, said she reminded him, "Cooperation goes both ways.''

Despite the White House involvement, Haaland has been faulted for the decision to approve Willow. New Mexicos senior Democratic senator, Martin Heinrich, singled her out for criticism in a rare rebuke of a fellow New Mexico Democrat. Haaland represented the state in Congress before becoming Interior secretary.

The Western Arctic is one of the last great wild landscapes on the planet and as public land it belongs to every American," Heinrich said in a statement. Industrial development in this unspoiled landscape will not age well.''

Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., who holds Haaland's former seat in Congress, said she joined millions of people, "including Indigenous leaders, scientists and lawmakers, in opposing the Willow Project.'' She urged the Biden administration to reconsider the project and its consequences for global climate change.

Native American tribes in the Southwestern U.S. have been watching Willow closely, concerned about any implications it could have for development in culturally significant areas, including the Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico.

A federal appeals court has ruled that the Interior Department failed to consider the cumulative effects of greenhouse gas emissions that would result from the approval of nearly 200 drilling permits near the Chaco site.

Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, visited Chaco in 2021 and told tribal leaders that the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management would work toward withdrawing hundreds of square miles from development. She also committed to taking a broader look at how federal land across the region can be better managed while taking into account environmental effects and cultural preservation.

Mario Atencio, of Dine CARE, a Navajo environmental group, said he understands that the Interior Department faces pressure from GOP lawmakers to increase drilling, as well as conflicting court rulings on a pause ordered by Biden on oil leasing on public land.

Were very aware that its a game of inches sometimes, and theres a little discretion in some places, and we are just trying to have just as much visibility as the oil and gas industry has, said Atencio, who is Navajo.

The Willow project has divided Alaska Native groups. Supporters call the project balanced and say communities would benefit from taxes generated by Willow. But City of Nuiqsut Mayor Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, whose community of about 525 people is closest to the proposed development, opposes the project and worries about impacts on caribou and her residents subsistence lifestyles.

Hartl, of the biological diversity group, said Willow was approved by the White House for clear political reasons. They cared more about Lisa Murkowski's vote than frankly they did the climate,'' he said.

___

Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, N.M., contributed to this story.
A 36-year-old man who police say was involved in an "ongoing dispute" with another man died Thursday after being shot with a rifle, Delaware State Police said.

The victim has been identified as Charles Kupidlowski, of Harrington, according to police.

Troopers were called just after 4:15 p.m. to the 200 block of Reeves Crossing Road near Felton after receiving reports of a shooting. When they arrived, they found Kupidlowski lying in the road with wounds to his upper body. Paramedics tried to treat him, but he died at the scene.

Detectives quickly learned that Kupidlowski had been arguing with 36-year-old Steven Smith, who lives in Centerville, Maryland.

RELATED:'Revenge, rep chasing and reputation': How prosecutors used Instagram in gang murder trial

Police said that Smith drove to Reeves Crossing Road to confront the victim and when he arrived, he began shooting at him with a rifle. After the shooting, Smith returned home.

Deputies with the Queen Annes County, Maryland, Sheriffs Office later arrested Smith at his home "without incident," police said. He will be extradited to Delaware to face first-degree murder and weapons charges.

Delaware State Police continues to investigate this shooting. Anyone with information should call 302-741-2729 or Delaware Crime Stoppers at 800-TIP-3333.

Got a tip? Send to Isabel Hughes at ihughes@delawareonline.com or 302-324-2785. For all things breaking news, follow her on Twitter at @izzihughes_

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Felton, Delaware fatal shooting ends in arrest of Maryland man
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  Prime Minister Ariel Henry signaled Friday that he wants to mobilize Haitis military to help the National Police fight the countrys increasingly powerful gangs.

Henry said during an appearance at the Haitian Armed Forces headquarters that he intends to mobilize all of the countrys security forces in the fight against gang violence.

His comments come as Haiti and some U.N. officials continue to press the international community to deploy foreign troops to help quell the widespread violence.

What we are living today is not a joke, Henry said.

Jean Robenson Servilius, who works in the press office for Haitis Defense Ministry, confirmed to The Associated Press that officials are working on plans to activate the military. He said that the Armed Forces currently have some 2,000 soldiers and that more are being recruited, adding that they have been trained by experts in Argentina, Mexico and Colombia.

Robenson said he could not provide further details.

Haitis military was disbanded in 1995 after it participated in multiple coups and was accused of other political interference. The Armed Forces were reinstated by since assassinated President Jovenel Moise in 2017 after the U.N. ended its peacekeeping operation in Haiti.

Since then, it has played a limited role, which includes providing protection to Haitis prime minister.

Are we ready to work hand-in-hand with the police force in the fight against insecurity? Henry asked during his visit to Haitis military headquarters.

It was not immediately clear when the military would be activated, how many soldiers would be called to duty or what role they would play. But Henry said their help was needed.

The Haiti that we want, we will not be able to build it with gangs that are rampant everywhere. They must listen to reason, or we will make them listen to reason in spite of themselves, he said.

Gangs control an estimated 60% of the capital of Port-au-Prince, and they have killed hundreds of people in recent months in their fight to control more territory in the aftermath of the July 2021 assassination of Moise at his private home. Tens of thousands of Haitians have been displaced by the ongoing violence, which U.N. officials say has reached levels not seen in decades.
Halle Berry is celebrating her daughter, Nahla, on her 15th birthday.

On March 16, the Oscar winner shared a sweet birthday tribute on Instagram in honor of her daughters special day.

Berry uploaded a slideshow that included a black-and-white photo of her and Nahla embracing and laughing. The throwback picture from Nahlas childhood was placed in a picture frame that had Love You More written on it.

The second snap showed Nahla with her back to the camera as she stared out into the ocean. In the final picture, the teenager sat with her legs crossed and covered her face with a hat.

One of the greatest gifts the universe has given me is my daughter, Nahla, the proud mom gushed in the caption.

The 56-year-old actor added, She is the sun that never fades and the moon that never wanes!

She then asked her fans to join her in celebrating Nahla. At the end of her post, she wrote, I love you sweet angel.

Friends and fans wished Nahla a happy birthday in the comments.

Viola Davis said, Happiest of birthdays beautiful Nahla!! and included a red heart emoji.

Julianne Moore wrote, Happy birthday Nahla!

One fan joked, Is that 15th a typo? That human cannot be 15 already. WowHappy Birthday, young lady!

The Monsters Ball star shares Nahla with former partner and model Gabriel Aubry. She is also a mom to 9-year-old Maceo, whom she shares with ex-husband Olivier Martinez.

Berry rarely posts pictures of her children on social media. In the past, she has uploaded older photos or images that slightly conceal their faces.

In 2021, she celebrated Nahlas 13th birthday on Instagram and uploaded the picture seen two years later in the Love You More frame.

No matter how many times I tell her I love her, I love her more than that. Happy 13th Birthday Nahla Boo, Berry wrote at the time.

Her most recent picture of Maceo was shared in 2021 for his 8th birthday.

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This little dude is 8 today! she cheered in the caption next to a photo of her son holding up a peace sign.

Happy Birthday THUNDER! she said with a red heart emoji.

Berry spoke about why she avoids showing her childrens faces when she stopped by TODAY in 2019.

Ive fought really hard to protect their privacy, and I just want them to have their life and have it be theirs. @halleberry explains why she doesnt post photos of her kids on social media pic.twitter.com/r9KUXjLUzH  TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 8, 2019

I fought really hard to protect their privacy, and I just want them to have their life and have it be theirs, she explained.

And also its a safety issue," she continued. "I just dont want to plaster them all over the internet. That just doesnt feel right for me. Theyre gonna do that soon enough. Thats going to be their life when they grow up, and they will choose when that starts.

In 2013, Berry joined Jennifer Garner in testifying before the California State Assembly Committee on Public Safety about the importance of preventing paparazzi from taking pictures of children without parents permission.

During her testimony, Berry told politicians that her daughter did not want to go to preschool at the time.

Why? Because these 25 grown men are there... Were moms here, just trying to protect our children, she said.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
GABORONE, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Letshego Holdings Limited, a microfinance holding company with its headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana, has committed a 2.2 pula billion (approximately 170 million U.S. dollars) facility through its unit in Botswana to provide financial support to micro and small entrepreneurs (MSEs) and drive the country's citizen economic empowerment.

The deal has been triggered by the current economic climate, where MSEs have been hardest hit.

Under the deal signed on Thursday, Letshego Botswana and Morupule Coal Mine have committed to hiving off contracts, empowering and providing ongoing financial support to entrepreneurs, giving the potential for scaling up operations.

"It is always great news when a small business secures a lucrative order, however, most MSEs do not have adequate liquidity to fulfil large orders, especially when there are multiple orders on the table," said Letshego Botswana Acting Chief Executive Officer Letso Gaborekwe when signing the deal.

MSEs are truly a credible engine of entrepreneurial growth, employment creation and economic development, however, high working capital requirements are an inherent issue that haunts most small business owners, said Gaborekwe.

Meanwhile, Morupule Coal Mine Chief Executive Officer Edwin Elias said the company has collaborated with Letshego in co-creating solutions to enable better access to credit for Botswana entrepreneurs that wish to participate in the mine's citizen economic empowerment initiative.

Even as Letshego Botswana and Morupule Coal Mine commit to working together, Botswana's financial challenges facing MSEs are further heightened by the low appetite in the market to fund businesses that are still in their infancy and have a limited ability to match up to the set requirements to access credit.

The country's economic statistics indicate that most MSEs grapple with weak cash flow positions and a lack of collateral security.

According to the World Bank, SMEs make up 35 percent of the GDP and contribute 75 percent to formal sector employment, and are significant contributors to national economic development in Botswana. 
Red tide conditions around much of Southwest Florida have improved after weeks of severe conditions, according to the most recent water samples from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Sarasota Countys coastline saw the biggest drop in red tide levels in the region.

The organism that causes red tide, Karenia brevis, was detected at very low levels in two water samples and one low level sample in Sarasota Bay. Seventeen other samples along the coast found that K. brevis was not present or at background levels.

Conditions also improved around Manatee County and Anna Maria Islands coastline.

Red tide algae were detected at medium levels in two samples off of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Elsewhere, very low and low levels were observed. Samples taken also showed red tide was not present in other areas of Manatee Countys gulf waters.

The bloom remained the strongest around Pinellas County, where low to medium levels were found from Anclote Key near Tarpon Springs south to Mullet Key and Shell Key, near Passe-A-Grille. One high level concentration was found at Largo Intercoastal Marina in the central part of the county.

Respiratory irritation and fish kills were reported from Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Lee and Collier counties.

But the rate of dead fish washing ashore appeared to slow this week, according to anecdotal reports.

Even as the red tide bloom remains patchy, it is far-reaching. This week, K. brevis was detected at low levels in the Florida Keys.

Red tide forecast

The reprieve from red tide could be short-lived for Manatee and Sarasota counties, according to the most recent forecast from University of South Floridas Ocean Circulation Lab.

The forecast predicts that ocean currents could push medium levels of K. brevis back to shore around parts of Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key and other Sarasota County beaches.

A map shows a short-term red tide forecast for Southwest Florida from the University of South Florida College of Marine Sciences Ocean Circulation Lab.

An area of high intensity is predicted for Collier Countys coast.

NOAA warns of a moderate risk of respiratory irritation over the next 36 hours in Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota, Lee and Collier, and possible respiratory irritation in Pasco, Charlotte and Monroe. Chances increase when wind is blowing on or along the shore.
(Reuters) -Four Belarusian women were each jailed for more than a decade on Friday, the latest in a series of heavy sentences handed to activists and journalists, including a Nobel prize winner, who have spoken out against authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko.

The verdicts were handed down in two separate cases - the first against the leaders of an independent online news outlet, tut.by, and the second against two political scientists accused of subversion.

In the first, Marina Zolotova, editor of tut.by, and Lyudmila Chekina, its general director, were both sentenced to 12 years, the state prosecutor's office said.

The women were arrested in May 2021 with other employees, most of whom were later released. Three others are on a wanted list.

Zolotova and Chekina were initially charged with tax evasion, and later with inciting hatred and calling for sanctions against Belarus. The state news agency posted video of them sitting in a courtroom cage in handcuffs at a closed trial.

"It's another attempt to kill honest journalism in Belarus, but I know that the truth will win," exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, whose husband is also in prison, said on Twitter.

She also condemned the jailing of Valeria Kasciuhova, founder of a think-tank, and Tatsiana Kuzina, also a political scientist, who received 10-year sentences according to the human rights group Viasna, which is banned in Belarus.

Viasna said the two women had been convicted of "assisting actions to seize power in an unconstitutional manner", calling for actions aimed at harming national security, and inciting social hatred.

BAN FOR 'EXTREMISM'

Tut.by actively reported on mass protests against Lukashenko in 2020 and was banned as an "extremist organisation". Many of its staff left the country, creating a new outlet called Zerkalo (Mirror).

In a message of support to Zolotova and Chekina, they tweeted: "We love you and we wait for you in freedom - freedom that was taken away from you, paradoxically, because you strove to prevent it from being taken away from Belarusians."

Story continues

According to human rights activists, Belarus now has about 1,500 political detainees, arrested for criticising the authorities or participating in the 2020 protests against the outcome of a presidential election that the opposition said was rigged.

Rights activist Ales Bialiatski, co-winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize, was sentenced to 10 years in prison this month after being found guilty of financing protests, in a trial condemned by the United States and the European Union as a sham.

Three other men convicted in the same case - Valentin Stefanovich, Vladimir Labkovich and Dmitry Solovyov - were sentenced to nine, seven and eight years respectively.

(Reporting by Reuters; writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Heavy rains and landslides in California left a swimming pool dangling at the edge of a cliff. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Part of a backyard pool was left hanging off a cliff after heavy rains in California caused mudslides.

Land from under the pool's edge appeared to have been washed away.

Homes in San Clemente, Orange County, were evacuated during the storm this week.

A backyard swimming pool was left partially hanging off the edge of a cliff after an onslaught of rain in California caused mudslides this week.

Homes in the beachfront community of San Clemente were evacuated during the storm this week, Reuters reported. The mudslides even caused a large chunk of one San Clemente home's backyard to crumble away  leaving the edge of the home's swimming pool exposed and hanging off the cliffside, per Reuters.

An aerial view of a hillside landslide brought on by heavy rains in San Clemente. Mario Tama/Getty Images

A tweet from Michele Gile, a CBS LA journalist reporting from Orange County, showed the destruction wrought on that home in San Clemente.

Gile's tweet showed the backyard swimming pool  with floats and surfboards still in it  resting precariously on the cliff's edge.

Land from under the pool's edge appeared to have been washed away.

"This season we've had a tremendous amount of rain, and I don't think we're done with it yet. It's saturated the landscape," Thanh Nguyen, a fire captain from Orange County, told the BBC.

He added: "The concern that we have right now is that there's still more earth that is slopping off as we speak."

This comes as California experiences its eleventh atmospheric river this storm season. An atmospheric river  also known as a river in the sky  is a stream of moisture passing overhead, per The Guardian. Atmospheric rivers in California are formed from warm water vapor rising from the Pacific Ocean, and can carry 15 times the volume of the Mississippi River.

The heavy rain that came from these atmospheric rivers has forced evacuations and caused power outages and road closures, per Reuters. Across California, 169,000 people were left without electricity as of Wednesday afternoon, reported CNN, citing numbers from PowerOutage.us.

Representatives for the Orange County fire department did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, sent outside of regular business hours.

Read the original article on Insider
Leland Smoke House at 503 Olde Waterford Way. STARNEWS FILE PHOTO

Troy Knight is the owner of the Smoke House barbecue spots in Leland and Southport. He also happens to be in a church group with two other Brunswick County restaurant owners.

They have a weekly prayer request for good, reliable workers, he said.

From management to servers, Knight is spending more for staffing than ever. And while hes contemplating expansion, his first priority is to make it through the busy season at his two existing restaurants.

Hes not alone. Hiring staff and workers -- and creating an environment where they will want to work -- has been an ongoing struggle for restaurants since the pandemic disrupted the hospitality industry. While the industry has rebounded, there are still fewer workers to serve customers. Restaurant sales increased by more than 12% in 2022 over the previous year, and surpassed $900 billion, according to the National Restaurant Association. But there are still almost 2 million job openings at eateries, bars and hotels.

Christi Ferretti at Pine Valley Market says the staffing shortage is improving, but challenges remain. STARNEWS FILE PHOTO

Nationally, theres a push to add more automation or implement lower-labor restaurant concepts. And, in North Carolina, the N.C. Restaurant & Lodging Association recently announced they're working with the state's Department of Commerce to address the issue with a $1.1 million hospitality workforce training program that offers free online courses and certifications.

Despite this, there is reason for optimism. Gradually, many restaurants in the area, such as Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill in Southport to JohnnyLukes Kitchen Bar in Wilmington, have increased hours. Pine Valley Market, for example, added Monday hours for the first time since the pandemic.

More:Behind the scenes with Wilmingtons two James Beard Awards semifinalist chefs

More:A taste of the Caribbean: Puerto Rican restaurant brings authentic flavors to Shallotte

STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the areas latest food news by signing up for the Port City Foodies newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.

Story continues

I think it is getting better. But it took us building that staffing up," said Christi Ferretti, an owner at the Market. Its still a challenge, don't get me wrong. We might be 30% in the right direction."

And Kevin Kozak said he's been pleased with the applicants at Burgaw Brewing, ahead of its soft opening on March 17. Most of the kitchen openings are filled but he also acknowledged that no one had worked a shift yet.

Bobby Zimmerman, of the True Blue restaurant group, said hes usually optimistic, too. He maintained staff during the pandemic and is proud to offer benefits.

Bobby Zimmerman, of the True Blue restaurant group (left) and Leslie Smith in the Cargo District. ALLISON BALLARD/STARNEWS

More:Your guide to restaurants, shops and bars in Wilmingtons trendy Cargo District

But one recent Friday wasn't a particularly good day. Using his new Beat Street restaurant in the Cargo District as an example, he said that one person called out on the warm, sunny day and another showed up two hours late. He was also cautioned by his benefits representative that he needed to increase his staff's participation in the health care program for it to continue.

"The first couple of months, and the first year after COVID, I was doing alright, Zimmerman said. But there have been ups and downs since.

Knight said it's been easier to staff his Leland restaurant, than the one in Southport.

"For sure, its been tough in Southport, he said. I dont know if its the demographics ... there are a lot of retirees. Or it could be theres more competition as seasonal restaurants re-open."

Until there are more workers, though, he and his counterparts at The Saucy Southerner and Old Bridge Dinner said they're hoping for divine intervention.

Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Staffing and labor continue to challenge Wilmington restaurants
The historic decision to issue the arrest warrant on Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, must be followed by historical responsibility.

Source: address by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine

Quote: "The international judiciary has made an important decision in the case with a real perspective. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant on Putin. This is the historic decision which marks the beginning of historical responsibility."

"Head of the terrorist state and another Russian official have officially became suspected of committing a war crime. The deportation of Ukrainian children, the illegal transfer of thousands of our children to the territory of a terrorist state... Separating children from their families, depriving them of any opportunity to contact their relatives, hiding children on Russian territory, scattering them in remote regions  all this is obviously the state policy of the aggressor, state decisions, state evil."

Background:

Last October, Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights, told Putin she had "adopted" a child abducted from Mariupol. She claims that as of October alone, up to 2,000 orphans from social institutions had been taken to Russia, and 350 children from Donbas had already been placed in "foster families" in 16 oblasts of Russia.

The Ukrainian side recorded the deportation of 16,221 children.

Earlier, the International Criminal Court (ICC) reportedly intended to open two war crime criminal cases connected with the Russian invasion of Ukraine: one about the kidnapping of Ukrainian children and the other about purposeful Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure facilities in Ukraine.

Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin on 17 March, in view of the situation in Ukraine.

All member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) are now legally bound to detain and bring to court Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, now deemed a suspect.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Have you been searching for that perfect barbeque meal, but dont have time to travel to one of the southern states? Not to worry! A new list has named the bucket-list barbecue restaurants that are worth visiting in each New England state.

Cheapism, a website dedicated to seeking out the best products and services at the very best prices, recently published a list of bucket list-worthy barbecue joints that have received top marks from customers and critics in all 50 states.

In Massachusetts, Blue Ribbon BBQ in Arlington was named the bucket-list restaurant. The eatery has been serving up various styles of Southern barbecue since 1995.

The North Carolina-style pork is the way to go here, as it goes exceptionally well with the vinegar-based barbecue sauce available at the sauce bar. A big slab of cornbread and fluffy mashed potatoes are great accompaniments, Cheapism said of Blue Ribbon BBQ.

In New Hampshire, Smoke Shack Cafe in Londonderry earned the bucket-list honors for its Texas-style barbecue.

Theres a Texas flag as you walk in, and Texas license plates adorning the front counter. Youd do yourself a favor by ordering the brisket, either sliced or chopped, Cheapism said of Smoke Shack Cafe.

In Vermont, Top of the Hill Grill in Brattleboro was named the bucket-list place to eat at. Perched on hill, its said to be a cozy seasonal smokehouse with a great view from its outdoor patio.

Cheapism said of Top of the Hill Grill, Whimsical, colorful hand-drawn signs illustrate the menu at the window. Hickory-smoked, meaty burnt ends and apple-smoked turkey make for a good pair on the combo platter, which is served with cornbread, slaw, and baked beans. For a to-go option, get your barbecue stuffed in a tortilla wrap, like a burrito.

In Maine, Spring Creek Bar-B-Q in Monson earned high praise, in part due to because it was once visited by the famed Anthony Bourdain.

The restaurant is as casual as you can get, and the meats are Texas-style and spicy. The ever-changing menu is written in chalk on the wall, so just order whatever sounds best that day, from in-demand ribs to mac and cheese, Cheapism said of Spring Creek Bar-B-Q.

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In Rhode Island, Beckys BBQ in Middletown earned the bucket-list nod for its smoke pit, where meat is cooked over hickory wood.

The ribs come hand-rubbed in a signature blend of spices before getting barbecued for hours over the hickory pit. While the ribs are delicious on their own, both the sweet Kansas City sauce and the vinegary North Carolina sauce are worth tasting. Diners say the sides are just as good, from the moist cornbread to the potato salad, Cheapism said of Beckys.

In Connecticut, the Taino Smokehouse in Middletown was highlighted as a cant miss spot, despite its location in a tiny storefront.

People line up for smoked corned beef turned into an amazing Reuben sandwich. Theres also a Thai twist on barbecue with drunken noodles made with chopped smoked meat and Thai basil, Cheapism wrote of Taino Smokehouse.

To view the full list, click here.

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Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Kansas City homicide detectives have taken over a shooting investigation that began just before midnight Saturday after an 18-year-old died in the hospital, according to police.

The gunshot victim, Makel Williams, was taken to the hospital with critical injuries after police officers responded to a shooting in the 1500 block of West 12th Street, Officer Donna Drake, a KCPD spokeswoman, said in a statement.

Detectives and crime scene personnel canvassed for witnesses and collected evidence there after the initial call, Drake said.

The death of the teenager marks Kansas Citys 34th homicide of 2023, according to data maintained by The Star. Last year, the city recorded 171 killings, the second worst year on record after 2020.

Police were asking anyone with information about Williams fatal shooting to contact detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or call the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.
The House Financial Services Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing later this month on the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, which spooked markets and pumped uncertainty into the banking industry.

The hearing  set for March 29  will feature testimony from Martin Gruenberg, the chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporations (FDIC) Board of Directors, and Michael Barr, the vice chair for supervision of the Federal Reserves Board of Governors.

The House Financial Services Committee is committed to getting to the bottom of the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, Reps. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) and Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), the chairman and ranking member of the committee, said in a statement on Friday.

This hearing will allow us to begin to understand why and how these banks failed. As Chairman and Ranking Member, we take our oversight duties seriously, they continued. We are working around the clock to deliver answers to the American people in order to protect depositors, promote the safety and soundness of Americas banks, and strengthen our financial system.

The pair said they will conduct this hearing without fear or favor to get the answers the American people deserve.

The committee said it will hold more hearings as appropriate.

The announcement of the first hearing comes exactly one week after federal regulators took over Silicon Valley Bank following a run on the bank amid liquidity issues. Days later, state regulators seized control of Signature Bank in New York after depositors ran to withdraw their money.

The failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank are now the second and third-largest bank collapses in U.S. history. The Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating the failure of Silicon Valley Bank.

Additionally, Barr is leading the Federal Reserve Boards review of the supervision and regulation of Silicon Valley Bank. The review will be released publicly by May 1, the board said.

Story continues

The bank failures dominated Capitol Hill this week, with lawmakers reacting to the news and pointing fingers at what caused the collapses. A number of Democrats are blaming a 2018 deregulation bill that rolled back regulations put into place under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act for small and mid-size banks. Former President Trump signed the bill into law, but a handful of Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the measure on Capitol Hill.

Some Republicans have said that federal regulators in San Francisco did not conduct strong enough oversight, while others claimed that Silicon Valley Bank was woke, pointing to environmental, social and governance (ESG) investments and diversity and inclusion initiatives.

On Friday, SVB Financial Group, the parent company of Silicon Valley Bank, filed for bankruptcy.

Asked on Friday if any congressional action can be taken to react to the Silicon Valley Bank situation, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters I think you want to get all the facts but it seems as though the regulators didnt do their job.

I dont know that it needs new legislation, he added.

McCarthy also said McHenry has a number of hearings that hes gonna have so you could actually get all the facts.

Pressed on what role Congress plays in dealing with the bank situation the Speaker again pointed to the California regulators, saying it seems as though that they didnt do their job, which is concerning to him.

Questions for California regulators out there and the governor too on what they missed, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WINDHOEK, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Elizabeth Nahambo Nakale from the Ouhwaala village in the Omusati region, Namibia, observed the propensity of dying crops due to drought in rural areas as adverse climate shocks take a toll on crops.

Namibia, a semi-arid country, has been experiencing persistent drought conditions for more than seven years, according to the 2022 Namibia Drought Assessment Report.

"People lost crops and livestock to natural disasters and struggled with basic meals. I wondered if there was a different way to farm," she said.

Nakale has strived to chart a new path for agriculture by first obtaining a certificate in horticulture and agronomy from Mashare Agricultural Training Institute in 2017. In August 2020, she participated in the government-run Etunda Green Scheme Irrigation Project in the Omusati Region, through which she had access to not only land but also an irrigation system.

"This meant I could grow crops and various vegetables with minimal worries if the rain did not fall," said the small-scale farmer.

The Namibian Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, through the scheme, also supported 205 small and medium-scale farmers at 11 green schemes with startup input, including seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, mentorship by green scheme farm managers, and accessibility to on-site farming machinery, according to Jona Musheko, the ministry spokesperson.

Farming within the green scheme project has bolstered Nakale's agricultural yields in just two years. On average, she harvests 77 metric tons of a variety of vegetables, 24,000 heads of cabbages, and 30 metric tons of maize grains on three hectares, more than she ever produced with subsistence crops.

Moreover, it has given rise to her entrepreneurial journey. Nakale sold farm produce in selected retail shops and to street vendors through her enterprise, Enna Farming Solutions, a contrast to her former efforts as a subsistence farmer who endured losses due to poor rain.

"I learned to manage administrative matters, cash inflows, expenses, liabilities and procure supplies such as pesticides," she said, holding a Higher Diploma in Agriculture which she later accomplished from the University of Namibia.

Aina Imalwa, another ambitious small-scale farmer at Etunda, is aware of the importance of green scheme irrigation projects. She diverted from hairdressing to farming at the national green scheme project in 2020. Growing vegetables and crops has generated revenue, which sustains her family. "I could not secure jobs and decided to explore new areas. Now, this is my lifeline."

Small-scale farmers who benefit from the scheme also helped create employment opportunities. Nakale now employs two full-time staff and ten casual workers during peak seasons. 
The House Judiciary Committee is launching an investigation into the various unauthorized record disclosures the Air Force acknowledged it made last year, including known cases of the military branch releasing personnel records of GOP candidates to a Democratic-aligned group.

A GOP-led Judiciary subpanel investigating the politicization of the federal government announced Thursday it had launched a probe after the Air Force acknowledged that an internal investigation had concluded 11 individuals were affected by improper disclosures.

In a letter to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) and Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) sought additional information on the matter, including all records and communications related to the improper disclosures.

In late February 2023, media reports highlighted how the OSAF improperly disclosed Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) of 11 servicemembers without appropriate authorization or lawful consent. The [Office of the Secretary of the Air Force] reportedly released the personnel files of at least two Members of Congress to an opposition research firm that received money from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), they wrote.

While the Air Force has rightfully taken responsibility for these inappropriate OMPF disclosures, questions remain unanswered about the U.S. Air Forces collection, maintenance, and dissemination of this sensitive information, their letter to Kendall continued.

Other panels, including the House Armed Services and Oversight committees, have sought details from the Pentagon on the disclosures.

POLITICO first reported that the Air Force had notified at least two sitting House Republicans  Reps. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Zach Nunn (R-Iowa)  that it had improperly released their personnel military records to a third party.

In the case of Bacon, a letter last month from the Air Force identified Abraham Payton of the Due Diligence Group, a research firm with Democratic ties, as inappropriately requesting and successfully obtaining these records.

Story continues

Payton, according to the letter, said he was seeking the records for employment and benefit purposes, but the Air Force acknowledged such records were released without their authorization, which is protected under the Privacy Act of 1974. The letter noted that Payton was already in possession of the Nebraska Republicans social security number when filling out the information request form.

Other GOP candidates from last cycle have shared that they were similarly notified by the Air Force that Payton, a former research director for the Democratic group American Bridge, was behind such requests for their records. They include Sam Peters, a Republican who challenged Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) in November, and Kevin Dellicker, who fell short in the GOP primary race to take on Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.).

Such efforts by Due Diligence Group included more than one military branch, with Payton attempting to get records on Colin Schmitt, who is currently serving in the New York National Guard and who challenged Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.) in the general election last cycle for the states 18th district, according to a copy of the request form.

The Air Force said last month that an internal investigation it launched after POLITICO reported on former GOP candidate Jennifer-Ruth Greens military records in October  when she was challenging Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.) in a battleground district  found that the private records of 11 individuals were improperly disclosed to a third party.

Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek has said that virtually all of the 11 unapproved releases were made to the same third party who represented himself as a background investigator seeking service records for employment purposes.

It is unclear if Payton was behind all of the 11 Air Force requests. Nunn has not publicly disclosed if Payton was the individual who sought his military personnel records, and Green has confirmed only that Due Diligence sought hers.

The other individuals affected by the Air Force records releases are not publicly known. But the House Armed Services and Oversight committees are also inquiring about the matter, with Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) vowing last week to keep chasing down details of the disclosures.

POLITICO was told by the person who gave it Greens military records last year that they were obtained through a public records request. POLITICO reviewed the request for the records made by a third party, which sought a publicly releasable/redacted copy of OMPF [Official Military Personnel File] per Freedom of Information Act statutes. The requester identified the purpose of the request as relating to benefits, employment and other.

POLITICO also reviewed the letter sent in response to the requester. A military employee responded with a password-protected version of the file with limited redactions. After publication, the Air Force said it erred in releasing the records and launched an investigation.

Bacon said last month that Air Force Secretary Kendall informed him that material from the Air Forces internal investigation into the records releases was turned over to the Justice Department for possible further action. And Schmitt is joining all five GOP Air Force veterans in calling for a DOJ inquiry into whether political research crossed into criminal activity.

The Justice Department has declined to comment on questions related to the existence or the status of a possible investigation into the unauthorized disclosures, but in a statement on Sunday, a DOJ spokesperson said they are aware of the concerns raised and that the department has been communicating with the U.S. Air Force about this matter.

Stewart and Jordan also asked for the Air Force to turn over requests made by DDG from the start of January 2021 to the present, all the notifications to affected servicemembers that their information was improperly impacted, documents related to its policies on record disclosure policies, and files on any internal investigations into the matter.

My proudest years were spent defending our great nation in the Air Force. Its a shame to see this sacred branch of our government weaponized, but we will right this wrong, tweeted Stewart, a member of the Republican-led subcommittee, arguing that they will demand accountability.
The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee published a memo Thursday alleging that Hunter Biden and at least two relatives were paid $1.3 million from an associate of the president's son who had links to a Chinese energy company.

They are alleged to have been paid after the associate, Rob Walker, was wired $3 million in March 2017 from a Chinese energy company affiliated with another company that Biden had been doing business with. The recipients of the $1.3 million in payments were Biden, his uncle James Biden and Hallie Biden, the widow of Hunter's brother Beau Biden, Comer said.

"It is unclear what services were provided to obtain this exorbitant amount of money," Comer said.

While the $3 million figure and the payments to Hunter Biden were reported almost a year ago, Comer's memorandum highlighted what the committee described as "new evidence" obtained from a subpoena of Walker's bank records  two payments totaling $35,000 to Hallie Biden in 2017.

"The Committee is concerned about the information revealed in these bank records," including "why Hallie Biden  publicly reported to work as a school counselor  received money" from Walker's firm, the memo said.

A spokesperson for committee Democrats noted that one of the payments to Hallie Biden was sent a month before Walker received the $3 million. "Concealing this context paints a typically distorted picture and marks another depressing low for this investigation," the spokesperson said.

Hunter Biden acknowledged in a 2019 interview with The New Yorker that Hallie Biden was romantically involved with him during that period.

A spokesperson for Hunter Biden's legal team responded to a request for comment on Thursday night.

Hunter Biden, a private citizen with every right to pursue his own business endeavors, joined several business partners in seeking a joint venture with a privately-owned, legitimate energy company in China. As part of that joint venture, Hunter received his portion of good faith seed funds which he shared with his uncle, James Biden, and Hallie Biden, with whom he was involved at the time, and sharing expenses," the spokesperson said in a statement. "The accounts so dramatically listed by Rep. Comer belonged to Hunter, his uncle and Hallie  nobody else.

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A representative for James Biden declined to comment. An attempt to reach Hallie Biden for comment was unsuccessful.

Comer sent a letter to Walker on Friday that said the Oversight Committee had identified him "as a critical witness in this matter and has reviewed evidence showing you received millions of dollars originating from a Chinese energy company and elsewhere. The Committee invites you to participate in a transcribed interview with Committee staff."

Walker did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

White House spokesman Ian Sams responded Thursday to Comer's memo by noting that Comer had suggested in an interview with Fox Business this month that the Delaware U.S. attorney investigating allegations of tax fraud against Hunter Biden should have prosecuted Beau Biden, who died in 2015.

"After a disgusting attack lamenting that the Presidents deceased son Beau was never prosecuted while he was alive, Congressman Comer has now decided to go after Beaus widow," Sams said in a statement. "Instead of bizarrely attacking the Presidents family, perhaps House Republicans should focus on working with the President to deliver results for American families on important priorities like lowering costs and strengthening health care.

Comer said his committee "is concerned about the national security implications resulting from President Bidens family receiving millions of dollars from foreign nationals" and "will continue to follow the money trail and facts to determine if President Biden is compromised by his familys business schemes and if there is a national security threat.

The panel's top Democrat, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, said if Comer is concerned about that issue, "surely he will be a thousand times more interested in investigating the billions of dollars recently paid to Jared Kushner by the Saudi Government," he said referring to former President Donald Trump's top White House adviser and son-in-law. "I fervently hope we can work together on the Oversight Committee to do this urgently important investigation."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Beachgoers walk past seaweed that washed ashore on March 16 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

A 5,000 mile-long blob of slimy, smelly seaweed is headed for Floridas beaches on the Gulf of Mexico, and its partly because of human activity, including water pollution and climate change.

The mass of sargassum  a large, brown seaweed  is moving west from the Caribbean, where it has left unsightly deposits on beaches near Cancun, Mexico and in Key West, Florida.

Sargassum is a microalgae, an organism that lives in the water and converts sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into a biomass.

Sargassum occurs naturally, but various forms of pollution have been causing it to grow more rapidly since 2011, when it was first large enough to be detected by satellite. The annual March-October algae season in the Atlantic Ocean has set a new record for size in each of the last five years, according to the Independent. This years bloom stretches all the way to Africa, is 200 to 300 miles wide, and has been doubling in size every month since November.

"This year could be the biggest year yet," Brian Lapointe, an algae specialist and research professor at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, told USA Today.

It is not clear exactly what is causing this recent trend, but the most likely explanations relate to human activity.

Water pollution

Sargassum seaweed seen from under water. (Getty Images)

One potential cause is water pollution. As use of fertilizer increases and wastewater from sewers sends ammonium, nitrate and phosphate into rivers and out to the ocean, those chemicals do the same thing they do to crops on a farm: expand their growth.

A 2021 study co-authored by Lapointe looked at the chemistry from the 1980s to 2019 and found that sargassum collected in recent years contained nitrogen levels 35% higher on average than 30 years earlier, due to sewage and farm runoff. (Nitrogen is found in fertilizers and human and animal waste.)

"It's almost like sargassum is a barometer for how global nitrogen levels are changing, Lapointe told NPR on Wednesday.

Story continues

Ocean acidification

The combustion of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, which is increasing the concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air and the oceans. That may be feeding the sargassums growth.

Algae need carbon dioxide to survive, the Environmental Protection Agency explains. Higher levels of carbon dioxide in the air and water can lead to rapid growth of algae, especially toxic blue-green algae that can float to the surface of the water.

Climate change

Beachgoers walk past seaweed on March 16 in Fort Lauderdale. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Sargassum, like other algal blooms, peaks in the summer months, because it grows most rapidly in warmer water. As the increased atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide cause global warming, average ocean temperatures have risen 1.5F since 1901. That may be contributing to the increased growth of sargassum and lengthening the growth season.

The world is changing, and part of that is the oceans are getting warmer, and algae seems to be able to grow over a longer period of the calendar now than used to be the case, Dave Tomasco, executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, told ABC News.

The EPA also notes that warmer water is easier for small organisms to move through and allows algae to float to the surface faster and algal blooms absorb sunlight, making water even warmer and promoting more blooms.

Its not just the warmer temperatures. Second-order effects of climate change may also play a role. For example, since warmer air causes more evaporation, rainstorms are growing more intense. Those storms bring flood waters filled with nitrogen-heavy runoff out to sea.

The same phenomena are also causing other kinds of algal blooms, like the toxic red tides that have caused dead fish to show up in droves on Floridas coastline.

When sargassum washes up on beaches, it decomposes, releasing hydrogen sulfide, which gives off a smell like rotten eggs. Exposure to hydrogen sulfide can irritate the eyes, nose and throat. And although sargassum itself is not harmful to humans, tiny sea creatures that live in Sargassum can cause skin rashes and blisters, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Eagles of Death Metal bassist Jennie Vee in 1991 with her grand prize from Sassy magazine's Biggest Cure Fan contest. (Photo: Instagram)

In March 1988, Sassy magazine  founded by then-24-year-old Jane Pratt for teen girls who felt like they were outsiders, but who could still pass for normal in the high school cafeteria and didnt want to completely reject mainstream culture, but didnt want to completely embrace it, either  debuted on newsstands. In the 35 years since, the not-so-glossy mag has laid the groundwork for millennial/Gen Z feminist publications like Teen Vogue, Rookie, Bitch, Bust, Bustle, Jezebel, Hello Giggles, and Pratts subsequent publications, Jane and XOJane, and it has inspired the lovingly curated Tumblr account Sassy Magazine LIVES and the book How Sassy Changed My Life: A Love Letter to the Greatest Teen Magazine of All Time.

The groundbreaking magazine in fact changed many Gen X girls lives, including that of future Eagles of Death Metal/Palaye Royale bassist and fashion designer Jennie Vee, who to this day can still boast that she won Sassys Biggest Cure Fan contest, thanks to her figurative bloody-mindedness  and a literal blood oath.

Growing up on a farm 30 minutes outside the 80,000-population, dreary and desolate mining town of Sudbury in Ontario, Canada, Vee recalls, Sassy was a magazine that spoke to me because Seventeen did not. It was on the cusp of the alternative wave that was upon us, and I felt like it was written by your cool older friends. It definitely wasn't condescending. It was a little controversial at times, apparently. It was cool. It was different. It wasn't your typical teen magazine, for sure.

Over the course of its eight-year run, Sassy introduced cover stars like grunge power-couple Courtney Love and (a magenta-haired) Kurt Cobain and 90s it-girl Juliana Hatfield to middle America; coined the term Cute Band Alert, with that unisex monthly honor going to college-rock heroes like Sloan, Luscious Jackson, Guided by Voices, the Lemonheads, Ween, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Bikini Kill, and Bratmobile; inspired a recurring Phil Hartman sketch on Saturday Night Live; ran a Dear Boy advice column with guest writers like Iggy Pop, Billy Corgan, Mike D. of the Beastie Boys, and Sonic Youths Thurston Moore; and even spawned an in-house indie band of Sassy staffers, Chia Pet, best known for the feminist anthem Hey Baby and a deadpan cover of the Human Leagues Dont You Want Me for a Planned Parenthood benefit album.

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Back in the mid-to-late 80s, Vees only connection to alternative youth culture, before Sassy came along, was MTV, thanks to her parents equipping their home with a satellite dish. Even as early as age 10, the self-described awkward little girl who felt out of place everywhere I went was drawn to the Close to Me music video by her own cute-band-alert, the Cure. Vee says, I'm not the ambassador for Sudbury.  I think it's just a grim, gray place where most people don't leave, and I could feel that. From a young age, I just had this sense of wanting to get out and needing to escape. So, the Cure kind of became my escape.  They gave me hope in this town where I felt isolated. I could relate, somehow, as a young girl, to [frontman] Robert Smith's lyrics.

Music was everything to me, like a fantasy world. I decorated my room with all Cure posters. I painted it purple. I hung a chandelier. That's how I could express myself, how I found my own sense of creativity and expression. It gave me something to do. It was more than just listening to music. It became my world, Vee continues. And then I found a Cure fan club called Other Voices that was based in Norman, Okla. I had pen pals, and that was my social network. We would trade tapes and send each other these amazing packages, decorated. We photocopied pictures from magazines and painted them with watercolors. It was really an epic kind of pre-internet social network. It saved me, 100%, when I felt like I had nothing and that I was nowhere. And furthermore, the Cures music inspired me to play music myself. If I didn't have that, I can't even imagine who I would be now.

Jennie Vee witj Eagles of Death Metal performs at the Louder Than Life Music Festival. (Photo: Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

It was a few years after her Close to Me awakening that a now-14-year-old Vee, poring over Sassy in her gothic purple bedroom in the fall of 1990, figured out a fantastic way to impress her Other Voices peers. I was an early fan of the magazine and I was flipping through, and there was a full-page ad in Sassy that said, Get mixed up with the Cure! Prove you're the world's biggest Cure fan! recalls Vee, whose favorite band was about to release the Mixed Up remix compilation. So, right there I knew, it was not a random draw. It said, Send us something at this address proving you're the biggest Cure fan. Well, I play to win and I knew this was something I could win. And I was determined to win it.

I was like, I got this, and my teenage brain's going crazy; it's completely taking over my life, Vee continues with a chuckle. I had some time here to work on this, because there was a six-week deadline, so I used up every moment. I found out with FedEx how long it would take to ship to New York to their offices, and I worked all the way up until that deadline.

Vee says she fancied myself a bit of a poet, so she decided to write 365 poems dedicated to the Cure. I was probably up to about a hundred already, so furiously  in school and after school, at any time  I was writing poetry, usually in response to a song. I'd listen to a song and then, kind of stream-of consciousness, write the poem and put it in a black Duo-Tang folder that I decorated with red nail polish. It was a whole thing.

Vee then adds, a bit sheepishly: And I wasn't going to mention this  I was going to save it for what, I'm not sure  but I also signed, for the Sassy contest, each poem with my own blood.

As if that wasnt enough to prove to Pratt's staff that she was indeed the biggest Cure devotee among Sassys readership, Vee decided that I needed to construct a dollhouse. Yes, a Cure dollhouse. I painted every room different. It was three stories. I tiled the floors with little black-and-white tiles. I made dolls. I made a Robert Smith doll with a little shirt buttoned up like his. I remembered reading that Robert Smith liked Christmas and Christmas lights and decorations, so the whole thing was Christmas-themed; because December was the deadline, I made it Christmas-themed. I even had little miniature Christmas trees with little black spider decorations and Robert Smith ornaments.

And so, that was my entry. I put the poetry book in the dollhouse, packed this thing up, like three feet tall, in a box, and FedExed it. I spent like $200 sending this thing; I had two jobs at the time. I sent it to New York. And I won.

It was a few months later that an official letter with the Sassy return address and the little logo on the envelope arrived in the Sudbury mail; Vee immediately tore it open and saw a few of her Cure pen pals listed in the magazines ranking of top 10 Cure fans. They were in second place, third place but my name was on the top. I freaked out, says Vee.

Along with bragging rights as the holder of the Biggest Cure Fan title (because I did get into some arguments with other fans over that at the time!), Vee says the most exciting part of the Sassy prize was an autographed print of Robert Smith  a self-portrait that Robert had painted of himself. On her Instagram account, Vee recently posted a faded photo of her proudly holding that prize, but sadly, she says no photographic evidence of the actual dollhouse exists from this pre-iPhone, pre-social media age. Sassy didnt even run photos of the dollhouse  and never returned it to Vee, either. Even now, she still has no idea where that dollhouse is or what happened to it. You'll just have to take my word for it, she laughs.

Vee admits being a bit disappointed that the Sassy contests mystery prize was only the portrait plus the entire Cure discography, which I already had multiple times over  and it was in CD longboxes, if anyone remembers those. The small-town girl had been dreaming of winning a trip to London to go to Fiction Records and hang out there for the day.  I thought I was going to be going on some amazing world journey! But Vee, who now resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats, would not remain in Sudbury for a long.

Jennie Vee performing with Eagles of Death Metal at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. (Photo: Rick Kern/WireImage)

Just a few years after the Sassy contest  in the year that Vees father, whod been mostly repulsed by but accepting in a lot of ways of her bloody Cure fandom, passed away  Vee quit high school and took off with my bass to the Cures native country, England, where shed live for the next five years. Upon returning to the States, shed even play bass for above-mentioned Sassy cover darling Courtney Loves solo band. And Vee can partially credit her Sassy triumph for motivating her to strike out on her own, even at the toughest of times.

You have to create your own opportunities in the world, Vee says, and make the best of everything.

This interview is taken from Jennie Vee's appearances on the Totally '80s podcast and the SiriusXM show Volume West. Full audio of that latter conversation is available on the SiriusXM app.

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BERLIN (Reuters) - A ban on certain components by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE could have a significant impact on Germany's mobile network if they have to be replaced on a larger scale, according to a German economy ministry letter seen by Reuters.

The German government is currently carrying out a review of telecom tech suppliers which it says is not directed at specific manufacturers.

If extensive changes are required as a result of a ban or regulation, "there is likely to be significant impact on the operation of mobile networks and the fulfilment of coverage requirements," said the letter to the Bundestag lower house of parliament's economic committee.

The precise impact on mobile operators and other economic players is not possible to assess, the ministry added, as it depends on individual decisions as well as transition periods.

The government's review could lead to operators being asked to remove and replace components already built into 5G networks. Under current legislation, they would not receive compensation.

Critics of Huawei and ZTE say that their close links to Beijing's security services mean that embedding them in mobile networks could give Chinese spies and even saboteurs access to essential infrastructure.

Huawei, ZTE and China's government reject such claims, saying they are motivated by a protectionist desire to support non-Chinese rivals.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke; writing by Miranda Murray; editing by Jason Neely)
Hugh Grant laughed about his infamous 1995 sex scandal with the hosts of US talk show The View on Thursday (16 March).

Grant was arrested by Los Angeles police for participating in lewd conduct in a public place with a sex worker named Divine Brown. He was in a long-term relationship with actor/model Liz Hurley at the time.

On The View, host Sunny Hostin asked the 62-year-old actor about his campaigns against the British tabloid press.

Everyone thinks, Oh, well hes just bitter because he got arrested with a hooker in 1995, Grant said to riotous laughter from the hosts and studio audience.

Hostins co-host Whoopi Goldberg interjected: But you know what, really, who hasnt?

The actor then continued: But actually it had nothing to do with that because that was never uncovered by tabloids. It was that the bloody police gave everyone the information. It was nothing to do with that.

Hugh Grant on being a longtime critic of the British tabloid press: "These big newspaper owners, largely non-taxpaying

newspaper owners, are living above the law."



"No one dares to take them on in Britain because they're so scared of them, especially politicians." pic.twitter.com/r22GFNZcKc  The View (@TheView) March 16, 2023

These big newspaper owners  largely non-tax-paying newspaper owners  are living above the law and invading the privacy of people whose kids are being killed in a road accident or whatever to get the sensational article, he said.

No one dares to take them on in Britain because theyre so scared of them, especially the politicians. Thats why politicians, really in my country, are chosen by the press... Thats what my campaign is about.

Grants arrest came one year after he shot to fame in Four Weddings and a Funeral, and he later called the incident a moment of insanity. He has rarely addressed it in the decades since.

Story continues

In a statement at the time, Grant wrote: I have hurt people I love and embarrassed people I work with. For both things I am more sorry than I can ever possibly say.

The now-defunct News of the World reportedly paid Brown $100,000 for her story, which included her claim that Grant told her: I always wanted to sleep with a Black woman. Thats my fantasy.

When Hurley eventually broke her silence on the event, two months after Grants arrest, she said that she felt like she had been shot on hearing he had sex with a sex worker.

Grant was ordered to pay a fine of $1,000 and go on an Aids education programme.

The actor has recently faced criticism for his painful red-carpet interview with Ashley Graham at the Oscars, which the model has since addressed.
Its Friday in York County, but for more than 100 Fort Mill students its a national holiday. Not their nation, but one they arent likely to forget soon.

Fort Mill High School is one of 14 marching bands set to perform in the St. Patricks Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland. Fridays event is part of the larger St. Patricks Festival running Thursday to Sunday. The parade runs from Parnell Square North down past grandstands on OConnell Street, across River Liffey and circling toward its end on Kevin Street, west of St. Stephens Green.

The largest St. Patricks Day parade in the world expects to draw more than half a million people. Plus television viewers across Europe. Irelands national television network will stream the event.

Despite the distance, the event has several Carolinas connections. The Charlotte Catholic High School band will perform. So will the band from Furman University.

The noon local time parade starts earlier for York County, at 8 a.m. here due to the time difference. The Fort Mill band will be adjusted to the time, having arrived a week ago. Band photographer Josh Herbert is documenting the trip, and sent back images. Heres a look at what theyve seen so far:

The Fort Mill band held a concert in town March 7 before leaving the following day for Ireland. The trip includes 130 students and more than 270 total members.

Fort Mill High School band students prepared earlier this month for a trip to Ireland to march in Dublins St. Patricks Festival.

The first day students toured Rock of Cashel, sometimes called St. Patricks Rock, in County Tipperary along with Blarney Castle home to the Blarney Stone. Students visited in shifts as several sites throughout the trip arent large enough for the full group to tour at once.

Students visit Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary.

Students visit Blarney Castle in Ireland.

Next, students explored Kensale in County Cork including Charles Fort that dates back to the 1600s, and Denmare.

Students tour Charles Fort in Kensale, County Cork Ireland.

Students stop for lunch in Kensale, County Cork.

The third day involved a drive around the Ring of Kerry.

Students and others with the band on the third day of the Ireland trip.

Students continued tours of the third day in Ireland, which included the Ring of Kerry.

The band returns Saturday. Other visited sites include Mizen Head, Bantry, Killarney National Park, St. Patricks Cathedral and others.
Hungary and Turkey ratify Finland's NATO membership separately from Sweden

Read also: Russian aggression against Ukraine could escalate into World War, warns Hungarys Orban

This means that Hungary is following Turkeys example and will approve Finland's entry into the alliance separately from Sweden.

The head of the ruling Fidesz party in the parliament, Mate Kocsis, confirmed that his party will consider the issues of ratifying the protocols of Finland and Sweden joining NATO separately.

"On behalf of the Fidesz group, I would like to inform you that we have decided to support Finland's accession to NATO, he wrote on Facebook.

Read also: Slovakia becomes second NATO member to send MiG-29 jets to Ukraine

We will postpone the vote in parliament on this issue until March 27, when we (will) vote unanimously in favor."

Read also: Russia loses up to 1,500 troops every day fighting in Bakhmut, NATO assesses

Kocsis added the decision regarding Sweden's accession to NATO will be made by later.

Earlier on March 17, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country is starting the process of ratifying the protocol on Finland's accession to NATO.

At the same time, Ankara and Budapest arent planning to ratify the accession to NATO of another Scandinavian country  Sweden.

Read also: Ukraines victory most important step to joining NATO, Polish defense minister

Sweden and Finland simultaneously filed bids to join NATO in May 2022 amid Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Applications must be ratified by the parliaments of all NATO member states.

Hungary and Turkey are the only remaining allies to ratify Sweden and Finland joining the alliance.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Hunter Biden filed a countersuit on Friday against the computer repairman who said he distributed the contents of a laptop that Biden left behind at his Delaware shop.

The 42-page filing in federal court includes six privacy-related counts against John Paul Mac Isaac, the repairman.

It takes aggressive aim at Mac Isaac, saying he violated Hunter Bidens privacy by viewing the salacious contents and then distributing them in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election both to members of his family and an attorney for Rudy Giuliani.

Mac Isaac knowingly and willfully shared with others the personal data of Mr. Biden that he came to possess (regardless of how he came to possess the data), despite it being reckless and unreasonable for any computer repairman to make copies of anothers personal and sensitive information and to then send that data to third parties without the authority to do so, Bidens attorneys wrote in the filing.

The purported laptops contents came to light in October 2020, when the New York Post published emails it said shows Biden leveraging the influence of his father, who served as vice president at the time, in the younger Bidens business dealings in Ukraine. The president has said his son did nothing wrong.

The story became the subject of intense controversy in the final days of the 2020 presidential campaign amid debates over the hard drives veracity, and Republicans have since lambasted social media companies for limiting the spread of the story since some of its contents have been verified.

Bidens attorneys did not concede that the presidents son dropped off the laptop at Mac Isaacs shop in April 2019, as Mac Isaac claims, but acknowledged in the filing that at some point, Mac Isaac obtained electronically stored data, some of which belonged to Mr. Biden.

The presidents sons attorneys noted the shared contents included drug use and other private material, asking for a jury trial to order Mac Isaac to return any data he claims belonged to Biden and pay an unspecified amount of damages.

Story continues

The Hill has reached out to Mac Isaacs attorney for comment.

Mac Isaac says he was able to view and distribute the contents because Biden signed a repair authorization form that deems equipment abandoned if it remains at the shop for more than 90 days after service is complete.

Bidens attorneys pushed back by saying it was written in small-print font at the bottom of the page, arguing a Delaware law should instead apply that wouldnt consider the property abandoned until at least one year passed. It would have also required Mac Isaac to provide various notifications first.

At no time did Mr. Biden grant Mac Isaac any permission to access, review, copy, or disseminate for his own purposes any electronically stored data that ever was created or received or maintained by Mr. Biden (regardless of how Mac Isaac came into possession of such material), Bidens attorneys wrote.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Hunter Biden has filed a countersuit against a computer repair shop owner, alleging invasion of privacy in response to an ongoing defamation suit filed by the shop owner last year. The suit marks Bidens first legal filing since his laptop has become a point of interest.

In the 42-page legal filing Friday morning, attorneys for Biden assert six counterclaims, alleging that computer repairman John Paul Mac Isaac had no legal right to obtain and distribute data from Bidens laptop, an issue that became central in the weeks leading up to the 2020 presidential election. Images, emails and text messages that allegedly belonged to Hunter Biden later became public.

The object of invading Mr. Bidens privacy and disseminating his data was not for any legitimate purpose but to cause harm and embarrassment to Mr. Biden, the filing reads.

Mac Isaac claims the laptop and external hard drive became his property in 2019 when Biden didnt retrieve the items within 90 days after leaving them at the shop, which attorneys for Biden are challenging. The repair shop owner claims Biden defamed him by saying he had illegally accessed the data.

Attorneys for Biden claimed that Mac Isaac did not act responsibly with the data found on the laptop and hard drive.

Reputable computer companies and repair people routinely delete personal data contained on devices that are exchanged, left behind or abandoned, the filing reads. They do not open, copy, and then provide that data to others, as Mac Isaac did here.

Mac Isaac turned the laptop and external hard drive over to the FBI in 2019 and attempted to share the information from the devices with former President Donald Trumps personal attorney Rudy Giuliani.

Bidens lawyers are also seeking depositions from Steve Bannon and Giuliani in the suit.

Biden doesnt confirm in the filing that the laptop is his. Mr. Biden is without knowledge sufficient to admit or deny the allegations, the filing states.

The data from the laptop became a point of interest after stories were published by the New York Post before the 2020 election.

Story continues

POLITICO has not authenticated the Biden hard drive files that underpinned an October 2020 New York Post story, but POLITICO reporter Ben Schreckinger confirmed the authenticity of some emails on the drive in a 2021 book.

Last year, Mac Isaac sued POLITICO, CNN, Hunter Biden, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and the Biden presidential campaign committee for defamation and civil conspiracy in state court in Delaware. Earlier this month, the federal government stepped in for Schiff and removed the case to federal court in Wilmington, arguing that the suit pertains to acts he took in his official capacity as a member of Congress.

Friday's filing comes as Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chair of the House Oversight Committee, prepares an investigation into Biden. The suit is also part of a broader campaign of legal pushback from Biden's attorneys, warning those involved in publicizing assertions about his laptop computer that they could face unspecified litigation over their claims.

The Justice Department is reported to be in the final stages of deciding whether to bring criminal charges against Hunter Biden in connection with alleged tax offenses and his alleged failure to disclose his status as a drug user when applying to buy a handgun in 2018.
LUSAKA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Friday flagged off humanitarian aid to help victims of the Tropical Cyclone in neighboring Malawi.

Gabriel Pollen, the national coordinator of the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit, who flagged off the departure of the plane carrying the first items at the Zambia Air Force base in Lusaka, the country's capital, said the donation follows a directive by President Hakainde Hichilema, according to the state broadcaster, the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation.

It reported that the donations include food and non-food items, such as maize, chlorine, blankets, and tents for displaced people. The first consignment included five tons of maize and other relief items, and more relief aid will be dispatched by both air and road.

The cyclone has left devastating effects in Malawi with the death toll standing at 326 while the number of people injured and those missing have risen to 796 and 201, respectively. 
Congress Oversight Biden (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

President Joe Bidens son Hunter Biden filed a countersuit against the computer repair shop owner who he claims leaked the contents of his laptop, sparking an unending firestorm among Republicans.

Mr Biden filed a suit against John Paul Mac Isaac in the U.S. District Court in Delaware, The Washington Post reported. The younger Mr Bidens laptop became a major point of contention after Twitter prevented sharing a story by The New York Post about the laptop since some worried it had the markings of Russian disinformation.

The attorneys for Mr Biden allege that Mr Mac Isaac violated Mr Bidens privacy and that Mr Mac Isaac helped copy and spread personal information on the laptop for his own gain.

The lawsuit says Mr Biden wants any copy of his data as well as monetary compensation for Mr Mac Isaacs willful, wanton and reckless conduct and reimbursement for attorneys fees.

As a result of Mac Isaacs unlawful agreement and his conspiracy with others, Mr. Bidens personal data was made available to third parties and then ultimately to the public at large, which is highly offensive, causing harm to Mr. Biden and his reputation, the lawsuit states. The object of invading Mr. Bidens privacy and disseminating his data was not for any legitimate purpose but to cause harm and embarrassment to Mr. Biden.

Mr Mac Isaac had previously sued Mr Biden last year and alleged that Mr Biden defamed him, since Mr Mac Isaac alleges that the laptop became his property when Mr Biden abandoned it in the shop.

The son of the president has been under federal investigation since 2018 for tax payments and the House Republican Majority has made him a focus of their probes since they took power in January.

Mr Bidens legal team also hope to depose Guo Wengui, an ally of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who was allegedly involved in spreading the story about Mr Bidens laptop. Federal authorities arrested Mr Guo earlier this week for an alleged fraud scheme.
Hunter Biden is suing a Delaware-based computer repairman for invasion of privacy and publication of private information. The counterclaim lawsuit, which also responds to repairman John Mac Isaac's libel lawsuit, argues that Mac Isaac invaded Biden's privacy in 2019 by accessing and wrongfully sharing his personal data with several individuals.

Mac Isaac has said he obtained the information from Biden's laptop legally and has said that Biden himself dropped it off in April 2019 and never returned to claim it. Mac Isaac has said he waited 90 days and then considered it abandoned.

Biden's lawsuit argues that Mac Isaac's 90-day abandonment provision in the repair contract is not in compliance with Delaware law, and moreover, that the line is in "small-print font at the bottom of the page, well below the signature line." The counterclaim asserts that Delaware law states that tangible property is not deemed abandoned until a full year has elapsed, and before another party takes possession, a court must send a notice to the owner and post notice "in five or more public places," and advertise the petition "in a newspaper."

The lawsuit is the latest move in a strategic shift by the president's son, aimed at aggressively pushing back after years of withering attacks from allies and aides of former President Donald Trump. It comes at a time when Republicans in Congress are ramping up their investigation into overseas business dealings Hunter Biden and other Biden family members engaged in while Joe Biden was vice president.

In conjunction with the lawsuit, Hunter Biden's legal team asks the court to allow them to obtain sworn depositions from a range of figures in Trump's orbit.

Biden's lawyers argue that in September 2019, Mac Isaac wrote to Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani and "planned to make a flash drive from the data in his possession consisting of key documents summarizing information that he believed would help prevent President Trump's impeachment."

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Biden lawyer Abbe Lowell noted in the counterclaim that in addition to Giuliani, Mac Isaac shared the data with his father, his uncle and Giuliani attorney Robert Costello. The lawsuit alleges that Giuliani provided a copy of the computer's drive to former White House strategist Stephen Bannon and that Bannon gave part of the data to Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui, who spread the information to his followers on WhatsApp. Lowell also accused Mac Isaac of using the data for commercial purposes, to make money by including parts of the data in a book.

A lawyer for Mac Isaac declined to comment.

Among those Lowell is seeking to depose are Trump ally Bannon, Giuliani, Costello and Wengui, who was arrested earlier this week in New York City for allegedly masterminding an unrelated $1-billion fraud scheme.

Biden's counterclaim was filed during an uptick in legal and congressional activity around the president's son. Rep. James Comer, Republican chairman of the House Government Oversight Committee, released information Thursday indicating that from 2015-2017  a period that includes two years when Joe Biden was vice president  President Biden's family members, including Hunter Biden, were paid $1.6 million by a Chinese energy company.

A spokesperson for Biden's legal team said Comer was "tak[ing] something old and tr[ying] to make it new by wrapping it in a wild and baseless right-wing conspiracy."

"Hunter Biden, a private citizen with every right to pursue his own business endeavors, joined several business partners in seeking a joint venture with a privately-owned, legitimate energy company in China," the spokesperson continued. "As part of that joint venture, Hunter received his portion of good faith seed funds which he shared with his uncle, James Biden, and Hallie Biden, with whom he was involved with at the time, and sharing expenses. The accounts so dramatically listed by Rep. Comer belonged to Hunter, his uncle and Hallie - nobody else."

And the U.S. attorney's office in Delaware has been investigating Hunter Biden since at least 2019. A federal subpoena from that year sought Hunter Biden's bank records dating back to 2014, when Joe Biden was vice president. Investigators have examined whether Biden owes taxes on income from a controversial stint, during his father's vice presidency, as a board member for Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Graham Kates contributed to this report.

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Hunter Biden filed a lawsuit Friday against the computer repairman, John Paul Mac Isaac, who turned over files on a laptop Hunter left at his shop to the New York Post ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

Hunter Biden had more than a reasonable expectation of privacy that any data that he created or maintained, reads the lawsuit filed with a Delaware federal court Friday morning. The presidents son was under the impression it would not be accessed, copied, disseminated, or posted on the Internet for others to use against him or his family or for the public to view.

Lawyers representing Hunter Biden have challenged Mac Isaacs assertion that his failure to retrieve the laptop after 90 days granted the Delaware repairman its ownership.

Contrary to Mac Isaacs Repair Authorization form, Delaware law provides that tangible personal property is deemed abandoned, the lawsuit explained. Rather, the legal team insists that Hunter Biden had rightful ownership to assert or declare property rights to the property for a period of 1 year.

In late January, Mac Isaac hired a private investigator to locate Biden in Culver City, Calif., and serve the presidents son with a $1.5 million lawsuit seeking damages. The computer repairman alleges that Biden and his legal team are trying to pursue criminal charges against Mac Isaac as an act of reprisal for sharing the contents of the laptop.

Hes trying to intimidate. And its interesting to me that this happened when it did, Mac Isaacs lawyer Brian Della Rocca told Tucker Carlson on Fox News.

On April 12, 2019, Biden brought the laptop to Mac Isaacs store seeking to determine if data on three devices could be recovered. However, Biden failed to return to collect the equipment and never paid Mac Isaac for his services.

The files eventually made their way to the New York Post less than a month before the 2020 presidential election. Dubbed The Laptop from Hell by the Miranda Devine of the Post, early reporting showed that Hunter Biden had introduced a Ukrainian energy executive to then-vice-president Joe Biden and chronicled other unseemly business dealings that suggested influence peddling.

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When the articles were first published, social-media networks including Twitter and Facebook, quickly banned the dissemination of their content, alleging it may have been the product of election interference on the part of Russian intelligence.

The legal move represents the latest escalation in Hunter Bidens tiff with Mac Isaac that saw the presidents son hire prominent criminal defense attorney, Abbe Lowell, who has issued a raft of cease-and-desist letters to Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon, the Department of Justice, and the Internal Revenue Agency in recent weeks.

Another lawyer retained by Biden, Bryan Sullivan, zeroed in on Fox News and Tucker Carlson, demanding the network retract its earlier reporting on the laptop. The star anchor, Sullivan alleged, is in flagrant violation of all journalistic professionalism, which might make the news outlet liable for potential litigation.

The presidents son is requesting a jury trial and compensatory damages from Mac Isaac.

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Hunter Biden. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

Hunter Biden sued a Delaware laptop repair shop owner over distributing his data to the public.

Biden claims that the owner violated his privacy rights by exposing his personal life.

The New York Post first reported on Biden's laptop weeks before the 2020 election.

Hunter Biden has sued a Delaware computer repair shop owner who he claims violated his privacy rights by disseminating data from his laptop to the public, the latest action in a saga that first erupted in the final weeks of the 2020 election.

In a counterclaim filed on Friday in federal district court in Delaware, Biden and his lawyers accuse John Paul Mac Isaac of six counts of invasion of privacy, including intruding on, wrongfully sharing, and conspiring to publish Biden's laptop data.

"Mac Isaac knew or should have known that the data he possessed and shared contained private and confidential information and content, including sensitive and private photographs and video of Mr. Biden, and that Mr. Biden had a reasonable expectation of privacy in this data," the counterclaim alleges, "and that Mac Isaac's conduct would expose Mr. Biden's personal life in an egregious violation of Mr. Biden's right to privacy."

"The object of invading Mr. Biden's privacy and disseminating his data was not for any legitimate purpose but to cause harm and embarrassment to Mr. Biden," the claim continues.

The claim responds to Mac Isaac's original lawsuit filed against Biden, CNN, Politico and Rep. Adam Schiff, alleging each of them had knowingly spread false and defamatory statements about the shop owner and where the laptop data came from.

In his suit, Mac Isaac claimed that Biden never returned to the shop to retrieve the data from his damaged electronics in April 2019, and after 90 days, the laptop was deemed abandoned, according to his shop's authorization form.

Pointing to Delaware law, Biden rejected in his countersuit that Mac Isaac was the rightful owner of his laptop data, claiming the shop owner took and distributed his data without his permission, including sending copies to Mac Isaac's father, his uncle, and Robert Costello, an attorney for Rudy Giuliani, who was then-President Donald Trump's personal lawyer. Costello then shared the data with Giuliani, who gave it to a reporter with the New York Post, which ran the October 2020 story about Biden's laptop.

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Biden also alleges in his suit that Giuliani shared the data with former Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon, who's claimed to possess it, and also appeared to share it with his associate, Chinese billionaire Miles Guo, who was arrested earlier this week in a separate fraud scheme estimated at over $1 billion.

Biden is requesting compensatory and punitive damages for Mac Isaac's "willful, wanton, and reckless conduct" and the return of any copies of his data to him. Biden's lawyers are also seeking depositions from Giuliani, Bannon, and others alleged to possess copies of his laptop data.

The New York Post story, published three weeks before the presidential election, sparked widespread controversy over whether it belonged to Biden and the political motivations behind its release. Several rumors circulated that the laptop was part of a Russian disinformation operation, and Trump and his allies accused then-Democratic nominee Joe Biden of corruption based on emails allegedly exchanged between him and his son.

Meanwhile, the US attorney in Delaware is reportedly reviewing whether to charge Hunter Biden for financial crimes, and the GOP-led House Oversight Committee has launched an investigation into his foreign business deals.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- Hunter Biden is suing the owner of a computer repair shop where he allegedly dropped off his infamous laptop, claiming the man improperly copied and helped disseminate his personal data.

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The suit filed Friday in US District Court in Delaware is a response to a defamation action that the shop owner, John Paul Mac Isaac, launched in January against Biden, Representative Adam Schiff, CNN, Politico and the Daily Beast.

Isaac had asserted, among other things, that Biden, President Joe Bidens son, and others have wrongly suggested he was a participant in a Russian effort to undermine American democracy and the 2020 presidential election.

But the younger Bidens lawyers, led by Washington attorney Abbe Lowell, are firing back.

They argue it is Isaac who committed wrongdoing in allegedly accessing and sharing data belonging to Biden without any authority or permission to do so. 

They are seeking a jury trial on what they say were violations of Delaware common law, including invasion of privacy, by the obtaining of private and confidential information and content, including sensitive and private photographs and video of Mr. Biden.

A central issue is the circulation of files from the computer that the presidents son reportedly left in a Delaware computer shop in 2019, and whether Isaac shared material with others, including allies of then-President Donald Trump, including Rudy Giuliani.

Bidens lawyers continue to stop short of acknowledging if the laptop was actually his. This is not an admission by Mr. Biden that Mac Isaac (or others) in fact possessed any particular laptop containing electronically stored data belonging to Mr. Biden. Rather, Mr. Biden simply acknowledges that at some point, Mac Isaac obtained electronically stored data, some of which belonged to Mr. Biden.

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No matter how Isaac and others came into initial possession of the stored data, Isaac improperly accessed, copied and shared the files, the counter-claim asserts.

Separately, Bidens lawyers on Friday notified Judge Maryellen Noreika of Federal District Court in Delaware they intend to question under oath Giuliani, Giulianis lawyer, Robert Costello, another former Trump adviser, Stephen Bannon, and others as part of this legal action.

The laptop came to the publics attention toward the end of the 2020 presidential campaign when the New York Post reported on emails related to Hunter Bidens overseas business dealings it said were found on the computer. Trump used the report against Joe Biden in the final days of his failed run for a second term.

This legal back-and-forth between Hunter Biden and Isaac comes as the GOP-led House Committee on Oversight and Accountability has been investigating the international business transactions of the presidents son and other relatives of the president. On Friday, committee chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, announced the panel is requesting that John R. Walker, an associate of Hunter Bidens, appear for a transcribed interview.

Comer earlier this week released a memo stating that from 2015 to 2017, Hunter Biden, other family members of the president, and their companies, collectively received over $1.3 million in payments from accounts related to Walker. Most of those payments came after Walker received a $3 million wire from a Chinese energy company, the memo states.

(Updated throughout, including references to letter to judge and House committee action.)

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BuzzFeed News; Alamy

No one has been able to shut up about artificial intelligence since OpenAI unleashed ChatGPT onto the world in November. But this week, there was so much AI chatter that even people who work in the field have been struggling to keep up .

First, Google announced that it was sprinkling AI dust on Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. When the changes eventually roll out, youll be able to have Google Docs write you an entire essay, cover letter, sales pitch, job description, or basically anything else you want. Gmail will be able to summarize email threads and compose replies automatically on your behalf, and youll be able to ask Slides to create an entire presentation with a few simple words. Google also opened up access to a system that will let other companies use its AI model to create their own ChatGPT-like tools.

Hours later, Anthropic, an AI startup in which Google recently invested more than $300 million, announced a new ChatGPT rival, a chatbot called Claude that it was making available to businesses.

Shortly thereafter, Open AI, the 800-pound gorilla in the room, noisily announced GPT-4, the next version of the tech that powers ChatGPT and DALL-E 2, the companys image generator. OpenAI claimed that GPT-4 is significantly more powerful, accurate, and smarter than its previous version. The company said GPT-4 is capable of feats such as doing your taxes, creating entire websites by simply looking at a rough design scrawled on a piece of paper, and passing a bevy of standardized tests, including the Uniform Bar Exam.

This was just TUESDAY.

On Thursday, Microsoft made a splashy announcement , saying it would infuse boring old Microsoft Office  Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams  with shiny new AI capabilities thanks to the companys partnership with OpenAI. Much like Googles offering, the new Office will let you do away with the drudgery of writing, plus create slick PowerPoint presentations in seconds and make sense of complex Excel spreadsheets in response to your questions.

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Meanwhile, there were other assorted announcements: Midjourney, a DALL-E 2 competitor, announced a new version said to be more advanced and higher resolution. Stanford University released its own AI model based on tech developed by Meta, and dozens of companies, big and small, sent out a flurry of press releases declaring that they were jumping on the AI bandwagon.

This week is all about an AI arms race, Neil Sahota, a lecturer at the University of California, Irvine, and an adviser to the United Nations on AI, told BuzzFeed News. Everybody knows that its going to be the first one or two companies in the market that are really going to see the competitive advantage, because in probably four or five years, all of this will be commodity. Everyone wants to out-hype the competition right now, and no one wants to get left behind.

Jakub Porzycki / Associated Press

By far, the most significant announcement of the week was GPT-4, a transformational technology that, the Washington Post declared , will blow ChatGPT out of the water. The New York Times columnist Kevin Roose called it exciting and scary.

OpenAI claimed that GPT-4 is 40% more likely to give factually accurate responses compared with the current version that powers ChatGPT, and 82% less likely to respond to requests for content that it wasnt allowed to address.Meanwhile, OpenAI said that GPT-4 had passed a simulated version of a bar exam, scoring high enough to be in the top 10% of test takers; the previous version landed in the bottom 10%. An impressive feature of the new model  one that isnt publicly available yet  is its ability to understand images. Upload a picture of whats in your refrigerator, for instance, and watch ChatGPT spit out a recipe based on the ingredients it identifies.

Heres a video in which OpenAI President Greg Brockman shows off how the tech created a simple pencil sketch of a website into an actual one, complete with working code, within seconds:

Today, GPT-4 instantly turned a hand drawn sketch into a working website: 11:35 PM - 14 Mar 2023

This is a generational technology, said Jake Heller, co-founder and CEO of Casetext, a San Franciscobased legal software company that partnered with OpenAI more than six months ago to train a new product called CoCounsel, which uses GPT-4 to comb through legal documents and provide summaries, review contracts, draft memos, and help attorneys prep for depositions by coming up with questions to ask witnesses. For the very first time, it lets us develop tools that can be used in a professional setting.

The fact that so many AI announcements happened this week was not an accident, Heller said: They all got wind that each other was moving, and they all decided to jump on board at the same time.

Experts are worried about the ramifications of all these moves. Rapid advances in AI driven by smaller startups like OpenAI have put pressure on tech giants to ship AI-enabled products as fast as possible. Multiple Google employees have already quit the company and launched their own AI startups after they were reportedly frustrated by Googles cautious pace in developing AI products.

Still, last month, Google announced a new version of Google Search called Bard. The next day, Microsoft announced a new version of Bing powered by tech from OpenAI. Both Google and Microsoft were criticized for their rushed rollouts. The stock price of Alphabet, Googles parent company, crashed by $100 billion after users discovered a factual error that Bard made in a promotional video. Microsoft, meanwhile, was forced to neuter a version of Bing that told the Times Roose it loved him and tried to get him to walk out of his marriage.

Theres so much hysteria and hype around these faster and faster rollouts right now, said Amba Kak, executive director of New York Universitys AI Now Institute and a former senior adviser on AI to the Federal Trade Commission, that I think were in danger of walking back a lot of the progress that has been made around responsible release practices and the need for regulatory oversight of these technologies.

Indeed, Microsoft recently laid off an entire team responsible for flagging AIs harm to society, according to Platformer. The pressure from [CTO] Kevin [Scott] and [CEO] Satya [Nadella] is very very high to take these most recent OpenAI models and the ones that come after them and move them into customers hands at a very high speed, John Montgomery, the companys vice president of AI, told staff members, according to audio of the meeting obtained by Platformer.

What I see right now is a circus, Lauren Goodlad, chair of Critical AI, an interdisciplinary initiative at Rutgers University, told BuzzFeed News. Everybody wants in on the action.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during a keynote address announcing ChatGPT integration for Bing at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington, on Feb. 7. Jason Redmond / AFP via Getty Images

AI companies have acknowledged the harm that their products are capable of causing. For instance, OpenAI outlined the mischief GPT-4 could get up to, such as generating a recipe to make a dangerous chemical using kitchen supplies. (Its something the company fixed before launch.) Meanwhile, Anthropics CEO admitted that AI models, like the one Claude runs off of, can sometimes make things up, and Microsoft said that Copilot, its name for the AI tech in Office, can be usefully wrong.

Even Sam Altman, OpenAIs CEO, said in a television interview on Thursday that he was worried about his companys tech being used for large-scale disinformation and offensive cyberattacks. On the same day, researchers at a cybersecurity firm reportedly tricked GPT-4 into creating malware, something that OpenAI claimed it wasnt supposed to do.

Move fast and break things seems to suddenly be in vogue again, Kak said.

OpenAI also got criticized for not being, well, open. The company said it wouldnt reveal what data it had trained GPT-4 on, or provide details of the hardware or software used to create it. The companys co-founder and chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, told the Verge that OpenAI, which announced that it would freely collaborate with others when it launched in 2015, had been wrong about its earlier approach.

Sure, theres an acknowledgment that these systems carry risks, Kak said. But more and more, its the AI industry that is setting the tone and leading the conversation rather than inviting external scrutiny.

Months down the road, experts said, we will look back at this week as the one where the AI snowball truly started rolling. Weve lived through this cycle already with social media  magical new tech that starts causing unforeseen harm before anyone has had a chance to adapt or regulate it.

In just months, AI went from being an abstract concept to actual apps accessible by nearly everyone with a smartphone or a computer. Thats why this is the next frontier, Sahota said. Because now people get it. Now theres suddenly a marketplace that everyone is rushing to fill. Because, you know how it is  theres profit to be had. 

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THE HAGUE (AP)  The International Criminal Court said Friday that it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

It was the first time the global court has issued a warrant against a leader of one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

The ICC said in a statement that Putin is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of (children) and that of unlawful transfer of (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

The move was immediately dismissed by Moscow  and welcomed by Ukraine as a major breakthrough.

Its practical implications, however, could be limited as the chances of Putin facing trial at the ICC are highly unlikely because Moscow does not recognize the courts jurisdiction or extradite its nationals.

But the moral condemnation will likely stain the Russian leader for the rest of his life  and in the more immediate future whenever he seeks to attend an international summit in a nation bound to arrest him.

"So Putin might go to China, Syria, Iran, his ... few allies, but he just wont travel to the rest of the world and wont travel to ICC member states who he believes would ... arrest him, said Adil Ahmad Haque, an expert in international law and armed conflict at Rutgers University.

Others agreed. Vladimir Putin will forever be marked as a pariah globally. He has lost all his political credibility around the world. Any world leader who stands by him will be shamed as well, David Crane, a former international prosecutor, told The Associated Press.

The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of Maria Lvova-Belova, the commissioner for Childrens Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation. The AP reported on her involvement in the abduction of Ukrainian orphans in October, in the first investigation to follow the process all the way to Russia, relying on dozens of interviews and documents.

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ICC President Piotr Hofmanski said in a video statement that while the ICCs judges have issued the warrants, it will be up to the international community to enforce them. The court has no police force of its own to do so.

The ICC can impose a maximum sentence of life imprisonment when justified by the extreme gravity of the crime, according to its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, that established it as a permanent court of last resort to prosecute political leaders and other key perpetrators of the worlds worst atrocities  war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Still, the chances of Putin or Lvova-Belova facing trial remain extremely remote, as Moscow does not recognize the courts jurisdiction  a position it vehemently reaffirmed Friday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia doesnt recognize the ICC and considers its decisions legally void. He called the courts move outrageous and unacceptable.

Peskov refused to comment when asked if Putin would avoid making trips to countries where he could be arrested on the ICCs warrant.

Ukraines human rights chief, Dmytro Lubinets, has said that based on data from the country's National Information Bureau, 16,226 children were deported. Ukraine has managed to bring back 308 children.

Lvova-Belova, who was also implicated in the warrants, reacted with dripping sarcasm. "It is great that the international community has appreciated the work to help the children of our country, that we do not leave them in war zones, that we take them out, we create good conditions for them, that we surround them with loving, caring people, she said.

Ukrainian officials were jubilant at the move.

In his nightly address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it a historic decision, from which historic responsibility will begin."

The world changed," said presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the wheels of justice are turning," and added that "international criminals will be held accountable for stealing children and other international crimes.

In Washington, President Joe Biden called the ICC's decision justified, telling reporters as he left the White House for his Delaware home that Putin clearly committed war crimes. While the US does not recognize the court either, Biden said it makes a very strong point to call out the Russian leader's actions in ordering the invasion.

Olga Lopatkina, a Ukrainian mother who struggled for months to reclaim her foster children who were deported to an institution run by Russian loyalists, welcomed news of the arrest warrant. Everyone must be punished for their crimes, she said in a message exchange with the AP.

While Ukraine is also not a member of the global court, it has granted it jurisdiction over its territory and ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has visited four times since opening an investigation a year ago.

Besides Russia and Ukraine, the United States and China are not members of the 123-member ICC.

The ICC said its pre-trial chamber found reasonable grounds that Putin "bears individual criminal responsibility for the child abductions for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others" and for failing to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts.

During a visit this month, ICC prosecutor Khan said he went to a care home for children 2 kilometers (just over a mile) from front lines in southern Ukraine.

The drawings pinned on the wall ... spoke to a context of love and support that was once there," he said in a statement. "But this home was empty, a result of alleged deportation of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation or their unlawful transfer to other parts of the temporarily occupied territories.

As I noted to the United Nations Security Council last September, these alleged acts are being investigated by my office as a priority. Children cannot be treated as the spoils of war, Khan said.

And while Russia rejected the allegations and warrants, others said the ICC action will have an important impact.

The ICC has made Putin a wanted man and taken its first step to end the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russias war against Ukraine for far too long," said Balkees Jarrah, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch. "The warrants send a clear message that giving orders to commit, or tolerating, serious crimes against civilians may lead to a prison cell in The Hague.

Crane, who indicted Liberian President Charles Taylor 20 years ago for crimes in Sierra Leone, said dictators and tyrants around the world "are now on notice that those who commit international crimes will be held accountable.

Taylor was eventually detained and put on trial at a special court in the Netherlands. He was convicted and sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment.

On Thursday, a U.N.-backed inquiry cited Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, among potential issues that amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.

The sweeping investigation also found crimes committed against Ukrainians on Russian territory, including deported Ukrainian children who were prevented from reuniting with their families, a filtration system aimed at singling out Ukrainians for detention, and torture and inhumane detention conditions.

On Friday, the ICC put the face of Putin on the child abduction allegations.

___

Casert reported from Brussels. AP writers Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine; Ellen Knickmeyer in Washington, and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut contributed.

___ Follow APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and another Russian official involving allegations of war crimes around the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

The arrest warrant is thought to mark one of the first charges against Putin for war crimes in Ukraine, part of a global effort to hold the Russian president and the Russian Federation accountable for atrocities beginning with the full-scale February 2022 invasion.

An arrest warrant was also issued for Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, commissioner for childrens rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, who the ICC alleges bears individual criminal responsibility for the forced deportation of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territory to Russia.

It is forbidden by international law for occupying powers to transfer civilians from the territory they live in to other territories. Children enjoy special protection under the Geneva Convention, ICC President Judge Piotr Hofmanski said in a video statement on Friday.

The arrest warrant marks a stunning global rebuke against Putin, even as the chance of bringing the Russian leader into custody of an international court of law is remote at best.

The ICC is doing its part of work. As a court of law, the judges issued arrest warrants that execution depends on international cooperation, Hofmanski said.

The warrants and the authority of the ICC were rejected by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

Russia does not cooperate with this body, and possible recipes for arrest coming from the International Court of Justice will be legally null and void for us, according to a statement posted in Russian on the Foreign Ministrys Telegram channel.

The ICC maintains it can bring charges against Russian officials because Ukraine has accepted its jurisdiction to investigate crimes that are committed on Ukrainian territory by Russia.

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The ICC president underscored the extraordinary nature of the publication of the arrest warrants, though the contents are being kept secret to protect victims and witnesses and to safeguard the investigation.

The international body said that because the forcible transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia is ongoing, it felt compelled to publicize the warrants so that it may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes.

This is an important moment in the process of justice before the ICC, Hofmanski continued. The judges have reviewed the information and evidence submitted by the prosecutor and determined that there are credible allegations against these persons for the alleged crimes.

The publication of the arrest warrants  a rare move by the ICC  comes ahead of a high-stakes and high-profile meeting between Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping set to take place between March 20 and 22.

International law experts say there is an important element of public shaming in publishing an arrest warrant that signals to other countries to carefully consider their dealings with a person who is under investigation on the world stage.

Ukraines Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin called the ICCs arrest warrant a historic step but the beginning of a long road to justice.

From now on, the Russian president has the official status of a suspect in committing an international crime  illegal deportation and displacement of Ukrainian children, Ukraines Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin wrote on Facebook.

This means that outside Russia, Putin should be arrested and brought to court. And world leaders will think three times before shaking his hand or sitting with him at the negotiating table. The world has received a signal that the Russian regime is criminal and its leadership and allies will be brought to justice.

The ICC statement said that the courts Pre Trial Chamber II, which has the authority to issue an arrest warrant, considered evidence brought by the ICC Prosecutor General on Feb. 22.

This followed the publication on Feb 14. of a report by the Conflict Observatory, which is supported by the U.S. State Department, detailing a vast network of Russian-run sites used in the transfer and deportation of Ukrainian citizens to Russian territory, including thousands of Ukrainian children.

Kostin said his office estimates that more than 16,000 children have been deported from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories of from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions, but warned the real number is much higher.

Ukraine has managed to bring 308 children back from Russia, Kostin said.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General said his office cooperated with the ICC Prosecutor General on their investigation to provide 40 volumes, more than 1,000 pages, of materials and supporting evidence of deportations.

No doubt, this is a planned policy of the Russian Federation aimed at destroying Ukraine as a state and Ukrainians as a nation. By kidnapping our children, Russia is literally stealing our future.

While Ukrainian officials, with the help of the U.S. and international partners, are investigating and prosecuting crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukrainian courts, Kyiv is also focused on holding Russia accountable on the international stage, in particular for the crime of genocide and other crimes against humanity, including the violent targeting of civilians, using rape as a tool of war, imprisonment, torture and executions.

In addition to the work with the ICC, the Ukrainian government is rallying international partners to establish a Special Tribunal to hold Russia accountable for the crime of aggression, but the pathway and support for such a court not yet established.

Kostin, in his Facebook post, called to bring all Ukrainian children back from Russia and pursue justice.

We need to bring them all back. And condemn in Ukrainian and international courts everyone involved in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children. As well as other war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the most serious international crime  aggression.

Updated at 2:02 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
By Anthony Deutsch and Toby Sterling

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant on Friday against Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.

The bold legal move will obligate the court's 123 member states to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory.

Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations that its forces have committed atrocities during its one-year invasion of its neighbour and the Kremlin branded the court decision as "null and void".

Neither Russia not Ukraine are members of the ICC, although Kyiv granted it jurisdiction to prosecute crimes committed on its territory. The tribunal has no police force of its own and relies on member states to make arrests.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia found the very questions raised by the ICC "outrageous and unacceptable".

Asked if Putin now feared travelling to countries that recognised the ICC, Peskov said: "I have nothing to add on this subject. That's all we want to say."

Stephen Rapp, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues under former president Barack Obama, said: "This makes Putin a pariah. If he travels he risks arrest. This never goes away. Russia cannot gain relief from sanctions without compliance with the warrants."

Putin is the third serving president to be the target of an ICC arrest warrant, after Sudan's Omar al-Bashir and Libya's Muammar Gaddafi.

Reuters reported earlier this week that the court was expected to issue warrants.

DEPORTATION OF CHILDREN

In its first warrant for Ukraine, the ICC called for Putin's arrest on suspicion of unlawful deportation of children and unlawful transfer of people from the territory of Ukraine to the Russian Federation since Feb. 24, 2022.

"Hundreds of Ukrainian children have been taken from orphanages and childrens homes to Russia," ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement on Friday. "Many of these children, we allege, have since been given up for adoption in the Russian Federation."

Story continues

The alleged acts "demonstrate an intention to permanently remove these children from their own country. At the time of these deportations, the Ukrainian children were protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention."

Khan said his office will continue looking for additional suspects and "will not hesitate to submit further applications for warrants of arrest when the evidence requires us to do so."

Ukraine's top prosecutor, Andriy Kostin, hailed the ICC move as a "a historic decision for Ukraine and the entire international law system".

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said it was just the start of "holding Russia accountable for its crimes and atrocities in Ukraine".

Some Russians saw the hand of the United States in the ICC decision, although Washington, like Moscow, is not a state party.

"Yankees, hands off Putin!" wrote parliament speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, a close ally of the president, on Telegram, saying the move was evidence of Western "hysteria".

"We regard any attacks on the President of the Russian Federation as aggression against our country," he said.

The court also issued a warrant on Friday for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's Commissioner for Children's Rights, on the same charges. She responded to the news with irony, according to RIA Novosti agency: "It's great that the international community has appreciated the work to help the children of our country."

Ukraine has said more than 16,000 children have been illegally transferred to Russia or Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine.

A U.S.-backed report by Yale University researchers last month said Russia has held at least 6,000 Ukrainian children in at least 43 camps and other facilities as part of a "large-scale systematic network".

Russia has not concealed a programme under which it has brought thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia, but presents it as a humanitarian campaign to protect orphans and children abandoned in the conflict zone.

The ICC's Khan opened the investigation into possible war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Ukraine a year ago. He highlighted during four trips to Ukraine that he was looking at alleged crimes against children and the targeting of civilian infrastructure.

(Additional reporting by Toby Sterling and Charlotte Van Campenhout; Writing by Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Gareth Jones)
Legislation framework keeping cyberspace safe

09:07, March 17, 2023 By CAO YIN ( Chinadaily.com.cn

China has consolidated its legal system for cyberspace governance over the years, providing a strong institutional guarantee for building the country's strength in cyberspace, officials said while introducing a white paper.

Titled "China's Law-Based Cyberspace Governance in the New Era", the paper was issued by the State Council Information Office on Thursday.

"Since 1994, when China was fully connected to the internet, it has accelerated legislation in cyberspace and promulgated more than 140 relevant laws," Cao Shumin, vice-minister of the Cyberspace Administration of China, said while explaining the paper at a news conference held by the office.

Now, the country has formed a cyber legislation framework, with the Constitution as the foundation and supported by laws, administrative regulations, departmental rules, local regulations and local administrative rules, she said.

The framework is endorsed by traditional legislation and underpinned by specialized cyber laws governing online content and management, cybersecurity, information technology and other elements, the paper said.

Recalling the legislation in the new era, Yue Zhongming, an official at the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, revealed that they had formulated five laws on cyberspace and digital governance since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012.

The five pieces of legislation are the Cybersecurity Law, E-commerce Law, Data Security Law, Personal Information Protection Law and the law on Combating Telecom and Online Fraud.

During the period, a few existing laws were also revised to clarify responsibilities of online platforms, protect consumers' rights and maintain fair competition in cyberspace, Yue said.

"In addition, we compiled the Civil Code and amended the Criminal Law to better safeguard civil rights of those engaged in new forms of business and to fight new types of online crimes," he added.

Cyber legislation is now gradually concentrating on comprehensive cyberspace governance by covering areas such as network information services, information technology development and cybersecurity, according to the paper.

In the new era, a series of campaigns to regulate cyberactivities, such as those against online pornography, rumors, fraud and bullying, were carried out nationwide.

Such campaigns mean that law enforcement in cyberspace has intensified, Cao said, adding that these have also played "a big role in responding to public concerns and helping create a safe, fair, healthy, civilized and clean online environment".

With stronger domestic capacity in law-based internet governance, the paper noted that China has contributed ideas and solutions to global internet governance.

It said that China will always be committed to all-around law-based governance of the country and of the cyberspace, following the global governance principle of achieving shared growth through consultation and collaboration in the face of opportunities and challenges brought about by digitalization.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
KATHMANDU, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav from the Janata Samajbadi Party was elected as the vice president of Nepal on Friday.

"Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav has been elected as the vice president," Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, chief election commissioner of the Election Commission, told Xinhua.

Yadav was endorsed by the major ruling parties in the vote and he won by securing 30,328 electoral votes, while his closest rival Asta Laxmi Shakya, vice chairperson of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), got 16,328 electoral votes.

Members of the House of Representatives, the National Assembly and the seven provincial assemblies of Nepal cast their ballots in the election, as in the presidential vote held on March 9.

Newly elected President of Nepal Ram Chandra Poudel was sworn in on Monday to start his five-year term.

Yadav, 52, once served as minister for forest and environment. 
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Hundreds of Ukrainian children have been taken from orphanages and childrens homes to Russia, the ICC's chief prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement on Friday.

Khan's statement came after the ICC issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's Commissioner for Children's Rights.

"Many of these children, we allege, have since been given up for adoption in the Russian Federation," he said.

Khan said a Russian law change has made it easier for the children to be adopted by Russian families while at the time of the deportations, Ukrainian children were protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

In his statement, Khan called today's arrest warrants "a first concrete step" while other Ukraine investigations are ongoing.

(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
A new prohibition on the use of student IDs to vote has already attracted two lawsuits, just two days after Gov. Brad Little signed the bill into law.

March for Our Lives Idaho, a gun safety advocacy group, on Friday filed a complaint in federal court against Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane over a law that bans using student IDs to vote. Babe Vote, a youth-led organization that helps register young people to vote, announced on Friday that it had also filed a lawsuit against the state over the bill, in state court.

In a complaint filed on Friday, March for Our Lives alleged that the law banning student IDs unconstitutionally discriminated against young people, who are likely to be students. A Boise High student, Rosaura Albizo Barron, was also a plaintiff on the lawsuit.

The Babe Vote lawsuit, filed in concert with the League of Women Voters, alleges the law violates the Idaho Constitution.

At a press briefing Friday, 18-year-old Babe Vote volunteer Saumya Sarin said the legislation makes the organizations voter registration work more difficult and discourages young people from voting.

There is no need for (House Bill 124), and the Legislature knows it, she said. Idahos secretary of state told the Legislature that there has been no voting fraud associated with student IDs.

McGrane supported the student ID law, having told lawmakers that only 104 voters used student IDs to cast their ballots. But he also said he supported another bill that would require the state to provide free voter ID cards for people without another proper form of voter ID. Lawmakers have yet to pass that bill.

The Republican-dominated Legislature is also considering a bill to eliminate the ability to sign a voter affidavit, in place of showing a personal ID card.

Sarin said Babe Vote has succeeded at increasing voter turnout among young people. Since 2018, she said Idaho has seen an 66% increase in voter registration for people between ages 18 and 19.

Story continues

This legislation sends a dangerous message to young voters, she said. We should be doing everything we can to get more young people voting, not creating burdens for them.

Bills on affidavits, voter registration move forward

Two other bills curtailing how new voters can prove their residency got closer to becoming law Friday.

House Bill 126 would require residents to use a limited list of documents to show proof of residency and proof of identification to register to vote. The bill would also give voters  including students  who dont drive the option of receiving a free four-year ID from the Idaho Department of Transportation, which could be used to prove a residents identity.

McGrane said Idaho law is currently inconsistent by requiring one kind of identification to register to vote and a different kind to cast your vote on Election Day.

Currently, residents can use multiple documents to prove their residency, which Rep. Brandon Mitchell, R-Moscow, told the House State Affairs Committee on Friday could include a scuba diving instructor ID card or a box mailed to a person with their address on it.

To vote, Idaho law allows the use of a drivers license, U.S. passport or federal photo ID, tribal photo ID or concealed weapons permit.

The new bill would align the different requirements by restricting the documents that can be used when registering.

Other inconsistencies exist between types of registration. If you register online with an Idaho drivers license, for example, you dont have to show proof of residency in person. But if you register by mail with the same license, you do. The new law would make online registrants also show in-person proof.

This has been a very important piece of legislation for this office, McGrane told a House committee on Friday. When we talk about photo identification and voting, we actually have two different standards in the state and it confuses people. Almost every time I talk to legislators, it gets confused about what identification were talking about.

Sam Sandmire, a Boise resident, told legislators that she volunteers on campaigns to help people register to vote, and that the new requirements would make it more burdensome for people to become voters.

The problem with this bill is it takes away some of the IDs that were formerly acceptable to register, she said.

Lawmakers on the House committee referred the bill for amendments. McGrane told the Idaho Statesman by phone on Friday that he expects to reintroduce the bill with minor changes.

We should be encouraging people to vote

A second bill, House Bill 137, would remove another option for voters on Election Day, which is to sign an affidavit at the polls swearing their identities if they dont have valid forms of ID.

Though used by only a small portion of voters, supporters say it is a backstop that allows voters to cast their ballots even when theyve forgotten their ID at home.

The bills sponsor, Rep. Joe Alfieri, a R-Coeur dAlene, told the House State Affairs Committee on Friday that he was worried about people lying on the affidavit.

I think thats very loose, Alfieri said. We require some form of identification for virtually everything else that we do in society.

Sandmire at the committee meeting said the affidavit is the only backstop that someone has if they have issues at the polls, noting that she knows a student who used an affidavit to vote once when she forgot her purse at her grandmothers house, several counties away.

It is illegal to fill out an affidavit fraudulently, and theres jail time and there are huge fines, she said. People are not going to do that. We should be encouraging people to vote, not suppressing their votes.

According to the secretary of states office, 0.4% of voters used an affidavit to vote in 2022, which was about 2,400 people. Close to 99% of voters used a drivers license.

Another bill, House Bill 259, outlawing election officials from providing unrequested absentee ballots or absentee ballot applications passed the House on Friday.

A fourth bill, House Bill 205, which would have gotten rid of absentee voting without a particular reason  like serving in the military, being disabled, or attending a university  died in the House on Monday.
The pet dog of slain University of Idaho student Kaylee Goncalves is receiving an outpouring of support from online fans  and his own Amazon wishlist.

Murphy was found unharmed inside the off-campus student home in Moscow, Idaho, when Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were discovered brutally stabbed to death back on 13 November.

Since then, Murphy has been living with Goncalves ex-boyfriend Jack DuCoeur  with whom the 21-year-old shared the goldendoodle.

In January, Mr DuCouer launched an Instagram account for the pooch which has since gained over 100,000 followers.

On Thursday, Goncalves grieving family gave Murphys fans a new update about his life on The Goncalves Family Page on Facebook.

They revealed that Murphy is is living his best life and gets to go on many adventures with his owner.

The family also created an Amazon wishlist for followers to send Murphy gifts.

Hello... this is for everyone that is asking about Murphy. Murphy is living his best life with Jack, the post read.

Murphy is very happy and gets to go on many adventures. A lot of people have asked if they can send him stuff , SO we made him a wishlist on Amazon. We want you all to know that this is just a wishlist and not a need list.

We will be donating many things to our local animal shelter in Murphys name. The only thing besides God that our family needs is all of you. We are so blessed to have all of your support, well wishes and prayers. Much love to ALL of you!!

The wishlist  titled Murphys Doggy Donations  includes items such as chew toys, dog car seatbelts and pet blankets.

Several social media users left messages of support on the familys Facebook post.

I hope Jack is getting as much love and comfort from Murphy as Murphy boy is from him and the world. We still love and support you all immensely, one person wrote.

Kaylee Goncalves with her pet dog Murphy (Instagram)

I will definitely be sending Murphy some treats! Much love to you all! Hugs! another person wrote.

Story continues

The outpouring of support comes as newly-released court documents revealed that investigators probing the brutal slayings issued warrants to around 40 companies as they pursue murder charges against accused killer Bryan Kohberger.

Any evidence the searches may have uncovered remains unknown as the judge ordered that the warrants remain sealed and redacted.

However, the orders ruling the warrants be sealed did reveal which companies had been issued with warrants.

The businesses range from online dating websites such as Tinder to online payment companies like Venmo and fast food service DoorDash and Venmo.

They include: Amazon, American Express, Apple, AT&T, Bank of America, Banner Bank in Spokane, Washington, Block, Inc. (formerly Square, Inc.), Blue Ridge Knives in Marion, Virginia, Charter Communications, Coeur dAlene Police Department Forensic Lab, Discover Bank, DoorDash, Ebay, Elan Financial Services, Extreme Networks, Google, Idaho Central Credit Union, Idaho Department of Labor, Inland Cellular, KA-BAR Knives, Match Group LLC (owner of Tinder) Meta Platforms (Facebooks parent company), Moscow Police Department Forensic Lab, Numerica Credit Union, Paypal/Venmo, Potlatch No 1 Financial Credit Union, Reddit, Snap Inc. (Snapshot parent group), T-Mobile, Umpqua Bank, UPS, Wal-Mart, Wells Fargo, Verizon Wireless, Washington State University, Yahoo and Yik Yak.

Some of the companies notified appear more obvious than others.

KA-BAR Knives was served a search warrant, after a KA-BAR knife sheath was left behind by the killer at the scene of the murders. DNA found on the sheath matches Mr Kohberger, according to a criminal affidavit.

Meanwhile, Kernodle received a DoorDash order to the off-campus home just minutes before she was murdered.

While some of the warrants sought information about Mr Kohberger, others sought information about the victims  such as access to their Facebook and Snapchat accounts.

This comes as investigators work to piece together any possible link between the students and their accused killer or what his motive may have been for the quadruple murders.

Several of the warrants were filed back in December  at the height of the investigation into the 13 November murders  but came to light now as the judge ordered for them to remain sealed until further notice by the court.

The home where the four students were killed (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The judges orders all gave the same reasons for keeping the trove of documents sealed.

The documents contain highly intimate facts or statements, the publication of which would be highly objectionable to a reasonable person, the orders read.

The documents contain facts or statements that might threaten the safety of or endanger the life or safety of individuals and disclosure would constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy.

While those Idaho search warrants remain sealed, warrants have recently been unsealed over the search on Mr Kohbergers family home in Pennsylvania.

The warrants reveal that a Glock .40 caliber gun, empty gun magazines, a knife, a pocket knife, black face masks and black gloves were found during a search of the home in Chestnuthill Township, when law enforcement officials carried out an early morning raid on 30 December.

Other items seized included a book with underlying on page 118, Mr Kohbergers phone bills, and a green leafy substance in a plastic bag .

A search was executed on Mr Kohbergers apartment in Pullman and his office at Washington State University (WSU) on the same day.

The unsealed documents reveal that investigators seized a string of items from his home including possible human and animal hair strands, a disposable glove, items with red and brown stains and a computer.

Authorities also took swabs from Mr Kohbergers car and seized a shovel, gloves and goggles, a bandage and reflective best that were inside.

Mr Kohberger, a 28-year-old Washington State University PhD student, was arrested during the 30 December raid on his family home in Pennsylvania and extradited to Moscow, Idaho, to face murder charges.

He is accused of murdering the four University of Idaho students in a brutal knife attack that sent shockwaves through the small college town.

Back on 13 November, he allegedly entered the off-campus student home that the three young women shared and stabbed to death the four victims.

Two other roommates were left unharmed in the home.

One of the surviving roommates came face to face with the killer  masked, dressed in head to toe black and with bushy eyebrows  as he left the home in the aftermath of the murders.

The victims bodies were discovered hours later.

Bryan Kohberger appears in court on murder charges (AP)

The affidavit, released in January, revealed that investigators believe Mr Kohberger may have stalked the student home in the run-up to the mass murder, with cellphone data placing him around the property 12 times before 13 November.

At the time of the murders, investigators believe Mr Kohberger turned his cellphone off in order to try to avoid detection.

However, cellphone data places him close to the home on King Road at around 9am on 13 November  suggesting that he returned to the scene of the crime just hours after allegedly murdering the four victims at around 4am, the affidavit reveals.

As a criminal justice PhD student at WSU, Mr Kohberger lived just 15 minutes from the victims over the Idaho-Washington border in Pullman. He had moved there from Pennsylvania and began his studies there that summer, having just completed his first semester begore his arrest.

Before this, he studied criminology at DeSales University  first as an undergraduate and then finishing his graduate studies in June 2022.

While there, he studied under renowned forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland who interviewed the BTK serial killer and co-wrote the book Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer with him.

He also carried out a research project to understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime.

Now, he is facing life in prison or the death penalty for the murders that have rocked the small college town of Moscow and hit headlines around the globe.

He is expected to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on 26 June.
Here we are once again in the waning days of the legislative session, and legislators are tackling the No. 1 priority heading into the session  property tax relief  at the 11th hour.

And what theyre considering is a complicated mess of a bill whose fiscal impacts are uncertain, all while they ignore the simplest, most sensible solution.

Earlier in the session, Idaho Republican legislators proposed three property tax relief bills. One was simple, straightforward and a real solution to the problem. The other two were complicated, used state surplus revenues to offset local property taxes and had unknown consequences.

If you can believe it, Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, the guy whos been wasting the Legislatures time up until now with bills criminalizing transgender health care and bringing back the firing squad, came up with the best property tax relief solution: raise the homeowners exemption and index it.

Simple and direct, problem solved with one paragraph added to state code.

So what did legislators do?

Of course, they threw the most reasonable solution in the wastebasket and combined the two most complicated, backwards bills to come up with an even more complicated, backwards bill.

All with about a week left before legislators want to end the session.

The bill theyve settled on, House Bill 292, is a doozy.

Its a complicated mess that creates incomprehensible formulas to use state surplus funds from different buckets to create new buckets that would be used to help school districts pay down bond debt and make payments to counties to offset property taxes for homeowners. Its a Band-aid.

We support the idea of the state using surplus funds to help pay down school bond debt, but this bill is woefully inadequate. It proposes $100 million a year, a drop in the bucket compared with the $850 million needed to fund facility repairs, according to a report by the Office of Performance Evaluations  which, incidentally, some lawmakers are attempting to gut.

Story continues

Further, in exchange for the paltry amount, legislators want to get rid of the March election date for school districts, which use the March date so they can plan their budgets for the following fiscal year  and is also their most successful date for passing bonds.

Plus, what happens in a year if theres no state budget surplus?

At the very least, because this bill is so complicated, it needs a full fiscal analysis of its impacts  not a quick glance in the last days of the session. Remember House Bill 389, which was rushed through at the end of the session two years ago? It was similarly complicated and turned into a nightmare for cities and counties.

Meanwhile, Skaugs bill is easy to understand, is uniform across the state and treats like properties the same.

The problem is that Republican legislators once again are trying to hold harmless commercial property owners, who have seen their taxes stay flat or decrease over the past six years since the Legislature foolishly capped the homeowners exemption in 2016.

The reason their taxes are going down is that residential property values have been skyrocketing. With the homeowners exemption capped at $100,000 for several years and raised only to $125,000 recently, residential property taxes have taken on a greater and greater share of local budgets.

If the homeowners exemption had not been capped, it would be worth $224,360 today.

Thats what Skaugs bill would raise the exemption to.

We understand that raising the homeowners exemption that high that quickly would shift taxes dramatically, so it would make sense to phase it in over a couple of years.

But keep in mind, as residential property values continue to increase at a faster rate than commercial and agricultural property, that gap in tax burden is only going to get worse.

Delaying just kicks the can down the road, and the can gets bigger each year.

Theres also a little-talked-about unintended consequence of shielding commercial property owners from local property tax increases: They have no incentive to speak out against city, county or school district budget increases. Why should they care, if their taxes are going to continue to go down?

House Bill 292 actually makes that worse by artificially covering up local budget increases with a payoff from the state coffers.

With a mish-mash of confusing pieces of two monstrous bills, legislators have created a Frankensteins monster with House Bill 292.

Instead, they should bring the simple, clear solution back to life.

Statesman editorials are the unsigned opinion of the Idaho Statesmans editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe and newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser.
By Scott McIntosh, opinion editor

The Idaho Way is a weekly roundup of opinions, commentary and letters to the editor to encourage conversation on topics important to Idahoans. If you like this newsletter, forward to a friend, and they can sign up here.

It seems like right around this time every year in Idaho, people say, This is the worst legislative session ever.

I, myself, wrote a pair of columns in 2021, dubbing that year the worst session ever, citing efforts to usurp power from the governor, from the attorney general, from cities and states, local school boards and districts, even from voters.

Scott McIntosh is the Idaho Statesmans opinion editor.

I felt like a few years ago was the worst, Leo Morales, executive director of ACLU of Idaho, told me in a video interview. And then last year, I thought, Oh no, this is the worst. And this year, Im saying this is the worst, and so Ive got to stop saying that because Im concerned that next year is going to be horrible as well.

But arguing back in 2021 about whether to withdraw from Powerball because Australia has gun control seems so quaint compared with the more serious attacks on individual civil liberties brought by legislators this year.

Read my full column here and see what bills the ACLU of Idaho is keeping their eye on.

Frankensteins monster

Idaho House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star, smiles at friends in the gallery while waiting for Gov. Brad Littles annual State of the State address, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, at the Capitol in Boise.

Here we are once again in the waning days of the legislative session, and legislators are tackling the No. 1 priority heading into the session  property tax relief  at the 11th hour.

And what theyre considering is a complicated mess of a bill whose fiscal impacts are uncertain, all while they ignore the simplest, most sensible solution.

Read our full editorial here on how legislators should bring a homeowners exemption bill back from the dead instead of trying to create Frankensteins monster.

Failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Sen. Mike Crapo

Republican Senator Mike Crapo gives an acceptance speech in 2022 during a watch party for Idaho Republican candidates at the Grove Hotel in Boise after the race called by The Associated Press.

The failure of Silicon Valley Bank does not seem to have been hard to see coming, writes opinion writer Bryan Clark. It had lots of large deposits from venture capitalists who could choose to cash them in at a moments notice, but it invested huge chunks of those deposits in assets that couldnt be cashed in for years.

Story continues

This is the kind of situation that should have been easy to detect  if regulators were looking. But they werent looking.

And you can thank Sen. Mike Crapo for that.

Crapo was the lead author of the 2018 bill to exempt lots of very large banks from regulatory oversight measures such as stress testing that had been imposed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

Read Bryans full column here.

Meridian Library dissolution

Meridian Library Districts board of trustees listen to public comment on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022.

This week, Meridian Library District trustee Jeff Kohler wrote a guest opinion piece detailing what would be lost if voters dissolved the district.

Kohler also disputes the misinformation being spread by so-called Concerned Citizens of Meridian.

Residents of the Meridian Library District should not be misled by these false assertions, Kohler writes. The road the Concerned Citizens have started down has only one destination: no public library system for the second-largest city in Idaho.

You can read his full guest opinion piece here.

Abortion ban impact

Dr. John M. Werdel is the womens service line medical director at St. Lukes Health System.

Dr. John M. Werdel, the womens service line medical director at St. Lukes Health System, wrote a guest opinion piece this week detailing the negative impact Idahos abortion ban is having on the health systems ability to retain and recruit doctors.

As the medical director of womens health care at St. Lukes Health System, I am witnessing first-hand the impact of these laws on all physicians who give advice and care to pregnant women, he writes. These providers are terrified and constantly second-guessing their decisions. Not because of the restrictions on broad access to abortion, but because they can no longer safely manage and advise their patients who have pregnancy complications.

You can read his full guest opinion piece here.

Yellowstone Bear World

In this 2020 file photo, Yellowstone Bear World owner Courtney Ferguson holds a black bear cub.

If you break the law, you are met with penalties, writes opinion writer Bryan Clark. That is  unless you have enough buddies in the Idaho Legislature. Then the rules have a way of changing to suit your interests. A clear example of this pattern is Senate Bill 1084, which has already cleared the Idaho Senate in a nearly unanimous vote. It would exempt facilities with a specific class of license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture from regulation by Idaho Fish and Game. Yellowstone Bear World, a drive-through wildlife park near Rexburg not affiliated with Yellowstone National Park, is one of only a handful of facilities in the state that holds such a license, many of the rest being municipal zoos. Bear World appears to be the only interest pushing for the bill.

You can read Bryans full column here.

Lunch with The Idaho Way

This week Lunch with The Idaho Way takes on property taxes with Kelley Packer, executive director of the Association of Idaho Cities.

Hope you have been tuning in to our new livestream show, Lunch with The Idaho Way, at noon on Wednesdays.

So far, weve tackled the issues of transgender rights with Eve Devitt and her father, Michael Devitt; school vouchers with Rod Gramer, president of Idaho Business for Education; and school vouchers with Reclaim Idaho co-founder Luke Mayville. This week, we discussed a bill to remove restrictions on militias with special guest Dave Neiwert, an award-winning journalist, author and well-known expert on American right-wing extremism. Check out the latest episode here.

Next week, well be talking about property taxes. Our special guest will be Kelley Packer, former state legislator and now executive director of the Association of Idaho Cities.

Register for this discussion for free at our Eventbrite and ask your question in advance. Click on select a date and choose March 22.

Or simply tune in at noon every Wednesday on Facebook or YouTube. Ask questions and join the conversation.

Check out the details here.

Capitol Letters

Idaho Statesman reporter Ryan Suppe and politics editor Hayat Norimine keep you updated on each days happenings in the Idaho Legislature and what to expect for the upcoming day.

Plus, I throw in our astute politics observations and opinions on a daily basis.

To sign up to receive Capitol Letters, click here.

Im listening

Send me your story ideas, news tips, questions, comments, or anything else on your mind. You can reach me via email at smcintosh@idahostatesman.com.

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Investigators are continuing to search for answers about the recent discovery of the body of a stillborn girl along Interstate 82.

A road cleanup crew working for the Washington Department of Ecology found her remains in a garbage bag about 10 a.m. March 6 near the I-182 and I-82 interchange in south Richland.

Benton County Coroner Bill Leach confirmed an autopsy was conducted and it was determined the girl was about 30-weeks developed. Full gestation is at 40 weeks.

Benton County sheriffs Lt. Mike Clark said detectives are still trying to figure out how the body ended up by the side of highway.

He said that trying to identify her mother is complicated.

When identifying adult who has died, police and coroners have a variety of pieces of information that they can draw from, such as dental records, fingerprints and missing person reports.

In this case, Clark said there is other evidence that was found at the scene that could help.

They are still following leads, he said. There are a million different things that they can use.

That could include a DNA sample that might connect them to a parent. Its also unclear if a law was broken.

Anyone with possible information about the baby is asked to call Detective CJ Conner at 509-735-6555, Ext. 7203, or by email at cj.conner@co.benton.wa.us.

The workers who discovered the baby were offered counseling after talking to the detectives.

A rare case

Clark said this is the first time in his 17 years with the Benton County Sheriffs Office that hes seen a case like this.

Even finding abandoned children is fairly rare, according to the National Safe Haven Alliance, a nonprofit supporting laws that give parents alternatives to prevent harm to babies.

The organization reported 22 babies died in the U.S. in 2021 after they were placed in dumpsters, found in backpacks or discarded in other dangerous places.

During the same period, more than 3.6 million babies were born, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Washington state has safe haven laws that allow parents to drop off an infant to a hospital.
MADISON - Illinois collected $36 million in tax revenue from Wisconsin residents purchasing marijuana in the Land of Lincoln where cannabis is legal, according to a new state estimate.

Wisconsin is in the minority of states whose lawmakers have not legalized marijuana use in some form. Thirty-seven states have medical marijuana programs, including Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has proposed legalizing marijuana three times but Republican lawmakers who control the state Legislature have rejected the idea. It appeared at the start of the new legislative session that began in January that GOP legislative leaders were changing course and moving closer to creating a medical marijuana program in Wisconsin after years of opposition to the idea but the effort quickly stalled.

Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard, D-Madison, has also unsuccessfully proposed marijuana legalization for years and this week released revenue estimates from the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau, which show $36.1 million are estimated to be paid in Illinois taxes by marijuana customers in counties bordering the Badger State.

Sen. Melissa Agard, a Democrat from Madison, has proposed allowing Wisconsin residents age 21 and older to possess up to two ounces of marijuana and six plants. She traveled to a dispensary that attracts Wisconsin customers in South Beloit, Ill., in 2021 to highlight her legislation.

The analysis assumes that all sales to out-of-state residents in counties bordering Wisconsin were made to Wisconsin residents, according to the memo.

"It should upset every Wisconsinite that our hard earned tax dollars are going across the border to Illinois. This is revenue that could be going toward Wisconsins public schools, transportation infrastructure, and public safety," she said in a statement. "Instead, Illinois is reaping the benefits of Republican obstructionism and their prohibitionist stance on marijuana legalization."

According to the fiscal bureau estimate based on data from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, revenue from sales to out-of-state residents in Wisconsin-adjacent counties accounted for about 8% of the $462 million in tax revenue Illinois officials received in 2022 from sales of marijuana products.

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LFB analysts said the estimate could be lower or higher than the actual amount of taxes paid by Wisconsin residents because it's possible not all sales to out-of-state residents in counties bordering Wisconsin were made to Wisconsin residents.

"For example, two of the dispensaries included in this estimate are located in Jo Daviess County, which borders both Iowa and Wisconsin. A portion of sales at those dispensaries likely were made to Iowa residents," the analysts wrote.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos in January said legislative leaders have just begun talking about what kind of medical marijuana proposal they could support and suggested Evers' plans to introduce a state budget that legalizes marijuana for recreational use could deter Republican support. He said the Assembly and Senate were not close to an agreement.

His comments came soon after Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel his caucus, a longstanding hurdle to legalizing marijuana in Wisconsin, was "pretty close" to supporting a medical marijuana program.

Like LeMahieu, Vos has said he would only support a medical marijuana program aimed at treating chronic pain.

"I want to make sure that, at least from my perspective, we are crystal clear this is not about a pathway toward recreational (marijuana), it's not about creating a new industry with all kinds of new revenue for the state," he said. "It's about making sure that people who suffer with a chronic disease get relief in a way that helps their quality of life be better."

"I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that it is helping the people who have a chronic disease, not creating a pathway or a gateway to recreational marijuana somewhere in the future. I think  I know our caucus would not support that. I don't think it'd be good for the state," Vos said.

Evers during his reelection campaign said he would again propose legalizing marijuana in the upcoming budget, a plan that would require users to be 21 to purchase and is estimated to generate $166 million in revenue that Evers wants to use to help fund schools.

Sixty-four percent of Wisconsinites support legalizing marijuana for any use, according to October polling by the Marquette University Law School. More than 80% of Wisconsinites supported the idea of a medical marijuana program, according to 2019 polling.

In 2018, voters in 16 counties and two cities voiced support for the legalization of medical or recreational marijuana through advisory referendum questions on their ballots that year. The referendums solicited opinions on legalizing personal use for adults age 21 years or older.

Molly Beck can be reached at molly.beck@jrn.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marijuana sales to Wisconsinites brought Illinois $36M in taxes
Ahead of St. Patrick's Day, I visited McSorley's Old Ale House, which was established in 1854.

I was surprised by the inexpensive prices and the quality of the food.

I was also surprised by how it made me feel pride as an Irish American.

I've lived in New York City for almost four years, but I have never been to McSorley's, the oldest Irish pub in the city.

I took a selfie outside McSorley's. Erin McDowell/Insider

Not only is McSorley's the most historic Irish tavern in New York, it's also often called the oldest Irish tavern in America that's still in operation today. Established in 1854, McSorley's is celebrating its 169th anniversary this year, and it is certainly the place to go around St. Patrick's Day.

Though famous, McSorley's hasn't always been on the right side of history. According to The New York Times, women have only been allowed inside the bar since 1970, when two members of the National Organization for Women sued the bar for violating the equal-protection ordinance of the 14th Amendment. There were also no female bartenders until the mid-'90s.

Ahead of St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to visit the bar given its rich history and connection to my heritage. My grandparents were first-generation Irish immigrants who later moved to England. That fact, in combination with my very Irish name, makes me proud of the close connection to my heritage.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed my experience at McSorley's. Here are some things that might surprise you about the oldest Irish bar in the country if you choose to visit yourself.

I was surprised by McSorley's location in a very modern section of the East Village.

The outside of McSorley's. Erin McDowell/Insider

While I expected to find McSorley's on a quaint cobblestone street given its history, it's located in a built-up section of the East Village on East 7th Street, by Astor Place.

I actually lived around the corner for a semester in college, and, in my opinion, this part of the East Village has very little old-world charm thanks to its high-rise buildings, businesses, and chain restaurants, despite being just a stone's throw away from one of the most historic establishments in the city.

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However, when the ale house was founded by Irish immigrant John McSorley in the 1850s, this was a prime location, close to a transportation hub for horse carriages and a busy market, Insider previously reported.

McSorley's is cash-only, which I learned when I arrived. However, you'll find an ATM right out front.

The ATM outside McSorley's. Erin McDowell/Insider

It's pretty standard at any cash-only bar or restaurant in New York City to find an ATM either inside or just outside the door.

I was pleased that they had an ATM available so close by, but I couldn't spy any signs inside that made it immediately apparent it was cash-only  I didn't suss it out until I saw everyone else paying in cash.

I expected to find a lot of Irish pub food, and I did, but McSorley's also had distinctly American foods like hot dogs and hamburgers.

The menu at McSorley's. Erin McDowell/Insider

The menu at McSorley's is limited, but they had quite a few fan-favorite menu items, from burgers and a fried-chicken sandwich to more traditional items like corned-beef hash and chili.

I was also surprised by how low the prices were at McSorley's compared to what I usually pay in New York City. I ordered a hamburger and fries for $10, and two beers for $7.

I was overall pleasantly surprised by the burger at McSorley's, but I wish the cheese had been more melted.

The cheeseburger at McSorley's. Erin McDowell/Insider

When I visited McSorley's, the bar was teeming with people and there were very few places to sit. I'm always a little hesitant about ordering bar food  you just never know what you're going to get, especially from places popular with tourists  but I was surprised by how much I liked the burger.

The beef patty was juicy and decently large, while the onions and tomatoes tasted very fresh. The fries were also piping hot when I received them and deliciously crispy. The only downside in my opinion was that the cheese on the cheeseburger wasn't melted on the patty.

However, for $10, I was pleased with my dinner.

McSorley's has only two options for alcoholic drinks  light or dark beer  and they serve two at a time per person, which definitely surprised me.

The beer at McSorley's. Erin McDowell/Insider

I paid $7 for two beers, a light and a dark ale, which I was surprised by. I'm not a huge beer drinker, but even that seemed pretty inexpensive to me.

The beer prices have crept up over the years, of course. When Insider's Sarah Jacobs visited in 2017, the beer cost $5.50. She noted that the beer cost only a dime per mug in 1940, and in 1966, two of the half-pints cost 35 cents.

Other guests also appeared to be surprised by their orders. When one guest ordered a light and a dark beer for himself and someone else, they seemed surprised when they were each handed two beers. The bartender then explained that they always give people two beers each. The beers are much smaller than your average pint. According to Eater, each mug holds roughly 6 ounces per glass  a US pint holds 16 ounces  which makes each drink easier to finish and carry around the bar.

I enjoyed both the light and the dark ale, though I preferred the light, and thought they went down smoothly. I could see why someone would want two at a time.

Part of the charm of McSorley's, in addition to the low prices, is the lack of choice. In a city like New York, I'm accustomed to lengthy drink menus with steep prices. I actually enjoyed the lack of choice, which made ordering fast and simple.

I was also surprised by just how much history was crammed onto every inch of the walls.

Pictures hanging on the walls inside McSorley's. Erin McDowell/Insider

Almost every inch of the walls was adorned with old photos, newspaper clippings, pictures of Irish American presidents, and festive St. Patrick's Day decorations. A large flag hung behind the bar with the number 169 on it  the number of years the bar has been open.

The bar is also home to a few other historical mementos like Houdini's handcuffs and World War I-era wishbones dangling from a gas lamp above the bar. US Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Theodore Roosevelt also reportedly stopped by McSorley's, adding to the joint's historic reputation.

I could have spent hours looking at every piece of art and history, and it made me feel a sense of pride in my Irish heritage. It felt as if I were in a living time capsule, surrounded by people who were there for a great time in one of the most historic spots in the city.

The bartender who served me was Irish, making for an even more authentic experience.

Behind the bar at McSorley's. Erin McDowell/Insider

Despite how busy the bar was, I was pleasantly surprised by the friendly and fast service I received from the bar staff and bouncer. If you're looking for an immersive experience, you can't feel much closer to Ireland anywhere other than McSorley's.

If you're unable to grab a spot inside, the restaurant has plenty of outdoor seating.

The outdoor seating at McSorley's. Erin McDowell/Insider

I wasn't surprised that a few days before St. Patrick's Day, finding a spot to sit inside the restaurant at prime time was a little difficult. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that as the night went on and it turned 8 o'clock, tables started to open up.

There was also a large outdoor dining area set up on the street outside, so finding a place to sit on busy days like St. Patrick's Day shouldn't be completely out of the question.

Overall, I was most surprised by how visiting McSorley's made me feel connected to my Irish roots.

The window outside McSorley's. Erin McDowell/Insider

Before going to McSorley's myself, I half-expected to find a rowdy group of drunk people dressed up for St. Patrick's Day and drinking overpriced beer. What I experienced couldn't have been more different than my expectations.

There was a strong sense of pride and camaraderie in the bar, with customers happy to let others through to the bar, introduce themselves, or tip their Irish bartenders. I felt more connected to my own Irish heritage than I have in years, and proud of the role Irish people have played throughout history in this country and in New York City.

As I made my way home, I thought to myself that I hope McSorley's will be open for another 169 years. All I know is that they've made a returning customer out of me.

Correction: March 20, 2023  An earlier version of this story misstated the size of beers served at McSorley's. The beers are roughly 6 ounces each, served two at a time; they aren't pints.

Read the original article on Insider
The author. Courtesy of Kevin Kelley

I've been called all sorts of names and had strangers touch my red hair.

I'm not alone  many redheaded celebrities have spoken out about how they've been treated.

I want more people  especially in the US  to know about gingerism, or bias against redheads.

In a recent interview with Stephen Colbert, Prince Harry said he was surprised to have two redheaded children.

"The ginger gene is a strong one," he joked. He gave a fist pump and said, "Go gingers." A lone voice from the audience whooped  along with me, sitting on my sofa at home.

While redheads are not going extinct, people with naturally red hair are thought to make up only roughly 2% of the world's population. Seeing a natural redhead in the wild or even on a book cover gives me a warm feeling because of our rarity.

I'm not alone in my sentiment. Julianne Moore was once asked if she felt a kinship with other redheads. "I do!" she said. "Whenever I see one on the street, I nod or say hello. I feel like there's a redhead collective  you notice each other."

Perhaps because of this kinship, I've always had natural-redhead friends. Some had curly hair, others straight. Some had bright hair, others dull. At a young age I befriended a redhead from Mexico; I hadn't known at the time that natural red hair isn't bound by white skin or European ancestry.

People treat us differently

Besides the obvious strands on our heads, one thing that binds us together is how non-redheads treat us. Other people at school called my friend from Mexico "Rooster." He started to wear a hat to cover his head  something I've noticed other redheads do when they're named-called  but teachers made him take the hat off.

I've been called carrot top, pumpkin head, fire crotch, daywalker, and many other things. Sometimes these nicknames were just playful teases from close friends, but other times they were lobbed like little verbal grenades, landing at my feet and disrupting my life.

Redheads can feel a particular social pressure because of the way people treat us. Prince Harry wrote of one named Marko whom he described as "an extreme ginger" who "owned it." I was perhaps more like Marko than Harry in my younger years: I stood out, I knew that, and I used it to my advantage to make people laugh. I found that if I played the clown, my hair became somewhat of a superpower, even if it invited comparisons to Conan O'Brien.

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Both regular and famous redheads are made to feel less than

Despite red hair's popularity as a character trait and its trendiness, redheaded children are often targeted. Redheads on TikTok have recounted being humiliated and harassed, and celebrities like Moore have spoken out about their difficulties growing up with red hair.

Madelaine Petsch said in an interview in 2017: "I was bullied a lot for having red hair. It really affected me in the beginning because I was the only kid, especially first through sixth grade, who was really mercilessly bullied, and I never really understood why."

The most recognizable celebrity ginger of the day is usually turned into an insult. When I was growing up, people regularly called me Ron Weasley and Clay Aiken. Today young boys are being called Ed Sheeran. Sheeran, for his part, once said a "South Park" episode making fun of redheads "fucking ruined my life." He said that while he was used to being ridiculed in England for his hair, he thought the episode contributed to gingerism in the United States.

The issue of gingerism

Gingerism, or bias or discrimination against people with natural red hair, is a familiar term for Brits but not necessarily for Americans. With the popularity of red hair, I think it's time that it be introduced more broadly into our vernacular.

The issue of gingerism received new attention a few months ago when Jessica Gagen became the first redheaded Miss England. She's said she was spat on and burned because of her hair, but she's become an outspoken advocate and role model for redheaded kids while pursuing a master's degree in aerospace engineering.

These kinds of experiences bind many gingers together  but they don't just stop once someone grows up. Two years ago, while I was waiting for a bus, a stranger walked up from behind and rubbed my hair, leaving me stunned and, later, with a neckache. It was shocking, but it wasn't the first time someone had touched me without permission. Other strangers have randomly stroked my beard, and I've been grossly kissed so often on St. Patrick's Day that I no longer leave the house for the holiday.

Redheads have to endure the stereotyping and harassment because there's no real concerted effort to stop it. When I was a teenager, someone I tried to date was barred from seeing me because their parents believed, as a rule, that redheads were prone to abuse and alcohol misuse. Another parent believed that red hair was the mark of the devil. Some of these myths stretch far back into ancient history.

It's heartening when celebrities speak up about their experiences and encourage redheaded children who may have no one else they can relate to. It's time for gingerism to receive the kind of attention in the US that it gets abroad.

Read the original article on Insider
Props used for research projects by students of "China Corner" at St. Margaret College Secondary School are on display in Valletta, Malta, March 16, 2023. Students of "China Corner" at St. Margaret College Secondary School presented their six China-related research projects on Thursday here at the China Cultural Center. The six projects included the history and making of different kinds of Chinese tea sets and the influence on the Western tea culture, the history and making of Chinese silk dolls, the history and making of Chinese paper puppets, the history and different textile and shape of Chinese dresses, China's earthquake-resistant wooden buildings and China's advancement in the manufacture of sound sensors. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

VALLETTA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Students of "China Corner" at St. Margaret College Secondary School presented their six China-related research projects on Thursday here at the China Cultural Center.

The six projects included the history and making of different kinds of Chinese tea sets and the influence on the Western tea culture, the history and making of Chinese silk dolls, the history and making of Chinese paper puppets, the history and different textile and shape of Chinese dresses, China's earthquake-resistant wooden buildings and China's advancement in the manufacture of sound sensors.

Martin Azzopardi, founder of "China Corner" and a science teacher at the school, said he would run the "China Corner" better and better and make greater contributions to deepening the friendship between Malta and China.

Chinese Ambassador to Malta Yu Dunhai said that "China Corner" students worked hard and made significant progress over the past year by integrating Chinese culture, history and technological development with classroom learning.

In the face of the trend of global development in the era of globalization, we should respect the diversity of civilizations, promote understanding through communication, promote unity through mutual learning, promote development through coexistence, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, and jointly maintain world peace and development, Yu said.

This was the first time that "China Corner" students has returned to the China Cultural Center to hold a research project presentation after the COVID-19 pandemic, said Yuan Yuan, director of the China Cultural Center in Malta, adding that the center would continue to support "China Corner" in carrying out a variety of activities, build a platform for youth exchange between the two countries, and inject new vitality into the traditional friendship between Malta and China.

"China Corner" is a great project for both St. Margaret College and the entire education community in Malta, said Claudine Muscat, a senior official from the ministry for education, sport, youth, research and innovation, adding that it provided Maltese students with an opportunity to learn about Chinese culture.

The "China Corner" was founded in 2010 by Azzopardi with the aim of bringing "China" to his classroom following his first visit to the country. The Maltese government, the Chinese Embassy in Malta and the China Cultural Center in Malta provided him with support. 

Chinese Ambassador to Malta Yu Dunhai presents a certificate to Martin Azzopardi, founder of "China Corner" and science teacher at St. Margaret College Secondary School, in Valletta, Malta, March 16, 2023. Students of "China Corner" at St. Margaret College Secondary School presented their six China-related research projects on Thursday here at the China Cultural Center. The six projects included the history and making of different kinds of Chinese tea sets and the influence on the Western tea culture, the history and making of Chinese silk dolls, the history and making of Chinese paper puppets, the history and different textile and shape of Chinese dresses, China's earthquake-resistant wooden buildings and China's advancement in the manufacture of sound sensors. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)
A man serving a lengthy state prison sentence was charged Friday with aggravated assault after an attack seriously injured a corrections officer at Rockview state prison.

Jerome J. Washington, 37, was accused of striking the corrections officer in the face multiple times earlier this month. The attack continued for several minutes, state police at Rockview wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.

The corrections officer was escorting Washington back to his cell after he requested to leave an activities group early, police wrote.

Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association President John Eckenrode intimated the officer was escorting Washington to his cell alone. He also implied Washington has an extensive history of violence and misconduct inside state prisons.

The officer was transported by ambulance to Mount Nittany Medical Center, where he was treated for multiple facial fractures that required surgery.

It is not known if Washington has a defense lawyer.

Washington is serving a 31- to 100-year state prison sentence. He was found guilty in October 2008 of rape, robbery, terroristic threats and other charges in Allegheny County.

Washington is not eligible for parole until at least 2037, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections spokeswoman Maria Bivens said. His preliminary arraignment has not been scheduled.

Washington was moved to Forest state prison in northwest Pennsylvania.

The corrections officer was one of three staff members who were assaulted by inmates at the two state prisons in Centre County since the start of the year.

Two staff members at Benner state prison were treated for minor injuries earlier this year, police wrote in a statement. Police are also investigating the deaths of two Rockview state prison inmates during a four-day period earlier this month.
An 83-year-old grandmother was preparing for Mothers Day when a stranger came to her door and shot her to death, Georgia officials said.

Barbara Gibsons death rocked the Mt. Zion area of Carroll County, where she was described as a pillar of the community.

The world became a whole lot dimmer and the fear of knowing someone was capable of murdering an innocent and sweet Godly woman was real, the Carroll County Sheriffs Office wrote in a Facebook post.

Now, almost three years after the woman was found dead in May 2020, a man has been convicted of malice murder. An attorney believed to be representing the man  Andrew Conard  didnt immediately respond to McClatchy News request for comment March 17.

The case dates to May 9, 2020, when officials said Gibson was getting ready to give out jelly for Mothers Day. As she got ready to deliver the gifts to her friends and neighbors, Conard and co-defendant Amanda Sperry arrived at Ms. Gibsons home with the intention to rob her, according to deputies and the Coweta Judicial Circuit.

Conard is accused of knocking on the 83-year-olds door and shooting her just after she answered. He and Sperry later stole the womans sewing machine, jewelry and wallet, prosecutors wrote in a March 13 news release.

At the time of their arrests in August 2020, deputies said Conard and Sperry had staked out the womans house. The two lived in the same neighborhood as her, but officials dont believe Conard and Sperry knew Gibson, Sheriff Terry Langley said in video from a news conference.

For three days prior to the murder, the couple drove around the County targeting elderly persons in rural areas, prosecutors wrote. Their motive was robbery and they sought citizens that might be alone, isolated, and unable to fight back. The evidence at trial showed that they targeted Ms. Gibson for exactly this reason.

The Coweta Judicial District said the couple spent much of their money on methamphetamine, scratch-off lottery tickets, and video poker. The two are is accused of starting the robbery plot to get money after Sperry was tied to another stealing scheme.

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Gibson is remembered in online posts as a beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who was known for her peanut and pecan brittle. The Hightower Funeral Homes website said she lived in Mt. Zion, roughly 50 miles west of Atlanta.

Thank you to all those who worked on and prepared this case, the community who prayed for Mrs. Gibson, her family, and our Sheriffs Office, and for the jury for giving Mrs. Gibson the final justice she so deserved, Carroll County deputies posted after the recent conviction. We pray this will help bring some closure and healing to her family and her community.

Officials said Conard was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, home invasion, armed robbery, and aggravated battery. He was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, followed by 2 additional life sentences, and 20 additional years, according to prosecutors.

Sperry reportedly agreed to testify in the trial of Conard in exchange for a 60 year sentence, with the first 40 years to serve in prison.

Mom and bookstore owner kidnapped and killed by one of her employees, Georgia cops say

A 23-year-old was found dead by Georgia hunters in 1989. Now, a man is arrested
Willem Dafoe stars as Nemo in director Vasilis Katsoupis' "Inside." Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Features

Willem Dafoe latest film, "Inside," is out now.

In the new film, his character endures extreme hot and cool temperatures while trapped in an apartment.

Luckily, Dafoe only had to fake the sweltering heat and cold temperatures.

Willem Dafoe hates the cold.

In his new film, "Inside," Dafoe plays Nemo, an art thief on the hunt for a series of rare and highly valued Egon Schiele paintings. But Nemo's plans quickly go awry when he finds himself locked in a high-tech luxury Manhattan penthouse. What may sound like a dream quickly devolves into a nightmare as a malfunctioning thermostat results in extreme temperature fluctuations  rising to over 106F before dipping to 43F.

Thankfully the 67-year-old Dafoe wasn't forced to experience any of the extreme hot and cold climate swings Nemo faced.

He just made it look really convincing.

"I really just had to pretend those really, because emotional recall, in this case, doesn't work," Dafoe told Insider in February. "I hate the cold. I love the heat, in general. But, yeah, that's basically pretended."

"Inside" is a captivating one-man show from Dafoe, who remains silent for a good portion of the film. Made in just 32 days, "Inside" captures Nemo's slow physical and psychological deterioration in solitary confinement as he runs low on food and water, and must rely on his wit to survive.

To create the art-rich environment Dafoe is trapped within, film director Vasilis Katsoupis tapped art curator Leonardo Bigazzi, who was able to bring original works from Francesco Clemente, Maurizio Cattelan, and John Armleder, among others, to the set.

"We've seen too many films that have to do with art and most of the time the art is fake or lookalikes. I really wanted in my film for everything to be very, very correct," Katsoupis told the Los Angeles Times.

The art becomes very much a part of the story. At one point, the chill in the apartment prompts Nemo to take a piece of art off the wall  Petrit Halilaj's "Do you realise there is a rainbow even if it's night!?"  and wear it himself.

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Willem Dafoe strips down in "Inside" when the apartment he's trapped inside becomes unbearably warm. Courtesy of Focus Features

Apparently that was Dafoe's idea. As Katsoupis took Dafoe on a tour of the set one day, Dafoe noticed the woolly costume piece hanging on the wall, he told the LA Times.

"He said, 'I'm going to be freezing cold. Why am I not wearing this?'" curator Leonardo Bigazzi told the outlet. "And it became one of the most iconic images of the film where he's wearing this moth, becoming almost like a shaman."

"Inside," from director Vasilis Katsoupis, is in theaters now.

Read the original article on Insider
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at a ceremony for Russia's Navy Day in St. Petersburg on July 30, 2017. ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin has allegedly committed war crimes in Ukraine, the ICC said in a Friday statement.

He's been accused by the court of orchestrating the illegal mass transfers of children from Ukraine to Russia.

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, alleging he is responsible for war crimes committed in Ukraine.

Putin is "allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation," the ICC said in a Friday statement.

The Netherlands-based court alleged these crimes have been carried out since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022.

The ICC's announcement comes a day after the United Nations published a report that detailed violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by Russian forces in Ukraine. The UN said many of the actions, including the transfer and deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia, "amount to war crimes."

"It is forbidden by international law for occupying powers to transfer civilians from the territory they live in to other territories. Children enjoy special protection under the Geneva Conventions," ICC President Judge Piotr Hofmanski said in a video posted to social media.

The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, who is the commissioner for children's rights in the Kremlin's presidential office, for war crimes allegations similar to those leveled against Putin.

Hofmanski said in the video that ICC judges issued the arrest warrants, but that the execution of these warrants will depend on international cooperation.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the decision was "outrageous and unacceptable," but also said Moscow considers the move to be "legally void," the Associated Press reported. The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

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Since Putin launched an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has placed more than 6,000 Ukrainian children in "re-education" camps, according to a US State Department-funded study conducted by Yale University researchers that was released last month. The report said that the alleged actions of the Russian government, including "unnecessarily expediting the adoption and fostering of children from Ukraine during the current emergency, could constitute a potential war crime and crimes against humanity in some cases."

Top Ukrainian officials praised the ICC's decision. The country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressed his gratitude toward the court, and referred to the arrest warrant as a "historic decision, from which historical responsibility will begin."

"Separating children from their families, depriving them of any opportunity to contact their relatives, hiding children on the territory of Russia, throwing them in remote regions  all this is an obvious state policy of Russia, state decisions and state evil," Zelenskyy said in his nightly address. "Which begins precisely with the top official of this state."

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's top diplomat, praised the move on social media. "Wheels of justice are turning," he wrote on Twitter, adding that criminals will be "held accountable for stealing children."

Some human rights groups also celebrated the ICC's decision.

"This is a big day for the many victims of crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine since 2014. With these arrest warrants, the ICC has made Putin a wanted man and taken its first step to end the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russia's war against Ukraine for far too long," Balkees Jarrah, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

Jarrah added that the warrants send a "clear message that giving orders to commit or tolerating serious crimes against civilians may lead to a prison cell in The Hague," and serve as a "wakeup call" to others involved in abuses or covering them up.

That said, the limitations of the international justice system make it extremely unlikely that Putin will ever stand trial.

Russia is not an ICC member and therefore does not recognize its jurisdiction, and the court cannot try defendants in absentia. In other words, Putin would have to agree to appear before the court or be arrested in order for a trial to proceed  two improbable scenarios. The Russian leader has limited his travel to countries friendly to Moscow since the war began, skipping the G20 in Bali, Indonesia, for example, in November.

But the arrest warrant still cements Putin's status as an international pariah and is a remarkable rebuke of the leader of one the most powerful countries in the world.

Like Russia, the US is also not a member of the ICC, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A State Department spokesperson told Insider "there is no doubt that Russia is committing war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine, and we have been clear that those responsible must be held accountable."

"The ICC Prosecutor is an independent actor and makes his own prosecutorial decisions based on the evidence before him. We support accountability for perpetrators of war crimes," the spokesperson added.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin on 17 March, in the view of the situation in Ukraine.

Source: International Criminal Court press release, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Per the court's press service, Pre-Trial Chamber II issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova on 17 March 2023. The latter is the Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Affairs.

Putin and Lvova-Belova are suspected of committing the war crime of illegal deportation of children from the occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, which has been taking place since at least 24 February 2022.

Quote: "Pre-Trial Chamber II considered, based on the Prosecutions applications of 22 February 2023, that there are reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children," the statement said

Details: The Chamber notes that it considers the arrest warrants to be classified "to protect victims and witnesses, as well as to ensure the investigation".

"Nevertheless, mindful that the conduct addressed in the present situation is allegedly ongoing, and that the public awareness of the warrants may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes, the Chamber considered that it is in the interests of justice to authorise the Registry to publicly disclose the existence of the warrants, the name of the suspects, the crimes for which the warrants are issued, and the modes of liability as established by the Chamber," announced ICC Acting President Piotr Hofmanski

The said arrest warrants were issued based on motions filed by the Prosecutor's Office on 22 February 2023.

Previously: Earlier, The International Criminal Court (ICC) reportedly intended to open two war crime criminal cases connected with the Russian invasion of Ukraine: one about the kidnapping of Ukrainian children and the other about purposeful Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure facilities in Ukraine.

Story continues

These cases will represent the first international indictments since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Updated: Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, stated that the decisions of the International Criminal Court "have no significance for Russia, in particular from a legal point of view".

According to Zakharova, Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and bears no obligations under it, "Russia does not cooperate with this body, and possible prescriptions for arrest coming from the International Court of Justice will be legally null and void for us".

Background:

Last October, Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights, told Putin she had "adopted" a child abducted from Mariupol. She claims that as of October alone, up to 2,000 orphans from social institutions had been taken to Russia, and 350 children from Donbas had already been "placed" in foster families in 16 oblasts of Russia.

The Ukrainian side recorded the deportation of 16,221 children.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, in a meeting last month outside Moscow. Mikhail Metzel / SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, accusing him of war crimes over the invasion of Ukraine .

Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russias commissioner for childrens rights, are both wanted by the ICC for unlawfully deporting and transporting Ukrainian children to Russia.

The arrest warrants mark the first international charges to be brought since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and the first against a leader of a country with a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

This is an important moment in the process of justice, the ICC president, Judge Piotr Hofmanski, said in a video statement .

Hofmanski noted that, per procedures, the courts chief prosecutor had presented his case against the pair to a panel of pretrial judges, who concluded that there were credible allegations against them.

The ICC does not recognize diplomatic immunity for leaders on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide.

Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that gave rise to the ICC, and is not likely to turn over Putin or Lvova-Belova for prosecution.

"The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin," Dmitry Medvedev, former Russian presient and current deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, wrote on Twitter. "No need to explain WHERE this paper should be used."

But the charges, which do not expire, will make the pair international pariahs.

The 123 countries that have ratified the Rome Statute are urged to arrest any suspects in their territory .

The ICC is doing its part of work. As a court of law, the judges issued arrest warrants. Their execution depends on international cooperation, Hofmanski said.

On Thursday, a report from the UN Human Rights Councils Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine accused Russia of a litany of war crimes in Ukraine , including the transfer of children.

Story continues

Some Ukrainian children taken to Russia have had citizenship imposed on them or been placed with foster families.

Moscow has been open about its program to bring Ukrainian children to Russia , but has claimed that it is doing so in order to save thousands of children left behind in the war.

The ICC has made Putin a wanted man and taken its 1st step to end the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russias war against Ukraine, Human Rights Watch said on Twitter .

More on this
THE HAGUE (AP)  International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Russian President Putin because of his actions in Ukraine.

The court said in a statement that Putin is "allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russian Federation.

More to come.
The International Criminal Court's warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin is largely symbolic but reflects another mark of Moscow's increasing isolation. (Alexei Druzhinin / Pool Photo)

The International Criminal Court on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and one of his government ministers  a largely symbolic step, but one that could resonate powerfully with those hoping to see top Kremlin leaders held to account for a brutal war.

The warrants, the first issued in connection with the year-old Ukraine conflict, cites alleged involvement by Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russias commissioner for childrens rights, in the deportations and transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine since last Februarys invasion.

Ukraine has said that at least 10,000 Ukrainian children were believed to have been deported to Russia without their parents. Lvova-Belova in particular has lauded the practice of bringing Ukrainian children to Russia, and previously disclosed her own adoption of at least one Ukrainian child.

Putin, ICC judges said in a court-issued statement from The Hague, bears ultimate responsibility for the transfers, which constitute war crimes.

Russia does not recognize the ICCs jurisdiction, and there is virtually no chance that Moscow would hand over Putin, or for that matter any other suspects, in the absence of some dramatic development such as regime change.

But Ukrainian officials hailed the courts move as a landmark step toward attaining accountability.

Wheels of justice are turning, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

Human rights groups applauded the courts actions, even while acknowledging its practical limitations.

The ICC has made Putin a wanted man, New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement. It called the warrant a first step toward ending the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russias war against Ukraine.

The courts action makes Putin a member of an exclusive but undesirable club. ICC arrest warrants have only ever been issued for two other serving presidents: Sudans Omar al Bashir and Libyas Moammar Kadafi.

Story continues

Russia again scoffed at the notion that the ICC had any sway over Ukraine-related matters. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement on the messaging app Telegram that the courts actions were meaningless for Russia  legally null and void.

The court has no police powers, and its president, Piotr Hofmanski, said in a video statement that any steps to execute the warrants would have to be taken by the international community.

One immediate consequence for anyone named in ICC warrants is difficulty of travel to countries that accept the courts jurisdiction. Even though Putin and senior aides rarely travel to such countries, the warrants represent a powerful rebuke  and yet another mark of Moscows isolation.

The issuance of the warrant comes only days before Chinas top leader, Xi Jinping, is due to visit Russia, in a continuance of what has been an awkward alliance over Ukraine. The two countries expressed solidarity just prior to the invasion, but China has appeared cautious about some of Putins Ukraine-related actions, including nuclear saber-rattling. China made no immediate comment on the courts move.

The U.S., like Russia, is not one of the more than 120 members of the International Criminal Court. The U.S. has long objected to the possibility that a non-U.S. court would go after American soldiers.

But the Biden administration has been supportive of the court in its pursuit of evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine and reiterated that on Friday.

There is no doubt that Russia is committing war crimes and atrocities in Ukraine, and we have been clear that those responsible must be held accountable. The ICC Prosecutor is an independent actor and makes his own prosecutorial decisions based on the evidence before him. We support accountability for perpetrators of war crimes, National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

I think its justified, President Biden said Friday.

But the question is, its not recognized internationally by us, either, Biden said of the court. But I think it makes a very strong point. ... [Putin has] clearly committed war crimes.

Ukraine is also not a member of the court. However, it has granted the ICC jurisdiction over its territory. The ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, opened an investigation in the wars early days and has visited Ukraine four times since then.

In its statement, the ICC cited what it said were reasonable grounds to believe that Putin and Lvova-Belova bear responsibility for the transfers.

But it went further in the case of the Russian leader, saying there are also grounds for individual criminal responsibility based on his failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts in question, including child abductions.

While Russia has vehemently denied committing war crimes in Ukraine, it has been open about bringing Ukrainian children to Russia, but casting such transfers as a humanitarian gesture.

Last spring, the Russian president personally issued a decree smoothing the path for formal adoption of Ukrainian children by Russians.

The arrest warrants came a day after a United Nations-backed report alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine, including the killings and torture of civilians in Russian-occupied territories.

That investigation also focused on the issue of forced deportations of Ukrainians, including children.

For Ukrainians, the arrest warrants are a major morale boost at a difficult juncture in the war. Ukraine is openly fretting about the need for timely Western deliveries of sophisticated weaponry, which the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky says the country desperately needs in order to mount a credible spring offensive in coming weeks.

The two sides have been locked in an ugly attritional battle for the eastern town of Bakhmut, with enormous casualty rates on both sides, though Western analysts believe Russia is seeing considerably greater losses of troops and equipment.

Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin alleging the Russian president has committed war crimes amid the countrys ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

The court, based in the Dutch city The Hague, has focused on Putins culpability in the alleged kidnapping of Ukrainian children since the latest round of hostilities began last February.

Putin is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, the Friday warrant issued by the ICC claimed.

Although the ICC does not have the power to compel individuals to appear before the court, its president Piotr Hofmanski, stated that they would be relying on the help of the international community to bring Putin to justice.

The ICC is doing its part of work as a court of law, Hofmanski said in a video address. The judges issued arrest warrants. The execution depends on international cooperation.

While the decision was applauded by Ukrainian officials, Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry condemned the move.

The decisions of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view, Zakharova told the Associated Press.

The number of children abducted or illegally deported to Russia varies widely.

According to Ukrainian sources, such as Children of War, more than 16,000 children have been illegally deported since the war first began with only 308 having been returned home.

However, Russian sources insist that number is wildly exaggerated. The countrys Commissioner for Childrens Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, Marina Lvova-Belova, acknowledged the presence of 1,000 Ukrainian minors in Russia.

Lvova-Belova was also named in the ICCs arrest warrant, which argued that there are reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children.

Story continues

On Thursday, a United Nations-sponsored investigation found that Russia had tortured Ukrainians in occupied territories which might constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

More from National Review
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17)  The countrys central bank assured the public on Friday that the Philippine banking system remains safe and sound amid worries over the global financial network.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) issued the statement after the United States recently saw the collapse of two of its major banks, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

Meanwhile, Switzerland-based Credit Suisse also said it would borrow up to $53.7 billion (or around 2.9 trillion) from the Swiss National Bank, hoping to reassure investors that it had the necessary cash to stay afloat.

The BSP reiterated that Philippine banks do not have any material exposure to failed institutions outside of the country.

We have shown our resilience through the pandemic, and we continue to be strong in the face of the ongoing turbulence in the global markets, the BSP also said.

Nonetheless, the central bank noted that banking supervisory authorities have begun to address the potential contagion risk from bank closures, adding that it will also respond accordingly as market conditions evolve.

Our longstanding efforts in consultation with the industry in setting prudent standards and executing risk practices remain the key pillar in safeguarding the interests of the Filipino people, it said.
Vladimir Putin Photo Illustration by Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The International Criminal Court in the Hauge, Netherlands, has called for the arrest and prosecution of Russian President Vladimir Putin for his role in allegedly abducting Ukranian children during Russia's ongoing invasion of that country.

In an arrest warrant issued Friday, Putin and fellow Russian government official Maria Lvova-Belova are accused of "the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children," according to a press release from the ICC.

Noting that the exact contents of the warrant are secret "to protect victims," ICC President Piotr Hofmanski said in a brief video message that the decision to publicize the warrants was made 'in the interest of justice, and to prevent the commission of future crimes."

While Ukrainian Parliamentary Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk hailed news of the arrest warrants as "a big step in restoring world justice," Russian government officials have dismissed the ICC's decision as having "no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view."

"Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and bears no obligations under it," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. "Russia is not cooperating with this body."

According to an Oct. 2022 New York Times report, "thousands of Ukrainian children have been transferred to Russia" over the course of its invasion effort, with Russian media championing the intake of Ukrainian youth by broadcasting images of "officials offer[ing] teddy bears to new arrivals, who are portrayed as abandoned children being rescued from war." Noting that although "many of the children did come from orphanages and group homes" in Ukraine, the Times' reporting found that Russian authorities also "took children whose relatives or guardians want them back."

Story continues

Crucially, although the ICC can issue warrants for heads of state accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, it has no enforcement mechanism for such demands, and instead must rely on member states to arrest and detain the accused if that foreign leader enters their territory.

A United Nations panel also found separate evidence that Russian forces may have committed war crimes during the invasion of Ukraine, specifically by attacking "energy-related infrastructure" and by torturing prisoners.

In remarks posted to his Telegram channel, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky laid blame for alleged Russian war crimes directly at the feet of Putin, saying "It would be impossible to carry out such a criminal operation without the order of the top leader of the terrorist state."

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Investors can approximate the average market return by buying an index fund. But if you buy individual stocks, you can do both better or worse than that. Unfortunately the New Zealand Rural Land Company Limited (NZSE:NZL) share price slid 17% over twelve months. That contrasts poorly with the market decline of 3.1%. New Zealand Rural Land hasn't been listed for long, so although we're wary of recent listings that perform poorly, it may still prove itself with time. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 11% in the last 90 days. This could be related to the recent financial results - you can catch up on the most recent data by reading our company report.

It's worthwhile assessing if the company's economics have been moving in lockstep with these underwhelming shareholder returns, or if there is some disparity between the two. So let's do just that.

See our latest analysis for New Zealand Rural Land

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. 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).

Unhappily, New Zealand Rural Land had to report a 76% decline in EPS over the last year. The share price fall of 17% isn't as bad as the reduction in earnings per share. So despite the weak per-share profits, some investors are probably relieved the situation wasn't more difficult.

The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. 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. As it happens, New Zealand Rural Land's TSR for the last 1 year was -12%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

Story continues

A Different Perspective

We doubt New Zealand Rural Land shareholders are happy with the loss of 12% over twelve months (even including dividends). That falls short of the market, which lost 3.1%. There's no doubt that's a disappointment, but the stock may well have fared better in a stronger market. With the stock down 11% over the last three months, the market doesn't seem to believe that the company has solved all its problems. Basically, most investors should be wary of buying into a poor-performing stock, unless the business itself has clearly improved. 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. To that end, you should learn about the 7 warning signs we've spotted with New Zealand Rural Land (including 1 which is potentially serious) .

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on New Zealander 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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Because of a technical glitch, Iowa City's community crime map is showing that 20 homicides occurred in the city between Jan. 1, 2023 and March 1, 2023. They didn't.

The crime map that Iowa City posts on its website depicted a shocking scene earlier this month: 20 homicides in a year that was only 2 months old.

They extended from Interstate 80 to the south side, and included nine strung along a relatively short section of U.S. 6.

The Jan.1 to March 1 toll was especially alarming for a city that had just one killing in all of 2022.

But there was a problem: It was fake news.

Iowa City police Officer Lee Hermiston, the department's spokesman, confirmed that, in fact, there had not been a single murder in Iowa City in 2023 through March 1, and that it's still murder-free.

The only bad actor was software connected with the LexisNexis-based community crime map. The mapping program had no ill intent  it apparently just got confused, Hermiston said.

He explained in an email that there had been a large-scale reclassification of National Incident-Based Reporting System crime types in 2022. The city has an automated system that uses the crime types when it exports information about criminal activity from its records system to the LexisNexis site that manages the mapping.

Somewhere along the way, Hermiston said, the export process, relying on old codes, failed to capture the crime classifications properly. So suddenly the map reflected what looked like a brutal murder spree.

Hermiston said the city could not say which crimes were misclassified because a city vendor handles the process of exporting the data directly to LexisNexis.

But he provided reassurance that Iowa City police aren't missing murders, and said that when a homicide does occur, it is city policy to notify the public with a news release, by posting information on the police department's social media accounts and in other ways.

The only thing that's missing is the map. It remains active, busily marking the locations of non-existent homicides with an icon depicting a sprawled body. But for now, the city has removed the link on its website.

Story continues

Hermiston said once the issue is resolved, the map, a fixture since 2014, will begin updating regularly  and accurately  again.

"We are working with both vendors to correct all crime code classifications and verify them" he said. "Once completed the site will be active again."

George Shillcock is the Press-Citizen's local government and development reporter covering Iowa City and Johnson County. He can be reached at (319) 214-5039, GShillcock@press-citizen.com and on Twitter @ShillcockGeorge

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City crime map glitch mistakenlhy shows 20 homicides in 2023
Twitter

Iranian women are dancing in public without headscarves on in defiance of the country's modesty laws after a group of teen girls was reportedly detained by security forces and forced to apologize on video for doing the same.

In a video posted on International Women's Day, five Iranian girls in crop tops and baggy pants with their hair uncovered are seen re-creating a viral TikTok dance to the song "Calm Down" by Rema and Selena Gomez. According to Iran International, the video was posted by their dance instructor on Instagram, and it quickly went viral as a symbol of resistance against the country's hard-line Islamist regime and its crackdown on protesters.

This video of Iranian girls in Tehrans Ekbatan neighborhood dancing unveiled to the song Calm Down by Rema and Selena Gomez has gone viral.Women are banned from dancing in public in Iran. 08:35 AM - 09 Mar 2023

Women in Iran are not allowed to dance in public and are required to wear headscarves and loose-fitting clothes.

Over the next few days, authorities reportedly went looking for the teenagers, who are in Ekbatan, a town west of Tehran, and their dance instructor's video was removed. The girls were detained for two days and forced to record a confession video expressing remorse for their actions, according to the Twitter account @Shahrak_Ekbatan, which tracks news in Ekbatan.

A screenshot purportedly from the confession video shows the girls wearing headscarves and long, loose clothing.

                  .              .       !#__ #_ 02:06 PM - 13 Mar 2023

The incident led to another wave of anger and fueled more dissent against authorities in Iran, which had already seen massive protests against restrictions on women in recent months.

Story continues

In response, women in Iran and abroad began posting videos of themselves and others doing the same dance in public with their hair uncovered as a show of support for the girls.

              Calm down             08:30 AM - 12 Mar 2023

                                  12:55 PM - 12 Mar 2023

In September 2022, the death of Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman who died in police custody after she was detained by the morality police for wearing a hijab "improperly," sparked widespread protest around Iran. Authorities claimed Amini died of a heart attack while in custody, while her family said she was beaten. The demonstrations over her death quickly morphed into wider discontent with the regime.

In the six months since, Iranian security forces have routinely used draconian tactics to try to suppress protests, going so far as to arrest children. In a report released Thursday, Amnesty International found children arrested during and after protests had been subject to electric shocks on their body, had their heads held underwater, been sexually assaulted, and been threatened with rape. Many children were released only after they signed "repentance" letters and promised not to participate in further protests, according to the human rights organization. The Iranian government has not responded to the report and did not immediately respond to BuzzFeed News' request for comment.

A mysterious wave of suspected poisonings across the country has also landed more than 1,000 schoolgirls in the hospital. Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, whose department is spearheading investigations into the poisoning reports, said in early March that 90% of the hospitalizations came from "stress and worries caused by the news." Many Iranians have dismissed that explanation, calling Vahidi's claim "ridiculous" and criticizing the regime for not taking action on the reports despite widespread surveillance of residents.

In a Thursday press release, the United Nations called the poisonings "deliberate" and condemned the government for failing to protect the girls and swiftly investigate the cases.

"There is a stark contrast between the rapid deployment of force to arrest and jail peaceful protestors and an incapacity spanning months to identify and arrest perpetrators of large scale, coordinated attacks against young girls in Iran," UN experts said.

More on this
Two decades ago, as the United States flowed forces across the globe to Iraq, key leaders in the Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard would see their futures forever changed by what happened next.

Twenty years later, the world now marks the anniversary of the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 that began the protracted armed conflict.

Troops across the Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard worked closely alongside their fellow service members in the opening of the prolonged war, which ended in December 2011. From the initial invasion, to a prisoner of war rescue operation, to the Battle of Baghdad, which saw Marines famously topple the statue of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, troops throughout the sea services played a lead role in the first weeks of the conflict, and beyond.

Marine Corps officers Gen. James Mattis and Gen. Joseph Dunford are some of the most prominent Iraq invasion veterans, but others who deployed overseas also flourished in smaller, no less important ways, earning promotions to higher titles and command positions.

The military is all about teamwork, Mattis wrote in his 2019 memoir, though his rise through the ranks is often credited not only to the troops he worked with, but his own abilities to command.

This brief look at the individuals who made professional headway with the invasion explores the role they played in the conflict and how it shaped their military careers.

Senate eyes repeal of Iraq war authorization

A Marine called CHAOS

General James Mattis enjoyed numerous prominent positions overseeing influential commands throughout his lifelong career as a Marine, from 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, to U.S. Joint Forces Command to U.S. Central Command.

But before Mattis, call sign Chaos, took on any of those roles, and before he became Secretary of Defense in 2017, the popular Marine general earned his reputation for leading troops during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Story continues

For commanders in Iraq such as Mattis, their performance was so public, it clearly launched them to the highest levels, retired Marine Corps Col. Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Military Times.

After leading forces in late 2001 during the invasion of Afghanistan, Mattis took command of troops with the 1st Marine Division. At one point, he and his fellow officers used thousands of toy Lego blocks to represent units in rehearsal drills to visualize their imminent ground invasion of Iraq.

Mattis was made for this both intellectually and professionally, but also he was quite a showman, added Cancian, who served on two deployments in Iraq with combat assessment teams.

Colorful episodes  such as when Mattis reportedly told Iraqi leaders, If you f--- with me, Ill kill you all  earned the general the nickname Mad Dog, though it is not one that he is fond of.

Just weeks into the invasion, Mattis notably dismissed the commander of a regimental combat team, but the key role he played fighting the Iraqi insurgency during the April 2004 assault on Fallujah, one of the bloodiest campaigns during the Iraq war, marked a defining moment in the generals career. Although he later disclosed in his book that he did not approve of either starting or stopping that operation, it nonetheless sent Mattis into the national spotlight.

Next America-class amphibious assault ship to be named Fallujah

Fighting Joe becomes Chairman of the Joint Chiefs

Prior to serving as Commandant of the Marine Corps, and later the second Marine to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff, now retired General Joseph Dunford made a name for himself during the invasion of Iraq.

Under the command of Mattis, then Col. Dunford led the 5th Marine Regiment during the invasion, some of the first major ground combat forces in Iraq, and later advanced to serve as assistant commander of the 1st Marine Division.

TBT to the invasion of Iraq In 2003 when then Col. Dunford, now chairman of @thejointstaff, served under Gen James Mattis, now-SECDEF pic.twitter.com/uZ1liTNxiq  The Joint Staff  (@thejointstaff) April 20, 2017

He reportedly earned the nickname Fighting Joe for his actions during the early days of the invasion, a moniker he does not use, but joked during a 2015 congressional hearing that it may be utilized by his wife.

Quickly moving up from a one-star general to a four star after Iraq, he went on to command all U.S. and allied troops in Afghanistan as the head of the International Security Assistance Force.

Many of Dunfords peers consider his wartime experience as a qualifier that granted him more influential, higher-level assignments.

Retired Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the first Marine to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 2005, previously told Marine Corps Times that Dunfords operational experience as a commander of ground troops in wartime would give him wisdom and perspective in guiding decisions about when and how to wield military power.

For General Dunford, with recent experience in this current war, its going to serve him extremely well, Pace said ahead of Dunford becoming chairman.

Creating Commandant Conway

Now retired Gen. James Conway, Commandant of the Marine Corps from November 2006 to October 2010, was also advancing well in his military career ahead of the invasion of Iraq. Commissioned in 1970 as an infantry officer, the Marine served in various company grade assignments before later leading 1st Marine Division.

Just ahead of the invasion, Conway was promoted to command 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

During the MEFs first deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he oversaw thousands of service members through major battles in An Nasiriyah, Al Kut, Baghdad and Tikrit, according to a Marine Corps release.

Although Marines dont normally do nation-building, they will tell you that once given the mission, nobody can do it better, Conway said in the 2004 release when taking command of troops in western Iraq.

Shortly after his two combat tours in Iraq, and a brief stint with the Joint Staff, Conway was promoted to oversee the entire Marine Corps.

Other Marines who deployed during the Iraq invasion also advanced in their careers, according to retired Marine Lt. Col. Frank Hoffman, a research fellow at National Defense University and former senior DoD official.

Hoffman shared in an interview with Military Times that for individuals like Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Julian Alford, Lt. Gen. William Jurney, Lt. Gen. Michael Groen and Maj. Gen. William F. Mullen III, he saw a correlation between their creativity during combat operations in Iraq and their rise through the ranks.

Across the other sea services

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and its carrier battle group played a pivotal role for the Navy during the invasion as home to various warplanes that launched early airstrikes against Iraq.

On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush stood aboard the carrier in front of a sign reading Mission Accomplished, declaring the end of major combat operations in Iraq.

Adm. William J. Fallon served as Vice Chief of Naval Operations during the initial invasion and transitioned to become commander of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command and U.S. Atlantic Fleet only months later.

The Coast Guard also took on various combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom, from escort duties to Port Security Unit operations, in its largest overseas deployment since the Vietnam War, according to a history conducted by the nonprofit Center for Naval Analyses.

Few of those who commanded cutters during the early stages of the conflict, however, advanced to the upper echelons of the maritime security service.

There are some exceptions. Officers such as Capt. Sean MacKenzie, who led the island-class patrol boat Adak on deployment for the invasion, later became commander of the Coast Guards Anchorage, Alaska sector.
On Sept. 4, 2006, Patrick Murrays Humvee rolled over a roadside bomb in Fallujah, Iraq, while he was serving with the 1st Battalion, 25th Marines.

That morning began with an explosion and ended with one.

A rumbling sound startled him awake near sunrise. Hed come to learn that was the sound of a Humvee from his platoon striking an improvised explosive device. The blast claimed the lives of two Marines and a Navy Corpsman and wounded another Marine.

The days mission concerned finding those who did it and recovering those lost.

We spent the next few hours chasing down some of the folks that were responsible for it and pulling security so that the Mortuary Affairs unit could come and retrieve the Humvee and as much of their remains as they could to make sure that our friends got back, he said.

Around dinnertime, he and his unit set off towards the main base to refuel before returning to their morning position, located across the city. They relaxed, removed their gear, and spent an hour there before setting back out.

About 10 minutes after leaving the forward operating base was when their Humvee hit a roadside bomb. For Murray, there was little to recall about the hit, he was in and out.

The next 48 hours blurred as he traveled from Fallujah to Baghdad to Balad then Germany, Texas, and finally to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland.

This Jan. 25, 2003 file photo shows an US soldier lying with his rifle in front of an American flag that hangs from a Humvee during live fire exercises in the Kuwaiti desert south of Iraq. (Laura Rauch/AP)

My right leg above the knee got blown off, he said, adding, September 4 was a very long day.

All during his recovery, Murray never questioned what he and his fellow Marines were doing in Iraq. They were tasked with a job, and they did it. He got hurt in the process, but it was worth it as long as the mission was accomplished. It wasnt until 2013 that he realized the war wasnt what he thought.

When [the Islamic State] came around and rolled all that area right up, that was disappointing, because it looked like all the hard work that was done was gone in a second, he said.

The war meant many things for the thousands who served, but for Murrary and fellow Marine Advaith Thampi, the war started out as one thing and has since evolved into something much different in their minds.

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Thampi, who immigrated to California with his mother as a child, watched the invasion on television, much the like rest of America.

I was a kid in high school, I didnt care, he said. It looked like Call of Duty kind of. I was a very dumb, idiot kid in high school, and I really didnt pay attention too much.

His memory of the invasion was that it seemed surreal  same with the attack on 9/11.

For the [Iraq] invasion, it felt like [I was seeing] a movie on the news  a war movie in real time, he said. I remember being very confused by it, fascinated by it.

When he graduated in 2005, he knew hed be going to Iraq or Afghanistan because that was where every Marine was going. He enlisted because his friends did.

I joined with the intention to just do my part, he said. I knew that people were going to go to war, and I wanted to contribute to that endeavor.

And he has no regrets about that piece of his military service.

Im very proud to have answered the call, he said. The Marines I served with had my back and mentored me. These are people that I met when I was 18 years old. They taught me how to be a man, how to be a Marine.

For Murray and Thampi, who remain incredibly proud of their service in Iraq, the nuance of the war that could only be understood by the passage of time, and a dedication to public service has muddled their impressions of the policymakers of the Iraq War but not the U.S. militarys ability to deliver on its promises.

We were asked to do a mission, and by and large, we did it, we accomplished our missions every single day  whether it was the global mission to invade Iraq and topple a regime, we did that, Murray said. We rotated through that country and did missions every single day, did what we were trained to do, and we did it efficiently, effectively ... we did it honorably.

Murray, who now works as the Director of National Legislative Service for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, holds fast to the idea it wasnt the military that lost in Iraq. The blame, he believes, belongs to the politicians who couldnt figure out a clear path.

Before the invasion of Iraq, there was support for the Global War on Terror from both sides of the aisle as well as the American public. Then-President George Bush even hit a 90 percent approval rating, the highest Gallup poll number ever of any U.S. president, after a speech about the War on Terror. When it came time to vote, 297 representatives and 77 senators said yes to invading Iraq.

And 4,506 American service members had lost their lives by the time the conflict ended in 2011.

Some major fumbles, including the lack of weapons of mass destruction and the inability to convert Iraq to democracy, have caused politicians, citing hindsight, to call the Iraq War controversial at best, and a mistake at worst. Three of the most prominent politicians who flip-flopped on their initial decision to support the Iraq War include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President Donald Trump, and President Joe Biden.

David L. Phillips, who served as an adviser with the U.S. Department of State during the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations, believes that calling the Iraq War a mistake in hindsight harms government relations with the U.S. military.

It shows a huge disrespect to them, and it does a disservice to U.S. Armed Forces, he told Military Times. Going to war in Iraq to eradicate the risk of Saddam, was not a mistake. The mistake was the way the post-war period was managed, and failures in dealing with the stabilization operation.

For those that survived the Iraq War, the legacy is one of failure and mistakes made, not by the troops, but by decision makers who didnt have clear goals or the ability to communicate clearly with the American public.

Its not that we never should have gone there, its that we never should have stayed there, Murray said.

Thampi, who now works as legislative counsel and as the senior associate of government affairs at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said that since the war has ended, and hes gotten involved in policymaking, the ignorance and patriotism he once had about the war is long gone.

Marines of the 8th Tanks Alpha company out of Fort Knox, Kentucky atop their M1A1 Abrams Tank. (Michael Macor/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Though at age 18 he believed he was doing his part to serve a country he loved, he now realizes that the war was always more complicated.

I dont get to be naive anymore, he said. I think the legacy that a lot of us Iraq War veterans will carry with us for a while is that public policy has significant consequences.

Both he and Murray hope that the lesson learned in Iraq was that the military is a tool, and an effective one with clear objectives. But it was diplomacy that failed in Iraq, not U.S. troops.

As for the legacy of the Iraq War, now 20 years out from the invasion and U.S. troops pulled out of Afghanistan in 2021, Thampi is learning to make peace with the past and hoping that policymakers will do better to honor the people who fight in their future wars  regardless of the political outcomes  by not labeling failed diplomacy as a mistaken war.

I think weve all accepted that were not going to have that New York City ticker tape parade moment  that feeling that we collectively won the war, we beat the bad guys, and the good guys won, he said, I dont think thats going to happen for these for these wars.
President Biden on Friday hosted Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for St. Patricks Day at the White House, a holiday celebration close to the presidents heart that is expected to precede his own visit to Ireland.

Its good to have you back in the Oval Office, Taoiseach, Biden said during a meeting with the Irish leader. Its a big day in my grandparents household, our household, big day here. And I know a bigger day at home.

Biden, who often references his Irish heritage and frequently quotes Irish poet William Butler Yeats, hosted Varadkar for a bilateral meeting at the White House. The two will attend a luncheon on Capitol Hill with lawmakers to mark St. Patricks Day, followed by a celebration back at the White House for staffers and guests.

The president is expected to visit Ireland in the coming weeks to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which ended the Northern Ireland conflict. The anniversary will fall next month.

The White House has not officially confirmed Bidens travel, but Varadkar said he was looking forward to the presidents visit.

I promise you that were going to roll out the red carpet and its going to be a visit like no other. Everyones excited about it already, Varadkar said. Were going to have great crowds who would love to see you, and look forward to talking about some of the details a bit later.

Biden and Varadkar both spoke about their shared commitment to Ukraine in its war against Russia and the two signaled they would also discuss the Windsor Framework, aimed at allowing goods to flow freely to Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom.

The framework, agreed to last month between British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, was finalized in Windsor near London and ends a dispute that has loomed since the U.K. voted in 2016 to leave the European Union.

Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., shares a border with Ireland, which is a member of the European Union. The U.K.s exit from the EU sparked renewed concerns about the possibility of a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, upsetting the Good Friday Agreement, which has maintained peace for more than two decades.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
This undated photo provided by Ben Crump Law shows Irvo Otieno (Courtesy of Ben Crump Law via AP)

Irvo Otieno died after being handcuffed, shackled, and pinned to the ground for 12 minutes by a group of law enforcement officers at a mental hospital in Virginia.

Footage of the 6 March incident shows the 28-year-old Black man was smothered him to death, according to Ann Cabell Baskervill, Dinwiddie County Commonwealths Attorney.

In an emotional press conference on 16 March, Otienos mother described how her son was killed like a dog.

What I saw today was heartbreaking, America. It was disturbing. It was traumatic. My son was tortured, the 28-year-olds mother Caroline Ouko said.

Now, ten people  seven deputies and three hospital workers  have been charged with his murder and the family is calling on the Department of Justice to take action.

Otienos death marks just the latest instance of a Black man dying during an interaction with law enforcement  coming months after Tyre Nichols died after being beaten by Memphis police officers and almost three years after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Heres what we know so far about the case:

Law enforcement interaction

Otieno was first detained by law enforcement back on 3 March, the Henrico County Police said in a press release.

Officers initially engaged with Otieno when they responded to a report that a burglary had taken place in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia.

He was having a mental health crisis at the time and a neighbour had called police, concerned that he was collecting lawn lights from one of the yards in the area, said Mark Krudys, an attorney for Otienos family.

As officers arrived on the scene, the 28-year-olds mother attempted to calm the situation, he said.

At the time, she supported Otieno being taken to hospital for treatment.

Due to his behaviour, officers  and the countys crisis intervention team  put him under an emergency custody order and took him to a local hospital for evaluation.

This undated handout photo provided by Ben Crump Law shows Irvo Otieno (R), 28, who died on March 6, 2023, with his mother and brother (Ben Crump Law/AFP via Getty Imag)

At the hospital, police claim Otieno became physically assaultive toward officers, who arrested him and transported him to the Henrico County Jail West.

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He was charged with three counts of assault on a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct in a hospital and vandalism.

Day of Otienos death

Otieno spent three days in the custody of the jail before he was moved on 6 March to Central State Hospital, a state-run mental health facility.

The commonwealth attorneys office said Otieno arrived at the facility at around 4pm to be admitted for treatment.

It is not clear what led authorities to move the Black man there.

During the intake process, the attorneys office said that Otieno became combative and was physically restrained by officers, before dying at the hospital during the intake process.

State police were called to the scene at 7.28pm to investigate his death.

The footage

Ann Cabell Baskervill, Dinwiddie County Commonwealths Attorney, spoke about surveillance footage of the incident in court on 15 March.

She said that the footage shows Otieno did not appear to be fighting the officers but was simply sitting in a chair before the officers then pulled him down to the floor.

She described how he was in handcuffs and leg irons as seven deputies pinned him down on the ground for 12 minutes.

The footage left her with no doubts that the 28-year-old was smothered to death by the officers.

They smothered him to death, she said. He died of asphyxia due to being smothered.

A portrait of Irvo Otieno, who died during an encouter with law enforcement in Petersburg (via REUTERS)

Ms Baskervill rejected a suggestion by a defence lawyer that two medical injections that Otieno had received may have contributed to his death.

The final cause of death hasnt yet been made public by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Otienos family and their attorneys  civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Mr Krudys  were also shown the footage this week.

At a press conference held by the family on Thursday, his mother said it showed my son was treated like a dog, worse than a dog.

Mr Crump said Otieno was pepper-sprayed by officers and was denied access to his medications at the facility.

It also showed the officers going into his cell, which was covered in excrement as Otieno was naked and in handcuffs, Mr Krudys said.

You can see that theyre putting their back into it. Every part of his body is being pushed down with absolute brutality, Mr Krudys said.

This undated handout photo provided by Ben Crump Law shows Irvo Otieno (R), 28, who died on March 6, 2023, with his mother and brother (Ben Crump Law/AFP via Getty Imag)

He added that the footage also revealed a lack of haste to aid Otieno after law enforcement realised he was lifeless and not breathing.

He was almost lifeless as he was carried out of the cell by his arms and legs like an animal, he said.

Mr Crump compared the Black mans death to the murder of George Floyd in May 2020.

It is truly shocking that nearly three years after the brutal killing of George Floyd by police, another family is grieving a loved one who allegedly died in nearly the exact same manner being pinned down by police for 12 agonising minutes, he said.

He described the video as a commentary on how inhumane law enforcement officials treat people who are having a mental health crisis as criminals rather than treating them as people who are in need of help.

He, in the videos, [is] never confrontational with them. He is not posing a threat to them. Hes not violent or aggressive with them. You see in the video he is restrained with handcuffs, he has leg irons on, and you see in the majority of the video that he seems to be in between lifelessness and unconsciousness, but yet you see him being restrained so brutally with a knee on his neck, he added.

This was a mental health crisis. He wasnt committing a crime, he said.

The footage hasnt yet been made public with Mr Crump calling on authorities to release it.

How do we build trust unless we have transparency, and then we have accountability? he asked.

Charges

Ten people have now been charged with second-degree murder over Otienos death  seven Henrico County Sheriffs Office deputies and three hospital workers.

The officers were first charged on 14 March before the hospital staff  Darian Blackwell, 23, from Petersburg, Wavie Jones, 34, from Chesterfield, and Sadarius Williams, 27, from North Dinwiddie  were charged on 16 March.

Caroline Ouko, mother of Irvo Otieno, holds a portrait of her son with attorney Ben Crump (AP)

Two deputies have since been released on bond while the others are still in custody, with hearings scheduled for next week.

Lawyer Edward Nickel  who represents Deputy Bradley Disse, one of the two who were released  told the Associated Press that the officer had served honourably in the police department for two decades.

He is looking forward to his opportunity to try this case and for the full truth to be shared in court and ultimately vindicated, he said.

Ms Baskervill added that further charges and arrests are pending.

The commonwealths attorney for Henrico County, Shannon Taylor, said in a statement that her office is also investigating what took place at the jail that day.

The Henrico County Sheriffs Office hasnt commented beyond a statement put out on 14 March.

As Henrico County sheriff and on behalf of our entire office, I extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Irvo Otieno, Sheriff Alisa Gregory said. The events of March 6, at their core, represent a tragedy because Mr Otienos life was lost. This loss is felt by not only those close to him but our entire community.

Caroline Ouko, mother of Irvo Otieno, holds a portrait of her son as she walks out of the Dinwiddie Courthouse with attorney Ben Crump (AP)

The seven deputies who were transferring custody of Mr Otieno have been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the Commonwealths cases, she added. As an office, we are cooperating fully with the investigation of the Virginia State Police. Separately, we are conducting our own independent review of this incident.

Public safety is what we stand for as a Sheriffs Office. We will continue to maintain the highest professional standards in how we serve and protect those in our custody, the community at-large and our staff, she concluded.

In a statement shared on Facebook on 14 March, the Henrico Fraternal Order of Police-Lodge 4 said policing in America today is difficult, made even more so by the possibility of being criminally charged while performing their duty.

Today, seven Henrico County Sheriffs Deputies were charged with murder in relation to the death of inmate Irvo Otieno, they added. The death of Mr. Otierno was tragic, and we express our condolences to his family. We also stand behind the seven accused deputies now charged with murder by the Dinwiddie County Commonwealths Attorney Ann Baskervill.

Little information regarding these charges has been released by the prosecutor. The deputies were not charged using warrants or indictments, but through a rarely-used process called an information that allows for little outside scrutiny from impartial judges or magistrates, they claimed. From news reports it appears that the Virginia State Police have not completed their investigation of the death, and the Medical Examiner has not released a cause or manner of death. With these things in mind, and cognizant of every accuseds presumption of innocence, we support our Brothers and Sisters, and hope for a quick resolution that clears their names.

Mental health crisis

Mr Otieno left Kenya as a child along with his family and grew up in the suburbs of the Virginia capital of Richmond.

His family said he was an aspiring musician and a former high school athlete  but he struggled with his mental health.

Speaking at Thursdays press conference, Ms Ouko said there were long periods of time when you wouldnt even know something was wrong but that at other occasions he would go into some kind of distress and then you know he needs to see a doctor.

Mental illness should not be your ticket to death, she added.

Now, she said that all she has of her son is his music.

There is goodness in his music and thats all Im left with now  hes gone, she said, while clutching a photo of her son.

I cannot be at his wedding. Ill never see a grandchild ... because someone refused to help him. No one stood up to stop what was going on.
JERUSALEM  Elbit Systems has signed four contracts with the Romanian military to upgrade helicopters, provide electronic warfare technology, deliver systems to support search and rescue operations, and supply avionics suites for training aircraft.

Tuesdays announcement comes after the Israeli firm inked two other deals with European costumers in early March, one of which was to supply Romania with unmanned turrets, remote weapon stations and mortar systems.

These contracts extend Elbit Systems track record delivering successful projects to the Romanian Armed Forces, including follow-on contracts awarded after Elbit Systems first was contracted to upgrade helicopters and aircraft, Ran Kril, executive vice president of international marketing and business development for Elbit, said in a statement.

The company declined to comment on the contract values, and the Romanias Defence Ministry did not respond to an inquiry from Defense News.

The conflict in Ukraine has been a driving factor for Romanias procurement efforts, according to recent reports.

NATO deployed airborne warning and control system aircraft to Romania in January, and in February a Russian missile fired at Ukraine crossed over into Moldova, Romanias neighbor, and came within 22 miles of the border of Romania.

Romanias Defence Ministry said that the Romanian authorities have applied all standard procedures since the moment the target was detected until the complete clarification of this situation. Furthermore, at 10:38 a.m., two Romanian Air Forces MiG-21 LanceR Aircraft of the NATO-led Air Policing Service, which were executing a flight exercise at that moment, were redirected to the Northern area of Romania in order to increase the reaction options.

Equipping the IAR 300

One contract is for Elbits Spectro XR electro-optical system, which will equip Romanias IAR 330 Puma helicopters used for maritime operations. The contract work will take place over the coming year, the company said, and follows a successful upgrade of the Romanian Navys IAR helicopters.

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Spectro XR can function in the daytime and at night, and its sensors provide imaging capabilities. The company said it also provides continuous target scanning capabilities for enhanced situational awareness.

The Spectro system will equip some Romanian helicopters under a deal with Elbit Systems. (Courtesy of Elbit Systems)

The IAR 330 is the main helicopter used by the Romanian Naval, Air and Land forces; the Naval Force uses three. The country has used the aircraft in several naval drills, including the NATO-led Steadfast Defender exercise in 2021. The alliance reported in 2018 that the Romanian naval version of the IAR 330 was used with the Romanian frigate Regele Ferdinand for joint maneuvers as part of the NATO Maritime Group 2 in the Black Sea.

Electronic warfare

Another contract with Elbit is for the supply of a comprehensive electronic warfare (EW) suite including Radar Warning Receiver (RWR), Laser Warning System (LWS), Infrared Missile Warning System (IR MWS) and Counter Measure Dispensing System (CMDS), according to the company.

Elbit explained that the suites will be supplied to a domestic supplier for the installation and integration onboard six Puma helicopters with an option for an additional six in the future.

This contract is a follow-on order of EW suites that were previously installed. The contract will take place over three years.

Search and rescue

One of the other deals will see Elbit supply the Brightnite system to Romanian helicopter specialist IAR Brasov for the search and rescue model of the Puma helicopters. The Israeli company will perform this work over two years for the Romanian Air Force.

Brightnite is a system that can equip aircraft to support nighttime missions and other degraded visual environments, including during blizzards, Elbit said, adding that it transmits high-resolution video to the Helmet-Mounted Display (HMD), enabling pilots to fly in a head-up, eyes-out position.

Under this same contract, Elbit will also provide additional Spectro electro-optical systems, as well as technology such as smart displays, digital maps and reconnaissance systems.

Trainers

The fourth contract will see Elbit supply avionic suites, monitors, overhead displays, navigation systems and weapons activation systems for the Romanian defense company Avione Craiova as part of an upgrade to the Air Forces IAR 99 fighter trainer aircraft.

In 2019, Maj. Gen. Viorel Pana, chief of the Romanian Air Force Staff, described the IAR 99 aircraft upgrades and the IAR 330s as important for the country.

The upgrade is to support an effective transition of Romanian Air Force pilots to fighter aircraft, including the Romanian Air Forces F-16s, Elbit said. The work will take place over a period of four years.

Romania has increasingly sought to bolster its military capabilities. In 2017, the country decided to locally produce Piranha armored vehicles, and it became the first European country to purchase the American-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System in 2018.

NATO members have supported improvements at Romanias Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base to meet the alliances standards for airfields, according to a January 2023 report by the Western organization, of which Romania is a member.
(CNN) -- New Zealand will ban TikTok on all devices with access to its parliament by the end of this month, becoming the latest country to impose an official bar on the popular social media platform owned by a Beijing-based tech conglomerate.

Led by the United States, a growing number of Western nations are imposing restrictions on the use of TikTok on government devices citing national security concerns.

Rafael Gonzalez-Montero, chief executive of New Zealand's parliamentary service, said in a Friday statement that the risks of keeping the video-sharing app "are not acceptable."

"This decision has been made based on our own experts' analysis and following discussion with our colleagues across government and internationally," he wrote.

"On advice from our cyber security experts, Parliamentary Service has informed members and staff the app TikTok will be removed from all devices with access to the parliamentary network," he added.

But those who need the app to "perform their democratic duties" may be granted an exception, he said.

CNN has reached out to TikTok and its Beijing-based owner ByteDance for comment.

In an email to members of parliament seen by CNN, Gonzalez-Montero told lawmakers that the app would be removed from their corporate devices on March 31, after which they would not be able to re-download it.

He also instructed legislators to uninstall the app from their private devices adding that failure to comply may render them unable to access the parliamentary network.

New Zealand lawmaker Simon O'Connor, who is also a co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), told CNN that he welcomed the decision, calling it "a good one".

"I -- and IPAC as a whole -- have had serious concerns about data privacy for some time," he said, adding that TikTok's replies to his previous enquiries about data security had been "unsatisfactory".

IPAC is a cross-border group formed by legislators from democratic countries that is focused on relations with China and is often critical of Beijing's leaders.

New Zealand's decision came on the heels of similar actions already taken by its Western allies, despite the country's track record of a more cautious approach when it comes to dealing with Beijing, in part because China is such a significant trade partner.

The United States, UK and Canada have ordered the removal of the app from all government phones, citing cybersecurity concerns.

All three countries are part of the the so-called "Five Eyes" alliance that cooperates with each other on intelligence gathering and sharing. Australia and New Zealand make up the five.

The Chinese video-sharing app is also barred in all three of the European Union's main government institutions.

Tik Tok has become one of the world's most successful social media platforms and is hugely popular among younger people.

The short video sharing app has more than 100 million users in the United States alone.

New Zealand's latest move came just hours after TikTok acknowledged that the Biden administration had threatened to ban its operation nationwide unless its Chinese owners agreed to spin off their share of the social media platform.

US officials have raised fears that the Chinese government could use its national security laws to pressure TikTok or its parent company ByteDance into handing over the personal information of TikTok's US users, which might then benefit Chinese intelligence activities or influence campaigns.

China has accused the United States of "unreasonably suppressing" TikTok and spreading "false information" about data security.

FBI Director Christopher Wray told the US Senate Intelligence Committee earlier this month that he feared the Chinese government could use TikTok to sway public opinion in the event that China invaded Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing claims sovereignty over despite never having ruled it.

TikTok has repeatedly denied posing any sort of security risk and has said it is willing to work with regulators to address any concerns they might have.

.This story was first published on CNN.com "New Zealand joins US push to curb TikTok use on official phones with parliament ban."
A Ukrainian serviceman at a position in the Bakhmut district, March 16, 2023

Western mass media has confirmed that Chinese companies have been selling military equipment and dual-purpose equipment to Russia.

Notably, Chinese companies have sent equipment including 1,000 assault rifles, 12 shipments of drone parts, and over 12 tons of body armor to unspecified Russian actors between June and December 2022, Politico said, citing data provided by the ImportGenius customs data aggregator.

While these sales appear small in scale, concern largely commercial equipment, and  in all but one confirmed case  do not include companies with ties to the Chinese government, ISW analysts note that such Chinese supplies are significant because they can reduce the burden on Russia's military-industrial complex and help Russia circumvent Western attempts to limit Russia's access to microchips.

ISW has not observed routine Russian small arms shortages, and Russias defense industrial base (DIB) appears capable of producing sufficient quantities of assault rifles.

Read also: ISW says fighting for Bakhmut exhausting Russians, preparing ground for Ukrainian counter-offensive

The import of domestically available equipment from China likely enables the Russian DIB to transfer resources  most critically the limited number of skilled Russian defense plant workers  from the production of such goods to the production of military equipment for which Russia has a dire need.

Russias FSB Security Service appears to be trying to control Russia's military-industrial complex (MIC) using methods similar to those of the KGB from the Soviet era.

Ukrainian experts found FSB markings on many Russian weapons that Ukrainian troops have destroyed or captured on the battlefield, said Spokesperson for the Ukrainian General Staff's Ukrainian Center for the Research of Trophy and Prospective Weapons and Military Equipment Andriy Rudyk on March 16.

Rudyk noted that these markings appear not only on equipment such as T-90M tanks, but also on weapons microcircuits, suggesting that the FSB conducted an equipment inspection of those weapons and components. He concluded that the FSB does not trust Russian military leadership and is conducting inspections of Russian equipment accordingly.

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FSB markings on Russian equipment and weapons components, if confirmed, would have broader implications for the relationship between the FSB, the Russian DIB, and the broader Russian military apparatus.

ISW also mentioned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who staged an interview with the Russian propaganda news agency RIA Novosti to boost Russias information operations. In response to a question about the deployment of hypersonic missiles, Assad said that Russian military bases in Syria should receive the 'most advanced weapons' to effectively deter threats.

This supports the idea that Russia is following through on its threat to deploy hypersonic weapons, likely of the Kinzhal variety, to Syria. This follows a longstanding Russian operation to strengthen Assad and increase pressure on Turkey, who continues to consider Finland and Swedens accession to NATO.

Assad also notably recognized the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine as part of Russia.

In his speech at the Congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs in Moscow on March 16, Russian dictator Vladmir Putin tried to convince the Russian public that the war in Ukraine would not have significant long-term and economic consequences.

Read also: Putins latest address failed to articulate specific goals for war in Ukraine, says ISW

This could signal an effort from the Kremlin to prepare the Russian population for a long war.

Despite Putins claims of a strong and stable Russian economy, Russias economic issues are evident, particularly in the military industrys inability to fulfill the requirements of the Russian army in the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Projected budget deficits in Russia indicate additional problems.

The Kremlins attempt to reassure the public that the military-related production wont negatively impact the broader economy is likely a strategy to mobilize Russias military-industrial complex.

Read also: Air defense systems in Moscow part of information operations, says ISW

Key takeaways:

 Polish President Andrzej Duda said that Poland will soon hand over four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine: ISW reminds that since the Air Force of Ukraine already has these in service, they will be able to use them in counteroffensive operations if they receive them early enough.

 Russias decision to redeploy elements of its peacekeeping force from Nagorno-Karabakh to Ukraine is eroding Russias influence with Armenia.

 Russian forces conducted limited ground attacks northeast of Kupyansk and along the Svatove-Kreminna line.

 Russian forces continued advancing in and around Bakhmut and continued ground attacks along the Avdiivka - Donetsk City line and in Western Donetsk Oblast.

 Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted localized assaults in Zaporizhzhya Oblast.

 Ukrainian sources reported that Russian forces increased their naval presence in the Black Sea.

Map of combat operations: the battle for Bakhmut, battles in the Donbass and Zaporizhzhya Oblast, the situation in the south and northeast of Ukraine



Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Jack Whitehall has opened up about his girlfriend Roxy Horner collapsing at the 2021 Brit Awards, where he had been hosting the ceremony.

Horner, 31, was rushed to hospital after fainting at the O2 in London and later discovered she has diabetes.

The 34-year-old comedian recalled paramedics trying to resuscitate his girlfriend as her sugar levels were spiking dangerously when she had a diabetic hypo.

Hypo is short for hypoglycaemia, which occurs when a persons blood sugar level drops too low and can be dangerous if not treated quickly.

According to The Sun, Whitehall said during his stand-up show in Southend-on-Sea on Wednesday night (15 March): We found out she had diabetes the night I was hosting the Brits. She had something called a diabetic hypo and she fainted.

Paramedics were trying to resuscitate her and her sugar levels were spiking dangerously. We ended up in A&E on the night of the Brits, which definitely made for a slightly different vibe of an after-party.

He continued: The year before I was hobnobbing with Stormzy and Sir Elton John and this time I was sitting in the emergency room of an A&E unit sat next to a Scottish gentleman who smelled of Special Brew.

Horner was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes a month before her 30th birthday. Last year, she revealed that she felt like I was dying when she began experiencing symptoms of fatigue in 2019.

She told The Sun: I felt extremely tired and exhausted for a long time, I had no energy. I couldnt even go for a walk, it was draining, I felt like I was dying. I was drinking four to eight litres of water a day.

Other symptoms that she experienced included a poor memory, inability to focus and randomly throwing up.

The model said she knew there was something really wrong with me but claimed that doctors did not test her for diabetes because I didnt fit the criteria.

She praised Whitehall, who she has been with for four years, as her rock throughout the ordeal.

Story continues

He was there when I got diagnosed. My parents and my family live in Australia, so he has been my family. Were amazing, Horner said.

Whitehall joked during his show that the Brits was obviously the worst place to have a medical emergency as the only doctor in the house was Dre.

He added: To be fair, I was experiencing quite a lot of the symptoms of a diabetic hypo while I was watching Harry [Styles] as well.

Around eight per cent of people with diabetes in the UK have Type 1 diabetes, which is a lifelong condition.
By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Ju-min Park

TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) -Business leaders from Japan and South Korea pledged on Friday to work more closely on chips and technology, seeking to put behind years of acrimony over wartime history that have stoked South Korean public anger.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met executives from both countries in Tokyo as he makes the first visit there by a South Korean leader in 12 years. On Thursday, Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida promised a reset in relations and dined on a dish of omelette served over rice called "omurice".

The strain between the neighbours and U.S. allies had been a deepening concern for the United States, which wants to present a united front against China's rising power and threats from North Korea's expanding missile programme.

Washington has worked to improve commercial diplomacy with both countries, focusing on areas such as chips, where South Korea and Japan are critical players, in an attempt to blunt China's growing technological might.

There was "a lot of room for cooperation" between Japan and South Korea in semiconductors, batteries and electric vehicles, Yoon said at Friday's meeting.

"Both governments will do everything to create opportunities to interact and do business with each other," he said.

Business lobbies of both countries said they would together finance a "future oriented" fund of about 200 million yen ($1.5 million) for research into securing rare resources, tackling supply chain challenges and youth exchanges.

It is unclear whether those efforts will be able to escape the pull of history, given the backlash in South Korea, where many feel Japan has not sufficiently atoned for abuses during its 1910-1945 colonisation of the Korean peninsula, including the use of forced labour.

The newly announced funding project appeared to allow Japanese companies to help pay for programmes that could benefit South Korea without forcing corporate Japan - or the Japanese government - to backtrack on the long-held stance that the compensation issue was settled under a 1965 treaty.

Story continues

Lee Jae-myung, the leader of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party, said Yoon "sold out our country's pride, the victims' human rights, and the justice of history, all of that, in exchange for a bowl of omurice".

LAWSUITS

Relations between the two countries plunged to their lowest in decades when South Korea's Supreme Court in 2018 ordered Japanese firms to pay reparations to former forced labourers. Fifteen South Koreans have won such cases, but none has been compensated.

Companies such as steelmaker Nippon Steel Corp and industrial group Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd have been a target of lawsuits by former labourers.

A turning point came this month when South Korea said its own companies - several of which benefited from the 1965 treaty - would compensate forced labourers.

Yoon's support has fallen since that announcement, with his approval rating now at 33% amid public dissatisfaction over his handling of relations with Japan, a Gallup Korea poll showed on Friday.

"Japan has maintained its position that the wartime forced labour issue has been settled," said Yuki Asaba, a professor at Doshisha University and an expert on Japan-Korea relations.

"It is likely that Japanese companies will show their sincerity by providing funds to the fund created by Japanese and Korean business groups," Asaba said. "This is the biggest goodwill gesture."

U.S. RELIEF

The better ties are undoubtedly a relief for the United States, which has pressed for reconciliation, seizing on the opportunity presented since Yoon's inauguration in May last year. His left-leaning predecessor had taken a harder stance against Japan.

Both Yoon and Kishida had acknowledged that their relationship was "at a fork in the road", U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said in a statement.

"The historic events of the last two weeks clearly show the two leaders boldly chose the path of partnership, and they are to be commended for the choice."

The strategic importance of the region was driven home on Thursday as North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile to demonstrate a "tough response posture" to joint U.S. and South Korea military drills.

Japan said its self-defence forces conducted joint air drills with the U.S. military over the Sea of Japan on Friday.

U.S. Deputy State Secretary Wendy Sherman sent thanks to both South Korea and Japan for their efforts to ensure security in the Indo-Pacific, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

($1 = 132.9400 yen)

(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka and Ju-min Park; Additional reporting by Satoshi Sugiyama and Kaori Kaneko in Tokyo and Hyunsu Yim and Josh Smith in Seoul; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Gerry Doyle, Robert Birsel)
[Source]

Fans of Katsushika Hokusais The Great Wave off Kanagawa can now find a unique Lego replica of the famous woodblock print in Japan.

Japanese professional Lego builder Jumpei Mitsui created the replica for the Hankyu Brick Museum in Osaka.

The 3D reproduction, which is 154 centimeters (approximately 60.6 inches) long and 128 centimeters (approximately 50.4 inches) inches tall, reportedly took over 400 hours to complete using around 50,000 Lego pieces.

In addition to a giant wave, the replica also features several Lego boats and fishers, as seen in photos Jumpei posted on Twitter on March 8. His now-viral post has over 24.1 million views and 163,000 likes.

More from NextShark: 49% of Japanese employees say they have an old guy co-worker who doesnt do any work: survey

Although the exclusive artwork has found a home in Osaka, it will travel to Boston for the Museum of Fine Arts Bostons exhibit Hokusai: Inspiration and Influence, which will run from March 26 to July 23. It will then be temporarily displayed at the Seattle Art Museum from Oct. 19 to Jan. 21, 2024.

More from NextShark: Malaysian man gifts girlfriend with $160K bejeweled pink Porsche for her birthday

Jumpei, who is based in Japan, is the youngest Lego Certified Professional, according to Lego. Currently, there are only 21 Lego Certified Professionals in the world.

Jumpei became a professional Lego builder while still studying at the University of Tokyo. Since then, he has been commissioned by several companies and publications. His models have been displayed in Malaysia, Thailand and Japan.

Story continues

Earlier this year, Lego released an 1,810-piece "The Great Wave" set for consumers.

More from NextShark: Tokyo schools to drop controversial dress code rules regulating hair and underwear color
By Krishn Kaushik and Yukiko Toyoda

NEW DELHI/TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will on Monday announce a new plan for an open and free Indo-Pacific in New Delhi and seek India's support to partner with Tokyo to check China's growing influence across the region.

Under the plan, which will be announced during Kishida's two-day visit to India, Japan will increase support to emerging economies, especially in the region, Japanese officials said.

India and Japan have been adding more depth to their relations, especially in defence and strategic affairs, as both face threats from a dominant China.

Kishidas decision to announce his new plan during the annual summit between the two countries underlines the importance Tokyo places on New Delhi as a key player in the Indo-Pacific region.

Japanese officials said that Kishida believes that given Indias strategic geopolitical location in the Indian Ocean, and as the worlds largest democracy, it will play a significant role in realising his vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

India and Japan, along with the United States and Australia, are members of the so-called Quad which seeks to counter Chinas growing heft in the region.

Quad members say it is not a military grouping but they will jointly participate in the annual Malabar naval wargaming exercise in Australia this year, which will also host the Quad summit in May.

Former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe shared a close relationship with Modi and Japanese officials said Kishida is keen to build a similar bond.

During his talks with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, Kishida is expected to seek India's cooperation for the new plan, which will include steps Japan will take to strengthen cooperation in countries that adhere to the principles of peaceful resolution of disputes and freedom of navigation.

This, officials said, also comes in the context of Russia's war in Ukraine and Chinas aggressive maritime posture.

Story continues

While Japan has been pushing for more sanctions against Russia, India, which heads G20 this year, has been trying to prevent the forum from being used for any such announcement.

India has declined to blame Russia for the war and has sought a diplomatic solution while boosting its purchases of Russian oil.

Kishida also wants to improve the maritime warning and surveillance capabilities of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and hopes India will actively join hands with Japan to develop infrastructure like ports in Asia and Africa.

Modi and Kishida met three times in 2022, including at Abe's funeral, and will meet at least three more times in 2023 on the sidelines of the G20, G7 and Quad summits.

The two countries have a comprehensive economic partnership and trade was worth $20.57 billion in 2021-2022, with India importing Japanese goods valued at $14.49 billion.

(Reporting by Krishn Kaushik in NEW DELHI, Yukiko Toyoda and Sakura Murakami in TOKYO; Editing by Y.P. Rajesh)
The Panthers are back in Greensboro. Pitt returns to North Carolina one week after the ACC Tournament inside the Greensboro Coliseum and advanced to the Quarterfinals before losing to Duke. This time Iowa State and the NCAA Tournament await, fresh off of a one-point, First Four victory against Mississippi State (60-59) to clinch a spot in the Round of 64.

Capel addressed Federiko Federikos status as day-to-day with a knee injury after missing the Mississippi State win. Federiko did not dress for practice Thursday but took light shots.

The Cyclones have not played since March 10, falling to Kansas by 13 points in the Big 12 Tournament. Pitt, on the other hand, looks to build momentum after securing one of the programs biggest wins in recent history. The experience could also create a sense of calmness for the Panthers compared to other teams not experiencing the environment and atmosphere of March Madness.

Click here to read more from our sports partners at Sports Now Group.

TRENDING NOW:

Woman arrested on suspicion of DUI, 2 children hospitalized after crash in Elizabeth Township Man killed, wife injured in Sewickley Township house fire Recall alert: 43K Sunbeam heated blankets recalled VIDEO: Stowe Township business closing due to increased violence, recent shootings DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic

Actor Lance Reddick was found dead on Friday in his Los Angeles home. He was 60.

Reddick's publicist, Mia Hansen, told BuzzFeed News the actor had died from natural causes.

"Lance will be greatly missed," Hansen said.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department told BuzzFeed News that they received a 911 call at 8:45 a.m. requesting medical aid for a person at an address listed for Reddick.

CPR instructions were delivered over the phone to the caller, but when paramedics arrived, they determined that the person was dead.

TMZ first reported the news of his death.

Lance Reddick as Lt. Cedric Daniels in The Wire. Paul Schiraldi / HBO

With a tall frame and serious demeanor, Reddick made a career of playing no-nonsense characters, often in law enforcement.

He appeared in Oz as Detective Johnny Basil, in Fringe as Homeland Security Special Agent Phillip Broyles, and in Bosch as Chief Irvin Irving.

He also played Cedric Daniels, a police officer who rises to the role of commissioner, in HBOs The Wire between 2002 and 2008; small law enforcement roles in Law & Order and CSI: Miami; and mysterious agent Matthew Abaddon in four episodes of Lost.

Most recently, Reddick was known for portraying Continental Hotel concierge Charon in all the John Wick action movies, the fourth installment of which is set to premiere in theaters on March 24.

Additionally, he appeared in the movies Angel Has Fallen (2019) and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021).

Reddick is survived by wife Stephanie and children Yvonne Nicole and Christopher.
Four friends traveling in China stumble upon the raunchiest trip of a lifetime in the new red band trailer for Lionsgate R-rated comedy Joy Ride, starring Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu, Ashley Park, Sherry Cola and Sabrina Wu.

The film follows Park and Colas characters, best friends since childhood, as they believe they are taking a business trip/sojourn to China. But the trip turns into something they couldnt ever expect. According to the official description:

The hilarious and unapologetically explicit story of identity and self-discovery centers on four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure. When Audreys (Ashley Park) business trip to Asia goes sideways, she enlists the aid of Lolo (Sherry Cola), her irreverent, childhood best friend who also happens to be a hot mess; Kat (Stephanie Hsu), her college friend turned Chinese soap star; and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), Lolos eccentric cousin. Their no-holds-barred, epic experience becomes a journey of bonding, friendship, belonging, and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.

The film also stars Ronny Chieng, Desmond Chiam, Alexander Hodge and Chris Pang.

Watch the trailer below:

The post Joy Ride: Stephanie Hsu And Ashley Park Headline Red Band Trailer appeared first on Shadow And Act.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 13)  K-pop group Stray Kids has lit up the stage of the Mall of Asia Arena with their performances during the MANIAC concert in the country.

But what made the night unforgettable, Stray Kids said, is the energy of Filipino Stays who cheered, danced and even sang their hearts out along with the K-pop group.

You guys are nuts. The energy that I am just feeling from you, guys, its on a different level, Bang Chan said during the first day of their concert.

I think among all the MANIAC tours that I had, I guess today will be unforgettable, Hyunjin said in Korean, with his speech being translated to English.

Because of you, I was able to enjoy [the performance] very much, Changbin also said in Korean, which was translated into English.

Meanwhile, Han thanked Stays who have come from afar to see their concert, saying that Stays energies made his condition better.

Han, who had symptoms of enteritis or inflammation of the small intestine, along with co-member Seungmin, had to skip dancing during the first night of the concert.

Lee Know, Seungmin, I.N, and Felix also thanked the Stays for coming, saying seeing the fans made them happy.

Filipino Stays welcomed the group with cheers as the K-pop group began the concert with MANIAC and Venom from their album ODDINARY.

All of the members of Stray Kids later on performed Red Lights, which was originally sung by Bang Chan and Hyunjin.

A live band also accompanied the K-pop group during their performance on Thunderous, Hellevator and Victory Song, among others.

The eight-member K-pop group concluded the first night of their two-day concert with a heartfelt rendition of Haven.

Kyle Orsos, a fan since 2019, said the concert left him speechless as the production quality was top-notch.

Their performances were on a different level as well. They truly do give their best when they perform, Orsos told CNN Philippines.

My favorite part was when they performed 'FAM,' he added. "You could really see how close they are with one another and, as a fan, chanting their names alongside other Stays makes it feel like we are all part of the FAM (family) as well."

The Manila concert, which ran March 11 and 12, is part of Stray Kids second world tour MANIAC.

Prior to the Philippines, they mounted shows in Australia and Japan in February.

They last performed in Manila during their Unveil Tour in 2019.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Federal prosecutors investigating the potential mishandling of classified documents at former President Donald Trump's Florida estate will be able to again question a Trump lawyer before a grand jury, a judge has ruled in a sealed order.

The order will require M. Evan Corcoran to answer additional questions as prosecutors pursue their investigation into classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago as well as potential efforts to obstruct that probe. The order was described Friday by a person familiar with it, who was not authorized to discuss a sealed proceeding and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

The precise scope of the order, which is expected to be appealed, was not immediately clear. Neither Corcoran nor his lawyer returned messages seeking comment, and a spokesman for special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading the investigation, also did not respond to an email about the order.

A Trump spokesman said the Trump team would fight the Department of Justice on this front and all others that jeopardize fundamental American rights and values.

Corcoran had already appeared weeks ago before the federal grand jury in Washington investigating the Mar-a-Lago matter, but he had invoked attorney-client privilege in declining to answer certain questions. That privilege protects lawyers from being forced to share with prosecutors details of the conversations they have with clients.

Prosecutors can get around that privilege if they can convince a judge that an attorney's services were being used in furtherance of a crime  a principle known as the crime-fraud exception. The Justice Department invoked that exception in this case, arguing to Beryl Howell, the outgoing chief judge of the federal court in Washington, D.C., that more testimony was needed.

Howell issued her order granting at least some additional testimony before the end of her tenure Friday as chief judge. She is being replaced as chief judge by James Jeb Boasberg, a fellow Obama appointee who has served on the federal bench since 2011.

Story continues

Corcoran is regarded as relevant to the investigation in part because last year he drafted a statement to the Justice Department asserting that a diligent search for classified documents had been conducted at Mar-a-Lago in response to a subpoena. Months later, though, FBI agents searched the home with a warrant and found roughly 100 additional documents with classified markings.

The Justice Department is investigating whether Trump or anyone in his orbit obstructed its efforts to recover all the classified documents, which included top-secret material, from his home.

As chief judge, Boasberg will have oversight of federal grand juries, including ones handling Trump matters, in the courthouse and will preside over sealed disputes like the Corcoran one.

Separately, former Vice President Mike Pence has said he will challenge a grand jury subpoena that seeks to compel him to testify in the special counsel's Jan 6. investigation. Pence has argued that because he was serving in his role as president of the Senate on Jan. 6, as he presided over a joint session of Congress to certify the election results, he is protected from being forced to address his actions under the Constitutions speech-or-debate clause that shields members of Congress.

It is not clear how that disagreement will be resolved.

____

Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/etuckerAP
Borja B. Hojas / Getty Images

Sam Neill, best known for starring in the Jurassic Park franchise, said he has been treated for stage 3 blood cancer but is currently cancer-free.

Neill, 75, told the Guardian on Friday that he has undergone chemotherapy after being diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.

The Emmy-nominated actor said he first experienced swollen glands during the press tour for Jurassic World: Dominion in March 2022, according to the Guardian, and he received his diagnosis soon after. When the initial chemotherapy failed, Neill said, he tried a new chemotherapy drug that he now must take every month for the rest of his life.

I cant pretend that the last year hasnt had its dark moments, Neill said. But those dark moments throw the light into sharp relief, you know, and have made me grateful for every day and immensely grateful for all my friends. Just pleased to be alive.

Brendon Thorne / Getty Images for AFI

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma is a rare and often fast-growing form of peripheral T-cell lymphoma, according to the Lymphoma Research Foundation .

He said his illness serves as the spiral thread for his new book Did I Ever Tell You This? , which he clarified was not a cancer memoir, according to the Guardian. His book details his emigration from Northern Ireland to New Zealand as a child and his acting career working with the likes of Meryl Streep and Steven Spielberg.

Neill said he did not intend on releasing a book when he started writing, but it gave him a reason to live, as he found the process entertaining. He described his book as a lifesaver because the illness stripped him of his career and social life.

I found myself with nothing to do, Neill told the Guardian. And Im used to working. I love working. I love going to work. I love being with people every day and enjoying human company and friendship and all these things. And suddenly I was deprived of that. And I thought, What am I going to do?

Mca / Courtesy Everett Collection

Neill is perhaps best known for playing paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant alongside Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum in the 1993 action film and its sequels, The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park III. Last year, the three of them reprised their roles in Jurassic World: Dominion.

Story continues

Neill began his career in the 1970s and has since amassed more than 150 credits in film and television, including My Brilliant Career, The Piano, and Peaky Blinders. Variety reported in February that he will star in a TV adaptation of Liane Moriartys novel Apples Never Fall alongside Annette Bening. The series will be filmed in Australia.

Related Stories
Many tenants in the Cambridge Dorchester Apartments in Boises East End were enjoying their Friday evening and perhaps sitting down for dinner when they received an alarming email from their property management company.

The tenants had three days to move out of their apartments.

According to a letter attached to the email, Commercial Northwest Property Management, the company that runs the apartment complex, learned from a contractor working on problems with the complexs heating system that the apartments would not have reliable heat for the foreseeable future, making the apartments not habitable.

The letter told tenants to vacate your unit immediately and turn in your keys on Monday the 13th.

We will be giving all residents their full deposits back along with $300 as well as rent for the month of March to vacate as soon as possible, the letter said.

A letter emailed late Friday, March 10, 2023, from Commercial Northwest Property Management to tenants at the Cambridge Dorchester Apartments at 300 S. Straughan Ave. in Boises East End. The letter directed tenants to leave by the following Monday, citing a contractors conclusion that a heating-system problem could not be fixed promptly.

With few affordable options for apartments in the Treasure Valley and a short time to move out, tenants began scrambling to find somewhere to go. A week after the March 10 email, tenants were still not sure of the status of their building or what the property management company was willing to provide them.

Later that Friday night, the tenants received a second email that walked back the Monday deadline and urged them to leave as soon as possible.

The apartment complex at 300 S. Straughan Ave., just south of Warm Springs Avenue, is made up of 52 units. About 13 were still occupied Thursday afternoon.

Margarita Gomez moves furniture from her home at Cambridge Apartments. She works a full-time job and said Thursday that she had to miss three days of pay to move out.

We dont have that kind of money...

When tenants got the email, chaos ensued, said Margarita Gomez, a Cambridge apartment tenant for a little over a year.

Gomez, who lives with her brother and dog in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, said she felt powerless.

The problem that many tenants face is that they cant get their security deposits or the rest of their March rent refunded from Commercial Northwest until we turn in our keys, Gomez said.

We dont have that kind of money for security deposits and first months rent for a new place or anything like that, she told the Statesman from her second-floor apartment, filled with boxes and bins ready to be moved.

Story continues

Natalie Hernandez, CEO of Commercial Northwest, did not respond to a phone call and email from the Statesman for comment on Thursday and Friday.

In a video posted on YouTube , Hernandez said, No one is being forced to leave without suitable accommodations. No one is being evicted.



But tenants are still worried about finding a new place to live.

What are we supposed to do without the money for the new place? Gomez said.

The Gomez siblings pay $1,400 a month for their apartment. Margarita Gomez works full time at the Enterprise Rent-A-Car at the Boise Airport and studies geoscience at Boise State University. Michael Gomez is a disabled veteran.

Margarita Gomez has missed three days of work and school as she prepares to move out.

Thats three days of pay loss, she said.

The Gomez siblings rented a storage unit and began moving their belongings Thursday morning. They found a new apartment and plan to stay with friends before moving into it on April 12.

Michael Gomez carries a bag down stairs as he prepares to move out.

Miscommunication from Commercial Northwest

On Friday night ... we heard from the contractor that due to the condition of the underground pipes, the age of the boiler system and corrosion, it would be months before the heat would be restored, Hernandez said in the video. It was only after a complete failure of the pipes and boiler system that I made the difficult decision to vacate the property.

Hernandez said each tenant was given a point of contact to work out individual situations with the company. But communication has still been difficult.

Casey Parsons, a lawyer with Wrest Collective, a Boise nonprofit that provides legal aid on a sliding scale, is representing about 30 of the tenants against the property management company.

There has been a lot of inconsistent communication in terms of when the tenants need to move out, how unsafe the situation is and what aid that Commercial Northwest property management is willing to provide, Parsons said.

Hernandez said tenants could leave their belongings in their apartments, but Gomez had already rented a storage unit as of Thursday.

Siblings Margarita and Michael Gomez have found a new place to rent starting April 12.

Tenants left with few options

Commercial Northwest told some tenants that it would provide temporary lodging at Extended Stay America until people were able to find apartments, but Parsons said it was unclear if that was being offered to all tenants.

Gomez said she was told they would have to put down their credit card information to get a room, and she didnt want to risk getting charged for the room at all.

Another tenant, Nate Barnes, said he didnt think the hotel was a safe, secure place to put his wife and daughter into.

Barnes is also a disabled veteran with a spine injury, and he relies on his monthly disability check to pay his familys rent. The family lives in a two-bedroom, 1-bathroom apartment for which they pay about $1,650 a month.

When Barnes first got the email asking tenants to leave, he tried to relocate to a different Commercial Northwest property, but the company couldnt move the family in right away.

Moving into another Northwest-managed apartment building is the only option for Barnes family, because they do not have money for a new security deposit, he said. Commercial Northwest told tenants it would transfer their current deposits to new apartments in their properties if available.

We were looking at moving into a Commercial Northwest property at Ustick and Lake Hazel, Barnes told the Statesman from his narrow apartment patio. Thats pretty much the only thing we have as an option right now, which is worse, because we have to stay with this company.

Barnes said his injury prevents him from helping help his wife move their furniture from their second-story apartment. So the family has to pay for movers to eventually help them.

We just want what were owed, Barnes said. We want the company to pay to move us, especially the disabled who cant move themselves, and we want the housing that we are owed.

The Gomezes apartment on Thursday.

The legal battle

Barnes and other neighbors eventually sought help from Parsons, who teamed up with Idaho Legal Aid and the Intermountain Fair Housing Council.

Im an old soldier, and soldiers fight, Barnes said. I dont back down easy.

Parsons sent a demand letter to Commercial Northwest on behalf of the tenants, outlining the problem and asking that the company provide a clearer picture of the aid they are willing to provide and what steps they are going to take to remedy this situation and ensure the tenants are made whole.

Commercial Northwest had no legal grounds to move people out in three days, Parsons said.

Idaho law says a tenant can take a landlord to court for failure to maintain in good working order electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilating, cooling, or sanitary facilities supplied by the landlord. But Parsons doesnt believe an eviction court filing would be successful given the situation.

The Cambridge Apartment tenants are collecting donations on GoFundMe for relocation costs on a page titled Cambridge Apartments Forced Out. The campaign had raised $900 toward its $10,000 goal as of midday Friday.

Struggling renters in Canyon County & most of Idaho may get help. Heres whats happening

Predatory landlords in Boise are charging high fees. Idaho bill could protect renters
Most Penn State students had not yet made it to University Park when Osaze Osagie was killed nearly four years ago by State College police, a reminder of how quickly things can turn over in the transient borough.

Yet as graduating classes come and go, what remains behind for those who call Happy Valley home is the legacy of the 29-year-old State College resident whos been remembered as a loving child, brother, friend and devoted Christian.

Monday will mark four years since Osagie, a Black man who was experiencing a mental health crisis, was fatally shot by a white borough police officer.

It is so vital that we do not forget; that we actively honor his memory with work and actions to ensure this never happens again, 3/20 Coalition co-founder and Secretary Melanie Morrison said during a Borough Council meeting earlier this month. This work is not always comfortable or pretty, but it is necessary.

Determined to keep moving forward

Sylvester Osagie called police for help because he was concerned his autistic son who had schizoaffective disorder  characterized by symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder  stopped taking his medication.

Three officers were sent to his apartment along Old Boalsburg Road to involuntary transport him to the hospital. Osagie instead ran toward the officers inside a narrow hallway with a steak knife in his right hand.

A Taser was ineffective. He was shot three times, once in the shoulder and twice in the back. Fewer than 30 seconds passed from the time officers knocked on his door until the shooting. The department did not have body cameras at the time.

It was the first fatal police shooting in the departments history. Many members of the community were outraged. Others, including Centre County District Attorney Bernie Cantorna, said the officer had no other option than to shoot in self-defense.

Iyun Osagie, when asked how her family is doing as they approach another somber anniversary, wrote they remain resolute and determined to keep moving forward.

Story continues

Justice should be fought for in the hearts of humanity. I also strongly believe that justice delayed is justice denied. Ive been more concerned about the fragility of my children as weve all gone through the grieving process differently, she wrote in a message to the Centre Daily Times. Our lives have been turned upside down and delayed justice simply adds to our pain. My greatest concern now is to fight for my children to believe in themselves and in humanity in spite of all the trauma. Given our circumstances, our childrens healing would be the greatest accomplishment in my life as a mother.

Adder her husband, Sylvester: We are extremely grateful for the way the community continues to rally around us in support of causes we believe in.

The familys federal lawsuit against the borough and four officers  at least three of whom are no longer with the department  is pending more than two years after it was filed.

Iyun Osagie, Osaze Osagies mother, speaks to the large crowd of community members that gathered to rally in downtown State College on May 8, 2019.

Attorneys are engaged in discovery, the formal process of exchanging information about witnesses and evidence that could be presented at trial. Several depositions are still pending, Osagie family attorney Andy Shubin said.

Hes hopeful a trial could begin by the end of the year. No formal dates have been set.

After a celebration of Osagies life last year, Shubin said the boroughs insurance company was unwilling to engage in potential settlement discussions with the family. When asked Thursday what  if anything  changed in the past year, Shubin said Id rather not respond to that.

Both parties appear to be preparing for trial at this point, Shubin said. That is the assumption that my clients are operating under.

State College Mayor Ezra Nanes and Borough Council President Jesse Barlow wrote they are unable to comment on anything related to the lawsuit.

State College paid a one-time $25,000 insurance deductible to defend itself and the officers against the lawsuit, borough spokeswoman Kayla Lafferty wrote in an email. The money came from the boroughs general fund, one that accounts for the general operations of government paid with taxes and other fees.

Iyun Osagie, Osaze Osagies mother, and a crowd of community members walk up Allen Street in downtown State College to rally for justice on May 8, 2019.

Two attorneys not associated with the lawsuit  Brian Zeiger and Frank Walker  said it is not uncommon for civil rights lawsuits to remain unresolved more than 28 months after it was first filed.

Its literally like scheduling a family reunion or a wedding, a huge event. You have to get all these schedules together, and not only those schedules. You got to think about the kids of those parents schedules. Can they come to this deposition for X, Y and Z? You give them four dates. All of the sudden, someone gets sick. Can I do it on Zoom? No, wed rather do it in person. OK, we got to reschedule. Then theres documents that need to be retrieved and theres standing deadlines there, Walker said. So theres a lot of give-and-take on both sides because you want to make sure you get all the information that is needed for both sides to either A) settle the case or B) take the case to trial.

What has changed in the past four years?

Calls for change followed almost immediately after Osagies killing. Progress has been made in some areas, while other recommendations have lingered.

The police department hired a social worker to join officers serving involuntary mental health warrants, a program former Centre County Commissioner Michael Pipe described as pioneering for our area.

The borough also created the Community Oversight Board, a civilian board that oversees  but is not authorized to conduct any investigation of  the police. Borough police Chief John Gardner termed the boards first meeting a watershed moment for our community.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police was hired by the borough in October 2019 to review the police departments policies and practices. A 72-page report released in July 2020 included nearly four dozen recommendations.

About three out of every four have been implemented, according to the departments online dashboard.

A mental health task force issued its own 79-page report four months later. Implementation of those recommendations has been slow. Only one-third are in effect.

Temperatures have cooled and most have sunk back into complacency, the 3/20 Coalition wrote in a statement. We continue to assert that justice has yet to be served and that not enough has changed in the borough, city, nor county to prevent this happening again.

Advocates for racial and social justice planned at least two events to honor Osagie.

A protest and march to his apartment was planned to begin noon Sunday at the State College Municipal Building. A candlelight vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza.

Osaze should still be here today and what happened to him on March 20 was entirely preventable and ultimately unforgivable, the coalition wrote. We must keep his name and his story fresh on our tongues and continue to urge others to join the fight for justice, substantive change and long-term reforms.
Kaleb Lane

Kaleb Lane, an eighth-grader who attended Eisenhower Middle School, was a "fun loving, energetic student with many friends," said Topeka USD 501 Superintendent Tiffany Anderson.

Kaleb, 13, died Thursday as the result of an accident shooting, Anderson said.

Topeka police said they arrested a 14-year-old male youth, who was being detained in the Shawnee County Juvenile Detention Center in connection with second-degree murder. That youth's name wasn't being made public.

Kansas statute describes second-degree murder as the killing of a human being committed intentionally or unintentionally but recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.

More:2 children, adult die in house fire at 916 S.W. Warren Ave.; another adult injured

Kaleb was pronounced deceased at hospital

Police were called at about 8:30 p.m. to the scene in the 1300 block of S.W. Garfield Avenue, where they found Kaleb suffering from life-threatening injuries, said Lt. Ed Stanley.

He said Kaleb was taken to a Topeka hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

Detectives were investigating. It wasn't clear whether formal charges had been filed.

More:Teen remembered at vigil

Topeka 501 school district says Eisenhower Middle School will get support

Anderson said a mental health team would be in place to aid any staff or students at Eisenhower or other USD 501 schools impacted by Kaleb's death.

We are so sorry to share information regarding a student tragedy over the spring break and our hearts are heavy for the family, Anderson said. We ask that families and staff respect the privacy of the family as local law enforcement completes their investigation. Please keep Kalebs family and all that are impacted uplifted in your thoughts and prayers."

Kaleb was Topeka's 10th homicide victim this year, with those killings coming in eight separate incidents.

The capital city recorded 18 homicides last year. One of those had taken place by March 17.

Story continues

Topeka's high of 30 homicides was set in 2017.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Shooting victim Kaleb Lane, 13, was student at Topeka's middle school
A Kansas City man is accused of beating his neighbor to death in his home in the Emerson Manor Apartments on Tuesday afternoon and telling witnesses not to call the police as the alleged killer was covered in blood.

Jackson County prosecutors charged Charles E. Stamper, 57, with second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the killing of Dickens F. Taima. As of Thursday, Stamper was being held without bond in the Jackson County jail.

Kansas City police officers were called to the apartment building in the 2000 block of East Linwood Boulevard on what was initially reported as a cutting, Officer Donna Drake, a department spokeswoman, said at the scene Wednesday afternoon.

Officers at that time had already taken Stamper into custody as a person of interest.

According to court documents, officers responding to the emergency on Wednesday were directed to a fourth-floor apartment by a witness. The officers forced entry to the apartment after knocking and hearing no response to find Stamper standing near the doorway of a bedroom, according to charging documents.

As he was being placed under arrest, Stamper told the officers he acted in self defense and told them: There is a gun in there on the floor.

Police found Taima in a bedroom with injuries that appeared to be caused by blunt force, including a gaping wound on the back of his head.

Investigators discovered an industrial-sized carriage bolt wrapped with a red strap that was believed to be the weapon used to beat Taima to death. A handgun was found on the floor a few feet away with ammunition loaded into its magazine but not in the chamber.

One witness told police she shares the apartment with Taima and that Stamper had come over to run errands with her while Taima was asleep. She said she gave him a set of keys and told him she was going to take a shower.

Five minutes after Stamper left, she told detectives, she heard screaming. She opened the bathroom door to see Stamper in the doorway with blood on his hands before he told her everything is fine and closed the bedroom door.

Story continues

She said she went to a neighbors and they returned to find the apartment locked, according to court documents.

Other witnesses said they went to confront Stamper and saw him open the door briefly to find him covered in blood. He allegedly asked them not to contact the police.

Stamper declined to be interviewed by detectives outside the presence of a lawyer, according to court documents.

Online court records did not list an attorney for Stamper as of Thursday.
Kansas City police were asking the public for help Thursday to find a 61-year-old man with dementia who was reported missing from the Northland since late Wednesday morning.

Juan Cerritos, 61, was last seen around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday walking near the intersection of Gladstone and North Belmont boulevards, police said. He needs daily medication for his well-being, police said.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol issued a statewide alert as well Thursday evening seeking assistance from the public to find Cerritos.

Police were asking anyone who locates Cerritos to dial 911 immediately.
Catherine, Princess of Wales meets with members of the Irish Guards and enjoys a glass of Guinness during the St. Patrick's Day Parade at Mons Barracks on March 17, 2023 (via REUTERS)

The Prince and Princess of Wales have celebrated St Patricks Day alongside the Irish Guards, with Kate hailing their boundless, irreverent, glorious sense of humour.

William, who said he was incredibly sad to be marking the end of his time as colonel of the regiment, was joined by Kate who officially became Colonel on Friday.

The couple were attending the St Patricks Day Parade at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire.

Kate, fittingly dressed in an emerald green outfit with matching heels, presented sprigs of shamrock to the officers and guardsmen as well as to the Irish wolfhound regimental mascot Turlough Mor, also known as Seamus.

As rain lashed down on the parade ground, the band of the Irish Guards played tunes including music from Bill Whelans Riverdance.

In a speech, William said: Whilst I am extremely happy to be here celebrating St Patricks Day with you once again, Im incredibly sad to be giving this speech, as it really does mean my time as your colonel has come to an end.

It has been one of the great honours of my life to hold that title; Im proud of everything it stands for  just as Im immensely proud of every single one of you.

He added: Its also no secret that while at Sandhurst I had a potential officers visit to the Irish Guards, an experience that placed this battalion firmly at the top of my personal wish list.

Operational reasons alone prevented me serving my frontline years with The Micks.

I have, however, relished every opportunity to visit you  I just wish the opportunities had been far more frequent.

Prince William, the Prince of Wales and Kate, the Princess of Wales drink Guinness, during the St. Patrick's Day Parade at Mons Barracks, in Aldershot, England, Friday, March 17, 2023 (AP)

From exercises and range days here in the UK, to training overseas  such as Kenya in 2018  I have such vivid memories of witnessing what you do so brilliantly in the field.

Speaking about his wife, the prince said: I may be stepping aside, but in Colonel Catherine you have a committed, focused and already incredibly loyal 11th Colonel.

As you serve together over the years ahead, know that I will continue to watch you, with huge pride in having been one of you.

Story continues

Taking to the microphone after William, Kate said: I really couldnt be prouder to stand in front of you here today It really is a true honour to be your Colonel. I am here to listen to you, to support you, and to champion you in all you do  this is a responsibility I do not take lightly.

Last week, I took the opportunity to visit some of you on Salisbury Plain, to see your inspiring work for myself.

The Princess of Wales meets members of the Irish Guards and enjoys a glass of Guinness during a visit to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards for the St Patrick's Day Parade, at Mons Barracks in Aldershot (PA)

The day was bitterly cold, and while displaying your skills to yet another visitor was probably the last thing any of you wanted to do, all I saw was enthusiasm, pride and incredible dedication.

I was hugely impressed with your insistence that nothing is as bad as it seems, and  most of all  your boundless, irreverent, glorious sense of humour. Thats what makes you who you are and what makes the Irish Guards unique.

I look forward to spending more time with you and your families, seeing your commitment to duty and service in all you do. Before I close, however, I want to thank Colonel William. He has always talked about his fierce pride for this regiment. I know he will continue to support us all in the work we do.

The parade concluded with a royal salute and march-past, where Kate took the salute as the new Colonel. After the parade, the princess was presented with flowers by Aoife Wigley, six, and her sister Alice, four.

The couple also met the Irish Guards Association, which is made up of past members of the Irish Guards.

The visit ended indoors in a packed hall with William taking a pint of Guinness and Kate nursing a half pint. The couple mingled with Irish Guards, chatting about Army life and Saturdays big rugby clash between Ireland and England.
The Princess of Wales has taken over the role of Colonel, Irish Guards, from the Prince of Wales. (Getty Images)

Fresh from attending the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on Monday, the Princess of Wales cut an elegant figure in teal as incoming Colonel during the annual St. Patricks Day visit to the Irish Guards.

Kate, 41, visited the 1st Battalion Irish Guards at the Mons Barracks in Aldershot on Friday to attend the St. Patrick's Day parade for the first time as Colonel, Irish Guards, as she takes over the role from her husband, Prince William.

Last week, the Princess of Wales spent an action-packed day with the battalion carrying out training drills amid snow storms with them.

Swapping the camo jacket and trousers from the previous week, the Princess of Wales wore an elegant coat dress by Catherine Walker, in an appropriate teal green shade for the day out in Aldershot where she took part in the centuries-old tradition of handing out sprigs of shamrock to the Officers and Guardsmen of the Irish Guards.

The Princess of Wales presented a traditional sprig of shamrock to Officers and Guardsmen of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards during the St Patrick's Day Parade. (Getty Images)

As is customary, the princess was greeted by the regiment mascot, a three-year-old Irish wolfhound called Turlough Mor, also known as Seamus. She was seen stroking the head of the Irish wolfhound as she presented him with his own sprig of shamrock to mark the occasion.

Read more: Kate wears camo as she braves the snow to visit the Irish Guards

The mother-of-three complemented the bespoke coat by the British designer with coordinating emerald accessories and a 1,450 Jane Taylor hat. A shamrock brooch which belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth, finished the look.

The gold Cartier brooch, which the late monarch inherited from her own mothers collection, is unique in that it is reportedly not actually owned by the Royal Family.

The Princess of Wales wore an elegant teal coat dress by British designer Catherine Walker. (Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales accessorised with a matching teal hat by Jane Taylor, emerald earrings and a gold shamrock brooch. (Getty Images)

James Wilson, author of Up the Micks! An Illustrated History of the Irish Guards which features a foreword by the Duke of Cambridge, wrote that the piece was crafted by Cartier and then presented to the Queens aunt, Princess Mary by the Irish Guards in 1961.

When Mary passed away in 1965, the brooch was returned to the regiment, and is now lent to the royals on such occasions like the St. Patricks Day Parade.

Story continues

Read more: Commonwealth Day 2023: Kate opts for navy Mary Poppins-style skirt suit

The Princess of Wales presented the traditional sprigs of shamrock to the Officers and Guardsmen of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards who, in turn, issued it along the ranks, as well as presenting it to Seamus, the regimental mascot.

The Princess of Wales presented the regiment's mascot, an Irish wolfhound known as Seamus, with his own sprig of shamrock. (Getty Images)

The parade concluded with a Royal Salute and march-past, where Her Royal Highness took the salute for the first time as the new Colonel.

I really couldnt be prouder to stand in front of you here today, the Princess of Wales said in a speech to the regiment. It really is a true honour to be your Colonel.

I am here to listen to you, to support you, and to champion you in all you do  this is a responsibility I do not take lightly.

Read more: Kate pays tribute to Wales in red coat and leek brooch for St. Davids Day

Speaking of last weeks visit to the regiment at Salisbury Plain, she added: The day was bitterly cold, and while displaying your skills to yet another visitor was probably the last thing any of you wanted to do, all I saw was enthusiasm, pride, and incredible dedication.

I was hugely impressed with your insistence that nothing is as bad as it seems, and  most of all - your boundless, irreverent, glorious sense of humour.

The Prince and Princess of Wales were all smiles during their visit to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards for the St Patrick's Day Parade. (Getty Images)

The Princess of Wales made a speech highlighting the regiment's 'glorious sense of humour'. (Getty Images)

Speaking as outgoing Colonel, Prince William thanked the battalion for its service, and said he was incredibly sad to be making the speech, as it really does mean my time as your Colonel has come to an end.

Whilst listing the regiments many accomplishments during his 13 years as Colonel, William, 40, also joked about his inability to finish a pint of Guinness.

On this, my 13th and final St Patricks Day as Colonel, not only am I saddened that Ill likely fail once again to finish a pint of Guinness he quipped, but I am also sad that I wont in future see more of you, the families, whose unwavering support enables these outstanding men and women to do what they do.

Following the parade, Their Royal Highnesses met with the Irish Guards Association, which comprises past members of the Irish Guards, and the Princess of Wales will be invited to inspect the front rank whilst William will inspect the second rank.

Watch: King Charles hosts his first Commonwealth Day reception
(Bloomberg) -- Kazakhstan holds parliamentary elections on Sunday in what President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called the last stage of a government reset in response to last years deadly riots.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Seven parties, including two newly-registered ones, are competing for 69 party-list seats in the 98-member parliament, with the remainder filled by the winners of new single-mandate contests that are part of Tokayevs shake-up of the legislature. Polls open at 7 a.m. and are scheduled to close at 8 p.m.

The elections will provide a mandate to continue in-depth reforms, Tokayev told heads of local administrations on March 13. Reforms must, first of all, create a new political culture in society.

The president brought forward the vote in central Asias largest energy producer from 2025 as he moved to dismantle the legacy of his long-serving predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev following the unrest in January last year that Tokayev denounced as an attempted coup. He called in Russian troops to help put down the violence then revised the constitution to restrict the presidency to only one seven-year term before winning 81% in snap elections in November.

At 2021 parliamentary elections, the ruling Nur Otan party founded by Nazarbayev won 76 seats. It changed its name to Amanat last year.

The elections may produce a move away from the monopoly of the ruling party and toward a parliamentary coalition that would still be fully controlled by the presidential administration, said George Voloshin, a Paris-based analyst at ACAMS, an anti-financial crime body. Nothing will change in substance, even as Tokayev is no longer a member of the ruling party, he said.

Story continues

The campaign appears lively, with candidates focused mainly on social and economic issues, including rising food prices, as well as the impact of Russias war in Ukraine and questions of sovereignty, observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said in a March 3 report.

After criticism of the presidential elections in November 2022 by the OSCE, President Tokayev is keen to create the illusion of a more competitive parliamentary election process, said Kate Mallinson, founder of Prism Political Risk Management in London.

Rubber-Stamp Mechanism

The government is carefully curating which candidates enter parliament to ensure that, ultimately, as under his predecessor, President Nazarbayev, parliament will remain a rubber-stamp mechanism for the executive, Mallinson said.

Tokayev refused to back Russias invasion of Ukraine and has sought to strengthen ties to the European Union and the US to try to reduce Kazakhstans dependence on Moscow.

He held talks in Astana with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month and has offered to boost energy supplies to the EU as the bloc rejects Russian oil and gas.

We are not likely to see much of a role for parliament in Tokayevs policies after the elections, said Chris Tooke, director of political risk at J.S. Held, a global consulting firm. While there may be limited progress on issues such as privatization and liberalizing prices, the temptation to keep a strong hold over political and economic life will still be powerful, he said.

(Updates with analyst comments in eighth paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(CNN)  "The Crown" will detail Prince William and Kate Middleton's relationship origin.

The Netflix series, currently filming Season 6, is set to recreate their first meeting at St Andrews school in Scotland in 2001.

Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy play the royal couple.

After William's mother, Princess Diana, died in 1997, he went on to finish his studies at Eton College. In 2001, he traveled around before heading to St Andrews, where he landed in the same residential hall as Middleton.

The two started dating in 2003.

Season 5 of the series ended with Prince Charles and Diana's marriage ending.

The show will further delve into the late '90s and early 2000s for the royal family.

The sixth and final season of "The Crown" set to stream later this year.
Buying a low-cost index fund will get you the average market return. But if you invest in individual stocks, some are likely to underperform. That's what has happened with the Kennedy-Wilson Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:KW) share price. It's up 40% over three years, but that is below the market return. Unfortunately, the share price has fallen 25% over twelve months.

Since the stock has added US$80m to its market cap in the past week alone, let's see if underlying performance has been driving long-term returns.

See our latest analysis for Kennedy-Wilson Holdings

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

Over the last three years, Kennedy-Wilson Holdings failed to grow earnings per share, which fell 34% (annualized).

This means it's unlikely the market is judging the company based on earnings growth. Therefore, we think it's worth considering other metrics as well.

Interestingly, the dividend has increased over time; so that may have given the share price a boost. It could be that the company is reaching maturity and dividend investors are buying for the yield. The revenue growth of about 4.7% per year might also encourage buyers.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. If you are thinking of buying or selling Kennedy-Wilson Holdings stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Kennedy-Wilson Holdings, it has a TSR of 64% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

Story continues

A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Kennedy-Wilson Holdings shareholders are down 21% for the year (even including dividends). Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 12%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 5% per year over half a decade. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Kennedy-Wilson Holdings (of which 2 are a bit concerning!) you should know about.

Kennedy-Wilson Holdings is not the only stock that insiders are buying. 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 American 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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Its the only hummingbird species that calls Kentucky and the Eastern U.S. home, and its steadily migrating north as the temperatures warm and spring draws ever closer.

The ruby-throated hummingbird  named because the males sport a bright red patch on their necks  is the only nesting hummingbird species east of the Mississippi River.

Common in summertime, the ruby-throat generally arrives in Kentucky by mid-April, although sightings have been documented as early as late March. Thats according to the late Kentucky naturalist and University of Kentucky Professor Thomas G. Barnes, Ph.D., who in life drove 20,000 miles crisscrossing the commonwealth to photograph its wild, hidden places.

With the hummingbirds arrival just a few weeks away, you still have a little time to roll out the welcome mat before they return from wintering in Mexico, Panama, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Heres what to know about these flying jewels and to attract them to your backyard.

A ruby-throated hummingbird attempts to drink nectar from a cardinal flower in Moberly, Missouri.

Hummingbirds, the real-life faeries of the Americas

According to Jennifer Schultz Nelson, Ph.D. and an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, hummingbirds are uniquely American.

They can only be found in the Western Hemisphere, though their range extends from Alaska all the way down to the Tierra del Fuego, an archipelago at the southernmost tip of South America. Of the 366 species of hummingbirds, most are found in Central and South America.

As Barnes observed in his article about the ruby-throated hummingbird, When most people think of hummers, they think of those in the western United States. That is where 16 different species breed in this country, but do not forget the rubythroat. It is a remarkable little bird and its beauty rivals many of its western counterparts.

The male of the species is notable for its colorful plumage, which it uses to attract a mate.

A Ruby-throated hummingbird photographed by Bob Gress, a naturalist formerly with the Great Plains Nature Center.

A female ruby-throated hummingbird hovers near a feeder, Monday, June 27, 2016, in North Andover, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Here are some facts about ruby-throats and hummingbirds:

Its wings beat on average 53 times per second, according to Barnes. It can routinely cruise at about 27 miles per hour, although courtship flights can reach 60 miles per hour. Hummingbirds are the only avian species that can fly both backwards and upside down.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds have little or no song. Instead, males attract females with their flashy flight and iridescent, red throat patch.

A female can catch up to 2,000 insects per day.

Hummingbirds have been reported to fly as many as 500 miles in a single day. When it migrates south for the winter, the ruby-throat crosses the Gulf of Mexico on a non-stop journey of 18 to 20 hours, according to Nelson.

When the males arrive in the spring, they go through an elaborate courtship display, according to Barnes. Observers have seen part of their ritual: Females hang upside down on a branch, mesmerized while the male hovers above. Males will try to mate with several different females. After mating, females start nest building and chick rearing. The male departs. The female makes its nest using plant material encircled by pieces of spider webbing.

According to Barnes, each bird must eat 100 percent of its body weight in nectar every day to survive. Depending on air temperatures and activity levels, this means the birds feed anywhere from every five minutes to every hour. The rest of the time is spent resting and digesting the food.

According to Nelson, hummingbirds arent typically very social. This is likely because they have to compete for food or they fall into a deep sleep. Flowers produce nectar relatively slowly, so individual birds tend to stake out their claims and defend their favorite flowers.

Story continues

How to get hummingbirds to visit your backyard

Contrary to popular belief, you likely wont get a hummingbird to build a nest in your backyard, since they prefer undisturbed places like the deep woods.

According to Barnes, females typically nest 10 to 20 feet above the ground on a nearly horizontal branch and often above a spring or pond. Most nesting sites in Kentucky are located in deciduous trees, often sycamores or elm trees.

Barnes describes their nests as about the size of half an English walnut shell, the tiny nest is made of plant down and bud scales covered with lichens. It is bound by spiders silk.

For 3 1/2 weeks, Garry and Pat Porter have hosted Ruby, a ruby-throated hummingbird, and her kids in a nest at their home in east Wichita. On Thursday morning, the tiny bird was feeding two baby hummingbirds in her tea-cup-sized nest. (July 6, 2017)

A hummingbirds chicks grow rapidly. In just two-and-a-half weeks, they are fully feathered, have long beaks and are ready to fly. By three weeks, theyre on their own.

While your backyard wont likely be a nesting site, it can be a food source for hummingbirds. According to Nelson, good flowers to plant to attract hummingbirds include:

Bee balm, Monarda didyma

Cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis

Trumpet creeper, Campsis radicans

Columbine, Aquilegia sp.

Hummingbird or cypress vine, Ipomoea quamoclit

Sage, salvia sp.

A ruby-throated hummingbird gets a bite to eat from a flower a garden in Larned, KS.

You can also use a feeder filled with sugar water to mimic nectar.

When it comes to looking for a feeder, Nelson recommends buying one you can easily fill and keep clean. If mold grows in the feeder, it could sicken or even kill hummingbirds. Change its water every three to five days to prevent mold growth and fermentation. You might need to change it more often on warm days.

A simple nectar recipe includes adding one cup of sugar to four cups of boiling water (this helps slow the spoilage by killing off bacteria). Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves completely. Wait for it to cool, then use it to fill your feeders.

You can refrigerate leftovers for up to a week, and avoid using any food coloring as it may harm the birds.

As Nelson writes: Ive found that once I start feeding the hummingbirds, they get pretty demanding. I have been dive-bombed more than once while retrieving an empty feeder and returning with it filled. Maybe they are defending their nectar source, but I like to think its like theyre saying Its about time!

Do you have a question about wildlife in Kentucky for our service journalism team? Wed like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
Anything can happen, Sen. Damon Thayer told reporters on Thursday morning. It was the last day for bills to be heard in the General Assembly in a state that faces perennial poverty, child abuse, two major disasters, affordable housing, low labor participation and a drug scourge but has spent most of the time and energy of its 2023 session on the issue of transgender children.

He was right. After spending most of Wednesday getting to a compromise on a bill targeting transgender children that would have pacified most people, the GOPs growing extreme wing pulled a supersonic fast one, adding the extreme version of the bill to Senate Bill 150, which quickly, in legislative time, passed the House and Senate. The new bill did not include any language about mental health counseling, which is good, but banned all medication, including a section that requires the tapering off of medication a child might be currently on, which is very, very bad.

The senators who on Wednesday brokered a humane deal on the bill didnt care enough to make it a floor fight on Thursday.

The process was terrible. But frankly, the process is always terrible when a majority tries to get what it wants. The Democrats pulled plenty of fast ones when they were in charge, too.

What was new this session was the level of passion. So much passion and heartbreak, so many eloquent speeches about love and acceptance and anxiety and suicide. So many speeches about medical expertise. None of it mattered. All that mattered was outlawing healthcare for transgender children because thats the rule for GOP lawmakers all over the country, and Kentucky has to check the box, too.

Chris Hartman, director of the Fairness Campaign, who had spent untold hours fighting the transgender bills, broke into shouting on Thursday. You will have spent more time debating transgender children and their rights and their parents rights to obtain the life-saving medical care that they need than childhood poverty, than housing insecurity, than disaster relief, in this session combined.

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How do you sit through a committee hearing where crying children actually beg you not to do something? How do you face your colleague who begs you not to engage in the kind of discrimination that contributed to the suicide of her son? I guess they dont care because they dont have to. They have all the votes.

One of the most telling moments came in the House debate on Thursday afternoon when Rep. David Meade, the sponsor of the new Frankenstein bill, admitted he didnt know how many gender surgeries had been performed in Kentucky or how many transgender children there are here.

Where will this get us as a state? Republicans will get a pat on the head at their Heritage Foundation conventions, and maybe it will help them in their districts, but those are now so gerrymandered it may not even matter. They will use it to try to hurt Gov. Beshear in the election, although anyone who thinks transgenderism is bad wasnt going to vote for him in the first place.

With so much passion, we forget about pragmatism. If anyone bothered to look past the flames, theyd see a state where more teachers will leave the profession because they dont want to fool with whether a book about Ruby Bridges, the little girl who integrated the New Orleans schools, will get them in trouble. Doctors and nurses wont stay in Kentucky because they dont want to risk losing their licenses over a child who might ask for help with gender dysphoria. Companies wont locate here because the free markets have convinced them that anti-LGBTQ laws are bad for business. Just ask the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

Smart kids will leave because they dont want to be from a state that hates queer people. As Rep. Josie Raymond said were going to lose our kids to suicide or to migration, and not just the trans ones either. Were going to lose the cis-gender ones who say Kentucky is moving backwards fast ...Im out.

And Kentucky will continue to get poorer, sicker and dumber.

Kentucky is most certainly moving backwards, back to some strange vision of a time when people of color knew their place, women stayed silent, gay people stayed in the closet and there was no such thing as gender identity. Thats all I could figure as I watched the impassive faces of Republicans even as crying children begged them not to pass the bill.

Conservatives dont always lose culture wars. Look at abortion. And so maybe Marjorie Taylor Greenes vision will come to pass, a country of states separated by education, healthcare and prosperity. Or maybe the fighters will keep on fighting. Certainly, in the past few weeks, most Kentucky lawmakers have met more eloquent, impassioned trans kids than theyve ever seen in their lives. Maybe, like former conservative Republican Rep. Jerry Miller, they can be convinced that transgender kids are not a threat, that they deserve to live their lives.

They convinced Republicans like Rep. Killian Timoney and Sen. Danny Carroll, who took courageous stands in voting against the bill.

Carroll said even if puberty blockers could save one child, what does it hurt? When will we get past all the radicalism, when we will sit down and talk about the people in all this? Weve got to come together at some point and stop this craziness and start talking.

Or maybe they can stop fixating on them long enough to remember that if you really wanted to protect children, youd make sure fewer of them live in poverty. Thats where one in five Kentucky kids are, the sixth worst rate in the nation.

If only we could see some passion about that.

The national suicide prevention hotline has recently been changed to a three-digit suicide and crisis hotline. It is available 24/7 and can be reached by dialing 988. More information can be found at 988lifeline.org. Any young LGBTQ person can call The Trevor Projects 24-hour crisis hotline at 1-866-488-7386, and transgender people of any age can call the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860.
A 49-year-old man who killed a person at a Lakewood apartment over threats made to a woman the man was a father figure to was sentenced last week to more than a 16 years in prison.

Murray Maurice Edwards pleaded guilty in February in Pierce County Superior Court to second-degree murder in the Oct. 21, 2021, fatal shooting of Warren Eugene Jackson Jr. According to court records, Edwards went to an apartment Jackson was staying at that night and fired a shotgun through the front door, striking the man in the thigh. The victim died of blood loss.

Judge TaTeasha Davis ordered Edwards to 16 years, eight months in prison for the murder, a punishment toward the low end of the standard sentencing range for defendants tried in similar cases.

Edwards was arrested more than a month after the murder in southwestern Oregon after the FBI informed state police he was traveling south on Interstate 5 in Josephine County. The defendant was taken into custody after he crashed his car while fleeing authorities.

Other charges Edwards faced were dropped as part of a plea agreement, including first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, four counts of tampering with a witness and attempted tampering with physical evidence. According to court records, Edwards has several prior felony convictions, including a 1993 federal conviction in California for unlawful delivery of a controlled substance and Pierce County convictions in 2003 and 2012 for first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and forgery, respectively.

The shooting stemmed from a dispute over a car taken from Jackson that led to the victim threatening to beat the woman who took it, according to charging documents. The car was a 2003 Mercury Marquis that Jacksons father told Lakewood Police Department detectives was taken from his son three days before his murder.

Days after Jackson was shot, Kent police found the car, and the driver fled, eventually crashed and ran away. Inside, police found a purse and documents belonging to the woman whod taken the Mercury.

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Lakewood detectives interviewed the woman whod taken the car, her mother and a man who rented the apartment where Jackson had been staying. Detectives learned that the night before Jackson was killed he had a conversation with the mother. According to the declaration for determination of probable cause, Jackson threatened to beat the womans daughter if his car wasnt returned, and he said she should tell Edwards what he said.

The man who was renting the apartment told detectives Edwards wouldnt have taken those threats lightly. Detectives learned the mother was a longtime romantic friend of Edwards, according to the probable cause document, and records state the renter said the defendant had looked out for the mothers daughter over the years.

On the day of the shooting, Edwards told the mother to call the renter and tell him he was going to his apartment, and whoever threatened his daughter last night, he was going to smoke them, according to the probable cause document. Detectives confirmed through phone records that the mother called the renter and Jackson to warn them.

At the end of November, detectives obtained cell phone records for Edwards phone from Oct. 15 to 23. Records state a phone expert analyzed the data and learned the mans phone was at or near the crime scene at the time of the shooting.

When prosecutors charged Edwards the next month, he wasnt in custody. Detectives were then granted a phone-trace order for his phone, and they started tracking him Dec. 6. Detectives saw his phone was moving south on Interstate 5, and they informed the FBI of his whereabouts.
(Bloomberg) -- North Korea launched the most powerful ballistic missile in its arsenal just before a summit between Japan and South Korea, with leader Kim Jong Un saying he wanted to strike fear into the enemies, its state media said.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Kim was on hand with his preteen daughter to watch the Thursday launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile. The test was prompted by the frantic, provocative and aggressive large-scale war drills conducted by the US and the south Korean puppet traitors, its official Korean Central News Agency reported Friday. It almost never calls its neighbor by its proper name.

The launch of what weapons experts consider to be the worlds largest road-worthy ICBM came hours before South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol went to Japan for a rare summit with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss ways to mend differences and cooperate with their mutual US ally to counter the nuclear threats made by the likes of Kims regime.

Read: Japan Needs South Korea to Defend Against Kims Missiles

The US and South Korea this week started some of their largest joint military exercises in years. North Korea has pledged an unprecedented response to the drills, with the influential sister of the leader Kim Yo Jong threatening to turn the Pacific Ocean into a firing range.

The ICBM on Thursday caps a busy few weeks for North Korea, which had already shot off 11 ballistic missiles since Feb. 18 that included another ICBM and what appeared to be a new close-range ballistic missile designed to hit US bases in South Korea. The tests also included two cruise missiles fired from a submarine, which appeared to be another first.

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The ICBM fired Thursday reached an altitude of about 6,000 kilometers (3,730 miles) and traveled a distance of about 1,000 kms on a flight that lasted some 70 minutes before landing outside of Japans exclusive economic zone, the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo said. KCNA released similar details on the flight path in its dispatch.

The Hwasong-17 is the newest ICBM that North Korea has test-fired and its designed to carry a multiple nuclear warhead payload to the US, weapons experts have said.

Kim has given an indication of what might be coming next by parading canisters through the streets of Pyongyang in February of a new solid-fuel ICBM that would be quicker to deploy than his current liquid-fuel rockets  giving the US and its allies less time to ready their defenses.

Read: Kim Jong Un Puts New ICBM, And a Potential Heir, on Parade

Kims daughter made her debut in state media at an ICBM launch in November. Since then, she has been dubbed the precious child by state media and been at her fathers side for various events. Her presence signals there is another generation waiting in the wings to lead the family dynasty forged in the Cold War and it will depend on nuclear weapons for its survival.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin

According to the report, a radical faction of Russias ruling elite is trying to come to the fore, while even moderates have been making rather extremist statements recently.

Read also: Ukraine could replace Russia as nuclear fuel supplier to Europe, says energy minister

Their behavior may be a sign of panic, the intelligence report says.

Perhaps they realized that the war in Ukraine was a huge mistake that cannot be corrected, and that the only way is to continue to fight, and with increasingly radical methods.

Read also: Russia deploys Buk air defense system in civilian area of Mariupol  video

Estonian intelligence services assume that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin might have deliberately fomented these frictions between the political elites.

It could also be part of Putins tactic to let the radicals come to the fore to show that if he disappears, an even more extremist group will take the helm, Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service said.

The agency speculates that such an approach would explain Putin's benevolence towards Wagner PMC owner Yevgeny Prigozhin and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who are among the most radically hawkish elements in Russian political circles.

Read also: Russia scouring Myanmar, Africa, Middle East for ammo, Ukrainian intelligence says

Estonian intelligence noted that if it is Putin's plan to allow "radicals to grow the influence among the ruling elite," then this strategy could harm Putin himself. At some point, the dictator could find it hard to keep the ultra-radicals in check as their influence soars. And in this regard, Prigozhin and Kadyrov are especially dangerous, since "each of them, in fact, has his own private army," the report concludes.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The Administration of the President of Russia considers the warrant for Vladimir Putin's arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to be legally null and void.

Source: RIA Novosti and Meduza, with reference to RBC

Details: Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "We consider the very raising of the question outrageous and unacceptable. Russia, like a number of other countries, does not recognise this courts jurisdiction, and accordingly, any decisions of this sort are null and void for Russia from a legal point of view."

Maria Zakharova, the official representative of Russias Foreign Ministry, wrote that Russia does not cooperate with the ICC, and "possible prescriptions for arrest that come from the International Court will be legally null and void for us."

Maria Lvova-Belova, Russias children's ombudsman, for whose arrest the ICC has also issued a warrant in connection with the Russians actions in Ukraine, said, "Its lovely that the international community has appreciated the work we do to help the children of our country, that we dont leave them in the zone of military operations, that we take them out, that we create good conditions for them, surround them with loving and caring people. There have been sanctions from all these countries against me, even Japan; now theres a warrant for my arrest; I wonder what will happen next. Well, were getting on with our work."

Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russias Security Council, tweeted, "No need to explain where this paper should be used" [followed by a toilet roll emoji  ed.].

Vasily Nebenzya, Russias Permanent Representative to the UN, called the ICCs decision to issue an arrest warrant for Putin outrageous and illegal: "We do not recognise the ICCs decisions. They are illegal."

Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of Russias Federation Council, said that the Russian president, as the highest-ranking official, "has immunity from foreign and international criminal jurisdiction" and "cannot be arrested by any foreign authority".

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Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the Russian Federation's State Duma, said, "We regard any attacks on the President of the Russian Federation as aggression against our country."

Andrey Klishas, Chairman of the Committee of the Federation Council on Constitutional Legislation and State Building, believes that "by making such an absurd decision, the ICC has embarked on the path of self-destruction", and that Russia should immediately issue a warrant for the arrest of all ICC judges.

MP Vladimir Dzhabarov also stated that it would be good if the Basmanny Court in Moscow issued an arrest warrant for all members of the ICC.

Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, said he thought the ICC should issue arrest warrants for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, "his pack, and their Western backers".

Sergei Tsekov, an "MP" from annexed Crimea, did not miss the opportunity to say that the ICCs decision demonstrates the "worthlessness and uselessness" of the Wests legal institutions, and that the warrant for Putin's arrest "will have no consequences".

Background: On 17 March 2023, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Affairs, in view of the situation in Ukraine.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Friday said Russia was extending the Black Sea grain deal for 60 days, echoing previous statements by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The deal to unblock Ukrainian grain exports from the Black Sea after Russia sent its armed forces into Ukraine was brokered last year by Turkey, with the United Nations acting as an observer. The deal is automatically extended every 120 days if none of the parties registers an objection.

Both Ukraine and Turkey have said the deal, which is due to expire on Saturday, must be rolled over in full under the existing terms, including the 120-day duration.

But on a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov answered a question about Moscow's position by saying merely: "Russia is renewing the deal for 60 days."

Alessandra Vellucci, director of the U.N. Information Service, said negotiations on an extension were continuing.

"The agreement foresees the renewal of 120 days," she said. "There are discussions ongoing and we're not going to speculate on what is going to happen. This is for the discussions outcome."

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)  Everyone's most formative memories have to do with learning to write in script. The satisfaction of looking at your immaculate, handwritten notes is something everyone can relate to even today, in the advent of technology that has taken us away from the simple act of writing with pen and paper.

Even if you cannot write that well, the sight of other people's neatly spaced writing can still take your breath away. Here are some people whose handwriting can inspire you to pick up the pen and practice your way into becoming the scribe of your dreams.

Leigh Reyes

Other than being an award-winning advertising creative, Leigh Reyes is an avid pen collector. "The thrill of acquisition does fade, and in its place the joy of discovering newness in what one already owns glows more brightly," she writes on her website.

On Instagram (@leighpod), you can find evidence of her handwriting prowess where she posts photos of handwritten notes and gamely answers questions about all things pens and writing.

At the Manila Pen Show, she will give a workshop on 2:00 p.m., March 18, titled "Mad Scientist" and will moderate March 19's 3:45 p.m. panel featuring fountain pen collectors.

Imma Frias

Imma Frias started her calligrapher journey in 2013, and since 2014 has been an instructor at calligraphy, and penmanship from 2016. "Calligraphy is something that is therapeutic once you get the hang of it, it's actually soothing," she told The Lasallian a few years back.

Take a look at her Instagram (@dyosaimma) to see her deeply satisfying works of handwritten art. At the Manila Pen Show on March 18, she will lead a Handwriting Hangout at 10:30 a.m., and at 2:15 p.m. on March 19, host Modern Calligraphy with Flex Pens.

Lorraine Castaneda

On Lorraine Castaneda's Instagram (@calligraphyspot), she calls herself a "Purveyor of calligraphy appreciation, teacher of beautiful writing, and a stay-at-home time traveler." All those things are true: her beautiful handwriting would not look any different from a passionate love letter written in the 1800s.

On March 18, 3:00 p.m., Castaneda will be heading a talk on Fountain Pens for Kids of All Ages, proving it is never too early to start enjoying the art of handwriting.

Clement Dionglay

If you thought fountain pens could only be used by those who write in elaborate script, you haven't seen Clement Dionglay's Instagram (@clemdionglay). Here, she shows neatly written words in print, along with an impressive collection of pens.

Pao Alfonso

Another enthusiast who likes to write in print, Pao Alfonso's Instagram account (@the.serial.doodler) showcases her thoughts on the world of pens. "Nib preferences really do change over time. I started out preferring fine nibs, then fell in love with medium and stub nibs. Now I've come full circle and prefer fine nibs again."

Pao's drawings, accompanied by her writing, work as mini food reviews of places she's enjoyed.

Toni Santos

Toni Santos' feed (@toniscalligraphy) features her calligraphy, with thoughtful handwritten quotes and song lyrics that offer inspiration and occasionally humor. Other than being a pen collector, she also collects notebooks.

On March 19, she will be heading a talk about Fountain Pens for Kids 7-12.

The Manila Pen Show takes place on March 18 to 19 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the 5th floor of Holiday Inn and Suites in Makati. A portion of the proceeds will go to Save the Children Philippines and their Life-Changer for Children program.

Photo from Manila Pen Show

For a full list of exhibitors and speakers, schedules, and general updates, please check @manilapenshow and #ManilaPenShow2023.
Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian dictator, has said that the decision of the Ukrainian authorities not to extend the lease of the Kyiv Monastery of the caves to representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) "confirms the correctness of the special operation [the term war is prohibited in Russia  ed.] in Ukraine."

Source: Peskov at a press conference on 17 March



Quote: "The Kyiv regime is once again demonstrating its character with these illegal actions, encroachments on the church. [Ukraine is] the same character that we are fighting against and the same character that we must stop as a result of this ongoing operation.

This proves and shows once again that everything we are doing is absolutely right. Once again, I would like to express my deep regret that these illegal actions of the Kyiv regime are not being properly condemned by the international community."

Reference: The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Reserve is state property. However, its religious buildings and other property have been used for decades by the UOC-MP free of charge.

In March, the Reserve announced that the 2013 agreement on the free use of churches by the religious organisation would be terminated. The UOC-MP has to leave the territory by 29 March.

A commission that has been working in the Lower Lavra for the past two months has been finding violations of the terms of the agreement on the use of the monuments.

In particular, the abbot of the monastery, Metropolitan Pavlo Lebid, built 36 buildings on its territory that were not approved by the state, including his own mansion, and developed a diversified commercial activity.

The priests and monks of the UOC-MP refuse to leave the territory of the Lavra.

Background:



On 10 March, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve notified the UOC-MP monastery that the 10-year-old agreement (of 19 July 2013) on the free use of religious buildings and other state-owned property would be terminated on 29 March 2023.

The warning included a demand to vacate the buildings at 11 Lavrska Street and 15 Lavrska Street in Kyiv.

The UOC-MP stated that there are no legal grounds for this and that the eviction of its monastery from the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves is simply "a whim of officials from the Ministry of Culture."

Oleksandr Tkachenko, Ukraines Minister of Culture and Information Policy, has said that monks and priests from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) must vacate all premises of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (the Monastery of the Caves in Kyiv) by the end of March.

In 2022, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) conducted dozens of searches in various buildings of the UOC-MP, including the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves.

As of 23 February 2023, the SSU was investigating nearly 60 criminal proceedings against pro-Russian clergy of the UOC-MP, and more than 350 church buildings and 850 people were subject to in-depth inspections. The courts handed down 7 guilty verdicts.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Krispy Kreme is Giving Out Free Green Donuts for St. Patricks Day

Krispy Kreme

You don't need the luck of the Irish to score a sweet snack this St. Patrick's Day.

On Fri., Krispy Kreme announced that it is giving out one free, green-colored version of their glazed donuts to its customers for St. Patrick's Day. The chain also released four festive donuts in celebration of the holiday.

Customers who visit a Krispy Kreme (in-shop or drive-thru) while wearing green will receive the "O'riginal Glazed," no purchase necessary.

The specialty St. Patrick's Day box for purchase includes a cookie Kreme-filled donut with crushed cookies and gold sprinkles; a chocolate dipped ring with a leprechaun hat decoration; a glazed donut with green icing and gold sprinkles; and a Kreme-filled donut with green frosting, vanilla buttercream and a rainbow adornment.

RELATED: Dairy Queen Brings Back Free Cone Day for the First Day of Spring

Krispy Kreme locations may be rolling out new items but the company is pulling back its offerings elsewhere. They will no longer be producing the mini crullers or doughnut bites sold in grocery stores, according to reporting by Food Business News.

Krispy Kreme filed paperwork with the North Carolina Department of Commerce to shut down its manufacturing plant in Concord, N.C. This site was the only manufacturer of the company's products that had an extended shelf life made for grocery store shelves after the company closed an Iowa facility in Oct. 2022.

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.

The chain has been constantly innovating its in-store offerings of donuts, announcing new partnerships and flavors regularly.

In Oct. 2022, Krispy Kreme began testing its fresh donuts in select McDonald's locations in Kentucky. Like the fresh-made sweets that are delivered to nearby retailers, these doughnuts are made at a Krispy Kreme location then delivered fresh to McDonald's every day.

The company also partnered with Cinnamon Toast Crunch in April 2022 and Biscoff in January for limited-edition flavors inspired by the sweet snacks.
In order to justify the effort of selecting individual stocks, it's worth striving to beat the returns from a market index fund. But in any portfolio, there will be mixed results between individual stocks. So we wouldn't blame long term Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (KLSE:KLK) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 19% over a half decade.

So let's have a look and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress.

View our latest analysis for Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

While the share price declined over five years, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad actually managed to increase EPS by an average of 18% per year. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Alternatively, growth expectations may have been unreasonable in the past.

Generally speaking we'd expect to see stronger share price increases on the back of sustained EPS growth, but other metrics may hold a clue to why the share price performance is relatively modest.

We note that the dividend has remained healthy, so that wouldn't really explain the share price drop. It's not immediately clear to us why the stock price is down but further research might provide some answers.

The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad is a well known stock, with plenty of analyst coverage, suggesting some visibility into future growth. So it makes a lot of sense to check out what analysts think Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad will earn in the future (free analyst consensus estimates)

Story continues

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. 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. As it happens, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad's TSR for the last 5 years was -6.0%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad shareholders are down 13% for the year (even including dividends). Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 2.9%. 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. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 1.2% over the last half decade. 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 - Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad has 4 warning signs (and 1 which shouldn't be ignored) we think you should know about.

But note: Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Malaysian 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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Calling the Kentucky General Assemblys passage of anti-LGBTQ legislation a terrifying path, Education Commissioner Jason Glass announced the state Department of Education will hold a summit in support of LGBTQIA+ people and youth.

The summit, scheduled for the fall, will focus on resilience, connection and hope, Glass said.

Specifics about the summit, which will be open to all those people in support of LGBTQIA+ youth, will be released later, Kentucky Department of Education spokesperson Toni Konz Tatman said.

Glass comments were in response to events on Thursday when the Kentucky General Assembly rushed to pass Senate Bill 150, a sweeping and harmful piece of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation, Glass said.

Senate Bill 150, sponsored by Republican state Sen. Max Wise, bans gender-affirming care for transgender kids as a part of an omnibus anti-LGBTQ bill.

Kentucky has real educational challenges that need the legislatures attention, Glass said, including meaningful solutions to educator and staff shortages, support to continue academic recovery from the pandemic, funding stabilization due to ongoing health-related absences from COVID, RSV and flu, as well as urgent funding needs in growing school districts.

But instead of addressing the real issues impacting our schools, the legislature expended its time and energy on this stitched-together bill, taking aim directly at LGBTQIA+ people, said Glass.

The General Assembly also passed Senate Bill 107 requiring Senate approval for the Kentucky Commissioner of Education. Under current law, the Kentucky Board of Education hires the commissioner and the governor appoints state board members who are confirmed by the Senate. The legislation emerged as Glass was heavily criticized by some Republican lawmakers over inclusive LGBTQ stances.

These kinds of laws are often put in place when there is (effectively) a one-party government, Glass said. Minority and marginalized groups are frequently targeted, demonized and persecuted  fueling more of the misplaced rage and anger-tainment based politics that makes it nearly impossible for Kentucky to live up to our state motto of United We Stand.

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The Kentucky legislature is following a terrifying, but sadly well-trodden path. In the long run, history does not reflect well on such regimes. And in the short-run, we should all be concerned about who will be their next target, Glass continued.

Directing comments to LGBTQIA+ people and youth in Kentucky, Glass said in his Friday statement we see you, we love you and we will continue to protect you from bullying and bigotry. In times like these, we all must find the courage to steady ourselves and to be as brave as we can.

Lexington leader speaks out

An education leader in Lexington shared a similar statement this week.

As Fayette school board chairman Tyler Murphy convened a Thursday afternoon budget and facilities workshop at Central Office in Lexington, he made reference to a last-minute switch in the General Assembly in which Republicans revived the omnibus anti-LGBTQ bill, which included a ban on gender-affirming health care for Kentuckys transgender youth.

Murphy said the school district was closely following what was happening in the General Assembly and engaging in the process.

Fayette County Public Schools remains committed to our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives. We want all of our students, staff members and family members who are allies with the LGBTQ+ community to know that we see them, hear them, support them, he said.

We want them to know they belong here and are welcomed here, Murphy said.

Murphy said the commitment from the district is unwavering: That has not changed. There is nothing that will deter us.
Manchester City defender Kyle Walker will not face criminal charges by police after an investigation into allegations he indecently exposed himself at a bar in Wilmslow.

The England star has however been hit with an out of court disposal and the investigation is now closed.

Cheshire Polices investigation came after a report in a national newspaper, which included released security camera footage from the bar.

The newspaper accused Walker of exposing himself in a bar but the police statement made no mention of indecent exposure.

The alleged incident was said to have happened after Man Citys 2-0 Premier League win over Newcastle earlier in March.

Walker was included this week in Gareth Southgates England squad to face Italy and Ukraine this month.

Despite no formal charges or caution following the conclusion of the investigation, Walker will receive an out of court disposal, which is a non-statutory order, and therefore does not form a part of a criminal record.

A police spokesman said: On Wednesday 8 March, Cheshire Constabulary was made aware of a video circulating on social media in relation to an alleged incident at a bar in the Wilmslow area.

Officers have now concluded their enquiries which included speaking to those directly involved.

A 32-year-old man from Prestbury voluntarily attended a police station for questioning on 16 March. He has been dealt with by an out of court disposal and the matter is now closed.

Walker had previously breached lockdown rules in 2020, with Southgate warning then how off-field behaviour will have an impact on selection.

Southgate has defended the 32-year-olds call-up and believes nothing is stopping him from being included yet but conceded if Walker has a case to answer then it could leave his England future in jeopardy.

He said: I dont want to go too much into hypotheticals but there was no conclusive reason not to select him in the squad. If that changes then weve got to review the situation and he would understand that as well, but at the moment we are where we are.

I think whenever I speak with a player, thats always between myself and the player. I understand the additional scrutiny on the situation but I dont think I can answer that any differently.
Kyle Walker trains with Manchester City this week (Martin Rickett/PA). (PA Wire)

Manchester City defender Kyle Walker will not face criminal charges after being questioned by police over an alleged incident in a Wilmslow bar.

Cheshire Constabulary last week began looking into the matter and Walker volunteered himself for questioning on Thursday, the same day he was included in the England squad by Gareth Southgate.

The issue was resolved with an out of court disposal and is now considered closed. An out of court disposal is described on the website of Cheshires police and crime commissioner John Dwyer as a mechanism to deal with low-level crime and anti-social behaviour.

An initial release from Cheshire police said the force was making enquiries into an indecent exposure which allegedly occurred in the Wilmslow area, but Fridays final statement referred only to an alleged incident.

It read: On Wednesday 8 March, Cheshire Constabulary was made aware of a video circulating on social media in relation to an alleged incident at a bar in the Wilmslow area.

Officers have now concluded their enquiries, which included speaking to those directly involved. A 32-year-old man from Prestbury voluntarily attended a police station for questioning on 16 March. He has been dealt with by an out of court disposal and the matter is now closed.

Southgate had earlier explained his decision to include the 32-year-old defender in his squad for this months double header against Italy and Ukraine.

He said: I dont want to go too much into hypotheticals but there was no conclusive reason not to select him in the squad. If that changes then weve got to review the situation and he would understand that as well, but at the moment we are where we are.

I think whenever I speak with a player, thats always between myself and the player.
[Source]

On March 16, 1968, more than 500 unarmed civilians were brutally killed in a mass murder committed by U.S. troops in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

Victims of the My Lai massacre included men, women, children, infants and animals. Some women and children were gang-raped before their murders and had their bodies mutilated. Investigations later revealed an estimated 347 to 507 civilians were killed that day.

Five platoons  Charlie Company, First Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade and 23rd Infantry Division  were ordered to carry out the killings by U.S. Captain Ernest L. Medina and Lieutenant William Calley Jr.

Following the massacre, the military superiors involved in the incident were instructed to conduct a formal investigation into the incident.

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Colonel Oran K. Henderson reported that only 20 civilians were accidentally killed in an attempt to cover up the truth of the incident. Lieutenant Colonel Frank A. Barker corroborated Hendersons report.

After the American press reported on the massacre with interviews from survivors in My Lai, Lieutenant General William R. Peers was assigned to lead an official inquiry.

According to testimonies made by soldiers from the Charlie Company platoon, Captain Medina told soldiers the night before the massacre that all the people in My Lai would be "Viet Cong or Viet Cong sympathizers, and ordered them to kill everything there  women, children, livestock."

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Another soldier testified that Colonel Henderson ordered them to "go in there aggressively, close with the enemy and wipe them out for good."

The final Peers Report, which consisted of 399 interviews with numerous soldiers and witnesses, revealed that hundreds of civilian casualties had taken place and a large number of people had contributed to suppressing evidence of any wrongdoing.

At the end of the formal investigations, Lieutenant Calley was charged with six counts of premeditated murder for the deaths of 109 South Vietnamese civilians. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison, which was later reduced to 20 years. Captain Medina was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and premeditated murder of over 100 civilians. Colonel Henderson was charged with dereliction of duty, failure to report a war crime and perjury. Medina and Henderson were acquitted of all charges.

Story continues

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AAPI business owners in Portland call for action from police over string of break-ins and vandalisms
Lance Reddick, here in 2019, has died at 60. (Photo: Getty Images for IMDb)

Lance Reddick, the lanky, stalwart character actor whose no-nonsense demeanor was on full display in the John Wick franchise opposite Keanu Reeves and acclaimed series like The Wire, Oz and Lost, died on Friday. Mia Hansen, the actor's representative at Portait PR, told Yahoo that Reddick "passed away suddenly of natural causes."

"Lance will be greatly missed," said Hansen, who requested privacy for the actor's surviving family members, wife Stephanie and children Yvonne Nicole and Christopher.

Reddick was noticeably absent from the John Wick: Chapter 4 premiere in New York City on Wednesday for reasons not immediately made clear. However the actor, who plays Charon, was doing press and participated in multiple interviews this week. The film is set to be released March 24.

In a joint statement, franchise star Reeves and Chapter 4 director Chad Stahelski announced they were dedicating the sequel to their "beloved friend" Reddick.

"We are deeply saddened and heartbroken at the loss of our beloved friend and colleague Lance Reddick. He was the consummate professional and a joy to work with," the duo said, sending prayers to Reddick's family. "We dedicate the film to his loving memory. We will miss him dearly."

Reddick's breakout role came in 2000 on HBO's prison drama Oz, playing ill-fated undercover cop Johnny Basil in a major Season 4 story arc. Reddick quickly established himself as a go-to TV presence in dozens of top-tier shows, including Law & Order: SVU, Lost and CSI: Miami. He starred as Lt. Cedric Daniels on all five seasons of The Wire and played Phillip Broyles on Fringe from 2008 to 2013. More recently he appeared in all seasons of Prime TV's Bosch as Irvin Irving, co-starred in Netflix's 2022 Resident Evil series and portrayed Zeus in the upcoming Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

In addition to the four John Wick films, Reddick had been set to star opposite Ana de Armas in the green-lit spinoff, Ballerina. His other film credits in Godzilla vs. Kong and White House Down. He stars in Kenya Barris and Doug Hall's remake of White Men Can't Jump with rapper Jack Harlow, out later this year.

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Wendell Pierce, who starred alongside Reddick on The Wire, called his friend "the epitome of class" and said the actor's death is an "unexpected sharp painful grief for our artistic family."

A man of great strength and grace. As talented a musician as he was an actor. The epitome of class. An sudden unexpected sharp painful grief for our artistic family. An unimaginable suffering for his personal family and loved ones. Godspeed my friend. You made your mark here. RIP pic.twitter.com/Xy0pl5c4NR  Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) March 17, 2023

Wire creator David Simon released a statement calling Reddick "a consummate professional, a devoted collaborator, a lovely soul and a friend. This is just gutting and way, way, way too soon for any of us who knew and loved him to contemplate."

Fellow Wire star Isiah Whitlock Jr. called news of Reddick's death "truly hearbreaking."

Shocked and saddened by the news that Lance Reddick has passed away. Truly heartbreaking.

R.I.P. My friend. You will be missed.

God speed.  Isiah Whitlock Jr. (@IsiahWhitlockJr) March 17, 2023

Kirk Acevedo, who worked on Oz and Fringe with Reddick, recalled their last conversation.

Last time I spoke with Lance was when one of our OZ brothers Granville Adams died.



Cant make this up.

This is truly sad.

We keep losing good people!

Im speechless.



Rest in peace Lance Reddick pic.twitter.com/HZe3E51BCH  KID VICIOUS (@kirkacevedo) March 17, 2023

Fellow actors Ben Stiller and Joe Manganiello, along with director and co-head of DC Studios James Gunn and other industry veterans also paid tribute to Reddick.

Lance Reddick was an incredibly nice guy, and an incredibly talented actor. This is heartbreaking. My love goes out to all his family, friends, and collaborators.  James Gunn (@JamesGunn) March 17, 2023

Damn he was such a great guy and a great actor. @lancereddick #RIP pic.twitter.com/0RqXeKgcuj  JOE MANGANIELLO (@JoeManganiello) March 17, 2023

Lance Reddick was an beautiful and compelling actor. And a beautiful person. He worked with my mom Anne Meara in her play Afterplay, playing Raziel, the waiter slash angel of death. He was exquisite in that and all he did.



Nothing is lost.   Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) March 17, 2023

Ahhh damn it. a big loss. @lancereddick Rest in peace my man. An amazing actor, and an even more amazing dude. Condolences and love to his family and all that knew him. pic.twitter.com/yz0CtBVjhY  Jeffrey Dean Morgan (@JDMorgan) March 17, 2023

So sorry to hear of the passing of Lance Reddick. A wonderful actor and such as decent man! Way too young to go!  Kurtwood Smith (@tahitismith) March 17, 2023
Lance Reddick attends the LA Premiere of Lionsgate's "Angel Has Fallen" at Regency Village Theatre on August 20, 2019 in Westwood, California. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Lance Reddick has died of natural causes at his Los Angeles home.

He was 60 years old.

Reddick was most well-known for his roles in the "John Wick" franchise and in "The Wire."

Lance Reddick, the famed actor most well-known for his roles in "The Wire" and "John Wick" has died, his reps told Insider.

He was 60 years old.

The actor died "suddenly" of "natural causes," according to representatives for Reddick. He was found dead in his home Friday morning.

The Los Angeles Police Department told Insider there was a call into the department at 9:25 a.m. local time on Friday regarding a death investigation at a house in Studio City.

"Lance will be greatly missed," his representatives said in a statement.

Reddick had a long career in television

Reddick was in the middle of promoting "John Wick 4," in which he reprises his role as Charon. The film is set to hit theaters on March 24.

He spent five seasons as Baltimore police officer Cedric Daniels on "The Wire," a lieutenant who works his way up to the title of Deputy Commissioner for Operations by the show's final season.

You could also find Reddick playing a recurring role in other popular shows such as "Lost," "Oz," and "Fringe."

He was set to appear in Disney+'s upcoming 2024 series, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" as Zeus.

Reddick appears to have skipped the "John Wick: Chapter 4" premiere in New York City Wednesday, instead, posting a video to his Instagram that appears to be taken from his home that same day.

Reddick is remembered as a "nice guy" and a "talented actor"

Reddick's co-star in "The Wire," Wendell Pierce, reacted to the news on Twitter, writing, "A man of great strength and grace. As talented a musician as he was an actor. The epitome of class. An sudden unexpected sharp painful grief for our artistic family. An unimaginable suffering for his personal family and loved ones. Godspeed my friend. You made your mark here. RIP."

Actor Isiah Whitlock Jr., who also played opposite Reddick in "The Wire," tweeted that he is "shocked and saddened" by the "heartbreaking" news of his friend's death, adding, "You will be missed."

Story continues

Ben Stiller, who's mother Anne Meara worked on a play with Reddick tweeted that Reddick was a "beautiful and compelling actor" who was "exquisite" in "all he did."

Filmmaker James Gunn, who directed "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Suicide Squad" tweeted that Reddick was "an incredibly nice guy, and an incredibly talented actor."

"This is heartbreaking," Gunn added. "My love goes out to all his family, friends, and collaborators."

Read the original article on Insider
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines)  Ladies, take center stage as SM celebrates Women Power throughout the month of March. Lots of activities both online and on-ground are in store to empower women and girls all over the country.

Join the Future of Women Global Summit

Photo from SM Supermalls

SM Supermalls joined UN Women in kicking off the IWD 2023 celebration through a womens summit last March 8 at the SM Aura Premier Samsung Hall.

Focusing on the future of women in ICT, the two-part event gathered young women, country leaders, policy makers, and advocates together to share perspectives and affirm their commitment to supporting digital equality for women and girls.

Support your local Womenpreneurs

Great finds for ladies are on sale at the SM Womenpreneur Market! This pop-up of small and medium businesses owned by women for women will give you everything you need from food and beauty to wellness and fashion!

Wednesdays are for women!

Photo from SM Supermalls

Shopping on Wednesdays has become even more tempting because the Womens Wednesday Sale is back! Achieve the glow-up you deserve with special discounts, deals, and promos on fashion, beauty, and fitness exclusively for women every Wednesday of March. So dont hold back on your shopping; you deserve all these and more!

A beautiful treat of wellness all for you

Photo from SM Supermalls

Forda glow-up and pampering sesh tayo this month because lots of self-care deals are available at the Womens Wellness Sale. Avail of great deals from wellness salons on facials, hair and body treatments, nail care, and massage from March 1 to March 31.

And more deals online!

Special deals are up for women via the SM Malls Online app. Get the best brand offerings every Wednesday from shoes and beauty and wellness to home and hobbies. Use the code WOMEN and get an extra 10% off, capped at 250. Whats great is that theres no minimum purchase required!

Also, a collection of brand vouchers will be sent to all women SM Malls Online shoppers valid all month. Wait for your Beauty Pass and give yourself the retail therapy you deserve with tons of discounts, GWP deals, samplers, in-store pick up bonuses, and mystery boxes!

Plus, the SM Malls Online app will be hosting self-care sessions online. Follow SM Supermalls on social media to get a dose of starter packages, Get-Ready-With-Me routines, and beauty products that your favorite beauty experts swear by.

Celebrate Women Power on IG!

Capture the beauty and power of women at the beautiful spots and installations all over SM. Be free to express your own uniqueness and creativity in the specially-designed selfie spaces in partnership with Selfie Studio. Dont forget to tag us on IG!

We dont know about you but exciting days await every SM woman. So be bolder, braver, and more confident! With these activities, you can confidently step forward in fashion, beauty, wellness, and express yourselves to make a positive impact.

SM City Manila. Photo from SM Supermalls SM City East Ortigas. Photo from SM Supermalls SM City Lucena. Photo from SM Supermalls SM City San Jose Del Monte. Photo from SM Supermalls Previous Next

Stay updated on all things women this International Womens Day 2023 by visiting www.smsupermalls.com and following @smsupermalls on social media.
Lance Reddick, the actor best known for starring on HBOs The Wire and the John Wick movie franchise, was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Friday. Law enforcement sources who spoke with TMZ said the cause of his death appears to be natural.

The post Lance Reddick, The Wire And John Wick Star, Dies At 60 appeared first on Shadow And Act.

In recent days, the 60-year-old star was doing a press tour for the fourth installment of the John Wick franchise. Reddick, who plays as Charon in the popular series, was scheduled to appear on Kelly Clarksons show next week.

The Hollywood star didnt attend the premiere of Wick 4 in New York City on Wednesday. Instead, he appeared to be home when he posted an Instagram photo of himself with his dogs.

Reddick, who played as Baltimore Police Department officer Cedrick Daniels on The Wire, also had several other key roles in movies and TV. Some of his well-know roles include his performances on Fringe, Bosch, Oz and Lost.

The Baltimore native earned a music degree from the University of Rochester and received his MFA from Yale.
I was honored to be able to play a show to make any kind of difference for that community.

Paul Morigi / Contributor/Getty Images

This Saturday night, March 18, Circle Network and DISH Network are teaming up to present Operation Appreciation: Bowling Green, a brand new special that will take us all back to Bowling Green, Kentucky, and shine a light back on a community that still needs the help of its neighbors. The special was filmed one year after tornadoes devastated the area in December of 2021.

Lauren Alaina plays host for the special and performs a concert for this Southern community in need. When asked to participate in this event, Alaina told Southern Living that she was honored to be able to play a show to make any kind of difference for that community.

This was the American Idol alums second visit to this Kentucky city since the tornado hit. I went to Bowling Green right after the tornadoes came through. My manager actually has a cousin who lives in Bowling Green and we heard about this family that the mother had passed. They were all in the tornado together and there was a young boy who was very severely injured They lost everything so we got them some furniture and took them school supplies and everything the kids would need and took it down there to them.

She added, It was devastating to see. News coverage on things like that just cant really show you the impact. Its completely different to see it in person.

The personal connection she made with the family really stuck with Alaina. That moms never coming back home. Shes gone and their home is gone. They had to get a whole new life. And theyre just one example of that, that family is.

Watching communities have to pick up the pieces and move on after destructive storms is not something new for Alaina. I have a level of understanding of storms because Im from Rossville, Georgia, and in 2011 when I was on American Idol, my hometown area was hit by a terrible tornado and my hometown visit was seeing that for the first time.

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Alaina acknowledged that while she understands why the news cycle moves on, shes glad to be able to shine the spotlight back on the needs of the people of Kentucky. Things happen every day but for those people, they live that every single day, she said.

I do try to use my platform for good. Its very important to me. It gives a sense of purpose to a very different life. I mean fame is weird. But if I can use it for good thats what I want to do with it. Sounds very cheesy but its true.



The people of Bowling Green and the rest of Western Kentucky are still recovering and rebuilding from the destruction caused by that tornado outbreak. If you would like to help, Habitat for Humanity Bowling Green/Warren County is still on the ground doing great work. You can also help by donating to the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund.



Be sure to tune into Circle Network for Operation Appreciation: Bowling Green on Saturday, March 18 at 8:30p.m. EST.

For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Southern Living.
Leaders of several counties unveiled a plan for housing and reducing Californias homeless population, and the first step they said is clarifying the lines of responsibility.

Stanislaus Countys Vito Chiesa was on a panel of six county supervisors around the state that outlined the AT HOME Plan during a California State Association of Counties news conference Thursday on Zoom.

Other than obvious points like increasing the supply of housing, the plan calls for transparency and improving data sharing to make programs more effective, boosting the behavioral health workforce that assists the homeless and strengthening safety-net programs so more people dont join the 171,000 who are unhoused in California.

Supervisors also made a controversial proposal to change environmental laws that empower neighbors to oppose affordable housing projects.

In addition, employment and education are essential to reducing the homeless population, the county elected officials said.

Keith Carson, an Alameda County supervisor, said more flexibility, less red tape and a streamlined process would help with building supportive housing for those who need it. He said affordable dwellings are lacking for older residents, the disabled, adults coming out of incarceration and California residents with the lowest incomes.

The CSAC board members said changes in state law and the state budget are necessary to implement the AT HOME Plan and address the humanitarian crisis.

Gov. Gavin Newsom recently has pressed for more energy from local government, including counties, to use ample resources provided by the state to implement programs for homeless people. Counties like Stanislaus operate under federal and state mandates to provide the health and human services needed to address homelessness.

When asked about the governors comments, CSAC Chief Executive Officer Graham Knaus said: We thank the governor and Legislature, the county family and cities for incredible leadership and investments over the past several years. Were it not for those, we would not be in a position to have this conversation.

Story continues

Knaus said local government needs clarity on who is supposed to be doing what, how its funded, and the authority and flexibility to deliver results. If we cant achieve the results, we should be held accountable for that, he said.

Chiesa said there are 11 separate funding streams to house people in Stanislaus County, many of whom are impaired by mental illness.

Local government is forced to piece together multiple funding sources for a single project, Chiesa said. Often the funding programs are too restrictive or do not line up with local needs.

Supervisor Chuck Washington of Riverside County said no level of government  counties, cities or the state  is solely responsible for addressing the homeless crisis, but the government entities need to be on the same page.
Photo of Kindred Spirits sculpture, Midleton, County Cork. (Photo/Wikipedia)

St Patricks Day is a day to remember the death of St. Patrick, Irelands patron saint. It is also a day to remember the close relationship the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma has with the people of Ireland.

The relationship goes back to the Great Famine. During the years 1845 through 1852, the Irish people were experiencing a potato famine. It was during this time that a disease poisoned the Irishs potato crops which caused mass starvation and death. Their population decreased by 20 - 25 percent.

Even before the Irish famine, the Irish were plagued by colonization efforts perpetrated by England. The Irish language, culture, and traditions were nearly eradicated.

The history of the Irish is something that resonates deeply with Native communities.

Because of this empathy, the Choctaw people decided to do what they could to assist the Irish. In 1847, they sent them $170which is close to $5,000 in todays dollarsacross the Atlantic Ocean through a group of Quakers. The money was used to help feed the starving people in Ireland. Even though the Choctaw people had been forced on their Trail of Tears, a deeply devastating event, only 16 years prior, they still did what they could to help.

The Irish were eternally grateful, and still express their gratitude in many ways today.

In 2017, a sculpture was erected in Midleton, Ireland. Called "Kindred Spirits," the sculpture was erected to remember the special bond the Choctaws maintain with the Irish. "Kindred Spirits" was dedicated to the kindness and goodwill of the Choctaw people.

In 2018, then Irelands Prime Minister Leo Varadkar visited the Choctaw Nation and created a continuing series of yearly scholarships for Choctaw students to study in Ireland

Most recently in 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic that severely plagued the Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation disproportionately compared to the wider American public, the Irish made a large donation to those communities.

About the Author: "Neely Bardwell (descendant of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indian) is a staff reporter for Native News Online. Bardwell is also a student at Michigan State University where she is majoring in policy and minoring in Native American studies. "

Contact: neely@nativenewsonline.net
(Reuters) - At least 22 people, including three Buddhist monks, were shot dead at close range in central Myanmar last week, according to a doctor's post-mortem report, in what opponents of military rule say was a massacre of civilians conducted by the army.

A spokesman for Myanmar's junta, which staged a coup two years ago to depose the elected government, said its troops had been involved in clashes with rebel fighters in the Pinlaung region of southern Shan state but had not harmed any civilians.

Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said in a statement the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) and another rebel group entered the village of Nan Neint after government forces arrived to provide security with a local people's militia.

"When the terrorist groups violently opened fire some villagers were killed and injured," he said.

He did not respond to multiple calls from Reuters for further comment.

Reuters could not independently verify any of the claims.

A spokesman for the KNDF said its soldiers entered Nan Neint on Sunday and found dead bodies scattered at a Buddhist monastery.

Video and photographs provided by the KNDF and another group, the Karenni Revolution Union (KRU), showed bullet wounds to the torso and heads of the dead bodies and bullet holes in the walls of the monastery. Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the material.

A post-mortem report by Dr. Ye Zaw, who is part of the National Unity Government, an exiled civil administration formed since the coup, said automatic weapons were likely used at close range to kill 22 people, including three saffron-robed monks.

"Since there were no military uniforms, equipment and ammunition found on the rest of the bodies, it is evident that they were civilians," said the report, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters.

"Since all the dead bodies were found within the compound of Nan Nein monastery, it is evident that this was a massacre."

Story continues

Fighting has been raging in the area for at least two weeks, with about 100 structures burnt down in and around the site of the alleged massacre in Nan Neint, according to local media reports, resistance forces and satellite images verified by Myanmar Witness, an organisation that documents human rights violations.

The Southeast Asian country has been in crisis since the military seized power in February 2021, ending a decade of tentative steps towards democracy by unseating the administration led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Resistance movements, some armed, have emerged nationwide, which the military has countered with lethal force and labelled "terrorists". Some ethnic military forces have also sided against the junta.

Aung Myo Min, the human rights minister in the National Unity Government, said the junta had ramped up combat operations and attacked groups of unarmed civilians in at least four instances in the last two weeks.

"It is clearly evident that the strategy of the junta is to target civilians, which is a crime against humanity," he told reporters in an online media conference.

The junta has denied it targets civilians, saying its troops only respond to attacks by "terrorists".

At least 3,137 people have been killed in the military crackdown since the coup, according to the non-profit Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

The United Nations has accused the military of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

(Reporting by Reuters staff; Editing by Devjyot Ghoshal and Lincoln Feast.)
For a variety of reasons, more Black residents, even older established families, in Beaufort are finding it too expensive to maintain properties, with more houses falling into disrepair or becoming vacant, says Fred S. Washington Jr., who once served on the Beaufort City Council.

A new effort, spearheaded by the newly formed Freedman Arts District, is afoot to help revitalize Beauforts historically Black neighborhoods by investing in restorations of vacant houses, aided by a $1.2 million anonymous commitment.

The aim of the program is to assist property owners in restoring and renting out their houses, turning liabilities into assets, while retaining family ownership and preserving the architecture.

Washington sees the program as an opportunity for longtime residents to take advantage of Beauforts strong tourism economy and growing demand for places to stay.

If you have another structure that can help support you  that you know theres a market for visitors coming in  you can help generate some income, Washington says.

A vacant property that Washington owns on Greene Street thats seen better days is one of the first properties that will be renovated.

Im hoping this project will demonstrate there is an opportunity to maintain ownership, he says.

A property owned by Fred S. Washington on Greene Street in The Freedman Arts District, which partners with families to restore property, will be renovated. Im hoping this project will demonstrate there is an opportunity to maintain ownership, Washington says.

The Freedman Arts District, where the work is focused, was launched in November. The area encompasses core downtown-area Beaufort neighborhoods. Its also the name of the not-for-profit behind the initiative.

The district takes its name from previously enslaved people who built small timber-framed homes with gable roofs and a piazza that became known as freedman cottages.

The majority of the housing needs are in the Northwest Quadrant and Old Commons neighborhoods, which make up more than half of the new district, and were settled almost entirely by African Americans during and following the Civil War. Until the early 1990s, the district continued to house a largely Black population.

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These are the people who really made this neighborhood what it is, says Stacy Applegate, the Freedman Arts District executive director.

With the $1.2 million, a revolving fund has been set up thats being tapped for loans to complete the remodeling. The district will lease the property, then sublet it to a renter. A portion of the rent will go to the homeowner for cash flow. The rest will go toward insurance and taxes and maintenance management and repaying the revolving fund.

Applegate also will be writing grant applications to get additional funding.

Applegate estimates that at least 75 vacant houses in the district would be eligible for loans, with the majority in the Northwest Quadrant and Old Commons neighborhoods. Several projects are already underway.

The district also is promoting the area as a great place for artists to live, create and market and assisting them with finding places to live and getting permits for signs and marketing.

Artists, who are less picky about modern floor plans and prefer to walk, will be potential tenants of the restored homes, Applegate notes.

They both increase the economic viability of this district, Applegate said of the work restoring homes and promoting the arts.

Its also a goal to expand enrollment in arts education at the University of South Carolina Beaufort.

The boundaries of the Freedman Arts District in Beaufort.

One cause of the vacancies is the complex ownership situations among property heirs.

In the Lowcountry, heirs property often is owned by Black families whose tradition was to orally pass down possessions, including land, according to the Center for Heirs Property Preservation in Charleston. Without a clear title, it is a challenge for families to secure a mortgage or get financial assistance to improve property, the center says. The result is that families pay taxes on property that they are unable to improve, with the neglected land becoming a neighborhood blight. Family members also share common ownership, complicating the problem more.

Another factor in some homes falling into disrepair is the expense of meeting the higher standards of building rules within the historic district, where the properties are located, Washington says. He would like to see the city provide more assistance to property owners.

Washingtons hope is that the city can find a middle ground between preserving historic homes and keeping them affordable. Some local families, he says, are being priced out as a result of the citys growth.

Beaufort was a sleepy little town and I guess its not so sleepy anymore, Washington says. Its a great tourist attraction. Its a very scenic place and idyllic in many ways and the pace of living for many people is kind of ideal, although thats changing.

Applegate calls the effort to assist with the citys housing issues a drop in the bucket, but adds, Its a start.

The district, Applegate said, is trying to keep the restoration costs as low as possible. Once the house has rental history, she said, it can be easier to acquire a mortgage and pay back the revolving fund.

This property on the 1600 block of Duke Street in the Freedman Art District will be remodeled and rented out as part of a new program to restore properties in the Old Commons and Northwest Quadrant neighborhoods in Beaufort.

This really could be nice with the right development, says Ken Singleton, as he sizes up his property on Duke Street, noting its beautiful yard that includes a goldfish pond.

Singletons property also is slated for improvements through the program. Singleton wants to see it transformed so its no longer an eyesore and he, too, can benefit from the citys growth and demand for quality housing.

In her research, Applegate says, shes been unable to find a program quite like it in the country.

Owners of property in the citys historic district that is designated a contributing structure are eligible for tax breaks when they invest in improvements. And the Historic Beaufort Foundation, a not-for-profit that works to preserve the citys historical structures, has acquired and stabilized over 30 downtown-area properties in disrepair or slated for demolition. It places easements on the properties before selling them.

What makes the Freedman Arts District effort stand out from existing historic preservation efforts is its focus on restoring property and renting it out so it can remain in the family, Applegate says.

Our goal is to keep the homes in the family, give them some current cash flow and create generational wealth, she says.
Lebanon City Police are asking for residents help in identifying the shooter involved in a Wednesday morning incident at the corner of 10th and Church Street.

Police were dispatched to an undisclosed Lebanon medical facility at 2:54 a.m. for an assault, officials said in a release. When they arrived officers spoke with the 29-year-old victim, who had two gunshot wounds.

The victim had been shot in the area of 10th and Church St. and was transported to the hospital by a friend. The name was not released by officials as of Friday afternoon.

At 2:46 a.m. the same day, police were dispatched to the same area for a well check. The caller reported that the subject they were concerned about had left the area in a vehicle prior to the police arriving.

Police said were able to determine the two incidents were related, but did not release the name or description of a possible suspect as of Friday afternoon.

The circumstances of the shooting are still under investigation, but police said they do not believe this is a random act of gun violence.

Juan Delgado Rodriguez:Lebanon man charged with homicide after shooting on Lehman Street Thursday, police say

Robbery:Two Lebanon men arrested in separate robbery, burglary incidents, police say

Anyone with information about these shootings is asked to contact the Lebanon City Police Department at 717-272-6611 or Crime Stoppers at 717-270-9800.

This investigation is ongoing. Please check back with the Lebanon Daily News for updates.

Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on Twitter at @DAMattToth.

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Police asking for information on shooting of 29-year-old Wednesday
[Source]

Shocking CCTV footage captured a stray leopard entering a village in Pune, India, to kill and drag away a residents pet dog.

The leopard was recorded committing the act at the home of farmer Sambhaji Baban Jadhav in Shinde Vasti of Nere village on the night of March 15. In the video, the animal can be seen entering the verandah where the dog was tied to a leash.

Jadhav said he reported the incident to surrounding forest officials and staff, the Pune Mirror reported.

When we found our pet dog missing, we checked our CCTV cameras and found that the leopard took away our dog," he said, according to the outlet. "We immediately informed the gram panchayat and the forest department. However, no forest official or staff has visited our village till date.

More from NextShark: Japanese man punks the internet by 'eating' pet pig named Kalbi after 100-day YouTube series

Leopards have reportedly been commonly seen near the Nere villages for the past three years. However, in the past seven to eight months, increasing leopard sightings in Nere, Jambe and Kasarsai have incited fear in villagers.

Although residents have relayed the sightings and requested the forest department set up traps to catch the wild animals, authorities have reportedly failed to display any efforts at catching the leopards.

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Are they waiting for the animal to attack us? Jadhav questioned, according to the Pune Mirror. Why didnt they take any action earlier? People are scared to step out of their houses.

While the local government normally compensates owners for livestock killed by wild animals, Mulshi range forest officer Santosh Chavan told The Times of India, "this particular case won't qualify for compensation. We will still move a proposal to see if the farmer can be given some financial aid for constructing a compound wall around the house."

More from NextShark: Alleged church shooter sent diary calling himself 'destroying angel' to newspaper before attack
Gloria Molina, seen in 2012 while serving as an L.A. County supervisor, announced she has terminal cancer. (Ted Soqui / Corbis via Getty Images)

To the editor: I had been the chief executive of L.A. Care Health Plan for about 10 years when then-L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina was appointed to our board to represent the county. "You're in for it now," I heard from all corners, as she had a reputation for tearing into people with criticism. ("Gloria Molina, you were always a chingona. L.A. will miss you," column, March 14)

My experience was just the opposite. The supervisor challenged us with great and relevant questions in an attempt to make sure that L.A. residents, particularly her constituents, were receiving quality care. If she thought anyone was being less than candid or was hiding something, she did go after them with a vengeance, but all in pursuit of protecting Angelenos.

Molina is more than a trailblazer  she has always had a great nose for the truth. She will be missed.

Howard Kahn, Altadena

..

To the editor: Missing in Gustavo Arrellano's column on Molina's legacy is how she shaped California politics statewide.

As political pundits capitulate to the San Francisco Bay Area as the power center of California politics, Molina's role cannot be understated. She was the first Latina elected to the state Legislature, and three years later she became the sole Latina co-founder of the California Legislative Women's Caucus.

Elevating Molina's impact in the world's fourth-largest economy is easy. Today, Latinas represent almost half of the Women's Caucus members. Latina legislators represent 60% of the Latino Legislative Caucus' members and have held the chair position since 2018.

My only question is what today's Democratic Party would look like if we had sent Molina to the U.S. Senate in 1992. There would be a hell of a lot more chingonas!

Sonja Diaz, Los Angeles

The writer is founding executive director of the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute.

..

To the editor: I am heartbroken by Molina's terminal cancer diagnosis. A brilliant and courageous fighter, she opened the door for all Latinas.

Story continues

Molina first ran for state Assembly when Latino and Sacramento politics was dominated by machismo. It was not easy at that time for a Latina to promote herself. Molina paved the way and promoted other women, as she became the first Latina in the Assembly, on the L.A. City Council and on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.

Molina never let us down or embarrassed us. She knew what her role as being the first at something meant. She fought for her community and helped other women and Latinas run for office.

As a county supervisor, Molina understood the role she played in the lives of more than 100,000 residents of unincorporated East Los Angeles. She always was there for us.

Thank you, Gloria.

Clara Solis, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: Many years ago when Molina was my City Council member, I contacted her about a traffic change on our street that was causing some problems. A week later, I got a hand-signed letter from her: "Mr. Smith, you are absolutely right. I will have this taken care of. Thanks for letting me know."

One week later, the problem was fixed.

There will never be another like Molina. I hope she knows how much respect and admiration her constituents have for her.

David Smith, Los Angeles

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 14)  The Department of Health (DOH) said about eight million COVID-19 vaccine doses are set to expire by October this year.

However, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said they were still waiting for word from the Food and Drug Administration on the possible extension of the shelf life of millions of vaccines.

"Ang atin pong to expire would be around 15.3 million, pero dito sa 15.3 million na ito tatanggalin natin yung almost seven million na inaantay pa natin ang desisyon ng FDA together with the manufacturers who have applied kung mare-reextend yung shelf life," Vergeire said at a briefing on Tuesday.

[Translation: The ones set to expire would be around 15.3 million, but from that number we would be taking out almost seven million because we are waiting for the FDA's decision, along with manufacturers who have applied to see whether the shelf life would be extended.]

"So pag tinignan ho natin, we have from March until October na tinitignan na to expire na vaccines, and these would comprise around eight million, kasi tatanggalin natin yung mga naka-quarantine which are waiting for reextension," she clarified.

[Translation: When we look at it, we are seeing around eight million vaccines set to expire from March to October because we are excluding those udder quarantine waiting for a reextension.]

However, the DOH did not say when they FDA could give an answer on when the re-extension for the vaccines would be granted.

At a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee probe last week, the DOH earlier said vaccine wastage could exceed 50 million doses by the end of the month.

Vergeire explained that wastage does not only cover vaccines that are expiring.

"Kapag pinag-usapan ang wastage it doesn't just include expiring vaccines but also those operationally ay na-waste because of other reasons katulad ng nasunog, lumubog sa dagat. Meron din dahil sa temperature excursions and so on and so forth," she said at Tuesday's briefing.

[Translation: When we talk about wastage, it doesn't just include expiring vaccines but also those operationally wasted because of other reasons like these were burned, sank in the sea. There is also temperature excursions and so on and so forth.]

In a bid to prevent further wastage, the DOH said it will bring vaccines closer to people.

"Ano yung forward measures natin? Katulad nung nasabi namin nung nag Blue Ribbon Committee sa Senate, sinabi that we are now making the vaccines closer to our communities kung saan tinalaga na natin na naintegrate natin ang COVID-19 vaccination sa regular programs ng ating local facilities," said Vergeire.

[Translation: Our forward measures include taking the vaccines closer to our communities where we will integrate the COVID-19 vaccinations to the regular program of local facilities.]

She added this meant any time the public would want to get vaccinated, they would only need to go to any health center to get the COVID-19 jab.
When the seat belt light blinks on, every passenger buckles up except for one group of fliers: lap-babies. Unrestrained children sharing a seat with their parents are exempt from the safety mandate, presenting a growing concern amid recent incidents of severe turbulence.

"We've seen airplanes go through turbulence recently and drop 4,000 feet in a split second," said Sara Nelson, the international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. "The G-forces are not something even the most loving mother or father can guard against and hold their child. It's just physically impossible."

Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.

The union is pressing for a rule change that would require all passengers, regardless of age, to occupy an airplane seat with a restraint. Currently, children under 2 can fly free on their parents' laps.

The AFA-CWA raised the issue Wednesday at the Federal Aviation Administration safety summit in Northern Virginia and has submitted its list of priorities, including "a seat for every soul," to Congress. Legislators are in the process of crafting a FAA reauthorization bill, which expires in September. The union submitted the same recommendation during the last round of reauthorization in 2018.

The tragedy that haunts Nelson occurred in 1989, when United Flight 232 crash-landed in Sioux City, Iowa. Following protocol, the flight attendants instructed the parents to wrap their unbuckled babies in blankets and place them on the floor. Three of the infants suffered injuries, and one died.

"Sadly this has been more than a 30-year priority for our union," Nelson said. "We must have children safe on the plane and in their own seats with a proper restraint device to make sure it never happens again."

In 1994, the debate reemerged when a little girl sitting on her mother's lap died in a USAir crash in Charlotte.

Story continues

"The safest possible thing is for everybody to be restrained," said Ben Hoffman, president-elect of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

According to the FAA's Civil Air Regulation Section 40.174, "A seat and an individual safety belt are required for each passenger and crew member excluding infants, who are in other than a recumbent position."

Over the years, a variety of organizations and experts have contested the wisdom of this regulation, including the National Transportation Safety Board and the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security.

On many foreign carriers, parents can (loosely) secure their child with a belly loop belt that wraps around the baby's torso and attaches to the adult's seat belt. However, the FAA prohibits this accessory on U.S. carriers because of its potential dangers.

"During dynamic testing, the forward flailing of the adult and the child resulted in severe body impacts against the forward seat," the agency stated in an advisory circular that addresses the supplemental belt.

Hoffman said the safest option is for parents to purchase a seat for their infant or toddler and secure them in a FAA-approved child restraint system (or car seat, in parenting vernacular). The agency has also certified a harness-like contraption called the Child Aviation Restraint System, or CARES, which the company AmSafe recommends for children weighing 20 to 40 pounds.

Interestingly, the FAA echoes this position. In its "Flying with Children" overview, the agency states: "The safest place for your child under the age of two on a U.S. airplane is in approved child restraint system (CRS) or device, not in your lap. Your arms aren't capable of holding your in-lap child securely, especially during unexpected turbulence, which is the number one cause of pediatric injuries on an airplane."

The International Air Transport Association's Best Practices Guide also recommends that parents tuck their children into a restraining device approved by the country's safety regulator and the airline. But the association concedes: "If the responsible person does not provide an approved infant restraint system, or if the CRS is not accepted in accordance with the airline's policy or State regulations, the infant should be held by a responsible person."

Hoffman recognizes the drawbacks of requiring parents to purchase airplane tickets for their youngsters. The main concern is that families will not be able to afford the airfare and will resort to driving, a more perilous mode of transportation.

"If they travel by car instead, they will actually be putting themselves at a significantly greater risk, because car crashes are so much more common than airplane incidents, whether it's a crash or turbulence," Hoffman said.

To emphasize his point, he cited a 2003 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics that assessed the risks to children if families switched from air to car travel. The researchers determined that if as few as 5 to 10 percent of travelers hit the road instead of flying, the number of infant deaths caused by car accidents would likely exceed the number of fatalities averted by requiring child restraints on planes.

"Unless space for young children in restraint seats can be provided at low cost to families, with little or no diversion to automobile travel, a policy requiring restraint seat use could cause a net increase in deaths," the researchers concluded.

Hoffman said the best solution is for airlines to discount tickets for young travelers. "That would be great if the airline provided some mechanism to support the parents and not charge a full fare," he said. "But the current system is cost prohibitive for many families."

Colleen Lanin, the founder and editor of TravelMamas.com, flew once with her child on her lap and never again. Concerned about endangering her children, she decided to invest in seats for her daughter and son on subsequent flights.

She first used an FAA-approved car seat, which was safer but not stress-free: On a flight from San Diego to Minneapolis-St. Paul, a helpful passenger had fastened the gear so tightly to the plane seat, she could not remove it at her final destination. The airline had to call security to help. Once her children could sit up independently, she used a CARES harness, which is significantly lighter and less bulky than a car seat, which can be a hassle to drag through the airport.

"Pay for the extra seat. It makes your life so much easier," said Lanin, whose children are now teenagers. "If you can't afford that ticket, find a more affordable flight, or fly to a closer destination, or fly during weird times."

Some parents have discovered temporary reprieves from holding their babies on long-haul flights. When their youngest daughter was a baby, Jolene and Andrzej Ejmont, founders of Wanderlust Storytellers, would reserve a bassinet, an amenity often available on international flights. However, during takeoff, landing and stretches of bumpy air, the Ejmonts would have to hold Avalee-Rose, who is now 7 years old.

"During minor turbulence, the [flight attendants] would take the bassinet off, and we would have to take her out, put her back in, out, in," Andrej said. "It was very annoying."

The couple also secured Avalee-Rose in a carrier worn like a chest pack. "That felt safer because she was always on me, strapped in," said Ejmont, whose family of five is based in Australia and spends about half the year traveling. But like the bassinet, the airline requires parents to remove their babies during certain maneuvers and conditions.

Hoffman warns that the carrier is not foolproof, especially during severe turbulence. "The child can slip out of it because of all of that force. A plane that falls 4,000 feet in seconds - that's like being shot out of a cannon. A front pack is not going to do the same as a car seat."

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Despite being one of the most recognizable actors and singers in the world right now, "The Little Mermaid" star Halle Bailey politely explained to fans on a recent Instagram live how to correctly pronounce her name.

"You know, I really appreciate you asking because so many people don't know how to pronounce it correctly," she said in the video on March 15. "It's literally just 'Hal-ee.' It's simple. It's easy. It's Halle, not Holly, not Haley. It's Halle."

Halle Bailey teaches the gentry how to pronounce her name correctly pic.twitter.com/bWNpBadzOA  Chloe x Halle Now  (@cxhnow) March 16, 2023

Bailey's name is pronounced the same as famous actor Halle Berry, the first Black woman to win in the best actress category at the Academy Awards. Berry won the award in 2002, two years after Bailey was born.

Bailey plays the lead character in Disneys anticipated live-action remake of the 1989 "Little Mermaid" animated film, set to be released in the U.S. on May 26, 2023. Disney released the film's latest trailer during the Academy Awards ceremony on March 12.

She is also one half of the musical duo Chloe x Halle with her sister, Chloe Bailey.

In her video chat, Bailey explained that she decided to go live to thank her fans for their support following her successful Oscars weekend.

Halle Bailey arrives before the 95th Academy Awards on March 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, CA. (Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet / Redux Pictures)

"I just wanted to come on here and talk to you for a second because ... this past weekend was so amazing and so much fun for me. And I just feel like all these emotions, I feel so grateful. I feel relieved," she said, adding that she's thrilled people finally get "to see what Ive worked on for a very, very long time."

"A big thank you to you all for just supporting me and holding on tight and sticking around and believing in me," she said, adding that her birthday is coming up.

"I'm turning 23, and I feel like everything is falling into place. I feel like this is my Jordan year," she said.

Bailey also said she is currently in the studio working on more music. Her sister Chloe Baileys debut solo album, In Pieces, is coming out in late March.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Capping off its 110th year in business, L.L. Bean reported net revenues of $1.8 billion  a 1 percent decline compared to fiscal year 2021.

There had been record-breaking sales for the company in 2021, which rose 14 percent. But it held onto recent gains to yield its second-strongest revenue performance in company history.

More from WWD

L.L. Bean sells its apparel, footwear, accessories and gear through such venues as e-commerce, freestanding stores, wholesale partnerships, mobile selling, L.L. Bean for Business, and its signature catalogue. The company has invested in top-performing categories such as Active and Rugged, and has expanded its inclusive sizing and adopted a one-price model for all apparel. As has been the case in the past, the company is marking that strong performance by giving about 5,500 of its employees a bonus of 13.5 percent of annual pay. That bump up consists of a 7.5 percent cash bonus and a 6 percent 401(k) contribution.

L.L. Bean president and chief executive officer Stephen Smith said in a statement released Friday, Our global teams continued to skillfully navigate a changing retail environment and uncertain economic climate, citing innovative products, accurate inventory forecasting, supply chain, agility, efficient fulfillment systems, engaging marketing and customer service as examples.

The Maine-based omnichannel company saw growth in categories that reflect the changing lifestyles in a post-pandemic world. About 68 percent of employees indicated that they prefer remote work in a survey earlier this year. Part of that appeal for some is the opportunity to dress more comfortably and off-hours maintain physical activities and pursue outdoor activities. L.L. Beans fishing products, for example, posted an all-time sales record of 5 percent growth gain with technical fishing apparel sales up by 13 percent.

Story continues

For full-year 2022, L.L. Beans top-performing categories reflect those shifts with womens and mens apparel reaching an all-time combined sales record. Some ultracasual categories spiked, like quilted sweatshirts and wearable throws, which were up by 112 percent and 252 percent, respectively. Some WFH-ers must be keeping their footwear casual, too, considering that L.L. Beans Wicked Good Slippers were the companys bestselling product, and generated eight pairs sold per minute during the holidays. The company, which has stores and offices in Maine, Costa Rica, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, hired 4,000 seasonal employees last year. In total, L.L. Bean invested $55 million in employee benefits, which included holiday gifts.

The Maine-based omnichannel company saw growth in categories that reflect the changing lifestyles in a post-pandemic world.

Last year the company unveiled a 390,000-square-foot campus and revealed a $50 million multiyear plan to update its flagship and retail campus in its home city of Freeport, Maine. Two new stores bowed in the U.S. and one debuted in Canada, as well as five others in Canada through a partnership with the Jaytex Group. One of the latest additions to L.L. Beans Freeport store hails to its roots. There, shoppers will find Marin Skincares soothing hydrating cream, which is made partially from lobster protein. Marin teamed with another Maine-based company, Lukes Lobster, to extract the lobster protein that is used for its beauty cream.

Best of WWD

Click here to read the full article.
If youre looking for a job in health care, youre in luck.

Orlando Health is hosting three hiring events next week to fill open nursing positions.

The first event is Monday from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, located at 83 W. Miller St.

At the event, Orlando Health is recruiting for registered nurses and nursing assistants.

Read: What is sargassum, the 5,000-mile-long mat of seaweed heading toward Florida?

The next event will be Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Orlando Health South Lake Hospital, at 1900 Don Wickham Drive in Clermont.

At the event, Orlando Health is looking to hire graduate nurses and registered nurses.

The last event of the week will be Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Orlando Health Guest Services at 1222 S. Orange Ave., Orlando.

Read: ICC issues arrest warrant for Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine

This event will take place at Orlando Health Heart and Vascular Institute on the first floor. At the event, Orlando Health is looking for guest service representatives.

Click here to register and for more information.

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.
Thousands of education workers rally downtown Wednesday to call on Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Alberto Carvalho to use the districts $4.9 billion in reserves to invest in staff, students and communities.

Thousands of education workers rally downtown Wednesday to call on Los Angeles Unified School District Supt. Alberto Carvalho to use the districts $4.9 billion in reserves to invest in staff, students and communities.

Two Los Angeles Unified School District unions, comprised of about 65,000 workers, are prepared to strike next week amid negotiations for better pay and wider access to health care, among other demands.

The school district, with about 565,000 students, is the second largest in the U.S., following closely behind by New York City, with roughly 600,000 students, the districts website says. The looming strike would mean that the more than 1,000 schools in the district would close Tuesday through Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The district and the union have been negotiating over a slew of improvements for workers since April 2022, including seeking 30% raises, an increase in full-time work hours, the right to file complaints about harassment or mistreatment, and additional staffing, Service Employees International Union Local 99 said in a contract summary laying out their demands.

This strike would be the first since 2019, when workers went on strike for six days after 20 months of negotiations. Schools remained open at that time, but it was the first strike in more than three decades, earning the backing of many Democrats inside and outside of the city.

The union organized the strike after 96% of the workers approved it, the SEIU said in a Wednesday press release.

Im ready to strike for the respect we deserve, Janette Verbera, an LAUSD special education assistant, said in the press release. I am a single mother and for the past 20 years, I have worked two and sometimes three jobs just to support my family. Im exhausted and not just because Im physically tired, it is debilitating to do a job day-in-and-day-out that I passionately love and be at a salary below the poverty wage level. How do we properly service our students when we are being overworked and underpaid and disrespected?

Story continues

United Teachers Los Angeles, another union in the district, is also planning to strike in solidarity with SEIU, bringing the total number of striking workers to about 65,000.

We wont let anyone tell us that the historic level of resources cant be used to make our lives better, our students lives better, and our communities stronger, UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz said in a Wednesday press release. In a school district where 86% of students live in poverty and staff salaries arent nearly enough to pay rent or sometimes even put food on the table, we are proud to stand alongside the members of SEIU Local 99 as we demand an end to the hoarding of resources and call on LAUSD to make the investments today necessary to secure our success tomorrow.

I want to personally apologize to our families and our students, LAUSD Supt. Alberto Carvalho tweeted on Wednesday. You deserve better. Know that we are doing everything possible to avoid a strike.

LAUSD declined to provide additional comment. UTLA and SEIU also declined to provide HuffPost with additional comment.

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Democrats in Republican-leaning Louisiana are trying to buck expectations for a third consecutive cycle in this years open gubernatorial race as term-limited Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) prepares to leave office.

A divided Republican field is raising Democrats hopes of clearing the all-party primary on Oct. 14 and making it to the November general election. But Democrats acknowledge they face several challenges to maintaining the governorship.

I dont think anyone thinks that its going to be an easy task, said Richard Carbo, Edwardss former deputy chief of staff and 2019 campaign manager. [Y]ou just have the headwinds of national politics and the Republican leaning of the state that are working against you. But  the governor showed how to defy those odds[.]

Edwards is the only statewide elected Democrat in Louisiana. According to Morning Consult polling toward the end of last year, 51 percent approved of Edwardss job performance (40 percent disapproved).

Recent state Secretary of Transportation and Development Shawn Wilson entered the race last week, and Edwards endorsed him the next day.

The endorsement is an indication that the Democrats are trying to rally around one candidate in order to hopefully, for them, secure a chance in the runoff round, said Sean Cain, associate professor of political science at Loyola University New Orleans. One other Democrat, pastor Daniel Cole, is in the race.

Several Republicans are running. The Louisiana Republican Party endorsed Jeff Landry, the states attorney general, in November.

In January, party chairman Louis Gurvich attributed Edwardss 2015 and 2019 wins to Republican division in those primaries. Gurvich said the party has united behind Landry and called on U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) not to run. Graves announced last week he wont join the race after weighing a bid.

Two days later, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry president Stephen Waguespack, a Republican, announced his resignation and entered the race. Additional candidates have until Aug. 10 to join.

Story continues

Waguespack previously served as chief of staff to former Gov. Bobby Jindal (R). Waguespack left the governors office in 2012.

Jindal is the states last Republican governor. He left office in 2016 and had an approval rating below 40 percent toward the end of his tenure.

John Couvillon, a pollster based in Louisiana, told The Hill last week that if Waguespack entered, hed be a formidable candidate from the business-emphasizing wing of the party, with the ability to fundraise and make himself known. Couvillon typically works with Republicans and said hes not involved in any of the gubernatorial campaigns.

Waguespack said on a recent radio show that his record stands out among candidates: I understand how the inside of the governors office works, I understand the thoughts and hearts and dreams of the business community.  I have a proven record of conservative values, but bringing people together at the same time and working with everyone.

Couvillon said Landry is in the conservative wing of the party, which Couvillon characterized as putting an emphasis more on social issues, and/or taking more of a confrontational tone against Democrats.

Landry recently pushed for a state law restricting what books minors can take out of public libraries. Among the positions discussed on his campaign website are his opposition to abortion and to mask and vaccine mandates in schools. A Law and Order section says that incompetent mayors and woke district attorneys are playing a dangerous game of catch and release.

Cain discussed Landrys record as a Tea Party Caucus member in the U.S. House, where he served from 2011 to 2013, and as attorney general, saying hes positioned himself as economically and socially conservative, which to some degree fits with the states generally more economically and socially conservative perspectives compared to perhaps the nation as a whole. Cain also said other Republican candidates may try to paint him as too extreme.

The challenge for Republicans, Couvillon said, will be having an enthusiastic party base without turning off more independent voters in the runoff. A runoff election takes place if no candidate gets a majority in October. Couvillon said he expects Wilson and one of the Republicans to be in a runoff.

Thirty-nine percent of the states registered voters are Democrats, 34 percent are Republicans and 27 percent have other affiliations.

Wilson is emphasizing the theme of bringing people together, saying in a campaign ad, Louisiana needs a governor who will build bridges, not burn them  a statement that also alludes to his experience as transportation and development secretary.

Carbo said Wilson is respected on both sides of the aisle, pointing to his years in state government under both Democratic and Republican governors. Wilson is not going to be this partisan, abrasive flamethrower that youll see from the candidates on the other side, Carbo, who is close to Wilson and supports his bid but doesnt have an official role in the campaign, told The Hill last week.

Cain said the challenge for a Democrat is to make the case that the party and its agenda is still something that can appeal to Louisiana voters and that Edwardss endorsement could help Wilson there.

One area where Wilson departs from Edwards is abortion policy. Edwards, one of few anti-abortion-rights Democrats in elected office, signed a heartbeat bill into law in 2019. NOLA.com reported that Wilson personally opposes abortion but said, Its not the governments right to tell a woman what to do with any medical procedure involving her body. They have a right to privacy for these decisions.

Couvillon said Wilson faces the challenge of replicating Edwardss coalition, which included both cutting into the Republican vote in rural parishes and doing very well in larger parishes, where Edwards was able to far outperform what Democrats typically get.

Political analysts attributed Edwardss 2019 reelection in part to significant support from Black voters. Thirty-one percent of registered voters in the state are Black, according to recent data from the Louisiana Secretary of State office.

Wilson would be the first Black statewide elected official since Reconstruction if he won. Cain said Wilsons prospects are complicated by the traditional racial politics of a state in the Deep South and that Wilson needs to appeal across party lines, but that also means appealing across racial boundaries, which is not impossible, but a major challenge.

Sixty-one percent of registered Democrats are Black, whereas white voters make up 94 percent of Republicans and 65 percent of those otherwise affiliated.

NOLA.com reported Wilsons comments on this topic: We in this state have a long sordid history with race. It is not lost on me[.]  But Im not running to be the Black governor. Im running to be the governor. I want to be the best governor ever.

While the state has favored Republicans for president since 2000, its gubernatorial election results have been more mixed. In 2019, Edwards won reelection by around 3 percentage points. Former President Trump won the last two presidential elections in the state by nearly 20 percentage points.

Louisianas is one of three gubernatorial races in 2023.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Total Culzean platform is pictured on the North Sea, about 45 miles (70 kilometres) east of the Aberdeen, Europe's self-proclaimed oil capital on Scotland's northeast coast, on April 8, 2019. - Deep beneath the cold waters of the North Sea lies what French energy giant Total hopes will help feed Britain's voracious appetite for gas. Total forecasts that the Culzean field, located more than 15,000 metres under the seabed halfway between Scotland and Norway, will cover five percent of Britain's gas requirements. - TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Joseph SOTINEL (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP) / TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Joseph SOTINEL (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images) - ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images

Lower quality gas will be pumped into Britains homes to help boost North Sea production and ease the energy crisis.

Officials have agreed to relax rules so that gas with a lower calorific value can be allowed into the transmission system to be mixed with other supplies.

It should enable drillers to extract some gas which is otherwise left in the ground, although the measure will not be enacted until April 2025.

A spokesman for the department for energy security and net zero said the move was a positive change contributing towards the UK's energy independence.

Leading North Sea producer Neptune Energy started calling for the change in late 2021 as gas prices started to climb amid global shortages.

Prices surged again following Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, triggering the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.

Neptune Energy said in late 2021 that it could have produced 13pc more gas from its Cygnus field over the previous 12 months if the rule change had been in place.

Alan Muirhead, Neptune Energys UK country director, said it will remove decades-old constraints on the energy industry.

He added: It will enable Neptune to export more gas from our operated Cygnus gas facility in the UK southern North Sea, which is capable of supplying 6pc of the UKs gas demand  enough to heat two million homes.

Moreover, it sends a positive signal to UK gas producers, encouraging infrastructure investments that can unlock additional gas supplies in the future.

Neptune added the move "brings the UK in line with many other countries in Europe with high gas demand, including Germany, the Netherlands and Poland".

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said: We assessed the potential to widen the gas specification and we are satisfied that the changes can be made without adverse impacts on health and safety of users. Households are not expected to notice the difference.

North Sea production is at a delicate stage, with several companies warning that windfall taxes introduced by the government to help households with high energy bills will deter them from investing.

Story continues

London-listed Enquest on Friday said it would delay publishing its financial results for two weeks to make sure they reflect the impact of the new tax rate, which has climbed from 40pc to 75pc.

In a trading statement in February, Enquest said it was delaying drilling at its flagship Kraken field due to the tax.

However, it also said it had made record free cash flow during 2022 and had managed to cut its debt to around $700m.

It comes as votes closed on Friday in a ballot for strike action among 700 Unite members at oil-rig contractor Bilfinger.
Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, will visit Russia to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on 6 April.

Source: Russian-language business daily newspaper Vedomosti, citing their own sources

Details: Putin will meet with Lukashenko on 6 April at a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State [a supranational union of Belarus and Russia aimed at deepening the relationship between the two states through integration in economic and defence policy], as two sources close to Putins administration and diplomatic circles told the newspaper.

As the sources state, the agenda will include issues related to the joint fight against sanctions pressure and security. The last face-to-face meeting between Putin and Lukashenko occurred on 19 December 2022.

Background: Since late January, Lukashenko has visited the UAE, Zimbabwe, China and Iran, meeting with the leaders of these countries, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, on 1 March.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Marina Zolotova and Lyudmila Chekina, heads of the Tut.by opposition website, have been sentenced to 12 years in prison in Belarus.

Source: Belarusian state-controlled news outlet BelTa

Details: In particular, Marina Zolotova, former editor-in-chief of Tut.by, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Minsk City Court made this decision on 17 March.

Zolotova will serve her sentence in a general regime colony. At the same time, she will be given custodial time. One day in custody will equal one and a half days in prison.

The court cancelled the arrest of her property.

Lyudmila Chekina, former general director of Tut.By Media, was sentenced to a similar basic sentence of 12 years in a general regime colony.

In addition, she was deprived of the right to hold positions related to the performance of organisational, administrative and economic duties for a period of 5 years.

Zolotova was found guilty of "disseminating materials with public calls for the seizure of state power, forcible change of the constitutional order of Belarus, calls addressed to foreign states, foreign and international organisations, and actions to the detriment of the national security of Belarus".

Lukashenkos regime also found Zolotova "guilty" of actions aimed at inciting social hatred and enmity based on other social affiliation and Chekina  of organising such actions.

In addition, Chekina was found guilty of tax evasion by intentionally understating the tax base, particularly by entering false information in tax returns (settlements), which led to damage on a particularly large scale.

The verdict has not yet taken effect and may be appealed.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17)  A lawmaker said on Friday the Philippines should not proceed with the scheduled joint training exercises with US troops next month to avoid getting caught in the middle of tensions between the United States and China.

"Kailangan pagisipan ng ating gobyerno, ng ating security forces ano 'yung magiging effect n'yan sa ating bansa," ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro told CNN Philippines' The Source. "At this time na mayroon conflict ang US at China, talagang we will be at the middle."

[Translation: The government and our security forces should think about its effect on our country. At this time that there is conflict between the US and China, we will really be at the middle.]

On March 14, Balikatan 2023 spokesperson Col. Michael Logico announced that over 17,000 Filipino and US troops will be participating in the training exercises.

He told CNN Philippines that the drills, which will focus on naval exercises, intend to ensure combat readiness and upgrade the skills of both forces.

READ: AFP: Balikatan 2023 will ensure combat readiness, upgrade skills of troops

This will also help Philippine troops in their shift from internal security to external defense, which requires them "to be proficient in our maritime security, coastal defense, and our joint capabilities," he said.

The US and China have been at odds over Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade province but which the US supports.

WATCH: See why tensions are rising between US and China over Taiwan

Both sides have also traded barbs on maritime conflicts, especially on China's supposed intrusions into the West Philippine Sea, a boundary declared in the 2016 arbitral ruling which China does not honor. Manila and Washington have a mutual defense treaty that dates back to 1951.
Police arrested a Macon man Wednesday after he allegedly started a fire, smeared blood on windows and threatened to kill employees at a local hospital, according to an arrest report.

Gary Lee Deshazier, 48, was charged with third-degree arson, terroristic threats and acts and reckless conduct when he allegedly set pine straw on fire and threatened to kill employees at Piedmont North Hospital near Vineville Avenue in Macon, according to an incident report from the Bibb County Sheriffs Office.

Deshazier was treated at the hospital Tuesday, the report said. Doctors discharged him late that night but Deshazier wanted to see a case manager at the hospital, so employees allowed him to sleep in the waiting area Tuesday night.

Deshazier woke up at about 5:30 a.m. Wednesday morning agitated, an emergency room employee told a sheriffs deputy, banging on the door of a treatment area. Let me in, Im gonna kill you, Deshazier said, according to the report. Im gonna kill everybody.

Deshazier then allegedly started cutting himself with a razor, smearing his blood across the glass window of the treatment area before he kicked a vending machine several times.

When he finally left the building, Deshazier used his cigarette lighter to set some pine straw on fire outside the waiting room doors, according to the incident report. The smoke from the small blaze filled the hospital waiting room before employees extinguished the flames.

Employees called 911 at about 6:20 a.m. and sheriffs deputies found Deshazier walking down Charter Boulevard, just east of the hospital. He was taken to jail without incident.

Deshazier was on parole and had been convicted of multiple crimes prior to Wednesdays incident, including terroristic threats and acts in 2021, court records show.
As American politicians accuse one another of being the biggest threat to Social Security, several countries around the world are pondering whether to raise their retirement age to resolve future solvency concerns. Risking political backlash, President Emmanuel Macron has decided to raise the French retirement age from 62 to 64.

Macron was worried that Frances parliament would not approve the fiercely contested bill to do so and thus opted to push the legislation through Thursday without a full parliamentary vote. Other nations considering raising their retirement age include China and the United Kingdom.

My interest would have been to go to a vote, but I consider that at the present time the financial and economic risks are too great. One cannot play with the future of the country, Macron told government ministers, as quoted in the New York Times.

Since taking office in 2017, Macron has weathered political challenges like the Yellow Vest movement. He is risking backlash again by raising the retirement age. The confrontation over the entitlement has already lasted for more than two months, and Macron decided it would be a different risk not to make this move.

The legality of Macrons action is not in question. The government used Article 49.3 of the French constitution, which allows certain bills to be passed without a vote, as the Times reported. Opposition lawmakers have promised to initiate a no-confidence motion that, if passed, would see the government forced out of office and the retirement bill rejected. However, observers say such a scenario is unlikely.

For Macron, this is just the policy result of a social reality: Fewer active workers pay the pensions of a growing number of retirees, who live longer.

Countries throughout the globe are facing the same problem.

In the U.S., it appears there is bipartisan consensus at the moment that cuts to Social Security, politician-driven or automatic, should be avoided.

Some have, however, mooted the idea of raising the retirement age for younger generations. Former South Carolina governor and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley suggested last week that the retirement age for workers in their 20s ought to be raised.

Story continues

It is unrealistic to say youre not going to touch entitlements. The thing is you dont have to touch it for seniors and anybody near retirement. Youre talking about the new generation, like my kids coming up, Haley said during an event in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Mike Pence is another Republican politician, widely expected to declare his presidential candidacy shortly, who has said reforms of entitlements must be on the table.

Meanwhile, former president Donald Trump is planning to use entitlement reform as a bludgeon against declared and possible competitors, including Haley, Pence, and Florida governor Ron DeSantis, the last of whom has supported raising the retirement age in the past but has since backtracked.

Senator Mitt Romney recently asserted there are no elected officials  Republican or Democratic  who want to touch Social Security and Medicare. Experts, however, agree that even if you dont touch entitlements for current retirees, raising the retirement age for younger generations would constitute a benefit cut.

If we define old age, we can reduce the number of older people who we have to support, said Richard Johnson, a senior fellow and director of the program on retirement policy at the nonprofit Urban Institute, to MarketWatch. For Johnson and others, an older retirement age is essentially a benefit cut because it would affect how much beneficiaries receive and whether they claim early or at their full retirement age.

Age 65 was the original full retirement age for beneficiaries of Social Security when the program was first created in the 1930s. The full retirement age hasnt been changed since 1983, when amendments to the law increased the retirement age gradually from age 65 to 67, based on an individuals date of birth.

Proponents of raising the age say it would help resolve the entitlements expected solvency problems. The Congressional Budget Office released a report last month projecting that Social Securitys funds will run a shortfall in 2032, sooner than previously expected, forcing automatic cuts of over 20 percent on retirees benefits.

More from National Review
Mark Metcalfe - Getty Images

Note: The following article contains discussion of themes including suicide.

Married at First Sight Australia star Olivia Frazer has shared her praise for her co-stars over their support during a mental health battle.

The reality star appeared on the series early last year, where she was paired with Jackson Lonie before they eventually separated.

Taking to her Instagram Stories, Olivia spoke about her plans for her 30th birthday after a follower asked her not to invite her MAFS castmates.

Don Arnold - Getty Images

Related: Married At First Sight star wants to see 'baby boomers' on reality TV

"MAFS people, so people on my season, people on previous seasons, have been like life savers," she began. "They've been ride or dies.

"They've been amazing human beings to me. So yes, I will invite them to my party. Some of them I wouldn't have made it to 30 without them.

"Because last year I wanted to f**king kill myself," Olivia went on to reveal. "And these people were legit on the phone to me all day every day. Like coming home to me, checking on me, all sorts of things.

"So yeah I will invite the majority of the MAFS people because the majority of the MAFS people are actually my friends."

Related: Married at First Sight UK couple announce split with Instagram statements

Meanwhile, last month Olivia opened up about modelling on OnlyFans, explaining that doing it helped her through a tough period in her life.

"When I started in May I was getting online hate and just barrages of the most awful things you've ever seen written. Then I found this app that I can [be] open [on] and it's only love from people who see my point of view or just think I'm hot or whatever," she said.

"The messages I was getting on OnlyFans to Instagram were polar opposites, and I needed that. It was really a lifeline of a supportive community."

We encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Information about how to access support is available via the NHS , and organisations who can offer help include Samaritans on 116 123 or Mind on 0300 123 3393.

Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Married at First Sight UK airs on E4 in the UK. Married at First Sight Australia airs on Nine Network in Australia and E4 in the UK.

Interested in talking about Married at First Sight? Visit our dedicated sub-forum



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Friends of slain South Carolina mother-of-two Maggie Murdaugh have broken their silence for the first time after her husband Alex was convicted of her brutal murder.

Caroline Price and Shellie West spoke to CBS 48 Hours about the 52-year-old as they said they want their longtime friend to be remembered for who she was  and not the victim of a heinous crime that she became.

Choking back tears, they described her as a dutiful wife to the man who later killed her and a doting mother to the couples sons Paul and Buster.

She was a person, she was a mother, she was a sister, she was a friend, she was a daughter, said Ms West.

You know, shes not the wife that was murdered. I mean, we dont want her to be remembered that way.

Maggie became a household name across America back in the summer of 2021 when she and her son Paul, 22, were murdered on the affluent familys 1,700-acre Moselle estate in Islandton, South Carolina.

It was the night of 7 June 2021 and the mother and son were at the dog kennels on the estate with Maggies husband and Pauls father Alex Murdaugh.

Murdaugh  a powerful attorney and the heir to a prominent South Carolina legal dynasty  shot Paul twice with a shotgun and Maggie five times with a semiautomatic rifle in a gruesome attack.

The killer then called 911 claiming he had discovered his familys bodies.

For 13 months, no arrests were made in the case  but their deaths catapulted a string of other scandals surrounding the family into the spotlight.

At the time of his death, Paul was awaiting trial for the 2019 boating death of his 19-year-old friend Mallory Beach.

Alex and Maggie Murdaugh pictured together (Law&Crime/Screenshot)

Months on from the murders, it emerged that Murdaugh had stolen millions of dollars from his law firm PMPED and its clients and was hit with a string of charges.

He also wound up at the centre of a botched hitman plot  a plot that it later transpired Murdaugh had allegedly set up.

Finally, Murdaugh was charged with his wife and sons murders in July 2022.

Story continues

In his high-profile murder trial which ended earlier this month, he was convicted of all charges and sentenced to life in prison.

Throughout the trial, little was heard about his wife Maggie and the life she led prior to her untimely death  something that her two friends hoped to put right.

Ms Price and Ms West told CBS that they feel Maggie has been absolutely lost in the saga.

The three women first met in college when they all attended the University of South Carolina together. It was also here that Maggie met her future husband.

Ms Price said that she was Maggies big sister in the Kappa Delta sorority of which they were both members.

After they all graduated, Maggie and Ms West lived together.

All three stayed very close friends over the years and the two women were both part of Maggies wedding to Murdaugh.

Maggie Murdaughs friends speak out for first time (CBS 48 Hours)

While Murdaugh was larger than life, Maggie wasnt flashy at all, said Ms Price.

In some ways she was shy, she said.

Ms West said she wants people to know that their friend was fun.

She had a personality, that she was witty. She loved things. She loved her family, she said.

She wasnt the type of person that would stand out in a crowd, but she was always there, you know, to back everybody up.

The friends described how she doted on Paul and Buster  Alex and Maggies surviving son  joking that she doted on them almost too much.

She was a good mom. She doted on those boys  almost too much as they didnt really even know how to wash their clothes, said Ms Price.

She did everything for them. And she loved them a lot. She was happy, proud and very loving.

She added: She loved her family. I mean, her boys. She was also very close to her parents and her sister.

She was a dutiful wife, you know, supporting Alex. She supported him.

Maggies friends spoke out just days after Murdaughs attorneys filed a notice to appeal his conviction for his wife and sons murders.

Following his conviction, the spotlight has now turned to some other mystery deaths tied to the Murdaugh family.

Days on from the murders, an investigation was reopened into the 2015 death of Stephen Smith, who was found dead in the middle of the road in Hampton County.

The openly gay 19-year-old had suffered blunt force trauma to the head and his death was officially ruled a hit-and-run. But Smiths family have long doubted this version of events, with the Murdaugh name cropping up in several police tips and community rumours.

Smiths mother Sandy Smith launched a GoFundMe this week to raise money for an exhumation and independent autopsy as she continues to fight for answers.

Meanwhile, an investigation is also still underway into the mystery death of the Murdaughs longtime housekeeper Gloria Satterfield.

She died in 2018 in a mystery trip and fall accident at the family home. Murdaugh then allegedly stole around $4m in a wrongful death settlement from her sons.
A First Republic Bank branch in Oakland, California. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

First Republic Bank will receive $30 billion in deposits from 11 banks, in an effort to stabilize the lender and boost confidence in the U.S. banking system as a whole.

JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and Truist are among the banks giving infusions of $5 billion, $2.5 billion, and $1 billion. In a statement released Thursday, the Treasury Department said their action "is most welcome, and demonstrates the resilience of the banking system."

After Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsed, Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings downgraded First Republic Bank's credit rating over worries more depositors would take out their cash, CNN reports. At First Republic, 68 percent of its deposits are uninsured over the $250,000 FDIC limit, and if there was a run on customers trying to leave the bank, First Republic would need to sell assets or borrow money to pay them back their deposits in cash.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon first to discuss the deal, people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post, and then they both reached out to the other banks to get them on board. "They're trying to create a firewall to protect themselves from further angst about the banking systems and continued bank runs," Mark Zandi, an economist at Moody's Analytics, told the Post. "It's about shoring up the weakest links in the banking system and, in doing so, inoculating themselves from the fire getting to them."

Stocks rose once the plan was announced, with First Republic's shares ending the day up more than 10 percent.

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[Source]

The Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation (PCDC) announced its formal opposition to the 76erss proposed arena near the citys Chinatown.

On Thursday, the major business-leadership organization said the arena deeply imperils the future of Chinatown, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The $1.3 billion arena was proposed to be built at the nearby Philadelphia Fashion District at 10th and Market Streets. The project would reportedly start construction in 2028 and open in September 2031.

The proposal, which was announced in July last year, was immediately met with criticism from the Chinatown community.

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Although the building would not be built directly in Chinatown, residents have long voiced concerns that the arena would still negatively impact the community.

PCDCs research found that 93% of business owners, 94% of residents and 95% of visitors oppose the arena.

The data reportedly comes from PCDCs coalition of community organizations, which conducted three meetings with Chinatown business owners and collected more than 230 language-accessible surveys.

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The oppositions top concerns include gentrification, displacement, parking and traffic congestion and the deterioration of Chinatown culture.

On Thursday, 76 Devcorp, which is a partnership between 76ers managing partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer and real estate developer David Adelman, released a statement in response to PCDC's announcement.

Its disappointing when Market East is in the midst of economic decline and after our attempts to work with PCDC, that they would reach this decision without seeing our official proposal. Our investment will include one of the largest community benefits agreements in the history of our city and country, and focus on the priorities we've heard thus far from community stakeholders. In recent weeks, stakeholders continue to come out in support of this privately funded project at this critical time for our city. We remain committed to developing this project in a way that protects the city we love and benefits all of Philadelphia. More from NextShark: UFC fighter's Chinese flag snatched away during in-ring victory celebration in controversial move

Story continues

While Adelman previously offered to negotiate a community-benefits agreement that would involve business opportunities, protesters believe that his promises are all false pretenses for a land grab.

Besides PCDC, the Restaurant Industry for Chinatowns Existence (RICE), which consists of about two dozen restaurants around the city, has also organized against the arena proposal.

The businesses stand with the Chinatown Coalition to Oppose the Arena, Save Chinatown, No Arena in Chinatown Solidarity and Students for the Preservation of Chinatown, which includes University of Pennsylvania and Bryn Mawr College students.

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Its up to us to take a stand and say, Hey, we as citizens should have a say as to how the city is developed, Tess Wei of RICE said.

Harry Leong, a PCDC board member and the President of Philadelphia Suns, said the developers may not have anticipated the strength or perseverance of the community, adding that money cant buy everything.
BLANTYRE (Reuters) -In Malawi, where floods swept away entire villages this month after a storm tore through its southern districts, police officers and soldiers on Friday dug for victims buried under the mud and rocks as the death toll rose sharply.

The storm has pounded the southern African country as tropical Cyclone Freddy swept through the region killing more than 500 people in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar since it first made landfall in Africa in late February and circled back for a second time over the weekend.

While the storm had dissipated, rain continued to hamper rescue efforts as vehicles struggled on flooded roads.

In Malawi, which has suffered the brunt of the storm with 438 killed, soldiers used shovels and picks to exhume bodies in the commercial capital Blantyre and laid them on the ground for identification.

Lieutenant Colonel Dickens Kamisa, who participated in the search, said local authorities identified about eight areas where dead bodies should be buried and were using sniffer dogs to find trapped Malawians.

Chifundo Chilimba, a local resident, told Reuters he could not find his family members as the depth of the mud was too deep.

"My relatives could be deep down under the debris," Chilimba said in his local language of Chichewa, adding that the only thing he was able to find were his family's clothes.

"We are going to bury these clothes I am carrying in the case that they are not found," he added.

To help in search and rescue efforts, foreign aircraft and boats were arriving in Malawi on Friday, officials said.

The country's police inspector, Casper Chalera, told Reuters by telephone that the first rescue vessels will arrive from Zambia and Switzerland, adding that the U.S. and South Africa were also planning to send aid aircraft and boats.

"Two Zambian planes, one carrying relief items and a helicopter for aerial operations have landed," Chalera said.

Lameck Kalenga, Defence Force Deputy Chief of military operations, told media on Thursday that the United Kingdom and Mozambique had also pledged to send military equipment.

Story continues

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said it was providing food assistance by distributing partially pre-cooked food called corn-soya blend to displaced people.

"(Severe flooding) has inundated farmlands and destroyed produce  just as farmers were about to harvest the only crop of the year - compounding an already difficult year in which 3.8 million people need food assistance," the WFP said in a statement.

It added that the country has been affected by high maize prices and the worst cholera epidemic in decades.

At least 76 people have died in Mozambique, according to government figures. The storm had already killed about 27 people in Madagascar and Mozambique before it lashed Mozambique a second time.

(Reporting by Frank Phiri and Eldson Chagara in Blantyre and Manuel Mucari in Maputo; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Aurora Ellis and Josie Kao)
By Eldson Chagara

BLANTYRE (Reuters) - Despite her fears, Fyness Afiki joined other women drawing dirty water from a well in Malawi's second-biggest city Blantyre, which is still reeling from the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Freddy.

"I am fearful of cholera but there is no potable water and I have no option. I don't have money," she told Reuters on Friday in Blantyre's Ndirande township.

Malawi seemed to be getting its deadliest cholera outbreak yet under control, with World Health Organization figures showing a decline in cases and deaths, but locals and health experts worry that trend could quickly reverse in Freddy's wake.

One of the strongest and deadliest storms ever in Africa, the storm has killed over 320 people in Malawi alone, with heavy rains, floods and mudslides making access to clean drinking water impossible for many.

Cholera spreads through contaminated water and food. Many people have mild symptoms, but it can kill within hours if untreated.

"Unfortunately ... there is a real concern now that we could in the next few weeks see a reversal in the gains that were so hard-won over the past month or so," said Arielle Nylander, senior health policy analyst at WaterAid.

Eunice Mselemu, a nurse who works at a cholera camp in a health facility near Blantyre, said she had observed cases already increasing and is concerned overwhelmed health workers will be unable to cope.

Robert Hanjahanja, chief executive of the city's water board, which is battling to fix broken water pipes, said there was a crisis.

Malawi has conducted two oral cholera vaccination campaigns, but a global surge in cholera outbreaks has meant vaccines are in short supply.

WHO officials say the best that countries like Malawi can do is to stretch their meagre resources and try to contain outbreaks as they emerge.

Another Ndirande resident, Francis Moyani, said he was determined to get the cholera vaccine as he was scared of contracting the disease.

"As things are, cholera will rise and I want to be fully protected," he said.

(Reporting by Eldson Chagara and Frank Phiri in Blantyre, and Carien du Plessis in Johannesburg; Writing by Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning and Richard Chang)
Beijing calls for dialogue on Ukraine crisis

09:14, March 17, 2023 By MO JINGXI ( China Daily

China is concerned over the escalation and possible loss of control of the Ukraine crisis, and urges all parties to remain calm and restrained, resume peace talks at an early date and return to the track of political settlement, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said on Thursday.

In a phone conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Qin said China hopes Ukraine and Russia could reserve prospects for dialogue and negotiations and never shut the doors to political settlement no matter how difficult and challenging it would be.

Qin reiterated China's objective and fair position on the Ukraine issue, saying that Beijing will continue to play a constructive role in resuming peace talks, easing tensions and restoring peace.

Kuleba briefed Qin on the latest developments and prospects for peace talks, and expressed appreciation for the humanitarian assistance provided by China to Ukraine.

The document regarding the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis issued by China showed China's sincerity to push for a cease-fire and peace talks, he said, adding that Ukraine hopes to maintain communication with China.

In terms of bilateral ties, Qin said the China-Ukraine relationship has maintained a momentum of development over the past 31 years since establishing diplomatic ties. China also appreciates Ukraine's willingness to establish a sincere relationship with China on the basis of mutual respect.

Noting that pragmatic cooperation is well-grounded and has huge potential, Qin said China is ready to work with Ukraine to constantly develop a stable relationship, and China's modernization drive will also provide greater opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.

Kuleba said China is not only an important partner of Ukraine, but also an indispensable major country that plays a crucial role in global affairs. He also congratulated China for brokering an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the restoration of diplomatic ties.

Ukraine considers its relationship with China from a long-term perspective and will continue to abide by the one-China principle and respect China's territorial integrity, he said, expressing hope to enhance mutual trust and deepen cooperation in all fields with China.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also spoke with Kuleba via phone on Thursday.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17)  The Department of Justice sees no need to create an independent body that will investigate the Duterte drug war, saying local authorities can handle it.

"That was mentioned to me but I don't like that idea. We are here, we are competent, we are capable, we are working, the system is running. What will the commission do? There's no value," Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla told reporters on Friday.

Remulla added that past commissions formed to look into certain issues did not work well.

"Marami na nag-suggest sa akin (Many have already suggested that to me). I always look upon it without any positive view because I've seen these commissions work before and they never really did a good thing," he said.

The Philippine government recently asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to reverse its decision authorizing the resumption of the probe into former President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug campaign, as local investigations were already ongoing.

During Duterte's term, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said over 6,200 people were killed in anti-drug operations.

However, local and international human rights organizations estimate an even higher tally of between 12,000 and 30,000.
Jared Bridegan GoFundMe / Via gofundme.com

A Florida man is accused of hiring someone to kill his wifes ex-husband, a Microsoft executive who was fatally shot in front of his young daughter last year.

Prosecutors announced the arrest of 35-year-old Mario Fernandez Saldana on Thursday on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony, child abuse, and murder in the killing of Jared Bridegan on Feb. 16, 2022.

Mario Fernandez Saldana State AttorneyFourth Judicial Circuit of Florida

Fernandez Saldana is currently married to Bridegans ex-wife, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez. Bridegan and Gardner-Fernandez had two children together, she filed for divorce in 2015, and both went on to remarry.

According to Saldanas arrest warrant, before his death, Bridegan had just dropped off the 9-year old twins with Gardner-Fernandez.

On the ride back home, with his 2-year-old daughter in the back seat, Bridegan pulled his car over after noticing a tire blocking the road. As Bridegan came out of his car, he was ambushed and allegedly gunned down by 61-year-old Henry Tenon. The toddler was not harmed, according to the document.

Police said the tire was placed there on purpose by Tenon to make Bridegan get out of his car.

Tenon was arrested in January and originally pleaded not guilty to the murder. But on Thursday, prosecutors announced he had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a weapon and will testify against Fernandez Saldana as part of his plea agreement.

Tenon is scheduled to be in court June 14.

According to the arrest warrant, investigators discovered that Fernandez Saldana wrote three checks to Tenon and the two had contacted each other over the phone numerous times from February to June 2022.

State Attorney Melissa Nelson said that Fernandez Saldana was Tenons former landlord.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Kristen Bridegan, Jareds wife, said she felt great relief knowing that Tenon and Fernandez Saldana are behind bars and no longer a threat to her and her children.

"We are also still angry  angry that they were walking free while we were grappling with the reality that Jared wouldn't be here for any future memories, vacations, or tender moments with our kids," she said.

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Prosecutors described the relationship between Gardner-Fernandez and Jared as contentious. Proceedings in their divorce case continued for years after the marriage was dissolved, regarding matters including financial support and custody of their children.

Since Bridegan's death, Gardner-Fernandez has also become the center of tabloid coverage that speculated the divorce was a factor in the killing. Paparazzi photos were taken of her and her family.

Talk about a violation of privacy. That was something not it pulled the rug out from underneath us. Because my kids know they were photographed. And they were worried. They were worried that their images are out there, they were worried people might be following us, Gardner-Fernandez told local news outlet Action News JAX in June, five months after her ex-husband's death.

She also told the outlet she had nothing to do with her ex-husbands death, saying she had no clue if the ambush was targeted.

I do not have any idea. I... As I said, weve been divorced, she said at the time. We dont run in the same social circles. All I know is that I would never want anyone to go through this.

More on this
A man was sentenced to prison after he beat a 63-year-old to death over a card game, Georgia officials say.

Sherrod Sinteze Montgomery, 43, was sentenced to life in prison on Monday, March 13, according to a news release District Attorney for the Coweta Judicial Circuit Herb Cranford. Montgomery was found guilty of felony murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery in January.

In May 2021, Montgomery got into an argument with Ricky Buchanan Cox over a card game in Bowdon, the Carroll County Sheriffs Office said in a Facebook post. Montgomery punched the 63-year-old and then began kicking and stomping on him before fleeing the scene.

When authorities arrived, they found Cox barely conscious, Cranford said. Cox was taken to Tanner Medical Center to be treated for broken ribs and internal bleeding, but he died from those injuries.

Investigators determined that Montgomery had accused Cox of cheating before attacking him, according to Cranford.

Bowdon is about 60 miles west of Atlanta.

Fight between neighbors ends with 76-year-old shot dead by deputy, Georgia police say

80-year-old woman hurled into traffic during road rage clash, Tennessee cops say

Trusted farmhand shot, killed 80-year-old shucking corn in shed, Minnesota cops say
A trial date has been set for the man accused of killing a former state lawmakers daughter during a deadly home invasion in Madison County last year.

Shannon Gilday, 24, is facing charges of murder, assault, three counts of attempted murder, burglary and criminal mischief for the incident, according to court records. On Friday Madison County Circuit Judge Cole Maier set Gildays trial date for May 5, 2025, according to court records.

The shooting occurred on Feb. 22, 2022, when Gilday allegedly broke into C. Wesley Morgans multi-million dollar home on Willis Branch Road in Richmond and shot Jordan Morgan while she was asleep in her bed, according to court records and statements from Wesley Morgan. Gilday also exchanged shots with Wesley Morgan, who fired back at Gilday. Morgan was injured and sent to the hospital.

After the alleged shooting, Gilday took off in his 2016 Toyota Corolla and drove all the way to Florida, according to court records. The same Corolla was spotted on surveillance footage at the Morgans home, according to court records. Gilday put a Georgia license plate on his car while he was out of state, but his vehicle broke down near Atlanta.

He abandoned the vehicle and eventually wound up back in Kentucky, where a sheriffs deputy found him walking in Madison County on Feb. 28, 2022, according to court records. He has been lodged at the Madison County Detention Center since then.

During a preliminary hearing a few weeks later, Kentucky State Police detective Cameron Allen said Gilday admitted to the crime, stating he was determined to get access to a bunker underneath the home and was willing to kill everyone inside.

Gilday wanted to gain access to an underground bunker at Wesley Morgans home and had done extensive research on the bunker, according to court documents. Gilday had written notes about the bunker, the familys sleep schedules and directions from his apartment in northern Kentucky down to the mansion.

Story continues

He wanted the security of the bunker, Allen said during the preliminary hearing while describing what Gilday told him during their interview.

He stated that his beliefs at the time, given the current political environment in our country as well in the world at this time, and the events that had taken place throughout the world, that he wanted to access this bunker and secure it for himself and his family and friends, Allen said.

Gildays attorney attempted to have Gilday plead guilty but mentally ill in May to the charges against him, but the effort was denied by a judge. According to Gildays attorney, Tom Griffiths, Commonwealths Attorney Jennifer Smith expressed opposition to the plea.

Griffiths filed a motion in January asking for the case to be dismissed or for Gilday to be released from jail due to constitutional violations pertaining to his incarceration, according to court documents.

Griffiths alleged that Gilday has exhibited signs of serious mental illness due to consistent isolation at the jail, such as believing that hes talking to a bot when speaking to his mother over the phone.

Maier denied Griffiths motions due to a lack of evidence, according to WLEX18. Maier also ordered Gilday to go through a mental evaluation.

Wesley Morgan previously gave a firsthand account of the shooting to media. At a candlelight vigil for Jordan Morgan days after the shooting, he said Gilday climbed scaffolding on the exterior of his house and kicked a door open, which got him into Jordan Morgans bedroom, where she was asleep around 3:45 a.m. that morning.

Gilday shot her probably six, seven, eight times with an AR-15, Wesley Morgan said.

Morgan said he woke up when the shooting happened and confronted Gilday, who he saw with an AR-15 wearing army fatigues. Gilday opened fire on Morgan, who said he was shot three times. Morgans wife and 14-year-old daughter were home at the time.

Last month Wesley Morgan filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Gilday. Court records indicate the lawsuit was filed in Madison County Circuit Court for wrongful death and personal injury.

In addition to Gilday, Morgan is also suing a relative of Gilday and 10 Jane Doe defendants, according to court documents. A copy of the lawsuit was not available in online court records.
A man accused of planning a mass shooting in Clayton County was sentenced to 20 years in prison Thursday.

On July 30, 2021, Larry Edward Foxworth, 48, repeatedly fired a gun into two convenience stores, according to federal prosecutors.

According to police, Foxworth told officers he did this because he wanted to kill Arab and Black people and believed that people inside the stores belonged to those groups.

People were inside the stores at the time of the shootings, but no one was injured.

TRENDING STORIES:

Court documents said Foxworth also expressed hope to officers that he had killed his targets and professed belief in white supremacist ideology.

Foxworth used a firearm to commit a brazen and heinous hate crime, said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia.

He fired repeatedly into convenience stores in his effort to kill those inside based solely on the color of their skin. This abhorrent act of violence and intimidation left the victims, their families, and the community traumatized and merits the prison sentence Foxworth received. The Department of Justice and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to vigorously prosecute hate crimes.

Foxworth pleaded guilty to hate crime charge in December.

In addition to his 20-year sentence, judge also sentenced him to serve five years of supervised release after his prison term and also ordered him to pay $1,000 in restitution.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
As police officers responded to a gas station shooting in Georgia, they heard more shots fired at a second gas station and raced over there, federal officials said.

A witness told police the gunshots were fired from a car that drove away, leading one officer to pull over its driver soon after in Jonesboro on July 30, 2021, according to court documents.

The driver, Larry Edward Foxworth, 48, of Jonesboro, told police he shot at both gas stations because he was hoping to kill Arab and Black people he believed were inside, prosecutors said.

After he was arrested, he boasted about having struck a blow for white supremacy and excitedly asked officers if anyone had died in the attack, court documents say. Ultimately, no one was hurt or hit in the shooting, according to prosecutors.

Now, a judge has sentenced Foxworth to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to committing a hate crime based on actual or perceived race or color, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced in a March 16 news release.

That this crime did not become yet another notorious massacre is no credit to (Foxworth), his sentencing memo says. He tried, sincerely, to perpetrate murder on a mass scale. Nothing but sheer luck stopped his shots from finding their intended targets.

McClatchy News contacted Foxworths attorney for comment on March 17 and didnt immediately receive a response.

Ahead of Foxworths sentencing, prosecutors emphasized the need for a lengthy prison sentence and described him as unquestionably a brutal and dangerous person, according to the sentencing memo.

The case dates to July 30, 2021, when Foxworth used a Glock pistol and repeatedly fired at one Jonesboro gas station and convenience store before doing the same at another location minutes later, prosecutors said.

At both gas stations, his bullets struck through the windows and doors of the convenience stores, according to officials.

One of the stores cashiers who survived the shooting quit afterward, prosecutors said. The event caused her extreme anxiety for months.

Story continues

Foxworth had a prior criminal history including convictions related to assaults, prosecutors said.

Hate-fueled violence not only traumatizes the victims, but it threatens and intimidates an entire community, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division said in a statement. This sentence demonstrates the importance of holding accountable those who commit racially-motivated violence.

Jonesboro is about 15 miles south of downtown Atlanta.

Mom working for DOJ exposes sons snitches after hes accused of robbery, feds say

Driver nearly ran woman over, then screamed racist slurs at her in DC, feds say

Aryan Circle prison gang had suspected gay inmate beaten as rite of passage, feds say
Deputies captured a suspect who was wanted for murder and arson after a car chase that went through two counties in central Georgia.

The Dodge County Sheriffs Office and Georgia Bureau of Investigation put out a be on the lookout notice for 31-year-old Joel Jared Butler.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Butler is accused of killing 49-year-old William Harrell on Wednesday at a home off Old River Road in Eastman.

Investigators say he then set the house on fire.

TRENDING STORIES:

The sheriffs office says he was also wanted for an aggravated assault case that happened the day before the fire.

On Thursday, officials in Bleckley County spotted Butler. He started a car chase with law enforcement that ended the next county over in Twiggs County.

Butler currently faces malice murder and arson charges. Investigators said they expected additional charges.

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IN OTHER NEWS
Former President Donald Trump. Alex Brandon/AP

Law enforcement agencies in New York are reportedly taking security precautions ahead of a possible indictment against Donald Trump.

A grand jury is weighing whether to bring criminal charges against the former president.

Trump has called on his supporters to protest if prosecutors "do anything wrong."

The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is discussing security measures with law enforcement officials ahead of potential criminal charges against former President Donald Trump, according to Fox News.

Fox News anchor John Roberts reported Friday afternoon that Bragg's office requested a meeting to discuss logistics and security preparations with the Secret Service, which continues to guard Trump since he left the White House in 2021.

A representative for the Manhattan district attorney's office didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

NBC News reported Friday that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, New York Police Department, Secret Service, FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, and New York State Court Officers were all conducting preliminary security assessments ahead of a possible indictment.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office has empaneled a grand jury to examine whether Trump broke state laws based on his ex-lawyer Michael Cohen's claims that Trump directed him to make hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress who said she had an affair with Trump, ahead of the 2016 election. Trump has denied wrongdoing.

If Trump is indicted, he'll likely be brought into the district attorney's office in downtown Manhattan and be fingerprinted and processed, as Insider's Laura Italiano reported, before being taken to a judge. Charging documents are typically unsealed at the time the defendant first appears in court.

In the case of high-profile defendants, the Manhattan district attorney's office typically makes arrangements with the defendant's legal team so that the booking can be discreet and to minimize the possibility of security issues, according to Michael Bachner, a New York-based lawyer and former assistant district attorney in Manhattan.

Story continues

"When you're surrendering someone that has any degree of notoriety, more security-conscious issues always exist," Bachner told Insider.

Trump has asked his supporters to defend him. At a rally last year, he called on them to stage mass protests against law enforcement.

"If these radical, vicious, racist prosecutors do anything wrong or illegal, I hope we are going to have in this country the biggest protest we have ever had," he told a cheering crowd.

Courts in Manhattan and Atlanta  where Trump also faces a potential criminal case  have prepared for potential chaos, Insider previously reported.

Lucian Chalfen, the director of public information for the New York state court system, previously told Insider that the courts had 4,000 officers standing by with similar training as the New York city and state police departments.

"We are one of the few court systems nationally who have a law-enforcement arm under our roof," Chalfen told Insider. "The 4,000 court officers make it one of the largest municipal public safety departments in the country."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Canadian Space Agency's new logo retains elements from its original 1996 mark but rearranges them to evoke taking flight and a sense of pride as a new era of space exploration begins.

When the first Canadian astronaut to launch to the moon lifts off with NASA's next Artemis mission, he or she will do so wearing a new symbol of Canada's efforts in space.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) on Thursday (March 16) debuted a new logo to represent the growing role of the country's space program.

"An exciting era of space exploration is unfolding before us, and the CSA seeks to enter this new chapter with a modern identifying symbol," read a statement from the agency. "The Canadian Space Agency is modernizing its visual identity with a new simplified logo."

Related: Everything you need to know about NASA's Artemis program

The new mark features two main elements.

At top is the maple leaf, Canada's national emblem. According to CSA, the leaf "generates pride and a sense of belonging," in addition to its association with the country, as is known all around the world.

The maple leaf also gives the impression of taking flight.

It symbolizes "daring invention and our sights set on the future, ready to push the boundaries of ingenuity and innovation," CSA's description read.

Trailing the maple leaf are three stars, which at its most basic interpretation are a representation of space. The stars are also meant to convey brilliance, intelligence and expertise, as well as the strength of the community, which includes all those involved in Canada's space program, including industry, scientists, academia and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) organizations.

A circular version of the logo also includes the full, spelled-out name of the agency wrapping around the top in English and in French ("Agence Spatiale Canadienne") at the bottom.

Canadian Space Agency astronauts Jeremy Hansen, Jenni Sidey-Gibbons, Joshua Kutryk and David Saint-Jacques. One of the four will fly to the moon on NASA's Artemis II mission in 2025.

In 2019, CSA entered into a new agreement to help develop the Gateway, a human-tended research and logistics platform in lunar orbit. For its part, CSA and its industry partners are developing a new robotic system that will assist in repairs and maintaining the moon's first mini space station.

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Referred to as "Canadarm3," the new arm builds off Canada's legacy of providing the original Canadarm for the space shuttle and Canadarm2, which is still in use at the International Space Station.

CSA is also developing the country's first robotic lunar rover, which in collaboration with NASA will help in the international search for water ice in the lunar soil.

In return for these contributions, NASA reserved a seat for a CSA astronaut on its first crewed mission to fly around the moon in more than 50 years. The identities of the Artemis 2 crew members will be announced on April 3 during an event held at NASA's Ellington Field, near Johnson Space Center in Houston.

"Just over-the-moon proud to see Canada as the one partner flying on this historic first mission with NASA," Joshua Kurtyk, one of CSA's four active astronauts who are eligible for the seat on Artemis 2, wrote in a social media post. "Our unique innovative, exploratory and pioneering spirit at work, and a direct link to Canada's future prosperity and security."

The prior Canadian Space Agency logo dates back to 1996.

Related stories:

 Canadian Space Agency: Facts & information

 Artemis moon rocket looks ready for astronaut missions, NASA says

 Canada eyes new astronaut flights with Axiom Space

CSA's new logo replaces an earlier design that was first introduced on Nov. 4, 1996. The now-retired mark also featured a maple leaf, but instead of leading off the emblem, it was positioned below a stylized horizon with the sun's rays extending from behind and a vector extending to a four-pointed star (of the same style on the new logo). Instead of its full name, the Canadian Space Agency's English and French acronyms ("CSA" and "ASC") appeared in italic below the maple leaf.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2023 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
Workers at Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump's Palm Beach club, have reportedly been subpoenaed in the investigation into his keeping of classified documents at the property.

The case broke in August of last year when FBI agents searched and retrieved the files from the former Southern White House, as Trump dubbed it during his one-term administration. The search sparked a political firestorm and a series of court battles.

Then, Attorney General Merrick Garland named a special counsel, Jack Smith, to, in part, take over the investigation of Trumps handling of classified documents. Smith, reports say, has subpoenaed two dozen people employed at Mar-a-Lago, including restaurant servers, a housekeeper and a staff member.

The seizure of documents from Mar-a-Lago: What we have reported

A redacted version of a probable cause affidavit used to justify the search of Trumps Palm Beach County compound revealed that federal officials discovered 184 classified documents.

The documents recovered by the National Archives and Records Administration in a January 2022 visit revealed that 67 documents were marked as confidential, 92 were marked as secret, and 25 were labeled top secret. Such markings are used to protect information key to national security, an unidentified FBI agent wrote.

Previous story:Mar-a-Lago search documents released Friday reveal 184 classified documents taken

Mar-a-Lago:Yujing Zhang deserves more than six months for entering Mar-a-Lago, prosecutors say

Documents seizure also sparked a courtroom battle to reveal what president took

The Palm Beach Post was among a number of media organizations that filed court papers to ensure the entire Mar-a-Lago search warrant  not just parts of it  were made available to the public.

A federal judge and the Justice Department ultimately worked to release sections of the warrant. But the media organizations claimed the release of all documents connected to the warrant was needed to rein in wild speculation about why the nations top law enforcement agency took the unprecedented step of asking to search the home of a former president.

Story continues

Court battle over search warrant:Palm Beach Post asking court to unseal 'entire' search warrant for Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago

Secret service agents stand at the gate of Mar-a-Lago after the FBI issued warrants at August 8, 2022.

Who works at Mar-a-Lago?

The former president's Palm Beach estate serves as his winter residence and a business enterprise, a private club for wealthy members.

The club employs all sorts of people in a variety of occupations. For years, though, it has also employed numerous foreign workers in blue-collar, hospitality-type of jobs, including restaurant attendees and housekeepers. These workers were brought in from other countries on temporary visas, called H2-B visas, and worked during set time periods and then returned home when their employment timeframe was complete.

Mar-a-Lago is, in that respect, no different than many Florida leisure, hospitality and tourism businesses that hire foreign workers on a temporary basis.

Until that is, Trump became POTUS 45. Then, the presence of these workers, some security analysts said, posed an inherent security risk as did the continuous comings and goings of people at the estate.

Police officers keep watch near the home of former President Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago on Aug. 8, 2022, in Palm Beach.

Read also:Foreign temp workers at Mar-a-Lago raise another security concern

Read more:Since Trump won the presidency, Mar-a-Lago was always a national security red flag

Yujing Zhang, 33, sparked security concerns when she tried to gain entry to Mar-a-Lago in March of 2019 while carrying four cellphones, a computer, two Chinese passports, an external hard drive and a thumb drive.

The curious case of Yujing Zhang ... and other Mar-a-Lago interlopers

In March 2019, a Chinese national named Yujing Zhang was accused of trespassing after trying to get into a Mar-a-Lago event.

Investigators found she was carrying four cell phones, a laptop and an external hard drive. In her room at The Colony Hotel on Palm Beach, they found USB drives, SIM cards and a device to detect hidden cameras.

In this April 15, 2019, file court sketch, Yujing Zhang, left, a Chinese woman charged with lying to illegally enter President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, listens to a hearing before Magistrate Judge William Matthewman in West Palm Beach.

Zhang insisted she was innocent and represented herself in a jury trial in which she was found guilty on two counts related to lying to a federal agent and gaining access to a restricted building. She received an eight-month sentence and faced deportation. To this day, why she was there and why she had all that equipment remains a mystery.

Hers was not the only case, or incident, that sparked security concerns.

 In December 2019, Jing Lu, then 56, was confronted by the private clubs security officers and told to leave, but she returned to take photos, authorities said.

Jing Lu, who also goes by Lu Jing, was charged and eventually found not guilty of trespassing. But she was found guilty of resisting officers and was sentenced to six months in jail by a judge.

Palm Beach County Judge Mark Eissey, who issued the sentence, ordered that she not ever return to Mar-a-Lago.

Eissey also had asked prosecutors if they knew if there were any no trespassing signs at Mar-a-Lago. They were unsure.

I sure do wish they would have something on there, Eissey said.

An aerial view of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate on August 17, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida.

In 2018, a University of Wisconsin student on Thanksgiving break fooled Secret Service and got past security at an underground tunnel that led to Mar-a-Lago. It took 20 minutes before he was arrested. The breach occurred the day after Thanksgiving as Trump and his family were visiting.

Mark Lindblom, then an 18-year-old freshman at Wisconsin, pleaded guilty to a charge of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds. A judge placed him on probation for a year.

Lindblom, of Washington, D.C. told U.S. Magistrate William Matthewman: I wanted to see how far I could get."

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Mar-a-Lago workers subpoenaed in Trump classified documents probe
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17)  The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday warned Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves that his prolonged stay overseas indicates guilt.

Ayaw atang umuwi ni Congressman Teves (Congressman Teves does not want to go home) because hes fearing for his safety but there are no excuses, poor excuses not to face charges and as the legal maxim say flight is an indication of guilt, Remulla told reporters.

Suspects tagged Teves as mastermind in the March 4 assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, where nine people were shot dead.

He flew to the US in late February for medical treatment, but the travel authority issued to him by the House of Representatives expired on March 9.

Remulla said that the claim that Teves was framed up has "no value" if the official will not return and provide his defense.

Kung di sya uuwi to face it (If he will not return home to face it), those statements have no value. Stop printing those statements because they have no value if he won't present them in court, the Justice secretary said.

While he denied the allegations, Teves asked House Speaker Martin Romualdez for a two-month leave from the House of Representatives, citing a "very grave security threat" to his life and family.

Remulla assured the Negros Oriental lawmaker that he will be safe upon his return.

We dont intend to fail. It's important to us that he remains safe and he faces the process, he said.

Remulla said the legal process will be observed once charges are filed and an arrest warrant is issued.

With reports from CNN Philippines Senior Correspondent Anjo Alimario and senior multi-platform news writer Vince Ferreras
Decades ago, when a young Brian OHare departed Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania to step on the yellow footprints he could hardly imagine that hed sit next to legendary military veteran authors from another generation.

But thats exactly what OHare, a Marine Corps veteran and award-winning author in his own right, is doing this weekend. The former Marine officer will hear his words and those of Vietnam War veterans-turned authors Tim OBrien, author of the iconic The Things They Carried Vietnam short story collection, among other titles, and Tobias Wolff, author of This Boys Life and his own Vietnam memoir, In Pharaohs Army.

The three authors along with other veteran authors will hold court at the American Legion Post 43 in Hollywood, California in partnership with WORDTheatre to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War on Saturday.

OHare spoke with Marine Corps Times recently about his time in the Corps in the late 1980s and early 1990s and writing a series of stories that became the collection, Surrender, which was published in 2022 and won the Veterans Writing Award.

*Editors Note: The following Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: What led you to join the Marine Corps?

A: I grew up in suburban Pittsburgh in the early 1980s. I played high school football for the winningest high school coach at the time, he was kind of a God in that area. My father was a Marine aviator who flew F4 Phantoms in the Vietnam War. He was the coolest guy in the world. Those role models took up a lot of space physically and psychologically in my youth. My dad almost bred me to be a Marine.

Q: What were your early years in service like?

A: I went to the U.S. Naval Academy and graduated in 1988. At the time they called the academy the man factory but I was not going into the Navy, as great as it is. I wound up being a supply officer in an infantry unit, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment. The job itself was really boring. But my time in the Marine Corps, in particular with this group of Marines in 3rd Marines was utterly transformational. And it sucked at the same time. The best part was during the Persian Gulf War because at least people kind of left you alone a little bit you got to sort of operate on your own. And then I left the military in 1993 as a first lieutenant in my mid-twenties.

Story continues

Future author Brian O'Hare reading literature while he served in the Marine Corps in the late 1980s and early 1990s. (Brian O'Hare)

Q: Did you write stories at that time or have any plans to become a storyteller?

A: No. I did work producing documentaries, films and commercials but it wasnt until maybe 2012 or 2013 when I read another Marine veterans work, Phil Klays Redeployment, a collection of short stories centered around his time serving in Iraq. That was the first time that something just clicked in my head, it was like, oh, I want to do this. Phil ended up being a judge later for the Veterans Writing Award.

Q: Your stories have an air of Klay also of Anthony Swoffords novel Jarhead about his time in the Persian Gulf War, how is it to depict the Marine Corps in fiction?

A: I hope it kind of came through that in some ways its like this perfectly functioning organization, its so good at what it does, like destroy the enemy. Its unparalleled. And it passes on its culture. For me being fascinated by the mythology of the Marine Corps, thats the thing that amazes me the most. Individual Marines, me, even the commandant, were all totally expendable. But the Marine Corps is immortal, the organization is kind of like a religious order, its the thing thats going to live forever and it lives on in us. There are very few organizations that understand their mythology like the Marine Corps does.

Q: Any advice for aspiring writers, especially Marines?

A: You must read, write and be patient. Read constantly and read challenging works and then just sit your ass down and write. Thats the only way to learn how to do it, thats by doing it.

Brian O'Hare, center green fatigues, while deployed with fellow Marines during the Persian Gulf War. (Brian O'Hare)

Q: How does your writing about the Corps now struggle with that mythology?

A: I guess part of my writing is reconciling. For a somewhat cynical, optimistic 56-year-old man, theres not a lot in the world that I have not seen before. Theres not a lot that possesses a lot of magic for me. But yet, Im still a true believer in the Marine Corps. And that blows my mind. So, a lot of the writing comes from that dichotomy between what I know and what I experienced. And what, you know, makes the hair on my arm stand up, you know the 8th and I parade, the Marine Corps Hymn. I see a Marine someplace and I get stupid. Its like Im 11 years old again. My experience with the Marines changed the way I saw the world. I wouldnt be the man, the artist, the writer, the father I am today if I hadnt had that connection with those Marines.

*CORRECTION: A previously published version of this article incorrectly identified the hometown of the author.
Agents from the MARMET Drug Task Force, the Cleveland and Cincinnati offices of the FBI, and local law enforcement agencies seized 941 grams of fentanyl during raids of four locations in Marion and Morrow counties on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. Authorities arrested one man who is being held at the Multi-County Correctional Center in Marion.

Agents from the MARMET Drug Task Force and other law enforcement agencies seized nearly 1,000 grams of fentanyl during a midweek raid, which was the culmination of what officials are calling "a major drug trafficking investigation."

Major Chris Adkins of the Marion Police Department and the MARMET Drug Task Force said local law enforcement agents in concert with agents from the Cleveland and Cincinnati offices of the FBI executed search warrants at four locations on Wednesday in Marion and Morrow counties. He said the raids netted a total of 941 grams of suspected fentanyl, three firearms, and drug paraphernalia.

Agents arrested Christopher B. Payne Jr., age 24, Marion, who was charged with two counts of trafficking in a fentanyl-related compound, both first-degree felonies, when he appeared in Marion Municipal Court. Bond for Payne was set at $5 million. He is being held at the Multi-County Correctional Center in Marion. He is scheduled to appear in municipal court for a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. on March 24, according to online court records.

Adkins said agents executed search warrants at a residence in the 800 block of Adams Street in Marion, a residence in the 800 block of Central Drive in Marion, a residence in the 600 block of Pearl Street in Marion, and a residence in the 5000 block of Township Road 59 in Mount Gilead. Payne was arrested at the Pearl Street residence, Adkins said.

"This is an ongoing investigation," Adkins said. "This is a very significant seizure of fentanyl. On average, two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, so with the amount that we seized, it could kill approximately 470,000 people. We're losing a lot of people to fentanyl. In Marion County, we lose an average of 40 people a year to fentanyl. For a community our size, the number of deaths that we have from fentanyl is staggering."

According to the affidavit filed in support of the arrest warrant for Payne, he allegedly sold fentanyl to confidential informants on two occasions in December 2022 and January 2023. In the affidavit, Det. Stacy McCurry of the MARMET Drug Task Force stated that on Dec. 28, 2022, Payne allegedly "sold fentanyl to a confidential informant, who was working with the MARMET Drug Task Force. (Payne allegedly) supplied the fentanyl to the confidential informant for $680. The suspected fentanyl that (Payne allegedly) sold was tested by the Mansfield Police Crime Lab and was found to be 49.64 grams of a substance containing fentanyl. This is enough fentanyl to kill nearly 25,000 people."

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McCurry said the second incident occurred on Jan. 10, 2023, when Payne allegedly "sold fentanyl to aconfidential informant, who was working with the MARMET Drug Task Force. (Payne allegedly) supplied the fentanyl to the confidential informant for $780. The suspected fentanyl that (Payne allegedly) sold was tested by the Mansfield Police Crime Lab and was found to be 26.74 grams of substance containing fentanyl. This is enough fentanyl to kill nearly 13,000 people."

Adkins said the Marion Police Department, Marion County Sheriff's Office, Morrow County Sheriff's Office, Wyandot County Sheriff's Office, Marion County Prosecutor's Office, and the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio were all involved in the investigation and subsequent raids on Wednesday.

(All suspects in criminal proceedings are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)

Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion Co. authorities seize nearly 1,000 grams of fentanyl in raids
Christian Gutierrez, center, prepares to enter a guilty plea to aggravated murder during a hearing on Friday, March 17, 2023, in Marion County Common Pleas Court. Gutierrez pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated murder and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 28 years. Also pictured are Gutierrez's attorneys Kandra Roberts, left, and Kirk McVay.

A Marion County man has avoided the death penalty, but will spend at least 28 years in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of another local resident.

Christian Gutierrez, age 20, Marion, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years plus a 3-year firearm specification after he pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated murder, an unspecified felony, when he appeared Friday before Judge Warren T. Edwards in Marion County Common Pleas Court. The judge also ordered Gutierrez to pay the maximum fine of $25,000 associated with the offense and all court and attorneys' fees.

Gutierrez pleaded guilty to shooting and killing Charles Lee-Allen Feliciano, age 27, Marion, during an incident on March 9, 2022, in a parking lot located in the 100 block of London Street, according to a report provided by the Marion Police Department.

Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan said Gutierrez shot Feliciano multiple times and three bullets were recovered from his body during the autopsy. Investigators recovered six spent shell casings in the parking lot. Police also recovered a handgun in the 100 block of West Farming Street, not far from the scene of shooting, where Gutierrez allegedly fled the scene in a car.

As part of the plea agreement, Gutierrez agreed to plead guilty to one count of aggravated murder, an unspecified felony, with a 3-year firearm specification. All other charges against him were dismissed, including the aggravated murder charge that carried with it a felony murder specification that could have led to Gutierrez being sentenced to death had he been convicted during a trial.

The prosecution and defense jointly recommended to the judge the sentence of life with the possibility of parole after 25 years plus the 3-year firearm specification.

Rebecca Mclean, Feliciano's mother, and Anais Feliciano, one of his sisters, expressed a broad range of emotions, including sorrow, anger, and frustration, when they addressed the court prior to Edwards publishing the sentence for Gutierrez.

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"What this young man did to my son was just totally hate," Mclean told the judge. "That's a level of hate that a lot of people don't understand. You just don't get up and go hunting for someone and say that it was because of drugs. That's not how that goes. He hunted my son. That's not fit for society. That mindset, it's dangerous. With that type of mindset he'll do it again and again.

"I want you to look deep into this because he deserves, in my eyes, the death penalty. He took my child. He deserves to die, too. Will it make it better? No. Nothing can make this better. No matter what you give him is not going to make this better. He destroyed a lot of lives, including his family, too. Maximum is what I want. I'm asking you to go as high as you can go because my son is gone."

Anais Feliciano described her brother as "a loving person" who "lit up everyone's life" and "didn't deserve to die."

"Allen touched so many lives in his family and outside his family," she said. "My brother didn't deserve to die like this, and the person who committed this crime has a chance to still continuously have a life. Have a chance to have that freedom. To have hope. We don't have hope for Allen. We cannot do anything. We cannot bring him back. We are mourning to this day. We will continue to mourn for the rest of our lives because of this.

"(Gutierrez's) family doesn't have to mourn. His family doesn't have to hurt and miss him because he is no longer living. His family can get a phone call from him and hear his voice and feel that comfort while I have to sit here and go through old (voicemail) messages of my brother just to hear his voice. To hear his laugh."

Feliciano said the pain caused to her family by her brother's murder has been "unbearable."

No members of the Gutierrez family addressed the court. Gutierrez himself declined to say anything when Edwards gave him the chance to speak. The judge later said he was disappointed that Gutierrez did not take the opportunity to apologize to the Feliciano family when he was given the chance to speak.

In a prepared statement, Grogan said the murder of Feliciano "was intentional and cold-blooded" and that Gutierrez continuously denied responsibility until recently when he admitted to killing him.

"While Gutierrez deserves the death penalty, a jurys decision to order it wouldve been the beginning of decades of slow appeals. And while taxpayers wouldve paid for those expensive appeals, Christian Gutierrez wouldve been able to continue his phony denials," Grogan said. "Thats why I recommended a sentence of 28 years to life in prison. When defense counsel agreed, the judge ordered that sentence. Now, for Christian Gutierrez, there will be no appeals, no more denying the obvious, and no more escaping responsibility.

"Ive met regularly with the family of Charles Feliciano. These are good, caring people. They continue to grieve him and they deserved to see justice done once and for all. Justice indeed was done.

Gutierrez was initially indicted by the grand jury on March 16, 2022, on three counts of murder, unspecified felonies; one count of aggravated murder, unspecified felony; and two counts of felonious assault, second-degree felonies. Each charged carried a 3-year firearm specification.

However, the prosecutor returned to the grand jury and secured a superseding indictment against Gutierrez on April 27, 2022. The superseding indictment included the following charges: two counts of aggravated murder, unspecified felonies; three counts of murder, unspecified felonies; two counts of felonious assault, second-degree felonies; and one count of kidnapping, a first-degree felony. The first count of aggravated murder carries a felony murder specification. All of the charges carry a 3-year firearm specification.

After Friday's hearing, Gutierrez was returned to the Multi-County Correctional Center in Marion where he will be incarcerated until he is transferred to the Correctional Reception Center at Orient in Ross County, where he will be processed into the state prison system.

Email: ecarter@gannett.com | Twitter: @AndrewACCarter

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion man sentenced to life with possibility of parole for murder
A cemetery has been discovered in the Sverdlovsk Oblast of Russia, where at least 67 Wagnerites were recently buried, including those who should be serving their sentences in prison.

Source: Zolotaya Gorka news outlet; Russian editorial office of BBC

Details: The graves were discovered last week. As local media report, residents near the town of Berezovsky saw 67 fresh graves, each with a black, red and yellow wreath bearing the Wagner Private Military Company emblem and wreaths in the colours of the Russian flag with a double-headed eagle.

Employees of the funeral service explained to journalists that the dead whose relatives could not be found were brought to this cemetery. As they report, after the death, they search for relatives for three days, and if they cannot find them, they take them to the location where they were "given a place" in Russia.

The video shows the names of the buried people. The media found that at least four people with the same data were serving sentences for serious crimes.

According to the case files, one buried person killed a World War II veteran and stole four medals from her, and another tried to kill his partner for "obscene insults". The third buried person was convicted of drunken murder, and the fourth of 11 thefts.

In addition, the BBC reports that, based on open sources, it was possible to identify the names of 17,375 Russian soldiers who died in Ukraine.

In total, the names of 2092 deceased convicts of Russian penal colonies have been identified. There have been at least 1,000 of them since the beginning of the year. Over 400 more have been reported dead in the last two weeks alone. Judging by the obituaries, most of them were participants in the battles for Bakhmut.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
By Daniel Leussink

TOKYO (Reuters) -Mazda Motor Corp will appoint 40-year company veteran Masahiro Moro as its new president and CEO, the Japanese automaker said on Friday, as it ramps up spending to electrify its vehicles and considers investing in battery production.

Moro, 62, currently a director and senior managing executive officer, had previously served as the head of the automaker's North America operations. He will officially take over pending the approval of the shareholders and board in June, the company said.

Current President and CEO Akira Marumoto, who took up his role in 2018, will step down from his posts at that time, Mazda added. Marumoto would continue to serve as an adviser, the Nikkei newspaper reported separately on Friday.

The leadership shake-up comes as the company, which is 5.1%-owned by automotive giant Toyota Motor Corp, laid out a 1.5 trillion yen ($11.28 billion) spending plan in November to increase electrification of vehicles.

"Our business in the United States is currently growing very strongly," Moro said during a news conference in Mazda's home base of Hiroshima, as he pledged to work out the automaker's mid-term strategy in detail.

Moro said he hoped Mazda will expand its U.S. business by upgrading dealer stores, which number around 360, and have each of those stores sell 1,000 vehicles a year initially. "If that can be done, next would be to work to 1,200 units," he said.

Mazda also nominated Jeff Guyton, 56, senior managing executive officer and its current North America head, as chief financial officer and assistant to the president pending the June approval of the shareholders and board.

The company has sought to strengthen its position in the U.S. market with Toyota's help, making Mazda CX-50 crossovers at a plant it built in Huntsville, Alabama, with its much larger compatriot.

Mazda, which saw global annual sales of 1.25 million vehicles in the financial year to end-March 2022, is facing growing competition in the U.S. and China, as well as fallout from the global chips shortage.

Story continues

The company forecast last month that it would sell 6% fewer cars in the United States and 48% fewer in China in the current financial year, setbacks that would be partly offset by higher expected sales in Japan.

($1 = 132.9600 yen)

(Reporting by Daniel Leussink; Editing by Kim Coghill and Jamie Freed)
McEwen Mining Inc. (NYSE:MUX) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript March 14, 2023

Operator: Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to McEwen Mining's Fourth Quarter and Year End 2022 Operating and Financial Results Conference Call. Present from the company today are Rob McEwen, Chairman and Chief Owner; Perry Ing, Chief Financial Officer; William Shaver, Chief Operating Officer; Michael Meding, Vice President and General Manager of McEwen Copper. After the speakers' presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session. I will now turn the call over to Mr. Rob McEwen, Chief Owner. Please go ahead, sir. Again, Mr. Rob McEwen, please go ahead.

Rob McEwen: Thank you, operator. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Today, I'll start with a discussion about gold and then our share price performance and follow up with factors driving our future. With all the uncertainties in the world, many people are asking why the price of gold hasn't climbed much higher. I believe that most investors feel that we have entered into a new era where very low interest rates and massive monetary stimulation are here to stay. And the gold's reputation as a store of wealth is no longer relevant or needed in a world of awash with easy money. However, as we all know, the unexpected happens quickly. Rising interest rates and an unexpected bank failure are vivid reminders, gold still has a role to play in your portfolio.

I suspect more investors will start adding gold and gold shares to their portfolio and they will follow the lead of a select number of central banks who became large gold buyers in 2022. In fact, their purchases were the largest purchases made in the past 50 years by central bankers. Perhaps they too are concerned about holding too much of their reserves in fiat currencies. So, during 2022, the price of gold outperformed not only gold equities, but also the Dow Jones. Gold increased 1% year-over-year, and at the yesterday's close, it was up 6% since December 31, 2021. During that same period, the senior and junior gold equities as measured by the ETFs, the GDX and the GDXJ registered losses of 10.5% and 15%, respectively in 2022, while the Dow was down 3.7%.

But if we look back another year to December 31, 2021, and come forward to yesterday's close, the GDX was down 9.1%, the GDXJ down 16.2%, and the Dow was down 12.4%. We weren't as lucky in 2022. Our share price was hammered. It was down a painful 36%. Fortunately, it has recovered much of this loss and has increased an impressive 136% since the end of last year, December 31, 2022. And if we look back to December 31, '21, our share price is only down 13.1%, which is less than the GDX decline of 16.2%, and very close to the decline of the Dow Jones Industrial Average of 12.4%. So, looking at our stock chart, from a technical perspective, it looks very promising. With our share price having broken out on the upside through its 50, 100, 300 day moving averages.

Driving this price improvement is our demonstration of improving operational performance, good exploration results, production growth, and lower cost per ounce, along with the growing recognition that McEwen Copper's Los Azules project is a large copper resource with large strategic shareholders, Rio Tinto, the world's second largest mining company, and Stellantis, the world's fourth largest automobile manufacturer and mobility provider. For 2023, we are looking at a production increase of 12.5% to 27.5% over what we did in 2022, and our costs are expected to decline by about 5%. In 2022, our Fox Complex and Gold Bar mines generated operating profits, but the accelerated activities at our subsidiary McEwen Copper and its Los Azules project and our heavy investment in exploration contributed significantly to our large reported loss.

I will now ask Perry to provide details on how we performed financially in 2022 and more importantly what we see going forward in 2023. He will be followed by our Director and Interim Chief Operating Officer, Bill Shaver, who will comment on our success in stabilizing our mine operations and where we see growth in those operations. Bill will be followed by Michael Meding, our Vice President and General Manager of McEwen Copper, who will outline our progress at Los Azules and the financings we recently completed and the strategic shareholders we have. Perry, off to you.

Perry Ing: Thank you, Rob. Good morning, everyone. As Rob mentioned, I'll provide an overview of our fourth quarter and full year results for 2022, and then I'll discuss the impact of the recent Stellantis and Nuton, Rio Tinto transactions for our balance sheet. These transactions are, obviously, transformative for the company. We'll deleverage our balance sheet in a rising interest rate environment and allow the company to advance its Fenix project in Mexico, as well as continue to explore aggressively in Ontario and Nevada without issuing additional equity, especially at these current gold prices. For the Los Azules project, these transactions will bring two things. First, it brings on a key partner in the project in Stellantis and strengthens the relationship with another in Rio Tinto.

It also provides significant funding to Argentina to continue our aggressive exploration efforts and provide McEwen Copper further flexibility in the timing of a potential IPO. First off though, I'll start with a review of McEwen Mining's consolidated results for the prior year. It is important to note that we report McEwen Copper as a consolidated entity and reflect 100% of its expenditures on Los Azules on our income statement. As a U.S.-listed company reporting under U.S. accounting standards, we do not have the option of capitalizing the exploration and development costs at the project or any of our other projects for that matter until we have a completed feasibility study and permits for development, unlike many of our Canadian listed peers that often capitalize these costs at a much earlier stage.

In terms of looking at our headline figures, we reported a loss for the quarter and year of $37.4 million and $81.1 million, respectively. This translates into $0.79 per share and $1.71 per share, respectively. As ** for the loss for the year is due to the expensing of costs at Los Azules net of foreign exchange gains realized. A further 25% roughly is due to exploration and development costs at our 100% owned properties. The remainder of the loss figures per share reflect our G&A costs and certain one-time tax charges. I also note that the per share amounts reflect the 10 for 1 share consolidations completed in July of last year, which re-established the company's compliance with NYSE share price listing requirements. Looking at our 100% owned mines, we generated a cash gross profit of $7.9 million for the quarter and $19.2 million for the full year, respectively.

On a gross profit basis, these operations were essentially breakeven, a significant improvement over 2021 performance. Looking at gold equivalent production, production for the fourth quarter of 37,300 gold equivalent ounces was down just under 10% compared to the fourth quarter of 2021, driven by a decrease of approximately 2,000 ounces at Gold Bar as they transition into the new Gold Bar South pit during the quarter. Full year production of 133,300 gold equivalent ounces was down approximately 14% year-over-year. Again, the decrease was primarily driven at Gold Bar due to carbonaceous ore issues experienced earlier in the year as well as the transition into Gold Bar South in the fourth quarter of the year. At the San Jose mine, production was down approximately 10% year-over-year due to issues with COVID and at the mill in the first quarter of 2022.

Bill Shaver will cover off these line operations in further detail. So, the revenue and cost standpoint realized gold prices were roughly unchanged at the $1,800 level for both 2022 and the prior year. Gold prices were slightly lower in the fourth quarter of 2022, but appears to have rebounded well into the first quarter of this year so far. Looking at costs, we noted significant improvement in cash costs at our 100% owned operations at $1,276 per ounce, which have decreased steadily since 2020, but lower cost reported at both the Fox Complex and Gold Bar compared to the prior year. All-in sustaining costs were largely consistent with the prior year and reflect the cost of bringing Gold Bar South into production at -- in Nevada. At the San Jose mine, both cash costs and all-in sustaining costs increased incrementally over the prior year, reflecting lower production due to the issues I noted previously.

Finally, looking at our treasury, at the end of the year, our cash and equivalent balance stood at $44 million compared to $60 million at the beginning of the year. Now, I'll turn the attention to the recent transactions with Stellantis and Nuton, Rio Tinto and how it impacts our balance sheet and working capital on a go-forward basis. These transactions all closed within the past three weeks. The transaction included an offering of primary shares directly from the McEwen Copper and a component of secondary shares, which are the shares of McEwen Copper owned by McEwen Mining. The details are summarized in our news release, so I'll just try to encapsulate it at a high level. Essentially, McEwen Mining, if we look at it as a standalone company, it receives $48 million.

McEwen Copper receives approximately ARS30 billion. The price point of these transactions -- the price point at which these transactions are valued from McEwen Copper standpoint has nearly doubled the initial $10 per share amount when we did the investments in June and August of last year. Following these transactions, McEwen Mining's ownership of McEwen Copper reduces from approximately 68% at the end of 2022 to 51.9% today. In terms of the proceeds to McEwen Mining, we intend to use $25 million of the proceeds to retire the secured debt to Sprott Lending, which will reduce our total debt from $65 million to $40 million, saving the company significant interest costs going forward. With our enhanced treasury, we believe we now have the funds on hand to build Phase 1 of the Fenix project in Mexico and bring that operation into production within the next year without raising additional capital.

As far as McEwen Copper's treasury, the ARS30 billion is a significant amount. At official exchange rate, this is equivalent to over $150 million. Using less official measures, such as a Blue Chip Swap rate, this is approximately equal to about $80 million. With this round of financing completed, McEwen Copper is well positioned to execute its drilling and development program for the remainder of the year and into 2024, which Michael will outline. So, based on these transactions, the urgency to complete an IPO in the first half of 2023 has been eliminated. So, with that, I'll turn the presentation over to Bill Shaver.

William Shaver: Thank you very much, Perry. Good morning, shareholders. This morning, I'd like to leave you with three messages with regard to our operations. We have improved mining operations at the Fox Complex and are improving milling operations, which will result in higher output and lower cash costs in 2023. At Gold Bar, we have successfully transitioned to a new contractor and we have moved the operations to Gold Bar South pit, which will produce most of the ore in 2023. And based on the first two months of production, we are fully transitioned on both fronts, that being the new contractor and full operations. Cash costs for these operations will be approximately $1,100 per ounce in 2023, which is a significant improvement of approximately 15% from 2022.

And lastly, at the Fenix project, as Perry has mentioned, we have moved the plant -- that we purchased last year to the plant site and are at -- in the working stages of planning production in early 2024. The last quarter of 2022 was challenging, but hard work by all our mining operations helped us overcome these hurdles, making Q4 a reasonable quarter. We are also making progress in stabilizing and improving operations, so we can obtain predictable outcomes for gold production and costs in 2023 and into the future. And so far, this year, we are on track. On the safety front, in 2022, we had two low severity lost-time incidents in January and March at our El Gallo operations. And for the rest of the year, we were lost-time accident free. At the Fox Complex, we have operated for a full year in 2022 with no lost-time injuries.

mining, ore, gold

Photo by Artyom korshunov on Unsplash

And at Gold Bar, we recently passed three years without a lost-time injury. On the environmental front, we -- there were no environmental events recorded in 2022. Now, I'll turn it over to each of the operations. At the Fox Complex, we had a very challenging year with our mill, which continued to have significant availability issues, which hampered our throughput. This resulted in us missing our gold production last year. At the same time, the mine had an excellent year, which resulted in a stockpile build up to 120,000 tonnes by year-end. This represents a value of approximately $15 million after milling and recovery. On a positive note, we have now undertaken crushing of the ore at the mine prior to it being shipped to the mill. This lowers the amount of work that the mill needs to do in processing the ore.

This decision was followed -- was following a test program to prove this concept last year. We have been able to get our production tonnage through the mill successfully in Q1 of 2023 and are looking forward to improving the throughput when we get the contract crushing plant that we have planned for the remainder of the year at Froome into place. This plant will be commissioned in early April, which will allow us to reduce the size of stockpile we have at the Fox mill, transforming it into gold and therefore cash. We anticipate we will meet our budgeted cash call for the year of $922 per ounce. At the Gold Bar mine in Nevada, 2022 was also challenging with our issues of preg-robbing ore and our parting of ways with our mining contractor at the start of Q4.

Notwithstanding these issues, we transitioned the mine plan successfully to main production in Q4, and we are happy to tell you we have successfully transitioned to a new contractor who is now in full production. We also completed the move to the Gold Bar South pit and are now in full production in this pit. Gold production from Gold Bar has been on budget for the first two months of this year and we're looking forward to a good year from operations. At the Fenix project in Mexico, we have been able to develop an approach to get the Fenix project in production in a timely manner and at a significantly lower capital cost. We will reprocess the heap leach pad, which has a grade of 0.6 grams per tonne. To accomplish this, we have acquired a used 7,000 tonne per day gold processing plant, which operated recently at a local mining operation.

We have moved 80% of this plant to our site. And for Fenix, we will initially assemble only the grinding circuit, the cyclones and the leaching portion of the plant and use the present El Gallo gold recovery circuit. This will reduce the CapEx to approximately $12 million with the potential to increase the throughput as we move into production and prove that this plant will give the required outputs. There are a few minor changes in our permits that are required, but we hope to have this plant operating late this year or early in 2024. With that, I thank you very much. And now I'll turn it over to Michael for an update on our world-class Los Azules project.

Michael Meding: Thank you so much, Bill. I will quickly highlight our financing and strategic importance of our new shareholders, then report on our drilling, exploration and study work, and finally mention what we did last year and in 2023 concerning our enhanced organizational and ESG competence in Argentina. McEwen Copper completed $81.9 million offering, including a $25 million investment by Nuton, a Rio Tinto Venture, on August 31, 2022, followed on October 24, by an option agreement with Kennecott Exploration, another subsidiary of Rio Tinto, for potential earn in of 60% for Elder Creek by investing $18 million over seven years. Subsequent to December 31, 2022, we announced the closing of an ARS30 billion investment by Fiat Chrysler Argentina, a subsidiary of Stellantis, to acquire shares of McEwen Copper and of a second investment of $30 million by Nuton that increased the investment to $55 million.

Now, Nuton is an innovative new venture with the portfolio of proprietary copper heap leach related technologies and capabilities at the core, a product of almost 30 years of research and development. Those have the potential to economically unlock copper sulfide resources and achieve higher copper recoveries on oxide and transitional material. Rio Tinto is the world's second biggest mining company, bringing significant financial and technical resources to McEwen Copper and the Los Azules project. Stellantis, on the other hand, is one of the world's leading automakers. It produces iconic brands such as Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall and others. And in Argentina, Stellantis produces about 160,000 cars yearly, has about 3,000 employees and is present with manufacturing in Buenos Aires and in Cordoba, Argentina.

Partnering with Stellantis is an expression of a paradigm shift for downstream customers of copper. Companies realize that copper is a mineral critical to the green energy and mobility transition. And to my knowledge, it's the first time an automotive company has invested in a copper company. Subsequent to those transactions, Stellantis and Nuton each own 14.2% of McEwen Copper. McEwen Mining's ownership is now approximately 52%. Now I'm going to talk about drilling, exploration, site and study work. A total of $41.3 million was incurred in 2022 at the Los Azules project to advance drilling, engineering and project feasibility work. Drilling has focused on increasing drill hole density to upgrade the copper mineral resource classification to measured and indicated and to define the payback pit design better, to provide metallurgical, hydrological and geotechnical data to support mine design and (ph) exploration testing for potential extensions of the copper resource to the north, south and the depth of this already vast deposit, which Mining Intelligence ranked in 2022 as the ninth largest undeveloped copper project by copper resource size.

In 2022, drilling started in January and went to May when it stopped for the winter in the southern hemisphere, then restarted in October and is currently ongoing. Since October 2022, there were six drill rigs on site and five more were added in early 2023. From 2022 to date, we have drilled over 105,000 feet, approximately 32,000 meters, in 98 drill holes to increase geological confidence and we see that drill results are generally consistent with our model. Beyond our robust delineation results, published in January and March this year, we recently published our northern step-out exploration results with 1,052 meters of 0.29% copper including an interval of 480 meters of 0.42% copper, which demonstrates the potential of the deposits to the north.

The updated PEA will include all available information on drilling, assay and metallurgical testing obtained until early 2023 and is now slated for publishing during Q2 this year. We are developing a scenario for Los Azules as an open pit mine that initially processes leachable copper content in a heap leach, with a solvent extraction and electro winning facility to produce copper cathodes. This scenario is more environmentally sensitive due to its much lower water consumption and carbon footprint, and is de risking the project due to lower complexity. The project design makes use of renewable energy, which will allow for low carbon footprint production and improves financial attractiveness. While the PEA as a base case considers economic leaching without Nuton technology, we are excited to be able to test heap leaching using their technology, which could represent a very interesting upside scenario, and initial results are promising.

We are in preparation for the filing of the environmental permit application for the exploitation stage to the San Juan mining authorities. The drafting of the report is underway and on track for submitting it to the authorities in April 2023. In 2022, a major advance was made that will accelerate the development of the Los Azules project with the completion of a new low altitude access roads, which goes to a maximum of about 11,000 feet or approximately 3,400 meters above sea level, which we share in part with other mining projects, including El Pachon from Glencore and Altar from Aldebaran Resources. The importance of having a second road into the site at more than 2,000 feet low altitude means that we now have almost year-round access to the site.

In addition, we upgraded the exploration roads, the former existing roads, to allow for articulated 18 wheelers to get to site, a significant logistics improvement, lowering costs and quickening transports. With regards to our organization, a strong and experienced management team was set up in Argentina in 2022. With management team members having a total of over 180 years of experience in Tier One operations, the majority in San Juan, Argentina where the project is located. To further cement our relations with local communities, we opened up our community affairs office in Calingasta in San Juan where the project is located, to have even closer relations with the community we are operating in. And I can report that we are happy to receive ongoing support to develop our project there.

This concludes my report on McEwen Copper. Thank you for your attention and I will now turn it back over to Rob.

Rob McEwen: Thanks, Michael. I'd like to say I've always felt that Los Azules was a tremendous asset for McEwen Mining. The problem was in 2022, our share price was scraping along the bottom and our treasury was small. But in order to advance Los Azules, we needed a lot of money. And the thought of trying to do a financing when we -- our share price was at historic lows was just not that attractive or possibly feasible. So, we decided the best way to advance Los Azules and build its value and surface the value for McEwen Mining and allow it to access financing was to create McEwen Copper and fund it separately. And I believe we have been successful in surfacing value. We've attracted the second largest mining company in the world as a shareholder and the fourth largest automobile manufacturer in the world.

So, both did extensive due diligence on this, on Los Azules, and just confirming that we do have a very large, very attractive copper projects that will likely be one of the larger copper mines in the world when it is built. So, last August, we raised $82 million at a share price of $10. And now seven months later, we've completed an even larger financing of $30 million and ARS30 billion at an average price of approximately $18.75. As a result, the implied value of Los Azules has increased from $260 million to $550 million. And that's excluding the 1.25% royalty that McEwen Mining holds on this property. So, now behind every share of McEwen Mining, on a fully diluted basis, is a value of $5.70 from Los Azules. Back in mid-2020, our share price was around $3 a share.

Looking ahead, with our operations performing much better than they have in the past, with prospects of growth at our Fox Complex where we can see the potential to double production and further reduce cost to below $900 an ounce; mining at Gold Bar, we're in a new deposit that is higher grade and lower strip, and assuming the winter doesn't frustrate our plans, we'll be increasing production by better than 50%; and we're looking at the Fox Complex increasing production anywhere from 15% to 30% and keeping its costs around a $1,000 an ounce, we're looking at 150,000 to 170,000 gold equivalent ounces, representing an increase between 13% to 28%. McEwen Mining trades at a significant discount to its peer group and our objective is to get up and exceed that peer group economic value for gold equivalent ounce.

And when we do that, along with continuing to progress our Los Azules project, I think that the value behind McEwen Mining is going to increase and I see a value of somewhere between $7 and $28 a share. And you might be wondering how I got that number. There are -- and it's really the sum of the parts. We have Los Azules in there. And compared to two other copper projects in the same province in Argentina, we're at a lower altitude closer to the infrastructure, then they are roads powered. Based on the published resources, we have a larger resource and a higher copper grade than either of those two properties, yet, one has a value -- was purchased at $485 million last April and the other one has a market cap of about $1.9 billion. So, you could see -- I think we are in a position to be somewhere between that $500 million and $2 billion for the value for Los Azules.

We have five royalties -- non-producing royalties, 1.25% on Los Azules, 1.25% on McEwen Coppers, other copper project, Elder Creek, which you heard earlier has been optioned by Rio's exploration arm Kennecott Copper, and then we have our gold assets that are trading well below our peer group. So, I think there's quite a bit of room to grow. And I think we're in really good position to push forward on that front. The investment that we have brought in recently into McEwen Copper, although it reduced our interest -- our ownership interest, it increased the value significantly of that asset. And it allowed us to reduce McEwen Mining's debt and put money in the treasury of McEwen Mining to further the development of our Fox Complex, expand down in Mexico and fund our exploration program.

So, if any of you are interested in buying -- getting exposure to McEwen Copper, right now, the best way to do it is through the shares of McEwen Mining or wait for the IPO of McEwen Copper. Thank you. Operator, let's open the session for questions and answers.

See also 11 Bank Stocks with Insider Buying and Selling Last Week and 30 Best Hotels in Canada.

To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here.
Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, has said that the attack on the American drone was carried out over part of Russian territory, and the Americans were completely impudent, so there is no need to "stand on ceremony" with them.

Source: Medvedev on Telegram

Quote from Medvedev: "In general, to put it simply, Americans are extremely impudent. And it is wrong to stand on a ceremony with them. Although military contacts are needed, of course."

Details: According to Medvedev, the air code uses the terms "prohibited areas" and "restricted areas". He believes drones should abide by these rules, especially during combat operations.

Medvedev began to lie that the UAV was over a part of Russian territory "to which our sovereignty extends."

At the same time, he threatened US Senator Lindsey Graham with physical violence. The latter criticised the lack of a decisive response to the incident in the Black Sea.

Background:

The US Air Force issued a statement on 14 March, in which it was reported that a Russian Su-27 fighter jet damaged an American MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance and strike UAV over the Black Sea during an interception, as a result of which the drone had to be sunk.

The US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, John Kirby, noted that while Russian intercepts of US aircraft over the Black Sea are not uncommon, Tuesday's episode was unique regarding how "dangerous, unprofessional and reckless" Russias actions were.

The Russian Defence Ministry stated on the evening of Tuesday that their Su-27 fighter jets had nothing to do with the crash of the MQ-9 Reaper American UAV in the Black Sea. In addition, they said it approached annexed Crimea and was flying in violation.

The US Department of Defense, in turn, said it was working to declassify visual information related to the incident in the international airspace over the Black Sea.

The US military published a video of a Russian Su-27 fighter jet attacking the MQ-9 Reaper American UAV over the Black Sea.

The US is conducting an assessment of its drone operations in the Black Sea area following the incident. It is "taking a close look" at the drones routes and assessing how to better deconflict with Russian forces.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Former President Trump and his allies think they have found the chink in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss (R) armor.

Trump and those around him have recently sought to paint DeSantis as an opportunist and flip-flopper. Its the common thread in a number of recent Trump attacks  on topics including Social Security, Ukraine and even COVID.

In a speech in Iowa early this week, Trump accused DeSantis of wanting to decimate Social Security.

After DeSantis issued a statement on Ukraine that included the assertion that the war was a territorial dispute with no vital U.S. interests at stake, Trump  who holds a position that is broadly similar  accused DeSantis of having mimicked him.

Meanwhile, on COVID, Trump has sought to narrow the perception that there was any meaningful difference in approach between the Florida governors actions on the pandemic and his own.

On each of these points, Trump does have legitimate material to work with.

DeSantis, while a congressman, backed nonbinding measures that would have raised the retirement age to 70  though he now says he would not mess with Social Security.

When Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, DeSantis was critical of then-President Obama for the supposed weakness of his response. DeSantis advocated arming Ukraine at that time.

And on COVID, DeSantis did indeed announce a lockdown of his state in the early days of the pandemic  even though he went on to become a fierce critic of many COVID-related restrictions.

DeSantis has for the most part avoided responding to Trumps baiting  though when a Trump-backing super-PAC filed an ethics complaint against him on Wednesday, a DeSantis spokesperson called it frivolous and politically motivated.

The Florida governor has been reluctant to say anything openly about whether he will enter the race, even though all signs suggest he will.

When it comes to Trump, DeSantis has mostly traded in subtler jabs, such as implicit references to the chaos and staff in-fighting that typically surround Trump.

Story continues

If you look at my administration, DeSantis said during a recent event in Iowa, part of the reason were able to do so well, were not leaking to the media. We dont have palace intrigue; we dont have any drama. Its just execution every single day. And we end up beating the left every single day.

But some Trump allies do believe the former presidents attacks are hitting their mark  in part simply by disrupting the otherwise positive treatment of DeSantis in conservative-leaning media outlets.

There was no negative conservative messaging on DeSantis six months ago, one GOP strategist close to Trump World told this column. This is the first time he has taken any incoming at all, and I think Trump is landing real shots on him.

This source also contended that such attacks were effective even when Trump and DeSantis were broadly similar policy-wise, as is the case with the war in Ukraine.

The former president wants it known that, even though the two men have landed on the same page, he got there first.

Thats a very effective attack, the Trump World source said. Ron DeSantis is the cover band, the tribute act. Why would you want the tribute act when you can have the real thing.

Michael Caputo, a longtime friend and adviser to Trump who is now an executive with Americano Media, noted that on Ukraine, Trump is saying the same thing he has always said, and DeSantis has switched. Now, why has he switched, thats not clear. Im sure that will come out. But his position is completely different than it was a few years ago.

Despite Caputos long association with Trump, however, he cautioned against suggesting that DeSantis would be fatally wounded by such charges.

Caputo noted that attacks from one candidate accusing another candidate of being a flip-flopper have been a near-permanent feature of primary campaigns.

I have worked for politicians who have changed over time, he said. The question is, how short of a time and how much of a change? The Republican primary voter has a high tolerance for change, just not if it happened yesterday on a fundamental issue.

If DeSantis enters the race, he can defend his changes of position as a response to shifting events  or note that Trump himself has hardly been a paragon of consistency.

Years before seeking and winning the White House in 2016, for example, Trump had expressed supportiveness of abortion rights and looked favorably on universal healthcare.

For now, its clear that DeSantis is easily the most serious rival to Trump  despite the presence of former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley in the race and the fact that other big names could join the contest, including former Vice President Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

In a CNN/SSRS poll released earlier this week, DeSantis was within four points of Trump with Republicans nationwide.

Results like that lead some within the GOP to see the vigor of Trumps attacks on the Florida governor as a backhanded acknowledgement of the threat he poses.

Matt Mackowiak, the chair of the Travis County, Texas, GOP, when asked about the effectiveness of Trumps attacks said: I think the two best ways to judge that is, first, is he forcing DeSantis to respond? To this point, he really hasnt. And, are these hits affecting DeSantis in any of the polls? We are not seeing that.

In the end, Mackowiak added: What it signals most to me is that Trumps team is concerned about DeSantis.

The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17)  Senate labor committee chairman Jinggoy Estrada aims to begin tackling the proposed 150 daily wage hike in May, promising to "strike a balance" between the interests of workers and employers.

Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri on Tuesday filed a bill seeking a 150 increase in the minimum wages of all private sector workers nationwide. The current minimum wage is at 570 in Metro Manila and goes as low as 316 in some areas in Mindanao.

In a media interview on Friday, Estrada said it's high time for a wage hike but it must be studied carefully, considering that the country's economy is still "struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels."

"More than the issue of wage increase is the matter of job security which most of our workers have yet to attain. So there's a need to balance the needs of the workers with the capacity of the employers to ensure job preservation and job creation," Estrada said.

"Kasi kung magbibigay naman tayo ng sobrang taas naman sa ating mga manggagawa with all due respect, e marami sigurong kumpanya ay magsasara. Ayaw naman natin mangyari yun," he added.

[Translation: Because if we will impose a wage increase that's too high, with all due respect, many companies will probably close. We don't want that to happen.]

"Pagbalik ng Kongreso, sa kailan ba, sa May siguro (When Congress resumes, maybe in May) I will conduct a hearing and again, I will invite all stakeholders concerned," Estrada said.

The senator told CNN Philippines in a text message that he may also call for a hearing during the session break from March 25 to May 7. "Let's see," he said.

In a statement of support for Zubiri's proposal, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines on Thursday lamented supposed delays in the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards' review of minimum wages amid soaring prices.

"'Pag hindi naman gumagalaw lagi yung regional wage board natin e mapipilitan akong mag legislated wage hike," Estrada said.

[Translation: If our regional wage boards do not act promptly, we will be forced to legislate a wage hike.]




Abortion opponents have been carrying signs and distributing flyers outside Memorial Hospital in Shiloh for the past month, maintaining that the hospital is making plans to start offering abortions to women carrying fetuses with anomalies.

Twenty-eight out of 75 nurses and operating-room technicians in the hospitals Family Care Birthing Center sent a letter of protest on March 2 to hospital President Michael McManus that the BND reviewed.

The letter called the issue divisive and sensitive and stated that allowing elective abortions to be performed in the labor and delivery unit would hurt morale that already is suffering due to understaffing, fatigue, burnout and loss of trust with management.

Since we are not God (and) we are dealing with human life and mothers who are in a very vulnerable position, we do not feel right about unnecessarily foisting this decision upon our patients, the letter stated.  And making money off of these kinds of decisions goes all the more against our conscience.

The BND also reviewed a Memorial email thread announcing a Feb. 6 staff meeting on the topic of terminations for fetal anomalies, and a revised medical-charting template that includes termination and laminaria as offered services. Laminaria is a material used to dilate the cervix for abortion.

McManus didnt reply to BND requests for an interview. In February, spokesmen for the hospital and BJC HealthCare, the St. Louis-based system that has owned Memorial locations in Belleville and Shiloh since 2018, declined to confirm or deny that they were making plans to start offering abortions in Shiloh.

No changes have been made to Memorials reproductive health practices, BJC spokeswoman Laura High wrote in an email on March 7. Any information to the contrary is inaccurate. As always, our primary focus continues to be the health and safety (of) our patients.

Change in practice, if not policy

Memorials bylaws already allow abortions in cases of lethal fetal anomaly, but the hospital doesnt perform them on an elective basis, only in cases of medical emergency, according to a Birthing Center doctor who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

Story continues

The doctor said scheduled abortions would be performed by Washington University physicians who formerly performed them at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, also owned by BJC HealthCare. An abortion ban went into effect in Missouri in June.

Fetal anomalies are conditions expected to result in birth defects. Lethal fetal anomalies are conditions expected to result in death soon after an infant is born or in the womb.

Many abortion-rights advocates argue that its cruel to force parents to continue pregnancies under these circumstances. Some states that ban abortion make exceptions when the life of the mother is in danger or in cases of rape, incest or lethal fetal anomalies.

About 30 abortion opponents, four at a time, are distributing flyers at Memorial entrances in Shiloh from 6:15 to 7:45 a.m. to catch employees changing shifts, according to coordinator Lyndon Joost, of Swansea. He described it as an awareness campaign, not a protest.

Our intent is to help make the public aware that this is being considered, and were doing that silently, Joost said. Were not stopping cars or walking up to people. Its all very calm and peaceful.

New landscape after Dobbs

The legal and political landscape for abortion changed dramatically on June 24, 2022, with the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization. It overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that gave women a constitutional right to abortion.

Since that time, bans have been enacted in 13 states, including Missouri, Kentucky and Wisconsin, and theyre being considered in others, such as Iowa and Indiana. This has increased demand for abortions in Illinois, where Gov. J.B. Pritzker promises to keep them legal.

In January, Pritzker signed a bill into law to expand access to abortions and protect out-of-state residents who seek them.

Reproductive care is health care, he said at the bill signing. A medical decision should be made between a patient and their health care provider, no one else. Every single person, regardless of gender, sexuality, race and economic status, has the right to privacy and bodily autonomy, and when people come to Illinois to exercise those rights, they will be welcomed and protected.

Illinois allows abortions up to 26 weeks of pregnancy. In the metro-east, theyre performed at Fairview Heights Health Center, operated by Planned Parenthood, and Hope Clinic in Granite City.

Lyndon Joost describes himself as a longtime pro-life advocate. He and his wife, Elaine Joost, decided not to end her pregnancy in 1999 after doctors diagnosed fetal anomalies.

Today, the couple have a 23-year-old daughter, Emily Joost, with Aicardi Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological disorder. She cant feed, bathe or dress herself, speak or walk. Her parents call her amazing and inspiring.

I believe human life begins at fertilization and that someone needs to defend the rights of that human being, and Im willing to do that, said Lyndon Joost, a retired city administrator and business owner.

Babies only delivered in Shiloh

Memorial Hospital formerly offered labor and delivery services at both its locations, but officials discontinued them in Belleville in April 2020, anticipating a surge in COVID-19 patients.

The flyer being distributed by abortion opponents at Shiloh entrances is titled Why are We Standing Here? It lists several actions they say hospital and BJC officials have taken as part of a plan to begin offering elective abortions, starting with the Feb. 6 meeting for Birthing Center employees.

Our administrative team will discuss doing terminations for fetal anomalies, the Birthing Center director wrote in the email thread about the meeting that the BND reviewed.

In the meeting, nurses and operating-room technicians were told they could opt out of assisting with abortions, according to two nurses who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.

Memorials bylaws would require each abortion case to be reviewed by a physician in one of the hospitals medical groups, and members were told in a meeting that they could opt out like the nurses and operating-room technicians, the Birthing Center doctor said.

The letter sent to McManus by nurses and operating-room technicians stated that they were blindsided by news that abortions might be offered at Memorial and that hospital administrators and other leaders had started the conversation last summer, around the same time as the Dobbs ruling.
JFK portrait by Elaine de Kooning.

After completing several early 1960s sessions sketching President John F. Kennedy at his familys Palm Beach estate, a New York artist likened the experience to a fairy tale, a far-fetched dream.

The larger-than-life president seemed incandescent, golden to painter Elaine de Kooning, a portrait artist active in the mid-20th-centurys Abstract Expressionist movement.

But Kennedy was restless throughout  jotting notes, conducting meetings, interacting with family  which in part explains why de Kooning later said of her finished work, I offer you not a portrait of John F. Kennedy, but a glimpse.

What brought de Kooning and Kennedy together at the Kennedy familys former North Ocean Boulevard estate?

In early 1962, through an arrangement made by an art dealer, the artist  then-well-known in New York art circles  was commissioned to paint JFKs portrait by the Harry S. Truman Library in Independence, Missouri. Truman, the 33rd president, was said to have admired Kennedy.

President John F. Kennedy arriving at Palm Beach International Airport.

Considering Trumans traditional taste in art, de Kooning was an unconventional choice.

But the artist  an art critic, writer, teacher and wife of famed artist Willem de Kooning  was known for an ability to paint portraits quickly. That appealed, given Kennedys reputation for never sitting still.

Kennedy, the second son of Joe and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, was elected president in 1960. By then, the Kennedy family had been vacationing in Palm Beach for decades at the oceanfront estate Joe bought for $120,000 in 1933.

Family members attended St. Edward Catholic Church on North County Road and ate hamburgers across the street at Greens Pharmacy. After World War II, JFK wrote "Profiles in Courage" at the familys Palm Beach compound and recuperated there later after back surgery.

After he won the 1960 presidential election, the Kennedys Palm Beach estate became known as the Winter White House. (The Kennedy family sold the compound in 1995 for $5 million; the property changed hands in 2020 for $70 million).

Story continues

De Koonings first sketching session at the Kennedy compound was on Dec. 28, 1962; photos suggest it took place on a patio. The Kennedys were spending the holiday season there through Jan. 8. De Koonings sketching sessions were every couple of days. She could further develop the sketches on her own at a studio on loan to her by the Norton Gallery of Art (now the Norton Museum of Art) in West Palm Beach.

Elaine de Kooning sketching JFK with Caroline Kennedy alongside.

At first, de Kooning was star-struck by 6-foot-tall Kennedy, who wore an open-collared sport shirt, slacks and sneakers at the first session. She drew the president in pen and ink, pencil and charcoal. When he changed positions, Id change drawings, she later told an interviewer.

When she returned for a second sitting, Kennedys press secretary, Pierre Salinger, told her to clear out, which she did before Kennedy appeared moments later with reporters for a press conference.

At other sessions, Kennedys restlessness continued.

De Kooning reportedly brought quick-drying paints to a Jan. 3 session, when Kennedy wore a dress shirt and tie since he reportedly was due for a meeting with a Cabinet member. At one point, Kennedys 5-year-old daughter Caroline sketched alongside de Kooning. How much paint in these tubes? the child asked before squeezing out all of de Koonings cadmium yellow.

At another session Caroline attended, Kennedy is said to have walked over and drawn a cat on his daughters sketch pad.

De Kooning sought to capture Kennedy from all angles. At one session, she climbed a ladder to sketch from above, noticing the wear and tear of his office under his youthful glow.

When not working in Palm Beach on the Kennedy portraits, the artist enjoyed bike rides on the island, according to a 2017 biography about the artist. The ocean drives here are gorgeous and everything looks so damned prosperous, de Kooning is said to have written to a friend. We have been hunting high and low for the slums and have not uncovered them.

Elaine de Kooning in 1965 at the Harry S. Truman Library with Harry Truman and one of the the artist's JFK portraits.

Once de Kooning returned to New York, she worked furiously for months on several paintings based on her sketches; the walls and floor of her studio were covered in her images of the president.

The whole Florida episode was like a fairy tale or a far-fetched daydream, she told a friend.

After Kennedys November 1963 assassination, a grief-stricken de Kooning put down her brushes, but months later resumed painting.

Over the course of 1964, a portion of her body of work on Kennedy was shown in New York, Philadelphia and Washington. In 1965, her commissioned work was unveiled at the Truman Library.

There, de Kooning explained she sought not to convey a realistic sense of a gray flannel suit worn by a man with a tan, but the brightness and readiness of a president constantly in motion.

One of the commissioned Kennedy portraits by de Kooning is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Compared to many of the other presidents traditional portraits there, the de Kooning portrait of Kennedy is larger, with whats been called a riot of bold green and gold strokes to reflect Kennedys dynamism.

De Kooning died in 1989.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Portrait artist: Kennedy seemed 'golden' in Palm Beach sessions
Thomas Andrews, Adnan Arib, Jamie Lewis, David Carrick, Francois Olwage, Neil Corbel, Deniz Jaffer, Syed Ali, Jamie Rayner, Mark Collins. (PA, Reutrs, Met Police,

The Metropolitan Police clearly has a problem that needs to tackled, Dominic Raab has acknowledged, following reports that a review will criticise the force for being racist, sexist and homophobic.

Baroness Casey has been reviewing the Mets standards and internal culture in the aftermath of the murder of Sarah Everard in 2021 by serving officer Wayne Couzens. She is expected to publish her findings next week.

According to the Guardian, the contents of the review have been described by a source as atrocious and that its conclusion will make clear that Scotland Yard was in the last-chance saloon.

Justice secretary Raab said on Friday that there were clearly practises that have been far too prevalent within the force that needed tackling head-on. It added it was clear that bad behaviour was not isolated to only one or two officers.

As well as Couzens rape and murder of Ms Everard, numerous Met Officers have been found to have committed a series of depraved crimes - often sexual - against women and children.

Here, Yahoo News takes a look at recently disgraced members of the UK's largest police force and what they did.

David Carrick

David Carrick is one of the UK's most notorious sex offenders. (Reuters)

One of the UK's most prolific sex offenders, David Carrick, spent 20 years in the Met Police and worked as a firearms officer during his career.

He abused his position as a police officer and saw himself as "untouchable", carrying out a horrific campaign of rape, harassment and domestic violence spanning more than two decades.

Carrick, 48, was arrested on suspicion of rape in July 2021 after a victim came forward, and he later pleaded guilty to 85 serious offences including 48 rapes. He was jailed for life with a minimum of 30 years.

Mark Collins

Disgraced Met Police officer Mark Collins sent highly sexual messages to someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl (PA)

Detective Constable Mark Collins, 58, was caught in an undercover sting conducted by colleagues at the Met. He was found to have sent messages of a "highly sexualised nature" to a 13-year-old girl - some of which were sent while he was on duty.

Story continues

Collins admitted six counts of trying to engage in sexual communications with a child and was jailed for two years and four months at the Old Bailey in April 2021.

Benjamin McNish

Benjamin McNish used an iPhone to spy on woman in the shower in police accommodation. (PA)

Police sergeant Benjamin McNish, 32, used his iPhone to spy on a woman while she was showering in February 2019.

The incident took place while he and the victim were staying at police accommodation in Camden for a course.

His victim spotted him filming, grabbed a towel and rushed out to confront him, and McNish was arrested at the scene. He was sentenced in August 2021 to 20 weeks imprisonment, suspended for two years.

Convicted iPhone spy police officer resigns from Met Police (Evening Standard, 2 mins)

Jamie Rayner

Jamie Rayner abused a fellow police officer and told her to use 'rough sex' as an explanation for her injuries. (Met Police)

Jamie Rayner, 28, repeatedly assaulted and abused a female police officer during a "controlling and coercive" 10-month relationship.

He would pin Bonnie Hudson down and throttle her, and when she told colleagues of the abuse, he threatened to make up allegations about her and suggested she blame her injuries on "rough sex".

Rayner initially denied his charges but pleaded guilty in October 2021 to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour and was jailed for two years and three months.

Will Scott-Barrett

Will Scott-Barrett caused 'incalculable' damage to a 15-year-old boy. (Twitter/@MPSBatterseaSgt)

PC Will Scott-Barrett, 34, avoided a jail sentence after he admitted to sending sexual messages, including graphic pictures and videos, to a 15-year-old boy.

He was off-duty at the time and his offending was not said to be related to his work, but a judge told him the harm he caused to the boy was "incalculable".

Scott-Barrett was handed a nine-month jail sentence, suspended for 12 months, at Isleworth Crown Court in July 2022.

Francois Olwage

Francois Olwage was caught going to meet who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl in a park. (Met Police)

Counter-terror officer Francois Olwage, 53, took two condoms, a bottle of lubricant and erection dysfunction pills to meet who he thought would be a 13-year-old girl.

The detective constable was actually talking to an undercover officer and was arrested as he went to meet the girl at a park in Basingstoke - bringing with him a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates as a gift.

He was found guilty of child sex offences in April 2022 and was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison.

Syed Ali

Syed Ali bombarded a woman with nearly 500 messages after she reported a crime. (Met Police)

Syed Ali, 47, send nearly 500 messages and images of a sexual nature to a woman who reported a crime to him as a witness.

The counter-terror officer ignored the woman's request to stop contacting her before he was eventually arrested in July 2020.

He pleaded guilty to harassment without violence and was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, in May 2021.

Jamie Lewis

Jamie Lewis took inappropriate pictures of murdered sisters Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry. (Met Police/PA)

Jamie Lewis, was one of two Metropolitan Police officers to take inappropriate photos of murdered sisters Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman in June 2020.

It emerged that he'd superimposed his face onto an image of their bodies as they lay in bushes of Kingsbury Park to create a "selfie-style" image.

Lewis, 34, was jailed for two years and nine months in December 2021 after admitting to misconduct in public office.

Deniz Jaffer

Deniz Jaffer also took photos of Smallman and Henry. (PA/Met Police)

Deniz Jaffer, 49, was also tasked with securing the scene of Henry and Smallman's murders and abused his authority - taking pictures of the sisters on his personal phone and sending them to Lewis.

The court heard how he'd also sent the images to selected members of a WhatsApp messaging group, describing the victims as dead birds.

Jaffer was also jailed for two years and nine months after pleading guilty to gross misconduct at the Old Bailey.

Adnan Arib

Married Adnan Arib used his position to make advances towards teenage girls. (Met Police)

PC Adnan Arib, 46, used his position as an officer to try to start a sexual relationship with two vulnerable teenagers.

He got the mobile phone numbers of both girls, aged 15 and 16, asked whether they had boyfriends, and invited them out for drinks, and met one in a park after school.

Arib was found guilty of two counts of misconduct in a public office between April and July 2019 at Southwark Crown Court and was jailed for two years in March 2022.

Joel Borders

Joel Borders joked about raping a female colleague, who he called a 'sneaky b***h'. (PA)

PC Joel Borders, 46, was found guilty of sending "sickening" misogynistic and racist messages in a WhatsApp group with Sarah Everard's killer, Wayne Couzens.

He and Jonathon Cobban, 36, exchanged messages about tasering children and people with disabilities. In April 2019 Borders wrote: "I can't wait to get on guns so I can shoot some c*** in the face!"

Borders, who also joked about raping a female colleague, was jailed for 12 weeks in November 2022 for sending grossly offensive messages.

Jonathon Cobban

Jonathon Cobban also sent grossly offensive messages in a WhatsApp group with Wayne Couzens. (Picture: PA)

Jonathon Cobban was also found guilty of sending vile messages within the "Bottle and Stoppers" WhatsApp group, which also included Wayne Couzens.

In one exchange, he said: "I want to taser a cat and a dog to see which reacts better. I think the cat will get more p***** off and the dog will s***. I wanna test this theory. Same with children. Zap zap you little f******."

He was also jailed for 12 weeks for the same offences, with a judge describing his conduct as encapsulating "the full range of prejudiced views, racism, misogyny, ableism and homophobia".

Wayne Couzens joked about sexual assault in newly released WhatsApp messages with six other police officers (Sky News, 3 mins)

Neil Corbel

Detective Inspector Neil Corbel planted hidden cameras in hotel rooms, flats and Airbnbs to spy on naked women. (Met Police)

Detective Inspector Neil Corbel, 40, used hidden spy cameras to spy on naked women.

He posed as an airline pilot to book models for photoshoots in Brighton, Greater London and Manchester, before planting the gadgets in hotel rooms, flats and Airbnbs.

Corbel was given a three-year term after admitting voyeurism offences in September 2021.

Detective who used spy cameras to film naked women found guilty of misconduct (The Argus, 2 mins)

Matthew Cooper

Matthew Cooper pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour. (PA)

PC Mathew Cooper used the Find my Friend app to track his partner's movements and prevented her from contacting her friends over an 18-month period.

Cooper, 24, also attempted to "control her finances and threatened to kill himself if she talked about ending the relationship.

He pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour and was given a seven-month suspended sentence in December 2022.

Met Police officer gaslighted girlfriend and stopped her talking to closest pals (The Mirror, 3 mins)

Sam Grigg

A young woman 100% thought she was going to be raped by bondage-obsessed Metropolitan Police officer Sam Grigg, who pleaded guilty to false imprisonment.

Sam Grigg, 36, used duct tape to restrain his housemate during 10 minutes of terror at their home in Twickenham in December last year, Kingston Crown Court heard.

He was jailed for four years and will spend an extended period of two years on licence after his release.

Thomas Andrews

Thomas Andrews (Met Police)

PC Thomas Andrews was jailed for one year and four months in March for assaulting a woman in south London while off-duty.

A woman known to Andrews, had suffered grazing having been pushed to the ground, and made a report on the attack.

He pleaded guilty causing actual bodily harm at Woolwich Crown Court. As well as a prison sentence he was also issued a restraining order.

Met Police officer jailed for assaulting woman on the street in south London (Evening Standard, 2 mins)

Archit Sharma

PC Archit Sharma was found guilty of sexually assaulting a colleague while on-duty in July 2021.

He was found guilty following a trial at Wood Green Crown Court, on 6 March, and is due to be sentenced at on 5 May.

Det Ch Supt Caroline Haines, responsible for local policing in Enfield and Haringey, said: I am furious that an officer has behaved in such a grossly unacceptable way. In doing what he did, PC Sharma totally betrayed all the values of policing."

Serving Met Police officer sexually assaulted colleague while on duty (Evening Standard, 1 min)

Hussain Chehab

Pc Hussain Chehab admitted sexual activity with a girl aged 13 to 15 before he became a police officer, but also offences linked to indecent images of children that he committed while in the force.

The 22-year-old pleaded guilty in January 2023 to offences that took place between March and September 2019, before Chehab joined the Met the following year. They only came to light when the girls family reported in July 2021 that their daughter had been in a sexual relationship with Chehab, which it later emerged began when she was 14.

Chehab also admitted three counts of making indecent photographs of a child and one of engaging in sexual communication with a child, some of which were committed while he was posted at a north London school in 2021.
Former North Carolina Tar Heel and Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan is reportedly looking to move on from the Charlotte Hornets.

ESPNs Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that Jordan has engaged in talks to sell the majority stake in the Hornets franchise. Jordan would sell the stake to an ownership group led by current minority owner Gabe Plotkin and Atlanta Hawks minority owner Rick Schnall.

While no deal is imminent, Wojnarowski did say that there is significant momentum in the talks. That leads us to believe it will get done barring some hold up.

Michael Jordan is engaged in talks to sell a majority stake in the Charlotte Hornets, per @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/BOFjM996n5  Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 16, 2023

In 2006 Jordan became a minority owner for the then Charlotte Bobcats before buying a majority stake in 2010 for $275 million. As of now, Forbes estimates the Hornets are worth $1.7 billion with only three other teams worth less in the league.

Jordan is expected to hold on to a minority share of the team if there is a deal that goes through.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

Story originally appeared on Tarheels Wire
This article is part of HuffPosts biweekly politics newsletter. Click here to subscribe.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) this week signed landmark legislation to protect the states LGBTQ community.

In the process, she and her allies sent a message about the kind of state they want Michigan to be  and how they hope to fend off the agenda of the far right, both within Michigans borders and beyond.

The new law amends the Elliott-Larsen Act, Michigans civil rights law, to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. In practical terms, that means everything from ensuring landlords cant turn away LGBTQ renters to guaranteeing that employers cant fire workers in same-sex marriages.

Advocates have been trying to pass something like this for about 40 years. They have finally broken through because, in the 2022 election, voters returned Whitmer to office while giving complete control of the legislature to the Democrats. That hasnt happened since the Reagan era.

The new House and Senate majorities have been working at a breakneck pace. The initiatives they have enacted or are on their way to passing include a new tax credit for the working poor, repeal of anti-union legislation and several initiatives designed to curb gun violence  something very much on the mind of Michiganders following Februarys mass shooting at Michigan State University.

Relative to those measures, the LGBTQ amendment will likely have a less conspicuous impact on everyday life because a version of the protections already exists. In a key case last year, the states Supreme Court ruled that sexual orientation and gender identity fell under the Elliott-Larsen legal umbrella even without new language.

But courts can and do reverse themselves, especially in Michigan, where voters elect justices on the seven-member Supreme Court. Moreover, putting a statute on the books, as Whitmer and the legislature just did, makes those protections much harder to dislodge in the future.

Story continues

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer listens to reporters during a news conference on Nov. 7, 2022, in East Lansing, Michigan. Recently the Democrat signed landmark legislation to protect the states LGBTQ community.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer listens to reporters during a news conference on Nov. 7, 2022, in East Lansing, Michigan. Recently the Democrat signed landmark legislation to protect the states LGBTQ community.

And thats to say nothing of the symbolic value in a state where attitudes about LGBTQ issues still vary a lot, from individual to individual and, especially, from place to place.

There are places in Michigan where I hesitate to hold my partners hand where I am, you know, more guarded, where Im not my true self, Erin Knott, executive director of Equality Michigan, told HuffPost. This really says to LGBTQ community members that they are loved and valued for just being who they are and that Michigan stands with them.

At Thursdays signing ceremony, Whitmer echoed that call while acknowledging that not all elected officials and states feel the same way.

Michigan As The Anti-Florida

Right now, theres a nationwide assault on our LGBTQ+ community, especially our trans neighbors, family and friends, Whitmer said. There are state legislatures across this country dedicating themselves to legalizing discrimination. Its dangerous, its wrong and its un-American.

Whitmer didnt single out any states, but its not hard to think of a few that qualify. At the top of the list is Florida, where Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has promoted himself as a warrior against the woke mob  an image he hopes will allow him to win the GOP 2024 presidential nomination, which he seems near-certain to seek.

Like Whitmer, DeSantis just won a resounding reelection and has partisan allies in the legislature passing a flurry of laws. But the actual content of that legislation is quite different. Instead of passing laws that make it harder to get and carry a gun, DeSantis and Florida Republicans are about to make it easier. Instead of repealing old bans on abortion, they are enacting new ones.

And then there is the GOPs agenda to restrict what teachers can say about gender and sexuality, ban books that address such themes, and limit gender-affirmingtreatment.

At least in public, DeSantis and his allies bristle at the suggestion their agenda is targeting the LGBTQ community. This defense would be more credible if DeSantis surrogates didnt attack critics by calling them groomers and if he wasnt giving government posts to Christian Ministry officials who (according to CNN) have floated theories about tap water turning people gay.

This really says to LGBTQ community members that they are loved and valued for just being who they are, and that Michigan stands with themErin Knott, Equality Michigan

DeSantis has characterized his agenda as an effort to defend freedom from liberals out to trample on the rights of religious Americans and gun owners or to indoctrinate vulnerable children. And its not just the Florida governor making this pitch. Pretty much every GOP presidential contender (including the former president himself, Donald Trump) has offered a version.

Whitmer on Thursday also invoked the cause of freedom, but from a very different point of view.

Michigan is a state where we stand up for peoples fundamental freedoms, Whitmer said, whether its your freedom to make your own decisions about your body, your freedom to go to school or work without being worried about a mass shooting, or your freedom to be who you are, love who you love.

The appeal to freedom is one that national advocates have also been making. What people dont want is politicians deciding their healthcare, Kelley Robinson, Human Rights Campaign president, told HuffPost on Friday. They dont want politicians telling you where to go to the bathroom, they dont want politicians telling you what books to read.

A Play For The Center, Not The Fringe

The Elliott-Larsen amendment is a Democratic bill signed by a Democratic governor. But Whitmer, in her remarks, emphasized the role Republicans have played in promoting civil rights, now and in the past.

Elliott-Larsen is named for the two former state House members who sponsored it, Democrat Daisy Elliott and Republican Melvin Larsen. Elliott isnt alive anymore, but Larsen is and appeared at the signing ceremony to a rousing ovation. Whitmer recognized him and then paid tribute to former Gov. William Milliken, the moderate Republican who signed Elliott-Larsen and whom Whitmer has frequently cited as a role model for public service.

And just as Whitmer hailed the two-state Democratic legislators who led the campaign to pass this new amendment, Sen. Jeremy Moss and Rep. Jason Hoskins, she also went out of her way to point out that a handful of Republicans voted for it as well.

These are values we all share, Whitmer said.

Michigan is a state where we stand up for peoples fundamental freedoms.Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

This is not the kind of rhetoric that DeSantis, the Florida Republicans or their counterparts across the country typically offer. Instead, they seem far more interested in scoring points with Fox News viewers by making Democrats out to be the enemy, not just of Republican voters but of America itself. In fact, one Florida Republican lawmaker recently introduced a stunt bill to effectively eliminate the states Democratic Party.

In Michigan, at least, this dynamic seems to be working to the advantage of Whitmer and the Democrats because the right-wing agenda alienates plenty of middle-of-the-road swing voters  including those thinking primarily about economic issues.

One of Whitmers favorite lines, which she repeated on Thursday, is that bigotry is bad for business. Knott from Equality Michigan and Amritha Venkataraman, Michigan state director for the Human Rights Campaign, told HuffPost that several employer groups have been eager partners in their advocacy efforts because they think promising protection against anti-LGBTQ discrimination helps them to attract talent.

A Political Issue  And A Personal One Too

But its hard to watch and listen to Michigans Democrats and not sense a motive beyond political pragmatism at work.

Although the enactment of the Elliott-Larsen amendments has been four decades in the making, the push for it got an extra nudge in the last year in response to anti-LGBTQ rhetoric in Michigan politics  and following a floor speech defending the LGBTQ community by state Sen. Mallory McMorrow that went viral.

The political effort in support of LGBTQ-friendly candidates that followed dovetailed with, and reinforced, the campaign to protect abortion rights that dominated the 2022 elections, leading directly to a Democratic majority that includes not just a record number of women in top roles but also a record number of publicly LGBTQ members. Their ranks include House Speaker Pro TemporeLaurie Pohutsky and Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Nessel spoke at the signing ceremony, recalling the stories of discrimination that have come to her office over the years  and how the new law will make it easier for her to act on them in the future. Nessel, who litigated one of the cases that led to the U.S. Supreme Courts decision legalizing same-sex marriage, also made clear the fight was personal.

Whitmer did the same when she pointed out that in addition to being a longtime, visible ally to the LGBTQ community, she is also the mother of a proud gay woman.

Thinking about the four-decade struggle to pass the amendment and the resistance advocates faced every step of the way, Whitmer quoted Detroit native and well-known LGBTQ allyLizzo: Its about damn time. Then she signed the legislation while sitting in front of a pride flag and wearing a Michigan LOVE pin on her lapel  once again sending the kind of message that DeSantis and other avatars of the far right never would.

Related...
Former Vice President Mike Pence gives a lecture at Christ Chapel on the campus of Hillsdale College, in Hillsdale, Mich., on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. | David Guralnick, Detroit News via Associated Press

Former Vice President Mike Pence joked about his own religious devotion and that of former President Donald Trumps in a speech at a Washington press dinner.

Pence said he invited Trump to Bible study. He really liked the passages about the smiting and perishing of thine enemies. As he put it, Ya know, Mike, theres some really good stuff in here, he said.

The potential GOP presidential candidate then poked fun at his former boss legal troubles. Honestly, I learned a lot working beside Donald Trump, like about subpoenas for instance, he said.

I read that some of those classified documents they found in Mar-a-Lago were actually stuck in the presidents Bible, Pence said, referring to the FBIs August 2022 search of Trumps home. Which proves he had absolutely no idea they were there.

Pence said he wasnt some kind of religious nut. Just ask my sons, Jedidiah, Obadiah and Zacharia. Its true. Im a man of deep faith. In fact, my preferred pronouns are thou and thine.

In another part of his speech last week, Pence jokingly compared himself to another Republican who ran for president.

I always wanted to be the bad boy, the rebel type, the hell-raiser. You know, someone like Mitt Romney, he said.

The Gridiron Club dinner is a white-tie gathering of Washingtons political and journalistic elite and is known for its comedic atmosphere. A member of the Republican and Democratic parties are invited to speak, and Pence was the GOP keynote.

Related

Later in the speech Pence changed his tone, turning to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, the one thing I havent joked about.

Pence said Trumps reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day, according to The Associated Press. He added that history would hold Donald Trump accountable.

Story continues

Pence reiterated what he wrote in his memoir about that day, saying, President Trump was wrong, I had no right to overturn the election. Trump asked Pence not to certify the 2020 electoral college votes in Congress.

Trump was impeached by the House a second time in 2021, after he had already left office, but the Senate did not convict him for his role in the Capitol riot.

Pence said he has pledged to never, ever downplay what took place at the Capitol that day. For as long as I live I will never, ever diminish the injuries sustained, the lives lost, or the heroism of law enforcement on that tragic day, he said.
President Donald Trump speaks with Vice President Mike Pence during the daily briefing of the coronavirus task force at the White House on April 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Mike Pence won't pressure Donald Trump to drop out of the 2024 presidential race if he is charged.

Pence signaled he'd back off on Thursday, saying "everybody can make their own decisions."

Trump's GOP rivals would be in a tough position if the former president is charged.

Former Vice President Mike Pence won't call on Donald Trump to shut down his 2024 presidential run if he's indicted in a Manhattan District Court.

"Look, it's a free country. Everybody can make their own decisions," Pence told reporters Thursday, Politico reported.

A Manhattan grand jury is deliberating if Trump should be charged over hush money payments he and his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, made to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election.

Daniels alleges she and Trump had an affair before he ran for president. Cohen has said the $130,000 payment to Daniels was an effort to block her from speaking out about it during Trump's campaign.

The Manhattan DA's office has been investigating Trump and these payments since 2019 and has shown evidence to a grand jury, signaling the former president may face felony charges soon.

That would make Trump the first former president ever to be criminally charged.

Trump's Republican rivals  including Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis  could be in a tough position if Trump is indicted. The former president has previously capitalized on law enforcement actions against him to rally supporters to his side.

Pence's early response suggests that despite the obvious rupture in his relationship with the former president, he will continue to pick and choose his fights. The strategy is also emblematic of the reality that any nominee that wants to usurp Trump will eventually have to woo away some of the former president's base.

Both Pence and DeSantis previously called out the FBI's search at Mar-a-Lago, an example at times on how Trump's rivals have been forced by circumstance to embrace him.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A Millsboro Police Department officer is under investigation for potentially tampering with a controlled substance in evidence, the department announced Friday.

The officer, whose name has not been publicly released, has been put on paid administrative leave.

Millsboro police said that the officer was found "unresponsive" in his patrol car at 11:20 a.m. on Feb. 19. He was taken to the hospital for possible exposure to fentanyl, according to the department.

The statement from the department did not indicate whether there was actual fentanyl exposure or what form that exposure took.

MORE:Wilmington police didn't use a tool to combat overdose deaths. Now, they carry Narcan.

Were drugs 'improperly accessed'?

The Millsboro Police Department said that the officer, who was in charge of evidence for the department, may have "improperly accessed" drugs seized in another case.

When asked about why a press release was not issued until nearly a month after the investigation began, the chief of the Millsboro Police Department declined to comment.

OPIOIDS:From patent to Percocet: How this powerful opioid got its start in Delaware

The investigation has been handed over to Delaware State Police and the Delaware Department of Justice's Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust. The Millsboro Police Department said it will also conduct internal investigations "as necessary."

In addition to its investigation of the Millsboro Police Department officer, the Department of Justice said its Criminal Division is working to identify any cases that may have been affected by the possible tampering with evidence and notify those involved.

"Unfortunately, this officers suspected misconduct has serious consequences for himself, for his community and for his fellow officers whose work may be jeopardized by his actions," said a Department of Justice spokesperson.

Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Millsboro officer under investigation after possible fentanyl exposure
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17)  The congestion rate in Philippine jails - earlier said to be among the world's most crowded - has decreased to 370% from 600% in 2018, according to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

"Sa ngayon mayroon tayong 370% congestion rate sa buong Pilipinas. Ito ay mababa na kumpara sa 600% noong 2018," BJMP spokesperson Jayrex Bustinera said in a public briefing Friday.

[Translation: Right now we have a 370% congestion rate in the entire Philippines. This is down from 600% in 2018.]

BJMP said the nationwide congestion rate climbed to 612% in 2017. In 2022, BJMP reported that out of 447 jail facilities in the country, 336 were at full capacity.

Meanwhile, Bustinera said the agency is currently trying to avoid jail congestion by building additional large jail facilities and helping persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) on their path to freedom by strengthening the implementation of good conduct time allowance (GCTA).

Under Republic Act 10592, GCTA is a sentence reduction provision granted to PDLs for good behavior during detention.

"Kahit nagpapatayo tayo ng piitan ay marami pa ring lumalaya nang sa ganoon ay bumababa ang congestion rate," the spokesperson added.

[Translation: Even if we are building a prison, many people are still released, thus reducing the congestion rate.]

READ: BJMP chief: PH has world's most congested jails

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2017/07/02/ph-has-worlds-most-congested-jails.html
Minnesota State Senate

Speaking out against a proposed school breakfast and lunch program, Republican state Sen. Steve Drazkowski said this week that he has yet to meet a person in Minnesota that is hungry.

Guess he doesnt get out much.

At least a dozen food pantries are feeding record numbers in Drazkowskis home district, officials told The Daily Beast. The Lake City Food Shelf had eight families come in during just the first half-hour on Thursday. It often sees between 20 and 30 families in a day, more than 100 in a week.

That number is up considerably in recent years. And the longtime director, Carole Helgerson, says the same is generally true throughout District 20, which Drazkowski represents.

Were all seeing increases, the 76-year-old retired sixth-grade teacher said. Some of them you can almost say doubled since before COVID.

Statewide, there were a record 5.5 million visits to food pantries last year, up from 1.9 million in 2021. And as someone wh0 had been feeding the needy as a volunteer for 16 years, Helgerson is unable to fathom how Drazkowski can say he has not encountered a single hungry Minnesotan.

How can that be? she asked. Im sure he doesnt get out and hes just a big old politician.

Minnesotas Gov. Tim Walz Is the Anti-DeSantis. Dems Should Take Note.

She summarized her view of the 58-year-old Republican lawmaker who served eight terms in the state House of Representatives before being elected to the state Senate in 2022.

Im sorry, hes just an asshole, she said.

Among those who are decidedly not assholes are the 40 people who volunteer with her.

For the most part they are all retired peope who want to give back, she said.

The families who arrive are given a list of the available food items, which include fresh fruit and vegetables. There is also bread that a bakery would otherwise discard and meat frozen and donated by WalMart after it neared the sell by date.

Target donates items, including jumbo bags of candy that have been opened. The volunteers make little surprise packages that they sometimes include when they assemble what the families marked on the days list.

Story continues

Its a little like Halloween, Helgerson said.

She says only a very small percentage of the families fail to express their gratitude.

We get things like, God bless you for doing this, she reported. Its a good feeling to go home and say, Hey, I made a difference in somebodys life.

A basic principle applies to all the food pantries.

Helping people when they need it, Helgerson said.

Sinema Wants Accountability for Bank Mess. Hand Her a Mirror.

One shelter that has not seen the surge experienced by many others in Drazkoskis hometown of Mazeppa.

Weve been up to 30 families, Jim Perrotti, the 61-year-old director of the Mazeppa food shelf, told The Daily Beast. Right now, its down a bit.

But, he added, we got people who are hungry. And, with his hometowns population under 900 and with Drazkowskis home just a little over a mile from the food shelf, it seems the senator would have had a good chance of encountering somebody in serious need of a meal.

I see him in the gas station putting gas in his vehicle, so I know he goes out, Perrotti said.

If he wants to meet a hungry person, Drazkowski could just make the four-minute drive to the food shelf from the house that doubles as his district office.

Should Drazkowski stick around and volunteer, he would learn, as Perriotti has learned, that misfortune can visit anybody. He will also see how people open up when they are welcomed with what he calls a hows your day going? and what can we help you with? attitude.

Theyve all got an interesting story, Perrotti said.

Perrotti says that at least once every other year, someone who has been coming in will vanish for a while and return with a check for something like $100.

And say, You dont know what it meant to us, Perrotti reported.

Drazkowsi did not respond to a Daily Beast request for comment. Anybody who doubts Helgersons appraisal need only consider the added callousness the politician voiced in the Senate.

"Now, I should say that hunger is a relative term," he said. "I had a cereal bar for breakfast. I guess I'm hungry now."

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
Four volunteers from Minnesota-based Northstar Search and Rescue would spend a combined 9 1/2 days traveling to and then plumbing miles of Carolina coastline with dogs specially trained in the detection of human remains in the search for missing boater Tyler Doyle.

Their logs reveal how fast paced, uncertain and exhausting the search came to be  sometimes relying just on manual navigation and animal mannerisms for clues.

Tyler Doyle 911 tapes reveal what happened the afternoon his boat sank while duck hunting

Temperatures ranged from 49 to 74 degrees.

Wind gusts got up to 23 mph and several dogs changed their behavior in spots  but crews departed no closer to solving the mystery than before they arrived.

Deacon frantically moved around at one point during the search

Handler Diane Butterfield and her dog, Deacon, got to the search area on Feb. 7 and traveled by boat from Doyles last known point to southeastern area of the Intracoastal Waterway and into the Atlantic Ocean.

Upon reaching the area where Tyler was last seen, we began gridding the area in south/north grid pattern. K9 had changes of behavior at (two) waypoints, where he leaned over the boat tasting the water and moving back and forth in the boat trying to locate the odor, Butterfield wrote.

Deacon responded to two other way points further down the route before the team got back to their base of operations.

On Feb. 8, Butterfield and Deacon moved to a dock and private boat launch along Little River Drive to confirm an alert found north of the jetties.

Deacon and another dog picked up a scent, but the location wasnt documented after a GPS device fell into the water.

The next day, Deacon responded to pockets of odor along several coastal areas, with his strongest response coming in an area just north of Sunset Beach, N.C.

K9 frantically moved around the sides of the boat whining, leaning over the bow and sniffing the interior of the boat where odor tends to settle, Butterfield wrote.

Story continues

Deacon ended his work by inspecting locations near Ocean Isle Beach, N.C.

In all, Butterfield and Deacon spent nearly 84 hours committed to the search between travel time and field work.

Sophie spent almost three weeks in the field

Heath Glassburn and his dog Sophie got to Little River on Feb. 6. The duo were dispatched to Tubbs Inlet off Ocean Isle Beach the next day.

On Feb. 8, the pair were asked to inspect a sonar anomaly picked up by Wings of Hope, another rescue group. Sophie responded to a possible scent at low tide roughly 500 feet from shore.

The next week was spent spot checking various locations. On Feb. 17  more than three weeks after Doyle was last seen  Glassburn and Sophie did aerial surveillance from the Little River inlet to Bald Head Island flying 700 feet above the water.

Two sonar anomalies on Feb. 19 drew Sophies attention. For the next eight days, way points along a circuitous route were gone over before the two headed home on Feb. 27.

Rosie spent a day navigating rocky terrain on the prowl for clues

On a 70-degree day with winds pressing in from the southwest at 20 mph, Rosie and handler Laura Zamarripa took a 40-minute ride with state Department of Natural Resources agents to a North Myrtle Beach outcropping.

Just before noon on Feb. 20, Rosie was released over sand and stone to hunt down any potential odors.

About a quarter way up the jetty, Rosie showed signs of detection and did so again about a half-mile further away. Zamarripa said in her report the behavior was inconclusive, as all the smells were new to the dog.

Their work continued until waters got too deep for Rosie to safely navigate.

Astor stepped aboard an Horry County Sheriffs Office boat to help

Joan Dansky and her dog Astor began their two days of searching on Feb. 20 near Bird Island, N.C., south of the shoreline, the retrievers behavior changed - he began whining and leaning over the side of the boat.

Astor acted in a similar way at another spot close to the original launching point.

By 1:30 p.m., the team walked a portion of beach northeast of the Little River inlet to the dunes south of the waterline.

Astor showed no CoB (change of behavior) ... We headed back to base, Dansky wrote.
HONG KONG  Mirror, the most popular boy band in Hong Kong, is hoping to expand its global reach and promote Cantopop in the process with the release on Friday of its first English-language song.

The song, Rumours, an electronic dance music track about a potential relationship and the gossip surrounding it, is meant to reflect the maturation of the bands 12 members, who formed through a local broadcasters reality talent show in 2018 and range in age from their 20s to early 30s.

Its very different from all of our previous singles, because its a kind of dark and also a sexy type of song, member Anson Lo told NBC News in an interview this month.

The release of the song and an accompanying music video has also fired up some of the bands local fans in Hong Kong, a Chinese territory that is home to more than 7 million people.

We hope people in other places can know more about or be more interested in Hong Kong through Mirror, said Annie Yuen, spokesperson for the AnsonLohonting International Fan Club.

Cantopop once dominated music in Asia but has lost ground in recent decades to other regional genres like Mandopop and, above all, K-pop. But Mirror members say they are not trying to compete.

We never think in that way, like to beat other cultures, said member Stanley Yau.

Launching Rumours is just like introducing ourselves, introducing Cantopop to the world, he added.

But the band, which is planning a worldwide tour as early as next year, does anticipate some challenges in globalizing music in Cantonese, a Chinese dialect that is the most commonly spoken language in Hong Kong.

In K-pop songs or English songs, those lyrics are very easy to understand, or quite simple or direct, said member Edan Lui. But for Cantopop, lyrics can be very deep and hard to understand. Its difficult for people who dont know Cantonese to understand those lyrics.

The band, whose 12 members range in age from their 20s to early 30s, formed through a local broadcasters reality talent show in 2018. (MakerVille)

Wong Chi Chung, a veteran radio DJ and head of General Education at the University of Hong Kong, agreed.

Story continues

There are nine sounds (or tones) in Cantonese, making it difficult even to pronounce, not to mention sing, said Wong, who wrote his doctoral thesis on Cantopop.

But he said he still thinks the song can find success in English-speaking communities, and that its an ideal time for Mirror to expand its fanbase now that Hong Kong is finally emerging from three years of pandemic isolation.

Wong argues that music like Mirrors should really be called Hong Kong pop.

Language-wise, Hong Kong has always been a hybrid city, he said.

If you take a look back at the 60s, Hong Kongs pop music mainly consisted of English songs, he added. It wasnt until the 70s when Cantonese songs became prevalent.

Even as they race between projects in music, film and television, members of Mirror say they still havent fully moved on from an accident at a concert last July in which a huge video screen crashed onto the stage and injured two dancers, one severely.

In January, police charged three employees of the concerts main contractor with conspiracy to defraud, accusing them of understating the weight of the video screen. The more severely injured dancer, Mo Li, took his first steps since the accident in February with the help of an exoskeleton, according to a Facebook post by his father. The 28-year-old, who has been mostly hospitalized for the last eight months, still requires hours of daily treatment.

The band  whose other members include Frankie Chan, Alton Wong, Lokman Yeung, Anson Kong, Jer Lau, Jeremy Lee, Keung To, Tiger Yau and Ian Chan  did not appear in public for two months after the accident.

We still think about it all the time. But I think its very important for us to make a comeback, said Lo, who was on stage at the time.

Lui, who was also performing during the accident, said the band really tried our best to digest it.

We hope we can overcome it and bring back more positive energy to the public, he said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
By Crispin Kyala

KAMANYOLA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - A large crowd gathered around the open sides of the makeshift courtroom in the eastern Congolese village of Kamanyola in early March to watch the culmination of a trial of 15 military officers for the rape of minors.

They watched in silence, some craning to see better, as a soldier stripped the epaulettes off a colonel whom a judge had just ordered be dishonourably discharged from the army and sentenced to seven years in prison for raping a local 14-year-old girl last September.

"The fact that a very high-ranking officer has been sentenced is a very eloquent message that no one is above the law," said Judge Innocent Mayembe, who had found 12 of the soldiers guilty.

The Feb. 27 - March 9 trial by a mobile military court offered a rare chance of justice for rape in conflict-hit eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where an estimated 40% of women have experienced sexual violence in some form, according to a 2010 study in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

During the trial, held in an open-air wooden structure, several victims and one victim's father offered their testimonies in specially designed hoods that obscured their faces - an indicator of the fear of stigma that stops many from coming forward.

"I don't have any friends anymore," one of the victims said.

Holding the hearings in the local community helps "show people the need to speak up about cases of sexual violence," said lawyer Armand Muhima, whose organisation funded the trial. "The goal ... is to educate the people so they know that the law is there for everyone."

Muhima works for the Panzi Foundation, an organisation set up by Nobel prize-winning gynaecologist Denis Mukwege, who campaigns to help the hundreds of thousands of women raped in eastern Congo since the region plunged into conflict in the 1990s.

The Second Congo War, which killed millions of people, formally ended in 2002, but Congolese forces are still battling scores of armed groups in eastern regions, fuelling the long-running sexual violence crisis.

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In a 2014 report on the fight against impunity for such crimes, the U.N. Joint Human Rights Office in Congo (UNJHRO) said some progress had been made.

But "most cases of sexual violence are never investigated or prosecuted, and very few are even reported," it said.

The same year, the government launched an action plan to combat sexual violence by members of the military under which hundreds of commanders committed to report cases.

In 2022, 314 people in Congo, including 71 soldiers and 143 members of armed groups, were convicted of offences related to human rights violations and abuses such as sexual violence, according to UNJHRO, which supported 12 investigations by military courts and seven mobile court hearings.

The mobile courts, mostly funded by foreign donors, have been operating in Congo for over a decade, bringing judges, prosecutors, and defence lawyers to remote villages in an effort to show local communities that crimes committed far from urban centres are not beyond the reach of the law.

Even when cases are opened, the judicial process can be slow.

On Monday, NGO the Congolese Society For the Rule of Law asked authorities in a statement why it had taken over a year to schedule a trial for defendants in connection with the rape of over 100 women and girls in a high-profile case from 2016.

The father of a victim at the Kamanyola trial said he just wanted justice for his daughter.

"I need to see this case come to an end according to the law. I don't ask for anything (else)," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

(Additional reporting by Sonia Rolley; Writing by Alessandra Prentice, Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
Abi Brasch remembers her childhood through the nightly conversations she shared with her roommate and sister, Lily. In between giggles, Lily Brasch would talk about her dreams, including the one where she put on a runway show with people of all different physical abilities, accompanied by Taylor Swift playing in the background.

But even without Swift, Abi Brasch choked up watching Lily Brasch walk at New York Fashion Week in February. To Abi Brasch, her sister was fulfilling her dream. But to Lily Brasch, it meant more than that.

On Feb. 10, Lily Brasch reportedly made history as the second person with muscular dystrophy to participate in New York Fashion Week. (NYFW did not respond to request for comment.)

"I struggled a lot mentally, more than physically," Lily Brasch tells TODAY.com about her diagnosis of a rare form of the disease.

"Hundreds of people are literally telling you what they predict for your life, telling you that you can't do things and trying to paint this picture in your mind that the way you were born is flawed ... but I took a hold of that, I took charge and here I am today advocating and spreading the message that you can do whatever you want," she shares.

Lily Brasch posing for a photo before heading to the fashion show during NYFW. (Lily Brasch / Hilary Phelps)

'I realized that if there was not going to be representation then I had to be it'

Lily Brasch grew up modern Orthodox Jewish in the Chicago area. A lot of her childhood was surrounded with religion, Judaism and community. She attended Jewish day school and spent weekends observing Shabbat with her parents and five siblings.

Having a mother with a Filipino background, Lily Brasch already felt unique within her Jewish community. On top of that she grew up with a disability that she says wasn't really common in her Jewish community, and if it was, it wasn't talked about.

Despite living in that privileged environment full of kindness and love, I still felt I had to hide my disability, she says.

Lily Brasch wasn't diagnosed with muscular dystrophy until she was 16 years old. When she was born, doctors knew something was wrong, but they didn't know what. The only thing they told her parents is that she wouldn't live past 2 or 3 years old. After she did, doctors said she'd never walk.

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But Lily Brasch's dad didn't accept that.

"Every day he would come home from work since I was an infant and he would aid me up the stairs just to get me to use my muscles," she says.

Lily Brasch remembers nights after she was diagnosed when she lay in the hospital or in bed at home searching on the computer "person with muscular dystrophy in the fashion industry." She would spend hours searching for anything related to disability, but everything that would come up was "just so sad."

"At one point I just stopped looking because I was feeding my mind with all this negativity that I, as someone who's experienced the condition, who's experiencing the condition, knew was not true," she recalls.

"I knew there was a lot of positivity so at that moment I realized that if there was not going to be representation then I had to be it. The next girl searching the web for someone like her I hope will find my name, reach out and I'll help them to get them placed onstage."

The historic moment that almost didn't happen

When Lily Brasch was asked by Amna Inam, founder of Randhawa Brands, to walk in her NYFW show Brasch immediately said yes. Inam connected with Lily Brasch after one of her friends sent her a picture and video of her.

"It was really inspirational," Inam tells TODAY.com. "I said, 'OK, yes, I would love to have her for our New York Fashion Week.'"

The only problem was that the show was on a Friday night and Lily Brasch observes Shabbat. But working with her publicist and her sisters, Abi and Noa, they timed it out so Lily Brasch would walk before the holiday started at sundown.

Her sisters booked a hotel a block away from the show and her publicist, Hilary Phelps, confirmed multiple times that they'd be out the door by 5:15 p.m. But minutes before the show started, Lily Brasch was told another brand would be walking before Inam's.

Lily Brasch (Hilary Phelps)

As Abi Brasch stood with her sister as she was told she wouldn't walk, Abi couldn't help but cry.

(After they told us) we sat in the corner and just like, OK, what now? Abi Brasch says. First of all, its so difficult for Lily to go through all the travel, makeup, dress, everything. All of her energy is at a minimum.

I think its the moments like that where youre pushed to see your strongest values. We thought back to my parents, who werent there. Its Lily, Noa and I, and were young adults figuring out our Judaism, figuring out our lives and our values and everything and all three of us were talking about how the most sacred part of our Jewish life has always been Shabbat, Abi Brasch adds.

That's when Lily Brasch's publicist worked her magic.

"I felt like a mama bear," Phelps says of her conversation with the NYFW organizers. "I was like, 'We're not leaving here until this girl walks that stage, do you understand me?'"

"There were people there that made it happen and made some changes and Lily got to walk and then we walked out the door and got to the hotel in time for sundown," Phelps adds.

Lily Brasch (Hilary Phelps)

Noa Brasch saw in that moment how despite the obstacles her sister never sacrificed her faith.

I hope that any Jew, and specifically women, if they feel like, you know, the minority within this religion, they can do the things they love and they can accomplish the things they want and they can be successful and still hold that religion so dear to their heart, Noa Brasch says.

Getting up and choosing to be strong

Dressed in a yellow lehenga, Lily Brasch rolled out onto the stage in a wheelchair, opening the show. Then, she got up.

I wanted to show with the wheelchair is that I got up and I chose to be strong, Lily Brasch says.

One of the models, CJ Chang, accompanied Lily Brasch down the runway. The moment felt surreal for her. But she was also nervous.

"I was worried about what I would look like, how would people react, especially with the message we were trying to show, which was me getting out of a wheelchair and walking, which is my story and the story of many others," she says.

"I didn't want people to pity me, but when the day of the show came, I became very excited. Something in my mind switched and I know firsthand that people are getting inspired to get out of bed the next day when they see something like this," she adds.

Inam reminisces on how people were crying as Lily Brasch rolled onto the stage in a wheelchair.

"The crowd was inspired," Inam says. "It's an inspiration for everyone, including me. It was a great experience and people were really excited. I'd love to have her again."

'I honestly believe that anyone can do anything. I believe it so much that it just fires me up'

Being a role model for anyone struggling with disabilities, specifically in the Jewish community, is Lily Braschs mission in life. The message she hopes to spread is for people to never tell someone they cant fulfill their dreams. For her, that was being able to walk.

Every day she trains, whether that be swimming or strength training. Its not so much trying to prove anyone wrong, but instead showing people the power of mental strength.

I honestly believe that anyone can do anything. I believe it so much that it just fires me up, she says, mentioning Born To Prove," an organization she started that she uses to share her story with muscular dystrophy online.

Lily Brasch (Hilary Phelps)

While the NYFW moment was historic for Lily Brasch, her sister Abi notes it was never about her disease or what she couldn't do. Instead, it was about her sister's determination to fight for what she believes in.

"As she walked the runway, she, No. 1, revealed to the entire world some of her deepest insecurities and weaknesses but also showed the level of strength she has and her dreams and what she's going to be continuing to do for the rest of her life," Abi Brasch says.

"The world is not yet accommodating for everyone. It's not. And to fight this system every single day is not something people see unless you lived it. That's why I'm so proud."

Throughout the month of March, TODAY.com is celebrating women across generations who have made history and continue to move the conversation forward by breaking stigmas, sparking dialogue and inspiring the next generation.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
The next shock and awe campaign may never drop a single bomb.

Its been 20 years since black-and-green footage of Baghdad under attack flashed across television screens worldwide, broadcasting the explosive U.S.-led push to unseat Saddam Hussein and dismantle the Iraqi civil and military service.

The overwhelming show of strength represented the largest international military effort since World War II and the biggest U.S. operation since the Vietnam War. The air campaign relied on 1,800 aircraft  half of which belonged to the U.S. Air Force  and fired more than 500 cruise missiles in its first day. Airmen gained control of Iraqi airspace less than three weeks later, with limited American losses.

A government building burns during heavy bombardment of Baghdad, Iraq, by U.S.-led forces in this March 21, 2003 file photo.

But could the United States do it again? Like most questions of military strategy: It depends.

Fighter technology has advanced; bombers have not. Their logistics chain has rusted as planes grow older and it becomes harder to supply spare parts. Cyber and drone warfare would be a cornerstone of any offensive, even as U.S. forces would face many of the same threats from an adversary. Battlefield tactics are increasingly complex and attuned to the digital age.

Its got a big asterisk, said retired Air Force Gen. T. Michael Buzz Moseley, who led the air campaign in Iraq before becoming the services chief of staff in 2005. Philosophically, can you do it? Yeah. Are you prepared to do it? Yeah. Are you trained to do it? Yeah. But do you have the assets to do it and sustain it?

What that may look like largely depends on the precipitating event, and where the invasion happens, current and former Air Force officials and defense experts told Air Force Times. Is there an advanced military on the other end? Was the groundwork laid ahead of time for a smoother takeover? How far would American jets and their weapons need to travel?

And, they said, whats the long game?

Theres a bunch of things the United States could do to quickly blind [an adversary], said Peter Bergen, a vice president at the Washington-based New America think tank and co-director at Arizona State Universitys Center on the Future of War. Regime change is something that we seem to be able to do very quickly.  The question is, what comes next?

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From Iran to North Korea, any air campaign must make sense with the political and military objectives it hopes to achieve, Air Forces Central commander Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said.

U.S. Army paratroopers prepare to board an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III in Italy, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, March 26, 2003. Nearly 1,000

In the precision-attack era, backed by savvier cyber operations, that may not require weeks or even months of nonstop bombing.

When I have seen the term shock and awe used, and people say that shock and awe failed, I often find that what were really talking about is, We tried to do something cheap and easy at the beginning with a limited amount of military force, rather than thinking about how we could apply pressure and lethal effects across the entire enemy system at once, Grynkewich said.

Harlan Ullman, the military consultant credited with coining the term shock and awe, believes a true shock and awe campaign would rely much more on psychological warfare and diplomacy to keep adversaries in check and shape conditions in Americas favor. Those operations have dwindled in the decades since the Vietnam War as the Pentagon prioritized a more traditional approach to combat.

Let them know from the beginning: Theyre not going to survive the war.  Were going to turn them into the Stone Age without putting a single plane in enemy airspace, said Ullman, a senior adviser at the Atlantic Council.

Not a meat ax

If the U.S. were to go to war first with its electronic attack planes and a strong disinformation campaign, followed by cyberattacks and standoff weapons, Ullman said it could prove more effective and efficient than dispatching legions of hardware and troops.

For instance: Shock and awe in the Pacific could look like a defense force capable of preventing Chinas military from reaching Taiwan, without striking first, he said. If that force also threatens to cut off Chinas access to air and sea shipping, Beijing could capitulate.

We need to be able to use a scalpel and not a meat ax, Ullman said. We dont, because our default position, ultimately, is always military force.

What people tend to envision as shock and awe, though, comes after containment fails. Then its a race against the clock  and enemy forces  to gain control of enemy airspace.

A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bomber aircraft prepares to refuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker near Iraq March 25, 2003, while on a mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The crews of both aircraft were assigned to the 405th Air Expeditionary Wing at a forward-deployed location in Southwest Asia in support of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. (Staff Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby/Air Force)

Youre going to have to figure out a way to campaign plan the usage of the existing F-22s and F-35s, and at some point youre going to end up having to use F-16s and F-15Es and perhaps A-10s, Moseley said. But not on day one, not on day two. Youre going to have to damage that [integrated air defense] and damage that opposing force.

Todays surface-to-air missiles are much more lethal than those wielded by the Iraqis. Theyre also harder  but possible  to take down, he said.

Theres a million ways to go after an integrated air defense system, such as the Russian-built S-300 or S-400 surface-to-air missiles teamed with other radars, anti-aircraft artillery and command nodes, Moseley said: Confuse them, or the people running them. Attack them kinetically or non-kinetically. Stress them. Target their command and control. Jam them.

That could require a more sophisticated approach than the bombing runs against surface-to-air missiles and anti-aircraft artillery in Iraq.

Current Air Force officials envision a network of drones that would act as decoys and add frontline firepower without putting Americans in harms way. Those would be paired with more advanced electronic attack tools, long-range munitions and stealthy aircraft than existed in 2003, plus a more diverse array of intelligence-collection and communications nodes to maintain situational awareness.

If we try to do shock and awe in a traditional sense of, Oh, well bomb a bunch of stuff and then wait, that sounds a little bit too Rolling Thunder and not quite enough Linebacker II to me, Grynkewich said.

Operation Rolling Thunder was the three-year U.S. bombing campaign that tried to halt North Vietnams takeover of South Vietnam from 1965 to 1968; Operation Linebacker II came in 1972 to bring Hanoi to the table for peace talks.

An F-117 Nighthawk flies over the Nevada desert. The unique design of the single-seat F-117 provides exceptional combat capabilities. The fighter can employ a variety of weapons and is equipped with sophisticated navigation and attack systems integrated into a digital avionics suite that increases mission effectiveness and reduces pilot workload. (Staff Sgt. Aaron D. Allmon II/Air Force)

Tactics that emerged in 2003 have continued to evolve as well, from the B-2 Spirit bombers combat debut to the first use of EC-130H Compass Call electronic attack planes for psychological warfare.

Airmen think more comprehensively about those options now, and are better at seeing a variety of solutions to a problem than they were 20 years ago, Grynkewich said.

Considering the full spectrum of military options has grown more important as Americas air arsenal ages. The average fighter jet is nearly 30 years old; the oldest tankers first deployed in the 1950s.

Its workforce is shrinking, too: The active duty Air Force now has about 51,000 fewer troops than it did in 2003; the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve have around 33,000 fewer troops in total.

Some experts worry those trends would weaken any U.S. attempt to gain control of enemy airspace and pummel them into submission.

I believe we can do it. Its just going to be harder because of the nature of the equipment that were forced to use, Moseley said.

The Air Forces stealthy F-117 Nighthawk fighter jets used during Operation Iraqi Freedom were replaced by the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II fighter jets after 2003. No new bombers have come online since OIF; the Air Forces cargo, surveillance and refueling fleets are largely the same.

Future platforms like the B-21 Raider stealth bomber, E-7 Wedgetail aerial target tracking plane and a sixth-generation fighter remain years away. And going to war with older aircraft complicates maintenance and supply chain needs.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. T. Michael

Moseley argues that, in lieu of a newly designed fighter, the Air Force needs more of the non-stealth F-22s in order to control enemy airspace. It would need a bomber fleet that can sustain airstrikes over longer periods of time. And it needs more KC-46 Pegasus tankers, now.

The thing I worried about the most, the single-point failure for the entire campaign, to include air and ground campaign, was the tanker, he said. Do we have a new tanker in sufficient numbers, so thats not a problem?  We dont.

Another potentially major point of failure: what Moseley believes is the U.S. militarys overdependence on satellite communications.

If we cant command and control forces, we dont go blow stuff up, he said. Given the capabilities that we have seen with malware, cyber, [kinetic and non-kinetic attacks, and anti-satellite weapons], are we absolutely confident  that our command and control systems are intact and resilient? I suggest were not.

The invasion of Iraq marked the first time the head of American airpower in the Middle East was put in charge of space operations. Now thats the Space Forces job.

Its new unit, U.S. Space Forces-Central, plans how to wield and protect space-related assets as part of an overall mission. That can help GPS, missile warning systems and other satellites and radars stay reliable when needed, and explore new ways to integrate them into offense and defense.

That expertise can come in handy especially as small drones continue to grow as a centerpiece of modern warfare. Those systems are also crucial to protecting overseas U.S. and coalition infrastructure that could be pelted with rockets or drones in retaliation.

One thing experts hope gets left in the early 2000s: the phrase shock and awe itself.

Its too flippant for an act of war, misunderstood in its intent, carrying too much baggage 20 years later, they said.

Frankly, I dont care if theyre awed, I just care if theyre shocked, Grynkewich said. I care if I get the military outcomes that Im looking at, from the perspective of having their  decision-making apparatus seize up, having their sustainment fall apart, and having them freeze in their place.
A week after giving birth to her new baby girl in early September, Antiganee Cain-Francis, 32, and her husband were adjusting well to their new life.

Cain-Francis was recovering from her C-section and working on breastfeeding. "Everything was great that week  as great as it could be with a newborn," she tells TODAY.com. "We were just getting used to our routine and her habits."

But that weekend, everything "started to shift," says Cain-Francis, a public school teacher in New York City.

All Cain-Francis remembers is relaxing while watching "Love Is Blind: Brazil" before getting up to check on her daughter, Aella. Then, suddenly, she noticed a "static feeling" and wasn't able to see or hear.

While she doesn't remember what happened after that, her husband, Shaquelle, later told her that he heard her screaming his name. He called her OB-GYN, who urged them to go to the emergency room.

The event set off about three weeks of hospital stays and medical detective work to find  and finally treat  the exceedingly rare cause of Cain-Francis' life-threatening symptoms.

Antiganee Cain-Francis gave birth to her baby girl, Aella in early September. A week later, she was back in the hospital. (Courtesy Antiganee Cain-Francis)

Looking for answers

Cain-Francis was taken to Lennox Hill Hospital and stabilized. But the next day, at around 2:30 a.m., she had another episode and went into cardiac arrest.

The medical team was able to resuscitate her, and Dr. Sirish Vullaganti, director of heart failure at Lenox Hill Hospital, decided to put her on a ventilator and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a machine that supports the heart and lungs and ensures the patient gets enough oxygenated blood.

Once stabilized again, Vullaganti transferred Cain-Francis was to North Shore University Hospital on Long Island. There, she met with electrophysiology specialist Dr. Ramanak Mitra.

After three days on ECMO, Cain-Francis' heart rhythm was "completely normal," Mitra tells TODAY.com. So, at that point, the team made the decision to start her on some medications and remove the ventilator so that they could communicate with her.

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"She seemed to be doing well," Mitra says, "but within about 24 hours, she started to have a few of these extra beats." During an EKG procedure to try to map out the abnormal beats, Cain-Francis "again went into rapid, sustained arrhythmia," he says. She went into cardiac arrest again and was resuscitated for the second time.

But the team was able to capture the beats on their monitoring system, which gave Mitra more clues about what might be going on.

Ventricular fibrillation is a type of arrhythmia that's especially rare in patients as young as Cain-Francis. (Courtesy Antiganee Cain-Francis)

Cain-Francis had no warning signs before her first episode, no family history of heart disease or sudden death and no genetic markers to point doctors in a particular direction. The team at Lennox Hill Hospital had already ruled out a coronary artery dissection, a heart condition that's more common among younger women. They'd also ruled out peripartum cardiomyopathy, a type of muscle weakness in the heart that can arise around the time of delivery.

But when Mitra's team looked at the electrical tracings of her heart rhythm that was captured on the monitor, they noticed a similar pattern before every episode. That suggested Cain-Francis had a primary rhythm problem caused by an electrical issue within the heart.

The culprit: triggered ventricular fibrillation

The pattern of heartbeats Mitra saw before each of Cain-Francis' episodes led him to suspect that she had a type of arrhythmia called triggered ventricular fibrillation. In people with this condition, "there's one particular site in the heart muscle," he explains, "and when it fires, it basically puts the heart into a tailspin."

In Cain-Francis' case, the condition is idiopathic, meaning doctors don't know why it developed. That's especially rare in patients as young as Cain-Francis, Mitra says.

While experts don't know exactly what causes triggered ventricular fibrillation happens, the condition is thought to originate in the heart's Purkinje fibers, which are responsible for sending specialized electrical signals that control the heart's pumping muscles.

To treat the condition, Mitra needed to perform a procedure called catheter ablation. During this procedure, the part of the heart that's causing these irregular beats gets cauterized through a tiny catheter.

"The challenge there is that you have to be having these beats in order for us to know where to find them," Mitra says. If theyre not having these beats and we cant provoke them, then we dont have any target of where to ablate."

Sometimes, if the patient is otherwise stable, doctors can stimulate the irregular beats and find them. But because Cain-Francis was still on ECMO, that wouldn't be possible for her. Instead, Mitra performed a procedure called pace mapping, which allowed him to replicate and pinpoint the source of Cain-Francis' abnormal heartbeats.

"After that, it's a matter of hope," Mitra says. "You've got a theory, but the only way to tell is just to wait and see."

After three weeks in the hospital, Cain-Francis was finally able to return home to her family. (Courtesy Antiganee Cain-Francis)

"It's OK to need help  and to accept it."

One day after the ablation, Cain-Francis "passed with flying colors" and had no abnormal rhythms, Mitra says. After another day, she was taken off ECMO and put on some medication. (She also was able to get an MRI, which confirmed that she had no underlying structural issues or inflammation in her heart.)

It wasnt until after the ablation procedure that Cain-Francis remembers waking up in the hospital. Nurses taught her breathing exercises because her lungs had been weakened, and she remembers having a sore throat from being intubated. Id been in the bed so long that I had to practice walking around the hospital, she says.

And she had a defibrillator implanted under her skin to monitor her heart just in case.

In the first week of October, she was finally able to return home. And the recovery has had its ups and downs, Cain-Francis says, especially while wanting to be able to take care of her daughter.

"I was physically limited because I was still healing. I had stitches and staples from the defibrillation procedure and I had scars from ECMO," she says. "Even holding (Aella) and carrying her or picking her up out of the crib was a strain sometimes."

It wasn't until December that Cain-Francis finally started feeling like herself again. "That was the first time I drove somewhere by myself; it was just to Home Goods or something," she recalls with a laugh.

She says the experience taught her a few important lessons. First, she doesn't sweat the small stuff anymore, and, second, it's OK to lean on your community.

"It was really a lot to adapt to, especially because I've just always been so independent," she says. "This really had me take a step back and just realize that it's OK to need help. And when people are offering it, it's OK to accept it  it doesn't mean that I'm lacking in anything."

In particular, she says she's grateful to the medical staff who helped her, to her sister who cared for her daughter while she was in the hospital, to the friends who sent GrubHub and Instacart gift cards and to her husband and mother who stayed by her side throughout the ordeal. "Everybody in our family kind of pitched in in different ways," she says.

Her community also now includes Mitra, who says Cain-Francis is the youngest of just four or five patients with this issue that he's seen in his 30-year career.

As rewarding as it was to help Cain-Francis, "the real joy was when I saw her in follow-up, and she showed me a picture of her daughter," Mitra says, adding that he also shared photos of his own kids from when they were that young. "That's what makes medicine special," he says.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
A former Department of Justice paralegal is going to prison after exposing two people who snitched on her son while knowing it could lead to violent consequences for them, federal prosecutors announced.

After her son, an accused member of a Brooklyn-based gang, robbed a cellphone store with another accused gang member and his girlfriend, he suspected the couple was turning against him following each of their arrests in 2018, court documents show.

Tawanna Hilliard, 48, of Brooklyn, and her son Tyquan Hilliard, 32, of Brooklyn, discussed this possibility that went against the 5-9 Brim gangs most important, no snitching rule, according to court documents. The couple was also suspected of informing against the entire gang, prosecutors said.

Then, Tawanna Hilliard, while working for the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey, received video recordings from her sons attorney that showed the couples post-arrest statements made to authorities, according to her sentencing memo.

She went on to upload the videos to YouTube with the titles NYC Brim Gang Member SNITCHING! Pt. 1 and NYC Brim Gang Member Girlfriend SNITCHING prosecutors said.

Now, Tawanna Hilliard has been sentenced to two years and nine months in prison, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York announced in a March 14 news release. A jury convicted her of witness retaliation, conspiracy to commit witness retaliation, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice, officials said.

The defendant, whose job it was to serve justice, instead threatened the integrity of our justice system and the safety of government witnesses, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said in a statement.

Paula Notari, one of the attorneys representing Tawanna Hilliard, told McClatchy News they look forward to filing an appeal in the case.

She described Tawanna Hilliard as an exceptional person who theyre proud to represent.

Tyquan Hilliard was previously sentenced to five years and three months in prison after pleading guilty to a witness tampering conspiracy in the case in November 2020, according to prosecutors.

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Lance Clarke, who represented him, declined to comment.

Woman used DOJ job for gang activities, prosecutors say

Besides her son, Tawanna Hilliard had long-standing ties with other 5-9 Brim gang members, prosecutors said.

From at least 2016, as Tawanna Hilliard worked in the civil division of the U.S. Attorneys Office in New Jersey, she supported her sons ascension in the gang, according to her sentencing memo. Prosecutors said she was involved in his gang affairs in multiple ways.

Investigators learned that she had used her jobs database to search defendants in cases to learn if they had snitched and also used federal systems to search people on behalf of her son and his gang-co-conspirators, the sentencing memo says.

Prosecutors said Tawanna Hilliard also used her access to government systems to runr criminal history checks and learned information unavailable to the public.

This information was beyond the scope of anything that the defendant was supposed to do in connection with her employment, the sentencing memo says.

She was also caught using her Justice Department computer to type a letter to one gang member for her son, according to prosecutors.

Snitching YouTube videos get posted after the robbery

In May 2018, Tyquan Hilliard, his fellow accused gang member, identified as John Doe, and his girlfriend, identified as Jane Doe, drove to Monticello, New York, to rob a cellphone store, according to prosecutors.

Tyquan Hilliard and John Doe are accused of using a BB gun while robbing the store before all three individuals were arrested afterward, according to the sentencing memo.

In Jane Does video-recorded post-arrest statements, she told authorities that Tyquan Hilliard and her boyfriend had robbed the store, prosecutors said.

Tawanna Hilliard and her son started suspecting John Doe wanted to help free his girlfriend and started cooperating with law enforcement after his arrest, according to the sentencing memo. The mother and son discussed the videos she had seen while Tyquan Hilliard was incarcerated for the robbery, and those conversations were recorded, prosecutors said.

Ultimately, after Tawanna Hilliard uploaded both John and Jane Does videos to YouTube, the couple faced threats of violence on social media, according to prosecutors.

Death threats made against Jane Doe and gunshots outside of her apartment caused authorities to relocate her, officials said. John Doe also received death threats while in jail, according to prosecutors.

Tawanna Hilliard was aware, from knowledge accumulated over many years...that the gang violently punished people who were confirmed to be snitches, the sentencing memo says.

African prince accused of scamming people at IHOP was actually from Ohio, feds say

Men used stolen police password to access personal info, extort victims, feds say

Man traveled 300 miles with latex mask and ammo in plot to kill businessman, feds say
BELGRADE (Reuters) - Montenegro's President Milo Djukanovic on Friday set June 11 as the date for a snap parliamentary vote, a day after he dissolved parliament and just before a weekend election when he is seeking another five-year term.

"In line with the constitution ... I have decided to call parliamentary elections on June 11," Djukanovic told a news conference in the capital Podgorica.

Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic's acting government lost a no-confidence parliamentary vote in August 2022, in the second such motion last year.

Djukanovic has refused to appoint a prime minister-designate proposed by the parliamentary majority, citing procedural errors.

Analysts say that although presidential powers are largely ceremonial in Montenegro, a victory in Sunday's presidential poll would significantly bolster the chances of the winner's party in the snap parliamentary vote.

Over the years, Montenegro, a NATO member and a European Union membership candidate, has been divided between those who identify as Montenegrins and those who see themselves as Serbs and favour closer ties with neighbouring Serbia and with Russia.

Following the invasion of Ukraine last year, Montenegro has joined EU sanctions against Russia. The Kremlin in return placed Montenegro on its list of unfriendly states.

Djukanovic's main opponents in Sunday's election are Andrija Mandic, the head of the Democratic Front, which wants closer ties with neighboring Serbia and Russia, and Jakov Milatovic, a pro-Western economist and the deputy head of the Europe Now movement.

Opponents accuse Djukanovic and his Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) of corruption, links to organised crime, and of running the country of only 620,000 people as their personal fiefdom - charges Djukanovic and his party deny.

(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic; Editing by Barbara Lewis)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17)  The Makabayan bloc is urging the owner of MT Princess Empress to immediately compensate the communities affected by the oil spill caused by the sunken tanker in Oriental Mindoro.

The owner should immediately compensate our fishermen and all the people affected in the oil spill, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, a member of the Makabayan bloc, told CNN Philippines The Source on Friday.

The vessel was carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank off Oriental Mindoros Naujan town on Feb. 28. Affected communities have been dealing with the oil slick since then.

The Makabayan bloc on Thursday filed House Resolution 869 urging the lower chamber to investigate the impact of the incident. It is also pushing the national government to pursue sanctions against RDC Reield Marine Services, the owner of MT Princess Empress.

Aside from compensation to residents affected, Castro said the government should force RDC to pay for damage to the environment caused by the incident.

Cases may also be filed against the company, she added.

Under the Oil Pollution Compensation Act of 2007, the owner of a ship is liable for the oil spill if the incident led to incurring expenses for clean-up operations at sea or on shore; incurring expenses for preventive measures; loss of earnings suffered by owners or users of property contaminated or damaged; economic loss; damage to human health or loss of life; and environmental damages.

Once the investigation is complete, Castro said she hopes clear guidelines will be also established on the issuing of permits and on the inspection of tankers.
Vaping causes you to inhale toxic chemicals known to damage the heart. Nick Ansell/PA Wire/Getty Images

Three cardiologists told Insider that vaping might be a factor in rising heart diseases cases among young people.

Vaping delivers substances linked to heart damage to the body, and can make exercising more challenging.

As many as 2.5 million teens were vaping in 2022, and researchers are still studying the behavior's long-term effects.

Millions of young Americans are vaping, and their hearts could be praying the price.

Heart disease, an umbrella term for a variety of heart issues, is becoming more prevalent among young people. Heart attacks among people 25 to 44 increased by 30% since 2020, a worrying trend as most heart attacks don't occur until people reach their 60s to 70s.

Though researchers are still studying why rates are rising, three cardiologists told Insider the rise of vaping among young people might be a factor. The number of middle and high school students using e-cigarettes increased by 900% from 2011 to 2015, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and as many as 2.5 million teens are vaping as of 2022.

Cardiologists broke down the ways vaping might pose a heart health risk similar to that of combustible cigarettes, but acknowledged more research is needed before establishing a direct cause.

"Electronic cigarettes and vaping are particularly prevalent among younger people, and that is one health behavior that really could stand to be improved," Dr. Nilay Shah, a cardiologist at Northwestern University, told Insider when asked why heart disease cases might be on the rise among young people.

Vaping can stress the heart in similar ways as traditional cigarettes

Heart doctors have cautioned against smoking traditional cigarettes for decades, as tobacco use is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease.

Companies first marketed vapes and e-cigarettes as a way to help smokers wean off cigarettes, which deliver burned tar and smoke into the body. Vaping, on the other hand, heats up a liquid mixture that delivers substances like nicotine or cannabis  plus the chemicals in the liquid mix  to the body.

Story continues

But any exposure to nicotine  whether it be through vapes or cigarettes  raises your blood pressure and can lead to heart disease, Dr. Jim Liu, a cardiologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Insider.

Liu said the rising rates of heart disease among young people could be tied to e-cigarette and vaping use, as well as illicit drug use. Many vapes also contain cannabis, which is newly legal in many states, but doctors told Insider more research is needed to determine its heart health risks.

Aside from nicotine exposure, vaping, particularly when started young, could have other adverse effects on the heart, said Rose Marie Robertson, the American Heart Association's deputy chief science and medical officer.

For one, inhaling chemicals and oily substances found in vapes causes inflammation of the lungs, which can lead to shortness of breath. Robertson said getting easily winded discourages young people from exercising, which is crucial to warding off heart disease.

And though vaping nicotine delivers fewer toxic substances into the body compared to combustible cigarettes, the chemicals it does deliver  like acrolein and formaldehyde  have known links to heart damage, per Robertson.

Flavored vapes, popular among young people, might be even worse, she added. Many e-cigarettes makers use artificial flavors on the FDA's Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list, but the list only contains chemicals that are safe when ingested through food, not when inhaled.

"So, for example, water is very safe if you drink it, but if you pour it into the lungs, not so good," she said.

Establishing a potential link between vaping and heart disease in young people will take more time

Though cardiologists said they fear vaping could be a significant factor behind the rise of heart disease among young people, researchers have not established a direct link  partly due to the challenges of studying this topic.

Most studies that examine heart health and e-cigarette use use adult test subjects who have smoked or also smoke traditional cigarettes, making it hard to decipher vaping's unique risk, Robertson said.

Vaping's risk for heart disease might be unique in young people who have never smoked traditional cigarettes, Robertson said. But researchers cannot give a group of teenagers vapes and measure their long-term health against a control group, since giving minors a potentially harmful substance is unethical.

The next best way to study these effects is through observing the health of vape users, traditional smokers, and non-smokers over the course of at least several years. According to Robertson, these types of studies are expensive and time consuming, hindering the release of data.

Still, Robertson said early studies do show vaping's unique harm to heart health. A 2021 study in animals found vaping impairs blood vessels and the heart's ability to maintain blood pressure.

"Some of the things that we know have adverse to the heart can still be measured in people who vape," Robertson said.

(Altria, the parent company of tobacco firms like Philip Morris USA and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, did not respond to Insider's request for comment on this article.)

Read the original article on Insider
This article was collaboratively written by Kathryn Guerrero + Buzzy, our creative AI assistant.

I had heard so much about Morocco, but I was skeptical. I mean, Ive been to plenty of places already, how could another country leave me feeling so awestruck? But boy, was I wrong. Morocco is breathtaking, and it's not just the scenery, though that is indeed gorgeous. It's the unique culture, the hearty food and so much more.

Here are a few reasons why Morocco should be your next travel destination:

Kathryn Guerrero / BuzzFeed

1. The hustle and bustle of Marrakech is a sight to see.

The city is a treasure trove, with its lively markets, stunning mosaics, and picturesque alleys. Don't be afraid to bargain for your souvenirs from the vendors  they love a good bargaining session.

2. The mountainscapes are truly something else.

Head over to the High Atlas Mountains and get lost in the stunning landscapes of rocky terrain and green forests. The air is crisp, and the vistas will take your breath away, but watch out for those mountain goats  those guys are fearless!

3. The Sahara Desert will blow your mind.

Hop on a camel and venture into the Sahara desert. You won't find any restaurants, shopping malls, or luxury hotels here, but what you will find is pure, unadulterated beauty. The stark yellow sand dunes are awe-inspiring, and the gentle rhythm of your camel will have you feeling at one with the world.

Scott E Barbour / Getty Images

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

But, let's be real: there is one potential downside to Morocco, and that's the journey to get there. Depending on where you're coming from, it may take quite a bit of time to get to this beautiful country. However, it's worth every second of that tiredness. Plus, with proper planning, you'll be set up to have an unforgettable trip of a lifetime.
A North Carolina man, the second youngest defendant in more than 1,000 arrests linked to the deadly riot at U.S. Capitol, will spend the next three years of his early adulthood behind bars.

Aiden Bilyard of Cary was 18 when he sprayed chemical agents at police and broke out a window in the Capitol during the violent mob attack on Jan. 6, 2021, to keep Donald Trump in office.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton sentenced the now-21-year-old to 40 months in prison for assaulting police with a deadly or dangerous weapon.

Bilyard, he said, had answered the calls of a demagogue and had taken up arms with people prepared to destroy this country to get what they wanted.

... Age and immaturity are not an excuse for what occurred.

The punishment is the second-longest handed down so far to a North Carolina defendant in the Jan. 6 investigation  one month shorter than what was given in July to former Fort Bragg soldier James Mault for a related but lesser assault charge.

The judges announcement drew a sob from the convicted felons mother, Amy Bilyard, who was seated in the Washington, D.C., courtroom.

Walton warned her that she would have to leave if she could not control her emotions.

I know youre upset, Walton said. Unfortunately your son did what he did. And as my mother always told me, You make your bed, you have to lie in it.

Bilyard pleaded guilty in October, part of a deal with federal prosecutors that led to the dismissal of eight other charges, including four felonies.

His Raleigh-based attorneys had asked the court for home detention instead of prison time. They argued that a young and impressionable teenager with no history of violence had succumbed to the social media perversion of what it means to be a man.

Yet, they said, Bilyard had driven to Washington without weapons, protective gear or a plan to break the law. Once there, they said, he was sucked into it.

He acted like the immature, impulsive teenager that he was, attorney Jamie Vavonese told the judge.

Story continues

Every day he has worked to be a different and better person. His is a one-time mistake, the biggest mistake of his life. Yet the only mistake of his life.

Bilyard is the youngest of at least 28 N.C. residents charged in connection with the Capitol violence, which was ignited by Trumps baseless claims that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen due to voting fraud. Five deaths have been tied to the assault. Some 140 police officers were injured.

Bilyard, according to court documents, was part of a Raleigh-area group of teenage Trump supporters who drove to Washington two years ago to attend the losing presidents Stop the Steal rally near the Capitol.

Photographs included in court documents show Christopher Chriss Carnell of Cary and David Worth Bowman of Raleigh on the floor of the U.S. Senate that day.

Both were charged this month with obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony that carries up to an 8-year sentence, and multiple misdemeanors.

Unlike Bilyard, neither is charged with an act of violence.

However, in an unexpected twist, Vavonese said her client made an intentional decision to drive alone to Washington on Jan. 6, because two of his friends, believed to be Carnell and Bowman, had talked in a text of bringing weapons.

Court documents also show that Bilyard provided information to the FBI that led to Carnells and Bowmans arrests.

Government attorneys had recommended Bilyard receive 47 months  on the low end of an agreed-upon sentencing range of 46 to 57 months.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Konig told the court that Bilyard made a lot of mistakes on Jan. 6. But its fair to say hes made a lot of good decisions since.

He admitted his conduct. He did not shy away from what he did, why he did it, or the wrongfulness of it, which sadly is not universal in these cases, Konig said.

Bilyard has been held in a Virginia jail for the past five months under 22-hour lockdown. Given a chance to speak to the judge, he tearfully apologized to the police officers he may have injured, his mother, and for making the most foolish decisions of my life.

My promise to the court is that I will never make these mistakes again, he said, adding that he was aware that Walton had heard such promises before.

Know that there is a real person with remorse behind these words, he said. Please have mercy.

Walton, a George W. Bush appointee, was not swayed, saying the seriousness of Bilyards crimes demanded more than home detention of a short prison stay.

The judge did agree to recommend that Bilyard serve his time in a North Carolina prison so he can be closer to his family. He closed his comments on a long, cautionary note.

Its scary, Walton said. What happened on Jan. 6 is not something just in the past. Its something that still haunts us. ... It goes to the roots of what were supposed to be as a democracy, and a democracy cannot survive if (people) attempt to subvert an election simply because they lost.

... Its just very perplexing. People want to holler that theyre patriots. Theyre calling USA, USA. Thats not the America I want to live in.
Irvo Otieno had realized his passion: making hip-hop. He could write a song in less than five minutes. And he was streaming his music under the moniker Young Vo, while working toward starting his own record label.

He had found his thing  you know that feeling when you find your thing? his mother Caroline Ouko told reporters Thursday. He would go in his room and shut the door. And he had it  he was brilliant and creative and bright.

But, the mother added, All I'm left with is his voice.

Ouko remembered her son's life at an hourlong news conference that focused primarily on his death March 6 at a state mental hospital in Virginia.

Ouko had just viewed video of Otieno's final minutes as he was being admitted to Central State Hospital south of Richmond, during which she and her attorneys say sheriff's deputies smothered him, pressing him down until his body was clearly lifeless. His arms and legs were bound, they said, but he posed no threat to the deputies and hospital employees who've since been charged with second-degree murder.

Otieno's biography is now coming to the fore, not for his music, but because of the shockingly inhumane way in which authorities say he was killed. He was yet another Black man to die in police custody in a case that prominent civil-rights attorney Ben Crump, who is also representing Ouko, said harshly echoes the previous deaths of such men as George Floyd. Crump represented Floyd's family and the relatives of other Black men killed under similar circumstances.

Otieno, who was 28, came to the U.S. from Kenya at the age of 4 but he was as American as apple pie, his mother said.

As a child in school, he was the type of guy who would invite a student eating lunch alone to join him, and classmates who needed someone to talk to were drawn to him, she said. He was a leader and a listener, someone who took the time to process what was being said and would then lean back in, Ouko said.

Story continues

He cared that people were treated right, she said. That was at the core of his upbringing in our home. He cared that people were treated equally.

She added that Otieno wasnt afraid to offer different perspectives in conversations, to go the other way when everybody else is following.

Otieno began dealing with some mental health issues during his last year of high school, his mother said. But she said he also went to college in California, and had long stretches where you wouldn't even know something was wrong."

There were times, though, when he went into some kind of distress and needed to see a doctor, she said. Ouko declined to share her son's diagnosis, saying only that he had gone to a mental health facility before and came back home.

That's the question that I'm asking: why he didn't come back home, she said.

Otieno was taken into custody March 3, according to a timeline provided by Henrico County Police, a separate entity from the Henrico County Sheriff's Office.

The police department said in a news release that officers encountered Otieno while responding to a report of a possible burglary in suburban Richmond, and that based on his behavior, they put him under an emergency custody order and took him to a local hospital for evaluation.

Mark Krudys, one of Ouko's attorneys, said that Otieno was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time. He said a neighbor called police over concerns about him gathering lawn lights from a yard.

Otienos mother tried to de-escalate the initial response from police officers, with the moment captured on a neighbor's cellphone, Crump said.

Caroline is hugging her child, as if shes trying to protect him from these people who might not see him like she sees him, he said.

Added Krudys: She was imploring them (to) treat him appropriately, bring him to a hospital. And he was vacuumed into the criminal justice system, for which there was no care that was provided, that we saw.

While he was at the hospital, police said he became physically assaultive toward officers, who arrested him and took him to a local jail managed by the Henrico Sheriffs Office, where he was charged with several crimes.

While Otieno was in jail, he was denied access to needed medications, the family attorneys said. Crump said he was pepper-sprayed, and Krudys said the video showed officers on March 6 charging into his jail cell, which was covered in feces and where he lay naked and handcuffed.

The video shows officers carrying an almost lifeless Otieno out by his arms and legs like an animal to a vehicle to be taken to the state hospital, Crump said.

Leon Ochieng, Otieno's older brother, said at Thursday's news conference that his mother can't sleep or eat.

Our hearts are broken, he said. "But our spirts are strong. And my brother's spirit is not done."

A distraught Ouko said that, When they took my baby away ... they took him away from his brother. They took him away from his nieces. They took him away from his friends. And they took him away from a community that cared (for) and loved him.
A motorist died Thursday evening after his vehicle was hit by a pickup truck on a toll road in Fort Worth, according to the Fort Worth Police Department.

About 7 p.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to the 100 block of the North Texas Express westbound toll lanes of Northeast Loop 820 for a major accident involving two vehicles. The Fort Worth Fire Department and MedStar also responded.

Upon arrival, officers learned that the man who died had been traveling in a passenger vehicle westbound in the toll lanes of Northeast Loop 820. A pickup truck was also traveling westbound when its driver made an abrupt movement to exit the express lanes, police said.

The pickup hit the crash attenuator that divides the lanes of travel and the exit lanes, went airborne, and landed on top of the passenger vehicle, police said.

The man in the car that was hit was pronounced dead on the scene by medical personnel. The driver of the pickup truck was not injured.

The names of the man who died and the driver of the pickup truck have not been released.

Traffic Investigations Unit detectives will be conducting the on-scene investigation.
Andrea Dunlops reasons for creating a podcast on Munchausen syndrome by proxy are both educational and personal.

Dunlop, who lives in Seattle, wanted to get into the humanity of perpetrators of medical child abuse, in which a caretaker lies or creates symptoms in someone under their care to gain attention and unnecessary medical treatment.

But Dunlop also hoped to end her podcast with an interview with a Fort Worth mom, whose case is an infamous example of how far a person with Munchausen syndrome by proxy might go to create a fake sickness.

In the podcast Nobody Should Believe Me, Dunlop talks to experts across multiple fields and analyzes the complex story of Hope Ybarra, who faked her own cancer and is accused of stealing pathogens from a lab to make her children sick.

Ybarra, who was the subject of a Star-Telegram project on Munchausen by proxy syndrome in 2015, subjected one of her daughters to four years of unneeded surgeries and medical procedures, according to court documents. She was arrested in October 2009 on a charge of serious bodily injury to a child and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

When people commit heinous crimes, I dont think its helpful to say that persons a monster, Dunlop said. That puts it at arms length, like, That is a crazy, one-off thing that would never happen to me.  If you think this couldnt be your sister, your friend, youre wrong.

What is medical child abuse?

Medical child abuse occurs when a child, or someone in another persons care, undergoes unnecessary medical treatments because their caretaker lies about or fabricates the victims symptoms. For example, a parent  often a mother  might repeatedly lie and tell a doctor their child cannot keep food down, while the parent might secretly be not feeding the child. In response, a doctor might order the child have a feeding tube inserted to get nutrition.

Medical child abuse can take countless forms. In one Tarrant County case, a mother told doctors her baby would suddenly stop breathing. The baby underwent tests and supervision in the hospital, but medical staff could not figure out what was wrong. The mother was eventually caught on video suffocating the baby against her chest.

Story continues

Medical child abuse has specific red flags such as:

Doctor shopping, where the parents goes to multiple medical facilities, sometimes in different states, to have procedures done to the child

Inconsistent medical history

Symptoms that are only present when a parent is with the child

A parent doesnt seem relieved or happy when a child improves or is found not to have an illness

A parent insists on a diagnosis that tests prove does not exist

People also have a hard time believing that medical professionals would perform unnecessary procedures on a child just because a mother said the child is sick. However, especially in young children, doctors rely on parents to give medical histories for the patient. Perpetrators use that to their advantage: If they say their 1-year-old threw up four times that day, a doctor is inclined to believe them.

Perpetrators of medical child abuse often choose illnesses that can be difficult to prove or disprove, said Dr. Carole Jenny, child abuse fellowship director at Seattle Childrens Hospital. A parent might say their child had a seizure or is not eating.

Some parents go further than lying about symptoms. In extreme cases, parents cause symptoms in their children. Of the 14 women accused of medical child abuse in Tarrant County since 2009, six are suspected of creating symptoms in their children either through withholding food, poisoning or suffocation.

In Ybarras case, she was accused of stealing pathogens from her workplace to poison her daughter, altering sweat tests to encourage a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis and draining blood from the child, starting a chain reaction of events that caused the girl to go into anaphylactic shock.

What is Munchausen syndrome by proxy?

Factitious disorder imposed upon another is considered a mental illness by the American Psychological Association. The disorder, also known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, is often not identified and has a high morbidity rate, according to the National Library of Medicine.

People with the disorder often crave attention, and they are willing to gain it at the expense of their childs health, according to the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children guidelines.

Culturally, people either have never heard of Munchausen syndrome by proxy or think it is rarer than it is, Dunlop said. For many, the idea of a mother purposefully causing harm to their child contradicts societys image of motherhood. But it is that very perception of a nurturing mother that often helps shield abusers from accusations.

There is no more sympathetic figure in our culture than a mother with a sick child, Dunlop said. The motive is the attention and sympathy. So its sort of a lot of leaps for people to make.

The disorder goes far beyond a parent being anxious about their childs health and frequently taking them to a hospital or doctor. The key difference is the parent chooses to lie about symptoms solely to obtain unnecessary medical treatments, said Dr. Marc Feldman, clinical professor of psychiatry and adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Alabama. Feldman and Jenny are members of the American Professional Society of Munchausen by Proxy,

This is deliberate behavior, Feldman said. This is willful, deliberate behavior focused on deception.

Treatable?

There is limited research on how best to treat factitious syndrome imposed upon another. A 2017 review of the disorder for the National Library of Medicine notes that no effective treatments have been demonstrated through well-conducted studies, and no diagnostic criteria exist.

A person with factitious disorder imposed upon another can be treated, Feldman said, but first the person has to admit to what he or she has done. That step, Feldman said, is almost impossible to surmount.

All these years later, I still havent found a conclusive way of getting the mothers to admit to what theyve done, he said. If they wont admit to it, you have no basis to do psychotherapy.

If a person can pass that first hurdle, they should prepare for long-term, lifetime counseling.

Jennys husband ran a program in Rhode Island where mothers diagnosed with factitious disorder imposed upon another could receive treatment. For some mothers who were on the lower end of the spectrum  mothers who were not actively harming their children to make them appear sick  they were able to stop the abuse without taking the child away.

Disagreement also exists among experts and family members of perpetrators about whether people with factitious disorder upon another believe their own lies.

I do think the behavior is criminal and should be treated as such, Dunlop said. But I also think perpetrators should get treatment. But they have to have a full accounting of their behavior. And that is vanishingly rare.

Feldman and Jenny emphasized that while treatment is important for mothers, the focus in medical child abuse cases should be on helping the child who is being abused. Medical child abuse can be fatal. For those who do not die, they may think theyre seriously chronically ill and go on to play that role for the rest of their life, Jenny said.

If you or someone you know might be a victim of medical child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453). All calls are anonymous and confidential.
MUNCIE, Ind.  A Muncie man convicted of murder in a 2015 slaying has been denied a request for a new judge in his case  but will be dealing with a different judge nonetheless.

William C. Balfour III, now 24, was sentenced to 60 years in prison by then-Judge Marianne Vorhees after a Delaware Circuit Court 1 jury in June 2021 found him guilty in the slaying of 18-year-old Christian Michael Orebaugh.

The victim was shot in the back during an attempted robbery in his West 23rd Street home on July 2, 2015. Prosecutors said Balfour and accomplices had planned to rob the teen of drugs, cash and guns.

The Indiana Court of Appeals upheld Balfour's murder conviction last August.

In a petition for post-conviction relief filed this month, Balfour contends he received ineffective legal assistance both in his trial and appeal. He also alleges his constitutional rights were violated.

More:Young Muncie man sentenced to 60 years in prison for murder conviction

He also asked that Vorhees remove herself as judge in his case.

However, Vorhees retired from the bench in December 2022.

Her successor as judge, Judi Calhoun, on Tuesday denied Balfour's motion for a change of judge, noting "Judge Vorhees has retired and is no longer the presiding judge of Delaware Circuit Court 1."

In June 2021, Vorhees in a court order denied claims she had made improper comments to jurors during their deliberations, and called other allegations raised by the defense "patently ridiculous."

The judge also wrote she believed "someone is making a concerted effort to undermine the jury's verdict."

"The allegations are baseless," she concluded.

In a response to this month's petition for post-conviction relief, Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman denied most of Balfour's allegations.

A hearing on the petition has not yet been scheduled.

Balfour is incarcerated at the Miami Correctional Facility north of Kokomo, with a projected release date in March 2068.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie man serving 60-year term for murder wants new judge
A KIRO 7 investigation in Nov. 2022 discovered judges have ordered dozens of people to receive thousands of dollars in payments from the state for waiting in jail for mental health treatment, so they can participate in their own trials.

They include Alexander Jay, accused of throwing a Seattle nurse down the steps of a light rail station on March 2, 2022, kicking her in the face and breaking ribs and her clavicle.

Police say 30 minutes later, he stabbed a woman at a bus stop and later killed a man.

I can remember it very vividly, said nurse Kim Hayes. And I remember getting to that first landing and thinking, Oh, God, what is happening?, and he came at me again.

Documents obtained by KIRO 7 show the Washington Department of Social and Health Services has already paid out $158,150 in 2022 in what are called compensatory sanctions in 10 peoples cases; in five of them, records show the money was paid directly to them, while in the others it went through courts, a nonprofit, family or another appointed responsible adult on behalf of that person.

Those documents show judges have ordered more than 50 other people, including Jay, to also receive compensatory sanctions payments, which are added up and can be paid out after a person has been admitted to a state psychiatric facility. Jays payments began May 9 and at first, they were ordered to be paid directly to him at the end; two months later, that was adjusted to go to a responsible adult for his care.

Jay was finally admitted to competency restoration at Western State Hospital on Mar. 3, 2023, and at $250 a day, that brings the total owed to Jay from the state to nearly $75,000.

Its a tremendous amount of money, said Hayes. Youve got people in a jail cell that could benefit from actual, appropriate psychiatric care. Its an atrocity. Its sad. Its problematic. Its a broken system, and it shouldnt happen.

The list also includes Jerrico Irizarry, charged with setting a fire at an apartment building in Seattles Belltown neighborhood in March that sent one person to the hospital in critical condition. Adan Ibrahim also stands to accumulate payments. Hes accused of carjacking two utility workers at knifepoint and then hitting four bicyclists in Seattle last November, badly injuring two of them.

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The money is either ordered to be paid to a defendant or to someone else on their behalf for their care.

So why is this happening? According to a federal judges ruling in whats called the Trueblood decision, once the state Department of Social and Health Services receives a court order finding someone is incompetent to stand trial, its supposed to admit that person in a week.

But thats not happening.

Were approaching (a) seven- or eight-month wait for people to get into treatment, said Rebecca Vasquez, a senior deputy prosecutor with the King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office. Its the longest Ive ever seen it.

Her focus is felony defendants going through competency proceedings. She said in some cases, judges are dismissing charges like assault and robbery. Thats because when a case is dismissed, that person goes to the top of the waitlist for evaluation by DSHS. That waitlist is now about 850 people long.

And if that person has their charges dismissed but still cant get in for treatment, theyre leaving the system entirely, creating a whole different kind of problem.

Are you seeing people who would otherwise be waiting in jail for mental health services from the state, then going out and re-offending? KIRO 7 reporter Linzi Sheldon asked.

Absolutely, she said. We see people who start with one case and end up with two or three or four cases pending..

How often is that happening?, Sheldon asked.

Over and over again, said Vasquez.

All this has created what DSHS Office of Forensic Mental Health Services Director Dr. Thomas Kinlen calls an absolutely terrible, horrible situation.

He points to the COVID pandemic as a cause, with hospital admissions on the DSHS end, the pandemic backlog of cases coming through, and a demand for competency restoration.

Weve had more referrals in this last fiscal year than ever before, almost a 40% increase from fiscal year (20)21 to (20)22, said Kinlen.

How do you get ahead of this?, Sheldon asked.

One (way) is just trying to figure out how to get more beds online, said Kinlen.

He said next year, DSHS aims to add 58 beds at Western State Hospital between January and March, 16 beds near Rochester at the Maple Lane facility and 30 more there for people found not guilty by reason of insanity, which would free up room at places at Western.

In the interim, though, Dr. Kinlen warns that the situation will continue to escalate.

Unfortunately, I do think were still going to have (it) getting worse before it gets better, he said. One of the things I would highlight, though, is traditionally theres a slowdown. Data will show between November and December theres a slowdown in referrals for competency.

DSHS also still needs to fill positions at its facilities. Staffing vacancies are high and KIRO 7 found out DSHS is spending about $3.4 million per month for contract nurses at Eastern State Hospital.

Are you optimistic that you can fill all those positions for those beds coming online?, Sheldon asked.

Optimistic, yes, said Kinlen. (We) recognize the reality of workforce is definitely different now, unfortunately.

Life is different now for Kim Hayes. Her sense of safety is gone, she said, but shes speaking up because she wants more people to know this system is in crisis.

We need to improve this process and we need to do it thoughtfully and fast, she said. I want people that think about it. Its out there, and maybe theres someone out there who has a great idea.

Shes still waiting for closure.

(Alexander Jay) gets the treatment he needs, comes back, she said. You face a legal trial. You get that out of the way and then, the result of that is thats what I would call justice, I guess.

DSHS said admissions are prioritized based on the severity of a persons illness, including whether they could hurt themselves or others, whether theyre in jail or out on bail, and how long theyve been waiting behind bars.

Kinlen said the state does not consider the seriousness of a persons charges, though they are looking at whether that should be factored into the decisions. DSHS does not consider whether the state has been ordered to pay a person for their wait.
Rafael Elias - Getty Images

Things are getting weird in North Carolina, and the mystery involves a U.S. Navy vessel that washed ashore and a house drifting out to sea.

A resident recently spotted a 16-foot-long orange object on the beach in Rodanthe, Virginia.

Kyle Barniak said that he first thought the item he saw on the beach was a porch swing or a bench seat.

As I approached, it was clear it was a boat, completely intact and watertight, he said, according to a news report .

Target Lock

Barniak called a number attached to the boat. It turns out the vessel belongs to Norfolk Naval Air Station, about 100 miles north, and officials had thought the boat had sunk. The ship apparently was used for target practice.

But the story only got stranger. When I went back, it was no longer there, Barniak told McClatchy News. Being Rodanthe, it was probably pirated overnight.

A target ship is typically an obsolete or captured warship used as a seaborne target for naval gunnery practice or weapons testing. Targets can test the effectiveness of specific types of ammunition. The target ship may be used for an extended period of routine target practice with specialized non-explosive ammunition.



A Missing House

Its not clear exactly which ship washed ashore, but its part of a fleet from the Norfolk Detachment of Atlantic Targets & Marine Operations. The unit is part of the Navy and is responsible for providing range support for naval aviation training and testing operations in the Atlantic Ocean. The Norfolk Detachment helps with air-to-air and air-to-ground target towing, electronic warfare training, and surface and subsurface targets for live-fire exercises.

Norfolk Naval Air Station is the largest naval base in the world and is home to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. The base hosts numerous aircraft, including fighter jets, helicopters, and surveillance planes, and it supports various missions, including combat, search and rescue, and humanitarian relief.

The boat isnt the only thing that vanished in Virginia. The same day the ship disappeared, a 1,100-square-foot house fell into the ocean. A huge storm sent waves crashing into the area, which may have forced the house into the water. At last report, the Navy is still looking for its missing ship.

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PATERSON  In the early stages of their standoff with Najee Seabrooks, two Paterson police officers stepped aside in an apartment hallway and let the troubled mans mother speak with him through a closed bathroom door.

His mother, Melissa Carter, started the conversation by asking Seabrooks for his car keys, so his illegally parked vehicle could be moved before getting towed. He seemed to slide them to her through a crack in the door.

Why is you doing this, Najee? Carter asked as she began crying hysterically. Najee, Im your mother. Najee, stop this, I am your mother. Open the door.

A still image taken from police body cam released in the Najee Seabrooks case showing moments when officers first arrived at the Mill St. apartment in response to a 911 call by Seabrooks. Here, an officer speaks with two people inside the apartment.

Seabrooks responses to his mother were mostly inaudible on a police body camera video released by the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office on Thursday. The officer whose device recorded the conversation was standing more than six feet away from the door, in an area between the kitchen and living room.

Sobbing, Carter begged her son 17 times during a three-minute conversation to open the door or to come out of the bathroom. Again and again, she shrieked his name and the word, Please.

Najee, come out, nobody going to do nothing to you out here, Carter said, crying.

Just before 8:16 a.m. on March 3, Carter turned from the door and walked unsteadily away, wiping tears from her face with her hand.

Armed with three large kitchen knives, Seabrooks spent another four hours and 19 minutes inside the bathroom, texting friends on the outside and occasionally talking with police negotiators as the standoff escalated from low-key interactions to a confrontation with officers whose guns were drawn behind anti-ballistic shields.

Throughout that time, Seabrooks was alone in the bathroom.

Earlier:Paterson police body-camera video from Najee Seabrooks shooting released by NJ AG's office

Subscriber exclusive:Najee Seabrooks in his own words: 'Try to bring back some love' to Paterson

Videos don't sway advocates' views

The 31-year-old was fatally shot by two Paterson police officers at 12:35 p.m. when he charged from the bathroom with a knife raised above his head in his right hand, heading toward the police. The attorney general's office on Thursday released almost four hours of video recordings from seven different officers body cameras at the scene, providing griping footage of a tragic encounter that has rocked Paterson for the past two weeks.

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The videos answer many questions about what took place between the agitated 31-year-old man and the police.

But nothing in the recordings has changed the minds of social justice activists who assert that Seabrooks would still be alive if mental health professionals, or his co-workers at the Paterson Healing Collective violence intervention group, were allowed to go inside the apartment and speak to him in the latter stages of the standoff.

"After cajoling Najee to exit the bathroom, police behind anti ballistic shield with protective gear, shot Najee with live ammunition and killed him, said Paterson Black Lives Matter leader Zellie Thomas. You can only justify that if you do not value human life. People will always have mental health crises, but people don't always have to die because of it. This needs to stop.

(Center) Zellie Thomas, an organizer for Black Lives Matter Paterson, before the start of a press conference calling for justice for Najee Seabrooks and local and state accountability at 200 Federal Plaza in Paterson on Thursday, March 16, 2023. Seabrooks, a member of the violence intervention group the Paterson Healing Collective, was fatally shot by Paterson police after a standoff while he was barricaded inside an apartment.

Suggestion of death by suicide

In his final hours, Seabrooks accused the police of wanting to kill him and at other times he said he wanted to kill himself.

If yall going to kill me, youre going down, Seabrooks said to a police sergeant at 8:38 a.m., about 20 minutes after his mother left the apartment.

Thats the last thing we want, responded the sergeant.

Stop trying to kill me, then, Seabrooks said.

We want you to get the help you need, the sergeant said.

Youre trying to make it seem like Im crazy, Seabrooks asserted. There aint nothing wrong with me.

So come out and prove that youre right.

A still image taken from police body camera footage from the March 3, 2023 standoff between Najee Seabrooks and Paterson police that ended in Seabrooks being fatally shot by officers.

During the standoff, Seabrooks broke water pipes, set clothes on fire and cut himself with the knives. Afterward, the walls of the bathroom were covered with his bloodstains.

Mike Kelly:Najee Seabrooks' death is a tragedy on so many levels

An uncle tried to negotiate

After a couple hours, the negotiators allowed Seabrookss uncle, a former Paterson cop who now works for the Clifton police department, to speak to him. Seabrooks told them he doubted whether it was really his uncle, prompting police to slide the relatives identification card under the bathroom door so he knew who was talking.

Najee, you good? asked the uncle, Shawn Seabrooks. I need you to come on out  Put the knives down and listen to these officers and come on out  Ill walk you out. Ill stay with you through the whole process.

But Seabrooks would not leave the bathroom.

Seabrooks asked to see members of the Healing Collective group, including one man he called his mentor. Police negotiators told him they could not let the Healing Collective members inside the apartment because they were civilians and there was the danger of him being armed with knives. The police told Seabrooks he could talk to his friends if he came out of the bathroom and put down the weapons.

Suggestions that Seabrooks could see his daughter

At times, negotiators also brought up Seabrooks daughter and the fact that the 3-year-old girl recently moved to California with her mother.

Thats got to be hard, the police officer told Seabrooks. That sucks.

At another point in the standoff, the police seemingly tried to use Seabrooks daughter as an incentive to get him to come out of the bathroom.

What about when she gets married, and she wants her Dad? one officer said. Youve got to be there to walk her down the aisle.

The body camera recordings showed the police officers communicating on two levels, speaking to Seabrooks to convince him to give himself up, while whispering among themselves about tactics and positions, warning each other about which hand he was using to hold knives, and how many weapons he had.

If he comes out, Im not going to let him get closer than that, one officer told his colleagues.

Occasionally, Seabrooks would poke his head out from the bathroom doorway, and the police fired more than a dozen non-lethal bean bag projectiles at him, striking him multiple times.

Is he down? a cops asked after one of the projectiles hit Seabrooks.

No, still standing, came the answer.

One officer who had a view through the door when it was opened told the other cops about a fire Seabrooks started.

Hes putting plastic on top of the fire, the officer said as the apartments smoke alarm rang in the background. Hes trying to make it bigger.

In the final minutes of the standoff, a police officer urged Seabrooks to stop cutting himself.

Naj, we dont want you to die man, one cop said. I need you to put the knife on the ground so we can help.

You dont want to end it this way, the officer added.

'All these people are after me'

Hours before the police from the emergency response team fired the fatal shots, a woman who had been living in the apartment with Seabrooks brother told a patrol officer that he had showed up at their home at about 2 a.m., while they were sleeping.

Body camera video captured the March 3, 2023 standoff between Paterson police and Najee Seabrooks that ended in Seabrook's fatal shooting. Throughout the footage, officers attempted to negotiate with Seabrooks and offered to get him medical attention and access to family and friends. Seabrooks ultim

When I woke up, the woman said, he was like, All these people are after me.

The woman and the patrol officer spoke in the apartments living room, while Seabrooks was in the bathroom, quiet. At that point, only a few officers were at the apartment.

The woman said she started to take the children to school in the morning, when Seabrooks became agitated. He said, Dont leave me, dont leave me, she recalled. He got up and grabbed all the knives and he went in the bathroom.

The woman told the officer that Seabrooks normally lived with his mother on 20th Avenue  an apartment that was damaged in a fire several days after police officers fatally shot Seabrooks.

Seabrooks was the one who called 911 for police to come to the apartment on Mill Street where he was killed. In multiple 911 calls, Seabrooks expressed fears about dangerous people being after him and he asked for police to escort him from the apartment. Seabrooks kept making 911 calls even after officers were outside the bathroom door.

The attorney general's office has said Seabrooks was in distress when he called 911. Seabrooks co-workers at the Paterson Healing Collective said he was in a mental health crisis and having a bad day.

'Smoked something bad'

In one of the videos, a medical responder in the apartment told police officers she talked to Seabrooks brother who said he possibly smoked something bad. The medical responder said it might have been K2, a synthetic mind-altering substance, or wet, which are marijuana cigarettes laced with chemicals.

Seabrooks mother informed police at the scene that her sons erratic behavior was not normal for him. In the apartment buildings hallway, his mother told one of the officers about her sons work with the Healing Collective. She expressed concerns about the pressures of the job.

Seabrooks had worked as a violence intervention specialist, someone who helped crime victims get services and who encouraged them not to retaliate against their attackers. Seabrooks became involved with the group after he was the victim of a drive-by shooting in March 2021 near Carroll Street in Patersons 4th Ward.

I think thats getting to him, she said at one point. I think its too much for him, his mother added moments later.

So, hes an advocate? the officer asked Seabrooks mother.

Yes, she said.

Paterson Press contributing writer Darren Tobia contributed to this report.

Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press. Email: editor@patersonpress.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Najee Seabrooks Paterson NJ police shooting: mother tried to help
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17)  In order to achieve the recovery timeline of four months, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. must step up and direct all relevant government agencies to clean up the oil spilled by a capsized tanker last Feb. 28, an environmental group said on Friday.

READ: Marcos wants oil spill cleanup finished in under 4 months

"The only way to achieve the president's hope to clean up the oil spill in four months is to compel government agencies to direct all resources for containment Mr. President, the Verde Island Passage [VIP] is a crucial contributor to the Philippine economy. You must move now," said Fr. Edwin Gariguez, convenor of the Protect VIP coalition.

The VIP, a strait separating Mindoro island from mainland Luzon, is rich in marine biodiversity. It is often bustling with activity as it serves as a route from the Port of Manila to the Visayas and Mindanao.

The group, citing a report from the Calapan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said that traces of oil had been detected on the shores of Barangay Navotas, Calapan, which lies along the VIP.

"We can only do so much. We do not want the oil response to suffer the same fate of the sunken tanker the captain must steer the ship towards safety and that someone should be the President," Gariguez added.

The Catholic priest honored in 2012 with a Goldman Prize for grassroots environmental heroes said that current clean-up operations were not fast enough and put forward some short and long-term suggestions.

"Short term, we need to identify who would compensate the affected residents and pay for the environmental damage to VIP. In the long run, our policymakers should not just look at oil spills from sunken ships, but also how to minimize the traffic of ships carrying poisonous cargo through this vulnerable area," he posed.

Gariguez lamented the situation faced by fisherfolk and other sectors negatively impacted by the oil spill. The Department of Social Welfare and Development earlier said that over 137,000 people had been affected by the spill.

READ: Over 137,000 people affected by Mindoro oil spill DSWD

Gerry Arances, think tank Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development executive director, said the whole country could feel the oil spill's effects on the economy.

"It's not just fisherfolk  these barangays depend on the seas to bring in money for trade, transport, and tourism, and soon, the whole country would feel it too. The fishing sector in the VIP area, which includes Oriental Mindoro, was valued at 11.8 billion in 2021 while in 2019, its tourism industry generated 3.5 billion," Arances said.

Lawmakers and local leaders have said that the owners of the sunken oil tanker provide a recovery plan and should compensate those affected by the oil spill.

Related:

Makabayan bloc wants owner of tanker to immediately compensate communities affected by oil spill

Pola mayor: Owner of tanker that caused oil spill should provide us complete recovery plan
Drug-related fatalities are occurring all around us, in Washington jails and to children. Just this week, several people in the Puget Sound area were victims of fentanyl overdoses, including an inmate in Thurston County jail and an 18-month-old toddler. Fentanyl is suspected as the cause of a number of other recent deaths in the area.

In fact, the rate of overdose deaths skyrocketed nationwide during the global pandemic. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug overdoses have steadily climbed in the U.S. since the early 2000s, but it wasnt until 2020 that cases skyrocketed.

In Washington state, opioids are the leading cause in drug overdoses, which have only risen in the past few years, according to statewide data from the University of Washington. Data from the university shows that statewide death rates for all opioids nearly doubled from 2019 to 2021, but they more than tripled for synthetic opioids.

The leading cause in overdose deaths involve synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, which is 50 times as strong as heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For the past 20 years, the death rate for opioid overdoses has been higher than those for methamphetamine and cocaine combined.

This begs the question: how can more people be saved? One medication is specifically designed to counter opioid-related overdoses: naloxone.

What is Narcan?

Narcan is the brand name for naloxone, an FDA-approved medication that binds the opioid receptors and reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The medication is temporary, so individuals who take Narcan in an emergency should quickly seek medical attention.

Narcan is effective at countering overdoses from the following drugs:

Heroin

Morphine

Oxycodone

It is not effective at countering these drugs:

Benzodiazepines

Cocaine

Amphetamines

A bottle of naloxone, a drug used to reverse opioid overdoses, at the Whatcom County Health Department, which has been distributing it for free through the agencys needle exchange program.

Ways to administer naloxone

The medication can be administered a few ways and forms, including:

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Intranasal spray into the nose

Intramuscular into the muscle

Under the skin

Injected into the veins

Who should take naloxone?

SAMHSA says that people who qualify to take naloxone are those who:

Take prescribed opioids for chronic pain over a long period of time

Have been discharged for medical care pertaining to opioid poisoning

Receive rotating opioid medication

Of course, those who are experiencing an opioid crisis should be administered Narcan. The signs of overdose include:

A person doesnt respond to touch or voice

Abnormal breathing, slow breathing or no breathing at all

Pin-point sized pupils

Bluish lips and nose

Loss of consciousness

Slow or erratic pulse

Vomiting

Choking or gurgling

Pregnant women can take naloxone safely in limited doses, too.

Where to get naloxone

In Washington state, pharmacies can provide patients with naloxone without a prescription, according to stopoverdose.org. Many other places around the state provide the drug. You can find a location near you on the Washington State Naloxone Finder.

Alternatively, you can order naloxone from the stopoverdose.org to be delivered by mail. Another organization, the Peoples Harm Reduction Alliance, will also send Washington state residents Narcan kits.

If you go to a pharmacist, you should bring a copy of the statewide standing order from the department of health. The order says that pharmacies and other entities can dispense naloxone medication in the form of a intramuscular injection or nasal spray naloxone to eligible people upon request. Eligible people include those at risk of experiencing opioid-related overdoses. Entities who aid others experiencing overdoses are also eligible. You can bring a paper copy or pull up the digital document on your phone.

One type of naloxone shoots a fine mist into each of the victims nostrils.

Under Washington state law, any person or entity can obtain, possess and administer naloxone, according to the states department of health.

In fact, University of Washingtons Addictions, Drugs and Alcohol Institute advises state residents to have Narcan on hand as a standard part of a first-aid kit. Residents can get it free in the mail by making a request.

Narcan side effects

When someone with opioid addiction takes naloxone, they many experience symptoms of withdrawal like:

Restlessness or irritability

Body aches

Dizziness or weakness

Diarrhea or nausea

Fever or chills

Runny nose

Storing the medication

Patients should never take Narcan if it expires or if its temperature goes below or above 39 and 104 degrees, respectively. According to the Mayo Clinic, people should keep the medicine in a closed container at room temperature, away from heat, moisture, direct light and in a place that will keep it from freezing. Also be sure to store it out of reach from children.
Finnish soldier with rifle

In joining Nato, Finland is ending seven decades as a non-aligned country.

Finland shares a long border with Russia. It applied to join the defensive alliance soon after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

What is Nato?

Nato - the North Atlantic Treaty Organization - was formed in 1949 by 12 countries, including the US, UK, Canada and France.

Finland is the 31st country to join.

Nato members agree to help one another if they come under attack.

The organisation's original goal was to challenge Soviet expansion in Europe after World War Two.

Map showing Nato member states

After the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, many of the Eastern European countries which used to be its allies in the Warsaw Pact were granted Nato membership.

Russia (which was formerly part of the Soviet Union) has long argued that Nato's acceptance of Eastern European countries threatens its security. It has vehemently opposed Ukraine's request to join the alliance, fearing this would encroach too closely on its territory.

Why is Finland joining Nato?

Map of Sweden and Finland with 1,340km (830 mile) border highlighter

Finland has a 1,340km (832 mile) land border with Russia.

In 1948, it agreed to be a neutral country as part of a "friendship agreement" with the Soviet Union.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, it edged closer to Nato, becoming an "official partner" of the bloc in 1994.

Soon after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, both Finland and Sweden asked to be given full entry to Nato as soon as possible.

Graphic showing Finland and Sweden's armed forces

Finland adds 257,250 regular and reserve troops to Nato's forces, and 107 combat aircraft.

What hurdles did Finland face in joining Nato?

All the parliaments of Nato member states have to agree to a new country joining the alliance.

Finland and Sweden applied to join Nato together, but Turkey and Hungary have not yet approved Sweden's entry.

They were the last two member states to approve Finland's membership as well, Turkey on 30 and Hungary on 27 March.

Turkey's government had delayed allowing Finland to join, complaining that it supported "Kurdish terrorists".

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It is still blocking Sweden's membership, accusing it also of harbouring Turkey's enemies and allowing anti-Turkish demonstrations on its streets.

How are Nato countries supporting Ukraine?

Many of the alliance's member states have provided Ukraine with weapons and ammunition to help it defend itself against Russia..

The US is sending 31 Abrams tanks, the UK 14 Challenger 2 tanks, Germany 14 Leopard 2 tanks and Norway eight Leopard 2 tanks.

The US has also sent armoured fighting vehicles such as the Stryker and the Bradley.

In addition, the US and UK have sent Ukraine long-range missile systems such as Himars, which have been striking targets behind Russia's front lines.

A Himars launcher under tree cover in eastern Ukraine

Several Nato countries have provided howitzers and self-propelled guns, while Turkey has sold Ukraine several Bayraktar TB2 drones.

The US and others have supplied air defence systems to shoot down Russian cruise missiles and drones over Ukraine.

The anti-tank weapons that the US and UK have supplied, such as Javelin and Nlaw, were crucial in turning back Russia's advance on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, in spring 2022.

Nato countries are also aiming to ramp up their supplies of artillery shells and ammunition to Ukraine.

Why won't Nato countries give more help to Ukraine?

Poland and Slovakia are sending Ukraine Soviet-era Mig fighter jets, but Nato countries are not sending the US-made F-16s it has been asking for.

Nato countries also fear that if Ukraine were to use these jets to strike targets inside Russia, it could draw them deeper into the war.

Nato countries are not sending their troops to Ukraine, or imposing a no-fly zone over the country, again for fear of provoking a direct conflict with Russia.

Nato has stepped up its military defences in eastern Europe

However, Nato countries have now stationed 40,000 troops in eastern Europe - on the territory of alliance members such as Lithuania and Poland.

They also have another 300,000 troops on high alert in Europe.

Why isn't Ukraine in Nato?

Nato told Ukraine in 2008 that it could join the bloc at some point in the future, but declined its recent request for "fast-track" membership.

This is because Article 5 of the Nato charter says that if one member is attacked, all members should come to its defence.

If Ukraine was made a member, Nato countries would technically have to go to war with Russia.
By Nora Buli

TROLL A PLATFORM, North Sea (Reuters) -The heads of NATO and the European Commission flew on Friday to a North Sea platform to discuss the security of supplies and infrastructure, a visit underlining Norway's importance for gas shipments since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Troll A platform extracts gas from Norway's biggest gas field. After a drop in Russian flows, the Nordic country last year became the largest gas supplier to the EU.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen talked about the protection of infrastructure and gas supplies to Europe with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere and Equinor CEO Anders Opedal.

Security at Norwegian petroleum installations was increased after the explosions on the Nord Stream pipelines on Sept. 26 in the Baltic Sea, with NATO allies providing military support.

Norway's energy infrastructure is vital, but vulnerable, because of its size, involving thousands of kilometres of pipelines as well as internet and power cables, Stoltenberg told reporters onboard Troll A.

"We cannot of course protect every metre of this infrastructure at every time," said Stoltenberg, clad in a bright yellow worksuit and white helmet.

"But what we do is that we have stepped up...exchanging intelligence information (and we have) closer monitoring of the infrastructure. We have increased our presence with more military capabilities."

As he spoke, a German Navy ship, a Norwegian coastguard vessel, a Norwegian military helicopter and a NATO maritime aircraft were patrolling near the platform, situated some 65 km (40 miles) offshore.

"The plan now is to exercise more, and be able to react fast, if something happens," said Stoltenberg.

In addition, NATO and the EU in January set up a task force to boost the protection of critical infrastructure in response to the Nord Stream explosions. Its first meeting took place on Thursday, von der Leyen said on Friday.

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Norway's police security agency said in February that Russia would seek to gather more intelligence about Norway's oil and gas infrastructure as part of efforts to put pressure on European energy supplies.

Troll alone covered 11.3% of EU gas consumption last year, according to operator Equinor. The field accounts for one third of daily Norwegian gas exports to Europe.

The gas from Troll is piped to a processing plant on Norway's west coast before it is piped again to the European Union and Britain.

The platform rests on four concrete pillars on the seabed.

(Reporting by Nora Buli, writing by Gwladys Fouche, editing by Terje Solsvik and Angus MacSwan)
By Andrew Gray

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday hailed Turkey's decision to move ahead with ratifying Finland's bid for membership of the military alliance and said he was confident Sweden would join soon too.

In a telephone interview with Reuters, Stoltenberg said President Tayyip Erdogan's announcement that Turkey's parliament will start ratifying Finland's accession to NATO was "a good day for everyone that believes in NATO enlargement".

"Finnish membership will strengthen NATO, it will strengthen Finnish security. It will also strengthen Swedish security," he said.

In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO but faced objections from Turkey, which joined in 1952.

Erdogan said on Friday that Finland had won Turkey's blessing after taking steps to keep its promises to crack down on what Ankara sees as terrorists and to free up defence exports.

But Turkey has kept Sweden's ratification on hold, arguing that Stockholm harbours members of what Turkey calls terrorist groups, particularly the Kurdish militant group PKK - a charge Sweden denies.

Stoltenberg said Erdogan had told him on Friday evening that he was willing to continue consultations on Sweden's membership.

"I'm confident also that Sweden will join soon, and I will work hard for that," he said.

NATO officials say having both Sweden and Finland as members will bring two highly capable militaries into the alliance and strengthen its northeastern flank.

Abandoning long traditions of neutrality, Finnish and Swedish leaders concluded after Russia's invasion of Ukraine that membership of NATO, with its collective defence pact, would make their countries safer.

Stoltenberg said he hoped Finland would now join NATO before Turkey's elections in May and that Sweden could be a member by the time of an alliance summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July.

Story continues

Hungary is the only other NATO member not to have ratified the two membership applications. Hungary's ruling party has said it backs the two bids but has delayed formal steps to approve them.

Stoltenberg said he had urged Turkey and Hungary to ratify both membership applications.

(Reporting by Andrew Gray; editing by Grant McCool)
The Navys MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone has wrapped up a deployment to the Indo-Pacific.

The high-altitude, long endurance UAV, assigned to Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19, completed a rotational deployment to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, in U.S. 7th Fleet, where the unit worked to develop the aircrafts tactics, techniques and procedures.

But it wont be long before the Triton returns to the Indo-Pacific.

The squadron and the drone, which is designed to work hand in hand with the P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft, are scheduled to return to 7th Fleet later this year. At that point, the squadron will kick off the MQ-4Cs operational capability period to test out maritime intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting operations with an upgraded sensor suite.

Triton helps bolster our Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations on a global stage, said Lt. Christopher Lee, a Triton naval flight officer, in a Navy news release. The communication and safety nets Triton brings to our friendly units is a game-changer.

Two MQ-4Cs first arrived in Guam at Andersen Air Force Base in 2020 to operate under Commander Task Force 72 in 7th Fleet during an early operational capability period. The drone also deployed to MCAS Iwakuni and Misawa Air Base in Japan to refine the concept of operations for expeditionary basing during the deployment, the Navy said.

Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19 is based out of Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida.

Northrop links drones, ships in demonstration of connected Navy fleet

Last month, Northrop Grumman announced that the Triton completed a first-of-its-kind flight test featuring an installed airborne gateway that, by hooking into the Tritons onboard radar and artificial intelligence, relayed sensor data to simulators representing an F-35, an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and Aegis-class destroyers.

The trials objective was to connect air assets with sea assets for a seamlessly connected fleet, Ben Davies, vice president and general manager of network information solutions at Northrop Grumman, said in a statement.

This step is key as the Navy develops distributed maritime operations, a concept that requires ships to work together at greater distances, Davies said. The drones have the capacity to operate for more than 24 hours, and can detect, track, classify and identify naval vessels.

Tritons altitude, persistence and robust communication links make it an ideal candidate to host the gateway system, said Jane Bishop, a Northrop vice president and general manager for global surveillance, in a statement. This demonstration highlighted gateway technology enhancements to Triton that would enable information dominance across distributed maritime assets, including access to the F-35s robust sensor suite and the E-2Ds battle management capabilities.
Gov. Roy Coopers proposed budget would keep the N.C. Zoo on track to open its first new continent area since 1994, funding 50 full-time positions to staff Asia in time for the planned 2026 debut.

The governors budget also would give the zoo money to take down its old aviary building and design a replacement, and would provide funds for state parks to hire staff needed to keep up with the bigger crowds that came with the pandemic.

Its exciting, said Reid Wilson, secretary of the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, who visited the zoo outside Asheboro recently to see progress on the new section.

I think everybody in North Carolina who has been to this zoo loves it, Wilson said. Its the worlds largest natural-habitat zoo. But to go from two continents  Africa and North America  adding Asia, is just going to make it that much more special. School groups and families will be able to see a whole different array of animals that will just enliven the experience and provide more fun and education for people who go to see it.

The original plan for the zoo when it was conceived in the 1960s and 70s included sections in the park featuring animals and plants from all seven continents and the four oceans.

Africa opened first in 1980, with elephants, gorillas, lions and zebras.

North America followed in 1994, with polar bears, black bears, grizzlies and red wolves. In all, the zoo presently houses more than 1,700 animals.

A blue-crowned hanging parrot from Asia rests in the former R.J. Reynolds Forest Aviary at the N.C. Zoo. The aviary permanently closed in 2022.

Scaled-back plans

When state legislators repeatedly failed to fund big additional continents, the zoo scaled back, developing sections with smaller footprints that designers say still will have a big impact on visitors.

Asia is the first of those.

Now expected to open sometime in 2026, Asia will cover 10 acres, about a fourth the size of just the Watani Grasslands Habitat in the Africa section, home to elephants, antelope, gazelles, rhinos, waterbucks, ostriches and greater kudu.

Asia will have tigers, Komodo dragons, Visayan warty pigs, Asian small-clawed otters, red-crowned cranes, wrinkled hornbills, king cobras, white-cheeked gibbons and Chinese giant salamanders.

Story continues

An artists rendering of Asia, the new exhibit under construction at the N.C. Zoo. Gov. Goy Coopers budget asks for funding to hire staff ahead of the exhibits planned 2026 opening.

Guests will be able to walk above the tiger exhibit or watch the big cats from a 300-seat indoor cafe.

Coopers budget proposal includes more than $4.8 million in recurring funds and $1.4 million in non-recurring funds to cover the hiring of 50 full-time positions. Wilson said the money would be used for staff throughout the Asia exhibit, including customer service people, veterinarians, zookeepers, horticulturalists and maintenance staff.

Wilson said its likely that as the opening grows closer, additional positions above those 50 will be needed.

The N.C. Zoo is one of the states top tourist attractions, topping 1 million annual visitors for the first time last year.

Trying again for aviary money

Besides its charismatic animals such as gorillas, lions, elephants and bears, one of the parks favored features was its Forest Aviary, which opened in 1982 and had to be permanently closed in April 2022. Accumulated damage to the building had reached a point where it would not be possible to make repairs, inspections showed.

Cooper asked for $5 million from the legislature last year to demolish the building and design a new one on a site in the park that suffers less erosion. The money didnt come.

This years ask is for $6 million to do the same work.

Ethan Reynolds of Andover, N.Y., hikes through Raven Rock State Park near Lillington on a family outing during the pandemic. The park is one of several that hits capacity most weekend mornings as people search for places to explore outdoors.

Also in the governors budget are requests for the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to get:

 $291,493 for five full-time positions to staff the new Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit at the Museum of Natural Sciences;

 $25 million for the Great Trails State Fund, money that will match federal funds and accelerate investment-ready projects in an effort to eventually connect all 100 counties of the state by trails.

 Money for capital improvements at several state parks and more than $10 million for 44 full-time positions at state parks across the state, including Umstead and Eno River in the Triangle. Wilson said the additional staff are needed because of increased visitation in the parks, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reuters

Residents of an LA neighborhood have been receiving unwanted food deliveries for weeks.

No one has been able to get to the bottom of a mystery, but Uber Eats has opened an investigation, ABC7 reported.

One resident told ABC7 that the deliveries 'haunt my dreams.'

There's a food delivery mystery unfolding in a Los Angeles neighborhood.

Unwanted free food from Uber Eats  bags of McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Starbucks  have been arriving for weeks, but nobody can figure out why.

"Before you knew it, the whole street was lined with bags of McDonald's and Starbucks, and nobody could explain where it was coming from," Morgan Currier told ABC7. "People have been getting upwards of 30 to 40 orders."

At first, some residents of the Highland Park neighborhood were excited to find free food on their doorsteps. But after three weeks of endless orders, the charm is gone.

The deliveries have begun to "haunt my dreams," said resident William Neal to ABC7.

Uber has launched an investigation into the unwanted fast food. But so far, no culprit has been found, ABC7 reported.

Some residents also have been sleuthing, according to the Los Angeles Times. They've called the number listed on the order receipts, but it was disconnected.

"I've been getting 20-piece nuggets with sweet and sour sauce," Morgan Currier, a vegetarian, told the LA Times.

"What a waste ... to send it to a vegetarian. I had a friend who I would text: 'Come on over and grab it.' And then even he said, 'I can't keep eating 20-piece chicken nuggets. I've reached my limit.'"

Even though residents haven't been able to stop the orders, or find out why they're showing up, it's been a kind of bonding experience.

"There's just been more neighborly connections over it," Kelsey McManus told the LA Times. "And we've talked about doing our own investigation on it, doing a little podcast."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Tortola, British Virgin Islands - (NewMediaWire) - March 17, 2023 - NeoCortexAI is an innovative platform that aims to revolutionize the world of Blockchain technology by implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to create a seamless connection between these two groundbreaking technologies. With its four pillars and their exclusive pNFTs, NeoCortexAI offers a comprehensive range of solutions to leverage the full potential of AI and blockchain technology. NeocortexAi is poised to make a significant impact in the world of AI and Blockchain through incubation, accelerating AI projects and connecting web2 AI to web3 AI in a seamless transition without any hassles. The Four Pillars The Multi-AI-Index Pool equipped with DCA bots help to automate the process of investing and managing funds, thereby reducing the risk of human error and increasing the efficiency of the investment process. The AI Launchpad is another essential feature of NeoCortexAI that is designed to help AI projects gain the exposure and funding they need to succeed in the market. The AI-Swap is an exchange platform that offers users the opportunity to trade and exchange tokens launched on the AI Launchpad. The AI-Brain Center is a media platform that provides users with the latest news, updates, and trends in AI and blockchain technology. Backers and Partners NeoCortexAI is backed by some of the biggest names in the industry, including Oddiyana Ventures, Triple Gem Capital, Ferreum network and Farium Ventures. "As the global reliance on data continues to intensify, the intersection of Blockchain and AI presents a significant opportunity to develop innovations that are both reliable and efficient. NeoCortexAI has implemented cutting-edge features that position it as a frontrunner in the field, poised to lead the way in embracing the integration of Blockchain and AI," said Dorji Rabten, Founder & Managing Partner at Oddiyana Ventures and; Advisor at NeoCortexAI. "NeocortexAI is at the forefront of the digital revolution, seamlessly linking blockchain technology and artificial intelligence to create a powerful platform for growth and transformation," said Sherab Jamtsho, the CEO of Triple Gem Capital. "It provides a range of accessible AI and Blockchain services for individuals interested in exploring blockchain technology." In addition to its backers, NeoCortexAI has partnered with ecosystem partners such as Aldeb Trades, Brilliant Moon, and Chainzeeper to further strengthen its platform and provide users with the best possible experience. The platform is set to launch on top launchpads starting from March 13th to 19th March 2023, including Kommunitas, Vulture Peak, Brandpad, Duckstarter, DAOStarter, Genshard, BSC launchpad, Spores Network, and MoonStarter and more. Launch week is expected to end with the $CORAI IAiO on NeocortexAI website. This launch is set to bring a new era of innovation to the industry, with the perfect synergy between AI and Blockchain technology. Robby Jeo, the CEO of Kommunitas said, "NeoCortexAI provides investors with comprehensive access to the AI and blockchain ecosystems. Featuring an AI Launchpad, AI Index Fund, AI Swap, and AI Brain Center, the platform offers diverse opportunities for participation and engagement. Additional advantages such as pNFTs give users privileged access to exciting new projects and exclusive benefits." Ken Shin, the co-founder of DuckDAO said, "NeoCortexAI has the potential to make a significant impact in its respective field, and we are confident that it will garner attention and support from the community." Ride the AI wave with NeoCortexAI today and take advantage of the full potential of these revolutionary technologies for growth and transformation in the digital era. What's more? NeoCortexAI is giving out whitelist spots for their free mint pNFTs! Join the community to grab your spot on the whitelist. NeoCortexAI will also be collaborating with AI projects through its incubation and acceleration program. Important Dates: On 20th March 2023, the very first IAiO aka Initial Artificial Intelligence Offerings of NeoCortexAI token $CORAI which will be held at NeoCortexAI. You can find more information about the IAiO here. On 21st March 2023, at 1 pm UTC the $CORAI token will be listed on PancakeSwap and can be traded with the CORAI/BUSD pair. For any further information regarding IAiO, incubation, acceleration and potential partnership in the AI and Blockchain space, please reach out to the team via official email: media@neocortexai.xyz. For More Information: Company Email: media@neocortexai.xyz Twitter | Official Telegram Group | Official Announcement Channel | Discord | Reddit | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | LinkedIn
I would never put my money into a bank stock ever again: Kevin OLeary says the US government nationalized the American banking system. This is what he likes instead

The failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank have spooked depositors and investors. While regulators quickly stepped in to assure that the deposits are safe, Shark Tank star Kevin OLeary was not impressed.

What effectively happened over the weekend is that he nationalized the American banking system, he told CNN, referring to U.S. President Joe Biden. It's no longer a risk. It's no longer private in any sense. It is now backstopped by the government, ultimately the taxpayer.

Don't miss

According to OLeary, this should change how investors view the sector.

Whats really happening when the President steps out in a few moments is he's basically saying, look, I can't take this risk anymore, I'm just going to nationalize the whole thing, OLeary said, adding that as banks become more regulated as they get more concentrated, they would be far less profitable.

And that does not bode well for shareholders.

Theres no such thing as a free lunch, and this is going to be very expensive for shareholders of banks long term. I would never put my money into a bank stock ever again.

So where does Mr. Wonderful put his money?

Dividend stocks

OLeary is a believer in investing in dividend stocks.

When I started to do some research I found out one interesting fact that changed my investment philosophy forever, he said in a Forbes interview. Over the last 40 years, 71% of the market returns came from dividends, not capital appreciation.

So rule one for me is Ill never own stuff that doesnt pay a dividend. Ever.

If you share the same view, heres a look at the top two holdings at OLearys flagship ETF  ALPS OShares U.S. Quality Dividend ETF (OUSA).

Story continues

Microsoft

Tech stocks arent known for their dividends, but software gorilla Microsoft (MSFT) is an exception.

The company announced a 10% increase to its quarterly dividend to 68 cents per share in September 2022. Over the past five years, its quarterly payout has grown by 62%.

At the current share price, Microsoft provides an annual dividend yield of 1.0%.

Read more: Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market  and are betting on these 3 assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds

The yield may not seem like much, but Microsoft is the currently largest holding in OLearys OUSA with a weighting of 5.26%.

2022 wasnt nice to tech stocks, and Microsoft was caught in the sell-off as well. Over the past 12 months, shares have fallen by 8%.

But business is on the right track. In the December quarter, revenue increased 2% from a year ago to $52.7 billion. On a constant currency basis, revenue growth was a more impressive 7%.

Given the pullback in its share price, Microsoft could give contrarian investors something to think about.

Home Depot

Home Depot (HD) is the second-largest holding at OUSA, accounting for 4.82% of the funds weight.

The home improvement retail giant has around 2,300 stores, with each one averaging approximately 105,000 square feet of indoor retail space, dwarfing many competitors.

While many brick-and-mortar retailers floundered during the pandemic, Home Depot grew its sales nearly 20% in fiscal 2020 to $132.1 billion.

And the company continued its momentum as the economy reopened.

In Home Depots fiscal 2022, sales increased 4.1% year over year while earnings per share improved by 7.5%.

Last month, the company raised its quarterly dividend by 10% to $2.09 per share. At the current share price, it yields 2.9%.

What to read next

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17)  Extradition is an option for authorities in case Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves ignores the call for him to return to the Philippines and face the allegations made against him regarding the death of the provinces governor, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro said Friday.

There are other remedies, for example country-to-country remedies or extradition, so the appropriate agency or our institution can avail of that so that Representative Teves would come back to our country. Hindi naman pwede na magtagal s'ya doon na wala s'yang authority to travel or leave of absence na formal, Castro told CNN Philippines The Source.

[Translation: He cannot stay there for long without a formal authority to travel or leave of absence.]

Amid allegations that he orchestrated the assassination of Governor Roel Degamo, Teves has requested for a two-month leave from the House of Representatives due to very grave security threat" to his life and family.

Extradition is when a person who committed a criminal offense is surrendered by a state where he was found, to the state where he was proven to have done the crime.

This is governed by a treaty between two countries.

The Philippines has extradition treaties with Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Micronesia, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, and the United States, the Justice Department noted.

A case should be filed first before the extradition process starts. The offense committed by the individual should also be considered a crime in both states involved.

Castro said the House Committee on Ethics on Wednesday sent an email to Teves asking him to justify his request for a two-month leave.

The panel will then meet on Monday to discuss what actions to take depending on the developments, she noted.

On Mar. 4, Degamo and eight others were killed by heavily armed men in the government officials residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental.

Among the arrested suspects, one has identified a Congressman Teves as the mastermind of the murder.

While Degamo and Teves are political rivals, the lawmaker has denied his involvement in the crime, saying he and his family will not benefit from it.
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Reuters/Pixabay

At any given fundraiser or VIP room where hes present, Ron DeSantis is usually easy to findin the corner, keeping to himself.

Despite having a job that entails exchanging small talk and pleasantries on a daily basis, the Florida governor tends to brush off those obligations and struggles with basic social skills, according to a source close to DeSantis, several of his former staffers, and other GOP operatives who have worked with him and his team.

As DeSantis gears up for a potential White House run in 2024, his aloof public persona is being thought of by his rivalsnamely, former President Donald Trumpas his Achilles heel in the retail politics-heavy early primary states.

And even though he hasnt announced a bid yet, DeSantis apparent desire to test the waters of a presidential campaignwhile barely dipping a toe into the aspects he recoils fromis already being put to the test.

Donald Trump Issues Ultimate Insult to Ron DeSantis in Iowa Speech

During his donor retreat in Palm Beach in late February, an attendee stood up and called him DeSatan, according to Republicans familiar with the outburst.

At his recent book tour stop in Davenport, Iowa, a volunteer English teacher and seasoned caucus enthusiast posed for a photo alongside the governor with the term fascist carved out within her design of a paper snowflake.

The governors aversion to pressing the flesh, and his concern over the risk of unexpected interactions with the public, is already so well-known that early primary state players are working to DeSantis-proof their events in order to attract the flinty would-be candidate and his tight-knit team.

The problem is, hosts often have no idea what the DeSantis team wants.

Easily the least responsive campaign Ive ever dealt with, one veteran event host in an early primary state told The Daily Beast, requesting anonymity to avoid alienating the Florida governor.

We invite, invite, invite, ping, ping, ping. We dont hear anything, this prominent event host said.

Story continues

Hes been tighter in his requests than other candidates, a top New Hampshire Republican told The Daily Beast, adding that only former House Speaker Newt Gingrich came to mind as a bigger nightmare to deal with.

During his Iowa swing, DeSantis apparent use of bike racks to create space between himself and a crowd didnt go unnoticed elsewhere. If they want 50 bike racks, well give them 50 bike racks, a New Hampshire GOP lawmaker quipped to The Daily Beast. A representative for DeSantis did not return a request for comment for this story.

While DeSantis is winning over supporters in the conservative movement for his hard-right brand of politicsand has impressed with his electoral success in once-purple Floridahis untested skills under the bright lights of a presidential campaign have led operatives and pundits to wonder if he is just the second coming of Jeb Bush or Scott Walker.

Ron DeSantis Surprising Record With a Woke Florida Health Office

Months into his own campaign, meanwhile, Trump has started to dabble in retail politicsmostly in the form of unannounced visits to local eateries likely to have a friendly crowd scouted in advance by the campaign, according to the Washington Postin an effort to paint DeSantis as stiff and cold.

If DeSantis continues on his current course, Trumps job may not prove very difficult.

Gone are the days of covert fundraisers, such as a little known DeSantis soiree in San Francisco last October, which was hosted by David Sacks, an Elon Musk and Peter Thiel acolyte who recently helped spread panic amid the run on Silicon Valley Bank.

In the critical early primary states of New Hampshire and Iowa, a panoply of elected and unelected power brokersnot to mention thousands of seasoned votersare accustomed to interacting with presidential candidates up close.

In their view, that scrutiny helps the rest of the country determine which candidates are legit and which arent, though many political observers in both parties believe that the early primarys emphasis on retail politics is overblown.

But the veteran primary event host compared DeSantis insular approach to the way former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ran her campaign in 2016not exactly a blueprint that the governor would like to follow.

A GOP strategist, who has no horse in the 2024 race, even compared DeSantis early approach to that of his potential general election opponent, arguing the governor has embraced a Tallahassee basement strategy, mirroring that of Biden in 2020, where he hides from press and real voters.

DeSantis tendency to restrict media outlets also worries hosts of primary campaign stops who have long been friendly to presidential hopefuls of both parties, leading to concerns that the Florida governor may be setting new precedents for future candidates.

Three former DeSantis staffers described him as simply quiet no matter the occasionsomeone who keeps to himself. Thats made the shift to the national scene harder than anticipated, one source explained, particularly in the governors hesitation when it comes to delegating and his insistence on maintaining a very small orbit.

Trump-DeSantis Feud Over Heeled Boots Spills Into Real Life

For all the focus on his personality, DeSantis has defenders who dont try to spin it. Former Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL), still an influential donor in the state, told Politico that Ron is a little reserved and dry compared to George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He is what he is. So what he needs to do is organize his campaign to minimize that characteristic.

Or, as comedian Bill Maher put it in a sitdown with CNN in making the devils advocate case for DeSantis, a good personality isnt a prerequisite, its great if you have one.

Several former staffers for the governor told The Daily Beast almost everything he does is scripted, which, coupled with an aversion to small talk, general pleasantries, and any unplanned interactions with the public, make him difficult to manage ahead of events.

Its very prescribed, one former DeSantis staffer told The Daily Beast, while adding there are limited off-the-cuff interactions while on the trail with DeSantis.

For his upcoming trip to the Granite State on April 14, DeSantis is expected to keep a minimal media presence at the state GOPs annual Amos Tuck Dinner in Manchester, according to a source familiar with the plans.

DeSantis may hold a separate press conference or another kind of media availability, but will not take any questions following his remarks at the fundraiser, the source added. Some New Hampshire Republicans have begun to worry that DeSantis efforts at avoiding any pointed questions from the press or public could become its own sideshow.

The chatter over DeSantis public engagement has also surfaced past unflattering stories about his social skillsparticularly, his propensity to devour food during meetings.

He would sit in meetings and eat in front of people, a former DeSantis staffer told The Daily Beast, always like a starving animal who has never eaten before getting shit everywhere.

DeSantis Admin Goes After Miami Hyatt for Its Drag Queen Christmas

Enshrined in DeSantis lore is an episode from four years ago: During a private plane trip from Tallahassee to Washington, D.C., in March of 2019, DeSantis enjoyed a chocolate pudding dessertby eating it with three of his fingers, according to two sources familiar with the incident.

A representative for DeSantis political team did not return a request for comment on it.

The scrutiny of his social skills, his past interactions, and his openness to unscripted interactions has been inevitable, a seasoned primary operative pointed out.

Hes obviously gotta be ready to take what comes at this point, the senior New Hampshire Republican said, because thats how it always is.

Still, if he does run, DeSantis would instantly become the most credible potential Republican presidential contender after Trump himselfa status that would afford him real deference on the campaign trail, even if his demands get even more cumbersome.

One manager of a restaurant thats been a frequent campaign stop in an early primary state told The Daily Beast that they would agree to any DeSantis demands to restrict access.

If they came here, they would get the private dining room and it would be their rules and do what you like, they said. Were not like the diner where you shake hands and make your way through.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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John Oliver finally agrees with Ron DeSantis.

A little over a week ago, Oliver spent almost an entire episode of his HBO show, Last Week Tonight, criticizing the Florida governor  calling him Business Fred Flintstone and finding humor in Donald Trumps nickname for DeSantis, Meatball Ron.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

After the show aired, the governors spokesman Bryan Griffin told the Los Angeles Times that John Oliver is irrelevant.

Its a fair hit. It might be the first thing hes said that Ive agreed with, to be honest, Oliver joked Monday during an appearance on NBCs Late Night With Seth Meyers.

Oliver also noted that hed reached out to DeSantis prior to the episode airing and never heard back.

We had pages of questions for him and they ghosted us on all of them. So, yeah, his response was literally irrelevant to us: He didnt [censored] provide one. Yeah, its very irritating, he said.

One of the questions Oliver and his team had was related to an anecdote that originated with a former classmate of DeSantis. This person had said the future governor would tell his dates that he liked Thai food, but would pronounce it thigh. If they corrected him, he would make up an excuse and leave because he didnt want a girlfriend who corrected him, according to the classmate.

We reached out to find out, is this true? Oliver told Meyers. If not, please do deny it, because it feels really true. It feels so emblematic of you as a human being. If you didnt do it, arguably you should have done; it would have made more sense of who you are.

During his Late Night appearance, Oliver also reacted to a recent headline in the U.K.-based media outlet The Times that read, John Oliver: the British comedy failure who makes America laugh and talked about the origins of his HBO show, which started out with the intention of featuring a guest every week before it was decided to ditch that idea.

Story continues

Watch the Late Night segment below.

Click here to read the full article.
Russias president is preparing to welcome his Chinese counterpart to Moscow amid inflamed East-West tensions over the war in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping will exchange views in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese cooperation in the international arena, the Kremlin said in a statement confirming the visit  promising, too, the signing of important bilateral documents, the contents of which remain a mystery.

Where Western leaders have sought to make Putin a pariah over his ferocious war in Ukraine, China has refrained from condemning Russias military operation or calling it an invasion.

Amid heavy battlefield losses on both sides of the conflict, Xis visit will likely embolden Putins ambitions, centred now on Ukraines eastern Donbas region, where Russia has made slow gains, though at an immense human cost.

Putin and Xi will attened an infomal dinner in Moscow on Monday (AP)

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for Chinas ministry of foreign affairs, said today that Xi will have an in-depth exchange of views with president Putin on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of common concern.

It is no stretch to assume that the countries territorial ambitions will be discussed: China, with its eye on unification with self-ruling Taiwan, and Russia, with its disemboweled tanks littered across Ukraine.

The relationship between Putin and Xi  born less than a year apart in 1953 and 1952, respectively  is a source of fixation and fear for the long-impotent West, which since the 24 February invasion has become more reproachful to their ever-closening regimes.

As the pair prepare to meet next week, The Independent takes a look at the history of Putin and Xis relationship.

2013

You and I are good friends

Xi Jinpings first foreign trip as president in 2013 was to visit Vladimir Putin in Moscow, showcasing the importance of Beijings kinship with Russia.

Russian-Chinese relations are a very important factor in world politics, Putin said at the start of talks. I am certain your visit will give Russian-Chinese ties a new and powerful impulse.

Story continues

In now famed comments, Xi replied: I get the impression that you and I always treat each other with an open soul, our characters are alike. We always speak in a good manner, you and I are good friends.

Their meeting was also preempted by a $2bn deal struck between the two countries to develop coal resources in eastern Siberia.

2014

Special features

In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, a move that was broadly condemned by the international community.

The UN adopted a resolution that affirmed Ukraines territorial integrity and sovereignty over Crimea, while many countries slapped Russia with sanctions.

To this day, China has refused to oppose the annexation.

Friday marked the ninth anniversary of the Crimean annexation from Ukraine (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Speaking at the time, a foreign ministry official said: We are against any nationality gaining independence through referendums. As far as Crimea is concerned, it has very special features.

We know well the history of Crimeas affiliation. ... China reacts with full understanding to the challenges and threats Russia has faced in connection with the Ukrainian issue and supports Moscows approach to its settlement.

2015

Nonaggression pact

During a visit to Moscow, Xi and Putin signed more than two dozen bilateral agreements, including two on new arms sales.

The pair also signed a memorandum not to launch cyberattacks against one another  heralded as a nonaggression pact.

2019

Comprehensive strategic partnership

Four years later, Putin and Xi upgraded their countries relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation for a new era.

Xi and Putin enter a hall for talks in the Kremlin in 2019 (AP)

The China-Russia relationship is seeing a continuous, steady and sound development at a high level, and is at its best in history, Xi declared during another state visit to Moscow.

In a joint statement, Russia and China listed five basic principles of their relationship, among which was the principle of mutual understanding and accommodation and win-win cooperation.

2022

No limits friendship

Amid increasingly fraught relations with the West, Xi and Putin met on the sidelines of the Winter Olympic Games, hosted in Beijing

Staying true to his 2013 priorities, the visit marked Xis first in-person meeting with a foreign leader since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

A subsequent joint statement did not explicitly mention Ukraine. It reaffirmed, however, that relations between Russia and China are superior to political and military alliances of the Cold War era.

Friendship between the two States has no limits, there are no forbidden areas of cooperation, it added.

Wait, Xi tells Putin

Western intelligence suggested that Xi had asked Putin to wait to invade Ukraine until after the Olympic closing ceremony on 20 February.

Putin attends the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing (Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

The New York Times report quoted Biden administration officials and a European official who cited a Western intelligence report.

High-level negotiations

On 25 February, one day after the tanks rolled into Ukraine, Putin told his Chinese counterpart during a call that Russia was willing to hold high-level talks with Ukraine, Chinas foreign ministry said.

Taiwan

In early March, Russia added Taiwan to a list of foreign states and territories that commit unfriendly actions against Russia, Russian companies and citizens.

It appeared alongside the likes of Australia, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the US.

Special relationship

In April, China said it would reject any pressure or coercion over its relationship with Russia, in response to a call from US treasury secretary Janet Yellen for Beijing to use its special relationship with Russia to persuade Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022 (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian defended Chinas position on the war, saying it had made considerable efforts to de-escalate the situation, defuse the crisis and rebuild peace.

Sovereignty and security

Xi assured Putin in May of Chinas support on Russian sovereignty and security

China is willing to continue to offer mutual support [to Russia] on issues concerning core interests and major concerns such as sovereignty and security, state broadcaster CCTV reported Xi as saying during a call with Putin.

Zelensky calls on China, with no reply

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky made a desperate appeal for direct talks with China in August, telling the South China Morning Post: Im sure that without the Chinese market for the Russian Federation, Russia would be feeling complete economic isolation. Thats something that China can do  to limit the trade [with Russia] until the war is over.

I would like to talk directly. I had one conversation with [President] Xi Jinping that was a year ago, he went on.

Zelensky claimed in August last year that Xi had refused to call with him (PA Wire)

Since the beginning of the large-scale aggression on February 24, we have asked officially for a conversation, but we [havent had] any conversation with China even though I believe that would be helpful.

2023

12-point peace proposal

In February 2023, one year into Russias war against Ukraine, China offered a 12-point proposal to end the conflict.

Chinas proposal called for a ceasefire and peace talks, and an end to sanctions against Russia.

Beijing placed responsibility for sanctions on other relevant countries without naming them. These countries, it says, should stop abusing unilateral sanctions and do their share in de-escalating the Ukraine crisis.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected Chinas proposal, saying that for now, we dont see any of the conditions that are needed to bring this whole story towards peace.

Informal dinner

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on Friday that Putin and Xi would have a one-on-one meeting over an informal dinner on Monday.

The pair will meet next week (AP)

Broader talks involving officials from both countries on a range of subjects are scheduled for Tuesday.

Putins foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, suggested the talks could yield new approaches to the fighting in Ukraine.

Im sure that our leader and the Chinese leader will exchange their assessments of the situation in the context of the development of the conflict in Ukraine, he said.

We shall see what ideas will emerge after that.
MrBeast is the most popular YouTuber in the world. Roy Rochlin

A tweet falsely claiming MrBeast died went viral, inspiring many concerned posts.

A day later, MrBeast replied to the tweet, confirming he wasn't dead and joking it got too many likes.

The Twitter user jokingly offered to take the tweet down for $10,000.

Jimmy Donaldson, better known as the YouTuber MrBeast, is very much still alive.

Donaldson was forced to respond to a tweet on Thursday claiming he had died, confirming that he's very much alive. The false claim has garnered over 160,000 likes and inspired an onslaught of concerned posts from fans.

"I cant believe mrbeast died...gone too soon man.. you'll never be forgotten you legend," the Twitter user @ExtremeBlitz__ wrote in the tweet on Wednesday with a heart emoji.

The Twitter user has over 233,000 followers and regularly shares memes and troll posts, but many MrBeast's fans didn't seem to realize it was a joke. No other outlet had reported the news and the user did not offer a source.

"WHAT?!!!!! HE DIED?!!!!!" one person commented.

Several other users began sharing the false information with concern. "Is it true mrbeast died? damn RIP a legend," a user tweeted. "I can't believe MrBeast died," someone else wrote. "You'll never be forgotten, man. Gone too soon, you legend."

But Donaldson wasn't dead. The tweet went so viral that he was forced to address it. "Why does this have 100,000 likes? Lol," Donaldson replied a day later. (By then, Twitter had included a disclaimer to the tweet that read,"No commonly trusted sources inform that Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, has passed away.")

Insider has reached out to Donaldson and his team for comment.

Soon after, @ExtremeBlitz__ replied to Donaldson's comment and jokingly offered to delete the tweet if the influencer, who's known for giving away large amounts of money, gave the Twitter user $10,000.

Story continues

"Bro came back to life just to reply to my tweet," @ExtremeBlitz__ wrote.

Donaldson is the most popular YouTuber in the world, with over 137 million subscribers, and constantly making headlines. Earlier this year, he drew attention and criticism after he paid for 1,000 people to get eye surgery and later, for 20,000 South African school kids to get shoes. Detractors have accused him and his content of "charity porn" or profiting off of his charitable acts, although he has pushed back on this notion repeatedly.

Read the original article on Insider
By Alexander Tanas

CHISINAU (Reuters) - President Maia Sandu said on Friday she saw no danger of war in Moldova while Russia is fighting in Ukraine, despite what she said were Russian efforts to destabilise her country.

Issuing a rallying cry during a speech to parliament, Sandu hailed Ukraine for holding out against Russia since Moscow invaded over a year ago, and urged Moldovans to unite behind the former Soviet republic's bid to join the European Union.

"There is no danger of war coming to Moldova while Ukraine is fighting," Sandu told parliament.

"I want to reassure our citizens that Moldova is not now in any danger of war. The Russian army cannot get here while Ukraine holds out - and (thus) protects Moldova. We are grateful to Ukrainians for their bravery and love of freedom."

Moldova, a small country of 2.6 million people wedged between Ukraine and Romania, faces numerous problems - including an energy crisis, rising poverty and social tensions - that have been aggravated by Russia's war in Ukraine.

Sandu repeated accusations, denied by Moscow, that Russia wants to destabilise Moldova.

She said Russia, which has troops based in Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region, would continue trying to destabilise her country "from within" and praised law enforcement agencies for blocking attempts to sow chaos.

In recent weeks, Moldovan authorities have arrested several alleged pro-Russian activists who they said were trying to enter the country. There have also been several protests organised by a pro-Russian party in the capital, Chisinau.

"As long as I am president, Moldova will hold out," said Sandu, who became president in 2020.

"In 2030 Moldova should become a member of the European Union," she said. "I urge all political forces to put EU accession above all interests and to support this movement unconditionally."

(Reporting by Alexander Tanas, Writing by Olena Harmash, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
Last year, the Marsing School District applied for a federal grant to help fund summer school and preschool programs. The rural Treasure Valley district, which serves fewer than 1,000 students, received about $135,000.

It was always our interpretation that we qualified, Marsing Superintendent Norm Stewart told the Idaho Statesman by phone.

Thats why Stewart was surprised this month when the district received a demand from the Idaho attorney generals office to produce a slew of information about the districts grant application. Idaho lawmakers are concerned that ineligible recipients may have received the grants.

And Attorney General Raul Labradors office is investigating whether state law was followed in distributing the grants, spokesperson Beth Cahill told the Statesman by email.

But grant recipients, who were served commands to produce records from the states top attorney, said they followed the Idaho Department of Health and Welfares guidance. Dozens of recipients this week filed a complaint that asked Ada Countys 4th Judicial District to intervene, calling the attorney generals demands and deadlines unreasonable.

Nearly three dozen organizations signed on to a complaint Wednesday, asking for an injunction to dismiss the investigative demands or, at the very least, extend the amount of time grant recipients have to respond.

I dont understand why the attorney general would serve all these organizations a civil investigative demand when all we did was apply for a grant and follow it, Beth Oppenheimer, executive director for the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children, told the Statesman. The notion that these organizations broke a law is simply not true.

Eligibility language inconsistent

Over the last two years, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare funneled tens of millions in federal COVID-19 relief funds to youth centers, school districts and counseling services for child care as in-school learning was limited.

Story continues

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Community Partner Grants were meant to expand access to programming, enhance behavioral health supports and help bring students back up to speed after missed learning opportunities, according to a news release from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, which oversaw the grant program in Idaho.

The Legislature cleared the federal funds in two $36 million tranches, one in 2021 and one in 2022. Lawmakers, who have the authority to enact sideboards on how federal funds are spent within the state, limited the grants to in-person programs. They wrote in legislation that the funds shall be used for serving school-aged participants 5 to 13 years old, as allowable by federal guidelines. Federal guidelines included children 13 or younger.

Grant recipients, such as the Marsing School District, used the funds for programs that included younger students. Stewart said the districts preschool program has students who are 4 but will be 5 by the end of the school year.

In guidelines published online, the Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) advertised the grants as eligible for programs that serve Idaho children ages 5-13. The guidelines also noted that its allowable to serve other ages of children within the program, but you must at least serve children in this age range and funding may not be used for children over 13.

Greg Stahl, spokesperson for the department, pointed the Statesman to the published material, but declined to comment further.

Last month, the Legislatures budget committee commissioned an audit of how the grants were distributed.

There are some concerns about the distribution of funds that were intended for Community Partner Grants being dispersed to ineligible recipients, Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, who co-chairs the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, told the Statesman.

The attorney generals office earlier this month began serving grant recipients with civil investigative demands, a fact-finding tool, Cahill said. Former Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden issued civil investigative demands as well, including to foreign robocall outfits.

Those who have cooperated understand that the purpose of the investigation is not to punish childcare providers but to enlist their help to determine whether state law was followed, Cahill said. We will zealously defend the powers the Legislature has given us to ensure compliance with Idaho law.

In addition to the dozens of organizations, 70 unnamed grant recipients signed on to the grant recipients complaint, which was filed by Caldwell attorney and former state Rep. Greg Chaney. Chaney called the demands a fishing expedition.

The complaint said the grant recipients are innocent non-combatants in a dispute between the Legislature and DHW.

You cant conceivably tell me the attorney generals office has reason to believe theyve all broken the law, he told the Statesman by phone. We also take exception to just how overwhelming the requests themselves are.

Grant recipients say demands are overwhelming

According to the complaint, the grant recipients were served with civil investigative demands requesting thousands or tens of thousands of documents to be delivered to the attorney general within 20 days. The complaint called the deadline unreasonable and said it would be virtually impossible for the grant recipients to respond in time.

Among many other things, the attorney generals office demanded all documents created, edited, sent, received, viewed or used by the organizations that relate to the grants as well as names, titles, contact information of the people who worked on grant applications along with an explanation of their duties. Altogether there were 19 categories of information requested, according to a copy of the demand reviewed by the Statesman.

Oppenheimer told the Statesman her organization received a civil investigative demand, and she also received one as an individual. Oppenheimer and the association both signed on to the request for an injunction.

Oppenheimer told the Statesman the information the attorney generals office demanded was over the top. For example, she said, the attorney generals office demanded Oppenheimer provide a list of the charitable organizations that current and former employees are part of or donate to.

The things listed in part of the demand really have nothing to do with the community grant programs, Oppenheimer said.

Organizations from around the state signed on as plaintiffs in the complaint. They include school districts in Marsing, Emmett, Cascade and Murtaugh; multiple branches of United Way; and private and nonprofit counseling services and educational groups.

Tony Fisk, director of counseling organization Tidwell Social Work, told the Statesman his company used grant funds to expand child counseling services to offices in Nampa and Twin Falls. It also paid for staff training on different modes of therapy, particularly those that are helpful for multilingual children, children on the autism spectrum and children who speak English as a second language.

Weve stayed very true to what the grant has asked and are really kind of confused as to why were being subjected to this very punitive demand, Fisk said.

The Idaho Resilience Project, which helps children work through trauma, also received grant funds. Board member Katie Francis told the Statesman the money went toward educating teachers, hospital employees and anybody who works with youth directly to talk about impact of trauma and how to build resilience in children. Francis said the organization also used its funds to connect children and families with mental health resources.

Grant recipients told the Statesman they felt completely overwhelmed by the scope of the civil investigative demands.

Fisk said the request was so far-reaching that I could never complete it to (the attorney generals) satisfaction, a sentiment Oppenheimer shared.

She said fulfilling the attorney generals requests in the required 20 days would likely require her organization to hire a forensic information technology expert to comb through emails and documents.

Were a nonprofit similar to these other organizations, Oppenheimer said. Were not a state agency where we have access to experts in going through and finding all of this stuff.

Recipients also said they were caught off guard by the investigation, which has caused employees a lot of stress.

The level of fear and stress that this has caused is really a shame, Fisk said. Striking fear into nonprofits across the valley just seems mean-spirited.
By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - Norfolk Southern Corp shareholders have accused the railroad of defrauding them by prioritizing profit over safety prior to last month's derailment of a train carrying hazardous chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio.

In a lawsuit filed on Thursday in Columbus, Ohio, federal court, shareholders said Norfolk Southern played down the risks of using what is called "Precision Scheduled Railroading," which relies on longer and heavier trains that require fewer workers.

Shareholders said Norfolk Southern embraced a "culture of increased risk-taking" that left it vulnerable to increased train derailments, making its public statements about the safety of its operations materially false or misleading.

A Norfolk Southern spokesman declined to comment, saying the Atlanta-based company does not discuss pending litigation.

Other defendants include Chief Executive Alan Shaw, his predecessor James Squires, and Chief Financial Officer Mark George.

Norfolk Southern has faced many lawsuits over the Feb. 3 derailment, including cases brought by local residents and Ohio's attorney general.

The derailment released more than 1 million gallons of hazardous materials and pollutants into the environment, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Norfolk Southern to clean up the contamination and pay the costs.

Thursday's lawsuit was filed by Pennsylvania's Bucks County Employees Retirement System, and seeks damages for shareholders between Oct. 28, 2020 and March 3, 2023.

Norfolk Southern's share price fell 9.4% between the derailment and March 3, wiping out about $5.4 billion of market value.

Six of the seven largest U.S. freight railroads use Precision Scheduled Railroading: Norfolk Southern, Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, CSX, Kansas City Southern and Union Pacific.

The seventh railroad, BNSF, part of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc, does not use it.

The case is Bucks County Employees Retirement System v Norfolk Southern Corp et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, No. 23-00982.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Howard Goller)
SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile in a display of military might Thursday just hours before the leaders of South Korea and Japan were to meet at a Tokyo summit expected to be overshadowed by North Korean nuclear threats.

The launch, the Norths first ICBM test in a month and third weapons testing this week, also comes as South Korean and U.S. troops continue joint military exercises that Pyongyang considers a rehearsal to invade.

South Koreas military said the North Korean ICBM flew toward the Korean Peninsulas eastern waters after being launched from North Koreas capital, Pyongyang, around 7:10 a.m. The statement said South Koreas military is maintaining readiness in close coordination with the United States.

The Sunan neighborhood is the site of Pyongyangs international airport and has emerged as a major testing site where the North launched most of its ICBMs in recent years, all flown on a high angle to avoid the territory of neighbors.

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said the missile likely landed in the waters outside Japans exclusive economic zone after about an hour-long flight. The landing site is about 250 kilometers (155 miles) off the western island of Oshimaoshima, which is close to where other North Korean ICBMs fell in recent months after test-flights.

North Korean leader supervises troops simulating attack on South

Thursdays launch came hours before South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was to travel to Tokyo for a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida aimed at mending frayed ties and solidifying a trilateral security cooperation with the United States to counter North Korean threats.

After conducting a record number of missile tests last year, North Korea has extended its testing activities this year, including the Feb. 18 launch of its Hwasong-15 ICBM that is designed to strike the U.S. mainland. After that ICBM launch, North Korea said the test was meant to further bolster its fatal nuclear attack capacity against its rivals.

Story continues

The Norths ongoing aggressive run of weapons tests has been widely expected; leader Kim Jong Un last week ordered his military to be ready to repel what he called frantic war preparations moves by his countrys rivals, referring to large ongoing drills between the U.S. and South Korea.

Pyongyang earlier this week fired cruise missiles from a submarine and sent short-range ballistic missiles across its territory into its eastern sea. Last week, North Korea also fired at least six short-range ballistic missiles from a western coastal area in an exercise supervised by Kim Jong Un, an event state media described as a simulated attack on an unspecified South Korean airfield.

The U.S.-South Korean drills that began Monday and are scheduled to continue until March 23 include computer simulations and live-fire field exercises.

Last year Pyongyang test-fired more than 70 missiles, including nuclear-capable ones that target South Korea, Japan and the U.S. mainland. North Korea said many of those tests were a warning over previous South Korean-U.S. military drills.

The South Korea-Japan summit was arranged after Yoons government last week took a major step toward repairing bilateral ties strained by Japans 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

His plan  to use local funds to compensate Koreans forced into industrial slave labor during the colonial rule without contributions from Japanese companies that employed them  has met fierce domestic opposition but reflects Yoons resolve to improve ties with Japan and boost Seoul-Tokyo-Washington security cooperation.

Under Kishida, Tokyo has also made a major break from its post-World War II principle of self-defense only, adopting a new national security strategy in December that includes the goals of acquiring preemptive strike capabilities and cruise missiles to counter growing threats from North Korea, China and Russia.

Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.
North Miami Beach City Attorney Hans Ottinot resigned Thursday evening following months of tensions with the commission after raising questions about the mayors residency.

Ottinot submitted his resignation after attending a workshop discussing agenda items for the next commission meeting held by members of the city commission.

While the end of our tenure in the City of North Miami Beach has been marred by unfair political attacks because of our adherence to the law, we nevertheless believe that our services as below contributed to the progress in the city, Ottinot wrote in a four-page letter before touting his accomplishments with the city.

READ MORE: North Miami Beach mayor says he lives in city, but his family moved to another town

His resignation goes into effect 5 p.m. Friday, following a months-long tug-of-war among commissioners regarding Mayor Anthony DeFillipos residency. Ottinot had hired an outside firm to investigate allegations that DeFillipo lived in the town of Davie.

Resignation of Ottinot Law as NMB City Attorney by Raisa Habersham on Scribd

DeFillipo has repeatedly said he has a permanent residence in North Miami Beach.

Ottinot said in his letter he followed the law and city precedent when investigating DeFillipo.

Three of the commissioners had refused to attend commission meetings while DeFillipo presided over them. Because of that, the commission has not met with a full quorum since October. A Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge ordered the three commissioners to attend the next meeting on March 21.

Michael Pizzi, the attorney representing DeFillipo, said his client was pleasantly surprised that Ottinot resigned. DeFillipo had previously sought to fire Ottinot.

It is our hope that this is the beginning of a healing process where the city commission can finally meet after the several month hiatus and start to concentrate on the peoples business, Pizzi said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17)  A Quezon City court has cleared a drug war survivor of an assault charge filed against him during the early period of the controversial campaign in 2016.

In its 18-page decision dated March 3 but released to the media on Friday, the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court said the prosecution failed to establish the necessary evidence against Efren Morillo, whom the police claimed fought back during their "Oplan Tokhang" raid.

"The court is convinced that the prosecution failed to establish that all of the aforementioned elements of direct assault are attendant in this case," the court's ruling read.

"The prosecution did not establish with moral certainty that Morillo assaulted, attacked, and employed personal violence or intimidation on the police operatives," it added.

Morillo and the police officers had contradicting stories of what happened during the anti-drug operation that took place in August of that year.

According to the police, Morillo and his group were the ones who fired their guns first, prompting his group to shoot back.

But Morillo maintained his innocence.

The defendant said he played dead after being shot by the operatives. He testified overhearing a cop saying, "Tumawag na kayo ng SOCO. Sabihin nanlaban ang mga yan. Iwanan ang ebidensya."

[Translation: Call the SOCO. Tell them they fought back. Leave the evidence.]

The court noted that upon cross examination, witnesses were not able to provide concrete evidence that Morillo had actually fired his gun.

"Morillo was not personally seen by prosecution witnesses to be the person who fired a gun at the police operatives. Neither did the prosecution establish that the said firearm was owned by [the] accused," it stressed.

The tribunal also reported that the paraffin test conducted on Morillo yielded a negative result  bolstering the defense's claim that he had no firearm and did not shoot at the operatives.

Morillo and his legal team welcomed the decision.

"It is a beacon of light for those whose hopes have been dimmed and distorted by the pro forma, lawless, and soulless "nanlaban" narrative. This decision is proof that truth will prevail and lives on," the Center for International Law said in a statement.
While many people called the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Connecticut has its own funding that may be just as impactful.

The state, via the Community Investment Fund 2030 Board, awarded $98.5 million to distressed municipalities across the state in the second of 10 total rounds of funding Tuesday. With $175 million awardable per year for five years, the program will provide funds to winning applications from 55 eligible municipalities across the state. These projects can range from infrastructure to economic development and community needs.

The goal is to fund transformative change in these communities, said Matt Pugliese, director of the Community Investment Fund for the Department of Economic and Community Development.

The eligible municipalities in New London and Windham counties are Brooklyn, Chaplin, Griswold, Groton, Killingly, Ledyard, Montville, New London, Norwich, Plainfield, Preston, Putnam, Scotland, Sprague, Sterling, Thompson, Voluntown and Windham.

Awards made to Norwich

Of them, only Norwich had a project approved in the first round of funding, being $550,000 for the restoration of the Reid and Hughes building in downtown into retail space and apartments.

On the second round of funding, Norwich was awarded $11.391 million for continuing development of Business Park North. New London was awarded $7.236 million for final construction costs for a community center. Preston was awarded $400,000 to help fund traffic control and walkability measures for the Poquetanuck Village Traffic Calming Master Plan.

File photo of 432 Canterbury Turnpike, one of the properties in the proposed Business Park North.

The program is still competitive, and municipalities need to submit their best ideas for the grant. The total amount of funding requests for round two was $1.044 billion, Pugliese said.

If it werent for this funding opportunity, these projects wouldnt be able to happen, giving distressed communities a leg up in moving forward, said state Sen. Cathy Osten.

Norwich Community Development Corporation President Kevin Brown is proud, excited and thankful for the state recognizing that equitable development around the state is needed, and the impact the investment can have on business and job growth in Eastern Connecticut.

Story continues

Here's how and why:Norwich wants to spend $10 million in state grants on lower Broadway. Here's how, and why.

When private developers see that the state of Connecticut is willing to step up and provide an impetus for further development, it makes them more confident, he said.

Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom urged all other eligible municipalities to apply for the program, so those towns can meet needs they couldnt otherwise.

Its a generational, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he said.

Other area awards

New London has been working on the community center project for years, and having something akin in Norwich is a goal. For Preston, its a quintessential small town, and its project would improve that community feeling, Osten said.

All three (of the projects approved Tuesday) have great value in Eastern Connecticut, she said.

For New London, the community center will become home to the citys recreation and youth affairs department, according to a press release from the New London delegation.

The New London community will finally get the state-of-the-art facility it deserves, providing activities, resources and support to residents, state Rep. Christine Conley said in the statement.

For Preston, the project represents making Route 2A safer, and spurring economic development in the area around the Preston Community Park, the Tri-Town Trail, and the Preston Housing Authority, state Sen. Heather Somers said in a statement.

The Community Investment Fund 2030 funding also enables towns to grow their grand lists, and provide for community assets, Osten said.

Round three of Community Investment Fund applications, marking the second year of the program, will open on May 1 and close June 30. Interested municipalities should talk to the Funds board and personnel before making the application, Puglisese said.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Norwich's Community Investment Fund award for Business Park North
Former Vice President Mike Pence, considering a run for the presidency, will make his third Iowa appearance this year when he visits Coralville on March 29 for the Johnson County Republican Party's Reagan Day Dinner.

The party announced on its Facebook page this week that Pence will be the speaker for the annual fundraiser, which has been a popular stop for Republican White House hopefuls in the lead-up to caucus years.

He visited Cedar Rapids last month, making the most traditional of Iowa stops for a Republican candidate: at a Pizza Ranch. He's also scheduled to speak in Des Moines on March 18 alongside Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.

Johnson County Republican Chair Teresa Horton Bumgarner told the Press-Citizen she is excited to welcome the former vice president to Johnson County and looks forward to hearing what he has to tell those in attendance.

More:GOP leader says she was assaulted while protesting Iowa City children's drag story time

Former Vice President Mike Pence speaks during the 15th Annual Kaufmann Family Harvest Dinner, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, at the Wilton Community Center in Wilton, Iowa.

The cost for the dinner is $65, or $100 for those who want to attend a pre-dinner reception for Pence. The deadline to RSVP is March 21 and doors at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center Coralville's banquet hall will open at 5 p.m.

More:Donald Trump to make first Iowa trip of 2024 presidential campaign

Ahead of Iowas 2024 presidential caucuses, a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows that Pence is viewed favorably by 66% of Iowa Republicans, trailing former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis but ahead of former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley  the three other most prominent candidates, or in the case of DeSantis, potential candidates to have visited Iowa this year.

Pence, however, also had the highest unfavorable rating among the four, at 26%, likely the product of Trump's criticism of him for refusing in his role as president of the Senate to try to block certification of the electoral vote for President Joe Biden. He faced questions on the subject during his last Johnson County visit, a November 2021 stop in Iowa City.

Story continues

Pence in last month's Cedar Rapids visit railed against radical gender ideology in public schools, calling for conservatives to double down and take on a left-wing culture war.

Haley had declared her candidacy just before his visit and Pence told reporters she "may have more company soon in the race for president.

This will be the first visit by a major potential 2024 contender to Johnson County this year. Three other prominent Republicans, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio and U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Rick Scott of Florida, visited over the past two years for events with Iowa 1st District U.S Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa.

The last time Johnson County voted for a Republican in a general election for president was in 1960, when Richard Nixon defeated John F. Kennedy 10,927 to 10,563 while losing the national election. It has since become solidly Democratic, delivering almost 71% of its 2020 vote to Vice President Joe Biden.

More:Where and when are presidential candidates visiting Iowa?

Some Iowa Republican politicians have made their presidential preferences known, including two whose districts include parts of Johnson County. Trump announced in a visit to Davenport earlier this week that state Reps. Heather Hora and Brad Sherman had both endorsed him.

State Sen. Dawn Driscoll was not included on Trump's list of endorsements and hasn't publicly said who she would support. Nor has Miller-Meeks, who told the Press-Citizen last month that she was not planning on endorsing a candidate yet but would continue to appear at events with them when they visit Iowa.

George Shillcock is the Press-Citizen's local government and development reporter covering Iowa City and Johnson County. He can be reached at (515) 350-6307, GShillcock@press-citizen.com and on Twitter @ShillcockGeorge

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Former VP Mike Pence to speak at Johnson County GOP's Reagan Dinner
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/A24/Orion/Peacock

This is a preview of our pop culture newsletter The Daily Beasts Obsessed, written by editor Kevin Fallon. To receive the full newsletter in your inbox each week, sign up for it here.

The nuns will likely wrap karaoke at 7:30.

Its certainly one of the cooler emails to receive while youre scheduling your itinerary at a film festival. The TV series Mrs. Davis, which premieres next month on Peacock, was one of many series launching promotional stunts in Austin during the SXSW festival.

The show, from co-creators Damon Lindelof and Tara Hernandez, had its premiere in Texas, and, while reviews are embargoed, let me say that it is gonzo, timely, and definitely one to watch. It is absolutely the best TV series that I have ever watched about a nun who wants to take down an AI robot that the world has started to treat like God, all while fighting Nazis in her search for the literal Holy Grail.

Should I have needed extra convincing to watch outside of that outrageous logline, the nuns were out in full force in Austin. They were eating barbecue. They were handing out donuts. They were at the record store. And, yes, a mini convent took the stage at Darwins Piano Bar, performing karaoke for thrilled and slightly bewildered patrons. I heard one is going to be in a canoe, Hernandez told me while I interviewed her and Lindelof at the festival. I need to see that.

Peacock

Both the show and these stunts encapsulated what truly felt like the spirit of this years SXSW. After several COVID-impacted yearswhile in-person last year, the festival felt mutedeverything seemed bigger, from the crowd to the stacked lineup. There also seemed to be a cravenness for going wild, which was also reflected in the major projects that premiered there. We came to see nuns running amok, and we came to enjoy it.

SXSW premieres are fun because theyre so loose. The movies are great, but theyre also, often, sillier and more crowd-pleasing than the fare thats usually associated with film festivals like Sundance, Cannes, or Toronto. SXSW is where Bridesmaids, Trainwreck, and Spy debuted. Last year, the Bodies Bodies Bodies premiere nearly catapulted the roof off the Paramount Theater.

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Its not every festival that would launch a movie in which a Chinese-American immigrant who must save humankind by traveling through multiple universes that involve racoons that sit on peoples heads, butt plugs, and hot dog fingers. But there was something fitting about watching Everything Everywhere All at Once win Best Picture at the Oscars while at the festival where it premiered, kicking off a run that proved how much of an appetite there is for audacious content that challenges the conventions of filmmaking and what great cinema might be.

Problemista: Julio Torres and Tilda Swinton Spin Wackiness Into Hilarious Beauty

While Id never say never, I dont think the big releases at this years SXSW will end up on any Oscars lineup. But they overwhelmingly represented an arguably more important mission: Having fun at the movies, together and in-person. The new Dungeons & Dragons movie launched this years festival. And you know what? People enjoyed it! It was fun! Fun is finally back.

Thats certainly true of Bottoms, a movie that lives up to its cheeky (heh) title. It stars Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri as queer high schoolers who are unpopular not because of their sexuality, but because they are untalented and unattractive. In order to impress their crushes, they start a fight club at schoolexcuse me, a female-empowering self-defense group (its a fight club)that escalates in bloody ways that are as nonsensical as they are a blast. The movie is absurd, very funny, andheres that word againfun!

Often at the festival, I was reminded of how important the communal movie-watching experience is. The premiere screening of Down Low was a riot. The movie stars Lukas Gage as a masseur who gives a happy ending to a newly out client, played by Zachary Quinto, that turns into a bonkers murder coverup. At one point, Simon Rex shows up as a crack-smoking necrophiliac. It is wild. I truly cant imagine having watched the movie alone on my couch through some streaming service. The experience of an audience guffawing in disbeliefthe collective what?!?is as crucial as the movie itself.

A24

Being able to be in the audience for the premiere of a movie like Problemista just felt special. The film is written and directed by Julio Torres, who also stars in it with Tilda Swinton. The movie is like being invited to set up camp inside of Torres brain, where absurdity and profundity tangle into a beautiful knot. Torres is a former Saturday Night Live writer and the mastermind of the HBO comedy Los Espookys. His is a very modern, off-kilter, and observationally shrewd kind of humor. In Problemista, he applies that perspective to a story about loss, moving on, and the horrific nature of citizenship issues in the United Statesall themes that are as grounded and relatable as the film is ludicrous.

Its not just Mrs. Davis that had a buzzy TV premiere. The new series Swarm also launched at the festival. Its a show about a pop stars superfan whose obsession turns lethal. Its definitely not (as in 100 percent is) inspired by the Beyonce fan army, the Beyhive. (Get it, swarm, like a swarm of bees?) The show is from Donald Glover, who is taking big, provocative swings here, to the point that my first question was how is this legal? So congrats to himand his lawyeron what will surely be one of the most talked-about shows of the year.

Courtesy of ORION Pictures Inc.

The food-and-travel docuseries Restaurants at the End of the World also had its premiere in Austin, where its host, Top Chef-winner Kristen Kish, has her restaurant, Arlo Grey. The series has Kish traveling to extreme locales to learn how chefs there source and prepare their food. To celebrate its launch, Kish hosted a dinner at Arlo Grey. It was a fitting bookend to my SXSW experience. While no nuns took the microphone, suffice it to say that the meal was its own religious experience.

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Golden Valley Health Centers usually see plenty of interest in their annual scholarships awarded to nursing students living in Stanislaus, Merced and San Joaquin counties.

As of Wednesday, only one person had applied for the $5,000 scholarships, with the April 1 deadline less than two weeks away.

The $25,000 scholarship program gives five scholarships each year to local students enrolled or accepted to a nursing school, whether they are seeking a two-year degree to work as a registered nurse or a bachelors degree. Students in a licensed vocational nurse program are also eligible.

The scholarships are offered to students living in Golden Valleys service area in the three counties.

Golden Valley officials didnt have an explanation for the lack of interest in the scholarships this year.

Warnings about the dire nursing shortage in California and the nation, and headlines about burned-out nurses leaving for less stressful careers, persisted through the pandemic.

The current status of the shortage and nursing education was summed up in a measured study released by researchers at University of California, San Francisco, in August.

The research team noted a two-year decline in students entering or graduating from nursing schools. But nursing programs in California still have waiting lists and are magnets for a rising number of applications.

The UCSF study reported that veteran nurses have left the workforce or plan to retire or leave in the next two years, increasing a shortage of registered nurses that currently exists. The industry shortage is almost 19,000 full-time registered nurses or a 6% gap between supply and demand.

The researchers were hopeful that nursing program enrollments are picking up and are projected to surpass what they were before the pandemic. That should alleviate the workforce shortage by 2030, the study concluded.

Shortages of RNs even if short-lived have significant consequences for patients and for health care systems, the study warned.

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Health-care workforce shortages are more pronounced in rural areas like the San Joaquin Valley. The study recommended that hospitals and other health care services increase their efforts to keep nurses and offer good career opportunities for new graduates.

Golden Valleys scholarship program is named for Flora Martinez, a board member for the nonprofit clinics for 43 years. Martinez respected the nursing profession and believed in the nonprofit health center mission of bringing health care to farm laborers and lower-income residents.

Students seeking a $5,000 scholarship are asked to submit an application form before April 1, along with two letters of recommendation. One requirement is a GPA of 3.0 or higher in high school or college.

Receiving a scholarship doesnt represent a commitment to work for the safety-net health clinics.

We would love it if they come to work for GVHC upon graduation, however, its not a requirement, spokeswoman Amy Collier Carroll said in an email.

To apply for a scholarship, send an email to Foundation@gvhc.org.
Noon Friday, March 24 is the deadline to appear in next weeks Around Town listing. We must receive your event in writing with a contact phone number for questions. Due to the number of submissions, events may run only one time in print, will be edited and appear in the week before the event date.

Email: lifestyle@bnd.com. Mail to: OFallon Progress Around Town, Belleville News-Democrat, P.O. Box 427, Belleville, IL 62222-0427. Questions, call Jennifer Green at 618-239-2643.

Thursday, March 23

 Exhibit Opening: Here I Have Lived: Home in Illinois  9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Jan. 21, 2024. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, 212 N. Sixth St., Springfield. The major new exhibit will explore the elusive idea of home and the many different ways Illinoisans have made this state their home over the centuries. presidentlincoln.illinois.gov

 National Alliance on Mental Illness: Family Support Group  7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. These support meetings are for family members, significant others and/or friends of persons with a mental health condition. Facilitators: Pat Rudloff and Beverly Churchill. Held the fourth Thursday of the month. For information: kelly.nami.swi@gmail.com or 618-798-9788.

 Shoe Collection Drive Fundraiser  Through Saturday, May 6. Papa Wallys Produce, 138 Seibert Road, Shiloh. Fundraising for 4 Paws for Ability Autism Assistance Dog for 22-month-old Tucker. How to help: Donate new or gently worn shoes (mens, womens, or kidsno cleats, please) at Papa Wallys Produce. Pick up can be arranged for group donations. The goal is to collect 100 bags of shoes to raise funds to help cover fees for a service dog for Tucker. For more info: facebook.com/4paws4tucker.

Friday, March 24

 OFallon K of C Fish Fry  11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. Knights of Columbus Hall, 402 E. U.S. 50, OFallon. Traditional menu of cod and several side dishes. Dine-in and carryout. Credit cards accepted. Orders can be called in at 618-632-6229. facebook.com/KnightsOfColumbus4239

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 KC Club and Event Center Fish Fry  3-7 p.m. 5420 Old Collinsville Road, OFallon. Catfish plates, cod plates, barbecue chicken, fries, cole slaw, hush puppies, baked beans, potato salad. Dine in or carryout and drink specials. facebook.com/KCClubEastStLouis

 Shiloh Eagles Fish Fry  5-7 p.m. Shiloh Eagles 545, 100 Eagle Drive, Shiloh. Cod, walleye, catfish, shrimp and sides. Full menu. Dine-in or carryout available. For carryout, call 618-624-5412. facebook.com/shiloheagles545

Friday, March 24 & Saturday, March 25

 Pop-Up Shop  5-8 p.m. Friday, March 24, and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 25. St. Nicholas Activity Center, 625 St. Nicholas Drive, OFallon. Great prices on new/tagged and like-new clothing, purses, vintage items, jewelry and home decor. Friday admission for 18 and older: $3 or a pair of new/gently worn mens jeans. Free admission on Saturday. Proceeds benefit St. Vincent de Paul Help Center/Cosgroves Kitchen/OverNight Center in East St. Louis.

Saturday, March 25

 Caffeine and Chrome  9 a.m. to noon. Gateway Classic Cars, 1237 Central Park Drive #1, OFallon. Cruise in with your collectible car or daily driver and bring your appetite. Indulge in pastries and coffee* (while supplies last). All makes and models are welcome, with plenty of parking space. This is a family and pet friendly event. Free and open to the public. facebook.com/events/1467388670415073

Sunday, March 26

 Central Illinois Numismatic Association 33rd annual Spring Coin Show  9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Northfield Center I, 3210 Northfield Drive, Springfield. U.S. and foreign coins, ancient and modern coins, gold and silver bullion, American eagles, paper money. Admission: $1. Members of the Central Illinois Numismatic Association and children under 16 get in free. Open to the public. 217-528-7634.

 Evangel University Sinfonia  10 a.m. OFallon Assembly of God, 1400 N. Green Mount Road, OFallon. The repertoire of the Sinfonia includes classical, sacred and contemporary Christian arrangements for orchestra, as well as various arrangements for voices with orchestral accompaniment.

Wednesday, March 29

 National Alliance on Mental Illness: NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group  6:30-8 p.m. Online via Zoom. Free peer-to-peer support group for adults with a mental health condition working towards recovery. Every Wednesday. Open the Zoom app and enter 3914844542. For information: kelly.nami.swi@gmail.com or 618-798-9788.

* * *

Keyona Fisher, 375th Force Support Squadron uses her 30-year background as an art teacher to continue to spark creativity in others on Scott Air Force Base. Fisher has always been passionate about teaching and enjoys sharing her gift with others.

Humans of Scott: 30 year art teacher reframes creativity at Scott

By Airman 1st Class DeQuan Simmons

375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs Office

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE

Keyona Fisher, a creative at heart, passes on her knowledge of art to others and leaves an impact in their lives in a way they wont forget.

For over 30 years, she was a high school art teacher. She now works as a picture framer at the Scott Arts and Crafts Center and has been a part of Team Scott for just over a year.

Fisher has always been passionate about teaching and enjoys sharing her gift with others. Her favorite part of teaching was knowing she impacted her students lives.

I used to keep a folder in my desk, a manila folder, said Fisher. It was full of little notes and things that students had written and given to me as little thank-you notes. Occasionally, Id pull that folder up and look at them. Thats when you know youre doing the right thing.

Fisher encourages everyone to participate in art, with everyone having their unique brand of creativity to share.

Its kind of like, if youre a runner, or if you do sports, and you hit that point where everything else goes away, said Fisher. You can do it. If youre in a wheelchair, you can do it. If youre 60 years old, you can do it. You can get that Zen feeling, and its a gift that I like being able to share with people.

A model of the U.S. Army Air Corps Explorer II balloon sits on display at the 375th Air Mobility Wing headquarters building. Explorer II was part of a partnership between the U.S. Army Air Corps and the National Geographic Society and its mission was to collect data on the composition of the atmosphere.

375th Air Mobility Wing adds Explorer II model aircraft to collection

By Airman 1st Class DeQuan Simmons

375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs Office

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE

Team Scott added another model aircraft to its historic collection March 6 at the 375th Air Mobility Wing Headquarters.

Marc Hornkohl of the American Model Builders delivered a model of the U.S. Army Air Corps Explorer II balloon to the headquarters, adding to the collection of the 375th Air Mobility Wings Heritage Program.

Explorer II was part of a partnership between the U.S. Army Air Corps and the National Geographic Society, and its mission was to collect data on the composition of the atmosphere. The crew set the world record for altitude and were the first to photograph Earths curvature.

The two-man crew, U.S. Army Air Corps Captains Albert W. Stevens and Orvil A. Anderson, both of Scott Field, received national coverage, Distinguished Flying Cross Medals, the Air Corps Mackay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of the year, and the National Geographic Societys Hubbard Medal for distinction in exploration, discovery, and research.
The Azovstal metallurgical plant destroyed by the occupying forces of the Russian Federation

Russias military have been constantly flying planes over the city and now, with the addition of helicopters, will further transform Mariupol into a military base, Andryushchenko said.

Read also: Russia deploys Buk air defense system in civilian area of Mariupol  video

Read also: Russian occupiers' depot exploded near Mariupol, mayoral adviser says

The situation in Mariupol has been tense recently, with increasingly frequent reports of attacks on the Russian military.

The Head of the United Coordinating Press Center of the Operational Command South, Natalia Humeniuk, previously stated that Mariupol is already within reach of Ukraines Armed Forces.

Mariupol City Council reported that two strikes were heard in the city on March 11, probably in locations of occupiers.

Russia has increased their air defenses in the city since three new explosions were heard there on March 13.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Official reports released by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources detail what happened the day boater Tyler Doyle went missing in January.

The official cause of the accident was a mechanical failure, with SCDNR attributing weather, hazardous waters, fault of machinery and fault of hull as contributing factors.

According to the boating accident report, Doyle was not wearing a life jacket. The report also makes no mention of reckless behavior, or any mention of alcohol or other substances.

The Sun News obtained 11 folders of witness statements, official reports and photos Thursday in a Freedom of Information Act request.

Doyle, 22, of Loris, and Christian Holden, 21, of Aynor, were duck hunting Jan. 26 when Doyle dropped off Holden on the north jetty in Little River, and then went to scout out ducks, according to SCDNR. Doyle and Holden are friends.

Doyle had called Holden, stating his jon boat was taking on water and sinking. There was also a small craft advisory in affect that day.

The report states that Holden, at Doyles request, called 911 and asked for the U.S. Coast Guard and Sea Tow. Doyle also called a boat mechanic, who advised Doyle on several different things to fix the boat, such as checking the safety lanyard, gas bulb and fuel line connections.

The boat then began drifting backward out to sea.

Holden attempted to flag down a nearby boat, which did try to look for Doyle but had to come back in due to water conditions, the report said.

The witness statements submitted by Sharon Boyd, Christian Holden, Brandon Tyler and Todd Brown match up with the 911 phone calls and official DNR reports.

Lead investigation officer Ronnie Floyd submitted a timeline narrative of the accident, which matches witness statements and 911 calls as well.

SCDNR will continue searching for Doyle, using routine boat patrols and assistance from Brunswick County, N.C., officials and family and friends, according to department spokesman Greg Lucas.

Lucas said on Tuesday that there are no plans to end the search that hes aware of.
By Laura Sanicola

(Reuters) -Oil prices settled lower Friday, reversing early gains of more than $1 a barrel as banking sector fears caused both benchmarks to reach their biggest weekly declines in months.

Brent crude futures settled down by $1.73, or 2.3%, to $72.97 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell $1.61, or 2.4%, at $66.74.

At their session low, both benchmarks were down more than $3. Brent fell nearly by 12% in the week, its biggest weekly fall since December. WTI futures fell 13% since Friday's close, its biggest since last April.

"The underlying fundamentals aren't as terrible as what is being priced in here, but there is concern the oil is not as safe a place as cash or gold," said John Kilduff, Partner at Again Capital LLC in New York.

Oil prices tracked equity markets lower, dogged by the banking sector crisis and worries about possible recession.

All three indexes were sharply lower in afternoon trading, with financial stocks down the most among the major sectors of the S&P 500 following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank and with trouble at Credit Suisse and First Republic Bank.

Prices had recovered some ground after support measures from the European Central Bank and U.S. lenders, but dropped again when SVB Financial Group said it had filed for reorganization.

Pressure stemmed from "the continued fragile state of the market", said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

Analysts still expect constrained global supply to support oil prices in the foreseeable future.

OPEC+ members attributed this week's price weakness to financial drivers rather than any supply and demand imbalance, adding that they expected the market to stabilise.

WTI's fall this week to less than $70 a barrel for the first time since December 2021 could spur the U.S. government to start refilling its Strategic Petroleum Reserve, boosting demand.

And analysts expect China's demand recovery to add price support, with U.S. crude exports to China in March heading towards their highest in nearly two and a half years.

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Saudi Arabia and Russia in a meeting on Thursday affirmed their commitment to OPEC+'s decision last October to cut production targets by two million barrels per day until the end of 2023.

An OPEC+ monitoring panel is due to meet on Apr. 3.

(Reporting by Laura Sanicola in Washington and Rowena Edwards in LondonAdditional reporting by Florence Tan and Trixie Yapin SingaporeEditing by David Goodman and David Gregorio)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 17)  A 26-year-old Japanese woman wanted for theft and financial fraud in Japan was deported to her country on Friday, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said.

On Sept. 15, 2022, the Tokyo Summary Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Risa Yamada for theft, the BI said.

Yamada and several others posed as police officers and bank employees to steal bank card data. The BI said its fugitive search unit arrested her in Pasay City on Jan. 9.

The Japanese government tagged Yamada as a fugitive from justice, and canceled her passport.

She is on the BI blacklist which bans her from re-entering the country.
Oklahoma lawmakers struck down a bill on Tuesday that, if passed, would have ended the use of corporal punishment on disabled students.

Corporal punishment is defined in the bill as a deliberate infliction of physical pain by hitting, paddling, spanking, slapping or any other physical force used as a means of discipline. The legislation would have prohibited the use of this form of punishment on disabled students in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The bills vote was 45-43 in favor of its passage, according to KFOR. But the bill ultimately failed because a majority of 51 lawmakers was needed to pass.

Rep. John Talley (R) authored the bill, stating that physical punishment on disabled students does not belong in the classroom and that accountability and grace go hand in hand, KFOR reports. But other Republicans voted against the bill, with some citing scriptures as justification.

Proverbs 29: The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame, Rep. Jim Olsen (R) said, adding that the biblical line seems to endorse the use of corporal punishment.

He also provided an example from a constituent who said his disabled child did not respond to positive motivation, but responded very well to corporal punishment.

Oklahoma lawmakers have rejected a bill that would have banned corporal punishment for kids with disabilities in schools.



Rep. Jim Olsen (R) cites Proverbs in rejecting the ban: The rod and reproof give wisdom. But a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame. pic.twitter.com/nwlY2KOdPD  The Recount (@therecount) March 14, 2023

Meanwhile, Rep. Cyndi Munson (D), who voted in favor of the bill, opened up about her experiences with childhood abuse and why corporal punishment should be prohibited.

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My mother used chopsticks to slap my back ... She pulled my hair so I would listen to her, so I would behave, she said, adding that she spent over a decade working with psychologists and therapists to work through her childhood trauma.

She said her father used positive reinforcement and spoke kindly to encourage her and her siblings to behave. But she added that the amount of love he gave her was  through no fault of his own  not enough to outweigh how her mother treated them.

So imagine a child going to school, who doesnt behave, she said. Whether they have a disability or not, a child must go somewhere safe.

According to the Hechinger Report, 19 states, including Oklahoma, permit the use of corporal punishment on students in public schools. Nationally, more than69,000 students received corporal punishment almost 97,000 times during the 2017-18 school year.

A recent study found that out of the estimated 291 million disabled children and adolescents worldwide, nearly a third of them have experienced violence, NPR reports. In addition, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), disabled students face disproportionately high rates of corporal punishment nationwide, often being subjected to it as a means of discipline for behaviors related to their disabilities and conditions, such as Tourettes syndrome and autism.

For example, in Tennessee, disabled students are paddled at more than twice the rate as the general population of students. But the ACLU stated that these statistics are likely an undercount of violence faced by disabled students because there is no mandated report of the many types of corporal punishment that occur.

The use of force and harmful punishments is not a new or uncommon experience for disabled people, advocates note. For example, author s.e. smith pointed out in a tweet responding to the Oklahoma bills failure claiming that the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center in Massachusetts has been using electric shock devices on autistic students, despite decades-long attempts from advocates to put an end to it.

According to the Disability Rights and Education Fund (DREDF), children use behavior to communicate needs. As a result, they risk losing educational benefits by inappropriately disciplining, suspending, or placing them in restrictive settings.

Schools across the U.S. have instead adopted Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), an evidence-based, tiered framework used to support students behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs and greatly benefits disabled students.

Related...
Mona Simpson, in her backyard with her dog Copperfield, in Santa Monica. Her newest novel, "Commitment," is inspired by her mother  and L.A. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

When I contact Mona Simpson about setting up an interview timed to the publication of her new novel, Commitment, she replies in what can only be described as an extraordinary way.

She suggests we meet in Glendale, not far from where I live and very far from her Westside home.

Simpson, whose 1986 debut novel, "Anywhere but Here," launched both a notable career and a refreshingly clear-eyed way of writing about life in Los Angeles, also had a faculty meeting on the day in question at UCLA, where she has taught creative writing for almost 25 yeas.

But she has a favorite restaurant in Glendale, Zhengyalov Hatz, which she assumes I will know. I do not. So when I arrive, Simpson explains: Zhengyalov Hatz serves only one thing.

The eponymous dish consists of Armenian flatbread wrapped around a bright green filling made up of 15 types of minced herbs and greens. It is fresh and delicious in a surprisingly complicated way, with the light tang of sorrel and the earthiness of beetroot leaves crunching alongside many other flavors against the soft, yeasty-sweet bread.

I love it so much, Simpson says. Only one thing and its always delicious.

The original restaurant, in the Armenian capital of Yerevan, was established by Vresh Osipian to preserve a specialty of his native Artsakh, located on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

So it makes perfect sense that Simpson would love Zhengyalov Hatz. She too has built a career making one thing that feels like home, rooted in the past and full of surprising complexities. Something that seems simple enough  the story of a family  but never really is.

Beginning with Anywhere but Here (later adapted into a film), Simpsons seven novels explore the complications of childhood, parenthood and personhood, tracing the flow and impact of our closest and most perilous relationships with the fervor of a cartographer chronicling tributaries of the Nile and the delicacy of a surgeon attempting to locate and repair an aneurysm.

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"Commitment" by Mona Simpson, photographed in her home office. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

The difference between happy and unhappy notwithstanding, every family history is an epic tale, but Simpsons has more than a few notable features. She was born in Wisconsin to parents who divorced when she was very young. Her father returned to his native Syria and her mother, who struggled with mental health issues, remarried, divorced again and eventually moved with her daughter to Los Angeles. Simpson later learned that her parents had had a child before they were married and given him up for adoption; she was in her mid-20s when she first met her brother, Apple founder Steve Jobs.

Simpson went to UC Berkeley and worked for a time as a freelance journalist before getting an MFA in creative writing from Columbia and working at the Paris Review. She published Anywhere but Here in 1986 to enormous success and later followed her lawyer-turned-TV-writer husband back to Los Angeles; they had two children and later divorced.

It can be reductive to link an artists life too closely to her work, but in every Simpson novel there is an element of personal experience: the emotionally/mentally challenged mother of her debut; the absent Middle Eastern father in its sequel, "The Lost Father"; the tech billionaire of A Regular Guy; the artist struggling with motherhood and a largely absent TV-writer spouse in "My Hollywood." The same is true of her latest.

The novel follows the lives of Walter, Lina and Donnie Aziz just before  and then for years after  their mother, Diane, commits herself to a mental hospital.

Walter, who has just entered college at Berkeley, is haunted by economic worries and guilt  after his mom went into the hospital, he never again felt he should be where he was. Lina, who, like a young Simpson, works in an ice cream parlor, dreams of going to Barnard and becoming an artist but worries about Donnie, who is still a child. So here we go, Lina thinks when she learns her mother has been hospitalized. The long terror had finally begun. They had to hold on. Eventually it would be over.

Their father, known as the Afghan, is not available emotionally or financially, but one of Dianes fellow nurses, Julie, steps in as an unofficial but increasingly pivotal aunt.

The book's title refers to many things  Diane's decision to be hospitalized, her children's struggles to find their own identities while remaining a family and Simpson's relationship to narrative.







Their lives, like the lives of all Simpsons characters, are described in vivid detail  studying for biochem finals and dressing for interviews and dates are given as much weight as scrambling to pay bills and monitoring their mothers progress. This is life's mishmash of greens and herbs: bitter, tangy and sweet all at once.

For Simpson, Commitment is an exploration of what life might have been like if her mother had gotten the treatment she needed. I grew up with a single mom who had issues, she says. No diagnoses but delusions. I wanted to see if there could have been a better way for her. My life would have been worse, but maybe it would have been better for her.

As someone who grew up in the age of institutions, Simpson says, she was interested in exploring institutionalized care  what it was like then and what it's like now. It started so idealistically, state-sponsored care, and then people just began dumping their old relatives there.

"I think what I aspire to (and haven't yet achieved) is to show people living their lives, deeply influenced by forces of history," says Simpson. "Though they don't always understand that." (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

In the course of the story, Diane receives various levels of care, but none of it could be characterized as abusive, which was important to Simpson. I came of age with One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, she says, and of course there were abuses, but many people received very good care at these places, people who now have no place to go. Our society isnt equipped to deal with people who cant care for themselves.

But Commitment is not so much Dianes story as it is her childrens, following a family that has become untethered. Each child narrates his or her own experience of a life dominated by an absent mother.

Simpsons strength as a writer has always been in capturing life as it is actually lived; no matter how extreme the situation, her characters inhabit a reality of recognizable details that coalesce into a story, rather than a story into which details have been added.

It's slow work, she says  "Commitment" took about six years to write, including much that didn't make the final edit. "I have a lot of ideas, but not all of those ideas have a door," she says. "You have to find the door."

"I think what I aspire to (and havent yet achieved)," she adds via email, "is to show people living their lives, deeply influenced by forces of history, though they dont always understand that."

I ask Simpson if she has ever considered working in another genre  science fiction or fantasy, say  and am surprised when she responds that shes never been interested in complete world-building." As if world-building isn't exactly what she does.

I do like ghost stories, she adds, but only if it works both ways. If it could be supernatural but also psychological. Like Turn of the Screw.

Simpson moved to Los Angeles when her now ex-husband took a job writing for "The Simpsons," but she has no interest in working for Hollywood. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

There are indeed ghosts in Simpsons stories, often in the form of missing or troubled parents, just as there are in Simpsons life. Her mother is gone, as is the father who reentered her life when she was an adult. Gone too is Jobs; the two became very close, and after his death in 2010, Simpson's extraordinary eulogy for him circulated widely and was published in the New York Times.







But the woman herself is anything but haunted. She makes short, delighted work of her zhengyalov hatz while encouraging me to get a few to-go. The interview is challenging because Simpson is very easy to talk to; the conversation has a way of sliding sideways, off the topic and into compared notes about young adult children (she has two), the challenges of living in New York as a young journalist and, yes, her life as a cartoon character.

In the early 90s, her now-ex-husband, Richard Appel, left New York  and his job as a city prosecutor  to join the writers' room of The Simpsons." Homers mother, Mona, was named for her. He had gotten a 10-week contract, then another, and suddenly our preschool is asking for a big donation, she says. I asked them why on earth they thought we could afford that and they said, 'Oh, didnt you invent The Simpsons?

Appel did get a staff position on the show, and Simpson joined him in L.A., embracing the city where she had lived as a teenager. L.A. is the great American city, she says. As a reader I cant believe how stereotypes about L.A. still appear in fiction and nonfiction.

Including and especially the notion that every novelist secretly wants to work in film and television.

Never, she says, laughing. Ive seen that world close up. My son writes for TV  he just sold his first pilot  and it has changed. When I was coming up, no one would have suggested that a novelist write for TV. But its very collaborative, and Im not used to that.

"I like being a novelist, she adds. I wish I could do it a bit faster, but it is the thing I do.

Simpson will discuss her work at the Hammer Museum on Thursday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A young Patrick McHenry rose through the House GOP by bashing the governments economic rescue plans in the wake of the global financial crisis. In 2008, the conservative North Carolinian  a self-described bomb-thrower  helped sink the Bush administrations first attempt to save Wall Street, triggering a historic stock market crash.

Fourteen years later, with the banking system on the precipice once again, McHenry is anything but a partisan warrior in his new role as chair of the House Financial Services Committee. Rather than attack the Biden administrations decision to backstop depositors at two failed regional banks, his first move offered political cover and calm as the crisis unfurled.

Im confident in their ability to do the right thing, McHenry said in an interview.

The methodical approach makes him a clear outlier in the GOPs Trump era, which is significantly rowdier and more populist than the tea party that arose from the last financial crisis. McHenry says administration officials have responded well so far and that he'll dig into how the failure happened in the days to come.



I worked with McHenry during this, Senate Banking Chair Sherrod Brown, a progressive Ohio Democrat, said of the latest meltdown. He seems to be responsible.

McHenrys attempt to convey restraint at this early stage is at odds with other Republicans who are eager to beat up on President Joe Biden by casting the bank rescue as a culture war concern  raising questions about how many will follow his lead.

Its a statesman-like role the former upstart is playing across a number of issues confronting the GOP, from the debt limit to diversity, indicating that Democrats may have at least some top Republicans they can work with on the heaviest economic issues confronting the U.S.

Everybodys got their own opinion, said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), when asked about the House GOPs emerging position under McHenrys lead. All I know is, I wouldnt have bailed them out  a bunch of rich, left-wing, you know, political snobs.

Story continues

McHenry entered Congress in 2005 at 29, providing little hint to people getting to know him in those early days that he would become one of the GOPs leading pragmatists and dealmakers.

A Roll Call columnist at the time called him the GOPs attack dog-in-training, as he fought Democrats in an ethics battle against then-Majority Leader Tom Delay, who was indicted for criminal conspiracy. He joined the conservative Republican Study Committee, chaired by Mike Pence, and in the wake of that years major domestic crisis  Hurricane Katrina  McHenry called for cutting funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to rebuild schools.

He was extremely right-wing, said Cam Fine, the former head of the Independent Community Bankers of America, which works closely with the Financial Services Committee. He was pretty bombastic, quite frankly, and said a lot of things that you kind of shook your head at a little bit.  He was a ball of energy.

People close to McHenry said he realized over time that he didnt want to pursue higher office and should get serious about his work in the House  in particular at the Financial Services Committee.

Former House Speaker Paul Ryan, who advised McHenry to prioritize a committee chairmanship over leadership, said he was "a bomb thrower when he first came in ... and then he dramatically matured.



At some point he decided, Im going to get bored running around like a crazy person here and I'm not going to matter  if I take it seriously I can make a difference, said Scott Stewart, a former McHenry roommate who got to know him from their days as College Republicans.

He then committed to deeply understanding financial services and became a serious conservative without being a jerk.

In the ensuing years, McHenry followed a dual track through the ranks of House Republicans, moving up in seniority at the Financial Services Committee but also in House leadership, eventually becoming one of the GOPs top vote counters as chief deputy whip.

He became the top Republican on House Financial Services in 2019 and then chair this year.

Before calamity struck the banking system the last few days, McHenry was determined to flex his dealmaking skills by finding bipartisan compromises with the Financial Services Committees top Democrat, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), on things like cryptocurrency legislation. Waters led the committee before Democrats lost the House in the 2022 election.

Soon after he became chair, McHenry drew flak from FOX News host Tucker Carlson and other conservative pundits by not completely eliminating from the committee's oversight agenda a top priority for Waters  diversity and inclusion.

We do have a good relationship, Waters said. Thats not to say that good relationship is going to make me change my mind about some of his philosophy, and vice versa.  But I respect him. He respects me.

He was also emerging as a peacemaker in the fractious House GOP.

McHenry helped Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) lock down the votes he needed to become speaker, a partnership that thrust the bow-tied Republican into the national spotlight as he negotiated with conservative rebels who dragged out the process for days, paralyzing the chamber.

He can relate to new young members who throw a lot of bombs, Ryan said.

His ability to draw together different factions of the party won him high praise from some of McCarthy's closest allies.

"He's one of the brightest guys up here," Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) said. "He's got great instincts and has that amazing balance that is rare up here of being both a policy nerd and [having] really good strategic instincts."

His other big project this year was to try to steer Republicans toward a resolution of the debt-limit stalemate. Hes taken the position that holding U.S. borrowing authority hostage in exchange for spending cuts could be a disaster for markets, rankling conservatives like former Trump OMB Director Russell Vought, who said in an email: I don't have faith in Patrick McHenry.

So to those who know him, its no surprise that McHenry has tried to guide the House GOP to take a breath before going on the attack over the Biden administrations rescue of depositors at the failed Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

It's a challenge as a growing number of Republicans like Paul cast the administrations move as a mistake.

"This is America, said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) when asked about the House Republican response. Everybody's entitled to their opinion. But it's currently a bailout."

Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky, one of McHenrys committee deputies, said, Job No. 1 is for us to be the adults in a serious situation.

"This isn't about poking either side of the aisle, said Rep, Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri, another member of McHenrys committee leadership team. This is a time when we feel our country's future is at risk here.

Weve got to rally around him and pull everybody together.

Sam Sutton contributed reporting.
Im Brian Gordon, tech reporter for The News & Observer, and this is Open Source, a weekly newsletter on business, labor and technology in North Carolina.

On Monday, I drove into downtown Durham to see a failed bank.

I didnt know what Id see at the local office of Signature Bank. It was the day after it became the third-largest bank to collapse in U.S. history, falling on the heels of the Silicon Valley Bank failure last Friday. Would there be a mass of panicked customers banging on glass, demanding deposits? Boarded up windows with tumbleweeds rolling by?

The third-floor office was quiet but open. A staff member welcomed me in and acknowledged it had been quite the weekend. She then assured everything was business as usual at the bank, which was no longer technically Signature Bank but a temporary, government-created entity called Signature Bridge Bank, N.A.

Outside the Signature Bank office in downtown Durham, NC. Brian Gordon /bgordon@newsobserver.com

Now, there was a zero percent chance everything at Signature was running exactly as usual.

The banking industry had just gone through four days of turmoil. There were bank runs, fear of more bank runs, locked down accounts, and Triangle companies scrambling to find ways to pay their employees. Neither bank was geared toward personal accounts, but the state pension fund could lose millions from its exposure to Signature and Silicon Valley stocks.

But what the employee meant by usual is that Signature services were uninterrupted thanks to the federal government stepping in on Sunday and guaranteeing all depositors funds at the two failed banks. In a sense, this federal protection makes Signature and Silicon Valley the safest banks in the country. The new Silicon Valley (Bridge) CEO even urged clients this week to deposit more money into the bank.

Thats obviously a steep ask at this moment. A pair of startup founders I spoke to on Monday said they would withdraw all their money from these banks.

Alex Lassiter, whose Raleigh startup had its primary account at Silicon Valley, said going forward hell utilize two company accounts, one at a major institution he perceives too big to fail (think Chase or Bank of America) and another at a more regional bank that caters to small businesses.

Story continues

Joe Colopy, a partner at the software-focused fund Jurassic Capital in Durham, agreed startups may start leaning toward larger, more diversified banks.

But many worry a shift toward larger financial institutions could doom community banks that offer small businesses services the biggest banks dont.

We need banks that actually do understand startups and the startup funding environment, whether its for lines of credit, whether its for venture debt, or even if its for network connections into the broader venture community, Bill Spruill, a prominent local entrepreneur and investor, said Thursday.

Spruill recommended people be calm.

I think everyone needs to take a breath and just recognize that stability is dependent upon the depositor base remaining stable, he said. Continue to take a breath, frankly, and support local.

The Signature Bank office in downtown Durham, NC. Brian Gordon /bgordon@newsobserver.com

VinFasts overly bold schedule

Last Friday, the Vietnamese automaker VinFast confirmed it wont start producing cars in North Carolina until 2025. The company originally said its facility in Chatham County  which will be its first assembly plant in North America  would open by the middle of next year.

The postponement isnt a shock: The $4 billion project was only announced last March, and construction hasnt begun. Ive heard more than one person in state government suggest VinFasts timeline was bold, perhaps overly so.

VinFast, which seeks to break into the U.S. market with fully electric SUVs, said it needs more time to complete administrative procedures. Chatham County said the company still needs to obtain local building and stormwater permits for its 2,150-acre site southwest of Raleigh.

Per its agreement with North Carolina, the company says it will employ 7,500 people and invest billions into the electric vehicle car and battery plant by 2028. But that is only the original plan.

On March 1, VinFast delivered its first 45 SUVs to American customers. It obviously has a long way to go to gain a foothold in the market, and well keep tracking how it does.

Vietnamese automaker VinFast, a startup auto manufacturer, chose Chatham County for its first North American production facility. President Joe Biden has said that recent announcements of major corporations settling in North Carolina are evidence of his economic strategy at work. Courtesy of VinFast

Duke students or Duke workers (or both)?

Are graduate students who teach classes and assist in labs workers or students?

Today is the deadline for Duke University to officially send its answer to the National Labor Relations Board. Last Friday, Duke confirmed it will seek to take a uniquely firm stance against the Ph.D. student unionizing drive on its campus, contending these graduate students dont have a right to unionize because they are not employees.

Doctoral students pursue their own research and dont pay tuition but they also perform jobs and get paid by the university. This year, Dukes Ph.D. stipend is $34,660, which will rise next year to $38,600.

While an administration opposing a union isnt unusual, few (if any) universities have recently posited that grad students dont have the right to unionize said Jeff Hirsch, a UNC labor law professor.

I am not aware of another school doing this, but its possible Ive missed it, Hirsch said.

Short stuff: Mutant watermelons

Under Armour is excited about what its working on at N.C. State, but its keeping it a secret.

A Durham startup seeks to produce monk fruit-inspired sweetener by genetically modifying other fruits and vegetables (primarily watermelons).

On Tuesday, the state ended incentive agreements with Xerox in Wake County and Labcorp in Durham. Both companies requested to be released from their deals, citing different reasons.

Epic Games, the Cary-based creator of Fortnite, must officially cough up more than half a billion dollars, as the Federal Trade Commission finalized penalties against the company first levied in December. One of the penalties was for dark patterns to trick players into making unwanted purchases.

This isnt an ordinary watermelon in an orange hammock. Brian Gordon

National Tech Happenings

Meta cuts 10,000 more jobs in what CEO Mark Zuckerberg called his companys year of efficiency. No word yet if the companys expansion into Durham will be affected.

A new version of ChatGPT has been released. Its makers say the large language model is more intelligent thanks to a new algorithm. Updated countdown to A.I. taking over the world: 72 days.

Twitter is adding bookmarks as a metric. No one knows why.

Thanks for reading!

If you have a news tip, feel free to reach out to me at bgordon@newsobserver.com or send a text/Signal to 919-861-1238.

This story was produced with financial support from a coalition of partners led by Innovate Raleigh as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work.

Open Source

Do you enjoy Triangle tech news? Subscribe to Open Source, The News & Observer's weekly technology newsletter and look for it in your inbox every Friday morning. Sign up here.
SAN FRANCISCO  Businesses and nonprofit groups agree on one thing after testing some of the latest in artificial intelligence: It is already changing the course of their operations.

Five organizations that were among the first to get access to GPT-4, the latest product from San Francisco startup OpenAI, said in interviews that they were reassigning employees, reorienting internal teams and re-evaluating their strategies in anticipation of the technology upending much of their work.

Their experiences back up the idea that, for better or worse, AI technology may very soon radically alter some peoples daily lives.

But the organizations also said that the technology required enormous amounts of work to customize to their specific needs, with employees giving daily feedback to the software to train it on terminology and methods specific to their fields, such as education or finance. OpenAI, best known for creating the AI chatbot ChatGPT, can then integrate the data from that work into its own model to potentially make its technology better.

In effect, each of the early testers is a microcosm of what others might go through as access to GPT-4 expands.

Theres a perception in the marketplace now that you plug into these machines and they give you all the answers, said Jeff McMillan, head of analytics, data and innovation for Morgan Stanleys wealth management division.

Thats not true, he said. He said the bank has 300 employees putting some of their time into testing their tech using GPT-4.

We have a team of people who literally review every response from the prior day, he said.

For Morgan Stanley, the result has been a specialized chatbot built with GPT-4 that serves as an internal research tool for its staff of financial advisers. McMillan said the tool is trained not only on 60,000 research reports on parts of the global economy, but also 40,000 other internal documents from the firm  making it an expert on any financial subject that a financial adviser might want to look up.

Story continues

To be sure, the early adopters of GPT-4 are not a random sample of the economy. OpenAI, which became for-profit in 2019, hand-picked the organizations over the past weeks and months.

Critics of OpenAI and its competitors allege that the AI sector has benefited from unskeptical hype over the past several months. OpenAI was looking for positive examples to show when it reached out six months ago to Khan Academy, a nonprofit educational organization, founder Sal Khan said.

The context was: Were going to be working on a next generation model; we want to be able to launch it with positive use cases, he said.

Khan Academy is best known for its videos on YouTube, but since OpenAI reached out, Khan said it has poured resources into creating Khanmigo, a chatbot tutor that is specially trained in established concepts of teaching.

We collectively spent about 100 hours fine-tuning the model so that it potentially can behave like a really good tutor, he said.

If you look at the cost of tutoring, this could be a very, very big deal, Khan added. Its like having an amazing grad student or tutor or professor that you can start talking with in the moment.

Stripe, a tech company that makes payments software and related products for business, said that when it got early access to GPT-4 in January, it pulled 100 employees from their regular jobs and assigned them to an internal hackathon in which each person spent a week on average testing out ideas.

Duolingo, an app for learning languages, got access to GPT-4 in the fall, and employees said that CEO Luis von Ahn was so taken with it that he called a meeting for 8 a.m. the following morning and immediately changed peoples jobs.

He, after that, said, Pivot your team, Edwin Bodge, a product manager, said. Since then, weve been working extremely closely with GPT-4 and with the OpenAI team.

So far, Duolingo has added a new, paid subscription tier costing $29.99 per month or $167.88 annually, which allows access to a a conversation chatbot in French or Spanish. Theyve also added an AI bot which will explain grammatical concepts to you as you progress through typical Duolingo lessons.

According to Bodge, the company has crafted 1,000-2,000 word prompts for GPT-4 that power the bots. The company would not share the prompts upon request.

All of the organizations who spoke with NBC News said they were proceeding with some degree of caution, given that AI technology is so new and the potential peril is unknown. Mike Buckley, CEO of Be My Eyes, a company that makes an app for people who are blind or have low vision, said that hed like to get a test version of the app with GPT-4 into more hands, but we want to be thoughtful and safe.

Could we launch this more broadly to the community in six to eight weeks? Its possible, but were going to go where the data and the use cases take us, he said.

The company works by connecting low-vision people with volunteers who, on a video call, can describe to app users what is around them  such as a product label in a grocery store, the directions through an airport or the wording in a greeting card. The version with GPT-4 works without a volunteer on the other end because the AI describes what it sees with the camera.

One of the apps blind spokespeople used it to get directions on the London Underground subway system, according to a video she posted on TikTok.

Weve tried to break it, Buckley said, adding that his staff ran thousands of tests. Weve slammed the technology as hard as we could for several weeks, and weve been pleasantly surprised.

He said his company hadnt run into any safety concerns with GPT-4, but it has made errors; for example, mixing up a toaster for a slow-cooker on a website.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Oppenheimer Holdings Inc. (NYSE:OPY) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 13% in the last month. In contrast, the return over three years has been impressive. Indeed, the share price is up a very strong 154% in that time. It's not uncommon to see a share price retrace a bit, after a big gain. Only time will tell if there is still too much optimism currently reflected in the share price.

With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies.

Check out our latest analysis for Oppenheimer Holdings

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

During the three years of share price growth, Oppenheimer Holdings actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) drop 11% per year.

This means it's unlikely the market is judging the company based on earnings growth. Therefore, we think it's worth considering other metrics as well.

The modest 1.5% dividend yield is unlikely to be propping up the share price. It could be that the revenue growth of 6.2% per year is viewed as evidence that Oppenheimer Holdings is growing. If the company is being managed for the long term good, today's shareholders might be right to hold on.

The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

This free interactive report on Oppenheimer Holdings' balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Oppenheimer Holdings, it has a TSR of 181% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

Story continues

A Different Perspective

Although it hurts that Oppenheimer Holdings returned a loss of 6.6% in the last twelve months, the broader market was actually worse, returning a loss of 12%. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 13%, each year, over five years. It could be that the business is just facing some short term problems, but shareholders should keep a close eye on the fundamentals. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Oppenheimer Holdings , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American 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.

Join A Paid User Research Session

Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
[Source]

Several South Asian American talents have voiced their frustration over the lack of South Asian representation in the recent Oscars performance of Naatu Naatu, a song from the Tollywood film RRR.

Although Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava, who sang Naatu Naatu for the Indian Telugu-language film, performed at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday, none of the dancers who performed alongside them were reportedly of South Asian descent.

Telugu RRR lead actors N.T. Rama Rao Jr., also known as Jr. NTR, and Ram Charan were supposed to participate in the Sunday performance but later declined due to scheduling conflicts. They were instead replaced by American dancer Jason Glover and Canadian dancer Billy Mustapha, who were dressed to look like the films protagonists, according to CBS News.

Tabitha and Napoleon D'uomo, two non-South Asian choreographers, were hired to cast and direct the Academy Awards performance.

More from NextShark: Everything Everywhere,' 'Decision to Leave' and 'After Yang' among Obamas favorite films of 2022

I liked that they went a more diverse route, because the movie itself became this global phenomenon," Shivani Reddy, a Telugu American film and TV critic, told CBS.

Story continues

It just felt very exclusionary that the one race they didn't include was the one that was supposed to be represented because of the film and where it's from. It's unfortunate because there are so many South Asian dancers that I know that are in the industry trying to get into those spaces that just don't get afforded those opportunities. And for the one time that we maybe could have gotten access, we were denied.

The controversy surrounding the live performance reportedly began the day before the Academy Awards premiered on Sunday after dancer Lauren Gottlieb uploaded a video of their rehearsal, which was later deleted.

More from NextShark: BTS' Jin has surprise Billboard hit with viral 'Super Tuna' song, V breaks two Instagram world records

Several people from the South Asian American arts community expressed outrage at the performance, with Joya Kazi, an Los Angeles-based choreographer and member of the Television Academy, revealing in an Instagram post that her agent submitted her as a potential choreographer, but she was never considered.

My agents submitted me for this and I was told that the choreographers want to work with dancers they already know. Valid. I get it. I also dont need to book everything under the sun, because there are plenty of talented South Asian dancers and choreographers to choose from. Im just wondering why I dont see people of the culture in the room in these rehearsal videos. Are we going to see even one South Asian dancer on that stage? Why isnt that cast filled with brown bodies?

Similarly, Ramita Ravi, a bicoastal dancer and choreographer, also reportedly received the same response after her agent reached out to the production to recommend her as a choreographer for the dance.

Speaking to IndieWire before the Academy Awards telecast, Ravi admitted that she was not surprised by the outcome.

Here are people like me, like Joya, like Kavita Rao, like Achinta [McDaniel], like Nakul [Dev Mahajan] who have very, very much been in the industry. [We] have the agents, have the reps, have union status, have all of it and still were not  considered for a job like this where its our culture on display.

Vikas Arun, who is noted as the first South Asian artist-in-residence at the American Tap Dance Foundation, addressed the issue in an Instagram post on Saturday, noting in the posts description that his message was directed at the creative of the segment and not the dancers.

The dancers have no say in the casting or choice of choreographer and simply do the best with what theyre given, he wrote.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vikas Arun (@vikas_arun_)

Following the controversy, a representative from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) told IndieWire in a statement that it was incorrect that there were few, if any, South Asian artists who participated in the Naatu Naatu performance.

However, the statement did not clarify how many South Asian dancers were featured in the performance, as the AMPAS did not provide further information.
Former President Donald Trump steps from his plane as he arrives at an election rally in Latrobe, Pa. Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. Jacqueline Larma/ AP

After a campaign pit stop in Davenport, Iowa, Donald Trump took another dig at Ron DeSantis.

Trump found a new way to diss the Florida Governor aboard his Boeing 757, "Trump Force One."

Trump joked that DeSantis would be working at Pizza Hut without his initial backing, per Bloomberg.

Former President Donald Trump tore into friend-turned-foe Ron DeSantis over fast food on his plane, nicknamed "Trump Force One" this week after a 2024 campaign pit stop in Iowa.

According to Bloomberg, Trump's Davenport, Iowa, rally on Monday evoked a similar tenor to past campaign rallies, with more insults flung at former ally and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Trump is traveling to campaign rallies in battleground states while DeSantis is tied up with Florida's legislative session.

After the rally, while feasting on Kentucky Fried Chicken on his plane, Trump framed DeSantis as disloyal and continued to insist the Florida Governor's political career would not have taken off at all without him, per Bloomberg.

"Right now he'd be working at a law office. Schwartz, Schwartz, Schwartz, and Schwartz. Where's my f governor? Where's my governor? Get him over here! He's got 10 minutes or we're gonna fire him. That's what he'd be doing right now," Trump told reporters on the plane while laughing, according to Bloomberg.

Prior to serving in Congress and as Florida's governor, DeSantis went to Harvard Law School and served as an officer in the US Navy with the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, where DeSantis had been a legal advisor to US Navy Seals.

An early Quinnipiac poll of 1,795 adults suggested Trump is a more popular candidate than DeSantis, as 46 percent of GOP voters said they favor him while 32 percent favor DeSantis, with a margin of sampling error of +/- 2.3 percentage points.

DeSantis' office did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.

As Trump spoke to reporters on his plane, he latched onto the nickname "Tiny D" for the Florida governor. Plates of fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and later, coconut pie, were bussed back and forth by his aides, per the report.

"Remember, this Ron DeSanctimonious would be right now working probably at a law firm or maybe a Pizza Hut," Trump told reporters, according to the report.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(CNN)  Iranian authorities have used torture methods including sexual violence against imprisoned children as part of a crackdown on recent protests, according to rights group Amnesty International.

"Iran's intelligence and security forces have been committing horrific acts of torture, including beatings, flogging, electric shocks, rape and other sexual violence against child protesters as young as 12 to quell their involvement in nationwide protests," Amnesty said Thursday.

A report by the group exposed "the torture methods that the Revolutionary Guards, the paramilitary Basij, the Public Security Police, and other security and intelligence forces used against boys and girls in custody to punish and humiliate them and to extract forced 'confessions.'"

Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said Iran's "violence against children exposes deliberate strategy to crush the vibrant spirit of the country's youth and stop them from demanding freedom and human rights."

Amnesty "obtained testimonies from the victims and their families, as well as further testimonies on the widespread commission of torture against scores of children from 19 eyewitnesses, including two lawyers and 17 adult detainees who were held alongside children," the human rights group said.

The protests were first ignited by the death of 22-year-old Iranian Mahsa Amini, who died on September 16, 2022, after being detained by the country's morality police.

According to Amnesty, Iran has admitted to detaining more than 22,000 people during the protests, but hasn't specified how many of those were children. The group estimates that thousands of children may be among the detainees.

Amnesty also said that "state agents used rape and other sexual violence, including electric shocks to genitals, touching genitals, and rape threats as a weapon against child detainees to break their spirits, humiliate and punish them, and/or extract 'confessions.'"

"Other torture methods recounted include floggings, administering electric shocks using stun guns, the forced administration of unidentified pills, and holding children's heads underwater," the Amnesty report added.

Amnesty called on Iran to release any children detained for protesting peacefully, and urged other countries to "exercise universal jurisdiction over Iranian officials, including those with command or superior responsibility, reasonably suspected of criminal responsibility for crimes under international law, including the torture of child protesters."

CNN has reached out to Iran's government for comment but has not yet had a response, nor has the government yet commented publicly on the report.

In February, CNN revealed the existence of an extensive network of illegal clandestine jails, or black sites, in Iran.

The methods of repression and torture carried out in this shadowy network appear to be even more horrific than the regular harsh treatment that arrested protesters can expect in legal detention sites.

CNN has reached out to the Iranian government for comment on the allegations of torture and abuse at these unofficial locations but has not received a response.

This story was first published on CNN.com. "Child detainees in Iran subjected to flogging, electric shocks and sexual violence, says Amnesty"
Passengers catching flights departing from Miami International Airport late Friday morning arrived to find a large sign overhanging one of the airports busier roads engulfed in flames, officials said.

Around 11:50 a.m., Miami-Dade Fire Rescue was called to the airport to douse an electric street sign that was ablaze on the departure level, creating a significant amount of smoke, authorities said.

Fire Rescue said the fire began in a trash can and spread to the sign. Greg Chin, an MIA spokesperson, disputed that, saying the sign caught fire. Either way, it was put out in less than 30 minutes.

The outer lanes of the departure level were closed for an hour as a precaution after the fire was out, which caused a traffic slowdown.

By 1:30 p.m., that part of the airport was back to normal, Chin said.

Fire Rescue is looking into whether there were any injuries from the fire.
Parade

Joan Marcus The company of 'Parade'

In a swathe of land near where Rosewell Road intersects Interstate 75 in Marietta, Ga., stands the memorial dedicated to Leo Frank, a Jewish man who was convicted of murdering 13-year-old Mary Phagan amid a rise in anti-Semitism in 1913. He was kidnapped from prison and lynched two years later. "Without addressing guilt or innocence," it reads, "and in recognition of the state's failure to either protect Frank or bring his killers to justice, he was granted a posthumous pardon in 1986."

The same monument is projected across the brick wall behind the stage when audiences step into the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre each night to see Parade, Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown's Tony award-winning musical that dramatizes Frank's trial and how government officials and local media played a role in his death. Following a celebrated sold-out string of performances at the New York City Center in November, the show, directed by Michael Arden (Spring Awakening), is returning to Broadway once again for the first time since its original 1998 run in a phenomenal production that feels more poignant and powerful than ever.

Plucked from his Brooklyn roots and deposited into the red hills of Georgia, Leo Frank (Tony Award winner Ben Platt) is a reserved, college-educated Jewish man who clings to his religious and geopolitical beliefs in a land that might as well be another planet. He finds little commonality with not only his new neighbors, but also his wife Lucille (the dazzling Micaela Diamond) and instead devotes himself entirely to the future and work as the superintendent of Atlanta's National Pencil Factory. On Confederate Memorial Day, Leo meets Mary Phagan (Erin Rose Doyle, making her Broadway debut). When she's found dead in the factory's basement, Leo is charged and later sentenced to death for her murder, kicking off a two-year legal battle that ends with his own demise. Through it all, Lucille struggles to decide whether to stand with her husband or the people of Georgia.

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Parade

Joan Marcus Ben Platt in 'Parade'

Parade is much more than just a singular spectacle; it slowly and methodically highlights the ways in which Frank's tragedy isn't an isolated incident, but rather a cog in the wheel of injustice that continues to spin to this day. It can be seen in its corrupt politicians  Governor Slaton (Sean Allan Krill), prosecutor Hugh Dorsey (the viciously vibrant Paul Alexander Nolan), all the way down to local authorities (William Michals)  that select Frank as their scapegoat despite only circumstantial evidence linking him to the crime. Or how local editor Tom Watson (Manoel Felciano) and reporter Britt Craig (Jay Armstrong Johnson) profit off the town's bubbling hatred by demonizing Frank in the press, ultimately helping to push locals to commit unspeakable acts in the name of vengeance, religious extremism, and Southern nationalism. Throughout its two hour and thirty minute runtime, Parade revels in the moral ambiguity that it presents, and its outstanding 33-person ensemble dares one to inspect their own thoughts on due process and  despite its 1910s setting  see its present-day parallels, some of which are unfolding right outside its very stage door.

The revival also doesn't shy away from examining how race affected what would inevitably become a nationwide fervor surrounding Frank's case, with some advocating for his death and others maintaining his innocence. In one scene, Riley (Douglas Lyons) and Angela (Courtnee Carter), two of the Governor's housekeepers, imagine how the trial, and Frank's ongoing appeal process, might've played out had either parties involved been Black, singing, "They comin' now, yes-sir-ee! 'Cause a white man gonna get hung, you see."

The duo dance atop the musical's unique set, crafted by stage designer Dane Laffrey, which features a square, elevated stage that acts as a witness stand, gravesite, and dance floor, with pews flanking its sides that add another layer of religious connotation to its stripped-back courtroom. Meanwhile, projection designer Sven Ortel grounds Parade in a harrowing sense of authenticity with his use of newspaper headlines and historical portraits that eclipse the stage's back wall, some of which are so chilling that it felt as if the air had been sucked out of the entire theater when they were displayed.

Parade

Joan Marcus Micaela Diamond and Ben Platt in 'Parade'

In fact, Parade often manages to pull an emotional reaction out of its audience by suddenly twisting even its most beautiful moments into something far more menacing. When Mary is laid to rest, her childhood friends (all-stars Emily Rose DeMartino, Ashlyn Maddox, Sophia Manicone, and Jake Pedersen) mourn a sweet, young girl with crooked teeth that loved movies and cotton candy. However, it sours when Pedersen's Frankie Epps vows not to rest until Mary's killer is "burning in the ragin' fires of Hell forevermore."

Platt gives a constrained, yet compelling performance as Leo, a man who is not only literally fighting for his life, but also to preserve his own dignity. Despite his inward nature, Platt still finds moments within Uhry's script to dazzle and delight  he easily summons laughs from the audience with his snappy, dry wit, and his complete transformation into a fictionalized lecherous, toe-tapping tempter recounted during witness testimonies is seriously sinister  but it's during Leo's devastating statement on the witness stand, "It's Hard to Speak My Heart", that the actor truly shines. His earnest, lilting vocals, which pour out of him like water, are laced with a heartbreaking mixture of fear and sincerity that allows an extra level of insight into the mind of a man desperately attempting to control what little he can as greater forces plot against him.

Parade

Joan Marcus Micaela Diamond in 'Parade'

Diamond's Lucille is the perfect foil to her reserved husband and, truly, the heart of Parade. The 23-year-old actress brings a warmth to the role as she expertly shifts gears from an unfulfilled, passive housewife into a fiery, emboldened fighter that is able to get Governor Slaton to review  and later commute  Leo's death sentence. The loyalty, passion, and optimism that Diamond imbues within the character acts as a balm for both Leo and the audience alike during the couple's darkest moments. Her searing performance of "You Don't Know This Man," Lucille's verbal takedown of reporter Britt Craig in defense of her husband, is pure magic.

Combine them together and Platt and Diamond's chemistry is undeniable. Their voices blend beautifully in the uplifting anthem "This Is Not Over Yet," and their prison cell picnic is a bittersweet reprieve that sees both actors charmingly play off one another as their characters fall in love in the face of overwhelming adversity.

Add in the powerhouse vocals of Alex Joseph Grayson, who steals every single scene as the bombastic Jim Conley, the rich baritone of Eddie Cooper in his Broadway debut, and it's easy to see why Parade is the most gut-wrenchingly gorgeous production on Broadway. Grade: A

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Emilio Madrid

What is Parade trying to show? What is it trying to say? These are the questions left on this critics mind after seeing this musical for a second timefirst at New York City Center Encores last year, its production now transferred to Broadways Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre (booking to August 6).

Judging by the response of audiences on both occasions, it may be a minority view; there was rousing applause at a recent afternoon matinee, as Tony-winning superstar Ben Platt as Leo Frank and Micaela Diamond as his wife Lucillewho sing both their strangely-written parts very wellendured and faced down the antisemitic bigotry and injustice that coalesced to convict the real-life Frank for the murder of factory girl Mary Phagan (Erin Rose Doyle) in Marietta, Georgia, in 1913.

Frank was found guilty of the crime and sentenced to hang. This sentence was ultimately commuted to life imprisonment, though Frank was lynched to death by a gang who sprung him from jail in 1915. In 1986, Frank was posthumously pardoned by the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles, although not officially cleared of the murder. In 2019 the case was officially reopened, and is ongoing at the time of writing.

Broadway Star Ben Platt Condemns Evil Neo-Nazis After Parade Protest

One hopes that one component of the audiences applause is in support of the continued presence of the show on Broadway in the face of ugly, antisemitic protests outside the theater by a group of fascists. The reason and necessity for the show is right outside it, history and present day, art and reality, in starkly telling, meaningful collision.

More of a puzzle is the show itself, directed by Michael Arden. First produced in 1998, winning Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Original Score, it features a book by Alfred Uhry, music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, and was co-conceived by Harold Prince.

It begins and ends with the sight of a first-shirtless Confederate soldier (Charlie Webb) off to fight in the Civil Warwho clearly had an Equinox membership in the 1860sleading the company in the rousing pro-Old South song of The Old Red Hills of Home, which celebrates not just the ways of the Old South, but their maintenance into the future. His older self (Howard McGillin) is taking part in Mariettas Confederate Memorial Day Parade in the musicals present day, an event which meaningfully bookends the show.

Story continues

The only difference is at the end of Parade the ghost of Leo Frank watches this songsung with relish and the enthusiastic waving of the Confederate flagwith an expression that seems more geared to quiet questioning and circumspection rather than the outrage and scorn that you might expect for the ghost of a man treated in the way Frank was.

This critic has no idea why there is a hot stud of an anonymous Confederate soldier at the beginning and ending of this show, unless it is to somehow symbolize the virility and life of the Old South, even though the Confederacy was defeated in the Civil War; and at the end to subtly jab at it. If so, the jab feels far too soft. Why underline this image as desirablerather than make a more direct point about the ongoing presence of antisemitism and racismin a show that is supposed to be about the prejudice and alleged injustice done to a Jewish factory superintendent?

Who Frank was and what he did and didnt do is one of Parades biggest mysteries and problems on stage. As played by Plattin a role he imbues with a steely calm and a singing voice of mellifluous forcehe was a Jew from Brooklyn who understandably felt culturally all at sea running a pencil factory in Georgia, as his first song How Can I Call This Home? makes clear. Though Lucille was also Jewish, the differences between he the phlegmatic Northerner and she a genteel Southerner (with that identity trumping all), seem initially so great as to make one wonder why they are together at all. He seems rude and condescending to his wife.

'Parade.' Joan Marcus

Act one is focused on the piling on of injustice against Frank after Marys death. (For some creative reason, Mary is made to carry a white balloona symbolic prop heavy-handedly implying a LOSS OF INNOCENCEas she wanders around the stage.) She asks for her wages, thanks Frank, and then the action freezes. The show repeats this tableau at the end too, when it also makes clear that Franks case was reopened in 2019.

The show is clarifying rightly that it doesnt know if Leo Frank killed Mary Phagan, but this admission also leaves it materially beached and unsureit plainly doesnt know what kind of wronged hero to make Leo Frank. Platt is also strangely still and passive in the role; his Frank seems more outraged at the greasy food he is served in jail than serving time, or losing his life, for a crime he didnt commit. However, the Tony-winning actor is also lightly, very funny in a role where one might expect laughs to be few precisely because his Frank seems so low-key over this whole situation.

Fortunately for the show, there is an obvious baddie, Hugh Dorsey (Paul Alexander Nolan, only missing a mustache to twirl), a prosecutor who had ultimately successful gubernatorial ambitions, and who sees racist political mileage in going after Frank. Of Newt Lee (Eddie Cooper), an initially arrested suspect, Dorsey says that hanging another Black person aint enough this time. We gotta do better.

Dorsey coerces untrue statements out of the Frank familys Black maid, Minnie (Danielle Lee Greaves), Jim Conley, the factorys Black sweeper (Alex Joseph Grayson), and three girls who claimed that Frank behaved inappropriately with them (Sophia Manicone, Ashlyn Maddox, Emily Rose DeMartino). Much of act two is spent with Lucille and Governor Slaton (Sean Allan Krill) detangling these falsehoods, and then Leo figuring out he really must love Lucille because shes been so resolute in her determination to get him out of jail a relationship trajectory, and late burst of rediscovered love, that feels bizarre.

The musical doesnt know if Leo Frank is guilty, and by holding so close to identifiable bits of injustice he endured it soon exhausts its own emotional and storytelling fuel. It seems also resolutely opposed to playing Leo and Lucille as bigger characters, or investigating their relationship, or their thoughts about the case. Everything obvious you would want a lead character in Parade to express or consider goes unexpressed and unconsidered.

Its very odd that instead of a song, or slice of script, where Platt as Leo details what he wants, or some fervent proclamation of innocence (true, he does say something, very quietly), the most energy Platt expends on stage is playing Frank as the imagined abuser of the three factory girls.

In the almost hilariously ill-conceived number Come Up to My Office, bathed in devilish red light, he goes all-out Billy Flynn detailing the lascivious abuse he was alleged (wrongly) to have done. In this imagined sequence (dreamt up by his antagonists), the up-to-now meek and snippy Frank is transformed into an all-singing, all-dancing comedy devil. Playing journalist Britt Craig, Jay Armstrong Johnson has a similarly high-kicking number about celebrating getting a scoop, which as well as playing to one-note stereotypes of journalists, falls flat for sounding bizarrely emphatic for a character who recedes just as fast into the background.

All the key action is played out on a raised wooden plinth. This makes it easy to see the characters, but it curtails the stage space, with large swathes of it taken up by the other characters observing what is happening for no reason at all. Projections show the real-life humans the main characters are based on, but depending on where you are sitting your view may be blocked by people standing in their way. (For a show that has such a dim view of journalists, it sure uses a lot of projected headlines from stories about the Frank case to illustrate the progression of the case.)

Paul Alexander Nolan, left, and Alex Joseph Grayson in 'Parade.' Joan Marcus

The response to Platt and Diamonds big duet numbers, This Is Not Over Yet and All the Wasted Time, showed that the audience was satisfied to see the Franks come together, but so much is missing in the gaps in between. Was Leo really so benign as his life was being shredded? What was the Frank marriage really like? The musical loads all the emotionally manipulative dice in Franks favor in act one with all of the loathsome Dorseys scheming laid bare, but in court we hear nothing of Franks defense. While his ability to speak was curtailed, his lawyers wasnt. Yet in Parade, you would think that nothing was said on Franks behalf in courtinstead, a bizarre tableau of slo-mo gestures and mouthed words conveys some kind of indistinct courtroom tumult.

What was Lucille thinking during all this? In Parade, she is not accorded any kind of character examination; she just seems determined to help her husband. Did she ever question him, how did she experience the prejudice of the time? What informs her decisionstated at the end of Paradeto stay in Georgia? After everything we have witnessed, that seems quite the decision to take, yet Parade glides past her reasoning.

With Leos bizarrely disengaged passivity, Lucilles stoic zeal, and Dorseys villainy alternately blooming in and out of view, the musical struggles to find energy and focus. Governor Slaton helps a suddenly Jessica Fletcher-ed Lucille, and Stacie Bono as his wife Sally is a welcome, drily comic foil for her husband, reminding him that she married him to do the right thing for the right reasons.

The musical benefits greatly from hers and other individual lifting presenceswhen the factory girls begin their mesmerizing, repetitive dirge implicating Frank, Slaton holds up his hand not just to question their lies, but also mercifully for all of us to hush them, and gets a round of applause for doing so.

Graysons Conley has a chain-gang related Blues song, Feel the Rain Fall, which is beautifully sung. A Rumblin and a Rollin sung by two briefly seen Black servant characters, Riley (Douglas Lyons) and Angela (Courtnee Carter), makes clear that all the expensive legal help Leo is receiving, all the talk of a miscarriage of justice, is never experienced by wrongly accused Black people. The ugliness of antisemitism is crystallized powerfully in Mrs. Phagans (Kelli Barrett) spiteful curdling of the word Jew, directed at Leo, as the jolting end of a mournful aria for her daughter. Platt also delivers a stunning and performance-defining recitation of the Jewish Shma prayer before he dies. Finally, his voice is strong, and the power of the moment is heartbreaking.

However, the musical seems oddly misty-eyed when it comes to the wellspring of prejudice we know today as white supremacy. Cabaret balances all of its lyrical bounce with emphasizing the onward, awful march of Nazism. Parade feels less sure of drawing its dark parallels. Instead of finding a way of making a piercing connection between what Leo Frank endured and the currents of prejudice and bigotry today, we see the return of our young Confederate hunk and the return of those old red hills at the end.

This is clearly intended as the dark underline, and to be subtly damning-meets-ironic. However, the more resonant melody at the end of Parade is a harking back to a past, and Leo and Lucille Frank, as characters on stage rather than real life, are not strong enough counter-presences to its nostalgic swooning. Whatever final critique is being attempted by Leos plaintive stare is lost in the folds of a lush melody that, rather than denouncing a dark past, elevates and embraces it.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The parents of a child allegedly abused by a Johnson County woman have sued the day care she worked for, as well as the school and church associated with the business.

The parents of the child, who is referred to in court documents as E.M., are suing Olivet Baptist Church, Shawnee Mission Christian School and Shawnee Mission Christian School Wee Care for failing to protect their child.

The lawsuit filed in Johnson County District Court March 6 alleges the child was physically harmed by Rachel Schrader, a 25-year-old from Kansas City, Kansas, who was an employee at Shawnee Mission Christian School Wee Care in Mission. Surveillance video captured Schrader kicking, slamming, slapping and shaking babies, according to court documents.

According to the suit, the school, day care and church were made aware of specific instances of abuse in the infant room in December 2020. However, a hidden camera was allegedly not placed in the infant room until late February 2021.

The lawsuit says a coworker notified the day care that she suspected the woman was abusive, and in early March 2021, she told upper management Schrader should not be allowed to work alone in the infant room.

On March 26, Schrader visibly injured another child.

Schrader pleaded guilty on March 9 to physically abusing four children under the age of 1, according to the Johnson County Prosecutors Office. Her next court date is set for May 3.

Prosecutors said Schrader harmed the children at least 170 times from March 2 to March 26 in 2021, in one instance allegedly kicking an infant in the chest after the other teacher left the room.

On another occasion, she was seen violently putting a child on the floor with one arm before kicking him in the head. During another, she kicked, slapped and pushed a baby to the floor while the baby struggled with a bottle before smothering him with a bib for a few seconds. She then allegedly kicked and slammed a child onto the floor until he began to scream and cry.

Story continues

Criminal charges against Schrader specify four different children she allegedly abused.

According to the lawsuit, employees, including Rachel Schrader, committed individual acts of physical abuse on E.M.

No other workers were specifically named in the suit.

Schrader was arrested June 3 and released on bond the following day.

Both the defendants and plaintiffs declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Paris Hilton says she "cried" when she saw herself "honored" on Playboy's "Sex Star of the Year" cover. David Livingston/Getty Images

Paris Hilton never consented to appearing on the cover of Playboy in 2005, according to her memoir.

"No one was terribly surprised to see me on the cover of Playboy," she wrote. "Except me."

Hugh Hefner bought old photos of Hilton for the cover which dubbed her "Sex Star of the Year."

Paris Hilton said she "cried" when she saw herself on the cover of Playboy in 2005 because she never consented to the magazine using photos of her.

As the 42-year-old reality star and businesswoman writes in her recently released autobiography, "Paris: The Memoir," she had turned down a seven-figure offer from late founder and editor-in-chief, Hugh Hefner, but still wound up making the cover anyway.

"Hef really wanted me to do a Playboy cover," Hilton recalled. "He kept offering me more and more money, saying I wouldn't have to be totally naked, just topless. And then saying, I didn't have to be topless, just sheer. And then saying I could wear whatever lingerie I wanted."

"Even when he offered seven figures, I turned it down, because I knew my mom would lose her mind, and because I had already been branded as a slut after the sex tape," she continued. "I felt like a Playboy pictorial would just cement that in people's minds."

Hilton said that, in 2000, when she was living with Playboy bunnies Jennifer Rovero and Nicole Lenz in Los Angeles, and regularly attended parties with them at the Playboy Mansion, Hefner had approached her about being a cover, something she at the time thought "would be awesome."

Paris Hilton, pictured here with Hugh Hefner in 2007, was "surprised" to find herself on the cover of the men's magazine. Denise Truscello/Getty Images

However, her mom Kathy Hilton  who she wrote had also been approached by the magazine when she was a teenager  told her not to do it as she regarded being a Playboy model as "so trashy."

While Hilton listened to her mom, her image did end up appearing on the cover four years later, shortly after she appeared in a Super Bowl commercial for burger chain Carl's Jr., which she writes was "later banned from TV for being too sexy."

"No one was terribly surprised to see me on the cover of Playboy," she wrote. "Except me. I was surprised. And not in a good way."

Story continues

"Hef had 'honored' me with the Sex Star of the Year Award, which means they can claim it's 'news' and not a pictorial," Hilton explained.

"He got a picture from an old test shoot with a woman photographer who was really great. It's kind of an old-school pinup-girl vibe: red bustier and heels, black fishnets, very little actual skin  nothing as sexy as the Carl's Jr. shoot."

"I imagine it sold well because people expected to see me naked inside the magazine," she continued. "Surprise, suckers. They got nothing. Same as me."

In the aftermath of the incident, Hilton remembered that her "parents were pissed, and I cried," but "none of us confronted him, because you just didn't do that."

Representatives for Playboy, which is still in operation but shuttered its print magazine in 2020, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Paris: The Memoir" by Paris Hilton is out now, published by HQ and available everywhere where books are sold.

Read the original article on Insider
Park-Ohio Holdings (NASDAQ:PKOH) Full Year 2022 Results

Key Financial Results

Revenue: US$1.49b (up 3.8% from FY 2021).

Net income: US$10.1m (up from US$24.8m loss in FY 2021).

Profit margin: 0.7% (up from net loss in FY 2021).

EPS: US$0.83 (up from US$2.07 loss in FY 2021).

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

Park-Ohio Holdings Revenues and Earnings Miss Expectations

Revenue missed analyst estimates by 13%. Earnings per share (EPS) also missed analyst estimates by 192%.

Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 7.3% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 4.8% growth forecast for the Machinery industry in the US.

Performance of the American Machinery industry.

The company's shares are down 7.7% from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

You should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Park-Ohio Holdings (including 1 which is significant).

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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The Florida Legislatures sweeping efforts to protect insurance companies and businesses from lawsuits have drawn a variety of opponents: motorcycle riders, accident victims, doctors and even former President Donald J. Trump.

In the last few weeks, two parents whose daughters were murdered during 2018s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting have spoken against it, too.

HB 837, which passed the House of Representatives on Friday, and SB 236 would overhaul the states legal landscape, including making it harder to sue insurance companies and limiting the amount of time someone could file a negligence lawsuit from four years to two.

The bills would also significantly change lawsuits against apartment complexes and other places accused of providing negligent security. When determining how liable such facilities are for damages, juries would have to weigh the role of the perpetrator  such as a shooter  in the incident.

The effect, in short, is that plaintiffs would likely receive less in damages from property owners and operators.

Two Parkland parents told lawmakers this week that the change was wrong.

Agencies that allowed a killer on campus should not be able to avoid responsibility by simply pointing to the criminal, said Damian Loughran, whose 14-year-old daughter Cara was killed during the massacre.

READ MORE: Trump rips DeSantis, calls Florida legislation a bailout for insurance industry

The criminal does not belong on the civil verdict form for a civil jury trial, said Anthony Montalto, whose 14-year-old daughter Gina was also killed.

In other types of negligence lawsuits, juries in Florida arent required to calculate what percentage of damages a criminal is responsible for.

Advocates say the change is needed to protect property owners and stem a rising number of lawsuits.

Property owners and operators are not the insurers of all bad things that may happen on their property by unknown third parties, said Laurette Balinsky, an attorney for insurance companies who also represents the Florida Retail Federation, a business group.

Story continues

The Senate bill sponsor, Sen. Travis Hutson, R-Elkton, said about a dozen other states have similar restrictions. He cited a handful of examples of lawsuits in those states in which juries still found the premises mostly responsible for keeping people safe.

The Senate bill would also absolve property owners of responsibility for criminal acts on their properties if they adopt certain security measures, including security cameras, lighting in public spaces and deadbolts on unit doors.

READ MORE: Florida lawmakers answer to insurance crisis: Make it harder to sue insurers

Lawmakers have been fast-tracking the bills during this years legislative session. On Friday, the House passed it 80-31, with one Republican joining Democrats, and the Senate could approve it next week. Gov. Ron DeSantis said he supports the legislation.

The legislation is a top priority of House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, who said Friday that lawmakers have tried to be fair to Floridians while eliminating frivolous lawsuits.

But its drawn a wide variety of opponents, including Trump, who on Thursday blasted DeSantis on social media for what he called a bailout of insurance companies and the worst Insurance Scam in the entire Country! Some GOP lawmakers have voted against it, too.

In committees, the Parkland parents were also joined by human trafficking victims, who said they were raped in motels and apartment complexes in Jacksonville when they were as young as 12.

It was obvious that I was being victimized, but the people managing those properties did nothing, said Tatiana Yoguez, 33. With this new bill, these people would get off the hook from their responsibilities to maintain awareness and keep a safe environment.
The provision of Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets by international partners will strengthen Ukraine's defence capabilities, but will not protect our state from Russian aerial terror.

Source: Yurii Ihnat, Spokesperson of the Air Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on air of the national 24/7 news broadcast

Quote: "This will strengthen our capabilities. The aircrafts perform a number of functions: patrolling the airspace of Ukraine [and] fighter cover (cover strike groups of attack aircraft and bombers); MiG-29 aircraft also strike the enemy's air defence systems with HARM anti-radar missiles and, during large-scale missile attacks, try to intercept cruise missiles, and Shahed kamikaze drones.

But I will immediately point out that the Soviet equipment we have in service, namely the MiGs, is not an effective weapon against the terror weapons. Their outdated missiles, radars, and airborne radar stations cannot be very effective."

Previously: As the Ukrainian Air Force explained, Ukraine desperately needs modern, multi-purpose Western-made jets like the F-16s in order to secure the victory over Russia.

Background: The Slovak government decided on 17 March to transfer 13 MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine, a day after Polish President Andrzej Duda announced the transfer of four MiG-29s to Ukraine in the coming days.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
A months-long Adderall shortage is affecting pharmacies and patients in our area.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced this month that there is an increased demand for the prescription drug.

9 Investigates: Adderall addiction becoming growing problem

We have patients who would get it mail ordered, routinely, and cant get it that avenue anymore, said Joe Moose, co-owner of Moose Pharmacy. We have patients that say, My pharmacy cant get it.

Moose said there have been some scenarios where he ordered 10 bottles of Adderall and only two were delivered because of the shortage.

Numbers from health data company Trilliant Health show Adderall prescriptions for adults ages 22 to 44 went up more than 15% between spring 2020 and 2021.

Thats more than double the increase seen the year prior.

I think the access has increased in telehealth and Covid came, Moose said. It brought along on telehealth so its easier for people to get appointments. Its easier to get with a prescriber who would potentially prescribe this.

If your pharmacy is out of stock, Moose said you should:

Ask your prescriber or pharmacist about potential alternatives

Reach out to other pharmacies to check their stock

Plan ahead if you see youre getting low

The FDA said drug shortages happen for multiple reasons, which include manufacturing and quality problems, discontinuations, and delays.

Manufacturers provide most drug shortage information to the FDA and work closely with the agency to lower the impact of those shortages.

Resident Christine Echalar said her Adderall prescription was a helpful tool during her college years.

Just for focusing when I was in school. Just to make sure that I was paying attention and getting all my work done, Echalar said.

LINK: Current and Resolved Drug Shortages and Discontinuations Reported to FDA

Echalar said she sporadically takes Adderall now but knows its affecting patients five months after the FDA announced a national shortage.

I know a lot of my friends that are prescribed it having trouble with focusing on work and figuring out how to keep their lives on track and keep focused, she said.

VIDEO: Controlling your Costs: Saving money on prescriptions
Courtesy of SXSW

The older we get, the fewer first kisses we have. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing: Many of us aspire to find that one true love, sticking with them til death do us part. But what if there isnt just one? Or worse, what if the one weve settled for isnt actually the love we want or need after all?

These questions drive Peak Season, which premiered at SXSW over the weekend. Its a rom-com that ends in tears, and a melancholic love story with a lot of laughs. That seems to be the point of co-directors/writers Steven Kanter and Henry Loevners script, which feels alive in ways many recent films about love dont. Between the gorgeously considered shots of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where Peak Season takes place, and the small details defining each character, the film is a breath of fresh, high-altitude air.

Amy (Claudia Restrepo) and her fiance Max (Ben Coleman) arrive at Maxs familys giant vacation home in Jackson Hole with every intention of relaxing. Amy recently quit an unfulfilling consultancy job, much to Maxs chagrin; Max is a high-powered exec in a supply chain management company that commands all of his attention, so he cant imagine a life without work. Still, the pair seem happy, even as Amy dreads wedding planning and catching up with her future in-laws friends.

Those friends, who have retired to the resort town like myriad other obscenely rich white people, set Amy and Max up with fishing lessons as a gift. Loren (Derrick DeBlasis) is beloved around these parts for offering all kinds of outdoorsy services, from rock climbing tutorials to landscaping to teaching vacationers how to fly fish. Still, hes barely scraping by, living in his car with his dog and showering with a hose.

Problemista: Julio Torres and Tilda Swinton Spin Wackiness Into Hilarious Beauty

When work takes Max away from the vacation almost as soon as it starts, Amy decides to strike it out alone on that fishing lesson. She and Loren bond instantly over their similar senses of humor, love of the unbelievably beautiful nature, and uncertainty about their lives purposes.

Story continues

Its inevitable that Loren and Amy will fall for each other, but its delightful to watch them do so. Theirs is a slow-burning relationship built over dates to the rodeo and backyard parties with Lorens friends. He takes her on hikes Max would never bother with; she opens up to him about her doubts around her relationship, itself born of post-grad inevitabilities. Their conversations are genuine, full not of flirtatious glances or asides but subtle twinges of feeling. Its the kind of romance that both know cant happenAmy is not only in Jackson on vacation; shes also engagedbut their eyes betray the irrational hope they still have for a future together.

All of this works because of Restrepo and DeBlasis instant, natural chemistry. Restrepo is especially excellent as a woman caught between two imperfect options, always hilarious while still full of self-doubt. Amy puts on weird little voices with Max as an inside joke, and she hits Loren with lovingly snarky barbs at his lifestyle. But she also challenges both Loren and herself to question why they are stuck in the places theyre stuck in: Amy left her consultancy job, but she hasnt left her career. Lorens friends are moving out of Jackson, but he cant bear to give up his lifestyle.

Kanter and Loevner shoot these conversations with an unflinching and affecting grip. In prioritizing these thoughtful sit-downs, Peak Season is reminiscent of movies like Richard Linklaters Before trilogy, stories that similarly challenge romance conventions to prioritize more intellectual relationship-building. The lack of theatrics also allows the beauty of the town to shine through; Loren and Amys emotional affair blossoms beneath blue skies and jagged rocks, which theyre always sure to point out.

Inside the Outrageously Twisted Mind of Eric Andre

Also top of mind is the class dynamic that brought Amy to Loren to begin with. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Amy openly admits to feeling awkward about staying in a huge house with her rich fiance. But Loren, who has lived a vagabond lifestyle for 15 years, can both appreciate and see through it; Amy is as much a willing beneficiary of her expensive connections as she is a critical one. Shes certainly not complaining about staying in a house alone with multiple bathrooms and bedrooms and a housekeeper. (The pair of Spanish speakers greet each other early on, an establishing scene that quickly tells us Amy is different from her chosen family.)

But what brings Amy and Loren together will also be what drives them apart. Peak Season is sure not to demonize Max, instead giving us moments where Amys love for him comes through clearly too. He may be work-pilled, but Max isnt heartless. Still, its hard not to root for Team Loren after watching them together. This difficult love triangle tugs at our heartstrings as much as Amy and Lorens, thanks to Restrepo and DeBlasis lived-in performances.

No one left the theater with a dry eye at the end of Peak Seasonand all of us hoped to find our vacation boyfriend one day too, to chase that feeling of being alive that only a consummated crush can bring. Parting is, indeed, such sweet sorrow.

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Japan urged to address intl concern over radioactive wastewater dump

By Chen Qingqing and Zhang Changyue (Global Times) 09:21, March 17, 2023

Japan plans to dump nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the sea despite widening international concerns. Among others, the US has endorsed Japan's decision regardless of the possible havoc. Editor: Feng Qingyin/GT Graphic: Xu Zihe/GT

Chinese officials, experts and industry representatives from Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) have voiced growing common concerns over Japan's unilateral decision to discharge nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster into the Pacific Ocean. China, along with Russia, has presented a joint list of technical questions to Japan in November 2022, but the Japanese side has failed to answer either by distorting concepts, evading the crucial part or even refusing to talk about the matter, Chinese officials said.

Japan has made the decision in total disregard of the concerns and interests of people from China and other countries around the world, and we cannot neglect the harm caused by the dump, Sun Xiaobo, director-general of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a panel discussion held by the China Public Diplomacy Association on Thursday in Beijing.

An initial assessment shows that the nuclear-contaminated wastewater contains more than 60 radionuclides including tritium. Some long-life radionuclides may spread in the ocean currents and have a bio-concentration effect, causing unpredictable harm to the marine environment, Sun noted.

"The Japanese government should respond to the concerns of the international community and discharge the nuclear-contaminated wastewater in a responsible manner that is consistent with its international obligations," the Chinese official said.

The Japanese government is looking to begin releasing the nuclear-contaminated wastewater sometime this spring or summer, with operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc (TEPCO) asserting that the many large tanks holding treated water are obstructing work to decommission the defunct reactors, the Japan Today reported on Tuesday.

China has presented two lists of technical questions to the Japanese government, the second being a question list submitted jointly by China and Russia, Sun said.

The Global Times learned that there are a total of 36 questions on the joint list, including questions about nuclear-contaminated wastewater disposal and a radiological impact assessment report regarding the discharge of Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) Treated Water into the sea.

Also, Chinese and Russian experts have studied most of the answers to the first list of questions from Japan dated July 20, 2022, and they believe that the Japanese side has failed to answer questions either by distorting concepts, evading the crucial parts or even refusing to talk about the matter.

For example, while the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not reached a final conclusion, the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) of Japan has approved the construction of dilution and discharge facilities for nuclear-contaminated water, which is a clear indication that the Japanese side has not seriously taken the review results of the IAEA Task Force as the basis for making its decision.

"Japan's discharge of the nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean is just like releasing a giant, like a Godzilla, into the Pacific Ocean, which will definitely bring serious risk and danger to people around the world as well as the environment of the ocean," Li Chijiang, secretary general of the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association, told the panel.

It is well known that TEPCO has previously tampered with or fabricated data as well as hidden the truth,so the international community has enough reason to doubt and suspect the accuracy and reliability of the data related to the nuclear-contaminated water, Li noted.

"Many international experts believe that the independence and the verified variability of the data related to discharge are not satisfactory," he said.

As the discharge plan will impact countries on a broader scale, officials and experts from countries such as New Zealand and Papua New Guinea also voiced serious concerns.

"The nuclear waste as stated by the company is harmless. Why can't Japan utilize the water on their own land if they say it's safe? Why should we be the victims of circumstance for super powers who use these methods to improve their lives," Jelta Wong, Papua New Guinea's Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources, told the Global Times via email on Thursday.

"Also, the scientific data is sketchy. On one hand they are saying that the radiation will not be fully eradicated. This means that some marine life can be affected. We all know that fish and marine life populate more than any other animal. Are we willing to take that risk? Short answer is no," Wong said.

Those who profit from nuclear technologies are responsible for managing the waste, rather than simply passing on the nuclear waste management responsibility to Indigenous peoples and others that are less geopolitically powerful, Dr Karly Burch, a sociology lecturer from the University of Auckland who has been studying the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster for the past 12 years, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

On whether China would consider suing Japan at international court for dumping the wastewater, Sun said "we would like to see we don't have to go to that."

"It's very important for the Japanese government to listen to the concerns voiced by China, PICs and to make these decisions with the utmost prudence and not start the discharge of contaminated wastewater in the ocean unless all stakeholders, all neighboring countries are fully convinced that this is a safe revival plan," Sun told the Global Times on Thursday.

Japan's unilateral decision to discharge the nuclear-contaminated wastewater will bring damage and have a negative influence on the marine environment, which violates international law, and such a move could be considered an action backed by the country and they should take national responsibility, Chinese experts said.

"If indeed the Japanese government pushes forward with this plan, then we have to take what actions we need to take to prevent environmental disaster or foreseeable consequences," Sun said.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
(CNN)  Tropical Cyclone Freddy has killed at least 326 people after it ripped through southern Malawi, the country's Department of Disaster Management Affairs told CNN Thursday.

The resulting devastation has left survivors trapped and fighting for survival.

Chilobwe, one of the hardest-hit areas, is a township near the city of Blantyre. Located below a hill, the township saw water gushing down from above on Sunday night.

Authorities say over 30 people from the area have died and dozens remain missing as search and rescue efforts continue.

People could be seen on Monday using shovels, even bare hands, to search for the people in the rubble.

'Everything is gone'

Dorothy Wachepa, 39, was sleeping when she woke up to a deafening noise "resembling the sound of an airplane."

"It was around 12 and I heard the sound accompanied by shouting from people upland," the mother of four told CNN.

What followed was a torrent of muddy water, accompanied by rocks and trees, sliding down the mountain. All her possessions were washed away.

"Everything is gone. I was doing a small-scale business selling vegetables because my husband died in 2014. I've been supporting the children from the little that I have," she added.

Wachepa said she and her children were lucky to make it out of the house alive.

A total of nine people, including Wachepa's neighbor and a number of local children, died in the cyclone-induced rains, she told CNN.

Wachepa is one of dozens of people seeking shelter at a local church. She has been left with only a sheet to cover herself and her children from the windy and cold nights.

"We've received some blankets and plastic sheets today, so hopefully tonight we will manage to sleep," Wachepa said.

'I don't know what to do now'

Sarah Chinangwa, 25, could not hide her tears as she recounted how six of her loved ones were killed on Sunday night.

"My brother and his two children were asleep when the water came. I live close to them, and I tried to shout for them to come out," she said.

"They came out and stood at a rock which was at a higher place, but moments later they were all washed away," she said, adding that her own house was destroyed. "I don't know what to do now."

The Malawi Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change said Tuesday that the cyclone was "weakening but will continue to cause torrential rains associated with windy conditions in most parts of Southern Malawi districts."

"The threat of heavy flooding and damaging winds remains very high," the report added.

Zero visibility

Charles Kalemba, a commissioner for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs agency, told CNN Tuesday that the situation had worsened in southern Malawi.

"It's worse today. A number of places are flooding and a number of roads and bridges are cut. Visibility is almost zero. Electricity is off and also network is a problem. It's becoming more and more dire," Kalemba said, adding that rescue operations have also been affected by poor weather.

"It's tough. We need to use machinery (for rescue operations) but machines cannot go to places where they were supposed to excavate because of the rains," Kalemba added.

Malawi's Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services warned Monday that "the threat of damaging winds and heavy flooding remains very high."

Kalemba added that an improvement in weather was expected from Wednesday. "Possibly by tomorrow, the cyclone may have passed. We are hoping to see improvement from tomorrow but today is worse. There are heavy rains and lots of water."

In Mozambique, at least 10 people were killed and 13 injured in the Zambezia province, according to state broadcaster Radio Mozambique, citing the National Institute of Disaster Risk Management.

The deadly cyclone has broken records for the longest-lasting storm of its kind after making landfall in Mozambique for a second time, more than two weeks after the first.

More than 22,000 people have been displaced by the tropical storm, according to Radio Mozambique.

"It's quite likely that number will go up," Guy Taylor, chief of advocacy, communications and partnerships for UNICEF in Mozambique, told CNN Tuesday.

"The size or the strength of the storm was much higher than the last time ... the impact in terms of damage and the impact on people's lives has been more substantial," he said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Cyclone Freddy survivors dig with bare hands for victims as death toll reaches 326."
Leah Millis/Reuters

Mike Pence is digging in his heels on a so-called joke about Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg he delivered during a black-tie dinner in Washington, D.C., last weekend.

The former vice president came under fire after remarking on Buttigiegs decision to take two months of maternity leave to look after his newborn twins shortly after he and his husband adopted them in 2021.

On Thursday, Pence spoke to reporters about the crack during an appearance at the Cheshire County Republican dinner in New Hampshire.

The Gridiron Dinner is a roast. I had a lot of jokes directed to me, and I directed a lot of jokes to Republicans and Democrats, he insisted, according to the Associated Press.

The only thing I can figure is Pete Buttigieg not only cant do his job, but he cant take a joke.

Pences original quip targeted the transportation secretary for taking leave as thousands of travelers were stranded in airports, the air traffic system shut down, and airplanes nearly collided on our runways, he said at the Saturday night event.

The punchline? Pete is the only person in human history to have a child and everyone else gets postpartum depression.

Team Pence Shrugs Off White House Fury After Homophobic Buttigieg Jokes

Condemnation from the White House followed, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre demanding Pence apologize to women and the LGBTQ+ community for his offensive and inappropriate comments. Buttigiegs husband, Chasten Buttigieg, took to Twitter on Monday to address Trumps ex-No. 2 directly, asking him, If your grandchild was born prematurely and placed on a ventilator at two months oldtheir tiny fingers wrapped around yours as the monitors beep in the backgroundwhere would you be?

To his post, Chasten attached a photo of his husband in the hospital with one of their children last fall. The twins faced early health struggles after a premature birth, developing the respiratory virus RSV, leading one to be hospitalized and intubated after his condition worsened. Both children have since made a full recovery.

Story continues

Chasten had more to say about Pence on Thursday. In an appearance on The View, the 33-year-old said his family hadnt heard from the former vice presidentnor did they expect to.

No, and I think its not woke, you know, to say that something is homophobic or misogynistic. Doesnt make you woke. It doesnt make you a snowflake to tell someone they made a mistake, he said.

As to why he tweeted at Pence, he explained, I spoke up because we all have an obligation to hold people accountable for when they say something wrong, especially when its misogynistic, especially when its homophobic, and I just dont take that when its towards my family, and I dont think anyone else would, especially when you bring a very small, medically-fragile child into it.

.@Chasten Buttigieg responds to what the White House called a "homophobic joke" made by former Vice Pres. Pence aimed at his husband @SecretaryPete for taking paternity leave: "It flies in the face of what he says he is  he says he's a 'family values' Republican." pic.twitter.com/SDYTPen905  The View (@TheView) March 16, 2023

Chasten also accused Pence of hypocrisy, saying, He says hes a family-values Republican. So I dont think he's practicing what he preaches here.

Pete Buttigieg himself has remained decidedly more muted in his response, telling ABC News on Monday that he would let others speak to whether he was owed an apology.

Its a strange thing to me because the last time I saw him, he asked me about my kids like a normal person would, Buttigieg continued. I guess, you know, at a political event in white tie, its a little different.

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Former Vice President Mike Pence said former President Trump should decide for himself whether to drop out of the 2024 presidential race if he is indicted for charges.

Pence chose not to call on Trump to drop out if charges are filed against him while the former vice president was visiting New Hampshire, Politico reported Thursday.

Look, its a free country. Everybody can make their own decisions, he said.

Pences comments come as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg appears to be close to potentially be filing charges against Trump for hush-money payments that were made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the leadup to the 2016 presidential election.

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen paid Daniels in exchange for her silence about an affair she had with Trump. Trump later reimbursed Cohen for the payment, and the Trump Organization declared it to be a legal expense.

Cohen pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including one for campaign finance violations stemming from the payment. Trump has admitted to reimbursing Cohen for the payment but said it was not related to his campaign.

Trump has said himself that he wont even think about dropping out if he is indicted.

Pence, who has indicated he is considering a 2024 bid that would have him face off against Trump, remained loyal to Trump throughout most of his vice presidency, but the two had a falling out after Pence refused Trumps calls to not certify President Bidens victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Pence has insisted that he did not have the authority to reject any electoral votes from being counted in his capacity as president of the Senate and only had a ceremonial role in counting the votes on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump has slammed Pence for not rejecting the ballots.

Pence has more recently stepped up his criticism of Trump after at times moderating his attacks on the former president. He said at the annual Gridiron Dinner on Saturday that history would hold Trump accountable for his role in what happened during the Jan. 6 insurrection and said Trumps words before the riot endangered Pences family and everyone at the Capitol.

Story continues

Trump argued while traveling on his personal plane to a campaign event in Iowa on Monday that Pence himself was responsible for what happened during the attack, saying that Pences refusal to reject the votes from the key states that clinched Bidens victory led to the violence.

Had he sent them back to Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, the states, I believe, No. 1, you have had a different outcome. But I also believe you wouldnt have had Jan. 6 as we call it, Trump said.

Politico reported that Pence reiterated that he did not have the power to overturn the election again while in New Hampshire.

I know our former president has said I had the right to overturn the election, but Donald Trump is wrong, he said. I had no right to overturn the election. The presidency belongs to the American people, and the American people alone.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
KEENE, N.H.  Mike Pence is declining to call on Donald Trump to drop out of the presidential race if, as expected, the former president is indicted next week.

Instead, Pence said on Thursday, the decision is Trumps to make.

Look, its a free country. Everybody can make their own decisions, Trumps former No. 2 told reporters in New Hampshire, before turning back to his own 2024 ruminations.

The pass from Pence comes as he ramps up criticism of his former boss on other matters. And it suggests that Trumps major competitors in the 2024 GOP presidential primary will try to steer clear of his mounting legal problems.

But Pence kept up the harsher criticism of Trumps actions on Jan. 6, 2021, that he delivered at the recent Gridiron dinner in Washington , in which he said history would hold the former president accountable for the riot.

Trump lashed out at the assertion during a campaign event in Iowa earlier this week and sought to shift blame for Jan. 6 onto Pence. But Pence parried back on Thursday in New Hampshire.

I know our former president has said I had the right to overturn the election, but Donald Trump is wrong, Pence said. I had no right to overturn the election. The presidency belongs to the American people, and the American people alone.

He also continued to push back against another potential rival, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, for calling Russias invasion of Ukraine a territorial dispute  though he didnt use his name.

Let me be very clear: The Russian invasion is not a territorial dispute. It was an act of unprovoked aggression against a sovereign nation. And it must be met with American strength, Pence said. But, he added to applause, we should not send service members into harms way in Ukraine.

Pences appearance at the Cheshire County Republican dinner marked his first trip this year back to the first-in-the-nation GOP primary state.
Netflix's

Netflix's "You."

Penn Badgley isnt quite ready to let go of You just yet.

Though Netflix hasnt announced any plans to renew the stalker-narrated murder drama for a fifth season, Badgley  who stars as the hit shows twisted protagonist  recently hinted that the sultry killer could once again return to the streamer.

It feels to me like we need to do another season. It feels to me like Joe [Goldberg] needs to get whats coming to him, and now he has further to fall because he has all this power and wealth, he told IndieWire in a story that was published Friday.

But of course, thats not up to me. I dont know where its going. But to me, with this concept and with this character, we always wanted to be responsible, Badgley continued.

Its not just the kind of thing we can let keep going because its doing well, the 36-year-old star added.

In Season 4, Joe, now residing more than 3,000 miles away from New York in the U.K. under the alias of professor Jonathan Moore, tries every effort to bury the past after he fled the country to pursue his love, Marienne.

In a recent conversation with British GQ, the actor got candid about wanting a grand finale for the dark, thriller suspense series after Joe slaughtered his way through London in the shows latest season.

I know what Greg pitched me a few years back as what he thought was the right way to end, he said. If theres another one, its going to be, I think, a grand finale.

The creepy serial killer show first premiered on Lifetime in 2018, then gained a massive following after moving to Netflix the following year.

Though theres no word on the shows potential fifth season, fans can get a dose of Joes love-driven sociopathic escapades in the upcoming novel For You and Only You written by New York Times bestselling author Caroline Kepnes.

Netflixs thriller series You is based on Kepnes books. The novel follows the charmingly dangerous leading man to the hallowed halls of Harvard, where he earns a coveted place in a writing fellowship . . . and leaves crimson in his wake, according to the books official synopsis.

Story continues

For You and Only You will be available on April 25.

Check out all four seasons of You on Netflix.

Related...
If you bought a Powerball ticket in Bradford County last year, a $100,000 prize may be yours. The ticket was sold in the April 18, 2022 lottery, and the winner must file a prize claim by the end of business day April 18.

The unclaimed ticket was purchased from Dandy Mini Mart at 44 Golden Mile Road in Towanda, according to a March 17 press release from the Pennsylvania Lottery. The ticket matched four of the five white balls drawn, which were 8, 33, 55, 59 and 62, along with the red Powerball 18.

By law, unclaimed, expired lottery prizes remain in the Lottery Fund and are used to support programs benefiting older Pennsylvanians, the Pennsylvania Lottery press release said. Although some lotteries give players only 90 or 180 days to claim a prize, Pennsylvania Lottery draw game prizes may be claimed on a business day up to one year from the drawing date.

Tickets should be signed immediately, the state lottery office advises, and players can check their tickets at retailers using self-service scanners or through the Pennsylvania Lottery app.

Indiana County win

A lucky lottery player from Indiana County won a prize of $115,601.50 recently playing the online game Jungle Tumble Jackpots, according to another March 17 press release from the Pennsylvania Lottery.

Jungle Tumble Jackpots features a connect-style internet instant game with three progressive jackpots, the lottery stated. Game play features a chance to unlock five free games, a chance to multiply any prize won up to five times, and a chance to activate two different bonus games.

Online games can be played on a computer, tablet or cell phone. You can also view winning numbers online.

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month, and Pennsylvania players looking to limit their gambling can set budgets online, schedule a cool-off period or self-exclude from online games.

If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling, help is available in Pennsylvania at 1-800-426-2537 or online at pacouncil.com.
Editors note: This article was first published in the Colorado Newsline.

Battered by years of criticism from U.S. lawmakers and environmental advocates, the Department of Defense will stop purchasing PFAS-containing firefighting foam later this year and phase it out entirely in 2024.

The replacement for Aqueous Film Forming Foam has yet to be determined, and advocates are frustrated its taken so long to halt the use of a product containing a forever chemical that at high levels of exposure may lead to increased risks for cancer, among other effects. The pace of cleanup at potentially contaminated military installations and nearby communities also has come under scrutiny by Congress.

The Defense Department began searching for a fire suppressant that was more effective than water after a horrific fire aboard the USS Forrestal in 1967 killed 134 sailors and injured 161.

The answer turned out to be a highly effective firefighting foam containing PFAS  that the Pentagon and other federal agencies like the Forest Service now are struggling to find a substitute for, given the foams host of potential health and environmental problems.

The federal governments widespread use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are especially strong and dont break down naturally, has spurred concerns for decades. PFAS are used in hundreds of products where resisting heat or repelling water is especially important. That has made them ubiquitous in household items like nonstick pans as well as larger, more industrial applications like firefighting foam.

The problem with PFAS is its a highly effective fire remedy. The other problem, of course, is its indestructible, House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Ken Calvert, R-Calif., told States Newsroom. So we need to find a solution. We need to find a replacement. Its been a lot harder than expected, but theyre working on it.

Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, a former U.S. Army officer and a member of the Armed Services Committee, said there are concerns about how exactly the Defense Department is phasing out PFAS and if the replacements will be as good as the firefighting foam it uses now.

Story continues

But, she said, the Pentagon needs to ensure its use of PFAS isnt causing health impacts for people on or near military installations. The Pentagon has identified more than 700 installations where PFAS could have leached into the soil or groundwater, and begun testing to determine how extensive any contamination may be. Testing and cleanup costs are expected to mount into the billions.

Its still used broadly by a lot of the firefighting units that exist across the DOD. And we dont have a replacement, so that is a huge concern, Ernst said. We need to have the capability of suppressing fires, fighting fires, and until we have a replacement, well have to make do.

While the Forest Service, commercial airports and fire departments also use the fire-suppressing foam that contains PFAS, the U.S. militarys choice of a replacement in the coming months will likely have tremendous influence on what other agencies do.

Fire fighters still use foam to put out petroleum fires like this one at an ExxonMobil petroleum storage facility in 2003 in New York City. The foam can contain polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, which are known as forever chemicals because they dont break down easily and have contaminated ground water. (Photo by Mike Hvozda/USCG/Getty Images)

Decades of warnings

The Pentagon had plenty of notice there was a problem with its firefighting foam.

In the 1990s, after years of use, chemical companies issued health notices about the PFAS-containing firefighting foam, triggering initial reviews of the chemical, according to congressional testimony from Richard Kidd, deputy assistant secretary of defense for environment and energy resilience.

Kidd told the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that it wasnt until 2016 the Defense Department had a final health advisory from the EPA we were able to take measurable actions.

But, Michael Roark, deputy inspector general for evaluations at the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, noted that in 2011 the Defense Department issued a risk alert saying the PFAS-containing firefighting foam contained chemicals that presented a risk to human health and environmental risks that requires special handling and disposal.

That inspector general report on the 2011 risk alert notes the Defense Department was not taking action to regulate or reduce the use of PFAS at that time.

As a result, people and the environment may have been exposed to preventable risks from PFAS containing AFFF, the IG report said.

Congress told the Defense Department in the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act to phase out firefighting foam that contains PFAS, but gave the agency years to do it, seeking to balance environmental health and drinking water exposure concerns with the safety of service members fighting fires, according to a U.S. Senate aide, speaking on background.

Effective at extinguishing fires

PFAS-containing firefighting foams have been highly effective for extinguishing high-heat liquid fuel fires because of their useful and unique chemical properties.

The carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest in chemistry.

Its the strongest bond you can make to carbon, and so that makes the molecules very persistent, said Ryan Sullivan, a chemistry professor and associate director of the Institute for Green Science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

The man-made chemicals  in which fluorine atoms have been bonded to carbon atoms  are really surface active, meaning they spread quickly across a surface and create a film to interrupt the fuel source feeding the fire.

If you can quickly coat the surface of, say, the (liquid) thats burning or the forest fire with something that doesnt burn and prevents oxygen from getting to the fire, you shut off the fire, said Sullivan, who began researching PFAS chemicals in 2000.

A cup full of single-use, ion-exchange, gel-based media sits atop valves that control a ground water remediation system being used to remediate polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from groundwater at the fire training area of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio on Sept. 29, 2020. Air Force personnel from the 88th Air Base Wing Civil Engineer Group are leading the pilot study of new remediation techniques that can remove and destroy the PFAS. (Ty Greenlees/Air Force)

Contamination near military bases

While the Pentagon has phased out the foam for training to reduce exposure, its still present in airplane hanger sprinklers, Navy ships and submarines. Its only used if theres an aircraft fire or a plane crash, according to the U.S. Senate aide.

The Defense Department has to report to Congress anytime the foam is accidentally spilled, though decades of PFAS use, in the firefighting foam and other products, has already contaminated military bases and the surrounding communities.

Congress has also placed language in more than one of the annual defense policy bills, calling for the Defense Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct a human health assessment.

New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said after securing language in the fiscal 2018 defense policy bill for the first nationwide study on the chemicals impact on drinking water that it was completely unacceptable that parents in our community, and those in affected communities across the nation, have to worry about the safety of their childrens drinking water because of this contamination.

That led the CDC to begin tracking PFAS contamination near several military sites, including in Berkeley County, West Virginia, near Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base; El Paso County, Colorado, near Peterson Air Force Base; Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, near Eielson Air Force Base; Hampden County, Massachusetts, near Barnes Air National Guard Base; Lubbock County, Texas, near Reese Technology Center; Orange County, New York, near Stewart Air National Guard Base; New Castle County, Delaware, near New Castle Air National Guard Base; and Spokane County, Washington, near Fairchild Air Force Base.

Results showed that residents living in several of those communities had higher blood levels of certain PFAS chemicals compared to PFAS blood levels nationwide.

The report, released in September, revealed that residents blood in Airway Heights, Washington, presented significantly higher levels of two types of PFAS chemicals when compared to national levels, and to the other communities tested. Airway Heights sits in close proximity to the runways at Fairchild Air Force Base and Spokane International Airport.

Early phases of investigation

As of July 2022, the Defense Department had completed preliminary assessments at 476 of the 700 sites determined to have possible PFAS spread, with preparations for cleanup underway at 144 sites, according to a Defense Department report.

Testing and cleanup will cost at least $2.1 billion more than the $1.1 billion the Pentagons already spent, according to a report to the Government Accountability Office, a watchdog agency.

These costs will likely increase significantly, because DOD is still in the early phases of its PFAS investigation, the GAO wrote.

Senate Defense Appropriations Chair Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, said he hopes the Pentagon moves quickly to phase out PFAS wherever it can, noting its a problem in polluting the water and causing cancer.

Its a good thing for the military too, because the base cleanup is expensive as st, Tester added.

Minnesota Democratic Rep. Betty McCollum, ranking member on the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, said in a written statement she plans to focus on PFAS remediation, cleanup and destruction technology during the upcoming government funding cycle.

PFAS is linked to thyroid disease, cancer, and birth defects, among other serious diseases, McCollum said. Its clear this is a very serious issue that must be addressed to keep people healthy and safe.

The funding Congress has approved so far, McCollum said, has led the Pentagon to move toward phasing out firefighting foams, which she called one of the most significant uses of PFAS.

The DOD must work with the EPA to control these substances similar to the way they do with nuclear waste, McCollum said. In very rare instances, some PFAS products will need to continue to be used in the short term until alternatives exist  for example, those with national security implications like critical microelectronic production.

The Environmental Working Group, one of the main advocacy organizations tracking the cleanup effort, has criticized the Defense Department for moving slowly.

In most cases, they are not even at the point where theyre hiring someone to do the cleanup, said Melanie Benesh, the organizations vice president for government affairs.

Potential risks of PFAS exposure

Scientists and advocates have been sounding the alarm for decades on the potential health impacts of PFAS.

The U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry warns studies indicate human exposure to high levels of PFAS may lead to increased cholesterol, increased risk of kidney and testicular cancers, increased risk of high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia during pregnancy, low birth weight, changes in liver enzymes, and decreased vaccine response in children.

Additional research may change our understanding of the relationship between exposure to PFAS and human health effects, the agency states on its webpage.

As a requirement of the fiscal 2020 defense policy bill, the military in 2021 began testing PFAS levels in the blood of its firefighters during annual exams.

Attention to PFAS, beyond just military bases, has accelerated in recent years.

More than a dozen government agencies allocated just over $250 million on research and development related to PFAS chemicals between 2019 and 2022, according to an interagency report mandated by the 2021 defense policy bill.

The bipartisan infrastructure law, enacted in 2021, allocates $5 billion in grants and resources for small and disadvantaged communities to tackle PFAS contamination in drinking water.

The EPA on March 14 proposed new standards for six types of PFAS chemicals in drinking water.

If finalized, the agency will regulate PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic Acid) and PFOS (Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) to a level of four parts per trillion  the level at which those chemicals can be reliably detected  in public drinking water systems.

The rule proposes limits in public drinking water on any mixture of four other specific PFAS chemicals, including types under the brand name GenX, manufactured by the North Carolina-based company Chemours as a replacement for PFOA.

The company, a spin-off of DuPont, touts the effectiveness of its GenX chemicals in the defense, energy and technology sectors, particularly in the production of semiconductor chips  an industry crucial for the technology supply chain and the target of potentially hundreds of billions of dollars in government subsidies and research grants.

Alternative firefighting foam

In January, the Pentagon released new requirements for PFAS-free firefighting foam.

The department has until October to ensure theres an alternative foam on the market that meets the new performance standards and to stop buying any PFAS-containing foams. It then has one additional year, until October 2024, to stop using them entirely.

The Pentagon, however, hasnt yet released a list of PFAS-free fire-suppressing foams.

The Naval Sea Systems Command is in the process of reviewing applications from PFAS-free foam manufacturers. Any approved candidates will need to undergo various inspections, tests, and evaluations to determine if the product meets the specification, according to Kelly Flynn, spokesperson for the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

The process is expected to take up to 120 days.

The Pentagons two programs tasked with researching the alternatives have conducted rigorous research and demonstration testing for viable PFAS-free solutions, including some non-foam alternatives.

There are many viable alternatives for replacing AFFF, however, no single technology is suitable for every situation. The Department continues to evaluate all available technologies to find the best fit for each mission need and level of risk, Flynn said.

PFAS-free firefighting foam has been on the market for decades and several countries have put it to use extinguishing jet fuel blazes at major international airports, including Australias Sydney Airport, Dubai International in the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdoms London Heathrow airport and several European hubs, according to a 2020 report from the European Chemicals Agency.

Several U.S. states have passed or proposed prohibitions on foam that still contains PFAS. Hawaii banned it last year, and bills in the Alaska and Minnesota state legislatures would strictly regulate or outlaw the use of such foams, though with some exceptions.

At the federal level more decisions  for example, what firefighting foams are used by the Federal Aviation Administration  hinge on the Defense Departments decision.

The FAA has until July to develop a plan to transition from the PFAS-containing foam now that the Pentagon has updated its specifications, according to the House and Senate reports that accompanied Congress latest funding law.

Were waiting to see their list (of alternatives), said Benesh, from The Environmental Working Group.

There are well over 100 foams that are considered good for Class B fires  these high-heat, jet-fuel based (fires)  that are used at airports and fire stations all over the world and have been in development for a long time, Benesh said. Not all of those hundreds of foams will meet the new military standard, but certainly a number of them will.
Marking the first day of spring and the renewal of nature, the Persian New Year will be celebrated from March 20 to 21.

The holiday, known as Nowruz, highlights the values of peace and solidarity among generations, families, and neighbors, contributing to cultural diversity and friendship among peoples and different communities, according to Asia Society Texas.

Literally translated as new day, Nowruz is celebrated by more than 300 million people in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East, United States and Canada. Celebrating Nowruz is a celebration of life in harmony with nature, the AST says.

Heres how the holiday will be celebrated in Texas.

Sample crafts for Asia Society Texas Spring Break 2023: Nowruz, which takes place March 1417, 2023.

Where: Asia Society Texas Center, 1370 Southmore Blvd, Houston

When: Fri, Mar 17, 5:30  8:30 PM

Get tickets to the free event here.

An all-ages celebration will feature performances, arts and crafts activities, cultural learning opportunities, stories, music and food.

Where: Keepers Austin, 5701 W Slaughter Ln, Building D, Austin

When: Tue, Mar 21, 6:30  9:30 PM

Get tickets here.

In honor of Nowruz, Chef Amir Hajimaleki will serve a five-course dinner, which will include traditional Persian dishes and ingredients.

Where: Central Market, 4001 North Lamar, Austin

When: Sun, Apr 2, 4  8 PM

Every year for over a decade, hundreds in the Austin Persian community have gathered at Central Market to celebrate the Spring Equinox. The free, family friendly event will have music and dance performances, activities related to Nowruz celebration, as well as Persian Nowruz food available for purchase at the Central Market Cafe.

More Texas Nowruz Events
Windows and debris crash down a hillside as workers demolish a Newport Beach home on Thursday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

A Newport Beach home that was badly damaged in a landslide earlier this month was demolished Thursday.

The slide was reported on the morning of March 3 after days of downpours in the area. Photos from the scene showed that a massive chunk of earth had broken off from the hillside behind the home on Galaxy Drive.

Pieces of the back patio had also fallen down the hillside.

No injuries were reported, but the home was red-tagged, city officials said.

Crews remove belongings and furniture from the red-tagged home on Galaxy Drive. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The homeowner elected to have the home demolished, with the city expediting the granting of a demolition permit, said Newport Beach spokesperson John Pope.

On Thursday, construction equipment tore into the home, pulling down the structure's roof and walls and leaving little else in the footprint but debris.

With the house demolished, officials say, it should be easier to shore up the homes on either side. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

With the home now gone, efforts to shore up the hillside for the houses on either side could be easier, Pope said.

Those homes also were damaged in the slide and were yellow-tagged, meaning that they were safe to enter but could not yet be occupied.

Crews continue to pump groundwater out of the hillside in an effort to de-saturate the soil after multiple rainstorms.

The Newport Beach home was red-tagged after a March 3 landslide. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

On Tuesday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors proclaimed a local state of emergency in part due to the hillside's collapse.

I am deeply concerned by the hillside collapse in the Dover Shores neighborhood in Newport Beach and other storm events through my district and Orange County, Supervisor Katrina Foley, whose district includes the Dover Shores community, said in a statement. "My hope is that there is no further sliding on the shore, but if these three homes fall, a cascading effect may happen to the 50 other homes on the bluff, and we must be prepared in case that happens.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors declared a local state of emergency in part due to the collapse of the hillside that badly damaged the home. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The hillsides of Newport Beach were not the only locations to experience damaging landslides in the wake of the series of storms; on Wednesday, four buildings in San Clemente were red-tagged after a slide.

No injuries were reported in that incident.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
(CNN)  The leaders of South Korea and Japan promised to resume ties in a fence-mending summit  the first such meeting in 12 years  as the two neighbors seek to confront threats from North Korea and rising concerns about China.

From now on, I would like to open a new chapter in Japan-South Korea relations through frequent visits by both sides that are not tied down by formality, Japans Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in Tokyo after meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Mutual visits by Japanese and South Korean leaders have been suspended for 12 years as ties soured over several issues, including a wartime labor dispute.

The shared security challenges facing both nations were on stark display just hours before the trip when North Korea fired a long-range ballistic missile into the waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula  the fourth intercontinental ballistic missile launch in less than one year.

During the joint statement on Thursday, Kishida said that Japan and South Korea had agreed to resume bilateral security talks in the face of North Korean nuclear and missile threats and had confirmed the importance of the free and open Indo-Pacific and working together to protect the international rules-based order.

And Yoon said he agreed to completely normalize its military intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan.

I believe the two countries should be able to share information on North Koreas nuclear missile launches and trajectories, and respond to them, he said.

In 2019, South Korea scrapped its military intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan amid a long-running dispute over forced labor by Japan during its occupation of Korea, which plunged ties to their lowest point in decades.

The summit between Yoon and Kishida is a crucial step to mend frayed relations after decades of disputes and mistrust dogged the two crucial US allies in Asia.

Yoons office has hailed it an important milestone in the development of bilateral relations.

The two leaders are expected to share a dinner of sukiyaki and omurice or omelet rice in English, based on Yoons request that he likes those dishes, Japans public broadcaster NHK reported.

The two East Asian neighbors have a long history of acrimony, dating back to Japans colonial occupation of the Korean Peninsula a century ago.

The two normalized relations in 1965, but unresolved historical disputes have continued to fester, in particular over colonial Japans use of forced labor and so-called comfort women sex slaves.

In recent years the often fraught relations have undermined efforts by the United States to present a united front against North Korea  and the growing assertiveness of Beijing.

Now, the regions two most important allies for the US appear ready to turn a new page.

In another sign of goodwill, before the summit Japan and South Korea agreed on Thursday to drop a trade dispute that has strained relations for years.

Japan will lift export controls on high-tech materials used for semiconductors and display panels to South Korea, while Seoul will withdraw its complaint over those restrictions to the World Trade Organization.

Shared strategic interests

Much of the two neighbors rapprochement is driven by deepening security concerns about Pyongyangs ever more frequent missile tests, Chinas increasingly aggressive military posturing and tensions across the Taiwan Strait  an area both Tokyo and Seoul say is vital to their respective security.

Commenting on the summit, Chinas Foreign Ministry said Beijing opposes what it calls the closed and exclusive circle of individual countries, adding it hopes Japan-South Korea relations will develop in the direction of regional peace, stability and prosperity.

The warming ties are welcome news to Washington which has been pushing the detente.

Our working together not only on the political front, but on the strategic front, on the deterrence front, is what North Korea is scared about. Its also what China doesnt want to see happen, Rahm Emanuel, US ambassador to Japan, told CNN Thursday.

Emanuel said the US, Japan and South Korea held over 40 trilateral meetings at different levels over the past year  more than the proceeding five years combined.

That familiarity, that institutionalized dialogue and conversation, the building of trust, was probably the greatest contribution to the thawing of ties, he said.

Under Yoons predecessor Moon Jae-in, South Koreas relationship with Japan was openly combative, said Joel Atkinson, a professor specializing in Northeast Asian international politics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul.

So this visit is significant, sending a strong signal that under the Yoon administration, both sides are now working much more cooperatively, Atkinson said.

Overcoming disputes

The thaw in relations comes after South Korea took a major step toward resolving a long-running dispute that plunged ties to their lowest point in decades.

Last week, South Korea announced it would compensate victims of forced labor under Japans occupation from 1910 to 1945 through a public foundation funded by private Korean companies  instead of asking Japanese firms to contribute to the reparations.

The move was welcomed by Japan and hailed by the White House.

Yoon has been striving to improve relations  even if it means pushing back against domestic public pressure on contentious, highly emotional issues like the compensation plan.

Apart from the growing North Korean nuclear threat, China appears to have been a big factor in Yoons willingness to face the domestic backlash over the compensation deal, said Atkinson, the expert in Seoul.

The administration is making the case to the South Korean public that this is not just about Japan, it is about engaging with a wider coalition of liberal democracies, he said.

What South Koreans perceive as Beijings bullying, arrogant treatment of their country, as well as its crushing of the Hong Kong protests, threats toward Taiwan and so on, have definitely prepared the ground for that.

Warming ties

Even before the pivotal move to settle the historical dispute, Seoul and Tokyo had signaled their willingness to put the past behind them and foster closer relations.

On March 1, in a speech commemorating the 104th anniversary of South Koreas protest movement against Japans colonial occupation, Yoon said Japan had transformed from a militaristic aggressor of the past into a partner that shares the same universal values.

Since taking office, the two leaders have embarked on a flurry of diplomatic activities toward mending bilateral ties  and deepening their joint cooperation with Washington.

In September, Yoon and Kishida held the first summit between the two countries since 2019 in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, where they agreed to improve relations.

Closer alignment among the US, Japan and South Korea is an alarming development to China, which has accused Washington of leading a campaign to contain and suppress its development.

But Emanuel argued it was Beijings own actions that pushed the countries together.

If China wasnt in a confrontation with India twice on the border, or the Philippines twice with the coast guard, or shooting missiles into Japans (exclusive economic zone), nobody would be like this, he said.

This is a recent development in response to Chinas constant confrontation with others.

This story was first published on CNN.com, Japan and South Korea agree to mend ties as leaders meet following years of dispute"
A Pinal County deputy shot and killed a man on Thursday night prompting an investigation by the sheriff's office.

A Pinal County deputy shot and killed a man while conducting a field interview Thursday night after the man pulled out a gun.

According to a Facebook post, at about 7 p.m., a Pinal County Sheriff's Office deputy was conducting a field interview with a man, identified as 36-year-old Michael Obregon, while he was on a dirt bike near West Mescalero and North Hualapai drives.

Pinal County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Lauren Reimer told The Arizona Republic that the field interview was taking place because the deputy observed Obregon speeding through the area.

During the interview, Obregon pulled out a gun and the deputy responded by firing at Obregon. The Sheriff's Office said the deputy immediately rendered aid and called for medical personnel, but Obregon was pronounced dead at the scene. The deputy, who was not identified, was not hurt.

According to the post, Obregon was later found to have a valid felony warrant for a parole violation. The dirt bike was found to have been stolen, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The investigation of the shooting remained ongoing, as no other information had been released.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pinal County deputy shoots, kills man during field interview
A junior lieutenant beat a conscript soldier at a training center

Read also: Hotel security guard in Germany assaults Ukrainian soldier for wearing his uniform

The notice is for abuse of power committed under martial law under Part 5 of Article 426-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Pretrial measures of restraint are still under consideration.

Procedural supervision is provided by the Zhytomyr Specialized Military and Defense Prosecutor's Office.

The commander was dismissed from his position during the investigation. He may face up to 12 years in prison.

Earlier, a video was published online showing an officer kicking a conscripted soldier in a barracks, with the video text explaining that it was the commander of a training center.

Lieutenant Viktor Vitusevych later recorded a video apology, alluding to punishing the soldier for drinking alcohol.

The injured soldier also recorded a video message saying that the commander did not beat him, but "showed him some fighting moves."

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Mig-29 Fighter Jets over the clouds at sunset. guvendemir/Getty Images

Poland will be the first NATO member to supply about a dozen fighter jets to Ukraine.

Polish President Andrzej Duda's decision fulfills a longstanding request from President Zelenskyy.

The promise of the jets comes as Ukraine gears up for a spring offensive expected from Russia.

Poland will be the first NATO member to supply about a dozen fighter jets to Ukraine to support Kyiv in resisting the Russian invasion.

Polish President Andrzej Duda announced in Warsaw on Thursday that four Soviet-era MiG-29 warplanes will be sent over to Kyiv "within the next few days," per the Associated Press.

The total number of planes supplied by Poland will range between 11 to 19, per the AP. The rest will be sent over after they have been serviced, Duda said at a news conference with Petr Pavel, the president of the neighboring Czech Republic.

"They are in the last years of their functioning, but they are in good working condition," Duda said of the jets.

This makes Poland the first NATO member to supply fighter jets to Ukraine. This plea for fighter jets has been a longstanding request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Slovakia, Finland, and the Netherlands had also previously said that they would send some of their planes, per The Guardian, but they have not yet outlined when the planes will reach Ukraine.

The delivery of jets comes as Ukraine gears up for what is expected to be a fierce spring offensive from Russia.

After a year of fierce fighting, Ukraine is quickly burning through its dwindling ammunition supplies  and Western military aid is essential if it is to launch an effective counter-offensive against Russia, The Washington Post reported.

But Poland's decision to supply military jets to Ukraine may not push other allies to do the same. A White House representative said President Joe Biden has not changed his mind on not giving Ukraine fighter jets. The US has fulfilled Zelenskyy's requests for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and M1 Abrams battle tanks.

Story continues

"There's no change in our view with respect to fighter aircraft at this time," White House spokesman John Kirby, per the AP. "That is our sovereign decision. That is where we are, other nations can speak to their own decisions."

For their part, senior US Air Force officials said in March that fighter jets are "worthless" over Ukraine because Russia and Ukraine have mastered long-range missile defense, which prevents them from providing air support closer to enemy frontlines.

"The problem is both of the Russian as well as the Ukrainian success in integrated air and missile defense have made much of those aircraft worthless," said Gen. James Hecker, commander of US Air Forces in Europe, to reporters at the Air and Space Forces Association symposium on March 6.

But Zelenskyy said in an address to the UK Parliament in February that "the sooner our pilots get planes, the sooner this Russian aggression will end and we can return to peace in Europe," The Washington Post reported.

Representatives for Duda did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, sent outside of regular business hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
More than a dozen valuable artworks were stolen from Bostons Isabella Gardner Museum on 18 March 1990; its chief of security, Anthony Amore, remains committed to hunting them down (Anthony Amore/AP/FBI)

At night, when Anthony Amore isnt at his office in the palace building of Bostons Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum  a magnificent Venetian-style mansion opened 100 years ago  the security director sometimes has nightmares about being grilled by the institutions eponymous founder, who has been dead for almost a century.

Its not hard to imagine a personal dressing-down by the museums late wealthy patron. A creative and arguably before-her-time eccentric, Gardner infamously dictated in her will that, if anything should be permanently changed in the museum built from her vision, all of its contents should be crated, shipped to Paris and auctioned, the money donated to Harvard University.

There has been only one major long-standing change at the museum since Gardners 1924 death, but its very nature precludes the fulfilment of her wishes  because 13 valuable pieces of art were stolen in an audacious unsolved art heist exactly 33 years ago.

And its Mr Amores job to hunt them down.

I can tell you that I have had multiple dreams where Mrs Gardner herself asked me why I havent found the paintings yet, Mr Amore tells The Independent, just days before the 33rd anniversary of the robbery on 18 March 1990.

FBI photograph of the crime scene after the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum robbery in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1990 (Courtesy of Netflix  2021)

The director of security and chief investigator for the museum, Mr Amore also teaches a Harvard graduate course about art crime and has written several books. He turned 56 last weekend and points out that hes been searching for the Gardner paintings since his 30s, when he took on the job in 2005 after a security career with the FAA and the US Department of Homeland Security.

Every single night, without a doubt, it ranges from the contents of my prayers to the thoughts that are in my mind to the paintings that I hang in my home, he says.

The stolen artwork is valued at $500m and includes prized pieces by some of the most acclaimed painters in history  including The Concert by Johannes Vermeer; Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee by Rembrandt van Rijn; five works on paper by Edgar Degas; Chez Tortoni by Edouard Manet; and Landcape With Obelisk by Govaert Flinck.

Story continues

In the wake of the 1990 robbery, the museum quickly offered a $1m reward; that was raised to $5m seven years later. Now a whopping $10m is on the table for information leading to the recovery of the artwork  but even without the money, the unsolved heist was already particularly tantalising for conspiracy theorists, armchair detectives and the curious general public.

It really does have a lot of great elements for people to be interested, Mr Amore tells The Independent. No one was killed or injured during the commission of this stuff, so it doesnt seem as ugly to be interested in it. The paintings are some of the worlds greatest masterpieces, so its interesting and beautiful to look at these images and wonder where they are now, and then the enormous dollar value attributed to them ... all those things, in an age where I think podcasts have proven just how popular true crime is for people, you can understand why theres so much public interest.

Calls and emails keep pouring in to Mr Amores office; he estimates that more than two dozen had been received this month before even mid-March. But most people are simply armchair theorists, not tipsters with useful information, he laments.

Were looking for leads, says Mr Amore, whos in daily contact with FBI lead investigator Geoff Kelly. Were looking for facts. Weve heard all the theories, weve dreamt up all the theories, weve examined every angle ... we discuss the case every single day; we actually teach in our crime course together. This is not something we do frivolously  so we really ask people not to call in theories.

Two men dressed as police officers managed to pull off the biggest art heist in US history in 1990, from Boston's Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (AP)

For instance, Ill tell you that I get lots and lots of calls from people who think theyre the first person calling me in history to tell me that art is hidden inside the building ... and we tell them, No, its not, this entire building has been searched. And we did a climate control project in this museum a few years after the heist, and all the walls were opened, but they still insist the art is hidden in the building. So that sort of stuff, it doesnt help us.

The building is, of course, where it all began back in 1990, in the early hours of Sunday, 18 March, when the museum was dark and quiet amidst Bostons raucous St Patricks Day celebrations.

Two security guards were on duty; one had never worked the night shift before and brought his trombone, presumably to practice. Then two men wearing Boston police uniforms turned up, saying the needed to investigate a disturbance.

They had hats, badges, they looked like cops, and I let them in, former guard Rick Abath said in 2017, describing his 1990 self as just this hippie guy whod recently dropped out of music school. They said, Are you here alone? And I said, I have a partner thats out on a round. They said, Call him down.

And they said, Gentleman, this is a robbery.

The two fake cops then tied the guards up in the basement before spending a brazen 81 minutes inside the Gardner, seemingly cherry-picking items from the Blue Room, Dutch Room and Short Gallery. In addition to the paintings, they grabbed an ancient Chinese beaker and a 10-inch tall bronze eagle from the top of a flagpole; it appeared theyd abandoned an effort to remove the silk flag from Napoleons First Regiment of Imperial Guard.

The thieves made two bold trips with artwork to their vehicle parked outside  which is believed to have been a blue or gray hatchback  then swiped the museums security VHS tape and vanished. The crime wasnt discovered until around 7.30am, when guard Karen Sangregory arrived to relieve here nighttime counterparts. There was no response when she buzzed to be let in  an unprecedented development, she says in Netflixs 2021 documentary This Is a Robbery  so she eventually called the head of the security at the time.

Johannes Vermeers The Concert was stolen by the thieves and has not publicly been seen since (Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum)

He took us around some kind of a back door, she says in the series. As soon as we got in there, you just knew something is really, really wrong. The seurity cameras had been turned off; the office door had been busted; there was a frame in there ... and there was a crowbar leaning against the wall.

The chief hands me the crowbar  hes like, Here, hold this! she says. So Im like holding this crowbar, and my mind is thinking, this is part of the crime scene, right? This is evidence. My handprints are on this crowbar! And then my next thought was, he gave me this so that I can pummel someone with it.

They crept through the museum, looking for the night guards, as Ms Sangregory worried: Are the bad guys still here?

She watched as the security chief notified authorities.

He picked up the phone and called the Boston police, she says. It seemed like all he could say was: Im calling from the Gardner museum. Weve got big trouble.

Pandemonium did indeed ensue. Suspicion immediately focused on the guards, despite their protestations of innocence; Mr Abath told StoryCorps that, only a few years ago, a lawman informed him that hed never been ruled out as a suspect.

But the list of potential robbers was  and remains  long. At the time, both the Irish mob and Italian mafia were powerful forces in Boston, and it was believed by criminal elements that stolen fine art could potentially be used as a get-out-of-jail-free card. This stemmed from the antics of a career New England criminal and art thief named Myles Connor, who stole a Rembrandt in 1975 and used it to bargain for a lighter prison sentence.

Connor was in prison at the time of the crime and has denied any involvement, though his name has been a common theme over more than three decades of dogged investigation. He had ties to the Italian mob, claiming hed previously cased the museum with Bobby Donati, who was associated with the Patriarca crime family and had previously pulled off art burglary with Connor. Donati was killed in 1991, but one theory posits that he participated in the crime to either get his boss, Vincent M. Ferrara, out of prison or guarantee the mob boss safety.

Among the prized paintings stolen was Rembrandts Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee (Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum)

Connors other associate, though, William Youngworth  a caretaker of the thiefs 40-foot trailer of possessions  told one reporter hed seen the art and even tried to prove it, bringing him all the way to a Brooklyn warehouse. There Youngworth unveiled what he claimed to be Rembrandts seascape.

He took me into a storage locker and flashed his light on the painting, specifically at the masters signature, on the bottom right of the work, where it should have been, and abruptly ushered me out, former Boston Herald reporter Tom Mashberg wrote in The New York Times as the heists 25th anniversary approached. He didnt name his guide then but revealed Youngworths identity six years later in Netflixs four-part series.

Neither the reporter nor the experts who debriefed him could confirm the paintings authenticity.

But a plethora of other players were also considered prime suspects. Irish-American criminals were not just active in Boston, they were also often working with the IRA to smuggle arms; the Northern Ireland peace agreement was still eight years away.

Dick Ellis, who set up Scotland Yards art and antique squad, says in the Netflix series that art is easy to smuggle and use as an international currency.

I was involved in the recovery of a painting by Yeats, which was commissioned by the IRA, and the artwork was to be used to raise money for arms, Mr Ellis says. So, you know, there it is: 100 percent proof that stolen art is used to buy arms. The paintings really wouldnt have had trouble crossing the international borders into Northern Ireland.

Richard ORawe, a former IRA press officer, laughs off the allegation in the documentary.

By 1990, the IRA had developed a whole sort of empire, he says. They were raking in money hand over fist. Thirteen paintings wouldve been the last thing they would even bring up at an army council meeting.

There was, of course, also the possibility of a wealthy art collector or individual who simply wanted the art and hired criminals to procure it; countless other theories have also abounded.

Empty frames are now displayed where the stolen paintings hung in the Boston museum (AP2010)

But the FBI seems to have zeroed in on a crime ring operating out of a garage supervised by mid-level mob associate Carmello Merlino along with several associates. The sister-in-law of one of them, George Reissfelder, has claimed that she helped hang the Manet in his apartment, completely unaware not only of the paintings origin but that any heist had even taken place. Merlino, Reissfelder and most of the gang are now dead, though its believed Reissfelder and one of the crew, Leonard DiMuzio, resembled police sketches of the fake officers who made off with the art.

One of the gangs main mob buddies, Bobby Guarante, is also dead  but became a key suspect after he passed away in 2004. His widow claimed hed handed off some of the art, and investigators were led to a Connecticut criminal named Bobby Gentile. They were so convinced that they would find stolen pieces during the search of his home that they prematurely prepared for a press conference.

Then they left empty-handed, and Gentile died in 2021.

Another development seemed to crop up last year; a tipster told museum investigators that Boston criminal Jimmy Marks, who was gunned down in a believed mob hit 11 months after the heist, had bragged about owning or hiding some of the paintings.

We got some contacts from that story, but nothing that has brought this to a conclusion, Mr Amore tells The Independent.

For his part, he believes the paintings are stashed probably not too far from the museum; 10 years ago, the FBI publicly said the same in a joint release with the Gardner and the US Attorneys Office.

The FBI believes with a high degree of confidence that in the years after the theft, the art was transported to Connecticut and the Philadelphia region, and some of the art was taken to Philadelphia, where it was offered for sale by those responsible for the theft, Richard DesLauriers, special agent in charge of the FBIs Boston office, said on 18 March 2013.

But a decade has passed, and theres still no sign of any of the pieces.

Anthony Amore has been the director of security and chief investigator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum since 2005 (Anthony Amore)

Its likely that the two men that entered the building and stole the paintings that evening are deceased, Mr Amore tells The Independent. But heists are notoriously collaborative, and, just because some main players are dead, its not unlikely that some participants  dangerous ones, at that  may still be alive.

Its very common for an art heist to happen, and the people who actually stole the art dont keep control of it, that it instantly goes into other hands, he says. There are examples of art heists around the world of masterpieces where the thieves are arrested pretty quickly, but the paintings dont come back for a very long time, because the thieves cannot lead the authorities to the actual art.

He explains: Typically, masterpieces like this are found either right after the heist or a generation later, because it takes that long for all the scariest bad guys to pass away and things like that.

We had hoped, when the reward was $5m, that was the biggest private reward ever offered and we doubled it, and it didnt result in a recovery of the paintings. But we do think that eventually it will, that someone will come forward ... All of them are conjecture, but theres a lot of scenarios where you can imagine someone being afraid to come forward.

In the meantime, he dedicates every day to ferreting out the masterpieces. After checking every day that the museum is properly secure  empty frames hung where the famed pieces were displayed  Mr Amore goes through leads weve received and developed, conducts interviews, pores over old files and a painstakingly maintained database, then strategizes with FBI agent Kelly about what to do next.

My gut feeling is that theyre not far away, that they are in the United States, and that theyre in a condition that can easily be conserved and put back on the walls, Mr Amore says of the paintings. And I believe that someone knows something that can bring this case for inclusion for us.

That being said, he also acknowledges that there's always the possibility that the paintings are hidden, and a person doesn't realize what they have, or they don't understand what what that is up in their attic and a family member maybe left it, that sort of thing.

The hunt is mixed up with frustration, pressure, hope, and more than a bit of grief.

Theres this massive, incredible, highly-acclaimed Vermeer exhibition going on in in the Netherlands right now, and theres only one in the world thats missing, Mr Amore tells The Independent. And thats ours.

He urges people to visit the museums website, study and commit to memory the missing artworks.

We want people to remember them and understand that the only place that they can ever hang is here, he says. The only buyer in the world for these paintings is us.
Just one day after a student stabbed a classmate in the face during a fight at a Henry County Middle School, someone threatened a school shooting.

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Channel 2s Audrey Washington was at Ola Middle School, where parents are now concerned for their childrens safety.

On Friday, parents contacted Channel 2 Action News about rumors of a threat made against the school. In the social media post, which went out Thursday, a parent allegedly wrote about someone coming to shoot up the school on Friday.

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The school district gave Washington a statement, saying they are aware of the threat and that law enforcement immediately started investigating. They were able to determine that the threat was not credible.

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Still, parents like Martha Corral said they dont feel like their children are safe at the school.

A middle school girl was seriously injured in a fight earlier this week after she was stabbed below her eye during a fight that broke out between two girls in the cafeteria. The other student now faces criminal charges.

Corral said she has made complaints about bullying and other issues concerning the school and that she wants school officials to do more before a simple issue turns violent.

They need to pay attention, because this is something with a face now, but this could become something more, Corral said.

Earlier this week, the school districts superintendent said providing safety for her students is her top priority.

Washington did see more school resource officers on campus Friday.








GLOUCESTER TWP. - The victim of a predawn shooting here was lured to his death, authorities say.

Tarik Greene, 28, was fatally shot as he left a room at a Black Horse Pike motel early on Feb. 22, according to a court record asserting probable cause for charges against a suspect.

A Philadelphia man, 26-year-old Kacy Banks, was arrested Wednesday, March 15, in connection with Greene's death, said the Camden County Prosecutor's Office.

More: YouTube celebrity sentenced'Omi in a Hellcat' learns fate in TV piracy case. What's next for South Jersey man?

Surveillance video showed Banks, who was standing behind a wall at a second-floor stairwell, shot Greene as the victim left a room at the Howard Johnson Inn around 2:20 a.m., the probable cause statement alleges.

Ambush attack killed Tarik Greene

A woman then exited the room and left in a car driven by Banks, the statement says.

When questioned by police, the woman said she and Banks "would have men come to the hotel to have sex with her with the intent to rob them."

She said Banks and Greene had a dispute in the room, and that Banks jumped from a second-floor balcony.

"Banks then waited for the victim to exit the room and fired a single round at him," the statement alleged.

Where is Kacy Banks now?

It said Banks was identified as the person who had obtained the motel room.

Police found Greene after responding to a 911 call around 3 a.m. He was pronounced dead at an area hospital around 4:45 a.m., the prosecutor's office said.

It identified Greene as a Millville resident. A family obituary said he was from Willingboro.

Banks is charged with felony murder, robbery and a weapons offense.

The charges are only allegations. Banks has not been convicted in the case.

Banks was arrested in Philadelphia, where he is being held pending extradition to New Jersey.

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter with the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Murder charge for death of Tarik Greene at Black Horse Pike motel
Officer Adam Fluker, Jr., is celebrating his 60th year with the City of Jacksonville.

He began his career with the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office on March 16, 1963 as a police officer.

He worked for several divisions during his time as a patrolman including Patrol, traffic and the civil divisions.

With showing his experienced skills throughout the years he earned a recognition award as the Officer of the Month.

Officer Flukers career as a police officer ended in 1997 upon his retirement after 34 years of faithful service to this community.

Prior to retiring, he asked for  and received a position in the Duval County Courthouse. Without a break in the action, Officer Fluker made the transfer to serve the community as a Sworn Bailiff.

According to JSO, he continues to be a respected member in the Jacksonville community.

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Read: Woodpeckers Backyard BBQ in St. Augustine named best Bucket-List Barbecue in Florida

Read: Culhanes Irish Pub makes Yelps 25 Pubs That Make You Feel Like Youre in Ireland

Read: Contest: Win tickets to Disney on Ice / Concurso: Gana boletos para Disney on Ice

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Hundreds of stolen catalytic converters were seized from two Tri-Cities businesses this week.

An investigation by the Interagency Narcotics Investigation Team that began in Grant County led to the recovery of more than 500 catalytic converters in Kennewick, according to a social media post from the Grant County Sheriffs Office.

The INET investigation involved trafficking of stolen property and money laundering.

Warrants had been served at a Moses Lake home and the Dos Tesoros Smoke Shop on Stratford Road in Moses Lake, which then led investigators to look into the Kennewick businesses on Wednesday - PDX Scrap Metal and C.E.M. Catalytic Converter.

They were able to recover 533 catalytic converters, raw materials from the cores of the catalytic converters and equipment used to extract the precious materials from inside catalytic converters.

An INET investigation led to the recovery of more than 500 catalytic converters in Kennewick.

The Grant County Sheriffs Office, along with members of the Tri-Cities Metro Drug Task Force, Benton County, WA Sheriffs Office, Kennewick Police Department, Washington State Patrol and Pasco Police served a search warrant at PDX Scrap Metal at 213507 Highway 397 in Kennewick, according to the post.

They also interviewed 51-year-old Eleuterio Domingo Sanchez Vazquez, the owner of C.E.M. Catalytic Converter, and his daughter, 23-year-old Carolina Sanchez Villanueva, the owner of PDX Scrap Metal.

Sanchez Vazquez and Sanchez Villanueva are the primary suspects in the investigation, but they were not arrested.

Once the investigation is concluded, the reports will be forwarded to the Benton County Prosecutors Office for possible charges.
Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, is pictured yesterday during a visit to St George's Hospital in London - Toby Meville /Reuters

Rishi Sunak has issued a plea to Tory Brexiteers to back his Windsor Framework Brexit deal when it is put to a crunch vote in the House of Commons next week.

Downing Street said the deal "resolves the fundamental issues" caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Prime Minister would "very much encourage" MPs to support it.

Asked for Mr Sunak's message to potential rebels, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said: "We believe this is the best deal for the people of Northern Ireland. It resolves the fundamental issues that we know the protocol was having on day-to-day lives. So we would very much encourage MPs to vote for the deal next week."

MPs will vote on the Windsor Framework on Wednesday and it is expected to easily clear the Commons because Labour has committed to backing the Government.

However, Mr Sunak will be keen to avoid a rebellion by Tory Brexiteers which could undermine his authority and take the shine off the framework he has agreed with the EU.

Reports have suggested that Downing Street now believes a maximum of 20 Tory MPs could rebel. The European Research Group of Tory Brexiteers is yet to deliver its final verdict on the PM's deal.

You can follow the latest updates below.

04:00 PM

That is all for today...

Thank you for joining me for today's politics live blog.

I will be back early on Monday morning.

03:26 PM

Joe Biden tells Leo Varadkar he 'very strongly supported' Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal

Joe Biden said he "very strongly" supported Rishi Sunak's Windsor Framework as the US President held talks with Leo Varadkar, the Irish Taoiseach, at the White House today.

Mr Biden welcomed Mr Varadkar to the Oval Office for talks to mark St Patrick's Day.

Joe Biden welcomes Leo Varadkar to the White House today - Anna Moneymaker /Getty Images North America

He said he had recently held discussions with Mr Sunak on the new Brexit deal on trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.

The US President said: "I very strongly supported the Windsor Framework, which I know you do too."

02:58 PM

Kamala Harris: New Brexit deal an 'essential step to ensure peace and progress'

US Vice President Kamala Harris has said the new EU/UK deal on post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland is an "essential step" to ensure peace and progress in the region.

Story continues

In an address at a breakfast event attended by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Ms Harris highlighted President Joe Bidens support for the Windsor Framework.

She said Northern Irelands peace was hard-won and should be cherished.

Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, right, and Vice President Kamala Harris, left, attend a St. Patrick's Day Breakfast at the Vice President's residence in Washington - Andrew Harnik/AP

The Vice President said the US administration viewed issues around Northern Ireland and the need to preserve the fundamentals of the Good Friday peace agreement "very seriously".

"As President Biden has said, the Windsor Framework is an essential step to ensure peace and progress, and to ensure that it is strengthened and preserved," she said.

02:43 PM

NHS pay deal will cost 4 billion

Downing Street said the new pay deal offered to striking health workers would cost an additional 4 billion.

A No10 spokesman said: "The non-consolidated element for 2022/23 is an additional investment of around 2.7 billion.

"The consolidated element for 2023/24 is an additional investment of around 1.3 billion."

02:29 PM

Sir Keir Starmer reaffirms pledge to reverse Jeremy Hunt's pension reforms

Sir Keir Starmer has reaffirmed his commitment to reversing Jeremy Hunt's decision to scrap the lifetime pension allowance despite a backlash over Labour's plan (you can read the story on the criticism of Labour's stance here).

Sir Keir tweeted:

Labour will reverse the Tory tax cut for the richest 1%.



Well put working people first.  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) March 17, 2023

02:06 PM

BBC licence fee could rise by 13 next year with the Government under pressure to intervene

The public faces a rise in the BBC licence fee of 13 next year, with the Government under pressure to cancel the increase.

The licence fee is due to rise in line with inflation in April 2024 after a two-year freeze, according to the Culture Departments official policy.

The Telegraph can reveal that the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) this week forecast that the inflation figure used would be 8.2 per cent.

That would mean the BBC licence fee rising from 159 to 172, which would amount to the biggest increase in more than 20 years.

You can read the full story here.

01:15 PM

Downing Street rejects Chinese criticism of TikTon ban

Downing Street has rejected Chinese criticism of the decision to ban TikTok from Government phones after a security review, insisting it was a "prudent" measure.

A Chinese embassy spokesperson accused the Government of acting "based on its political motive rather than facts".

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said that the review "concluded a devices ban would be a prudent and proportionate step given the potential vulnerability of government data and risks around how sensitive information can be accessed and used".

The spokesman said: "Anyone who uses TikTok will know that it requires users to give permission for the app to access data stored on the device which is then collected by the company. So we think its a prudent step to not allow it on the government devices."

12:50 PM

Government will not change passport waiting time guidance despite strike action

Downing Street said ministers will work to "mitigate" the impact of strikes by Passport Office staff in the coming weeks, but there are no plans to change guidance on waiting times for passports ahead of the summer.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has announced a five-week strike by its members in the Passport Office in an escalation of its long-running dispute with the Government over pay, pensions, jobs and conditions.

A Downing Street spokesman said: "There are no current plans to change the guidance that people should allow up to 10 weeks to get a passport.

"The Home Office will work hard to manage the impact of this strike action to ensure they can still provide the vital service to the British public as you would expect ahead of ahead of the summer where we fully acknowledge that many people will want to get away and enjoy the summer with their family. So we will do everything we can to mitigate the impact of the strikes."

12:28 PM

Downing Street: NHS pay deal will not impact frontline services

Downing Street has suggested the new NHS pay deal will be funded through a mix of cash found from existing health service "underspend" and some new money from the Treasury (see the post below at 10.05 for the background on the funding question).

No10 stressed that the pay deal will not have any impact on frontline services.

Asked where the money for NHS worker pay rises will come from, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said: "You heard the Secretary of State for Health talking about this. He said that we will look at areas of underspend and discuss these things with the Treasury in the usual way.

"As you would expect, the Treasury and DHSC will now work together to resolve any new funding needs in the usual way. But we have been clear that this wont impact on frontline services."

12:10 PM

No10 defends holding Brexit vote before DUP delivers verdict on Windsor Framework

Downing Street has defended the decision to hold a vote on Rishi Sunak's Windsor Framework before the DUP has delivered its verdict on the new Brexit deal.

Asked why the vote had been brought forward before the DUP has finished assessing the deal, the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said: "At the time that the vote happens MPs will have had over three weeks to look at the detail. The Government has been working with backbenchers and others to explain the content of the deal.

"We stand ready to answer any more questions that people have but we believe that this honours the PMs commitment to ensure that MPs have the opportunity to vote on the new arrangements."

12:07 PM

Downing Street urges MPs to back Brexit deal at vote next week

Downing Street has issued a plea to MPs to back Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal at a crunch vote next week.

Asked for the Prime Minister's message to potential rebels, the PM's Official Spokesman said: "We believe this is the best deal for the people of Northern Ireland.

"It resolves the fundamental issues that we know the protocol was having on day-to-day lives.

"So we would very much encourage MPs to vote for the deal next week."

11:34 AM

Chancellor responds to gloomy OECD report: UK has 'outperformed many forecasts' in the past

Jeremy Hunt said the UK economy had proven to be "more resilient than many expected" and had outperformed economic forecasts in the past as he responded to the OECD's gloomy new report on economic growth (see the post below at 11.07).

The Chancellor said: "The British economy has proven more resilient than many expected, outperforming many forecasts to be the fastest growing economy in the G7 last year, and is on track to avoid recession.

"Earlier this week I set out a plan to grow the economy by unleashing business investment and helping more people into work, alongside extending our significant energy bill support to help with rising prices, made possible by our windfall tax on energy profits."

11:27 AM

Rachel Reeves responds to OECD report on UK economic growth

BREAKING: The OECD expect the UK to be the only G7 economy to shrink this year.



It doesn't have to be like this.



After 13 years of Tory failure what we need now is the ambition to grow our economy so every part of Britain feels better off.https://t.co/L6v6eSr9bx  Rachel Reeves (@RachelReevesMP) March 17, 2023

11:22 AM

Trophy hunting import ban takes step closer to becoming law

Plans to ban trophy hunting imports to Britain have taken a big step towards becoming law after clearing the House of Commons.

The Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill received an unopposed third reading from MPs this morning and will now undergo further scrutiny in the House of Lords.

The Private Members' Bill brought forward by Tory MP Henry Smith has the support of the Government, effectively ensuring that it will eventually make it onto the statute book.

11:07 AM

UK only major economy except Russia to shrink this year, says OECD

The UK will be the only industrialised country except Russia to see its economy shrink in 2023, even as rising consumer confidence drives a "substantial" bounceback in activity this year, according to the OECD.

It expects the UK to shrink by 0.2 per cent this year. That represents an upgrade from the 0.4 per cent contraction it expected a few months ago, but it still leaves the UK at the bottom of the G7 league table, and well behind the US and Japan, which are expected to expand by 1.5 per cent and 1.4 per cent respectively.

You can follow the latest on the OECD report over on The Telegraph's business live blog here.

11:04 AM

Tory MP Steve Brine being investigated by standards watchdog

Steve Brine, a Tory MP and chairman of the Health Select Committee, is being investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over claims he broke lobbying rules.

The investigation was opened on March 15, according to an update on the commissioners website, and is focused on paid advocacy and declaration of an interest.

It comes following claims revealed by The Telegraph in The Lockdown Files that he lobbied the head of the NHS on behalf of a firm for which he was working as a paid consultant.

10:40 AM

Passport Office workers to strike for five weeks with 'significant' delays expected ahead of summer

Passport Office workers are to strike for five weeks in an escalation of a dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.

More than 1,000 members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union working in Passport Offices in England, Scotland and Wales will take part in the action from April 3 to May 5.

Those working in Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough and Southport will walk out from April 3 to May 5 while those in Belfast will strike from April 7 to May 5.

The union said the action was a "significant escalation" of its long-running dispute, warning it was likely to have a "significant impact" on the delivery of passports as the summer approaches.

You can read the full story here.

10:26 AM

Pictured: James Cleverly addresses a news conference in Tbilisi, Georgia this morning

James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, gestures today during a joint news conference with Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili following their talks in Tbilisi, Georgia - Shakh Aivazov/AP

10:05 AM

How is the NHS pay deal going to be funded?

The Government and the NHS Staff Council, which represents nurses, ambulance staff and other health workers, announced yesterday that they had completed pay negotiations and reached a "final offer" which is now being considered by unions.

It is hoped the deal will bring to an end the wave of industrial action which has caused chaos in the NHS for many months (you can read the full story on the final offer here).

However, major questions remain over where the extra money for the pay rises is coming from.

Union bosses said they were told during talks that the money would not come from the health service's existing budgets. Rachel Harrison, national secretary of the GMB, told the BBC: "That was one of the conditions that the GMB and some of the other unions put on the table before we even entered the room. We wanted reassurance that this was additional money and it was not going to come out of NHS current budgets and that was the commitment we were given by the Government."

But Dominic Raab, the Deputy Prime Minister, suggested this morning that the NHS's existing budgets "provide enough" to pay for the pay offer.

He told the BBC that the money "wont come of course from frontline funding" and Health Secretary Steve Barclay will "set out some more of the details once we have got this thing settled".

09:35 AM

'I think it would be the right thing to do for them to accept it'

Dominic Raab said the Government hoped a similar pay deal could be struck with junior doctors after a host of unions accepted an offer for nurses and other NHS workers yesterday.

Speaking to GB News, the Deputy Prime Minister said: "I think it is good news that in all of those areas the vast majority of unions have accepted the deal that has been offered following the discussions with the Health Secretary.

"In relation to junior doctors, I know that the Health Secretary has extended the offer for negotiations with the BMA (British Medical Association).

"The same offer is there. I think it would be the right thing to do for them to accept it, I hope they will. I think it is a good deal, which is fair, which recognises the situation they are in, recognises the need we all have got to tackle the backlog in the NHS."

09:06 AM

Government and education unions agree to 'intensive talks' on pay

The Government and education unions have agreed to "intensive talks" on teacher pay, conditions and workload reduction, raising hopes of a breakthrough.

In a joint statement, the Government and the unions said: "The Government and the education trade unions, Association of School and College Leaders, National Association of Head Teachers, NASUWT and National Education Union, have agreed to move into a period of intensive talks. The talks will focus on teacher pay, conditions and workload reduction.

"In order for talks to begin and, we hope, reach a successful conclusion, the NEU has confirmed it will create a period of calm for two weeks during which time they have said no further strike dates will be announced. The Education Secretary and all unions will meet today, beginning intensive talks, which will continue over the weekend."

The news follows yesterday's breakthrough in the NHS dispute, with leaders of nurses, ambulance crews and other health workers agreeing to suspend further industrial action while ballots are held on a new pay offer.

09:05 AM

Pictured: Dominic Raab walks through Westminster this morning

Dominic Raab, the Deputy Prime Minister, is pictured walking through Westminster this morning - Jeremy Selwyn

09:02 AM

DUP leader: No pressure from US politicians to back Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has denied being pressured by US politicians to agree to Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal in order to restore powersharing at Stormont.

The leader of the DUP has been in Washington DC for talks this week as he attends St Patricks themed events and he said he had not "been put under any pressure" to support the Windsor Framework.

Many US politicians are keen for the Brexit row to be resolved so that devolved government can restart and to ensure the Good Friday Agreement is protected.

Sir Jeffrey told the PA news agency: "Well, of course, look I understand why people would want to see the political institutions up and running.

"But I have to be honest, I havent been put under any pressure during my time here in Washington. I think people are actually very understanding of the need for unionist parties in particular to assess what the Windsor Framework is, what it means, to examine the legal text and the legislation that will be used to implement that framework.

"So, I think that amongst the people Ive talked to here, whether in the administration or on Capitol Hill, there is an understanding that its not about working to a particular deadline, its about getting it right."

08:41 AM

He's running! Boris Johnson re-selected as Tory candidate in his Uxbridge constituency

Boris Johnson has been re-selected as the Conservative Party's candidate in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency, putting to an end speculation that he could seek a safer seat elsewhere for the next general election.

"I can confirm Boris Johnson has been reselected as the Conservative candidate in Uxbridge and South Ruislip," a spokesman said last night.

Boris Johnson goes jogging today after being reselected to run for the Conservatives in Uxbridge - Jeremy Selwyn

The former prime minister holds a majority of more than 7,000 votes in the seat but it is viewed as a key target for Labour at the next election.

Allies of Mr Johnson had always rejected any suggestion he could seek a new or safer seat, despite persistent speculation.

08:36 AM

Dominic Raab: Officials are breaching the rules of bullying probe by talking to the media

Dominic Raab claimed civil servants who are talking to the media about bullying allegations made against him are "breaching the rules" of the ongoing inquiry into his behaviour.

Fresh allegations were made against Mr Raab yesterday as officials who worked with him claimed to Sky News that he had repeatedly reduced staff to tears and "ruined people's lives" through "coercive behaviour".

Mr Raab told the broadcaster this morning: "As you know from previous questions that have been put to me, I have said that I would cooperate fully with the inquiry. I am not going to comment on anonymous sources in the media.

"In fact it is a breach of the rules of the inquiry for anyone to do so and of course I want to respect that."

Asked if he recognised the latest claims made against him, the Justice Secretary said: "It is actually improper for me to comment on the question you have just asked. It is a breach of the rules of the inquiry.

"Anyone involved in the inquiry who is commenting to the media anonymously or otherwise is breaching the rules and as a matter of basic professional integrity I am not going to do that."

An investigation led by Adam Tolley KC into the bullying claims remains ongoing although there is speculation the findings could soon be published.

08:18 AM

Tory MP compares Brexit rebels to 'Japanese soldiers not believing the war is over'

Alec Shelbrooke, a Tory MP, compared Conservative colleagues who may be considering voting against Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal to "Japanese soldiers" who do not believe "the war is over".

He told Talk TV: "The public want this over and done with, Parliament wants this over and done with. I think there is a few Japanese soldiers not believing the war is over but I think they are very, very few now."

The European Research Group of Tory Brexiteers is yet to deliver its final verdict on the PM's Windsor Framework which is designed to resolve problems with post-Brexit border arrangements in Northern Ireland.

Tom Newton Dunn says Downing Street is confident that a maximum of only 20 Tory MPs will rebel against Rishi Sunak's post-Brexit deal over Northern Ireland.@tnewtondunn pic.twitter.com/9IaLxbs5kT  TalkTV (@TalkTV) March 16, 2023

08:14 AM

Downing Street 'confident' Brexit revolt will be limited to maximum of 20 Tory MPs

Downing Street is now "confident" a maximum of only 20 Tory MPs could rebel against Rishi Sunak's Brexit deal when it is put to a crunch vote in the House of Commons next week, it has been claimed.

No10 has decided to hold the vote on the Windsor Framework on Wednesday because it has concluded a major rebellion will not materialise, according to TalkTV.

Asked if the 20 figure sounded correct, Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke told the broadcaster: "I think they are roughly about right. I think there is a hardcore which wont accept any compromise at all but then there is no way out of the fact you want to honour the Good Friday Agreement.

"I think the Prime Minister has done an outstanding job with this agreement. I think it was something a lot of people didnt think we would get there."
Over the two decades after the United States invasion of Iraq began, public support for the drawn-out war dwindled, according to a series of surveys conducted by think tanks and research groups.

In stark contrast to the early stages of the conflict, today 36% of the public agrees the United States was right to invade Iraq in March 2003, with 31% believing it made America safer, according to an Axios/Ipsos Two Americas Index poll conducted earlier this March. In 2022, Gallup found that just 16% of Americans had a mostly or very favorable rating of the war.

Four years ago, 62% of Americans said the war was not worth fighting, according to the Pew Research Center. A majority of military veterans, including those who served in Iraq or Afghanistan, came to the same conclusion.

The organization found in a review of its polls from the last 20 years that American support for the use of force in Iraq was initially built on a series of falsehoods, including that the regime possessed weapons of mass destruction and had ties to terrorist groups like al-Qaida, which conducted the Sept. 11 attack. Over time, however, approval would plummet as doubts about Iraqs illicit behavior grew and the realities of the prolonged, violent war set in.

A Pew survey conducted a few weeks prior to President George W. Bushs 2002 State of the Union address found that 73% of Americans favored military action in Iraq; just 16% were opposed. More than half (56%) said the U.S. should take action against Iraq even if it meant U.S. forces might suffer thousands of casualties.

At that point, more than a year before the invasion began, Americans saw several justifications for taking military action. 83% said if the U.S. learned Iraq had aided the Sept. 11 terrorists, that would be a very important reason to use military force there. Nearly as many said the same if it was shown that Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction (77%) or harboring other terrorists (75%).

Story continues

In February 2003, just a month before U.S. troops deployed to Iraq, a solid 66% majority of Americans favored the use of military force against the country if given backing from major allies.

Following the initial invasion, the fall of Baghdad in April 2003 and Bushs notorious Mission Accomplished speech, public support for the use of force in Iraq rose to 74%, but would never again reach that level, according to the research center.

By May 2004, more than a year into the conflict, the Pew Research Center noted the share of Americans who said the use of military force was going at least fairly well fell below 50% for the first time. With growing partisan polarization over the conflict, Bushs strategy to send additional forces to Iraq further divided the nation. Nearly two-thirds of all Americans opposed the plan, a 2007 survey from the research center reported.

A month before the end of U.S. military operations in Iraq in December 2011, 75% of Americans  including nearly half of Republicans (48%)  approved President Barack Obamas decision to withdraw all U.S. combat troops from the country by the end of the year, with just 21% disapproving.

Although that year a majority of Americans (56%) said the U.S. mostly succeeded in achieving its goals in Iraq, that notion later faded, the research center reported.
(CNN)  Poland on Thursday pledged it would send four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, the first NATO member to do so, in a significant move in Kyivs battle to resist Russias onslaught.

President Andrzej Duda said the planes  from about a dozen that it had inherited from the former German Democratic Republic  would be handed over in the coming days after being serviced.

When it comes to the MiG-29 aircraft, which are still operating in the defense of Polish airspace, a decision has been taken at the highest levels, we can say confidently that we are sending MiGs to Ukraine, Duda said.

Warsaw has taken a lead among NATO allies in supplying Kyiv with heavy weapons. The announcement that Poland will send the Soviet-designed planes marks a break from the alliance, and could put pressure on other member states to do the same. Other NATO nations have been reluctant to move far beyond a decision earlier this year to send tanks to Kyiv, and the US insisted Thursday that Polands move would not force Washingtons hand.

Speaking at a news conference in Warsaw with his new Czech counterpart Petr Pavel, the Polish president expressed the two countries joint backing for Kyiv.

The Czech Republic and Poland are countries that are in the absolute vanguard when it comes to supporting Ukraine, both at humanitarian and military levels, President Duda said.

Poland had been one of the most vocal European nations against Russia  even before the invasion of Ukraine. Russia is still seen by many in Polands political and diplomatic circles in a Cold War context. Putin has always been seen by Warsaw as untrustworthy and Russia expansion is something to be fought against at all costs. It is one of the few NATO countries that by law is required to meet its 2% of GDP defense spending commitment and is an active member of the European defense community.

While sending MiGs is a break from the alliance, it is not an unexpected move and complies entirely with Polands membership of NATO. It might change the dynamic within the alliance, acting as a catalyst for more countries to do so, or upset countries that are opposed to NATO getting more involved in the conflict like Hungary.

The biggest question will be if it puts pressure on the United Kingdom and the United States, which will then do the same for Germany. Ultimately, creating this pressure on other allies was probably Polands intention.

The White House said Thursday that Polands decision to send the fighter jets is a sovereign decision that wont spur President Joe Biden to send F-16 aircraft.

It doesnt change our calculus with respect to F-16s, said John Kirby, a top official at the US National Security Council.

These are sovereign decisions for any country to make and we respect those sovereign decisions, he said, adding later: They get to determine not only what theyre going to give but how theyre going to characterize it.

I wouldnt think its our place to characterize Polands decision one way or another, Kirby said, declining to endorse the decision.

Biden, who said earlier this year he would not ship US fighter jets to Ukraine, wont be swayed by Polands decision, he said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced his country would provide 14 Leopard 2 tanks in January, bowing to intensifying international pressure, led by the United States, Poland and a bloc of other European nations, which called on Berlin to step up its military support and commit to sending their sought-after vehicles.

The announcement was matched by the US, with President Joe Biden saying that he would provide 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, reversing the administrations longstanding resistance to requests from Kyiv for the highly sophisticated but maintenance-heavy vehicles.

In addition to tanks, Ukraine has also been pushing for the US to provide fighter jets, arguing that it needs the planes to defend against Russian missile and drone attacks.

But that push has been met with skepticism by US and allied officials, who say the jets would be impractical because they require considerable training and Russia has extensive anti-aircraft systems that could easily shoot them down.

US and European officials have previously told CNN that F-16 fighter jets were impractical in this situation. Germany ruled out fighter jet deliveries to Ukraine completely while UK government officials echoed the sentiment and said that they believed it was not practical to send jets into Ukraine.

Alleged spy ring

Meanwhile Thursday, Polish authorities said nine people belonging to an alleged espionage ring had been detained, suspected of collaborating with the Russian secret service agency FSB.

Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski said those detained were foreigners from across the eastern border.

The suspects conducted intelligence activities against Poland and prepared acts of sabotage at the request of Russian intelligence, the minister said.

Kaminski revealed that the prosecutors office charged six people with espionage and participation in an organized criminal group.

The court decided to pre-trial detention of the six people, he said, adding that prosecution proceedings are pending against the three detained on Wednesday.

Evidence shows that the group monitored railway routes. Its tasks included recognizing, monitoring and documenting transports with weapons delivered to Ukraine, the minister said.

The suspects were also supposed to be preparing for sabotage activities aimed at paralyzing the supply of equipment, weapons and aid to Ukraine, Kaminski continued.

This story was first published on CNN.com, Poland breaks with NATO allies by pledging to send fighter jets to Ukraine"
By Layli Foroudi and Manuel Ausloos

PARIS (Reuters) - Riot police clashed with protesters on Friday evening in Paris as a new demonstration took place against the government's plans to raise the French state pension age.

The growing unrest, which has resulted in a wave of strikes since the start of the year and rubbish piling up on the streets of Paris, has left President Emmanuel Macron with the gravest challenge to his authority since the so-called 'Gilets Jaunes' or 'Yellow Vest' protests of December 2018.

Reuters TV broadcast images of tear gas used by police to deal with crowd disorder as protesters gathered in Paris' Place de la Concorde, near the Assemblee Nationale parliament building.

"Macron, Resign!" chanted some demonstrators, as they squared up to a line of riot police.

Friday's night trouble followed similar disorder on Thursday, after Macron decided to push through the contested pension overhaul without a parliamentary vote.

The overhaul raises France's state pension age by two years to 64, which the government says is essential to ensure the system does not go bust.

Unions, and most voters, disagree.

The French are deeply attached to keeping the official retirement age at 62, which is among the lowest in OECD countries.

More than eight out of 10 people are unhappy with the government's decision to skip a vote in parliament, and 65% want strikes and protests to continue, a Toluna Harris Interactive poll for RTL radio showed.

Going ahead without a vote "is a denial of democracy ... a total denial of what has been happening in the streets for several weeks", 52-year-old psychologist Nathalie Alquier said in Paris. "It's just unbearable."

A broad alliance of France's main unions said they would continue their mobilisation to try and force a U-turn on the changes. Protests are planned for this weekend, with a new day of nationwide industrial action scheduled for Thursday.

Story continues

Teachers' unions called for strikes next week, which could disrupt the emblematic Baccalaureate high-school exams.

While eight days of nationwide protests since mid-January, and many more local industrial actions, had been largely peaceful, the unrest on Thursday and Friday was reminiscent of the Yellow Vest protests in late 2018 over high fuel prices, which forced Macron into a partial U-turn on a carbon tax.

POLITICAL OPPOSITION

Left-wing and centrist opposition lawmakers filed a motion of no-confidence in parliament on Friday afternoon.

But even though Macron lost his absolute majority in the lower house of parliament in elections last year, there was little chance this would go through - unless a surprise alliance of lawmakers from all sides is formed, from the far-left to the far-right.

The leaders of the conservative Les Republicains (LR) party have ruled out such an alliance. None of them had sponsored the first motion of no confidence filed on Friday. The far-right was expected to file another later in the day.

Individual LR lawmakers have said they could break ranks, but the no confidence bill would require all of the other opposition lawmakers and half of LR's 61 lawmakers to go through, which is a tall order.

"So far, French governments have usually won in such votes of no confidence," said Berenberg chief economist Holger Schmieding.

He expected it would be the same again this time even if "by trying to by-pass parliament, Macron has already weakened his position".

Votes in parliament were likely to take place over the weekend or on Monday.

Macron will want to turn the page quickly, with government officials already preparing more socially minded reforms. He can also choose, at some point, to fire Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who has been at the forefront of the pension debate.

But either or both moves may do little to quell anger on the streets. Neither of them had made public comments on Friday.

(Reporting by Michel Rose, Elizabeth Pineau, Matthieu Protard, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Dominique Vidalon, Kate Etringer, Blandine Henault, Noemie Olive, Matthieu Protard, Forrest Crellin, Layli Foroudi, Sudip Kar-Gupta, Manuel Ausloos; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Alex Richardson, Diane Craft and Mark Potter)
Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS

Royalist is The Daily Beasts newsletter for all things royal and Royal Family. Subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Sunday.

America has solidified its reputation as the country of choice for pissed-off escapee European royalty.

The Sussexes of Montecito will soon be joined by, well, lets call them the Danes of D.C., after Prince Joachim of Denmark announced that he, his wife Princess Marie, and their children will move to the American political capital this summer, months after his mother, Queen Margrethe II, stripped his four children of their prince and princess titles.

Joachim, who is sixth in line to the Danish throne, complained that his family had been mistreated in the decision-making, which ended up with his kidsNikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 11being known variously as his excellency count of Monpezat" and her excellency countess of Monpezat.

Danish Queen Sparks Feud by Stripping Royal Titles From Grandkids

A message on the Danish royal family's website details that Prince Joachim will begin a new role as defense industry attache at the Danish Embassy in D.C., focusing on maintaining defense industry links between Denmark, the U.S., and Canada. The move, the message reads, follows the family moving to Paris four years ago, so the prince could undertake Frances highest-ranking military education course, with the prince and his wife subsequently taking on roles at the Danish embassy in Paris.

Although Danish royal disunity has been on visible display during the drama, it hasnt yet reached the very public, operatically dysfunctional heightsor depthsof Harry, Meghan, and the British royals.

Last year, People reported that Joachim had initially been told the children would be stripped of their titles when they reached 25; he also spoke of his hurt at Margrethes decision, which was taken, she said, to future-proof the monarchy.

Denmark's Prince Felix, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim, Princess Athena, Prince Henrik, and Prince Nikolai arrive for luncheon on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog in Copenhagen, Denmark September 11, 2022. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERS

Joachim said such changes should be done in a decent way. He told one outlet, To tell my children that on New Years their identity will be taken from them. I am very, very sorry to see them uncomprehending about what is happening over their heads... I can say that my children are upset. My kids dont know which leg to stand on. What they should believe? Why should their identity be removed? Why must they be punished in that way?

Story continues

His wife Marie said there was nothing modern about hurting childrens feelings.

We are, as my parents have also stated, in shock at this decision and at how quickly it has actually gone, Prince Nikolai told Ekstra Bladet. I am very confused as to why it has to happen like this.

At the time a palace statement read that Queen Margrethe wanted to create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution involves. Margrethe told reporters she thought the decision would be good for the children in the future.

Margrethe, now Europes longest-serving monarch, later said she was sorry for underestimating how much my youngest son and his family feel affected.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Leaders of Orlandos Haitian-American community are applauding efforts local agencies have made in reaching their corners of the county, but say more steps are needed to make sure important information reaches them in a timely manner.

Orange County Sheriffs deputies made a concerted effort to push out such information in recent months, following a string of attacks on Haitian Creole-speaking women at bus stops.

Deputies caught the suspect, Nelson Odige, Thursday, and said he asked the women which languages they spoke before he assaulted them.

We knew that we needed to let the Haitian Creole-speaking community know that there was this person out there targeting women at bus stops, and we wanted to get the message out there by translating safety alerts for the community that way they were aware, OCSO Public Information Officer Sgt. Sergio Uribe said.

Read: Man arrested, accused of sexually assaulting 4 women at Pine Hills bus stops

Uribe said translating the notices and the agencys website was one of the steps it has taken to better serve the population. Hiring more Haitian Creole-speaking staff was another. Uribe estimated the agency had about 20.

However, Haitian Creole was one of many languages deputies may encounter. Uribe said the agency works with a company that provides access to translators for most world languages with a simple phone call.

Read: Deputies warn public to stay vigilant after 3 women attacked at Orange County bus stops

He said his agencys goal was to add a citizens police academy specifically targeting that language, in addition to their academies in English, Portuguese and Spanish.

That would be awesome to see this agency -- and law enforcement as a whole -- show people that we can do these things, he said.

Representation and engagement are the main goals of the areas Haitian-American community leaders, who say theyre often the last to know about information in Central Florida.

Story continues

Read: Avoid walking alone: Search underway for man who robbed, sexually attacked 2 women near bus stop

It oftentimes does get left behind because they just dont have anything in writing in the language, Greater Haitian American Chamber of Commerce President Marlyn Bronzil-Juste said. This is where we come in.

Bronzil-Juste said better representation would make more agencies and organizations aware of the communitys needs and habits, while consistent interactions work to build trust.

She gave the example of organizations knowing to turn to church leaders when they needed a message shared, since religion continues to be a foundation of the community.

However, she said much of Central Florida still had a ways to go  aside from copying OCSOs lead of translating documents into Haitian Creole.

Show up to meetings, she said. That way they can get direct access and legitimate information that can in fact, save a life or two.

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.
Gender-affirming health care for transgender youth in Kentucky will likely soon be banned, following passage of a newly-packaged Republican omnibus bill on Thursday.

Less than a day after the Senate voted to significantly scale back a very similar sweeping proposal that some in the Senate GOP said went too far because it left trans kids with no affirming health care options, the measure in question was revived in its original form and stitched into another bill at the eleventh hour.

The new version of Senate Bill 150 was introduced in committee Thursday mid-day and quickly pushed through both chambers later in the day. It passed with near-unanimous Republican support in both the House and Senate, and now goes to Gov. Andy Beshears desk. Even if Beshear vetoes the bill, Republicans have the votes to override it if their near-unanimous support holds.

Passage of this bill typifies a legislative session marked by a raft of anti-LGBTQ bills from Republicans determined to combat a culture they say is pushing a woke agenda.

Senate Bill 150, in its original form, was far more narrow than its final product. It prohibited schools from requiring or recommending teachers use a transgender students preferred pronouns, and required schools to notify parents when curriculum related to human sexuality was going to be taught.

But bill sponsor Sen. Max Wise, R-Campbellsville, didnt seems to mind all the additions to his bill. He and House Speaker Pro Tem David Meade, R-Stanford, introduced an amended version of the bill in a House Education Committee Thursday morning that would become the final form of SB 150. Perhaps most notably, it enacts a complete ban on all gender-affirming health care for youth in Kentucky with gender dysphoria. Medical providers in Kentucky have repeatedly warned lawmakers of the harm such a ban will cause to an already marginalized population.

The repackaged gender-affirming care ban, formerly filed as House Bill 470, outlaws the standard of care treatment for this population by banning gender reassignment surgery, the prescription of puberty blockers and hormones, and inpatient and outpatient gender-affirming hospital services for anyone under age 18.

Story continues

Wises new bill also includes much of House Bill 177 from Rep. Shane Baker, R-Somerset, limiting K-12 instruction on sexual and gender identity.

Heres what the final version of Senate Bill 150 includes:

A ban on all gender-affirming health care for trans kids and teenagers in Kentucky. That care includes genital and non-genital reassignment surgery, hormone therapy, and any drugs that would delay or stop normal puberty. The bill, unlike previous versions, does not include any restrictions on mental health or counseling services that promote gender transition.

In the vein of gender-affirming surgery, the law explicitly bars doctors from removing any healthy or non-diseased body part or tissue if the purpose is to validate or alter a minors perception of themselves that is inconsistent with (their biological) sex.

A risked loss of license to doctors who violate the law. Patients who believe they are within their right to sue a doctor for violating the law would have until their 30th birthday to do so.

For trans youth in Kentucky who are currently taking hormones or puberty blockers, their provider either needs to immediately terminate that treatment, unless they think doing so would cause harm to their patient. In that case, a health care provider is required to begin tapering that dosage.

A ban on any child, regardless of grade level receiving presentation or instruction studying or exploring gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation. That provision mirrors language introduced by Rep. Baker in House Bill 177.

A ban on transgender students using the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity.Transgender students whose parent or legal guardian provides written consent shall be provided with the best available accommodation as long as it does not include allowing transgender students using the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity.

A ban on any child in fifth grade or below from receiving any instruction through curriculum or programs on human sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases. That provision mirrors language introduced in House Bill 177.

A requirement that schools develop policies to notify a parent in advance and obtain the parents written consent before a child in sixth grade or above is taught about human sexuality or STDs.

The contents of a bathroom bill that protects students privacy rights. Aimed at trans students, it requires that students only use school restrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their biological sex, single-stall restrooms, . Allowing otherwise creates significant potential for disruption and unsafe conditions. Theres also a requirement that schools develop a bathroom policy that protects students privacy rights as outlined in a section that condemns allowing transgender students to use a bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity.

A prohibition on schools requiring or recommending via policies that teachers use a trans students preferred pronouns. And requirements that schools to notify parents about curriculum related to human sexuality, contraception, or family planning. Likewise, schools would have to notify parents of their right to withhold consent or decline their child participate in that curriculum.

School districts in Kentucky do not generally mandate school personnel use specific pronouns for students, but they have issued guidance on best practices. The Kentucky Department of Education in September distributed in an information sheet titled, Considerations for Using Student Preferred Names. In it, KDE says it is best practice to, as a general rule, recognize students using the name that most closely aligns with their identity.

The bills banning of any instruction on sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases in elementary school is not dissimilar from the Florida law derided by some as the Dont Say Gay law. That law barred discussion on sexual orientation or gender identity in Kindergarten through third grade.

SB 150 goes much further than the Florida law, banning any instruction on human sexuality until sixth grade. A ban on studying or exploring gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation extends to all grades.
MUNCIE, Ind.  Prosecutors said a Muncie man had threatened and stalked members of a southside family before he was fatally shot outside their home.

Daniel Eugene Dunsmore, 56, died last Oct. 24 after he was shot in the 1900 block of West Memorial Drive.

Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman in recent days released a report on the homicide, and said he had determined the fatal shooting was "legally justifiable in that the shooter acted in self-defense."

Hoffman also said "no criminal charges will be filed and this investigation is now closed."

According to the report, compiled by Deputy Prosecutor Andrew Ramirez, a 53-year-old Muncie man called 911 dispatchers and reported he had shot Dunsmore outside the caller's home.

More:Muncie police investigating fatal shooting on city's south side

"Danny Dunsmore just attacked my two sons and I shot him," the man told dispatchers. He maintained he was "trying to get him off my kids," but did not intend to hurt Dunsmore.

Officers found the mortally wounded Dunsmore, who had been shot in the chest, in his Dodge minivan, which was parked "in the roadway" on Memorial Drive. A handgun, "loaded with 15 live rounds of 9mm ammunition," was in a holster on the Muncie man's hip.

Dunsmore was taken by ambulance to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Greenway confrontation

According to Ramirez's report, Dunsmore and the family living along West Memorial Drive had "a significant history of problems and turmoil."

The wife and mother in the household had reportedly been involved in a relationship with Dunsmore several years earlier, during a period she was estranged from her husband.

In the wake of the shooting, that woman and her husband, and three of their children, said Dunsmore had been "stalking the family and their home, including driving around the residence and looking in their windows."

Story continues

In July 2017, Dunsmore confronted the husband and wife on the Cardinal Greenway and reportedly threatened them with a knife, As a result of those allegations, the Muncie man in May 2018 pleaded guilty to intimidation, a felony that was later reduced to misdemeanor status.

His conviction resulted in a 30-month suspended sentence and a $1 fine.

It also failed to end his harassment of the family, they told police.

A fatal encounter

The couple's 17-year-old son told police the Muncie man had pointed a handgun at him on Easter 2022.

And he said during an angry phone conversation on Oct. 23, Dunsmore told him he intended to shoot everyone in the family's home.

Late that evening, the family  and a neighbor  said Dunsmore was driving his minivan "loudly" and repeatedly circling the block to drive past their home.

That prompted the couple's 18-year-old son to go outside and confront Dunsmore.

Dunsmore abruptly parked his van  in the traffic lanes on four-lane Memorial Drive, police said  left the vehicle and exchanged punches with the teenager, who would tell police he believed Dunsmore was trying to pull his handgun from its holster.

Dunsmore reportedly was choking the 18-year-old, clutching the teen's throat, when the youth's younger brother tried to intervene,

Their father  who had observed some of what was unfolding outside his home with a surveillance camera  came outside armed with his own 9mm handgun, and ordered Dunsmore to leave his sons alone and to get off of their property.

Dunsmore reportedly responded that he intended to "kill all of you sons of b----s."

The father said he raised his gun and fired a single shot, maintaining he feared Dunsmore would kill him or his children.

"I had no intention of hurting this man, but he's not going to hurt my son," he told police.

'A genuine fear'

At that point the wounded Dunsmore returned to his vehicle, where he collapsed, and the family members went inside, where the father called 911.

The father maintained he had not intended to kill his family's antagonist. Police said the man became emotional and vomited after being told that Dunsmore had died.

"If I wanted him dead, I would have shot him more than once," he said.

A pathologist would determine the bullet had entered Dunsmore's upper right chest and exited his upper left back, in the process fracturing ribs and striking the victim's aorta and one of his lungs.

In the conclusion of his report  submitted to Hoffman and Chief Deputy Prosecutor Zach Craig  Ramirez wrote that evidence was not sufficient "to rebut a claim of self-defense."

"There appears to be no doubt the entire ... family (had) a genuine fear of Dunsmore," he added.

"While threats alone are not sufficient to justify the use of deadly force, they certainly appear to have significance given the totality of the facts and circumstances in this case."

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie man's fatal shooting ruled justified by prosecutors
The new Prosser police chief left his last job just a month after his previous employer paid $765,000 to settle four lawsuits with former officers.

The former Unalaska, Alaska, police chief was directly involved in one lawsuit, only a minor player in two of the other civil suits and not involved in the fourth one.

But he was accused of not improving the situation at the troubled department, and in one case, making it worse by threatening an officer with criminal charges, according to court documents.

Still, Prosser Mayor Randy Taylor told the Herald that Jay King comes highly recommended by his colleagues, and none of the lawsuits specifically named him as a defendant.

Taylor said the lawsuits came up as part of the background investigation, and he was comfortable that they have the right person to lead their 16-person department.

Jay brings the right amount of experience and leadership to our city, Taylor said in a news release announcing the decision. We are excited to have someone with his caliber of experience join our team.

The Prosser City Council picked King to replace the retiring Chief David Giles. King was one of 11 applicants and three finalists chosen for the role.

King took over the department this week in the city of 6,200.

He brings more than 28 years of law enforcement experience with him to the position, most of that working for the Montgomery, Ala. police department.

He rose through the ranks to the level of a major. He established the citys motor pool program and was the accreditation manager.

Prosser City Clerk Rachel Shaw administers the Oath of Office to Police Chief Jay King.

But his move to take over the police department in the Alaskan Aleutian islands, population 4,000, ended with him resigning and accusations of harassment and ignoring officer misconduct, according to a report from KUCB.

He joined the department in 2020 after the city spent more than two years looking for a chief.

Between October 2020 and May 2022, four former employees sued the department, all with accusations that they had been wrongfully terminated or forced out through harassment.

Story continues

The Northern Justice Project, an Anchorage-based law firm focusing on civil rights cases, represented the four former officers.

Unalaskas attorneys denied the accusations before reaching the settlement agreement.

Alaska officer lawsuits

The complaints in the three lawsuits that happened during Kings tenure as chief each describe a troubled department with problems that predate King joining the department.

The attorneys who represented officers Ann Sotelo, Anthony Recco and Sgt. John Merrion described a department where problem officers stayed in their positions while others found themselves harassed and pushed out.

It is notorious for turnover, hostility, retaliatory firings and even physical confrontations between employees, attorneys James Davis and Goriune Dudukgian wrote. Worse yet, this dysfunction prevents the department from doing its job and actually serving the people of Unalaska.

Most of the problems focused on two officers who predated Kings time with the department. The attorneys note that King didnt do anything to correct the problems.

They accused him of being an incompetent and abusive manager and said the citys failure to take any corrective actions is ridiculous and cowardly.

But one officer, Sotelo, specifically pointed to a tense interaction with King in May 2021, according to court documents. It started when she discovered in the patrol room a paper with airplane flight information for Kings girlfriend.

She talked about it with a fellow officer, and left the paper where she found it, according to court documents.

After King learned she had seen the paperwork, the attorneys claim the chief interrogated her, and told her he would seek criminal charges if she lied.

He later denied making the threat, according to court documents. His then Deputy Chief Bill Simms contradicted him.

Taylor told the Herald he had heard the story from Kings point of view and that it seemed that the department let issues build up.

We have policies and procedures nailed down pretty well, Taylor said. If an employee complaint surfaced in our department, it would be handled quickly. ... When I look at what the investigator said ... its not the way that we do things.

Prossers police chief pick

Prosser started searching for Giles replacement last October, and enlisted the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs to help conduct the search.

Giles left the role after serving as the departments chief for 10 years. He had served 23 years with the Drug Enforcement Administration before taking the position, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The 16-member department has an annual budget of $2.3 million, according to the associations advertisement. The rural city that also is the county seat of Benton County doesnt have a high violent crime rate.

They were looking for someone with at least 10 years of experience, particularly with a small agency in a rural area.

The job comes with an annual salary range of $108,000 to $130,000.

In all, 11 candidates applied and that was narrowed to three finalists, including King. The other two were Washington State Patrol Sgt. Darin Foster and former Monticello, Ill., Police Chief John Carter.

All of the finalists came with some history. Foster sued the state patrol in 2020 because the agency hadnt calculated his promotion information correctly. The case was ultimately dismissed because of a settlement in a similar class action lawsuit.

Carter resigned his position in Illinois with a letter alleging he had been forced out of the position because of the mayor.

Glover and Taylor said a thorough background check was conducted for King.

The mayor said he looks for consistency among what people tell him about the candidate.

Taylor told the Herald that the citys investigator traveled to Alaska and Alabama to conduct the background research. The investigator talked with people who had worked with him and worked for him as part of the two-month process.

The Rotary Clubs love him. The police associations love him, Taylor told the Herald. Were pretty comfortable that hes not a bad egg.

The city council confirmed Taylors pick during the Feb. 28 city council meeting.

New Prosser chief

As part of the announcement of the decision, King said his history as an officer shows he is determined to be a public servant.

Along with his experience in Alabama, King participated in the FBI National Academy. As part of that training he was recognized for his participation in the International Partnership Program.

In May 2021, he received a life saving recognition award from the Anchorage Airport Police Department.

The city also noted he has been a member of several professional and civic organizations during his career. This included Unalaskans Against Sexual Assault and Family Violence, both the Alaska and Alabama associations of police chiefs and the FBI National Academy Association.

My professional philosophy encompasses the mission of safeguarding life and property, a vision of ridding the community of crime while providing the best level of service possible, he said as part of Prossers news release.

He is guided by his core values including service, integrity, respect, leadership and innovation, according to the release.

This was not the first time King made it to a list of finalists. In October 2022, he traveled to Mill Creek, Wash., to apply to take over the chiefs position, according to the Everett Herald.

He said that he prefers policing in small towns were everyone knows each other, and believes when officers respect community members they will get respect back.
(CNN)  A secret plan drawn up by Russia's security service, the FSB, lays out detailed options to destabilize Moldova -- including supporting pro-Russian groups, utilizing the Orthodox Church and threatening to cut off supplies of natural gas.

The document appears to have been drawn up to thwart Moldova's tilt to the West, which includes closer relations with NATO and an application to join the European Union. It repeatedly refers to the importance of preventing Moldova from joining NATO.

It was obtained and first disclosed by a consortium of media, including VSquare and Frontstory, RISE Moldova, Expressen in Sweden, the Dossier Centre for Investigative Journalism and other outlets.

CNN has seen the full document, which appears to have been written in 2021 by the FSB's Directorate for Cross-Border Cooperation. Its title is "Strategic objectives of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Moldova."

The document sets out a 10-year strategy for bringing Moldova, a former Soviet republic sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania, within Russia's sphere of influence.

The plan includes making Moldova dependent on imports of Russian gas and stirring up social conflict, as well as trying to block Moldova's efforts to gain influence in the pro-Russian breakaway region of Transnistria, where some 1,500 Russian soldiers are stationed.

The five-page document is separated into multiple headings with short-, medium- and long-term aims. Among the immediate objectives are "support for Moldovan political forces advocating constructive relations with the Russian Federation," and "neutralization of the initiatives of the Republic of Moldova aimed at eliminating the Russian military presence in Transnistria."

Medium-term goals include "opposition to the expansionist policy of Romania in the Republic of Moldova" and "opposition to cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and NATO."

The FSB document lays out long term goals including the "creation of stable pro-Russian groups of influence in the Moldovan political and economic elites" and "the formation of a negative attitude towards NATO."

Asked about the document Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: "We know nothing of the existence of such a plan. I do not rule out that this is another fake. Russia has always been and remains open to building good-neighborly, mutually beneficial relations, including with Moldova."

Peskov added: "We are very sorry that the current leadership of Moldova is experiencing completely unjustified and unfounded prejudices against Moscow."

Russia has accused Ukraine of planning to invade and take over Transnistria, which borders southwestern Ukraine. The Russian defense ministry said last month that the Ukrainians were gathering armor in several border villages. Moldova and Ukraine have both dismissed the claim.

Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin canceled a 2012 decree underpinning Moldova's sovereignty, saying the move was to "ensure the national interests of Russia in connection with the profound changes taking place in international relations."

In recent weeks, the Moldovan authorities have arrested several alleged pro-Russian activists as well as an alleged operative of the Wagner private military company who tried to enter the country.

There have also been several protests organized by a pro-Russian party in the capital, Chisinau.

Ukraine and the United States have both warned of Russian efforts to destabilize the Moldovan government. Last Friday, the White House said that "Russian actors, some with current ties to Russian intelligence, are seeking to stage and use protests in Moldova as a basis to foment a manufactured insurrection against the Moldovan Government."

Western intelligence officials say the Russian strategy is in itself not surprising, but it may have been accelerated as the Moldovan government intensifies efforts to cooperate more closely with the US and European states.

The current Moldovan president, Maia Sandu, replaced Igor Dodon, who was close to the Kremlin, in late 2020. The pro-Western PAS party won parliamentary elections the following year.

The pro-Russian Shor party has organized weekly demonstrations this year in the capital Chisinau, drawing several thousand people to protests about high energy prices. The party has organized transport for attendees.

The party is led by Ilan Shor, a businessman with links to Russia who is accused of stealing billions of dollars from Moldovan banks in 2014. He was later convicted of fraud but has denied any wrongdoing.

The US Treasury Department sanctioned Shor, his wife and the party in October 2022, saying that, "Shor worked with Russian individuals to create a political alliance to control Moldova's parliament, which would then support several pieces of legislation in the interests of the Russian Federation."

Shor is currently thought to be in Israel.

The US has pledged budget support for the Moldovan government to help it cope with high energy prices. Gas tariffs have shot up over the past year as a result of the conflict in Ukraine.

The UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, was in Chisinau on Thursday. He said: "Few societies understand the underhand tactics of Russian malign activity more than Moldova and Georgia," adding that "the UK will not stand idly by while Moscow blatantly undermines their democracy, sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Cleverly announced further financial support for Moldova to cope with high energy prices.

One of Shor's leaders, Marina Tauber, told CNN's Swedish affiliate Expressen that the party was demanding that the government covered people's energy bills for the winter months. She denied that Russia was helping to organize or fund the protests.

Expressen reporter Mattias Carlsson, who is in Chisinau, told CNN that the latest protest organized by Shor on Friday last week had led to a few arrests. Among the media attending the event, he said, was a reporter with Russian state-run outlet Sputnik.

Russian officials have frequently stressed the importance of a Moscow-friendly Moldovan government as well as the significance of the Transnistria region.

Soon after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year, the then-commander of Russia's Central Military Region, Maj. Gen. Rustam Minnekaev, said that one aim of the so-called "special military operation" was to establish a corridor through southern Ukraine to the Transnistria region.

This story was first published on CNN.com. "Secret document reveals Russias 10-year plan to destabilize Moldova"
As middle school students returned to the classroom after remote learning during COVID-19, Concord School District officials knew they needed a new learning approach. Kids were disoriented after remote and hybrid learning had disrupted their ability to socialize.

So the district looked outside of its own walls for solutions. In May 2022, Concord received state funding to begin planning a partnership with the citys YMCA, and to develop a curriculum that could teach social and emotional learning skills to middle schoolers. The district is also considering a new building that creates a shared community venue for the students and the YMCA.

We cant do it alone, said Ellen Desmond, grants manager for the Concord School District. And thats really where the impetus for this idea kind of came from: that were feeling the squeeze of student mental health needs on the rise and social skill competency as a result of this epidemic.

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That approach is the type of proposal from a public school district that a recent state law is aimed to encourage. In 2021, the Legislature passed a law to create innovation schools, giving public school boards the chance to apply for exemptions to the states education rules to attempt new programs.

But despite the State Board of Educations final approval of the innovation school rules late last month, schools have so far not shown much interest in the new process, officials say.

I do not know of any district that has submitted for a waiver. Unfortunately, said Rep. Glenn Cordelli, a Tuftonboro Republican and prime sponsor of the original bill creating the innovation plans.

Intended as a way to provide flexibility, the rules allow a school or a collection of schools to submit proposals for reorganization to their local school boards. The school board must then either approve or reject those plans within 60 days.

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The way I look at it, the state is saying to school districts: Get entrepreneurial. Innovate. Come up with new ideas that you think will improve outcomes for students, said Drew Cline, chairman of the State Board of Education.

Schools can propose a broad range of changes, from the length of the school day or school year to new graduation policies, staffing plans, or assessment procedures.

If the school board approves the proposed plan, it moves to the Department of Education, which gives written feedback, and then on to the State Board of Education, which then votes on whether to approve it.

Proponents said it allows school districts to seek innovations specific to their geography or stated mission. As Cline puts it, the proposal could allow anything from learning pods to a single-room, little red schoolhouse.

Right now, before innovation schools, charter schools were the way to create an innovative public school that operated with flexibility and wasnt constrained by the really thick layer of regulations that govern most public schools, Cline said. So the Legislature wanted to create another option for innovation.

And the approach has been tried in other states. Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick signed an innovation schools rule in 2010; the state has since seen a number of schools use the process to overhaul their own curriculum.

Margarita Muniz Academy in Boston used the law to create a bilingual school, where classes are conducted in both English and Spanish. West Brookfield Elementary School in West Brookfield, Mass., created a robust STEM program, using the exceptions to certain rules to allow for dynamic classes rooted in engineering, robotics, and mathematics. And the Nathanial H. Wixon School in South Dennis, Mass., used the flexibility to extend the school day by 40 minutes, allowing students at the music-focused school more time to practice their instruments after school without interfering with class time.

So far, New Hampshires innovation school law has not been as well received. In 2021, as the bill moved through the Legislature, the National Education Association of New Hampshire spoke against it, raising worries that it would allow school boards to make sweeping changes to school operations while cutting teachers and other stakeholders out of the decision-making. Opponents said that schools and teachers already have opportunities to innovate without suspending rules.

At Concords Rundlett Middle School, the partnership with the YMCA is still in development; the state funds allowed the district to better strategize and create a roadmap, Desmond said.

By creating an alternative schedule and new curriculum for students that highlights interpersonal skills  and potentially a dedicated space to host it  the district could help cultivate lifelong skills without interfering with academic instruction, Desmond says.

The behavioral health challenges that middle schools across the country are feeling  we can kind of mitigate that a little bit, she said.

A statement of interest document sent to the Department of Education by the school district billed the proposal as an opportunity to redefine and redesign what a 21st-century middle school education can be.

Colebrook Academy also used funds under the Innovation School Fellowship program last year, putting them toward the development of a career technical education center at its high school.

But those fellowship funds are not directly related to the new innovation plan process passed by the State Board of Education last month. And Desmond said that even with the new rules, the district does not anticipate needing to submit an innovation school plan to the State Board of Education.

I think we can get it all done without the waiver, Desmond said. We want the program to have the integrity of what public education has. We acknowledge that the rules are in place for a reason.

Still, Desmond said the new law could give school districts the possibility to think a little bit differently about traditional public education.

For now, it is unclear how New Hampshire school districts might adopt innovation plans in the future. We didnt get any applications, Ill put it that way, Cline said. Whether there are districts that are seriously considering it, Im not sure.

School Board Association Executive Director Barrett Christina said that the School Board Association hasnt received inquiries from members about it yet. It certainly offers an opportunity that we havent seen in New Hampshire before to try and do some different things, Christina said of the law.

But he said that for many districts, the reticence might come down to funding.

I think a lot of this is going to come down to the resources that a district has, whether thats money or whether thats personnel, he said.

New Hampshire Bulletin is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Hampshire Bulletin maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Dana Wormald for questions: info@newhampshirebulletin.com. Follow New Hampshire Bulletin on Facebook and Twitter.
Pueblo East's Weston Dalton flashes three fingers after winning his third state wrestling championship at Ball Arena on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023.

The 2022-23 CHSAA All-State wrestling teams were announced this week and included many accolades for Pueblo wrestlers, highlighted by a wrestler of the year award for Pueblo East three-time state champion Weston Dalton.

After a stellar season, the Pueblo East Eagles earned their second straight Class 4A team title. Dolores Huerta, Pueblo County, West, East, and Central all earned either first- or second-team honors, along with some honorable mentions.

More:Pueblo East repeats as state champs in Class 4A, Dalton named wrestler of the year

Here is the list of the all-state wrestling teams.

Class 4A

Pueblo County's Zion Mares has his hand raised as the winner of the 113-pound championship during the Class 4A state wrestling tournament at Ball Arena on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023.

Dalton was not only named wrestler of the year during the CHSAA state tournament, but he is now the most outstanding wrestler in Class 4A. He also earned a spot on the all-state first team. Joining him on the first team are Zion Mares and Boden White of Pueblo County and Thomas Mayer of Pueblo West. All of these wrestlers finished with state titles in their respective weight classes, with Mayer and White winning their first state titles and Mares and Dalton both finishing with multiple state titles.

Pueblo County's Boden White has his hand raised as the winner of the 138-pound championship match of the Class 4A state wrestling tournament at Ball Arena on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023.

The second team consists of L.J. Herburger and Manuel Amaro of Pueblo East and Izaiah Padilla and Tony Macaluso of Pueblo County. All four lost in the finals of the state tournament this year with Amaro losing to Mares in the only all-Pueblo finals matchup.

Most Outstanding Wrestler: Weston Dalton, Pueblo East

First team

Pueblo West's Thomas Mayer has his hand raised as the winner of the 215-pound championship match of the Class 4A state wrestling tournament at Ball Arena on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023.

Zion Mares, Pueblo County

Boden White, Pueblo County

Weston Dalton, Pueblo East

Thomas Mayer, Pueblo West

Second team

Manuel 'Pocky' Amaro sizes up his competition in the 106-pound semifinal matchup of the CHSAA Class 4A state wrestling tournament held at Ball Arena on Feb. 17, 2023.

L.J. Herburger, Pueblo East

Manuel Amaro, Pueblo East

Izaiah Padilla, Pueblo County

Tony Macaluso, Pueblo County

Honorable mention

Julian Espinoza, Pueblo East

Niko Fernandez, Pueblo East

Sully Deherrera, Pueblo East

Sebastian Freeman, Pueblo East

Class 3A

As the only Class 3A representative from Pueblo, the Central Wildcats were able to secure one spot on the all-state team with a second-place finish by Mariano Romero-Garcia in the 285-pound weight class. Sophomore Genaro Pino was able to earn a spot on the honorable mention list for his efforts in finishing third in the state at 165 pounds.

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Second team

Pueblo Central's Mariano Romero-Garcia stares down Aidan Trujillo of Valley ahead of their 285-pound championship match of the Class 3A state wrestling tournament at Ball Arena on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023.

Mariano Romero-Garcia, Pueblo Central

Honorable mention

Genaro Pino, Pueblo Central

Class 2A

The Dolores Huerta Prep Scorpions put up a great effort in this year's state finals earning two third-place finishes. AJ Jaramillo and Miguel Franco both earned spots on the honorable mention list for their performances in the state finals.

Honorable mention

AJ Jaramillo, Dolores Huerta Prep

Miguel Franco, Dolores Huerta Prep

Girls wrestling

Pueblo Central's Kenna Pino finished fourth in the 135-pound division and was awarded a spot on the honorable mention list.

Honorable mention

Kenna Pino, Pueblo Central

More:Dino Aragon retiring after more than 40 years of dedication to Pueblo wrestling

Christopher Abdelmalek is a sports reporter for the Pueblo Chieftain and can be reached at cabdelmalek@gannett.com or on Twitter @chowebacca

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo East's Dalton earns Most Outstanding Wrestler; CHSAA All-State
A Purple Alert has been issued for a missing woman last seen at Holmes Regional Medical Center.

Melbourne police said they are asking for the communitys help finding Deborah Kuhman, 67.

Police said Kuhman left the hospital but did not make it home after 1 a.m. Friday.

Police said Kuhmans family is concerned about her well-being as she does not have access to necessary medication.

Read: Recall alert: Ford recalls more than 1 million vehicles over brake fluid hose issue

She was last seen in camouflage pants and an unknown-colored top. Kuhman may be driving her 2021 grey Nissan Rogue with the Florida tag BBR63 and a Cornell University license plate frame.

Officers said the SUV may have been in Titusville and/or Indian River County since Friday morning. If you see or have contact with Kuhman, please contact your local law enforcement agency.

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.
All member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) are now legally bound to detain Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, now deemed a suspect, and hand him over to the court.

Source: Russian BBC service, citing Kevin Jon Heller, professor of international law at the University of Copenhagen

Quote: "This is an incredibly important event. Its not every day a sitting head of state is accused by the international court. But of course, the likelihood of Putin being detained any time soon is quite low.

From a legal point of view, any ICC member state is obliged to execute this ruling. If Putin arrives on the territory of this country, it should arrest him and hand him over to the court. But in reality, states dont always do that.

For instance, serious accusations were made against the President of Sudan, and he visited several ICC member states after that but was not arrested in any of them. So an arrest warrant is no guarantee that Putin will be handed over to the ICC. Yet from a legal point of view, countries are obliged to do that."

Details: The ICC jurisdiction is valid in the countries that have ratified the Rome Statute. Ukraine is not party to the Rome Statute, but Ukraine has granted the ICC the right to investigate crimes committed on its territory.

The Rome Statute has been ratified by 123 countries, including South American countries and nearly half the countries of Africa, so they must consider warrants issued by the ICC. China, India, Belarus, Turkiye and Kazakhstan are among the countries that have not ratified the statute. Russia, like the US, signed the statute but later revoked its signature.

Pavel Chikov, head of the international human rights group Agora, said that Putin was the seventh head of state to come under an international criminal investigation.

Quote: "The first head of state in history to be prosecuted by the ICC was Laurent Gbagbo, fourth President of Cote d'Ivoire, in 2011. He was accused of crimes against humanity committed during an armed conflict in the country in 2010-2011. Eight years later, in 2019, Gbagbo was acquitted.

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Uhuru Kenyatta, who later became President of Kenya, was accused by the ICC of committing crimes against humanity during the political crisis in Kenya in 2007-2008. The accusations were revoked in 2014 due to the lack of evidence.

Omar al-Bashir, the seventh President of Sudan, is in custody in Sudan and is waiting to be handed over to The Hague. He is accused by the ICC of organising and carrying out a genocide.

The first head of state to be convicted was Charles Taylor, 22nd President of Liberia. He was prosecuted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone. The court found him guilty of assisting in and inciting war crimes and of complicity in crimes against humanity. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison on 30 May 2012.

Former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic died in the UN prison in The Hague before being sentenced. He was prosecuted by a predecessor of the ICC  the Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia."

Background:

On 17 March, the Chamber of Pre-trial Claims of the II International Criminal Court issued an arrest order for Russias President Vladimir Putin in connection with the situation in Ukraine.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
WARSAW (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin should be tried as a war criminal along with others responsible for atrocities in Ukraine, Poland's government spokesman said on Friday, after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president.

"This is an important decision from the court, which points to war crimes committed by the Russian apparatus of violence," Piotr Muller told state-run news agency PAP.

"Vladimir Putin is at the head of this machine and should be tried as a war criminal along with those who directly and indirectly implement barbaric warfare."

(Reporting by Alan Charlish; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Andrii Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine, has reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin is officially suspected of committing international crime now; he can be arrested and brought to court when outside of Russia.

Source: Kostin on Facebook

Quote: "From now, the Russian president is officially suspected of committing international crimes, namely illegal deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children. The International Criminal Court has issued warrants for the arrest of Putin, President of Russia, and Lvova-Belova, Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights.

This means that outside of Russia [in countries that have ratified the Rome Statute  ed.]. Putin should be arrested and brought to court. And world leaders will think three times before shaking his hand or sitting down at a negotiating table with him.

The world received a signal that the Russian regime is criminal and its leadership and henchmen will be held accountable."

Details: According to Kostin, the Prosecutor General's Office handed over more than 40 volumes, more than 1,000 pages, of materials to the ICC. In general, the deportation of more than 16,000 children from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv and Kherson oblasts was recorded in the proceedings in which the Prosecutor General's Office provides procedural guidance.

For reference: The jurisdiction of the ICC extends to countries that have ratified the Rome Statute. Ukraine is not a party to the Rome Statute. However, Ukraine has given the International Criminal Court the right to investigate crimes on its territory.

A total of 123 states are members of the Rome Statute, including the states of South America and about half of the states of Africa, so they will have to pay attention to the warrants issued by the ICC. China, India, Belarus, Turkey, Kazakhstan, among others, did not sign or ratify the statute. Russia, like the United States, signed the charter, but later withdrew its signature.

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Background:

Last October, Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights, told Putin she had "adopted" a child abducted from Mariupol. She claims that as of October alone, up to 2,000 orphans from social institutions had been taken to Russia, and 350 children from Donbas had already been placed in "foster families" in 16 oblasts of Russia.

The Ukrainian side recorded the deportation of 16,221 children.

Earlier, The International Criminal Court (ICC) reportedly intended to open two war crime criminal cases connected with the Russian invasion of Ukraine: one about the kidnapping of Ukrainian children and the other about purposeful Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure facilities in Ukraine.

Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin on 17 March, in view of the situation in Ukraine.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking to Chinese President Xi Jinping

Poland and Slovakia are arming Kyiv with fighter jets. Russian warplanes are forcing American drones out of the skies. Chinese President Xi Jinping is visiting Moscow in a show of support for Vladimir Putin while Chinese companies are shipping assault weapons and body armour to Moscows troops. Putins war in Ukraine is headed into dangerous waters, and the potential for escalation with the West is higher now than at any point since the initial invasion.

While Nato has remained committed to avoiding direct confrontation with Russian forces, its support for Ukraine is what has enabled Kyiv to hold out. As Putin becomes increasingly desperate, the potential for escalatory threats and actions in an attempt to force the West into backing down is growing. Any miscalculation in such an environment could lead to catastrophic consequences.

All the elements for an accidental escalation are there. First, Russia is facing horrendous losses on the ground. The Ukrainian armed forces are grinding down Russian troops and Wagner convicts in and around Bakhmut. Armed with Western weapons and training, they are inflicting daily casualty figures that would make other military leaders baulk.

Second, the West is increasingly bold in its actions in support of Ukraine. On Wednesday Polish president Andrzej Duda announced that Warsaw would send four Soviet-era MiG-29s to Ukraine  the first Western nation to send fighter jets to Kyiv since the war began. As they are replaced over this year, we may well see all 28 of Polands MiGs head to Ukraine. Slovakia has also committed planes.

These actions were rejected last year for fear of escalation. Ukraines Nato allies had restricted their actions to providing spare parts for Kyivs fleet of Soviet jets as supplying actual airframes could be viewed as direct participation by the Kremlin. Now this line has been crossed, and Finland and the Netherlands could well follow suit.

With greater Western willingness to arm Ukraine and cross Russian red lines, with victories thin on the ground, Moscow may find itself backed into a corner. And with the survival of his regime at stake, nothing would be off the table for Vladimir Putin.

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Weve already seen a dangerous new development in the clash between a Russian jet and a US surveillance drone. Despite operating in international airspace, Moscow felt entitled to intervene. These intelligence-gathering platforms have provided a significant battlefield advantage to the Ukrainian war effort, and its not entirely surprising that the Kremlin is now sending warning shots.

Sensing that this incident may have been a one-off and opportunistic attack, Washington has avoided any further escalation save a diplomatic dressing-down for Moscows ambassador. But in the absence of any harder response, Moscow may now see attacks against Nato unmanned vehicles as fair game: no loss of life, legally ambiguous, and of significant battlefield advantage.

Any further incidents in a contested airspace could have real potential for drawing far harder military responses, and with them, the well known risks of miscalculation, miscommunication and potentially disastrous escalation.

This is particularly true given the announcement of Chinese president Xi Jinpings visit to Putin in Moscow, taking place next week. While Beijing has attempted to pitch itself as a neutral negotiator, the revelation that Chinese state-owned defence contractors have been sending military equipment to Russia has shredded this attempted deception. Far from peacemaker, Beijing is attempting to become kingmaker. Now that the gloves are truly off, who knows where Chinese military support for Russia could ultimately lead? Emboldened by greater support, Russia may well begin to assert itself against the West, just as China is doing over Taiwan.

This pattern of escalation has real potential to draw in further British and Nato efforts to a point where conflict past Ukraines borders no longer remains unthinkable. We must do everything in our collective power to help Ukraine win, and as soon as possible.

Robert Clark is the Director of the Defence and Security Unit at Civitas. Prior to this he served in the British military.
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with China President Xi Jinping in December 2022 (AP)

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have met around 40 times since Chinas leader assumed the presidency in 2012. In many ways, the camaraderie between the pair has come to define the diplomatic relations between Moscow and Beijing across the last decade.

Xi made Moscow his first overseas visit as president in 2013 and this latest visit comes next week in the wake of him being handed an unprecedented third term as president. During that time, the greetings between Xi and Putin have evolved from dear president to dear friend and later to my old friend. Last year, just a few weeks before Moscows forces invaded Ukraine the leaders met and announced a no limits partnership between their two nations.

Historically, relations between China and Russia have been fraught with distrust and confrontation, particularly at the height of their Cold War schism in the late 1960s, but Putin and Xi have changed the dynamic. On his last visit to Moscow, in 2019, Xi spoke of his deep personal friendship with his Russian counterpart. In the past six years, we have met nearly 30 times. Russia is the country that I have visited the most times, and President Putin is my best friend and colleague, Xi said. Both leaders share an objective of altering the world order, and they will continue to pursue that.

However, the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has thrown the nature of their relationship into sharp relief and it is clear that Xi and Beijing hold the upper hand. Trade between the two nations has been steadily growing for years, but in 2022 it reached a record 1.28 trillion yuan (153bn), according to Chinese data. That marked an increase of around 30 per cent from 2021, driven in part by Chinese companies snapping up discounted oil and coal, even as other governments moved to shun Russian fuel, as part of an extensive sanctions regime by Western nations that sought to punish Moscow for its war.

Putin has sought to portray Western support for Ukraine as an existential threat to Russia, accusing Nato members of getting directly involved in conflict by supplying weapons and other support to Ukraine. It has generally suited Xi to back that suggestion, at least in terms of what Beijing sees as the disproportionate influence of the West on the world. Beijing has also not condemned the invasion. At a time when both China and Russia are facing frostier relations with the US  including trade (in Beijings case) and security, it makes sense for China not to make the most of its relationship with Russia.

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But while Putin has been backed into a corner by his invasion  he has to hit out at the West, leaving his nation increasingly isolated on the world stage  it is clear that China has other options and wants to use them. In October, Putin said that relations with China were at an unprecedented level and that Xi was his close friend, with the president seeming to sense that Beijing might be feeling more uncomfortable with the situation in Ukraine. In truth, Xi  who has made himself the most dominant leader China has had since Mao Zedong  clearly has more global ambitions. This month, Beijing has brokered a detente between long-time Middle East rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia. While last month, it issued a peace plan for Ukraine. The proposal is vague but highlights that China is looking to craft a role as a global mediator.

As for this latest meeting between Putin and Xi in Moscow, A Russian official said the pair would discuss the conflict in Ukraine as well as military-technical cooperation. The Kremlin said important bilateral documents would be signed, without elaborating. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the visit by Xi would strengthen economic partnerships and promote peace. China has said it will uphold an objective and fair position on the war in Ukraine and play a constructive role in promoting talks for peace

The goal for Putin is clear: he needs Xi fully onside. The fact that the pair will have an informal lunch on Monday, before more formal talks on Tuesday, shows that the Russian president wants to make clear just how close the nations are. For Xi, he appears happy to deal with Russia as long as it suits his nations interests. More trade will always be useful, while increased military cooperation would also have its advantages. Moscow could enhance Chinas naval capabilities by giving its fleet access to Russian ports in the Far East and by sharing technology. There are also reports Xi will speak with Ukraines Volodymyr Zelensky  their first contact since Russia's invasion  in the wake of his trip.

The US has expressed deep concern that China might try to position itself as a peacemaker by promoting a ceasefire. But any cessation at this point would not bring a just and lasting peace, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday. The US has also suggested that China is considering sending weapons to Russia  an accusation China has sought to dismiss.

Against that backdrop, dont expect the Putin-Xi bromance to come to an end anytime soon  but it is clear who now holds the power.
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters

Royalist is The Daily Beasts newsletter for all things royal and Royal Family. Subscribe here to get it in your inbox every Sunday.

The decision to give Camilla Parker Bowles grandchildren official roles in the coronation represents a victory lap for her and Charles, a friend of hers has told The Daily Beast. The move will cement her family in a powerful and influential position at the heart of the British establishment.

However the news that her five grandchildren are to be given a starring role at the coronation, holding a golden canopy over Her Majesty during literally the most sacred part of the ceremonythe anointing of the royal personage with holy oilcame as a surprise to Prince William, who does not have a close relationship with Camillas children, journalist Tom Parker Bowles and gallerist Laura Lopes, a friend of his said.

Prince Harry: Camilla Was Dangerous and Left Bodies in the Street

Prince Harry is not believed to have been consulted about any aspects of the coronation given his estrangement from his family. In an interview to publication of his memoir Spare, Harry said Camilla was dangerous and had left bodies in the street as she made her royal ascent.

The offices of Charles and Camilla, William and Kate, and Harry and Meghan all declined to respond to requests for comment from The Daily Beast. Friends of the family were more forthcoming, however.

Camilla never asked for any of this, one friend of hers told The Daily Beast, But Charles always wanted her to be queen. Lots of people doubted he could pull it off but he has, and including her family in the coronation is something of a victory lap for both of them.

The idea that the queens five grandchildren would have a prominent and official role at the coronation would have been laughed out of court two years ago, simply because none of them have royal ancestry or are expected to perform public service in their adult life, and a coronation is a state event, not a family one. To include them, therefore, is tantamount to announcing them as members of the inner circle; it will elevate them to an entirely new public and social status as Official Royal Grandkids.

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The corresponding exclusion of the Sussex kids will also, of course, send the opposite message to the Sussex grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, who will be passing the Parker Bowles clan on the down escalator.

Of course, given that they will only be 4 and 1 respectively on the day of the coronation, no-one would imagine that both Archie and Lilibet would ever have been seated inside Westminster Abbey on May 6.

But nor is there any notion that the king will invite the Sussex children to participate in the wider celebrations, or appear in a photocall with them, for example.

He may have had little choice but to accept Sussex demands that their children got their princely titles, but he will very much not be conferring the magic of regal favor on them.

Unlike the Parker Bowles grandkids, that is.

Food critic Tom Parker Bowles, who was caught admitting to using cocaine in a 1999 newspaper sting, has two children from his ex-wife, fashion editor Sarah BuysLola, 15, and Freddy, 13 while Camillas daughter, now known by her married name of Laura Lopes, a former society journalist who now runs an art gallery, has three kids with husband George Lopes: Eliza, 15, and twins Louis and Gus, 13.

As of May 7, this new famous five will be among the most eligible teenagers in the land. Socially ambitious parents will be well aware that a friendship with them will guarantee their children a VIP pass into the privileged center of British society.

It is a leg-up like no other and an extraordinary decision by Camilla and Charles, given that it was only in February last year that the palace finally gave up the line that Camilla would never be queen.

Their inclusion is testament to the huge power and authority that Camilla has consolidated since the announcement by the late Queen Elizabeth that she wished Camilla to be known as Queen Consort when Charles ascended the throne. The palace is expected to shortly drop the Consort bit soon, making Charles long cherished dream of King Charles and Queen Camilla a reality.

Asked by Anderson Cooper of CNN how Camilla was dangerous, Harry replied, Because of the need for her to rehabilitate her image, which made her dangerous because of the connections that she was forging within the British press. And there was open willingness on both sides to trade of information. And with a family built on hierarchy, and with her, on the way to being Queen Consort, there was gonna be people or bodies left in the street because of that...

If you are led to believe, as a member of the family, that being on the front page, having positive headlines, positive stories written about you, is going to improve your reputation or increase the chances of you being accepted as monarch by the British public, then thats what you're gonna do.

The pledge that Camilla would only ever be known as Princess Consort was made on Charles behalf to assuage public anger over Charles marrying the woman who Diana blamed for making their marriage impossible.

It was never intended to be honored. It was a straightforward, cynical deception aimed at buying time while a team of spinners worked on the long game: improving Camillas image and acceptability to the British public.

The job is now done, and not only is Camilla queen, but her grandchildren are being publicly recognized as royals in all but name.

It is an astounding consolidation of power and influence by Camilla especially as it would have been reasonable to assume that creating new step-grandchildren-in-waiting is the very reverse of the much-vaunted slimmed-down monarchy that Charles has long claimed to want.

It could also backfire in a predictable way if, for example any of those grandchildren subsequently are accused of cashing in on their royal status with freebies or sinecure jobs (which they will now be offered by the truckload) or get up to any youthful high jinx which make their way onto social or mainstream media.

The move by Charles to include Camillas grandchildren in Mays ceremonyPalace spinners have been briefing that it shows Charles is a champion of the blended family and that Charles would read the kids Harry Potter when he was younger and put on silly voices to do sohas surprised friends of William and Kate.

One friend of William and Harrys told The Daily Beast: It was unexpected. If youre meeting William and Kate for the first time, its best not to say youre a friend of Tom or Lauras. Its not that they actively dislike them, its just that they dont really know them and are not close to them. Also, all their friends are journalists or in the media in some way because of their lives as writers and critics. Its a slightly louche scene and it makes [William and Kate] nervous.

A friend of Toms said, He didnt exactly meet the boys [Harry and William] under the best conditions and they were never mates.

Asked if they were surprised Tom wanted his children to have a pivotal role in the ceremony, the friend said, Tom is very savvy, and I think he would see it as an amazing opportunity for them. But ultimately he would have left it up to them. I assume they have said they want to do it.

The royal author Christopher Andersen, who has authored a series of books on Camilla including Game of Crowns: Elizabeth, Camilla, Kate and the Throne told The Daily Beast: It seems like an obvious slap in the face to Harry and Williamboth of them, we now know for certain, begged Charles not to marry Camilla. There is this gnawing sense that, were it not for Camilla, Diana is the one we would see being crowned queen on May 6. The message it sends is, We really don't need you and your family, Harry. Camillas will fill in the void just fine.

As for the whole Arent we a modern blended family? bit, it seems to me that that is little more than a kind of disingenuous New Age cover for Camilla getting her wayyet again.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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What our itchy eyes and noses have long suspected is finally confirmed: the Triangle  specifically Raleigh  is one of the worst places in the U.S. for seasonal allergies.

In a report released Thursday, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) named Raleigh as one of this years Allergy Capitals, meaning its among the most challenging cities in the country for those with seasonal pollen allergies.

The full report ranks the 100 most-populated U.S. metropolitan areas, but Raleigh and another North Carolina city, Greensboro, ranked in the top 20. Other North Carolina cities, including Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Durham, appear on the list, but with average or better-than-average ratings for seasonal allergies in those locales.

The report calculates and assigns rankings to the cities based on total pollen scores for tree, grass, and weed pollen, over-the-counter medication use and the number of allergy specialists in each city. The report and rankings are based on data from the previous year.

Wondering where, exactly, Raleigh falls in the top 20 rankings? And what does it mean for Raleigh to be an Allergy Capital?

Here are key takeaways from AAFAs 2023 Allergy Capitals report.

Raleigh is one of the worst places in U.S. for seasonal allergies

Raleigh ranks 16th in the list of most challenging places in the United States to live with seasonal pollen allergies, according to AAFAs report.

That ranking also places Raleigh as the most challenging place in North Carolina to live with season allergies, with the city ranking higher than the other North Carolina cities included in the report.

Overall, according to the report, Raleigh has a worse-than-average overall ranking for seasonal allergies. The overall ranking is based on these five data points:

 Tree pollen: Raleigh ranked 39th for tree pollen, based on the daily pollen count in the city for this type of pollen.

 Grass pollen: Raleigh ranked 16th for grass pollen, based on the daily pollen count in the city for this type of pollen.

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 Weed pollen: Raleigh ranked 11th for for weed pollen, based on the daily pollen count in the city for this type of pollen.

 Sale and use of over-the-counter allergy medicine: Raleigh received a worse-than-average ranking in this category.

 Number of allergists and immunologists: Raleigh received a worse-than-average ranking in this category.

Raleighs No. 16 ranking this year is a big jump from last year, when the City of Oaks was ranked 81st in the Allergy Capitals report and was assigned a better-than-average overall ranking for seasonal allergies.

How do other NC cities rank for seasonal allergies?

While Raleighs ranking makes it the worst place in North Carolina for seasonal allergies, other North Carolina cities are also included in the report. Heres how they ranked:

 Greensboro ranked 19th overall, placing it in the top 20 with Raleigh. Greensboro received an average ratings for pollen counts and worse-than-average ratings for allergy medicine use and allergy specialists.

 Winston-Salem ranked 29th overall. Like Raleigh and Greensboro, Winston-Salem received a worse-than-average overall rating for seasonal allergies.

 Charlotte ranked 32nd, earning an average overall rating for seasonal allergies.

 Durham ranked 79th, with AAFA deeming the Bull Citys overall seasonal allergy rating as better-than-average.

How to cope with seasonal allergies

In addition to issuing the Allergy Capital rankings, AAFA also provides advice for how to cope with and manage seasonal allergies  something those of us in No. 16 Raleigh could surely use.

AAFA recommends:

 Managing your contact with pollen. Limiting your exposure to pollen can reduce the symptoms and impacts you get from it. AAFA recommends, among other suggestions, limiting your outdoor activities to days with low pollen counts, keeping your windows closed during peak-pollen times and removing your shoes before you enter your home to avoid tracking pollen inside.

 Taking allergy medicine. Taking over-the-counter or prescription allergy medicine can prevent and treat allergy symptoms. You might try nasal corticosteroid sprays to reduce inflammation in your nose, antihistamines to relieve sneezing and itching, decongestants or other options.

 Rinsing out your nose. A nasal rinse can help clear your sinuses and nose, AAFA says. A recipe and instructions for a saline sinus rinse are available from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology at aaaai.org/tools-for-the-public/conditions-library/allergies/saline-sinus-rinse-recipe.

 Asking your doctor about immunotherapy. If you do not get complete relief from medicines that treat allergy symptoms, talk with your allergy doctor about immunotherapy, AAFA says. Immunotherapy is a long-term treatment that can help prevent allergic reactions or make them less severe. It can change the bodys immune response to allergens.

More information

Looking for more information about this years Allergy Capitals, or want to see the full report and rankings? Visit the AAFAs website at aafa.org/asthma-allergy-research/allergy-capitals.

OTC meds vs. allergy shots: A UNC doctor weighs in on NCs early pollen season
(CNN)  The skies have been turbulent over the United States in 2023 -- and not just because of rogue balloons.

Since the start of the year, there have been a concerning number of high-profile "near misses" as planes involved in airport landing or taking off procedures came perilously close to potential disaster.

And then there's the turbulence. As all flyers know, bumpy air is a regular feature of plane travel, but not usually, as has been experienced recently, to the violent extent that passengers are hurt.

Plus, details emerged of an incident late last year, in which a United Airlines Boeing 777 plunged toward the Pacific Ocean for 21 seconds just after takeoff, apparently pulling up just 800 feet over the Pacific Ocean as passengers screamed in fear.

The litany of incidents that have clocked up less than three months into 2023 have prompted such concern that this week the US Federal Aviation Administration convened a "Safety Summit."

Of course, flying remains an incredibly safe way to travel. Commercial plane crashes are nowadays very rare, with approximately 45,000 flights typically completed each day in the US, all without fatality. That's a number that continues to rise, post Covid.

So, given that the FAA has assembled aviation experts -- and US Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg -- to take a closer look at what's going on in the US, should passengers be worried?

While officials, still investigating these incidents, and airlines say flyers can continue to board planes with the confidence that the industry's rigorous safety procedures will keep them out of harm's way, some say recent events are a warning sign of potential trouble to come.

"These recent incidents must serve as a wake-up call for every single one of us, before something more catastrophic occurs. Before lives are lost," National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said to government and industry leaders gathered for the summit on Wednesday.

A string of scary near misses

On paper, it has not been a great year, thanks mainly to the series of headline-making "runway incursions" -- essentially near misses between aircraft that made headlines and prompted serious questions about aviation risks.

On January 13, an American Airlines jet crossed a runway at New York's JFK International Airport as a Delta Air Lines aircraft was taking off.

Ten days later, a United Airlines jet crossed a runway at Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport as a cargo aircraft was coming in to land. At their closest, says the FAA, the two were 1,170 feet apart.

February saw a rash of incidents. At California's Burbank Airport, a Mesa Airlines plane had to make a go-around  essentially an aborted landing  when its crew realized a SkyWest plane was taking off from the same runway. Another go-around incident occurred at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in Florida.

Perhaps closest to disaster was an incident on February 4, when FedEx cargo pilots were landing at Austin, only to see a Southwest plane was on the runway, about to take off.

Air Traffic Control had cleared both planes, despite the airport being wreathed in fog. The aircraft came within 100 feet of each other.

In late February, air traffic controllers at Boston averted a crash when a Learjet took off without clearance as a Jetblue flight was coming in to land on an intersecting runway. The JetBlue aircraft "took evasive action and initiated a climb-out," according to an FAA statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which looks into incidents, is now investigating all six events. It is also investigating a December incident, in which a United Airlines Boeing 777 jet departing from Hawaii plunged towards the ocean after takeoff, coming within 775 feet of sea level.

The FAA, which is also investigating the recent spate of incidents, says it has not found a common cause.

It seems like stories like this are becoming increasingly common. Or are they?

Most incursions are not serious

Data from the FAA published in 2017 showed that reports of runway incursions have been on a largely upward trend since 1997, and steadily rising since 2011. The Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST), formed in 1997, encouraged a culture of data sharing and no-blame safety reporting.

The number of accidents has remained relatively constant, according to FAA analysis through 2016, and it shows the cumulative risk trending down.

The FAA says most incursions are not classed as serious  few of the 120 or so logged in January 2023 have made headlines. That figure includes all incursions, including those involving general aviation aircraft.

Some, however, can sound terrifying.

These include an event on January 18, in which a Boeing 737 took off from Dallas Love Field without ATC authorization; fortunately no other traffic was involved. And another at Florida's Treasure Coast International, when a fire truck entered the runway as a business jet was taking off.

The latter is deemed "category A"  the most serious of runway incursions, "in which a collision is narrowly avoided," according to the FAA. And there's been a recent uptick in those cases. Both 2022 and 2021 saw seven of them  up on three in 2019 and four in 2018, according to the FAA's runway incursion database. However, there were 22 category A incidents in 2007, the peak in the past two decades.

Most of the incursions involving commercial airliners that have made headlines this year are not yet entered into the FAA database. The agency did not provide specifics about how those incidents will be categorized.

"The vast majority of runway incursions are not serious occurrences," the FAA said in a statement. "However, reducing the risk of them occurring remains one of the FAA's highest safety priorities and is a shared responsibility that encompasses pilots, air traffic controllers and airport vehicle drivers."

While incident numbers might not be on a dramatically upward trajectory, they are causing alarm. In February, acting FAA administrator Billy Nolen sent a memo to the agency instructing staff to "stare into the data and ask hard questions."

Nolen renewed that call at the summit on Wednesday.

Among the questions he posed for consideration by the assembled experts: "In light of these recent close calls and the attention being focused on even the most routine of go-arounds, are we emphasizing efficiency over safety? How much of what we see can be attributed to the sudden resurgence in demand following the pandemic?"

He said that over the past 25 years the industry has made "enormous strides" in its ability to scour data and identify risks before they manifest into serious incidents or accidents, but he called on members of the aviation industry to discuss "concrete steps" to make the system safer.

"America's aviation safety net is strong, our goal, our obligation, is to sew those threads even tighter," Nolen said.

System under pressure

It's about time, say some who work in the aviation industry amid fear that cuts made during the pandemic, plus a lack of scrutiny, have compromised America's long safety culture in aviation.

The United States' last fatal accident was in 2009, when Colgan Air flight 3407 crashed while flying from Newark to Buffalo, killing everyone onboard.

The NTSB investigation declared it to be pilot error, citing pilot fatigue as a factor.

The FAA revised duty times for pilots as a result, cutting them to a maximum of 14 hours, down from 16, including eight hours of flying. Minimum rest times rose from eight to 10 hours.

Cargo pilots can work slightly longer hours, despite sharing the runways with commercial pilots.

And whereas previously airlines have stayed well within them, some are now asking pilots to work closer to the maximums.

Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines captain and spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents 15,000 AA pilots, says that, since the pandemic started, the pressure on pilots is at an all-time high. The union is in ongoing negotiations with the airline.

"We've seen the system under pressure for well over a year, it was just a question of time before it was going to manifest itself in incidents," he says.

"Thankfully there've been no accidents  yet."

Pilot fatigue and shortages

Tajer cites a shortage of pilots caused by Covid lockdown layoffs as part of the problem. Last May, United CEO Scott Kirby said that there "simply aren't enough pilots."

A February 2023 analysis by management consultancy Oliver Wyman estimated a "supply gap" of 18% of the US pilot workforce.

As a result, airlines have increased pilot hours  to within legal levels allowed by the FAA, but surpassing pre-pandemic schedules, says Tajer.

"We are exhausted. Fatigue doesn't happen in a moment  it can be chronic and that can affect your next flight. It's like running an engine at its maximum all the time. At first it looks good, but over time things start to crack and leak. That's what we're seeing now."

At the same time, he says, airlines are cutting back on training. In 2020, AA switched from retraining pilots every nine months, as it had done previously, to every 12 months  the FAA minimum standard.

AA said any changes were in line with FAA rules and followed a thorough risk assessment. "Safety is the foundation of every decision we make at American, and is the north star of our Flight Training program," it said in a statement to CNN.

"We have the best, most expertly trained pilots in the business who are unwavering in their mission of operating a safe airline for our customers and fellow team members."

Staffing  of positions including pilots, air traffic controllers and ground crew  was frequently cited as a pressure point among industry leaders at the summit. As was the importance of adequate training for both those who are new and those who are returning after absences brought on by the pandemic. The loss of experienced workers was also a key concern.

"With about half of our nation's qualified pilots facing their mandatory retirement within 15 years, we are going to be training and hiring tens of thousands of new pilots over the next two decades," said Faye Malarkey Black, president and CEO of the Regional Airline Association.

"And it is extremely, extremely important when we're doing this that we focus on building the right foundation from the start."

Nicholas Calio, president and CEO of trade group Airlines for America, said US carriers have hired 100,000 new workers with a strong emphasis on training.

'A job that requires colossal concentration'

Terry Tozer, a British former airline pilot and author who now comments on safety, sees systematic issues with US aviation protocols.

"America is a very aviation-orientated country," he says. "[Airports] pack a lot of traffic in... and if you put everyone under pressure, a cock-up [mistake] is more likely."

In particular, "the American air traffic control system is very pressurized," he says, pointing out that in the UK and the European Union, air traffic control workers get longer downtime.

"Covid seems to have exacerbated the situation  there's an issue with staffing levels, and that usually adds pressure on the people at the coalface. It's a job that requires colossal concentration."

FAA regulations state that air traffic controllers can work no more than 10 hours a day (including two hours overtime), and get regular breaks.

Last summer, an airline industry trade group claimed the East Coast network was "crippled" due to lack of ATC staff.

"Unfortunately, we have a staffing issue right now as air traffic controllers. We are 1,200 certified professional controllers less now than we were 10 years ago," Rich Santa, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said at the summit.

Nolen said the FAA is on pace to hire 1,500 controllers this year and 1,800 next year.

As both pilots point out, the good news is that all we've seen so far are incidents, not accidents.

"So you could argue that the system works," says Tozer. "But the safety margins have been eroded a little."

This story was first published on CNN.com, "US airplane near misses keep coming. Now officials are talking about averting catastrophic incidents."
A digital clock counting down to 0, then it says Published, with the Minneapolis Public Schools logo below

A cyber gang claims it published what could be a startling amount of stolen Minneapolis Public School records to the internet after the district failed to meet a $1 million extortion demand, but where the actual files are now remains something of a mystery.

Early Friday morning, after the Medusa gangs countdown clock on the ransom deadline struck zero, the files werent readily available for download on its dark web leak site. Instead, a Download data now! button directs users to contact the ransomware gang through an encrypted instant-messaging protocol. Attempts by The 74 to reach the gang have been unsuccessful.

Files from previous Medusa victims are available on a website designed to resemble a technology news blog  a front of sorts. Unlike the Medusa blog, this site is not relegated to the dark web and does not require special tools to access. Download links are also posted in a channel on Telegram, the encrypted social media service thats been used by terror groups and far-right extremists. Yet as of Friday afternoon, the files purportedly stolen from the Minneapolis district were not available for download on either platform.

Data breaches from previous victims appear to be uploaded to the faux technology news blog about a month after their ransom expires, suggesting that the Minneapolis files could become available online after a brief lag.

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Still, in a statement on Friday, the district said it is aware that the threat actor has released certain MPS data on the dark web today.

We are working with cybersecurity specialists to quickly and securely download the data so that we can conduct an in-depth and comprehensive review to determine the full scope of what personal information was impacted and to whom the information relates, the district continued. This will take some time. You will be contacted directly by MPS if our review indicates that your personal information has been impacted.

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Early indications suggest the files contain a significant volume of sensitive information about students and staff. Leading up to the Friday deadline, Medusa posted a short-lived video to Vimeo that previewed the files in its possession and published a file tree on its dark web blog that purportedly showed the names of the compromised documents. The file tree suggests those records involve student sexual violence allegations, district finances, student discipline, special education, civil rights investigations, student maltreatment and sex offender notifications. As of Friday afternoon, the dark web blog post showing the file tree had amassed more than 3,100 page views.

An entry on the Medusa cyber gangs dark web leak site says it has published stolen Minneapolis Public Schools data after the district declined to pay a $1 million ransom. (Screenshot)

Should the files become available at some point, an analysis of the file tree points to the trove of stolen records being extensive. The file tree lists more than 172,000 individual records including large backup files. Though its unclear how many of the documents contain personally identifiable information and other sensitive data, the files add up to a startling 157 terabytes.

Yikes, thats a lot, said Doug Levin, an expert in K-12 cybersecurity incidents and national director of the K12 Security Information eXchange. Its a very significant exfiltration.

By comparison, last year the Los Angeles Unified School District suffered a ransomware attack and a cache of stolen district files  including thousands of current and former students sensitive mental health records  were uploaded to a dark web leak site. The files in that leak, which drew national attention to cybersecurity vulnerabilities in K-12 schools, total some 500 gigabytes. There are 1,000 gigabytes in one terabyte.

The records stolen from the Los Angeles school district could fit on the hard drive of just one laptop. The scope of records stolen in Minneapolis, meanwhile, are more akin to entire IT systems, said Levin, who was especially concerned about the breach of district backup files. Youre probably looking at some of the more sensitive data that the district maintains  sensitive enough that they are backing it up and maintaining those files.

The data leak deadline comes a little more than a week after Medusa listed the district on its dark web blog and two weeks after Minneapolis school officials attributed technical difficulties with its computer system to an encryption event. That euphemistic characterization left the public in the dark about the incidents severity, cybersecurity analysts and community members said.

Such experts said Medusas pre-leak efforts were a particularly aggressive attempt to increase public attention around the attack and coerce the district to meet its ransom demand.

Medusas decision to upload its stolen files to the faux technology news blog is likely a tactic to elevate the privacy risks to potential data breach victims and convince hacked organizations to pay the ransom, said Brett Callow, a threat analyst with the cybersecurity company Emsisoft.

Despite Medusas extensive steps to publicize the ransomware attack prior to the Friday deadline, the group has been unusually uncommunicative, since the clock struck zero and its dark web blog listed the Minneapolis records as published, Callow said. The cyber expert said he also reached out to the group Friday to inquire about the Minneapolis breach but didnt receive a response.

People who dont work in cybersecurity may not know how to access dark web sites, he said, while the technology news blog is more accessible to the general public. Therefore, dark web sites would concern organizations less than the data being released from the clearnet where it is easily accessible and links to it can be shared via Twitter and other social platforms. Its much easier for people to access.

Callow agreed the volume of data purportedly stolen from the Minneapolis district constitutes an outlier among ransomware attacks  but he offered a caution.

Just because they published a file tree doesnt mean they necessarily obtained all of the data it shows in that tree, he said, noting that organizations like school districts can shut hackers out of their systems if theyre caught in the act.

Related Trove of L.A. Students Mental Health Records Posted to Dark Web After Cyber Hack

In a March 9 statement, the district said it had taken a stance against these criminals and has fully restored our systems without the need to cooperate with the criminal.

During a school board meeting Tuesday, interim Superintendent Rochelle Cox said the districts computer network was infected with an encryption virus that was first discovered Feb. 18. Secure backups allowed the district to restore many of its systems, Cox said, and while sensitive data has now been released publicly, the district is unaware of any evidence that the information has been leveraged by criminals to commit fraud. Once the district identifies impacted individuals, Cox said it will provide them with credit monitoring and identity protection services.

Yet as Cox credited the districts technology department for responding swiftly to restore district systems after the attack, Levin, the K-12 cybersecurity expert, said the sheer volume of files purportedly stolen point to the threat actors possibly lurking around inside the MPS computer systems for weeks  if not months.

Exfiltrating this amount of data without detection certainly is concerning, Levin said. This sort of mass exfiltration is something that cybersecurity experts look for when they are defending systems and this is certainly not something that is downloaded in an hour or two.

As the district works to analyze the scope of the attack, its advising district families and staff to avoid interacting with suspicious emails or phone calls, to change their passwords and warned them against downloading any data released by cyber criminals because it plays into their hands by drawing attention to the information and increasing our communitys fear and panic.
It was a pastel painting of a snapshot from almost anywhere: muted green fields split by a beaten footpath, and a thin tree line edging the horizon. Thick, visible brushstrokes and a shaky signature in the corner. The works owner brought it on BBCs Antiques Roadshow hoping the shows host would uncover some hidden worth. He and the crowd of curious onlookers were stunned to hear it was a previously unknown David Hockney, Britains most lauded living painter, and worth upwards of 30,000 ($36,000).

In the clip aired by the BBC, the programs art expert, Rupert Maas, called it an extraordinary story.

More from Robb Report

The paintings owner, who was not identified by the BBC, said his grandfather met a young Hockney while working at a train station in the English village of Trimley St Marty in 1957. Hockney and his companion were a peculiar sight for the quiet station, their arms loaded with art supplies and clearly far between meals. As the story was told, the grandfathercalled Wallace by his grandsoninvited them to his home for a Sunday lunch.

He said Oh, bring a painting, and Wallace bought a painting from each of them, the paintings owner recalled. Maas, who had surely heard a few tall tales as host of the long running series, was initially incredulous, but later research revealed that Hockney had been in the area in 1957 on a sort of pilgrimage to the Suffolk countryside that had inspired painter John Constable.

Hockney, now 85, is one of the most popular and easily recognized painters of his generation. His best-known works are of people and places charged with memory and smoothly rendered with intense colors and a dreamlike distortion. He has made some of the twentieth centurys most iconic depictions of Southern California, such as the famously languorous Peter Getting Out of Nicks Pool (1966) and A Bigger Splash (1967). Works from the California Dreaming series easily go for millions of dollars at auction; A Neat Lawn, from 1967, sold at Phillips for $11 million in 2021.

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This is not at all what I am used to seeing by David Hockney, Maas told the BBC, describing the pastoral painting as very rough and ready, with a wobbly signature.

I have this idea they only had green and brown with them, because they were broke, he said.

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Click here to read the full article.
A Mississippi family is still seeking answers from police after their loved one died in 2022, shortly after telling his mother that white men in three pickup trucks were following and harassing him.

Speaking to HuffPost, Tiffany Carter said her son Rasheem Ryelle Carter sent her the worrying text on Oct. 1 from Taylorsville, Mississippi, where he works.

When he sent that to me, I freaked out. And I kept calling him and calling him, until he texted back saying, Im good, Mama, Tiffany told HuffPost.

The post Rasheem Carters Family Seeking Answers After He Was Found Dead Following A Text He Sent, Saying White Men Were Following Him appeared first on Blavity.

The grieving mother also said her son went to Taylorsville police later that day and told them that he feared for his life. Carter, according to Tiffany, asked police to give him a ride back to the Super 8 motel in Laurel, where he was living.

Police confirmed that Carter asked for a ride. However, they also told HuffPost that Carter never mentioned fearing for his life. Additionally, police said they denied his request for a ride because they were not a taxi service.

Taylorsville Police Chief Gabe Horn, who spoke with a local newspaper known as The Natchez Democrat, said Carter did file a police report when he visited the station, but he didnt press any charges against whomever was threatening him.

Horn also said police didnt give him a ride to Laurel, which is located about 22 miles southeast of Taylorsville, because it was out of the departments jurisdiction. Carter was never heard from after he left the police station. Tiffany reported her son missing to Laurel authorities on Oct. 2.

I called them and reported that my son was missing, I had not talked to him, and it was strange that we didnt talk, she told HuffPost.

Police found Carters body a month later in a wooded area just a few miles from the Taylorsville police station.

At this time, we have no reason to believe foul play was involved, but the case is still under investigation, the Smith County Sheriffs Office in Raleigh, which was running the investigation, said in a statement on Nov. 3.

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The autopsy report later concluded that the remains showed no pathological conditions or significant skeletal trauma, but there were several fractures. The cause of death was listed as undetermined.

The office of civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, which conducted an independent autopsy, concluded that Carter had been dismembered and his head was not attached to his body.

What that tells us is that this was a nefarious act. This was an evil act. Somebody murdered Rasheem Carter. And we cannot let them get away with this, Crump said according to Huffpost. When you look at these pictures taken at the autopsy, it tells you there is nothing natural about this. It screams out for justice.

Carters family is also pointing to other possible clues, including a $500 transaction that appeared on his debit card. Additionally, someone had captured Carter in a photo in his final hours. The photo shows a side view of Carter in the woods with his shirt off and wearing blue jeans while carrying a wooden object on his shoulder.

Tiffany said her son appears to be trying to protect himself in the photo.

I will never let my son go, never. He will always have a place in my heart because that was my baby boy, Tiffany said. I cant change what has happened, but I can make sure it does not happen to somebody else. I can go out there and still fight and still try to get justice for my son and anybody else.

Carter, who was a star student-athlete in Fayette, Mississippi, graduated from Hinds Community College in 2016 with a degree in welding and cutting technology. He then worked for a railroad company in Brookhaven, Mississippi, before he started a new lumber contracting job in Taylorsville.

Carter was working to support his daughter.
A couple has filed a lawsuit against a decades-old Korean restaurant over claims they found a rodent in their takeout order.

On March 15, a complaint was filed with the New York County Clerk over what a couple, Eunice Lucero-Lee and Jason Lee, allege is "negligent infliction of emotional distress" regarding a meal ordered from a Gammeeok, a Korean restaurant in Manhattan's Koreatown (aka K-town).

After seeking legal counsel, my husband and I now feel free to share something that happened to us over the weekend, Lucero-Lee wrote in an Instagram post on March 13. "We ordered in from a well-known restaurant called Gammeeok in K-Town and found the most disgusting thing in our food."

The second slide in the Instagram post shares a video of what appears to be a dead rodent in a takeout container of soup with rice, vegetables and beef. So disgusting. Theres a dead rat in our soup. We just puked, Lee says in the video. Images from the post are attached to the complaint.

The subsequent slides show close-ups of what appears to be an animals remains floating atop the dish.

Before the couple disabled comments on their Instagram post, citing the now-ongoing lawsuit against Gammeeok and Hanpool Inc., which owns both the location in question and a New Jersey location, the restaurant responded to the claims in the comments section refuting the presence of the rodent in the couples order, according to Eater.

Hi. This is Gammeeok. We are sorry for this situation. What is posted on SNS is not the truth. We have been regularly inspected every two weeks by a disinfection company for several years, and there have been no traces of mice, the comment read. They demanded money and threatened, and since we refused, they are attacking us through social media. Therefore, we plan to take legal action.

Multiple calls and emails to Gammeeok and Hanpool Inc. went unreturned to TODAY.com.

Story continues

However, on March 15, Gammeeok shared a trio of posts on its Instagram refuting the claims of the couple. In addition to a screenshot of a comment and a Yelp review the restaurant claims the couple left previously, the account posted a video showing a security feed of cooks in a kitchen, with an extensive caption recalling the restaurants side of the incident, although said video has no visible timestamp.

This is Gammaeok. It is understandable but regrettable that public opinion has deteriorated, reads the Instagram post in part, saying that the food was delivered by Gammeeok to the couple through Uber Eats. If a rat came out, it could be argued as evidence saying Look at this when they came to our store, but we didnt see any real thing.

In a detailed caption, Gammeeok mentions that a manager told the couple he would give them an Uber Eats refund and a $100 gift card in the spirit of always treating customer complaints in keeping a low profile, but he immediately asked for $5000.

Uber Eats, which was not named in the complaint, declined to comment on this story.

Gammeeoks Instagram caption also details an apparent argument over a hospital bill, a disagreement over restitution, and that they planned on hiring a lawyer.

Image of the alleged rat in the plaintiffs soup order from the legal filing. (Eunice Lucero-Lee and Jason Lee)

Lucero-Lee and Lee emphasized in the final slide of their Instagram post that they do not condone any racist interpretations of the alleged events.

Also: We have been going to this restaurant for a decade and are otherwise proud supporters of Asian cuisine and culture, they wrote. This incident is in no way to be used to fuel race-based hate or prejudice and I will have an issue with anyone who uses these posts to fit that narrative.

Lucero-Lee told NewsBreak by email that the couple ordered sogogi gukbap, which is a spicy beef soup served with rice. Gammeeoks menu lists an item, Beef Gukbap, which is a Spicy ox-bone broth with beef brisket and vegetables, according to its website.

When reached for comment, Lucero-Lee put us in contact with their legal counsel, Carrion Accident & Injury Attorneys, who provided a copy of the filing to TODAY.com.

The court filing outlines the events in question, describing how the now-plaintiffs began eating their meal on March 11 when they observed that there was a rodent in their food. The document provides further photographic evidence to bolster its claims, showing another image of what appears to be the rodent on its back, with teeth, nose and paws all visible.

Image of the alleged rat in the plaintiffs soup order from the legal filing. (Eunice Lucero-Lee and Jason Lee)

Upon observing this, plaintiffs became disgusted and violently sick, causing them to vomit and seek medical attention, the filing reads, adding that both Lucero-Lee and Lee sustained severe, serious and permanent personal injuries. The plaintiffs do not list a monetary amount in the filing, but are seeking a judgment against defendant in an amount in excess of the jurisdictional limits of all lower courts, including compensatory and punitive damages.

According to Lucero-Lees Instagram caption, the couple reported the incident to the NYC Health Department. Thanks to everyone for their support. Stay safe, they wrote.

The Office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the NYC Health Department both confirmed to TODAY.com that they have closed Gammeeoks Manhattan location.

The Department of Health closed Gammeeok on March 15, following an inspection, a spokesperson for the NYC Health Department told TODAY.com. No New York City restaurant is authorized to have mice or rats on the menu and we are investigating further. Our top priority is protecting the health of New Yorkers and if a restaurant has conditions that threaten our citys diners, they will be shut down.

According to the NYC Health Department website, Gammeeoks latest inspection on March 15 revealed 67 health code violations, including food from an unapproved or unknown source on the premises, animals slaughtered, butchered or dressed (eviscerated, skinned) in the establishment and evidence of rats or live rats in establishments food or non-food areas. Before this inspection, the eatery had a health code rating of C, which indicates more than 28 violations.

Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests, the report reads, also mentioning violations over the shops food protection certification, and that food, supplies or equipment were also found to be not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customers refillable, reusable container.

My clients are deeply disturbed by this incident," Dennis Carrion, lawyer for the plaintiffs, told TODAY.com via email, in part. My clients support small business owners but feel they must take action to do their part to help protect all New Yorkers. The public deserves to feel safe when they order food for their families."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
(Reuters) - Following are reactions to the news on Friday that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegal deportation of children from Ukraine.

The court also issued a warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's Commissioner for Children's Rights, on the same charges.

ICC STATEMENT ON THE CHARGE ACCUSING PUTIN

"The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022. There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes."

KREMLIN SPOKESMAN DMITRY PESKOV

Said Russia found the very questions raised by the ICC "outrageous and unacceptable", but noted that Russia, like many other countries, did not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC.

"And accordingly, any decisions of this kind are null and void for the Russian Federation from the point of view of law."

Asked if Putin now feared travelling to countries that recognised the ICC and might therefore try to arrest him, Peskov told reporters: "I have nothing to add on this subject. That's all we want to say."

RUSSIA PARLIAMENT SPEAKER VYACHESLAV VOLODIN

"Yankees, hands off Putin!" the close Putin ally said on Telegram, calling the move evidence of Western "hysteria".

"We regard any attacks on the President of the Russian Federation as aggression against our country," he said.

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY

"This is an historic decision which will lead to historic accountability. The head of the terrorist state and another official have officially become suspects in a war crimes case."

"In criminal cases that are being investigated by our law enforcement there are more than 16,000 instances of forcible deportation of Ukrainian children by occupiers. But the real, complete number of deported could be much larger. It would have been impossible to enact such a criminal operation without the say-so of the man at the helm of the terrorist state."

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"To part children from their families, to prevent them from contacting their relatives, to hide children on the territory of Russia, to disseminate them around far-flung regions is clearly state policy of Russia, state decisions and state evil, which starts precisely with the top official of this state."

RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESWOMAN MARIA ZAKHAROVA

"The decisions of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view. Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and bears no obligations under it."

"Who would have thought 15 years ago that in the West taking care of children, saving them and helping them would become a criminal offence."

RUSSIAN CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER MARIA LVOVA-BELOVA, QUOTED BY RIA NOVOSTI NEWS AGENCY

"It's great that the international community has appreciated this work to help the children of our country: that we don't leave them in war zones, that we take them out, that we create good conditions for them, that we surround them with loving, caring people."

"All this is very strange. It seems to me that this is clear confirmation that when you have no other way to intimidate a country, you come up with something absolutely fantastic ... Like little children, when they can do nothing else, they just show their fist from somewhere far away."

UKRAINE FOREIGN MINISTER DMYTRO KULEBA

"Wheels of Justice are turning: I applaud the ICC decision to issue arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova over forcible transfer of Ukrainian children. International criminals will be held accountable for stealing children and other international crimes."

UKRAINE PROSECUTOR GENERAL ANDRIY KOSTIN

"This is a historic decision for Ukraine and the entire international law system. Today's decision is a historic step. But it is only the beginning of the long road to restore justice."

VLADIMIR MILOV, AN ALLY OF JAILED RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER ALEXEI NAVALNY

"Lock him up!"

LEONID VOLKOV, ANOTHER ALLY OF NAVALNY

"Yes, it's a symbolic step. But what an important one! P.S. If you meet Putin, feel free to detain him and deliver him to the court!"

HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE EU FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, JOSEP BORRELL

"The decision of the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for the war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of children from Ukraine to Russia is the start of the process of accountability. We appreciate and support ICCs work. There can be no impunity".

STEPHEN RAPP, U.S. AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR WAR CRIMES ISSUES UNDER FORMER PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

"This makes Putin a pariah. If he travels he risks arrest. This never goes away. Russia cannot gain relief from sanctions without compliance with the warrants."

POLISH GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN PIOTR MULLER

"This is an important decision from the court, which points to war crimes committed by the Russian apparatus of violence... Vladimir Putin is at the head of this machine and should be tried as a war criminal along with those who directly and indirectly implement barbaric warfare."

CZECH FOREIGN MINISTER JAN LIPAVSKY

"Putin is undoubtedly responsible for war crimes and he should be put to trial for the crime of aggression. I welcome the decision of the International Criminal Court."

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus, compiled by Frances Kerry; Editing by Jon Boyle, Frank Jack Daniel and Cynthia Osterman)
Editor's note: We asked the patrons of the Kyiv Independent to share the questions they have about the war. Here's what they asked and how we answered. Join our community of patrons to ask a question in the next round.

Question: Do we hear about all of the POW exchanges that take place in the news? If not, how often do they actually happen? Who negotiates them in each case (as much as anyone can know)?

Answer: Since September, when 215 Ukrainian prisoners of war were freed as part of a major prisoner swap that included Ukraine sending pro-Kremlin politician Viktor Medvedchuk to Moscow, the two countries held regular exchanges.

Ukraine retrieved nearly 1,600 prisoners of war in 2022, according to the Ministry for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories.

At least 3,392 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians remained in Russian captivity as of Jan. 3, according to Alyona Verbytska, the President's Commissioner for Protecting Defenders Rights.

These were the numbers that Russia has officially confirmed, she said.

In 2023, a number of prisoner exchanges were already conducted,

In the most recent prisoner exchange on March 7, Ukraine returned 130 soldiers, among them four women, from Russian captivity.

All of them are public, yet the exact process of how they are conducted varies depending on the situation. Usually, they are conducted on the Ukrainian-Russian border and involve multiple rounds of negotiations under the president's office lead.  Oleksiy Sorokin, senior editor
Rep. Cory Mills. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Cory Mills arrived in Congress with grenades and cast himself a champion of local law enforcement.

An Insider review found that the munitions company he cofounded had sold to foreign governments.

Mills has refused to publicly disclose his foreign dealings or even confirm who owns the company.

Cory Mills landed in Congress like a grenade.

Literally: At the start of this term, the freshman Republican from Florida handed out 40 mm grenades stamped with a GOP elephant to congressional colleagues.

"I am eager to get to work with you on behalf of the American people," he wrote in an accompanying note.

The grenades were inert. But the stunt was in line with the type of guns-blazing, America-first rhetoric that Mills, an arms dealer, decorated Army combat veteran, and former military contractor, deployed during his campaign in Florida's 7th Congressional District.

Mills, a cofounder of the munitions manufacturer and security contractor Pacem Solutions, positioned himself as a defender of police departments under attack from the "woke" Biden administration. In a 2022 campaign ad, Mills said he "backs the blue" and bragged that his company sold the tear gas that the police used to suppress recent racial-justice and abortion-rights protests.

What Mills didn't advertise was Pacem's munitions contracts with foreign governments. Instead, Mills has refused to publicly disclose his connections and dealings with powers abroad while at the same time sitting on two committees overseeing foreign affairs and military spending  as well as wielding the power to vote on foreign arms deals.

An Insider examination of his business dealings, though, found that Pacem has had deep ties to foreign governments and is struggling financially.

Pacem has repeatedly courted munitions deals with foreign governments over during its nearly decade-long existence. A Saudi government-affiliated national security expo promoted Pacem as one of its featured vendors in 2019, with Mills' face posted across the event's social-media pages. Pacem also exhibited in Abu Dhabi that same year, at one of the largest weapons shows in the world.

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A representative for Mills refused to disclose all of the countries Pacem has sold munitions to. But Insider was able to identify multiple foreign buyers. In one major contract from 2015, Pacem and a partner UK munitions firm reached a $228 million arms deal with Iraq. Mills confirmed that deal, saying it was facilitated by the US Department of Defense and wasn't entirely paid out.

A member of the Iraqi security forces carries his weapon in the center of Fallujah, Iraq, in 2016, after ISIS was pushed from the city. Reuters/Thaier Al-Sudani

Pacem has sold munitions to Ukraine and Colombia in recent years, according to three sources familiar with the matter, though it's unclear whether those sales are continuing.

A spokesperson for Mills did not respond to repeated requests for a full accounting of the congressman's foreign dealings through Pacem. The company's chief legal officer, Joseph Schmitz, said all of Pacem's foreign munitions sales were approved by the State Department.



Though Mills told Insider he had divested from the company, he was still listed as executive chair on the website of Pacem Solutions at publication time. Pacem Solutions removed the "Who We Are" page that listed Mills as executive chair after Insider published this article; Pacem's lawyer told Insider that the page was "outdated." Schmitz refused to tell Insider who owned the company but said it would be incorrect to publish that Cory Mills "owns 100% of Pacem Solutions and Pacem Defense."

Mills' influence over American military spending while having ties to a munitions company poses the potential for conflicts of interest, an ethics watchdog said.

"It's an obvious conflict of interest, a no-brainer to anyone with common sense," said Don Sherman, the senior vice president of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a left-leaning nonprofit advocating government ethics reform.

Schmitz said Mills' ties to Pacem were "being vetted" by the House ethics committee. "Everything is above-board," he told Insider. The ethics committee's general counsel declined to confirm whether it was currently working to resolve Mills' relationship with Pacem.

Pacem's troubled history

An explosion ripped through the humid air of a small Florida panhandle town midmorning on September 14, 2018.

Employees at Amtec Less-Lethal Systems, a riot-control-munitions manufacturer in Perry, Florida, had been assembling flash-bang strips. The blast, which federal workplace-safety inspectors indicated might have been caused by static electricity leaping onto explosive powder, immediately killed one worker and injured another so severely that he died the next week.

One month later, Pacem Defense bought the business for $10 million. The explosion loomed over the start of Pacem's ownership of the facility. Repercussions from the incident have contributed to a slew of financial troubles dragging Pacem down.

Mills' involvement in the defense and munitions world evolved out of his years in the armed forces and work as a private military contractor. He served in the US Army from 1999 to 2003, according to his discharge paperwork. During that time he was sent to Kosovo and Iraq, and he was awarded the Bronze Star.

Mills later spent four years as a military contractor for Dyncorp, where he worked in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to his LinkedIn profile. On the campaign trail and in media interviews he has described being "blown up twice" while on assignment there. He subsequently worked for the federal contractors Chemonics International and Pax Mondial Ltd., before striking out on his own.

In 2014, Mills and his wife, Rana Al Saadi, an Iraqi refugee who came to the US in 2008, founded Pacem. Mills described Pacem to Insider as a "turnkey solution," which encompasses global threat analysis, security services contracting, weapons sales, and training.

The company appeared intent on quickly establishing a global footprint in the years after its founding. Pacem "delivered millions of defense products around the world to some of the most challenging regions," including explosive cartridges for use in grenade launchers, according to a press release it issued in 2018. Early archived copies of Pacem Solutions' website mention work with international development groups like USAID and showed pictures from Ukraine, Pakistan, and Iraq, among other places. Another archived page showed Pacem with offices in Kabul, Baghdad, and Islamabad.

But since the acquisition of Amtec, Pacem appears to have lost value. Pacem Solutions and Pacem Defense are together now worth anywhere from $10 million down to just $2 million, according to a financial disclosure Mills filed in January  equal to or less than the price Pacem paid for Amtec alone.

The Amtec explosion, which workplace-safety inspectors concluded was caused by inadequate safety controls, cost Pacem.

Mills said the explosion, which occurred before Pacem acquired the company, underscored the need for a thorough intervention into Amtec's processes and facilities. Pacem poured at least $2 million into facility upgrades, Mills told a local news outlet, including improvements related to the explosion.

"We bought it knowing the company had issues, then we had our engineers redesign certain products that were not working well," Mills told Insider. Financially, COVID-19 also "slowed things down tremendously," he added. In a statement, Mills' spokesperson also said Pacem didn't lay off any employees and gave small raises during the pandemic.

Pacem is also loaded with debt: It owes $48 million to a Canadian lender, nearly five times the company's highest potential valuation. Mills said the loan was funding research and development.

There are additional issues that have dogged the company. In the past two years, the munitions plant has been forced to shut down twice for failing to pay workers' compensation insurance premiums, according to Florida's Department of Workers Compensation.

Schmitz, Pacem's chief legal officer, confirmed the shutdowns but claimed the missed workers' compensation payments were an accidental oversight.

Money woes aren't Pacem's only problem. In December 2020, the company blew up or burned several boxes of hazardous waste, according to two people familiar with the incident and a report from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The agency cited Pacem for improper storage and disposal of the waste.

Schmitz told Insider that Pacem self-reported the incident and that it wasn't a "big deal," with "no environmental impact."

International arms trader

Mills' congressional campaign played up Pacem's contracts with local law enforcement, claiming that the "liberal media is crying" about the company supplying tear gas that was used against racial-justice protesters. These contracts with local law enforcement represent the bulk of Pacem's client volume, Mills told Insider.

But a review of Pacem's contracts suggests its dealings with law enforcement are relatively small-dollar. The company sold roughly $1.3 million worth of tear gas to police departments from 2018 to mid-2021, it reported to a congressional oversight committee. The company sells other products to police departments, like flash bangs, that Congress didn't ask about.

The size of those hundreds of tear-gas transactions pales in comparison with just one foreign arms deal identified by Insider.

In 2015, Pacem, in partnership with the UK weapons dealer Chemring, signed a contract with the Iraqi government worth $228 million. The deal would have represented nearly 2.5% of the country's entire military expenditures that year, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, which tracks military spending.

A Marine Corps Lance corporal carries 40 mm grenades of the type manufactured by Pacem. Cpl. Victoria Ross/US Department of Defense

Mills said Pacem never received the full value of the contract, which he said was intended to provide "certain types of support in launching counteroffensives against ISIS to drive them out of Iraq." The Islamic State militant group was pushed out of key Iraqi cities before the contract was supposed to close, according to Mills.

In 2016, an Iraqi auditing agency raised questions about whether it had overpaid for Pacem's services. Iraq's interior ministry "accepted the pricing and the specs supplied by the company for the product, without forming a technical committee, or asking any of the official trusted consultants to write up specs and details of pricing that are up to date before moving forward to the contract procedure," Iraq's Federal Board of Supreme Audit wrote. Mills said the contracting process was above-board and overseen in part by the US Department of Defense.

Pacem's overseas presence extends past the Iraq deal. The company has an office in Dubai, and in 2015 it also had offices in Islamabad and Kabul, according to an archived version of Pacem's website. Mills' wife, Rana, who is described on Pacem's website as the company's executive chairwoman, is the CEO of another Dubai-based company, Abdeen DMCC, according to her LinkedIn page. It's not clear what Abdeen does, and Rana did not respond to questions about Pacem's ownership or Abdeen DMCC.

On its website, Pacem says it is "registered" to "legally work" in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kurdistan, Iraq, Ukraine, Kenya, Somaliland, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Brazil, Malaysia, and Dubai. Pacem appeared at the 2019 Saudi National Security and Risk Prevention Expo, an arms and defense sales convention, and the same year was an exhibitor at IDEX, a massive five-day weapons show in Abu Dhabi.

Pacem appears to have invested in the Amtec facility at least in part to manufacture weapons for sale abroad, not at home. Mills wrote to a federal regulator in 2019 that he had upgraded Pacem's munitions plant to "manufacture a new energetic product that will serve our allies around the world."

Before Pacem bought Amtec, Amtec had delivered on contracts for ammunition worth about $5.6 million with federal agencies, including the Defense Department and Bureau of Prisons. Since the acquisition closed in 2018, Pacem has delivered only $314,110 worth of munitions and consulting services to the US government, according to a federal contracting database. Some federal contracts are classified and may not be disclosed.

In Congress, Mills sits on the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees, which oversee military spending and foreign weapons sales.

Mills' oversight role "could have a huge impact on his business, his competitors writ large," Sherman said. But as it stands, there is no requirement for him to reveal the extent of his dealings with foreign governments.

The arms dealer in Congress

Mills leaned heavily on his endorsement from former President Donald Trump during his congressional campaign. Echoing Trump's election denial and anti-immigrant views, he voiced support for a temporary ban on immigration to the United States and told the Orlando Sentinel that he didn't view the Biden administration as legitimate.

In Congress, Mills has sought to position himself as someone who understands American involvement in foreign conflicts from the ground up and align himself with Republicans who are skeptical of US military involvement abroad. He has excoriated the Biden administration for what he's described as its botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, and he's opposed additional American aid to Ukraine.

Before he was even sworn in, Mills appeared alongside Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz at a December 2022 press conference touting a resolution to audit US funding for the war in Ukraine.

"We should not go around thinking that we're always the world's police, and have the answers," Mills said at the press conference, warning of the potential for "nuclear escalation" in Ukraine and an "axis of evil" between Russia, China and Iran.

Mills also recently voted for an ill-fated resolution sponsored by Gaetz that would've ordered President Joe Biden to withdraw US troops from Syria, joining a coalition of intervention-skeptical Republicans and progressives.

He's also waded into the culture wars, introducing a bill aimed at preventing the supposed distribution of sexual material in schools.

But so far, months into his freshman term, he's still best known for his grenades.



Editor's note: March 23, 2023  This story has been updated to remove a reference to Pacem's rubber bullets being used against protesters in Hong Kong in 2019. While a company that Pacem acquired in 2018 did supply less-lethal munitions to the Hong Kong government, Pacem said the sales took place before the acquisition. It has also been updated to include a comment from Pacem's chief legal officer, Joseph Schmitz, clarifying Pacem's current ownership. While Mills told Insider that he had divested from Pacem and Schmitz indicated that Mills was no longer the company's owner, after this story was published Schmitz clarified that he intended to say only that it would be inaccurate to describe Mills as the sole owner of Pacem Defense and Pacem Solutions.



Editor's note: March 28, 2023  This article has been updated to reflect that Pacem Solutions removed the page that listed Mills as an executive chair following publication.



Read the original article on Business Insider
Former Chicago mayoral challenger Rep. Jesus Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.) is backing Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson ahead of the April 4 runoff election.

Im honored to earn the support of @ChuyChicago and grateful for the opportunity to join our coalitions together to build a safer, stronger Chicago. Rep. Garcia has long been an exemplary public servant and together we will transform our city to work for all Chicagoans, Johnson said in a tweet announcing the endorsement.

The development comes one day after another former Chicago mayoral challenger, state Rep. Kam Buckner (D), also threw his weight behind Johnson. The Cook County commissioner has also received recent endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Assistant Democratic Leader Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.).

Meanwhile, former Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Paul Vallas, whos challenging Johnson in the mayoral runoff next month, has shored up support from other former mayoral challengers and notable Democrats in the state.

Earlier this week, community activist JaMal Green said he was backing Vallas. Former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White (D) has also endorsed the former CPS head.

Recent polling shows Vallas is edging out Johnson in next months runoff.

A poll conducted by Victory Research of Chicago from March 6 to 9 found Vallas leading Johnson roughly 45 percent to 39 percent while a separate 16 percent of respondents were undecided, according to Fox 32 Chicago.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A new watchdog report is shining a light on the ongoing gender pay gap in the U.S. workforce and shows the disparities are even greater the higher women climb in their careers.

The report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) said as of 2021, women working full time earned an estimated 76 cents for every dollar that men earned, on average, across all industries combined.

Women in management positions, meanwhile, earned an estimated 71 cents for every dollar, according to the report.

The disparities are even greater for women of color.

The pay gap starts from somebodys very first job and it only grows as they progress in their career, said Noreen Farrell, Executive Director of Equal Rights Advocates. Women face a motherhood penalty. They may lack paid leave, which depresses their overall wages and maybe pushes them out of the workforce for a while.

The advocacy group was part of a team that met with Biden administration officials at the White House this week to discuss efforts to close the gender pay gap.

Farrell said a key tool to help combat the problem is pay transparency.

Ive never met an employer that thinks that theyre paying unequally until they actually set up their scales and publish them and track data about pay disparities, said Farrell.

At least eight states now require employers to post salary ranges for job openings and around a dozen others are considering similar requirements.

It lets any candidate be able to understand what are the factors that put you on the low end and the high end of the range, said Farrell.

At the federal level, action has been stalled.

Congress failed to pass the Democrat-baked Paycheck Fairness Act, which would have strengthened the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

Co-sponsors of the measure said it would have eliminated loopholes in the Equal Pay Act meant to stop pay discrimination.

When we talk about the wage gap, we are ultimately talking about huge, life-changing amounts of pay that women are being cheated out of, said Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) earlier this month. Women are paying the price of inaction, and we have to put a stop to sexist pay practicesfor good.

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Republican opponents argued the bill didnt offer any new protections and would have imposed legal burdens on small businesses.

We all agree on the fundamental principle of this bill: Women should not be paid less than men for the same work, said Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) about the measure in April 2021. The question before us today is whether the Democrats Paycheck Fairness Act provides any additional protections to women in the workplace. The answer is a resounding no.

Equal pay supporters, meanwhile, are calling for federal action to help close the gap.

Our rights shouldnt depend on our zip code, said Farrell. Talk about your pay. Ask questions. Advocate for yourself.

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A shield law to protect those from out of state who seek reproductive and gender-affirming healthcare in Washington continued to advance in the Legislature Thursday, where a public hearing was held for the proposed bill.

House Bill 1469 is sponsored by Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island, and is co-sponsored by 26 other House Democrats.

Before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade with the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision last June, Hansen said Washington lawmakers were already aware of other states such as Texas acting in creative and aggressive ways to restrict abortion. After the Dobbs decision, more states have further criminalized abortion as well as gender-affirming care, Hansen added.

If other states want to be creative and aggressive in restricting abortion, Washington state can be creative and aggressive in fighting back and thats exactly what this bill does  it eliminates the ability of other states to commandeer Washington state courts and Washington state judicial processes to enforce their own laws, Hansen told the Senate Law and Justice Committee on Thursday.

They are free to make their own public policy choices, but we are free to restrict their ability to use our courts and our judicial processes to enforce those choices when they are contrary to the choices of Washington state.

He said law enforcement is comfortable with the language in the House version of the bill that passed.

The proposed legislation prevents other states from interfering with their residents who choose to seek care in Washington. Washington courts and law enforcement agencies would be restricted from complying with warrants, subpoenas, extradition or other court orders pertaining to those seeking reproductive or gender-affirming care in the state.

Businesses also would be restricted from complying with records requests and subpoenas related to a person from out of state seeking healthcare in Washington.

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A cause of action is created in the bill in the event criminal actions are filed to prevent interference with protected health care. The Attorney General also would be authorized to bring action against those violating the law.

The legislation also sets definitions in statute for reproductive health care services as well as gender-affirming treatment.

Testimony from the public Thursday ranged from many in strong support of the measure to those firmly against it

Dr. Annie Iriye, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Olympia who represented the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, testified in support of the legislation.

She said healthcare providers like herself provide comprehensive reproductive healthcare services to patients in Washington, and that abortion is considered part of routine care.

Iriye said the bill would provide protections for providers and those seeking care in Washington, and that the bill would protect providers from legal challenges imposed by other states.

While Washington state is already a haven state, this bill would further protect these patients as well as our healthcare providers, Iriye said.

Others were not supportive of the measure.

Alex Chrostowski, who represented Gays Against Groomers, a far-right anti-LGBTQ+ group, said the proposed bill takes extreme and aggressive steps to override parental rights as well as other states rights.

Chrostowski said she believes that HB 1469 combined with another proposed law this year to protect youth and young adults seeking reproductive and gender-affirming care would create the perfect conditions for child sex trafficking and also creates incentives for individuals to abuse provisions outlined in the bill to violate custody agreements.

The irony of this bill being coined the shield law is not lost on us, she said. You are not shielding children, you are shielding those who would abuse them. Gender-affirming care is a disgusting euphemism for child abuse.

HB 1469 is one of several reproductive healthcare bills that were introduced this session.

The bill is scheduled for an executive session on March 22. If passed by the Senate with no further amendments and signed by Inslee, the bill would go into effect immediately.

The last day of the legislative session is April 23.
Republicans are seeking to flip the script on Social Security as they dial up the pressure on President Biden.

Democrats for months have been on offense on Social Security, accusing Republicans repeatedly and publicly of wanting to make cuts to the entitlement program. But now some in the GOP are hitting back and trying to put the onus back on Biden to address the insolvency threat facing the program.

The dynamic was on full display in a pair of hearings this week that saw Republicans criticize White House officials and key in on the absence of a plan to shore up Social Security in the 2024 budget proposal the president released last week.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) was among other Republicans to broach the issue in a charged line of questioning against Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a Finance Committee hearing Thursday.

Of the $4.5 trillion in taxes he has proposed, not a dime is going to shore up Social Security, Cassidy said, before asking moments later why doesnt the president care about threats to the programs funding.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated last month the programs fund risks running a shortfall in 2032.

Yellen responded that Biden cares very deeply, before Cassidy interjected to ask for the presidents plan to extend solvency for Social Security.

Yellen said that Biden stands ready to work with Congress on the matter, but Cassidy called the statement a lie.

Because when a bipartisan group of senators has repeatedly requested to meet with him about Social, so that somebody who is a current beneficiary will not see her benefits cut by 24 percent, we have not heard anything on our request, he said.

And weve made multiple requests to meet with the president, Cassidy added.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

Cassidy has been leading bipartisan talks with Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) to explore potential fixes to shore up funding for the program.

The issue was also subject of a heated exchange during a hearing before the Senate Budget Committee on Wednesday, when Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) pressed White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shalanda Young about Bidens plans for the program and his accusations against Republicans.

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I know of no Republican or Democrat in the House or the Senate who is proposing cutting Social Security benefits, and its dishonest to keep saying it, he told Young. Its offensive and dishonest and not realistic.

This president believes the biggest threat to Social Security are those who want to cut it, Young said moments later. His budget says no.

Romney called the response offensive in the extreme, while doubling down on his argument that no one on the Republican side is proposing cutting Social Security benefits for our Social Security recipients.

The exchanges are some of the latest shows of frustration among Republicans, as the party has sought to quell concerns they are looking to cut Social Security, despite an onslaught of attacks from the other side.

Well never get those programs reformed and saved without presidential leadership, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told The Hill this week, saying Biden is not doing anything.

Democrats have pushed back on the criticisms, arguing the presidents resume speaks for itself on the matter.

One way of looking at it is through the budget, but I think the presidents got a long record of outlining steps he would take to strengthen Social Security, Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) told The Hill on Wednesday.

Unfortunately, the debate around here has been Republicans wanting to make changes or privatize or private accounts, theres so many different ideas, he argued. So, he spent a lot of time pushing back against that, but I think our side has been in the, in the lane of trying to strengthen it.

The presidents budget request included investments aimed at improving services for recipients. And while he didnt propose a plan for solvency for Social Security, the request offered a path to plan to shore up Medicare, as some estimates project the programs Hospital Insurance trust fund will reach insolvency in roughly five years. The budget calls for a higher tax rate on earned and unearned income above $400,000, which the White House says will protect the fund for at least 25 years.

The pitch was instantly met with immediate support from Democrats, though Republicans came out against the proposed tax hike. Others say they were also taken aback by the inclusion of a plan for Medicare, and not Social Security, though its not the first time that plans for solvency for either program have been absent from the presidents budget requests.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) on Wednesday called the move by Biden surprising, while arguing changes to Social Security are probably easier to tackle than reforms to Medicare, though harder to do politically.

Rubio said otherwise on Wednesday, instead arguing that no one wants to touch the program, as changes to entitlement programs have long been seen as a tough lift on Capitol Hill.

In fairness, Republican presidents really havent either because its a third rail politically. But the math is what it is on those programs, he said, adding: Eventually, were gonna have to confront it.

Democrats began to ramp up attacks on Republicans over Social Security months ago, after some GOP members floated linking potential entitlement reforms to a deal to avoid a federal default late last year.

The Republican Study Committee, the biggest conservative caucus in the House, has also received attention for proposals to tighten the eligibility age for Social Security and Medicare, an idea many Democrats see as a nonstarter.

And while there has been interest among the conferences conservative flank toward pursuing changes to the age threshold for Social Security in recent months, GOP leadership has vowed reforms to Social Security or Medicare will be off the table in debt ceiling talks.

However, that hasnt stopped Democrats from sounding the alarm as House Republicans pushed for plans to balance the federal budget in 10 years  an ambitious goal Democrats say would be extremely difficult without steep cuts to spending across the board, including to Social Security.

But despite distrust among some Democrats, a number of senators in the party have signaled a willingness to explore bipartisan solutions to help shore up funds for Social Security and Medicare in recent weeks.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), whos been among the most vocal Democrats pushing for bipartisan funding fixes for the entitlement program, said on Wednesday that he wants Congress to take care of both.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Residents living near a Minnesota nuclear power plant have questioned why public officials waited nearly four months to tell them about a massive leak of radioactive water from the facility.

Some 400,000 gallons of water containing tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, leaked from Xcel Energys Monticello nuclear power plant in late November, officials confirmed publicly for the first time on Thursday.

The Xcel Energy plant is located on the banks of the Mississippi River about 35 miles from Minneapolis. The closest neighbourhood is around a mile from the plant.

It happened in November? It would have been nice to know since we live next to the power plant, Daniel Fure, a Monticello resident, told local news station KSTP. The public should know whats going on. If we dont know anything about it, we cant say anything. We dont know anything about it.

Other residents took out their frustrations at being kept in the dark on the City of Monticellos official Facebook page after it shared Xcel Energys press release on the incident.

This is the first Ive heard of this. I live very close to the plant. Wish theyd come check our wells, wrote Sally Berthiaume.

Should have been told about this issue back in November when it took place, added Shari Sharp Oravetz.

The Independent reached out to the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Minnesota Department of Health and Xcel Energy for comment.

The energy company said in a press release that the leaked water is fully contained on-site. It has not been detected beyond the facility or in any local drinking water, and poses no health and safety risk to the local community or the environment, the release added.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the state of Minnesota were notified by Xcel Energy on 22 November, the same day the presence of a leak was confirmed. The leak came from a water pipe running between two buildings. So far 25 per cent of the tritium released has been recovered.

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The company said the water contains levels of tritium below NRC safety thresholds and that state agencies are monitoring Xcel Energys remediation work.

We live and work in the community, too, and the safety of our hundreds of Monticello employees and the surrounding area is a top priority, Theo Keith, an Xcel Energy representative, told The Independent in an email.

We understand the importance of quickly informing the communities we serve if a situation poses an immediate threat to health and safety. In this case, there was no such threat.

Now that we have thoroughly investigated the issue, contained the leak, and mapped out a path forward, we are at a place where we can share with the public not only what has already been done, but what were going to do next. This timing allows us to provide the most accurate and complete understanding of the situation.

Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that occurs naturally in the environment and is a common by-product of nuclear plant operations.

It emits a weak form of beta radiation that does not travel very far and cannot penetrate human skin, according to the NRC. A person who drank water from a spill would get only a low dose, the NRC says.

State officials said they waited to get more information on the leak before going public with it.

We knew there was a presence of tritium in one monitoring well, however Xcel had not yet identified the source of the leak and its location, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency spokesman Michael Rafferty told The Associated Press.

Now that we have all the information about where the leak occurred, how much was released into groundwater, and that contaminated groundwater had moved beyond the original location, we are sharing this information, he added.

Mr Keith also told The Independent that no other leaks of contaminated water have occurred at the Monticello nuclear plant or the companys other nuclear facility, Prairie Island, in the past 12 months.

Many operating nuclear plants have had some level of tritium leakage at some point during their operations.aIn the late 2000s, Monticello experienced a tritium release smaller in scale than this one and we worked with state agencies to resolve it.

That leak came from a sump, rather than a pipe as this most recent one did, and we took action to reline all ofaour sumps following that leak, the statement added.

With reporting from The Associated Press
On Friday, Mecklenburg County mailed out notices of new property values to all who own property within the county.

It happens every four years and involves property tax values being reassessed to match current market standards. The last revaluation was in 2019, so its likely youll see the value of your home change since then due to changing market conditions.

Heres everything you need to know about 2023 property tax bills and how the revaluation works.

Why does the county reassess property tax values?

Mecklenburg County completes the revaluation process to redistribute the property tax base fairly and equitably, said Tax Assessor Ken Joyner. The process also updates property tax valuations to current market levels.

A revaluation is not a means to increase property tax revenue, Joyner said.

Revaluation, though, could increase property taxes for some people. Because housing market conditions have changed so drastically since 2019, many property values across the county will go up.

Local governments will set tax rates later this year at which point property tax bills will be sent out.

When do tax bills go out?





Tax bills go out to Mecklenburg County property owners in July after the county and the municipalities set their tax rates.

When are tax bills due?

Mecklenburg County property taxes are due Sept. 1.

What does revenue neutral mean?

A revenue neutral rate is a percentage of property values that will bring in the same amount of revenue for the county as the past year did.

Local officials are required to make the revenue neutral rate public, but they can choose to set it at a different rate to bring in more money to pay for services or infrastructure.

How do you appeal your revaluation?

The new assessed values are not necessarily set in stone.

If something looks wrong, property owners can file an appeal to potentially reduce their value. The form to file an appeal can be found at mecknc.gov/AssessorsOffice/. The deadline to file an appeal is June 9.

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Will new homes be part of the revaluation process?

All properties in Mecklenburg County are currently valued based on the same assessment from 2019. This means homes built after 2019 will be assessed as part of the 2023 process.

(Revaluation) includes homes built 100 years ago and new construction so that everyone is on a level playing field, Joyner said.

Are tax relief options available?

Tax relief options are available for some elderly, disabled, veteran and low-income property owners in Mecklenburg County.

Elderly and disabled residents can receive up to $25,000 or 50%, whichever is greater, off their taxes. Those interested can apply between January and June each year by calling 980-314-4226.

Elderly and disabled tax relief requirements include:

 The applicants name must be on the deed or title to the property.

 The property must be the applicants primary residence.

 The applicant must live in North Carolina.

 The applicant must be at least 65 or have a disability that substantially hinders a person from obtaining gainful employment.

 If claiming a disability, the applicant must provide proof of the disability from a North Carolina physician or a government agency.

 The applicants household income must be below $31,900, based on 2021 income. The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners is working to make this income restriction higher so more people can qualify, Joyner said.

Disabled veterans in North Carolina can receive up to $45,000 off their property taxes. Those interested in applying must fill out a form on milvets.nc.gov.

Disabled Veterans Homestead Exemption requirements include:

 The deed or title must be in the applicants name as of Jan. 1.

 The applicant must live in North Carolina.

 The applicant must be a disabled, honorably discharged veteran or receive benefits for specially adapted housing under 38 U.S. Code 2101.

The Helping Out Mecklenburg County homeowners with Economic Support (HOMES) program helps low to moderate-income homeowners get up to $340 off their property tax bill. Those interested can apply at mecknc.gov/4Homes.

HOMES program requirements include:

 The applicants name must be on the deed, title or on a life estate of the property. A life estate is a legal way to pass the ownership rights of your home to another person after death.

 The property must be in Mecklenburg County.

 The property must be the applicants primary residence at the time of application and consistently for the past three years.

 The applicants household must make less than 80% of Mecklenburg Countys area median income, or less than $67,000 for a family of four according to data from local affordable housing developer DreamKey Partners.
NEW YORK (AP)  There's little respite for Ben Platt once the new Broadway revival of the dark musical Parade begins. Even during intermission, he remains onstage, sitting in a jail cell.

Some patrons during the break may come close to the stage and take photos of him as they stretch or before a quick restroom stop. Others will worry for him  the hangman's noose is fast approaching.

Platt is one of the reasons to see this grim and doomed musical love story set against the real backdrop of a murder and lynching in Georgia in pre-World War I. Another is Micaela Diamond, who plays his wife. A third reason is the score by Jason Robert Brown, which brilliantly veers from muscular work songs to intricate duets. But curious staging may leave you baffled even as you are left moved.

Platt stars as Leo Frank, a New York-bred Jewish businessman, accused of murdering a young girl who worked in the pencil factory he managed in 1913. He is tried and convicted of murder, has his death sentence commuted to life in prison but then is lynched by a mob.

Book writer Alfred Uhry, best known for Driving Miss Daisy, uses this story to explore anti-Semitism, racism, mob violence, prosecutorial misconduct, the appeal of the Lost Cause and the corrupting influence of media and politics. The original Broadway show lasted just a few months after opening in 1998; it was clearly ahead of its time  rising anti-semitism and mob violence are in the headlines now.

The set design by Dane Laffrey and projections by Sven Ortel mix photos and physical furniture around a raised smaller central platform, curiously eschewing the benefit of having the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre's stage. This platform concentrates the action, becoming a little ballroom, bedroom, jail cell, graveyard, newspaper office and courtroom. It's busy and yet also plain  like the top of a wedding cake  so the show is often over-reliant on Heather Gilberts lighting for tone.

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The projections begin even as the audience enters, a slow close-up of a current-day historical street marker of the lynching. They then progress to real-life photos of historical figures, street scenes and newspaper headlines splashed on the back wall, but with all the props and actors, the effect is muddied.

Speaking of the actors, of which there are perhaps too many, sometimes when they're not being used, they sit in silence in clumps onstage and sometimes not, making things weird. Even weirder? The murdered girl reappears on a swing  twice  as if this was Wicked. Director Michael Arden and choreographers Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant have added a lot of things  slo-mo movements, actors offering percussion with their feet like Once, symbolic balloons, an onstage outfit change  but not consistently, so no clear style emerges.

Platt, marking his first return to Broadway since Dear Evan Hansen, squeezes out every bit of humor in the script and conveys such emotion that his voice goes to the edge of tears. His gradual evolution from persnickety manager to romantic guy is thrilling to watch. He can howl and whisper, and even convincingly play a Casanova.

Diamond proves his equal, with her arc moving from mousey housewife to steely advocate for her husband. Their hopeful duet This Is Not Over Yet is a roof-roaring triumph. Another shining light is Alex Joseph Grayson, who plays a factory worker and sings his heart out in Thats What He Said and Feel the Rain Fall." He needs to have a show built around him. As for everyone else, they need a better-looking show to showcase some remarkable performances.

___

Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
Every year, Rick Steves Europe takes 30,000 people on small-group tours  and this is the one thing they're not allowed to bring.

Rick Steves never checks a bag when traveling  and he strongly encourages all of his fellow globetrotters to do the same.

Its more important than ever to travel light, he said. Two weeks, two months, man, woman, winter, summer, it doesnt matter, you just need a carry-on bag.

Steves is known for his popular European guidebooks, tour company Rick Steves Europe, and public television travel show. As a professional international traveler, Steves is an expert at avoiding common travel mistakes like lost luggage, overbooked restaurants, and crowded sights.

While a few travel problems are sometimes inevitable, Steves advocates for flexibility, which is at the core of his travel philosophy. In a recent interview with Travel + Leisure, Steves shared some of his best tips to help alleviate frequent travel issues and reduce trip anxiety.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli/Courtesy of Rick Steves' Europe

Pack Light and Skip Tight Connections

Besides the occasional need to pack his hiking poles, Steves is adamant that travelers should only bring along a carry-on bag. Every year, Rick Steves Europe takes 30,000 people on small-group tours, and all travelers are limited to just a carry-on  no checked luggage allowed.

If you dont check a bag, youre much less likely to get ensnared in all of the airport chaos in Europe, Steves said.

Carry-on luggage is less likely to get stolen, lost, or broken, and Steves also loves that it helps with flexibility  you can easily switch flights without worrying about leaving your whole wardrobe behind. Plus, he said, if you are worried about limited space, packing cubes are a worthwhile investment to help organize and compress clothes in a smaller bag.

You need to roll with the punches, Steves said.

Steves is also a proponent of scheduling airline connections with plenty of time, especially for international trips. For instance, U.S. travelers visiting countries in the European Schengen Zone have to go through passport control when arriving in their first Schengen country. So, if your final destination is Greece, but your layover is in Germany, make sure the connection timing in Germany accounts for the possibility of long immigration lines.

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Book Your Top Reservations, Then Go With the Flow

Steves believes 2023 is going to be a busy travel year, with sales of his guidebooks currently matching where they were at this time in 2019, previously the companys best year ever. With the coronation of King Charles in London in May, and the Olympics in Paris next year, Steves wants travelers to understand that some crowds are going to be inevitable.

People really need to respect that there are going to be a lot of crowds in Europe, he said.

Travelers who dont do any planning in advance often end up waiting in long lines, wasting valuable time queuing outside of a museum, rather than spending than extra time inside. Steves recommends using a guidebook, like his own, that has been researched after the worst years of the pandemic to account for any changes to reservation systems and updated hours.

More than ever, people are going to the same famous places, he said. Museums want to moderate their mob scenes.

A notable change these days, he said, is many sights are still requiring online bookings to help control large crowds, which they started doing during the pandemic and have kept up in order to mitigate the chaos of long lines outside. In updating his guidebooks, Steves said he is focused on making sure there is a sidebar for each chapter reviewing what visitors need to do in advance.

For instance, Steves said well-organized travelers visiting Amsterdam have just four things they need to book ahead of time: the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and one trendy restaurant for a nice dinner.

The flip side of that coin is that everything else is fine. You don't need reservations for all the other stuff, he said. If a serendipitous opportunity presents itself, the answer has always got to be 'yes.

Once you have the core set of reservations you need, the rest of your trip can easily fall into place, Steves said. Dont worry about making a dinner reservation every night  instead, visit a street with local eateries and pick a delicious, non-touristy spot.

We tend to be too figured out these days, he said. It takes away some of the joy of travel, which is letting things unfold in an unpredictable way.

Courtesy of Rick Steves' Europe

Avoid Overcrowded Spots

Steves said he's noticing that so many travelers now source recommendations from social media  and that has repercussions. The consequence, he said, is that when everyone goes to the same place, trying to get the same picture, it becomes overcrowded and hard to enjoy.

There might be a place that's just as good, maybe 90 percent as good, but with no crowds at all just down the street, he said.

Instead of relying on Tripadvisor or Instagram, Steves said, try to embrace the local culture and youll have a less stressful experience.

I dont go crazy over whats No. 1, he said. No. 1 is the company that is deemed best in the system. [Instead], we try to find these little mom and pops, these labors of love, these creative adventures  thats what distinguishes my books and tours.

Perhaps the most important piece of advice Steves shared is that often, travelers put a lot of pressure on themselves to check off the top museums, historic sites, restaurants, and shops from every best of list. But that pressure can lead to a lot of trip anxiety and the feeling of rushing around to go somewhere just because its famous.

His best advice? Assume you will return, he said. Never try to do everything on one trip, because you can't.



For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
PROVIDENCE  The call went out last month for state lawmakers to empower judges to reconsider sentences if an inmate makes true strides toward rehabilitation while behind bars.

Rep. Julie A. Casimiro answered the call last week as the lead sponsor of the Second Look Sentencing Act, a proposal that if passed would allow people to petition the court to have their sentences reviewed after serving 10 years.

We trust judges to do our sentencing for people. Lets give them the tools and leeway to adjust those sentences if they deem it appropriate, said Casimiro, D-North Kingstown, Exeter. Believe me, its not a get-out-of-jail-free card by any stretch of the imagination.

Casimiro estimated that about 1,000 people held at the Adult Correctional Institutions would be eligible to apply for relief. Under the proposal, 25% of any savings realized from people being freed would be dedicated to programs and services designed to counter recidivism, with another 10% routed to the state attorney general's and public defender's offices to help staff the initiative.

We all know young mens brains are not fully developed at 17 years old. I really think its time to do right by our juvenile offenders, Casimiro said, adding that shed be willing to consider adjusting the 10-year time frame.

The medium-security unit at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston.

More:Do long sentences for young offenders merit 'second look'? Judge asks lawmakers for leeway

What would the bill do?

As proposed, a person could petition Superior Court for a sentence reduction after serving 10 years. The court would either refer the request to the sentencing judge or a judge would be assigned.

A hearing would be held upon request by the inmate or the state in which arguments and evidence may be presented. The court would render a decision that addresses factors such as age at the time of the crime; the persons role and whether he or she was themselves a victim of abuse; exculpatory evidence; rehabilitation efforts; and victim and family impact statements.

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In cases involving a person over 50 years old, there would be a presumption that the individual is eligible for release unless the state proves otherwise.

A person who cannot afford a lawyer would be assigned to the public defenders office or receive court-appointed representation.

The attorney generals office would be responsible for notifying the victims. The onus would be on the state Department of Corrections to alert inmates to the law.

A Corrections spokesman said the department would study the bills provisions.

The case that brought 'second looks' to attention

The impetus for the legislation was an opinion issued last month by Superior Court Judge Daniel A. Procaccini in which the judge observed that he was hamstrung from considering whether to grant relief to Gahlil Oliveira.

If Rhode Island had legislation permitting a 'second look' or review of petitioners sentence  this Court would have no hesitation in reconsidering petitioners sentence imposed over twenty-five years ago, Procaccini wrote in regrettably denying Oliveiras motion to reduce his sentence of life in prison, plus a consecutive 40 years. Unfortunately, the judge said, he had no legal avenue to grant relief. Court rules specify that judges may reduce any sentence within 120 days after the sentence is imposed.

Oliveira, then 23, was one of five men charged in the shooting death of 26-year-old John Carpenter in broad daylight Dec. 18, 1995, near the Cranston Street Armory. The murder of Carpenter, the son of former state Rep. Marsha E. Carpenter, was believed to be in retaliation for a friends killing three days earlier.

A spokesman for the attorney general's office did not respond to requests for comment.

Longer sentences not actually a deterrent, bill's supporters say

The Second Look bill is modeled on sample legislation by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

What were seeing is people who are serving these overly long sentences when the data shows its not actually a deterrent, said Monica Reid, senior director of advocacy at the NACDL.

The result is that states, and as such taxpayers, are bearing the costs of housing and caring for aging prisoners after decades of policies that led to mass incarceration, she said.

It is critical, she said, that policy makers engage in the uncomfortable conversation of considering relief for not just young or low-level offenders, but those who were adults who have committed violent offenses as well.

Its allowing people to say `Ive changed. It allows for someone to be reconsidered. Its not a guarantee, Reid said.

The legislation emphasizes evidence nationally that long-term incarceration has disproportionately impacted poor communities and communities of color at a grave social, cultural, and economic cost that ranges from $68,000 to $110,000 to house prisoners a year.

It cites research, too, showing that long prison sentences can increase, rather than reduce, the chance that a person reoffends.

Plus, the legislation says, the prospect that a sentence may one day be reduced encourages incarcerated individuals to engage in good behavior and take advantage of rehabilitative programming.

Sentences are not just served by the incarcerated individual; they are served by their families, it reads. Studies indicate that the children of incarcerated parents are six to seven times more likely to serve time themselves.

Other states have similar laws

A handful of states have enacted measures to allow sentences to be reconsidered, but largely at the prosecutors request  a prospect NACDL's Reid finds problematic. Many more states are now considering bills that would allow for sentencing reconsideration under varying mechanisms.

Rhode Island's Second Look legislation is in keeping with national trends toward extending possible relief to people serving lengthy sentences. The Model Penal Code, standardized laws used to assist legislatures, recommends that judges have the ability to review sentences after 15 years of imprisonment for adult crimes, and after 10 years for youth crimes. The American Bar Association also calls for second look resentencing hearings after people have been held for 10 years.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Second look at long prison sentences possible with RI bill
A Rocket Lab Electron booster blasted off from Virginia's Eastern Shore on Thursday evening, boosting a pair of commercial radar imaging satellites into orbit that are capable of "seeing" through clouds, in daylight or darkness, to monitor the planet below.

Making Rocket Lab's 34th flight, the Electron's nine Rutherford first-stage engines thundered to life at 6:38 p.m. EDT, smoothly pushing the 59-foot-tall rocket away from launch complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at NASA's Wallops Island, Virginia, flight test facility.

Climbing away to the southeast over the Atlantic Ocean, the Electron raced past the speed of sound one minute after liftoff, rapidly accelerating out of the thick lower atmosphere and disappearing from view.

A Rocket Lab Electron booster streaks away from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Virginia's Eastern Shore carrying two commercial radar imaging satellites. It was Rocke Llab's 34th launch but only its second from Virginia. / Credit: Rocket Lab

The single engine powering the rocket's second stage took over two-and-a-half minutes after liftoff, propelling the craft to an initial parking orbit. A "kick" stage carrying the two Capella Space radar satellites then fired nearly an hour after launch to put the vehicle in the planned deploy orbit.

A few minutes later, the two Capella satellites were released to fly on their own.

San Francisco-based Capella Space was founded in 2016 to provide commercial Earth imagery to government agencies and the private sector using small satellites carrying synthetic aperture radar systems capable of imaging the planet below in daylight or darkness, regardless of cloud cover.

NASA used similar technology to map the surface of cloud-shrouded Venus in the 1990s and radar imaging is routinely used by military spy satellites. But Capella Space says it's the first company to utilize the technology with commercial remote sensing spacecraft.

Including an initial prototype, the company has now launched 10 radar satellites to provide around-the-clock Earth observation. Applications include verifying damage claims for the insurance industry, monitoring natural disaster damage, intelligence gathering and detection of illegal maritime activities.

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"Capella's innovative small satellite design and rapid manufacturing-to-launch deployment gives our constellation (the ability) to effectively monitor the entire globe," the company says, "and give decision-makers the information they need on the Earth."

Dr. Anthony Fauci discusses COVID-19 origins and lessons learned 3 years later

Author Priya Parker on gathering with purpose | The Shifting Workplace

U.S. maternal mortality hit six-decade high in COVID, highest in Black women
The ongoing Social Security fight between Democrats and Republicans reached a new pitch Wednesday as Sen. Mitt Romney grilled a White House budget official during a hearing.

A heated volley between Romney and Shalanda Young, director of the White House Office of Budget and Management, further revealed the finger pointing of both major parties.

Politicians in Washington have been accusing each other of making decisions that will ultimately risk the sustainability of entitlements like Social Security and Medicare.

President Joe Biden has accused Republicans  including during his State of the Union address  of wanting to cut those programs, though GOP leaders and rank-and-file members have said they are off the table.

What's in the budget?: Biden's about to unveil his budget proposal. His endgame: Forcing Republicans' hand

'Thats not a Republican plan': McConnell distances GOP from Scott on Social Security, Medicare sunset plan

What did Romney say about Social Security solvency?

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) speaks to reporters in the Senate subway on his way to a vote at the U.S. Capitol March 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. Senators return to session this week amidst the government reaction to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.

Romney shifted the argument back to the president on Wednesday, noting that Social Security is expected to run out of money sooner than expected in 2032.

Young said she was aware of the shortfall.

"Well, why is it then that in the president's budget there's no effort to address that whatsoever?" Romney asked Young.

He interrupted an answer from Young, who was pivoting to say some members have called for cuts, to ask again: "Why does the president's budget not lay out how you would protect Social Security?"

Young said Biden "believes the biggest threat to Social Security are those who want to cut it. His budget says no."

More: President Joe Biden budget release silent on how to keep Social Security afloat long-term

Who wants to cut Social Security?

Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda D. Young testifies before the Senate Budget Committee March 15, 2023 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Young testified on U.S. President Joe Biden's fiscal year 2024 budget proposal during the hearing.

The budget director said she could provide Republican proposals to cut Social Security from some of the members' websites, but Romney rejected that claim.

He pressed her whether any of the proposals come from current senators or House members.

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"Yes," Young said. "Have they changed their position? Maybe, but yes."

Romney said that is "simply wrong, and it's not honest to say that to members of Congress."

"There's nobody in this committee that wants to cut it," he said. "I know of no Republican or Democrat in the House or the Senate who is proposing cutting Social Security benefits, and it's dishonest to keep saying it. It's offensive and dishonest and not realistic."

Sen. Rick Scott's previous proposal on Social Security

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., a favorite target of the White House, last month amended his controversial proposal to sunset all federal programs every five years and claimed it was "never intended" to cut Social Security or Medicare.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said in February any idea on sunsetting Social Security and Medicare belongs to Sen. Rick Scottnot the GOP.

Unfortunately, that was the Scott plan, thats not a Republican plan, McConnell said on a Kentucky radio program last month.

More: GOP senator wants Biden budget in a 'shredder' and retirement age raised for Social Security

More: Sen. Joe Manchin floats 'better program' for future Social Security, Medicare beneficiaries

Contributing: Phillip Bailey and Joey Garrison.

Candy Woodall is a Congress reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at cwoodall@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @candynotcandace.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mitt Romney battles with Biden budget director on Social Security
The Santa Clara River rushes under a bridge along Harbor Boulevard on Wednesday after recent rain. A sewage spill in Fillmore that entered the river Wednesday night has temporarily closed beaches near the river mouth.

Here's a roundup of recent incidents and announcements from Ventura County agencies:

Leaked sewage flows to ocean

A sewage leak in Fillmore that started Wednesday evening sent about 148,000 gallons of sewage into the Santa Clara River overnight, authorities said.

Beaches were closed near the mouth of the river and warning signs posted from the Ventura Harbor area to Oxnard Shores, Ventura County's Environmental Health Division said in a release Thursday evening. Signs were also posted along the river at the discharge site and at public access points downstream.

The release started around 6 p.m. Wednesday at the city's sewage collection system near Village Square. A collapsed sewer line caused overflow into the street and into the river, officials said. The sewage release continued until 5 a.m. Thursday.

Veolia North America, which operates the city's wastewater treatment plant, notified the county on Wednesday. Veolia staff stopped the release with installation of a bypass line but repairs were not yet complete, officials said.

Signage will remain up until at least Sunday and beaches will remain closed until ocean water tests clean.

Ventura County beaches also remain under a rainfall advisory due to potential bacteria and other hazards from stormwater runoff.

2nd man charged in Oxnard murder case

The 1200 block of West Gonzales Road in Oxnard, seen on March 10, where an Oxnard man was fatally shot in December. Two men have been charged with murder.

Prosecutors have filed murder charges against a 32-year-old Santa Paula man in connection with a fatal shooting in Oxnard on Dec. 5, the second defendant charged in the case.

Paul Steven Ramos allegedly drove a fellow gang member to the Porta Rossa Apartments at 1201 W. Gonzales Road where the victim, John Carrillo, 20, of Oxnard, was killed, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. Ramos also faces several special allegations, including that the crime was committed for the benefit of a street gang. During an arraignment Tuesday, no plea was entered. The court hearing will resume on April 7.

Oxnard police have previously said the victim was not in a gang. Rather, Carrillo was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Story continues

The alleged shooter, Michael Ortega, 23, killed Carrillo with a sawed-off shotgun, prosecutors say. Ortega was arrested in the case earlier this month while in jail on an unrelated case. He has not yet entered a plea and is also scheduled for a continued arraignment hearing on April 7.

Both men are being held in county jail without bail.

St. Patrick's Day brings extra traffic enforcement

Law enforcement agencies around Ventura County, including the sheriff's office, city police departments and the California Highway Patrol, will have extra officers on patrol Friday night for St. Patrick's Day.

Officers will be looking for drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs.

Figures from the California Office of Traffic Safety show that during the holiday in 2019, seven people around the state were killed and 116 injured in crashes caused by DUI drivers.

Authorities urged residents to designate a sober driver to allow everyone to get home safely. What's more, a DUI arrest can wind up costing about $15,000 for fines, attorney and court costs, insurance hikes and repairs, the agencies said.

If you're out and you see a suspected DUI driver, call 911.

Items may be updated.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Fillmore sewage spill closes beaches, 2nd murder arrest
MOSCOW (AP)  Russian fighter pilots involved in an incident with a U.S. drone that resulted in its crash will be given state awards, the Defense Ministry announced Friday. The move appears to signal Moscow's intention to adopt a more aggressive stance toward future U.S. surveillance flights.

The U.S. military said it ditched the Air Force MQ-9 Reaper in the Black Sea on Tuesday after a pair of Russian fighter jets dumped fuel on the surveillance drone and then one of them struck its propeller while it was flying in international airspace. Moscow has denied that its warplanes hit the drone, alleging that it crashed while making a sharp maneuver. It said that its aircraft reacted to a violation of a no-flight zone Russia has established in the area near Crimea amid the fighting in Ukraine.

On Friday, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu lauded the pilots for preventing the drone from flying into the area that Moscow has banned for flights. The Defense Ministry emphasized that the ban was in line with international norms.

Moscow's announcement comes a day after the U.S. military released a declassified 42-second color footage showing a Russian Su-27 fighter jet approaching the back of the U.S. drone and releasing fuel as it passes in what appeared to be aimed at blinding the drones optical instruments to drive it from the area.

On a second approach, either the same jet or another Russian Su-27 that had been shadowing the MQ-9 struck the drones propeller, damaging a blade, according to the U.S. military, which said it then ditched the aircraft in the sea. The video excerpt does not show the collision, although it does show the damage to the propeller.

The top U.S. and Russian defense and military leaders spoke Wednesday about the destruction of the drone in the first calls between them since October, underscoring the events seriousness.

While calling out Russia for reckless action, the White House also tried to avoid exacerbating tensions. U.S. officials emphasized that they have not been able to determine whether the Russian pilot intentionally struck the American drone and stressed that lines of communication with Moscow remain open.

Story continues

Russian officials also emphasized the need to maintain lines of communication, but they harshly denounced the U.S. action as arrogant disregard of Moscow's no-flight zone.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia's Security Council chaired by President Vladimir Putin, said Friday that, simply put, the Americans have become far too gross, and we shouldn't be too polite with them." He added on a more cautious note that of course, contacts between the military are necessary.

Pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergei Markov pointed at the award for the pilots who buzzed the U.S. drone as "a clear sign that Russia will keep downing the American drones.

This decision will receive a strong support from the Russian society that wants the government to toughen its policy, Markov wrote in a commentary.

Moscow has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights close to Crimea, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014 amid strong international condemnation. The Kremlin has charged the U.S. and its allies of effectively becoming engaged in the conflict by providing weapons and sharing intelligence with Kyiv.

Some Russian officials charged that the U.S. surveillance flights helped gather intelligence that allowed Ukraine to strike Russian targets.
Russian troops have temporarily depleted the combat capability of their deployed formations in Ukraine and have had one of the lowest rates of offensive operations since at least January 2023.

Source: UK Defence Intelligence; European Pravda

Details: In recent days, Russian and Wagner Group forces have obtained footholds west of the Bakhmutka River in the centre of the contested Donbas town of Bakhmut. Over the preceding week, the river had marked the front line. The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to defend the west of the city.

However, more broadly across the front line, Russia is conducting some of the lowest rates of local offensive action that has been seen since at least January 2023.

This is most likely because Russian forces have temporarily depleted the deployed formations combat power to the extent that even local offensive actions are not currently sustainable.

Russian leaders will likely seek to regenerate the offensive potential of the force once personnel and munition stocks are replenished. In the meantime, commanders will likely be forced to choose between conducting offensive operations and conducting a credible defence of the entire line.

Background: Western intelligence estimates Russia's losses in recent months in the battles for the city of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, at 20,000-30,000 mercenaries from the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC); about a third of them may be dead.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin assured Ukraine of support regardless of what decision it makes regarding the defence of the city.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
A Russian Su-27 fighter jet seen approaching a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea on March 14, 2023, in a video released by the US military. US European Command

Russia decorated the two pilots whose intercept took down a US Reaper drone over the Black Sea.

US and EU officials have described the incident as "unsafe and unprofessional" on Russia's part.

The incident has frayed relations between the Kremlin and Washington DC.

Russia's Ministry of Defence announced on Friday that it had given awards to the pilots who intercepted a US MQ-9 Reaper drone earlier in the week, resulting in it crashing into the Black Sea.

The pilots of the two Su-27 fighter jets were awarded the decorations by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for preventing the Reaper from violating airspace that Russia says is restricted, according to the Russian ministry.

The accolade comes after US European Command accused the pilots of making an "unsafe and unprofessional" intercept.

On Tuesday, the Su-27s flew recklessly towards the drone and dumped fuel on it, clipping its propellor in the process, the US-EU Command said. The incident forced the Reaper to crash into the Black Sea, increasing tensions between the US and Russia.

The pilots' moves were described as "amateur hour" by one unnamed US official, according to PBS, while a top US general said on Thursday that it demonstrated Russia's increasingly aggressive actions, according to Reuters.

Russia's MOD claimed that the aircrafts did not come into contact with the drone, and that it went down as a result of "sharp maneuvering," per Reuters' translation. The pilots did not use airborne weapons, the statement said, without mentioning the use of a fuel dump.

Footage released by the US of the incident, which came from the drone's onboard camera, appeared to contradict Russia's claims. The 43-second edited clip shows apparent damage to one of the drone's propellors after one of the Su-27s passed close by.

Russia claims that the drone was flying with its transponders turned off, and that it was violating airspace restrictions Russia says it made public in relation to its military activities.

The US European command, for its part, said the drone was operating in international airspace.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Ukrainian troops strike at Russian occupants near Bakhmut

Russia is sustaining 1,200, 1,300, even 1,500 casualties a day in its current offensive, mostly in Bakhmut, the source said.

Killed to wounded ratio is one to three.

Read also: Ukrainian troops preparing for future actions in Bakhmut, military spokesperson says

The official added that Ukraine suffers "an order of magnitude less" losses in battles where "several thousand" shells are spent by both sides every day.

He added that its not yet clear how long the battle for Bakhmut could continue.

Read also: Top Ukrainian official explains why defending Bakhmut is important

Ukraines Operational Command East spokesman Col. Serhiy Cherevaty previously explained that by defending Bakhmut Ukrainian forces prevent a major Russian breakthrough and persistently attrit Russias manpower and equipment reserves.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
(Reuters) - Russia said on Friday that all fighter jets supplied to Ukraine by Western nations would be destroyed after NATO members Poland and Slovakia pledged to send MiG-29 jets to Kyiv.

Since Russia's invasion last year NATO countries have sent billions of dollars of military aid to Ukraine, as Kyiv asks for weapons it says are vital to fend off Russian advances.

Moscow has accused the West of directly participating in the conflict through supplying weapons to Ukraine, and has warned before that NATO weapons were legitimate targets for its forces.

"In the course of the special military operation all this equipment will be subject to destruction," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"It feels like all of these countries are thus engaged in the disposal of old unnecessary equipment," he said.

Slovakia ordered F-16 fighter jets from the United States in 2018 to replace its ageing MiG-29 planes. Its fleet of 11 MiG-29s was retired last summer.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Alex Richardson)
The Russian Investigative Committee is going to identify particular individuals from among the judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) who issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Source: Russian propaganda publication RT, quoting Alexander Bastrykin, Chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee

Details: Bastrykin instructed to conduct an audit due to the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights.

It is noted that the Investigative Committee should identify "particular individuals from among the ICC judges who made deliberately illegal decisions".

Background:

On 17 March, the pre-trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin, in view of the situation in Ukraine.

All member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) are now legally bound to detain and bring to court Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, now deemed a suspect.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the historic decision to issue the arrest warrant on Vladimir Putin must be followed by historical responsibility.

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(Reuters) -The Kremlin said on Friday that an arrest warrant for war crimes issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague against Russian President Vladimir Putin was outrageous, but meaningless with respect to Russia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia found the very questions raised by the ICC "outrageous and unacceptable", but noted that Russia, like many other countries, did not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC.

"And accordingly, any decisions of this kind are null and void for the Russian Federation from the point of view of law."

Asked if Putin now feared travelling to countries that recognised the ICC and might therefore try to arrest him, Peskov told reporters: "I have nothing to add on this subject. That's all we want to say."

Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian commissioner for children's rights, was like Putin accused by the ICC of the war crime of illegal deportation of children from Ukraine.

"It's great that the international community has appreciated this work to help the children of our country: that we don't leave them in war zones, that we take them out, that we create good conditions for them, that we surround them with loving, caring people," she told journalists, according to the state-run RIA news agency.

Russia signed the Rome Statute in 2000, but never ratified it to become a member of the ICC, and finally withdrew its signature in 2016.

At the time, Russia was under international pressure over its seizure and unilateral annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, as well as a campaign of air strikes in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad's war against rebels.

(Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Hugh Lawson)
Mayor of Avdiivka tells details of Russian occupants' missile attack

He said Russian forces continue to launch air strikes at Avdiivka and Ukrainian positions around the town.

There were four air strikes overnight and four more in the morning, Barabash said.

Read also: Russia strikes Kostiantynivka with Tornado rockets, causing injuries and destruction

As a result, one of the wings of a 14-story building was totally destroyed.

The official added there were fortunately no casualties in the attack since no residents were in the building at that time.

Read also: Russian air strikes rock Avdiivka as battle for city rages

On March 13, the Russian military attacked the town of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast with Uragan multiple launch rocket systems. In addition, they launched air strikes at Avdiivka, resulting in one of the missiles hit a local school, where a humanitarian center was set up. One person was killed and another two  injured.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A house in Avdiivka destroyed as a result of a Russian strike

Fortunately, there were no reported casualties.

The shelling of the city is underway around the clock. The battle for Avdiivka continues, Yermak wrote on Telegram. He also published a photo of a high-rise building destroyed by the Russian attack.

Andriy Yermak/Telegram

The city has been the site of intense fighting for weeks, with both sides struggling for control of the area not far from Bakhmut.

According to the General Staff, Russian troops are advancing in the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Maryinka, and Shakhtarsk directions.

Read also: Ukrainian army repels two Russian attack in a row near Avdiivka

Donetsk Oblast Military Administration head, Pavlo Kyrylenko, reported on the shelling of Maryinka, Kostyantynivka, and Krasnohorivka.

Russians killed at least two civilians and wounded eight others in the oblast over the last 24 hours.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russia may have acted aggressively and deliberately in forcing a U.S. surveillance drone to be ditched into the Black Sea, but these moves did not constitute an act of war, will not deter missions and will not lead to U.S. military escorts of future drone flights, top White House national security spokesman John Kirby told CBS News.

"This was a deliberate, aggressive, overly aggressive move by this pilot," Kirby told CBS News on this week's episode of "The Takeout."

Kirby spoke shortly after the Pentagon had released video of a Russian pilot's efforts to shower the drone with aviation fuel and a subsequent mid-air collision. The video confirmed Pentagon descriptions of the incident and undercut Russian assertions the drone was flying in an unstable manner.

"What's not clear in the video is whether the pilot intended to strike the drone or just it was poor flying," Kirby said. "I don't think I would call it an act of war. It was unsafe. It was unprofessional. But look, nobody wants to see this war escalate between the United States and Russia to make it become a war between the United States and Russia."

Kirby said if the Russians recover the MQ-9 Reaper drone from the Black Sea, it would yield almost nothing of value.

"They won't find anything of any intrinsic value, I can assure you of that," Kirby said. "We took steps to mitigate any intelligence collection capability. Whatever would be left on the surface would likely be.pieces of wings or the fuselage. Doubtful that's going to be of any value to anybody. In terms of intelligence we are not concerned that they're going to get anything of value. The water they're in the Black Sea right there is 4,000 to 5,000 feet deep. Anything of value, the hardware on the drone, will have sunk. I find it very unlikely that they're going to be able to recover anything like that."

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. / Credit: Susan Walsh / AP

Kirby also dismissed the idea of military escort flights for surveillance drones over the Black Sea or any international air space near Ukraine. Kirby said the drones collect vital intelligence on Russian activities in and near Ukraine, which is then shared with Ukraine's military.

Story continues

"You put pilots up there escorting dronesthere's a little bit of redundancy there," Kirby said. "Why would you need both an unmanned and a manned aircraft to do (aerial surveillance)? There's a greater risk to our pilots and to the broader potential for escalation. These flights are important for our national security interests. They're going to continue."

Kirby also welcomed Poland's decision to send at least four  and possibly up to 10  MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.

"It's not a surprise," Kirby said. "Poland has talked about this in the past. It's up to them to decide how and when and what circumstances they'll provide the jets. The additional air capabilities that those MiGs could provideyou can't undercount that. That's going to be helpful to them."

But Poland's decision will not influence U.S. policy on sending F-16 fighters, Kirby said.

"He's not considering F-16s for now," Kirby said, referring to President Biden. "We don't believe that that's a decision that we need to make right now or that we even should make right now." Instead, according to Kirby, the White House is analyzing what Ukraine needs in terms of artillery, ammunition, air defense and armored vehicle.

"When you look in the weeks ahead, the kind of fighting that the Ukrainians say they believe they're going to be in is fighting an open terrain," he told CBS News. "What they need are what the Pentagon calls combined arms warfare ability, combined arms maneuver."

Kirby said the U.S. does not know who blew up parts of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and will await European investigations into the matter, and he stated emphatically that the U.S. was not involved.

"We don't know who did it," Kirby said. "There are three investigations going on by three of our European partners. We're not going to get ahead of what they find. The United States government had no role whatsoever in what happened to the Nord Stream 2. We do believe it was an act of sabotage. But I can absolutely, positively assure you that the United States had no role in it."

Kirby also said White House procedures have not changed in the handling classified documents, in the wake of the discovery of documents with classified markings  some more sensitive than others  in the possession of former President Trump, Mr. Biden and former Vice President Pence.

"Same procedures," Kirby said. "They're time tested, well-worn and understood by everybody that works at the National Security Council and the White House. There's been no review, no change in procedures. They're not just procedures that we use at the White House. They're procedures that you use across the government. There's no need to revisit (them)."

Executive producer: Arden Farhi

Producers: Jamie Benson, Jacob Rosen, Sara Cook and Eleanor Watson

CBSN Production: Eric Soussanin

Show email: TakeoutPodcast@cbsnews.com

Twitter: @TakeoutPodcast

Instagram: @TakeoutPodcast

Facebook: Facebook.com/TakeoutPodcast

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify before Congress Thursday

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Stephen Smith's 2015 death ruled a homicide
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has decorated the Su-27 pilots who shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea.

Source: Russian Defence Ministry



Details: The Russian Defence Ministry announced the existence of an "airspace area of temporary use established for the purpose of a special military operation" that the MQ-9 Reaper allegedly violated.

The invaders claim that the MQ-9 Reaper drone flew into this "area" with its transponders turned off and that Su-27 pilots "prevented the violation".

The Russian Defence Ministry said that it had informed users of the "boundaries" of the airspace, where it had imposed "restrictions".

Quote from Russian Defence Ministry: "In order to identify the intruder, fighters from the air defence forces on duty were taken off.

As a result of sharp manoeuvring at around 9:30, the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle went into an uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude and collided with the water surface.

The Russian fighters did not use their onboard weapons, did not engage the UAV, and returned safely to their home airfield."

Background:

The US Air Force issued a statement on 14 March, in which it was reported that a Russian Su-27 fighter jet damaged an American MQ-9 Reaper reconnaissance and strike UAV over the Black Sea during an interception, as a result of which the drone had to be sunk.

The US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, John Kirby, noted that while Russian intercepts of US aircraft over the Black Sea are not uncommon, Tuesday's episode was unique regarding how "dangerous, unprofessional and reckless" Russias actions were.

The Russian Defence Ministry stated on the evening of Tuesday that their Su-27 fighter jets had nothing to do with the crash of the MQ-9 Reaper American UAV in the Black Sea. In addition, they said it approached annexed Crimea and was flying in violation.

The US Department of Defense, in turn, said it was working to declassify visual information related to the incident in the international airspace over the Black Sea.

The US military published a video of a Russian Su-27 fighter jet attacking the MQ-9 Reaper American UAV over the Black Sea.

The US is conducting an assessment of its drone operations in the Black Sea area following the incident. It is "taking a close look" at the drones routes and assessing how to better deconflict with Russian forces.

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LONDON (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has presented awards to the pilots of two Su-27 fighter planes that intercepted a U.S. drone near the airspace around Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, his ministry said on Friday.

The drone crashed into the Black Sea on Tuesday after being intercepted by Russian jets, in the first known direct military encounter between Russia and the United States since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago.

Announcing the awards, the ministry repeated Russia's version of events - disputed by Washington - that the Russian planes did not make physical contact with the drone.

"As a result of sharp manoeuvring around 9:30 a.m. (Moscow time), the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle went into uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude and collided with the water surface," it said.

It said the drone had been flying with its transponders turned off and violating airspace restrictions that Russia had made public in connection with what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine.

The U.S. military had said the Russian fighter planes approached its MQ-9 Reaper drone during a reconnaissance mission over the Black Sea in international airspace. It said the fighters harassed the drone and sprayed fuel on it in an encounter lasting 30-40 minutes before one clipped the drone's propeller, causing it to crash into the sea.

The Pentagon on Thursday released a 40-second edited video showing a Russian fighter jet coming close to a U.S. military drone in the air, dumping fuel near it, and a damaged propeller in the aftermath. The top U.S. general said the incident demonstrated Moscows increasingly aggressive behaviour.

(Reporting by Reuters; writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
When forced to retreat from their positions, Russian forces plant mines across the territory of the land they withdraw from, and rig various household objects, including gadgets, with explosives.

Source: Ukraines National Resistance Center

Quote: "The National Resistance Center urges all residents of temporarily occupied territories to be careful and refrain from picking up objects the occupiers left on the streets.

The occupiers rig all sorts of objects with explosives: from laptops to childrens toys."

Details: Russian occupation forces are attempting to plant as many mines as possible when forced to retreat from their positions. All sorts of objects might be rigged with explosives.

Ukrainian troops regularly find electronic gadgets  including smartphones and laptops  rigged with explosives at the Russian positions they had been able to retake.

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Russian occupation authorities in the southeastern city of Melitopol have banned local residents from engaging in any transactions with public services in the absence of a Russian taxpayer card and a Russian passport.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook

Quote: "[Russia] continues to force the residents of the occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia Oblast to obtain Russian passports."

Details: The General Staff reported that Russian occupation authorities in the city of Melitopol and the Federal Tax Service of Russia banned local residents from transacting with public services in the absence of a Russian taxpayer registration number.

It is impossible to obtain the taxpayer number without a Russian passport.

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Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the document "legally worthless."

Read also: Russians steal idea of Ukrainian postal stamp with Moskva flagship

Decisions of the International Criminal Court have no value for our country, in particular from a legal point of view, Zakharova wrote in a Telegram post.

Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and doesnt bear obligations under it. Russia doesnt cooperate with this body, and possible recipes for arrest coming out of the International Court of Justice will be legally worthless and void for us.

Deputy head of the Security Council of the Russian Federation and former Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, made a rather discourteous comment:

Read also: Putin must be brought to justice for war crimes in Ukraine, German FM says

No need to explain how this (piece) paper should be used, Medvedev said, adding a toilet paper roll emoji to his Twitter post.

Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said that this decision is "legally null and void" for the Russian Federation, as Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC.

Read also: Russia can achieve its goals in Ukraine only by military means  Kremlins Peskov

We consider the very wording of the question outrageous and unacceptable, Peskov said.

Russias Children's Ombudsman, Maria Lvova-Belova, also made a statement.

Read also: Russia wont recognize International Criminal Courts jurisdiction, says Kremlin spokesman

It's great that the international community has appreciated the work to help the children of our country, said Lvova-Belova, for whose arrest the ICC also issued a warrant.

On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and Russian Childrens Ombudsman, Maria Lvova-Belova. They are accused of deporting children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia, which, according to the court, constitutes a war crime.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russian forces in Bakhmut have deployed all their forces and are trying to completely surround the city.

Source: Military Media Center, citing Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Commander of the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Quote: "The enemy is carrying out offensive action along almost the entire eastern front lines, trying to break through the defences of our troops and advance into the depth of their battle formations. The most intense battles continue near Kreminna, Torske, Bilohorivka, and Spirne.

However, Bakhmut is still the epicentre of hostilities. Battles for the city continue. The enemy has deployed all its forces and is trying to break through the defence on several fronts and completely surround the city."

Details: Sirskyi reported that the battles are going on in the north, east and south of Bakhmut, and Russian forces are suffering huge losses and are retreating again without success. Ukrainian units have partial success in some areas.

Background:

Constant attempts to seize Bakhmut are also mentioned in the General Staff evening report.

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Russian troops have conducted four airstrikes on the city of Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, causing no casualties but destroying a residential building on the morning of 17 March.



Source: Andrii Yermak, Head of Office of the President of Ukraine; Pavlo Kyrylenko, Head of Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote from Yermak: "The Russians delivered four airstrikes on Avdiivka. No casualties were reported."

Details: The official posted a horrifying photo from the scene and added that the attacks on the city take place almost round the clock.

Yermak also emphasised that the battles for Avdiivka continue.

At the same time, Pavlo Kyrylenko, Head of the Donetsk Oblast Military Administration, said that Russians killed two and wounded eight residents in Donetsk Oblast, in Toretsk and the village of Krasnohorivka, on 16 March.

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Russians set up a torture room for pro-Ukraine citizens in the occupied city of Enerhodar in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Quote: "The Russian occupiers with the support of local collaborators are increasing the number of torture rooms in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. For instance, a new torture room was spotted in the southeastern part of the city of Enerhodar in Zaporizhzhia Oblast."

Details: The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports that pro-Ukraine citizens and those who do not follow demands of the occupiers are subjected to brutal torture there.

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Russians compared the drone to the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet as if they were

The invaders completely stole the idea of the well-known sketch from Ukrainian artist Borys Hrokh that depicts a Ukrainian soldier in front of the Russian Black Sea flagship Moskva, uttering the now-iconic phrase Russian warship, go f**k yourself.

Read also: Russian invaders losing offensive potential, military says

Unlike the Ukrainian version, the land in the image with a Russian soldier is drenched in blood, while the US MQ-9 Reaper drone  the same that fell into the Black Sea after colliding with a Russian jet  can be seen instead of the Moskva.

Apparently, Russian stamp makers believe that using two jets to take down an unarmed and unmanned drone is equivalent to sinking a Black Sea flagship, carrying hundreds of enemy soldiers and key military equipment  from land.

Read also: Ukrposhta to issue new Weapons of Victory postage stamps, donate part of sales to Ukrainian Army

It is also conveniently forgotten why the phrase on the Ukrainian stamp became famous worldwide.

Recall that it was the response given by a Ukrainian border guard on Smiinyi (Snake, or Serpent) Island to the Moskva flagship crew who had demanded that Ukrainian defenders disarm and surrender.

Read also: Ukrainian postal service presents new stamp with "Russian warship"

The famous incident took place on the first day of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

There is no real history behind the phrase on the copycat Russian stamp.



So, if to borrow from a phrase known worldwide  Russian war stamp, go f**k yourself.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A Ukrainian medic runs through a partially dug trench on the frontline outside Bakhmut on March 5, 2023. John Moore/Getty Images

UK intelligence suggests Russia's new offensive is on its last legs, just a month after it began.

Russian forces have depleted their "combat power," the assessment said.

"Even local offensive actions are not currently sustainable," it added.

Russia's new offensive in Ukraine, which began last month, has seemingly fizzled out, based on a new UK intelligence assessment.

In recent days, Russian troops and the Wagner Group's forces have "obtained footholds west of the Bakhmutka River in the centre of the contested Donbas town of Bakhmut," the British Ministry of Defense said. But the intelligence assessment added that "more broadly across the front line, Russia is conducting some of the lowest rates of local offensive action that has been seen since at least January 2023."

The British Defense Ministry said this is likely because Russian forces have depleted their "combat power" to such a degree that "even local offensive actions are not currently sustainable."

Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) March 17, 2023

Russia has paid a massive price in soldiers, mercenaries and released convicts in the battle for Bakhmut, which has raged on for months despite the city's questionable strategic significance.

"Right now, there is intense fighting in and around Bakhmut and the Russians are making small tactical advances but at great cost. Elsewhere, the front line remains relatively static, with significant exchanges of artillery but no significant maneuver gains by either side," Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley said at a press conference with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin on Wednesday.

Milley said that Russia is paying "severely in terms of lives and military equipment."

The Institute for the Study of War, which has closely tracked the fighting in Ukraine, in its latest assessment said that the somewhat slower pace of Russian attacks in and close to Bakhmut suggests that the Wagner Group's offensive in the area is "likely nearing culmination."

Story continues

Russia has pressured Ukrainian defenders with so-called human wave attacks designed to overrun their trenches, and while they and the artillery barrages have exacted a heavy toll it hasn't been enough to force a full withdrawal. What's more, Russia has failed to use superior air forces to strike the trenched, defensive network, fearing that close operations would cost them even more aircraft.

There's been an evolving debate between Kyiv and its Western partners over Ukraine's insistence on continuing to defend Bakhmut, which analysts have suggested could fall to Russian forces in the coming days. Ukraine has argued that reinforcing its position in Bakhmut will force Russia to exhaust valuable men and munitions in what has become the bloodiest battle in a brutal war of attrition for both sides.

Michael Kofman, director of the Russia Studies Program at the Center for Naval Analyses, recently traveled to Bakhmut to observe the fight in person. "Happening in the fight now is that the attrition exchange rate is favorable to Ukraine but it's not nearly as favorable as it was before. The casualties on the Ukrainian side are rather significant and require a substantial amount of replacements on a regular basis," Kofman said in an appearance on the War on the Rocks podcast this week.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Sabre Insurance Group plc (LON:SBRE) is reducing its dividend from last year's comparable payment to 0.017 on the 1st of June. The dividend yield will be in the average range for the industry at 4.4%.

See our latest analysis for Sabre Insurance Group

Sabre Insurance Group's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage

Unless the payments are sustainable, the dividend yield doesn't mean too much. Before making this announcement, Sabre Insurance Group's dividend was higher than its profits, but the free cash flows quite comfortably covered it. Healthy cash flows are always a positive sign, especially when they quite easily cover the dividend.

Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise exponentially over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate that the payout ratio could reach 19%, which is in a comfortable range for us.

Sabre Insurance Group's Dividend Has Lacked Consistency

Even in its relatively short history, the company has reduced the dividend at least once. Due to this, we are a little bit cautious about the dividend consistency over a full economic cycle. Since 2018, the dividend has gone from 0.144 total annually to 0.045. This works out to a decline of approximately 69% over that time. Declining dividends isn't generally what we look for as they can indicate that the company is running into some challenges.

Dividend Growth Potential Is Shaky

With a relatively unstable dividend, and a poor history of shrinking dividends, it's even more important to see if EPS is growing. Sabre Insurance Group's earnings per share has shrunk at 22% a year over the past five years. Such rapid declines definitely have the potential to constrain dividend payments if the trend continues into the future. It's not all bad news though, as the earnings are predicted to rise over the next 12 months - we would just be a bit cautious until this becomes a long term trend.

The Dividend Could Prove To Be Unreliable

Overall, the dividend looks like it may have been a bit high, which explains why it has now been cut. In the past, the payments have been unstable, but over the short term the dividend could be reliable, with the company generating enough cash to cover it. We don't think Sabre Insurance Group is a great stock to add to your portfolio if income is your focus.

Story continues

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Sabre Insurance Group that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Is Sabre Insurance Group not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.

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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While it may not be enough for some shareholders, we think it is good to see the Safestyle UK plc (LON:SFE) share price up 16% in a single quarter. But that is little comfort to those holding over the last half decade, sitting on a big loss. The share price has failed to impress anyone , down a sizable 65% during that time. So we're not so sure if the recent bounce should be celebrated. We'd err towards caution given the long term under-performance.

Since shareholders are down over the longer term, lets look at the underlying fundamentals over the that time and see if they've been consistent with returns.

Check out our latest analysis for Safestyle UK

Because Safestyle UK made a loss in the last twelve months, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally expect to see good revenue growth. That's because it's hard to be confident a company will be sustainable if revenue growth is negligible, and it never makes a profit.

Over half a decade Safestyle UK reduced its trailing twelve month revenue by 1.6% for each year. That's not what investors generally want to see. The share price decline of 11% compound, over five years, is understandable given the company is losing money, and revenue is moving in the wrong direction. We don't think anyone is rushing to buy this stock. Not that many investors like to invest in companies that are losing money and not growing revenue.

The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. If you are thinking of buying or selling Safestyle UK stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 1.4% in the twelve months, Safestyle UK shareholders did even worse, losing 24% (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 11% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Safestyle UK better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Safestyle UK .

Story continues

Safestyle UK is not the only stock that insiders are buying. 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 British 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.

Join A Paid User Research Session

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Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards laid out her priorities for the city in her annual State of the City address Thursday night.

She said community safety, homelessness and economic recovery are major priorities for the city.

In 2022, Tacoma had the most homicides ever recorded in the city, so violent crimes and gun violence were two issues she addressed.

Woodards said the city is committing $1 million to launch a community services officer program that will provide support for calls about non-emergency situations, leaving other police officers available to respond to calls involving threats to life or property.

As the Tacoma Police Department continues its work to hire more officers, the department announced a $10,000 retention and recruitment incentive to help bring in new officers while keeping the ones already on staff.

The Tacoma Fire Department is also implementing a behavioral health crisis response team which will provide resources to those in need.

Woodards also spoke about economic growth in Tacoma.

The city loaned $6.5 million to 636 small businesses while awarding $3 million in recovery grants.

Looking ahead, the city said its working with the Alliance for Gun Responsibility, which plans to hold a conference in May to find solutions to end gun violence.
Sam Bankman-Fried, a DoorDash sign, and a Margaritaville in Florida. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz; REUTERS/Carlo Allegri; Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images

Court documents filed Wednesday show Sam Bankman-Fried's companies spent over $400,000 with DoorDash.

FTX US gave employees $200 of DoorDash food credit every day, the FT previously reported.

The new documents also show Alameda Research spent nearly $600,000 at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville

Lavish spending at the now-bankrupt companies founded by Sam Bankman-Fried saw them rack up bills of $400,000 with food delivery company DoorDash in just a matter of months, according to court filings reviewed by Insider.

Crypto exchange FTX imploded last November after concerns about commingling of funds with its sister firm, Alameda, led to mass customer withdrawals.

Lawyers handling the Chapter 11 case say Bankman-Fried had a $65 billion line of credit as his "personal piggy bank," which he used to fund spending on real estate and political donations, meaning FTX couldn't cover all its customer withdrawals.

Bankman-Fried has since been charged with 12 criminal counts, but extravagant staff perks have also racked up huge bills.

The documents filed in the Delaware bankruptcy court on Wednesday show bills of a combined $403,765 from the food delivery firm to FTX entities. Doordash was paid a combined $357,526 by West Realm Shires Services  the entity which controls FTX US  in May and July 2022. The food delivery company is still owed $46,239 by Alameda, the documents show.

FTX US' bills with DoorDash came in the form of a $173,000 payment in May 2022, and another of $183,000 in July 2022. The entity had around 75 employees, per an Axios report in November.

DoorDash confirmed to Insider that FTX US was a customer of "DoorDash for Work, our employee benefit product."

Former employees previously told the Financial Times that FTX US gave employees $200 of DoorDash food credits a day.

The app's most expensive meal available for delivery to FTX's Berkeley, California office was a $56 New York strip steak and lobster from Japanese restaurant Hana. That means that in theory every employee could have had three such meals a day, charged to the company.

Story continues

Insider reported in November that Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville resort in the Bahamas was seeking $55,319 from Alameda  but it turns out it actually owes over 10-times that amount.

Wednesday's court filings show the oceanside retreat named after Buffett's hit single is now claiming $599,409 from the crypto hedge fund.

Resort staff previously told Bloomberg that Alameda had around 20 premium suites at Margaritaville, while a shuttle bus took them to and from the head office  a roughly half-hour drive to the opposite side of the island.

Both FTX's debtors and a spokesperson for Sam Bankman-Fried declined to comment when contacted by Insider, while Margaritaville did not respond.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A photo of the Galaxy A54



Samsungs next-gen mid-range release is the Galaxy A54.

The Pixel 7a is around the corner, but if you dont care for Googles series of smartphones, theres always a Samsung alternative. This week, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy A54 5G, the mid-range follow-up to its Galaxy S flagship series. Like the last two generations of the Galaxy A-series, the Galaxy A54 5G is worth a look if you want a bright AMOLED screen without flagship level prices.



The Galaxy A54 is a mid-sized Android smartphone. It has a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display, and while the super there means little beyond the screen supposedly having less glare and is in fact a Samsung marketing term relating to where the phones touch layer is, thats still great. The screens also got a maximum brightness of 1000 nits in broad daylight, making those summertime Pokemon Go sessions easier to see. It has a whopping 120Hz refresh rate, which isnt common at the phones sub-$500 price point. That higher refresh rate isnt the best for battery, but it makes for smoother gameplay and UI animations on a small screen. The current Google Pixel 6a release is 60Hz, while rumors say the Pixel 7a caps at 90Hz.

Read more

Speaking of battery life, the battery size in the Galaxy A54 remains unchanged from the Galaxy A53. Samsungs equipping the Galaxy A54 with a 5,000 mAh battery pack. Even with that high refresh rate, the battery will likely impress; last years Galaxy A53 lasted nearly 19 hours off the charger.

The processor inside the Galaxy A54 is Samsungs own 5nm Exynos 1380. It is available with either 6 or 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. For those who like to hoard data, the Galaxy A54 also has a microSD slot for up to 1TB more storage space.

Last-gens Galaxy A53 camera was acceptable, but it could have been much more capable in low light. It also needed more finely tuned saturation. The Galaxy A54 has a three-camera system that will hopefully impress. It features a 50-MP primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture, a 12-MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5-MP macro camera. Theres also a 32-MP front-facing camera with an f/2.2 aperture.

Story continues

The Samsung Galaxy A54 costs $450. It will be on sale starting April 6 and come in two colors: Awesome Violet (purple) and Awesome Graphite (black).

More from Gizmodo

Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Besieged Republican Rep. George Santos arrives on the House floor most days to deliver short speeches  celebrating women-owned small businesses, a special high school in his district or raising concern about various countries in crises.

At other times he can be seen dashing through the halls of the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers do, from one meeting to the next. He once passed out doughnuts to the press corps staking out his office.

Far from being chastened by the widespread criticism, mockery and rejection that Santos has received after having admitted to fabricating many aspects of his life story, the newly elected congressman is breezily carrying on in Congress. He is refusing calls for his resignation all while rewriting the narrative in real time.

For Santos, its an unusual up-is-down approach that would have been almost unthinkable in an earlier generation but one that signals the new norms taking hold amid the deepening of a post-truth era in Congress.

"I was elected by the people to come here to represent them, and I do that every day, Santos told The Associated Press in a brief interview off the House floor.

Its a hard job. If I said it was easy, Id be lying to you  and I dont think thats what we want, right?

Pressed about the idea of a post-truth era, Santos said, I think truth still matters very much."

Perhaps not since Donald Trump launched his presidency with exaggerated claims of the crowd size at his inauguration has an elected official arrived in Washington and sought so brazenly and defiantly to convince the public of reality different than the one before their very eyes.

Santos is coming of political age at a time of an unmooring in civic life, when a duly-sworn member of the U.S. Congress can persevere, business as usual, despite having admittedly lied to voters about his resume, experience and personal life as he ran for elected office.

While Santos faces a crush of investigations  by the House Ethics Committee and a county prosecutor in New York  as well as questions from earlier charges in Brazil, where he lived for a time, he appears unmoved by the challenges.

Story continues

Just a few days ago, Santos filed paperwork to potentially seek reelection.

It used to be that when a politician lied, and they got caught, they were ashamed  or there was some sort of accountability, said Lee McIntyre, the author of Post-Truth and a research fellow at Boston University.

What I see in the post-truth era is not just that people are lying or lying more, its that theyre lying with a political purpose, he said. The really scary part is getting away with it."

At stake is not just truthiness, as comedian Stephen Colbert once called falsehoods in public life, but broader questions over the expectation of truth-telling from political leadership.

Santos has admitted he had portrayed himself as someone he was not  not a college graduate, not a Wall Street whiz, not from a Jewish family of Holocaust survivors, not the son who lost his mother in the 9/11 World Trade Center attack.

In the time since, more questions have flowed, including about the origins of a $700,000 loan he made to his campaign for Congress and his own reported wealth.

Fellow Republican Rep. Anthony D'Esposito of New York, a freshman who won election last fall from the neighboring Long Island district, said: I dont think its the state of politics. I think its state of an individual  and the state that hes in is one of delusion.

D'Esposito has introduced a pair of bills that would prevent elected officials from profiting off wrongdoing and said he is working with others to ensure Santos is not the face of our party. Weve made it very clear. Hes not our brand. Hes not part of us.

While Santos did remove himself from his committee assignments while the investigations are underway, he has withstood the pressure from Republicans to resign and from Democrats to be expelled from office.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who won a slim Republican majority with just a few seats to spare, has said the voters elected Santos and he has a right to serve. If wrongdoing is found, Santos could be removed from office, he said.

He should have resigned a long time ago, said Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the Democratic president of the freshman class who sponsored the resolution to expel Santos.

This is not just Democrats saying this and his Republican colleagues in New York, Garcia said in an interview. Nobody wants him in D.C.

But Santos appears emboldened as his profile has risen, even being parodied on Saturday Night Live. He has introduced his own bills in Congress  including one to require cognitive tests for presidents  and is trying to move on.

Ive owned up to it, and I came clean on it, he said referring to the public apologies he made in December.

When President Joe Biden arrived to deliver the State of the Union address last month, Santos infuriated colleagues by situating himself on the center aisle  the place to see and be seen greeting the high-profile guests. He was scolded by fellow Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, who said it was improper for Santos to be parading in front of the president" and others.

Senator Romney just echoed something I heard my entire life, right, coming from a minority group, coming from a poor family: Go to the back room and shut up. Nobody cares to hear about you," Santos recalled. Well, Im not going to do that.

Santos often turns the tables, engaging in the whataboutism that has become commonplace in modern politics  the verbal somersault of equating one's actions with those of others, even when they are not quite comparable situations.

You know," Santos said, "have you ever not told a lie? Think hard.

It's what McIntyre calls a classic disinformation tactic" designed not to bring clarity but confusion, and avoid accountability.

Asked if he was here to stay, Santos said, Im here to do the job I was elected to do for the next two years.

But will he run for reelection? Maybe.
Kentucky's Republican-majority legislature expanded and passed Senate Bill 150 on Thursday night in a process that took only hours for the anti-trans legislation to be approved by a committee and both chambers.

The bill was initially school-focused and allowed teachers to misgender students by using pronouns aligned with their biological sex even if the student doesn't identify with them. But SB 150 was widened to include other language  including a ban on gender-affirming medical care for trans youths  on Thursday after another anti-trans omnibus, House Bill 470, floundered.

Here's what we know now and what's next:

What does Kentucky Senate Bill 150 include?

SB 150's initial provisions remain, including the one allowing teachers to misgender their students and a requirement that schools give parents two weeks' notice before any lessons on human sexuality and allow them to opt out.

Other provisions now include:

A ban on gender-affirming medical care for trans youths.

A requirement that doctors set a timeline to detransition children already taking puberty blockers or undergoing hormone therapy. They would be allowed to continue offering care as they taper a child's treatments, if immediately taking them off the treatment could harm the child.

Schools would not be allowed to discuss sexual orientation or gender identity with students of any age.

Schools would not be allowed to talk about sexually transmitted diseases or human sexuality before sixth grade and would need to require parental consent in sixth grade and up.

School districts would be required to craft bathroom policies that, "at a minimum," will not allow trans kids to use the bathroom tied to their gender identities.

Children could legally change their names or alter their birth certificates as part of their transitioning.

More:Kentucky Senate votes to legalize medical marijuana, with clear path to becoming law

How did this anti-trans bill get passed so quickly?

Before 1 p.m. Thursday, a surprise House Education Committee meeting was called during the House's lunch break.

Story continues

Within six minutes, Rep. David Meade and Sen. Max Wise  who is running for lieutenant governor on a ticket headed by former U.N. ambassador Kelly Craft  were in a committee room sharing what was now in the bill. The changes were so new that the House clerk didn't have a digital copy.

The committee approved the measure, and about 30 minutes later it was on the House floor. After two hours of debate, the bill passed out of the House 75-22.

The bill was returned to the Senate because the language had changed, and hours later that chamber approved it 30-7 after more heated debate.

Was enough notice given for the committee meeting?

Rep. Lindsey Burke, D-Lexington, questioned how giving a six-minute notice before holding a committee meeting doesn't violate the state's open meeting law, which requires 24-hour notice before public meetings. Her question was not answered on the floor.

Michael Abate, an open records lawyer, said someone can file a complaint over a violation of the open meetings law, but that complaint would go to lawmakers to be addressed.

Will Gov. Andy Beshear veto SB 150?

That is considered likely, and he has 10 days to do it. But the legislature will be able to override his veto when it returns for the final two days of the 2023 session on March 29 and 30.

Could the bill be challenged after a veto override?

Yes. The ACLU of Kentucky, which called the bill "unconstitutional," has said it would consider legal action should SB 150 become law.

For subscribers:From taxes to an anti-trans onslaught: Key takeaways from the Kentucky legislature's actions

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: SB 150: What to know about the Kentucky anti-trans legislation
Enemy agents included a nurse from a Ukrainian Armed Forces territorial defense unit

According to law enforcement, enemy agents included two women from Kramatorsk, including a nurse from a Ukrainian Armed Forces territorial defense unit. The pair were in remote communication with a Russian military intelligence officer.

He recruited the agents through a representative of the intelligence unit of the 1st Army Corps of Russias Southern Military District, which includes the son of one of the women.

In the event of the seizure of the region, the traitors were promised "leadership positions" in local occupation administration.

Read also: SBU detains Russian agent spying on Western weapons in Mykolayiv

They collected intelligence on the locations and movements of the Defense Forces in the Bakhmut area, with possible routes Ukraines heavily armored vehicles might take to the front as a priority.

The perpetrators also recorded the effects of enemy shelling of Ukrainian infrastructure to correct future attacks by Russian troops.

Read also: Russian agent gets 14 years in jail for spying on Ukrainian positions in Kramatorsk

SBU counter-intelligence officers detained the Russian female agents while performing an intelligence task.

During the searches, the Security Service found cell phones and a laptop with correspondence with a representative of the Russian GRU.

One defendant was served a notice of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason committed under martial law), while the other was served under Part 2 of Article 114-2 (dissemination of information on the movement, relocation, or deployment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine).

The court imposed a pretrial detention.

Read also: Ukrainian troops preparing for future actions in Bakhmut, military spokesperson says

The Battle of Bakhmut has been ongoing since July 2022. The Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff reported that the Russian army continues its unsuccessful attempts to surround and capture Bakhmut. Trained units of PMC Wagner and Russian regular forces have combined in the failure to take the Donbas settlement.

Story continues

The Supreme Commander-in-Chiefs Staff voted unanimously at a meeting on March 14 to continue the defense of Bakhmut.

Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi said that the defense of Bakhmut is key to the stability of the entire front.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Welcome to your weekly South Carolina politics briefing, a newsletter curated by The States politics and government team.

Happy Friday, and happy St. Patricks Day to those who celebrate.

Budget news: This week, the SC House passed its $13.8 billion spending plan, which accounts for a $1.3 billion incentive package for the Scout Motors facility in Blythewood and the second year of a phased-in income tax cut.

The budget is stock full of spending priorities that also includes $124 million more for state employees, representing the largest pay raise for state employees in state history. And school districts also are on track to get enough money to give each teachers a $2,500 raise and raise the starting salary to $42,500.

The debate, stretching a few days, had its fair share of drama as House Republicans shot down every single amendment raised by the conservative House Freedom Caucus  a strategy thatll likely continue to play out on the floor moving forward.

The House did, however, OK an amendment proposed by Rep. Heather Bauer, a Richland Democrat, that would slash Comptroller General Richard Eckstoms salary to $1 from $151,000 a year. This wasnt the first time the House hoped to send a message to a state agency head by cutting their salary. A few years ago, the House reduced ex-Public Safety Department Director Leroy Smiths pay, which the Senate eventually restored.

In Eckstroms case, budget Chairman Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, conceded his pay will probably be restored.

This body wanted to send a message that theyre unhappy with the performance, Bannister said. At the end of the day, were not going to not pay the salary that weve committed to. But it was more of a political message. Accidentally misplacing or miscounting $3 billion is not acceptable.

(Photo via Travis Bell)

Rep. Bruce Bannister, left, and Daniel Boan during a House session on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (Travis Bell/STATEHOUSE CAROLINA)

Eckstrom in hotter water

Speaking of the comptroller general, the Republican faces even more legislative pressure after a SC Senate panel investigating his offices $3.5 billion error released a list of recommendations that essentially includes removing the official from office.

Story continues

To ensure accuracy in the states finances, all the duties of his office need to be transferred immediately to one or more agencies that will produce documents that we can rely on and have confidence in, Sen. Larry Grooms, R-Berkeley, said.

Grooms, who led the panel, did not recommend impeachment, a process which allows the General Assembly to remove a constitutional officer because of criminal acts. Gov. Henry McMaster has already said he doesnt agree with that move.

Instead, Grooms panel recommended removing Richard Eckstrom for willful neglect of duty, which requires a two-thirds vote by both chambers and action by the governor.

Eckstrom has said he wont resign and disagreed with the Senate panels findings.

My team and I worked tirelessly to identify the cause of a complex problem. Once we identified the cause of the problem, we worked with stakeholders to correct it. I have made this clear to those who have asked and I will continue to, Eckstrom said. We remain committed, more than ever, to collaborating with state agencies, and legislators to make sure the work taxpayers elected us to do is done efficiently, effectively and transparently.

(Photo via The States Tracy Glantz)

Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom speaks as he celebrates his election win during celebration at the University of South Carolina Alumni Center in Columbia on Tuesday, Nov. 08, 2022.

Controversial abortion bill

Theres a key fact to remember about the legislative process: Any lawmaker, Republican or Democrat, can file a bill.

Every year, hundreds of bills get filed in both the House and Senate. A small percentage of those bills actually get a hearing, an even smaller number of those bills actually become law.

So lets talk about this controversial SC House abortion bill, filed by freshman Rep. Rob Harris, a Spartanburg Republican, that was this week picked up by national news outlets including Rolling Stone and The Hill.

Harris, a member of the SC House Freedom Caucus, filed legislation called the South Carolina Pre-Natal Equal Protection Act that would punish an abortion like any murder, leading to sentences of 30 years in prison up to the death penalty.

The stories about the bill caused national outrage. But one basic fact missing from those stories? The bill is not going to pass.

Heres why, other than that most of the 170 lawmakers say it goes too far in punishing women.

The House and Senate continue to be at a stalemate on when the state should ban abortions. After last years special fall session, the House again passed a bill banning abortions at conception and the Senate again passed a bill at six weeks. Both bills passed after the SC Supreme Court already ruled six weeks was unconstitutional.

Second, Harris is part of the 20-member House Freedom Caucus. And if youve watched the House the last few months or even the last few days, House Republicans seem more unwilling than ever to let the freedom caucus get their agenda through.

And thirdly, legislative leaders say they have no plans to move this bill along. It hasnt even gotten a hearing yet.

I think its an extreme view that does not represent the majority of House members, said Rep. John McCravy, a Greenwood Republican who heads the family caucus, a collection of socially conservative and anti-abortion legislators. It doesnt represent a majority of the Family Caucus or the Republican Caucus. I think its an extreme position.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, said the bill also has zero chance of passing.

(Photo via The States Tracy Glantz)

Andrea Kaniarz of Lexington watches the S.C. House of Representatives meet during discussion of a bill banning most abortions in South Carolina on Tuesday, Sept.. 27, 2022.

2024 Bites

 McClatchyDC: Ahead of South Carolina visit, Hutchinson calls DeSantis Ukraine position naive

 Myrtle Beach Sun News: Nikki Haley revs up raucous Myrtle Beach crowd during presidential campaign stop

 WFAE: Examining South Carolinas growing role in national politics

 Marianne Williamson, a 2024 Democratic presidential contender, will be the guest speaker at the SC Democratic Partys Black Caucus annual Sunday Dinner

(Photo via The Sun News Jason Lee)

Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley signed autographs and rallied with supporters on March 13, 2023 at Horry-Georgetown Technical College in Myrtle Beach, S.C. as she seeks the Republican nomination for president in 2024. March 13, 2023.

Buzz Bites

 SC Senate voted 42-0 to confirm retired Maj. Gen. Todd McCaffrey to be secretary of SC Department of Veteran Affairs.

 Joe Cunningham, who represented the 1st District in the US House for one term and ran unsuccessfully for governor, has started a full-service public affairs and consulting firm called Cunningham Consulting.

 South Carolina is one of a few states that require certain qualifications for candidates to run for a countys chief death investigator, often allowing existing coroners to maintain their elected posts unopposed. A new measure, however, could change that.

 A bill that would ban Chinese and Russian companies from buying land in South Carolina advanced in the Senate over objections it could curb business deals, the Post and Courier reported.

 The EPA has proposed strict limits on the amount of forever chemicals allowed in drinking water, a plan that could push cities like Columbia out of compliance with safe drinking water standards and require potentially expensive filtering systems to be installed.

 A suspended Citadel cadet has pleaded guilty to his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, US Capitol riot and has been sentenced to 14 days in jail.

 Lexington businesswoman Seema Shrivastava-Patel is Gov. Henry McMasters choice to head DHECs board, a politically appointed panel that hears permit appeals and helps set agency policy.

 In an effort to address what critics call a years-long mismanagement problem, lawmakers are looking to restructure the agency responsible for overseeing services for residents with disabilities and special needs.

 Sen. Marlon Kimpson, a Charleston Democrat, will resign his seat in the upper chamber to join the Biden administration. Two state legislators, Reps. Wendell Gilliard and Deon Tedder, have announced theyll seek his Senate seat. State Rep. Marvin Pendarvis, who was rumored to run for mayor of North Charleston but now wont, told The State he is not going to run for Kimpsons Senate seat.

(File State photo)

Sen. Marlon Kimpson announces the filing of a bill that would criminalize the deletion of body camera footage on the Senate floor.

Mark your calendar

March 18

Palmetto Family Council holds presidential forum in North Charleston

March 20-24

SC House on furlough

March 22

SC Senate panel discusses S. 126, charter school accountability act, 10 a.m.

SC Senate panel meets to discuss S. 399 to break up DHEC, 10 a.m.

March 23

SC Senate Medical Affairs panel meets to discuss gender-related legislation, 9 a.m.

March 26

SC Democratic Party Black Caucus annual Sunday Dinner

March 27

College and university trustee screening commission meets, 1 p.m.

March 28

City of Columbia District 4 special election between Peter Brown and Beatrice King

College and university trustee screening commission meets, 10:30 a.m.

April 10-14

SC House goes on furlough

April 18

Income tax filing deadline

April 29

SC Democratic Party holds state convention in Columbia at fairgrounds

(Photo via Travis Bell)

The S.C. Democratic Party headquarters is seen at its 1929 Gadsden St. location in Columbia, S.C. on Monday, June 27, 2022. (Photo by Travis Bell/STATEHOUSE CAROLINA)

Before we adjourn

The State newspaper and its political team clinched two big honors at this years SC Press Association Awards.

We won first place for political reporting. Yay team!

Even bigger, our very own Joseph Bustos received South Carolinas Jim Davenport Award for Excellence in Government Reporting for his work in 2022, topping a slate of more than 30 awards brought home by The States journalists in the annual news contest.

Joe is very deserving of this recognition, said Brian Tolley, president and editor of The State Media Co. He does all the little things that make a great reporter, and we are very proud of him.

Joseph Bustos

Pulling the newsletter together this week was Maayan Schechter (My-yahn Schek-ter), senior editor of the The States politics and state government team. You can keep up with her on Twitter and send her tips on Twitter at @MaayanSchechter or by email mschechter@thestate.com.

To stay on top of South Carolina politics and election news, you can chat with us on Facebook, email us tips and follow our stories at scpolitics.com.
Investigators searched but said there was no clear evidence that Alexandria Jones intended to kill her baby. The Indianapolis mother told police she found her daughter early one morning with a smelly, dirty diaper and she decided to bathe her in the kitchen sink.

Three days after that ill-fated bath, an ambulance rushed 1-year-old Kalimah Hernandez to Riley Children's Hospital Emergency Room. Doctors determined the baby had severe burns covering roughly 25% of her body, records state. Hernandez died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

On Thursday, more than two years after the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department began its investigation, the Marion County Prosecutor's Office announced Jones now faces charges of Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death, a Level 1 felony, and two counts of Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, both Level 3 felonies.

An autopsy for Hernandez determined her cause of death to be "complications from thermal injury."

Jones told police she sought medical attention for Hernandez after her baby was burned in bathwater hot enough to peel the top layer of skin off her legs and abdomen, according to an affidavit for Jones' arrest. The Indianapolis mother further explained to detectives it was Hernandez who may have accidentally injured herself.

Investigators have reason to believe Jones wasn't being entirely honest.

It was around 5 a.m. on Nov. 23, 2020, when Jones discovered her baby had a dirty diaper and decided to give Hernandez a bath. Jones said she placed Hernandez on one side of the family's dual kitchen sink and turned on the water, allowing the faucet to pour into the opposite sink away from Hernandez, records state.

Court records: Vehicle mix-up prompted January shooting at Castleton Square Mall

Jones told police when she left to grab a towel from a kitchen chair Hernandez stood and turned the faucet toward herself. The water had changed from lukewarm to hot, which Jones believed to be the result of the baby adjusting the cold-water knob on her side of the sink, according to the affidavit.

Story continues

The water wasn't pouring on Hernandez for long, Jones told police, but it was hot enough to burn her legs, abdomen, and lower extremities. Jones complained both the water pressure and water temperature in her northeast-side townhome fluctuated despite several calls to maintenance requesting it be fixed, according to an affidavit.

Investigators tested hot water in mother's home and found it scalding within seconds

Investigators tested the hot water in the kitchen sink at Jones' townhome in the 4100 block of Cordell Street. After 15 seconds, the water reached temperatures of 123 degrees, records state. Within a minute, investigators recorded the water at 152 degrees.

Jones said she pulled Hernandez out of the sink and immediately began looking up information on her phone for how to treat burns, before calling a clinic on Shadeland Avenue. She told police a nurse at the clinic advised her the wounds could be treated at home.

Investigators said they found three relevant searches on Jones' iPhone after Hernandez was injured. They include:

11/23/2020 09:11:14 AM "my baby got burned by hot water"

11/24/2020 12:01:22 AM "Baby burned by hot water throwing up"

11/24/2020 7:50:46 PM "Stages of healing burn"

Investigators found no record of any calls made from Jones' phone to the Shadeland Avenue clinic. The clinic also had no documentation showing Jones contacted them during the month of November, according to the affidavit.

'My child is not a runaway': Mother of missing Indianapolis teen is pleading for your help

3 days after baby injured in scalding bath, mother called 911

On Nov. 26, 2020, Jones told police despite her attempts of treating the burn herself, Hernandez became lethargic and began taking rapid, shallow breaths, and making a wheezing sound, records state.

Three days after her baby was injured, she called 911.

In the summary of Hernandez's autopsy report, officials noted "there was no clear evidence of willful intent to cause harm" by Jones. However, the burn patterns on Hernandez's body did not match what Jones told detectives, according to the affidavit.

There were no "splatter or splash type burns that would be expected from a stream of hot water splashing onto the skin as it exits the faucet," records state. The autopsy for Hernandez noted there was a well-demarcated line of the baby's wounds consistent with being submerged into hot water.

The Marion County Prosecutor's Office stated in Thursday's news release the injuries Hernandez suffered as a result of being burned constituted a medical emergency and were potentially survivable with appropriate medical attention.

No attorney was listed immediately for Jones, who was arrested Thursday and taken to the Marion County Jail.

John Tufts covers evening breaking and trending news for the Indianapolis Star. Send him a news tip at JTufts@Gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis mother Alexandria Jones charged with neglect in baby death
CHANDLER  On any given day Steve Kanner, a school counselor at Arizonas Hamilton High School, can be found speaking to a classroom of students or having a one-on-one conversation with a student.

Hamilton High has a ratio of 400 students to one counselor; the average ratio in the state of Arizona is 650 students to one counselor for K-12, according to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA).

Hamilton High School, which is in the Chandler Unified School District, has 10 counselors, two social workers and three psychologists. Hamilton brought on extra counselors and social workers when the school, along with other schools across the country, received federal funding during the pandemic. School districts could decide how to appropriate funds within certain parameters.

Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter

Chandler Unified used some of the funds to hire new school counselors and social workers. In the fiscal year 2021-2022, Chandler Unified had 93 school counselors and 19 social workers. For the fiscal year 2022-2023, the district has 98 counselors and 23 social workers.

Some of that funding will expire later this year, and the extra counselors brought on by schools using the funding may be let go, ASCA Executive Director Jill Cook said: Our hope is as federal funding may wane that schools in the state will find ways to keep these positions in schools.

Cook emphasized the difference between school counselors today and guidance counselors from years ago.

We are no longer guidance counselors who maybe do clerical work, just work on the college application process for students or work on disciplinary issues. Todays school counselors work with all students in a school and spend 80% of their time in direct and indirect services to students, Cook said, noting classroom instruction, small group work, individual counseling and consultation and working with families take up most of their time.

Story continues

Based on several studies, ASCA recommends a ratio of 250 students to one counselor at K-12 schools. As of 2022, the national average was 408 students to one counselor, according to ASCA.

Using a variety of studies, ASCA draws a connection between a lower student-to-counselor ratio and increased standardized test performance, attendance, GPA and graduation rates and decreased disciplinary infractions. Studies also show lower ratios increase the likelihood of students having conversations with school counselors regarding college and postsecondary plans.

We are now starting to get these research results that show the impact of having this comprehensive approach to this work and what it can mean for students in a school, Cook said.

School counselors today wear many hats beyond just helping with academics, according to Mandy Tietjen, who has been a school counselor at Hamilton High for six years.

They dont see the days that were in classes, all six periods presenting, the one-on-one sit-downs were having for registration for the last five weeks, where were meeting with every student. The meetings were having with families because they want to talk about college or maybe their kid wont get out of bed and come to school, Tietjen said.

School counselors role is to help students navigate their high school years, work toward meeting personal goals and social-emotional needs, and communicate with families, Kanner and Tietjen said.

Tietjen said counselors are like a communication hub for parents and students. They can answer parents questions and connect them with teachers if needed.

Kanner has worked in the district for 27 years.

Every day I try to come in and do the best job I can and not really think about how many students I have, Kanner said. Because if were in the classroom, Im just thinking of the class, or if Im talking to a student one-on-one, I am just focused on the student.

Their day-to-day is based on the students and their needs.

I always have my to-do list, but first thing in the morning, a student walks in and says, Yesterday my dad got diagnosed with cancer, and your to-do list goes back behind you, and now were present, and were talking about that, and were on the phone with the parents, and were talking to social workers, and were coming up with resources, Tietjen said.

School counselors are important for school function and students experience and success, ASCAs Cook said, and school administrators agree.

We are thankful for our counselors every day, Chandler Unified School District Superintendent Franklin R. Narducci said in an emailed statement. School counselors help our students dream big. We are proud of the work CUSD counselors do. We know it is not easy and sometimes goes unnoticed.

Kanner highlighted the continuity counselors maintain with their students as an important part of their job. Tietjen agreed.

Our kids see the same counselor, the same administrator all four years, and were able to communicate, Tietjen said. If theres a discipline issue, we have a little insight about that and what social-emotional needs could be supported.

Kanner and Tietjen hope their school and others can keep on counselors who were hired with pandemic relief funds.

Theres only so much time in a day, and if you took away one of our people, then that means less time, Tietjen said. Everything equates to how much we have to give each individual student.

Arizona Mirror is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arizona Mirror maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jim Small for questions: info@azmirror.com. Follow Arizona Mirror on Facebook and Twitter.
Scorpion tamales made with chocolate and pineapple, red worm (chiniquile) tostadas, bone marrow with garlic-roasted grasshoppers (chapulines) and ant larvae (escamole) tacos: How's that for a sampler platter?

After facing some initial backlash online, a Mexican chef in Denver has introduced Aztec-influenced dishes in the hopes of educating diners on pre-Hispanic cuisine and a culture that has existed for thousands of years.

Jose Avila, a James-Beard nominated chef at La Diabla Pozole y Mezcal in downtown Denver, first teased his guests about a new menu taco on the restaurants Instagram in February. The taco featured chapulines, a pre-Hispanic Mexican delicacy that consists of small grasshoppers that are dried and roasted and often seasoned today with garlic, chile and lemon.

Most of the bugs by themselves, they dont taste too much. Just like crickets  they just taste like something crunchy with no flavor, said Avila, who grew up in Mexico City snacking on chapulines while shopping at local markets for produce with his mom.

Chef Jose Avila. (Courtesy chef Jose Avila)

The post gathered a little more than 100 divided opinions as some echoed sentiments of, I refuse to eat bugs. I want steak! as one commenter said. Others wished they had the chance to try them, When I was little my cousins and I used to catch them and fry them, another commenter said.

A lot of people think that we wanted to start a trend or something, which is ludicrous, Avila said of the reaction online.

He saw the controversy as a chance to expose people to the origins of pre-Hispanic food and ingredients, which included edible insects, a source of protein that is still common in many parts of Mexico.

Its not all meats and tortillas, Avila said of his home country's cuisine.

Inspired by Mexicos annual bug festivals  Avila said there are hundreds of edible insects in Mexico  he has created a Festival de Bichos, or bug festival, at his restaurant this week, with a menu that includes the sampler platter.

Story continues

An array of colors  and insects  are part of Avila's Festival de Bichos menu. (Courtesy Jose Avila)

The event, which continues through the weekend, has already been a success, according to Avila. He said he was impressed with diners who had killed the platters, leaving behind only the bone marrow and tamale corn husks.

Eighty percent of the people that had the platter, they knew what they were expecting. They wanted it. They wanted to eat it, they were craving these things. And the other 20% [got it] because [they were] curious about it, Avila said.

For us to be able to keep these traditions and to keep these ingredients, techniques going strong in 2023, its just my goal, Avila said.

The festival's success has made the effort worth it, he said, despite a customs-related delay in the insects' shipment from Mexico. "This is not an item that you can go to a Restaurant Depot and order two cases of this and two cases of that, he said. The insects are also not cheap; Avila told NBC News some cost him $150 a pound.

Avila has been garnering accolades for his authentic pozole (hominy) dishes and mezcal experiences; he touts that he and his team stick to tradition and curate the caldos, or soups, with ingredients imported from Mexico.

His creative takes on tradition have paid off  in 2021 The Denver Post named La Diabla the city's best restaurant and last year Bon Appetit listed it as one of America's best restaurants.

While Avila loves the recognition, he said it's really about hitting the "soft spot"  when a diner who's from Mexico bites into the food and is transported.

Thats what its all about  to bring memories from these people, from their childhood and remind them of their grandmas and moms ... Perhaps theyre not here with us anymore," Avila said. "Those are the awards."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Christian Tucker had just sat down in his living room chair when he received a phone call about a person who was on a boat that was sinking.

As a boat captain for Sea Tow, calls that came in that evening of Jan. 26 were being forwarded to his cell phone, Tucker said Friday.

When he answered, a man on the other end said that his buddy was out in the water.

You know how you can hear that someone was in a panic mode or distress? Tucker said. I jumped out of the chair. I didnt even tell my daughter I was leaving.

The caller was Brandon Tyler, a friend of Tyler Doyle, whose jon boat began taking on water, and made the initial call to Sea Tow.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources released 11 folders with dozens of files Thursday detailing their efforts and materials collected during their search of the missing boater.

The files, which contain photos, reports and phone records reviewed during the investigation, were released as part of a Freedom of Information Act request by The Sun News. Part of those files included the response and information, such as photos and video, provided by Sea Tow, which has locations in Myrtle Beach and Ocean Isle.

Christian Holden and Doyle, 22, of Loris, were duck hunting Jan. 26, when Doyle dropped off Holden on the north jetty in Little River and then went to scout out ducks, according to the SCDNR.

Doyle had called Holden, 21, of Aynor, stating his jon boat was taking on water and sinking.

A boating accident report from SCDNR attributes weather, hazardous waters, fault of machinery and fault of hull as contributing factors to the accident. The SCDNR has said no foul play is suspected.

The report states Doyle told Holden to call the U.S. Coast Guard and Sea Tow.

When calling Sea Tow, Tyler gave Tucker Doyles number. However, when Tucker tried to call the number, it went straight to voicemail.

Because Tucker lives near Sea Tows boat, he was able to get to the scene quickly, he said.

Story continues

In the initial call released by the SCDNR, Brandon Tyler tells Tucker, My buddy is out on the jetties where Bird Island is and his boat is sinking. Tyler then asks Tucker if he could get out to him soon.

Tucker tells Tyler in a recording of the initial call that it would take him about 15 to 20 minutes to get to the jetties.

Tucker said when he reached the scene, he saw a guy standing on the rocks. I didnt know there were two people, Tucker said.

Tucker said there was limited information, and another boat was next to the person on the jetties.

Tucker could see the jon boat sticking out of the water. A Horry County Fire Rescue boat that was near it began pulling away.

I didnt see (that) there was anything in the water or away from the boat. (There was) no debris field or people in the water, Tucker said.

When he got to the boat, Tucker noted that it was a metal boat and that the gas tank was floating next to it but still attached to the boat. The bow was hissing air and Tucker knew it was about to be completely underwater.

It was going down fast, he said.

Tucker said the waters were rough that day. As Tucker was towing the boat back inside the jetties, he found out that there was still a person missing.

People think that we are first responders, but were not, Tucker said. Were a salvage and recovery company.  Were like a tow truck in a traffic accident.

Tucker, who said he has worked on the water for 20-plus years now, said he got a lot of criticism from people that he should have paid more attention to the person and not the boat.

Of course, no joke, Tucker said. And if Id seen anybody  I would have made them the priority.

After Tucker secured the boat, he went back out to help with the search that evening, he said. He, along with his bosses of Sea Tow, also helped search the next day.

There were some heinous rumors about me, Tucker said. I was worried what the family would say.

But Tucker, who attended a prayer vigil for Doyle and has met with the family several times, said the family has been genuine. He said its contrary to the things people have been publishing online.

Some things you cant fake, Tucker said. Grief is one of those.
New surveys of seagrass on Floridas Gulf Coast shows the vital marine plant is continuing to lose ground at a rapid pace in Tampa and Sarasota Bay.

Since 2016, the Southwest Florida Water Management District has documented losses of almost 30% of Tampa Bays seagrass and around 26% in Sarasota Bay.

The decline comes after local waters were slammed with pollution from the Piney Point industrial site and severe red tides over the past several years.

But the seagrass losses also have increased despite many areas meeting state water quality targets, which environmentalists say need changing.

Scientists say action must be taken to prevent Tampa and Sarasotas seagrass ecosystem from collapsing like the one in the Indian River Lagoon on Floridas east coast, where manatee deaths are highest.

Importance of seagrass

Any ecologist will tell you that seagrasses are one of the oceans MVPs (most valuable plants).

From sheltering and feeding marine life to storing carbon and preventing erosion, the marine greens are a vital part of the ecosystem  not to mention the preferred produce of the iconic Florida manatee.

Unfortunately, seagrass meadows are also one of the most imperiled ecosystems in the world; climate change, pollution, red tides and other human-influenced problems are top threats.

A die-off is now playing out on Floridas Gulf Coast, where seagrass meadows are disappearing at an alarming rate.

Scientists take it as a warning sign for the overall health of area waters.

Its further evidence that we really need to get our act together quickly, said David Tomasko, executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program.

Are water quality standards strong enough?

In Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay, the seagrass losses came despite many areas meeting state water quality targets.

Old Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay are examples of that, said Chris Anastasiou, chief scientist of water quality and the lead of seagrass mapping efforts for the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). We are meeting the criteria, yet were still seeing reductions of seagrass and in some cases increases in macroalgae or drift algae.

Story continues

Tomasko and SBEP are recommending that the state adopts stronger and more comprehensive water quality standards to address the disconnect.

The State of Florida reports on the health of estuaries based only on what was captured in a water bottle, Tomasko said. We think thats not enough.

Currently, Florida Department of Environmental Protection standards call for measuring phosphorous and nitrogen (nutrients that can feed harmful algal blooms) and levels of chlorophyll-a, an indicator of algae abundance, in samples collected from from waterways.

But a water sample collected at the surface doesnt necessarily capture a complete picture of an ecosystems health.

You can have a macroalgae bloom thats burying a seagrass meadow, but the water looks fine at the surface, Tomasko said. The current standards are missing a lot of the problem.

The estuary program issues ecosystem health report card for Sarasota Bay that considers a more diverse set of factors. It includes concentrations of nitrogen, but also seagrass health and the presence of various types of algae throughout the water column.

Water managers are also taking another look at how much nitrogen the bays can handle.

When it is overabundant, nitrogen can feed multiple kinds of algae that can grow out of control, choking seagrass beds and blocking their access to sunlight.

Were trying to understand the pathway of nitrogen once its in the water, said Anastasiou.

He and the SFWMD work closely with estuary programs to monitor the health of bays and develop new recommendations for improving conditions. The recent seagrass losses have underlined that a new approach may be necessary to keep up with the increasing strain on Floridas waters as population and development expand.

What were doing more and more is taking that holistic approach, Anastasiou said. Do all the indicators suggest that this estuary is healthy?

With the proper response, Anastasiou believes seagrass can bounce back.

It absolutely can be turned around, he said.

Report shows record seagrass loss, but some silver linings

Every two years, the state conducts a seagrass survey of five estuaries along the Suncoast, including Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay.

The 2020-22 survey showed major seagrass declines for both bays. Tampa Bay lost 12% of its seagrass coverage, or over 4,100 acres, and Sarasota Bay took a 6% hit of over 570 acres.

In Tampa Bay, its the third survey in a row that has revealed shrinking seagrass meadows  a record since the monitoring program began in 1988. Within that region, Hillsborough Bay lost 51% of mappable seagrass, and Old Tampa Bay lost 38%.

Sarasota Bays loses are also stacking up.

Its a mixed bag, Tomasko said. In 2020-22, we lost 5% of our seagrass meadows. The two years before that, we lost 18%.

If theres any good news, its that is doesnt look like the losses are accelerating, he added. This isnt necessarily going to get worse and worse. We hope its bottoming out.

Up until 2016, Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay seagrass abundance was at healthiest levels seen in decades. But six years marred with severe red tides, industrial pollution and sewage spills wiped out a big chunk of that progress.

If you lose too much seagrass, theres a concern that youll be a different system moving forward, Tomasko said. You wont have seagrass; youll have a system dominated by algae.

The Manatee River, which feeds into Lower Tampa Bay, lost 19% of its mappable seagrass between 2020 and 2022.

Most of the loss was in areas populated by patchy seagrass, which are more likely to recede for a time and come back, Anastasiou said. The densest, most healthy sections of seagrass in the Manatee River actually grew by 22 acres in the two-year window  a gain of 11%.

All the loss we saw was much further up the river, Anastasiou said. Its not good, we dont want to see loss. But when you look at it in context, its not as bad as the numbers might suggest.

There were also pockets of seagrass gain in Sarasota and Tampa Bay despite the overall loss.

A bright spot in the survey was at the north end of the district near the Pinellas-Pasco border. In St. Joseph Sound and Clearwater Harbor, SWFMDs survey found net seagrass gains that put the estuaries at record high levels of seagrass coverage.

Estuaries in Southwest Florida did not fare so well. Overall seagrass losses were recorded in Dona and Roberts Bay, Lemon Bay and Charlotte Harbor.

A 2021 discharge of contaminated water from Piney Point, a former phosphate plant in Manatee County, has been linked to a severe red tide that followed. Estuary managers also believe the event is responsible for recent seagrass loss in Tampa and Sarasota Bay.

Is Piney Point to blame for seagrass decline?

On March 30, 2021, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection authorized the emergency release of 215 million gallons of contaminated water from Piney Point, a retired phosphate processing plant in Manatee County on the edge of Lower Tampa Bay.

According to estuary program scientists, the environment is still reeling.

Piney Point was probably the worst thing that happened to Tampa Bay for 50 years, said Tomasko, who has worked on multiple studies tracing the pollution events impact. It was like 200 million gallons of liquid fertilizer. Its going to take awhile for us to get through this. Its going to have manifestations.

Tomasko estimates that 80% of the seagrass loss in the most recent survey is in areas affected by the plume of the spill.

A study published in May 2022 in Marine Pollution Bulletin found that the spill likely made that years red tide much more severe by feeding it about 180 metric tons of nitrogen. The untimely bloom killed hundreds of tons of marine life in Tampa Bay and Southwest Florida waters.

We believe that a certain amount of this loss of seagrass is attributed to Piney Point, Tomasko said. We also believe that it created some of the worst macroalgal blooms in upper Sarasota Bay in peoples memory.

A seagrass meadow covered in macroalgae.

Could Floridas Gulf Coast be the next Indian River Lagoon?

What happens when a key species like seagrass disappears from its ecosystem? The effects can be disastrous. Once sand and seagrass, the bottom of the Indian River Lagoon on Floridas east coast is now covered in muck and wildlife are in crisis.

Anastasiou said Floridas Gulf estuaries and the Indian River Lagoon are ecologically very different. However, the threat of major marine habitat loss for Floridas Gulf Coast is very real, he said.

There is always that danger, Anastasiou said. Fortunately, we still have a long way to go before we get to that point. But we dont want to be in a position where were worried about that.

Now is the time to really take action and understand whats happening.

What can be done to bring back seagrass?

Scientists believe the best way to help seagrass meadows return and thrive is to crack down on water pollution, especially nitrogen, from all sources.

Everyone has a part to play, Tomasko said.

The government needs to upgrade stormwater systems. The regulators need to be more timely in fixing problems and enforcing. And the general public needs to do their part, Tomasko said.

If youve got a green lawn and youre complaining about an algal bloom, maybe youre part of the problem.

If clean water is Bradentons No. 1 issue, heres why keeping grass green isnt helping

Some changes are already underway.

In the Sarasota Bay region, Tomasko said local governments in Manatee and Sarasota counties have allocated a combined one billion dollars for wastewater upgrades and stormwater retrofits.

Anastasiou with SWFWMD said the seagrass survey is doing exactly what its designed to do: getting everyones attention when something is going wrong beneath the surface.

We have many groups that are working on tackling these issues on the technical level all the way up to the policy level, Anastasiou said.

He also encouraged Floridians to get involved in citizen science programs that help monitor the health of the water.

These people go out on the water every day. They are our eyes and ears, Anastasiou said.

Being educated on the things that are affecting the bay is really important, Anastasiou added. We want to be very conscious of our footprint in these systems.
RENTON, Wash. (AP)  The Seattle Seahawks continued the overhaul of their defense on Friday by signing versatile safety Julian Love to a two-year contract.

Love's agreement is worth up to $12 million, according to a person with knowledge of the deal, and came after Seattle announced the signing of former first-round linebacker Devin Bush to a one-year deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the team had not announced terms of Love's signing.

Love's addition continues Seattle's spending at the safety position having already heavily invested in Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs and the likelihood of a deal in the future for Ryan Neal. He may also be protection in case Adams isn't fully recovered by the start of the season after he suffered a torn quadriceps tendon in Week 1 of last season.

Love, who turns 25 on Sunday, started 16 games last season for the New York Giants and recorded career highs in tackles and interceptions. Love played a variety of defensive back positions for the Giants before settling in at safety last season and thriving in the role.

Bush's signing could end up filling a significant void for Seattle. The 24-year-old was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2019 draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and had a standout rookie season where he had a career-high 109 tackles and was third in defensive rookie of the year voting. But Bush suffered a torn ACL during the 2020 season and has struggled to rediscover the form from his rookie season.

Last season, Bush appeared in 17 games and started 14. He had 81 tackles and played 62% of the defensive snaps for the Steelers.

Hell immediately be in consideration for a starting role with Seattle. The Seahawks will start next season without starting linebacker Jordyn Brooks after he suffered a torn ACL late last season. Fellow starter Cody Barton signed with Washington at the start of free agency this week.

Even with the signing of Bush, additional options at linebacker are probably needed for Seattle.

Story continues

It definitely is a need, Seattle general manager John Schneider said during his radio show on KIRO-AM on Thursday. Id be lying to you if (I said) it wasnt. ___

AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
The search for a 34-year-old man from the Fresno area who had been missing since the end of February ended Thursday when he was found dead, the Fresno County Sheriffs Office said.

The search and rescue team began an operation Thursday morning to look for Pedro Perez, who had not been heard from since Feb. 28.

Crews found the body in a secluded area of a commercial property near South Maple and East Muscat avenues, an area between Highway 99 and Golden State Boulevard not from the Malaga community where Perez lived.

The remains were identified as the missing man.

Deputies said no foul play is suspected.

When Perez went missing, deputies said detectives searched for evidence and spoke with friends and relatives to try and find Perez.

Perez lived in the Malaga area (northwest corner of Willow and Central avenues) and did not show up for work March 1. A missing persons report was filed thereafter.

Anyone with information about Perez is asked to contact detective Andrew Moreno at 559-974-6634, or Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867 to remain anonymous. Refer to case number 23-2456.
An 18-year-old high school student from Shelby died Friday after he jumped off a pier at John H. Moss Lake, struggled to swim and never resurfaced, Kings Mountain Police said.

Jeremiah Roberts died at a hospital after Charlotte Fire Department divers helped recover him from the lake about 3:30 p.m., according to a police news release.

Roberts was pronounced dead at the hospital just after 5 p.m., WCNC reported.

Police and other emergency responders were called to the lake around 12:30 p.m., WSOC reported.

Just after 4 p.m., police reported that Cleveland County Emergency Management and Cleveland County EMS personnel also responded.

The lake offers fishing, camping and boating.

Roberts was months from graduating and entering the military, family members told WBTV.

He also trained hard as a member of his schools championship football team, teammate Jose Lopez told WBTV.

The duo won a ring together  a state ring, Lopez said.
Seattle police arrested a man after he was believed to have committed a racially based hate crime assault against a tourist, said the Seattle Police Department.

Officers originally went to a park in the 3000 block of Alaskan Way, on Wednesday afternoon, after witnesses watched an assault on an out-of-state visitor.

Officers found the 18-year-old that was assaulted, who said he was taking photos of the water when he noticed a man approaching him on the beach.

The teenager told officers he went to walk away but was attacked from behind by a man who kicked, grabbed, and threw him to the ground.

The man pinned and punched the teenager, then grabbed the earbuds the teenager was wearing and threw them. Officers also found out that the man yelled racial slurs and threatened the teenager during the assault.

Park security was able to provide a picture of the man to officers. The teenager had no obvious injuries and declined medical assistance.

Around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, officers were called back to the park after security saw the man in the area, wearing the exact same clothing he wore during the assault.

Once in custody, the man threatened to kill a witness who identified him from the assault.

The 50-year-old man was booked into the King County Jail for assault, hate crime, obstructing, and felony harassment.




Hong Kong: HK supports new work office

Chief Executive John Lee today expressed resolute support to the central authorities plan to form a Hong Kong and Macau work office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

The work offices formation is pursuant to a plan on reforming the Party and state institutions, released today by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

Rendering his support on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Mr Lee thanked the central authorities for their deepest care for Hong Kong people, and for the great importance they attach to implementing one country, two systems.

The CPC Central Committee's Hong Kong and Macau work office will be responsible for the investigation, research, co-ordination and supervision of upholding the principle of one country, two systems.

It will exercise the central authorities overall jurisdiction over the Hong Kong SAR, governing Hong Kong and Macau in accordance with the law, safeguarding national security, protecting peoples livelihood and well-being, and support the integration of Hong Kong and Macau into the national development.

The new office will be formed on the basis of the State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) and will function as a CPC Central Committee working body. The HKMAO will retain its name.

Mr Lee said General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in the report of the 20th National Congress that one country, two systems is a great innovation of socialism with Chinese characteristics, is the best institutional arrangement for ensuring sustained prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macau after their return to the motherland, and must be adhered to over the long term.

The Chief Executive considered that along the new journey the country has embarked on towards fully building a great modern socialist country, the central authorities plan of reform pertaining to the Hong Kong and Macau work office fully demonstrates the central authorities resolute, full and faithful implementation of the one country, two systems principle, laying a more solid foundation for its steadfast and successful implementation.

He noted the central authorities always serve the best interests of Hong Kong and its citizens, adding that he will lead the Hong Kong SAR to maintain effective communication with the CPC Central Committee's Hong Kong and Macau work office in performing his duties as the Chief Executive.

Mr Lee will also aim to enable the central authorities to comprehensively understand and grasp the actual situation in Hong Kong, and ensure the successful implementation of the principles of one country, two systems, Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong and a high degree of autonomy in the Hong Kong SAR.

He also noted the Hong Kong SAR Government will remain committed to governing Hong Kong in accordance with the law, safeguarding national security, implementing patriots administering Hong Kong, spearheading economic development and improving peoples livelihood.

With its distinctive advantages of enjoying the motherland's strong support and being closely connected to the world, Hong Kong will actively dovetail with national strategies and more proactively integrate into the countrys overall development.

The aim is to ensure Hong Kongs long-term prosperity and stability, and contribute to the building of China into a great country as well as to the Chinese nations great rejuvenation, Mr Lee added.

This story has been published on: 2023-03-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Highlights of foreign congratulatory messages on Xi's election as Chinese president (8)

Xinhua) 09:23, March 17, 2023

BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- World leaders continued to extend congratulations to Xi Jinping on his election as president of the People's Republic of China.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that Xi's election shows that the Chinese people have full confidence in his leadership, and it has an important impact on the international community.

South Africa and China share the same development goals and extensive common interests, he said, noting that the two countries are closely united with their comprehensive strategic partnership continuing to flourish.

South Africa is willing to continue to strengthen cooperation with China on the basis of traditional friendship and comradely relations, and work together to facilitate regional and multilateral cooperation, he said.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier sincerely wished Xi every success in the important position. Today the world is facing severe challenges and all parties should unite to deal with them, the president said.

He expressed confidence in the future development of Germany-China relations and hoped that as the COVID situation improves, extensive people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries can be fully restarted and deepened.

Expressing his sincere congratulations on Xi's election as Chinese president, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said he is willing to maintain in-depth exchanges with Xi to further develop constructive cooperation and to deepen the open and pragmatic partnership for comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

Noting that Xi, as the helmsman of 1.4 billion Chinese people, shoulders immense responsibility, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that Xi's philosophy of governance has enlightened many.

He said he firmly believes that under Xi's leadership, China will achieve the goal of building a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful.

The two countries always respect each other, and enjoy mutual benefits and a shared future, he said, noting that Malaysia will always be at the forefront of actively developing relations with China.

President of the Republic of Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso said the fruitful results of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between his country and China are encouraging.

The president said he is ready to work together with Xi to strengthen the bilateral cooperative relations for the benefit of the people of both countries.

President of Botswana Mokgweetsi Masisi said Xi leads China to forge ahead toward the grand goal of Chinese modernization under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Xi's unanimous election attests to the absolute trust of the Chinese people in his excellent leadership, Masisi said, noting that Botswana and China share common core values and Botswana will continue to push forward the friendly relations between the two countries.

Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi said that his country has always been committed to deepening Suriname-China relations and friendship, abiding by the one-China principle, supporting China-proposed important initiatives, and appreciating China's constructive role in safeguarding multilateralism, promoting global development and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Those also sending congratulatory messages to Xi include:

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev,

Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar,

Moldovan President Maia Sandu,

Governor-General of Jamaica Patrick Allen,

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani,

Chairman of Liberal Democratic Party of Russia Leonid Slutsky,

President of the Party of Communists of Kyrgyzstan Iskhak Masaliyev.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Seattle police were able to find a man and arrest him on Thursday after he assaulted a man in December, said the Seattle Police Department.

Officers assigned to the Community Response Group and Patrol found the man in West Seattle and found a gun in the stolen car he was driving near the drivers seat.

On December 27, 2022, officers went to an assault in the 2200 block of 15th Avenue West in Queen Anne.

A 61-year-old man said he was struck in the head with a gun. The man was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. At the time, officers werent able to find the suspect.

On January 17, SPD detectives developed probable cause to arrest the man in the case and an arrest warrant was issued.

Thursday afternoon, around 12:23 p.m. officers, found the 36-year-old man in the 4700 block of 42nd Avenue Southwest and took him into custody. The man is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.

The man will be booked into King County Jail for the felony warrant, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of a stolen car.




Buckeye police announced on Thursday that a second suspect was arrested in connection to the murder of 15-year-old Brendan Valenzuela.

According to the statement, Buckeye police served a search warrant at a Phoenix home alongside the U.S. Marshals Service and arrested 19-year-old Michael Michel. An unidentified 17-year-old was arrested in January, when the shooting happened.

Valenzuela died Jan. 22 after officers found him in the area of Crown King Road and 257th Drive suffering from a gunshot wound, later dying at the hospital that night.

According to police, Valenzuela had been out with a group of people near St. Charles Court and 255th Drive, where a confrontation had taken place.

Court documents state that Brendan's brother, Montana Valenzuela, had told officers they had driven to a cul-de-sac to smoke blunts with two others they had met on Instagram weeks prior and had smoked with them before. Montana told officers that the group had been hanging out for over an hour and "described everything as being fine."

Phoenix police: Stray bullets hit two people near 16th and Van Buren streets

According to court documents, the suspect who shot at them had been leaning in the passenger window, talking to them. The suspect took a step back, pointed a gun at them and said, "don't move," Montana told police.

Montana drove off, and as he did, saw the suspect begin shooting at them, striking the vehicle, court documents state. Montana drove him and his brother to their house, not realizing that Brendan had been shot, then proceeded to call 911, he told police.

Court documents show that Montana provided police with the Instagram handle of the suspect, who officers obtained a search warrant for.

Instagram messages obtained by police show that the suspect had been communicating with multiple other subjects, including an account owned by Michel.

A description of the two suspects provided by Montana fit the description of both the suspect and Michel.

Story continues

According to court documents, Michel and the suspect had discussed a plan to rob Montana for more than a week.

In the messages, the two discuss the plan before getting together around 12:40 a.m. on the night of the shooting, which occurred sometime around 3 a.m.

At 3:37 a.m., the two begin talking again, with the suspect telling Michel that it was his fault. Michel then tells him that he needs to listen to him, saying he's done it before.

The two then discuss a plan to reattempt the robbery on the next day.

Mesa police: Armed man who officers shot and injured has been identified

According to court documents, numerous audio calls between the two took place following a media release put out in connection to the incident.

Eventually, Michel was located and placed under arrest, where he told officers that he had been at the scene the night of the shooting with the suspect. Michel states that neither of them had planned to shoot anyone and did not know why they did, court documents say.

A search of Michel's residence produced three guns along with his cell phone, which were placed into evidence at the Buckeye police station.

Michel has since been booked into jail and is facing charges of one count of premeditated first-degree murder, armed robbery with a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

No other information had been released.

**HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION UPDATE**

Buckeye police have arrested a second suspect in connection to the murder of 15-year-old Brendan Valenzuela that occurred January 22, 2023. More information at https://t.co/rM1xNJfgsY pic.twitter.com/jUUfQtI151  Buckeye Police Dept (@BuckeyeAZPD) March 16, 2023

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Second suspect arrested in murder of Brendan Valenzuela in Buckeye
Ron DeSantis speaks to supporters Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn't officially declared he is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, but he sure is acting like it. In spite of having no immediate gubernatorial concern with Ukraine's effort to repel Russia's ongoing invasion, DeSantis weighed in on the international implications of America's continued financial support for the Ukrainian military, claiming it isn't in our "vital national interests" to become "further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia."

That DeSantis was asked about the Russo-Ukrainian war in the first place is itself a sign of his prime position within the nascent GOP nominating field. His answer came in response to a questionnaire issued by Fox News host Tucker Carlson to multiple Republican candidates  both declared and assumed  including former President Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, and Mike Pence.

Despite the chorus of conservative voices who participated in Carlson's Q&A, it is DeSantis' answer that prompted the most backlash  not from the left, but from within the very Republican Party DeSantis himself is characterized as leading.

The backlash

When asked about DeSantis' framing of the Ukraine war as a matter of mere territorial disagreement, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio told conservative broadcaster Hugh Hewett that "just because someone claims something doesn't mean it belongs to them." Asked by Hewett whether DeSantis was simply trying to appease the neo-isolationist bloc of the GOP, Rubio took his criticism further, noting that "obviously he doesn't deal with foreign policy every day as governor, so I'm not sure ... I can't compare that to something else he did or has said over the last few years, because he doesn't deal with it every day."

Joining Rubio in his dismissal of DeSantis' inchoate sense of geopolitics was a host of other, high profile Republican figures, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) who said he "could not disagree more" with the governor. Texas Sen. John Cornyn claimed to be "disturbed" by DeSantis' remarks. Former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney told The New York Times that "American officials who advocate this type of weakness are Putin's greatest weapon."

Story continues

DeSantis' answer received some unexpectedly harsh pushback from former UN ambassador and one-time red state governor herself, Nikki Haley. She attacked DeSantis not only for seemingly appeasing Russia, but for being  in a non-too-subtle reference to far right activist Phyllis Schaffly  "an echo" of former President Trump.

"President Trump is right when he says Governor DeSantis is copying him  first in his style, then on entitlement reform, and now on Ukraine," Haley wrote. "I have a different style than President Trump, and while I agree with him on most policies, I do not on those." She added: "Republicans deserve a choice, not an echo."

Indeed, Trump has long pushed for the United States to downgrade its support for Ukraine. In response to Carlson's questionaire, Trump asserted that opposing Russian hostility isn't in America's national interest, "but it is for Europe," adding that European nations "should be paying far more than we are, or equal."

Republican voters as a whole see Russia's war against Ukraine as a "critical threat to U.S. vital interests," according to Gallup polling.

Reading between the lines

Given DeSantis' position as the Republican seen as most likely to overtake Trump in the GOP primary, his rival candidates Trump and Haley are using his stance on Ukraine to diminish his standing in the hopes of making his loss their gain. But even his ostensible allies are lobbing criticisms his way, hoping to prompt a course correction.

DeSantis knows that defeating Putin, "or even just crippling his war machine, is defending America," writes the New York Post's editorial board. Surely he's just hedging, the board says, "rather than risk losing voters who don't get it." He needs to fix the mistake, because "he won't win the GOP nomination by dodging the tough questions."

Given the degree to which Murdoch empire's has gone out of its way to unsubtly frame DeSantis in a positive light, it's easy to see the Post's essay as a not-too-veiled attempt to help an ally-cum-political investment.

For now, DeSantis remains solidly  but not insurmoutnably  behind Trump in the GOP primary polls, even before officially tossing his hat in the nomination ring. That is unlikely to change so long as he keeps following "what somebody has convinced him is a sound strategy," David Frum says at The Atlantic. "It looks like this: 1) Woo the Fox audience and win the Republican nomination. 2) ?? 3) Become president."

"Written out like that," Frum said, "you can see the missing piece."

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Secretariat sired more than 660 progenies between 1975 and 1990.

That's an almost incomprehensible amount of children of which to keep track.

Over the past 50 years, journalist and author Patricia McQueen has become an expert on the topic. She has been tracking Secretariat's bloodline and its impact on the horseracing world for decades. Secretariat is arguably the greatest racehorse of all time. He set the record for the fastest run of the Kentucky Derby in 1973, which still holds today.

This month, she released a book called "Secretariats Legacy," which deep dives into some of his most successful offspring and highlights some of his last living daughters and sons. A little less than two months away from the 50th anniversary of his record-setting Kentucky Derby win, McQueen says of that 660-plus, there are only two known to be living today.

These survivors stayed largely out of the public eye following their unsuccessful racing careers. Trusted Company, a mare, is 34 years old and lives at Bright Futures Farm in Pennsylvania. Maritime Traveler was from Secretariat's final crop in 1990, and it was only last year that he emerged from his quiet life on a Florida farm.

The end of his offspring:A day with Secretariat's last known daughter, Trusted Company

McQueen says the more she wrote articles about "Secretariats," as she calls his progenies, the more links she found to his daughters and sons that were still alive. The Triple Crown winner's final crop was born in 1990 the year after he died. Secretariat's youngest surviving daughters and sons turned 33 this year  which is very old for a horse.

Jockey Ron Turcotte guides Secretariat toward the finish line to win the 1973 Kentucky Derby.

Could there be any other unknown Secretariats?

Maybe.

Heres what to know about McQueens research and her search for the daughters and sons of Secretariat.

How long has McQueen been following Secretariats offspring?

Trusted Company is the 34-year-old daughter of Secretariat that stays at Bright Futures Farm in Pennsylvania. March 2, 2023

McQueen started paying attention to Secretariat's offspring with the first crop of foals in 1975. She kept scrapbooks with clippings from his racing career and his early stud career. Once Secretariat died, she pivoted and began photographing as many of his last crop as possible.

Story continues

McQueen has always had an interest in his descendants, she said, and she started thinking about writing a book in the early 2000s. Secretariat was an exceptional animal and that meant there were high expectations for his career as a sire.

Many of those fell short.

You may like:What time is the Kentucky Derby? Here's your complete guide to the 2023 race

"I always felt he was unfairly called a 'bad sire' and wanted to do something about it," McQueen said. "I really ramped up the research in the past dozen years."

What kind of research did McQueen do to find the 11 survivors she featured in her book?

Trusted Company is the 34-year-old daughter of Secretariat that stays at Bright Futures Farm in Pennsylvania. March 2, 2023

It is extremely difficult to find horses that are in private hands, McQueen said. Larger farms where horses are used for breeding stock are much easier to follow.

"If a mare never had foals, and a stallion had no progeny, and for geldings [a castrated male horse], it's almost impossible (to find them) other than through word of mouth," McQueen said.

More often than not, people with ties to the Secretariats found her. She published an article about Innkeeper in 2016 on thoroughbredracing.com when the youngest Secretariats were already 26 years old. That story brought out a few more links to the iconic Triple Crown winner, including Fast Market, who was the last known stakes winner among Secretariat's progenies. Interest and contacts continued to bloom from there.

You may like:Jog, bit, breeze? Horse racing terms to keep you in the know for Kentucky Derby 2023

How did McQueen stumble upon Trusted Company?

Bev Dee, owner of Bright Futures Farm, feeds cookies to Trusted Company. March 2, 2023

By mid-2018 McQueen thought she had found all the remaining Secretariats, so she was surprised when a woman, who worked in animal welfare in New Jersey, contacted her about some horses who needed to be rehomed. One of the horses in the herd, Trusted Company, was believed to be one of Secretariat's progeny. McQueen didn't really have any experience in retirement care for horses, but this person had found articles she had written about Secretariat's other offspring.

Through her work as a journalist, McQueen made a connection at Bright Futures Farms, a nonprofit sanctuary for elderly horses. She met the founder, Bev Dee, while was photographing Fast Market, and she liked how Dee cared for elderly horses no one else seemed to want. Together Dee and McQueen researched Trusted Company and verified her identity through foal photos accessed through the Jockey Club Registry. Trusted Company lived in a foster home until Dee had the space to bring her to Bright Futures in 2018.

How did McQueen learn about Maritime Traveler?

Bev Dee, owner of Bright Futures Farm, looks at a book called Secretariats Legacy. Trusted Company is highlighted as the last daughter of the great Secretariat. March 2, 2023

In the fall of 2022, a new, astute administrative assistant at Bridlewood Farm in Florida read a story McQueen had written about what were believed to be the final two living Secretariats at the time: Trusted Company, and Border Run, who died in late 2022.

The clerk knew of an old stallion on the property with a tie to Secretariat, and she reached out to McQueen, who previously photographed Maritime Traveler in 1993.

You may like:Who has won the most Kentucky Derby races? Kentucky Derby trivia facts you should know

Maritime Traveler had a pitiful racing career, and he'd been living at Bridlewood for years as a "tease," which is a horse who helps identify when mares are ready to breed.

McQueen published her story about finding Maritime Traveler on thoroughbredracing.com in February.

Does McQueen think there are any more Secretariat progenies out there?

Trusted Company, right, and Catch This T are best friends at Bright Futures Farm in Pennsylvania. March 2, 2023

McQueen says surprises like Trusted Company and Maritime Traveler are just "magical." She thought she'd discovered the last of the survivors as early as 2018, but Maritime Traveler didn't resurface until late last year.

"It's true that it's not 'impossible'" to find another one, McQueen said in March. "But it is highly unlikely. Age 33 is very, very old for a thoroughbred."

How do I find McQueen's book and articles about Secretariat's offspring?

McQueens book "Secretariats Legacy" is available online at secretariatslegacy.com. She also has several articles available online at thoroughbredracing.com.

Features columnist Maggie Menderski writes about what makes Louisville, Southern Indiana and Kentucky unique, wonderful, and occasionally, a little weird. If you've got something in your family, your town or even your closet that fits that description  she wants to hear from you. Say hello at mmenderski@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4053.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: How is author tracking Kentucky Derby winner Secretariat's offspring?
A semi-truck has rolled and crashed, blocking all northbound lanes of State Route 167, north of Ellingson Road, near Auburn.

The collision occurred just after 1 p.m.

The VFRA and @southkingfire are on scene of a semi accident on NB 167 in Algona. Four patients were treated with non-life threatening injuries. All lanes are blocked with traffic being diverted to the Ellingson exit. Crews are working on clearing the scene. pic.twitter.com/TGdhL0GtNL  Valley Regional Fire (@ValleyFire) March 17, 2023

According to Washington State Department of Transportation video from the scene, the trailer and cab are exactly perpendicular to the road, blocking all traffic traveling northbound.

Driver of the semi has been placed into custody for suspicion of DUI https://t.co/bpzevNB5Ie  Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio) March 17, 2023

Drivers should expect long delays in the area.
A music teacher from Yakima and his 10-year-old daughter were killed Thursday along with his cousin in a head-on crash on Interstate 90 when a Tri-Cities truck driver lost control.

The Yakima mans wife and the couples son, 6, were injured, one of them critically, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The truck driver, Danny Ellingford, 43, of Pasco, was not hurt.

The crash happened about 10 miles east of Snoqualmie Pass about 12:30 a.m., and closed eastbound lanes of I-90 for about 13 hours.

Ellingford was pulling two United Parcel Service trailers and was traveling west on the interstate when he crossed over the median into the eastbound lanes and hit the westbound 2016 Kia Optima carrying the Yakima family, according to the WSP.

All were wearing seat belts.

WSP continues to investigate the cause of the crash, but said that drugs and alcohol were not involved.

Money is being raised to pay funeral and medical costs after a crash on Interstate 90 that killed a Yakima father, daughter and cousin and injured the mans wife and their son.

Perfect Yakima family

Justin L. Poole, 40, and his daughter, Chelsea Poole, 10, died before they could be taken to a hospital.

Michaela L. Buckholt, 27, was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where she died. She was the cousin of Justin Pooles wife, Nicole Wallawine Poole, 36.

Nicole Nikki Poole, 36, was taken to Kittitas Valley Hospital in Ellensburg and then transferred to Harborview. She was no longer listed as a patient Friday.

Justin and Nicoles son, Maddox, 6, was taken to Harborview.

According to a GoFundMe fundraiser, Maddox was intubated and has undergone brain surgery. He was in critical condition Friday, according to the hospital.

Photos of the Justin and Nicole Poole family of Yakima were posted with a GoFundMe fundraiser to help with funeral and medical costs.

Justin was a kind, funny man who deeply loved his family, according to the fundraiser. Chelsea was a beautiful, sweet little girl full of life, and they will be missed beyond compare, along with Michaela.

Justin Poole was an instrumental music teacher at Melody Lane Dance Music and Drama Academy in Yakima, according to his Facebook page.

Nikki (Nicole) and Justin Poole have been sweethearts forever, said the fundraiser. Theyre both some of the kindest, most caring people you could ever meet. They were a perfect family of four ...

The GoFundMe had raised about $6,250 of its $25,000 goal as of Friday morning.
Republican senators announced on Friday they will be introducing a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution in another attempt to foil President Bidens student debt relief program, which is already facing potential termination at the Supreme Court.

The Congressional Review Act allows Congress to examine new regulations made by government agencies and overturn them with a majority vote.

The effort to use the CRA to stop Bidens plan is led by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), ranking member for the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa.).

Its a shame for working families across the country that Republican lawmakers continue to fight tooth and nail to deny critical relief to millions of their own constituents impacted by the pandemic. President Biden, Vice President Harris, and [Education] Secretary [Miguel] Cardona recognize how essential this relief is for tens of millions of working families, and they will continue fighting to deliver much-needed support to borrowers trying to get back on their feet after the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, a White House spokesperson said in response to their resolution.

The senators introduced the resolution following a report from the Government Accountability Office that declared Bidens student loan relief and payment pause are rules subject to the CRA.

In response to the GAOs decision, the White House said the student debt relief plan is based on the Department of Educations decades-old authority granted by Congress and is a result of the same procedures used by multiple administrations over the last two decades to protect borrowers from the effects of national emergencies.

This longtime statutory authority has never been subject to the Congressional Review Act. GAOs decision is at odds with clear longstanding practice, and the Department remains fully confident that its debt relief plan complies with the law, the spokesperson added.

Story continues

If a Senate majority supported the resolution, Bidens student loan forgiveness would be overturned and a federal agency would not be able to propose another plan similar to it unless it was put into law.

Where is the relief for the man who skipped college but is paying off his work truck, or the woman who paid off her loans and is now struggling to afford her mortgage? This resolution prevents these Americans, whose debts look different from the favored group the Biden administration has selected, from picking up the bill for his irresponsible and unfair policy, Cassidy said.

It is unlikely the resolution would get enough support in the Democratic-led Senate, although some Democrats such as Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) have previously been critical of Bidens program, which eliminates up to $20,000 in student debt per borrower and is estimated to cost $400 billion.

The loan forgiveness is already hanging in the balance at the Supreme Court, where a majority-conservative court seemed highly skeptical of the legality of the plan during oral arguments last month.

Updated at 4:54 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Senator Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) has not returned or donated money he received from disgraced former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, Federal Election Commission records show.

Bankman-Fried donated the legal maximum of $2,900 to Wydens campaign committee, Wyden for Senate, on October 26, 2022, according to records obtained by the Oregon Roundup newsletter.

FTX filed for bankruptcy on November 11 and later asked candidates who received donations by or at the direction of Bankman-Fried to return them as the company worked to pay back its creditors.

National Review has reached out to Wydens office for comment.

Bankman-Fried was indicted on eight counts last year, including securities fraud and money laundering. He was hit with a campaign-finance violation charge for allegedly working to disguise donations to appear as though they were coming from other wealthy donors.

Prosecutors allege Bankman-Fried misled investors and mishandled billions in funds. He has been accused of misusing customer funds deposited with FTX to boost his crypto hedge fund, Alameda Research. Nicolas Roos, an assistant U.S. attorney, said in December that Bankman-Fried has committed crimes of epic proportions.

Bankman-Fried and other FTX executives spent millions of dollars on 2022 campaigns in an effort to build relationships to influence policy around cryptocurrency, according to prosecutors.

NBC News reported in December that 25 of the 59 candidates who received personal donations from Bankman-Fried said they planned to donate the money to charity, while three others said they would return the donation or hold it until federal investigators offered guidance. Thirty-one campaigns did not respond. Wyden was not mentioned in the story.

Meanwhile, Democrats Senate Majority PAC, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have all said they plan to return or donate contributions they received from Bankman-Fried and FTXs former head engineer Nishad Singh.

Story continues

For his part, Wyden has received money from the Bankman-Fried family for more than a decade. Wyden for Senate received $2,900 from Bankman-Frieds brother, Gabe Bankman-Fried, in April 2022, according to the report. Sam Bankman-Frieds father, Joseph Bankman, contributed $2,500 in 2010  his largest contribution to a federal candidate or committee to date.

In February, the New York Times reported that authorities had broadened their investigation into the more than $90 million in campaign contributions that FTX employees and others close to the company gave to congressional candidates and political-action committees to look into whether Sam Bankman-Frieds brother and father were also involved in the alleged campaign-finance scheme.

More from National Review
NBC

If youre a Republican voter who may soon be forced to decide between Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis as your 2024 presidential candidate of choice, you might find yourself caught in the middle of a game of Weird or Weirder.

DeSantis is a weird guy, but not as weird as Trump, which is his main problem, Seth Meyers told viewers on Thursday. If youre a GOP voter who likes weird, Trumps your guy But if you like normal, DeSantis is a little too weird: He stands weird, he wears those little weird white boots, and now theres this new story about his weird eating habits.

That new story in question came from The Daily Beast politics reporters Jake Lahut and Zachary Petrizzo, who learned from a former DeSantis staffer that the Florida governors social skills leave much to be desired.

One frequent  and seemingly disgusting  sight to behold was when DeSantis would sit in meetings and eat in front of people like a starving animal who has never eaten before getting shit everywhere, according to the staffer.

But the detail that really seemed to repulse Meyers was an incident from 2019, whenwhile traveling from Tallahassee to Washington, D.C., on a private planeDeSantis reportedly decided to dig into a cup of chocolate pudding with three fingers.

You ate pudding with your fingers?! Thats not very DeSanitary, Meyers exclaimed, addressing the Florida governor directly while adding yet another possible nickname to his ever-growing repertoire. You dont get to use your fingers to eat pudding. Here are the rules: If you have pudding, but you dont have a spoon, then you dont have pudding.

Meyers, almost against his better judgment, admitted that if he had one piece of advice to give to DeSantis it would be: You should eat more like Donald Trump.

If you were on a plane next to a guy who was fingerblasting Swiss Miss and asked to move and the flight attendant said, The only open seats next to a dude eating KFC with a knife and fork, youd say: Yeah, I guess in this case it beats the pudding dude.

Story continues

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

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A huge rift widened between the state and national offices of the NAACP on Thursday night after six members of the state executive committee resigned to protest an executive directors contract that they have no control over.

The resignations happened at the end of a contentious four-and-a-half hour meeting of the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP. Concerns over the suspensions of two state leaders last month  Secretary Sylvia Barnes and Treasurer Gerald Givens Jr.  and issues they had raised about spending on the executive director, DaQuan Love, dominated the virtual session.

What Ive seen here tonight undermines and circumvents the executive committee, said Barrett Brown, a district director from Alamance County. I dont have any confidence that we can move forward under this kind of dictatorship.

The nonprofit organizations executive committee meetings are not public but The News & Observer listened to audio from the meeting.

The resignations followed a vote of the executive committee to recommend termination of Loves contract that narrowly passed. Roughly 35 of the committees 47 members attended. Tony DeRico, a district director and president of the Wendell-Wake County NAACP branch, sought the termination after questioning payments to Love through a company he owns. He also resigned.

The contentious meeting is the latest chapter in several years of conflict at the state NAACP, with North Carolina members at odds with one another and with the national organization. State leaders have accused the national NAACP of punishing previous leaders for not remaining in lockstep with its priorities. National leaders have accused the state organization of sloppy, at best, financial management.

Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman, former president of the North Carolina NAACP, speaks at an annual Moral March in Raleigh in February 2020.

The executive committee of the state organization did not hire Love. He was hired by Gloria Sweet-Love, an out-of-state administrator the national NAACP appointed to oversee the state office in 2019 after concerns about spending by a previous president, Rev. Anthony Spearman.

Story continues

Among the concerns raised Thursday about Loves spending were roughly $1,000 in late fees that Love charged after contending he wasnt paid his monthly $5,000 fee on time. Love started working for the state NAACP in August.

Love acknowledged at the meeting that he was charging late fees without knowing what his contract said regarding when he would be paid.

Heart of this conflict

Before his suspension, Givens, the treasurer, had been digging into the spending when Spearman and his predecessor, Rev. William Barber II, were in charge. Givens had questioned payments going as far back as 2013 that lacked proper authorization, he told committee members last year.

Deborah Dicks Maxwell is the first woman elected to lead the North Carolina NAACP.

Sweet-Love, the president of the Tennessee NAACP state conference, told committee members that they couldnt fire Love because they didnt hire him. She said she hired him to serve in a temporary role that she had anticipated would end within a year.

She also said his expenses were legitimate, and Givens, the treasurer, should have given Love a charge account.

She said that Givens was suspended for failing to produce an annual budget. He and Barnes, also suspended last month, were not following the rules for their positions, she said.

This is not Burger King, and you cant have it the way you want it, she told the executive committee.

Emails obtained by The N&O show Givens and Barnes balked at paying Love without the executive committees approval. They both said that the state conferences bylaws require it. Givens had been the president of the Raleigh-Apex NAACP branch since 2019 until his suspension.

Several executive committee members agreed with Barnes and Givens, telling Sweet-Love that state conference President Deborah Dicks Maxwell rarely brought spending items to them for approval. They disputed Sweet-Loves claim that Givens had not produced a budget, as some of them said they recalled voting on it.

Corine Mack, an executive committee vice president and president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County NAACP branch, was among the six members who resigned at the meeting.

Maxwell, the former president of the New Hanover County NAACP branch, won election in 2021 in an online election run by the national office that also drew criticism. Several committee members said they had supported her then, but have become disappointed in her leadership since.

Call for reconciliation

In response to the resignations, Maxwell said she held no ill will toward those leaving, all of whom said they would continue in their roles as local NAACP branch leaders.

I pray for each and everyone of you, she said. I pray for the North Carolina NAACP and I pray that the discord that was perpetrated tonight will not ripple throughout.

Sweet-Love said she would take the executive committees recommendation on Loves contract to the national board. She said national leaders are planning to attend the executive committees next meeting in April to discuss ending the administratorship imposed by the national NAACP.

She said Barnes and Givens would have an opportunity to appeal their suspensions in a panel hearing.
This article was collaboratively written by Melissa Rodriguez + Buzzy, our creative AI assistant.

Sevilla is a gem that is often overshadowed by its more popular siblings, Barcelona and Madrid. But let me tell you something: Sevilla is the best-kept secret of Spain, and it is time to shed its underrated status.

Here are the top three reasons why Sevilla should be on your travel bucket list:

Joe Regan / Getty Images

1. Let's cut to the chase: The food in Sevilla is mindblowingly delicious.

Whether you want to indulge in traditional classics like paella or try something new, you will not be disappointed. The Mercado de Triana, with its lively atmosphere, is a foodie's paradise. The tapas bars lining Calle Betis offer an unforgettable experience where locals and visitors alike congregate to enjoy endless plates of tasty bites and delicious drinks.Oh, did I forget to mention churros with chocolate? Pure bliss, I tell you!

2. Sevilla is a city full of culture bursting with creativity.

The music that fills the streets, the flamenco dancers that twirl passionately, the aroma of orange blossoms, and the buzzing nightlife are just a few reasons why Sevilla's culture is so captivating. Visit the Alcazar Palace, explore the Jewish Quarter, see the largest Gothic cathedral in the world and the tomb of Christopher Columbus, and don't forget to attend a flamenco show to get to the heart and soul of Andalusian culture.

3. Its so rich in history that you'll feel like you've stepped right into a time machine.

Sevilla has witnessed the rise and fall of many empires, and every street corner tells a story of its past. You can go back in time with a visit to the Plaza de Espana, a stunning example of Spanish revival architecture and a tribute to the Spanish. Or wander around the historic Barrio Santa Cruz, where narrow streets, hidden squares, and colorful buildings invite you to get lost in their history.

The one downside of Sevilla is that the locals are way too friendly and warm-hearted. The nerve, right? Expect them to strike up conversations, enquire about your travel plans, recommend restaurants, and leave you wondering if you just met your long-lost cousin.

Now, before you pack your bags and burn down your work cubicle in a feverish frenzy (that's what I did), remember that the best time to visit Sevilla is during the cooler months between September and March or during its magical "Semana Santa" (Holy Week) celebrations. So save up on those holiday leaves, book a flight, and watch yourself fall in love with Sevilla.
It may seem surprising that Elska Magazine, a publication dedicated to sharing the bodies and voices of real queer men around the world, didn't make it to SanFrancisco until now. But that was by design.

Early on Elska had become known for featuring less obvious' cities, explains Elska editor and chief photographer Liam Campbell. For example we chose to spotlight places like Yokohama, Japan(and not Tokyo), or Haifa, Israel (instead of Tel Aviv), and our first US city was actually Providence, Rhode Island. San Francisco is a much more obvious choice, but to me the point of Elskas choice of locations is to show that LGBTQ life is everywhere  in the less known cities Elska reveals that we exist there as well and find ways to thrive; in the more known cities Elska shows that we all have the same wants, hopes, and needs. In a sense we can prove with this edition how 'normal' or 'normalized' we can be."

Now, more than seven years into the project, Campbell is ready to take readers "up close and personal with a cross section of ordinary local men from what is arguably the most legendary gay city on Earth. For a place with such a huge gay history like San Francisco I find it especially empowering to see just how free we are able to be. Of course weve not conquered all the barriers put before us, but we can witness especially in San Francisco how strong and un-erasable our community is."

Elska San Francisco features local guys who are part of the citys LGBTQ+ community. It introduces international readers to the men who live in what Campbell calls "this renowned beacon of gay life." He adds, "Each was photographed in their own neighborhoods and in their own homes, revealing some of their city and their intimate environment; and wearing their own clothes, revealing their style, or sometimes not dressed at all, revealing their bodies and facing all vulnerabilities."

Enjoy our sneak peek of the sexy men in this issue of the magazine below. All photos Liam Campbell.

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Kramer E

muscular man in briefs

Liam Campbell/Elska

Wesley F

Asian American man shirtless in black underwear

Liam Campbell/Elska

Liam Campbell/Elska

Asian American man in briefs holds a full length mirror

Jessie F

Black man stands in a jock strap with his hand on his chest in a glass elevator

Liam Campbell/Elska

Adam N

blue-eyed man with arms crossed in underwear stands by a window, shaded by blinds

Liam Campbell/Elska

Kevin L

Latinx man sitting in sweatshirt and socks

Levi B

skinny man in boxers lounging on a couch

Dawn T

Asian American man sits on a chair in blue underwear and a gold chain

Liam Campbell/Elska

Art S

Man in open long sleeve shirt and boxers sits on arm of chair

Liam Campbell/Elska

Scotty S

gay man wearing t-shirt and jock kneeling on chair on porch

Liam Campbell/Elska

Jake T

gay man in cut off t-shirt and black kilt stands outside in industrial setting

Liam Campbell/Elska

Zee L

Asian American man wears jeans and a leather jacket over bare chest, stands arms outstretched

Liam Campbell/Elska

Asian American in sleeveless shirt and red boxer briefs

Liam Campbell/Elska

Tal M

Man stands in front of window, naked but covered by curtain

Liam Campbell/Elska

Sean T

man lies shirtless in bed, lit by rainbow colors

Liam Campbell/Elska
Screenshot of a photo from a scientific article



At top, the suspicious specimen photo. Below, a picture of an actual, verified goblin shark.

A deep-sea drama is unfolding in the world of shark science. An exciting scientific record of a rare species in a new place might actually just be a photo of a plastic toy.

Through published commentary, tweets, and in conversations with Gizmodo, biologists, shark enthusiasts, and other experts have expressed extreme skepticism that an alleged photo of a goblin shark really shows a once-living animal.

Read more

If it were authentic, the image in question would be the first-ever record of the species in the Mediterranean Seaa notable and important range expansion for the uncommon animal. But if its actually a picture of a toy goblin shark, as multiple sources suggest, its a cautionary tale about citizen science, negligent editing and peer review, and the pressure scientists face to publish new findings as fast and frequently as possible.

To unravel this shark controversy, lets start at the beginning.

The Published Record

Last year, scientists published a paper in which they documented a supposed juvenile goblin shark specimen, found dead and washed up on a beach in Greece. It was the first time one of the nightmarish looking deep sea-sharks had ever been observed in the Mediterranean Sea, according to the article published in the journal Mediterranean Marine Science in May 2022. In that paper, the researchers said theyd been sent the photograph by a citizen scientist; none of the team had personally seen or examined the specimen.

Goblin sharks are elusive creatures, rarely seen dead or living. Not much is known about their reproduction or habits, in large part because they spend most of their lives thousands of feet below the surface of the ocean. They are thought to be widely distributed, and legitimate specimens have been found in different parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Yet no one had ever published evidence of a goblin shark in the Mediterranean Sea, until this study.

Story continues

Months after that first publication, in November 2022, a group of ichthyologists and independent researchers responded with a comment on the initial paper, in the same scientific journal, questioning the specimens legitimacy. On close examination of this image...doubts arise about the authenticity, they wrote. The commenters listed 10 reasons for their skepticism, from the shape of the jaw and other bits on the specimen in the photograph, to the incorrect number of gills, the rigidity of the fins, and the lack of detail in the article description.

In response, the original study authors published their own follow-up comment in Januarydoubling down on the specimens authenticity and attempting to rebut each of the concerns. Both comments were published online for the first time this Monday.

A Rebuttal to a Rebuttal

Yet with the rebuttal, inconsistencies and more holes emerged, and the goblin shark truthers remain unconvinced. In my opinion, it is a model of a such a shark, said Jurgen Pollerspock, an independent shark researcher and lead author of the November 2022 comment, in an email to Gizmodo. When he first saw the picture, he said he immediately noticed the unnatural look of the shark. Stranded animals often show injuries or signs of decomposition. But the photographed specimen didnt.

He also pointed out that the original article described a supposedly juvenile goblin shark, with an estimated length of 80 centimeters. In their reply, the authors said that, actually, the citizen scientist estimated the total specimen length of 17 to 20 centimeters, and it could potentially be a shark embryo, not a juvenile. In Pollerspocks view, 20 centimeters is too small to be a viable goblin shark, immature, embryonic, or otherwise.

Gizmodo reached out to the lead researcher who had initially published the alleged goblin shark record, as well as the editor in chief of the journal. Neither responded by time of publication.

The Internet Weighs in

Meanwhile, the is it a real shark discussion had shifted online. David Shiffman, a shark ecologist and marine biologist, weighed in on Twitter in at least two different threads. In one tweet, Shiffman posted an eBay link to a model toy goblin shark that seems a particularly good match for the photo.

An update to the "did someone present a photo of a toy as evidence of a range extension of a rare species" saga:



The comment: https://t.co/JmVFKFD3xX



Author's reply to the comment: https://t.co/8oHEUXvgEd pic.twitter.com/OVYpQEt9Ay  Dr. David Shiffman (@WhySharksMatter) March 14, 2023

Deep-sea ecologist Andrew Thaler also chimed in on Twitter to say he was convinced by the particular eBay toy. The mystery comes to an end. Its a toy shark, he wrote. In an email to Gizmodo, he clarified: This is outside my area of expertise... My only comment is that it looks an awful lot like a toy shark.

The mystery comes to an end. It's a toy shark. https://t.co/qRdPP5PvzQ  Andrew Thaler (@DrAndrewThaler) March 16, 2023

Multiple shark enthusiasts responded to Thaler and Shiffmans tweets, affirming their observations that the photographed shark looks very much like the toy shark.

But one marine researcher took the quest further. Matthew McDavitt, who is a lawyer by trade but a published independent shark researcher in his free time, compiled his own image comparisons and report on the controversy, which he shared with Gizmodo.

Comparison image of toy shark and alleged shark specimen



The top photo is the alleged specimen found on a beach. The bottom photo is the toy shark that many believe fooled the scientists. Highlighted is what Matthew McDavitt believes is the plastic mold seam, visible on the purported real animal.

The original photo just looked off, McDavitt told Gizmodo in a phone call. He cited the drooping rostrum, tail, and mouth as things that didnt add up with his knowledge of actual goblin sharks. He also reiterated Pollerspocks concern about size. It just didnt look right.

Photo collage



This photo collage shows the actual, published picture (middle right) alongside photos of the toy shark many believe is actually shown in the published photograph.

McDavitt said this wouldnt be the first time that a false photo had been published as evidence of a fish range expansion (yes, sharks are fish). The researcher relayed a story in which he previously noticed some inconsistencies in a picture of a rare African wedgefish, published as first evidence of that species living off the coast of a Sao Tome Islandwhere it had never been seen before. Ultimately, he said, the picture turned out to be of a different species (a Taiwanese wedgefish), and had been taken of a captive animal in a Portuguese aquarium. A photographer had fraudulently passed it off as a dive photo.

Situations like this, he said, can have real negative impacts on researchers. McDavitt noted that, in the wedgefish example, he ended up hearing from some scientists who had been prepared to fund an expedition to survey the waters off of Sao Tome to find more examples of the rare fish. Clearly, they wouldve been disappointed.

A marine biologist who requested anonymity out of fear of professional harm told Gizmodo in a phone call that hes pretty confident the goblin shark photo is a fake. Upon first looking at the image, he felt it wasnt right, he said. The scientist explained that this isnt how most species records are presentedwith a single photograph without even a scale bar.

Though he doesnt know the publishing scientists personally, he doesnt believe they had malicious intentions. In his view, they failed to do due diligence. Whether the citizen scientist who sent them the photo knew it wasnt a real goblin shark or not isnt clear, he said.

Both the marine biologist and McDavitt said a major issue here is negligence on the part of the publishing journal and the general pressure within academia to publish new and exciting findings. The most responsible and best outcome here would be for either the original researchers to withdraw their paper or for the journal to issue a retraction, both said.

Pollerspock echoed the sentiment. The lead researcher on the goblin shark study is a student, he pointed out. In my opinion, the problem and responsibility lies more with the editor of the journal and the reviewers, he wrote to Gizmodo. He is convinced that it was an accident, on the original authors part.

Its Fantastic. Is It Plastic?

Marine scientists and shark enthusiasts arent the only ones who told Gizmodo the goblin shark specimen seems suspect. Two plastics experts echoed concerns about the veracity of the alleged fish.

I think its very possible that it could be [a] degraded plastic toy, Joana Sipe, a plastic degradation researcher at Duke University, told Gizmodo in a phone call. Sipe said she couldnt possibly be certain, as the only way to determine the material would be to inspect it directly, but that lots of aspects of the photo suggest the shark could be a molded synthetic material.

She agreed that the line next to the mouth could easily be a seam from machine-molded plastic. Then there are the flecks of what could be sand, or might instead be remnant plastic dye sticking to the model. Sipe also pointed out the L shaped dark imprint on the tail, which she said looked like intentional color shading.

Further, the droopiness of the tail and rostrum (i.e. shark snout), and faded color could be the result of heat or wear on a plastic toyespecially left out in the sun on a Greek beach, Sipe added.

Greg Merrill, a Duke University graduate student who studies plastic pollution in marine mammals, also believed the photographed animal was a plastic model. I am not a shark expert; I study whales and plastic, he wrote to Gizmodo in an email. Nonetheless, Im confident this is a toy, he said.

His critique echoed those of other researchers; he also pointed out the lack of photo scale and the lax description in the original publication. He noted that its incredibly rare to find a fully intact specimen of any marine organism washed up on a beach. Scavengerscrabs, gulls, etcare keen on a free meal and will often consume soft tissues, like the eyes, almost immediately, Merrill wrote. That is, if the animal ever makes it ashore to begin with.

More from Gizmodo

Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
Pat Schroeder was never supposed to win her congressional seat. As she recounted in her 1998 book 24 Years of House Work  and the Place Is Still a Mess  a title that hints at the irreverent public figure she cut in Washington  she was recruited as a kamikaze anti-war candidate for Colorados 1st Congressional District in 1972. In the primary, she faced a well-funded state senator; in the general election, an overconfident Republican district attorney.

More to the point, she was just 31, with a 6-year-old and a 2-year-old.



The consensus, even from some of my most liberal friends, was that I was trying to do too much too fast, Schroeder, who died this week at 82, wrote in her book. The National Womens Political Caucus, which she had helped to found previously, encouraged her to run for city council or school board instead. After she won, with 52 percent of the vote, New York Democratic Rep. Bella Abzug called Schroeder on the phone and offered a warning: I hear you have little kids. You wont be able to do this job.

So it wasnt even just being a woman, Schroeder recalled in a 2015 interview with the Houses Office of the Historian. It was being a young woman with little kids, and that really threw people for a loop. Entering Congress, at her stage of life, seemed not just subversive, but absurd.

Schroeder would wind up serving 12 terms in Congress, cementing herself not just as a trailblazer  she and Abzug were among only 14 women in the House when she was elected  but a symbol of what can happen when people, and particularly women, in the thick of life experience get a seat at the table of power. Among her highest-profile legislative victories were the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, which protected women from being fired for being pregnant (following a 1976 Supreme Court ruling that denied that protection under gender discrimination law), and the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, which entitles most employees to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for family members or themselves. (The original bill Schroeder filed asked for 26 weeks, with pay.)



Story continues

What hard-fought success Schroeder got  It took nine months to deliver each of my children and nine years to deliver FMLA, shed later say  came from her humanity and her persistence and her humor, says Ellen Bravo, the former director of 9to5, National Association of Working Women, one of many national groups that worked for the bills passage. Year after year, Schroeder leaned into the absurdity of Washington, deploying a brand of witty straight talk that drew attention to her causes, well before social media and viral memes.



She was able to not just withstand obnoxious attacks on her, but to direct withering responses at the people who went after her, Bravo says. She handled them in a way that ate right through the veneer of authority.

Schroeder was the one who declared that Ronald Reagan had a Teflon-coated presidency (an idea that reportedly came to her while frying eggs on a nonstick pan) and dubbed George H.W. Bush and Dan Quayle members of the lucky sperm club because they were able to run for office with the benefit of family wealth.

And she faced her own indignities with humor and theatrics. When she won a seat on the House Armed Services Committee early in her tenure, the chair, a Louisiana Democrat named F. Edward Hebert, was angry that she and Ron Dellums, a Black Democrat from California, had been placed on the committee against Heberts wishes. He provided only a single chair for the two of them, so Schroeder and Dellums squeezed into it together  cheek-to-cheek, she would later write  and sat that way for two years. Barney Frank used to always say its the only half-assed thing I did when I was in Congress, but Im not sure thats true, she quipped to the House historian years later.

Even as Schroeder grew in influence, eventually launching a short-lived bid for president in 1987, she faced doubts and digs about her demeanor: the time she wore a bunny suit to entertain kids in the U.S. Embassy during a 1987 Armed Services trip to China, the fact that she would sometimes sign her name with a smiley-face in the P. Some of the biggest scrutiny came when she dropped out of the presidential race and openly cried at the press conference, launching 1,000 think pieces about gender, politics and public norms.

But Schroeder had never feared wearing her motherhood or womanhood on her sleeve, down to bringing her children  and sometimes a pet bunny named Franklin Delano Rabbit  back and forth with her to Denver and on official international trips. Theyd usually spill at least two Cokes and a glass of milk on me before I got off [the ground], she told the House historian years later. I was always sticky  People would just be horrified, but thats how we were.

That unapologetic approach to parenthood is less rare today, in many public spheres. But there are still plenty of barriers to women with young children running for office, says Liuba Grechen Shirley, who ran for a New York congressional seat in 2018 with two toddlers at home and went on to form the group Vote Mama, which supports young mothers in politics.

And on the congressional level, at least, the family-friendly policies Schroeder championed at the height of her influence have largely been frozen in time. While the FMLA was game-changing 30 years ago, most of its advocates consider it woefully incomplete. As Grechen Shirley and Bravo point out, the law covers only 60 percent of workers, due to restrictions on eligibility. Many eligible people arent able to take advantage of it because they cant afford to take the time off. (Bravo notes that state laws mandating paid sick leave are gaining momentum  theyve been passed now in 11 states and the District of Columbia.)

Grechen Shirley attributes the lack of progress to a lack of representation. The 118th Congress has a record number of women and yet that's still only 153 of 540 voting and nonvoting members, or 28 percent of the body. But its not just that there arent enough women in Congress, Grechen Shirley contends, echoing what Schroeder discovered 50 years ago. Its that there arent enough mothers.

Its because our policies were not made by people who have the lived experience. If we want to change the system, we have to change the system-makers, she says. So many women will wait until their children are grown before they consider running, so its difficult to build that political power to get tenure, to get those leadership positions.



During her own race, Grechen Shirley successfully petitioned the Federal Election Commission to allow the use of campaign funds for child care. And in her own campaign and afterward, she would often repeat a political line, something shed heard that a congresswoman once said  I have a brain and a uterus, and I use both.

Dammit, I love that quote, Grechen Shirley says, though for years, she didnt know the source.

Of course, it was Pat Schroeder.


Ross Butler, Jovan Armand, Meagan Good, Zachary Levi, and Grace Caroline Currey in Shazam! Fury of the Gods. (Warner Bros.)

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is the sequel to the hit 2019 DC movie that introduced cinema audiences to boy-turned-grown-up superhero, Billy Batson, bestowed with magical powers by an ancient wizard. And its given us not none, not one, but two post-credits stingers that could leave fans hopeful about the future for the Shazam family.

A DC Universe reboot is presently in motion with marshals James Gunn and Peter Safran at the helm. But with Shazam! Fury of the Gods releasing, and The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom still to come, things arent quite dead yet for the outgoing DC Extended Universe and its associated projects. The Flash looks to be the most cohesive way to transition from one universe to the next without simply ignoring what went before, since it opens up the multiverse.

Read more: Everything we know about Shazam! Fury of the Gods

The post-credits sequences in Shazam! Fury of the Gods prove that theres still space for Billy Batson and his family of Shazam! champions under the new regime. Without further ado, lets take a look at Shazam! Fury of the Gods mid-credits and post-credits scenes and explain whats happening  and what it means for the franchises future.

Warning: spoilers for Shazam! Fury of the Gods coming up...

You have been warned.

What happens in Shazam! Fury of the Gods mid-credits scene?

The Shazam! Fury of the Gods mid-credits scene shows Amanda Wallers A.R.G.U.S. agents John Economos (Steve Agee) and Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) walking together through woodland.

We last saw both characters together in the James Gunn-created Peacemaker series. Both also appeared in his Suicide Squad film, while Harcourt popped up fairly recently in Black Adam.

Jennifer Holland as Emilia Harcourt & Steve Agee as John Economos in Peacemaker. (Sky/HBO)

Harcourt reveals, in a snappy exchange with her colleague, that Waller has sent them to (potentially) recruit the person theyre here to meet as a new member of the team.

Read more: The best Shazam 2 Easter eggs

Now, as weve established, Amanda Waller heads up the US government organisation A.R.G.U.S. The division utilises super-powered individuals to combat major threats, protect the country, and anything else deemed necessary. Its the organisation behind Task Force X aka the Suicide Squad  a group of supervillain convicts assembled to do the agencys bidding, usually highly dangerous black ops missions, with the promise of reduced sentences. Under threat of death via head bomb if they disobey orders.

Story continues

Viola Davis and David Ayer on the set of Suicide Squad (Warner Bros)

But given that Billy Batson is a superhero, not a supervillain, and isnt in prison, we can infer that Waller is recruiting for an alternative team. We also know shes responsible for the Justice Society, another team but this one incorporates less morally murky super powered individuals, introduced onto the big screen in Black Adam.

Read more: Zachary Levi talks Shazam future

They come upon Batson in full Shazam form  he has now officially been given the superhero name of Shazam by the wizard  and Harcourt announces that they know who he is and they have an offer to make.

Wait, is Black Adams Justice Society coming back?

Pierce Brosnan's Dr Fate and Aldis Hodge's Hawkman are both members of the JSA in Black Adam. (Warner Bros.)

Given Billys obsession with the Justice League heroes, and in particular Wonder Woman, he cuts Harcourt off before she can finish, agreeing to joining.

Hes confused when she finishes with, Welcome to the Justice Society. She explains that the Justice Society is different from the Justice League because of how words work. Its not clear whether hes in or out as the scene ends  but the sequence sets up his inclusion in the team we first met in Black Adam.

This gives the clearest indication yet that Shazam will remain a part of the Gunn/Safran steered DCU. If there were no intentions of bringing Shazam into the new DCU, it would have been easy for the bosses to cut this mid-credits scene, and simply leave the post-credits sequence at the end intact. If Shazam were to be made redundant now, it would be a cruel blow to fans to tease more only to shut it down further along the line.

Read more: Aldis Hodge on the future of the Justice Society

It does give us cause to wonder whether we will see the Justice Society members that were introduced in Black Adam again, too, of course. Equally, could we get a Justice Society reboot? Perhaps.

But the Justice Society in its current iteration, with Shazam recruited, could work really well with Gunns Task Force X. All the characters have a sense of humour that is in keeping with Gunns approach.

What Happens in Shazam! Fury of the Gods post-credits scene?

Zachary Levi as Shazam with Mark Strong's Dr. Thaddeus Sivana in 2019's Shazam! (Warner Bros.)

Audience members left wondering what of the tease of Mister Mind during the post-credits sequence of the original Shazam! movie were given some resolution in the Fury of the Gods post-credits stinger.

The scene saw an incarcerated Dr Sivana  the villain from the first movie, played by Mark Strong  still locked in the same cell two years later, shown by his full beard and moustache. The walls are still covered with his scribblings, including an image of Shazam with a noose around his neck.

Read more: David F Sandberg explains Mr Mind credits sting

The original stinger hinted at a super-villain team-up potentially leading to the formation of the Monster Society of Evil from the comics. In the scene, Mister Mind suggested he was more powerful than the gods  who Shazam has just come up against in the sequel  and promises Sivana fun taking the Seven Realms together. The Seven Realms are the Seven Magiclands from the comics accessed via the Rock of Eternity  where the Shazam family have established their lair.

When Mister Mind reappears to Sivana, he blames his long absence on his slow movement. Hes a two-inch long worm after all. An alien worm with genius-level intellect and telepathic powers, but a worm nonetheless.

Mr Mind is a big villain in the world of Shazam! (DC Comics)

Mister Mind tells Sivana that in order to implement the perfect plan, one must have patience.

Sivana is champing at the bit to learn more about Mister Minds plan  but unfortunately for him, Mister Mind leaves him alone once more, saying that theres just one more thing he needs to do.

Read more: The hidden Justice League cameos in Shazam!

The purpose of this post-credits sequence could be a way of setting up the story for a potential third adventure for Shazam, the one we might have at one point expected to see in the second film, based on the tease in the firsts stinger. And now that weve seen more of the scope of the Rock of Eternity in Fury of the Gods, a story about Mister Mind and Sivana attempting to take over the Seven Realms would flow nicely on from the close of this film.

However, it could also just be an amusing add-on, tying up the loose end left by an unexplored post-credits sequence included just for fun. The joke being that Mister Mind is slow  and Sivana still has a long wait inside those four walls ahead of him.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is in cinemas now. Watch a trailer below.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna speaks after being sworn in at a ceremony in December. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)

Days after Sheriff Robert Luna confirmed turning an investigation into suspected gun permitting fraud over to state prosecutors, the department on Thursday walked back that statement and said the matter had instead been turned over to federal authorities.

During an interview with the Los Angeles Times on Monday, Luna said it would have been a conflict of interest for the Sheriffs Department to handle the case, and that once he took office hed make sure to send the matter elsewhere, just as hed suggested on the campaign trail.

When I got here, we did turn it over to the state attorney general's office, he said during an interview at the Hall of Justice. That had no business being in this building.

After The Times published a story Thursday morning about the case, Jason Skeen  Lunas chief of staff  reached out to say the sheriff had misspoken, and, in fact, the matter had not been referred to state prosecutors.

Investigators met with the FBI, Skeen said. That was toward the end of January.

An FBI spokeswoman would not confirm or deny the meeting, or the investigation. But after initially deferring to local authorities, a spokesperson for the California attorney general confirmed Thursday that the Sheriffs Department did not hand off the case to that office.

News of the investigation first became public last year , when two deputies were relieved of duty and a Monterey Park gun store was raided. The actions were part of a probe that officials said stemmed from the discovery of irregularities in the process for issuing licenses to carry concealed weapons, also known as CCW permits.

Then-Sheriff Alex Villanueva put his often-criticized Public Corruption Unit in charge of the investigation, which he said had begun in late 2021.

In a news release in September, the department said detectives had served warrants at multiple locations regarding weapon law violations and, in the process, seized evidence involving individuals who appear to have been involved in a possible long-term scheme to defraud the citizens of Los Angeles County.

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The release included few details about the specific allegations. But, a few weeks later, The Times published an investigation into the departments handling of concealed carry permits. The Times found that among the thousands who received such permits were dozens of Villanueva donors and other people linked to him. Several gave questionable reasons for needing to be armed, received their permits more quickly than average or were assisted by two deputies who worked directly for Villanueva.

Those deputies  Gisel Del Real and Carrie Robles  were each relieved of duty in September, and detectives showed up at Del Reals home to ask her questions and seize evidence.

Three months later, Del Real and Robles filed a lawsuit in state court, alleging that theyd been sexually harassed at work as early as 2020 and that theyd only been put under criminal investigation in retaliation for reporting the harassment.

On the campaign trail, Luna criticized Villanuevas handling of the case, saying the sheriff should not, and cannot investigate himself.

In emails this week, Villanueva said that was never the case, and that he was deliberately walled off from any involvement and decision making regarding Public Corruption Unit investigations.

That unit, he said, had contacted both state and federal law enforcement agencies for assistance before the departments Internal Criminal Investigation Bureau took charge of the case.

Then in January, after Luna took office, sheriffs investigators started talking with the FBI. According to Skeen, those conversations eventually led to a meeting, and the Sheriffs Department handed off the case.

Following this weeks interview when the sheriff mistakenly said the matter had been forwarded to the state attorney general, Skeen said he and the sheriff spoke briefly about the case Wednesday and decided to double-check their facts internally.

The two later realized that it had in fact been handed over to the FBI.

The U.S. attorneys office did not immediately comment on whether federal prosecutors have become involved.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
On Friday, March 17, Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux and Police Chief Wayne Smith were notified that Officer Alexander Tyler has resigned from the Shreveport Police Department.

According to the press release, the decision was made entirely by Tyler and his attorney.

Tyler was allegedly involved in a shooting on Feb. 3 that resulted in the death of Alonzo Sentell Bagley, 43.

Around 10:51 p.m. that evening, two Shreveport Police officers responded to a domestic disturbance call at the Villa Norte Apartment Complex in the 1600 block of Fullerton St.

Did Shreveport officer Alexander Tyler have a history of being involved in chases?

Tyler was a taken on a short foot trace when Bagley exited the apartment via the balcony. Tyler made contact with Bagley when he rounded the corner of the building and fired a single shot that struck Bagley in the chest.

Tyler attempted to perform lifesaving aid to Bagley until the Shreveport Fire Department arrived and transported Bagley to Ochsner LSU Health where he was later pronounced dead.

More:People's Promise Youth march for justice for Alonzo Bagley in Downtown Shreveport

Following the shooting, Louisiana State Police took over the investigation.

Tyler was arrested in connection with the death of Bagley on February 16. LSP said that Tyler was booked into the Caddo Correctional Center on the charge of Negligent Homicide. He bonded out later that day.

In the release, LSP provided video body footage of Tyler firing his weapon at Bagley and performing aid after the incident. Tyler can be heard saying, "no man, no man, come on dude." The "critical incident community briefing video" was created by LSP and is posted on YouTube. The video contains graphic pictures and language.

More:Alonzo Bagley's family and City of Shreveport respond to officer's arrest, body cam video

Meredith G. White is the arts and culture reporter for the Shreveport Times. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White, on Instagram and Twitter as @meredithgwhite, and email her at mgwhite@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport police officer resigns after shooting death of Alonzo Bagley
Many victims dont remember being drugged or assaulted until hours later.

Many victims dont remember being drugged or assaulted until hours later.

Four years ago, Taylor Hansen decided to go out with some work friends to a bar in town. Shed just moved to Austin, Texas, so she figured it was a good chance to acquaint herself with the city and get to know her co-workers better.

Hansen and her colleagues would each nurse a few drinks over the course of the evening. It was around an hour after the second drink that she and one of her friends went up to the bar to get their third.

While my friend and I were waiting for our drinks to be made, a few men started talking to us and asking us strange questions, which in hindsight I believe was to distract us from what they were planning on doing, Hansen, now 25, told HuffPost.

The pair of friends went back to their table, where Hansen texted her boyfriend and told him she was headed home soon. But within 20 or 30 minutes of ingesting her drink, she was fully unconscious.

Suspecting shed been roofied  or that something else was seriously wrong with their new co-worker  Hansens group acted fast, calling an ambulance to pick her up.

Based on what I learned in the [emergency room] ... I believe I was drugged with GHB  or liquid ecstasy, as its also known, Hansen said. One of my work friends texted our group chat the next morning to check on us, and thats when I learned that my friend that went up to get her third drink with me that night was also drugged.

Unfortunately, the bar had no cameras near the drink station, so there was no way to identify whoever had drugged them.

I later looked at some photos and videos from that night that we had all taken, and in one of the photos, you can see the men that had spoken to my friend and I up at the bar, but their backs were to the camera, Hansen said. The bar has since been shut down.

The date-rape drug youve likely heard about most is Rohypnol, which the 90s slang roofie is a remnant of. But these days, GHB and ketamine are more commonly used in drug-facilitated sexual assault cases, according to Maria Michonski, a statewide training specialist at the Sexual Assault Center service provider in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Those two are used frequently because they ... result in incapacitation in the extreme, are easy to drop into a drink subtly, and will leave the bloodstream and body systems in a number of hours, making testing for them after an assault incredibly difficult to impossible, Michonski told HuffPost.

But any drug that makes someone loopy, groggy or otherwise incapacitated can be used to roofie someone, said Dr. Kate Rowland, an associate professor in the department of family and preventive medicine at Illinois Rush University.

Its also worth noting that sometimes people can be drugged by drugs they take intentionally, she said. Perpetrators may offer a victim a pill claiming its a small dose of one drug, when in reality its a big dose of another drug.

I just want people (especially women) to know that date rape drugs are not some rarity that only come out at frat parties.Kat Abughazaleh, in a viral Twitter thread about her date-rape drug experience

Many experts say its alcohol thats the most common date-rape drug.

At least 50% of sexual assaults involve alcohol consumption by the perpetrator and/or victim, Michonski said.

We think of date-rape drugs as any substance that alters the coherence and physical/mental ability of a person and removes their capacity to consent to sexual interaction or contact, and/or that is used by a perpetrator as a vehicle or tool to enact sexual violence, she said.

Thirteen percent of all college students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, or RAINN.

As a story from Media Matters researcher Kat Abughazaleh suggests, spiking drinks isnt an uncommon occurrence outside of college campuses, either. In a Twitter thread last year, Abughazaleh, who lives in the Washington area, detailed how she came to realize something had been put in her drink one night. Abughazaleh said that the next morning, she had horrible brain fog, difficulty articulating ... [her] thoughts and a massive headache.

I just want people (especially women) to know that date rape drugs are not some rarity that only come out at frat parties, she wrote in the thread, which went viral on the platform.

Unfortunately, because date-rape drugs arent always easy to detect  they blend in too well with drinks  many victims dont realize theyve been drugged or assaulted until hours later.

With that in mind, HuffPost asked experts like Michonski to describe some of the most common signs that someone has been nonconsensually drugged.

Feeling fatigued, disoriented or dizzy is a common sign of being drugged.

Feeling fatigued, disoriented or dizzy is a common sign of being drugged.

You feel fatigued, disoriented or dizzy.

Although it depends on the substance, common symptoms of being drugged include fatigue, dizziness, nausea, feeling drunk or intoxicated, disorientation and just not feeling well, according to Rowland.

In general, people who have been drugged with a roofie are having a good time and feeling fine until the drug hits their system, she said. They then often feel very unwell, falling down or staggering drunk once the drug kicks in.

Thats the point when the perpetrator will likely try to assist [the victim] out or help them, Rowland said.

You experience unconsciousness or a blackout.

Frequently, these drugs can result in someone completely losing consciousness or quickly getting to a blackout state, Michonski said.

Someone may appear conscious  theyre awake and moving, even speaking  but are so intoxicated by the substance they are not cognitively able to remember what is happening and are not functioning from a reliable mental space to make decisions or give consent, she said.

Your vision or hearing is off.

You might experience blurred sight, or some form of tunnel vision or double vision, Michonski said.

These drugs can also dull your sense of hearing, making it more difficult to know what is happening around you or what is being said to you, she explained.

Youre vomiting or otherwise feeling badly hungover.

People often report waking up and feeling thirsty or extremely hungover, or even vomiting, said Dr. Ralph Riviello, a professor who chairs the emergency medicine department at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Oftentimes this is perceived as worse than usual after drinking, he said. If the person had not consumed alcohol, its confusing and not expected.

If you think you've been drugged, tell someone you can trust as soon as possible.

If you think you've been drugged, tell someone you can trust as soon as possible.

You have gaps in your memory.

Sometimes the only sign youve been drugged is waking up and having no recollection of how the night went down. You might feel like you mysteriously lost a chunk of time or only remember what happened up until a certain point.

Someone whos been drugged may have gaps in their memory but still have the sense that something is wrong, Rowland said. Their body may be sore, or they may feel that they have had intercourse that they dont remember.

There are signs of possible sexual assault.

Indications that youve been drugged and sexually assaulted include painful urination, genital pain, and possible genital bruising or tenderness, Riviello said.

You may notice fluid  lubricant and/or semen  around or coming from your vagina or anus, he said. There may be torn clothes. If the assailant re-dressed them after the assault, clothes, especially underwear, may be incompletely put back on or backward.

Heres what to do if you suspect youve been roofied.

If you think youve been drugged, there are things you can do during and after the incident to take care of yourself, mentally and physically.

In the moment, attempt to identify a safe bystander who can help you.

As soon as possible, tell someone you trust or a bystander that you think youve been drugged, so that you can make a record of whatever you remember and get medical care, Michonski said.

Share with them as much as you can: who you think did it, how you think you were drugged, how you are feeling, what an emergency contact number is for you, she said.

Also, try to save the beverage you were drinking; it could potentially be tested to see what you were drugged with.

Stick with your group and dont go anywhere alone with someone you dont know. Definitely dont attempt to ride it out without medical assistance, and dontkeep information to yourself, Michonski said.

You can make all other decisions about reporting, pursuing an investigation later once you are medically safe and back to complete coherence, Michonski added.

If you suspect youve been drugged, you should identify a safe bystander who can help you.

If you suspect youve been drugged, you should identify a safe bystander who can help you.

Get medical help as soon as you can.

Since many date-rape drugs leave the body quickly  within 12 to 72 hours  its important to act fast. Seek care in the emergency room, preferably one that has sexual assault nurse examiners to conduct a medical forensic examination, Riviello said.

During that exam, potential forensic evidence will be collected, packaged and transferred to the crime lab, he said. Even if you do not press charges, it is worthwhile to have the exam and collect evidence to preserve it in case you change your mind.

They can also perform drug and alcohol testing using blood or urine specimens.

If you cant get to a hospital immediately, RAINN recommends saving your urine in a clean, sealable container as soon as possible, and placing it in the refrigerator or freezer.

For help locating a hospital or medical center that provides exams and testing, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673).

After seeking help, make an effort to take care of yourself and your mental health.

If youre feeling distressed in the days, weeks, months or even years after being drugged, reach out for help. If you dont know who to go to, or how youll afford therapy, call your local rape crisis center. Almost all have a hotline and advocates who can give you advice on what to do and where to go, as well as provide emotional support, Riviello said.

Most of all, dont underestimate the stress and trauma of your experience. Remind yourself that this all too commonly happens  to women and men, and to people of all ages, not just college students  and that youre not alone or to blame for the violence done to you.

Hansen, the woman drugged at an Austin bar, said shes still speaking with a therapist to work through her trauma.

Its scary how fast you can be drugged unknowingly, even when you think youre being alert and aware of your surroundings, she said.

Get help if you need it, she added. It is so violating and scary, and it can be really hard to process the stress of an event like this alone.

Need help? Visit RAINNs National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Centers website.

Related...
Photograph: Kori Suzuki/Reuters

Silicon Valley Banks parent company filed for bankruptcy protection on Friday, a week after the tech lender was taken over by federal regulators following a 36-hour surge of depositor withdrawals that triggered the worst bank collapse since the financial crisis.

SVB Financial Group filed for chapter 11 protection on Friday in New York bankruptcy court where administrators will set about selling off assets to meet creditors claims.

Related: What is happening in financial markets and could there be a global crisis?

The failed Silicon Valley Bank, which is now under the control of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), is not part of the bankruptcy. Instead, court-appointed administrators will unwind an investment management arm, SVB Capital, investment bank SVB Securities and wealth manager SVB Private.

A number of hedge funds and asset managers have bought discounted bonds issued by SVB Financial, according to the Wall Street Journal, despite warnings from federal officials that investors will probably be wiped out.

Typically, assets sold through bankruptcy go to creditors. In this case, however, investors in SVB Financial, which holds around $2.2bn in cash and liquid securities, $3.3bn of bond debt and $3.7bn of preferred stock, may need to help cover losses at SVB.

William Kosturos, SVB Financial restructuring officer, said the bankruptcy process would allow the group to preserve value as it evaluates strategic alternatives for its prized businesses and assets.

The bankruptcy filing comes a day after Wall Streets biggest banks announced a $30bn deal to prop up First Republic, another mid-sized bank whose depositors fled, scared off by the recent banking crisis.

The move, coordinated with US regulators, was meant to act as a firewall by protecting First Republic and stopping the rout spreading to other mid-sized banks. First Republics share price rallied on Thursday on news of the deal but fell sharply on Friday as jitters about the health of the baking sector re-emerged.
In the aftermath of two of the largest bank failures in U.S. history, many elected officials who received thousands of dollars in donations from executives with Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank are silent on what they will do with the money.

USA TODAY reached out to several of the biggest recipients of money from Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, but spokespeople for those officials did not respond to USA TODAYs multiple requests for comment.

While President Joe Biden's 2020 campaign and the Democratic National Committee told USA TODAY they will donate money received from Silicon Valley Bank to charity, others have not said what they will do.

Among those who received significant sums in recent years and did not answer questions by time of publication:

Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, whose campaign and related PAC received at least $58,700.

McHenry's donations include $10,000 from Silicon Valley Bank PAC; $21,800 from Signature Bank chairman Scott Shay; $15,900 from Signature Bank executive vice president Thomas Kasulka; and $11,000 from Signature Bank CEO Joseph DePaolo.



Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., whose campaign received at least $27,200.

Warner's donations include $21,600 from Silicon Valley Bank PAC and $5,600 from Silicon Valley Bank CEO Greg Becker.



House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., whose campaign and related PACs received at least $32,910.

That total includes campaign account donations of $13,667 from Silicon Valley Bank PAC and $3,483 from Signature Bank executive Brian Hallinan. His Majority Committee PAC received $5,000 from Silicon Valley Bank PAC and $2,500 from Becker. Silicon Valley Bank PAC also gave $5,000 to McCarthy Victory Fund 2014 and $2,900 to McCarthy Victory Fund in 2015.



Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., whose campaign and related PAC received $11,100.

That includes $8,600 from Silicon Valley Bank PAC to her campaign, $1,000 from Silicon Valley Bank PAC to an affiliated PAC, and $1,500 from Becker.



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Recovery of Signature Bank, SVB political donations unlikely

Unlike a typical bankruptcy case, there is no legal requirement for lawmakers to return money received from banks that have subsequently been taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, according to Yesha Yadav, a professor at Vanderbilt Law School who specializes in financial regulation.

This is more of a moral thing at this point, Yadav said. I think with folks on both sides that have critiqued the bailout for various reasons, they might feel morally compelled.

William Howell, a political science professor at the University of Chicago, said Democrats would be unlikely to return donations because of criticism Biden has received over his handling of the bank, and Republicans may not feel responsibility for Biden's response.

The Biden administration said it would make whole the customers who held their money in these banks, although the banks' stockholders will not receive the same protection, and executives will be fired. Critics have called the move a "bailout," though Biden said taxpayer money wont cover the customer losses.

"Given these two facts  that the scandal involves a government bailout, and not the bank failure, per se; and that the Biden administration helped orchestrate the bailout  it doesnt surprise me that so few Democrats are heeding calls for the return of donations from the Silicon Valley Bank PAC," Howell said.

Republicans, on the other hand, are not implicated by Biden's handling of the crisis, he said, so they're "less likely to experience any significant political fallout from keeping these donations.

Reps. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., right, and Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., left, in September.

Some Democrats say they'll offload Signature, SVB donations, but details slim

Some are choosing to offload the money anyway.

On Friday afternoon, a spokesperson for the the Democratic National Committee said both it and Biden's 2020 campaign would give Silicon Valley Bank money to charity.

The aide said the Democratic National Committee would donate the $12,050 from Silicon Valley Bank managing director Greg Brady, $5,600 that Brady gave to Biden for President, and $2,800 that Silicon Valley Bank CEO Greg Becker gave to Biden for President.



Biden's presidential campaign and PACs received at least $11,900, according to records from the Federal Election Commission, including the $5,600 from Brady. Another executive, Claire Lee, the former brand ambassador and head of startup banking who took over one of Brady's roles running a division of Silicon Valley Bank, gave $6,300 to the Biden Victory Fund.



The Democratic National Committee received at least $32,250 from Silicon Valley Bank executives since 2012. Brady gave $17,050 over the years, including a $5,000 donation in 2012. Lee gave $15,000 in 2018 and $200 in 2020. Several other former Silicon Valley Bank executives donated in the past.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., whose district includes part of Silicon Valley, will return all donations, the congressman's communications director, Marie Baldassarre, told USA TODAY. Its not clear if the money will go back to the donor or be donated to charity.

Khanna received $1,500 from Becker in 2015 and $500 from him in 2018, according to records from the Federal Election Commission.

On Wednesday, spokespeople for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the former chair of the House Financial Services Committee, told CNBC and Politico, respectively, they would donate the money to charity. Their offices did not respond to USA TODAYs requests for comment.

Schumer received $6,600 from Signature Bank chairman Scott Shay; $5,800 from Silicon Valley Bank CEO Greg Becker; $2,500 from Signature Bank president, CEO and director Joseph DePaolo; and $1,500 from Signature Bank executive vice president and chief lending officer Thomas Kasulka.



Waters received $2,500 from Silicon Valley Bank PAC in 2020.

Dig deeper:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: SVB, Signature Bank political donations: Will officials return them?
Six more former students filed lawsuits against Agape Boarding School Wednesday in the Western District of Missouri. The now-closed Stockton school is currently facing 12 federal lawsuits.

Last week, two former students filed lawsuits against the school. Four suits were filed in January. All of the lawsuits allege that the former students suffered abuse while in the custody of Agape Boarding School. The lawsuits also argue that the school knew about multiple instances of abuse prior to the students' arrivals, but failed to do anything.

Lawyer Ryan Frazier of Monsees & Mayer P.C. represents 10 former students in these lawsuits: Hayden Frazier of Indiana, Corey Fernandes of California, Michael Payne of Louisiana, Adrian Lokuan of Texas, Blake Boatswain of Florida, Jaden Loman of Florida, Joshua Berreth of Texas, Wayne Woolshleger of Indiana, Cameron McManus of Texas and Ethan Nguyen of California. Each former student in these cases are seeking $75,000 in damages and a trial by jury. All complaints allege physical and emotional abuse by Agape Boarding School employees and staff.

More:Agape Boarding School in Stockton makes 'voluntary' decision to close, cites finances

Lawyer Jarett Johnson of McGonagle Spencer Gahagan, is representing two former students, Darian Shelton of Florida and David Gawargious of New York. According to the filings, both men allege they were forcefully taken from their homes to the Stockton school and that they suffered mistreatment and abuse at the school. The suits request trials by jury, damages "in such fair and reasonable amounts to be determined at trial" and other things the court "deems just and proper."

Among those involved in the lawsuits, some former students attended Agape as early as 2014, while others attended as recently as 2021.

John Schultz, the lawyer who represents Agape Boarding School, declined to comment.

Among the 12 suits, at least four were previously filed in circuit court

Cases involving former students Hayden Frazier, Fernandes, Payne and Lokuan were previously filed in Cedar County Circuit Court in April 2022 and moved to Vernon County Circuit Court. All complaints allege physical and emotional abuse by Agape Boarding School employees and staff.

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On Jan. 9, Ryan Frazier of Monsees & Mayer P.C. filed a motion to dismiss all four cases in state court before filing lawsuits in federal court. Ryan Frazier represents the plaintiffs in all four cases. Since the plaintiffs are out of state, they are suing in the Western District of Missouri court.

When asked about the reasoning for moving the cases to federal court, Ryan Frazier said in an email at the time of filing that, "We feel that Federal court is an appropriate venue to achieving justice for our clients in an expediate manner."

More:New evidence in Agape Boarding School suits says abuse drove students to attempt suicide

Ongoing investigation, lawsuits involving Agape Boarding School

For more than a year, the Stockton-based Christian reform school has been under investigation for abuse allegations. The school closed on Jan. 20, "solely due to the lack of financial resources to continue caring for the boys," said former director of Agape Boarding School Bryan Clemensen in a press release.

More than 19 lawsuits have been filed against Agape Boarding School by former students, including graphic accounts of the alleged abuse. According to reporting by the Kansas City Star, 16 of the civil lawsuits have been settled for undisclosed amounts as of March 7 and dismissed with prejudice, meaning they cannot be tried again.

In June, the school lost its accreditation from the National Council of Private School Accreditation and the Association of Christian Teachers and Schools.

More:A huge slap in the face: Former Agape Boarding School students worry about prosecution of abuse allegations

In August, Julio Sandoval, the former dean at Agape Boarding School, was accused of transporting a teen against his will from California to Stockton.

In September 2021, Cedar County Prosecutor Ty Gaither filed 13 low-level "Class E" felony assault charges against five people linked to Agape Boarding School. As of December 2022, the majority of the charges were dismissed or reduced to misdemeanors.

Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Six former students file federal suits against Agape Boarding School
(Reuters) -Slovakia on Friday became the second of Ukraine's allies to provide MIG-29 fighter jets which Kyiv believes are crucial to repel Russia's year-long invasion.

Slovakia joined Poland, which announced its delivery of the planes on Thursday. Both the NATO members neighbour Ukraine.

Its fleet of 11 MiG-29 planes was retired last summer and most of them are not in operational condition. It will send those that are operational and the rest will go for spare parts.

Slovakia will also supply part of its KUB air-defence system, Prime Minister Eduard Heger said.

"Today, the government decided and unanimously approved an international agreement (on the donation)," Heger said.

"The process of handing over these fighter jets is closely coordinated with the Polish side, with Ukraine and, of course, with other allies," he said.

Slovakia will receive financial compensation the European Union. It has also reached an agreement with the United States on deliveries of military material worth around $700 million, Heger said.

NATO allies in the former communist east such as Poland and Slovakia have been particularly vocal supporters of Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

On Thursday, Poland announced it would send Ukraine four MiG-29 fighter jets in coming days, making it the first of Kyiv's allies to provide such aircraft.

Western countries that have provided Ukraine with arms have so far declined to send fighter jets.

Slovakia ordered F-16 fighter jets from the United States in 2018 to replace the ageing MiG-29 planes. The first U.S.-made planes are expected to arrive in 2024 after a delay.

Heger's government is ruling in a caretaker capacity until early elections set for September, which made the opposition and even some members of the ruling coalition question whether the cabinet is permitted to decide on such thing as the MiGs.

Heger said that law experts which his government consulted all said that the move was legally sound.

(Reporting by Robert Muller in Prague; Writing by Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk;Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Angus MacSwan)
At an extraordinary online meeting, the Slovak government decided to transfer 13 MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine.

Source: Eduard Heger, Prime Minister of Slovakia, at the press conference on Friday, reports European Pravda



Details: Heger said at the briefing that the government had unanimously approved an agreement to donate MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine and would provide the aircraft jointly with Poland.

"Today, the government unanimously approved an international agreement on the basis of which a decision was made to provide Ukraine with MiGs and a part of the Kub air defence system," Aktuality quoted Heger as saying.

He stressed that the fighter jets would serve to protect Ukrainians and not be used for offence.

Slovakia is to receive 900 million in compensation from its allies for the fighter jets.

The fighter jets are still in Slovakia, and Defence Minister Nad did not say at the briefing when they would be handed over to Ukraine.

Slovakia announced its decision the day after Polish President Andrzej Duda announced the transfer of four MiG-29s to Ukraine in the coming days.

Thus, two NATO countries have publicly promised to provide Ukraine with combat aircraft.

After Poland's decision, the United States said it still had no plans to send American F-16s to Ukraine.

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(Bloomberg) -- Slovakia will send its entire fleet of Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine to boost its defense against Russian forces, government officials said.

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The eastern NATO member state will send all 13 of its MiG-29 jets  grounded since last August and in various states of readiness  at an unspecified date, Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad told reporters in Bratislava on Friday.

The announcement comes a day after Poland said it will send four Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine in the coming days. Both nations are responding to pleas from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who has persistently demanded warplanes since the first days of the war as essential to driving back the Russian invasion.

The deliveries would cross a threshold in sending firepower to Kyiv, as many western allies have drawn the line at delivering fighter jets, citing the risk of being drawn into a direct confrontation with Moscow.

And while the aging aircraft dont meet the standard of more modern F-16s or similar models Kyiv has craved most, MiG shipments could add to Ukraines fleet with operational jets or spare parts for its own damaged stock.

Officials didnt specify when the jets, which have been grounded since a maintenance agreement with Russia was terminated last year, will be transferred to Ukraine, citing security reasons. Slovakia is awaiting the delivery of new US-made F-16 warplanes.

The nation will also send part of its Kub air-defense system to Ukraine. In return, it will receive about $700 million worth of US military equipment and $200 million from European Union funds, Nad told reporters.

Read More: Poland to Send Four Soviet-Era Jets to Kyiv in Coming Days

Story continues

Last month, Nad said that Ukraine would be able to add as many as eight new planes to its fleet from Slovak hardware.

The Kremlin dismissed the plan of Slovakia and Poland on Friday, saying the fighter jets wont be a game changer.

You get the feeling that these countries are just getting rid of old, unneeded equipment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Tass. You dont need to be a military expert to say that this wont affect the war, he added, saying that they will be subject to destruction by Russian forces.

The administration has been a staunch ally of Ukraine despite public opposition that has risen over the past few months of political turmoil. Prime Minister Eduard Heger defended the decision to send the jets, saying they were not dragging Slovakia into the war.

--With assistance from Peter Laca.

(Updates with reaction from Russia from ninth paragraph.)

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The Slovak government has approved providing Ukraine with 13 MiG-29 fighter jets, Prime Minister Eduard Heger said on March 17.

This decision makes Slovakia the second NATO member state after Poland to pledge the aircraft to Ukraine.

"Promises must be kept, and when (Ukraine's President Volodymyr) Zelensky asked for more weapons, including fighter jets, I said we'll do our best. Glad others (are) doing the same," Heger wrote on Twitter. "Military aid is key to ensure Ukraine can defend itself and entire Europe against Russia."

In addition to Soviet-era jets, Slovakia will also send "part of the Kub anti-aircraft system," Heger said at a news conference, as cited by Slovak media outlet Aktuality.

He also emphasized that the MiG-29 fighter jets would serve to protect the Ukrainian sky, not to carry out attacks against the Russian military.

Slovakia should receive 900 million euros in compensation from allies for the fighter jets it pledged to supply to Ukraine in a joint effort with Warsaw, according to Aktuality.

The Slovak government's decision comes a day after Polish President Andrzej Duda said his country would hand over the first four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine within the coming days.

"The remaining aircraft are being serviced and prepared," Duda added, without mentioning the total number of MiG-29s Poland plans to send to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Kyiv's allies, including the U.S., have so far refused to supply modern fighter jets to Ukraine, such as the U.S.-built F-16, in service since the 1970s and operated by over 20 nations.
WARSAW, Poland, and WASHINGTON  Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger has announced his country will deliver 13 out-of-commission Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine as part of Bratislavas support to the nations struggle against the Russian invasion.

Promises must be kept, Heger said in a tweet on Friday, adding that Slovakias military aid was designed to help Ukraine defend itself and entire Europe against Russia.

The latest move comes one day after Polish President Andrzej Duda declared his country will supply the first four MiG-29 jets to Ukraine in the coming days, with more aircraft to be delivered in the future.

Slovakia secured 24 single-seater and twin-seater Soviet-made fighters following Czechoslovakias dissolution, according to data from the Slovak Ministry of Defence. Of these, the 11 remaining operational aircraft were withdrawn from service last August.

Commenting on the Slovak prime ministers announcement, the countrys Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said in a Facebook post on Friday: Slovakia is donating retired, unused and unusable MiG-29s. He added that Ukraine has a plant where they can service them, it has trained pilots who know how to fly such jets.

In addition to the fighters, Slovakia will also supply elements of its Soviet-built 2K12 KUB air defense systems to Ukraine, local news agency TASR reported. In return for the donated gear, Nad said earlier this week the country hopes to receive about 200 million ($213 million) from the European Unions European Peace Facility, and some $700 million worth of weapons and military equipment from the United States.

The Polish president said his countrys air force will replace the donated Soviet-made fighters with some of the 48 FA-50 light attack aircraft Polands Ministry of National Defence ordered from South Korea in September 2022. The first 12 FA-50s are to be supplied this year, and the remaining 36 jets in the years 2025 to 2028.

In the meantime, Slovakia is awaiting the procurement of 14 F-16 Block 70/72 fighters bought from the U.S. to protect the countrys skies. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2024.

Story continues

The two eastern European countries warplane pledges have not swayed Washington to follow suit by donating F-16s, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Friday.

We knew that this was something that the Slovakian government was considering doing so its not a surprise that they moved in this direction, Kirby said. No, it doesnt have any impact or effect on our own sovereign decision making when it comes to the F-16.

The U.S. argument is that Ukraines military uses Russian-made MiGs and can absorb them quickly but not the Lockheed Martin-made F-16s.

Theyre comfortable with those fighter aircraft. They know how to fly them and they know how to maintain them; they know how to operate them and use them in a battlefield situation, Kirby said, calling the MiGs additive to the fighter aircraft capabilities that the Ukrainian Air Force has at their disposal.

Kirby called Slovakia a terrific supporter of efforts to aid Ukraine, to which the U.S. has pledged more than $30 billion in military aid since the invasion.
A leprechaun high-fives parade watchers during the St. Patricks Day Parade at The Gateway in Salt Lake City on Saturday, March 11, 2023. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News

Most Americans associate St. Patricks day with wearing green clothes, drinking green beverages or viewing the Chicago River after its been dyed green. The holiday looks a little different now than when it was originally celebrated around the ninth century.

Who is St. Patrick?

St. Patricks Day is celebrated annually on March 17, the anniversary of St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle. Born in Roman Britain toward the end of the fourth century, he was kidnapped when he was 16 and taken to Ireland, where he became a slave. He eventually escaped.

He later became a priest and returned to Ireland to convert the Irish people to Christianity. According to Time magazine, St. Patrick was actually born Maewyn Succat, according to legend; he changed his name to Patricius, or Patrick, which derives from the Latin term for father figure, when he became a priest.

By the time of his death, St. Patrick had established schools, churches and monasteries. Although he did notable things in his lifetime, its the legends surrounding his story that keep the celebration of his life alive today.

Legend has it that he preached a sermon on a hillside in Ireland banning all snakes from the island. More notable is the legend that he preached about the Holy Trinity using the native Irish clover to symbolize the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which gave the shamrock its popularity today.

The holiday goes big

Throughout history, Ireland has celebrated the holiday with religious observance and a traditional feast of Irish native food like cabbage and Irish bacon. However, it was the patriotism of Irish immigrants to America that gave the holiday its global popularity.

According to History.com, One of the earliest St. Patricks Day celebrations in America took place in Boston in 1737, when a group of Irish Protestants gathered to honor their homelands saint. ... In the 1760s, when America still consisted of 13 British colonies, a group of Irishmen serving in the British army in New York City started the tradition of parading on St. Patricks Day.

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Chicagos tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green began in 1960 as a way to clean up the rivers waterfront. The green dye helped plumbers spot where pipes were leaking sewage into the river. In 1962, the Plumbers Local Union decided to use 100 pounds of that dye in the river to turn it green for St. Patricks Day  and it stayed that way for a week, Enjoy Illinois said.

New York City holds the record for the largest St. Patricks Day parade. Today the parade, which travels 1.5 miles up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, is billed as the worlds oldest and largest St. Patricks Day parade. Among the approximately 150,000 marchers are politicians, school children, bands, bagpipers, police, firefighters and other municipal workers, History.com reported.

Related

Holiday expenses

Due to the fact that St. Patricks Day falls on a Friday this year, odds are more people will go out to share their holiday spirit. The National Retail Federation estimated how much they think Americans will be spending this holiday: Americans are estimated to spend $6.85 billion. They report that the average American will spend about $43.84 and that nearly 61% of Americans will be participating in festivities  more than ever before.
Vladimir Putin

Russian media maintain that South Africa is expecting Putin to attend the BRICS summit in Durban this August, in person.

Read also: Russia scouring Myanmar, Africa, Middle East for ammo, Ukrainian intelligence says

The report notes this would create further diplomatic difficulties for Moscow, but even if the dictator chooses to come, the prospect of the host nation's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, ordering his forces to lead Mr Putin away in handcuffs is thought to be a hugely remote one.

In 2015, South Africa refused to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who was also under an ICC warrant.

Read also: Russia uses North Africa to circumvent oil sanctions, WSJ reports

South Africa remains a party to the Rome Statute, despite attempts to withdraw from the agreement after the al-Bashir scandal.

On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Putin, over Russian war crimes committed in Ukraine.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
(Bloomberg) -- South Africas newly appointed electricity minister warned that record electricity outages could get even worse and said the state power utilitys performance targets need to be reviewed to determine whether they are appropriate.

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All indications are that it is going to be difficult as electricity demand increases going into winter and the dire energy situation could deteriorate further, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said in an interview at Bloombergs Johannesburg office on Friday. We need to set explicit targets and those must be met to provide confidence to business, the markets and households that the crisis is being addressed, he said.

Africas most-industrialized nation has been subjected to rolling blackouts every day this year as Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., the state company that supplies about 90% of the nations electricity, fails to meet demand from its dilapidated plants. President Cyril Ramaphosa this month named Ramokgopa as electricity minister, a new position in the presidency, and tasked him with reducing outages, improving Eskoms plant performance and accelerating the procurement of additional generation capacity.

I see myself as a portfolio manager addressing the multiplicity of programs that have been instituted to improve the power supply, Ramokgopa said. Theres no minister who has done that.

Click here to watch the full interview with Ramokgopa.

Ramokgopa will visit power stations and meet with business representatives to determine firsthand how much unutilized generation capacity can be connected to the grid and how quickly  an assessment that should take about four weeks. Thereafter, he intends releasing a detailed plan spelling out how much additional power will be brought online and over what timespan.

Story continues

Eskoms performance has deteriorated to the point where less than half of its capacity has been regularly available. Mpho Makwana, the utilitys chairman, on Thursday commended its staff after six of its plants registered an energy availability factor of 70% for the first time since May.

The problem with that is just today we could be told the same ones are now down to 40%, Ramokgopa said. The fact that a monopoly issues a statement to celebrate such a performance is just an illustration of the crisis, he said.

The central bank estimates that outages, which have been instituted since 2008, will shave 2 percentage points off growth this year. The blackouts have dented support for the governing African National Congress, with opinion polls showing the party is in danger of losing its parliamentary majority in next years elections.

South Africas National Treasury has hired a consortium of international consultants to review Eskoms fleet of 14 coal plants and determine which ones can be restored to meet the original equipment-manufacturers standards. The utility will have to implement the groups recommendations to access 254 billion rand ($13.8 billion) of debt relief from the government over the next three years.

In the search for solutions, all options are on the table, including issuing concessions to private investors to run power plants if that is found to be feasible, according to Ramokgopa. The privately owned Kelvin power station boasts of having an 80% energy availability factor, although that is unconfirmed, he said.

Efforts to mitigate demand for energy should also be explored, including the option of utilizing technology to remotely switch off water heaters in households, which could potentially free up as much as 4,000 megawatts of capacity, Ramokgopa said.

--With assistance from Jennifer Zabasajja and Amogelang Mbatha.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
By Francesco Guarascio

HANOI (Reuters) - SpaceX, Netflix and Boeing are among the companies joining the "biggest-ever" U.S. business mission to Vietnam next week to discuss investment and sales opportunities in the booming Southeast Asian nation, the organiser said.

More than 50 companies, including defence, pharmaceutical and tech firms, will participate in the mission organised by the US-ASEAN Business Council, an industry body, according to a list seen by Reuters.

The delegation is a sign of rising interest in the global manufacturing hub, which is benefiting from a shift away from China amid Sino-U.S. trade friction.

Vietnam, with a population of 100 million people, also has a rapidly-growing consumer market as its middle class expands.

"This is the biggest-ever mission in Vietnam," said Vu Tu Thanh, the US-ASEAN Business Council's representative in the country, noting that the body had been organising these events for three decades.

Streaming giant Netflix, which Reuters last month reported was planning to open an office in Vietnam, is among the companies joining the trip. Netflix did not respond to a request for comment.

Aerospace manufacturers Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Bell will hold meetings with state-owned Vietnamese defence procurement companies, Thanh told Reuters, adding that it was the first time in about a decade that security firms had decided to join the annual mission to Vietnam.

In December, the same companies held talks with Vietnamese government officials about the possible sale of helicopters and drones, as the country seeks new suppliers and the Ukraine conflict strains the capabilities of Russia, for decades Vietnam's main military partner.

"Helicopters is one of the things the companies hope to sell to the Vietnamese," Thanh said, although he cautioned that defence deals took time to be completed and no immediate breakthrough was expected.

Boeing said in a statement that its discussions with officials would focus on its growing partnership with Vietnam and ways to strengthen the country's aviation and defence capabilities.

Story continues

Lockheed Martin and Bell did not respond to requests for comment.

The majority of the companies joining the business mission already have a business or manufacturing presence in Vietnam, including Apple, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, Thanh said, with some planning to expand it.

Some companies are also coming to get a better sense of the political situation after recent turmoil in the Communist-Party led country, including the resignation of the president in January, Thanh added.

Participants will have meetings with Vietnam's top political and regulatory leadership, including with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Thanh said some companies were interested in Vietnam as a manufacturing hub and in providing services to increasingly wealthy consumers at a time when economic growth reached more than 8% last year.

Among them is SpaceX, which is looking to sell its satellite internet services to Vietnam and other countries in the region, Thanh said. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.

The mission will also include semiconductors companies, pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, medical device maker Abbott, financial firms Visa and Citibank, internet and cloud companies Meta and Amazon Web Services, the list showed.

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Jamie Freed)
MADRID (AP)  Spain has officially entered a period of long-term drought, owing to high temperatures and low rainfall over the past three years, and likely faces another year of heatwaves and forest fires.

The countrys Aemet weather agency said Friday that statistics showed Spain entered a long-duration drought at the end of 2022 and the first three months of 2023 show no major signs of change.

The first available predictions for the summer of 2023 point to a likely situation of temperatures once again above normal, said Aemet spokesman Ruben del Campo, adding that the coming summer the risk of fires could be very high given the high temperatures.

But Del Campo pointed out that the country has experienced severe droughts before in 2017, 2005 and at the end of the 1990s and 1980s.

To put it in context, were in a drought but there have been worse droughts, which is not to say this will not be important, he told a press conference.

Aemet says Spain is geographically prone to high temperatures and drought, but climate change is key factor.

Del Campo said Spain has warmed 1.3 degrees Celsius (34 F) since the 1960s, a warming that is noticeable all year round but especially in summer  when average temperatures have risen by 1.6 degrees.

He said such an increase may not appear too big but pointed out that when we talk about a scenario as large as the Iberian Peninsula, half a million square kilometers, annual data, this trend translates into many more hours of heat, which he said have doubled in the last 10 to 12 years, compared to the number of heat hours of previous years.

Last year was Spains 6th driest year and the hottest one since 1961, when records began. Rainfall was 16% below average and daily temperatures averaged above 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time.

However, December was among the wettest in recent years, improving the situation considerably. The recent rains have boosted water reserves in reservoirs to 51% of capacity, way above the dangerously low of under 35% in late 2022. But at least two areas, most noticeably Spains northeastern Catalonia around Barcelona, are suffering severe shortages.

Story continues

Spains Ecological Transition Ministry says that while the situation is worrying there are no current drinking water restrictions in any part and none are envisaged this year.

Localized agricultural and industrial water restrictions may occur, as in the case in Catalonia which since November 2022 has had to restrict water use in agriculture and industry. Potable water is forbidden for use in washing cars or filling swimming pools.

Land heat waves have become commonplace in many countries around the Mediterranean, with dramatic side effects like wildfires, droughts, crop losses and uncomfortably high temperatures.

___

Follow APs coverage of climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate
MADRID (Reuters) - If Spain's elections due at the end of the year were held today, the ruling Socialists would win with a five-point lead, according to a poll on Friday that contrasts with recent surveys that put the centre-right People's Party in front.

The poll by the Centre for Sociological Studies (CIS) showed the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez taking 32.7% of the vote, widening its lead by two percentage points from the previous month.

Sanchez rules in coalition with the far-left Unidas Podemos, which the survey put at around 10% of voting intentions, losing ground from a month ago possibly as a result of divisions within the government over gender policies and other issues. The far-right Vox was stable, also at around 10%.

Opposition parties have criticised CIS over what they see as possible bias as the pollster is state-owned and headed by a socialist.

Polls conducted by Sigma Dos for El Mundo and by 40dB for El Pais and Cadena Ser radio station earlier this month both put the conservative People's Party ahead after significant advances since Alberto Nunez Feijoo took the helm last April.

Nevertheless, the polls point to a fragmented parliament where no party would have a sufficient majority to govern alone. They also suggest an alliance would be harder to achieve on the right than on the left.

Spaniards will go to the polls twice this year. In May, municipal and regional elections will be held. These will help gauge support for the main political parties in the general election to be held in December.

The polls show Spain's junior coalition partner may win no seats in several regional parliaments, while the Socialists will have to fight hard to win in key regions such as Comunidad Valenciana, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.

(Reporting by Belen Carreno and Emma Pinedo; Editing by Christina Fincher)
St. Albans Township Zoning Inspector Tom Frederick, far right, speaks to residents during the March 14 township trustee about two proposed asphalt manufacturing plants. Frederick said the township has not received applications for either plant as of yet.

Residents packed the Tuesday meeting of the St. Albans Township Trustees because of concerns over two possible asphalt manufacturing plants that could be coming to the township.

Local residents as well as officials in Granville and surrounding areas are concerned about the health and environmental impacts of the potential facilities.

One of the two plants is proposed for just east of Ohio 37 at 1434 Tharp Road, south of Alexandria, and the other is proposed for the Martin Trucking property at 2915 Johnstown Alexandria Road, northwest of the village.

St. Albans Township Zoning Inspector Tom Frederick said to the roughly 50 residents attending the meeting inside the township fire station community room that he has not yet received any conditional-use applications for an asphalt plant.

The proposed asphalt plans are currently going through a major development review at the Licking County Planning Commission, Frederick said, adding that he is in discussions with the Licking County Prosecutor's Office and an attorney for the Shelly Company, which has an existing facility on the Tharp Road property, about whether a conditional-use application is needed.

If and when the township does receive an application for one or both of the properties, it would go to the township's board of zoning appeals, he said, explaining that the zoning commission and board of trustees have nothing to do with that process.

Then a public hearing would be set by the zoning appeals board. All property owners within 500 feet of the property would be sent a notice of the meeting, and the notice would also appear in The Advocate. Frederick said he would also place signs at the properties as another way of notifying people of the hearing.

The board's decision  whichever way it votes  can be appealed to the Licking County Common Pleas Court, he said.

The trustees didn't allow for more than a few questions from residents, citing their long agenda and the need to discuss other township matters.

Story continues

At the end of the meeting, resident Ann Lodder asked if the trustees had sent anything to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, as Granville Mayor Melissa Hartfield did in response to requests for EPA permits needed for the proposed Tharp Road plant. Board President Randal Almendinger said they have not.

Jim Lenner, the township's contracted administrator, said the township should check with the prosecutor before sending any kind of letter. As the appointing authority of the board of zoning appeals, Lenner said he wasn't sure if there would be a conflict if the board sent its own letter.

Ben Zanks, who lives next to Martin Trucking, said after the meeting he is concerned about the health of his two children and his family's quality of life if an asphalt plant moves in next door. He said he understands the township doesn't have much information to share with people yet, but he felt the trustees were taking the residents concerns seriously.

"I was very glad to see how many people were here because it makes me see that it's not just a few of us that are concerned, that there's a lot of people that are concerned," he said.

Ernst Concrete facility proposed for Moots Run Road property

Also during the meeting the trustees heard a conceptual plan for an Ernst Concrete facility that could be located east of the Ohio 37 and Moots Run Road intersection.

Connie Klema, an attorney representing the Ohio-based company, said Ernst is interested in purchasing about 13 acres of a 56-acre Moots Run Road property, Klema said. The attraction of the site, Klema said, is it's proximity to Ohio 161 and the fact that trucks would not need to drive through the village to access the highway.

The company will need the township to rezone the 13 acres for manufacturing, Klema said. But she added Ernst is not purchasing the remaining portion of the property. The township's comprehensive plan, adopted in November, calls for commercial development in that area.

Ernst produces ready-made concrete. It brings all the materials to its enclosed facility, Klema said, and would not quarry or mine at the St. Albans site. She said the company serves smaller users, such as home builders, and not large companies like Intel, which is building computer chip manufacturing facilities in New Albany.

"If you're a small user, it takes maybe two or three weeks to get in line, and they pride themselves in being able to respond right away," Klema said.

mdevito@gannett.com

740-607-2175

Twitter: @MariaDeVito13

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: St. Albans residents pack trustees meeting over asphalt plant concerns
Festivalgoers celebrate St. Patrick's Day on Montserrat, a Caribbean island with ties to Irish and British history. Montserrat Tourism Division

Montserrat is the only place outside of Ireland and two provinces in Canada where St. Patrick's Day is a public holiday.

On St. Patrick's Day in 1768, enslaved Africans on the island attempted a failed revolt.

Despite its fraught racial history, the Caribbean island has commemorated its Irish and African heritage ever since.

Every year on St. Patrick's Day, Montserrat, a Caribbean island, acknowledges its early Irish influence while honoring the enslaved people who rebelled against it. It's the only place outside of Ireland and two provinces in Canada to celebrate it as a public holiday.

A trio of revelers in kilts dance on St. Patrick's Day. Valbaun Galloway/Montserrat Tourism Division

Source: National Geographic; JSTOR

Known as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, Montserrat still carries Irish influence, including with a shamrock passport stamp and its flag, which features Ireland's goddess Eriu.

Montserrat passport entry stamp and coat of arms on its flag. Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons; Photo 12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

After Ireland was conquered by English parliamentarian Oliver Cromwell in 1649, many Irish people were deported from their home country, and some were sent to work on Caribbean sugar and tobacco plantations.

Archive Photos/Getty Images

A 1678 census showed 70% of Montserrat's white population self-identified as Irish. The influx led to a mix of British and Irish landowners, indentured Irish, and enslaved Africans across Caribbean islands, creating a powder keg of race relations in the region.

Sources: JSTOR; Caribbean Irish Connections: Interdisciplinary Perspectives

While the indentured Irish could work their way to land ownership and rights, enslaved Africans could not. On St. Patrick's Day 1768, a group of enslaved Africans planned to take advantage of their owners' and overseers' drunken holiday revelry and stage a revolt.

Slaves "holing cane," the process of planting sugar cane on plantations, while a white supervisor holding a whip oversees their work. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Source: National Geographic; JSTOR; New Yorker

But their plans were discovered, and nine rebels, including the leader Cudjoe, were hanged. His head was placed in a tree as a cautionary tale to other enslaved people.

Cudjoe's head is said to have been placed in a silk cotton tree. The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images

Source: National Geographic; JSTOR; New Yorker

Ever since, Montserrat's St. Patrick's Day celebrations have been a way to commemorate its complex Irish and African heritage. Revelers wear green, as is tradition in Ireland, but also celebrate with steel drums, masked dancers, and feasts of goat water stew.

Story continues

Source: National Geographic; Montserrat Tourism Division

The 10-day St. Patrick's Day celebration at Montserrat starts with a ceremonial torch lighting at Cudjoe Head village. Festivalgoers can explore historical sites through the rainforest and take a boat around the Soufriere Hills volcano zone.

Montserrat's bay. DeAgostini/Getty Images

Source: National Geographic

Masquerading, an Afro-Caribbean tradition of spiritual dancing, during St. Patrick's Day in Montserrat parodies the Irish jig. Some dancers also hold whips or wear hats shaped like Catholic bishops' miters.

A troupe of "masqueraders" carry whips and perform a parody of Irish dance steps, a tradition started by African slaves who mocked their Irish slave masters. Chris Hawley/AP Photos

Source: National Geographic; JSTOR

Despite Montserrat's fraught racial history, locals continue to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in recognition of their rich heritage.

Leprechaun's Dust is a morning street party on St. Patrick's Day. Montserrat Tourism Division

"I'm with the slaves, but I think by discrediting the Irish side of us, we're also discrediting ourselves. Because you can't love one element of yourself and not love the others," Vernaire Bass, head of planning and production at the Montserrat Arts Council, told National Geographic.

Source: National Geographic

Read the original article on Insider
St. Patrick's Day is upon us. And so is New York City's famous parade to celebrate the holiday.

The New York City St. Patricks Day Parade claims to be the oldest and biggest parade for St. Patrick's Day worldwide. About 150,000 people march in the spectacle each year, the parade organizers say.

According to the parade's website, the first New York City St. Patrick's day parade was held on March 17, 1762  14 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The parade falls on March 17 almost every year, with the exception of when the 17th falls on a Sunday  when the parade is moved to March 16, to observe the Sunday Sabbath.

You can watch a replay of the parade in the embed at the top of this page.

History of St. Patrick's Day: Why do we celebrate it, and why do we wear green?

Money: Get your leprechaun on with these St. Patrick's Day deals (yes, the Shamrock shake is back)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: St. Patrick's Day parade: Watch 2023 New York City parade video
Stanford University Steve Proehl / Getty Images/Corbis Unreleased

A Stanford University employee was arrested Wednesday for allegedly lying under oath about being sexually assaulted twice by a Black man on campus who matched the description of a coworker, authorities said.

Jennifer Ann Gries, 25, is charged with two felony counts of perjury and two misdemeanor counts of making a false crime report after prosecutors said she made false reports at hospitals, applied for victims compensation money, and prompted a public safety alert on campus.

This is a rare and deeply destructive crime, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. Our hearts go out to the falsely accused. Our hearts go out to students who had to look over their shoulders on their way to class. Our hearts go out to legitimate sexual assault victims who wonder if they will be believed.

According to the district attorneys office, Gries first reported an allegedly false sexual assault on Aug. 9, 2022, when she told forensic nurses at Valley Medical Center in San Jose that she was attacked in the restroom of a campus garage. She described the suspect as a Black man in his late 20s.

Gries reported being sexually assaulted again two months later on Oct. 7. She told forensic nurses at Stanford Hospital that she was grabbed by her arm and dragged to the basement into a storage closet where she was assaulted. She again described being attacked by a Black man in his late 20s, who was 6 feet tall and slender.

Gries claimed she became pregnant with twins from the alleged assault, but had a miscarriage.

Prosecutors said that after both reports, sexual assault examination kits were rushed for priority testing to protect the public from a potential sex offender. But forensic examinations found the tests were not consistent with what she told nurses had happened and that she was not pregnant, prosecutors said.

Her reports also prompted campus police to issue an alert, resulting in local news coverage and many students saying they felt unsafe .

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Stanfords Department of Public Safety continued to investigate the sexual assaults and found that Gries had made a sexual harassment complaint against a coworker, prosecutors said. The mans appearance fit the description of her alleged attacker.

In January, Gries allegedly admitted to a district attorneys office investigator that she had lied about being sexually assaulted and wrote an apology letter to her coworker.

According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center , false reports make up between 2% and 10% of sexual assault reports, and 81% of women in the US experience some form of sexual harassment and/or assault in their lifetime.

In a statement , Stanford leaders said they will be reviewing Griess employment, and she has been placed on a leave of absence. According to LinkedIn, she is a supervisor in the universitys Housing Service Center.

These false reports are damaging, both for true survivors of sexual assault and for the members of our community who experienced fear and alarm from the reports, said the joint statement from Patrick Dunkley, vice provost for Institutional Equity, Access and Community, and Laura Wilson, director of the Department of Public Safety. We also want to emphasize that both false reports and outcomes such as this one are extremely rare in sexual assault cases.

According to the National Registry of Exonerations , Black people are almost eight times more likely than white people to be falsely convicted of sexual assault.

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[Source]

Some "Star Wars" fans' animosity toward recently introduced characters in the franchise may be driven by racist and sexist attitudes, a recent study suggests.

The study, Sexism and Racism Negatively Predict Preference for Diverse Characters in Star Wars Fans, published in Psychology of Popular Media looked into the role of prejudice in the backlash against characters like Finn, played by John Boyega, and Rose Tico, played by Kelly Marie Tran, who are Black and Vietnamese, respectively.

Tran scrubbed her social media and underwent therapy after facing heavy vitriol from toxic fans online.

The researchers found that hostile sexism and symbolic racism were associated with a greater dislike of these newer characters. They also found a negative association with the character Leia Organa, played by the late Carrie Fisher.

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The study polled 1,925 "Star Wars" fans, composed of mostly men around 24 years old, asking them to rate six characters from the franchise.

Participants rated three characters from the first six films  Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Leia Organa and Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman)  and three from the more recent films  Finn, Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Rose Tico.

The researchers found that fans' degrees of racism and sexism were positively associated with a greater dislike of newer characters but not older characters.

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For example, fans who said they didn't like Finn, Rey or Rose Tico agreed with statements such as Women exaggerate problems at work and Most women interpret innocent remarks as sexist. They also agreed with statements such as Racial minorities are getting too demanding in their push for equal rights and If racial minorities would only try harder they could be just as well off as whites.

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Interestingly, the findings also suggested that the Star Wars fandom, in general, is largely opposed to sexism, racism or bullying.

The authors highlighted the influence of representation in media on audiences, particularly in reducing prejudice.

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However, when studios include greater diversity in their reboots and continuations of older series, the backlash may come from fans driven by racist and sexist beliefs.

The researchers stated that the results do not suggest that there is a large portion of the "Star Wars" fandom endorsing these beliefs, rather, there is simply an association. Since the research is correlational, they are not making causal claims.

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Facebook user Eng WinWin posted on Complaint Singapore Facebook on 12 March, claiming that her StarHub account was hacked and used to buy game items, and she has not been able to waive the extra charges. (PHOTO: Getty Image, Screenshot of Complaint Singapore FB and Reuters/Starhub)

SINGAPORE  A StarHub mobile customer was left frustrated when she saw her bill surpassed $1,500 for Google Play transactions she claimed she did not make, and the extra charges have to yet be waived.

On Sunday (12 March), Eng WinWin posted on the Complaint Singapore Facebook page claiming that her account had been hacked between September and October 2021.

It had been used to purchase games from YoungJoy Technology Limited, now known as Moonton, the developer of games such as Mobile Legends.

As a result, she tried to reverse those transactions by contacting StarHub, Google, the police, and the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) but could not do so.

After about a year, she received a lawyer's letter from StarHub in November 2022 requesting a payment of $1,536.20 within seven days from the date of issuance, which she shared in the Facebook post.

StarHub investigated the matter

As part of its investigation, StarHub told Yahoo News Singapore on Friday (17 March) that Eng WinWin had Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) on her mobile line, which enabled her to charge payments to her mobile bill for third-party mobile content such as in-app purchases.

"We assisted the customer by activating Premium Rate Services (PRS) barring service, which blocked further DCB charging to her mobile bills," the telco explained.

The telco said it had billed the user on behalf of Google through DCB, and had advised her to clarify the matter with Google, including the possibility of reversing the charges, since the telco had no visibility into transactions between them.

StarHub also shared that it offers SMS-activated PRS-barring services to protect mobile users from unintended mobile content purchases through DCB.

"We encourage customers to only enable DCB with third-party content providers if they want to charge their content purchases to their mobile bills," it advised.

The authentication feature prevents accidental purchases

In response to Yahoo News Singapore on Friday, Google also said it was looking into the matter.

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The technology giant said, "We also provide steps users can take to prevent accidental purchases on their device from apps and games available outside of the Family section by turning on authentication."

The authentication feature on Google Play prevents users from accidentally purchasing apps and games outside their Family section.

Google Play's Family section automatically requires users to authenticate, or authorise, any purchases, but not other content outside that section, including in-app purchases, unless the authentication function is enabled.

CASE confirmed that the consumer had filed a complaint against StarHub regarding charges for unauthorised transactions.

"The complainant disputed a sum of $1,504.09 charged to the complainant's StarHub account. CASE negotiated the matter with StarHub and other parties involved in the bill for a refund of the said charges but the matter was not resolved," said CASE president Melvin Yong.

Tips to prevent unauthorised third-party transactions via telco contracts

Enable Premium Rate Service (PRS) Barring services to prevent any possible occurrence.

Do not click on any links sent via text messages from unknown sources, and do not input personal mobile numbers into any dubious or unknown websites;

Check your bills regularly for unauthorised transactions, and inform the telco service provider immediately of any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.
He wore captains bars when the missile struck.

Nobodys certain what kind of missile it was, even two decades after April 7, 2003. But whatever it was blew William Glaser, the headquarters company commander for the 3rd Infantry Divisions 2nd Brigade, out of his chair. Thick smoke rose from the brigade operations center into the Baghdad sky as dozens of vehicles burned.

Now-Brig. Gen. Glaser recounted that morning at a conference table in his air-conditioned Orlando, Fla., office, today one of the services top simulation officers and director of the Synthetic Training Environment development team.

Before the missile, the center buzzed with activity while Lt. Col. Eric Wesley, the Spartan Brigades executive officer, directed fire support and prepared a resupply mission to support the units two armor battalions  Task Force 1-64 and Task Force 4-64.

After an audacious assault into downtown Baghdad, their tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles stood watch over key government buildings, including two of dictator Saddam Husseins most-prized palaces. The soldiers risked becoming mired in another Mogadishu, leaders feared, unless their infantry battalion held the supply lines open along Highway 8 in the face of increasingly fanatical counterattacks.

Bradley amored vehicles clear Iraqi Republican Guard bunkers on the road around Baghdad's main presidential palace compound April 7, 2003. (PATRICK BAZ/AFP via Getty Images)

The brigades fate and that of the Thunder Run, named for the Vietnam-era armored reconnaissance missions that cleared mines and tripped ambushes, hung in the balance as the flames spread. In the weeks since the ground invasion began on March 20, the unit fought its way from the Kuwait border to the citys outskirts.

And the Thunder Run, if the brigade could hold the city center, offered an irresistible opportunity to end the war and oust the Hussein government. Failure couldnt happen this deep inside a hostile city of nearly 5 million people.

Ahead of the invasions twentieth anniversary, Army Times interviewed the brigades seven future generals and asked them to reflect on the Thunder Run and the role it played in their development as leaders. The candid conversations offer new insight into a tight-knit talent network that went on to reshape the services guiding concepts and doctrine, drawing on their experiences along Highway 8.

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Wesley walked away from his Humvee shortly before impact, thanks to his nervous habit of pacing around while on the phone with his boss, brigade commander Col. David Perkins. The colonel was downtown with the tank battalions.

Were achieving all of our objectivesI said, Congratulations, its everything we dreamed, Wesley, who retired in 2020 as a lieutenant general, recounted in a phone interview. Then the missile rocked our world, knocking him to the ground.

Soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division inspect wreckage from an Iraqi ballistic missile strike on the brigade operations center that occurred on April 7, 2003. (Capt. William Glaser/Army)

Perkins recalled hearing an explosion or static through the phone when the missile struck near the hood of Wesleys vehicle, he told Army Times in a phone interview. Then a dazed Wesley told him the operations center was out of action and quickly hung up.

Another future general, Capt. Michelle Letcher, remained in the dark. For the entire invasion, her maintenance company rode with Task Force 1-64, keeping its tracks rolling with only the parts they carried. All of the battalions Abrams tanks entered Baghdad under their own power, despite running harder, faster and longer than any American armor unit.

But Perkins ordered most non-armored vehicles left behind at the citys outskirts, fearing ambushes  leaving Letcher, later the services ordnance chief, wondering if the missile had killed the soldiers in her forward maintenance teams at the operations center.

While Glaser, Wesley, Letcher and Perkins, who retired as a four-star general and head of Army Training and Doctrine Command in 2018, worried about the missile strike, three other future general officers from the brigade fended off counter-attacks from dictator Saddam Husseins fanatical troops.

Brig. Gen. William Glaser, today the head of the Armys top training simulation development agency, led the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division headquarters company during its ambitious drive to Baghdad during March and April 2003. The units Thunder Runs are credited with ending major hostilities and averting a bloody battle for Iraqs capital. (Staff/Davis Winkie)

Captains Andrew Hilmes and Larry Burris served as company commanders in Task Force 1-64, built from 1st Battalion, 64th Armor and attached elements such as Burris infantry company.

Before the invasion, the two recalled over coffee in Burris Fort Benning, Georgia office, they made a trade: Hilmes took one of Burris infantry platoons, and Burris received four of Hilmes tanks. On April 7, they led the attack into Baghdad together  Hilmes company at the brigades vanguard, Burris soldiers immediately behind.

In his Fort Benning, Georgia office, Brig. Gen. Larry Burris, today the Infantry School commandant, displays the baseplate of a round fired by a tank platoon attached to his infantry company during the March-April 2003 invasion of Iraq. The platoon belonged to fellow company commander Andrew Hilmes, who retired in January 2023 as a one-star general. (Staff/Davis Winkie)

Lt. Col. Stephen Twitty, commander of a task force built on the 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry, directed the defense of Highway 8  the critical north-south supply route that, if recaptured, would have allowed Iraqi forces to cut off the two tank battalions downtown.

The now-retired lieutenant generals Bradley fended off suicide bombers with its 25mm auto-cannon, but his ammunition supply dwindled as his troops held three key interchanges. An improvised unit of headquarters troops down the road at Objective Curly, led by 1993 Battle of Mogadishu veteran Command Sgt. Maj. Robert Gallagher and a young staff captain, faced the longest odds.

But they prevailed. The resupply convoy got through, and the downtown units survived nighttime counterattacks. And when the fighting slackened on the afternoon of April 8, the Spartan Brigades leaders quickly realized their victory sealed the Hussein governments fate.

It also changed their lives and launched their careers.

History kinda thrust [the Thunder Run] upon us, Perkins reflected. And everyone rose to the occasion.

The World Watching

The 2nd Brigade, a conventional armor brigade, epitomized the Army the United States had in 2003. The service picked the units leaders through traditional assignment processes. They were ordinary officers.

But when they crashed through the border berm on March 20, the brigades soldiers found themselves on the invasions leading edge  an extraordinary opportunity on an unprecedented stage.

This was not a hand-picked unit, explained Hilmes, the lead company commander. This is just the talent that the Army had and had brought together.

Perkins laughed as he said the brigade was an average Army unit. He explained his leaders were not, like, an all-star team. Who would have picked some colonel who had never been in combat before to be the brigade commander?

Wesley, who later supervised the development of the Armys multi-domain operations concept, emphasized how few units experienced the sweeping maneuver warfare that characterized the rapid destruction of Husseins army.

Photographed weeks after major fighting concluded, Col. David Perkins (left) and Lt. Col. Eric Wesley (right) were the top two officers from 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division during its 2003 invasion of Iraq and successful capture of downtown Baghdad during the Thunder Runs in April of that year. Perkins would later become a four-star general and retire after leading Army Training and Doctrine Command, and Wesley retired as a lieutenant general and deputy commander of Army Futures Command. (Courtesy of Eric Wesley)

A relatively small element of the ground armed forces  including the Marine Corps  experienced that two-week [period], he said. Not a lot of people experienced that.

The brigade led the attack by chance. They deployed to Kuwait in September 2002 for Operation Desert Spring, a rotational desert warfare training mission dating back to 1998. The period acclimated and sharpened the brigade for when the order arrived.

Perkins did not expect to invade Iraq when he took command before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, he said. But circumstance  and the Bush administration  demanded differently.

And thanks to Perkins, the world followed them into Baghdad and witnessed the brigades triumph on their television screens and the front pages of newspapers.

When the 2nd Brigade crossed the Kuwait-Iraq border, around two dozen journalists rode with them, Perkins said. They shared the soldiers hardships and dangers  three died alongside the brigade, one from a blood clot and two in the April 7 missile attack.

Wesley explained how his former brigade commander was ahead of his time in embracing the strategic opportunity that media coverage offered. Even after the April 5 attack up Highway 8, when Task Force 1-64 fought their way to the airport and set the stage for the larger Thunder Run, local Iraqis believed their governments propaganda  they believed Americans were dying in droves at the citys gates.

Glaser agreed, linking Perkins information savvy to the multi-domain operating concept now driving the Armys new approach to war.

[Perkins] clearly knew thatthe Iraqis needed to understand that their army had been defeated  and killing more people wouldnt do that, the former headquarters company commander said. But putting a tank brigade on the parade grounds in the center of Baghdadand, more importantly, putting that on Fox News, the Iraqi people and specifically the army would understand they have been defeated.

The colonels only ground rule for the media was you cant do anything that is going to put people in danger, such as revealing battle plans or unit locations during live shots. In return, they received full access to any space.

Perkins described the relationship as one of trust and empowerment that relied on faith in the media to tell the full story. Even if disaster struck and soldiers killed civilians or others, he asked reporters to cover what his troops did in an effort to prevent it.

If something bad happens, fine, report it happened. Were not going to cover it up, Perkins recalled saying. But you need to contextualize  theyve gone to great lengths to try to prevent this. I want you to tell the full story.

U.S. Army soldiers walk near a massive arch of swords at Saddam Hussein's military parade grounds Friday, April 11, 2003  four days after the Thunder Run seized this ground from the Iraqi military. (AP Photo/John Moore)

Stars Born

All seven generals agreed the brigades success  or as Hilmes chuckled and said, our secret sauce  stemmed from that culture of trust, and their desert training experience strengthened it.

If you get the command climate rightany Army unit can do this, Perkins insisted.

The divisions deputy commander, now-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin trusted Perkins after the training exercise helped them build a mental playbook together. As did his division and corps commanders.

On April 7, when Perkins and his superiors had to decide whether the tank battalions would stay in downtown Baghdad overnight, it wasnt a rash decision, the brigade commander explained. It was the culmination ofa year and a half of training and team building.

Wesley said that Perkins trust-based approach, which extended down to subordinates, gave a framework for people to operate within their own spheres of expertise and influence.

It showed at the lowest levels, too.

Every soldier  I dont care how senior or junior  had this send me attitude, Letcher recalled. I dont want to call war special, but being part of something like that, you know, it is special.

Glaser, the headquarters company commander, said trust and teamwork inspired a huge wave of tan uniforms coming to the [operations center] in the wake of the missile attack to help the wounded and salvage communications equipment. Barely an hour later, he and Wesley reestablished the brigade operations center.

Burris emphasized how their months spent training for Desert Spring cemented the trust and familiarity underlying their success. We all recognized each others voices on the radioI could tell what Andy [Hilmes] was dealing with, or he could hear what I was dealing with, just by the nature of the tone of our voices.

The seven generals also acknowledged the Thunder Run propelled their careers. To an extent, the recognition  awards, media coverage, and more  they received provided a boost.

Four of the future generals received the Silver Star Medal  Perkins, Twitty, Burris and Hilmes. And Wesley received a Bronze Star Medal for valor. Subsequent promotion boards and peers valued such awards, and the combat experience they represent.

Retired Brig. Gen. Andrew Hilmes and Brig. Gen. Larry Burris, Infantry School commandant, discuss memories from the 2003 invasion of Iraq during an Army Times interview at the latters Fort Benning, Georgia, office on Feb. 27, 2023. The two officers were company commanders in Task Force 1-64, which led the assault into Baghdad. (Staff/Davis Winkie)

Gesturing towards Burris while refilling his coffee, Hilmes explained how the awards potentially helped them receive early promotions to major alongside the engineer company commander, David Hibner, who is today a senior civilian official leading the Army Geospatial Center.

We were probably three of a handful of captains on that board who had Silver Stars, Hilmes remarked. The board probably did look at that and was like, Wow.

The infantry school commandant, Burris, chimed in to agree.

Hilmes continued, arguing that their combat credentials alone couldnt carry the captains past their initial promotion to major. But they helped him earn a role as the division commanders aide-de-camp, a prestigious role that often expedites career progression.

The retired one-star acknowledged he had some name recognition after public speaking opportunities. His name also appears at least 16 times in the first four chapters of Thunder Run, a 2004 book by L.A. Times journalist David Zucchino, who embedded with the brigade during the invasion.

For Twitty and Wesley, both lieutenant colonels in April 2003, their exploits directly boosted their careers.

Twitty, the infantry battalion commander who attained three stars, recalled when fellow generals requested him by-name for deployments later in his career.

He was a one-star general assigned to Northern Command in 2009 when he received a call from Lt. Gen. William Fuzzy Webster, the new commander of the 3rd Army and U.S. Army Central. Webster wanted Twitty as his chief of staff.

[Webster] remembered Moe, Larry and Curly well, alluding to the three objectives that Twittys battalion defended, and so he asked me to come to 3rd Army, he recalled. A few years later, Gen. Ray Odierno also referenced the Thunder Run when selecting Twitty for a job.

Without a doubt, Twitty said when asked if April 2003 opened doors for him. I heard it from their mouths.

Wesley credited some of his success to his reputation from the Thunder Run and his battle-tested relationship with Perkins.

I later worked for [now-Gen. and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] Mark Milley[when] I was a one-star in Afghanistan, Wesley said, explaining that Milley didnt know him personally before then. But he knew me by reputation, as Perkins [executive officer] during the Thunder Run. And he voiced that to me.

Gen. David Perkins, then the Army Training and Doctrine Command's top general, oversaw the major general promotion of his former brigade executive officer, Eric Wesley, on June 20, 2016 at Fort Benning, Georgia. (Markeith Horace/Army)

Others among the seven, like Glaser, said they didnt notice a direct career impact. After his promotion to major, the now one-star general recalled, the Army reassigned him to a small simulations technology career field. That meant his relationships in the combat arms community and his Thunder Run experience somewhat diminished in relevance to his career progression.

Perkins, who rose the highest among the Spartan Brigades leaders, distinguished between the handful of opportunities the attack directly provided and those that stemmed from the potential for greater responsibility that his officers displayed in April 2003.

Although general officer promotion boards may consider their members personal knowledge of eligible officers, he said, becoming a general comes down to potential rather than performance because they wouldnt even be before this promotion board if they didnt perform wellso I tried to differentiate between knowing somebody and somebody having the attributes that we need for potential.

During his tenure as the brigade headquarters company commander in 2003, Brig. Gen. William Glasers mother was the unofficial seamstress for 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. The company rolled into Iraq flying miniature guidons sewn by her, as was this pillowcase from an old battle dress uniform blouse seen sitting in his Orlando, Florida office on Feb. 23, 2023. (Staff/Davis Winkie)

And yet, Perkins conceded, the Thunder Run presented a unique opportunity for his subordinates to prove their capability and potential to someone who himself had great potential. He discussed Hilmes, the lead company commander, as an example.

Andy was in a tough spot at a tough time, and somebody that had maybe less foresight and [didnt understand] the strategic implications of things, they may not have done well, he said. Had it been somebody else, they may not have made one-star. You cant take away the fact that he rose to the occasion.

But more importantly, all said, the Thunder Runs success provided subtle confidence, which buoyed their subsequent trajectory through the tribulations of two decades of war to come. Theyd demonstrated their potential under fire, on the biggest stage imaginable, and learned from it. Theyd learned about life, combat and leadership and to instill trust.

Lessons Learned

But even for the advantages that the Thunder Runs heroes enjoyed, they realized that the Army quickly moved on from the tactics and concepts that led to their success as the war devolved into one of bloody insurgency and occupation.

Now, as the Global War on Terror draws to a close for the services conventional troops, the seven generals report their experience and expertise are again hot commodities.

Were finding 20 years on that a lot of people are interested in that very small population that experienced that in 2003, said Wesley.

Wesley is assisting Perkins to redevelop a capstone course at West Point about mission command doctrine, which emphasizes trust in subordinate leaders and gives them space to exercise initiative to exploit fleeting opportunities on the battlefield.

We are continually amazed at what we learned that soldiers did [during the Thunder Run] that we never knew, because they were empowered to do them, Wesley explained, recalling countless stories of people taking initiative to make shit happen.

Brig. Gen. William Glaser, now the director of the Synthetic Training Environment Cross-Functional Team, commanded the brigade headquarters company for the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division in 2003 when it led the invasion of Iraq and pushed into Baghdad. This guidon, displayed in his Orlando, Florida, office and pictured on Feb. 23, 2023, was a farewell gift from the unit. (Davis Winkie/Staff)

Burris, now the infantry schools commandant, is responsible for updating doctrine and tactical manuals for the branch. The process occurs every few years.

What I found is I rely on my experience back then as we update our doctrine or the tasks that we expect soldiers to be proficient in executing, Burris said as he described the struggle to find others with his large-scale combat experience. Its [about] ensuring that the future generation has the doctrinal knowledge, the basis to make sure that they can do what a group of ordinary people like we did.

Letcher served as a proponent of the services ordnance, or maintenance, career field before her current role as the Army Futures Command chief of staff.

I wasthe Army lead for the joint concept of contested logistics, she said, describing the Thunder Runs resupply operation as embodying the doctrinal idea at a micro level. Letcher said her experience successfully directing hasty, on-the-fly maintenance during the initial invasion without a guaranteed supply chain offers key lessons  such as systematically stripping parts from destroyed vehicles  for maintainers in future large-scale conflicts.

But the end of the wars and the invasions 20th anniversary has some among the seven thinking about everything that followed the Thunder Run, and the six soldiers lost in Baghdad. The brigade had dozens more troops wounded  nearly 90 Spartans in total received Purple Hearts before the brigade returned home.

Staff Sgt. Stevon Booker, one of Hilmes tank commanders, was killed by enemy machine gun fire on April 5 during the first Thunder Run up Highway 8 to the airport. He received the Distinguished Service Cross posthumously.

The April 7 missile attack on the operations center instantly killed Spc. George Mitchell in the drivers seat of his Humvee, and shrapnel killed 19-year-old Pfc. Anthony Miller. Perkins driver, Cpl. Henry Brown received serious burns and later died despite remaining conscious through his evacuation.

Sgt. Javier Vila, from Miami, Fla., cries as he and fellow soldiers pay their respects at a memorial service for Cpl. Henry Brown, 22, in Baghdad, Iraq Friday, April 11, 2003. Brown, who was the driver for Col. David Perkins, was killed on April 7 during a missile attack on the brigade operations center near Baghdad. Brown, 22, was from Natchez, Miss. (John Moore/AP)

Two resupply convoy members, Sgt. 1st. Class John Marshall and Staff Sgt. John Stever, were killed in action on April 7 while fighting their way through an ambush to reach the units downtown.

Some see April 2003 as a turning point that defined their lives  but one that theyre still trying to wrap their minds around.

Since that point in time, I feel like my life and my career have been on fast forward, Hilmes, the services former top safety officer, said, mere weeks removed from his retirement ceremony. In a lot of ways, I almost felt like I didnt have time to properly process everything that happened in the first half of 2003because the tempo and the pace of operations to go back to Iraq and Afghanistan was just unlike anything Id ever seen.

Looking back, he said, this is an Army thats never had a break.

Burris, who fought side-by-side with Hilmes, nodded in agreement.

I dont know that Ive processed what happened in 2003 yet, the infantry commandant said. I havent had the time to do it.
The annual Johnson County Government State of the County Luncheon will be held at 11:30 a.m. April 4 at the Overland Park Convention Center, 6000 College Blvd., Overland Park. The speaker, County Commissioner Board Chairman Mike Kelly, will review the past year. The cost is $50 a person or $550 for a dedicated table of 10 seats. For tickets, go to shawneekschamber.chambermaster.com/eventregistration/register/5681.

Bilingual college information event in Olathe

A free bilingual information session about how to prepare for college will be held for Latino students and their parents or guardians from 9:30 a.m. to noon March 25 at K-State Olathe, 22201 W. Innovation Drive in Olathe. The event will include sessions in both English and Spanish on paying for and preparing for college. There also will be food and activities for younger siblings. For questions on registration contact loyocano@ksu.edu or visit k-state.edu/kscac and go to events and news.

Auditions for KC SuperStar coming up in Overland Park

High school students can now register for the KC SuperStar auditions to be held from 1 to 4 p.m. March 26, and 5 to 7 p.m. March 28 at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City, 5801 W. 115th St., Overland Park.

Students should prepare one song of their choice to sing a cappella. The singing competition is in its 14th year. Those selected from the preliminary auditions will perform in semifinals on June 8, and the finals will be held Aug. 27. More than $22,000 in scholarships are presented to the Top 10 finalists. To register for an audition spot, go to thejkc.org/kcss and scroll down to sign up for auditions.

Arbor Day poster winner in Prairie Village

Makaela Lewis, a fifth grade student in April Cremers class at Tomahawk Elementary School, is the 2023 winner of the Arbor Day poster contest held by the Prairie Village Tree Board. The contest theme was We All Need Kansas Trees for Thriving Forest Habitats! The Tree Board looked at several criteria to judge entries including artistic merit, correct spelling, neatness and how well a work communicated the theme. Makaelas poster is being entered at Northeast District of Kansas contest. District winners go on to a state contest sponsored by the Kansas Forest Service.

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Discounts available on outdoor Lenexa pool memberships

Lenexa residents can save 10% and get free guest passes if they purchase outdoor pool memberships by March 31. Ad Astra pool, located at 83rd Street and Maurer Road, and Flat Rock Creek pool, 13120 W 103rd St., will be opened May 27. Indian Trails Aquatic Center is being renovated and will reopen in 2024. To learn more about those renovations, go to www.lenexa.com, things to do, and click on the pool youre interested in.

Community meeting about early release in Gardner schools

A community meeting designed to answer questions from families and provide updated information related to next years early release schedule in the Gardner Edgerton School District will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. March 29 at the Gardner Edgerton High School, 425 Waverly Road, Gardner. Updates regarding the schedule will be provided, and time will be allowed to answer questions.

Lane closures ahead for U.S. 69

One lane will be closed on northbound U.S. 69 over 151st Street for bridge rehabilitation work starting March 30. The left lane will be closed first, with work switching to the right lane in the following weeks. This bridge work will continue through mid-May. Traffic delays are anticipated, and work is dependent on weather.

For information about closures, go to the project website at www.69express.org. You can also sign up for text alerts there.

Spring tree limb pickup time in Merriam

Merriam residents can dispose of their branch and brush debris during the citys free tree limb pickup March 27-31. Tree limbs must be placed at curbside by 7 a.m. March 27. Public Works crews will collect branches throughout the week. For more information go to merriam.org/Government/Departments/Public-Works and search for tree limb collection.
ATCHAFALAYA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, La. (AP)  Stacks of valves, networks of pipes and hulking, two-story-tall tanks litter parts of the swampy landscape of Louisianas Atchafalaya Basin, rusting relics of sites where oil wells were drilled in the 1970s, an unwanted legacy of the energy industry that has long helped drive the Louisiana economy.

They are among an estimated 2 million unplugged U.S.  orphan wells, abandoned by the companies that drilled them. There are more than 4,500 such wells in Louisiana, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. The owners cant be found, have gone out of business or otherwise cant be made to pay in a state where there are decades-long political debates involving legislation and litigation over the environmental effects of oil and gas drilling.

The Biden administration plans to tackle the problem nationally with $4.7 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed in late 2021. Administration officials joined their state counterparts in the Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge recently to tout the efforts.

The state and federal government, we are left to clean them up because of the hazard they present, Martha Williams, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said. She was visiting what is known as the B-5 well site with Thomas Harris, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources., and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet.

The abandoned wells can leak oilfield brine and cancer-causing chemicals that are components of crude oil, such as benzene. They also can emit methane, a greenhouse gas thats 80 times as potent as carbon dioxide.

In the south Louisiana wetlands, where salty water can exacerbate the deterioration, defunct wells threaten the environmental health of an area that is home to an abundance of wildlife: numerous species of migratory fowl; deer, beaver, bears and a variety of other mammals; the once-endangered alligator among many other reptiles. Coastal wetlands also act as nurseries for Gulf of Mexico crabs, shrimp and other fish species.

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Williams agency last year announced it had received more than $13 million of infrastructure bill money to remediate 175 orphaned wells on six national wildlife refuges in Oklahoma and Louisiana.

Montoucet said the infusion of money to help plug the wells is welcome, but he also pointed to the need for greater oversight by the state.

With this new injection of money and addressing the issue that we have, I think were on the right path, Montoucet said. And from now on, when people come for applications to drill, certainly were going to have more regulations in place to ensure that these sites are not left like this.

___

McGill reported from New Orleans.
A couple and two young children were rescued from an icy lake in Maine after being stranded while out ice fishing during the blustery nor'easter that struck the area earlier in the week. At one point, the family became separated as the storm intensified Tuesday night.

Ruby Goodmen, 31, of Greenville, and Joseph Wentworth, 32, of Orland, were ice fishing out on Moosehead Lake, located about 60 miles northwest of Bangor, with children ages 2 and 5 and their dog when the weather conditions took a drastic turn for the worse from the incoming storm.

Goodmen decided to head home with the 5-year-old and the dog while Wentworth picked up the fishing gear, and he and the 2-year-old planned to catch up with them later, according to officials with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

"One of the children was already wet, so it was decided that Goodmen would head home," officials said in a statement.

Maine game warden trainees carry out one of the children stranded with two adults on Moosehead Lake in Maine during the nor'easter earlier in the week. (Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife)

Goodmen started to ride back home on her snowmobile when the vehicle broke down as the nor'easter continued to worsen. Heavy snow and high winds led to low visibility, preventing Wentworth and the 2-year-old from being able to locate Goodmen, the child and dog. Also, the tracks left by the snowmobile quickly became covered with snow, further stranding both groups.

The brisk cold hit a low of 29 degrees Fahrenheit in the area, although the AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature was probably much lower, especially out on the lake.

Goodmen and Wentworth both separately called 911 at around 9:15 p.m. EDT, saying they were stranded in the worsening storm. Luckily, cadets with the Maine Advanced Warden School were already training in the area, and about half of the group was still at camp on the west side of the lake when the emergency call came in.

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The trainees and Bangor's emergency communications center were able to estimate the couple's locations using GPS coordinates transmitted from their cell phones. Goodmen was located about 800 yards from the shore, while Wentworth was about 2 miles away from Goodmen.

A couple and two children who became stranded on the ice on Moosehead Lake in Maine during the nor'easter were rescued late Tuesday night, March 14, 2023, by Maine game warden cadets who happened to be training in the area. (Photo by Gregory Rec/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)

Once the location was estimated, two search groups were assembled by Game Wardens Joshua Polland and Chad Robertson, who were able to locate and mobilize a rescue team in about 45 minutes.

Officials said both children were wet, shivering and wrapped in blankets when they were located. The group was transported back to the camp, and the couple was provided a vehicle to safely get them and their children and dog home.

The same nor'easter also stranded two hikers in Mount Washington State Forest in the far southwestern corner of Massachusetts on Tuesday after they could not retrace their steps due to the bad weather. The hikers were located early Wednesday morning and made it out of the forest just before 5 a.m. EDT. Snowfall totals reached the 3-foot mark in several locations across the Northeast.

In this photo provided by Massachusetts State Police, a search team looks for two hikers stranded by heavy snow, on an overnight rescue operation, in Mount Washington State Forest in Massachusetts, early Wednesday, March 15, 2023. (Massachusetts State Police via AP)

Several areas across northwestern Maine reported more than 3 inches of snow by Wednesday morning. Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, located about 30 miles southeast of Moosehead Lake, received 5.6 inches of snow, according to reports. The highest snow report in Maine by Wednesday morning was 22 inches in Acton, Maine, located in the southwestern part of the state near the New Hampshire border.

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.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, held the meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff on 17 March. Possible ways of strengthening brigades on the front, whose effective defence facilitates further active actions, were discussed.

Source: Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the evening address

Quote: "I held the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff meeting today. Main attention was paid to the battles in Donbas: in Avdiivka, Bakhmut, Vuhledar, Mariinka, Bilohorivka. Our soldiers deserve this attention so the ways of supporting our brigades and providing them with more strength, opportunities, armament and protection.

As always, the reports by chief commanders, Defence Intelligence, commanders of the fronts were heard, including General Syrskyi, Head of the Operative-Strategic Grouping of Forces Khortytsia; General Tarnavskyi, Head of the Tavriia grouping. These are the operative groupings that are fighting in Donbas.

I am thankful to every soldier, every sergeant, every officer  to everyone who is fighting in the front, everyone who is holding the defence with their stamina and courage. Thank you for your resilience and strength that make further defence operations and further action possible."

Details: Zelenskyy also thanked the members of special units.

"The Special Operations Forces  8th regiment of the Special Operations Forces, thank you, guys, for your masterful combat with the enemy near the city of Bakhmut and strengthening our defence on this crucial front. I am grateful to all our Special Operations Forces' members who are defending Luhansk Oblast," the President stated.

The President separately thanked the navy seals and the Special Purpose Navy Centre for successful actions in the South of Ukraine, for making Russians suffer losses on the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia fronts, for their "powerful response" to the occupiers' attacks on the Ukrainian forces and cities.

Story continues

"I am expressing my gratitude to the members of the Security Service of Ukraine, to all our defenders from the Alpha unit, specifically from the Bili Vovky ["White Wolves"  ed.] and Kusto units. From the 13th Directorate of the Military Counterintelligence of the Security Service of Ukraine  thank you all!" Zelenskyy said.

"I am thankful to the members of the Defence Intelligence, to every soldier, every unit. I am grateful to the soldiers of our International legion, to all who feel the need to fight just like Ukrainians do," he added.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
North Providence police announced on Friday they have charged a North Providence High School freshman for showing up to the building with a BB gun.

Police said the incident occurred around 2 p.m. on Thursday when a School Resource Officer  a police officer stationed inside a school for safety reasons  was alerted to the issue by a student. However, Superintendent of North Providence Public Schools Joseph Goho, who has taken issue with the police version of events, denied that a resource officer was involved.

According to police, the 14-year-old male stored the BB gun in the front of his backpack. He was charged with possession of a weapon on school grounds.

North Providence police sent a news release about the incident Friday morning, but later released an amended version of events.

Police initially described the item as a black Glock 19 6 mm BB gun and said the student was arrested. In a revised release issued soon afterward, the reference to the Glock was removed, as was the mention of the arrest. School Principal Christen Magill described the BB gun as a "toy weapon" and said it was found in an unattended backpack.

The student has been suspended indefinitely and the case is now with Family Court. A safety evaluation will be required if the student returns to school.

Chief Alfredo Ruggiero Jr. said that while "theres always a concern when an incident like this takes place ... the student did not mention any threats while brandishing the replica handgun, so we take that as somewhat positive news."

This isn't the school's first problem with safety. Ruggiero said a similar incident took place in November 2021.

"It was a BB gun that the student was bragging to other students about," he recalled. "One of the other students did the right thing, notified school administrators."

An SRO addressed the student, who was removed from the school.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: North Providence High School student charged with carrying BB gun
Artist's impression of CatSat with its antenna inflated in orbit around Earth. To compensate for any small leaks it may incur from encounters with space debris or micrometeorites, the engineers provided it with enough gas onboard to completely refill the "balloon" 25 times.

Students at the University of Arizona have constructed a cubesat to demonstrate what they hope will be the answer to high-speed, low-cost space communication and data transmission for small satellites.

The two-toned antenna, serving credence to the communication device's beach ball comparison, will launch in a stowed and folded configuration. Once in Earth orbit, the antenna will inflate using a combination of helium and argon, increasing its initial surface area to provide increased downlink speeds.

The cubesat  "CatSat," as the students have dubbed it  will serve a dual purpose alongside its novel antenna test. Instruments opposite the beach ball antenna will probe Earth's ionosphere to study the propagation and changes of high-frequency radio signals above the atmosphere. Together with other onboard components, CatSat's instruments will send down high-resolution images of our planet at speeds previously unobtainable by comparably sized cubesats.

Related: Cubesats: Tiny payloads, huge benefits for space research

Aman Chandra (left) and Shae Henley (right) are two of many University of Arizona students who have helped prepare CatSat for launch. Here, they carefully handle the system that will eject and inflate a large mylar membrane in space. The upper half of the ball-shaped antenna is reflective, so it can relay electromagnetic waves to Earth.

Hilliard Paige, University of Arizona systems engineering student and CatSat's lead system engineer, sees the antenna concept as a pathfinder for future missions. "Following a successful launch, this inflatable antenna will be the first of its kind in space," she said in an online post from the university.

"The technology demonstrated by CatSat opens the door to the possibility of future lunar, planetary and deep-space missions using cubesats," echoed University of Arizona professor of astronomy Chris Walker.

Through the University of Arizona's commercialization efforts via Tech Launch Arizona, Walker co-founded a company called Freefall Aerospace, which developed the beach ball antenna. Walker was also one of the University of Arizona faculty to submit the initial CatSat proposal to NASA under the agency's Cubesat Launch Initiative in 2019.

Related stories:

 NASA's CAPSTONE cubesat reaches final orbit around the moon

Story continues

 Cubesat that launched on SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will test water-based propulsion

 Green comet seen from space by Artemis 1 moon mission cubesat (video)

That proposal gained NASA's approval, and CatSat was assigned a launch vehicle  a Firefly Aerospace Alpha rocket , which will lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and deliver the small satellite to a 340-mile-high (547 kilometers), sun-synchronous orbit. If successful, CatSat's beach ball antenna will then beam down near real-time images of Earth.

CatSat does not yet have a target launch date, though it's expected to get one later this year, University of Arizona officials said.
The suspended Somerset County District Attorney Jeffrey Thomas is behind bars after a jury found him guilty on assault and strangulation charges on Thursday.

RELATED >>> Somerset County District Attorney in trouble again, accused of harassment

Thomas was found not guilty of sexual assault and aggravated incident assault.

He was accused of attacking a woman at her home in September 2021.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Somerset County District Attorney faces 50 years in prison; 2 new charges added by Commonwealth

After the verdict, Thomas was ordered to jail.

Sentencing is set for May 16.

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Fresno Police were investigating a suspicious device found inside a vehicle at the Taco Bell parking lot near Roeding Park.

Fresno Police Lt. Israel Reyes said at 9:18 p.m., an officer noticed a dark-colored sedan traveling eastbound on Olive Avenue from Highway 99. The officer got behind the vehicle and turned on the lights to pull them over for a traffic violation.

When the officer approached the vehicle, two people exited the vehicle and were acting kind of suspicious and indicated something in the vehicle that didnt belong to them and belonged to their friend. The passengers didnt provide information and officers were allowed to search the vehicle.

When the officers were in the back seat looking through some bags, a device that appeared to resemble a pipe bomb was discovered in the back seat of the dark-colored vehicle, Reyes said.

Police evacuated the Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, Chevron and a motel on Olive Avenue between Roeding Park and Highway 99.

Reyes said the suspicious device turned out to be batteries.

Taco Bell, Jack in the Box and Chevron were closed during the investigation.

Eastbound and westbound Olive was expected to be closed for at least the next two hours, Reyes said.
The new CEO of collapsed Silicon Valley Bank has strong Charlotte banking ties dating more than a decade ago.

Tim Mayopoulos, who was hired March 13 to lead the failed bank, was abruptly terminated from Charlotte-based Bank of America Corp. amid the peak of the financial crisis in December 2008, according to CBJ reporting at the time. Mayopolous was dismissed as BofAs general counsel due to the banks acquisition of Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. and a faltering economy. He was replaced by Brian Moynihan, who then became BofAs CEO a year later.

ALSO READ: Truist, other Charlotte-area bank stocks pummeled in wake of SVB collapse

Mayopoulos exit from BofA came as part of a shareholder suit against the bank for failing to accurately disclose losses at Merrill Lynch, according to a 2012 report from The Wall Street Journal. BofA also eliminated between 30,000 and 35,000 jobs in late 2008 as a result of its purchase of Merrill, coupled with an economic recession.

Now leading SVB, Mayopoulos moved promptly to resolve turmoil at the collapsed bank, presenting a letter meant to reassure the companys clients on his first day as CEO.

Read more here.

(WATCH BELOW: Dont freak out: Financial advisor explains if your money is safe)
SVB Financial, the parent of failed Silicon Valley Bank, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy one week after regulators seized control of the company's Santa Clara-based lender.

The filing Friday in a New York bankruptcy court does not include the bank, SVB Financial's venture capital arm SVB Capital or broker-dealer SVB Securities. The company said in a statement that it intends to use the bankruptcy process to "evaluate strategic alternatives" for SVB Capital and SVB Securities as well as other assets and investments. In its filing it listed as much as $10 billion in assets and liabilities.

"SVB Capital and SVB Securities continue to operate and serve clients, led by their longstanding and independent leadership teams," William Kosturos, SVB Financial's new chief restructuring officer, said in the statement.

Its venture capital arm has a long reach in Silicon Valley. SVB Capital manages $9.5 billion, and had stakes in several major venture capital firms such as Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, according to a report from The Information.

The company said in its bankruptcy filing it has between 1,000 and 5,000 creditors. Money raised from asset sales during a bankruptcy sometimes typically are used to pay creditors, such as bondholders. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that hedge funds and other money managers have been buying SVB Financial bonds, and that a bondholder group that includes Centerbridge Partners, Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP and Pacific Investment Management Co. hopes to collect proceeds from the sales of the company's units.

A Silicon Valley Bank sign in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, file)

It is not unusual for the holding company of a failed bank to file for bankruptcy; in fact, that's what happened in 2008 when regulators seized Seattle thrift Washington Mutual and sold its operations to JPMorgan Chase.

Such a scenario can create an unusual dynamic between a bankrupt firm and its FDIC-seized subsidiary, according to Mark Dendinger, partner with law firm Bracewell. In Washington Mutual's case, the bank eventually bought by JPMorgan became a creditor in the holding company's bankruptcy case due to pre-existing business relationships such as tax sharing agreements for the Washington Mutual enterprise.

Story continues

Regulators last weekend made it clear that Silicon Valley Bank shareholders or debt holders would not receive any government help, but depositors would. The FDIC said it would backstop all depositors, including those above the FDIC insurance threshold of $250,000.

SVB Financial said in its release Friday that it owes bondholders $3.3 billion and $3.7 billion in preferred equity. It "believes" it has $2.2 billion in liquidity, it said.

Centerview Partners LLC is acting as financial advisor, Sullivan & Cromwell is legal counsel for SVB Financial. Kosturos, its restructuring head, previously served as chief restructuring officer for Washington Mutual's parent company following the failure of its bank.

SVB Financial, Kosturos said in a statement Friday, is committed to working with the bridge bank the FDIC created following Silicon Valley Bank's failure, and "finding practical solutions to maximize the recoverable value for stakeholders of both entities."

Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks

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President Joe Biden speaks at the White House on January 12, 2023. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

After the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, President Joe Biden wants harsher penalties for executives at failed banks.

He's calling on Congress to enact legislation that would claw back execs' compensation and keep them from new bank jobs.

Politicians have been finger-pointing over SVB's demise, with some targeting looser regulations.

President Joe Biden doesn't want to let bank executives off the hook for failures following the Silicon Valley Bank debacle.

On Friday, Biden released a statement calling on Congress to "impose tougher penalties for senior bank executives whose mismanagement contributed to their institutions failing." The banking industry has fallen under intense scrutiny over the past week after federal regulators shut down Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and crypto-friendly Signature Bank. Lawmakers  and now the president  want bank executives to be held accountable for actions that jeopardize taxpayer dollars.

"No one is above the law  and strengthening accountability is an important deterrent to prevent mismanagement in the future," Biden said in his statement.

"The law limits the administration's authority to hold executives responsible," he continued. "When banks fail due to mismanagement and excessive risk taking, it should be easier for regulators to claw back compensation from executives, to impose civil penalties, and to ban executives from working in the banking industry again."

Specifically, according to a White House fact sheet, Biden is calling on Congress to:

Expand the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)'s authority to "claw back" compensation from executives at failed banks

Strengthen the FDIC's authority to prohibit executives from holding jobs at other banks if their own bank fails

And expand the FDIC's authority to fine executives "when their actions contribute to the failure of their firms."

The president's call for stricter penalties comes as politicians grapple with what, if any, steps to take after SVB's abrupt closure and bailout. Progressive lawmakers like Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have called to roll back 2018 legislation that loosened regulations. Previously, under the Dodd-Frank Act, banks holding $50 billion or more in assets would be subject to stress tests that would identify if they had any weaknesses in their investment holdings. But the 2018 tweak raised that regulatory threshold to $250 billion; SVB had $212 billion.

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That legislation ultimately made it through with 13 votes from Democrats; one of them, centrist Joe Manchin of West Virginia, told Insider that the Federal Reserve could and should have done more in the case of SVB and Signature.

"When the industries that propped up these banks were publicly flailing, alarm bells should have rung at the Fed and additional oversight should have been performed," Manchin said. "No law prevented the Fed from acting."

Warren, along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, have also stressed the importance of holding bank executives accountable for failures. On Wednesday, they wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and SEC Chairman Gary Gensler asking the agencies to investigate SVB's collapse, and that "SVB officials showed a pattern of risky and questionable decision making" that may have contributed to the bank's collapse.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Janine Nabers in 2023. Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

"Swarm" co-creator Janine Nabers revealed that she wanted to make the main character Dre less sexual.

"It was very, very important that she have a relationship with sex that was a little alien," she said.

According to Nabers, she was very cognizant of how often Black women are sexualized onscreen.

In Amazon Prime Video's new series "Swarm," the main character Dre (played by Dominique Fishback) has a fraught relationship with sex for most of the show. Creator Janine Nabers told Insider that the decision to make Dre disinterested in sex was something she and co-creator Donald Glover talked about "a lot."

"For me, it was very, very important that she have a relationship with sex that was a little alien and foreign," Nabers said during a recent interview at the 2023 South by Southwest film & TV festival in Austin, Texas.

"I think oftentimes, Black women on TV and in films, especially when they play the protagonist in their own life, are sexualized in some way. You know, it's like sassy and sexy and someone looking for love," Nabers continued. "And that is just not the story that I wanted to tell."

According to Nabers, Dre's sexual activity (spoiler: the character loses her virginity in the first episode) was also inspired by tropes in horror movies and thrillers.

Dominique Fishback in "Swarm." Prime Video

"Every horror story starts with the virgin, right? So how do you take that and kind of subvert that in some way? You think that this is a setup of, 'Oh, this woman's gonna lose her virginity, and then something is gonna be reborn, something's gonna unfold,'" Nabers told Insider.

But instead, as the "Atlanta" writer explained, Dre is ultimately motivated by "blood."

"That's the way we're subverting this story. And I think we were really just careful about not really seeing [Dre] as someone who we were familiar with, in terms of her with the people that she has some sort of intimate relationship with over the course of the two-and-a-half year period," Nabers added.

Story continues

Elsewhere in the interview, Nabers spoke about how a "very funny" story Glover told her about a past hook-up of his inspired a shot of a flaccid penis pressed against a glass bowl of fruit.

"Swarm" premieres Friday on Prime Video. You can watch the trailer below.

Read the original article on Insider
(Bloomberg) -- Sweden will continue efforts to persuade Turkey to lift its block on the entry of the largest Nordic country into defense alliance NATO after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opened the door to Finlands accession.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Erdogans decision on Friday to instruct the parliament to ratify the Finnish application dashed the Nordic countries hopes of a parallel entry process. Hungarys announcement that it also plans to treat the bids separately cast further doubt on the timeline for Swedens entry.

Speaking to reporters in Stockholm, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said his government has done its part on fulfilling an agreement with Turkey the two Nordic countries signed in June last year, adding that it will continue to honor the deal.

Sweden has done what it promised to do when signing the trilateral memorandum, Billstrom said. We have no intent to do neither more nor less than what we have pledged to do.

The June agreement, which paved the way for Sweden and Finlands invitation to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, included pledges from the Nordic countries to avoid arms embargoes on Turkey and do more to combat terrorism. However, relations between Ankara and Stockholm soured since then, with Turkey accusing Sweden of not doing enough to crack down on groups that it labels as terrorist.

Talks came to a standstill earlier this year after an effigy of Erdogan was hoisted upside down from a lamppost in Stockholm, and a Danish-Swedish far-right activist burned a Koran outside of the Turkish embassy.

While Sweden has since moved toward introducing a tighter anti-terror legislation  after preparing it for years  and prevented at least two occasions of attempted Koran burnings, Erdogan continued to link Swedens ratification to concrete steps taken by the country.

Story continues

At a press conference in Ankara earlier Friday, the Turkish president also repeated his demand for Sweden to extradite people that Turkey calls terrorists.

Sweden has opened its arms to terrorists, Erdogan said. We have given them a list of approximately 120 terrorists and we asked them to send them to Turkiye.

Swedens Supreme Court, which makes decisions on extradition requests, has rejected several appeals from Turkey on various grounds, including risk of persecution.

In December, the court blocked the extradition of Bulent Kenes, a former editor-in-chief of the oppositional Todays Zaman newspaper, which Turkey claims was tied to the Gulenist movement, believed to have orchestrated a 2016 coup attempt. Still, Sweden has at least on one occasion extradited a person wanted by Turkey.

Billstrom said Turkey can expect that decisions on extradition requests can be either positive or negative, given that Sweden has an independent judiciary that deals with these issues without any involvement from the government.

Disappointing News

Being withheld entry after casting aside 200 years of policy to remain outside of military alliances is disappointing to Sweden, even as Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson had sought to prepare his country to the eventuality.

Not gaining ratification at the same time as Finland is not good for Sweden, Magdalena Andersson, head of the opposition Social Democrats and prime minister at the time of the NATO application, told reporters. Its also not good for NATO, both because its harmful to NATOs open-door policy, but also because it makes it more difficult for NATO to defend Finland.

Finlands President Sauli Niinisto pledged to continue work to help Swedens accession, telling reporters on Friday that Finlands NATO membership is not complete without Sweden.

Speaking in an interview on YLE TV1 on Saturday, Niinisto said his countrys interests require Swedens NATO membership, adding that it would boost Finnish security.

(Updates with further comments from Niinisto in final paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
By Alexandra Hudson and Tom Sims

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss lawmakers on Friday vowed to bring those responsible for Credit Suisse's problems to account and urged it to clean up its act after years of scandals, as they sought to contain the crisis and limit any reputational damage to the country.

Credit Suisse, Switzerland's second largest lender, clinched an emergency central bank loan early on Thursday of up to $54 billion to shore up its liquidity after its shares fell 24% on Wednesday, when its largest investor said it could not offer any more financial assistance.

The stock jumped 20% on Thursday, but fell 10% on Friday in volatile trade.

The Swiss cabinet held an emergency meeting about the central bank's move on Thursday but gave no public statement after, with most politicians, including Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter, tight-lipped.

Among those who did comment, politicians from across Swiss ruling parties backed the Swiss National Bank's (SNB) move to provide liquidity, but put Credit Suisse managers under the spotlight for the scandals and losses that led to a crisis of confidence.

Switzerland, while priding itself on its financial know-how, has few mechanisms for holding top bankers individually responsible for mismanagement, unlike some other financial centres such as Britain where senior managers can face criminal sanctions.

Switzerland's Social Democrats (SP), the second largest party in the lower house of the parliament, called for a wide search into who was responsible for a crisis "everyone should have seen coming".

"Our system hasn't managed to hold those responsible who should be held responsible," SP co-president Cedric Wermuth told reporters on Thursday. "Who knew what, when .... Who knew when we had a systemic problem .... Who should have sounded the alarm when it was necessary?" he asked.

Greens lawmaker Gerhard Andrey said managers should take responsibility and Switzerland should look at its regulations, with the Credit Suisse debacle putting the country "in a very difficult situation".

Story continues

"It is about the responsibility of top level management and about culture. We don't need more boxes to check. We need another culture," he told Reuters.

Andrey said a year and a half ago he had convinced parliament and the government to rethink regulation and make top executives more accountable, with results due later this year.

"The industry has a trust issue, not because the sector as a whole isn't trustworthy, but a few organizations put it in a very bad position," he said

"This mismanagement led to a situation where we are now."

So far, there hasn't been large-scale public outcry.

"It was foreseeable that the SNB would provide liquidity. That Credit Suisse has problems has been known for a long time," said Martin Staub speaking in central Zurich.

Others expressed their faith in the Swiss banking system. "We are clever with banks," said Diva Bosch, out shopping in central Zurich.

One passerby who declined to give his name said, however: "After all the management mistakes and the huge bonuses, let them collapse. It's over."

SWITZERLAND BEYOND BANKS

Fifteen years after the bailout of rival UBS and subsequent clampdown on baking secrecy, the turmoil at Credit Suisse has put another dent in the Swiss armour of financial stability.

But Switzerland is still the world's largest wealth management centre, according to 2021 study by Deloitte, in terms of competitiveness, size and performance. The financial sector makes up about 9% of Swiss gross domestic product, according to Finance Swiss, and employs 5.5% of the workforce.

The aggregate balance sheet of all banks in Switzerland stood at 5.2 times the size of the country's economy in 2021.

While its big banks are famous, more than 99% of registered businesses in Switzerland are small enterprises with less than 250 staff, and the country has a weighty pharma sector as well as the world's largest food company Nestle.

"It will be harsh for some if Credit Suisse disappears but Switzerland will be just fine," said Stefan Legge, head of tax and trade policy at the University of St. Gallen's IFF Institute for Financial Studies.

"The Credit Suisse crisis is negative for Switzerland, but not enough to damage the reputation of Switzerland on its own. For a complete disaster there would have to be a large group of people losing a lot of money and lots of jobs lost. But the only people who have lost money so far are the shareholders, and they chose to buy stock," he told Reuters.

He believes the damage to the bank's reputation is so severe, however, it will have to change.

"I expect someone to come and take the valuable assets and the rest will die .... They have announced a turnaround so many times, they all failed."

(Additional reporting by John Revill, Reuters television, Writing by Alexandra Hudson, Editing by Mark Potter)
A rendering of Sun-Ways solar panels installed on a railroad track. Sun-Ways

A Swiss start-up will install solar panels on a railway in western Switzerland, pending approval from transportation officials.

Based in the Swiss town of Ecublens, the firm Sun-Ways has developed a mechanized system for laying down solar panels in which a specially equipped train car glides over the tracks, ejecting panels that fit in between the rails. The panels are outfitted with clamps that fix them into place, and if the tracks need maintenance, the panels can be removed using the same system.

Electricity generated by the panels can be used to power nearby train stations or fed into the grid. To clean the panels, Sun-Ways says that passenger trains can be affixed with cylindrical brushes that remove dirt as they pass over the system. The company says it is developing a way to melt snow and ice that gathers on the panels.

A rendering of the Sun-Ways solar panel installation system. Sun-Ways

In May, Sun-Ways will undertake a pilot project on a roughly 300-foot stretch of railway next to the Buttes train station near the French border, demonstrating how its system could save space and cut down on labor costs. The company estimates that if panels were installed on every mile of the Swiss rail network, they could meet around 2 percent of Switzerlands power demand.

The scheme faces skepticism from the International Union of Railways, Swissinfo reports, which has suggested the system could pose a fire risk, but Sun-Ways says that built-in sensors will sure the panels continue to function properly.

The biggest challenge is not technological, Sun-Ways cofounder Baptiste Danichert told Swissinfo. What is needed is a change of mentality in the railway sector, an area thats usually not very open to innovation.

ALSO ON YALE E360

More Energy on Less Land: The Drive to Shrink Solars Footprint
[Source]

A man described as a prominent member of Sydneys Indian community is currently on trial for 13 counts of rape, among multiple other sex crimes, in Australia.

Balesh Dhankhar, former president of the Indian diaspora organization OFBJP Australia, stands accused of rape by five women, all of whom are Korean and in their mid-20s. The women claimed that they were lured by Dhankhar under the pretext of offering them jobs before he drugged and raped them in his apartment between January 2018 and October 2018.

Dhankhar reportedly posted a job ad for Korean-to-English translation work on the classified ads site Gumtree to lure women to Sydneys Hilton Hotel bar, which is located near his apartment.

After allegedly spiking their drinks with sleep medication or Rohypnol, a benzodiazepine associated with date rape due to its solubility, he would bring them to his apartment and rape them. He would reportedly use his mobile phone or an alarm clock with a hidden camera to film himself raping his victims.

More from NextShark: St. Paul Hmong man kills wife and himself while home with their 5 children

According to court documents, a Korean woman who met with Dhankhar for a fake job interview in October 2018 said that Dhankhar expressed interest in her, but she told him she was not interested.

She shared that after she consumed the wine he gave her in his apartment, she felt dizzy and went to the bathroom to message her friend her location.

Sister, I feel very intoxicated however slightly different kind of intoxication, the victim wrote in her text. And I am worried myself. Keeps trying to kiss me I am f*cked up.

More from NextShark: San Francisco street walked by Vicha Ratanapakdee is renamed after him

Another victim narrated how Dhankhar gave her ice cream and a glass of wine at his apartment in September 2018. All she could recall was seeing a condom wrapper, feeling dizzy and experiencing pain. Two days later, she went to a hospital and reported the incident to the police.

Story continues

According to prosecutors, the woman was featured in two videos where she was unresponsive and making distressed sounds while Dhankhar was having sex with her.

During a police raid on his residence in October 2018, investigators reportedly found a hard drive containing 47 videos that show Dhankhar having sex with Korean women.

More from NextShark: India expected to have its second-ever female president in former teacher Draupadi Murmu

Most of the clips show women who were unconscious, while some show women who appear to have consented to the act but were unaware they were being filmed.

The jury reportedly asked to leave the courtroom during the trial this week after scenes featured in the videos proved to be too much for them to handle.

DNA evidence was also recovered from Dhankhars bedding as well as a spreadsheet with womens names on his phone and notes that appear to reference sexual activity.

More from NextShark: 'I Sent It Flying': Japanese Woman, 82, Fights a Bear in Her Backyard and WINS

Dhankhar has pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of rape, 17 intimate recordings without consent, six counts of using intoxicating substances to commit an indictable offense and assault with an act of indecency.

In the last four years, he has been trying to get his name suppressed in news articles, but to no avail.

Dhankhar was a "lead data visualization consultant" for Sydney Trains at the time he allegedly committed the crimes. During the period he was out on bail, he was hired by ABC and Pfizer.
I tried Taco Bell's new Cheesy Chicken Crispanada. Taco Bell

I tried Taco Bell's delicious new take on an empanada, the Cheesy Chicken Crispanada.

It features shredded chicken and a blend of melted cheddar and mozzarella cheeses.

The shell had a satisfying crispiness, and it gave way to a warm cheesy middle full of flavor.

I've been reviewing new Taco Bell menu items for the last three years.

Me at the world's most beautiful Taco Bell. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I moved back to California in the summer of 2020, right around the time Taco Bell released the Grilled Cheese Burrito. It had been 10 years since I'd had easy access to the chain, and I was intrigued to see how the menu had changed.

I was a huge fan of the Grilled Cheese Burrito (which, along with the Double Steak Grilled Cheese Burrito, is currently back on Taco Bell's menu) and a former love was rekindled. I made it my mission to keep trying Taco Bell's new innovations. And, since then, there have been dozens of them.

I recently went to Taco Bell's headquarters in California to try seven new items.

Taco Bell's headquarters in Irvine, California. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I first visited Taco Bell's headquarters in October, where I got to sample everything from the Loaded TRUFF Nacho Fries (which I was obsessed with and already miss) to the Enchirito.

I was invited back earlier this month for a whole new feast. And while some things are still top secret, there's one new dish I can finally spill the beans on  and you'll definitely want to know about it.

Taco Bell's Cheesy Chicken Crispanada is the chain's new take on a classic empanada.

Taco Bell's Cheesy Chicken Crispanada. Taco Bell

The $3.49 Cheesy Chicken Crispanada  which is currently being tested in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a limited time until supplies last  consists of 50% shredded white chicken meat and 50% shredded dark chicken meat, a spokesperson for the chain told me during the tasting.

Also stuffed inside is a blend of melted cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, and the shell is made from phyllo dough  a deviation from the corn dough traditionally used for empanadas.

This isn't the first time Taco Bell has released its own spin on the classic treat. The chain previously had a sweet Caramel Apple Empanada, which was discontinued in 2019.

Story continues

The Cheesy Chicken Crispanada looked similar to an empanada but had an unexpected twist.

The Cheesy Chicken Crispanada features a phyllo dough shell and shredded chicken. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I've devoured many empanadas in my life but had never tried one that was made from phyllo dough. And as a Greek-American who grew up watching my parents carefully handle cold sheets of phyllo to make their homemade baklava and spanakopitas, I was really intrigued.

The Cheesy Chicken Crispanada doesn't have the soft and tender base of a traditional empanada, nor is it super flaky like a spinach pie. The fried shell was hard and firm, and it looked crispy.

The Cheesy Chicken Crispanada is served hot with a side of spicy ranch.

The Cheesy Chicken Crispanada is paired with spicy ranch dip. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I gave my empanada a good dunk in the spicy ranch, which had a lovely light and bright flavor that served as a nice contrast to the filling.

I like things pretty spicy and found the ranch to be milder than expected, but I thought it still paired well with all that cheesiness.

After my first bite, I knew I was going to be a Cheesy Chicken Crispanada fan for life.

The Cheesy Chicken Crispanada's filling was packed with so much flavor. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Balance is the perfect word to describe why the Cheesy Chicken Crispanada is such a success. From the texture to the flavor, everything just works perfectly together.

The shell has a really satisfying crispiness that gives way to this deliciously warm, creamy, and cheesy middle, and the combination of white and dark chicken added so much flavor.

Overall, it was such a savory and comforting snack. I could easily eat so many of these in one sitting.

I hope Taco Bell makes the Cheesy Chicken Crispanada available everywhere.

Taco Bell, please make the Cheesy Chicken Crispanada available everywhere. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

The Cheesy Chicken Crispanada is delicious, creative, and innovative. I know it's currently only being tested in Tennessee, but it's my hope that Taco Bell will make it available everywhere.

I believe the key might be to send a Cheesy Chicken Crispanada to Taco Bell superfan Dolly Parton, who just happens to live in the same state.

After all, she did help bring back the Mexican Pizza.

Read the original article on Insider
AFGHANISTAN-TALIBAN-ONEYEAR-EDUCATION

Taliban member Gul Agha Jalali works at the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation in Kabul. Jalali used to spend his nights planting bombs, but since the Taliban swept back to power in 2021, hundreds of fighters have returned to school. Credit - Ahmad Sahel ArmanAFPGetty Images

Almost two years after the Talibans takeover of Afghanistan, the jihadists who transitioned from the battlefields to paper-pushing government jobs in the city are ready to quiet quit.

The Afghanistan Analysts Network, a non-profit policy research organization working to increase the understanding of life in Afghanistan, released a report last month examining how the jihadists who took over Kabulmany of whom arrived in the capital for the first timewere finding city life and their new roles.

Researcher Sabawoon Samim interviewed five jihadists who had spent several years of their lives fighting for the Taliban. They ranged in age from 24 to 32 and had spent between six and 11 years in the Taliban, at different ranks: a Taliban commander, a sniper, a deputy commander and two fighters, Samim wrote in his report. Broadly speaking, all of our interviewees preferred their time as fighters in what they considered a jihad. Now, the men find themselves shackled with the bureaucracy of running a country as they work civilian jobs and security positions, spend too much time in traffic and on Twitter, and yearn for the tranquility of village life.

The shift to working within government structures has forced them to adhere to official rules and laws they never faced before. They find clocking in for office work tedious and almost unbearable, although some said they were now getting used to the routine, the report states.

We couldnt destroy the Taliban, but office work destroyed the Taliban, said one Tiktoker, reviewing articles and quotes from the report. Here are the various reasons the interviewees are fed up with a 9-to-5:

More from TIME

Mundane office culture

The former fighters found themselves missing the freedom of the front-lines as they adjusted to the mundane nature of office work. Huzaifa, a 24 year-old former sniper, said, The Taliban used to be free of restrictions, but now we sit in one place, behind a desk and a computer 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Lifes become so wearisome; you do the same things every day.

Story continues

In our ministry, theres little work for me to do, said Abdul Nafi, 25. Therefore, I spend most of my time on Twitter. Were connected to speedy Wi-Fi and Internet. Many mujahedin, including me, are addicted to the Internet, especially Twitter.

And with a 9-to-5 comes the dreaded commuteand actually having to show up for the job in order to get paid. What I dont like about Kabul is its ever-increasing traffic holdups. Omar Mansur, 32, said. These days, you have to go to the office before 8 AM and stay there till 4 PM. If you dont go, youre considered absent, and [the wage for] that day is cut from your salary. Were now used to that, but it was especially difficult in the first two or three months.

Added responsibilities

A Taliban fighter watches as Afghan women hold placards during a demonstration demanding better rights for women in front of the former Ministry of Women Affairs in Kabul on Sept. 19, 2021. Bulent KilicAFP/Getty Images

Government work has come with pressures and responsibilities the men did not prepare for or particularly want. In the time of jihad, life was very simple. All we had to deal with was making plans for taaruz [attacks] against the enemy and for retreating, said Huzaifa. People didnt expect much from us, and we had little responsibility towards them, whereas now if someone is hungry, he deems us directly responsible for that.

Abdul Salam, 26, says, Whatever happens in Afghanistan, people blame us. Even a minor misdeed by us makes it to the media that the Taleban are doing this and that. Its like the cameras of the entire world are watching us.

Lack of social lives

Work has heavily cut into their social lives too. Those in Kabul, like me, work from 8 AM to 4 PM. So, most of the week, we dont get any time to meet each other said Mansur.

The camaraderie amongst fighters has dwindled, the jihadists say, as previously non-existent hierarchies are now far more apparent, and many around them get swept up in the pursuit of money. I sometimes miss the jihad life for all the good things it had, said Nafi. During jihad, you couldnt have known the difference between a commander and a foot soldier like me.

Kamran, a 27 year-old deputy group commander, longs for the simple life. Now, when someones nominated for a government job, he first asks whether that position has a car or not. We used to live among the people. Many of us have now caged ourselves in our offices and palaces.

Low pay, high cost of living

During the insurgency, Samim notes that the men did not need to earn money to support their families, as the movement covered their expenses. The jihad, a religious duty which exempted them from such everyday concerns, is over: they now have to work for the survival of their families like everyone else.

The high cost of rent and his relative low pay have been a barrier for Mansur, who is not earning enough money to move his family to the city. Salam echoed the high cost of living in Kabul, and said that he missed the freedom of the jihad, with little supervision and a clear purpose.

There is a proverb in our area that money is like a shackle, says Salam. Now, if we complain, or dont come to work, or disobey the rules, they cut our salary.
Story at a glance

While the White House says taxpayers will not be on the hook following two recent bank collapses, Republicans say these financial failures could impact every American with a bank account.

Democrats pushed back on that narrative.

Taxpayers are not on the hook, period, said Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio. There would have been no support for this had this been a taxpayer-funded kind of thing.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NewsNation)  While the White House says taxpayers will not be on the hook following two recent bank collapses, Republicans say these financial failures could impact every American with a bank account.

Republicans at Capitol Hill on Thursday were warning that Americans wont be immune to the second-largest bank collapse in U.S. history.

The bank failures are sparking a wave of uncertainty, and in some cases, anger. The Ohio Retired Teachers Association spoke out this week after the teachers retirement system lost tens of millions of dollars in the Silicon Valley Bank collapse.

First Republic getting bailed out by large banks in $30B plan

Our position is we ought not be in hedge funds in private equity. We ought to have our money invested in safe indexes, instead, said Robin Rayfield, an executive director of the Ohio Retired Teachers Association. Our pension system pays people to gamble with our money and they always lose.

According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), 561 banks failed between 2001 and 2022. No one has lost money since 1933 due to a bank failure.

But thats not stopping some Republicans from warning to the contrary.

Well, somebodys going to have to pay and ultimately thats going to have to be the taxpayer, said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., echoed the same sentiment. He told NewsNation that rescuing Silicon Valley Bank will ultimately mean higher fees for depositors.

Unfortunate and wrong: Angry taxpayers respond to latest bank bailouts

Community banks in rural Oklahoma are going to be offsetting what was the loss for millionaires and billionaires in northern California to be able to cover this, Lankford said.

Story continues

Democrats, like Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, issued a sharp rebuke of those GOP claims, however.

Taxpayers are not on the hook, period, he said. There would have been no support for this had this been a taxpayer-funded kind of thing.

Nevertheless, many worry that coming to the aid of the banks wont put a stop to future risky banking.

The idea here is that if banks know that theyre fully insured on their deposits, they dont have to worry about them as much, said University of Colorado finance professor Shaun Davis. They have a higher incentive to take on risky behaviors.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Getty Images



"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."



Pop superstar Taylor Swift kicked off her highly-anticipated Eras Tour with new music for her fans and an unexpected reunion, of sorts.

According to the AV Club, Swift announced Thursday on Instagram she would release four new songs in celebration of her tour, including one featuring Joy Williams and John Paul White, the former Grammy-winning country and folk duo known as The Civil Wars. It marks Williams and Whites first collaboration since they broke up for good in 2014.

Here is what you need to know about Swifts new music and The Civil Wars.

What Are Taylor Swifts New Songs?

The tracks, which debuted at midnight Friday, include Taylors version of three previously recorded songs: Eyes Open and Safe & Sound, both released for the hit 2012 movie The Hunger Games, as well as If This Was A Movie.

The latter was originally included on a deluxe edition of Swifts 2010 album Speak Now. Her fans have speculated this is the next re-recorded album she plans to release based on clues from her music and social media pages.

The fourth release is a new single, All Of The Girls You Loved Before. According to Cosmopolitan, the song was supposed to appear on Swifts 2019 album Lover.

Safe & Sound (Taylors Version) is the track featuring Williams and White, the pair formerly known as The Civil Wars.

Who Are the Civil Wars?

Getty Images

Joy Williams and John Paul White formed The Civil Wars in 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Williams, 40, grew up in California and began her music career singing in church, according to Vogue. White, 50, spent his childhood on a farm in rural Muscle Shoals, Alabama. They met at a songwriting session and discovered their harmonies featured a unique blend of sounds.

They surged in popularity with the release of their 2011 album Barton Hollow. Its title track reached the top 15 of several rock charts in the United States and won them a Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. The album also won for Best Folk Album.

Story continues

The duo toured in 2011 with Adele, who called them the best live band I have ever seen, according to Vogue, and teamed up with Swift for their Hunger Games track Safe & Sound. The song was nominated for two Grammys and won one for Best Song Written For Visual Media.

The Civil Wars self-titled second album released in August 2013 and topped the Billboard 200.

So What Happened?

Williams and Whites relationship quickly eroded following their rise. They ended their 2012 European tour due to internal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition, according to a news release and went on indefinite hiatus.

In an August 2013 interview with NPR, Williams revealed they had not spoken to each other since the completion of their chart-topping record earlier that spring. And at the moment, not being able to talk about that or even attempt to match the olive branches or lay them out before each other, thats a hard and uncomfortable place to be, Williams said. And then for that to be in the public eye, in the midst of music coming out that I believe so much inthats a precarious place to be.

They officially announced their breakup in a news release on August 6, 2014.

In a 2017 interview with Riff magazine, White admitted to suffering from burnout. He returned home to his wife and children in Alabama following the 2013 album and said he was proud of what he and Williams had accomplished. I dont sit and think, Man, what if I stuck with this? What if I did more of this? I dont have it at all, he said.

Does This Mean The Civil Wars Are Reuniting?

Not exactly. Williams and White are listed separately as featured artists on the track, and the duo has not announced any new projects. But Swifties and fans of folk music alike can all dream with excitement this is the start of a new era for The Civil Wars, as well.
BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Friday he had prepared a decree seeking to dissolve parliament ahead of an election, an expected step as his government heads into the last week of its four-year term.

The decree would require approval of Thailand's monarch and would take effect once published in the Royal Gazette. An election must take place 45-60 days after dissolution.

"I have prepared (the decree), we have to wait. We have to wait for the announcement in the Royal Gazette," Prayuth told reporters in the northern city of Chiang Mai.

Asked when this would be, he said: "We have to wait."

The election will again pit the billionaire Shinawatra family against parties backed by the royalist military and old money conservatives, in what has been a bitter, 18-year power struggle in Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy.

Prayuth, a retired general who has been in charge since leading a coup against the government of Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014, will run under the new United Thai Nation party.

He will be up against Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and Yingluck's niece. Paetongtarn, 36, has led Prayuth in opinion polls for months as the top choice for Thailand's next prime minister.

Speaking on Friday at an event to introduce Pheu Thai's candidates, she said she was confident of winning the election by a landslide, with the aim of averting any political manoeuvring against her party.

Pheu Thai and its previous incarnations have won every election in the past two decades, but three of their administrations were cut short by judicial rulings or military takeovers.

"I have a strong hope that we can form a government for sure, that's why we go ourselves to campaign about a landslide," Paetongtarn said.

Asked about the prospect her opponents might try to block her party from ruling, she said "of course, of course".

(Reporting by Napat Wesshasartar, Panarat Thepgumpanat, Panu Wongcha-um and Juarawee Kittisilpa; Writing by Martin PettyEditing by Frances Kerry and Nick Macfie)
By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Republican U.S. senator's accusation on Thursday that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had lied during a tussle over the future of the Social Security program obscured behind-the-scenes talks between the White House and lawmakers that have been underway for months, according to sources.

The war of words came in a Senate Finance Committee hearing when Republican Senator Bill Cassidy asked Yellen if Democratic President Joe Biden was aware that Social Security funds will run out within the next decade unless Congress shores up the popular retirement program with 66 million beneficiaries.

When Yellen responded that Biden "stands ready to work" with lawmakers, Cassidy shot back, "That's a lie because when a bipartisan group of senators has repeatedly requested to meet with him about Social (Security) ... we have not heard anything on our requests."

For several months now, Cassidy and independent Senator Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, have tried to address Social Security underfunding as approximately 10,000 baby boomers retire every day.

Within a decade, tax revenues and a backup dedicated trust fund will be insufficient to meet the payouts for what is often regarded as the most successful program the federal government has administered since Social Security's inception in 1935.

Central to the Cassidy-King bipartisan effort is the possible creation of a second trust fund that for the first time would allow money to be invested in the stock market, instead of traditional Treasury securities that achieve lower returns.

It would be modeled after a railroad pension fund that invests in stocks.

The last week of bank failures and worries of a wider-ranging crisis, however, could give lawmakers second thoughts about investing Social Security funds in stocks.

Cassidy and King are leading a group of workhorse senators that include Republican Mike Rounds, Democrat Tim Kaine and independent Kyrsten Sinema.

Story continues

While no meetings between the senators and Biden have been scheduled, a source familiar with the discussions said that White House aides are engaged in talks with the Senate. But a formalized plan has not yet been crafted to present to Biden, the source added.

White House officials did not respond to a request for comment.

"It's going to be tough. I don't think we should sugarcoat it. But there are serious conversations in the Senate ... on a package that would improve Social Security's finances," said Shai Akabas, economic policy director at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a centrist think tank in Washington.

The senators' effort is not the only Social Security rescue plan being devised.

Democrats in Congress might rally around a bill that Representative John Larson will unveil by early April, which would increase benefits across-the-board along with other changes, with an emphasis on helping those receiving the least.

"There are close to 5 million Americans who get below-poverty level checks from Social Security,"Larson said. His bill would create a new floor for benefits at 125% of the poverty level, "making sure no one can ever retire into poverty."

To succeed, any proposal would need the support of Democrats, who control the Senate, and Republicans, who have the majority in the House of Representatives.

Several House Republicans have been pushing for an outside commission to recommend reforms under a fast-track approval process, much like one that was part of a successful effort in 1983.

"If someone's got a better idea that they can pass, that's great. I tend to be conservative and say this worked once, let's try that again," Republican Representative Tom Cole told Reuters.

"That's really just a way to have (benefit) cuts without leaving your fingerprints on it," said Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works and head of a coalition of labor unions and other liberal-leaning groups.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Scott Malone and Josie Kao)
In December, ByteDance confirmed it fired four employees who used TikTok to spy on the locations of two journalists. Now, Forbes reports the FBI and the Department of Justice have been investigating the incident. This investigation couldnt come at a worse time, as ByteDance faces mounting pressure to sell its stake in TikTok.

Critics in Congress have previously raised questions about the apps surveillance tactics, particularly in light of ByteDances acknowledgment that employees had inappropriately accessed US user data. "We have strongly condemned the actions of the individuals found to have been involved, and they are no longer employed at ByteDance, a spokesperson said. Our internal investigation is still ongoing, and we will cooperate with any official investigations when brought to us."

The incident late last year involved employees accessing the data of several TikTok users in the US, including journalists, to locate the sources of leaks. Forbes reported ByteDance tracked three of its reporters who previously worked for BuzzFeed News. These publications have all run reports on TikTok, with many focusing on alleged ties to the Chinese government.

 Mat Smith

The Morning After isnt just a newsletter  its also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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A half-step backward for Capcom remakes

TMA

2005s Resident Evil 4 set the standard for action-horror games when it came out, and the remake shines when it embraces the innovations of the original: over-the-shoulder precision shooting and an atmosphere blending combat and terror. However, the remake loses focus quickly, and it feels like much of Capcoms effort was poured into upgrading enemies and environments. The RE4 remake introduces new boss fights and also allows Leon to parry powerful attacks. Sometimes. When the prompt does pop up, its easily interrupted by environmental nudges, the actions of other enemies and Leons own animations. Like most of Leons movements, the parry ability is simply too inconsistent to be satisfying.

Story continues

Continue reading.

A 10 percent discount coincides with the Steam spring sale.

Valve's terrific portable gaming system is on sale for the first time. The 64GB model is currently $359.10 ($40 off). The 256GB variant has dropped from $529 to $476.10. The 512GB Steam Deck, which has a screen with anti-glare glass and the fastest storage of the bunch, is $65 off at $584.10. The discount will apply in all regions where the Deck ships until 1 PM ET on March 23rd, when the Steam spring sale ends.

Continue reading.

Its cute, and it probably goes in your shower.

IKEA's Vappeby lineup continues to grow with a new waterproof Bluetooth speaker for the shower at just $15  undercutting all but the cheapest no-name devices. "The fundamental goal with the new product was to offer quality sound in a versatile product that can really be used anywhere," said product design developer Stjepan Begic. It offers a surprising 80 hours of battery life at 50 percent volume and is IP67 rated for water and dust resistance. Its on sale now.

Continue reading.
A California man was crushed to death by a car as he tried to steal a catalytic converter in Oakland, according to officials.

Police in the city say that officers responded to reports of a crime in progress in the early hours of 10 March and discovered a man underneath the vehicle.

The 35-year-old man from Vacaville, California was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities told the East Bay Times that the man was killed while trying to steal the catalytic converter from a Toyota Prius.

Officers believe that a jack that was being used to raise the car malfunctioned fatally dropping the vehicle onto him.

A backpack containing cutting tools was found near the scene, according to KTVU.

Thefts of devices have increased dramatically in recent years because of the precious metals they contain

Last month a woman in Palmdale, California, woke up in her SUV and accidentally ran over and killed a man as he tried to steal a catalytic converter from underneath it.

Police say that the woman accidentally ran over the man as he attempted to remove the converter from her lifted Ford Excursion vehicle in Palmdale, north of Los Angeles.

The woman had fallen asleep in the SUV in a retail parking lot and was woken by the sound of sawing underneath her.

Thefts of catalytic converters have spiked more than 1,200 per cent in recent years, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
By Ivana Sekularac

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Several thousand people gathered in Belgrade to protest against a Western-backed deal to normalise ties between Kosovo and Serbia, which they view as recognition of Kosovo independence.

Serbia's constitution considers Kosovo an integral part of its territory, even though it declared independence in 2008 with U.S. and European Union backing. Bilateral ties need to be mended for Serbia and Kosovo to achieve their strategic goal of joining the EU.

Protesters held Serbian flags and banners reading "Kosovo is not for sale," "Serbia, not European Union," and "No to capitulation."

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is due to meet Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and EU officials on Saturday in Ohrid, North Macedonia, to discuss implementation of the deal on normalising ties both parties agreed to last month.

"I think the deal implies that we recognise Kosovo, which is not acceptable," said Bogdan, a 26-year old student protestor who declined to give his last name, in an interview.

Protesters in front of Saint Sava Church in Belgrade walked to the presidency building.

"This is just the start of the protest," said Milos Jovanovic, leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia, which was one of the protest organisers.

"It (the deal) is definitely a recognition (of Kosovo), whether you say it explicitly or whether it is implied indirectly it is still recognition and it is not acceptable."

In 1999, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) bombed Serbia in response to the expulsion of majority Albanians by Serb forces in Kosovo.

(Reporting by Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Richard Chang)
On 17 March, Russian forces dispatched combat drones to critical infrastructure facilities in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Three drones were destroyed near the city of Dnipro, but two UAVs hit a critical infrastructure facility in Novomoskovsk.

Source: Air Command Skhid (East); Serhii Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration

Quote: "On 17.03.2023, the Russians deployed combat UAVs (likely Shahed-131/136 drones) from the Southeastern direction on critical facilities in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. Three of them were destroyed by Air Command Skhid (East) in the Dnipro district."

Details: Serhii Lysak, head of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, also reported that members of Air Command Skhid (East) had destroyed three Russian UAVs in the sky above Dnipropetrovsk Oblast but "nonetheless, there were strikes".

Two drones struck a critical infrastructure facility in the town of Novomoskovsk and caused serious damage. All the emergency services are working at the scene. The effects of the attack are being determined.

The air-raid alert in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast lasted for over two hours (from 20:59 to 23:09).

Background: On the evening of 17 March, during the air-raid alert, Serhii Rieznik, mayor of Novomoskovsk, reported that the Russians had attacked Novomoskovsk.

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(AFP via Getty Images)

New Zealand is banning TikTok from official devices, following a range of other countries that have instituted their own bans.

The country is just the latest to raise alarm about cyber security concerns relating to the app, and limit use of the app on government-related devices as a result.

Concerns have mounted globally about the potential for the Chinese government to access users location and contact data through ByteDance, TikToks Chinese parent company.

The depth of those concerns was underscored this week when the Biden administration demanded that TikToks Chinese owners divest their stakes or the app could face a U.S. ban.

In New Zealand, TikTok will be banned on all devices with access to parliaments network by the end of March.

Parliamentary Service Chief Executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said in an email to Reuters that the decision was taken after advice from cybersecurity experts and discussions within government and with other countries.

Based on this information, the Service has determined that the risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand Parliamentary environment,AAAA he said.

Special arrangements can be made for those who require the app to do their jobs, he added.

ByteDance did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Speaking at a media briefing, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said New Zealand operated differently from other nations.

Departments and agencies follow the advice of the (Government Communications Security Bureau) in terms of IT and cybersecurity policies ... we dont have a blanket across the public sector approach, Hipkins said.

Both New Zealands defence force and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Friday they had already implemented bans on TikTok on work devices.

A spokesperson for the New Zealand Defence Force said in an email to Reuters the move was a precautionary approach to protect the safety and security of personnel.

Story continues

On Thursday, Britain banned the app on government phones with immediate effect. Government agencies in the U.S. have until the end of March to delete the app from official devices.

TikTok has said it believes the recent bans are based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics, adding that it has spent more than $1.5 billion on rigorous data security efforts and rejects spying allegations.

Responding to a question about the TikTok bans from Britain and New Zealand, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a regular news briefing on Friday that the two countries should stop over-extending and abusing the concept of national security, and provide a fair and non-discriminatory environment to companies from all countries.

Additional reporting by agencies
The TikTok app logo. (PHOTO: Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)

SINGAPORE  The Singapore government said that popular social media app TikTok is allowed to be used in government-issued devices only on a "need-to basis".

CNA reported on Friday (17 March) that a spokesperson for the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group (SNDGG) said that there are "clear rules stipulating that only approved apps should be downloaded" on such devices, which have security configurations to safeguard data.

Currently, TikTok is only allowed for use by public officers on a need-to basis, such as for communications officers, the spokesperson told CNA.

A few Singapore politicians are known to be using TikTok, including Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin.

Like many other social media apps, TikTok collects significant amounts of user data, such as birthdays, email addresses and phone numbers. It also tracks users likes, shares and search history.

Other countries have also banned TikTok from government devices

TikTok has come under scrutiny, with countries such as the United States, Britain, Canada, Belgium and several EU bodies also banning the app from government devices.

The latest nation to limit the use of the app on government-related devices is New Zealand, which said on Friday it would ban TikTok on devices with access to the country's parliamentary network due to cybersecurity concerns.

Responding to the ban by New Zealand, a TikTok spokesperson expressed disappointment that the decision "was made without consultation with, or notification, to TikTok".

"Data security is of the highest importance to TikTok, and there is no evidence to suggest that TikTok poses a security risk to New Zealanders. We believe it is important that decision making is based on fact, not misinformation," the TikTok spokesperson added.

TikTok is owned by Beijing-headquartered internet company ByteDance. The numerous bans underscore mounting concerns that the apps user data could end up in the hands of the Chinese government, undermining Western security interests.

Story continues

Do you have a story tip? Email: sgnews.tips@yahooinc.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Also check out our Southeast Asia, Food, and Gaming channels on YouTube.
Shou Zi Chen and the TikTok logo. Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images; OLIVIER DOULIERY/Getty Images

The Biden administration has demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners sell their shares, or face a US-wide ban.

But the app's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, says this wouldn't actually solve anything.

That's because TikTok is already planning to spend billions safeguarding user data by storing in the US.

The Biden administration's demand that TikTok's Chinese owners sell their shares won't solve the government's security concerns, the app's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, told The Wall Street Journal.

Chew said that's because TikTok is proposing to spend billions on storing American users' data in the US by partnering with Oracle. That would also prevent any Chinese influence over which TikToks US users see, per the WSJ.

"I do welcome feedback on what other risk we are talking about that is not addressed by this," Chew told the newspaper. "So far I haven't heard anything that cannot actually be solved by this [his plan for US data storage.]"

TikTok has already been banned on government devices in the US, but now officials are threatening a full-scale ban on the short form-video app for all citizens if its Chinese stakeholders don't divest.

Governments around the world are worried that the fact TikTok is Chinese-owned means the Chinese government could access sensitive data, but a spokesperson for the app says bans "have been based on misplaced fears and seemingly driven by wider geopolitics."

The company has launched "Project Texas," as well as "Project Clover" in Europe, to try to convince legislators that it wouldn't hand over users' data to the Chinese government. Those efforts have so far been unsuccessful.

On Thursday, the UK joined the European Union, Canada, and the US in banning the app on government devices. That was despite TikTok executives meeting with British policy makers and the cybersecurity intelligence agency to try to allay concerns  as well as building more data centers on the continent.

Then Grant Shapps, the British energy minister often praised as the government's "best communicator" per The Guardian, shared a "The Wolf of Wall Street" clip joking about refusing to leave the app. He added that he had only ever used the app on personal devices.

Story continues

Chew also told the Journal the app isn't currently profitable "because I spent so much money building these data-sovereignty projects around the world."

The White House did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, sent outside US working hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Chicago River is dyed green for St. Patrick's Day. Scott Olson/Getty Images

March is often a green-filled month, as St. Patrick's Day traditions abound while Ireland's national festival is celebrated around the world. One longstanding ceremony is the dyeing of the Chicago River, when artificial coloring is used to turn the water an emerald green during the week leading up to St. Patrick's Day.

The event is a cultural milestone in the city of Chicago, with thousands lining the river every year to catch a glimpse of the green hues in action. Chicago's Irish heritage often looms large during the holiday, with Block Club Chicago reporting that an estimated 75,000 people attended the city's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in 2023  the largest gathering outside of Dublin.

However, the practice of dyeing the river, which began in 1962, has not been without controversy. While the city has consistently maintained that the dye is completely safe for the environment, some activists are not so sure. Groups have also been speaking out about the potential message that dyeing the river could be sending about the river's ecosystem.

Dyeing the river green is ecologically irresponsible

While Chicago has asserted that the dye being used is safe, some feel that there are other concerns that may arise from turning the river green. "Dyeing the river perpetuates the notion that it can be treated any way anyone wants, rather than protected as a valuable natural resource," Margaret Frisbie, head of advocacy group Friends of the Chicago River, tells EuroNews. Frisbie adds that, in the age of continuing environmental pollution, "our land and waterways need protection and our traditions need to evolve to reflect that."

Frisbie also tells NPR that, while officials say the dye is safe, the Illinois EPA "has never required a [pollutant discharge] permit so there is no way to know what the dye is or whether it is harmless." Isaac Green agrees that questions remain, and writes for Niche Canada that "even if the dye itself isn't ecologically harmful, the process of dying the river can sustain harmful ecological ideas." Green adds that dyeing the river is akin to treating it as a sewer, and writes that the practice "can be interpreted as a surreptitious disenfranchisement of the river."

Story continues

The dye that is used is completely safe

The Illinois EPA has been cautiously quiet about the dye used in the river, while also maintaining that it is totally safe. "The dye used is a food grade dye also used in medicine, as the colorant for antifreeze and as a tracer dye. Illinois EPA found that at the concentration used in the Chicago River, it is completely non-toxic," the agency said in a statement, per Niche Canada.

Most environmental groups themselves don't challenge the validity of the dye's safety itself, Megan Crepeau writes for the Chicago Tribune, though she adds that you shouldn't "even bother asking what the dye is made of." Josh Mogerman, a spokesman for the National Resources Defense Council, told the Tribune that the river "is a waterway that has all sorts of really big issues that we focus on a lot more than vegetable dye going in on one day."

Umbra Fisk writes for environmental magazine Grist that the dyes used "are typically veggie-based, carry no real eco-toxicity concerns, are considered safe for aquatic critters, and are certified for use in drinking water by the National Sanitation Foundation." Fisk adds that when it comes to safety issues, "I'd say a Shamrock Shake poses more health and environmental dangers than the annual dyein' of the green."

Chicago's river dyeing is simply not necessary

An editor's letter to the Chicago Sun-Times argues that "we should not be dyeing rivers, whether we have the ability to do it or not." The letter adds, "Chicago loves Lake Michigan. It would never be contemplated to dye the lakefront." Why, then, it asks, does the city take this type of action with the river?

"St. Patrick's Day can be celebrated without humiliating the river and freaking out the wildlife!" the letter adds. The writer of the letter, Willie Levinson, tells CBS News that the dyeing was "like parading the Chicago River out in a dress."

Levinson feels that there are other ways to honor St. Patrick's Day, and calls the dyeing of the river "lazy."

Dyeing the river is part of a Chicago tradition

Many people appreciate the American traditions associated with St. Patrick's Day  including those in Ireland. Jennifer O'Connell writes for The Irish Times that even though some of it may be considered cultural appropriation, "We love it. Please appropriate away. Keep printing those Make St. Patty's Day Great Again T-shirts and eating your corned beef." O'Connell adds that Americans should participate in the holiday because "it's more than a tradition. It's your patriotic duty."

"Once I went to college in Chicago, a city that dyes its river green for the holiday, it became an event," Katrina Diaz writes for Time, adding that the Irish "could care less about the superficial aspects of celebrating their holiday." For them, she writes, "it's about 'the craic'  coming together to celebrate their families, their friendships and their cultural heritage," which the dyeing of the Chicago River helps to do.

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Is it time to stop dyeing the Chicago River green for St. Patrick's Day?

Second thoughts about DeSantis?
Washington  Former President Donald Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former president in U.S. history to be charged with a crime. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges in a New York court on April 4.

Trump surrendered to authorities in New York City after he was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury investigating an alleged "hush money" payment of $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels in 2016.

The grand jury was examining a scheme that first came to light years ago, when Trump was still in office, and the investigation gained new momentum in recent months.

The prosecution is a politically explosive step with Trump seeking the GOP nomination for president in 2024. In a statement responding to news of his indictment, the former president called it "Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history," and accused Democrats of "weaponizing our justice system to punish a political opponent."

News of the charges has once again highlighted Trump and his allies' well-documented efforts to suppress damaging stories ahead of the 2016 election, and the sprawling investigations that ensued. Michael Cohen, his former attorney and "fixer," eventually pleaded guilty to campaign finance charges stemming from his involvement with the payments. He was sentenced to several years in prison, on those and other charges.

The following timeline of those efforts and the district attorney's evolving investigation is based on court records, public filings and comments made by the key players involved. Trump has denied many of the details below, and said he never had affairs with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, nor Karen McDougal, another woman who alleged a relationship and was paid for her silence.

2006

July: According to an interview Daniels would give to "60 Minutes" in 2018, Daniels meets Trump, the star of NBC's hit show "The Apprentice," at a celebrity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe in Nevada. She says he invited her to dinner, and she met him at his hotel suite, where they had sex. He later invites her to a Trump Vodka launch party in California, as well as to his office in Trump Tower in New York.

Story continues

Daniels is 27 at the time. Trump is 60, and his wife Melania had recently given birth to their son.

Donald Trump plays in the 2006 American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament played at the Edgewood Tahoe golf course in Nevada. / Credit: John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

2007

July: A year after their first interaction, Trump asks Daniels to meet at his bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles to discuss a possible appearance on the spin-off "Celebrity Apprentice." The two spend four hours together but don't have sex, Daniels says later, and she leaves after Trump says he is still working on securing her a spot on the show.

August: Trump calls Daniels and tells her he couldn't get her on "Celebrity Apprentice."

In this Feb. 11, 2007, file photo, Stormy Daniels arrives for the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. / Credit: Matt Sayles / AP

2011

May: Daniels gives an interview to the magazine In Touch describing her encounters with Trump in exchange for $15,000. Two employees later tell CBS News that the interview never ran because Michael Cohen, Trump's attorney, threatened to sue when the publication asked Trump for comment. Daniels says she was never paid.

A few weeks later, Daniels says she is threatened by a man who approaches her in Las Vegas and tells her to "leave Trump alone" and "forget the story."

2016

June: Karen McDougal, an actress and former Playboy model, begins trying to sell her story of an alleged affair she had with Trump in 2006 and 2007. She retains attorney Keith Davidson, who approaches the National Enquirer about a possible deal.

July 19: Trump secures the Republican Party's nomination for president.

Donald Trump accepts the Republican Party's nomination for president in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 21, 2016. / Credit: Ida Mae Astute/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Aug. 5: The National Enquirer secures the rights to McDougal's account for $150,000 but never publishes her story, a tactic known as "catch and kill." Federal prosecutors later say the agreement was meant "to suppress [her] story so as to prevent it from influencing the election."

August and September: Cohen reaches an agreement with David Pecker, the chairman and CEO of the National Enquirer's parent company, American Media, Inc. (AMI), to secure the non-disclosure portion of the company's deal with McDougal for $125,000. The deal between Cohen and AMI is never finalized, but Cohen retains a copy of the draft agreement.

Oct. 8: Daniels is now also represented by Davidson, who tells Dylan Howard, the editor-in-chief of the National Enquirer, that she is willing to go on the record about her alleged affair. Howard and Pecker inform Cohen about the conversation and put Cohen in touch with Davidson.

Cohen negotiates a deal to pay Daniels $130,000 in exchange for the rights to her story and a non-disclosure agreement.

Michael Cohen walks through the lobby at Trump Tower in New York on Jan. 12, 2017. / Credit: Drew Angerer / Getty Images

Oct. 17: Cohen files paperwork to incorporate a firm known as Essential Consultants LLC in Delaware.

Oct. 25: No deal with Daniels has been finalized, and Davidson tells Cohen, Howard and Pecker that his client is close to reaching an agreement with another outlet to tell her story. Cohen agrees to finalize the deal.

Oct. 26: Cohen opens a bank account for Essential Consultants and transfers $131,000 he obtained by taking out a home equity line of credit into the new account.

Oct. 27: Cohen wires $130,000 to Davidson, Daniels' attorney.

Nov. 1: Cohen receives signed copies of the agreement between "Peggy Peterson" and "David Dennison." It is dated Oct. 28.

In an accompanying letter, "Peterson" is identified as a pseudonym for Daniels. The identity of Dennison is redacted in later court filings, but Daniels' attorney later says it was the name used by Trump. The agreement bears the signatures of Daniels, Davidson and Cohen, but the signature for Dennison is blank.

A screengrab of a page from the agreement between Stormy Daniels and then-candidate Donald Trump. / Credit: Court filing

Nov. 4: The Wall Street Journal publishes a report detailing the $150,000 deal between McDougal and AMI. A Trump campaign spokeswoman calls McDougal's claims of an affair "totally untrue," and AMI says it "has not paid people to kill damaging stories about Mr. Trump."

The Journal story mentions that Daniels "was in discussions with ABC's 'Good Morning America' in recent months to publicly disclose what she said was a past relationship with Mr. Trump, according to people familiar with the talks."

Nov. 8: Election Day. Trump is elected president, defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton.

2017

January: Cohen seeks reimbursement from the Trump Organization for $180,035  $130,000 for the payment to Daniels, plus a wiring fee and an extra $50,000. Trump Organization executives double the reimbursement to $360,000 and add another $60,000, for a total of $420,000 to be paid in monthly installments for 12 months.

Cohen sends invoices for $35,000 per month and receives $420,000 from the company over the course of the year.

Jan. 20: Trump is sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

2018

Jan. 12: The Wall Street Journal publishes an article detailing the $130,000 payment to Daniels, the first public acknowledgment of the scheme. Cohen says Trump "vehemently denies" having an affair but does not address the payment.

Cohen also sends a statement he claims is from "Stormy Daniels," saying the stories of an affair are false.

Feb. 13: Cohen acknowledges making the payment to Daniels for the first time, but denies being reimbursed and says it was not connected to the Trump campaign, both assertions that he will later recant.

"Neither the Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction with Ms. Clifford, and neither reimbursed me for the payment, either directly or indirectly," Cohen said in a statement. "The payment to Ms. Clifford was lawful, and was not a campaign contribution or a campaign expenditure by anyone."

March 6: Daniels, who is now represented by attorney Michael Avenatti, sues Trump and Essential Consultants LLC in California, an attempt to nullify the nondisclosure agreement, arguing that the deal is invalid since Trump never signed it.

The suit alleges she began an "intimate relationship" with Trump in 2006 that ended the following year. She says she accepted $130,000 from Cohen in exchange for her silence about the alleged relationship. The agreement and an accompanying letter are included in the filing.

Daniels also alleges Cohen used "intimidation and coercive tactics" to get her to sign on to the statement denying the affair.

March 9: Avenatti releases emails showing Cohen used his Trump Organization email address to arrange a wire transfer connected to the agreement.

April 5: In his first public comment on the matter, Trump says he was unaware of the $130,000 payment.

April 9: FBI agents execute a search warrant at Cohen's home and office. The search is the first indication of a federal probe into Cohen's actions. Trump later calls the search "a disgrace."

April 30: Daniels sues Trump for defamation over a tweet in which he wrote that her claims that she was threatened in 2011 were a "total con job."

May 2: Rudy Giuliani, newly hired as Trump's personal attorney, makes the startling admission that the president reimbursed Cohen for the $130,000 payment.

May 3: Trump tweets that Cohen "received a monthly retainer, not from the campaign and having nothing to do with the campaign, from which he entered into, through reimbursement, a private contract between two parties, known as a non-disclosure agreement, or NDA."

He adds that "[m]oney from the campaign, or campaign contributions, played no roll [sic] in this transaction."

July 20: With pressure on Cohen mounting, CNN publishes a recording of a phone call between Cohen and Trump in which they discussed the payment to McDougal before it was made.

Aug. 21: Cohen pleads guilty to eight federal charges of tax evasion, fraud and campaign finance violations related to the payments to Daniels and McDougal. He tells a federal court in Manhattan that Trump directed him to make the payments.

Aug. 28: CBS News reports that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office has opened an investigation and is considering pursuing criminal charges against the Trump Organization, one week after Cohen's guilty plea. Investigators are said to be looking into whether the Trump Organization falsified business records of reimbursements payments to Cohen.

Oct. 15: A federal judge dismisses Daniels' defamation lawsuit, saying the president's comments were "hyperbolic" but protected under the First Amendment.

Dec. 11: The judge who threw out Daniels' defamation case orders her to pay $293,052 to cover Trump's legal fees. Daniels would fight the ruling all the way to the Supreme Court, which declines to hear the case three years later.

Dec. 12: Cohen is sentenced to three years in federal prison. After the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York agrees not to prosecute AMI, the company admits to burying McDougal's story to help Trump's campaign.

2019

May 6: Cohen reports to federal prison in upstate New York.

Michael Cohen addresses the press as he leaves his apartment to begin serving a 3-year sentence at a federal prison in New York on May 6, 2019. / Credit: Atilgan Ozdil/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

July 18: Documents from the now-concluded federal probe into the payments suggest Trump was aware of efforts to buy the silence of both women in the days leading up to the election.

The documents showed repeated communication between Cohen and Trump, as well as one phone call that included Daniels' lawyer and the AMI executives.

"Based on the timing of these calls, and the content of the text messages and emails, I believe that at least some of these communications concerned the need to prevent Clifford from going public," one FBI agent wrote.

August: The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. subpoenas the Trump Organization for records related to the payments. The New York Times reports that investigators are "examining whether any senior executives at the company filed false business records about the hush money, which would be a state crime."

Sept. 17: Vance's office issues a subpoena for Trump's tax returns dating back to 2011, an indication that its investigation is expanding beyond the "hush money" payments. Trump sues to block the subpoena two days later, with his attorneys arguing that "a sitting President of the United States is not 'subject to the criminal process' while he is in office."

Oct. 7: U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero turns down Trump's bid to keep his tax records out of the hands of Vance's investigators, determining the president is making a "categorical and limitless assertion of presidential immunity." Trump's attorneys immediately appeal the decision.

New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. arrives for a hearing at federal appeals court President Donald Trump's tax records on Oct. 23, 2019. / Credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Nov. 4: The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules that Trump's claims of immunity "do not bar the enforcement of a state grand jury subpoena directing a third party to produce non-privileged material, even when the subject matter under investigation pertains to the president." Trump appeals to the Supreme Court.

2020

May 12: The Supreme Court hears arguments in two cases involving Trump's tax records. Conservative and liberal justices alike question the president's claim of "absolute immunity" from state investigations, seemingly skeptical of a blanket ruling shielding the president in non-federal cases. "You're asking for broader immunity than anyone else gets," Justice Sonia Sotomayor said.

July 9: The Supreme Court sides with Vance in a 7-2 ruling, finding that Trump is not immune from the district attorney's subpoena.

"Two hundred years ago, a great jurist of our Court established that no citizen, not even the President, is categorically above the common duty to produce evidence when called upon in a criminal proceeding," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. "We reaffirm that principle today and hold that the President is neither absolutely immune from state criminal subpoenas seeking his private papers nor entitled to a heightened standard of need."

2021

Feb. 3: Vance's office brings in Mark Pomerantz, a former federal prosecutor with deep experience in complex financial and organized crime cases, as a special assistant district attorney. Pomerantz is working solely on the Trump case.

Feb. 25: Vance's office obtains Trump's tax returns, three days after the Supreme Court rejected a last-ditch attempt by Trump to keep them under wraps.

March 12: Vance announces he will not seek reelection that November, kicking off a high-stakes race for his replacement.

July 1: A Manhattan grand jury returns a 15-count indictment against two Trump Organization companies and Allen Weisselberg, its chief financial officer. Both plead not guilty. Prosecutors from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office detail the alleged crimes in court and a 25-page indictment filed in state court.

The indictment alleges the company and Weisselberg orchestrated a scheme to funnel more than $1.7 million in untaxed "indirect employee compensation" to the longtime executive beginning in 2005. Prosecutors said the Trump Organization failed to report the payments to tax authorities properly.

Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg is escorted as he attends his arraignment hearing in the New York State Supreme Court in New York City on July 1, 2021. / Credit: ANDREW KELLY / REUTERS

Nov. 2: Alvin Bragg is elected as the next Manhattan district attorney.

Nov. 22: Cohen is released from federal custody after serving most of the last 18 months of his sentence under house arrest.

2022

March 23: The New York Times reveals that Pomerantz, who stepped down the month before, wrote in his resignation letter to Bragg that he believes Trump is "guilty of numerous felony violations."

Pomerantz expressed frustration with the new district attorney's handling of the case, writing: "I believe that your decision not to prosecute Donald Trump now, and on the existing record, is misguided and completely contrary to the public interest. I therefore cannot continue in my current position."

Pomerantz wrote that "the team that has been investigating Mr. Trump harbors no doubt about whether he committed crimes  he did."

"I and others have advised you that we have evidence sufficient to establish Mr. Trump's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and we believe that the prosecution would prevail if charges were brought and the matter were tried to an impartial jury," he said.

April 7: Bragg reiterates that the criminal investigation into Trump and his company remains active. He says investigators and prosecutors are "exploring evidence not previously explored."

Aug. 17: Weisselberg, the Trump Organization CFO, pleads guilty. He admits to receiving more than $1.7 million in untaxed compensation and agrees to cooperate with prosecutors in the criminal case against two Trump Organization entities.

Nov. 17: At the Trump Organization's trial, Weisselberg testifies that Trump and two of his children allegedly participated in a scheme to defraud tax authorities.

Dec. 6: A New York jury finds the two Trump Organization companies guilty on all 17 charges of tax fraud and other crimes.

Defense attorneys said Trump, who was not charged in the case, was unaware of the schemes playing out beneath him, while prosecutors said he signed off on them. Trump's children also deny wrongdoing.

2023

Jan. 17: Cohen meets with investigators from the district attorney's office, a new sign that the years-old investigation into Trump may be picking up steam.

"They're calling me in for the 14th time, so we'll see what happens," Cohen says outside a government office building in downtown Manhattan, adding that he hasn't met with investigators since Bragg took office. "This is my first time meeting with Alvin Bragg."

Michael Cohen arriving at a New York City government building on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, before a two-hour interview with prosecutors investigating former President Donald Trump. / Credit: CBS News

Jan. 30: The New York Times reports that Bragg has recently convened a grand jury to examine the evidence in the "hush money" probe. The report says Pecker, the AMI CEO, was spotted entering the building where the grand jury is meeting.

March 8: Kellyanne Conway, who was Trump's senior counselor in the White House, meets for at least the second time with Manhattan prosecutors investigating the Daniels payment.

Cohen wrote in his 2020 memoir, "Disloyal," that on Oct. 27, 2016, he unsuccessfully attempted to call Trump to confirm that he had made the payment to Daniels. Conway, he said, called back and "said she'd pass along the good news."

March 9: The district attorney's office invites Trump to testify before the grand jury investigating the payment to Daniels, a move that suggests Trump could face an indictment in the case, according to a source familiar with the matter.

A Trump spokesperson says in a statement that the "Manhattan District Attorney's threat to indict President Trump is simply insane. For the past five years, the DA's office has been on a Witch Hunt, investigating every aspect of President Trump's life, and they've come up empty at every turn  and now this."

The spokesperson characterized the possibility of Trump's indictment as "a new political attack" and "a clear exoneration of President Trump in all areas."

March 13: Trump's lawyer says he will not be testifying before the grand jury.

"He won't be participating in that proceeding  a proceeding that we and most election law experts believe is with absolutely no legal merit," said Joseph Tacopina, who represents Trump.

Cohen also testifies before the grand jury for the first time.

March 15: Cohen testifies again for three hours.

"We'll see what happens, what questions they ask, and then at the end the grand jurors have the opportunity to ask me questions and I'm looking forward to that," Cohen said.

Michael Cohen walks out of a Manhattan courthouse after testifying before a grand jury on March 15, 2023. / Credit: Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Clark Brewster, an attorney for Daniels, also says his client met with investigators from the district attorney's office.

"Stormy responded to questions and has agreed to make herself available as a witness, or for further inquiry if needed," Brewster tweeted.

March 18: Trump takes to social media to warn of his possible arrest and call for protests.

The former president posted on his Truth Social network that "illegal leaks" from the Manhattan district attorney's office indicate that "THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK."

Trump attorney Susan Necheles explained to CBS News that the post was speculation.

"As President Trump states, his post is based on the media reports. Since this is a political prosecution, the District Attorney's office has engaged in a practice of leaking everything to the press, rather than communicating with President Trump's attorneys as would be done in a normal case," Necheles said.

In his posts, Trump repeated allegations that the 2020 presidential election he lost was stolen and urged his followers to "PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!"

Following Trump's call for protests, Bragg sends an email to his staff assuring them that "your safety is our top priority," and says he is committed to "maintaining a safe work environment where everyone is able to continue to serve the public with the same diligence and professionalism that make this institution so renowned."

"We do not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York," Bragg writes. "Our law enforcement partners will ensure that any specific or credible threats against the office will be fully investigated and that the proper safeguards are in place so all 1,600 of us have a secure work environment."

Bragg also tells his staff in the district attorney's office that as with all of its investigations, his team "will continue to apply the law evenly and fairly, and speak publicly only when appropriate."

March 20: Robert Costello, a former legal adviser to Cohen, appears before the grand jury at the request of Trump's attorneys, seeking to call Cohen's credibility into question. He tells reporters after his testimony that Cohen has said things "that are directly contrary to what he said to us."

"He's totally unreliable," Costello says.

March 27: Pecker, the former AMI CEO, testifies before the grand jury.

March 30: Trump is indicted by the Manhattan grand jury, according to two of his attorneys. The details of the charge or charges are not immediately clear.

Earlier, CBS News reported the grand jury has asked witnesses questions about McDougal, the second woman who alleged an affair with Trump, according to two people familiar with the matter.

April 4: Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in a Manhattan courtroom.

Graham Kates, Melissa Quinn, Kathryn Watson and Pat Milton contributed reporting.

The historical implications of former President Donald Trump's indictment

Stormy Daniels ordered to pay Trump legal fees after court loss in defamation case

Paul Whelan's brother on U.S. journalist detained in Russia
BAGHDAD (AP)  Its been 20 years since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began. Here are some key dates from the invasion and following developments.

March 20, 2003: The invasion is launched, and Baghdad is attacked with missiles and bombs in an attempt to target Saddam Hussein and bring down the government.

April 9, 2003: American troops storm Baghdad, and the statue of Saddam is toppled in Firdous Square in a symbolic collapse of his government.

May 1, 2003: U.S. President George W. Bush declares an end to major combat operations in Iraq.

August 2003: Initial hopes for peace recede. An anti-coalition insurgency begins in earnest. Attacks include a car bombing of the Jordanian embassy; a truck bomb that demolishes the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad and kills top U.N. envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello; and the bombing of a Najaf shrine that kills more than 85 people, including Shiite leader Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim.

December 2003: Saddam is captured in an underground hideout near Tikrit.

March 2004: Violent resistance to the U.S. presence intensifies. Four security contractors are ambushed and killed in Fallujah, prompting a battle for the insurgent-dominated city west of Baghdad. Al-Qaida in Iraq, a militant Sunni movement that attracts some of Saddams former Baathist security forces, leads the insurgency.

April-August 2004: Clashes emerge between U.S.-led coalition forces and followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who demands that foreign forces leave Iraq.

October 2004: U.S. arms inspector David Kay reports his team has found no evidence of stockpiled weapons of mass destruction.

November 2004: Following the failure of a first U.S. campaign for Fallujah, a second battle destroys much of the city but leaves the U.S. in control.

January 2005: Iraqis select a new parliament in the first elections since the fall of Saddam. Shiite and Kurdish parties take an overwhelming majority after Sunnis largely boycott.

December 2005: Fighting takes on the character of a sectarian civil war between Shiites and Sunnis, with ethnic cleansing, killings and terror attacks in mixed neighborhoods. The death toll mounts around the country over the next two years among insurgents, coalition forces and Iraqi civilians.

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January 2007: After enlisting sympathetic Sunni tribal leaders to oppose the anti-coalition insurgency in the so-called Sunni Awakening, President Bush orders a surge of 30,000 U.S. troops to contain the spreading violence.

Late 2008: After a year of escalating chaos, coalition forces begin to root out both al-Qaida and Shiite militias opposing the elected government. Barack Obama is elected U.S. president on a promise to withdraw U.S. forces.

December 2010: After much political turmoil, Shiite politician Nouri al-Maliki wins second term as prime minister, supported by al-Sadr.

December 2011: The last U.S. troops leave Iraq, turning responsibility for security over to the Iraqi army and police.

2013-2018: From the remnants of al-Qaida in Iraq, a new terrorist force emerges. The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria breaks Sunni militants out of prisons and mounts a battle to establish a worldwide Islamic State caliphate based in Syria. In Iraq, the Islamic State group takes over Mosul, Fallujah, Tikrit and Ramadi with lightning speed, ultimately controlling about 40 percent of the country. A U.S. bombing campaign, special forces operations and Shiite militias allied with Iran turn back the tide. Islamic State group is evicted from strongholds in northern Iraq and in Syria, although skirmishes continue in remote areas.

October 2019-January 2020: With the battle against the Islamic State group mostly ended, Iraqi public dissatisfaction boils over with anti-government protests against rampant corruption, poor services and unemployment erupting in Baghdad and the predominantly Shiite south. The demonstrations draw young men and women who camp out alongside each other, a rare occurrence in the conservative, majority-Muslim country.

Jan. 3, 2020: The U.S. assassinates top Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani, head of the Quds Force expeditionary forces, in a drone strike near the Baghdad airport. Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis also is killed in the attack, bringing tensions between the U.S. and Iraq to a fever pitch, and later fragmenting rival Shiite camps.

October 2022: After a year of political stalemate following 2021 elections, the Shiite-dominated parliament chooses Kurdish leader Abdul Latif Rashid as president. He nominates Shiite politician Mohammed Shia al-Sudani as prime minister. Al-Sudani forms a government, promising to fight corruption and improve living standards.
Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent.

Over the past month, we have seen a sudden, and somewhat surprising, volte-face by China in terms of its approach to Russias war on Ukraine, from appearing uninterested for much of the past year, to seemingly now going on to the front foot to position itself as a potential broker for peace.

First, we had Chinese diplomats at the Munich Security Conference in February hinting that a China peace plan was in the offing, to the then publication of a 12-point peace plan by China on the one-year anniversary of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Following on from this, Chinese President Xi Jinping finally scheduled a visit to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month, and officials indicated that he would then hold a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky  the latter would be notable as it would mark the first direct call between Xi and Zelensky since the onset of the full-scale war.

Hopes have further built that China could be a conduit for peace talks after Beijing pulled a veritable diplomatic rabbit out of the hat with the Iran-Saudi Arabia detente also announced over the past week. If the Chinese could broker what had appeared as an impossible agreement between arch-foes Iran and Saudi Arabia, optimism is building that perhaps it also has a chance of forging something similar between Ukraine and Russia.

But can we take Chinas efforts to broker a Ukraine-Russia peace deal seriously, and can China really be viewed as a neutral arbiter in any such negotiations, which would surely be critical in determining the potential for success therein?


LAFAYETTE, Ind.  A judge from outside of Tippecanoe County will preside over Lafayette attorney Earl McCoy's case accusing him of sexual battery.

The case initially was filed in Tippecanoe Superior 5, but in a motion filed Thursday, Superior 5 Judge Kristen McVey recused herself, as well as the other Tippecanoe County judges.

"Defendant herein is a member of the local defense bar who appears regularly before each of the undersigned judicial officers," McVey wrote in the motion. "The undersigned judges verily believe that their presiding over this matter presents a conflict of interest, and in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety, affirm that the Code of Judicial Conduct will require that they decline any appointment as special judge in this matter."

The judges in the motion to recuse include Circuit Court Judge Sean Persin, Superior 1 Judge Randy Williams, Superior 2 Judge Steve Meyer, Superior 4 Judge Matt Sandy, McVey, Superior 6 Judge Michael Morrissey and Superior 7 Judge Dan Moore.

McVey published an order Friday setting 9:30 a.m. April 21 as a hearing to review the status of Indiana Supreme Court's appointment of a special judge. McCoy and his attorney are not required to attend the hearing.

The Journal & Courier left a voicemail Friday morning for McCoy asking for comment. He did not return the call.

On Wednesday, a special prosecutor from Delaware County charged McCoy with sexual battery, a Level 6 felony.

Since late October, McCoy has been WLFI-TV18's on-air legal analyst for its coverage of the Richard Allen murder case filed in the 2017 killings of Delphi teenagers Libby German and Abby Williams. He also was a GOP candidate for prosecutor in 2018, but lost in the primary.

McCoy is accused of trying to force a woman who worked in his office to touch his penis the night of May 6, 2022, according to the probable cause affidavit.

McCoy and some of the office staff went out for drinks that Friday evening after work, according to the prosecutor. McCoy consumed three double bourbon and Coke drinks at the pub, according to the affidavit.

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McCoy then asked the woman to let him back into the office because he had left his keys there, according to prosecutors.

Once inside the office, McCoy tried to kiss the woman inside the conference room, then backed her into a corner, grabbed her hand and attempted to force it to his crotch, according to the prosecutor's probable cause affidavit.

The woman pulled away from McCoy, grabbed her belongings and left, according to the affidavit.

During an interview with police, McCoy admitted he attempted he touched the woman on her neck as he attempted to get the woman to kiss him, according to the affidavit. McCoy told police he asked permission from the woman to kiss her, according to the affidavit.

The woman said, "No," McCoy told police, according to the affidavit. McCoy said he then backed away from her, according to the affidavit.

If convicted, a Level 6 felony carries a possible prison sentence of between six and 30 months, according to Indiana law.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Judges recuse themselves from Lafayette attorney's case
A one-of-a-kind digital travel camera is one of the best investments that a traveler could make before embarking on a new adventure.

When you are traveling to a place that you have never been before, you need the right equipment to capture the best results. These are the photos that will help you remember all of the best memories and exciting adventures. The perfect digital camera to suit your individual needs is one of the most important packing essentials for travel, whether its a solo or a group trip.

There are several DSLR cameras on the market, so Travel Noire gathered a list to help you select the best one.

RELATED: Amazons Best Camera Kits For Content Creators

Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS70K Camera

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The Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS70K is a compact digital camera released in 2017. It features a 20.3-megapixel sensor, a 30x optical zoom lens (24-720mm equivalent) and a 3-inch tilting LCD touchscreen. The Lumix is capable of recording 4K video at up to 30 frames per second. This camera also has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity making it easier to share photos and videos.

The Panasonic Lumix camera includes a range of shooting modes, including a manual mode for more advanced users. There is also a built-in electronic viewfinder for easy framing. It has a slim and lightweight design that makes it easy to carry around. Overall, the Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS70K is a popular choice for a versatile and compact digital camera.

Canon Powershot Vlogging Cameras

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Photo Credit: Amazon

Canons Powershot vlogging cameras are a series of compact digital cameras designed for vloggers and content creators. They have features, such as a flip-up or tilting LCD screen for easy self-recording, that make them suitable for vlogging. It has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for quick and easy sharing of photos and videos. The design is lightweight and portable, which makes each camera in this line easy to carry around.

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Some popular Canon PowerShot vlogging cameras are the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III, Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II and Canon PowerShot SX620 HS. These cameras typically have a large 1-inch or 20-megapixel sensor, allowing for high-quality image and video capture. Each camera also has fast autofocus and advanced image stabilization features. Those features ensure that the footage is sharp and steady during movement.

The Canon PowerShot vlogging cameras are popular among people who want a compact and portable camera that captures great content. With its advanced features and easy-to-use controls, it is perfect for any travel experience.

RELATED: TN Approved: Best Luggage Scales for Stress-Free Travel

Sony Alpha a6400 Camera

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The Sony Alpha a6400 is a mirrorless digital camera released in 2019. It features a 24.2-megapixel APS-C sensor and a BIONZ X image processor. It also has a 425-point phase-detection autofocus system with real-time tracking and eye autofocus for humans and animals.

The camera also can shoot 4K video at up to 30 frames per second. It has a 180-degree tilting touchscreen display, making it popular among vloggers and content creators. Other features include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a high-resolution electronic viewfinder and a durable weather-sealed body. The Sony Alpha a6400 is compact and capable with advanced autofocus capabilities.

Minolta MN35Z

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The Minolta MN35Z is a digital camera produced by the Japanese camera manufacturer Minolta. It features a 35x optical zoom lens with a focal range of 24-840mm (35mm equivalent) and a 20-megapixel sensor. The camera can record full HD 1080p vide. It also has a 3-inch LCD screen.

It has built-in Wi-Fi connectivity for easy sharing of photos and videos, and offers a range of shooting modes for advanced users.

Disclaimer: Our editors love finding you the best products and offers! If you purchase something by clicking on one of the affiliate links on our website, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Ukrainian military near Bakhmut, March 8, 2022

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi, and Commander of the Ground Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi, along with other participants, reaffirmed the importance of the defense of Bakhmut at a High Command meeting on March 14.

Read also: Ukrainian troops preparing for future actions in Bakhmut, military spokesperson says

Read also: Situation in Bakhmut remains dire as Russia continues offensive

"We understand that someone can get annoyed with this, while others believe that we should give up. But this is our soil, and we must defend it. If our military makes certain decisions, they will be discussed at the High Command meeting, and certain steps will be taken," Danilov said.

The Ukrainian army is killing "a huge number of terrorists" in Bakhmut and the town will remain a very important fortress for Ukraine "at least until other military actions begin," he said.

The defense of Bakhmut follows two main priorities for the Ukrainian Armed Forces:

 Preventing the enemy from systematically breaking through the Ukrainian defense;

 Inflicting maximum losses in personnel and equipment on the Russians, as well as exhausting enemy troops.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The top Democrat on the newly created House subcommittee on the weaponization of the federal government accused Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) of not acting as an honest broker in his position as chairman.

Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands) criticized Jordans management of the subcommittee in an interview with The Washington Posts The Early 202 newsletter published on Friday.

I always saw [Jordan] as an aggressive, very bullish member of Congress, and I dont have any problems with that, Plaskett said. That is his personal style. Thats who he is. Ive always felt that as a lawyer trained in a courtroom, I can have an argument with you and still be respectful.

But the manner in which Jim Jordan has conducted himself in the hearings thus far is a cavalier manner in which he dismisses other members of Congresss arguments, she continued. I do not agree with members mocking loudly each other, laughing at each other, making degrading comments during the hearing.

Plaskett also pointed to Jordans approach to the witnesses that Republicans have described as whistleblowers.

Because he has also done things such as presenting information about what he calls whistleblowers  who do not fit the term of whistleblowers  to reporters lets me know that hes not an honest broker, she added. Im going to always have to be prepared for the worst, unfortunately.

House Judiciary Democrats claimed in a report earlier this month that the three witnesses that Republicans have identified as whistleblowers did not present actual evidence of any wrongdoing by the FBI. The group acknowledged the unusual nature of their report, noting that it was not a step they would take in the ordinary course of business.

Plaskett also accused Jordan of declining to engage with her on particular issues where she thought they might be able to find some common ground, such as reports of an FBI special agent who colluded with Russia or of the IRS disproportionately auditing working-class people.

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I sent a follow-up letter saying, Look, these are areas Im interested in. There may be one or two of those that I think that we can work on together, or others that we could work on together that you might suggest, Plasket told The Early 202. No response to that, either.

Jordan spokesman Russell Dye said in a statement to the newsletter that Republicans have engaged with Democrats and Delegate Plaskett, followed committee rules and invited Democrats to every transcribed interview and hearing with ample notice.

Sadly, Democrats have abandoned all trust by leaking transcripts and subpoenas, slandering and attacking journalists testifying about government abuse, and defaming brave whistleblowers who have come forward to tell their stories about DOJ and FBI abuses, Dye added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
DINWIDDIE, Va.  Three employees of a mental health hospital in Virginia were charged with murder Thursday, joining seven sheriff's deputies who have also been charged in the death of a man who died in handcuffs and leg irons while being subdued.

Irvo Otieno died March 6 while being held down at the Central State Hospital in suburban Petersburg, Virginia.

They tortured him to death, Otieno's mother, Caroline Ouko, said tearfully during a news conference Thursday with her lawyers outside the Dinwiddie County Courthouse. They treated him like a dog  worse than a dog.

One of Otieno's family lawyers, Mark Krudys, said the video shows all seven deputies pushed down every part of Otieno's body with "absolute brutality."

"I was not really prepared to see this," Krudys told reporters. The video has not yet been released to the public.

Sheriffs claim Otieno became violent while being admitted to the hospital and was restrained by seven Henrico County Sheriff's deputies who brought him there.

Security camera footage shows that the seven sheriff's deputies at the hospital "smothered" him and waited three hours to report his death, prosecutors said during the officers' initial court hearing.

Prosecutor calls video of victim handcuffed, shackled 'disturbing'

A video from the hospital's patient intake area apparently shows the deputies throwing a handcuffed and shackled Otieno face down and lying across him to restrain him, and "smothered him to death," Dinwiddie County Commonwealth's Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervillsaid during Wednesday's hearing.

The entire episode on video lasted about 12 minutes. While the footage was not shown in court, Baskervill called it "disturbing" and proof of unnecessary cruelty against the victim. Baskervill said after watching the video, she immediately sought the deputies' arrest.

"You can see that theyre putting their back into it," said Krudys about the video at the conference. "Every part of his body is being pushed down with absolute brutality. You cannot even see his image many times."

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7 VIRGINIA DEPUTIES ARRESTED IN KILLING: 7 sheriff's deputies charged in man's death at Virginia mental hospital

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Otieno's family retains civil-rights attorney Ben Crump

Thursday's hour-long news conference was called to introduce Ben Crump as co-counsel for Otienos family. Crump is a nationally known civil-rights attorney who featured prominently in several high-profile cases involving the deaths of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, victims of high-profile murders in the last 10 years.

Crump, Krudys and Otienos family were shown the video of Otienos treatment both at the local jail in Henrico and later at the hospital. They all said they could see no evidence of Otieno being disruptive or violent as the deputies had claimed.

Instead, as Crump said, they saw almost a lifeless body in handcuffs and leg chains being manhandled by deputies.

"What we just viewed on the video leading to the death of Irvo was a commentary on how inhumane law-enforcement officials treat people who are having a mental-health crisis as criminals rather than treating them as people who are in need of help," Crump said.

At the jail in Henrico County, they said, a surveillance video showed Otieno handcuffed and naked in the cell with feces on the floor purported to be his when deputies came in and began striking him. When he was taken from the jail to the hospital, he was shirtless but had on some pants, and was in both handcuffs and leg chains and appeared to be extremely catatonic.

Krudys said the hospital video showed Otieno seated in a chair at a table in the hospitals intake area with deputies holding him down. At no time, Krudys said, did Otieno ever attempt to stand up and fight, and was pushed from the chair to the floor and held down.

The video, the lawyers say, showed not only the deputies restraining Otieno but also the three hospital employees who were arrested. Everyone else, Krudys said, appeared to be standing around with their hands in their pockets and not trying to intervene.

Crump likened Otienos case to that of George Floyd, a black man who died in Minneapolis Police custody in 2020. The video seen worldwide showed a police officer with his knee across Floyds neck and saying, I cant breathe several times.

He was just lying there on the floor, Crump said. What possible threat could he have been?

Crump and Krudys said they want the U.S. Justice Department to launch an investigation. They also said they would like to see Baskervill release the hospital video, but Baskervill reiterated that is not something she plans to do.

The prosecutor said a key element of that evidence is the surveillance video from Central State Hospital that captures the intake process.

To maintain the integrity of the criminal justice process at this point, I am not able to publicly release the video, Baskervill said.

Also Thursday, prosecutors also released the names of the three hospital employees also charged in Otieno's death. They are Darian M. Blackwell, 23, of Petersburg; Wavie L. Jones, 34, of Chesterfield; and Sadarius D. Williams, 27, of North Dinwiddie.

Lauren Cunningham, a spokesperson for the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, said the three hospital workers have been arrested and put on administrative leave. Cunningham also said the hospital and DBHDS "are fully cooperating" with the Virginia State Police, the agency leading the investigation.

"We will respect the legal process while we and our staff continue to provide important care to the patients at Central State Hospital," Cunningham said in an email to The Progress-Index, a part of the USA TODAY Network.

It wasnt immediately clear on Thursday if the workers had retained attorneys.

2 deputies granted bond

All the deputies were previously held without bond after turning themselves in on Tuesday, but two of them were released on bond after Wednesday's hearing. Baskervill had objected to the granting of bonds for the two officers.

But a Dinwiddie Circuit Court judge granted bonds of $15,000 for both Jermaine Lavar Branch, 45, and $10,000 for Bradley Thomas Disse, 43, during the deputies' initial court appearance Wednesday.

Branch and Disse were ordered not to be in contact with anyone involved in the case while out on bond.

Edward Nickel, an attorney for Disse, said in an email to the Associated Press Thursday that Disse has served honorably during a 20-year career with the sheriffs department.

He is looking forward to his opportunity to try this case and for the full truth to be shared in court and ultimately vindicated, said Nickel to the outlet.

The other five deputies, Randy Joseph Boyer, 57; Dwayne Alan Bramble, 37; Tabitha Rene Levere, 50; Brandon Edward Rodgers, 48; and Kalyell Dajour Sanders, 30, remain in custody and are being held at regional jails. It is not clear if they have retained lawyers.

A Dinwiddie grand jury is set to meet on March 21 to determine if the deputies and the hospital workers should be indicted. A second-degree murder conviction carries a maximum 40-year prison sentence in Virginia.

Henrico Sheriff Alisa Gregory told The Progress-Index that all seven deputies are on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of their cases.

HE WAS PICKING UP HIS BROTHER AT SCHOOL: Now their family is suing in a fatal police encounter in Colorado.

PROTESTER'S HANDS UP WHEN SHOT 14 TIMES: Autopsy finds 'Cop City' protester's hands were raised during Georgia fatal shooting, attorney says

Prosecutor: Otieno's cause of death was asphyxiation

A preliminary cause of death was asphyxiation, authorities said. The state medical examiner also preliminarily ruled the manner of death as a homicide. A final cause has not yet been determined.

Baskervill said Virginia State Police, which is leading the investigation, was not notified of Otieno's death until more than three hours after the incident took place.

Otieno, a native of Kenya who lived in Henrico, reportedly experienced mental health issues and was a suspect in a Henrico burglary three days before his death, authorities said.

Otieno's family attorney Krudys said his clients are "grief-stricken" after learning about the "brutal nature" of his death.

"The public, and experienced mental health professionals alike, will be appalled when the facts of this case are fully disclosed," said Krudys who described Otieno as a deeply loved and well-regarded young man. The lawyer added that Otieno was an aspiring musician who also had been a well-known high school athlete in the area.

Krudys said the video showed a lack of urgency to help Otieno after the deputies determined that he was "lifeless" and not breathing.

And then you see people standing around with their hands in their pockets and looking away, Krudys said at Thursday's news conference. "And theres an appreciable period of time before any kind of rescue efforts are started."

After CPR is administered, Krudys said the deputies "drift away out of the room and into a conversation by themselves."

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Virginia prosecutor: 10 face murder charges after patient's death
A 49-year-old tow truck driver was just months away from getting married when he was killed in a crash in Georgia.

The tow truck driver was assisting a crash along Interstate 85 in Coweta County around 7 a.m. on March 15, the Coweta County Sheriffs Office said in a release. News reports have identified the driver as Toby Bowden, 49.

While Bowden was helping the first crash, another crash happened, which killed Bowden, the release said. A patrol deputy standing next to Bowden had non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver in the second crash was going too fast as he passed by, swerved to the right and lost control of his vehicle, the Newnan Times-Herald reported.

The driver, identified as 31-year-old Christopher Thornton of Franklin, was arrested at the scene for a previous warrant and faces charges of first-degree vehicular homicide, move-over law violation, reckless driving, driving under the influence, failure to maintain lane and too fast for conditions, the Times-Herald reported.

Bowden was a retired Marine and was engaged to be married, his friends and family shared on Facebook. Bowdens sister said on Facebook that the tow truck driver and his fiance were literally sending out wedding invitations for the fall at the time he was killed.

I was just told that we have lost yet another one of my Marine Corps brothers, Herb VanderLinden said on Facebook. Toby Bowden rest in peace brother and your family will be in our prayers.

Rest in peace my life long dearest friend, Bowdens friend Chris McWhorter wrote on Facebook. Some things I just cant understand...I will always hear your laugh and hold our memories to heart.

Members from the trucking and law enforcement community spoke out, too, urging other drivers to slow down when they see work on the sides of highways and never to drive under the influence.

Weve actually had operators quit because their family were worried about them having to work on the side of the road, as so many people are getting killed, Executive Vice President of the Towing and Recovery Association of Georgia Angela Roper told FOX5. It hits us all very hard in this industry because we face it so much.

Story continues

Bowden, who was also a father, was the first recorded tow truck driver to be killed while working in Coweta County, 11 Alive reported.

My heart was brokenIve known Toby probably 20 years, weve worked together, we see each other out and about at breakfast whatever immediately you start thinking Im never going to see him again, Southside Wrecker owner Jeff Poqutte told 11 Alive. Hes been a part of this community for a very long time.

The crashes occurred just south of Newnan, which is 40 miles southwest of Atlanta.

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By Andrew Chung and John Kruzel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court's current members, joined by judges, scholars, lawyers and government officials, paid tribute on Friday to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal icon and women's rights pioneer whose 2020 death opened the door to the top U.S. judicial body's transformative rightward shift.

A rare meeting of the Supreme Court Bar, composed of attorneys admitted to practice law before the court, featured speeches from people who worked closely with Ginsburg including U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who argues cases for President Joe Biden's administration.

"Her life was a quintessentially American story," Prelogar said. "She was born to a family of immigrants, and grew up with modest means. She faced profound adversity and discrimination. Yet, through her intellect, hard work and force of will, she not only reached the top of her profession, she reshaped it. She broke barriers for those who came after her and she inspired multiple generations."

A similar meeting was held following the 2016 death of Justice Antonin Scalia, whose memory looms large among conservatives just as Ginsburg's does among liberals. The two jurists were close friends who shared an affection for opera.

Ginsburg's death at age 87 after a bout with cancer was an inflection point for the court.

It enabled then-President Donald Trump to make a third appointment to the court - Amy Coney Barrett - who was rapidly confirmed by a Senate then controlled by his fellow Republicans. That gave the court a 6-3 conservative majority, further diminishing the power of its liberal bloc and paving the way for rulings like last year's decision ending the recognition of a constitutional right to abortion.

Trump also appointed conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch in 2017 and Brett Kavanaugh in 2018.

The conservative majority has shown no hesitation in taking on contentious issues, also including last year's ruling widening gun rights. Based on arguments held since their current term began in October, the conservative justices appear poised in the coming months to end affirmative action policies used by colleges and universities to increase campus racial diversity, further undermine a federal law barring racial discrimination in voting and enable businesses to refuse certain services to LGBT people based on constitutional free-speech rights.

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Barrett was confirmed by Senate Republicans a week before the 2020 presidential election. Democrats accused them of hypocrisy after Republicans refused to act on Democratic President Barack Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to succeed Scalia during a presidential election year in 2016.

Garland, a former appellate judge who now serves as U.S. attorney general, spoke about Ginsburg at a special sitting of the court following the bar meeting.

Garland recalled first encountering Ginsburg in 1978 at the Supreme Court when he was a clerk for Justice William Brennan and she was an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer delivering an oral argument. Garland said the justices had told the clerks Ginsburg "was the best advocate we would hear that term, and she did not disappoint."

Ginsburg was a "brilliant, courageous and principled" advocate and jurist whose impact on the court and her country "will be felt for generations to come," Garland added.

Chief Justice John Roberts said Ginsburg "used the law to change our country profoundly for the better as an advocate prior to becoming a member of this court." Roberts highlighted Ginsburg's life outside the law and her unexpected ascent to "rock star" status as a bespectacled justice-turned-cultural phenomenon dubbed the "Notorious R.B.G." She even would inspire some little girls to dress up as her on Halloween, he added.

"Now, to be clear, Ruth absolutely loved every minute of it," Roberts said.

She rose from a working class New York City upbringing and prevailed over the legal profession's systemic sexism to become one of America's best-known jurists. Appointed to the Supreme Court by Democratic President Bill Clinton in 1993, Ginsburg provided key votes in rulings securing equal rights for women, expanding gay rights and safeguarding abortion rights.

Ginsburg was the second woman ever named to the court. It now for the first time has four female justices.

(Reporting by Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham)
The Sacramento Bees Equity Lab and the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program are hosting an event to celebrate Change Makers who are making a positive difference in our community.

The March 22 event will be held at the University Ballroom at Sacramento State, 6000 J St. Networking starts at 5 p.m., and the program begins at 5:30 p.m.

During the last year, The Bee and the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program solicited hundreds of nominations and selected 25 Black Change Makers, 25 AAPI Change Makers and 25 Latino Change Makers.

These 75 Change Makers are leaders in the capital region who have transformed their communities through leadership, innovation, altruism and style. They stand out as innovative problem-solvers. They find solutions for critical issues in our communities through their respective lines of work.

The event at Sacramento State will honor the Change Makers who were selected in the first three cohorts of this initiative and will kick off the next phase of The Bees ongoing effort to shine a spotlight on the individuals who are leading change in our community.

Event tickets can be purchased here.
A trendy Spanish womens retailer is expanding to North Carolina with plans to debut at a Charlotte mall.

Zara will open at SouthPark mall by 2025, Insider online publication reported this week. Mall officials declined to comment to The Charlotte Observer about the plans.

Behind Zara plans

Heres what Insider said about the plans:

 The Charlotte store is one of 30 planned new stores, relocations or renovations in the U.S., Zara parent company Inditex CEO Oscar Garcia Maceiras told investors Wednesday.

 Inditex will invest 1.6 billion euros, about $1.7 billion, expanding stores and warehouses worldwide, including at least 10 new locations across the U.S.

 Last year, store sales jumped 23% across Inditex brands, including Zara.

 Zara has less than 100 stores in the U.S.

Trendy fast-fashion brand

The fast-fashion company, like competitor H&M that opened its first Charlotte store 10 years ago at Carolina Place Mall, are known for replicating recent high-fashion designs and mass producing them at a low cost. H&M has two other locations in Charlotte at SouthPark and Northlake malls.

The closest Zara stores are in Atlanta with two locations.
Jury selection and testimony is slated to begin in October in the trial of Charlie Adelson, who is accused of orchestrating the 2014 professional hit on Florida State law professor Dan Markel.

Circuit Judge Robert Wheeler, in a Wednesday order, set jury selection for Monday, Oct. 23, with testimony beginning on or before Monday, Oct. 30.

The court expects the trial to conclude by Thursday, Nov. 9, Wheeler said in his order.

Background:Dan Markel murder: Read the transcript and watch the video that prompted charges against Charlie Adelson

More:Charlie Adelson murder trial continued until the fall after defense says it needs more time

Last month, Wheeler granted a request by Adelsons defense attorneys for a continuance in the trial, which had been set for April 24. Daniel Rashbaum, a Miami attorney representing Adelson, said the defense was still going through hundreds of wiretaps and volumes of phone calls, emails, texts and other records.

Markel was shot in the garage of his Betton Hills home on July 19, 2014, by a pair of hired killers from South Florida. Police and prosecutors believe his former in-laws had him killed during the course of a bitter custody dispute with his ex-wife, Wendi, who has not been charged.

Three people have been convicted so far in his murder: Luis Rivera and Sigfredo Garcia, the two hitmen, and Katherine Magbanua, the mother of Garcias children who acted as middleman between the killers and the people who hired them.

Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com and follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Charlie Adelson trial: Date set for case around Dan Markel murder
Trotwood-Madison City School District teachers and staff are hoping good trouble paves the way to a tentative agreement that will end a year of working under an expired contract.

>>PHOTOS: Trotwood teachers gather outside school board

Bargaining teams for the school board and the Trotwood-Madison Education Association are scheduled to meet Friday morning.

Thursday night, several TMEA members and some students lined up outside the school boards meeting site in a show of unity. Many wore badges that reflect the attitude of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia), who taught that sometimes people had to cause good trouble by disrupting normal routine to bring attention to a problem and to confront perceived injustice.

That was the message TMEA members, including teachers Julie Emmons and Larry Barnes, said they wanted the school board to see as well as feel.

Friday will be the 39th time the TMEA negotiating team has gone to the table with the school board, Emmons, a second-grade teacher, told News Center 7s Brandon Lewis.

Superintendent Reva Cosby said she, too, is hoping for a new contract but noted that saying Fridays meeting would be the 39th time the sides have met is a bit of an exaggeration.

Both Cosby, who is a part of the districts negotiating team, and Barnes, a third-grade teacher, were understandably vague when News Center 7s Lewis asked what was holding up the talks.

>> PREVIOUS: Trotwood-Madison teachers union, school board continue talks

Cosby, in her third year as superintendent, said she could speak only in generalities because of her role as part of the bargaining unit.

Finances, compensation issues and wording in the contract to make sure were doing the best for our students and staff were the sticking points, she said.

Barnes said the issue is with the board.

We want to work with them. Were not trying to break the bank. Were looking for something that is fair.

>> Area bars making ready for St. Patricks Day

Story continues

According to a TMEA statement released Thursday afternoon, Salaries, among other issues, for certified and classified staff, remain unresolved.

That statement also reported that the school board has promised to present a counter-proposal to TMEAs proposal to the board at the last bargaining session, which was Feb. 21.

Generalities and allegations aside, Emmons and Barnes said working under an expired contract continues to be stressful.

At the end of the day, were still going to show up without the contract but that doesnt take away from what we do every day for our students, Emmons said.

There is a disconnect between the school board, teachers and staff.

The dots just need to be connected, she said.

According to TMEA, Trotwood-Madison City Schools teachers and staff members are the only public school staff members in Montgomery and surrounding counties to be still working without a contract.

Barnes said Trotwood-Madison teachers will do what they need to do for the children.

We want the community and the board to know that were here and we are going to stay here.

But, he said, the district needs stability.

We dont need a revolving door, he said. We need qualified people to stay here.

Photo from: Brandon Lewis/Staff

Photo from: Brandon Lewis/Staff

Photo from: Brandon Lewis/Staff

Photo from: Brandon Lewis/Staff

Photo from: Brandon Lewis/Staff

Photo from: Brandon Lewis/Staff

Photo from: Brandon Lewis/Staff

Photo from: Brandon Lewis/Staff

Photo from: Brandon Lewis/Staff




Part of the Palmetto Expressway is closed off Friday evening, likely to cause heavy traffic for commuters trying to get home, after a trucks cargo hit an overpass, reports say.

The crash, which took place on the westbound SR-826 under the overpass on I-95 that links back to the Palmetto, was reported around 2:20 p.m. to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Troopers said a tractor trailer hauling construction machinery was driving west on the Northwest Seventh Avenue exit on SR-826 in that area. The machinery was too tall to go under the overpass and collided into it.

Expressway cameras show traffic blocked, and crews can be seen working. Engineers are inspecting the overpass before it is allowed to reopen, troopers said.

The Florida Department of Transportation is closing ramps and travel lanes near the Golden Glades Interchange until further notice due to the crash.

Until further notice, @MyFDOT_Miami and @FloridaTurnpike is closing ramps and travel lanes in the vicinity of the Golden Glades Interchange, after a crash damaged support beams for the Turnpike bridge over SR 826. @FHPMiami is on site and FDOT crews are assessing the damage. pic.twitter.com/6f45rxO6Bk  FDOT District 6 (@MyFDOT_Miami) March 17, 2023

Other closures include:

 Westbound SR-826 is closed to traffic just east of the Floridas Turnpike

 The ramp from westbound SR-826/NW 167 Street to westbound SR-826 is closed

However, commuters can still get to the northbound Florida Turnpike from westbound SR-826/NW 167 Street.

This is a developing story.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A federal judge on Friday ordered an attorney for Donald Trump to give additional testimony before a grand jury investigating the former U.S. presidents handling of classified documents, according to media reports.

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ordered attorney Evan Corcoran to testify after he invoked attorney-client privilege during a prior grand jury appearance in January and refused to answer investigators questions about his communications with Trump, according to CNN, the Washington Post and other media outlets.

Corcoran did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.

In a statement, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung did not confirm the reports but said, "We will fight the Department of Justice on this front and all others that jeopardize fundamental American rights and values."

Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2024, has accused the Justice Department of conducting a "witch hunt" against him.

Special Counsel Jack Smith is investigating Trump for the unlawful retention of national defense information at his Florida estate and he is also investigating whether Trump tried to obstruct the criminal probe.

In her ruling, Howell agreed with prosecutors that there were grounds for a "crime-fraud exception" to attorney-client privilege, according to the reports.

If Howell ruled on that basis, it means the judge concluded that the Justice Department has evidence that communications between Trump and Corcoran were used to further or cover up a crime.

Trump is facing multiple legal challenges and investigations, including over his alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and his alleged role in hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump has denied the allegations.

(Reporting by Eric Beech and Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
A federal judge ordered Trump attorney Evan Corcoran to testify before the grand jury assembled to review the mishandling of White House records at Mar-a-Lago, multiple outlets reported Friday.

In a sealed ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell, she found sufficient evidence that Corcorans legal advice was given in furtherance of a crime, one of the few determinations that can compel an attorney to discuss communications that would otherwise be covered by attorney-client privilege.

The development is a significant win for special counsel Jack Smith and could make Corcoran a key witness as prosecutors advance an investigation into more than 300 classified records discovered in Trumps Florida home.

In a warrant to search the property, prosecutors said their removal to Mar-a-Lago could violate the Espionage Act, which prohibits removing or concealing national defense information.

Neither Corcoran or his attorney immediately responded to request for comment.

Corcoran has been representing Trump in his dealings with the Justice Department for the bulk of the time the department has sought the return of the documents.

The repeated attempts to secure them included a June subpoena for the records, with Cororan then handing over a folder with some 38 documents.

Corcoran is also reported to have been the attorney who drafted a letter certifying that all remaining records with classified markings at Mar-a-Lago had been returned, but the letter was ultimately signed by another attorney, Christina Bobb. She reportedly insisted on adding language that said all records had been returned based upon the information that has been provided to me.

The Trump campaign dismissed the move as interference with the right to an attorney and attacked Howell, an Obama appointee whose decision comes as she is stepping down as chief judge.

Whenever prosecutors target the attorneys, thats usually a good indication their underlying case is very weak. If they had a real case, they wouldnt need to play corrupt games with the Constitution. Every American has the right to consult with counsel and have candid discussions  this promotes adherence to the law. We will fight the Department of Justice on this front and all others that jeopardize fundamental American rights and values, a Trump spokesperson said in a statement.

Story continues

Interfering with Americans right to an attorney is a serious and weighty matter. For a judge to do so in violation of due process, without allowing for any real hearing, and within a few hours of her expiration date  as chief judge supervising the grand jury  is unAmerican and unacceptable.

The remarkable decision from Howell, however, indicates prosecutors were able to supply sufficient evidence that Corcorans behavior meets the threshold for the crime-fraud exception, opening the door to a second interview.

Corcoran has already appeared before the grand jury in the case, but declined to answer numerous questions, citing attorney-client privilege.

Its not the first time a judge has found one of Trumps attorneys may have violated the law in the course of giving legal advice.

A California-based federal judge determined in March last year that John Eastman and Trump more likely than not committed crimes in their effort to keep the former president in power.

Eastman crafted memos for the Trump campaign arguing that then-Vice President Pence could buck his duty to certify the election results.

He is now facing disciplinary action from the California State Bar that could result in the loss of his law license.

Updated at 4:37 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
An attorney for Donald Trump says the former president would not refuse to surrender to authorities if he is indicted in the Manhattan district attorneys probe into a hush-money deal from his 2016 presidential run.

There wont be a standoff at Mar-a-Lago with Secret Service and the Manhattan DAs office, Joe Tacopina told The New York Daily News.

Tacopina said Trump, whom he described as a survivor, would find a way to use any charges filed against him to help him politically in the end.

Most people would collapse under the weight of this, he said. He seems to turn everything into a positive and everything into a boost for his campaign, so Im sure this will just join that long list of things that people think no one could overcome, but he will.

Tacopinas comments comes as Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg appears to be close to making a decision about whether to charge Trump in his investigation into the hush-money payment that was made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels for her to stay quiet ahead of the 2016 presidential election about an affair she says she and Trump had.

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, who testified before the grand jury in the probe earlier this week, pleaded guilty in 2018 to multiple charges including a campaign finance violation for a $130,000 payment he made to Daniels. Cohen, who served more than a year in prison, has said he made the payment at Trumps direction.

Daniels met with Manhattan prosecutors leading the investigation on Wednesday.

Trump has admitted to reimbursing Cohen for the payment but says it was not related to his campaign funds. The Trump Organization declared the payment reimbursing Cohen to be a legal expense.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung blasted Bragg in a statement on Thursday, asserting that Trump is completely innocent. He alleged that the probe was politically motivated and would backfire massively on Democrats.

Trump was invited to appear before the grand jury himself, another sign of an impending decision on whether charges will be filed, but he declined to testify.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, S.C. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Former President Donald Trump has returned to Facebook.

On Friday, Trump used the platform to share a 12-second campaign video.

Trump had been suspended from Facebook following the January 6 insurrection.

For the first time since he was suspended following the violence on January 6, 2021  and since Meta said in January that it would be lifting that suspension  former President Donald Trump has returned to using Facebook, posting a brief campaign video just days before a potential grand jury indictment in New York.

"I'M BACK!" the former president posted above the 12-second video, which urges viewers to support his 2024 campaign for the White House.

Facebook parent company Meta had suspended Trump after the January 6 insurrection, citing his praise of violent rioters that sought to overturn the 2020 election at his behest. At the time, the company said his actions constituted a "severe violation of our rules."

The company said this January, two years after the insurrection, that it was lifting the ban, stating that "the public should be able to hear what politicians are saying so they can make informed choices."

Meta's Nick Clegg, in an interview with Axios earlier this year, said Trump would be held to the same standards as any other user.

"In light of his violations, he now also faces heightened penalties for repeat offenses  penalties which will apply to other public figures whose accounts are reinstated from suspensions related to civil unrest under our updated protocol," Clegg said.

The threat of indictment looms

Trump's return comes amid speculation that he could be indicted as soon as next week, over the 2016 payment his fixer at the time, Michael Cohen, made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

As Insider's Laura Italiano has reported, legal observers, including former Manhattan prosecutors, believe Trump could face a first-degree charge of falsifying business records, a low-level felony punishable by up to 4 years in prison.

Story continues

Cohen, who has repeatedly testified before a Manhattan grand jury, has said he made a $130,000 payment to Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to prevent her from speaking out about an alleged affair with Trump. The Trump Organization later paid Cohen $130,000 for what it said were "legal fees."

Trump has denied having any affair with Daniels and said he did not approve a "hush money" payment.

The timing of Trump's return to Facebook and potential indictment could end up working out well for the former president, who relied heavily on the platform to fundraise in his 2016 and 2020 campaigns, spending millions on ads.

"Facebook was the way Trump made so much of his money. That was one of his primary tools of campaign fundraising," Alison Dagnes, a political science professor at Shippensburg University and expert in political media, told Insider.

If he is indicted, she said that ties in very well with another of Trump's go-to fundraising tools: "grievance and victimization of himself."

"When he bangs that drum of: 'They are going after me. These are people you hate.' And you couple that with the fundraising, I think that's pretty huge," Dagnes added.

A chance to go after DeSantis

Returning to Facebook right now could also help Trump combat the rise of his most competitive challenger for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis, whose political star rose while enjoying the support of Trump, has since become one of the former president's favorite targets. Trump frequently attacks the governor of this home state on Truth Social, including as recently as Friday over how DeSantis pronounces his name.

But on Truth Social, the primary user base are already staunch Trump supporters, according to Dagnes. Rejoining Facebook allows Trump to access a much broader swath of the electorate, including some conservatives that may be leaning towards DeSantis. It also comes at a time when DeSantis, generally very popular in the GOP, was criticized this week by Republican senators over his comments about the war in Ukraine.

"Right now I think is the time that DeSantis is starting to show his weak sides," Dagnes said. "Not only does this garner Trump more attention, it also allows Trump to strike while the subject is wounded."

Ultimately, the return to Facebook, and the potential fundraising boon that comes with it, is likely to have a greater impact on Trump's 2024 prospects than a potential indictment, which at this point seems unlikely to sway his supporters or even those on the right who simply put up with him.

Dagnes said that being the first former president to be indicted would "crank up" his messaging and his ability to fundraise effectively by encouraging people to donate to his "legal defense fund" because "they're out to get me." And now, he can do that on Facebook, the platform that worked so well for him before.

"This turns on and hands him an electronic megaphone," she added. "And being indicted will only add gasoline to the fires that are existing."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Trumps 2024 presidential campaign blasted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Braggs investigation into him as a witch hunt ahead of a possible indictment that might be issued against him.

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement on Thursday that Trump is completely innocent and did nothing wrong. He said Democrats have attacked Trump since before he was first elected as president and are trying again because Trump is leading in the polls by a large margin against both Republicans and Democrats.

Polling has largely shown Trump leading Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and other current and potential Republican candidates for the nomination, while some have shown DeSantis with a lead or closely behind.

Polls have also shown mixed results in a hypothetical rematch between Trump and President Biden.

Cheung said the investigation will backfire massively for the Democratic Party and end in disgrace for the country.

The statement comes as Bragg appears to be close to potentially filling one or multiple charges against the former president in the investigation into a hush-money payment that was made to adult film star Stormy Daniels. This would be the first time that criminal charges are filed against a former president.

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen testified before a grand jury investigating the payments on Monday.

The investigation stems from payments that Cohen admitted to making to Daniels ahead of the 2016 presidential election for her to not disclose an affair that she and Trump had.

Cohen pleaded guilty to a handful of charges in 2018 including campaign finance violations. He paid Daniels $130,000 and Trump reimbursed him for the payment. He also paid model Karen McDougal $150,000 through the publisher of the National Enquirer to stay silent about an affair she had with Trump.

Trump has acknowledged that he reimbursed Cohen for the payment but said it was unrelated to his campaign funding. Trumps company noted the payment as a legal expense.

Story continues

Federal prosecutors have said the Trump Organization grossed up the reimbursement for tax purposes and netted more than $400,000.

Daniels also met with Manhattan prosecutors on Wednesday. Cohen has met with investigators more than a dozen times during their probe.

With Cohen and Daniels testifying before the grand jury, almost every major figure involved in what happened has testified. Trump was also invited to appear before the grand jury, a sign that charges could soon follow, but he appears unlikely to do so.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former President Trump criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for making several payments to the conservative satire site The Babylon Bee, adding to his growing attacks against the governor ahead of an expected rivalry for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Why is Ron DeSanctimonious paying The Babylon Bee, a non-entity, $5,000 a month, so far $21,500, if hes not running for President? Trump said in a Truth Social post, accompanied by a screenshot of the apparent payments to the satire site.

Just because his Poll Numbers are tanking, probably because of his desire to cut Social Security and Medicare, doesnt allow him to campaign without an announcement! Trump continued. You dont spend that much money on The Babylon Bee if youre running for Governor, in fact, you dont spend money on The Babylon Bee if youre running for anything!

The accompanying screenshot, which did not include information to indicate its source or the date of the disbursements, shows four separate $5,000 payments and one $1,500 payment to The Babylon Bee. The Hill has reached out to DeSantiss office for comment.

Florida campaign finance records show DeSantiss campaign committee made three $5,000 payments and one $1,500 payment to The Babylon Bee for advertising and other email services for his 2022 gubernatorial campaign. The Miami Herald originally reported last April on payments from DeSantis to the site amid online fundraising for his campaign.

DeSantiss spokeswoman at the time, Christina Pushaw, joined other conservatives poking at the Heralds decision to describe The Babylon Bee as fake news, tweeting then, Miami Bird Cage Liner is upset that satire website @TheBabylonBee is more popular than their fake news.

Trump in recent months has continued to attack DeSantis, who is widely considered his biggest potential rival for the Republican nomination. DeSantis has signaled a decision on a 2024 bid is expected after the states legislative session wraps up in May.

A super PAC aligned with Trump filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics this week accusing DeSantis of waging a shadow presidential campaign given that he has yet to officially announce a bid.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
NEW YORK (AP)  Former President Donald Trump will be holding the first rally of his 2024 campaign later this month in Waco, Texas.

The rally, announced Friday, will be held the evening of Saturday, March 25, in a Republican state where the former president has a large following, increasing the chances of a packed house.

The rally comes as Trump is facing the possibility of becoming the first former president in U.S. history to be indicted, with law enforcement officials in New York currently making security preparations for the possibility of legal action in the coming weeks.

Waco holds deep symbolism as the site of the 1993 Waco massacre, when federal agents seized a compound of the Branch Davidians, a religious cult. The siege lasted 51 days and ended with the deaths of cult leader David Koresh and 80 of his followers in a fire 30 years ago next month.

Its not clear that the citys history played a role in Trump's decision. Trump has made numerous visits to the state over the years and Waco is part of McLennan County, which Trump won in 2020 by more than 23 points.

But Trump has long railed against federal law enforcement. When his Mar-a-Lago club was searched by the FBI last summer as part of an investigation into the possible mishandling of classified documents, he broke the news by declaring that his home was "currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents.

Trump spent the first months of his campaign rarely leaving his Florida club, but has begun to make visits to early-voting states. On Monday, he took his first trip to Iowa, which will hold the Republican Party's first nominating contest.

The rally plans come as Trump is facing a series of investigations, including one in New York that appears to be nearing its conclusion.

Porn actor Stormy Daniels met Wednesday with Manhattan prosecutors who are investigating a $130,000 hush money payment made on Trumps behalf. That same day, Michael Cohen, the former Trump attorney who orchestrated the payment, delivered a second day of testimony before a New York grand jury.

Story continues

The payment was made in 2016, as Trumps first presidential campaign was in its final weeks and Daniels was negotiating to appear on television to air her claims of a sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier.

Trump has denied the allegation and blasted the investigation as politically motivated.

Waco is also home to Baylor University and the headquarters of Fixer Upper stars Chip and Joanna Gaines Magnolia home decorating empire.
Cambodia expresses concerns over tripartite AUKUS alliance

Xinhua) 09:36, March 17, 2023

PHNOM PENH, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Thursday expressed concerns over the tripartite AUKUS alliance, a military pact among the United States, Britain and Australia.

Under AUKUS, which was formed in September 2021, Australia will be able to build nuclear-powered submarines with technology provided by the other two members.

"We are thinking with other ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries. We also express concern," Hun Sen said in a speech at the Build Bright University in Phnom Penh.

"They claim that there is no nuclear (weapon), but if there is nuclear, how will it be?" he said. "Do they agree to allow us to check those submarines? They must not agree."

Hun Sen said ASEAN is a nuke-free zone and called on big countries not to use their power to abuse small ones, saying that mutual respect and non-interference are essential for interstate relations.

Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, said AUKUS is posing a major security threat to ASEAN and the whole Asian region.

"This alliance will trigger a conventional and nuclear arms race in the region, and thus destabilize the peace and security, undermine the economic development and destroy the ASEAN's centrality," he told Xinhua.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Former President Trump is leading Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by a scant 3-point margin in their home state, according to a New Emerson College Florida poll, the latest sign that the 2024 Republican presidential contest is turning into a two-way race.

In a hypothetical nine-way Republican primary, Trump comes out as the top vote-getter, notching 47 percent support among GOP voters in Florida. But DeSantis, who hasnt yet announced a 2024 campaign, isnt far behind, pulling roughly 44 percent in the match-up.

No other candidate, declared or potential, manages to score double-digit support. Former Vice President Mike Pence comes in a distant third place, with just 3.5 percent of the vote, while former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, one of the few Republicans to have launched a White House campaign, gets just under 1 percent support.

The race between Trump and DeSantis may be close, but the poll is good news for Trump, suggesting that the former president has maintained an edge over his would-be primary rival, even in the state where voters know DeSantis best.

Nearly one year out from the Florida Presidential Primary, DeSantis and Trump are in a two-way race for the Republican nomination, statistically even with one another, said Spencer Kimball, the executive director of Emerson College polling.

While 90 percent of Republican voters approve of DeSantis, that does not translate into a firewall of support over the former President for the nomination in their home state.

Of course, DeSantis hasnt formally entered the 2024 contest and has repeatedly dodged questions about his presidential ambitions. Still, hes actively preparing for a White House bid and is expected to make a final decision after the Florida state legislature wraps up its annual session in May.

While Republican voters may be split between Trump and DeSantis in the primary, whats clear is that DeSantis remains far better positioned in the Sunshine State than President Biden.

Story continues

Fifty-one percent of all voters surveyed say they approve of the job DeSantis is doing in the governors mansion compared to 42 percent who disapprove, according to the Emerson poll. Bidens approval, meanwhile, stands at just 40 percent, with nearly 53 percent of Florida voters disapproving of his performance in the White House.

Trump, for his part, has begun more aggressively attacking DeSantis in anticipation of the latters White House bid. A super PAC aligned with the former president filed a complaint this week with the Florida Commission on Ethics, accusing DeSantis of running a shadow presidential campaign in violation of state and federal law.

If DeSantis ultimately decides against a 2024 run, Trump would become the instant favorite to win the GOPs presidential nod. Among the three declared Republican presidential candidates  Trump, Haley and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy  the former president scores a staggering 79 percent support, according to the Emerson poll.

Haley sits in a distant second place with just 16 percent support, while Ramaswamy gets just about 6 percent.

The Emerson College poll surveyed 1,153 registered Florida voters from March 13-15. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters/Getty

As Donald Trump prepares for an indictment that could come any minute now, one of his top lawyers is apparently trying to use another case to siphon information about every possible pending investigation into the former presidentincluding ones that Trump might not even know about yet.

That covert effort was revealed this week in a previously unreported letter that the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James (OAG) submitted in state court. James and Trumps attorneys have battled over subpoenas for weeks as her $250 million fraud suit against the Trump Organization barrels ahead.

According to the letter, Trumps defense team, led by his go-to lawyer Alina Habba, has subpoenaed several companies central to the caseincluding Deutsche Bank and Trumps former accounting firm, Mazarsrequesting information about other governmental investigations into the Trump Organization in addition to information about the conduct of the OAG investigation.

The subpoenas, which have not been previously known to the public, will be submitted to the court under seal. The OAG is asking the judge in the case, Arthur F. Engoron, to quash the effort, calling it utterly irrelevant and an improper attempt to seek information on separate criminal and regulatory investigations that is not relevant to this proceeding.

Graham Told Grand Jury Trump Was Out of His Mind After Losing 2020 Election

The demands in the subpoenas are sweeping, almost to the point of paranoia.

The requests include communications with the Manhattan District Attorneywho is reportedly preparing to indict Trump in a separate matteralong with any other federal or state law enforcement agency concerning not just this case but any law enforcement investigation of Donald J. Trump and The Trump Organization, the letter said.

That scope is so broad and invasive, the New York AG argued, that it shows the Trumps are simply fishing for information in an apparent attempt to investigate investigations or even uncover investigations they may not be aware of.

Story continues

In addition to Deutsche Bank and Mazars, the letter said, the subpoenas targeted Zurich American Insurance, Ladder Capital, and Cushman & Wakefield. Those firms would be critical to any attempt to unravel the financial dealings of the Trump Organization and its officers.

According to the letter, Trumps counsel also served at least nine subpoenas to law firms representing those companies. But that effort, the letter points out, would likely be both duplicative and moot, as it would violate attorney-client privilege.

Trumps move, the OAG argued, would also appear to reflect a witch hunt defense. As the letter notes, Engoron had warned against that tactic in an earlier hearing, saying hopefully there will be discovery of not whether this is a witch hunt, because we have already gone through all of this, and its on the record there shouldnt be discovery about these things.

It wouldnt be the first time Trump has engaged in a witch hunta term he enjoys applying to any inquiry into his own actions.

Trump has long deployed that line of attack against James. Her investigationinvolving whether the former president, his company, and three of his adult children habitually submitted fraudulent financial statements in order to obtain favorable loans and insurance termshas dragged on for years, largely thanks to Trumps efforts to delay and impede the probe.

Trump Org Pays $1.6 Million Fine for Tax Fraud Conviction

As that lawsuit moves forward, Trump and his family find themselves at the center of a legal blizzard.

Local prosecutors in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Manhattan are all investigating him, for matters ranging from abuse of executive power to shady business deals. While the Manhattan case is rumored to produce charges any day now, the Georgia investigation is said to be not far behind. And the Justice Department continues to advance its twin probes into the Jan. 6 insurrection and Trumps efforts to hoard government documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

But James, a Black woman twice elected to high office in Trumps former home state, has appeared to elicit a unique ire. Trump has sued her office two times, with both lawsuits widely regarded as bald-faced and frivolous attempts to derail her work as the pressure on Trump increased.

The first suit came in December 2021, accusing James of engaging in a politically motivated witch hunt. It was dismissed five months later. Then, last Novembera scant two months after James sued him and his familythe former president filed a wild countersuit in Florida, accusing the NYAG of spearheading a plot to obtain control of a global private enterprise and steal, destroy or control all things Trump.

Trump dropped that suit on Jan. 20, exactly two years after leaving office. The day before he pulled out, a Florida judge had ordered the former president and his lawyer, Alina Habba, to pay more than $1 million in sanctions as a penalty for their frivolous racketeering lawsuit against Hillary Clinton and a number of co-conspirators.

Those arent the only recent outlandish attempts to stop James. In January, Habba also tried to argue that the Trump Organization doesnt exist.

Just last week, Trumps lawyers contradicted that claim in a slip-and-fall case, also in New York.

THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION, lNC. was and still is a domestic business corporation authorized to do business in the State of New York, Trumps lawyer wrote.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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(Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump posted to Facebook on Friday, marking his return to the social media platform two years after he was banned.

Meta Platforms, which owns Facebook and Instagram, announced on Jan. 25 that it would reinstate Trump's access to his accounts, saying the public should be allowed to hear from politicians, but that Trump would be subject to "heightened penalties" for repeated violations of its rules.

The former president was suspended for praising rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Despite Trump's reinstatement, it had been unclear whether he would post on the accounts.

Facebook and Instagram are key vehicles for reaching voters and fundraising and could give a boost to Trump, who will make another run for the presidency in 2024. Trump had 23 million followers on Instagram and 34 million on Facebook as of Feb. 9.

Trump's campaign spokesman told Fox News Digital in January that being back on Facebook "will be an important tool for the 2024 campaign to reach voters."

Trump founded his own social media platform called Truth Social in late 2021, which he relied on to communicate with supporters during his ban from Twitter and Meta.

Opponents of Trump's return point to the messages he has posted on Truth Social as evidence that he continues to pose the same risk that led Meta to suspend him in the first place.

More than 350 of his Truth Social posts would have violated Facebook's rules, including posts amplifying the conspiracy theory QAnon and pushing false claims of election fraud, liberal advocacy group Accountable Tech said in a December report.

In a blog post, Meta said it updated its protocols on moderating public figures during times of civil unrest. Under the protocol, Meta said it may restrict the distribution of a Trump post that doesn't violate its rules but "contributes to the sort of risk that materialized on Jan. 6."

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A restriction would mean the posts would remain available on Trump's profile, but would not be distributed in users' feeds, even if they follow Trump, Meta said.

The company said it could also prevent the posts from being reshared or run as paid ads.

Ad buyers previously told Reuters that Trump's reinstatement was unlikely to change how brands advertise on the platforms, but it reinforced long-standing concerns about how Meta prevents ads from appearing next to certain content.

(Reporting by Sheila Dang; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
Former U.S. President Donald Trump. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Trump will surrender to authorities if he's indicted, his lawyer said.

"We will follow normal procedure if it gets to that point," Joe Tacopina told Insider.

A Manhattan grand jury has been hearing evidence about a $130,000 hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels.

A lawyer representing Donald Trump told Insider that the former president will voluntarily surrender to the Manhattan district attorney's office if he is indicted.

"We will follow normal procedure if it gets to that point," Joe Tacopina said.

He struck a similar tone in an interview with The New York Daily News earlier Friday, telling the outlet, "There won't be a standoff at Mar-a-Lago with Secret Service and the Manhattan DA's office."

Questions have swirled about whether Trump, who famously refused to acknowledge his 2020 election loss, would resist coming to Manhattan to face charges.

Experts see little upside to attempting to fight extradition from Florida, however, and defendants in white-collar cases are normally afforded the right to self-surrender to authorities at the Manhattan DA's downtown headquarters, where fingerprints are taken and mugshots snapped.

Secret Service agents are certain to accompany the former president throughout the booking process and court appearances.

The DA's office has been investigating a $130,000 hush-money payment that Trump's then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, has said under oath that he made at the Trump's direction to the adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final days of the 2016 election.

Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to five felonies connected to the payment, including tax evasion, bank fraud, and campaign finance violations, after the Manhattan US attorney's office opened a criminal investigation into the matter.

Cohen has been a key witness in the DA's office's investigation and testified before a grand jury twice this week. Tacopina told Insider that as of late Friday afternoon, the defense has not had any indication that an indictment has been voted on and filed.

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However, NBC News reported that multiple law enforcement agencies are discussing increasing security around the downtown Manhattan courthouse at which Trump would be arraigned in the event of an indictment.

Trump alluded to a possible indictment in a vitriolic Truth Social post early Saturday, writing that he expected to be arrested on Tuesday. But his lawyer could not confirm the information.

"President Trump is basing this on press reports," his lawyer, Susan Necheles, told Insider of the Tuesday date.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A 31-year-old man died Friday morning after his Chevrolet pickup overturned into an irrigation canal west of Turlock, according to the California Highway Patrol.

At about 8:45 a.m. a passing motorist discovered the wreckage on Harding Avenue, a lightly traveled, narrow levy road, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Tom Olsen. He said the time of the crash remains under investigation but is believed to have occurred before sunrise.

Investigators determined the driver, a Turlock resident, was traveling east on Harding and approaching Moffett Road when he allowed the pickup to partially enter the south grass shoulder, where it sideswiped a metal pole.

The impact sent the pickup in a northeast direction, onto the north shoulder, then down an embankment, Olsen said. It landed on its roof in about three feet of water in the canal.

The driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, was partially ejected. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Olsen said about half the people killed in collisions each year were not wearing seat belts.
A barricaded suspect at an apartment complex in a Northern California city prompted campus lockdowns at a nearby high school and middle school for nearly the entire school day before the suspect was taken into custody Friday afternoon, authorities said.

Live Oak High School and Live Oak Middle School were locked down upon the start of the school day due to heavy police presence as law enforcement attempted to contact a barricaded suspect at the Maple Park apartment complex, the Sutter County Sheriffs Office said in a series of social media posts and updates beginning at 6:30 a.m.

The suspect was taken into custody without incident more than seven hours later, shortly before 2:10 p.m., the Sheriffs Office said.

Lockdowns were lifted after the standoff ended, but deputies remained at the scene investigating, and residents were asked to avoid the area.

A sheriffs tactical team responded to the scene and authorities were negotiating with the barricaded person using a loudspeaker, according to the posts.

Sheriffs deputies were present at each campus, the Sheriffs Office said.
At least two dozen people close to Donald Trump, ranging from inner circle aides to staff members at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, have been subpoeanaed as part of the special counsel investigation into the former presidents handling of classified documents, CNN reports.

Theyre casting an extremely wide net  anyone and everyone who might have seen something, an anonmyous source familiar with the investigation told the broadcaster.

Investigators have spoken with a Mar-a-Lago staff member seen on security footage moving boxes and called Trump adviser Margo Martin to appear before a grand jury in Washington on Thursday, CNN adds.

The Independent has contacted Mr Trump and Ms Martin for comment.

Federal officials have been investigating Mr Trumps conduct at the Florida estate since the summer of 2022, when the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago in August and uncovered numerous documents marked classified, following a lengthy back-and-forth in which the former president allegedly failed to comply with federal archivists.

Multiple members of the former presidents legal team appeared before a grand jury in January as part of the the special counsel probe, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The news of the alleged subpoenas comes just a day after it was reported that a grand jury in Georgia heard a previously unknown phone call of Donald Trump attempting to pressure then-state House Speaker David Ralston to convene a special session of the legislature to overturn Joe Bidens narrow 2020 election win in the state.

A special session was never called, though Republicans in the state did organise a plan to serve as unauthorised fake electors and cast their votes in the Electoral College for Donald Trump, even though Mr Biden won the states vote.

Both developments speak to the wide-ranging legal troubles the former president has faced since leaving office.

In addition to probing Donald Trumps handling of classified documents, a federal special counsel is also investigating aspects of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol and efforts to overturn the 2020 election election results.

Outside of the special counsel effort, Mr Trump could also face criminal charges from the investigation in Georgia, as well as two separate probes ongoing in New York looking into the presidents hush money payment to an adult film star during the 2016 campaign and the business practices of the Trump Organization.
Two men were found guilty today of charges, including felonies, related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Their actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Joshua Christopher Doolin, 25, of Polk City, Florida, and Michael Steven Perkins, 39, of Plant City, Florida were each found guilty of civil disorder, a felony, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building a grounds. Doolin was also convicted of theft of government property. Perkins was also convicted of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon and engaging in acts of physical violence while on the restricted Capitol grounds. U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols scheduled sentencing for July 13, 2023.

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Both defendants were arrested on June 30, 2021, along with co-defendants, Joseph Hutchinson and Olivia Pollock. A fifth co-defendant, Jonathan Pollock, has not yet been apprehended.

Joseph Hutchinson, Olivia Pollock, and Jonathan Pollock are being sought by law enforcement

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According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, Doolin and Perkins were on the west side of the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Shortly after 2:00 p.m., Hutchinson, pushed from behind by Perkins, charged a line of police officers in an effort to break through the line. Shortly thereafter, as officers descended into the crowd to assist another officer, Perkins picked up a flagpole and thrust it into the chest of an approaching officer. Perkins then raised the flagpole over his head swung it down, striking two officers in the back of their heads.

Doolin and Perkins then advanced closer to the Capitol building, as far as the Upper West Terrace of the building. Doolin acquired a Metropolitan Police Department crowd-control spray cannister and a United States Capitol Police riot shield, both of which carried with him on the Capitol grounds.

Story continues

By about 4:15 p.m., Doolin had re-located close to the entrance to the passageway that connects the lower west terrace to the interior of the Capitol building. There, using the stolen riot shield, Doolin joined the crowd of rioters pushing against the police officers inside the passageway in an effort to break through and enter the Capitol building.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section, with valuable assistance provided by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Florida.

The case is being investigated by the FBIs Tampa Field Office and Washington Field Office, with valuable assistance provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and U.S. Capitol Police.

In the 26 months since Jan. 6, more than 999 individuals have been arrested on charges related to the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, including over 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Two sibling children are dead after firefighters and police found them unresponsive near a backyard pool in northwest Oklahoma City on Thursday morning.

Two 18-month-old children have died after drowning in a pool at a northwest Oklahoma City home Thursday.

About 10:45 a.m. Thursday, emergency officials responded to reports of a drowning at a residential home in the 12700 block of Cobblestone Parkway. Firefighters said In the backyard they found two siblings, one boy and one girl, in critical condition.

"As far as we know, they were outside in the pool, and a family member, I believe the mother, pulled them out prior to our arrival," said Capt. John Chenoweth, of the Oklahoma City Fire Department.

Life-saving techniques, including CPR, were attempted, as both children were taken to a local hospital, but they were pronounced dead soon afterward.

More:Health department stresses water safety as drowning deaths climb

The Oklahoma City Police Department is investigating the drownings, but officials said Friday morning the children's deaths did not appear to be criminal in nature.

"Right now, there's no evidence that a crime was committed," Oklahoma City police Sgt. Gary Knight said. "At least on the surface, it looks like a tragic accident."

The medical examiner's office told The Oklahoman it would not release the identities of the children before the case is finalized.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: 2 children drown in backyard pool Thursday in northwest Oklahoma City
AMSTERDAM/PARIS (Reuters) -Two vaccines tested by a Dutch veterinary research centre have proved effective against highly infectious bird flu in a first experiment conducted under a controlled environment, the Dutch government said on Friday.

"Not only did the vaccines give poultry used in the lab protection against disease symptoms but they also countered the spreading of the bird flu," the government said in a statement.

One vaccine was produced by France's Ceva Animal Health and the other by Germany's Boehringer Ingelheim, an official document on the Dutch government website showed.

Avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has been spreading around the world in the past year, killing more than 200 million birds - and six million in the Netherlands alone - sending egg prices rocketing and raising concern among governments about human transmission.

Some countries including China already vaccinate against bird flu and as the virus seems to have become endemic some other governments around the world that have opposed vaccines are reconsidering. Their opposition centred on fears a vaccine could mask the spread of bird flu but tests indicate it would not be the case with the two vaccines tested in the Netherlands.

As part of a European programme, the Netherlands has been testing bird flu vaccines for egg-laying hens while France is carrying out tests on ducks, Italy on turkeys and Hungary on Pekin ducks.

Most of these tests are based on existing vaccines and adapted to the particular H5N1 strain that has been spreading in Europe.

The Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, located northeast of Amsterdam, had carried out tests on four chicken vaccines before selecting those of Ceva Animal Health and Boehringer Ingelheim. The other two vaccines that were tested were produced by Bulgaria's Huvepharma and Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) respectively, the official document showed.

"I'm happy that we have two vaccines with which we can take the vaccination process against bird flu forward. I'm putting in the next steps as quickly as possible but in a responsible way (...)," Dutch Minister of Agriculture Piet Adema said in the statement.

Story continues

A field trial will be launched to see whether the vaccines that work in a laboratory setting are also effective if applied in wider conditions.

The trial should take more than a year to give an idea of how long chickens are still immune after vaccination, Adema said in a letter to the President of the House of Representatives dated Friday, also available on the government website.

(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide and Benoit Van Overstraeten; Editing by Susan Fenton)
Left: Albert DeSalvo prays in the chapel at Walpole State Prison, South Walpole, Massachusetts, early 1970s; top right: DeSalvo stands in jail for charges unrelated to the Boston stranglings, in an undated photo; bottom right: Matt Ruskin and Dick Lehr participate in a Q&A during the Boston Strangler screening at AMC Boston Commons on 13 March 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts (Left: Hulton Archive/Getty Images; top right: Getty Images; bottom right: Scott Eisen/Getty Images for Twentieth Century Studios)

The Boston Stranglers first victim, Anna Slesers, was found dead on 14 June 1962. The 55-year-old had been killed with the belt from her own blue housecoat.

In the months that followed, more women were found, apparently killed by the same perpetrator. By some counts, the person known as the Boston Strangler murdered 11 women; others place the number of his victims at 13 or 15.

Six decades after Sleserss death, the story of the Boston Strangler remains in part shrouded in mystery. It is a dark, distressing true-crime saga, involving a controversial confession, breakthrough DNA evidence, and a pioneering journalist who first connected the deaths to one another. Boston Strangler, a new film on Hulu, features Keira Knightley as Loretta McLaughlin, the journalist in question, and explores her role in covering the story.

The killers next victim, 85-year-old Mary Mullen, was found on 28 June 1962. Per, The Boston Globe, which profiled each of the victims in 2002, two more women, 68-year-old Nina Nichols and 65-year-old Helen Blake, were found two days later, on 30 June; 75-year-old Ida Irga was found on 19 August, 67-year-old Jane Sullivan on 21 August, 20-year-old Sophie Clark on 5 December, 23-year-old Patricia Bissette on 31 December, 69-year-old Mary Brown on 6 March 1963, 23-year-old Beverly Samans on 6 May, 58-year-old Evelyn Corbin on 8 September, 23-year-old Joann Graff on 23 November, and 19-year-old Mary Sullivan on 4 January 1964.

The women were found in their homes. Most of them died of strangulation; Mullen was found to have died of a heart attack, and Samans had been stabbed to death.

It was unclear, at first, whether all the killings had been perpetrated by the same person. From June 1962 to January 1964, Boston and its suburbs had eleven somewhat similar stranglings, The Atlantic wrote in 1964. Police are not at all certain those stranglings were the work of one man; but until they catch the culprit and, if possible, obtain a confession, they cannot be positive. The unknown always holds a certain element of terror, and because so much about the Strangler is completely unknown, and because what is known is so bizarre, he has had a far-reaching effect on the city.

Story continues

The Atlantic reported having spoken to several young women who said some of their friends had left Boston as a result of the killings. Others are living under such severe strain that it is gradually undermining their health, the magazine wrote. In every instance these young women enter their apartments upon returning from work apprehensive of what may well happen, and despite their emotional control, they are afraid. There has been a run on hardware stores for locks, bolts, and other safeguards.

For years, the Boston Strangler remained anonymous. Then, in 1965, a man confessed. Per CBS, Albert DeSalvo, a factory worker, was being held on unrelated charges at Bridgewater State Hospital, a facility for inmates deemed irresponsible for their actions due to mental health issues.

The confession, however, did not supply enough evidence for DeSalvo to be charged with the murders. Per WNYC, he never faced charges in cases related to the Boston Strangler killings, and ultimately recanted his confession.

In 1967, DeSalvo was found guilty in another series of attacksarmed robbery, assault, and sex offenses involving four women, The New York Times reported at the time. He was sentenced to life in prison. His lawyer on that case was F Lee Bailey, the same attorney who later represented Patty Hearst and OJ Simpson.

A Boston Globe article published in 1967 stated that Bailey, speaking on behalf of his client in court, did not state directly that his client was the Boston Strangler, but he said the 13 homicides took place after DeSalvo was released from the Billerica House of correction in the Spring of 1962. Bailey referenced those killings in an attempt to convince the jury that DeSalvo could not be held responsible for his actions, at one point referring to them as thirteen acts of homicide by a completely uncontrollable vegetable walking around in a human body.

The question of whether DeSalvo really was the Boston Strangler lingered. It found some partial answers over the years. In 2001, as reflected in a New York Times article published at the time, DNA from the exhumed bodies of DeSalvo and Sullivan (the woman believed to have been the Boston Stranglers final victim) suggested that DeSalvo had not murdered her.

Those findings, however, were reversed in 2013. That year, per ABC News, more testing was performed, using DNA found on a water bottle discarded by DeSalvos nephew. DeSalvo was dead by then (he died in prison in 1973 after being stabbed to death in prison). The purpose of collecting the nephews DNA was only to establish a familial match through a relative.

Initial tests implicated [Albert] DeSalvo and excluded 99.9 percent of the male population, according to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), a branch of the US Department of Justice. This, per ABC, gave authorities justification to exhume DeSalvos body. They did so in July 2013 and procured a new DNA sample from one of his femur and three of his teeth. According to the NIJ, DNA specialists calculated the odds that a white male other than DeSalvo contributed the crime scene evidence at one in 220 billion  leaving no doubt that DeSalvo had raped and murdered Mary Sullivan.

The New York Times saluted the testing as [bringing] an element of modern scientific proof to one murder in a case that seemed likely never to be solved. The tests, however, said nothing of the other murders in the Boston Strangler case. We dont claim with certainty that Albert DeSalvo is a suspect in each of them, District Attorney Daniel F Conley told The New York Times then. But we do believe that we stand on the threshold of unprecedented certainty regarding Mary Sullivans murder. Some have posited that more than one person could have been responsible for the Boston Strangler killings.

Loretta McLaughlin, the reporter portrayed by Keira Knightley in Hulus film, died in 2018 aged 90. According to a Boston Globe article published at the time of her death, McLaughlin said the fourth killing in the Boston stranglings had galvanized [her] attention, and left her wanting to write a series of articles about the murders.

An editor disputed the worth of a series on the four dead women, noting that they were nobodies, she eventually wrote in the newspaper. That was it exactly, I felt. Why should anyone murder four obscure women? That was what made them so interesting  sisters in anonymity, like all of us.

Boston Strangler airs on Hulu starting 17 March
Ronnie Floyd, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources lead investigator of the Tyler Doyle case, described the hours surrounding when Tyler Doyles jon boat took on water.

The SCDNR released 11 folders with dozens of files Thursday detailing their efforts and materials collected during their search of missing boater Tyler Doyle. They were obtained by the Sun News through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Floyd wrote in a Feb. 9 statement, two weeks after the Loris man was last seen, that he had looked into theories suggested online, but found no evidence and believes that Doyle drowned and is still missing.

With all the many super sleuths out there on the internet and the many tips and stories I have listened to, I still at this point do not have any information that would lead me to any other conclusion other than that Tyler Doyle is drowned in a boating incident and has yet to be located.

A crew with the North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad posted this photo of their Facebook page of the search for missing boater Tyler Doyle. Facebook page of North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad

Floyds statement lays out a rough timeline of the events of the night Tyler Doyle went missing.
Throughout Tyra Banks career, she has been widely recognized for modeling for countless iconic fashion houses. However, the supermodel is focused on building an empire in another market: ice cream.

The post Tyra Banks Exits Dancing With The Stars To Focus On Entrepreneurship  That Is What I Want To Be Known For appeared first on AfroTech.

TMZ reports that Banks is stepping down as the host of Dancing with the Stars to expand her ice cream company, SMiZE & DREAM. The businesswoman shared with TMZ that shes working to bring the brand to the U.S. and globally.

I feel its really time to focus on my business and my entrepreneurship, Banks told the outlet.

I think its time to graduate from the dance floor to the stock market floor.

In February 2023, Banks launched the brand in the United Arab Emirates, where she partnered with Brunch & Cake for an ice cream residency at its restaurants, according to Harpers Bazaar Arabia.

Ice cream, its happiness for me, Banks told the outlet. No matter where I am in the world when I tell people that I have an ice cream company  it doesnt matter if you are a head of state or the head of a school  the idea of ice cream just makes people happy.

During the interview, Banks foreshadowed her commitment to fully embarking on her business journey.

Its interesting, one thing I dont like is when I get introduced and they list off a whole bunch of different things I have done. Just because youve done something doesnt mean that you deserve to be called that, Tyra told the outlet.

Ive written books but that doesnt mean that Im necessarily an author, she continued. Ive acted but that doesnt mean Im an actor and I feel like its a little insulting to Nicole Kidman or Viola Davis or true actors. But where I put my energy now is what makes me the happiest, which is business, and that is what I want to be known for  being a businesswoman, being an entrepreneur.
The United States Government Accountability Office has issued a report on U.S. efforts to help Haiti rebuild after its devastating 2010 earthquake, and the conclusions are the same as in previous findings: Canceled projects, reduced allocations and cost overruns and delays.

This includes the ongoing construction of the new State University Hospital, also known as the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince, whose completion is now anticipated for June 2024  10 years later than planned and nearly $29 million over the initial budget agreed to by the U.S, France and Haiti, all three of which are jointly financing the project.

According to USAID, technical issues and political issues have resulted in significant delays and cost overruns, the GAO said in its report, referring to the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Issued Thursday, the latest GAO report on Haitis reconstruction reviewed 29 infrastructure and development projects by USAID in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake, and USAIDs efforts to help build the capacity of local Haitian organizations to implement the projects. Auditors also reviewed the State Departments Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs activities to develop the Haitian National Police over the same period.

Auditors found mixed results in the police rebuilding efforts, and highlighted several concerns including the lack of drug interdiction by the countrys counter-narcotics police officers, who received U.S. funding and training. Efforts by the U.S. and others in the international community to rebuild the police force have come under heavy scrutiny in light of Haitis ongoing gang violence.

Aerial view of the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince. The sprawling new hospital campus was one of the first projects approved for Haitis reconstruction following the earthquake of Jan. 12, 2010. A decade later, the 534-bed teaching hospital has yet to open its doors to a single patient.

Jake Johnston, who followed Haitis reconstruction closely in the Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction Watch blog as a lead researcher at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, said he isnt surprised by the GAOs latest findings.

The real legacy of U.S. efforts during the reconstruction period is whats currently taking place in Haiti. You can look at any project, but the result is the situation on the ground today, he said. It was about more than just individual aid projects. It was supposed to be about Building back letter, and lessons learned.

Story continues

In its report, the GAO found that the effects of the earthquake exacerbated Haitis humanitarian needs, which have only increased over the years with the ongoing political turmoil, gang violence and social unrest.

While the GAO says the earthquake is estimated to have caused more than 2,200 deaths and 12,200 injuries, and damaged or destroyed approximately 130,000 homes, the Haitian government, which logged the number of bodies its workers transported in trucks to mass graves, put the death toll at 316,000.

Auditors found that while some projects like a power plant in Caracol in northern Haiti were completed and came in under budget, other projects have been delayed for years and were canceled because costs were higher than initially anticipated. This includes a new port in the northern city of Cap-Haitien, which was canceled after a $4 million feasibility study projected it would cost between $109 million and $183 million  far exceeding the intended budget of $67.5 million; and an expansion of the 10 megawatt $74 million Caracol Power Plant to 25 megawatts.

Also canceled was a planned $108 million project to increase farmers access to local markets in three major cities  Cap-Haitien, St. Marc and Port-au-Prince  after the budget was reduced by $80 million, and USAID was unsuccessful in reducing the scope of the project to satisfy the new budget.

Most of the infrastructure activities that we reviewed did not achieve planned results  scopes, costs, and time frames  as outlined in USAID/Haitis 2011 planning documents, the report found.

The exterior of the yet-to-open Hospital of the State University of Haiti. The sprawling new public hospital in Haiti was promised by France and the United States after the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake.

One long-term area of concern was housing and the construction of homes to help the estimated 2.3 million Haitians who were displaced by the disaster. USAIDs housing construction program was rife with problems, from issues with the contractors to shoddy workmanship to cost overruns. The homes, the GAO found, not only cost 13% more to complete but went four years past the deadline. The number of homes to be built was also drastically reduced.

USAID/Haiti also reduced the scope of the activity because it found that the actual costs to build each house and prepare each plot substantially exceeded planned costs, the report said. Specifically, USAID/Haiti reduced the number of homes it built from 4,000 to 906 and the plots it prepared from 15,000 to 1,865, according to officials.

Meanwhile, more than 80% of the homes required emergency repair work due to shoddy construction. Deficiencies included leaking roofs, substandard foundations and wall construction, drainage issues, and improperly installed and substandard sewer and water pipes. The GAO report said that USAID had reached a legal settlement with the original construction contractor to reimburse the U.S. government $86,000 for the deficiencies. As of October 2022, the contractor, who is making monthly installments, had reimbursed $24,000 of the total settlement amount.

The GAO said that back in 2011, when many of the projects were envisioned, they were ambitious and in some cases unrealistic.

A similar conclusion was reached in 2015 when a similar report was issued after the GAO reviewed 23 reconstruction projects and found that while some in health and agriculture did well, construction projects continue to suffer from cost overruns and delays. In three cases USAIDs Haiti mission was forced to cancel projects because of poor performance or insufficient Haitian government support, auditors said.

Challenges such as overly ambitious plans, inadequate mission staffing, and slow or revised decisions from the Haitian government have led to delays and lower than expected results for most activities, International Affairs and Trade Director David Gootnick wrote at the time.

Really dire

On Friday, Tareq Talahma, the acting director of operations and advocacy division in the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told reporters at a press briefing on Haiti that the humanitarian situation in the country is really dire and the real story on the ground is worse than what we thought.

He noted that just one week before his delegations arrival in Haiti for a two-day visit this week, 136 people were killed in three days.

Comparing the situation and how much it has deteriorated in Haiti is a big concern, said Talahama, who was part of the delegation to examine how humanitarian aid groups are faring in helping the countrys 12 million residents despite the ongoing violence and kidnappings. We have 5.2 million people who are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Almost half of the population is facing food insecurity but also 5% of the children in the country are really in a severe malnutrition situation, he added. The people which we talked to actually said They are not living. We are surviving. 

Talahama said while there are a lot of competing needs in the country there are three priorities: Haitians need access to protection, to basic services and humanitarian workers need security to provide services.

The gangs ...are really occupying schools and hospitals. They are waiting for kids outside of the schools to kidnap them, he said.
TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) -A high-ranking envoy of President Joe Biden will travel to Panama and Honduras this month, the U.S. Department of State said on Thursday, days after Taiwan ally Honduras said it would establish formal diplomatic ties with China.

Chris Dodd, the U.S. special presidential adviser for the Americas, will visit the two Central American countries from March 17 to March 21, the department said in a statement.

In recent years, the United States has focused on migration and security challenges stemming from Central America, as well as trade and development priorities, but it has also been concerned about Chinese efforts to expand its influence in the region.

Dodd, a former lawmaker, will meet Honduran officials and private-sector representatives, officials and finance leaders in Panama, as well as attend an annual conference of the Inter-American Development Bank.

"These visits advance the commitment of the United States to foster inclusive economic growth, democracy, human rights, and rule of law in the Western Hemisphere," the State Department said.

On Tuesday, Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced it would seek diplomatic ties with Beijing, which would come at the expense of Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory with no right to state-to-state ties.

Castro's foreign minister, Enrique Reina, said on Wednesday that the pivot to China was partly because Honduras was "up to its neck" in financial challenges and debt - including $600 million it owes Taiwan.

Speaking to reporters in Taipei on Friday, Taiwan Premier Chen Chien-jen reiterated a warning to Honduras not to trust China and its offers of money.

"China has been suppressing Taiwan's diplomacy, so it will invest funds related to specific countries in order to block Taiwan's diplomatic development," he said.

Chinese investment as part of its Belt and Road energy and infrastructure network in these countries had mostly failed and led to financial difficulties, Chen said.

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"Therefore, we very much hope that Honduras can recognize the true nature of China and hope they maintain diplomatic relations and not be deceived."

China on Thursday denied that former Taiwan allies like Panama and El Salvador had not benefited since forging relations with Beijing, saying they had received "tangible benefits".

If Honduras ended relations with Taiwan, it would leave the island with only 13 diplomatic allies.

While the United States has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, it is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier.

China says Taiwan is one of its provinces with no right to state-to-state ties, a view the democratically elected government in Taipei strongly rejects.

(Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Taipei; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Leslie Adler, Robert Birsel)
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti at Griffith Observatory

Eric Garcetti at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Dec. 9, 2022. Credit - Hans GutknechtMediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images

After more than two years, the U.S. finally has an ambassador to India: Eric Garcetti.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate confirmed former Los Angeles Mayor Garcettis appointment as the countrys envoy to India, 20 months after President Joe Biden nominated him. The confirmation was held up in part due to concerns over how he responded to allegations against his friend and once-adviser, Rick Jacobs, who was accused of sexual harassment during the then-mayors tenure at City Hall.

We look forward to working with him to take forward our multifaceted bilateral relations, Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson for Indias external ministry, told reporters at a briefing Thursday.

The confirmation of Garcetti, a 52-year-old Biden loyalist, ends a vacuum in one of the countrys highest profile diplomatic posts. India is the worlds most populous country, and the U.S. sees it as a geopolitical force China has to reckon with, as the latter asserts its authoritarian regime in the Indo-Pacific region.

More from TIME

But Garcettis job isnt likely to be easy, having already provoked the ire of some Indians due to comments hes made in the past. During Garcettis confirmation hearings in 2021, he said he would actively raise human rights issues in New Delhi, in response to a question about the Citizenship Amendment Act, which the Indian parliament passed in 2019. The law, a cornerstone and campaign promise by the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), grants immigrants from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh a shot at applying for Indian citizenshipbut only if they are Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, or Buddhist. It was criticized for making Muslims from those countries into illegal migrants and seemingly relegating Indias Islamic community of some 200 million people into second-class citizens. Widespread protests against the law erupted across the South Asian nation in 2020.

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Since coming to power in 2014, the BJP, with President Narenda Modi at the helm, has overseen a marked rise in Hindu supremacy and anti-Muslim sentiment in India.

When asked about Garcettis remarks on human rights, Bagchi, Indias external affairs ministry spokesperson, said he has not heard of any recent comment from the diplomat-designate. There is something on social media, which is very old, he said. Our position on many of these issues are well-known.

Tarun Vijay, a former BJP member of Indias upper parliament house, posted on Twitter on Wednesday that sending an ambassador with a political agenda to interfere in our domestic issues with false notions is ignorant and arrogant and must not be acceptable. And Abhinav Prakash, the vice president of BJPs youth wing, told Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik India that Garcettis appointment could fuel anti-West sentiment in India.

The BJP doesnt represent everyones views though. The U.S. Chamber of Commerces U.S.-India Business Council wished Garcetti well in taking over the post left by Kenneth Juster in 2021. The councils deputy managing director Shreerupa Mitra, who is based in Delhi, said Garcettis confirmation will help the U.S. and India achieve critical goals in decarbonization, human development, and economic resilience. Indian-American community leader Ajay Bhutoria also congratulated Garcetti, tweeting that he believes the new U.S. ambassador will work tirelessly to deepen this relationship and promote cooperation between the two countries.

Indias relationship with the U.S. significantly improved in 2022: Biden met with Modi twice, strengthening trade ties between the two countries, and reinforcing the regional Quad security dialogue with Japan and Australia. Yogesh Joshi, a research fellow at the National University of Singapores Institute of South Asian Studies, says Garcetti is likely to prioritize this warming alliance, which may see his pursuit of a human rights-focused agenda in New Delhi take a backseat.

The democratic values provide the icing on the cake, but that is not what is driving the Indo-U.S. relationship, Joshi tells TIME.
Kristi Carroll started to lie about her sons health when he was just a few months old.

The Tarrant County mom took her son, born in 2016, to the hospital frequently and told doctors he could not keep food down. Carroll lied about and faked her sons sickness from 2017 to 2018, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Doctors, under the impression the child was seriously ill, inserted a gastric feeding tube. Carroll told doctors the boy was vomiting with the feeding tube, prompting the hospital to insert a central line to administer nutrition through the babys veins.

Medical staff started to notice strange behavior by Carroll, according to the arrest warrant. She posted on Facebook that at one point, her son stopped breathing and had to be revived  but medical staff said that never happened. She got excited when staff told her that her child might need an intestinal transplant. In January 2018, Carroll told staff at Cook Childrens Medical Center her son had thrown up. Video surveillance revealed Carroll had spilled liquid on the childs bed to create fake vomit.

Hospital staff reported Carroll for potential medical child abuse, and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services started to investigate in 2018. The child was removed from Carrolls care within a month, and his central line was removed in February 2018.

The disorder in which a caretaker lies about or causes a childs illness to obtain unnecessary medical care goes by several names: Munchausen syndrome by proxy, factitious disorder imposed upon another, fabricated or induced illness by carers. The act itself is referred to as medical child abuse.

One county catches more perpetrators of medical child abuse than any other, according to leading experts in the field. Tarrant County, according to experts, is an anomaly. In Tarrant County, multiple systems are able to recognize, report and investigate suspected cases of medical child abuse in a unique way.

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But even here, suspected cases are difficult to prosecute. Evidence may show a child is being medically abused, but no laws exist to criminalize medical child abuse specifically. It is not illegal to lie to a doctor about your childs health, even if those lies result in unnecessary surgery. Authorities have to prosecute a perpetrator for injury caused by a surgery or medical treatment, which experts say creates a convoluted case juries and judges may not understand.

I think Tarrant County  is doing the best job in the United States of exploring the possibility of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, said Dr. Marc Feldman, who has been a leading expert in medical child abuse for decades. But the jury is still out, literally, on how the court system is handling these cases.

Advocates want to change that with a groundbreaking Texas state law that would legally address medical child abuse with a specific criminal charge for the first time.

Tarrant County detective Mike Weber holds a box of files used to investigate one child medical abuse case, in his office at the Tarrant County Plaza Building on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023. Weber has investigated 35 claims of medical child abuse, otherwise known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

Carrolls case is just one example of how the court system is wholly unprepared to protect children from medical child abuse or to prosecute perpetrators, experts say. While the Department of Family and Protective Services found evidence Carroll was harming her son, a family court judge granted her custody of the child. And despite warnings from Cook Childrens as early as January 2018, a criminal investigation did not start until 2019. Carroll was eventually arrested, but with a makeshift charge that allowed her to take a plea deal and retain custody of her son.

In April 2018, the Department of Family and Protective Services investigated Carroll and determined she had Munchausen syndrome by proxy, had lied about her sons medical conditions and, according to the departments psychological evaluation, saw little that needs to be changed on her part.

But in March 2019, a Tarrant County judge returned Carrolls 2-year-old son to her. Because family court records are not public, it is unclear why the judge decided to return the child to Carroll.

The criminal investigation started in October 2019, eventually leading to her arrest. According to the arrest warrant, Carroll continued to abuse her son through unnecessary medical care after she regained custody of him. Carroll was charged with three counts of injury to a child in March 2021, which had a maximum penalty of two to 10 years in prison.

Carroll took a plea deal and admitted she faked her sons illnesses. She pleaded guilty to one felony count of injury to a child and received a light sentence: five years of probation, 160 hours of community service and a court fee of $355. Carroll is prohibited from harmful or injurious contact with her son, but she still has custody of him. The court also ordered the childs father to be present at any medical appointments.

Carrolls attorney did not respond to requests for comment, and the Star-Telegram was not able to contact Carroll.

Tarrant County leads the field

Since 2009, 11 women in Tarrant County have been accused of medical child abuse and convicted. Three other women have been charged but not yet gone to trial.

There are no national statistics on medical child abuse because most cases, Feldman said, fly under the radar. Feldman, a clinical professor of psychiatry and adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Alabama, has written or co-authored five books on the disorder. Only a small number of cases are detected because it is a diagnosis surrounded by deceit, he said.

Tarrant County and Harris County have about the same number of medical child abuse investigations per year, despite Harris County being more than twice the size of Tarrant.

The District Attorneys Office in Harris County  the largest county in Texas with about 4.7 million people  investigates about one to two such cases per year, Assistant District Attorney Gilbert Sawtelle said. Sawtelle, who has been a prosecutor for 10 years, focuses exclusively on child abuse cases involving death or serious bodily injury.

The unusually high case load in Tarrant County is reflective of the fact that the county has one of the most effective systems in the United States for identifying, investigating and prosecuting medical child abuse cases, according to leading experts.

I think Tarrant County leads the field, said Carole Jenny, child abuse fellowship director at Seattle Childrens Hospital.  They are much more cognizant than at other places.

In Seattle, for example, the Childrens Hospital has a team to identify possible medical child abuse, but does not have the necessary criminal justice support to investigate those cases. Jenny estimated the hospitals team confirms about 12 cases a year. However, only one case confirmed at the hospital has been prosecuted, she said, because law enforcement does not have the training to deal with such cases.

You have to have strong medical system, a strong legal system, a strong child protective system, Jenny said.

According to a 2006 literature review published in the research journal Psychiatry (Edgmont), there are no reliable statistics on the number of people in the U.S. with Munchausen syndrome by proxy. The review does note that between 9 and 10 percent of known cases end in the childs death.

Medical child abuse is often only revealed when a child dies, as was the case with Olivia Gant, whose mother pretended the girl was terminally ill for years until she died at 7 years old, according to the Denver Post. Olivia died in hospice care after being fed only ice pops and juice for 19 days, and her mother was sentenced to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to a felony child abuse charge, the Post reported.

The abuse can happen in two different ways, according to Jenny, who co-authored the 2008 book Medical Child Abuse: Beyond Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

Sometimes parents exaggerate or make up illnesses  they say the child is having these seizures and the child goes on seizure meds  but no one ever sees the seizure, Jenny said. And other times they induce illness, they poison the child. They dont feed them and say the child cant eat.

There are cases in which parents are falsely accused of medical child abuse or munchuasen syndrome by proxy. Gender-affirming care specifically has been called medical child abuse by some groups. But experts are clear that gender-affirming care is not medical child abuse.

Jenny said such accusations against parents of transgender minors are way out of the ballpark. If a young person wants to transition and the parent supports them, that is not medical child abuse. She also emphasized that gender-affirming care teams in hospitals work closely with the patient, and would not go along with a parent who did not have the patients best interest in mind.

Tarrant County Detective Mike Weber flips through a box of files for one medical child abuse case at his office in the Tarrant County Plaza Building on Feb. 25, 2023. Weber has investigated 35 claims of medical child abuse, otherwise known as munchausen syndrome by proxy.

Investigating medical child abuse

Medical child abuse primarily occurs in a medical setting, so medical staff are in a unique position to identify it.

Cases in Tarrant County primarily come from Cook Childrens Medical Center. Dr. Jamye Coffman is the medical director of the Child Advocacy Resources and Evaluation (CARE) team at Cook Childrens, which examines cases of potential child abuse based on referrals from Child Protective Services, law enforcement agencies or a medical provider. The team also flags potential cases and reports them to CPS. If warranted, the Tarrant County Sheriffs Office will carry out an investigation.

Cook Childrens works closely with these entities for all abuse cases, including sexual and physical abuse. Medical child abuse is no different, though in these cases, the medical providers are the weapon, Cook Childrens Medical Center said in a statement.

When treating children, doctors rely on parents to give correct medical histories. Catching discrepancies can be difficult, especially if the caretaker has gone to multiple facilities or is falsifying symptoms in their child.

You have to remember that ninety-nine point nine percent of our parents are good parents giving us accurate information, Coffman said in a 2019 press release about the CARE team. But if all an abuser has to do is say their child is vomiting and theyre secretly withholding food from them, how are we supposed to know that? We are depending on parents to tell the truth.

The evidence is usually found within a victims thousands of pages of medical records. Records can include red flags such as discrepancies in medical history, notes about unusual behavior from caretakers  like Carrolls excitement over a possible transplant  and caretaker-reported symptoms that medical staff do not witness themselves. The CARE team goes through those thousands of pages to determine if they may be dealing with a possible abuser or simply an overanxious parent.

On the law enforcement side, Mike Weber is perhaps the most experienced criminal investigator of medical child abuse cases in the country. He started investigating such cases while working for the Tarrant County District Attorneys Crimes Against Children Unit from 2009 to 2018. With the district attorneys office and now the sheriffs office, Weber said he has investigated 35 medical child abuse complaints.

Tarrant County Detective Mike Weber poses for a portrait at the Tarrant County Plaza Building on Feb. 25, 2023. Weber has investigated 35 claims of medical child abuse, otherwise known as munchausen syndrome by proxy.

In 2011, Weber investigated a case of a 3-year-old who was a victim before she was adopted by a Fort Worth couple. Her biological mother, Brittany Phillips, lied about her daughters medical history and symptoms, withheld food from the girl and put feces into her IV line or feeding tube to make her sicker, according to court records in the case. Doctors said the feces in the IV line or feeding tube caused Phillips daughter to contract a potentially deadly blood infection. Phillips was convicted in November 2015 of serious injury to a child and sentenced to five years in prison.

The childs adoptive father was horrified by this form of abuse, which he had never heard of. That father was Bill Waybourn, who became Tarrant County sheriff in 2017. Waybourn hired Weber to focus specifically on medical child abuse.

If not for Mike and Coffman, Feldman said, I think Tarrant County would be in the same position as much as the rest of the U.S.

Flaw in our system

Even in Tarrant County, the prosecution of medical child abuse cases is difficult.

There is no law in the country that specifically criminalizes medical child abuse. Laws criminalize injury to a child or medical neglect, but lying to a doctor to obtain unnecessary medical treatments for ones child is not specifically illegal.

Were currently shoehorning this abuse into existing laws, Weber said.

When Weber investigates a case, he typically needs to prove the child was physically injured in order for the abuser to be charged. Since there is no medical child abuse charge, a person accused of such abuse may face charges of serious bodily injury or endangering a child. Investigators may have their hands tied in a case until a child has a serious enough injury.

Daniel Lester, investigations supervisor for the Department of Family and Protective Services Tarrant County office, said the lack of a medical child abuse law is a flaw in our system.

You have to wait until the child gets hurt to actually do anything, Lester said.

George Hunnicutt, a Marine previously stationed in Fort Worth, said if it were not for Weber, his wife might not have been held accountable for poisoning his son.

From February 2010 to 2011, Elisabeth Hunnicutt told doctors her youngest son had various medical problems. She said the baby was extremely unresponsive and slept almost all day. As a result, doctors drilled a hole in his skull and placed a monitor on his brain. She created a support group page about the 1-year-olds diseases, which she said included cerebral atrophy, hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy. However, the monitor in the boys brain had already ruled out those diseases, according to court documents.

In June 2011, George Hunnicutt caught his wife slipping drugs into their 1-year-old sons yogurt. He confronted her, locked himself and his youngest son in a closet and called 911. Hunnicutt said the Fort Worth Police Department had absolutely zero interest in the case. The police departments Crimes Against Children Unit did not respond to requests for comment on this case.

I can tell you this, George Hunnicutt said. If it were not for Mike Weber, this case never would have been prosecuted.

When she was investigated, Elisabeth Hunnicutt admitted she had given their 1-year-old son Clonidine  which was prescribed to her older son for ADHD  five times in two weeks, according to her arrest warrant affidavit. Investigators believe that she slipped him the drug to make him appear unresponsive, leading to the unnecessary surgery to place a monitor in his skull.

For causing her son to have unnecessary brain surgery, the maximum charge Elisabeth Hunnicutt could face was causing bodily injury, which has a potential sentence of two to 10 years. Serious bodily injury carries a potential sentence of five to 99 years, but can only be applied in cases where someone had a significant risk of death or was significantly scarred.

The drill that went through (my sons) skull was not considered to be a life-threatening incapacitation, George Hunnicutt said. Its so much more difficult to prosecute these offenses because theres no clear and specific language that addresses it.

Elisabeth Hunnicutt pleaded guilty to causing bodily injury to her son. She was sentenced in 2013 to 10 years of deferred probation.

George Hunnicutt was furious.

Up until that point in my life, I thought if you screwed up, you went to jail, he said. Thats the way I was raised. And then she didnt, and that threw my understanding of our justice system into utter chaos.

In 2015, Elisabeth Hunnicutt voluntarily terminated her parental rights to her two sons, who now live with George Hunnicutt. The boy who had the surgery is now 12 years old and is a typical teenager.

He has not had a single medical problem since then, George Hunnicutt, who now lives in Alabama, said. And if thats not proof that this exists, then I dont know what is.

Proposed law and false accusations

In 2021, Weber approached David Cook  the former mayor of Mansfield and member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 96th District  about sponsoring House Bill 1773.

The bill would make it a crime to intentionally misrepresent or lie to a medical professional about a persons medical history or symptoms for the purpose of obtaining unnecessary medical treatment for a child, elderly person or person with a disability. In short, it would criminalize medical child abuse. The proposed law would be named Alyssas Law, after Waybourns adopted daughter. Cook agreed to sponsor it.

Anytime where we as society see a child  most often a helpless child  being abused, we want to take steps to stop that abuse, Cook said. This is a good bill to make that happen.

Before introducing the bill, Cook said, he and other sponsors met with the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorneys Office, law enforcement and think tanks to determine how best to help investigate possible medical child abuse cases.

What it says is, if someone goes in and intentionally and knowingly lies to a medical provider  to do harm to their child, then that should be a crime, a clear crime, Waybourn said. And I think thats common sense.

But HB 1773 faced resistance in a committee hearing. Parents from various groups, including Protect TX Fragile Kids and Texans For Vaccine Freedom, said at the March 2021 hearing that they were concerned the law would lead to false accusations of medical child abuse.

Adrienne Trigg, a parent with Protect TX Fragile Kids, testified at the hearing that she was falsely accused of medical child abuse because her son had complex medical issues that were difficult to diagnosis.

This law is unfortunately subjecting a large number of medically fragile population to more scrutiny, she said at the committee hearing.

The bill did not pass.

Cook is sponsoring the bill again this legislative session. The bill, now called HB 3381, was referred to the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Wednesday, and is set to be heard during the legislative session.

Cook said advocates for the bill have talked with the groups who were concerned about false accusations and been able to compromise.

Jackie Schlegel spoke out against HB 1773 in 2021 on behalf of Texans For Vaccine Freedom. Schlegel told the Star-Telegram via email that she has had conversations with various stakeholders about HB 3381 and has been encouraged by the willingness of those involved to go to such extraordinary lengths to ensure we protect the children and the loving families and parents that care for them.

When asked about her current concerns about the bill, Schlegel told the Star-Telegram it is not a priority for (Texans For Vaccine Freedom) as we are focused on medical freedom and pushing back against employee mandates.

According to experts, including Feldman, Jenny and Weber, the bill would make false accusations  which they said are already rare  more unlikely.

The best way to avoid false accusations of medical child abuse, Feldman said, is education. A large number of cases are likely overlooked across the country because of a lack of education and knowledge, according to the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children.

When abuse appears in the guise of treatment, medical staff must first be able to identify it. In the medical field across the country, Feldman said, medical child abuse cases are viewed as marginal and not worthy of discussion.

Doctors who are in training for so many years dont hear about Munchausen by proxy very often, he said. You cant diagnose what youve never heard of.

Sawtelle said as a prosecutor, he also thinks HB 3381 would help raise awareness about medical child abuse in the criminal justice realm, which would improve training and policies.

The bill would also bring in law enforcement earlier in a suspected case, which would help authorities rule out as well as confirm abuse more quickly.

Weber used the example of one case he investigated in which law enforcement determined medical child abuse was not happening. Cook Childrens notified Weber early about its concerns and Weber sat down with the mother and daughter separately. Through his interviews, he found evidence that showed the daughter had faked her own symptoms. Her doctors were able to get the daughter a psychological evaluation and the help she needed.

Criminal investigations are not just to find the guilty, Weber said. Theyre also to rule out the innocent.

Raising awareness

Victims of medical child abuse hope laws like HB 3381, if it passes, would also allow survivors to get the justice and help they need.

Jordyn Hope, 27, believes they were medically abused for most of their life, but did not realize it until they were 22 and sitting in a psychology class. As their professor talked about Munchausen syndrome by proxy, Hope said, they were flooded with memories. They took out their phone and started to take notes and started to put together this was my life, this happened to me.

From infancy, Jordyn Hope was in and out of the hospital in Minnesota, according to medical records. Hope, who is now 27 and uses they/them pronouns, believes they were medically abused for most of their life, but did not realize it until they were in college.

From infancy, Hope was in and out of the hospital in Minnesota. According to medical records provided to the Star-Telegram, Hopes mother told doctors her child had a fever as high as 107 for multiple days, but staff would measure the toddlers temperature at 99 or 102. Hopes mom said Hope had a blood disorder, but doctors ruled out that condition, according to medical records. In one instance, medical staff gave the child a saline placebo instead of the IV antibiotics requested by the mother, the records say.

In 1997, Hopes mother was investigated by the Midwest Childrens Resource Center. According to Hopes medical documents, which they shared with the Star-Telegram, investigators believed Hopes mom might have Munchausen by proxy and a doctor wrote that there was evidence that (Hopes) symptoms had probably at very least been greatly exaggerated in the past. According to Hope, the case was dropped because there was not enough physical evidence. Their mother was never criminally charged.

Hopes mother has publicly denied that she abused Hope or that she has Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

In Hopes case, in order to get help from those in authority, it would have been better if my mom was breaking my bones, Hope said.

When Hope was in high school, CPS removed them from their mothers care because of their mothers alcoholism, Hope said.

As an adult, Hope talked with their pediatrician, who said she believed Hope was being medically abused, but felt powerless since the investigation had been closed.

Thats when I realized how impossible it was to get help when youre going through this type of abuse, Hope said.

Now 27, Jordyn Hope is an activist for raising awareness about medical child abuse and helps facilitate a support group for victims.

As a 27-year-old living in St. Louis, Hope said they still struggle with childhood trauma. They are an activist for raising awareness about medical child abuse, and help facilitate a support group for victims. In October, they spoke directly after Weber at a Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect in Michigan.

Its the most lethal form of child abuse. A lot of children die, Hope said. And yet it is the hardest to criminalize or get the child out.

If you or someone you know might be a victim of medical child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453). All calls are anonymous and confidential.
By Douglas Gillison

(Reuters) - Wall Street's top regulator is set to adopt new rules aimed at bolstering oversight of systemic risk in the burgeoning, multitrillion-dollar world of private equity and hedge-funds.

More than a year in the making, the new policy move from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission arrives as global regulators and markets digest this week's near-death of Credit Suisse, which was among several banks that in 2021 posted staggering losses after lending billions to now-defunct family office Archegos Capital Management.

In an update to regulations first adopted in the wake of the global financial crisis, the SEC is due to vote March 22 on whether to adopt a proposed rule that would require notification from advisers to large privately-managed funds of events indicating "significant stress" or that could signal growing risk in the financial system.

As proposed in January 2022, the rule would require reporting of such events to the SEC within one business day. The SEC has yet to release the final version.

The Commission says it wants to fill "significant information gaps" for privately held assets that remain despite reporting requirements adopted under the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform legislation following the 2008 financial crisis. The agency billed the new rule in part as a means of supporting the Financial Stability Oversight Council, a multi-agency risk-monitoring body also created under Dodd-Frank.

In the decade since, the gross value of assets under private management, traditionally subject to less monitoring and oversight than banks and public companies, has more than doubled to $20.1 trillion, according to SEC data, roughly equivalent to 80 percent of the US economy.

Along with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the SEC in August also proposed further amendments that, among other changes, would enhance how hedge funds report their exposures to investments, counterparties, and currencies and would require more detailed information about investment strategies.

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Financial reform advocates have broadly endorsed the SEC's effort, citing historic examples of shocks to the global financial system due to risk-taking by privately managed funds such as Archegos and the highly leveraged Long Term Capital Management. LTCM suffered huge sovereign bond losses in 1998 and reportedly had nearly $1 trillion in undisclosed positions with major investment banks, requiring a multibillion-dollar bailout arranged by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Hester Peirce, a Republican member of the Commission, has opposed the proposal, branding it a needless departure from the SEC's congressional mandate under Dodd-Frank that was unlikely to achieve its desired effects, a view shared by industry groups pushing for lighter regulation.

The proposal offered "scant evidence" that it would enhance FSOC's monitoring for systemic risk, she said in dissenting remarks against the proposal, adding that it would likely become a tool "for government to micromanage private fund risk management."

(Reporting by Douglas Gillison; Editing by David Gregorio)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has resumed surveillance drone flights over the Black Sea region following a Russian fighter jet intercept on Tuesday that led to the downing of a U.S surveillance drone, two U.S. officials said on Friday.

An RQ-4 Global Hawk flew a mission to the region on Friday, the officials said, with one adding that it was the first such drone flight since the Tuesday incident. Pentagon officials have repeatedly stressed this week the incident would not stop Washington from flying such missions.

Still, the downing of a U.S. MQ-9 drone on Tuesday was the first direct U.S.-Russian incident since the Ukraine war began, worsening already tense relations between Washington and Moscow as both countries publicly traded blame.

Russia has denied U.S. accusations that its two Su-24 fighter jets acted recklessly around the unmanned U.S. aircraft, and instead has blamed "sharp maneuvering" by the drone for the crash.

However, the Pentagon released a video on Thursday showing a Russian Su-27 fighter jet coming very close to the drone and dumping fuel near it, in what U.S. officials said was an apparent effort to damage the American aircraft as it flew.

It also showed the loss of the video feed after another close Russian maneuver, which the Pentagon said resulted from a Russian jet colliding with the drone.

The video ends with images of the drone's damaged propeller, which the Pentagon said was caused by the collision, making the aircraft inoperable and leading it to crash into deep waters.

The incident over international waters was a reminder of the risk of direct confrontation between the United States and Russia over Ukraine, which Moscow invaded more than a year ago and which Western allies have supported with intelligence and weapons.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
UBS is in talks about a merger with Credit Suisse. Arnd Wiegmann/Getty Images

UBS is in talks to acquire part or all of Credit Suisse, the Financial Times reported.

The talks come after a harrowing week for Credit Suisse, whose shares sank to a record low.

The likely merger of Switzerland's two largest banks comes a week after SVB collapsed.

Two of Switzerland's largest banks and their regulators are thrashing out a merger deal that could be fast-tracked by Switzerland, the Financial Times reported.

The Swiss National Bank and Swiss regulators brokered talks between UBS and its embattled smaller rival Credit Suisse as the only way of restoring confidence in the latter lender, the newspaper reported Friday.

Later Saturday, the Times cited people familiar with the situation, reporting that the country is ready to use emergency measures to facilitate a takeover by UBS of Credit Suisse. Typically, UBS would have to allow shareholders weeks before such a deal was made, but with emergency measures, that waiting period could be skipped.

Both UBS and Credit Suisse declined to comment to the FT and Bloomberg.

Outflows from Credit Suisse hit almost $11 billion a day late this week as confidence dwindled, two unnamed sources told the FT.

The boards of both banks were meeting this weekend, suggesting that a deal is imminent. But Bloomberg reported later on Saturday that according to sources, the investment banking and trading arms of the bank are sticking points for the two sides.

UBS was asking the Swiss government to cover some legal costs or other losses if a deal was done, Bloomberg reported citing unnamed sources. They suggested that UBS could buy its rival's wealth and asset management divisions, and sell the investment banking division.

Swiss regulators told their US and UK counterparts that a merger of UBS and Credit Suisse was their "plan A," per the FT. UBS posted a $7.6 billion profit last year and is in far better financial health than its smaller rival, which made a loss of $7.9 billion.

Deutsche Bank is also mulling whether parts of Credit Suisse might appeal and their potential value in the event of a breakup, Bloomberg reported. A representative for the bank declined to comment to the outlet.

Story continues

The FT also reported that BlackRock had explored making an offer for Credit Suisse, but a representative told Insider that it had "no interest" in acquiring part or all of the Swiss bank.

Talks about a UBS-Credit Suisse tie-up come just a week after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank sent shockwaves throughout the banking sector as investors and deposit-holders feared other banks could be next.

Credit Suisse was hit particularly hard by investors' concerns since it's faced a slew of other challenges recently, including an announcement last week that it would delay its 2022 annual report after an inquiry from the SEC.

To make matters worse, this week, the Zurich-based bank's largest shareholder, Saudi National Bank, warned it would not be able to invest more cash into the bank without facing regulatory hurdles.

On Thursday, after shares of Credit Suisse hit a record low, the troubled bank said it had secured a $50 billion lifeline from the Swiss central bank.

However, shares fell a further 8% in Zurich Friday, valuing the bank at about $8.8 billion.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Reuters) -Banking giant UBS is in discussions to take over all or parts of Credit Suisse, with the boards of Switzerland's two biggest lenders set to meet separately over the weekend, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

The Swiss National Bank and regulator FINMA are organising the talks in an attempt to build confidence in the country's banking sector, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

On Friday evening, Swiss regulators informed their counterparts in the United States and United Kingdom that the merger of the two banks was their "Plan A" to salvage the confidence in Credit Suisse, the report added.

Several other options are also under discussion between the two banks as both sides try to evaluate regulatory constraints in different jurisdictions, the newspaper reported.

The Swiss central bank's focus is on agreeing a straightforward solution before markets open on Monday, the report said, adding there is no guarantee a deal will be reached.

Credit Suisse and UBS declined to comment on the report. The Swiss National Bank and FINMA did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.

Bloomberg reported on Thursday that UBS Group AG and Credit Suisse were opposed to a forced merger, with UBS preferring to focus on its own wealth-centric strategy and reluctant to take on risks related to its smaller rival.

Credit Suisse is biggest bank to be ensnared in the market turmoil following the collapse of U.S. lenders SVB and New York-based Signature Bank, forcing the Swiss lender to borrow up to $54 billion from Switzerland's central bank to shore up liquidity.

(Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh and Akriti Sharma in BengaluruEditing by Chris Reese and Deepa Babington)
Its one of the biggest days of the year for Savannah as the city hosted its annual St. Patricks Day parade on Friday.

Among the many guests and patrons who have flooded downtown Savannah, was UFC legend Conor McGregor.

McGregor, who was born in Ireland, stopped at a Savannah firehouse and posed for some photos.

The MMA fighter was part of the parade, appearing on a float for Proper Twelve Whiskey, WJCL-TV reports.

Savannahs St. Patricks Day parade is one of the largest in the U.S. This years parade featured more than 350 marching bands and up to 15,000 people, according to the citys website.

The parade was expected to last about four hours.

TRENDING STORIES:

The citys manager, Jay Melder, said he expects a huge influx of people to be in Savannah for the parade and throughout the weekend.

Weve seen crowds higher than 100,000 before, easy, and thats what were expecting this year for a Friday parade, Melder told WSAV-TV. Were expecting the heaviest crowds that weve ever seen.

The Savannah Police Department said there would be stepped-up patrols around the parade area to keep everyone safe.

IN OTHER NEWS:




Minister of Energy Herman Galushchenko and President of NAEK Energoatom Petro Kotin

The minister made the announcement while visiting an enterprise that will produce nuclear fuel both for Ukrainian reactors and for export to other countries.

As noted, 17 VVER-440 reactors are now operating in Europe, which have no alternative to Russian fuel.

Ukraine has already began producing components of VVER-1000 reactors and will later start producing fuel for the VVER-440 reactors. The project is implemented by national nuclear power company Energoatom and the US Westinghouse.

Read also: Half of Kharkiv remains without power after latest Russian missile strikes, says governor

Read also: Zaporizhzhya NPP de-energized, only 10 days to restore power to safety systems

Unfortunately, many European countries remain dependent on Russian nuclear technologies, Halushchenko said.

At the same time, having abandoned Russian nuclear fuel, Ukraine switched its reactors to nuclear fuel produced by Westinghouse. Czechia, Slovakia, Finland, and Bulgaria have also expressed the desire to make the same transition. And in the future, Ukraine may become a supplier of nuclear fuel for these countries.

According to the minister, relevant Ukrainian enterprises will produce the fuel element clusters of nuclear power plants.

In 2023, Ukraine plans to complete licensing and enter the industrial production of bottom nozzles, as well as start the industrial production of fuel cartridge heads in 2024. These components will be used to produce nuclear fuel for the needs of Energoatom at the Westinghouse plant in Vasteros, Sweden, Halushchenko said.

The company plans to create its own line to produce nuclear fuel in three years, Energoatom CEO Petro Kotin added.

Today, our nuclear experts, together with US partners, are working to oust Russia from the global nuclear technology market.

Ukraines nuclear power plants will fully switch to using Westinghouse fuel by late 2023, Halushchenko announced on March 2.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine applauded the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday for issuing an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The ICC called for Putin's arrest on suspicion of unlawful deportation of children and unlawful transfer of people from the territory of Ukraine to the Russian Federation. It also issued warrants for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's Commissioner for Childrens Rights, on the same charges.

"Wheels of Justice are turning: I applaud the ICC decision to issue arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova over forcible transfer of Ukrainian children," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.

Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said the ICC decision was "historic for Ukraine and the entire international law system."

"Today's decision is a historic step. But it is only the beginning of the long road to restore justice," Kostin said on the Telegram messaging app.

Andriy Yermak, chief of the presidential staff, said that issuing the warrant against Putin was "only the beginning."

He said Ukraine had cooperated closely with the ICC and was currently investigating over 16,000 cases of forced children deportation to Russia. Ukraine has managed to secure the return of 308 children so far.

Moscow has denied accusations that its forces have committed atrocities during its one-year invasion of its neighbour.

(Reporting by Olena Harmash, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
Ukrainians were kept in terrible conditions in Syria

Military intelligence operatives managed to rescue eight Ukrainian citizens  two women and six children. The group crossed the state border under the cover of darkness in the daring night operation.

Read also: Russia reportedly asked Israel not to hold up transfer of equipment from Syria to Ukraine

Even in the conditions of Russias aggressive war, Ukraine does not forget about its citizens in trouble and will come to their rescue in any part of the globe, the agency said.

The head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, has previously revealed that a significant proportion of Ukrainian citizens in Russian captivity are civilians. He stressed that Ukraine does not capture civilians.

Read also: Israeli strike at Iranian drone assembly site in Syria unlikely to help Ukraine, says military expert

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A civilian killed by the Russian military in Bucha

This will contribute to the investigation of Russian war crimes, the implementation of the norms of international humanitarian law, EU regulations, and NATO standards, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said.

Read also: Austria joins Russian war crimes tribunal initiative

Commitment to international law is what distinguishes a democratic state from a legal nihilist.

The department will be responsible for:

 implementation and execution of international law, as well as relevant cooperation;

 interaction with law enforcement agencies and international institutions;

 legal work regarding the creation of interdepartmental international agreements;

 adaptation of defense-related legislation to EU legal norms.

The department will be responsible for implementing NATO standards and norms into Ukraines legal framework, related to national security, sanctions policy, and war-related damage compensation.

Read also: How the EU investigates Russias war crimes  interview with the head of Eurojust

On March 17, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Ombudsman for Children, Maria Lvova-Belova.

They are accused of illegally deporting children from temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia, which constitutes a war crime.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Photo illustration: Kelli R. Grant/Yahoo News; photos: Getty Images (2), Ignacio Marin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images, Wojciech Grzedzinski for the Washington Post via Getty Images

WARSAW, Poland  Six months after Russia invaded Ukraine, 18-year-old Rosalina Hryhorychenko fled the war-torn country with her mother and two siblings. Just two months later, she would make the tough decision to journey back to her family home in Lutsk, in northwest Ukraine. There she would meet with the father of her unborn son and wait to give birth.

Hryhorychenko is one of the 10% of women who have returned to Ukraine to give birth since the war began. According to the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the main reasons they return are language barriers, loyalty to their home country and difficult life circumstances. With a small child far from home, they would have no one to rely on, a spokesperson for the organization told Yahoo News.

Data from the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency stated that in April 2022, 265,000 Ukrainian women were pregnant. Hryhorychenko was unknowingly three months pregnant when she and her family fled to Poland. And in October she would be forced to make the journey back home alone. I traveled back to Ukraine to give birth, as the father of my child is still there, Hryhorychenko told Yahoo News.

Then in February, in a Lutsk hospital with few supplies and electricity that would frequently cut, Hryhorychenko gave birth to her son. I had a very complicated birth, she said. My son was born very little, and we had to stay in the hospital for seven days. The electricity went off often, but thankfully my son is here. Asked how she felt being in an active war zone with her newborn son, she said: Im afraid of being here. I am afraid for my babys safety.

Rosalina Hryhorychenko with her newborn son. (Courtesy of the family)

In Warsaw, Rada Hryhorychenko waits anxiously for her daughters return. She told Yahoo News how terrified she was that her child was traveling back to Ukraine. Theres a problem with the electricity there all the time, she said about the city where her daughter is. There can be a day when you have no electricity at all, or even for several days.

Story continues

Outside a refugee accommodation shelter in Nadarzyn, Poland, a local community adviser explained how she has had to convince more than a dozen pregnant women not to return to Ukraine to give birth. It is very common, Patrycja Mroczek, a Roma community volunteer at the refugee shelter, said. These women wanted to give birth in Ukraine, Mroczek explained, so their children would have Ukrainian nationality, rather than Polish. However, babies born in Poland to Ukrainian parents wouldnt become Polish anyway, due to the law of blood, which gives children the nationality of their parents, not that of the country where they were born.

But many pregnant women are unaware of this and make the dangerous journey back to Ukraine. This is a misunderstanding resulting from a lack of knowledge of Polish law, said Marta Siemion, the project manager of the Central Roma Council, an organization set up to help members of the ethnic Roma community.

Dr. Lyudmila Ivanova, the chief ob-gyn of Poltava Regional Hospital in central Ukraine, said she had treated 12 women who returned to Ukraine to have their babies. Ivanova noted that all the women she encountered believed that unless they returned home, they would not have been able to survive.

In order not to create problems for themselves or others, women took risks and returned to Ukraine even in the late stages of pregnancy, she said. The reasons for returning are not dissatisfaction, but rather lack of confidence ... in ones ability to provide for oneself and ones child, the lack of a safety cushion both material, moral and psychological.

And so Hryhorychenko and countless other women endure the difficult task of raising their children in a war zone  torn between the perils of their home and the safety of neighboring, unfamiliar countries.
Mariusz Baszczak emphasized the need to support Ukraine

Today, the most important and urgent task is to ensure that Ukraine withstands as a sovereign and independent state, he said.

We must mobilize as many military, economic, and financial resources as possible to win this war. Undoubtedly, Ukraines victory is its most important step towards possible accession to NATO structures.

Baszczak emphasized that the NATO summit in Vilnius will be a great opportunity to talk about the prospects of Ukraines membership in the North Atlantic Alliance.

Read also: Latvian PM argues for Ukraines speedy EU accession and eventual NATO membership

In my opinion, a fundamental principle of the Alliance is to keep NATO open for new members, the minister stressed.

Ukraines integration into the European and Euro-Atlantic community will be the best investment for stability on our continent.

In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy predicted that Ukraine would join NATO after the war ends.

Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has also stated that Ukraine is now a de-facto member of NATO.

The European Union granted Ukraine candidate status on June 23, 2022, a historic moment for EU-Ukraine relations, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Read also: Ukraine needs security guarantees before joining NATO, Zelenskyy says

The European Council asked the European Commission to update the status of all candidate countries  including Ukraine  in implementing accession criteria, promising to decide on further steps as soon as all these conditions are fully met.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Key developments on March 16:

The Russian state-backed mercenary company Wagner Groups offensive on Bakhmut appears to be nearing culmination, the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest assessment on March 16.

Wagners founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has recently criticized the Russian Defense Ministry for not providing his fighters with enough ammunition, which has taken a toll on Wagners ability to pursue offensives on Bakhmut. Prigozhin claimed on March 15 that Wagner has had to expand its encirclement of Bakhmut, an embattled city in Ukraines eastern Donetsk Oblast.

Meanwhile, Prigozhin claimed that Wagner captured Zaliznianske, a small village about nine kilometers north of Bakhmut. Ukraine hasnt confirmed the villages capture.

However, the ISW, a U.S. think-tank analyzing the war in Ukraine, emphasized that the capture of Zaliznianske and other similarly small towns north of Bakhmut is unlikely to enhance Wagners ability to capture Bakhmut itself or make other operationally significant gains.

Recent Wagner gains north of Bakhmut suggest that manpower, artillery, and equipment losses in fights for Bakhmut will likely constrain Wagners ability to complete a close encirclement of Bakhmut or gain substantial territory in battles for urban areas.

According to the ISW, the Wagner offensive will not be sufficient enough to seize Bakhmut.



Russian forces are not pursuing active or successful offensive operations elsewhere in theater, and as the pace of operations slows along critical sectors of the front, Ukrainian forces likely have an increased opportunity to regain the initiative, the think-tank said.

Story continues

At the same time, U.K. military advisor, Ian Stubbs, during his March 15 speech in Vienna, said that "Russia is suffering extremely heavy casualty rates."

Since May last year, between 20,00030,000 Wagner and regular Russian forces have been killed and wounded in the area around Bakhmut alone, Stubbs said.

The U.K. estimated that the vast majority of casualties are suffered by Wagner.

Meanwhile, Russias Defense Ministry continues to insist on capturing Vuhledar, another city in Donetsk Oblast, partially due to its competition with Wagner Group, which achieved tactical success in the Bakhmut sector, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on March 16.

According to the ministrys daily intelligence report, Russian attempts to storm Vuhledar almost certainly slowed in the past week, following recurrent, extremely expensive failed attacks.

The General Staff of Ukraines Armed Forces said on March 17 that Russian troops are preparing to resume their offensive on Vuhledar.

Earlier on March 1, the New York Times reported that the Ukrainian forces have destroyed at least 130 Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers over a three-week epic fight in Vuhledar.
Oleksii Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, has stated that the authorities will not use any force against the priests and monks of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, but will act in accordance with the adopted legal acts.

Source: Danilov in an interview with Radio Liberty



Quote: "What concerns the church is an old story. Of course, there will be no use of physical force or violence. We are not the Russian Federation. But we will definitely take what is ours, taking into account the regulations that are in place on our territory.

On the other hand, it [the monastery] is used by representatives of the 5th and 1st departments of the FSB of the Russian Federation, who are directly present in a certain number in this environment...

We do not stand against the church. We are not opposing those people who are involved in specific religious processes. But we stand against the influence of these things on the state. You have no right to dictate things to the state, you have no right to hold the state hostage."



Previously: The monks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate said that they do not intend to move out of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

Background:

On 10 March, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve notified the UOC-MP monastery that the 10-year-old agreement (of 19 July 2013) on the free use of religious buildings and other state-owned property would be terminated on 29 March 2023.





The warning included a demand to vacate the buildings at 11 Lavrska Street and 15 Lavrska Street in Kyiv.





The UOC-MP stated that there are no legal grounds for this and that the eviction of its monastery from the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves is simply "a whim of officials from the Ministry of Culture."





Oleksandr Tkachenko, Ukraines Minister of Culture and Information Policy, has said that monks and priests from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) must vacate all premises of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (the Monastery of the Caves in Kyiv) by the end of March.





In 2022, the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) conducted dozens of searches in various buildings of the UOC-MP, including the Kyiv Monastery of the Caves.





As of 23 February 2023, the SSU was investigating nearly 60 criminal proceedings against pro-Russian clergy of the UOC-MP, and more than 350 church buildings and 850 people were subject to in-depth inspections. The courts handed down 7 guilty verdicts.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
With the latest launch, Maruti Suzuki now has 14 cars that come with company fitted CNG kits. (Photo: By arrangement)

Pune: Maruti Suzuki, Indias biggest car maker, on Friday introduced the Maruti Suzuki Brezza S-CNG in the Indian market at a starting price of Rs 9.14 lakh at pan India showroom.

The Brezza is the first compact SUV with a CNG powertrain available in three trims in the country.

With the latest launch, Maruti Suzuki now has 14 cars that come with company fitted CNG kits.

Apart from an efficient powertrain, the new SUV has also been introduced with a range of features such as electric sunroof, cruise control, keyless push start and more.

The new Brezza CNG has been launched in three different variants - LXi, VXi and ZXi, along with a dual-tone colour option.

Under the hood of the new Brezza S-CNG car sits the Next-Gen K-series 1.5L Dual Jet, Dual VVT engine. This unit has been rated to deliver a maximum power output of 86.6bhp and 121.5Nm of peak torque. The engine comes paired with a 5-speed manual transmission. The company claims that the car delivers an 'excellent fuel-efficiency' of 25.51 km/kg.

The new SUV gets customised CNG-specific features which include Integrated Petrol and CNG fuel lid, dedicated CNG drive mode, digital and analogue CNG fuel gauges, and an illuminated fuel change over switch.

The company claims that it is confident that the new Brezza S-CNG will come out to be a successful product.

"The Brezza has been a game-changer for Maruti Suzuki. It is an SUV that has redefined the compact SUV segment with its design and performance. We are confident that the hot and techy Brezza will once again disrupt the segment with the S-CNG version," Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales at Maruti Suzuki India, said.
A Maxim machine gun in position near Kharkiv, Ukraine. Mykhaylo Palinchak

Ukraine has used a WWI-era machine gun on the front line to mow down the enemy.

"It only works when there is a massive attack going on," a Ukrainian soldier told BBC News.

The brutal fighting in Ukraine, filled with trenches and heavy casualties, has frequently been compared to WWI.

Ukrainian forces have used Maxim machine guns, a weapon often associated with World War I, to mow down frontal assaults by Russian troops in the battle for Bakhmut.

"It only works when there is a massive attack going on," a Ukrainian soldier identified as Borys, 48, recently told BBC News of the Maxim gun. "Then it really works."

"We use it every week," Borys added.

Ukrainian forces have found the Maxim M1910  was first introduced in 1910 (the initial version of the gun emerged in the 1880s) and employed by the Imperial Russian Army during World War I  useful in the fight against the Russians. Ukraine's troops have modified the guns with modern add-ons such as optics and suppressors, according to reporting from Task and Purpose.

S Sebag Montefiore (@simonmontefiore) March 16, 2023

Hiram Maxim, a key inventor of portable machine guns in the 19th Century, used the recoil force of a bullet to eject its cartridge and feed the next round in from an ammunition belt.

The fighting in Ukraine has repeatedly garnered parallels to World War I, with both sides locked in a brutal war of attrition featuring trenches, relentless artillery barrages, and heavy casualties. In this environment, even some of the weapons of that era have come in handy as Ukrainian troops face human wave attacks on the front line  tactics common to World War I.

Ukraine has also apparently utilized a type of World War I-era sniper decoy, employing dummies meant to fool enemy snipers.

Story continues

But while the fight in Ukraine might have similarities to World War I, the modern weaponry and surveillance also prevalent on the battlefield  particularly drones  have made it all the more deadly by giving troops few places to hide.

The Ukraine war has essentially become "World War I with 21st century ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance]," Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Insider in January.

Read the original article on Business Insider
For successful counteroffensive actions, Ukraine needs, in particular, modern long-range air defence equipment and modern multipurpose fighter aircraft.

Source: Yurii Ihnat, Spokesperson of the Air Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on air of the national 24/7 news broadcast

Quote: "To achieve success in counter-offensive operations, [the Armed Forces of Ukraine  ed.] need to stop the enemy (its offensive actions), then gain air superiority, and this can be achieved with modern powerful air defence systems and modern fighter aircraft, which will ensure this dominance in the air over the occupied territories and disrupt logistics supplying the enemy with fuel and ammunition.

Then the counteroffensive operation will be successful.

For this purpose, in fact, we need modern long-range air defence systems and modern multi-purpose fighter aircraft, which can quickly provide us with what I named."

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Aviation and artillery struck the positions of the Russian invaders

The Defense Forces aviation made seven strikes on areas where the occupiers were concentrated.

Read also: Poland to send first four MiG-29 jets to Ukraine in coming days, says Duda

Ukrainian missiles and artillery struck five control points, five areas where enemy forces and military equipment were concentrated, a fuel and lubricants warehouse, two radar stations, an electronic warfare station, and an anti-aircraft missile complex in a firing position.

Earlier, the General Staff reported that Russia had lost at least 15 of its powerful T-90M tanks in Ukraine.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Battalion commander, known by his call sign Kupol, gave an unusually frank assessment of Ukrainian losses in an interview - The Washington Post

Ukraine has demoted a top battlefield commander after he admitted his unit had been decimated in fighting around the city of Bakhmut.

The battalion commander, known by his call sign Kupol, gave an unusually frank assessment of Ukrainian losses in an interview from the front lines earlier this week.

He revealed that all of the original 500 soldiers in his unit had either been killed or injured, a rare acknowledgement from inside the Ukrainian ranks, where losses are kept strictly confidential.

The Ukrainian high command is at pains to present a positive spin on the increasingly bloody defence of the east of the country. US officials have estimated that the Ukrainian army may have taken 120,000 casualties compared with 200,000 by the Russian army.

Kupol told the Washington Post this week that the Ukrainian army training was often poor and that some of the rookie replacements didnt know how to throw a hand grenade or fire a rifle.

Others had abandoned their positions shortly after arriving at the front line, he said.

Members of a Ukrainian army tank crew check the vehicle at a military base in Zaporizhzhia - Kateryna Klochko/PA

I get 100 new soldiers, he said. They dont give me any time to prepare them. They say, Take them into the battle. They just drop everything and run. Thats it. Do you understand why? Because the soldier doesnt shoot. I ask him why, and he says, Im afraid of the sound of the shot. And for some reason, he has never thrown a grenade.  We need Nato instructors in all our training centres, and our instructors need to be sent over there into the trenches. Because they failed in their task.

Kupol said what was left of his unit was also facing ammunition shortages.

Youre on the front line, he said. Theyre coming toward you, and theres nothing to shoot with.

Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are being trained by the British Army and other Nato countries but thousands more receive more rudimentary training in Ukraine.

Kupol said that he had been motivated to speak out to try to improve training levels but furious Ukrainian generals instead demoted him. The Washington Post said he had consented to have his picture taken but admitted he could face personal blowback for his honest assessment.

Story continues

Kupol told the Washington Post this week that the Ukrainian army training was often poor - The Washington Post

Valentin Shevchenko, a spokesman for the Ukrainian military, accused Kupol of disseminating false information. The losses announced in the unit of which he had command are significantly overestimated, she told Ukrainian media.

Shortly after his demotion, Kupol quit the Ukrainian army.

Within hours of his reassignment to a training camp, dozens of Ukrainian soldiers, politicians and journalists had voiced their support for the battalion commander.

One of the armed forces finest commanders has just been removed, Yuriy Butusov, a well-known Ukrainian war correspondent, wrote on Facebook.

Instead of analysing mistakes that will defeat the Russian army, honest comments are suppressed and those who make them are punished.

The leak on casualty numbers will be deeply embarrassing for the Ukrainian military which has diligently built up a narrative of its outnumbered but highly motivated and well-trained army taking on hordes of Russian soldiers and convicts.

It also undermines confidence in its much-talked-up counteroffensive planned for spring.

The attritional nature of the war in Ukraine has killed and injured hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Both sides have admitted that they are running out of artillery shells and ammunition.

Ukraine and Russia guard their casualty numbers closely, believing that they could undermine morale, although military commanders still hint at the high death tolls at their evening briefings when they boast of killing hundreds of enemy soldiers.

On Sunday, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraines president, said that Ukrainian forces had killed more than 1,100 Russian soldiers in the past week. Russias ministry of defence said that day that it had killed 220 Ukrainian soldiers in the past 24 hours.

It is not possible to independently verify these numbers. Thousands of Ukrainian civilians have also been killed.

On the battlefield, the British ministry of defence has said that Russian fighters led by Wagner mercenaries have broken over the river in the centre of Bakhmut, in Ukraines eastern Donbas region, but that their advance had stalled because they were exhausted.

Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraines Security Council, said that Mr Zelensky was determined to defend the city despite growing pressure to withdraw.

This is our land, and we have no right not to defend it, he told Radio Free Europe.
By Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber

GENEVA (Reuters) -U.N. rights experts accused Belarus of systematic abuses, including the repression of protesters and dissidents, that could amount to crimes against humanity, in a report published on Friday.

Belarus' permanent mission to the U.N. in Geneva quickly dismissed the report, calling it "a lobbying tool for Western countries' anti-Belarusian agenda at the United Nations and the Human Rights Council".

The paper issued by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights covered the run-up to a disputed presidential election on Aug. 9, 2020, and a crackdown on demonstrators and critics in the months that followed.

"There are sufficient grounds to believe that systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations have been and are being committed in Belarus," the report said.

"Some of the violations may also amount to crimes against humanity," it added.

Violations included the security services' "widespread unnecessary and disproportionate use of force," torture, arbitrary arrests and impunity, according to the report.

The abuses "appear to have been part of a campaign of violence and repression" against those critical of the government, the report added.

"We do regret that the government of Belarus has been unwilling to recognise the mandate, to positively engage with our examination and to grant access to the country," Elizabeth Throssell, spokesperson for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, told reporters.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, a staunch Russian ally who secured his sixth term in office in the vote, has dismissed accusations of violations and accused foreign powers of backing the protests.

He has ruled the former Soviet country with an iron hand since 1994.

Hundreds were detained and beaten during demonstrations after the election, which the opposition and Western countries said was fraudulent.

The report will be presented next week to the U.N.'s Human Rights Council, the only body made up of governments meant to protect human rights worldwide.

(Reporting by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Thursday calling for independent recommendations on how a united international community should address the enormous challenges confronting Afghanistan  above all the Talibans drastic curtailment of education and work for women and girls, but also terrorism and the countrys dire humanitarian and economic situation.

The resolution, co-sponsored by Japan and the United Arab Emirates, asks U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to establish an independent panel to assess the situation in Afghanistan and make proposals for a coherent approach for key players inside and outside the United Nations dealing with the political, humanitarian and development issues. It ordered the assessment to be provided to the Security Council no later than Nov. 17.

United Arab Emirates Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh was asked afterward whether the Security Council and the U.N. Secretariat have run out of their own ideas to address the future of Afghanistan. She called the Afghan situation very complex and said council members hope the ideas from the independent assessment will help bolster the councils thinking and the thinking of the international community around an international strategy.

She noted criticism that there is no international strategy to deal with Afghanistans challenges and crises.

Afghanistan has been on an extremely alarming trajectory since August 2021, Nusseibeh said. So, our hope is that the assessment will offer credible suggestions as to how the various relevant international and regional actors can coalesce around a shared vision for the country, and how we can advance that vision in the Security Council.

She said the unanimous approval of the resolution by the 15-member Security Council, which remains paralyzed over Ukraine because of Russias veto power and divided on other issues, shows that unity is possible on Afghanistan.

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The resolution listed a host of challenges facing Afghanistan that need to be addressed, including human rights, especially of women and girls, the dire humanitarian situation, the problems of religious and ethnic minorities, security and terrorism, narcotics production, social, economic and development needs, promoting dialogue and improving governance and the rule of law.

The Taliban seized power in mid-August 2021 amid the chaotic departure of U.S. and NATO troops after 20 years. As the Taliban did during their previous rule of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, they gradually reimposed their harsh interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia. Girls are now barred from school beyond the sixth grade and women are banned from most jobs, public spaces such as parks, and gyms.

The Security Council also unanimously adopted a second resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan  UNAMA  until March 17, 2024.

Its mandate includes fostering an inclusive political dialogue, monitoring and reporting on human rights, facilitating humanitarian assistance, addressing economic and social challenges and countering terrorism and narcotics.

The role of UNAMA is becoming more important and indispensable at this time of crisis, Japans U.N. Ambassador Ishikane Kimihiro told the council before the vote.

After the vote, U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood called UNAMA a lifeline for the people of Afghanistan, saying it is critical to working toward the peace and stability that we all agree is so important for Afghanistan and the world.
Of all the things that the Kentucky Legislature could attack during this legislative session, I am appalled that they chose to attack one of the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in our commonwealth: transgender and gender nonconforming children and adolescents.

This is a group who need support and encouragement even more than many, a group in which  listen to me  over THREE in FOUR have considered suicide, and almost ONE IN TWO have attempted suicide in the past. This is due in part to often having poor social support and undergoing frequent assaults  verbal and otherwise  for being in some ways different than others.

And the legislature has chosen to make these childrens lives more difficult than they already are by taking away the right to make health care decisions regarding their gender identities, even with the input of their parents and guardians, and on the advice of trained health care professionals.

As a practicing pediatrician at a community health center for over 16 years, I know firsthand that the children and adolescents in this state struggle with many things: mental health issues, safety, hunger, education and health care inequality, as well as family crises including poverty, substance use disorder and child abuse.

It is unconscionable that instead of spending time, energy, and taxpayer money to tackle any one of these major problems, the legislature has literally gone after already-marginalized kids.

I wonder if any of them have met or spoken to one of these youth? If not, I would tell the Legislature that they are without question some of the bravest people I know. As a primary care physician, I have been privileged to care for children both before and after gender-affirming treatments. I have seen them move from feeling downtrodden and sad to smiling and confident as their identities are acknowledged and affirmed.

I stand with the American Academy of Pediatrics and many other medical organizations and ask that these Kentuckians be allowed  with their families approval and doctors guidance, to make health care decisions that the rest of us take for granted: whatever is best for them.

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What health care decisions will the Legislature take from us next? How are they in any way educated to do so, since almost none of them are trained in medicine?

I implore Governor Beshear to veto this horrendous bill which will make ALL the children in Kentucky suffer. For not only will it hurt the transgender and gender-nonconforming youth, but also other children who will learn fear and hatred of those different from themselves directly from one of the most powerful organizations in the state, as well as the children whose true and pressing needs continue to go unmet because the legislature was too busy working on this imaginary problem.

I wish the legislature had to take the medical oath of first do no harm. If they arent going to do anything to help Kentuckys children and youth, then they should at least not make their lives worse. On Thursday they did.

Alison Nemes Moncayo, MD is a primary care pediatrician who practices in Central Kentucky and lives in Lexington.
Revaluation notices are being sent to Mecklenburg County homeowners, with potential implications for property tax bills that will be distributed in the summer.

If youre unhappy with what the county says your property is worth as of 2023, you do have options for trying to resolve the issue.

Theres an informal review process in addition to a formal appeals process, but youll need to act relatively quickly in order to have a chance at getting your assessment changed.

Heres how to appeal your 2023 property revaluation in Mecklenburg County:

How to request an informal review in Mecklenburg County

If you have concerns about your property valuation but are unsure about filing a formal appeal, you have the option to request an informal review of your revaluation within 30 days of the date listed on your 2023 Real Estate Assessed Value Notification.

To do so, you need to fill out the informal review form. Property owners can click the informal review button on their property record where the new value is displayed. The property record card can be found on the county website.

During the informal review process, youll have the opportunity to meet with the assessor and review the notification together and correct any errors, per the county.

If deemed appropriate, the County Assessor will adjust the assessment value at this step, the county assessors office says.

How to appeal your Mecklenburg County revaluation

Mecklenburg County property owners can also file a formal appeal of their revaluation that will be reviewed by the Board of Equalization and Review (BER), a board of citizen volunteers that hears appeals on assessed values.

You must download the formal appeal form at cao.mecknc.gov/services/appeals and then file it by emailing it to Appeals@MeckNC.gov. You can also mail it to the Mecklenburg County BER Real Property Appeals at P.O. Box 31127 Charlotte, NC 2823. It can be delivered in person to the Valerie C. Woodard Center at 3205 Freedom Dr., Suite 3500.

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If you want to be represented in the process by an attorney, you need to also fill out a power of attorney form.

When the notice of appeal is filed, the Notice of Appeal form supplied by the board must be completed and all supporting documents must be submitted at the time of filing but no later than 45 days from the date of submitting the appeal form, the County Assessors Office explains.

Youll be notified of your hearing date with the board about 30 days before it.

At your hearing, you or your legal representative must prove that the assessed value substantially exceeds the true market value of the property.

The taxpayer has the burden of proving that the valuation of the property as determined by the County Assessors Office was incorrect, or that the property was taxed in error, the County Assessors Office says.

Youll receive the boards decision in the mail following your hearing.

What if your appeal doesnt work?

If you disagree with the boards decision on your appeal, you can file another appeal with the state Property Tax Commission. You have 30 days to do so after getting the local boards decision.

The state commission is a trial court that meets monthly in Raleigh.

When the taxpayer appeals, the taxpayer has the burden of proof, the North Carolina Department of Revenue says. Individual taxpayers may present their own cases, but are encouraged to hire an attorney.

Evidence such as sworn testimony and/or documents can be presented, and your county has the opportunity to cross-examine any witnesses.

If you disagree with the commissions decision, you can appeal your case again to the state Court of Appeals and state Supreme Court, but those bodies may choose to not hear the case as the grounds for appeal are more limited.

Mecklenburg County revaluation appeal deadline

You have 30 days from the date listed on your 2023 Real Estate Assessed Value Notification to request an informal review of your property valuation, per the County Assessors Office.

If youre requesting a formal appeal of your revaluation, the deadline to do so is June 9.
Let's talk about the popular The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW). The company's shares saw significant share price movement during recent months on the NYSE, rising to highs of US$259 and falling to the lows of US$214. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Sherwin-Williams' current trading price of US$220 reflective of the actual value of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Sherwin-Williamss outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

See our latest analysis for Sherwin-Williams

What's The Opportunity In Sherwin-Williams?

The stock seems fairly valued at the moment according to my valuation model. Its trading around 4.12% above my intrinsic value, which means if you buy Sherwin-Williams today, youd be paying a relatively reasonable price for it. And if you believe that the stock is really worth $211.63, then there isnt really any room for the share price grow beyond what its currently trading. So, is there another chance to buy low in the future? Given that Sherwin-Williamss share is fairly volatile (i.e. its price movements are magnified relative to the rest of the market) this could mean the price can sink lower, giving us an opportunity to buy later on. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for share price volatility.

What kind of growth will Sherwin-Williams generate?

Future outlook is an important aspect when youre looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the company's future expectations. Sherwin-Williams' earnings over the next few years are expected to increase by 34%, indicating a highly optimistic future ahead. This should lead to more robust cash flows, feeding into a higher share value.

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What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? SHWs optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we havent considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below its fair value?

Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping tabs on SHW, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for the company, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

If you want to dive deeper into Sherwin-Williams, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Sherwin-Williams (including 1 which is a bit concerning).

If you are no longer interested in Sherwin-Williams, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

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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Proceedings of Lok Sabha underway during Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Thursday, March 16, 2023. (PTI Photo)

The second part of the Budget Session of Parliament has seen a total lack of business, marked by a bitter stand-off between the Treasury benches and an Opposition that threatens to snowball into a bigger controversy when the Houses return for work after the weekend.

The issue centres on Rahul Gandhi, MP and senior leader of the Congress, whose visit to Britain triggered a huge storm back home, given his statements on democracy being under duress and deep threat in India, about the lack of freedom of expression and how the major democracies of the world should protect it.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which was still gauging the possible impact of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, found a great opportunity to corner the Grand Old Party and called it an affront that Mr Gandhi was critical of the government while on an overseas trip. Even those who support Rahul Gandhi or the Congress are upset, and perhaps rightly; while one may well criticise ones own government and society, it should not be done abroad. The BJP is now keenly demanding that Rahul Gandhi apologise for his remarks made in England before he is allowed to speak in Parliament.

Rahul Gandhi, once he returned to India and came to Parliament, rightly pointed out that he was criticised severely by at least four ministers of the BJP on the floors of the two Houses, and since he was named in person, as per parliamentary protocol and etiquette, he should be allowed to respond to the criticism and defend himself and his party.

Generally, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha would have had no issues in seeing the merit of the demand and would have straightaway granted permission, but these are not normal times. No institution is beyond partisanship. Mr Gandhi then spoke to the media, detailing his request to the Speaker and how it was not positively responded to so far.

The BJP, viscerally unwilling to deal with any issue on the backfoot, has now stated its intent to institute a probe into Rahul Gandhis remarks abroad and might even try to get him disqualified from Parliament.

Not to be left behind, the Congress has also tried to pay the BJP back in its own coin, with its MP K.C. Venugopal moving the Rajya Sabha with a notice for a breach of privilege against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr Modi had earlier baited the first family of the Congress on the floor of the House asking why its members do not use the surname of Nehru. The Congress described the statement to be "derogatory, insulting, distasteful and defamatory".

It is clear that neither of these moves, neither the notice of Mr Venugopal to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar against Mr Modi under Rule 188 of the Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Upper House, nor the move by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey seeking the constitution of a special parliamentary committee to inquire into Rahul Gandhis "contemptuous" remarks, will have any productive outcome or a logical conclusion.

Both the parties must reflect calmly during the weekend and a thaw must be arrived at  the ruling party must let Rahul Gandhi speak in Parliament, as is his right, and if he is wrong, the people of India will rightfully judge him at the right time. But let no more parliamentary time be wasted on these matters.
Two American citizens who killed an Italian police officer during a botched sting operation will stand a new trial in Rome, the countrys highest court has decided.

Finnegan Lee Elder, 23, and Gabriel Christian Natale-Hjorth, 22, were convicted in 2021 for the death of Carabiniere Mario Cerciello Rega while the Americans visited Rome in July 2019. They were initially sentenced to life but the terms were reduced to 24 years for Elder and 22 years for Natale-Hjorth last year.

Cerciello Rega, 35, was stabbed 11 times by Elder with a knife he had brought with him from the US while Natale-Hjorth scuffled with a second police officer. They testified in court that they acted in self-defence because they believed Cerciello Rega and his partner  who were in plainclothes  were thugs.

Elder and Natale-Hjorth had earlier tried to buy $115 worth of cocaine from a drug dealer but were instead sold crushed aspirin, according to the Associated Press. They robbed the drug dealer of a backpack and arranged to meet with him to get their money back but instead, the officers showed up.

On Wednesday, the Court of Cassation ruled the Americans must stand a new trial. The court upheld Elders guilty murder verdict but ordered a new trial due to some allegations that were not sufficiently proved during the previous trial, NBC reported.

Meanwhile, the court found that there was not enough evidence of Natale-Hjorths complicity as he did not touch the murder weapon and was engaged in a physical altercation with the other officer as Cerciello Rega was killed.

Carabinieri deputy brigadier Mario Cerciello Rega, 35, was stabbed to death while investigating an alleged theft in Rome on 26 July 2019 (Carabinieri)

In the upcoming weeks, the Court of Cassation will issue its reasons for the verdict and instruct an appeals court on the matters to examine in the new trial. The court also found that evidence that the Americans were aware Cerciello Rega and his partner were police officers is insufficient.

From the first minute we examined the court papers, we realised that Elder had absolutely no idea that he was facing two police officials. That intervention was anomalous. This decision could have a great influence on the penalty, Elders attorney Renato Borzone said, per NBC.

Story continues

Gabriel Natale-Hjorth, left, and his co-defendant Finnegan Lee Elder in court in April 2021

On the day of the tragedy, Elder and Natale-Hjorth scheduled to meet a drug dealer who had reportedly stolen from them on a street corner at 3am. Unbeknownst to the men, then teenagers, local authorities were contacted and the two plainclothes officers arrived at the planned meeting point.

Elder alleged that he used the knife in self-defence to break free because Cerciello Rega, who was unarmed, tried to strangle him.

Natale-Hjorth claimed that he grappled with Cerciello Regas partner Andrea Varriale but was unaware of the stabbing when he ran back to a hotel, where he and Elder were arrested later.

Mr Varriale testified that the two officers had identified themselves clearly as Carabinieri but that they were immediately attacked without cause.

Elder and Natale-Hjorth were both convicted of murder, attempted extortion, resisting a public official and carrying an attack-style knife without just cause.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States welcomed Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's announcement on Friday that the country's parliament will begin ratifying Finland's NATO bid, and encouraged Turkey to quickly ratify Sweden's accession into the military alliance as well.

"Sweden and Finland are both strong, capable partners that share NATOs values and will strengthen the Alliance and contribute to European security. The United States believes that both countries should become members of NATO as soon as possible," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas and Rami Ayyub; editing by Paul Grant)
Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff.

After Jim Fryhoff was elected last year as Ventura County sheriff, he officially retired from his job as a sheriffs office commander before taking his new post leading the department. That allowed him to start drawing a $180,000 per year county pension in addition to his sheriffs salary of $332,000.

The move is legal, and Ventura Countys taxpayer watchdog group says it isnt improper. If Fryhoff hadnt done it, he would have had to wait to get his pension until he leaves his position as sheriff, but the pension would then be much bigger, perhaps as much as $300,000 per year.

But the fact that he's drawing a pension and salary from the same employer that add up to more than $500,000 per year has raised a few eyebrows. Joe Nation, a professor of public policy at Stanford University and a former Democratic member of the California Assembly, said this is the type of "double dipping" that former Gov. Jerry Brown was trying to eliminate in 2013 when he signed the Pension Reform Act.

"If you were to ask 100 people out there, 'Is this OK?', I think 85 of them would say no," Nation said. "If you're retired, you should be retired. You shouldn't be making $500,000 a year."

Fryhoff said that after he was elected, the Ventura County Employees Retirement Association  the agency that oversees the county pension fund and pays out benefits  sent him a form that asked whether he wanted to retire before taking office.

Retiring meant he could start drawing his pension, but it also meant he stopped accruing pension benefits. When he does leave office as sheriff, hell keep the same pension he has now, based on his 32 years in the department before he was elected and his final salary of around $243,000 as a commander. Had he decided not to retire, his pension would be based on his years of service when he leaves office as sheriff and his salary as sheriff.

"I was forced to make a decision, and I made one," said Fryhoff, who is 52. "I'm taking less money long term, and more money now."

Story continues

David Grau, the president of the Ventura County Taxpayers Association, said his group doesn't see a problem with Fryhoff drawing a pension and a salary.

"Our take on it is, that's the system as it is, and the sheriff worked 32-plus years and he earned that pension," Grau said.

Nation was more critical of the arrangement, but he doesn't blame Fryhoff, either.

"Can you blame someone who says, 'Wait a minute, the system is allowing me to do something I think is pretty cool. The system is allowing me to semi-retire and make a lot of money'?" Nation said. "You can't blame individuals for that. The people you have to blame are the ones who set up the system."

An exception to pension reform efforts

Under the 2013 pension reforms, government employees can't usually draw both a pension and salary from the same public agency. They can, however, retire from one government agency and go to work for another without giving up their pensions, as long as the two agencies have different pension systems.

In California, state employees and employees of most cities and special government districts get their pensions through CalPERs, the California Public Employees' Retirement System. Ventura County, and most of the other large counties in the state, have their own pension systems, such as VCERA.

A state employee with a CalPERS pension can work for the county of Ventura without giving up their state pension, and vice versa. But retirees from a state government job can't collect their pension while working a different state job, or a job for another agency that's a member of CalPERS, such as a city government. And a retiree from the county of Ventura can't usually go back to work at a different county job and still collect their VCERA pension.

Elected officials like Fryhoff are the exception. In 2017, Brown signed a budget bill that included a provision "clarifying" that a member of a county pension system could hold an elected office like sheriff and still receive a pension, as long as the person stopped accruing additional pension benefits.

Sean McMorris, a program manager for the good-government nonprofit California Common Cause, said he thinks the law was based on a similar provision for elected officials in cities and school districts. In those cases, the elected positions are part-time and pay a relatively small stipend rather than a full-time salary.

"Usually, if you're elected to a city council, you're not paid that much. It might be $1,000 a month," McMorris said. "So in that case, you wouldn't want to take away someone's pension for that."

But the position of county sheriff is a full-time, well-compensated job, and that leaves the opportunity for sheriffs to earn large salaries and pensions at the same time. It's something that's possible in other elected posts, but it's most likely to occur in law enforcement, where retirement ages are lower and pensions are more generous. No other elected county officials in Ventura County are also getting a county pension, according to VCERA.

"It looks like double dipping, but I don't see how you'd get around it," McMorris said. "Someone who's going to take that role is likely to have worked for a long time in the department so they're going to have a pension. ... It's legal, but perception-wise, it doesn't necessarily look good."

Fryhoff's predecessor, Bill Ayub, went the opposite route. When he became sheriff in 2018, he elected to wait for his pension. He began drawing it this year, when he left office, at about $248,000 per year, according to VCERA.

That's the best outcome for the taxpayers, said David Kline, a spokesperson for the California Taxpayers Association. The nonprofit advocates for lower taxes and government efficiency statewide and is unaffiliated with the Ventura County Taxpayers Association.

"Ideally, (Fryhoff) would do what the past sheriffs have done and just take the increased pay for being the elected sheriff without also retiring, but this does seem to be within the letter of the law, and the voters can ultimately decide whether they would prefer to elect someone else as sheriff," Kline said.

Tony Biasotti is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tbiasotti@vcstar.com. This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation's Fund to Support Local Journalism.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura County sheriff draws $512K in combined pension, salary
EAGAN, Minn. (AP)  The Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms on a contract with former Green Bay defensive end Dean Lowry on Friday, bringing in a replacement for the departed Dalvin Tomlinson.

Lowry was a free agent who played the last seven years with the Packers. He started 80 of 111 games with 27 tackles for loss and 15 1/2 sacks and played multiple seasons there with current Vikings assistants Mike Smith and Mike Pettine on staff.

Lowry is the latest in a long line of players to go directly from Green Bay to rival Minnesota, following outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith and cornerback Chandon Sullivan last year. Sullivan became a free agent. Smith remains under contract.

Tomlinson was a free agent who signed with Cleveland.

The Vikings also re-signed backup offensive lineman Austin Schlottman for depth behind center Garrett Bradbury and the guard spots.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
VinFast, the Vietnamese automaker with plans to assemble cars in North Carolina, confirmed the departures of three chief executives on Friday, a week after the company announced it would delay the opening of its multibillion-dollar facility in Chatham County.

In a statement provided to The News & Observer on Friday, a VinFast spokesperson said the companys deputy chief executive for global sales and marketing left due to personal reasons, while its chief marketing officer and chief service officer left due to changes in management model and specific requirements of the business.

In January, VinFast consolidated its North American operations, a move the company said would result in eliminated positions.

VinFasts entrance into the U.S. auto market has been uneven. In November, the company shipped its first 1,000 electric SUVs to California with the aim of getting them to customers by the end of 2022. But the cars went undelivered as VinFast implemented software updates to extend their mileage range.

On March 1, the company announced it had delivered its first 45 cars to U.S. customers.

NC site delay

Last Friday, VinFast confirmed it wouldnt begin operating its North Carolina assembly plant until 2025, a year later than originally planned. The site is to be the companys first U.S. factory and is set to occupy 2,150 acres southwest of Raleigh near the Chatham County town of Moncure.

In a statement, a VinFast spokesperson said this delay was due to the company needing more time to complete administrative procedures.

Construction on the site has not yet begun. Before VinFast can put a shovel in the ground, it has to obtain permits from Chatham County, including a stormwater plan and initial building permits for footing and foundation.

All of the permitting processes with Chatham County are progressing as we would expect of any other applicant, said county spokesperson Kara Dudley.

About a year ago, VinFast unveiled its plans to build in North Carolina. According to its incentive agreement with the state, the automaker intends to employ 7,500 people and invest $4 billion into vehicle assembly and battery plants near Moncure.

Story continues

Last week, a VinFast spokesperson said the company has already started clearing the site in preparation for heavy construction and expect to begin soon.

This story was produced with financial support from a coalition of partners led by Innovate Raleigh as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work.

Open Source

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Vladimir Putin - AFP

The International Criminal Court issued only its third arrest warrant for a sitting head of state when it ordered the apprehension of Vladimir Putin on Friday.

After a lengthy investigation into potential war crimes in Ukraine, the Hague-based court ruled that the Russian president was allegedly responsible for the unlawful deportation of thousands of children from the war-torn country.

Maria Lvova-Belova, a member of Putin's government and Russias commissioner for childrens rights, was also hit with a warrant for her role in the alleged war crime.

The announcement by the ICC was met with jubilation in Ukraine, and praised by Kyivs Western allies.

But what does it really mean for Putin?

What is an ICC arrest warrant?

The International Criminal Court in The Hague prosecutes those accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Established in 1998, the court was given its powers by 60 countries that signed the Rome Statute. Its membership has since more than doubled.

The ICC has powers to investigate alleged crimes if the offence is committed inside one of its member states or a country that recognises the courts powers.

It can issue arrest warrants to anyone where there is legal standing to suggest they have committed a war crime in order to stand trial for the alleged misdemeanour.

What is Vladimir Putin charged with?

The Russian president, and his childrens rights commissioner, were charged with alleged responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

The court said there were reasonable grounds to believe Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the alleged crimes, for having either committed them directly or ordered others to do so.

The Ukrainian government believes as many as 16,000 children have been forcibly taken to Russia.

Western governments also alleged that Moscow has deported thousands of children to Russia, often through a complex network of re-education camps.

Story continues

Russia has never hidden the fact that it has moved Ukrainian children, but insists the Kremlin-sponsored scheme is important humanitarian work to protect them from the dangers of war.

Will the Russian president actually be arrested?

It is highly unlikely that Putin will ever face trial for his alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

Anyone accused of a crime in the jurisdiction of the court can be tried, but the ICC does not conduct trials in absentia.

This means the Russian president would either have to be handed over by Russia or arrested outside of his own country.

The ICC has no police force on its own so relies on member states to detain and transfer suspects to The Hague for trial.

The courts limitations are well known. Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the former president of Sudan, has been indicted, but has never been arrested in other countries where he has travelled.

So what does the arrest warrant really mean?

It is mostly symbolic, and likely to give Ukraine a massive morale boost after more than a year of Russian onslaught.

However, an outstanding ICC arrest warrant will have some more practical implications for Putin.

Currently there are 123 member states that have promised to enforce the ICCs orders, including Britain and the entirety of the European Union.

This leaves the Russian president with very few travel options, and mainly restricted to trips to countries that retain sympathy to his cause such as Iran, China and North Korea.

While the legal move obligates countries to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague, not all of the signatories to the Rome Statute will enforce arrest warrants on behalf of the ICC.

Outstanding arrest warrants rarely expire, and are often only rescinded upon death, as with the order to apprehend Muammar Gaddafi, the late Libyan dictator.

How did the ICC reach its decision to charge Putin?

Prosecutor Karim Khan last year launched an investigation into potential war crimes committed in Ukraine.

He has made multiple personal visits to the war-torn country, while a team of investigators have worked relentlessly to gather evidence.

Mr Khan has previously said the illegal deportation of children was a priority for his investigation.

Evidence was collected both to implicate and exonerate for the alleged crimes.

What does Russia have to say about the issue?

Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations that its forces have committed war crimes during its one-year invasion of Ukraine.

Shortly after the ICC made its announcement, the Kremlin branded the courts decision null and void.

Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, said Russia found the questions raised to be outrageous and unacceptable.

Asked about Putins future travel to ICC countries, he added: I have nothing to add on this subject. Thats all we want to say.

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, said the announcement had no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view.

Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and bears no obligations under it, she added.

Has the ICC ever convicted someone for war crimes?

The court made its historic first conviction in March 2012, when Thomas Lubanga was found guilty of war crimes for using child soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

After two decades, it has heard 31 cases and convicted 10 people.

After a lengthy six-step process, judges can sentence anyone found guilty to up to 30 years in prison, with life sentences handed out in exceptional circumstances.
10. Nul Points in Eurovision (Eurovision)

Thanks to Iain Boyd for suggesting this list, and starting off with the first two.

1. Point Nemo, in the Pacific: the furthest point from land, equidistant from Motu Nui, an islet off Easter Island; Pandora, one of the Pitcairn Islands; and Maher Island, off the coast of Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica. It is where the US aims to bring down old satellites, such as the International Space Station in 2031.

2. Lagrange point. Where you put something in space when you want it to stay put. In celestial mechanics, Lagrange points are points of equilibrium for small-mass objects under the influence of two massive orbiting bodies. Mathematically, this involves the solution of the restricted three-body problem, fictionalised in Liu Cixins trilogy.

3. Pointe du Hoc, Normandy: US rangers were charged with landing under fire, scaling a cliff and destroying German artillery that threatened the D-Day beach landings. This was achieved with heavy losses but at the top there were no guns, as they had been moved. The attack is immortalised in the movie The Longest Day. Private Joseph Lowe was one of the actors who climbed the cliffs for the film, 17 years after doing it for real. Thanks to Mark Ramsbottom.

4. Quadripoint: Kazungula, where Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe meet, was thought to be the only example of four countries meeting at a point, but actually consists of two tripoints about 100 metres apart, in the Zambezi River on either side of the Kazangula Bridge. There was a quadripoint between 1960 and 1961 where Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and the UK (as holder of the UN mandate for the Northern Cameroons) met, until Northern Cameroons was handed over to Nigeria.

Tripoints are more common, with 175 places where three countries meet, according to Wikipedia  China is involved in 16 of them. Several countries have internal quadripoints such as the Four Corners Monument, where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona meet. Thanks to Stewart Slater. There is an undecipoint at the peak of Mt Etna, Sicily, where 10 districts converge, one of them twice (on either side of one which it surrounds), making 11 altogether, nominated by Ministry of Quiz.

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5. Triple Divide Peak, Montana: a raindrop that landed on it could flow into three different seas, at Hudson Bay, the Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific. Thanks to Ludwig von Kochel.

6. The Dzungarian Basin: furthest from the open sea, so the opposite of Point Nemo. It is in Xinjiang, China, close to the Dzungarian Gate, or Altai Gap, the mountain pass between China and Kazakhstan; but the precise location depends on how you measure tidal rivers. Nominated by Kartar Uppal.

7. Chimborazo, Ecuador: the point furthest from the centre of the Earth. It is not as high above sea level as Everest, but because the Earth is a flattened sphere and it is closer to the equator, it sticks further out. Thanks to John Peters.

8. Fildes Point. It forms the north side of Neptunes Bellows, the entrance to Port Foster on Deception Island in the South Shetland Islands of the Antarctic. So named after Captain Robert Fildes of Liverpool, master of the brig Cora, who hunted seals there in 1820-21. Nominated by Graham Fildes.

9. Lizard Point, Cornwall: the southernmost point of mainland Britain, and therefore arguably more noteworthy than Lands End, which is merely the westernmost point of England. Nominated by Jeremy Benson and Dan Frank.

10. Nul Points in Eurovision. To date, there have been 39 victims. In 2016, it was deemed almost impossible to score nul points because of the new voting system. Despite this, the United Kingdom still managed to receive nul points in 2021. This year will be different. (Yes Eurovision is geography.) Thanks to Phil Riley.

No room, then, for Point Break, 1991 crime action film, in which Keanu Reeves infiltrates a gang of criminal surfers and fires his gun in the air rather than kill Patrick Swayze (nominated by James Dinsdale); for Point Clear, a village near St Osyth in Essex (Damocles); for Grosse Point, posh suburb of Detroit, which is north of part of Canada (Dan Frank again); or for an undisclosed location that is the lowest high point in the world, the highest point of the Maldives, about 2.4 metres above sea level, found by Andrew Evans (John Peters again).

Next week: One-word sporting commentary moments, starting with Martin Tylers Aguerrooooooo when Sergio Aguero scored the injury-time goal to win Man City the Premier League in 2012.

Coming soon: People who have been compared to Caligulas horse, starting with Sir Thomas Inskip, Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, who achieved this distinction in Guilty Men, 1940, written by Michael Foot and others under the pseudonym Cato.

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk
Volkswagen revealed the ID. 2all concept car earlier this week. Volkswagen AG

Elon Musk has been talking about the $25,000 electric car for years.

Volkswagen just beat him to the punch with an EV it expects to sell for 25,000 euros ($26,600).

But the newly unveiled ID. 2all concept car won't ever make its way to the US.

For years, Elon Musk has talked about Tesla's plans to reveal a $25,000 electric car for the masses. Volkswagen just beat him to the punch.

The German automaker on Wednesday revealed the ID. 2all concept: a small, battery-powered hatchback that it plans to sell for 25,000 euros ($26,600) or less when it goes into production in 2026.

A vehicle at that price point would represent a huge step forward for the EV market. The average new EV sold for $58,385 in February, according to Kelley Blue Book, and the cheapest Tesla is the Model 3, which starts at $42,990.

The EV has a range of up to 280 miles. Volkswagen AG

The ID. 2all show car is an early preview of an actual vehicle to come later down the road  one which may be called the ID.2. (VW currently sells an ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, and ID.6.) It hints at the overall design and capabilities we can expect from the real deal when it arrives by 2026.

According to Volkswagen, the EV has a range of up to 280 miles, front-wheel drive, and a single motor delivering 223 horsepower.

The Volkswagen ID. 2all concept won't ever make its way to the US market. Volkswagen AG

Interior photos show a sleek, minimalist cabin with few buttons and two large screens. The accelerator and brake pedals are styled as play and pause buttons, which is a quirky touch.

The ID. 2all concept is an early preview of an actual vehicle to come later down the road. Volkswagen AG

There's just one snag for US-based buyers: Volkswagen has no plans to bring the future model stateside, a company spokesperson confirmed to Insider.

And that makes sense, as the ID. 2all would be a tough sell for American shoppers, who have increasingly favored SUVs over the small hatchbacks that remain popular in Europe.

Interior photos show a sleek, minimalist cabin. Volkswagen AG

Musk's complicated, yearslong journey with the $25,000 EV

In 2020, Musk promised a fully autonomous, $25,000 vehicle as battery costs came down. At the time, he targeted a timeline of about three years.

But in January 2022, Musk told investors his company was too busy working on other projects  that included a humanoid robot  to pursue the cheaper venture.

Story continues

At Tesla's first-ever Investor Day earlier this month, which many anticipated would bring news about a sub-$30,000 model, Musk mentioned almost nothing of the sort. In fact, the event fell short of expectations, and Tesla only teased a next-gen vehicle that would be smaller and cheaper than the Model 3.

Other automakers are also targeting $25,000 as the holy grail to mass EV adoption. Volkswagen AG

Why automakers are racing to make cheaper EVs

In the meantime, other automakers are targeting the low price point as the holy grail to mass EV adoption. A Deloitte study earlier this year found that 70% of US consumers don't want to spend more than $50,000 to buy an EV, and that cost is the biggest hurdle to their adoption.

Leadership at EV startup Lucid, whose vehicles cost $87,400 and above, has said smaller and less expensive battery packs, consumers leaning into needing less range, and more accessible infrastructure will be key to the company's pursuit of a $25,000 car.

Legacy auto companies are racing to get cheaper electric models on the market. Some of the most affordable EVs drivers can buy now include the $26,500 Chevrolet Bolt EV, the $27,800 Chevrolet Bolt EUV, the $27,800 Nissan Leaf, the $33,550 Hyundai Kona, and more.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The severe school bus driver shortage could limit Wake Countys ability to start a new after-school math tutoring program for middle school students.

The Wake County school system plans to pilot the after-school math tutoring program for middle school students beginning in April or May before expanding it to more schools in the fall.

But one of the major limitations, school officials said, is having enough bus drivers to transport students who will attend the tutoring program.

This is another area where things like transportation, in full transparency, become a challenge, Drew Cook, assistant superintendent for academics, said at a recent school board student achievement committee meeting.

Test scores across the state and nation have dropped sharply since the pandemic. Wake school leaders have warned that the impact of the pandemic learning disruptions will likely be felt for years to come.

Wake has used COVID relief aid to address learning loss, particularly when it comes to helping students catch up on their literacy skills. But Cook said they also realize that the performance data shows a need to address math skills.

Transportation challenge

Using state funds, Cook said Wake will begin the after-school math tutoring program for middle school students at some schools and community sites in the spring. The district will provide the curriculum, teacher training and guidance on which students to prioritize.

A Wake County school bus driver sweeps their bus in a parking area on Capital Blvd. in Raleigh after completing a morning route Friday, Oct. 29, 2021. An ongoing school bus driver shortage could stall the start of a new after-school math tutoring program for middle school students.

Wake will also provide transportation at a time when theres a 32% bus driver vacancy rate. The high number of vacancies is causing problems such as some bus runs going uncovered, forcing families to provide their own transportation when the bus doesnt come.

Cook said the start date for the program is contingent upon the districts ability to provide transportation at the school sites. He said it may come down to whether regional transportation managers think they have the capacity.

You can and probably will end up with some schools being able to offer a program like this and some who will not be able to offer the programs, to put it bluntly, Cook told school board members.

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Summer programs

Cook also presented a preview of the summer learning programs that the district is planning to offer. He said its not reality to offer summer programs to everyone who wants it, so the school system has to prioritize what can be provided.

Wake will continue to provide Read To Achieve camps for second-grade and third-grade students who need help with reading. Last summer, 2,100 students attended the camp.

The district will also continue to offer the Power Scholars program, a partnership with the YMCA to provide additional education to students at a handful of elementary schools..

Wake is rebooting W.A.K.E. Learns, a program that will serve about 100 rising third-grade students who have above-average reading skills.

A program allowing elementary, middle and high school students to retake the state exams they failed will be back. Last year, Wake students retook 9,310 state end-of-grade exams.

At the high school level, Wake will continue to offer credit recovery programs this summer for students who failed courses. The Career Accelerator program will also be back to allow high school students to learn about different job fields.

Wake will start some new programs:

 On The Rise will serve about 100 rising sixth-grade and ninth-grade students who need additional math and reading help.

 Navigating New Environments will serve rising fourth-grade and fifth-grade students who are multilingual learners who need additional help with their English skills.

 Some academically gifted middle school and high school students will travel to the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics campus in Morganton for a one-week program.
FREEHOLD  A 2019 attempt by a Wall man to lure who he thought was a 14-year-old boy but turned out to be an investigator hunting for online predators got him three years in state prison Friday.

Kenneth Megill, 43, sentenced for endangering the welfare of a child by Superior Court Judge Marc C. Lemieux, will also face Megan's Law registration and will be under parole supervision for the rest of his life.

Megill contacted the user he thought was a 14-year-old high school student, sending sexually explicit messages and requesting nude photographs, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago said in a statement.

The Wall Township Police Department, the prosecutor's office and its Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated.

More:Asbury Park sex offender could face life in prison after latest assaults on child

Megill pleaded guilty on Oct. 14.

Investigators are seeking additional information about Megills activities. Santiago is urging anyone with information to contact Detective Anthony Lacher of the prosecutor's office at 800-533-7443.

Santiago said people who want to remain anonymous can submit a tip to Monmouth County Crime Stoppers by calling the confidential telephone line at 800-671-4400, using the free P3 Tips mobile app or going to the website.

Editor's note: The first name of the defendant was corrected by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and has been changed.

Ken Serrano covers crime, breaking news and investigations. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or at kserrano@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Wall NJ man who admitted online predator attempt sentenced
BENGALURU (Reuters) - Indian digital payments firm PhonePe said on Friday it has raised $200 million from majority backer Walmart Inc at a pre-money valuation of $12 billion.

PhonePe, already India's most valuable payments firm and among the country's most highly-valued startups, said the investment is part of its ongoing fundraise of up to $1 billion.

It has raised $350 million from private equity firm General Atlantic and $100 million from Ribbit Capital, Tiger Global and TVS Capital Funds in the past two months, at the same $12 billion valuation.

American retail behemoth Walmart, which acquired a majority share in PhonePe in 2018, will continue as a majority investor, the Indian company said, without disclosing its stake.

Despite a funding winter, the Indian digital payments space has been a bright spot due to the popularity of online payments and startups' ambitions to branch into the lucrative financial services space.

PhonePe said it plans to deploy these funds to build and scale new businesses including insurance, wealth management and lending.

PhonePe separated from Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart late last year, when it also shifted its registered headquarters from Singapore to India, with Walmart picking up the nearly $1 billion tax bill for the move.

The relocation, according to some reports, was to ensure an easier entry into the country's highly-regulated financial services industry, especially lending.

(Reporting by Meenakshi Maidas in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)
Vladimir Putin - Mikhail Metzel/AFP

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over the abduction of Ukrainian children.

Russias president was accused of war crimes, including forcibly deporting hundreds of Ukrainian children, among them orphans, to Russia.

The announcement came ahead of one of the most crucial weeks of the war, with Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, set to visit Moscow on Monday in an attempt to broker a ceasefire.

Britain and the US said any Chinese-brokered deal would be meaningless if it accepted Moscows refusal to leave territories it occupies inside Ukraine.

The White House declared that such a ceasefire would be a ratification of Russian conquest, while Downing Street said any settlement not predicated on Ukraines sovereignty was not a peace deal at all.

Putin could face arrest in more than 100 countries that recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC warrant. He became only the third serving president to be issued with an an ICC arrest warrant, after Sudans Omar al-Bashir, and Muammar Gaddafi, Libyas late dictator.

Dominic Raab, the Justice Secretary, said an important marker had been laid down, adding: Its going to be a long journey, but people said that about Yugoslavia and Rwanda, and many of those people responsible for the carnage ended up in the dock of a court.

Mr Raab urged Ukraines allies to step up the search for proof of Russian war crimes to aid the investigation.

There was a furious response in Moscow, with Vyacheslav Volodin, the parliament speaker and a close ally of the Russian president, saying: Yankees, hands off Putin!

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russias security council, said: The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin. No need to explain where this paper should be used.

More than 16,000 Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia since the invasion 13 months ago, according to Kyiv.

Karim Khan, the ICC prosecutor, who is British, said Putin had changed the law in his country to make it easier for Russian families to adopt children snatched from Ukraine.

Story continues

He added: We cannot allow children to be treated as if they are the spoils of war. Today is a first, concrete step with respect to the situation in Ukraine.

Kyiv welcomed the arrest warrant and said it was just the beginning of seeking justice over Russias invasion.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, said: The world changed. Its a clear signal to Russian elites of what will happen to them and why it wont be as before. Its the beginning of the Russian Federations end in its current form on the world stage.

Andriy Kostin, Ukraines prosecutor general, said: Over 16,000 incidents of forcible deportation of children... we fear the real numbers may be higher. Russia is literally tearing apart our future.

Russia, like the US, is not one of the 123 countries that are parties to the ICC under the Rome Statute, which established the court. A future trial of Putin is therefore highly improbable, but the warrant is expected to have an impact on his ability to travel because he could be arrested and sent to The Hague.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said the warrant was from a legal point of view, null and void, and also outrageous and unacceptable.

The ICC announcement came a month after a report by researchers at Yale University, backed by the US State Department, which said at least 6,000 Ukrainian children, and probably many more, had been held for political re-education at sites in Crimea and Russia. The report identified a large-scale systematic network of at least 43 camps operated by Moscow.

Some of the children, as young as four months, had been moved through the camps and then adopted by Russian families or placed in foster care in Russia. Nathaniel Raymond, one of the Yale researchers, said: This network stretches from one end of Russia to the other.

According to the ICC, there were reasonable grounds to believe that Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the deportations.

A warrant was also issued for the arrest on similar allegations of Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian presidents commissioner for childrens rights.

In a response, she said: It is great that the international community has appreciated our work to help the children of our country.

The ICC has no police force to enforce warrants, and it would be up to the international community to do so. Piotr Hofmanski, the ICC president, said: The ICC is doing its part of work as a court of law. The judges issued arrest warrants. The execution depends on international cooperation.

Mr Xis expected visit to Moscow next week will be his first meeting with Putin since September. Beijing has offered to help broker peace talks, seeking to portray itself as neutral, but has refused to condemn Russian aggression and declared last year that it had a no-limits friendship with Moscow.
Wauwatosa School District voters will decide which candidates will take four seats on the Wauwatosa School Board in the April 4 election.

One thing is certain in the Wauwatosa School Board race this spring: There will be new faces on the board.

With four seats up for election, just one incumbent, Jessica Willis, is running for reelection. She will face Mike Zollicoffer Jr. for Seat 7.

In other contested races: Liz Heimerl-Rolland and Chris Zirbes will face off for Seat 5, currently held by Michael Phillips. Lynne Woehrle and Daniel Gugala are vying for Seat 6, currently held by Sharon Muehlfeld.

Seat 4 is also up for election this year. Phillip Morris is running unopposed for the seat currently held by Leigh Ann Fraley.

Zollicoffer, Gugala and Zirbes are campaigning together as the Three Tosa Dads, but have denied having any connections to political groups, local or national.

Candidates decide which seat they want to run for; voters cast ballots for all of the seats, regardless of where in the district they live.

Candidates were sent questionnaires asking for their views on a variety of issues. Their answers were limited to 100 words.

What are your thoughts on the new sex education curriculum that was passed by the board last fall?

Gugala: I believe that the curriculum at the time was at least 10 years old so an update was necessary. It's unfortunate that the process for approving content meant to be inclusive was handled in a way that resulted in a community divide. Curricula needs to be updated every three years. The fact that it was 10 shows a lack of accountability. Other curricula are also overdue for review, which has resulted in academic performance issues. As a board member, I will ensure accountability for items as crucial as this.

Heimerl-Rolland: I agree with the human growth and development curriculum because its student centered and data driven. After 10 years with no updates, research proves it drives better health outcomes  helping prevent sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies. Its also more inclusive, promoting better mental health outcomes among LGBTQ+ students. Thats why Fair Wisconsin has endorsed me. Importantly, objectors can always choose to opt out. On the contrary, the chaotic process preceding the vote cannot happen again. The district must ensure it has credible systems to collect feedback from residents. Every part of board conversations should build community trust in the decision-making process.

Story continues

Willis: I am very much in support of the recently passed Human Growth and Development Curriculum. It is age-appropriate and protects our youngest learners by teaching them correct anatomical definitions. I also support the curriculum in that it is comprehensive and inclusive, particularly for our LGBTQIA+ student population. I also appreciate that the curriculum is transparent and allows any family to opt out of individual lessons or the entire curriculum. It provides access to information so that families may address some of the topics at home with their students.

Woehrle: I support it. I thought it was well researched, aligned with principles of child development and inclusive for more students and families, particularly those who are LGBTQIA+. As a longtime educator  Ive been in college classrooms since 1991  I know that its key to monitor the implementation of any new curriculum so that we can make any necessary adjustments to maximize student learning. Because there is sensitivity around this issue for many families, we also need to ensure that students who opted out of the newly revised curriculum are getting substantive alternative work.

Zirbes: Parents in the community continue to stress their displeasure with the new curriculum. This curriculum is not the job of teachers and should be that of the parents when they feel the time is right. Teachers also have said that they are not in this case comfortable teaching this. The district could have also made this an opt-into class for the older students if that was the wishes of the parents versus an opt out of as they did.

Zollicoffer: I believe the way the new sex education curriculum was handled has led to some distrust within the community and has caused division. Parents were left out of the decision-making process. I am running because I want to give parents a seat at the table. I believe that young adults should be provided with a basic understanding of sex education, but we need to make sure the materials are age appropriate. As a board member I would review these materials as needed every three years.

There have been a number of issues with student discipline in the district this school year. How would you resolve these issues?

Gugala: I would address these incidents of physical and assaultive behavior as a first priority so students and teachers feel safe. I have been advocating for a fair and consistent discipline policy, and the board (recently) took steps ... to move that into practice  so that is a step in the right direction. I would continue to focus on understanding the data around these incidents so that we can be proactive in addressing these challenges.

Heimerl-Rolland: Im the only Seat 5 candidate with extensive experience in violence prevention and conflict resolution. Everyone in our schools must feel safe. Im a Tosa mom, and I want that for my kids. Im proud to be endorsed by Tosa teachers at the Wauwatosa Education Association because they know I will support them. I believe in high standards and community building. If a student creates an unsafe environment, the disciplinary framework should be used with fidelity, including expulsions. The district should also consider creating an alternative program for students who made our buildings unsafe, providing accountability and supports enabling everyones success.

Willis: Safe, inclusive learning environments are at the top of my priorities. Students deserve to feel emotionally, psychologically and physically safe while at school. The district needs to have clear and explicit expectations to address student behavior. The board is actively putting structures into place to address discipline concerns. The board has adopted a disciplinary framework, approved dean of student positions at each secondary school, and is actively drafting discipline policy to ensure that all stakeholders are held accountable for disruptive behavior. We need to continue to empower our building leaders to respond to each discipline issue appropriately.

Woehrle: We need to implement an integrated, districtwide system of behavioral interventions that combines conflict mediation, restorative justice, positive behavioral interventions and supports, in-school suspension/alternative classrooms, and when absolutely necessary, exclusionary punishments. While there is not a single answer, as the stimulus for the behavior varies, we need to interrupt the impact social media has on escalating conflict. Also parents should model and join in consistent district messaging to students about school behavior. For a small group of students, there may be mental health concerns fueling their disruptive behavior. Other cases are about students feeling like they don't belong.

Zirbes: Nearly 50% of our kids dont feel safe going to school or have anxiety about using the bathroom during passing time. While it may be a small percentage of our students that are chronically disruptive or engaging in fights, the education experience of the entire student body is impacted. The district guidelines for these punishments needs to be addressed as kids are not intimidated by the punishments and are looking past the consequences.

Zollicoffer: There have been several issues with discipline in the school district, and this needs to be corrected immediately. Students should not have to fear for their physical safety in our schools. The way that we resolve this problem is by making sure that we have a clear and defined policy in place with fair, consistent and enforceable consequences for students who are engaging in violent behaviors. We also need to improve parent engagement and form partnerships with families to get to the root of some of these behaviors.

What other pressing concerns are facing the Wauwatosa School District, and how would you address them?

Gugala: School safety, teacher retention, academic performance, fiscal considerations, student mental health issues, declining enrollment. Tosa schools have so many good things to offer, and yet we have many opportunities to improve. I will "roll up my sleeves" as a partner with school administration and bring a renewed enthusiasm for iterative improvements to elevate Wauwatosa schools.

Heimerl-Rolland: Im a former educator. My top priority is growing student academic achievement outcomes across the board, inspiring all students to reach their potential. School culture is key to realizing that goal. We should invest in community building to create safe and inclusive schools, providing students what they need while closing gaps between our highest and lowest achievers. We must also invest to attract and keep top talent. That means paying our teachers, staff and aides what they deserve. I will fiercely advocate for an increase in educator compensation to ensure were a destination district, while maintaining the districts strong financial position.

Willis: Disproportionality in academic achievement for our historically marginalized groups is something the district needs to continue to evaluate and address. We have data suggesting students of color, students with disabilities and students from low socio-economic status are not reaching their full potential. The district needs to ensure we have the supports in place to meet the unique needs of all students. This includes providing scaffolding and differentiation to individual students by giving teachers the resources they need. This also includes looking at the needs of each building and providing building leaders the resources they need to address the achievement gap.

Woehrle: 1. Expand the districts data and analysis of the impact of social inequities on learning and behavior and develop thoughtful and effective interventions. Target resources to strengthen learning. 2. Review and set goals for climate-change readiness as well as expand environmental sustainability, curricular and extracurricular activities. 3. Address building culture and climate for staff and students so that all feel that "I belong." A positive school climate helps students learn. Deploy resources to interrupt bullying of special education students and to provide robust initiatives that make cultural and racial minorities feel welcomed and valued.

Zirbes: For months the district has been talking about the financial cliff that they are facing. The district has used short-term grants to fund new middle-level administrators salaries on three-year contracts. Now, with the grants ending, the district is facing a $1,600,000 deficit for the school year ending June of 2023. Also with enrollment down in three of the past four years, the board is looking for an operating referendum to help them balance their budget.

Zollicoffer: Teacher retention, declining enrollment and addressing the mental health needs of our students are all major issues. The biggest issues our district is seeing is the declining academic achievement. Reading and math scores are down, especially amongst our most vulnerable students. We need to be data driven in our decision, making sure we prioritize the academic achievement of all students. I plan to work together with the school administration so that we can make sure Wauwatosa Schools once again is a destination for families and for teachers.

Daniel Gugala

Daniel Gugala

Age: 48

Address: 2331 N. 86th S.t, Wauwatosa

Past political experience: None

Community involvement: Volunteer coach (North Central Little League, Tosa Titans, Tosa Basketball League, Junior Trojans, and Wauwatosa Blazers)

Endorsements and donations: I have exclusively taken donations from my personal contacts and the community.Contact info: gugala4tosa@gmail.com

Elizabeth Heimerl-Rolland

Liz Heimerl-Rolland

Age: 39

Address: 1715 N. 68th St., Wauwatosa

Past political experience: N/A

Community involvement: I'm a wife and Tosa mom of three amazing kids (one at Longfellow, one at East and one at UWM). As theyve grown up, Ive always enjoyed volunteering in the schools. Ive led as president of the Lincoln Elementary PTO twice, where I helped to lead an effort to create a community service day, served on new teacher interview team, and more. I also led as a Girl Scout leader for six years; a youth sports team manager for football, basketball, soccer and volleyball over a decade; and a frequent volunteer across the district at mock interview days, multicultural fairs and more. In the community, my family also volunteers at Kinship Community Center food pantry, Running Rebels, and the Tosa Farmers Market. Professionally, Im a former educator with a degree in early childhood education and a masters degree from UWM in community engagement with a certificate in nonprofit management. Currently, I serve as program manager at the Medical College of Wisconsins Office of Continuing and Professional Development, where I guide medical professionals through their continuing education requirements and help with quality improvement projects throughout all of the systems to improve patient care. I have an extensive professional background in continuous process improvement, strategic planning, data analysis, budget management, program execution and leadership. With my background and experience, Im ready to serve on the school board on Day 1.

Endorsements and donations: Endorsed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 494 of Milwauke;, the Wauwatosa Education Association; and Fair Wisconsin, an organization that advocates for the LGBTQ community; donations from the IBEW and Wisconsin Progress, which recruits and trains progressive candidates and leaders for local and state legislative offices.

Contact info: lizfortosaschools@gmail.com

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/lizfortosaschools

Website: lizfortosaschools.wixsite.com/home

Jessica Willis

Jessica Willis (inc.)

Age: 39

Address: 6320 W. Wells St. Wauwatosa

Past political experience: Current Wauwatosa School Board member

Community involvement: Current Wauwatosa School Board member, PTA member, Wauwatosa substitute teacher, Destination Imagination team manager, Jefferson PTA Welcoming Committee chair

Endorsements: Endorsed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 494 of Milwaukee; the Wauwatosa Education Association; Fair Wisconsin, an organization that advocates for the LGBTQ community; and former Wisconsin Democratic Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes

Contact info: willis4wauwatosa@gmail.com

Lynne Woehrle

Lynne Woehrle

Age: 57

Address: 10121 W. Highwood Ave., Wauwatosa

Past political experience: None

Community involvement: As director, master of sustainable peacebuilding, at the College of Nursing, UW-Milwaukee, my class did research for the city of Wauwatosa, Sustainability Committee. Founding member and leader of Tosa Together Vice president of Friends of Hartung Park PTA member at my children's schools: Madison, Whitman and West Co-writer on the $48K grant Wauwatosa School District was awarded for restorative justice initiatives Whitman Middle School principal hiring committee, 2022 Tosa West Orchestra reception coordinator 2021-22

Endorsements: Endorsed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 494 of Milwaukee; the Wauwatosa Education Association; Fair Wisconsin, an organization that advocates for the LGBTQ community; Wauwatosa Ald. Sean Lowe; former Wauwatosa Ald. Jeff Roznowski; and 2021 Wisconsin Teacher of the Year Susan Richardson.

Contact info: friendsoflynnewoehrle@gmail.com

Chris Zirbes

Chris Zirbes

Age: 50

Address: 2658 N. 88th St., Wauwatosa

Past political experience: None

Community involvement: Past president and treasurer of Wauwatosa Mayfair Rotary Club (15 years+), vice president of Wauwatosa West Jr. Trojans Baseball club and member of Wauwatosa Jr. Blazers football

Endorsements and donations: All of my donations have come from friends, family, neighbors, colleagues etc. My average donation is about $70. Unlike the others, I have not been endorsed by an out-of-town union. I have gotten nothing from any national, state or local politicians. See https://www.chriszforwsd.com/endorsements.

Contact info: zirbes4tosa@gmail.com

Mike Zollicoffer, Jr.

Mike Zollicoffer Jr.

Age: 47

Address: 2880 N. 117th St., Wauwatosa

Past political experience: None

Community involvement: Coached Jr. Trojans Football, coached Tosa Basketball League and Clinic (TBL). Also a PTA member.

Endorsements and donations: I have no big endorsements ... Just receiving donations from people who support me.

Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or alec.johnson@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Four seats up for grabs on the Wauwatosa School Board
Drone carrying package. Witthaya Prasongsin/Getty Images

This week's question: A drone carrying $45,000 worth of drugs and other contraband fell short on its intended trip to a Montreal prison, after getting snagged on a backyard clothesline. If Hollywood were to make a crime or prison movie about a similar incident, what could it be called?

Click here to see the results of last week's contest: Bear chase.

How to enter: Submissions should be emailed to contest@theweek.com. Please include your name, address, and daytime telephone number for verification; this week, please type "Clothesline drone" in the subject line. Entries are due by noon, Eastern Time, Tuesday, March 21. Winners will appear on the Puzzle Page of the March 31 issue and at theweek.com/puzzles on March 24. In the case of identical or similar entries, the first one received gets credit. All entries become property of The Week.

The winner gets a one-year subscription to The Week.

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A West Seattle man was arrested Thursday morning on charges of child pornography, according to the Seattle Police Department.

During an investigation of child sexual abuse, the man was surveilled outside his home by Seattle police detectives, deputies with the King County Sheriffs Office and members of Homeland Security.

After the man was taken into custody nearby, a warrant was served on his home where officers found several digital devices.

During an interview, the 37-year-old man admitted to uploading child pornography and communicating with minors online.

The man was booked into the King County Jail on charges of possessing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit content and dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit content.
What to watch: Bodies Bodies Bodies, Sully and Boston Strangler are all new to streaming. (Sony/Warner Bros./Disney)

Wondering what to watch this weekend? The middle of March brings with it a hell of a lot of new films to streaming.

Perhaps the best of them is from an old hat, namely Clint Eastwood and his biographical drama Sully, with Tom Hanks playing the eponymous pilot who landed a crashing plane safely on the Hudson river. While on a true story tip, true crime thriller Boston Strangler makes its debut on Disney+.

The social satire slasher and murder mystery Bodies Bodies Bodies, directed by Halina Reijn, lands on NOW and Sky Cinema along with the surprise Oscar nominee To Leslie also makes it to the service, finally available to watch in the wake of the controversy around its rather bizarre word of mouth campaign for its star Andrea Riseborough (who is actually pretty great in the film).

Read more: New on Prime Video in March

At the same time, the stunning Mustang, the debut feature from Deniz Gamze Erguven, lands on MUBI.

Please note that a subscription may be required to watch.

Sully (2016) | BBC iPlayer - pick of the week

Tom Hanks as Chelsey Sullenberger in Sully: Miracle on the Hudson. (Warner Bros.)

Sully is Clint Eastwoods dramatisation of the Miracle on the Hudson, the incident in which US Airways Flight 1549 lost engine power and its pilots Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) and Jeffrey Skiles (Aaron Eckhart) saved the lives of the passengers by landing the plane in the Hudson river.

Read more: New on Disney+ in March

The film emphasises how the resultant fame is isolating  it cuts him off from his family and from relating to the people he meets, because whether in jest or in genuine reverence the idolisation is alienating. Worse still, an investigation into the specifics of the crash fuels this anxiety. The National Transportation Safety Board prods at his actions on the day and questions if Sully was the cause of the crash, something potentially career-ending, a result the board seems to be chasing through simulations and confirmation bias. But even they, as Sully points out, are just doing their jobs.

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Tom Hanks - Captain "Sully" Sullenberger, Aaron Eckhart - Jeff Skiles in Sully: Miracle on the Hudson. (Warner Bros.)

Sully replays the event from multiple angles, showing it from the perspectives of people who witnessed the event as well as those who were on the plane. Rather than simplifying it to one heroic act each time, Eastwood displays a new way in which someone, other than the pilots, proved crucial to saving the lives on board: flight attendants keeping control during the panic, nearby coast guard rescuing them from the freezing river, air traffic control keeping eyes out, even the people looking at the passenger lists.

All of this communal effort, from the best of New York as the end cards say, is presented in contrast to the board taking the humanity out of the cockpit as they present their case for human error causing the crash, when that humanity  not just Sully  was so crucial to preserving the lives of those on board.

That more humble approach to the story dovetails with Tom Hankss performance as Sully, wearing an immense weariness on his brow without overplaying it, gently steering his character away from steely-eyed stoicism, more toward a man suffering from overwhelming attention he doesnt really want, who would rather share the praise.

Also on BBC iPlayer: Stronger (2017), The Bling Ring (2013)

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) | NOW with a Sky Cinema Membership

Maria Bakalova as Bee and Amandla Stenberg as Sophie in Bodies Bodies Bodies (Sony Pictures)

The frequently mean and nihilistic satire of Bodies Bodies Bodies  a slasher and murder mystery set in a mansion with a group of young adults (and one much older man)  channels the black comedy of something like Heathers (a film director Halina Reijn has directly cited as an influence) through mockery of contemporary attachment to phones and social media.

Read more: New on Sky Cinema/NOW in March

A mix of obnoxious 20-somethings hang out during a hurricane in the mansion of Pete Davidsons character, the wealthiest member of the group. The reunion is terse, a number of them showing mixed reactions to Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) showing up unannounced with her new girlfriend (Maria Bakalova of Borat 2 fame, much more sincere here). After some fairly laborious setup, during a wink murder-type game someone is killed for real and its unclear who the culprit is, and the group promptly begins to fall apart entirely.

Watch a trailer for Bodies Bodies Bodies

Along the way its Gen Z satire can become a little tiresome through its mocking parroting of how young people online speak, characters repeating common buzzwords until they sound meaningless. Perhaps thats the point  theres some realism in how it mimics how arguments online very quickly co-opt real problems that arent relevant or how people compete to be recognised as the most persecuted.

But its also uninteresting, as the film constantly operates on this same level with no variance or really, any clarity about what it wants to say about these characters beyond their vapidity. At least the film is propelled sonically by a typically great score from Disasterpeace, which somehow feels modern and old-fashioned though its dramatic electronic pulses, and the heightened panic of the group.

Rachel Sennott as Alice and Chase Sui Wonders as Emma and Maria Bakalova as Bee and Amandla Stenberg as Sophie in Bodies Bodies Bodies. (Sony Pictures)

Its satirical elements remain unremarkable but its still entertaining enough with some pointed lines throughout as each character indicts themselves. Then theres simply any line delivered by Rachel Sennott, who practically carries the whole thing on her back, before a funny ending pulls the film back from the brink.

Also new on NOW: To Leslie (2022), Marlowe (2023)

Boston Strangler (2023) | Disney+

Keira Knightley as Loretta McLaughlin in Boston Strangler. (20th Century Studios)

From Netflixs hit series Dahmer to their other hit series You, its a great time to be alive if you love yourself a serial killer. Disney is now throwing its hat in the ring with period drama Boston Strangler about the efforts of journalists and the police to capture the titular killer of women in the late 1960s.

Keira Knightley is miscast as Loretta McLaughlin, a dogged reporter who not so much is assigned the Boston Strangler case but rather bulldozes herself onto it. The real McLaughlin was a groundbreaking journalist, particularly for her later work covering the AIDS crisis but the McLaughlin of the film is consigned to a hashtag girlboss stereotype that foregoes the nuance of balancing career drive with fighting sexism.

Read more: The chilling true story of the Boston Strangler

The supporting performances  particularly from Alessandro Nivola as an obsessive detective  are much better. With a procedural narrative straight from Law and Order, Boston Strangler would not be out of place on ITV on a Sunday night. - SM

Also new on Disney+: Finding Michael (2023)
A Whataburger employees spot-on instincts led to the arrest of a 79-year-old man, Texas authorities said.

The worker noticed a young girl and older man eating at a Whataburger in Texarkana just before noon on Monday, March 13, the Texarkana Police Department said in a March 16 news release.

The employee called 911 because something didnt seem right about the situation, police said.

Officers began investigating and realized the workers instincts were spot on, the release said, after learning the pair barely knew each other.

The 13-year-old girl told police that Michael Clark had offered to pay her for sexual favors. The 79-year-old had picked her up that morning before they stopped to eat at Whataburger, police said. She also told police that Clark had inappropriately touched her a few weeks before.

Police arrested Clark the following day, and he is facing charges of indecency with a child and solicitation of prostitution, according to the release.

Texarkana is about 185 miles northeast of Dallas.

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JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  The Biden administration's approval earlier this week of the largest new oil project in years on Alaska's petroleum-rich North Slope was immediately met by lawsuits seeking to stop the Willow project.

Lawsuits filed by environmental groups and an Alaska Native organization seek to overturn Monday's approval of three drill sites and up to 199 total wells for the ConocoPhillips Alaska project. The lawsuits allege the U.S. government failed to adequately consider alternatives to greenlighting development.

WHAT IS THE WILLOW PROJECT?

The 30-year project could produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil a day. That is significant because Alaska's economic fortunes are tied to the boom-and-bust cycles of oil. The flow of oil through the trans-Alaska pipeline is a fraction of what it was at its height in the late 1980s.

Willow also is currently the largest proposed oil project on federal lands.

WHERE IS WILLOW?

Willow is on Alaska's remote North Slope, about 600 miles (966 kilometers) north of Anchorage.

It is in something called the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, which was originally set aside a century ago as an emergency oil supply for the U.S. Navy. The area has been overseen by the U.S. Interior Department since the 1970s, and there has been debate over where development should occur. The Biden administration last year limited oil and gas leasing to just over half of the federal lands in the nearly 23-million-acre reserve.

Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan has repeatedly argued it should be expected that oil and gas is developed in the reserve, emphasizing the name  petroleum reserve.

But environmentalists say the vast region is home to an array of wildlife, such as polar bears and brown bears, muskox, caribou and millions of migratory birds. They say the Interior secretary must act to protect and conserve wildlife and other resources in the reserve when oil and gas activities occur.

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WHY IS WILLOW CONTROVERSIAL?

Environmental groups see the approval of the Willow project as a betrayal of President Joe Biden's 2020 campaign promises to end new oil and gas drilling on federal lands. They say it is out of step with Biden's goals to cut carbon emissions and move to clean energy.

Using the oil Willow would produce over 30 years would emit roughly as much greenhouse gases as the combined emissions from 1.7 million passenger cars over the same time period. White House officials said the project wont prevent the U.S. from meeting Bidens goal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Many Alaska Natives say they support the Willow project because it will bring jobs and money to their communities. But some are opposed, concerned about effects on health, the climate and caribou.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland opposed Willow as a New Mexico congresswoman before becoming Interior secretary. She said this week that Willow is a difficult and complex issue involving leases issued by prior administrations and that the Biden administration focused on reducing the project's footprint and impacts on people and wildlife.

The approval of Willow also called for ConocoPhillips Alaska to relinquish rights to about 68,000 acres of existing leases in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

ConocoPhillips Alaska has signaled it is ready to move forward. The company says it wants to immediately begin gravel road construction work.

However, lawsuits to stop the project are pending in federal court in Alaska and could delay activities.
Love Island 2023 winners Sanam Harrinanan and Kai Fagan. (ITV/Shutterstock)

The latest series of Love Island concluded earlier this week, after nine weeks of romance and drama in the winter sun.

Presenter Maya Jama crowned the winning couple, Kai and Sanam, live from the luxury villa in South Africa on Monday night.

With the islanders now back in the UK, the ITV2 dating show will return for a special one-off reunion episode this weekend.

Here's everything you need to know about Love Island: The Reunion.

When is the Love Island reunion episode?

Love Island: The Reunion will be broadcast live on ITV2 and ITVX at 9pm on Sunday.

The 95-minute episode will be hosted by Maya Jama and will feature exclusive interviews with this year's crop of contestants.

Jama took on hosting duties for the reality show for the first time this year after replacing Laura Whitmore.

Who won Love Island 2023?

Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan won the winter series of Love Island 2023, and will share a 50,000 prize between themselves.

The pair secured 44% of the public vote in Monday's final, which had an average audience of 1.1 million viewers, according to overnight figures from ITV.

The pair will share a 50,000 prize between themselves. (ITV)

Lana Jenkins and Ron Hall were runners-up, winning 30% of the vote, while Samie Elishi and Tom Clare (24%) finished third.

Tanya Mahenga and Shaq Muhammad placed fourth after gaining 2% of the final vote. Just under 800,000 votes were cast in total in the final.

Read more: All the Love Island winning couples so far

Social worker Sanam became the first Casa Amor contestant to win the show, having entered the villa as a bombshell last month.

The 24-year-old thanked fans for their support in an Instagram post on Thursday, saying she feels "blessed and overwhelmed with positive emotions".

She added: "Love Island has been a beautiful experience for me and I'm so proud of say I've left with someone I love, admire, look up to, connect with on a deeper level and absolutely value and appreciate everything he stands for.

"I'm so excited to continue our journey on the outside and can't wait for us to become so much more."

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Sanam entered the show as a Casa Amor bombshell. (ITV)

PE and science teacher Kai, also 24, said was "so grateful" to be walking away with a "humble, intelligent, caring, loving" partner.

"It's still not sunk in and don't think it will for a while," he added. "I'm honestly so excited to start this journey on the outside with her my real-life Disney princess."

When is the summer series?

ITV has already confirmed that Love Island will return to screens this summer, with Maya Jama back as host.

The summer series, which typically takes place at a villa in Spain, is expected to begin in early June.

Applications to take part in the show are currently open. A casting call says producers are looking for "vibrant singles" to join the line-up.

Watch: Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan win Love Island
China EU TikTok (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The UK government has pushed for a ban on TikTok on official devices following a review by the National Cyber Security Centre.

The ban, announced on Thursday, will allow ministers and officials to use the Chinese-owned app on their personal phones. A Chinese embassy spokesperson accused the UK government of acting based on its political motive rather than facts.

TikTok is already banned from many government devices in the US and elsewhere.

The bans come amid increasing concern about the privacy and security of the app, which critics argue could be passing personal information to the Chinese government through its owner Bytedance.

TikTok has previously argued that it does not share data with the Chinese government and that its data is not held in China. It also disputes accusations that it collects more user data than other social media companies, and insists that it is run independently by its own management.

Following Thursdays order, TikTok said it was disappointed with the decision that it claimed was based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics.

Despite TikToks claims, many countries around the world remain cautious about the platform and its ties to China. Here are the countries and regions that have implemented partial or total bans on TikTok.

New Zealand: New Zealand on Friday became the latest country to impose restrictions on TikTok, announcing its ban on all devices with access to the countrys parliament. The decision was taken following the advice of cybersecurity experts and after discussions with government officials.

UK: The UK government banned the app on government phones over concerns that sensitive data held on official phones could be accessed by the Chinese government. The Cabinet Office said the ban was being imposed because TikTok users are required to hand over data including contacts, user content and geolocation data.

India: India imposed a ban on TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps, including the messaging app WeChat, in 2020 over privacy and security concerns. The ban came shortly after a clash between Indian and Chinese troops at a disputed Himalayan border killed 20 Indian soldiers and injured dozens. The companies were given a chance to respond to questions on privacy and security requirements but the ban was made permanent in January 2021.

Story continues

Taiwan: In December 2022, Taiwan imposed a public sector ban on TikTok after the FBI warned that TikTok posed a national security risk. Government devices, including mobile phones, tablets and desktop computers, are not allowed to use Chinese-made software, which include apps like TikTok, its Chinese equivalent Douyin, or Xiaohongshu, a Chinese lifestyle content app.

United States: The US ban applies only to government devices, though some US lawmakers are advocating an outright ban. China lashed out at the US for banning TikTok, describing the ban as an abuse of state power and suppressing firms from other countries. More than half of the 50 US states also have banned the app from government devices.

Canada: After the US announcement, Canada announced government-issued devices must not use TikTok, saying that it presents an unacceptable risk to privacy and security. Employees will also be blocked from downloading the application in the future.

European Union: The European Parliament, European Commission and the EU Council, three top EU bodies, have imposed bans on TikTok on staff devices. The European Parliament's ban, announced Tuesday, takes effect on March 20. It has recommended lawmakers and staff remove the app from their personal devices.

Pakistan: Pakistani authorities have temporarily banned TikTok at least four times since October 2020, citing concerns that app promotes immoral content.

Afghanistan: Afghanistan's Taliban leadership banned TikTok and the Chinese game PUBG in 2022 on the grounds of protecting youths from "being misled."

Additional reporting by Associated Press
The White House said on Friday that union membership among federal employees increased by about 80,000 workers in the past year, amid the administrations push on workers rights.

The Biden administrations task force on worker organizing and empowerment, led by Vice President Harris, also touted a 53 percent increase in petitions for union representation and an increase of 273,000 in union membership overall.

Support for unions has also increased, reaching its highest rating since 1965. A 2022 Gallup poll found that 71 percent of Americans approve of labor unions, a number that has been steadily increasing over the years after a low of 48 percent in 2009.

The White House task force, which was created to reduce barriers to worker organizing and position the federal government as a model employer, has sought to ensure that federal grant money is tied to quality job standards, inform employees with Know Your Rights campaigns and remove limitations on organizing on federal property, according to a press release.

Biden, who vowed during his 2020 campaign to be the most pro-union president youve ever seen, has earned much praise from union leaders throughout his presidency. However, a rail dispute late last year has cast a shadow over his legacy on the issue.

The president signed a resolution from Congress in December that imposed an agreement between rail companies and workers to prevent a rail strike. The deal, opposed by four of the 12 rail unions, did not include sought-after sick leave provisions.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A military drone may not be the only thing the U.S. is missing in the Black Sea.

The dramatic encounter with Russian fighter jets this week drew the worlds attention to the body of water that has been at the heart of the war in Ukraine.

But it also raised a key security question for Washington and its allies: Is there a clear strategy for a critical waterway that has long been central to the rivalry between Moscow and the West and could now become a major flashpoint?

Lawmakers and former military officials said the answer is of particular concern as a deal to let critical supplies of grain exit Ukraines ports on the Black Sea sits in the balance and Russias fleet uses the area as a launchpad for attacks against Ukrainian cities.

Depths of conflict

Described by some as a potential powder keg, the Black Sea is slightly larger than California and has six countries on its coast: NATO members Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria as well as Georgia and Ukraine, which are considered U.S. partners but are not part of the alliance.

And then theres Russia.

At one time, the U.S. helped allies match its presence in the Black Sea and performed exercises there, but the Biden administration pulled American ships from the area when it appeared the Russians were preparing to invade Ukraine. Turkey is now stopping warships from entering the sea through the Bosphorus Strait, which it controls and can close during times of war.

That means the U.S. has no means to recover the drone, which the U.S. said it brought down in the Black Sea on Tuesday after a Russian fighter jet collided with it.

It points to the lack of a comprehensive approach to a region that is important, not just to our allies and to the countries bordering the Black Sea, but its important to the United States security as well, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., told NBC News of Americas diminished military role in the area.

The U.S. does not have a ship in the area to recover the wreckage, and the only NATO ally that borders the Black Sea and has a navy robust enough to potentially approach the crash site is Turkey, which has tried to remain relatively friendly with Moscow in its war with Ukraine.

Story continues

Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Wednesday that there likely was not much debris to recover anyway. The drone had limped along to an area where depths reach as far as 5,000 feet, and the U.S. military had ensured that its data banks were wiped, he said.

The graphic below depicts approximations of the locations and times of the @usairforce MQ-9 Reaper collision and crash into the Black Sea. The video released earlier today by @US_EUCOM occurs at the middle plot point on the timeline. pic.twitter.com/nz8fTzL4ZG  USAFE-AFAFRICA (@HQUSAFEAFAF) March 16, 2023

Russia has blamed the U.S. for the confrontation, denying that its jet came into contact with the drone and accusing Washington of provocation by conducting surveillance near Russian airspace.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made expanding Moscows presence a priority, annexing the Crimean Peninsula  the historic home of Russias Black Sea Fleet and a bedrock of the Kremlins ability to project its power across the region  and long meddled in neighboring countries like Georgia.

Shaheen, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, and others said that this weeks drone incident highlighted that the U.S. needs to outline a plan for its approach to defending the Black Sea.

The drone encounter pushed Shaheen, who visited a NATO airbase in Romania last month, to reintroduce a bill with Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, that would require the Biden administration to produce an interagency strategy within 180 days to deepen U.S. economic and military ties with countries in the region.

Theres been a great deal of bipartisan interest in it because  between the war in the Ukraine, this incident with the drones, whats happening with the shipping lanes  its very clear how important the region is, Shaheen said. And most of the countries who border the Black Sea are our allies, and its important now for us to show how we support our allies.

The State Department and National Security Council did not respond to requests for comment.

A weak point in the water?

Former national security officials who have operated in the region said that the level of U.S. and NATO investment in the Black Sea does not match its strategic importance. They said that, despite NATO rhetoric, Western activity in the region began to drop after Moscow seized Crimea.

Glen Grant, a former British officer who has worked as a military trainer and consultant for Ukraine and Bulgaria, said that the Black Sea is a particular weak point for NATOs eastern flank.

Theres no NATO on that side because of the weakness of Bulgaria and Romania and the intransigence of Turkey, he said. Because of that, you dont have a NATO presence in the Black Sea.

A NATO official, who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely, emphasized that the Black Sea region is of strategic importance to the alliance, noting that its members had reinforced NATOs presence in response to the Kremlins Crimea annexation in 2014 and full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.

The official said NATO has led greater air policing missions out of Romania and Bulgaria, placed more air and missile defense systems in Romania and Turkey, and stationed new battlegroups in the region.

Steven Horrell, a former U.S. naval intelligence officer who studies the region for the Center for European Policy Analysis, a Washington-based think tank, said Turkey  which serves as NATOs southern bulwark and has one of the most powerful militaries in the alliance  has to be central to any strategy regarding the Black Sea.

The U.S. must find a way to make it a more reliable partner as Washington also develops closer ties to the likes of Romania and Bulgaria, he said.

There appeared to be some movement toward greater cooperation, at least, as the presidents of Romania and Bulgaria met in Sofia and signed a pact to boost ties on Wednesday.

We have to rely on the three NATO allies [Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey] and the Black Sea states to lead, Horrell said. It has been challenging for the three of them to come together in one voice in the same way that, for instance, the Baltic States have done.

The foreign ministries of Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey did not respond to requests for comment.

Dry bulk cargo vessels, including ships carrying grain, at the southern entrance to the Bosporus Strait leading to the Black Sea in Istanbul on Nov. 2, 2022. (Nicole Tung / Bloomberg via Getty Images file)

Looming over everything is the grain deal, which expires on Sunday.

Brokered by Turkey and the United Nations, the pact has allowed for Ukraine  one of the worlds largest exporters of grain, sunflower oil, wheat and corn  to stabilize world markets and ensure global food security. Its also brought much-needed cash to the country as it fights Russias invasion.

During the renewal process, however, Russia has attempted to push for greater concessions and to shorten the pact from 120 days to 60, which has raised fears the deal could be scuttled.

Visiting a United Nations logistics warehouse in Addis Ababa that stores some of the Ukrainian wheat that has reached the Ethiopian capital, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday declared it vital that the agreement be renewed.

We can see the impact if that doesnt happen, because it literally means that what youre seeing right here wont get to many other places, Blinken told reporters.

All eyes, it seems, will remain on the Black Sea for some time.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Anti-monarchy protesters outside Westminster Abbey as King Charles arrived for the Commonwealth Day Service earlier this week. (Getty Images)

When Queen Elizabeth II would step out for engagements, there was an excitement that would fill the town or street she was appearing at. In all stages of her reign, people would regularly line up for hours just to catch a glimpse of the monarch or, if theyre lucky, get the opportunity to say hello. For those stuck several rows of people away, Her Majesty had them in mind too, with her bright sartorial choices always making it easy to spot her in the crowds. As she famously said, to be seen is to be believed.

But since Charles became King in September, theres a reason why he may not want to follow suit. You see, his engagements have played out a little differently from his mothers. From flung eggs flying perilously close to himself and Camilla, the Queen Consort, to heckles of Not my king!, the head of states welcome into his new role hasnt been universally warm.

In fact, since the death of the late Queen, there has been a notable shift in how the monarch and his consort has been received across the country. Recent polls show that while a majority of the nation still believes in having a monarchy, support for the Royal Family has become softer than ever before. A YouGov poll even revealed that Brits favouring abolition now stood at 32 per cent, while positive views of the countrys current reigning monarch have dropped more than 20 points since the switch from Queen to King.

Queen Elizabeth II being greeted by huge crowds during her jubilee tour in 2002. (Getty Images)

And for groups such as Republic, who have advocated for the replacement of monarchy with a parliamentary republic since 2006, the moment has provided an opportunity to be heard. With the institution no longer shielded by the nationwide reverence and respect shown towards Elizabeth II, some at least now feel far more comfortable to air their true views about the royal establishment.

At Mondays Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, the pressure groups chants could be heard echoing from the street and through the Great West Door. And at a demonstration during Charles and Camillas May 7 visit to Colchester, Essex, the couple were greeted by boos from a group of campaigners, who shouted, Why are you wasting our money? and Dont you believe in democracy, Charles?. Its a sight Elizabeth II rarely ever had to deal with, but for King Charles its quickly become too common an occurrence.

Story continues

Read more: 'A cruel punishment': The inside story of King Charles's eviction of Harry and Meghan

While Republic has its work cut out it is notable that this is the first time since the introduction of universal suffrage that theres been an active and unapologetic republican movement, founder Graham Smith tells me.

Behind palace walls, Im told there is little worry at present about a growing republican sentiment in the UK. One royal source says, There was never any doubt that the public sentiment towards the Royal Family would change with the King. There are plenty of positive things to be focused on.

Watch: Protester throws egg at Charles during walkabout

Its worth noting that neither those shouting God save the king! or calling out Not my king! at royal engagements represent the average opinion towards the Royal Family. Both lie at either ends of the spectrum. But somewhere in the middle is a growing group that the institution should perhaps be worried about  those who dont care either way.

Recent polls highlight a growing apathy towards the Royal Family in recent years. Indeed, even in my own experiences with talking about my work at universities across the country, Ive found that students often admit to an indifference towards the Royal Family. News outlets focused on younger audiences have seen a similar reaction. Sophie Peachey, a journalist and producer at The News Movement, says young readers see the royals as just another dynasty. What we found was that what Gen Z was interested in was not the people, its the institution as a whole, its the themes that shroud the monarchy, she said at the Society of Editors Media Freedom Conference on Wednesday, adding that popular videos included: Who actually is King Charles? and Does the public want a monarchy?

In fact, on Friday, a young couple aligned to the youth movement No More Royals jumped the security ropes and sneaked onto a bed at Windsor Castle to protest against the Roayl Family. "We have to choose between heating our homes or putting food on the table, while the king plans a multi-million pound pageant," they wrote in a tweet.

Imogen, 21: People of our generation are done with bowing and curtseying to this family of colonisers who pretend to care about us" #NoMoreRoyals in the King's Bed at Windsor Castle, this morning. pic.twitter.com/H02bEew0zL  #NoMoreRoyals (@No_More_Royals) March 17, 2023

As Graham Smith admits, that growing apathy is an even bigger problem than Republic campaigners. We can keep raising awareness of the problems and scandals of the monarchy, getting people to understand why its worth caring about getting rid of it, he says. That includes connecting the institution to issues of identity, social justice and democratic reform. The royals will struggle to re-engage the indifferent, there just isnt any reason for people to be interested in them anymore than any other celebrity family.

Harsh words but hes not alone. The front runner in the race to replace First Minister Nicola Sturgeon this week declared that Scotland could ditch the monarchy within five years of independence and replace King Charles with an elected head of state.

I don't know why we should be shy about that, the Scottish National Party politician told The National. Ive been very clear, Im a republican. Thats never been anything Ive hidden. Scottish people themselves appear divided on the issue with one recent poll showing 50% of people think the monarchy is worth keeping. Most starkly, however, was a separate question which showed that just 9% of 16-24 year olds think the royals are good for Scotland.

At King Charles May 6 coronation, Republic are expecting their largest ever turnout for a protest. Compared to the thousands out in the streets celebrating, it will no doubt be a comparatively smaller crowd, but, argues Smith, we will have the advantage of standing out, having a powerful message and making an impact greater than our size. Showing the world that were not a nation of sycophants and royalists is hugely important and will help shift the debate onto asking why people oppose the monarchy. After the coronation we will continue to protest at royal events attended by Charles and William, continue to ask them difficult questions and continue to tell them that theyll never be our king.

Perhaps its time for them to start worrying.
TOPSHOT-ISRAEL-POLITICS-JUSTICE

Israelis protest efforts by the hard-right government to undercut the judiciary, in Tel Aviv on Feb. 25, 2023. Credit - Jack GuezAFP/Getty Images

15 years, spread across three separate runs as Israels Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has plenty of hard-won political experience. Hes never needed it more.

Deadly confrontations between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank have been building for the past year. As in the past, Israeli defense forces claim to have killed militants, while Palestinians charge that many civilians are among the dead. The result: the Israeli human-rights group BTselem has called 2022 the deadliest year in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in nearly 20 years, with an estimated 154 Palestinians killed. Palestinian attacks killed 25 Israelis and foreign nationals in the same period. So far this year, Israelis have killed 80 Palestinians, and Palestinian attacks have killed 14 Israelis.

Even more startling is the increasingly intense political battle among Israelis over changes proposed by Netanyahu to the authority of Israeli courts. His government has proposed a plan that would strip Israels Supreme Court of much of its power in three ways. First, it would allow the Knesset, Israels parliament, to override court decisions with a simple majority vote. Second, it would end the Supreme Courts right to strike down pieces of legislation that the court finds incompatible with Israels Basic Laws, which serve as the countrys constitution. Third, it would give elected officials a greater role in selecting the judges who serve on the court.

Supporters of the plan say its a long-overdue reform that will limit the ability of unelected judges to wield unchecked power over legislation created by the peoples chosen representatives. Thats especially true for those who say the court is dominated by activist judges who rule against them on immigration laws, West Bank settlement policies, and military conscription for the ultra-Orthodox. Critics charge that Netanyahu, who is on trial now for allegations of corruption, wants to remove checks and balances on his power, dangerously undermining Israeli democracy by allowing any government that can muster 61 of 120 Knesset votes to enact whatever it can pass.

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A solid majority of Israelis oppose the reform. A February survey from the Israel Democracy Institute, for example, found that about two-thirds of respondents say the court should keep the right to strike down legislation that judges believe violate the Basic Laws. In fact, nearly half of voters who support Likud, Netanyahus own party, agree.

Read More: How Israels Far Right Is Prompting Outrage from the Jewish Diaspora

That might explain why anti-government protests of recent weeks have been so large and loud. On March 11, weeks of demonstrations culminated as hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in a display of anti-government fury unprecedented in Israels history. Adding to the drama, a showdown between the governments National Security Minister and Israels Attorney General over how to respond underscored the depth of anger on both sides.

There are also fears that unless he makes major changes to the proposed judicial reforms, Netanyahu may soon be managing serious economic fallout. Venture-capital and tech firms have threatened to leave the country if the law is passed, and analysts both inside and outside the country have warned that judicial reforms could lower the countrys credit rating, sharply raise the cost of borrowing, and scare off foreign investment.

In recent years, Netanyahu has struggled to form majority governments without support from far-right parties and populist lawmakers that seek confrontation rather than compromiseincluding with Palestinians. The Prime Minister himself has proved an able political acrobat, one who can appease just enough people to keep the lights on and his government moving forward. But these are his biggest tests yet. 
If youre struggling with a springtime fog in Wichita, it might be because youre living in the worst city for seasonal allergies, according to a report from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

The foundation ranked the 20 worst cities for allergies in the U.S. by measuring pollen scores, medicine use and the amount of allergy specialists. The average score was 71.49, and Wichita got a 100.

The foundation also ranked Wichita No. 1 for places with the highest pollen counts in three categories: tree pollen, grass pollen and weed pollen.

The Washington Post reports in the past decade, the cities that populated that list the most include McAllen, Texas; Oklahoma City; Richmond, Va.; and San Antonio, Texas. Also making the list for above average pollen is Pittsburg, Pa.; Dayton, Ohio; Syracuse, N.Y.; and Buffalo, N.Y.

Allergy specialist Dr. Maurice Van Strickland said hes definitely noticed the start of seasonal allergies in Wichita.

Allergy season is here, people are sick, he told The Eagle.

Wichita has always had a spot on the Asthma and Allergy Foundations list for worst places to live with allergies, and there are multiple factors that could play into it. Heres what could be causing allergies in Wichita and what you can do to treat them.

What could be causing your allergies?

Strickland said there are multiple plants that could cause people allergies, and most of the time people dont realize they are allergic to them.

Tree pollen is a leading offender in the Wichita area for allergies. Strickland said when it comes to trees, hes noticed elm, maple and even cedar trees are some that could be causing reactions.

Mold is another common offender in the area, Strickland said. Specifically Cladosporium mold, which grows in wet or damp places, oftentimes indoors, and can cause dry skin, sneezing, stuffy nose, coughing and more, according to Healthline.com.

Strickland said Botrytis is another common offender. It is a gray mold that can cause allergic reactions.

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How can you treat your allergies?

There are multiple over-the-counter remedies for your allergies. For medications that arent sedating, Strickland recommends Zyrtec, Claritin and Allegra.

There are also nasal spray options, but Strickland said you shouldnt use those for more than three days. Over-the-counter eye drops can also provide relief.

If you spend the day outdoors, it can help to take a shower once you get home to wash off all the possible allergens, Strickland said.

Strickland also said it also helps to run your air conditioner and keep your windows closed to prevent pollen coming into your living space.

When to seek medical care for allergies

If youre experiencing symptoms and over-the-counter medications arent helping, you should see a doctor, the Mayo Clinic says. If you experience a severe reaction, call 911.

If youre struggling with allergies and dont know what you should be looking out for, you can visit an allergy specialist to find out what may be causing your reactions.

Symptoms of hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, can include the follow, according to the Mayo Clinic:

Runny or stuffy nose

Sneezing

Itching at the eyes, nose or roof of mouth

Watery, red or swollen eyes

Insect allergy symptoms can include:

A swelling area at the sting site

Hives or body itching

Coughing, tightness in the chest, wheezing and shortness of breath

Anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction

The worst cities for allergies

The 10 worst cities for allergies, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, are:

Wichita, Kansas Dallas, Texas Scranton, Pa. Oklahoma City, Okla. Tulsa, Okla. Sarasota, Fla. Virginia Beach, Va. Cape Coral, Fla. Des Moines, Iowa Greenville, S.C.

When asked why Wichita stands out for seasonal allergies, Strickland said, I dont have a good answer for that, but were always in the top five.
The Prince and Princess of Wales (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

The Prince and Princess of Wales will celebrate St Patricks Day with the Irish Guards later on Friday (17 March).

Prince William, outgoing Colonel of the Irish Guards, will be joined by his wife Kate Middleton, incoming Colonel, at the St Patricks Day Parade in Aldershot.

It will be Kates first time attending the parade as Colonel of the regiment, having recently visited the 1st Battalion Irish Guards on Salisbury Plain.

The princess will present the traditional sprigs of shamrock to the officers and guardsmen, who will in turn issue it along the ranks, as well as to the Irish wolfhound regimental mascot.

The parade will conclude with a royal salute and march-past, where Kate will take the salute as the new Colonel.

After the parade the couple will meet the Irish Guards Association, which is made up of past members of the Irish Guards.

Kate will be invited to inspect the front rank whilst William will inspect the second rank.

The visit is expected to conclude with a toast to the couple.

Buckingham Palace announced in December that the Princess would take on the colonelcy after her husband was passed the Colonel of the Welsh Guards title from his father, King Charles III, since the latter ascended the throne.

The palace said three members of the family have been appointed Colonels within the Foot Guards, including Camilla as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards.

This role was previously held by the Duke of York and has been vacant since he was stripped of his royal titles.

Last week, Kate joined members of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards in a drill exercise on Salisbury Plain, where she helped administer first aid to a wounded soldier in the scenario.

She was visiting the troops for the first time since receiving the honorary appointment last year and taken on a tour of the Salisbury Plain training area by Major General Christopher Ghika, commander of the Army in London and the Household Division, and Lieutenant Colonel James Aldridge, commander of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards.
LOS ANGELES  "The Wire" star Lance Reddick, 60, died Friday, his publicist said.

Mia Hansen, the actor's publicist, said Reddick "passed away suddenly" and that it was from "natural causes." She did not provide further details.

"Lance will be greatly missed. Please respect his familys privacy at this time," Hansen said in a statement.

The Baltimore native was best known for his portrayal of a hometown police lieutenant, Cedric Daniels, in the acclaimed HBO drama "The Wire," which ran from 2002 to 2008. He was also featured in the "John Wick" movie franchise.

His career started with small roles, including parts in the Denzel Washington movie "The Siege" in 1998, and on television's "West Wing" in the late '90s and into the early '00s.

Lance Reddick. (Jeff Vespa / WireImage file)

About the same time, HBO's "Oz" showcased Reddick's acting chops as he portrayed a Jamaican drug dealer who turned out to be an undercover police detective who had infiltrated the criminal underworld.

Reddick also had a recurring role on television's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

But it was as the incorruptible Lt. Daniels that Riddick achieved stardom. His cop was calculating, fair and unafraid of a power structure that could work against public safety.

His defining moment came when the city's mayor asked for more favorable crime data.

Reddick's performance opened for him network television roles ("Lost," "Fringe") and big-screen hits ("White House Down"). He also starred in "Bosch."

Most recently, Reddick starred as Charon in the John Wick movie franchise. The movie's stars are in the midst of a press tour for "John Wick: Chapter 4" ahead of its March 24 release.

On Friday, fellow "Wire" actor Wendell Pierce (Det. Bunk Moreland) tweeted, in part, "As talented a musician as he was an actor. The epitome of class. Godspeed my friend. You made your mark here."

"Bosch" creator Michael Connelly tweeted, "More than being a key ingredient in the Bosch show, he was a wonderful person, friend and collaborator. He took a character who was paper-thin in the books and made Irvin Irving."

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Comedian and television writer Mike Drucker said Reddick's voice "could cut through steel." "This dude made every movie and show he was in better," he tweeted.

Reddick's parents were educators: His father taught high school English and social studies; his mother was a music instructor. He followed his mother's passion, studying classical piano at the Quaker high school he attended before enrolling at the University of Rochester and then at the prestigious Eastman School of Music.

He didn't finish, and his big-stage aspirations didn't materialize.

Reddick tried acting and applied to Yale to study drama. He was accepted, a moment described in an official biography as a surprise. It helped to bring Reddick to the world after he scored an understudy role on the Broadway hit "Angels in America."

He is survived by his wife, Stephanie Reddick, and children Yvonne Nicole and Christopher Reddick.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Police are looking for a driver who hit a woman in Seattles SoDo neighborhood and left her to die in the street.

At around 10:40 p.m. Thursday, Seattle police officers were on patrol when they heard a crash. Officers went to the intersection of Fourth Avenue South and South Lander Street, where they found a woman in the road who would not wake up, according to the Seattle Police Department.

Officers gave the woman medical aid until Seattle Fire Department medics arrived and declared the 40-year-old dead.

Police searched the area for the car believed to have hit the woman, but it was not found.

On Monday, SPD announced it obtained surveillance images of the suspects car, described as a white 2018 to 2023 Dodge Charger with a black racing stripe. It has extensive damage to its hood, grille and front bumper near the passenger-side headlight.

Surveillance video obtained by SPD sowed the vehicle that struck the pedestrian is a white 2018 to 2023 Dodge Charger.

It was last seen speeding away from the crash scene, traveling north on Fourth Avenue South and possibly eastbound on South Holgate Street.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Seattle Police Department Traffic Collisions Investigations Squad at 206-684-8923.
UPDATE @ 12:10 p.m.:

Alcohol has been deemed a factor in a crash that ejected a woman from a car overnight in Miamisburg.

>> TRENDING: Over 10,000 killed each year in drunk-driving crashes; AAA offers safety tips for St. Patricks Day

Miami Township Police and Miami Valley Fire responded to the 9600 block of Chautauqua Road at around 12:25 a.m. on reports of a rollover crash with a possible ejection, Kettering Dispatchwho also dispatches for Miami Townshiptold News Center 7.

When officers, firefighters, and medics arrived on scene, they found a woman laying on the side of the road, Kettering Dispatch informed.

The 22-year-old was transported to an area hospital. A spokesperson for Miami Twp. police said she did not suffer serious injuries.

The woman was the only person in the vehicle at the time of the crash.

Charges for the woman are pending lab results, the spokesperson said.

Miami Twp. police said Miamisburg police would be investigating.








CANTON  A city woman is accused of posing as a social worker to kidnap a 3-week-old baby from the child's mother, authorities said.

The woman and a Conesville man accused of being an accomplice were charged Friday and the child has been recovered unharmed, city police said.

Police said they responded at 10:28 a.m. Friday to the 600 block of Alan Page Drive SE where a mother told them a woman wearing a name tag and claiming to work for Child Protective Services took her girl on Thursday.

More:Bonnie Metz, last defendant in Canton kidnapping plot, avoids prison term

Stark County's Child Protective Services reported that the individual didn't work for its office.

How did they track down the kidnapped baby?

The Repository obtained the related 911 calls, which are a public record.

Canton police received a 911 call about 4 a.m. Friday from the child's parents, who said their baby had been taken by a woman claiming to be with Child Protective Services but they received no paperwork or information. The father said the woman forced her way inside about 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

"She literally just came in the house, snatched our daughter up," he told the dispatcher.

Canton Police Lt. Dennis Garren said the initial call was referred to Child Protective Services. A dispatcher told the parents a caseworker would call them.

The mother called 911 a few hours later and said CPS told her there were no records about her daughter.

"My daughter was stolen," she said.

The mother said the woman who came to the house knew information about the baby's health and, in the same 911 call, the father said she had "crude" paperwork.

She tried to take all four of our kids, but our oldest two were in school and I would not allow her to take my other son," he said. "The only reason that she even got out of my house with my daughter was because she refused to put her down.

Detectives obtained the suspect's license plate number using a plate reader camera and found that the suspect's vehicle was registered in Conesville in Coshocton County, police said. The Coshocton County Sheriff's Office was notified and spotted and stopped the vehicle, recovering the baby.

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An Amber Alert was about to be issued when they located the baby, Garren said.

The baby appeared unharmed but was taken to the hospital to be checked out, he added.

A neighbor involved in some of the 911 calls said the family did not want to comment when contacted Saturday.

Who are the suspects in the Canton baby kidnapping?

Sapphire McDougleh, 33, of Coshocton, is charged with felony kidnapping. Brandon Savage, 20, of Coshocton, is charged with felony complicity to commit kidnapping. McDougleh originally told police that she lived in a Canton apartment. Multiple errors were corrected at 1 p.m. March 24. See the bottom of the story for more information.

Attempts to reach anyone Friday at McDougleh's apartment building were unsuccessful.

Both suspects are being held on $750,000 cash bond, police said.

Police provided no motive in a news release announcing the charges, but said the investigation is continuing. Any relationship between the suspects and the mother and child also was unclear.

Anyone with any information about the case is asked to contact Canton detectives at 330-489-3144 or the Canton office of the FBI at 330-456-6200. Anonymous tips can also be sent through Tip411 or the Stark County Crime Stoppers. Sign up for Tip411 at www.cantonohio.gov/police

Correction: Canton police initially provided incorrect information regarding McDougleh's age, Savage's age and the town where Savage lived. McDougleh's last name also was misspelled in the initial publication of the story.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Canton police: Woman accused of posing as CPS worker to kidnap baby
A South Dakota woman recounted a harrowing crime to Florida 911 operators through tears last week  saying she was shoved in the back of a car, tied up and raped.

Deputies quickly moved to find an alleged rapist but soon learned the woman was lying, authorities said. Shes now looking at jail time for taking advantage of law enforcement.

Renee Dawn Skoglund, a 30-year-old from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, faces charges of misuse of a 911 system, false report of a crime, and fabricating physical evidence. She was arrested Monday and remains in a South Dakota jail, awaiting extradition to Florida.

On March 8, Skoglund called 911 and told Hillsborough County Sheriffs deputies about the alleged sexual assault. While on Interstate 75, she thought she heard a noise coming from her rental car, like a flat tire, and pulled over to check.

Thats when a dark car stopped behind her and an unidentified man got out, she told the operator in the 911 call. Allegedly, the man shoved her in the back of the rental car, blindfolded her, tied rope around her hands and feet  then raped her.

Deputies found the rope in the area she mentioned and learned it was sold at Walmart. After going to several Walmart stores, detectives found video of Skoglund buying the rope eight hours before the attack.

After this discovery, detectives found more video of Skoglund in different places around the time of the attack, refuting her initial statements, deputies said.

When Skoglund returned to South Dakota, she also reported the rape to Sioux Falls Police Department to get medical attention. Authorities told her what they found in their investigation and deputies say she eventually confessed to fabricating the whole crime.

We are committed to dedicating significant resources to investigating any crime. Im outraged by this lie, and I hope that anyone who believes its okay to falsify a report realizes the severity of their actions, Chronister said. Id like to thank the Sioux Falls Police department and the State Attorneys Office for their assistance in this case.
The Worcester School Committee voted Thursday to move the discussion forward on a new homework policy, which would push for less homework overall.

That proposal now heads to a subcommittee.

Worcester School Committee member Molly McCullough proposed the change.

We want to make sure theres a balance between extracurricular activities, between family needs, cultural needs and just the mental health and well-being of students and families, said McCullough. You know, we want to make sure the homework that is happening is meaningful and tied in with what theyre working on.

The current homework policy for Worcester Public Schools depends on what grade youre in.

For example, middle school students have about 2 hours of homework a night, while high school students average about 3 hours of homework per night.

This all varies by teacher.

I think thats why we want to make sure that the bulk of our instruction is happening during the school day and that homework is really more of a refresher or a supplement, said McCullough.

The new proposal is to not only limit the amount of time kids spend on homework but also consider no homework days throughout the school calendar.

We need to be aware that many of our students have cultural obligations and religious obligations that may be different than our school calendar, so looking at holidays like that and nights where maybe we can make sure there is no homework assigned, said McCullough.

The Worcester School Department says this policy is only up for discussion at this point.

A spokesperson for the district sent Boston 25 News the following statement:

There is currently an agenda item for discussion purposes only before the Worcester School Committee pertaining to policies on homework. The School Committee has the option of holding a future discussions in a standing subcommittee. The Worcester Public Schools is always open to discussion and feedback on how to best serve students.

Now that this homework policy moves forward to a subcommittee, theyll get feedback from teachers, parents and students on how to change the policy.

Story continues

Then it would be up for a vote by the school committee.

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
A man working with a concrete mixer at a pipe casting company was killed when he fell into the machine while it was on, according to the Escambia County Sheriffs Office in Florida.

The identity of the worker has not been released as of Friday, March 17. An autopsy is scheduled to determine the cause of death, but foul play is not suspected, county officials told McClatchy News.

Investigators are treating it as a workplace accident, officials said.

It happened around 5 p.m. on March 15 at Foley Products Company in Cantonment, which is about 20 miles northwest of Pensacola in the Panhandle.

Investigators report the worker suffered trauma when he fell into a large scale concrete mixer that is part of the plants machinery.

He then became entangled inside of it, WEAR reported.

Escambia Fire Rescue and EMS were first on the scene and pronounced the worker dead, officials said.

Foley Products is a Georgia-based company that manufactures storm and drainage system products, including precast concrete pipes, box culverts and manholes.

YouTube videos promoting the company show much of its equipment is large and automated.

Dunkin worker shoots customer in parking lot after order dispute, Florida police say

High schooler pummels unconscious aide for taking his Nintendo Switch, Florida cops say

Fatal motorcycle crash sends debris flying, triggers 5-vehicle wreck, Florida cops say
Pilot Accounted For From World War II https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3326915/pilot-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-montgomery-w/

DPAA

The remains of a war hero have been found nearly 80 years following his death after he saved seven fellow soldiers.

Lt. William B. Montgomery of the U.S. Army Air Forces was "accounted for" on Jan. 10, 2023, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced on Monday, March 13.

Montgomery's body went missing on June 22, 1944, when he was piloting a B-24H Liberator plane. At the time, Montgomery, a Ford City, Penn., native, was assigned to the 844th Bombardment Squadron, 489th Bombardment Group (Heavy), Eighth Air Force.

On the fateful day, Montgomery's plane "was struck by anti-aircraft after a bombing raid on a German airfield" near Versailles, France, the DPAA said.

RELATED: U.S. Army Parachute Team Member Dies During Training Accident After 'Hard Landing'

Pilot Accounted For From World War II https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3326915/pilot-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-montgomery-w/

DPAA

The plane had suffered damaged, however, "Montgomery's piloting skill" helped him fly it into England. Once there, he told his crew to get out of the plane.

"Seven of the airmen parachuted successfully while the other three crew members, including Montgomery, were still on board. Two of the crew witnessed the aircraft crashed into a farm in West Sussex, England," said the DPAA.

Two years later, the American Graves Registration Command, Army Quartermaster Corps began searching for missing Americans in the European Theatre. It scoured the crash site in 1947 but none of the remains for Montgomery or the other crew members that were still on the plane were found. Montgomery was deemed "non-recoverable" on May 10, 1950, the agency said.

RELATED: Missing Man, 26, Found Dead a Month After He Drowned in Michigan River While Boating with Friend

Pilot Accounted For From World War II https://www.dpaa.mil/News-Stories/News-Releases/PressReleaseArticleView/Article/3326915/pilot-accounted-for-from-world-war-ii-montgomery-w/

DPAA

The search picked back up in 1974, when an archaeology group looked for parts of the plane at the site. DPAA also continued looking for Montgomery and the crew members in 2017 and 2019. It wasn't until a recovery mission in June 2021 that officials found human remains.

They were confirmed to be Montgomery's through an "anthropological analysis" and other evidence.

Story continues

RELATED VIDEO: Chris Pratt Honors Fallen Veterans in Emotional Memorial Day Tribute: 'May God Give Their Souls Rest'

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In honor of his recovery, officials will put a rosette next to his name that is currently on the Wall of the Missing at Cambridge American Cemetery, with other missing WWII soldiers, in Cambridge.

He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. A date has not been scheduled yet.
(Bloomberg) -- Chinese leader Xi Jinping is making his first state visit to Russia since it invaded Ukraine, in a strong show of support for President Vladimir Putin.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Xi will be in Russia from Monday to Wednesday next week, according to a statement from Chinas Foreign Ministry. Xi, who secured a third term as president a week ago, will be the most prominent international leader to visit Putin since his February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Xis visit to Russia will be a journey of friendship and deepening mutual trust, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Friday at a regular press briefing in Beijing.

During the trip, Xi is expected to discuss Chinas 12-point blueprint for ending the war, a document dismissed by most Western governments. The criticism of the plan was more muted from Kyiv, which has sought talks at a leader level with China since the war broke out, while also urging Beijing to take a more critical stance against Russia.

The Kremlin confirmed the state visit, saying it was at Putins invitation. The two leaders will discuss developing the no-limits partnership and strategic cooperation between Russia and China, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Xi and Putin will exchange views in the context of deepening Russo-Chinese cooperation in the international arena, it said, adding that several bilateral documents will be signed, without providing details.

Zhang Hanhui, Chinas ambassador to Russia, said economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has advanced despite the pandemic, geopolitical challenges and sluggish global recovery, the Peoples Daily, the Communist Partys official newspaper, reported Saturday.

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The more unstable the world gets, the more steady strides China and Russia should make in their relations, Zhang said in a joint interview with Chinese media, according to the report. Bilateral trade this year could reach the 200 billion yuan target set by leaders of the two nations, with a 26% year-on-year jump in the first two months, he added.

The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index extended its loss after the news of the visit, falling as much as 0.5%.

This visit comes as Xi is rebooting his image as a global statesman. He already got a significant win by recently helping broker a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran to restore diplomatic ties.

Xi Reboots Statesman Image in Bid to Counter US on World Stage

Soon after he returns from Russia he will host Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing said. Xi and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy also plan to speak by video link soon, in what would be their first conversation since Russias invasion, a Ukrainian official familiar with the preparations said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang spoke Thursday with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba about bilateral ties and the invasion. Xi and President Joe Biden may also hold their first call since the crisis over an alleged spy balloon that flew over the US.

The Chinese leader needs to strike a careful balance on the visit to Russia, on the one hand seeking to project an image as a potential neutral mediator, while also managing his close ties with Putin.

Russias economic isolation has already benefited the Chinese economy in certain ways, said Joseph Torigian, an assistant professor at American University who researches Chinese and Russian politics. We dont know whether Xi will push for even more beneficial deals or whether he will try to avoid a sense in Moscow that he is exploiting their position.

Xi last visited Russia in mid-2019, while Putin wen to Beijing in early 2022 to attend the opening of the Winter Olympics. At that meeting the two leaders agreed to a no limits friendship and signed a series of long-term energy supply deals.

The two met in September last year at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Forum, where Putin said he understands Beijings questions and concerns about his invasion of Ukraine, a rare admission of tensions between the diplomatic allies.

--With assistance from Jing Li, Fran Wang and Chris Bourke.

(Updates with Chinese ambassadors comments from 7th paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
WHITE PLAINS - A Yonkers man is facing a federal charge after he allegedly threatened the lives of city police officers and Mayor Mike Spano, officials said Friday.

Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Ridon Kola, 32, also expressed his support for radical Islamic extremism and terrorist attacks.

Kola was arrested Friday based on a criminal complaint filed in White Plains federal court charging him with making threatening interstate communications.

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano delivers remarks as U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, left and U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman look on at the Yonkers Greenway off of Lawrence Street Jan. 20, 2023.

He was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul E. Davison in federal court on Friday.

As alleged in the complaint unsealed Friday, Kola has engaged in escalating threats of violence against law enforcement, among others, culminating in recent online threats against the Yonkers Police Department in connection with the city's St. Patrick's Day parade, scheduled for Saturday. In a recent threatening post, he displayed himself with an ax.

On Nov. 18, 2021 he posted a message in Albanian to the Yonkers police social media page that translated as, "I am going to slaughter you little girls."

On Dec. 5, 2021, he posted to the same account a message that said, "Starting tomorrow I will start killing your officers, just so you know who is doing it." He said he would also kill Spano.

Later that month, Yonkers detectives interviewed Kola at his residence. Kola admitted to making the threatening posts but claimed he had no intention to harm Yonkers police officers or the mayor. Williams said.

Based on his demeanor during that interview, the Yonkers Police Department warned its officers to exercise diligence and caution in any encounters with Kola.

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Beginning early this year and continuing in the days leading up to the St. Patrick's Day parade, Kola escalated his threats against Yonkers police and other government officials. In January, he posted multiple statements expressing support for "jihad" or "to war against non-Muslims."

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On March 6, in an apparent reference to the Yonkers detectives' interview with him, he sent a direct message to the Yonkers police social media account: "I'm looking for that officer that came to my house and threatened me and my family to kill us. I'm going to burn the world until I find him Vallahi (by God) no matter what happens to me there will never be peace in this country anymore!"

The next day, he posted a statement supporting Sayfullo Saipov, who was convicted earlier this year of using a truck on Halloween 2017 to murder eight people and injure many more on a bike path in lower Manhattan. He referred to Saipov as "my BROTHER."

As of March 9, Kola's social media account includes a statement threatening to burn CIA, FBI, National Security Agency, police and judges alive, along with their families.

And on March 12 he posted to his social media page a photograph of himself holding an ax, with a statement in Albanian that translates, "Come on Judas I'm waiting for you."

Kola is charged with making threatening interstate communications, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison if convicted.

"Threatening violence against police or to undermine public safety will not be tolerated, as Kola now stands ,charged and faces prison time for his threats against our dedicated law enforcement partners tasked with keeping us safe," Williams said in a statement.

Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza added a statement which said in part, "Thankfully, due to the outstanding collaborative efforts of the FBI's New York Joint Terrorism Task Force and our Yonkers Police Intelligence Division, our city will enjoy a safe St. Patrick's Day parade tomorrow free from intimidation by bad actors."

Mike Randall covers breaking news for the Times Herald-Record, Poughkeepsie Journal and The Journal News/lohud. Reach him at mrandall@th-record.com or on Twitter @mikerandall845.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Feds say Yonkers man made threatening interstate communications
New York City grocer Fairway is using facial recognition technology at a Manhattan store in a move to catch shoplifters. Noam Galai/Getty Images

New York City grocer Fairway is collecting biometric data on its shoppers to catch shoplifters, the New York Post reported.

Shoppers have mixed reactions to the technology.

Retailers have turned to facial recognition and similar technology to combat a rise in thefts.

A New York City grocery chain is trying to recognize its customers better  in case they steal something.

Fairway is gathering facial recognition and other biometric information, such as voice recordings, on shoppers at one of its Manhattan locations, local news website ilovetheupperwestside.com reported on Tuesday. The goal is to identify shoplifters, the supermarket said. The New York Post reported on Fairway's use of the technology on Thursday.

"We have found that this technology  used thoughtfully and in combination with other measures we take to reduce theft  is helping prevent more crime in store," Fairway told the Post. Fairway did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Fairway is collecting the biometric data at one of its locations on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The chain operates four grocery stores in the borough.

One Fairway shopper interviewed by the Post said the technology constituted an invasion of their privacy. "It's a little creepy," Shawn Adams, a 37-year-old shopper, told the Post. But Anette Ronner, a 77-year-old retired fashion industry worker, told the Post, "I'm leaning towards acceptance. I think it will deter some shoplifting, which we all end up paying for eventually with higher and higher prices."

Fairway told the Post that its system will only be accessed by "trained asset protection associates." The chain added that it is trying to find repeat shoplifters. Nearly one-third of the arrests made for shoplifting in New York City last year involved the same 327 people, the Post reported in January.

Fairway is far from the first retailer to collect its customers' biometric data. Lowe's, Macy's, and grocery store Albertsons are among the stores that use facial recognition, The Verge reported in 2021. Civil rights groups have opposed that approach, arguing that it infringes on customers' privacy.

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Some retailers, including Walmart, Target, and Home Depot, have said they will not collect that information on shoppers.

Shoplifting has become a bigger problem over the last few years, the nation's largest retailers have said. Collectively, retailers say they lose billions of dollars a year to theft, especially to "organized retail crime," or the coordinated theft of goods that typically involves teams of individuals.

Chains, including Walmart and Target, have been vocal about the problem. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon even said the company would close stores if the problem didn't abate.

But other retailers have said that the problem has been overstated. In January, Walgreens CFO James Kehoe said that his company "cried too much" about the theft problem and that the drugstore chain was considering cutting back on private security guards at its stores.

In 2021, Walgreens shuttered some San Francisco stores and citing rising theft as the cause. But an investigation that year by the San Francisco Chronicle found that the affected stores reported fewer than two shoplifting incidents per month leading up to the closures.

Read the original article on Business Insider
An ex-Saudi intel chief stated that Iran-Saudi talks would not be successful as US intentions would hinder it. He categorized Washington and the EU as not an honest brokers in getting a deal that China has obtained.

China Mediates Iran-Saudi Reconciliation

This is the brutally honest assessment of Saudi intelligence chief Turki al-Faisal when he gave his take on the breakthrough deal mediated by Beijing, he stated on Tuesday, reported the Middle East Eye.

Washington and the Eu's efforts as honest brokers were compared to how China conducted its diplomatic overtures to the two Arab countries. Faisal said China could do it since it had better relations with the two countries, not the White House, per AFP.

The Chinese leadership invited Iran and Saudi Arabia last Friday for several days to discuss trilateral talks in Beijing. Based on the joint statement that came from the intercession of Xi Jinping, both countries will open their consulates and missions in about two months, and keep each other national affairs untampered by either one as a binding obligation the deal entails, cited NPR.

It was a surprise master stroke of China that pushed Washington on the back foot, which sent alarm bells ringing in the Biden administration. This turn of events has sent a flurry of actions to dispel the current US administration's losing influence. A reaction from an ex-Trump official in the State Department, David Schenker, spoke to the outlet and confirmed the worst-case scenario. He said the administration sent ties spiraling down with Riyadh.

Read Also: Russian, Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministers Discuss Bilateral Relationship at OPEC+

Faisal said the Saudis no longer want the US, especially after it is in such a sorry state. China is gaining ground faster than the White House acknowledged. He called out what he called a callous approach by the Biden White House with the Saudis, mentioning the messy handling of security concerns, especially the kingdom's concern about the Yemen war.

Saudi Arabia's Ex-Intel Chief's View on US Intentions

Turki al-Faisal is an ex-ambassador to the US and the current chair of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh. He is not exactly a participant in the negotiations but looked forward to more benefits from such interactions in the Middle East. He added that it would have a trickle-down effect on Yemen and Syria, where the conflict has cost lost lives that could have been avoided.

The top Saudi royal has expressed his doubts, but they are secondary. Stressed those who are in power and who signed the agreements are of concern. Faisal remarked how soon their doubts were dispelled to put the deal into motion.

In 2016, the kingdom abruptly cut ties with Tehran after the scheduled execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr was condemned. This led to an uproar as the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the KSA murderers with Iranian assaulting the consulates of Saudi in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

The thought of ex-Saudi intel chief Faisal is the prevalent doubt of US intentions which could not have helped Iran-Saudi ties.

Related Article: EU, Arab Countries Laud Restoration of Saudi Arabia-Iran Diplomatic Ties

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A county sheriff in New York state is calling for more border patrol agents in the region as it experiences a tenfold increase in border crossings over the last year, according to NBC News.

David Favro, the sheriff for Clinton County in the northeastern corner of New York, said his department is seeing more and more people attempt to cross the Canadian border, which he noted can be deadly terrain if youre not familiar with it.

The only way to really be able to cover and protect [the northern border] is boots on the ground, Favro said, per NBC News.

The portion of the nations northern border spanning eastern New York, Vermont and New Hampshire has seen a tenfold increase in illegal border crossings in the last five months compared to the same time last year, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Nearly 2,000 migrants, primarily from Mexico, attempted to cross the U.S.-Canada border in the region from October 2022 to February 2023. Over the same period last year, only 200 migrants attempted to make the crossing.

CBP announced earlier this month that it would assign 25 additional border agents to the section of the northern border. While about 16,000 border agents cover the 2,000-mile border with Mexico, about 2,000 agents cover the 5,000-mile border with Canada, according to NBC News.

Crossing the northern border comes with its own perils. Favros team helped rescue a group of 39 migrants last weekend, some of whom had their clothes frozen to their bodies, NBC News reported. A local fire chief recently also helped rescue two migrants who got stuck in an icy swamp and needed treatment for frostbite and mild hypothermia.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Liza Koshy Rollout 3/27

John Salangsang/Shutterstock

Liza Koshy is here to help.

The 26-year-old social media personality and upcoming star of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts recently traveled to Jordan with UNHCR, the UN Refugee agency, to support Syrian refugees  a mission she inherited from her older sister Olivia.

"I'm the youngest of three, and so my sisters have always been role models for me and my family, particularly my sister who attended the trip with me. She's always felt impacted by the stories, and that trickled down into me," Koshy explains, adding that she started working with UNHCR a few years ago, so that she herself could "better understand [refugees'] challenges, but also their dreams and ambitions and the humans they are."

In Koshy's opinion, it's the humanity that is too often overlooked.

"Refugee is a term with a lack of understanding," she says. "Simply put, the equation is 'refugees equal humans,' and that is the story we need to know. It allows us to be exposed to a different culture that, when mixed with ours, makes our plate all the more savory or all the more sweet."

Liza Koshy Rollout 3/27

Courtesy

Koshy has seen that analogy play out literally: As part of her work with UNHCR, she has participated in an activity with refugees in which they swap foods representing their different cultures. A Syrian refugee, for instance, passed a plate of falafel to Koshy, and she shared a plate of curry.

"And then we shared a conversation while indulging. Imagining the fusion of flavors in our cultures on one plate makes it all the more layered and nuanced. And that's what my partnership with UNHCR is all about."

RELATED: 8 Million Refugees Believed to Have Fled Ukraine Since Start of War, Says United Nations

As an organization, UNHCR helps refugees and displaced people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes because of war, conflict and persecution. More than 80,000 refugees live in Jordan's Za'atari camp, which was founded by the UNHCR after the refugee crisis began in Syria in March 2011. The Za'atari camp is now 10 years old, having been created just a little over a year after the crisis started.

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"It's been 12 years [total] that these families have been living in Jordan," she says. "There are 33 schools now in the Za'atari camp. There's community centers they've created. And they also have another camp, Azraq Camp, that houses 40,000."

"They provide shelter. They're called caravans, but they're essentially temporary buildings given to these families. But the caravans have an expiration date, and it's coming up."

While in Jordan, Koshy spent time in a caravan with a refugee named Rania, who lives with her mother and siblings.

Liza Koshy Rollout 3/27

Courtesy

"The walls are deteriorating. They're making do with what they have, but that's why UNHCR needs all the more attention and awareness and information," Koshy explains. "That's where all the funds, the donations, play a key part."

Koshy was also introduced to Dania, a young mom taking care of her son, Jude, while her husband struggles with his vision.

"I got to sit with Dania and her baby, and she faced so many adversities and so many roadblocks in a road that she continues to trudge on," she recalls. "She has a husband who's losing his sight. She lost her father to cancer. She has this brand new baby and wants to have more, but financially, it's not looking up for her. I asked her to describe a day in her life, walk me through what that looks like for her."

Liza Koshy Rollout 3/27

Courtesy

That traumatic experience of fleeing her home in Syria pained Dania too much to reflect upon, though she told Koshy that her son, Jude, brings her "joy" and "hope" for the future. Dania also emphasized how helpful the UNHCR has been.

"She was just so sweet and sharing, playing with her baby the whole time," Koshy says. "She was like, 'I just want to give opportunities to Jude that I didn't have. I want him to have a life without the trauma. I don't want to impose those feelings on him.'"

RELATED: Gabby Douglas Says She's 'So Moved' by the Refugees Training for the Tokyo Olympics

Koshy was also exposed to UNHCR's TIGER (These Inspiring Girls Enjoy Reading) program for young women in Jordan, which, in addition to promoting literacy in both Arabic and English, also focuses on female empowerment by encouraging the girls to stand up to bullying.

Liza Koshy Rollout 3/27

Courtesy

"In Jordan, they face adversity as young women. School bullies still exist in their world, as if there isn't enough on their plate. So the TIGER program helps them face those bullies and approach them with love and kindness, unlike the way they're being treated."

Looking ahead, Koshy hopes to continue traveling with UNHCR and raise awareness, noting, "You never know who might get bit by that human love bug next."

"It's caused a stir within my soul," she concludes of her experience in Jordan. "I've crafted a public-facing career so these more private, unheard, untold stories have a chance to have the mic held up to [them]. I am so honored to do that. It's their stories that need to be heard."

For more on Liza Koshy, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere now.
By Lucy Craymer

WELLINGTON (Reuters) -New Zealand said on Friday it would ban TikTok on devices with access to the country's parliamentary network due to cybersecurity concerns, becoming the latest nation to limit the use of the video-sharing app on government-related devices.

Concerns have mounted globally about the potential for the Chinese government to access users' location and contact data through ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company.

The depth of those concerns was underscored this week when the Biden administration demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners divest their stakes or the app could face a U.S. ban.

In New Zealand, TikTok will be banned on all devices with access to parliament's network by the end of March.

Parliamentary Service Chief Executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said in an email to Reuters that the decision was taken after advice from cybersecurity experts and discussions within government and with other countries.

"Based on this information, the Service has determined that the risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand Parliamentary environment, he said.

Special arrangements can be made for those who require the app to do their jobs, he added.

ByteDance did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Speaking at a media briefing, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said New Zealand operated differently from other nations.

"Departments and agencies follow the advice of the (Government Communications Security Bureau) in terms of IT and cybersecurity policies ... we don't have a blanket across the public sector approach," Hipkins said.

Both New Zealand's defence force and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Friday they had already implemented bans on TikTok on work devices.

A spokesperson for the New Zealand Defence Force said in an email to Reuters the move was a "precautionary approach to protect the safety and security" of personnel.

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On Thursday, Britain banned the app on government phones with immediate effect. Government agencies in the U.S. have until the end of March to delete the app from official devices.

TikTok has said it believes the recent bans are based on "fundamental misconceptions" and driven by wider geopolitics, adding that it has spent more than $1.5 billion on rigorous data security efforts and rejects spying allegations.

Responding to a question about the TikTok bans from Britain and New Zealand, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a regular news briefing on Friday that the two countries should "stop over-extending and abusing the concept of national security, and provide a fair and non-discriminatory environment to companies from all countries."

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer in Wellington, Lewis Jackson and Renju Jose in Sydney and Josh Ye in Hong Kong; Editing by Anne Marie Roantree, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Edwina Gibbs and Gerry Doyle)
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP)  New Zealand lawmakers and other workers inside the nation's Parliament will be banned from having the TikTok app on their government phones, officials said Friday.

The ban, which takes effect at the end of the month, follows similar moves in many other countries.

However, New Zealand's ban will apply only to about 500 people in the parliamentary complex, not to all government workers like bans in the U.S. and Britain. Other New Zealand agencies could decide later to impose their own bans.

Global concern about the app comes after warnings by the FBI and other agencies that TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance could share TikTok user data  such as browsing history, location and biometric identifiers  with Chinas authoritarian government.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he didn't have TikTok on his phone.

I'm not that hip and trendy, he told reporters.

The New Zealand move came on the advice of government cybersecurity experts, said Parliamentary Service Chief Executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero.

He said the app would be removed from all devices with access to the parliamentary network, although officials could make special arrangements for anybody who needed TikTok to perform their democratic duties.

This decision has been made based on our own experts analysis and following discussion with our colleagues across government and internationally," Gonzalez-Montero said in a statement. "Based on this information, the service has determined that the risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand parliamentary environment.

Hipkins said cybersecurity advice came from New Zealand's intelligence agency, the Government Communications Security Bureau. He said New Zealand didn't take a blanket approach to all government workers, and it would be up to each department or agency to make cybersecurity decisions.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a regular meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff on Friday, 17 March.

Source: Presidents Office of Ukraine

Details: The office reported that Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported on the overall situation at the contact line. The commanders of the operational and strategic groups of troops reported on the situation in their respective areas. The meeting participants also focused on the course of hostilities in the most difficult areas of the frontline.

The Defence Intelligence chiefs spoke about Russias plans and likely short- and medium-term actions.

In addition, the results of the counterintelligence work of the Ukrainian secret services were reported to the Staff.

The office also stated that the current foreign policy situation in the context of repulsing the Russian invasion was considered, too.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics, Stacker listed the 50 most selective colleges in the United States. The institutions are ranked according to acceptance rates.
The City of Lynchburg has added another community engagement session to discuss the city manager's proposed fiscal year 2024 budget.

Throughout this week, City Manager Wynter Benda has been engaging with citizens during "Budget and Brews" sessions, where he presents his budget and answers questions from residents.

This week, Benda was at Iron & Ale on Wednesday, as well as Diamond Hill Baptist Church on Thursday to discuss his proposed budget.

According to the city, "due to the popularity of the event," the city manager is adding a fourth session, scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at Rivermont Pizza, 2496 Rivermont Avenue.

Benda is also scheduled to hold a budget and brews session at 6 p.m. tonight at Val's Comfort Kitchen, 2323 Memorial Avenue.

The first formal public hearing over the proposed fiscal year 2024 budget is set for 6:30 p.m. April 4, in Council Chambers inside City Hall, 900 Church Street.

To view the city manager's full proposed fiscal year 2024 budget, visit the city's website at lynchburgva.gov/proposed-fy-2024-budget.
Ex-Swedish PM Magdalena Andersson, with another official, stated that Sweden would be seen negatively if Finland gets accepted to NATO first. If only one gets accepted, it will be a setback for the military bloc's open-door policy.

NATO Faces Problem in Approving Finland's Bid First

PM Ulf Kristersson stated that it is a concern that instead of a dual acceptance, that will only be achieved if Sweden is ratified. Turkey is a member of the military bloc that controls their bids, reported Almayadeen.

The media release from PM Kristersson said that from the start, the two Nordic states should be on the same bid, not separate, and it seems like Helsinki will be approved earlier, noted US News.

Kristersson added that Stockholm does not mind Helsinki getting accepted first, but it might mar the relationship as a long-term issue.

An opinion was expressed by the chief negotiator, Oscar Stenstrom, saying that the Nordic country has been in confidential discussions with Ankara. He added that they have enough time to comply with the Madrid Agreement to deal with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a terror group that has been targeting Ankara.

Stenstrom says that the Turks have been less severe against the Fins, which indicates that the Swedes are having a big problem. Unless Sweden does something to commit to the memorandum, there will be nothing positive.

Swedish Leaders Want Protection

Former PM Andersson told the press that getting left out of the bid and expressed that it will compromise the open-door policy. More is that military cooperation could be impacted between the two Nordic nations.

Read Also: NATO Bids of Finland, Sweden Will Take Longer, Hungary PM States

Kjell Engelbrekt, a political science professor, remarked that cooperative security getting impacted if Helsinki gets its bid would not be the same. He said it would leave the Swedes less protected than ever if on their own.

Unless Turkey and Hungary will make it easier and ratify both of the Nordic nation's bids simultaneously, they are the only two of the thirty members that should agree on entry to the military bloc.

Ankara stopped the talks after the Swedes allowed rallies against Turkey in Sweden's capital. The burning of the holy Quran at the Turkish consulate led to an outrage on March 9, and there were talks in Brussels.

Hungary Stalls the Nordic Countries Applications

Budapest is another NATO member who has to ratify the bids of Helsinki and Stockholm when they filed it after the Ukraine conflict, cited Euractive. Only they and Turkey are holdouts of the 28 who approved.

A representative of the leftist Democratic Coalition and opposition party lawmaker, Agnes Vadai, stated that a communication from Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen had relevant information about the NATO bids. Saying the Fidesz and the Christian Democrats are not keen to hold the session on March 14 about the ratification.

Fidesz told Reuters that the session would not be scheduled next week, which is seen as a delay in the Brussels talks. Budapest has an issue over EU funds that the EU commission is holding.

The ex-Swedish PM Andersson said not allowing Sweden and Finland into NATO at the same time is an issue that will be a grave concern.

Related Article: Finland PM Sanna Marin Accuses NATO of Lack of Ratification to Membership

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
State Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, announced Thursday his candidacy for the newly drawn Senate District 8, seeking to return to Richmond for a third term serving the Central Virginia area.

Peake, first elected to the Senate in 2017 in a special election, won a full term as the 22nd Districts representative in 2019, winning the seat by more than 15,000 votes.

As a result of redistricting following the 2020 U.S. Census, Peake now will attempt to gain reelection in the newly drawn 8th District, which encompasses the City of Lynchburg plus Bedford and Campbell counties. The nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project describes the district as a strong Republican area, with an estimated 72% of voters having supported Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in the 2021 election.

No other candidates have yet announced intentions to run in the new Senate District 8.

Flanked by his wife and youngest son, Peake spoke at Monument Terrace in downtown Lynchburg about his guiding motto since he first ran: more freedom, less government.

Ive always promised and wanted to make sure that we fight for your freedoms first and keep government as limited as possible with everything we do in Richmond, Peake said. And we will continue to do that.

During his speech, Peake touted the endorsements of local law enforcement offices, such as the Lynchburg, Bedford and Campbell County sheriffs offices, as well as the support of area commonwealths attorneys.

He said he will continue to support all local law enforcement departments should he be reelected.

That is really the core function of government, Peake said. That is what we have first, is to protect our citizens ... [Del.] Wendell [Walker] and I ... if yall send us there, are going to do more to support you guys than yall can ever do for us. Because what you guys do, putting your lives on the line and putting the bad guys away, thats what counts.

Walker, who was elected to the House of Delegates in 2019, is the current 23rd House District representative, and announced in January his intention to seek reelection to the newly drawn 52nd House District, which now covers the entirety of the City of Lynchburg and a portion of Campbell County.

The senator also touched on education  a key priority of his campaign  saying he will pursue policies in Richmond that allow parents to be more involved in their childrens education.

It is one of the most important things we can do to take care of our young children, Peake said. To give them an education and give them an opportunity to achieve the American dream, it doesnt come from government giving people something. It comes from within, giving them the ability to read, write, do math, communicate, to pursue what they want to do.

Peake said he hopes to focus on expanding career and technical education opportunities, promoting paths for young people that are outside of just going to a four-year school.

Weve got to give them a better outlet for their energy, Peake said, and I think career and technical education is a way to do that.

Peake also thanked retiring Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, joking, I think Im the only person who thinks he made the right decision by deciding to retire.

Newman and Peake were set to square off in a primary for the newly drawn 8th District seat after their two districts were unified during the redistricting process. However, Newman announced this week his intentions to retire from the Senate.

Its a big loss for the area, Peake later said about Newman. Steve, if he had gone back, would probably have been one or two in seniority in the Senate. ... His ability to get things done for the local area is tremendous, and thats why I wasnt going to run against him if he was running, because he could get so much done for the area.

In closing his speech, boasting about his strong conservative voting record, Peake said, When Steve announced that he was not going to seek reelection, Blue Virginia, which is a Democrat publication, they said, Oh great, one MAGA right-wing nut is going to replace another MAGA right-wing nut.

And I said, Damn straight, Peake said. Thats exactly what were going to do.
A brand-new fire station on Odd Fellows Road could be in the works soon, as city staff presented to Lynchburg City Council this week a proposed partnership with Liberty University to build a new station near the school.

Deputy City Manager Greg Patrick said during the presentation the proposed new station would operate like any other fire station in the city, where the city would fund the annual operating costs for things such as staffing, fire-rescue apparatus and maintenance.

Patrick said under the partnership, Liberty University would provide the land and build the station, and the city would fund, through a long-term lease, the cost to construct a standard fire department.

Patrick added the university would fund any construction above a standard city fire station, such as adding university branding to the building and apparatus, if desired.

Liberty University did not respond to a request for comment about the partnership.

The station is proposed to sit near the roundabout at the intersection of Odd Fellows Road and Liberty Mountain Drive, Patrick said.

Lynchburg Fire Chief Greg Wormser said the volume of calls for service continues to rise in the city, with more than 18,000 total calls last year. Wormser added a lot of the increase is coming from the upper end of Campbell Avenue, as well as the southern boundary of the city near Timberlake Road.

The chief said a new station in the proposed area would cut into extended travel times in the U.S. 460 corridor, Tyreeanna and Liberty University areas.

The stations that service those areas, in particular, of our city are located on Grace Street, Fort Avenue as well as Miller Park, Wormser said during the presentation of the fire station. Those stations, because of their location geographically, and the need for service to Liberty University ... would certainly necessitate the need for the station to be located in the proximity weve proposed.

Wormser added those three stations will also see a relief in their workloads should the new station be built.

Not only would the new station help the citys response times and workload, Wormser also said a new station in the area would have an impact on insurance premiums for residents and businesses.

Because the new station will house a ladder truck, Wormser said, Thats the important point to take away, is the value-add to our citizens who are going to get some relief.

The proposal estimates between $5 million to $7 million for the construction of a standard fire station, $2 million to $2.75 million for the fire apparatus, between $1.5 million and $1.8 million yearly in staffing costs and non-personnel costs such as maintenance and capital replacement down the road.

Patrick said the station would have 21 sworn full-time employees, and the city would phase those costs over four years with a SAFER Grant, which helps adequately staff fire departments nationwide.

After the presentation, At-large Councilor Martin Misjuns, a former city fire captain, said the proposal is exciting and also necessary, in my mind.

Our firefighters and paramedics are overworked and understaffed; weve known that for many years. And when we get to that point, it not only puts our community at risk, but it also puts all of our first responders at risk, Misjuns said.

Im particularly excited about the Flames-branded fire apparatus, Misjuns added, referring to the universitys nickname, which could happen if the university gets clearance.

Vice Mayor Chris Faraldi called the proposal a phenomenal concept, adding, I know theres costs, but theres certain core responsibilities of government that we need to make sure we fund and meet. And public safety is right at the top for me.

The vice mayor later tossed around a potential name for the new station  Station 71  referring to the year the university was founded.

According to Patrick, the city will work on getting in the queue now to purchase the apparatus for the station, saying it may be two or three years down the road until the apparatus is delivered.

Patrick said the city will negotiate a final lease agreement with the university, which will require the approval of both city council and the universitys board of trustees.
Kyodo - Apr 07

The Japanese government will formulate guidelines regarding the use of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence chatbots in schools possibly by next March, officials said Thursday, as concerns grow over their impact on students' writing and thinking skills.
Critically endangered species and ones banned from international trade are among the hundreds of types birds, reptiles and mammals that researchers identified at 142 animal cafes.

In Japan, its possible to enjoy a coffee while an owl perches on your head, or to sit at a bar where live penguins stare out at you from behind a plexiglass wall. The countrys exotic animal cafes are popular with locals as well as visitors seeking novelty, cuteness and selfies. Customers can even buy animals at some of the cafes and bring them home.

But visitors of these venues may not realize that many of these cafes put wildlife conservation, their own and public health, and animal welfare at risk.

In an exhaustive survey of Japans animal cafes published earlier this year in the journal Conservation Science and Practice, researchers found 3,793 individual animals belonging to 419 different species, 52 of which are threatened with extinction. Nine of the exotic species they found, including endangered slow lorises and critically endangered radiated tortoises, are strictly banned from international trade.

Some species we saw are of very questionable origins, said Marie Sigaud, now a veterinarian and wildlife biologist at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, who conducted the study as a postdoctoral researcher at Kyoto University. Many of the animals are most likely caught in the wild, and this has implications for their long-term survival. ...continue reading
Lighthouse Bible Church

Lighthouse Bible Church, 2136 Fifth Ave., invites the community to participate in our live worship service at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays. The Sunday sermon is prerecorded and can be viewed on our website, lighthousemc.com. Dress is casual, and coffee and refreshments are provided.

Upcoming events: Springfest 23 will be on Saturday, March 18 from noon to 2 p.m. The event will include food, games, a Gospel Magic Show and fun! The community is invited. Prayer and Study, 7 p.m. Wednesdays.

Mt. Hope United Methodist

Mt. Hope United Methodist Church, 290th and Highway 6, McClelland, would like to invite all to join us on Sunday mornings for our worship service at 9:30 a.m. Children are welcome for the regular worship service and childrens sermon during the worship service. You do not have to be a member to participate in our church activities. Everyone is welcome.

Gethsemane Presbyterian Church

Gethsemane Presbyterian Church, 224 Wallace Ave., invites you to worship with us. The service runs from 9 to 10 a.m. on Sundays. Children are invited to participate in Sunday school. Please join us for refreshments following the service.

Adult Bible study meets on Mondays and Thursdays from 9 to 10 a.m.

Hot Diggity Dog Bingo will be held on March 23, with dinner at 6 p.m. and bingo starting at 6:30. For $10 per person, you get a hot dog, chips and dessert plus 20 games of bingo.

Our church is collecting Iowa 5 cent-refund cans/bottles for one of our mission projects. Your donations help! Bags can be dropped off anytime at our front door.

We are also collecting diapers and wipes for children. These can also be left in bags by the front door.

Our Food Pantry is open on Mondays and Thursdays until 10:30 a.m. Donations are welcome. For more information, contact the church office at 712-366-2513 or visit us on Facebook at gethsemanepresbyterianchurch.org.

Timothy Lutheran Church

Timothy Lutheran Church, 3112 W. Broadway, offers services at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on Sundays. The church alternates between traditional services and praise services each week. Bible study and Sunday school at 9:15 a.m. If a month has a fifth Sunday, the church hosts a combined service at 9 a.m. Food and fellowship after service on fifth Sundays and there is no Bible study or Sunday school on those days. The church is handicap accessible. For more information, visit the church website at timothylutheran.net.

St. Pauls Evangelical Country Church

St. Pauls Evangelical Country Church rings the church bell each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. to welcome people to worship at 11055 Dumfries Ave. There are directional signs from Wabash Avenue and Pioneer Trail leading to the church.

We are a growing, caring and friendly Bible-teaching church led by Pastor Jason Kinney. This Sundays message is titled Faith in Prayer, with the Bible reference James 5:13-16. Greeters are Cheryl Collins and Norma Foster. Each week we enjoy donuts and coffee in the Fellowship Hall after worship.

Sunday school for all ages including adults starts at 9:15. We have childrens church during our regular service.

The ladies Bible study meets Wednesdays at 1 p.m. Youth group meets at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays. The Young Adult Discipleship Group meets Thursday at 7 p.m.

Movie Night will be held each Sunday at 6 p.m. for the next three weeks. We will be watching the Jesus of Nazareth movie.

The annual chili supper will be Saturday, March 25 from 4 to 7 p.m. The Heaven Bound Gospel Band will perform in the church while people await seating in the fellowship hall. This is a free-will offering event. Visit our website at stpaulsecc.org for more information. We are handicapped accessible.

Underwood Lutheran Church

On Sunday, Underwood Lutheran Church, 10 Third Ave., will hold Sunday activities. Education begins at 9 a.m. In-person worship begins at 10:15 a.m.

The online video will be available later in the day.

Compass Christian Church

Compass Christian Church welcomes you to worship with us Sundays at 10:30 a.m. We are located at 2007 S. Seventh St., just west of the South Expressway. The church is handicap accessible. During worship, a cry room is available, along with childcare for children ages 1-4. Compass Kids grades K-5 meet downstairs for special Bible lessons during the sermon. You may also worship with us at compasscb.online.church or on YouTube.

Monday morning Bible study meets at 10 a.m. weekly. Separate mens and womens Bible study groups meet on Mondays at 7 p.m. The Bridge Young Adults (ages 18-30) meet on the first and third Tuesday of each month. The next meeting is March 21.

On Wednesdays, children in grades K-5 and students in grades 6-12 meet at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting is held at 6:30 p.m.

On Sunday, March 26 during the worship service, students from Central Christian College of the Bible will lead worship and present about their mission trips to Mexico and El Salvador.

For questions or more information, visit our Facebook page, Compass Christian Church CB, our website compasscb.org or call the church office at 712-366-9112.

Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church

Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church, 1800 Fifth Ave., invites the public to participate in our live worship service at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings. The Sunday worship service will be recorded live and can be viewed on our Facebook page: Fifth Avenue UMC, Council Bluffs. Face masks are optional.

The church office can be reached at 712-323-7374 or through our email at fifthaveumchurch@gmail.com.

Broadway United Methodist Church

Broadway United Methodist, First Street and Broadway, is seeking, growing and serving with unconditional love and acceptance. On Sundays, we hold a traditional service at 8:30 a.m. and a contemporary service at 10:30. Coffee and donuts will be served in the DeLong Lounge between services. Our services are held in person and livestreamed to our Facebook page or broadwayunitedmethodist.com/live. Masks are optional.

Student Life Breakthrough will be held Sunday at 6 p.m. On Mondays, Philips Cupboard, a nonfood pantry, is open noon to 2 p.m. Bibles at Barleys is at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.

The womens book study meets at 5 p.m. on Wednesdays. The praise band practices at 5:30. A community meal is held at 6 p.m. A Foundations Adults Group meets Wednesday at 6:30 in the DeLong Lounge while BUMC Kids and Student Life meet. The bell choir practices at 6:30, followed by the choir at 7:30. The Mens Brown Bag Bible Study will be held Thursday at noon.

On Friday, the church office is closed but Philips Cupboard is open noon to 2 p.m.

Upcoming events: Monday, March 20, Scouts Pack 40, 6 to 8 p.m. Admin board meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Girl Scouts will meet Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. Spring cleaning will be Saturday, March 25 from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. Game Night 2.0 will be Friday, March 31 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

For more information, visit our website at broadwayunitedmethodist.com or call the office at 712-322-7741 (closed Fridays).

Bethany Presbyterian Church

Bethany Presbyterian Church, 1900 S. Seventh St., will have worship at 11 a.m.

We are a handicap accessible facility.

Community of Christ Church

Community of Christ Church, 140 W. Kanesville Blvd., invites people to attend Sunday worship at 10:15 a.m. Our theme this week is Live in the Light. Scripture readings will be Ephesians 5:8-14; 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; and John 9:1-41.

Sunday school starts at 9:15 a.m. We also have prayer service Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Please call our office at 712-323-4498 for any questions. There are virtual ministries out on our World Church Website under Ongoing Ministries at cofchrist.org.

Epworth United Methodist Church

Are you searching to know more about God and his divine plan for you? Come to Epworth United Methodist Church, 2447 Ave. B. Join us for worship Sundays at 9:30 a.m. There is room for the little ones in the family to learn about God according to their ages. The people are friendly, worship is meaningful and the building is handicap accessible.

We are hosting Lenten Luncheons every Wednesday through March 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and everyone is welcome. We also invite you to our Bible study on Thursdays at 10 a.m. We are currently going through the book of Proverbs.

Holy Week is almost here, and wed love to have you join us for Palm Sunday on April 2 at 9:30 a.m., Good Friday on April 7 at 6 p.m. and Resurrection Sunday on April 9 at 9:30 a.m. Join us in seeking Gods presence and answers.

We are in prayer for the healing of our community and a nation under God. If you want us to pray for you personally, let us know. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Phone: 712-323-3124. You can find us on Facebook at Friends of Epworth UMC/Facebook.

Faith Lutheran Church

Faith Lutheran Church (LCMS), 2100 S. 11th St., invites you to join us for worship at our 9 a.m. Sunday service.

On Tuesday, there is a 9:30 a.m. adult Bible study in the downstairs fellowship hall that is open to everyone. Please use the rear door. The Elders will meet Tuesday at 2:30. Wednesday there is Praise team practice at 5:30 p.m., confirmation at 5:45 p.m., and Lenten worship service at 7.

Worship services are available on Faiths Facebook page and on YouTube by searching for Ron Rosenkaimer. For more information, contact the church office at 323-6445.

New Horizon Presbyterian Church

New Horizon Presbyterian will hold worship services at 8, 9 and 11 a.m. Youth and adult Sunday school will be at 10.

On Wednesdays, the Praise Band meets from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m., the Chancel Bell Choir from 6:30 to 7:30 and the Chancel Choir from 7:30 to 8:30. There will be an American Red Cross blood drive on March 21 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Session will meet March 23 at 7 p.m.

If you are ill, please worship from home by watching our Facebook page, facebook.com/NewHorizonPC.

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Westminster Presbyterian Church, 517 S. 32nd St., invites you to worship with us on Sunday, March 19 at 10:30 a.m. as we celebrate the fourth Sunday in Lent. The Rev. Portia Iverson will base her sermon, Those Who See, Those Who Do Not, on Psalm 23, The Divine Shepherd, and John 9:1-41 A Man Born Blind Receives His Sight. After worship, members of Council Bluffs Presbyterian Churches will join together at Bethany Presbyterian Church for a Lenten Soup and Bread Lunch.

Donations for Church World Service One Great Hour of Sharing will be received during March.

We are handicapped accessible through the northeast door of the church.

Corpus Christi Catholic Parish

The month of March is dedicated to St. Joseph.

Join us for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Lent on March 18-19. The Liturgy of the Word: 1 Samuel 16:1b, 6-7, 10-13a; Psalms 23: 1-6; Ephesians 5:8-14; and John 9: 1-41.

Our Weekend Mass in English is celebrated on Saturday at 4 p.m. and on Sunday at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. at Corpus Christi Queen of Apostles, 3304 Fourth Ave., Council Bluffs; and at 9:30 a.m. at Corpus Christi Our Lady of Carter Lake, 3501 North Ninth St., Carter Lake. Our Sunday Spanish Mass is at noon (Council Bluffs).

Daily Mass is celebrated as follows: In English on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8 a.m. (Council Bluffs) and in Spanish on Monday and Thursday at 6 p.m. (Council Bluffs).

Eucharistic Adoration is held every Monday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. at Corpus Christi Queen of Apostles.

Our Friday Lenten Fish Dinners will be served on March 17, 24 and 31 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in the Great Hall at Corpus Christi Queen of Apostles. Fish dinners, fish tacos, cheese pizza, french fries, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, bread and butter, dessert, water and lemonade will be offered. Adults, $14, and $7 for children age 10 and younger. Beer, wine and soda are available for purchase. Carry-out dinners are available by calling 712-323-0014.

Stations of the Cross will be prayed during Lent as follows: Mondays at 6 p.m. at Corpus Christi Our Lady of Carter Lake, followed by a soup supper (March 20 and 27; and April 3); Thursdays at 7 p.m. at Corpus Christi Church (March 23 and 30); and Fridays at 7 p.m. (in Spanish) at Corpus Christi Church (March 17, 24 and 31).

On Sunday, March 19, there will be free breakfast at both sites as follows: Corpus Christi Queen of Apostles from 9 to 11:30 a.m., and at Corpus Christi Our Lady of Carter Lake from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Menu includes pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, coffee and juice (sponsored by Knights of Columbus Councils 10722 and 10805).

Another opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation is Thursday, March 30 from 9 a.m. to noon and from 3 to 8 p.m. at Corpus Christi Church and Sunday, March 26 at Corpus Christi-Our Lady of Carter Lake.

Holy Week Schedule, April 6 through April 17: All Triduum services will be held at Corpus Christi Church, 3304 Fourth Ave., Council Bluffs, as follows: Holy Thursday, April 6, 7 p.m. Mass of the Lord's Supper; Good Friday, April 7, 1 p.m. Live Stations of the Cross (bilingual), 7 p.m. Good Friday of the Lord's Passion; Holy Saturday, April 8, 8 p.m. Easter Vigil; and Easter Sunday, April 9, 8 a.m. (Corpus Christi Church), 9:30 a.m. (Our Lady of Carter Lake), 10 a.m. (Corpus Christi Church) and noon (Spanish -- Corpus Christi Church).

For more information, call the parish office at 712-323-2916 or 712-323-4716 (Spanish) or visit our parish website at www.corpuschristiparishiowa.org.

Emanuel Lutheran Church

Emanuel Lutheran Church, 2444 N. Broadway, welcomes everyone to come as you are and be who you are! You are invited to join us each Sunday for worship and Sunday school at 9:30 a.m., followed by coffee hour.

Other events this week include Tai Chi Monday at 10 a.m. in the youth center, a free Lenten dinner Wednesday at 6 p.m. followed by worship using Holden Evening Prayer at 7. Bible study Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in the conference room, and Tai Chi Thursday at 10 a.m. in the youth center.

Follow us on YouTube, Facebook or Twitter to stay up to date on events and view livestreamed services. Visit us online at emanuelcb.org.

Saint John Lutheran Church

Saint John Lutheran Church, 633 Willow Ave., holds worship at 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 8:30 and 11 a.m. on Sundays. Worship is also available to watch on YouTube. Our website is www.SaintJohnELCA.org, and our Facebook page is Saint John Lutheran Church Council Bluffs IA.

Wednesday morning Bible study meets at 9 a.m., and Wednesday evening Bible study meets at 6:30 p.m. The bell choir practices at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays, and the Chancel Choir starts practice at 7:30 p.m. Confirmation students and high school youth also meet Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

Please call the church office with any questions, 712-323-7173.

Broadway Christian Church

The congregation invites you to join us for Sunday worship at 9 a.m. at Broadway Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 2658 Ave. A. Masks are optional. A hearing loop is installed for those who need it.

This Sunday, the Rev. Kathy Sorrell will provide the message, "I Saw the Light." We celebrate communion weekly, and it is open to all. Guests are invited to join us in the fellowship hall after worship for coffee and donuts.

Pieceful Hearts Quilters meet the second Tuesday of the month at 9:30 a.m. Bible Study meets each Wednesday at 10 a.m. Newcomers are always welcome at both.

Join us for a Spaghetti Dinner Saturday, April 15 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Broadway Christian Church. It is $5 per plate. Please support your favorite Junior Jacket team. This nonprofit does not charge any student to participate and relies solely on community support.

Alcoholics Anonymous meets Mondays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m. Overeaters Anonymous meets at noon on Mondays and at 6 p.m. Tuesdays. The church is ADA-accessible. To submit prayer requests or for more information, call the church office at 712-323-7741 or email us at office@bcccb.org. Visit us online at www.bcccb.org or on Facebook.

First Congregational UCC Church

Come and join us for worship at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at First Congregational Church (United Church of Christ), located at 611 First Ave. near Bayliss Park. Coffee and light snacks are provided. Our service is also available via Zoom. Please email the church for information on how to join the Zoom meeting: cbfirstcong@gmail.com.

First Congregational hosts a weekly NAR-ANON meeting Mondays at 7 p.m. (ring the doorbell by the entrance on the Bayliss Park side). We also host a free Community Dinner the last Friday of each month from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Everyone is always welcome at First Congregational to enjoy worship, a meal and fellowship. See you soon!

Our Saviors Lutheran Church

Our Saviors Lutheran Church, 600 Bluff St., can be reached at 712-322-6655. Everyone is welcome. The church is handicapped accessible.

Worship services are Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m. and Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. Sunday services are livestreamed on Facebook. Adult Sunday school is at 9:15 a.m. and Youth Sunday school is at 9:30 a.m.

For more information, see our Facebook page under Our Saviors Lutheran Church of Council Bluffs or the website at oursaviorscb.org.

Other activities this week include Al-Anon meetings Monday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Education Building. A Lenten meal will be held Wednesday at 6:15 p.m., followed by a Lenten service at 7.

Thursday morning Bible Study will meet from 9:30 to 11 a.m., and Prayer Team will meet at 11:15 a.m. On Thursday evenings, the bell choir practices at 6:30 p.m. and choir at 7:30. There will also be a Bible Study at 7:30 p.m.

Food Pantry and Pet Food Pantry are open by appointment Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. To schedule an appointment, please call the Food Pantry directly at 712-522-3522 on the day it is open.

St. Johns United Church of Christ

St. Johns United Church of Christ, 400 Cloverdale Drive, welcomes everyone to attend Sunday service at 10:15 a.m. We invite you to hear our new minister, Pastor Don Morgan, deliver the Lenten message, GPS for the Journey.

Each Wednesday from March 22 through April 5, we will host a Lenten soup supper and Bible study from 6 to 7 p.m. entitled Seven Words of the Cross.

For information on how to join us by Zoom, email the church at stjohnsucccb@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Facebook at stjohnsucc-council bluffs or call 712-322-2174 for additional information.

St. Pauls Episcopal Church

St. Pauls Episcopal Church is located at 22 Dillman Drive in Council Buffs. Our services are held each Sunday morning beginning at 11 a.m., and we invite visitors to attend and share with us these very enjoyable and enlightening services. For additional information, please contact the church at 712-323-7188.
The mother and grandfather of a newborn found dead in a ditch in Iowa have been charged with first-degree murder, and court documents say they told investigators the baby was still alive when they put him in a trash bag and abandoned him.

Megan K. Staude, 25, of Norfolk, told police the child was born at home on Feb. 24, according to a police affidavit. She told authorities that she put him in a box and didnt provide any care for two days before she and her father Rodney A. Staude, 64, put him in the bag.

Rodney Staude also confessed and said he helped his daughter dispose of the bag in a ditch near Norwalk, according to the documents.

Both the Staudes initially told police the baby died on the way to the hospital after it was born, authorities said. Megan Staude said she buried him in a cemetery in Cumming, Iowa, but authorities found no evidence of a fresh grave at the cemetery.

Law enforcement officers received a tip from Megan Staude's co-workers on March 8, leading to the discovery of the body. On March 13, a witness showed authorities a text conversation with Megan Staude, in which the witness asked her, Was the baby alive when you left him? and she replied, A little, the complaint says.

Its just a tragic set of circumstances on a number of levels, Norwalk Police Chief Greg Staples told The Des Moines Register. That baby didnt have the choice to decide his own fate and now theres people in jail because of it.

The results of an autopsy are pending and the investigation is ongoing.

Rodney and Megan Staude are each being held in the Warren County jail on $1 million bond.

Authorities told the Register they don't know who the child's father is.

Iowa has a law that allows someone to leave an infant up to 3 months old at a hospital or health care facility without facing legal action.

Photos: Trump returns to Iowa Monday at Adler Theatre in Davenport
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Chinese troops leave for joint military drill in Cambodia

Xinhua) 10:06, March 17, 2023

GUANGZHOU, March 16 (Xinhua) -- A team of Chinese soldiers departed for Cambodia on Thursday to participate in a China-Cambodia military drill.

The fifth installment of the joint military drill, code-named "Golden Dragon-2023," will be held from March 20 to April 8. A total of over 3,000 troops from the two armies will participate in the drill.

This year's event will focus on three parts, i.e. joint security exercises for major events, humanitarian work and cultural exchanges.

The drill is expected to consolidate and step up the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, increase political mutual trust, expand military exchanges and enhance the anti-terrorism and humanitarian assistance capabilities of the two militaries.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Police arrested Michigan mom who kills autistic son after getting pestered by child services. At the time of the 8-year-old's death a year ago, he weighed only 31 pounds, reported by ABC4 News.

Michigan Mom Reported to Child Services

The suspect Mia A. Morrow, 35, was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in the state prison when she pled guilty to the murder in August. Convicted for a single count of second-degree murder in the slaying of Jaxson Morrow, reported Law & Crime.

Her husband Brian R. Morrow and Mia got arrested in June 2022, and he got on one count of first-degree murder with possession of controlled substances linked to Jaxson's death. The charge of Mia was lessened after a plea deal to have a 25-year sentence from 50 years, remarked prosecutors. Brian, a month ago, had not contested the second-degree murder charge and is to be sentenced a month from now.

Judge LaSata had been harsh to the woman for not doing anything to help her son with autism. She watched the boy wither away. He spoke to Herald Palladium and told them she was supposed to protect him, which confused him why it was not done, so he died at eight years old at only 31 pounds.

Mother Kills Son Out of Frustration

A 911 call originated from the family residence at the 700 block of Columbia Avenue address on May 3, 2022. First responders were at the scene to find the boy on the couch in the living room, whose first impression is that he was emancipated and lifeless for a while.

Read Also: Police To Question Person of Interest in Nathan Millard Case

Reports stated the coroner did an autopsy to discover that it was murder caused by neglecting the victim, per WBND.

Police said the mom saw her son having difficulty breathing before dying and admitted not bringing him to the hospital, but it's too late, based on the information, said an outlet. Why they did not report the death of Jaxson a day before would have perplexed the authorities if it was not for the grandmother, who visited and saw the child dead, prompted a 911 call.

Investigators on the case would pursue why the Morrows wanted to hide the death of their son. Mia claimed that she wanted to stay with him longer. Her husband added that he allowed his wife time before the police came to their house.

Both were tested for substances and got a hit for being positive for taking meth. But more info came to light that Child Protective Services (CPS) went over to the Morrow residence after reports of mistreatment of Jaxson. The couple decided to stop sending the boy with special needs to LOGAN Autism Learning Center. Allegedly the center was calling the CPS for their supposed mistreatment of the boy.

Brian Morrow's daughter confirmed more evidence of the maltreatment, saying when she lived with them, she saw their abuse. They didn't like that he smelt urine, locked him up in his room, and starved him to near death. Michigan mom kills autistic son and keeps it from police, but calls to child services proved it was grave abuse later on.

Related Article: Elderly Nebraska Couple Found Dead After Missing for 2 Months

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Hutchinson group has expanded its Casablanca production site specialized in the manufacturing of composite aerospace parts and cabin insulation solutions.

The 18,700 sq. m addition was inaugurated Wednesday by Ryad Mezzour, Moroccan minister of industry & Trade, Helene Moreau-Leroy, Chairman & CEO of Hutchinson, and Philippe Olivier, Senior EVP, Aerospace, Defense & Industry.

The expansion will support the growth of aerospace activities in Morocco and consolidate Hutchinsons production capacity for the Boeing B787/B777 and Airbus A330/A220 programs.

The site is qualified to the latest standards of the largest aeronautical contractors, with state-of-the-art equipment allowing it to manufacture highly critical structural composite parts, as well as a wide variety of insulation systems that are among the most effective in the world.

The site boasts an array of manufacturing 4.0 technologies, with more than 150 touch screens installed to digitalize processes, monitor production performance indicators in real time, and offer a system of digital tutors at the workstations to assist employees during the various stages of production using video recordings.

This 4.0 site is up to the latest standards in terms of workstation ergonomics and takes an eco-friendly approach, with optimization tools that reduce material waste rates by 10% and recycle 80% of the remaining waste.

The buildings electricity consumption will be carefully controlled using IOT technologies installed on most of the machines, which are directly viewable by the teams.

Hutchinson is a global leader in vibration control, fluid management and sealing technologies. In 2022, the group employed 38,000 in 25 countries, generating revenues of  4.4 billion. Hutchinson designs and manufactures smart solutions for a world on the move and contributes to future mobility on land, in the air and at sea.
The Council for Arab Ministers of Health approved Egypts proposal to establish the Arab Drug Agency, the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population said in a statement according to state-run Ahram news outlet.

The approval is one of the most fruitful resolutions that resulted from the 58th session of the council, health minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said.

The future agency will have its headquarters in Egypt. Ghaffar also indicated that it achieve pharmaceutical sustainability in all Arab countries through the creation of new markets for pharmaceuticals manufactured in Arab states.

The establishment of the agency, the minister added, will support Arab economies as well as achieve economic growth for all the countries.

The agency will be tasked to support supreme pharmaceutical authorities without contradicting any Arab countrys domestic laws.
Colonel Assimi Goita, leader of the transition in Mali, attended Thursday the delivery of three Turkish Bayraktar TB2, four Russian L-39 ALBATROS fighter jets and several other military equipment to beef up the power of Malian armed forces.

These new weapons systems, composed of several Bayraktar TB2 UAVs and L-39 ALBATROS fighters, are the result of a partnership between Mali and the Russian Federation and Turkiye, said Colonel Sadio Camara, Malis Defense Minister.

These new acquisitions will not only improve the strike power of the Malian Armed Forces, but will also increase the effectiveness of their intelligence tools. These acquisitions are in addition to those already received, including transport and combat equipment, he added.

Mali has been facing terror groups and insurgency since 2012. Under Goita the country has veered towards Russia at the expense of former colonial master France.

Russia has delivered several military equipment to the West African country. Turkiye also delivered in December several Bayraktar TB2 surveillance drones.
Morocco plans to introduce subsidies to help small companies leave the informal sector, employment minister Younes Sekkouri said.

The aid consists of 10000 dirhams to subsidize rent payments of small companies to help them integrate the formal sector, Sekkouri said.

Sekkouri deplored that 70% of Moroccan entrepreneurs are operating in the underground economy.

He also mentioned the limits of the self-entrepreneurship scheme which has enrolled 540,000 entrepreneurs, but only 60,000 were regularly paying their taxes.

The government is also mulling taking care of backoffice of self-entrepreneurs and small enterprises.

The scale of the informal sector in the Moroccan economy amounts to 30% of GDP said a new study conducted by the Central Bank.

The informal economy leaves workers in vulnerability without pension or health insurance and undermines the economy due to tax and anti-competitive practices.

The coronavirus pandemic has revealed the scale of the underground economy which showed that 5 million households, representing more than half the Moroccan population, depend on informal economic activity without social protection.

Nearly 3 million jobs are threatened by the informal production units which have the advantage of low production costs, according to Moroccos employers association CGEM.
Members of a US congress delegation praised, Thursday in Casablanca, the leadership of King Mohammed VI to bring stability to the whole region, and stressing the importance of this leadership to promote peace and stability.

His Majestys leadership in bringing stability to the region is extremely important to continue to promote peace and the kind of economic prosperity we have seen, Congressman Salud Carbajal (California) told M24.

Commending the progress made in Morocco in several sectors, the congressman, who is on a working visit to Morocco along with other US law-makers, said the trip was very informative and fruitful and allowed to see the materialization of the Sovereigns vision for progress in Morocco, as well as his leadership in the region.

Referring to the visit of the delegation to the Tanger Med port, the congressman stressed the importance of this infrastructure for economic activity and the positive impact it has on Morocco and the entire region.

He said he is looking forward to seeing the United States continue to strengthen its partnership and alliance with Morocco.

For her part, Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia (Texas), said she was impressed by the remarkable progress recorded in Morocco, thanks to the Sovereigns vision.

Referring to the Tanger Med port, Garcia called incredible and totally remarkable the progress made since 2003 and the reality on the ground twenty years later, congratulating Morocco for having made this port such a robust economic engine, not only for this region, but in fact for all global markets.

Morocco, she said, is very well positioned to continue to be a leader and a model in this region, both in terms of political stability and in terms of the social reforms in education and health care that it has introduced.

Referring to the multi-century relationship between Morocco and the United States, Garcia called for continuing to capitalize on this foundation and strengthen it further in order to achieve peace and prosperity in the world for all.

The delegation held talks with several members of the Moroccan cabinet and parliament, including head of the Government Aziz Akhannounch and Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.
Sahrawi woman Khadijettou Mohamed Mahmoud has described her ordeal after she was raped by a polisario member when she was 18-year old.

The young woman, who was participating in a conference under the theme Sexual violence in politics, held in Dusseldorf, Germany, Thursday March 16, 2023, described the sufferings she endured after having been raped in 2010 at the age of 18 by Brahim Ghali, then Polisarios representative in Algiers and current leader of the separatist movement.

Khadijatou, who worked as a translator in the camps from 2005 to 2010, had sued Ghali at a Spanish court the same year.

She denounced before the conference the lack of support from society in general, as well as the guilty silence of the Algerian authorities who covered up this sexual assault.

Khadijettou highlighted her difficult but ongoing struggle to obtain justice in the courts of Spain, where she resides.

She then described how human rights are systematically flouted in the Polisario-controlled Tindouf camps as well as the appalling living conditions of the populations sequestered in these camps live, before denouncing the endemic corruption which prevails among the leadership of the separatist movement as well as the embezzlement of international humanitarian aid by these same leaders.

Khadijettou Mohamed Mahmoud ended her address by calling on German authorities to make more efforts to promote the rights of Sahrawi women and girls in the Tindouf camps.

The other speakers participating in the conference, held in the Das Gerhart-Hauptmann-Haus Foundation, included Ms. Sarah Lee Heinrich, President of the Federal Youth Office of the German Greens; Mrs. Franziska Brandmann, President of the Federal Office of German Liberal Youth; Ms Christina Kampmann, Spokesperson for Home Affairs of the SPD Parliamentary Group in the Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia; and Mrs. Tessniem Kadiri, journalist and presenter on German television.
International NGO Doctors without Borders denounced on Friday Algerias continuing expulsion of thousands of migrants who are abandoned in the desert of northern Niger without access to shelter, healthcare, protection, or basic necessities.

Between 11 January and 3 March 2023, 4,677 migrants arrived into Assamaka  a town in northern Nigers Agadez region  on foot after being deported from Algeria and stranded in the desert.

The Integrated Health Centre (IHC) in Assamaka supported by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is overwhelmed as thousands of migrants are seeking shelter in the facility. The situation is worrying, says Schemssa Kimana, MSF project coordinator for Agadez.

According to Kimana, there are people sleeping in every corner of the facility. Some have set up makeshift tents at the entrance or in the courtyard. Others are camping in front of the maternity ward, on the roof, or in the waste area.

Temperatures in Assamaka  an arid town  can reach 48 degrees Celsius, so people seek refuge from the heat wherever they can find it. This has led people to sleep in very unhygienic places, such as waste areas, which can expose them to health risks including contagious diseases and skin infections.

The lack of available shelter forcing people to sleep in these conditions is appalling. This situation is now an emergency  it is untenable for anyone to remain living in these conditions.
North Platte Community College hosted its annual Expanding Your Horizons event on Thursday for middle school girls from across the area.

Each year the college brings in clinicians from various occupations to give the students an idea of future opportunities. This years 33 presenters covered areas ranging from 911 dispatcher to aviation and included workshops on careers including dental hygienist and veterinary technician.

In the veterinary technician workshop, Chrissy Barnhart from the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis and volunteer Stephanie Howell brought several animals the college uses for teaching purposes. Many of the animals were more exotic creatures including a young crocodile and a couple of varieties of snakes not seen in Nebraska.

The college takes care of dogs and cats donated by individuals or taken in by the local animal shelter as well.

We have 10 dogs at school, Barnhart said. They stay with us until they get adopted. We dont put them down.

Veterinary students perform medical care on the animals as needed, learning how to spay and neuter in a hands-on class during their final semester. Barnhart said, unique to NCTA, they are able to provide the live animals whereas many other colleges do their teaching with simulators.

Barnhart brought four ferrets with her as well.

Not many people know that ferrets are carnivores, Barnhart said. We have to make sure to keep them away from the rabbits and hamsters.

The morning opened with a speech from Marilyn McGahan, who encouraged the students to explore the opportunities to get a better idea of the possibilities for their future.

There were 342 students registered from 17 schools for the event.
Irish music always seems to get a bit of a boost in America around St. Patricks Day. But a group of strident musicians in the Auburn-Opelika area and beyond are taking the traditional art form and turning it into something new.

For the past 20 years, musicians have driven in from Columbus and Montgomery to join in on a local Irish jam session held every Wednesday at the Red Clay Brewing Company in Opelika. What began at the Ale House  now the Hound  in Auburn, has been a regional musician meetup since 2003.

Its a traditional Irish music session which just involves people coming together who know the same tunes, basically to play them together every week and to hang out and have fun, said session organizer Scott Miller. We also have a small community of people who come out to listen every week. Some of them are Irish Americans, and some of them are people who just enjoy the music. So, its a lot of fun.

In the past year, however, this loose-knit group of people brought together by a specific subset of music found themselves trying something new.

It began when a Frenchman named Fred Holweck joined in one jam session night with a hurdy-gurdy. Suddenly the sessions centuries-old Irish musical tradition took an unexpected turn as a droning hand-cranked instrument popular in continental Europe joined the fray.

The Gaulway Ramblers, an acoustic act that plays traditional Irish and Celtic French music grew out of this unexpected mix of traditions. The name Gaulway Ramblers is a portmanteau of Gaul representing the French influence, and Galway representing the Irish influence.

The Ramblers came together last year when a man reached out to Miller about possibly playing the Celtic Bayou Festival LaFayette in Louisiana.

Thinking about the regions cajun influences, Miller saw an opportunity and pulled together friends from the Irish jam session, including Fred, the French hurdy-gurdy player.

Miller recounts: I said, Well, I got this guy from France, whos showed up here, great player, got some great French tunes. You know, I think Cajuns would dig it. Now were doing Irish music too, so I can put an ensemble together for you. And so, we did.

The result, Miller said, was a big, powerful sound.

Central to that sound is Miller on the flute and uilleann pipes, Nathan Glazier on the guitar and banjo, Emma Dansak on the viola, CJ Alexander doing percussion with the cajon and bodhran, and Fred Holweck with his hurdy-gurdy.

Together, the five musicians have created a unique musical tapestry, like something removed from a medieval tavern, or something suitable for a fantasy adventure. Dansak, the groups classically trained viola player, confirms the correlation.

If you look on where our music lands on Spotify, its on a ton of Dungeons and Dragons playlists with all this kind of video game music and stuff, she said. So thats pretty fun.

Last years Celtic Bayou Festival was supposed to be a one-off thing. However, soon after that show, more calls came in and more festivals began to get lined up. A year later, the Gaulway Ramblers are still playing together and are set to return to The Celtic Bayou Festival this St Patricks Day.

However, the group continues to keep their musical traditions alive year-round, not just during the St. Patricks Day season. Members still play the weekly Red Clay sessions as well, along with whoever wants to join.

Thats just how it stays alive, Dansak said. Its gatherings wherever theres a pub thats willing to host a weekly or so musical session and people who are already familiar with the music come and meet. It just forms a node in a big almost circulatory network of this living tradition.

Miller confirms this sentiment. Theyre not really putting on a performance per se. Its just a group of friends coming together and playing the common session tunes that we all know, he said.

Its a tradition that Miller is excited to pass on to younger players. With Americas large Irish population, he sees the art form continuing to grow.

Its great to see that in America in the 21st century, you have young people who are wanting to play this music thats been around for 200, 250 years, he said. To be able to have a link to the past and link to the traditional cultures of Ireland and France, its a special thing and Im glad to see it thriving and continuing.

Regarding the music, Dansak adds, I think its kind of nourishing. You know? Theres nothing cynical about it.

The Gaulway Ramblers will perform at the Celtic Bayou Festival in LaFayette, La., again this St. Patricks Day. They also have multiple shows lined up in Opelika through the end of March. They will play the Jailhouse at Rock N Roll Pinball on the 21st, and the Sound Wall on the 23rd.

The Irish music session meets at Red Clay Brewing Company on Wednesdays at 7 p.m.

To hear the Gaulway Ramblers, visit thegaulwayramblers.hearnow.com, or find their album, Traditional Irish and French Music, on Spotify.
The White House slammed North Korea for testing an intercontinental ballistic missile hours before a Tokyo summit with South Korea and Japan.

National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement that the United States "strongly condemns the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) Intercontinental ballistic missile test."

She also noted that the launch was a "flagrant violation" of numerous resolutions of the UN Security Council, per a report from The Hill.

The White House official also urged nations to criticize the North Korea missile test, noting that the national security team is actively communicating with its allies.

Watson underlined that "all necessary measures" would be used to protect the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan following the unlawful North Korea ICBM launch, according to Anadolu.

Only hours before the president of South Korea was scheduled to travel to Japan for the first meeting between the two nations in years, North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile into its eastern seas.

Read Also: China Criticizes AUKUS Alliance

North Korea Confirms ICBM Launch

The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea said that North Korea had fired what looked to be a prohibited intercontinental ballistic missile early Thursday morning.

Launched from Pyongyang at around 7:10 a.m., the North Korean missile was headed for the eastern seas of the Korean Peninsula, according to a military statement.

The report indicated that theNorth Korea missile test fired an intercontinental ballistic missile at a vertical angle and traveled over 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) before splashing down in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, per Al Jazeera.

The North Korea ICBM launch was also detected by Japanese authorities, who warned mariners to be alert for falling debris.

North Korean state media stated Wednesday that a sub-military unit launched two ground-to-ground missiles during training despite tensions on the Korean peninsula.

Related Article: VIDEO: Russian Fighter Plane Pouring Fuel on USAF Drone

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
They say that on St Patricks Day, everyones a little Irish. Some people, however, enjoy sharing the Emerald Isles culture year-round regardless of their ancestry.

Amanda Poole, for example, admits to having very little Irish heritage. Her family mostly originates from the other side of the Irish Sea, somewhere in Britain. But that hasnt stopped this local dance instructor from spreading Irish traditions here in the South.

Poole, the owner of Celtic Traditions Dance Studio in Opelika, fell in love with traditional Irish dance as a child. The seeds were planted in her at a St. Patricks Day show at her home church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Carrolton, Ga., when she was young. But witnessing a Riverdance production not long after that church performance further watered those seeds.

I was part of that Riverdance generation. There was a lot of us that started dancing because of Riverdance, Poole said. Even though its not the majority of my heritage, I still very much appreciate it and just love it.

Now as the owner of her own dance studio, Poole is continuing to plant those Irish seeds in others. She splits her time teaching between Opelika and Birmingham. Celtic Traditions competes and performs Irish dance routines across East Alabama and West Georgia.

Poole has been dancing for 25 years now. What started out recreationally with one class a week quickly grew into multiple classes and culminated in dance school in Atlanta. Eventually she started competing and has even performed for a couple of professional shows.

At first it was just very much a, Oh, this dancing is a lot of fun and I love it, type of thing, Poole said. It just kind of snowballed.

When most people think of Irish dancing a particular image comes to mind: Individuals in line, their backs rigid, arms straight, and performing a whole lot of fancy footwork. But according to Poole, this isnt the only Irish dancing style. Its what she calls a solo style, one that people can enjoy by themselves.

But there is also the Ceili. These are group dances, and they are just as a prominent as the solo style.

Those are a little looser, Poole said. You can think of them as more of a social style of dancing, you grab hands with a partner. Theres still not a whole lot of upper body movement with it, but theres a little bit more in the group dances versus the solo dance.

This unique tradition has spread far beyond the Irish diaspora. Its one that Poole enjoys sharing with others. She said the music is her favorite part and is what really makes the art from so distinct. The dance forms evolved along with the rhythm of the music after all.

Those forms of dances are taught the same throughout the world, Poole said. So I think thats really cool because that really helps preserve the tradition. Whereas with the solo dancing, it evolves a bit more, becomes a bit more modern. But in the group dances it really does preserve a good aspect of this Irish culture.

Celtic Traditions currently has 30 students ranging from children to adults. All of them have a love for the culture. Many, like Poole, discovered the art form through Riverdance. She said the animated film released to Netflix in 2021 has helped to bring in younger students as well.

Between classes, competitions, and exhibitions, Celtic Traditions stays busy, especially around St Patricks Day. They perform at schools, bars, and city events across the region.

They will perform on St. Patricks Day at Food Truck Friday in Opelika. Saturday, they have a performance at the Irish Bread Pub, and then will also perform in LaGrange, Ga., later that evening.

This is our busy season, Poole said. We try to do performances throughout the year. But this time of year, the heat definitely turns up a little bit.

For more on Celtic Traditions, visit celtic-traditions.net.
Tbh Im fine with it if only because TikTok is literal brain rot



Not that other social media websites are much better, but theres something so insane in the water at TikTok. The takes I see are beyond unhinged

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It's unfortunately a product of all algorithms - outrage gets the most interaction and gets the most promotion. I've had to very carefully curate my tiktok fyp so it's all art process videos, cute cats, and snail content. I prefer algorithm-less tumblr/livejournal where I can just follow who I like and never see anything else.

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Are you the person who dressed their cat up as a snail this last Halloween?

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Twitter takes are still worse, I had to delete the app to keep my blood pressure stable bc why are we having "discourse" about a woman making chili for her neighbors

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I disagree with this. Ya, there's a lot of ridiculous shit on Tiktok but there are different sides of the app. I was on it throughout the pandemic and only ever saw urban gardening, cute pet videos, social justice, and informational vidoes about historical events. Plus I love how openly people talk about their mental health on there. If you're only seeing the pranks, weird food videos, booktok (the literature/general fiction side of booktok is actually pretty good), or the dancing vidoes than ya, it's brain rot.

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The level of dumb shit that can get you killed on TikTok is enough for me to never bother with it.



The mixing of like 20 household cleansers was ....wtf.



The occasionally funny or cute vid isn't enough for me to engage in that app.

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From what i have seen, and i don't have TT, it's just a bunch of people stating their opinions on topics as if it were facts with NO sourcing, studies, etc. just for clout I guess?

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I run an indie business and my products are very TikTok friendly. I've been told over and over again that I need to be on TT for marketing. And a lot of my friends in the industry have had great success there, it's true. But also... TT is fucking unhinged and I don't know if I have the spoons.



Well, that and I have a family member who works at a gov't intelligence agency in a tech position, and he's straight up told me to stay off TT.



Edited at 2023-03-17 01:45 pm (UTC)

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https://www.mediamatters.org/tiktok/tiktoks-algorithm-leads-users-transphobic-videos-far-right-rabbit-holes I'm more concerned about this sort of thing

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Depends on what side youre on. Im on the anti capitalist, social justice, liberal, intersectional feminism etc. side so not really unhinged- reminds me if ontd users made videos instead of written comments .



Edited at 2023-03-17 02:43 pm (UTC)

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And what about data protection from all the US-based social media sites (facebook, insta, twitter)?

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I'm so confused, Facebook sells data to China based companies lmao, like what are we doing here



Edited at 2023-03-17 02:43 am (UTC)

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do we really not see a difference here lol? we need data protection all around, but one of our biggest geopolitical foes having easy access to our data is obviously different here.

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lol thank you like there are levels here



idk I think all the people who dislike this are probably just tiktok addicts

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In truth I'd rather our geopolitical foes have my data than our own police tracking me at protests, etc.



But really I'm not against going after tiktok, I don't think anyone here is except jokingly. But handing over the data collection to the US doesn't solve the issue at hand - which is the data collection itself. I'd be fine if they even banned tiktok but we need comprehensive privacy protection across the board. I realize my comment may have read as whataboutism to support tiktok but it's really just bad policy to go after one company and not the rest (particularly when US companies hand our data over to third parties in lots of other countries).



Edited at 2023-03-17 04:34 am (UTC)

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I'm liking the phrase "geopolitical foes".



Edited at 2023-03-17 04:48 am (UTC)

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You know China has access to similar data via FACEBOOK. that's why this whole thing seems hypocritical as hell. If they're so concerned about geopolitical foes they'd crack down on other social media too but they're really just mad China owns Tik Tok fully. They can't control tik tok they way they can Meta.

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omg you guys from the US are really something else

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for real. China isn't going to send someone to show up at an American's doorstep because they say, posted about having an abortion and were in a state where that's now a crime.

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can someone more knowledgeable than me explain how banning it isnt against freedom of speech? like fuck off, dont tell me what i can and cant watch like im five and youre my mother is this a common occurrence that i just never noticed before? whats the precedence for something like this? i admit that i am woefully out of my depth on any political understanding of the situation

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They'll probably use the patriot/freedom act to say it's a threat to national security and have it deplatformed. 9/11 gave the government a lot of freedom to do whatever the fuck they wanted in the name of "national security" basically



I actually don't think they'll be able to push through a bipartisan bill on this, too unpopular, literally lmao



Edited at 2023-03-17 02:48 am (UTC)

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It's a private company that has to abide by us law to operate in the US.

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what law is it breaking? and wouldnt it still be breaking the law if it was owned by america?

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TokTok is viewed as a threat to national security for accessing their customers' private data and giving it to the Chinese government. All social media companies spy on their users. They typically do not do so on behalf of a foreign government, though.



TikTok is DEFINITELY spying for the Chinese government. The thing is, the US spies on China too. And I would not consider the private data of teens in Nebraska doing a viral dance to be the biggest threat of classified information exposure to a country engaged in far more high level espionage. But I can certainly see the point of wanting in banned from the work phones of government employees. Which sounds reasonable, except the reality is, most people with those kinds of jobs have a work phone and a private phone, where they will still have Tiktok... and often also have work-related information.



There's also the issue that TikTok's algorithm has an alarmingly suspicious bias towards right wing content. It is common across all social media platforms, as such content tends to provoke the most engagement. What is more eyebrow raising is how often then ban leftist accounts and content. The flip side being, so do US based platforms like, notably, Twitter and Facebook. The views of the country are being shaped by fascist billionaires and foreign governments. Sucky choices all around.



It's not an easy answer kind of question. Is it fair that TikTok is being singled out? Probably not. But are they something of a risk? Probably so.

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but its my favorite app, have they taken that into consideratko

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That's their main reason for the ban.

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This is such bullshit, and if it goes through, this will have all been bought and paid for by Meta.

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Meta couldn't compete with TikTok so they created a negative narrative of TikTok saying the Chinese are spying on us. Sold it to the government and they believe them. Hook, line, sinker.





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I doubt they believe it either, they probably all just have Meta stock/think it will hurt China.

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You're probably right

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Yup. Saw something about how this is all Metas doing. Zuck is basically being a sore loser because FB sucks and IG is going the same way. Go fuck off in the metaverse why dont you.

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that's not a new narrative. People were sounding that alarm years ago when Vine died and was quickly replaced by TikTok, there were warning about the Chinese government using it to track Hong Kong protesters

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I'm sure Meta is trying it to push out competition. But Tik Tok is 100% a liability in terms of backdoors for China to your phone/data. This is not to say Meta or any other social media platform isn't also a major privacy concern, but there's a difference when it's a national adversary like China or Russia. IMO, Tik Tok should definitely not be allowed on government devices. If average citizens want to risk it, that's on them, but they should be allowed.

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I like the funny stuff so I feel for that side of it but I don't mind seeing it get shut down here.



WAY TOO MUCH disinformation and bad faith takes with the usual clout-chasing...sayonara

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Its so funny to me that gen Z likes to make fun of boomers for falling for disinformation on Facebook, like they dont consume the most unbelievable bullshit from TikTok. People are so confidently wrong on that app and get 0 pushpack. Media literacy is dead across the board, I just have to laugh.

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Gen Z and Boomers are almost the same level when it comes to confirmation bias.

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Its also funny that theyre labeled as more progressive when it was mainly gen z tiktokers mocking Amber Heard.

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And that doesn't on facebook? Instagram? Twitter?

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lmao

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Hilariously enough, his grandchildren are apparently very popular on TikTok.



But good for him, while other SM is getting terrible too, Tik Tok has just encouraged younger kids with the most terrible information and trends. It feels like it spreads chaos on a more abundant level than Instagram or YouTube or Twitter.

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I feel like knocking out individual platforms isn't necessarily the solution - a new one will just spring up to do the same thing. We need comprehensive digital privacy laws and if social media is going to push (not just host) content they need to moderate it/flag misinformation. And a human needs to do these things, not just a filter that won't let you say the word "lesbian" :/

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Agreed. They are all a problem especially with disinformation but idk Tik Tok seems to inspire a wave of ridiculousness. Even the stupidest things like skincare trends or stuff like that.

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someone called it Fox News for young people once and I have never heard anything more accurate

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On the one hand, Ive found some pretty good content on Tiktok, like the animal side of Tiktok, cooking tips, and some cool small brands Ive followed for some time. But on the other hand, there is just. So much misinformation and blatant propaganda being pushed around that I genuinely think its caused more harm than good. Yeah, other social media isnt better, but something about Tiktok and the way the algorithm pushes certain videos is just troubling.

Of course, all that brain rot is gonna settle back onto Twitter where it spawned, but Im also convinced Twitter is gonna go down at some point. Who knows.

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Elon's midlife crisis is killing twitter lol, it's been fascinating watching it fall the fuck apart



clearly I have a fondness for watching the death and decay process of social media sites since I'm here on livejournal for 21 years

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I hate TikTok and it does seem to have bred a special brand of infuriating idiocy and lack of empathy in the youth, so I wouldnt be upset to see it go anymore than Id be upset to see the entire Kardashian klan (okay, not the children) capsize in a rich-bitch yacht.



On the other hand, arent they all dodgy and selling data under the table? Why is the Chinese one such a specific threat? It seems like theres a bit of a racist element going on there.

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Honestly this has always read as sinophobic to me.

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I don't doubt tik Tok is mining data for the Chinese government but are Google and meta not just as bad?



Edited at 2023-03-17 03:00 am (UTC)

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I don't even like Tiktok but to think Meta/FB, Twitter isn't doing the same level of selling your shit to the highest bidder is mind numbingly dumb.



Any info you put on social media has been sold to some global corp. Some are better at faking that they protect your privacy.

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I don't use TikTok and I know it's awful but this seems like it's going too far. Wasn't there just news about the US government buying our data from cell phone companies? Make up a better story at least lol

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Luckily for us Biden won't ban livejournal 

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lol I think you have to be relevant to get the attention of POTUS

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tiktok 100% spies on you and i'm this close to deleting it altogether. the way it be knowing what shows i'm watching, what books i'm reading and what fashion/makeup brands i'm perusing online - even when im using my damn work computer which has no ties to any of my personal accounts - is some horror movie shit



Edited at 2023-03-17 03:05 am (UTC)

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Same! Recently it keeps giving me Taylor Swift content. Like I have a couple of her songs saved but I scarcely ever listen to her otherwise. I know shes on tour but its like, Im the wrong audience for this, stop.



Instagram and twitter though

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Funny I remember when tiktok started a few people were warning of this so here we are.



Although I think most of the internet is selling info.



Edited at 2023-03-17 03:17 am (UTC)

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And over here we got the flavour-of-the-day Political Party for Real Real People (and against helping the climate) getting a landslide win. So far, things are going great 

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Carolientje gaat het allemaal beter maken toch....

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Ze is ook van de BURGERS!

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Ik snap het niet, niemand in mijn omgeving heeft op BBB gestemd, WIE ZIJN die stemmers? Wtf...

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Trying to remember Afrikaans in order to decipher this Dutch

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someone talk me off the ledge about ron desantis because i am officially Concerned

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Same so I can't help you lol

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I do like the whole "he eats pudding with his fingers" thing that came out because that is the sort of stupid thing that can turn off idiot voters.

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his speaking voice is also weird which also turns off idiot voters

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I'm convinced if there was video/pics of this his campaign would be over. It's not the most offensive thing he's done but this is America and that's the type of dumb shit we care about.

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Id love to but tbh we should all be very concerned.

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standing on the ledge there with you

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Every recent poll has shown Ron DeSantis faring worse than he did two months ago  around the time Donald Trump began publicly attacking him. https://t.co/k2mSPOUtWO  The New York Times (@nytimes) March 17, 2023 replying to my own comment bc i just saw this on my tl

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i know this isn't very reassuring but im 90% it's going to be 2020 2.0 with kkkari lake as trumps VP.

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He legit scares the shit out of me. He's 45's level of evil but not a idiot who knows nothing about gov and will get the GOP behind him.



What he's doing in FL should scare the shit out of everyone.

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As a Floridian, Im telling you that you should be. The shit hes doing here is awful. So subtle, but with huge consequences.



I will offer this though. Hes not as popular here as people think. Plenty of us hate him.



He barely won his first election (to a black man in state that is far too populated by good old boy types), and there likely was heavy cheating. But even discounting that, Im convinced his re-election only had the number it did because they put him up against the worst, most uninspiring opponent ever. No one likes Crist, Democrats and Republicans alike. Most did not want to vote for him and only did so to vote against DeSantis.



Many people I know refused to vote because to them, it was basically just diet shit versus shit. It didnt matter. We were fucked either way. They had years to find their Florida version of Stacy Abrams or Beto, someone to excite voters, and they did NOTHING. They dredged up Crist to lose yet another election in this state.



I live in Orlando, and were very blue here. When Biden was running, there was talk and yard signs and people pushing for it all over the place. When Crist ran, I kid you not, I saw not ONE yard sign. Not a one. I got no mailers from him; I cant remember seeing a commercial for him. Meanwhile DeSanits was everywhere. Daily mailers (my husband is an independent, so he got them), commercials during every single break on local football games. You name it, his face was there.



Some say Crist was purposely put up there, knowing Floridians hate him and giving DeSantis the automatic win. I just find that whole election very suspect.

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From watching right wing tv regularly because I want to keep an eye on those mofos they are very much he should wait until 2028 and succeed trump which is an issue in itself, but given trump's self involvement he seems keen to do the work of dirtying up DeSantis. He can't help himself. Some are starting to seem a little more keen on Vivek Ramaswamy. It is kind of scary but DeSantis has got to overcome the people he needs to vote for him first, and like trump he is thin-skinned, and if he officially declares it will be open season. Some of the right wingers are holding their fire until then.



Now what Floridians can do about him in the meantime that's whole other thing.

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thank you for these posts, op

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As a montrealer, like the amount of french migration we've received because Macron has just made things worse...anyways if I were a bitch I'd use the same rhetoric they use against other migrant populations because it's literally the same.

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Wow, that's crazy that his shitty policies have affected migration to that extent. Usually people only flee like that when the government has totally broken down, but I guess after yesterday it really has

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France kind of cracks me up. Is that wrong? I just keep thinking about the BLM protests or free Palestine and all the people just fighting for their right to live freely and equally and then the French are like You will not make me work two more years! I will burn this country down!!



Is there more to it Im not understanding?

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French people have a long and proud tradition of rioting over everything and anything



eta: I also would riot over the retirement age being raised. I'm pissed as it is that I have to spend 40+ years of my life working a job to "earn" leisure time, if you add a minute more to that miserable experience, I will set a car on fire for sure



Edited at 2023-03-17 04:08 pm (UTC)

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Yeah I mean Im American so I have a better chance of dying in a mass shooting before I could even possibly, maybe (if Im lucky) retire so I guess I just dont get it lol.

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Not related to post but love your icon. The Tribe remains a classic series. Used to love it sfm.

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I wonder if it's more the fact that it was forced through on the public, rather than having assembly vote on it and accepting the outcome of that. With France's history, I'm surprised the public hasn't made the country ungovernable already. This is an ugly precedent. Veto power of any kind in a democracy, no matter the issue, is a big problem imo.

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France has really good labour and employment laws and has absolutely no trouble shutting down cities for protests to ensure they stay that way, which is the way it should be. I think its good they protest stuff like this. Forcing people to work more when they already earned their retirement?

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Honestly I think us Americans could take a page from the French playbook, seems like its is the only way to get politicians to really listen

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France had one of the lowest retirement ages in Europe, even by raising it to 64 it's still lower than in some other countries  Iceland spearheading with 67 (apparently the average Icelander works beyond that age, though). The necessity arose because France is facing the same demographic challenges as their European neighbours and their pension system  just like Germany's btw. based on "generational solidarity"  is simply not suited for this change of the dependency ratio. Monthly pensions have already decreased to a pitiful level for working class people and especially women, & many of those who retire will still have to find other sources of income. In my opinion it's a faulty system that was pre-programmed for disaster (there, I said it, the generational contract is bullshit) and people are right to be upset, because to so many the only light in life was knowing they could stop working full-time soon and were counting down the days, only to have several years added on top... That they go out and riot is just the French way to express displeasure lol But we do really need a systemic change asap.

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French people have gone into the streets for BLM and Palestine, too. One of the BLM protests was among the larger non-US-based protests, if not the largest.



This is very unpopular, as it was first said that the government wouldn't resort to it to get money into the coffers, only for them to do it in a very difficult economic context where, not too long ago, the French were told they'll be dealing with rolling blackouts. It's a full recession where people can't afford basic necessities and the only thing workers could look forward to was reaching pension age.



This is compounded by the fact that Macron still refuses to properly raise the tax for the rich and instead relies on social classes who don't have a choice but to work longer.



Aaaand on top of that, that very unpopular reform was supposed to be voted on via the Parliament. Macron and the Prime Minister had been warning, a few weeks ago, that they might use the 49.3 article, which allows for the government to pass reform without it being voted on... which, while legal, is viewed as authoritarian or completely dismisses the democratic process on which the Parliament relies - and French people, by extension.



NOW, after saying they wouldn't need to use the 49.3 article because they had full confidence in the Parliament supporting the reform and the government, they did end up using that article.



tl;dr: Macron's government pushed through an extremely unpopular reform, at the worst of times, after gaslighting an entire country for weeks.

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You will not make me work two more years! I will burn this country down!! The way you said like it's a small thing! Human beings are not supposed to work until they die. We all should retire at 60 tops

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when I was a senior, I went to France on a school trip. there were apparently protests here and there at the time. one of our chaperones had been an exchange student in France years ago and told us that France gonna France. when she was there, the big protest was because they started charging for university (and she shocked her host family with how much she was paying in the US)

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This is kind of a weird take ngl

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 shit gets real  mhhhm

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I only watched the YouTube vid but yeah 2 more years before retirement. Fucking no

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Guillotine time!

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Are South Africans the only ones who dance when we riot?

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sports fans, too

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we do it in brazil sometimes

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Situation in #Ukraine: #ICC judges issue arrest warrants against Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova

Read more 

https://t.co/5OMC7Xuuy5  Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) March 17, 2023

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It's going to be really interesting to see the US response to this considering they ignore ICC decisions when it's a country we like.

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There hasnt been any real buzz about the article Seymour Hersh wrote that claims the US blew up the Nord Stream pipeline. 

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Excellent work by @faktisk_no, building on the work done by @OAlexanderDK and with additional imagery and official statements from the Royal Norwegian Navy, debunking Hersh's Nord Stream fairytale. https://t.co/R5sQ6rEgNE  The Lookout (@The_Lookout_N) March 15, 2023



Edited at 2023-03-17 04:32 pm (UTC) Seymour Hersh is a total hack

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Thank you! Ill read into this. I was legit wondering if it had made waves anywhere because I hadnt heard much and had only heard it yesterday.

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I mean right wing Americans have fully embraced it, if that counts for anything.

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Two terrifying things going on in Tennessee, in addition to the obvious harmful anti- drag & trans laws



1. The state legislature is trying to get a bill through that calls for police officers to be able to use harmful restraints against kids in special needs classes. Again, this is for CHILDREN. Police are rarely trained on how to properly handle interactions with disabled people, especially those with autism, and 1 in 5 autistic people will have had a run-in with cops by adulthood. Disabled people are five times more likely to be incarcerated as well. This is extremely harmful legislation that will likely end in a needless tragedy.



2. A library director was fired (in Hendersonville, famous for Taylor Swift & Johnny Cash!) bc some Duck Dynasty fool & Kirk Cameron said that during an event of theirs the librarians were making too much noise in a disrespectful way. This is just one example of a way theyre coming after books & education in America that is less obvious than the usual book bans. Its terrifying how much power these people have! There was zero investigation done as well, just took their word for it.



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child person with rights.



the US is aggressively anti-child. it's astounding just how harmful against children every policy made is - lack of universal healthcare, lack of gun reform, the hell that is family court (forced reunification camps, for example), life and death sentences for minors, continuous attack on and defunding of public schools, college only being attainable by incurring huge debt, etc. and it's a huge fucking slap on the face that all of these destructive assholes claim to protect children as they make their existence more and more untenable every day.



so i went to look up the wiki page on the convention on the rights of children, and i just couldn't believe the map of signatories: when i was a kid, i remember a special edition of this really popular comic ("turma da monica", from brazil) that was all about the UN convention on the rights of the child. it talked about each of the points in detail (at a level a kid could understand, obviously). it stayed with me all these years because reading that made me feel like a person. a person with rights. aperson with rights.the US is aggressively anti-child. it's astounding just how harmful against children every policy made is - lack of universal healthcare, lack of gun reform, the hell that is family court (forced reunification camps, for example), life and death sentences for minors, continuous attack on and defunding of public schools, college only being attainable by incurring huge debt, etc. and it's a huge fucking slap on the face that all of these destructive assholes claim tochildren as they make their existence more and more untenable every day.so i went to look up the wiki page on the convention on the rights of children, and i just couldn't believe the map of signatories: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_the_Rights_of_the_Child

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This was a great comment wow. Sadly it reminded me that Tennessee is also actively trying to do away with childrens rights as protected by law.



That map should be a wake up call for anyone that thinks the US government cares about about anything other than capitalism. Its rage inducing!

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And here we are having to work into 67 and who the fuck knows how long Ill have to work by the time I near my sixties.

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France: "We are increasing the retirement age by two years"

The French: "We will drop kick the eiffel tower into the fucking moon if you do"



Britain: "We've made it easier for old rich people to stay rich and if you're poor you can never retire"

Brits: "oh crumbs oh bother"  TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) March 17, 2023



When will the rest of us wake up and start rioting the way the French do When will the rest of us wake up and start rioting the way the French do

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For real, the way the UK shafted us women with the pension age should've warranted a couple of riots.

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Judges of the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin today. He is believed to be responsible for Russian war crimes in Ukraine, including the unlawful deportation of children and adults from Ukrainian to Russia. pic.twitter.com/sz5tdRFZcz  NOEL   (@NOELreports) March 17, 2023



Arrest warrant issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin by International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes including deporting Ukrainian children https://t.co/lgsJBFMv9v  BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) March 17, 2023 There's an official warrant out for Putin's arrest because of his kidnapping of Ukrainian children by The Hague, International Criminal Court

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ops someone did post this in here already though i thought i checked - i'll leave up the links incase anyone wants the resources

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Unlike many other countries around the world, the U.S. has kept its nuclear power up and running, making it the biggest producer of nuclear power today. Nevertheless, after falling out of public favor, nuclear power was little talked about in previous decades, with many power plants going into debt and barely keeping afloat. At present, nuclear power provides around 20 percent of the electricity generated in the United States, and this is largely thanks to government grants helping power plants maintain operations. But now, as countries worldwide consider nuclear power once again, the U.S. is ramping up its investments in the low-carbon energy source in a bid to bring nuclear back from the brink and use it to support a green transition.

The first nuclear power plant in the United States was opened in 1958, and by the end of 2021, the U.S. had 93 nuclear reactors in operation, across 55 nuclear power plants in 28 states. The combined generation capacity of these reactors totaled 95,492 MW. Many of the reactors are 40 years old or more, due to the reluctance to invest in new nuclear projects following several prolific disasters in previous decades. The last two nuclear reactors to come online were Watts Bar Unit 1 in 1996 and Watts Bar Unit 2 in 2016. In addition, several sites were closed over the last decade, with 19 sites at various stages of decommissioning by 2021.

Despite the poor public opinion of nuclear power in past decades, it continues to contribute a significant proportion of U.S. electricity. And last year, the Department of Energy (DoE) announced a $6 billion investment to preserve Americas clean energy nuclear infrastructure. The funding comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Laws Civil Nuclear Credit Programme, which identified nuclear power as Americas largest source of clean energy. The DoE highlighted that helping the countrys nuclear plants survive would support thousands of clean energy jobs, as well as prevent the release of unnecessary carbon emissions. Nuclear power is now being seen by the DoE as key to achieving President Bidens climate pledges and supporting the countrys green transition.

And its not only the government that has changed its stance on nuclear power, with recent polls showing greater public support for the energy source. A 2022 Gallup poll showed that public opinion has swayed in favor of nuclear power, with 51 percent for nuclear and 47 percent opposed. This marks a significant shift from 54 percent opposed in 2016. This change is likely largely in response to the energy crisis seen last year, which sent consumer energy bills soaring. In addition, the combination of nuclear power being promoted as a clean energy source and the length of time since the last major nuclear event has improved public perception.

Several strides were seen in the nuclear industry in 2022, after years of stagnation. The countrys biggest nuclear plant, Diablo Canyon in California, received a $1.1 billion conditional award of credits from the DoE to extend operations. There were originally plans for the plant to be decommissioned in 2024 and 2025, but this changed after introducing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Several advanced reactor firms saw progress toward deploying small modular reactors (SMRs) nationwide. And the DoE invested heavily in research and development, carrying out a study that determined that approximately 80 percent of U.S. coal power plant sites evaluated could be converted into nuclear power plants.

And there are big plans for 2023 and beyond. In a movement away from U.S. reliance on foreign uranium, the DoE is investing in developing domestic high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), with production expected to start this year. Meanwhile, at New Yorks Nine Mile Point Nuclear Generating Station, we are seeing advances in combining clean energy projects with plans for the first production of clean hydrogen using low-temperature electrolysis this year. The hydrogen will be used to help cool the facility. This is one of four nuclear-powered hydrogen demonstration projects being supported by the DoE.

As well as publicly-funded projects, several private projects are gaining traction. Bill Gates TerraPower and X-energy are advancing on each of their construction permit applications, expected to submit them to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) within the next year. This could support the launch of new types of nuclear technologies such as TerraPowers Natrium reactor  a sodium-cooled fast reactor, and X-energys Xe-100 high-temperature gas reactor SMR plant.

But now, all eyes are on Georgia Powers Vogtle nuclear reactor, which was launched this month. The Vogtle nuclear reactor Unit 3 started a nuclear reaction inside the reactor last week, a process called initial criticality. This is the process in which nuclear fission begins to split atoms and generate heat. The heat makes the water boil, and the steam created spins a turbine thats connected to a generator, creating electricity. Unit 3 will become fully operational in May or June, according to the company. The CEO of Georgia Power, Chris Womack, stated: This is a truly exciting time as we prepare to bring online a new nuclear unit that will serve our state with clean and emission-free energy for the next 60 to 80 years.

As both the U.S. government stance and public opinion shift in favour of nuclear power, we can expect to see investment in the sector increase substantially, and new operations come online. An increase in public funding for nuclear projects is helping to create momentum around research and development, supporting innovations in nuclear technology and the potential for creating non-traditional reactors. Meanwhile, private companies are responding to DoE investments by putting their money into nuclear power to support decarbonization aims and, ultimately a green transition.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

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The worlds biggest international oil and gas firms continue to pledge lower-emission operations to supply the world with the hydrocarbons it needs and will need in the future. Unfortunately for Big Oil, not all basins and areas of production are equal, so companies have focused in recent years on investing in the most prolific operations that yield the most profitable oil with relatively lower emissions than in other locations.

To keep investors in the sector, the largest oil firms continue to tout their progress in reducing emissions. But to create additional value for shareholders via higher returns, companies are prioritizing specific basins and resources they believe will yield the cheapest-to-extract oil and natural gas in their portfolios.

In the era of ESG investment and the energy crisis following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Big Oil is now juggling the need to keep producing oil and gas with the imperative to cut emissions if they want to continue to have a license to operate.

Despite the surge in renewable energy in recent years, the world still relies on fossil fuels for more than 80% of its energy needs.

Strike The Right Balance

Policies and companies need to strike the right balance between energy security and ways to cut emissions from oil and gas, ExxonMobils chief executive Darren Woods said at the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference last week.

It would be a mistake to abandon any one of those objectives, Woods added.

ExxonMobil targets to grow its Permian production to 1 million barrels per day (bpd) and, at the same time, reach net-zero emissions at its operated unconventional assets in the Permian by 2030.

One of the points in doing that is to demonstrate to the world that we can do both, Woods at CERAWeek.

Exxon is also one the least emission-intensive refiners in the world, the executive added.

If Exxon doesnt make the diesel and gasoline the world needs, someone else  with higher emission intensity operations  will, and there wouldnt be a net benefit for the world in terms of emissions abatement, Woods noted.

Related: Oil Prices Begin To Bounce Back Following Dramatic Drop



There is a recognition of how urgent the issue is and how enormous the lift is, he said. The solutions will vary according to the circumstances around the world, Woods said.

The other U.S. supermajor, Chevron, said on its Investor Day 2023 last month, Were making progress toward our upstream CO2 intensity reduction targets. We continue to prioritize the projects expected to return the largest reduction in carbon emissions cost efficiently.

Chevron looks to advance more than 100 projects this year to lower the carbon intensity of its operations, focusing on energy management, flaring reduction, and methane management, among others.

Our goal on methane is simple  keep it in the pipe.

The New Advantaged Resources

Very productive fields and newer basins tend to be less emission-intensive per barrel due to the sheer volumes of production and new designs to make extraction in newer fields less carbon-intensive, by electrifying operations, for example, analysts tell The Wall Street Journal.

In the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico and onshore Saudi Arabia, per-barrel production is among the cheapest and cleanest at the same time because the wells there are very productive, Julie Wilson, research director of global exploration at Wood Mackenzie, told the Journal.

Norway also boasts some of the lowest-emission barrels globally.

Operators offshore Norway have started to replace gas turbines with electricity from onshore  Norways electricity comes predominantly from hydropower  bringing down emissions from the newer oilfields.

For example, Phase 2 of the giant Johan Sverdrup oilfield will emit 0.67 kilograms (kg) of CO2 per barrel of produced oil, thanks to power from shore, operator Equinor says. The global average is 15 kg/barrel, according to the Norwegian major.

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However, truly advantaged resources, with low breakeven (resilience to low prices) and emissions (sustainability in scope 1 and 2 terms) are anything but plentiful, Andrew Latham, Vice President, Energy Research at Wood Mackenzie, said in a recent report.

The world is far from the end of the hydrocarbon era, Latham said.

According to WoodMacs base-case Energy Transition Outlook (ETO), oil demand peaks in 2030, before declining slowly to 94 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2050. Even in the Accelerated Energy Transition (AET) outlook of global net zero by 2050 and achieving the most ambitious targets in the Paris Agreement, oil demand will still be 33 million bpd by 2050.

As things stand, we see enough to satisfy only about half of our base-case oil and gas demand forecast to 2050, WoodMacs Latham says.

This problem of peak advantage looms ever larger and presents a huge and urgent call to action. As recent supply interruptions serve to remind us, we neglect the upstream at our peril. Both oil and, in particular, gas will continue to need huge and sustained investment.



By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The oil price crash appeared to have been halted on Thursday after the Swiss central bank stepped in to save Credit Suisse and the energy ministers of Russia and Saudi Arabia met to signal a willingness to intervene if the collapse continued. On Friday morning, however, prices headed lower once again.

Oilprice Alert: Whether you are new to the oil and gas industry or an energy market veteran, you will regret not signing up for Global Energy Alert. Oilprice.com's premium newsletter provides everything from geopolitical analysis to trading analysis, and all for less than a cup of coffee per week.

Friday, March 17th, 2023

In one of the most tumultuous weeks in recent years for oil markets, oil prices are on course to post a more than 10% loss. The oil price collapse took a breather on Thursday as the Swiss national bank stepped in to save Credit Suisse while Saudi Arabia and Russia signaled a willingness to intervene. Bearish sentiment is difficult to shake off, however, and prices continued lower on Friday morning.

Australia Eyes LNG Diversion as Winter Looms. Australian authorities might compel LNG exporters along the countrys east coast to divert excess gas supply towards domestic consumers amidst decreasing natural gas production which has raised the risk of gas shortfalls between 2023 and 2026.

Last US Refining Addition to Start Soon. The last large-scale refining project to be commissioned in the US, the 250,000 b/d capacity Blade project at ExxonMobils (NYSE:XOM) refinery in Beaumont, TX, is set to start up in the upcoming weeks, running on Permian crude and increasing naphtha and gasoline supply in the US Gulf Coast.

Canada Calls for National Tailing Remediation Plan. The federal government of Canada and Albertan authorities will establish a working group that would seek to expedite the remediation of oil sands tail ponds after a 10-month-long leak at Imperial Oils (TSX:IMO) Kearl project was not properly reported.

White House Delays SPR Return Dates. The Biden administration has revised two exchange contracts it signed with Shell (LON:SHEL) covering 3.6 million barrels of US SPR crude, delaying their return until 2025, despite assurances from the US Department of Energy that it would expedite the repurchases.

IAEA Says Tons of Uranium Missing in Libya. Inspectors of the UNs nuclear agency discovered that some 2.5 tonnes of uranium have gone missing from a Libyan site controlled by the rival Benghazi government, though the Eastern Libyan forces allegedly found the missing uranium the next day.

Iraq and Kurdistan Edge Closer to a Deal. Potentially leading to a resolution of a long-standing legal battle, the Iraqi federal government and regional Kurdish authorities have agreed that oil revenues from Kurdistan will be transferred to a bank account under federal government supervision.

Exxon Dissatisfied with Prospects of Italian LNG. US oil major ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM) has reportedly been considering selling its majority stake in the 9 bcm per year capacity Rovigo LNG terminal as part of a larger divestment drive to sell non-core assets.

Canadas East Coast Terminal Not Happening. Spanish oil firm Repsol (BME:REP) has scrapped its plans to build an LNG terminal on Canadas east coast citing excessive transportation costs to deliver gas to Saint John, NB, and a lack of buyers who would commit to 15- to 20-year offtake agreements for the gas.

Credit Suisse Woes Distress Greek Shippers. Battered by financial losses and corruption scandals, the massive slump of Swiss bank Credit Suisse (SWX:CSGN) is also bad news for Greek shipping companies as CS was the largest lender to Greek shipping with an active portfolio of at least $5.2 billion.

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Declining LNG Prices Prompt Chinese Buying. As spot prices of LNG continue their decline for the fourth straight month and currently trend around $13 per mmBtu, China is stepping up its purchases, with Kpler data showing an increase in March arrivals to 5.4 million tons, a 9% increase month-on-month.

Guinea Iron Prospects Buoyed by Breakthrough. One of the worlds largest iron ore deposits, the Simandou mine in Guinea, will soon restart production after operator Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO) agreed on new terms for the JV operating the project, guaranteeing the government a 15% take.

Kuwait Wants to Do Trading, Too. The Kuwaiti national oil company KPC is considering setting up an oil trading arm, reportedly even as soon as the end of 2023, seeking to replicate the success of Saudi Aramco which already has trading offices in Dhahran, Fujairah, Singapore, Houston, and London.

Venezuela Tests Waters on Colombia Gas Exports. With Colombias left-wing president Gustavo Petro increasing cooperation with Venezuela, the two countries are seeking to reactivate the 224-km Antonio Ricaurte gas pipeline and export some 25 MMCf/day of Venezuelan gas to its western neighbor.

Shell Divests Non-Operated Stakes in Malaysia. UK-based energy major Shell (LON:SHEL) sold its non-operated stakes in two offshore fields in Malaysia to local firm Petroleum Sarawak, leaving it with 19 production-sharing agreements including the most recently launched Rosmari-Majoram project.

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com

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Crude oil prices are about to end their worst week since the start of the year as news from the banking industry ignited fears of demand depression.

As of Friday morning, West Texas Intermediate was down by about 10% for the week. Brent crude was also down considerably, dropping from $83 per barrel on Monday to less than $76 per barrel at the time of writing.

The rout began early in the week, after last Fridays collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. The subsequent demise of Signature Bank added fuel to fears of an impending meltdown in finance, and news of liquidity troubles at Credit Suisse, one of the worlds largest lenders, did not help.

The flood of bad banking news continued throughout the week despite assurances from President Biden and Treasury Secretary Yellen that the U.S. banking system was sound and safe.

The end of the rout came after a meeting between Saudi Arabia and Russia to discuss measures to stabilize the market.

"That news woke up the bulls in the market, and it was kind of expected with the sell-off that we have seen over the past few sessions," John Kilduff from Again Capital told Reuters.

"Market sentiment remains fragile as investors continue to weigh up the latest developments in the banking sector both in the U.S. and in Europe," City Index analyst Fiona Cincotta told Reuters.

According to INGs head of commodities strategy, who spoke to Bloomberg, External factors continue to dictate price action for oil. The scale of the selloff in oil will likely be a concern for OPEC+, but they are unlikely to take quick action, instead they will probably wait for the dust to settle.

OPEC+, for its part, demonstrated calm, attributing the price drop to financial industry fears, with several delegates telling Reuters that they expected the situation to normalize soon as it was not caused by any change in the balance between supply and demand.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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The battle over nuclear energy's role in the EU's renewable energy future is far from over, with Germany, Spain, and other EU countries fighting to keep nuclear energy from counting when it comes to calculating renewable energy targets, a letter seen by Reuters suggests.

France has made it clear that low-carbon hydrogen derived from nuclear energy should indeed count toward the bloc's renewable energy tarts. Spain, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Portugal, strongly disagree. On Thursday, the group sent a letter to the rotating EU presidency, arguing that renewable targets should not include nuclear.

The EU is working towards establishing new renewable energy targets, but the stalemate over nuclear's role is hindering progress.

"Taking into account low-carbon hydrogen and low-carbon fuels in the 2030 (renewable energy) targets would decrease the ambition and slow down renewables deployment, which in turn would jeopardize the achievement of the climate targets," the letter reads in part.

The group has argued that while nuclear might be low-carbon, it is not renewable.

France relies on nuclear energy for 70% of its power, and any goals that don't include nuclear energy are unlikely to gain France's supporta reality that could result in a permanent stalemate when it comes to resetting the bloc's renewable targets. In December, nuclear power generation went a long way in alleviating a strain on its electricity grid as temperatures dropped below freezingbut avoiding power cuts as many had warned leading up to the colder weather.

France struggled last fall with nuclear power as more than half of its reactors were offline due to maintenance. Some argued at the time that France was in a tight spot with energy supply because of its slow rollout of renewable energy.

Another disagreement that is currently in the way of reaching a new renewable deal is Germany's balking at the car emissions agreement.

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Union officials in the Los Angeles Unified School District announced on Wednesday that tens of thousands of employees and teachers would strike for three days next week over delayed contract negotiations, effectively closing down the US' second-largest school system.

The LA school workers strike was scheduled to start on Tuesday. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which represents roughly 30,000 teachers' assistants, custodians, school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and other support employees, announced it during a demonstration, according to AP News.

The United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) has expressed support for the planned LA school workers strike. The organization represents 35,000 LA educators, counselors, and other staff members.

Teachers will "join our union siblings on the picket lines," according to a tweet from UTLA.

In 2019, teachers went on strike for six days over compensation and contract difficulties, although classes continued.

Read Also: Texas Judge Questions Safety of Abortion Pill

Employees Demand Better Wages, Services

Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho emailed parents on Monday that schools would likely shut down and virtual learning would be unavailable, per CBS News.

He noted they could not ensure "a safe and secure environment" for instruction during the LA school workers strike. Carvalho also claimed that the union was unresponsive to negotiations.

The Los Angeles school employees union demands "equitable wage increases," additional full-time employment, respectful treatment, and expanded staffing levels for better student services, CNN reported.

According to the union, most school employees are part-time and earn $25,000 a year, causing staffing issues.

The union also states that since April, its members have been in talks with the school system. The teachers union said that negotiations hit a stalemate in December, prompting the state to send in a mediator. The union reportedly said last month that 96% of its members voted to approve a school workers strike.

Over 500,000 learners are enrolled in the education system. It covers all or a portion of 25 additional cities and outlying county areas outside of Los Angeles.

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Two of Australias richest people, Andrew Forrest and Mike Cannon-Brookes, have submitted bids to buy Sun Cable, a solar company proposing to install the worlds longest subsea cable to send solar-generated power from Australia to Singapore, Bloomberg reported on Friday, quoting sources with knowledge of the matter.

Forrest and Cannon-Brookes are current investors in Sun Cable, but their dispute over funding plans for the $20-billion project led to the collapse of the company in January. Sun Cable was put under administration, with the company saying that The voluntary administration process will now unlock a path forward for the Company to access additional capital for continued development of its marque project, the Australia-Asia PowerLink (AAPowerLink) and progress the next stage of its development portfolio in a strong market.

Sun Cables Australia-Asia PowerLink was perhaps the most ambitious renewable energy project in Australia yet. With an original price tag of some $13 billion, the project would involve the construction of a massive solar farm in Australias Northern Territory with a capacity of 10 gigawatts (GW), later raised to 20 GW, which would make it the largest solar farm in the world.

The power produced at the farm would then be sent to Singapore via an undersea cable to Singapore or stored at a 50-MW battery storage facility.

The project was led by Mike Cannon-Brookes, the co-founder and co-chief executive of software company Atlassian, and Andrew Forrest, the mining magnate. The two locked horns over the costs and management of the project.

Sun Cables administrators FTI Consulting said earlier this week that the companys mega project had attracted strong interest from multiple parties, including offers from outside the pool of current shareholders.

The sale process has advertised Sun Cable as a complete development, including AAPowerlink, and the sale continues to be progressed on that basis, FTI Consulting added.

Andrew Forrests Squadron Energy is said to have been buying out Sun Cable creditors and could already be in a position to control creditor votes, Australias Financial Review reported on Thursday.

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Italian oil and gas major Eni SpA on Friday said it had discovered oil in the Sureste Basin offshore Mexico in a prospect that could contain around 200 million barrels of oil in place.

The discovery was made on the Yatzil exploration prospect in Block 7, which is located in the mid-deep water of the Cuenca Salina in the Sureste Basin.

This is not the first discovery for the Italian energy major in the basin. Three years ago, Eni announced a discovery in the Sureste Basin, saying it could contain between 200 and 300 million barrels of crude oil. That discovery was made in Block 10, in which Eni is the operator and holds the majority stake.

In Block 7, the joint venture partners include Eni, which is the operator with a 45% stake, Capricorn with 30%, and Citla Energy with a 25% interest.

Today, Eni said that Yatzil-1 is the second commitment well of Block 7 and the eighth successful one drilled by Eni in the Sureste Basin. The new oil discovery is located approximately 65 kilometers (40 miles) off the coast and 25-30 km (15-18 miles) away from other discoveries.

The successful result comes after the Saasken and Sayulita discoveries in Block 10 and confirms the value of Enis Mexican asset portfolio, contributing to the potential synergic cluster development of several prospects located nearby, Eni said in a statement on Friday.

Eni considers Mexico as a core country to its organic growth. Currently, the Area 1 phased development project led by a consortium comprising Eni produces more than 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boepd). The full project is expected to be completed by 2025, the Italian company said.

Eni, which has been present in Mexico since 2006, holds rights in eight exploration and production blocks  including six as operator, all located in the Sureste Basin in the Gulf of Mexico.

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A group of senior Republican legislators has called on the White House to do something about the deepening ties between Russia and China in the area of nuclear energy.

The call follows reports that Russias state nuclear energy company Rosatom was supplying enriched uranium to China. This, according to the legislators, could help China expand its nuclear weapons arsenal, the Financial Times reports.

??We call on the administration to view this co-operation for what it is, a direct threat to US security and more evidence that Russia and China are working in tandem against the United States, House members Mike Rogers, Michael McCaul, and Michael Turner wrote in a letter addressed to the U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

The authors chair the House armed services, foreign affairs, and intelligence committees.

Rosatoms pivotal role in helping the Russian military get around the international sanctions regime and its support for Chinas strategic nuclear build-up are threats to US national security, Michael McCaul, chair of the foreign affairs committee in the House, told the Financial Times. Its far past time to use the tools at our disposal to stop these destructive actions.

The Department of Defense wrote earlier this month that open-source outlets were reporting how Russia was sending enriched uranium to China. The uranium was to be used in so-called fast breeder reactors where plutonium can be produced and then used in warheads.

"It's very troubling to see Russia and China cooperating on this," an assistant defense secretary said.

"They may have talking points around it, but there's no getting around the fact that breeder reactors are plutonium, and plutonium is for weapons. So I think the [Defense] Department is concerned. And of course, it matches our concerns about China's increased expansion of its nuclear forces as well, because you need more plutonium for more weapons," John F. Plumb also said.

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Rolls-Royce has received funding from the UK Space Agency to develop a nuclear reactor for a Moon base.

The project will look into how nuclear power could be used to support a future base on the Moon for astronauts.

Scientists and engineers at the British company are working on the micro-reactor programme to develop technology that will provide power needed for humans to live and work on Earths natural satellite.

All space missions depend on a power source, to support systems for communications, life-support and science experiments.

Experts suggest nuclear power could potentially dramatically increase the length of lunar missions.

The UK Space Agency has announced 2.9m of new funding for the project, which will deliver an initial demonstration of a lunar modular nuclear reactor.

This comes after a 249,000 study funded by the UK Space Agency in 2022.

Science minister George Freeman said: Space exploration is the ultimate laboratory for so many of the transformational technologies we need on Earth: from materials to robotics, nutrition, cleantech and much more.

As we prepare to see humans return to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years, we are backing exciting research like this lunar modular reactor with Rolls-Royce to pioneer new power sources for a lunar base.

Partnerships like this, between British industry, the UK Space Agency and Government are helping to create jobs across our 16 billion Space Tech sector and help ensure the UK continues to be a major force in frontier science.

Rolls-Royce plans to have a reactor ready to send to the Moon by 2029.

It will work with a variety of collaborators including the University of Oxford, University of Bangor, University of Brighton, University of Sheffields Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and Nuclear AMRC.

Compared to other power systems, a relatively small and lightweight nuclear micro-reactor could enable continuous power regardless of location, available sunlight, and other environmental conditions.

Abi Clayton, director of future programmes for Rolls-Royce said: This funding will bring us further down the road in making the Micro-Reactor a reality, with the technology bringing immense benefits for both space and Earth.

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The technology will deliver the capability to support commercial and defence use cases alongside providing a solution to decarbonise industry and provide clean, safe and reliable energy.

Dr Paul Bate, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said: This innovative research by Rolls-Royce could lay the groundwork for powering continuous human presence on the Moon, while enhancing the wider UK space sector, creating jobs and generating further investment.

Rolls-Royce is currently at work on small, modular reactors to generate power to meet the UKs energy needs.

By CityAM

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The Kremlin says Russia is extending a deal that allows Ukraine to export grain through its Black Sea ports for another 60 days.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov's comments on March 17 come one day before the deal was set to expire. The pact can be extended only with Russia's agreement. Moscow had previously expressed dissatisfaction with the deal, hinting that it might not approve an extension.

It was unclear when an agreement on the extension would be signed. The United Nations Office in Geneva said discussions were ongoing.

Before the Black Sea Grain Initiative was agreed upon in late July 2022, Ukraine and other countries accused Russia of using hunger as a weapon by blockading Ukraine's Black Sea ports.

Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, and the United Nations reached the agreement, which also paved the way for Russian food and fertilizer to reach global markets. The shipments are monitored by a joint coordination center in Istanbul, including representatives of Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey.

The deal has enabled grain shipments to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.Ukraine and Russia are key global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil, and other food to those countries, and Russia was the world's top exporter of fertilizer before it launched its ongoing invasion of Ukraine last year in February.

The deal, which was first extended for four months on November 17, establishes a safe shipping corridor in the Black Sea and inspection procedures to address concerns that cargo vessels meant for grain might carry weapons or be used to launch attacks.

Last month, the United Nations food agency head warned that failure to renew the deal would be catastrophic as millions in Africa are on the cusp of famine.World Food Program (WFP) chief David Beasley said that the grain flows under the deal were still falling well short of the needs of poorer countries.

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Russian oil company Lukoil has said it now has rights to two offshore energy blocks in the Republic of Congo in partnership with Italian oil giant Eni.

The rights to the offshore blocks, known as Marine 24 and Marine 31, are now held by Lukoil with a 43% interest, Interfax said. Lukoil said that Congo accepted its application for the blocks, submitted with partner Eni.

The commercial terms for the venture have yet to be agreed on.

Lukoil already has a presence in the Republic of Congo in the Marine XII project, operated by Eni.

"First of all, we are interested in projects where Lukoil could act as operator. We have discussed a number of such opportunities today," Lukoil's Vice-President for America, Africa and the Middle East Ivan Romanovsky said after a meeting with the Congolese Minister of Hydrocarbons Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua.

Lukoil purchased a 25% stake in Marine XII in 2019 for $800 million. Eni, which holds a 65% stake in the project, signed a contract with China's Wison Heavy Industry to build an FLNG installation with a capacity of 2.4 million tonnes.

While Congo and Eni appear to be welcoming Lukoil with open arms, other projects Lukoil has sought to proceed with are being held up thanks to sanctions-related cold feet. In Ghana, Lukoil is looking to sell its stake in the Peacan field development because banks have been nervous about getting involved due to sanctions. Aker Energy, Lukoil's partner, also grew nervous about moving forward on the project with the private Russian oil company.

Lukoil also recently was approved by Iraq's Thi-Qar Oil to develop the Eridu oilfield after submitting a development plan back in 2021.

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WASHINGTON  The Biden administration said Monday that it is approving a huge oil-drilling project on Alaskas petroleum-rich North Slope, a major environmental decision by President Joe Biden that drew quick condemnation as flying in the face of his pledges to slow climate change.

The announcement came a day after the administration, in a move in the other direction toward conservation, said it would bar or limit drilling in some other areas of Alaska and the Arctic Ocean.

The approval of Conoco-Phillips big Willow drilling project by the Bureau of Land Management will allow three drill sites including up to 199 total wells. Two other drill sites proposed for the project will be denied. ConocoPhillips Chairman and CEO Ryan Lance called the order the right decision for Alaska and our nation.

The Houston-based company will relinquish rights to about 68,000 acres of existing leases in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

The order, one of the most significant of Interior Secretary Deb Haalands tenure, was not signed by her but rather by her deputy, Tommy Beaudreau, who grew up in Alaska and briefed state lawmakers on the project Monday. Haaland was notably silent on the project, which she had opposed as a New Mexico congresswoman before becoming Interior secretary two years ago.

Climate activists were outraged that Biden approved the project, which they say puts his climate legacy at risk. Allowing the drilling plan to go forward marks a major breach of Bidens campaign promise to stop new oil drilling on federal lands, they say.

However, administration officials were concerned that ConocoPhillips decades-old leases limited the governments legal ability to block the project and that courts might have ruled in the companys favor.

Mondays announcement is not likely to be the last word, with litigation expected from environmental groups.

The Willow project could produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil a day, create up to 2,500 jobs during construction and 300 long-term jobs, and generate billions of dollars in royalties and tax revenues for the federal, state and local governments, the company said.

The project, located in the federally designated National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, enjoys widespread political support in the state.
Ed Burchfield knows the crucial role the Strategic Air Command played in the United States Cold War victory over the Soviets.

The retired Air Force colonel served for years at SAC headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue, oversaw nuclear missile silos buried in central Montana and worked on SAC-related projects at the Pentagon. Burchfield is proud of that history. But the longtime board member of the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum  which he helped move to its current home near Ashland  now thinks the long-struggling SAC Museum needs to offer more than that history to survive.

The massive bombers, missiles and sleek fighter jets simply dont pull in young Nebraskans in 2023, he said.

As much as I love my brethren, who are old SAC guys, Hey, guys, we aint around anymore, said Burchfield, 79. The command is gone. And we got these big, greasy (aircraft) out here that are fun to watch and see and look at, but weve got to move on. And thats why space fits in.

The museums plan to place a greater emphasis on space travel came after the hiring of retired astronaut and Ashland native Clayton Anderson. The focus on space has rankled some retired Air Force and SAC veterans. But Anderson and others think it presents the latest chance for the museum to thrive  or simply survive  after a quarter-century history that has included 10 different directors and recent financial woes.

Anderson, 64, was on the museum board but was living in Houston when museum leaders convinced him to take the job as president and CEO. He moved back to work in his hometown with the goal of making the museum a gem of the Midwest.

The fact that the young boy that dreamed of being an astronaut three miles from where (the museum) stands is now back in that chair leading it  I think is important, Anderson said recently while sitting in his office on the museums upper floor. I think its fateful. I think Im supposed to be here doing this.

And do I know a lot about running a museum? No, but I didnt know a lot about being an astronaut, either. And that turned out pretty good.

Anderson first applied to become an astronaut in 1983 after graduating from Iowa State with a masters in aerospace engineering and starting work as a NASA engineer. He would apply 14 more times before being picked to join the astronaut corps in 1998.

In 2007, he worked for five months on the International Space Station, and in 2010, he spent 15 days in space on Space Shuttle Discovery. He retired from NASA in 2013. He now teaches part-time at Iowa State and has written five books, including an autobiography, The Ordinary Spaceman, and three childrens books, one of which comes out this summer.

His penchant for persistence should serve Anderson well at the museum because he faces a steep climb. Museums, including the one in Ashland, were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic  its tough to make any money when no one can come into your building.

Last year, the American Alliance of Museums released a survey of more than 700 museum directors that detailed the damage. Sixty percent of respondents reported experiencing pandemic-related financial losses since March 2020, with the average losses being a little over $791,000.

The museum field will take years to recover to pre-pandemic levels of staffing, revenue and attendance, said Laura Lott, the alliances president and CEO.

SAC Museum attendance still had not recovered in 2022. Only 103,000 people came through the museum doors last year, much below normal annual attendance, which has ranged from 120,000 to 140,000 visitors. In the recent pre-COVID past, Burchfield said, the SAC & Aerospace Museum was making good money on events  a lot of events out there. And the (school) field trips that the Sherwood Foundation was funding were doing very well. And so things were looking good  and then COVID came along and whack.

The museum did receive $500,000 in federal COVID relief aid, Anderson said. It also received a financial commitment from philanthropist Walter Scott Jr. just days before he died in September 2021.

As Burchfield tells it, Scott and some friends were on Scotts yacht, the Ice Bear. Scott told Omaha investment banker Mike Yanney to make sure the museum survives. And Mike said, it was reported to me, he said, Walter, Im not on the board. I dont know anything about that. And, as Walter often said, Mike, youre not listening to me. That was the end of the conversation.

Yanney confirmed Scotts directive, saying that Scott was talking to him and Calvin Sisson, who runs the Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation and now serves as chairman of the museum board. Scott, Yanney said, made a very solid point that we needed to get the (museum) back on track. And go do it.

In 1995, Scott, who at the time was the chairman and CEO of Kiewit, and Robert Daugherty, the founder of Valmont Industries, decided the SAC Museum needed a new home.

The Air Force Museum, which owned the aircraft and missiles on display at the museums then home at Offutt, had inspected the museum and found major violations of the loan agreement. Air Force Museum officials said that the SAC Museum needed to either protect the artifacts or they would take them back.

Daugherty and Scott committed $4 million each toward a new museum and convinced Omahan Lee Seemann, a decorated World War II pilot, to do the same. Organizers eventually raised an additional $20 million, and the 300,000-square-foot building opened near Mahoney State Park in May 1998.

The museum already has tried to put more emphasis on space. In 2001, museum officials announced that the name of the SAC Museum had been changed to the Strategic Air and Space Museum. This angered many SAC vets, but backers of the change said it would be easier to attract visitors to the museum with space exhibits and the word space in the name.

Any old SAC guy just went ballistic over the name of the museum, Burchfield said. But the trouble is, who gives the money? It aint the SAC guys. Military guys dont write big checks....

We need to make money. And if youre not making money, youre going to close the doors.

Over its 25-year history, the museum has had 10 different directors, a figure that includes most of the interim directors. Each change has represented a shift of focus  some of them minor, others significant  that has slowed its momentum, according to a former longtime museum employee who declined to be named.

Since Anderson took over, the finance and human relations director, the marketing director, the educational team, the curatorial team, the guest services manager and the events and rental coordinator have left, the former employee said.

Anderson said he has been working to replace many of those positions, while some other jobs are being contracted out.

The museums location  midway between Omaha and Lincoln off Interstate 80  always has been an issue, Burchfield said. You need a reason to get off of I-80 at Exit 426 ... gas, food, etc., he said. We were never able to make that happen.

And now, he said, with higher gas prices and some peoples preference for working from home after COVID, its difficult to attract a staff who will drive out and back every day. Burchfield admits the museum has lost a few good troops, but said Anderson is in the process of building his own team that will take on the work ethic of the leader.

Gary Gates, the immediate past chairman of the museum board, said the museum needs to stay current to succeed.

If you dont stay relevant ... with new exhibits, new ways of looking at things, you only get one, maybe two visits out of a person. But if you keep it relevant, theyll come back and back and back.

One such traveling exhibit, Above and Beyond, opened at the museum in January. The interactive exhibit lets visitors design and pilot a drone, fly with a flock of birds, see the world from outer space and experience a flight to Mars.

Besides the traveling exhibits, which often are costly, Anderson plans to add more permanent interactive exhibits.

When I was a kid, he said, we went to museums and we read everything ... It was all reading  there was no TV, there was no stuff to touch, no buttons to push, no iPad screens to slide on ... Kids and adults, they are entertained differently (today).

Anderson envisions one interactive exhibit that focuses on the three astronauts who formerly served at the Strategic Command, the unified command that succeeded SAC. He said he has spoken to all three, and they have agreed to help.

Instead of just reading about them  or him, for that matter  itd be way more cool if you walked up to the exhibit and a hologram (popped up) and stood next to you and there I was in that flight suit talking to you about it. Or something.

The museums former CEO and consultants came up with an $80 million plan that would have, among other things, continued the storyline of Nebraskas role in SACs history. The plan also would have added a space and missile gallery and a planetarium. But it still was Cold War-focused.

Anderson said he likes some aspects of the plan but wouldnt spend that much money. Instead, hes concentrating on linking SACs history of deterrence to space.

I think were a wonderful museum, he said, but I think we can be way more.

Its my belief that we cant be stuck in the past and the Cold War. Thats not what sells tickets. What sells tickets is the future, the SpaceX, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic. Robotics. Drones. Outer space. Space stations. So thats my goal here  start us on that path where we build on the history, but we dont just be history.
TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, is currently facing an investigation by the United States Department of Justice and the FBI over rumors that the social media app is being used to spy on journalists.

The two departments are trying to determine the series of events that led the Chinese company to use TikTok as a means of spying. One source said that the DOJ Criminal Division, Fraud Section, is working with the Office of the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

TikTok Spying on US Journalists?

They have subpoenaed information from ByteDance regarding the company's employees' efforts to access US journalists' locations or other private user data using the app. Two other sources said that the FBI was also conducting interviews related to the surveillance.

The parent company's use of TikTok to conduct surveillance among citizens of the United States was first reported in October. In December, according to Forbes, an internal company investigation confirmed this situation.

In a statement, ByteDance spokesperson Jennifer Banks said that they were strongly condemning the actions of the individuals who were found to have been involved in the incident. She added that they were no longer employed by the company and noted that the internal investigation was ongoing.

On the other hand, the Office of the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and the DOJ did not immediately respond to the incident. Furthermore, the FBI declined to comment regarding the recent developments.

The report is the first regarding the federal government's investigation of the TikTok parent company's surveillance practices. However, it remains to be seen whether or not the DOJ's subpoena is related to the FBI's interviews.

Read Also: White House Blast North Korean ICBM Launch

ByteDance's Surveillance Practices

Cristina Criddle, a UK-based journalist, was one of the targets of the alleged surveillance practice. She is known for leading a string of stories that revealed dozens of staff parted ways with TikTok's London office. According to the Financial Times, some were found to have worked 12-hour work days or were demoted after deciding to take some time off.

Employees of ByteDance located in China and the United States obtained Criddle's IP addresses and other personal data. They used these to assess whether or not she was near any ByteDance workers. Despite this incident, the company said that it found no information leaks.

The company was also found to have targeted a BuzzFeed reporter and several other users linked to the journalists through their TikTok accounts. On Thursday, ByteDance said they were cooperating with official investigations regarding the situation when they were brought to them.

The situation comes as ByteDance is facing mounting pressure urging it to sell its stake in TikTok. Company officials confirmed that American authorities warned them that TikTok could face a potential regional ban if its parent company does not separate itself from the video app.

In Congress, several lawmakers who have continuously criticized TikTok previously raised questions regarding its surveillance tactics. Engadget said they notably raised concern over ByteDance's acknowledgment that some of their employees inappropriately accessed US users' data.

Related Article: Video Released Over Russian Jet, US Drone Collision

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A Nebraska educator is being honored for his dedication to tribal college students and will receive a $1,200 gift for his work.

Michael Oltrogge, president of Nebraska Indian Community College in Macy, Nebraska, was named the 2022-23 Tribal College and University Honoree of the Year by the American Indian College Fund on Thursday.

The fund has been the largest charity in the U.S. to support Native higher education for more than 30 years, according to its website.

Cheryl Crazy Bull, president and CEO of the fund, said the organization was honored to recognize Oltrogge for his years of service to the college and to the tribal college movement.

We often hear of people who are dedicated, but I can personally attest that Dr. Oltrogges heart is focused on the well-being of students and their families, she said in a press release. His perseverance and creative approach to educational success and access makes it possible for tribal citizens to take full advantage of their college.

Oltrogge has been with the college since he was a first-generation student there in 1995. He has been president since 2004 and has focused on making sure students graduate without debt, fostering partnerships with local school districts, and increasing resources for the Santee Nation and Omaha Nation reservations.

Oltrogge said in a statement that working with students was and is the most fun part of my job.

Photos: New skate park opens on Omaha Nation Reservation
Wearing green top hats, shamrock necklaces and shirts emblazoned with the word Lucky, Omahans headed to bars Friday morning to celebrate St. Patricks Day.

Shortly after 9 a.m., groups of people walked toward Barretts Barleycorn Pub & Grill on Leavenworth Street. Omaha police officers, standing outside, opened the door of the pub for newcomers.

But further down Leavenworth Street, a different kind of celebration was happening in Omahas oldest active Catholic cemetery.

A line of cars climbed the hills of Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, finally stopping at a section that overlooks the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Men in kilts climbed out of their cars and waved to each other. The outdoor temperature was about 29 degrees, but no matter how cold or wet, Omahas Ancient Order of Hibernians arrive at this cemetery every St. Patricks Day to gather at the gravesite of Gen. John ONeill.

As one member played the bagpipes, the rest of the groups honor guard carried flags and marched, stopping in front of ONeills grave. They prayed. They sang.

ONeill, the namesake of the Nebraska town, was a fervent Irish nationalist who distinguished himself in the Civil War. He settled in Nebraska after a failed plan to invade Canada and force Great Britain to trade Ireland for its return.

John ONeill is an Irish patriot and we just honor his death and all his accomplishments throughout life, said Tim Lonergan, the current president of Omahas Ancient Order of Hibernians.

For Lonergan, St. Patricks Day means celebrating Irish culture and heritage in America.

What the English has done to Ireland for 700 years, its a way to show that we still fight, we still promote Ireland, our heritage is very important to us, Lonergan said.

Were resilient. Were here, said Richard Fitzgerald, a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. And at this point, to be Irish is to be against discrimination.

Fitzgerald pointed to how the Irish have opened their arms to Ukrainian refugees. According to an Irish Times article from last month, the number of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine and arriving in Ireland is close to 75,000.

To be Irish now is to be on the side of the people that are oppressed and put upon, Fitzgerald said.

After the ceremony at ONeills gravesite, many head to Mass at a nearby church and later they celebrate with a few pints.

Its a very somber day, Lonergan said. And just like a good Irish wake, after the wake and the religious aspect, were going to have a little celebration and honor our patron saint St. Patrick, honor Gen. ONeill and honor our heritage.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of March 2023
LINCOLN  As Nebraskas Legislature heads toward a debate over whether the state should drastically limit abortion access, one lawmaker is looking to give voters a say on the matter.

The Legislatures Health and Human Services Committee held a public hearing Thursday on two amendments that would enshrine abortion rights in Nebraskas Constitution. Both were introduced by State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, who has led opposition to recent attempts to restrict abortion access in the state.

Legislative Resolution 18CA seeks to amend Nebraskas Bill of Rights, adding the words reproductive freedom to the list of each individuals inalienable rights. LR 19CA would add a new section to the state constitution, establishing a persons right to make decisions related to their pregnancy, including contraception and abortion, and prohibiting the state from penalizing individuals based on those decisions.

If passed by lawmakers  an outcome that even Hunt acknowledged is improbable  each proposal would then go on the ballot in 2024 for voter approval. Legislative action is one of two ways to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot in Nebraska, with the other being a petition drive.

This is an issue that the Supreme Court has said goes to the states, Hunt said. And I think in Nebraska, the ultimate authority has to be the people.

Thursdays hearing drew dozens to testify both for and against each resolution. In addition, hundreds submitted written comments online, with more than 100 of them supporting both proposals, and over 400 opposing each one.

Aside from Hunts proposals, lawmakers are embroiled in a debate about Legislative Bill 626, which would ban most abortions in the state at around six weeks of pregnancy, once embryonic cardiac activity can be detected.

While Hunts amendments are unlikely to make it out of committee, the fate of LB 626 was thrown into question this week. A presumed supporter of the bill, Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, introduced an amendment to LB 626 on Wednesday that would ban abortions at 12 weeks instead of six. Riepe told reporters that he had signers remorse about co-sponsoring the legislation.

Losing Riepes support would threaten the ability of LB 626 to overcome a filibuster, but he clarified Thursday that he does plan to support the bill in a cloture vote.

Hunt said she opposes LB 626 and Riepes amendment.

Abortion rights have been a weighty topic in Nebraska the past two legislative sessions. The debate took on a new sense of urgency after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark abortion ruling Roe v. Wade in June.

Officials on both sides of debate have claimed the majority of Nebraskans agree with them, presenting competing data sets that paint different pictures on where public opinion stands.

Hunt argued that if LB 626s supporters are confident that the majority of voters agree with them, they shouldnt be opposed to putting the issue on the ballot.

If thats true, lets let them tell us, Hunt said.

Several supporters of the proposed constitutional amendments echoed that sentiment. Lisa Lewis, with the Jewish Federation of Omaha, argued that increasing restrictions on abortion would also be restricting Jewish traditions, which she said values a womans life over all else.

Meanwhile, opponents voiced many of the same arguments made in support of LB 626: that everyone has an inherent right to life, and abortions end some of those lives. Several argued that language in the proposals contradicts the inalienable right to life already established in the states Bill of Rights.

We cannot disregard that abortion is a death sentence, said opponent Steve Davies.

Opponents also criticized the resolutions for not placing any limitations on abortions, leading several testifiers to conclude that the proposals would effectively allow abortions up to full term. Hunt said she did not want to regulate this aspect of the law, as she believes the courts should decide this limitation.

Hunt conceded she does not believe her resolutions will advance out of committee  the same committee that advanced LB 626 several weeks ago. However, she expressed confidence that abortion rights will still make it on the Nebraska ballot through other means, such as a ballot initiative.

Photos: 2023 Nebraska legislative session
LINCOLN  Seven years after Nebraskans voted to reinstate the death penalty, an Omaha lawmaker wants to give them another chance to decide the issue.

State Sen. Terrell McKinney said Thursday that he introduced Legislative Resolution 17CA to provide that opportunity. The proposed constitutional amendment would eliminate the states death penalty and commute existing death sentences to life in prison.

He said he thinks Nebraskans have changed since 2016, when 60% voted to undo legislation repealing the death penalty. Since then, he said, people have gone through the pandemic and have gotten more information about capital punishment.

I do think it is something that should be put before the people, McKinney said at a hearing before the Judiciary Committee.

But he also said he introduced the measure without regard to the 2016 vote outcome because he strongly disagrees with the death penalty. In that, he is following in the footsteps of former Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, who represented the district before McKinney.

Chambers spent his long legislative career working to eliminate the death penalty. He succeeded in 2015, when conservative senators joined him to pass a repeal bill over Gov. Pete Ricketts veto. Voters reinstated capital punishment the following year, after Ricketts financed the referendum petition that put the issue on the ballot.

The last execution in the state was in 2018, when the state carried out the death penalty against Carey Dean Moore through lethal injection. The state currently does not have the drugs needed to carry out any more executions.

At Thursdays hearing, McKinney argued that the death penalty is unneeded because society can protect itself without executing people. He also said it costs more to provide the special prison unit and heightened legal protections required for death penalty cases.

Yet, he said, the death penalty carries the risk of putting innocent people to death. He said the Death Penalty Information Center reports that at least 190 people have been wrongly convicted and sentenced to death since 1973.

At the end of the day, murder is murder, McKinney said, adding that eliminating the death penalty is needed if we want to advance as a civilization.

Several testifiers echoed those themes in supporting the measure. No one spoke in opposition.

Three supporters were relatives of slain individuals. They included Miriam Thimm Kelle, whose brother was killed at a farm outside of Rulo, Nebraska; Jason Witmer, whose mother died from domestic violence; and Kurt Mesner, whose sister was murdered at a Quaker meeting house in Lincoln.

There is no healing in the death penalty, Witmer said.

Tom Venzor, executive director for the Nebraska Catholic Conference, said Catholic catechism was updated in 2018 to strengthen the churchs opposition to the death penalty. He said he believes the change has had an impact on Nebraskans views of capital punishment.

Elizabeth Osborne, who teaches religion at a Catholic high school, said she teaches her students that the death penalty conflicts with the dignity of human life and the sacredness of the person.

Photos: 2023 Nebraska legislative session
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TULSA, Okla.  Nebraskas Silas Allred made it two wins this month over the defending national champion in his weight class.

After Allred defeated Penn States Max Dean 6-3 in the Big Ten tournament 197-pound final, Allred knocked off Dean in the second round of the NCAA meet Thursday night, taking control for a 7-2 win.

Allred, competing at nationals for the first time, got a takedown in the final seconds of the second period for a 4-2 lead. He then put an exclamation point on the win with another takedown in the matchs final seconds.

That capped a successful opening day for the Huskers. Nebraska moved five of its seven wrestlers into Fridays quarterfinals.

Also going 2-0 on the day were Liam Cronin (125), Brock Hardy (141), Peyton Robb (157) and Mikey Labriola (174). Nebraska is tied for sixth in the team standings with 15.5 points. Penn State leads with 26, Iowa is next with 21.5.

Robb, who was ranked No. 1 before losing in the Big Ten final, was the most dominant Husker with two technical falls. In the second round, he beats Wisconsins Garrett Model 16-1.

Labriola, who like Robb was unbeaten this season before losing in the league final, moved into the quarters with a 3-1 win over Utah Valleys Demetrius Romero. Labriola trailed 1-0 after two periods, but scored the deciding takedown with about 35 seconds left.

Cronin, seeded third, and fourth-seeded Hardy each picked up a pair of fairly routine wins.

NU went 6-1 in the first round with Bubba Wilson providing the biggest surprise.

Wilson, seeded 25th after going 16-13 this season, was tied 1-1 with eighth-seeded Matthew Olguin of Oregon State at the end of regulation. Wilson then got a takedown in sudden victory for the 3-1 upset. Wilson lost 10-0 to ninth-seeded Shane Griffith in the second round.

Iowa moved five wrestlers into the quarters, including top seeds Spencer Lee (125) and Real Woods (141).

Also at 197, North Carolina States Isaac Trumble, a Millard South grad, won his opening match but was pinned in the second round.
BLOOMINGTON  The 65th Annual Illinois Mennonite Relief Sale will be held from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, at the Interstate Center, 1106 Interstate Drive, in Bloomington.

Hundreds of volunteers donate time, money and items for the event, which is held to benefit local and international hunger relief efforts. Organizers say it has raised over $8.5 million for relief work throughout the United States and 45 other countries over the past 64 years.

Eighty percent of the net income from the sale is donated to the Mennonite Central Committee, an international relief agency in Pennsylvania, while 20% goes to volunteers who help provide food for the hungry in Central Illinois.

The event kicks off with a pancake and sausage breakfast from 6 a.m. to noon. The Dutch Market & Butcher Shoppe will open at 7 a.m. as well as other booths, including those featuring arts and handicrafts, needlework, quilts and a variety of food items, including curly fries and homemade ice cream.

The grand auction will begin at 8:30 a.m. and continue through the early afternoon or until sold out. Quilts and wall hangings will be up for auction starting at 9 a.m. Furniture and household items also will be auctioned.

A children's auction will be held at 10 a.m.

Starting at 11 a.m., ribeye steaks, butterfly pork chops, barbecues, pork burgers and hot dogs will be served.

The grand auction will continue at 11 a.m., with remaining items auctioned off at 1 p.m. after a prayer takes place at noon.

The event is free and open to the public. It takes place annually every third weekend in March, and typically is held over three days, but this year it is one day only.
BLOOMINGTON  A Decatur man pleaded guilty in McLean County court to one count of child pornography, a Class X felony.

Brandon J. Black, 34, was sentenced to nine years in the Illinois Department of Corrections beginning Thursday.

Prosecutors said that the offense was committed between Sept. 1 and Sept. 23, 2021, and the victim was under the age of 13.

The McLean County Sheriffs Office was dispatched to an address in Colfax on Sept. 23, 2021, where the father of the victim  who was 11 years old at the time  said the child was receiving inappropriate messages from Black over Snapchat, prosecutors said.

Black reportedly asked for photos in exchange for $50 and the father pretended to be the victim, sending Black a self-portrait commonly described as a selfie, prosecutors said.

The child called Black over FaceTime, which was recorded, and asked him for the money in exchange for the photo; he told her the photo was not worth $50, according to prosecutors.

The child later told authorities that Black said he would pay for a certain amount of special pictures, prosecutors said.

Questioned by the sheriffs office, Black acknowledged asking the victim for pictures but said he was not seeking sexual or perverted images, prosecutors said. Instead, he said, he wanted to compliment the child, who struggled with self-confidence issues.

Assistant States Attorney Mary Lawson said the victim and victims family accepted the terms of the plea agreement.

As part of the plea agreement, the remaining charges of attempt to produce child pornography (Class 3 felony), sexual exploitation of a child (Class 4 felony) and grooming (Class 4 felony) were dropped.

Judge Jason Chambers sentenced Black to nine years in prison to be followed by mandatory supervised release for a term of three years to natural life.

Black must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

Today in history: March 17 1762: St. Patricks Day 1905: Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1942: Douglas MacArthur 1969: Golda Meir 2003: George W. Bush 2010: Michael Jordan 2012: John Demjanjuk 2016: SeaWorld 2017: Rex Tillerson 2020: Kentucky Derby 2021: Ford Motor Company 2021: Joe Biden
NORMAL  The next frontier in STEM education? A pool at the Holiday Inn. With robots.

Twenty-three teams of high school students from around the state traveled to Normal on Friday to take part in the 2023 SeaPerch Underwater Robotics Regional Competition. Roughly 100 students faced off with their remotely operated vehicles (ROV) in the tournament-style competition, putting their skills in STEM to the test.

STEM education is extremely important, definitely in todays society, (and) making that connection from science, technology, engineering and mathematics in a real-life scenario, said Don Whitman, who teaches the STEM Capstone course at Normal Community High School.

Whitman had three teams participate. Other participating schools were Taylorville Junior High School, Illinois Valley Central High School, Glenwood High School, Collinsville High School, Evanston Township High School, Morton West High School, Minooka Community High School and Seneca High School.

SeaPerch is an underwater robotics program that equips students and teachers with the resources they need to learn about basic science and engineering concepts, tool safety, technical applications, problem solving and teamwork skills in a hands-on-way.

The competition, also sponsored by Illinois Technology Student Association and the Technology Education Association of Illinois, took place at the Holiday Inn, 8 Traders Circle, in Normal.

Event organizer Chris Merrill, a professor of technology at Illinois State University, said the company sponsors regional competitions and hosts an international competition with a network of schools across the world.

Merrill said the competition has teams  consisting of four students each  to build an ROV and navigate it in a pool where they need to pick up plastic rings that are both sunken to the bottom and floating on the surface.

The competition is a double-elimination style tournament with awards for the top three teams and a Best Dressed award to the team dressed in the best St. Patricks Day attire.

Although it is a competition, Merrill said the event is another opportunity for students to refine their communication and teamwork skills as they work through problem solving situations.

To me, an education in STEM is one of the key building skills that all employers will be looking for, Merrill said. Companies arent looking for followers, theyre looking for leaders and a STEM education is going to help prepare these kids for leadership opportunities.

Phillip Thornton, a career and technical education teacher at Illinois Valley Central High School in Chillicothe, said his students have been working on their vehicles in the classroom over the year. He plans to introduce an after-school program next year for students to return.

Theyre always trying to to make it better, Thornton said. Theyre not afraid to fail and they dont get frustrated if something doesnt work, so its really nice to see them step up and work those challenges and not be afraid to make changes.

Normal Community High School student Krishna Velagalety said he got interested in STEM-based classes after he took Introduction to Tech Concepts his freshmen year and got to work on carbon dioxide dragsters as well as other projects.

Theres a lot of teamwork involved, Velagalety said. So in the future, it will help us communicate better and be able to help others in group projects or other work environments.

Hudson Burrows, a senior at Normal Community High School, said a lot of the prerequisite courses helped him prepare for the capstone course and for later in life when he is working to become an engineer.

This class has given me a lot of hands-on experience with engineering in the STEM-related fields, Burrows said. It is a time-consuming class, but the hands-on aspect shows the realistic application of how it all translates to real-world concepts.

Evanston Township High School juniors Anika Radhakrishnan and Katalin Maji said it is also important to have a space for women, who have been historically underrepresented in STEM fields. Thats why they take part in the schools Women in STEM program, a partnership with Northwestern University.

Having a community of women allows the participants to feel more confident and supported as they work through different projects, Radhakrishnan said. Maji added that including women of color is especially important.

In a lot of spaces, women are deemed as second-class citizens, said Evanston Township High School junior Toluwanimi Adeosun. This is just a branch that women can feel at home and identify with people around them while not having to deal with competitions or other agendas.

2023 SeaPerch Underwater Robotics Regional Competition Winners First Place: Illinois Valley Central High School Second Place: Collinsville High School Third Place: Seneca High School Best Dressed: Collinsville High School

Share the fun from the Sharin' of the Green Parade Brendan Denison, Linda Bomya Mark Tremper, Sam Hazleton Jeremy Plue, Jenny Lee-Plue Donna Edward, Mary and John Burns Lauren and RC McBride, Neil and Shawn Finlen Maggie Bratcher, Kimberly Lindholm, Jaime Russell, Leah Forrest Kinsella and OMalley Families Kara and Zach Moffett Prescott family Bicyclists Ellie B and Bella Levine Jeannine Tomlinson, Kelli Kiefer Karen Stailey-Lander with Abbey Barrett Mings helping Emily Mings with her skate Cornbelter crew MIRA DeLong Family Emery, Jada, Frank and Wurth entry Paula Sweeney, Jamie Dorsey Dan Sweeney, Mark Dorsey Ella and Nick Gardner Kathleen Lorenz and supporters Supporting Andy Byars Neil Finlen, Keith Palmgren Scott Whitman, Dick Steffen
BLOOMINGTON  A new fee structure for farmers selling eggs, meats or other items that may require temperature control for safety at McLean County farmers markets was adopted by the County Board on Thursday.

In May, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law an amendment that would require farmers who sell food requiring temperature control to obtain a farmers market permit from each local health department that chooses to require one.

This would affect the sale of eggs, meat, poultry, dairy and frozen goods that are grown or produced on a licensed or permitted processing facility at farmers markets. The new law went into effect Jan. 1.

"It was a new statute that was put into effect and we had to add a section in the code to address that issue," McLean County Health Committee Chair Susan Schafer said.

The McLean County Board held a hearing in September to give the public the opportunity to comment on the creation of a McLean County farmers market permit. No public input was given during the hearing.

Tom Anderson, director of environmental health for McLean County, said farmers originally had to apply for a multiple event temporary food permit to sell these products. These permits, which were exclusive to McLean County, would last six months and cost $180.

The two new permits will be a $75 farmers market egg permit, which is good for a full year to farmers selling only eggs, and a $175 farmers market combination permit, which is available to farmers offering any combination of temperature-controlled products for a full year.

Farmers selling eggs must produce a valid Illinois egg license issued by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

The sale of meat products requires certification of inspection from the U.S. or Illinois departments of agriculture, and the sale of dairy products requires certification of inspection from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Permits will be valid for one calendar year with renewals due prior to beginning operation for the following year.

Only a farmer or farmer's employee as defined in the property tax code may apply for these permits.

The states producing the most fruits and vegetables States Producing the Most Fruits & Vegetables Fruits and veggies account for about a quarter of total production value of US crops Fruits and nuts account for about twice the economic value of veggies 10. Texas 9. New York 8. North Carolina 7. Michigan 6. Oregon 5. Georgia 4. Arizona 3. Florida 2. Washington 1. California
El Salvador said it imprisoned roughly 2,000 more inmates on Wednesday who are suspected of being gang members and have promised that they will never be released from the "impossible to escape" facility.

The additional inmates landed in the new Center for the Confinement of Terrorism last month as the country continues to crack down on its war on raging street gangs. President Nayib Bukele revealed new video footage of the mega prison and the new prisoners who were seen being hustled off buses and taken into the facility.

El Salvador's Mega Prison Gets New Inmates

The tattooed men were seen wearing white shorts inside the prison while barefoot and handcuffed. They were huddled together while crouching down and hanging their shaved heads before running into their jail cells.

In a Twitter post, Bukele said there were now 4,000 gang members imprisoned in the world's "most criticized prison." The latest arrests come as the mega prison has a capacity of 40,000 inmates, as per the New York Post.

Previous reports said the mega prison, which is 46 miles from the Central American capital, would hold inmates in eight separate buildings. Each of these was said to have 32 cells that could hold up to 100 prisoners. It was revealed that these cells only had two toilets and two sinks.

The global community considers El Salvador's mega-prison to be the largest of its kind in the Americas. The country's president also bragged about the facility being "impossible to escape" from.

While Bukele has recently taken a proactive approach to fighting against gangs in the country, the initiative has caused concerns among human rights observers. They argue that basic constitutional rights are being violated inside the mega prison. They are also worried that people are being detained without a warrant.

Read Also: UK Bans TikTok from Government Devices

"Impossible to Escape" Facility

The country's minister for justice and peace, Gustavo Villatoro, said that the imprisoned individuals would never return to the communities, the neighborhoods, the barrios, or the cities of El Salvador, according to Fox News.

Government officials have swept up roughly 65,000 gang members since the approval of Bukele's emergency powers in March last year. The decision also allowed him to approve and build the massive facility.

Roughly 3,500 detained individuals were set free, and the remaining 57,000 suspects are still waiting for their trials. El Salvador's government has widely publicized the massive prison, posting video footage of prisoner transfers and giving a detailed tour of the inside of the facility.

The situation comes as Bukele has also asked for another extension of the anti-gang emergency measures that he received. This would bring the crackdown into its 13th month. However, Congress must still approve the request, but many expect legislators to do so as they have already done so a dozen times before.

Bukele's initial request for emergency powers came after a surge in gang violence that led to the death of 62 people in a single night across El Salvador. For a long time, various street gangs, such as MS-13 and Barrio 18, have killed and extorted money from the country's residents, said Yahoo News.

Related Article: White House Blasts North Korea's ICBM Launch

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BLOOMINGTON  Local government officials, regional planners and the McLean County Farm Bureau want to know how fast internet access is in rural parts of the county.

In a news conference Wednesday, John McIntyre, chairman of the McLean County Board, urged residents to take a survey about their internet access and speeds in the hopes identifying the areas most in need of improvements.

"The primary reason that we are here today is to emphasize the importance of and to encourage everyone in the county to participate in taking the survey," he said.

The survey is open until March 31 and can be taken online at bloomingtonil.gov, normalil.gov and mcleancountyil.gov.

Paper copies of the survey are also available at most libraries in McLean County, McIntyre said.

The goal is to create a map of weak internet areas that would help to secure future state and federal funding for internet infrastructure improvements, the chairman said.

"This (survey) is highly important, helping to determine the amount of funding that we could receive in the future," McIntyre said.

Brian Dirks, president of the McLean County Farm Bureau, explained the benefits of high-speed internet in rural communities.

"Technology is a very important tool of today's farming for access to information about markets, weather, as well as precision agriculture equipment," Dirks said.

He said internet access while farmers are in the field is paramount to success.

"Sometimes you see a tractor with five monitors  because we're applying fertilizer at certain rates, which needs technology," Dirks said. "We are planting at certain populations. We have to keep those consistently."

Anthony Grant, assistant administrator for McLean County, said they will use the data collected to try to secure grant funds through Connect Illinois  a statewide initiative aimed at expanding broadband access as part of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's Rebuild Illinois infrastructure program.

However, Grant said the installation and implementation of faster internet infrastructure is up to private internet providers.

"Internet service providers are going to be the ones that are really going to drive this," Grant said. "It's going to be a private sector drive."

With the data from the survey, Grant said they will "identify projects that make sense with the private partnerships that we can establish from a county (perspective), and then we'll go ahead and apply for any of the funding that does become available."

Grant said in November 2022 the board acknowledged that "internet service in the rural parts of the county is a problem."

He said he learned about the opportunity to partner with local organizations like the Illinois Broadband Lab and Benton Institute for Broadband & Society to work toward improving broadband access in McLean County. The Illinois Soybean Association is helping to fund the project, which Grant said he anticipates taking about 18 weeks, from the survey to identifying projects and negotiating funding.

Hundreds fill up on Kiwanis pancake breakfast in Bloomington 022623-blm-loc-1pancakeday.JPG 022623-blm-loc-2pancakeday.JPG 022623-blm-loc-3pancakeday.JPG 022623-blm-loc-4pancakeday.JPG
How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region.

100 years ago

March 17, 1923: Observance of St. Patrick's Day in Bloomington of late years has been lacking in enthusiasm. On March 17, 1863, 50 years ago, there was a notable celebration. The Hibernian Benevolent Society was in charge and a parade was the opening feature of the day, starting at 2:30 p.m. from Main Street, or Liberty Block, as it was known then.

75 years ago

March 17, 1948: In a prepared statement, Paul Douglas, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, urged the appointment of Carl Vrooman of Bloomington to succeed Clinton P. Anderson when the latter resigns at secretary of agriculture.

50 years ago

March 17, 1973: Announcement was made by State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. that G. Robert Mecherle is the new deputy vice president of the Illinois Regional Office, succeeding Arthur V. Eifff, who retires May 1 after 45 years. John D. Napierski and Clyde Brockett were named assistant vice presidents.

25 years ago

March 17, 1998: What was once considered by neighbors as a controversial apartment complex on North Cottage Avenue in Normal was approved by the city council with no objectors present. Developer Darren Rogers plans to build a complex with 56 one-bedroom apartments and 34 two-bedroom units on a five-acre site off Cottage Avenue and east of Ashbrook Court in Normal.

101 years ago: See vintage Pantagraph ads from 1922 Gerthart's Union Gas and Electric Co. Hoover Dr. J.A. Moore Dentists Moberly & Klenner W.P. Garretson W.H. Roland Pease's Candy Thor 32 Electric Washing Machine The Kaiser's Story of the War Ike Livingston & Sons Gossard Corsets Cat'n Fiddle 'Stolen Moments' Case Model X The Johnson Transfer & Fuel Co. The Pantagraph want ads Franklin Motor Car Co. 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court' Calumet Baking Powder Mayer Livingston & Co. Newsmarket 'The Emperor Jones' 'California Fig Syrup'
South African police have said that the planned opposition protests on Monday are not a mere shutdown but an attempt to overthrow the government.



The opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is organising nationwide marches to protest against the country's power crisis and has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign.



"This is an attempt to overthrow the government. This is not a shutdown, but its anarchy," KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, said on Friday while briefing media on security plans to deal with threats posed by the protests.



The magnitude of threats differs from other planned shutdowns and that is why we have to be extra vigilant, Mr Mkhwanazi was quoted by local media as saying.



He said police have received no notices of any planned gatherings in the province, adding that over 18,000 security officers would be deployed during the march, eNCA TV reported.



President Ramaphosa on Thursday warned that anarchy will not be tolerated during the protests and called on security forces to "defend our people".



Mr Ramaphosa said the only way to get him out of office and power is through a vote.



Julius Malema, the EFF leader, insists the protests are not illegal and has warned that anyone who attempts to stop them would "meet their maker", News24 reported.

Source: BBC









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Arrest warrants have been issued by judges at the International Criminal Court for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Commissioner for Children's Rights.



In a statement, the ICC says they are suspected of the war crime of unlawfully deporting children, from Ukraine to Russia.



There are reasonable grounds to believe President Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for such deportations, the statement says, adding it is alleged to have taken place since he launched the full- scale invasion of Ukraine last February.



It says the same thing of his children's rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova.



Read Full Story .... HERE >>> :









Source: BBC









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The National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha has pleaded with the good people of the Volta region not to allow themselves to be used as just voting machines, producing votes for the NDC in only elections times.



In an interview with Volta-based Stone City FM which was also carried by Keta-based Sandcity Radio, the hardworking youth leader who is on a National Tour to all the 16 regions of the country stated, You are not voting machines. It should be a hand go; hand come affair. The Volta region has been loyal to the NDC since 1992. But what has been the reward for the region for this loyalty? The NPP has brought more development to this region despite our stay in office compared to the NDC. We have offered young people hope and will continue to make the development of young people our priority.



Explaining further on the development of the region by NPP government, The Road Master as he is affectionately called said We are constructing 8 district hospitals under Agenda 111 in the region which includes Agortime Ziope District, Agortoe in the Anloga District, Ave-Dakpa in the Akatsi North District, Adeheta in the Akatsi South District, Adaklu Waya in the Adaklu District, Kpeve New Town in the South Dayi District, Dzolokputa in the Ho West District and Ve-Golokwati Afadzato in the Afadzato South District.



Volta Regional Youth Resource Centre, the asphalting of roads, digitalization, 1D1F, creating job opportunities, the hosting of the 66th Independence Day in the Volta region among others. Under President Kuffour, we also had Health Insurance, Free Maternal Care, etc



He continued further, let us begin to have a conversation as to which of these two political parties have benefited more in terms of votes and which party has contributed more in terms of development. The youth of this region must do an analysis of the two parties and see which is good for the region in terms of development and progress.



On the current state of the economy, he indicated that yes, we, including his excellency the president have all admitted that we are in a crisis largely due to exogenous factors of Covid-19 and the war in Russia and Ukraine. Ghana was the faster's growing economy in the world somewhere in 2019, according to Reuters and Bloomberg. We were ahead of China and the USA.



"And it is only the NPP that can take us out of our current situation. Even our management of COVID-19 has been one of the best in the world. Under John Mahama and the NDC, when we were struck with mere cholera, we lost over 213 people in Ghana. If they couldn't manage mere cholera, how could they have managed COVID? Even in our current state, we are still not doing badly, our lights are still on, and we still get fuel at the pump to buy. In the UK, Spain, Italy, and Nigeria, there is a shortage of fuel. There is dumsor there too



The Youth Leader further argued that lets not fall for the NDC's propaganda, lies and treachery. They left office with virtually nothing left behind. All our statutory payments, GETFUND, NHIA, Common Fund, Road Fund, etc. were all in arrears. Even in the midst of all these difficulties, we still pay public sector workers monthly without delay, we still meet all our statutory payments obligations, our lights are still on, there is enough fuel at the pump, etc.



We have carried water, and we have carried wine, and we tell which one is heavier. Per the track record, it's evident that the NPP has done more to the development and progress of the Volta region than the NDC. It is now time for the good people of the Volta region, especially the youth, to reward the NPP by voting for us in 2024 to break the 8 and do more for the region



He concluded his interactive interview with an appeal to the region once more the NPP truly deserves a 3rd term based on our track record and performance. We have demonstrated enough commitment to solving the problems of the country more than the NDC. We have superior ideas and policy initiatives than NDC. I am not disappointed that Ghanaians are complaining because of the current economic difficulties. It is because they hold us in high esteem.



The National Youth Organiser has been on a National Tour to touch base with the youth and partys youth organisers and their deputies across the country. He is also using the opportunity to assess the strength of the party and energize the base of the party. He has been accompanied across the country by his two (2) deputies, Isaac Jay Hyde and Sandra Sarkodee-Addo. As well as the National Youth Wing Administrator, Prince A. A. Sadat.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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" " The arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin is seen in the press release from the International Criminal Court in The Hague, March 17, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. Jonathan Raa/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin March 17, 2023, over war crimes in Ukraine, alleging he bears "individual criminal responsibility" for abducting thousands of children from occupied parts of the country.

Russia's Commissioner for Children's Rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, was also cited by the court on similar charges.

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They mark the first arrest warrants the independent tribunal, based in The Hague, has issued since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

But the development will not guarantee the imminent arrest of Putin. The ICC, as it is often called, does not have its own police force and requires other supporting countries to enforce their warrants.

"The ICC is doing its part of work as a court of law. The judges issued arrest warrants. The execution depends on international cooperation," the court's president, Piotr Hofmanski, said in a statement March 17.

As Russian police aren't likely to arrest their country's leader, as long as Putin remains inside Russia, he is probably safe.

Since Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian government, Western powers and the United Nations have collected evidence of Russian violations of international humanitarian law, such as war crimes. This includes widespread sexual violence and the forced abduction and transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Since 1998, I have worked in securing forensic evidence of these types of crimes in Afghanistan, Guatemala and other places. To me, it is apparent that identifying and collecting evidence of international crimes like killing civilians during conflict is beyond the capabilities and resources of local police crime scene teams, criminal investigators and prosecutors.

It's also likely that the full extent of war crimes committed by both Ukraine and Russia won't be credibly investigated and possibly prosecuted until after the war finally ends.

It surprises me that arrest warrants would be issued for the abduction of Ukrainian children. In order to successfully prosecute this crime, investigators will need to show that not only did the alleged abductors take the children against their will, but that they also did not intend to return the children to their legal guardians. This can be more challenging to prove than other kinds of war crimes.

To put these upcoming indictments into perspective, it is also useful to remember that the International Criminal Court, an independent tribunal based in The Hague often known as the ICC, tends to focus on high-level cases that go after political leaders and is not tasked to provide answers to families of all victims.

" " Thousands of teddy bears on display at a protest in Brussels in February 2023 represented abducted Ukrainian children. Thierry Monasse/Getty Images
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A Russian Su-27 fighter jet releases fuel as it approaches the rear of a U.S. Air Force MQ-9, in what the Pentagon says was "an unsafe and unprofessional intercept" over the Black Sea. Credit: U.S. European Command video

The extraordinary footage of a Russian jet intercepting a US drone over the Black Sea earlier this week demonstrates just how potentially disastrous such encounters outside actual war zones can be.

Released by the Pentagon, the drone's own video captures the Russian aircraft apparently spraying the drone with fuel, then deliberately colliding with it. The incident matches similar aggressive displays by the Russian air force in the region, the Pentagon claimed.

But beyond such acts of brinkmanship connected to the war in Ukraine, the Black Sea confrontation highlights just how easily these military interactions might lead to war breaking out "accidentally."

We are seeing these close encounters of the military, naval and aviation kind increasingly often, too. In 2021, it was reported Russian aircraft and two coastguard ships shadowed a British warship near Crimea.

And last year, Australia's defense ministry said a Chinese fighter jet harassed one of its military aircraft in international airspace over the South China Sea. The risk of these dangerous "games" triggering something more serious is clearbut there are few rules or regulations preventing it.

Reckless behavior

All militaries must comply with basic international law on questions of safety, but there are large exemptions and separate arrangements that fill the gaps.

Historically, the US and Soviet Union led the way in creating some rules to control incidents on and over the high seas during the Cold War. The basic rule was that both sides should avoid risky maneuvers and "remain well clear to avoid risk of collision."

To reduce the risk of collisions, craft in close proximity should be able to communicate and, where possible, be visible. They should not simulate attacks on each other.

Later, Russia copied this agreement with 11 NATO countries, and an Indo-Pacific versionthe Code for Unplanned Encounters at Seawas added in 2014. While primarily between the US and China, at least half a dozen other countries have promised to abide by it.

Supplementary rules for air-to-air military encounters followed. These usefully added that "military aircrew should refrain from the use of uncivil language or unfriendly physical gestures." Other rules emphasized professional conduct, safe speeds and avoiding reckless behavior, "aerobatics and simulated attacks" or the "discharge of rockets, weapons, or other objects."

The US and Russia added a more specific agreement for Air Safety in Syria during the time they were operating in very close proximity, and when close calls in the air were reported.

But these are all "soft" rules. They're not treaty obligations with compliance mechanisms, and are only voluntarily adopted by some countries.

Furthermore, there are no precise definitions of "safe" speeds or distances. New technologiessuch as drones and other interception techniquesadd another level of unregulated complexity.

Missile tests

Few things are as frightening as missiles traveling towards or over another country without consent or warning. The original Soviet-era rule involved mutual notification of planned missile launches. But this only ever applied to intercontinental or submarine-launched missiles, not short-range weapons or missile defense systems.

Aside from some voluntary UN codes, the only other binding missile notification agreement is between Russia and China. China and the US do not directly share launch notification information, nor do the other nuclear powers.

Some, like North Korea and Iran, even violate the missile prohibitions directly placed on them by the UN Security Council.

War games and hotlines

Militaries need to practice. But this becomes risky when pretend can look very like an actual attackespecially when fear and paranoia are added to the mix.

North Korea is a modern example of this, but there have been incidents in the past of large-scale wargames almost sparking a nuclear exchange. In 1983, for example, misinterpreted military intelligence led to the US going to DEFCON 1the highest of the nuclear threat categoriesduring a tense period of the Cold War.

There were agreements about the notification of major strategic exercises between the US and Soviet Union, but beyond advance warning, even these failed to set out what best practice actually looks like (such as allowing observers or not allowing an exercise to look identical to a full-blown attack).

More importantly, there is no international law governing such questionsperhaps most critically, how leaders should be able to communicate directly, quickly and continuously.

A "hotline" was first agreed in 1963 after the Cuban Missile Crisis. While a direct link doesn't guarantee the phone will necessarily be answered or the subsequent conversation sincere, it does at least offer a channel to avoid confusion and de-escalate quickly.

A second-tier hotline allowing commanders on the ground to communicate directly is also useful, such as the one now linking Russian and American militaries to avoid an accidental clash over Ukraine.

But such dual systems are the exception, not the rule. Nor are hotlines particularly stablethe one between North and South Korea, for example, has been cut and restored numerous times. And they are not mandated by international lawemblematic of a wider situation where the risks of getting it wrong are very real indeed.

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Credit: Richard Crossley, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

It was 8:15 on a Saturday morning when Woody Goss' phone started buzzing.

Annoyed, he checked the screen to find that one of his birding groups was puzzling over a small white gull with distinctive black markings. The bird looked like a Ross's gulla very rare visitor from the high Arctic that last stopped for an extended visit at Chicago-area beaches in 1978.

But could it be?

Gossa "gull person" among birdershad no doubt. He ran out of the house and drove from Lakeview to Rainbow Beach on the South Side "faster than I'll admit to a reporter."

And there it was, 2,000 miles from its icy home.

"This is about as good as it gets for me, not just as a birder, but in life," said Goss, 34.

The bird that drew crowds of up to 200 people Saturday, and reappeared to the delight of onlookers at nearby Steelworkers Park on Tuesday and Wednesday, is indeed the long-awaited Ross's gull, according to John Bates, curator of birds at Chicago's Field Museum.

"It's absolutely happening," said Bates, who saw the bird foraging on the shoreline at Rainbow Beach on Saturday.

"Most of the time they're only above the Arctic Circle, and occasionally they wander down into the lower 48, but they often don't stay around very long. So the idea that this bird allowed itself to be seen by so many people was really fun," Bates said.

Bigger than a crow, with a small black beak and a lovely wash of soft pink across its breast and head during breeding season, the Ross's gull typically prefers places such as Siberia, northern Canada and the icy Arctic Ocean.

But every few years, for reasons that are not clearly understood, one of these hearty little seabirds will venture south to the United States, according to Bates. These visits can be very brief. About a dozen years ago, a Ross's gull was spotted at Montrose Beach. One person took a good photo, birders said, and then the gull was gone.

What really gets the birding community excited is when a Ross's gull stops in for a nice leisurely visit, and the last time that happened in Cook County was 1978.

A few years earlier, a Ross's gull appeared near Boston, drawing crowds of up to 3,000, according to The New York Times.

"You never know where it's going to be, and because of that, it has this kind of mythical reputation," Goss said.

This time, the storied bird made its initial appearance at Park 566, just north of Steelworkers Park. Dan Lory, 68, of Hyde Park, was doing his customary bird walk there when he spotted an unusual bird out of the corner of his eye. He thought it might be a Bonaparte's gull or a black-legged Kittiwake, but when he consulted his field guide there was only one identification that really made sense.

Lory posted a photo of the bird on Cook County Bird Chat, not even daring to say what he thought he had found, but the rest of the group confirmed his suspicionand within an hour close to 100 people had arrived on the scene.

Among those who have seen the bird in recent days is John Viramontes, 71, a retired accountant who lives in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood. During a break from the search at Rainbow Beach this week, he pulled up a photo on his camera that showed the distinctive m-shaped black markings along a young Ross's gull's upper wings; the short black beak; the dapper wedge-shaped tail.

Amanda Parrish, 37, a lab manager from Woodstock, managed to see the bird Saturday, despite crutches and a broken ankle. She was back for more Wednesday with friends from the McHenry County Audubon Society.

Also on the scene was Greg Neise, the American Birding Association's web czar and a longtime Chicago birder.

Neise had left his home in the west suburbs while the bird was still in view at Steelworkers Park in the South Chicago neighborhood, but by the time he arrived, it had flown north and disappeared.

"This is a 45-year-long saga," Neise said with a sigh. He was just 15 during the 1978 Ross's gull sightings, but he was there at North Avenue Beach, trying to get a look. The blizzard of 1978 had started, but birders stood their ground. Someone spotted the gull, and Neise ran over. Two experienced birders told him, "There it is," and just as they said it, the bird got up and started flying.

"It got it in my binoculars and it flew away into the snowstorm, and I never saw enough on it to identify it for myself," Neise said.

Then, about 10 years ago, he tried again. He did manage to see a Ross's gull in Cherry Creek, Colorado. It was way out in the water, but then it started flying toward him.

"It comes flying in, and as it gets close, my camera malfunctionsand it came right in front of us," Neise said.

Neise joined about 15 birders at Steelworkers Park, in a trash-strewn field perched above the copper-green waters of Lake Michigan. The wind blew, fingers grew stiff, but the mood was upbeat as birders with powerful scopes on tripods peered out over a channel where the bird had been seen earlier that day.

Birders had come in from as far as Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota.

"It's a good day for a drive anyway, and let's keep our fingers crossed," said Kris Knutson of Berrien County, Michigan, a birder of 30 years who made the trek with her husband, Denis Fortin, a teacher.

Darlene Friedman, a retired veterinarian who drove in from the Detroit area with a friend, said they had missed the gull by about 15 minutes.

Neise stayed at Steelworkers Park on Wednesday afternoon, holding a camera as big as his forearm and chatting with a fellow birder, Tom Lally of Chicago. They looked into the pale winter sky, they scanned the bright waters, they speculated as to their target's whereabouts.

"It could be sitting in a grassy field, just loafing," Neise said.

"It could be in the slip at 92nd," Lally mused.

Birds did show up. A male red-breasted merganser with a jade-green Mohawk settled in on a tiny stretch of beach across from the birders, as if waiting patiently for his close-up.

A kestrel, America's smallest falcon, sat high up in a tree, bright orange markings on full display. With the aid of one of the birders' scopes, you could even see the tiny legs of the mouse the bird held in its claws.

Snow-white gulls soared majestically overhead. Red-winged blackbirds called out their electric "twe-ee-ee-ee-ee."

And still, the birders waited.

Finally, at about 6 p.m., with the sky over the lake blushing faintly and dusk just starting to fall, Neise was ready to leave. In a nod to his previous bad luck with the Ross's gull, he told the crowd of about 20 that the bird, which he had missed earlier in the day by about an hour, would likely show up within 15 minutes of his departure.

Asked how he was feeling, he laughed and declared the defeat "par for the course."

"Decades of disappointment!" Neise said. "You just kind of have to say, 'Pile it on! I'll take it.'"

2023 Chicago Tribune.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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Fraction of the respondents from West and East who believe that the financial security is the responsibility of the state. Unbalanced sample. Credit: German Economic Review (2023). DOI: 10.1515/ger-2022-0042

Even after 27 years of reunification, East Germans are still more likely to be pro-state support than their Western counterparts, a new study published in German Economic Review finds. Of the sample studied, 48% of respondents from the East said it was the government's duty to support the family compared to 35% from the West.

The study led by Prof. Nicola Fuchs-Schundeln of Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany builds on her earlier work which evaluated results from the German Socio-Economic Panel, a regular survey of around 15,000 households. The survey has been running in the federal states that made up West Germany since 1984 and in those of the former East Germany since 1990.

In 1997 and 2002, respondents were asked who they thought should provide financial protection for groups such as families, the elderly, the sick and disabled, and so on, using a scale from one (only the state) to five (only private forces). This question was asked again in 2017, allowing Fuchs-Schundeln and the paper's co-author Mariia Bondar to see how preferences were further changing over time.

West and East Germans have been moving towards a common level of preference for state support over the years. However, the extra results from 2017 indicate this rate of convergence is slowing. "In our original study, we concluded that if the convergence continued at its original pace we wouldn't see any differences in one or two generations," said Fuchs-Schundeln. "However, that wasn't the case."

Interestingly, East German preferences for more state support appear to be passed on to the next generation. The researchers found that people born between 1990 and 1999 (that is, after reunification) who had at least one parent from the former GDR were significantly more likely to think that it was the state's responsibility to provide financial security for families and the elderly.

"That means that living under different systems can have really long-lasting effects on preferences, which are passed down from one generation to the next," said Fuchs-Schundeln.

These results highlight that even though unification happened in 1990, key differences still survive. "It's a bit of a call for action on how we can generate a more unified Germany," said Fuchs-Schundeln. "It tells us we shouldn't take it for granted that separation is not a topic anymore."

More information: Mariia Bondar et al, Good Bye Lenin Revisited: East-West Preferences Three Decades after German Reunification, German Economic Review (2023). DOI: 10.1515/ger-2022-0042

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Japanese knotweed growing on a bank. The invasive species has been calculated to cost more than 165 million to manage every year in the UK alone. Credit: Swansea University

New Swansea University research has looked at the long-term environmental impact of different methods to control Japanese knotweed.

The invasive species has been calculated to cost more than 165 million to manage every year in the UK alone. Its presence can blight property purchases for households across the country.

This has led to the development of different ways of trying to control it but with sustainability becoming increasingly important, understanding the effect of these management methods is vital.

A new study, led by biosciences lecturer Dr. Sophie Hocking and looking at the entire life cycle and long term impacts of different management approaches, has just been published in online journal Scientific Reports.

Dr. Hocking said, "In light of the current climate emergency and biodiversity crisis, invasive species management and sustainability have never been so important."

"Both of these are intrinsically linkedwe know that invasive species can cause substantial negative ecological, social and economic impacts, and the way we manage these species should mitigate against this in a sustainable way to ensure we are not doing more harm than good."

"Although there has been more research into how we can best manage the plant, little is known about how sustainable these approaches are."

This study follows on from previous research which has put Swansea University at the forefront of Japanese knotweed expertise and understanding.

Back in 2012 Professor Dan Eastwood and Dr. Dan Jones launched the world's largest knotweed control field trial which tested the main physical, chemical and integrated methods of controlling the species. The research has been undertaken in close partnership with Complete Weed Control's Managing Director Ian Graham and Advanced Invasives, a spinout company, headed by Dr. Jones.

This field study provided valuable information for Dr. Hocking's work. Using a life cycle assessment (LCA)a methodology for assessing environmental impacts associated with all the stages of the life cycle of a commercial processto find out the relative environmental impacts of a range of chemical and physiochemical knotweed management methods.

The researchers went beyond a focus on the use and end-of life if these methods and assessed the environmental impacts of different management methods including the production of materials and herbicides required to achieve knotweed control; something that is often overlooked when we evaluate sustainability. For the study, the team selected methods commonly used for knotweed management and used real-world data on time consumption, amount of materials used and economic costs to evaluate their relative environmental impacts.

Of the methods tested, they found that the simplest approachglyphosate-based foliar spray control methodsused the least materials, had the lowest environmental impacts, the lowest economic costs and is, therefore, the most sustainable approach to tackle knotweed management. The findings are of significance to those working with or are affected by the presence of Japanese knotweed on their land

Dr. Hocking added, "Currently there is a big conversation around the sustainability of herbicides and the ecological and human-health impacts of this. Social perceptions of the ways we manage invasive plants are really important, but we need our understanding of sustainability to be rooted in empirical evidence."

"We hope that this research will contribute to our wider understanding of the sustainability of different approaches in invasive plant management and help to inform current knotweed management practice."

More information: Sophie Hocking et al, Assessing the relative impacts and economic costs of Japanese knotweed management methods, Scientific Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30366-9 Journal information: Scientific Reports
Best-selling author and Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson responds to allegations that she abused staff during the 2020 presidential campaign after she recently launched her second bid for the highest position in the country.

She has built a career preaching love and forgiveness and has used it as the cornerstone for her second Democratic campaign for president. However, the people who have worked with her during her transition to the political scene argue that her persona is the complete opposite of her behavior.

Marianne Williamson's Alleged Temperament

A dozen interviewed people said that when they worked for Williamson's 2020 presidential campaign, she was verbally and emotionally abusive towards them. They added that the best-selling author, who is also a spiritual adviser, subjected her staff to unpredictable, explosive episodes of anger.

The people said that Williamson was sometimes cruel and demeaning to her staff, arguing that her behavior went far beyond the typical stress of a grueling presidential cycle. A former staffer who was kept anonymous said that the author's demeanor was comparable to a "foaming, spitting, uncontrollable rage," as per Politico.

They added that the incident was traumatic and simply "terrifying." Williamson is accused of throwing her phone at staffers. They added that her outbursts could become so loud that two former aides said there were at least four times when hotel staff knocked on her door to check on the situation.

At one point, Williamson became so angry about the logistics of a campaign trip to South Carolina that she argued it was poorly planned. She then pounded a car door until her hand began to swell. She ultimately had to go to an urgent care facility to treat her injury.

All 12 former staffers who were interviewed recollected moments when their former boss would scream at people until she forced them to cry. A former US congressman, Paul Hodes, was presented with details of the reporting where he said that such descriptions of Williamson mirrored his own experiences with her.

Read Also: FBI Arrests Guo Wengui Over $1 Billion Fraud Conspiracy

Claims of Staff Abuse

But speaking on Thursday in an interview, Williamson said that the 12 anonymous staffers were simply a "hit piece" and a "distraction technique." Furthermore, according to BBC, she dismissed claims that she had episodes of extreme rage.

She acknowledged that she could "be a b**ch" at times in the office but argued that anyone could read what was expected in politics. Williamson said that she was not running for sainthood but for president of the United States.

The best-selling author also denied claims that she criticized anyone for their weight. Despite confirming the car door incident, she said she would never physically hurt another individual.

Hodes also emphasized that the United States deserves a president with the right temperament and noted how crucial it is to have calm leadership under pressure. He noted that the presidency is very stressful and that such circumstances would be second nature to the role, said Fox news.

Related Article: Ron DeSantis Criticized Over Ukraine Aid Remarks

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An illustration of two giant Cape zebras alongside a much smaller plains zebra. Credit: Maggie Newman

Tens of thousands of years ago, a huge horse species walked, trotted and galloped across the shifting sands of what is today South Africa's Cape south coast.

The Giant Cape Zebra (Equus capensis) weighed an estimated 450 kg. Its extant relatives in southern Africa are far smaller: the plains zebra weighs between 250 and 300 kg and the Cape mountain zebra is the smallest of all zebra species, with a mass of between 230 and 260 kg.

The Giant Cape Zebra became extinct just over 10,000 years ago. This may have been partly because of the loss of its preferred habitat of extensive grasslands, as rising sea levels flooded the vast Palaeo-Agulhas Plain. But until now it hasn't been clear how common the species was on the Cape south coast because its body fossils are predominantly from southern Africa's west coast.

That's where ichnologythe study of tracks and tracescomes in. Since 2007 our team has documented more than 350 fossil vertebrate tracksites along a 350 km stretch of the Cape south coast.

Now, by studying the tracks left by those galloping, walking and trotting zebra so long ago, we're able to say that they must have been a fairly regular sight on the landscape of the Cape south coast, and were more common than was suggested by the body fossil record in the area. This confirms the capacity of the body fossil record and ichnology to complement each other.

Being able to look back in time in this way doesn't just help scientists to better understand ancient landscapes. It's also an important part of understanding what's changed over time and the effects of climate change and humans.

Zebra crossings

In our recently published article we described how we have identified 26 equid tracksitesincluding tracks belonging to Equus capensisin aeolianites (cemented dunes) on South Africa's Cape south coast in the vicinity of towns like Still Bay and Plettenberg Bay.

The site with the long Giant Cape Zebra trackway. Credit: Jan De Vynck

This is especially exciting because equid tracks dating to the Pleistocene epoch, which started 2.6 million years ago and ended about 11,700 years ago, are rare. In fact, our finds mean that the Cape south coast accounts for the majority of the sites known globally from this time period (other sites are in Kenya, Ethiopia, Italy, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Americas).

Thirteen of the tracksites we found contain tracks 12 cm or greater in length, and eight contain tracks 10 cm or less in length (in the remaining five cases we could not access the tracks for measurement). Well preserved equid tracks are fairly distinctive: features include an unbroken hoof wall and what is known as a "frog" towards the center of the track.

We were able to attribute the large tracks to Equus capensis, and the small tracks to the quagga (Equus quagga quagga), the plains zebra subspecies that became extinct in the 19th century.

One of the Giant Cape Zebra sites comprises a single trackway containing 12 tracks. Another contains two probable quagga trackways that intersect at right angles, respectively containing ten and six tracks. We informally dubbed this the "zebra crossing." Such long fossil equid trackways are especially rare, as equids are often gregarious (resulting in trampled areas) and isolated trackways are unusual.

One other African example of a long equid trackway is from Laetoli in Tanzania from the older Pliocene Epoch. Sadly, the finest such site was in Nevada in the US, where a 50,000 year-old equid trackway contained 28 tracksbut it was covered in the 1930s during prison construction and is no longer accessible.

Through our Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating program, we have established an age range for the equid tracksites from about 161,000 years to about 43,000 years.

Looking backand ahead

Identifying and reporting the tracks of the Giant Cape Zebra allows us not only to imagine its presence on the Cape south coast many thousands of years ago, but also reminds us of how extinction often follows in the wake of climate change. And it allows scientists like ourselves working in southern Africa to contribute substantially to a relatively sparse global record of such sites.

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Cranium and mandible of an individual from Zongri (5213-3716 cal BP), an archaeological site from the Gonghe Basin in Qinghai, in the northeastern region of the Tibetan Plateau. Credit: Fu Qiaomei

The Tibetan Plateau, the highest and largest plateau above sea level, is one of the harshest environments settled by humans. It has a cold and arid environment and its elevation often surpasses 4000 meters above sea level (masl). The plateau covers a wide expanse of Asiaapproximately 2.5 million square kilometersand is home to over 7 million people, primarily belonging to the Tibetan and Sherpa ethnic groups.

However, our understanding of their origins and history on the plateau is patchy. Despite a rich archaeological context spanning the plateau, sampling of DNA from ancient humans has been limited to a thin slice of the southwestern plateau in the Himalayas.

Now, a study published in Science Advances led by Prof. Fu Qiaomei from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has filled this gap by sequencing the genomes of 89 ancient humans dating back to 5100 BP from 29 archaeological sites spanning the Tibetan Plateau.

The researchers found that ancient humans living across the plateau share a single origin, deriving from a northern East Asian population that admixed with a deeply diverged, yet unsampled, human population.

"This pattern is found in populations since 5100 years ago, prior to the arrival of domesticated crops on the plateau," said Prof. Fu. She noted that the introduction of northern East Asian ancestry to plateau populations occurred before barley and wheat was introduced and was not associated with migrating wheat/barley agriculturalists.

Chronological and geographic distribution of ancient individuals sampled from the Tibetan Plateau for this study. Credit: IVPP

A deeper comparison across the plateau reveals distinct genetic patterns prior to 2500 BP, indicating that three very different Tibetan populations occupied the northeastern, southern/central, and southern/southwestern regions of the plateau, with previously sampled plateau populations belonging only to the latter group.

Different population dynamics can be observed in these three regions. Northeastern populations younger than 4700 BP show an influx of additional northern East Asian ancestry in lower elevation regions (~3000 masl) such as the Gonghe Basin. However, this influx is not observed in higher elevation populations (~4000 masl) dating to 2800 BP just 500 km away.

An extended network of humans also lived along the Yarlung Tsangpo River, with a shared ancestry found in southern/southwestern populations dating to 3400 BP, western populations from Ngari Prefecture dating to 2300 BP, and southeastern populations from Nyingchi Prefecture dating to 2000 BP. The extended impact of these populations shows the important role this river valley played in Tibetan history.

"Between these two groups, central populations prior to 2500 BP share ancestry that differed from those further north and south. However, sampling of central populations after 1600 BP show that they share a closer genetic relationship to southern/southwestern populations. These patterns capture a dynamism in human populations on the plateau," said Melinda Yang, assistant professor at the University of Richmond and a previous postdoc at IVPP.

"While ancient plateau populations show primarily East Asian ancestry, Central Asian influences can be found in some ancient plateau populations," said Wang Hongru, professor at the Agricultural Genomics Institute in Shenzhen and a previous postdoc at IVPP. "Western populations show partial Central Asian ancestry as early as 2300 BP, and an individual dating to 1500 BP from the southwestern plateau additionally shows ancestry associated with Central Asian populations."

Excavation in a branch cave in the upper chamber of Sding Chung, an archaeological site from the Shigatse Prefecture of Xizang, in the southwestern region of the Tibetan Plateau. Credit: Li Ziyan, Sichuan University

Present-day Tibetans and Sherpas show heavy influence from lowland East Asian populations, with differing levels of gene flow correlating with longitude. This pattern is not observed across populations of older time transects, including those dating from 1200800 BP, indicating that lowland East Asian gene flow was largely a product of very recent human migration.

Previous research has shown that present-day plateau populations possess high frequencies of an endothelial Pas domain protein 1 (EPAS1) variant that is adaptive for living at high altitudes and likely originated from a past admixture event with the archaic humans known as Denisovans.

"Humans from this study show archaic ancestry typical of lowland East Asians, but the oldest individual dating to 5100 BP is homozygous for the adaptive variant," said Prof. Fu. "Thus, the arrival of this variant occurred prior to 5100 BP in the ancestral population that contributed to all plateau populations."

Through their broad spatiotemporal survey of ancient human DNA from the Tibetan Plateau, Prof. Fu and her team have revealed a Tibetan lineage that dates back to at least 5100 years ago on the Tibetan Plateau. The ancestral population diversified rapidly, such that three regional groups show unique historical patterns that began to merge after 2500 BP.

"This is the largest study of ancient genetics on the Tibetan Plateau to date," said Lu Hongliang, a professor at Sichuan University. The new evidence in this study on the formation of unique components in the ancient populations from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is highly reliant on collaboration between multiple archaeological teams and geneticists. Prof. Lu notes that "Analyzing ancient DNA allows us to go beyond the study of cultural interaction using only archaeological evidence, and to put forward new ideas for archaeological research on the plateau."

Future sampling is still needed, as the origin of the unsampled, deeply diverged ancestry found in all plateau populations is still unaccounted for. In addition, when and where the adaptive EPAS1 allele first entered the ancestral Tibetan population is still unknown.

But this study is a step in the right direction. "These genomes reveal a deep and diversified history of humans on the plateau," said Prof. Fu. "With these findings, we have a much better understanding of an important part of human history in Asia."

More information: Hongru Wang et al, Human genetic history on the Tibetan Plateau in the last 5,100 years, Science Advances (2023). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add5582. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.add5582 Journal information: Science Advances
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Graphical description of agent-based model showing list of model parameters and model components: (A) spotted lanternfly annual life cycle, (B) simple movement rules corresponding to annual movement (i.e., 1 year or time step) of a single individual (agent), (C) map of Maxent model-based estimate of spotted lanternfly potential probability of occurrence based on several environmental and landscape variables, (D) examples of simulated exponential pextremely modest amountsopulation growth dynamics, and (E) depiction of human-mediated movement events leading to newly established infestations. Credit: Scientific Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25989-3

Spring brings warmer weather, blooming flowers and the unfortunate re-emergence of the spotted lanternfly, a prolific invasive insect reviled for the havoc it wreaks on forests and cropland. Today, you may see egg massesbe sure to remove them if you doand soon the nymphs will hatch across the mid-Atlantic. Arriving from Asia, spotted lanternflies were first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014 and since have spread to more than 100 counties across 10 states.

How are these miniature menaces able to relocate far and wide? In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers from the University of Delaware, U.S. Forest Service, and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources found that the spread of the spotted lanternfly population is largely due to human-mediated dispersal via transportation. In other words, these expert hitchhikers are catching rides on our cars, trucks and trains.

"Spotted lanternflies can spread quickly into suitable habitat and have the potential to cause significant economic damage to crops and hardwood trees," said Tara Trammell, John Bartram Associate Professor of Urban Forestry in UD's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. "Studying potential dispersal mechanisms, such as human transportation, can help us develop management approaches to reduce further spread."

The research team simulated spotted lanternfly spread dynamics using agent-based models that incorporated information on habitat suitability, life history, movement and natural dispersal behaviors.

"We were quite surprised by the overwhelming effect of human-mediated dispersal in accurately predicting spread dynamics. This supported the current observational data and some of the long-distance jumps we know the spotted lanternfly has made," said Zach Ladin, supervisory wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and lead author on the study. Ladin is a UD alumnus and former postdoctoral researcher in Trammell's urban ecology lab.

Upon hatching, spotted lanternflies develop through four juvenile life stages and largely mobilize by crawling and jumping before they mature into winged adults. From June through September, both juveniles and adults are present, making this a critical time of year when human-mediated dispersal is most likely. This is also when mating and egg laying occur.

"The primary mode of human-mediated dispersal is still to be determined. For example, it could be egg masses laid on vehicles or gravid females hitchhiking on vehicles," said Ladin. "That would be a great follow-up experiment. Future studies could mark and track egg masses on train cars and measure egg mass survival, or mark and track hitchhiking nymphs and adults on tractor trailers."

Demonstrating the role of transportation and human behavior in dispersing the spotted lanternfly is a critical first step, but slowing the spread will require additional public education and outreach. If we do nothing to modify human behavior, the spotted lanternfly population will likely spread quickly to suitable habitat across the continent, with unpredictable ecological and economic impacts.

Ladin said that a few modifications could make a world of difference.

"The number one suggestion is to follow state recommended guidelines for monitoring vehicles. We suggest people in areas with established spotted lanternfly populations be vigilant when traveling across state lines and follow suggested protocols for monitoring their vehicles when going on long-distance trips," he said.

"Additionally, management and removal of the suite of host trees that spotted lanternflies use to reproduce will help diminish the number of individuals on the landscape, which can lower the likelihood of spotted lanternfly hitchhikers and the establishment in previously unoccupied habitat."

Managing spotted lanternfly in Delaware

Brian Kunkel, ornamentals integrated pest management specialist with UD's Cooperative Extension, notes that the management opportunities available to Delaware homeowners vary by season.

In the late spring, summer and early fall, insecticides and traps may provide some relief from spotted lanternfly infestations. In winter and early spring, scraping egg masses could help prevent the next generation of lantern flies from hatching.

Spotted lanternfly egg cases look like a smudge of brownish-gray dirt, several inches in length and an inch or two wide. Just underneath the top layer sit several rows of eggs. Removing a single egg case destroys one dozen or more potential lanternflies, helping to reduce the population. Kunkel suggests using a scraping object like the edge of a credit card or ice scraper to move the entire egg mass into a container with rubbing alcohol to ensure that no eggs survive removal.

Upon detecting and confirming the presence of spotted lanternflies in Sussex County, the Delaware Department of Agriculture expanded the spotted lanternfly quarantine to include the entire state, effective July 12, 2022. You can help officials track the movement of the lanternfly population by reporting any sightings.

More information: Zachary S. Ladin et al, Human-mediated dispersal drives the spread of the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), Scientific Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25989-3 Journal information: Scientific Reports
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This illustration shows NASA's Dragonfly rotorcraft-lander approaching a site on Saturn's exotic moon, Titan. Taking advantage of Titan's dense atmosphere and low gravity, Dragonfly will explore dozens of locations across the icy world, sampling and measuring the compositions of Titan's organic surface materials to characterize the habitability of Titan's environment and investigate the progression of prebiotic chemistry. Credit: NASA/JHU-APL

A new NASA mission to Saturn's giant moon, Titan, is due to launch in 2027. When it arrives in the mid-2030s, it will begin a journey of discovery that could bring about a new understanding of the development of life in the universe. This mission, called Dragonfly, will carry an instrument called the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer (DraMS), designed to help scientists hone in on the chemistry at work on Titan. It may also shed light on the kinds of chemical steps that occurred on Earth that ultimately led to the formation of life, called prebiotic chemistry.

Titan's abundant complex carbon-rich chemistry, interior ocean, and past presence of liquid water on the surface make it an ideal destination to study prebiotic chemical processes and the potential habitability of an extraterrestrial environment.

DraMS will allow scientists back on Earth to remotely study the chemical makeup of the Titanian surface. "We want to know if the type of chemistry that could be important for early pre-biochemical systems on Earth is taking place on Titan," explains Dr. Melissa Trainer of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.

Trainer is a planetary scientist and astrobiologist who specializes in Titan and is one of the Dragonfly mission's deputy principal investigators. She is also lead on the DraMS instrument, which will scan through measurements of samples from Titan's surface material for evidence of prebiotic chemistry.

To accomplish this, the Dragonfly robotic rotorcraft will capitalize on Titan's low gravity and dense atmosphere to fly between different points of interest on Titan's surface, spread as far as several miles apart. This allows Dragonfly to relocate its entire suite of instruments to a new site when the previous one has been fully explored, and provides access to samples in environments with a variety of geologic histories.

At each site, samples less than a gram in size will be drilled out of the surface by the Drill for Acquisition of Complex Organics (DrACO) and brought inside the lander's main body, to a place called the "attic" that houses the DraMS instrument. There, they will be irradiated by an onboard laser or vaporized in an oven to be measured by DraMS. A mass spectrometer is an instrument that analyzes the various chemical components of a sample by separating these components down into their base molecules and passing them through sensors for identification.

The colorful globe of Saturn's largest moon, Titan, passes in front of the planet and its rings in this true color snapshot from NASA's Cassini spacecraft. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

"DraMS is designed to look at the organic molecules that may be present on Titan, at their composition and distribution in different surface environments," says Trainer. Organic molecules contain carbon and are used by all known forms of life. They are of interest in understanding the formation of life because they can be created by living and non-living processes.

Mass spectrometers determine what's in a sample by ionizing the material (that is, bombarding it with energy so that the atoms therein become positively or negatively charged) and examining the chemical composition of the various compounds. This involves determining the relationship between the weight of the molecule and its charge, which serves as a signature for the compound.

DraMS was developed in part by the same team at Goddard which developed the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument suite aboard the Curiosity rover. DraMS is designed to survey samples of Titanian surface material in situ, using techniques tested on Mars with the SAM suite.

Trainer emphasized the benefits of this heritage. Dragonfly's scientists did not want to "reinvent the wheel" when it came to searching for organic compounds on Titan, and instead built on established methods which have been applied on Mars and elsewhere. "This design has given us an instrument that's very flexible, that can adapt to the different types of surface samples," says Trainer.

DraMS and other science instruments on Dragonfly are being designed and built under the direction of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, which manages the mission for NASA and is designing and building the rotorcraft-lander. The team includes key partners at Goddard, the French space agency (CNES, Paris, France), which is providing the Gas Chromatograph Module for DraMS that will provide an additional separation after leaving the oven, Lockheed Martin Space, Littleton, Colorado, NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Federal Airfield in California's Silicon Valley, NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, Penn State University, State College, Pennsylvania, Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego, California, Honeybee Robotics, Brooklyn, New York, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Cologne, Germany, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Tokyo, Japan.
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Buoyancy waves often leave ripples in clouds like those seen over the Pacific Ocean in this image from NASAs Terra satellite captured on Oct. 4, 2020. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/Joshua Stevens

A NASA rocket team is on the hunt for giant hurricane-like swirls in our upper atmosphere. These swirls, or vortices, may be key to upper atmospheric weather patterns that affect the entire globe. The Vorticity Experiment, or VortEx mission, is readying for a launch on March 17, 2023, from the Andya Space Center in Andenes, Norway.

If you've ever stood atop a mountain or tall building, you've probably noticed how gusty it gets up there. High-altitude winds are factored into architects' plans and pilots' routes, but their influence on our planet extends well beyond the typical human domain. These winds are sources of buoyancy waves: giant pulses of energy that drive changes at Earth's interface to space.

Buoyancy waves are common occurrences on Earth. "They could come from approaching storm fronts, or winds hitting the mountains and being sent upwards," said Gerald Lehmacher, a professor of physics at Clemson University in South Carolina and principal investigator for the Vorticity Experiment, or VortEx, mission.

Buoyancy waves form when a gust or disturbance suddenly pushes denser air upwards into a lower pressure region, creating an oscillation as the atmosphere tries to return to equilibrium. These oscillations lead to waves that propagate away from the disturbance, similar to ripples in a pond.

Although buoyancy waves are common, their effects higher up in the atmosphere are still poorly understood.

"In the broadest sense, this experiment is about learning about the fate of buoyancy waves at the edge of space," Lehmacher said.

VortEx is looking for one fate in particular: vortices. As buoyancy waves move upwards and pass through stable layers of our atmosphere, computer models have shown they can form giant swirls of air.

One of the rocket payloads is transported to the launch rail in Andenes, Norway. Credit: NASA

"They could turn into whirlsthis could be happening everywhere in the atmosphere, but we simply don't have the measurements to know," Lehmacher said.

Thought to stretch tens of miles from one side to the other, these vortices are too big to measure with conventional approaches. Lehmacher designed VortEx to overcome this limitation, measuring winds at widely separated locations.

The mission will use four rockets, launched two at a time. Each pair consists of one high-flyer and one low-flyer, launched a few minutes apart. The high-flyer, which will peak at approximately 224 miles (360 kilometers) altitude, will measure the winds. The low-flyer, reaching approximately 87 miles (140 kilometers) altitude, will measure air density, which affects how vortices form. Both rockets will make their measurements for a few minutes before falling back down into the Norwegian Sea.

To measure winds, the high-flying rocket will release luminescent clouds like those used in firework shows, tracking their motions from the ground. Most experiments of this type release the clouds from the rocket's payload. But to spread out the clouds to reveal larger-scale patterns, VortEx will eject four subpayloads at a time, each reaching a distance of about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from the rocket before releasing its own clouds.

This will happen at four different instances during the flight, for a total of 16 clouds at different heights and distances, which will help show large-scale patterns. Watching these clouds move, the VortEX team will look for any telltale signs of swirling. The team will then repeat the experiment, launching the second pair of rockets in different weather conditions either later that night or a few days later (depending on when conditions are favorable).

The VortEx team will also be watching for buoyancy waves from below. The Alomar Observatory, run by the Andya Space Center in Andenes, Norway, has the necessary ground-based radar and imaging systems to detect buoyancy waves happening in real time. The location also features the Scandinavian mountains, which run the length of Norway from north to south. They are a regular source of buoyancy waves as winds rush against the mountains and shoot up into the sky.

If VortEx finds vortices, it would be a key step forwards in understanding upper atmospheric weather, which affects GPS navigation and communication signals. Current computer models of upper atmospheric weather still struggle to account for the effects of buoyancy waves. Vortices could be the key, Lehmacher says, because they are more predictable than buoyancy waves themselves.

"Vortical structures follow certain universal rules that we could put into models to make them work at these scales," Lehmacher said. "Instead of tracking individual buoyancy waves, you would just describe them with a spectrum of vortices."
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The estimated transition rates among states from fits of the three color models that were better supported than the alternative models (Tables S1,2). These three models showed similar results except for a few transitions with very low estimated rates. The radius of each circle is proportional to the log-transformed number of species in the state. Arrow thickness reflects the estimated transition rates which are also given by the values listed next to each arrow (those transitions that are possible but not depicted have estimated rates not different from zero). Credit: Science (2023). DOI: 10.1126/science.ade5156

A trio of evolutionary biologists, two with Carleton University, the other with Seoul National University, has apparently solved the paradox of aposematismhow animals managed to evolve with bright colors to warn predators of their toxic nature. In their paper study, published in the journal Science, Karl Loeffler-Henry, Changku Kang and Thomas Sherratt, conducted an analysis of the family tree of over 1,000 frog, salamander and newt species.

For many years, evolutionary biologists have puzzled over the seeming paradox of aposematism, in which animals such as frogs develop bright colors to warn potential predators that eating them will make them sick or even kill them. How could such colors have evolved? Animals that stand out tend to be the first caught and eaten, preventing the evolution of even brighter colors from occurring. In this new effort, the research team set out to solve this riddle.

The work involved analyzing the family tree of 1,100 species of frogs, salamanders and newts, looking for evidence of evolution of aposematism in a new wayby breaking them down into more categories than previous effortsfive instead of two: conspicuous, cryptic, partially conspicuous, fully conspicuous and polymorphic.

They found that the ancestors of several species with aposematism had hidden colors, or in some cases, no color. In those with color, the ancestors had colors that could be displayed on demand. Such creatures tend to show their colors when fleeing, or as a signal. This, the researchers suggest, indicates that evolution of aposematism is likely a step-wise process.

A creature, such as a frog, first develops some amount of color as a signaling mechanism. Next, it develops a deterrent, such as warts that taste bad or venom that kills. Next, more color develops, and so on.

Eventually, a creature such as the dart frog evolves. Rather than attract predators, its neon bright colors warn of the serious risks involved in attacking or eating it. Just touching the skin of such a frog can bring serious repercussions, such as swelling, nausea and paralysis.

More information: Karl Loeffler-Henry et al, Evolutionary transitions from camouflage to aposematism: Hidden signals play a pivotal role, Science (2023). DOI: 10.1126/science.ade5156 Journal information: Science

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Groundwater Cl and age typically increase with depth. This is shown by the distribution of a chloride (mg/L), b radiocarbon (percent modern carbon (pmc)) and c groundwater age with depth from noble gas measurements. Cl concentrations are derived from the USGS NAWQA Database and USGS National Produced Waters Geochemical Database. Percent modern carbon data was compiled by Jasechko et al. (2017). Residence time estimates are compiled from a range of sources. Boxes extend to 25th and 75th percentiles and whiskers represent the extreme values or 1.5 times the interquartile range. Credit: Communications Earth & Environment (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-023-00697-6

New research out of the University of Saskatchewan (USask)'s Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS) is calling on hydrological researchers to reconceptualize the Earth's water cycle.

Lead author on the paper, Dr. Grant Ferguson (Ph.D.), with USask's College of Engineering, says that in hydrological research, there's been an important push in the past few decades to recognize groundwater and surface water as a single resource. This has had a big impact on water management policy as you wouldn't want to drill a well right next to a river without recognizing that the river was fed at least in part from groundwater.

But Ferguson's new research suggests all groundwater isn't created equal. Their paper published in Communications Earth & Environment found that while groundwater is never completely separate from surface water, there are depths at which the groundwater is only weakly connected to the rest of the hydrological cycle.

In some models, Ferguson says researchers have somewhat arbitrarily set the level at which the groundwater no longer interacts with the surface water. This research tries to put a more precise number on what depth that might be at.

"Some of the water down there is still  connected to the rest of the hydrologic cycle, but it might take centuries to millennia for those to pop back up and seep into some river somewhere," said Ferguson.

Co-author Dr. Jeffrey McDonnell (Ph.D.), a professor with the USask School of Environment and Sustainability, says this research could help change the water cycle diagrams we all see in middle school and high school in Canada.

"Rather than the rhythmic flow of water into and out of the ground, these updated diagrams will include the findings from this and other work, showing just how much water is 'stuck' underground and effectively cut off from the global water cycle," he said. "This is very different to how the cycle is currently portrayed where all that enters the ground ultimately returns to the rivers and oceans."

It has been estimated that there is 44 million cubic kilometers of groundwater on the planet, and previous research has estimated that two thirds of that is more than 12,000 years old. As a comparison, some surface water is less than three months old.

"These mysteries of why the water stored in the ground is so old when the river water is so young, are partly explained by these new findings," said McDonnell.

Modeling these systems is the focus of much hydrological research, and Ferguson said these findings could help to make those models more accurate.

The real-world implications of the research also can't be overlooked, with both Ferguson and McDonnell noting the research could change our understanding of groundwater contamination and its link to surface water.

"It's important to establish whether groundwater is isolated or not," Ferguson said, "because if we want to store nuclear waste, sequester CO 2 or for production and storage of both conventional and emerging energy sources, we need to know how these systems are connected to the rest of the hydrologic cycle."

More information: Grant Ferguson et al, Groundwater deeper than 500 m contributes less than 0.1% of global river discharge, Communications Earth & Environment (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-023-00697-6 Journal information: Communications Earth & Environment
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Credit: University de Liege

A new scientific study by researchers from the University of Liege (Belgium) shows that rivers in the Andean mountains contribute 35% and 72% of riverine emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and methane (CH 4 ) in the Amazon basin, the world's largest river. This study is published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.

Rivers contribute substantially to global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and methane (CH 4 ). The Amazon River, the World's largest river, plays an important role in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. "It is the largest river on the planet in terms of freshwater flow," explains Alberto Borges, FNRS Research Director at the FOCUS Research Unit at the University of Liege.

"We are talking about a discharge of 6,600 cubic kilometers of water per year. It is also the largest hydrographic basin with a surface area of 6,300,000 km2, which is comparable to the size of the United States of 9,834,000 km. In addition, the Amazon River drains the largest rainforest on the planet, which provides rivers with large amounts of organic carbon that is transformed by microbes into CO 2 and CH 4 , and then emitted across surface waters into the atmosphere."

The Amazon River originates (headwaters) in the Andes Mountains and flows through Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil to the Atlantic Ocean. The erosion of rocks at the river's headwaters in the Andes is the main source of mineral particles that are transported about 3,000 km across the South American continent to the river's mouth at Belem, Brazil, where they flow into the Atlantic Ocean.

"All the studies on CO 2 and CH 4 emissions to the atmosphere by Amazon rivers have been carried out so far in the plains of the central Amazon, at least 1,000 km from the Andes," says Alberto Borges, "whereas mountain rivers show very different rates of CO 2 and CH 4 emissions from those of lowland rivers."

Lowland rivers and mountain streams

There are three river systems nested in mountains and spread across plains. The first, the mountain stream, is small and flows rapidly over steep, rocky terrain. This promotes a vigorous physical exchange of gases with the atmosphere. In contrast, steep terrain does not allow for a large accumulation of soils that support the production of CO 2 and CH 4 .

The second system, the lowland river, is wide and winding, and spreads over flat terrain. The slower flow of water does not promote the physical exchange of gases with the atmosphere as vigorously as in mountain rivers. However, the higher temperature (lower altitude) allows for more vegetation (forests) to grow and the flat terrain allows for thicker soils to accumulate than in the mountains. This should favor the production and transport of CO 2 and CH 4 to lowland watercourses.

Finally, the flat terrain favors the development of floodplains connected to lowland rivers, which also supply the rivers with CO 2 and CH 4 .

"There is a third type of river system," explains Gonzalo Chiriboga, a doctoral student in the Chemical Oceanography Unit and first author of the article. "Located in the plains at the foot of mountain ranges, it is called a 'piedmont river'. From a physical point of view, these rivers resemble lowland rivers, but they receive massive amounts of particles from mountain rivers located upstream. These particles are temporarily deposited, then resuspended and transported further downstream until they reach the ocean."

And when the particles are deposited as sediment, this promotes the production of CH 4 through fermentation. So, figuratively speaking, piedmont rivers can be compared to CH factories.

Based on these theoretical considerations, we would expect CO 2 and CH 4 emissions to be very different in mountain, piedmont and lowland rivers. "CO 2 and CH 4 emissions have so far only been measured in lowland rivers in the central Amazon," the young researcher continues, "so we were missing potentially important pieces of the puzzle, which is crucial for the largest river on the planet."

One issue has now been addressed in the article that is published in Communications Earth & Environment, which presents data on Ecuador's mountain and piedmont rivers along an elevation transect ranging from 175m to 3990m. "We found that mountain rivers in the Andes have higher emissions than piedmont rivers, and are hot spots for CO 2 and CH 4 emissions, with significantly higher flux intensities than in the lowland rivers of the central Amazon."

The study shows that, together, streams and rivers in the headwaters and piedmont of the Andean mountains account for 35% of CO 2 and 72% of CH 4 of integrated riverine emissions at the basin scale.

More information: Chiriboga G. et al, Andean headwater and piedmont streams are hot spots of carbon dioxide and methane emissions in the Amazon basin, Communications Earth & Environment (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-023-00745-1 www.nature.com/articles/s43247-023-00745-1 Journal information: Communications Earth & Environment
FORT EDWARD  A Fort Edward couple was arrested on Thursday and accused of failing to pay subcontractors they hired to do work for their business.

On Oct. 19 at 7 p.m., New York State Police received a complaint that a general contractor stole money meant to pay subcontractors. According to police, an investigation determined the victim hired Property Pro Builders LLC to act as the general contractor and oversee the building of a home in Fort Ann.

The company is owned and operated by 37-year-old Mark A. Hafner II and 37-year-old Megan A. Hafner.

Police said the Hafners withdrew funds from a construction loan meant to pay subcontractors for completed work, but failed to fully reimburse them, which resulted in the couple keeping over $45,000.

Both charged with felony third-degree grand larceny.

The couple surrendered themselves to state police in Granville and were issued appearance tickets for Fort Ann Town Court.
FORT ANN The race in the village of Fort Ann ahead of the Tuesday election is anything but boring.

Former Fort Ann Village Mayor Russell Blair is hoping to win his seat back from the current village mayor, and one of the petitioners for the two Board of Trustees seats has been deemed ineligible.

Blair, who resigned from the position in 2017, is challenging current mayor Denis Langlois, originally from Canada.

Langlois was first appointed after Blairs resignation and then elected in 2019. In that election, of the 59 village residents whom exercised their right to vote, he secured 39 in his favor.

His tenure has not gone without a spectacle.

National news media outlets wrote about the small village, with a population of less than 500, regarding a statement Langlois posted on his personal Facebook page, in which he called Democratic voters retarded.

In a 2018 article from The Post-Star, he said he would not resign, and the two other village board members did not ask him to during their monthly meeting at the Village Hall.

Village Clerk Linda Blondin confirmed the village received two trustee petitions from Jeffrey Hamlin and Edward Sharrow, but noted a problem with the Hamlins petition.

She said since Jeff Hamlin does not live in the village of Fort Ann, his physical address is in Glens Falls, that means he cant run, Blondin said over the phone on Thursday. Im not really sure if he knows or understands that.

She explained Hamlin owns a business in the village and followed the proper steps to run for the seat.

The mayor has talked to him a few times about it. He did go around and get a petition signed and all that and he does have a business here, but that doesnt count, Blondin said.

The village conducts its own election independent from the Washington County Board of Elections, which Blondin said only provides them with the numbers and names of registered voters.

They (the county) doesnt really control it. They just send us a list of people that are registered, but as far as we know you have to be a resident to run, she said.

Sharrow, currently a member of the board, is seeking re-election.

Registered voters in the village can cast their vote on Tuesday from noon to 9 p.m. at the Village Hall, 67 Anne St., Fort Ann.

Jana DeCamilla is a staff writer who covers cops/courts, Queensbury, Warren County and Lake George. She can be reached at 518-903-9937 or jdecamilla@poststar.com.
Israelis conducted a new wave of protests after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected an offer of compromise over his administration's planned judicial reform.

The demonstrations resulted in clashes between mounted police and protesters who again blocked a major highway located in Tel Aviv. President Isaac Herog on Wednesday released a set of compromise proposals while warning of the potential bloodshed and "civil war."

Netanyahu Pushes With Judicial Reform

However, Netanyahu immediately rejected the president's plan and maintained his stance on the judicial reform bill. The protests in the country have only grown since the prime minister returned to power late last year. He leads the most right-wing, nationalist coalition in the country's history. He also promised to curb the powers of the nation's judiciary with his administration's latest reform plans.

The changes to the system would allow Netanyahu's government full control over the committee responsible for appointing judges. They would also be able to strip the Supreme Court of crucial powers to strike down legislation, as per BBC.

Despite the massive protests, Netanyahu argued that the reforms were designed to prevent the courts from overreaching their powers. He added that the public also voted for them at the last election.

On the other hand, many legal scholars said that the reforms would effectively destroy the independence of the judiciary. These remarks come as opposition figures describe them as an attempted "regime coup" by Netanyahu and his coalition.

Thousands of residents attended the protests on Thursday, which organizers said showed the people's "escalating resistance to dictatorship." Artists were also seen painting a red line along a street in Jerusalem before dawn. It led the Supreme Court, and they say that it signified the connection between "an independent judicial system and freedom of expression."

In a statement, choreographer Renana Raz said that they were attending the protests to protect the people's democracy and the country and because they feel that the nation is under brutal attack by Netanyahu's government, according to Reuters.

Read Also: White House Blasts North Korea's ICBM Launch

Resisting Dictatorship

On Wednesday, the prime minister said that the compromise the president outlined would not restore balance to the branches of government. Netanyahu's nationalist-religious coalition argues that the Supreme Court frequently intervenes in political matters that it has no mandate to rule on.

Several economists, legal experts, and former security chiefs have argued that Netanyahu's planned judicial reforms will cause chaos in the country's economy and isolate the nation internationally.

A former prime minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, who served from 2006 to 2008, attended the protesters on the streets. He said that this moment is different from previous political crises that the nation has gone through.

Olmert said that if you love Israel, you have to make it clear to Netanyahu's government that it is the country's enemy. He also said that he understands the stakes of the country's current crisis better than many others. He faced a court trial for corruption allegations and was also convicted of graft, said Vox News.

Related Article: El Salvador Imprisons 2,000 More Suspected Gang Members in Mega Prison

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QUEENSBURY  Hudson Headwaters Health Network announced on Wednesday, that Brittany Silvestri, vice president of population health, was recently awarded a 2023 Emerging Leader Award from the National Association of Community Health Centers.

Brittany Silvestri was one of only 14 nationwide to receive the award, which is part of the National Association of Community Health Centers, or NACHCs, collaboration with the Geiger Gibson Program at George Washington University.

The award celebrates young leaders whose work has helped further the health center mission of care and better health for medically underserved patients, communities and special populations, according to the Hudson Headwaters announcement.

Patti Hammond, Hudson Headwaters executive vice president and chief operating officer, attended Silvestris award ceremony, which kicked off the NACHC 2023 Policy & Issues Forum in Washington, D.C.

Brittany is well-deserving of this national recognition for her extraordinary work and dedication, Hammond said. Her enthusiastic and collaborative leadership keeps patient access at the forefront of all we do, including the expansion of telehealth visits and the implementation of team-based care at our health centers. Brittanys thoughtful approach is the kind of forward-thinking leadership that will help community health centers like ours to thrive in the generations ahead.

Originally from Granville, Silvestri started at Hudson Headwaters in 2019 as a regional practice leader and advanced to vice president of operations in 2021, becoming the youngest member of the senior leadership team.

She acquired operational oversight of 21 health centers throughout seven different counties.

According to the news release, during the pandemic she oversaw the implementation of drive-thru testing sites and vaccine transfers throughout rural communities.

She played a key role in Hudson Headwaters launch of a mobile health center in Washington County, which also helped deliver tests and vaccinations to children, migrant farm workers and other vulnerable populations during the height of the pandemic.

Most recently in 2023, she became the vice president of population health, overseeing programs and resources that address health improvement of the communities served by Hudson Headwaters.

I am so appreciative to my colleagues not only for their continued support but also for creating a space where we can all succeed, Silvestri said when accepting her award. I am truly honored and inspired to be in the company of so many transformational leaders throughout the country who work tirelessly to advance health equity in our communities.

Hudson Headwaters is a nonprofit network of 21 community-based primary care health centers serving patients of all ages from Saratoga County to the Canadian border, an area of about 7,400 square miles. The Networks comprehensive services include primary care, urgent care, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, behavioral health, dentistry and other specialties, along with laboratory and imaging services. Learn more at hhhn.org.
SEA ISLE CITY  An engineering report on the Spinnaker Condominiums South Tower found that balconies directly beneath the one that collapsed last month, killing a worker, need further investigation before they are deemed safe for use.

The report, prepared by Parallel Architectural Group of Long Branch, found the South Tower did not suffer significant structural damage due to the collapse.

But the three balconies directly beneath the collapse, attached to units 412, 512 and 612, need a more thorough investigation.

The report also found that other balconies not directly below the collapse were structurally intact but showed signs of deterioration and would need to undergo maintenance to avoid issues.

Worker Jose Pereira, 43, of Philadelphia, was killed Feb. 24 when the concrete balcony outside Unit 812 collapsed one floor below, where he was working.

As previously discussed, additional investigation is needed for the north side balconies associated with units 412, 512 and 612, and repairs must be completed for unit 912, the report states.

Work at time of fatal Sea Isle City balcony collapse lacked proper permitting SEA ISLE CITY  Records show the citys construction office had ordered a halt of work on an

The inspection was performed March 8 and 9 for the condominium association.

Robert J. Bernard of Kustera, Bernard & Fox Engineering Inc. performed the inspection, according to the report sent to building management Tuesday.

The report also found that while the other areas were not adversely impacted, there are issues regarding wear and deterioration.

While some repair work is required for the south side balconies, it is KB&Fs professional opinion that the south side can still be used for their intended purpose, Bernard wrote in his 41-page report. At this time, KB&F has no structural concerns regarding the use of the ground level area directly below the shored balconies. We understand, however, if ownership or others prefer to limit access to this area for other reasons.

It was unclear whether Spinnakers management would allow tenants with the attached balconies to use them.

Spinnakers manager couldnt be reached for comment Friday.

Sea Isle City condo remains vacant following balcony collapse SEA ISLE CITY  City officials said it is unknown when residents of the Spinnaker South Towe

The balconies below where the collapse happened are being supported by lumber, and access to them should not be granted, Bernards report states.

The review included what the engineers described as hammer sounding, a process that included searching for hollow sounds through repeated hammering that would indicate a structural weakness.

The balconies have been off limits since Pereira died. Records show Pereiras company, Ferguson Contracting Inc., of Yardley, Pennsylvania, has been cited for working without permits. The company was issued a termination order three days after the accident.

The stop-work order from the citys construction official was issued the day of the collapse, although city officials say it was issued after the incident as a precaution and to prevent further work.

In an email sent Monday to Leigh Ann Sittineri, an employee at the Spinnaker, Jordan Beahm of the Parallel Architectural Group, who prepared the report, said the North Towers balconies should remain closed until an assessment is completed.
ATLANTIC CITY  Lack of hot water and a crumbling facade are worrying residents of two more Atlantic City Housing Authority properties.

The complaints came as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development was in town to conduct a compliance review of the authority.

Residents of the 17-story Charles P. Jeffries Tower, one of the Housing Authoritys eight properties, say they have been without hot water for several days, and the neighboring Inlet Towers has scaffolding up to protect people from falling concrete.

Neither part-time interim Executive Director John Cooke nor board President Stephanie Marshall responded to requests for comment about the hot water and concrete problems this past week.

We have problems with water, maintenance, leakage and flooding, said Martin Collazo, a resident of Jeffries Towers for 4-years. We talk to management, but it takes months and months to repair things.

Infestations of mice and cockroaches are common, but those are usually taken care of, he said.

Atlantic City Housing Authority fires security, liaison guards at special meeting ATLANTIC CITY  The Atlantic City Housing Authority fired a security guard and a liaison gua

Collazo, who suffers from COPD and other health problems, said residents there are low-income seniors and the disabled.

Another Jeffries resident, Francis Smith, a disabled veteran, said water has been lukewarm since last March 10, and such problems have been happening on and off since December.

Weve been told its a problem with the boiler, Smith said. Its hard to take showers, and thats my major concern.

Heat is on, though, as is electricity, he said.

Smith has lived there five years and said he also worries about the structural conditions of Inlet and Jeffries towers because concrete has been falling off the facade of Inlet Towers. Scaffolding was up around the building Friday to protect pedestrians.

Atlantic City Housing Authority cites progress fixing violations at Stanley Holmes Village ATLANTIC CITY  A massive amount of work is underway to fix hundreds of health and safety vi

A Compliance Review is conducted by the HUD Office of Public Housing as a monitoring mechanism for public housing authorities that are at risk, HUD spokesperson Olga Alvarez said via email Friday.

Alvarez said hundreds of compliance reviews are done annually nationwide.

The review does a deep dive into the housing authorities Governance, Management, Financial, and Physical conditions, Alvarez said. The Atlantic City Housing Authority is just one of several the HUD New Jersey Office of Public Housing is conducting this year.

The reports that come out of the review will be public record once issued, Alvarez said.

Stanley Holmes Village issues

The Housing Authoritys problems with the oldest of its communities  Stanley Holmes Village  are well known. Residents at that 420-unit complex were without heat and hot water for much of October, November and part of December. And a city inspection done under emergency provisions found hundreds of health and safety violations.

HUD had also placed the authority on zero threshold status for several months, a move that ended in December. During that time, the authority had to get HUD approval to make even the smallest purchase or contracts. HUD said at the time it was because of concerns about the authoritys financial management.

Critics have questioned how Cooke can be the full-time executive director of the New Brunswick Housing Authority and a part-time interim executive director at the Princeton and Atlantic City housing authorities.

HUD does not have regulations/rules related to this topic, Alvarez said when asked if HUD does not get involved with personnel or contractual matters except to ensure the procurement process is followed.
WILDWOOD  If there were any fans of offshore wind energy proposals in the Wildwoods Convention Center on Thursday afternoon, they kept quiet during a congressional hearing on the issue, led by U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd.

Over about 2 hours, speakers dove into what they see as problems with the proposal for wind turbines off the coast of New Jersey and other Eastern states, and with the state and federal approval process they say favors the wind developers.

The hearing was billed as An Examination into Offshore Wind Industrialization. Leading things off was Van Drew, who described the proposal as a transfer of wealth from American taxpayers and utility rate payers to foreign power companies.

If offshore wind industrialization moves forward, it will be the most profound transformation of the Atlantic coast in the history of the United States of America, Van Drew said.

Also participating were U.S. Reps. Chris Smith, R-4th, and Andy Harris, R-Md.

Developers want to build thousands of Eiffel Tower-sized turbines that will line our horizons for decades, Van Drew said. Despite the gravity of this undertaking, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has engaged in a rushed and sloppy project and a sloppy approval process.

New Jersey does not appear deterred.

This month, the Board of Public Utilities voted to open a third offshore wind solicitation, with a goal of 11 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2040, powering millions of homes, with Gov. Phil Murphy casting the plan as an important step toward clean energy.

After opening statements, which were each deeply critical of the wind power plans, the Congress members heard from environmental advocates, an attorney representing Cape May County, a fishing industry member and others.

They did not hear from rsted, the Danish energy company that owns Ocean Wind 1, the offshore wind power project expected to be the first in operation off New Jersey.

Because rsted and the Biden administration refuse to share the facts with the American people, we will, Van Drew said.

Officials, crowd almost unanimously opposed to offshore wind at Ocean City meeting OCEAN CITY  Hundreds of people crowded the Ocean City Tabernacle on Wednesday for a public 

Van Drew said the company was invited and declined to attend.

Officials with the company said they have met with representatives of the fishing industry for years.

A statement released Thursday did not address why the company skipped the Wildwood meeting but said it is committed to helping New Jersey prepare for a clean energy future.

Since 2019, our Ocean Wind 1 project has been undergoing a complete and thorough federal review process as outlined by the National Environmental Policy Act and governed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, including a required environmental impact assessment that invited public comment during the summer of 2022. BOEMs 1,408-page Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Ocean Wind 1 includes 1,200 cited references from sources such as the US Coast Guard, the US Navy, and Cape May County, in addition to peer-reviewed experts, making it the most thoroughly researched and readily available document for public review, reads a statement from Maddy Urbish, head of government affairs for the project.

She said more than 100 parties were included in the permitting process, including local municipalities.

We have been transparent about our plans, and remain diligent in educating the public, local communities, commercial fishing representatives and stakeholders throughout the projects development, the statement reads. We will continue to answer questions and provide information about our proposed projects as they move through the federal and state review process.

In contrast, attorney Michael Donohue, representing Cape May County, said there are dozens of serious issues with the project proposal and said the permitting agencies do not want to listen to local concerns.

He argued the project, if completed, would have a devastating impact on the local tourism economy.

DEP: No credible evidence of wind work harming whales After a winter of national attention paid to the number of whales washing up dead on New Jer

With seating for about 400, the room was filled to capacity before the hearing began, with a long line still waiting to enter when the announcement came that no one else was getting in.

The large room had a curtain about halfway across, but officials with the Convention Center said fire officials would not allow anyone else in.

As the hearing began, chants of Let us in could be heard inside, but they died down as the hearing progressed.

The speakers could be heard throughout the building and outside on the Convention Center sound system, and it was livestreamed as well.

Van Drew asked those gathered not to call out or react to speakers, whether they agreed with them or not.

We have a large police presence here, and that person will be removed, he said.

There were multiple uniformed officers stationed outside the Convention Center, and several inside the meeting.

Still, there were plenty of cheers and applause for statements opposing offshore wind development, including for statements from Van Drew.

During the hearing, Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, said South Jersey has fought ocean dumping and offshore oil exploration in the past.

The ocean off the Jersey Shore is thriving with marine life. We must keep it that way, Zipf said.

Zipf said Clean Ocean Action could support wind power and that climate change is a real threat to marine life and communities. But she said not at the proposed scale to start, and added that land-based wind farms would be cheaper and easier.

Even a smaller-scale test project could be supported, she said, but not the current proposal.

Its too much too fast, she said, calling the plans reckless.

Bob Stern, of the group Save LBI, said the proposed wind power turbines offshore will be placed in the migratory path of the critically endangered right whale. He believes noise from the windmills will impact marine life behavior.

Donohue said local concerns must be taken more seriously in planning offshore wind.

Local and county elected officials are pushed aside, home rule is eliminated, local control and influence is gutted, Donohue said.

He said the BPU denied due process to the county and city, including discovery and cross examination of witnesses.

He also claimed the BPU disenfranchised voters in Ocean City and the county, overriding local objections and approving a route for power lines to the mainland across Ocean City. Donohue said Ocean City has filed an appeal, and Cape May County will likely soon do so as well.

Daniel LaVecchia, president of Lamonica Fine Foods, said sustainability of the commercial fishing industry is collateral damage in offshore wind plans, saying recommendations were ignored.

The deaths of multiple whales this winter, many of them washing ashore in New Jersey, have galvanized opposition to the wind power projects. State and federal authorities say there is no evidence that offshore survey work conducted for the projects had anything to do with the whale deaths, but some offshore wind power critics made that connection even after the first whale death took place, and most people at a meeting Wednesday evening in Ocean City appeared firmly convinced of a connection.
VOTE: Do you support wind energy off the coast of New Jersey? You voted: Yes No Vote View Results Back

WILDWOOD  If there were any fans of offshore wind energy proposals in the Wildwoods Convention Center on Thursday afternoon, they kept quiet during a congressional hearing on the issue, led by U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd.

Over about 2 hours, speakers dove into what they see as problems with the proposal for wind turbines off the coast of New Jersey and other Eastern states, and with the state and federal approval process they say favors the wind developers.

The hearing was billed as An Examination into Offshore Wind Industrialization. Leading things off was Van Drew, who described the proposal as a transfer of wealth from American taxpayers and utility rate payers to foreign power companies.

If offshore wind industrialization moves forward, it will be the most profound transformation of the Atlantic coast in the history of the United States of America, Van Drew said.

Also participating were U.S. Reps. Chris Smith, R-4th, and Andy Harris, R-Md.

Developers want to build thousands of Eiffel Tower-sized turbines that will line our horizons for decades, Van Drew said. Despite the gravity of this undertaking, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has engaged in a rushed and sloppy project and a sloppy approval process.

New Jersey does not appear deterred.

This month, the Board of Public Utilities voted to open a third offshore wind solicitation, with a goal of 11 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2040, powering millions of homes, with Gov. Phil Murphy casting the plan as an important step toward clean energy.

After opening statements, which were each deeply critical of the wind power plans, the Congress members heard from environmental advocates, an attorney representing Cape May County, a fishing industry member and others.

They did not hear from rsted, the Danish energy company that owns Ocean Wind 1, the offshore wind power project expected to be the first in operation off New Jersey.

Because rsted and the Biden administration refuse to share the facts with the American people, we will, Van Drew said.

Officials, crowd almost unanimously opposed to offshore wind at Ocean City meeting OCEAN CITY  Hundreds of people crowded the Ocean City Tabernacle on Wednesday for a public 

Van Drew said the company was invited and declined to attend.

Officials with the company said they have met with representatives of the fishing industry for years.

A statement released Thursday did not address why the company skipped the Wildwood meeting but said it is committed to helping New Jersey prepare for a clean energy future.

Since 2019, our Ocean Wind 1 project has been undergoing a complete and thorough federal review process as outlined by the National Environmental Policy Act and governed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, including a required environmental impact assessment that invited public comment during the summer of 2022. BOEMs 1,408-page Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Ocean Wind 1 includes 1,200 cited references from sources such as the US Coast Guard, the US Navy, and Cape May County, in addition to peer-reviewed experts, making it the most thoroughly researched and readily available document for public review, reads a statement from Maddy Urbish, head of government affairs for the project.

She said more than 100 parties were included in the permitting process, including local municipalities.

We have been transparent about our plans, and remain diligent in educating the public, local communities, commercial fishing representatives and stakeholders throughout the projects development, the statement reads. We will continue to answer questions and provide information about our proposed projects as they move through the federal and state review process.

In contrast, attorney Michael Donohue, representing Cape May County, said there are dozens of serious issues with the project proposal and said the permitting agencies do not want to listen to local concerns.

He argued the project, if completed, would have a devastating impact on the local tourism economy.

DEP: No credible evidence of wind work harming whales After a winter of national attention paid to the number of whales washing up dead on New Jer

With seating for about 400, the room was filled to capacity before the hearing began, with a long line still waiting to enter when the announcement came that no one else was getting in.

The large room had a curtain about halfway across, but officials with the Convention Center said fire officials would not allow anyone else in.

As the hearing began, chants of Let us in could be heard inside, but they died down as the hearing progressed.

The speakers could be heard throughout the building and outside on the Convention Center sound system, and it was livestreamed as well.

Van Drew asked those gathered not to call out or react to speakers, whether they agreed with them or not.

We have a large police presence here, and that person will be removed, he said.

There were multiple uniformed officers stationed outside the Convention Center, and several inside the meeting.

Still, there were plenty of cheers and applause for statements opposing offshore wind development, including for statements from Van Drew.

During the hearing, Cindy Zipf, executive director of Clean Ocean Action, said South Jersey has fought ocean dumping and offshore oil exploration in the past.

The ocean off the Jersey Shore is thriving with marine life. We must keep it that way, Zipf said.

Zipf said Clean Ocean Action could support wind power and that climate change is a real threat to marine life and communities. But she said not at the proposed scale to start, and added that land-based wind farms would be cheaper and easier.

Even a smaller-scale test project could be supported, she said, but not the current proposal.

Its too much too fast, she said, calling the plans reckless.

Bob Stern, of the group Save LBI, said the proposed wind power turbines offshore will be placed in the migratory path of the critically endangered right whale. He believes noise from the windmills will impact marine life behavior.

Donohue said local concerns must be taken more seriously in planning offshore wind.

Local and county elected officials are pushed aside, home rule is eliminated, local control and influence is gutted, Donohue said.

He said the BPU denied due process to the county and city, including discovery and cross examination of witnesses.

He also claimed the BPU disenfranchised voters in Ocean City and the county, overriding local objections and approving a route for power lines to the mainland across Ocean City. Donohue said Ocean City has filed an appeal, and Cape May County will likely soon do so as well.

Daniel LaVecchia, president of Lamonica Fine Foods, said sustainability of the commercial fishing industry is collateral damage in offshore wind plans, saying recommendations were ignored.

The deaths of multiple whales this winter, many of them washing ashore in New Jersey, have galvanized opposition to the wind power projects. State and federal authorities say there is no evidence that offshore survey work conducted for the projects had anything to do with the whale deaths, but some offshore wind power critics made that connection even after the first whale death took place, and most people at a meeting Wednesday evening in Ocean City appeared firmly convinced of a connection.
Todays Iraq is a world away from the terror that followed the U.S. invasion to depose Saddam Hussein 20 years ago this week. A new generation is eager to turn away from the sectarianism of the past and heal the nations divisions. In dozens of Associated Press interviews this month from Baghdad to Fallujah, young Iraqis deplored the loss of stability that followed Saddams ouster and the occupation. But most said the war is behind them, and they were hopeful about nascent freedoms and opportunities to pursue their dreams.
Rahul claims since four ministers have spoken against him, he has the right to speak in the House

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, at the centre of a controversy over his remarks in London which have led to parliamentary proceedings being disrupted, said that he is hopeful that he will be allowed to speak in Parliament on Friday.

Gandhi said that he had met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday, and as four ministers have spoken against him, so he has the right to speak in the House.

I am hopeful that I will be allowed to speak at the floor of the house as an MP, I have responsibility to the Parliament, he said, but added that he doubts that he will be allowed and this is the test of democracy.

... I spoke about Adani in Parliament but it was expunged... the government and Prime Minister are fearful about Adani. This is a distraction as the PM wants to avoid questions on the issue, he claimed.

Earlier, Gandhi said he will speak in the House, if allowed and he has not spoken anything which is anti-India.

Asked by reporters in Parliament if he will apologise for his remarks, he said: I havent spoken anything that is anti-India.

Parliament was adjourned for the day on Thursday amid ruckus by treasury and opposition members in both Houses.

As soon as the Lok Sabha convened for the day at 11 am, Opposition members rushed towards the Speakers podium, shouting slogans and waving placards seeking a JPC probe into the Adani matter.

Treasury benches, on their part, also were seen shouting slogans, demanding Gandhis apology for his remarks during his speech in London last week, where he had said that democratic values were under threat in India.

Gandhi meets LS speaker

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday, seeking time to make his position clear regarding his comments made on democracy being violated, in London. IANS

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LS adjourned till Friday amid noisy protests

The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Thursday without transacting any business amid noisy protests by both treasury benches and opposition members. IANS
French President Emmanuel Macron resorted to exceptional constitutional powers to push through the lower chamber of Parliament his plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

The pensions reform has been met with significant protests and strikes in the 68-million-strong European nation of France, where the topic is very divisive. The French Senate approved the ideas on Thursday morning, but their acceptance was not certain in the National Assembly (the lower house).

France Pension Protests

Instead, Elizabeth Borne informed the chamber that the administration would use Article 49.3 of the French Constitution. Lawmakers who opposed the measures booed, yelled and shouted "resignation" while she spoke. As MPs sang the national anthem too loudly for her to hear, the session was paused for two minutes.

Macron's Renaissance party says that pension reform is crucial for long-term viability. According to the French Pensions Advisory Council, it is expected to have an annual deficit of $10.73 billion between 2022 and 2032.

Opinion surveys indicate that most people backed industrial action in opposition to the proposed reforms, which include forcing workers to contribute to the system for 43 years to qualify for a full pension, as per CNBC.

Since the beginning of the year, strikes have escalated, impacting transportation, schools, oil refineries, the public sector, and beyond. The activity has led to the accumulation of garbage in several areas of Paris.

AFP France-Presse claimed that police used tear gas and baton charges to force the protestors back across the plaza and away from a bridge leading to the Palais Bourbon, the meeting venue of the National Assembly, France's lower house of Parliament.

France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin ordered police to implement "enhanced protective measures" for members of Parliament in response to the ongoing protests that have erupted as a result of President Macron's decision to bypass the French Parliament and push through a highly unpopular pension reform bill that would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

Police made eight arrests, but France Info cited police sources who stated 217 individuals were detained due to violence, notably at Place de la Concorde, where an estimated 6,000 protesters set fire to wooden pallets and flung items at police officers.

Several French towns, including Marseille, Dijon, Nantes, Rennes, Rouen, Grenoble, Toulouse, and Nice, also witnessed the outbreak of protests. Earlier on Thursday, Al Jazeera reported that in the face of opposition calls for a vote of no confidence, Macron's administration utilized a rare constitutional authority to pass the measure.

Left-leaning parliamentarians screamed and cried as Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne initiated the unusual procedure to get the bill through the National Assembly without a vote.

Article 49.3 of the French Constitution was invoked to ensure the law's passage. However, it also demonstrated that Macron and his government had failed to gather a sufficient majority in Parliament. The far-right opposition of the nation has said that it would submit a vote of no confidence in the administration.

The choice is a "complete disaster" for Macron, and Borne "cannot remain" in her position, according to Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate in the previous two presidential elections and current leader of the National Rally (RN) MPs in the French National Assembly.

The French leader wishes to raise the retirement age so that employees would contribute more money to a system that, according to the administration, is on track to run a deficit. The measure is the crowning achievement of Macron's second time in office. Since January, his intention to raise the retirement age has triggered widespread strikes and protests.

On Thursday, thousands of French citizens flocked to the streets to vent their outrage at the policy by torching property and clashing with the police. Macron's government used a contentious constitutional method to force a law raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 through the National Assembly, resulting in protests in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and Nante.

Read Also: First Republic Bank Avoids SVB-Like Collapse with $30 Billion Help

France at Risk of 'Democratic Meltdown'

The Senate passed the law early Thursday morning. However, concerns in the governing party and reluctance by right-leaning opposition MPs to support Macron meant that the government risked losing a vote in the lower house and was elected instead to use article 49.3 of the constitution.

While opposition leaders assert that France is on the verge of a "democratic meltdown," the government is now facing motions of no confidence. A police spokesperson stated that there was no intrusion at the Elysee, the official residence of Macron.

Place de la Concorde, the largest square in Paris lay immediately across the Seine River from the National Assembly and was the epicenter of the greatest unrest. At around 8.30 p.m., thousands of riot police rushed in to clear the area, causing the demonstrators to flee into side streets, Daily Mail reported

Before police surrounded protesters with shields and batons, a water cannon extinguished a fire that had been started in the main square. Unions and political analysts have forewarned that adopting the law by decree, using the contentious article 49.3 of the constitution, would risk radicalizing opponents and robbing the government of democratic credibility.

Related Article: Tons of Garbage Stinks in Paris as Protesters Intensify Outrage Over Pension Bill

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It is alleged that then secy deliberately avoided referring creation of 20 posts

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has made former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia as the accused number one in the snooping case.

Besides Sisodia, the CBI has booked Sukesh Kumar Jain (IRS-1992), the then secretary (vigilance); Rakesh Kumar Sinha (retired DIG, CISF), working as special advisor to the CM; Pradeep Kumar Punj (retired Jt. Deputy Director, IB); Satish Khetrapal (retired assistant commandant, CISF); Gopal Mohan, advisor anti-corruption to the chief minister and others.

The FIR was lodged on March 14 under the Prevention of Corruption Act read with several sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The AAP wanted to create a Feedback Unit (FBU) in 2015. Sukesh Jain, the secretary (vigilance) was directed to submit a detailed proposal for setting up FBU.

It has been alleged that Jain deliberately and willfully avoided referring the matter of creation of 20 posts in FBU to the administrative reforms department. The CBIs preliminary inquiry established that a proposal was made by Jain, which was approved by Sisodia, that 20 posts in FBU be adjusted against 88 posts created in the anticorruption branch. IANS
DES MOINES  Senate Republicans are proposing an $8.5 billion state budget for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of 3.3 percent over the current budget, they announced Thursday.

The proposed spending level also matches Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds proposed budget.

State lawmakers set an $8.2 billion spending plan for the current budget year, which ends June 30.

Reynolds and legislative leaders eventually will have to agree on state spending for the next budget year, which begins July 1.

Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Grimes, said the Senate Republicans budget proposal takes into account state income tax rate reductions that are being phased in, thanks to legislation passed in 2022.

This budget target ensures the tax cuts implemented last year are sustainable, Whitver said in a statement, adding his list of budgeting accomplishments, including a nearly $2 billion general fund budget surplus.

He also said the budgets status enables Republicans to advance further state tax reductions.

All of these accomplishments are possible because Senate Republicans have led on conservative budgets and tax relief for hardworking Iowans, Whitver said. Our tax reforms are working.

House Republicans have not yet declared a spending target. House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said Thursday the caucus has not yet started those discussions.

The states nonpartisan Revenue Estimating Conference at its quarterly meeting last week projected the state will have roughly $9.6 billion in revenue for the next budget year. By state law, legislators can appropriate no more than 99 percent of that, which comes to roughly $9.5 billion.

Pumping brakes on further income tax cuts

House Republicans are not quite as anxious to accelerate state income tax cuts as their colleagues in the Senate, House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said.

In 2022, Republican state lawmakers and Gov. Kim Reynolds spearheaded legislation that is gradually reducing Iowas state income tax rates over multiple years until most Iowa workers will pay the same 3.9 percent state income tax rate.

Sen. Dan Dawson, R-Council Bluffs, has proposed legislation that would accelerate those reductions, drop the eventual state income tax rate to 2.55 percent, and provide a mechanism to eventually eliminate the tax.

Grassley told reporters Thursday that House Republicans want to see how the current reductions work before diving into further cuts.

I dont think our caucus has a problem with that  at the right time, Grassley said. Weve seen revenues continue to grow. But as this thing phases in, we want to show Iowans that our plan works. So I think you will see a conversation on income tax continue. But I dont think, from the Houses perspective, its probably going to be this session.

House Republicans, however, are fully on board with addressing Iowas property taxes this session, Grassley said.

Pregnant assault victims

The Iowa House has voted to increase the penalties in criminal cases where a pregnant woman is assaulted.

Under House File 570, penalties for assault and domestic abuse convictions, when the defendant was aware or should have been aware that the victim was pregnant, would be increased from an aggravated misdemeanor to a Class D felony.

The proposal passed with a 95-1 vote and is now eligible for consideration in the Senate.

Photos: Trump returns to Iowa Monday at Adler Theatre in Davenport
Two bills moving through the Legislature would change how Scott County residents elect their supervisors.

A bill passed by the Iowa Senate earlier this month would require Iowa's five counties with 125,000-plus residents to elect their supervisors by equal-population districts, rather than being elected countywide.

Three counties would have to make the change  Scott, Johnson and Black Hawk. Iowa's two largest counties  Polk and Linn  already elect by districts.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Dawn Driscoll, R-Williamsburg, said the change would give "adequate representation for our citizens."

The bill, Senate File 443, passed 34-13 with two Democrats supporting the bill. It hasn't been taken up in the House.

Detractors opposing the bill say the bill erodes more local control from county voters and supervisors, who already can change how supervisors are elected via a ballot referendum.

The bill would also require counties to fill a supervisor vacancy by special election, according to a fiscal note filed by the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency.

In Scott County, Rita Rawson was appointed by a three-member committee from 27 applicants to fill a two-year vacancy on the board. If the Senate bill is signed into law, Scott County would have to call a special election instead if similar circumstances arise again.

Sen. Scott Webster, R-Bettendorf, supports the effort and authored a similar bill that would've put in place more requirements for special elections.

He pointed to the recent appointment process in Scott County and said Board Chair Ken Beck said that the county was looking for someone from Davenport. Beck wasn't on the three-member panel that selected Rawson, but county officials got the word out to recruit applicants to apply.

"The way I look at that, and I believe the way a lot of my colleagues in Des Moines look at that, is that's a person saying they want districts," Webster said. "They're advocating that a person needed to come from a certain area because they weren't represented."

Beck opposes the bill, calling it "short-sighted" and said Webster's comments paint only half of the story.

"I wanted to try to avoid the cost for a special election and felt that if we had someone from Davenport, that that would help alleviate people's feelings of having to have a special election and the county taking on the expense," Beck said.

According to the fiscal note for the bill, the cost to configure districts would be between $40,000 and $80,000 per county to cover training, additional precincts, ballots and mailing of new voter registration cards to eligible voters. The costs of special elections for a vacancy, according to the fiscal note, varies widely based on the size of the county  from $1,000 to $185,000.

Currently, the five supervisors in Scott County are elected at-large in staggered terms. Unlike in Johnson and Black Hawk counties, Scott County's board members are all Republican this go-around. And, save for Rawson, all supervisors live outside of Davenport, Scott County's largest city.

With districts, Beck said, he thinks contrary to the intent of the bill, the board in Scott County could actually end up with less rural representation.

"What may fix the problem there (in Johnson County), creates the same problem here that they're trying to fix there," Beck said.

"The system works the way it is, and it really takes away from local control from the constituents and local control from local government," Beck said.

A similar bill, House File 281, has been introduced in the House that would lower the threshold to make the change to district supervisor elections to counties with 60,000 residents or more. That would add three more counties  Dubuque, Story and Pottawattamie.

That bill was placed on the "unfinished business" calendar, which essentially allows House leadership to put a pin in the bill and keep it alive until it's ready for debate.

Rep. Gary Mohr, R-Bettendorf, supports the bill. He said this way, his constituents in Bettendorf and LeClaire would always have someone on the board that represented them.

"I think it's important that everyone know that everyone has a seat at the table," Mohr said.

Rep. Ken Croken, D-Davenport, who was a county supervisor until his election to the Iowa House said he supported the effort, noting that Davenport makes up most of Scott County and a large portion of the county's tax base and the bill would guarantee representation from the city.

Sen. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, voted "no" on the Senate bill because she felt the bill further eroded local control from the county boards. She said she supported election by district, but that it should be a decision by county residents, not Iowa lawmakers.
Bettendorf police have arrested a Cedar Rapids man for allegedly sexually abusing a victim in October of 2019 when the victim was 13 years old.

Alexander Michael Schaefer, 20, is charged with one count of third-degree sexual abuse. The charge is a Class C felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 10 years.

According to the affidavit filed by Bettendorf Police Officer Matt Broders, on Feb. 2, the victim disclosed to an adult that sexual abuse that took place when the victim was between the ages of 9 and 15 at a Bettendorf address.

The adult reported the incident to the Iowa Department of Human Services. The Department of Human Services then reported the abuse to Bettendorf Police.

During an interview, the victim stated there were several incidents of sexual contact with Schaefer. According to the victim, one incident took place one month before the victim turned 14. The incident would have taken place in about October of 2019.

During an interview, Schaefer admitted to several incidents of sexual conduct when the victim was between the ages of 10 and 17. In the month of October 2019, Schaefer was 17 years old.

Schaefer was arrested Wednesday.

During a first appearance on the charge Thursday in Scott County District Court, Magistrate Jay Sommers scheduled a preliminary hearing in the case for March 24.

Schaefer was being held Saturday night in the Scott County Jail on a cash-only bond of $25,000.
Jerry's Market in Moline is such a part of the neighborhood, it blends right in.

The blue-sided building at 1609 17th St. has been home to the neighborhood grocery store for 73 years. The building has been updated on the outside, but inside, a nostalgia remains.

Tony Ceurvorst is the third-generation owner of the family-run store. Clad in a maroon apron with Jerry's Market stitched into it, he leaned against a worn, wooden counter with a faded Wonder bread logo facing the aisles.

Another part of the L-shaped counter holds an old-fashioned popcorn machine. A small bag is 50 cents.

It's been almost two years since Ceurvorst took over for his dad, also Tony. But the pair still works together, and the store still works for its community.

The grocery option closest to Jerry's is a Hy-Vee, which is 3 miles away.

"We're kind of one of the last ones that offer a full grocery line," Ceurvorst said.

Locally owned grocery stores are hard to come by in the Quad-Cities. For example: Slagle Foods in LeClaire closed in 2019 and is being replaced by Fareway this summer. In February, the owner of North Scott Foods in Eldridge announced he was selling to Hy-Vee after 45 years in business.

Money, Ceurvorst said, is the common denominator for how retail giants have been able to take over relatively quickly.

"Back when all the shops opened, you could make more money working in a shop than owning your own grocery store. That's when a lot of stuff really started closing," he said.

Photos: Jerry's Market has been serving Moline since 1950

Between start up, insurance and payroll, small business owners have considerable costs, which go away when they opt to work for a corporation. But that thought never has crossed the minds of the Ceurvorst family.

"We just enjoy it. That's why we stayed around. Grandpa Jerry actually left a job on the Arsenal to open his own grocery store," Ceurvorst said, gesturing to the aisles in front of him.

Those aisles are filled with everyday grocery items from cake mix to chips to salad dressing. The walls are lined with coolers that hold milk, cheese and eggs. But the back of the store is where the action happens.

Ceurvorst's father frequently can be found at the deli counter, which contains the market's popular assortment of pre-made salads and fresh-cut meats. The older Tony's father, Jerry, started the business in 1950.

"He learned the butcher trade from his cousin, who had a shop in Rock Island," he said. "After the war got over with, he decided he wanted to go into the grocery business."

Staying in the same area for so long is a big advantage to the neighborhood, he said. It's a luxury to be able to pick up forgotten ingredients on the way home, which is part of what keeps people coming back.

"It's our product and our service; that's just what it boils down to. And our good looks, charming personalities. I mean it just doesn't end," he said, smiling.

But the convenience factor isn't far behind.

More people, more food demand

Researchers with the USDA found in 2015 the average person lived nine-tenths of a mile from the nearest food store, and 40% of the US population lived more than one mile away. By 2019, the median distance to the nearest store was 3.1 miles.

For motorists, the distance isn't a great challenge. For those walking and biking, though, carrying groceries for several miles isn't practical.

Nick Braggs, of Davenport, is trying to appeal to those customers.

About three months ago, he opened Braggs Iowa Mart at 330 E. 15th Street  the former Pink Poodle Laundromat. Initially, he was interested in the property from a real estate standpoint. The building already had apartments, and he was hoping to continue the cashflow with his new investment.

The front of the building was vacant and initially was going to be turned into a studio apartment. But nearby residents spoke up, saying they wanted to see it turned into some type of retail business, and a grocery store store was a frequent suggestion. Bragg had no experience with retail, but said, "You know what? Let's try something."

So he did. And the response was immediate.

Braggs mainly sells "quick neighborhood stuff," such as candy, drinks and chips, but he also carries pantry staples. Although it's been open just a few months, the requests are pouring in for more items, such as cereal, canned goods and fresh produce.

Those biking and walking are his main customers. In Moline, TJ Linnabery, manager at Central Store, reported much of the same.

While known for its wide selection of craft beer, Central Store's downtown location makes it attractive to those who live nearby. Any time the store stocks essentials  like bacon eggs and cheese  they sell out within the week.

Linnabery said he also gets requests for specific food items. Customers typically are willing to pay more for their items if picking them up is convenient, and that's a big pull for those living downtown, he said.

The store is located across the street from the LeClaire Apartments and down the block from buildings that are being considered for residential rehab. As more people move in, the demand for convenient food increases.

"We've been getting busier every year," Linnabery said.

Food deserts remain

Throughout the Quad-Cities region, downtown living is in high demand. Efforts to bring a market to downtown Davenport have been ongoing since the early 2000s.

Kyle Carter, Executive Director of the Downtown Davenport Partnership, said the five small grocery options downtown  Abarrotes Carrillo, Blue Spruce General Store, Oriental Food Store, La Finca, and Central Grocery  are niche options.

"I understand why people still ask for a more general grocery option. It would round out a missing piece downtown," Carter wrote in an email. "The business model for grocery has razor-thin margins and requires a lot of traffic to succeed. Were fortunate to have the small stores that service downtown today as we seek to fill the last gap."

The Davenport City Council is slowly taking steps to narrow the margin.

In September, Davenport officials approved converting 3rd and 4th streets one-ways, into two-ways. Carter said this conversion will make the area more appealing to hybrid concepts like Kwik-Star and Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh.

"We received direct feedback several years ago the one-ways were not helping our cause," he said. "Well be reaching back out to companies that have expressed interest previously again this year."
Rock Island police are asking the public to keep an eye out for a wanted fugitive who is considered dangerous.

Jacob Martin, 20, was seen by an officer in the 800 block of 11th Street around 6:30 p.m. Thursday driving a stolen Honda CRV. According to a news release from the police department, Martin began following the officer's marked squad car, attempting to cause an accident and provoke a police pursuit.

The officer attempted to avoid the situation, but Martin reengaged the officer in the 1100 block of 13th Avenue, intentionally striking the driver's side causing significant damage to the squad car and endangering the officer's life.

A pursuit was authorized, and officers pursued Martin through Rock Island onto the Rock Island-Milan Parkway, where speeds exceeded 100 mph. But because of inclement weather, officers reduced their speed to avoid the risk of serious injury and lost sight of the vehicle.

Martin has several active warrants for his arrest pertaining to aggravated assault, aggravated unlawful use of weapons, fleeing or attempting to elude officers, motor vehicle theft and unlawful possession of vehicle parts known to be stolen.

Martin has engaged in numerous attempts over the past seven months to provoke officers into pursuing him, often swerving directly at officers on foot or in a squad car.

Rock Island Police Department officials are asking anyone with information on Martin's whereabouts to contact the police department at 309-732-2677. People also can call Crime Stoppers at 309-762-9500.
U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., and USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small received an in-person look Friday at the operations of Wall Meat Processing, a company that is growing thanks in part to a $3.3 million federal grant.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will help the co-owners of Wall Meat and their subsidiary, I-90 Meats, to build a new 30,000-square-foot processing plant in New Underwood.

Ken Charfauros, co-owner of Wall Meat, said the demand for locally sourced beef, pork, lamb and bison has caused the original 2,400-square-foot processing plant in Wall to exceed capacity. Once built, the New Underwood facility will increase production by 4,000 head annually.

"We have something in Wall that is 56 years old, the infrastructure is old and the square footage is small," Charfauros said. "We opened up a Rapid City fabrication, or cutting facility, with a regular retail store that's larger than our facility here... When we open up the 30,000-square-feet facility in New Underwood, that will increase the capacity of Wall Meat."

Johnson said the investment from the grant was a total bipartisan agreement, which is rare in Washington, D.C.

"We seemingly fight about everything in this country, unfortunately, along partisan lines, but this issue about investing in the supply chain is not a partisan issue," Johnson said. "When you look at the kind of investments this administration has been willing to make, these are investments that are being heralded from all parts of the political spectrum. That's one more thing to celebrate today."

Torres Small said she was particularly impressed with Wall Meat's plan for the future, calling it a "really well-run machine." She said the limited space at the processing plant in Wall was all the more reason why the USDA is supporting the venture.

"I saw the limitations in terms of the size of this facility and the desire to expand to serve more producers and to provide more for customers," Torres Small said. "They're doing it with everything they can, but the new equipment is going to allow things to go faster and safer. We're proud to invest in not only the work that's done here, but also the hard working employees here."

Torres Small said the investment in a South Dakota small processor is indicative of the need for rural growth and a stronger supply chain for quality meats across the country.

"When you invest in this part of supply chain, you're investing in hardworking producers and ranchers. We're working hard to make sure everyone in the country has the protein they need  everyone all across [this country] and around the world," she said. "Also, you're investing in customers, folks who care about the quality of their meat, folks who need affordable food, and folks who want to reinvest in local opportunity."

Charfauros said the vision he has will benefit not only customers, but the hard-working producers as well. He said his business model is all about taking care of the community.

"When you start to talk to them [the producers], or when they come to your counter and they start filling out the paperwork  you can see the dust in their eyes, the wear in their faces, of what they've gone through," he said. "To get that one protein to us and then to our consumers  how can you not do the best you can for them? I don't know how else, but that is our community involvement with our producers."
The North Dakota Supreme Court has upheld a temporary block of the state's abortion ban.

The ruling came Thursday in the lawsuit brought last summer by the Red River Women's Clinic, formerly the sole abortion provider in North Dakota. The clinic moved from Fargo to neighboring Moorhead, Minnesota, last year after the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, which overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in Roe v. Wade.

The ruling means the ban remains blocked while the clinic's lawsuit proceeds in state district court.

Chief Justice Jon Jensen wrote in the 27-page majority opinion, "While the regulation of abortion is within the authority of the legislature under the North Dakota Constitution, RRWC has demonstrated likely success on the merits that there is a fundamental right to an abortion in the limited instances of life-saving and health-preserving circumstances, and the statute is not narrowly tailored to satisfy strict scrutiny."

North Dakota's 2007 Legislature passed the trigger law, to take effect and ban most abortions after Roe v. Wade was overturned.

The trigger ban would make it a felony to perform an abortion unless necessary to prevent the womans death, or in cases of rape or incest. Violations would be punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Attorney General Drew Wrigley sought to vacate South Central District Judge Bruce Romanick's months-old preliminary injunction of the trigger ban.

The court heard oral arguments last fall.

Jensen also wrote, "The North Dakota Constitution guarantees North Dakota citizens the right to enjoy and defend life and the right to pursue and obtain safety, which necessarily includes a pregnant woman has a fundamental right to obtain an abortion to preserve her life or her health."

Clinic

The Center for Reproductive Rights, which represents the clinic, welcomed the opinion.

Clinic Director Tammi Kromenaker said in a statement, "The court made the right decision and sided with the people of North Dakota today. Those seeking abortion care know whats best for themselves and their families and should be able to access such essential services if and when they need it. While Im heartbroken that we have been forced to close our doors here in Fargo, we will continue to serve the region at our new clinic in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Center President and CEO Nancy Northup said in a statement, Today, the court rightfully stopped one of the most extreme laws in the country from taking effect and depriving North Dakotans of their reproductive freedom. Under the state constitution, North Dakotans are promised the rights to life, liberty, safety, and happiness, all of which protect the right to abortion. In state after state, people have made clear that they want this right protected, yet state officials continue to ignore the will of their citizens. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect North Dakotans and the fundamental human rights of all people.

Wrigley

The attorney general in a statement said, "North Dakota's Supreme Court appears to have taken on the role of a legislative body, a role our constitution does not afford them."

"Our Territorial and state laws are clear on this topic and are explicitly confined to protecting the life of the mother," Wrigley said. "Legislatures could have expanded that narrow exception, but they have not done so. Nevertheless, the North Dakota Supreme Court today chooses a path of its very own, by holding there is now also an un-defined 'health' exception to abortion regulation.

"Our Supreme Court did this without explicit support from our state Constitution, and without support from legislative enactments in our history of abortion regulation," he wrote.

Bill's status

Moving through the Legislature is Senate Bill 2150, by Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg, which would revise language of the state's 2007 abortion trigger ban and 2013 "heartbeat bill" in the wake of the Dobbs ruling.

The Senate passed the bill in January in a 43-4 vote. The bill awaits a House vote after a 12-2 "do pass" recommendation from the House Human Services Committee, following a hearing this week.

North Dakota Catholic Conference Executive Director Christopher Dodson told the Tribune, "We're pleased at the moment that the court did not find a right to an abortion in the state constitution for elective abortions, but only for preserving the life of the mother and the health of the mother."

Dodson also said, "It appears that most of the concerns the court mentioned concerning the existing law are remedied in Senate Bill 2150. At this time, we're going to take a few days, I hope, to review both the opinion and the bill to make sure everything is in line with the new opinion."

Wrigley also highlighted the bill in his statement.

"Thankfully, our legislature has spent the past two months working on legislation that recrafts North Dakotas abortion laws, and they will now have the opportunity to enact the will of North Dakotans, aware of the latest North Dakota Supreme Court pronouncement," he said.

Last year, 532 abortions took place in North Dakota, according to provisional data from the state Division of Vital Records. None occurred after August 2022.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, the ruling that protected the right to abortion for nearly five decades, abortion restrictions have been up to states and the landscape has shifted quickly.

Thirteen states are now enforcing bans on abortion at any point in pregnancy and one more  Georgia  bans it once cardiac activity can be detected, or at about six weeks gestation.

Getting abortions has become increasingly difficult for women who live in states with bans, in some cases resulting in increased medical complications and in others forcing residents to travel for hours or even days to reach a facility that can provide abortions legally.

Courts have put on hold enforcement of abortion bans or deep restrictions in Arizona, Indiana, Montana, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah and Wyoming. Idaho courts have forced the state to allow abortions during medical emergencies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The University of Montana has narrowed the search for a new Bitterroot College director down to three candidates.

Kristina Berger of Corvallis, Arley Muth of Hamilton, and Roch Turner of Hamilton have been selected as finalists for the position. Each candidate is scheduled to take part in an in-person open forum at the UM Bitterroot campus in Hamilton. The forums are open to the public and the community is encouraged to attend.

This will be an open process where we're looking for the community to participate in these open forums, said Dave Kuntz, UM director of strategic communications. This is the opportunity for folks in the Bitterroot Valley to participate and weigh in on who will be the next leader, so that's an important part of this process. Each of these candidates has already gone through one round of interviews with the hiring committee. Now we're at the portion of the process where the public participates.

Muths forum is scheduled for Wednesday, March 29, from 5-6 p.m. Muth holds a Ph.D. in marine science from the University of Texas at Austin (2020), a Masters of Science in marine science from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (2010) and a Bachelor of Science in natural sciences from University of Alaska Anchorage (2005). She is currently assistant editor for the cell and molecular biology team at Wiley Publishing, a position she has held since 2021. Prior to that she served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz for approximately one year. Muth served as a guest lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin from 2017-2020, and an instructor at the Marine Science Institute, University of Texas at Austin from 2015-2017.

Bergers forum will take place Thursday, March 30, from 3-4 p.m. Berger received a graduate certificate in K-12 education from the University of Montana (2018), a Masters of Arts in teaching from Southern Oregon University, Ashland (2009) and a bachelor's in human development and family services from Oregon State University (2008). Berger has served as instructional technology and adult education director for the Corvallis School District since 2018. She was middle school head teacher and adult education coordinator from 2017-2018 and taught mathematics and computer science from 2009-2017.

Turners forum will be held Thursday, March 30, from 5-6 p.m. Turner holds a Ph.D. in international educational leadership from the University of Montana, an Ed.D. in educational leadership from the University of Montana and a Master's of Public Administration, also from UM. He has served as director of the Alternative Resource Center for Hamilton School District since 2020. He has been an adjunct professor at the University of Montana since 2012. He also served as director of workforce programs at Bitterroot College from 2012-2018. Turner served in the Navy as an intelligence specialist with NATO forces (2001-2003) as well as aboard the USS Carl Vinson (1997-2001).

We hope as many people as possible participate in public forums of each of the candidates, Kuntz said. People will be able to join those forums remotely. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers from the public  that includes faculty, staff and students at UM Bitterroot.

Kuntz said he expects the process to move pretty quick with the hopes that the final candidate is identified before the end of the current academic year in early May.

For more information or to read the candidates full resumes, go to umt.edu/bitterroot-college/.
An upcoming Great Falls school board election, for which more than 30,000 voters are registered, has been thrown into doubt after the county elections office told school officials it would not be economically or administratively feasible to go ahead as planned.

In an interview Friday, Brian Patrick said the Cascade County Clerk and Recorder notified him by email a week earlier that because of the closure of a local mail services provider, the mail-ballot election would need to be switched to an in-person election. He said it's unclear whether that will be possible. Patrick is the director of business operations for Great Falls Public Schools.

"Since our circumstances have changed drastically in the last month, at this time is is not possible to hold a mail election," County Clerk and Recorder Sandra Merchant wrote in the March 10 email.

The issues at the countys election office were first reported this week by The Electric. The local online news outlet has also reported that plans for levy elections for the Great Falls Public Library and another small school district are likewise up in the air.

Merchant's email stated that her office would instead hold a poll election for Great Falls Public Schools, although its unclear whether they can legally do so after agreeing last year to an all-mail ballot election.

Its also unclear how even a poll election would be handled for voters on the absentee list, which Patrick said accounts for about 87% of all registered voters in the district. The costs for conducting a school election in-person are much higher than the costs of holding them by mail-in ballots, Patrick added. That includes the cost of paid election staff and judges, along with the logistics that come with multiple polling locations.

(The year) 2007 is the last time we did a poll election, Patrick said. We had over 38 polling places. Thats a lot of election judges.

Merchant's office said she was not available to provide comment Friday but election analyst Devereaux Biddick said election officials would address questions during a meeting with county commissioners next week. Biddick, who was appointed by Merchant earlier this year, said the elections office previously reached out to several different postal services, but at this point the timeline is gone for mail-in.

She also said the elections office will be able to issue absentee ballots but declined to elaborate and referred additional questions to Merchant.

Were working with the commissioners, were working with everybody, Biddick said.

Phone calls to each of the Cascade County commissioners were not returned Friday.

In the email to the school district, Merchant cited a section of Montana law that lets county election officials determine if a mail election "is the most economically and administratively feasible way of conducting the election in question."

In a response to emailed questions, Secretary of State spokesman Richie Melby said Friday that Merchant first reached out to the state office on Wednesday.

"The Secretary of State's Office responded that the county elections office appears to be withdrawing its previously approved mail ballot plan submission rather than amending the information set forth in the previously submitted mail ballot plan," Melby wrote. "Pursuant to statute, the Secretary of State Office's role is limited to 'approve, disapprove, or recommend changes to the (mail ballot) plan or amendments.'"

Melby wrote that school elections fall outside the Secretary of State's purview, but said that the office had provided Merchant with a list of other mail service vendors that may be able to provide assistance.

Patrick said he requested more information about the possibility of an in-person election from the clerk this week, but has received no response.

"My latest correspondence with her is 'Please, send me your plans,'" Patrick said. "I haven't heard anything from her."

The school board has three trustee positions open in the upcoming election. The district had also planned to ask voters to approve a levy, but the board is considering pushing that request off to a later date. Patrick said that decision will be made during the board's next meeting.

"Part of the reason is, if the election is considered to be invalid, we don't want to spend a lot of time next year on whether or not we get our money, and whether or not the levy was a valid levy," Patrick said. He added that the district has also found additional sources of funding to provide some financial cushion.

Merchant took office earlier this year, after the Republican edged out long-time Clerk and Recorder Rina Moore, a Democrat. Merchants razor-thin margin of victory, 0.1%, was confirmed by a subsequent recount. Moore had held the office for 16 years, despite Cascade County trending increasingly Republican in recent elections.

Cascade County has just over 47,000 registered voters, according to the Secretary of State's website, ranking No. 6 in the state.

The closure of Innovative Postal Services in Great Falls was first announced in mid-January, Patrick told the Montana State News Bureau. A former elections official with the Cascade County Clerk and Recorders office, Lynn Deroche, also said that was when election officials were first made aware of the upcoming problem.

Deroche started working in the elections office shortly before Moore first took office, and resigned in February after what she said was a difficult work environment created by Merchant. She suggested that theres still time to print ballots and find a mail services vendor in another county to handle that part of the process, but that the window to do so is quickly closing.

I would believe youre going to have some really big consequences with not holding an election, Deroche said. I believe youre looking at lawsuits, honestly. Ive never seen that happen as long as Ive been here, in the last 16 years.
Minnesota authorities said on Thursday that they were keeping an eye on efforts to clean up a leak of 400,000 gallons of radioactive water at Xcel Energy's Monticello nuclear power plant.

Xcel Energy has assured the public that the radioactive water leak poses no threat to the public.

In a statement, the Minnesota nuclear plant company said it took rapid measures to confine the leak to the plant site, which "poses no health and safety risk to the local community or the environment," per NBC News.

Xcel Energy initially reported the tritium-contaminated water leak to state and federal officials in late November, but it was not made public until Thursday. Minnesota State authorities reasoned they waited for further information before disclosing the radioactive water leak.

Read Also: NASA Shows Spacesuits for New Lunar Mission

Mississippi River Is Safe From the Leak

The Mississippi River was not affected by the radioactive water leak, according to the Minnesota Department of Health's statement on its website.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's industrial division head Doug Wetzstein that the facility's groundwater travels slowly in the path of the Mississippi River, per a CBS report.

Nuclear plants produce tritium, a naturally occurring radioactive hydrogen isotope. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said that it produces weak beta radiation that cannot pass through human skin and does not go very far. According to the regulator, a person would only get a small dosage if they drank water from a spill.

Around one-fourth of the tritium that was spilled has so far been retrieved, and Xcel has indicated that it may construct above-ground holding tanks to contain the tainted water in Minnesota, reported AP News.

Related Article: Rise in Tick-Borne Disease Cases in Northeast; What is It?

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Spirit Airlines has added a nonstop flight to Las Vegas from Richmond International Airport starting in May.

Spirit is offering a limited-time fare of $109 one-way for travel from May 5 to June 8 in celebration of the new route. The fare is available only on weekdays.

Spirit Airlines has played an important role in giving consumers choices to affordably fly to destinations like Fort Lauderdale and Orlando over the last five years, said Perry J. Miller, president and CEO of the Capital Region Airport Commission. Were pleased to welcome the new nonstop service to Las Vegas, an important leisure and conference market for Richmond region travelers.

On Wednesday, Spirit also celebrated its fifth anniversary at RIC.

Spirit will join Breeze Airways, which has been offering Las Vegas service since June, in offering RIC to LAS service.
Family members of Irvo Otieno and their lawyers on Tuesday called for mental health reform and steps to be taken to avoid a repeat of what happened to the 28-year-old Henrico County man who died earlier this month in a Central State Hospital intake room.

A mental health crisis should not be a death sentence, civil rights attorney Ben Crump said during a press conference the First Baptist Church of South Richmond. We dont want anybody else in America whose family is dealing with a mental health crisis to be killed by the very people who are supposed to help them.

The comments came after the release of a video from the mental hospital showing Otieno being pinned to the floor prior to his death on March 6. A Dinwiddie County grand jury on Tuesday indicted seven Henrico County deputies and three hospital workers on second-degree murder charges in a case that has garnered national attention.

Crump, who also represented the family of George Floyd, has said Otienos treatment has close parallels with Floyds killing in police custody in Minneapolis in 2020.

It is not lost on anybody who saw that video today, the fact that it was so unnecessary, Crump said Tuesday. Irvo was handcuffed at the wrist, he had leg irons on, he was facedown. Why did they feel it was necessary to put all their weight on him, for some of the officers to put their knee on his neck?

Caleb Kershner, a defense attorney for deputy Randy Boyer, was critical of the video being released and took issue with Dinwiddie County Commonwealths Attorney Ann Baskervill.

Its going to be more difficult to find a jury that has not been tainted or read a particular news story of any sort. So Im disappointed in it, he said earlier Tuesday after the court hearing in Dinwiddie County.

Otienos mother Caroline Ouko on Tuesday called the indicted deputies and hospital employees thugs and monsters.

I was happy to hear that they were indicted, Ouko said. That is just the beginning step.

Attorney Mark Krudys said he was troubled by the individuals who stood by and watched as the officers pushed down on Otieno.

Everybody has an obligation to intervene in that circumstance, to say no, thats not right, Krudys said. But nobody intervened. And then when his body was lifeless, and his pants were dangling on him, they didnt do anything for an appreciable period of time.

Krudys said his team is looking into possible body camera footage from Henrico police regarding a March 3 incident, when Otieno was transported from his Henrico home to Henrico Doctors Hospital.

Ouko said she was excluded in the process of advocating for her son, noting that she made four attempts to see him while he was at Henrico hospital.

In mental health and mental distress, your child needs you, Ouko said. Seeing me could have made have made a big difference.

Instead, Otieno was taken to the Henrico Jail and later to Central State. Krudys said the deputies were not wearing body cameras at either location.

My thoughts on the untimely death of Irvo Otieno: pic.twitter.com/4mGiKiLq7e  Mayor Levar M. Stoney (@LevarStoney) March 21, 2023

Henrico NAACP Vice President Monica Hutchinson during the Tuesday press conference said: Jail is not, nor has it ever been, the best place for those having a mental health crisis. We must eliminate the use of jail as a response to a mental health crisis and mental illness, and instead work to improve access to community-based crisis centers.

Otienos brother Leon Ochieng urged Gov. Glenn Youngkin to make mental health a priority, pointing out Youngkins recent comments calling Otienos death heart-wrenching.

If you really do empathize and feel what we feel, do something, Ochieng said. Let your state be an example  all we need to do is make this an agenda to put pressure on lawmakers to invite our communities to have families who are ambassadors for mental health.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney in a social media post on Tuesday said: "Irvo Otieno should be alive today. His life was taken in a place where he should have been safe. We need accountability and we need more mental health resources."
An out-of-court settlement has been reached between the city of Richmond and activists and independent journalists who filed a federal civil suit against the city stemming from protests over George Floyds killing.

The suit, filed in May 2022, alleged a pattern of unlawful misconduct directed toward civilians and members of the press during the demonstrations.

Court documents obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch show that the parties settled out of court this week, ahead of their next court hearing on March 21.

The City of Richmond was the only defendant at the time of settlement as the officers and chiefs had been dismissed.

Were really happy with the settlement because we accomplished our goal, which was really to effect change within the police department, said Terry Frank, the attorney representing the plaintiffs.

A city representative did not immediately respond to questions.

The protests happened after a police officer pinned Floyd to the pavement outside a Minneapolis store for more than nine minutes, killing him. The May 25, 2020, murder touched off protests worldwide in a reckoning over police brutality and racism.

The Richmond lawsuit said journalists covering the protests were harassed, detained or arrested while observing or recording policy activity.

Plaintiffs included citizen journalists Kristopher Goad Gatsby and Jimmie Lee Jarvis; Andrew Ringle and Eduardo Acevedo, two Virginia Commonwealth University students who covered the protests as journalists with the student-run Commonwealth Times; and Charles H. Schmidt Jr., a lawyer who was working with the ACLU of Virginia at the time of the protests in June 2020.

Defendants were former Police Chief Gerald Smith, former interim Police Chief William Jody Blackwell, their predecessor William C. Smith, 28 individual officers and an additional 50 officers who are unnamed.

The legal challenge said First, Fourth and 14th Amendment rights were violated when police used pepper spray, tear gas and other less lethal weapons on the journalists, which prevented them from documenting the events in the interest of the public.

Even though members of the news media were expressly exempt from the unlawful gathering decelerations, defendants ignored the exemption, the complaint reads. Even when members of the news media clearly identified themselves, defendants continued to target and intimidate the press by threatening, assaulting and deploying chemical agents at members of the media.

After nearly a years worth of ligation, the two parties agreed to an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages in addition to terms that address Richmond police policy.

Police have agreed to come up with or memorialize a First Amendment policy in a general order, Frank said. So journalists or whoever we decide as subject matter experts will work with the city to enact a policy, then implement training so that Richmond police officers will know how to act if someone tries to take their picture.

Frank said the process of determining the policy could take weeks, with the goal of making police policies more widely transparent and available to the public.

This is the goal that we set out to accomplish at the beginning, Frank said. The policy issues were really what drove this whole case so I couldnt be happier.

Frank declined to speak on the financial ruling in the case, and a spokesperson with the city of Richmond had not responded before deadline.

Roberto Roldan, former City Hall reporter for VPM, now the city government and politics reporter for Louisville Public Media, was also plaintiff in this case and part of the settlement negotiations.

As a journalist, there arent many issues I feel comfortable advocating for, but demanding transparency and accountability are central to my job, Roldan said. Its central to what I was doing out in downtown on June 1, 2020, when Richmond Police Department officers pepper-sprayed me and knocked me to the ground after I identified myself as a member of the media.

With this settlement weve gotten both transparency and accountability. Moving forward, I hope the city of Richmond takes seriously its responsibility to facilitate First Amendment expression, rather than attempting to impede it, he added.

The city faced as many as 122 legal claims stemming from the Floyd protests as of August, resulting in $1.6 million in settlements.

In July, a lawsuit against Richmond police for tear-gassing protesters at the former Robert E. Lee monument resulted in a settlement. The terms were not made public.

Earlier this week, officials in Denver announced that city would pay $1.6 million to settle lawsuits filed by seven people whom police injured during demonstrations over the killing of Floyd.

New York has also agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement related to police treatment of Floyd demonstrators.

A look back at recent Richmond police chiefs Gerald Smith William Jody Blackwell William Smith Alfred Durham Ray J. Tarasovic Bryan T. Norwood Rodney D. Monroe Andre Parker

Close Lee Circle is photographed Friday, May 28, 2021. Lee Circle is photographed Friday, May 28, 2021. Lee Circle is photographed Friday, May 28, 2021. Lee Circle is photographed Friday, May 28, 2021. Lee Circle is photographed Friday, May 28, 2021. PHOTOS: Lee Circle, one year after protests began May 29 marks one year since demonstrators, enraged by a police officers public murder of a Black man more than 1,100 miles away, first marched for a movement that would forever change the physical and political landscape of Richmond. Today, Robert E. Lee is the only Confederate remaining on Richmonds Monument Avenue. The state has fenced off the circle as it awaits court approval to remove the statue. Lee Circle is photographed Friday, May 28, 2021. Lee Circle is photographed Friday, May 28, 2021. Lee Circle is photographed Friday, May 28, 2021. Lee Circle is photographed Friday, May 28, 2021. Lee Circle is photographed Friday, May 28, 2021.
A group of dirt bikers was tearing up the area around Shockoe Bottom, heading the wrong way down streets, ignoring lights, traffic signs and sometimes cutting across private yards, police said.

Several witnesses complained to law enforcement. One of them was Mayor Levar Stoney.

Interim Chief of Police Rick Edwards was notified by the mayor, who reported that he saw the group of reckless bikers heading westbound from the Shockoe Bottom area at around 6 p.m. Thursday.

Edwards notified the on-duty watch commander who fielded similar reports of reckless driving across the city and organized a response to stop the bikers.

Three bikers  two adults and one juvenile  were charged with reckless driving and felony eluding.

In a statement issued Friday, police said the bikers were going the wrong way on one-way streets, zooming against the flow of traffic near Richmond Highway and Belvidere Street, and also throttled on sidewalks and through yards of private properties, often ignoring stop signs and traffic lights.

RPDs 1st Precinct Focus Mission Team officers arrived in the area and, with the assistance of the Metro Aviation Unit, were able to find the group of dirt bike operators continuing to drive into Chesterfield County toward Chippenham Parkway.

With help from Chesterfield police and Virginia State Police, three of the four bikers were apprehended and arrested on the 9000 block of Knightsbridge Road in Chesterfield.

The fourth suspect fled on foot and was not apprehended, according to police. Four dirt bikes were seized, along with a stolen firearm.

The suspects include Rico Thomas, 18, James Brown, 18, and a third unnamed juvenile, all from Hopewell.

In a statement, Richmond police attributed the successful arrests in part to the collaborative efforts among the various law enforcement agencies.

From the Archives: Richmond Police Mounted Unit
The following timeline is based on statements from police and prosecutors.

March 2: At 4:03 p.m., Henrico County police respond to the 2200 block of Haviland Drive, in the same neighborhood as 28-year-old Irvo N. Otienos home, to investigate reports of a suspicious situation. A neighbor was concerned about Otienos behavior. The call was reclassified as a mental health problem. After speaking with Otieno and a family member, no charges were filed.

March 3: In the morning, Otienos mother, Caroline Ouko, contacts her sons psychiatrists office seeking help after seeing signs of mental distress from Otieno. Ouko asks Otienos psychiatrist to tell authorities to bring someone specialized in mental health issues to help get her son to the hospital.

Henrico police respond to the 8800 block of Fordson Road at 11:34 a.m., not from a doctors call as Ouko initially believed, but from a neighbor who reported a possible burglary. Ouko speaks to a neighbor about a light fixture her son had pulled from the neighbors yard and explained that her son was in distress. Ouko believes the matter was resolved.

According to Ouko, 10 to 12 officers arrive at their home and pull out stun guns. She asks the officers to put the devices away, and Otieno was placed under an emergency protective order. Officers handcuff and lead Otieno to a police cruiser. An ambulance is called after he balks at entering the patrol vehicle. He is transported to Henrico Doctors Hospital.

Officers at the hospital say Otieno becomes physically aggressive, leading them to take him to Henrico Jail that evening. He is charged with three counts of assault and battery of a law enforcement officer, disorderly conduct on hospital grounds and destruction of property. He remains in jail for the rest of the weekend, without some or all of his medication, according to his family.

March 6: Otieno appears in Henrico General District Court in the morning. Ouko attends the appearance and says her son appeared in pain. Ouko says her son needs psychiatric help and asks the judge not to transfer her son to Central State Hospital. Bail is denied.

At 3:58 p.m., Henrico sheriffs deputies arrive at Central State Hospital to admit Otieno.

At approximately 4:30 p.m., according to the State Medical Examiners Office, Otieno fell unconscious and could not be revived.

At 7:28 p.m., Virginia State Police are called to investigate Otienos death. The investigators are told that Otieno became combative while being admitted.

Otienos body is transported to the medical examiners office in Richmond for an autopsy. A preliminary report lists asphyxiation as a cause of death.

Tuesday: Seven Henrico sheriffs deputies are charged with second-degree murder in the death of Otieno.

Thursday: Prosecutors charge three hospital workers with second-degree murder.

 Thad Green
COLONIAL HEIGHTS  An early face-to-face clash Thursday in the 2023 primary election wars pitted two sides of the modern Republican Party against each other.

It also featured two women  one of whom is a state senator  who say theyre not politicians, against a one-term former state senator.

State Sen. Amanda Chase, R-Chesterfield is seeking reelection to a third term in a newly drawn 12th District. Former state Sen. Glen Sturtevant, who represented a preredistricting constituency of part of northern Chesterfield County and Richmond, is bidding to return to the body. Tina Ramirez, founder of a nonprofit that focuses on religious freedom, is making a run for state Senate after a brief campaign last year for the GOP nomination in the 7th Congressional District.

The three met Thursday at a forum sponsored by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a gun rights organization that lobbies in the General Assembly.

There are different types of Republicans, Chase said during the forum at the American Legion Hall in Colonial Heights. You need someone with backbone and you know I have it. She was speaking about her support of constitutional carry, the ability to carry a concealed weapon without a permit.

Sturtevant told the audience: I am running for the Senate because Glenn Youngkin, Winsome Sears and Jason Miyares saved our commonwealth two years ago. He said the governor needs a Republican majority in the Senate in the last two years of his term.

Ramirez said: When I see what is happening in our schools, I am very concerned. She added: For me, the Second Amendment and the First Amendment are very personal.

The forum focused exclusively on firearms issues. All three candidates shared positions in opposing universal background checks, bills to regulate homemade guns, Red Flag laws and repeal of Virginias machine gun ban. Sturtevant said he regretted his vote in 2019 for a Red Flag bill that ultimately was left to die in the Senate Finance Committee.

I whiffed that, he said.

Asked about guns in public buildings, Ramirez said there shouldnt be any gun-free zones." Later, when asked about carrying guns in schools, she and Chase said there shouldnt be any restrictions for law-abiding citizens.

There are three great candidates here but Im the only one whos carrying, Chase said.

Sturtevant said he brings an ability to carry the relatively more Democratic northern portions of the county, just added to the district, while Chase said shes been undefeated even in blue waves.

The newly drawn district leans Republican and went 56.7% for Youngkin in 2021. One Democrat, Natan McKenzie, has announced a run for the seat, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

Chase, a cofounder of the General Assemblys transparency caucus, says she consistently pushes for gun rights, term limits and freedom from mask mandates.

Her 17 bills and two resolutions this year, all of which were killed in committee, included an anti-abortion measure saying life begins at conception, proposed repeal of local ordinances barring guns in parks and recreation centers, and bans on medical transgender treatment for minors and requirements for COVID-19 vaccination.

She is currently not a member of the Senate Republican Caucus and was censured by the Senate in 2021 for a pattern of unacceptable conduct, including a lack of civility and making false and misleading statements.

Ramirezs Hardwired Global nonprofit develops childrens books and educational material to improve religious freedom overseas, continuing a focus from her days with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Last year, she told conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck that the U.S. has abandoned Christians in Afghanistan.

She describes herself as a single mother who champions conservative values and supports the American family. She has tweeted that Virginia teacher unions promote critical race theory, radical gender ideas and forced masking.

Ramirez opposes abortion and says she will push to end Virginias requirement for a permit for concealed carrying of firearms. She said she wants to expand access to telemedicine and decrease regulations that stifle growth and competition in the medical field. She says she will seek to put an end to what she describes as toxic cancel culture.

Sturtevant, a lawyer, moved from leading the nonprofit Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation to serving on the city School Board from 2012 until his election to the state Senate in 2015. He lost the seat to Democrat Ghazala Hashmi in 2019.

His 2019 legislation to authorize catastrophic health insurance plans  high-deductible, limited coverage plans for people under 30 or who qualify for a hardship exemption  passed the Senate and the House, overriding objections that it would undermine the Affordable Care Act, but Gov. Ralph Northam vetoed the measure. Northam also vetoed Sturtevants 2018 proposal to reduce the total number and type of required Standards of Learning assessments to the minimum requirements established by federal law.

With near-unanimous bipartisan support, the legislature passed Sturtevants 2017 bill providing for waiving any penalties related to taxes owed by a small business during its first two years of operation if the enterprise arranges an installment agreement with the tax commissioner for the payment of taxes. Northam signed the measure into law.

A number of GOP state senators so far are backing Sturtevant, whose $231,867 campaign fund included donations of $5,000 from state Sen. John Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake; $3,000 from Minority Leader Tommy Norment, R-James City; $1,000 from state Sen. Jill Holtzman Vogel, R-Fauquier; and $500 each from state Sens. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, and Frank Ruff, R-Mecklenburg.

Ramirez has the largest campaign war chest, a total of $249,053 buoyed by a $145,000 transfer from her unsuccessful run for Congress. Chases fund stood at $157,000 as of the December 31, the latest report available.

The new 12th Senate District, covering a bit more than half of Chesterfield as well as Colonial Heights, includes 89,107 voters from Chases current district, while adding 66,388 from the district Hashmi now represents. That includes portions of northern-most Chesterfield and the area around Ettrick in the far south of the county, which include the countys few Democratic strongholds. The portions of Chases current district that were carved off with redistricting include an area around Chester as well as Amelia County.
Following the sound of the doorbell, visitors to Reed Andersons Goochland County home can be greeted by the gentle tail wag of Toby  a 12-year-old dog who is living with hermangiosarcoma, a kind of cancer.

Anderson, the co-owner of Kame Naturals, gives CBD products to Toby to help ease his pain.

Anderson, with a farm nearby and some hemp monitored in an upstairs walk-in closet, worries that new legislation could hamper his company  which creates and sells oils, salves and soaps  and the overall hemp industry in Virginia.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin is likely to sign legislation that passed the General Assembly aimed at creating tighter regulations on hemp products for more consumer protection. His December budget proposal included a 15-member team to handle hemp registration and inspections of intoxicating products. Medical industries support the legislation, but some who work in Virginias hemp industry do not support all aspects of the bills.

Under House Bill 2294, sponsored by House Majority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, and Senate Bill 903, sponsored by Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta, businesses that sell industrial hemp extract or food containing an industrial hemp extract are limited to 0.3% THC and two milligrams of THC per package. THC is the chemical found in hemp and cannabis plants that can create the feeling of a high. Though most hemp-derived products do not contain enough THC to produce a high, products containing delta-8, a modified form of THC found in hemp, have been sold in recent years.

It is important to recognize that existing laws do not adequately prohibit the retail sale of unregulated products with intoxicating levels of THC and other synthetic cannabinoids, various health care associations wrote in a letter to Youngkin last week. These bills effectively close a loophole exploited by retail sellers and protect public health.

Does state legislation go too far?

Following the passage of the 2018 federal Farm Bill, Anderson said, most people in his industry have been operating within federal guidelines. Though Andersons company does not advertise delta-8 products, for the businesses that do, the federal government has not specified limits on delta-8 as it has for other forms of THC.

Anderson and others say the new state legislation goes too far in regulating their industry.

The proposed cap of 2 milligrams of THC per package  far less than many current products sold  means many products would have to be pulled from shelves until they can be repackaged. Anderson and Graham Redfern, who owns Caroline County-based Redfern Hemp Co., add that the repackaging would cost them.

A 30-day bottle of CBD full spectrum tincture will now need to be split up into single-day supplies and would also need to drop the milligrams down to meet the 2 milligram requirement per package, Redfern said.

He said that if House Bill 2294 and Senate Bill 903 take effect, businesses will not be sustainable or people may feel pushed into operating illegally.

This whole bill is driving people out of business, or into the black market, or out of state and then shipping it back into the state.

Other components of the bills include more labeling requirements, the addition of bittering agents into topical products (like lotions or lip balms) and fines for businesses found to be in violation.

An uptick in calls to the Blue Ridge Poison Control Center alarmed Hanger. His bill followed a series of recommendations from a task force that met last year to study the issue.

With no recreational cannabis market in Virginia, some companies have sold delta-8 products. Some of those have been packaged to resemble popular snacks and candies.

Christopher Holstege, director of the Blue Ridge center, said the rise in pediatric patients who consumed what they thought was candy has been concerning. Calls about adverse reactions to delta-8 spiked from 20 calls in 2020 to 256 within the past 12 months.

The slope is very much increased over the last couple of years, Holstege said. Exposed to these products, it certainly highlights the danger to especially very young children, but also some adverse complications that have occurred for adults, too.

Hanger asserts that legislators needed to take action.

It will be difficult to rein in this industry because many of the bad actors are making lots of money and, to be fair, there are some good products out there that should remain legal, he said in a recent email.

Hanger added that it is possible the bills could be tweaked before the legislature reconvenes in April. He explained the tweaks could deal with topical products not meant for consumption, wholesale processors that sell to the medical market and questions about how to deal with hemp products being used to treat medical conditions.

For the most part, the bill is in good shape and coupled with the additional enforcement positions that the governor included in the introduced budget, we should be able to get the bad products out of the market  without damaging the market for legitimate hemp-based products, Hanger said.

Until then, Anderson said, people in his industry have been keyboard warriors in reaching out to legislators.

Had lawmakers not postponed setting up a legal cannabis market, none of this would be a problem, he said.

Court injunction may be sought

After decriminalizing marijuana possession in 2021, the goal of Democrats, who then led both chambers of the General Assembly, had been to establish a legal recreational market by 2024  but efforts to create it have failed. While most CBD products do not produce a high, some customers have turned to delta-8 products if they do not have medical permission to access marijuana.

What is more, Anderson and others point to campaign donations from the out-of-state medical marijuana companies that already operate legally in Virginia.

For example, Kilgore received $22,000 from Jushi Inc., which operates dispensaries in Virginia. While a campaign donation does not necessarily mean legislators will act in favor of donors, it can signal potential support.

Amid the failure to set up a legal cannabis market and recent laws targeting hemp, some advocates and entrepreneurs think the legislature is paving the way to create an advantage for medical companies. Redfern of Redfern Hemp Co. points to a Cannabist store (owned by GreenLeaf/Columbia Care) that recently opened on Cary Street in Richmond  across the street from Carytown Tobacco.

Redfern also noted a recent economic impact study. Conducted by Whitney Economics and backed by members of Virginias hemp industry, it notes the nationwide supply chain of the hemp industry and that current sales within hemp businesses in Virginia are estimated to be $1.2 billion with over 4,000 jobs.

While Holstege thinks legislators are on the right trajectory with the latest bills, Anderson said there are ways to address consumer protection without overly restricting businesses.

I think we do need to regulate packaging and testing. Lets talk about maybe per serving, instead of per package. Lets talk about child safety and labeling, he said. Were on board with all of those things.

In the meantime, advocates for the hemp market are prepared to seek a court injunction should the governor sign Kilgores House Bill 2294 and Hangers Senate Bill 903 into law as is. A Change.org petition is gathering signatures, and a GoFundMe is garnering donations to pay for legal representation.

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U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., was serving his first year as Virginias lieutenant governor in 2002 when Congress authorized the use of military force against Iraq, and it wasnt lost on him that it took the vote weeks before midterm congressional elections.

The elections would be held just over a year after terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and retaliatory strikes by the U.S. against al-Qaida training camps in Afghanistan and the ruling Taliban.

But it would be an additional five months after the congressional vote before U.S. forces invaded Iraq on March 19, 2003, exactly 20 years ago on Sunday.

It clearly seemed to me at the time, that the run-up to the war was being significantly influenced, maybe dominated, by political concerns rather than the careful consideration of the countrys security, Kaine said. To commit troops  and ultimately thousands died and tens of thousands were wounded  into a war, when a dominant feature was sort of electioneering and campaign-season politics, deeply offended my sensibilities.

I knew something was wrong, he said during a briefing of Virginia media on Thursday morning.

On Thursday, Kaine and Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., persuaded the U.S. Senate to take the first step toward repealing an authorization of military force for the first time since 1971, when Congress ended the Tonkin Gulf Resolution that had allowed then-President Lyndon Johnson to escalate the war in Vietnam. The Senate voted 68-27 to avoid a filibuster and allow a full debate next week on whether to repeal the Iraq War resolution and a military force authorization that Congress had approved in 1991 to allow the U.S. to repel the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in the Gulf War.

U.S. military forces withdrew from Iraq in 2011, but the authorization remains the law. They had the courage to do their duty. How dare we as Congress not have an urge to simply say after 20 years the war is over, the job is done? Kaine asked the Senate.

We owe it to our service members to fulfill our constitutional obligations and vote to end endless wars.

Unlike the vote to repeal the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, accomplished as an amendment to separate legislation, the Senate will act next week on standalone legislation to repeal the two war authorizations.

Im unaware of one of those occurring in the Senate in my lifetime, Kaine said during the media briefing.

Immediately after the vote, Kaine and Young appeared outside the U.S. Capitol with representatives of the American Legion, which voiced strong support for the legislation. Mario Marquez, a retired sergeant-major in the U.S. Marine Corps who served four tours of combat duty in Iraq, said it is long past time to repeal these authorizations.

Our force was not built to remain in a perpetual state of war, said Marquez, who serves as director of the American Legions national security division.

Young, who served three tours in Iraq as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, said the legislation would not affect the 2001 authorization to use military force in Afghanistan and generally against terrorist threats.

The war on terror can continue to be conducted, he said.

However, Young said, the repeal is necessary to restore Congress traditional role in authorizing use of military force under Article 1 of the Constitution. It is time for Congress to have its voice heard in these matters, he said.

Both senators said the repeal would not limit the war powers of the president under Article 2 of the Constitution. President Joe Biden, a longtime former member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who served two terms as vice president, has publicly expressed support for the legislation.

Kaine said it would discourage presidents from misusing the war authorization for other purposes, not specifically addressed by Congress, as then-President Donald Trump did in 2020 by using the outdated congressional action to justify the assassination of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who was in Iraq.

Counting two senators who support the measure but were absent for the vote, Kaine and Young said 70 of the Senates 100 members support repeal, which they hope will bolster a similar bipartisan coalition in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is now controlled by Republicans under Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who directs what comes to a vote on the House floor.

Kaine said Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, is one of the Democratic leaders of the effort, along with Republican Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Tom Cole of Oklahoma.

In the Senate, he said Young has been enormously successful with his Republican colleagues.

Kaine sought to rally support from political conservatives in an appearance later Thursday at a policy forum that the Cato Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, conducted on the 20th anniversary of the Iraq War.

Weve got to acknowledge the reality that Iraq is not an enemy, its a strategic partner, Kaine said in the keynote address at the forum.

He cited the surprise visit to Baghdad last week by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

There are no permanent enemies of the United States, Kaine said.

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The U.S. Department of Education is putting pressure on Virginias education department to come into compliance with federal law that ensures educational services to children with disabilities.

The Virginia Department of Education has been out of compliance for years, and the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Special Education Programs indicated that continued noncompliance could lead to Virginia losing federal funding.

Virginia has one year to get into compliance with the law before it could face sanctions, according to a January letter from the federal education department to then-state Superintendent Jillian Balow.

Sanctions would likely have an impact on funding for federal fiscal year 2023, which starts Oct. 1. This years funding is not finalized, but Virginia received $312 million for fiscal year 2021 from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part B funding.

The IDEA, passed in 1975, ensures that students with disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education.

VDOE continues to work with its federal partners to ensure compliance with all federal requirements, as we have since the report was issued, said Charles Pyle, spokesman for Virginias education department.

It is not common for states to face sanctions for their entire portion of IDEA funding, but several states have faced penalties for portions up to tens of millions of dollars in funding. The federal education department withheld $33.3 million in future grants from Texas after the state in 2012 decreased availability of special education funding by that same amount, compared with the previous year.

The federal education department first issued Virginias education department a monitoring report in June 2020 during Gov. Ralph Northams administration. The report found that Virginia inadequately oversees special education complaints made against local school systems. It also criticized the state agencys lack of procedures in responding to and monitoring complaints related to special education programs.

Since then, the state has corrected some but not all of the findings, according to letters from the federal education department.

It says the state has not provided sufficient information to show it has corrected noncompliance issues related to state complaint procedures, due process complaint and hearing procedures, and independent educational evaluations.

The federal department is concerned not only with some of the same issues it raised in 2020, but also with new areas regarding compliance with federal special education law, according to a letter addressed to Balow last month.

Appropriate policies and procedures for both oversight and compliance, and their implementation, are crucial to ensuring that children with disabilities and their families are afforded rights under the [Individuals with Disabilities Education Act] requirements in these areas, the letter stated.

It continued to say that the federal education departments Office of Special Education Programs will initiate additional monitoring activities focused on both the new and continued areas of concern and on the effective implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act requirements in those areas.

Some of the new monitoring will review concerns that Virginias deficient leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic may have led to noncompliance by school districts. Another area includes concerns with the state education departments due process complaint and hearing process.

Virginias ability to properly serve students with disabilities is a longstanding issue.

A study in 2020 by the states Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission found that Virginia school divisions rely on under-prepared teachers to fill gaps in special education teaching positions. The same study found that the state education department rarely ensures that noncompliance is corrected or that any negative effects of noncompliance on students are remedied through makeup services.

In January, plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against the state education department alleged active involvement of the state agency in denying students with disabilities access to educational services that are guaranteed to them under federal law.

They say the Virginia education department was not only aware that local school divisions denied appropriate services to students with disabilities, but that the VDOE was also actively complicit in making sure the students did not receive the services to which they are entitled.

In the 11-year period between 2010 and 2021, hearing officers have ruled only 25 times fully in favor of disabled children out of 1,391 cases, according to Freedom of Information Act requests provided in the lawsuit. Those rulings represent 1.8% of the total aggregate cases overseen by these hearing officers.

The new compliance monitoring plan from the federal education department comes amid instability within the state education department. Balow resigned this month without providing a reason for her abrupt departure just 14 months into her tenure.

The new state superintendent that Gov. Glenn Youngkin appoints will be the third state education department leader to inherit the issue. The governor said on March 2, the day after Balows resignation, that the search for a new state superintendent was underway and that his administration is moving as fast as we can go.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Moscow next week to discuss with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a proposal to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

Beijing presented a 12-point plan last month for "a political resolution" of the Russia-Ukraine war," and on Thursday, a top Chinese official urged for dialogue via a phone call with Ukraine's foreign minister, setting the stage for Xi Jinping's state visit on March 20 to 22, according to Reuters.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Xi Jinping Russia visit, his first in almost four years, was somewhat to promote "peace," but he made no direct reference to the Russia-Ukraine war.

In a statement, the Kremlin has also confirmed the trip and said that the visit's purpose is to discuss the nations' "comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation." Several "important bilateral documents" will also be signed.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not verify claims that Xi will meet virtually with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with whom he hasn't communicated since the Russia-Ukraine war started more than a year ago, per NBC News.

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US, NATO Skeptical of Xi Jinping's Peace Effort

The US and NATO have criticized Beijing's mediation efforts because it has not condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine, per CNN.

Moreover, under Xi's leadership, China has amplified Moscow's disinformation by accusing NATO of instigating the crisis.

It has also strengthened commercial and military relations with Moscow by increasing commerce and performing regular joint military exercises.

The West has accused China of planning to provide Russia with deadly military aid, an allegation that Beijing has always dismissed.

Related Article: China Criticizes AUKUS Alliance

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The darkness deepened for a homeless Gwendolyn Alexander during the four years she and her son Cole, who helps her with the chores of daily life, lived in a single room in a motel near a drug-dealing hot spot on Hull Street Road.

After years of shuttling from one rundown apartment to another in some of Richmond and Chesterfield Countys toughest neighborhoods, chased by accusations she is certain are false about bringing bed bugs, while also dealing with roommates who didnt always take care of the bills, her years in the motel marked her lowest point.

I felt like I had no hope ... I was begging for food, begging for money, begging for cigarettes, she said. I was suicidal ... my sons would say: Mom, how come you dont laugh anymore? Youre not yourself, she said.

They pushed her to get help.

She tried  but she could not shake off the depression.

Until, after a year in the motel, she met a counselor who suggested she apply for the Chesterfield Department of Mental Health Support Services permanent supportive housing program.

It took three years of waiting  and of work  but now she has a home.

And that matters because it is hard  maybe impossible  to feel stable and ready to cope with a mental health issue if you do not have a place to live, says the official who leads Virginias behavioral health system, Commissioner Nelson Smith.

Nationally, nearly a million people with mental illness do not have a stable place to live, and programs to offer housing and support have historically produced only 1,100 to 1,500 new units a year across the nation, the American Psychiatric Associations Psychiatric Services journal reported last year. Having a secure place to live in a community with access to support services is an important part of recovery, the nonprofit group Mental Health America says.

Supportive housing is probably one of the biggest needs in Virginias public mental health system, according to Secretary of Health and Human Resources John Littel.

Currently, Virginia has about 1,700 slots  including more than 150 in Richmond, 45 in Henrico County, 30 in Chesterfield and 60 in a region centered on the Tri-Cities of Petersburg, Hopewell and Colonial Heights.

There is a need for 7,000, Smith said.

Seeking stability</&h1>

Thats the one word you need to say: stability, said a man named Greg, who has been with Henricos supportive housing program for four years.

Greg, who asked that his last name not be used, has struggled for decades with depression that can veer into suicidal gloom.

I had two cats: Toby and Tom, he said. Toby died, and I put him in a box, and then I brought Tom over; he got in, gave the strangest meow; Id never heard that before  he knew. He knew what death was ...

And I said to myself: Youre getting older, and what have you done with yourself. Nothing. Whats the point?

About a decade ago, it was bad enough that he contacted the countys Mental Health and Developmental Services department and worked for a time with a counselor, getting medication that helped.

But then his truck broke down.

And it was hard to get going to fix the problem, like the time after his mother died and the tree out back crashed through the power line to the house they had lived in, or the time the water was cut off.

No power, no water  Ive got bigger things than that to think about, he said. He went for a year and a half without power because he could not get motivated to do anything about it. At a different time, he went for months without water.

When youve got chronic depression, its hard to think about anything else. ... Its hard to make decisions, so you just put things off.

But eventually you cannot anymore.

At one point, he was standing in the front yard just blubbering ... maybe screaming, I cant remember. The neighbors called the police. ... [the officer] said, I dont usually do this, but let me drive you to the hospital. ...

I was hospitalized for a while. ... I probably should have been a couple of times before, he said.

And when, after some 20 years of water leaking from a washing machine, it turned out that the framing below the old family home had rotted so badly that the house was condemned, Henricos Mental Health and Developmental Services department stepped up, offering Greg a place in its permanent supportive housing program.

Its supportive living</&h1>

This isnt really just supportive housing  its supportive living, Greg said.

His case manager comes usually a couple of times a month for a chat; getting medication is easy these days.

You know I dont really have family or friends. I can count on my case manager if I need help, he said.

Just that simple change, as well as having his own place  especially looking after his own place  makes a big difference.

My counselor calls it silent therapy, he said. You dont have to talk  you work around the house and you concentrate on that or, if you need help, theres somebody there. ... Youre connected, with the things youve got to do, with other people.

Putting in the work

It is not easy to get a place  it took Alexander three years from the time she first learned supportive housing was an option.

When I go visit at the motel, they say: Miss Gwen, youre so lucky, how did you do it? Alexander said. I say: You have to work. You have to do the application. You have to want to. You have to listen to what they tell you, follow a program. You have to work to get better.

In her case, that has meant  and still means  group sessions three times a week, each of which lasts three hours.

It means changing much of the way she had been thinking and acting.

The payoff is her new home, a two-story, two-bedroom apartment in North Chesterfield. Her son stays with her.

Cole helps her move around and sometimes lifts her when she is seated and cannot get up easily.

He helps with my medicine  I dont breathe so good, she says. He does the laundry. He helps with the cleaning.

Now, the two have space  there is even a sunny, fenced-in patio in the back where she can get fresh air. The complex is quiet, a lot different from the motel.

Always people coming in and out. Always the dealing, she said.

She has got a kitchen now, too. That is a big change from the toaster oven and hot plate she had  and probably should not have had  while living in the motel.

I used to feed a lot of people. Theyd come and say: Miss Gwen, Im so hungry, can you fix me something? and I would, she said.

The motel mini-fridge did not hold a lot, but there was always food in it, she said.

And still more work</&h1>

If it felt like it took work for Alexander to find a way out of the motel and get a better handle on her depression, it takes work, too, for Adam Seehaver, services supervisor for Chesterfields permanent supportive housing program, to arrange things.

There is the money question: People on disability, like Alexander, generally do not have enough income to cover rents, so Seehaver and his counterparts at other Community Services Boards step in with funds to help pay the rent. They will also help people get basic furnishings and kitchen goods.

The funds the state budget sets for the supportive housing program of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, along with local monies, is what can make up the difference.

Then, there is finding landlords interested in lending a hand.

Seehaver said he is finding that many more landlords want to than might have been expected.

I think some see it as a way of giving back, of helping their community, he said.

And some, whose current or past tenants may also have issues, like the idea of having a tenant who has the supports that Seehaver and his colleagues can offer.

Those include hand delivery of the portion of rent that the supportive housing program covers, which is a chance for a case manager to catch up on any issues the landlord sees.

Seehaver said it is important to know that paying rent and following terms of the lease, including maintaining the place and not disrupting people, is the responsibility of the program participant  Alexander, in her case. Leases are in the name of the program participant, not the agency.

Housing-first approach</&h1>

It is also important to know that it is up to the participants in the program to accept or reject any supports that may be available.

They are free to accept none at all, although in practice, almost all accept some, said Kristin Yavorsky, director of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Office of Community Housing.

Its the housing-first approach, she said.

People need shelter and food before they can tackle other issues  whether it is finding work, recovering from addiction or benefiting from mental health services.

And the payoff is real.

Nearly half of supportive housing participants are dealing with illnesses that had at some point landed them in a state mental hospital. That includes 272 who moved into supportive housing directly from a state hospital; finding a place to live is one of the biggest barriers to discharging individuals from Virginias overcrowded state hospitals when they no longer need inpatient care.

More than 90% of participants have been stably housed for at least a year. For someone like Alexander, who bounced from place to place before her four years in a motel, that is a big deal.

And it means only a small number  less than 10%  spiraled down and so needed hospitalization or other more hands-on care.

Funding and the availability of affordable housing are the big challenges statewide, Yavorsky said.

Because those things are still limited, not everyone who could benefit will get a place; to set priorities, housing support specialists are charged with thinking about the bad outcomes individuals have had when they have not had a secure place to live, and to think about the bad things that could happen to them in the future without a home.

Priorities include people leaving state hospitals, those whose homelessness means they are cut off from services, people who have to couch-surf to have a roof over their heads and people in assisted living facilities or group homes who are not doing well there.

Its really who has the most bad stuff going on, she said.

Natural light</&h1>

Gregs case was an urgent one  he could not keep living in the family home after it was condemned  but finding a new home was not simply a take-it-or-leave-it matter.

They had a questionnaire to see what I wanted, and I said: a questionnaire? he remembers. He could not believe it was serious, but it was.

Sometimes, people will say something like I cant live on the second floor,  he said. I said, I do better with lots of natural light.

And his apartments French doors open so that, even on an overcast February morning, there is plenty of light.

He has gotten a job, too  driving people to and from medical and mental health appointments.

If I drive to someones place, drive them to their appointment, drive back to pick them up and drive them home, it saves a case manager that driving; they can see two more people a day.

Sometimes the people he drives, and the case managers he helps, are so eager to see him that theyre waiting by the curb for him.

In 30 years, Ive never felt better, he said. I caught myself the other day whistling while I washed the dishes.

The thing about being anxious is getting started, making a decision. I used to let them pile up ... but Im washing the dishes, whistling and when I realize Ive never been happier, I just start crying.

31 photos from the Times-Dispatch archives
Amid questions raised by constituents and some Democratic lawmakers, it remains unclear if there have been changes to how restoration of voting rights occurs under Gov. Glenn Youngkins administration.

Arina Van Breda, a voter registration director with Fairfax Countys chapter of the League of Women Voters, said she had reached out to the Youngkin administration to see if there were any updates she needed to know. She was curious what the current criteria was for consideration  as people seeking restored rights need to know how to navigate the process.

They never responded to our inquiry, which is why I reached out to Senator Surovell, she said.

Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, emailed Secretary of the Commonwealth Kay Coles James.

We consider each application that we receive on the merits of each individual case, but we get information from state agency partners [Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, Virginia State Police, Department of Elections, and the Compensation Board] from applicants to appropriately consider each candidate, she responded.

It remains unclear how exactly those agencies are involved in the consideration process and what criteria petitioners will be subject to or what documentation they may need to provide.

According to a snapshot on the Wayback Machine (an internet archive of webpages), the Secretary of the Commonwealth site under the Northam administration indicated that it had dropped the requirement to have completed parole before petitioning  its also unclear if thats still the case.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch emailed the same questions about the criteria and if anything has changed to James and a spokesperson for Youngkin. At the time of this publication, the administration did not answer direct questions but provided a statement.

Rights restoration cases are assessed on an individual basis according to the law and take into consideration the unique elements of each situation, practicing grace for those who need it and ensuring public safety for our community and families, wrote Macaulay Porter in an email. The Department of Corrections and the Secretary of the Commonwealth work with the appropriate agencies to restore an individuals rights.

Virginia and Kentucky are the only states that bar anyone convicted of a felony from voting, although seven more states deny some the right to vote. Virginia law allows felons who have completed their terms to petition a governor to get back their civil rights, including the rights to vote, serve on a jury and run for office.

On Friday, Sen. Lionel Spruill Sr., D-Chesapeake, who chairs the Senates Privileges and Elections Committee, sent a letter to James asking similar questions about its procedures and published a copy on Twitter.

It is critical that Virginians are aware of the process, and I am very concerned that thousands of people have been released who thought their rights were being automatically restored, but it never happened, Spruill wrote.

In July 2016, the state Supreme Court struck down then-Gov. Terry McAuliffes executive order restoring voting rights to 206,000 felons who had served their time. A 4-3 majority found that McAuliffe had overstepped his authority by issuing the blanket order. Governors continue to consider cases on an individual basis.

Each year, the Secretary of the Commonwealth submits a report to the General Assembly with details of whose rights the administration restored. The numbers have been higher under previous administrations, with about 4,000 people having been restored during Youngkins first year as governor. Spruill questions why the number is lower.

In October, Youngkin restored about 800 peoples rights ahead of congressional elections and said second chances are essential to ensuring Virginians who have made mistakes are able to move forward toward a successful future.

Streamlining the procedure is not new. Three recent governors administrations (from Republican Bob McDonnell to Democrats Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam) have worked to make the process of restoration more navigable to varying degrees. McDonnell worked to locate and notify felons who had served their time of opportunities to petition for restoration. McAuliffe restored 179,000 peoples rights after unsuccessfully attempting to do so via the executive order. Northam dropped the requirement to have first completed parole to be considered.

In conjunction with gubernatorial actions, Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, has carried a measure several years in a row to put automatic restoration of rights in Virginias state constitution.

Calling it her lifes work, she said in a call that she has continued to pursue the matter so that we wouldnt have to even be having this kind of a conversation.

Its important, she said, because by leaving it up to governors, it can be subjective. She believes everyone who has served their time and reentered society should be able to participate in democracy again.

I dont think it should be left up to a governor or even the General Assembly to make this decision, Locke said.

Close 01-29-1970 (cutline): Capitol is focus for women lobbyists' work during session. 01-23-1973 (cutline): Maybe a last look--legislative page David King, 13, looks at model of the State Capitol by Thomas Jefferson which soon may be removed from the building. 02-06-1962 (cutline): Byrd (left) and Del. Pollard view model of Capitol at Commitees' session yesterday. 10-10-1963: Capitol's lunch room. 03-13-1972: Inside of Capitol. 01-13-1962 (cutline): Virginia's Capitol early today, all ready for the Harrison inaguration ceremony. 02-21-1968 (cutline): Sign proclaims 'Fire Lane' along north side of Capitol. Parked cars are almost bumper-to-bumper, but Fire Chief is tolerant. 03-20-1964: Easter Sunrise service at the Virginia State Capitol 03-12-1974:In March 1974 at the state Capitol, Virginia first lady Katherine Godwin (second front right) unveiled a painting of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. The work, by Jack Clifton of Hampton (front), was presented by the Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution; it commissioned the painting in cooperation with the Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission. Assisting Godwin with the unveiling were state Sen. Edward E. Willey Sr. of Richmond and DAR official Mrs. John S. Biscoe. From the Archives: The Virginia state Capitol building A look back at the Virginia State Capitol building in the 60s and 70s. 01-29-1970 (cutline): Capitol is focus for women lobbyists' work during session. 01-23-1973 (cutline): Maybe a last look--legislative page David King, 13, looks at model of the State Capitol by Thomas Jefferson which soon may be removed from the building. 02-06-1962 (cutline): Byrd (left) and Del. Pollard view model of Capitol at Commitees' session yesterday. 10-10-1963: Capitol's lunch room. 03-13-1972: Inside of Capitol. 01-13-1962 (cutline): Virginia's Capitol early today, all ready for the Harrison inaguration ceremony. 02-21-1968 (cutline): Sign proclaims 'Fire Lane' along north side of Capitol. Parked cars are almost bumper-to-bumper, but Fire Chief is tolerant. 03-20-1964: Easter Sunrise service at the Virginia State Capitol 03-12-1974:In March 1974 at the state Capitol, Virginia first lady Katherine Godwin (second front right) unveiled a painting of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. The work, by Jack Clifton of Hampton (front), was presented by the Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution; it commissioned the painting in cooperation with the Virginia Independence Bicentennial Commission. Assisting Godwin with the unveiling were state Sen. Edward E. Willey Sr. of Richmond and DAR official Mrs. John S. Biscoe.
Amid a monthslong online opportunity to submit public comment, Virginias Department of Environmental Quality hosted an in-person public hearing Thursday where about 50 gathered to speak  all in support of Virginia remaining in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin wants to remove Virginia from the initiative, also known as RGGI  pronounced Reggie  a consortium of 12 East Coast states where energy producers trade emission reductions for credits, or buy credits to emit carbon dioxide past the capped amount.

Many of the speakers at the hearing were representatives of various environmental groups, and some showed up on their own behalf. A cohort of students from the College of William & Mary also was present.

The hearing at DEQ headquarters followed over a year of debate over who has authority to determine whether Virginia should remain in RGGI or be removed.

The General Assembly passed a law to put Virginia into the initiative. Youngkin has since begun a regulatory process that could culminate with the Air Pollution Control Board voting in his favor. Environmental lawyers argue that would set the administration up for legal challenges. With the regulatory route kicked off, the public comment period is part of the process.

We made this possible through our legislators in order for it to become law, said speaker Richard Walker, a Richmond-area resident. RGGI is law, and we need to let this governor know that he cannot overstep his bounds.

A woman who indicated she would have wanted to speak in favor of removing Virginia from RGGI did not come forward during public comment, but noted as she left the meeting that she wished she had.

Youngkin and his administration have called Virginias participation in RGGI a burden as utility companies have passed on the costs of RGGI to customers through rate adjustment clauses attached to monthly bills.

A 2022 Youngkin administration report concluded: Because of the captive nature of their ratepayers, the ability for power-generators to fully pass on costs to consumers, and the fact that the Code of Virginia dedicates RGGI proceeds to grants programs, participation in RGGI is in effect a direct carbon tax on all households and businesses.

Proponents of Virginia remaining in RGGI argue that the $2.36 a month is not a significant additional cost, considering that the money generated through the initiative funds energy-efficiency projects, along with flood prevention and protection measures.

In December, Youngkins budget proposal included $200 million in funding for flood prevention projects. At the time, his administration said it was a first step toward replacing losses caused by Virginias potential withdrawal from RGGI.

Activists and environmental organizations disagree.

Prior to the hearing, Democratic senators and various environmental groups hosted a news conference a few blocks away at the state Capitol. Sens. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield; Dave Marsden, D-Fairfax; and Lynwood Lewis, D-Accomack, vowed to continue being a brick wall against efforts to remove Virginia from RGGI or other environmental protections.

Lewis said RGGI matters because it is dedicated funding for environmental protections, while state budgets often are in flux.

At both events, several speakers noted the intersection of public health and economic benefits of RGGI  and that it would cost more to fund restoration efforts following severe weather

Lewis noted how the funding addresses coastal resiliency in his district and how the energy efficiency and weatherization funding helps people on fixed incomes who need it the most to save on their power bills. Many other speakers noted the public health components of having cleaner air to breathe.

We must do our part to minimize the pollutants that are around us, said Vivienne Pierce McDaniel of the Central Virginia Chapter of the National Black Nurses Association. As a registered nurse, it is incumbent on me to advocate for environmental health  especially for those who reside in underserved at-risk populations, where she said, historically, access to safe quality care is particularly necessary after people developed conditions caused by environmental toxins.

Each event ended with a call to action for people to encourage more public comment through the online portal on Virginias Town Hall website.

As of this storys publication, more than 3,000 comments have been submitted to the online portal. The submission deadline is March 31.

How lifetime emissions of different energy sources stack up How lifetime emissions of different energy sources stack up Renewable energy sources don't generate emissions during their 'ongoing combustion' phase #1. Wind (renewable) #2. Nuclear (nonrenewable) #3. Hydropower (renewable) #4. Concentrating solar power (renewable) #5. Geothermal (renewable) #6. Photovoltaic (renewable) #7. Biomass (renewable) #8. Natural gas (nonrenewable) #9. Oil (nonrenewable) #10. Coal (nonrenewable)
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It used to be an article of faith that Virginia politicians were tight with a dollar.

But fiscal sanity, as it was once called, rarely applies to candidates. And not just the self-financing types, such as Republican Glenn Youngkin, who plowed $25 million of his personal fortune into his winning campaign for governor in 2021.

Theres a lot more where that came from.

His political action committee, having collected more than $7.7 million since 2021, currently has $1.4 million. Youngkin is expected to spare no expense in the fast-approaching elections to decide the freshly redistricted legislature. The outcome  if anything short of total Republican control  could reduce him to a figurehead in the final half of his four-year term.

But Youngkin, as a prospective short-timer, isnt the only state Capitol fixture focused on contests for the House of Delegates and Virginia Senate. There are actual short-timers: retiring lawmakers  so far, 15 in the House and eight in the Senate  whose legacies will include what they did, or didnt, do to ensure they were succeeded by the right, or left, candidates.

Those 23 departing legislators  there will be more, some forcibly retired in primaries and conventions  will leave behind a pile of unspent campaign cash, unless, as several say they will, it is steered to candidates who know votes later demand dollars now.

Beyond the usual donors  business people, trade groups, labor unions and lobbyists  these retiring legislators could be a potent source of funds, given theyre sitting atop $6.1 million that, were they running, theyd spend mostly on themselves.

Dick Saslaw of Fairfax County, stepping down as Virginias longest-serving state senator after 44 years, is the Democratic majority leader  a muscular post in which fundraising can be effortless.

His campaign account is brimming with $1.25 million that, he says, he will push into a soon-to-be-formed political action committee. Through that PAC, Saslaw  aiming to preserve his partys Senate majority  said he will help some people who need it.

Saslaw, whose former treasurer pleaded guilty in 2015 to embezzling $653,000 in campaign funds, said he will not be using the money for nonpolitical purposes, such as charitable contributions or for personal expenses. Because the General Assembly, as it did again this year, refuses to prohibit it, the latter activity is permissible.

Thats not what it was given to me for, said Saslaw, who will be feted at an invitation-only, lobbyist-hosted reception at Richmonds grand The Jefferson Hotel on the eve of the legislatures April session.

The Senates retiring Republican minority leader, Tommy Norment of James City County, has $1 million in his campaign account and $235,514 in his PAC. He said the money will be going to GOP candidates, though Norment  a comparative centrist whos occasionally clashed with party conservatives  signaled he wont give it to just anyone.

My primary focus will be supporting Republican candidates who are not ideologues and whose views on government are aligned with my views, he said in a text.

A 32-year senator, Norment added that his picks  though likely to get help from that grinnin money bags in the Executive Mansion  will need lucre to blunt the impact of Democratic megadonors, such as Michael Bills, the green-energy guy in Charlottesville whos just gassed up his PAC with an additional $3.8 million.

The first woman and Jewish person to serve as House speaker, retiring Democrat Eileen Filler-Corn of Fairfax County, has  in her campaign committee and PAC  $1.1 million. She says the money will go to Democratic candidates this year and that some could finance her possible gubernatorial bid in two years.

Del. Glenn Davis of Virginia Beach, whos retiring, having been lumped in the same district as fellow Republican Barry Knight, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, has comparatively little money in his treasury  just under $27,000. He said some of it will be used to pay bills, with the rest going to checks to some candidates.

Running for the House or Senate isnt cheap. Records are set and quickly broken.

According to the Virginia Public Access Project, an online monitor of money in politics, the last time both chambers were decided in 2019, the average spending for a House winner was $385,896; for a Senate victor, $714,288. A big reason for the difference is size. The 40 Senate districts are 2 times larger than the 100 House seats.

Another factor: During Donald Trumps presidency  hes never won Virginia in a general election  both parties were spending tons; Democrats determined to capitalize on his unpopularity and Republicans desperate to insulate themselves from it.

There have been plenty of uber pricey House races. In 2019 and 2021, per VPAP, total spending in 16 House elections  nearly all of them in the suburbs or their outer fringes  exceeded $1 million. Seven broke $2 million; one totaled $3 million; another was $3.9 million.

Spending in all House elections in 2021, when Republicans regained control, was $81.3 million. In the previous Senate cycle in 2019  that year Democrats installed majorities in both chambers for the so-called trifecta that included the governorship, won by Ralph Northam in 2017  overall spending was $56.1 million.

Seven of the retiring delegates have six-figures in unspent donations, ranging from $102,416 for Democrat Jeff Bourne of Richmond to $286,453 for Republican Kathy Byron of Bedford County, chair of the House Commerce and Energy Committee. The remaining five hold from $107,896 to $193,773.

All the departing senators are north of $100,000 in campaign funds. At the low end is Democrat John Bell of Loudoun County, with $119,287. At the high end is Democrat Janet Howell of Fairfax County, co-chair of the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, with $356,637. In between is Republican Steve Newman of Lynchburg. He has $215,333.

For people who want to get out of politics, all this money will keep them in it  a bit longer.

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Former Quintana Roo governor to face charges of links to organized crime

Cuernavaca, Morelos  A former Quintana Roo governor will face charges of links to organized crime. Former state governor Roberto B could see additional prison time due to the new proceedings against him.

The charges stem from an investigation of organized crime during his time as governor. According to his defense team, the decision was made early Thursday morning at the Almoloya de Juarez Justice Center where Borge remains imprisoned on other charges.

These latest charges add to his criminal process of investigations by the State Attorney Generals Office of Quintana Roo on allegations of embezzlement, illegal use of power, operations with resources of illicit origin and the most recent, link to organized crime.
New Tulum mayor says new head of security and new bar hours part of new security strategy

Tulum, Q.R.  Tulum Mayor Diego Castanon says new closing hours for bars in central Tulum are part of the strategy to improve security. On Thursday, Castanon announced a reorganization and reinforcement of security with federal support.

His announcement came a day after he reported additional military would be arriving to help with reinforcement. On Thursday, frigate lieutenant Ricardo Morales Santos was sworn in as the new Secretary of Public Security and Citizen Protection for Tulum.

In a press conference after the swearing in ceremony, Morales said that he has summoned all security instances such as the Secretary of National Defense, the Mexican Navy, National Guard and the State Attorney Generals Office to deal with Tulums current insecurity problems.

He added that starting March 17, changes will be made to the noise level and operating hours of clubs in the central zone of Tulum which will no longer be allowed to operate until 5:00 a.m., but now must close by 2:30 a.m. with last call being at 2:00 a.m.

The new rules take affect as of March 17, 2023.

Clubs in the central zone will have a noise (music) limit of 60 decibels. Bars in the coastal area will still have to shut by 1:30 a.m. (last call at 1:00 a.m.) and abide by a noise level maximum of of 65 decibels.

This destination must be taken care of, he said. The private initiative agrees on taking this type of measure. We have to abide by the new rules for the good of all, for our safety and that of the citizens, he said.

Castanon stressed that the Federation was instrumental in the appointment of Morales Santos being in charge of the Municipal Police, replacing Rafael Martinez Ruiz. He indicated that they are going to invest more in security.

We are going through very difficult times. We are concerned, but we are going to take care and strategize what we are going to do from now on because we want a safe municipality for all citizens and tourists, he said.

Morales Santos said he is taking over with a force of 118 officers and will work to reactivate the 30 surveillance booths around the municipality as well as the 74 video surveillance cameras that are already installed.

He added that he will work on security reinforcement with 70 new elements from the Marine Infantry Unit Number 9 from Chetumal and Isla Mujeres. He said that with the support of other institutions, they seek to avoid blind spots and have control and intelligence work in the various accesses, colonies and tourist places.

Vicente Francisco Aldape Moncada, Diego Castanon and Ricardo Morales Santos.

Photo: Ayuntamiento de Tulum March 16, 2023.

He mentioned that he will change the image of the local police and deploy a security system that does not harass citizens and tourism, given the large number of complaints for abuse of authority that are presented.

He promised the changes within his first 100 days in office.

During the swearing in ceremony of Ricardo Morales Santos, Vicente Francisco Aldape Moncada was sworn in as Tulums new municipal treasurer, filling the void of Diego Castanon Trejo who became mayor after the sudden passing of Marciano Duzl Caamal.
SICT says they are refining strategies to meet July deadline for cargo transfer to AIFA

Mexico City, Mexico  The Secretariat of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport (SICT) says they are refining a strategy for the transfer of cargo. The SICT says they, along with the cargo companies, are refining the strategy for the transfer of cargo to the new Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA).

The head of the SICT, Jorge Nuno Lara, affirmed that the agency under his charge is open to receive questions and concerns from the industry and provide solutions in order to have an efficient immigration process.

To date, there is already a schedule of activities with progress in order to reach the July 7, 2023 goal that has been set for the closure of operations at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM).

If we do a coordinated job, we will be able to achieve the goal of generating an orderly migration and removal at the lowest possible cost, emphasized Nuno Lara.

He explained that for this, meetings have been held with all the entities involved to follow up on the strategy, such as the National Chamber of Air Transport (Canaero), cargo airlines, the United States Embassy and customs.

We have to find the formula to reduce the processes, seek that the certifications are given, that we have all this management need at hand, he added.

The Undersecretary of Transportation, Rogelio Jimenez Pons, agreed that the authorities are here to work hand-in-hand with the cargo industry where we maintain an open dialogue.

He thanked all those involved for the effort in the process, since after the publication of the Decree on February 2, time is of the essence.

According to estimates, the cargo capacity of the AICM is half a million tons per year, while the AIFA currently has a capacity of one million tons per year and could grow up to two million tons of cargo.

At the meeting at the AIFA facilities, a schedule of activities and progress made to date, related to procedures, management and certification, route modifications, accreditation of cargo agents, operation of government agencies such as the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) and the National Health, Safety and Quality Service (SENASICA) was reported.

As well as the main agreements, among which the customs operation guidelines stand out, processing of electronic identification badges in customs, and authorization of 10 customs in the catalog of transit routes: AICM, Cancun, Guadalajara, Lazaro Cardenas, Manzanillo, Monterrey, Queretaro, Toluca, Tijuana and Veracruz.

SICT meeting Mexico City. Photo: SICT March 10, 2023.

Implementation of the ANAM-Remote Consultation and Validation of Authorized Pedimentos systems, link between the Single Window for Mexican Foreign Trade and Validation of Pedimentos, and three pilot operations (two for exports and one for imports) to ensure safe and successful data transmission between the controlled areas, customs agents, airlines and ANAM itself.

Currently, the cargo terminal at AIFA can already carry out processes of imports, transits, transshipments, exports, transfers and processing of badges for all types of users from the new air terminal.

For all these reasons, 73 agreements have been finalized and 35 are in the open process of relief in the work groups coordinated with federal authorities.
Dozens of citizens from all over the Roanoke and New River valleys came and expressed their support or concern for Gov. Glenn Youngkins proposed update to the states history and social science standards during a Thursday hearing.

The majority of about 25 speakers were critical of the curriculum in some capacity, whether it was the whitewashing or politicizing of certain historical events, the omission of some of Virginias history and pushing complex subjects to lower grades, among others.

At the O. Winston Link & History Museum of Western Virginia in downtown Roanoke to listen to the citizen comments were Youngkin appointee to the education board Alan Seibert, Salems former superintendent as well as Anne Holton, an appointee of former Gov. Ralph Northam and who worked in the administration of former Gov. Terry McAuliffe.

Charles Pyle, the state education departments director of communications, was also in attendance to serve as a moderator of sorts, making sure speakers kept to their speaking time of three minutes.

Several of the speakers critical of the curriculum were educators from the area, but also from as far away as Alexandria.

Roanoke County fourth grade teacher Michelle Brooks said much of the proposed curriculum she would be teaching is too complex for young children.

Im not saying it shouldnt be taught but not to kids that young, she said.

One example Brooks provided was her class having to pinpoint on a map the homes of the countrys first eight presidents.

They should be locating where they [the students] live on a map and learning about landmarks like major bodies of water, she said.

She also said the removal of James Lafayette from the elementary curriculum is a mistake as he is one of the only African American figures her students learn about.

Penny Franklin, a member of the Montgomery County School Board, who said she was speaking as a citizen, was critical of the lack of labor history proposed.

Labor history is American history  What is being proposed will take our country backwards, she said.

Franklin took particular exception with the lack of curriculum on how unions and labor law helped Americans, particularly women, children and minorities.

She said she believes the draft from August is what should be used, and Youngkins drafts discarded.

Others also spoke about how slavery is not properly taught in the states schools, believing the latest revision does little to fix the problem.

The education department released a new draft of K-12 history standards in November that was developed over the course of a few months, disregarding a draft document developed under then-Gov. Ralph Northams administration over the course of nearly two years.

The board had been set to vote on the original Northam draft in August, but then-state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow urged the board to delay a vote to give more time for review by Youngkins newly appointed members.

Despite a statement from a state education official, who said at the time that the department did not anticipate making significant changes, the draft released in November was an entirely different document containing several botches.

Balow, who led the state Department of Education since her appointment in January 2021, resigned last week without providing a reason.

The revision, which critics have called a whitewash of history, has triggered scathing pushback from Virginians. Youngkin expressed disappointment in the document, admitting omissions and mistakes. The state Board of Education, with a majority appointed by Youngkin, in November rejected the first revision by the Youngkin administration.

The state education department under Youngkin developed a second reworking of the proposal, which fixed many of the errors.

Several prominent organizations still oppose it, including the Virginia NAACP, the American Historical Association and the Virginia Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucus.

It does, however, contain some new teaching requirements that were not mentioned in the original Northam document, including references to Japanese internment camps, hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan, and about Sen. Hiram Revels of Mississippi, the first African American to serve in Congress.

The state education department added several issues to the latest draft that were omitted from the first revision, including the Chinese Exclusion Act and the gay rights movement.

The state Board of Education voted 5-3 last month to move forward on the Youngkin administrations second rewrite of the K-12 history standards.

The back half of Thursday nights Roanoke hearing featured more people who spoke favorably of the proposed changes.

Amy Snead, head of the Moms for Liberty chapter in Bedford, a conservative nonprofit, said she and her group were appreciative of the changes made by Youngkins appointees, noting teachers in her county have also praised it.

She said she was happy that many people like George Washington Carver were referred to as barrier breakers.

Several others in favor of the changes said all history needs to be taught, the good and the bad, and said Youngkins proposed curriculum brings the state back to the basics.

Another man said that biases from educators had undermined true history, and Youngkins committee was helping reverse that course.

The man did not provide any particular examples for what history had been revised or undermined by educators.

Virginia Department of Education staff will work to review public comments and incorporate warranted edits. The board intends to adopt a final version of the document in April.
CHRISTIANSBURG  Montgomery County School board member Marti Graham will not seek reelection, she announced this week.

With Grahams decision, three of the four school board members whose terms are up this year are not running again. Sue Kass and Mark Cherbaka had already announced they wont seek reelection.

Graham, whose first term began in 2015, made her annoucement during a recent school board meeting.

Penny Franklin, the longest serving board member, is runing this year. Shes being challenged by former Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Mark Miear.

Before she announced the news, Graham spoke at some length about public education.

I believe that every child should have the opportunity to receive a free, unbiased education, with  services that will provide them with the skills they need to become a successful, kind and productive adult, she said. Whether they pass a smile at some each day or become the president of the United States, every child deserves the best education. The best free education and support available to them.

Graham thanked the district for what she said are the opportunities and services they provide the students and complimented the divisions employees, whom she described as devoted.

Lastly, Graham said she was thankful for the opportunity to advocate for the children of Montgomery County over the past eight years.

While they will all depart the board, Graham has been at odds with Cherbaka and Kass over a number of issues during the past few years. One of those issues was the reopening of the schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a subject that sharply divided the entire board.

Graham and Kass have each previously served as board chairwomen, while Cherbaka currently holds the chairman role.

With Graham, a total of four members of the Montgomery County School Board and Board of Supervisors wont be running for reelection this year. Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Sherri Blevins recently announced that she wont seek another term.
Roanoke County School Board members lambasted a latest funding proposal for a new career and technical education school, as an offer to spend $138 million over the next two years remains.

School board Vice Chairman Tim Greenway was critical of the proposal discussed by the board of supervisors this week. The new facet of the plan, according to what was presented to the supervisors, would expedite by several years what was previously considered financially feasible by the county. That is something Greenway had asked for at meetings in the past.

Greenway expressed his frustrations at Thursdays school board meeting with the supervisors not offering a way to fund the replacement of Glen Cove Elementary and W.E. Cundiff Elementary. The elementary schools have become part of the discussion of funding during the pursuit of money for the CTE project.

Cundiff is in Greenways Vinton District, while Glen Cove is located in the Catawba District.

The school system has stated those two elementary schools need to be replaced immediately due to the open classroom concepts, which they say make it very difficult for teachers to teach and students to learn.

The supervisors have committed $2 million to the improvements of those schools in its latest offer, but the school board has said improvements are not enough.

The school board was briefed at its Thursday meeting that renovating the two schools would likely carry a cost of approximately $62 million to $69 million, depending on the design it chose.

Greenway then proposed to take the CTE facility off of the school systems capital improvement plan, despite both governing bodies talking for years about how its a top priority.

We just cant do it with the funding we are given, he said. We cant continue going down this path.

Previous estimates to build the CTE facility have been under $138 million, with such numbers changing based on economic factors over time.

Additionally, the school system purchased land for the facility last year at a cost of approximately $3.4 million for a 23-acre site off Peters Creek Road between Airport Road and Burlington Elementary School.

Board of supervisors Chairwoman Martha Hooker said Friday supervisors took the school board at its word when its members said that CTE was its top focus, as it has sat atop the systems capital improvement plan for years.

We also put in money to help build the walls for the open classrooms [in the elementary schools], she said Friday afternoon. We have to be good stewards of our citizens tax dollars, and thats what we are trying to do while also meeting the needs of our schools.

As is Virginias governmental system, boards of supervisors and city councils decide local funding for school systems, with school boards having no taxing authority to raise money separately.

The Roanoke County CTE school would replace the existing Burton Center for Arts & Technology in Salem. The county school system has outgrown the current facility and it has seen minimal improvements since being built in 1962.

Greenway referred to the supervisors latest of three proposals as delay and stall tactics, spanning over the last four years, and the most current offer made this week a repackaging of what the county offered in a December meeting.

The December offer would not have started funding the project until fiscal year 2025, but the latest offer would give the school system $25 million to start the project as early as July 1 of this year.

The school system would get another $55 million from the county the following fiscal year, and $58 million in fiscal year 2026, with $21 million of the latter year being debt service the school system would be required to pay back out of its annual budget over the next 20 years.

The supervisors have told the school board on multiple occasions the county cannot afford to take on the debt of the CTE and the two elementary school projects at one time, but school board members have still insisted the elementary schools be replaced during the same time as the CTE facility is constructed.

Greenway said he doesnt think the school system can take on the $21 million in debt proposed in the county offer, saying it would affect the school systems ability to give teacher raises.

School board member Cheryl Facciani also questioned whether the school system could handle the $21 million, and said the county should pay it.

My opinion is the CTE facility would better serve our community than anything else  So the question remains, will they [the board of supervisors] step up? And honestly, that is the $21 million question.

Another concern supervisors have raised about funding construction for two new elementary schools is the continued shrinking enrollment.

The county has lost nearly 1,000 students over the last nine years, according to numbers discussed during meetings. Supervisors have requested the school board to do its due diligence through a demographic study to see where the needs lie for other projects before they commit to funding projects that may become obsolete 15 or 20 years down the road.

Supervisor Phil North pointed to the last study done by the school system in 2016 on Tuesday, listing multiple instances where enrollment was far below what was estimated for certain schools in 2023.

However, Greenway and other school board members made comments that the supervisors are taking an approach the school board members deem as not doing enough to fund the school system.

Greenway hinted a demographic study could be unhelpful when employers like Norfolk Southern and Advance Auto Parts leave without much warning.

We could go spend another 75 or $100,000 but me personally from a school board perspective, I dont need to participate in that, he said, noting the county should pay for the study if thats what the board of supervisors wants.

Greenway followed those remarks saying, Board of supervisors, lets be honest, what youre saying is, which schools do you close?

He then went down the line and called out each supervisor individually asking rhetorically which schools in their district each would close.

No supervisor has called for the closing of a school at this point, but Hooker said her board does think the study is important and reiterated the need to be mindful of how taxpayer money is being spent when planning for the future of the county.

We do need to take a hard look at what the county might look like down the line, she said.

School board Chairman Brent Hudson said it breaks his heart the supervisors doesnt value the projects the same way the school board does.

When asked about Hudsons comment, Hooker said she doesnt even know what that means.

We value the best education for students, and we have put together what we think is a tenable plan for everyone involved, she said.

Both boards would still need to vote on the most recent funding plan.
Officials call for improved health system

(China Daily) 10:09, March 17, 2023

A medical worker explained the result of a CT scan to a patient during a free clinic event in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, in March. [Photo/China Daily]

Ideas include fixing 'short planks' and patriotic movement for better hygiene

Central government officials on Thursday called for efforts to ramp up the detection capability for COVID-19 infections, fix the "short planks" in the country's health system and wage a patriotic health movement to improve hygiene.

The directives came a month after central authorities declared at a key meeting of the top leadership on Feb 16 that the country had secured a "major, decisive victory" over the pandemic.

Liu Dechun, director of the National Development and Reform Commission's resource conservation and environmental protection department, said local authorities need to make sure that COVID-19 cases can be detected, reported and treated early, and extra attention has to be paid to "key places" such as nursing homes, schools and farm produce markets.

Local officials will also have to work to solve "weak links" such as those related to medications and medical devices, he said at a news conference in Beijing. Their supply tends to run low at small health institutions in the case of a health emergency.

The director said cleanup campaigns will also be carried out nationwide with a focus on backstreet alleys, old residential communities and shanty towns, and venues such as small eateries.

The cleanup efforts will be part of the patriotic health campaign, which was first introduced in the 1950s to wipe out rats, flies, mosquitoes and other pests that carry and transmit infectious pathogens.

"Next, the NDRC will lose no time in fixing the short planks and make up for the weak points in urban and rural health systems and sanitation works," he said.

The moves had been outlined in a circular issued by eight central government agencies including the NDRC, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the National Health Commission last month.

The 15-point document said the spread of Omicron infections in China has turned for the better in recent months and the country has steadily moved into a new phase of COVID-19 control with downgraded management of the disease.

Liu said the circular was made in line with the spirit of the Feb 16 meeting, whose participants urged efforts to improve epidemic response measures and mechanisms in the new stage, a strengthened healthcare system and firmly consolidated hard-won achievements.

Speaking at the news conference, Wu Xiangtian, deputy director of the NHC's planning, development and information technology department, said that central authorities have earmarked 110 billion yuan ($15.9 billion) since 2020 to hospitals of all levels, which has helped improve China's treatment capacity for COVID-19.

The commission will continue to work with relevant departments to raise such investments in expanding medical infrastructure and optimize the spread of medical resources, he said.

"We'll also ramp up the construction of 'smart hospitals', improve the digitalization of medical facilities and let medical services expand to rural areas through the internet," Wu said.

Chang Zhaorui, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said local authorities will also make an effort to prevent the increased spread of flu, hand-foot-and-mouth disease and norovirus infections in spring and summer.

China faces growing pressure from diseases being imported, such as dengue fever and malaria. "Officials need to keep a close eye on key sections, and advance the disease control work in a coordinated fashion."

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
By Aleksandr Dugin

The West is clinging to the impossible dream of hegemony, Russian philosopher tells RT

March 17, 2023: Information Clearing House -- The conflict in Ukraine is the worlds first multipolar war, in which Russia is fighting for the right of every civilization to choose its own path while the West wishes to maintain its totalitarian hegemonic globalism, Aleksandr Dugin told RT in an exclusive interview on Friday.

Multipolarity is not against the West as such, Dugin said, but against the claim of the West to be the model, to be the unique example of history and human understanding. The current Russophobia and hatred of Russia, he argued, are a relic of Cold War thinking and the bipolar understanding of the architecture of international relations.

When the Soviet Union self-destructed in December 1991, it left the global Western liberal civilization in control of the world, Dugin noted. This hegemon is now refusing to accept the future in which it would be not one of the two, but one of [the] few poles, put in its proper place as just a part, not the whole, of humanity.

Dugin described the West as pure totalitarian liberalism, which pretends to have the absolute truth and seeks to impose it on everyone. There is inherent racism in Western liberalism, the philosopher told RTs Donald Courter, because it identifies the Western historical, political, cultural, experience [as] universal.

Nothing universal exists in multipolarity, Dugin insisted, explaining that each civilization can and should develop its own values. Russia specifically needs to overcome centuries of Western ideological dominance, he said, and create something new, fresh, creative that would nonetheless stand in direct refutation of the Western liberal hegemony, against open society, against individualism, against liberal democracy.

He rejected the dogmatic approaches of Marxism, fascism or liberalism to politics and economics, saying that Russia ought to strive for a holistic approach in which the spiritual would be more important than the material. Obsession with material goods ends up enslaving people, Dugin told RT.

Dugin lamented the December 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union as a suicide perpetrated by the power-hungry bureaucrats in Moscow. He echoed Russian President Vladimir Putins description of it as a geopolitical disaster and described it as a major victory for Sea Power. While the USSR was the polar opposite of the Russian Empire in terms of ideology, he explained, in geopolitical terms the two were one and the same, the strongest power in what English geographer Harold Mackinder described as the global Heartland.

While some Western observers have dubbed Dugin Putins brain, the 60-year-old philosopher and author has no official relationship with the Kremlin. He is an outspoken supporter of the current military operation in Ukraine  whose independence he considers a Western imperial project aimed against Russian sovereignty.

Dugins daughter Darya, 29, was assassinated in August by a car bomb planted by Ukrainian agents. Though Kiev has officially denied it, US intelligence officials later said they believe someone in the Ukrainian government was responsible.

- December 31, 2022 at 03:40AM - RT
A 13-year-old has been charged with first-degree murder in the 2022 death of a 4-year-old sibling, the Danville Police Department reported Friday morning.

Authorities wrote in a news release that the charge was lodged after "the juveniles confession earlier this week about suffocating the victim." That confession came following an ongoing investigation.

The names of the juvenile suspect and victim were not disclosed.

In August 2022, Danville Police Department investigators and members of the crime scene responded to an unidentified home where the 4-year-old was found in a room without a pulse.

The young child also was not breathing.

The 4-year-old was taken to Sovah Health-Danville and then airlifted to another medical facility. The child later died, police said.

The juvenile facing charges was arrested in another jurisdiction, but police did not say where.

The suspect will be transferred to W.W. Moore Detention Center in Danville pending trial.

The Danville Police Department did not provide answers to questions from the Register & Bee including the exact date of the incident and where the home was located.

"Due to the nature of the incident involving juveniles, the press release that was sent is all the information we are going to be able to release," Matt Bell, a spokesperson for the department, wrote in an email response to the Register & Bee.

Under Virginia law, authorities must shield the identity of juvenile victims of crimes.

Authorities did not initially provide any other details in the news release.
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Email Thomas Elias at tdelias@aol.com. His book, "The Burzynski Breakthrough, The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It" is now available in a soft cover fourth edition. For more Elias columns, visit www.californiafocus.net
Even though we can see a glowing object far in the distance, the human eye has its limitations, especially when it comes to visual acuity, the scientific-medical term for sharpness of vision.

The cone cells  photoreceptors that are sensitive to red, green and blue wavelengths of light  are concentrated in the macula, an area in the middle of the retina. Our sharpest vision is at the center of the macula, in a spot called the fovea that can zero in on a small part of the world in front of you.

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"You might think that you have a very wide visual field, but the reality is that your area of clearest vision is actually just a few degrees. You don't see the whole world clearly," Singman says. "If you take a big letter E, big as your hand, and move it about 15 to 20 degrees away to the side, you wouldn't be able to tell what letter it was. The clarity of your vision drops pretty quickly, once you get off the center."

That's the reason why macular degeneration, an eye condition in which the macula becomes damaged so that you lose that central vision, can be such a serious problem for people who get it. (The risk increases as you get older, according to the National Eye Institute.)

"You've got to remember that the brain is a really big part of this process," Singman says. That's evident in people who have some sort of brain injury that interferes with their vision, even if there's nothing wrong with their eyes.

"There are types of brain damage where you can't see something move, or where you can't recognize faces  you'll look and pick out an eye or a nose or mouth, instead of the whole face," Singman says.

The brain, in fact, can perform tricks to make up for the eyes' shortcomings. Singman recalls the case of a patient who after eye surgery, suddenly discovered that when he covered that eye, he couldn't see out of the other, supposedly good eye.

When a doctor examined the patient, it was discovered that he had a cataract, a natural clouding of the lens on that eye, but apparently had never noticed it because of his brain's ability to filter out the blur. "That's a classic trick  the brain can shut things off," Singman says.

Now That's Interesting What's the farthest the human eye can see if it's unobstructed? Look up  to space that is. On a dark night sky without light pollution, you should be able to see the Andromeda galaxy, which is 2.5 million light years away. That's the equivalent of 15 quintillion miles or 24 quintillion kilometers.

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Originally Published: Apr 1, 2000
The Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina is seen from the International Space Station on Feb. 21, 2012. A new NASA Space Technology Research Institute will specialize in advancing quantum sensing technology for improved mass change measurements from orbit, which will help scientists understand the movement of ice and water on Earth's surface. Credit: NASA

As part of a newly funded NASA Quantum Pathways Institute consisting of a multi-university research team, UC Santa Barbara professor of electrical and computer engineering Daniel Blumenthal will help to build technology and tools to improve measurement of important climate factors by observing atoms in outer space.

"We are peering into a universe that we've never peered into before," he said.

Led by colleagues at the University of Texas (UT) at Austin, Blumenthal and the other researchers will focus on quantum sensing, which involves observing how atoms react to small changes in their environment, using it to infer the time-variations in the gravity field of the Earth. This will enable scientists to improve accuracy in measurements of several important climate processes, such as sea level rise, rate of ice melt, changes in land water resources and ocean heat storage changes.

"There have been tremendous advances in quantum methods recently, mostly in the context of computing," said Srinivas Bettadpur, leader of the new project and director of the Center for Space Research at UT Austin. "We want to use quantum sensing technology in spacewhere you can watch the entirety of the planetto solve next-generation problems by observing, interpreting and understanding climate processes."

The new Quantum Pathways Institute also includes researchers from University of Colorado Boulder, California Institute of Technology and the U.S. National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). The researchers received $15 million in funding from NASA over five years for the institute.

This will be the first effort to establish what is known as "Quantum 2.0." That is, advancing beyond the quantum principles known in physics and actually translating them into usable device concepts.

The researchers will look specifically at changes in gravitational forces and what they mean for climate. As climate shiftswith ice caps melting and sea levels and temperatures changingso, too, do gravitational forces around the Earth and in outer space. Atoms orbiting the Earth react to those gravitational changes. By measuring those reactions, the researchers can give better readings of changes in climate processes.

The challenge for the team is two-fold. Parts of these sensing technologies exist today, but a lot of what they are building is new.

"In order to do this, we have to take the lasers and photonics and modulators and control electronics that make up 90% of the atom experiments here on Earth, and work really hard to get all that precision onto small, low-power chips that can be deployed in space," said Blumenthal, a self-described "laser person" whose research expertise lies in visible light and atomic and quantum photonic integration as well as optical and communications technologies. One of the technologies he's working on helping move to the chip scale is the Institute's shaken lattice interferometer structure developed at the University of Colorado. This type of atomic interferometer sensor uses many lasers and optics to cool and trap the atoms to measure gravity gradients with extremely high sensitivity.

Add to that the challenge of sending these instruments into orbit.

"You can't have manual maintenance in spaceonce you send something out, it's out of reach; you cannot see it," Bettadpur said. "You have to put in a great deal of work to make sure the instrument will fly and the technology will function for several years, at least, to enable the discoveries."

To build this technology from the ground up, and make it space-ready, requires a large and diverse team of researchers. Bettadpur is an expert in orbital mechanics, gravity fields and space mission design. Blumenthal will be working with electrical and computer engineering colleagues Seth Bank and Dan Wasserman at UT Austin to develop the photonic, or light-based, integrated circuits for compact chips to measure small variations in Earth's gravity from space. Ufuk Topcu, an associate professor at UT Austin's Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics will apply his expertise in modeling complex systems to develop models for quantum sensing systems that can be used to improve their reliability and autonomous operationboth of which are key for space applications where device maintenance is not an option.

Other team members include Dana Anderson, an expert in experimental quantum physics and instrumentation; Penina Axelrad, an expert in quantum navigation and timing; Murray Holland, theoretical physics and quantum machine learning; and Marco Nicotra, quantum optical control, from University of Colorado, Boulder. From Caltech, systems, spaceflight and gravity science expert Michael Watkins is also part of the group. And Michelle Stephens, a physicist and expert in precision measurement for space and quantum applications, joins from NIST.

Beyond gravity sensing to address Earth's climate issues, Blumenthal sees that this exquisitely sensitive space-based gravitational measurement technology could eventually be deployed for other, Earth-based applications as well as for purposes of future space exploration.

"It could be on the Space Station, or geostationary satellites," he said. "Or they could be sent to Jupiter or Venus or Mars to map out the gravity of those planets."

Provided by University of CaliforniaSanta Barbara
China is the dominant player in the world of global supply chains. From medicine to electronics, clothing to furniture, the process begins in China. Or it did.

With tensions increasingly strained between the US and China and the increasing price of production since the pandemic, many manufacturers are now looking to alternatives when it comes to exporting goods.

Last week, FTSE 250 company IMIan engineering enterprisesaid it was moving its supply chain away from China because of worsening international relations, with clothing brands Marc OPolo, Mango and Dr. Martens cutting or signaling their intention to switch suppliers.

A study in late 2022 showed the percentage of global exports of consumer goods has fallen drastically since 2016: travel goods and handbags was down 13 percent, furniture down 11 percent, footwear down 7 percent, and clothing and accessories was down 4 percent. Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Malaysia have capitalized and are growing as China as shrinking.

ManMohan Sodhi is a Professor in Operations and Supply Chain Management at Bayes Business School (formerly Cass). He recently spoke to The Economists Money Talks podcast, along with former US diplomat Wendy Cutler, to discuss why this trend is happening and what it means in future.

Why are companies decoupling and diversifying from China? Reasons include the pandemic, lockdowns, a heightened risk of production being too concentrated on one country, increased geopolitical tensions, and manufacturing in China is getting more expensive as wages rise. Which is the predominant driver for other countries?

The geopolitical tussle between the US and China grabs a lot of headlines, including as to why companies are moving their supply chains away from China. The reality is more prosaic for these companies: cost, cost, and cost. Cost includes not just transportation but also holding extra inventory to cover the supply chain risks involved in longer supply chains and of non-sustainability as you are using more carbon when the supply chains are longer.

Even Chinese companies have already been outsourcing to other countries to offset their growing labor costs. The supply chain has got even longer as a result and it may well be a Chinese supplier shipping from Vietnam. If you go to John Lewis to buy a microwave, you may think it is from John Lewis, but it may be made by a Chinese company who shipped from their plant in Vietnam. The decision is always driven by cost. Sure, geopolitics adds more costs, but at the end of the day, companies care mainly about the total delivered cost, which includes transportation, labor, holding extra inventory to cover certain eventualities, and (non)sustainability.

What is the readiness of other countries to absorb manufacturing and become a greater part of the global supply chain?

When people think of supply chains, they think only that a supplier supplies through a port and a shipping company and then they get the goodsthis is the material supply chain. There is also the knowledge and skills value chain that supports this. I need to have R&D, from this I take a product through engineering to bring it closer to a form that can be manufactured, and then I ensure that the product can be manufactured in volume. After that I design and put in place a production system for manufacturing this product.

Do these other Asian countries have the readiness and capability? No. But neither did China 30 years ago. Initially, these countries need to develop the material supply chain, and supporting that, the infrastructure like ports and roads. But in the long run, these countries also need to develop the knowledge and skills value chain with universities, manufacturing labs, designers, and people who can design production systems. The knowledge value chain is still being developed in China.

When you look at this region, there are countries with different capabilities, specialisms and skills. Where do you see a large amount of opportunity to develop outside China or to invest outside China?

Vietnam and India have got the most attention. Vietnam has been part of those China-based supply chains for quite some time, and India is becoming part of these erstwhile China-based supply chains in recent years. However, Bangladesh has been growing its economy steadily with a fairly low technical base, lots of political problems, and a high population density. However, their GDP has grown steadily for more than a decade, so they are doing something right. Despite lots of challenges and economic peril, the fact that any company can grow its revenues or assets smoothlyas Bangladesh has doneneeds a second look for those who havent already looked at it.

Provided by City University London
FLORENCE, S.C.  Drake Lynch, a fifth-grade student at All Saints Episcopal Day School was honored as the regional winner for the Pee Dee of the PalmettoPride Litter Trashes Everyone art contest.

Wednesday Lynch was recognized at the South Carolina State House by Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette.

PalmettoPride selected four regional winners statewide for this contest. Each regional winning artist received a monetary award as well as a framed reprint of the regions winning artwork. The regional winners met at the State House to receive their awards and were met by their local representatives.

The governors art contest is an annual litter awareness art competition for all South Carolina K-5th grade students. To participate, students created artwork to illustrate the theme Litter Trashes Everyone.

Lynch illustrated a marine life scene to encourage South Carolinians to keep beaches clean. Lynchs piece included a fish with a clever tagline of Littering makes me anglery!

Keeping South Carolina beautiful has been a passion of mine for a long time. Thank you for helping us to bring awareness to this problem, Evette said. She added that more than 140 schools entered into the competition and she was thrilled to bring attention to something that has been such an important part of her platform.
FLORENCE  American Specialty, a local distributor of high-density storage and inventory management systems, is donating a Modula ME25 storage system to Florence-Darlington Technical College and its Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SiMT).

The principal owner of American Specialty, Marc Weaver, said this donation is meant to give FDTC students hands-on training with some of the newest technologies in manufacturing and warehousing spaces.

This is a state-of-the-art facility, it is a real showplace, and I think it really will impress clients coming in to see state-of-the-art equipment in a state-of-the-facility, he said. Employees of SiMT will get great benefit from using this state-of-the-art equipment and their students will be exposed to the same equipment that they are going to see out in the workplace.

The Modula ME25 lift system is a vertical-lift module that provides automated storage and retrieval of parts and materials. These systems are being used in manufacturing and warehousing spaces to help reduce the space needed to store materials, to increase productivity, and to help reduce the number of injuries related to lifting, bending, and extending.

As we look at the Modula Lift, what it does is it keeps us relevant, FDTC President Jermaine Ford said. This means our students now have the ability to get hands-on experience with modern technology thats going to help them, because thats what they are going to see in the marketplace.

As part of the donation agreement, FDTC will be able to use this Modula ME25 system in its programs to provide students with actual hands-on experience with these types of automated storage systems and American Specialty will be able to physically showcase the equipment to potential end users.

Our employers, they want to know How quickly can you get my employees trained? How quickly can you pipeline a well-trained workforce to my facility? Ford said. Well, with the Modula lift we will be able to show them that we are providing our students with every opportunity to succeed when they leave Florence-Darlington Technical College.

The retail value of the Modula ME25 system is around $135,000 and it is scheduled to be delivered and installed at SiMT in April.

American Specialty is a Florence-based company that has been in business for 32 years and its principal business is high-density storage systems and inventory-management systems serving manufacturing, distribution, e-commerce, and the defense industries.
Do we Americans have an unplumbed tolerance for abuse?

By Paul Edwards

March 17, 2023: Information Clearing House -- " Can an empire sink itself through self-generated ridicule? Will Americas floating a daffy, brainless notion so shallow and infantile that its only intention seems to have been the wish to humiliate itself have consequences? One wonders, since even the Noise Makers of the Ministry of Information and our Federal Confederacy of Dunces have backed this moronic pratfall.

The Empire has managed to continue intact to date, dispensing sleazy, transparent lies and howling fabrications to its sadly hoodwinked, floundering, irascible people, without dissolving in its corrosive bile. This affirms that selling lies and deceptions is effective as national policy but we may be excused for wondering if it can sell rank absurdities quite as easily.

The facts are simple. A weather balloon, admittedly Chinese, drifted over us, with no effort made to conceal it. The reaction by the media, government and military has been so preposterously out of scale, so panty-wadded hysterical, as to defy belief.

It was instantly anathematized as a spy balloona category not seriously cited in annals of espionage since the Franco-Prussian Warand an anguished convulsion of moral outrage seized the body politic. There was suspicion, then conviction, that this flaccid, ungainly, drifting entity was nefariously engaged in probing into our deepest national security secrets.

Our dysfunctional, half-assed, puerile shambles of a government, driven like a spavined donkey by the War Machine that owns it, is so pathetically determined to provoke animosity with China that it attacked the slow, soft gas bag with jets to shoot down it down. TDY Seals are presumably bobbing for latex even now though their likely finds will be not be hygrometers and pressure censors but Things That Have To Be Kept Secret for national securitys sake, like all that stuff stacked in Trumps and Bidens garages.

Do we Americans have an unplumbed tolerance for abuse? Is there really no limit to the shit well eat when dispensed by dirty old Aunt Sam? Those who run us, and our yoyo, yahoo Democracy, believe there isnt, and with good reason.

As a people we have been lied to, conned, deceived, and interred in bullshit by the Capitalist financial oligarchy that has owned this country and run it like a slave plantation or concentration camp from our earliest beginnings. Since the first, last, and only time this country was ever attacked, in 1941, our War Machine has taken us to war so often on the basis of flagrantly transparent lies that this predictable practice has become a hallowed tradition.

War, once substantially based on political rivalry, has become the final phase of American Capitalism. In the long experiment in the exploitation of earth and Man that has refined it, war has proven to be far and away the economic enterprise with the least true cost and the hugest profit margin to the system. It has replaced all other sources of buccaneering larceny as Capitalisms favorite, superior even to recently favored bank fraud and insider bailouts.

It has its ancillary downside, yes. Masses of humans and their countries have to be destroyed, even in small wars, but those are in the nature of externalities which can be safely ignored and need not trouble the system.

The Empire has had a string of unbroken successes in its small wars, each if them ending in what to the naive eye might appear to have been disastrous failures. To see retreat, withdrawal, and hightailing it from a tidy, contained little war as evident defeat, is to miss utterly the point of war as Macro Economics. War, as a category of Capitalist industry, must be judged on the strict basis of profit and loss and, so judged, these wars provided massive, near incredible profit to the owners of the War Machine.

Yet another piece of naivete is the idea that the American people have any right to benefit from the War Machines efforts. They dont. They work for it. They dont own it, and only owners are entitled to benefits. Workers dont get profits. They get to have freedom, instead. You know freedom which, well, we all know what Janis sang about it.

There is a caveat in this, though. Wars, in order to maximize the profit from them, need to stay small. That is, they must not become so large as to be uncontrollable. This is easy to manage with small, poor countries with no defenses, such as Iraq, Syria, Libya, or Afghanistan where you destroy them and leave, but it becomes problematic with countries that can defend themselves.

The Ukraine war, to the extent that it is a war, has been a work of genius for the War Machine in that it offers the best opportunity in decades for the endless supply of very costly equipment which is then rapidly destroyed and must be replaced. It does so while avoiding the death and maiming of American grunts, substituting Ukrainians themselves for that unpleasant function.

There is some concern that Russia, on whose border this nifty little warlet is being conducted by our dear friends and allies, the Ukies, will grow weary of conducting their half of the game, and do something rash, such as blitzing our proxy team and reducing their ruined home to a sort of open-air gulag, but no one in power in The Empire gives that a serious thought. Of course, when preparing for a war with China, why would they?

If all goes welland when hasnt it?there is good hope we may be able to draw China into a similar mini-warlet, like Ukraine. If the Taiwanese will just do the dying for us, we can pester the Chinese to madness while the War Machine continues to make untold reams of money. We may be already launched on this quest. After all, what fiercer act of aggression can one country commit toward another than to shoot down its weather balloon?
 Columnist George Will argues high plea rates can be explained by, "to a significant extent, coercion" | Main | "After the Criminal Justice System" 

A helpful colleague made sure I did not miss a short ruling authored by Judge Frank Easterbrook for the Seventh Circuit concerning factors in support of motions for compassionate release. The ruling in US v. Vaughn, No. 22-2427 (7th Cir. March 15, 2023) (available here), is worth reading in full, and this is part of the discussion that seems especially notable:

Vaughn maintains that his arguments collectively identify extraordinary and compelling reasons even if none of them does so independently. At least two circuits have held that it is permissible to consider reasons jointly as well as severally. United States v. Ruvalcaba, 26 F.4th 14, 28 (1st Cir. 2022); United States v. McGee, 992 F.3d 1035, 1048 (10th Cir. 2021). But one has gone the other way, remarking: [W]hy would combining unrelated factors, each individually insufficient to justify a sentence reduction, amount to more than the sum of their individual parts? United States v. McKinnie, 24 F.4th 583, 588 (6th Cir. 2022). See also United States v. McCall, 56 F.4th 1048, 1066 (6th Cir. 2022).

The Sixth Circuits rhetorical question has some intuitive appeal. Often 0 + 0 = 0. But not always. One persistent error in legal analysis is to ask whether a piece of evidence by itself passes some threshold  to put evidence in compartments and ask whether each compartment suffices. But when one court of appeals asked whether Fact A showed probable cause for an arrest, then whether Fact B did so, whether Fact C did so, and so forth, the Supreme Court reversed in a sharp opinion reminding all judges that evidence should not be compartmentalized.

[T]he [court of appeals] viewed each fact in isolation, rather than as a factor in the totality of the circumstances. This was mistaken in light of our precedents. The totality of the circumstances requires courts to consider the whole picture. Our precedents recognize that the whole is often greater than the sum of its parts  especially when the parts are viewed in isolation. Instead of considering the facts as a whole, the [court of appeals] took them one by one.  The totality-of-the-circumstances test precludes this sort of divide-and-conquer analysis.

District of Columbia v. Wesby, 138 S. Ct. 577, 588 (2018) (internal citations omitted). Similarly, we have held that in employment-discrimination cases a district court must consider the evidence as a whole, rather than sorting facts into boxes and asking whether each suffices.... Ortiz v. Werner Enterprises, Inc., 834 F.3d 760, 76566 (7th Cir. 2016).

If we conceive of extraordinary and compelling reasons as those differentiating one prisoners situation from 99% of other prisoners, it is easy to see how Circumstance X could be true of only 10% of prisoners, Circumstance Y of 10%, and Circumstance Z of 10%  each insufficient to meet the threshold, but if they are independent then collectively enough to place the applicant among only 0.1% of all federal prisoners. We do not say here that 99% is the threshold for extraordinary and compelling reasons; in the absence of guidance from the Sentencing Commission, identifying the threshold is committed to the discretion of district judges, with deferential appellate review. See United States v. Gunn, 980 F.3d 1178 (7th Cir. 2020). Our point, rather, is that no matter how the threshold is defined, a combination of factors may move any given prisoner past it, even if one factor alone does not. This leads us to disagree with the Sixth Circuits approach.

This does not help Vaughn in the end, however, because the discretion to evaluate multiple circumstances resides principally in the district courts.
An often-overlooked online tool from the U.S. Department of Education can help you and your prospective college student narrow down a list of schools to attend and what to study.

The tool, which is free and doesnt require setting up an account, is called the College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov).

The gauge  launched about 10 years ago and significantly updated in 2022  is loaded with data collected for thousands of two-year and four-year schools across the country. The data covers public and private universities, essentially all schools that rely on federal financial aid.

While many in the current crop of high school seniors should already have the answers to all their questions about their favorite schools and field of study, the tool at the very least is a good starting point for students who are a year away from the college admissions process.

Students and parents can use the Education Department data to learn more about individual schools, such as graduation and student-retention rates, the annual cost to attend, and average SAT and ACT admissions-test scores.

In addition, demographic data looks at students race, ethnicity, full-time or part-time status and Pell Grant eligibility for low-income students.

But where it really helps is in providing users with data to compare the earnings of recent graduates from most institutions. To provide context, the scorecard uses the median earnings of students who received financial aid and started school 10 years ago.

The site also shows the percentage of graduates who earn more than a typical high school graduate.

For example, the median annual earnings for a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin is $68,000, compared with $47,922 for graduates at all other public higher-education institutions. In addition, 80% of University Texas graduates earn more than those with just a high school diploma.

The scorecard also makes it easy to compare data from different institutions, including the percentage of students who graduate within eight years of starting school, and student borrowers median total debt after graduation.

The scorecard has some limitations, especially since every students financial-aid needs are different. The data points on the average cost of attending a particular school are based on in-state students only.

There are other websites and books  some free, some not  that help students break down all the data points that go into picking a college. Even colleges and universities are becoming more transparent about helping a prospective student determine whether the cost of the degree will pay off in the long run.

The Education Departments scorecard was created with the goal of helping students make informed choices about attending college. That said, the online tool is worth bookmarking on your favorites list.
ROCK RAPIDS, Iowa  State law enforcement authorities have launched an investigation into a person who has had contact with Central Lyon Community School students.

Superintendent Brent Jorth said in a news release that he was informed by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation that a non-district employee who has had interactions with students is under investigation.

"We know that our entire school community is as stunned as we were by this news," Jorth said in the news release.

No details of the circumstances of the interactions, what type of activity may have occurred or the grade level of the students involved were given. The allegations are considered to be severe, according to the news release, and the person who is under investigation no longer has access to students or school facilities.

DCI special agent in charge Steve Van Otterloo said the investigation is ongoing and he could not release any details about the allegations or the suspect. No arrests have been made, Van Otterloo said.

The school district is cooperating with the DCI, and Jorth said he could not comment any further on the investigation.
LE MARS, Iowa  The former Kingsley, Iowa, police chief has pleaded not guilty of stalking his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend and illegally using his position to access information about them.

James Dunn, 54, entered his written plea Friday in Plymouth County District Court to 14 counts of unauthorized access to or dissemination of intelligence data, three counts of misconduct in office and two counts of stalking. The charges are a mix of felonies and misdemeanors.

A trial date has not yet been set.

Dunn is accused of using Kingsley Police Department computers several times from November through February to search law enforcement data bases for information about his ex-girlfriend, her boyfriend and the boyfriends roommate.

According to court documents, Dunn and the woman broke up in November, and when he learned she was seeing another man in Hinton, Iowa, he began following or searching for her, prompting her to tell him not to contact her.

On Feb. 6, court documents said, Dunn left an anonymous letter that included descriptions of his sex life with the woman taped to her boyfriends front door. He also described watching his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend, telling them he knew where they had gone to dinner the night before.

Dunn later told the womans mother she had cheated on him and that her new boyfriend had a criminal history and was on probation.

The woman contacted Hinton police, telling them she was afraid of Dunn and that he was armed at all times.

Dunn was arrested Feb. 15 by Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation agents who had been notified by Hinton police of complaints about Dunn.

Dunn had served as Kingsleys police chief since, Feb. 1, 2022. He was initially placed on administrative leave after his arrest and has since resigned.
OMAHA -- Thurston County has denied claims that redrawn county board of supervisors districts purposely discriminate against Native American voters who make up a majority of the county's population in order to ensure white politicians maintain control of the board.

In its response to a federal lawsuit filed by the Winnebago and Omaha tribes of Nebraska and nine individuals, the county said allegations that the districts, redrawn after the 2020 Census and approved in 2022, violate the Voting Rights Act "have no basis in law or fact and are false."

In a counterclaim, the county is asking a judge to dismiss the lawsuit and declare the county's redistricting plan does not violate the law and protects all county residents' constitutional rights. The county also asked for a declaration that an alternative redistricting plan proposed by the tribes violated the Voting Rights Act.

The tribes sued Thurston County, the seven county board members and the county clerk in January in federal court in Omaha for the alleged Voting Rights Act violations, saying the district map approved in 2022 does not provide Native voters a fair chance to elect candidates of their choice in at least four of the seven supervisor districts. They're seeking a judge's order declaring the map violates the Voting Rights Act, preventing the county from conducting future elections using that map and requiring implementation of a new districting plan that complies with the law.

Thurston County adopted map The Thurston County Board of Supervisors approved this map of supervisors districts in January 2022. The Winnebago and Omaha tribes of Nebrask

Natives make up 50.3% of the voting age population, compared with 43% of whites, in Thurston County, which is home to both the Winnebago and Omaha Indian reservations. Other races make up the remainder of the county's population. Because of their majority, the tribes said in the lawsuit, Natives should have a legitimate chance to elect representatives in at least four districts, but the current plan gives them a clear majority in only three.

Though Natives have a slight majority in two other districts, the lawsuit said, those districts were drawn purposely by non-Native board members to take advantage of traditional low Native voter turnout, making them safe for white incumbents. The current board currently has two members who are Natives and five who are white.

The new districts were used in the 2022 election cycle, in which no Native candidates ran in three of the four districts up for election.

After raising concerns about an initial redistricting plan, tribal representatives submitted a proposed map in which four districts would have a Native population of 65% or higher. The board did not adopt that proposal and instead accepted one containing the current districts on a 5-1 vote. Supervisor James Price Sr., a Winnebago Tribe member, casting the dissenting vote. Supervisor Arnie Harlan, an Omaha Tribe member, was not at the meeting.

Tribal proposed Thurston County map The Winnebago and Omaha tribes proposed this map for Thurston County Board of Supervisors districts. The board rejected it and approved anothe

The county said the new district boundaries were developed by gWorks, an independent vendor hired to draw up three plans that complied with all voting laws. The current plan was adopted, the county said, because it aligned supervisor district boundaries with voting precinct boundaries to make the ballot process simpler and to reduce election costs.

The tribes knew the county board had no input into where gWorks drew the boundary lines in any of the three plans, the county said, but continued to accuse county officials of discrimination.

The county's attorney, Patrick Guinan, of Lincoln, also argued county board members Glen Meyer, Mark English, Georgia Mayberry, Price, Davin French, Harlan and Jim Mueller and County Clerk Patty Bessmer should be dismissed as defendants because they're being sued in their official capacities, effectively turning the claims against them into claims against the county. Guinan argues that because Thurston County also is named as a defendant, all official-capacity claims against individuals are redundant and should be dismissed.

The tribes have won two previous voting rights lawsuits against the county. In 1978, the Justice Department sued the county over its at-large method of electing supervisors. A consent decree in that case resulted in the current seven-district format.

The second lawsuit stemmed from redistricting after the 1990 Census diluted Native voting strength by not creating a third district in which Natives had an effective majority.
SIOUX CITY  Standing outside midtown's Argonaut Apartments in 32-degree weather on Thursday afternoon, resident Adam Asir couldn't help but repeat a phrase.

"So bad. So bad," he quietly said while holding his mail under one arm.

A worker at Kemps in Le Mars, Iowa, Asir moved into the century-old apartment building about nine months ago after previously living in Nebraska. His time at 519-25 11th Street is coming to an end Friday -- Sioux City officials on Wednesday declared the Argonaut unfit for occupancy.

"The heater is not working," Asir said. "It's too cold."

Argonaut red tagged The Argonaut apartment building, 1103 Nebraska Street, is shown Thursday. City inspectors have red-tagged the building as uninhabitable and ar

Broken boiler

Sioux City Code Enforcement Manager Darrel Bullock said the heating problems at the Argonaut were due to an inoperable boiler.

"It's been an issue off and on for several months," Bullock said in a phone call on Thursday.

Bullock said the city was told 22 people live in 30 apartments in the four-story brick building, plus two business occupants on the first floor, Little Nikki's Tattoo parlor and a woodworking shop.

"There's numerous issues for housing deficiencies, but (heat) is the main reason," he added.

George Owings, the owner of the tattoo shop, said issues with the boiler date back even further.

"It's been an ongoing struggle," he said. "(But) we were able to compensate with radiators or space heaters and stuff."

When Owings moved in 13 years ago, he said the space was a "dump" and that he had to put a good deal of work in to get it business ready.

Once he was more established, Owings said things were fine until about a year ago, in April 2022, when the Lucas Magdalene Trust sold the building to an entity called ITM LLC for $475,000. Less than a month later, ITM sold the property to Wave Investment Team INC of Provo, Utah, for $800,000, according to Woodbury County property records.

"They jacked the rent up. As soon as they took over, they jacked the rent up 50 bucks. And they were really slow about getting any repairs going," Owings said.

He said he's still being charged rent even though he told management he was moving out.

"I just didn't reply to any of those emails," Owings said.

Wave Investment partner Zach Magalei said Thursday his company spent thousands of dollars to get the building back to a livable condition. An electrician even went through to see if the Argonaut's breaker had enough amperage for space heaters in every unit. Magalei said he was told the setup would work.

The city has been in contact with the property management company in charge of the Argonaut, Bullock said, "and gave them numerous opportunities to make the repairs."

Magalei disputed the cooperation from the city and said, despite focusing on the issue for the entire day, he hadn't gotten anywhere in trying to resolve matters.

"Today's been an absolute dead-end," he said. "No cooperation with the city whatsoever...We're just trying to get a simple answer."

The Argonaut only had one code violation, Magalei said he was told.

Argonaut red tagged The Argonaut apartment building, 1103 Nebraska Street, is shown Thursday. City inspectors have red-tagged the building as uninhabitable and ar

In addition to the rent hike, Owings said the Argonaut had developed a noticeable leakage problem.

"Radiators were leaking. Pipes were leaking. My small startup business over there was leaking and it was destroying wood," Owings said. "The radiator was leaking so bad that they ended up capping it off and taking it out of there which left me with no heat."

Ultimately, Owings had to close the woodworking shop on the first floor of the Argonaut and sell $10,000 worth of tools for about $1,500.

It wasn't always this way. The Argonaut opened in the summer of 1922, according to property records and contemporary news coverage. In the 1920s, advertisements boasted "neatly appointed" and "daintily furnished" apartments for rent, with the "best accommodations" and an "excellent cafe" in the building.

Saying goodbye

"Today I called and shut the telephone off. The phone has been on for over 13 years," Owings said.

His tentative plan is to head west, to Tacoma, Washington and start afresh there in June. But the 59-year-old said it's hard to imagine opening up another shop, alone. Owings did have an apprentice, 21-year-old Jade Owings, who was going to take over at some point but he said she realized there is no future in the tattoo shop.

"I went through a lot of s*** the last couple of months," Owings said while while fighting back tears. "My pops died on the 16th and, just, a bunch of stuff. So theres just one more thing on top."

While he worries about what's next and what he'll do for work, Owings is just as concerned for the people who lived above him in the building.

"Its about the property management company being unwilling to do what it takes to keep these people in housing. They werent going to spend the money," Owings said.

A longtime patron and friend of his, Latessa Zinn, said she didn't understand why the city couldn't have given residents more of a heads up.

"I dont know if the city is honestly looking out for the community if thats how things are being handled," Zinn said. "Supposedly Red Cross was helping and the city was supposed to bring outreach workers. Where are they at?"

Argonaut red tagged The Argonaut apartment building, 1103 Nebraska Street, is shown Thursday. City inspectors have red-tagged the building as uninhabitable and ar

Bullock said the city has "reached out (to the tenants) and gave them all information about the programs the city has for rapid rehousing."

"It's just a very unfortunate situation," he said.

The biggest uncertainty for Amir is where he'll live next.

"I don't know where I can go," he said before raising the prospect of temporarily staying in his car.

Owings gets angry when considering what could be in store for the Argonaut's residents.

"There are people who are on fixed incomes or super-low incomes. And people who are mentally challenged or have physical challenges, they just can't sleep on the f****** street," Owings said. "It's gonna be eight degrees tonight. You know? Like, it's just not okay. It's supposed to be a village or a community. There's no community, you know?"
SIOUX CITY  Friends and colleagues remember Marvin Berenstein as a man who loved his family and always wanted to make a difference in his community.

A prominent attorney and longtime civic leader, Berenstein died Tuesday in Sioux City at age 86.

Born Dec. 9, 1936, Berenstein was the son of a manager of women's clothing stores. His father's job meant the family had to relocate frequently.

Berenstein graduated from Roosevelt High School in Des Moines in 1954, and then the University of Iowa, where he met Zena Greenstein, whom he would later marry.

Marvin Berenstein Marvin Berenstein, a prominent Sioux City attorney and civic leader, died March 14 at 86.

Following law school, Berenstein worked for a law firm in Iowa City before accepting a job at the Iowa State Commission in the Iowa Attorney General's Office in Des Moines.

Shortly after that, Berenstein was offered a position with Goldberg, Nymann and Probasco, which was one of Sioux City's oldest law firms.

It was then that Berenstein moved the family -- which now included twin sons Greg and Craig -- to Sioux City.

"I'm just a lucky guy to have landed in Sioux City," Berenstein told the Sioux City Journal in 1992. "I don't really want to sound corny or flippant, but I really don't think we would have had the quality of life if we had chosen to live somewhere else."

After being named a partner in his law firm, Berenstein was elected president of the Sioux City Lawyers Club in 1966 and president of the Iowa State Bar Association's Young Lawyers Section in 1969. He was subsequently elected to the Iowa State Bar Association Board of Governors in 1976 and was elected president of the Iowa State Bar Association in 1980.

As his law career flourished, Berenstein remained humble.

"I've been very fortunate in that I've always had some outstanding people help me out," he said. "I have always had great teachers. Currier Holman (founder of IBP, Inc.) and Wilbur Aalfs (of Aalfs Manufacturing fame) showed great confidence in me at an early time in my career and I will always be indebted to them."

Marvin Berenstein Sioux City attorney Marvin Berenstein is shwn in this 2010 Sioux City Journal file photo.

Berenstein credited Wiley Mayne, a congressman with whom he practiced law for 13 years, as a "wonderful adviser, mentor and friend."

Just as active at the local level, Berenstein served in many capacities at Shaare Zion Synagogue and later at Congregation Beth Shalom.

Berenstein said his most prestigious appointment came after then-Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad appointed him to the nine-member Iowa Board of Regents, which oversaw the operations of the state's three universities and related facilities.

"Serving on the board is the culmination of my involvement with the University of Iowa," Berenstein, who later became board president, explained. "Zena and I have great fondness for the university. We met there, the boys were born there and we spent seven years of our lives there."

Yet Berenstein remained committed to Siouxland and to Iowa.

As an inaugural member of Vision Iowa, Berenstein was part of the board which award of dollars to projects across the state, including $121 million to the Tyson Events Center, which opened in 2003.

"That was one of Marv's fondest achievements," Sioux City Mayor Pro Tem Dan Moore said. "He was so proud of the Tyson Events Center."

In addition to being a friend, Moore was also a longtime partner in Berenstein's law firm. Following Berenstein's retirement, the law firm of Berenstein, Moore, Heffernan, Moeller & Johnson LLP was renamed Moore, Heffernan, Moeller, Johnson & Meis. Following a merger, it is now called Moore Corbett.

Berenstein was always an advocate for the less fortunate. Along with the Community Action Agency of Siouxland, he helped launch Welcome Home, an initiative that combined transitional housing and outreach services to get local homeless families off the streets.

The Welcome Home program helped scores of homeless families with a fully-furnished home, food, clothing and other services.

Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan knew Berenstein well over the years.

"Marv will be long remembered for the profoundly positive difference he made in Siouxland and throughout the State of Iowa," McGowan said. "He was a talented and trusted attorney who was dedicated to his clients and recognized by the State Bar Association with their top award for his many contributions, experience, and expertise."

McGowan also said Berenstein was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.

This was the side of Berenstein that Congregational Beth Shalom Rabbi Guy Greene knew best.

"Marv was completely devoted to his family," Greene said. "They meant the world to him."

So was Berenstein's faith, said Congregation Beth Shalom member Michele Ivener.

"I worked with Marv on committees over the years," she said. "Marv was someone who always had an opinion and would let you know what that opinion was."

"Marv was fair and he was kind but you always knew he was a lawyer," Ivener added.

Berenstein's family have also learned from his example. His son Greg has been an attorney, an artist and a businessman while son Craig has worked in law, nonprofits and served as Mayor of Sioux City.

Dan Moore remembered Berenstein as a man who remained modest despite his many achievements.
Consumer inflation, not much of a problem, on average, since the early 1980s, started picking up in the spring of 2021 as the economy roared out of recession and Americans spent freely again. At first, Fed Chair Jerome Powell and some economists dismissed the resurgent price spikes as likely a temporary problem that would resolve itself once clogged supply chains had returned to normal.

But the supply bottlenecks lasted longer than expected, and so did high inflation. Worse, Russia's invasion of Ukraine a year ago sent energy and food prices rocketing. By June 2022, consumer prices were 9.1% higher than they'd been a year earlier  the hottest year-over-year inflation in more than four decades.

By then, the Fed had begun, belatedly, to respond. It has raised its benchmark rate eight times since March 2022 in its most aggressive credit tightening since the early 1980s.

In response, consumer inflation edged down from its mid-2022 peak. It posted milder year-over-year increases for seven straight months as supply chains unclogged and higher borrowing costs worked their way through the economy, putting a brake on overspending.

Financial markets appeared ready to declare the inflation dragon all but slain.

Then came January's unexpectedly hot consumer inflation data. Two days later, the government reported that wholesale prices had jumped 0.7% from December to January, nearly twice what forecasters had expected.

Next came bad news from the inflation gauge the Fed watches most closely: The government's personal consumption expenditures price index. It accelerated 0.6% from December to January, far above the 0.2% November-to-December uptick. On a year-over-year basis, prices rose 5.4%, up slightly from the annual increase in December and well above the Fed's 2% inflation target.

The PCE report "adds to the difficult if not impossible task facing the Fed in terms of getting inflation back to its 2% target without driving the economy into a ditch,'' said Joshua Shapiro, chief U.S. economist at the Maria Fiorini Ramirez Inc. consultancy.

One concern is that this time, inflation may prove harder to slow than it was initially. Households have increasingly shifted their spending away from physical goods like patio furniture and appliances to experiences like traveling, restaurant meals and entertainment events. Inflationary pressures, too, have shifted from goods toward services, where price acceleration can be harder to tame.

In part, that's because chronic labor shortages at stores, restaurants, hotels and other service-sector industries have led many employers in those industries to keep raising pay to attract or retain workers. Those employers, in turn, have generally raised their prices to make up for their higher labor costs, thereby fueling inflation.

Some economists expect the Fed to raise its benchmark rate by a substantial half-percentage point when it next meets March 21-22, after having announced only a quarter-point hike when it met Jan. 31-Feb. 1.
An Iowa emergency medical technician who drove ambulances, fired for a history of drunken driving arrests, is not entitled to unemployment benefits, a state fact-finder has ruled.

Despite two drunken-driving convictions and one recent drunken driving arrest, Derek Ealys state license as an emergency medical services provider remains in good standing with no history of any public disciplinary action, according to the Iowa Bureau of Emergency and Trauma Services.

State records show that Ealy, 39, of Keystone, was working as a full-time EMT for North Benton Ambulance Service from August 2022 until his firing in November 2022.

State unemployment records indicate that as part of his EMT duties, Ealy was required to drive an ambulance. At the time he was hired, Ealy had at least two drunken driving convictions on his record, with the most recent case dating back to 2006.

On Nov. 19, 2022, Ealy was involved in a serious, off-duty car accident and was unable to report for work the next day as scheduled because he was hospitalized and awaiting surgery. The accident eventually resulted in charges of drunken driving, with police alleging his blood-alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit for driving. A plea hearing in that case is scheduled for March 23.

A few days after the accident, Ealy posted a message on his public Facebook page, indicating he was an alcoholic and was facing serious financial issues related to his medical care. As part of that post, Ealy made note of his EMS duties and solicited donations to assist with his expenses.

On Nov. 26, the ambulance service fired Ealy, citing the recent accident and the Facebook post as violations of work rules. The service also cited Ealys past OWI convictions.

A state fact-finder subsequently denied Ealys application for unemployment benefits, stating that he had been discharged for knowingly violating the employers rules. An administrative law judge recently affirmed that decision, finding that Ealy hadnt filed his appeal in a timely fashion.

Ealy said Wednesday that while his employer claimed he hadnt reported his previous drunken driving convictions when he was hired, he had applied for the job through Facebook and had never been asked to fill out a formal application that asked about any past arrests.

The Iowa Bureau of Emergency and Trauma Services database of disciplinary actions indicates Ealys license is currently active with no history of any public disciplinary action. Ealy said the bureau is aware of his most recent arrest and he remains authorized to work as an EMS provider although his driving privileges are restricted by the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Ealy is the former president of the Benton County EMS Association and has served as the director of the Keystone First Responders.

I intend to continue with EMS, he told the Iowa Capital Dispatch. I have molded my wife and my best friend into EMTs and firefighters and so this is my family legacy.

Other unemployment cases

Other Iowans whose unemployment cases were recently decided include:

Claudia McKim, who worked as a certified medical assistant for two years at Hamilton County Public Hospital until she was fired in December 2022. In May 2022, McKim was allegedly tasked with giving a vaccine to a child and it was later discovered she had administered only the fluid used for diluting purposes and had not provided any of the vaccine, according to state records.

A few months later, in September 2022, she was accused of mistakenly giving a 12-month-old child a double dose of multiple vaccines. As a result, the childs health will have to be monitored for the next 17 years, hospital officials alleged. In December 2022, McKim allegedly gave an adult dose of a hepatitis vaccine to a child. She was denied unemployment benefits.

Seana Godbold, who worked for the Iowa Department of Transportation from 2013 through July 2022, most recently as a public services manager. She was fired after a lengthy investigation into alleged violations of equal protection and sexual harassment policies.

The investigation stemmed from complaints made by several of her subordinates who alleged Godbold had made inappropriate comments about workers age, perceived disabilities and religion. One complaint was tied to her behavior toward a younger male intern and comments she had reportedly made regarding her personal sex life. State records indicate that at her unemployment hearing, Godbold didnt dispute the accusations but argued she should have been warned rather than fired. She was denied unemployment benefits.

Close Winnebago River speeds up, carrying ice sheets with it near the 12th Street Northeast kayak park Tuesday afternoon. Winnebago River facing north as it passes under the 12th Street Northeast bridge in Mason City on Tuesday. Willow Creek facing southeast in East Park in Mason City on Tuesday. The Winnebago River and Willow Creek waters converge, flooding parts of East Park in Mason City on Tuesday. Huge sheets of ice clog Willow Creek in Mason City's East Park on Tuesday. A thawed and flooded Willow Creek begins to recede on the south side of Mason City's East Park. Willow Creek floods a field off on North Pierce Avenue in Mason City on Tuesday. PHOTOS: Mason City flooding Warmer temperatures have led to a quick thaw causing flooding in some parts of North Iowa Monday and Tuesday. A flood warning was issued for Tuesday, as water was expected to continue to rise. Have a look at some of the high waters around Mason City. Winnebago River speeds up, carrying ice sheets with it near the 12th Street Northeast kayak park Tuesday afternoon. Winnebago River facing north as it passes under the 12th Street Northeast bridge in Mason City on Tuesday. Willow Creek facing southeast in East Park in Mason City on Tuesday. The Winnebago River and Willow Creek waters converge, flooding parts of East Park in Mason City on Tuesday. Huge sheets of ice clog Willow Creek in Mason City's East Park on Tuesday. A thawed and flooded Willow Creek begins to recede on the south side of Mason City's East Park. Willow Creek floods a field off on North Pierce Avenue in Mason City on Tuesday.
Samsung, at the moment, is facing a bit of backlash for the controversy surrounding its Scene Optimizer feature, where some claim that it adds details that weren't there in the first place. Samsung published a blog post that explains how the feature works.

Controversy With Moon Photos

A user from Reddit claims that Samsung is faking the outcome of moon images taken with their flagship phone. The user pointed out that there were details added in the final outcome of the photo even if there weren't details present in the raw captured image.

To prove the statement, Reddit user Breakphotos snapped blurry and low-resolution images from a computer screen, making sure that there was no information that the phone could use to enhance the image. It was even tried with maxed-out exposure.

Still, the phone used still managed to add information that wasn't there, as mentioned in Engadget. This could prove that shots using a Samsung phone with the Scene Optimizer feature might be producing artificially enhanced outcomes.

This may come as a disappointment to people who own Samsung phones with this feature, seeing as one of the selling points of the flagship phone is that it can zoom up to 25x to the point of taking a clear shot of the moon.

Samsung addressed the issue in order to clarify how its super-resolution technology works as it creates high-quality images of the moon. For one, it explains that it has been using AI technology since the release of the Galaxy S10.

The Scene Optimizer feature first came to the S21 series, wherein the company claims that the advanced AI recognizes objects to produce the best outcomes for its users. In this case, the Scene Optimizer recognizes the moon and applies certain enhancements for a better shot.

Samsung explained that aside from using deep learning-based AI technology to enhance the shots, it also includes multi-frame processing to produce low-noise photos. Of course, users can always turn the feature off through the Camera Settings.

Read Also: Is Your Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra Overheating? Here Are 5 Ways to Fix It

How Does It Work?

When the Scene Optimizer is turned on, the device will use Super Resolution to capture ten images taken at 25x or higher, which is important for its details to come out clearer and reduce the noise in the photo.

Samsung uses an AI deep learning model for moon recognition. The engine used for that feature is built based on various lunar shapes and details, including its phases from the images taken by the company's view from Earth.

The Scene Optimizer will also control the brightness of the subject to present it more clearly without compromising the details. A similar method is done with the background, wherein the sky will appear darker to further highlight the moon.

It also has a stability function so the person taking the photograph will not need a tripod to get clearer shots. Zoom Lock will automatically activate once the user zooms in on the moon and maintains the focus on the subject for more than 1.5 seconds.

The camera will then take several photos and then combine them into one image with reduced noise while enhancing the image details further. Samsung even pointed out that it's trying to improve on the feature to avoid confusion of the feature between the real moon and an image of it.

Related: Samsung Galaxy S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra: Specs, Where to Preorder
OMAHA  A former janitor at Otte Middle School in Blair was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in prison for sending a sexually explicit photo to a student.

Under a plea agreement, Orlando Blair, 25, of Omaha will consecutively serve three years for enticement by an electronic device, two years for intentional child abuse and three years for criminal attempt of visual depiction of sexually explicit content with a child as a participant or portrayed observer, according to court records.

According to an affidavit, three students at the middle school approached principal Brett Schwartz in May 2022 with information about Blair sending an explicit photo to a 14-year-old female student, the Omaha World-Herald previously reported. A search of the student's phone found a photo of Blair's genitals sent via Snapchat, according to the affidavit.

A police officer and school officials then met with Blair, who voluntarily turned over his cellphone for inspection, the affidavit said. Blair told the officer that he had received explicit photos from the female student and responded with the sexually explicit photo of himself.

Top Journal Star photos for March 2023
The city is one step closer to the day in court Lincoln's police chief has expressed a desire for amid the city's ongoing legal battles with several former Lincoln Police officers.

In an order filed Tuesday, a district court judge largely overruled the city's motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by former Officer Erin Spilker, who sued the city in January 2022 alleging years of sex-based discrimination and insufficient efforts to investigate her reports.

Judge Kevin McManaman had dismissed Spilker's lawsuit in August, ruling that the former public information officer and her attorney, Kelly Brandon, had failed, in part, because Spilker's extensive allegations amounted to "an amalgamation of discrete incidents ... and not one unlawful employment practice."

Brandon filed an amended complaint in October, a 71-page filing that more-than doubled the length of the initial lawsuit. And at a hearing in December, city attorneys again argued that the allegations included in the lengthened complaint still weren't specific enough to go forward, advocating for another dismissal.

At a news conference the next day, Lincoln Police Chief Teresa Ewins said she looked forward to going to court, "where we can talk about what we did, what we didn't do, and the public can decide. The evidence will show what it will show, and they can determine at that point."

In his ruling Tuesday, McManaman moved the case one step closer to a potential jury trial, finding that Spilker's attorney had "plausibly alleged a continuing hostile work environment based on sex and retaliation" in her amended filing.

The complaint included graphic sexual harassment comments, including allegations that male officers would frequently discuss oral sex and sexual experiences at work, talking about their preferences and asking about Spilker's.

Countless times, the lawsuit said, fellow officers would pull back her ponytail as if she were being forced to give oral sex.

At one point, an assistant chief told Spilker that he believed the sexual assault allegation she made against a fellow officer. But nothing was done, she said. The officer later retired after a work-related injury.

"I could go on," Brandon said at December's hearing. "It is clear that when you consider the totality of the circumstances  that the work environment was permeated with sexual harassment and sexually charged comments and behavior."

McManaman agreed, rejecting Assistant City Attorney Tyler Spahn's argument that the complaint amounted to a series of "discreet incidences of improper conduct" but did not constitute a hostile work environment.

Spahn also argued that Spilker's suit failed to show her treatment was the result of a city policy or custom, or notice of wrongdoing and deliberate indifference  the burden she must meet to hold the city responsible for alleged civil rights violations.

McManaman rejected the city's argument on that front, too, finding that Spilker's allegations of pervasive sexual misconduct and sex-based discrimination had plausibly showed the city had a custom of sexual harassment.

And the judge overruled the city's motion to strike "redundant, immaterial ... and scandalous allegations" from Spilker's lawsuit.

City Attorney Yohance Christie said Wednesday he would not discuss pending litigation. "This case is in the very early stages of litigation and we must all continue to rely on the legal process, he said.

The ruling paves the way for the lawsuit to move forward, marking a win for Spilker, who resigned from the police department in March 2022.

An inequitable standard has been tolerated by leadership for far too long," Spilker said in a statement. "It is time for the city to acknowledge that wrongdoing has been done so that an improved system can be put in place and our police officers can serve in a difficult job without the fear of harassment or retaliation from within."

Spilker is one of seven current and former officers who have publicly raised alarm about alleged systemic harassment, discrimination and retaliation within the department and that has been enabled by city leadership for years.

In the only lawsuit regarding the police department's workplace culture that has been resolved, the city settled out of court with former Officer Sarah Williams, paying her $65,000.
Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha argued Thursday that Nebraskans ought to be given another opportunity to vote to abolish the death penalty in the wake of growing evidence and knowledge that it is "horrible, inhumane" and unevenly applied.

"We say we care about lives," the North Omaha state senator said during a news conference in the Capitol Rotunda prior to a public hearing on his proposed state constitutional amendment (LR17CA) before the Legislature's Judiciary Committee in the afternoon.

"Many individuals who are executed are found to be innocent," McKinney said. "That's reason enough to get rid of it."

McKinney saluted his predecessor, former Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, for his long effort to finally win legislative enactment of a bill to abolish the death penalty in 2015.

Eight years ago, the Legislature overrode Gov. Pete Ricketts' veto of the Chambers bill, but then the death penalty was reinstated by a vote of the people in 2016 by a margin of 61-39 percent.

Carey Dean Moore was the last person to be executed in Nebraska -- and the first by lethal injection -- in 2018. That marked the first execution in Nebraska in 21 years.

A number of death penalty opponents joined McKinney at the news conference to express their support for his proposed constitutional amendment.

"It impacts the poor most of all," Christopher "Spike" Eickholt, lobbyist for ACLU of Nebraska, said.

"It's time to send this question back to the voters," he said.

Tom Venzor, executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference, said the death penalty unevenly impacts people of color, low-income people and people with intellectual challenges.

"Racial bias has factored into whether or not a murder is tried as a capital case," Christy Hargesheimer, speaking on behalf of Amnesty International, said.

In Nebraska, eight Black and Hispanic inmates are on death row compared to three white inmates, she said.

"Mental illness is also a factor to be considered," Hargesheimer said.

McKinney said he believes there is "educational value" in spotlighting the issue, "even if we lose."

McKinney is also sponsoring LR27CA, a proposed constitutional amendment to create a state Board of Commutation to help reduce the impact of "unjustly harsh sentences."

The proposal would expand the Board of Pardons and include a formerly incarcerated individual as a member while also guaranteeing applicants the right to make his or her case before the board.

The inmates on Nebraskas death row and their crimes Raymond Mata Jr. Jose Sandoval Jorge Galindo Erick F. Vela Jeffrey Hessler John L. Lotter Roy L. Ellis Marco E. Torres Jr. Anthony Garcia Nikko Jenkins Patrick Schroeder Aubrey Trail
The Silicon Valley Bank saga aint over yet. The federal government may have taken over the collapsed institutions assets and guaranteed account access to depositors, but the persistent uncertainty over bank safety and financial sector health continues to wreak market havoc. Its somewhat understandable: Last week, in just a few days, three banksSilvergate, SVB, and Signatureall fell for different reasons, with the latter two making for the United States largest bank failures since the 2008 collapse of Washington Mutual, which presaged the financial crisis. As such, the Biden administrations attempts to reassure the public of the banking industrys stability (and the offer of a crisis-lending facility for banks to lean on) didnt calm turbulence among bank stocks. Shares in major international institutions were volatile all week, European countries took emergency measures to prop up their own sectors, the word contagion stuck to investors lips, overall stock indices remain down as of Friday, and to top it all off, SVBs parent company has now filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

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Its a weird moment. But is the banking sector actually placing us closer to economic peril? Here are some of the weeks most chillingand reassuring!developments.

First Republic

According to Bloomberg, the San Franciscobased First Republic Bank has had its worst week ever, despite outside players keen interest in holding the $212 billion institution aloft. On Monday, despite earning some emergency assistance from both the Federal Reserve and JPMorgan Chase, First Republic shares tanked by 62 percent, and Moodys declared that it was looking into whether the bank warranted a downgrade from its A-minus rating. Other banks like Wells Fargo and Comerica also experienced significant losses that day, with the overall sector experiencing its worst selloff cycle in years, but First Republic underwent the steepest crash of all. The S&P Global offered no additional confidence, reducing the banks credit rating to junk by Wednesday. (The analytics firm claimed that First Republic remained vulnerable to an SVB-like bank run.) That move helped to crash First Republics stock again that day, this time to its lowest level in a decade; executives pondered a full-on sale of the bank to a bigger institution.

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By Thursday, as reported by Bloomberg, 11 other banks pledged $30 billion of assistance to First Republic. Still, on Friday morning, the bank shed nearly a quarter of its value after making some important announcements: that it had borrowed tens of billions of dollars from the Fed, and that it was suspending dividend payouts. Investors arent yanking the plug just yet, but they arent sure that First Republic will make a solid recovery, especially in light of news that the banks executives sold off $12 million worth of shares over the months leading up to the SVB bank run.

Credit Suisse

Outside of First Republic, the Switzerland-based investment bank Credit Suisse Group AG probably caused the most headaches this week. As economist Adam Tooze detailed in his Chartbook newsletter, Credit Suisse has been battered by scandals since 2021, when it started facing legal consequences for various misdeeds over the decades: holding accounts with criminal enterprises, pushing Mozambique into economic crisis through a yearslong bribery scheme, reportedly spying on employees, and violating U.S. sanctions. So it was already in a precarious spot going into this year, as disgruntled investors yanked out their deposits en masse over the past few months. In addition, Credit Suisse has shed employees, and the bank reported a multibillion-dollar loss by 2022s end. A planned corporate reorganization, U.S. scrutiny over bank financials, and a March 5 full-stake selloff from Credit Suisses largest shareholder didnt help things.

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So, as the SVB crisis kicked off last Friday and persisted over the weekend, Credit Suisse stocks plunged to all-time lows on the Swiss exchange, thanks to mass share selloffs induced by SVBs fall. On Wednesday, that rout continued after Credit Suisse disclosed issues with its financial reporting, and after the banks current largest shareholder, Saudi National Bank, told Bloomberg that it could not take on more investment in the Swiss bank. On Thursday morning, the bank announced that it would receive nearly $54 billion in liquid cash from Swiss National Bank. Yet its stock sank again on Friday due to low confidence in the banks prospects.

Analysts from JPMorgan have laid out three paths forward for Credit Suisse: 1) The bank survives after completing its planned corporate overhauls; 2) Swiss regulators offer deposit guarantees or a wholesale bank bailout; 3) fellow Swiss bank UBS acquires Credit Suisse. At the moment, no one scenario appears more likely than the other.

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Charles Schwab

The financial services firms stock freefall was so severe this week that its namesake founder lost about $3 billion of his fortune. Like SVB, the Charles Schwab Corporation holds ample investment in long-term Treasury bonds, stoking fears that it would fall into the same sell-off-dwindling-stock-to-pay-off-panicked-depositors cycle that helped bring down Silicon Valley Bank. On Wednesday, executives and board members collectively bought up millions of dollars of company shares, which helped give the firm a slight value bump. Investors still have concerns over Schwab, especially since its customers are rearranging their investments within the banks portfolio toward safer government-backed investments; the corporations stock value fell by nearly 7 percent Friday morning.

Western Alliance Bancorporation

The Arizona-based regional bank lost 82 percent of its value on Monday, spurring the New York Stock Exchange to halt trading of Western Alliance shares. This plummet was surprising, since the business appeared to be in good shape even while SVB collapsed, and it had extra funds at its disposal. That even a safer investment bank like Western Alliance could fall so hard at weeks open? A potential contagion alert, no doubt. The banks stock fell again by 8 percent Thursday after credit analyst Fitch Ratings announced a review of Western Alliances debt for possible downgrade, just days after Moodys issued its own downgrade warning. Overall financial nervousness further depressed Western Alliance stock by 18 percent Friday morning.

PacWest Bancorp

The other regional bank to take a hard pounding from the SVB fallout was the Los Angelesbased PacWest Bancorp, which lost more than 52 percent of its value on Monday and also had its trading frozen that day. On Thursday, Fitch Ratings announced that it planned to downgrade PacWests credit in the short term, fueling another value PacWest value drop. The California bank was likely kept at a distance because of its own multibillion-dollar exposure to venture capitalfunded startupsthat is, the very type of flailing business whose economic frailty consigned the startup-indebted SVB to history. PacWest ended the week with total losses second only to those of First Republic, with the regional banks stock sliding by another 13 percent on Friday.

Bitcoin and Crypto

Not a bank, obviously, but worth taking a look. Bitcoin, still wracked by last years cryptocurrency disasters, surged over the week to close out Friday at its highest level since June, according to the Wall Street Journal. Since the digital currency has long been touted as a hedge against fiat-money upsets like the SVB fallout, its likely that the recent spate of bank runs has reinvigorated confidence in the virtual coin. Bitcoins $26,300 market cap remains far below the currencys all-time peakthe $65,000 bounty in November 2021but this week has provided the most reassuring news for the digital economy in a long time. It wasnt limited to Bitcoin: The namesake currency of the Ethereum blockchain, Ether, also surged throughout the week to land at a $1,719.92 on Fridayits highest since nearing the $2,000 threshold in August 2022.

Smaller Lenders

Is there a winner in the SVB crisis outside of cryptocurrencies? Yes indeed: Bloomberg reported Friday that small-time community banks were gaining new deposits and business as customers shifted their money away from rickety midsize banks. Depositors probably view these tinier banks as safe havens; community banks insure the bulk of their accounts and tend to have high standards in deciding where to invest customer funds. Plus, theyre not planning on slowing down their outward investment anytime soon, which provides a hedge against bigger institutions that may cool it on their spending lest the bank runs come for them. The new hot banking category may be the firms that are, in fact, too small to fail.
Its impossible to know exactly what goes on inside the mind of Julio Torres. Even before making a name for himself as a comedian with his 2019 HBO stand-up special My Favorite Shapes, the Salvadoran-born talent had already made his mark as a writer on Saturday Night Live, where sketches like Papyrus, Wells for Boys, and The Sink spun surrealist, existential premises into viral comedy. For two seasons of HBOs Los Espookys, the bilingual sitcom he co-created with co-stars Fred Armisen and Ana Fabrega, he again went all in on his own highly particular sensibility, transforming into Andres, the spoiled heir to a chocolate empire with an outsize ego and a love of the mystical and macabre.

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This year, Torres will make his feature directorial debut with Problemista, an out-of-the-box tale loosely inspired by the actors own immigration story. Set in New York, the film follows Alejandro (Torres), an aspiring designer of existential childrens toys (think a Slinky that never falls down the stairs, or, well, a well for boys) whose work visa is on the verge of expiring. He soon meets Elizabeth (Tilda Swinton), a frantic, fastidious art critic who enlists Alejandro to cement her cryogenically frozen husbands legacy by mounting an exhibit of his painted portraits of eggs.

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Its an improbable buddy comedy thats often delightfully untethered from reality, with Torres skewering the American immigration system not by making grand declarations or delivering emotional monologues but by finding the humor in how nonsensical it is. The moment Alejandro finds out his visa will expire, for example, were transported to an ominous corridor full of hourglasses just to see an off-screen hand tip over one with his name on it, signaling the start of his race to find a visa sponsor. A few moments later, we watch someone literally disappear when their own last grain of sand falls.

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Its these forays into absurdity that offer up a fresh perspective on immigrant stories, one that feels both original and desperately needed. For years, most on-screen representations of the immigrant experience (to the extent weve had any at all) have been dominated by serious explorations of what it means to become American and meditations on the impossible expectations this country places on its newest arrivals. Films like Minari, Under the Same Moon, Brooklyn, and Sugar tell beautiful, important stories of struggle and belonging, but theyre not the only story, and theres more than one way to tell it.

If any film in the past year has made that abundantly clear, its the Daniels Academy Awardsweeping Everything Everywhere All at Once. Though Everything Everywhere and Problemista are markedly different, their whimsical, reality-bending approaches dont undercut the sincerity of their messages. Where Everything Everywhere peppers a giant everything bagel and a raccoon chef into a story about a mother striving and failing to connect to her queer daughter, Problemista sprinkles cryochambers and an omniscient narrator (Isabella Rossellini) into a story about trying to find your place without sacrificing who you are.

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Torres skewers the American immigration system not by making grand declarations or delivering emotional monologues but by finding the humor in how nonsensical it is.

In Problemista, Torres pokes fun at his own story, making jokes out of the idea that a young adult from El Salvador moving to one of the most cutthroat cities in one of the most pitiless countries, knowing hell need to find a way to make ends meet, would endeavor to be  a toy maker. Theres no real reason why Alejandros dream and his ability to pursue it should have any less validity than that of an immigrant who wants to be a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer. (The career prospects for a toy maker are likely to at least be better than those of an aspiring comedian.) And in another twist on the usual stereotypes about immigrant parents, back in El Salvador, Alejandros mother (The Maids Catalina Saavedra), an artist herself, actually encourages her sons fantastical temperament.

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And the more Alejandro goes along on his journey, the more clear it becomes that he could learn a thing or two from Elizabeth. Its oddly charming to watch Swinton play someone as thorny as Elizabeth. Shes chaotic, hopeless with technology, and so unwilling to take no for an answer that shell happily gaslight any waiter, receptionist, or cable-car operator who gets in her way. For a white woman who seems to have done well in life, she has an attitude that would verge on abrasive, evoking the entitled behavior of a Karen, if it werent so abundantly clear how much of a misfit she is too.

Its Elizabeths refusal to bend to what society expects of her that prompts Alejandro to realize he can do the same. He shouldnt have to abandon his creative dream for a more practical one, and he shouldnt have to suffer through the constant obstacles and contradictions of the immigration system just for a chance at a decent life. None of this needs to be radical either. Alejandro isnt doing any of this for some grander purpose. His dreams arent expressly about providing for his mother or even desiring to be American. As with Everything Everywhere actor Ke Huy Quan, who described his own triumph at the Oscars on Sunday night as the American dream, theyre just about him seeking the freedom to do what he loves.

In addition to being an imaginative, impressive, not to mention hilarious debut, Problemista reminds us that the immigrant experience isnt just pain and toil but a story that has room for humor and hope and even some very unconventional Slinkies. More than that, he reminds us that the American dream should belong to anyone, whether theyre an actor, an artist, a toy maker, or a comedian determined to explore his existential crises.
After nearly a year with a 15-week abortion ban in place, Florida appears poised to restrict it even further. In similar bills introduced in the two houses of the state Legislature last week, Republicans proposed banning nearly all abortions performed after six weeks of pregnancy. The GOP supermajorities that control the Florida House and Senate are expected to pass the bills easily, and Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he will sign the ban into law.

The difference between a 15-week abortion ban and a six-week abortion ban is vast: The window in between these two gestational ages is when the majority of abortions take place. According to the CDC, in 2019, about one-third of U.S. abortions were performed at or before six weeks gestation, while only 7 percent occurred after 13 weeks gestation.

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Other states that have passed similar abortion bans provide a preview of what the Florida law will do. In Texas, after a ban that prohibited abortions following the onset of fetal cardiac activity (essentially, a six-week ban) took effect in 2021, staff members at a Houston abortion clinic told me that patients did not have six weeks to get an abortion, as the six-week ban language implied. Before they could provide an abortion, they said, they needed to see a pregnancy on a uterine ultrasound to confirm that it was not a potentially life-threatening ectopic pregnancy. It takes about five weeks after the first day of the patients last period for the first glimmer of a pregnancy to appear on an ultrasoundmeaning that, in a state with a six-week abortion ban, a patient has about a weeklong opening in which to legally terminate a pregnancy.

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Perhaps some legislators in favor of the proposed ban know this. It is likely that, for a good number of them, the dwindling likelihood that a Florida woman would be able to identify and terminate an unplanned pregnancy before her legal window slams shut is the entire point of the bill, because it will make her more likely to give up and give birth.

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But surely, many of the bans supporters do not knowor particularly carewhen the initial gestational sac of a pregnancy becomes visible on an ultrasound, or that six weeks pregnant typically means just four weeks after conception. They may not be aware that six weeks pregnant is only two weeks after the first indication of a missed periodin a person with a perfectly regular menstrual cycle.

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These are medical details that pertain to pregnancy as a biological conditiona thing that happens to the body, explicable by science and the provenance of doctorsthat is intimately entwined with health, pain, and injury. For all its clamoring about heartbeats and fetal pain, the anti-abortion right has no interest in the biological particulars of pregnancy.

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Anti-abortion advocates draw on images of round-cheeked infants, rather than clots of tissue, to depict an embryo or fetus in propaganda materials. They say an embryo at six weeks gestation looks like a miniature human infant, when it really looks like this. At crisis pregnancy centers, they lie about the results of ultrasounds given to patients who are considering abortion. They suggest adoption as a simple alternative, as if undergoing several months of pregnancy and the act of childbirth were a negligible physical undertaking, as if several hundred people did not die of pregnancy and childbirth in the U.S. each year.

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When faced with stories of patients suffering through days of a worsening infection or passing out from blood loss because hospitals in states that ban abortion are refusing to treat miscarriages in process, they shrug and blame the doctors who followed the law.

It is this studied ignorance of the basics of reproductionand proud disregard for womens painthat has been the most consistent posture among those who would restrict reproductive health care this way, uniting right-wing extremists across gender, geography, and generation. It does not suit their interests to view pregnancy as anything other than a magical, mysterious, religiously significant period in which a womans body is given over to the needs of her fetus and the desires of the broader society in which she once took part. Their ideology rests on the treatment of pregnancy and childbirth as conceptual topics, easily debatable and containable, such that a legislator who has never taken so much as a sex ed class can write a physicians dos-and-donts list into the penal code.

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Early last year, when Florida lawmakers were considering the 15-week banand later, when DeSantis signed it into law in April, and when it took effect in July after the overturning of Roe v. Wadeconservatives presented it as a sensible compromise. One member of the Florida House, who herself benefited from access to legal abortion when she terminated a pregnancy some years ago, called it generous; DeSantis called it very reasonable. When the Florida Legislature was considering the 15-week ban last February, its sponsor, state Sen. Kelli Stargel, emphasized at the time that legislators were not banning anything. Were not being mean. Were not taking away a womans opportunity. (She later proposed that the high cost of private adoption was a consequence of supply and demand, and that banning abortion would help lower prices for adoptive parents.)

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Some centrist commentators and mainstream news outlets were sympathetic to this framing. Because most anti-abortion activists were not satisfied with Floridas 15-week banthey were determined to hold out for a law that would make every abortion illegalit seemed to New York magazines Ed Kilgore, for one, that 15 weeks could mark a meeting in the middle between left and right. Kilgore predicted that pragmatic (or cynical) Republican politicians would be inclined to begin the post-Roe political struggle with the less onerous ban. Other journalists suggested that DeSantisand perhaps similar state officials with larger ambitions in states like Florida that have high rates of public support for legal abortionmight be wary of going too far, too fast on abortion restrictions, lest voters be turned off by their extremism.

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But on the anti-abortion right, which has a stranglehold on the GOP, there are no moderate positions on abortion. Once youve staked your political future on the claim that abortion is literally murder, there is no arguing for lenience. (Its also worth noting that any forcible withholding of pregnancy-related health care, no matter the point in gestation, is an extreme position that does not lend itself to compromise.)

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Meanwhile, through the Electoral College, our system of government overweights votes from places with weaker support for abortion rights. American voters have had no problem electing anti-abortion presidents before. If DeSantis wins the 2024 GOP presidential primary, it wont be his track record on abortion that keeps him from taking the White House. Though a majority of people in almost every state support legal abortion, most are not single-issue voters. A not-insignificant number of them are actually Republicans, more than one-third of whom believe abortion should be legal in all more most cases.

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In other words, there is nothing currently stopping Republican officials in states where the GOP is in power from enacting the most radical version of their stated agenda: not the courts, not their future political prospects, not voters, not humility in the face of the human bodys complexity, not empathy for the people bound by their laws. Even the direct democracy option is drifting out of reach. Voters have favored abortion rights in every direct ballot initiative that has come up for a vote since Roe was overturned, but Republicans in several statesincluding Floridaare working to make it harder for residents to get propositions on the ballot.

Republicans have little to gain and a lot to lose (like a GOP primary) from moderating their positions on abortion. Thats why almost every state that has restricted legal abortion since the end of Roe has gone with a full ban, despite the fact that the majority of people in those states disapprove of such bans.

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Stargel, the senator who sponsored the not being mean 15-week ban in 2022, said at the time that she wanted to propose a stricter ban, but she knew we could never get that bill passed because the Florida public was not there yet. Less than one year later, with a six-week ban around the corner, it is clear that what was restraining the Florida GOP in 2022 had nothing to do with what the Florida public did or did not want, because nothing in that realm has changed significantly since then. The only two things that distinguish this moment from that one are the absence of a constitutional protection for legal abortionand the political will to disregard the majority of voters who support it.
Since its calamitous performance in Novembers midterms, the New York Democratic Party has been part laughingstock, part pariah. The party somehow ceded four House of Representatives seats to Republicans, accounting for nearly the entirety of the Republican majority in the chamber. They lost a race to George Santos. In the aftermath, 1,000 state Democrats signed a letter calling on New York Democratic Party chair Jay Jacobs to resign. He has refused.

Jacobs has defiantly maintained that his state operation is highly functional, that the criticism toward him is unfair and misinformed, and that he did nothing wrong despite the results. That insistence has done little to help his reputation, close to home or farther away.

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Nor has it convinced key national Democratic groups, who are now going to exceptional lengths to work around the state partys inadequacies. Already, House Majority PAC, the most important super PAC associated with House Democrats, has committed $45 million just to races in New York state for the 2024 cycle.

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Now, the D.C.-based PAC has announced that its establishing and funding its own war room just for the state of New York. The national group will erect an entire electoral operation, hiring its own staffers, stationed in the Empire State to handle opposition research, rapid response, messaging, and more.

All of those are things that, in every other blue state, would be entrusted to the state parties and their respective House campaigns. But after the New York Dems 2022 breakdown, and their subsequent refusal to submit to any leadership or structural changes, the PAC does not have to gamble the fate of the 2024 House majority on some newfound competence. To national Democratic groups, having their own in-state shadow operations is a better bet.

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Spending that level of money and resources in a presidential election cycle in a state that is notat alla battleground state is unprecedented, to put it mildly. Registered Democratic voters outnumber Republicans in New York more than 2-to-1. The states electoral votes are not up for grabs.

Were building an operation that doesnt let anything slide, said C.J. Warnke, House Majority PACs communications director. The New York war room will start by targeting cross-pressured House Republicans who represent districts Joe Biden won in 2020, highlighting their votes on unpopular Republican positions like restricting abortion access and cutting funding for social services like Medicare, Social Security, and more.

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Implicit in this investment is the acknowledgement that the New York Democratic Party cant be trusted to fulfill these basic functions. And Democrats have said since Election Day, rightly, that any path back to majority control of the House runs through flipping at least four and probably five seats across Long Island and upstate New York.

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New York is not the only state with multiple congressional districts that Democrats would like to flip next November, nor is it the only state where Democrats underperformed national trends this past fall. California, for one, qualifies as both. But New York is the only place that the national party has put basic state party functions into receivership.

Its the most active weve been in a nonelection year by far, even in little things, added Warnke. The $45 million pledge comes after the already-substantial $13 million the group spent to aid the states congressional Democrats in 2022.

At times in the past, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats, has sent staffers to embed in areas of the country with high electoral consequencemostly swing states with a high density of competitive House districts. But committing this amount of money, this level of infrastructure, this early, has never been done by Dems.

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The role of the state party is to organize for elections, is to coordinate between campaigns, is to maintain housekeeping functions [] I believe weve done that fairly vigorously, Jacobs, the New York State Democratic chair, said in a recent interview with WNYC, before going on to blame progressives for the losses of his favored, moderate candidates. Clearly, national Democrats do not agree.

D.C.s parachute mission is also notable because of the House Democrats recent leadership changes. Since its creation more than a decade ago, House Majority PAC has been closely affiliated with the top-ranking House Democrat, which, until last November, was Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi passed the torch to new caucus leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is himself a representative from New York and knows the state party and its failings intimately.

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In January, Jeffries backed former Pelosi adviser Mike Smith as the House Majority PACs president, signaling his intention to work with the Pelosi-built electoral apparatus. The fact that one of House Majority PACs first acts under Jeffries reign will be the construction of a shadow organization to work around his own state partys glaring weaknesses gives you a pretty strong sense that Jeffries, too, is not convinced by Jacobs leadership.

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When the HMP war room gets up and running, there will be multiple full-time staffers focused on Long Island, the Hudson Valley, and upstate New York, where Jacobs has insisted Democratic problems were overstated. As proof of this, he told WNYC host Brian Lehrer that losing Democrats Sean Patrick Maloney, of the Hudson Valley, and Robert Zimmerman of what is now George Santos district on Long Island, actually got more votes than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (Never mind that AOC cruised to reelection, winning more than 70 percent of the vote.)

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While Jacobs has refused a reckoning, exNew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who benefited greatly from the state party apparatus crumbling while he was in office, has recently come off the sidelines and returned to public view.

Always the team player, Cuomo is using his considerable political capital and his trove of still unspent campaign funds to rebuild the maligned party infrastructure. Just kidding! Instead, hes throwing his weight behind a new organization called Progressives for Israel, at a time when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus far-right government has enacted a sweep of antidemocratic judicial reforms that even has the international business community fleeing the country. Do you stand with Israel or do you stand against Israel, because silence is not an option, Cuomo said in a statement. The former governor is rumored to be considering a Senate campaign.

The Democratic leadership of New York has often preferred to fight its own partys actual progressives rather than battling Republicans, an approach that has only helped the GOP make gains. This strategys failure is not merely hurting Democrats at the national level; its costing them handsomely. With a sure-to-be expensive presidential race next year, its worth wondering how much longer these leaders will be willing to pay their way around New Yorks failings, before larger, more structural changes to the state party become inevitable.
The TikTok crackdown is going ticktock.

Since December, when Sen. Marco Rubio introduced legislation to ban the Chinese-owned platform from inside United States borders altogether, several local and international governments have imposed their own TikTok restrictions. More than 30 U.S. states now forbid TikTok use on state-owned devicesincluding public universities Wi-Fi networksand federal employees have until the end of the month to scrub the app from government-linked gadgets, per White House orders. The European Union, Canada, and the United Kingdom have all followed suit. And Congress went even further this week: Sen. Mark Warner introduced the so-called RESTRICT Act in order to grant the Department of Commerce more power to tackle national security threats from foreign tech hailing from contentious nations like Russia, Iran, and, yes, China. Finally, as the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday evening, the Biden administration is demanding that TikToks parent company, ByteDance, divest its ownership in the influential short-form video appor relinquish its ability to operate in the U.S. altogether.

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Its not the first time that TikToks largest market has posed a threat to the video platforms existence. The question here, however, is whether the White House is serious this timeor whether theres another strategy at play.

During the summer of 2020, a time when anti-Asian racism ramped up at home and ideological clashes with Chinese officials escalated abroad, President Donald Trump deemed TikTok a security threat and offered its executives an ultimatum: Sell your company to an American firm, or say goodbye to your millions of stateside users. There was reasonable concern over the fact that the app was owned by ByteDance, which had established links with the surveillance-happy Chinese Communist Party: a strategic partnership with the Asian governments public relations department, a joint venture with a state-owned media business (which, ByteDance would claim in 2021, never came to fruition), an app that deliberately pushed pro-China propaganda to English-language readers, and collaborations with repressive police forces in Xinjiang. While these ties did not apply to TikTok specifically (ByteDance operates a popular equivalent in China, called Douyin), the video platform itself attracted suspicion in late 2019 when American users reported censorship of posts covering topics like Tibetan or Taiwanese sovereignty, or the then-flourishing Hong Kong protests. By the end of that year, U.S. lawmakers from both major parties had called for a national security probe into the TikTok-ByteDance relationship, focusing their concerns on content censorship as well as the potential for Chinese collection of sensitive U.S. data.

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So it wasnt unreasonable for Trump to seize upon such worries and entertain the prospects of either banning TikTok from app stores or forcing it under domestic corporate controls. He had a model in U.S. ally India, which banned the app nationwide in August 2020 following its military clashes with China. The problem was, the deal he negotiated by September to keep TikTok operating in the U.S. barely addressed critics legitimate concerns over the app, engendering suspicion that Trumps crusade here was merely another plank for his anti-China xenophobia. As my colleague Jonathan L. Fischer explained at the time, the Trump-TikTok arrangement allowed ByteDance to retain 80 percent of the apps equity, granted user-data oversight to Oracleone of Trumps favorite tech corporationsand included a stunty provision to redirect $5 billion from the sale toward a U.S. governmenthelmed anti1619 Project educational campaign. In other words, it was not a serious solution to a potentially serious problem, as recognized by the multiple federal judges who nullified aspects of Trumps order, before the Biden administration chucked it altogether in 2021.

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At first, it didnt seem like President Joe Biden would be as TikTok-hostile as his predecessor. Though he banned use of the app on staffers phones during his 2020 campaign, hes since courted TikTok influencers in the Oval Office, and his staffers have formulated savvy plans to promote the administration on the platform (namely, by getting outsiders to film and post dispatches from their White House visits). Yet Biden also entered the White House determined to continue Trumps tough-on-China agenda, in which TikTok was already wrapped up. To that effect, the current administration has firmed up anti-China multinational alliances, imposed business and trade restrictions, and shot down suspicious-looking Chinese-origin balloons. But the government didnt suggest any major scrutiny of TikTok until last September, when it reached a preliminary security deal with the app that didnt require it to change corporate ownership. It seems the pressure from state lawmakers and members of Congress is pushing Biden reluctantly in a more forceful direction on TikTok, egging him on with accusations of being soft on China.

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Theres also the fact that yet more alleged TikTok misdeeds have been uncovered since Donald Trump left office. Last summer, BuzzFeed News reported that China-based ByteDance employees were illegally accessing U.S. user data through TikTok; in October, Forbes reported that Chinese ByteDance employees made plans to track the locations of specific U.S. citizens through TikTok, which the company denied; in December, some TikTok and ByteDance employees admitted that theyd used the video app to spy on American tech journalists from Forbes, BuzzFeed, and the Financial Times. [Update, March 17, 2023, at 2:43 p.m.: On Friday, the New York Times reported that the Justice Department has been investigating ByteDances alleged surveillance of journalists since late last year.] On top of that, researchers have raised concerns over the TikTok algorithms reported effects on young users mental health as well as its allegedly weak security infrastructure. And the data-privacy concerns still arent abating. All this, on top of Bidens purported plans to wall off significant amounts of Chinese tech investment in the U.S., make TikTok an unavoidable headache for the president. Plus, the Chinese government holds minority stakes in ByteDance itself. Meanwhile, the apps Project Texas initiativea $1.5 billion company investment to assuage U.S. government concerns over Chinese access to American user data, Chinese state influence on the platforms content, and cybersecurity weaknesses, all without severing ByteDance tieshasnt really improved TikToks reputation.

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But whats Bidens actual game here? And which exact problems does he hope to solve by threatening a TikTok expulsion?

For one, its not clear what a ByteDance sale would accomplish, should one even go through. Republican Sens. Josh Hawley and Marco Rubio both told the Financial Times in December that they wouldnt be satisfied with divestment alone if the final deal allowed ByteDance to retain stakes in TikTok (not unlikely, considering any divestment arrangement would require Chinese government terms and approval), or if the apps data-collection practices werent entirely overhauled. TikTok, whose CEO will testify in front of Congress next week over company practices, likewise told the Wall Street Journal that a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access, and that Project Texas should provide for sufficient change. Even if one doubts Project Texas viability, the ownership point is a fair one. Its not like U.S.-based social media platforms do a marvelous job of securing international user data; plus, in the Washington Post, British tech journalist Chris Stokel-Walker also pointed out that Chinese propaganda already infiltrates U.S.-based websites like Twitter and Instagram. Why would domestic ownership provide any reassurance on netizens privacy?

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Yet if ByteDance holds on to TikTok and Biden agrees to ban the app, the U.S. would risk a significant public-image issue. For one, plenty of tech-savvy critics claim a TikTok ban would contradict American principles of free speech and media independence; other countries that forbid TikTok use include oppressive states like Afghanistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan, as well as backsliding democracies like India and Bangladesh. And yes, the youths really, really love TikTok; far from just copying memes and dances, they also tend to get their news on the app and organize social campaigns. Bidens strange ability to mobilize younger voters helped to achieve Democratic electoral successes in both 2020 and 2022, which means he could be weakening himself going into 2024 should he cut the app loose. (Not to mention, as a former Trump administration official told Foreign Policy last year, that the teenagers are going to pretty much revolt should a widespread ban be approved.)

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The knuckle for Biden here is that a TikTok crackdown would ideally engender a broader reimagining of the social media landscape. Surveillance, data collection, lack of privacy guardrails, addictive feeds, lax platform-content oversight, and misinformation campaigns are not exclusive to TikTok; arguably, many of these were American social media innovations. If Biden wanted to make a convincing example of TikToks worst qualities, observers could fairly argue he should do the same when it comes to Facebook or Snapchat or YouTube. A move on TikTokwhether it takes the form of a forced ByteDance sell-off, or a new business arrangement that keeps ByteDance in the picturewould inadvertently, and undoubtedly, advance calls to take firmer stances toward the cybersecurity and data policies of older social networks. But a kiss goodbye to U.S. TikTok altogether would encourage accusations of hypocrisy and stain Bidens rep among the young voters his coalition needs. Theres no easy path here. But its clear that something has to be done.

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The best way forward for Biden, then, may be to have a solid, detailed plan in place as his administration persists in ByteDance talks. If the sell-off threat is real, he should say much more to that effect, and outline exactly what hell do should ByteDance either accept or reject those terms. Should he be serious about taking ByteDance to the cleaners, he should inform the public well in advance what future business arrangements he plans for TikToks American ownership, and what specific measures his government will take to ensure local user data is not subject to mass thievery. And then, no matter who critiques him, Biden should convey confidence in how he plans to maintain TikToks domestic presence as a teenage-nonsense app while diligently monitoring for untoward Chinese-government influence or surveillance.

But if he decides to kick out the app? Well, lets hope he still has good relationships with TikTok stars, because he might need them to keep their angry stans at bay.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
On Thursday, a team of international researchers announced the discovery of a genetic link that may get us closer to finally understanding the origins of the COVID pandemic. Theres a very good chance, an analysis found, that it came from animals in a Wuhan wet market. Specifically, that it probably came from a raccoon dog.

If you are like the majority of Slate staffers (at least, according to a very scientific Slack poll), one of your first questions was  a what?

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The raccoon dog lives up to its name. It looks exactly like a raccoon mashed up with a dog. Its pretty dang cute. Which is good, because the poor raccoon dog has had some bad PR of late, and a generally rough time when it comes to interacting with human society.

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i'm sorry but this creature is uncancelable pic.twitter.com/aqs0Qfbsye  Christina Cauterucci (@c_cauterucci) March 17, 2023

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The raccoon dog is neither raccoon nor, really, dog. Its more closely related to a fox. Its originally from East Asia. There are two raccoon dog species: Nyctereutes procyonoides, the common raccoon dog (the species that was in the Wuhan market) and Nyctereutes p. viverrinus, the Japanese raccoon dog. You might just be familiar with raccoon dogs if youve played Mario Kartin some Mario games, theres a Tanooki Mario you can play whos similar to, but not the same as, raccoon Mario, another option. (Tanuki is the Japanese term for the animal.) Or maybe youve seen them in the lesser-known Studio Ghibli film Pom Poko, about folkloric tanuki.

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With an average weight of around 16 pounds, theyre really too small to be of any real danger, physically. They have other ways of causing trouble: in 2019 a pair of raccoon dogs kept as pets escaped their enclosure and terrorized an English village by reportedly harassing small livestock. According to an expert the Atlantic interviewed about the incident, raccoon dogs are intelligent and really inquisitive but usually not particularly aggressive.

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In Europe, the raccoon dog is known mostly for being a threat to local ecosystems. Fur traders brought the animals into eastern Europe in the 1920s. Having the raccoon-like trait of eating just about everything and adapting well to a variety of environments, they began to spread everywhere they found damp forests. People furthered their spread by selling them as exotic pets. (This is now banned in some countries.) Raccoon dog populations are fairly out of control in Scandinavia, and Sweden even went on a campaign to eradicate them. A European Union report on invasive species of concern declared it one of the most successful alien carnivores in Europe.

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In Asia, though, the animals have a much more positive connotation. Notably, in Japan, the tanuki have for centuries had mythical associations. In folklore, tanuki are fun-loving tricksters who could shape-shift and are often associated with good financial luck. They are often depicted with giant scrotums that they can expand and shape into useful objects such as umbrellas and fishing nets.

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Here are some more fun facts about the raccoon dog before we get to the sad facts: They are monogamous, and the males will guard their young when the females forage. They have curved claws for climbing, which distinguishes them from most other canids (thats wolves, coyotes, foxes, etc.). Theyre the only canids that hibernate. Well, really, they go into a state of torpor, which is kind of hibernation-lite.

Theres a reason raccoon dogs may well have been involved in the start of the pandemic. Raccoon dogs have long been hunted and bred for their fur, which is likely why they were being sold in the Wuhan market. According to the Humane Society of the United States, millions are killed in China every year for their fur. The U.S. buys a huge portion of the product. And to supply that market, many sellers raise them in crowded facilities and sell them in small cages, sometimes stacked with those of other animals. Its a prime environment for getting sick.

The new research doesnt definitively show that raccoon dogs passed COVID along to humans. But its long been known that raccoon dogs can carry tapeworms, rabies, parasitic worms, and other pathogensincluding, crucially, coronaviruses. The raccoon dogs may be the source of the pandemic, but we cant exactly say its their fault.
Design without borders heads to Bratislava, enjoy concerts and a podcast about mental health in Slovakia.

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Travel

Muranska Planina, the home of hikes, nature and friendly groundhogs

With spring just around the corner, nature is slowly but surely waking up. This season is a great opportunity for a peaceful hike without the risk of high temperatures. That is, for the price of rather unpredictable weather, though.

Muranska Planina (plain)s hiking trail Biele Vody (White Waters) is an easy start to build up your physique for more difficult trips. One of Slovakias youngest national parks welcomes all hikers to enjoy the fauna and flora of central Slovakia, Banska Bystrica Region. At the end of the trail, hikers have a chance to reach Syslovisko, a meadow full of friendly groundhogs. The little cuties are starting to get active on sunny, warmer March days.

The national park warns tourists not to touch or pick up the groundhogs as they might bite, not to leave food near their burrows to avoid food rot and to not give them unsuitable food. Home-grown apples, carrots or unroasted unsalted seeds can be acceptable treats, but not too much.

Syslovisko is not far from the nearby municipality of Muran or larger town of Revuca, in case you need to grab fresh vegetables for the groundhogs or a snack for yourself. The area is surrounded by interesting sights, such as a castle, meadow, caves, and waterfalls. For a more challenging trip, more experienced adventurers might appreciate the peak Poludnica, with breathtaking views. Be wary of the weather!

https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d84149.01287459419!2d19.94599673347688!3d48.76935279641857!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x473fd07b2a431fb3%3A0xd71a008d82fcd68!2zTsOhcm9kbsO9IHBhcmsgTXVyw6Fuc2thIHBsYW5pbmE!5e0!3m2!1ssk!2ssk!4v1678543608476!5m2!1ssk!2ssk

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ART

Design Without Borders

Bratislavas Umelka, an art gallery, hosts the exhibition Design Without Borders, a project from the hands of 150 artist from fifteen countries. Originally an exhibition tied closely to Hungarys capital Budapest, it is travelling outside the Hungarian borders for the first time, landing in Bratislava. Visitors can look forward to a compilation of art pieces from previous years.

The project combines and celebrates different art forms, celebrating innovation and creativity. With an array of mediums, such as product design, jewelry, glass-work, textile and much more, every art lover will find something they like. To complete the collection, a set of short movies portraying cancelled exhibitions in covid-19 periods is playing during the exhibition. Bratislavas Umelka Gallery is hosting the exhibition until April 9.

Design Without Borders heads to Bratislava. (Source: Jakub Kotian - TASR)

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MUSIC

Sharpe Festival brings sharp music

The international music festival and conference Sharpe brings artists from all around Europe to Slovakia. Bratislavas Nova Cvernovka will house musicians from Poland, Slovakia, Czechia, Lithuana, Germany and more. Besides concerts, Sharpe organises discussions, workshops, and meetings with independent artists to learn more about music.

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BRATISLAVA : Head to Bratislavas Pink Whale to enjoy alternative music of the Kalle duo and young Slovak artist Vanessa Weisz.

: Head to Bratislavas Pink Whale to enjoy alternative music of the Kalle duo and young Slovak artist Vanessa Weisz. ZILINA: Czech band Zrni heads on tour to celebrate the release of their new album Siroko Daleko (Far and Wide). Catch them in Stanica Zilina Zariecie.

Give Slovakia's very own Vanessa Weisz a listen! Here's her short live show on Radio_FM.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/4wgO6FA95sM

BEFORE YOU GO

PODCAST: Kacko is a contact point for people who find themselves in crisis, and in need of psychological help. It is the bridge that connects the helplines IPcko.sk, Crisis Helpline, and Dobra Linka. Visitors can come talk to trained psychologists, anonymously and free of charge.Two psychologist from Kacko talk about hardships that come with life and the state of mental health in young people in Slovakia. How does one cope?

THREE FREE TIPS: Check out our free tips to do in Bratislava in the next 7 days. Care for a three hour hike?

TOP ACTIVITIES: Bratislava's Top 10 activities for foreigners for this week are packed with walks, concerts and shows.

That's it for this week. Take care, and have a restful weekend!

-Maria

Do you have any tips? You can reach Maria at maria.jurikova@spectator.sk
Microsoft now has its own AI assistant for its Microsoft 365 apps.

The California-based tech giant recently announced its new Microsoft 365 Copilot AI assistant to assist people through its use of OpenAI's GPT-4.

Microsoft's announcement follows the information leak about its new Microsoft 365 Copilot AI assistant, which happened a mere hours before the company revealed it.

Microsoft 365 Copilot Details

Microsoft mentioned that Microsoft 365 Copilot is an AI assistant for its Microsoft 365 that combines large language models (LLMs) with users' data in the Microsoft Graph and 365 apps, turning their users into "the most powerful productivity tool on the planet."

The tech giant stated that its new AI assistant would work alongside users through the Microsoft 365 apps they use, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and more, allowing them to be creative, productive, analytical, and expressive.

For instance, Copilot in Word writes, edits, summarizes and helps create documents alongside people as they work, while it turns ideas into a designed presentation through natural language commands in PowerPoint.

On the other hand, Copilot can help users unlock insights, identify trends, or create professional-looking data visualizations in Excel in a fraction of the time people normally take. Additionally, Copilot can help synthesize and manage users' inboxes, allowing them more time to communicate with people from work.

Read More: Queen Guitarist, Astrophysicist Brian May Knighted for His Various Achievements

Interestingly, Copilot in Microsoft Teams can make meetings more productive by generating real-time summaries and action items directly in the context of an ongoing conversation. Meanwhile, it can help developers accelerate and streamline development with low-code tools thanks to two new capabilities within Microsoft Power Platform's Power Apps and Power Virtual Agents.

Last but not least is its new feature, Business chat, which can compile data from across documents, presentations, emails, calendars, notes, and contacts to help users summarize chats, write emails, and even write plans based on other project files.

Users can give Copilot a natural language prompt like "Tell my team how we updated the product strategy" through Business Chats, and it will create a status update based on the morning's meetings, emails, and chat threads.

Competition With Google's AI

Microsoft's release of its Microsoft 365 Copilot AI assistant comes at an auspicious time - Google also announced its own AI features for two of its apps: its popular email provider, Gmail, and a "magic wand" to draft prose in its word processor, Google Docs, per Reuters.

The publication was quick to note that Microsoft's new AI assistant showed similar capabilities as Google's, rivaling the search giant's own AI assistant.

Jared Spataro, Microsoft's corporate president for Modern Work and Business Applications, mentioned that Copilot delivers relevant and actionable results by grounding itself in users' business content and context, and that it's built on Microsoft's comprehensive approach to security, compliance, privacy, and responsible AI.

"Copilot marks a new era of computing that will fundamentally transform the way we work," Spataro added.

Related Article: Microsoft Releases Windows 10 KB5023696 and KB5023697 Cumulative Updates
The legal mandate to self-isolate following a positive test will cease to apply.

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People in Slovakia who test positive for Covid-19 will no longer be required to isolate for five days.

The pandemic health security measure  more or less draconian versions of which have been in force since early in the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020  will end on Monday, March 20, as noted by the Public Health Authority (UVZ).

Masks and respirators in healthcare facilities like hospitals, pharmacies, health facility waiting rooms, social services facilities and elsewhere remain mandatory for both personnel and visitors. Preventive measure are still relevant, given higher cases of respiratory diseases, stated chief hygienist Jan Mikas.

However, as is the rule with other acute respiratory diseases, patients should follow their doctor's instructions and try to treat themselves at home. "If you feel or are sick, do not go to work, school or other shared or public spaces. Covid-19 is an infectious disease and although home isolation will no longer be mandatory, take into account your own health and the health of vulnerable groups," Mikas warned.

The hygienist recommended that if a sick person needs to go out, for example to get medication, they must wear a respirator correctly and maintain proper hand hygiene.
Covid-19 measures change, Bratislava Zoo cherishes its new lion, and where to get ready for St Patrick's Day.

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Good evening. Here is the Friday, March 17 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

Police chief calls on general prosecutor to act

Police chief Stefan Hamran has publicly challenged General Prosecutor Maros Zilinka to check the work of his subordinates. He alleges that potential manipulation of evidence could be affecting the ongoing criminal case against four National Crime Agency (NAKA) investigators. They were charged with serious offences more than 18 months ago, but the case against them appears to have stalled. The police chief points to suspected evidence tampering during the investigation.

The four NAKA investigators were arrested and detained in September 2021, before being charged with abuse of power and obstruction of justice. However, the Bratislava Regional Court ordered their release in October 2021 and described their prosecution as unjustified. Jurisdiction over the case remains with the Office of the General Prosecutor, which in 2021 rejected an appeal by the four to drop the charges.

Hamran says that the NAKA investigators have been denied access to their full case files, and suggests that these contain evidence that the accused investigators could use to clear their names. The case appears to be connected to power struggles within law enforcement over a complex series of investigations into corruption under previous, Smer-led governments.

General Prosecutor Maros Zilinka. (Source: Marko Erd, SME)

MORE FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE

PANDEMIC: Five-day isolation for the Covid-positive will no longer be mandatory.

Five-day isolation for the Covid-positive will no longer be mandatory. WEEKEND: Groundhogs, exhibitions, and more. Check out our weekend tips.

Groundhogs, exhibitions, and more. Check out our weekend tips. WILD PRIDE : Bratislava Zoo welcomes an 11-year-old lion to their lion family.

: Bratislava Zoo welcomes an 11-year-old lion to their lion family. LITERATURE: Celebrate Book Month at a storytelling event in Bratislava on March 19.

If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home address in Slovakia. Thank you.

Feature story for Friday

What scares us?

Superstitions, supernatural creatures, scary bed-time stories and more haunted the minds of our ancestors. Preventing the attack of a witch was not easy.

Learn more about a unique exhibition that walks visitors through these fears and the tales of Poludnica, Mora and others who haunted the early settlers of what is now Slovakia.

Mysterious beings scared settlers on Slovak territory. (Source: Marcela Ballova)

Tips for St Patricks Day, March 17, in Bratislava

THE DUBLINER: Celebrate St Patricks Day in Bratislava Irish pub The Dubliner. The pub is preparing live music to go with the drinks today.

Celebrate St Patricks Day in Bratislava Irish pub The Dubliner. The pub is preparing live music to go with the drinks today. DUNGEON PUB: Try Irish drinks and dont forget to pack your green outfit. The Dungeon Pub is hosting a St Patricks Day party.

Try Irish drinks and dont forget to pack your green outfit. The Dungeon Pub is hosting a St Patricks Day party. A BIT OF FOLK: Two Irish folk musicians, Martin Furey and Joseph Doyle, will celebrate St Patricks Day at Bratislava's International Bar. Get your tickets here.

For more events in Bratislava, check out Top 10 events in Bratislava or 3 things that you can do for free in the city in the next seven days.

IN OTHER NEWS

Slovakia will send its decommissioned MiG-29 figher jets to Ukraine . Several medium-range air-defence systems will also be part of the package. The government made the decision at its meeting earlier today, Friday March 17.

. Several medium-range air-defence systems will also be part of the package. The government made the decision at its meeting earlier today, Friday March 17. The Slovak Post Office is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of artist Viktor Kubal . Celebratory stamps will be released on March 20, portraying two cats, Puf and Muf, from a kids' show for which he was the artist. (TASR)

. Celebratory stamps will be released on March 20, portraying two cats, Puf and Muf, from a kids' show for which he was the artist. (TASR) OLaNO MPs want schoolchildren to do more exercise. Under their plans, primary school pupils would get three mandatory classes for physical education, and secondary school students would get two. (TASR)

Weather forecast for the weekend

Saturday will be sunny, apart from some possible cloud in the western part of the country. Temperatures will range from 10C to 13C.

On Sunday, Slovakia can expect partly cloudy weather. Prepare for slightly warmer temperatures, varying from 12C to 15C across the whole country.

For Monday, eastern and central Slovakia can expect some rain, with partly cloudy weather in the west. Temperatures will be mild, ranging from 14C in the east to 16C in the west. (SHMU)

Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us.

P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk. Or you can complain about our work. It can help us improve as well.

Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook, Instagram (@slovakspectator) and Twitter (@slovakspectator).
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/credit-suisse-sued-over-claims-of-failure-to-report-internal-control-weaknesses-1108483231.html

Credit Suisse Sued Over Claims of Failure to Report Internal Control Weaknesses

Credit Suisse Sued Over Claims of Failure to Report Internal Control Weaknesses

The Credit Suisse is facing a shareholder lawsuit over claims that the bank misled investors by failing to disclose significant internal control weaknesses ahead of its present liquidity crunch and stock value drop, according to a court complaint.

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Credit Suisse made statements in annual financial reports that were "materially false and/or misleading because they misrepresented and failed to disclose" adverse facts pertaining to the banks business operations, which were known or "recklessly disregarded" by it, the filing said.As a result of Credit Suisses alleged wrongful acts and omissions, the suing shareholders are claiming significant losses and damages, the filing said. The class action suit was filed on behalf of all persons or entities who acquired Credit Suisse shares between March 10, 2022 and March 15, 2023.The filing requests the court award damages in favor of the shareholders and demands a trial by jury.Credit Suisse overstated the companys financial position and downplayed recent quarterly losses and compliance failures on liquidity and client fund retention, the lawsuit alleges.Earlier this week, Credit Suisses share price plunged nearly 30%, sparking concerns about a liquidity crunch. The incident followed the collapse of several US financial institutions, including Silicon Valley Bank.The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority said on Wednesday that Credit Suisse meets liquidity requirements, but that the Swiss National Bank will provide liquidity if necessary. On Thursday, Credit Suisse announced the sale of more than $3bln in assets.The Swiss Federal Council convened an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the situation. Credit Suisse offices in Zurich are working as usual, with no queues at ATMs, an RIA Novosti correspondent reported on Thursday.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/problems-of-some-us-banks-pose-no-direct-risks-to-switzerlands-markets---swiss-national-bank-1108441137.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/credit-suisse-crisis-may-trigger-domino-effect-and-eventual-capital-flight-from-europe-1108460475.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/leader-of-frances-the-republicans-party-says-democracy-in-country-experiencing-crisis-1108484530.html

Leader of France's The Republicans Party Says Democracy in Country Experiencing Crisis

Leader of France's The Republicans Party Says Democracy in Country Experiencing Crisis

The leader of the French liberal-conservative party The Republicans, Eric Ciotti, said that the adoption of the pension reform bill without a vote in parliament indicates a crisis of democracy in the country.

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Earlier in the day, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said that the French government adopted a law on raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years without a vote in the parliament in accordance with Article 49.3 of the constitution to avoid "many hours of debate" on the reform.Ciotti added that while the government had failed to deliver on the important pension reform, his party would not support a vote of no confidence to avoid "more chaos.""We don't want to create more chaos, so during the group meeting we decided not to support any vote of no confidence. The crisis situation in our country, which we find ourselves in, will not endure a fatal blow to our democracy and our institutions," he said.Another member of the Republicans, Aurelien Pradie, urged French President Emmanuel Macron to start dialogue with those opposed to the reform.The reform has caused a massive backlash in French society. There have already been seven general strikes and hundreds of demonstrations in France within the last two months, with over 1mln people taking part in most of them. During the protests, clashes often broke out between the police and protesters.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/senior-russian-lawmaker-visiting-algeria-says-france-must-repent-for-colonial-crimes-1108483802.html

Senior Russian Lawmaker Visiting Algeria Says France Must Repent for Colonial Crimes

Senior Russian Lawmaker Visiting Algeria Says France Must Repent for Colonial Crimes

France should kneel before the Algerian people and repent for the crimes it committed in the times of colonialism, Russian upper house speaker Valentina Matvienko said on Thursday.

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The crimes of the colonial times are a lesson for the future generations, Matvienko said during her visit to Algeria."The radioactive fallout there is still above all norms," Matvienko said.The Russian delegation led by Matvienko arrived in Algeria on Wednesday. On Thursday, the senior lawmaker attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the Martyrs' Memorial commemorating the Algerian War, which lasted from 1954 to 1962 and ended with Algeria becoming independent from France.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/sputnik-and-indonesian-university-agree-on-cooperation-1108492630.html

Sputnik, Indonesian University Sign Memorandum of Understanding

Sputnik, Indonesian University Sign Memorandum of Understanding

The international news agency and radio Sputnik and the Veteran National Development University concluded a memorandum of understanding at the residence of the Russian Federation Ambassador to Indonesia.

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The document was signed by Sputnik International Cooperation Director Vasily Pushkov and Rector of the Veteran National Development University Mohamad Irhas Effendi. The official ceremony was also attended by Veronika Novoseltseva, Minister Counselor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Indonesia. The parties agreed to cooperate on issues of free formation of opinions, ensuring the development of information society and freedom of mass information. "The beginning of our cooperation was last year, when despite the ongoing pandemic, the first session of the SputnikPro project was held for more than 300 students majoring in communications at UPN "Veteran". Signing this memorandum was an important step towards further strengthening the professional expert dialogue between our countries," said Pushkov. The Veteran National Development University is a large private higher educational institution in the Yogyakarta Special Region. The university's departments include social and political sciences, mineral technology, economics and business, industrial engineering and agriculture.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/us-charges-cannabis-distributor-its-ceo--five-entities-over-fraud-scheme-1108481324.html

US Charges Cannabis Distributor, Its CEO & Five Entities Over Fraud Scheme

US Charges Cannabis Distributor, Its CEO & Five Entities Over Fraud Scheme

The US government charged a cannabis distribution company, its CEO and five other entities and persons for participation in a large fraud scheme, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said on Thursday.

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SEC file a complaint in the US District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. The court documents showed that since at least 2016, APB, its CEO Robert Lee and other current and former executives provided investors with a number of false statements regarding the companys activities, including its financial condition and the scope of operations, the statement noted."The complaint alleges that APB funneled millions in investor proceeds to the APB executives personal accounts and spent tens of thousands on the executives personal expenses," it added.The complaint charged APB, those individuals and three APB subsidiaries with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws. The commission seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement with prejudgment interest, civil penalties, and officer and director bars against charged persons, according to the statement.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20210331/pot-wont-cure-that-ny-governor-cuomo-to-sign-marijuana-legalisation-bill-amid-harassment-scandal-1082498494.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/australia-to-acquire-220-up-to-date-tomahawk-cruise-missiles-from-us-1108500558.html

Australia to Acquire 220 Up-To-Date Tomahawk Cruise Missiles from US

Australia to Acquire 220 Up-To-Date Tomahawk Cruise Missiles from US

Canberra wants to buy up to 220 of the latest Tomahawk cruise missiles for $895 million to mount on Australian warships, the deal will boost the defense... 17.03.2023, Sputnik International

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The US State Department has cleared the sale to Australia of the Tomahawk Military System (TWS), which consists of the All Up Round (AUR), the Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System (TTWCS) and the Theater Mission Planning Center (TMPC). This includes 200 Block V RGM-109E AUR missiles and 20 Block IVs, in addition to spare parts and maintenance services.Under the AUKUS and Five Eyes alliances, the US gradually is beefing up the military potential of its allies encircling China. Thus, cruise missiles to Japan are also on the horizon, in addition to Canberra getting nuclear subs and other arms sales. US Admiral John Aquilino stated that the current friction is 'alarming' and that the US is in "robust competition" with Beijing. Chinese officials have regularly warned Washington not to escalate the level of tension in the region.What is Tomahawk?The RGM version of Tomahawk is for the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) which means Australia will use them on 3 of their Hobart-class destroyers (48 launch cells) and 9 of their planned Hunter-class frigates (based on British Type 26 design) with 32 launch cells each.The Block IV Tomahawk missile is the most widely used version of the RGM-109, introducing an ability of loitering over the area and scanning targets with its DSMAC camera, making the operator able to manually choose or change the target.The most modern modification including 3 iterations in production  the basic RGM-109 Block V with contemporary digital navigating and communication systems, the Block VA with a brand new guiding system and radar and the Block VB introducing a new Joint Multi-Effects Warhead System (JMEWS) to bolster its capability of dealing more damage against a variety of targets.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20210202/red-line-that-must-not-be-crossed-top-chinese-official-hopes-us-abandons-its-zero-sum-rivalry-1081955528.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/biden-official-to-visit-honduras-after-tegusigalpas-pivot-towardsofficial-ties-with-china-1108492248.html

Biden Official to Visit Honduras After Tegucigalpa Pivots Towards 'Official Ties With China'

Biden Official to Visit Honduras After Tegucigalpa Pivots Towards 'Official Ties With China'

Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced on 15 March that she had instructed her Foreign Minister, Eduardo Enrique Reina, to establish official relations... 17.03.2023, Sputnik International

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The recently announced Honduran tilt towards China has prompted some frenzied high-ranking shuttle diplomacy from the US to Central America.Chris Dodd, the Biden administration's special presidential adviser for the Americas, is being dispatched to Panama and Honduras this month, according to a US Department of State Thursday announcement. Ex-lawyer Dodd will visit the two countries from 17 to 21 March, and he has already had meetings lined with officials and private-sector representatives in Honduras, and officials and finance leaders in Panama, the US Department of State said. The American official shall also put in an appearance at the annual conference of the Inter-American Development Bank.This sudden desire to "foster inclusive economic growth" comes hot on the heels of an announcement by Honduras that it wanted to establish formal diplomatic ties with China.Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced on 15 March that she had instructed her foreign minister to establish official relations with China, explaining the need by determination to comply with the government plan and expand the borders freely in concert with the nations of the world.Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina, for his part, stressed that the government has to look at things very pragmatically and seek the best benefit for the Honduran people.Taiwan, which China regards as its wayward province and an inalienable part of the country destined eventually to reunite with the mainland, reacted to Castros announcement by voicing serious concerns. The Taiwanese Foreign Ministry urged the capital Tegucigalpa not to "fall into Chinas trap and destroy the long-term relationship between the two nations, adding:According to Reina, the Central American country is facing financial challenges, and its debt to Taiwan stands at $600Mln. Reina added that although Honduras had attempted to renegotiate the debt with Taipei, the attempt failed.China is ready to develop ties with all countries, including Honduras, on the basis of the "one China" principle, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin. He added that former Taiwan allies such as Panama, the Dominican Republic and El Salvador have witnessed "rapid development" in bilateral relations, reaping "tangible benefits".Taiwan, a territory with its own elected government, has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Although Beijing views the island as its province, Taiwan maintains that it is an autonomous country. Taipei has diplomatic ties with 14 countries by which it is, by definition, officially recognized. They are: Belize, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Eswatini, Tuvalu, and the Vatican. Taipei also maintains economic and cultural ties with some other states although it has no official diplomatic relations with these countries. The move announced by Honduras is not new, as over recent years, a number of countries, including El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, Panama, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands and Nicaragua, decided to cut ties with Taiwan and establish official relations with China instead.Beijing, which considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable, has vehemently opposed any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei. Tensions between China and Taiwan escalated last year after an array of trips to the island by US and European officials. China criticized the visits as a show of support for Taiwanese separatism.In a recent speech before the National Peoples Congress (NPC), Chinas legislative body, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Beijing would continue to pursue reunification of Taiwan with the mainland through peaceful means.Xi stated on 13 March that his government would actively promote the peaceful development of cross-strait relations and unswervingly promote reunification with Taiwan. He added that external interference and separatist activities in Taiwan would be resolutely opposed.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230315/honduras-sets-eyes-on-official-ties-with-china-leaving-taiwan-with-fewer-allies-worldwide-1108406120.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20220118/matter-of-time-after-nicaragua-switch-chinese-deputy-fm-warns-soon-taiwan-allies-will-be-zero-1092350455.html

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honduran pivot to china, cris dodd, biden administration's special presidential adviser for the americas, to panama and honduras, meetings with officials and private-sector representatives, honduras, finance leaders in panama, annual conference of the inter-american development bank, foster inclusive economic growth, honduran president xiomara castro, foreign minister to establish official relations with china, to seek benefit for the honduran people.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/credit-suisse-collapse-was-inevitable-after-years-of-mismanagement-insider-says-1108509185.html

Credit Suisse Collapse Was Inevitable After Years of Mismanagement, Insider Says

Credit Suisse Collapse Was Inevitable After Years of Mismanagement, Insider Says

David Tawil, co-founder of Prochain Capital, a Multi-strategy crypto asset fund, said the $54-billion bailout offered to Credit Suisse by the Swiss National Bank was just a "band-aid" and the bank would soon be "wound down."

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2023-03-17T15:54+0000

2023-03-17T15:55+0000

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credit suisse group ag

switzerland

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zurich

financial crisis

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The liquidity crisis at Zurich-based corporate bank Credit Suisse was many years in the making, a former employee has said.Share prices in the 167-year-old institution tumbled on Monday in the wake of the collapse of three US specialist industry banks. They only recovered once the mostly-state owned Swiss National Bank offered a 50-billion-franc ($54 billion) credit lifeline.David Tawil, a former Credit Suisse employee, told Sputnik that the crisis at the global banking giant was huge compared to the collapse of the regional Silicon Valley and Signature banks in the US and it had "been a really long time coming."He added that the bank had changed leadership often, with a mix of Swiss and US executives coming and going, and had "lost its way for a very long time now."The fund manager said the national bank's bailout of Credit Suisse "gives them some short term flexibility, essentially borrowings to allow to the extent that they need to satisfy depositors that want to go ahead and take their money out," but was ultimately a "temporary Band-Aid."He warned that the Credit Suisse crisis was not just a one-off case and was not the result of the bank holding "toxic assets" like those bailed out during the 2008 'Credit Crunch'.The former Credit Suisse employee predicted the banking giant would soon be "wound down."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/silicon-valley-bank-was-canary-in-the-coal-mine-of-deepening-finance-crisis-1108452689.html

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The 2046 Valentine's Day asteroid that could hit Earth might not hit after all.

NASA recently announced that the asteroid 2023 DW would almost certainly miss Earth on Feb. 14, 2046, avoiding a possible world crisis entirely.

The asteroid is estimated to be as big as a 50-meter Olympic swimming pool - big enough to give the world a calamity to remember, but not an apocalyptic one, should it hit Earth, per NASA.

2023 DW Impact Odds Details

We've been tracking a new asteroid named 2023 DW that has a very small chance of impacting Earth in 2046. Often when new objects are first discovered, it takes several weeks of data to reduce the uncertainties and adequately predict their orbits years into the future. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/SaLC0AUSdP  NASA Asteroid Watch (@AsteroidWatch) March 7, 2023

NASA mentioned in its latest announcement that the 2023 DW now has a 99.87% chance of missing Earth entirely come 2046 - a huge difference compared to the space agency's earlier estimate of a 1-in-560 chance of hitting Earth, per Space.com and the BBC.

Even the European Space Agency revised the odds of 2023 DW impacting Earth from 1-in-625 to around 1-in-1,584 - a huge change of chances.

These changes in 2023 DW's odds of hitting Earth and causing damage to our home planet aren't to assure people that 2046's Valentine's Day won't end with a taste test of what the dinosaurs experienced. According to the official NASA Asteroid Watch, it takes several weeks of data to reduce the uncertainties of a newly discovered celestial object's orbit to adequately predict its path years into the future, per CNN.

As a result of this reduction of uncertainty, NASA scientists were able to lower the chances of 2023 DW impacting Earth in 2046. Richard Moissl, the ESA's head of its planetary defense office, stated much the same to the AFP.

Read More: Virgin Orbit Announces Week-Long Operation Pause To Seek Funding

Moissl said that the probability for 2023 DW to hit Earth would go down with every observation until it reaches zero in two days at the latest and that no one needs to worry about the asteroid hitting Earth.

Lindley Johnson, Moissl's counterpart in NASA, also mentioned that while NASA tends to be a bit more conservative, it definitely appears that the chances of 2023 DW to ht Earth now have a downward trend.

To reinforce that idea, NASA rates the risk of 2023 DW hitting Earth at a 1 on the Torino Impact Hazard scale. On this scale, a zero rating means that the celestial body in question will never hit Earth, while a 10 means a collision capable of causing global climactic catastrophe is certain, per NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Thanks to the reduction of uncertainties, 2023 DW is at 1 on the scale, meaning that it poses no unusual level of danger and that it is highly unlikely to impact Earth in the future.

What Happens If It Does Hit?

Should 2023 DW be on the warpath towards Earth, the world's space agencies could use NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test spacecraft to redirect the asteroid to at least nearly miss Earth, per DW. The chances to redirect the asteroid are good since humanity has 23 years before it hits Earth - enough time to prepare and send DART spacecraft to redirect 2023 DW.

However, should NASA be unable to do so, Moissl predicts that 2023 DW could cause a "regionalized destruction" and not have a major effect on the rest of the world, similar to the Tunguska event in 1908.

The asteroid would be traveling at nine miles per second and has a 70% chance to land in the Pacific Ocean, though it could potentially hit the west coast of the US, Australia, or Southeast Asia.

Related Article: NASA's DART Mission Impact Results in 2 Million Pounds of Free-Floating Rock in Space
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/dont-fear-the-reaper-how-can-heavy-drones-be-detected-identified-and-brought-down-1108508647.html

Don't Fear the Reaper: How Can Heavy Drones Be Detected, Identified and Brought Down?

Don't Fear the Reaper: How Can Heavy Drones Be Detected, Identified and Brought Down?

What tools and means do nations have to detect foreign drones and bring them down? Sputnik explains.

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Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu nominated the Su-27 pilots involved in the mission to prevent a US MQ-9 Reaper drone from violating airspace near the special operation zone for state awards on Friday.The incident has become the subject of a boisterous political debate in Washington, with enraged neocon pundits and politicians calling on the Pentagon to start shooting down Russian planes, while others pointed out that the incident took place more than 8,500 km from Americas shores, and asked how Washington would react if Moscow sent spy drones toward the US coast in the Gulf of Mexico.Why Would Russian Jets Dump Fuel on a Drone?The US Air Force released footage from the Reaper's encounter with the Su-27s on Thursday, showing the Russian planes approaching the drone and engaging in a fuel dump maneuver, apparently causing its engine to stall. The Pentagon called the Russian pilots actions "unsafe and unprofessional," and accused the Russian jets of clipping the drone, although no evidence of this was shown in the video that was released apart from a bent propeller.However they are characterized by the Pentagon, the fuel dump maneuvers got the job done, forcing the drone to move away from restricted airspace after warnings repeated over the past year apparently failed to get the message across. The drone ended up crashing in the Black Sea, with Russian specialists dispatched to try to retrieve the wreckage (and possibly, its onboard secrets).What is the Reaper Drone?The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper has been one of the US militarys main go-to all-in-one surveillance and strike drones since its introduction in 2007. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) features a 20-meter wingspan, is 11 meters long, and is equipped with a 950 horsepower turboprop engine, which gives it enough power to accelerate to up to 480 km per hour (although the cruising speed is 280-310 km per hour) during flights which last between 23 and 30 hours, depending on the complement of equipment and/or weapons on board. The 2,223 kg drones can be loaded up with up to 1,700 kg of fuel and weapons, including Hellfire missiles and laser-guided bombs.How are Military Drones Detected and Are They Difficult to Spot?Large modern American UAVs like the Reaper and the RQ-4A Global Hawk surveillance drone were developed in the 1990s and began to be fielded in the early 2000s, well after the disappearance of the Eastern Bloc  NATOs primary military competitor during the Cold War. Their missions in the 2000s and 2010s saw them engage in reconnaissance and strike missions mostly against small countries or militant groups, often with limited or non-existent air defenses, with a sobering 2021 report concluding that thousands of civilians, many of them children, had been killed in strikes by the so-called "precision" aerial platforms.When matched up against militaries with modern detection capabilities, or even non-state actors with sufficient determination and mobile air defense systems, the sophisticated, $55-200 million drones can easily and quickly be turned into piles of scrap metal.Drones like the Reaper and the Global Hawk are large, slow-moving aircraft about the size of a small manned plane. These drones and others like them have a radar cross section thats large enough for them to be easily spotted, particularly if the adversary has sufficient radar coverage.The US military has attempted to counter detection in a variety of ways, for example by covering drones with radar-absorbing materials or flying them at low altitudes, but for larger militaries, these forms of insurance are irrelevant, especially if the adversary has some idea of the drones flight patterns and mission. Russia, for example, has among the top radar capabilities in the world, inheriting a large array of ultra-long, medium, and short-range ground and air-based early warning, 3D air search radar, surveillance/acquisition, and over the horizon radar systems from the USSR, and has been building on these designs in the decades since.Are There Commercially Available Tools That Can Detect Drones?Like virtually all other operational aircraft, drones can easily be detected by ordinary people, provided they have their flight transponders turned on. This is possible by using apps such as FlightRadar24, which lets users search an online database of aircraft (having access to a UAVs callsign, registration, and serial numbers simplifies the search). Why do military drones often fly with transponders on, even if it means adversaries will have access to their flight paths? One simple answer is: to prevent in-flight incidents with other craft. During Tuesdays incident, the Russian military pointed out that the Reaper involved was flying toward restricted airspace with its flight transponder turned off.What are the Best Defenses Against Drones?While Tuesdays Su-27 fuel dump incident was a novel way of engaging a US drone, its not the traditional way an adversarys UAVs are brought down. The number one cause of the loss of Reapers and Global Hawks, whether operated by the US or its NATO allies, is technical problems and bum landing attempts, which have claimed over a dozen drones between the early 2000s and now.UAVs can also be destroyed by enemy fire, with the most high-profile incident taking place in June 2019, when an Iranian Khordad-3 road-mobile air defense battery knocked a Global Hawk out of the sky after it strayed into Iranian airspace over the Strait of Hormuz. Reapers are even more vulnerable to enemy fire, with up to five lost in Yemen and Libya between 2019 and 2022, and three more going down over Syria in apparent collision/friendly fire incidents during roughly the same period. The drones shot down over Yemen are of special interest, since the militants claiming responsibility accomplished the feats in spite of the devastating, eight-year-long blockade against the country.What Happens if a Military Drone Loses Its Signal?Aside from fancy aerial maneuvers or direct fire, drones are vulnerable to signal loss and hacking. In late 2011, for example, Iran intercepted, hijacked, and commandeered a cutting-edge US RQ-170 Sentinel flying wing spy drone, bringing it safely to the ground in the countrys northeast. Iran studied the UAV and created a reverse-engineered domestic version. An Iranian company responded to a US request to have the drone returned by promising to send President Barack Obama a miniature plastic toy version as a present.Most contemporary military drones are equipped with anti-hacking systems designed to avoid a repeat of the embarrassing 2011 incident, including encrypted communication systems between itself and its remote operators. However, even in the case of major military power like the US, the 2011 Iran incident shows that there is no guarantee that a drone operating outside friendly airspace cannot be intercepted and brought down.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/russia-has-good-odds-of-retrieving-reaper-gaining-access-to-technology-and-info-1108474897.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/ecuadors-lawmakers-file-impeachment-motion-against-president-lasso-1108489509.html

Ecuador's Lawmakers File Impeachment Motion Against President Lasso

Ecuador's Lawmakers File Impeachment Motion Against President Lasso

A group of 58 lawmakers of the Ecuadorian National Assembly, the parliament's lower house, have handed over to National Assembly President Javier Virgilio Saquicela Espinoza a motion to impeach incumbent President Guillermo Lasso, who is accused of corruption and administrative irregularities, the National Assembly said on Thursday.

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"The impeachment motion is formalized by 58 signatures of members of the National Assembly from various fractions. The motion was handed over to National Assembly President Virgilio Saquicela ... Once the text of the motion is approved, it will be sent to the Constitutional Court of Ecuador, which will issue a preliminary opinion on its admissibility," the lower house said on Twitter. Earlier this month, the National Assembly approved a report of a legislative commission that recommended launching an impeachment process against Lasso because of his suspected involvement in corruption schemes. The commission's investigation focused on Lasso's alleged involvement in a corruption scheme in state-owned companies, which the prosecutor's office called the Encuentro case, as well as leaked data from a police investigation into drug trafficking. These involve the president's brother-in-law, Danilo Carrera Drouet, and Ecuadorian businessman Ruben Scherres suspected of drug trafficking.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/finlands-nato-membership-not-complete-without-sweden-president-1108517193.html

Finland's NATO Membership Not Complete Without Sweden: President

Finland's NATO Membership Not Complete Without Sweden: President

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The start of the ratification of Finland's accession to NATO by the Turkish parliament is an important step for the country, but it will not... 17.03.2023, Sputnik International

2023-03-17T16:48+0000

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Earlier in the day, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country was starting the ratification of Finland's application to join NATO, which is likely to be completed before the presidential election in Turkey in May. During the press conference, Erdogan stated that Sweden's membership in NATO would depend on further steps taken by Stockholm regarding the extradition of some Kurds considered by Ankara as terrorists, among other issues. On May 18, three months after the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine, Finland and Sweden submitted their NATO membership applications, abandoning decades of neutrality. Turkey initially blocked their bids due to its concern over Helsinki and Stockholm's long-standing support of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which Ankara regards as a serious threat to its national security. Turkey lifted its objections after Erdogan and the two Nordic leaders met in Madrid in June 2022, where they signed a security memorandum to unblock the process of Finland and Sweden's accession The accession process came once more to a standstill for Sweden in January this year following the Quran-burning incident in Stockholm. Erdogan said the country should not count on Ankara's support for its NATO bid, but expressed no reservations regarding Finland's bid.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/job-walkouts-mass-rallies--fiery-rhetoric-what-are-the-nationwide-french-protests-about-1108499942.html

Job Walkouts, Mass Rallies & Fiery Rhetoric: What Are the Nationwide French Protests About?

Job Walkouts, Mass Rallies & Fiery Rhetoric: What Are the Nationwide French Protests About?

A look at what is fueling the nationwide French protests.

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mass protests

pension reform

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olivier faure

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Almost 300 protesters were reportedly detained in Paris on March 16 as police resorted to tear gas and water cannon to crack down on those rallying outside parliament after President Emmanuel Macron's controversial pension reform bill was adopted. The legislation has been fueling protests for months, and now that Macron has successfully wielded a constitutional workaround to get his way, critics of the bill have vowed they will not remain silent.Here is a look at what is fueling the months-long, nationwide spate of vigorous protests across France.Who Has Been Protesting in France?Since the start of the year, France has seen some of the biggest demonstrations in decades. A single day, January 19, witnessed over a million protesting people take to the streets of cities amid France's "Day of Rage," with halted trains, plane flights impacted, and the Paris subway disrupted. Some protests in Paris turned violent, with stones, bottles, flares, and firecrackers lobbed at police. Crowds were subsequently pushed back with the use of tear gas.Demonstrations against Macron's much-touted pension legislation raged on for weeks after, culminating in the events on March 7. On that day, an estimated 1.28 million people turned out, fiercely opposing the government's plans to overhaul the pension reform. All of the trade unions joined forces, including the country's largest  the General Confederation of Labor (Confederation Generale du Travail  CGT), bringing out into the streets public sector workers, people engaged in the transport and energy sectors, dockworkers, teachers, and even museum staff, who all agreed to walkouts. Even a rubbish-collection strike resulted in over 7,000 tons of waste conspicuously strewn across Paris. Why Are People Protesting in France?From February's rallies against the US-spearheaded push to maintain the supply of weapons to Ukraine  and thereby dangerously fueling the crisis there  to railing against the cost of living crisis which started to make itself felt last year, people across France have unfailingly taken to the streets to voice their discontent.However, more recently, the contentious pension reform is what has got the people up in arms, prompting them to lambast the government of President Emmanuel Macron. Opinion polls have showed that two-thirds of French people were opposed to the pension changes, wholeheartedly supporting the protest movement sweeping the country.What is the French Pension Reform Bill?The pension reform is the brainchild of Emmanuel Macron, who originally came up with it in 2017, when he was first elected. Macron's government has underscored the need to "bring into alignment" the existing multiple private sector and public sector pension schemes. Gradually raising the minimum retirement age was at the heart of the proposed overhaul. However, the plans were put on the backburner after they triggered waves of protests in 2020. The idea is to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. Furthermore, the number of years you need to work to have a full pension would be progressively increased, and quicker than before: 43 years instead of 41.5 by 2027 instead of 2034.However, at the time, over 30 unions launched industrial action, erupting into what became the longest period of strikes in the country since events of May 1968. The protesters wanted the Macron government to ditch a plan to replace France's 42 separate pension regimes with a universal points-based system that would make the official retirement age of 62 obligatory for all workers and envisage it being raised to 64. The COVID pandemic prompted Macron to shelve the reform in 2020. However, the plan was returned to with fresh ardor.What is the Gov't Saying?The French government has been intent on pushing the bill, regardless of protests, citing the future of the entire pension system. Macron and his PM, Elisabeth Borne, have underscored that the headline age limit of 64 was "non-negotiable," insisting that it's the only way to lift Frances pensions system out of deficit by 2030. The French PM stressed the need to "maintain a balance" between the ratio of working citizens and growing number of pensioners in the country. According to media-cited data, from four workers per one retiree about 50 years ago, now there is approximately 1.7 per retiree today. There have been warnings that the trend is set to continue.If the French government hopes to "balance the books" without stooping to tax hikes and slashing pensions, all options "include raising the retirement age," government spokesman Olivier Veran told media in January.What Are Critics of the Pension Bill Arguing?"Macron wants us to die on the job," is what people flooding the streets in protest have been insisting. One crucial criticism of the reform is that it penalizes low-income people with physically demanding, manual jobs, as they will find it more challenging to work for longer. Trade unions warned that the overhaul would hit these people particularly hard, as they tend to start their careers early, while higher education graduates would be less affected by the changes.Another thing that critics of the reform pointed out is that people in manual jobs tend to have lower incomes. As the latter has been linked to a lower life expectancy, retiring at 64 could mean these individuals may, potentially, have less years left to enjoy their retirement.There have been claims that women taking career breaks because of having children may be disproportionately affected by the overhaul too, resulting in them taking longer to reach the required number of pension contributions. In other words, people fear that the reform will result in them being "forced to work up until death.How Did Macron Bypass Protests Over Reform?As protests mounted and critics relentlessly lashed out at the planned bill, Emmanuel Macron, who does not have a majority in the National Assembly (the lower house), came up with a way to dodge further hardships. After his pension plans passed Frances Senate on Thursday morning, and were scheduled for a vote in the National Assembly, instead, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced that the government would trigger Article 49.3 of the French Constitution.The Assembly session was stopped, and to the strains of the French national anthem La Marseillaise sung by fuming lawmakers, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne stated:"We will not take the risk of many hours of debate, we will not risk the future of our pension system. This reform is necessary. I am committed to our social model, and this reform is the result of a compromise that the legislators of both houses of Parliament agreed to. I'm ready to take responsibility for it. According to article 49.3 of the Constitution, the government assumes the responsibility for this law."How Have Critics Responded?Emmanuel Macron's use of a constitutional power enabling the government to bypass lawmakers swiftly met with backlash from critics."It's a total failure for the government," said Marine Le pen, leader of France's right-wing political party National Rally. Urging PM Borne to resign, she added: "From the beginning the government fooled itself into thinking it had a majority." Le Pen went on Twitter to call out the PM for having given the French people "a slap."The Socialists have also criticized the bill, with Senator Monique Lubin telling Labor Minister Olivier Dussopt: "Your name will forever be attached to a reform that will set the clock back almost 40 years."Eric Ciotti, leader of French liberal-conservative party The Republicans, said on Thursday that the way the pension reform bill was pushed through without a vote in parliament was a signal that France was experiencing a crisis of democracy.The pension reform text had no parliamentary legitimacy, according to far-left politician Jean-Luc Melenchon, as it was passed "only by the Senate, neither by the mass of French people, nor by the National Assembly, nor by the unions, nor by the workers' associations: it is a text which has no legitimacy." As for further protests and strikes, Philippe Martinez, head of the CGT union, told media that the move by Emmanuel Macron's government "will on the contrary reinvigorate the protest movement, the strikes.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230308/french-trade-unions-vow-to-keep-cutting-off-electricity-to-thwart-pension-reform-1108186199.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230311/just-in---frances-senate-passes-controversial-pension-reform--1108300516.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/leader-of-frances-the-republicans-party-says-democracy-in-country-experiencing-crisis-1108484530.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/lance-reddick-star-of-the-wire-and-horizon-zero-dawn-dead-at-60-1108521332.html

Lance Reddick, Star of 'The Wire' and 'Horizon Zero Dawn', Dead at 60

Lance Reddick, Star of 'The Wire' and 'Horizon Zero Dawn', Dead at 60

The death of Lance Reddick's, 60, was reported by US media sources in law enforcement. The actor's body was discovered at his home in LA. The cause of death is unknown, but sources say it was natural.

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TMZ reports that according to their sources in law enforcement, Reddick's death was natural.Lance Reddick was born December 31, 1962, in Baltimore, Maryland. He began his acting career in 1990, starring in films such as "Great Expectations," "I Dreamed of Africa" and "Siege."Fame came to Reddick in the 2000s, when he played a major role in the legendary series "The Wire." In the early 2000s, Reddick appeared in 12 episodes of HBO prison drama Oz as Johnny Basil, and acted as four different characters across three iterations of the long-running legal drama "Law and Order" series.A graduate from the Yale School of Drama, from 2005 to 2006 Reddick played in three episodes of the TV series "CSI: Miami Vice," and in 2007 appeared in one episode of the series "Numb3rs." In 2008, he received an offer to star in the television series "Lost." Also in 2008, he landed a recurring role in the television series "Fringe."Reddick was remembered by his co-star on "The Wire" Wendell Pierce as a talented musician.Prior to studying at Yale, Reddick studied classical music composition at the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music, earning a bachelor's degree.Reddick is also famous for his appearances in each of the 4 "John Wick" films in the series.He will appear posthumously as the Greek god Zeus in the upcoming Disney+ series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," based on the book of the same name.Aside from films and TV series, Reddick has voiced characters in games such as "Quantum Break," "Horizon Zero Dawn," "Horizon Forbidden West" and "Destiny."Reddick is survived by his wife Stephanie and two children from a previous marriage, Yvonne and Christopher.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/lapid-blasts-rejection-of-herzog-proposal-vows-to-back-fair-blueprint-to-prevent-civil-war-1108486988.html

Lapid Blasts Rejection of Herzog Proposal, Vows to Back 'Fair' Blueprint to Prevent 'Civil War'

Lapid Blasts Rejection of Herzog Proposal, Vows to Back 'Fair' Blueprint to Prevent 'Civil War'

Knesset opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the governing coalition for what he called its inadequate review and overnight rejection of Israeli President Isaac Herzog's proposed judicial reform plan, declaring Yesh Atid will support it in order to prevent a "civil war".

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Knesset opposition leader Yair Lapid has criticized the governing coalition for what he called its inadequate review and overnight rejection of Israeli President Isaac Herzog's proposed judicial reform plan. Lapid had also declared that his Yesh Atid party would support the blueprint in order to prevent a "civil war" in Israel.Lapid also pointed out that it only took the ruling coalition "17 minutes" to reject the proposal and declare that "the president ... could go to hell" while they didn't "even bother to study it."Moreover, he also stated that his Yesh Atid party "accept[s] the president's framework because there will only be losers in a civil war," going on to urge other members of the Likud party, led by Netanyahu, to support Herzog's proposal.Netanyahu himself has stated he will not allow the balance of power between politicians and the judiciary to be altered.In January, Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin introduced a package of law reforms that would limit the powers of the Supreme Court by giving the Cabinet control over the selection of new judges, as well as allowing the Knesset to overturn court decisions by an absolute majority.In mid-February, the Israeli parliament approved the first part of the bill. The second part was approved by the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in early March.Opponents of the reform claim it will undermine democracy in Israel and bring the country to the brink of a social and constitutional crisis.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230312/hundreds-of-thousands-protest-against-legal-reform-in-israel-1108301436.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/libyan-army-says-forces-have-recovered-uranium-barrels-declared-missing-by-iaea-1108486326.html

Libyan Army Says Forces Have Recovered Uranium Barrels Declared Missing by IAEA

Libyan Army Says Forces Have Recovered Uranium Barrels Declared Missing by IAEA

The soldiers of the Libyan National Army (LNA) recovered barrels with natural uranium the disappearance of which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced earlier in the week, LNA Moral Guidance Department chief Khaled Mahjoub said on Thursday.

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IAEA inspectors during the verification activities at one of the facilities in Libya on Tuesday failed to find 10 barrels containing approximately 2.5 tonnes of natural uranium in the form of uranium ore concentrate. After the IAEA's report the LNA created a special group to search for disappeared barrels with uranium on the LNA-controlled territory, according to Mahjoub. The army official stated that the people that had stolen uranium barrels did not know what was inside them and what danger they might pose to health. He added that members of Chadian militia groups could be involved in the incident, looking for ammunition. Mahjoub also called for international help in order to safely store the materials in Libya.

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EU Divided Over Procurement of Ammunition for Ukraine, Reports Say

EU members have been in disagreement on specifics of procurement of ammunition for Ukraine, with some arguing whether they should rely on their own production capabilities or buy shells from third countries, media reported on Friday, citing sources.



The EU has reportedly been finalizing the 2-billion-euro ($2.1-billion) deal on joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine and replenishing stocks in Europe itself. The talks are scheduled to continue later in the day, while EU foreign and defense ministers are expected to approve the plan on March 20, before a final agreement is made at the EU leaders summit later next week.



European diplomats told the media that EU members have come to an agreement to spend the first billion euros on supplying Ukraine with shells from their own stocks, while the use of the second billion remains a topic of heated debates.



Some participants have also expressed concern regarding compensation they will receive under this initiative, according to media's sources. They agreed in principle to split the costs of supplying Ukraine with ammunition between the EU's weapons fund and the member states themselves. This agreement implies that around 60% of the member states expenditures will be compensated by the bloc's financial instruments. However, Poland has expressed its dissatisfaction with the plan and argued for greater reimbursement of expenses, sources told the news outlet.



The US and South Korea were named as third countries capable of supplying artillery shells during discussions, an EU diplomat told the news outlet.



On March 6, EU defense ministers, at the informal meeting in Stockholm, presented a three-point plan that provides for the urgent delivery of existing ammunition to Ukraine, as well as joint purchases of shells by EU countries and the expansion of EU production capabilities.



Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has said that EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's plan to allocate around 1 billion euros for ammunition supplies to Ukraine is insufficient as Kiev needs artillery shells worth 4 billion euros.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/macrons-way-over-la-libert-1108486067.html

Macrons Way Over La Liberte?

Macrons Way Over La Liberte?

A controversial bill which raises the retirement age for those in France has been pushed through by President Emmanuel Macron, who invoked his special powers (article 49.3 of the constitution) to urge Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to avoid a vote by lawmakers in the National Assemblys lower house on Thursday.

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A controversial bill which raises the retirement age for those in France has been pushed through by President Emmanuel Macron, who invoked his special powers (article 49.3 of the constitution) to urge Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne to avoid a vote by lawmakers in the National Assemblys lower house on Thursday.The decision to forgo a vote caused an uproar in the French parliament. As the prime minister approached the podium in the National Assembly, left-wing members began to boo and shout and even sang lines from the French national anthem La Marseillaise. Borne spoke over the cries, saying: This reform is necessary. I am committed to our social model, and this reform is the result of a compromise that the legislators of both houses of Parliament agreed to.Frances public also broke out in outrage, with protesters lighting small fires and clashing with police who donned riot gear at the Place de la Concorde in central Paris. About 7,000 people were believed to be rioting against a bill that had already garnered unpopularity and mass protesting from the French public for weeks.Macron reportedly made the decision to invoke the special power just minutes before the scheduled vote, after he realized there was no guarantee of securing a favorable outcome for his bill. Marine Le Pen, a far-right nationalist said she would file a no-confidence motion to revoke the bill, while Fabien Roussel, a Communist lawmaker, agreed that the bill should be suspended.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/mali-bolsters-military-arsenal-with-new-warplanes-drones-courtesy-of-russia-turkiye-1108495368.html

Mali Bolsters Military Arsenal with New Warplanes, Drones Courtesy of Russia, Turkiye

Mali Bolsters Military Arsenal with New Warplanes, Drones Courtesy of Russia, Turkiye

Mali received on Thursday a new batch of combat aircraft from Russia, along with new drones from Turkiye to boost the country's military arsenal amid the ongoing war against terrorist groups.

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Mali received on Thursday a new batch of combat aircraft from Russia, along with new drones from Turkiye to boost the country's military arsenal amid the ongoing war against terrorist groups.A delivery ceremony took place at the Presidential Pavilion at President Modibo Keita International Airport in Bamako and was attended by Malian interim President Colonel Assimi Goita, Prime Minister of Transition Choguel Kokalla Maiga, Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs Colonel Sadio Camara, along with the ambassadors of Russia and Turkiye.According to Mali's air force chief, General Alou Boi Diarra, around 20 Russian fighter jets and a dozen Turkish drones have been received.Defense Minister Camara added that the new acquisitions would contribute not only to improving the Malian Armed Forces strike power, but also to the effectiveness of its intelligence.He pointed that the goal of obtaining this new military equipment is "to respond effectively to the new strategy adopted by the obscurantist forces," in particular, in terms of intelligence.Colonel Camara took aim at terrorist groups, linked to Daesh* and al-Qaeda*, warning that "their actions of harassment will not last long, since they will be hunted down and sent to eternal rest."Since 2011, the Sahel region, where Mali is located, has been highly destabilized by terrorists and organized criminals. In 2014, France launched a military operation called Barkhane as a follow-up to a 2013 operation known as Serval in Sahel under the pretext of fighting terrorism. However, in 2022, the Malian authorities accused Paris of supporting the terrorists and demanded that French troops leave Malian soil, and just several months later, Paris terminated the Barkhane operation.In February, during a visit to Mali, which has been battling a jihadist insurgency since 2012, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov promised continued military support to Mali that has materialized since the end of 2021 through arms deliveries and the deployment of military instructors from the Russian Armed Forces to train local troops.Deliveries of Russian military equipment to Mali took place in March and August 2022, as well as in January 2023. The January cargo included a Su-25 attack aircraft designed to support ground troops; five Albatros L-39 aircraft and two Mi-8 helicopters.* Daesh and al-Qaeda are terrorist organizations banned in Russia and many other countries around the world.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230310/west-scared-by-close-russia-africa-relations-russian-mps-say-1108266210.html

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A new country is joining the US in its push to ban TikTok from official phones.

New Zealand recently announced it would ban the installation and use of TikTok on devices with access to its parliamentary network, citing national security concerns.

New Zealand follows Canada's inclusion to the list of countries banning TikTok due to national security concerns, with the latter country declaring that the app is to be removed and blocked from all government-issued mobile devices.

New Zealand TikTok Ban Details

New Zealand Parliamentary Service Chief Executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said that the risks related to the app were "not acceptable in the current environment," and that the ban will become effective on Mar. 31, per CNN.

According to Gonzalez-Montero, the decision to ban TikTok was made based on the analysis from the country's experts, along with the results of its discussion with its colleagues across the government and internationally.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins revealed that the experts Gonzalez-Montero refers to are from the country's intelligence agency, the Government Communication Bureau, per the Associated Press. He also mentioned that the New Zealand government didn't take a blanket approach to all government workers and that it would be up to each department or agency to make their own cybersecurity decisions, unlike the ban in the US, the UK, and Canada.

Read More: Guillermo del Toro's 'Frankenstein' Remake For Netflix Reportedly Casts Big Names

As such, New Zealand's ban on TikTok will only apply to the people in the parliamentary complex, which numbers around 500, and not to all government workers. However, a Reuters report mentioned that special arrangements could be made for people who require the app to do their jobs.

Currently, both New Zealand's defense force and its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade have already implemented bans on TikTok on their work devices. A spokesperson for the New Zealand Defense Force stated in an email that the ban was a "precautionary approach" to protect its personnel's safety and security.

While TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, have yet to comment on this development, the latter company previously explained that the recent bans against it were based on "fundamental misconceptions" and driven by wider geopolitics.

The spokesperson also stressed that the company spent more than $1.5 billion on "rigorous data security efforts" and rejects spying allegations.

Global Action Against TikTok

The first country to ban TikTok from its network was India, which banned the social media app and 100 other apps nationwide in 2020 to protect its sovereignty and due to national security concerns following military clashes with China at the border.

The next to ban TikTok from their network was the US during the Trump administration (though unsuccessful at the time), followed by the EU, the UK, Canada, and finally, New Zealand.

There are legitimate concerns regarding the possibility of TikTok doing more than just recommending funny videos for people to watch while on the app. TikTok employees were previously found to be capable of accessing data of American journalists, including their IP addresses.

Related Article: ByteDance Must Sell TikTok Else Face Being Banned, US Government Demands
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/paris-may-slow-down-decision-on-heavy-arms-deliveries-to-kiev-leader-of-patriots-party-1108489295.html

Paris May 'Slow Down' Decision on Heavy Arms Deliveries to Kiev: Leader of Patriots Party

Paris May 'Slow Down' Decision on Heavy Arms Deliveries to Kiev: Leader of Patriots Party

The leader of France's Eurosceptic party The Patriots, Florian Philippot, has told RIA Novosti that the French authorities may "slow down" the decision on the delivery of heavy weapons to Ukraine.

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"Everything is possible. However, I think this issue is becoming an increasingly difficult one for the French government since the French are increasingly in favor of negotiations and stopping arms shipments to Ukraine, as we can see from opinion polls," Philippot said when asked whether Paris would decide to supply Kiev with heavy arms. Moreover, the politician said that it would not be easy for Paris to send weapons and funds to Ukraine because of the current situation in France with the pension reform and the crisis in the healthcare system. He added that many French are already wondering why the government has no money for pensions, but there are always funds for military aid to Ukraine. "I think the authorities will slow down the decision on the issue; they just would not have any other choice ... The French are forcing the authorities to 'slow down,' to send fewer weapons and money [to Ukraine]," the politician noted.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/protesters-clash-with-french-police-during-demo-against-pension-reform-1108498858.html

Protesters Clash With French Police During Demo Against Pension Reform

Protesters Clash With French Police During Demo Against Pension Reform

On Thursday, protests against the reform, which resulted in violent clashes with police, were held in almost all major French cities. Laurent Berger, the secretary general of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour, announced another general strike against the pension reform on March 23.

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On Thursday, protests against pension reform, which resulted in violent clashes with police, were held in almost all major French cities. Laurent Berger, the secretary general of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour, announced another general strike against the pension reform to take place on 23 March.The draft reform has caused a massive backlash in French society. There have already been seven general strikes and hundreds of demonstrations in France within the past two months, with more than a million people taking part. During the protests, clashes often break out between the police and protesters.Take a look at recent protests in Sputnik's gallery.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/renowned-filmmaker-quentin-tarantino-reportedly-prepping-for-final-film-the-movie-critic-1108487743.html

Renowned Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino Reportedly Prepping for Final Film The Movie Critic

Renowned Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino Reportedly Prepping for Final Film The Movie Critic

Renowned filmmaker Quentin Tarantino is gearing up for his final film and insiders recently detailed that the work-in-progress is expected to be set in the late 1970s in Los Angeles and star a female lead. It's working title is said to be "The Movie Critic."

2023-03-17T02:41+0000

2023-03-17T02:41+0000

2023-03-17T03:52+0000

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Renowned filmmaker Quentin Tarantino is gearing up for his final film and insiders recently detailed that the work-in-progress is expected to be set in the late 1970s in Los Angeles and star a female lead. It's working title is said to be "The Movie Critic."Tarantinos tenth film is being speculated as some form of a biopic based on, or inspired by, the life of foundational cinema critic Pauline Kael.Kael, who was fond of Tarantinos 1994 gory crime/drama "Pulp Fiction," has been credited for boosting the Hollywood Renaissance, and worked as a consultant for Paramount in the late 1970s, the timing of which seems to coincide with the setting in the script of the film.Tarantino is no stranger to rewriting history. His most recent film was set in 1969s Los Angeles, and incorporates the storyline of a fading Hollywood genre and the historically true Tate murders. The 2012 revisionist Western "Django Unchained" followed the tale of a Black slave who attempts to reunite with his enslaved wife in 1858.Tarantino is a much-celebrated artist in the film industry and has earned two Oscars for best writing, three nominations for best directing, and one best picture nomination. Tarantino has said in a past interview that he will step down from filmmaking when he completes his tenth film - or when he reaches the age of 60. Tarantino is set to turn 60 on March 27.I dont want that bad, out-of-touch comedy in my filmography, the movie that makes people think, Oh man, he still thinks its 20 years ago. When directors get out-of-date, its not pretty.The filmmaker is said to begin filming in the fall.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/report-over-70-people-detained-at-protest-against-pension-reform-in-paris-1108486635.html

Report: Over 200 People Detained During Protests Against Pension Reform in Paris

Report: Over 200 People Detained During Protests Against Pension Reform in Paris

The French police have detained 73 people at a protest against the controversial pension reform in central Paris, Le Figaro reported on Thursday, citing a police source.

2023-03-17T00:55+0000

2023-03-17T00:55+0000

2023-03-17T01:07+0000

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Earlier in the day, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said that the government had adopted the law on raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years by invoking Article 49.3 of the constitution, which allowed the government to pass the bill without parliamentary approval. The latest figures released by reports suggest some 217 people have been arrested, although the tally is expected to increase as protests continue. Police units are chasing several hundred protesters who scattered through the streets in central Paris after police dispersed the protest on the Place de la Concorde, reports have detailed. Protesters have overturned trash bins, which have piled up in large numbers on the streets as a result of the garbage collectors' strike..In the meantime, protests continue across France, local media report. According to the France Bleu broadcaster, some 10,000 people gathered in the city of Toulouse, where police used tear gas against the protesters. Protests were also held in Bordeaux, Lyon, Grenoble, Lille, Nancy, Metz, Nantes, Toulon, Amiens, Le Havre, Montpellier, and Rennes, where police have also been dispersing demonstrators with the use of tear gas. Rallies took place in Marseille as well, with protesters smashing banks' windows and storefronts. Several hundred students held a protest in Strasbourg. In Dijon, protesters burned dolls with the faces of French President Emmanuel Macron, Borne, and Labour Minister Olivier Dussopt. Laurent Berger, the secretary general of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour, announced another general strike against the pension reform on March 23. According to a poll held by Harris Interactiv for the TF1 broadcaster, 82% of the French opposed the government's decision to adopt the law on raising the retirement age without a vote in the parliament. At the same time, 71% of France's citizens supported a no-confidence vote in the incumbent government, and 65% of the French were in favor of continuing the protests. In January, Borne unveiled a draft of the controversial pension reform that the government plans to adopt in 2023. Under the reform project, the French authorities intend to gradually raise the retirement age in the country by three months per year starting from September 1, 2023. By 2030, the retirement age will reach 64. The draft reform has caused a massive backlash in French society. There have already been seven general strikes and hundreds of demonstrations in France within the last two months, with over 1 million people taking part in most of them. During the protests, clashes often broke out between the police and protesters.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/leader-of-frances-the-republicans-party-says-democracy-in-country-experiencing-crisis-1108484530.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/russia-republic-of-the-congo-to-agree-on-oil-pipeline-construction-russian-envoy-says--1108504321.html

Russia, Republic of the Congo to Agree on Oil Pipeline Construction, Russian Envoy Says

Russia, Republic of the Congo to Agree on Oil Pipeline Construction, Russian Envoy Says

In anticipation of the second Russia-Africa summit, Russia and the Republic of the Congo are working on concluding several bilateral agreements between the two countries, Russian Ambassador said.

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Russia and the Republic of the Congo are developing a project to create a petroleum product pipeline between the largest cities of the Congo Republic  Pointe Noire and the capital Brazzaville, Russian Ambassador to the Republic of the Congo Georgy Chepik said. The ambassador outlined that an agreement on the pipeline construction is expected to be signed before the upcoming Russia-Africa Summit. The diplomat stated that the decision to build the pipeline was made during the sixth intergovernmental trade and economic commission, held in September 2022.According to the ambassador, Russia's ZNGS PROMETEY pipeline construction, repair, and maintenance company has showed interest in the project.The head of the Russian diplomatic mission also drew attention to the fact that LUKOIL, which has been operating in the African country since 2019, is the leader in the development of economic relations between Russia and the Republic of the Congo.The envoy also noted that in anticipation of the second Russia-Africa Summit, the two countries are working on concluding several bilateral agreements in the trade, economic, and cultural spheres, Georgy Chepik said.According to the head of the Russian diplomatic mission, the parties are also working on a memorandum of cooperation in the construction sector.Recently, LUKOIL's vice president for America, Africa, and the Middle East, Ivan Romanovsky, met with the minister of oil and gas of the republic, Bruno Jean-Richard Itoua. During the meeting, they discussed the possibility of the Russian company's participation in new oil and gas projects in the Republic of the Congo.Apart from economic issues, the Russian ambassador emphasized the cultural cooperation of the two countries.Chepik also noted that Russia and the Republic of the Congo plan to hold a cross-cultural week in Saint Petersburg and Brazzaville in June 2023In addition, according to the ambassador, the Russian diplomatic mission plans to hold a cinema week in Brazzaville by the end of spring.The envoy also revealed plans to open a Russian school in Pointe-Noire, as well as to create a Russian Orthodox Church parish on its territory. "Ideally, it would become such a powerful cultural cluster, a spiritual cluster of our presence in Pointe-Noire, and in the Congo in overall," he outlined.According to the ambassador, the delegation of the Republic of the Congo is expected to be headed by the country's President Denis Sassou Nguesso at the forthcoming Russia-Africa Summit. The second Russia-Africa Summit is slated to take place in Saint Petersburg in July 2023. According to Russian Foreign Ministry ambassador-at-large and head of the Russia-Africa Summit Secretariat, Oleg Ozerov, Russia is counting on the participation of a majority of African nations in the forthcoming summit. The ambassador stressed, that Russia is convinced that the leaders will ignore threats from the West, which demands that Africa stop cooperating with Moscow.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230308/central-african-womens-association-organizes-event-in-bangui-to-support-russia-ties-1108186515.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/russian-officials-liken-iccs-warrant-on-putin-to-toilet-paper-demand-arrest-of-icc-judges-1108518430.html

Russian Officials Liken ICC's 'Warrant' on Putin to Toilet Paper, Demand 'Arrest' of ICC Judges

Russian Officials Liken ICC's 'Warrant' on Putin to Toilet Paper, Demand 'Arrest' of ICC Judges

The ICC put out orders of arrest against Russian President Vladimir Putin and the presidential childrens rights commissioner on Friday over the alleged unlawful deportation of children from the Ukrainian conflict zone.

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Senior Russian officials rushed to comment on the ICCs arrest warrants against Vladimir Putin and presidential rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova with a mix of anger, sarcasm and wit, slamming The Hague over its nonsensical decisions and emphasizing that the allegations arent worth the paper they're printed on.The official said shes already been slapped with sanctions by a number of countries for her organizations work taking children out of the war zone, creating good conditions for them in safe areas, and surrounding them with loving, caring people. "I wonder what will happen next? But we'll continue to work," she added.Andrey Klishas, chairman of the Russian Federation Councils committee on constitutional legislation and state construction, emphasized that the ICCs warrants have "no legal basis or effect" in Russia. Russia needs to immediately issue an arrest warrant for all ICC 'judges,'" the lawmaker quipped in a Telgram post.The senators comments were echoed by Vladimir Dzhabarov, another senior Federation Council lawmaker, who recommended that Moscows Basmanniy Court issue an order for the arrest of ICC judges "for inflaming the situation in the world with its provocative, illegal actions."Russian Liberal Democratic Party leader and former Ukraine peace talks negotiator Leonid Slutsky suggested that the ICC had gotten it wrong, and that they should have issued arrest warrants "for Zelensky, his gang and their Western backers," who are the "real war criminals" in the Ukraine crisis.Slutsky said the courts decision was not only evidence of "double standards," resulting in the "complete politicization and discrediting" of The Hague, but based on accusations which cannot even be characterized as "absurd," since Lvova-Belova and other Russian authorities "managed to save a huge number of children, many of whom lost their homes and parents, or were injured during shelling by the Ukrainian neo-Nazis." The politician suggested Fridays decision was made strictly for "propaganda effect" in the West.For his part, Crimean Senator Sergey Tsekov told Sputnik that the ICCs decision demonstrated the "insignificance" of Western institutions. "To totally discredit this structure, it was necessary to make this kind of decision. They show how worthless and insignificant the institutions created by the West are," Tsekov said, assuring that Russia will not face any "legal consequences" from these decisions.Finally, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that even raising the question about the arrest of the Russian head of state was outrageous and unacceptable, and that Russia, like a number of states, does not recognize the jurisdiction of this court, which means that accordingly, any decisions of this kind are null and void for the Russian Federation from the point of view of the law.The Hague's "warrants of arrest" accuse Putin and Lvova-Belova of illegally deporting children "from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation" from 2022 onward. Russian officials and diplomats have publicly highlighted Moscow's efforts to relocate civilians, including children, away from front line areas, where they often face indiscriminate shelling attacks by Ukrainian forces on civilian infrastructure.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/moscow-lambasts-icc-arrest-order-against-president-putin-as-null-and-void-1108515184.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/russian-patriarch-slams-onslaught-on-kiev-pechersk-lavra-by-zelensky-regime--1108465780.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/saudi-arabia-to-invest-in-iran-lindsey-graham-pushes-for-ww3-aussies-fear-us-neocons-1108484918.html

Saudi Arabia to Invest in Iran; Lindsey Graham Pushes for WW3; Aussies Fear US Neocons

Saudi Arabia to Invest in Iran; Lindsey Graham Pushes for WW3; Aussies Fear US Neocons

Saudi Arabia has announced that they will soon be investing in Iranian infrastructure as more Gulf States welcome detente with the Islamic Republic.

2023-03-17T04:54+0000

2023-03-17T04:54+0000

2023-03-17T13:39+0000

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Saudi Arabia to Invest in Iran; Lindsey Graham Pushes for WW3; Aussies Fear US Neocons Saudi Arabia has announced that they will soon be investing in Iranian infrastructure as more Gulf States welcome detente with the Islamic Republic.

Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Ukraine. Syrian President Bashar Al Assad argues that an international coalition is needed to counter US hegemony. Also, Russia argues that the US using drones in their area is an imposition on sovereignty and demands a response.Dr. Gerald Horne, Professor of History at the University of Houston, TX, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss the Nord Stream attack. Seymour Hersh, while speaking at the National Press Club, doubled down on his assertion that Joe Biden ordered the attack on Germany's infrastructure.George Koo, journalist, social activist, and international business consultant, joins us to discuss Asia. US intelligence says that China is preparing for a war that it does not want to fight. Also, leaders of Japan and South Korea held a summit.Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents, joins us to discuss foreign policy. New US revelations about the origin of covid are simply anti-China propaganda moves. Also, Australia fears the US rather than China.Laith Marouf, broadcaster, and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss the Middle East. Saudi Arabia announces that it will soon invest in Iran. Also, Israeli internal division increases as the Prime Minister bans his ministers from traveling to the US.Nicolas Davies, peace activist and author of "Blood on Our Hands: The American Invasion of Iraq," joins us to discuss the anniversary of the Iraq invasion. Nicolas revisits the US invasion of Iraq and compares it to the US position on the Ukraine conflict.Netfa Freeman, host of Voices With Vision on WPFW 89.3 FM, Pan-Africanist, and internationalist organizer, joins us to discuss domestic politics. Black political leaders in Maryland push to move the FBI HQ to a Maryland county. Also, capitalism hits the fan.Camila Escalante, Editor at Kawsachun News, and Latin American Correspondent at PressTV, joins us to discuss the Global South. Some fear that the new President of Brazil may be acting on behalf of the US empire. Also, Honduras is seeking to increase ties to China and spurn the US plan for Taiwan.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

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the critical hour, assads visit to moscow, who downed us drone, reaper crashes, aukus deal, why australia joins the aukus, china war with us, wwiii, us invasion of iraq anniversary, where is fbi hq, what are us allies in latin america, honduras-china relations, where is honduras, honduran news
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/south-korea-us-to-hold-major-amphibious-drills-for-first-time-since-2018-reports-say-1108491994.html

South Korea, US to Hold Major Amphibious Drills for First Time Since 2018, Reports Say

South Korea, US to Hold Major Amphibious Drills for First Time Since 2018, Reports Say

South Korea and the United States will hold the Ssangyong amphibious exercise from March 20 to April 3, after a five-year pause, as part of their allied field drills,

2023-03-17T06:28+0000

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"The upcoming training will demonstrate the South Korea-U.S. alliance's will to realize 'peace through strength,' and we will further strengthen the combined defense posture to defend South Korea," South Korean Marine Corps Commandant Lt. Gen. Kim Gye-hwan said, as quoted by Yonhap. Moreover, about 40 UK marine troops will participate in the drills this year, the military officials told the news outlet, adding that the military from Australia, France and the Philippines would observe the exercise. The Ssangyong exercise will take place 272 kilometers (169 miles) southeast of Seoul. As part of the drills, the allies will mobilize division-level amphibious landing forces, 30 vessels, including the allies' amphibious assault ships, 70 aircraft, such as F-35B fighters and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, as well as about 50 amphibious assault vehicles, the news agency reported. The drills will take place despite objections from North Korea, which has repeatedly warned the allies against building up military presence near the Korean peninsula. Pyongyang has also criticized US-South Korean joint drills as a preparation for invasion. Last week, North Korea said that the continuation of Washington's "hostile practices," including possible military exercises and the deployment of strategic weapons on the Korean peninsula, may be perceived as a "declaration of war."

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/the-investigation-into-biden-family-corruption-grows-larger-1108484263.html

The Investigation Into Biden Family Corruption Grows Larger

The Investigation Into Biden Family Corruption Grows Larger

On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events including Marine Le Pen calling on the Prime Minister to resign, and Poland pledging to send fighter jets to Ukraine.

2023-03-17T04:03+0000

2023-03-17T04:03+0000

2023-03-17T10:41+0000

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The Investigation into the Biden Family Corruption Grows Larger On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events including Marine Le Pen calling on the Prime Minister to resign, and Poland pledging to send fighter jets to Ukraine.

Todd Bensman - Senior National Security Fellow and Author | Democrats Refuse to Address the Border Crisis, Border Walls Work, and Overrun: How Joe Biden Unleashed the Greatest Border Crisis in US HistoryTed Rall - Political Cartoonist, Syndicated Columnist | President Macron Raises the Pension Age, Protests in France, and Politicians Wanting Speech CensoredIn the first hour, Lee spoke with Todd Bensman about Biden's historic border crisis, Border Patrol Chief, and Democrats refusal to appear in Texas hearing. Todd commented on the Border Patrol Chief testimony at the hearing in Texas and how illegal immigration affects all aspects of America. Todd described the problems with the immigration numbers and how the Biden administration has deceived the American people on immigration.In the second hour, Lee spoke with Ted Rall about the anti-war movement, President Macron in political trouble, and January 6th deceptions. Ted talked about the anti-war movement on the left and how George Soros financed its destruction. Ted detailed the protests in France and why President Macron raised the pension age.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/tokyo-sanctions-three-north-korean-officials-in-response-to-icbm-launch-1108489395.html

Tokyo Sanctions Three North Korean Officials in Response to ICBM Launch

Tokyo Sanctions Three North Korean Officials in Response to ICBM Launch

The Japanese government has sanctioned three North Korean officials involved in the development of nuclear and missile programs of North Korea in response to Pyongyang's launch of a Hwansong-17 ballistic missile on Thursday

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"These provocative actions, taken with unprecedented frequency, constitute a serious and imminent threat and are totally unacceptable," Matsuno told a briefing. According to a Japanese Foreign Ministry's statement, the new sanctions list includes Jon Il Ho, the deputy head of the Munitions Industry Department, Kim Su Gil, the former director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, and Yu Jin, a former head of the Munitions Industry Department. The restrictive measures include a ban on any form of transaction with the three North Koreans and the freeze of all their assets in Japan if found, the statement said.On Thursday, Japan's Defense Ministry said that North Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile from Sunan District in Pyongyang toward the Sea of Japan. The missile flew for about 70 minutes and presumably landed at 8:19 a.m. local time (23:19 GMT on Wednesday) 125 miles from Oshima Island in Hokkaido, outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. The missile traveled some 620 miles at an altitude of 3,728 miles, according to the Japanese military. The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported on Friday that North Korea test-fired a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday in response to joint military drills, held by the United States and South Korea. North Korea has repeatedly warned the allies against building up military presence near the Korean peninsula and has criticized US-South Korean joint drills as a preparation for invasion. It has launched several ballistic missiles off the eastern coast since the start of the year.

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A concept photo for BTS member J-Hope's digital solo single "on the street," provided by BigHit Music / Yonhap



J-Hope, a member of K-pop juggernaut BTS, has said the date for his enlistment in the military has been set.



He, however, did not reveal the exact date, apparently hoping to make his future entry to a military boot camp a low-profile event.



"I can't give you the details, but I have the date of my enlistment already. It's time to get ready," he said during a live broadcast on Weverse, a K-pop fan community platform, Thursday.



"I think it is right to fulfill my duty as soon as possible and show you a maturer side of myself," he added.



Last month, the group's agency, BigHit Music, said the dancer-rapper would begin the process of enlistment by applying for the termination of his enlistment postponement, without providing a specific time frame for the entry.



He will become the second member of BTS to enroll in the military, following the oldest member, Jin, who began his military service in December.



In Korea, all able-bodied men are required to serve in the military for about two years.



J-Hope, born in 1994, previously had his enlistment delayed until the end of 2024 under a revised law that allows pop stars to postpone their service until age 30.



The 29-year-old released "on the street," featuring American rapper and producer J. Cole, on March 3. The solo track topped the iTunes Top Songs charts of 80 territories around the world and debuted at No. 60 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. (Yonhap)


https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/turkish-ruling-party-official-calls-assads-terms-for-talks-with-erdogan-inappropriate-1108522464.html

Turkish Ruling Party Official Calls Assad's Terms for Talks With Erdogan Inappropriate

Turkish Ruling Party Official Calls Assad's Terms for Talks With Erdogan Inappropriate

ANTAKYA (Sputnik) - Syrian President Bashar Assads statement about his readiness to negotiate with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan only after the... 17.03.2023, Sputnik International

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Assad made the comment in an interview with Sputnik, which was the first international news agency to interview the Syrian president right after his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on Wednesday. The Syrian army holds control over "some parts of the territory of Syria together with this group," Miroglu added. The likelihood of holding a meeting between Erdogan and Assad before May's presidential election in Turkiye is extremely small, the politician noted, adding that if Erdogan wins the election, the goal of Turkiye's foreign policy will remain to resolve the problems with Syria, but "this will not be fulfilled through the concessions demanded by Assad." The war in Syria has been going on since 2011, with Assad's forces fighting various armed insurgent groups. Since 2016, the Turkish armed forces have been also conducting air and ground operations in Syria against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which wants to establish a Kurdish autonomy in Turkiye. Damascus has repeatedly called the presence of Turkish forces in Syrian territory illegal and urged Ankara to withdraw its troops. In 2017, Russia, Turkiye and Iran launched a mediation group on the Syrian settlement in Astana. In January 2018, the Russian city of Sochi hosted a congress of the Syrian national dialogue, the first such attempt since the start of the conflict to gather an inclusive pool of Syrian political forces. The main result of the Congress was the decision to create a Constitutional Committee, which operates in Geneva and whose main task is to prepare a constitutional reform in Syria. In December 2022, the defense ministers of Russia, Syria and Turkiye held trilateral talks in Moscow to discuss ways to resolve the Syrian crisis. The negotiations marked the first official meeting between the Turkish and Syrian defense chiefs in 11 years.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/assad-says-ready-to-meet-with-erdogan-only-after-withdrawal-of-turkeys-troops-from-syria-1108440134.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/uks-johnson-reelected-as-tory-candidate-for-next-general-election-1108500739.html

UK's Johnson Re-selected as Tory Candidate for Next General Election

UK's Johnson Re-selected as Tory Candidate for Next General Election

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been reelected as a candidate from the Conservative Party in Uxbridge and South Ruislip electoral districts to run for the next general election despite an ongoing probe into the partygate scandal

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uk

boris johnson

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"Tonight the Uxbridge and South Ruislip selection committee re-adopted Boris Johnson as our parliamentary candidate," the spokesman was quoted as saying by Sky News. In late June 2022, the Committee of Privileges said it was looking for witnesses and evidence to help establish whether Johnson had misled the parliament over parties at Downing 10 during COVID-19 lockdowns while he was in office. On March 3, the committee published a preliminary report detailing such cases. Johnson may be suspended from the House of Commons for 10 days if it is proven that he misled the parliament. The suspension could serve as a justification for filing a petition to withdraw his parliamentary mandate. The next general election in the United Kingdom is due to take place no later than January 2025. The scandal erupted after it surfaced that several social gatherings had been held at Johnson's offices throughout 2020 and 2021, flouting COVID-19 social distancing rules. The situation was aggravated by the reports that two more parties were held on April 16, 2021 on the eve of Prince Philip's funeral, when the UK still maintained COVID-19 restrictions and was in national mourning. Johnson later apologized and said he had paid the fine issued by the Metropolitan Police.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/us-airlines-complain-about-foreign-rivals-being-able-to-fly-over-russia-1108522136.html

US Airlines Complain About Foreign Rivals Being Able to Fly Over Russia

US Airlines Complain About Foreign Rivals Being Able to Fly Over Russia

US airlines have complained to the Biden administration and Congress that they are losing profit on routes to Asia because they cannot fly over Russia as a result of sanctions on the country imposed by the collective West

2023-03-17T21:24+0000

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airlines

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Due to the inability to fly the so-called polar routes to Asia, US airlines are losing profits and passengers, struggling to find the most profitable routes in the changed conditions, the report said. A range of carriers, including Air India, Emirates and China Eastern Airlines, are having an unfair advantage by being able to fly the shortest and more fuel-efficient routes, the report said, citing an industry lobbying group Airlines for America presentation to Congress. Foreign airlines using Russian airspace on flights to and from the United States are gaining a significant competitive advantage over US carriers in major markets, including China and India, the report cited the presentation as saying. Airlines for America estimates that US air carriers lose about $2 billion per year as a result of the situation brought about by Western sanctions on Russia. The US airlines have asked the Biden administration and Congress to make foreign carriers fly the same routes, the report also said. According to Airlines for America spokeswoman Marli Collier, the lobbying group wants the Biden administration to take action to ensure that foreign carriers overflying Russia do not depart, land or transit through US airports, the report added. Russian airspace became inaccessible to airlines from a number of countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and the EU member states after they imposed a ban on flights of Russian air carriers over their territory.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/us-announces-150mln-humanitarian-aid-for-sahel-west-and-central-africa---blinken-1108490988.html

US Announces $150Mln Humanitarian Aid for Sahel, West and Central Africa - Blinken

US Announces $150Mln Humanitarian Aid for Sahel, West and Central Africa - Blinken

The United States announces $150 million in humanitarian aid for the Sahel region as well as West and Central Africa, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.

2023-03-17T05:59+0000

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africa

sahel region

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"Today I am announcing $150 million in new humanitarian assistance for Niger and other countries throughout the Sahel region through the Department of States Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration and the U.S. Agency for International Developments Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance," Blinken said in a statement. The new package will support Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and other countries impacted by the regional crisis, he added. "It will help provide life-saving support to refugees, asylum seekers, and others impacted by conflict and food insecurity in the region. This assistance also includes funding to support Sahelian refugees and migrants in Libya and those evacuated to Niger for further protection and assistance," Blinken noted. In total, the US will provide over $230 million in humanitarian assistance to the region in 2023, the secretary noted. US continued assistance provides urgent and life-saving support, including food, shelter, safe drinking water, sanitation, hygiene, and other key services, Blinken said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230316/blinken-in-ethiopia-domination-lurks-behind-us-imposed-partnerships-expert-says-1108471782.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230317/us-squandered-its-unipolar-moment-by-sowing-destruction-over-last-25-years-1108510611.html

US Squandered Its Unipolar Moment by Sowing Destruction Over Last 25 Years

US Squandered Its Unipolar Moment by Sowing Destruction Over Last 25 Years

Over the years, countries have increasingly been avoiding hitching their wagons to the US imperial train, starting with the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and ending with the ongoing proxy war against Russia in Ukraine

2023-03-17T14:03+0000

2023-03-17T14:03+0000

2023-03-18T09:38+0000

us

opinion

iraq

iraq war

saddam hussein

joe biden

antony blinken

afghanistan

ukraine

proxy war

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March 19 will mark the 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq under the false pretext of Baghdad's alleged development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to threaten its neighbors and the international community. According to the Brown University Costs of War Project, US taxpayers reportedly paid an average of $8,000 each and over $2 trillion total for the eight-year long Iraq War, which left the Middle Eastern country in tatters and created a dangerous power vacuum. Likewise, Washington has disbursed more than $100 billion over one year to the Kiev regime, throwing a monkey wrench in peace settlement efforts.Despite the catastrophic failure of the Iraq War and the near total destruction of Iraq as a country, the US wars just kept on going in Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria. Remarkably, the same US officials who laid the groundwork for the US invasion of Iraq are now orchestrating the NATO proxy war in Ukraine, according to Davies."In fact, [US President] Joe Biden and [Secretary of State] Antony Blinken are two of them," the peace activist said. "Biden as the chairman and Blinken as the staff director of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee in 2002 as they debated the neocons' plan to invade Iraq. They managed hearings that completely failed to have a real debate. They failed to hear from people who opposed the neocon plans to invade Iraq. So these people continue to occupy the highest positions in our country despite supporting the neoconservative foreign policy that has utterly, utterly failed."The Global South has become weary of Washington's perpetual conflicts: they have refused to send weapons to the Kiev neo-Nazi regime or to join the West's sweeping sanctions against Russia. Some of them resent the very idea of taking sides in the Western conflict with Moscow. Even some European players and NATO member states have expressed skepticism over the alliance's proxy war against Russia and called for negotiations. While the US and its Western European allies are continuing to fan the flames of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, China has stepped forward with a comprehensive peace plan for Ukraine. At the same time, Beijing scored a big diplomatic victory by mediating between Iran and Saudi Arabia, thus proving that the Global South has emerged as a prominent geopolitical force. There's also work underway on ending the Yemen war, according to the peace activist.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230308/us-lawmakers-applaud-senate-panel-for-passing-bill-to-end-gulf-iraq-war-authorizations-1108192179.html

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Rose Run Uriah set a world record for a five-eighths mile dash at Ballys Dover (a five-eighths mile track) on Thursday night (March 16).

The Traci Berry trainee led every step of the race through opening splits of :25.4 and :52.4 to stop the clock in 1:06.4, which also lowered the track record of 1:08.3 set in 2009 by Rare Bunny. The previous world record for a five-eighths mile dash was set by Nuclear Dragon in 1:07 at Miami Valley Race Track on Feb. 28, 2022.

Rose Run Uriah is owned by Andrew Glassmeyer and Tib Racing of Delaware. Pat Berry drove.

In the featured $28,500 Blue Hen Handicap, Penzance Hanover charged home to claim his fifth consecutive win.

It was a battle royale racing to the quarter as Ollies Ztam launched from post two and denied early seats by Heinikin Bythebay, Baba Oriley and Capt Jack Hanover. Favourite Penzance Hanover left but retreated, finding a tuck in seventh. Ollies Ztam rumbled to the quarter in :26.3.

Heinikin Bythebay finally cleared for the lead in front of the grandstands but remained stubborn, parking Baba Oriley. The half was reached in :55.

Capt Jack Hanover circled three-wide at the five-eighths marker. Penzance Hanover was then able to inherit a second-over trip on the rim. At the top of the stretch, Penzance Hanover was in high gear and gunned down pacesetter Heinikin Bythebay and a parked Capt Jack Hanover. Downers Delight mounted a fierce charge late in the stretch. Penzance Hanover held on to win by a head in 1:51. Heinikin Bythebay held second and Downers Delight snagged third.

Penzance Hanover is owned, trained and was driven by Art Stafford Jr. of Felton, Del. He paid $7.40 to win.

Racing continues Monday (March 20) at Ballys Dover. Post time is 4:30 p.m. (EDT).

(with files from Bally's Dover)
Rutgers Equine Science Center hosted the 2023 New Jersey Equine Industry Summit on Thursday (March 16). The focus of the summit was to help provide better horse care through research and education to ensure the well-being of the equine industry.

Dr. Karyn Malinowski, Director of the Equine Science Center, started the summit off by welcoming Secretary Douglas Fisher, New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Secretary Fisher (pictured above) reiterated Governor Murphy's interest in the equine industry and his efforts to continue to support the horse racing industry.

Dr. Alisa Hebst gave a report on the 2022 Equine Needs Assessment Survey. before Keynote speaker Dr. Jill Stowe took the stage. Dr. Stowe, Professor of Agricultural Economics and Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Equine Science and Management degree program at the University of Kentucky, gave a presentation on Economic Analysis of Equine Operations. The presentation focused on ways to reduce costs for horse and horse farm owners.

Before the lunch break Jim Gagliano, President and Chief Operating Officer of The Jockey Club gave a brief summary of the current state of Thoroughbred racing in the United States touching on the issues racing currently faces. He also discussed the implementation of HISA in the thoroughbred industry. Mike Tanner, Executive Vice President/CEO of the USTA followed Gagliano with the state of harness racing in the United States. Tanner focused some of his speech on the current issues the USTA has with the implementation of HISA. After each presentation both gentlemen took questions from the audience.

After lunch participants were able to attend six different breakout sessions to learn more about specific topics. SBOANJ's Executive Administrator Al Ochsner facilitated The Future of Racing breakout session.

Dr. Malinowski and Rutgers Equine Science Center did an amazing job further educating all the attendees at the New Jersey Equine Industry Summit. Copies of the presentations will be available on the ESC website.

(SBOANJ)
Trainer John MacMillan joined the eight-figure club on Thursday night (March 16) at Flamboro Downs when one win pushed him past $10 million in career earnings.

The victory came from Dylans Bank, the longest shot on the board at 22-1 who sat a pocket trip and zipped to a head victory in a $6,900 conditioned pace. MacMillan entered the night just under $3,000 shy of the plateau and crept over it also with thanks to a fourth-place finish from stablemate Montysgonemarble. MacMillan also owns the victorious six-year-old gelding by Thinking Out Loud.

MacMillan has competed at racetracks across Ontario and Quebec since 2000. He has won 1,745 races from more than 9,000 starts. His best year came in 2007 when he trained 184 winners and just missed the million mark with $974,629 in purses.

To view Thursdays harness racing results, click the following link: Thursday Results  Flamboro Downs.
Lincoln Elementary Schools Sign Language Club is now in its second year of teaching students a different way to communicate with one another.

The club was started last school year by communications para Kacey Sell in an effort to help students learn how to speak with others who are hearing impaired. She was personally motivated to learn American Sign Language when she discovered that a deaf student would be entering kindergarten at Lincoln.

I was the building secretary at the time, and all of the kids know me. I talk to all the kids. I wanted to be able to talk to them if they needed something or if they needed help, so I thought I would start learning, explained Sell.

Helping Sell in her efforts is Adonijah Gonzalez, a deaf mentor who assists deaf students in school while studying to become a deaf educator.

Adonijah is a huge help, said Sell. She is deaf, so shes a great help if Im unsure or just to make sure that Im teaching them correctly, because I am pretty new. We want to make sure were teaching them the right way.

Sell found that she needed that extra set of hands when the clubs popularity boomed in its second year, growing from around 20 students to nearly 50 and spanning from kindergarten to fifth grade. The size and age diversity of the group has even opened the opportunity for the older kids to take on leadership and mentor roles.

I pair up some of the kindergartners with the fifth graders so they can kind of help out, because there are so many kids, she said. They love it. They are very enthusiastic to learn.

So far, the students have learned how to sign letters, numbers, and a wide range of simple and useful words and phrases like please, eat, and help. At this weeks meeting, Sell showed the club how to sign the entire Pledge of Allegiance, and she hopes to implement fun activities that will utilize the students knowledge soon.

Next week were going to teach them the colors and hopefully go down to the gym and play a little game of color tag, she said. Theyll have to look and see what color is being called and then run around and have a little fun.

Sell hopes that the students will continue to study ASL when their time in the club is over. She believes the practice is important because it allows for communication with a group of people who would otherwise feel very alienated in school and in their daily lives.

I hope that they keep learning and practicing.  I think about how much further along I would be if Id had that exposure in elementary school, said Sell. If our deaf student can have some more people that can talk and interact with them, then thats wonderful. Maybe somewhere in this crowd is a future interpreter or deaf educator.
The 2023 Senior Art Show, Meandering Visions, opened Monday, March 20, in the Memorial Hall Main Gallery. The show is open through March 31, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The artists will host a closing reception from 4-6 p.m. March 31 in Memorial Halls lobby.

Meandering Visions will display artworks from three Chadron State College senior students: Carissa Hill of Imperial; Whitney Martin of Guernsey, Wyoming; and Colt Hesseltine of Halsey.

The exhibition reflects the artistic techniques the artists have learned throughout their college careers, according to art professor Laura Bentz. The show presents artwork that explores the artists individual interpretations of the world through a variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture and mixed media.

Hill is majoring in art education K-12 and will graduate in May 2024. She said she used various media to create her artwork but focused on two-dimensional work inspired by details in nature, animals and people.

Most of my artwork embodies realistic imagery with an idealistic grace, she said in her artists statement. The purpose of my artwork is to share images with the viewer that evoke emotions of tranquility and delightfulness.

Martin is majoring in pre-art therapy with a minor in psychology and will graduate in December 2023. Her inspiration comes from learning about others and how they express themselves.

She said she uses sculpting, painting and mixed media to make her work burst with expression and peculiarity.

I enjoy the connection between people and artwork and would like to present that in my work, Martin said.

Hesseltine is an art studio major and will graduate in May 2024. His inspiration comes from his trucking job. He says his artwork helps him express his passion for trucking and the people who are part of the trucking industry.

I have been fascinated by trucks, so most of my art consists of trucks I drive, as well as my friends trucks, Hesseltine said.
A scene from the film, "Discrimination" / Courtesy of D.O. Cinema



By Kwak Yeon-soo



In 2010, the Japanese government waived high school tuition fees to reduce the burden of household education costs. However, 10 Chosun schools, providers of education for ethnic Koreans in Japan, were excluded from tuition exemptions because of their association with North Korea.



The government cited the connection between Chosun schools and Chongryun, a pro-North Korean organization in Japan, as the reason for exclusion. There are roughly 70 Chosun schools in Japan that were founded in the 1940s by ethnic Koreans who came to the country to work in mines and factories. The schools were built and financially supported by the North Korean regime.



The documentary film "Discrimination" traces two years of legal battles between Chosun schools in Nagoya, Osaka, Hiroshima and Kita-Kyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture and the Japanese government  from Osaka District Court's first trial ruling to approve the eligibility of Osaka Korean High School in July 2017 to the Supreme Court's ruling in favor on the government's decision to exclude Tokyo Korean Junior and Senior High School in August 2019.



Directed by Kim Ji-woon and Kim Do-hee, the film approaches the subject not simply as a matter of ethnic discrimination but a violation of fundamental human rights, in particular, the right to education.



It tells of the struggle of ethnic Korean living in Japan; teachers, students and lawyers who have been battling to protect Chosun schools.



"I wanted to inform the audience about the Japanese government's violation of human rights and discrimination against Koreans living in Japan and Chosun schools, which has continued for nearly 80 years since Korea's liberation," director Kim Ji-woon said during a recent press conference for the film.





The poster for the film, "Discrimination" / Courtesy of D.O. Cinema
Waste Management officials said Tuesday it was a business decision to bring waste from a Kansas oil pipeline spill to a landfill outside of Omaha, and sought to assure concerned Douglas County officials that the contaminated soil and debris dont pose a threat to the local environment.

Its just economics, Mike Hey, area disposal manager for Waste Management of Nebraska Inc., told Douglas County Board members who questioned why the waste was being disposed of in Nebraska.

Waste Management won the bid to dispose of the waste from Keystone Pipeline owner TC Energys cleanup of the Dec. 7 leak, which spilled nearly 600,000 gallons of tar sands oil into Mill Creek and surrounding land in rural Washington County, Kansas.

Hey said the Pheasant Point Landfill, outside Bennington in rural Douglas County, was one of the two Waste Management landfills closest to the spill site that are qualified to take the waste. The other is near Topeka, Kansas.

Hey said he decided on the Omaha-area landfill because it is better equipped to handle such a spike in waste. Pheasant Point is a little larger than the Topeka landfill and has more workers and more heavy equipment, Hey told the board.

Its not uncommon to take petroleum-contaminated soils in this area, Hey said, citing leaking gas station tanks as an example. We have a customer who comes to us and says, Hey, we have this big oil spill. We all saw it in the news. ... They estimate the amount of tonnage that they think theyre going to bring us or cubic yards. We present them with our options of what we have in the area.

He declined to say how much Waste Management is being paid to dispose of the waste.

Waste Management owns and operates the landfill, but Douglas County collects fees for materials dumped there. The county is being paid $3 a ton for the Kansas oil spill waste.

Kent Holm, Douglas County environmental services manager, set the rate under authority given to him by the County Board. Holm said he does not have the authority to reject materials that the landfill is qualified to receive under federal and state regulations.

So far about 34,000 tons, or about 48,000 cubic yards, of waste from the Kansas spill has been deposited at Pheasant Point, Hey said. He currently expects that amount to double, although its likely to climb higher as the federal Environmental Protection Agency directs the cleanup.

For perspective, Pheasant Point Landfill typically takes in about 500,000 tons of solid waste each year.

An outside laboratory, Pace Analytical, has analyzed multiple samples and found the waste to be non-hazardous under government regulations, according to documents that Waste Management gave the County Board on Tuesday, and to records online at the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. Samples must be submitted for testing for every 2,000 cubic yards of contaminated debris.

County Board members had asked specifically about levels of benzene, a carcinogenic material thats used in the Keystone Pipeline. Josh Buehre, waste approval manager for Waste Management of Nebraska, said the federal regulatory limit for benzene is 500 parts per billion. The highest amount of benzene in a sample so far, Buehre said, was 79 parts per billion in such waste as booms and absorbent materials used to contain the spread.

County Board Member Maureen Boyle said she was particularly pleased to hear the testing is being done by a third party and reassured by the Waste Management officials description of how the landfill is designed to contain the materials and monitor for potential leaks and their experience with this type of waste.

I feel reassured with what they presented that the contamination risk is just minimal, Boyle said.

County Board member Jim Cavanaugh said he had not yet been through the lengthy documents and plans to ask someone with more expertise to study them.

They gave us information that we had requested at the meeting, which we will now analyze and follow up with whatever questions we may have to get to a final answer on the whole issue of the Keystone oil spill waste coming to Nebraska, Cavanaugh said.

He said that hes not particularly interested in receiving waste from a Kansas oil spill and that the county should revisit its provisions that allow that to happen.
Gillian Faulkner Nyswonger of Longview is the real deal when it comes to Irish cooking. The native of Ireland can even set longtime misconceptions about the countrys recipes straight. Did you know that corned beef and cabbage isnt actually a traditional Irish dish? said Nyswonger. A lot of people believe the Irish eat the dish, but it actually has roots in Jewish-American delis, she said. Despite the origins outside the Emerald Isle, the food blogger still has a recipe for it.

Today, Nyswonger has nine authentic Irish recipes on her blog including cottage pie  similar to shepherds pie, but with beef instead of lamb  as well as champ potatoes and Irish wheaten bread to prepare for St. Patricks Day. Its what I love and know. I dont think about it as Irish cooking. Its just food to me, said Nyswonger. After so many requests from friends to start a food blog, Nyswonger began blogging in October on her website prepareandserve.com. I love to share the knowledge that I have and if one person gets something from it, thats great, she said. Nyswongers husband, Burl, is a software engineer and helps with the backend creation of her website, and she also homeschools her 12-year-old son part time. Im glad to have the opportunity to work with food without the stress of working in the industry, she said.

Her love of food started with her father, who often brought home exotic spices from his travels with the merchant navy. She also remembers her mother making, what she called, excellent food. I was exposed to a lot of different foods early on, she said. Nyswonger attended the University of Ulster and graduated with a degree in hospitality management. She has a trained and worked in both the back and front of house in London, New Jersey, Florida, Switzerland and Germany. Her most recent move was from Seattle three years ago.

After 30 years of living in the states, she is a green card holder. She states that she doesnt think she will ever become an American citizen. Every ten years, I renew my card, and it reminds me of the privilege it is to live here, she said. On her blog, you wont only find recipes, but also hospitality tricks and general kitchen advice. My blog is little bit different because Im hopefully teaching you something you may not have known, she said.

The food bloggers goal is to teach readers how to cook more efficiently and be budget friendly while doing it. I just really want people to get into the kitchen. I want them to feel like they know what they are doing, said Nyswonger. Each blog post contains step-by-step instructions with photos and tips on how to change up the recipe to the readers liking. Every recipe has flexibility, she said.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread INGREDIENTS 1 lb all purpose flour 10 oz full fat buttermilk 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp baking soda INSTRUCTIONS In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda. Pour in the buttermilk and mix. Use a spoon at first, then use your hands. Form the bread dough into a 'bannock' (round shape with a flattened top) in the bowl. Transfer the bannock onto a Siplat mat, or parchment paper on a baking pan. Using a serrated knife, make a cross in the top. Place in a preheated 350 degrees F. oven for about 45-55 minutes. Test the doneness of the bread by holding the hot bread in a clean drying cloth and knocking on the bottom of the bread. If it sounds hollow, then it's done. Another test is to push down on the surface of the bread. If it sinks, as if the dough is still wet, then return it to the oven and check every 5 minutes until you get a hollow sound and no sinking texture when the surface is pushed.

Champ Potatoes INGREDIENTS 3.5 lbs potatoes about 8 medium sized potatoes 4 oz butter 2 bunches scallions about 12 count 3 oz cream heavy whipping 1 tsp salt INSTRUCTIONS Peel and cut the potatoes into small, even chunks. Add them to a pot of cold, salted water. Boil the potatoes over a medium/high heat until cooked, about 7-8 minutes. Wash and peel away any soft or slimy parts of the scallions. Slice both green and white parts into small pieces. Place the scallions into a pot. Add half of the butter and all of the cream. Cook gently on a medium/low heat. Do not let it burn, just simmer. When the potatoes are cooked, drain all the water from them. Return them to the heat and allow them to dry out by letting the residual water evaporate. Mash them with a hand masher. Add the contents of the pot of scallions to the mashed potatoes. Mix together well, using a spatula, add more salt if needed. It's ready to serve. Add a lid to the pot if you are not quite ready to serve it to retain its heat. Use the remaining half of the butter to melt on the Champ.

Gillian Faulkner Nyswonger of Longview is the real deal when it comes to Irish cooking.

The native of Ireland can even set longtime misconceptions about the countrys recipes straight.

Did you know that corned beef and cabbage isnt actually a traditional Irish dish? said Nyswonger.

A lot of people believe the Irish eat the dish, but it actually has roots in Jewish-American delis, she said. Despite the origins outside the Emerald Isle, the food blogger still has a recipe for it.

Today, Nyswonger has nine authentic Irish recipes on her blog including cottage pie  similar to shepherds pie, but with beef instead of lamb  as well as champ potatoes and Irish wheaten bread to prepare for St. Patricks Day.

Its what I love and know. I dont think about it as Irish cooking. Its just food to me, said Nyswonger.

After so many requests from friends to start a food blog, Nyswonger began blogging in October on her website prepareandserve.com.

I love to share the knowledge that I have and if one person gets something from it, thats great, she said.

Nyswongers husband, Burl, is a software engineer and helps with the backend creation of her website, and she also homeschools her 12-year-old son part time.

Im glad to have the opportunity to work with food without the stress of working in the industry, she said.

Her love of food started with her father, who often brought home exotic spices from his travels with the merchant navy.

She also remembers her mother making, what she called, excellent food.

I was exposed to a lot of different foods early on, she said.

Nyswonger attended the University of Ulster and graduated with a degree in hospitality management. She has a trained and worked in both the back and front of house in London, New Jersey, Florida, Switzerland and Germany. Her most recent move was from Seattle three years ago.

After 30 years of living in the states, she is a green card holder. She states that she doesnt think she will ever become an American citizen.

Every ten years, I renew my card, and it reminds me of the privilege it is to live here, she said.

On her blog, you wont only find recipes, but also hospitality tricks and general kitchen advice.

My blog is little bit different because Im hopefully teaching you something you may not have known, she said.

The food bloggers goal is to teach readers how to cook more efficiently and be budget friendly while doing it.

I just really want people to get into the kitchen. I want them to feel like they know what they are doing, said Nyswonger.

Each blog post contains step-by-step instructions with photos and tips on how to change up the recipe to the readers liking.

Every recipe has flexibility, she said.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread INGREDIENTS 1 lb all purpose flour 10 oz full fat buttermilk 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp baking soda INSTRUCTIONS In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda. Pour in the buttermilk and mix. Use a spoon at first, then use your hands. Form the bread dough into a 'bannock' (round shape with a flattened top) in the bowl. Transfer the bannock onto a Siplat mat, or parchment paper on a baking pan. Using a serrated knife, make a cross in the top. Place in a preheated 350 degrees F. oven for about 45-55 minutes. Test the doneness of the bread by holding the hot bread in a clean drying cloth and knocking on the bottom of the bread. If it sounds hollow, then it's done. Another test is to push down on the surface of the bread. If it sinks, as if the dough is still wet, then return it to the oven and check every 5 minutes until you get a hollow sound and no sinking texture when the surface is pushed.

Champ Potatoes INGREDIENTS 3.5 lbs potatoes about 8 medium sized potatoes 4 oz butter 2 bunches scallions about 12 count 3 oz cream heavy whipping 1 tsp salt INSTRUCTIONS Peel and cut the potatoes into small, even chunks. Add them to a pot of cold, salted water. Boil the potatoes over a medium/high heat until cooked, about 7-8 minutes. Wash and peel away any soft or slimy parts of the scallions. Slice both green and white parts into small pieces. Place the scallions into a pot. Add half of the butter and all of the cream. Cook gently on a medium/low heat. Do not let it burn, just simmer. When the potatoes are cooked, drain all the water from them. Return them to the heat and allow them to dry out by letting the residual water evaporate. Mash them with a hand masher. Add the contents of the pot of scallions to the mashed potatoes. Mix together well, using a spatula, add more salt if needed. It's ready to serve. Add a lid to the pot if you are not quite ready to serve it to retain its heat. Use the remaining half of the butter to melt on the Champ.
Union members of the Korea Development Bank stage protest against the banks relocation plan to Busan, near the presidential office in Seoul, March 10. Yonhap





By Lee Min-hyung







The controversial relocation plan of Korea Development Bank (KDB) is taking shape, as the state-run lender prepares to take specific administrative steps by the end of June.







According to a KDB report submitted to Rep. Kang Min-kuk of the ruling People Power Party, the bank has formulated its relocation plan from Seoul to the nation's southeastern port city of Busan.







The bank will seek consultations for the plan until May and submit a specific relocation vision to the relevant authorities around June, according to the report. The lender also stressed the need to revise the KDB Act for the smooth progress of relocation.







"We face difficulty in mapping out specific relocation plans due to backlash from employees and revision of the law," KDB said in the report.







The bank must be legally designated as an institution for relocation, as part of the first administrative step for the move.







But it still remains unclear whether KDB will be able to proceed with the plan as scheduled amid fierce protest from within the organization and difficulties in revising the KDB Act in a timely manner.







KDB said it will take additional administrative steps in line with the revision of the act.







"The KDB Act stipulates that its headquarters should be located in Seoul, so we cannot take any further practical steps until the law is revised," the lender said.







KDB's management planned to hold a briefing session with employees at its Seoul headquarters on Wednesday afternoon, but the meeting was canceled amid strong opposition from employees.







The KDB union expressed regret, saying KDB's "unfair and unilateral" move toward the relocation drive will never be realized without consent from union members.







"The ongoing relocation drive is a move to overstep the authority of the Assembly," the union said in a statement. "We urge KDB's management to stop taking further relocation steps, as the decision is being made without any negotiation with the union."


On this version of Hot off the Wire:

 The International Criminal Court says it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

 President Joe Biden welcomed Irelands prime minister to the White House for a St. Patricks Day meeting joined by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

 Wisconsins Democratic Secretary of State Doug La Follette has resigned, three months into his 11th consecutive term in office.

 The mystery to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic now has some new clues. International scientists have found raccoon dog DNA comingled with the virus in previously unavailable genetic data.

 Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his government will move forward with ratifying Finlands NATO application, paving the way for the country to join the military bloc ahead of Sweden.

 China is accusing the U.S. of spreading disinformation amid reports the Biden administration is calling for TikTok's Chinese owners to sell their stakes in the company.

 Twenty years ago, the Associated Press' Yves Dam-Van and Jerry Harmer were embedded in a U.S. Marines artillery unit as it prepared to invade Iraq. As the invasion began, Harmer kept a diary. The following excerpts have been edited for brevity.
Lawmakers advanced a bill aimed at reviving Oregons semiconductor industry Wednesday, but conservationists, industry supporters and ambivalent lawmakers all object to key elements of legislation.

So while the bipartisan legislation is moving quickly, its unclear whether it has the tools to meet one of the Legislatures top priorities this year  attracting a share of $52 billion in newly approved federal dollars for chipmakers. And its unclear when the legislation will reach the full House and Senate, or what kind of reception it will get when it does.

Senate Bill 4, now called Oregon CHIPS, advanced on a 12-2 vote out of the Legislatures newly created semiconductor committee. It includes $200 million in direct funding for chipmakers and $10 million for university research. Those investments are broadly popular in the Capitol.

Semiconductor manufacturing is among Oregons largest industries but taxpayer advocates and industry supporters are divided over whether additional legislation should offer tax credits for research and hiring. And there is fierce debate over whether, or how, Oregon should convert rural land near Hillsboro for industrial development.

I am personally disappointed and disheartened by where we landed, and concerned about land use, Sen. Janeen Sollman, the semiconductor committees co-chair said Wednesday. The Hillsboro Democrat voted in favor of the bill but said lawmakers had strayed from the recommendations issued last summer by a task force of government and business leaders.

SB 4 gives Gov. Tina Kotek extraordinary power to bring rural land into a citys urban growth boundary for industrial development. Land-conservation advocates say the bill goes too far, rolling back a legislative grand bargain from 2014 that had been designed to permanently resolve questions over developable land in Washington County.

But industry supporters say loopholes in SB 4 leave it essentially useless at attracting big chipmakers, the legislatures stated goal. The bill allows the governor to designate industrial land only for specific projects, which creates an unworkable chicken and egg scenario, according to Duncan Wyse, president of the Oregon Business Council.

We do not believe that semiconductor industry firms will be willing to commit to investments without regulatory certainty on land, Wyse wrote in a letter to the semiconductor committee ahead of Wednesdays vote. He said lawmakers should give governors the authority to act earlier in the site-selection process.

Further, Wyse said that the bill leaves lengthy appeals processes in place that would leave land in doubt even after the governor acts.

These provisions create a significant risk of protracted litigation, sending Oregon down the road of years of process and appeals while other states are (putting) dollars, shovels and advanced lithography machines to work, Wyse wrote.

The two committee members who voted against SB 4 on Wednesday split over the land-use question. Rep. Ed Diehl, R-Salem, said the Legislature should be responsible for choosing industrial sites.

Thats what the people voted us here to do, Diehl said. And they expect us to make those tough decisions and not hand it over to the governor.

Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo, said she wants to prioritize Oregon agriculture. While she said she trusts the governor to choose the right properties for development, Levy said shes very concerned about the proper use of land in our state.

Oregon agriculture is a very important part of our economic future and our economic stability, Levy said.

SB 4 now moves to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, which will revisit the land-use question and other issues. Industry backers hope separate legislation will address tax credits, too, and initiatives to boost research and workforce training for diverse populations at colleges and universities across the state.

Rep. Janelle Bynum, semiconductor committee co-chair, said those are glaring areas where SB 4 falls short.

Its pretty empty, and I am committed to continuing to work on that, the Clackamas Democrat said.
Some 20 miles off the farthest reaches of Washingtons coast lies a shipwreck that killed hundreds of people and sent millions of dollars of gold to the cold depths of the Pacific Ocean.

Exactly where is a closely kept secret.

Now, two men who claim to have found the remains of the SS Pacific, a steamship that sank on Nov. 5, 1875, are planning to salvage the ship and display its artifacts in a proposed museum.

On Thursday, Matt McCauley and Jeff Hummel will present their research, findings and plans during a talk at the Foss Waterway Seaport in Tacoma.

Sailing from Victoria, B.C., to San Francisco, the Pacific sank with at least 325 passengers and crew. Only two survived.

Recently, the wreck was found by The Northwest Shipwreck Alliance. The nonprofit organization was founded by McCauley and Hummel. The pair, both 58, began salvaging underwater wrecks while they were still in high school.

SS Pacific

The 225-foot-long Pacific was launched in 1850 in New York, where it was built for $100,000. The steam-powered ship had two side wheels that provided propulsion.

Carrying both cargo and passengers, the ship had a storied history. It set a speed record on its inaugural run and was soon purchased by New York business magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. In an era before the construction of the Panama Canal, the Pacific served both the Chagres (Panama)-New Orleans and Nicaragua-San Francisco routes.

Tragedy seemed to haunt the ship. In 1855, 45 passengers died from cholera they picked up while transiting across Nicaragua. In 1861, the ship was pushed off course by strong winds and sank in the Columbia River on its way from San Francisco to Astoria, Oregon  an area called the graveyard of the Pacific due to its numerous shipwrecks.

The ship was soon raised, repaired and put back to work. In 1875, the ship was purchased by its final owner and put on the Puget Sound-San Francisco run.

Sailing in the dark

On Nov. 3, 1875, the Pacific left Tacoma filled with hops and bound for Seattle and other stops before making its last port of call at Victoria on Nov. 4. It was captained by Jeff Howell, a well-known skipper in Tacoma, according to McCauley.

He was somebody that was liked at every port at which the vessel stopped, so (his death) was a big blow to the folks in Tacoma, he said.

In Victoria, several miners returning from northern gold fields boarded. The ship was carrying millions in gold in the form of coins, bars and gold dust. The Pacific had been designed for the California Gold Rush of 1849 and was equipped with a strong room.

It set out for the ocean via the Strait of Juan de Fuca and turned south about 12 miles off Cape Flattery.

Meanwhile, the clipper SV Orpheus was headed north. While that ships captain was below checking maps, its crew spotted the Pacifics masthead light but mistook it for the Cape Flattery lighthouse. The Orpheus turned in front of the Pacific.

The ships collided, with the Pacifics bow striking the hull of the Orpheus in three locations. The ships continued in their general directions. Because the Orpheus had only been slightly damaged its crew surmised the Pacific also had sustained light damage.

But the Pacific had been fatally struck.

I woke up with the crash, said Neil Henly, 21, the Pacifics quartermaster and one of the two survivors. Jumped out of my bunk, the water rushing through the bow; saw all hands rush on the hurricane deck ... the ship fell into the trough of the sea and became unmanageable, the fires being extinguished; all was confusion, the passengers crowding into the boats which the officers and crew were trying to clear away.

Adding to the disaster, the crew had filled some of the lifeboats with water in an attempt to keep the ship on an even keel.

The boat I was near was partly full of water, recalled the ships other survivor, passenger Henry Jelly, 22. I think it was about an hour from the time the steamer struck up to the time when she listed to port so much that the port boat was let into the water and cut loose from the davits.

Jellys lifeboat soon capsized.

I crawled up on the bottom of the boat and helped several others up with me ... I think about all the ladies were in our boat, and when she upset, they all fell into the water and, I fear, they were all drowned.

Jelly survived by lashing himself to the wreckage of the pilot house. He was picked up the next day and Henly the day after by passing ships.

With at least 325 lives lost, it became the worst maritime disaster on the West Coast. Hummel said some accounts put the total lost as high as 500, mainly from passengers who rushed aboard without tickets when the boat left Victoria.

Washington Territory

Washington was still over a decade away from becoming a state when the Pacific sank.

This was a very massive tragedy when you consider the relatively low population of B.C. and the Washington territory at that time, McCauley said.

It was a very important vessel for Tacoma, as it was for Seattle and some of the area waypoints on the Sound, McCauley said.

The 1870s were a heady time for Tacoma. In 1873, the Northern Pacific Railroad chose the young city to be its western transcontinental terminus and built its headquarters there in early 1875.

But it was still really important that it had the steamboat connection with San Francisco, which was basically the civilized world to the people in Washington Territory at that time, he said. Seattle had a population of under 2,000 residents at that time and Tacomas was even smaller.

The city itself was incorporated on November 12, 1875  a little over a week after the Pacifics disaster.

Is it the SS Pacific?

Several expeditions beginning in 1985 have attempted to locate the Pacific. All failed. Hummels salvage company, Rockfish, Inc., calculated the location of the wreck using what information they had: heading, speed, currents, and timing. That produced a search field of 338 square miles  a dauntingly large area to search.

A crucial clue to the ships location came from commercial fishermen. Several had recovered chunks of coal in their nets. Testing identified the coal as likely from the ships last owners, Goodall, Nelson and Perkins. That narrowed the search field to a manageable two square miles.

Using a variety of underwater equipment, Rockfish searched for the wreck over five years. In 2021, the wreck was first spotted using sonar imaging but wasnt identified until the summer 2022.

Identifying shipwrecks can be tricky. But eventually, imaging equipment found a hull-like depression and two nearby circular depressions that were likely from the ship and its paddle wheels. Archaeologists with the team speculate that the wood wheels are still intact below the muddy seafloor.

Further expeditions recovered wood and copper plating and fire bricks. They also identified steam pipes.

If you look at the preponderance of evidence, its overwhelming, Hummel said. The odds that its not the Pacific are one in a million.

Legal filings

The finds were convincing enough for the salvagers to file legal rights in U.S. District Court to the submerged area surrounding the likely vessel. U.S. District Court Judge James L. Robart issued an order restricting competing salvagers from entering this area.

The team is tight-lipped on specifics.

There are two things we never tell people, Hummel said. One is exactly how far from shore it is and exactly how deep it is.

The most Hummel would offer is between 20 and 27 miles from shore and between 1,000 and 2,000 feet in depth.

Maritime law allows discoverers of lost shipwrecks to recover whatever is salvageable once agreements from any legal owners are located and satisfied, which has already begun, they said.

Its unlikely any human remains are at the site. Like those on the Titanic, theyve long since decomposed. Many of the Pacifics victims washed ashore in British Columbia in the days after the sinking.

Partners

McCauley and Hummel met at Mercer Island High School. While still in school the pair salvaged the remains of a WWII naval dive bomber from Lake Washington.

The U.S. Navy sued them in 1984, but the pair won and went on to salvage four more WWII-era naval combat aircraft from the lake in 1987.

Hummel and McCauley went their separate ways, with McCauley pursuing SCUBA diving, local history and writing. Hummel went on to become an expert in marine navigation systems.

Now, they are reunited and hope to begin salvaging the Pacific in 2025.

The men wont speculate on the current value of the gold, but records suggest it would be at least several million dollars worth. Legal precedent allows salvagers to 92 percent of the gold they find, with the rest going to the ships underwriters.

They hope to display their finds in a future museum, the location and size of which have not been determined. The Pacifics finds will play a central role. They hope to recover the paddle wheels, boilers, steam plant, and personal effects.

Youd literally be able to go through peoples steamer trunks and things like that, Hummel said. One of the items on their list: the earliest known pair of Levi jeans. The clothing was introduced in 1873 and was popular with miners.

Theyve spent $2.1 million looking for the shipwreck and estimate theyll spend another $6-8 million to salvage it. Its not the gold they might find that drives them, they said.

For me, its the ability to touch the past, Hummel said. Were looking at things and touching things that havent been looked at or touched in almost 150 years.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Regulators had to take over Signature bank, which was an important conduit into the regular financial system for numerous crypto firms, after a run on deposits.

The global cryptocurrency industry has been slammed by setbacks, scandals and high-profile failures in recent months, sparking a regulatory rush to protect consumers from fraud and scams.

Global finance was rocked by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank last week, and the digital currency sector was hit hard by the demise of US crypto lenders Silvergate and Signaturejust months after the bankruptcy of troubled crypto exchange trading platform FTX.

Regulators are increasingly keen for oversight of a sector which boomed during the COVID pandemic when many people were stuck at home.

The global crypto market stands at more than $1 trillion and has risen sharply in recent months, although it remains far below its 2021 peak of $3 trillion.

'Huge risks'

The number of crypto customers "grew during the COVID lockdowns", Martin Walker, head of banking at the Dutch-based Center for Evidence-Based Management, told AFP.

"They joined an unregulated market, investing with huge risks but not realising they were investing in unregulated and not (always) legal assets," said Walker, who organised a London conference last year of cryptocurrency critics.

He argued that trading platforms were conflicted by their unique position.

"They do have conflict of interests (...) as owners are at the same time both taking risk positions in crypto and selling these assets to their consumers," Walker added.

"People do not realise this is not allowed in conventional finance."

Regulators also want oversight of such platforms because they hook up customers, regardless of experience or knowledge, with the complex world of cryptocurrency.

Such trading platforms are the "link between what would be a very technically complex world, both in terms of finance and technology, with a population that's untrained and not very well informed", Bourgogne University economics professor Ludovic Desmedt told AFP.

Added to the picture, cryptocurrencies can experience volatile price swings and their value is not determined via transparent marketsas is the case with traditional currencies, stocks or commodities.

As a result, illicit transactions using cryptocurrencies more than doubled last year to almost $21 billion, according to specialist crypto firm Chainalysis.

However, this estimate does not include some illegal uses such as drug trafficking.

Crackdown

In the United States, officials are working on a framework to oversee crypto firms, but in September the White House asked regulators to use similar regulatory rules that are applied to other financial service providers.

As a result, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) markets regulator took legal action against crypto lenders Genesis and Gemini.

And in February, the SEC ordered crypto firm Paxos Trust to stop issuing dollar-pegged cryptocurrency BUSD, a stablecoin, for the world's biggest trading platform Binance.

European Union draft laws, scheduled to take effect next year, will compel crypto platforms to be more rigorous and transparent in their operations.

In Britain, the government launched a consultation this year to establish a regulatory framework for the sector as it seeks to avoid falling behind the EU and United States.

 2023 AFP
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Li's vision for the future of machine intelligence, which he calls cognitive physics, builds on the scientific legacy of Turing (top), Schrodinger (bottom left) and Wiener (bottom right). Credit: Deyi Li.

Deyi Li from the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence believes that humans and machines have a mutually beneficial relationship.

His paper on machine intelligence, which was published in Intelligent Computing, builds on five groundbreaking works by Schrodinger, the father of quantum mechanics, Turing, the father of artificial intelligence, and Wiener, the father of cybernetics.

Schrodinger and beyond: Machines can think and interact with the world as time goes by

Inspired by Schrodinger's book "What is Life? The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell," Li believes that machines can be considered living things. That is, like humans, they decrease the amount of entropy or disorder in their environment through their interactions with the world.

The machines of the agricultural age and the industrial age existed only at the physical level, but now, in the age of intelligence, machines consist of four elements at two different levels: matter and energy at the physical level, and structure and time at the cognitive level. "The machine can be the carrier of thought, and time is the foundation of machine cognition," Li explained.

Turing and beyond: Machines can think, but can they learn?

In 1936, Turing published what has been called the most influential mathematics paper, establishing the idea of a universal computing machine able to perform any conceivable computation. Such hypothetical computers are called Turing machines.

His 1950 paper "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" introduced what is now known as the Turing test for measuring machine intelligence, sparking a debate over whether machines can think. A proponent of thinking machines, Turing believed that a "child machine" could be educated and eventually achieve an adult level of intelligence.

However, given that cognition is only one part of the learning process, Li pointed out two limitations of Turing's model in achieving better machine intelligence: First, the machine's cognition is disconnected from its environment rather than connected to it. This shortcoming has also been highlighted in a paper by Michael Woodridge titled "What Is Missing from Contemporary AI? The World."

Second, the machine's cognition is disconnected from memory and thus cannot draw on memories of past experiences. As a result, Li defines intelligence as the ability to engage in learning, the goal of which is to be able to "explain and solve actual problems."

Wiener and beyond: Machines have behavioral intelligence.

In 1948, Wiener published a book that served as the foundation of the field of cybernetics, the study of control and communication within and between living organisms, machines and organizations. In the wake of the success of the book, he published another, focusing on the problems of cybernetics from the perspective of sociology, suggesting ways for humans and machines to communicate and interact harmoniously.

According to Li, machines follow a control pattern similar to the human nervous system. Humans provide missions and behavioral features to machines, which must then run a complex behavior cycle regulated by a reward and punishment function to improve their abilities of perception, cognition, behavior, interaction, learning and growth.

Through iteration and interaction, the short-term memory, working memory and long-term memory of the machines change, embodying intelligence through automatic control. "In essence, control is the use of negative feedback to reduce entropy and ensure the stability of the embodied behavioral intelligence of a machine," Li concluded.

The strength of contemporary machines is deep learning, which still requires human input, but leverages the ability of devices to use brute force methods of solving problems with insights gleaned directly from big data.

A joint future: From learning to creating

Machine intelligence cannot work in isolation; it requires human interaction. Furthermore, machine intelligence is inseparable from language, because humans use programming languages to control machine behavior.

The impressive performance of ChatGPT, a chatbot showcasing recent advances in natural language processing, proves that machines are now capable of internalizing human language patterns and producing appropriate example texts, given the appropriate context and goal. Since AI-generated texts are increasingly indistinguishable from human-written texts, some are saying that AI writing tools have passed the Turing test. Such declarations provoke both admiration and alarm.

Li is among the optimists who envision artificial intelligence in a natural balance with human civilization. He believes, from a physics perspective, that cognition is based on a combination of matter, energy, structure and time, which he calls "hard-structured ware," and expressed through information, which he calls "soft-structured ware."

He concludes that humans and machines can interact through multiple channels and modes to gain wisdom and intelligence, respectively. Despite their different endowments in thinking and creativity, this interaction allows humans and machines to benefit from each other's strengths.

More information: Deyi Li, Cognitive PhysicsThe Enlightenment by Schrodinger, Turing, and Wiener and Beyond, Intelligent Computing (2023). DOI: 10.34133/icomputing.0009

Provided by Intelligent Computing
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Amazon may be on the hook to make changes to improve worker safety at a Kent warehouse following a new court ruling.

After state regulators cited Amazon for failing to create a safe work environment, Amazon sued the Department of Labor and Industries in October. Amazon argued the department had stacked the system against employers, in part because the company is expected to implement some of the proposed changes even while Amazon appeals the citation.

A federal judge in Seattle ruled Tuesday against Amazon, finding the department did not violate Amazon's right to due process.

In this case, the process that requires Amazon to address safety concerns while an appeal is pending is fast, the judge found. But that speed is warranted given concerns about the safety of workers who are still clocking in every day.

The decision "upholds an important Washington state law," L & I director Joel Sacks said in a statement. "Unless they are granted a stay, employers have to fix the hazards that put their workers at risk even while they appeal the underlying citation. The court reaffirmed an important protection for workers in Washington."

Amazon disagrees with the ruling and is evaluating its options, according to spokesperson Maureen Lynch Vogel.

"The reality is that we're already doing many of the things L & I claims to be seeking, and our employees' safety is and always has been our top priority," she said.

The state agency received a complaint in August 2021 from a worker at Amazon's Kent fulfillment center, a nearly 1-million-square foot facility that employs about 2,600 people. The department opened an investigation and later found multiple "willful, serious" violations.

Safety officials found that 10 of the 12 processes inspected "create a serious hazard" for back, shoulder, wrist and knee injuries. The department said Amazon's pace of work put workers at risk for injuries, including musculoskeletal disorders often caused by repetitive motions, high strain and long hours with few breaks.

The labor department issued a $60,000 penalty. That was on top of three other citations and $21,000 in fines from inspections at other Amazon facilities in the region.

Amazon appealed all four Washington state citations and said it had a "comprehensive, innovative and robust" health and safety program.

The company pointed to its $300 million investment in safety improvements, including new technology, as well as its $12 million partnership with the nonprofit National Safety Council focused on reducing injuries.

In the months since, federal workplace safety regulators have opened their own investigations into Amazon warehouses across the country. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration found in February that Amazon had failed to keep workers safe and exposed employees to risk of injuries. It has issued $152,000 in proposed penalties and inspected seven warehouses.

Amazon plans to appeal those citations as well.

In Washington, companies are expected to make changes to improve safety at its facilities after the Labor Department issues a citationeven while an appeal is pending. Companies can ask to delay that process by requesting a stay. Washington's Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals is expected to approve such requests unless they are "more likely than not that a stay would result in death or serious physical harm to a worker," according to court documents.

In this case, the board denied Amazon's request because the company failed to notify its workers of the ongoing appeals process.

The requirement to notify workers is not a technicality, U.S. District Judge John Coughenour wrote in the most recent court ruling. "It ensures those affected most, employees, have the opportunity to be heard."

After the board denied Amazon's request, the company did notify its workers and asked the board to reconsider. The board upheld its original decision.

Amazon then sued L & I in October, arguing that it had violated Amazon's due process rights by requiring the company to mitigate safety concerns before any violation had been proven. Amazon wrote in its court filing it would be "tremendously disruptive" to make the changes the department had proposed. It would require a "costly study," a "comprehensive redesign" of its facility and new equipment.

On Tuesday, Coughenour ruled against Amazon. Although the procedures are "expedited" and don't provide "the protections that a full hearing would, they are warranted when balanced against the strong state interest in protecting worker safety and avoiding serious harm to employees," he wrote. "Because there is a clear rational basis in protecting worker safety, [Amazon's] substantive due process challenge must fail."

2023 The Seattle Times.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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The icon for the video sharing TikTok app is seen on a smartphone, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, in Marple Township, Pa. New Zealand lawmakers and other workers inside the nation's Parliament will be banned from having the TikTok app on their government phones, officials said Friday, March 17 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File

New Zealand lawmakers and other workers inside the nation's Parliament will be banned from having the TikTok app on their government phones, officials said Friday.

The ban, which takes effect at the end of the month, follows similar moves in many other countries.

However, New Zealand's ban will apply only to about 500 people in the parliamentary complex, not to all government workers like bans in the U.S. and Britain. Other New Zealand agencies could decide later to impose their own bans.

Global concern about the app comes after warnings by the FBI and other agencies that TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance could share TikTok user datasuch as browsing history, location and biometric identifierswith China's authoritarian government.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he didn't have TikTok on his phone.

"I'm not that hip and trendy," he told reporters.

The New Zealand move came on the advice of government cybersecurity experts, said Parliamentary Service Chief Executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero.

He said the app would be removed from all devices with access to the parliamentary network, although officials could make special arrangements for anybody who needed TikTok to perform their democratic duties.

"This decision has been made based on our own experts' analysis and following discussion with our colleagues across government and internationally," Gonzalez-Montero said in a statement. "Based on this information, the service has determined that the risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand parliamentary environment."

Hipkins said cybersecurity advice came from New Zealand's intelligence agency, the Government Communications Security Bureau. He said New Zealand didn't take a blanket approach to all government workers, and it would be up to each department or agency to make cybersecurity decisions.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Standard Chartered (SC) Bank Korea CEO Park Jong-bok, left, and Citibank Korea CEO Yoo Myung-soon / Courtesy of SC Bank Korea and Citibank Korea



By Anna J. Park



Major foreign banks stationed in Korea plan to send over 230 billion won ($175 million) to their overseas headquarters as dividend payments from last year's business performance.



According to the financial industry, Standard Chartered (SC) Bank Korea decided to pay dividends amounting to 160 billion won at their regular board meeting on Thursday. The amount of dividends will be confirmed at its shareholders' meeting slated for March 31. The British bank posted a net profit of 390 billion won in 2022, tripling its annual net profit for the previous year.



Given that SC Bank Korea paid dividends of 49 billion won in 2020 and 80 billion won in 2021, the bank's dividend payment for 2022 has doubled from the previous year.



Citibank Korea also decided to pay cash dividends of 73.2 billion won at its regular board meeting held on Wednesday. The U.S. bank will confirm the amount at its shareholders' meeting on March 30, and the money will be sent in April.



Nearly all of the dividends of the two foreign banks will be sent to their overseas headquarters. The entire 100 percent stake of SC Bank Korea is owned by Standard Chartered NEA Limited, while Citibank Overseas Investment Corporation holds a 99.98 percent stake in Citibank Korea.



The move comes amid local financial authorities' heightened emphasis on strengthening lenders' capital buffer reserves, following the sudden collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). Prior to SVB's failure, local financial authorities had already been pressuring local lenders to restrain from paying hefty dividends to shareholders, in order to make sure that the lenders hold a sound level of capital reserves to absorb any losses they might incur.



Yet, both SC Bank Korea and Citibank Korea stress that their dividend payments align with sound capital buffer requirements.



"The amount of dividend payments for 2022 was decided, after considering both global and local guidelines for capital soundness, including capital adequacy ratio set by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS)," an official at SC Bank Korea told The Korea Times, Friday. "Even after paying out the dividends, SC Bank Korea's BIS capital adequacy ratio and Tier 1 capital ratio would remain at 17.83 percent and 14.73 percent, respectively, which far exceed requirements set by both global and local financial authorities."



An official from Citibank Korea also stressed that the bank maintains one of the highest capital adequacy ratios among lenders operating in Korea.



"The amount of the dividend was determined, after fully factoring in the largest possible losses that could happen under possible crises and calculating the amount of capital reserves needed for such scenarios," the official said.


Its been 80 days since Rene Borrel landed his plane in a pasture off Jones Road in Bryan. As of Thursday night, the plane is still right where he left it.

Borrel wants it back and conversations are finally taking place with representatives of Borrel and the Bryan Business Council to get the plane back to the Louisiana man.

In a statement provided to The Eagle Thursday afternoon, Mike Gentry of West, Webb, Allbritton & Gentry, said the BBC received information on Wednesday from an attorney representing Borrel saying he engaged Lone Star Retrieval, an aircraft retrieval company in Ferris, to recover the plane. It is expected to take place one day next week, if weather permits.

The months since the incident have led to a wait for answers, a lawsuit, an online debate about the circumstances surrounding the landing and a strong claim from Borrel about Bryan Mayor Bobby Gutierrez. Claims and counter-claims from involved parties, including Borrel, the business council and Gutierrez, have been issued this week.

The landing

On Dec. 27, 2022, Borrel left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at 1:14 p.m. and said he was headed to his home to Marksville, Louisiana.

Plans changed when he said his engine quit. Borrel said he looked for the best option to survive and decided in the direction of a field. The plane made its emergency landing at 1:52 p.m., according to FlightAware, and was less than three miles from Easterwood Airport in College Station.

A statement provided to The Eagle by Gutierrezs attorney, Matt Doss of Doss & Rodriguez PLLC, on Thursday said Borrel refused to declare an emergency when asked by air traffic control on at least two occasions. Declaring an emergency would have permitted Borrel to land on the nearest runway available to him.

It was a miraculous landing, Borrel told The Eagle. I shouldnt be alive. The FAA said that. Everybody said it. Im a dead man talking to you right now.

At the time of the emergency landing, cowboys from Gutierrezs cattle company, La Pistola, were on the property. They tended to Borrel and later moved the cattle at the request of the Federal Aviation Administration and first responders, according to the statement from Doss.

One of the guys on the horses said they never heard the airplane, Borrel said. He saw it and said it looked like it was floating on the trees and then it started rolling down the hill to where it is now.

The response

Since January, Borrel said representatives from his insurance company, who did not respond to The Eagle as of press time, have tried to access and retrieve the plane. Borrel said their requests have been denied or not responded to.

Its not that they havent tried, because my understanding is that theyve tried pretty regularly, Borrel said.

A Bryan Business Council statement said neither Borrel nor his insurance company contacted the council or the company leasing the property following the emergency landing, and adds once the business council was made aware of a social media debate about the planes retrieval, the council contacted Borrels insurance company and requested the planes removal no later than Thursday. However, the plane wasnt retrieved. Borrel said he wasnt aware until March 10 that Gutierrez isnt the owner of the land where his plane landed.

Borrels attorney, Don Swaim of Cunningham Swaim LLP, did not provide additional comment as to when Borrels representatives were put in contact with the Bryan Business Council, or why it has taken so long for the plane to be removed.

Borrel said the FAA wants to look at his airplane to find out what happened to the engine, but its still in the field. Removing the plane is not a simple procedure, either, Borrel said; permits must be obtained, a moving company must be scheduled and the wings must be removed and put on flatbed trucks.

Its not as simple as going and picking up a car and taking it to a shop, Borrel said. Its a little more complex than that.

Clifford Dorn, who runs Rafter D Genetics LLC, a private cattle company specializing in artificial insemination and embryo harvesting, currently leases the pasture where Borrels plane landed. He said no one representing Borrel had contacted him or Rafter D since the emergency landing, about getting access to the property to retrieve the plane.

Thats the whole thing, Dorn said. Theyre saying we wont let them get that plane off. Theyve never asked me. Ive never refused them to take that plane.

Mayor Gutierrez

In April 2022, the Bryan Business Council agreed to a grazing lease that includes the pasture where the plane landed to Rafter D. Gutierrez is a client of Rafter D and had cattle on the property for artificial insemination and embryo harvesting at the time of the emergency landing, according to a BBC statement.

Gutierrez served as a member on the Bryan Business Council from Jan. 1, 2015, to Nov. 12, 2020; additionally he served as a non-voting liaison for the business council from Dec. 8, 2020 to Dec. 12, 2022, according the Lacey Lively, the city of Bryans communications and marketing director. The current members of the business councils board of directors are: John Bush, Jack Valerius, Kevin Krolczyk, Linda Ravey, Jon Heidtke, Wade Beckman, Randy French, Austin Bryan, Brett Brewer, Kenny Lawson and Whitney Wright.

The Bryan Business Council statement said the council does not have a contract with Gutierrez, nor was the council aware that Gutierrez was a client of Rafter D.

Dorn told The Eagle that Gutierrez has been a longtime client of his, and their project to send embryos to Brazil had been underway for more than a year. Dorn said Gutierrezs cattle were synchronized for the breeding program. When the plane made its emergency landing, Dorn said the cattle had to be rounded up into a small, wooden pen on the propertys fence line near Jones Road because FAA officials didnt want the cattle near the plane.

Dorn said the cattle were kept in the pen for an extended period of time and noted a neighbors bull broke in and messed up the whole program. Dorn did not elaborate. Its uncertain how long Gutierrezs cattle were in the pen. As a result, the contract was canceled. Both Borrel and Dorn said fences around the property were not damaged during the planes emergency landing.

If they wouldve picked up the plane right away, within the first week or two, there wouldnt have been any problems out there at all, Dorn said. If the cows wouldve been free in the pasture, none of this wouldve happened. If we couldve continued with our program, it wouldnt have happened. There wouldnt have been any issues.

Damage claims

In a YouTube episode of Probable Cause: Dan Gryder, released on Sunday, Borrel was interviewed by Gryder, the host, and said Gutierrez called him in January, identified himself as the mayor of Bryan and told him damages would start at $250,000 for lost profits. Borrel said he told Gutierrez to contact his insurance company about that.

In a statement from Gutierrezs attorney, the lost profits from the cattle program are now in excess of $269,700. The statement noted although it was not Gutierrezs responsibility, he made several attempts to coordinate the retrieval of Borrels plane through a contractor and Borrels insurance. The statement said on each occasion the contractor canceled the retrieval.

Borrel did not provide the name of his insurance company to The Eagle, only the name of his individual agent, who did not return phone calls to The Eagle as of press time.

At no time did Gutierrez or La Pistola Cattle Company ransom or hold hostage Borrels plane in exchange for payment of money, which was sensationalized by uninformed internet bloggers. Gutierrez never prevented Borrel or his representatives from retrieving his plane from the BBC property. Any reporting to the contrary is false and is actionable defamation, Doss said in the statement. Following the plane crash, Gutierrez advised Borrel and his insurance company of his desire to recover his business considerable financial losses.

According to court documents obtained by The Eagle, a lawsuit was filed by Borrel in a Brazos County district court on Feb. 23 against Gutierrez and Colin Sergio Cardenas as Borrel sought immediate return of his plane and monetary relief of $250,000 or less. The lawsuit states Cardenas is the owner of property in the 8600 block of Jones Road. However, the Brazos County Appraisal District map doesnt show the exact location of the property, and notes the land Borrels plane landed on is owned by the Bryan Business Council.

The lawsuit states Gutierrez has repeatedly represented that he is the owner or otherwise controls the subject property where Borrels plane landed and is located. A letter from Feb. 8 attached to the lawsuit said, Gutierrez has indicated that he will not permit the subject aircraft to be removed from the property until his claim for lost profits is resolved.

The statement from Gutierrezs attorney added: Following the plane crash, Gutierrez advised Borrel and his insurance company of his desire to recover his business considerable financial losses. It is Gutierrezs desire to resolve the dispute with Borrel and his insurance company in an amicable, fair manner as quickly as possible.

It is critical for the public to understand that Gutierrezs involvement in this unfortunate incident with Borrel was as a private citizen and rancher, not in his capacity as Mayor of Bryan.

As of Thursday, the plane remained in the field with cattle around it.

I just want my airplane back, Borrel said. Thats all I want.
China's AI industry embraces new opportunities for development

10:23, March 17, 2023 By Wang Zheng ( People's Daily

A smart inspection robot works in a plant of Dongying Aoxing Petrochemical Co., Ltd. in Dongying, east China's Shandong province. (People's Daily Online/Liu Yunjie)

Beijing-based autonomous driving startup QCraft recently launched an advanced autopilot solution based on the Journey 5 processor developed by Horizon Robotics, a leader in computing solutions for intelligent vehicles.

The solution, called QCraft Chengfeng, can handle a wide range of complex urban traffic scenarios with higher-level assisted driving capabilities including unprotected left turns, pedestrian and vehicle avoidance, automatic lane changes, automatic turning, traffic light recognition, narrow road and congested roadway passing, and automatic yielding to obstacles. It makes driving much easier.

Tianfu district in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan province has built a digital twin platform for ecological governance under the assistance from tech firm CloudWalk Technology. The platform includes 18 intelligent gauging stations, five streamgages and 100 sets of surface fire probes. Real-time data are transmitted to the platform via over 200 front-end sensors. The artificial intelligence (AI) platform is able to well manage urban emergencies such as water quality retrievals and pollutions.

China has achieved positive progress in the AI industry in terms of technological innovation, industrial ecology and industrial integration over the recent years, becoming one of the best countries in the world in terms of AI development.

According to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), the value of the core sectors of the China's AI industry reached 508 billion yuan ($73.64 billion) last year, up 18 percent year on year.

Robots work in an intelligent workshop of Chinese photovoltaics company Trina Solar in Suqian, east China's Jiangsu province. (People's Daily Online/Shi Xiaokai)

China ranked first globally in terms of the number of AI-related invention patent applications. The CAICT estimated that Chinese entities submitted 389,000 such applications between 2013 and November 2022, or 53.4 percent of the world's total, which stood at 729,000; among the 244,000 AI-related invention patents authorized in the world last year, 102,000, or 41.7 percent, came from China.

New progress has been achieved by relevant innovation carriers. A batch of new R&D institutions have made breakthroughs in AI models, AI computing processors and other areas. The country is also in a leading position in the world in terms of computing infrastructure. China has basically built a national integrated big data center system and is accelerating its steps to channel more computing resources from the eastern areas to the less developed western regions. It has established a batch of national open innovation platforms for a new generation AI technologies.

Chinese enterprises have made important breakthroughs in key technologies such as application algorithm, intelligent processors and open source framework. They are also leading the world in image recognition and voice recognition. A number of signature products including intelligent sensors and intelligent connected vehicles have hit the market.

The ecology of the AI industry is taking shape in China. So far, over 400 universities in China have set up AI-related majors and the country ranks second in the world in terms of the number of high-end AI talents. As of the end of 2022, there were 27,255 representative AI enterprises around the world, and 4,227, or 16 percent, were from China.

An artificial intelligence drone contest is held in the Huangshan division of the second National AI Application Technology Skills Competition, Jan. 3, 2023. (People's Daily Online/Shi Yalei)

Three AI industrial clusters have been developed in China, which are in the Yangtze River delta, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and the Pearl River delta, respectively. The open AI platforms of Baidu, Alibaba, Huawei, Tencent, iFlytek, CloudWalk Technology and JD.com are now able to support the rapid development of the AI industry.

An Hui, deputy chief engineer of China Center for Information Industry Development, told People's Daily that AI is well integrated with the primary, secondary and tertiary industries and is gradually seeping into the tourism and agriculture sectors. Intelligent finance, healthcare, security and transport have become hotspot scenarios of AI application, and the technology is also making smarter the designing, production, quality inspection and other key links of the manufacturing industry, An said.

An official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology noted that China will make more efforts to foster the AI industry and nurture a sound ecology for it during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

It will build innovation consortiums joined by enterprises of all sizes, universities and research institutes to strive for breakthroughs in key AI technologies and to improve China's capability in developing smart processors, development framework and typical smart products. China will accelerate the application of AI in manufacturing, transport and energy industries, promote smart upgrading in key areas. The country will also build AI industrial clusters, foster a batch of leading AI enterprises with global competitiveness, and develop a batch of specialized and sophisticated enterprises that produce new and unique products.

Focusing on technological breakthroughs and the expansion of application, attracting global resources with China's super-scale market, China's AI industry is deeply integrating into the real economy and becoming a new growth driver. It is estimated that the output of the China's AI industry will reach a trillion yuan by 2030.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 17, shows the North firing a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile from the Sunan area in Pyongyang the previous day. Yonhap



North Korea has test-fired a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in a show of the "toughest response posture" of its strategic forces against "aggressive" massive combined drills by the United States and South Korea, Pyongyang's state media reported Friday.



The nation's leader Kim Jong-un "guided" the launch the previous day together with his young daughter Ju-ae, as it served as an occasion to "give a stronger warning to the enemies intentionally escalating the tension" on the peninsula, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).



It cited the "unstable security environment" in the region attributable to "provocative and aggressive large-scale war drills," referring to the South Korea-U.S. Freedom Shield (FS) exercise under way in a program coupled with major field trainings.



The drill involving the Hwasong-17 was "aimed at confirming the mobile and normal operation and reliability of the DPRK's nuclear war deterrent," the KCNA said in an English-language report.





North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects the test-firing of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile on March 16 in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. Yonhap



It confirmed "the war readiness of the ICBM unit and the exceptional militancy of the DPRK's strategic forces and strictly verified their reliability," it added, using the acronym for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.









The KCNA said the ICBM, launched at Pyongyang International Airport, reached a maximum altitude of 6,045 kilometers and flew 1,000.2 km for 4,151 seconds before accurately landing on the preset area in the open waters off the East Sea. The Hwasong-17, called by observers here the "monster missile," was apparently shot at a lofted angle.



It came hours before South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol had summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo amid Washington's campaign to bolster trilateral security cooperation with the two key regional allies to counter the North's nuclear and missile threats.



Kim was quoted as stressing the need to "strike fear into the enemies" and warning that the allies' persistent military moves against the North will only bring "irreversible, grave threat" onto themselves.



He emphasized that the North will "react to nuclear weapons with nukes and frontal confrontation in kind" and called for "strictly maintaining the rapid response posture of the strategic forces to cope with any armed conflict and war."



Photos released by the KCNA showed Kim watching the launch with his second child, presumed to be around 10 years old. The secretive regime announced the first public appearance of his daughter in November last year, as the two inspected the launch of a Hwasong-17 together.



State media also revealed pictures of Earth apparently taken from the missile in space.



Observers said the photos appear intended to show off the country's advanced technology while preparing for the launch of a military reconnaissance satellite to be completed next month.



In December last year, Pyongyang said it conducted a "final-stage" test to develop a "military reconnaissance satellite" that will put into orbit by April.



Meanwhile, South Korea's unification ministry strongly condemned the North's latest ICBM launch and urged it to immediately cease all provocations.



"It is clear the cause and responsibility for the escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula lie in North Korea's reckless nuclear and missile development, and we find it very regrettable that the North is using the South Korea-U.S. joint exercise as justification for its provocations," Lee Hyo-jung, the ministry's deputy spokesperson, said at a press briefing. (Yonhap)




The advanced persistent threat known as Winter Vivern has been linked to campaigns targeting government officials in India, Lithuania, Slovakia, and the Vatican since 2021.

The activity targeted Polish government agencies, the Ukraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Italy Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and individuals within the Indian government, SentinelOne said in a report shared with The Hacker News.

"Of particular interest is the APT's targeting of private businesses, including telecommunications organizations that support Ukraine in the ongoing war," senior threat researcher Tom Hegel said.

Winter Vivern, also tracked as UAC-0114, drew attention last month after the Computer Emergency Response Team of Ukraine (CERT-UA) detailed a new malware campaign aimed at state authorities of Ukraine and Poland to deliver a piece of malware dubbed Aperetif.

Previous public reports chronicling the group show that it has leveraged weaponized Microsoft Excel documents containing XLM macros to deploy PowerShell implants on compromised hosts.

While the origins of the threat actor are unknown, the attack patterns suggest that the cluster is aligned with objectives that support the interests of Belarus and Russia's governments.

UAC-0114 has employed a variety of methods, ranging from phishing websites to malicious documents, that are tailored to the targeted organization to distribute its custom payloads and gain unauthorized access to sensitive systems.

In one batch of attacks observed in mid-2022, Winter Vivern set up credential phishing web pages to lure users of the Indian government's legitimate email service email.gov[.]in.

Typical attack chains involve using batch scripts masquerading as virus scanners to trigger the deployment of the Aperetif trojan from actor-controlled infrastructure such as compromised WordPress sites.

Aperetif, a Visual C++-based malware, comes with features to collect victim data, maintain backdoor access, and retrieve additional payloads from the command-and-control (C2) server.

"The Winter Vivern APT is a resource-limited but highly creative group that shows restraint in the scope of their attacks," Hegel said.

"Their ability to lure targets into the attacks, and their targeting of governments and high-value private businesses demonstrate the level of sophistication and strategic intent in their operations."

While Winter Vivern may have managed to evade the public eye for extended periods of time, one group that's not too concerned about staying under the radar is Nobelium, which shares overlaps with APT29 (aka BlueBravo, Cozy Bear, or The Dukes).

The Kremlin-backed nation-state group, notorious for the SolarWinds supply chain compromise in December 2020, has continued to evolve its toolset, developing new custom malware like MagicWeb and GraphicalNeutrino.

It has also been attributed to yet another phishing campaign directed against diplomatic entities in the European Union, with specific emphasis on agencies that are "aiding Ukrainian citizens fleeing the country, and providing help to the government of Ukraine."

"Nobelium actively collects intelligence information about the countries supporting Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine war," BlackBerry said. "The threat actors carefully follow geopolitical events and use them to increase their possibility of a successful infection."

The phishing emails, spotted by the company's research and intelligence team, contain a weaponized document that includes a link pointing to an HTML file.

UPCOMING WEBINAR Master the Art of Dark Web Intelligence Gathering Learn the art of extracting threat intelligence from the dark web  Join this expert-led webinar! Save My Seat!

The weaponized URLs, hosted on a legitimate online library website based in El Salvador, features lures related to LegisWrite and eTrustEx, both of which are used by E.U. nations for secure document exchange.

The HTML dropper (dubbed ROOTSAW or EnvyScout) delivered in the campaign embeds an ISO image, which, in turn, is designed to launch a malicious dynamic link library (DLL) that facilitates the delivery of a next-stage malware via Notion's APIs.

The use of Notion, a popular note-taking application, for C2 communications was previously revealed by Recorded Future in January 2023. It's worth noting that APT29 has employed various online services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Firebase, and Trello in an attempt to evade detection.

"Nobelium remains highly active, executing multiple campaigns in parallel targeting government organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), and think tanks across the U.S., Europe, and Central Asia," Microsoft stated last month.

The findings also come as enterprise security firm Proofpoint disclosed aggressive email campaigns orchestrated by a Russia-aligned threat actor called TA499 (aka Lexus and Vovan) since early 2021 to trick targets into participating in recorded phone calls or video chats and extract valuable information.

"The threat actor has engaged in steady activity and expanded its targeting to include prominent businesspeople and high-profile individuals that have either made large donations to Ukrainian humanitarian efforts or those making public statements about Russian disinformation and propaganda," the company said.
Our Saviours Lutheran hosting St. Pats dinner Saturday

DANNEBROG  Our Saviours Lutheran Church will host a corned beef and cabbage dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at the church, 403 S. Mill St. in Dannebrog.

Come and enjoy a traditional St. Patricks Day meal of corned beef, cabbage and carrots along with salads and desserts.

A donation of $10 is suggested. The proceeds will go towards the churchs continued ministry and grounds repair.

Peace Lutherans Easter Eggstravaganza, March 18

Peace Lutheran Church, 1710 N. North Road, will hosts its annual Easter Eggstravaganza from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 18.

Join in the fun and games, treats, free food, a special presentation and learn about the Resurrection of Jesus. This event is free and open to all.
AURORA  Family members, friends, members of the military, veterans, the Knights of Columbus and others turned out Friday for the funeral of Robert and Loveda Proctor.

The Proctors left Aurora Jan. 11 and couldn't find their their way home. But a large portion of their hometown came together Friday to honor the couple, pray for them and send them to their eternal rewards.

American flags were in abundance outside St. Mary's Catholic Church before the funeral. About 20 members of the Patriot Guard Riders and American Legion Riders stood holding flags in honor of Robert Proctor, who spent 21 years in the Navy Seabees.

Members of Aurora American Legion Post 42 and the Nebraska Military Funeral Honors Team also paid tribute.

Military rites were performed in the church parking lot following the funeral. After the firing squad carried out its duties and a bugler played taps, two members of the Navy folded a flag and presented it to the family. The two sailors were Dustin Warren and Michael Baker, both of Omaha.

Loveda's body was transported to the cemetery in a traditional hearse.

But Robert's casket was carried in a colorful antique owned by Tim VanDeWalle, the Proctors' next-door neighbor. A few years ago, Robert asked VanDeWalle if he would take him to the cemetery in VanDeWalle's vehicle, which is known as "The Hillbilly Truck."

"I was thinking he could do better than this old thing. But he said when he passes, he wants to go out with a bang and that'd be the way to do it."

The oldest part of the vehicle comes from a 1917 Chevy truck. It includes a frame from a 1954 Willys pickup and parts from other assorted vehicles.

The Proctors traveled to Grand Island Jan. 11 to get medical help for Robert. They were finally found exactly two months later, 11 miles northeast of Kearney

Loveda was 92. Robert would have turned 90 on Wednesday.

The funeral Mass was officiated by the Rev. Mark Seiker. He said that over the two months they were missing, many people were praying for the Proctors and for those who were looking for them.

One of the hymns at the funeral was "Irish Blessing," fitting for St. Patrick's Day.

Because the Proctors were lost in their travels, the song's refrain was also appropriate. "May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always with you. May the sun shine warm upon you always, and the rains fall soft upon your fields."

Not knowing where the Proctors were was hard on the family. "It's been a long road. It's very hard, but we can finally move on with some closure and start to heal from this," said Laci Fleming, the Proctors' granddaughter. They can now "focus on the good memories and everything that we remember about them that they would want us to."

Fleming spent a lot of time with her grandparents. "They were the best. They cared so much about everyone. They dedicated their lives (to) helping other people," she said.

Fleming used to stay overnight at their home. "Grandma'd let me stay up late and watch stuff with her. So yeah, lot of great memories."

The Proctors' final days were difficult.

"It's just so sad. They deserved better than that. But I'm really happy that they're together," Fleming said.

The Proctors leave behind three sons  Steve, 64, Joe, 62, and Victor, 59.

Robert Proctor not only served in Korea, but he did three tours in Vietnam.

"He volunteered to go back twice," Joe said. "He didn't have to."

"When he joined the Navy, he wasn't even old enough to join," Joe said. "His brother took the test for him, and by the time they found out how old he was, he was old enough to stay in. So they couldn't kick him out."

Two of the Proctors' sons joined the Navy, like their father.

"I guess what's really overwhelming is just all the people that's reached out to help us and look for our mom and dad," Joe said.

Victor said the family appreciates the work of the Aurora Police Department, the Nebraska State Patrol, area newspapers and television and residents of Doniphan, Hastings and other communities.

"We had so many people that were reaching out in every direction," Victor said.

Aurora Cooperative used its planes to search for the Proctors. Cropdusters took to the skies. People used helicopters and drones to search for them. A state patrolman who lives in Aurora went to Hastings on his days off and used his drone "trying to find them," Victor said.

Victor gave special praise to Chief Paul Graham and Lt. Ryan Dummer of the Aurora Police Department. "They were in constant communication. They were working tirelessly. Every day, I know that that's all they were thinking about," Victor said.

He worried that Graham and Dummer weren't spending as much time with their families as they should. He's glad they can get back to their normal lives now that his parents have been found.

People reached out to the Proctors from almost every county in Nebraska. They received letters from people in many states saying that they were searching in their areas. "It was just unbelievable how Nebraska Strong we were, and how strong the rest of the United States was. It makes you proud to be an American," Victor said.

Victor owns Community Roofing and Home Improvement in Aurora. Growing up, he helped his dad with construction projects.

"Everything I do every day I learned from my dad. My dad used to love showing up at my job sites and just being there, watching how we're doing it, making sure I'm doing it the way he taught me," Victor said.

Joe said his mother was like an angel.

"No matter what, you'd call Mom and she would be there and do anything for anyone," Victor said.

Their mother loved to help people and was a very caring person, Victor said. "And she said so many prayers for me and my brothers and her grandkids, great-grandkids and everybody else," Victor said.

Joe said his parents would help anybody. "It didn't matter who you were, what you were. They taught us boys a lot about growing up and the right from wrong," he said.

If somebody needed help, Robert Proctor would drop everything. "It didn't matter what he was doing, he'd drop it and go help," Joe said.

Growing up, the boys lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, Jacksonville, Florida, El Centro, California, and Okinawa, Japan before moving to Nebraska.

"The Navy was his life," Joe said. "The Navy, church, God, his family."

Like any family, the Proctors are grieving.

"I love them. I miss them," Joe said. "I know they're together now."

It hurts that they're gone, but "they're together. That's the main thing, and we got some closure. We found them. That's a big thing to our whole family," Joe said.

"God bless everybody that helped us in this search and thanks for your prayers," Victor said. "It helped us to be able to get through all of this."
Carrie Kolar, current principal of Engleman Elementary, will be the districts new HR chief, Grand Island Public Schools announced Thursday.

District officials hinted a new human resources chief was coming soon, as the position was mentioned at during Mondays regular-session GIPS board meeting. Kolar will be head of human capital management.

Grand Island Public Schools has been operating with interim human resources chiefs since fall 2022.

(Human resources) director is something that weve been in limbo with, GIPS interim Superintendent Matt Fisher noted in Mondays superintendents report to the board.

He said interviews were scheduled for the next day, March 14. Individual candidates were not named.

Kolar is no stranger to GIPS. She has been with the district since 2005, serving as Englemans principal for four years. Kolar also had stretches of principalship at Dodge Elementary and Stolley Park Elementary.

In a press release, Kolar said: I look forward to building relationships district-wide with our dedicated staff. Together we will focus on building a place where staff members feel valued, grow professionally and work collaboratively to accelerate the learning for each student.

Kolar has her doctorate in educational administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an administrative certificate in educational leadership from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Fisher said in the aforementioned news release that Kolar Has a proven track record as a very capable leader. She has shown her adaptability and strong leadership skills as she has assumed various roles in our district.

Former HR chief Wayne Stelk and current GIPS Recruitment and Retention Coordinator Brian Kort have been filling the chief HR position since early October 2022, when Kristen Irey officially vacated the seat.

Stelk has been reprising his role, after serving as chief from 1999 until August 2021.

Following Stelk, Irey took on the position.

According to a previous report by The Independent, a job description for GIPS chief of human capital management will have a role including (leading) a staff of more than 1,600.
Grand Island Regional Hospital, which opened in August of 2020, will have its first community-wide open house Saturday.

The open house runs from 9 to 11 a.m. Tours will be given and light refreshments served. Swag bags will be given to the first guests.

"We want the folks to see the hospital, learn about our services, what we do and what we're doing in the community," said hospital CEO Larry Speicher.

"We're growing as an organization," Speicher said. Grand Island Regional has more than 350 employees and about 270 providers, including physicians.

The hospital is "seeing patients come in from all over central Nebraska" because the physicians do a lot of outreach in the area.

The emergency department is growing. "We're seeing a fair number of patients come through the emergency department on a daily basis," Speicher said.

In the maternity world, about 460 babies were born at the hospital last year.

In addition, "Our medicine services are growing," Speicher said, referring to pneumonia and infection types of cases.

Grand Island Regional has also brought in Bryan Heart Institute for cardiology services. "They provide services every day of the week now for us. So we're excited about that.

"We've also been developing other subspecialty services," he said.

Bryan Heart Institute is based in Lincoln. The physicians come to Grand Island on a rotating schedule.

Grand Island Regional has recruited a new interventional cardiologist who starts work in July. "We're adding more cardiologists to the marketplace," Speicher said.

Speicher wants people to know "that we're dedicated to providing great service here, that we want them to have a great experience and a great outcome, and we want them to know that we're a choice in the marketplace for health care."

The hospital totals 175,000 square feet. Bryan Health owns 90% of Grand Island Regional Medical Center.

The ownership structure hasn't changed, but the signs outside the hospital have been updated to include the Bryan name.

In adding the Bryan name to the signs, Grand Island Regional is "branding Bryan Health in the marketplace" and making sure the community knows that Bryan "is in partnership with the physicians here," Speicher said.

Grand Island Regional Medical Center is proud to be affiliated with Bryan.

"We want to let people know that we're part of Bryan Health System. They're a Nebraska organization, with six hospitals (and) over 5,000 employees. They can help provide a lot of resources to the Grand Island market, which is why the physicians were so excited to work with them," Speicher said.

Speicher encourages people to attend Saturday's open house "just to see our new, beautiful facility that we offer to the folks in Grand Island and central Nebraska."
The following questions were asked recently on the Wonderline:

Q: We are wondering what the York Police Department and York County Sheriffs Departments positions are on LB77.

A: The latest effort to allow Nebraskans to carry concealed weapons without a permit cleared a major hurdle in early March when it passed the first round of debate in the Legislature.

Lawmakers passed Legislative Bill 77 in a 36-12 vote after eight hours of grueling debate that spanned the course of three days. LB 77, introduced by Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, would allow Nebraskans 21 and older to carry concealed weapons without a permit.

Measures like LB 77 are sometimes called constitutional carry in reference to some gun rights advocates belief that the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gives people the right to carry concealed guns without a permit.

Currently in Nebraska, getting a concealed-carry permit requires passing a criminal background check, paying a $100 fee and taking an eight- to 16-hour gun safety class.

The bill has to pass two more rounds of debate before it goes to Gov. Jim Pillens desk to be signed into law. Passing the first round doesnt necessarily mean the bill is in the clear. Brewers previous attempt to pass similar legislation last year was killed in the second round of debate after an amendment to gain the support of local law enforcement fell through.

LB 77 was the subject of an hours-long public hearing in January before it went to the floor. Many of the same arguments presented during the hearing also popped up on both sides of the Legislatures debate, and persisted through all three days.

Supporters argued the bill would protect Nebraskans Second Amendment rights and help law-abiding citizens defend themselves. Opponents, largely led by Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln, countered that the bill would make Nebraska more dangerous, and that training is a necessary step to responsible gun ownership.

Much of the debate also focused on an amendment Brewer introduced that he said swayed the opinion of several law enforcement organizations. He said the amendment gained the support of the Nebraska Sheriffs Association and the Police Officers Association of Nebraska, and changed the Omaha police unions position to neutral on the bill.

Brewer said passage of the amendment in the first round of debate was important for ensuring success in the remaining rounds of debate. He said a vote on the amendment to last years bill being pushed to the second round ultimately contributed to its failure.

Under the amendment, an individual would receive an added misdemeanor charge if they carry a firearm while committing certain dangerous misdemeanors, including domestic assault, shoplifting or stalking. It would also be a felony upon the third offense of an individual failing to notify a law enforcement official that they are carrying a weapon.

Regarding how local law enforcement officials stand on the matter, we asked for the opinions of York County Sheriff Paul Vrbka and York Police Chief Ed Tjaden.

Chief Tjaden said, The York Police Department strives to offer fair and objective services to our community, and this means we, as a department, do not actively take sides in political debates/positions. The expectation of officers of the York Police Department is that their personal political beliefs should not be a factor in their work.

Speaking only for myself, I see both sides of the issue and am currently contemplating my position. I appreciate the bill in its current form because it carries added penalties for those who would use firearms to commit crime, but I am also a staunch supporter of training for those who choose to carry concealed firearms (as required in our current concealed carry law), Chief Tjaden said. I encourage everyone to get involved: educate themselves, contact their legislators, and vote.

Sheriff Vrbka said on the matter, I support the Nebraska Sheriffs Association position on LB77, as the president of the southeast district of that association. He added, Personally, Id recommend handgun education for safety training and liability information for those who are novices with no backgrounds in handling guns and for people in general who are getting a gun for the first time.

Q: Why did the city cut down all the large oak trees on Blackburn?

A: York Public Works Director James Paul explained, The City of York has several road reconstruction projects under contract to be completed in 2023. A tree(s) or shrubs located in the citys right of way adjoining a property must be removed to make way for some road/street improvements.

Every effort is being made to improve the function and aesthetics of the residential neighborhoods during reconstruction. Alterations may be required on the right-of-way adjoining a property to allow for utility pole relocations and to maintain the integrity of the new pavement. Tree removals are occurring in some areas that contain a tree(s) that are located within the citys right of way that conflicts with the roadway construction. Notifications were made to adjoining property owners that are affected with the appropriate removals. If necessary, the tree(s)/shrubs and stumps will be properly removed.

In accordance with City of York Code of Ordinances Section 34-62  trees and shrubs. Trees and shrubs growing in such a way as to interfere with the making of any public improvement or in such a way as to interfere with any sewer or drain shall be deemed an obstruction and may be removed as provided by this article.

Q: Oh, Nebraska springs. They are so unpredictable. I was curious as to what is the latest measurable snow in our area, in history?

A: Nebraska Extension has a list of the last measurable snows in this area of the state. We found the latest measurable snow was on May 5, 1944. Before that, some other notable dates were April 30, 1994; May 3, 1967; and May 3, 1907.

Q: I was watching the Oscars last Sunday night and noticed there were some celebrities wearing small blue ribbons. What was the meaning behind the ribbons?

A: The blue ribbons signified their support for refugees.

The Associated Press said a statement from the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said the message it was intended to relay was everyone has the right to seek safety, whoever, wherever, whenever they are.

Q: I have been a fan of Jamie Lee Curtis for many years. Was this year the first time shes won an Oscar in her career?

A: Yes, this was Jamie Lee Curtis first Oscar.

Q: Which states in the nation raise the most cattle?

A: The top five states, in order, for raising cattle are Texas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and California.
Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon, left, meets French Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories Gerald Darmanin in Paris, March 8. Courtesy of Ministry of Justice



By Ko Dong-hwan



Introducing a new central government agency dedicated to Korea's immigration policies is apparently gaining momentum after Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon returned from Europe where he studied the migrant policies of advanced countries.



Han met with key immigration policymakers in France, Germany and the Netherlands during his trip from March 7 to Wednesday. Upon his return, the minister said in a statement that the economic and political leaders of Europe place high priority on immigration policies.



Han's meetings with the European leaders led to bilateral agreements with each country on establishing closer ties to share immigration policies and data. Deals were also made to create a hotline for officials of national immigration policy bureaus in each country.





Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon meets Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yesilgoz Zegerius in The Hague on March 9. Courtesy of Ministry of Justice



"I'm sure that the recent summits will help us launch a new control tower on immigration policies and introduce related policies," Han said. "We will do our best to get started."



Han visited Paris on March 8 to meet French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. The ministry oversees the Directorate-General for Foreign Nationals in France as well as the French Office of Immigration and Integration.



Han visited the Netherlands on March 9 and 10, where he met Justice and Security Minister Dilan Yesilgoz Zegerius, who emigrated from Turkey as a child. The ministry is responsible for immigration and naturalization services.



In Germany on March 13 and 14, Han met Rita Schwarzeluhr Sutter, parliamentary state secretary at the German Federal Interior and Community Ministry. The ministry runs the Directorate-General M, H and V, which handle immigration policies, and Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.



The officials not only shared their ministries' strengths and achievements, but also their failures and causes behind them, according to Han. His counterparts also shared how they persuaded members of the public who had objected to their countries' immigration policies.





Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon meets German Vice-Minister of the Interior and Community Rita Schwarzeluhr Sutter in Berlin, March. 13. Courtesy of Ministry of Justice
With a zoning approval comes more concrete ideas of what future development will look like.

The Grand Island City Council approved a zoning change for Legacy 34's Third Subdivision during its meeting on Tuesday. The zoning area is west of Prairie View Street and north of Husker Highway.

Legacy 34 is a new luxury apartment complex in Grand Island that opened for leasing in early March. It currently has 90 apartments and two carriage houses, which are three-story housing units.

However, the plan has always been to develop the area into the Prairie District, a 200-acre neighborhood, according to Legacy 34 developer Scott Rief. Along with more housing units, there will be a small commercial district, a walkable neighborhood, green spaces and three communal lakes.

This is gonna change Grand Island, Rief said. This is really gonna represent who we are and really what we can offer to the rest of Nebraska.

Previously, a CD Commercial Dev Zone and a RD Residential Dev Zone had been approved for Legacy 34 Second Subdivision in October.

According to Regional Planning Director Chad Nabity, the zoning had been approved with the knowledge Legacy 34 would come back once more definite plans were made. This time the zoning change was amended to a CD Commercial Development Zone, RD Residential Development Zone and a B2 General Business Zone.

In the development plans shown by Nabity, the RD zone will have 15 more apartment complexes built, each with 10 units. There will also be four more carriage houses built.

This is putting a dent in the housing crisis that Grand Island has, that the state of Nebraska has, said Rief. This is helping resolve the housing crisis that we are suffering right now.

The CD zone will be the downtown area for the complex, with seven commercial buildings. There will be a giant village center for the neighborhood and some local businesses, such as an ice cream shop, a coffee shop and a couple restaurants.

As of now, a flagship hotel is intended to be built in the B2 zone. During the meeting, Rief said that if the zoning change was approved, then he hoped to have a contract for the hotel signed this week.

I cant tell you who it is, said Rief, But it will be a nice hotel.

Before the council voted on the zoning change, Councilor Mitchell Nickerson thanked Rief for all the work he has done.

First of all, thank you for your vision, said Nickerson. Second of all, thank you for bringing it together.

Nickerson talked about the need for more housing in Grand Island. For reference, he brought up the Talon Apartments, which Rief had also developed, and how they only had three vacancies among their 200 units.

When youve got 200 units and youve got just about every single one of them filled, said Nickerson. Youve already got people coming in here and I think thats just telling us exactly what we already knew and the need is there.

After the discussion, the council members approved the zone change 9-0. Rief said that work on the other apartment complexes has already started.
Chicago police Superintendent David Brown quietly stepped down Thursday, three years after he was picked to lead the Police Department.

First Deputy Superintendent Eric Carter, Browns second in command, will take over as interim superintendent, the department said in a news release.

We will continue the progress we made under the leadership of Superintendent Brown to build trust in our communities and strengthen safety across every neighborhood, Carter said.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot called Brown a humble leader as he came to Chicago in April 2020 seeking to reduce crime and make the department more transparent and accountable after working as police chief in Dallas. But his aspirations were quickly complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the civil unrest that followed the police murder of George Floyd in Minnesota.

Gun violence sharply increased in the city under his leadership and the department was slow to make progress on court-mandated reforms as it struggled to navigate the pandemic and protests.

A month into the job, Brown called getting Chicago to under 300 annual homicides a moonshot goal. Homicides rose from 498 in 2020 to 797 in 2021, then 695 in 2022, according to city data.

Some critics have denounced Browns department as insufficiently willing to reform, pointing in particular to Browns decision to fire Robert Boik, the CPD official leading the departments reform efforts to comply with the consent decree.

Other critics have blamed Brown for declining officer morale and thousands of police vacancies caused in part by a wave of officer retirements. They argue Browns scheduling policies overburdened officers.

Brown announced his plans to resign in early March, the day after Lightfoot lost her mayoral reelection bid. He is taking a position as chief operating officer at a personal injury law firm, he said at the time.

Lightfoot, who hired Brown after firing former Superintendent Eddie Johnson amid scandal, praised Brown for promoting more women and for the departments record numbers of illegal gun recoveries.

Brown declined to talk about his accomplishments and the criticism he has faced in a phone call with the Tribune on Thursday.

He spoke last week at the funeral of slain Officer Andres Mauricio Vasquez Lasso, but did not attend a police graduation ceremony earlier that week. Brown reportedly left Chicago on Wednesday to little fanfare within the department.

Carter, a 30-year department veteran, has worked in various patrol and investigation positions, including periods focusing on gangs and narcotics, the departments news release said. He led the counterterrorism and special operations bureau before serving as Browns second-in-command for nearly all of the outgoing superintendents tenure.

The interim superintendent appointed by Lightfoot will lead the departments 11,700 sworn members into the summer months, when violent crime typically spikes in Chicago.

The next superintendent will be chosen in large part by the winner of the April 4 mayoral runoff election between former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson. The candidates offer contrasting takes on policing, but both have signaled they would prefer a local nominee to lead the department.

The candidates had said they would fire Brown before he announced his resignation. They declined to name the prospective leaders who might be on their police superintendent shortlist in a recent debate.

Choosing a new superintendent from within the department could pose a challenge. Many of the departments top leaders have left the force in the past few years.

Whoever takes over as superintendent will contend with a federal consent decree, strong calls for accountability, a rise in violent crime, challenges with morale and staffing and a new mayor with their own vision for what changes the department needs to take.

Photos: Chicago mayoral candidates in the 2023 election Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Jesus "Chuy" Garcia - 2023 Jesus "Chuy" Garcia - 2023 Jesus "Chuy" Garcia - 2023 Jesus "Chuy" Garcia - 2023 Jesus "Chuy" Garcia - 2023 Lori Lightfoot - 2023 Lori Lightfoot - 2023 Lori Lightfoot - 2023 Lori Lightfoot - 2023 Lori Lightfoot - 2023 Lori Lightfoot - 2023 Lori Lightfoot - 2023 Lori Lightfoot - 2023 Lori Lightfoot - 2023 Lori Lightfoot - 2023 Lori Lightfoot - 2023 Lori Lightfoot - 2023 Lori Lightfoot - 2023 Lori Lightfoot - 2023 Paul Vallas - 2023 Paul Vallas - 2023 Paul Vallas - 2023 Paul Vallas - 2023 Paul Vallas - 2023 Paul Vallas - 2023 Paul Vallas - 2023 Paul Vallas - 2023 Paul Vallas - 2023 Paul Vallas - 2023 Paul Vallas - 2023 Paul Vallas - 2023 Paul Vallas - 2023 Paul Vallas - 2023 Willie Wilson - 2020 Willie Wilson - 2020 Willie Wilson - 2023 Willie Wilson - 2023
Let's be grateful that Ron DeSantis devotes so much of his time raging over drag queens and bragging how he punished Disney for disagreeing with him. An obsessive pursuit of "woke" has kept the Florida governor and apparent presidential candidate from mucking around serious matters. But, sadly, not always.

DeSantis shocked many foreign policy experts, including some in his Republican Party, after characterizing Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a mere territorial dispute between two countries and of not much import to America. Cozying up to Tucker Carlson, DeSantis obediently mimicked the Fox News celebrity's on-air opinion, whether the governor and/or Carlson believed it and/or not.

When Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, then-Rep. DeSantis offered a very different view. "We in the Congress have been urging the president, I've been, to provide arms to Ukraine," he said back then. "They want to fight their good fight."

For DeSantis, spending grown-up time on a threat to the Western alliance might seem an unwanted distraction from his main theme of waging a comic-book war against "woke." For example, his administration has just revoked the Hyatt Regency Miami's alcohol license because it hosted "A Drag Queen Christmas."

The theatrical displeasure centered on the presence of young people in the audience. That the minors had to be accompanied by an adult did not apparently matter to the ministers of Miami morality. To DeSantis, the parental right to make such judgements is a sometimes thing, rhetoric to the contrary.

How fortunate that "Some Like It Hot" was made in 1959 and not 2023. It has Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon dressed in drag to hide from the mob as they scamper through the "Seminole Ritz Hotel" in Miami. Their exaggerated portrayals of women are hilarious to those with an intact sense of humor.

In one scene, Osgood Fielding III, a besotted rich yachtsman played by Joe E. Brown, proposes marriage to Lemon dressed as "Daphne." An exasperated Lemmon pulls off his wig and declares, "I'm a man!" to which Brown replies, "Well, nobody's perfect."

One can't imagine such gender-bending horseplay getting by the censors in a DeSantis-ized Miami.

Did the movie include performers "wearing sexually suggesting clothing" as specified in the charges against the Hyatt's drag queen show? It did, but the performer was Marilyn Monroe singing "I Wanna Be Loved By You" in an almost-dress, her gender identification unmistakable.

If Shakespeare's works are not to the Florida governor's taste, just as well. Some of the bard's female characters disguised themselves as men. And back in Elizabethan days, male actors took on female roles because women were not allowed on the stage. The term "in drag" originally referred to male actors wearing long skirts that dragged on the stage floor.

DeSantis might want to address the Bugs Bunny problem. On over 40 occasions, the "wacky wabbit" cavorts in female dress, most memorably as the Brazilian samba queen, Carmen Miranda.

Quote Did "Some Like It Hot" include performers "wearing sexually suggesting clothing" as specified in the charges against the Hyatt's drag queen show? It did, but the performer was Marilyn Monroe.

We also had Donald Duck playing a "femme fatale" in "The Three Caballeros," a cartoon that sailed by the censors in 1944. Donald Duck is a product of the evil Disney studios, so going after him might seem a win-win in the DeSantis mindset.

The big risk for DeSantis is making his opponent Donald Trump seem deep by comparison. Trump was in Iowa talking about ethanol. He warned that DeSantis was against Social Security. "That's a bad one," Trump added, rubbing it in.

As bystanders in the political farce consuming much of the Republican race for president, we can give thanks that DeSantis has decided to battle against the sinister forces of wokeness and leave the important issues pretty much alone.

But too bad about Miami. It used to be fun.
10 iconic moments VATICAN CITY (AP)  Pope Francis marks the 10th anniversary of his election as pope on Monday. During that decade, several historic occasions, as well as several unplanned events, helped define the contours and priorities of history's first Latin American pontiff. Visits with refugees in Italy and Greece, trips to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and the coronavirus pandemic and the death of his predecessor are some of the iconic moments that have shaped his papacy and influenced the direction of the Catholic Church at large. July 8, 2013: Francis travels to the southern Italian island of Lampedusa for his first pastoral visit outside Rome to denounce the "globalization of indifference" that greets migrants who risk their lives trying to reach Europe. The plight of refugees would go on to become a major concern of his pontificate, including when he returned from Greece in 2016 with 12 Syrian migrants aboard his plane.

July 29, 2013: During his first airborne press conference as pope, Francis is asked about a purportedly gay priest and replies, "Who am I to judge?" His comment while flying home from World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro signaled a more conciliatory, welcoming tone for LGBTQ Catholics who long felt marginalized by the church.

Nov. 29, 2015: Francis starts his yearlong Jubilee of Mercy by opening the holy door of the Bangui cathedral, bringing his message of peace to the conflict-wracked Central African Republic. His emphasis on the church being a merciful "field hospital" of welcome would long outlast the official jubilee year.

Feb. 13, 2016: "We are brothers," Francis says as he becomes the first pope to meet with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill. The historic meeting in Havana, Cuba, wouldn't be repeated, as hoped, following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Feb. 4, 2019: Francis signs a document pledging Christian-Muslim cooperation to work for peace with the grand imam of Egypt's Al-Azhar, the seat of Sunni learning, during the first-ever papal trip to the Arabian Peninsula. The "Human Fraternity" document would go onto become a cornerstone of the pope's effort to forge better relations with the Muslim world.

Oct. 21, 2019: Conservative Catholic activists steal three Amazonian Indigenous statues from a Vatican-area church and throw them in the Tiber River, claiming they were pagan idols. The so-called "Pachamama" stunt during Francis' synod on the Amazon epitomized the depth of conservative opposition to the pope, which only intensified after he launched a crackdown on the use of the old Latin Mass.

Nov. 24, 2019: Standing at the memorial to victims of the U.S. atomic bombing in Hiroshima, Japan, Francis declares that not only the use but the mere possession of nuclear weapons is "immoral." Francis' position modified the Catholic Church's position, which previously held that nuclear deterrence could be morally acceptable in the interim as long as it was used toward mutual, verifiable nuclear disarmament.

March 27, 2020: Francis prays in a hauntingly empty St. Peter's Square for an end to the coronavirus pandemic on the day that Italy recorded the biggest jump in COVID-19 deaths. "We have realized that we are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us now called to row together, each of us in need of comforting each other," he says.

July 26, 2022: On the grounds of a former residential school in Canada, Francis apologizes to Indigenous peoples for the "catastrophic" and "evil" policy of forcibly assimilating Native peoples into Christian society. His Canadian apology tour followed a 2015 mea culpa in Bolivia for the "sins, offenses and crimes" of Europe's colonial-era conquest of the Americas.

Jan. 5, 2023: Francis bids farewell to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, presiding over his funeral in St. Peter's Square and closing out an unprecedented chapter in the history of the 2,000-year-old Catholic Church. Benedict's 2013 resignation paved the way for Francis' election, and the two men lived side-by-side in the Vatican for a decade as a retired and reigning pope.

VATICAN CITY  So much for a short pontificate.

Pope Francis celebrated the 10th anniversary of his election Monday, far outpacing the "two or three" years he once envisioned for his papacy and showing no signs of slowing down.

On the contrary, with an agenda full of problems and plans and no longer encumbered by the shadow of Pope Benedict XVI, Francis, 86, has backed off from talking about retiring and recently described the papacy as a job for life.

History's first Latin American pope already has made his mark and could have even more impact in the years to come. Yet a decade ago, the Argentine Jesuit was so convinced he wouldn't be elected as pope that he nearly missed the final vote as he chatted with a fellow cardinal outside the Sistine Chapel.

"The master of ceremonies came out and said 'Are you going in or not?'" Francis recalled in a recent interview with The Associated Press. "I realized afterward that it was my unconscious resistance to going in."

He was elected the 266th pope on the next ballot.

Sex abuse

Francis had a big learning curve on clergy sex abuse, initially downplaying the problem in ways that made survivors question whether he "got it." He had his wake-up call five years into his pontificate after a problematic visit to Chile.

During the trip, he discovered a serious disconnect between what Chilean bishops had told him about a notorious case and the reality: Hundreds or thousands of Chilean faithful had been raped and molested by Catholic priests over decades.

"That was my conversion," he told the AP. "That's when the bomb went off, when I saw the corruption of many bishops in this."

Francis has passed a series of measures since then aimed at holding the church hierarchy accountable, but the results have been mixed. Benedict removed some 800 priests, but Francis seems far less eager to defrock abusers, reflecting resistance within the hierarchy to efforts to permanently remove predators from the priesthood.

The next frontier in the crisis has already reared its head: the sexual, spiritual and psychological abuse of adults by clergy. Francis is aware of the problem  a new case concerns one of his fellow Jesuits  but there seems to be no will to take firm action

Significance of synods

When the history of the Francis pontificate is written, entire chapters might well be devoted to his emphasis on "synodality," a term that has little meaning outside Catholic circles but could go down as one of Francis' most important church contributions.

A synod is a gathering of bishops, and Francis' philosophy that bishops must listen to one another and the laity has come to define his vision for the Catholic Church: He wants it to be a place where the faithful are welcomed, accompanied and heard.

The synods held during his first 10 years produced some of the most significant, and controversial, moments of his papacy.

After listening to the plight of divorced Catholics during a 2014-2015 synod on the family, for instance, Francis opened the door to letting divorced and civilly remarried couples receive Communion. Calls to allow married priests marked his 2019 synod on the Amazon, although Francis ultimately rejected the idea.

His October synod has involved an unprecedented canvassing of the Catholic faithful about their hopes for the church and problems they have encountered, eliciting demands from women for greater leadership roles, including ordination.

Latin Mass

Catholic traditionalists were wary when Francis emerged as pope for the first time on the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica without the red cape that his predecessors had worn for formal events. Yet they never expected him to reverse one of Benedict's signature decisions by reimposing restrictions on the old Latin Mass, including where and who can celebrate it,.

While the decision directly affected only a fraction of Catholic Mass-goers, his crackdown on the Tridentine Rite became the call to arms for the anti-Francis conservative opposition.

Francis justified his move by saying Benedict's decision to liberalize the celebration of the old Mass had become a source of division in parishes. But traditionalists took the renewed restrictions as an attack on orthodoxy, one that they saw as contradicting Francis' "all are welcome" mantra.

"Instead of integrating them into parish life, the restriction on the use of parish churches will marginalize and push to the peripheries faithful Catholics who wish only to worship," lamented Joseph Shaw of the Latin Mass Society's U.K. branch.

While the short-term prospects for Francis relenting are not great, the traditionalists do have time on their side, knowing that in a 2,000-year-old institution, another pope might come along who is more friendly to the old rite.

Role of women

Francis' quips about the "female genius" have long made women cringe. Women theologians are the "strawberries on the cake," he once said. Nuns shouldn't be "old maids," he said. Europe shouldn't be a barren, infertile "grandmother," he told European Union lawmakers  a remark that got him an angry phone call from then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

But, it's also true that Francis has done more to promote women in the church than any pope before him, including naming several women to high-profile positions in the Vatican.

That's not saying much given only one in four Holy See employees is female, no woman heads a dicastery, or department, and Francis has upheld church doctrine forbidding women from the priesthood.

But the trend is there and "there is no possibility of going back," said Maria Lia Zervino, one of the first three women named to the Vatican office that helps the pope select bishops around the world.

LGBTQ faithful

Francis' insistence that long-marginalized LGBTQ Catholics can find a welcome home in the church can be summed up by two pronouncements that have book-ended his papacy to date: "Who am I to judge?" and "Being homosexual is not a crime."

In between making those historic statements, Francis made outreach to LGBTQ people a hallmark of his papacy more than any pope before him.

He ministers to members of a transgender community in Rome. He has counseled gay couples seeking to raise their children Catholic. During a 2015 visit to the U.S., he publicized a private meeting with a gay former student and the man's partner to counter the conservative narrative that he had received an anti-same-sex marriage activist.

"The pope is reminding the church that the way people treat one another in the social world is of much greater moral importance that what people may possibly do in the privacy of a bedroom," said Francis DeBernardo of New Ways Ministry, which advocates for greater acceptance of LGBTQ Catholics.
The Neeses Seniors Recreation & Leisure Center will be the setting for a Bluegrass and Gospel Music Concert on Saturday, March 25, at 220 Park Street.

Everyone is invited to attend and the fun will begin at 6 p.m.," said Mayor Kenneth Gleaton.

Flatland Express will get the concert started with some toe-tapping music, and they will share the stage with Pastor Robert Templeton of Neeses Baptist church and Neeses town councilmember Julie Renee Olenick.

In addition to pickin and singing, a 'mini auction' will be held for added excitement," Gleaton said. "We will have some homemade cakes, a mandolin and a few other items up for bid during intermission."

Flatland Express, a performing artist of the South Carolina Bluegrass and Traditional Music Association, is noted for their captivating harmonies and tantalizing instrumentation. The group has perfected their very own Bluegrass style that includes traditional country and bluegrass music as well as re-compositions of older 60s and 70s favorites.

Band member ONeal Davis of the Pinehill community said Flatland Express is honored to be able to perform at the Neeses Seniors Recreation & Leisure Center.

Band members of Flatland Express include fiddle player Ashley Carder, Otto Fanning on the mandolin, Marty Carrigg who plays the dobro and banjo, guitarist ONeal Davis, bass player Chris Boutwell and guitarist Ed Dalton.

Robert Greggory Templeton, Pastor of Neeses Baptist Church, will also showcase his talents during the upcoming concert. Robert is known throughout Orangeburg County for his singing voice and his ability to play a variety of musical instruments. Templeton currently performs with a Bluegrass group known as The Pinehill Ramblers.

Neeses town councilmember Julie Renee Olenick is a frequent soloist at Neeses Baptist Church and she enjoys entertaining senior citizens at the Neeses Seniors Recreation & Leisure Centers Luncheon Program.

"I grew up loving music, and Mom and Dad always had music playing at home," Olenick said. "My favorite memory was sitting on my parents bed on Sunday nights listening to legends such as Patsy Cline and Ernest Tubb on the Grand Ole Opry radio program. I would also spend hours singing along with Dottie Rambo records. I have never had singing lessons; I sing from my heart.

Admission is an $8 donation per person payable at the door, and that all proceeds will go to the towns cemetery fund to help defray grounds maintenance expenses.
Calhoun County Council is preparing to place a six-month moratorium on the development of some new solar farms in the county.

Council gave second reading approval Monday to an ordinance temporarily halting the development of solar farms outside of industrial areas in unincorporated areas of the county. It applies to solar farms larger than an acre in size.

The ordinance places a moratorium on applications and administrative processing for the solar projects to give the county time to review, land classifications, zoning regulations, and overall development standards for large scale solar projects.

The county is currently in the process of updating its comprehensive plan and is reviewing land classifications, zoning regulations and the overall development standards for the rural areas of the county.

The moratorium is designed to give the county a chance to undertake a study of the consequences and impact of large-scale solar projects and/or solar farms in non-industrial zoning districts, the ordinance says.

The moratorium could be extended by council in the future.

Council voted after members heard a number of concerns from residents about the impact of the farms on the environment and property values.

Councilman Ken Westbury removed himself from the vote due to a conflict of interest.

Prior to the vote, Fort Motte native Lanier Walling, who has lived in Calhoun County for 74 years, requested his farm land be developed as a solar farm.

He noted as a free American he has the right to own land and make decisions on our land as long as its legal and environmentally safe.

I have heard reports that solar farms are dangerous environmentally, Walling said. He said theyre strictly regulated to ensure the environment is protected.

America cannot continue to depend on foreign companies to supply us with fossil fuels, Walling said. We have to find ways to provide our own energy resources.

Walling said he appreciates the six-month moratorium on solar farms in the county to ensure they are safe.

I want that, Walling said. But he believes solar farms will prove to be beneficial to the county.

Resident Jimmy Sikes said, I dont like somebody or some government telling me what I can and cant do with my land.

Prior to the public comment period, Haigler noted he is limiting the same people from commenting on the same matters of concern at each meeting.

I think you are wasting too much of councils valuable time, Haigler said. Once you come and we hear you, we know what you are talking about. Council are grown people up here and we are going to make grown decisions.

You will have one time to come and make that comment and then you will not be able to make that comment again, Haigler said. I will gavel you down.

In other matters:

Council gave unanimous second reading approval to incentives for a company currently being identified as Project Chateau. The incentives include the fee-in-lieu of taxes, the inclusion of the project in a multi-county business park and special source revenue credits.

The multi-county industrial park is not a physical park.

A companys identify remains anonymous until third and final reading is given.

Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College President Dr. Walt Tobin provided council with an update on future college building plans and the development of a strategic plan for the next several years.

He touched on the colleges desire to build a 32,000-square-foot advanced manufacturing building to prepare students for electric vehicle and component manufacturing. He said the local legislative delegation has allocated about $13 million in state money and that he has requested about $12 million more.

Our goal is to really create a training facility for new companies coming to Orangeburg and Calhoun and also provide an opportunity for them to develop their product as they build a permanent facility, Tobin said.

He also noted the colleges strategic plan includes improving access to post-secondary education for students, enhancing opportunities for student success and improving employee retention and recruitment.

Council gave unanimous second reading approval to an ordinance amending county ordinances related to the Calhoun County Historical Commission.

The ordinance stipulates that the commission will operate as a department of the county and report to County Council and not to the county administrator.

Council unanimously approved a proclamation recognizing March as American Red Cross month and highlighted the volunteering and caring spirit of county residents through the Red Cross.

Last year, the Calhoun County Chapter of the American Red Cross was able to help 12 families in the county in need. County residents were asked to consider volunteering in any of a number of capacities.

Alicia Scott introduced herself as the countys new deputy treasurer. Scott fills the role previously held by Rebecca Furtick, who passed away Jan. 24 at the age of 64.
Orangeburg County

Sheriff's Office

Someone stole a black 2003 Cadillac Seville with a white What Would Jesus Do? sticker on the rear window, according to an incident report.

The owner left the vehicle at an Iris Lane residence in Neeses at around 3:30 p.m. Thursday. The keys were in the vehicle and the doors were unlocked, the report said.

When the woman returned 45 minutes later, she saw a stranger driving down Iris Lane in her car.

The vehicle is valued at $5,000.

Orangeburg

Department

of Public Safety

An Orangeburg resident needed medical attention after he was hit in the head twice, according to an incident report.

The incident occurred at about 1 a.m. Thursday at the Landmark Towers on Doyle Street.

The resident said he was returning home when he observed a male dressed in all black in front of the apartment complex.

The male told the resident to stop, but he didnt.

The male approached the resident from behind and hit him on the right side of his head with something hard.

The resident said he fought back before the male fled the scene, the report states

The resident had swelling to his head and eye. He was transported to MUSC Health Orangeburg for care.

ODPS was contacted about the incident at 8:45 a.m., the report said.

In a separate incident, a Bowman woman claims she was assaulted by her ex-boyfriend early Thursday morning on Maxcy Street.

The man allegedly struck her in the face twice.

She also claims he took the bullets out of a gun and then placed it to her head, telling her that he was not going to kill her yet and that he needed to get his head together, according to the report.

The woman also alleges her ex-boyfriend threatened to harm her parents as well. She noted he just got out of jail.

The woman said she was afraid for her life.
A North man pleaded guilty to two burglaries during a recent term of court held at the Orangeburg County Courthouse.

Justin Ray Williams, 35, of 4835 Savannah Highway, is guilty of two counts of non-violent second-degree burglary.

Circuit Judge Heath P. Taylor sentenced him to five years in prison.

Taylor gave Williams credit for having already served 71 days in jail, and suspended the rest of his sentence to two years of probation.

He also ordered Williams to complete substance abuse counseling.

Prosecutors dismissed Williams two charges of accessory after the fact to a felony and one charge each of petit larceny valued at $2,000 or less and malicious injury to real property valued at $2,000 or less.

In other recent guilty pleas:

Christian Jesse D. Blume, 23, of 131 Whitford State Road, Orangeburg, pleaded guilty to grand larceny valued at $10,000 or more.

Taylor sentenced him under the Youthful Offender Act not to exceed three years.

He gave Blume credit for having served 29 days, with the remainder of his term suspended to two years of probation.

Taylor also ordered Blume to obtain his GED and complete substance abuse counseling.

Prosecutors dismissed Blumes charge of first-offense possession of less than one gram of methamphetamine/cocaine base.

Ashon Green, 20, of 4379 Charleston Highway, Orangeburg, pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm into a dwelling.

Taylor sentenced him under the Youthful Offender Act not to exceed five years. After serving one day, the remainder of his term was suspended to two years of probation.

Tyrone Lamar Randolph, 39, of 244 Irongate Road, Elloree, pleaded guilty to third or subsequent driving under suspension license not suspended for DUI and first-offense fai

lure to stop for blue lights.

Taylor sentenced him to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

He gave Randolph credit for having already served 84 days in jail.

Joshua Daniel Bailey, 38, of 124 Kurtfan Lane, Norway, pleaded guilty to breach of trust with fraudulent intent valued more than $2,000 but less than $10,000.

Circuit Judge Maite Murphy sentenced him to 444 days in prison. Bailey was given credit for having already served that time in jail.

Murphy also ordered him to pay restitution.

Samir W. Alvarado Brown, 38, of 740 Bennett Street, Orangeburg, pleaded guilty to possession of a weapon by a person convicted of a violent felony and first-offense failure to stop for blue light.

Murphy sentenced him to 18 months in prison and gave him credit for having already served 194 days in jail.

Prosecutors dismissed his charges of reckless driving, first-offense driving without a license, unlawful carrying of a pistol, first-offense possession of less than one ounce of marijuana and an additional charge of possession of a weapon by a person convicted of a violent felony.

Jaquarvious Dayquawn Burgess, 26, of 810 Adden Street, Orangeburg, pleaded guilty to hit and run involving property damage and third or subsequent offense driving under suspension license not suspended for DUI.

Murphy sentenced him to one year in prison, suspended to one year of probation.

She also ordered him to pay a $1,000 fine within six months or report to jail for 90 days.
President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida toast as the leaders and their wives have dinner together at a restaurant in Tokyo, March 16. Yonhap



The United States welcomes a "new chapter" in South Korea-Japan relations highlighted by a summit this week between their leaders and will work to help further improve their bilateral relations, as well as trilateral cooperation between the U.S. and the two U.S. allies, a ranking White House official said Thursday.



John Kirby, National Security Council (NSC) coordinator for strategic communications, also stressed the importance of trilateral cooperation between the countries amid evolving threats posed by North Korea.



South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol traveled to Tokyo on Thursday (local time) for a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, becoming the first South Korean head of state since 2011 to visit Japan for a bilateral summit.



"Having the lead up to this summit both countries have made a truly historic announcement marking a new chapter of cooperation and partnership between them," Kirby told a virtual press briefing.



The South Korea-Japan summit came after Seoul announced a plan last Monday to set up a private fund that will compensate Korean workers forced into labor during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea.






In 1865, the 11th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry rode out with Lt. Caspar Collins to greet wagons with Army supplies coming in from forts farther west. In a confrontation that would be eventually be known as the Battle of Platte Bridge, they get ambushed, and two arrows pierce a man from the Kansas cavalry, Cpl. Grimm. He lives. Collins does not.

Grimms arrows, pulled out of him, go back to Kansas and get passed down through his family as a sort of souvenir. Eventually, they end up at the Kansas State Historical Society.

Until now.

Theyre back at Fort Caspar until February of next year as part of the museums Soldiers of the Republic exhibit.

The fort was later named Fort Caspar, after Caspar Collins, which is where the city of Casper got its name, so we actually have this pretty rare opportunity to display some pieces that are directly related to how Casper got its name, which is unique, Johanna Wickman, a local historian and vice president of the Fort Caspar Museum Association, said.

In addition to the arrows, the museum also has original guidons (a type of flag), a canteen, major bars from Preston Plumb  a member of the Union Army during the Civil War who eventually served as a U.S. senator and was at Platte Bridge Station before the battle  and photos of the men from the Kansas cavalry, among other things.

Wickman and Michelle Bahe, curator of collections at Fort Caspar, along with a few others, went to Kansas to pick up the items in November, which are on loan from private collectors and museums. It was a 14-hour drive. They rented a van for the occasion.

Now, the walls where the exhibit will be held  just around the corner from the entrance to the exhibition rooms  are painted a sunny yellow. There are several glass cases with blue velvet inside, but open spots around the room, too. Bahe still has to measure all the display cases and ensure the entire collection will fit.

There is also, of course, the consideration of how to best tell the story.

 ... In this exhibit that I dont believe weve ever done before here at the museum, is weve picked  I believe its 22  members of the 11th Kansas, and we have their photographs and little short biographies of them. And those are going to be interspersed in the exhibit, Wickman said. So instead of just being, The men of the 11th Kansas did this, The men of the 11th Kansas did that, we have names for them.

These were people, you know? Everyone talks about Sgt. Amos Custard, who was killed at the Battle of Red Buttes, but most people dont realize that he was already a widower when he was in the Army. So when he died, that orphaned his two children. Theres stories like that, that have not really been on exhibit before.

On a rectangular velvet bed are a guidon, a water canteen and the two arrows pulled from Grimm. One of them is missing the arrowhead. But for being hundreds of years old, and having been passed down through family and eventually donated to a museum, the arrows are in spectacular shape. You can even see where the fletching, or the feathers, was on one of them.

 ... Its sort of exciting for us because these items havent been here since the summer of 1865. And weve gotten an opportunity to partner with other museums and private collectors to bring them back to Casper for people to see, said Rick Young, museum manager.

The exhibit will open on March 22. There will also be a book signing for Wickmans book about Preston Plumb, The Forgotten Senator, on March 25.

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Gov. Mark Gordon on Friday vetoed legislation designed to prevent people from sending misleading absentee ballot request forms, saying late changes to the bill could produce unintended consequences that compromise election integrity.

Since the Legislature is no longer in session, it would be nearly impossible for lawmakers to attempt to override Gordons veto.

In a letter released Friday, Gordon noted that the bill was drafted to prevent possible voter confusion stirred after then-Rep. Liz Cheneys campaign sent a mailer in the last election with the misleading phrase official election document enclosed on the envelope. In its original form, the bill would have barred anyone mailing an absentee ballot to a voter unless the voter had asked them to do so.

The Senate amended the bill to directly address misleading mailers by barring the sending of something that claims to be an official election document. That, Gordon wrote, would have dealt directly with the potential for confusion in the bill.

Regrettably, some members of the House saw fit to take action to strike this useful Senate amendment while a number of its members were temporarily not on the floor, the governor wrote in the letter. Without the benefit of the Senates clarifying language, the intent of the legislation had been muddled to the point where signing [the bill] as currently written could well result in unintended consequences that would compromise confidence and integrity.

Gordon also noted the legislation could suppress proper absentee voting.

The legislation was among several bills this session aimed at election integrity and security issues, which became a growing concern among Republicans after former President Donald Trump made unfounded allegations of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. (Dozens of courts have rejected his arguments.) Trump took specific aim at mail-in ballots, which people often use to vote absentee.

Gordon has signed other election security bills this session. Still, he stressed that Wyomings elections system is secure.

I want to be clear, at no time have I been presented with fact of fraud, mismanagement or malfeasance in Wyomings elections process, he wrote.

Gray critical of move

Secretary of State Chuck Gray, who campaigned on a promise of rooting out voter fraud in Wyoming and championed the legislation, said in a statement Friday that he was disappointed in Gordons decision to veto the bill.

As originally drafted, the bill banned the practice of sending out unsolicited absentee ballot request forms. This was meant to address a specific problem identified in the last election, in which Liz Cheneys campaign sent out predatory absentee ballot request forms containing official election language as part of a mass mailing campaign. Liz Cheneys arrogant move undermined voter confidence and is part of a troubling trend across our country of organizations sending out these request forms in bad faith, he said, describing the Senates amendments as convoluted and counter to the bills purpose.

Gray also noted the bill received overwhelming support in the House.

The bill was sponsored by Sen. Lynn Hutchings.

If we send out a document ... that gives the appearance of being official, no matter whos sending it out, theres a little deception in there, Hutchings explained before a Senate committee during the session. In this era of people wondering about voter integrity, this is where this bill comes into play.

Gordon still has multiple bills to decide on including two measures that would further restrict abortion in Wyoming.

Photos: Long lines of voters turn out in Casper
Fewer people died in Wyoming in 2022, but COVID-19 remained among the leading causes of death, new data shows.

The Wyoming Department of Health released its preliminary annual vital statistics data this week, documenting a significant decline of more than 675 deaths last year.

Death certificates showed 5,886 people died in Wyoming in 2022.

The decline marked a departure from the sharp increases the state experienced in both 2020 and 2021 during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. However, deaths in Wyoming still sit above the states pre-pandemic baseline, in part because of the continued presence of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a factor behind the sharply increased recorded deaths we saw in 2020 and 2021, said Guy Beaudoin, the deputy state registrar of the Department of Healths Vital Statistics Services, in a news release. The numbers are still higher than we would have expected before the pandemic, but may be beginning to return to a more normal state.

Sharp spike

For years, the Department of Health has tracked a slow rise in the number of deaths in Wyoming, which it has largely attributed to the aging of the states population.

From 2009 to 2019, Wyomings annual deaths gradually increased from around 4,275 to 5,122.

But during the pandemic, Wyoming recorded a sharp spike in deaths that peaked at more than 6,500 deaths in 2021.

According to Department of Health data, more than 2,000 people have died of COVID-related illness, which includes deaths where the disease was a primary or contributing factor, since the pandemic began in 2020. That includes 33 COVID-related deaths so far this year.

COVID-19 was the fifth-leading cause of death last year, following heart disease, cancer, accidents and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, commonly referred to as COPD.

In 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 was the third-leading cause of death in Wyoming.

While the disease is still a top cause of mortality in the state, it accounts for only a fraction of deaths.

Heart disease contributed to more than 1,100 deaths and cancer more than 1,000 in 2022, said Kim Deti, a spokesperson for the Department of Health.

Wyoming had slightly more than 370 COVID-related deaths last year, according to Department of Health data.

The virus in Wyoming

COVID-19 has largely left public consciousness as Wyoming has returned to a sense of normalcy over the last year, but the disease is still present.

However, unlike 2020, 2021 and early 2022, when Wyoming experienced significant spikes in cases that largely tracked with the rise of new variants, the state has sustained a relatively consistent caseload over the last year.

So far in 2023, the Department of Health has reported 1,755 confirmed cases.

On any given day somewhere between roughly a dozen and 50 people in Wyoming are confirmed positive for the disease.

Theres a baseline number of cases that continue to occur because its so contagious, because the weathers cold and everybodys inside, said Dr. Mark Dowell, the Natrona County health officer and an infectious disease expert.

The transition to at-home testing and the lack of a robust reporting system for those tests mean that state data does not show a complete picture, Dowell said, but hospitalizations are down, as are deaths.

Theres an occasional person hospitalized at Wyoming Medical Center and at the other hospitals Im fairly familiar with, but not very many, he said. Almost all of them that are hospitalized have other health issues that predispose them to more severe infection.

Banner Wyoming Medical Center routinely receives COVID-19 patients, but they are in the single digits, similar to what the hospital would see with flu or RSV, said Mandy Cepeda, the spokesperson for the hospital.

On Tuesday, Wyoming hospitals reported roughly a dozen COVID-19 patients across the state.

The disease continues to affect predominantly older people and those with underlying health concerns, such as heart disease, Dowell said.

Though the Biden administration announced it would end the national public health emergency declaration in May, effectively bringing the pandemic to a close, COVID-19 is here to stay, said Hailey Bloom, the community prevention manager for Casper-Natrona County Health Department.

We can look historically at earlier pandemics and say that itll probably be really similar. Well probably continue to see it, Bloom said.

Amid that reality, it will continue to be up to individuals to determine the risk that COVID-19 poses to them and that they are comfortable with.

People need to do whats best for them based on their personal risks, whether thats their own comorbidities, who they live with or do they have someone in their home who is at higher risk? Bloom said.

Dowell said the hope is that Wyoming wont see peaks like it did during the heat of the pandemic, but with the continued evolution of the virus the public will likely see recurring vaccines.

I think whats going to happen is every fall were going to get a flu shot and were going to get a COVID shot, and then as soon as they can theyll put them into one shot, he said.

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Wyoming Republican Party Chairman Frank Eathorne again urged the Natrona County GOP in a February letter to pay thousands of dollars in outstanding dues to the state Republican Party, dangling the incentive of having a complete contingent of delegates for the 2024 state GOP convention.

The county party has withheld dues since 2019 because of concerns around the state partys spending, as well as disagreements over its direction and behavior. State GOP leaders responded last year by slashing the number of Natrona County delegates from 33 to the minimum six for the 2022 state GOP convention. These clashes reflect a broader rift between more traditional and hard-line elements in the Wyoming Republican Party.

In a Feb. 11 letter to the Natrona County GOP, Wyoming Republican Party Chairman Frank Eathorne asked the county party to pay $25,217 in shares before June 30 in order to have its delegates restored for the next GOP state convention.

If payments are made, along with the remaining shares of one other county whose central committee members are also receiving a similar letter, all of Wyomings Counties will have a complete contingent of delegates at the next State Convention, and we will be able to do the work of the Wyoming Republican Party with full representation. However, if that does not occur, Natrona County will only be allowed a minimal number of delegates, Eathorne wrote.

Eathorne didnt respond to the Star-Tribunes inquiries about the letter before deadline.

Some Natrona County GOP central committee members are skeptical that state Republican Party leadership will actually restore its delegates, even if the county GOP pays the money. It appears that the state GOP central committee would still have to take a vote on whether or not to restore Natrona Countys delegates even if the county paid back its shares in full, a process that wouldnt guarantee that the county has a full contingent for the next state convention.

The state central committee could consider a motion to do that if delinquent shares are paid, Corey Steinmetz, Wyoming Republican Party National Committeeman, said in an email to the Star-Tribune.

Our bylaws give the body, the people on the committee, the power, not the leadership. Leadership is directed by the body, and the state executive committee.

Whats more, Natrona County GOP Chairman Joe MacGuire, a former representative who was elected to the chairman post on Wednesday, said hed personally hesitate to pay the shares in full given that Natrona County didnt have a full contingent of delegates seated at the last state convention. In other words, the county wouldnt be getting its moneys worth.

I think that its against the spirit of the Republican Party. If its pay for play, then its no different from any other organization that makes you pay to participate, MacGuire, who was elected to the post on Wednesday, told the Star-Tribune. I dont think Ive ever had to pay to be a Republican.

Lost delegates

At the 2020 state GOP convention, the state party adopted new bylaws in a voice vote that require county GOPs to pay shares to the state Republican Party or lose delegate seats at the state convention. Then the Natrona County GOP filed a lawsuit against the state GOP over the new bylaws, which it argued were adopted in a manner that didnt follow the partys rules; changing bylaws requires a two-thirds vote, but the voice vote put into question whether or not the body had actually reached that super majority.

But a Laramie County judge threw out the lawsuit because the Wyoming Republican Party is a private organization and the new bylaws had already been adopted. After nevertheless forging ahead with the legal battle for some time and elevating the case to the Wyoming Supreme Court, the Natrona County GOP ended up dropping the lawsuit in October.

Right now, the Natrona County GOP is still only allowed to have six delegates for the upcoming 2024 state GOP convention. The size of a countys delegation can affect its influence in the broader policy discussions held at the state GOP convention, which occurs every even numbered year. Those discussions include votes on party platforms, resolutions and rules, which in turn can influence, for instance, what bills are brought to the Wyoming Legislature.

The Laramie County GOP central committee, which has also frequently clashed with state GOP leadership and withheld shares, received a similar letter from Eathorne. Wyoming Republican Party leadership also cut the number of Laramie County delegates last year from 37 to three, though that decision concerned a rules violation. (Some in the party said those rules appeared to be selectively enforced, given that other counties were not punished for minor rule-breaking.)

Several candidates for leadership posts in the Natrona County GOP brought up Eathornes message during the county partys elections Wednesday night and in their appeal letters.

Anyone who says paying our shares will get us a seat at the table is sadly mistaken! Kim Walker, who was voted in again as the county partys state committeewoman on Wednesday, wrote in her appeal letter for the post.

And the Hypocrisy of those who stand and say  we need to pay our county shares are also the individuals whom I have NEVER seen at a fundraiser, never bought a ticket, never donated an auction item, or even volunteered on a committee to help raise the funds needed to pay county shares, she continued.

Local response

The Natrona County GOP Executive Committee authored a letter responding to Eathornes message that explained the reasons why the county party has withheld dues. That letter was packaged with a copy of a 2022 Star-Tribune investigation of Eathorne, which detailed revelations about the state GOP chairman ranging from infidelity to taking federal government subsidies.

Frank Eathorne wants Natrona County to do what they are told and stop questioning the absolute authority of the State Party! the letter reads.

In his own words, the Wyoming Republican Party is no longer a big tent. What Frank fails to mention in his letter is the history behind our decision to no longer pay county shares. A decision that was made by you, the Central Committee, in a majority vote, and has been ratified by the entire Natrona County Central Committee numerous times since.

The letter explains that the central committee voted to set up a separate account for people who wanted to make donations for Natrona Countys dues. But over the last three years, only one person contributed $50 to the account. The letter urged those who wanted to make donations toward shares to bring checks or cash to Wednesdays central committee meeting, which it said would be forwarded to the state party to pay for Natrona Countys dues. (MacGuire, the new Natrona County GOP chairman, told the Star-Tribune that no one brought donations to the meeting.)

Mending fences?

Yet many Natrona County leadership candidates who spoke Wednesday night  including Walker  urged mending the rifts between the Natrona County GOP and the state Republican Party, as well as the divisions within the county party itself.

I think the message came through loud and clear: We need to mend fences both amongst ourselves and with the state. That will be priority number one, MacGuire, the new chairman of the Natrona County GOP, said at the meeting.

Priority number two will be getting back to knowing who we are, getting to know each other and starting an open dialogue.

The Natrona County GOP central committee didnt take action in response to Eathornes letter during its meeting Wednesday night. Former Natrona County GOP Chairman Kevin Taheri explained at Wednesdays meeting that the posture of things could change after the May state GOP leadership elections, and that it would make more sense to wait until after those elections to discuss paying shares.

MacGuire told the Star-Tribune that discussion of shares will likely be on a future central committee agenda. The committee would have to vote then on whether or not to pay the shares.
In 1965, in the landmark case of Griswold v. Connecticut, the U.S. Supreme Court, for the first time in our nations history, invoked the right to privacy for the purpose of upholding the right of married couples to access contraceptives. Griswold was hailed by women, who had been fighting for the right to use contraceptives for well over a century. It granted women control over their own reproductive organs and provided married couples with the liberty to decide whether to procreate, plan families and make decisions associated with parenthood.

Griswold v. Connecticut, rendered at the height of Americas sexual revolution, recently prompted a curious reader of this column to ask about the establishment of the constitutional right of unmarried couples access to contraceptives. The answer to her delightful question is to be found in the Courts landmark ruling in Eisenstadt v. Baird (1972)  seven years after Griswold.

Eisenstadt v. Baird, in a 6-1 decision written by Justice William Brennan, extended the protection of the right of privacy to unmarried individuals by overturning a Massachusetts law that permitted only physicians to prescribe means of birth control and then only to married couples.

The protagonist in this story was a young man, William Baird, who had made something of a short career out of protesting  and violating  similar state laws. In the spring of 1965, Baird violated a New York law by handing out contraceptives in a Long Island community. A few months later, he protested the Catholic Churchs opposition to birth control on the steps of New Yorks St. Patricks Cathedral. He was subsequently arrested in New Jersey for publicly displaying contraceptives in violation of a state law.

On April 6, 1967, Baird, by now a veteran protester, delivered a lecture in Boston about overpopulation and contraception. Following his remarks, Baird displayed various contraceptives and personally handed to a woman a jar of vaginal foam. Police officers arrested Baird and he was convicted on two counts: exhibiting contraceptives and disseminating contraceptives to an unmarried person. The high court of Massachusetts dismissed the first count on grounds that it violated Bairds First Amendment right of free speech but upheld the second conviction. Contending that the law under which he was convicted was unconstitutional, Baird appealed to federal district court, which dismissed his action. However, the federal appellate court set aside the dismissal and the sheriff of Suffolk County, Eisenstadt, appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Justice Brennans opinion for the Court struck down the Massachusetts law, vindicating Bairds right to distribute contraceptives. Brennan built upon the Courts ruling in Griswold that upheld a married couples right to contraceptives and declared that the Massachusetts law violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Brennan rejected the states rationale for banning unmarried  deterring premarital sex  as an unreasonable justification. The statute failed the rational basis test. The logical effect of a law prohibiting the sale or gift of contraceptives to unmarried women, he explained, was to prescribe pregnancy and the birth of an unwanted child as punishment for fornication.

While the Court struck down the Massachusetts law as a violation of the Equal Protection Clause, Justice Brennan expanded the right to privacy as set forth in Griswold. It is true," Justice Brennan wrote, that in Griswold, the right of privacy in question inhered in the marital relationship. Yet the marital couple is not an independent entity with a mind and heart of its own, but an association of two individuals with a separate intellectual and emotional makeup. If the right to privacy means anything, it is the right of an individual, married or single, to be free from unwanted governmental intrusion into matters so fundamentally affecting a person as the decision whether to bear or beget a child.

Justice Brennans declaration that the right to privacy is an individual right carved a path for subsequent assertions of privacy rights in various areas of the law, including the identification by the Court in Roe v. Wade of abortion rights.

Of immediate importance, of course, was the fact that the right of married couples to access contraceptives required, under the principle of equal protection, an equal right of access for unmarried individuals. There was no rational basis for distinguishing between two classes of people  married and unmarried. In subsequent years, the logic of this reasoning proved compelling in protecting other intimate activities and associations including, for example, same-sex marriage.

The right to privacy, an unenumerated right, was described by commentators shortly after Griswold was delivered, as a fixed star in our constitutional firmament. This star, however, might not be as fixed as most citizens hope it to be. The right to contraceptives, to the extent that it is grounded in the right to privacy, is under threat. No less a figure than Justice Clarence Thomas has questioned the constitutional status of unenumerated liberties, including the right to privacy.
During the 2023 general session the Legislature convened knowing that the people of Wyoming were looking for a solution to the issue of rapidly rising property tax bills. Conservative legislators went to work when the problem began to present itself in the fall of 2022 by holding town halls seeking the input of constituents. Liberals, who had maintained control of legislative leadership during the interim, formulated committee bills taking advantage of the growing revenue surplus while failing to provide a long term solution which would require the government to to tighten its own belt.

Many Wyomingites will hear their legislator brag about the tax reform achieved during the 67th; however, it is crucial that we define our terms. Tax reform amends the tax code to allow for long term changes and hopefully lower taxation, while tax relief simply lowers a tax bill temporarily, pushing off future financial pain to a later date.

HJ 0001 was the creation of the Joint Revenue Committee. It was a resolution to allow the people of Wyoming to change the states constitution to create a fourth property tax category, separating commercial and residential property. The reason these two types of property have been combined is based on the understanding that corporations and businesses do not pay taxes, but simply pass them onto their customers in the price of goods and services.

During the interim, real property tax reform was added to this resolution when a cap was added, which would limit increases to annual tax assessments. This effort was killed by the chairman of the Revenue Committee as he failed to bring it before the committee.

HJ 0002 was brought by the Speaker of the House and was remarkably similar to HJ 0001, but absent was the tax reform measure of a cap on annual assessment increases. Multiple attempts were made by conservatives to add the cap back in during the committee hearing and floor debate. Those efforts were killed by the Uniparty and the resolution eventually died in the House.

SJ 0003 started out as a ballot initiative to allow for a property tax relief program for the elderly and infirm. It was converted into HJ 002 during the third reading in the second chamber  a last-second effort to provide the appearance of tax reform while not actually doing so.

SF 0136 served to provide actual tax reform as it would have lowered the commercial and residential property tax rate by approximately 10%. The bill passed the Senate and the House Revenue Committees, but failed to pass the House Appropriations committee on a 0-7 vote.

Although there were a few other efforts at tax relief, none that would affect the tax bill of every Wyomingite were passed.

The liberal tax and spend mantra was alive and well in the Legislature this year, with the frequent repetition of the argument these caps will cut taxes for the rich. That mantra was not repeated by Nancy Pelosi, but rather by one of the leaders of the liberal Uniparty from the podium in the Wyoming House. This Uniparty is made up of the five elected Democrats and approximately 31 very liberal Republicans who prefer the democrat platform over that of their own party.

One of their most abhorrent moments of tax and spend behavior was observed during the spending spree as the supplemental budget was debated on the House floor. After only two hours of deliberation they were told that they had already added over $35 million to the burgeoning supplement to the previous years budget. In response to this exclamation, they laughed and cheered at their abuse of the taxpayers and continued on to over $70 million before the days end. Although they laud their appropriations of $1.4 billion into savings this year, they fail to admit that they added over $112 million per year in ongoing expenses. That $1.4 billion in savings will, at best, generate about $65 million per year in additional revenue. That adds up to a net loss of $47 million per year.

The revenue that created the nearly $2 billion surplus which funded this years supplemental budget was a combination of federal American Rescue Plan funds, higher revenues from coal, oil, and gas, and higher property taxes from our citizens. Much of the extractive industry revenue came from natural gas prices being over $50 MMBtu. Todays prices are below $3 per MMBtu. So, as you can see, this was clearly a one time bump in revenue, but the tax and spend Uniparty saw fit to not only spend a large chunk of it (greater than 25%), but to spend it in a way that increases future budgets. To add insult to injury, when they were sure that you could not hear them, they laughed and clapped at their own egregious behavior.
Former commissioner of police (CoP) Gary Griffith on Saturday said Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds was incorrect when he said that a crime plan is the responsibility of the CoP.

Griffith said a Minister of National Security formulates policies to ensure that the law enforcement agencies can operationalise them.
President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, make remarks at a roundtable with business leaders from Korea and Japan at the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) building in Tokyo on March 17, flanked by Kim Byong-joon, left, acting chief of the Federation of Korean Industries, and Keidanren chief Masakazu Tokura. Yonhap



President Yoon Suk Yeol met with a group of business leaders from Korea and Japan on Friday, calling for cooperation in cutting-edge industries, such as semiconductors and batteries, his office said.



Yoon attended a roundtable with 12 business leaders from the Korean side, including Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, and 11 from the Japanese side, including Sumitomo Chemical Chairman Masakazu Tokura and Mitsui Co CEO Tatsuo Yasunaga.



"President Yoon said solidarity and cooperation between nations that share universal values is important in order to overcome the polycrisis faced by the world, and called on Korea and Japan to jointly cooperate and respond to various global agenda items, including supply chains, climate change, advanced science and technology, and economic security," the presidential office said.



"He especially stressed the need for cooperation in future advanced and new industries, such as in digital transformation, semiconductors, batteries and electric vehicles."






Once again I must extend congratulations to Dr Keith Rowley for recognising and rewarding excellence in performance.

Just recently Richie Sookhai was chosen as a senator, and Friday he was made a minister in the Ministry of Works. Everyone knows this is a very prestigious promotion, and working in this ministry is both demanding and taxing.
In tiny Patagonia sits a most unusual space, perhaps better suited to a more cosmopolitan location but thriving here.

Its a fantasy mix beyond eclectic of Elvis, Frida Kahlo, Mexican and South American art, religious references, gourmet pizza, and drinks. Large Mexican metal chandeliers light the dining room. Circling the ceiling is a painted Anaconda snake, stretching many feet long. As you walk toward the long polished bar in the back, you see the snake merge into a large mural of a South American jungle, bursting with colorful wildlife piercing through lush green foliage. Paintings of Elvis and Frida hang behind the bar, and nearly life-size papier-mache statues of the Three Wise Men gaze across the room. Here crystal chandeliers have replaced Mexican lighting.

Who came up with all of this? Well, every dream requires a dreamer. Meet Cecilia San Miguel, born in Quito, Ecuador. After her wanderlust years, San Miguel arrived in Patagonia on April Fools Day in 1997 via a series of serendipitous happenings. (She will tell you that serendipity continues to follow her.)

As a widow, San Miguel was looking for a fresh start in this unlikely town of maybe 800 at the time. She became friends with a handful of like-minded folks, and the small group decided to open an organic bakery. After buying a small building (across town from the one described above) San Miguel launched a major renovation there, then saw her cohorts drop out one by one. Left with a disheveled structure and absolutely no food industry experience, she moved forward on blind faith.

A friend suggested the name Velvet Elvis, another donated the iconic painting of Elvis on black velvet, and it was hung to honor the velvet paintings so popular along the Mexican border towns during the 1970s. Her son came to help. A man showed up who said hed be in Patagonia a few months and specialized in opening restaurants. When San Miguel admitted she had no idea how to make pizza, he gave her recipes packed in his suitcase  recipes for dough, sauce and all the necessary goodies from Elis Pizza Parlour in Brooklyn, New York.

Renovations, appliances and, most especially, permits seemed to take forever. Money was going out, and none coming in. When a local woman asked if she could use the space for a potluck feast for Our Lady of Guadalupe in December 1998, San Miguel said yes. After a parade through town, the feast began. San Miguel served free pizza to the celebrants until 2 that afternoon. Three hours later, the Velvet Elvis officially opened for dinner. This original version of the Velvet Elvis thrived on Naugle Avenue in Patagonia for two decades and in 2005 was designated by then-Gov. Janet Napolitano as an Arizona Treasure.

The journey from there to the current fantasy happened in steps during those decades. The historic building that eventually morphed into todays Velvet Elvis sits on McKeown Avenue in Patagonia and has known many lives since it was built in 1915 as a private residence. In those days, when copper and cattle dominated Arizona and life was much rougher, the building sported a small space that served as a bath house for miners laboring in the area.

Years later, it housed the Big Steer Bar, and a true cowboy saloon came to life, rocking with live music and dancing by the 1970s. Bullets found in the ceiling during a later remodel proved its rough character at that time.

When the owner died around 2000, business declined. Heirs living in another state had no interest, defaulted on the loan, and the old building went on the auction block. No one bid.

A year later, the mortgage holders family approached San Miguel to assess her interest in the place. After first wondering why would I do that, San Miguel bought the building and went to work. Crumbling in places, with one wall tipping outward and pulling the roof with it, the old adobe underwent a complete restoration. When the old roof was removed, San Miguel thought, What have I done? All I have is three walls and a liquor license.

She made a crucial decision to raze the buildings front facade, creating the look of an old Spanish colonial mission, which she christened La Mision de San Miguel. When a worker went to Guadalajara for the exotic parota wood to build the bar, he returned with a larger-than-life wooden statue of the Archangel Michael that became the heart and soul of the project.

Though San Miguel wanted to retain as much of the history of the place as possible, much was simply too deteriorated. Soon, high ceilings replaced the old flat roof, then the stunning 30foot bar, a stage for live music and a dance floor were added. Though lively for several years as a venue for music and dancing, the financial downturn of 2008 took it down. For several years the grand old building saw different attempts at business in the small town, but none survived.

From 2008 to 2022, La Mision was on and off the market. No one knew what to do with it. In 2016, San Miguel sold her home and downsized to a small apartment she created in the space of the old bath house while the rest of the building sat empty. She continued to operate the original Velvet Elvis, but problems there plagued her. In 2022, her workers paid a visit to the old building on McKeown, looked around at the larger space and pushed San Miguel to move to that location. Reluctant at first, she decided to take the risk. Because the remodel had to be so extensive, she ultimately closed the old Velvet Elvis and devoted herself full-time to creating her new space.

With the help of many, from contractors to artisans to friends, the fairytale began to take shape. Old adobe walls remain visible, topped by that amazing snake. A new, fully modern and gleaming kitchen was installed. Art reflecting local heritage fills the walls. Most recently, the old bath house has been converted to a gallery adjoining the restaurant. Here you can find Mexican art and artifacts, Native American jewelry, unusual pieces by current artists, and more fantasy.

On the menu, youll find soups, fresh organic salads, gourmet pizza, calzones and stromboli, plus weekly special dishes with an international flair. Desserts include Persian ice cream and chocolate obsession cake. Drink options include beer, spirits and specialty margaritas.

While the menu remains similar to the original Velvet Elvis, the new Velvet Elvis at La Mision is a dream come true for San Miguel and her many patrons.

The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., at 335 McKeown Ave. in Patagonia for dine-in or takeout.
The Biden administrations new migration policies seem to be cutting the number of undocumented migrants at the border for the second month in a row, according to federal data released Wednesday.

They also seem to be moving irregular migration for some nationalities away from dangerous crossings to ports of entry.

Nationally, the numbers of migrant apprehensions in January and February were about 208,500 and 212,300, respectively, down from 302,000 in December, before the policies went into full effect.

In Arizona, the numbers of apprehensions in January and February were about 32,800 and 35,400, respectively, down from 54,400 in December.

President Biden began a policy in October of immediately expelling more migrants from Venezuela, under public health policy Title 42, while simultaneously creating more legal pathways for them to enter the United States.

He announced an expansion to this policy on Jan. 5, to include migrants from Nicaragua, Cuba and Haiti.

These migrants and some others can apply for an exemption from Title 42 and a chance to be paroled into the country to seek asylum on the CBP One app, where some migrants can submit their biographical information to Customs and Border Protection and be vetted before arriving at a port of entry.

The app cuts out the smugglers

The new border enforcement measures kept Februarys overall encounter numbers nearly even with January, said CBP Acting Commissioner Troy Miller in a statement. We are also encouraged by the new functionality in the CBP One mobile application, which has provided migrants the ability to safely and easily schedule an appointment at a Port of Entry to request a humanitarian exception to the Title 42 public health order.

Although the new policy and the CBP One app seem to be contributing to efficiency in processing people and a decline in migrants at the border, there have also been problems with the app. These include difficulty capturing the photos of people with darker skin tones; limited availability of appointments; migrants not having continuous WiFi access long enough to enter the required information for themselves and their family members, or lacking a phone where they can download the app; and frequent error messages, according to the American Immigration Council, a nonprofit immigrant advocacy group.

Migrants waiting in Nogales, Sonora, for an opportunity to seek asylum have also had challenges getting an appointment through the app, according to the Kino Border Initiative, a binational migrant-aide organization in Nogales.

Also in February, the Biden administration said the CBP One app would be the main way for asylum seekers to enter the country after Title 42 ends.

The app cuts out the smugglers and decreases migrant exploitation, Miller said. CBP continues to make improvements to the app to address feedback we have received from stakeholders.

Crossings shift to ports of entry

The number of migrants from the four countries currently in the program, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Nicaragua, has decreased overall, from a high of nearly 99,000 in December, nationwide, to almost 36,000 and 38,000 in January and February, respectively.

The number of migrants from those countries who are coming through between ports of entry rather than at a port of entry dropped even more dramatically.

About 2,400 migrants from those four countries were apprehended between ports of entry in February, down from a high of 85,500 in December.

Conversely, the number of migrants from those countries who presented themselves for asylum at a port of entry rose to more than 35,000 from about 13,000 in December.

Likewise, in Arizona, 123 migrants from those four countries were apprehended between ports of entry in February, down from about 14,800 in December. And the number of migrants from those countries who presented themselves for asylum at a port of entry in Arizona rose to about 900 from about 77 in December.

Nationally, during February, the federal government paroled 22,755 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans into the country through the new process.
U.S. Border Patrol agents shot and killed a person following a pursuit on Arizona 286 Tuesday night, officials say.

Pima County Sheriff deputies were requested to help the Border Patrol about 6:45 p.m. after a vehicle chase on the highway to Sasabe ended in a shooting, said a news release from the department Thursday.

Once deputies were at the scene, they learned the vehicle in the pursuit had been occupied by several people and one person was dead.

The name of the person and agents involved were not released Thursday.

No further details were released.
One of the men involved in the 2021 Amtrak shooting in downtown Tucson that killed a Drug Enforcement Administration agent pleaded guilty on Wednesday.

Devonte Okeith Mathis, 24, of Mesquite, Texas, plead guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, said a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in Arizona.

Mathis is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24.

Yesterday was an important step in securing justice on behalf of a federal law enforcement agent, said United States Attorney Gary Restaino in the news release. We await the sentencing in this matter. In the meantime, we celebrate Michael Garbos life of service, we mourn with his family and his colleagues at the Drug Enforcement Administration, and we remember his end of watch on October 4, 2021.

On Oct. 4, 2021, Mathis and Darrion Taylor, 26, traveled together on an Amtrak train in Tucson.

A DEA agent saw them sitting in the same row but on opposite sides of the aisle. The agent then saw Mathis move several bags a few rows away and return to his seat, the Arizona Daily Star previously reported.

Mathis told the agents the bags werent his. When the bags were opened, agents found 2.39 kilograms of marijuana, marijuana edibles and other products related to the drug, the Star reported.

Garbo was killed in a shootout that erupted soon after agents approached Taylor. Two other DEA agents were wounded.

Taylor also was killed in the shootout.

Mathis admitted that he knew Taylor had two handguns and that it was possible hed use them, the release said.
119 E. Toole Ave.

Borderlands Brewing Co. will celebrate with green glitter beer for St. Patrick's Day, according to their Facebook page.

They write "arrive early and wear green!" Celebrations start at 11 a.m. and live music by David Bynes starts at 6 p.m.
President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a summit held at the latter's official residence in Tokyo, Thursday. Yonhap



Unresolved historical disputes may hinder 'new era' of ties: experts



By Lee Hyo-jin



A milestone summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday ended on an upbeat tone. According to diplomatic observers, it has inarguably opened a new chapter in bilateral ties between Korea and Japan.



But analysts viewed the summit as lacking concrete plans from Japan on the compensation of Korean forced labor victims, leaving room for related disputes to resurface in the future.



"The summit has succeeded in putting bilateral relations back on track, and that's a notable achievement. Previous administrations of both countries had failed to hold a summit due to negative public sentiment on each other's leaders," said Yang Ki-ho, a professor of Japanese studies at Sungkonghoe University.



Thursday's summit was the first such event in 12 years. Mutual visits by Korean and Japanese leaders to each other's countries had been suspended since 2011 relations soured over an array of historical, territorial disputes dating back to Imperial Japan's 1910-45 occupation of Korea.



On the surface, the summit seems to be a win-win for both countries.



Major outcomes were achieved. Tokyo decided to lift trade restrictions imposed on Seoul against the backdrop of historical disputes. The Korean government decided to fully restore an intelligence-sharing pact known as the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) that the previous administration had threatened to suspend.





Political divide intensifies in Korea over Yoon-Kishida summit Yoon, Kishida build mutual trust by sharing drinks after summit Business leaders from Korea, Japan meet to bolster bilateral ties "But in terms of talks on historical issues, Korea had nothing to gain from the meeting," Yang said. "From Korea's perspective, Japan backpedaled on sensitive issues such as the forced labor issue. In that sense, it's difficult to hail the summit as a success for Seoul."



The summit took place less than two weeks after Seoul announced a compensation plan for South Korean victims of Japan's wartime forced labor by using a government fund to compensate them without direct payments from Japan. Korea had been hoping for Japan to show a "meaningful response" to its diplomatic concession.



In a joint conference held after the summit, Kishida reiterated his administration's stance that it "upholds the historical position held by its past administrations, including the 1998 joint declaration." In the statement, announced by then Korean President Kim Dae-jung and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, the latter expressed deep remorse and apologized for the "tremendous damage and suffering" to the Korean people during the 35-year occupation.



Members of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) hold a rally at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Friday, condemning the summit between the leaders of Korea and Japan, which they called the "most humiliating moment" in the country's diplomatic history. Yonhap

In response to criticisms about the absence of a straightforward apology from Kishida, a senior official at the Korean presidential office said the Japanese leader's remarks inheriting the past government's views on history seem "sufficient" at this point.



"With the absence of a sincere apology or meaningful reactions from Japan, it will be difficult for Korea to maintain its diplomatic leverage in discussions on other pending issues such as Fukushima nuclear water and the Sado mines," Yang said. "And when the two governments begin to discuss the matters in earnest, Yoon's diplomatic capability will be put to the test."



Lee Won-deog, a professor of Japanese studies at Kookmin University, described the summit as a "normalization of bilateral ties that had been abnormal for years."



"Now that the two leaders have managed to rebuild mutual trust, the two countries will be able to actively discuss bolstering ties in the economy and security sector as well as people-to-people exchanges."



However, he also pointed out that the summit has failed to address the "elephant in the room."



"Korea's compensation plan for forced labor victims will not be completed without support or a response from Japan's side. The ball is in Tokyo's court," Lee said, expressing regret that Kishida did not make a direct statement on the issue, nor issue a fresh apology.




The family of a woman who was killed in a mass shooting during an eviction at the Tucson apartment complex she managed has filed a $50 million claim against Pima County, saying the constable conducting the eviction was unqualified and the county was negligent in hiring and keeping her on the job.

Angela Heath-Fox, 28, accompanied the constable for the eviction of Gavin Lee Stansell, 24, from his residence at Lind Commons, an apartment complex near East Fort Lowell Road and North Dodge Boulevard, on Aug. 25, when Stansell opened fire. He shot and killed Heath-Fox, Deborah Martinez-Garibay, the constable, and Elijah Miranda, 25, a bystander, before turning the gun on himself.

Lawyers representing the family of Heath-Fox last month amended the claim they initially filed against the county citing new information in the case. Aside from Martinez-Garibays estate and the county, the notice also names the Pima County Board of Supervisors, the Pima County Constables Office, the Pima County Attorneys Office and the Arizona Constable Ethics, Standards and Training Board. A claim is a precursor to a lawsuit.

Not only was Pima County negligent in hiring Martinez-Garibay, it failed to remove her from the position after learning of ethical concerns and didnt train her properly, the claim says. Supervisors were wrong to appoint Martinez-Garibay in March to fill a vacancy in Justice Precinct 8 because any amount of due diligence would have raised red flags about her qualifications, the claim reads.

Going back to October 2001, the notice of claim says Martinez-Garibay had more than 20 contacts with the police. While those contacts include matters in which she was the complainant, the claim said the number of interactions demonstrates a clear lack of judgement and temperament which should be a prerequisite for the appointment to such an important position. It then details various altercations involving Martinez-Garibay.

This is not a situation where the community elected an unfit representative and must collectively live with its choice, the notice of claim reads. Rather, just like any other position posted by the county, Ms. Martinez-Garibay applied for the job and was chosen by the county over other candidates. The county put Constable Martinez-Garibay into this position without vetting her properly, failed to train her properly, and then kept her in this position when concerns were raised about her fitness to do the job and exposed the public to an unreasonable risk.

Prior to the deadly shooting, Martinez-Garibay was facing accusations of falsifying petition signatures in her effort to make the ballot, the Arizona Daily Star previously reported. It was also alleged that Martinez-Garibay didnt live in the precinct in which she was running for election.

The notice of claim cites these allegations, saying the county had this information but failed to act and continued to allow her to conduct her duties without restrictions. It also said the Arizona Constable Ethics, Standards and Training Board, whose duty is to investigate unethical conduct of constables, did nothing because it failed its statutory duty or because the county did not refer the matter to them.

Further, the claim states that Martinez-Garibay already had issues in the short time that she worked as a constable. The claims says she had been involved in evictions involving threats or physical altercations during her stint on the job.

A couple months before the shooting, Martinez-Garibay along with another constable were reprimanded by Tucson police for conducting an unsafe eviction, the notice of claim said. Officers at the scene had a blunt conversation with the two constables and expressed their concern about their equipment and tactics. They told the constables they were operating in unsafe conditions and expressed serious concerns that they will be ambushed inside a residence, the claim says.

In July, Martinez-Garibay was involved in another eviction that involved a physical altercation. She claimed the person being evicted was the aggressor. The person then made a cross-complaint about Martinez-Garibay, claiming she was the aggressor and had used excessive force, the notice of claim said.

Two months later, another eviction she was serving turned physical.

The complaints show that she had an inability to safely deescalate tense and volatile situations, the claim says.

On the day of the shooting, the notice of claim states that even though it was known that Stansell had threatened another resident with a firearm, Martinez-Garibay apparently made no effort to call for police backup. She also was not carrying her gun, which was found in her car after the shooting.

At the time of the shooting, Martinez-Garibay had not received mandatory training that constables must attend within six months of their election, the claim says.

She entered a known dangerous situation without any means of protecting herself or others and brought an innocent individual squarely in harms way, the claim reads. It is inconceivable that under the circumstances Ms. Martinez-Garibay would not retrieve the keys from Ms. Fox and have her stay well out of harms way while she cleared the apartment. Of course, she did not do that. She had Ms. Fox directly outside of Mr. Stansell s apartment while she attempted to affect the eviction.

Martinez-Garibays toxicology report also showed that she had illicit drugs, including amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine and alcohol, in her system at the time of the autopsy, the claim said.

The county was put on notice of ongoing ethics and fraud issues pertaining to Ms. Martinez-Garibay and again did nothing, the notice of claim said. The county was put on notice of on-the-job complaints that foreshadowed this exact tragedy and again did nothing. This was a failure 20 years in the making and all of the information needed to prevent this tragedy from occurring in the manner it did was readily available to the County.

Photos: Funeral for Pima County Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Pima County Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Pima County Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Pima County Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Pima County Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Funeral service for Pima County constable at St. Augustine Cathedral Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Pima County Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Pima County Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay Pima County Constable Deborah Martinez-Garibay
St. Patricks Day is celebrated by Irish people all over the world, but there are some traditions you will only find in America. 1. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling The song is believed to be a traditional Irish folk song but was, in fact, written and composed by Americans. The song was originall
MEXICO CITY  Mexico is a year away from electing its next head of state and the potential candidate getting the most attention is an environmental scientist who might become the first female leader of Latin Americas second-largest economy.

One poll shows Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum nearly 20 points ahead of her closest rival in their ruling party.

A globally recognized scientist, Sheinbaum, 60, shares the leftist ideals of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. In an interview with The Associated Press, Sheinbaum, like Lopez Obrador, blamed the neoliberal economic policies of past presidents for exacerbating inequities.

But the leaders would diverge on their approach.

Lopez Obrador has sought to create jobs regardless of their environmental consequences, dedicating resources to propping up Mexicos state-owned oil company before supporting a few projects by American renewable-energy companies. In contrast, Sheinbaum holds a PhD in engineering, served on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that won a shared Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, and pledges to commit Mexico to sustainability.

She emphasizes her belief in all scientific findings, in fields from the environment to medicine.

I believe in science, she said. I believe in technology to have a better life.

Lopez Obrador last year inaugurated a massive new oil refinery in his home state of Tabasco, saying that his government had decided to ignore the siren calls  that the oil era was over.

Despite the refinerys inauguration, it has not started operation.

At the same time, Lopez Obrador has passed laws putting private gas and renewable energy facilities last in line for power purchasing, behind government-owned plants that often burn dirty fuel oil. He has more recently applauded a new government-run solar facility in northern Mexico and celebrated Teslas decision to build a car manufacturing plant near Monterrey, moves seen as feeding his interests in fueling job growth and satisfying U.S. complaints about a lack of free trade.

Sheinbaum has said her belief in renewable energy is fundamental.

I think we have to start growing more in renewable energy and to go ahead with the electrification of cars, Sheinbaum said. From now to the future, most of the energy has to be related to renewable energy.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Sheinbaum took up wearing a protective mask, shut down bars and nightclubs, later reducing their hours, and pushed for more COVID-19 testing. While Lopez Obrador downplayed the threat and spoke of being protected by amulets, Sheinbaum made no direct criticism of the president.

Now Sheinbaum is locked in what appears to be a three-way battle for the nomination of their party, Morena, which has an unrivaled political machine. If successful, she would be expected to easily overcome the legacy opposition parties struggling to present a credible alternative. Morena and its allies govern 22 of the 32 states and the state apparatus is already working in the non-official pre-electoral campaign.

The other contenders for the Morena partys nomination are Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and Interior Secretary Adan Augusto Lopez. Ebrard was seen as the most likely successor at the start of Lopez Obradors term in late 2018, but in a survey conducted by pollster Enkoll between Feb. 4-7, Sheinbaum held an 18-point lead over Ebrard among 1,223 people asked who they preferred for the Morena party nominee. The poll had a margin of error of +/-2.83%.

Sheinbaum has received relatively high marks for her management of one of the worlds largest cities. Mexico City has more than 9 million residents and the surrounding metro area brings the total near 25 million. The capital has been governed by a leftist since residents began electing their mayors in 1997, and it has the countrys most progressive policies.

Sheinbaum faced criticism for her handling of the capitals sprawling subways. In May 2021, an elevated section collapsed, causing 26 deaths and injuring nearly 100 people

In January, she decided to deploy more than 6,000 National Guard troops into the system following the collision of two trains that left one person dead and dozens injured. Metro workers said spare parts and maintenance were needed, not troops, but Sheinbaum suggested that sabotage could be to blame.

Sheinbaum had been in the habit of spending weekends making public appearances in other states and was away when that accident occurred. She curtailed her travel after that incident. Asked about the metros issues, the mayor pointed to major capital investments made during her term and said additional funding would be coming based on recommendations from a panel of experts.

None of the three (candidates) have the presidents charisma, said Ivonne Acuna Murillo, a political scientist at Iberoamerican University. Lopez Obrador has built a closeness with the people over decades, that there isnt time for them to replicate.

Sheinbaum frames Mexicos relationship with the U.S., which at times has been tense under Lopez Obrador on issues such as immigration, drug trafficking and security, in entirely commercial terms. She said she sees great opportunity within the free trade agreement that Mexico has with the United States and Canada, but the challenge is making sure foreign investment can bring wealth to the Mexican people.

As for her political platform, she says that she wants to continue targeting poverty.

For me, being from the left has to do with that, with guaranteeing the minimum rights to all residents, Sheinbaum said, rattling off rights to education, health, shelter, decent work and pay. In that sense it is shrinking the great inequalities, reducing poverty by building up the big rights and at the same time strengthening democracy.
WASHINGTON  The governments response to the failure of two large banks has already involved hundreds of billions of dollars. So will ordinary Americans end up paying for it, one way or another? And what will the price tag be?

It could be months before the answers are fully known. The Biden administration said it will guarantee uninsured deposits at both banks. The Federal Reserve announced a new lending program for all banks that need to borrow money to pay for withdrawals.

On Thursday, the Fed provided the first glimpse of the scale of the response: It said banks had borrowed about $300 billion in emergency funding in the past week, with nearly half that amount going to holding companies for the two failed banks to pay depositors. The Fed did not say how many other banks borrowed money and added that it expects the loans to be repaid.

The goal is to prevent a broadening panic in which customers rush to pull out so much money that even healthy banks buckle. That scenario would unsettle the entire financial system and risk derailing the economy.

Taxpayers will probably bear no direct cost for the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. But other banks may have to help defray the cost of covering uninsured deposits. Over time, those banks could pass higher costs on to customers, forcing everyone to pay more for services.

Is this a bailout?

Many Republicans on Capitol Hill argue that smaller community banks and their customers will shoulder some of the cost.

Banks in rural Oklahoma are about to pay a special fee to be able to bail out millionaires in San Francisco, Sen. James Lankford, a Republican from Oklahoma, said Thursday on the Senate floor.

Democrats in Washington deny that their actions amount to a bailout of any kind.

Its not a bailout as happened in 2008, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, said this week while proposing legislation to toughen bank regulation. It is, in effect, protection of depositors and a preventive measure to stop a run on other banks all around the country.

The Biden administration has stressed that the banks managers will be fired and their investors will not be protected. Both banks will cease to exist. In the 2008 crisis, some financial institutions that received government financial aid, like the insurer AIG, were rescued from near-certain bankruptcy.

Yet many economists say the depositors at Silicon Valley Bank, which included wealthy venture capitalists and tech startups, are still receiving government help.

Why is it sensible capitalism for somebody to take a risk, and then be protected from that risk when that risk actually happens? asked Raghuram Rajan, a finance professor at the University of Chicago and former head of Indias central bank. Its probably good for the short term in the sense that you dont have a widespread panic. ... But it is problematic for the system long term.

Will taxpayers be on the hook?

President Joe Biden has insisted that no taxpayer money will be used to resolve the crisis. The White House is desperate to avoid any perception that average Americans are bailing out the two banks in a way similar to the highly unpopular bailouts of the biggest financial firms during the 2008 financial crisis.

No losses associated with the resolution of Silicon Valley Bank will be borne by the taxpayer, read the joint statement from the Treasury, Fed and FDIC.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen defended that view Thursday under tough questioning from GOP lawmakers.

The Feds lending program to help banks pay depositors is backed by $25 billion of taxpayer funds that would cover any losses on the loans. But the Fed says its unlikely that the money will be needed because the loans will be backed by Treasury bonds and other safe securities as collateral.

Even if taxpayers arent directly on the hook, some economists say the banks customers still stand to benefit from government support.

Saying that the taxpayer wont pay anything ignores the fact that providing insurance to somebody who didnt pay for insurance is a gift, said Anil Kashyap, an economics professor at the University of Chicago. And thats kind of what happened.

Where is the money coming from?

Most of the cost of guaranteeing all deposits at both banks will likely be covered by the proceeds the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. receives from winding down the two banks  either by selling them to other financial institutions or by auctioning off their assets.

Any costs beyond that would be paid for out of the FDICs deposit insurance fund, which is typically used in the event of a bank failure to reimburse depositors for up to $250,000 per account. The fund is maintained with fees paid by participating banks.

Both Silicon Valley and Signature banks had a strikingly high share of deposits above that amount: 94% of Silicon Valleys deposits were uninsured, as were 90% of deposits at Signature. The average figure for large banks is about half that level.

If necessary, the insurance fund will be replenished by a special assessment on banks, the FDIC, Fed and Treasury said in a joint statement. Though the cost of that assessment could ultimately be borne by bank customers, its not clear how much money would be involved.

Kathryn Judge, a law professor at Columbia University, said a bigger cost to consumers and the economy could stem from potentially major changes to the financial system that result from this episode.

If all customer deposits were considered guaranteed by the government, formally or informally, then regulations would need to be strengthened to prevent bank failures or lessen their costs when they do happen. Banks might have to pay permanently higher fees to the FDIC.

Its going to require us to revisit the entire bank regulatory framework, Judge said. Thats far more significant than the modest costs that other banks will pay.
Five adults on a HillSpring Church spring break mission trip to Laurel, Mississippi, were injured when their SUV hydroplaned on a rainy interstate, including one woman who suffered a broken neck, church leaders said.

Executive Pastor Will Holder was driving the rented 2021 Ford Expedition south on Interstate 59 just south of Laurel about 9:20 a.m. Sunday, March 12, when the SUV hydroplaned and went off the right side of the highway and slammed into a tree, according to HillSpring Associate Pastor Matt Barnett.

The SUVs airbags deployed, and its occupants, thinking the vehicle might have been on fire because of all the resulting smoke, immediately began unbuckling seat belts and getting out of the SUV, he said.

Thats when a 2018 Toyota Camry traveling behind them also hydroplaned off the roadway, hit a tree adjacent to the SUV and then struck the SUV, according to an accident report from the Laurel Police Department.

Thats what caused a lot of the damage, Barnett said. Everyone in the car had some injuries, including cracked and broken ribs and injured shoulders.

He said one passenger who was getting out of the SUV as the other vehicle struck it was tossed into the air.

Five occupants of the SUV went to a hospital to be checked out in the ER, but only one  the woman whose neck was broken  was admitted, Barnett said.

The driver of the Camry, an 18-year-old man from Taylorsville, Mississippi, was flown to a hospital with serious injuries, the police report indicates.

The police very much understood that it was not our fault, said Holder, who is from Mississippi. That spot is kind of famous for multiple hydroplanes.

Barnett said the group is grateful that none of the kids was in the SUV, noting that about 30 adults and youth from HillSpring were on the trip.

And were so thankful that no one died, he said. It could have been way worse. It could have been incredibly worse.

Church leaders considered whether to cancel the trip but decided it was more important to complete the mission.

Its HillSpring week, Barnett said. We dont back down. We just keep going forward. Whats amazing is seeing the next generation step up.

They led the Vacation Bible School, and theyve made such a difference here, he said.

The HillSpring group was helping youngsters affiliated with Glory House, a mission in Laurel.

Some construction work that had been planned was canceled because most of those injured were the leaders for that project.

The group returned to Oklahoma on Thursday.
U.S. Department of Defense Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder is seen answering a question during a daily press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington in this captured image, March 16. Yonhap



Joint military exercises between the United States and its allies are working effectively to deter aggression despite continued provocations from North Korea, a U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson said Thursday.



Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder made the remarks hours after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), marking its second ICBM launch this year.



"I think what's important for people to understand is one, deterrence continues to work," the Pentagon spokesperson told a daily press briefing when asked how the U.S.' joint military drills can help prevent North Korean provocations.



"Despite launching missiles into the ocean, North Korea is not attacking, nor should they, and that the United States, Japan, South Korea and other allies and partners in the region will continue to work together to expand that deterrence and to keep our countries safe," he added.






Some people embark on an American Idol journey. Owen Eckhardts journey might include some barks.

Eckhardt, a 19-year-old from Broken Arrow, is an Edison High School grad and a freshman at Oklahoma State University, where he is studying to be a veterinarian. He will audition for American Idol judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan in an episode scheduled to air 7 p.m. Sunday, March 19 on KTUL channel 8.

Publicity photos released in advance of the episode show Eckhardt and some of the shows judges hanging out with doggies. Did Eckhardt bring his dog to the audition for good luck? Nope. They were celebrity pups.

The back story: Eckhardt was tiny when he got his first dog, a cocker spaniel that became like a best friend. He said he has known since he was probably 4 or 5 that he wanted to be a vet. Taking classes to be a vet is like a dream come true.

Said Eckhardt: Everyone was like Youre not gonna stick to it, but here we are.

Eckhardts career aspirations became a thing during his American Idol audition.

I go on in and Ive got a background in pre-vet and I sing and everything, he said. I turn around and Katy Perry and Lionel Richie are holding their dogs. We know you are pre-vet. Do you maybe want to give our dogs a little exam? Here I am standing with Katy Perry and Lionel Richies dogs. ... It was really cool. Very neat. It was an awesome experience.

Eckhardt has been playing music for almost as long as he has been digging dogs. He has performed at a variety of area festivals, including Mayfest, and would like to capitalize on American Idol exposure by gigging around town, especially since the summer is approaching.

Thats all I can really ever ask for from this whole experience is to get my name out there, he said. Im hoping that this will do it.

Eckhardt finally made it on American Idol on what he said was his fourth or fifth time trying. Pre-COVID, he took part in open calls where you stand in long lines waiting for a chance to make a good face-to-face impression.

Finally, after COVID hit, they started doing things on Zoom, he said. I told myself I dont think Im going to do it this year. I was done. I dont know what it was, but something inside me  My mom was just like Maybe try it one more year. I said OK. So I tried and here we are. It kind of worked out. I has been a long time coming.

According to publicist-provided information, Eckhardt is a self-taught piano and guitar player who loves country music and draws musical inspiration from Chris Stapleton and Zach Bryan. Eckhardt saw Bryan perform (it was amazing) during the 2022 Calf Fry Festival at Tumbleweed Dance Hall in Stillwater.

Its funny. I went and I wasnt a super big fan. I just hadnt listened to a ton of his stuff yet, Eckhardt said. After that night, I was like, oh my god, that was really good. Ever since then, I have been like a diehard Zach Bryan fan.

Eckhardt will become the second person from Broken Arrow to be showcased in an American Idol audition this season. Tanner Charles survived his audition. Lawton music artist PJAE will audition in the same episode as Eckhardt.

Its a no-no for American Idol participants to talk about audition outcomes prior to the airing of episodes, but Eckhardt was granted permission by a public relations rep to explain why dogs appear in his publicity photos. How did he do from a singing standpoint? Youll have to tune in for that.

It has been a wonderful season so far, Eckhardt said. Just being able to be out there with all of the talent that they have present, it was really and truly an amazing opportunity. And the people you meet, its so much fun. I cant encourage everyone enough to watch and hopefully well see if I can make it to Hollywood.
Describing the situation as daunting, a federal judge told attorneys for the state of Oklahoma and the poultry industry on Friday that it was time to come up with a resolution to pollution problems plaguing the Illinois River and Lake Tenkiller.

Its time to get a resolution to this matter and get some benefit for everyone involved, U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell said during a hearing in Tulsa federal court.

Frizzells comments came after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond informed the court that negotiations with poultry industry attorneys had begun since the judge in January sided with the state on most matters in a nearly 18-year-old civil lawsuit that alleged poultry waste had polluted waters in the Illinois River watershed.

Drummond said that while both parties had been negotiating in good faith on a solution that satisfies all sides, he asked Frizzell to grant them an additional 90 days to come up with something to present to the court.

Frizzell scheduled the next hearing on the matter for June 16.

The brief hearing Friday comes nearly two months after Frizzell determined that the overuse of poultry waste to fertilize fields in the Illinois River watershed constituted a public nuisance and a trespass on the waters in the Oklahoma portion of the watershed.

The judge also determined that the poultry companies had violated Oklahoma pollution laws and that the state was entitled to injunctive relief for each violation. Each violation carries a civil penalty of not more than $10,000.

In issuing the ruling, Frizzell found that the 11 poultry companies still named in the lawsuit have known or should reasonably have known since at least the mid-to-late 1980s that phosphorus in the runoff of land-applied poultry waste injures the waters of the Illinois River watershed.

Poultry waste is a combination of poultry excrement and poultry litter, which sometimes consists of wood shavings or rice hulls used to absorb liquids, according to Frizzells ruling.

The state of Oklahoma, under then-Attorney General Drew Edmondson, sued 14 poultry companies in federal court in 2005 to try to stop the poultry industry from over-applying poultry waste to land in the Illinois River watershed, consisting of 1 million acres straddling northeastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas.

The state claimed that poultry waste was being overapplied as fertilizer to ranchers fields in the watershed. While the phosphorus-rich fertilizer was a cheap way to fertilize cover crops for cattle, saturation of the fields with the waste resulted in runoff polluting streams in the watershed, Frizzell ruled.

Excess amounts of phosphorus has over time polluted Lake Tenkiller, the Illinois River and its tributaries, causing excess algae and blue-green bacteria, Frizzell said in his decision.

In issuing his ruling, he asked attorneys for both sides to meet and attempt to reach an agreement regarding remedies to be imposed in this action.

Frizzell indicated that he will decide the matter on his own if both sides cant come up with a solution that meets his approval.

Despite the rulings having come more than 13 years after the conclusion of the bench trial in the case, the judge mentioned a recent personal experience that told him the problem still exists.

Frizzell said while driving home from Bentonville, Arkansas, recently, he noticed that poultry waste had been placed on farmland that had too much of a slope to reduce runoff potential.

The judge asked whether the parties had looked at a plan developed after the city of Tulsa successfully sued the poultry industry and the city of Decatur, Arkansas, in 2001 over phosphorus pollution in the watersheds that feed Eucha and Spavinaw lakes, which supply drinking water to the city.

Frizzell also suggested that some agreement to truck out poultry waste from the watershed ought to be in the plan that Oklahoma and poultry officials decide upon.

Drummond said everything was on the table at this point in the states discussions with poultry industry officials.

Robert George, an attorney for Georges companies  among the defendants  told the judge in response to a question that a nonprofit organization supported by the poultry industry had exported more than 1 million tons of poultry litter out of the watershed.

Trial testimony indicated that more than 1.1 billion birds owned by the poultry companies in the watershed between 2000 and 2007 generated from 354,000 to 528,000 tons of waste per year.

There were about 1,900 grow houses in the watershed at the time of the trial, with about 425 of them in Oklahoma and the balance in Arkansas.

Drummond said he hoped to reach a settlement in the matter but noted that Frizzell would be the first to be notified should the parties reach an impasse.

Frizzell asked that attorneys for both parties submit a joint status report on the progress of negotiations seven days before the June hearing.

The 11 poultry companies still named as defendants in the lawsuit are Tyson Foods Inc., Tyson Poultry Inc., Tyson Chicken Inc., Cobb-Vantress Inc., Cal-Maine Foods Inc., Cargill Inc., Cargill Turkey Production LLC, Georges Inc., Georges Farms Inc., Peterson Farms Inc. and Simmons Foods Inc.

Peterson Farms sold to Simmons Foods in 2008, according to the ruling, while Cal-Maine Foods has had no production in the watershed since 2005. Cargill Inc., meanwhile, transferred its turkey business in the watershed to Cargill Turkey Production in 2004 and currently has no contracts with any growers in the watershed, according to Frizzells ruling.
Three women testified Thursday against a Tulsa attorney who is charged with rape, witness intimidation and distribution of obscene material, and still one prosecution witness remains.

The preliminary hearing for Jeffrey Krigel was the buzz of the Tulsa County Courthouse and saw the courtroom gallery filled with curious spectators and supporters, including many members of Krigels extended family and friends who traveled from as far as Seattle.

The case has drawn attention via online threads and blogs debating conspiracy theories as to the justice systems supposed bent against Krigel, a private attorney who was operating his own Tulsa firm until his first rape allegation in June 2021.

Krigel has sued two of his alleged victims as well as the Tulsa Police Department and its case agent.

The 36-year-olds law license was suspended in January after a multicounty grand jury returned a six-count indictment against him alleging first-degree rape, forcible sodomy, second-degree rape by instrumentation, distribution of obscene material and two counts of witness intimidation.

Witnesses on Thursday detailed the abuse alleged in the indictment. One of Krigels former employees testified that a sexual encounter she had with him began turning sour when he refused to wear a condom.

When she later told him his aggression was too much for her, he ignored her and continued, refusing to let her leave, she told Wagoner County Managing Assistant District Attorney John Bennett.

She said she fell asleep restrained in his arms, correctly hoping that he might release her in his sleep by morning, but he woke up as she was leaving and grabbed her again, raping her.

He told me I could leave when he was finished with me, the woman testified.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Richard OCarroll prodded for evidence of the collusion he claims took place among the victims, picking at the time gap between the womans alleged rape and her reporting of it to an official agency and asking her about another alleged victim with whom she attended law school.

The woman testified that she didnt initially make a report because she was soon to take the bar exam and Krigel had mentioned that investigators would come to him with questions of her ethical caliber.

Another woman turned in the witness stand to directly address Krigel, who was shackled and clad in black-and-white striped jail clothes, when Bennett asked her how it made her feel when Krigel attached a picture of her genitalia that she had sent to her once-intimate partner to a public court pleading.

I was mortified, she said, testifying that Krigel was representing that former partner in a protective order case. You put my vagina in a public pleading.

A third woman, also a former partner of Krigels, testified about how upsetting it was to see other pleadings that included her and her childs protected health information and recollections of childhood abuse that she had not yet disclosed to her own family. OCarroll argued that Krigels then-attorneys authored the pleadings as denoted by their signatures.

The woman also testified that she received several emails with phishing links sent from random addresses but including Jeff Krigel in the subject lines. OCarroll argued that there was no evidence that the emails, copies of which had to be retrieved during the hearing, came from Krigel, but the woman testified that the messages ceased once Krigel was jailed a second time.

That witness endured several contentious moments in the courtroom as OCarroll implied that she was lying and made veiled references to the penalties of perjury. Rogers County Special Judge David Smith, who is presiding over the hearing, asked OCarroll several times to calm himself and cease badgering the witness, later noting that the lawyers statements sounded like intimidation.

The judge denied OCarrolls request for a bond hearing and said he would schedule a later date to hear from the fourth witness.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education will take public feedback Friday on a pair of administrative rules that would restrict school library content and require school employees to notify parents about changes to their childs identity.

The two listening sessions will be conducted in Room 1-20 of the Oliver Hodge Building, 2500 N. Lincoln Blvd. in Oklahoma City. Written comments may be submitted until 4:30 p.m. Friday to rules@sde.ok.gov.

The morning session, scheduled for 10 a.m., is for feedback on a proposed rule change to state statutes regarding accreditation that would penalize the accreditation status of an individual school or a district as a whole if it is found to have library materials deemed to be pornographic or excessively sexualized.

The definition of pornographic in the proposed rules is similar to the states legal definition of obscene materials. Sexualized content is determined based on the age of the youngest students with access to the school library in question.

Additionally, districts would be required to have a written policy for reviewing any library materials and responding to complaints regarding books or other items in their collections. Most school districts, including Tulsa, Union, Bixby and Owasso, already have policies in place for addressing challenged school materials.

As drafted, districts and Career Tech sites could also be penalized if they fail to annually provide a complete listing of all library materials available districtwide to the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

Scheduled for 2 p.m., the afternoon session is over a proposed rule that, according to a February press release from State Superintendent Ryan Walters, is meant to reinforce a 2014 measure known as the Oklahoma Parents Bill of Rights.

Among the rules proposed provisions, school district employees would be required to disclose any changes or information regarding a childs health and social or psychological development to parents or guardians within 30 days. The language of the proposed rule specifically includes gender identity information, including the students preferred names or pronouns while at school.

The proposal also would require schools to allow parents to inspect sex education classroom materials and to have schools honor their written objections in whole or in part to sex ed or any other instruction questioning beliefs or practices in sex, morality, or religion without excluding students from the parts of instruction not objected to by the parent.

Justin Holcomb, a spokesman of the Oklahoma State Department of Education, said about 500 written comments had been submitted as of mid-day Thursday regarding the two rules up for consideration Friday.

However, he was unable to provide a breakdown Thursday of how many had been submitted for each rule beyond a claim that the majority of submissions were a campaign form letter from a chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union in opposition to the provisions regarding sex education and mandatory disclosure of student information.

Beyond the ACLU, other organizations, including Freedom Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee, have voiced opposition to the proposed rules, as well.

Freedom Oklahoma is an Oklahoma City-based organization that advocates for two spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and nonbinary Oklahomans. Its executive director, Nicole McAfee, said more than 900 people had submitted comments about the proposed rule changes via a form on the organizations website.

We know that having one affirming adult in an LGBTQ+ teens adult can be literally life saving and disrupt rates of suicidality and suicide ideation, McAfee said. A rule proposal like this doesnt create space for that affirmation, safety and trust. Instead, it creates a scenario where every student regardless of gender identity or sexuality has to feel like their presentation is being policed at school in a way that if any of their behavior is assumed out be out of line with their sex as assigned at birth it could result in them being outed, regardless of whether that assumption is actually true.

Both proposed rules contain a provision that willful noncompliance is grounds for the State Board of Education to penalize a districts accreditation. However, neither rule provides a definition of willful or how that determination will be reached, thus drawing concerns from the Oklahoma Parent Legislative Action Committee about the lack of due process for districts, schools and teachers accused of violations.

There is nothing there outlining how a complaint is filed, Oklahoma PLAC legislative chair and retired educator Sherri Brown said. There is nothing in there outlining what constitutes an investigation. There is nothing in the rules that requires a hearing to allow a district to present their side.

Just like with House Bill 1775 ( which bans the teaching of certain concepts on gender and race), this will be used to weaponize the State Department of Education through the rule-making process and attack school districts.

Administrative rules are written by state agencies to help them carry out existing state laws. Both proposed rules are subject to approval by both the State Board of Education and the Oklahoma Legislature before enactment.
Pushing a walker into a chilly breeze Friday morning, Patricia Hendricks waited at the curb, unable to reach a Food Bank truck in the parking lot near her apartment northwest of downtown Tulsa.

But the chef wasnt going to let her leave hungry. He packed several bags of prepared meals and ran across the parking lot to deliver them.

These will last me a good while, Hendricks said. I eat like a bird.

The Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma is redoubling efforts to distribute meals and groceries across the Tulsa area after emergency SNAP benefits, which began early in the COVID-19 pandemic, expired at the end of February. This week alone, the local nonprofit prepared 2,500 emergency meal boxes, provided an additional 25 tons of fresh produce and distributed 21,000 frozen meals in response to the return of SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to its pre-pandemic levels.

Oklahoma will receive $50 million less per month in SNAP funding from the federal government, Food Bank official said.

I double-checked that number because I thought it had to be a typo, said Food Bank spokeswoman Diana Capra. I didnt think it could be that big.

Nationwide, however, food assistance programs will lose $2.5 billion a month, she said. Families with children will lose an average $223 in monthly benefits, while seniors will lose an average of $168 a month.

By definition, of course, emergency funding was never meant to be permanent. The additional SNAP resources were only meant to ease the economic impact of COVID-19.

But the emergency funds are expiring as food prices rise and wages remain stagnant, putting family budgets under more and more stress, said Calvin Moore, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma.

If youve had that extra money in your budget for three years and all of a sudden its cut off, Moore said, its a financial cliff for those families.

The Food Bank provides food to more than 400 partner agencies to distribute meals and groceries across 24 counties of eastern Oklahoma.

The cuts in SNAP funding will require a substantial response from the Food Bank and its partners, Moore said.

Families should not have to make a choice between keeping their lights on or feeding their kids, he said. Seniors should not have to make a choice between keeping the lights on, purchasing medicine or buying food.

Video: Millions at risk of slipping into poverty after pandemic SNAP benefits end
OKLAHOMA CITY  A pair of proposed administrative rules targeting library content and disclosure requirements for school staff received a largely chilly reception Friday at listening sessions hosted by the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

However, State Superintendent Ryan Walters and all but two members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education were not present to hear those comments.

Is it really a hearing if no one is here to hear the voices of the people who want to weigh in? Noble Public Schools teacher and parent Erika Wright asked rhetorically after thanking board members Kendra Wesson and Suzanne Reynolds for their attendance. I get that some of the state board members have day jobs,  but the fact that Superintendent Walters is not sitting in that chair is infuriating to me.

All of these people have taken time from their spring breaks to be here.

After the listening sessions, a spokesman for the Oklahoma State Department of Education said Walters was instead meeting with families in rural Oklahoma on Friday.

The meetings were video recorded, and the officials will have access to them should they choose to view them.

During the 90-minute morning session, 15 of the 20 speakers objected to a proposed rule change that would penalize the accreditation status of an individual school or a district as a whole if it is found to have library materials deemed to be pornographic or excessively sexualized.

The definition of pornographic in the proposed rules is similar to the states legal definition of obscene materials.

Additionally, districts would be required to have a written policy for reviewing any library materials and responding to complaints regarding books or other items in their collections. Most school districts, including Tulsa, Union, Bixby and Owasso, already have policies in place for addressing challenged school materials.

As drafted, districts and CareerTech sites could also be penalized if they fail to annually provide a complete listing of all library materials available districtwide to the Oklahoma State Department of Education

These rules are a solution in search of a problem, Tulsa TRAICE Academy librarian Michelle McCain said. I can assure you that students arent coming to a school library looking for pornography. There are much easier ways for them to access it, including on their own personal cellphones.

The afternoon session drew an overflow crowd to weigh in on a proposed rule that, according to a February press release from Walters office, is meant to reinforce a 2014 measure known as the Oklahoma Parents Bill of Rights.

Among the rules proposed provisions, school district employees would be required to disclose any changes or information regarding a childs health, social or psychological development to parents or guardians within 30 days. The language of the proposed rule specifically includes gender identity information, including the students preferred names or pronouns while at school.

The proposal also would require schools to allow parents to inspect sexual education classroom materials and to have schools honor their written objections in whole or in part to sex ed or any other instruction questioning beliefs or practices in sex, morality, or religion without excluding students from the parts of instruction not objected to by the parent.

Of the eight commenters who voiced support for the rule Friday afternoon, several made it clear that they want to be kept informed about all changes in their students lives, regardless of whether they agree with them.

Parents rights do not stop at the school door, Edmond resident Tracey Montgomery said. Parents have a legal and moral obligation to decide whats best for their children in all areas of their life.

Conversely, many of the two dozen commenters who voiced opposition to the proposed rule change noted that their concerns were not because they necessarily wanted all students to hide information from their parents.

Instead, their objections were focused on students who would be at risk for bullying, homelessness or abuse if their gender identity or sexuality  or assumptions about them  were revealed without their consent.

Everything youve heard so far is true that this will decimate student safety, Sergio Ruben Martinez said. It is unbelievable to me that this body is spending time and resources to actively hurt children. I have never seen anything in my entire life move with such blatant disregard for the lives of students.

Now that you know, its impossible for me to think about how you could turn away and ignore this.

Both proposed rules contain a provision that willful noncompliance is grounds for the State Board of Education to penalize a school districts accreditation. However, neither rule provides a definition for willful or how that determination will be reached.

Administrative rules are written by state agencies to help them carry out existing laws.

Both proposed rules are subject to approval by both the State Board of Education and the Oklahoma Legislature before enactment.

The session fell over spring break, and several high school students and recent graduates made a point to attend Friday. Among them was the last speaker of the day, Midwest City Carl Albert High School senior Savannah Wallace, who urged the board members in attendance to keep one specific population in mind when weighing both proposed rules.

Keep in mind who you are affecting with these decisions, because no one has asked us what we think, she said. Please keep us in mind. Dont forget about us when you have these big topics at hand.
OKLAHOMA CITY  Anje Newnam expects to see a decrease in patients if the state adopts policies requiring mental health professionals to participate in a statewide health information exchange.

Citing concerns about divulging patients personal information, the licensed professional counselor and school psychologist at Partners in Wellness in Tulsa said shes likely to stop practicing in Oklahoma if participation in the program becomes mandatory.

I cannot in good faith participate in the (health information exchange) in any capacity, Newnam said. If the (Oklahoma Health Care Authority) says your options are to participate or turn in your license, Ill probably turn in my license and look at licensure in another state.

As a result of a state law passed last year, the Health Care Authority board will consider permanent agency rules that would require all licensed health care providers, including mental health professionals, to join the exchange by July 1. The program is intended to improve patient care by allowing patients digital medical records to follow them to any provider in the state.

But some mental health providers are concerned that being required to share sensitive client information, such as a patients diagnosis, on the exchange would violate their code of ethics.

A whole-health approach to treatment

Health Care Authority CEO Kevin Corbett stressed that the exchange, which has been years in the making, will be a patient-driven initiative that takes a whole person approach to health by addressing both physical and mental health.

We start with whose data is it  its the patients data, he said. And if they give their providers and us permission to utilize that, we have to protect it. We have to safeguard it.

Patient participation in the exchange is voluntary. Only medical professionals directly involved in a patients care can access that persons personal information and medical history.

Patients will be able to opt out without any of their personal information being submitted to the exchange, a change from MyHealth Access Networks current procedures, Corbett said.

The Tulsa-based nonprofit will run the exchange being built by global technology company Orion Health.

Getting a full picture of a persons physical and mental health is key to treating all of a persons ailments, Corbett said. Including mental health providers on the exchange is important because studies show that a majority of adults with a mental illness also have a co-occurring medical condition, he said.

Just the thought of being able to share amongst all the health providers a full understanding of a persons condition  we find that to be beneficial, and so do many of the providers that weve talked to, Corbett said.

Patient information that could appear on the exchange includes personal identifying information, current prescriptions, drug allergies, immunization records, diagnoses, lab results and hospital discharge paperwork.

Feeling blindsided

Judy Branum, a licensed professional counselor at Resolve Behavioral Health in Tulsa, said shes worried that medical doctors will treat her patients differently if they know their mental health diagnoses.

She said some female patients have told her stories about medical doctors minimizing their health concerns because they had been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Branum also questioned how long those diagnoses would stay visible on a patients record.

That whole mental health diagnosis piece just brings out a whole different set of stigmas and concerns, she said.

Mental health professionals will not be required to include their psychotherapy notes on the exchange, Corbett said.

But Branum said mental health providers havent been consulted on the implementation of this new program.

As providers, we feel like weve all been blindsided by this, she said. Its just been decided outside of our control.

Oklahoma State Medical Association President Dr. David Holden urged the Health Care Authority and the Oklahoma Legislature to slow the implementation of the statewide exchange due to concerns about program costs and the security of patient information.

State law requires that the exchange be in place by July 1.

It must be implemented thoughtfully and in a way that does not financially burden physicians, hospitals and other care providers, Holden said in a statement. In addition, all Oklahomans must be assured that their private health information is secure. We are concerned the (Health Care Authority) may not be able to accomplish these goals by July 1.

The Health Care Authority estimates that providers will pay on average about $5,000 up front to join the exchange, but the costs will vary, Corbett said. He said he is working with state lawmakers to create a funding mechanism for providers who cant afford to cover their own costs.

Health care entities can also seek an exemption due to financial hardship, technology capabilities or the size of their businesses.

The Health Care Authority will release more details about provider costs in the coming months, Corbett said.

The agencys board will meet Wednesday to discuss proposed rules for implementing the exchange. People can submit public comments at oklahoma.gov/ohca/okshine.

If approved, the rules go to the Legislature and governor for final approval.
Related Content EPA 'neighbor' rule cuts downwind pollution by power plants

Oklahoma has sued the Environmental Protection Agency for rejecting the states good neighbor plan to keep ozone emissions from affecting surrounding states, Attorney General Gentner Drummond said Thursday.

This is federal overreach of the first order, Drummond said in a press release. Rather than work with Oklahoma to make whatever modifications the EPA claims are necessary to comply with its burdensome regulations, the Biden Administration is seeking a one-size-fits-all federal plan with absolutely no input from Oklahoma or other affected states.

The EPA plan places unnecessary and costly burdens on Oklahoma businesses and ignores the expertise of Oklahomas Department of Environmental Quality, all at the expense of state sovereignty.

Drummonds press release also says: The EPAs federal implementation plan would impose onerous federal emissions requirements on numerous sources, such as fossil fuel-fired power plants.

The EPA announced on Feb. 13 final disapproval of state implementation plans, known as SIPs, of 19 states, including Oklahoma. SIP rejection requires states to conform with federal regulation.

According to a notice printed in the Feb. 13 National Register, Oklahomas SIP was rejected for failure to properly deal with small amounts of pollution detected in Denton, Texas.

The State included no permanent and enforceable emissions controls in its SIP submission, the notice says.

The state is also cited for not sufficiently consulting tribal governments.

Several other states, including Texas and Arkansas, have already sued to reverse the EPAs actions.

Opposing federal administrations have batted ozone emission regulation back and forth for more than a decade. The Obama administration used the Clean Air Act to tighten them, while the Trump administration loosened them.

Former Oklahoma Attorney General and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt was very active in those contests, usually on the side of fossil fuel industries, which are the source of much of the emissions but are also important cogs the U.S. economy.

Here are the places where air pollution levels could soon be considered dangerous by the EPA Here are the places where air pollution levels could soon be considered dangerous by the EPA At least 12 cities are already above recommended particulate standards Air pollution has been linked to respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, and cancer In some cities, reporting bad smells can help scientists identify sources of pollution Look up your city's air pollution levels
Though China added Vietnam to its list of approved countries for group tours on March 15, flights carrying groups of Chinese tourists to Khanh Hoa Province in the south-central region will not resume until March 26, according to Cam Ranh International Terminal Joint Stock Company. Accordingly, low-cost air carrier Vietjet Air will run about 34 round-trip flights between China and Khanh Hoa from March 26 to March 31. While China Southern Airlines has plans to reopen an air route connecting China with Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa on March 26 with one daily flight, the frequency will float between 25 and 30 daily international flights from mid-April 2023 onward. Several local travel firms which specialize in facilitating Chinese tourism to Khanh Hoa said that China repealing its prohibition of outbound group tours to Vietnam, and Khanh Hoa in particular, would be a big boost to local tourism, enabling outlets to sell more tours for the upcoming holidays  Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers' Day (May 1)  as well as during the peak summer travel season. Passengers on a direct flight transporting them from Chinas Chengdu to Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam on January 23, 2023. Photo: Thuc Nghi/ Tuoi Tre Do Thi Van Anh, director of Khanh Thai Vietnam Travel Company, said that her firm has collaborated with its Chinese partners to receive the first flight departing from China to Khanh Hoa, which will carry some 200 passengers, on March 26. Our travel firm will arrange four-day-and-three-night and five-day-and-four-night tours, coupled with four- or five-star accommodation, for these Chinese visitors. They will visit the Thap Ba Po Nagar Tower and Hon Chong [Husband Islet], as well as go on an island tour, said Anh. Anh added that tourists in the group can opt to explore the provinces tourist sites by themselves, or buy add-on tours from the company. Her firm is actively seeking out quality service providers given that many of the businesses in Khanh Hoa which specialized in servicing Chinese customers shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Dao Trong Tung, director of Vietnam Tourism Charter Company and chairman of the Travel Businesses Association for Chinese Visitors in Khanh Hoa, 21 tour operators affiliated with the association are ready and waiting to welcome back Chinese tourists. The province is home to more than 55,000 rooms, with over half of them being rated three-star or higher, giving it the ability to welcome the massive number of expected Chinese holidaymakers, said Vo Quang Hoang, chairman of the Khanh Hoa Hotel Association. However, after a three-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many travel firms are facing a shortage of tour guides. Travel companies are offering multiple training courses to their new staff and calling on old experienced employees to return to work for key posts, Hoang said, adding that service providers will surely reopen their doors once crowds of tourists return to the city. Do Thi Van Anh, director of Khang Thai Vietnam Travel, said that the firms outlets in China were speeding up their sales of tours on social media, attracting much interest of Chinese tourists for trips to Nha Tranh  a major tourism hub in Khanh Hoa. Many eateries and shops specializing in serving Chinese visitors remain shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: Hoai Bao/ Tuoi Tre However, Thai tour operators still have an advantage over Vietnamese players as Thailand has been receiving Chinese tour groups since it was put on Chinas list of countries and territories where Chinese tour operators are allowed to organize tours, which came into effect on February 6. Besides, Thailands visa waiver programs and cheap tour prices make the country more attractive to Chinese travelers, said Anh. Chinese authorities on January 20 announced that they would launch the first phase of a pilot program to resume outbound group tours to 20 nations, including many Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Laos, beginning on February 6. Meanwhile, China added Vietnam to the second phase of its pilot program, starting from March 15. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Though China added Vietnam to its list of approved countries for group tours on March 15, flights carrying groups of Chinese tourists to Khanh Hoa Province in the south-central region will not resume until March 26, according to Cam Ranh International Terminal Joint Stock Company.

Accordingly, low-cost air carrier Vietjet Air will run about 34 round-trip flights between China and Khanh Hoa from March 26 to March 31.

While China Southern Airlines has plans to reopen an air route connecting China with Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa on March 26 with one daily flight, the frequency will float between 25 and 30 daily international flights from mid-April 2023 onward.

Several local travel firms which specialize in facilitating Chinese tourism to Khanh Hoa said that China repealing its prohibition of outbound group tours to Vietnam, and Khanh Hoa in particular, would be a big boost to local tourism, enabling outlets to sell more tours for the upcoming holidays  Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers' Day (May 1)  as well as during the peak summer travel season.

Passengers on a direct flight transporting them from Chinas Chengdu to Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam on January 23, 2023. Photo: Thuc Nghi/ Tuoi Tre

Do Thi Van Anh, director of Khanh Thai Vietnam Travel Company, said that her firm has collaborated with its Chinese partners to receive the first flight departing from China to Khanh Hoa, which will carry some 200 passengers, on March 26.

Our travel firm will arrange four-day-and-three-night and five-day-and-four-night tours, coupled with four- or five-star accommodation, for these Chinese visitors. They will visit the Thap Ba Po Nagar Tower and Hon Chong [Husband Islet], as well as go on an island tour, said Anh.

Anh added that tourists in the group can opt to explore the provinces tourist sites by themselves, or buy add-on tours from the company.

Her firm is actively seeking out quality service providers given that many of the businesses in Khanh Hoa which specialized in servicing Chinese customers shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Dao Trong Tung, director of Vietnam Tourism Charter Company and chairman of the Travel Businesses Association for Chinese Visitors in Khanh Hoa, 21 tour operators affiliated with the association are ready and waiting to welcome back Chinese tourists.

The province is home to more than 55,000 rooms, with over half of them being rated three-star or higher, giving it the ability to welcome the massive number of expected Chinese holidaymakers, said Vo Quang Hoang, chairman of the Khanh Hoa Hotel Association.

However, after a three-year pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many travel firms are facing a shortage of tour guides.

Travel companies are offering multiple training courses to their new staff and calling on old experienced employees to return to work for key posts, Hoang said, adding that service providers will surely reopen their doors once crowds of tourists return to the city.

Do Thi Van Anh, director of Khang Thai Vietnam Travel, said that the firms outlets in China were speeding up their sales of tours on social media, attracting much interest of Chinese tourists for trips to Nha Tranh  a major tourism hub in Khanh Hoa.

Many eateries and shops specializing in serving Chinese visitors remain shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: Hoai Bao/ Tuoi Tre

However, Thai tour operators still have an advantage over Vietnamese players as Thailand has been receiving Chinese tour groups since it was put on Chinas list of countries and territories where Chinese tour operators are allowed to organize tours, which came into effect on February 6. Besides, Thailands visa waiver programs and cheap tour prices make the country more attractive to Chinese travelers, said Anh.

Chinese authorities on January 20 announced that they would launch the first phase of a pilot program to resume outbound group tours to 20 nations, including many Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Laos, beginning on February 6.

Meanwhile, China added Vietnam to the second phase of its pilot program, starting from March 15.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
It took a loaded pistol pointed at Lazzaro D'Auria's head for the Italian landowner to finally say yes to the country's newest and most violent mafia. The Puglia farmer had resisted their extortion attempts in the past - the threats, the fires, the damage to his crops and property. But surprised by the early morning visit of a dozen men, including a boss with a gun, he agreed to their demand for 150,000 euros a year. Instead of paying up the next day, D'Auria went to the police, making him one of the few people to ever denounce Foggia's little-known mafia, Italy's long-ignored and today its most violent organised crime syndicate. "If more citizens pressed charges, the local mafia could be weakened," D'Auria, who has lived under police protection since 2017, told AFP. "Citizens, speak out!" implored the 57-year-old, who sees recent crackdowns by authorities as a sign the mafia can be weakened if locals overcome their fears. Its bloody clan wars were once dismissed as farmers' feuds, but the so-called "Fourth Mafia" -- after Sicily's Cosa Nostra, Calabria's 'Ndrangheta and Naples' Camorra -- is finally setting off alarm bells inside the Italian state. But it has come late. Italy's youngest mafia already has a stranglehold over the vast southeastern province, filling its coffers and cementing its control through drug trafficking, extortion, armed robberies and the theft of vehicles and livestock for ransom. "It's a rudimentary, primitive mafia. Very violent, very aggressive," said Ludovico Vaccaro, Foggia's public prosecutor. While the other main mafias have graduated to less visible, more profitable activities, including infiltrating the legitimate economy, the Foggia mafia is still in a nascent phase. "Today the mafias have evolved, so they shoot less, seeking a strategy of silence to stay unnoticed," Vaccaro said. "Whereas this is still a mafia that, to show its power over the territory, shoots and kills." Battalions and bombings The "Foggia mafia" is a catch-all label for a syndicate comprised of different groups involved in a wide array of crimes. The province of Foggia has Italy's third-highest homicide rate, and five of the 16 murders last year were mafia-related. Family-based "battalions" from different areas often cooperate, dividing extortion money that pays associates and prisoners. "When conflicts sometimes arise over the division of the illicit proceeds, there are quarrels and the battalions clash and start killing each other," said deputy police chief Mario Grassia. Each group has its speciality, from the military-style armed robberies of freight trucks in Cerignola to the old-school tactics used in the city of Foggia, where nighttime bombings of storefronts and cars persuade hesitating shopkeepers to pay up. Farmers in San Severo like D'Auria often find their olive trees felled, their harvests torched or tractors or livestock stolen. In Gargano, whose spectacular coast welcomes tourists as well as Albanian drug shipments, the mafia is particularly violent. Four years ago, a human skull was left outside a municipal building for the mayor of Monte Sant'Angelo. The skinned head of a goat with a dagger through it was left the same year for the lawyer of a disappeared mafia victim's mother. The Gargano mafia's calling card, authorities say, is shooting victims in the face, or dumping them in caves. "It's easy to hide things. Every once in a while we find something serious, stolen cars, bodies of missing people," prosecutor Vaccaro said. 'No one spoke up' During a recent drive with police through the city of Foggia, AFP saw countless reminders of the bloodshed that has terrorised the population for decades. There is the spot where builder Giovanni Panuzio was shot in 1992 for being the first to denounce the mafia, the abandoned farmhouse where police thwarted an ambush of a local businessman last year and the cafe whose owner died after being stabbed in the eye during a 2020 robbery. "Right now there's no mafia war, but there's a settling of accounts," said a detective who requested anonymity. In November, Nicola Di Rienzo, 21, lay dead for hours in a public park after being shot five times before his 17-year-old killer turned himself in. In the meantime, "no one said anything, no one heard anything, no one spoke up," said the detective. Deputy chief Grassia said he was particularly concerned by three of last year's murders being committed by minors. "Those participating in these 'baby gangs' have kinship ties with subjects linked to organised crime," he said. The newest danger posed by the mafia is infiltrating public institutions. Foggia's city council was dissolved in 2021 due to mafia infiltration and its mayor arrested on corruption charges, one of five local governments in the province dissolved since 2015. Backlogged trials In recent years a number of top bosses, including Rocco Moretti and Roberto Sinesi, have been jailed as authorities try to wrest control of the territory from the mafia. But the upcoming release of one of their rivals, Raffaele Tolonese, and last month's prison escape of Gargano boss Marco Raduano, underscore the challenges. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi visited Foggia in February to seek to reassure locals, pledging to reinforce security, including adding what local authorities say are badly needed surveillance cameras and street lamps. Beyond those basics, argued Vaccaro, more police, prosecutors and courts are desperately needed to counter the "climate of fear and intimidation, the cultural and social poverty". Only one courthouse serves the entire province, where a backlog of over 12,000 criminal cases is waiting to be tried. "In this vast territory, either the state has control, or the criminals will take it," said Vaccaro. Last summer, D'Auria's grain fields went up in flames. Three of his tractor units have been burned. Worse, he said, is the bank, which cut his credit lines by half, considering him "high risk". Still, the farmer sees signs of hope in recent arrests and convictions that show the state finally stepping up. "I feel a lot more safe than before. But you always feel the fear," he said.

It took a loaded pistol pointed at Lazzaro D'Auria's head for the Italian landowner to finally say yes to the country's newest and most violent mafia.

The Puglia farmer had resisted their extortion attempts in the past - the threats, the fires, the damage to his crops and property.

But surprised by the early morning visit of a dozen men, including a boss with a gun, he agreed to their demand for 150,000 euros a year.

Instead of paying up the next day, D'Auria went to the police, making him one of the few people to ever denounce Foggia's little-known mafia, Italy's long-ignored and today its most violent organised crime syndicate.

"If more citizens pressed charges, the local mafia could be weakened," D'Auria, who has lived under police protection since 2017, told AFP.

"Citizens, speak out!" implored the 57-year-old, who sees recent crackdowns by authorities as a sign the mafia can be weakened if locals overcome their fears.

Its bloody clan wars were once dismissed as farmers' feuds, but the so-called "Fourth Mafia" -- after Sicily's Cosa Nostra, Calabria's 'Ndrangheta and Naples' Camorra -- is finally setting off alarm bells inside the Italian state.

But it has come late. Italy's youngest mafia already has a stranglehold over the vast southeastern province, filling its coffers and cementing its control through drug trafficking, extortion, armed robberies and the theft of vehicles and livestock for ransom.

"It's a rudimentary, primitive mafia. Very violent, very aggressive," said Ludovico Vaccaro, Foggia's public prosecutor.

While the other main mafias have graduated to less visible, more profitable activities, including infiltrating the legitimate economy, the Foggia mafia is still in a nascent phase.

"Today the mafias have evolved, so they shoot less, seeking a strategy of silence to stay unnoticed," Vaccaro said.

"Whereas this is still a mafia that, to show its power over the territory, shoots and kills."

Battalions and bombings

The "Foggia mafia" is a catch-all label for a syndicate comprised of different groups involved in a wide array of crimes.

The province of Foggia has Italy's third-highest homicide rate, and five of the 16 murders last year were mafia-related.

Family-based "battalions" from different areas often cooperate, dividing extortion money that pays associates and prisoners.

"When conflicts sometimes arise over the division of the illicit proceeds, there are quarrels and the battalions clash and start killing each other," said deputy police chief Mario Grassia.

Each group has its speciality, from the military-style armed robberies of freight trucks in Cerignola to the old-school tactics used in the city of Foggia, where nighttime bombings of storefronts and cars persuade hesitating shopkeepers to pay up.

Farmers in San Severo like D'Auria often find their olive trees felled, their harvests torched or tractors or livestock stolen.

In Gargano, whose spectacular coast welcomes tourists as well as Albanian drug shipments, the mafia is particularly violent.

Four years ago, a human skull was left outside a municipal building for the mayor of Monte Sant'Angelo. The skinned head of a goat with a dagger through it was left the same year for the lawyer of a disappeared mafia victim's mother.

The Gargano mafia's calling card, authorities say, is shooting victims in the face, or dumping them in caves.

"It's easy to hide things. Every once in a while we find something serious, stolen cars, bodies of missing people," prosecutor Vaccaro said.

'No one spoke up'

During a recent drive with police through the city of Foggia, AFP saw countless reminders of the bloodshed that has terrorised the population for decades.

There is the spot where builder Giovanni Panuzio was shot in 1992 for being the first to denounce the mafia, the abandoned farmhouse where police thwarted an ambush of a local businessman last year and the cafe whose owner died after being stabbed in the eye during a 2020 robbery.

"Right now there's no mafia war, but there's a settling of accounts," said a detective who requested anonymity.

In November, Nicola Di Rienzo, 21, lay dead for hours in a public park after being shot five times before his 17-year-old killer turned himself in.

In the meantime, "no one said anything, no one heard anything, no one spoke up," said the detective.

Deputy chief Grassia said he was particularly concerned by three of last year's murders being committed by minors.

"Those participating in these 'baby gangs' have kinship ties with subjects linked to organised crime," he said.

The newest danger posed by the mafia is infiltrating public institutions. Foggia's city council was dissolved in 2021 due to mafia infiltration and its mayor arrested on corruption charges, one of five local governments in the province dissolved since 2015.

Backlogged trials

In recent years a number of top bosses, including Rocco Moretti and Roberto Sinesi, have been jailed as authorities try to wrest control of the territory from the mafia.

But the upcoming release of one of their rivals, Raffaele Tolonese, and last month's prison escape of Gargano boss Marco Raduano, underscore the challenges.

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi visited Foggia in February to seek to reassure locals, pledging to reinforce security, including adding what local authorities say are badly needed surveillance cameras and street lamps.

Beyond those basics, argued Vaccaro, more police, prosecutors and courts are desperately needed to counter the "climate of fear and intimidation, the cultural and social poverty".

Only one courthouse serves the entire province, where a backlog of over 12,000 criminal cases is waiting to be tried.

"In this vast territory, either the state has control, or the criminals will take it," said Vaccaro.

Last summer, D'Auria's grain fields went up in flames. Three of his tractor units have been burned. Worse, he said, is the bank, which cut his credit lines by half, considering him "high risk".

Still, the farmer sees signs of hope in recent arrests and convictions that show the state finally stepping up.

"I feel a lot more safe than before. But you always feel the fear," he said.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to "completely normalize" a military intelligence-sharing deal as part of efforts to better respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. Yonhap



The defense ministry initiated the process to normalize a military intelligence-sharing deal with Japan on Friday, following a summit agreement between the leaders of both countries the previous day.



The defense ministry said it sent a letter to the foreign ministry requesting measures to normalize the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).



The foreign ministry is soon expected to send an official letter to its Japanese counterpart in response, officials said.



On Thursday, President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to "completely normalize" the military pact as part of efforts to better respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.



The agreement was made during their summit aimed at mending bilateral ties long strained by historical disputes related to Japan's colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910-45.



Signed in 2016, GSOMIA was seen as a rare symbol of security cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo.



In 2019, the former administration of President Moon Jae-in decided to terminate it in protest of Tokyo's export restrictions against Seoul amid disputes over Japan's mobilization of Koreans into forced labor during World War II.



The decision was later put on hold but caused vulnerability to the agreement's ground of legal justification. (Yonhap)


Poland wishes to foster multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam, the most significant partner of Poland in Southeast Asia, visiting Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau has stressed in Hanoi. Minister Rau was speaking during his talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Thursday, as part of his two-day visit, starting a day earlier, to Vietnam at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son. Rau said he is impressed with Vietnams socio-economic development achievements and stated that Poland wants to expand its comprehensive cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation, especially in areas where Poland has strengths, such as smart city building, green technology, environmental protection, and information technology. He emphasized in the presence of PM Chinh that Poland regards Vietnam as its most vital partner in Southeast Asia. The guest and host exchanged views on a number of measures to beef up cooperation in education and training, science and technology, culture, tourism, and agriculture. PM Chinh told Minister Rau that Vietnam wishes to deepen its multifaceted cooperation with Poland, its traditional friend and partner in Central and Eastern Europe. The host said that Vietnam encourages Polish investors to step up investment in the fields of pharmaceuticals, food processing, and manufacturing in the country. He suggested that Poland soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement, which he said will facilitate equal and mutually beneficial investment cooperation between the two countries. The Vietnamese government chief also proposed that Poland urge the European Commission to soon remove the yellow card warning for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing on Vietnamese seafood products. Such removal will not only ensure livelihoods for workers in the Vietnamese fishery industry, but also serves the interests of both Polish and EU consumers, Chinh stressed, citing the fact that the EU was once among Vietnam's leading seafood export markets before the imposition of the warning. This image shows a meeting between the Polish delegation (L) led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau and their Vietnamese counterpart headed by Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi on March 16, 2023. Photo: Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs The PM requested Poland to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese agricultural, forestry, and fishery products to further penetrate into the Polish market. Despite the heavy impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries economic and trade cooperation has been thriving, with annual bilateral trade standing at a high level of over US$2.5 billion in both 2021 and 2022, Chinh said. The PM expressed thanks for Polands donation of nearly 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and eight metric tons of medical equipment to Vietnam during the pandemic that started hitting the country in early 2020. Chinh also thanked the Polish government for its support for the Vietnamese community in Poland, as well as for the Vietnamese citizens who have been evacuated from Ukraine to Poland since the war there erupted in February last year. The host and guest agreed that both countries would continue mutual cooperation and coordination at multilateral and regional forums. Regarding the East Vietnam Sea issue, they laid emphasis on the importance of ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the maritime area, while agreeing to settle disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Earlier on Thursday, Rau had talks with Foreign Minister Son, saying Vietnam is one of Polands most potential markets in Southeast Asia. The Polish diplomat suggested that Vietnam create more favorable conditions for some Polish products, such as beef, poultry, and blueberries, to enter the Vietnamese market. The two ministers agreed to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields including education and training, agriculture, natural resources, environment, culture, tourism, health, labor, information technology, communication, and monument restoration. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Poland wishes to foster multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam, the most significant partner of Poland in Southeast Asia, visiting Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau has stressed in Hanoi.

Minister Rau was speaking during his talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Thursday, as part of his two-day visit, starting a day earlier, to Vietnam at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son.

Rau said he is impressed with Vietnams socio-economic development achievements and stated that Poland wants to expand its comprehensive cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation, especially in areas where Poland has strengths, such as smart city building, green technology, environmental protection, and information technology.

He emphasized in the presence of PM Chinh that Poland regards Vietnam as its most vital partner in Southeast Asia.

The guest and host exchanged views on a number of measures to beef up cooperation in education and training, science and technology, culture, tourism, and agriculture.

PM Chinh told Minister Rau that Vietnam wishes to deepen its multifaceted cooperation with Poland, its traditional friend and partner in Central and Eastern Europe.

The host said that Vietnam encourages Polish investors to step up investment in the fields of pharmaceuticals, food processing, and manufacturing in the country.

He suggested that Poland soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement, which he said will facilitate equal and mutually beneficial investment cooperation between the two countries.

The Vietnamese government chief also proposed that Poland urge the European Commission to soon remove the yellow card warning for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing on Vietnamese seafood products.

Such removal will not only ensure livelihoods for workers in the Vietnamese fishery industry, but also serves the interests of both Polish and EU consumers, Chinh stressed, citing the fact that the EU was once among Vietnam's leading seafood export markets before the imposition of the warning.

This image shows a meeting between the Polish delegation (L) led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau and their Vietnamese counterpart headed by Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi on March 16, 2023. Photo: Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The PM requested Poland to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese agricultural, forestry, and fishery products to further penetrate into the Polish market.

Despite the heavy impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries economic and trade cooperation has been thriving, with annual bilateral trade standing at a high level of over US$2.5 billion in both 2021 and 2022, Chinh said.

The PM expressed thanks for Polands donation of nearly 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and eight metric tons of medical equipment to Vietnam during the pandemic that started hitting the country in early 2020.

Chinh also thanked the Polish government for its support for the Vietnamese community in Poland, as well as for the Vietnamese citizens who have been evacuated from Ukraine to Poland since the war there erupted in February last year.

The host and guest agreed that both countries would continue mutual cooperation and coordination at multilateral and regional forums.

Regarding the East Vietnam Sea issue, they laid emphasis on the importance of ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the maritime area, while agreeing to settle disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Earlier on Thursday, Rau had talks with Foreign Minister Son, saying Vietnam is one of Polands most potential markets in Southeast Asia.

The Polish diplomat suggested that Vietnam create more favorable conditions for some Polish products, such as beef, poultry, and blueberries, to enter the Vietnamese market.

The two ministers agreed to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields including education and training, agriculture, natural resources, environment, culture, tourism, health, labor, information technology, communication, and monument restoration.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Four flight attendants of Vietnams national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines were apprehended on Thursday for bringing 11.4 kilograms of ecstasy and methamphetamine from France to Vietnam on a flight on which they were on duty. At a press conference on the case held by the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department on Friday afternoon, Bui Le Hung, head of the customs branch at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, informed that the flight attendants are Vo Tu Quynh, Tran Thi Thu Ngan, Nguyen Thanh Thuy, and Dang Phuong Van. They were crew members on the VN10 flight departing from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in France and landing at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City at 8:10 am on Thursday. Upon the landing, customs officials at Tan Son Nhat International Airport detected abnormalities in the four flight attendants luggage. They later coordinated with the Drug Crime Investigation Division under the Ho Chi Minh City Police and the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department under the General Department of Vietnam Customs to check the luggage and found 11.4 kilograms of ecstasy and meth in toothpaste tubes. The toothpaste tubes that contain ecstasy and meth. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department They included 8.4 kilograms of grey tablets and 3.080 kilograms of white powder, which are drugs. Hung said the flight attendants were cooperative when customs officials detected the drugs, adding that the case is unprecedented. The flight attendants and the drugs have been handed over to the Drug Crime Investigation Division under the Ho Chi Minh City Police for further investigation. Nguyen Huu Nghiep, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, chairs a press conference on the case in which four Vietnam Airlines flight attendants were caught bringing ecstasy and meth from France to Vietnam. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre Nguyen Huu Nghiep, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper this is a large volume of drugs. If the drugs were distributed in Vietnam, the impact on society would be tremendous. The case should awaken those abusing Vietnams policies to transport banned substances into the country. A representative of Vietnam Airlines said on Friday that the carrier had suspended the four flight attendants to serve their investigation. All individuals breaking the law and working rules must be handled in line with the law and the air carrier will not shield anyone, the representative added. At present, Vietnam Airlines is cooperating with police officers in investigating the case to impose penalties on violators. It is willing to promptly provide needed information. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Four flight attendants of Vietnams national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines were apprehended on Thursday for bringing 11.4 kilograms of ecstasy and methamphetamine from France to Vietnam on a flight on which they were on duty.

At a press conference on the case held by the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department on Friday afternoon, Bui Le Hung, head of the customs branch at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, informed that the flight attendants are Vo Tu Quynh, Tran Thi Thu Ngan, Nguyen Thanh Thuy, and Dang Phuong Van.

They were crew members on the VN10 flight departing from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport in France and landing at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City at 8:10 am on Thursday.

Upon the landing, customs officials at Tan Son Nhat International Airport detected abnormalities in the four flight attendants luggage.

They later coordinated with the Drug Crime Investigation Division under the Ho Chi Minh City Police and the Anti-Smuggling and Investigation Department under the General Department of Vietnam Customs to check the luggage and found 11.4 kilograms of ecstasy and meth in toothpaste tubes.

The toothpaste tubes that contain ecstasy and meth. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department

They included 8.4 kilograms of grey tablets and 3.080 kilograms of white powder, which are drugs.

Hung said the flight attendants were cooperative when customs officials detected the drugs, adding that the case is unprecedented.

The flight attendants and the drugs have been handed over to the Drug Crime Investigation Division under the Ho Chi Minh City Police for further investigation.

Nguyen Huu Nghiep, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, chairs a press conference on the case in which four Vietnam Airlines flight attendants were caught bringing ecstasy and meth from France to Vietnam. Photo: Quang Dinh / Tuoi Tre

Nguyen Huu Nghiep, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Customs Department, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper this is a large volume of drugs.

If the drugs were distributed in Vietnam, the impact on society would be tremendous.

The case should awaken those abusing Vietnams policies to transport banned substances into the country.

A representative of Vietnam Airlines said on Friday that the carrier had suspended the four flight attendants to serve their investigation.

All individuals breaking the law and working rules must be handled in line with the law and the air carrier will not shield anyone, the representative added.

At present, Vietnam Airlines is cooperating with police officers in investigating the case to impose penalties on violators.

It is willing to promptly provide needed information.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Thousands of vehicles, including motorbikes, bicycles, and tricycles, and other assets mainly seized from violators of traffic regulations are left deserted in impoundment lots across Ho Chi Minh City. They have been staying out in the sun for a long time, so they have broken and deformed. Many vehicles have seriously rusted. Photo: Ai Nhan / Tuoi Tre Bicycles with low values pile up at an impoundment area in Ho Chi Minh City. They have rusted and contorted. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre The shortage of spaces for assets confiscated from traffic violators and poor perseveration conditions have devalued the assets of residents and the state. The issue is raised by members of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Council legislation board during an inspection of the District 1 Police on March 15, 2023. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre Deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Council legislation board Le Minh Duc inspects motorbikes of residents violating alcohol concentration regulations left at the headquarters of the District 1 Police at 73 Yersin Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ai Nhan / Tuoi Tre An employee at an impoundment area of the traffic order police team under the District 1 Police has to spray water onto the impounded vehicles twice a day to cool them off and prevent fires. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre An impoundment lot of the traffic order police team under the Thu Duc City Police faces the same fate. The vehicles there are also sprayed with water at noon despite an automatic sprinkler system. Photo: Ai Nhan / Tuoi Tre Meanwhile, hundreds of vehicles at an impoundment area of the Binh Tan District Police in Tan Tao Ward, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City are covered with a thick layer of dust. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre The impoundment area of the Binh Tan District Police is among the largest ones in Ho Chi Minh City. Thousands of vehicles are left under the sun there. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Thousands of vehicles, including motorbikes, bicycles, and tricycles, and other assets mainly seized from violators of traffic regulations are left deserted in impoundment lots across Ho Chi Minh City.

They have been staying out in the sun for a long time, so they have broken and deformed.

Many vehicles have seriously rusted. Photo: Ai Nhan / Tuoi Tre

Bicycles with low values pile up at an impoundment area in Ho Chi Minh City. They have rusted and contorted. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre

The shortage of spaces for assets confiscated from traffic violators and poor perseveration conditions have devalued the assets of residents and the state. The issue is raised by members of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Council legislation board during an inspection of the District 1 Police on March 15, 2023. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre

Deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Council legislation board Le Minh Duc inspects motorbikes of residents violating alcohol concentration regulations left at the headquarters of the District 1 Police at 73 Yersin Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Ai Nhan / Tuoi Tre

An employee at an impoundment area of the traffic order police team under the District 1 Police has to spray water onto the impounded vehicles twice a day to cool them off and prevent fires. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre

An impoundment lot of the traffic order police team under the Thu Duc City Police faces the same fate. The vehicles there are also sprayed with water at noon despite an automatic sprinkler system. Photo: Ai Nhan / Tuoi Tre

Meanwhile, hundreds of vehicles at an impoundment area of the Binh Tan District Police in Tan Tao Ward, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City are covered with a thick layer of dust. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre

The impoundment area of the Binh Tan District Police is among the largest ones in Ho Chi Minh City. Thousands of vehicles are left under the sun there. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under the United States Department of Justice is hunting for Minh Quoc Nguyen, a Vietnamese national, for his alleged involvement in the laundering of US$3 billion worth of Bitcoin. Minh Quoc Nguyen is wanted for his alleged direct involvement in stealing identities and engaging in money laundering activity in furtherance of obfuscating and facilitating the functionality of the ChipMixer service, the FBI said on its website. Through the conduct, he allegedly facilitated the laundering of $3 billion worth of Bitcoin. The U.S. Department of Justice also confirmed the charges against Minh Quoc Nguyen, accusing him of flouting financial regulations. He used to tell users of a Bitcoin forum, Money laundering is a crime made-up by governments that spy on their citizens." According to the FBI, Minh Quoc Nguyen was born in 1973 in Quang Binh Province, north-central Vietnam. He used many aliases, including Minh Nguyen Quoc, Quoc-Minh Nguyen, James Smith, and David Minh, among others. Minh Quoc Nguyen was charged with money laundering, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and identity theft. On its website, the FBI wrote that Nguyen has basic training in cryptographic engineering and previously worked in decrypting communications and cyber reconnaissance. In 2016, Nguyen earned a PhD in electronic engineering in Taiwan. The case has made headlines in the media in Vietnam. The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) on Wednesday said that international authorities had cracked down on the cryptocurrency platform ChipMixer and seized more than 40 million euros ($42.2 million) worth of cryptocurrency. The site was said to have laundered more than $3 billion worth of cryptocurrency. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under the United States Department of Justice is hunting for Minh Quoc Nguyen, a Vietnamese national, for his alleged involvement in the laundering of US$3 billion worth of Bitcoin.

Minh Quoc Nguyen is wanted for his alleged direct involvement in stealing identities and engaging in money laundering activity in furtherance of obfuscating and facilitating the functionality of the ChipMixer service, the FBI said on its website.

Through the conduct, he allegedly facilitated the laundering of $3 billion worth of Bitcoin.

The U.S. Department of Justice also confirmed the charges against Minh Quoc Nguyen, accusing him of flouting financial regulations.

He used to tell users of a Bitcoin forum, Money laundering is a crime made-up by governments that spy on their citizens."

According to the FBI, Minh Quoc Nguyen was born in 1973 in Quang Binh Province, north-central Vietnam.

He used many aliases, including Minh Nguyen Quoc, Quoc-Minh Nguyen, James Smith, and David Minh, among others.

Minh Quoc Nguyen was charged with money laundering, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and identity theft.

On its website, the FBI wrote that Nguyen has basic training in cryptographic engineering and previously worked in decrypting communications and cyber reconnaissance. In 2016, Nguyen earned a PhD in electronic engineering in Taiwan.

The case has made headlines in the media in Vietnam.

The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) on Wednesday said that international authorities had cracked down on the cryptocurrency platform ChipMixer and seized more than 40 million euros ($42.2 million) worth of cryptocurrency.

The site was said to have laundered more than $3 billion worth of cryptocurrency.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Situated in Mang Thit District of Vinh Long Province in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, the Mang Thit brick village, known as the 'kingdom of bricks' in the region, has a history of over 100 years, making it very attractive to tourists from near and far. The uniqueness of the ancient brick village lies in its kilns, with each of them having a height of 5-12 meters and a round tower shape, creating a distinctive architectural complex. Mang Thit is also regarded as a village of traditional craftsmanship and tourism. Such a perfect combination drives up the villages economic growth. Blocks molded in clay are sunbathed before being put into a kiln for burning in the Mang Thit brick village in Mang Thit District, Vinh Long Province, Vietnam. Vinh Long Province offers supportive policies to local craftsmen and gives special mechanisms to turn the brick hub into the 'Mang Thit contemporary cultural heritage' to further boost socio-economic development. Nam Lon, whose real name is Le Van Lon, a 72-year-old resident of Nhon Phu Commune, Mang Thit District, has over 40 years of brick-making experience. In boom times, the village had over 2,800 kilns, but it is now home to only 1,000 furnaces, with a mere 30 kilns burning frequently, he recounted. Meanwhile, the rest lie idle waiting for tourists, he added. Apart from the beauty of kilns, which look like eggs, the secret to burning a kiln becomes unique and exciting," Nam Lon said. "As a highly-skilled kiln-man, he must know how to control the fire to burn bricks well. "Brick-making can make money, depending on the artisan's experience and skills. I am very pleased and excited to see the place used for tourism development. "If a large number of tourists visit the village, locals can enjoy a more comfortable life and preserve the traditional craft." In fact, the Mang Thit brick village is fading into history as many artisans have quit the craft to land a new profitable job, while furnaces have degraded. The owners of operational kilns are struggling to make a living and wait for a promising start of a 'contemporary cultural heritage site.' The village now has only 30 burning furnaces as many artisans have landed another job. Mr. Hoa, a resident of Nhon Phu Commune, has pursued the craft for over 20 years. Nam Lon says that in boom times, the village has over 2,800 kilns, but it is now home to only 1,000 furnaces, with a mere 30 kilns burning frequently. The Mang Thit brick village is a must-visit destination in the Mekong Delta region. A photo shows abandoned and aging kilns. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Situated in Mang Thit District of Vinh Long Province in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, the Mang Thit brick village, known as the 'kingdom of bricks' in the region, has a history of over 100 years, making it very attractive to tourists from near and far.

The uniqueness of the ancient brick village lies in its kilns, with each of them having a height of 5-12 meters and a round tower shape, creating a distinctive architectural complex.

Mang Thit is also regarded as a village of traditional craftsmanship and tourism.

Such a perfect combination drives up the villages economic growth.

Blocks molded in clay are sunbathed before being put into a kiln for burning in the Mang Thit brick village in Mang Thit District, Vinh Long Province, Vietnam.

Vinh Long Province offers supportive policies to local craftsmen and gives special mechanisms to turn the brick hub into the 'Mang Thit contemporary cultural heritage' to further boost socio-economic development.

Nam Lon, whose real name is Le Van Lon, a 72-year-old resident of Nhon Phu Commune, Mang Thit District, has over 40 years of brick-making experience.

In boom times, the village had over 2,800 kilns, but it is now home to only 1,000 furnaces, with a mere 30 kilns burning frequently, he recounted.

Meanwhile, the rest lie idle waiting for tourists, he added.

Apart from the beauty of kilns, which look like eggs, the secret to burning a kiln becomes unique and exciting," Nam Lon said.

"As a highly-skilled kiln-man, he must know how to control the fire to burn bricks well.

"Brick-making can make money, depending on the artisan's experience and skills.

I am very pleased and excited to see the place used for tourism development.

"If a large number of tourists visit the village, locals can enjoy a more comfortable life and preserve the traditional craft."

In fact, the Mang Thit brick village is fading into history as many artisans have quit the craft to land a new profitable job, while furnaces have degraded.

The owners of operational kilns are struggling to make a living and wait for a promising start of a 'contemporary cultural heritage site.'

The village now has only 30 burning furnaces as many artisans have landed another job.

Mr. Hoa, a resident of Nhon Phu Commune, has pursued the craft for over 20 years.

Nam Lon says that in boom times, the village has over 2,800 kilns, but it is now home to only 1,000 furnaces, with a mere 30 kilns burning frequently.

The Mang Thit brick village is a must-visit destination in the Mekong Delta region.

A photo shows abandoned and aging kilns.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Heather Dubrow

Santiago Felipe/Getty

Heather Dubrow is on the move!

After selling her infamous Newport Beach, Calif. mansion  dubbed Chateau Dubrow  in October, the Real Housewives of Orange County star is looking to relocate yet again.

Dubrow, 54, took to Instagram during a family getaway to Los Cabos, Mexico, to brainstorm names for her potential new pad  and to consider the Mexican hotspot as its next location.

"Now that Chateau Dubrow is a (not so) distant memory where will we go next ???! Still TBD but while we were in Cabo a few weekends ago for Nicky's spring break we played the name game !!" she captioned her Reel.

In the series of clips, she asks her Botched surgeon husband, Terry, what he would name their new abode, to which he responds: "Casa de Amor." Meanwhile, her son Nick, 19, suggests "Casa Fiesta." Heather and Terry also share daughters Max, 19, and Kat, 16, along with son Ace, 12, who recently came out as transgender.

Heather continued in the caption: "Not sure if ANY of these rival Chateau Dubrow but what do you think?! What's your favorite OR if you have a suggestion, drop it "

RELATED: Heather and Terry Dubrow Sell Their Famous Newport Beach 'Chateau' for $55 Million

Fans were shocked when Heather and Terry decided to part ways with their Newport Beach home that they had spent six years renovating. The 22,000-square-foot property sold for $55 million in October, making it the most expensive real estate deal of 2022 in Orange County. Million Dollar Listing: Los Angeles star Josh Altman held the listing.

Shortly after selling the mansion, Heather told ET about their decision to relocate: "With two kids at college, we've been thinking about our next move," she told the outlet. "We just bought a cool penthouse in L.A., and sometimes the universe shows you the right direction. Change is exciting!"

RELATED: Heather Dubrow's 4 Kids: Everything to Know

Story continues

Dubrow Family

Heather Dubrow Instagram

The reality star was referring to the luxurious Century City penthouse that Selling Sunset star Heather Rae El Moussa sold to the couple in October.

Between splitting their time in L.A. and continuing to film RHOC in Newport Beach, the couple is also building a home in Idaho after Heather revealed they bought a plot of land there in 2020.

"So I had this lake house fantasy, and I dragged Terry there, leather jacket and all, which he never took off the entire time in the summer at the lake. And I fell in love, and I'm designing a house right now," she said during an appearance on New England Cable News' Realitea with Derek Z.
Company Logo

Global Resistant Starch Market

Global Resistant Starch Market

Dublin, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Resistant Starch Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Source (Vegetables, Grains, Cereal Food), By Product (RS1, RS2), By Application (Beverages, Confectionery, Dairy Products), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global resistant starch market size is estimated to reach USD 2,511.07 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.9% from 2023 to 2030.

The growing product demand for packaged food and convenience food products is one of the key industry drivers. Furthermore, consumers moving towards plant-derived sources are preferring resistant starch from wheat and rice sources.

The increasing demand for convenience and processed foods coupled with the continuous expansion of starch production, especially in the emerging economies of Asia Pacific including China, Japan, India, Indonesia, and Thailand is the key driving factor for the global industry.



The demand for starch is high in developed regions, such as Europe and North America, owing to the rising demand for processed foods requiring functional characteristics of starch during processing. Food manufacturing companies are increasingly investing in different types of resistant starches to improve the texture of food and beverages. Some of the manufacturers offer starch-based thickeners, which can be utilized by beverage manufacturers to improve the texture of end products. Some of the commercially available products using resistant starch are THICKENUP by Nestle Health Science. THICKENUP is a thickening agent used in foods and beverages meant for consumers with swallowing difficulties.



Growing research and development activities in the starch industry have led to technological advancements favoring market growth. Manufacturing trends include green techniques, such as enzymatic debranching and physical treatments.Scientists at Rothamsted Research and Oxford University have identified that the addition of precursor, sugar trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P) to wheat grains enhances the starch content of wheat grains by 20% without genetically modifying the crop innovations in technology, such as the development of new chemical methods to increase the crop yield as well as the content of starch, will present growth opportunities for the market. Asia Pacific accounted for the largest share of the global industry in 2022 due to the growing demand for ready-to-eat foods.



Rising disposable incomes, hectic lifestyles, increasing product penetration, and growing awareness regarding maintaining overall gut health among millennials are also boosting the product demand in the region. Manufacturers, such as Cargill, are focused on expanding their resistant starch production in Asian countries to cater to therising demand from end-user industries.Key players have adopted new product launches, agreements & partnerships, and investments & expansions as key growth strategies. For instance, in May 2022, ADM announced an investment in its Minnesota facility to expand the production of starch to cater to the growing demand from the food and beverage sector. Similarly, in September 2022, Cargill invested USD 100 billion in a new corn wet mill in East Java, Indonesia to cater to the growing demand for starches and sweeteners in Asia.



Resistant Starch Market Report Highlights

Story continues

The grains source segment dominated the industry in 2022 owing to the high content of starch in grains, such as corn, wheat, and rice

RS2 type of resistant starch led the market, in terms of revenue, due to increased demand for resistant starch from sources, such as wheat, corn, and potato, on account of their low glycemic index

The meat substitutes segment is expected to register one of the fastest growth rates during the forecast period owing to the demand for resistant starch in processing meat replacers for improved texture and mouthfeel for the consumers

Asia Pacific dominated the industryin2022. Companies in the region are involved in the manufacturing facility and production expansion to cater to the growing demand for resistant starch from the food & beverage industry





Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 135 Forecast Period 2022 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $1265.07 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $2511.07 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 8.9% Regions Covered Global

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Methodology And Scope



Chapter 2 Executive Summary



Chapter 3 Resistant Starch Market: Industry Outlook



Chapter 4 Resistant Starch Market: Source Estimates & Trend Analysis

4.1 Resistant Starch Market: Source Movement Analysis, 2021 & 2030

4.2 Fruits & Nuts

4.3 Grains

4.4 Vegetables

4.5 Cereal Food

4.6 Beans & Legumes

4.7 Others



Chapter 5 Resistant Starch Market: Product Estimates & Trend Analysis

5.1 Resistant Starch Market: Product Movement Analysis, 2021 & 2030

5.2 Rs1

5.3 Rs2

5.4 Rs3

5.5 Rs4



Chapter 6 Resistant Starch Market: Application Estimates & Trend Analysis

6.1 Resistant Starch Market: Application Movement Analysis, 2021 & 2030

6.2 Bakery Products

6.3 Confectionery

6.4 Beverages

6.5 Breakfast Cereals

6.6 Pasta & Noodles

6.7 Dairy Products

6.8 Nutrition Bars

6.9 Meat & Processed Food

6.10 Meat Substitute

6.11 Soups, Dressings & Condiments

6.12 Others



Chapter 7 Resistant Starch Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis



Chapter 8 Resistant Starch Market: Competitive Analysis



Chapter 9 Company Profiles



Companies Mentioned





Cargill, Incorporated

Emsland Group

Mgp Ingredients

Tate & Lyle

Roquette Freres

Ingredion

Arcadia Biosciences

Lodaat Pharmaceuticals

Manitoba Starch Products

Adm





For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/h8bf7p

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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Bangladesh's Tanvir Islam, center, lifts the winners trophy as he celebrates with his teammates after the third and last T20 cricket match between Bangladesh and England in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, March 14, 2023. Bangladesh won the series 3-0. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

SYLHET, Bangladesh (AP)  Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha is keen to rotate as many players as he can in the three-match ODI series against Ireland as he wants to create a bigger player pool for the World Cup later this year.

At the same time, he doesnt want that rotation policy to affect his team's chances of wining the series, which begins on Saturday.

We are trying to expand our pool of players before the World Cup. In case something happens close to the World Cup, we want to have enough players that we have seen and can trust to do a role, Hathurusingha said. We are rushed to do that as we have only 15 matches before the World Cup. We are trying to give opportunities to players we think can do the role.

Bangladesh is high on confidence following its first T20 series win against England last week. However, it lost the ODI series 2-1.

Bangladesh has won seven out of 10 matches against Ireland, which is touring Bangladesh for the first time since 2008. Irelands last victory in this format against Bangladesh came in 2010 at Belfast.

We respect Ireland just like England but we dont fear any team," Hathurusingha said. "We are not going to treat Ireland any less than how we prepared for England. When we play our best cricket, we are good enough to beat most teams. It is our mantra.

Ireland started the Bangladesh tour on a positive note, beating a BCB XI by 78 runs in the warm-up game. But the tourists know that the biggest challenge will be to overcome the Bangladeshi spinners.

Bangladesh also has in-form fast bowlers in Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud and Mustafizur Rahman, who all bowled well in the series against England.

Probably expect it to spin a bit, as you naturally do here in Bangladesh. But I think the most important thing is just being sort of adaptable to whatever is thrown at you condition-wise, Ireland allrounder Harry Tector said. Could spin and it could not spin. Could be a tough wicket, it could be a good wicket. We just have to wait and see.

Story continues

Tector has experience of playing in Bangladesh as he took part in the 2016 Under-19 World Cup that the country hosted and was part of the Ireland Emerging team in 2021.

Thankfully Ive played here twice before, so I have a fair idea of what to expect," he said. "But I guess coming over to this part of the world, your game generally is most tested against spin.

___

More AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Seiji Shimomura, a family member of the victims of Japan's Akashi stampede, visit a memorial wall for the victims of the Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon, central Seoul, March 17. The Korea Times photo by Choi Ju-yeon



Families of the victims of a fatal Japanese stampede in 2001 visited Seoul on Friday to console the families of the victims of last year's Itaewon crowd crush.



Seiji Shimomura and Kiyoshi Miki, two of the family members of the victims of the Akashi stampede, visited Seoul Plaza in central Seoul around 9:10 a.m. to pay their condolences at a memorial altar for the 159 Itaewon crush victims, who were killed during Halloween festivities on Oct. 29 last year.



The Akashi stampede was an accident on July 21, 2001, in the Hyogo Prefecture city of Akashi, where about 1,800 people packed into a pedestrian overpass to watch a fireworks festival, killing 11 people and injuring 247 others.



The Japanese visitors shared their pain with the families of the Itaewon disaster victims, asking the Koreans to brace for a protracted litigation process.



As a Korean family member named Lee Hyo-suk said sorrowfully that she feels the happiness before Oct. 29 will never come again, Shimomura said the pain seems to remain unchanged even after more than 20 years have passed.



Another Korean family member named Song Jin-young said the punishment of those responsible and the identification of the causes of the crowd crush seem to be the most difficult tasks.



Miki responded that it took as many as 15 years to complete the trials in Japan, saying it is impossible to proceed to the stage of preventing the recurrence of similar accidents without identifying the causes of the disaster.



Miki advised the Korean families to continue to make their voices heard in the media and try to receive support from public opinion.



The Japanese nationals then went to the alley next to the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon, where the crowd crush occurred, and attached a message of condolences on a memorial wall there. (Yonhap)


Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Reuters

To watch Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of late has been to watch a game of escalating recklessness played out on a national scale. Desperate to extricate himself from his corruption trial, he has formed an unprecedentedly hardline coalition, which on one hand has given power to bigots and extremists long confined to Israels fringe and on the other is pushing radical judicial reforms that risk tearing the country apartboth socially and democratically.

Erstwhile known in Israel for his cautious governance, Netanyahu has unleashed a judicial reform package so far-reaching, with his coalition pushing it through at breakneck speed, that it has sparked accusations of a judicial coup and mass nationwide protests. A raft of catastrophic warnings from myriad corners of Israeli society have simultaneously flooded in, ranging from senior military and security officials, to leading economists, to Israels historically apolitical president, who last week decried the reforms as oppressive.

This Extremist Could Destroy Israel as We Know It

But despite the external impression that the Jewish state is teetering on the edge of disaster, Netanyahu appears to be softening his stance on the proposed judicial reforms at the heart of the unrestto not only be more palatable to the Israeli mainstream but to, in fact, strengthen Israels democracy.

There is clear consensus support in Israel for judicial reform. Israelis know the courts are too powerful and that long-overdue, constructive changes to the system would enhance Israels democratic status. Indeed, a recent poll from the Jewish People Policy Institute found that only 16 percent of Israelis oppose the idea of judicial reforms. The uproar in Israel is not born out of opposition to reforms per se, but rather a combination of widespread distrust of Netanyahus coalition, and the proposed reforms radical nature, which as they stand would essentially neuter Israels Supreme Court.

Story continues

Netanyahu understands this, and after being caught off guard by the vehemence of the resistance [and] the vehemence of the anger at the reforms, as The Times of Israels Haviv Rettig Gur put it, he is now trying to drag his coalition back from the edge.

The signs have been there for weeks. On Feb. 15, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu had sought to water down the reforms, at which Justice Minister Yariv Levinwho, alongside MK Simcha Rothman, is the reforms key proponentthreatened to resign and topple the coalition. One week later, in a social media post, Netanyahu declared: Citizens of Israel, its time to talk, while also emphasizing the need to reach agreements or at least reduce the disagreements between us.

Then again, on March 3, reports emerged that the prime minister had abandoned a plan to announce a temporary halt to the reforms after Levin again threatened to quit if the legislation was paused for so much as a day, according to The Times of Israel. On March 13, in a transparent call for dampening the reforms, he tweeted a Wall Street Journal editorial on the issue. The right may have to compromise. The left may have to calm down, the subheading read.

I Was Canceled for Criticizing Israel

Bibi, it seems, has begun to confront this mess that he brought upon himself and is desperately trying to fix it before its too late.

He shot himself in both legs, says veteran Israeli commentator Ehud Yaari, and is limping as fast as he can towards a compromise. Hes even called in the reserves. In yet another signal of his desire to block legislation that would damage Israels democracy, Netanyahu has reportedly tasked long-time confidant and former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer with solving the crisis.

While much of his party has remained publicly silent over their alleged concerns, Netanyahu is not alone in attempting to bridge the divide. Earlier this month, senior Likud MKs Yuli Edelstein and Danny Danon signed an open letter calling for dialogue and a negotiated compromise. On Tuesday, the Kohelet Policy Forum, which was instrumental in formulating the current legislation, publicly called for compromise in order to reach a broad consensus, and suggested that the override clausewidely viewed as the most dangerous of the reformscould be scrapped altogether.

Even Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrichwho is not exactly known for political moderationpredicted on Tuesday that the legislation will be softened to something acceptable to Israels mainstream.

None of this is a given, of course. Not only is there immense pushback against compromise from coalition figures such as Levin, but, as Rettig Gur explains, Every single party in the coalition actually has a different aspect of this reform that it cannot let go of. Even if most coalition members are willing to alter the legislation, opposition from just one party in Netanyahus fractious government could bring it all crashing down.

Israel Could Be Headed for a Cold Civil War

Such internal pressure, according to Haaretzs Anshel Pfeffer, is exactly why Netanyahu rejected President Isaac Herzogs long awaited proposal which aimed to serve as a foundation for widely accepted judicial reforms. Netanyahu himself, frantic to defuse this crisis which is sapping his government of public support and endangering the Israeli economy, would have taken it, Pfeffer writes. But not his cabinet colleagues and coalition partners.

There are no shortcuts in the path ahead for Israels longest-serving premier. A public discussion about the power imbalance between the courts and government was long overdue, and rather than approach it in a responsible manner, Netanyahu let his coalition partners exploit a genuine issue to push an agenda that threatens Israels very democratic and social fiber. But hes now desperately working to find his way back. If he succeeds, he may well help pass a reform that would leave Israel not just not weaker and less democratic, Rettig Gur says, but actually by reaching a middle ground would leave it stronger and more democratic than before.

Now that would be one hell of a coup.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Meet the students fighting against the 'musical genocide' in Afghanistan

Young Afghan musicians keep fighting against what they call a "cultural genocide" in their country.

58 students of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (Anim) have begun a new life in Braga, Portugal, a year and a half after having fled their home country. Their safety was in question once Afghanistan's rich musical culture came under threat as the Taliban banned music.

The students keep protesting in exile.

"We are here to save our music," says 19-year-old Rami holding his rubab, a traditional stringed instrument made of wood and inlaid with mother-of-pearl.

When in a country the music is banned and the entire nation is silenced, it's nothing short of a cultural and musical genocide.

"The Taliban are saying that music is haram (ed: forbidden by Islamic law). The music is haram, they didn't allow the music, they didn't allow the women to work, they didn't allow the young girls to study," adds Rami.

Music including pop was allowed in the past two decades in Afghanistan until the Taliban's return to power in August 2021.

"When Taliban reached the gates of Kabul, it was clear that we should get out," recalls Anim director Ahmad Sarmast, who did everything possible to evacuate the students and staff of the music institute.

"When in a country the music is banned and the entire nation is silenced, it's nothing short of a cultural and musical genocide," adds Sarmast, who has made it his mission to safeguard his country's musical heritage and to recreate in Portugal the music school he founded in Afghanistan in 2010.

'Our music is not dead'

Ramiz, taking a break from his rubab practice, is optimistic and hopes one day to return to Afghanistan "and show our music is not dead".

But his mood darkens when he thinks about his family back home. He hopes they will soon be able to join him in Portugal as "life is too dangerous for them".

Story continues

He speaks to his mother every day.

"One night if she didn't listen to my voice, she won't sleep," says the young man, whose father and two brothers are also musicians.

'Each performance is a protest'

The exiled students have been welcomed at the Braga Music Conservatory, where they continue to play music as an act of resistance.

"Each performance of our school is a protest against what is happening in Afghanistan," Sarmast says.

One of those acts of musical protest came earlier this month in a concert with celebrated Japanese-born violinist Midori Goto.

Watch the video above to see how these students keep fighting for their music and cultural heritage.
A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

___

Extreme weather events are becoming more severe, not less

CLAIM: Climate, weather or meteorological events that we would classify as extreme have declined in severity over the last 20 or 30 years.

THE FACTS: While the impacts of climate change vary across the globe, scientists agree that overall, human-caused warming is supercharging events such as extreme precipitation, droughts and forest fires. But a podcast clip shared on Instagram falsely claims that extreme climate, weather and meteorological events are actually declining in severity. We could look at accumulated cyclonic energy  typhoons in the Pacific, hurricanes in the Atlantic  and its actually declined over the last 20 or 30 years, the speaker says in the video, which amassed thousands of likes. We could look at forest fires, theyve declined. We could look at droughts. By any measure that we care to look at, we can see that actually things have kind of calmed down a bit. Scientists who study climate patterns say these kinds of extremes are aggravated by climate change  and are becoming more severe, not less. Heat extremes are getting more frequent, more severe; precipitation extremes are getting more frequent, more severe, said Kai Kornhuber, a lecturer and research scientist at Columbia University. Fire weather, which is linked to wildfires, is getting more frequent, more severe, more areas that didnt see these conditions before. Kornhuber and other scientists reached by the AP pointed to rigorous studies and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association data that show how many types of extreme weather and disasters, including those noted in the podcast clip, have become more intense as a result of climate change. For example, climate change has created warmer and drier conditions in the western United States, leading to fire seasons that last longer and burn more area in recent decades, according to NOAA. Droughts are complicated because there are big regional and temporal variations, according to Andrew Dessler, the director of the Texas Center for Climate Studies and a professor at Texas A&M University. But you cannot say things are calming down. A study published earlier this month used satellite data to show that the intensity of extreme drought and rainfall has sharply increased across the globe over the past 20 years. The researchers said the data confirms that both the frequency and intensity of rainfall and droughts are increasing due to burning fossil fuels and other human activity that releases greenhouse gases. The AP has previously debunked false claims that U.S. hurricane landfall data disproves climate change. Studies show the intensity of tropical cyclones has been increasing globally. The clip also ignores some of the most certain ways climate change makes extreme weather more extreme, including increasing the chances of heat waves, extreme precipitation, and extreme sea level events, according to Dessler. A United Nations climate report published in 2022 also cited evidence that climate change is making it more likely for humans to die from extreme weather. Todays children who may still be alive in the year 2100 will experience four times more climate extremes than they do now, even with just a few more tenths of a degree of warming, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said in the report.

Story continues

 Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed this report.

___

Radiation found in humans isnt lethal, despite claims

CLAIM: 100 million humans in the same place would emit enough radiation to be deadly.

THE FACTS: Radiation experts confirm the human body contains trace amounts of radiation, but the levels arent nearly enough to be lethal, even if 100 million people were somehow packed into a single place. Social media users are sharing a post with the headline Humans are Radioactive along with the statement: If 100 million average humans kept in an isolated place for eight hours, they will admit enough radiation to kill each one of them within 20 days. While its true that humans, like other living organisms, contain radioactive material, the levels are extremely low  thousands of times smaller than an x-ray, according to Melissa Sullivan, a spokesperson for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The radiation also cant be easily transmitted to others, experts say. To reach a dangerous level, the radiation would somehow have to be gathered from millions of people and then distilled into an extremely confined space. If you concentrated the radioactive material from many millions of people into a very small space, the result could be a radioactive source that would need to be handled with care to avoid being dangerous, Christopher Clement, CEO of the International Commission on Radiological Protection, a Canada-based group of scientists that advocates for radiation safety, wrote in an email. But not as harmful as squeezing a hundred million people into a phone booth. The social media claims also show a misunderstanding of the kind of radiation found in our bodies, said George Chabot, a physics professor at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Human radiation largely comes from eating foods that contain potassium  a tiny fraction of which is radioactive potassium-40, he explained in an email. What may confuse people is that most of the dose to an individual from eating potassium-40 comes from the beta radiation emitted during the decay of the radioactive atoms, Chabot wrote. This beta radiation is not very penetrating so that practically all of the energy emitted remains within the individual and cannot irradiate anyone else. Michael Short, a nuclear science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, agreed, arguing that the radiation produced by 100 million people still wouldnt be deadly, despite what social media users claim. 100,000,000 people would take up a tremendous amount of space, spreading out their radiation dose over that space. The dose one gets from being near a source of radiation decreases quickly with distance away from that dose. Whats more, the human body acts as a sort of buffer, absorbing much of its own radiation and mitigating its wider impacts, added Christopher Baird, a physics professor at West Texas A&M University. If one human absorbs a bit of ionizing radiation, then this bit of radiation is no longer available to affect another human, he wrote in an email. A hundred million humans will be emitting a hundred-million worth of human background radiation, but there will be a hundred million people absorbing this radiation.

 Associated Press writer Philip Marcelo in New York contributed this report.

___

Topical fluoride use not proven to cause dementia

CLAIM: Dental products containing fluoride are unsafe because the substance has been directly linked to dementia and Alzheimers.

THE FACTS: While consuming high levels of fluoride can pose some health risks, experts say there is no research showing that topical products containing fluorides  such as toothpaste and mouthwash  cause dementia or Alzheimers. Still, an Instagram user is cautioning against going to dentists because of fluoride, calling dentists one of the biggest scams Ive ever seen. "They dont know that fluoride is a neurotoxin thats been directly linked to dementia and Alzheimers, the user claims in a video. But experts say there is no research proving that topical fluoride products  in other words, products not intended for digestion, such as toothpaste and mouthwash  cause dementia or Alzheimers. Christine Till, a neuropsychologist and professor at York University in Canada who has researched fluoride, said she was not aware of studies linking topical fluoride use to those conditions. And the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Division of Oral Health told the AP in a statement that the agency is not aware of any study that purports to link use of topical fluoride products, when used appropriately, to any systemic health risk. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral thats found in water and used in toothpaste and dental products to strengthen teeth; it can also be found in foods and beverages. For decades it has been added to many public water supplies as an oral health measure, the CDC explains. But excessive levels of consumption can present health risks such as brittle bones. The U.S. in 2015 lowered the recommended amount of fluoride in drinking water because some kids were getting too much, causing white splotches on their teeth. Fluoride consumption has continued to stir controversy and scientists say there is evidence that consuming fluoride in high levels may pose further risks, particularly for young children. Im quite convinced that in utero or infantile exposure to fluoride ingestion is not a good thing for the developing brain of children, said Linda Birnbaum, a former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health, and of the National Toxicology Program. The National Toxicology Program has been continuing to evaluate the issue. Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist at Natural Resources Defense Council, said the legitimate concerns in the scientific community about fluoride consumption dont justify avoiding the dentist because of topical fluoride use. The CDC advises that children less than age 2 only use toothpaste with fluoride if recommended by a dentist or doctor.

 Associated Press writer Angelo Fichera in New York contributed this report.

___

Find AP Fact Checks here: https://apnews.com/APFactCheck

___

Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck
Thousands of teddy bears with candles on display at a protest in Brussels in February 2023 represented abducted Ukrainian children. Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga MAG/AFP via Getty Images

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 17, 2023, over war crimes in Ukraine, alleging he bears individual criminal responsibility for abducting thousands of children from occupied parts of the country.

Russias Commissioner for Childrens Rights, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, was also cited by the court on similar charges.

They mark the first arrest warrants the independent tribunal, based in The Hague, has issued since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

But the development will not guarantee the imminent arrest of Putin. The ICC, as it is often called, does not have its own police force and requires other supporting countries to enforce its warrants.

The ICC is doing its part of work as a court of law. The judges issued arrest warrants. The execution depends on international cooperation, the courts president, Piotr Hofmanski, said in a statement on March 17.

As Russian police arent likely to arrest their countrys leader, as long as Putin remains inside Russia, he is probably safe.

Since Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian government, Western powers and the United Nations have collected evidence of Russian violations of international humanitarian law, such as war crimes. This includes widespread sexual violence and the forced abduction and transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Since 1998, I have worked in securing forensic evidence of these types of crimes in Afghanistan, Guatemala and other places. To me, it is apparent that identifying and collecting evidence of international crimes like killing civilians during conflict is beyond the capabilities and resources of local police crime scene teams, criminal investigators and prosecutors.

Its also likely that the full extent of war crimes committed by both Ukraine and Russia wont be credibly investigated and possibly prosecuted until after the war finally ends.

Story continues

It surprises me that arrest warrants would be issued for the abduction of Ukrainian children. In order to successfully prosecute this crime, investigators will need to show that not only did the alleged abductors take the children against their will, but that they also did not intend to return the children to their legal guardians. This can be more challenging to prove than other kinds of war crimes.

To put these upcoming indictments into perspective, it is also useful to remember that the International Criminal Court, an independent tribunal based in The Hague often known as the ICC, tends to focus on high-level cases that go after political leaders and is not tasked to provide answers to families of all victims.

An exterior view of the International Criminal Court building in The Hague, Netherlands. Michel Porro/Getty Images

Proving war crimes

War crimes, under international law, happen when civilians, prisoners of war, hospitals or schools  essentially anyone and anything that isnt involved in military activities  are targeted during a conflict.

The Ukrainian government and Donetsk Peoples Republic, a Ukrainian breakaway region occupied by Russians, have prosecuted and convicted both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers for war crimes since February 2022.

Ukraine has so far convicted 25 Russian soldiers of war crimes in Ukraine. These prosecutions raise questions about how evidence is collected and handled to support these cases  and about credibility.

Ukraine has a history of government corruption, and Donetsk is both not recognized internationally and is backed by Russia, which has a judicial system known to tolerate torture.

I investigate cases in which law enforcement, military and police are alleged to have committed crimes against civilians without accountability. In many cases, these alleged crimes happen during a civil war, like the Guatemalan civil war in the late 1970s and early 1980s, or the Rwandan conflict and genocide in the mid-1990s.

This means that I often work with international organizations like the United Nations to travel to these places and document physical evidence of war crimes  take photographs, take notes, do measurements and draw sketches to illustrate a potential crime scene. The idea is that any other experts can pick up this evidence and reach their own conclusions about what happened there.

Crime scene investigators like me generally do not determine whether a war crime was committed. That is a decision reserved for the prosecutor or a judge who is given the evidence.

Ukrainian investigators exhume bodies from a mass grave in Bucha, Ukraine, in April 2022. Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images

Beyond political interests

Considering that this war is fought between Ukrainians and Russians  but involves other countries like the United States  any independent effort to investigate war crimes will raise questions of credibility.

In this context, one has to consider if an independent investigation and prosecution is even possible. The ICC is perhaps the best candidate, even though it is far from immune to political pressure, particularly from powerful countries.

The ICC has a specific mandate to go after people allegedly responsible for the gravest crimes of concern to the international community. This includes genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The forced transfer and deportation of a group of people is a war crime.

But the ICC isnt tasked with investigating the fate of victims on all sides of the war. This will take a separate effort, decades of work and cost a large amount of money, requiring the support of rich countries.

Since its inception in 2002, the ICC has indicted more than 40 people, all from Africa, and convicted 10 of them. While 123 countries are party to the ICC, meaning they have signed on to support its work, neither Russia nor Ukraine has ratified the treaty that allows the ICC to investigate crimes on their territories or by their forces.

Russias foreign ministry responded to the March 17 announcement by the ICC by saying that the arrest warrant does not have meaning for Russia, since it is not a party to the ICC.

The U.S. also never ratified the ICCs founding treaty, with the justification that it would not accept prosecution of U.S. soldiers by a foreign court.

Ukraine, though, has given the ICC narrow jurisdiction to investigate crimes there since 2014.

In some cases, the ICC has not been able to successfully prosecute people even when it issues indictments. The court in 2009 and 2010, for example, issued indictments against Omar al-Bashir, former head of state in Sudan, for his role in carrying out genocide, and directing war crimes in Darfur. Yet, even though al-Bashir traveled internationally, no authority in any country he visited ever arrested him, despite the ICCs arrest warrant.

A makeshift memorial dedicated to children killed, wounded, deported or missing in Ukraine is seen outside the Russian Embassy in Berlin in February 2023. Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images

Proving abductions took place

Russian forces have moved at least 6,000 Ukrainian children to camps and facilities across Russia for forced adoptions and military training, according to a March 2023 report by the Conflict Observatory, a program supported by the U.S. State Department.

Showing sufficient evidence that Russia forcibly abducted the children and did not intend to return them to their legal guardians would likely involve the childrens family members giving witness statements. That is, unless the ICCs prosecutor has obtained Russian military documents or communications that clearly indicate that these are involuntary abductions.

Contrast this with trying to prosecute Russian military commanders and leaders for conducting multiple bombings of nonmilitary sites in Ukraine, such as hospitals or schools. It would be relatively simple to provide evidence that the attacks on these places constituted war crimes, as long as there is no evidence that these sites lost their protected status under international law, such as evidence that a bombed hospital or school had been used for military purposes.

The victims

War crimes involving massive numbers of casualties leave behind a multitude of surviving family members, all of whom have the right to know the fate of their loved ones.

But it is important to remember that the ICCs prosecution of any war crime will not extend beyond the individual arrest and prosecution of soldiers and political leaders. The court is not responsible for repatriating children to their respective families.

This is an updated version of an article originally published on Aug. 5, 2022.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation is trustworthy news from experts. Try our free newsletters.

It was written by: Stefan Schmitt, Florida International University.

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Stefan Schmitt 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.
Mariusz Kaminski

Kaminski stated the suspects conducted intelligence activities in Poland and prepared "acts of sabotage at the request of Russian intelligence."

Read also: Poland fortifies its border with Belarus

Evidence shows that the group monitored the railway routes, said Kaminski.

Its tasks included recognizing, monitoring, and documenting transports with weapons delivered to Ukraine.

Read also: Poland busts Russian spy ring, says defense minister

Kaminsky specified that the prosecutor's office charged six individuals with espionage and participation in an organized criminal group. Trials are ongoing for three other detainees, he added.

The suspects also had to prepare for acts of sabotage aimed at paralyzing the supply of equipment, weapons, and assistance to Ukraine, he added.

Read also: Poland to send first four MiG-29 jets to Ukraine in coming days, says Duda

On March 15, Polish media reported that six people were detained in Poland, suspected of spying for the Russian special services. Journalists said that the group was preparing acts of sabotage on Polish territory and monitored the transfer of Western weapons to Ukraine.

Later, Defense Minister Mariusz Baszczak confirmed that Poland has dismantled a Russian spy ring operating in the country.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
BEIJING (Reuters) - SAIC Volkswagen Automotive Co is offering 3.7 billion yuan ($537 million) in cash subsidies for car purchases in China, joining more than 40 brands in slashing prices ahead of a change in emissions rules in the world's largest auto market.

The joint venture between China's SAIC Motor Corp Ltd and Germany's Volkswagen AG is offering 15,000 yuan to 50,000 yuan in subsidies until April 30 for its full lineup, which includes the Teramont, Lavida and Phideon models, SAIC-VW said on its WeChat account late on Thursday.

Guangzhou Automobile Group, the Chinese partner of both Honda Motor Co Ltd and Toyota Motor Corp, has also offered subsidies running from March 15 to March 31.

Chinese passenger vehicle sales fell 20% in January-February, industry data showed, even as some manufacturers offered reduced prices to stimulate demand.

Sales of new energy vehicles, which include all-battery and plug-in battery-petrol hybrid vehicles, grew faster than the overall market, accounting for over 30% in February. In the same month, Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD Co Ltd outsold Volkswagen-branded cars for the second month in four.

Government plans for a stricter auto emissions standard effective July 1 has added pressure to automakers and dealers to clear inventories of vehicles that do not meet the standard, Fitch Ratings analysts said in a client note on Thursday.

"There is no other way to describe what is happening other than a catastrophic decline in performance of multi-national ICE(internal combustion engine) brands," said Shanghai-based Bill Russo of consultancy Automobility.

The price war is likely to accelerate consolidation of the fragmented local auto industry which has over 130 passenger car manufacturers, state-owned newspaper Economic Daily said in a commentary on Friday.

But it could also hurt profitability and innovation and stall development of the overall sector, which is a pillar of the economy, the newspaper said.

Story continues

Local governments have been supplementing incentives to revive demand for cars produced by local automakers. The central Hubei province and state-backed Dongfeng Motor Group Co Ltd have jointly offered subsidies of up to 90,000 yuan, or 40% of list prices for the entry-level Citroen C6 sedan produced by its joint venture with Stellantis NV.

($1 = 6.8923 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Zhang Yan and Brenda Goh; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Christopher Cushing)
(Bloomberg) -- In a largely symbolic step, the International Criminal Court based in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing his alleged role in the war crime of unlawfully deporting thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia. The Kremlin, which doesnt recognize the courts judgments, termed the move unacceptable and void.

Most Read from Bloomberg

China announced that Xi Jinping will travel to Russia on a three-day state visit starting on Monday, his first trip there since Kremlin forces invaded Ukraine and a strong show of support for President Vladimir Putin. Xi and Putin are expected to discuss Beijings 12-point blueprint for ending the war, a document dismissed by most Western governments.

Turkey will ratify Finlands accession into NATO, bringing it a step closer to welcoming its 31st member as the ripples from Russias invasion of Ukraine spread across the European security landscape. Swedens bid to join the military alliance is still in doubt.

(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)

Key Developments

IMF Changes Lending Rules, Paving Way for Billions for Ukraine

Putin Faces War-Crime Warrant Issued by International Court

Xi to Visit Russia for First Time Since Putin Invaded Ukraine

Slovakia Will Send Entire Fleet of MiG-29 Jets to Ukraine

NATO Edges Closer to Expansion as Turkey Backs Finlands Bid

Ukraine Crop Deal Renewal Unresolved a Day Before It Ends

(All times CET)

Kremlin Calls ICC Warrant for Putin Unacceptable (6:10 p.m.)

The Kremlin in a statement termed the International Criminal Court arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin unacceptable and void. Russia, like the US, isnt a signatory to the Hague-based courts statutes.

Story continues

Chief Ukrainian Prosecutor Hails Historic Warrant (5:19 p.m.)

The ICC arrest warrant for Putin sends a global signal that Russias current regime is criminal and its leaders will be brought to justice, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said on his offices website.

World leaders will think thrice whether to shake his hand or sit with him at the negotiations table, Kostin said of Putin.

The prosecutor generals office has registered forced deportations of more than 16,000 children from Ukraine by Russia, saying the actual number may be higher. Ukraine has managed to bring back just 308 kids so far.

ICC Issues Arrest Warrant for Russias Putin (4:20 p.m.)

The International Criminal Court on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Russias president and for Maria Lvova-Belova, Putins presidential commissioner for childrens rights, in both cases for their roles in an alleged scheme to forcibly deport thousands of Ukrainian kids.

The efforts were termed a war crime by the Hague-based court, whose jurisdiction isnt recognized by Russia, China or the US, among others. Lvova-Belova has been sanctioned by the US, EU, the UK and Canada for her alleged role in illegal deportations.

Officials in Kyiv celebrated the move, with foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba saying on Twitter that the wheels of justice are turning.

NATO Edges Closer to Expansion as Turkey Backs Finlands Bid (3:35 p.m.)

Turkey will ratify Finlands accession into NATO, bringing the military alliance a step closer to welcoming its 31st member as the ripples from Russias invasion of Ukraine spread across the European security landscape.

Turkey has decided to start the process in parliament, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at a news conference Friday together with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto in Ankara.

Crop-Export Deal Renewal Still Unresolved (2:30 p.m.)

The extension of the deal thats bolstered Ukraines crop exports is still clouded by uncertainty as talks continue before the existing term ends on Saturday.

The agreement  brokered in July by Turkey and the UN  has been vital to shoring up global grain supplies after Russias invasion of Ukraine sent shock-waves through agriculture markets. Shipments continue for now, with vessels still heading into and out of Ukrainian Black Sea ports and new deals being inked as well.

Russia this week proposed extending the initiative for 60 days  half the duration of its prior two terms  but Kyiv has pushed back, saying that it contradicted the terms of the overarching agreement.

Kyiv Nightly Curfew to be Shortened (2:02 p.m.)

Ukraines capital will shorten its nightly curfew and extend operating hours for shopping centers and public transport as of March 26, mayor Vitali Klitschko told reporters on Friday.

The curfew at that point will last for five hours instead of six, from midnight to 5 a.m.

Sunak Spokesman Says UK Wants China to Play Genuine Role (1:21 p.m.)

A aide to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK would obviously welcome China if it wants to play a genuine role in restoring sovereignty to Ukraine, as Xi Jinping prepared for a three-day visit to Russia.

We have called on them before to use their influence over Russia to try and encourage Putin to withdraw his troops from Ukraine, Sunak spokesperson Jamie Davis told reporters.

However, any plan not predicated on Ukraines sovereignty and self-determination is not a peace deal at all, Davies added.

Xi to Visit Russia Next Week (1 p.m.)

Xi Jinping is making his first state visit to Russia since it invaded Ukraine over a year ago in a show of support for President Vladimir Putin.

The Chinese leader will be in Russia from Monday to Wednesday, according to a statement from Chinas Foreign Ministry. Xi, who secured a third term as president a week ago, will be the most prominent international leader to visit Putin since the Kremlins war on its neighbor started in February 2022.

Xi is expected to discuss Chinas 12-point blueprint for ending the war, a document dismissed by most Western governments. Criticism of the plan was more muted from Kyiv, which has sought talks at a leader level with China since the war broke out while also urging Beijing to take a more critical stance against Russia.

Bank of Russia Sticks to Hawkish Bias (12:07 p.m.)

Russias central bank kept interest rates unchanged and repeated guidance that it will consider a hike in the coming months even with inflation poised to fall to its target already in March.

In a statement accompanying the decision on Friday, the central bank said higher borrowing costs could soon be in play if pro-inflation risks intensify, almost word-for-word how it described policy plans in February.

Scholz Says Ukraine Needs Security Guarantees (11:30 a.m.)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Ukraine will need security guarantees after the war is over, even as he warned the government in Kyiv and its allies that they should be prepared for a prolonged conflict.

The discussion about the form of such guarantees has been going on for months, Scholz was quoted as saying Friday by the Handelsblatt newspaper. But for that, there must first be an end to hostilities and a withdrawal of Russian troops, the German leader said, adding that all other questions follow on from that.

Germany Mulls Training of Ukrainian Pilots (11:20 a.m.)

Germany is looking into training Ukrainian fighter-jet pilots and could quickly pave the way for Poland to re-export MIG-29 fighters to Ukraine if theyre from stocks from the former East Germany, according to a lawmaker from the ruling coalition.

Germany should participate in efforts to train Ukrainian pilots, for example with lessons in flight simulators, said Marcus Faber, a lawmaker from the Free Democrats. Germany is unlikely to send any of its Tornado fighters to Ukraine as theyre relatively difficult to maintain and spare parts are also lacking, Faber added.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Youve seen the extensive damage in Ohio, West Virginia, and Greece on the news, but less severe train derailments are far from irregular.

According to the Federal Railway Administrations Office of Safety Analysis (FRA), the United States sees over 1,000 train derailments per year. In 2022, the total number of derailments reached 1,734an increase of 88 compared to 2021. The state of North Carolina saw a slight uptick in derailments from 2021 to 2022, while South Carolina saw a decrease in derailments from 2021 to 2022.

ALSO READ: Interim CATS CEO says light rail is safe after disclosing May 2022 derailment

As clean-up efforts continue in East Palestine, Channel 9 turned our focus to the Carolinas to better understand state transportation regulations and figure out whether state or national derailments were on the rise and why. We spoke with state officials about what causes these derailments, preventative measures, current safety procedures, and the future of railway safety.

What causes a train to derail?

We reached out to Tom Allen, Director of Safety, Transportation, and Telecommunications with the Office of Regulatory Safety (ORS) in South Carolina, who told us almost all train derailments are preventable, but most are a combination of causes, not just one malfunction.

In regards to track, it may be wide or narrow gauge, a broken rail, or some other defect in the rail. Derailments can be caused by outside force damage such as a tree or debris on the track, a grade crossing collision, or a washout of the rail bed, Allen said. There may be a mechanical issue such as a flaw in the wheel, bearings, or trucks. Human factors can also lead to derailments, such as excessive speed, failure to apply brakes appropriately, or a misaligned switch.

ALSO READ: CATS continues to ensure public transportation is safe for passengers

According to Allen, a sun-kink, where the shape of the track is bent from high temperatures, is the only non-preventible malfunction that could lead to a derailment.

Story continues

This is not commonly seen in SC but it is in the Great Plains and the desert, where there is excessive deviation between overnight and daytime temperatures, Allen said.

When asked about the increase in train derailments on the national level, Allen explained that its not the number of trains that derail, but the number of cars. With more products, more people, and longer distances, it makes sense for more cars to be added to the train -- but more cars increase the possibility of a larger derailment.

Over the last 10 years, most railroads have instituted PSR or Precision Service Railroading. In sum, this leads to longer trains, Allen said. Therefore, we are no longer seeing two or three cars derail during an accident or incident but 15 or 20 cars derail during an accident or incident.

Channel 9 also reached out to the FRAs Public Affairs Specialist, Cory Gattie, who provided a deeper insight.

According to Gattie and the FRA, a derailment happens when on-track equipment leaves the rail for a reason other than a collision, explosion, highway-rail grade crossing impact, etc.

Gattie also said that most derailments happen inside the rail yards and are caused by faulty tracks or basic human error.

What action is taken after a train derails?

Once a train has derailed, ORS inspectors go to the scene and begin investigating the area, including the track and equipment. Inspectors will even go as far as recreating the scene to figure out the cause of the derailment.

After the investigation into the derailment is finished and a cause is confirmed, the railroad will be given a notice of defect. Following the notice, the railroad will have to fix the issue that caused the derailment or come up with a preventative plan to stop future derailments. According to Allen, the Federal Railroad Administration can also give the railroad a violation forcing them to pay a fine.

ALSO READ: Ohio sues Norfolk Southern over toxic train derailment

Gattie explained that all railroads are privately owned, which means all response, repairs, and safety concerns are handled by the operator. An FRA investigation is launched into train accidents that involve casualties, dangerous chemicals or materials, and accidents that are too expensive for the railroad itself to cover.

According to the FRAs Accident/Incident Reporting regulations, the railroad operator has to send an accident report, with details about the crash and its cause. This report counts as the railroads account of the crash and is completely separate from the FRAs investigation. Both reports are due 30 days after the month the accident happened. Following approval, the reporting forms are posted to the Safety Data Website three months later.

Can you explain current railroad safety protocols? Will there be any improvements or changes made in the near future?

Railroads across the country follow federal legislation for training and safety protocols under the Federal Railroad Administration. From Amtrak to CSX, all railroads are held to a similar standard of safety.

According to the FRA, all railroads must have plans for training, safety, certification, and recertification of all employees, which includes engineers and conductors. ORS inspectors are also sent to the railroads regularly to make sure they are following their safety protocols.

As for the Palmetto State, Allen doesnt think any major changes are on the way.

I do anticipate that there will be regulatory changes. I cannot yet anticipate what those might be at this time. It appears that the Federal Railroad Administration will certainly look at HBDs (hot box detectors, or hot bearing detectors), Allen said.

ALSO READ: Ohio train derailment: EPA orders Norfolk Southern to clean contaminated soil, water

An HBD is a piece of railroad equipment that reads the temperature of wheel bearings on trains to see whether or not theyre overheating. According to a safety advisory from the FRA, railroads are being encouraged to monitor their HBDs, as the East Palestine derailment was most likely caused by a burnt wheel bearing.

Gattie told Channel 9 that plans are already in motion to improve railroad safety nationally, due to the spotlight on the rail industry following the recent Ohio and West Virginia derailments.

As you may have deduced, the national spotlight is currently on the rail industry and its regulators to ensure incidents like those in Ohio are minimized. Enacting and pushing for stronger rail safety and accountability measures is at the top of U.S Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Buttigieg, FRA Administrator Amit Bose, and our agencys mind, Gattie said, Well take appropriate steps as necessary to ensure were doing our job as a regulator to ensure incidents such as those of late are minimized. On February 21, Secretary Buttigieg outlined a three-part drive to take action.

(WATCH BELOW: NCDOT: Delayed maintenance directly contributed to CATS)








Nowruz, the herald of spring, is bringing joy to many communities from Balkans to South Asia, from the Caucasus, to the Black Sea Basin.

In Azerbaijan, the festive season began with the celebrations at the Atashgah Fire Temple in Baku, attracting many artists from all over the country. The old traditions, including the symbolic characters of Nowruz, Kecel and Kose, were brought to life with dance, music and art performances.

Nowruz, the Persian New Year begins on the spring equinox, 21 March, and it is celebrated by diverse communities for over 3,000 years with different traditions.
Sakhalin Koreans arrive at the Port of Donghae in Gangwon Province, Friday. Yonhap

By Lee Hae-rin







Dozens of ethnic Koreans, who were taken to Russia's southeastern island of Sakhalin by forced mobilization under the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule, have returned to their homeland by sea with their families.







A total of 63 Sakhalin Koreans arrived in Donghae, Gangwon Province, Friday, and 27 more will follow them on March 31. They are among 334 Sakhalin Koreans selected in 2021 for a government project to help them gain permanent residency and settle here, based on the Special Act on assistance to Sakhalin Koreans enacted the previous year.







The term Sakhalin Koreans refers to Koreans who were sent to the island before Aug. 15, 1945, and their descendants.







Under the program, they were supposed to arrive in Korea by plane by the end of last year. But in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has suspended flights between Korea and Russia, their arrival had to be delayed. The government alternatively prepared to bring them to Korea by ferry.







The group departed from Vladivostok around 2 p.m., Thursday, and arrived in Donghae, Gangwon Province, around Friday noon after 22.5 hours at sea. They were greeted by a welcoming event jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Red Cross Korea.







Considering the advanced age of the Sakhalin Koreans, the Red Cross sent six of its employees including medical personnel to ensure their safety and health over the long trip, the group explained. The oldest among the travelers was an 88-year-old.







The group also included family members, including a one-year-old toddler, according to the Red Cross.







The repatriated Koreans will move to their destined residences in Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi Province and Busan. The Red Cross will support their settlement by working with related government bodies to help them acquire citizenship and financial support.







About 43,000 ethnic Koreans are thought to have been conscripted for forced labor on Sakhalin when it was Japan's territory in the early 1900s.







Some of them are known to have returned to their motherland after Seoul and Moscow forged diplomatic relations in 1990. There are many ethnic Koreans descended from forced laborers living in Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.


Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/National Library of Ireland/Warner Bros/

Nothing is politically right, said the grandfather of Irish independence, Daniel OConnell, that is morally wrong. The history of Ireland, though, might be seen as a war between politics and morals.

Michael Collins is the undisputed hero of Irelands liberation from Britain. To many Irish who were appalled by his signing the treaty that partitioned the country and left Northern Ireland under British rule, he was Irelands greatest traitor.

From the opening frame, Neil Jordans 1996 133-minute epic Michael Collins places us in the maelstrom of modern Irelands birth: the failed, bloody 1916 Easter Uprising, immortalized in verse by W. B. Yeats and in drama by Sean OCasey.

Amidst the rubble of the Dublin post office, Irish rebel prisoners are being executed by British soldiers. Luckily for history, the two most important, Liam Neesons Michael Collinswho was, in the words of biographer Tim Pat Coogan, the man who made Irelandand Alan Rickmans Eamon de Valerathe future president of the Irish Republicare spared. Seconds after cheating death, the two heatedly argue about how best to maintain the struggle against Britain.

The politician de Valera favors opposition through traditional set-piece battles. Collins, a man of action, knows by instinct that such strategy is doomed. Next time, he says, we wont play by their rules. Well invent our own. The new rules dictate urban guerrilla warfare, a flying columnas the Irish called itof fighters who strike without warning and disappear into crowds.

Collins methods would become a virtual textbook for revolutionistsearning approval from such future rebels as Menachem Begin and Che Guevara. As they fight, Collins discovers his own talent and taste for violence. Youre good at it, says Aidan Quinns Harry Boland, Collinss closest friend and later bitter enemy. Bloody mayhem.

If You Need a Great Story, You Can Always Count on the Irish

The terrible beauty of period Dublin is evoked by cinematographer Chris Menges as a city of smoke and shadows where darkness meshes with daylight. Rebel gunmen dressed in suits and fedoras move swiftly through city streets on stolen bicycles then hide in plain sight. British agents move furtively through alleys, glancing over their shoulders. Death is sudden, savage, startling.

Story continues

Michael Collins is a story about the birth of a nation, and nothing is beautiful at birth. With the possible exception of Ken Loachs The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2007) with Cillian Murphy, no film succeeds so well at portraying the euphoria of the Irish after winning the horrific centuries-long war for independence from Britain. Their euphoria is followed by the soul-wrenching bitterness which erupted into brother-against-brother civil war after the treaty with Britain divided the country. One hundred years later the revolution and civil war still echo in Irish culture.

Jordan, who had dealt with Irelands modern troubles in his 1992 film The Crying Game (for which he won an Academy Award for best screenplay) beat several potential films on the life of Michael Collins into production, with Gabriel Byrne scheduled to play the lead and yet another with Kevin Costner. (Praise the Lord we were spared Costners Irish accent.)

He assembled a superb cast which, in addition to Neeson, Rickman and Quinn, features Julia Roberts as Collinss fiancee Kitty Kiernan, Stephen Rea as the rebel spy Ned Broy, English actor Charles Dance as a British intelligence officer, Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Collins assassin, and, as one of Collins gunmen, Brendan Gleeson, who would later portray Collins in a 2001 TV film, The Treaty.

Jordan based his script for Michael Collins partially on Michael Collins: A Biography (1990) by Tim Pat Coogan and also on The Big Fellow (1937) by Frank OConnor, the acclaimed short story writer who during the civil war actually fought against Collins faction.

In writing his screenplay, Jordan took a few liberties with the historical record, such as composing characters who are composites of real-life figures. He defended his decisions in a television interview after the films release by saying he could not give an entirely accurate account of the complex characters and events of the Irish rebellion and civil war in a two-hour filmas he told a British interviewer, You could scarcely do it in a twelve-hour mini-series. Today a streaming series would be the likely format for the story.

Such inaccuracies are defensible. Others, most notably the films implication that Eamon de Valera knew of and perhaps even approved Collins assassination, are less defensible. Alan Rickman claimed that a scene was cut from the original script which absolved de Valera of involvement in Collins death; the scene must have been cut by the studio rather than the director as Jordan made clear that he never meant to suggest that de Valera wanted Collins death.

The Quiet Girl: The Stunning Irish Film Making Loud, Shocking Oscars History

Any film on the life of Collins could not, by definition, be without controversy. In his lifetime, Collins was regarded by most Irish as a national hero, even by many who fought against him in the civil war. But some of Collins countrymen sided with Winston Churchill, who viewed him as the most ruthless Irish terrorist. (During the revolution the British government put a staggering 10,000-pound price tag on Collins head.) It is said, though, that Churchill changed his opinion of Collins somewhat after finally meeting him at the 1921 treaty negotiations.

Collins epitaph is perhaps best offered by a character near the end of the film, He was the man the times demanded.

Michael Collins is being screened at 19 Omnoplex theaters in Ireland for St. Patricks Day, the first nationwide showing since its released 26 years ago.

Michael Collins is available on TUBI, free with ads, also available to rent on Amazon for $2.99.

The San Patricios

One mans hero, says Tom Berengers John Riley to an arrogant U.S. Army officer, is another mans traitor. These words could stand as an epitaph for many an Irish leader.

There are volumes to be written about the emigres of the Irish diaspora and their impact on lands far from the country of their birth. Every Irishman knows the name of Michael Collins, scarcely any know the name John Riley of the San Patricios.

The American conflict with Mexico in 1846-1848 was opposed by Abraham Lincoln, John Quincy Adams, and many other politicians. The war was naked American aggression fueled by greed for landthe U.S. would acquire nearly 60 percent of Mexico, including California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Wyoming and eventually Texasand an unwavering sense of racial superiority, masked by the grandiloquent phrase manifest destiny.

The movie, based on the true story of the U.S. Armys Irish Brigadethe St. Patricks or San Patricios as they came to be called by the Mexicanssat around for years waiting for John Wayne to make up his mind about whether he would play the units star-crossed leader, Riley. Wayne was finally dissuaded by friends who convinced him that playing a man convicted of disloyalty to the United States wouldnt fit his screen image.

Released under the title The San Patricios outside the U.S., the film, made by Orion Pictures, was scheduled for release in the fall of 1998. Its distribution is a catalogue of everything thats wrong with the American movie business.

The Banshees of Inisherin: Inside the Most Beautiful, Bizarre Movie Shoot Ever

Orion was bought by MGM, which shelved the film for more than a year. On August 2, 1999, it premiered at the West Belfast Film Festival and was received with cheers by a mixed Irish and British audience. But MGM didnt know what to do with it until a letter-writing campaign persuaded them to release it in the United States under the new title One Mans Hero. Unfortunately, the studios idea of release was to dump it on the market without support or even an American premiere.

It's the only major motion picture ever made about the Mexican-American war.

The men of the St. Patricks Brigade were dispatched to Mexico where they were caught between the fierce resistance of the Mexicans and the disgraceful anti-Catholic bigotry of their own officers. They quickly began to wonder what it was they were supposed to be fighting for.

The films two heroes are both fighting for lost causes. Veteran Mexican actor Joaquim de Almeida plays a rebel leader whose political sentiments anticipate the coming Juarez revolution. Berenger is John Riley, who is forced into the unwanted role of commander of Irish troops chafing under the brutal treatment from their officers. (Some are flogged for going AWOL to attend mass at a Mexican chapel.)

Riley, a sergeant in the U.S. Army raised to the rank of captain by the Mexicans, is a figure whose tragedy is worthy of a Verdi opera. He was a natural leader. As their grievances became intolerable, the soldiers of the St. Patricks were driven in sympathy to join the Mexicans they had been sent to kill.

He knew that their struggle was futile; they joined what was to be the losing side and were branded as traitors by the Americans. Those not killed in the fighting were captured when Mexico surrendered and were hanged near Chapultepec in Mexico City, saluting the U.S. flag and calling out God bless America! before they died.

Riley was not executed but whipped and torturedbranded on one cheek with a D for deserter. After his release he joined the Mexican Army and died of yellow fever in Vera Cruz in 1859.

Patricios/Hero has a devastating dramatic punch, marked by harrowing battle scenes (per capita, the Mexican-American war was the deadliest in U.S. history). Its by no means a great movie, but it remains the sole screen testament to a tragic footnote in the history of three countries.

Recommended reading: Shamrock and Sword: The Saint Patricks Battalion in the U.S.-Mexican War (1989) by Robert Ryal Miller

Worth seeking out is the documentary The San Patricios by Mark R. Day, available on YouTube.

One Mans Hero streams on Tubi (free with commercials) and can be rented on Amazon Prime.

John Riley Lives:

A bust of John Riley can be found at Plaza San Jacinto, San Angel, Mexico City, and a sculpture dedicated to him is in his birthplace of Clifden, Ireland.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
MHUS Nov 2022 PICK UP - Hearst Owned

Roughly one in five of us live with some form of whats usually called a disability. But difference is not weakness  in fitness, work or life. MH spoke to five men about how the things that once held them back have ultimately unleashed their potential.

On 14 June 2012, I led a small team to conduct an ambush patrol in Afghanistan and we came under heavy fire. I was shot through my left shoulder and the bullet caused a bit of damage on its way to my spine. I have a spinal-cord injury and am paralysed from the chest down. One of the major problems for people like me is that you cant empty your bladder without using catheters, and that the bladder becomes spastic and overactive.

Personally, I went from planning and leading some of the most challenging special operations in the world to  in an instant  the total opposite end of the spectrum, where I have anxiety any time I go out with friends and drink a beer, hoping that I dont piss myself. But after I put my ego and self-doubt aside, I realised that so many others have some serious trials and tribulations. If you live long enough, you will be challenged. The way you respond is the true measure of your character.

I decided to go to business school. In March 2021, I founded Bright Uro to develop the next generation of diagnostic devices for urology. Were using tech developed at the Cleveland Clinic to create the first wireless, catheter-free method to help diagnose lower urinary tract symptoms. The field of urodynamics hasnt changed in nearly 50 years. Ultimately, this will help millions of people dealing with incontinence or other bladder issues.

I have always been motivated by service and helping others. Bladder function is one of the most intimate and personal bodily functions. Helping someone regain control over something they thought was lost forever motivates me to push forwards through any obstacles we may face.  As told to Kevin Swan

Herreras Mantras

Adversity Is Your Asset

Story continues

John Woodens famous maxim helped Herrera think about how to inspire positive change.

Calm Breeds Calm

In all aspects of life, the example you set is contagious and will influence others, he says. Some of the best Marines I have ever served with taught me this, and it was a very important measure of the effectiveness of members of our team.

You Can Learn Something From Everyone You Meet

In the special-operations community, we deploy to foreign countries and work with people from all walks of life. Without this skill, ego gets in the way and results in a significant reduction in the chances for success.

Every Day Is a Choice

While I was dealing with [my injury], three Marines I served with were killed in Afghanistan, Herrera says. That makes it nearly impossible to feel sorry for myself. Every day, I choose to take advantage of the opportunities I have and live life to the fullest.

A version of this article appeared in the March 2023 issue of Men's Health.



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The event is something Mller hopes will set a precedent.

"As we seek to build further traditions at our university, this event is an important step in building collaborative events between SGA and the university president, which is something we hope to continue as the new president begins in July," Mller said. "It is important for students to have the opportunity to meet the president face to face and to see the direct collaborative partnership that SGA engages in with the president to make positive change on their behalf."

After discussions with Jacobs' staff and the Office of University Events, they decided that this would be a way to have some fun with the students and honor Jacobs before she retires, Rodriguez said.

"President Jacobs has a lot on her plate, and she does all that for students. SGA works for students, too. This is an event that was designed in such a way to provide that visibility, transparency and accessibility to the student body and the UNG community," Rodriguez said.
HA NOI  Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son stressed that the official visit by Polish top diplomat Zbigniew Rau will elevate the traditional ties and multifaced cooperation between the two countries to new heights.

He was speaking after talks on Thursday with his Polish counterpart during the latters official visit to Viet Nam on March 16-17, his first visit since COVID-19 restrictions were fully lifted.

Minister Son thanked the Government and people of Poland for donating nearly 1.4 million doses of vaccine and eight tonnes of medical equipment worth about US$4 million to Viet Nam during the worst of the pandemic.

Polish foreign minister Zbigniew Rau meanwhile was impressed with Viet Nams socio-economic development achievements in recent years, highly appreciate the increasingly important role and position of Viet Nam in the region and in the world, and reaffirmed that Poland always attaches importance to and wishes to strengthen relations with Viet Nam, its leading important partner in Southeast Asia.

The two sides noted with pleasure the very positive growth of the traditional friendship over the 70 years through the attentive efforts of Vietnamese and Polish leaders and people, and agreed that there is still much room for further development.

Viet Nam and Poland agreed to strengthen delegation exchanges, closely coordinate and support each other at multilateral and international forums, including the United Nations, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and ASEAN-EU.

Poland is currently Viet Nams number one trade partner in central eastern Europe and Viet Nam is Poland's fourth largest in Asia.

Two-way trade in 2021 and 2022 hit record high of over $2.5 billion, despite impacts from COVID-19.

Vietnamese foreign minister Son suggested the two sides work closely to fully utilise the opportunities made available by the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Minister Son said he hoped Poland would facilitate the imports of Vietnamese agricultural and aquatic products and seasonal tropical fruits, allowing them a greater present in the Polish market.

He also wanted Poland to increase investment in the fields that Viet Nam has needs and Poland boasts strengths  including pharmaceuticals, animal husbandry, food processing, manufacturing and processing industry, and mineral exploitation.

Minister Son suggested that Poland soon ratify the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), and urge the European Commission to soon remove the illegal, unreported, and unregulated yellow card against Vietnamese seafood products.

Foreign minister Zbigniew Rau said Poland considers Viet Nam as one of markets in Southeast Asia with the most potential, suggested that Viet Nam create more favourable conditions for Polish products such as beef, poultry and blueberries to enter the Vietnamese market; and expressed the wish that the two sides promote cooperation in the fields of information technology, smart city, green technology, and environmental protection.

The two ministers also agreed to promote bilateral cooperation in the fields of education and training, agriculture, natural resources and environment, culture, tourism, monument restoration, health, information technology and media, labour.

Minister Son thanked the Polish government for creating favourable conditions for the 25,000-30,000 Vietnamese living stably in Poland.

Foreign minister Zbigniew Rau affirmed that the Vietnamese community is one of the most respected and admired expat communities in Poland for their diligence, hard work, and contribution to the local economy and society.

At the same time, he said he will continue to support the Vietnamese community to promote its role in the most effective way as a bridge to develop the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.  VNS
Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hold talks at the latter's residence in Tokyo, March 16. Yonhap



The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lashed out at President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday for coming away empty-handed from his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, calling the talks "the culmination of submissive diplomacy" and "a shame on the people."



"Though leaders of Korea and Japan met, the Japanese government did not issue an apology for the wartime forced labor issue. Despite Japan's such shameless stance, Yoon rather tried to defend Japan's side," DPK spokesperson An Ho-young said.



During the summit meeting held in Tokyo earlier in the day, the two leaders agreed to resolve a long-running dispute over compensation for Koreans forced into labor for Japanese companies under Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.



Under Seoul's plan announced last week, a public foundation affiliated with the interior ministry will compensate the victims with donations from domestic businesses, though Korea's Supreme Court in 2018 ordered two Japanese companies  Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries  to compensate the victims.



Yoon said Thursday that Korea has no plans to seek reimbursement from Japan after compensating the victims.



"Yoon even vowed to completely normalize the bilateral military intelligence-sharing pact of the General Security of Military Information Agreement. Those decisions constitute paying a tribute beyond simply giving gifts," the spokesperson said. "It is another diplomatic disaster, as we've got nothing and given everything. It made our people ashamed."



He also pointed out not a single Japanese firm has taken part in creating their envisioned "future partnership fund" and Tokyo did not apologize for trade retaliation that it imposed in response to the forced labor ruling.



Ahead of the summit, business lobbies of Korea and Japan announced a plan to each create a fund to support various cooperation projects as part of the resolution to the forced labor row.



Earlier in the day, the two nations announced that Japan will lift yearslong export curbs of key industry materials on Korea, while Seoul decided to withdraw a complaint with the World Trade Organization against Japan on the export restrictions.



Victims of the forced labor have demanded an apology and direct compensation from the Japanese companies concerned, while Japan has long claimed all reparation issues stemming from its colonial occupation were settled under the 1965 treaty under which Seoul normalized relations with Tokyo in exchange for $300 million in grants and $200 million in low-interest loans. (Yonhap)


The new office is situated at the heart of the most vibrant financial district in Ho Chi Minh City and purposely designed to move towards a more sustainable and prosperous future.

Knowing the future of work will no longer be just within office walls and a significant part of business will be done remotely, the firms office was built with a futuristic spaceship concept, sustainably sourced, with a focus on meeting rooms and open working spaces, and extra soundproof requirements. It offers meeting and working space for more than 50 people.

Binh Le Vandekerckove, founder and CEO of ASART said, Although we believe in the success of our vision and business model, we have always been conservative, meaning our office space is quickly filled in a short amount of time. This is our third new office in five years, and we have invested a lot more in this one because we need more space and also anticipate strong market growth, despite the global uncertainty.

When ASART started in 2017, boutique M&A advisory firms were still a new concept in Vietnam. One of the greatest challenges for the company has been to reimagine and disrupt the consulting business model, in which long-standing multinational brands dominate the market. In addition, the company also pursues sustainable growth as one of its founding principles.

Sustainable growth and environmental, social, and governance were still very new concepts in Vietnam in 2017. It is not easy to practice sustainability while building and developing a business, let alone a new business concept. Many still aim for short-term achievements and ignore sustainability. We contribute to building a more sustainable market, and our work makes it easier for those who want to grow sustainably," Le Vandekerckove said.

"Our key clients are entrepreneurs, business owners, and top executives of renowned Vietnamese enterprises and multinational companies who wish to leave a meaningful legacy and grow sustainably through M&A and strategic projects, and we have a lot of work to do. Sustainable growth, from a double challenge, now has become one of ASARTs biggest competitive advantages.

She further noted that a few big challenges remain, mostly from the lack of technical knowledge and experience of business owners and top executives around the M&A subject and the confusion between professional M&A advisory firms and brokers or freelancers. The firm has seen a positive change in mindset; however, it has still been slower than it would wish it to be.

"In the long term, once businesses in this market experience and understand more about the value we can offer, these challenges will eventually fade away," she added.

ASART was founded by a seasoned investment banker and strategy advisor who has worked with over 250 companies on more than 110 projects with a combined transaction and project value exceeding $4.5 billion in Vietnam over the last 14 years.

For the last five years, ASART has studied more than 150 major companies, working with about 30 clients to execute several projects and transactions in manufacturing, food and beverage, retail, animal feed, agriculture, healthcare, hospitality, and logistics.

This has enabled a flow of about $1.1 billion in transaction and project value into Vietnam. The work the company has done has been strategically significant to its clients stakeholders, and the company has been recognised as top advisors in the market, while seeking to contribute to more than half of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

One of the very first clients of ASART, who attended the companys new office opening ceremony, Gricha Safarian, founder of Grand Place and CEO of Puratos Grand Place, a major chocolate producer in Vietnam and the first entity of its group certified as carbon-neutral said, ASART has high standards and the firms culture is deeply ingrained into the local reality of the market it serves. That's why I love to work with them."

With a solid team of more than 20 employees and independent experts, and a strong network of businesses and investors, the company continues to offer comprehensive one-stop-shop solutions to help business owners and top executives from several multinational and Vietnamese businesses with their most important matters.

Our work is to create the most value and solve the most difficult challenges for business owners and top executives that cannot be done well elsewhere, said Le Vandekerckove.

The company aims to be the first Vietnamese world-class boutique advisory firm with a strong focus on allocating the right resources and capital to where it is needed through sustainable finance.

The launch of the new office is a testament to how confident ASART is in the Vietnamese market, especially for the medium and long-term views. ASART will also develop a presence in the major global financial markets to bring local insight to international companies looking to grow in Asia and Vietnam, as well as open up more opportunities and broader access to capital for Vietnamese firms and business owners.

Boutique M&A firms gaining ground The boutique M&A advisory model will be an important piece of the puzzle to help businesses and investors embrace the current wave of opportunities in Vietnam more effectively. Founder & CEO of ASART Binh Le explains the key aspects of this oncoming trend.

Experts look to 2023 for top M&A deals Although the merger and acquisition market in Vietnam has been slow going in 2022, opportunities next year should be abundant even despite concerns from prolonged global economic storms, according to various insiders.
Cainiao Vietnam, a subsidiary of Cainiao Network- the logistics arm of Alibaba Group, has just announced the signing of a MoU with Sagawa Vietnam, a leading foreign integrated logistics service provider, to promote stronger collaboration in Vietnam's logistics sector.

Located at the Cainiao P.A.T. Logistics Park and Cainiao Dong Nai Smart Logistics Park, the premium warehouse space offers a strategic geographical advantage for business tenants due to its high accessibility.

Both parks boast multiple access points that link directly to Ho Chi Minh City, Long Thanh International Airport, and major seaports, such as Cat Lai and Cai Mep-Thi Vai, making them an ideal choice for businesses looking for an efficient way to transport goods and expand their business.

As a result, tenants can benefit significantly from the strategic locations, and SG Sagawa Vietnam's extensive global expertise and local network.

As one of the country's leading players since 1997, SG Sagawa Vietnam currently offers key logistics services, including domestic and international air freight, sea freight, trucking, and warehousing.

Furthermore, SG Sagawa Vietnam can utilise the parks' state-of-the-art facilities and accompanying services that feature advanced technologies for warehousing operations and logistics management.

In addition to the premium infrastructure, world-class services, such as customer support, consultation services, and technical assistance also form part of Cainiao Vietnam's offerings, providing companies with a competitive edge in the industry.

Looking forward into the future, Cainiao foresees a strong increase in demand for logistics and supply chain services in Vietnam.

Thanks to the competitive operational costs, integrated supply chain sector, and favourable free trade access, among others, Vietnam is a rising manufacturing hub that is key to addressing logistics needs, said Xing Zhang, general manager of Cainiao Vietnam.

With the ASEAN warehousing and distribution logistics market forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 10.5 per cent until 2027, Vietnam's warehousing industry is expected to see an 11 per cent CAGR until 2027. With such potential, businesses need to align and renew their supply chain strategies to keep up with ever-increasing consumer demand for more efficient logistics services, Xing Zhang said.

Home to more than 900,000 enterprises, of which 97 per cent are small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Vietnam has witnessed robust growth in local and global demand for made-in-Vietnam goods and a thriving eCommerce market.

Hence, SMEs across the country are experiencing a gratifying business boom, leading to a surging demand for warehousing facilities.

Additionally, following the pandemic, demand is further fuelled by logistics and supply chain disruptions, limited container shipping space, and road congestion. Consequently, Cainiao Vietnam is also set to adapt its services to support businesses to enhance and diversify their inventories and warehouse space.

Founded in 2013, Cainiao Network adopts a collaborative approach to logistics that aims to improve efficiency and customer experience for all players along the supply chain. It carries forward Alibaba's mission of making it easy to do business anywhere by aiming to deliver anywhere in China within 24 hours, and across the globe within 72 hours.

For more information, please visit cainiao.com/en/index.html

Rong Viet Securities signs strategic cooperation agreement with KPMG Vietnam Rong Viet Securities Corporation and KPMG Vietnam officially held the launch ceremony of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) project on September 19.

Vingroup, Intel ink MoU to develop advanced technologies Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup on May 31 announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Intel to create a wide range of advanced computing systems.
Could you shed some light on the latest partnership between De Heus, Bel Ga, and Green Roof?

On March 2, De Heus, Bel Ga and Green Roof signed an MoU to establish a partnership and cooperation to develop a 20 MWp solar rooftop portfolio.

This solar rooftop portfolio is the largest of its kind in 2023 in the country. It will cover all feed mills and swine GGP farms of De Heus, and the Bel Ga poultry parent stock farms and hatcheries. In total, more than 30 locations will be covered across 19 provinces in Vietnam.

Vietnam has made a pledge to achieve net-zero by 2050. How will this partnership help?

The mentioned solar rooftop portfolio is projected to generate more than 28 million kWh of clean energy and prevent more than 22,500 tons of carbon emissions each year. This is comparable to the annual CO2 absorption capacity of 1 million mature trees, or offsetting the emission of 5,000 cars per year.

We expect our partnership will strongly inspire and motivate more collaborative and synergistic efforts across the agriculture sector in promoting sustainable practices and contribute to the Vietnamese governments net-zero commitment.

Furthermore, this project is the first of many projects in the future that will support our effort towards a greener agriculture sector. We expect to learn a lot during the implementation of this project, and based on this experience we will explore and develop more and larger-scale solar energy projects, such as battery installation, floating solar panels on aquaculture farms, and even exploring other sources of green energy such as wind energy to support not only our own production but also helping our partners and customers become more sustainable.

Why did you choose Green Roof as a partner to co-develop the solar rooftop portfolio?

Green Roof is supported by two investment funds  the Dutch Climate Fund Manager and the Norwegian Norfund, and share the same vision and expectation regarding sustainability that De Heus and Bel Ga also commit to. Green Roof is experienced in permitting and documentation for similar projects in Vietnam, and they have proved during the bidding process that they are a competent partner by presenting us with multiple proposals and solutions for each rooftop.

What is the impact of this project on the food value chain in Vietnam?

At De Heus, we are deeply passionate about contributing to a better and more sustainable future for Vietnam. This partnership and the development of the solar rooftop portfolio for our operations in Vietnam is one of the testaments to our commitment to drive real changes and contribute to a more sustainable food value chain as a leading animal feed producer. We look forward to its positive impact on our environment and society.

Specifically, this project helps us reduce the carbon footprint of our own operation, lower energy costs significantly and free up resources that can be used to improve other aspects of the food value chain, which will contribute to a low-carbon agriculture sector.

Besides this, we are aware that European and other markets consumers have become more concerned about the environmental impact of the products they consume. By using solar energy to power our operations, we also help our customers to meet the demands for green production and continue to export to Europe and other markets, mainly shrimp and basa fish exporters for now.

We hope that this effort will set an example for players in the industry and facilitate Vietnam's agricultural sector to position itself as a leader in sustainable agriculture and food production, which is becoming increasingly important in the global market.

What is De Heus's plan to promote sustainable development in the country?

Our global sustainability programme Responsible Feeding provides us with overarching guidance to foster sustainability. It starts with how we contribute to responsible food production through high-quality, efficient and innovative feeding and farming solutions, then expands our role to leading and facilitating the sustainable transformation of the whole supply chain in which we are active. Along the journey, we make sure we engage and empower our employees, independent livestock and aquaculture farmers, as well as facilitate the improvement in the quality of lives of the local communities.

With our customer-centric business approach, we put a special focus on supporting our farmers to develop and improve their farming efficiency and product quality to be on par with global players. In particular, we are supporting them to use antibiotics responsibly, step-by-step meeting the governments regulation to phase out preventive usage of antibiotics by 2025.

We are also strictly measuring carbon emissions at our own facilities and exploring innovative ways to measure and reduce emissions at our partners (farms and suppliers) level. The integration of the feed business of Masan into De Heus Vietnam has so far been very successful, also from a sustainability perspective.

We have significantly reduced the carbon footprint of the activities we took over, and one of the key synergies we are focusing on relates to making Vietnams feed production greener and more cost-efficient. Numerous CAPEX projects that we have been working on have facilitated this process positively until now.

What is Bel Ga's commitment to pursuing sustainability through this project?

This year marks the 10-year milestone of Bel Ga in Vietnam, which specialises in producing and providing high-quality poultry day-old chicks and day-old layers. Since its inception in Vietnam in 2013, Bel Ga has quickly become a trusted name in the poultry genetics sector thanks to the partnership of its two parent companies De Heus Animal Nutrition and Belgabroed.

Over the past decade, the company has dedicated itself to philanthropic activities and giving back to the local community while doing business. But Bel Ga has realised that its responsibility goes beyond just that. Bel Ga believes it must contribute to environmental sustainability.

For Bel Ga, the project is the first action to work on its sustainability programme. Bel Ga is committed to pursuing it with several related projects. For example, using the outputs of the farm as organic fertiliser, and looking into solutions to capture rainwater. The company also wants to lead by example and convince customers to follow this direction.

Investors seek husbandry opportunities in Dong Nai Vice Chairman of the Peoples Committee of Dong Nai province Vo Van Phi received executives from the Netherlands De Heus Group and Vietnams Hung Nhon Group on May 9 to discuss opportunities in agriculture in the southern province.

Journey of thriving sustainability by De Heus and Hung Nhon On May 14, the DHN Agriculture High-Tech Complex in Gia Lai was started by De Heus Vietnam and Hung Nhon Group, marking the fourth such site in the country. On the occasion, Johan van den Ban, CEO of De Heus Vietnam, spoke with VIR's Oanh Nguyen about the project and its mission to modernise Vietnams agriculture.
Passengers on a repatriation flight arrive in Vietnam. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi - An investigation agency under the Ministry of Public Security on March 15 officially launched probes into a former staff member of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia and eight others for suspected wrongdoings related to repatriation flights amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is the latest move in the investigation into the case of offering bribes, brokering bribes, accepting bribes, abusing positions and power while performing duties, and swindling to appropriate assets at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in Hanoi and other provinces and cities.Accordingly, Dang Minh Phuong (born in 1985, former staff member of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia) was banned from leaving his place of residence and had his house searched by police. He was charged with abusing positions and power while performing duties under Article 356 of the Penal Code.Police also decided to enquire into and search the residence and working places of seven directors of different companies. Among the suspects, one was put into temporary detention. They were accused of offering bribes under Article 364 of the Penal Code.Meanwhile, one freelancer was charged with brokering bribes under Article 365 of the Penal Code.The decisions were approved by the Supreme Peoples Procuracy.At the Governments press conference on February 2, Lt. Gen. To An Xo, Spokesman of the Ministry of Public Security, said police had launched investigations into 41 persons and seized 80 billion VND (nearly 3.4 million USD) allegedly involved in wrongdoings related to repatriation flights amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc

At the opening of the forum, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc said that green growth and sustainable development are the focus of many countries, including Vietnam, which has been seeking a sustainable growth model for over a decade.

In 2012, the government issued the National Strategy on green growth for the 2011-2020 period with a vision to 2050, while the National Assembly amended and supplemented legal documents that created a foundation for sustainable development.

"The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) advised the government to issue a new green growth strategy for the period of 2021 - 2030 and update the national action plan. This will contribute to Vietnam meeting its commitments ahead of COP26, through economically feasible solutions," said Ngoc.

The key point of the strategy is to harmonise the objective of emissions reduction with socioeconomic development. Therefore, ministries and branches are actively implementing green growth where practical by amending certain laws and creating more favourable financing conditions for green ventures.

"The Vietnamese government has identified the business community as being able to play an important role in implementation," said Ngoc. "While at this forum, we hope to provide useful information and listen to candid opinions, learn from practical experiences, and directly reflect on the obstacles faced by businesses. The business community and relevant government agencies will join forces to build a favourable business investment environment."

This has been the goal of the VBF for the past 25 years. Soren Roed Pedersen, co-chair of the VBF, agreed with the deputy minister. This year, with the theme of public-private partnerships to foster green growth, we know this is a necessary but long path that will require changes to mechanisms and policies. There will be many challenges to share and discuss here," said Pederson.

The VBF's technical session consisted of 12 working groups to discuss matters including energy, the environment, investment and trade, the digital economy, and tourism, among others.

Some of the problems discussed at the forum under careful discussion were a new policy on electricity prices for renewable energy projects, land use rights for foreign businesses, and tax and customs recommendations.

The high-level session of the VBF will take place on March 19. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is expected to attend.

All systems go for Vietnams essential energy transition As Vietnam proceeds towards reaching its audacious carbon-neutrality pledge and economic resilience, international organisations are touting commitments to helping shape and influence the countrys legislative agenda and its energy transformation path.
The Japanese Defense Ministry in Tokyo (Photo: asahi.com)

Tokyo - Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to start the operation of a hotline between their defense authorities.

The agreement was reached at a vice-ministerial meeting in Tokyo on March 15, making Japan the first country to have such a hotline with ASEAN.

It was Japan's first face-to-face vice-ministerial meeting with ASEAN members in four years.

In 2017, ASEAN set up a permanent defense hotline for its member states. It is calling on non-member countries to take part as well.

2023 marks the 50th year of ASEAN-Japan partnership (1973-2023) and 20th anniversary of the bilateral strategic partnership (2003-2023).

Japanese players keen on state-owned equitisations With strong financial potential, technological advantages, and cultural similarities, Japanese investors are keen on participating in the restructuring and equitisation of state-owned enterprises in Vietnam.

Long-standing gains continue with Japan Fresh efforts are being made to remove obstacles for a more transparent business and investment environment, leading to the country remaining a favourite destination for Japanese investors in particular.
Japfa Vietnam honours and presents gifts to dealers with high output

On March 15, Japfa Comfeed Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Japfa Vietnam) held its Annual Customer Conference 2022. Nearly 300 dealers of animal and aqua feed in the south participated in the event.

At the conference, Japfa Vietnam honoured and awarded gold to dealers with high output and distributors who have worked with Japfa for between 10 and 15 years.

Speaking at the event, Clemens Tan, commercial director for South Asia and Indochina, thanked all the customers for cooperating with the company and contributing to the operational results in 2022.

Although the livestock industry faces many issues, thanks to the right orientation and strategy, the company has completed and put into operation important projects including its seventh animal feed mill in Binh Phuoc, as well as an aqua feed mill in Long An.

Clemens Tan, commercial director for South Asia and Indochina

With the aim of growing towards mutual prosperity, the company will focus on developing strategic customer models to create a competitive advantage in the market while improving the capacity of the sales team, aiming for total customer satisfaction, emphasised Tan.

Japfa has been in the animal feed industry in Vietnam since 1996. Currently, the company owns eight modern feed mills in Vinh Phuc, Hoa Binh, Thai Binh, Binh Dinh, Binh Thuan, Binh Phuoc, and Long An with a distribution network that covers all cities and provinces across the country.

Besides animal feed production, the company has invested in developing more than 1,000 swine and poultry farms and a system of 40 meat shops with the Japfa Best brand, aiming to perfect the integrated chain process from farm to table.

Japfa Vietnam pioneers modern, green feed factories chain Japfa Vietnam shines with large-scale facilities surrounded by lots of clean and green scenery, all of which use state-of-the-art technology and with automated production lines.

Japfa Vietnam opens state-of-the-art poultry hatchery Japfa Vietnam officially has opened a poultry hatchery in Krong Buk commune of Krong Pac district in Dak Lak, the fourth factory and one of the company's most modern projects in the country.
The State Securities Commission in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) organised a training programme on Gas Inventory and Reporting for listed companies in Hanoi and HCM City. (Photo courtesy of HoSE)

Hanoi - In the face of increasing concerns about climate change as well as corporate responsibility in sustainable development, the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HoSE) said it was considering deducting points of businesses who does not include information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the annual report period of 2022.

Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department under the State Securities Commission, said that in Vietnam, standards, regulations and guidelines are helping information disclosure under ESG (Environment  Society  Governance) become more popular such as the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection, Decree No. 06/2022/ND-CP on mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and protection of the ozone layer, Decision No. 01/2022/QD-TTG promulgating a list of sectors and establishments emitting greenhouse gases that must carry out an inventory.



Accompanying Decision 01/2022 is a list of 1,900 enterprises required to declare greenhouse gas emissions, pided into six areas: energy; transportation; construction; industrial processes; agriculture, forestry and land use; and waste.



According to Tran Anh Dao, Deputy General Director of HoSE, in the 2021 annual report, few listed companies have reported basic data on greenhouse gases as the information is not compulsorily disclosed.



Therefore, HoSE is currently considering a requirement for listed firms to include GHG reporting in the 2022 annual report, and those businesses that fail to include this will receive a penalty point from HoSE.



Dao also emphasised the necessity and compulsion of the declaration of greenhouse gases so that management agencies and enterprises can help build Vietnam's stock market in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible way. This shows the determination of the management agencies to work with the Government on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.



In order to support enterprises to develop a GHG Report in accordance with the requirements of sustainable development information disclosure, this month, the State Securities Commission in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) organised a training programme on Gas Inventory and Reporting for listed companies in Hanoi and HCM City. The studies presented in the seminar were conducted by experts from the UK National Standards Institute (BSI) with the active participation of listed companies operating in many different fields.



Through the training programme, participants learned about the international context of climate change, causes and mechanisms of climate change and sources of greenhouse gas emissions, ISO 14064, and received guidance on contents included in the report, as well as the process of how to organise a GHG inventory and report, define GHG emission boundaries, quantify emissions and greenhouse gas removal, in accordance with ISO 14064-1:2018.



With the legal framework related to the GHG emissions reporting, the training programme provided businesses with the most common knowledge based on relevant regulations for reporting greenhouse gas emissions, as well as industry-specific determination methods. Through that, listed companies can be ready to fulfil their reporting obligations to relevant authorities.



Besides reporting to serve the information disclosure obligations of enterprises, the implementation of greenhouse gases declaration is also a move for enterprises to review their production and business activities. There will be adjustments and cuts to suit the business's operational goals as well as the prevention and management of operational risks.

Taxes and emissions among growing digital concerns The digital economy in Vietnam has strong growth potential, but faces a number of significant hurdles, including losses in tax revenue, infrastructure challenges, and vast carbon emissions.

Vietnam supports Japans initiatives towards net zero emissions: diplomat Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Has participation in the coming Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Ministerial Meeting in Tokyo will affirm Vietnams resolve to realise its committements on greenhouse gas emission reduction and climate change response, as well as support for the Japanese Governments initiatives towards net zero emissions.
According to the announcement, Yow will now take the role of CEO of Novaland, replacing Nguyen Ngoc Huyen.

With nearly 30 years of experience, Yow has held a variety of senior leadership positions in business strategy, project investment, team development, financial analysis, and planning at domestic and international real estate investment companies.

Dennis Ng Teck Yow was appointed to the position of CEO of Novaland on March 17

Under challenging circumstances, Novaland has been focusing on completing key projects, timely property handovers to customers, and flexible construction planning based on current situations.

Novaland is negotiating with credit institutions to arrange sources of funding, while concurrently striving to work with the local authorities to promptly complete the legal procedures for its projects.

The company keeps focused on completing economic urban areas, which contribute to social security in the provinces where Novaland has invested. With all available resources, the company continually strives to balance customers', investors', and stakeholders interests.

NovaWorld Phan Thiet in Binh Thuan province with a total scale of 1,000 hectares has begun the first phase of its operation

Yow holds an MBA Degree from Hull University in the United Kingdom and is a member of various international finance, banking and construction associations. He has years of experience in leading the implementation of commercial and residential projects, and integrated urban areas that meet domestic and international standards. He has also held senior positions at global corporations across sectors such as business strategy development, human resources, investment appraisal, finance, and accounting. Prior to his appointment as CEO of Novaland Group, Yow was CEO of Gamuda Land LLC Vietnam.

Novaland restructures Board of Directors No Va Land Investment Group Corporation (Novaland) is carrying out the procedure to consult shareholders on changing the members of the Board of Directors, cutting from 7 to 5 and taking the re-election of these members.

Chairman re-elected at Novaland Novaland Investment Group on February 3 announced the election of Bui Thanh Nhon as chairman.

Spike in value of real estate inventory for Q4/2022 The latest report from the Ministry of Construction (MoC) shows that by the end of Q4 2022, the total value of inventory held by the major property developers showed a 20 per cent jump on-year.
The oil slick in the sea off the eastern coast of Thailand. (Photo source: Royal Thai Navy)

Bangkok  The Thai government has ordered the Royal Thai Navy to join efforts to rescue an oil tanker operated by a unit of Chevron Corp that was damaged earlier this week during a routine maintenance in the Gulf of Thailand.

According to government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri, the Navy will focus on helping the crew in plugging a leak that has led to water seeping into the hull of the ship, adding that they will also take steps to prevent oil spill as the tanker is carrying 400,000 barrels of crude oil

Sea water seeped into FSO Bechamas 2 on March 14 following the explosion of a machine during the routine maintenance.

One crew member was killed in the explosion, while the remaining 28 members are safe and the ship was in a steady condition, Anucha said.

The official said that the vessel is now 200km from Sattahip naval base in the eastern province of Chon Buri.

The spokesman confirmed that the Navy will assist in recovering the body of the deceased crew member and be ready to respond in the event of an oil spill, noting that no report about a crude oil leak has been released.

Thailands employment backs to pre-COVID level: NESDC The employment rate and working hours in the 4th quarter of 2022 in Thailand were similar to those before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released on March 3 by the country's National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC).

Thailand eyes food trucks as new tourism trend Thailands Department of Business Development (DBD) is eyeing a new tourism trend - food trucks - in an effort to attract more visitors to the country.
Japan's nuclear-contaminated water discharge plan extremely irresponsible

10:27, March 17, 2023 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily

Groups of Japanese citizens recently gathered in front of the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and the Prime Minister's Office of Japan to protest against Japan's nuclear-contaminated water discharge plan.

They believe that it is criminal behavior to discharge the wastewater from Fukushima into the ocean.

However, the Japanese government has turned a deaf ear to the authoritative opinions from international organizations and dissenting voices both at home and abroad. It accelerated the construction of relevant facilities, claiming that it would not change its radioactive dumping plan this spring or summer.

The Japanese plan, which ignores the global marine environment and public health, is an extremely irresponsible practice.

It is reported that the wastewater discharge plan could take as long as 30 years. However, Japan has not yet provided ample scientific and factual proof to support the validity of its plan, and has not addressed the international community's concerns over the legitimacy of the discharge plan, the reliability of data, the efficacy of the treatment devices and the uncertainty of environmental impact.

TEPCO, which is in charge of the plan, has a notorious record of concealing the truth and tampering with information. As early as April and May 2011, it dumped some radioactive water into the ocean, which has long discredited the country.

Kenichi Oshima, a professor at Ryukoku University, noted that TEPCO has only selected a small part of more than 1,000 nuclear wastewater storage tanks for testing in the power plant, and all the tests were done by the company itself without third-party verification.

The American journal Science also pointed out that TEPCO's explanation lacked adequate evidence and was not trustworthy.

Suh Kune-yull, a professor emeritus of Nuclear Energy System Engineering at Seoul National University, said that digging an artificial lake of 200,000 square meters can fully meet Japan's demand for dumping wastewater for the next 50 years. Japan could have chosen a better option, yet it has transferred the responsibility it should bear to all humankind, which is tantamount to launching a terrorist attack on the Pacific Ocean.

The marine environment concerns the interests of the entire international community. Discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean is by no means a domestic affair for Japan.

After the dumping plan was announced, multiple countries including China, South Korea, Russia and the Philippines as well as relevant international organizations have expressed their concerns.

The Japanese government and TEPCO had pledged not to dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water without the understanding of the parties concerned, but now they insist on going against their promise.

Secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Henry Puna noted that the Japanese government had promised to stay in communication with Pacific Island countries on this matter and that the PIF would have access to all independent and verifiable scientific evidence. He said that so far, unfortunately, Japan has not been cooperating and that they are breaking the commitment.

New Zealand sociologist Karly Burch from the University of Auckland noted that "Pacific peoples have a fundamental right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. By proceeding with this plan to discharge radioactive wastewater, the Japanese government is showing direct disregard for the sovereignty and self-determination of Pacific peoples."

The Japanese side should respect the legitimate concerns of the international community, keep its word and dispose of the contaminated water in a responsible manner.

Japan is a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the London Dumping Convention, the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident, the Convention on Nuclear Safety and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. By forcing the discharge plan, the country has seriously breached its obligations under international law.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has neither completed its assessment of Japan's discharge plan nor drawn concrete conclusions, and all its three reports published so far pointed out the plan's non-compliance with the agency's safety standards and made recommendations for improvement.

The disposal of contaminated water spans a long time with many uncertainties. Japan should allow effective international supervision of wastewater discharge. Attempting to solve the problem by simply dumping the wastewater, Japan will never be trusted by the international community.

Over the recent years, the international community has strongly doubted and opposed the wrong unilateral decision of the Japanese government to discharge contaminated water into the ocean. The UN Security Council recently convened an open debate on sea-level rise and its implications for international peace and security, during which representatives from multiple countries voiced criticism of Japan's steps to advance the discharge plan.

The PIF Special Leaders' Retreat reiterated that Japan should guide its political decision to discharge treated radioactive wastewater into the ocean with science and data.

Many Japanese citizens also oppose the irresponsible practice of Japan. Over 90 percent of Japanese people believe the discharge would trigger negative results.

The National Fisheries Cooperative Federation of Japan and other civil society groups condemned the government for breaking promises and ignoring fishers' interests.

The Japanese side ignored the legitimate concerns and appeals of the international community and its people, which will surely be condemned by the international community.

Japan should face up to the legitimate concerns of all parties, faithfully fulfill its international obligations, have full and meaningful consultation with stakeholders, and dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a science-based, open, transparent and safe manner, so as to practically protect the marine environment and the health of people from all countries.

Japan must not start discharging the contaminated water into the ocean before reaching a consensus through full consultation with neighboring countries, relevant international agencies and other parties concerned.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea leader Lee Jae-myung speaks during a meeting of the party's Supreme Council at the National Assembly, March 17. Yonhap



Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung lashed out at President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, calling his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida the "most humiliating moment" in the country's diplomatic history.



Lee, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), made the remarks a day after Yoon and Kishida held summit talks and agreed to move past historical disputes, including a row over wartime forced labor, and restore long-strained relations.



Lee denounced the summit as the "most humiliating and dreadful moment in the history of our diplomacy," saying the Yoon administration has chosen to become a "puppet" of the Japanese government.



"Japan's apology or regret on the biggest issue of forced labor was nowhere to be seen," Lee said during a party meeting.



Yoon's trip came after Korea announced a solution to the long-running disputes over compensation for Koreans forced into hard labor for Japanese companies when Korea was under Japan's colonial rule from 1910-1945.



Under the plan, Korea plans to compensate victims on its own without Japan's involvement.



"Victims have officially rejected the government compensation plan and people are against it, but Yoon tiptoed around Japan, saying there will be no request for reimbursement," Lee said.



The ruling People Power Party (PPP) defended the summit results as reaping meaningful results.



Saying that they will give "new opportunities and energy" to the economy, PPP floor leader Joo Ho-young said that "a wall of distrust and lack of communication between the two countries that has built up over the years has started to crumble."



Joo criticized the DPK for using anti-Japanese sentiment for political interests, saying that history will properly assess the decision Yoon made for future generations. (Yonhap)


VBF: Agribusiness Working Group recommends fostering digital transformation

This was the recommendation of David Whitehead, head of the Vietnam Business Forum's (VBF) Agribusiness Working Group, within the framework of the annual BVF dialogue in Hanoi today.

According to the working group, in 2022, the global agricultural sector faced many challenges such as high prices for raw materials, the effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the production protection policies of some countries, and stricter import requirements.

Thus, in Vietnam and throughout the world, the sector needed to re-invent itself. New ideas, smart concepts, new farming models, innovation, digitalisation, more efficient logistics, and a greater focus on circular agriculture and environmental responsibility needed to be addressed.

In Vietnam in particular, the reformation become more necessary because the country is diversifying its export markets for agricultural products. It is expected that in 2023 and subsequent years, stricter market requirements will force the sector to be more innovative, adaptable, and able to identify opportunities to build a sustainable agricultural industry with emphasis on environmental responsibility and circularity.

Vietnam made commitments at COP 26 to ensure production growth, protect the environment, build sustainable agriculture, and to join the global value and food chains. Such commitments must result in specific actions from producers, crop farmers, fish farmers, and foreign-invested enterprises involved in the sector.

As representative for the Agribusiness Working Group, Whitehead said, Vietnam has been promoting digital transformation in many fields, of which, agriculture is a priority. But with increasing requirements in the export market, Vietnamese agriculture must increase its competitiveness and adapt to new conditions by applying smart technology to production.

However, according to the working group, the government's goal of recovering economic development in the agricultural sector will face further hurdles. It also faces obstacles from other areas, including crop and animal diseases, climate change, natural disasters, drought, and saltwater intrusion  all which continue to negatively affect production.

To help the nation and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to develop circular economy solutions to minimise waste and environmental damage, while increasing productivity and shortening the supply chain, the Agribusiness Working Group is willing to support efficient water use and wastewater management along with the minimisation of waterway and wetlands salination  particularly in the Mekong Delta.

The working group will monitor climate change and its effect on weather patterns, develop smart agricultural systems through digital transformation, and track the production of clean and hygienic food, Whitehead said.

There is an opportunity for foreign agribusiness investors to take a leading role in smart, efficient agricultural technology and methods, and to realise the benefits of waste and pollution control and water use management, he added.

Agriculture remains backbone of Vietnamese economy Duong Manh Hung, director of the Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Statistics Department, under the General Statistics Office, said although Vietnam strives to be a country with a modern industrial base and upper-middle income status by 2030, agriculture has always remained the backbone of the national economy.

IFC and BaF sign investment agreements On February 23, the strategic partnership announcement and signing ceremony of investment agreements between the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and BaF Vietnam Agriculture JSC took place at Vinpearl Landmark 81.

Positive goals set by livestock groups Many large-scale livestock companies plan to implement significant projects in 2023, a year in which the sector is widely tipped to recover.
According to the Vietnam Business Forum's (VBF) Investment and Trade Working Group, FIEs working under an IRC and enterprise registration certificate (ERC) do not currently receive enough proper guidance on how to expand their businesses. The issue was discussed at the Annual Vietnam Business Forum in Hanoi today.

While some cities and provinces permit FIEs to establish branches without requiring them to set up a new venture for each new location, others still require enterprises operating under an IRC to obtain separate certificates for each proposed expansion. The discrepancy in the implementation of these requirements has caused confusion among foreign investors.

Tran Anh Duc, co-head of the Investment and Trade Working Group said, We believe that new legislation is needed to more clearly regulate this matter, and we suggest that it should give investors the right to amend their investment capital as shown on the issued IRC.

Moreover, the application process for an IRC is a time-consuming process, and as investors are required to apply for a new, separate certificate for each new location, it takes a considerable amount of time, he added.

Investors of Hai Lang power plant urges retaining original schedule The group of investors of the first phase of the Hai Lang power plant insists to start commercial operations in 2026-2027, instead of 2040 as mentioned in the draft Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8).

All systems go for Vietnams essential energy transition As Vietnam proceeds towards reaching its audacious carbon-neutrality pledge and economic resilience, international organisations are touting commitments to helping shape and influence the countrys legislative agenda and its energy transformation path.

Outstanding business leaders and enterprises shining at Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards 2022 Vietnam Chapter A total of 88 outstanding business leaders and enterprises were recognised for their commendable dedication towards accelerating Vietnams development at the Asia-Pacific Enterprise Awards 2022.
Bac Lieu wind power (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi  Developing offshore wind power is a great dual opportunity for Vietnam, Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Nicolai Prytz told a seminar themed Promoting Vietnams offshore wind power development: International practices and policy recommendations in Hanoi on March 16.

This is an opportunity to provide a green and cost-effective source of energy for the country's strong economic development; and at the same time, support it to achieve its commitment to net zero emissions by 2050, made at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), he stressed.



As one of the countries that strongly support Vietnam's green and sustainable energy transition, Denmark expects the Vietnamese Government to soon issue a clear and consistent legal framework, which is essential for the development of the offshore wind industry, added the diplomat.



Nguyen Duc Hien, deputy head of the Party Central Committees Economic Commission, said that Vietnam holds great potential and advantages for wind energy development.



By the end of 2021, the total registered capacity of offshore wind power investment in Vietnam had been around 154 GW, Hien said, adding that the draft eighth Power Master Plan sets a target to develop about 16.12 GW of onshore and nearshore wind power and about 7 GW of offshore wind power by 2030, and 64.5 GW of this source of energy by 2045.

Mark Hutchinson, Chair of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) Southeast Asia Task Force, said that there are many solutions for Vietnam to achieve the target of 7 GW of offshore wind power by 2030, such as a rapid development mechanism, a bidding mechanism, incentives through pricing.



The building of related policies and mechanisms needs a long roadmap, while the development of offshore wind power projects takes more time, he emphasised, proposing the Vietnamese Government pilot 2-3 GW of offshore wind through mixed finance sources to reduce costs.



If implemented under the bidding mechanism, it will take at least two years to remove legal barriers and enact policy measures. Therefore, the consideration and proposal of a mechanism for rapid development and implementation of pilot projects is very urgent in the Government's decision-making stage, and this mechanism should be considered and supported by the Government, stated Mark Hutchinson.



At the event, foreign experts and representatives from foreign energy groups said that as investors need certainty for large-scale offshore wind power projects, the Vietnamese Government should soon allow them to make surveys and ensure transparency in selecting them.

Investors wait for wind power administration system Offshore wind offers a route to diversify the energy system in a cost-effective way, given the technologys unmatched track record in driving down costs in the context of the major energy crisis facing the world today.

Moves made to tighten up offshore approval rulings The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has proposed to the prime minister a temporary freeze on valuations and approvals to study offshore wind projects until existing regulations and technical issues have been removed.

Danish royal couple leads business promotion in Vietnam The Crown Prince couple of Denmark is leading a business delegation to Vietnam on November 1-2, consisting of more than 30 Danish companies with cutting-edge technology and know-how on sustainability and green transition.

Vietnamese, Danish firms shake hands to develop offshore wind power Vietnams Doosan Vina and Denmarks rsted have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop the offshore wind power supply chain in Vietnam.

Vietnam Wind Power 2022 to be held on December 1-2 in Hanoi Vietnam Wind Power 2022 is to be held on December 1-2 in Hanoi and is expected to be a crucial event to gather key stakeholders in the wind industry to facilitate Vietnams just transition to a greener economy.

Vietnam offshore wind power sparks influx of foreign investment: Nikkei Asia Nikkei Asia, a news service in Japan, ran an article on January 6 saying that Vietnam's offshore wind power sparks an influx of foreign investment.
What should Vietnam do to successfully kick-start its offshore wind industry? What should be done to attract the investment needed and provide confidence for the development of the industry? Are there any lessons for Vietnam to learn from international experiences in offshore wind development?

These questions and more were raised and discussed at the workshop discussing best practices and policy recommendations for the development of offshore wind power in Vietnam. The seminar was held on March 16 and co-chaired by Nguyen Duc Hien, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Central Economic Commission, and Nicolai Prytz, Ambassador of Denmark to Vietnam.

Speaking at the event, Prytz said, "Offshore wind is a great dual opportunity for Vietnam as it's an opportunity to deliver cost-efficient energy for economic development and at the same time support Vietnam in achieving its COP 26 commitment to being net-zero by 2050."

As one of the strongest supporters of Vietnams transformation to a green and sustainable energy sector, Denmark is looking forward to a clear and consistent regulatory framework, essential for the development of the offshore wind industry. This begins with the approval of the National Power Development Plan 8 (PDP 8) and exclusive offshore survey rights.

In recent decades, Vietnam has experienced an average annual GDP growth rate of around 7 per cent, which has led to a significant increase in energy consumption and emissions. It is vital for the country to decouple economic and energy consumption and turn to a more sustainable energy framework by investing in renewable energy.

One of the key recommendations in a report on offshore wind power development, jointly prepared by the Danish Energy Agency and the World Bank, is that the government should award large-scale demonstration projects to kick-start the sector. It is time for the government to act if the target of generating 7GW annually from offshore wind by 2030 is to be met.

Henrik Scheinemann, co-CEO of Copenhagen Offshore Partners, is confident of Vietnam's ability to establish the industry, adding, "It is critical that Vietnam focus on initiating this proven and highly effective renewable energy industry and learn from other markets to deliver an offshore wind industry that is well-suited to the countrys needs and skills."

Vietnam has a number of favourable conditions for the establishment of a thriving offshore wind industry. These include a long coastline, ample wind resources, relatively shallow seabed areas suitable for fixed foundations, and a well-established supply chain that can be used almost immediately or transition quickly to support development.

Since 1991, when Denmark opened the world's first offshore wind farm, it has been a leader and pioneer in offshore wind energy. Today, Denmark is taking the lead in reducing the cost of offshore wind power to make it one of the most competitive forms of renewable energy. This is a great incentive for the rapid and widespread growth of the industry in Vietnam.

Vietnam offshore wind power sparks influx of foreign investment: Nikkei Asia Nikkei Asia, a news service in Japan, ran an article on January 6 saying that Vietnam's offshore wind power sparks an influx of foreign investment.

Energy security deemed more likely with appropriate offshore wind strategy Offshore wind power is not only expected to contribute to Vietnams net-zero goal by 2050 but also help with the countrys ever-increasing hunger for energy.
At the meeting (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi  As a member of ASEAN and the United Nations Human Rights Council for 2023-2025, Vietnam will continue its close coordination with the 10-member grouping and the international community to help Myanmar overcome difficulties, promote dialogues, enhance understanding and narrow differences, the Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN has said.

Speaking at an informal meeting of the 77th UN General Assembly in New York on March 16, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang noted Vietnams concern over the situation in Myanmar which saw no improvements over the past two years, with a fragile economy and a severe humanitarian crisis which have greatly impacted women and children.



Given this, all relevant sides need to exercise maximum restraint, stop violence and kick-start meaningful, inclusive dialogues in order to reach peaceful, sustainable solutions that match Myanmar peoples will and interests, Giang said.



Vietnam appeals to all parties to fully and effectively implement the Five-Point Consensus on Myanmar approved by ASEAN leaders, ensure the access to humanitarian and medical aid to all, observe the International Humanitarian Law, and particularly protect civilians, the ambassador said.



Regarding ASEANs role, he stressed that Vietnam lauds efforts by Indonesia - ASEAN Chair 2023  and backs the close cooperation between ASEAN and the UN in accelerating the settlement of the Myanmar issue, including the collaboration between their special envoys, and between the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) and UN agencies in humanitarian aid.



Vietnam calls on the international community to assist ASEANs efforts and promote dialogues and reconciliation on the basis of respect for Myanmars sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, he continued.



Vietnam also calls for greater efforts in addressing the root causes of the refugee situation in Rakkhine state, and creating favourable conditions for people to return home safely and voluntarily, and reintegrate into the community, Giang said.

Vietnam seeks stronger partnership with Spain Politburo member and Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Tran Thanh Man on March 15 arrived in Madrid to start his four-day working visit to Spain.

Vietnamese cuisine sets five world records For the first time, Vietnam has five culinary world records recognised by both the World Records Union (WorldKings) and the World Records Association (WRA).
Waco police arrested a man Tuesday on charges related to a Feb. 21 Waco shooting that sent one man to an area hospital, authorities said.

Joeangel Jeremiah Ramos, 24, was arrested on a first-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, family violence, jail records show.

Officers were called to the shooting at 9:17 p.m. Feb. 21 near the 700 Block of North 12th Street, Waco police spokesperson Cierra Shipley said Thursday in a statement.

When officers arrived, they found one male with gunshot wounds, Shipley said.

First responders transported the wounded man to an area hospital, and he was expected to be OK, Shipley said.

The suspect, Joeangel Ramos, was not on the scene when officers arrived and he was later identified and arrested, she said.

Ramos remained in McLennan County Jail on Thursday with bond listed at $750,000.
Waco joined a growing number of Texas cities offering outreach to Spanish-speaking communities with its Wednesday night kickoff for its Unidos initiative.

Unidos began in the Grand Prairie Police Department and expanded to Plano and 10 other police agencies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as well as to San Antonio, according to Unidos founder and Grand Prairie City Manager Steve Dye who spoke in Spanish at the meeting.

The goal of the outreach is to build relationships and grow trust between the Spanish-speaking communities in Waco and the police, Officer Anita Gomez said.

A few dozen community members and more than a dozen police officers, most from Waco, but also from Grand Prairie, Plano and Harris County, attended Wednesdays meeting. All speakers at the event presented in Spanish, except Waco Police Chief Sheryl Victorian, and Gomez interpreted for her. No translation from Spanish to English was offered, but key points of each speaker could be understood: sharing their personal story and the story of their family, and talking about goals for improving outreach to Spanish speakers.

Unidos will advance Victorians goal of increasing positive interactions between the department and the community, she said.

Unidos is another way we can be inclusive of everyone, Victorian said. Everyone in the city should feel safe calling the police. Our job is make a safe city for everyone.

Victorian encouraged community members attending the Unidos kickoff meeting to tell their friends about the initiative.

Police department spokesperson Cierra Shipley said Gomez was a key leader in bringing in the Unidos program to the Waco Police Department. Gomez is a 15-year veteran officer who began her career with Waco police by serving 12 years in patrol, and she now works in the Community Services Division.

While I was in patrol, going from call to call to call, I saw the barriers Spanish speakers experience, not knowing the laws and and not knowing the culture, but I couldnt do as much as I wanted to help them overcome, Gomez said Wednesday. Now, I do have that time and I can help them.

With Unidos, Gomez said her efforts to help Spanish speakers overcome barriers could be multiplied across the department.

So many of the Spanish speakers are immigrants from other countries, and they bring the mindset from the country of origin: that police are not to be trusted, Gomez said.

She said by having officers who speak fluent Spanish, and who come from the same immigrant communities, the department can reach out to the Spanish speakers, understand them and in turn help them to understand Waco and improve their lives.

Its not just about getting witnesses to cooperate in investigations, Gomez said.

Unidos is also about bringing Spanish speakers help in practical areas, Gomez said. Dye mentioned banking in his talk. Gomez said she wants to help people with getting identification documents, renewing car insurance and other practical, day-to-day needs they have.
The Doris Miller Veterans Affairs Medical Center will host a PACT Act outreach event Saturday to let local veterans or their survivors know about new health care and new benefits they may receive under the new law.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in Building 8 at the Waco VA campus, 4800 Memorial Drive.

The PACT Act is the largest expansion of Veteran health care and benefits in decades, VA spokesperson William Negron said Tuesday in a statement. This Week of Action event is part of VAs broader efforts to ensure that every eligible Veteran and survivor gets their PACT Act-related health care and benefits.

VA personnel will inform Central Texas veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors about the PACT Act and encourage them to apply for the toxic exposure-related health care and benefits they have earned, Negron said.

Local VA staff will be on hand Saturday to help veterans apply for benefits, complete toxic exposure screenings and enroll in VA health care, he said.

The PACT Act, formally the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022, expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for veterans with toxic exposures, particularly veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War and post-9/11 eras.
ST. PAUL, Minn.  In another move toward shaping future dairy champions, Midwest Dairy recently announced the 2023 Class of Dairy Ambassadors from Nebraska. This group of nine students will promote the dairy community and support Midwest Dairys mission to give consumers an excellent dairy experience at a variety of activities throughout the year.

The 2023 Class was hand-selected from multiple applications. These students have a passion for dairy, are enrolled as high school and post-secondary school students and possess strong communication abilities.

Among the nine students chosen was Kaitlyn Hanson of Mead, who attends the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

The students will represent the dairy industry in a variety of activities, including interacting with consumers at local and state-wide events, youth educational presentations, and attendance at dairy industry trainings and meetings.

The Dairy Ambassador program also provides students with leadership opportunities to connect with consumers and share their dairy story while networking with their peers and industry professionals. Additionally, each ambassador will receive a $1,000 scholarship at the end of their one-year term.

At Midwest Dairy, we know that if we are truly committed to propelling the dairy industry forward, we must invest in the leadership of young dairy advocates, said Molly Pelzer, CEO of Midwest Dairy. Were thrilled to welcome such a promising 2023 Class of dairy ambassadors from Nebraska who reflect the hard-working, innovative values that make the entire dairy community strong.
Former Japanese Prime Minister and Vice President of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party Taro Aso, left, shakes hands with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during their meeting at a hotel in Tokyo, Friday, when Yoon finished his two-day trip to Japan. Yonhap



President meets Japanese politicians, business tycoons



By Nam Hyun-woo



TOKYO  The much-touted summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ended in an amicable mood, painting a rosier outlook for Korea-Japan ties that in recent years had plunged to their lowest point in decades over historical issues.



Along with tangible achievements from the summit, the leaders spent Thursday evening together building trust with each other, which South Korea's presidential office said is an essential process for further developments in bilateral relations.



According to the office, the leaders had dinner at a restaurant famous for "sukiyaki," or beef stew, in Tokyo's Ginza District and then headed to another restaurant famous for "omurice," a dish combining omelet and rice, on Thursday night, where they reportedly spent approximately an hour together while having drinks including Japanese beer and Korean soju, or distilled rice spirits.



Reportedly, the two leaders mixed the drinks to make "somaek" cocktails, which is a portmanteau of soju and beer ("maekju" in Korean), to symbolize the friendship between the two countries.



Sources said Kishida complimented the drink as "the taste of friendship," while Yoon told Kishida that he wants to improve bilateral relations to the peak status during his tenure.





President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida toast at a restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, Thursday. Yonhap



The casual meeting followed an 84-minute summit, during which the leaders agreed to resume regular visits to each other's country and lift trade restrictions that Tokyo imposed on Seoul against the backdrop of historical disputes. Also, they agreed to normalize an intelligence-sharing pact between the two countries to counter North Korea's increasing nuclear and missile threats.



After exploring avenues for government-wise cooperation with Japan a day earlier, Yoon focused on improving ties with Japan in the fields of politics and economy.



On Friday, Yoon received a courtesy visit from high-profile figures from associations promoting the two countries' friendship, such as Tokyo's Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union. Of them, former Prime Ministers Taro Aso and Yoshihide Suga.



Yoon said his two-day visit to Japan was the "first step toward normalizing the bilateral relations" and asked for their continued efforts to deepen the ties.









Aso, the former Japanese prime minister, is known as one of the figures who played a critical role in facilitating Thursday's summit. In November, Aso visited Yoon's office in Seoul and pledged his efforts to improve bilateral ties. Japanese newspapers have reported that Kishida expressed gratitude for Aso's efforts to better Seoul-Tokyo relations.



Aso remarked that relations between Korea and Japan met their "biggest juncture in more than seven decades" of the two countries' modern history and that President Yoon's leadership had helped to reach "a new turning point."



Suga, who took the prime ministerial post in 2020, a year after Seoul-Tokyo relations turned sour, was anticipated to be an instrumental partner in improving the bilateral ties but left the post in just one year amid abysmal public approval on his administration's COVID-19 response. On March 3, he was announced as the next chairman of the Japan-Korea Parliamentarians' Union.



Along with Aso and Suga, Yoon met Kenta Izumi, the head of Japan's main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party.



A presidential aide said the opposition party's visit was not planned initially, but the party expressed its intention to visit Yoon as "it wanted to express welcome as the president seeks future-oriented bilateral relations."



"Japan's opposition party asked for the meeting, because the Japanese political circles show bipartisan support for Yoon's idea, and it is with pleasure that we agreed to meet them," the aide said.



"In Japan, there are no ruling or opposition sides in terms of pursuing future-oriented bilateral relations. But I am not sure about whether it is so in Korea," he said referring to the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea's harsh criticisms of Yoon's stance in mending ties with Japan.



While receiving the opposition party, Yoon said, "The two countries' summit itself is a significant step toward normalizing bilateral ties and further progress."



Yoon in the afternoon also met leaders of the Komeito, which is a coalition partner of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in a separate meeting.





President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a roundtable with business tycoons of Korea and Japan at Japan's Keidanren headquarters in Tokyo, Friday. From left are Acting Federation of Korean Industries Chairman Kim Byong-joon, Yoon, and Keidanren Chairman Masakazu Tokura. Yonhap
One can almost catch a whiff of heady scent wafting through the gallery at Hearst Center for the Arts, where Tales of the Bulgarian Rose: A Journey into the Heart of Bulgaria is on display. Now through March 26, the public can view the photographic exhibit at 304 W. Seerley Blvd.

This is the work of Iowa photojournalist Rick Truax and Bulgarian-born journalist Anelia Dimitrova.

This is the work of Iowa photojournalist Rick Truax and Bulgarian-born journalist Anelia Dimitrova. The duo will present an artists talk at 7 p.m. Thursday at the center. It is free and open to the public.

Married in 1996, the newlyweds traveled to Bulgaria in 1997 with the desire to document the impact on people as the country continued its transition to democracy eight years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

They found themselves in Rose Valley, just south of the Balkan Mountains, home to Bulgarias centuries-old rose industry  which was struggling in the 1990s. Since then, the industry has recovered and grown, including opening the Rose Museum in Kazanluk.
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CEDAR FALLS  Cedar Falls Police arrested a woman who led officers on a chase Thursday across the city that also crossed into Waterloo.

Officers attempted to stop Chandra Horton of Waterloo around 8:42 p.m. near the intersection of Sunny Lane and Terrace Drive, which is on the eastern side of Cedar Falls, for a traffic violation.

Police said Horton did not stop, leading officers to pursue her into Waterloo and back into Cedar Falls. The vehicle finally stopped at the intersection of Ashworth Drive and Algonquin Drive on the western end of Cedar Falls just east of Hudson Road.

Horton was arrested for eluding, an outstanding warrant, running six red lights, driving without registration and not having a valid drivers license.

Cedar Falls Police were assisted by Black Hawk County Dispatch, the Waterloo Police Department, the Black Hawk County Sheriffs Office, the Iowa State Patrol and Rasmusson Towing.

Photos: Supporters of former President Trump gather ahead of Davenport visit 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-03.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-02.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-05.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-06.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-01.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-04.jpg 031323-qc-nws-adler001 031323-qc-nws-adler 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-07.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-09.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-12.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-10.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-08.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-19.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-11.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-16.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-15.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-13.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-18.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-17.jpg 031323-qc-nws-trump outside-14.jpg
CEDAR FALLS  The man who transformed the Waffle Stop building into the new Radiance Chiropractic office is taking on another project with his team.

Chad Welsh purchased the property of the former Faith Wesleyan and Jordan Crossing church at 209 Walnut St. He is currently working with Dolled Up Studios owner McKenna Pryor to completely reimagine the space for her growing business.

Last year, his team renovated the former restaurant space at Rainbow Drive and Waterloo Road for the chiropractor, moving from a Main Street location.

For this new project, the makeup and eyebrow salon plans to relocate to Walnut Street in order to expand and offer more services like full body waxing, skin care and massages, as well as a day care and coffee/alcoholic beverages for clients.

The business would move from its State Street location into a space six times its current size, going from approximately 1,000 square feet to a little more than 6,000 square feet, which includes the worship area and a community center space on the land nearly half an acre in size. The property also includes a parsonage and parking lot.

Im now a mother of two, and have come to realize how tough it can be to make time for yourself when you get lost in being a mom and have to line up a day care, said Pryor of Waterloo. A mother  or any woman  will be able to make a day out of our salon.

Right now, Welshs team is working to completely gut and renovate the space and make the exterior more attractive. He believes an achievable goal is to have the building ready to open for his tenant by the end of the year.

His zoning application received a positive recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission last week to add salons as an allowable use for old defunct institutional buildings, like churches, in residential areas.

But he also needs approval from the City Council and eventually the Board of Adjustment to move the project forward. The property sits at the corner of Walnut and West Second streets and is just around the corner from the McDonalds on First Street.

Pryor had envisioned 10 years down the road possibly pursuing such a venture. But the right opportunity came up and now the entrepreneur is ready to move on from the home where shes had her business the last four and a half years.

I had to take it, she said. The former Sunday school classrooms and office spaces, for example, were perfect for her new services requiring more privacy.

Its really about giving our clients that experience you cant get anywhere else and separating ourselves from other salons and spas, she said. Its about creating an experience, not just offering a service.

Her salon began with just her and now she has a staff of 10 people who service as many as 50 clients per week. She hopes the new space will allow the business to see upwards of 200 people per week.

Welsh said hed been talking to local leaders involved with the Casa Montessori Preschool about possibly moving into the space while he worked to close the sale on the property for $264,500 in October, but plans didnt move forward.

The preschool had its home  incidentally, another former church once home to a Mennonite congregation at 215 W. Ninth St.  demolished last year.

Coming up roses: Local journalists revisit 1997 Bulgaria's Rose Valley in Hearst Center show Bulgarian Rose 5 Bulgarian Rose 6 Bulgarian Rose 7 Bulgarian Rose 2 Bulgarian Rose 4 Bulgarian Rose 1
An Iowa convenience store manager was fired after he allegedly purchased a Powerball ticket that he knew in advance was worth $100,000, according to state records.

Aaron D. McVicker of Dubuque was employed as a manager at a Caseys General Store in eastern Iowa last fall when he was fired by the retailer, according to Iowa unemployment records.

At a recent hearing dealing with McVickers request for unemployment benefits, company representatives testified that McVicker had called Caseys human resources manager Melissa Klenzman early last November and reported that he and seven of his coworkers had won $100,000 in a Powerball lottery drawing using a ticket purchased at the store he managed.

Klenzman asked McVicker several questions about the purchase to determine whether it was made in accordance with store policies that restrict the manner in which employees can buy lottery tickets. McVicker allegedly reported that he was not working when he purchased the ticket, did not sell it to himself, and did not run the cash register or the lottery machine to complete the sale.

He reportedly said he bought the ticket the evening of Nov. 7, but Klenzman later concluded that while McVicker did not clock in for work on Nov. 7, he had been working that day and was on duty at the time he claimed the ticket was purchased.

Klenzman spoke to McVicker on the phone again, at which point he allegedly mentioned that he sometimes purchased mistake tickets, which are lottery tickets printed out for customers but then set aside due to some sort of error that was made in completing the transaction.

Klenzman spoke to McVicker on two more occasions, with McVicker allegedly altering his explanation of events and saying the ticket was purchased a day later than he had previously stated. According to testimony from Caseys officials, McVicker also reported, for the first time, that the winning ticket was a mistake ticket and hadnt been purchased in the traditional manner.

After reviewing security-video footage, store receipts, and collecting information from the Iowa Lottery, Caseys determined the winning ticket had been printed out the evening of Nov. 7 and treated as a mistake ticket before being set aside. On Nov. 8, a store employee scanned the ticket and discovered it was a $100,000 winning ticket. The worker allegedly called McVicker, who reportedly came to the store and purchased the ticket.

Caseys fired McVicker, alleging he had been untruthful during the investigation and that he had violated company policy.

Administrative Law Judge Stephanie Adkisson recently denied McVickers request for unemployment benefits, ruling that not only did he lie to employer multiple times during the investigation, but he also purchased the ticket only after confirming it was a winning ticket. As a store manager, (he) was held to a higher standard than other employees.

McVicker could not be reached for comment.

Mary Neubauer of the Iowa Lottery said Tuesday that a $100,000 winning Powerball ticket was purchased at the Caseys General Store located at 5505 Asbury Road in Dubuque for the Nov. 7, 2022, drawing. That prize remains unclaimed, and the ticket has not been presented to the Iowa Lottery for payment.

Neubauer said a longstanding security requirement of multi-jurisdictional games such as Powerball is that tickets cannot be canceled. If a ticket is printed in error at a retail location, the business involved can still sell the ticket. If the lottery retailer doesnt sell the ticket in time for the drawing, the ticket remains the property of the business where it was generated.

There have been instances through the years where a retail location has claimed a prize from a ticket it owned after printing it in error, Neubauer said.

Store clerks charged in other lottery cases

McVicker is not the only store clerk to be accused of using their position to gain an advantage in the Iowa Lottery. Court records show some of those cases have resulted in criminal prosecutions:

Last year, another Caseys employee, Danielle Fenton of Burlington, was convicted of fraud, coercion or tampering in connection with the lottery. She was given a five-year, suspended prison sentence and placed on probation for five years.

Police alleged that while working at the Caseys store in Middletown, Fenton concocted an elaborate process through which she stole new lottery tickets and attempted to replace them with other tickets that were already scanned and determined not to be winning tickets.

Also last year, a Hy-Vee worker, Kristy Megan Shaver of Urbandale, was convicted of first-degree theft and sentenced to three years of probation. She was accused of stealing 1,721 lottery tickets and was alleged to have cashed them in for prize payouts totaling $10,250.

In 2020, Caseys employee Arlondo Quinn of Des Moines was convicted of theft and placed on one years probation. He was accused of stealing $300 worth of Iowa Lottery tickets from the store where he worked, and then redeeming some of the stolen tickets for prize winnings.

Also in 2020, Shalynn Lincoln of Wapello, a clerk at the Fast Break store in Mediapolis, was convicted of lottery theft and sentenced to five years of probation. Lincoln had allegedly taken scratch tickets from the stores supply, then redeemed the winning tickets to extract cash from the register, at which point she paid for some, but not all, of the tickets she had procured for herself.

That same year, Ryan Kingsbury of Pella was charged with stealing $1,800 worth of lottery tickets from a Caseys store in Pella, and then redeeming the winning tickets for $1,165 in prizes. Kingsbury was convicted of lottery theft and sentenced to two years probation.
Hotel Shilla, Shinsegae DF and Hyundai Department Store Duty Free were shortlisted for duty-free licensing at Incheon International Airport. Yonhap



Hotel Shilla, Shinsegae DF and Hyundai Department Store Duty Free were shortlisted for duty-free licensing at Incheon International Airport, the airport operator said Friday.



Incheon International Airport Corp. announced the result of the first round of assessment of bids for the five duty-free zones at the nation's main airport, located west of Seoul.



The three domestic retail giants were selected as final candidates, while two other bidders, Lotte Duty Free and China Duty Free Group Co. (CDFG), lost out.



The airport offers five duty-free zones, DF 1-5, to be divided among the three bidders.



Shinsegae and Shilla will compete for DF 1 and 2, which sell perfume, cosmetics, liquor and cigarettes. They will also vie for DF 3 and 4, which handle fashion and boutiques.



Shinsegae, Hyundai and Shilla will compete for DF 5, which deals with boutiques.



The Korea Customs Service will select the final winners next month. The license will be valid for up to 10 years, starting July.



Market observers said Lotte, a longtime leader in the country's duty-free industry, may have lost out from the bid because it withdrew most of its operation from the airport in 2018, citing exorbitant rent.



CDFG, the world's largest duty-free chain, may have dropped out due to a low bidding price, they said. (Yonhap)


China simply is watching and learning

I talked about what China did several years ago and the fact is that China went into full production war materials during the Covid-19 attack done by the USA against them

It is called seeing the writing on the wall by China, about the USA

WtR
Weather Alert

...WINTER MAKES A BRIEF RETURN THIS WEEK... Another cold storm moves into the region Monday into Tuesday bringing gusty winds, significantly cooler temperatures, and chances for rain and snow showers. * WIND: Gusty southwest winds this afternoon and evening will be even stronger on Monday and Monday night. Please see the Wind Advisories for additional details. Gusty west winds to continue Tuesday and Wednesday as well. * SNOW: The word most of us don't want to hear at this point. Yes, snow will move into the region Monday night into Tuesday morning, mainly in the Sierra from Tioga Pass north, northeast California, and far northern Nevada near the Oregon border. Totals along the northern Sierra crest may reach 5 to 10 inches, with 1 to 4 inches possible in northeast CA west of US-395 and the Tahoe Basin. The question remains how much will stick to roadways given the recent warmth and mid-April sun angle. Expect slowdowns in the Sierra Monday night during the period of heaviest snowfall. Spotty light rain and snow showers are possible into western Nevada. * COLD: Temperatures will drop about 20 degrees by Tuesday, with the winds making it feel that much colder. There is a 50-80% chance of sub-freezing overnight lows Tuesday night and Wednesday night even in lower valley locations. You may want to turn off irrigation and protect exposed pipes, along with any new sensitive vegetation.

...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM MONDAY TO 8 AM PDT TUESDAY... * CHANGES...None. * WHAT...For Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning, southwest to west winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. Wind prone locations may see gusts to 65 mph. * WHERE...Lassen-Eastern Plumas-Eastern Sierra Counties and Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area. * WHEN...From 1 PM Monday to 8 AM PDT Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Travel will be difficult for high profile vehicles Monday afternoon and evening along I-80, I-580, and US-395. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Now is the time to secure loose outdoor items such as patio furniture and trash cans before winds increase which could blow these items away. The best thing to do is prepare ahead of time by making sure you have extra food and water on hand, flashlights with spare batteries and/or candles in the event of a power outage. &&
Choi Jeong-woo, chairman of POSCO Group, speaks during POSCO Holdings' shareholders' meeting in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of POSCO Holdings



By Baek Byung-yeul



POSCO Holdings will relocate its headquarters from Seoul to Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. Shareholders of the steel and battery material maker approved the move on Friday.



POSCO Group was largely criticized by Pohang residents for its decision to set up its headquarters in Seoul in January 2022 when it established POSCO Holdings. Pohang is the birthplace of POSCO, where its first steel mill was built in 1971.



Pohang residents, politicians and civic groups raised issue with decision stating that the southeastern port city would lose competitiveness if the holding company maintained its headquarters in Seoul.



Amid the objections, the company promised in February 2022 that it would relocate its headquarters to Pohang and last month, board members proposed the relocation agenda for Friday's shareholders' meeting.



The Pohang City Government expressed support for the group's recent decision saying that it "welcomes the relocation of POSCO Holdings which was finally passed at the shareholders' meeting."



Lee Kang-deok, mayor of Pohang also said, "This is meaningful as the country, local community and company can grow together."



"We should actively participate in fostering professionals so that companies can secure talented workers in the regions," the mayor added.



During the shareholders' meeting, Choi Jeong-woo, chairman of the group, pledged that the group would continue to pursue sustainable growth by intensifying eco-friendly businesses.



"Last year, we had to stop operations for the first time in 50 years due to Typhoon Hinnamnor, but we created a miracle as we could return to normal operation in only 135 days," Choi said. "Even under difficult conditions, we have also topped the world's most competitive steel company for 13 consecutive years as ranked by World Steel Dynamics."



"The steel business will pursue the development of a smart steel mill system with the industry's best cost competitiveness and establish low-carbon and eco-friendly production and sales systems as early as possible. For the secondary battery business, which is our future growth engine, we will promote full-scale production of lithium and nickel and continue to secure new resources and eco-friendly materials without a hitch," the chairman added.





Members of the Korean Metal Workers' Union stage a rally at the POSCO Center in Seoul, the location where the POSCO Holdings' shareholders' meeting was held, Friday. Yonhap
President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers an opening speech during the Korea-Japan Business Round Table held at the Japan Business Federation's (Keidanren's) building in Tokyo, Friday. Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) Acting Chairman Kim Byong-joon, left, and Keidanren Chairman Masakazu Tokura, right, also attended the meeting. Yonhap









By Baek Byung-yeul







The business communities of Korea and Japan agreed to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation a day after President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held a summit, Thursday, they said during their meeting in Tokyo, Friday.







On the occasion of President Yoon's two-day visit to Japan, business leaders from major companies of the two countries and business lobby groups including the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) and the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) had a business round table meeting at Keidanren's building in Tokyo.







During the meeting, Yoon said he agreed with Kishida on bolstering bilateral economic cooperation and said the two will cooperate for the joint economic development of the two neighboring countries.







"The two governments will spare no support to help business leaders from the two countries exchange freely and create innovative business opportunities," Yoon said during his opening speech. "Korea and Japan will jointly cooperate and respond to various global agendas such as supply chains, climate change, advanced science and technology and economic security."







Political divide intensifies in Korea over Yoon-Kishida summit ANALYSIS Too early to hail success of Korea-Japan summit Yoon, Kishida build mutual trust by sharing drinks after summit He added, "I think there is a lot of room for cooperation between the two nations in future high-tech industries such as digital transformation, semiconductors, batteries and electric vehicles."



Leaders of Korea's top conglomerates attend Korea-Japan Business Round Table held at the Japan Business Federation's (Keidanren's) building in Tokyo, Friday. From left in the front row are Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong. Yonhap

For the Korean side, the round table meeting featured chiefs of the nation's top five conglomerates. They are Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin.



Also joining the meeting were FKI Acting Chairman Kim Byong-joon and business leaders including Samyang Holdings Chairman Kim Yoon, Kolon Group Honorary Chairman Lee Woong-yeul, Poongsan Chairman Ryu Jin and Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon.



Eleven business leaders attended the meeting from the Japanese side including Keidanren Chairman and Sumitomo Chemical Chairman Masakazu Tokura and Mitsui & Co. CEO Tatsuo Yasunaga.



A day before the meeting, the two business lobbies announced they would establish two "future partnership funds," one in each country, for bilateral cooperation in a wide range of sectors including joint research on global issues and youth exchange programs.



Regarding the funds, the FKI acting chairman said, "The two business communities will expand their economic exchanges in various fields such as expanding mutual investment, joint response to resource nationalism, cooperation in building global supply chains, normalization of personnel exchanges, joint expansion of third countries and cooperation in new industries."



The Keidanren chairman also said, "There are many tasks that Korea and Japan have to do together in terms of industry and it is essential that the two share their wisdom and strengthen cooperation."






Investment with Battery Minerals focused Bayrock Resources

Perth, Mar 16, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - QX Resources Ltd ( ASX:QXR ) has entered into a framework agreement with Bayrock Resources Limited (Bayrock) to assist Bayrock with financing and development of its Projects, being the Lainejaur and Northern Nickel Line projects in northern Sweden (Framework Agreement). The Projects are considered highly prospective for key battery metals, nickel, copper and cobalt. Further information is available at: www.bayrockresources.com



Commenting on the strategic investment, Managing Director Stephen Promnitz stated:



"The battery supply chain continues to seek high grade quality Class 1 nickel projects. Discussions have advanced considerably in recent months with Dr Ian Pringle and the Bayrock team and we are impressed with the quality of Bayrock's project portfolio in northern Sweden. Lainejaur, in particular, is a past high-grade producer with considerable resource potential, and is well positioned to supply key battery minerals for the escalating European demand and assist meeting carbon neutral targets.



"QXR's investment in Bayrock is consistent with the Company's stated strategy of investing in critical and battery minerals and provides our investors exposure to highly prospective Ni-Cu-Co projects. Importantly, we consider that we can add value to Bayrock through technical knowledge and the introduction of potential end users."



Bayrock Technical Director, Dr Ian Pringle added:



"Bayrock's assets in Sweden have outstanding potential and have a very large footprint with exceptional exploration and development upside. By securing this additional investment, we can add considerable value with the drill bit by re-testing existing high grade targets and new areas of potential identified. Bayrock is delighted to have QXR providing additional support to bolster the highly prospective nickel-copper-cobalt projects and deliver greater value in a timely manner to deliver success."



Framework Agreements



QXR and Bayrock Resources Limited (Bayrock) have entered into a framework agreement in relation to the provision by QX Resources of secured loans of up to $585,000 and accruing interest at 15% per annum, which ill be used by Bayrock for meeting its final acquisition commitments with Carnaby Resources Limited ( ASX:CBY ), the holder of the Lainejaur Project, and EMX Royalty Corp, the holder of the Northern Sweden Nickel Line Project (Secured Funding). In addition to the Secured Funding, QX has committed to, subject to certain conditions which are currently being negotiated, underwrite a rights entitlement issue by Bayrock (Rights Issue) (Underwriting).



Funds raised by Bayrock via the Rights Issue will enable Bayrock to:



- Repay the Secured Funding provided by QXR



- Undertake exploration at Lainejaur and Northern Sweden Nickel Line to enhance value, including:



o Diamond drilling at the Lainejaur and Vuostok projects

o Ground based and downhole geophysics at the Lainejaur and Vuostok projects



- Make further payments under acquisition agreements entered into by Bayrock



- Provide working capital



Following completion of the capital raising by Bayrock, it is planned that QXR will be offered a position on the Bayrock board.



QXR intends to make introductions to potential end users in the battery supply chain together and enter into discussions with major multi-commodity companies with an interest in battery materials.



About Bayrock Resources Limited



Bayrock Resources Limited is an exploration company which holds full ownership rights for a multi-asset development portfolio in Sweden. The Company's flagship is the Lainejaur project, an advanced-stage nickel-dominated battery metals asset. Through its fully-owned subsidiary, Bayrock also holds Exploration Permits at five additional sites that make up the Northern Nickel Line portfolio, and these are prospective for nickel-copper mineralisation as well as cobalt, gold and PGMs.



The company is led by an experienced management team with a strong track record of exploration success as well as particular expertise the development of sulphide nickel-cobalt deposits. With a planned multi-stage drilling program, the Company looks forward to updating the market with consistent news flow.



About QX Resources Ltd





QX Resources Limited (ASX:QXR) is focused on exploration and development of battery minerals, with hard rock lithium assets in a prime location of Western Australia (WA), and gold assets in Queensland. The aim is to connect end users (battery, cathode and car makers) with QXR, an experienced explorer/developer of battery minerals, with an expanding mineral exploration project portfolio and solid financial support.

Lithium portfolio: QXR's lithium strategy is centred around WA's prolific Pilbara province, where it has acquired a controlling interest in four projects through targeted M&A - all of which sit in strategic proximity to some of Australia's largest lithium deposits and mines. Across the Pilbara, QXR's regional lithium tenement package (both granted or under application) now spans more than 350 km2.

Gold portfolio: QXR is also developing two Central Queensland gold projects - Lucky Break and Belyando - through an earn-in agreement with Zamia Resources Pty Ltd. Both gold projects are strategically located within the Drummond Basin, a region that has a >6.5moz gold endowment.


Signs Binding Offtake Agreement with Global Battery Anode Material Producer

Sydney, Mar 17, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Graphite producer and battery materials developer Volt Resources Limited ( ASX:VRC ) is pleased to announce the execution of a binding Offtake Agreement for the sale of 10,000 tonnes of fine flake graphite product annually from the Bunyu Graphite Project for an initial term of 5 years with the option to extend the Offtake Agreement for a further 5 years. The Offtake Agreement was signed by 100% Volt subsidiary, Volt Graphite Tanzania Plc, with Graphex Group subsidiary, Graphex Michigan 1, LLC ("Graphex"), a subsidiary of Graphex Group Limited ( NYSE:GRFX ) ( HKG:6128 ).



Graphex Group President, John DeMaio, said "Graphex is extremely pleased to enter into this binding Offtake Agreement for the supply of fine graphite from the Bunyu Graphite project".



"This is an important step forward in our global strategy to diversify the upstream supply of raw materials as we localize our mid-stream processing footprint in order to provide the flexibility, resiliency, and scale of graphite supply that the EV and Energy Storage sectors will require in the years and decades ahead. We look forward to working with Volt as we both progress our graphite development plans and the possibility of expanding our relationship."



Volt Chairman, Asimwe Kabunga, commented: "We are very pleased to secure this Offtake Agreement for our Bunyu graphite product, and Volt is delighted to be partnering with a progressive company such as Graphex."



"Congratulations to both management teams who have worked diligently to complete this agreement and Volt looks forwards to a long and successful relationship with the Graphex Group."



Volt Chief Executive Officer, Prashant Chintawar, added: "With projected strong demand in the graphite market, we are continuing to progress discussions with additional parties in respect to further graphite offtake opportunities."



"Looking ahead, Volt remains firmly focused on obtaining the development funding for the Bunyu Project and moving towards construction and first production. We look forward to providing shareholders with further updates on progress."



Further information regarding the Offtake Agreement terms is included in the table below*.



Graphex Group Limited has its principal offices in Hong Kong and regional offices in Shanghai and Royal Oak, Michigan, USA. Graphex is focused on the development of technologies and products to enhance renewable energy, particularly the production of spherical graphite and graphene, key components in EVs/lithium-ion batteries as well as in other uses.



Graphex has extensive commercial experience in the deep processing of graphite and producing battery grade purified spherical graphite. Current production is 10,000 tpa and an expansion is underway to increase production to 20,000 tpa within the next 12 months. Graphex intends to further expand existing operations to 40,000 tpa over the next three years.



Graphex is currently among the top suppliers of specialized spherical graphite to the EV and renewable energy industries and holds patents in areas including products, production methods, machinery design, and environmental protection.



Graphex's strategy is to expand its operations globally to support energy transition and electrification efforts worldwide.



For more information regarding Graphex Group visit https://graphexgroup.com/



*To view further information, please visit:

https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/GH648HMF





About Volt Resources Ltd





Volt Resources Ltd (ASX:VRC) is a critical minerals and battery material company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange under the ASX code VRC. We are a graphite producer/developer and an emerging natural graphite anode (a key component of lithium-ion batteries) producer. Volt has a 70% controlling interest in the Zavalievsky Graphite (ZG) business in Ukraine. Zavalievsky mine has been in operation since 1934 and is in close proximity to key markets with significant developments in lithium-ion battery. ZG benefits from an existing customer base and graphite product supply chains based on excellent transport infrastructure covering road, rail, river and sea freight combined with reliable grid power, ample potable ground water supply and good communications.
Dont let Billy Tibbals being 21 years old fool you.

The Los Angeles-based musician, by way of London, is far more wise than his two decades of life.

His musical influences stretch back to The Beatles and ABBA and his style is complementary to his sound.

His EP, Stay Teenage, is slated to be released on April 21.

Im really excited for the new music to be out, he says. This is a record that means a lot to me. Its very personal in the sense that my lyrics are deeper than Ive ever done.

Tibbals is currently on tour with Mac Saturn, opening up for them on its Until the Money Runs Out Tour.

The tour makes a stop at 8 p.m. Sunday, March 19, at Launchpad.

Tibbals is performing all six tracks that make up Stay Teenage.

He says writing the songs took some time because he let everything come out organically.

The songs are about experiencing relationships, heart break and the adventures of getting into trouble, he says. They are hard to deal with. I started writing these songs years ago. Im getting a chance to look at them now from the lens of being 21. I wrote them from the time I was 16 until I was 20. Ive captured a time in my life where I was growing up quickly.

His most recent single, Hollywood Baby, is released by Silver Arrow Records and produced by The Black Crowes Chris Robinson.

Tibbals says the single harkens back to rock and roll before it simply became rock.

I want to bring 70s glam to today, Tibbals says with a laugh.

Tibbals always knew music was going to be a driving force in his life.

The Beatles are his favorite band and all his family still buys him Beatles music for his birthday.

I really clicked with them because their rock was melodic, he says. In high school, I moved to Los Angeles and started becoming this LA hipster. My group of friends now, we have a little of our fantasy rock and roll world.

Tibbals is enjoying the ride on tour  which is far from his parents garage.

I recorded my first single Onwards and Upwards there during the lockdown, he says. I had just graduated high school and was looking for a way to progress with my music career despite there being a pandemic.
With just days to go in the legislative session, it would seem crime isnt a problem in New Mexico and our private sector economy is booming  that were not experiencing another year of record-setting homicides in Albuquerque, businesses arent closed or hanging on by a thread, criminals arent being released back onto the streets to commit more violent crimes, and store employees and bottom lines arent being victimized by shoplifters who regularly walk out with armloads of merchandise with impunity.

Because instead of tackling the scourge of lawlessness plaguing New Mexico, and instead of creating what Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham calls a stable and predictable environment for doing business, the states lawmakers approved a proposal giving statewide elected leaders $50,000-plus pay raises in Senate Bill 442. The 60-day session ends at noon on Saturday.

No real movement on crime bills is one of the big disappointments of the session, lamented House Minority Leader Ryan Lane, R-Aztec.

Lawmakers have thus far missed an opportunity to tighten New Mexicos pretrial detention laws to address repeat and dangerous offenders. Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman testified N.M.s pretrial system is broken  plain and simple.

The governor understands this and supports adopting rebuttable presumption, which would create a presumption of dangerousness for defendants charged with certain violent crimes to preclude pretrial release. Defense attorneys could rebut with evidence and mitigating circumstances. A Senate committee killed SB 123 in mid-February.

An anti-crime bill that appears will make it through would crack down on organized retail crime. House Bill 234 finally passed the Senate on Thursday after it was bottled up for weeks in that chambers Judiciary Committee. It now goes back to the House for concurrence on the Senate amendments. The bill targets shoplifting rings by allowing the aggregation of the value of merchandise shoplifted in a year to make the theft of $2,500 or more of merchandise a third-degree felony, and it creates the new crime of organized retail crime, a second-degree felony.

Former Attorney General Hector Balderas said organized retail crime costs N.M. businesses $1 billion a year.

There is no excuse a bill so widely supported by the governor and lawmakers (with only three no votes in both chambers) is still awaiting approval in the last hours of the session.

Another important bill appears on its way to becoming law is the bipartisan compromise brokered by the governor that ensures New Mexico independent outpatient clinics can obtain the medical malpractice insurance they need. The medical malpractice measure, SB 523, sailed through both the House and Senate this week. The governors signature is almost guaranteed. This is a must-do to prevent more doctors from leaving the state and to stave off a looming medical crisis, and an example of what bipartisan negotiation can yield.

Lets hope the same can be said for the massive tax bill that was being hammered out late Thursday by a conference committee. The committee was working on versions of the tax packages passed by the House and Senate. But, unfortunately, neither package addressed pyramiding, when taxes are levied several times on the same goods or services. Eliminating pyramiding would provide significant relief to small businesses and make us more competitive with other states.

Senate-amended House Bill 547 would lower income taxes for some middle- and lower-income taxpayers, modestly lower the states gross receipts tax rate, and provide rebates to taxpayers. It would also punish savers and investors by reducing the capital gains tax deduction and make it clear if you come to New Mexico and are successful, we will penalize you. And it misses the chance to attract a new workforce by removing the sunset date on military retirement pay as well as a chance to attract/grow companies by extending a single sales factor to all.

The governor has been an advocate for transformational public safety laws from the start of the session, and she issued a news release Thursday that the current incarnation of the tax bill creates a worrisome $1 billion-plus recurring liability. Shes right on both counts. As of Thursday evening, lawmakers had about 40 hours to make adjustments to help make New Mexico safer, provide certainly for business and set the state up for fiscal success. Heres to caffeine and bipartisan diplomacy getting us there.

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.
Hospitals need safe staffing

AS A health care professional who worked during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I saw day-in-and-day-out the work our nurses do. Ive also seen the stresses and pressure their job puts on them as staffing concerns grow and working conditions deteriorate.

 When they are understaffed and overworked, it directly impacts the quality of work they, and by extension, I, can do. Ive witnessed my colleagues make the decision about who needs their time and attention first. Ive seen our amazing nurses juggle the task of answering the call light of one patient while it is time for another patient to receive medication.

House Bill 236 establishes a way for our state to create long overdue safe staffing ratios. These ratios would be created by current nurses, hospital administration and the Department of Health based on best practice, statewide data and, most importantly, stakeholder input.

HB 236 is modeled after similar legislation successfully enacted in California.  If we have any chance at recruiting the nurses we need to deliver the quality of care our patients deserve, we need our state to take proactive steps to enact the necessary policies that establish and enforce safe staffing.

Terina Brown, Rio Rancho

Broadband bills lacking

TWO BILLS are making their way through the Legislature regarding broadband. SB 155 purports to remove subsidies paid to incumbent phone companies for legacy phone landlines. The incumbent phone companies want to keep an estimated $17 million in subsidies, which is what they were paid by the PRC in 2023, even if they lose voice line subscribers, until 2026. A landline is not required for DSL internet service. This $17 million takes away from the overall $30 million fund for broadband. The FCC reported in June 2017 incumbent phone companies served a minority of voice phone lines.

 Lets urge our senators and representatives to make broadband a priority by removing the three-year payout.

HB 160 allows for the removal of fees NMDOT put in place for broadband providers to gain access to the public right-of-ways. This bill only allows for removal of these fees for underserved and unserved areas in New Mexico but will permit the fees for served areas (yet) served areas feed the unserved and underserved areas. Allowing for fees in one part of the state will create expensive broadband in other areas. A simple fix is to remove the fees for all broadband providers, just like they have done for electricity, gas and water. As the pandemic has shown, broadband is essential and needs to be given the same priority as other essential utilities.

Albert Catanach, Santa Fe

HB 7 subverts parents

(The) N.M. Legislatures House Bill 7 Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Health Care is the most radical of all legislation in that it allows a child to dictate their medical care regarding abortion and gender-transforming treatment. It allows a child to dictate a name change, puberty blockers and preferred pronouns unobstructed and without parental knowledge.

Failure to call a boy she will result in a $5,000 fine. If a 15-year-old wants an abortion or puberty blockers, nurses, teachers and counselors must affirm that dictate, no matter how harmful that may be. It is not an overstatement to say the shift from adult and parent-centered authority to a childs insistence is the most radical legislation Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will undoubtedly soon sign.

Jose D. Vasquez, Santa Fe

Leave bill bad for business

I OWN three small businesses in Albuquerque and am deeply concerned about Senate Bill 11. SB 11 would allow employees to take three months of paid leave every year for their own, or a family members, medical condition. As a lifelong Democrat, I understand how appealing this sounds, but as a small business owner, I must be able continue to operate my businesses. After two years of pandemic restrictions, many small business owners in our state are hanging on by a thread. New Mexicos Legislature has already asked us to bear high minimum wage increases, as well as offering paid sick leave, all since the pandemic.

 The typical small businessperson has built their business through grit, determination and a deep desire to be a job creator. Yet many legislators seem to think small business owners are mini-Jeff Bezoses: awash in extra cash, hoarding it at employees expense.

 Stable employment by caring small businesspeople who treat our employees like family is how we end poverty. .. It is our local small businesses that make us unique. Please dont let us lose them.

Jessica Carothers, Los Ranchos
The Albuquerque Police Department released statistics on Thursday showing a drop in property and violent crime last year.

There was a 0.3% drop in overall crime fueled by a 4% and 2% drop in violent and property crime, respectively, according to data provided by APD.

The marginal decrease in overall crime came despite a 32% leap in crimes against society  made up largely of drug and gun offenses.

APD Chief Harold Medina said as a department it is battling actual crime numbers as well as the perception of crime  touting success on the former.

Well always have to work to reduce that perception of crime and make sure that the community knows exactly where theyre at, he said.  But were seeing a lot of positive movement, which is encouraging to us. And were hoping that itll be encouraging to the citizens of the city of Albuquerque.

Medina attributed the decreases to endeavors taken on by APD in recent years, such as clearing more homicide cases and improving investigations via the detective academy. Going forward, he said, the department is focusing on repeat offenders, keeping violent suspects in jail and clearing the felony warrant backlog.

Crime data, trends

The FBIs National Incident-Based Reporting System cannot be used to compare previous crime statistics and, on Thursday, APD used a more basic form of reporting to show violent crime and property crime had dropped 4% and 40%, respectively, since 2017.

At that time, auto theft and other property crimes were at record highs and dropped significantly in the years following. But in recent years those decreasing metrics have steadied and some, like auto theft, had risen again in 2022.

Last year, according to NIBRS data provided by APD, the largest decreases were observed in fraud, sex offenses and robbery with drops of 32%, 23% and 13%, respectively.

The largest increases were observed in weapons violations, drug offenses, auto theft, non-negligent murder and vandalism with spikes of 57%, 10%, 10%, 9% and 8%, respectively, according to the data.

APD said the gargantuan leap in weapons violations can be attributed to the hundreds of ShotSpotter alerts where an officer has collected bullet casings  each incident counts as a weapons offense.

Other crimes, such as aggravated assault, burglary and larceny saw small decreases of 3% each and 2%, respectively, while simple assault saw a 1% increase.

Medina said the recipe for success, and whats on the menu going forward, is arresting more people in serious crimes, clearing more homicide cases  which had more solves in 2022 than years prior  and making sure violent offenders are detained until trial.

Medina said the city still has a homicide problem and hesitated slightly, wary of a jinx, before pointing out that the latter months of 2022 and March 2023 saw few homicides after a breakneck pace last spring, summer and fall.

Were very cautious of what we want to say, because the moment we talk about it, and theres three homicides, everybody goes crazy and says, Oh my god, theyve done nothing. Its worse than ever before. We see the trending going in the direction we want, he said.

Previous reporting error

Thursdays release also revealed a problem in previous years accounting.

APD spokesman Gilbert Gallegos said year-end 2021 data initially provided by APD  which showed the first rise in overall crime since 2018  was incorrect as it included duplicates.

The data, compiled using the FBIs National Incident-Based Reporting System, showed a marginal 0.85% increase in overall crime driven by a 1% and 3% rise in property and violent crime, respectively.

The NIBRS data released Thursday paint a slightly rosier picture for 2021.

Between 2020 and 2021, there was a 0.4% decrease in overall crime, with 0.3% and 0.7% drops in property and violent crime, respectively, and a 1% rise in crimes against society.

Gallegos said APDs Records Unit had to recalculate the data due to the department counting one incident as multiple incidents if there were multiple victims. He said the FBI counts one incident despite the number of victims and APD removed duplicates to adhere to the federal system.

When you remove that duplicative data, the numbers are lower and consistent with the FBIs process, Gallegos said, adding that the Records Unit is in the process of recalculating data going back to 2018.

Its not the first time APD has had issues with released crime data.

In 2019, the Journal discovered that preliminary numbers provided by APD at quarterly media briefings had shown overly optimistic crime decrease figures. However, the general trend remained true and, at the time of the discovery, APD had said its now making sure to verify all the data before releasing it.
Deputies arrested a man who allegedly shot the father of his girlfriends child during a custody exchange Tuesday evening outside a Blakes Lotaburger in the South Valley.

Christopher Rodriguez, 24, is charged with an open count of murder, child abuse and tampering with evidence in the death of 33-year-old Tristan Isaacs.

Rodriguez has been booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center and it is unclear if he has an attorney.

The mother of Isaacs daughter Brittany Sena, 24, is charged with child abuse and tampering with evidence as the child was present for the shooting and the couple showered and went to bed afterward.

Rodriguez, at the age of 17, spent several months behind bars in the drive-by shooting that killed Isaiah Albright, 14, in 2015. The case was dismissed when his relative was identified as the shooter.

Less than two weeks ago Rodriguez pleaded guilty to distribution of LSD and marijuana in a 2020 drug-related altercation in which he shot a man twice.

Prosecutors cited Rodriguezs criminal history in a pretrial detention motion following Isaacs death, alleging Rodriguez has proven himself to be a dangerous person multiple times.

His violent behavior has escalated to the point that he has killed someone, according to the motion.

A GoFundMe for Isaacs funeral costs described him as a brother, son, friend and father. The GoFundMe states, If you knew Tristan you knew that he was there for anyone he called his friend and had a bright energy he took wherever he went.

It was around 7 p.m. when Bernalillo County deputies responded to the homicide outside the Blakes Lotaburger on Coors near Arenal, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. They found Isaacs fatally shot outside his Jeep with a gun in his hand and bullet casings nearby.

Deputies said Isaacs mother told them he had gone to make a custody exchange with his Sena, who was dating Rodriguez. She said Isaacs recently filed for emergency custody after Rodriguez allegedly committed a drive-by shooting on Senas home while their daughter was inside.

Deputies called Rodriguez and requested a welfare check on the child and met he and Sena at a Walgreens, according to the complaint. The couple were detained and the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department were called to assist with the child pending the investigation.

Deputies said the child, between 2 and 3 years old, told them she knew her father had been hurt and she wanted to put band-aids on his injuries. Rodriguez told deputies he was not in the area where the shooting occurred.

Sena told deputies Isaacs and Rodriguez got into an altercation outside the Blakes Lotaburger and she heard gunshots as she put their child in the car, according to the complaint. She said she didnt see what happened but ultimately realized that (Rodriguez) shot (Isaacs).

Deputies said Sena explained she did not want (her daughter) taken from her and was crying as she spoke to me about this.
SANTA FE  New Mexico lawmakers were in a tizzy over taxes as they approached the final hours of this years 60-day legislative session, with proposed changes to New Mexicos film incentive program and higher taxes on alcohol at the core of a Roundhouse debate.

The sweeping $1.3 billion tax package that also includes $500 taxpayer rebates  married couples would get $1,000 checks  has grown in both size and scope since being unveiled last week in a House committee.

While both the House and Senate have approved separate versions of the package, the two chambers were at loggerheads Thursday about what provisions should be included and which should be left out.

A group of six members from both chambers met to try to hammer out a compromise in a Thursday evening conference committee  and will meet again Friday morning  after the House refused earlier in the day to go along with Senate changes to the bill that included a larger 5-cent per drink alcohol tax hike and a whittled-down state capital gains tax deduction.

What I did not expect is the Senate would take many of our balanced compromises and just throw them out the window, said Rep. Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, during a debate on whether to accept the Senate changes.

In another twist, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham urged lawmakers to reevaluate the bill before adjourning Saturday, saying the package as proposed cuts too deep, too quickly amid a revenue bonanza fueled by record-high oil production, a traditionally volatile revenue source.

Im with the Legislature: lets deliver bold, meaningful tax reform  but lets also protect our future by making responsible choices today, Lujan Grisham added in a statement. Otherwise, public safety, education, and the other critical priorities we all share may end up on the chopping block.

Lawmakers appeared to have heeded the governors warning by late Thursday, with Sen. Benny Shendo Jr., D-Jemez Pueblo, proposing changes that would include a scaled-back reduction to the states gross receipts tax rate and a smaller geothermal tax credit.

We all agree we need to reduce the size of this tax package, Shendo said.

Crafting tax changes amid a revenue boom

With the state awash in revenue, lawmakers left room for about $1 billion worth of tax changes while approving a $9.6 billion spending plan for the budget year that starts in July. That spending bill has already been sent to the governors desk.

But settling on which tax provisions to include in the package has proven to be a political tightrope walk.

The House plan originally included a revised personal income tax structure with two new top brackets for the highest earners  the top bracket would have increased from 5.9% to 6.9%  but reversed course after criticism.

Senate Democrats push to raise about $55 million in yearly revenue by a tightening a capital gains tax deduction, which can be claimed for profits made selling stocks or real estate, has also generated opposition, with critics saying it could hurt small businesses.

This bill is dangerous for business, said Sen. Stuart Ingle, R-Portales, during a Senate floor debate late Wednesday evening. Because this is something that is really going to hurt them.

Sen. William Sharer, R-Farmington, tried unsuccessfully to remove the provision, before embarking on a lengthy late-night monologue on the Senate floor.

He said the tax package would provide millions of dollars in tax breaks to out-of-state corporations and Christmas presents to lobbyists who worked to secure that tax provisions were included in the bill.

As for the proposed alcohol tax hike, much of the debate between the House and Senate focused on whether the revenue generated should go solely toward treatment programs in a state with the nations highest alcohol-related death rate.

While the Senate initially proposed some of the revenue raised by the 5-cent per drink tax increase should flow into the states general fund, they appeared willing to relent on that stance late Thursday.

Time running short to strike a deal

Finding an elusive agreement on a tax package marked one of the biggest items left on legislators to-do list with the session nearing its end, with several spending bills already approved.

Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, who was among the lawmakers taking part in the conference committee between the House and Senate, put it bluntly when he said lawmakers need to get this done.

There are incredibly solid pieces of legislation in this package and its incumbent on us to get it across the finish line, Wirth said.

The final shape of the tax package was also being watched closely by advocates and lobbyists, dozens of whom attended the conference committee meeting held in a crammed Roundhouse room.

At least some of the debate over the tax package hinges on how many of the provisions should be permanent and how many should be temporary.

The rebates would fall in the latter category, as they would represent a one-time $666 million expenditure.

All state residents who filed 2021 tax returns would receive a $500 rebate check that could be sent out by the state Taxation and Revenue Department by as soon as this spring.

Unlike spending bills, the governor does not have line-item veto authority on tax bills. That means Lujan Grisham would have to either sign or veto the entire measure, when it makes it to her desk.
his handout image taken from video released by U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) on March 16, shows onboard footage from a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 drone as it is approached the first time by a Russian SU-27 aircraft jettissoning fuel, over The Black Sea on March 14. AFP-Yonhap



The Pentagon released a video on Thursday that it said provided evidence a Russian fighter jet clipped the propeller of a U.S. spy drone and caused it to crash into the Black Sea this week, despite Russia's denial.



The 40-second-long video was filmed by the MQ-9 Reaper drone as it conducted regular reconnaissance in international airspace two days ago near Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula Moscow forcibly annexed in 2014.



The video showed what the Pentagon said were two Russian Su-27 fighter jets swooping toward the drone and releasing jet fuel on it in harassing behaviour. After a second pass by the jets, the video cuts out then resumes with images of the drone's damaged propeller.



U.S. officials have accused the Russian jets of acting in an unsafe manner. Russia has denied any collision took place and said the drone went down after making "sharp manoeuvers", having "provocatively" flown close to Russian air space.



Highlighting the risk of a Russia-U.S. clash, Moscow contended the air encounter showed the U.S. was directly involved in the Ukraine conflict, something Washington has taken pains to avoid for fear of worsening tensions between the two nuclear powers.



The Pentagon said it had indications Russia was trying to recover debris from the drone, which would be difficult to recover in very deep water. Russia said on Wednesday it would try to retrieve the remains but appeared to acknowledge the challenges.



Washington has said the drone no longer carried any valuable intelligence.



China, which has not condemned Russia for invading Ukraine, said it was concerned about the war intensifying and hoped Moscow and Kyiv would hold peace talks.





Fuel dumped by Russian Su-27 miltary aircraft is seen by a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 "Reaper" drone over the Black Sea, March 14, in this still image taken from handout video released by the Pentagon. Reuters-Yonhap



War crimes probe



Investigations by an international panel said some of Russia's actions since invading Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, may be crimes against humanity. Russia dismissed the report released on Thursday, which said crimes included wilful killings and torture.



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made no direct reference to the United Nations-mandated report in his nightly video address. He spoke in remembrance of those killed in the Russian bombing of a theatre in the southern city of Mariupol one year ago.



"Russian bombs destroyed the Mariupol theatre, a building used as a shelter. Women and children were inside. Some people were pregnant, others elderly," Zelenskiy said.



No one knows the death toll for certain.



Moscow denies deliberately targeting civilians, though the conflict has killed thousands, displaced millions, pulverized Ukrainian cities, shaken the global economy and created a Cold War chill in international relations.



"The day will come when those guilty of war crimes against Ukraine will appear in the halls of the International Criminal Court and in national courtrooms," Zelenskiy said.





U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, speaks as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark Milley listens during a press conference at the Pentagon on March 15 in Arlington, Virginia. AFP-Yonhap
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Moscow next week, offering a major diplomatic boost to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the same day the International Criminal Court announced it wants to put the Russian leader on trial for alleged war crimes.

Xis visit was the latest sign of Beijings emboldened diplomatic ambitions, and came amid sharpening East-West tensions over the war in Ukraine, now in its 13th month.

The U.S. on Friday said it would oppose any effort by China at the meeting to propose a ceasefire in Ukraine as the ratification of Russian conquest.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby encouraged Xi to reach out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to get his countrys perspective on the war and avoid any one-sided proposals.

China has sought to project itself as neutral in the conflict, even while it has refused to condemn Moscows aggression and declared last year that it had a no-limits friendship with Russia. Beijing has denounced Western sanctions against Moscow, and accused NATO and the United States of provoking Putins military action.

Throughout the conflict, China has said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected. It remains unclear, however, whether it sympathizes with Moscows claims to seized Ukrainian territory.

Russian troops remain bogged down in a battle of attrition, focused now on those areas in Ukraines eastern Donbas region.

Xis visit would mark his first meeting with Putin since September, when they met on the sidelines of a regional summit in Uzbekistan. Before that, Putin attended the opening of the 2022 Beijing Winter Games and met with Xi shortly before sending troops into Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Putin and Xi would have a one-on-one meeting over an informal dinner Monday. Broader talks involving officials from both countries on a range of subjects are scheduled for Tuesday.

Putins foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, suggested the talks could yield new approaches to the fighting in Ukraine. Im sure that our leader and the Chinese leader will exchange their assessments of the situation there, he said. We shall see what ideas will emerge after that.

Kyiv doesnt just want Russia to pull back from areas taken since its February 2022 full-scale invasion. Zelenskyy has demanded that Russia also withdraw from the peninsula of Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014 in a move denounced by most of the world as illegal.

But Putin has shown no intention of relinquishing the Kremlins gains. Instead, he stressed Friday the importance of holding Crimea.

Obviously, security issues take top priority for Crimea and Sevastopol now, he said, referring to Crimeas largest city. We will do everything needed to fend off any threats.

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang reached out to his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, saying Beijing was concerned about the war spinning out of control and urging talks on a political solution with Moscow.

China has always upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations, and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks, Qin said.

Kuleba later tweeted that he and Qin discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity. Ukraine has listed Russias withdrawal from the occupied areas as the main condition for peace.

I underscored the importance of (Zelenskyys) peace formula for ending the aggression and restoring just peace in Ukraine, wrote Kuleba, who spoke the same day with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

China last month called for a cease-fire and peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow. Zelenskyy cautiously welcomed Beijings involvement but the overture appeared to go no further.

Yurii Poita, head of the Asia section at the Kyiv-based New Geopolitics Research Network, believes the Ukrainian government is going along with Chinas involvement because it is reluctant to make another powerful enemy.

Do not antagonize the dragon when you are fighting against a bear, Poita told The Associated Press.

Beijings apparent deeper dive into Ukraine issues follows its success last week in brokering talks between Iran and its chief Middle Eastern rival, Saudi Arabia. Those two countries agreed to restore their diplomatic ties after years of tensions.

The agreement cast China in a leading role in Middle Eastern politics, a part previously reserved for longtime global heavyweights like the U.S.

On the back of that, Xi called for China to play a bigger role in managing global affairs.

Washington has marshaled Western military and diplomatic efforts against Putin.

On Friday, Kirby told reporters, A ceasefire now is, again, effectively the ratification of Russian conquest. It would in effect recognize Russias gains and its attempt to conquer its neighbors territory by force, allowing Russian troops to continue to occupy sovereign Ukrainian territory.

Russia could use a ceasefire to regroup so that they can restart attacks on Ukraine at a time of their choosing, he warned.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Britain would welcome any genuine effort by China aimed at restoring sovereignty to Ukraine.

Any peace deal which is not predicated on Ukraines sovereignty and self-determination is not a peace deal at all, Sunaks spokesman Jamie Davies said.

Nataliia Butyrska, a Ukrainian political analyst, said Beijings potential peacemaking role could be clouded by its stance on territorial integrity.

China does not clearly distinguish between who is the aggressor and who is the victim in Ukraine, she told The AP.

China has its own territorial issues, with Taiwan, which it claims as its own, to be brought under its control by force if necessary.

U.S.-Russia tensions were further escalated this week with the destruction of a U.S. drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday after an encounter with Russian fighter jets, although that also prompted the first conversations since October between the countries defense and military chiefs.

Putin invited Xi to visit Russia during a video conference call the two held in late December. The visit, Putin said, could demonstrate to the whole world the strength of the Russian-Chinese ties and become the main political event of the year in bilateral relations.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Friday that Xi and Putin will discuss bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of common concern.

Currently, the world is entering a new period of turbulence and reform with the accelerated evolution of changes of the century, he added. As permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and important major countries, the significance and impact of the China-Russia relations go far beyond the bilateral sphere.

The arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court at The Hague accused Putin of involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine to Russia. It also issued a warrant for his commissioner for childrens right, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova.

The court has no police force of its own to enforce warrants, and the Kremlin has said it doesnt recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.

___

Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this story.



Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine-war
PRAGUE (AP)  Slovakias government on Friday approved a plan to give Ukraine its fleet of 13 Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets, becoming the second NATO member country to heed the Ukrainian governments pleas for warplanes to help defend against Russias invasion.

Prime Minister Eduard Heger said during a news conference announcing the decision that his government was on the right side of history. Earlier, Heger tweeted that military aid was key to ensuring Ukraine can defend itself and all of Europe against Russia.

Poland announced Thursday that it would give Ukraine around a dozen MiG-29s, starting with four expected to be delivered in the coming days. Both Poland and Slovakia had indicated previously they were ready to grant Ukraines requests for military aircraft, but only as part of a wider international coalition.

Heger said his governments move is closely coordinated with the Polish side, Ukraine and other allies.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the promised planes were another example of NATO members raising the level of their direct involvement in the conflict.

The equipment deliveries naturally wont have any impact on the outcome of the special military operation, but it may bring more misfortune to Ukraine and Ukrainian people, Peskov said during a conference call with reporters.

Slovakia will receive 200 million euros ($213 million) from the European Union as compensation and unspecified arms from the United States worth 700 million euros ($745 million) in exchange for giving its MiG-29 fleet to Ukraine, Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly asked Western countries for fighter jets, but NATO allies held off, citing concern about escalating the alliances role in the war.

In response to Polands announcement on Thursday, the White House said Warsaws move would have no bearing on President Joe Biden, who has resisted calls to provide U.S. F-16s to Ukraine, and that it was up to other nations to explain their own positions.

Micha Baranowski, managing director of Warsaw-based GMF East, part of the German Marshall Fund think tank, said changing conditions now permit such a move since the initial reluctance to respond to Ukraines request.

Many red lines have been crossed since that discussion last year, Baranowski told The Associated Press by phone. Sending MiGs now is not the same difficult political sale that it was last year.

Ukraine will be able to use the MiGs immediately without needing any training.

Zelenskyy appealed directly to Heger for aircraft at an EU summit in Brussels last month.

Slovakia grounded its MiGs in the summer due to a lack of spare parts and expertise to help maintain them after Russian technicians returned home. In the absence of its own aircraft, fellow NATO members Poland and the Czech Republic stepped in to monitor Slovak air space.

Before Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine had several dozen MiG-29s it inherited in the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, but its unclear how many remain in service after more than a year of fighting.

The Slovak government that made the decision to sign a bilateral deal with Ukraine for the jets has only limited powers after a December no-confidence vote brought down the coalition government that was formed after the countrys 2020 election.

The next election is set for September, when the opposition stands a good chance of winning. Its leaders include populist former Prime Minister Robert Fico, who opposes military support for Ukraine and EU sanctions on Russia and has said Slovakias government has no mandate to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine.

Opposition parties including Ficos Smer-Social Democracy party rejected the governments decision Friday, threatening to sue.

Slovakia signed a deal to buy 14 U.S. F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets, but delivery was pushed back two years to early 2024.

___

Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, Poland contributed.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine-war
PARIS (AP)  Angry protesters took to the streets in Paris and other cities for a second day on Friday, trying to pressure lawmakers to bring down French President Emmanuel Macrons government and doom the unpopular retirement age increase hes trying to impose without a vote in the National Assembly.

A day after Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne invoked a special constitutional power to skirt a vote in the chaotic lower chamber, lawmakers on the right and left filed no-confidence motions to be voted on Monday.

At the elegant Place de Concorde, a festive protest by several thousand, with chants, dancing and a huge bonfire, degenerated into a scene echoing the night before. Riot police charged and threw tear gas to empty the huge square across from the National Assembly after troublemakers climbed scaffolding on a renovation site, arming themselves with wood. They lobbed fireworks and paving stones at police in a standoff.

On Thursday night, security forces charged and used water cannons to evacuate the area, and small groups then set street fires in chic neighborhoods nearby. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told radio station RTL that 310 people were arrested overnight, most of them in Paris.

Mostly small, scattered protests were held in cities around France, from a march in Bordeaux to a rally in Toulouse. Port officers in Calais temporarily stopped ferries from crossing the English Channel to Dover. Some university campuses in Paris were blocked and protesters occupied a high-traffic ring road around the French capital.

Paris garbage collectors extended their strike for a 12th day, with piles of foul-smelling rubbish growing daily in the French capital. Striking sanitation workers continued to block Europes largest incineration site and two other sites that treat Paris garbage.

Some yellow vest activists, who mounted formidable protests against Macrons economic policies during his first term, were among those who relayed Fridays Paris protest on social media. Police say that radicalized yellow vests are among troublemakers at protest marches.

Trade unions organizing the opposition urged demonstrators to remain peaceful during more strikes and marches in the days ahead. They have called on people to leave schools, factories, refineries and other workplaces to force Macron to abandon his plan to make the French to work two more years, until 64, before receiving a full pension.

Macron took a calculated risk ordering Borne to invoke a special constitutional power that she had used 10 times before without triggering such an outpouring of anger.

If the no-confidence votes fail, the bill becomes law. If a majority agrees, it would spell the end of the retirement reform plan and force the government to resign, although Macron could always reappoint Borne to name the new Cabinet.

We are not going to stop, CGT union representative Regis Vieceli told The Associated Press on Friday. He said overwhelming the streets with discontent and refusing to continue working is the only way that we will get them to back down.

Macron has made the proposed pension changes the key priority of his second term, arguing that reform is needed to make the French economy more competitive and to keep the pension system from diving into deficit. France, like many richer nations, faces lower birth rates and longer life expectancy.

Macrons conservative allies in the Senate passed the bill, but frantic counts of lower-house lawmakers Thursday showed a slight risk it would fall short of a majority, so Macron decided to invoke the constitutions Article 49-3 to bypass a vote.

Getting a no-confidence motion to pass will be challenging  none have succeeded since 1962, and Macrons centrist alliance still has the most seats in the National Assembly. A minority of conservatives could stray from the Republicans party line, but it remains to be seen whether theyre willing to bring down Macrons government.

-

Surk reported from Nice, France. Associated Press reporters Elaine Ganley, Alex Turnbull and Nicolas Garriga in Paris contributed to this report.
PHOENIX (AP)  Led by tough-talking Republican governors weighing presidential runs, Texas and Florida are debating especially strict legislation on border security as the GOP tests federal authority over immigration.

The moves in the two GOP-controlled statehouses come against a backdrop of polarization in Congress that makes any national immigration legislation seem unlikely as President Joe Biden tries to drive down migrant arrivals at the border while eyeing his own reelection bid.

Republican proposals in Texas build on Gov. Greg Abbotts $4 billion project Operation Lone Star, with its construction of more barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border and busing of migrants to Democratic-led cities, including Washington, D.C., and New York. Abbotts aides confirm hes considering running for president.

Operation Lone Star already has added more officers along Texas border with Mexico to detain migrants who trespass on private property. Now, Texas lawmakers have proposed creating a new border police force that could deputize private citizens, as well as making it a state felony to enter the state without authorization, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Texas is taking historic action to secure the border and stop guns, drugs, and cartel gangs from assailing our state, Abbott said in a tweet this week. As President Biden abandons his constitutional duty, Texas continues to step up.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered Donald Trumps strongest possible GOP competitor so far in next years presidential primary, has proposed making human smuggling in the state a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. Hospitals would be required to collect data on patients immigration status and people in the U.S. illegally would be denied state government ID cards.

Texas and Florida are places with politically ambitious governors who are hoping to use immigrants in the furtherance of their agendas, said attorney Tanya Broder of the National Immigration Law Center, which promotes immigrant rights.

Despite the hardline rhetoric, Broder said advancements in immigrant rights have been quietly made in recent years.

State-level organization has improved immigrants access to health care, higher education, professional licenses and drivers licenses, according to a recent study Broder co-authored.

The study noted Colorado became the first state to enact an alternative to unemployment insurance for excluded workers. Arizona voters last year approved in-state tuition for all students who attended high school in the state, regardless of their immigration status.

Abbott and DeSantis blame Biden for a big increase last year in illegal crossings into the U.S. But a plunge this year in illegal crossing numbers could throw cold water on the GOPs attacks against Bidens handling of border issues. The sharp drop along the Southwest border followed the Biden administrations announcement of stricter immigration measures.

The U.S. Border Patrol said it encountered migrants 128,877 times trying to cross the border in February between the legal ports of entry, the lowest monthly number since February 2021. Agents detained migrants more than 2.5 million times at the southern border in 2022, including more than 250,000 in December, the highest on record.

Florida will not turn a blind eye to the dangers of Bidens Border Crisis, DeSantis said in a tweet last month announcing Floridas legislation. We are proposing additional steps to protect Floridians from these reckless federal policies, including mandatory E-Verify and prohibiting local government from issuing ID cards to illegal aliens.

While Texas and Florida officials ballyhoo their border tightening efforts, no major immigration legislation has emerged this year in Arizona, where some of the nations toughest laws targeting immigrants have been devised.

Arizonas show me your papers law, passed in 2010, required law enforcement officers to determine the immigration status of a person stopped or arrested if the officers suspected the person may be in the U.S. unlawfully, a practice detractors said encouraged racial profiling. Courts eventually struck down several of the laws provisions.

Arizonas Republican lawmakers are up against Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who this year has vetoed a GOP-backed budget and a bill that bans teaching public schoolchildren subject matter its authors describe as critical race theory.

New Mexico, which also shares a border with Mexico, has since 2021 steadily removed barriers for migrants without legal status to access public benefits, student financial aid and licensure in credentialed professions.

After taking office in 2019, Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham withdrew the majority of National Guard troops her Republican predecessor sent to the border, denouncing a charade of border fear-mongering.

New Mexicos Legislature is also controlled by Democrats. Nevertheless, legislators this week rejected a proposal to bar state and local government agencies from contracting with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain immigrants as they seek asylum.

In North Carolina, Republican lawmakers last month launched a new attempt to require sheriffs to cooperate with federal immigration agents interested in picking up certain jail inmates believed to be in the U.S. unlawfully. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper twice vetoed earlier versions of the measure, but Republican majorities in the General Assembly have since increased.

A similar Idaho effort so far has failed to make it beyond its legislative introduction.

Immigration-related legislation in other states includes:

 A Georgia bill that failed to advance that would give in-state college tuition to immigrant students who arrived in the U.S. as children and who are protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Bills are advancing that would ban companies and some people from certain foreign countries from buying farmland within 25 miles (40 kilometers) of any military base.

 A Colorado bill aimed at allowing immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children and are protected from deportation to own a firearm so they can become law-enforcement officers.

____

Associated Press writers Acacia Coronado in Austin, Texas; Brendan Farrington in Tallahassee, Florida: Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Gary D. Robertson in Raleigh, North Carolina; Jeff Amy in Atlanta; Jesse Bedayn in Denver; and Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, contributed to this report.
DINWIDDIE, Va. (AP)  Video from a state mental hospital shows a Black Virginia man who was handcuffed and shackled being pinned to the ground by seven deputies who are now facing second-degree murder charges in his death, according to relatives of the man and their attorneys who viewed the footage Thursday. Three people employed by the hospital have also been charged.

Speaking at a news conference shortly after watching the video with a local prosecutor, the family and attorneys condemned the brutal treatment they said Irvo Otieno, 28, was subjected to, first at a local jail and then at the state hospital where authorities say he died March 6 during the admission process.

They called on the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene in the case, saying Otienos constitutional rights were clearly violated.

What I saw today was heartbreaking, America. It was disturbing. It was traumatic. My son was tortured, said Otienos mother, Caroline Ouko.

Otienos case marks the latest example of a Black mans in-custody death that has law enforcement under scrutiny. It follows the the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee, earlier this year and comes nearly three years after the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.

Ben Crump, who represented Floyds family and is now working with Otienos, quickly drew a comparison.

It is truly shocking that nearly three years after the brutal killing of George Floyd by police, another family is grieving a loved one who allegedly died in nearly the exact same manner  being pinned down by police for 12 agonizing minutes, Crump said in a statement.

Mark Krudys, another attorney for Otienos family, said at the news conference that the video showed all seven of the deputies now facing charges pushing down on Otieno, who was in handcuffs and leg irons.

You can see that theyre putting their back into it. Every part of his body is being pushed down with absolute brutality, he said.

Ten people so far have been charged with second-degree murder in Otienos death. The seven Henrico County Sheriffs deputies were charged Tuesday and additional charges were announced Thursday against three people who were employed by the hospital.

The footage the family watched Thursday has not been publicly released. But Dinwiddie County Commonwealths Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill also described it in court Wednesday, saying at the first hearing for the deputies that Otieno was smothered to death, local news outlets reported.

Baskervill said Otieno did not appear combative and was sitting in a chair before being pulled to the ground by the officers, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

She announced Thursday in a news release the additional charges against the hospital employees: Darian M. Blackwell, 23, of Petersburg; Wavie L. Jones, 34, of Chesterfield; and Sadarius D. Williams, 27, of North Dinwiddie. They were being held without bond, and it wasnt immediately clear if they had attorneys who could speak on their behalf. A spokeswoman for the state police said she didnt know if they had obtained counsel, and none were listed in court records. The news release did not say what role they are alleged to have had in Otienos death.

Additional charges and arrests are pending, Baskervill said.

Otieno, who was a child when his family emigrated from Kenya and grew up in suburban Richmond, had a history of mental health struggles and was experiencing mental distress at the time of his initial encounter with law enforcement earlier this month, his family and their attorneys said.

That set off a chain of events that led to him spending several days in custody before authorities say he died March 6 as he was being admitted to Central State Hospital south of Richmond.

Krudys said the footage from the hospital also showed a lack of urgency to help Otieno after the deputies determined that he was lifeless and not breathing.

Otieno was a deeply loved young man, an aspiring musician who had been a well-known high school athlete, Krudys said.

There is goodness in his music and thats all Im left with now  hes gone, Ouko said at the news conference while clutching a framed photo of her son.

I cannot be at his wedding. Ill never see a grandchild  because someone refused to help him. No one stood up to stop what was going on, she said.

Otieno was first taken into custody March 3, according to a timeline provided by Henrico County Police, a separate agency from the sheriffs office.

The police department said in a news release that officers encountered Otieno while responding to a report of a possible burglary in suburban Richmond, and that based on his behavior, they put him under an emergency custody order and took him to a local hospital for evaluation.

According to Krudys, Otieno was experiencing a mental health crisis and a neighbor called police over concerns about him gathering lawn lights from a yard. He said Otienos mother tried to de-escalate the initial response from a crowd of police officers and said the family supported him being taken to a hospital for treatment.

But while he was at the hospital, police said he became physically assaultive toward officers, who arrested him and took him to a local jail that is managed by the Henrico Sheriffs Office, where he was served with several charges.

While Otieno was in jail, he was denied access to needed medications, the family attorneys said. The family also viewed video from that facility on Thursday, which they said showed Otieno was subjected to further brutality by unidentified officers.

Crump said he was pepper sprayed, and Krudys said the video showed officers on March 6 charging into his cell, which was covered in feces, as Otieno was naked and handcuffed. The video shows officers carrying an almost lifeless Otieno out by his arms and legs like an animal to a vehicle to be transported to the state hospital.

My son was treated like a dog, worse than a dog, Ouko said.

Shannon Taylor, the commonwealths attorney for Henrico County, said in a statement Thursday that shes conducting a review of what happened in the jail that day, and she pledged to release her findings. The Henrico sheriff declined comment beyond a statement released earlier in the week.

Around 4 p.m. on March 6, employees of the sheriffs office arrived at Central State Hospital to admit Otieno, according to Baskervill. It was not until 7:28 p.m. that evening that state police were called to investigate his death, she said.

In court Wednesday, a defense attorney suggested that two medical injections Otieno received may have played a role in his death, which Baskervill disputed, the Times-Dispatch reported.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not released its final determination on how Otieno died.

Two of the deputies were released on bond, according to court records and local media. The others remained in custody, with hearings set for next week.

Edward Nickel, an attorney for Deputy Bradley Disse, one of the defendants who was released, said in an email Thursday that Disse has served honorably during a 20-year career with the sheriffs department.

He is looking forward to his opportunity to try this case and for the full truth to be shared in court and ultimately vindicated, Nickel said in an email.

The Associated Press sent emails and other inquiries and left messages Thursday attempting to reach attorneys listed in court records for the other deputies.

The Henrico Fraternal Order of Police-Lodge 4 stood by the deputies in a statement posted to social media on Tuesday, urging against a rush to judgment and stressing that the charges are yet to go through the rigors of the legal system.

News outlets, including AP, have sought video of the altercation. Officials are withholding it, citing the pending investigation. Crump said Thursday the family believes the public should see the footage.

How do we build trust unless we have transparency, and then we have accountability? he said.

___

Associated Press reporter Ben Finley in Norfolk contributed to this report.
With the luck of the Irish this St. Patricks Day, spring break starts early for students and staff at Rio Rancho Public Schools, including SpaRRk Academy and Rio Rancho Cyber Academy, as weather conditions have prompted cancellations.

According to KOATs weather forecast the snow should continue to fall into the afternoon.

More weather information.

We recognize that conditions may improve throughout the day, said the Rio Rancho Public Schools Communications Office in a post. However, in order to have school, buses would need to start their routes now and the conditions are still unsafe for buses and drivers on some roads. In addition, we realize that many roads are just wet and safe for travel; however, our boundaries are expansive to the west and the north and many of those roads are becoming snow packed and icy. Safety is always our top priority.

The office then reminded students and staff that next week is spring break. The semester will resume Monday March 27.

Other closed schools include East Mountain Schools, Santa Fe Public Schools and the Albuquerque School of Excellence. For a full list of weather-related closures and delays around New Mexico, visit Journal partner KOATs round-up.

Students who live in the East Mountains and attend APS Manzano High School also have canceled classes today. Those who live in Albuquerque are still required to attend class.

Parents are advised that teachers will reschedule parent teacher conferences at A. Montoya Elementary School, San Antonito Elementary School and Roosevelt Middle School.

In Santa Fe, the school district has closed school for the day and all after school and evening activities are canceled after a two-hour delay earlier in the day.

Parts of Interstate 25 have experienced weather closures this morning. The latest road information can be found at the New Mexico Department of Traffics website.
WASHINGTON (AP)  In early March, President Joe Biden met with members of Alaskas bipartisan congressional delegation as they implored him to approve a contentious oil drilling project in their state. Around the same time, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland held a very different meeting on the same topic.

Gathering at Interior headquarters a half-mile (0.8 kilometers) from the White House, leaders of major environmental organizations and Indigenous groups pleaded with Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet member, to use her authority to block the Willow oil project. Environmental groups call the project a carbon bomb that would betray pledges made by Biden  and Haaland  to fight climate change and have mounted a social media #StopWillow campaign that has been seen hundreds of millions of times.

The closed-door meeting, which was described by two participants who insisted on not being identified because of its confidential nature, grew emotional as participants urged Haaland to oppose a project many believed Biden appeared likely to approve even as it contradicted his agenda to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.

Haaland, who opposed Willow when she served in Congress, choked up as she explained that the Interior Department had to make difficult choices, according to the participants. Many Native groups in Alaska support Willow as a job creator and economic lifeline.

Less than two weeks later, the Biden administration announced it was approving Willow, an $8 billion drilling plan by ConocoPhillips on Alaskas petroleum-rich North Slope.

Haaland, who had not publicly commented on Willow in two years as head of the U.S. agency overseeing the project, was not involved in the announcement and did not sign the approval order, leaving that to her deputy, Tommy Beaudreau.

In an online video released Monday night, 10 hours after the decision was made public, Haaland said she and Biden, both Democrats, believe the climate crisis is the most urgent issue of our lifetime.

She called Willow a difficult and complex issue that was inherited from previous administrations and noted that ConocoPhillips has long held leases to drill for oil on the site, in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.

As a result, we have limited decision space, she said, adding that officials focused on reducing the projects footprint and minimizing impacts to people and wildlife. The final approval reflects a substantially smaller project than ConocoPhillips originally proposed and includes a pledge by the Houston-based oil company to relinquish nearly 70,000 acres (28,000 hectares) of leased land that will no longer be developed, she said.

The video had received more than 100,000 views by Friday.

Haaland declined to be interviewed for this story. But in a statement, the department said Haaland had been actively involved in the Willow decision from the start and met with Alaska Natives on both sides of the issue, conservation and other groups and members of Congress.

Dallas Goldtooth, a senior strategist for the Indigenous Environmental Network, called it problematic that Haalands video was the Biden administrations primary voice on Willow. Biden himself has not spoken publicly on the project.

They use people of color for cover on these decisions, said Goldtooth, a member of Mdewakanton Dakota tribe.

The White House pushed back on the idea, saying in a statement Friday that as interior secretary, of course the video came from her.

But Haalands body language  at times looking away from the camera  made her appear very uncomfortable in the two-minute video, Goldtooth said.

Haalands statement did not seem to be a wholehearted defense of the decision, said Brett Hartl, government affairs director of the Center for Biological Diversity, another environmental group. It was almost an apology.

Allowing Haaland to be the administrations public face on Willow strengthens Bidens expected reelection run by allowing him to avoid public scrutiny on an issue on which some of his most ardent supporters disagree with him, environmentalists said.

Its clear-cut D.C. politics, Goldtooth said. Ive seen this play run before, including when former Biden environmental justice adviser Cecilia Martinez was put forward to address tribal concerns about two other energy projects, the Dakota Access and Line 3 oil pipelines in the upper Midwest.

Asked about Willow on Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the oil company has a legal right to those leases, adding: The departments options are limited when there are legal contracts in place.

Goldtooth and others involved in the Willow fight say the project was largely advanced by Beaudreau, Haalands deputy, who grew up in Alaska and has a close relationship with the states two Republican senators. Beaudreau is especially close to Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a former Senate Energy chair who has cooperated with Biden on a range of issues. Murkowski played a key role in Haalands confirmation, and she and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia teamed up to get Beaudreau installed as deputy after they objected to Haalands first choice, Elizabeth Klein.

Murkowski told reporters this week that she and other Alaska officials had long realized that the decision on Willow was likely to be made by the White House, despite repeated comments from Jean-Pierre that the decision was up to Interior.

The senator, who personally lobbied Biden on Willow for nearly two years, said she reminded him, Cooperation goes both ways.

Despite the White House involvement, Haaland has been faulted for the decision to approve Willow. New Mexicos senior Democratic senator, Martin Heinrich, singled her out for criticism in a rare rebuke of a fellow New Mexico Democrat. Haaland represented the state in Congress before becoming Interior secretary.

The Western Arctic is one of the last great wild landscapes on the planet and as public land it belongs to every American, Heinrich said in a statement. Industrial development in this unspoiled landscape will not age well.

Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., who holds Haalands former seat in Congress, said she joined millions of people, including Indigenous leaders, scientists and lawmakers, in opposing the Willow Project. She urged the Biden administration to reconsider the project and its consequences for global climate change.

Native American tribes in the Southwestern U.S. have been watching Willow closely, concerned about any implications it could have for development in culturally significant areas, including the Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico.

A federal appeals court has ruled that the Interior Department failed to consider the cumulative effects of greenhouse gas emissions that would result from the approval of nearly 200 drilling permits near the Chaco site.

Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, visited Chaco in 2021 and told tribal leaders that the Interior Departments Bureau of Land Management would work toward withdrawing hundreds of square miles from development. She also committed to taking a broader look at how federal land across the region can be better managed while taking into account environmental effects and cultural preservation.

Mario Atencio, of Dine CARE, a Navajo environmental group, said he understands that the Interior Department faces pressure from GOP lawmakers to increase drilling, as well as conflicting court rulings on a pause ordered by Biden on oil leasing on public land.

Were very aware that its a game of inches sometimes, and theres a little discretion in some places, and we are just trying to have just as much visibility as the oil and gas industry has, said Atencio, who is Navajo.

The Willow project has divided Alaska Native groups. Supporters call the project balanced and say communities would benefit from taxes generated by Willow. But City of Nuiqsut Mayor Rosemary Ahtuangaruak, whose community of about 525 people is closest to the proposed development, opposes the project and worries about impacts on caribou and her residents subsistence lifestyles.

Hartl, of the biological diversity group, said Willow was approved by the White House for clear political reasons. They cared more about Lisa Murkowskis vote than frankly they did the climate, he said.

___

Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, N.M., contributed to this story.
States that rely on water from the over-tapped Colorado River want the U.S. Supreme Court to block a lawsuit from the Navajo Nation that could upend how water is shared in the Western U.S.

The tribe doesnt have enough water and says that the federal government is at fault. Roughly a third of residents on the vast Navajo Nation dont have running water in their homes.

More than 150 years ago, the U.S. government and the tribe signed treaties that promised the tribe a permanent home  a promise the Navajo Nation says includes a sufficient supply of water. The tribe says the government broke its promise to ensure the tribe has enough water and that people are suffering as a result.

The federal government disputes that claim. And states, such as Arizona, California and Nevada, argue that more water for the Navajo Nation would cut into already scarce supplies for cities, agriculture and business growth.

The high court will hold oral arguments Monday in a case with critical implications for how water from the drought-stricken Colorado River is shared and the extent of the U.S. governments obligations to Native American tribes.

A win for the Navajo Nation wont directly result in more water for the roughly 175,000 people who live on the largest reservation in the U.S. But its a piece of what has been a multi-faceted approach over decades to obtain a basic need.

Tina Becenti, a mother of five, made two or three short trips a day to her moms house or a public water spot to haul water back home, filling several five-gallon buckets and liter-sized pickle jars. They filled slowly, sapping hours from her day. Her sons would sometimes help lift the heavy containers into her Nissan SUV that shed drive carefully back home to avoid spills.

Every drop really matters, Becenti said.

That water had to be heated then poured into a tub to bathe her young twin girls. Becentis mother had running water, so her three older children would sometimes go there to shower. After a couple of years, Becenti finally got a large tank installed by the nonprofit DigDeep so she could use her sink.

DigDeep, which filed a legal brief in support of the Navajo Nations case, has worked to help tribal members gain access to water as larger water-rights claims are pressed.

Extending water lines to the sparsely populated sections of the 27,000 square-mile (69,000 square-kilometer) reservation that spans three states is difficult and costly. But tribal officials say additional water supplies would help ease the burden and create equity.

You drive to Flagstaff, you drive to Albuquerque, you drive to Phoenix, there is water everywhere, everything is green, everything is watered up, said Rex Kontz, deputy general manager of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority. You dont see that on Navajo.

The tribe primarily relies on groundwater to serve homes and businesses.

For decades, the Navajo Nation has fought for access to surface water, including the Colorado River and its tributaries, that it can pipe to more remote locations for homes, businesses and government offices.

Its a legal fight that resonates with tribes across the U.S., said Dylan Hedden-Nicely, the director of the Native American Law Program at the University of Idaho and an attorney representing tribal organizations that filed a brief in support of the Navajo Nation.

The Navajo Nation has reached settlements for water from the San Juan River in New Mexico and Utah. Both of those settlements draw from the Colorado Rivers Upper Basin.

The tribe has yet to reach agreement with Arizona and the federal government for water rights from the Colorado River in the Lower Basin that includes the states of California, Arizona and Nevada. It also has sought water from a tributary, the Little Colorado River, another major legal dispute thats playing out separately.

In the U.S Supreme Court case, the Navajo Nation wants the U.S. Department of the Interior to account for the tribes needs in Arizona and come up with a plan to meet those needs.

A federal appeals court ruled the Navajo Nations lawsuit could move forward, overturning a decision from a lower court.

Attorneys for the Navajo Nation base their claims on two treaties the tribe and the U.S. signed in 1849 and 1868. The latter allowed Navajos to return to their ancestral homelands in the Four Corners region after being forcibly marched to a desolate tract in eastern New Mexico.

The Navajo Nation wants the Supreme Court to find that those treaties guaranteed them enough water to sustain their homeland. And the tribe wants a chance to make its case before a lower federal court.

The federal government says it has helped the tribe get water from the Colorado Rivers tributaries, but no treaty or law forces officials to address the tribes general water needs. The Interior Department declined to comment on the pending case.

We absolutely think theyre entitled to water, but we dont think the lower Colorado River is the source, said Rita Maguire, the attorney representing states in the Lower Basin who oppose the tribes claims.

If the Supreme Court sides with the Navajo Nation, other tribes might make similar demands, Maguire said.

Arizona, Nevada and California contend the Navajo Nation is making an end run around another Supreme Court case that divvied up water in the Colorado Rivers Lower Basin.

The first question in front of the court now is: why is the lower court dealing with the issue at all? said Grant Christensen, a federal Indian law expert and professor at Stetson University.

Even if the justices side with the Navajo Nation, the tribe wouldnt immediately get water. The case would go back to the U.S. District Court in Arizona, and rights to more water still could be years, if not, decades away. The Navajo Nation also could reach a settlement with Arizona and the federal government for rights to water from the Colorado River and funding to deliver it to tribal communities.

Tribal water rights often are tied to the date a reservation was established, which would give the Navajo Nation one of the highest priority rights to Colorado River water and could force conservation on others, said Hedden-Nicely of the University of Idaho.

Given the likelihood of a long road ahead, Kontz of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority says many older Navajo wont live to see running water in their homes.

Becenti, the 42-year-old mother of five, remembers shedding tears of joy when running water finally was installed in her house and her family could use a flushable indoor toilet.

It was a relief to go to the facility without having to worry about bugs, lizards, snakes, she said.

___

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden on Friday called on Congress to allow regulators to impose tougher penalties on the executives of failed banks, including clawing back compensation and making it easier to bar them from working in the industry.

Biden wants the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to be able to force the return of compensation paid to executives at a broader range of banks should they fail, and to lower the threshold for the regulator to impose fines and bar executives from working at another bank.

He called on Congress to grant the FDIC those powers after the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank sent shockwaves through the global banking industry.

Strengthening accountability is an important deterrent to prevent mismanagement in the future, Biden said in a statement. Congress must act to impose tougher penalties for senior bank executives whose mismanagement contributed to their institutions failing.

Currently the FDIC can only take back the compensation of executives at the largest banks in the nation, and other penalties on executives require recklessness or acting with willful or continuing disregard for their banks health. Biden wants Congress to allow the regulator to impose penalties for negligent executives  a lower legal threshold.

Congress has already begun to address the aftermath of the bank failures.

On Friday, the House Financial Services Committees top Democrat, Rep. Maxine Waters of California, said in a letter to regulators that while she is crafting legislation to give regulators more authority, it is critical that your agencies act now to investigate these bank failures and use the available enforcement tools you have to hold executives fully accountable for any wrongful activity.

The Justice Department, Security and Exchange Commission, Federal Reserve, the California state regulator of Silicon Valley Bank and several congressional committees have announced some form of investigation into the bank failure.

Additionally, a group of Senate Democrats on Thursday introduced the Deliver Executive Profits on Seized Institutions to Taxpayers Act, which would claw back profits made by bank executives on the sale of stocks and compensation bonuses earned within 60 days of a bank failure, among other things.

And Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) reintroduced legislation this week to strengthen the SECs ability to crack down on violations of securities laws.

The White House highlighted reports that Silicon Valley Bank CEO Gregory Becker sold $3 million worth of shares in the bank in the days before its collapse, saying Biden wants the FDIC to have the authority to go after that compensation.

The shuttering of Silicon Valley Bank on March 10 and of New Yorks Signature Bank two days later has revived bad memories of the financial crisis that plunged the United States into the Great Recession about 15 years ago.

Over the weekend the federal government, determined to restore public confidence in the banking system, moved to protect all of the banks deposits, even those that exceeded the FDICs $250,000 limit per individual account.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who chairs the Banking Committee, welcomed Bidens call for congressional action, stating in an email that his committee will be looking at all the ways we can protect working families money from risky bets that didnt pay off in Silicon Valley or on Wall Street.

That includes holding accountable the executives who ran this bank into the ground and the regulators tasked with overseeing them, and it includes working to reform our laws to better protect workers, small businesses, and taxpayers from corporate greed.

John Core, an accounting professor who specializes in executive compensation and corporate governance, questioned whether increasing the authority of regulators was the right move, since in the case of Silicon Valley, its not yet even clear who is to blame for the banks collapse.

So many people think it was a regulatory failure, or it was because of rapid increases in interest rates due to inflation, he said.

Dennis Kelleher, president of Better Markets, a nonprofit that advocates for tougher financial regulations, said the White House was right to encourage Congress to act.

Regulators simply must have a full arsenal to severely punish faithless, irresponsible and reckless bank executives, officers and directors, Kelleher said.
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  A coalition of advocates dedicated to stemming the tide of violence and missing persons cases in Indian Country is demanding more transparency from New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, saying there should be greater accountability in the system for vetting state-appointed positions that serve Indigenous communities.

About 30 protesters gathered Friday in the state Capitol rotunda to voice concerns about the Democratic governors contested pick to head the states Indian Affairs Department. They want the governor to withdraw her appointment of James Mountain, citing charges he once faced.

They were joined by legislators, including Democratic Sen. Shannon Pinto of the Navajo community of Tohatchi. The Navajo Nation president also has said he cannot support the appointment.

For so many survivors, when we see James Mountain, we see our abusers, said Angel Charley, executive director of the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.

She said Mountains appointment has overshadowed a stalled proposal in the Legislature to make crime victims reparations funds available to the families of missing and slain Native Americans.

He knows how much division there is because of his nomination, she said. Step down.

Lujan Grishams appointment has sent shockwaves through tribal communities. While the governor so far has continued to defend Mountain, she has yet to submit his nomination to the Senate for confirmation despite the legislative session ending at noon Saturday.

I appreciate the passion. But I think that some of the efforts here are a bit unfair and are very misguided, Lujan Grisham said Friday at a news conference.

Many in the Democratic-led Legislature have remained mum about the governors choice not to push for a hearing, which would offer a public forum for Mountain to be vetted.

A former San Ildefonso Pueblo governor, Mountain was once was indicted on charges that included criminal sexual penetration, kidnapping and aggravated battery of a household member. The charges were dropped in 2010, with prosecutors saying they did not have enough evidence to go to trial.

The governor has said those who disagree should respect that charges against Mountain were dismissed.

I do think that some of that passion about a zero-tolerance standard is pretty interesting in this regard: dismissed case, old, Lujan Grisham said. Hes defending himself effectively. I feel terrible for his whole family.

The coalition has said New Mexico continues to have the highest rate of missing and slain Native American relatives and that we are at a critical turning point as an Indigenous people.

The pervasive culture of violence has normalized behaviors that were once unthinkable in our communities, the coalition said in a statement. We are reduced to speaking in hushed whispers about violence that we have not only personally experienced, but that we experience daily in our homes and communities.

When we have the courage to speak out, we are often met with blame and stigma, as though we have caused these problems ourselves, the statement continued.

Aside from recalling Mountains appointment, the coalition is demanding a rigorous vetting process for all state-appointed positions that serve Indigenous communities and that any nominee with a court record or indictment related to rape or domestic violence be disqualified.

They also are seeking the creation of a community advisory committee to help vet state-appointed tribal leadership.

We cannot rely solely on the All Pueblo Council of Governors, the Navajo Nation leaders, Apache leaders, and/or Indigenous male state leaders for the vetting of candidates, as we have learned over the years that tribal leaders actively participate in the patriarchal culture of protecting perpetrators, the coalition said.

The groups also want a formal apology from Lujan Grisham for this outrageous nomination and demanded that an Indigenous woman be appointed as head of the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs.

Mountain has not directly addressed the concerns about his nomination. In a letter directed at state lawmakers, his daughter, Leah Mountain, described him as a devoted father who instilled cultural identity, confidence and aspiration in her after her mother left. She said the allegations against him are false.

Mountain still can serve as head of Indian Affairs without confirmation, and the next likely opportunity for the full Senate to vote on confirming him wouldnt come until January 2024.

___

Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque.
MOSCOW (AP)  Russian fighter pilots involved in an incident with a U.S. drone that resulted in its crash will be given state awards, the Defense Ministry announced Friday. The move appears to signal Moscows intention to adopt a more aggressive stance toward future U.S. surveillance flights.

The U.S. military said it ditched the Air Force MQ-9 Reaper in the Black Sea on Tuesday after a pair of Russian fighter jets dumped fuel on the surveillance drone and then one of them struck its propeller while it was flying in international airspace. Moscow has denied that its warplanes hit the drone, alleging that it crashed while making a sharp maneuver. It said that its aircraft reacted to a violation of a no-flight zone Russia has established in the area near Crimea amid the fighting in Ukraine.

On Friday, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu lauded the pilots for preventing the drone from flying into the area that Moscow has banned for flights. The Defense Ministry emphasized that the ban was in line with international norms.

Moscows announcement comes a day after the U.S. military released a declassified 42-second color footage showing a Russian Su-27 fighter jet approaching the back of the U.S. drone and releasing fuel as it passes in what appeared to be aimed at blinding the drones optical instruments to drive it from the area.

On a second approach, either the same jet or another Russian Su-27 that had been shadowing the MQ-9 struck the drones propeller, damaging a blade, according to the U.S. military, which said it then ditched the aircraft in the sea. The video excerpt does not show the collision, although it does show the damage to the propeller.

The top U.S. and Russian defense and military leaders spoke Wednesday about the destruction of the drone in the first calls between them since October, underscoring the events seriousness.

While calling out Russia for reckless action, the White House also tried to avoid exacerbating tensions. U.S. officials emphasized that they have not been able to determine whether the Russian pilot intentionally struck the American drone and stressed that lines of communication with Moscow remain open.

Russian officials also emphasized the need to maintain lines of communication, but they harshly denounced the U.S. action as arrogant disregard of Moscows no-flight zone.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russias Security Council chaired by President Vladimir Putin, said Friday that, simply put, the Americans have become far too gross, and we shouldnt be too polite with them. He added on a more cautious note that of course, contacts between the military are necessary.

Pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergei Markov pointed at the award for the pilots who buzzed the U.S. drone as a clear sign that Russia will keep downing the American drones.

This decision will receive a strong support from the Russian society that wants the government to toughen its policy, Markov wrote in a commentary.

Moscow has repeatedly voiced concern about U.S. intelligence flights close to Crimea, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014 amid strong international condemnation. The Kremlin has charged the U.S. and its allies of effectively becoming engaged in the conflict by providing weapons and sharing intelligence with Kyiv.

Some Russian officials charged that the U.S. surveillance flights helped gather intelligence that allowed Ukraine to strike Russian targets.
SANTA FE  Legislators pushed forward Friday with a plan to shield doctors and nurses in New Mexico from out-of-state investigations targeting reproductive and gender-affirming care  part of a broader policy package intended to strengthen abortion rights.

The proposal, Senate Bill 13, won approval 38-30 in the state House, sending it on to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a Democrat who has made defending abortion rights a centerpiece of her administration.

It codifies an executive order issued by Lujan Grisham in June 2022, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, a ruling that opened the door for states to determine their own laws on abortion.

During this years 60-day legislative session, the governor has already signed a companion measure, House Bill 7, prohibiting public bodies in New Mexico from interfering with access to abortion or gender-affirming care.

Fridays proposal centers on action originating beyond state lines. Squeezed between Arizona and Texas  two states that prohibit aiding or abetting abortion  New Mexico increasingly serves patients from elsewhere.

Lujan Grisham said the legislative action on abortion rights is transformative given the national political climate.

New Mexico stood up for science, for women, for LGBTQ families and individuals, she told reporters.

State Rep. Andrea Romero, D-Santa Fe, said the legislation adopted Friday is designed to thwart out-of-state legal attacks.

Were in completely uncharted territory with the types of laws were seeing on the books now, she said as she presented the bill to her colleagues. Thats why were here today  to ensure New Mexico will be a safe space for folks seeking care.

Republican lawmakers, heavily outnumbered at the Capitol, vigorously contested the proposal at every step, describing it as an inappropriate strategy that would put New Mexico at odds with other states.

I dont want New Mexico to be isolated as its own island, said Rep. John Block, R-Alamogordo.

Under the bill, public agencies would be prohibited from releasing information or otherwise cooperating with civil or criminal investigations launched from outside the state into medical providers who engage in protected health care activity in New Mexico, such as abortion or gender-affirming care.

A person harmed by a violation of the law could file a lawsuit seeking damages of at least $10,000 per violation.

The bill also would make it illegal for a third party to transmit information related to a persons or entitys abortion or gender-affirming care with the intent to harass, humiliate or intimidate.

Rep. Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, said the legislation would abridge free speech rights and expose anti-abortion protesters to legal liability  a contention Romero disputed.

Montoya also argued the bill could weaken oversight of predatory physicians or medical providers who are targeted by other states for legitimate reasons.

What were left to believe here is that every abortion provider is altruistic, he said, and I just dont think we can go that far.

All Republicans present opposed the bill, and six Democrats voted against it, too.

The House action comes after the Senate passed the bill 26-16 last week.

Democrats at the Roundhouse have pushed this session to strengthen abortion rights following last years U.S. Supreme Court decision, which sent the abortion debate to individual states.

In 2021, Lujan Grisham signed a bill repealing a dormant 1969 state law prohibiting abortion, ensuring it couldnt be enforced if the Supreme Court overturned federal abortion rights, as it did last year.

The issue has shaken up the political composition of the Legislature. It was a key issue in Democratic primary campaigns in 2020, when a host of anti-abortion Democrats lost their Senate seats, clearing the way for the 2021 measure.
CATCHES OF THE WEEK

Robert Dodd and Ashley Balke of Moriarty caught their limits of rainbow trout at Alto Lake using worms March 8.

Daniel Caricaburu of Anchorage, Alaska, caught a 14.5-inch crappie and several nice pike at Cochiti Lake using homemade swimbaits March 5.

Albuquerques Mark Chavez; his sons, Nolan and Luke; and his brother, Greg, caught and released 17 trout and kept six for dinner using green-and-white tungsten ice jigs tipped with green PowerBait and wax worms at Fenton Lake on March 4.

Rigo Benavides, 4, of Las Cruces caught his first fish, a 10-inch rainbow trout at Grindstone Reservoir, using marshmallows March 4.

Gerald Trujillo of Los Lunas caught a 31-inch brown trout using a pink Trout Magnet lure at the Jemez Waters above Fenton Lake on March 7.

Monica and Mario Velasco of Portales caught their limits of rainbow trout at Oasis Park Lake using PowerBait on March 9.

Justin Kersting of Rio Rancho caught and released a 28-inch walleye on the Rio Grande using cut bait near Elephant Butte Lake on March 9.

At Tingley Beach, Dominic Jaramillo, 2, of Albuquerque caught his first fish, a 12-inch trout, using homemade dough bait in the kids pond March 7.  Evadel Garcia of Albuquerque caught a 19-inch rainbow trout using PowerBait on March 4.  Mario Sedillo of Albuquerque caught an 18-inch rainbow trout using PowerBait on March 3.

If you have a catch of the week story, send it to funfishingnm@gmail.com.

NOTES FROM GAME & FISH

Northeast fishing report

Cabresto Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Charette Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Cimarron River near Cimarron on Monday morning was not measured due to ice.

Fishing for trout at Clayton Lake was fair to good using worms and PowerBait.

Conchas Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

At Costilla Creek, the Valle Vidal is closed to fishing until July.

Cowles Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.

Coyote Creek had no reports from anglers this week.

The Eagle Nest Lake surface is closed to all activities due to deteriorating ice conditions. For updated lake conditions, visit the parks webpage or call the park office at 575-377-1594.

Eagle Rock Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

National Forest closures have been in place restricting fishing access on the Gallinas River. Visit the Santa Fe National Forest webpage or call the Santa Fe National Forest office at 505-438-5300 for the latest closure information.

Hopewell Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Alice is closed due to unsafe ice conditions.

Lake Maloya had no reports from anglers this week.

Los Pinos River had no reports from anglers this week.

Maxwell Lake 13 had no reports from anglers this week.

Monastery Lake has been freshly stocked with trout and reopened for fishing. The Benedictine Monastery Lake is part of the Departments Open Gate Program. Please visit our website for more information about this property.

Morphy Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Pecos River near Pecos on Monday morning was not measured due to ice. Fishing for trout was fair using olive Wooly Bugger flies.

Streamflow on the Red River below the Red River Hatchery on Monday morning was 49 cfs. Fishing for trout was slow using streamer flies, Woolly Bugger flies and San Juan worm flies. Fishing for trout at the hatchery was slow to fair using egg-pattern flies and Kastmaster lures.

Streamflow on the Rio Grande below the Taos Junction Bridge on Monday morning was 570 cfs. Fishing for trout was slow to fair using PowerBait and nightcrawler worms.

Streamflow on the Rio Hondo near Valdez on Monday morning was not measured due to ice.

Streamflow on the Rio Mora near Terrero on Monday morning was not measured due to ice.

Streamflow on the Rio Pueblo near Penasco on Monday morning was not measured due to ice.

Fishing for trout at the Santa Cruz Reservoir was good using bright-yellow PowerBait.

Shuree Ponds is closed to fishing until July.

Springer Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Storrie Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Stubblefield Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for walleye at Ute Lake was slow using jigs and PowerBait MaxScent flatnose minnows. Fishing for white bass was slow vertical jigging using jigging spoons and Berkley Gulp Minnows. Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass was slow using crankbaits and spinnerbaits. The main lake water surface temperature was in the mid-40s, and the water was clear.

Northwest fishing report

Abiquiu Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Animas River below Aztec on Monday morning was 435 cfs.

Fishing for trout at the Albuquerque Area Drains was fair to good using peach PowerBait.

Fishing for all species was slow at Bluewater Lake.

Brazos River had no reports from anglers this week.

Canjilon Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for crappie and pike at Cochiti Lake was fair to good using white swimbaits.

El Vado Lake is closed due to dam construction project. For more information, visit El Vado Lake State Parks webpage or call 575-588-7247.

Due to deteriorating and dangerous ice conditions, Fenton Lake is now closed for ice fishing. Going onto the ice or throwing objects onto the ice is strictly prohibited. The park will remain open for day use and camping. For updated lake conditions, visit the parks webpage or call the park office at 575-829-3630.

The city is in the final stages of repairs at Grants Riverwalk Pond and stocking will resume soon.

Heron Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

At the Jemez Waters, streamflow near Jemez on Monday morning was 58 cfs. Fishing for trout above Fenton Lake was fair to good using pink Trout Magnet lures. Due to the rising popularity of fishing in Valles Caldera National Preserve, the National Park Service will begin charging a fee for its fishing permits starting April 1, 2023 to support the management of its fishing program. The new fee schedule will be $20 for an annual pass ($10 for youth 12-17) and $5 for a 7-day pass ($3 for youth 12-17). A State of New Mexico fishing license is also required to fish within Valles Caldera. For more information visit nps.gov/vall.

Laguna del Campo had no reports from anglers this week.

Lagunitas Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Lake Farmington had no reports from anglers this week.

Stocking efforts at McGaffey Lake have been suspended due to extremely low water levels and unstable ground conditions. Lake conditions will be monitored and stocking will resume once conditions improve.

Fishing for pike at Navajo Lake was fair using large streamer flies and jerkbaits.

Streamflow on the Rio Chama below El Vado Lake on Monday morning was 123 cfs; streamflow below Abiquiu Lake Monday morning was 74 cfs. Fishing for trout below Abiquiu Lake was good using midge-pattern flies. Please remember, from the river-crossing bridge on U.S. Highway 84 at Abiquiu upstream 7 miles to the base of Abiquiu Dam is special trout waters with a bag limit of two trout only.

Rio Grande had no reports from anglers this week.

Riverside Park Pond (Aztec Pond #1) had no reports from anglers this week.

San Gregorio Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the San Juan River near Archuleta on Monday morning was 306 cfs. Fishing for trout in the quality waters was fair using midge pattern flies and annelid flies. Fishing for trout in the bait waters section was fair to good using PowerBait and black-and-gold Panther Martin spinners.

Seven Springs Brood Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Tiger Park Reservoir was good using olive beadhead, streamer flies.

Fishing for trout at Tingley Beach was good using homemade dough bait and PowerBait. Fishing for trout in the catch-and-release pond was good using black-and-olive, leech-pattern flies.

Trout Lakes had no reports from anglers this week.

Southwest fishing report

Fishing for trout at Alumni Pond was good using chunky cheese PowerBait, Velveeta cheese, and black Pistol Pete spinner flies. Fishing for bass was fair to good using gold, gray and green streamer flies.

Bear Canyon Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

The department is conducting a boater and angler improvement project at Bill Evans Lake from February to April. Improvements include the installation of a new concrete boat ramp and dock; improvements to the existing boat ramp; the installation of rock, fishing jetties; road improvements; and re-grading the north camping access area. Anglers should expect road and lake closures during construction. For current conditions, contact the departments Fisheries Management Division at 505-476-8055. Anglers are encouraged to visit surrounding lakes such as Bear Canyon Lake, Lake Roberts and Trees Lake for alternate fishing locations.

Fishing for crappie and white bass at Caballo Lake was fair using curly tail grubs.

Fishing for largemouth bass at Elephant Butte Lake was fair to good using crankbaits and plastic worms. Fishing for white bass was fair to good using small, chartreuse jig heads with soft plastic baits and white, weighted black streamer flies. Fishing for striped bass was fair using small swimbaits with a jig head. Fishing for crappie was good using small, dark-colored jigs and live minnows. Fishing for catfish was good using live minnows and cut bait.

Fishing for trout at Escondida Lake was good using salmon-peach PowerBait.

Streamflow on the Gila River near Gila on Monday morning was 1,260 cfs.

Fishing for trout at Glenwood Pond was good using salmon eggs and orange PowerBait.

Lake Roberts had no reports from anglers this week.

Percha Dam had no reports from anglers this week.

Quemado Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for all species was slow at Rancho Grande Ponds.

Streamflow on the Rio Grande below Elephant Butte Dam on Monday morning was 0 cfs. Fishing for walleye was fair to good using cut bait near Elephant Butte Lake.

Snow Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Trees Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Young Pond was fair to good using corn, midge pattern flies and black-and-white streamer flies.

Southeast fishing report

Fishing for trout at Alto Lake was good using worms.

Bataan Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Please visit the Open Gate webpage for more information on Berrendo Creek. Fishing for bass was fair to good using red-and-black Senko worms.

Streamflow on the Black River at Malaga on Monday morning was 5 cfs.

Blue Hole Park Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Bonito Lake is closed until further notice by the City of Alamogordo due to fire damage.

Bosque Redondo Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Bottomless Lakes was fair to good using green PowerBait.

Brantley Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Carlsbad Municipal Lake was fair to good using lime green PowerBait.

Chaparral Park Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Corona Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Eunice Lake was fair to good using corn-flavored PowerBait.

Fishing for trout at Green Meadow Lake was good using worms fished beneath a bobber.

Greene Acres Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Fishing for trout at Grindstone Reservoir was good using marshmallows, garlic PowerBait and salmon-peach PowerBait.

Fishing for trout at Harry McAdams Park Pond was good using homemade dough bait. Fishing for bass was fair to good using purple plastic worms and creature baits.

Fishing for trout at Lake Van was good using PowerBait.

Fishing for trout at Oasis Park Lake was good using PowerBait.

Streamflow on the Pecos River below Sumner Lake on Monday morning was 57 cfs.

Perch Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Rio Bonito had no reports from anglers this week.

Streamflow on the Rio Ruidoso at Hollywood on Monday morning was 51 cfs.

Rock Lake Hatchery Kids Pond had no reports from anglers this week.

Santa Rosa Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Sumner Lake had no reports from anglers this week.

Timberon Ponds had no reports from anglers this week.
SANTA FE  Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has struck down a bill passed without opposition by lawmakers that would have created a task force to study dual credit programs in New Mexico public schools.

The measure, House Bill 125, called for a task force featuring a mix of higher education officials, school superintendents and high school principals to meet over the coming months and provide recommendations by next January.

But Lujan Grisham said in her veto message the bill was unnecessary since the state Public Education Department has already created a state dual credit council.

She also said the measure would have imposed an unfunded mandate, since it would have required that state and school officials appointed to the task force conduct a major study in a matter of months.

This is too great a burden both financially and in terms of expenditure of staff resources, the governor wrote in her veto message.

But Rep. G. Andres Romero, D-Albuquerque, the bills sponsor, said the task force would have allowed for a deep dive into dual credit programs, which allow high school students to enroll in college courses and receive simultaneous credit toward high school graduation and a college degree.

Im disappointed in the veto, Romero said in a Friday interview.

We have some real issues as far as dual credit in this state, added Romero, who is a high school teacher at Atrisco Heritage Academy. I was really hoping it was something we could get our hands around.

Before being vetoed, the legislation had passed the House on a 62-0 vote last month. It was then approved last week by the Senate on a 37-0 vote.

The veto is the first of this years session for Lujan Grisham, who had signed 20 bills passed by lawmakers going into Friday.

Per the state Constitution, the governor has until April 7 to act on any bills that arrive on her desk during the final three days of the legislative session  or after the session ends.

Any bills that are not acted upon by that deadline are automatically pocket vetoed and no explanation is required for why they were not signed.
Cover Images/POOL/CNP Celebrity

Earl Spencer slams the former US President after the Republican politician says Diana and Queen Elizabeth sucked up to him and suggests people's disdain towards him is phony.

Mar 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Donald Trump has said the late Queen Elizabeth and Princess Diana "kissed [his] a**." The former US president is releasing a collection of correspondence, "Letters to Trump", which features 150 notes from figures around the world, including the British royals, former US presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and the business mogul says the book will lay bare how sycophantic people were towards him both before he took office in January 2017 and after.

"I think they're going to see a very fascinating life. I knew them all - and every one of them kissed my a**, and now I only have half of them kissing my a**," he said to Breitbart News about what readers can expect from "Letters to Trump".

The 76-year-old politician's son, Donald Trump Jr., told the outlet his father had corresponded with "some of the most interesting people in the world" but "it's amazing how quickly their adoration of him changed when he ran for office as a Republican." He added, " 'Letters to Trump' shows you exactly how they felt about him and how phony their newfound disdain truly is."

Following the comments by Trump - who will run for presidency again next year - Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, has claimed the late princess thought "The Apprentice" star was "worse than an anal fissure."

The earl tweeted, "Surprised to hear that Donald Trump is apparently claiming that my late sister Diana wanted to "kiss his a***", since the one time she mentioned him to me - when he was using her good name to sell some real estate in New York - she clearly viewed him as worse than an anal fissure."

"Letters to Trump" will go on sale next month, costing $99, or $399 for a signed copy.

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The 'Justice League' actor said in a 2017 interview that he started drinking because he felt 'trapped' in his marriage with the 'Peppermint' actress, but he claims that it 'was actually the opposite of what [he] meant.'

Mar 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Ben Affleck has backtracked on his "sad" claim he'd have kept drinking if he had stayed married to Jennifer Garner. The "Gone Girl" actor, who revealed in 2017 he had gone into rehab to receive treatment for his alcohol addiction, added he only had himself to blame for drinking while looking back on his infamous chat with Howard Stern in 2021 when he appeared to partly blame actress Jennifer, 50, for his boozing.

He told The Hollywood Reporter, "To be clear, my behaviour is my responsibility entirely. The point that I was trying to make (to Howard) was a sad one. Anyone who's been through divorce makes that calculus of, 'How much do we try?' We loved each other. We care about each other. We have respect for each other. I was trying to say, 'Hey, look, I was drinking too much, and the less happy you become, whether it's your job, your marriage, it's just that as your life becomes more difficult, if you're doing things to fill a hole that aren't healthy, you're going to start doing more of those things.' I think I was pretty articulate about that."

Ben was slammed by critics when he told Howard "part" of the reason he started drinking was because he felt "trapped" in his marriage with "Pearl Harbor" star Jennifer, to whom he was married from 2005 to 2018. They share three kids, Violet, 17, Seraphina, 14, and 11-year-old Samuel, and the former couple first announced they were separating in 2015.

Ben added to THR he now views interviews as "land mines" where "your career might be over" if you "say one wrong thing." He also branded the storm over his comments to shock jock Howard, 69, a "painful experience" as he was "really vulnerable" at the time and he felt "the entire pickup" of his comments "was something that was not only not right, it was actually the opposite of what I meant."

Ben also said his current wife Jennifer Lopez, 53, has encouraged him to "relax" be himself and "have fun," saying, "As in many things, she's really right. And she loves me. She's looking out for me. She's trying to help me. So it's like, maybe I ought to f**king listen to her."

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The 'Avengers' actor reportedly has his career perspective totally shifted by the near-fatal accident as he now wants to focus on helping change the world.

Mar 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jeremy Renner is said to think acting is "no longer a priority" in his life. "The Avengers" actor who had his chest and legs pulverised by his 14,000-lb Pistenbully Snowcat as he tried to stop it hurtling into his nephew on New Year's Day, has reportedly said to have his career perspective totally shifted by the near-fatal accident and now wants to focus on helping change the world.

A source told DailyMail.com about his continuing battle to recover as he looks forward to his "Rennervations" docuseries about helping communities being released on Disney+ in April, "Jeremy believes that he survived the accident so that he can use his platform to really create change in the world. He is very proud of the work that he has done, but this entire situation has really shown him that there is so much more that he could be doing to help others."

The source added Jeremy's 69-year-old mom Valerie had been giving him "tremendous" support since he shattered 30-plus bones in his accident. They said, "His mother come to stay with him most weekends, as well as his daughter Ava (the nine-year-old child he has with ex Sonni Pocheco.) He is really only focused on his recovery and is doing rehabilitation to learn how to walk again. Jeremy knows is so lucky to be alive. Each day is a little better than before and he is definitely making progress, but the progress is slow."

Jeremy's "Rennervations" show tells of the actor traveling the world helping communities by "reimagining unique purpose-built vehicles." He says in a trailer for the show, finished before his snowplough horror, "I'm buying these decommissioned government vehicles to help reimagine them to serve this community again just in a different way. I decided to reimagine repurpose and renovate these vehicles and I wanted to it for communities and help kids all over the world. There's a lot of concern on the 'Avengers' family chat like, you know, what is Renner doing? Hes going a little off the rails."

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In a new interview, the 'Succession' actor believes that the Duchess of Sussex 'clearly' had 'ambitions' of joining the royal family before their royal wedding in 2018.

Mar 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Brian Cox weighed in on Meghan Markle's relationship with Prince Harry. In a new interview, the "Succession" actor believed that the Duchess of Sussex "clearly" had "ambitions" of joining the royal family before their royal wedding in 2018.

Speaking in a Haute Living New York interview which was published on Wednesday, March 16, Brian believed that she "knew what she was getting into" marrying Prince Harry. The actor had "the childhood dreams of marrying Prince Charming and all that s**t we see as fantasy that could be our lives in our dreams."

The 76-year-old shared that Meghan shouldn't be too surprised by the drama that she and Harry created after exiting the royal family. "You can't go into a system where somebody's already been trained to behave in a certain kind of way and then just expect them to cut themselves off," he explained. "I mean, she knew what she was getting into."

Elsewhere in the interview, the Emmy-winning actor said that he hoped to see the United Kingdom moving on from the royals. "In my opinion, we shouldn't have a monarchy," Brian shared. "It's not viable; it doesn't make any sense. F**k it."

Back in December 2022, the Golden Globe winner defended the royal couple. During his appearance on "Good Morning Britain", Brian pointed out that they endured "something clearly traumatic" before stepping back.

Meanwhile, Meghan and Harry may reunite with British royal family members at King Charles III's upcoming coronation in May. The pair, who are currently residing in California, are invited to the event, though they have yet to clarify whether they will accept the 74-year-old monarch's invitation.

Despite that, the palace is reportedly preparing for the Sussexes' presence. "Whatever happens, Harry and Meghan will always be the ones in the headlines," a palace insider previously told Page Six. "They do hold the upper hand."

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The 'Kardashians' star previously took to her Instagram account to gush over the Canadian star, with whom she shares two children, to celebrate his 32nd birthday.

Mar 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Khloe Kardashian is not romantically getting back together with Tristan Thompson. On Wednesday, March 15, "The Kardashians" star took to her Instagram account to share a cryptic quote.

"Being single and posting love quotes to confuse people is another level of fun :)," she posted on Instagram Story. The 38-year-old star, who shares daughter True and a son with the Canadian athlete, was referring to three other quotes about love that she posted via her Stories before hinting at her single status.

One of the quotes, by Yung Pueblo (aka Diego Perez), stated, "Love is much bigger than relationship." Another quote read, "Love is the way you heal yourself, the kindness you give to others, the gentleness you give yourself during turbulent times, the space you hold for close friends, the intention you use to live in the present, and the energy that changes the world."

"It's every moment that elevates the human experience and all the small things that make life shine," one other read. Khloe also posted a quote about pain by Melissa Evelyn, as well as an unattributed quote about kindness that read, "My kindness has no motive. I'm kind, because I'm kind. I'm already blessed."

Khloe's clarification arrived just days after she gushed over Tristan while celebrating his 32nd birthday. In the Monday, March 13 post, the Good American founder wrote, "You are truly the best father, brother & uncle." She added, "Your love, attention, silly dances, hugs, carpool rides, bed time rituals, the way u show up for them. All of the above means more than you'll ever know to your family of littles."

The "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" alum, however, also appeared to shade Tristan, who cheated on her multiple times. "My birthday wish for u is that u continue to crave change, healing, and transformation. Be strong, be kind, be patient, be free," she said, before concluding, "Continue to Make your soul and your mommy proud. Happy birthday baby daddy."

Khloe turned the comments section off on the post to seemingly avoid critics from her followers. She later posted a selfie to her Instagram post, and Internet users flooded the comments section with netizens calling Tristan a bad father and an even worse partner.

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The 'Hot Girl Summer' hitmaker makes her social media comeback earlier this month, nearly four months after Tory Lanez was found guilty in the felony assault trial related to the July 2020 shooting.

Mar 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Megan Thee Stallion makes sure that her return to social media delights her fans. The "Hot Girl Summer" hitmaker treated her fans to sexy bikini thirst traps following her three-month hiatus.

The Houston hottie turned to her Instagram page on Thursday, March 16 to share a series of sultry snapshots exposing her ample cleavage. In the first slide, she could be seen rocking a shocking pink bikini with a little heart detail. She also showcased her new hairstyle.

The following photos include a picture of her sitting on a bed while posing fiercely, wearing a pink bikini and blue underwear, a mirror selfie of her flaunting her enviable curves, an image of her sporting a turquoise swimsuit on a beach and a photo from her 28th birthday.

Meg's friends and fans were clearly captivated by her stunning body, with Zendaya Coleman leaving a smiling face with heart-shaped eyes emoji and Demi Lovato gushing, "Gorgeous!" Also commenting on Meg's post were Halle Berry, who sent two red heart emojis, Chloe Bailey, who wrote, "youre so damn pretty meg," and JT, who urged Meg to "show us all the photos."

Meg made her social media comeback on March 13. At the time, she uploaded a series of stunning new photos from her time at the Vanity Fair Oscar after-party. In the sultry snapshots, she could be seen showcasing her curves and her new hairstyle.

The post, her first in almost four months, arrived after Tory Lanez was found guilty in the felony assault trial related to the July 2020 shooting. Following eight days of trial, nearly two days of closing arguments and a day of deliberations, a grand jury found the "Say It" rapper guilty of all three charges levied against him this past December.

The Canadian rapper faces up to 22 years and eight months in prison as well as subsequent deportation to his hometown. However, his sentencing has been delayed in order to give his legal team more time for a new trial.

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Cover Images/Seth Browarnik Celebrity

Previously, the New Orleans hip-hop artist claimed that he's the 'true victim' when he entered not guilty plea to charges accusing him of raping and choking a woman as well as drug possession at his Louisiana home in July last year.

Mar 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Mystikal is seemingly seeking a way to prevent people involved in his rape case to discuss it with the media. The New Orleans hip-hop artist has filed a motion in his ongoing rape case, requesting that a gag order be put in place in order to protect his privacy.

According to The Advocate, the rapper's new lawyer Tiffany Myles Crosby filed a request for a gag order in Louisiana on Thursday, March 16. Crosby asked the order to be placed on his rape and false imprisonment case in Ascension Parish, a small parish outside Lousiana, citing an "inordinate amount of publicity."

If approved, the gag order would bar attorneys for either side from commenting on the latest case to "any individual or entity," including media outlets like radio, television or newspapers. The gag order would also apply to "all potential witnesses and law enforcement officials who either will or might testify at the trial of this case or who have information" about it.

Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Lawrence Tyler, is expected to appear in court Monday, March 20 before a Louisiana judge. The emcee hired Crosby after ditching defense attorneys Joel Pearce and Timothy Yazbeck, who represented him in a past rape case that was dismissed.

Mystikal is currently facing life in prison, after being indicted on a charge of first-degree rape stemming from an alleged incident at his home in July 2022. According to reports, the former No Limit Records rapper was formally charged with rape along with nine other criminal counts by a grand jury last September. If convicted, the rape charge comes with a mandatory life sentence under state law.

The list of other charges brought against Mystikal include false imprisonment, domestic abuse battery by strangulation, simple robbery, possession of heroin, possession of methamphetamine and illegal possession of Xanax. Mystikal has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The 52-year-old rapper remains behind bars at Ascension Parish Prison and is being held without bail.

A short time later, it was reported that Mystikal had been accused of forcing his alleged rape victim to pray with him before sexually assaulting her. It's also reported that the rapper, who was allegedly high on drugs at the time, wanted to rid the woman of any "bad spirits" in her body before the alleged rape occurred.

The unidentified woman alleged the incident took place at his Prairieville home on July 30, 2022, after Mystikal accused her of stealing $100 from him. She claimed he became so irate that he physically attacked her, pulled the braids out of her hair, confiscated her keys and cell phone and prevented her from leaving his home.

The alleged victim also claimed Mystikal splashed rubbing alcohol on her before calling for a few "Hail Marys." She eventually managed to escape and was treated at the Baton Rouge General Hospital for injuries.

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The 'All I Do Is Win' hitmaker and the supermodel are among celebrities who graced the catwalk on Wednesday night, March 15 outside One Herald Plaza in Miami.

Mar 18, 2023

AceShowbiz - DJ Khaled can now add runway model to his resume. The "GOD DID" artist made his runway debut at Hugo Boss' recent fashion show and he was accompanied by Naomi Campbell while gracing the catwalk.



The event took place on Wednesday night, March 15 outside One Herald Plaza in Miami. Though the runway was reportedly soaking wet, the record producer waled bravely in a black suit paired with a white shirt and leather shoes.

DJ Khaled celebrated the special occasion by sharing some photos of him and Naomi on Instagram. He simply captioned the post by writing, "@boss SWIPE FOR MOMENTS. Bless up @naomi."

The "All I Do Is Win" hitmaker shared the catwalk with other celebrities like Pamela Anderson, Amber Valletta, Candice Swanepoel. Celebrity stylist Law Roach, who recently announced his retirement, also walked in the show.

"The BOSS Spring/Summer 2023 collection is a fluid revisitation of the brand's heritage tailoring while offering a 'see now, buy now' approach to key pieces," Marco Falcioni, SVP of Creative Direction at Hugo Boss, said in a press release. "One of the underlying motifs that inspired the collection is the exquisite tension that lies between contrasting elements, such as solid and fluid states; land and sea; opaque and transparent; past and present."

"This powerful juxtaposition serves as the cornerstone of a new exploration in prints, tones, and textures, opening the door to a world that invites a creative, visual dialogue," Marco added. "It is a sartorial reflection in looking back to move boldly forward into the future and embody the spirit of a true BOSS."

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Durex, the worlds #1 sexual wellbeing brand, launched Durex Real Feel, a first of its kind offering in the non-latex range of condoms. Real Feel is made of polyisoprene material which is softer than latex rubber and provides skin on skin feeling to partners. With this launch, the brand aims to intensify and enhance sexual encounters between couples by offering a natural skin like feeling, while being protected.

Durexs consumer insights indicate No. 1 reason for people stopping use of condom is lack of enjoyment. The rubbery feel of an ordinary condom takes away the pleasure of the moment. Durex Real Feel offers consumers the feeling of real skin that facilitates a raw and natural sexual experience in the bedroom. This launch is unique and made of Indias most advanced condom material, helping consumers strengthen the emotional and physical connect with their partners.

Mr. Dilen Gandhi, Regional Marketing Director, South Asia  Health & Nutrition, Reckitt, said As one of largest condom brands in India, Durex is constantly innovating and offers new unique products for couples. Durex Real Feel caters to the need for sex without condoms that many desire by providing real-skin feel without compromising on protection. The latest range of condoms created using polyisoprene rubber which is non-latex and softer than natural rubber latex to provide couples a more intimate and natural sexual experience.

Bobby Pawar, chairman and chief creative officer, Havas Group India said The sexual wellness market has always been evolving, and over the last few years we have seen a lot of new innovations specially in the condom category. For a market like India where the consumer prefers having unsafe sex rather than using a condom as it feels unreal and kills the feeling, we conceptualised the TVC which helps the people realise that Real Feel will help bring more enjoyment and feeling into their sexual experiences. As Real Feel is not just a regular condom its made from Indias most advanced material that imitates the Skin on Skin feeling.

The new Durex Real-Feel TVC showcases how the product enhances consumers bedroom experience with a natural skin like feeling. Directed by renowned ad-filmmaker, Dibakar Banerjee, the latest TVC revolves around a couple enjoying a beach vacation and the switch from black & white to colour gradient portrays how Durexs real feel brings life to the couples mundane sexual experience.

Production House: Far Commercials

Creative Agency: Havas Worldwide

Director: Dibakar Banerjee

Music Composer: Mikey McCleary

Producer: Sonika Mody

Durex as a brand has constantly maintained a distinct positioning around performance, drawing from its legacy of technology led innovations, enabling couples to have a healthy sexual life, and helping people feel good about themselves and their partners. In India, Durex has also been focused on raising awareness on sexual health and wellbeing with its purpose program- The Birds and Bees Talk.

The newly launched Durex Real Feel are available in retail stores across India and e-commerce websites priced at INR 550 for a pack of 10 and INR 165 for a pack of 3.
We, at Adgully, have always saluted and honoured women managers and leaders across diverse fields. W-SUITE is a special initiative from Adgully that has been turning the spotlight on some of the most remarkable women achievers in the M&E, Advertising, Marketing, PR and Communications industry. In the refurbished series, we seek to find out how women leaders have been managing their teams and work as well as how they have been navigating through the toughest and most challenging times brought about by the global pandemic.

In conversation with Adgully, Preety Singh, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Boomlet Media, speaks about her five most effective lessons, women leadership in the Advertising & Marketing industry, creating equal cerebral equalities for everyone at the workplace, and more.

How do you think the role and scope of women leaders have widened in the current market ecosystem?

There is a well-known proverb, Rome wasnt built in a day, similarly a massive industry like Advertising & Marketing has taken its course to understand, learn and develop knowledge. Today, there is a lot of conversation about women entrepreneurship and leaders across the segments, and we need to understand that while we have come a long way, we are still in the process of evolution. I believe equality is one of the most ethical stands, and I am sure that agencies and companies comply with such ethical practices in their day-to-day work. My heart beams with joy to see women acing at workspace across industries.

At Boomlet Media, we believe in equal cerebral equalities for everyone, regardless of their background. The true potential for development and further advancement requires more emphasis on Tier 2 and 3 cities. The need of the hour is education and learning for the masses, as this will help to create more opportunities, producing more gateways for the entire market ecosystem.

What has been your major learning from the pandemic period?

While the pandemic was one of the darkest times to happen to humans, it brought along many epiphanies and revelations in personal and professional aspects. As entrepreneurs, we have to understand we have two families, one is our home, and the other is our employees at work. I know it was a daunting experience as people across the globe were trapped at home, with the fear of  What next?. The pandemic also cumulatively taught us how to deal with situations, such as to be more kind and patient with one another. Moreover, how to live in an ecosystem that operates on a digital clock. As an industry, it opened up a whole new sector to explore more avenues. To trace back to my learning, it was dealing with empathy and kindness, yet being alert about our surroundings.

What is your mantra for maintaining a successful work-life balance in the new normal? According to you, what makes women the best in crisis management?

In todays world, we have glorified words like work-life balance because often, when things are not strategically planned, it can lead to chaos. It is important to prioritise tasks, manage our work schedule, and give time to our personal needs and activities. However, this also depends on an individuals approach and goal. With the advancement in technology, things have soothed out and helped in time management. We have multiple resources that help in time efficiency and work in the right direction for the entire work-life balance scenario.

To answer your second question, women are great multi-taskers as they play different roles in every aspect of life and frequently outperform, given their sense of empathy and direction. Women have always set to have certain things in place, whether at home or in a professional space. We have always acted as the perfect Ying to the Yang, and I truly resonate with the fact that we have a sense of solution in crisis rather than panic. Hence, women don that hat the best.

What are the five most effective leadership lessons that you have learned?

The most important part of the job is to have patience. It is imperative to be extremely courteous and kind and to be there for the team to guide them towards a more prosperous direction.

For a leader, empowering their team is critical, hence, delegation is one of the key takeaways for effective leadership. It truly enriches your employees and your experience.

We often sit over things if we face rejections or if it does not work out, but you solve 80% of your struggles when you accept the situation that is half the battle won.

The sign of effective leadership results is growth, and that is when you know you are doing something right. It is important to understand that leadership also takes its course of time, but when you start collectively growing as a team, that reflects in your performance and adds to how powerful your assets are in your company.

Personally, my key takeaway from effective leadership is professional empathy. Leaders have to be there for their team, professionally, or anything they wish to confide in. It is important to make the employees feel heard, valued, and also reward them when they perform well. Hence, professional empathy is a must.

Gender sensitivity and inclusion in the new normal  how can organisations effectively encourage and groom women leaders in challenging times?

I truly want to move past the notion that there are challenges in todays day and time. We have always believed in equal opportunities and growth. We have had our learnings, too, but being woke is essential to lead an organisation. At Boomlet, we have prioritised gender sensitivity and inclusion and have not just taken that as a fad for the new normal. Equality is a right and not a trend. Hence, I want to conclude that everything lies in the capabilities and empathy of a leader.
FMCG ad insertions on Digital saw 2.8x rise during Y 2022 over Y 2020, as per TAM AdEx report on FMCG sector advertising across media in the year 2022, while FMCG ad volumes on Radio saw 51% growth in the same period. There was a 21% ad volume growth for FMCG on Television and 14% ad volume growth in Print in Y 2022 over Y 2020.

Television

In Y 2022, FMCG ad volumes on Television rose by 21% over Y 2020. Compared to Q1 of Y 2022, Q3 and Q4 witnessed 5% and 9% increase in ad volumes, respectively. Television Ad Volumes had the highest share during Oct22, whereas Feb22 saw the lowest advertising in Y 2022.

Five out of Top 10 Categories constitute of Food & Beverages brands  Godrej Consumer Products, Brooke Bond Lipton India, Cadburys India, Coca Cola India, ITC. The Top 10 Advertisers accounted for 59% share of the TV ad volumes in Y 2022, with Reckitt Benckiser India leading the list.

Among the Top 10 FMCG brands, the initial 6 belonged to Reckitt Benckiser India. The Top 10 Brands accounted for 14% share of the ad volumes in Y 2022, with Dettol Antiseptic Liquid topping the list.

The Top 2 channel genres on TV  GEC and Movies  together accounted for 60% of ad volumes share for FMCG sector during Y 2022. The GEC Channel Genre was the most preferred by FMGC players during Y 2022. Feature Films is the most commonly used genre for promoting FMCG brands on Television, with a share of 28%. The Top 2 program genres, that is, Feature Films and Drama/ Soap, together added more than 41% share of the ad volumes on TV.

Prime Time garnered the highest advertising on TV, followed by Afternoon and Morning time-bands. Prime Time, Afternoon and Morning time bands together accounted for 72% share of the ad volumes.

Advertisers of the FMCG sector preferred 20-40 seconds ad size on TV. 20-40 seconds and <20 seconds ads together covered 98% shares in Y 2022.

Print

As compared to Y 2020, both Y 2021 and 2022 witnessed a hike of 20% and 14% in FMCG Print ad volumes, respectively. As compared to Q1 of Y 2022, Q3 and Q4 witnessed 28% and 16% ad space decline, respectively. Even though the initial months of Y 2022 observed a decent share of ad volumes, Dec22 witnessed a decline in ad share by 6%.

Five out of the Top 10 Categories constitutes Personal Healthcare brands. The Top 10 Advertisers accounted for more than 43% share of the Print ad space in Y 2022, with SBS Biotech retaining its 1st position with a share of 15%.

The Top 10 Brands accounted for 17% share of the ad space in Y 2022, with Patanjali Range of Products leading the list.

Top 5 Publication Languages  Hindi, English, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu  accounted for 85% share of the FMCG sectors Ad space. The General Interest publication genre made a clean sweep with 98% of sectors ad volumes.

The North Zone topped with 36% share of FMCG advertising in Print in Y 2022. Mumbai and Nagpur were the top 2 cities in the West Zone as well as pan India.

Sales Promotion for FMCG sector accounted for 21% of the ad space share in the Print medium. Among Sales Promotions, Volume Promotion occupied 37% share of the pie, followed by Add On Promotion with 23% share in Y 2022.

Radio

In Y 2022, FMCG ad volumes on Radio increased by 51% over Y 2020. Compared to Q1 of Y 2022, Q4 witnessed decline of 2% in ad volume growth. The lowest Ad Volume was observed in Q3. At 6%, FMCG Ad Volumes on Radio witnessed the lowest share of ad volume during Jul22. Mar22 had the highest share of ad volume at 12%.

Out of the Top 10 Categories, 7 of them belonged to the Food & Beverages category. The Top 10 Advertisers accounted for 45% share of the ad volumes in Y 2022, with Vicco Laboratories leading the list with 12% share.

The Top 10 Brands accounted for 32% share of the FMCG ad volumes on Radio in Y 2022, with Vicco Vajradanti Paste leading the list.

The Top 3 states  Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra  occupied 50% share of Radio Ad Volumes for the FMCG sector. Gujarat topped the states with 21% share of the sectors ad volumes in Y 2022.

Advertising for FMCG was preferred in the Evening time-band, closely followed by the Afternoon time-band on Radio. 69% share of the FMCG Ad Volumes was in the Evening and Afternoon time-bands in Y 2022.

Digital

There was 81% ad insertions gain for FMCG ads on Digital in Y 2021 over Y 2020. Compared to Y 2020, Y 2022 saw 2.8x rise in ad volumes. Compared to Q1, Q4 witnessed the lowest share of ad volumes. On Digital, share of FMCG ad insertions was the lowest in Nov22. The Initial 5 months of Y 2022 witnessed double digit share of ad insertions on Digital, with Apr22 observing the highest share of ad volumes.

The Top 10 categories mainly constituted of Personal Healthcare, Hygiene, Food and Beverages brands in Y 2022 on Digital. The Top 10 Advertisers accounted for 37% share of the ad insertions in Y 2022, with L Oreal India retaining its 1st position with a share of 10%.

The Top 10 Brands accounted for 20% share of the ad insertions in Y 2022, with Hear.Com leading the list.

Programmatic (59%) was the top transaction method for Digital advertising of the FMCG sector in Y 2022. Programmatic and Ad Network transaction methods together captured 87% share of FMCG ad insertions on Digital.
Authored by Nikhil Pradhan, Senior Content Manager, Freo

Writing, not just content writing, has long been a domain ruled by the English language. English writers have dominated everything from journalism to advertising to professional writing in India and around the world. Its understandable - English is the most widely spoken language globally, with 1.5 billion speakers.

In India, while only 11% of the population (130 million approx.) can speak English, 88% (114 million) live in cities. In terms of overall numbers, this makes India home to the second largest population of English speakers in the world, only behind the USA.

On top of these staggering numbers, English remains the lingua franca for urban businesses in India, especially those involved in technology and finance. Consequently, most content writers find it necessary to focus on English.

So, is it enough for content writers to keep their blinders on and stay on the well-tread path?

Probably not.

The democratization of information

Ironically, the rise of affordable smartphones & other consumer technology has resulted in English having to make room for other languages. The smartphone democratized information and made it inexpensive. As a result, neither do publishers of information have to spend money to print physical media nor do consumers have to pay a lot to purchase that information.

More people are now consuming media, information, and content at home or on the go for free. With this number also comes a diversity of languages meaning that many more people are consuming and seeking content in languages other than English.

Therefore, while English remains the most important language to master for content writers, it no longer holds a monopoly.

Today, content writers in India have plenty of opportunities to explore in languages other than English. These opportunities include:

Multi-lingual apps & websites

Indians downloaded apps 27 billion times in 2021, making it the second-largest app market behind China. Many apps, especially high-involvement ones such as banking, payments, finance, education etc., are now available in multiple languages. Also, websites continue to remain a popular destination for Indians. As a result, many brands in the categories mentioned above also offer multi-lingual websites.

Therefore, Its a good idea for writers who have mastered multiple languages to upskill in UX & web writing to capitalize on this trend.

Media Outreach

As more cities, towns, & villages open up to e-commerce and digital services, it has become essential for brands to speak to these consumers through both organic and paid means. For the former, this means writing content like articles, listicles, blogs, press releases etc., for regional publications and websites.

Documentation & compliance

Another consequence of a rapidly expanding consumer base is that product and brand-related documentation must also be in languages consumers are comfortable with. Whether its product manuals, FAQs, or more, there is a growing requirement for writers proficient in different languages.

Similarly, more markets mean more regulations and compliance requirements. This further widens the scope of content requirements to include contracts, agreements, policies, & other documents of a legal nature.

Translation

While translation is a different skill set than content writing, its worth mastering. By becoming proficient translators, writers can work on all of the above projects and open themselves up to working on content for A.V. scripts, books, & a lot more.





As is apparent, there are plenty of reasons why English continues to dominate content writing. However, I hope Ive also been able to offer many reasons why content writers should expand their skills to other languages. Not only will doing so help them stay ahead of developments like A.I. generated content, but it will also help them become an in-demand professional at both agencies & brand marketing teams.
Two of the first agencies to sign the Clean Creative pledge in Asia are banding together in a new alliance to boost business opportunities between India and Southeast Asia  and to raise awareness of the value that environmentally conscious agencies can deliver to brands seeking communications partners invested in sustainability.

Today, Southeast Asian agency Vero and Indian agency ON PURPOSE announce a new alliance agreement.

Vero is an integrated communications agency with offices in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Manila and Yangon, a presence throughout the ASEAN region, and over 200 full-time team members.

ON PURPOSE is a consultancy that focuses on purpose-driven campaigns for social good. It is based in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru and has over 60 employees.

The alliance agreement between On Purpose and Vero is forged upon shared cultural values, communications capabilities, and business practices.

One of these practices is a shared commitment: in 2022, both Vero and On Purpose signed the Clean Creatives pledge to refuse work with fossil fuel companies, making them among the first in their respective regions to do so.

Vero and ON PURPOSE are currently in the early stages of collaboration with Clean Creative agencies in New York, London, and South Africa to address client needs  along with the ON PURPOSE and Vero markets in Asia Pacific.

Both Vero and ON PURPOSE are also planning to build a pipeline of business between India and Southeast Asia, with a focus upon brands featuring sustainability initiatives.

"As a fast-growing region, Southeast Asia presents a tremendous opportunity for Indian brands to expand their reach and gain a foothold in new markets, said ON PURPOSE Founder and Managing Director Girish Balachandran. With our alliance with Vero, we are excited to provide our clients with access to the region's diverse consumer landscape and help them create campaigns that resonate with local audiences. At the same time, we see tremendous potential for Southeast Asian brands to enter the Indian market, which is poised for rapid growth in the coming years. By leveraging our expertise and network in the region, we are confident that we can help brands on both sides of the partnership seize these opportunities and unlock their full potential."

A major pillar of the alliance agreement is an effort by Vero and ON PURPOSE to highlight the need for brands to provide partnership and procurement consideration to agencies on the Clean Creative roster. Both agencies also seek to highlight the contradiction in brands with sustainability goals by hiring agencies from the Clean Creative F List. Clean Creatives developed an F list containing agencies that work for fossil fuel brands.

The issue at the centre of the Clean Creative efforts to transform the way agencies engage with fossil fuel brands is a reverse correlation between the volume of fossil fuel brand communications about renewable energy versus the actual investments made in renewable energy by fossil fuel brands. Studies show that 70 per cent of fossil fuel firm communications are about renewable energy initiatives, while only 30 per cent of actual investments are in renewables.

"By choosing a Clean Creative agency, clients are choosing purpose-driven communications partners, said Vero CEO Brian Griffin. We believe it is time for procurement teams at major brands to take steps to move agency procurement away from F-list agencies. The result will be more agencies forsaking assignments from major fossil fuel companies that are little more than misdirection  and hopefully a growing roster of Clean Creative Agencies.

Both agencies have recently won accolades from Provoke Media: Vero was named ASEAN Agency of the Year in 2021 and was runner-up in 2022, while ON PURPOSE ranked among the top five for South Asia in both 2021 and 2022.
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has appointed Salil Nath as General Manager of the Indian Subcontinent.

Based in New Delhi, Salil will be responsible for all commercial activities across a key cluster for the Etihad network within the central region - India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives & Seychelles.

Since joining Etihad in 2012, Nath has served as the Regional Sales Manager of key sectors starting with Bangalore-Hyderabad, followed by the North and East India. During the COVID-19 restructuring, he took on the additional responsibility of managing Central India as well as Bangladesh & Seychelles.

Prior to joining Etihad, Nath has worked with Kingfisher Airlines, part of the United Breweries Group, and a brief stint at renowned multinational travel management company Amex GBT, overlooking corporate sales and client servicing respectively.

Amer Khan, Vice President Middle East, Africa, & The Sub-Continent, Etihad Airways, said: "India plays a crucial role in Etihad Airways growth strategy, contributing significantly to the airlines global operations, and we are honoured to support demand in one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world. As we look to expand our operations, we are delighted to have Salil take up the new role, leading Etihads commercial activities in the region."

Nath holds a degree in Hotel Management from Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration in Manipal, specializing in Sales and Marketing.

"With a strong and growing network, Etihad is one of the worlds most recognised and trusted airlines, operating for almost 20 years. As I step into this new role, I look forward to working together, enabling growth, and delivering value as we take our positioning to new and greater heights, said Nath.

Nath will be succeeding Neerja Bhatia, who is retiring after 18 years of service at Etihad Airways.

Khan, said: Neerjas astute leadership over the years has been a defining factor for the growth of the airline in the Indian subcontinent. On behalf of Etihad Airways, we extend our heartfelt gratitude for Neerjas unwavering support and dedication.
Tapsstart Digitall (TSD), a digital-first community of entrepreneurs based in Mumbai, is hosting TSD Empow(her), a virtual event on 25th & 26th March, 2023. The event aims to promote "More Women in Entrepreneurship'' and empower women to succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavours.

TSD Empowher features 24+ industry speakers across 8+ panel sessions, providing insights into key issues faced by women in entrepreneurship and strategies for success. The event is expected to impact about 800-1000 women entrepreneurs.

The panel sessions cover topics such as the power of mentorship, overcoming challenges, sustainability initiatives, fundraising, marketing pitfalls, and self-care in entrepreneurship. The event features a diverse set of speakers, including angel investors, founders, and experts in their respective fields.

The founders of the TSD Community, Amrrit Achipallya and Suranjikaa Mohapatraa, believe that women should not be celebrated on just one day but empowered for a lifetime, and they are poised at creating the desired impact through this event which is curated by 40+ entrepreneurs from the community. Suranjikaa Mohapatraa adds that every woman has tremendous power and will to achieve great heights in entrepreneurship, but it's a matter of the ecosystem being more conducive to unleashing her power.

Some of the key panellists include:

Mr. Nagaraja Prakasam (Naga the farmer), Angel investor and Co-Founder of IAN Impact,

Ms. Trisha Rajani Vaidya, Founder & Ex COO @ Dr. Vaidya's, Angel Investor,

Ms. Akancha Srivastava, Founder- Akancha Against Harassment & Azure,

Mr. Arjun Vaidya, Co-Founder of V3 ventures and Dr Vaidya's,

Mr. Mahavir Pratap Sharma, Co-founder of Rajasthan Angel, Innovators Network and Chairman of TiE India Angels,

Mr.Rohit Dadwal, Managing Director Asia Pacific - MMA Global,

Mr. Kuldeep Mirani, Co-Founder & CEO at BeyondSeed,

Ms Deeksha Ahuja,Founder at Encubay,

Mr. Ajit Nagral, Chairman and CEO at Scitara Corporation,

Ms.Uzramma, the Founder of Decentralised Cotton Yarn Trust, and Director of Malkha Marketing Trust

The event also includes speakers such as Ms. Simrun Chopra, founder at Nourish With SIM, Dr. Saloni Vora, clinical and cosmetic dermatologist, Mr. Satish Nagendra, founder & principal designer at Kora Design Collaborative, and Ms. Gurnoor Kaur Behl, founder of House of GKB,

TSD Empow(her) aims to empower women to succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavours and promote the cause of "More Women in Entrepreneurship." The event promises to be an inspiring and insightful experience for all the women entrepreneurs attending.
Tata Consumer Products Ltd has stated that it has ended talks with Bisleri to buy the packaged drinking water company. In its filing to the NSE, BSE and Calcutta Stock Exchange, Tata Consumer Products said, The Company wishes to update that it has now ceased negotiations with Bisleri with regard to a potential transaction and to confirm that the Company has not entered into any definitive agreement or binding commitment on this matter.

Tata Consumer Products referred to a news article that had appeared in The Economic Times, titled Tata Consumer to acquire Bisleri for about Rs 7,000 crore, as well as various other publications on the captioned matter on November 24, 2022, wherein the company had clarified that it evaluates various strategic opportunities for growth and expansion of its business, on an ongoing basis, and pursuant to this, the management of the company remained in discussions with various parties, including Bisleri International.

The company further stated that it had voluntarily issued this announcement in order to prevent any speculation concerning the matter.
Bollywoods most skilled dancer, also profoundly known for his action skills, actor Tiger Shroff is currently shooting in Glasgow for his upcoming action thriller Bade Miyan Chote Miyan! While he is there, the actor took to his social media and shared a glimpse of his power packed performance at an award show.

Taking to his social media, Tiger shares Tore my shoes in this performance but it was worth it

Having always left us stunned with his amazing dance moves, these glimpses of tigers upcoming stage performance seems to be a yet another electrifying performance on its way from him. With his unbeatable flexibility and fast groovy leg movements, the superstar will definitely set the stage on fire and we are eagerly excited to have a look to it.

Meanwhile, on the work front, the superstar is also gearing up for films like Ganapath along with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Rambo and a few un-announced. Tiger Shroff has invested a lot of time and patience for his look of Ganapath. Fans and enthusiasts are excited to watch Tiger is in his latest avatar for the upcoming films.
Tucker Carlsons release of January 6th footage raises questions about the status of free speech and due process of law. For more than two years, politicians, media, and big tech have worked together to proliferate a narrative: January 6th was an entirely violent insurrection, and according to Vice President Kamala Harris, even on par with the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the September 11th terrorist attacks. Department of Justice (DoJ) prosecutors have worked diligently to publicize and penalize all participants, including the peaceful ones, to the most severe extent possible.

On March 3, 2023, during the True Stories of January 6 panel at CPAC, some of the peaceful participants of the migrated Save America rally (often referred to as J-6ers) described the day and its aftermath. Yes, there was undoubtedly violence. But not all of protestors were violent, not even most. Like their fellow Americans who were horrified at the dominant media coverage of protestors breaking windows and wreaking havoc in and around the west side of the Capitol, the panelists all strongly condemned the violence.

Among them was Dr. Simone Gold, the founder of Americas Frontline Doctors, who had been invited to speak on January 6. She was on the east side of the building, which was peaceful, even joyful, said Gold. The doctor and Stanford-educated lawyer witnessed the 20,000-pound Columbus Doors opening, not forcefully, but from the inside. She assumed that meant she was allowed to enter the building.

While in the Capitol, Gold stayed within the velvet ropes and delivered her speech against government vaccine mandates and lockdowns. She told the CPAC audience that she had never seen a more respectful crowd. In her mind, they were not seditious rioters, but patriots and guests of the Capitol. If not, who opened the Columbus Doors for them and why was no one getting arrested? Gold was in the Capitol for about 45 minutes, 25 of which she was waiting for an opportunity to exit as more people poured into the building. Having enjoyed the experience and not knowing there was any wrongdoing, she posted a clip of peaceful footage on social media, which was subsequently banned. Social media outlets were removing peaceful footage, in favor of the clips quite familiar to us now.

Despite the extensive video footage supporting her claims, Gold was charged with obstructing a proceeding of Congress, a felony punishable by up to 24 years in prison. Like many other J-6ers facing the same charges, she accepted a plea deal. The U.S. district judge for the District of Columbia, Christopher Cooper, sentenced Gold to 60 days in prison, followed by 12 months of supervised release and a $9,500 fine.

John Strand, Golds bodyguard and co-defendant, rejected the plea deal. He was found guilty on all charges and faces sentencing of more than 20 years in prison. During the CPAC panel, Strand criticized the courts verdict, I am an individual. I should be answering for my actions, not the crowd's"

Another panelist, Brandon Straka, who founded the #Walk-Away movement, was also present on January 6 for a speaking engagement. He captured an eight-minute video from the top of the Capitol steps on the east side, and left when he was told to. He never entered the Capitol, but was sentenced to three months of home detention, three years of probation and a $500 fine, after taking a plea agreement. Straka, a self-proclaimed patriot, told the panels audience that he managed to withhold tears throughout his arrest and detainment process until he heard the words uttered in court: United States of America v. Brandon Straka.

When Straka made that comment, another panelist, Derrick Evans, nodded in understanding. Evans, a West Virginia state legislator and one of the first J-6ers arrested, fist-bumped a police officer as he walked through the east side doors of the Capitol, and thanked him for his service. He was never instructed not to enter the building. He echoed Golds statement that the crowd he saw was respectful and self-policing inside the Capitol. The next day, given the media coverage, Evans thought the FBI might want to speak to him. He retained a lawyer, who contacted the DoJ and FBI. He preferred to go in himself, rather than have his four children (all under five years old at the time) experience the trauma of watching their father be arrested. His lawyer was told that wouldnt be necessary.

On January 8, 2021, the media arrived to Evans house unannounced and set-up their tripods and cameras in his yard. Shortly thereafter, the FBI pounded on his door and cuffed his hands at his house in front of his young children. Initially, Evans was charged with four misdemeanors, but then a felony obstruction charge appeared at the eleventh hour. The prosecutor told Evans and his lawyer that the addition of the felony was coming from the highest levels of the DoJ and that she had never experienced anything like it before. Following a plea deal, Evans spent three months in prison, with three years of supervised release, and paid $2,000 in restitution. His appearance on the CPAC panel marked the first time he traveled since serving his term.

Apart from their judicial punishments, the panelists discussed the other penalties they suffered. They were deplatformed on social media. Straka was evicted from his apartment. Chase bank pulled Evans mortgage note, giving him 45 days to pay off the remaining balance owed on his house. As a convicted felon, he also lost his right to possess a weapon. Several of the panelists banks canceled their accounts, including Gold's, who said she had a perfect credit score. All J-6 defendants names continue to appear on a public registry of charges, despite the outcomes of their cases. And that doesnt even begin to scratch the surface of the social and professional fallout for the J-6ers.

The FBI didnt just question people at the Capitol on January 6th, but those on the Ellipse as well. My friend, a loving mother and emergency room nurse, purchased her adult sons flight to attend the Save America rally with her credit card. Her son was not near the Capitol that day, but FBI agents showed up at her door months later to question her. That was the day she lost faith in the FBI and bought a doormat that reads, Come back with a warrant.

Is Lady Justice truly blind or are we politically persecuting dissent? Do all of the J-6ers sitting in prison for years truly deserve to be there? Why is the DoJ withholding exculpatory evidence, despite transparency being mandated under the Brady rule? Why does the DoJ refuse to move the J-6 trials outside of D.C. despite multiple requests? Why is the DoJ not permitting supervised release to local jurisdictions? Why are two-dozen J-6 defendants still being held in pretrial detention more than two years after their alleged crimes? Why do the J-6 plea deals silence defendants? How were the defendants in the 1968 D.C. riots, the Chicagos Grant Park riot and the Atlantas Cop City riot treated in comparison to J-6ers? Who is Ray Epps and why was he not arrested for inciting a riot? Who opened the Columbus Doors and why? Why are so many politicians opposed to Americas citizens seeing peaceful segments of the January 6th footage? If the Department of Justice can weaponize the FBI and legal system to target and make a cautionary tale out of ideological opposition, whos next?

Instead of advocating for censorship, Americas politicians need to start digging into these questions and share the findings with their bosses, We the People.

Image: TaptheForwardAssist
What currently passes for our news media/Democrat party is thrilled when certain occasional Republicans like Mitch McConnell, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger smear Trump (sometimes with verified falsehoods). For example, after Tucker Carlson released previously suppressed videos of what was actually going on at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, enabling the peasants to see for themselves that many of the claims made by the Democrat-Media Colluders were false.[i] Despite this unwelcome intrusion of facts contradicting the Democrat-Media storyline, Mitch McConnell, always eager to help Democrats spend money we dont have and stab Republicans in the back, stated that Carlsons portrait of what the tapes show is completely at variance with what our chief law enforcement here at the Capitol thinks and that the chief correctly describes what most of us witnessed first-hand on Jan. 6th. How convenient! McConnells favorite storyline is unfalsifiable by any of the peasants who were not there!

First, that would be the same Capitol Police that knew there would be trouble on Jan. 6, 2021 and did not prepare to stop it. Now what could be the mysterious reason why the Capitol Police controlled by Nancy Pelosi would not want to prevent violence that day?

Second, McConnell said that most of us witnessed what went on at the Capitol on Jan. 6? All of it? Most of us witnessed Capitol Police leading Jacob Chansley around and opening doors for him? Most of us witnessed Jacob Chansley leading a prayer thanking the Capitol police for their help that day? Most of us witnessed all 41,000 hours of what is on the videos? Really? How exactly did most of us witness that? Since the videos recorded what was going on at different locations at the same time how, short of teleportation and time travel devices, were most of us able to be witnessing at different locations at the same time that day?

Returning to reality for a moment, since most of us cannot be at different places at the same time why is it wrong for Tucker Carlson to balance the incomplete record presented by the Jan. 6th Committee?

Third, the sudden elevation of Mitch McConnell to the status of moral oracle for the Democrat Party is a bit odd because, first, McConnell is regularly identified as one of the most corrupt members of congress. The conservative Daily Caller lists McConnell and Paul Ryan as the two most corrupt members of Congress in 2018. The conservative Washington Examiner ranks McConnell as one of the most corrupt members of Congress. The conservative Redstate.com states that McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao are as corrupt as the Clintons. According to the leftist Salon.com, McConnell and his wife run an empire of corruption. So can we infer that McConnells judgements are not to be trusted or is bipartisan agreement only correct when it supports the leftist causes du jour?

Fourth, the Democrat-Media Colluders generally despise McConnell because, among other things, according to one of their other useful storylines, he stole a Supreme Court seat from them (replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Amy Coney Barrett) by following the Schumer rule for SCOTUS nominations (Yes, the Schumer rule). Translation: The Democrats can propose the Schumer rule about replacing a Supreme Court Justice during an election year to further their agenda but the Republicans are not allowed to use it to further theirs.

Despite these little credibility and integrity problems with the official establishment storyline, the operative principle seems to be that if the storyline is bipartisan then it must be true. However, one thing that the Democrat-Media Colluders refuse to understand, or, perhaps, are not capable of understanding, is that Trump did not run against the Democrats in 2016 and 2020. He ran against the bipartisan swamp. That is, if the principles of rational argument are observed, and if one is to play the bipartisan card against Trump, one must first show that that corruption is not bipartisan. Failing to do so means that the establishment argument about Trump and the Jan. 6 riot premised on the Bipartisanship Card is the fallacy of begging the question (a fallacious argument that assumes what it purports to prove).

In order to rectify this fallacy, one would have to argue independently that the corruption is not bipartisan. Since, however, it is entirely clear that it is bipartisan, the bipartisanship card is, by itself, without force. That is, if the bipartisan majority, composed of members of both parties, is corrupt, then making bipartisanship an end in itself will only ensure corrupt outcomes.

There is a Biblical story[ii] in which the wise King Solomon was besieged by two women each claiming that a certain baby was theirs. Each wished King Solomon to award the baby to them. Since there was no way to determine who was the real mother, King Solomon announced that the baby would be cut in two, and half given to each woman. At that point one of the women relented and said the baby should be given to the other woman. That other woman, by contrast, agreed with Solomons solution. Of course, King Solomon did not really want to cut the baby in two. He wanted to know the truth about which woman is the real mother. Obviously, the real mother would rather give her baby to her rival rather than see it cut in two whereas the fake mother would rather see the baby killed than see it given to her rival. The wise King awarded the baby to the first mother who agreed to give it to her rival rather than see it killed.

Some of us are like King Solomon. We want the truth, not a fake bipartisan solution in which the truth is cut in half and each side gets a piece. This does not mean that bipartisanship is not a value. It means that it is not an end in itself but is only of utility if it is a means to help reach the truth, but that means that the Democrat-Media Colluders use of the Bipartisanship Card against Trump, by itself, begs the question and establishes nothing.
Tucker Carlson caused a stir among potential and announced 2024 Republican candidates by asking them to reply in writing to a series of questions about their views on Ukraine. By far the most controversial response was Ron DeSantiss statement that referenced the war as a territorial dispute. This prompted National Reviews Noah Rothman to liken DeSantiss statement to describing a bank robbery as a dispute over money.

What the responses to Carlsons questions exposed is the deep divisions within the Republican Party as to how the United States should respond to the war in Ukraine. Underlying the differing views is the unpleasant fact that there are no good options for U.S. policy in Ukraine. In stark terms, here are the options, none of them good.

1. If we stop supporting Ukraine militarily, they will be conquered by Russia and those who resisted the invasion will be severely punished.

2. If we continue to supply Ukraine with just enough military support to survive, the war will continue as a bloody stalemate resulting in tragic consequences in terms of loss of life on both sides and tremendous suffering imposed on the people of Ukraine.

3. If we up our military support through supplying Ukraine with more substantial weapons including long-range missiles, upgraded air defenses, and providing F-16s, we will push Russia into possibly escalating the war on their own terms which could include a full-scale mobilization of their population, spreading the war to other countries, including members of NATO and in the most alarming case resort to the use of some kind of nuclear weapons.

I think that Tucker's questions were reasonable. However, the common sense of his questions stands in contrast to his own narratives on Ukraine. There are certain obvious facts about the war that he ignores and substitutes obvious fictions in their place. His main assertion is that the driving force in U.S. policy is a desire for a war with Russia. This simply does not fit with the facts on the ground.

1. The policies of U.S. and NATO have been driven by a fear of war with Russia. Nobody in the West is looking for an excuse to invade Russia. Russia invaded Georgia, Crimea, and Eastern Ukraine and the western nations did little more than Trump's agreement to supply Ukraine with Javelin anti-tank missiles, something the Obama administration refused to do. The military support that Ukraine has received from NATO is very much motivated by a fear that if Russia easily conquers Ukraine, it will not stop with Ukraine.

2. The U.S. refused to impose sanctions until after the invasion was underway.

3. The Russian threat to use nuclear weapons was met with assurances that we would never issue such threats.

4. We not only refused to supply fighter jets, we stepped in to prevent Poland from contributing some of theirs. The western nation's responses have consistently been a day late and a dollar short, aimed at giving Ukraine just enough arms to survive, albeit at terrible cost.

While Tucker features Tulsi Gabbard's assertions that the war is intended to make profits for the manufacturers of weapons, there is no evidence that this has been a serious consideration for the Biden administration. A far better description is that Biden has mostly been blundering along, promoting a stalemate so as to avoid either the Russian conquest of Ukraine or a vastly expanded war that could have disastrous consequences for the whole world.

Most of the world sees Ukraines resistance to the Russian invasion as an act of great courage and sacrifice to protect a people from a much larger and more powerful neighbor. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is admired because he is seen as a symbol of such courage. The strangest part of Tuckers narrative is that in contrast to how most of the western world views the war, Tucker has invented a rapacious Zelenskyy who is promoting this war to enrich the lifestyles of himself and his wife.

Tucker has also been making ludicrous comparisons between economic migrants illegally entering the United States and Russian soldiers and tanks crossing the border of Ukraine. He claims this means that supporters of military aid to Ukraine care more about Ukrainians than Americans. One has nothing to do with the other. A more justified criticism of Bidens border policies is that his administration cares more about the illegal migrants than it does about American citizens. The support that NATO and the U.S. gives to Ukraine is to exact a price on Russia for its aggression so as to discourage Russia from further aggression against NATO countries.

Tucker has a large following, often featuring people who are very courageous in fighting some of the worst abuses of woke progressives. He always emphasizes his admiration for their courage. Tucker's esteem for courage stands in contrast to his view that we should let Russia conquer Ukraine because it is too costly and too risky to resist. While this position is quite reasonable, such an explanation does not sit well with someone who shows so much admiration for courage. Hence, he has invented a tyrannical and corrupt Ukraine led by a demonic leader interested only in enriching himself at the expense of working-class Americans in small towns like East Palestine, Ohio.

This is nuts, and I fear that because he is so right about a lot of domestic issues, he has been able to force a very isolationist position on many of the Republican candidates for president, including the most promising, Ron DeSantis. Sadly, I fear the only beneficiary of Tuckers Ukraine rants will be Joe Biden.
One in 10 college graduates works in Chinas digital economy: survey

People's Daily Online) 10:58, March 17, 2023

Among college graduates and graduates-to-be of the classes of 2020 to 2023 in China, 11.68 percent are employed or self-employed in digital economy-related fields, and 88.17 percent of them feel satisfied with their job, according to a recent survey report based on more than 40,000 valid questionnaires.

College graduates look for suitable jobs at a job fair held in Hebei University of Engineering in Handan city, north China's Hebei Province. (Photo/Hao Qunying)

Because of their good prospects, the fact that they offer jobs suited to the professional training graduates have received, as well as good salaries and employee benefits, digital economy-related fields appeal to college graduates, suggests the report, which was jointly released by the Institute of Employment and Entrepreneurship Education, Northeast Normal University and AliResearch, the research arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group.

"The friendliness, popularity, diversity and flexibility of employment in the digital economy match the employment needs of today's youth," says the report.

Platforms in the digital economy have played important roles in providing new jobs and improving the employment structure, according to the report.

The document indicates that digital economy platform enterprises promote employment at three levels, namely providing jobs for their employees, providing platforms for entrepreneurs and practitioners of new professions, and boosting employment in upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial ecosystem.

On multiple digital platforms, college graduates are vigorously trying new business forms and professions. Some graduates have made several hundred thousand yuan by cultivating desktop plants, and some have embarked on careers as digital transformation managers, resume optimizers, application developers, and blockchain engineers, among other emerging professions.

On the other hand, platforms in the digital economy are building the ecology of basic services for entrepreneurship and employment, according to the report. Such platforms provide certification services for digital training, facilitate collaborative innovations among different links of industries, and help college graduates improve their professional competence, the report explains.

The report predicts that by the year 2030, the digital economy will provide jobs for more than 400 million people, and more than 28 million jobs will be offered to college graduates, which represents an increase of over 12 million compared to 2021.

The digital economy will grow into an "incubator" and "reservoir" of new jobs by 2030, when "platform-based employment" and "ecosphere employment" will gradually take shape, according to the report.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams has floated the idea of running for office again after her last two failed campaigns, but some state Democrats are ready for her to move on, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Abrams 2022 campaign outraised her rival, Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, by $8 million, with the vast majority of donations coming from out of state, but ran out of money, lost the race and is still facing major debts. Despite her 2018 and 2022 losses, Abrams has not ruled out a third run for governor, prompting worry from some Georgia Democrats, according to the AJC.

I will likely run again, Abrams said in January. If at first you dont succeed, try try again. If it doesnt work, you try again.

Bobby Kahn, the former head of the Democratic Party of Georgia, suggested Abrams would lose if she ran again and told the AJC it was time for her to move on.

The party needs to move forward. And going 0-3 isnt a way to go forward. Does she really want to be the next Guy Millner? Kahn said, according to the AJC; Millner was a Republican executive who lost three statewide races between 1994 and 1998.
Perhaps the greatest incompetence on the U.S. political scene is in the military, which spent $9 trillion in the Afghanistan war on terror over a period of 20 years and failed miserably to train the Afghan military to defend its territory.

To date, no military officers in charge of this colossal failure have been fired or demoted, while many private contractors and the military industrial complex laughed all the way to the bank, making exorbitant profits off the Afghanistan campaign while it lasted.

Next is an excerpt from americanthinker.com by Olivia Murray of 3/9/23.

Now, House Republicans are poking around. Three days ago, Rep. James Comer and Rep. Pete Sessions sent a letter to the DoD's Lloyd Austin regarding the messy finances. Read below: The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is investigating the Department of Defense's (DOD) failure to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. In November 2022, DOD failed its fifth consecutive audit, unable to account for sixty-one percent of its $3.5 trillion in assets. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) also recently reported that DOD continues to fail to accurately account for hundreds of billions of dollars of government furnished property in the hands of contractors. DOD's inability to adequately track assets risks our military readiness and represents a flagrant disregard for taxpayer funds, even as it receives nearly a trillion dollars annually.

It's a tossup whether this is gross incompetence or outright defrauding of government funds.

Perhaps the most pressing problem this nation faces is the incompetence of the Department of Education. Despite the illusory claim that the United States has the best educational system in the world, it ranks 38th in math scores and 24th in science scores in the world. In an age of technology, this is a terrible statistic, which threatens to make the United States a third-world nation in the long run.

Despite the growing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic had a negligible effect on children, school lockdowns and mandatory face mask usage in schools continued beyond necessity and resulted in the average student learning loss to be 10 months  16 months for non-white children. Worse yet was the disclosure that Critical Race Theory was being taught, which emphasizes color and not character and competence as being of primary importance in education. What this really shows is that national education policy is a colossal failure, and educational decisions should be relegated to local institutions of learning, where parents should have an active say in where and what their children learn. School choice at the local level should be paramount.

There is a more fundamental flaw in our educational system, and it is promoting students based on age and not achievement and teaching to class sizes greater than 25. Large class sizes means that slow, medium, and fast learners are pooled together. Teaching to the average student means that slow learners learn very little, and fast learners get bored out of their skulls.

The savior (I think) from this frustrating archaic teaching situation is to rapidly switch to individualized interactive audio-visual computer education in the classroom or at home, where a student can learn at his own pace and demonstrate achievement level accomplishments no matter what his age. With this format, it is not inconceivable that many students will be graduating high school much earlier than the age of about 18 and will be able to enter the workforce.

Not only is higher education getting prohibitively expensive, but much of it is a waste of time, where roughly 50% of graduating students are unemployed yet not able to find any work at a job other than at minimum wage. To say our educational system is in crisis mode is probably an understatement, all due to an incompetent system of education.

Modern medicine historically has made serious advancements in longevity and in the curing of previously incurable diseases. Some of these serious advancements are still going on today. However, it seems to me that our regulated medical system is quite incompetent, too.

Individual incompetence by Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., as the director and bureaucrat of the government agency known as NIAID, who is somewhat responsible for making the pandemic worse than it had to be, is finally coming to light. The most egregious claim was that the COVID vaccine with additional booster shots would prevent recipients from getting COVID at all, which proved to be false. The important role that natural immunity plays in COVID resistance was totally ignored in schoolchildren and young adults. The incompetence of the government's FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) was also a major contributor to the pandemic fiasco.

But although there is much to criticize in Big Pharma, public health is all about incompetence rewarded. In public health, the most incompetent group of individuals are the money-grubbing politicians who claim to be legislating for the common American but who are in fact legislating to further promote big money and especially big international banks and corporations, much to the detriment of the nation as a whole. It is a general truism that bigness promotes incompetence and corruption in big military, big education, big medicine, big agriculture and food, and big government in general.

The only hope of surviving this civilizational decline in government is a return to emphasizing individual moral or ethical and achievement excellence and promoting many small family businesses with no taxation so they can compete with the overgrown big money-grabbing business dinosaurs aligned with the government, which are populating the world and will undeniably eventually go extinct if they don't evolve to a more manageable size.

From a purely political perspective, improvement means greatly increasing state and local rights over national and international rights and returning more political power to smaller groups and individuals who are more in touch with reality than the academic, business, and political elites of the nation and world. Keep rewarding incompetence with no accountability, and you will only get more of it until there's some form of a lash-out public reaction, or a gradual decline into economic and ideological slavery. That is what will come next.

Image: Lorie Shaull via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
The New York Times just loves denouncing the United States for not spending enough money on the poor  all the more so when it uses words like "disgrace" and invidiously claims that our spending is less than other nations. The latest example of this recurring genre comes from a sociologist at Princeton University, Matthew Desmond, who shows every sign of being a made man, receiving the peak honors bestowed on scholars who effectively reinforce the chosen narrative of the ruling elite:

Endowed chair at an upper-tier Ivy League university

Member of the Society of Fellows at Harvard

Pulitzer Prize

National Book Award

Carnegie Medal

PEN / John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction

William Julius Wilson Early Career Award

And, of course, a MacArthur "Genius" grant

And he received all of these endorsements while being a dreaded white male.

So it comes as no surprise that the denunciation of America is full-throated. We are the worst, in a class of our own:

America Is in a Disgraced Class of Its Own The United States has a poverty problem. A third of the country's people live in households making less than $55,000. Many are not officially counted among the poor, but there is plenty of economic hardship above the poverty line. And plenty far below it as well. According to the Supplemental Poverty Measure, which accounts for government aid and living expenses, more than one in 25 people in America 65 or older lived in deep poverty in 2021, meaning that they'd have to, at minimum, double their incomes just to reach the poverty line. Programs like housing assistance and food stamps are effective and essential, protecting millions of families from hunger and homelessness each year. But the United States devotes far fewer resources to these programs, as a share of its gross domestic product, than other rich democracies, which places America in a disgraced class of its own on the world stage. On the eve of the Covid pandemic, in 2019, our child poverty rate was roughly double that of several peer nations, including Canada, South Korea and Germany. Anyone who has visited these countries can plainly see the difference, can experience what it might be like to live in a country without widespread public decay. When abroad, I have on several occasions heard Europeans use the phrase "American-style deprivation."

No doubt, Professor Desmond is a smart fellow. But I find it strange that government spending is the sole factor explaining why our impoverished class is so large. There are no behavioral factors considered. One is poor because the government doesn't give you enough money. Period.

Poverty is chronic pain, on top of tooth rot, on top of debt collector harassment, on top of the nauseating fear of eviction. It is the suffocation of your talents and your dreams. It is death come early and often. From 2001 to 2014, the richest women in America gained almost three years of life while the poorest gained just 15 days. Far from a line, poverty is a tight knot of humiliations and agonies, and its persistence in American life should shame us. All the more so because we clearly have the resources and know-how to effectively end it. The bold relief issued by the federal government during the pandemic  especially expanded child tax credits, unemployment insurance and emergency rental assistance  plunged child poverty and evictions to record lows and powered a swift economic recovery. "I don't think we have ever seen a policy have as much impact as quickly as the child tax credit in 2021," Dorian Warren, a co-president of Community Change, a national organization aimed at empowering low-income people, told me. "In six months  six months  we reduced child poverty almost by half. We know how to do this." We do  but predictably, some Americans with well-fed and well-housed families complained that the country could no longer afford investing so deeply in its children. At best, this was a breathtaking failure of moral imagination; at worst, it was a selfish, harmful lie. We could fund powerful antipoverty programs through sensible tax reform and enforcement.

South Korea, which he cites as a peer nation, has a single-parent household rate of 7 percent. In the USA, about a third of children live in single-parent households, and among Blacks, the rate is 64 percent. We know that, statistically, waiting to graduate high school, getting a job, and getting married before having children almost guarantees that one will avoid poverty. Yet this factors not at all into the analysis. Poor people in the United States have no agency; they can be poor only if the government doesn't give them money. There is nothing they can do for themselves.

I wonder why. Maybe that's why he has all those honors!

Photo credit: Steve Depolo, CC BY 3.0 license.
Our country is openly and actively discriminating against straight whites, doing nothing but fertilizing the seeds of division the left has already sown.

One of the most prestigious Catholic schools in the country, one that prides itself on being "Catholic, and a University" and "Notre Dame's Catholic character informs all it does," is hosting one of the most racist and discriminatory events I have seen in my lifetime. It is called "Expanding Your Horizons at Notre Dame."

This event "is a conference for girls* in middle school (Grades 6-8). This day-long event will include hands-on activities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)."

Okay, so why does the word "girls" end with an asterisk? Because "*Partnering with Techbridge Girls (TBG), we seek to serve Black, Indigenous, and all girls of color, which includes cis girls, trans youth, gender-nonconforming, and/or nonbinary youth who experience(d) girlhood and economic insecurity as part of their journey."

But no white, straight girls. Sorry, you are not invited. Conspicuous by its absence is any explanation why not. We can only conclude, therefore, that such discrimination is consistent with the core beliefs of this Catholic university. Or maybe not...the Holy Bible is rife with passages that abhor discrimination of any kind. I don't even need to get started.

The event is endorsed, sadly, by own granddaughter's middle school, whose superintendent (white, by the way) is privately funding a scholarship fund for "students of color."

Dr. and Mrs. Jerry Thacker, The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation superintendent and his wife, have created a scholarship for graduating seniors of color who will be pursuing a degree in teacher education and who attend high school in the P-H-M School Corporation. The scholarship is designed to assist a student attending college in the fall of 2023. The scholarship winner will receive $1,000 and be announced at the Senior Recognition Program.

If we are to make progress as a country toward harmony among all races, religions, disabilities, sexual orientations, etc., these ongoing attempts at furthering division must stop. Much progress was made since the mid-1900s until Barack Obama revived racism and thrust it back into the leftist headlines. Yes, there are people of all walks of life who may carry a prejudicial grudge for one reason or another; this cannot be "fixed" by CRT, SEL, reparations, discrimination, forced "workplace diversity," DIE, or any other cultural initiatives that do nothing more than with a broad brushstroke select another race, religion, or sex as the cause for today's misfortunes of everyone else.

The age-old saying applies here: "The beatings will continue until moral improves."

Image: UND.
On Wednesday, former L.A. mayor Eric Garcetti won confirmation in the Senate as U.S. envoy to India by a vote of 52-42. The confirmation took twenty long months.

Garcetti is a close ally of Joe Biden and even co-chaired his 2020 presidential campaign, yet his appointment was held up following accusations that he ignored serious accusations of homosexual sexual harassment against his friend and adviser, Rick Jacobs, when he was LA mayor.

Garcetti, repeatedly and vehemently denied the allegations, while Jacobs branded the accusations against him "pure fiction."

Last May, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released a report that cited "numerous credible allegations from multiple whistle-blowers," which concluded that Garcetti "likely knew or should have known" about Jacobs sexually harassing city employees.

According to New York Magazine, four people who worked with both Garcetti and Jacobs claimed that the mayor was aware of Jacobs's behavior.

Naomi Seligman, Garcetti's former communications director in the L.A. mayor's office, said on Monday that Garcetti turned a blind eye to sexual harassment, and hence he "is unfit to become an ambassador or really to hold public office anywhere in this country or this world."

There was photo evidence as well.

In November 2020, the L.A. Times published a group photo that shows Jacobs placing his hand over a man's crotch while Garcetti is smiling with a thumbs-up sign, separated by one person. It is impossible that Garcetti didn't notice this.

1. This photo was obtained by the LA Times...



Here you have now former LA Mayor Eric Garcetti who is Biden's nominee for Ambassador to India.



On the far left is Rick Jacobs his deputy chief of staff.



Rick has placed his hand, without consent, over the crotch of a man. pic.twitter.com/dtURMEuccc  Yashar Ali   (@yashar) March 8, 2023

Journalist Yashar Ali also accused Jacobs of unwanted advances and claimed that other victims were harassed in front of Garcetti, but he didn't act against his confidant.

Garcetti's confirmation took so long that his nomination expired in January 2023. Biden immediately renominated Garcetti when he could have picked another more suitable individual on moral grounds.

Biden, like most Democrats, placed personal friendship over propriety.

There were many surprises during Garcetti's confirmation vote.

Democrats such as Mark Kelly of Arizona, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii broke party discipline to vote against him.

Surprisingly or perhaps unsurprisingly, seven Republican senators voted to confirm Garcetti's appointment.

The names of these senators are

Bill Cassidy of Louisiana,

Roger Marshall of Kansas,

Lindsey Graham of South Carolina,

Steve Daines of Montana,

Bill Hagerty of Tennessee,

Todd Young of Indiana, and

Susan Collins of Maine.

This more than compensated for the Democrat breakaways and gave Biden a victory.

The allegations that Garcetti overlooked sexual harassment of his subordinates by an ally raise serious concerns.

It shows a lack of empathy toward the suffering of another human being. It is considerably worse if an individual looking the other way is in a position of power and the victims are subordinates.

In such situations, people of character don't even hesitate to confront their superiors to protect the vulnerable.

It is true that self-serving politicians have no empathy toward those lower than them on the hierarchical ladder. But this display is too blatant to be ignored.

In a strange way, those who voted to confirm Garcetti may have done exactly what Garcetti was accused of doing: ignoring serious misconduct.

This also displays Garcetti's "club" mentality  where insiders and cronies suffer no consequences for unspeakable acts of cruelty while outsiders are severely punished for lesser offenses.

How can such an individual be trusted to lead an embassy in an important ally of the U.S. government 12,000 kilometers away from D.C., in New Delhi, India?

Will Garcetti confront corruption and wrongdoing by others at the U.S. Embassy in Delhi, or will he join the club?

There are other concerns as well.

The Washington Free Beacon reported that Garcetti previously served on the board of directors for an affiliate of the Asia Society, a nonprofit group with links to Chinese companies and organizations that have pushed Beijing-backed propaganda.

According to a Daily Caller investigation, "a mayoral fund set up by Garcetti nearly a decade ago received well over $1 million in donations during Garcetti's tenure from two wealthy individuals tied to alleged CCP influence and intelligence fronts."

India shares a border with China, and there are frequent reports of Chinese incursion over the Indo-Chinese border.

How can Garcetti be trusted to be tough on China?

What Garcetti said during his confirmation also should have been disqualifying.

Senator Cardin (D-Md.) cited a Freedom House report categorizing India as Partly Free in 2023 to make claims of human rights being violated in India.

Freedom House is the same organization that claimed that "Trump and Allies Tried to Subvert Democratic Elections on January 6th and that accountability was needed," so clearly, its claims do not need to be taken seriously.

Cardin added that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) enacted in India targeted India's Muslim population and asked Garcetti how he planned to handle it.

One of a key requirement for selection of Next US Ambassador to India was How will the next Ambassador handle India's discrimination of its muslim population and human rights issues



Listen to incoming US amb. Eric Garcetti's reply on this during senate confirmation hearing. pic.twitter.com/INubiwjoT2  Megh Updates  (@MeghUpdates) March 14, 2023

The CAA allows the fast-tracking of Indian citizenship for Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, etc. from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

Far-left "human rights" groups claimed that this was discriminatory against Indian Muslims, and the NYT and WaPo amplified these lies. There were violent demonstrations across India, which the NYT called protests. The violence continued during President Trump's visit to India in 2019.

The CAA has no relation to existing Indian citizens; it merely allows the fast-tracking of citizenship for persecuted non-Muslims from neighboring Muslim-majority nations.

Muslims are not included in these groups because they are a majority in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and hence have no reason to flee.

For rarely persecuted Muslims fleeing Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, there are other ways to seek asylum and citizenship later.

Anybody such as Garcetti who intends to become U.S. envoy to India should have known these elementary facts and should have corrected Cardin's false claim.

But instead, he not only accepted the premise, but made some troubling pledges.

Garcetti said, "There are groups that are actively fighting for the human rights of people on the ground in India that will get direct engagement from me."

Most of these are far-left groups with links to political parties in India. Did Garcetti realize that his engagement could be seen as interference in India's internal politics and national elections, to be held in May 2024?

This is the equivalent of an India envoy being asked about "systemic racism" in the U.S. during the tenure of a Republican president and the envoy pledging to engage with "civil rights groups" in the U.S. a year prior to a presidential election.

Back to the confirmation.

The current group of Democrats wants to outlaw political opposition and are even targeting citizens for protests. There is no reason to support these Democrats.

Garcetti's alleged conduct as L.A. mayor and his support of spurious narratives against India, where he is going to be based, make him unworthy of confirmation. In the U.K., Boris Johnson was forced to resign for similar conduct.

It was so bad that even Garcetti's fellow Democrats rejected him. But thanks to GOP senators, Garcetti, and Biden secures a victory from the jaw of certain defeat.

These GOP senators have once again proven to be unreliable, and unworthy allies to their voters which is often worse than a sworn enemies.

Photo credits: Twitter video screen grab and screen grab.
Anyone paying attention to the news, even if following only mainstream outlets, knows that something is terribly wrong in America. Day by day it becomes more and more evident that a large portion of our citizenry does not comprehend the enormity of the pickle we are in.

Author Yuval Levin opens his 2020 book, A Time To Build, with this observation:

We Americans are living through a social crisis. This is a straightforward fact, and easy to see. And yet part of this crisis, one of its symptoms, is that we cant seem to get a handle on what it is thats wrong. Its sometimes even hard to tell whether the rage, foreboding, a despair that so often shapes the national mood are themselves the essence of the problem or are marks of a deeper dysfunction.

Amen.

Just for amusement, lets enumerate a few of our tighter tight spots:

Image: Torn American flag by Sergio Vassio Photography. CC BY 2.0.

1. We are at war with Russia

The Russia/Ukraine war is a proxy war in which the USA supplies the materiel and Ukraine supplies the blood. No wonder Russia has threatened to nuke the West.

2. The War with Russia is Depleting our Arsenal

The Russia/Ukraine war weakens the USA by depleting our arsenal.

3. We have Promised Taiwan to make war with China

Biden has promised to go to war with China to defend Taiwan, even though war games show that, even if China doesnt win, the U.S. loses..

4. We Are Under ET Surveillance

Since 2014, US military pilots encounters with UFOs over US military installations and warships have become so ubiquitous that news has broken out in the MSM beyond the militarys ability to suppress it. Often, these UFO aircraft are so immediately present that they cause near-miss collisions. They also exhibit performance capabilities far beyond that of any earthly craft.

And these UFO crafts are not mere observers. They have disabled American nuclear missiles in their silos and shot down American missiles from the sky.

These UFO crafts are either American, Russian, or Chineseor theyre actually extraterrestrial.

5. Our Military Strength Is Inadequate

The executive summary of the 2023 Heritage Foundation analysis of American military strength reads as follows:

As currently postured, the U.S. military is at growing risk of not being able to meet the demands of defending Americas vital national interests. It is rated as weak relative to the force needed to defend national interests on a global stage against actual challenges in the world as it is rather than as we wish it were. This is the logical consequence of years of sustained use, underfunding, poorly defined priorities, wildly shifting security policies, exceedingly poor discipline in program execution, and a profound lack of seriousness across the national security establishment even as threats to U.S. interests have surged.

6. Our Electrical Grid is vulnerable to EMP strike

The American electrical grid is vulnerable to an EMP strike, and the states of North Korea, China, Russia and, soon, Iran are capable of delivering such a strike.

7. We are awash With Chinese Agents

In 2018, there were estimated 2.5 million Chinese people in the US. There is a Chinese statute called the National Intelligence law mandating that all Chinese nationals anywhere in the world must obey any orders from Chinese intelligence.

This means that all Chinese nationals, whether tourists or students, anywhere in the world, are statutory spies awaiting orders from home.

8. Our Electrical Grid is vulnerable to shut-down by rifle fire.

Any coordinated group of riflemen (such as thousands of Chinese nationals) with rifles could take down our entire electrical grid.

10. Our Families Are Fractured by the Repeal of Marriage.

Every human being is born into a family, which, being a society with a governance structure, is a polity.

Yuval Levin, in A Time To Build, at p. 138, notes:

Our social order flows out of the basic conditions of how we come into the world, move through it, and depart it, and so unavoidably flows outward from the family. Family is the most primordial, and therefore the most foundational, of the institutions that form a republic.

The family is the core institution of society and the republic, and marriage is the core of the family. When American states in the 1970s adopted the Uniform Dissolution of Marriage Act, they required only one ground for divorce: A husbands or wifes sworn oath that the marriage is irretrievably broken. Hence marriage, once defined as one man, one woman, for life, ceased to exist because the vow until death do us part was replaced by until I change my mind. The law was billed as no-fault divorce, but was, in reality, the repeal of the institution of marriage. The result is that the American family is fractured.

11. Our entire civilization has become infested with the Woke culture.

Every society acts through its institutions. The Woke religion, with doctrines that are absurd hoaxes destroying the economy, family, and Judeo-Christian morality, has infested every institution of our society, including the family, church, schools, colleges, business, local, state, and national government.

12. The 2024 Presidential Election is Already Decided

The Democrat wins!
Because most of the media continue to show how much they are in the tank for Joe Biden. This week, Republicans have shown millions of dollars in transfers to the Biden family from China, and yet it doesn't make the nightly news.

Always remember these two big lies from Joe, where he says he has never made any money from a foreign source in his life.

"I have not taken a penny from any foreign source ever in my life," Biden said, pointing to 22 years of tax returns he has made public as proof. Biden has long maintained he never discussed business with his son, other than telling him, "I hope you know what you're doing." Emails reportedly found on the laptop and other subsequent developments have cast new doubts on that claim, though.

Hunter got paid millions from a corrupt company in Ukraine for a no-show job, and the media and other Democrats didn't care.

Joe bragged about extorting Ukraine with a billion dollars in taxpayer money if they didn't fire a prosecutor investigating the company that paid Hunter millions  and the media and other Democrats didn't care.

Not only did the media and other Democrats not care about the pure corruption and kickbacks from Ukraine, but Trump was also impeached for even asking about it.

The wife of a Moscow mayor pays Hunter $3 million, and the media and other Democrats don't care.

The Hunter laptop story shows that Hunter used some of his money to pay Dad's bills and that some deals involved giving 10% to the big guy. Not only do the media, the Justice Department, and other Democrats not care about the story, but they and social media intentionally buried the story so the public wouldn't see it before the election.

Of course, the media and other Democrats investigated and were very concerned that foreign people paid to stay at Trump's hotels, but they don't care about pure kickbacks. They never cared about the kickbacks and corruption of the Clintons, either.

And the same people who buried the story about the laptop and the kickbacks to Biden ran endless lies about Russian collusion with Trump despite no evidence. The media pretend they care about facts, but what they care about is power for leftists.

I bet the public hasn't seen that more boxes of documents were found in a Boston office of Biden's lawyer because most of the media chose not to report it, because they didn't care and didn't want the public to know.

Nine boxes of documents linked to President Joe Biden were recovered in Boston by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration at some point in recent months, according to a letter sent by the archives to lawmakers.

It is no wonder we have so much political corruption when the media are so biased. They will create fictional stories to go after Republicans while burying true stories about Democrats. It is absolutely pathetic!

And not once have they asked for scientific data to justify the destruction of companies that produce reasonably priced energy...because they don't care.

We have an absolutely corrupt and incompetent man as president who is actively destroying America with radical, extreme policies and massive taxpayer money to political supporters, and most of the media cheer about how great his policies are.



Caricature by Donkey Hotey CC BY 2.0 license.
On 16 October 1964, China detonated a 22-kiloton nuclear weapon device at the Lop Nur test site, becoming the fifth nuclear power state in the world and the first Asian nation to possess nuclear capability. The United States had been monitoring the Lop Nur site for some time and they were aware that a test was imminent. What worried them was the unknown. How many more nations are working on nuclear weapons without their knowledge? Which country would be next to develop nuclear weapons capability? How easy or difficult it would be to accomplish that? The proliferation of nuclear-armed states was a matter of concern for it could create an unstable and perilous world. During a 1963 press conference, President John F. Kennedy predicted that in the 1970s there would be as many as 15 to 20 nuclear powers, which would pose the greatest possible danger and hazard.

Image by macrovector / Freepik

In order to better gauge the threat of nuclear proliferation, the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in Livermore, California, wanted to ascertain what it would take for a determined group of extremely brilliant individuals with no access to classified research to build a bomb. They called it the Nth Country Experiment.

The Laboratory hired three physicistsDave Dobson, David Pipkorn, and Rob Selden who recently received their Ph.Ds in physics but had little to no experience with nuclear physics. They were tasked to design a credible nuclear weapon with a militarily significant yield using only information thats available under public domain. The experiment commenced in May 1964, but Pipkorn soon left leaving only Dobson and Selden to complete the task, which they did in less than three years.

It's a very strange story, Selden told The Guardian in an interview in 2003. Back then, Selden was a lowly 28-year-old soldier recently drafted into the army, when he received a message that Edward Teller, the father of the hydrogen bomb and a commanding figure in the US atomic programme, wanted to see him. I went to DC and we spent an evening together. But he began to question me in great detail about the physics of making a nuclear weapon, and I didn't know anything. As the evening wore on, I knew less and less. I went away very, very discouraged. Two days later a call comes through: they want you to come to Livermore.

Dave Dobson in 1964.

Rob Selden

Dave Dobson was inducted into the project in a similarly surreal fashion. The institution's head offered him a job promising interesting work but refused to divulge details unless he accepted the job. He only learned afterwards what he was expected to do.

The duo was banned from consulting classified research but anything they produceddiagrams and notesautomatically became classified. Because the bomb that they were designing wouldn't actually be built and detonated, they had to come up with a way to test their design as they went along to rectify mistakes and make modifications. For this the authorities as Livermore devised an arcane, precisely choreographed ritual, where the designers had to explain at length, on paper, what part of their developing design they wanted to test, and then pass the documents to experts. The results would come back after a few days, but Dobson and Selden would have no way of knowing whether these results were obtained from real tests or hypothetical calculations.

Dobson's knowledge of nuclear bombs was rudimentary at best. He had never heard the terms Trinity, Little Boy, or Fat Man. His only brush with nuclear education was an exhibit he saw where a model of a chain reaction was built using mousetraps and ping pong balls. Seldan was equally clueless. He found a book on the Manhattan Project that culminated in America's development of the bomb. It gave us a road map, Dobson said. But we knew there would be important ideas they'd deliberately left out because they were secret.

One key decision they had to take early in the experiment was deciding which type of design to choosethe gun-style, like the one dropped on Hiroshima, or the technically more challenging implosion style, that was dropped on Nagasaki. The gun type device was easy but needed more fissile material, whereas the implosion type was difficult to design hut needed less material. Because procurement of material was most certainly the hardest part (the physicists didnt actually have to procure material, they just assumed they had a requisite amount), Dobson and Selden chose the implosion type.

Implosion-type nuclear device. Image: High Point University

Obtaining the fissile material is really the major problem - that drives the whole project, said Selden. But the process of designing the weapon - I'm always careful to point out that many people overstate how easy it is. You really have to do it right, and there are thousands of ways to do it wrong. You can't just guess.

Eventually, towards the end of 1966, two and a half years after they began, the physicists submitted a document describing, in precise engineering terms, what they proposed to build and what materials were involved. The whole work was so detailed that this thing could have been made by Joe's Machine Shop downtown, said Selden.

For the next two weeks, Dobson and Selden were grilled by the upper echelons of Washington, who questioned them about their work and how they knew what they knew. All this time Dobson and Selden were kept in the dark about whether their three years of labor were fruitful. Finally, after a presentation at Livermore, a senior researcher named Jim Frank pulled them aside and told them that the experiment was a resounding success. Had it been constructed, Jim told them, it would have made a pretty impressive bang as large as Hiroshima.

It's kind of a depressing thing to know, that it could be that easy, Dobson said.

Selden and Dobson proved that there is enough freely floating information in libraries and on the internet using which any technically-savvy person with the right resources could create an atomic bomb, and this include terrorists. Back in the 50s, there were two schools of thought - that the ideas could be kept secret, and that the material could be locked up. Now? Well, hopefully the materials can still be locked up, but we all have our doubts about that, Dobson said.

After successfully completing the Nth Country Experiment, Selden stayed in the military and became a member of the US Air Force Scientific Advisory Board. Dobson, on the other hand, was so disturbed by his experience at Livermore that he left the sector entirely. It was one thing to work on a project which was hopefully going to illuminate the decision makers so they could see that weapons were easily designed, he says. It was a rather different thing to go in and say, 'OK, for example, let's make a thermonuclear device that's only four inches in diameter.' That's an acceleration of the arms race, and I didn't really want to do that.

References:

# How two students built an A-bomb, The Guardian

# 1960s "Nth Country Experiment" Foreshadows Today's Concerns Over the Ease of Nuclear Proliferation, the National Security Archive
Not many people know that NASA constantly publishes photos of stars, comets, and many other objects of the cosmos. NASA does that on a daily basis, believe it or not, and the app were here to talk to you about, offers those images as wallpapers, basically.

EveryNASA app provides you with wallpapers that NASA shared, daily

The app in question is called EveryNASA, or as its full Play Store name says EveryNASA: Space Wallpapers. Needless to say, those photos look amazing as wallpapers on your smartphone.

You can easily apply those wallpapers via this app, or you can set the app to change wallpapers for you daily. Its even possible to choose a specific day to see a photo that NASA published then. Thats not all, you can read everything about the photo that is provided, which is an extra level of cool.

The app is very minimal, as it wants to keep the focus on the wallpapers at hand. Its in line with a number of other nice-looking wallpaper apps weve seen. Needless to say, thats a good thing.

Advertisement

The app also has really nice reviews on the Google Play Store. Its currently holding a 4.2-star rating, after over 1,000 downloads. Its not insanely popular, at least not yet, but its hard to deny its quite neat.

It has the favorites option, and the app looks really nice

It does offer you an option to favorite some wallpapers into a separate folder, so that you can access them whenever you want. As with any similar app, its possible to share these wallpapers with others too.

Weve included some official screenshots in the gallery below. Youll also find a link to the apps listing below the article, of course, it will lead you directly to the Google Play Store. The app is free, though ads are a part of the package. Check it out if youre interested.

EveryNASA (Google Play Store)
According to Arstechnica (via Platformer), Microsoft has just axed an AI ethics team following the mass layoffs within the company that affected 10,000 employees. The team was responsible for monitoring and reducing the social harms caused by Microsoft AI products.

Microsoft has been making the headlines in recent months for its initial investment in ChatGPT parent company OpenAI and integrating it into its Bing search engine. While all companies that incorporate AI into their products and services have a team to examine the possible associated dangers, Microsoft just laid off its AI ethics team members.

The team reportedly developed a responsible innovation toolkit for Microsoft that helped the companys engineers to predict and eliminate the risks generated by the AI. Former team members say they had a key role in mitigating AI risks in Microsoft products.

Microsoft AI ethics team left the company following recent layoffs

In response to the news, Microsoft announced it remains committed to developing AI products and experiences safely and responsibly, and does so by investing in people, processes, and partnerships that prioritize this.

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The company also says it has focused on building its Office of Responsible AI in the past six years. This team remains in place and works with the Aether Committee and Responsible AI Strategy in Engineering to mitigate AI risks.

Microsofts decision to lay off an AI ethics team coincides with the launch of OpenAIs most advanced AI model, GPT-4. This model is added to Microsoft Bing, which can stoke even more interest in Googles rival.

Microsoft started forming its AI ethics team in 2017, and the team reportedly had 30 members. The Platformer reports that the company later scattered the members into different departments as AI competition with Google was heating up. Finally, Microsoft downsized the team to only seven people.

The former employees also claim Microsoft didnt listen to their recommendations for AI-driven tools like Bing Image Creator that copied artists work. The axed employees are now concerned about the possible dangers that AI can expose to users when theres no one in the company to say no to the potentially irresponsible designs.
President Joe Biden has praised Northern Irelands political leaders standing together following the attempted murder of a police detective.

Police Service of Northern Ireland Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition after being shot multiple times at a leisure centre in Omagh, Co Tyrone, last month.

The New IRA, an armed dissident republican group opposed to the peace process, has been blamed for the attack on the high-profile officer.

Following the murder bid, senior figures from the main Stormont parties went together to meet PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne to receive an update on the incident.

Afterwards, they stood side by side along with Mr Byrne to condemn the attack and express solidarity with the police.

The show of togetherness came despite political upheaval at Stormont that has seen powersharing put in cold storage due to an impasse over post-Brexit trade.

Mr Biden referenced the incident in a speech at a St Patricks Day lunch hosted by Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Friday.

US President Joe Biden speaking at the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon hosted by Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Capitol Hill (Niall Carson/PA)

Mr Byrne was a guest at the lunch in Washington DC, as were the leaders of the five main Stormont parties.

Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald sat at the same table as DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

Northern Ireland leaders that are here today, let me say how important it was to see you standing shoulder to shoulder with Chief Constable Byrne confirming your commitment to the future following the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector Caldwell, said Mr Biden.

We all have to continue to work to protect peace and stability.

After the luncheon, Mr Byrne described as quite amazing the support offered by President Biden.

PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne at the Ireland Funds 31st National Gala on Wednesday (Niall Carson/PA)

Mr Byrne, who was given a standing ovation at a gala Irish American dinner on Wednesday evening, thanked the president for the empathy and compassion he had displayed to Mr Caldwell and his family.

I think its really important that the hard work that the men and women of the police service are doing around the clock is acknowledged in this way, I just think its quite amazing, he told the PA news agency.

We really, really appreciate the support from someone whos so significant in global politics.

He added: I think one of the themes of the few days here in various settings is politicians and other key people from right across the spectrum have been single in their sympathy for John himself, but also the effect on his family.

So when we get back well be able to pass on some of those messages (to his family), which I think, again, shows how this awful attack has crossed certainly to this part of the globe.

I think people are united in condemning it and seeing support for policing certainly continue to make progress in the next 25 years, after 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement and continuing to keep people safe.
US President Joe Biden was presented with a bowl of shamrocks by Irish premier Leo Varadkar at the White House, as the St Patricks Day celebrations in Washington DC draw to a close.

The White House event was attended by former rugby player Rob Kearney, a distant relative of Mr Bidens, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald.

Irish pop star Niall Horan performed four songs after the shamrock ceremony, two of which dealt with the theme of emigration, and was told by Mr Biden that he was welcome back anytime.

Niall Horan with US President Joe Biden during a St Patricks Day Celebration reception (Niall Carson/PA)

During the course of St Patricks Day festivities on Friday, Mr Biden thanked Ireland for its response to the invasion of Ukraine, voiced his strong support for the Windsor Framework and said that he was looking forward to the return of Northern Irelands devolved government.

He also said he hoped Ireland would win the Grand Slam on Saturday, when the Irish team are due to take on England as part of the Six Nations rugby tournament.

The traditional visit comes weeks after the UK and EU struck the Windsor Framework to reduce red tape on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland that was created by the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

The regions largest unionist party, the DUP, is currently blocking powersharing at Stormont in protest at the trade barriers imposed by the withdrawal deals contentious Northern Ireland Protocol.

The DUP says the Windsor Framework has gone some way to address its concerns, but it maintains some fundamental problems remain with the new accord.

Washington, London and Brussels are all keen for powersharing at Stormont to be restored ahead of next months landmark 25th anniversary of Northern Irelands Good Friday peace agreement, and Mr Biden is due to travel to the island of Ireland in April to mark the event.

However, the DUP has insisted it will take time to deliberate on whether to return to devolution and does not consider the 25th anniversary a deadline it must work to.

Speaking to Mr Varadkar in front of the media ahead of their bilateral talks, President Biden noted his recent discussions with UK Prime Minster Rishi Sunak on the revised deal with the EU on post-Brexit trading arrangements.

I very strongly supported the Windsor Framework, which I know you do too, said the president.

At a later St Patricks lunch on Capitol Hill hosted by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Mr Biden again expressed firm backing for the Windsor Framework.

Its a vital, vital step and its going to help to ensure that all the people in Northern Ireland have an opportunity to realise their full potential, he said.

Earlier at the White House, Mr Varadkar thanked the president for backing Irelands position on issues related to Brexit.

I really want to thank you for your help and support and understanding for our position on Brexit in recent years, it really made a difference and weve got to a good place now, I think, with the Windsor Framework, where we can have an agreement that lasts which is important for Northern Ireland, and also important for British, Irish and European relations, he said.

US President Joe Biden welcomed Leo Varadkar to the White House on Friday (Niall Carson/PA)

Mr Varadkar also spoke about the presidents upcoming visit to Ireland.

I promise you that were going to roll out the red carpet and its going to be a visit like no other, he said.

Everyones excited about it already. Were going to have great crowds whod love to see you.

The two politicians also praised each others respective stances on opposing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who is in Washington to attend St Patricks-themed events this week, is seeking further clarity and assurances from the UK government to address his partys continuing concerns.

He has denied being pressured by US politicians to sign up to the new Brexit deal.

Sir Jeffrey is set to meet President Biden at a reception at the White House later on Friday.

The Taoiseach began the day of traditional St Patricks Day engagements in Washington DC at a breakfast event hosted by the US vice-president, Kamala Harris.

Mr Varadkar and his partner, Matt Barrett, posed for photos with Ms Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, when they arrived at her residence early on Friday.

Inside, he hailed Ms Harris and the wider USs work on LGBT rights.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and partner Matt Barrett with the US Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff (Niall Carson/PA)

Mr Varadkar thanked Ms Harris for her advocacy on LGBT issues and for being a strong ally.

From Stonewall to Sacramento to San Francisco, America has led the way when it comes to LGBT equality, he said.

I dont think I would be here today were it not for what America did. I know youve been such a strong ally to our community in that regard.

Ahead of Fridays events, Mr Varadkar was embroiled in a controversy after apologising for an ill-judged remark that was seen as an apparent reference to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.

While reminiscing about his experience as an intern in the United States, the Taoiseach made a reference to possible concern about being an intern in the US capital at the time.

Mr Varadkar made the remarks on Thursday during an address to the Washington Ireland Programme, which helps young people develop career skills and which Mr Varadkar took part in, in 2000.

The Taoiseachs comment came hours after attending an event honouring womens role in the Good Friday Agreement, during which he praised Hillary Clinton for her sustained involvement in Northern Ireland.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar speaks during the breakfast meeting hosted by US Vice President Kamala Harris (Niall Carson/PA)

A spokesperson for Mr Varadkar said in a statement following the event: He made an ill-judged, off-the-cuff remark which he regrets. He apologises for any offence caused to anyone concerned.

Former US president Bill Clinton and Mrs Clinton are due to take a leading role in commemorations planned in Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Monica Lewinsky was a young White House intern when she and the then-US president Mr Clinton embarked on a romance in the 1990s. She was pilloried for years after the scandal broke.

The affair almost forced Mr Clinton out of office and Ms Lewinsky has spoken about the devastating effect it had on her life in the years after.

Mr Varadkar sat beside Mrs Clinton at Thursday mornings event at Georgetown University focusing on the role of women in the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Fridays political engagements will culminate with the Taoiseach handing over a crystal bowl of shamrocks to Mr Biden at the White House.
Britain has welcomed the issuing by the International Criminal Court of an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes in Ukraine.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said it was essential that those at the top of the regime in Moscow were held to account for the atrocities which have taken place since the invasion a year ago.

The Hague-based ICC said it was issuing the warrant for the arrest of the Russian leader over the alleged abduction and deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Those responsible for horrific war crimes in Ukraine must be brought to justice. We welcome the step taken by the independent ICC to hold those at the top of the Russian regime, including Vladimir Putin, to account. Work must continue to investigate the atrocities committed.  James Cleverly (@JamesCleverly) March 17, 2023

The charges were immediately dismissed by the Kremlin  which does not recognise the ICC  as legally void.

However, Mr Cleverly said in a statement posted on social media: Those responsible for horrific war crimes in Ukraine must be brought to justice.

We welcome the step taken by the independent ICC to hold those at the top of the Russian regime, including Vladimir Putin, to account.

Work must continue to investigate the atrocities committed.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions, also backed the move.

I welcome the International Criminal Courts decision to open war crime cases against Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian figures for their barbaric actions in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/gm6owNZ98h  Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) March 17, 2023

Todays announcement sends an important message: there will no hiding place for Putin and his cronies and the world is determined to make them pay for what they have done, he said.

These cases are just the tip of the iceberg. One day Putin will face justice: until then, the focus of all who believe in Ukraines liberty and freedom must continue to be on ensuring her victory.

While there is no immediate prospect of Mr Putin facing arrest, legal experts have pointed to the examples of Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic and and Liberias president Charles Taylor as international leaders who wound up in the dock in The Hague.

Dominic Raab, the Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, told the BBC: It is, I suspect, going to be a long journey but people said that about Yugoslavia and Rwanda and many of those people responsible for the carnage ended up in the dock of a court.

In the short term it will be very hard for President Putin to move around the world because there are so many countries who are parties to the ICC who will be duty bound to arrest him.
The leader of the DUP has denied being pressured by US politicians to sign up to the new Brexit deal on trade for Northern Ireland.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson told the PA news agency that the US administration and other political figures in Congress had been very understanding of his partys desire to seek further assurances from the UK government following the signing of the Windsor Framework.

Sir Jeffrey held talks with US national security advisor Jake Sullivan in the White House on Thursday to discuss the framework, which is aimed at removing some of the economic barriers on Irish Sea trade created by Brexits contentious Northern Ireland Protocol.

The DUP is currently blocking devolution at Stormont in protest at the terms of the protocol.

While the party says the Windsor Framework has gone some way to address its concerns, it says some fundamental problems remain with the new accord.

The Northern Ireland Protocol has created red tape on the movement of goods from Great Britain into the region (Liam McBurney/PA)

Sir Jeffrey, who is in Washington to attend St Patricks themed events this week, is now seeking further clarity and assurances from the UK government to address his partys continuing concerns.

MPs will vote on legislation next week that would give effect to the Stormont brake mechanism within the Windsor Framework. The brake would allow a minority of MLAs at Stormont to formally flag concerns about the imposition of new EU laws in Northern Ireland  a move that could see the UK government veto their introduction in the region.

Sir Jeffrey said he understood why political leaders in the US capital would like to see the institutions in Belfast restored ahead of next months landmark 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement.

But he said his party was focused on getting the right outcome, not deadlines.

Well, of course, look I understand why people would want to see the political institutions up and running, he told PA.

But I have to be honest, I havent been put under any pressure during my time here in Washington. I think people are actually very understanding of the need for unionist parties in particular to assess what the Windsor Framework is, what it means, to examine the legal text and the legislation that will be used to implement that framework.

So, I think that amongst the people Ive talked to here, whether in the administration or on Capitol Hill, there is an understanding that its not about working to a particular deadline, its about getting it right.

Commenting on his engagement at the White House on Thursday, Sir Jeffrey added: We had a very good meeting with Jake Sullivan, the national security advisor, and we were bringing him up to date in terms of our approach to the Windsor Framework, the continuing concerns that we have about our ability to trade with the rest of the United Kingdom.

We want to ensure that any new arrangements dont put barriers in place that prevent us or restrict our ability to trade with the rest of the United Kingdom and weve already indicated to the Government where we have areas of concern.

I note that the Government is bringing forward legislation next week on the Stormont brake and of course well look at that and consider what our approach should be.

But I think its important that we work our way through now the legislation, the legal text, so that we understand fully the detail of what this framework actually means in practice for businesses trading within the United Kingdom or trading with the European Union.

Sir Jeffrey will be taking part in a range of engagements to mark St Patricks Day in Washington on Friday, culminating with a reception at the White House where he is potentially set to discuss the Windsor Framework with President Joe Biden.

Thats an opportunity yet again to explain to people where were coming from, what our case is and how we intend to deal with the challenges in front of us at the moment, the DUP leader said of the reception.

We want to see a stable government in Northern Ireland but, fundamentally, weve got to deal with the problems created by the protocol. Weve got to ensure that what is being put in place actually works for businesses in Northern Ireland and respects Northern Irelands place as part of the United Kingdom.
The Duke of Sussex has brought a bid to have the publisher of The Mail on Sundays defence to his High Court libel claim thrown out.

Harry, 38, is suing Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over an article about his separate legal proceedings against the Home Office regarding security arrangements for himself and his family when they are in the UK.

The story was published online and in the newspaper in February 2022 under the headline: Exclusive: How Prince Harry tried to keep his legal fight with the government over police bodyguards a secret then  just minutes after the story broke  his PR machine tried to put a positive spin on the dispute.

ANL is contesting the claim, arguing the article expressed an honest opinion and did not cause serious harm to his reputation.

The dukes challenge against the Home Office concerns a decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) over his security in February 2020, after being told he would no longer be given the same degree of personal protective security when visiting.

Harrys legal team for the judicial review argue the security arrangements set out in a letter from Ravec, and their application when he visited the UK in June 2021, were invalid due to procedural unfairness because he was not given an opportunity to make informed representations beforehand.

However, lawyers for the Home Office previously said Ravec was entitled to reach the decision it did, which is that Harrys security arrangements will be considered on a case by case basis.

The Duke of Sussex speaking at a press conference in Dusseldorf, Germany, for the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 One Year to Go event (Joe Giddens/PA)

At a preliminary hearing in the libel claim on Friday, the High Court in London heard the dukes bid to strike out ANLs honest opinion defence or grant judgment in his favour on it.

Justin Rushbrooke KC, for Harry, said the Mail on Sunday articles purported to reveal, in sensational terms that information from court documents filed by the duke contradicted public statements he had previously made about his willingness to pay for police protection for himself and his family whilst in the UK.

The court was told that the claim involves two statements provided to journalists in January 2022 on Harrys behalf, one that could be quoted publicly and a second to be paraphrased as background information, over the dukes decision to bring legal action against the Home Office.

The court heard that in the public statement, Harry and his family were described as unable to return to his home due to the lack of police protection needed in the UK.

The statement, which was covered by the PA news agency, continued: The duke first offered to pay personally for UK police protection for himself and his family in January of 2020 at Sandringham.

That offer was dismissed. He remains willing to cover the cost of security, as not to impose on the British taxpayer.

Mr Rushbrooke said in written submissions that ANLs defence to the libel claim rests upon two provably false premises relating to the statements.

The first was a suggestion that the duke had allegedly made a false claim over his willingness to pay for police protection in the UK, while the second was he had allegedly stated his case against the Home Office was over a refusal to let him pay for this security.

Mr Rushbrooke told the court: Its absolutely obvious that this statement makes no claim that the claimant made an offer to Ravec or the Home Office or that his judicial review proceedings were to challenge a refusal to accept it.

He said that Harrys public statement expressly says he first offered to pay in January 2020 during a meeting at Sandringham.

The barrister later added: He did not know who was on Ravec or whether or not or by whom the offer had been passed on to Ravec.

He self-evidently believed or he assumed it had been brought to Ravecs attention.

Mr Rushbrooke later said that Harrys public statement about the offer was completely clear, but claimed that reporting by the PA news agency had got the wrong end of the stick in saying the legal action was over a Home Office decision not to allow him to pay.

That appears to have been the starting point for much of, or possibly all of, the publicity that followed that the defendant relies upon, the barrister told the court.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex leaving for the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Pauls Cathedral, London, on day two of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the Queen in 2022 (Matt Dunham/PA)

Andrew Caldecott KC, for ANL, said that the bid to end their defence without a trial was wholly without merit and that the whole case is built on sand.

He said in written submissions: The claimant was responsible for press statements that said he would pay for security when he had never expressed any willingness to pay until after the judicial review.

Mr Caldecott later claimed that in an April 2020 email to Sir Edward Young, the Queens private secretary at the time, Harry made it clear we couldnt afford private security until we were able to earn.

The barrister added that Harrys offer at Sandringham was presented as an offer to pay or contribute made to the family, not to Government.

He continued: The press statement then refers to another attempt at negotiations being also rejected.

Taken alone, that must suggest an attempt at negotiations with Government.

Mr Caldecott also told the court there were fundamental flaws in Harrys legal teams approach to the case.

It would be extraordinary if large swathes of the media had a collective misreading of the press statement, Mr Caldecott continued.

He added that nothing was done to correct the allegedly misleading publicity which the whole world received.

The court was told that a tweet from Omid Scobie, co-author of the biography Finding Freedom about the duke and his wife, about the judicial review was part of ANLs defence.

The barrister later said that the PA news agency, formerly known as the Press Association, did get the right end of the stick in its coverage.

Mr Caldecott said: If the Press Associations conclusion was bonkers then it may be that the honest commentator should ignore it.

The hearing concluded on Friday afternoon, with Mr Justice Nicklin giving a ruling at a later date.
The Irish-American relationship has been hailed as one of two proud democracies, close friends and economic partners by Leo Varadkar ahead of his visit to the White House for St Patricks Day.

The Irish premier made the remarks at a reception hosted at the residence of Irelands ambassador to the US Geraldine Byrne Nason, in which he praised Irelands 14 Oscar nominations.

He said the Irish-US relationship took root and grew from the contribution of millions of Irish emigrants who came here over the years to expend their talents and energies in the creation of modern America.

The Irish and Scots Irish came here from a troubled homeland to build new lives for themselves and their families and they succeeded.

Among those present at the event were DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, UN Special Envoy to Northern Ireland Joe Kennedy III, and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mr Varadkars partner Matt Barrett.

It comes after Mr Varadkar apologised for an ill-judged remark made during a speech in Washington DC on Thursday in what is being seen as an apparent reference to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.

While reminiscing about his experience as an intern in the United States, the Taoiseach made a reference to possible concern about being an intern in the US capital at the time.

Mr Varadkar made the remarks during an address to the Washington Ireland Programme, which helps young people develop career skills and which Mr Varadkar took part in in 2000.

The Taoiseachs comment came hours after attending an event honouring womens role in the Good Friday Agreement, during which he praised Hillary Clinton for her sustained involvement in Northern Ireland.

Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky (Ian West/PA).

A spokesperson for Mr Varadkar said in a statement following the event: At the Washington Ireland Programme event today, the Taoiseach was reminiscing about his time in Washington DC as an intern 23 years ago.

He made an ill-judged off the cuff remark which he regrets. He apologises for any offence caused to anyone concerned.

It comes as former US president Bill Clinton and Mrs Clinton are due to take a leading role in commemorations planned in Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next month.

The remarks were made at one of the lower profile events on the Taoiseachs three-day itinerary in DC, taking place between engagements with senior political and business figures.

Monica Lewinsky was a young White House intern when she and the then-US president Bill Clinton embarked on a romance in the 1990s.

She was pilloried for years after the scandal broke.

The affair almost forced Mr Clinton out of office and Ms Lewinsky has spoken about the devastating effect it had on her life in the years after.

Mr Varadkar sat beside Hillary Clinton at Thursday mornings event at Georgetown University focusing on the role of women in the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Former US President Bill Clinton (PA)

The Taoiseachs controversial comments about interns later in the day came ahead of his meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday to mark St Patricks Day.

During a bilateral meeting the two politicians are expected to discuss the Presidents planned visit to the island of Ireland next month.

Mr Varadkar is also set to thank Joe Biden for his administrations support during the Brexit process.

The Taoiseachs visit will culminate in a high-profile ceremony to hand over a crystal bowl of shamrocks to the US president at the White House.

Fridays programme will start with a breakfast engagement for Mr Varadkar with US vice-president Kamala Harris.
Junior doctors leaders have become the latest union to agree to suspend industrial action and accept an offer of pay talks with the Government.

The Department of Health and Social Care said the British Medical Association had agreed to enter negotiations on the same terms as unions representing nurses, ambulance staff and other NHS workers in talks which concluded this week.

We deeply regret that over 175,000 appointments and procedures were cancelled this week, despite our offer to start formal talks on the condition strikes were paused, a DHSC spokesman said.

However we are pleased the BMA has now accepted our offer to enter talks based on the same terms as with the agenda for change unions  which concluded positively this week.

We want to find a fair settlement which recognises the crucial role of junior doctors and the wider economic pressures facing the UK, as we have done with other unions.

The move follows a three-day walkout by junior doctors in support of their demand for a 35% pay increase  a claim ministers have said is unaffordable.

In a statement posted on social media, the junior doctors representatives at the BMA confirmed they had written to Health Secretary Steve Barclay offering to meet next week.

Today we have written to the Health Secretary Steve Barclay to agree to dates on which negotiations will take place. We are entering these negotiations in good faith and, having completed our initial 72-hour strike, there is a window of opportunity here where we can (2/7)  Junior Doctors (@BMA_JuniorDocs) March 17, 2023

They acknowledged some members would have reservations about the suspension of industrial action, but said they were ready to return to the picket line in the event of a substandard offer.

They wrote: We are entering these negotiations in good faith and, having completed our initial 72-hour strike, there is a window of opportunity here where we can achieve full pay restoration.

This has always been our aim, and we will always be willing to talk anywhere and on any grounds that do not prevent us from achieving this goal.

It follows the breakthrough in the NHS dispute on Thursday, with leaders of nurses, ambulance crews and other health workers agreeing to suspend further industrial action while ballots are held on a new pay offer.

Earlier, NHS England medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said the doctors strike had been on an unprecedented scale and had a greater impact than all the other industrial action we have seen so far this winter combined.

Despite the huge efforts that NHS staff made to keep patients safe and minimise disruption, this strike was on an unprecedented scale and had a greater impact than all the other industrial action we have seen so far this winter combined, he said.

Over 175,000 appointments and procedures were rescheduled to protect emergency, critical and urgent care for patients, which will inevitably impact on efforts to tackle the Covid backlog.
Liam Neeson has said he thinks a united Ireland will happen if all sides are appeased.

The Hollywood star, 70, who grew up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, said Protestant and Catholic voices have to be heard.

Speaking to Skys Beth Rigby Interviews, the Taken actor said: I think it will happen but, you know, everybody has to be appeased.

The Protestants in the north of Ireland have a strong voice.

Liam Neeson was interviewed on Sky (Ian West/PA)

I hear them, I know where theyre coming from, and they have to be respected.

If theres going to be a united Ireland, their voice has to be heard and they have to be represented, if a united Ireland comes about.

Neeson told of theatres receiving bomb threats while he was working as a stage actor.

The actor also said the Good Friday Agreement, signed on April 10 1998 to bring an end to the Troubles, was an extraordinary achievement.

He went on: There was just a feeling in the air, you know, of change  and change for good.

Neeson currently stars in Marlowe, which will be his 100th film, and tells the story of a brooding, down on his luck detective hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress in Los Angeles.

Neesons role of detective Phillip Marlowe, is based on the famous character created by American-British author Raymond Chandler.

Speaking at the films London premiere, he told the PA news agency: I felt honoured to play him.

Im an avid reader but strangely enough I have not read Raymond Chandler until I knew I was doing the film  it was just a great discovery.

He was a most extraordinary writer and a most extraordinary character.

Neeson said it had been cool stepping back into the 1930s, being able to wear suits and trilby hats.

Asked what drew him to characters such as Marlowe, he added: They have a certain code of ethics thats rapidly disappearing in todays world.

Some people might say its old-fashioned but I dont. Its a lovely code of ethics and a code of behaviour.

Marlowe is due for UK release on March 17.
The flurry of optimism in London markets on Friday morning after a 30 billion dollar (25 billion) cash injection into a struggling US bank dissipated towards the afternoon as global markets continue to feel the fallout from a series of failures.

The FTSE 100 had initially gained exactly 100 points in the early hours of trading on Friday morning.

It came as a series of US banking giants got together to pour cash into First Republic Bank  another mid-sized US lender that had been struggling in recent days.

But by mid-afternoon the gains had been reversed and Londons top index was instead trading down by exactly 100 points  a drop of around 1.3%.

When markets closed, it had shed nearly 75 points, or 1%, to 7,335.

It came as First Republics share price began to slide again when markets opened in the US. Shares dropped by around a quarter.

Credit Suisse  the Swiss banking giant which has also been struggling  was also down, by 10%.

The bank was given 45 billion by the Swiss central bank to help it keep running earlier this week.

It meant that all the gains that the FTSE 100 made on Thursday were wiped out, while markets in the US and Europe were also heavily in the red.

First Republics shares had cratered by nearly three quarters in just a week as it reverberated from the failure of three other banks in the US and the weakness in Credit Suisse.

On Thursday evening, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup and other major US players deposited 30 billion US dollars (25 billion) into the struggling lender.

Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, said: Hopes that the banking crisis would continue to fade have themselves grown weaker, as stocks fell again, reversing much of yesterdays move higher.

Credit Suisse continues to be the bugbear for Europe, while in the US First Republic worries are still the main driver of losses.

This week has been a liquidity crisis, but it seems that the moves by authorities to remedy the situation have not completely reassured wary investors.
A former caretaker has been found guilty of killing his girlfriends young son after a campaign of sadistic abuse.

Drug addict Jake Drummond, 33, fatally shook and hit 15-month-old Jacob Lennon early on August 27 2019, leaving him with a face like a panda, the Old Bailey heard.

In the weeks before, Jacob suffered yet more injuries to his face, body and genitals while the boys mother Louise Lennon, 32, failed to stop it, jurors were told.

Five days before the killing, Drummond sent her a sinister message saying he was putting Jacob into the torture chamber in reference to his bedroom, jurors heard.

It followed a meme of the Hollywood actor Ben Stiller in the film Happy Gilmore with the quote: Now you will go to sleep or I will put you to sleep.

In another message, Lennon referred to Jacob as looking like a little madman because of his bruises.

The pair had denied wrongdoing and blamed each other for Jacobs horrific injuries.

Following a trial at the Old Bailey, Drummond was found guilty of murder and wounding Jacob with intent.

Lennon, 32, was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child having earlier admitted child cruelty.

The court had heard how social services had placed Jacob under a child protection plan under the category of emotional abuse in December 2018.

Louise Lennon (Met Police)

But on August 20 2019 Lennon lied to the social worker by saying she was on holiday in Hastings to skip a planned visit.

Meanwhile, Drummond had already embarked on a campaign of deliberately assaulting and hurting Jacob, prosecutor Sally ONeill KC had said.

Drummond was frustrated at Jacob staying in bed with him and Lennon rather than his cot as the defendant struggled with sleeplessness due to his cocaine habit.

On the day before the fatal attack, Drummond was also angered at having to go to a police station after a former girlfriend accused him of harassing her in a way that was little short of obsessive.

Early the next day, Jacob was taken out of bed and shaken and hit so severely he fell unconscious, jurors were told.

Afterwards, Lennon concocted a story for emergency services that Jacob had fallen out of his cot.

She also claimed he had tripped on the way from a supermarket back to their flat in Roehampton, south-west London, days before.

Jake Drummond (Met Police)

Medics found Jacobs eyes were so swollen they could not open and he looked like a panda.

He had more bruises on his forehead, temples and cheeks and his skull was described as being soft and spongy.

Jacob, who was later found to have traces of cocaine in his body, was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead just over an hour later.

A post-mortem examination found he died from a fatal head injury, likely from being hit against a blunt surface while being shaken.

Some of his injuries were inflicted days or weeks before the final assault.

Ms ONeill told jurors: There were 20 marks of recent injury on Jacobs head, face and neck, 11 to his upper limbs, seven to his lower limbs and seven to his trunk.

The pathologist identified a gaping 3cm long cut to Jacobs penis from extreme pinching or biting and a wound to his scrotum.

The prosecutor said: The injury to the scrotum was a penetrating injury as a result of penetration by a semi-sharp or sharp object such as a small-bladed weapon including a skewer or similar in preceding days.

The injuries to Jacobs genitals were said to be sadistic and were the subject of Drummonds wounding charge.

A pathologist rejected a claim the cut could have been caused by a Toy Story themed Mr Potato Head plastic knife.

Drummond denied that he injured Jacob and Lennon said she was being coerced and threatened by her boyfriend into not getting help for her son.

The court heard that Drummond received a juvenile warning in 2005 for holding a knife against his mothers throat and a conviction in 2008 for assaulting another ex-girlfriend by pushing her against a wall.

The other ex-partner he was warned against harassing also claimed he had previously grabbed her around the neck to the point she nearly passed out, jurors were told

The jury deliberated over two days to find the pair guilty of the charges against them.

Mr Justice Sweeting adjourned sentencing until April 24 for reports to be prepared.

Lennon was granted continued bail and Drummond was remanded into custody.

Thanking the jury, the senior judge said: Its been a difficult case, I know, with a lot of distressing evidence for you to hear.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: The marks found on the body of little Jacob tell a heart-rending tale of cruelty dominating a life cut brutally short by Drummonds cocaine-fuelled abuse.

Jacob was utterly failed by those who should have been his protectors, and a child safeguarding practice review must leave no stone unturned in establishing whether more could have been done by agencies to protect him.

We owe this little boy nothing less than a detailed investigation and a full explanation into the circumstances surrounding his tragic death.

Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, from Scotland Yard, said: No-one who has listened to the catalogue of injuries inflicted on Jacob Lennon can be anything but horrified.

It is hard to comprehend how such a young and vulnerable baby could have been so abused.

Drummond and Lennon sought to cover up their guilt by blaming accidents or feigning ignorance of how he was injured. However, a jury saw through their attempts to avoid the blame and found them both accountable for Jacobs death.

This case was very distressing and I would like to thank my team and all those who supported the prosecution for their professionalism and diligence. Everyone concerned has had to listen to some truly harrowing evidence, but we were determined to persevere and bring those responsible for Jacobs death to justice.
A decision to ban TikTok from Government phones after a security review has been criticised by China.

The ban, announced on Thursday by Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden, will still allow ministers and officials to use the Chinese-owned app on their personal phones.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had been under pressure from senior MPs to follow the US and the European Union in barring the video-sharing app from official devices.

A Chinese embassy spokesperson accused the Government of acting based on its political motive rather than facts.

TikTok, owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance, said it was disappointed with the decision and said bans were based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics.

As ministers were urged to go further and remove it from personal devices as well, Cabinet minister and prominent parliamentary TikToker Grant Shapps vowed to continue using it with precautions on his own phone.

Mr Dowden announced the precautionary move  which is not being extended to members of the public  with immediate effect.

He said it was a prudent and proportionate step following advice from our cyber security experts as he noted risks around how sensitive information can be accessed by TikTok.

The security of sensitive Government information must come first, so today we are banning this app on Government devices. The use of other data-extracting apps will be kept under review, the minister said.

But he said there will be limited exemptions on some Government devices made on a case by case basis where the video-sharing app is required for work purposes.

Downing Street said there was no plan to delete the No 10 account.

The Cabinet Office said the ban was being imposed because TikTok users are required to hand over data including contacts, user content and geolocation data.

TikTok has long said it does not share data with China but the countrys intelligence legislation requires firms to help the Communist Party when requested. Critics fear the policy could expose Western data to Beijing.

A spokesman said: We believe these bans have been based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics, in which TikTok and our millions of users in the UK, play no part.

We remain committed to working with the Government to address any concerns but should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors.

The embassy spokesperson said that the ban disrupts the normal operations of the relevant company in the UK, undermines the confidence of the international community in the UKs business environment, and will ultimately harm the UKs own interests.

We urge the UK side to respect facts, abide by the rules of market economy and the principle of fair competition, refrain from overstretching and abusing the concept of national security, and provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for companies from other countries, the spokesperson said.

Conservative former party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith was among those demanding that ministers and senior civil servants should be told to remove TikTok from their personal phones as well.

Private phones are used for communications and I honestly dont believe that whatever the complaints are, that the reality is that these private phones will never be used for Government business.

They will be, they are, and there is no way of stopping that to some degree, he told the Commons.

My phone is personal. Today I removed Tik Tok and I think all MPs should do likewise. #justmypersonalopinion  Rt Hon Nadine Dorries MP (@NadineDorries) March 16, 2023

Nadine Dorries, a frequent poster on TikTok while serving as Boris Johnsons culture secretary, tweeted: My phone is personal. Today I removed Tik Tok and I think all MPs should do likewise.

But Mr Shapps, the Energy Security Secretary, made clear he will continue to use it on his personal phone while taking security precautions.

Writing on TikTok, he said: Ive never used TikTok on Government devices and can hereby confirm I will NOT be leaving TikTok anytime soon!

He included a clip from the Wolf Of Wall Street movie in which Leonardo DiCaprio, portraying a New York stockbroker, declares he is not f****** leave and the show goes on.

A spokeswoman for Mr Shapps said: Grant has never used TikTok on Government devices and believes security measures  like not sharing location permission  are sensible.

However, he is concerned that representatives of the people who deliberately choose not to engage with the public on the platforms that they actually use are unlikely to continue to represent these voters for long.

Oliver Dowden, Cabinet Office minister, announced the ban (PA)

Members of the cross-party Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China have written to the information commissioner over concerns about the protection of UK users data on the app.

Carolyn Harris, a member of the group and a Labour MP, tweeted: I have deleted my TikTok account today, and will be encouraging others to do the same.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the Government was closing the stable door after the horse has bolted after Parliament closed its onw account last year.

Two weeks, two ministers, two completely different policies later, and it is the same pattern over and over again, a Government behind the curve with sticking plaster solutions forced to lurch into a U-turn at the last minute, she said.

Security minister Tom Tugendhat had asked chiefs at the National Cyber Security Centre to review the app.
A supermarket chain has been fined 3.5 million after an epileptic employee died when he fell from the stairs during a seizure.

Matthew Gunn, 27, suffered catastrophic head injuries at the WM Morrisons store in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, in September 2014.

He had been regularly using the staircase to access his locker on the first floor of the shop when he suffered a seizure.

Mr Gunn was fatally injured, dying in hospital 12 days later having never regained consciousness.

Bradford-based Morrisons had denied three health and safety charges, but was convicted by a jury at Gloucester Crown Court. The company had admitted a fourth charge prior to the trial.

The court heard Mr Gunn died three-and-a-half months after his mother had warned managers of the risk to her son due to his frequent seizures.

Richard Atkins KC, prosecuting, told the court WM Morrisons knew of Mr Gunns ill-health and should have moved his locker to the ground floor and stopped him using the stairs.

The defendant knew of the risk posed by the stairs to Matthew Gunn, he said.

Many in the management were aware of the frequency of the tonic-clonic seizures and the prosecution submits that by the time of the fatal failings on September 25 2014, there was a highly likely high level of harm occurring.

Mr Gunns father, Steve, told the court in a statement his sons death has had a devasting impact upon him personally  having to give up his job as a nurse and seeing his marriage end.

I have been denied seeing my eldest son progress with his life. I was looking forward  especially with my impending retirement  to spending more time with Matt, he said.

Due to the stress and trauma of this incident my marriage failed and led to divorce. This journey I have been on has lasted over eight years now and the loss is as bad as it has always been.

Mr Gunns mother Sue Goellner said her sons death had an enormous impact upon her physical and mental health, and she had lost her job as a result and her marriage had ended.

My marriage came under a lot of stress and although not the only factor it was a significant factor in the eventual failing of my marriage and divorce, she said.

No parent should have to bury their child and his death has left a massive hole in my heart.

The jury convicted the supermarket giant of failure to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees; failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of employees; and failure to review the risks and assessments of employees.

The company admitted an offence of failing to comply between May 26 2015 and February 26 2020 with a request made by an HSE inspector for contact details of a person the inspector wanted to speak to.

Richard Matthews KC, defending, said he would address the court on the sentencing guidelines which were cold and widely removed the human tragedy that this case concerns.

Nothing that I say in that cold way is intended to remove anything from that tragedy, he said.

The breach arose from a single incident and an isolated set of circumstances. This whole case focused on whether a locker could or should have been moved from the first floor to the ground floor.

Passing sentence, Judge Moira Macmillan said: Matthew was forced to use the stairs at least eight times a day for each of his breaks as he had to keep his cigarettes in his locker.

Morrisons, as Matthews employers, have a duty to ensure his health and safety. The jury decided that using the stairs for the amount of times he did, was a contributory factor to his death.

The company failed to carry out a risk assessment. Morrisons fell short of the standards expected for somebody suffering from epilepsy.

Morrisons, in failing to move Matthews locker downstairs, is indisputable. The company failed to treat him as an individual and make appropriate changes. I accept that the risks were specific to Matthew.
Rolls-Royce has received funding from the UK Space Agency to develop a nuclear reactor for a Moon base.

The project will look into how nuclear power could be used to support a future base on the Moon for astronauts.

Scientists and engineers at the British company are working on the Micro-Reactor programme to develop technology that will provide power needed for humans to live and work on Earths natural satellite.

All space missions depend on a power source, to support systems for communications, life-support and science experiments.

Experts suggest nuclear power could potentially dramatically increase the length of lunar missions.

The UK Space Agency has announced 2.9 million of new funding for the project, which will deliver an initial demonstration of a UK lunar modular nuclear reactor.

This comes after a 249,000 study funded by the UK Space Agency in 2022.

Science minister George Freeman said: Space exploration is the ultimate laboratory for so many of the transformational technologies we need on Earth: from materials to robotics, nutrition, cleantech and much more.

As we prepare to see humans return to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years, we are backing exciting research like this lunar modular reactor with Rolls-Royce to pioneer new power sources for a lunar base.

Partnerships like this, between British industry, the UK Space Agency and Government are helping to create jobs across our 16 billion Space Tech sector and help ensure the UK continues to be a major force in frontier science.

Rolls-Royce plans to have a reactor ready to send to the Moon by 2029.

It will work with a variety of collaborators including the University of Oxford, University of Bangor, University of Brighton, University of Sheffields Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and Nuclear AMRC.

Compared to other power systems, a relatively small and lightweight nuclear micro-reactor could enable continuous power regardless of location, available sunlight, and other environmental conditions.

Abi Clayton, director of future programmes for Rolls-Royce said: This funding will bring us further down the road in making the Micro-Reactor a reality, with the technology bringing immense benefits for both space and Earth.

The technology will deliver the capability to support commercial and defence use cases alongside providing a solution to decarbonise industry and provide clean, safe and reliable energy.

Dr Paul Bate, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said: This innovative research by Rolls-Royce could lay the groundwork for powering continuous human presence on the Moon, while enhancing the wider UK space sector, creating jobs and generating further investment.
Striking junior doctors could meet the Health Secretary as soon as Friday afternoon to discuss a pay rise, a member of the British Medical Association (BMA) said.

Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairman of the BMAs junior doctors committee, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme he hopes talks with Steve Barclay can begin soon.

The union is demanding pay restoration for junior doctors, who can have many years experience and make up about 45% of the medical workforce.

It says their pay has fallen in real terms by 26% since 2008/09 and reversing this would require a 35.3% pay rise.

(PA Graphics)

Dr Trivedi said: Our position has been that we are open to talk in good faith, meaningfully, at any time.

We were ready to talk months ago. Our formal dispute started over 150 days ago and, again, that is just what I mean in that it is disappointing it has taken Steve Barclay so long to get to the negotiating table.

I only hope that he does come with good faith and a mandate to negotiate.

So far we havent arranged a time for this afternoon but there has been some correspondence between our offices so it does look like well be able to set something up in the near future.

I have made a formal offer to unions following constructive talks. It will give staff including nurses, paramedics and physios a fair pay rise while protecting our commitment to halve inflation. NHS workers do a brilliant job and I urge union members to accept this offer. pic.twitter.com/5h8ay4WeUl  Steve Barclay (@SteveBarclay) March 16, 2023

Mr Barclay has called on junior doctors to follow the example of other health unions, who on Thursday said they will recommend a pay deal to NHS staff including nurses and ambulance workers.

We have offered the same terms to the junior doctors that were accepted by the other trade unions and that is what I hope the junior doctors will respond to, Mr Barclay said.

Thursdays offer for other NHS staff  backed by the Royal College of Nursing, the GMB and Unison  includes a one-off lump sum for 2022/23 which rises in value up the NHS pay bands as well as a permanent 5% rise on all pay points for 2023/24.

It followed days of talks between health unions and the Government, raising hopes the long-running dispute could be brought to an end.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said on Thursday the Government hopes to strike a similar pay deal with junior doctors.

Speaking to GB News, Mr Raab said: The same offer is there. I think it would be the right thing to do for them to accept it. I hope they will.

I think it is a good deal, which is fair, which recognises the situation they are in, recognises the need we all have got to tackle the backlog in the NHS.

But questions were quickly raised about how the Treasury and Department of Health will fund the new offer.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak insisted frontline services will absolutely not be affected by any final pay deal, while Mr Barclay said funding for the agreement will not come at the expense of patients.

Union members will now vote on whether to accept the deal for workers including nurses and paramedics and are expected to consider the detail over the coming days and weeks.

The offer has already seen planned strikes called off.

Unite said the offer is not one it can recommend but it is for members to make the final decision.

(PA Graphics)

Meanwhile, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said the NHS does not have the money just lying around to fund the pay offer itself.

He said it will be very important that we find out in the next few days how were going to meet this extra cost.

Mr Taylor added: The Government has said in its press release today (on Thursday) that the cost of this will be met without any impact on patient services or quality of care.

Well, thats a good guarantee. And well want to see that being delivered on in the next few days.

Theres no way that the NHS can find one-and-a-half, two billion, two-and-a-half billion pounds without an impact on patient services or quality of care. We dont have that money just lying around, he told Channel 4 News.

Rachel Harrison, national secretary of the GMB, told the Today programme on Friday that officials negotiating on behalf of NHS workers for a pay rise were told the proposed 5% pay increase from April would not be funded from the health services existing budgets.

She said: That was one of the conditions that the GMB and some of the other unions put on the table before we even entered the room.

We wanted reassurance that this was additional money and it was not going to come out of NHS current budgets and that was the commitment we were given by the Government.
The UKs economy is expected to perform the worst out of any Group of 20 (G20) economies apart from Russia this year and next, new analysis has suggested.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said that it expects a 0.2% fall in UK gross domestic product (GDP) this year, followed by a rise of 0.9% next year.

It is worse than all countries but Russia, whose GDP is forecast to dip 2.5% this year followed by a 0.5% drop in 2024, the organisations economists said.

It means that the UK is the only country apart from Russia  which is subject to serious sanctions  to see its economy shrink this year. In 2024 the slight growth in the UK will be on par with South Africa and the United States.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: The British economy has proven more resilient than many expected, outperforming many forecasts to be the fastest growing economy in the G7 last year, and is on track to avoid recession.

Earlier this week I set out a plan to grow the economy by unleashing business investment and helping more people into work, alongside extending our significant energy bill support to help with rising prices, made possible by our windfall tax on energy profits.

Despite not addressing the new figures, Mr Hunt won some support from OECD secretary general Mathias Cormann.

He said: We believe the measures that the Government is taking to address these issues are going to be very important to improve the economic outlook for the United Kingdom moving forward, but there are some particular challenges that are playing out at the moment.

The OECD said that it expects global GDP to grow by 2.6% this year and 2.9% in 2024. The biggest gains will be made in China  up 5.3% this year  and India  up 5%.

Mr Cormann said that he did not think that recent bank failures in the US and the struggles of Credit Suisse were spread much more widely.

So far, we really do believe that the regulatory environment globally has improved very significantly since the global financial crisis.

There is of course increased financial stability risk with the level of financial turbulence  markets are jittery. We do believe that the risks of this spreading more widely are quite contained at this stage.
More than 175,000 appointments and procedures had to be postponed during the three-day junior doctors strike.

The postponements, revealed in data published by NHS England, had to be made to protect emergency, critical and urgent care for patients.

NHS medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said the strike has been on an unprecedented scale and had a greater impact than all the other industrial action we have seen so far this winter combined.

Leaders of junior doctors are to meet Health Secretary Steve Barclay next week to try and help resolve their pay dispute, which led the walkout.

Sir Stephen said: Despite the huge efforts that NHS staff made to keep patients safe and minimise disruption, this strike was on an unprecedented scale and had a greater impact than all the other industrial action we have seen so far this winter combined.

Striking NHS junior doctors on the picket line outside Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital in Norwich (Joe Giddens/PA)

Over 175,000 appointments and procedures were rescheduled to protect emergency, critical and urgent care for patients, which will inevitably impact on efforts to tackle the Covid backlog.

The British Medical Association has exchanged letters with the Government following yesterdays announcement of a new offer to other NHS workers.

The union is demanding pay restoration for junior doctors, who can have many years experience and make up about 45% of the medical workforce.

It says their pay has fallen in real terms by 26% since 2008/09 and reversing this would require a 35.3% pay rise.

Dr Vivek Trivedi and Dr Robert Laurenson, the co-chairs of the BMA junior doctors committee, said in a joint statement: Every day junior doctors despair as they see operations cancelled and treatment postponed for the millions on the waiting lists because our health services are in crisis.

But rescheduling appointments as a result of the strike action could have been avoided if the Health Secretary had come to the table and negotiated an agreed settlement with us before any strike action was taken.

The NHS had more than two months notice that we would strike for 72 hours if the ballot was successful; the Government has been in no doubt about our campaign for full pay restoration for over six months and this has been borne out by the number of junior doctors in England who have taken part in the industrial action.

They described junior doctors as being keen to see their pay restored and to avoid further disruption to patient care, adding that Mr Barclay has it within his gift to offer a deal so junior doctors can earn what they are worth, avoid further strike action and give patients the care they deserve.

Mr Barclay has called on junior doctors to follow the example of other health unions, who on Thursday said they will recommend a pay deal to NHS staff including nurses and ambulance workers.

He said: We have offered the same terms to the junior doctors that were accepted by the other trade unions and that is what I hope the junior doctors will respond to.
A mother has told of her desperate search for a stem cell donor after she was diagnosed with leukaemia.

Janice St Louis, 56, from London, who is of Black British Caribbean descent, needs somebody with similar heritage to help continue her fight against cancer.

Mrs St Louis, who has a husband, Thomas, and two daughters, Chante and Thomika, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in January after suffering flu-like symptoms for five weeks.

She eventually went to A&E where blood tests showed she had blood cancer.

Medics told her a stem cell transplant was the only treatment that could offer her a chance but, despite everyones best efforts, no donor has yet been found.

She has Grenadian heritage and it is likely that the ideal donor would have similar genetics.

Mrs St Louis has now teamed up with the charity Anthony Nolan to appeal to people from minority ethnic backgrounds to consider registering to become stem cell donors.

Just 37% of transplant recipients from minority ethnic backgrounds receive the best stem cell donor from an unrelated donor, compared with 72% of patients from white Northern European backgrounds.

Mrs St Louis, who is in Hammersmith Hospital, is staying positive, saying her diagnosis is just a temporary inconvenience.

She said: I have to focus on bigger things  my family, my friends, my life.

I am a happy-go-lucky kind of person, and I am not going to let this get me down. I believe that keeping a positive outlook on things can help make you feel healthy.

Im going to do what I can for myself, but I want to do what I can for other people as well.

Even after this experience, I am going to continue to raise awareness of leukaemia and the need for donors.

Henny Braund, chief executive of Anthony Nolan, said: Janices drive to raise awareness is inspiring.

We are working hard to find Janice her perfect match, but urgently need more people to sign up to the register, particularly men aged between 16 to 30 especially if they are from a Black British Caribbean background.

Joining the register takes minutes  simply complete a form on the website and youll be sent a swab in the post that you just need to return to Anthony Nolan.

Dr Amos Ogunkoya, star of reality TV series The Traitors and Anthony Nolan ambassador, said: When it comes to stem cell treatments, being black or from a minority ethnic background can really affect your chances of finding the right match because of a lack of diversity across the registry.

No-one should ever be told that a suitable donor cannot be found, simply because of their race.

It is vital that people from minority ethnic backgrounds consider signing up to become potential stem cell donors, so that patients like Janice have a second chance at life.

To find out more about joining the Anthony Nolan register, visit anthonynolan.org/janyellstemcell
Downing Street said the decision to ban TikTok from Government phones was a prudent and proportionate step after China criticised the app abolition.

Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden on Thursday announced the ban citing fears over the protection of sensitive UK Government data.

It means users of Government-issued devices, bar officials given specific exemptions, will be prohibited from using the popular video-sharing application.

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Britain accused ministers of acting based on its political motive rather than facts.

But No 10 said a security review had concluded that Government data could be potentially vulnerable via the social media platform.

The Cabinet Office said the ban was being imposed because TikTok users are required to hand over data including contacts, user content and geolocation data.

TikTok has long said it does not share data with China but the countrys intelligence legislation requires firms to help the Communist Party when requested.

Critics fear the policy could expose data to Beijing, with growing concerns about how Xi Jinpings administration could use technology against the West.

During Boris Johnsons premiership, ministers ruled that equipment produced by Chinese tech giant Huawei should be stripped out of the UKs 5G network following security advice and US sanctions on the firm.

The UKs TikTok decision followed action already taken by allies, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks administration having been under pressure from Conservative backbenches to follow Washington and the European Unions lead in outlawing it from devices used for official business.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister told reporters on Friday that a security review concluded that a devices ban would be a prudent and proportionate step given the potential vulnerability of government data.

The analysis had found there were risks around how sensitive information can be accessed and used by the website, he added.

Anyone who uses TikTok will know that it requires users to give permission for the app to access data stored on the device which is then collected by the company, the No 10 spokesman continued.

Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden announced the Government device TikTok ban (House of Commons/PA)

So we think its a prudent step to not allow it on Government devices.

While the ban applies to Government-issued devices, ministers and officials will still be able to use TikTok on their personal phones.

Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps, an avid user of the platform, has made clear he will continue to view and post videos from his personal phone via the app while taking security precautions.

Along with personal phone use allowances, there will also be some limited exemptions on some Government devices made on a case-by-case basis where the video-sharing app is required for work purposes.

Downing Street said there was no plan to delete the No 10 account and has hinted that it could remain operational due to the need to communicate with the public on social media.

The Chinese embassy, in comments issued on Thursday, said the targeted ban would undermine the confidence of the international community in the UKs business environment while calling for London to refrain from overstretching and abusing the concept of national security.

TikTok, owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance, said it was disappointed with the decision and said bans were based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics.

A spokesman for the firm said efforts were being made to make UK data even more secure and stressed that information shared by British users was not stored on China-based data centres.
One in 24 bridges on Britains local roads are unable to carry the heaviest vehicles, figures show.

Local authorities identified 3,090 bridges as being substandard at the end of last year, the RAC Foundation said.

This means they are too weak to be used by 44-tonne lorries.

Many are subject to weight restrictions, while others are under programmes of increased monitoring or even managed decline.

Councils reported 14 partial collapses during the 2021/22 financial year.

They were in the local authority areas of Aberdeenshire, Barnet, County Durham, Lancashire, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Shropshire, Tower Hamlets, Warwickshire, Conwy and Newport.

Devon has the most substandard bridges at 224, followed by Cheshire East (194), Essex (151), Somerset (128) and Suffolk (119).

Some are substandard because they were built to earlier design standards, while others have deteriorated through age and use.

Cracks in the pedestals of Hammersmith Bridge, west London, have led to motor vehicles being banned from using the 136-year-old cast iron structure since April 2019.

The total of 3,090 substandard bridges is down from 3,211 a year earlier.

Between them, local authorities said they would ideally want to bring 2,506 of their substandard bridges back up to full carrying capacity.

But budget constraints mean they anticipate that only 387 will have the necessary work carried out on them within the next five years.

The analysis was based on data provided by 196 councils in response to freedom of information requests, and was carried out in partnership with Adept, a group representing local authority bosses responsible for transport and other sectors.

Bridges included in the research range from major structures across estuaries to stretches of road at least 1.5 metres in length spanning culverts carrying water under carriageways.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: This latest study shows the scale of the challenge local authorities are valiantly wrestling with to protect the critical road infrastructure we all rely on in the context of huge funding and resource pressures.

The numbers illustrate how important it is for significant sums of money to be spent tackling at least the higher priority work.

Whether it is potholes or bridges, there is only so long that councils can continue to patch things up before bigger cracks literally start to appear in the road network.

One other key finding of the report is the need for local authorities to have a very precise inventory of what they are responsible for.

Attention to detail is critical on what, by any road users reckoning, must be regarded as critical infrastructure.

Kevin Dentith, vice chairman of Adepts national bridges group, said: Bridge owners have shown in the data an aspiration to reduce the number of substandard bridges by 81%.

The data suggests to achieve this will require Government funding of 918 million but there is currently a skills shortage of senior engineers able to take on this work which will also need addressing.

Cllr David Renard, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association said: Bridges, whether for rail, local highways or motorways, are a vital part of our transport infrastructure that connect communities and business.

Not all bridges are the responsibility of councils, but for those that are, they are doing their best to ensure they are well maintained and withstand extreme weather, the like of which communities have been experiencing for much of the last few months. However, this is becoming increasingly challenging in the face of a backlog of nearly 12 billion to bring our local roads up to scratch.

A spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: The Government is providing more than 5 billion of investment over this Parliament to local authorities across England to support the maintenance of their local highway infrastructure, including the repair of bridges and the resurfacing of roads up and down the country.
Politicians must fulfil the promise of the Good Friday Agreement to deliver reconciliation  not just peace, the Taoiseach has said.

Leo Varadkar spoke about the unfinished legacy of the 1998 accord as he reflected on the upcoming 25th anniversary of the settlement that largely ended the conflict in Northern Ireland.

In the traditional St Patricks Day lunch on Capitol Hill, this year hosted by new Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the Irish premier hailed the achievement of the agreement in breaking the 30-year cycle of violence in Northern Ireland.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is also in Washington DC (Niall Carson/PA)

Now we have to complete that work to fulfil the agreements promise not just of peace but also reconciliation, build a shared island together, he said.

I know the people of Northern Ireland want to see their political assembly and devolved government back up and running, and their politicians working to improve their lives.

So much has been achieved since 1998. Today, new generations of young people are growing up with no memory of the conflict that their parents endured and, as somebody who grew up in the 80s and 90s when political violence was an almost everyday occurrence, that is something to be profoundly grateful for.

Mr Varadkar said an end to the political impasse brought on by disputes over Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol could deliver great economic prosperity for the region.

The Taoiseach highlighted the potential he saw in the new Windsor Framework struck by the EU and UK.

I believe there are now incredible opportunities for economic development in Northern Ireland, especially with the potential of the Windsor Framework recently agreed with the European Commission and the UK Government, he said.

Our task now is to complete that mission to help the people of Northern Ireland to build a more peaceful and more prosperous future together.
The Prince of Wales has said his mother would be disappointed that the UK is still no further along with tackling the problem of homelessness.

William appeared in a short film as part of the 2023 Comic Relief broadcast where he sat down with two people who had experienced homelessness.

For the film, William visited Groundswell, a homelessness organisation supported by Comic Relief, and spoke to Nawshin and Miles.

William appeared in a short film as part of the 2023 Comic Relief broadcast where he sat down with two people who had experienced homelessness (BBC/PA)

He said that his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, had been interested and involved in tackling the issue throughout her life.

My mother introduced me to the cause of homelessness from a young age and Im really glad she exposed me to that  that part of life, he said.

I think shed be disappointed that were still no further along the line in terms of tackling homelessness and preventing it than probably when she was interested in and involved in it.

Sitting down with Nawshin and Miles, the Prince of Wales told them: Im here to really learn a bit more from you both, to hear a bit more about your lived experience of homelessness.

Nawshin described her story as relatively complicated, having been in and out of mental health hospital as well as having been homeless.

She said that the constant changes had affected her psyche, adding: It affects your self confidence. You stop being a unique individual.

Miles told William he had gone through a dark difficult period about five years ago, saying he had hit my rock bottom after suffering his 10th seizure.

Miles told William he had hit rock bottom around five years ago (BBC/PA)

Life threw so many things at me. I had to lose everything to actually find out what I needed, he said.

When youre homeless, not having a support network, not having people you can rely on, it makes the pain of the situation so much worse, Nawshin added, to which William nodded in acknowledgment.

Theres a lot of stigma, theres a lot of misconceptions out there about what homelessness is, William said.

Organisations like Groundswell rely heavily on being able to do their work through the funding that comes from Comic Relief and so its absolutely vital that we support them in any way we can.
Public opinion is divided on this weeks Budget but more people are concerned than reassured, a poll has found.

Just 13% of people told pollster Ipsos they felt more reassured about their personal finances after Wednesdays announcement, with 12% saying the same about the state of Britains public services.

The poll of 1,000 British adults also found 22% saying the Budget left them more reassured about the state of Britains economy.

But 35% said it had made them more concerned about the economy and public services while 37% said they were more concerned about their own finances.

Change in UK real household disposable income. See story POLITICS Budget. Infographic PA Graphics. An editable version of this graphic is available if required. Please contact graphics@pamediagroup.com.

The reaction is more positive than after Jeremy Hunts autumn statement in November, and many of the Chancellors individual policies have been well received.

Extending the energy price guarantee until June was backed by 74% of people, while 70% supported maintaining the freeze in fuel duty and 59% said they were in favour of expanding free childcare provision.

Only freezing income tax thresholds and awarding an annual 1 million prize for AI innovation had more opponents than supporters.

But for a Chancellor who told reporters after the Budget that there was no path (to re-election) for us without a reputation for economic competence, the Ipsos poll has less positive news on overall views of the Governments handling of the economy.

Labour still has a six-point lead on which party is most trusted to handle the economy, the same as after the autumn statement, and 61% of people said they were not confident that the Conservatives had a good long-term economic plan compared to 51% who say the same about Labour.

Some 60% blame decisions made by Mr Hunt and Rishi Sunak for the current state of the economy, while two-thirds said the Tories economic policies over the last 13 years are responsible.

Mr Sunak does still lead Sir Keir Starmer on who is more trusted to manage the economy, but that lead has fallen from eight points in November to just two after the Budget.

Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos, said: Although Britons recognise that external factors are also to blame, many do still hold the Conservatives responsible for at least some of Britains economic difficulties.

Changing this will not just depend on peoples immediate responses to the Budget in the short-term, but on whether the public sees any improvements in the economy and to public services over the next few months.

In a separate poll of 1,200 British adults, YouGov found a significant boost for the Chancellors favourability compared with the beginning of the month.

Some 25% of those polled said they now had a favourable view of Mr Hunt, compared to 17% before the Budget, while those saying they had an unfavourable view fell from 62% to 56%.

But despite the 14-point boost, Mr Hunt still has a negative overall rating of -31, worse than both Mr Sunak on -20 and Sir Keir Starmer on -11.
A teenager has been locked up for at least 15 years for the murder of a quiet and popular 17-year-old boy in a gang ride-out glorified in a drill rap video.

George Makia, 18, was found guilty of his role in the fatal stabbing of Bubacar Jabbie Dukureh who was killed metres from his home in Walthamstow, east London.

The victim, who was known as Buba, was stabbed in the chest and collapsed on his doorstep in a pool of blood after being attacked by five teenagers on the evening of October 23 2020.

Following an earlier trial, Samuel Bartley, 19, Jamal Dakissaga-Benitez, 19, Alfie Ferguson, 19, and Kaiyan Decordova, 20, were found guilty of murder.

Makia, who was 15 at the time, was not part of their trial because he was taken abroad by his family and only returned to the UK a week before it started.

The defendant from Walthamstow, who can be identified since turning 18, denied being involved but was found guilty of murder in January.

In victim impact statements, Babas devastated parents and siblings described him as a loving, friendly, popular, quiet young man.

His mother Haja Dukureh said the vile killers had not only taken Babas life but ruined that of his family by their evil barbaric acts.

She said: We hope and pray justice for Baba will prevail.

His brothers said: We opened our front door and saw our little brother lying in his blood. Seeing him like this has been what we will remember  our brother lying in his blood

This has had a huge impact on our lives and we are still grieving for what has happened to Baba.

On Friday, Judge Anuja Dhir KC detained Makia for life with a minimum term of 15 years.

She told Makia: Having heard the evidence at both trials I am sure that this was a professional, co-ordinated, planned ride-out  that was clear from your actions before during and after the killing.

Bubacar Dukureh was not the intended target  he was just there. And together with the others in your group you killed him. Your victim was defenceless and unarmed.

In my judgment it is clear all of you were working together. Whoever was carrying the knife or knives, you were acting in concert and as a team.

Previously, prosecutor James Dawes KC told how the attackers were identified on CCTV, with two on bicycles and three on foot.

The attackers were associated with the Higham Hill or Priory Court Boys gang which was in rivalry with neighbouring gangs called Drive Marlowe, and St James or the Mali Boys.

Mr Dawes said: It is the Crowns case Buba had the appearance for them of a Mali Boy and that was sufficient to get him killed.

Jurors were played a video clip set to a drill rap which was found on the phone belonging to the defendant Ferguson and focused on the victims address.

Mr Dawes said the video appeared to be glorifying the murder and was intended to be uploaded to the internet.

In mitigation, it was said Makia took no part in the making of the video by Ferguson.

The judge accepted that Ferguson had inflicted the fatal 12cm-deep wound and that Makia, while armed, did not take out his knife.
The Taoiseach has hailed the US as trailblazers on LGBT rights issues as he met vice president Kamala Harris in Washington.

Mr Varadkar thanked Ms Harris for her own advocacy and for being a strong ally to the LGBT community as he and partner Matt Barrett attended a breakfast event at her residence on St Patricks Day morning.

The Taoiseach and Mr Barrett were also guests at the traditional breakfast held by then-vice president Mike Pence in 2019.

There had been questions at that time whether Mr Barrett would attend due to Mr Pences views on homosexuality.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar with US vice president Kamala Harris during a breakfast meeting hosted by Ms Harris at her official residence in Washington DC (Niall Carson/PA)

In his speech on Friday, Mr Varadkar said: Thank you very much Madam Vice President for inviting Matt and me to be here in your beautiful home and for continuing that very special tradition, which was initiated by President Biden when he was resident here.

As doctors and as proud members of the LGBT community, allow us to say how inspired weve been by your personal advocacy for marriage equality, particularly in relation to Proposition 8 (a move to prohibit same-sex marriage in California that Ms Harris campaigned against), also your defence of affordable healthcare.

Mr Varadkar said America had led the way when it comes to LGBT equality.

I dont think I would be here today were it not for what America did, he added.

I know youve been such a strong ally to our community in that regard.

The morning meeting at the vice presidents residence was the starting point for the Irish premiers day of high-level engagements in the US capital.

Mr Varadkar and Mr Barrett posed for photos with Ms Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff when they arrived at her residence early on Friday morning.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and partner Matt Barrett, left, with Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff, right (Niall Carson/PA)

The vice president said she was pleased to resume a tradition that had been paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

She also used her remarks at the breakfast event to describe the new EU/UK deal on post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland as an essential step to ensure peace and progress in the region.

Ms Harris highlighted President Joe Bidens support for the Windsor Framework.

She said Northern Irelands peace was hard-won and should be cherished.

The vice president said the US administration viewed issues around Northern Ireland and the need to preserve the fundamentals of the Good Friday peace agreement very seriously.

As President Biden has said, the Windsor Framework is an essential step to ensure peace and progress, and to ensure that it is strengthened and preserved, she said.
Irish premier Leo Varadkar has held talks with President Joe Biden as the two leaders marked St Patricks Day at the White House.

Ahead of the bilateral engagement, Mr Varadkar hailed the Irish-American relationship as one of two proud democracies, close friends and economic partners.

During the meeting, the two politicians are expected to discuss the presidents planned visit to the island of Ireland next month.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office before the private engagement, Mr Varadkar pledged to roll out the red carpet for Mr Biden when he visits Ireland.

The President said the two leaders would discuss the Ukraine conflict and the forthcoming anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Taoiseach began the day of traditional St Patricks Day engagements in Washington DC at a breakfast event hosted by the US vice-president, Kamala Harris.

Mr Varadkar and his partner, Matt Barrett, posed for photos with Ms Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, when they arrived at her residence early on Friday.

Inside, he hailed Ms Harris and the wider USs work on LGBT rights.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and partner Matt Barrett, far left, with the US Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, far right (Niall Carson/PA).

Mr Varadkar thanked Vice President Kamala Harris for her advocacy on the LGBT issue and for being a strong ally.

From Stonewall to Sacramento to San Francisco, America has led the way when it comes to LGBT equality, he said.

I dont think I would be here today were it not for what America did. I know youve been such a strong ally to our community in that regard.

Ahead of Fridays events, Mr Varadkar was embroiled in a controversy after apologising for an ill-judged remark that was seen as an apparent reference to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar speaks during the breakfast meeting hosted by US Vice President Kamala Harris (Niall Carson/PA)

While reminiscing about his experience as an intern in the United States, the Taoiseach made a reference to possible concern about being an intern in the US capital at the time.

Mr Varadkar made the remarks during an address to the Washington Ireland Programme, which helps young people develop career skills and which Mr Varadkar took part in, in 2000.

The Taoiseachs comment came hours after attending an event honouring womens role in the Good Friday Agreement, during which he praised Hillary Clinton for her sustained involvement in Northern Ireland.

A spokesperson for Mr Varadkar said in a statement following the event: He made an ill-judged, off-the-cuff remark which he regrets. He apologises for any offence caused to anyone concerned.

Former US president Bill Clinton and Mrs Clinton are due to take a leading role in commemorations planned in Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next month.

Monica Lewinsky was a young White House intern when she and the then-US president Bill Clinton embarked on a romance in the 1990s. She was pilloried for years after the scandal broke.

The affair almost forced Mr Clinton out of office and Ms Lewinsky has spoken about the devastating effect it had on her life in the years after.

Mr Varadkar sat beside Hillary Clinton at Thursday mornings event at Georgetown University focusing on the role of women in the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Fridays political engagements will culminate with the Taoiseach handing over a crystal bowl of shamrocks to Mr Biden at the White House.
Joe Bidens presidential trip to the island of Ireland will be a visit like no other, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

The Irish premier pledged to roll out the red carpet for President Biden for his expected visit next month.

The President is set to travel to both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in April in a visit with a strong focus on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has already invited Mr Biden to come to Northern Ireland to mark the anniversary.

No further details on dates or locations were revealed by the President and Taoiseach as they talked to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday.

The leaders were taking part in the traditional bilateral engagement between the President and Taoiseach to mark St Patricks Day.

I promise you that were going to roll out the red carpet and its going to be a visit like no other, Mr Varadkar told the President.

Everyones excited about it already. Were going to have great crowds whod love to see you.

The President did not give much away about the visit in his remarks in the Oval Office, though he did describe Ireland as home when talking about St Patricks Day.

Its a big day in my grandparents household, our household, a big day here, and I know a bigger day at home, he said.

After the meeting, Mr Varadkar again spoke to reporters about Mr Bidens visit.

He certainly hopes and expects to come to Ireland hopefully in the future and itd be very much a homecoming visit, as well as an official visit as well, he said.

White House officials have visited both Belfast and Dublin as part of planning for the visit.

Former US president Bill Clinton and his wife and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton will be in Belfast next month for events to commemorate the landmark accord that largely ended the Troubles.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at a bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House (Niall Carson/PA)

Other key figures involved in securing the deal are also due to travel to the city.

A visit by Mr Biden to Northern Ireland to mark the Good Friday deal has long been anticipated but there has been speculation that it might not materialise if the powersharing impasse at Stormont is ongoing in April.

The DUP is blocking the operation of the institutions created by the Good Friday deal in protest at Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol.

The party is currently deliberating on whether to accept a new UK/EU deal on post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland  the Windsor Framework  and return to Stormont.

It is understood the devolution impasse will not be a determining factor for US officials planning the potential visit by Mr Biden.

The President has a deep affection for his Irish ancestry and a visit to the island has always been on the cards since his election.

Paraphrasing James Joyce, one of his favourite Irish writers, Mr Biden once wrote that north-east Pennsylvania would be written on his heart when he dies but Ireland will be written on my soul.

His Irish Catholic heritage is not only a source of intense pride, it also frames much of his political back story.

Joe Biden on a previous visit to Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)

The number of times Joyce and other Irish literary greats, such as Seamus Heaney and William Butler Yeats, find their way into his speeches is apparently somewhat of a running joke in Washington.

When welcoming Mr Varadkar to the Oval Office on Friday, the President again referenced a line from Yeats  Think where mans glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was I had such friends.

Mr Biden said: Well, youve been a great friend, a great friend, to the United States. Ireland and the United States share friendship and long, long traditions.

The Democratic politician can trace his ancestry to Irelands west and east coasts, specifically Ballina in Co Mayo and the Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth.

His great-great-grandfather Owen Finnegan emigrated to the United States from the Cooley peninsula while another great-great-grandfather Patrick Blewitt was born in Ballina, leaving during the Irish famine in 1850 to sail to America.

Distant relatives celebrated his election win in November 2020 and gathered again in January 2021 to mark his inauguration.

Champagne corks were popped, cakes were baked and a huge mural of the 46th president was painted on a wall in Ballina.

The affection is reciprocated and prior to becoming president, Mr Biden had visited both counties in recent years to meet long-lost cousins.

Any visit to Ireland as president would be anticipated to include aspects related to his ancestry.
The Prince and Princess of Wales will celebrate St Patricks Day with the Irish Guards later on Friday.

William, outgoing Colonel of the Irish Guards, will be joined by Kate, incoming Colonel, at the St Patricks Day Parade in Aldershot.

It will be Kates first time attending the parade as Colonel of the regiment, having recently visited the 1st Battalion Irish Guards on Salisbury Plain.

The then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on March 17 2022 (Chris Jackson/PA)

The princess will present the traditional sprigs of shamrock to the officers and guardsmen, who will in turn issue it along the ranks, as well as to the Irish wolfhound regimental mascot.

The parade will conclude with a royal salute and march-past, where Kate will take the salute as the new Colonel.

The Princess of Wales, Colonel of the Irish Guards (Steve Reigate/Daily Express/PA)

After the parade the couple will meet the Irish Guards Association, which is made up of past members of the Irish Guards.

Kate will be invited to inspect the front rank whilst William will inspect the second rank.

The visit is expected to conclude with a toast to the couple.
Lance Reddick, star of The Wire and John Wick franchise, has died at the age of 60, his representatives have confirmed.

The US actor died on Friday morning, with his death attributed to natural causes, according to his publicist.

Reddick played Charon in all four of the John Wick films, starring Keanu Reeves, the last of which is due for UK release next week.

Charon is the impassive hotel concierge at New Yorks criminal underground hub, The Continental Hotel, in the high-octane thriller films.

Prior to his death, Reddick had completed a number of press interviews for the film.

Reddick starred alongside Keanu Reeves in all four of the John Wick films (Ian West/PA)

In a joint statement shared with US media outlets, Reeves and John Wick director Chad Stahelski described him as a consummate professional.

We are deeply saddened and heartbroken at the loss of our beloved friend and colleague Lance Reddick, the statement read.

He was the consummate professional and a joy to work with. Our love and prayers are with his wife Stephanie, his children, family and friends.

We dedicate the film to his loving memory. We will miss him dearly.

Reddick began his screen career in the mid-1990s, with guest roles on series including The Nanny and New York Undercover, going on to big-screen roles in Great Expectations and The Siege.

He later landed the part of Cedric Daniels in the popular HBO drama The Wire, appearing in all 60 episodes alongside stars including Dominic West, Idris Elba, Michael K Williams and Wendell Pierce.

In an online tribute to Reddick, Pierce described him as a man of great strength and grace and described his death as a sudden unexpected sharp painful grief for our artistic family.

As talented a musician as he was an actor. The epitome of class, Pierce wrote on Twitter, sharing a picture of Reddick.

A man of great strength and grace. As talented a musician as he was an actor. The epitome of class. An sudden unexpected sharp painful grief for our artistic family. An unimaginable suffering for his personal family and loved ones. Godspeed my friend. You made your mark here. RIP pic.twitter.com/Xy0pl5c4NR  Wendell Pierce (@WendellPierce) March 17, 2023

An sudden unexpected sharp painful grief for our artistic family. An unimaginable suffering for his personal family and loved ones.

Godspeed my friend. You made your mark here. RIP.

Reddick was also known for his work on television show Fringe, Bosch and Lost.

He also lent his voice to animated shows including Adult Swims Rick And Morty.

Reddick is survived by his wife, Stephanie Reddick, and children, Yvonne Nicole Reddick and Christopher Reddick.
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Amazon is seen at the company logistics centre in Boves

By Foo Yun Chee

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - An EU decision ordering Amazon to pay about 250 million euros ($265 million) in back taxes to Luxembourg relies on "atmospherics" and is without merit, the company said on Thursday, as it sought to convince Europe's top court to throw out an appeal by EU regulators.

The European Commission in its 2017 decision said a Luxembourg tax arrangement allowing Amazon to channel profits to a holding company tax-free meant it paid no taxes on almost three-quarters of its profits from EU operations, in essence amounting to illegal state aid.

The U.S. online retailer challenged the EU tax order in a lower tribunal, convincing it to scrap it in 2021, in a setback to competition chief Margrethe Vestager's crackdown on preferential deals.

The Commission subsequently appealed to Europe's highest court, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

"The Commission relies heavily on atmospherics to paint Amazon in a negative light and justify its decision. It claims the decision is about tax structuring and tax dodging. But it is not," Amazon lawyer Michel Petite told the CJEU.

He said the EU executive's appeal lacked merit as it used the wrong reference framework to determine whether Amazon had a selective advantage, citing the CJEU's judgment last year on Fiat's tax case which said such a framework should take into account national laws.

Petite also faulted the Commission on its concept of transfer pricing, which are prices for goods and services sold between subsidiaries.

"The most striking illustration of the Commission's made-up transfer pricing is perhaps the fact that it relies on a concocted compilation of different versions of the OECD Guidelines, spanning a period of more than 20 years," he said.

Commission lawyer Paul-John Loewenthal said it was clear that Amazon's Luxembourg tax deal constituted state aid.

"Luxembourg provided a measure to Amazon by which Amazon could exempt the vast majority of its European profit from taxation in return for investments in Luxembourg, thus affecting intra-EU trade and distorting competition," he said.

"That is the very definition of fiscal state aid."

Vestager's crackdown has already forced Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to change their tax practices.

The CJEU adviser will deliver a non-binding opinion on June 8, with a judgment due in the coming months. The case is C-457/21 P Commission v Luxembourg and Others.

($1 = 0.9428 euros)

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Jason Neely)
The biggest U.S. banks are banding together to rescue beleaguered San Francisco lender First Republic (FRC) with $30 billion of uninsured deposits, an unusual joint effort to stabilize a rival and restore calm following a volatile week.

The infusion from 11 of the nation's biggest banks, including JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Bank of America (BAC), follows a steep drop in the shares of First Republic, which was the nation's 14th-largest bank as of Dec. 31 with $212 billion in assets.

JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup (C) and Wells Fargo (WFC)the four largest lenders in the U.S. by assetsdeposited $5 billion apiece. Goldman Sachs (GS), Morgan Stanley (MS) each deposited $2.5 billion while U.S. Bancorp (USB), Truist (TFC), PNC (PNC), State Street (STT) and Bank of New York Mellon (BK) each deposited $1 billion. The deposits have to stay at First Republic for 120 days and earn interest at the same rate of current depositors, according to a person familiar with the pact.

"The actions of Americas largest banks reflect their confidence in the countrys banking system," the banks said in a joint release. "Together, we are deploying our financial strength and liquidity into the larger system, where it is needed the most." Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and two other regulators said in a joint statement that "this show of support by a group of large banks is most welcome, and demonstrates the resilience of the banking system."

The extraordinary infusion from First Republic's competitors is an attempt to stop a slide for the California lender that began during last week's failure of another lender in the same state: Santa Clara-based Silicon Valley Bank. An initial infusion of $70 billion in financing from JPMorgan and the Federal Reserve announced Sunday failed to alleviate the pressure.

First Republic's shares plummeted again this week after S&P Global and Fitch Ratings downgraded the bank's credit rating. Shares recovered Thursday after The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg reported details of the industry pact, with the stock up 10% at the close. CNBC also earlier reported the 120-day term of the deposits provided by the 11 banks.

Signage is displayed on an ATM outside of a First Republic Bank branch in Manhattan Beach, California, on March 13, 2023. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Deposit withdrawals, which helped sink Silicon Valley Bank, are a potential problem for First Republic, according to S&P. "We believe the risk of deposit outflows is elevated at First Republic Bank despite the actions of federal banking regulators and the bank actively increasing its borrowing availability to mitigate risk associated with the bank failures over the last week," it said in its downgrade note.

Of the bank's $176.4 billion in deposits as Dec. 31, approximately 68% were above the insurance levels backstopped by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Last week the FDIC agreed to cover all uninsured depositors at Silicon Valley Bank and New York lender Signature Bank after deciding that the failure of those two institutions constituted "systemic risk."

Some of the companies involved in the attempted First Republic rescue played the role of saviors during the last banking crisis in 2008. JPMorgan snapped up New York investment bank Bear Stearns and Seattle thrift Washington Mutual, turning itself into the country's largest coast-to-coast bank. Charlotte-based Bank of America purchased New York investment bank Merrill Lynch, which gave BofA more sway on Wall Street. San Francisco lender Wells Fargo picked up Wachovia, providing it with a bigger presence in the South.

JPMorgan Chase & Company Chairman and CEO Jamie Dimon testifies at a Senate Banking Committee hearing, Sept. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

These banking giants hope their new, coordinated move will stabilize confidence in the banking system. It may be more difficult for some to play the same rescuer role on their own this time around.

First, it is more difficult for the biggest of that group to make purchases of rival banks after gobbling up so much market share following the 2008 crisis. Banking laws prohibit any bank from pushing its share of all U.S. deposits over 10%.

Some may also be less willing to repeat the headaches of 2008. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, for example, has said he would not purchase Bear Stearns again if he had the chance due to the legal problems it created for his company in the aftermath of the crisis.

Over the last week, as regional banks faltered, some of these giants sucked in large amounts of deposits as customers sought the perceived safety of larger institutions. The banks in their joint release Thursday said "there were outflows of uninsured deposits at a small number of banks" following the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Their action "reflects their confidence in First Republic and in banks of all sizes," adding that "regional, midsize and small banks are critical to the health and functioning of our financial system."

First Republic was founded in 1985 by Jim Herbert, and over the decades it attracted wealthy customers and businesses clustered on either coast. Of the banks total deposits, 40% came from the San Francisco Bay area, 19% from New York, 9% from Boston and 8% from Los Angeles, according to the banks annual report.

Amid the tumult of the past week the bank has said its capital and liquidity levels were strong. Herbert and the bank's CEO said in a release Sunday that "we operate with an emphasis on safety and stability at all times, while maintaining a well-diversified deposit base."

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Garbage is set on fire by protesters after a demonstration near Concorde square, in Paris, Thursday, March 16, 2023. French President Emmanuel Macron has shunned parliament and imposed a highly unpopular change to the nation's pension system, raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)

PARIS (AP)  Angry protesters took to the streets in Paris and other cities for a second day on Friday, trying to pressure lawmakers to bring down French President Emmanuel Macron's government and doom the unpopular retirement age increase he's trying to impose without a vote in the National Assembly.

A day after Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne invoked a special constitutional power to skirt a vote in the chaotic lower chamber, lawmakers on the right and left filed no-confidence motions to be voted on Monday.

At the elegant Place de Concorde, a festive protest by several thousand, with chants, dancing and a huge bonfire, degenerated into a scene echoing the night before. Riot police charged and threw tear gas to empty the huge square across from the National Assembly after troublemakers climbed scaffolding on a renovation site, arming themselves with wood. They lobbed fireworks and paving stones at police in a standoff.

On Thursday night, security forces charged and used water cannons to evacuate the area, and small groups then set street fires in chic neighborhoods nearby. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told radio station RTL that 310 people were arrested overnight, most of them in Paris.

Mostly small, scattered protests were held in cities around France, from a march in Bordeaux to a rally in Toulouse. Port officers in Calais temporarily stopped ferries from crossing the English Channel to Dover. Some university campuses in Paris were blocked and protesters occupied a high-traffic ring road around the French capital.

Paris garbage collectors extended their strike for a 12th day, with piles of foul-smelling rubbish growing daily in the French capital. Striking sanitation workers continued to block Europes largest incineration site and two other sites that treat Paris garbage.

Some yellow vest activists, who mounted formidable protests against Macrons economic policies during his first term, were among those who relayed Friday's Paris protest on social media. Police say that radicalized yellow vests are among troublemakers at protest marches.

Trade unions organizing the opposition urged demonstrators to remain peaceful during more strikes and marches in the days ahead. They have called on people to leave schools, factories, refineries and other workplaces to force Macron to abandon his plan to make the French to work two more years, until 64, before receiving a full pension.

Macron took a calculated risk ordering Borne to invoke a special constitutional power that she had used 10 times before without triggering such an outpouring of anger.

If the no-confidence votes fail, the bill becomes law. If a majority agrees, it would spell the end of the retirement reform plan and force the government to resign, although Macron could always reappoint Borne to name the new Cabinet.

We are not going to stop, CGT union representative Regis Vieceli told The Associated Press on Friday. He said overwhelming the streets with discontent and refusing to continue working is the only way that we will get them to back down.

Macron has made the proposed pension changes the key priority of his second term, arguing that reform is needed to make the French economy more competitive and to keep the pension system from diving into deficit. France, like many richer nations, faces lower birth rates and longer life expectancy.

Macron's conservative allies in the Senate passed the bill, but frantic counts of lower-house lawmakers Thursday showed a slight risk it would fall short of a majority, so Macron decided to invoke the constitution's Article 49-3 to bypass a vote.

Getting a no-confidence motion to pass will be challenging  none have succeeded since 1962, and Macrons centrist alliance still has the most seats in the National Assembly. A minority of conservatives could stray from the Republicans party line, but it remains to be seen whether they're willing to bring down Macron's government.

-

Surk reported from Nice, France. Associated Press reporters Elaine Ganley, Alex Turnbull and Nicolas Garriga in Paris contributed to this report.
BEIJING (AP)  Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Russia from Monday to Wednesday, in an apparent show of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin amid sharpening East-West tensions over the war in Ukraine.

Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine is expected to dominate Putin and Xi's discussions. China has refused to condemn Moscows aggression and sought to project itself as neutral in the conflict even while Beijing declared last year that it had a no-limits friendship with Russia.

The meeting between the leaders was announced by both countries on Friday.

China has said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, while condemning Western sanctions and accusing NATO and the United States of provoking Russia into military action.

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba that Beijing was concerned about the year-old conflict spinning out of control and urged talks on a political solution with Moscow.

China has always upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks," Qin said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin talk to each other during their meeting in Beijing, China on Feb. 4, 2022. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Kuleba later tweeted that he and Qin discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity.

I underscored the importance of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys)s peace formula for ending the aggression and restoring just peace in Ukraine, wrote Kuleba, who spoke the same day with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a daily briefing on Friday that Xi will have an in-depth exchange of views with President Putin on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of common concern, promote strategic cooperation and practical cooperation between the two countries, and inject new impetus into the development of bilateral relations.

"Currently, the world is entering a new period of turbulences and reform with the accelerated evolution of changes of the century. As permanent members of the UN Security Council and important major countries, the significance and impact of the China-Russia relations go far beyond the bilateral sphere, he added.

The trip comes after the destruction of a U.S. drone over the Black Sea following an encounter with Russian fighter jets, which brought the two countries closest to direct conflict since Moscows invasion of Ukraine a year ago.

The Kremlin on Friday also announced Xi's visit, saying it would take place at the invitation of Vladimir Putin.

Xi and Putin will discuss issues of further development of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China, as well as exchange views in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese cooperation in the international arena, the Kremlin said in a statement.

The two leaders will also sign important bilateral documents, the statement read.

Putin invited Xi to visit Russia during a video conference call the two held in late December. The visit, Putin said, could demonstrate to the whole world the strength of the Russian-Chinese ties and become the main political event of the year in bilateral relations.
Yesterday, for the eleventh time in 10 months, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne invoked article 49.3 of the French Constitution, to force through Macrons hated pension reforms without a parliamentary vote. This, however, did not go unnoticed. In the hours following the Prime Minister's announcement, thousands of people gathered at the Place de la Concorde in Paris to denounce the manoeuvre. Spontaneous rallies took place in other cities.

The mainstream media and the parliamentary opposition are stressing that this is a major "failure" for Macron, who would have preferred a formal vote in the National Assembly on his pension reform. It is indeed a failure, but one that logically follows another failure, or rather a debacle: that of Macrons party (LREM) in the legislative elections last June. Macron does not have a majority in the National Assembly. Hence the use of article 49.3, considered a nuclear option.

Early next week, motions of no confidence will be put to a vote in the National Assembly. If one of them wins a majority, Macron will probably not simply be able to reshuffle his government: he will have to dissolve the National Assembly. But precisely for this reason, it is unlikely that a motion of no confidence will win a majority. A significant number of opposition MPs do not want early parliamentary elections.

Last November, we wrote: "Republican MPs [the traditional right-wing bourgeois party] have nothing good to expect from early elections, in the immediate future. The National Rallys deputies [formerly National Front, led by Marine Le Pen] are presenting themselves as the fanatical supporters of the motion of no confidence, but in reality they have every interest in letting the situation continue to rot in order to reap the maximum benefits when the time comes. Even in the ranks of the NUPES [the left-wing opposition bloc, led by Jean-Luc Melenchon of France Insoumise], a number of Green, PS [Socialist Party] and PCF deputies [French Communist Party] are saying to themselves, from their velvet seats: I'm in now, so I'm staying in! As a result, all these little people are organising, in advance of motions of no confidence, to make sure that they don't pass."

The mainstream media and the parliamentary opposition are stressing that this is a major "failure" for Macron / Image: Remi Jouan, Wikimedia Commons

It is true that, under the pressure of the mass movement against the pension reform, and given the deep internal crisis in the Republicans, one cannot totally exclude an accident that results in the adoption of a motion of no confidence. But this is not the most likely scenario. For example, it is worth noting that, among the Republican deputies who were staunchly 'opposed' to the pension reform, several are much more evasive about motions of no confidence. Similarly, some of the more moderate elements of the parliamentary left may abstain.

The direction of the movement

Amongst the workers involved in the two-month-long strike movement against the counter-reform, the mood is very angry. Impromptu demonstrations took place in Paris and other cities on the day the government invoked article 49.3. On Friday 17 March, the workers at the Total Normandie refinery, the largest in the country, voted to shut down the plant. The CGT Energy union was talking of electricity cut offs. Clearly, the trade union leaders are under a lot of pressure from the rank and file which sees the need for immediate action.

Can the use of article 49.3 have the effect of reviving the extra-parliamentary struggle against the pension reform  and in particular the participation of workers in the movement of indefinite strikes? The next few days will tell. However, we can already underline two things:

Firstly, the use of article 49.3 does not at all change the serious deficiencies of the strategy of the trade union leaderships since the beginning of this struggle. Before and after the use of article 49.3, the strategy of "days of action" cannot make the government back down.

Instead of calling for a properly organised escalation of the strike movement, towards an all-out general strike, the Intersyndicale unions met and agreed  to call yet another day of action on Thursday, 23 March, after the motion of no confidence is discussed in Parliament on Monday.

The day of action next Thursday, however strong it may be, will not change anything in this respect. Moreover, before as well as after the use of article 49.3, the strictly defensive character of the only slogan put forward by the trade union leaderships  the "withdrawal of the pension reform"  is an obstacle to the development of indefinite strikes, but also to the massive mobilisation of the youth. We explained this in detail in our January, February and March editorials.

Secondly, in the aftermath of article 49.3, a number of leaders of the left and the trade union movement are increasingly insisting on the prospect of fighting the pension reform by means of a "shared initiative referendum"  or even an appeal to the Constitutional Council! This can only weaken the indefinite strikes. Many workers will say to themselves: "what's the point of striking if there are other ways of achieving the same result?"

So far, the rolling strike movement has not gained the momentum needed to push the government back. The most mobilised sectors  and in particular the bin men, dockers and oil workers  will not be able to hold out indefinitely without an extension of the movement. But in the aftermath of article 49.3, nothing is being done by the leadership of the left and the trade union movement to extend the struggle. This is a fact  one that risks making a much more significant impact than the indignation provoked by article 49.3.

The tragedy of the situation is that no leadership is being offered. All unions have signed the joint statement calling for calm and determined action, when what is needed is a bold lead. What would be required now are proper, mass General Assemblies in the workplaces, coordinated through a network of elected and recallable delegates, to take the reins of the movement. The working class has immense power and the French working class has shown, once and again, its willingness to fight. Unfortunately, its trade union and political leaders have not been up to the task. A revolutionary leadership is needed.
Lawyers for Hunter Biden stepped up their legal offensive against top Trump allies on Friday by filing a countersuit regarding the alleged dissemination of Bidens electronic data and notifying a federal judge of their intention to seek depositions from Steve Bannon and Rudy Giuliani.

The court filings include a lawsuit targeting John Paul Mac Isaac, the computer repair shop owner who said Hunter Biden abandoned a water-damaged laptop at his Wilmington, Delaware, store about 18 months before the 2020 election. Bidens attorneys are alleging invasion of privacy and argue Mac Isaac helped copy and disseminate Hunter Bidens data for political and commercial purposes.

In the lawsuit, Biden is seeking the return of any copy of his data, compensatory and punitive damages for Mac Isaacs willful, wanton and reckless conduct, as well as reimbursement of attorneys fees.

The countersuit and responses to Mac Isaacs original lawsuit cite public statements that Mac Isaac, Bannon, Giuliani and others have made regarding their involvement with Hunter Bidens electronic data. The new suit alleges that Delaware law did not permit Mac Isaac to access or copy the data, drawing a distinction between abandoned equipment and data on or embedded within a device.

Bidens attorneys are also seeking to depose Guo Wengui, a Bannon associate who was allegedly involved in the dissemination of Hunter Bidens electronic data. Guo was arrested Wednesday by federal authorities in New York on charges related to what prosecutors say was a $1 billion fraud scheme. He has pleaded not guilty.

Representatives for Mac Isaac, Giuliani, Bannon and Guo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Hunter Bidens legal team last month sent letters to 14 people, including Giuliani and Bannon, asking them to preserve potential evidence for future lawsuits related to the alleged theft of personal data. Letters were also sent to the Justice Departments national security division and Delaware Attorney Generals Office, requesting probes into individuals for whom there is considerable reason to believe violated various federal laws in accessing, copying, manipulating, and/or disseminating Mr. Bidens personal computer data.

A spokesperson for Hunter Bidens legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Fridays court filings but previously told NBC News that the presidents son has spent the last several years being the subject of investigations and exhaustive media scrutiny, while also telling his story in a detailed memoir  he has nothing to hide. The people who have yet to be held accountable for their wrongdoing are the recipients of these letters.

Hunter Biden and the Biden family finances are the subject of investigations led by Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the new chair of the GOP-led House Oversight and Accountability Committee.

Hunter Bidens finances  specifically his tax payments to the IRS  have been under investigation by federal prosecutors in Delaware since 2018.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on the social and economic development of Crimea and Sevastopol via a videoconference at the Moscow's Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 17, 2023. (Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

THE HAGUE (AP)  The International Criminal Court said on Friday it issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes because of his alleged involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine.

The court said in a statement that Putin is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

It also issued a warrant Friday for the arrest of Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Childrens Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, on similar allegations.

The courts president, Piotr Hofmanski, said in a video statement that while the ICCs judges have issued the warrants, it will be up to the international community to enforce them. The court has no police force of its own to enforce warrants.

The ICC is doing its part of work as a court of law," he said. "The judges issued arrest warrants. The execution depends on international cooperation.

A possible trial of any Russians at the ICC remains a long way off, as Moscow does not recognize the courts jurisdiction a position reaffirmed on Friday by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in a first reaction to the warrants.

The decisions of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view, she said.

But Ukrainian officials were jubilant.

The world changed," said presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the wheels of Justice are turning," and added that "international criminals will be held accountable for stealing children and other international crimes.

Ukraine also is not a member of the court, but it has granted the ICC jurisdiction over its territory and ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has visited four times since opening an investigation a year ago.

The ICC said its pre-trial chamber found reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children.

The court statement said that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the child abductions for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others (and) for his failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts.

After his most recent visit, in early March, ICC prosecutor Khan said he visited a care home for children two kilometers (just over a mile) from frontlines in southern Ukraine.

The drawings pinned on the wall ... spoke to a context of love and support that was once there. But this home was empty, a result of alleged deportation of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation or their unlawful transfer to other parts of the temporarily occupied territories, he said in a statement. As I noted to the United Nations Security Council last September, these alleged acts are being investigated by my Office as a priority. Children cannot be treated as the spoils of war.

And while Russia rejected the allegations and warrants of the court as null and void, others said the ICC action will have an important impact.

The ICC has made Putin a wanted man and taken its first step to end the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russias war against Ukraine for far too long," said Balkees Jarrah, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch. "The warrants send a clear message that giving orders to commit, or tolerating, serious crimes against civilians may lead to a prison cell in The Hague.

Prof. David Crane, who indicted Liberian President Charles Taylor 20 years ago for crimes in Sierra Leone, said dictators and tyrants around the world "are now on notice that those who commit international crimes will be held accountable to include heads of state.

Taylor was eventually detained and put on trial at a special court in the Netherlands. He was convicted and sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment.

This is an important day for justice and for the citizens of Ukraine, Crane said in a written comment to the Associated Press Friday.

On Thursday, a U.N.-backed inquiry cited Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, among potential issues that amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.

The sweeping investigation also found crimes committed against Ukrainians on Russian territory, including deported Ukrainian children who were prevented from reuniting with their families, a filtration system aimed at singling out Ukrainians for detention, and torture and inhumane detention conditions.

But on Friday, the ICC put the face of Putin on the child abduction allegations.

___

Casert reported from Brussels.

___ Follow APs coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, right, sits with new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a handover ceremony at the president's residence in Jerusalem, April 1, 2009. Israels former prime minister on Thursday, March 16, 2023 urged world leaders to shun Israels current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as he presses ahead with a plan to overhaul the country's justice system. The United States and Germany, two of Israels closest allies, called on Netanyahu to slow down. (AP Photo/Menahem Kahana, Pool)

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP)  Israels former prime minister on Thursday urged world leaders to shun Israels current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as he presses ahead with a plan to overhaul the country's justice system. The United States and Germany, two of Israels closest allies, called on Netanyahu to slow down.

The rare calls for restraint and international intervention came as thousands of Israelis once again took to the streets to protest Netanyahus plan.

Ehud Olmert, who served as prime minister from 2006-2009, told The Associated Press that global leaders should refuse to meet with Netanyahu. He appealed specifically to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is expected to host Netanyahu in the coming weeks.

I urge the leaders of the friendly countries to the state of Israel to refrain from meeting with the Israeli prime minister, Olmert said.

He added that he was aware his call, as a former Israeli prime minister, is quite extraordinary" but that the situation calls for it. "I think that the present government of Israel is simply anti-Israeli, Olmert said.

He took aim at Netanyahus far-right coalition, an alliance of ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist parties that oppose Palestinian independence and support increased settlement construction in occupied territories claimed by the Palestinians.

Netanyahu's coalition allies today have close ties with the West Bank settler movement and have a history of statements offensive to Palestinians, women, LGBTQ people and minorities.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, the current minister for national security was convicted in the past of incitement to racism and supporting a terror group. Netanyahu's finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, recently called for a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank to be erased, though he later apologized after an international uproar over the comments.

"Those who are in favor of the state of Israel should be against the prime minister of the state of Israel, Olmert said.

A spokesman for Netanyahu did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Netanyahu and his allies are now barreling ahead with a plan that aims to weaken Israels Supreme Court and give his parliamentary coalition control over the appointment of judges.

Netanyahu says the plan will correct an imbalance that he says has given the courts too much sway in how Israel is governed. Critics say the overhaul will upend the countrys system of checks and balances and would give the prime minister too much power. They also say Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges, could escape justice once the court system is revamped.

Israels figurehead president, Isaac Herzog, offered a compromise proposal to the nation late Wednesday. But Netanyahu quickly rejected the package as one sided and favoring his opponents.

The overhaul has plunged Israel into one of its worst domestic crises. Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets over the past two and a half months, and the plan has sparked an uproar from top legal officials, business leaders who say it will damage the economy and from within the countrys military, the most trusted institution among Israels Jewish majority. Reservists have pledged not to serve under what they see as a shift toward autocracy.

Protesters held a day of disruption for a third week on Thursday, with thousands of people blocking roads, including the main highway of the seaside metropolis of Tel Aviv. Protesters in Jerusalem drew a large red and pink streak on city streets leading to the Supreme Court and a small flotilla of bloats blocked the shipping lane off the coast of the northern city of Haifa.

The elected government is doing a legislative blitz that aims to give absolute power to the executive. And absolute power to the executive with no checks and balances is simply a dictatorship. And this is what were fighting against, said Shlomit Tassa, a protester in Tel Aviv, waving an Israeli flag.

Five opposition party leaders staged a joint press conference and called on Netanyahu to accept the presidents proposal. Yair Lapid, the Knesset opposition leader, said they welcome the presidents proposal because in a civil war, there will only be losers.

Key Israeli allies also waded into the debate. At a joint news conference with Netanyahu in Berlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz voiced concern about the overhaul plan and praised the Israeli presidents attempts to seek a broad basic consensus.

As close friends of Israel with shared democratic values, we are following this debate very closely, and I cannot hide the fact that were following it with great concern, Scholz said at a news conference alongside Netanyahu. The independence of the judiciary is a precious democratic asset.

Netanyahu showed no sign of being swayed. I am attentive to what is happening in the nation, but we need to bring something that is in line with the mandate we received, he told reporters.

The White House also praised Herzogs effort to broker a compromise.

The genius of our democracy  and frankly Israels democracy  is that theyre built on strong institutions, that they include checks and balances that foster an independent judiciary, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. He said Herzog's efforts are "consistent with those same democratic principles.

Olmert was once one of Netanyahus fiercest rivals in the hard-line Likud Party. But over time, Olmert veered far to the left. As prime minister, he held months of intense peace talks with the Palestinians before he was forced to resign to face his own legal troubles.

Olmert later spent 16 months in prison after being convicted of accepting bribes and obstructing justice for acts committed years before he was prime minister.

Olmert announced his resignation in 2008, long before he was indicted. At the time, Netanyahu, then in the opposition, led the calls for him to step down, saying he was unfit to rule while facing a criminal probe.

Asked about Netanyahus refusal to step down in similar circumstances, Olmert said he had different values than his old rival. He said that at a certain point, he realized the countrys interests were more important than his personal interests.

The state of Israel comes first, he said. I retired a year before I was indicted because I felt that it is not right. ___

Bentov reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.
Former Vice President Mike Pence doubled down Thursday on his controversial remarks aimed at Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg's decision to take parental leave.

The former vice president, thought to be a contender for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, refused to apologize after he mocked Buttigieg's "maternity leave" at the annual Gridiron Dinner in Washington for journalists and politicians last Saturday.

"The Gridiron Dinner is a roast," he told WMUR's Arielle Mitropoulos at a GOP dinner in New Hampshire when asked for his response to the criticism. "I had a lot of jokes directed to me, and I directed a lot of jokes to Republicans and Democrats. The only thing I can figure is Pete Buttigieg not only can't do his job, but he can't take a joke."

PHOTO: Former Vice President Mike Pence greets people while signing copies of his book 'So Help Me God' before the start of a GOP fundraising dinner, March 16, 2023, in Keene, N.H. (Steven Senne/AP)

On Monday, the White House publicly asked Pence to apologize, calling the joke "offensive and inappropriate, all the more so because he treated women suffering from postpartum depression as a punchline." Buttigieg's husband, Chasten, then went on ABC's "The View" on Thursday to denounce the "attempted joke."

MORE: No apology from Pence after 'homophobic joke,' Chasten Buttigieg says

Marc Short, Pence's former chief of staff and co-chair of his political advocacy group, called the White House reaction to Pence's set "faux outrage."

"The White House would be wise to focus less on placating the woke police and focus more on bank failures, planes nearly colliding in mid-air, train derailments, and the continued supply chain crisis," Short said in a statement earlier this week.

ABC News' Gio Benitez asked the transportation secretary himself on Monday whether he thought Pence owed him an apology, to which he responded, "I'll let others speak to that."

"It's a strange thing to me because the last time I saw him, he asked me about my kids like a normal person would. I guess, you know, at a political event in white tie, it's a little different," Buttigieg said.

An honest question for you, @Mike_Pence, after your attempted joke this weekend. If your grandchild was born prematurely and placed on a ventilator at two months old - their tiny fingers wrapped around yours as the monitors beep in the background - where would you be? pic.twitter.com/pCWvl8pb5N  Chasten Buttigieg (@Chasten) March 13, 2023

Buttigieg's twins, now 18 months old, were born prematurely and developed Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV). One was hospitalized and put on a ventilator  a "terrifying" experience that the couple documented on Medium  and a point Chasten Buttigieg raised in a tweet this week to Pence.

"I spoke up because we all have an obligation to hold people accountable for when they say something wrong, especially when it's misogynistic, especially when it's homophobic, and I just don't take that when it's towards my family, and I don't think anyone else would, especially when you bring a very small, medically-fragile child into it," he told co-hosts of "The View."

PHOTO: FILE - U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg speaks in East Palestine, Ohio, Feb. 23, 2023. (Alan Freed/Reuters, FILE)

MORE: White House demands Pence apologize for 'homophobic joke' aimed at Buttigieg

He also said Pence's comments were "part of a much bigger trend attacking families."

"The thing about what he said is it flies in the face of what he says he is. He says he's a family values Republican. So I don't think he's practicing what he preaches here," he said.

"Someone wrote this, and he checked it and purposely said maternity leave rather than paternity leave  but also, it's a bigger conversation about the work that women do in families  taking a swipe at all women and all families and expecting that women would stay home and raise children is a misogynistic view, especially from a man who said just last year that we should be supporting more people that adopt," he added.

Mike Pence doubles down on Pete Buttigieg 'joke' after White House asked him to apologize originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
ST.. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  Minnesota regulators said Thursday they're monitoring the cleanup of a leak of 400,000 gallons of radioactive water from Xcel Energy's Monticello nuclear power plant, and the company said there's no danger to the public.

Xcel Energy took swift action to contain the leak to the plant site, which poses no health and safety risk to the local community or the environment, the Minneapolis-based utility said in a statement.

While Xcel reported the leak of water containing tritium to state and federal authorities in late November, the spill had not been made public before Thursday. State officials said they waited to get more information before going public with it.

We knew there was a presence of tritium in one monitoring well, however Xcel had not yet identified the source of the leak and its location, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency spokesman Michael Rafferty said.

Now that we have all the information about where the leak occurred, how much was released into groundwater, and that contaminated groundwater had moved beyond the original location, we are sharing this information," he said, adding the water remains contained on Xcel's property and poses no immediate public health risk.

The company said it notified the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the state on Nov. 22, the day after it confirmed the leak, which came from a pipe between two buildings. Since then, it has been pumping groundwater, storing and processing the contaminated water, which contains tritium levels below federal thresholds.

Ongoing monitoring from over two dozen on-site monitoring wells confirms that the leaked water is fully contained on-site and has not been detected beyond the facility or in any local drinking water, the Xcel Energy statement said.

When asked why Xcel Energy didn't notify the public earlier, the company said: We understand the importance of quickly informing the communities we serve if a situation poses an immediate threat to health and safety. In this case, there was no such threat." The company said it focused on investigating the situation, containing the affected water and figuring out next steps.

The Monticello plant is about 35 miles (55 kilometers) northwest of Minneapolis, upstream from the city on the Mississippi River.

Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that occurs naturally in the environment and is a common by-product of nuclear plant operations. It emits a weak form of beta radiation that does not travel very far and cannot penetrate human skin, according to the NRC. A person who drank water from a spill would get only a low dose, the NRC says.

The NRC says tritium spills happen from time to time at nuclear plants, but that it has repeatedly determined that they've either remained limited to the plant property or involved such low offsite levels that they didn't affect public health or safety. Xcel reported a small tritium leak at Monticello in 2009.

Xcel said it has recovered about 25% of the spilled tritium so far, that recovery efforts will continue and that it will install a permanent solution this spring.

While this leak does not pose a risk to the public or the environment, we take this very seriously and are working to safely address the situation, Chris Clark, president of Xcel EnergyMinnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, said in the statement. We continue to gather and treat all potentially affected water while regularly monitoring nearby groundwater sources.

Xcel Energy is considering building above-ground storage tanks to store the contaminated water it recovers, and is considering options for the treatment, reuse, or final disposal of the collected tritium and water. State regulators will review the options the company selects, the MPCA said.

Japan is preparing to release a massive amount of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea from the the triple reactor meltdowns 12 years ago at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The water contains tritium and other radioactive contaminants.
FILE  Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., leaves a House GOP conference meeting on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Jan. 25, 2023. Santos is carrying on in Congress despite calls for him to resign. Santos admitted to fabricating many aspects of his life story, but the newly elected congressman is refusing calls to quit. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  Besieged Republican Rep. George Santos arrives on the House floor most days to deliver short speeches  celebrating women-owned small businesses, a special high school in his district or raising concern about various countries in crises.

At other times he can be seen dashing through the halls of the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers do, from one meeting to the next. He once passed out doughnuts to the press corps staking out his office.

Far from being chastened by the widespread criticism, mockery and rejection that Santos has received after having admitted to fabricating many aspects of his life story, the newly elected congressman is breezily carrying on in Congress. He is refusing calls for his resignation all while rewriting the narrative in real time.

For Santos, its an unusual up-is-down approach that would have been almost unthinkable in an earlier generation but one that signals the new norms taking hold amid the deepening of a post-truth era in Congress.

"I was elected by the people to come here to represent them, and I do that every day, Santos told The Associated Press in a brief interview off the House floor.

Its a hard job. If I said it was easy, Id be lying to you  and I dont think thats what we want, right?

Pressed about the idea of a post-truth era, Santos said, I think truth still matters very much."

Perhaps not since Donald Trump launched his presidency with exaggerated claims of the crowd size at his inauguration has an elected official arrived in Washington and sought so brazenly and defiantly to convince the public of reality different than the one before their very eyes.

Santos is coming of political age at a time of an unmooring in civic life, when a duly-sworn member of the U.S. Congress can persevere, business as usual, despite having admittedly lied to voters about his resume, experience and personal life as he ran for elected office.

While Santos faces a crush of investigations  by the House Ethics Committee and a county prosecutor in New York  as well as questions from earlier charges in Brazil, where he lived for a time, he appears unmoved by the challenges.

Just a few days ago, Santos filed paperwork to potentially seek reelection.

It used to be that when a politician lied, and they got caught, they were ashamed  or there was some sort of accountability, said Lee McIntyre, the author of Post-Truth and a research fellow at Boston University.

What I see in the post-truth era is not just that people are lying or lying more, its that theyre lying with a political purpose, he said. The really scary part is getting away with it."

At stake is not just truthiness, as comedian Stephen Colbert once called falsehoods in public life, but broader questions over the expectation of truth-telling from political leadership.

Santos has admitted he had portrayed himself as someone he was not  not a college graduate, not a Wall Street whiz, not from a Jewish family of Holocaust survivors, not the son who lost his mother in the 9/11 World Trade Center attack.

In the time since, more questions have flowed, including about the origins of a $700,000 loan he made to his campaign for Congress and his own reported wealth.

Fellow Republican Rep. Anthony D'Esposito of New York, a freshman who won election last fall from the neighboring Long Island district, said: I dont think its the state of politics. I think its state of an individual  and the state that hes in is one of delusion.

D'Esposito has introduced a pair of bills that would prevent elected officials from profiting off wrongdoing and said he is working with others to ensure Santos is not the face of our party. Weve made it very clear. Hes not our brand. Hes not part of us.

While Santos did remove himself from his committee assignments while the investigations are underway, he has withstood the pressure from Republicans to resign and from Democrats to be expelled from office.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who won a slim Republican majority with just a few seats to spare, has said the voters elected Santos and he has a right to serve. If wrongdoing is found, Santos could be removed from office, he said.

He should have resigned a long time ago, said Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the Democratic president of the freshman class who sponsored the resolution to expel Santos.

This is not just Democrats saying this and his Republican colleagues in New York, Garcia said in an interview. Nobody wants him in D.C.

But Santos appears emboldened as his profile has risen, even being parodied on Saturday Night Live. He has introduced his own bills in Congress  including one to require cognitive tests for presidents  and is trying to move on.

Ive owned up to it, and I came clean on it, he said referring to the public apologies he made in December.

When President Joe Biden arrived to deliver the State of the Union address last month, Santos infuriated colleagues by situating himself on the center aisle  the place to see and be seen greeting the high-profile guests. He was scolded by fellow Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, who said it was improper for Santos to be parading in front of the president" and others.

Senator Romney just echoed something I heard my entire life, right, coming from a minority group, coming from a poor family: Go to the back room and shut up. Nobody cares to hear about you," Santos recalled. Well, Im not going to do that.

Santos often turns the tables, engaging in the whataboutism that has become commonplace in modern politics  the verbal somersault of equating one's actions with those of others, even when they are not quite comparable situations.

You know," Santos said, "have you ever not told a lie? Think hard.

It's what McIntyre calls a classic disinformation tactic" designed not to bring clarity but confusion, and avoid accountability.

Asked if he was here to stay, Santos said, Im here to do the job I was elected to do for the next two years.

But will he run for reelection? Maybe.
During an appearance before lawmakers on the Senates Finance Committee, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen was repeatedly pressed in often heated terms by Republicans about the lack of a Social Security plan in President Bidens recent budget proposal.

Anyone who knows how things get done around here knows it takes presidential leadership to lead major reforms," said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Thursday morning soon after the hearing got underway.

That exchange was soon followed by an intense back and forth with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) who pressed the Secretary in often personal terms on the president's approach to the issue and claims from Democrats that Republicans seek to cut the program.

Thats a lie Cassidy said after Yellen said that Biden stood ready to work with Congress on the issue.

"Why doesn't the president care?" he also asked, noting that he is involved in bipartisan talks on the issue, but hasnt been able to get an Oval Office meeting to discuss further.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) argues with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during a hearing by the Senate Finance Committee on March 16 (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

In response, Secretary Yellen offered a defense of her and Bidens motives, but provided few new details beyond saying that Social Security is a priority for the president and reiterating that the Biden administration would agree to no benefit cuts.

"It's a discussion we need to have," she said.

After the exchange with Cassidy, Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) jumped in to admionish his colleague and say Cassidy had gone over the line. Cassidy responded that he didnt mean to say Secretary Yellen was lying and that she was only passing along what President Biden has told her.

"Welcome to the Senate Finance Committee Secretary Yellen, we are normally a pretty jovial group," the next questioner, Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) quipped before moving on to other topics.

Thursday's back and forth comes after another tense exchange on the issue between Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Shalanda Young, Biden's director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, on Wednesday.

'Not a dime' for Social Security

In the budget itself, Biden opposed cuts to Social Security, but gave no details of new investments in the program beyond a 10% increase in the Social Security Administration's operating budget to do things like improve customer service.

Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen arrives to testify in the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The omission is in striking contrast to Medicare, where the President did offer a detailed plan in his budget that would raise taxes and make other changes to keep the program afloat past 2050.

A recent government trustees report found both programs in peril. Social Security only has the funds to continue paying out 100% of benefits through 2034. After that, benefits could be decreased by over 20%. The report found that Medicares key trust fund is in worse shape and will likely run low by 2028 with no action.

The focus on the Medicare plan was a key issue for Cassidy on Thursday. He said that Bidens plan to increase taxes on Medicare would takes those options off the table for Social Security. He also worried that, when policymakers eventually move to shore up Social Security down the road, a massive ballooning of the national debt could be in the offing if Congress decides to rely on further tax increases to achieve solvency.

Cassidy also took issue with how Biden proposed trillions of dollars in tax increases last week, but "not a dime" going to Social Security.

Yellen was also pressed on the issue by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) who asked about the soaring debt, rhetorically asking of Social Security: "Aren't you concerned about our inability to honor those promises?"

The line of questioning Thursday comes as Social Security becomes a growing issue both in Washington and on the 2024 campaign trail.

Talks are underway across Capitol Hill for how to shore up the program with the most prominent effort led by Sens. Cassidy and Angus King (I-ME). The group is reportedly toying with the controversial idea of raising the retirement age.

The senators recently offered an update on those talks, pledging that with what we are discussing, millions would immediately receive more, and no one would receive less. They hope to have a fully developed plan that can be released and debated in the months ahead.

Cassidy has also released a bipartisan plan recently to help keep Americans from claiming Social Security too early.

Its unclear where things go now on talks to shore up the program with Grassley saying Thursday: "It would help a lot if the president would keep demagoguing the Social Security issue the way he has in recent weeks."

Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.

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With the spring equinox taking place on Monday, March 20, AccuWeather's expert team of international forecasters has released the details of what the upcoming spring season will hold in Europe.

On March 9, NOAA's Climate Prediction Center officially declared that the El Nino-Southern Oscillation phase has transitioned from La Nina to neutral, meaning neither El Nino nor La Nina is underway. This neutral phase is expected to persist through the end of spring into early summer and play a role in influencing global weather patterns, transitioning to El Nino sometime during the summer months.

AccuWeather meteorologists have incorporated this factor when developing the European spring forecast and say that the prevailing weather patterns across Europe from the end of March into the start of June will feature residually cold air across northern Europe early, mild conditions in the eastern regions, a dominant storm track across the south at times and an early ignition of severe weather for some spots.

Although springtime is generally associated with a leap toward warmer days, March, as observed already, can still bring bouts of wintry weather including impactful snowfall events. Portions of the United Kingdom, Scandinavia and the Alpine region are likely to end the month of March with anomalously higher snowfall totals, while many other parts of the continent will trend near to below the historical average.

A weather phenomenon called a sudden stratospheric warming event has played a large role in forcing cold conditions across much of northern Europe during the first half of March. Every few years, this event is triggered by a disruption in the upper levels of the Earth's atmosphere, where the polar vortex resides.

The polar vortex is a band of cold, strong westerly winds circulating around Earth's polar regions. At times, the bands can temporarily weaken, resulting in the cold air previously contained by the vortex descending very quickly from the stratosphere to the surface. As the disruption occurs, however, it causes stratospheric temperature levels to rise rapidly, hence the phenomenon's namesake.

These sudden stratospheric warming events are responsible for what brought the famous 'Beast from the East' to the United Kingdom and Ireland from late February to March 2018.

Flakes fluttered across London during the second week of March, while heavy and disruptive accumulations of snow were observed in the Midlands, Wales and portions of Scotland. During the first half of the month, temperature departures from the historical average for this time of year trended between 0.5 and 2.5 degrees below zero Fahrenheit for major cities such as Edinburgh, Scotland; London, England; Paris, France; and Berlin, Germany.

However, the chilly conditions and active pattern that developed across northern Europe in early March will eventually transition to milder, tranquil weather sometime during early spring.

Temperatures across the U.K. are expected to trend closer to the historical average into late April, but AccuWeather forecasters say that this transition might not come as a smooth, gradual increase to warmer days.

"The United Kingdom and Ireland may feature a roller coaster of temperatures through the end of April but may end up balancing out to near the monthly historical average," explained AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys.

People sit in St James' park in the sunshine on a warm day in London on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Temperatures may trend above the historical average for a stretch of time across England, Wales, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland; however, waves of frontal passages can disrupt the springtime warming trend and drop conditions to slightly below average for a time. This turbulent temperature pattern may even out the monthly trend to near the historical average overall for April.

The risk of frost or freeze is expected to linger into mid-April across parts of the United Kingdom, stretching as far south as the Midlands. Snowfall chances that push into spring will likely be isolated to the higher terrain across Scotland, England and Wales, while the lowlands will face a lower threat of springtime wintry showers as temperatures begin to moderate.

Overall, precipitation values across the U.K. may trend near to slightly above the historical average during April and May. In a typical year, the driest months for London include the stretch from February to May, when average values for each month often range between 1.3 and 1.5 inches (33 and 38 mm) in the city.

In a typical year, the United Kingdom windstorm season is considered to last from October through the end of March.

So far, for the 2022-2023 season, the UK Met Office has named one windstorm in mid-February, designated Storm Otto. By mid-March of the previous 2021-2022 season, the UK Met Office had already named six windstorms, indicating that the 2022-2023 windstorm season will likely conclude as much less active in comparison to last year.

The primary storm track across southern Europe in March could spell trouble for water levels and drought across the United Kingdom, Ireland and even parts of France. Already this year, many regions have observed anomalously dry conditions, igniting concern for future water levels for not only residents but also the environment.

There was a remarkable lack of rain across the United Kingdom in February. Provisional observations from the UK Met Office indicated that England observed its driest February in 30 years. London recorded only 8% of its typical rainfall in February, while observations from Birmingham, England, totaled only 16% of the historical average rainfall for February.

According to Meteo France, a stretch of 32 consecutive days without measurable rainfall (less than 1 mm of rain daily) was observed from Jan. 20, 2023, to Feb. 21, 2023. This set a new record for the longest consecutive stretch of days without measurable rainfall since 1959. Another notable stretch was back in 2020 from March 17 to April 16, when there were 31 consecutive days without measurable rainfall recorded.

A usually submerged section of the lake Serre-Poncon in southern France, Tuesday, March 14, 2023. France recorded the longest such winter drought since record-keeping began in 1959. Around France, residents are sharing images of dried-up riverbeds or shrunken lakes, shocking sights in the depths of winter. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

On the flip side, a dominant storm track into southwestern Europe and a projected increase in springtime precipitation across southern and south-central regions are raising concerns among forecasters for a flood threat in locations such as Italy and the Balkans.

"Given how warm the Mediterranean is, storms could provide additional moisture and lead to an increase in flood threats. This is particularly a concern for the western slopes of the Apennines and the Dinaric Alps," explained Roys.

Springtime showers and rainfall may be welcomed across the Alpine region to help replenish the reservoirs and river levels that resulted from below-average winter precipitation. Forecasters say that the snowpack in most of the Swiss, Austrian and Italian Alps is 60-70% below its typical amount for early March.

The lack of snow across the Italian Alps will play a significant role in adequate river levels and flow rate downstream this spring. Snowmelt from the Italian Alps every year helps to ease irrigation struggles for the key agricultural resource of the Po River Valley and is a primary source for the Po River itself which empties into the Adriatic Sea near Venice, Italy.

In Italy, an influx of moisture during the first half of spring could also lead to an increased danger of severe weather, which could usher in various threats such as damaging winds, hail and flash flooding. However, early-spring moisture may prove beneficial to only the short-term drought ongoing across the region.

As the impacts of the sudden stratospheric warming event gradually cease across northwestern Europe by late March, a trend of high pressure can take control over the region to promote drier and warmer conditions. However, shots of moisture will still be possible, making forecasters believe that precipitation totals this spring can trend near the historical average.

From France to Poland, warmth will gradually build as spring gets into full swing, and the topic of severe weather will come to the forefront of the conversation as the traditional severe weather season in Europe begins. In early to mid-March, severe thunderstorms already ignited across parts of France, resulting in a damaging tornado that struck Pontarion, France.

Forecasters have specifically highlighted Germany and Poland as two countries that are facing a significant severe weather risk this spring, along with neighboring areas north and east of the Alpine regions.

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Parts of western Spain and Portugal will also face an unsettled start to spring, which may help to moderate how quickly the heat builds across the region although much of eastern and southeastern Spain has recorded only about 50-75% of its typical rainfall from last autumn to mid-March and warmth can potentially ramp up rapidly across this sector this spring.

"As spring begins, we can see unsettled conditions kick up across the Iberian Peninsula before the pattern trends drier and hot later in the period," explained AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alan Reppert.

Much of southeastern Europe will continue to face warm conditions this spring, becoming even warmer by May and early June.

Locations from Rome to Bucharest, Romania, which were experiencing mid-March temperatures typical of late April, will maintain this warming trend over the course of the next few months, accompanied by occasional rounds of wet weather. During early spring, it is not out of the ordinary for storms to fire up across the Balkans into southeastern Europe.

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.


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YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan congratulated Prime Minister of Ireland Leo Varadkar on the occasion of the Irish national holiday.

I congratulate you and the friendly people of Ireland on the Irish national holiday, St. Patrick's Day, Pashinyan wrote in a telegram to Varadkar. Armenia attaches great importance to the development of cooperation with Ireland based on democratic values, both on bilateral and multilateral platforms. I believe that there is a significant potential for cooperation between our countries, and I want to reaffirm the readiness of the Armenian side to maximally ensure the realization of this potential.

I sincerely hope that in the near future we will have an opportunity to meet and discuss the Armenian-Irish bilateral agenda, enriching it with promising programs for the benefit and welfare of our countries.

I wish you good health and all the best, and prosperity and well-being to the friendly people of Ireland further."
YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. The Hague-based International Criminal Court has issued international arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Children's Rights Commissioner under the President of the Russian Federation Maria Lvova-Belova, ARMENPRESS reports, the Hague International Criminal Court said in a press release.

Today, 17 March 2023, Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC or the Court) issued warrants of arrest for two individuals in the context of the situation in Ukraine: Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Ms Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova.

Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, born on 7 October 1952, President of the Russian Federation, is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation (under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute). The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022. There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, (i) for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others (article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute), and (ii) for his failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission, and who were under his effective authority and control, pursuant to superior responsibility (article 28(b) of the Rome Statute).

Ms Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, born on 25 October 1984, Commissioner for Childrens Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation (under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute). The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022. There are reasonable grounds to believe that Ms Lvova-Belova bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others (article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute).

Pre-Trial Chamber II considered, based on the Prosecutions applications of 22 February 2023, that there are reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children.

The Chamber considered that the warrants are secret in order to protect victims and witnesses and also to safeguard the investigation. Nevertheless, mindful that the conduct addressed in the present situation is allegedly ongoing, and that the public awareness of the warrants may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes, the Chamber considered that it is in the interests of justice to authorise the Registry to publicly disclose the existence of the warrants, the name of the suspects, the crimes for which the warrants are issued, and the modes of liability as established by the Chamber.

The abovementioned warrants of arrests were issued pursuant to the applications submitted by the Prosecution on 22 February 2023, reads the press release of the International Criminal Court.
Today's headlines: Indonesia admits difficulties in Myanmar conflict; Indian students returned to Ukraine to finish their studies; Azerbaijan reassures Germany on gas supply; Meeting between Russia, Iran, Syria and Turkey to normalise relations between Ankara and Damascus.

AFGHANISTAN

According to Save the Children, at least three million Afghan girls have been deprived of education in the last two years. Since the Taliban's return to power, however, Islamic schools have increased, and in some cases the number of enrolled students has doubled: many female students, in order to continue their studies, now attend the madrasa where they learn the precepts of Islam according to the Taliban's strict interpretation and recite the Koran in Arabic.

HONG KONG

Two men were arrested in Hong Kong for possession of picture books described as 'seditious' by local authorities. They are the first people to be arrested for simple possession of the books, after the publishers were jailed last year. Both men were released on bail but will have to report to the police next month, authorities said.

INDONESIA - MYANMAR

Indonesia is in talks with various warring factions, but resolving the conflict that has engulfed Myanmar since the coup in 2021 will take time. This was stated by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, adding that, as Asean chairperson, he will do his best to improve the situation in Myanmar despite the "complicated" crisis.

INDIA - UKRAINE

Indian students who were in Ukraine before the outbreak of the war to complete their medical degrees have decided to return to the country to finish their studies. India had evacuated 23,000 fellow citizens, including 18,000 university students. At least 1,100 Indians are currently living in Ukraine in cities in the western part of the country such as Lviv, Uzhgorod and Ternopil.

ISRAEL

Protesters against the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now include a group of women, disguised as the characters in "The Handmaid's Tale", a famous dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood and also a TV series. In crimson dresses and white caps, heads bowed and hands clasped, the activists take part in all demonstrations against the reform of the judiciary, which will limit its independence.

RUSSIA - MIDDLE EAST

Negotiations between Russia, Iran, Syria and Turkey are being held in Moscow these days for the normalisation of relations between Ankara and Damascus, a process that began at the end of 2022, focusing on the problems of the north-eastern Kurdish enclaves and the future of Syria's political institutions, a topic that also affects the upcoming elections in Turkey.

AZERBAIJAN - EUROPE

The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliev, paid an official visit to Germany, where he assured that Baku will increase "the geography of gas exports to Europe", from 8 billion cubic metres in 2021 to 12 billion in 2023, "half of Azerbaijan's entire gas exports".
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Popular referendum proposed on the issue. President Sadyr Zaparov's approval needed. Humanitarian activist opposed: no to punishment contrary to international conventions. Violence against minors on the rise in the country. Parents often go abroad for work and children are left without family protection.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Members of the Kyrgyz parliament have put forward a proposal to introduce the death penalty for paedophiles. They propose a popular referendum, which now depends on President Sadyr Zaparov's approval. A very large majority of parliamentarians gave the initiative the green light.

However, humanitarian activist Nazgul Turdubekova, director of the League for the Defence of Children's Rights, did not approve the proposal, as she explained in an interview with Currentime. Turdubekova recalls that 'Kyrgyzstan is a democratic and civilised country, which has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and other UN conventions, rejecting this kind of personal punishment, such as the death penalty'.

Turdubekova notes that the growth of sexual violence against children in the country is worrying, and that 'our legislation on the defence of children is so morally outdated that it is incapable of dealing with the current challenges'.

His foundation has repeatedly approached Parliament to urge a redrafting of the children's code, which would include the training of special forces to defend children against sexual violence in their localities, allocating a significant percentage of social workers to this task.

In the 30 years of Kyrgyzstan's existence, 'there has never been a single worker to deal specifically with this problem, and support for families at the local level,' the activist recalls, while this is absolutely necessary. "In the conditions in our country, in one in four families, children grow up practically without parents," due to labour migration to support the families. Children are entrusted to grandparents and various relatives, without any real parental protection.

Turdubekova notes that the experience of various nations where the death penalty has been applied shows that the problem of sexual violence is neither solved nor mitigated: 'It is not an effective method of preventing violence against children. It would be much better to insist on the institution of social control in the territory, but the deputies have not listened to these proposals, as the League leader repeats, while 'it is precisely relatives and neighbours who are the main threat to children'.

Not to mention that the death penalty 'would cost much more than social care, because to enforce the sentence you have to create special prison sections, and hire executioners'. In conclusion, Turdubekova states that 'we are in danger of losing our image as a country with a human and democratic face, and in general we are worsening the situation in the defence of human rights, as we also observe a great increase in errors in court rulings'. In his opinion, miscarriages of justice can also be seen in the more developed countries in this respect, "what can we say then about Kyrgyzstan?".
by Shafique Khokhar

Six months after the calamity that sowed death and destruction in large parts of Pakistan, the families helped by AsiaNews were forced to leave Allah Bachao Shoro under threat from some Muslims. They still live under tents, exposed to insect bites and diseases. These cruel floods have ruined our lives, said one displaced person who prays to God to send someone to support us.

Sindh (AsiaNews)  Pakistan is still reeling from last summers devastating floods, which seriously damaged homes, crops, and infrastructure in large parts of the country.

For minorities, discrimination has made the situation even worse. No more so than in Allah Bachao Shoro (literally. May God save us), a village in Sindh province, heavily impacted by the natural disaster. In its wake, AsiaNews launched a campaign to help its residents.

Unfortunately, tensions fuelled by the lack of the basics led the 45 Christian families who lived in the village to leave to avoid violence at the hands of some Muslims.

Of his group, 16 families moved to Ghot Shora, a slum village in Sindh where a local social activist made land available to them; 12 families moved to the Ghareebabad slum, and 17 families moved to Hari Camp, on the bank of a canal.

All these families still live in tents provided by funds raised by AsiaNews, but they are forced to sleep on the ground on bedsheets because they lack proper equipment.

Malaria and skin diseases are spreading among them because of their precarious living conditions, compounded by the use of canal water for human use because of the lack of clean water.

Nasreen Bibi (pictured), a 38-year-old Christian mother of three, has skin cancer and her kidneys are also not working well.

"I don't know when this terrible period will end," she told AsiaNews. I'm sick of this pathetic life, she added. I always look up and pray that God Almighty will send someone to support us. [. . .] These cruel floods have ruined our lives.

"It is very unfortunate that, based on different faiths, people do not accept each other in such difficult times after the heavy floods, said Imtiaz Masih, a local social activist.

The Catholic church tried to buy a piece of land for these people compelled to move to other places, but the cost of the land is too high, he told AsiaNews. The price of one acre is about 6 to 8 lakhs rupees (6-8 million rupees or US$ 21,000 to US$ 28,000), and the Church does not have such a large amount to buy land for them."
by Guido Alberto Casanova

The first trip to Japan by a Seoul president in 12 years has resulted in agreements on the export of microchip components and intelligence cooperation against Pyongyang's actions. But the real obstacle to further agreements will be overcoming the historical mutual distrust still rooted in public opinion.

Tokyo (AsiaNews) - After a 12-year absence, a South Korean president has finally returned for an official visit to Japan. Conservative President Yoon Suk-yeol was welcomed in Tokyo yesterday by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a two-day visit in which the two Asian democracies are expected to try to mend fences.

Despite the many similarities between the two countries, relations between Japan and South Korea in recent years have reached one of the lowest points in their recent history.

At the root of the disagreement that has undermined both trade and military ties is the controversial memory of the Japanese colonisation of Korea and the many abuses it entailed for the South Korean population, which today several decades later demands justice for the victims of that time.

Notably marring relations between the two countries had been a Seoul Supreme Court verdict in 2018 ordering two Japanese companies to compensate some South Korean citizens for forcing them into forced labour during the colonial period. Yoon's visit comes after the South Korean government last week proposed a plan to resolve the court dispute.

The resumption of bilateral meetings is undoubtedly the first result of the visit. Last May at the NATO summit in Madrid, just a few weeks after Yoon took office, Kishida had not found time to sit down with the president of the other major East Asian democracy allied with the United States and their conversation had lasted barely 3-4 minutes.

Today, however, according to the Asahi Shimbun, Kishida is reportedly considering the feasibility of visiting South Korea in turn this summer.

The meeting, however, also brought concrete results. The Tokyo government in fact announced the removal of export restrictions to South Korea on three components necessary for the manufacture of microchips (the production of which is one of the spearheads of the South Korean economy) and of which the country holds a near-monopoly.

At the same time, Seoul decided to drop the case against Japan that it had initiated at the World Trade Organisation in 2019.

The two countries are also trying to come together militarily. Defence cooperation is probably even more important than economic cooperation, considering that North Korea has stepped up its missile provocations in recent years. In fact, the 2016 agreement on intelligence cooperation, known as GSOMIA, had fallen into crisis in recent years and the exchange of information is thought to have been extremely limited due to political mistrust between Japan and South Korea.

Yesterday, however, Yoon declared the complete normalisation of GSOMIA, stating that 'the two countries should be able to share information on North Korean missile launches and trajectories'.

The real problem for the resumption of relations, however, will undoubtedly be public opinion. While the Japanese seem to be largely supportive of the proposed resolution of the historical dispute that is at the root of the current poor state of relations, polls in South Korea show that the majority of the population is still suspicious of Tokyo.
Students are hereby informed that in case, on 18.03.23, there is a Heavy Rain Warning in force in Mauritius at 6.00 am, all tutorials scheduled on that day will be held online on Blackboard.

However, in case the Heavy Rain Warning is lifted before 6.00 am on 18.03.23, all tutorials scheduled on that day on face-to-face mode will be maintained.

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And the Aston Martin marketing team is well aware of its cars strengths. The car company consequently launched a new configurator to amplify them. Anybody who ventures onto Astons website with the aim of creating the perfect car will be greeted by this new system celebrating 110 years of the automakers existence.This digital achievement allows potential customers to view their cars up against several spectacular backdrops. These stunning views range from twisty roads in what seems to be the British countryside all the way to rivieras and even a Japanese house with blossoming cherry trees in the background.But there are a couple of very special backgrounds that celebrate Aston Martins racing heritage. One of those environments is the pit garage of the companys Formula 1 team, which fits perfectly with the companys newly-found racing success.This is also a nice touch considering that Astons market research revealed that almost 90% of its customer are passionate about the sport. Those who choose this environment will get to see their cars change as options are selected, with everything happening next to the AMR23 Formula 1 car and Fernando Alonsos third-place trophy from the Bahrain Gran Prix.There is also the Brooklands circuit environment, one with a special historical significance for Aston Martin. This is where the company got its first taste of motorsport, all the way back in the 1920s. According to Astons website, some cars even went flying over the bumps down the 150 mph straights, showing theyve earned their winged logo.This made me curious, so I decided to go in and configure my own dream Aston Martin car, regardless of the fact that I cannot afford a DBS . The process was easy and rewarding, and made me spend one hour browsing through the many options, looking for the perfect spec.The configurator let me look around every corner of the car, admiring every subtle crease in its body. There is just something so satisfying about seeing a gorgeous automobile almost turn to reality in realistic-looking virtual backgrounds, all while trying to create the perfect balance between sportiness, style, and comfort.This is a brilliant marketing approach from Aston Martin , allowing people to freely browse through the new configurator, encouraging them to share their dream spec on social media. It makes even more people interested in the brand, its heritage, racing history, and even its current Formula 1 endeavor.
EV

SUV

ICE

WTF look what's happening Cadillac sales team are currently parked outside of Shanghai Jinqiao Supercharger.



Approaching Tesla Owners and trying to offer free test drive.



Competition is great but this is Teslas territory. Shameless cold calling by Cadillac. @Tesla @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/bmvoC7aVj9  Jay in Shanghai ?? Jay (@JayinShanghai) March 16, 2023

GM frequently bragged about how soon it will overtake Tesla as the number onemaker in the U.S., not to mention the whole world. GMs CEO Mary Barra first declared that in February 2022, using the famous words, We want to lead in EVs. Full stop. GMs CEO then reiterated her resolve to surpass Tesla at least three more times before forgetting about it altogether by August 2022. Even so, Barra was confident GM would have a production capacity of 1 million EVs in North America alone by 2025.Considering that were only two years away, and GM is still struggling with EV production, we seriously doubt that. GM sold around 40,000 Chevrolet Bolts and less than 1,000 Ultium-based EVs in 2022. Most of them (854) were GMC Hummer EVs, although the production doesnt seem to be going that great, at 12 units per day. But even if the entire Ultium production would be Cadillac Lyriq, its still a ridiculously low number.GM shouldnt have problems finding buyers for its EVs. The waitlist is long, at 80,000 for the Hummer EV and more than 200,000 for the Lyriq. Or so GM claims because we seriously doubt these numbers are real. If that were the case, GM wouldnt have to resort to desperate sales tactics to get people to test their shiny new EVs. At least, thats whats happening in China right now.According to a report by @JayinShanghai, a Cadillac marketing team parked a Cadillac Lyriq at a Supercharger station in Shanghai, trying to convince Tesla owners to test their EV. The fact that Cadillac sees current Tesla owners as their potential customers is interesting. The Lyriq is almost as big as the Tesla Model X, but the Cadillac electricis positioned much lower, at nearly half the price . Of course, the Model Xs price was not affected by the price war Tesla started in China.Cadillac is still a successful brand in China, at least judging by itssales in the country, surpassing the U.S. numbers. Cadillac had mixed results with electric vehicles, though, just like other traditional carmakers. The Chinese market is flush with startups that make very compelling electric vehicles, and people see the old brands even more contemptuously than we do in the West.Cadillacs story in China is telling for legacy carmakers struggling to assert themselves as worthy contenders in the EV arena. Until they get the production at high enough levels, the world wouldve moved on, and nobody would want to buy their products anymore.
Photo: YouTube/Dennis Collins

Photo: YouTube/Dennis Collins

Photo: YouTube/Dennis Collins

Photo: YouTube/Dennis Collins

In 1971, the state of Alabama had two issues to solve: the officials had to buy new cars for the state troopers, and they didnt have heaps of money to make ends meet. Since the Big Three offers were out of reach, the Alabama Public Safety Department (ASPD) made a historic deal with American Motors Company.The highway patrols were loaned one Javelin equipped with the smallest (and, therefore, cheapest) V8 engine  the 304 CID (five liters) two-barrel plant. The force officers quickly discarded the car as being too slow. A replacement test vehicle was then donated (and not loaned, like its predecessor), this time carrying the best AMC had to offer  the 401 CID (6.6-liter) four-barrel dual exhaust.Not only was it financially suitable, but it was also crime-fightingly ideal. Field officers discovered  rather overenthusiastically  that nobody could outrun them anymore. As a result, 132 AMC Javelins became the first pony cars in the U.S. to serve and protect. There are archived instances of high-speed chases in which monstrous big-blocks had to surrender unconditionally to the special Javelins of the ASPD.When I say special, I mean the performance primarily, as very little else was different about these cars from the civilian version. The police decals and the beacon were striking identity marks, and so was the rear spoiler from the AMX.Interestingly, its main purpose wasnt aerodynamics enhancement, but rather more informational. The vast and almost flat area was perfect for displaying State | Trooper on the back of the car. The drivetrain was about as standard as it got. Apart from the radio, the siren, and the gumball beacon on the hood, the Alabama highway patrol car wasnt different from its general public variant.The engine was powerful enough to destroy tires at a headache-inducing rate (for the state accountants, anyway). The Chrysler-provided automatic transmission could grind its gears for hours without batting an eyelid. The powerplant was so angry it could starve itself of oil during extensive high-speed sessions (well over 100 mph / 160 kph) that would last more than an hour.At first glance, the engine wasnt scale-tipping impressive in absolute numbers, with a net output of 255 hp (259 ps) and 345 lb-ft (468 Nm). But the car only weighed 1.3 tons, and the three-speed Torque-Command gearbox worked wonders. The 2.87 rear also helped with high-speed numbers.The Alabama officers were delighted to discover that their newly-acquired two-door AMCs had no rival anywhere in the state. The speedometers of the police Javelins were standard, reading 140 mph (225 kph).Fun fact  demonstrated by official testing then: the actual speed was about 10 mph (16 kph) under what the needle claimed. Funnier fact: the 401-equipped ASPD cars were regularly driven beyond that maximum threshold on the dash gauge.Several duty reports testify that the fast Javelins clocked north of 150 mph (240 kph) during pursuits. One isolated instance even claims a higher score  a buck-seventy, obtained on the Talladega Speedway. 170 mph (274 kph) in a car with regular, civilian-available gear!A retired ASPD Captain, Robert Applin from Dothan, Alabama, once recalled the story: (I) also ran down a full house 71 Chevy 454 from Abbeville to Blue Springs. Caught him before we got to Blue Springs, but finally forced him off the road at the top of the hill on the west side of Blue Springs, got him out of his car, stuffed him into the Javelin, then called in and told the station I had him in custody. The whole chase lasted 6 minutes. I turned around on him at the roadside tables just west of Abbeville. The distance was 13 miles. Dispatchers log shows the times of the call-ins.Lets do the math: 13 miles (20.9 kilometers) in six minutes. Multiply by 10, and we get 130 miles in sixty minutes  or 130 mph (209 kph) average speed for that chase. Average, but we must factor in that the police car turned around on him, caught up with the suspect, pulled him over, and called the dispatch.Remember, the officer had to turn his car around, accelerate, reel in the culprit, pull it over, and call it in. If only one minute out of the six was spent on something other than the high-speed chase, we would get a rough estimate of around 156 mph (251 kph). Not too bad for a low-budget police car from Alabama.Tell-tale legends even claim that police officers would crash street racing events (legal ones) and prank the participants. If you can get away from me, Ill let you go without a ticket, was the laugh of the day, allegedly. But nobody did get away. The AMC Javelin 401 was simply too fast Only 132 cars were ever built for the Alabama Public Safety Department, and the vehicles had a rough life (catching shine-runners wasnt a white-collar affair in the deep South of the seventies). Survivors from that era are few and far between. All of these rare birds are either restored or rust buckets.The Texas-based classics rescuer Dennis Collins r ecently discovered one from the former category. The car  already in great shape after a 15-year-long refurbishment  will get a by-the-book professional restoration. We can only wait to see how the historic Javelin emerges, especially since it already is one of the best-looking police force AMCs known to exist. The last photo in the gallery shows this car before the arduous renovation.
Photo: Climate Scorecard

Reuters reports that seven EU states are rallying against ambitions in France to expand nuclear energy infrastructure in Europe. Germany leads the charge. In the wake of endless questions over the future of Europe's integrity in energy infrastructure, this is bound to get very ugly in a hurry if a solution isn't reached. Let's take a look at some details.It took far more factors than just the Russian invasion of Ukraine to bring about Europe's modern energy snafus. The European continent's respective nations underwent bespoke and often radically different approaches to their national energy grids, in the aftermath of World War II. In the case of France especially, a drive to complete a fleet of nuclear fission reactors that'd be the toast of Europe became one of the definitive legacies of the Charles De Gaulle government.Charles de Gaulle himself established France's first commercial nuclear research program while serving as Chairman of the Provisional Government of the French Republic. Essentially the newly restored-to-power leaders of the French government in exile returned to power following the liberation of Paris. Later on, in the 1970s, French Prime Minister Pierre Messmer implemented energy reforms that turned its nuclear grid into the titan it is today.Meanwhile, over in Germany, the story couldn't be more different in 2023. The pre-war German nuclear program famously exiled many of its Jewish scientists and engineers following the rise of the Nazi Party in the early 1930s. Famous minds like Albert Einstein were among those who were forced to flee to the United States. The first commercial German nuclear reactor didn't come online until 1969.That's 15 years after the first American commercial reactor in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, and 13 years after the first in French Service, the Marcoule Nuclear Power Plant near Bagnols-sur-Ceze in the French Gard department. Anti-nuclear sentiment among West Germany and later the re-united Federal Republic of Germany has been at the forefront of native society since the 1970s. At times, and especially after the Chornobyl (Chernobyl) disaster of 1986, these protests even escalated into riots.Such sentiments were only emboldened by the 2011 meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant in Japan following a devastating earthquake. No less than a few days after that decade-defining engineering disaster, protests from Berlin to Bavaria and everywhere in between made a profound statement. The public sentiment against nuclear energy in Germany had reached an all-time low.As such, a national ordinance was declared by which eight German fission reactors localized in the north and south of the country were to be shut down and decommissioned by the early 2020s. All this history came to a head this month when a coalition led by Germany but also including Spain, Denmark, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Portugal made an appeal to the EU not to take inspiration from France in their mission to reach 100% carbon-free energy by 2030.In accordance with universally accepted EU law, each nation represented in this appeal must submit their grievances to whichever country represents EU policy negotiations. In this case, this would be Sweden. Once submitted, the virtues of the EU's anti-nuclear coalition will be weighed against nations like France, Poland, and the Czech Republic, firmly in favor of bolstering nuclear research.Taking place simultaneously alongside this pan-European squabble, nuclear energy research groups across the continent continue to make advances in fission and fusion power research. The world's largest Tokamak-class fusion reactor at the ITER facility in France is expected to finish production in 2025.Meanwhile, a similarly sized and fully operational Tokamak resides in the U.K. under the Joint European Torus (JET) laboratory initiative.It would seem as quickly as nuclear energy research in Europe makes quantum advancements, forces that seek to put a stop to it all continuously rise to counter it. Germany and several other nations in Europe may have been spared freezing to death under threat from gas cutoffs from Russia. But as the War in Ukraine rages, there's no guarantee this will be the case next winter or the winter after that.Be it solar power, geothermal energy, wind turbines, or other more novel eco-conscious energy sources, it's hard to argue that any of these are quite as powerful as what modern safety-guarded nuclear fission reactors can be. Though the debate on dealing with the problem of nuclear waste disposal remains as fiery as ever, it's possible Germany and its anti-atomic coalition may one day come to regret their decision to turn their back on nuclear energy.
EV

NHTSA

GM's Mary Barra might be known for leaving Elon Musk in the dust when it comes to overpromising and underdelivering. Barra has been very bullish about her company's prospects of surpassing Tesla in the number of EVs sold and sure dreams of doing the same in autonomous driving. While GM'sproduction is disappointing, its autonomous-driving efforts are nothing to scoff at. GM owns Cruise, the most successful robotaxi company, and is preparing to launch self-driving tech on its vehicles with Ultra Cruise.Unlike other autonomous driving startups that had to close and lay off workers, Cruise appears to be doing alright, although it is burning cash at a high rate. The company recently expanded operations in San Francisco and other cities and is preparing to deploy the origin pod, which doesn't even have pedals or a steering wheel. There's only one problem: U.S. legislation has not advanced that fast.Mary Barra vowed to change that, and she met with Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell and Senator Gary Peters, a fellow Democrat and a Commerce Committee member. The two senators support Barra in advancing "the future of mobility, including autonomous vehicles." Gary Peters thinks this is essential to ensure that "U.S. manufacturers can compete with countries like China, create jobs here, and improve roadway safety."The Congress has delayed legislation to ease the regulation of autonomous vehicles for more than six years. In 2017, the House of Representatives passed a bill to speed up the adoption of self-driving cars. Unfortunately, the bill never passed the U.S. Senate.GM and its self-driving subsidiary Cruise have petitionedfor permission to deploy self-driving vehicles without a steering wheel or pedals. Cruise is preparing to launch commercial services using the Origin , its self-driving pod, and wants to deploy as many as 2,500 units per year. Origin has been spotted in testing, although the prototype still featured driver controls. According to Reuters, the NHTSA opened the petition for public comment in July last year, but has not acted on it.If GM's Barra convinces the Senate to adopt autonomous-vehicle legislation, the main beneficiary would likely be Tesla. The EV maker has promised a robotaxi for years, although it has not yet started developing such a driverless vehicle. Instead, Tesla has advanced its Self-Driving Beta software as a Level 2 driver assist technology.Like other robotaxi companies, Cruise is also bleeding money , and it needs to cut costs to stay afloat. The company burnt nearly $2 billion in 2022, and there's no estimate yet for 2023. Robotaxi and autonomous-vehicle companies have struggled in the past year, and Ford and Volkswagen have decided to close Argo AI. Google's Waymo has also laid off over 8% of its workforce, sparking investor concerns. This means there'll be less money invested in autonomous-driving technologies in the future.
GVW

In case you're unfamiliar with the brand, Morris Commercial is a UK-based manufacturer that produced most of the motorized vehicles for the British Army. After the Second World War, Morris released the J-type van, which inspired the new JE. The company said they're considering the JE as a reinterpretation of the J-Type rather than a revival or continuation, but it clearly pays homage to the vintage van.Morris initially unveiled the first concept prototype of the JE in late 2019 as a fully electric van engineered for the 21st century, but with the style, charm, and charisma of the renowned 1950s van on which it's based. The public's reaction was positive. Furthermore, a fully road-going JE prototype set out on a journey across the UK and Ireland to showcase its practicality and functionality.Many resources and substantial funding were needed to bring the Morris JE concept to life, and three years later, the van is now close to entering production. Let's take a look at the specs of the van's production prototype, which made its debut at the Cenex LCV (Low Carbon Vehicle) exhibition in September last year.The Morris JE features a recycled carbon fiber monocoque body and lightweight aluminum chassis, and a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery powertrain powers it. Morris Commercial claims it's one of the lightest LCVs (light commercial vehicles) in the marketplace. What's more, the new van is expected to have a range of 250 miles (322 km). The battery is capable of quick charging, and the van's charge port is hidden behind the iconic pear-shaped grille, the most distinctive aesthetic feature of the JE.Even though it boasts pleasant vintage-inspired aesthetics, it doesn't mean the Morris JE isn't practical. It has a 1-ton payload and 6.5 m3 carrying capacity at 2.5-ton. The van also comes with many safety , technology, and comfort features, such as side and rear vision cameras, an infotainment system, and a simple yet beautiful interior.The CEO of Morris Commercial, Dr. Qu Li, said, "We are truly grateful that new investors share our vision and beliefs and their confidence in Morris confirms the strength of our business model and our sustainability goals. With this new investment, we will be able to accelerate product development and take Morris JE to market."Customers will soon be able to get their hands on the all-electric JE, as Morris Commercial aims to start delivery in early 2024.
The navigation experience in Google Maps begins with pointing the app to the right address. To do this, users most often search for a location , either by providing the street name and building number or by using a point of interest.Searching in Google Maps, however, is much more complex. The application includes support for various keywords that could help users point the app precisely to where they want to go.For example, if you want to find an intersection, you can just type the names of at least two streets. If you search for Constitution Avenue and 14th Street, you point Google Maps right to the intersection in front of the White House. Zip codes are also supported in Google Maps. Searching can therefore be further enhanced by narrowing the results to a specific area. If you type restaurants in 48201, you ask Google Maps to look for places to eat in downtown Detroit.Searching with zip codes is easy, but so is using the city and state. If you dont know the zip code, you can just search for restaurants in Detroit, and Google Maps should return almost the same results.If you want to look for a restaurant thats right next to a point of interest, you can use the near tag in your search. Just type hamburgers near White House and you should be provided with fast-food restaurants close to the White House.If you search for a restaurant to determine the closest location, typing its name in Google Maps is all it takes. Searching for McDonalds displays all locations of the famous chain, and you should then be able to see the closest location.Pointing Google Maps to a precise location is possible with the latitude and longitude coordinates Sure enough, remembering all these numbers isnt exactly convenient, but if you have these coordinates from another sat-nav solution, you can just paste them into Google Maps. The coordinates for the intersection between Constitution Avenue and 14th Street are 38.892199, -77.031995, so paste them into Google Maps to see the exact location.Last but not least, if youre logged in with a Google account, you can search for other contacts whose location is stored in Google Maps. Its enough to type their names, such as John Smith, in the search bar, and Google Maps should then point you to the saved location. You can then start the navigation from your current location using the directions button displayed on the same screen within Android and iPhone apps.
The image of a bizarre-looking air vehicle thats neither an airplane nor a helicopter, hovering against the backdrop of a traditional Japanese building (the Osaka castle) seems to belong in a Sci-Fi movie or a videogame. Yet, this is what air mobility is about to look like in the near future.The aircraft in question is called Hexa, its designed by the Austin-based Lift Aircraft, and has actually flown in Japan this week. The endeavor is of historic importance since Hexa was the first of its kind to complete a manned flight in this country. And its not a one-time thing, but part of a larger demonstration tour in Japan.At Osaka, Masatoshi Kumagai of GMO Internet Group was the one who completed the historic flight . The GMO Internet Group is one of the partners in this AAM project, together with Marubeni Corporation and Lift Aircraft.The best part is that, according to Lift, Kumagai took off inside the Hexa eVTOL after just one hour of training and getting to know the aircraft. In the U.S., Hexa doesnt require a pilots license or aircraft type certification to be operated. In Japan, theres no regulation similar to the American FAA Part 103 (which is what Hexa conforms to), so Lift needed to get the green light from the local Japanese authorities.JCAB (Japan Civil Aviation Bureau) authorized the flight demonstration campaign, and has also attended this pioneering test flight in Osaka.Similar to the Jetson One and a few others, Hexa is meant to be more like a personal electric aircraft than an air taxi. Its main features include a distributed electric propulsion system with 18 motors, and an ultra-light airframe (which makes it compliant with FAAs Powered Ultralight Classification, that doesnt require pilot licensing for flying).A triply-redundant autopilot computer (connected to a single, three-axis joystick) makes this eVTOL supposedly easy to fly. Its also one of the few eVTOLs with amphibious capabilities. Fitted with five floats, it can land just as safely on ground or water.This Osaka demonstration (which included three flight patterns) is the first step toward future commercial services in Japan. Meanwhile, Lift Aircraft will also show off its contraption in Niihama and Imabari. And dont worry, Hexa wont be available only in Japan. Its also gearing up for take-off in New York , this year. Charm Aviation will add 100 Lift Aircraft eVTOLs to its fleet, for different kinds of aerial tour flights in the City.
ICE

SUV

Just in case this translation escaped your ears, Volkswagen equates to the peoples car, in German. Alas, a quick look at the MSRPs featured by the company will easily show they have grown quite far apart from that collocation, especially if we think about the novel sector of EVs. Luckily, with the fresh VW ID. 2all concept , the automaker is mulling a return to (more) affordable roots, touting a potential quotation below the 25k threshold  thats almost $27k at the current exchange rate.Elon Musk is probably smiling right now and sending tweets left and right to his corner-office head honchos to tell them he was right throwing out in the open the bait of an affordable Tesla slotted below the Model 3 sedan. Now we just have to hope that Volkswagen will uphold its promises (the range is also good, up to 450 km/280 miles) when it reveals the production version, which is probably going to be titled the simpler Volkswagen ID. 2.Naturally, the prototype has attracted a lot of attention, both in the real world and across the imaginative realm of digital car content creators, as well. And speculation is rising about the concept ushering in a new era for VW, complete with a contemporary design language and the MEB Entry model is just one of ten new EVs that the carmaker plans to introduce by 2026. As far as Kleber Silva, the Brazil-based virtual artist known as KDesign AG on social media, is concerned, the situation is already quite simple and logical.Thus, the pixel master has decided to have a CGI go at imagining the ID. 2all as an entire family of models. The design proposal for these unlikely variants follows the novel styling cues and tries to represent an option for every need, with convertible, sedan, and crossover body styles. Of course, it is not hard to guess that Volkswagen would have to give up somemodels if it ever wanted to make these real  such as the T-Roc. But chances are that we are heading that way, anyway, so feel free to imagine these new members of the ID. 2all family as successors of the Polo series, for example.Additionally, the CGI expert has also dreamt of a potential fully electric successor for the quirky Volkswagen up! and e-up! city cars and he naturally redubbed it as the hypothetical 2026 ID. 1. By the way, is it just me, or even virtual artists cannot seem to make VWs designs any less boring than they already are from the very OEM beginning?!
https://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_123/bass-smith-disqualification-31623.html

B.A.S.S. News

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.  B.A.S.S. officials announced today that, after an extensive investigation and appeals process, Tucker Smiths Day 2 catch disqualification from the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Lake Eufaula has been upheld. Smith finished in seventh place.

The disqualification was handed down based on a violation of the Angler Code of Conduct (Section 7 of the Bassmaster Opens Series rules) which lists among the examples of unacceptable behavior by competitors in B.A.S.S. events: Interfering with a fellow anglers ability to compete.

Smiths appeal was heard today by a three-person panel which included an Elite Series angler and a Bassmaster Opens angler  neither of whom competed in the 2023 Eufaula Open  and a B.A.S.S. employee who is not part of the Tournaments Department.
China's Global Security Initiative to help world combat security challenges, ensure sustainable peace: experts

Xinhua) 11:24, March 17, 2023

ISLAMABAD, March 17 (Xinhua) -- With the global security environment becoming greatly undefined and complex owing to climate change, pandemics and geopolitical conflicts, China-proposed Global Security Initiative (GSI) can help the world combat various security challenges and ensure sustainable peace, experts said.

The initiative reflects China's commitment towards safeguarding world peace and firm resolve to defend global security based on the principles of mutual respect and win-win cooperation, said the experts and academics from different countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Malaysia, Sweden, Germany, and Russia during a webinar on the "Global Security Initiative" organized by Asian Institute of Eco-Civilization Research and Development, an Islamabad-based think tank, on Thursday.

The GSI upholds the core principles of the United Nations in security governance, supports multilateralism, dialogues, peaceful coexistence of countries, resolution of conflicts, and balanced development for all, while strongly rejecting the hegemonic, bullying and domineering practices, Shakeel Ahmad Ramay, chief executive officer of Asian Institute of Eco-civilization Research and Development said.

With the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, the GSI highlighted that the desire of having a safer and peaceful world is impossible without social and economic development as poverty and food insecurity trigger conflicts and jeopardize global security, he said.

In this regard, Ramay said that China has always focused on socio-economic growth and launched several global initiatives including the Belt and Road Initiative and Global Development Initiative to boost peace, prosperity and well-being of people.

"The implementation of GSI will help steer the world towards the goal of building a community with a shared future for mankind," he added.

Chairman of Centre for New Inclusive Asia Ong Tee Keat underlined that no country can strengthen its own security at the expense of others, saying that through GSI, the security concerns of all stakeholders are given due consideration.

"The international community, particularly the developing Global South is generally in dire need of a peaceful environment for their development. Similarly, the Southeast Asian countries generally subscribe to the GSI principles, especially for the pursuit of comprehensive security ... and efforts to address the security concerns in both the traditional and non-traditional domains," he added.

China's role in regional and world peace benefits all countries in the region and the international community, and the country would continue to play its part as a world peace defender, said Helga Zepp-LaRouche, chairperson of the International Schiller Institute, Germany.

Citing the example of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, she said that China is trying to pacify the conflict in a strong diplomatic way, calling for establishing peace between the two countries.

She said over 80 countries and regional organizations have expressed their appreciation and support for GSI, expressing hope that all countries would work together for the betterment of humanity.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Abdul Latif Nazari said GSI is a logical solution for ending conflicts between governments and preventing the destruction of world peace.

"This initiative is the roadmap for cooperation on global security and the future ... emphasized the constructive role of regional organizations such as the African Union, ASEAN and the Arab League in order to maintain regional stability," the minister said.

Commending China's role in the recent agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, he said that regional countries welcomed the agreement as it is important for the resumption of political relations.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
PAMELA Tremont, the US ambassador designate to Zimbabwe, says multi-billion-dollar deals signed between Harare and Beijing in the past few years have allegedly oiled the elites expensive lifestyles at the expense of millions.

Zimbabwe and China  the worlds second biggest economy  have elevated their diplomatic ties since Harares fallout with western powers over 20 years ago, triggering an investor exodus and de-industrialisation.

In 2019, Chinese diplomats estimated that the world power had extended US$2,5 billion in loans, investments and grants to Zimbabwe since the diplomatic fallout in 2000.

During Tremonts recent confirmation hearing in the US senate committee on foreign relations John Barrasso, a senator for Wyoming, asked the envoy about her views of Zimbabwes ties with China and what she would do to make sure the US improved its own relations with Harare.

Citing several deals, the US politician wanted to know how Tremont would also work to defuse Chinese influence in Zimbabwe, where Beijing has helped construct important infrastructure.

These include the US$553 million Kariba power station expansion in 2018.

In 2016, Chinese firms completed the US$150 million Victoria Falls International Airport expansion project, before embarking on the US$154 million Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport facelift.

The project is almost complete.

A US$200 million new parliament building was recently opened in Harare, funded by the Chinese government while the US$1,5 billion Hwange thermal power station facelift is underway.

The NetOne Zimbabwe state owned telecoms network has received about US$239 million from China since 2013, Barrasso said, giving the deal as one of many examples.

In response, Tremont said Zimbabwe and China had a long-standing relationship dating back to Harares 1970s liberation war, which ended in 1980.

I think the difference between Chinese investments in Zimbabwe and other places in Africa isthe US$4,5 billion that we have invested in Zimbabwean people have been for the people to promote their health, defend the democratic space, improve electoral systems and increase food security, Tremont told the hearing.

Seven hundred thousand Zimbabweans benefited from our food security and agricultural programmes last year. It's tremendously important in light of the food shortages brought on by Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine. The Chinese investments are much more for the government of Zimbabwe. The Parliament building doesn't necessarily benefit the Zimbabwean people the way US investment does, she said.

Tremont said China had been investing in the extractive industries all over the world, including in Zimbabwe.

She told the hearing that China and Russia comprised about 90% of the foreign direct investment in Zimbabwe's minerals sector.

Unfortunately, there's very little transparency regarding the terms of those contracts. So, while I would always support private sector led growth in Zimbabwe or any country, I certainly hope the Zimbabwean government is ensuring that the Zimbabwean people are getting fair compensation for the minerals taken from their country, she added. Zimbabwe Independent
Johnny Hanna, partner in charge of KPMG in NI, would like to see corporation tax powers devolved to Northern Ireland

Ashleigh Averell, in her office with son Patrick when he was a week old, is frustrated over childcare support in Northern Ireland

Parents and businesses have voiced their frustration that Northern Ireland could miss out on extended childcare provisions designed to help people get back into work due to the collapse of Stormont.

The new childcare provision outlined for England includes 30 hours free of childcare for children over the age of nine months and boosts to subsidised childcare for parents on universal credit.

While Northern Ireland will receive equivalent funding, theres no guarantee thats what the money will be spent on. A spokesperson from the Department of Finance said: Northern Ireland will receive 130m of Barnett consequential as result of the Spring Budget  this will be provided over a two-year period. It will be for the Secretary of State/an incoming administration to decide on how Barnett consequentials are allocated.

Johnny Hanna, partner in charge of KPMG in NI, would like to see corporation tax powers devolved to Northern Ireland

The cost of childcare as a barrier to parents, in particular women, returning to full-time employment has been highlighted by Newtownabbey businesswoman Ashleigh Averell.

After posting her frustration on social media she has been inundated with messages of support.

There is a multitude of women in particular who have come forward with their own story regarding how the cost of childcare has impacted their career due to cutting of hours, or resignation altogether, she said.

It is clear in many cases that one parent loses their entire salary to childcare costs, and this is putting them out of work.

Owner of customised workwear and clothing business I Brand Everything, Ms Averell had posted about her journey as a working mother, including difficulties even finding a day care place for her son Patrick.

Describing the Spring Budget announcement as a huge milestone, Ms Averell said: However, with our lack of functioning government it is unlikely to be replicated here anytime soon.

NI is falling behind England, Scotland and Wales in these policies. The system is currently designed to fail, forcing parents out of work due to financial circumstances. Day care facilities are also on their knees with rising costs and regulations to adhere to.

Richard Ramsey, chief economist NI at Ulster Bank, said: The lack of a Childcare Strategy is clearly another growing issue in Dormant Stormonts ever-increasing in-tray.

Employers for Childcare has called for the Executive to resume and address childcare as a day-one priority. Aoife Hamilton, head of charity services, said: This budget only serves to widen the gap between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK in relation to financial support with childcare, as we fall further and further behind.

Since yesterday we have been hearing from many agitated parents who are frustrated that they will not see any benefit from this announcement.

Inadequate childcare provision extends far beyond the latest Stormont suspension, according to Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC) director Neil Johnston.

Why is Northern Ireland so disastrously behind on childcare support? said Mr Johnston. The announcements of further improvements in the Budget relating to England simply draw attention to how the NI Executive has failed to deliver on childcare not just in the last 12 months but for decades.

Ashleigh Averell and Patrick

NIRC also expressed its disappointment over the absence of changes to the Apprenticeship Levy, which NI businesses say they pay into but receive nothing back.

And Stormonts collapse has left retailers unable to access the business rates relief extended in GB.

Rates must be paid in full whether firms are making a profit or a loss, said Mr Johnston. This makes business rates the final nail in the coffin for many struggling stores.

KPMG Northern Ireland is, meanwhile, calling for a restored Stormont to devolve corporation tax, which is rising to 25% from April 1, double the rate paid by businesses in the Republic of Ireland.

The growing tax rate differential makes it difficult for NIs businesses to compete with their peers in RoI and it also lessens NIs appeal as an investment destination, said Johnny Hanna, partner in charge of KPMG in NI.

There is a way for the province to counter that challenge by enacting the Corporation Tax (NI) Act passed by Westminster in 2015. Such a move would require the return of the Assembly.
Junior doctors leaders have become the latest union to agree to suspend industrial action and accept an offer of pay talks with the Government.

The Department of Health and Social Care said the British Medical Association had agreed to enter negotiations on the same terms as unions representing nurses, ambulance staff and other NHS workers in talks which concluded this week.

We deeply regret that over 175,000 appointments and procedures were cancelled this week, despite our offer to start formal talks on the condition strikes were paused, a DHSC spokesman said.

However we are pleased the BMA has now accepted our offer to enter talks based on the same terms as with the agenda for change unions  which concluded positively this week.

We want to find a fair settlement which recognises the crucial role of junior doctors and the wider economic pressures facing the UK, as we have done with other unions.

The move follows a three-day walkout by junior doctors in support of their demand for a 35% pay increase  a claim ministers have said is unaffordable.

In a statement posted on social media, the junior doctors representatives at the BMA confirmed they had written to Health Secretary Steve Barclay offering to meet next week.

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They acknowledged some members would have reservations about the suspension of industrial action, but said they were ready to return to the picket line in the event of a substandard offer.

They wrote: We are entering these negotiations in good faith and, having completed our initial 72-hour strike, there is a window of opportunity here where we can achieve full pay restoration.

This has always been our aim, and we will always be willing to talk anywhere and on any grounds that do not prevent us from achieving this goal.

It follows the breakthrough in the NHS dispute on Thursday, with leaders of nurses, ambulance crews and other health workers agreeing to suspend further industrial action while ballots are held on a new pay offer.

Earlier, NHS England medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said the doctors strike had been on an unprecedented scale and had a greater impact than all the other industrial action we have seen so far this winter combined.

Despite the huge efforts that NHS staff made to keep patients safe and minimise disruption, this strike was on an unprecedented scale and had a greater impact than all the other industrial action we have seen so far this winter combined, he said.

Over 175,000 appointments and procedures were rescheduled to protect emergency, critical and urgent care for patients, which will inevitably impact on efforts to tackle the Covid backlog.
Belfast has seen its fair share of international go-betweens over the years so you could say Robert Forsters first visit is long overdue.

The Go-Betweens were the Australian band Forster co-founded with the late Grant McLennan in the late 1970s. They built up a loyal fanbase, but could not fashion a hit single. McLennan summed up their status with the line: I have heard that story that the people who listened to the Velvet Underground formed bands, and people who listened to The Go-Betweens became music journalists.

Its a smart summary and, like the bands music, deserves a much wider audience. No 80s music nostalgia station would not be better served by a few airings of Spring Rain instead of Its Raining Men but then again, not every band has a bridge in Brisbane named after them.

Fans have been spoilt in recent years though. Apart from solo output, there have been books (including one by Everything But the Girls Tracey Thorn on her friendship with the bands drummer Lindy Morrison), a film, two extensive boxsets with another on the way, and a radio documentary by award-winning journalist Ken Sweeney.

Australian singer/songwriter Robert Forster. Credit: Stephen Booth

Forster makes his Northern Ireland debut at the Empire next Thursday. Given his former band spent half the 1980s based in London and he himself has been no stranger to Dublin during a solo career which now comprises eight albums, its an oddity hes happy to correct.

The Go-Betweens never played Belfast, and Ive been trying, so finally it came through and I was really happy. Im playing quite a few places Ive never played before the idea of playing Belfast, Wolverhampton, Hebden Bridge, York is really great. I like playing new places, says Forster.

In London in the 80s I was really good friends with a band from Cork, Microdisney, and some people from Dublin but I never met anyone from Belfast. Wed known Microdisney for a couple of years in London because we shared a practice room there. So Id met these Irish people, which were the first Irish people Id met. It was a great introduction.

The man from Brisbane has picked up a cold. Its no great surprise, he has just arrived to a freezing, wet London for his first tour in over three years.

In fact its his first trip outside Australia in that period.

This is just a shock to my system. For three years Ive been in Brisbane, in sub-tropical weather. Theres a lot of flu around, and its just been of four days of rain. Ive had to go out, mixing a bit with people, though Ive been careful. When I got here last Saturday I did a lot of walking around because I was very excited to be here and I was breathing in a lot of cold air.

Performer Robert Forster. Credit: Bleddyn Butcher

Health is a topic at the front of Forsters mind at the minute.

His new album The Candle and the Flame was released after his wife Karin Baumler was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in July 2021.

The first single from the album, a two-line lyric called Shes a Fighter, is inspired by Karins spirit and is the only song on the album completed after her illness came to light.

I had the music for Shes a Fighter before Karins diagnosis and then, from observing Karin pulling all the strings together and going into the chemo with that sort of fight, that line just came to me and fitted perfectly with it.

This one song was really short and really got to the point: it wasnt some sort of big, ten-verse, overwhelming ballad about what had happened, it was just a short, sharp statement.

Musician Robert Forster who'll play Belfast on March 23   Getty Images

It has added significance for Forster as its a song on which the whole family  himself, Karin, son Louis and daughter Loretta  plays. He admits its difficult to tour in the shadow of Karins health concerns, but before he left she got a positive update which has eased his worry.

Hes not on his own though, hes performing the shows with his son Louis.

We had to book this tour in. It was very much lets be positive, lets book the tour and if it doesnt happen well it doesnt happen for a really big reason.

This is the first time Louis and I have performed on stage, and the tour is a real continuation of the album. Louis has been living in London he stayed on when (his former band) The Goon Sax broke up in July. Louis brings a lot of energy to what were doing. Thankfully he wanted to come on tour and were doing this.

Doing this means doing it by themselves.

Were doing the whole tour by train  no roadies, no tour manager, nothing. Backpacks and guitars and one suitcase. Its beautiful to be able to do.

Robert Forster plays Belfast Empire Music Hall on March 23. His album The Candle and The Flame is out on Tapete Records.
Nathan Connolly, who has been the guitarist with Snow Patrol since 2002, is now set to release his own solo album in April, with his debut single to be released today (Friday 17 March).

The song 'Fires' is a co-write with Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro, who also features on the track.

Connolly began working on a solo album with producer Rocky O'Reilly in his native city of Belfast in 2017.

"I have known Simon since back in my early days with Snow Patrol, he said.

"The first show I remember playing together was a Zane Lowe MTV Gonzo show in Glasgow in 2003.

"Over the years we occasionally mentioned doing something together at some point. Finally, the opportunity came in the form of Fires. He is extraordinary and came at the song from somewhere I dont think I would or could have.

In 2013, Connolly also founded Little Matador, releasing their self-titled album the following year.

Little Matador bandmate Dave Magee also co-wrote the NI musicians new track Fires, with what Connolly describes as "an effortless gift for the riff".

Nathan Connolly's album, 'The Strange Order of Things' will be released on April 21, with pre-order available now.

Northern Irish rock band Snow Patrol have gone on to sell 17 million albums, achieve five UK platinum albums, an Ivor Novello award and Grammy and Mercury Music Prize nominations.
Common Market is getting a rebrand for it's St Patrick's Day campaign.   Phil Magowan / Press Eye

Guinness 0.0 will be handed out free of charge today.   SNS Group via Getty Images

A Belfast bar is one of four locations across the island of Ireland to turn into a Guinness 0.0 Pub this St Patricks Day weekend.

Common Market will join venues in Dublin, Galway and Cork in promoting the Irish stout brands alcohol-free beverage.

Other bars in Belfast which will be providing free pints of the alcohol-free black stuff include 39 Gordon Street, the Hercules Bar, Kellys Cellars, Laverys, Maddens, The Rock Bar and The Deers Head, as well as Derrys Derby Bar and Park Bar.

Customers can enjoy a free pint of Guinness 0.0 on March 17, as well as in 150 other pubs across the island, via the AnyExcuse app where the drink will be redeemable until Sunday.

The campaign has been developed to communicate a message of moderation, and to encourage consumers to try the non-alcoholic beer, with 50,000 free pints of Guinness 0.0 being made available across the island of Ireland over the course of St Patricks weekend.

Common Market is getting a rebrand for it's St Patrick's Day campaign.   Phil Magowan / Press Eye

Other locations include Dublin Airport on March 17 and 18 and Aviva Stadium for people attending the highly anticipated Guinness Six Nations finale, Ireland v England, on March 18.

Speaking about the campaign, Alan McAleenan, brand director at Guinness Ireland said: St Patricks Day is one of the key highlights in the social calendar, a day when we are proud to celebrate our heritage and Irish culture.

"We are delighted to be championing our non-alcoholic beer, Guinness 0.0, in our largest ever responsible drinking campaign in Ireland, and encourage everyone to engage in an enjoyable and responsible way to make it a St. Patricks Day to Remember.

In addition to the current offering via cans and MicroDraught, Guinness 0.0 will also be available on draught in select pubs and restaurants. Consumers can find out how to redeem a free pint across St. Patricks weekend by visiting www.anyexcuse.com
St Patricks Day celebrations have taken place across Northern Ireland, with revellers travelling from around the world to be see the pageantry.

Thousands of people gathered in Belfast city centre to watch the main parade, which got underway at 1.30pm on Friday.

Patrick Kressner (32) and Felix Engel (32) dressed to impress for the spectacle, which was staged by arts organisation Beat Carnival to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

They travelled from Germany just to be a part of the big day.

Watch: Patrick from Germany visits Belfast for first time to experience St Patricks Day, he said "It's perfect."

We are here for the parade, they said. Its perfect.

We know St Patricks Day from Germany. We have partied [for] it, and we said we have to go to Belfast and take [in] the real St Patricks Day.

The pals mark the occasion every year in their home city of Leipzig but always dreamed of celebrating on the Emerald Isle.

They enjoyed their first beer on the plane here at 7.30am, but had to wait a few more hours for their first pint of the black stuff in an Irish pub.

It was perfect  its a real Guinness, they declared.

The revellers planned to continue sipping their favourite drink before making their way to the airport for an evening flight home.

Around 800 artists, performers and dancers took part in the procession, which celebrated Belfasts status as a Unesco City of Music and featured ancient horns of Ireland, traditional folk, disco, punk and a dance rave.

Watch: Thousands of people celebrate St Patrick's Day in style in Belfast

Lea Duwime (26) and Adrian Patrick (27) usually enjoy a quiet drink in their local pub in France to celebrate Irelands patron saint.

This year they planned a trip to Dublin, but the high cost of accommodation in the Republics capital city encouraged them north of the border.

This is fun. I think its nice to see people gathering and having fun for a day, they said.

Everyone is wearing green and enjoying themselves and that is the main reason we wanted to come here.

It was something we really wanted to do and experience.

The couple, who live in Bordeaux, began their day in St Georges Market, where hundreds of visitors were entertained with live traditional Irish music and dance performances by members of Ards Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann.

Georgia Ramm and pet pooch Joni

Meanwhile, Georgia Ramm (27) weaved through the crowded city centre streets with pet pooch Joni, who was enjoying the festivities.

Theres a brilliant energy around Belfast on St Patricks Day, she said.

Its good to see it so busy again after the pandemic. I think the city is only on the up and moving forward, which is great.

I came in for the parade and now we are going to go to Maddens, because they let Joni in. Maybe well have a Guinness.

Hundreds of children embraced the carnival atmosphere by having their faces painted, waving flags and donning green hats and themed merchandise.

Seadna, Fiadh, Aria and Joel enjoying St Patrick's Day in Belfast

Karen McCrea (39) was among the spectators along with her sister and their kids who enjoyed the pageantry.

Belfast has a real festival feel about it. I havent come into the city centre for this in a very long time, she said.

Normally we would go to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, but we are pleasantly surprised.

It has a real family focus and now we are going to go and get something to eat.

Its going to be very tame compared to my student days.

However, not everyone was enthusiastic about seeing the parade.

Ryan and Sarah Moffatt

Ryan (35) and Sarah Moffatt (35) were making the most of their freedom as they celebrated Paddys Day for the first time in three years.

They werent wasting any time in their bid to beat the queue at the bar.

We like a pint of Guinness or two on St Patricks Day. Its a tradition, they said.

But we have two kids and the oldest is two and a half, so we havent been able to do it.

My mum and dad  legends  are looking after them.

The couple were still under curfew, though, and planned to be home no later then 5.30pm.

Adrian Patrick and Lea Duwime

Celebrations in Enniskillen kicked off on Thursday night when dozens of vessels lit up green and sailed along Lough Erne past the illuminated castle ahead of Fridays parade.

Elsewhere, one of the stars of the Oscar-winning film An Irish Goodbye, Seamus OHara, was among those taking part in the Newry parade.

The actor, who lives in Killeavy, teamed up with members of his GAA club to mark the special occasion less than 24 hours after returning home from Los Angeles.

Pilgrims have also been gathering in Downpatrick at the site believed to be St Patricks grave.

An early morning service took place at St Patricks first church in Saul, Co Down, with some of the congregation going on to climb nearby Slieve Patrick afterwards.

Thousands of spectators also lined the streets of Derry, where the citys annual parade began at 3pm on Bishop Street.
A MAN, who escaped from prison in November last year and was then arrested in Beitbridge last month, appeared in court yesterday.

Mikia Pirikisi appeared before magistrate Munashe Chibanda facing charges of escaping from lawful custody, robbery and malicious damage to property.

He committed these crimes after escaping from prison.

Pirikisi pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody and was remanded to March 20.

He told the court that when he escaped from prison, he was herding cattle at the prison farm in Gletwin, with other inmates, and they were unguarded.

We got into an altercation with a passer-by and chased after him and that is when I realised that I had a chance to escape and took advantage of that opportunity, he said.

Allegations are that on November 6, last year, Pirikisi who was serving jail time in A Class at Chikurubi Prison and his accomplice, who is at large, went missing.

Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service officer, Bright Musekiwa, was informed by residents that the two had been spotted in the Gletwin area.

He took some officers and went on a manhunt, for the two escapees, but they failed to locate them.

Pirikisi was arrested in Beitbridge last month and taken back to Chikurubi Prison.

In the robbery charge, the State said on November 7 last year, at around 1am, Pirikisi broke into Tendai Mudzamires house in Chishawasha Hills, still wearing prison garb.

Pirikisi struck Mudzamire with a brick on the face, and tied his wife and children with a rope, and ransacked the house in search of valuables.

He allegedly stole a wallet containing US$60, three cellphones, two pairs of shoes, a satchel and a suitcase before fleeing.

In the malicious damage to property, Pirikisi, and two others, attempted to break into Ronald Mapamulas house by breaking a window.

Mapamula screamed for help and the three scaled over the precast wall and fled.

Anesu Chirenje prosecuted. H Metro
A senior police officer convicted over a drink-driving incident on Christmas Eve has been dismissed.

Police Service of Northern Ireland Chief Superintendent Patricia Foy was fined and handed a driving disqualification when she appeared before a district judge at Lisburn Magistrates Court in January.

Ms Foy, 57, whose address was given as PSNI headquarters, was charged with driving with excess alcohol, failing to stop at a damage-only accident and driving without due care and attention.

The court heard that on December 24, at about 4pm, police were made aware of a damage-only road traffic collision in Lisburn, where a car had collided with a traffic light. Police also received a report about a car colliding with a parked car.

Officers observed the defendant walking from the vehicle to her home address where she failed an alcohol breath test and was arrested.

A lawyer for Ms Foy, who formerly headed the PSNIs Professional Standards Division, said she regretted finding herself before the court and apologised for the incident.

On Friday, the PSNI confirmed the officer had been dismissed from the organisation following a disciplinary process.

A PSNI spokeswoman said: An officer was dismissed on Friday March 10 from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, by the Chief Constable (Simon Byrne), following a criminal conviction.
Michelle O'Neill on stage during the 'Women at the Helm' conference at Georgetown University in Washington, DC (Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire)   PA

Hillary Clinton has suggested that DUP Assembly members opposed to the Windsor Framework should resign and allow the others to form a new government at Stormont.

The former US secretary was speaking in Washington DC, where the build-up to St Patricks Day has been marked by the traditional visit to the US by Irish politicians of all shades of green  and some orange.

However, the impasse at Stormont and uncertainty over the DUPs position on the Windsor Framework has caused friction.

Mrs Clinton told the BBC the parties here had been elected to form a government and if they couldnt, they should resign and let someone from their party who is willing to be part of a new government move forward.

Lets get the government up and going... My thought always is you never agree with somebody 100%of the time. Find the 60, 70% of what you do agree on, get it done and then continue to talk and, you know, argue about what remains, she said.

So lets get the government up and going. Lets do the things government is expected to do.

Earlier, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson suggested one senior US politician needs to read some history books.

Chuck Schumer, the most senior politician in the US Senate, had used a speech delivered to the annual Ireland Funds dinner in Washington to urge the DUP to return to Stormont.

Now the Windsor Framework has been announced, I sincerely hopes it clears the way for the DUP to join Sinn Fein in a power-sharing agreement, he said.

I say to all parties in the North, but especially the DUP, lets get to the peoples business, the business of power sharing and self-governing.

As majority leader of the US Senate, which decides on treaties, I will not support any trade deal between the US and the UK if any settlement undermines the Good Friday Agreement.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar speaks to the media at Howard University in Washington, DC (Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire)   PA

The remarks led Sir Jeffrey to encourage Mr Schumer to learn more about the situation.

I would urge the senator to read some history books. Maybe hed learn a little bit more about what really happens and the reality of the situation, Mr Donaldson told Sky News.

Were saying the [UK] government needs to go further and to dig deeper to ensure that what we get not only works for here and now, but is future-proof.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkars visit will culminate today in a high-profile ceremony to hand over a crystal bowl of shamrocks to President Joe Biden at the White House, after having breakfast with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Mr Varadkar also said there is currently a window of opportunity to get the Good Friday Agreement working again, but no reason for a border poll.

Speaking to reporters at Howard University, he added: The Good Friday Agreement does provide for a border poll, its there in black and white, but it says it should only happen when the secretary of state forms the opinion that there is a majority north and south for unification. That just isnt the case at the moment.

If you look at the last Northern Ireland Assembly elections, the number of nationalist MLAs actually went down. So I dont think that should be the focus of our deliberations now. We should be focusing on trying to get the Good Friday Agreement working again, as it was intended 25 years ago, and there is a window of opportunity now to do that and that has to be the focus.

Michelle O'Neill on stage during the 'Women at the Helm' conference at Georgetown University in Washington, DC (Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire)   PA

Meanwhile, Sinn Feins Stormont leader, Michelle ONeill, has told Washington DCs National Press Club that, as incoming first minister, she was prepared to work across party lines.

As the eyes of the world turn to Belfast once more, lets take this opportunity to attract investment, create jobs for our young people and together deliver the change people demand and rightfully deserve, she said.
The actor made the comments while speaking to Sky News Beth Rigby on Thursday night.

A united Ireland will happen and Britain will be pleased about it, award-winning Northern Ireland actor Liam Neeson has said.

Asked about the prospect of Irish reunification, Mr Neeson said that if it was to happen, everyone in Northern Ireland would have to be appeased.

I think it will happen. I think Britain will be pleased. I think it could happen, yeah. But you know, everybody has to be appeased. The Protestants in Northern Ireland have a strong voice, he told Sky News.

I hear them, I know where they are coming from and they have to be respected. If there is going to be a united Ireland, their voice has to be heard and they need to be represented if a united Ireland comes about.

Mr Neeson was brought up a Catholic in Ballymena and began his acting career on stage in Northern Ireland, performing during The Troubles.

During the interview, he also reflected on the dangers facing actors during those years.

"There were a couple of nights where the theatre would get a telephone call to be told there's a bomb, and we'd have to go out onto the street with the audience, and the soldiers came in and searched, and maybe an hour I say, okay, you can go back in again, he said.

"It was dangerous but I guess because of my age and because I loved what I was doing, I was just in a bubble."

Reflecting on the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Mr Neeson said the peace deal was an extraordinary achievement.

"There was just a feeling in the air, you know, of change - and change for good, he said.

The Hollywood actor also called for Northern Irelands politicians to get back into government.

"They're representing the people of the North of Ireland - get back to work. You're drawing the salary still, he said.

"On the world stage, when you see what's happening in Ukraine and stuff and there's a politician talking about [how] we have to get our sausages in from Britain into Belfast, it's like, come on, seriously is this where we're at?
US Vice President Kamala Harris speaking during a breakfast meeting she hosted at her official residence in Washington DC. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire   PA

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (left) at a bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, DC. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire   PA

US President Joe Biden is a big supporter of the Windsor Framework, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has been told.

Mr Biden hosted Mr Varadkar at the White House today as part of events to mark St Patricks Day, with the US President re-iterating his support for the Windsor Framework.

"I very strongly supported the Windsor Framework, which I know you do too," said the President.

The DUP is currently blocking powersharing at Stormont in protest at the trade barriers imposed by the withdrawal deal's contentious Northern Ireland Protocol.

The party have said the Windsor Framework has gone some way to address its concerns, but it maintains some "fundamental problems" remain with the new accord.

Joe Biden is "hugely informed" on Northern Ireland issues, says Taoiseach

Mr Biden also thanked the Taoiseach for "standing together" with the US against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"It means a great deal speaking out against Russia's brutal aggression," he said.

The US President said he and Leo Varadkar had "a lot to talk about" as he mentioned the "deepening economic ties" between the US and Ireland.

Mr Biden said St Patricks Day was a big day in his family.

"It's a big day in my grandparents' household, our household, a big day here, and I know a bigger day at home, he told Mr Varadkar.

The President then referenced a quote by Irish poet William Butler Yeats - Think where man's glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was I had such friends.

Mr Biden said: "Well, you've been a great friend, a great friend to the United States. Ireland and the United States share friendship and long, long traditions."

He said many Americans look forward to St Patrick's Day.

At a later St Patrick's lunch on Capitol Hill hosted by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Mr Biden again expressed firm backing for the Windsor Framework.

"It's a vital, vital step and it's going to help to ensure that all the people in Northern Ireland have an opportunity to realise their full potential," he said.

Leo Varadkar began his comments to Mr Biden with some remarks in Irish.

The Taoiseach then thanked the President for backing Ireland's position on issues related to Brexit.

"I really want to thank you for your help and support and understanding for our position on Brexit in recent years, it really made a difference and we've got to a good place now, I think, with the Windsor Framework, where we can have an agreement that lasts which is important for Northern Ireland, and also important for British, Irish and European relations," he said.

The Irish premier also hailed Mr Biden's role in supporting Ukraine.

"America is at its best when it stands with its European partners to defend freedom and democracy," he said.

"Thank you for that. I know you'll stay the course for us, with us, and we'll stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes."

Mr Varadkar also spoke about the President's upcoming visit to Ireland.

"I promise you that we're going to roll out the red carpet and it's going to be a visit like no other," he said.

"Everyone's excited about it already. We're going to have great crowds who'd love to see you."

Following the meeting, Mr Varadkar said Mr Biden was well-informed about issues relating to Irish affairs.

"The President's very keen to see the institutions running again in Northern Ireland and hopefully see the Windsor Framework fully put into operation, he said.

"We talked about economic co-operation as well and agreed to co-operate closely on cybersecurity, which is important for both of us as countries."

Mr Varadkar did not outline any further details on the President's upcoming visit.

"He certainly hopes and expects to come to Ireland hopefully in the future and it'd be very much a homecoming visit, as well as an official visit as well," he said.

When asked on the potential of the President to act as a catalyst in restoring powersharing at Stormont, Mr Varadkar said: "He's hugely important and very much across what's happening in Ireland, and very supportive of our efforts and would like to see the Good Friday Agreement operating as it should."

Meanwhile, US Vice President Kamala Harris has said new post-Brexit trading arrangements agreed by the European Union and the UK are an essential step to ensure peace and progress in Northern Ireland, .

During an address at a breakfast event attended by Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Ms Harris re-iterated President Joe Bidens support for the Windsor Framework.

She said Northern Ireland's peace was hard-won and should be cherished.

The vice president said the US administration viewed issues around Northern Ireland and the need to preserve the fundamentals of the Good Friday peace agreement "very seriously".

"As President Biden has said, the Windsor Framework is an essential step to ensure peace and progress, and to ensure that it is strengthened and preserved," she said.

It comes after Hillary Clinton suggested that DUP Assembly members opposed to the Windsor Framework should resign and allow the others to form a new government at Stormont.

Mrs Clinton told the BBC the parties here had been elected to form a government and if they couldnt, they should resign and let someone from their party who is willing to be part of a new government move forward.

Lets get the government up and going... My thought always is you never agree with somebody 100%of the time. Find the 60, 70% of what you do agree on, get it done and then continue to talk and, you know, argue about what remains, she said.

So lets get the government up and going. Lets do the things government is expected to do.
Gathering takes place for St Patricks Day with unionists and nationalists meeting US President

Some of the biggest names in Northern Ireland politics have travelled to the United States this week as part of an annual gathering ahead of St Patricks Day.
Mr Biden referenced the attempted murder of DCI John Caldwell during a speech in Washington DC

President Joe Biden, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar depart the U.S. Capitol following the Friends of Ireland Luncheon on Saint Patrick's Day. Pic: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images   Getty Images

Words of solidarity from Joe Biden over the attempted murder of PSNI DCI John Caldwell were quite amazing, Chief Constable Simon Byrne has said.

Mr Byrne's comments come after President Biden referenced the shooting of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell in a speech in Washington on Friday.

Police Service of Northern Ireland Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition after being shot multiple times at a leisure centre in Omagh, Co Tyrone, last month.

Mr Byrne thanked the US President for the "empathy and compassion" he had displayed to Mr Caldwell and his family.

"I think it's really important that the hard work that the men and women of the police service are doing around the clock is acknowledged in this way, I just think it's quite amazing," he said.

"We really, really appreciate the support from someone who's so significant in global politics."

Mr Byrne was at the St Patricks Day Lunch on Capitol Hill when Mr Biden highlighted last month's gun attack in Omagh, Co Tyrone.

Read more PSNI release new CCTV of car used in DCI John Caldwell attempted murder

"I think one of the themes of the few days here in various settings is politicians and other key people from right across the spectrum have been single in their sympathy for John himself, but also the effect on his family," he said.

"So when we get back we'll be able to pass on some of those messages (to his family), which I think, again, shows how this awful attack has crossed certainly to this part of the globe.

"I think people are united in condemning it and seeing support for policing certainly continue to make progress in the next 25 years, after 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement and continuing to keep people safe."

President Joe Biden, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar depart the U.S. Capitol following the Friends of Ireland Luncheon on Saint Patrick's Day. Pic: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images   Getty Images

During the same event, President Biden praised Northern Ireland political leaders for standing together following the attack on DCI Caldwell in February, which has been attributed to the New IRA.

Following the murder bid, senior figures from the main Stormont parties went together to meet PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne to receive an update on the incident.

Afterwards, they stood side by side along with Mr Byrne to condemn the attack and express solidarity with the police.

The show of togetherness came despite political upheaval at Stormont that has seen powersharing put in cold storage due to an impasse over post-Brexit trade.

Mr Biden referenced the incident in a speech at a St Patrick's Day lunch hosted by Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Friday.

"Northern Ireland leaders that are here today, let me say how important it was to see you standing shoulder to shoulder with Chief Constable Byrne confirming your commitment to the future following the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector Caldwell," said Mr Biden.

"We all have to continue to work to protect peace and stability."

It comes as Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Northern Ireland politicians needed to fulfil the promise of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

I know the people of Northern Ireland want to see their political assembly and devolved government back up and running, and their politicians working to improve their lives, Mr Varadkar told the St Patricks Day Lunch on Capitol Hill.

"So much has been achieved since 1998. Today, new generations of young people are growing up with no memory of the conflict that their parents endured and, as somebody who grew up in the 80s and 90s when political violence was an almost everyday occurrence, that is something to be profoundly grateful for.

Mr Varadkar said an end to the political impasse brought on by disputes over Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol could deliver great economic prosperity for the region.

The Taoiseach highlighted the potential he saw in the new Windsor Framework struck by the EU and UK.

"I believe there are now incredible opportunities for economic development in Northern Ireland, especially with the potential of the Windsor Framework recently agreed with the European Commission and the UK Government," he said.

"Our task now is to complete that mission to help the people of Northern Ireland to build a more peaceful and more prosperous future together."
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar with Monica McWilliams and Hillary Clinton at the 'Women at the Helm' conference at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, during his visit to the US for St Patrick's Day. Photo: PA   PA

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has apologised after making a joke that was a clear reference to Bill Clintons affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Mr Varadkar told an American audience that he was a Washington intern when some parents would have had cause for concern about what would happen to interns in Washington.

Mr Varadkar was aged 21 when he served as an intern in Congress.

Mr Clinton was in the White House at the time and had an affair with intern Ms Lewinsky that led to an impeachment process.

Some of the audience laughed when Mr Varadkar made his comment on Thursday evening at the Washington Ireland Program event during his St Patricks Day trip to the US.

However, a spokesperson for the Taoiseach later issued a statement apologising for the off-the-cuff remark.

Earlier in the day Mr Varadkar met former US first lady Hillary Clinton at a Women at the Helm conference at Georgetown University in Washington.

Mrs Clinton became US secretary of state after the scandal and ran for the presidency herself in 2016 in the hopes of following her husband into the White House. However, she was defeated by Donald Trump.

The former US presidents affair with Ms Lewinsky occurred in 1995 and 1996 when she was 23 and Mr Clinton was 50.

Ms Lewinsky has spoken of how she was publicly shamed for years over the events and is now an activist and public speaker who campaigns against cyber bullying.

On Thursday evening, a spokesperson for the Taoiseach said: At the Washington Ireland Program event today the Taoiseach was reminiscing about his time in Washington DC as an intern 23 years ago. He made an ill-judged off-the-cuff remark which he regrets. He apologises for any offence caused to anyone concerned.

Mr Varadkar was an intern for congressman Jack Quinn in the year 2000  under the Washington Ireland Program when it was operating under the name Future Leaders.

Bill and Hillary Clinton are due in Ireland next month to help mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, when current US president Joe Biden will also visit.

Mr Varadkar is due to meet President Biden on Friday for the traditional St Patricks Day visit to the White House by the Taoiseach.

In his speech at the event, Mr Varadkar said when he undertook his own internship under the programme there were four interns from the Republic and 30 from the North.

It was very much a learning experience and we learned as much from each other than from anything else, he said.

Capitol Hill along with the other organisations the 2023 students will be in, are great training grounds for any young person hoping to enter the world of politics, public affairs and leadership.

On the Good Friday Agreement, he said the 25th anniversary is an opportunity for all of us to renew our commitment to the values and vision contained within the Agreement.
The Home Secretary has reaffirmed her commitment to the controversial Rwanda deportation policy as she visits the country while the 140 million deal remains embroiled in legal battles.

Suella Braverman said the plan will act as a powerful deterrent against dangerous and illegal journeys ahead of her trip to the African nation on Friday.

The visit is her first to the country as Home Secretary after her predecessor Priti Patel signed the agreement in April last year in a bid to deter small boat crossings.

Charity Freedom from Torture has joined a number of media outlets in their criticism of the publicly-funded visit, labelling it a showboat trip after the Independent said outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian and Daily Mirror were not invited.

Priti Patel and Rwandan minister for foreign affairs and international co-operation Vincent Biruta, signing the deal (Flora Thompson/PA)   Flora Thompson

Doubling down on her commitment to the Rwanda deportation policy, Ms Braverman said: The UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership is a ground-breaking approach that will act as a powerful deterrent against dangerous and illegal journeys such as small boat crossings.

It will also support people to rebuild their lives in a new country, and provide a boost to Rwandas fast-growing economy through a significant investment in jobs, skills, and opportunities.

I am visiting Rwanda this weekend to reinforce the Governments commitment to the partnership as part of our plan to stop the boats and discuss plans to operationalise our agreement shortly.

The Desir Resort Hotel in Kigali, where it is believed migrants from the UK are expected to be taken when they arrive (Victoria Jones/PA)   Victoria Jones

Ms Braverman also hit back at critics of the deal, saying Rwanda can hold many thousands of migrants  although none have yet been relocated.

She said: The suggestion that Rwanda can only take 200 people is a completely false narrative peddled by critics who want to scrap the deal.

Rwanda has the capacity to resettle many thousands of people, and can quickly stand up accommodation once flights begin.

During her trip, the Home Secretary is due to meet President Paul Kagame and her counterpart Vincent Biruta to discuss the deal.

We will discuss all aspects of the partnership, which is not just about deterring illegal and dangerous journeys to the UK, but about ensuring those genuinely in need of protection are supported to build a new life in Rwanda, Ms Braverman said.

She is also due to speak with those leading on accommodation projects to house migrants as well as speak with refugees who have settled in the country.

Ms Braverman will meet with investment start-up professionals and entrepreneurs, to discuss the range of business and employment opportunities available in Rwanda.

Continuing to detail her support for the plan, she said: Within three to six months, the Rwandan government will ensure that migrants are housed and integrated into local communities.

I am looking forward to seeing some of the new, modern housing developments being built in Kigali, which will be used to house some of those resettled in Rwanda.

The governments plan to forcibly remove migrants to the African nation is currently grounded by the courts  with asylum seekers being told on Tuesday they could appeal against Home Office decisions to relocate them.

A group of individuals from countries including Iran, Iraq and Syria are aiming to overturn rulings made by two High Court judges in December  who dismissed a series of legal bids against the Governments plan.

After details emerged of the Home Secretarys trip to Rwanda, Sonya Sceats, chief executive at Freedom from Torture, described the policy as a cash-for-humans scheme.

She said: Braverman is jetting off on a showboat trip to Rwanda the very week that the Court of Appeal has accepted that there are serious questions to be answered over the legality of this Governments cash-for-humans scheme.

Following the outpouring of support for Gary Lineker and his compassionate stand on behalf of refugees, this Government knows it is on the back foot and is once again ramping up the cruelty to distract from their own failures.

Rather than pushing through this inhumane and unworkable policy, ministers should focus on establishing safe routes to the UK and tackling the unacceptable backlog of asylum claims, so people fleeing war and persecution can rebuild their lives with dignity.
The Princess of Wales meets members of the Irish Guards and enjoys a glass of Guinness during a visit to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards for the St Patricks Day Parade, at Mons Barracks in Aldershot (Chris Jackson/PA)   Chris Jackson

The Prince and Princess of Wales have celebrated St Patricks Day alongside the Irish Guards, with Kate hailing their boundless, irreverent, glorious sense of humour.

William, who said he was incredibly sad to be marking the end of his time as colonel of the regiment, was joined by Kate who officially became Colonel on Friday.

The couple were attending the St Patricks Day Parade at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, Hampshire.

Kate, fittingly dressed in an emerald green outfit with matching heels, presented sprigs of shamrock to the officers and guardsmen as well as to the Irish wolfhound regimental mascot Turlough Mor, also known as Seamus.

As rain lashed down on the parade ground, the band of the Irish Guards played tunes including music from Bill Whelans Riverdance.

The Princess of Wales places sprigs of shamrock on to the collar of Irish wolfhound mascot Seamus at Mons Barracks (Andrew Matthews/PA)   Andrew Matthews

In a speech, William said: Whilst I am extremely happy to be here celebrating St Patricks Day with you once again, Im incredibly sad to be giving this speech, as it really does mean my time as your colonel has come to an end.

It has been one of the great honours of my life to hold that title; Im proud of everything it stands for  just as Im immensely proud of every single one of you.

He added: Its also no secret that while at Sandhurst I had a potential officers visit to the Irish Guards, an experience that placed this battalion firmly at the top of my personal wish list.

The Prince of Wales speaks on stage with the Princess of Wales during a visit to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards at Mons Barracks in Aldershot (Chris Jackson/PA)   Chris Jackson

Operational reasons alone prevented me serving my frontline years with The Micks.

I have, however, relished every opportunity to visit you  I just wish the opportunities had been far more frequent.

From exercises and range days here in the UK, to training overseas  such as Kenya in 2018  I have such vivid memories of witnessing what you do so brilliantly in the field.

Speaking about his wife, the prince said: I may be stepping aside, but in Colonel Catherine you have a committed, focused and already incredibly loyal 11th Colonel.

The Prince of Wales with traditional shamrock in his cap (Chris Jackson/PA)   Chris Jackson

As you serve together over the years ahead, know that I will continue to watch you, with huge pride in having been one of you.

Taking to the microphone after William, Kate said: I really couldnt be prouder to stand in front of you here today.

It really is a true honour to be your Colonel. I am here to listen to you, to support you, and to champion you in all you do  this is a responsibility I do not take lightly.

Last week, I took the opportunity to visit some of you on Salisbury Plain, to see your inspiring work for myself.

The Prince and Princess of Wales sit for a group photo at Mons Barracks (Chris Jackson/PA)   Chris Jackson

The day was bitterly cold, and while displaying your skills to yet another visitor was probably the last thing any of you wanted to do, all I saw was enthusiasm, pride and incredible dedication.

I was hugely impressed with your insistence that nothing is as bad as it seems, and  most of all  your boundless, irreverent, glorious sense of humour.

Thats what makes you who you are and what makes the Irish Guards unique.

I look forward to spending more time with you and your families, seeing your commitment to duty and service in all you do.

The Princess of Wales presents the traditional sprigs of shamrock to an officers children during a visit to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards for the St Patricks Day Parade (Chris Jackson/PA)   Chris Jackson

Before I close, however, I want to thank Colonel William. He has always talked about his fierce pride for this regiment. I know he will continue to support us all in the work we do.

The parade concluded with a royal salute and march-past, where Kate took the salute as the new Colonel.

After the parade, the princess was presented with flowers by Aoife Wigley, six, and her sister Alice, four.

The couple also met the Irish Guards Association, which is made up of past members of the Irish Guards.

The Prince and Princess of Wales laugh and enjoy a glass of Guinness at Mons Barracks in Aldershot (Chris Jackson/PA)   Chris Jackson

The visit ended indoors in a packed hall with William taking a pint of Guinness and Kate nursing a half pint.

The couple mingled with Irish Guards, chatting about Army life and Saturdays big rugby clash between Ireland and England.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (left) at a bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, DC, during his visit to the US for St Patricks Day. Picture date: Friday March 17, 2023.   Niall Carson

Irish premier Leo Varadkar has held talks with President Joe Biden as the two leaders marked St Patricks Day at the White House.

Ahead of the bilateral engagement, Mr Varadkar hailed the Irish-American relationship as one of two proud democracies, close friends and economic partners.

During the meeting, the two politicians are expected to discuss the presidents planned visit to the island of Ireland next month.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office before the private engagement, Mr Varadkar pledged to roll out the red carpet for Mr Biden when he visits Ireland.

The President said the two leaders would discuss the Ukraine conflict and the forthcoming anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Taoiseach began the day of traditional St Patricks Day engagements in Washington DC at a breakfast event hosted by the US vice-president, Kamala Harris.

Mr Varadkar and his partner, Matt Barrett, posed for photos with Ms Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, when they arrived at her residence early on Friday.

Inside, he hailed Ms Harris and the wider USs work on LGBT rights.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and partner Matt Barrett, far left, with the US Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, far right (Niall Carson/PA).   Niall Carson

Mr Varadkar thanked Vice President Kamala Harris for her advocacy on the LGBT issue and for being a strong ally.

From Stonewall to Sacramento to San Francisco, America has led the way when it comes to LGBT equality, he said.

I dont think I would be here today were it not for what America did. I know youve been such a strong ally to our community in that regard.

Ahead of Fridays events, Mr Varadkar was embroiled in a controversy after apologising for an ill-judged remark that was seen as an apparent reference to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar speaks during the breakfast meeting hosted by US Vice President Kamala Harris (Niall Carson/PA)   Niall Carson

While reminiscing about his experience as an intern in the United States, the Taoiseach made a reference to possible concern about being an intern in the US capital at the time.

Mr Varadkar made the remarks during an address to the Washington Ireland Programme, which helps young people develop career skills and which Mr Varadkar took part in, in 2000.

The Taoiseachs comment came hours after attending an event honouring womens role in the Good Friday Agreement, during which he praised Hillary Clinton for her sustained involvement in Northern Ireland.

A spokesperson for Mr Varadkar said in a statement following the event: He made an ill-judged, off-the-cuff remark which he regrets. He apologises for any offence caused to anyone concerned.

Former US president Bill Clinton and Mrs Clinton are due to take a leading role in commemorations planned in Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next month.

Monica Lewinsky was a young White House intern when she and the then-US president Bill Clinton embarked on a romance in the 1990s. She was pilloried for years after the scandal broke.

The affair almost forced Mr Clinton out of office and Ms Lewinsky has spoken about the devastating effect it had on her life in the years after.

Mr Varadkar sat beside Hillary Clinton at Thursday mornings event at Georgetown University focusing on the role of women in the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Fridays political engagements will culminate with the Taoiseach handing over a crystal bowl of shamrocks to Mr Biden at the White House.
Larry Brock, the retired Air Force officer who stormed the US Capitol dressed in combat gear, was sentenced to two years in prison (Grapevine Texas Police Department via AP/PA)   Uncredited

A retired Air Force officer who stormed the US Capitol dressed in combat gear and carried zip-tie handcuffs into the Senate gallery has been sentenced to two years in prison.

Larry Brock joined other rioters on the Senate floor only minutes after then-vice president Mike Pence, senators and their staff evacuated the chamber to escape the mob attacking the building on January 6, 2021.

US District Judge John Bates also sentenced Brock to two years of supervised release after his prison term and ordered him to perform 100 hours of community service.

Brock, who declined to speak in court before the judge imposed his sentence, remains free until he must report to prison at a date to be determined.

Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Judge Bates convicted Brock in November after a trial without a jury. The judge said Brock expressed very troubling and violent rhetoric before the January 6 riot.

The judge read aloud several of Brocks social media postings calling it really pretty astounding that a former high-ranking military officer expressed those words.

Thats chilling stuff, and it does reflect a purpose to stop the certification of the election, the judge said.

Brock believed baseless conspiracy theories that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Republican incumbent Donald Trump, prosecutors said.

When we get to the bottom of this conspiracy we need to execute the traitors that are trying to steal the election, and that includes the leaders of the media and social media aiding and abetting the coup plotters, Brock wrote in a November 9, 2020, post on Facebook.

In a Facebook message to another user on Christmas Eve, Brock outlined what he called a plan of action if Congress fails to act on January 6. One of the main tasks in his plan was to seize all Democratic politicians and Biden key staff and select Republicans.

Begin interrogations using measures we used on al Qaida to gain evidence on the coup, he wrote.

Rioters wave flags on the West Front of the US Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021 (Jose Luis Magana/AP/PA)   Jose Luis Magana

Brock, a Texan who lived in the Dallas area, flew combat missions in Afghanistan before retiring from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel.

His plan of action also called for a general pardon for all crimes up to and including murder of those restoring the Constitution and putting down the democratic insurrection.

Do not kill LEO unless necessary, he wrote, apparently referring to law enforcement officers.

Brock did not engage in any violence on January 6, but prosecutors said his behavior was disturbingly premeditated.

Had the Senate Gallery not been emptied minutes before, Brock could have come face-to-face with the politicians he had fantasised about seizing and interrogating, they wrote in a court filing.

Judge Bates convicted Brock of all six charges, including obstruction of an official proceeding, the January 6 joint session of Congress for certifying President Joe Bidens electoral victory.

Defense lawyer Charles Burnham said it is inconceivable that (Brock) was motivated by anything other than genuine concern for democracy.

If Mr. Brock was sincerely motivated by high ideals, it significantly reduces his culpability even if the court should privately disagree with his view, Mr Burnham wrote in a court filing.

Brock attended the Stop the Steal rally where former president Donald Trump addressed a crowd of supporters on January 6.

Then-US president Donald Trump speaking at a rally in Washington (Jacquelyn Martin/AP/PA)   Jacquelyn Martin

He was wearing a helmet and tactical vest when he joined the mob that attacked the Capitol. He entered the building through Senate wing doors roughly 12 minutes after other rioters initially breached them.

On the floor near the East Rotunda stairs, Brock picked up a discarded pair of zip-tie handcuffs. He held the flex-cuffs in his right hand in the Senate gallery. On the Senate floor, he examined paperwork on senators desks.

This was consistent with Brocks stated overall mission on January 6, which was intelligence gathering to stop the certification and the transfer of power, prosecutors wrote.

Brock graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1989. He was on active duty until 1998 and served in the reserves until 2014.

In a letter to the judge, a retired Air Force major general praised Brocks military service. The major general, whose name was redacted from public court filings, said Brock risked his life to protect US forces from a Taliban attack, flying below mountain peaks into a valley saturated with enemy forces.

The result thwarted enemy advances on US personnel, saved US lives and defused an ever-escalating situation for the forces at that remote base in Afghanistan, the major general wrote.

Retired Air Force officer Larry Brock, who stormed the US Capitol dressed in combat gear and carrying zip-tie handcuffs into the Senate gallery (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News via AP/PA)   Vernon Bryant

Brock was employed as a commercial airline pilot on January 6. His lawyer said the Federal Aviation Administration revoked Brocks licenses after his January 2021 arrest.

Approximately 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the January 6 riot. More than 400 of them have been sentenced, with over half getting terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 10 years.

At least 70 of the sentenced rioters have served in the military, according to an Associated Press review of court records.

Also on Friday, a rioter who signed up for the Air Force after assaulting police at the Capitol was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

Aiden Bilyard was 18 when he sprayed a chemical irritant towards a line of police officers before using a baseball bat to smash a window at the Capitol.

Bilyard was attending basic training at Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio, Texas, when the FBI questioned him several months after the riot.

He later separated from the Air Force and returned home to Cary, North Carolina. Bilyard, now 20, pleaded guilty to an assault charge last year.
Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty to two counts of tax evasion on Friday, March 17, 2023 (Court TV via AP/PA)   Uncredited

The former Minneapolis police officer jailed for the 2020 murder of George Floyd pleaded guilty on Friday to two counts of tax evasion.

Derek Chauvin pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting and failing to file tax returns to the state of Minnesota for the years 2016 and 2017.

In a Minnesota court before Washington County Judge Sheridan Hawley, Chauvin appeared via Zoom from a federal prison in Tucson, Arizona.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin appears in court via Zoom from a prison in Tucson, Arizona (Minnesota Judicial Branch via AP/PA)   Uncredited

Chauvin and his now ex-wife were charged with multiple counts of underreporting their income and failing to file tax returns. His ex-wife pleaded guilty earlier to two counts.

The true reason, Chauvin told the judge, is some financial concerns at the time.

Chauvin was previously convicted on state murder charges for the May 2020 killing of Mr Floyd and on a federal count of violating his civil rights.

Mr Floyd died on May 25, 2020, after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against the black mans neck for more than nine minutes.

Mr Floyd, who was handcuffed, repeatedly said he could not breathe.

The killing, which was recorded on video by a bystander, sparked worldwide protests over racial injustice.

Shortly after Mr Floyds killing, Chauvin and his then-wife were charged with multiple counts for allegedly underreporting their income to the state of Minnesota and failing to file Minnesota tax returns.

The complaints alleged that from 2014 to 2019, the Chauvins underreported their joint income by 464,433 dollars (382,604).

With unpaid taxes, interest and fees, the Chauvins, who have since divorced, owe 37,868 dollars (31,196) to the state, according to court documents.

The tax investigation began in June 2020, after the Minnesota Department of Revenue received information about suspicious filings by Derek Chauvin. The agency started an internal cursory review and then opened a formal investigation.

The probe ultimately found the Chauvins did not file state tax returns for 2016, 2017 or 2018, and did not report all of their income for 2014 and 2015. When tax returns for 2016 through 2019 were filed in June 2020, the Chauvins did not report all of their income in those years either, the complaints said.

The complaints said Chauvin was required to pay taxes on income from off-duty security work he did at several jobs between 2014 and 2020.

George Floyds death sparked protests around the world (Victoria Jones/PA)(   Victoria Jones

Investigators believe that at one job he earned about 95,920 dollars (79,019) over those six years that was not reported.

His ex-wife, Kellie May Chauvin, pleaded guilty on February 24 to two counts of aiding and abetting their failure to file tax returns for 2016 and 2017.

Her plea agreement called for three years of probation and restitution with no more than 45 days of community service. The other charges were dropped. Judge Hawley said she will be sentenced on May 12.

Chauvin was convicted of state murder and manslaughter charges in 2021 and is serving 22 and a half years in that case. He also pleaded guilty to a federal charge of violating Mr Floyds civil rights and was sentenced to 21 years. He is serving the sentences concurrently.

Three other officers were convicted of federal charges of violating Mr Floyds rights. Two of them have also been convicted of a state count of aiding and abetting manslaughter, while the third is waiting for a judge to decide his fate on the state charges.
A Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 drone and beginning to release fuel (US Department of Defence/AP)   Uncredited

Russian fighter pilots involved in an incident with a US drone which resulted in its crash will be given state awards, the defence ministry has announced.

The move appears to signal Moscows intention to adopt a more aggressive stance toward future US surveillance flights.

The US military said it ditched the air force MQ-9 Reaper in the Black Sea on Tuesday after a pair of Russian fighter jets dumped fuel on the surveillance drone and then one of them hit its propeller while it was flying in international airspace.

Moscow denies its warplanes hit the drone, alleging it crashed while making a sharp manoeuvre.

A Russian Su-27 exhaust after the jet approached the back of the MQ-9 drone over the Black Sea (US Department of Defence/AP)   Uncredited

It said its warplanes reacted to a violation of a no-flight zone Russia has established in the area near Crimea amid the fighting in Ukraine.

On Friday, defence minister Sergei Shoigu lauded the pilots for preventing the drone from flying into the area Moscow has banned for flights.

The defence ministry said the ban is in line with international norms.

Moscows announcement on Friday comes a day after the US military released declassified 42-second colour footage showing a Russian Su-27 fighter jet approaching the back of the drone and releasing fuel as it passes in what appeared to be aimed at blinding the drones optical instruments to drive it from the area.

On a second approach, either the same jet or another Russian Su-27 which had been shadowing the MQ-9 hit the drones propeller, damaging a blade, according to the US military, which said it then ditched the aircraft in the sea.

The video excerpt does not show the collision although it does show the damage to the propeller.

A boy and Russian soldiers take part in an event to mark the ninth anniversary of the Crimea annexation from Ukraine in Yalta, Crimea (AP)   Uncredited

The top US and Russian defence and military leaders spoke on Wednesday about the destruction of the drone, underscoring the events seriousness.

The calls between US defence secretary Lloyd Austin, joint chiefs of staff chairman General Mark Milley, Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov, chief of Russian general staff, were the first since October.

While calling out Russia for reckless action, the White House also tried to avoid exacerbating tensions.

US officials emphasised that they have not been able to determine whether the Russian pilot intentionally struck the American drone and stressed that lines of communication with Moscow remain open.

Russian officials also emphasised the need to maintain lines of communication but harshly denounced the US action as arrogant disregard of Moscows no-flight zone.

This is a clear sign that Russia will keep downing the American drones, pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergei Markov wrote in a commentary on the award announcement.

People light candles during a peaceful action to honour the memory of those killed in the Mariupol drama theatre a year ago, in Kyiv, Ukraine (Andrew Kravchenko/AP)   Andrew Kravchenko

This decision will receive a strong support from the Russian society that wants the government to toughen its policy.

Moscow has repeatedly voiced concern about US intelligence flights close to Crimea, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014 amid strong international condemnation.

The Kremlin has accused the US and its allies of effectively becoming engaged in the conflict by providing weapons and sharing intelligence with Kyiv.

Some Russian officials said the US surveillance flights helped gather intelligence that allowed Ukraine to strike Russian targets.
Slovakias government has approved a plan to give Ukraine its fleet of Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets (VDWI Aviation/Alamy/PA)

Slovakias government has approved a plan to give Ukraine its fleet of 13 Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets.

It becomes the second Nato member country to heed the Ukrainian governments pleas for warplanes to help defend against Russias invasion.

Announcing the decision, Prime Minister Eduard Heger told a press conference his government is on the right side of history.

Earlier, Mr Heger tweeted to say military aid is key to ensuring Ukraine can defend itself and all of Europe against Russia.

Defence minister Jaroslav Nad said Slovakia will receive 200 million euros (175.3 million) from the European Union as compensation and unspecified arms from the United States worth 700 million euros (613.4 million).

A Mikoyan MiG-29 multirole fighter jet from the 1st Tactical Squadron of the Slovak air force (Kris Christiaens/Alamy/PA)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly asked western countries for fighter jets.

He appealed directly to Mr Heger for aircraft at a European Union summit in Brussels last month.

Slovakia grounded its MiGs in the summer due to a lack of spare parts and expertise to help maintain them after Russian technicians returned home.

Ukraines air force continues to use MiG-29s.

In light of the absence of its own aircraft, Slovakias fellow Nato members Poland and the Czech Republic have stepped up to monitor Slovak air space, with Hungary set to join later this year.

Bratislava has signed a deal to buy 14 US F-16 Block 70/72 fighter jets but delivery has been pushed back two years to early 2024.

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On Thursday, Polands President Andrzej Duda said his country would give Ukraine around a dozen MiG-29 fighter jets, starting with four of the Soviet-era warplanes delivered in the coming days.

Both Poland and Slovakia had indicated earlier they were ready to hand over their planes  but only as part of a wider international coalition doing the same.

The debate over whether to provide non-Nato member Ukraine with military fighter jets started last year.

But Nato allies held off, citing concern about escalating the alliances role in the war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the promised planes are another example of Nato members raising the level of their direct involvement in the conflict.

The equipment deliveries naturally wont have any impact on the outcome of the special military operation but it may bring more misfortune to Ukraine and Ukrainian people, he said during a conference call with reporters.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and Finlands President Sauli Niinisto shake hands during a welcome ceremony at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey (Burhan Ozbilici/AP/PA)   Burhan Ozbilici

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Turkey will move forward with ratifying Finlands Nato application, paving the way for the country to join the military bloc ahead of Sweden.

The breakthrough came as Finnish President Sauli Niinisto was in Ankara to meet with Mr Erdogan and 10 months after both Finland and Sweden applied to become Nato members in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine, abandoning decades of nonalignment.

When it comes to fulfilling its pledges in the trilateral memorandum of understanding, we have seen that Finland has taken authentic and concrete steps, Mr Erdogan told a news conference in Ankara following his meeting with Mr Niinisto.

With Mr Erdogans agreement, Finlands application can now go to the Turkish parliament, where the presidents party and its allies hold a majority.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, and Finlands President Sauli Niinisto inspect a military honour guard during a welcome ceremony at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey (Burhan Ozbilici/AP/PA)   Burhan Ozbilici

Ratification is expected before Turkey holds its presidential and parliamentary elections, scheduled for May 14.

Mr Erdogan suggested on Wednesday that his country might take up Finlands accession following Mr Niinistos trip.

Nato requires the unanimous approval of its 30 existing members to expand and Turkey and Hungary have failed so far to ratify the accession of the Nordic neighbours.

Turkeys government accuses Sweden of being too soft on groups that it deems to be terror organisations, including Kurdish groups, and has said it has fewer problems with Finland.

This sensitivity for our countrys security and, based on the progress that has been made in the protocol for Finlands accession to Nato, we have decided to initiate the ratification process in our parliament, Mr Erdogan said on Friday.

Commenting on Turkeys willingness to consider ratifying Swedens accession to Nato, Mr Erdogan said it would depend on the solid steps Sweden will take.

Explaining the difference between the Nordic countries from Ankaras viewpoint, Mr Erdogan claimed that Sweden had embraced terrorism, and cited demonstrations by supporters of Kurdish militants on the streets of Stockholm.

Such demonstrations do not take place in Finland, he said. For that reason we had to consider (Finland) separately from Sweden.

Mr Niinisto welcomed Turkeys willingness to move on his countrys bid but also expressed solidarity with its neighbour. I have a feeling that Finnish Nato membership is not complete without Sweden, he said.

Referring to a Nato summit scheduled for July in Lithuanias capital, Mr Niinisto added: I would like to see in Vilnius that we will meet the alliance of 32 members.

Turkey, Finland and Sweden signed an agreement last June to resolve differences over the Nordic states membership.
The family believes they are being persecuted for their traditional beliefs.

(left to right) The family of Simeon and Enoch Burke, brother Isaac, parents Sean and Martina and sister Ammi outside Cloverhill District Court, in Dublin (PA Wire)

Simeon Burke, Enochs younger brother, is in jail and has missed his law exams.

He is refusing bail saying he was illegally arrested and incarcerated.

He was arrested on 7 March and charged with threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour at the Dublins Four Courts.

Amid chaotic and unprecedented courtroom scenes, Irish police forcibly removed members of the Burke family.

It is the latest in a series of legal disputes involving the family.

Shane Phelan, Legal Affairs Editor of the Irish Independent, joins Fionnan Sheehan to discuss the Christian familys ever-amassing struggles with the legal system.
Each year millions of people observe St. Patricks Day around the world in honor of Saint Patrick of Ireland. Many will celebrate the heritage and the culture of the Irish by participating in Irish pride parades, wearing all green, eating Shamrock cookies, drinking with friends at their favorite pub, and sharing their favorite Irish quotes and blessings across social media among other things. How much do you know about the life of the patron saint celebrated each year in so many parts of the world and the legend behind the holiday? While the dates of St. Patricks life arent completely certain, we know that as an active missionary in Ireland, he lived a life worth noting. Here are seven things you probably didnt know about the popular patron saint of Ireland.

His Real Name Was Not Patrick

According to Irish legend, his birth name was Maewyn Succat, or Magonus Succetus in Latin. He only began going by Patrick when he became a priest.

He Was Not Actually Irish

St. Patrick was not Irish. Most scholars believe that St. Patrick was born in a village in Roman Britain sometime in the late 4th century. He considered himself both a Roman and a Briton. He lived in Roman Britain until around the age of 16, when he was captured by pirates, sold into slavery and brought to Ireland.

He Was Sold Into Slavery

When St. Patrick was captured by Irish raiders; he was forced as a slave to work as a shepherd, herding and tending sheep. Ireland at the time was a land of Druids and pagans. He reflected on this period in his memoir, The Confession, sharing how he was able to turn to God in the darkness. St. Patrick wrote: The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was rosed, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the dame. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain. After six years of being in captivity, he managed to escape after having a dream from God where he was told to leave Ireland going to the coast. Following Gods voice he found sailors there who took him back to Britain where he was able to be with his family again. During this period, he experienced a spiritual conversion. After leaving Ireland, he returned. He developed a strong desire to proclaim the Good News to the Irish.

Visions

St. Patrick was led by visions. These visions, or dreams guided many of the decisions he made in life. When he returned home, he had a vision that he talks about in detail in his memoir. I saw a man coming, as it were from Ireland. His name was Victoricus, and he carried many letters and he gave me one of them. I read the heading: The Voice of the Irish. As I began the letter, I imagined in that moment that I heard the voice of those very people who were near the wood of Focult, which is beside the western sea and they cried out, as with one voice: We appeal to you, holy servant boy, to come and walk among us. In this vision, he heard the people of Ireland who were practicing paganism telling him to walk among them. This vision prompted his studies and journey towards priesthood.

He Converted Thousands to Christianity

After following his calling to the priesthood, he was ordained by St. Germanus, the Bishop of Auxerre who he studied under. He was later ordained a bishop and sent to take the Gospel to Ireland. As previously mentioned, when St. Patrick first came to the country, Ireland was made up of mostly Druids and pagans. He often used shamrocks to explain the Holy Trinity to non-believers. Entire kingdoms were converted to Christianity because of his message. Over a span of four decades, he was able to convert Ireland to Christianity. He ordained many, held church councils and urged the people of Ireland to seek holiness in Christ. St. Patricks poem The Breastplate acknowledges his complete faith, how important spreading the Good News was to him, and his total trust in God, no matter the opposition. Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger. Though he faced much opposition from pagan Druids, he was still able to live out his mission.

Legends

There are many legends about St. Patrick. One of the popular legends concerns what happened when St. Patrick arrived in Ireland. One claimed that he met the chieftain of one of the druid tribes who tried to kill him. Because of an intervention from God, St. Patrick was not only able to escape death, but also able to convert the chieftain and preach the Gospel throughout Ireland. Another legend claimed that St. Patrick was able to drive all the snakes out of Ireland. Scholars believe that snakes in ancient texts refer to pagan rituals beliefs and practices, not necessarily the animals themselves so these legends may have referred to St. Patricks ability to drive paganism out of Ireland.

A Life of Example

St. Patrick is recognized today by many for spreading Christianity throughout Ireland as a missionary and the example he set during his ministry. He is admired for his humbleness, his complete trust in God in all circumstances manifested in his unwavering faith. His mission was his life and this is one of the many reasons he is still celebrated today.

Lesli White is an Editor for Beliefnet.com
Chris Gunness speaks at the 2014 International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East at Sophia University in Tokyo.

Burmese military junta officials were transported into Bangladesh aboard United Nations boats on which the organizations markings had been removed, according to an email from the U.N.s resident coordinator in Myanmar, a move that could put humanitarian workers at risk.

The U.N.s boats were used to carry the ruling junta officials to Coxs Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh on Wednesday, according to the email sent Thursday by Ramanathan Balakrishnan. The email was obtained by the Myanmar Accountability Project and sent to Radio Free Asia (RFA), a news service affiliated with BenarNews.

Junta officials have recently been negotiating a pilot project, mediated by China, that would repatriate about 1,000 Rohingya from Bangladesh to Myanmar. Wednesdays trip in the unmarked boats was made so that officials could engage in talks and meet with refugees who could return under the pilot program.

The journey was made without an armed escort and no weapons were observed on any of the boats, Balakrishnan wrote in the email. But he told colleagues he was concerned that the trip had created a reputational risk for all U.N. agencies and could jeopardize staff security.

The removal of the U.N. logo from the boats was a serious security violation, said Chris Gunness, a former U.N. official who is the director of the Myanmar Accountability Project, a London-based NGO working to build criminal cases against members of Myanmars security forces.

Thats a serious breach of U.N. neutrality and it puts in danger U.N. convoys across Myanmar, he told RFA. If rebel groups, if opposition groups and others feel that these transports, these aid convoys are being used by the junta to be transported, they may come under attack. And that puts at risk the lives of humanitarian workers across Myanmar.

1 million refugees

The area, which borders Myanmar, houses about 1 million refugees from the persecuted Rohingya minority, including about 740,000 who fled Myanmar following a military crackdown in Rakhine state beginning in August 2017.

The U.N.s refugee agency  the UNHCR  and the World Food Program provided the boats at the very firm request of Myanmar junta officials, Balakrishnan said in the email.

The Myanmar delegation has interviewed more than 240 Rohingya since Wednesday, Bangladesh official Khalid Hussain told BenarNews.

More interviews will take place over the next few days, he said.

The UNHCR hasnt been involved in negotiations between Bangladesh and Myanmar for the pilot program, Balakrishnan said. The position of the U.N. and UNHCR on return to Myanmar remains unchanged, he said: conditions in Rakhine are not conducive to the safe and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric reiterated during Fridays noon briefing in New York that UNHCR is not involved in the pilot program. He repeated Balakrishnans line about the unsafe conditions in Rakhine.

Pilot program or public relations stunt?

Nonetheless, it appears the U.N. was used by the junta in a vile propaganda stunt as the regime prepares to hold sham elections later this year, Gunness said.

Its extraordinary that the U.N. on the one hand says its dangerous and then on the other hand is going ahead and supporting this pilot scheme, Gunness said. It doesnt make sense.

Karin Valtersson, Burma Campaign UKs Campaigns Officer, echoed that, saying the pilot program appears to be a public relations exercise by the Burmese military and the Bangladesh government.

The situation inside Rakhine state is still a situation of ongoing genocide and they cannot return at this point, and I dont think anyone will return, she told RFA. The reports that U.N. agencies have been involved are clearly shameful.

Instead of returning, Rohingya refugees need support in the camps so they can have a decent living standard, with their security guaranteed, she said.

The security situation in the camps has deteriorated and they cannot be abandoned again by the international community, she said.

Abdur Rahman in Teknaf, Bangladesh contributed to this report.
Admiral John C. Aquilino (left), commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, speaks at an International Institute for Strategic Studies event in Singapore, March 16, 2023.

The United States relations with Pacific island countries are back on track after officials got a wake-up call from Chinas inroads with the Solomon Islands, U.S. Indo-Pacific commander Adm. John Aquilino told an event in Singapore.

Chinas ties with small island nations in the Pacific have burgeoned over several decades as it seeks to isolate Taiwan diplomatically and establish its own institutions and diplomatic groupings to rival a post-World War II international order dominated by the West. Last year, Beijing forged a security pact with the Solomon Islands, alarming the United States and its allies.

Weve recently seen in the form of the Solomon Islands some actions by the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] to potentially grab a foothold. I think it woke a number of us up, to ensure we spend more time, engage with, provide assistance and support to Pacific islands, Aquilino said Thursday after a speech to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Were back on track, I would say, and we continue to engage in ways that are meaningful and helpful for those nations, he said.

In his prepared remarks, the regional military chief denied that the United States was trying to contain China and he characterized relations between the two countries as robust competition. The United States and its allies want to ensure that the peaceful rules-based international order endures, Aquilino said.

Earlier this week, the leaders of the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom announced a deal for Canberra to buy nuclear-powered attack submarines from the U.S. from early next decade and to later build its own nuclear subs using British and American technology.

The AUKUS security pact, first announced in September 2021, is widely understood to be aimed at deterring China from upending the military balance in East Asia and the Pacific. The Asian superpower has doubled its annual military spending over the past decade, though it still spends far less on its arsenal and armed forces than the United States.

Aquilino said Australia and New Zealand were central to recent efforts to improve U.S. relations with Pacific island countries.

Theyve certainly have taken an increased leadership role. We coordinate our support, Aquilino said.

American involvement in the Pacific diminished after the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, with a reduction in embassies and U.S. development assistance through its Peace Corps agency.

Leaders of Pacific island nations say their top concern is the climate, and they dont want to be forced to take sides in the Chinese-American rivalry or for their region to become increasingly militarized.

In the Solomon Islands, it remains unclear if the United States can mend ties with the government of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. He has embraced Chinese assistance for his country, which struggles with a lack of roads and basic healthcare.

The Solomon Islands switched its diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan in 2019.

After a three-decade absence, the United States last month upgraded the status of its consular services agency in the Solomon Islands to an embassy. It does not have a resident ambassador and is working on establishing a more substantial diplomatic presence.

Pro-U.S. politician Daniel Suidani, an outspoken critic of the Solomon Islands closer ties with China, was ousted as premier of Malaita, the Solomon Islands most populous province, in early February.

China, meanwhile, is bankrolling the 2023 Pacific Games, to be held in the Solomons capital Honiara in November, and also is building a new major hospital for the country.
Family members of 58 people who were massacred by the Maguindanao provinces Ampatuan clan receive word of guilty verdicts against some of the clan, in Taguig City, Philippines, Dec. 19, 2019.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday directed authorities to disband all politician-controlled private armed groups (PAG), the defense chief said, amid a spate of deadly attacks on local officials.

Marcos order came a day after the funeral for the governor of a Central Philippine province whose killing earlier this month shocked the nation.

Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. met with members of a national task force formed to end PAG, including former Muslim rebels who have rejected a peace deal, refused to disarm and joined armed groups for hire.

The presidents directive said to dismantle private armies and identify hotspots where local officials are being attacked, Galvez told members of the task force.

He did not say how many PAG were being monitored, but ahead of the 2022 election, the government said as many as 155 operated across the nation, with many in far-flung provinces where police presence was weak.

Marcos order came a day after Negros Oriental province Gov. Roel Degamo, 56, was buried. A group of 10 armed men had barged inside his residence on March 4 while he was meeting with constituents, killing him and eight others.

Four suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack and are in custody.

Marcos has deployed a counterterrorism unit to the province to calm tensions.

Organized groups for hire

The government identifies PAG as organized groups hired by politicians to intimidate or perpetrate violence against opponents. Officials said the groups exist because of a long-running gun culture in the Philippines.

A PAG employed by the Ampatuans, a powerful political clan in Maguindanao province, ambushed a rivals supporters in 2009, killing 58 people, including 32 local media members. It was believed to be the deadliest single-day attack on journalists anywhere in the world.

Ten years later, 28 Ampatuan clan members were convicted while 56 were acquitted.

Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos, who was with Galvez when he addressed the task force, vowed to go after the private armies.

Let us continue working together in tearing down the walls of divisiveness and animosity of partisan politics as we move toward giving our kababayans [citizens] the peaceful and thriving communities they deserve, Abalos said.

Galvez reiterated that concerns about PAG came to light following recent violence against local government officials. He was referring to high-profile attacks before the one on Degamo.

In February, four police officers were killed and three others, including another provincial governor, were injured in an ambush in the southern province of Lanao del Sur.

Also last month, gunmen disguised as police ambushed and killed a vice mayor and five companions in an ambush in the northern province of Nueva Vizcaya.

Roel Pareno in Zamboanga, Philippines, contributed to this report.
Clarkston, WA (99403)

Today

Showers early with some clearing for the afternoon. High 54F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

A steady rain early...then remaining cloudy with a few showers. Low 41F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Adapting to innovation takes time and effort. It took the telephone 64 years, electricity 45 years, and computers 23 years to achieve 40% consumer adoption. Although healthcare is not unique in slow innovation and adoption, it a is laggard and other sectors have been innovating better, faster and smarter. The pandemic revealed a long-overdue urgency to innovate and embrace new tools and technologies.

We can describe healthcare innovation as a novel idea, product, service or care pathway with clear benefits compared to what the market can offer currently. Successful innovations often possess two essential qualities: usable and desirable. Successful companies ask their customers what they want and innovate based on their findings. Such organisations must develop and provide a culture of innovation for their employees.

Key areas of change in the healthcare sector

Over the last three years, the healthcare sector experienced dramatic shifts that will likely persist. New business models, unexpected collaborations, and accelerated timelines have pushed organisations to rethink their operations. Adapting to these and other shifts will require many healthcare organisations to transform their operations and mindsets.

The pandemic illuminated how healthcare providers can service patients remotely through virtual care, remote patient monitoring, and virtual collaboration for professionals in the pharmaceutical and med-tech industries. This model supports greater flexibility and has enabled organisations to draw from a more diverse talent pool. At the same time, leaders are reevaluating old workplace norms and introducing new measures to increase employee flexibility. Furthermore, several digital health companies have embraced virtual healthcare delivery by streamlining their customer support and introducing virtual assistants and new technologies like augmented reality.

According to research by McKinsey, prioritising innovation during crises can help unlock growth in the recovery, provided leaders approach it with commitment and establish critical capabilities and processes. Incremental innovation will likely not be enough to stay ahead of competitors, and thus healthcare organisations must make "bold bets" and seize opportunities. We saw the benefits of nontraditional partnerships and collaborations in quickly finding creative solutions to urgent problems. The health and auto industries teamed up to build ventilators, while pharmaceutical sector competitors collaborated to hasten the development of a Covid-19 vaccine. These new avenues could become extensions of the healthcare ecosystem and the way of the future.

Creating a culture for innovation

We don't need to look externally for innovative ideas. Staff at all levels of the organisation can develop brilliant ideas for innovation, such as improving systems for a better patient experience. It is essential to create a culture where innovation can flourish, and all stakeholders feel empowered to contribute to the innovation process and help make change happen. But an innovation culture is not the only component for success.

Several other areas present barriers to innovation in healthcare, and we need to tackle these if we are to make innovation happen:

Privacy versus data sharing  Handling personal patient data is a crucial prerequisite for innovation, but is also one of the most significant barriers. Given the risk of harm, many organisations have isolated themselves from the outside world by installing all-encompassing firewalls to safeguard their systems from attack. This strategy may have hindered some innovations. Improving and simplifying information governance processes and technologies will be critical. Data sharing is crucial for providing integrated care, improving the patient experience, and conducting research; developing a pragmatic approach to information governance will be vital.

 Handling personal patient data is a crucial prerequisite for innovation, but is also one of the most significant barriers. Given the risk of harm, many organisations have isolated themselves from the outside world by installing all-encompassing firewalls to safeguard their systems from attack. This strategy may have hindered some innovations. Improving and simplifying information governance processes and technologies will be critical. Data sharing is crucial for providing integrated care, improving the patient experience, and conducting research; developing a pragmatic approach to information governance will be vital. All-round efficiency  Digitising healthcare records is the first step toward better healthcare. Benefits can only be reaped after all individual systems and databases, including enterprise systems, third-party apps, and patient-facing platforms, are linked. We can now begin extracting significant insights from the data and transforming these insights into actions that will improve the quality of care, safety, and efficiency.

 Digitising healthcare records is the first step toward better healthcare. Benefits can only be reaped after all individual systems and databases, including enterprise systems, third-party apps, and patient-facing platforms, are linked. We can now begin extracting significant insights from the data and transforming these insights into actions that will improve the quality of care, safety, and efficiency. Intellectual property policy  Delivering fair and sensible intellectual property treatment to healthcare innovators is critical to supporting innovation. Intellectual property battles can suffocate excellent ideas, preventing them from reaching their full potential. We must create an environment where the best place to explore an idea is within the healthcare industry, with proper access to resources.

 Delivering fair and sensible intellectual property treatment to healthcare innovators is critical to supporting innovation. Intellectual property battles can suffocate excellent ideas, preventing them from reaching their full potential. We must create an environment where the best place to explore an idea is within the healthcare industry, with proper access to resources. Systemic challenges for adoption  Resistance to change among healthcare personnel who will be impacted by innovation is a common impediment to its adoption and diffusion. Adopting an innovation typically entails much more than simply adopting a system; we must grasp the relationship between people and technology, mobilise and engage personnel to accept change, and push them to rethink the work.

To revolutionise the sector, we must carefully nurture innovation by addressing regulation, intellectual property, funding, scalability and procurement issues. An authentic culture of innovation will help us improve and provide quality healthcare for all South Africans.




South Africa - often considered a global pacesetter in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) following the country's transition to democracy in 1994 - is among the 33 countries participating in the second Global DEI Census in marketing.

In South Africa, the local WFA affiliate, MASA has taken custody of the second WFA Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Census in this country, in an alliance with sister industry bodies, the ACA, ARB, IAB, IMC, Kantar South Africa and MRF. Source: www.pixabay.com

The census asks marketing and advertising professionals from around the world to share their views on DEI in the industry. The census went live on 15 March.

Worldwide the initiative is supported by a coalition of 10 global marketing and advertising organisations globally with the equivalent local industry coalitions supporting the rollout of the questionnaire in each of the 33 markets.

In South Africa, the local WFA affiliate, the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA) has taken custody of the census in this country, in an alliance with sister industry bodies, the ACA, ARB, IAB, IMC, Kantar South Africa and MRF.

The alliance will spearhead this project to ensure wide reach across the corporate, agency, SMME and freelance marketing landscape.

Walking the journey of transformation

Brian Yuyi, Masa CEO urges all stakeholders to take just 15 minutes to complete the survey and be part of the change they want to see in the industry.

This is the second wave of the inaugural 2021 WFA Global DEI Census. And as the South African WFA affiliate, MASA is immensely proud to be associated with this global effort working with our local partner industry bodies and Kantar South Africa.

We are cognisant that the marketing, advertising, and communications industry is facing the same challenges as the rest of the country. But times of adversity are the most relevant to take stock of what it will take to move us forward as an industry and country. Only by refreshing and adding to our body of knowledge can appropriate action be taken to address gaps in diversity, equity and inclusion," says Yuyi.

We believe that South Africa is rich in talent and potential, as such, the accountability is on us as a collective to walk the journey of transformation. DEI requires support, accountability and action to see results and create a sustainable environment. We are excited to be part of this conversation locally and hope to make an impact in the industry this year, says Claudelle Naidoo, IAB Board Member and CEO of EssenceMediacom South Africa.

DEI a critical success factor

The DEI Census questionnaire is based on a format used in the UK by the Advertising Association, IPA and ISBA as the All In Census, but with slight adaptations for legal and cultural reasons.

The primary purpose of the Census is to measure the state of diversity, equity and inclusion in the marketing and advertising industry. It also quantifies peoples sense of belonging, the level of discrimination and negative behaviours.

DEI continues to be one of the critical success factors for the marketing industry agencies and the clients they partner with. As the landscape changes, it is vital that we consistently update our insights, says Ivan Moroke, CEO, South Africa, Insights Division at Kantar.

Moroke emphasises, All voices need to be heard to shed light on the true state of diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the marketing industry. And with key developments in the MAC Charter, the census comes at an opportune time.

The results will indicate how much progress has been made since the inaugural 2021 census, which covered 27 markets.

Industry support

The Integrated Marketing Council (IMC) is committed to the upliftment of our industry and is proud to support this important initiative however possible, says Dale Hefer, IMC CEO.

Gail Schimmel  CEO at ARB, adds, The ARB is excited to support MASA and our international body, ICAS, in rolling out this census. The wider the participation, the more meaningful the results will be, so we call on the industry to participate. As we review the MAC Sector Charter, the information from this census will be critical.

Says Mathe Okaba, CEO of the ACA, The ACA supports our industry partners MASA in rolling out the second DEI survey. The census allows a deeper, regularly updated understanding of our sector. The regularity of the census allows for deeper understanding of DEI in our sector and is critical in guiding our engagement with the MAC Charter Council on the state of transformation within the industry.

To participate, marketing professionals from across the marketing ecosystem  advertisers, agencies, media, ad tech and platforms  will be asked to complete an anonymous 15-minute questionnaire covering their demographic profile, including race, ethnicity, religion, age (in accordance with local legal frameworks) as well as their experiences at work.

Showcase progress and highlight areas of regression

The Census is open for responses until 15 April, with the global coalition working closely alongside national associations, multinationals, agency groups and all other relevant industry groups to promote participation.

The Census results are due to be released in June 2023.

The results will showcase areas of progress and highlight areas of regression. So far, over 100 organisations have pledged to promote and help support the initiative, making it the biggest collaboration within the marketing and communications industry to date.

The inaugural Global DEI Census of 2021 full results and analysis attracted more than 10,000 responses, and its results can be seen here.

Charter for change

Since the first global Census, the WFA has published a Charter for Change, outlining how global organisations, such as advertisers, platforms and agency-holding groups, can take concrete steps to drive more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces. The Charter is designed to complement action plans devised and driven at local level by local coalitions designed to address specific local challenges.

Complete the survey here.
Sharing her entrepreneurial journey during a recent Council for the Built Environment webinar, Sanna Sebone revealed the multitude of obstacles she faced before finally finding her feet as founder and managing director of Sebongi Construction.

Sanna Sebone, founder and MD of Sebongi Construction. Source: Facebook

As a qualified quantity surveyor, she spent seven years working in the energy and mining space, but, partly due to the frustrations she faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry, Sebone decided to start her own company so that she could start to do things differently.

Following an initial unsuccessful partnership, she decided to go at it alone. While her previous work experience meant she already had invaluable industry knowledge, she gained basic administration and marketing skills through independent research and study.

Sebone won her first tender in 2019 - a small kitchen facility for a primary school in a local disadvantaged community - and has since gone on to complete numerous mining, roads and earthworks projects, as well as a major solar tower project in the Northern Cape.

Challenges women entrepreneurs face in construction

Sebone shared some of the challenges women-owned construction enterprises face when trying to build a sustainable business.

She highlighted research from the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) which noted that in 2019, 48% of South Africa's construction enterprises were owned by women. "Although this percentage may be satisfactory, considering the history of our country, these woman-owned enterprises show low if not lack of growth," Sebone said.

Another study, Women-owned construction enterprises: A South African assessment, found that of the respondents surveyed, "most woman-owned contractors were not involved in the management functions necessary to operate construction businesses effectively".

"It is plausible that this finding is a consequence of almost all of them having little or no formal construction and building qualifications," it said.

The study also found that, "the under-representation of women in the higher grades of the CIDB was due to a lack of integrated career-focused training programmes aligned to the needs of women entrepreneurs at various levels of their development and flexible enough to allow for their dual roles as mothers and businesswomen".

9 tips to building a sustainable woman-owned enterprise

Considering these challenges, along with her more than five years experience as an entrepreneur, Sebone provided tips on how to build a sustainable woman-owned enterprise:

1. Be aware of the challenges that women continue to face in male-dominated industries so that you can prepare accordingly, she said. These include a lack of support from peers, presumed incompetence, and lack of representation within industry bodies.

2. Invest in and acquire industry skills and knowledge. "An industry qualification sets you apart and gives you an advantage over your competitors," she said.

3. Equip yourself with business management skills. This doesn't need to be a formal qualification, Sebone noted. "There are many soft skills under business management that you can find online and short courses that you can undertake."

4. Make compliance a priority and a continuous exercise. "You need to make sure that your compliance documents are always up to date, and make sure that your memberships are paid in full and on time," she emphasised.

5. Diversify and adapt accordingly. "The construction industry is one of those industries that are easily affected by the economy. Make sure that you survive the downturns," she said.

6. Form healthy partnerships. "This can be with other companies in your area or your former colleagues, but you need to have those partnerships, they are very important."

7. Register for business development programmes. These will provide you with additional knowledge and skills such as how to draft a business plan and how to manage cash flows.

8. Join industry regulatory bodies to help set you apart from everyone else.

9. Be disciplined. "As cliched as it is, discipline does take you far," Sebone said.
The Citrus Growers' Association of Southern Africa (CGA) Citrus Summit, held from 15-16 March in Gqeberha, held in partnership with Standard Bank, saw over 500 delegates in attendance including growers, government representatives and other stakeholders from across the citrus value chain.

The event focused on what opportunities needed to be leveraged and challenges overcome to ensure this increased production could be shipped and absorbed by key export markets so that the industry remains profitable and sustainable over the short and long term.

Source: ASphotofamily via Freepik

Currently, the sector sustains 140,000 jobs and brings in R30bn in export revenue annually. The industry could potentially sustain a further 100,000 jobs and generate an additional R20bn in annual revenue should the ten-year 260 million carton projection be achieved.

Citrus exports are expected to grow by 10 million (15kg) cartons per year, hitting 260 million cartons by 2032.

Opening the summit, Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza acknowledged the many challenges faced by growers over the past year including load shedding and the new False Coddling Moth regulations passed by the European Union (EU), which threaten orange exports to the region.

Referring to the quote "tough times never last, only tough people last," she reiterated governments commitment to supporting the industry by broadening its multilateral relations with Vietnam, the Philippines, and Singapore to promote greater market access, while also working closely with the Load Shedding Response Task Team recently established by her department in order to come up with solutions to mitigate the impact of power outages on the agricultural sector.

A panel discussion on increased market access was also held, which highlighted that the prioritised markets for expanded access over the next few years were the United States, European Union, Thailand, South Korea, India, Japan, Vietnam Philippines, and Thailand. However, the leading discussion topic was the impact of the EU FCM regulations during the upcoming season which could result in additional costs and loss of income of more than R500m for growers this year.

Achieving greater transformation in the industry was another key focus area of the Summit with this panel discussion being led by Agbiz chief economist, Wandile Sihlobo and including Black growers from across South Africa. Sihlobo, highlighted the key advantage of agriculture over non-agriculture sectors when it comes to reducing poverty for the poorest individuals in society and extending to other critical welfare outcomes, including ensuring food security and the proper nutrition of citizens.

Speaking on specific challenges faced by Black growers, Mme Louisa Maloka-Mogotsi, a grower in the North West, expressed her frustration with the lack of funding support provided by government and financial institutions. She said: "I belong in this country. I need this country to look after me. We want to farm, but we need financial assistance." Another grower from the Eastern Cape, Eric Nohamba, also added that the Agriculture and Agriprocessing Masterplan must be more than just paper  it must actually be implemented to support Black growers."

The last area of focus on day one of the Summit was the importance of well-functioning South African ports and broader logistics, which pose a serious challenge to the ability of growers to get their fruit to global markets. CEO of Transnet Portia Derby shared the state entities vision to support industry growth, specifically focusing on the challenges of rail and operational challenges at ports. Critically, she confirmed that private sector participation in Durban and Gqeberha ports would be finalised in April 2023.

The final focus area of the Summit was sustainability and energy resilience in the context of the growing demand globally for citrus. Specific topics of discussion were on the European Green Deal, the South African energy outlook, as well as global changes in the citrus industry and areas for innovation.

Speaking on the CGA Citrus Summit and Vision260, CEO Justin Chadwick said: "Vision260, and the purpose of this summit is not only to develop a plan for future growth, but to also come together to create opportunities and more prospects for development of our inclusive growth plan, which will empower especially Black growers."

Chadwick further concluded: "This forum had a fantastic turnout of growers and industry experts in citrus. The CGA remains committed to working with all role players to ensure the continued inclusive growth of the sector and, in turn, the creation of more jobs and revenue for the country."
'Wathint' abafazi, wathint' imbokodo' - you strike a woman, you strike a rock. A phrase famously used in South Africa to celebrate and honour women.

L-R: Palesa Kouakou, Sharon Dikgale, Linda Sinclair, Hannah Sadiki, Sibongile Tiny Dlamini, Zimkita Yeki

Beauty and grooming brand Sorbet and Bidvest Bank, South Africas premier business bank for entrepreneurs, revealed and celebrated the winners of Sorbet-Preneur, an initiative designed to give aspiring entrepreneurs an opportunity to own their own Sorbet franchise. The intimate event was held on 15 March 2023 at the Bidvest Bank Head Office in Sandton.

The following women with a combined experience of 32 years at Sorbet, were announced as campaign winners and are on their way to owning a Sorbet Salon or Nailbar franchise:

Sharon Dikgale



Zimkita Yeki



Palesa Kouakou



Sibongile Dlamini

To acknowledge these amazing women as they realise their entrepreneurial journey and to honour International Womens Month, Sorbet and Bidvest Bank conducted a prize giving ceremony to award the winners, and presented them with trophies and gifts to celebrate their remarkable achievement.

Entrepreneurial drive and ambition are essential

to building a prosperous future in South Africa

and it is very important that finance providers

are able to respond to this need.

Linda Sinclair, CEO of the Sorbet Group says: It gives me such great pleasure to welcome the recently announced Sorbet-Preneur winners and Sorbet Salon franchise owners. What an honour, we look forward to empowering these amazing women with enough tools and skills that will see them succeed on their entrepreneurial journey.

Hannah Sadiki, Bidvest Bank CEO, echoes a similar sentiment: Entrepreneurial drive and ambition are essential to building a prosperous future in South Africa and it is very important that finance providers are able to respond to this need. At Bidvest Bank, we know that access to finance is a key driver in the creation, survival and growth of innovative new ventures. We are very encouraged by the response and the quality of the finalists to this innovative new partnership with Sorbet.

The Sorbet-Preneur initiative is developed for Sorbet Citizens who aspire to become franchise owners but are not in a position to raise the funding. The Sorbet Citizens include employees who are employed across the Sorbet Group franchise-owned stores. The new franchise owners of a Sorbet Salon or Nailbar will receive 50% of the investment required to set up their businesses in the form of unencumbered cash from Bidvest Bank. Sorbet will waive the initial franchise fee, this means that all of this portion of the funding can be used to set up and equip the store.

Bidvest Bank will also provide a business loan to cover the balance of the funding needed to get started, which will also cater for initial operating costs. The amounts will be repayable over a five-year period aligned to the franchise agreement.




The seventh annual CoCT Smart Supplier Readiness Programme has been launched. The most successful businesses that complete the 2023 Supplier Readiness Programme will be invited to apply for just 30 places available in an enhanced programme with additional benefits.

Smart Procurement World project manager Keshni Reddy | image supplied

The top businesses will also each receive a professionally edited two-minute buyer pitch video that can be used for the Smart Supplier market linkage initiative and for their own marketing and buyer engagements.

To qualify for the City of Cape Town Smart Supplier Readiness Programme, businesses must be based in Cape Town and owned by a South African citizen. The company must have been in operation for a minimum of 18 months, it must be an Exempted Micro Enterprise (EME) or a Qualifying Small Enterprise (QSE) that is 51% Black-owned and managed.

The business must be able to handle increased market demands and have a unique competitive advantage in the market in which it trades. The business must be a registered supplier with the Central Supplier Database as a City Vendor and have a valid tax certificate and a valid BBBEE affidavit.

"Platforms like this are crucial to small businesses because they provide knowledge and an understanding of the skills necessary to deal with challenges that can stifle growth. I am excited to see the ideas and opportunities from the businesses taking part in this year's programme, which is proudly funded and overseen by the city," comments Alderman James Vos, the City of Cape Town's Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth.

The City of Cape Town has again partnered with procurement solutions specialist, Smart Procurement World, to offer a powerful programme geared to support and advance its suppliers, including enabling them to access new markets. This is the seventh year that Smart Procurement World has worked with the city on its supplier readiness programme. We are honoured to have the opportunity to contribute to the growth, success and sustainability of small businesses, which are the lifeblood of South Africas economy, making a critical contribution to job creation and to the countrys GDP, says Smart Procurement World project manager Keshni Reddy, who is heading the 2023 CoCT Smart Supplier Programme.

This year's programme has been designed specifically to offer businesses the right support at the right time. There simply isnt a better way to expand your business skills and knowledge, she stresses.
The US has threatened to ban TikTok in the country unless the apps Chinese owners divest ownership.

The US has more than a 100 million TikTok users with many being GenZ. Source: www.pixabay.com

This comes after a bill was introduced to allow US President Joe Biden to ban technologies touted as a threat to national security by the US Commerce Department.

The ultimatum is seen as the most dramatic move by US officials and legislators, as the country fears that US user data held by the business could be shared with Chinas government.

The US has already banned TikTok on federal government devices but this is the first time under Bidens administration that a national ban has been threatened. Bidens predecessor Donald Trump threatened to ban TikTok in 2020 but was stopped by the courts.

TikTok has more than a 100 million users in the US and is touted as one of the worlds most popular apps.

Today, the threat that everyone is talking about is TikTok, and how it could enable surveillance by the Chinese Communist Party, or facilitate the spread of malign influence campaigns in the US, said Senator Mark Warner said in a statement.

TikTok and national security body CFIUS, have been in talks for more than two years on data security requirements. TikTok said due to concerns it has spent more than $1.5bn on implementing strong data security and said there is no basis for spying allegations.

TikToks CEO, Shou Zi Chew, is expected to appear before the US Congress next week.
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 The Ainsworth family name adorns art galleries, universities and hospitals across Sydney. There is an Ainsworth wing at the Sydney Childrens Hospital. An Ainsworth Family Gallery at Sydney Modern, the new arm of the Art Gallery of NSW, where the Ainsworths have helped fund, part-fund or given almost 100 works, including those by celebrated artists such as Russell Drysdale, John Black, Simryn Gill and David Hockney. There is an Ainsworth Building at UNSW, and another at the Western Sydney University. Meanwhile, Sydney University has The Ainsworth Interactive Collection of Medical Pathology that comprises 1600 preserved medical specimens, including a heart dating to 1895, a lung infected by the 1918 Spanish flu, and an 1888 flask of broth made and sealed by Louis Pasteur. Sydney University also has an Ainsworth Chair of Technology and Innovation, set up at the request of the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, with funding it received from the Ainsworths. Near the Prince of Wales hospital precinct there is a Margarete Ainsworth Building, after the familys money helped build the independent Neuroscience Research Australia centre. Loading The Ainsworths are one of the 20 wealthiest families in Australia, with an estimated fortune of some $5.7 billion, according to The Australian Financial Review Rich List. Their patriarch, Len Ainsworth, turns 100 in July. He, his now ex-second wife Margarete, and some of his seven sons, have an impressive record of generosity across the city, having given at least $60 million away. In return, their name has been attached to prominent institutions as an enduring symbol of achievement, where future generations will remember the familys philanthropic legacy.

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The origins of the Ainsworths money, which came from poker machine manufacturing, may be forgotten over time. But not if some critics can help it. They are questioning the guidelines and ethics of the education, health and arts institutions, and whether they should be accepting the familys philanthropy at all. The issue here is that Mr Ainsworths fortune comes from gambling, and precisely the manufacture of gambling machines, which are clearly and unequivocally the most harmful form of gambling in this country, says Charles Livingstone, head of Monash Universitys Gambling and Social Determinants Unit. Whether it comes directly from Mr Ainsworth, or his children, is irrelevant. The money came from the proceeds of harming a significant number of people, among them, some of the most vulnerable in the country. Its a view shared, not surprisingly, by one of the countrys staunchest gambling reform campaigners, Tim Costello, who also chairs the Community Council for Australia, a peak body for the charity sector. He says such organisations shouldnt be taking money that has been derived from an industry that has caused social damage and misery. There are ethical questions. None of those institutions would take it if the money had come from the manufacturing of tobacco or guns. Most charitable organisations, when they meet me, are grateful for support to achieve their wonderful, altruistic aims. Len Ainsworth, founder of Aristocrat and Ainsworth Gaming Technologies Len Ainsworth is the father of the poker machine manufacturing industry in Australia. The industry has generated billions of dollars in revenue and, some argue, created hundreds of thousands of gambling addicts. A study, published last month in the Journal of Behaviour Addictions, of 71,103 gambling cases in Australia, concluded that poker machines were responsible for 51-57 per cent of gambling addiction in the country, which have resulted in societal problems such as indebtedness, crime, drug use, family breakdowns, domestic violence, homelessness and suicides. The studys authors wrote: Electronic Gaming Machines (poker machines) are responsible for the majority of gambling problems in the country. Regardless, calls to reduce availability, restrict their more addictive structural features, or implement other features that might interrupt excessive spending, all appear to have been ignored. Electronic Gaming Machine regulation should be the first priority for reducing gambling harm in Australia.

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Poker machine gambling addiction has also become a campaign issue in the forthcoming NSW election, with Premier Dominic Perrottet committing to introducing a cashless gaming card for all the states poker machines by 2028. The Opposition has committed to a trial. The NSW Crime Commission called for reform last year, including a cashless gaming card, after claiming that $95 billion in cash flows through poker machines in pubs and clubs in NSW each year, making it the gambling capital of Australia. Those cash flows also included laundered money from criminal gangs. Len Ainsworth created two poker machine manufacturers, Aristocrat and Ainsworth Gaming Technologies, which have been hugely successful here and globally. They have generated almost unimaginable wealth, so much so that Ainsworth is one of five Australians who have joined the Bill Gates-inspired Giving Pledge, to give away half his fortune. Asked how most of that fortune will be given away after he dies, Ainsworth told The Sydney Morning Herald: Ask me when Im 105. Ainsworth funding has helped preserve the Ainsworth Interactive Collection of Medical Pathology that comprises 1600 preserved medical specimens. Even so, Ainsworth says his aim has been to make a positive and lasting contribution to medical research and education. He says the institutions he and his family have given to have taken a very different educated and considered view from his critics. Most charitable organisations when they meet me are grateful for support to achieve their wonderful, altruistic aims. Sydney University, which has received millions from Ainsworth, has a Gambling Research and Treatment Clinic that has helped more than 550 problem gamblers, through its Brain and Mind Centre. The university says it has strict guidelines around its gift policy and procedures.

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The UNSW offers a gambling and recovery support course and has done research into problem gambling. It received a donation of $10 million from Len Ainsworth to help construct a new building in its engineering and manufacturing faculty, now known as the Ainsworth Building. UNSW says it accepts philanthropic gifts in good faith, with the intention the donation will have a positive impact. Western Sydney University received a $10 million donation for its building works from Ainsworth. Last month, the universitys think tank, the Centre for Western Sydney, released an issues paper declaring that gambling is Western Sydneys silent epidemic. It noted that there was one poker machine for every 105 people in Western Sydney, compared with one in 113 people for the rest of Sydney. Western Sydney University said in a statement the gift from Len Ainsworth was in alignment with its guidelines for donations and fundraising, and with its mission, goals and policies. The Ainsworth Building at the UNSW in the Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering precinct. St Vincents Private Hospital Sydney, which also referred to its rigorous philanthropic guidelines, received a $5 million donation from Ainsworth to contribute to its building works. The public arm of St Vincents runs a statewide, government-funded Gambling Treatment Program. If youre a charity or organisation thats working with problem gamblers, and are trying to help people who have got gambling addiction problems, or just need welfare, taking money from the source of the problem, or part of the source of the problem, is counterproductive, says John McLeod, a senior research consultant at JBWeres Philanthropic Services and Family Advisory.

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Len Ainsworths oldest son, Geoff, has a foundation known as Oranges & Sardines, and says its transparent with its recipients about its original source of income. Geoff, who declined to be interviewed, has not been involved or held shares in Aristocrat since the mid-90s. It is up to the institutions to accept or decline donations from philanthropists and do the due diligence, says McLeod. He offers this advice to clients. When were advising for-purpose organisations about accepting donations, the basic thing we ask them to think about is by accepting that money, what are the implications for you in accepting it, and does that enhance or detract from your cause? Simon Longstaff, executive director of The Ethics Centre, says there is an ethical issue in accepting money that has been derived from the gambling industry. However, he says its not a simple one, particularly if the individual, such as Len Ainsworth, has had a long relationship with certain charitable organisations, and hasnt just decided to varnish how he made his fortune with a veneer of do-goodery. Loading Its possible that Mr Ainsworth has been doing this quietly for years and years and years, and theres a whole network of relationships, which are based on personal interaction, and that hes developed a really sincere affinity for the causes that he supports, says Longstaff. So, its not about trying to wash his hands of any criticism. Even so, Len Ainsworth and his family now find themselves giving back in a world where there is growing criticism that such philanthropy will never match what poker machines have taken.
The miner positions itself as a responsible, transparent operator. For example, Oyus materials sourcing program buys personal protective equipment made by local co-operatives. Nevertheless, the underground mine was beset by a series of long delays and cost blowouts after construction began in 2019, compounded by a long-running dispute with the Mongolian government that only ended last year when Rio waived a $US2.4 billion ($3.6 billion) debt owed by the government. Loading Its not been a smooth ride. Lets be honest about that. We have had our challenges, we have had our setbacks, Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm says. And tensions remain  chiefly a fight over the companys tax liability. Rio has a 66 per cent stake in Oyu, the government has 34 per cent. It takes two to tango. There was no way we could solve everything in one go, Stausholm says. Bulgantuya Khurelbaatar, Mongolias border ports minister and a former employee of the mine, isnt giving ground though. Locals wont be happy if the government treats big Western investors differently to them, she says.

We will try, of course, to be amicable. But at the same time, we also have to ensure that because this is the first large project, and lots of other big mining projects are looking at how were going to be resolving this issue; its going to probably set a precedent. Excavating access tunnels deep underground at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine. This was the first big project in a country that is nomadic and very dependent on agriculture, she says. We have a much more shamanistic kind of culture where we pay homage to the Mother Earth. Its quite difficult to endorse mining. But its Mongolias authoritarian and assertive neighbours, China and Russia, that really hold the keys to the success of Rios $7 billion bet on the mines new underground operation. Along with its host country, the company is squeezed between two unstable geopolitical fault lines. Rio was quick to stop purchasing Russian goods and services when the West imposed severe economic sanctions after Moscow marched on Kiev, triggering the ongoing deadly Ukrainian conflict that has upended Europe and sparked a global energy crunch.

We went out as the first mining company saying we would cut our commercial ties to Russia, and weve done so, and it wasnt easy, says Stausholm. Its really not our job to tell countries what you do. But the mines huge Komatsu haulage trucks  the size of a large two-storey house  which carry 290 tonnes of ore in each load as they climb out of the 650-metre deep open-cut pit, are thirsty consumers of diesel. And the hundreds of 4WD vehicles, heavy machinery, semi-trailers and buses used to move people and goods around the mine and open-cut pit  which will eventually stretch nearly 3 kilometres in length  also suck up huge quantities of fuel. The copper ore is processed in a vast crushing, concentrator and packaging complex. Credit: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg The mines huge energy needs  equivalent to about a quarter of Mongolias production capacity  are dependent on electricity from China and fuel from Russia. Khurelbaatar says the mining sector, in which Rio is by far the largest player, accounts for half of the nations entire petroleum use.

Diesel and fuel is all imported from Russia. There is no other option. What are the choices? Khurelbaatar says. Recognising its vulnerability and lack of energy security, Mongolia is constructing its first refinery, she adds. Rios copper boss, Bold Baatar, is more blunt. Its a work in progress. Russia does not supply us directly. We buy our goods from Mongolian suppliers, and look for alternative suppliers from many parts of the world. This is something that we are working on, he says. The open pit mine at the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold prospect. Credit: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg Its a similar story with the mines relationship to China. The copper ore yielded up by the Gobi Desert is processed in a vast crushing, concentrator and packaging complex. Oyus concentrator is so large, it claims the title of the biggest industrial unit ever built in Mongolia. When the one-tonne bags of concentrate emerge from the facilitys bagging plant, they are just 100 kilometres by road to the nearest border point with China.

And thats where nearly all of it is shipped. Of the 25 million tonnes of copper consumed globally, China gobbles up about 13.6 million tonnes. North America processes about 2.4 million and Europe 3.7 million. Presently, Oyu produces 130,000 tonnes of copper concentrate a year, a figure that is expected to jump to 500,000 when the mines new underground shafts hit full capacity from 2028 to 2036. When it reaches that pitch, it will supply two per cent of world demand and be the globes fourth-largest copper mine. Workers tie bags of copper concentrate in the bagging plant at the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine. Credit: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg [We live] in the world where everything that we do  drive a Tesla or use an iPhone  needs copper and most of that, like it or not, is manufactured in China, says Baatar. Its a dependence that neither he nor Stausholm shy away from.

Theres a lot of trade with China. We buy power [from them], we sell [them] copper concentrate, Stausholm said. We have a very big business into China. Im not particularly worried from our standpoint as youre seeing China opening up right now. Mongolia is geographically very close to China, and thats where we are selling the copper concentrate, he said. Loading Rios dependence on Chinese energy may be offset in the future by an agreement to source power from the Mongolian grid. Stausholm said Rio was also intent on expanding renewable energy generation for the mine. Oyus expansion is one of the mining giants most important growth projects  a key plank in its ambition to diversify away from iron ore and push deeper into minerals that will increasingly be needed in a low-carbon economy. Theres a lot of talk about battery materials, but if you really do your numbers, you will see the big numbers are in copper and aluminium. From an environmental point of view, youll see these super-scale copper mines are the most efficient [way to extract that], rather than a lot of smaller, older mines, Stausholm says.
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Eating outFine dining Soul Dining moves to CBD hotspot as Korean dining takes off across Sydney The hatted contemporary fine-diner joins the blossoming Wynyard precinct as Korean spots pop up all over town. Scott Bolles March 17, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

Sydneys Korean food movement is about to take off, and the unlikely ingredients for its propulsion can be found in Squid Game, K-pop and the global popularity of Parasite. When we started 4 years ago, the concept [of contemporary Korean] was very foreign, but Korean culture with film and TV and music has brought more interest in the food, says Illa Kim, co-owner of Surry Hills hatted Soul Dining. Daero Lee, left, and Illa Kim of Soul Dining. Tim Bradley In July, Soul Dining will take its pioneering Korean gastronomy to the CBD, securing premises near Wynyard Station at 50 Carrington Street. The relocated Soul Dining is placing itself at the epicentre of Sydneys new dining action  its neighbours will include Shell House, Kabul Social and the recently relocated Toko.

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Kim explains the larger space will allow them to amp up their food and service, while adding a new clientele. Soul Dinings moody dining room at the OG site in Surry Hills. Edwina Pickles Restaurateur David Bae is also driving the growth of Korean food, with a posse of venue openings planned over the next 12 months. Bae, whose father is a pioneer of Korean barbecue restaurants in Australia, pinpoints a change in attitude to the fortunes of the cuisine. It feels like everyone watched Netflix over the lockdowns and it put Korea on the map, Bae says.

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Our Korean barbecue restaurant [Kogi, in Haymarket] is doing double what it did pre-COVID. Buoyed by its success, in April hell open Soot, a Korean barbecue restaurant at Barangaroo that will also blend a little of the elements of premium Australian steakhouses. Following Baes success with chef Jacob Lee at the 12-month-old Kobo, an eight-seat restaurant at Quay Quarter Lanes, in May the duo will open a yet-to-be-named Bap Sang Korean omakase at Sydney Place, the near-completed development near the old Jacksons on George. Itll be even more adventurous than Kobo. Chef Jacob Lee behind the Kobo counter. Flavio Brancaleone They wont have the precinct to themselves. On the corner of Pitt and Bridge Streets, a Korean mega-venture is opening mid-2023.

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Two venues in one, Allta  a 15-seat omakase plastered with gold and marble  has lured Jung-su Chang, executive chef at South Koreas two Michelin-starred restaurant Jungsik Seoul, to Sydney, while sister restaurant Funda has snared chef Dongha Kim, a graduate of Andrew McConnells Melbourne restaurants Supernormal and Gimlet. Korean ingredients are already etching themselves on our broader culinary consciousness. Earlier this year, Good Food reviewer Callan Boys noted his local pub started serving salt-and-pepper squid with gochujang aioli over summer. Freshly cooked claypot rice at Soul Dining. Edwina Pickles Bae points to the evolution of Korean, from quick-fix fried chicken to its shared culture of food and fun. His plans also include a Korean drinks venue in Surry Hills. Soul Dinings Illa Kim is also keen to foster the next generation of Korean chefs. After Soul Dining moves to the CBD in July, its Surry Hills digs will hold pop-ups until the lease runs out later in the year.
The AUKUS $368 billion submarine deal announced this week sets Australia on a trajectory from which it will be very difficult to depart.

The deal, in which Australia purchases submarines from the US and UK, means the future of those countries is now intertwined with ours for decades. The danger is that our defence force winds up as a component of the US armed forces rather than a sovereign force.

Done deal ... Anthony Albanese, Joe Biden and Rishi Sunak during the AUKUS announcement at Naval Base Point Loma in San Diego on Monday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The key word here is interoperability: to operate inside the strategy of a superpower by contributing a well-chosen, niche capability to augment the larger force. AUKUS means that the Australian Defence Force will be interoperable, even interchangeable, with US and British forces.

Interoperability is central to the Australian way of war and its overriding importance has deep historical roots. Even before World War I, Australia rejected the Canadian Ross rifle in favour of the British LeeEnfield as the standard weapon because of interoperability. The defence minister in 1909, George Pearce, was an unashamed advocate for Australian independence but he recognised the need for interoperability. It made good sense then; Britain was the leading imperial power and Australia was a self-governing dominion in that empire. A sub-imperial consciousness is intrinsic to Australian conceptions of security and identity, and remains at the heart of AUKUS, taking precedence over other goals such as defence self-reliance and cost.
Former PM John Howard joins NSW campaign trail

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While the number of ADF recruits with neo-Nazi backgrounds appears small, and there is no evidence they have engaged in extremist activities while in the military, their discovery raises questions about the adequacy of military vetting. Loading The US military is grappling with cases of infiltration by active white supremacists on a scale far greater than that in Australia. A security source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the ADF still had gaps in its vetting programs that made it vulnerable to neo-Nazi infiltration. Defence declined to comment on individual soldiers but said it investigates and acts when personnel are identified as potentially involved in unlawful or inappropriate activities.

There was no place for unlawful or inappropriate association with groups or organisations that engage in advocacy for extremist ideology, extremist views, or criminal activity within the Australian Defence Force, it said in a statement. Defence works closely with law enforcement and intelligence agencies to identify and counter threats to Defence and Defence personnel involving ideologically motivated extremism. Leadership change Two years after The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald conducted a major undercover expose of Australias neo-Nazi movement, a fresh nationwide investigation has established the identities of emerging or previously unknown neo-Nazi leaders. They include key figures from Australias most active neo-Nazi group, the National Socialist Network, whose members  according to a police counter-terrorism briefing seen by this masthead  are known to have previously had access to firearms and weapons training. NSN advocates for its members to spur a white revolution to inspire change for the white race, achieved through overthrowing the current social and political order to establish a National Socialist system, the police briefing states.

Loading The NSNs New South Wales cell leader is Jack Eltis, a tradesman who has conducted training events for neo-Nazis in NSW. The NSN has nominated him to fill any national leadership vacuum if the groups most prominent member, Melbourne man Tom Sewell, is jailed in connection to aggravated burglary charges. Sewell has been charged but is yet to face a committal hearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court. Eltis has posted on encrypted chat groups, reviewed by this masthead, about how the tyrannical Jewish system and its police and security apparatus are attempting to convict Thomas Sewell with overreaching charges. In the posts, Eltis attacks counter-terrorism authorities who have charged NSN members in Victoria, NSW and South Australia with ludicrous fabricated terrorism charges. The men in our organisation know that no temporary sacrifice is too great for the future of the white race, he says.

When contacted by this masthead, Eltis was unapologetic about his leadership role in the NSN and attacked the media and counter-terror agencies for what he claimed was the harassment of his organisation. He confirmed he believed there was no pathway for political change via the current Western liberal democratic framework but said the NSN rejected the use of violence. In Queensland, the NSN has appointed ex-university student Gabe Seymour as its leader, assigning him the task of collating and publishing the groups propaganda via encrypted online platforms. Queensland man Gabe Seymour. Seymour has travelled to Sydney and Melbourne, including as recently as December, to participate in NSN training and recruitment events. The NSNs activities were comprehensively exposed by this mastheads Nazis Next Door investigative series with 60 Minutes in 2021. That investigation revealed it as an organisation that privately celebrated the Christchurch terrorist, and was seeking tracts of rural land to establish a white ethno-state and access to firearms.

Seymour did not respond to efforts to contact him. Two well-known NSN leaders, Melbournes Sewell and Adelaides Patrick Patmore, have since faced criminal charges after investigations by state counter-terrorism authorities. Patrick Patmore outside the South Australian District Court. Credit: Nine News In late February, Patmore was sentenced in the South Australian District Court to at least 19 months home detention and banned from contacting fellow NSN members, and those from the affiliated European Australian Movement, after counter-terror detectives found a small and crude explosive device in his shed, homemade knives, a machete, a battleaxe and ammunition. In sentencing Patmore, judge Michael Burnett also said he had been found with documents describing ways of committing a terrorist act, as well as the manifesto of the Christchurch terrorist.

A leaked audio recording Patmore posted to an encrypted extremist chatroom after he began home detention revealed that he was seeking to push the limits of his detention order in order to continue communicating with fellow neo-Nazis. I am going to see how far I can push that because the feds f---ed up with the wording [of the communication ban]  Im still waiting to talk to my lawyer on that before I push the limits there just to be a prick, Patmore said on the leaked audio. I told the feds as they f---en left the courtroom. I made sure they knew I knew they f---ed up. I cant talk to anyone from the NSN. And my query was, who is a member and who is not. Who is a member in the eyes of us, national socialists, or the eyes of the state? A leading NSN figure was convicted for a violent attack then boasted on a podcast that he had also manipulated his court-ordered sentence conditions. Ive managed to game the system a little bit, which I wont go into too much detail, he said, revealing he used a special-circumstances clause to conduct his community service at home, sewing on a loom.

The activities of the NSNs established and emerging leaders suggest that while media scrutiny and efforts by counter-terror authorities have slowed the groups activities, dedicated members continue to seek to access firearms and radicalise young Australians. Online posts from Seymour, a former pharmacy student at the University of Queensland and an ex-Chemist Warehouse employee, on encrypted channels populated by NSN members, reveal he has distributed a manual on how to manufacture guns using a 3D printer and undertaken firearms training. The posts reveal Seymour has also celebrated the actions of the Christchurch terrorist and contemplated committing an act of violence. Am I dumb enough to ruin my life over a hatred of society. Almost. Not yet. But almost, he wrote in a series of posts in which he also wrote of killing Muslims. In other posts, Seymour mocks ASIO, promotes the concept of a race war  a staple of neo-Nazi propaganda  and makes repeated antisemitic references.

Seymours identity was confirmed by anti-fascist researchers from the White Rose Society using online surveillance. They matched photos he posted of neo-Nazi propaganda at his Queensland home to pictures of a house listed for sale on a real estate website. Public records linked Seymour to this home address. Loading In one social media post showing flags, Seymour says: Gotta give ASIO something nice to look at. The ability of extremists to access weapons was highlighted in the recent fatal shooting of two police officers in Queensland, assessed by police and ASIO as an act of politically motivated violence, primarily motivated by a Christian violent extremist ideology. In February, the Albanese government committed to move on a long-standing failure of state and federal governments to better share intelligence and licensing data on firearm possession.

In investigating white supremacists access to firearms, this masthead has uncovered links between active right-wing extremists and serving police officers. In Victoria, highly active NSN member Nathan Bull, 21, is the son of a Victoria Police officer who is currently on extended leave and who failed to declare his sons neo-Nazi activities. The force declined to comment on the police officer, whom this masthead is not naming for legal reasons, but said in a statement: While we know people cant choose their family, the policy outlines what relationships must be declared to ensure any actual or perceived risks are managed. Bull is a frequent participant in NSN training events and has also posted NSN propaganda on encrypted platforms, recently encouraging neo-Nazis to disrupt a queer youth event at the Victorian Pride Centre. In Queensland, social media posts reveal that an active neo-Nazi who is the partner of a policewoman has sought advice in encrypted neo-Nazi group chats about finding online forums for police who are shitty or who go against the grain.
There is always a degree of trust involved in the planning process, says Peter Tregear, who in 2021 co-founded Friends of the Former Wesleyan Church and Model Sunday School Brunswick, a group that hoped to rally support for the church to become a community space. Brunswicks Wesleyan Church depicted in 1873. Credit: State Library Victoria It would be legitimate at the moment to question if there is an appropriate level of trust between the regulator and the developers. He said he was also concerned about trends in Melbourne where churches have been sold off for private developments. The Age can reveal the owners hope to convert the church into a commercial space and will submit plans seeking permission to Heritage Victoria in coming weeks. The Department of Education leased the property  which includes both the church and Sunday school building  from the Uniting Church in 2007 for use as the Sydney Road Community School. The church itself has not had parishioners since the 1970s.

According to correspondence seen by The Age, the property was offered for sale by tender in November 2008 due to the high costs of maintenance (around $500,000). The property sold in April 2009 with the lease intact with the school, and it settled in 2011 when Bunjil Pty Ltd and Tempbak Pty Ltd paid $1.5 million, according to title documents. One of Bunjils directors, real estate agent Duncan McPherson, was contacted by The Age and responded through solicitor Julian Vagg, who said his client didnt want the church demolished and that its destruction wouldnt make commercial sense. They just want to see it become something that can be used, Vagg said. They have no intention other than that. According to documents prepared by heritage consultants for the owners, the school used the church as a storage and art room until the school relocated to new premises in 2022.

Vagg said his client boarded up the windows as an emergency repair last year over concerns about them falling and injuring people, but had left their replacement to the Department of Education as tenant. The department holds the lease until May 31, Vagg said, and so was responsible for the work as part of its make good obligations. But Vagg said the owners received correspondence from the department last week that said it believed it wasnt responsible for maintenance orders. Inside the church in 2022. Credit: Friends of the Former Wesleyan Church The Age was unable to verify this with the department, which issued a statement stating it has met its responsibilities as a tenant of the site and was working with the owner to ensure this continues up to the end of the lease agreement in May. Heritage Victoria maintains the onus lays with the owners for upkeep, and said it was considering enforcement action after two missed deadlines: one for the reinstatement of the windows by December 2022 and another for a schedule of repairs by November 2022.

Owners of state-listed heritage places are legally required to ensure that they are maintained and do not fall into disrepair, a Heritage Victoria spokeswoman said. She said a failure to comply included penalties including fines of up to $443,808 and five-year jail terms for individuals, and fines of up to $887,616 for a body corporate. Tregear said his friends group went dormant after being unable to gain traction with the owner over ideas for a community space. He also criticised Heritage Victorias lack of enforcement over the propertys decaying facade. I think there comes a point, and were reaching it pretty soon, that voluntary, nonenforceable requests become self-defeating, he said. They make a mockery of what heritage protections are supposed to do. Another group member, Paul Postema, said the building could feasibly be used as a mid-sized music venue, and was one of the last sites on Sydney Road that could be developed for the public.

Id like to think it could become a venue in which diverse groups can use it  for ballets, poetry, exhibitions and places for community interaction, he said. Loading All the apartments being built up around here are rather small and people need places other than bars to meet. Vagg said the owners were seeking approval to level the floor of the church, install storage and bathroom facilities and restore it, so it could be used as a gallery, showroom or function centre scenario. Thats what they think is the best use for the property, he said.
A university lecturer mercilessly murdered his wife with kitchen knives after the pair argued over kindergarten arrangements for their young son.

Adam Brown, 40, repeatedly slashed and stabbed Chen Cheng, 35, as their child lay in a nearby room of their home in Croydon North, Melbourne, until frantic neighbours intervened in a bid to save her life.

Adam Brown enters the Supreme Court on Friday. Credit: AAP

Crown prosecutor Nanette Rogers, SC, on Friday detailed for the first time how Brown, a senior lecturer in media and communications at Deakin University, began arguing with Cheng after she ended a video call with her mother on April 30, 2022.

About 9.30pm, neighbours first heard loud sounds coming from inside the home before Cheng was heard crying and repeatedly screaming, Help, please stop, help me.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size In his landmark book Australias Defence, which chronicled the nations defence policy in the lead-up to the Vietnam War, historian Thomas Millar stressed that the first point to remember about the Australian island-continent is not that it is a continent but that it is an island. Its a point others have felt the need to make repeatedly since. Almost six decades after Millars book was published, retired Army major-general Mick Ryan says Australia continues to lack an oceanic consciousness. Look at our myths, our stories, our movies, he says. Think Sidney Nolans paintings of Ned Kelly or Peter Weirs film Picnic at Hanging Rock. Theyre all about the land. Theyre not about the ocean, but were surrounded by it. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden shake hands during the AUKUS announcement. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Ryan says this helps explain why the Australian Army has traditionally held pre-eminence among the three military branches, with the Navy and Air Force trailing behind. If the past week doesnt change Australians deeply ingrained habit of looking inward to the land, rather than outward to the sea, then nothing will. The nation awoke on Tuesday to learn the government plans to spend between $268 billion and $368 billion over the next 30 years developing a fleet of eight nuclear-powered submarines. Even over a long time frame, it is a staggering amount of money.

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Just as the 1980s marked a turning point for the Australian economy  the tearing down of tariff barriers, workplace deregulation, the sale of iconic government assets  the past week represented a new era in Australian defence policy. Standing at the San Diego Naval Base alongside US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: The scale, complexity, and economic significance of this investment is akin to the creation of the Australian automotive industry in the post-World War II period. Only six nations possess nuclear-powered submarines, which are in many ways as technologically sophisticated as space shuttles. Australia will become the seventh within a decade if the most ambitious defence project in its history goes to plan. Such a colossal undertaking will force the country to confront fundamental questions about itself. Are we foremost a continent or an island? Are we happy to be a plucky middle power in the Asia-Pacific or are our geopolitical ambitions more consequential? How much of the budget should be allocated to the military compared to, say, the National Disability Insurance Scheme or Medicare? Are we too dependent on the United States, or should we hug our closest ally even tighter to keep us safe in an era of great power rivalry? The past week has seen a rare eruption of bipartisanship, with the Coalition throwing full support behind Labors submarine plan (just as Labor did in opposition when Scott Morrison created the AUKUS pact). But the praise has been far from unanimous. Former prime minister Paul Keating used an incendiary appearance at the National Press Club to describe the submarine plan as the worst deal in all history. Why was Australia spending so much on submarines, he asked, when China has no desire or capacity to invade the Australian mainland? In essence, Keating was daring Labors base to rise up and demand the government tear up the AUKUS pact.

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Defence Minister Richard Marles says the submarine program is being driven by the biggest conventional military build-up that we have seen since the end of the Second World War  a clear reference to China. We need to respond to this, he said this week. A failure to do so would see us be condemned by history. As a trading island nation, so much harm can be done to us before ever setting foot upon our shores. The nation is dependent on shipping routes for almost all of its imports  including fuel  which makes it highly vulnerable to a blockade that shuts us off from the rest of the world. Marles argues Australias interest in promoting free movement throughout the region means we must have submarines that can travel further and faster than our current vessels. The COVID-19 pandemic required ordinary citizens to become instant amateur epidemiologists, able to distinguish between surface and airborne disease transmission. Similarly, to make an informed judgment about whether Australia is making a wise investment in nuclear-powered submarines requires a familiarity with concepts only naval experts previously needed to consider. Loading Take snorting. Its a term Marles only used publicly for the first time this week but is essential to understanding why Australia is investing in such expensive technology. Snorting describes the process by which submarines rise to the surface of the ocean to expel contaminants, replenish their oxygen supplies and recharge batteries. Diesel-powered submarines like Australias current Collins-class vessels have to snort regularly to continue to operate. But rapid advances in technology are making even brief snorts highly risky. This problem doesnt apply to nuclear-powered submarines, given their generators dont need oxygen, allowing them to stay submerged for months at a time and only needing to surface to restock food. As Peter Dean, a defence expert at the University of Sydneys United States Studies Centre, explained in a panel session this week: In a world where theres increasing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance from satellites to sensors in the water, its becoming more and more difficult for conventionally powered submarines to be survivable and maintain stealth ... Every submariner Ive ever spoken to in Australia would say if they had a choice they would have a nuclear-powered submarine from a tactical, strategic and operational point of view.

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Albanese justified the huge price tag by saying nuclear-powered submarines are less detectable, theyre faster, theyre able to stay away from the port for longer than our current vessels. Theyre essentially just much, much better, he said. And we should acquire assets which best defend our nation. No one disputes that the submarines represent a massive leap forward in technology. The question is whether they are a smart use of taxpayer money, how soon they will arrive and whether they make Australia more or less likely to be drawn into a possible war with China, its biggest trading partner. Defence Minister Richard Marles (right) and then-British PM Boris Johnson talk to Autumn Benson, a first-year-apprentice at BAE Systems, at the companys submarine shipyards in the British port of Barrow-in-Furness in August last year. Credit:Latika Bourke A historic step The United States has transferred its top-secret nuclear-powered submarine technology to just one other nation in its history: the United Kingdom in 1958. Thirty years later, however, another country came close to acquiring the technology, a tale that reveals the many ways such a complicated project can be derailed. In 1987, the Canadian government announced plans to develop a class of at least 10 nuclear-powered attack submarines because of their speed, range and ability to operate under the Arctic ice. Overruling the advice of senior Navy officers, US president Ronald Reagan announced he supported the transfer of US reactor technology to its northern neighbour.

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Technical problems soon emerged: a French-designed submarine proved too noisy and slow, while a rival British-designed vessel didnt have enough torpedo tubes. Public opposition rose in Canada thanks to a daunting price tag and the view that defence spending should take a back seat following the fall of the Berlin Wall. The project was cancelled in 1989 and Canada never acquired a nuclear-powered submarine. Loading This is precisely the scenario Keating would like to see play out in Australia. As for Albanese and Marles, its the nightmare they are determined to avoid. Theres a range of views among defence experts, but the reaction to the governments submarine plan, unveiled on Tuesday, was generally positive. Michael Green, who served as special assistant on national security affairs to president George W. Bush, describes it as a Goldilocks solution that will benefit all three member nations and deliver nuclear-powered submarines to Australia faster than anticipated. Richard Dunley, a naval expert at UNSW, says the plan looks about as good as you can imagine and better than a lot of us expected. But the potential for things to go wrong when it is put into practice is unavoidable. The idea of this being delivered on time and on budget seems highly improbable, Dunley says. Three degrees of risk Like a video game in which players advance through increasingly difficult levels, the submarine plan begins simply and becomes increasingly complex and risky as it goes on.

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What Keating didnt reveal was that the government also had given him the benefit of a private, early briefing on the AUKUS deal. And that Albanese has returned every phone call Keating has made to him. Loading And how did Keating repay this respectful treatment? Apart from attacking the deal itself, which is fair game, he tried to undermine Albanese every way he could. He made the absurd claim that the government had no mandate for the policy. In fact, Albanese took the AUKUS plan in principle to the 2022 election as Labor policy. Next, Albanese and Wong had sold out to the US, he claimed, and betrayed Labors Left faction (Keating was a member of the Right faction and loathed the Left). The two principal people on the Left in Australia are now Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong, Keating said. And what theyve done, they have, essentially, accommodated the strategic wishes of the US. Uncritically. Uncritically.

How did this happen? According to Keating, Albanese had relied on two seriously unwise ministers in Wong and Marles, the Defence Minister. And Albanese had been befuddled by his own small-target election strategy into doing Americas bidding. Loading The ship of state, according to Keating, is in the hands of a ship of fools. As usual, everyone else is wrong. Only Keating can be right. Keating went out of his way to abuse Wong. He accused her of being a weak foreign affairs minister who merely aped Liberal Party policy, and then this: Running around the Pacific Islands with a lei around your neck handing out money, which is what Penny does, is not foreign policy. Its a consular task. This is gratuitous, condescending and insulting. He went on to extend the insult to the Pacific Islands themselves: Foreign policy is what you do with the great powers. What you do with China. What you do with the US. This government, the Albanese government, does not employ foreign policy.

The Pacific doesnt matter, apparently. As Keating well knows, the Pacific Islands are key to Australian security. The Japanese Imperial Army established its bases in Papua New Guinea and the Solomons to cut off Australia from the world. The geography hasnt changed. No, it seems Keating wanted to rubbish the Pacific Islands simply because its been one of Wongs priorities. On Friday Albanese made a point of praising Wong. She would go down as Australias greatest foreign minister, when history looks back  when you look at her achievements in less than one year as foreign minister, our relationship with France has been repaired, our relationship with the US has never been stronger, our relationships in ASEAN has never been stronger  Weve put back together the Pacific Islands Forum. Albanese said Wong will go down as Australias greatest foreign minister. Credit: Rhett Wyman Keating so lacks self-awareness that he volunteered to the press club that he had tried to control Penny Wong. Ill tell you a little story, said Keating. He brought up a book I wrote in 2021, Red Zone: Chinas Challenge and Australias Future. In Sydney, the book was launched by Malcolm Turnbull. Keating said he tried to stop Wong from launching it in Canberra. For context and full disclosure, Keating has been critical of my analysis and reporting of China for some years. At the press club this week, he variously described me as a psychopath, a maniac, the enfant terrible and old acid drop himself.

None of which I begrudge in the least. His invective can be hilarious. And free speech is a bedrock Australian value. Though Keating doesnt necessarily agree, as he explained. Wong, he said, was going to launch the book and add some comments to the back cover: So I discuss it with Gareth Evans and Bob Carr about this, and I said, Youve got to tell her if she goes to the launch and she puts something in the back of the book, Im into her. And I think Carr is too. And so she didnt.  For someone whod just admitted to leading a group effort to bully Labors leader in the Senate and foreign affairs spokesperson into silence on China, he looked inordinately pleased with himself. But towards the end of his appearance, the chair, the ABCs Laura Tingle, said: I have received a message that Penny Wong actually launched Peter Hartchers book, contrary to what youre saying. Keating: No. No, shes launched it, but she didnt put the sticker on the back. If he meant an endorsement, he was wrong about that, too. By telling this story, Keatings exposed himself as an obsessive, a bully and a would-be censor. All to protect the Chinese Communist Party from criticism. Does he really think it so fragile?

Evidently. For instance, where most saw Chinas trade bans on Australia as economic coercion, Keating at the press club dismissed them as mere commercial reactions. And asked his view of Xi Jinpings mass repression of Chinas Uyghurs, denounced as genocide by five Western parliaments and investigated by the UN as possible crimes against humanity, Keating would only say that theres a dispute about that. Chinese President Xi Jinping. Credit: AP But while Keating did an outstanding job of protecting the interests of the CCP, Australian Labor, he seems to think, can fend for itself. Its hard to see what Keating achieved this week, other than diminishing himself and alienating Labor. Because Labor and the Coalition agree on the AUKUS plan, Keatings opposition is colourful but irrelevant.

As for the submarines, Keating argued that Australia should build, say, 50 more of its existing six conventionally powered Collins-class boats, and not get the nuclear-powered subs. Because the Collins-class would be able to prevent an enemy from crossing the beach, he said. But this is not the only definition of Australian security. As Marles this week explained, because Australia is an island nation dependent on maritime trade, so much harm can be done before ever setting foot upon our shores. Australia needed to be able to protect its shipping access and economic lifelines at great distances, and nuclear-powered submarines would allow it to do so. Asked about the prospect of war, Albanese restrained himself, in a way a Morrison government minister might not have: I dont think it is constructive to talk about war, he said on Network 10s The Project on Thursday. We want peace and security in the region. The advantage of nuclear subs are they can go faster, they are quieter, they can stay at sea for longer, they are just better. And, cutting through all the pyrotechnics of the week, Albanese went to the bottom line: That provides a greater deterrent, then that is a good investment.
The survey, conducted by Resolve Strategic for this masthead, found 50 per cent of voters supported the specific commitment made by Albanese this week but 16 per cent were opposed and 34 per cent were undecided. Support for the next phase of the AUKUS alliance with the US and United Kingdom is higher among Labor voters, at 55 per cent, and among Coalition voters, at 57 per cent, but is only 38 per cent among all other voters, including those who back the Greens and independent candidates. Keating launched a broadside against the submarine plan this week by declaring it would sacrifice Australian sovereignty and make the country more reliant on the US and UK without any white paper or major ministerial statement to explain the threat the country was supposedly facing. In short, a plan to spend around $368 billion, for nuclear submarines to conduct operations against China in the most risky of conditions, is of little military benefit to anybody, even to the Americans, he said.

Former Labor cabinet minister Peter Garrett said the AUKUS deal stinks because it would cost too much, give up Australian independence and weaken nuclear safeguards, but government ministers are backing the commitment despite unrest among Labor branch members. Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles also confirmed on Friday the government would buy Tomahawk missiles from the US, although he did not say how many. Making sure that we have longer-range strike missiles is a really important capability for the country. It enables us to be able to reach out beyond our shores further, and thats ultimately how we are able to keep Australia safe, he said. The move drew a rebuke from Greens leader Adam Bandt because the missiles would add to the cost of the AUKUS plan.

I dont agree with Paul Keating about many things, but on this, he is right. This is a terrible decision that makes us less safe, sells out our sovereignty and takes billions of dollars away from schools and hospitals, Bandt said. The survey questions were asked in two stages and began with a general proposition that found 64 per cent of voters supported or accepted the idea that Australia would use nuclear-powered vessels, up from 56 per cent on the same question in a survey in November 2021. The 64 per cent figure comprised 25 per cent who said they actively supported the idea and another 39 per cent who said they found it acceptable. Another 17 per cent said they opposed the idea and 20 per cent were undecided. The question was: Australia has committed to purchase and operate nuclear-powered submarines with the assistance of the UK and US. While nuclear-powered, they would not contain nuclear weapons. Do you personally support or oppose the adoption of nuclear-powered submarines by Australia? Voters were given the option of saying they actively support the idea or saying they find the idea acceptable while not having strong feelings on the issue.

Asked about the specific AUKUS agreement in the next question, 50 per cent said they supported the plan to buy some submarines from the US and also build vessels in Australia with a British design. Another 16 per cent opposed the plan and 34 per cent were undecided. The question was: Australia is now due to commit to buying between eight and 11 nuclear-powered submarines, starting with three to five off-the-shelf US submarines being delivered from 2032, followed by a number of UK-designed submarines built in Australia. This is now expected to cost up to $368 billion and create 20,000 jobs, this being the largest Australian defence purchase in history. Do you support or oppose the purchase of these submarines? The Resolve Political Monitor surveyed 1600 eligible voters from Sunday to Thursday, a period of heavy media coverage of the AUKUS plan before and after Tuesdays announcement. The specific question about the AUKUS deal was added after the details were released on Tuesday morning, but the bulk of the responses were received before Keating aired his objections on Wednesday. Any survey is a snapshot ... however, the results tell us that many Australians are undecided or hold weak views because the project is so new, Resolve director Jim Reed said.

Given the survey focused on a period before criticism by Paul Keating and Peter Garrett, or state concerns about waste storage, this might very well change over time. The question on AUKUS included the $368 billion cost estimate  a figure that included local industry development as well as the cost of each vessel out to 2055  because this was reported at 7am on Tuesday, but Reed said earlier questions put a lower cost on the policy and this highlighted the scope for opinions to change. Loading Most people believe there is a threat to Australias national security and therefore a need to act on that, but that doesnt mean they cant harbour concerns about this particular deal, and the use of nuclear reactors and its value for money in particular, he said. The survey began by testing the policy with a price tag of around $170 billion but this eventually more than doubled to $368 billion as more information was released. Thats a $60,000 bill for a two-child family, which I suspect might raise some concerns in the current climate.

Defence spending is running at about 2 per cent of GDP but Albanese has signalled it will increase to support AUKUS and other projects, a scenario many Australians support. Asked whether defence spending should change, 31 per cent said it should remain at its existing level while 39 per cent said it should be higher than the current benchmark, while 9 per cent said it should fall and 22 per cent were undecided. These results included 24 per cent who thought the spending should be between 2 and 3 per cent of GDP and another 14 per cent of the total sample who believed it should be higher than 3 per cent. The question was: The federal government has previously committed to spending around 2 per cent of Australias GDP on defence, including upgrades to equipment like submarines, drones and aircraft. People have argued about whether this is too much, about right or not enough. Indeed, Anthony Albanese has recently said that he would like to spend more on defence. What proportion of GDP do you think Australia should spend on defence in the next few years?

A strong majority agreed with the proposition that Russia and/or China were a threat to Australia, but there was a key difference of opinion on how Australia should respond. While 28 per cent agreed that the two countries were a threat that needed to be confronted soon, 52 per cent said they were a threat that could be managed with careful relationships over time. The question was: Some people believe that large single-party states, like Russia and China, are a real threat to Australia and other Western democracies. Others think this threat is overstated. What is your own view? Keating sparked controversy in November 2021 by arguing that Taiwan was not a vital Australian interest despite concerns about China using force one day to take control of the island, which it regards as its territory. Australia recognises the Chinese government in Beijing as the sole government of China and acknowledges its position that Taiwan is a province of China.

The latest survey found that 65 per cent of respondents regarded Taiwan as an independent and sovereign state, unchanged from the same question in the survey in March last year. Only 8 per cent believed Taiwan was part of China. Loading Asked about a war over Taiwan, however, only 15 per cent said Australia should take military action if China invaded the island  the central scenario in the highly contested debate about whether the rise of China presents a threat to stability in the region. Voters were given several options when asked about the response to a potential conflict, with 47 per cent saying Australia should take diplomatic action and 46 per cent also naming trade and economic sanctions. Only 10 per cent said Australia should do nothing, while 23 per cent were undecided. The question was: In recent months, China has been conducting military manoeuvres where aircraft and ships enter Taiwanese territory, with some believing this to be a prelude to invasion and occupation. If China were to invade Taiwan, which of the following do you believe Australia should do? You can tick all that apply.
Over the years the area improved dramatically, Lyczewska said. At this moment you have mainly young people with children in the area, and there is a lot of brand-new development. Loading The next best-value suburb within 10 kilometres of the CBD as the crow flies is Pascoe Vale South, at $2708 per square metre. Buyers could expect to pay a median house price of $1,129,000 there. It was followed by Preston ($2779 per square metre, $1.1 million median) and Spotswood ($3042 per square metre, $1.2 million median). The figures show pockets of value for buyers looking for more space. By contrast, suburbs with the cheapest median house price within 10 kilometres are inner western Maidstone ($850,000), West Footscray ($914,000) and Footscray ($952,000), but each costs more than $3100 per square metre of land.

Domain chief of research and economics Dr Nicola Powell said buyers could still get good value for money closer to the city, if they knew where to look. It doesnt always follow the trend that if youre closer to the city you pay more, she said. Its all about the different development and housing landscapes in the suburbs. Preston is the third-best value neighbourhood within 10 kilometres of Melbourne CBD, by price per square metre. Credit: Eliana Schoulal For an area that is maxed out in its development, and it is a heritage area and theres little that can change, that in and of itself can also help drive up price per square metre. Powell said the metric was helpful for those who needed more space but were on a tight budget.

It allows people to ID those areas that offer better value for money. You can say: Oh this is a suburb that hasnt gentrified yet, she said. Lyczewska thinks the relatively low price per square metre and proximity to shopping centres make the suburb  and her home  attractive to both developers and families looking for more space. Loading You are five minutes from Ivanhoe, five minutes from Heidelberg, you have Northland like five minutes from here, she said. Im sad [to be leaving]. I love the area. Nelson Alexander agent Nunzio Sulfaro has Lyczewskas listing and agreed that her suburb was yet to gentrify. He said those who didnt look down on the suburbs decades-long history as a lower-income neighbourhood could find good value.

Once people wake up and people realise  OK, if I buy in Bellfield I get all the amenity of Ivanhoe  [its a bargain] simply because of its reputation of so long ago. Lyczewska said the low price per square metre of her block should make it attractive to developers. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui This area has just so far to go. Ultimately, the biggest issue with Bellfield is that no one knows where it is. Recent sales of higher-end properties were pushing up prices, Sulfaro said. What were seeing in Bellfield now is a few top-end sales of $1.6 million and down, and as you know it flows down from the top end, he said.

That sale was at 18 Davidson Street in May last year. Next door, 18A sold for $1.58 million in August. In Melbournes inner west, such as Footscray, West Footscray and Maidstone, veteran real estate agent Craig Stephens said while the area was affordable most buyers werent looking for the best square-metre rate. Loading Its more the closeness to the amenity, the Jas Stephens executive chairman said. Next, its closeness to the train station and the period feature of the homes. Stephens said buyers who are looking to get more land for their money were typically growing families.
It seems even Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowes 10 consecutive interest rate rises arent enough to stop some of Sydneys well-heeled citizenry from making a motza flipping their home real estate.

Lending weight to the adage that it takes money to make money, gold bullion dealers Kurt and Nathalie Jaggard have sold their Manly harbourside apartment for what a local source said was the double-digit millions  more than double the $4.52 million they paid for it in 2020.

A Squillace Architects redesign was commissioned since it last traded in 2020. Credit: Domain

Clarke & Humels Cherie Humel and Michael Clarke would not comment on the deal, but records show it was sold after four days following a Squillace Architects renovation.

The Jaggards are now slumming it in a nearby harbourfront townhouse they purchased last year for $5.75 million.
New York: An international team of virus experts said that they had found genetic data from a market in Wuhan, China, linking the coronavirus with raccoon dogs for sale there, adding evidence to the case that the worst pandemic in a century could have been ignited by an infected animal that was being dealt through the illegal wildlife trade.

The genetic data was drawn from swabs taken from in and around the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market starting in January 2020, shortly after Chinese authorities had shut down the market because of suspicions that it was linked to the outbreak of a new virus. By then, the animals had been cleared out, but researchers swabbed walls, floors, metal cages and carts often used for transporting animal cages.

Raccoon dogs are related to foxes and are known to be able to transmit the coronavirus. Credit: iStock

In samples that came back positive for the coronavirus, the international research team found genetic material belonging to animals, including large amounts that were a match for the raccoon dog, three scientists involved in the analysis said.

The jumbling together of genetic material from the virus and the animal does not prove that a raccoon dog itself was infected. And even if a raccoon dog had been infected, it would not be clear that the animal had spread the virus to people. Another animal could have passed the virus to people, or someone infected with the virus could have spread the virus to a raccoon dog.
Air India has offered a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) to its staff, excluding pilots, cabin crew, and security staff.

This is the second such offer since the takeover of the airline by the Tata Group in January 2022, and will remain in force till April 30.

The VRS offer will be available for permanent general cadre officers who have attained the age of 40 years or above and completed a minimum of five years of continuous service at the airline. Clerical and unskilled categories of employees who have completed a minimum of five years of continuous service at Air India will also be eligible to opt for VRS.

A communication, sent out to staff by Chief Human Resources officer S.D. Tripathi on Friday, said: "We had launched the first phase of VR in June 2022 and subsequently there has been a request from employees for extending the additional benefit of voluntary retirement to other permanent employees as well. In response to this, we are announcing phase II of voluntary retirement."

"The employees who apply for voluntary retirement from 17th March 2023 to 30th April 2023 will also be provided with an ex-gratia amount as a one-time benefit. Eligible employees who apply up to 31st March 2023 will receive Rs 1 lakh over and above the ex-gratia amount," it added.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, in an internal communication, also informed about the voluntary retirement offer.

Also Read Air India makes another voluntary retirement offer for non-flying staff Former AIIMS director Randeep Guleria takes voluntary retirement Pak President Alvi okays appointment of Asim Munir as Chief of Army Staff Already 50 and don't have a retirement corpus? Build equity-heavy portfolio Agnipath scheme voluntary, those having problem don't join: Delhi HC Shares of seven Adani Group end higher, Adani Enterprises jumps 2% Ford recalls 1.5 mn vehicles in US to fix leaky brake hoses, wiper arms CCI allows AGI Greenpac to acquire Hindusthan National Glass & Industries GAIL signs agreement with Shell Energy India for ethane production Questions raised over Gautam Adani sibling Vinod's related party status

He said that following last year's provision of voluntary retirement of permanent cabin crew, clerical and unskilled staff aged over 40, "many of us have asked whether there will be another round, and whether it would be extended to other staff categories. Today, we're launching a second phase of voluntary retirement".

Sources said that nearly 2,100 employees meet the criteria to avail of the latest voluntary retirement offer. Air India's current workforce stands at nearly 11,000, which includes flying and non-flying staff.

Recently, Air India announced a mega order to purchase 470 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus to support its growth plans. It has already announced plans to lease 36 aircraft of which two B 777-200 LR have already joined the fleet.

After 69 years as a government-owned enterprise, Air India and Air India Express were welcomed back into the Tata group in January 2022. The present management at Air India is driving the five year transformation roadmap under the aegis of Vihaan.AI to establish itself as a world-class global airline with an Indian heart.

--IANS

kvm/vd


Just three days after Reliance Jio introduced a new set of post-paid family plans called Jio Plus with unlimited 5G data, rival Bharti Airtel has followed the leader. On Friday, Bharti Airtel announced the launch of unlimited data for subscribers availing its 5G plus services, currently live in over 270 cities. The telecom industry is stepping up its 5G play with aggressive network rollout and strategic packages. Post-paid customers, forming a tiny fraction of the total telecom user base in the country, are a preferred target group in the 5G mission. Although a small base, post-paid subscribers contribute significantly to a telcos overall revenues.



The move is expected to allow Airtel to align its 5G data offering with Reliance Jio, which is already offering unlimited 5G data as part of its Jio 5G Welcome offer. This is available only on Jio prepaid or postpaid plans that cost Rs 239 or above. A few weeks ago, Jio had launched a 5G Upgrade data plan for Rs 61. The offer will be available to all post-paid customers and those pre-paid customers with a data plan of Rs 239 and above, Airtel said in a statement.



Tariffs in focus



The introductory offer is in line with the philosophy of wanting our customers to be able to surf, stream, chat and enjoy multiple benefits at blazing speeds without having to worry about data limits, said Shashwat Sharma, Director of Consumer Business, Bharti Airtel.

Also Read Airtel, Jio to spend about Rs 400 crore on ads during festive season Reliance Jio Cloud-linked laptops likely to cost less than Rs 10,000 Q2 results: Reliance Jio logs 26.9% jump in net profit as Arpu rises Reliance Jio to start beta trial of 5G services in 4 cities on Wednesday Airtel may end cheap subscription plans but decision has risks: Analysts Govt plans to shut down 2 plants of Hindustan Insecticides; cites losses IFFCO, Coal India to manufacture Nano DAP for three years, says govt HDFC board to consider raising funds by NCDs on Mar 27 worth Rs 57,000 cr TCS, Infosys have highest exposure to US regional banks: JPMorgan With a 38% jump, India's M&A activity touched all-time high in 2022

Industry insiders say Airtel is eyeing a higher number of post-paid users in its continuous quest for better average revenue per user per month (ARPU).



From March 23, Jio's family plan will allow a family of four to try the services free of cost for a month. The additional three add-on connections will be available at Rs 99 per SIM, taking the total monthly charge for four post-paid connections to Rs 696 for a family of four. Post-paid customers currently constitute about 6 per cent of the company's total subscriber base, while it is about 5 per cent for Reliance Jio, company officials said without being quoted. Market leader Jio recently made a push to attract a larger base of post-paid users through its new family plan.



Earlier this week, Bharti Airtel had scrapped the minimum recharge plan of Rs 99 in the remaining of the 22 telecom circles, replacing it with an entry-level plan of Rs 155. The company has been the first mover in taking entry-level tariffs higher. Data of 75 GB per month will be available for the Rs 399 plan, while the Rs 699 family plan will have 100 GB data per month. The Rs 699 plan, coupled with the three additional SIM, will take the total to Rs 996 per month.



5G spread The Rs 99 segment accounted for 7-8 per cent of Airtels overall mobile revenue. The Rs 99 plan offered 200-megabyte data and calls at the rate of Rs 2.5 paise per second. This has now been replaced nationwide with an unlimited calling plan, a move that has been long planned, given that almost all user categories now expect unlimited calling.
Apple has announced that it will open its flagship India retail store in Mumbai next month, The Economic Times (ET) has reported. The announcement has come after several delays. In addition to this, the company will open its second company-owned store in New Delhi, ET quoted two industry experts as saying.

Elaborating on Apple's upcoming Mumbai store, the report said it would be a part of Reliance Industries' premium Jio World Drive mall spanning 22,000 square feet. The store will be a retail landmark like the kind of outlets Apple has developed in Los Angeles, New York, Beijing, Milan, and Singapore.

The store in Delhi will be a part of the Select Citywalk mall situated in Saket and be spread over an area of more than 10,000 square feet. The store is scheduled to launch in April-June, which may be just after the store planned in Mumbai.

Also Read Reliance Jio Cloud-linked laptops likely to cost less than Rs 10,000 Reliance Jio to start beta trial of 5G services in 4 cities on Wednesday Trying to troll Tim Cook, Google Pixel caught using an iPhone to tweet Q2 results: Reliance Jio logs 26.9% jump in net profit as Arpu rises Reliance Jio removes Disney+ Hotstar bundle offer from select prepaid plans A quarter or two might be tough, but growth will be back: TCS CEO designate How does outgoing TCS CEO Gopinathan's salary compare to other IT execs? Boat elevates Vivek Gambhir as Chairman; co-founder Sameer Mehta new CEO DLF's luxury high-rise witnesses pre-launch sales of more than Rs 8,000 cr Eris Lifesciences buys dermatology brands from Dr Reddy's for Rs 275 crore

Quoting people aware of the developments, ET said that "Fitouts are completed for both the stores" "In fact, the fit-out was completed for the Delhi store ahead of the Mumbai one." "But since Mumbai will be the flagship Apple Store in India, it will open first next month. The Delhi one will open soon after", ET quoted an industry executive.

The date for the opening of the Apple Store will be finalised as per the availability of global Apple executives. In his earlier statements, Apple CEO Tim Cook had told analysts that India is a "hugely exciting market" and a "major focus" for the company. However, it is unclear whether Tim Cook will be present during the store's opening.


The company has nominated Tata Group veteran K Krithivasan as CEO-designate, effective immediately. On Thursday, IT giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced the surprise resignation of Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rajesh Gopinathan, who stepped down to pursue other interests.



TCS was founded in 1968. The baton will be passed from one veteran to another, as TCS continues its legacy of the internal candidate model for the CEOs role, and promotes leadership internally. In the operational stretch spanning more than a semi-centennial period, Krithivasan will be the fifth CEO in TCSs history.

How did TCS fare under Rajesh Gopinathan?

Gopinathan headed TCS for six years when it became the second-most valuable company in India, with the market capitalisation crossing $167.86 billion.

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Gopinathan is an electrical and electronics engineer from REC Trichy and completed his post-graduate diploma in management from IIM Ahmedabad. He began his career by joining Tata Strategic Management Group in 1996. Despite external pressures and Covid-steered challenges, the company delivered a revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13 per cent and an earnings of 11 per cent over FY18-23 under his leadership, reported TCS.



In a media statement, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chairman of TCS, said, I have had the pleasure of working with Rajesh for the past 25 years. During this period, Rajesh has always distinguished himself with exemplary performance in various roles, including his former role as chief financial officerI am deeply appreciative of Rajeshs enormous contribution to TCS. I wish him the very best for the future. In 2001, he moved to TCS, and held various positions, including CFO in 201317 before being appointed CEO. He trailblazed TCS brand value by 212 per cent to $45 billion in the past two years. He was reappointed as MD and CEO in 2022, and still had four years remaining in his second term. Gopinathan will continue in TCS till September 15.

Who is K Krithivasan?

K Krithivasan was among the frontrunners of the company, and analysts are optimistic about the recent appointment.



With experience ranging over 34 years in TCS, he held various leadership roles in delivery, relationship management, and large program management. Completing his bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Madras and a Masters degree in industrial and management engineering from IIT Kanpur, Kritihivasan began his career with TCS in 1989.



Currently, Krithivasan is the President and Global Head of the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) business group at TCS. It is the companys largest vertical that generates 35-40 per cent of the revenue. Krithivasan is known to have helped key clients with digital transformation, accelerated change management cycle, established IT programme governance, and attained value beyond cost optimisation.



Gopinathan added, Having worked with Krithi over the past two decades, I am confident he is best positioned to take TCS to greater heights along with the leadership team. I will be working closely with Krithi to give him all the support he needs. Krithivasan is also a member of the Board of Directors of TCS Iberoamerica, TCS Ireland and the supervisory board of TCS Technology Solutions AG.





Here is a list of the four CEOs of TCS:

Faquir Chand Kohli, co-founder and first CEO and MD of TCS from 1968 to 1996. He joined the Tata Electric Company, where he held various positions, including that of a general superintendent, and a deputy general manager before he was promoted as the director of Tata Electric Company. There he introduced the use of digital computers for power system design and control. He is known to introduce advanced engineering and management techniques that could be employed to operate power systems, which gained him the title Father of the Indian IT industry. Currently, the market capitalisation of TCS is valued at Rs 11.6 trillion.



Natarajan Chandrasekaran was third in line, who earlier was the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of TCS, before taking over as the CEO in 2009. He remained till 2017. He was succeeded by Subramaniam Ramadorai, CEO and MD of TCS from 1996 to 2009. He joined TCS as a junior engineer and set up TCS operations throughout the US.



Under his leadership, TCS generated revenue of $16.5 billion in 2015-16. He currently serves as the chairman of Tata Sons. He spent his career in TCS, joining the company in 1987.



He was succeeded by Rajesh Gopinathan, serving as CEO and MD of TCS from 2017 to 2023
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Electric two-wheeler maker Kabira Mobility secures $50 million funding
Electric two-wheeler maker Kabira Mobility on Friday said it has secured USD 50 million (around Rs 412 crore) funding from Qatar-based Al-Abdulla Group.

The Panjim-based company plans to utilise the capital to fund its future growth in the country.

The company plans to ramp up production capacity of its electric bikes KM3000, KM4000, introduce new products and enhance sales infrastructure across the country.

The company currently has an installed production capacity of 40,000 units a month at its Dharwad-based plant in Karnataka.

In an interaction with PTI, Kabira Mobility CEO Jaibir Siwach said the company has raised USD 50 million through equity sale.

The companies, however, did not share the exact details of the deal.

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Siwach said the production capacity of the Dharwad plant could be enhanced to 60,000 units a month.

"We are also looking to set up a new manufacturing facility around Jewar in Uttar Pradesh with an installed capacity of 1.25 lakh units a month," he noted.

The project entails investment to the tune of around Rs 300 crore, Siwach said.

He noted that the company will go in for another round of fund raise by the end of the year.

On product launches, Siwach said the company will launch pro trims of KM3000 and KM4000 electric bikes and also introduce KM 5000, an electric cruiser later this year.

The company is focusing primarily on the electric bike segment and is looking to garner 30 per cent market share in the vertical over the next two years, he said.

The company also aims to add around 70 dealerships this year to take the total number of outlets to over 100 mark.

Al-Abdulla Group CEO Manoj George said India holds immense potential and is expected to become the global manufacturing hub for the electric two-wheeler segment.

"Our investment in Kabira Mobility is aligned with Al-Abdulla group's vision of investing in the renewable energy sector and supporting sustainable mobility solutions on a global scale," he added.


TCS CEO Gopinathan has been at the company's helm for the last six years and will continue to be with the company until September 15. Rajesh Gopinathan, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), resigned from his post nearly four years ahead of the completion of his tenure on Thursday. Company veteran K Krithivasan will replace Gopinath.



This is the second high-profile exit from an Indian IT giant within a week. Last week, Infosys president Mohit Joshi also quit his firm to join Tech Mahindra. "After a stellar career of over 22 years with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and a successful stint as Managing Director and CEO during the last 6 years, Rajesh Gopinathan has decided to step down from the company to pursue his other interests," the company said in a statement.



TCS CEO salary: How does Rajesh Gopinathan's salary compare with other IT leaders? Krithivasan and TCS go a long way back. Currently, Krithivasan is the president and global head of the BFSI Business Group at the firm. He was appointed the CEO designate with effect from March 16.

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HCL's CEO, C Vijayakumar, was the highest-paid CEO in FY22. According to the company's annual report, Vijaykumar was paid Rs 123.13 crore in FY22. Gopinath is the fifth-highest-paid CEO of an IT firm in India. According to a report by moneycontrol, the CEO of TCS received a compensation of Rs 25.75 crore in 2021-22. His salary rose 26.6 per cent in FY22.



Infosys CEO Salil Parekh is the third-highest-paid CEO of IT firms in India. In FY22, he earned Rs 71.02 crore. Parekh is expected to be the CEO of the company till 2027. Second in the list is Wipro CEO Thierry Delaporte. He was named the company's CEO in July 2020. In FY22, he earned Rs 79.8 crore.

Tech Mahindra CEO CP Gurnani is the fourth-highest-paid CEO. In FY22, he was paid Rs 63.4 crore. This was a jump of 189 per cent as compared to FY21. Interestingly, Infosys' Joshi will replace Gurnani at Tech Mahindra.
The government on Friday said fertiliser cooperative major IFFCO and state-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) will manufacture Nano DAP for a period of three years.

A notification in this regard was issued on March 2, Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Bhagwanth Khuba said in his written reply to the Lok Sabha.

Di Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) is the second most widely consumed fertiliser after urea in the country.

The minister further said IFFCO has informed that it is setting up a Nano DAP plant at its Kalol unit, Gujarat with a production capacity of 2 lakh bottles of 500 ml per day.

"Nano DAP will be available in the market across the country after commencement of commercial production," he added.

On its benefits, the minister shared that preliminary field trials were conducted by IFFCO and CIL on select crops in select institutes of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

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The report has indicated that with the use of Nano DAP as seed treatment and foliar application, there is a possibility of saving of granular DAP (Di Ammonium Phosphate) conventionally applied, he said.

Nano DAP is the second product from the nano stable after nano urea that is being promoted in a big way by the government to cut subsidies and promote efficient use of plant chemicals.
India's smart home security camera market shipments experienced 44 per cent (on-year) growth in 2022, a report has said.

Xiaomi led the market in 2022 with a 33 per cent share. Tapo registered 88 per cent growth and maintained its second position in 2022 with a 17 per cent share, according to Counterpoint Research.

The market remains dominated by Chinese players, with the Indian brands accounting for 23 per cent of total shipments last year.

EZVIZ jumped to the third spot with a 16 per cent share as its shipments almost tripled.

Shipments in the Rs 1,500-Rs 2,500 price band remained the highest in 2022, capturing 64 per cent share.

"In a price-sensitive market such as India, the entry-level price point of smart cameras (Rs 1,500) also creates a big demand pull," said research analyst Varun Gupta.

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"Smart cameras are gaining more popularity among small and medium retailers as they are less expensive and easy to install," Gupta added.

In terms of features, the 2MP camera remains popular among users, but we expect the 3MP camera to gain more traction as it is becoming more affordable.

Senior research analyst Anshika Jain said that indoor smart security cameras accounted for more than 80 per cent of the total shipments.

"It was mainly driven by increased awareness and importance of indoor home security. Even residential developers are increasingly installing smart camera devices due to the hybrid work model," she added.

CP Plus is a well-known Indian brand in the surveillance industry and is taking big strides in the smart camera market as well. It ended 2022 with a top-10 position and 2 per cent market share.

--IANS

na/ksk/




It did not advertise any product, betraying as it did the anxieties of a business house eager to build a soon-to-be-born modern nation. It spelt out tenets such as to raise the standard of living of the masses. On November 8, 1945, a print ad of a month-old venture, then called Mahindra and Mohammed, listed a set of guiding principles of what is now the Mahindra Group.



Asha Kharga, chief customer and brand officer, Mahindra Group, says that 77 years after the debut advertisement, the essence of the groups existence as a good corporate citizen remains the same --driving positive change in the lives of our communities. As the multinational conglomerate flags off a new percussion festival in Bengaluru on Saturday, its link with art and culture to that end has only grown stronger. The day-long Mahindra Percussion Festival will be held at the citys historic Jayamahal Palace and celebrate multiple genres featuring local and international musicians.



The Mahindra Percussion Festival is the seventh in the groups culture calendar spanning November to March. Many decades ago, we were primarily a manufacturing company, and this meant that we were predominantly left-brained. We were conscious of the fact that whole-brained thinking is critical to the development of society, says Kharga. By incorporating arts and culture into our core values, we hope to inspire creative thought and creativity within Mahindra, and in the communities that we are a part of. Culture would also help humanise our brand.

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Percussion ensembles can be a unifying experience, encouraging self-expression and camaraderie while also having a lot of fun, she says, adding that the festival intends to democratise various art forms. Drummer and music arranger Ranjit Barot is the curator of the inaugural event. Asked about the idea behind the newest festival, Kharga says percussion and drumming are among the most infectious artistic movements that break down all barriers.



Says Kharga: The common thread that runs through all our festivals is our purpose of bringing communities together and supporting art and culture in meaningful ways. Each of our festivals is conceptualised and executed with complete authenticity. Last month, the group also began the Mahindra Roots Festival, a three-day event in Mumbai that presented theatre performances, storytelling, folk and classical music, and poetry in multiple Indian languages.



The Mahindra Sanatkada Lucknow Festival followed in 2010, an annual five-day affair dedicated to the famed Lucknowi tehzeeb celebrating the citys rich heritage of craft, music, dance and cuisine. The oldest piece of the groups culture outreach is the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards, which started in 2006 and is into its 18th season this month in New Delhi.



Kharga returns to the 1945 ad, when asked about the festival named after Kabir, the poet-saint. A line in the ad reads: Acceptance of the fact that ability is the sole test of merit and advancement, and that neither colour, creed nor caste should stand in the way of harmonious working. This statement, in todays context, would fall under diversity and inclusion, she says. Two other eventsthe Mahindra Blues Festival and Mahindra Kabira Festivaltoo have carved their own niche.



The blues festival began 11 years ago to connect with farmers and ranchers in the Mississippi Delta where one of the oldest styles of the musical genre originated. The festival, staged in Mumbai, has sought to revive and promote blues, and has hosted stalwarts like Buddy Guy, who started his farewell tour by headlining the event last month. As the blues legend strummed on his guitar one last time in the city, a packed crowd that included celebrities from the film industry soaked up the mood. Respecting and embracing differences and encouraging diversity  akin to the messages of love and brotherhood that the 15th century mystic preached  have been part of the Mahindra Group since its inception, says Kharga. Kabirs messages are very similar to what our founders instilled in us. Kabir was a major unifying force among the many cultural strands of India, and his power of integration can serve as an immense source of inspiration in todays world. It is for this reason that we decided to celebrate Kabir and take him back to his birthplace by way of the Mahindra Kabira Festival.

With the launch of the percussion festival, the group hopes it will drum up similar support and a loyal following in the years to come.






The firm said in a stock exchange notification that it has not entered into any definitive agreement or binding commitment on this matter. Tata Consumer Products (TCPL) said on Friday that it had ceased negotiations with Bisleri International over a potential acquisition.



According to a source in the know, the two parties failed to agree on valuation. Last November, Ramesh Chauhan, the chairman of Bisleri International, had told Business Standard that he was in discussion with TCPL to sell a majority stake in the company for Rs 6,000-7,000 crore, adding that he expected the deal to be completed in 7-8 months.





Water king In February, Sunil DSouza, managing director and chief executive officer of TCPL, told Business Standard when asked about acquisitions it plans to make, We are not in the bidding game and will not buy at all costs. We are mindful that we create value with those acquisitions. Chauhan declined to comment on the deal being called off and also did not comment if the company was still looking to sell its majority stake in the company.

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Bisleri projects sales worth Rs 2,500 crore in FY23 and a net profit of over Rs 200 crore

Bisleri was originally an Italian company set up by Felice Bisleri

Bisleri entered Mumbai in 1965 with its packaged drinking water brand

Four years later, Ramesh Chauhan and his brothers acquired the firm for Rs 4 lakh

Firm has over 122 operational plants and 4,500 distributors across India and in neighbouring countries

Bisleri was originally an Italian company set up by Felice Bisleri. It entered Mumbai in 1965 with its packaged drinking water brand. Four years later, Ramesh Chauhan and his brothers acquired the firm for Rs 4 lakh, according to market information.



If the deal had gone through, TCPL would have become the largest in the Indian fast-moving consumer goods space. The biggest deal in this space so far, happened in April 2020, when Hindustan Unilever acquired Horlicks from GSK for Rs 3,045 crore. At present, it has over 122 operational plants and 4,500 distributors across India and in neighbouring countries. According to media reports, Bisleri is likely to clock sales of Rs 2,500 crore and earn a net profit of over Rs 200 crore in financial year 2022-23 (FY23). In FY22, TCPLs revenue from operations stood at Rs 12,425 crore.



DSouza had also said earlier that TCPL is working on a road map of how it plans to enter the FMCG space. Sentiment in the market for the majority stake buyout of Bisleri was positive. But it was all dependent on the structure of the deal, said Vishal Gutka, vice-president of research (consumer and retail sector), Phillip Capital India.

But, unless we build a strong food and beverages (F&B) company, we will not jump in. We will start moving into the FMCG space once we are confident that the runway or the big pieces of the F&B pieces have been tackled, DSouza said.
"Charm of China" performance held in Bulgaria

Xinhua) 13:24, March 17, 2023

TARGOVISHTE, Bulgaria, March 16 (Xinhua) -- A music and dance performance called "Charm of China" was held in the northeastern Bulgarian town of Targovishte on Thursday evening.

The two-hour event was dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the regional association "Friends of China".

It was attended by some 200 spectators, who enjoyed Chinese songs and dances performed by local children, and Chinese students studying in Bulgaria.

The mixed choir "Rodna Pesen" from Targovishte performed three Chinese songs from its repertoire, as well as a popular Bulgarian song with a Chinese soloist.

Addressing the event, Minister-Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Bulgaria Yan Jianqun said that the exchange and cooperation with Targovishte Municipality is an important part of the cooperation between China and Bulgaria.

"Targovishte is a very nice city ... the people here are very hospitable, and based on the successful cooperation so far, efforts will be made to establish even closer exchanges in the future," said Yan.

Raya Mateva, Deputy Mayor of Targovishte, said it was a pleasure for the town to host such a celebration.

"Let's do our best to continue our fruitful collaboration in the years ahead," said Mateva.

Rumen Novakov, President of the "Friends of China" association, told Xinhua that during its 30-year history the association had organized hundreds of events related to cooperation with China. These include exhibitions, presentations, Chinese Cinema Week, and Chinese Culture Week.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)


However, with Krithivasan it looks like the tenure of CEOs at TCS is coming down. For instance, F C Kohlis tenure was 28 years. S Ramadorai, who spent 40 years with TCS, spent 13 years as CEO. N Chandrasekaran, who joined in 1987, was with the company for 30 years and as CEO helmed operations for eight years. With the appointment of K Krithivasan as chief executive officer (CEO) designate, Indias largest IT services firm, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has yet again validated its strategy of succession planning well in advance and grooming internal candidates for leadership roles.



Unlike previous transitions, where incoming CEOs had a long runway in front of them till retirement at 65 years, Krithi is 58 years old and will be CEO for the next six-seven years only. While this limits the flexibility for him, we expect TCS to continue to benefit from the recent changes in its operating model (in 2022) as well as a significant recent intake of freshers in the system, said Mukul Garg of Motilal Oswal in his note. Compared to the three early leaders, Rajesh Gopinathan was CEO for six years. And Krithivasan, 58, will be at the helm of the company for six-seven years because the executives can continue till the age of 65 years at TCS.



Looking at the current growth rate, which does not look too difficult, what will be a concern is the macro environment and the shift that the technology world is going through due to huge advancement in artificial intelligence (AI). Krithivasans time of taking over is interesting, especially with the agenda already being set. TCS, under Gopinathan, has chalked out its ambition to be a $50-billion company by 2030. For this the company will need a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9 per cent.

Also Read How does outgoing TCS CEO Gopinathan's salary compare to other IT execs? A quarter or two might be tough, but growth will be back: TCS CEO designate Rajesh Gopinathan quits as TCS CEO; K Krithivasan appointed CEO-designate Top headlines: Rajesh Gopinathan quits as TCS CEO, Rlys plans concessions K Krithivasan: A lot riding on TCS CEO-designate's track record Air India makes another voluntary retirement offer for non-flying staff Vinod Adani part of promoter group of various listed firms: Adani Group Apple to open US-style flagship retail outlet in Mumbai next month A quarter or two might be tough, but growth will be back: TCS CEO designate How does outgoing TCS CEO Gopinathan's salary compare to other IT execs?



The announcement of change in CEO was unexpected, particularly as Rajesh Gopinathan was re-appointed as CEO in 2022 after having completed five years in the role since February 2017. However, we expect CEO transition to be smooth, since Krithivasan has been with the company for 34 years, serving various customer-facing leadership roles and heading the largest industry vertical, BFSI, said a note from ICICI Securities equity research. Krithivasan is aware of these since he heads the biggest vertical  banking, financial services, and insurance  which contributes 32 per cent to its revenue.



In his first media interaction Krithivasan outlined his plans for the new role. Our core set of beliefs and values, that is, focus on employees and customers, is the most important engine that drives our growth. We will not make any change, we will continue with our focus on core principles and fine tune as we go along. On a lighter note, though, Krithivasan, during the morning media briefing, said that moving from Chennai to Mumbai seemed to be a bigger challenge than taking over the helm of the $25.7-billion IT services firm.



Just because there is a macro uncertainty it does not mean that customers are done with digital transformation and they have to stop  if at all there is more need to continue and maybe or a quarter or two will be disturbance, growth has to come back and we will leverage all the digital tools we have. I do not think there are any insurmountable challenges ahead of us. There are a lot of opportunities and how we leverage and seek those is the task in front of us, and make TCS grow, he said in Mumbai.

Asked if there would be internal changes as he took up the CEOs role, he said: We will look at all the plans and how we will handle them. TCS has always been built on a continuous evolutionary approach. We will do our best to reorganise ourselves.


"We would like to submit that Gautam Adani and Rajesh Adani are individual promoters of various listed entities within the Adani Group and Vinod Adani is an immediate relative of the individual promoters," the group's flagship Adani Enterprises said in a stock exchange filing on Thursday. Adani Group on Thursday said that Vinod Adani, the elder brother of group founder Gautam Adani, is a part of the promoter group. This comes after questions were raised about his status following short-seller Hindenburg Research naming him prominently in its January report. The stock exchanges had sought a response from the group after news articles related to it surfaced.



A recent report by The Morning Context stated that Vinod Adani was a beneficiary owner of Ambuja Cements and its subsidiary ACC Limited through offshore companies. It said the group used a special-purpose vehicle to acquire the two companies from the Holcim Group. SPVs are created for special and temporary objectives. They have different assets and liabilities from their parent company. So, as per the Indian regulations, "Vinod Adani is part of the 'promoter group' of various listed entities within the Adani Group," it said.

What did Hindenburg Research say about Adani Group?

Hindenburg Research in January released a report on the Adani Group stating that it uses a web of companies in tax havens to inflate its revenue and stock prices. It said the company was engaged in decades of "brazen" stock manipulation and accounting fraud. It also claimed that companies had "substantial debt", putting the group on a "precarious financial footing".

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What did the Hindenburg Research say about Vinod Adani? It said that the group had been subjected to four major government investigations related to allegations of fraud. However, the auditor "hardly seems capable of complex audit work" as Adani Enterprises alone has 156 subsidiaries.



The report said that Vinod was key in managing "a vast labyrinth of offshore shell entities" to facilitate fraud. The report identified 38 shell companies based in Mauritius, which Vinod or his close associates controlled. Vinod Adani is widely reported to work out of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Regulatory filings show he is a Cypriot national.



It added that several firms are "surreptitiously controlled" by Vinod in Cyprus, UAE, Singapore and several Caribbean islands. Many of these firms have "no obvious signs" of operations. The manipulation, it said, was helping the conglomerate's companies maintain their appearance of financial health.



"One of the websites for a Vinod Adani-associated entity claimed 'we trade in Services such as sale and delivery of an intangible product, like a Service, between a producer and consumer.' What does that even mean?" it added. "Despite this, they have collectively moved billions of dollars into Indian Adani publicly listed and private entities, often without required disclosure of the related party nature of the deals," it said.

How did Adani Group respond to the Hindenburg's allegations?

Following Hindenburg's 106-page report, the Adani Group issued a 413-page response. It said the report was a "calculated attack on India, the independence, integrity and quality of Indian institutions, and the growth story and ambition of India".



The group also said the report was a "malicious combination of selective misinformation and concealed facts relating to baseless and discredited allegations to drive an ulterior motive". "It is tremendously concerning that the statements of an entity sitting thousands of miles away, with no credibility or ethics, has caused serious and unprecedented adverse impact on our investors," the Adani Group said.

How did the Adani Group respond to allegations against Vinod Adani?

The conglomerate in January said, "Vinod Adani does not hold any managerial position in Adani listed entities or their subsidiaries and has no role in their day-to-day affairs."



On Thursday, the group said that Vinod Adani was part of the promoter group and had been submitted to Indian regulatory authorities from time to time in various disclosures. "We reiterate that any transactions by the Adani portfolio companies with any related party have been duly identified and disclosed as related party transactions in compliance with Indian laws and standards and have been carried out on arm's length terms," it said.



When Adani Group bought Swiss giant Holcim AG's stake in Ambuja Cements and ACC, the deal was completed via a Mauritius-based entity called Endeavour Trade and Investment. According to The Morning Context, this was the name of the SPV. "Further, the fact that Endeavour Trade and Investment Limited (an entity controlled by Vinod Adani), the acquirer of ACC Limited and Ambuja Cements Limited, belongs to the Adani Group has been disclosed in the public offer document," it added.

What is the impact of the Hindenburg Research report on the Adani Group?

The report has shaken the conglomerate. Since the report's release, the conglomerate's listed companies saw a massive sell-off. The Adani Group also cancelled a $2.5 billion follow-on public offer (FPO) of its flagship firm Adani Enterprises, even after it was fully subscribed.



Gautam Adani, who was the third richest person on the planet just before the report was released, currently stands at the 21st spot on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His net worth as of March 17 is $56.08 billion, and he has lost $64.5 billion this year alone. The valuation of the conglomerate has more than halved since the report was released not even two months ago.

What is Hindenburg Research?

It is a US-based firm that specialises in financial research. It looks for accounting irregularities, illegal or unethical practices and undisclosed issues.



Its name is based on the Hindenburg disaster that took place in 1937 when a German passenger airship caught fire, killing 35 people. Its website says, "Our experience in the investment management industry spans decades, with a historical focus on equity, credit, and derivatives analysis".
Leading Indian distributors have registered their protest against the price war between FMCG companies. The distributors fear that the tussle between these companies will eat up their margins. The development has followed the launch of Campa Cola by Reliance Consumer Products at prices lower than all national brands, The Economic Times (ET) has reported.

"This competition between large companies with lower consumer prices and promotions directly hurts the margins of lakhs of distributors," Dhairyashil Patil, president of the All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF), told ET. The federation represents 400,000 distributors.

Patil said that this price war could escalate and foray into FMCG domains like biscuits and confectionery. He added that Reliance is already making plans to enter this space. All of this, he said, will hurt distributors' margins severely.

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In an announcement last week, Reliance Consumer Products launched Campa with three flavours: cola, lemon, and orange. The drinks have been launched in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Notably, Coca-cola's Thums Up dominates the market in Andhra Pradesh, and rival Pepsico has a relatively insignificant presence in the state, the report said.

The report quoted the AICPDF president as saying that "the price war has begun." He added that we are monitoring the situation closely and taking up this matter with the government entities concerned. He said that we are taking the matter to the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to raise the unethical actions of these companies.

Quoting a Coca-Cola spokesperson, ET reported, "We have broadly kept the same prices since last year for all our entry packs. Having new players in the market presents a great opportunity for investments to develop the market further and bring innovations to evolve the category and ultimately benefit the consumers."

It is important to note that Reliance Consumer Products' FMCG portfolio includes various other names, including soft drink maker Sosyo Hajoori, Lotus Chocolates, and Sri Lanka's Maliban biscuits. Moreover, Reliance has its own brands, like Independence and Good Life, among others.
The government on Friday said around 24 crore cattle and buffaloes have now been covered under Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccination drive.

FMD is a major disease of livestock especially in cattle and buffaloes in India and causes huge economic loss to livestock owners due to a reduction in milk yield.

"During the second round of the Foot and Mouth Disease vaccination drive, around 24 crore cattle and buffaloes in the country have now been covered out of a targeted population of 25.8 crore cattle (as per data furnished by states); reaching a near universal coverage of over 95 per cent which is well beyond the herd immunity level," an official statement said.

The milestone has been achieved because of the relentless efforts of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), State/ UT Governments administration, and support of the livestock owners, it added.

The programme is 100 per cent funded by the Centre which is centrally procuring vaccines against FMD and supplying to states. It is also providing for vaccination charges, accessories, awareness creation, cold chain infrastructure etc. to enable states/ UTs undertake vaccination in campaign mode.

The livestock owners are sensitized and made aware through various information, education and communication measures to get their animals vaccinated and requested to contact the nearest livestock health workers/ veterinarians to avail the facility.

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The department is also collaborating with Ministry of Rural Development to train more animal health workers/paravets.

"It is expected that with such continued efforts, the goal of controlling and eventually eradicating Foot & Mouth Disease from the country will be achieved which will also help in increasing the income of livestock farmers/ keepers and in boosting India's trade in livestock products," the statement said.

In 2019, the government had launched a new scheme National Animal Disease Control Programme for FMD and Brucellosis with a financial outlay of Rs 13,343 crore for five years (2019-20 to 2023-24) by vaccinating 100 per cent cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat and pig population for FMD and 100 per cent bovine female calves of 4-8 months of age for brucellosis.

The programme aims to control FMD through vaccination leading to its eventual eradication by 2030. This will result in increased domestic production and ultimately in increased exports of livestock products. Currently under this programme, vaccination is carried out in all cattle and buffaloes.
Public sector Bank of Baroda has partnered with the Tamil Nadu government to offer co-branded RuPay Platinum Debit Card in the state offering customised solutions, the bank said on Friday.

Bank of Baroda has launched the debit card that would be offered to beneficiaries of the state government's 'Pudhumai Penn' scheme.

Accordingly, the card offers personal accident insurance coverage upto Rs 2 lakh per annum and the joining and annual fees for the first year has been waived, Bank of Baroda said in a statement.

The 'Pudhumai Penn' scheme of the government aims to enhance the enrolment ratio of girls from government schools to higher educational institutions. Through this scheme, financial assistance of Rs 1,000 per month would be provided to ever girl till the completion of their degree course.

The Tamil Nadu government's special implementation department principal secretary T Udhayachandran, along with Bank of Baroda general manager and zonal head A Saravanakumar launched the card in the presence of senior officials of the bank at an event here, the release said.
The central government on Friday allowed state-owned power giant NTPC to invest more than the ceiling of 30 per cent of its networth in its subsidiary NTPC Green Energy Ltd (NGEL).

NTPC's net worth stood at Rs 1.28 lakh crore, as per its annual report for the financial year 2021-22.

This assumes significance given the NTPC's ambitious target of 60 GW of renewable energy by 2032. Presently, the maharatna central public sector undertakings require approval of the Union Cabinet to invest an amount more than 30 per cent of its net worth.

"Cabinet approves exemption to NTPC Ltd from the extant guidelines of delegation of power to Maharatna CPSEs for making an investment beyond the prescribed limit in NTPC Green Energy Ltd," an official statement said.

It has also exempted NGEL's investment in NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd (NREL) and its other JVs/subsidiaries (joint ventures), subject to a ceiling of 15 per cent of its net worth beyond the monetary ceiling of Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 7,500 crore, towards achieving a target of 60 gigawatts of renewable energy (RE) capacity by parent NTPC Ltd, the statement added.

In line with its commitment to COP 26, India is working towards a low carbon emission path while meeting its development goals. The country is aiming to reach 500 GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030.

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According to the statement, NGEL has 15 green assets of 2,861 MW, which are operational/nearing commercial operation date (COD) and through its subsidiary, NREL (NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd) is set to expand its RE (renewable energy) portfolio by participating in competitive bidding and multiple emerging opportunities in the green energy business.

The exemption given to NTPC will aid in improving India's global image as a green economy, it explained, adding that it will also decrease India's dependency on conventional sources of energy by diversifying its energy generation and will also decrease the country's coal import bills.

Further, it will also help in ensuring a 24x7 power supply to each and every corner of the country, the statement said.
Rajasthan will spend Rs 362.13 crore to provide drinking water in 367 villages of Udaipur district.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved the financial proposal for the project that will enable drinking water supply to these villages from the Som-Kamala-Amba dam, according to a statement issued on Friday.

The financial approval was given in compliance with Gehlot's announcement in the 2023-24 Budget.
Congress MP Manish Tewari on Friday gave an adjournment notice in Lok Sabha to have a discussion on the "essence, substance and spirit" of Freedom of Speech accorded to Members of Parliament under Article 105 of the Constitution.

"Of late, there have been public discussions involving eminent constitutional functionaries about the contours of the right to free expression of Members of Parliament guaranteed under the Constitution. These discussions have centred on the question of what should be permissible speech," Tiwari said in his notice

"Prima facie, such enquiries militate against the right to freedom of speech of members of Parliament which is expressly protected by the Constitutional text. This issue is, therefore, central to the functioning of parliamentary democracy in the country", Tewari said

The Congress MP said said that it is this unfettered right to free expression in Parliament which forms the bedrock of democratic discussion and deliberation.

Meanwhile, the logjam in Parliament continued for the fourth successive day on Thursday with the ruling BJP and opposition parties sticking to their stands. The BJP demancded an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in the UK while the Opposition members pressed for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research against the Adani Group.

Rahul Gandhi held a press conference at the party headquarters yesterday and said he had asked relevant questions from the government on the Adani issue.

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Rahul Gandhi referred to his speech during the motion of thanks to the President's address and said it had rattled the government. He also referred to ministers taking jibes at him for his remarks during events in the United Kingdom.

"I went to Parliament this morning with the idea of putting what I have said, what I feel on the floor of the house. Four Ministers have raised allegations against me in Parliament House. It is my right to be allowed to speak on the floor of the house. I requested to the Speaker today. I went to his chamber and I requested him. I told him that people from the BJP have made allegations against me and as a Member of Parliament, it is my right to speak," Gandhi said.

He said the Speaker was "non-committal". "This story started, the day I gave my speech in Parliament about Adani. I asked some fundamental questions to the Prime Minister about his relationship with the businessman, about how Mr. Adani has been given pretty much the entire India-Israel defence relationship? How he is being given the Bombay Airport, other Airports, how rules have been changed to allow him to be given these things...," he alleged.

"These are relevant questions and the whole idea is that these questions must not be under table and that is why, this whole exercise or four or five Ministers, the Prime Minister is giving a speech to distract from this fundamental question which is, what is the relationship between the Prime Minister of India and Mr. Adani and his companies and more importantly, whose money is in the shell companies? Who is this unknown person, whose money is in the shell companies? What is his relationship with Mr. Adani? These are the questions," he added.

Gandhi said he hoped to speak in parliament in detail.

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were initially adjourned till 2 pm on Thursday and later for the day amid continued protests directed from both the aisles.

The ongoing second part of Budget session began on March 13.


In a 133-page judgment, the court directed the Centre and the Delhi government to attend to DMRCs request for extension of sovereign guarantees or subordinate debt to help it pay its liabilities under the award. The Central and Delhi governments each hold 50 per cent shares in the DMRC. The Delhi High Court on Friday ordered the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to pay the 2017 arbitral award dues with interest to Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) arm, Delhi Airport Metro Express (DAMEPL), within a month.



He added that if permission is given to DMRC it should deposit the entire amount payable along with interest within a month. The Union Ministry (of Housing and Urban Development) and GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi) shall forthwith attend to the requests of the DMRC for extension of sovereign guarantees/subordinate debt enabling it to liquidate its liabilities under the award. The aforesaid decision will be taken within two weeks from today, Justice Yashwant Varma said while reading out the operative part of the order.



According to a reply filed by DMRC last year, the central government had received Rs 1,546.52 crore from it in the first week of May 2022, while the GNCTD had received Rs 1,216.84 crore, Noida Metro Rs 245.53 crore, and Patna Metro Rs 123 crore. The court said if the Union government or GNCTD decline the request, the Union government shall at the end of two weeks repatriate all money received from DMRC after March 10, 2022, to ensure that the credit balance in the DMRCs funds reflects what it was on that date.

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This is because the judge said the Centre and Delhi government cannot hide behind the veil of corporate personality, a legal concept that separates the actions of an individual from a company. Both by virtue of the capital invested in the corporation as well as the control vested and exercised by them over its affairs, the Union Ministry and the Delhi government must be recognised in law as being in absolute control and the directing mind, the judge said. The court also said in case DMRC fails to clear all arbitral dues despite the directions, the HC reserves the right to frame appropriate directions against the Union housing and urban development ministry and GNCTD.

History

DMRC and DAMEPL have been at odds ever since the latter pulled out of the Delhi Metro Airport Line operations due to safety issues arising from structural defects. An arbitral court ruled in favour of the RInfra in 2017, asking DMRC to pay the arbitral award of Rs 7,200 crore. The order was later upheld by the Supreme Court.



RInfra had moved the Supreme Court (SC) on December 2, 2022, against DMRC, seeking payment of the dues to DAMEPL. On December 14, the SC gave DMRC three months to pay the dues and sent the matter back to Delhi High Court for disposal. On March 10, 2022, the Delhi High Court had directed DMRC to pay the arbitral award of over Rs 4,600 crore, along with interest, to DAMEPL in two equal instalments on or before April 30, 2022, and May 31, 2022, respectively.

In February this year, the court had noted that the total amount of the award with interest till February 14, 2022, was Rs 8,009.38 crore. Of this, Rs 1,678.42 crore had been paid by DMRC and Rs 6,330.96 crore was due.
The Centre on Friday approved the airline's domestic summer schedule for 2023, with 4.4 per cent more flights than the winter scheduled in the last year.

The summer schedule is effective from March 26, till October 28.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approved the summer flight schedule of 22,907 domestic flights.

The summer schedule 2020 had an approved flight roster of 24,409 flights, while the approved flight strength was 22,980 in 2021.

"Summer Schedule 2023 of the scheduled domestic airlines has been finalised after the virtual slot conference meeting held in February this year," the DGCA said in a statement.

"It has been observed that 22,907 departures per week have been finalised to and from 110 airports."

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According to the DGCA, out of these 110 airports -- eypore, Cooch Behar, Hollongi, Jamshedpur, Pakyong and Mopa (Goa) are the new airports proposed by the scheduled airlines whereas operations from Ziro and Hindon airports are not proposed in the Summer Schedule 2023.

In terms of airlines, IndiGo had the highest number of flights approved under the schedule. The airline had Indigo 11,465 flights approved followed by SpiceJet at 2,240.

Furthermore, Air India has an approved strength of 2178 with a growth of 9.45 per cent, Air Asia at 1,456 with a decline of 0.41 per cent, Vistara at 1,856 and Vistara with a decline of 4.38 per cent.

IndiaOne is below the list with 82 flights approved under the schedule.
Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Thursday said efforts were being made by the government to ensure an easy, accessible and affordable judicial system for people belonging to socially and economically backward classes.

He said the responsibility for the development of infrastructure facilities, including facilitating accessibility for persons with benchmark disabilities, rests primarily with state governments.

"The Central government only supplements the resources of the states in this regard through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Judicial Infrastructure in district and subordinate courts," the statement quoted the minister as saying.

Under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the development of infrastructure facilities for the Judiciary, funds are provided for the construction of court buildings, residential units, lawyers' halls, toilet complexes and digital computer rooms for the convenience of lawyers and litigants, the statement informed further.

"However, funds are released to states/UTs only when their project proposals mandatorily comply with disable-friendly norms/accessibility standards as laid down by CPWD/Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment," he said.

Rijiju further said a certificate to this effect has also been sought for from states as part of the CSS guidelines. Under the Scheme, the states have enough liberty to provide for additional facilities including those that facilitate easy accessibility for persons with benchmark disabilities to the court premises, read the statement further.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that it was a matter of immense pride for the country that RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has been awarded the 'Governor of the Year' award for 2023 by international publication Central Banking.

The award, announced on Wednesday, recognised Das for captaining the financial markets through the turbulent periods of the COVID-19 pandemic and the crippling impact of the Ukraine war.

Modi tweeted, "It is a matter of immense pride for our country that the RBI Governor, Shri Shaktikanta Das Ji has been conferred with the 'Governor of the year' Award in the Central Banking Awards 2023. Congratulations to him."



Awarding 66-year-old Das, who is into his second term at the Mint Road, the publication said the governor helped manoeuvre the ship as it faced multiple obstacles since his appointment in December 2019, the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war being the two major tests.
The Supreme Court has said high courts should endeavour to ensure that all basic essentials like FIR number, police station concerned and offences allegedly committed are recorded in the format of order in bail matters.

The apex court said it has noticed that format of orders by various high courts in bail proceedings "differs significantly".

While dealing with a matter of anticipatory bail arising out of an order of the Patna High Court, a bench of justices S R Bhat and Dipankar Datta noted that in many instances, the orders do not contain any description of the proceedings pending before the trial court there and at times, no advertence to the nature of the offence alleged in the FIR.

"This court is of the opinion that in bail/anticipatory bail matters, high courts should endeavour to ensure that all basic essentials (i.e. FIR no., date, the concerned police station and the offences allegedly committed etc) are duly recorded or reflected in the format of the order," the bench said in its order passed on March 15.

The top court said its order shall be circulated to all the high courts through their registrars.

It was dealing with a plea filed by a man who was denied anticipatory bail by the high court.

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The bench noted that an FIR was lodged alleging that the petitioner had committed offences punishable under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including that of kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage, and after investigation a final report was filed which absolved him of involvement in any crime.

It noted that the competent court took cognisance and the petitioner's application for anticipatory bail was rejected under these circumstances.

"After considering the submission of parties, this court is of the opinion that having regard to the peculiar circumstances of this case, the petitioner deserves to be enlarged on anticipatory bail, subject to such terms and conditions as the trial court may impose," the apex court said.

It said in this case, there is no mention of the offences the petitioner is charged with.

"Before parting with this case, this court notices that the format of orders by various high courts in bail proceedings differs significantly," it said.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday called upon Hindus to take pride in their identity.

Addressing a gathering at the inaugural function of Shiva Charitra programme at Belagavi in Karnataka, Sarma said: "Every Muslim will claim that they are one. Likewise, Hindus must also tell say they are Hindus with all pride. Only then will the Sanatana dharma (religion) survive. The thoughts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj could be found everywhere."

Sarma, a prominent face of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said: "This land has tolerated rulers like Aurangzeb. This land had given birth to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who could stand up to him. The communist historians claim that the entire India was under the control of Aurangzeb. That story is false. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was hundred times braver than him."

He further said that "modern India is under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi".

"Modern India manufactures its own vaccines," he said while also praising the Army of 'modern India'.

"PM Modi has dreamt of Nav Bharat where it will stand with its poor. All of us should stand with him," he said, adding: "India will emerge as Vishwa Guru under PM Modi. India can't be Nav Bharat with the madrasas. New thoughts and pro-development thinking are needed."

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--IANS

mka/pgh


Work is in full swing for India to have its very own space tourism module, which is safe, durable, and reusable. And, people who travel to space could also call themselves astronauts, according to ISRO. Do you want to blast off to space? Six years down the line, you may very well find yourself in a spacesuit travelling through the galaxy. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that it expects to commence space tourism by 2030 for a cost of Rs 6 crore per passenger.



However, considering the module's high price tag of Rs 6 crore, it is likely that sub-orbital space travel would be the option. Its too early to comment on whether the proposed space travel would be orbital or sub-orbital.



In essence, suborbital trips involve a brief glimpse of space before returning to earth while an orbital flight includes maintaining an orbit. In order to avoid falling down to earth, it entails flying incredibly quickly around the globe. The main difference between orbital and suborbital flights is the speed of the travelling object.

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And in the times to come, regular long-duration space trips may even become a reality. We are currently in a new era of space tourism, with an increasing number of people leaving earth for limited periods, thanks to private companies that specialise in such endeavours.



Space tourism, which was viewed as something straight out of a science fiction movie, is now becoming a reality. Space tourism has seen increasing demand and fascination with the worlds top billionaires  including Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk  starting trials for space travel.



In July 2021, British billionaire Richard Branson created history by launching a full-crew Virgin Galactic spacecraft, ahead of competitor Bezos Blue Origin. Richard Branson created history in July 2021 by launching ahead of competitor Jeff Bezos Blue Origin, with a fully-crewed Virgin Galactic spacecraft.



It also signalled the beginning of a new age that could allow amateur astronauts to travel to space outside of government programmes. This would help open up the space industry. Branson's successful mission wasn't simply a victory for 'Billionaires in Space'.



As a result of this disparity, there are noticeable differences in the price, experience, and even the risk of becoming a space traveller. Depending on a companys technological capabilities, the features that space tourism offers and the cost per person can vary dramatically.



Although these two companies  each of which has launched passengers into space  are the only suborbital enterprises approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for launches, other businesses are gearing up for takeoff. For instance, Blue Origin launches vertically like the majority of rockets, whereas Virgin Galactic launches its rocket-powered spacecraft from the belly of an aircraft.



The extent of orbital space tourism was confined to a few missions that were done using the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft by the International Space Station. Since SpaceX is an orbital spacecraft and Bezos' Blue Origin and Branson's Virgin Galactic are suborbital, Musk's trip package is roughly 200 times more expensive than the other two.



For the first time, SpaceX sent two NASA astronauts into orbit and brought them back, making the mission not only historic for Musk's business but also for the American space agency. But SpaceX has now entered this field with the launch of the Crew Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket.



The successful launch of three different astronaut flights by SpaceX has pulled down the price of space travel by millions and greatly benefited NASA. SpaceX managed to accomplish what had previously only been done by government bodies: Sending people into orbit.



Bezos has also set his sights on the future. Like Elon Musk's SpaceX, Blue Origin, too, aims to assist NASA in returning to the moon by developing space infrastructure. SpaceX is also developing its upgraded Starship rocket. That is the top goal for Musk. He wants to create a fully-reusable rocket system that can catapult 100 passengers or tonnes of goods at once.



But Bezos Blue Origin recently suffered a setback and had to halt operations for the time being. To compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, Blue Origin is developing the enormous New Glenn rocket.



There is still much to be done in the development of space tourism. The company is now looking to make a complete recovery and get back into shape by the end of 2023.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday said land subsidence in Joshimath was a challenge for the government but it was efficiently tackled with active cooperation from the Centre.

He also said the state government's budget 2023-24 is based on the BJP's vision document for 2022 assembly polls and will pave the way for building a strong and prosperous Uttarakhand.

Joshimath was a challenge but we got active cooperation from the Centre. The prime minister personally monitored the situation taking regular updates. We have made a provision of Rs 1,000 crore for Joshimath in the budget," Dhami said addressing the assembly during the budget session.

He said a study of the carrying capacity of Joshimath and similar other places, which are not founded on solid rocks, will be conducted.

Taking a dig at the opposition for calling the budget "hopeless" he said, "You have to have hope in your heart to see hope in anything."



"We have recorded an increase of 10 per cent in per capita income and a growth of 32 per cent in GST collection. Provisions made in the budget for polyhouses, millet and apple missions are going to lead to good results, he said.

"We have made an allocation of Rs 302 crore for tourism," the chief minister said.

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He said the budget lays emphasis on self-employment, women empowerment and youth welfare.

He said vacancies in government departments are being filled on a war footing but government jobs or posts are limited.

"We have to take the route of self-employment if we want job for every hand," Dhami said.

The chief minister also announced that an Uttarakhand Bhawan will be built in Ayodhya for which the Uttar Pradesh government has agreed in principle to allocate one acre of land.

A grand Ram temple is being built in Ayodhya. The wish of every rashtrabhakt is being fulfilled. An Uttarakhand Bhawan will be built there. Because Ayodhya dham, lord Ram, Baba Kedar and lord Badri Vishal are complimentary to each other," he said.
The Rajasthan government today announced it will create 19 new districts and three more divisional headquarters to serve the needs of people who live far away from the divisional headquarters. The ruling Congress government's move in an election year, however, received criticism from the BJP, which alleged the real intention behind the decision by the Ashok Gehlot government is to meet "personal political ends". "Rajasthan is the biggest state in the country in terms of geographical area. In some cases, the distance to the district headquarters is more than a 100 km. People are unable to reach district headquarters easily and the administration, too, is unable to reach each and every family," Mr Gehlot, the Chief Minister, said in the Rajasthan assembly today.

Patanjali Foods says not considering another further public offering to achieve minimum public shareholding, reports Reuters.



India's foreign exchange reserves fell to $560 billion as of the week ended March 10, their lowest since early-December, the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) statistical supplement showed on Friday. The reserves stood at $562.40 billion in the week to March 3. The central bank intervenes in the spot and forwards market to prevent runaway moves in the rupee's exchange rate against the dollar. The RBI has said in the past that changes in reserves also stem from valuation gains or losses. Last week, the rupee fell 0.1% against the dollar as the banking crisis in the United States unfolded, with the currency trading in a range of 81.6150 to 82.2975. The rupee ended at 82.5525 on Friday. Patanjali Foods says not considering another further public offering to achieve minimum public shareholding, reports Reuters.India's foreign exchange reserves fell to $560 billion as of the week ended March 10, their lowest since early-December, the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) statistical supplement showed on Friday. The reserves stood at $562.40 billion in the week to March 3. The central bank intervenes in the spot and forwards market to prevent runaway moves in the rupee's exchange rate against the dollar. The RBI has said in the past that changes in reserves also stem from valuation gains or losses. Last week, the rupee fell 0.1% against the dollar as the banking crisis in the United States unfolded, with the currency trading in a range of 81.6150 to 82.2975. The rupee ended at 82.5525 on Friday.

The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has concluded the hearing on the HDFC-HDFC Bank merger and has kept the matter reserved for orders, reports ET. With the arguments in respect of the merger being concluded, there will be no more hearings in the matter. The tribunal typically issues an order within a fortnight of the final hearing. The HDFC-HDFC Bank merger has received in-principle approval from regulators including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). The merger has also been cleared by the stock exchanges and the competition commission. Earlier this week, the transaction was approved by the shareholders. However, even if the NCLT issues an order in favour of the merger, the process is unlikely to be completed before June. The merger envisages the transfer of HDFC Mutual Funds ownership from the housing finance company to the bank. Under Sebi guidelines, the HDFC asset management company will have to seek consent from all unit-holders for the transfer of ownership. This process is expected to take several weeks. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has concluded the hearing on the HDFC-HDFC Bank merger and has kept the matter reserved for orders, reports ET. With the arguments in respect of the merger being concluded, there will be no more hearings in the matter. The tribunal typically issues an order within a fortnight of the final hearing. The HDFC-HDFC Bank merger has received in-principle approval from regulators including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). The merger has also been cleared by the stock exchanges and the competition commission. Earlier this week, the transaction was approved by the shareholders. However, even if the NCLT issues an order in favour of the merger, the process is unlikely to be completed before June. The merger envisages the transfer of HDFC Mutual Funds ownership from the housing finance company to the bank. Under Sebi guidelines, the HDFC asset management company will have to seek consent from all unit-holders for the transfer of ownership. This process is expected to take several weeks. India on Friday recorded a single-day rise of 796 coronavirus infections, while the number of active cases surpassed 5,000 after 109 days, according to Union health ministry data.
Lok Sabha proceedings were again adjourned for the day on Friday due to slogan shouting by the opposition and protests by the ruling party members over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "democracy-under-attack" remarks made in London recently.

This was for the fifth consecutive day that the House did not function ever since the second half of the budget session began on March 13.

As soon as the Lok Sabha assembled for the day, some Congress members trooped to the Well of the House shouting slogans and demanded that Gandhi be allowed to speak in the House.

They also demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into alleged stock manipulation by the Adani Group, a business conglomerate headed by industrialist Gautam Adani.

The members of the treasury benches also raised counter-slogans from their seats, demanding an apology from Gandhi for his remarks.

The turmoil continued for about 20 minutes, with Speaker Om Birla urging the members to allow the House to function smoothly.

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"Honourable members, I appeal to you to allow the House to run smoothly. People did not send you here to do this. I will give everyone an opportunity to speak, but the House has to be in order," he said.

The protesting members ignored his pleas and the speaker adjourned the House for the day. It will meet again on March 20.

Sansad TV, which telecast the proceedings live, was inaudible and one could hear the proceedings only intermittently.

In a tweet, the Congress alleged that the proceedings were "muted" when its MPs raised slogans demanding that Gandhi be allowed to speak.

Quoting this tweet, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh posted: "Claims to be democracy but in fact it is dictatorship."



Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and several other Union ministers were present in the House.

During his interactions in London, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that the structures of Indian democracy are under attack and there is a "full-scale assault" on the country's institutions.

The remarks triggered a political slugfest, with the BJP accusing Gandhi of maligning India on foreign soil and seeking foreign interventions, and the Congress hitting back at the ruling party by citing previous instances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising internal politics abroad.
Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday said the city government has directed authorities to conduct early screening to detect cases of influenza in the national capital.

Addressing a press conference, he said though the peak of seasonal influenza is over by March, a large number of cases are being registered this time in parts of the country.

"People who have had severe asthma or Covid are among those impacted the most by influenza. Extra precaution is needed for those aged above 65 and children below five years of age," he said.

The Delhi health minister said the Centre has issued Covid advisory for six states but Delhi is not on the list. "However, we are issuing an advisory to check the spread of influenza," Bharadwaj said.

"Instructions have been issued to authorities for early screening to detect cases. There are not many cases in Delhi hospitals an we are closely monitoring the situation," he said.

Bharadwaj also said that the city government has no plan for making masks mandatory. The focus is on taking precautionary measures such as avoiding public places, washing hands etc, he added.
Parliament was adjourned for the day on Friday amid continued protests by both treasury benches and opposition members over Rahul Gandhi's remarks and Adani issue.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned within 20 minutes amid ruckus.

The BJP MPs raised slogans in both the Houses demanding an apology from the Congress leader, while the Opposition MPs continued to target the Centre over the Adani issue.

Though Speaker Om Birla tried to run the proceedings by announcing Question Hour and asked Congress MP Manish Tewari to put up his question, he adjourned the House after around 20 minutes amid chaos.

Parliament will now reconvene on March 20.

The adjournment meant that the entire week's proceedings were washed out without any business having been transacted in both the Houses.

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In an unprecedented move, the ruling BJP members have been stalling the proceedings in both Houses, seeking Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's apology over his remarks on democracy in London.

The Congress-led opposition has been protesting over the government's silence on the Adani Enterprises issue. It has been seeking a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the matter.

Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were present in the Lower House.

Rahul Gandhi had met Birla on Thursday, seeking time to speak in Parliament.

He had later said that he wants to respond to allegations against him inside the House, but the BJP is adamant that he apologises first.

Meanwhile, leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday sought to know why the BJP was scared to hold discussions in Parliament.

"Why are the BJP party members speaking here and there? Why are they scared to hold discussions in Parliament? BJP is scared of Rahul Gandhi. PM Modi's 56 inches chest has now shrunk," Chowdhury said.

--IANS

ans/dpb
The government on Friday said the fourth phase of 'Sagar Parikrama'-- which aims to resolve the issues of fishermen and other stakeholders and facilitate their economic upliftment through various schemes -- will begin on Saturday, covering three coastal districts of Karnataka.

During the two-day journey, certificates/sanctions related to Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Kisan Credit Card and state schemes will be awarded to the progressive fishermen, especially coastal fishermen, it said.

According to the fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying ministry, phase-IV of Sagar Parikrama programme will take place from March 18-19. It will cover the stretch of Uttara Kannada, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.

Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala and state minister concerned besides officials and stakeholders will be present at the event.

Phase-I of the programme had started on March 5, 2022 from Mandvi, Gujarat to Okha-Dwarka, and concluded at Porbandar the next day covering 3 locations. The programme was a huge success, with more than 5,000 people physically attending the event.

Phase-II was held on September 23-25 and covered seven locations, while phase-III was held on February 18-21 and covered coastal districts of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

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Karnataka has 5.74 lakh hectare of freshwater sources and Dakshina Kannada alone contributes 40 per cent of the total catch followed by Uttara Kannada (31 per cent ) and Udupi (29 per cent).

Mangaluru and Malpe fishing harbours are the main contributors in the Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, respectively. The state has 9.84 lakh fishers and 729 fishermen cooperative societies.

The fish production from Karnataka contributed about 6.6 per cent of India's total fish production in 2021-22 financial year and ranks 3rd in total fish production.

The country has a coastline of 8,118 km, covering nine maritime states and four union territories, providing livelihood support to 2.8 million coastal fisher folk.

India contributes 8 per cent of the global share of fish production and is ranked 3rd largest fish producer in the world.
At least six people, including women, were killed in a major fire that broke out in a multi-storey commercial complex in Secunderabad here on Thursday evening, officials said.

A senior police officer said the cause of death would be known after investigation but, most likely, inhaling smoke could be the reason.

"We have information that six persons have died," the officer said, adding the fire has been brought under control.

Twelve people were admitted to different hospitals and six of them died during treatment at one of the hospital, the officer said, adding the rest were still undergoing treatment.

The victims belong to Warangal and Khammam districts of Telangana. They were employed in a marketing company which had an office in the complex, officials said.

According to a witness, the fire started at around 7.30 pm in the complex that houses several offices.

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More than 10 fire fighting vehicles, including four fire engines, were rushed to the spot to extinguish the blaze as huge flames leapt out from one of floors of the eight-storey building earlier.

Another official supervising rescue operation said till midnight, there was still a lot of smoke coming out of the building and it will take some time for it to subside.

Rescue personnel were scouring the area to look for anyone still trapped inside, he said.

A preliminary investigation suggested short-circuit to be the reason behind the blaze, said the official.

Three people were killed in a major fire in a five-storey commercial building in Secunderabad this January. The fire ravaged building was subsequently demolished.
By Jayshree P Upadhyay

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's capital markets regulator is planning to change its rules to address concerns around founders and family members of tech or app-based startups owning shares under the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), two sources told Reuters.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) does not want founders to own stock options if they have rights akin to those enjoyed by promoters, the sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

A decision in this regard could come sometime this year, the sources added.

Under Indian laws, promoters hold direct and indirect control over the company, advise, direct and instruct the board of directors, and have the right to nominate directors to the board, but are barred from owning ESOPs.

"In new-age tech companies, founders have reduced their shareholding to below 10% and have stayed away from the promoter tag," the first source said.

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The regulator is examining the gap in the law and whether it is being misused, the source added.

One key example has been One97 Communications Ltd, popularly known as Paytm, whose founder, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, owned 14.7% equity a year before filing to go public in 2021.

As per current regulations, "a director who either himself, through his relative or any corporate body, directly or indirectly, holds more than 10% of the outstanding equity shares of the company" is not eligible to receive stock options.

Sharma reduced his shareholding to 9.1% by transferring 30.97 million shares to Axis Trustee Services Limited, acting on behalf of the Sharma family trust in 2021, which made him eligible to receive shares under the ESOP.

This seems like an instance unique to Paytm, where the trust route has been used to reduce direct equity holding to below 10%, the second source said.

"The intention of the regulations is to include all structures for equity holding. This is a gap which needs to be plugged, it will be done via an amendment to SEBI's stock options rules," the source added.

Emailed queries sent to Paytm and SEBI were not answered immediately. The sources declined to be named as the discussions are confidential.

Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IIAS) first flagged concerns around Sharma's ESOP purchases in January.

Equity held in trust structures is not addressed directly and the designation of a founder is not defined, COO Hetal Dalal said, highlighting the two key gaps in the current regulations.

"As a result, founders in new-age tech companies enjoy all the benefits of being promoters and become eligible to receive ESOPs, but have none of the limitations and legal responsibilities of promoters".

The larger issue of how founders should be defined is being addressed by a special purpose, 20-member panel headed by former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, Shiavax Jal Vazifdar, the first source said.

"The panel has held two meetings so far, and is drafting a report on simplifying and strengthening the current norms around mergers, acquisitions and fundraising," the source added.

In 2021, to keep with global practices, SEBI issued a consultation paper that suggested moving away from the promoter tag to the controlling shareholder tag, but it hasn't yet formalised the norms.

(Reporting by Jayshree P Upadhyay; Editing by Swati Bhat and Varun H K)


Airbus plans to hire 1,000 people in India this year out of 13,000 globally. Boeing and its suppliers, which already employ about 18,000 workers in the nation, have been growing by some 1,500 staff every year, the US jet manufacturers India head Salil Gupte told Bloomberg News in an interview. Boeing Co. and Airbus SE are increasingly looking to India for highly-skilled, low-cost engineers to meet a boom in demand for aircraft and expand their manufacturing presence in the worlds fifth-largest economy.



The country has Boeings second-biggest workforce worldwide, Gupte said. With about 1.5 million engineering students graduating annually, India is a rich source of talent for planemakers facing record orders from airlines as travel surges again after the Covid pandemic. Boeing can hire an engineer in Bengaluru, Indias southern tech hub, for 7% of the cost of a similar role in Seattle, according to salary data compiler Glassdoor.



Alongside the hiring push, Boeing and Airbus are also establishing some production in India, which is pitching itself as a less politically fraught alternative to China. Companies come to India for the incredible talent in innovation, not just in technology and software, but also in hard engineering and increasingly in manufacturing, he said at the Aero India show in Bengaluru last month.

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Airbus has also been touting Indias manufacturing prospects as it hires in the country. In October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a ceremony in his home state of Gujarat to mark the start of construction of a facility where Airbus Defence & Space SA and a unit of local conglomerate Tata Group will make C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian military. Boeing signed a partnership with GMR Aero Technic Ltd. on March 10 to convert passenger jets to freighters in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, where it already has a facility making vertical fins, which stabilize planes. The plant, employing over 900 engineers and technicians, also produces Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter structures, including fuselages for customers worldwide.



The time is right for India to turn into an international hub, Airbus Chief Executive Officer Guillaume Faury said at the time of the aircraft order. India is well on its way. The nation is an emerging market for sales, with the revitalized Air India Ltd. making a blockbuster order for 470 aircraft last month, split between the planemakers.



Airbus employs more than 700 people at an engineering center in Bengaluru, and over 150 others in customer services there as well as in the capital New Delhi. India has a unique ability to support the company with its skilled manpower, an Airbus representative told Bloomberg, adding that hiring in the country was not really coming at the cost of jobs in other locations. A vast pool of educated, English-speaking talent adds to Indias appeal as a hiring ground.



Still, the Seattle Times reported last month that Boeing will cut about 2,000 jobs, mainly in finance and human resources, but without specifying where. Some of those jobs are being outsourced to Tatas consulting arm in India. A Boeing representative said the planemaker leverages Indias talent for engineering, technology and research and development. The company has said it plans to hire 10,000 people globally this year after adding nearly 15,000 in 2022, with a focus on engineering and manufacturing.



Boeing tests some of its latest manufacturing technologies in India before rolling them out in US factories, which helps improve production efficiency, according to Gupte, who is based in Delhi. Gupte defended Boeings focus on India hiring, saying a bigger workforce there will help increase jobs in the US. Expanding manufacturing and innovation capabilities in the country will attract more customers and drive up demand for Boeings products, spurring employment, he said.



Companies have for decades looked to India to outsource jobs, from trade settlement to travel bookings. The country is home to about 40% of so-called global capability centers that provide tech, engineering and IT support, according to HSBC Holdings Plc. More recently, theres been a shift to higher-skilled work for multinationals, including research and business development. Boeing said in February it is investing 2 billion rupees ($24 million) in a logistics park in India that will initially cater to local airlines and then a larger network of customers in the region. The planemaker will also set up a support center with dozens of employees for airlines near Delhi.



Israel Aerospace Industries, which has worked with partners in India for three decades on air and missile defense systems, drones, satellites and other equipment, is among companies in the sector joining the hiring spree. The availability of workers in India at competitive global costs makes offshoring of certain production processes a very real possibility, said Ravi Srivastava, director of the Center For Employment Studies at the Institute of Human Development in Delhi.

Im amazed by the talent you find here in India. We are hiring new talent all the time, Danny Lauber, chief executive officer of Israel Aerospaces India unit, said in an interview. I have worked in many places around the world, but I havent seen such a strong universe of resources.
French President Emmanuel Macron imposed a highly unpopular bill raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 on Thursday by shunning parliament and invoking a special constitutional power.

Lawmakers were shouting, their voices shaking with emotion as Macron made the risky move, which is expected to trigger quick motions of no-confidence in his government. Crowds gathered and riot police vans zoomed by outside the National Assembly, their sirens wailing.

The proposed pension changes have prompted major strikes and protests across the country since January. Macron, who made it the flagship of his second term, argued the reform is needed to keep the pension system from diving into deficit as France's population ages and life expectancy lengthens.

Macron decided to invoke the special power during a Cabinet meeting at the Elysee presidential palace, just a few minutes before the scheduled vote in France's lower house of parliament, because he had no guarantee of a majority.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne then tried to formally announce the decision at the National Assembly, where leftist members broke into the French national anthem to delay her speech. The speaker had to briefly suspend the session to restore order.

Today, there's uncertainty about whether a majority would have voted for the bill, Borne acknowledged, but she said We cannot gamble on the future of our pensions. That reform is necessary.

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Borne prompted boos from the opposition when she said her government is accountable to the parliament, noting that the pension plan had been subject to 175 hours of parliamentary debate, and that lawmakers can try to revoke the changes through no-confidence motions.

There will actually be a proper vote and therefore the parliamentary democracy will have the last say, Borne said.

Opposition lawmakers demanded the government step down. One Communist lawmaker called the presidential power a political guillotine. Others called it a denial of democracy that signals Macron's lack of legitimacy. One union leader called it institutional violence and called for more strikes and protests.

Marine Le Pen said her far-right National Rally party would file a no-confidence motion, and Communist lawmaker Fabien Roussel said such a motion is ready on the left.

The mobilization will continue, Roussel said. This reform must be suspended.

The head of The Republicans party, Eric Ciotti, said his group won't add chaos to chaos by supporting a no-confidence motion, but some of his fellow conservatives at odds with the party's leadership could vote individually.

A no-confidence motion needs approval by more than half the Assembly. In such case which would be a first since 1962 the government would have to resign. Macron could reappoint Borne if he chooses, and a new Cabinet would be named.

If no-confidence motions don't succeed, the pension bill would be considered adopted.

Earlier Thursday, the Senate adopted the bill in a 193-114 vote, a tally that was largely expected since the conservative majority of the upper house favored the changes.

Macron's alliance lost its parliamentary majority last year, forcing the government to count on conservative lawmakers to pass the bill. Leftists and far-right lawmakers are strongly opposed and conservatives are divided, making the outcome unpredictable.

The French leader wants to raise the retirement age so workers put more money into the system, which the government says is on course to run a deficit.

Macron has promoted the pension changes as central to his vision for making the French economy more competitive. The reform would raise the minimum pension age and require 43 years of work to earn a full pension, amid other measures.

Union leaders reacted with fury and a determination to stage even more strikes a day after nearly 500,000 people protested against the bill. Francois Hommeril of the CFE-CGC, representing energy workers among others, said the government forces a vote when it is sure to win it" and "prevents the vote when they know they would lose.

Across the river Seine from the National Assembly, about 1,000 people rallied at the Place de la Concorde, where security forces, backed by a water cannon, appeared positioned to prevent them from reaching the nearby presidential palace.

Leftist leader Jean-Luc Melenchon told the crowd that Macron has gone over the heads of the will of the people." Members of Melenchon's France Unbowed party were among the lawmakers singing the Marseillese in an attempt to thwart the prime minister.

Economic challenges have prompted widespread unrest across Western Europe, where many countries, like France, have had such low birthrates that young workers might not able to sustain pensions for retirees. Spain's leftist government joined with labour unions Wednesday to announce a historic deal to save its pension system.

Spain's Social Security Minister Jos Luis Escriv said the French have a very different, unsustainable model and has not addressed its pension system for decades." Spain's workers already must stay on the job until at least 65 and won't be asked to work longer instead, their new deal increases employer contributions for higher-wage earners.
The International Criminal Court says it has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Putin for war crimes because of his alleged involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine.

The court said in a statement that Putin is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

It also issued a warrant on Friday for the arrest for Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children's Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation on similar allegations.
Iran on Friday strongly pitched for faster implementation of the Chabahar port project as well as use of the facility by India to send various shipments saying the key transit hub will benefit both the countries.

Iranian Ambassador Iraj Elahi also sought resumption of import of crude oil by India from Iran while citing New Delhi not succumbing under pressure by the Western powers to not continue procurement of petroleum products from Russia following the Ukraine crisis.

India stopped procurement of crude oil from Iran after the US did not continue with sanction waivers to India and several other countries.

"We believe that India is and was strong and powerful to stand against the pressure of the West... India is a rising power. India has a powerful economy. So India could easily resist pressure from the US and the West," the ambassador told a group of journalists.

Citing India's resistance against pressure to not buy oil from Russia, Elahi hoped that New Delhi would soon start importing oil from Iran as such a move would benefit the Indian economy, Indian people and the Indian oil firms concerned.

On the Chabahar port project, he called for its speedy implementation while highlighting its strategic importance.

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"We should view Chabahar port not just from an economic perspective but it should be considered as a strategic partnership. Because of this importance, the speed of cooperation, the speed of progress and the speed of promotion in Chabahar should be faster than what is now," he said.

"It is important for India as well as Iran. It will be for our benefit," he added.

Located in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich Iran's southern coast, the Chabahar port is being developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan to boost connectivity and trade ties.

The envoy said Iran believes that the Indian government has a positive approach towards it.

"Of course there are shortcomings from both sides. We understand the willingness of the Indian government towards Chabahar. We believe that Chabahar is not just an economic issue," he said.

"For India, Chabahar is important. For Iran also, it is important. But Iran has different ports in all parts of the Persian Gulf. We can use different ports for transit and import and export," he said, suggesting that the port is crucial for Indian interests.

"Chabahar is an oceanic port. It is close to the Indian Ocean and closest to the route to Afghanistan," he said.

Citing financial constraints being faced by Iran due to Western economic sanctions, the ambassador said if Tehran had money, then it may not have required any country to come to Chabahar.

Describing India as a maritime nation, Elahi said Iran expected India to send shipments through Chabahar.

"We are under sanctions. The Chabahar is not connected to Iranian networks. Because, if we had money and did not have any problem, (then) we may not have required any country to come to Chabahar.

"We were under sanctions and we needed money. We need cooperation, political support and we need even some experiments," he said.

Elahi said progress on the project is going on.

"We are not blaming any country. Sanctions are not easy," he said.

The envoy also noted that the Chabahar port is part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

The INSTC is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode transport project for moving freight among India, Iran, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe.

On Afghanistan, he said Iran and India also have similar concerns about the country and especially cited threats such as trafficking of drugs and weapons.

He said countries in the region should use negotiations and pressure to force the Taliban to put in place a comprehensive and multi-ethnic government in Kabul.
When Elise Joshi was at the White House last year, her eyes welled with happy tears as President Joe Biden hosted thousands of supporters to celebrate groundbreaking legislation targeting climate change.

"In that moment, I felt a lot of hope that the administration was listening to us," said Joshi, a California college student who is a leader of Gen-Z for Change, a coalition of young activists on social media.

Now Joshi is planning to return to Washington, but for a very different reason. She's outraged that administration officials approved the Willow project, a large-scale oil drilling proposal in Alaska, and she's organising a protest with compatriots from around the country.

Joshi's pivot underscores the political fallout that Biden is facing over Willow and the tension between honouring his promises on climate change and the nation's energy needs.

The president made fighting global warming a central part of his agenda, and White House officials are quick to defend efforts to put the United States on track for steep emissions reductions in the coming years.

But the decision on Willow has alienated supporters, particularly young activists predisposed to scepticism about compromise and incrementalism, at the same time Biden is planning to announce his campaign for reelection.

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"There is disappointment. There is anger. There is frustration," said Lori Lodes, the executive director of Climate Power, an environmental advocacy group aligned with the administration.

But, she added, "what's happened on climate in the past year is nothing short of revolutionary," including hundreds of billions of financial incentives for clean energy in last year's legislation, and Republicans have refused to confront the problem of global warming.

When it comes to the 2024 election, "I don't really think there's a choice," Lodes said. "If you care about the climate, there's not a choice."



White House officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, acknowledged the indignation over Willow, which became a focal point for activism in recent weeks. They emphasised that ConocoPhillips has held leases in that area of Alaska for decades, strengthening the company's legal right to drill.

"The president kept his word where he can by law," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday, adding that Biden "has done more on climate change than any other president in history." Environmental groups already have sued in a renewed effort to block Willow.

Regulators focused on paring down the project's footprint during the approval process. The final decision includes three drill sites, down from the originally proposed five, and the company relinquished about 68,000 acres of other leases as part of the deal.

Administration officials also paired the announcement with a conservation plan that bars drilling in 3 million acres of the Arctic Ocean and seeks new rules on 13 million acres of Alaska land.

While the White House said the legal issues largely drove the Willow decision, there were other factors at work.

Gas prices spiked after Russia invaded Ukraine, a reminder of how global energy markets can become weaponized in times of conflict. Biden responded by urging companies to produce more oil in the United States. Willow could generate 1,80,000 barrels a day once it becomes operational in the coming years.

More pressure came from the Alaska congressional delegation, which includes two Republican senators and one Democratic representative. Sen. Dan Sullivan told Fox News that he pressed Biden on how he could justify blocking Willow when the administration also lifted sanctions to allow oil imports from Venezuela, which Sullivan called "one of the most polluting places to produce oil anywhere in the world."



"They never have an answer to that question," he said. "I think that was part of the calculus here."



White House officials said the Willow project won't prevent the U.S. from meeting Biden's ambitious goal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and a recent government study said the country will be able to produce 80 per cent of its electricity without fossil fuels by 2030.

But there's been outrage on social media, sometimes drowning out the administration's own message.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's video explaining the Willow decision was viewed more than 1,00,000 times on Twitter as of Thursday afternoon.

But Joshi's post on TikTok, which described Biden as having "just slapped young people in the face," was viewed more than 8,60,000 times.

A TikTok video by environmentalist Alex Haraus was viewed more than 2,70,000 times.

"What the hell man?" he said, directly addressing Biden. "You approved Willow. The one thing that millions of people wrote in asking you not to do over the last three weeks?"



Near the end, Haraus said, "The youth vote is not a given if they keep doing things like this."



Christy Goldfuss, the chief policy impact officer at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the problem for Biden is that other efforts to reduce emissions, such as raising vehicle mileage standards, have not received the same attention as Willow.

"We've seen time and time again that the public has not absorbed the enormity of what Biden has done on climate so far," she said. "This is a very high profile project, and he is suffering from a lack of enthusiasm. If he indeed announces that he's going to run for reelection, that enthusiasm is the foundation for the energy that he needs to win."



Since taking office, Biden cancelled a permit for the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline, effectively ending the project, and he has placed more land off-limits to development.

Abigail Dillen, president of Earthjustice, said some environmentalists were already frustrated by Biden's decisions to allow other oil projects, such as the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Line 3 project in the Upper Midwest.

"These are open wounds, and (Willow's approval) just adds to it," she said.

A majority of Democratic voters in the 2022 election across age groups said they were "very" concerned about the effects of climate change on their communities, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of the midterm electorate.

In an Associated Press-NORC poll from February, most Democrats said they approved of the way Biden is handling his job as president in general and how he's handling climate change specifically. But the youngest Democrats, ages 18 through 34, were less favourable on both marks.

White House officials said there's inevitable friction with activists, who always push for more urgent measures. But they said the goal was to keep the largest tent possible when it comes to climate change, including labour unions, environmental groups and other key players.

Biden has not spoken publicly about the Willow decision, which was announced as Washington was racing to prevent a nationwide financial crisis after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.

He sat down last week with Kal Penn, an actor who worked in the White House under President Barack Obama, for an interview that aired on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."



Penn noted that with Biden responsible for screening oil projects, then "what would you say to those young people who want you to continue to be their champion but might not think that you're going far enough or fast enough on climate?"



Biden said, "it's a matter of transitioning, but it's not like you can cut everything off immediately."



Penn responded by saying "you obviously understand the existential threat that young people feel when it comes to climate."



The interview aired on Monday night, several hours after the Willow decision was announced. Penn revisited the topic in his show on Tuesday night, playing a clip of Biden's campaign promise of "no more drilling on federal lands, period period, period period."



Penn amended Biden's promise "period, period, period, comma" as he talked about the drilling project, and the audience booed.

Biden will have another chance to make the case for his record when he hosts a conservation summit at the Interior Department on Tuesday.

Outside the building will be activists demanding that he stop Willow.

"I did not think this is how these events would unfold," Joshi said. "It's a little sad.
During an internal meeting with employees, Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg told employees the economic climate of layoffs and restructuring could last many years, the people said, asking not to be identified speaking about internal matters. The first wave of cuts were explained to Meta executives Thursday morning, said the people.

Meta Platforms Inc. has started carrying out job cuts announced by the social media giant earlier this week, starting with 1,500 employees in recruiting and human resources, according to people familiar with the matter.


Its left a mess that government officials, banking agencies and potential bidders are still trying to work out as they also navigate a deal for Signature Bank and try to bolster First Republic Bank. The effort to wind down Silicon Valley Bank was marred by an unmotivated seller, infighting between regulators and, ultimately, a failed auction.



Theres no reason to delay these things, said Abbott Cooper, an activist investor who worked on transactions involving failed banks during the 2008 financial crisis. Its better to get deals done. When a US regulator seizes a bank, it will ideally shut the doors on a Friday and secure one buyer for everything by Sunday night, just in time to calm markets before they reopen. Almost a week after SVB was put into receivership, that white knight still hasnt emerged.



Giant Liability

This account of how a frenzied weekend of talks ended up with no savior for SVB and a historic government intervention is based on accounts from numerous people with knowledge of the negotiations, all of whom asked not to be identified discussing private details.

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But SVB was different. A vast amount of its customer deposits fell outside the FDICs guarantee cap of $250,000, so finding a buyer  almost certainly another bank  to take on the giant liability was a tough sell. Any sweetener, like an agreement with the FDIC to help shoulder future losses, would risk leaving the agency on the hook for more than its share. The FDICs own rules force it to seek the least costly outcome for itself, and in this case, that was potentially to let SVB fail and pay out the insured losses only, regardless of the broader consequences. Martin Gruenberg, chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., has helped sell a lot of banks in his time. He was already on the agencys board when JPMorgan Chase & Co. bought Washington Mutuals banking operations out of receivership, and has said the FDIC has been appointed receiver on more than 525 failed banks since 2007.



Government representatives had bigger problems on their minds. The cheapest option for the FDIC might come at an unthinkable price to the US economy: startups were already warning that they might not be able to make payroll, and it was unclear how long the Silicon Valley ecosystem could continue without its go-to bank. At the same time, anything that looked like a government bailout was out of the question  the White House was adamant about that. SVB needed to be bought, and fast. Thats the point Gruenberg stressed in frantic meetings last weekend at FDICs headquarters and on the phone with top officials from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department, the people with knowledge of the matter said.



The only way to sidestep the obligation to protect the FDICs funds, Gruenberg said, was for the government to say that SVB presented a systemic risk to the US economy. That extraordinary step would mean the FDICs pot could be used to pay out uninsured losses, with banks that pay into the fund as a regulatory obligation eventually covering the excess costs. As the negotiations dragged into Saturday night, the debate got increasingly tense, the people said, with Gruenbergs own colleagues eventually pressing him to find a way to appease officials across government.



Still, even once an auction started, officials were reluctant to let the biggest US banks make a bid. A bank like JPMorgan risked exceeding limits on its deposit base, and regulators werent willing to waive the rules to let them in. By the time government officials agreed thats what needed to happen  well into Sunday  the window to find a buyer was closing fast.



Tough Antitrust

What was left on the table wasnt necessarily a compelling prospect. To some of the people close to the negotiations, it felt like Gruenberg had only agreed to an auction to prove just how uninterested the US banking industry was. Not only would a buyer need to take on a sprawling book of liabilities  albeit with a strong brand and a team of bankers already rushing to win back clients  theyd also be facing a barrage of political criticism and a tough regulatory market for getting deals done.



It also bought WaMu, the savings-and-loan giant whose collapse marked the biggest-ever bank failure. That deal proved to be so regrettable that JPMorgan sued the FDIC in 2013, alleging the regulator reneged on a promise to shield the bank from lawsuits against WaMu. JPMorgan sought $1 billion, and the case settled three years later for $645 million. Even in a more merger-friendly environment, large banks might still have been reluctant to take on a rescue deal after being burned by the same sort of transactions in 2008. JPMorgan agreed to purchase Bear Stearns that year, only for lawmakers to later target banks with recriminations for acquiring other businesses at firesale prices.



Which banks were in the running, how seriously they looked and whether anyone made an official bid for all of SVB has become a political talking point since the process failed. Treasury and FDIC officials briefed Republican senators Monday that offers were made over the weekend, but there wasnt enough time to process them. Senator Bill Hagerty, a Republican from Tennessee, went as far as to say they allowed the bid to fail. We would not do something like Bear Stearns again  in fact, I dont think our board would let me take the call, long-time CEO Jamie Dimon said in a 2015 letter to shareholders. These are expensive lessons that I will not forget.



Second Round

Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services Group Inc. held brief discussions with FDIC about an SVB acquisition, but decided against pursuing a bid, people with knowledge of the matter said. Representatives for the FDIC, Fed and PNC declined to comment. The Treasury and the White House didnt immediately respond to requests for comment.



Is this going to be like a no good deed goes unpunished situation? said Cooper. The bigger the bank, the bigger that concern. Four days after the government promised to make all SVB depositors whole, the banks new management team doesnt seem any closer to finding a buyer. Politicians have so far worked hard to signal to Americans that this isnt a taxpayer-funded bailout, and its unlikely theyll stop stage-managing the process now: any buyer has to be one that doesnt rile objections on either side of the aisle.



Buying a failed bank in its entirety isnt always a bad deal. In 2009, Steven Mnuchin, then CEO of hedge fund Dune Capital, led a group of investors who bought failed mortgage lender IndyMac Bank for $13.9 billion. Mnuchin and his partners received billions in government incentives. After Mnuchin renamed the bank OneWest and sold it in 2015, Bloomberg News reported that he may have personally received about $380 million in sale proceeds and dividends. Bidders are circling SVB, but only for pieces of the bank: A $74 billion loan book looks appealing to giant private equity firms, while a group of SVB executives overseeing the banks small but thriving wine-lending portfolio are already trying to revamp the unit. Meanwhile the holding company, SVB Financial Group, is exploring strategic options for various parts of the business that are separate from SVB.



For the time being, the limits on what the big banks can do are still in place. Insiders are saying privately they hope regulators will loosen them for the next stages of the auction, and for the process to find a buyer for Signature Bank. Bidders looking at a deal for the whole of a bank like SVB usually get more time, according to Tim Yeager, a professor at the University of Arkansas and former St. Louis Fed economist, who said that FDIC sales of smaller community banks typically take place over two to three weeks.

When you do another round, its like when youre listing a house for a second time  you lower the price, said Yeager. The bidders are going in, getting a quick glimpse of what is there. And they dont like what theyre seeing, so theyre not bidding.


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Chinese-owned video hosting service TikTok can threaten America's safety and its national security, the White House said on Thursday (Local Time).

Responding to a media query over the TikTok ban during a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, "We have expressed concerns over China's potential use of software platforms that could endanger or threaten America's safety and national security so that is the President concerned that is why we have called on Congress to take action."

"We have seen a bipartisan piece of legislation that you know and have been covering, which is the President's main priority. I am sure when it comes to their safety when it comes to their security and when it comes to our national security, those things are protected and so that has been the President's focus over the last couple of years," she added.

In the press briefing, the White House press secretary further stated that Sophia, who is reviewing this particular software and the TikTok app, supports the bipartisan legislation mentioned earlier.

"Look the bottom line is that when it comes to potential threats to our national security, the safety of Americans, privacy, we are going to speak out and we are going to be very clear about that and the Prez has been last 2 years and so we are asking Congress to act, to move forward with this bipartisan legislation that was the strict action that we just mentioned and we are going to continue to do so," Pierre said.

This statement from the White House Press Secretary came after the group of Senators introduced the "Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology" (RESTRICT) Act.

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The Act would give new powers to the US government to take action against technologies posing risk to the country.

The group of Senators led by senators Mark Warner and John Thune introduced the Bill that seeks to address the ongoing threat posed by technology from foreign adversaries by empowering the US Department of Commerce to review, prevent, and mitigate information communications and technology transactions that pose risk to national security like TikTok.

US Senator John Thune said the Congress needs to stop taking a "piecemeal approach" with respect to technology from "adversarial nations that pose national security risks".

"Our country needs a process in place to address these risks, which is why I'm pleased to work with Senator Warner to establish a holistic, methodical approach to address the threats posed by technology platforms like TikTok from foreign adversaries," Thune said in a statement.

"This bipartisan legislation would take a necessary step to ensure consumers' information and our communications technology infrastructure is secure," he added.


In a statement, the government agency said researchers from Rolls-Royce had been working on a Micro-Reactor program to develop technology that will provide power needed for humans to live and work on the Moon, CNBC reported. The UK Space Agency (UKSA) said on Friday it would back research by Rolls-Royce looking at the use of nuclear power on the moon.



The agencys chief executive Paul Bate said: We are backing technology and capabilities to support ambitious space exploration missions and boost sector growth across the UK. This innovative research by Rolls-Royce could lay the groundwork for powering continuous human presence on the Moon, while enhancing the wider UK space sector, creating jobs and generating further investment, he added. The UKSA will now provide 2.9 million ($3.52 million) of funding for the project and the firm has been asked to demonstrate how nuclear micro reactors could extend the duration of future missions to the Moon.



Rolls-Royce said it wanted to have a reactor ready to send to the Moon by 2029. The UKSA said it wanted to establish a new power source to support systems for communications, life-support and scientific experiments on the Moon.

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The company will work with the University of Oxford, University of Bangor, University of Brighton, University of Sheffields Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, and Nuclear AMRC on the project.


The total crypto market cap jumped from $922 billion on March 10 to $1.1 trillion on Friday, according to CoinMarketCap. The price of Bitcoin was up 33 per cent in the last week and was trading at $26,421 on Friday. Ethereum was up 23 per cent during the same period, trading at $1,728. Several other coins, like Polygon, Solana, Polkadot, Avalanche and Tron, were up over 20 per cent. The events of the last two weeks have been of particular interest to the crypto industry. First, the Centre brought cryptocurrency under the ambit of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. Later, three crypto-friendly banks in the USA fell one after the other. These were Silvergate Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, and Signature Bank. These events led to a fall in crypto prices. However, as of Friday, the crypto market was looking bright.



He added that the fall of crypto-friendly banks might push the crypto businesses to other countries like Switzerland and Hong Kong. "Bitcoin remains on a solid footing, trading as high as $26,000 during these stressful times. It was Bitcoin's Layer-2 scaling solution Stacks (STX) that witnessed a huge surge of 50 per cent during the week," said Parth Chaturvedi, crypto ecosystem lead at crypto exchange CoinSwitch.



As the week proceeded, worrying reports emerged from Credit Suisse Bank. Its Saudi Arabia-based investors announced that they would no longer support the bank. The central bank of Switzerland later announced that it would provide $54 million to the bank for support. "Silvergate, SVB, and Signature, have been stifled, with access to US banking routes getting more difficult for crypto players. This will have a long-term liquidity impact and might also result in the offshoring of businesses to more crypto-friendly jurisdictions like Switzerland, Hong Kong, the UK, and Dubai," he said.

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"As we head towards the weekend, it could simply be a bull trap. It is prudent if investors let the market cool off before making any investments," said Alankar Saxena, CTO and co-founder of crypto firm Mudrex. Some experts believe that despite the bull run, investors must remain cautious.

"While Credit Suisse received a $54 billion lifeline, the sector continues to experience infrastructure breakdowns. Overall, the rate releases this week had a net positive impact on the crypto markets, with upcoming rate hikes next week being a key event to monitor," said Anurag Dixit, founder of crypto asset management firm Kunji.
Both the houses of Parliament were adjourned till Monday, 20 March 2023, as the ruckus continued to rock the proceedings for the fifth consecutive day today, 17 March.

The ruling BJP is demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi on the remarks he made in London. Meanwhile, the opposition members are demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the Adani-Hindenburg issues.

The second-half of the Budget session resumed from Monday (13 March) after a month long recess. It will continue till the 6th April 2023.

While addressing a lecture at Cambridge University in London, Rahul Gandhi said, "Everybody knows and it's been in the news a lot that Indian democracy is under pressure and under attack. I am an Opposition leader in India, we are navigating that (Opposition) space. The institutional framework which is required for a democracy Parliament, free press, the judiciary, just the idea of mobilisation, moving around all are getting constrained. So, we are facing an attack on the basic structure of Indian democracy."

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CRISIL has completed the acquisition of 100% stake in Peter Lee Associates today.

Peter Lee will become part of CRISIL's Global Benchmarking Analytics business, Coalition Greenwich.

The transaction was announced on 18 February 2023.

Peter Lee, an Australian research and consulting firm, delivers benchmarking insights on market positioning, crossselling, and intelligence on broader market trends through its research programs by engaging with senior business executives. It serves clients across top investment banks, corporate banks, commercial banks and asset managers predominantly in Australia and New Zealand.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News
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TCS: Rajesh Gopinathan, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has tendered his resignation, which will be effective from the close of business hours on 15 September 2023. The Board of Directors appointed K. Krithivasan as the Chief Executive Officer Designate, with effective from 16 March 2023. He shall take over as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Company in the next financial year.

Infosys: Infosys Finacle, part of EdgeVerve Systems, a fully owned subsidiary of Infosys and ABN AMRO, a leading financial services provider in the Netherlands, announced the implementation and go-live of the Infosys Finacle Liquidity Management Solution for the bank's corporate customers.

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories: The company along with its subsidiaries announced the signing of a deal to divest certain non-core brands of the company in the dermatology segments to Eris Lifesciences. Under the agreement, Eris Lifesciences will be assigned the trademark of these brands by Dr. Reddy's for a consideration of Rs. 275 crore.

Voltas: Universal MEP Projects & Engineering Services (UMPESL), a 100% subsidiary of Voltas has bagged multiple SITC project orders worth about Rs 1770 crore in the Electrical Power Distribution business for FY 22-23, including a solar power project.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals: Glenmark Specialty SA, the subsidiary of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals received acceptance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its Investigational New Drug application to proceed with a Phase 1/2, first-in-human, clinical study of for the treatment of patients with advanced solid tumors and lymphomas.

Ircon International (IRCON): IRCON has furnished Corporate Guarantee to SBICAP Trustee Company Limited for providing the Term Loan from State Bank of India to IrconHBL, Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) & wholly owned subsidiaries of IRCON.

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's comments in the UK did not come due to his concern over India but for his political legacy, Union minister Smriti Irani said on Friday, stressing that the opposition party should take a hint from the recent poll results in the northeast and "smell the political coffee".

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained power on its own in Tripura and with its senior ally, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), in Nagaland.

"Let us keep the 2014 and 2019 (Lok Sabha) elections aside. The Congress should take a hint from the recent poll results in the northeastern states of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, where the BJP did fairly well, and smell the political coffee," the Union minister for women and child development and minority affairs said at the India Today Conclave here.

Referring to Gandhi's "democracy-under-attack" remarks made during his recent visit to the United Kingdom, Irani said, "Democracy is not in peril in India, the Congress party is."



She said "his (Gandhi's) comments did not come due to his concern for India, but due to the concern about his political legacy".

"He (Gandhi) is the same person who in Jammu, just a few days ago, said everything is fine in India," Irani added.

The BJP leader also took a jibe at the former Congress chief when it was mentioned that she emerged as a "giant slayer" in 2019 after defeating him in the parliamentary polls from Amethi, saying Gandhi is "barely a giant".

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During his interactions in the UK, Gandhi alleged that the structures of Indian democracy are under attack and there is a "full-scale assault" on the country's institutions. The Congress leader also told British parliamentarians in London that microphones are often "turned off" in the Lok Sabha when an opposition member raises important issues.

Irani spoke of "Hindutva" and a "new India" and said earlier, it was believed that if "you are stagnant and in need of reforms, you must be a part of the Hindu way of life".

"In our new India, my way of life speaks of good health and a prosperous country," she said.


The BJP is seriously considering getting Gandhi suspended, even expelled from the Lok Sabha for his remarks in England. It can do that in two ways: via a recommendation through the privileges committee; or via a special committee that can be ordered by the Speaker (as was done in the 2015 cash-for-votes case) once the House gives its leave. The two houses of Parliament were adjourned till Monday after transacting little business as ministers held consultations on how to get around the issue as the BJP and the opposition led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reviewed their strategies.



A special committee can also be ordered suo moto by the Speaker. However, there is a procedural problem here. The committee can go through Gandhis utterances, rule that he did indeed hold the House and its members in contempt and recommend his expulsion, means the lawmaker from Wayanad will cease to be a Lok Sabha MP.



Four major privileges enjoyed by Members of Parliament are freedom of speech in Parliament, freedom from arrest, right to prohibit the publication of proceedings and right to exclude strangers (who are not members of the House). Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP from Bihar, has written a letter to the Speaker seeking to punish Gandhi for violating privileges of the House and holding it in contempt. He cited Rule 223, but it does not allow a special committee, only that the matter should be brought before a privileges committee. Gandhi already has one matter of violation of privilege against him. This will be the second, if the Speaker refers it to the committee and the committee so decides.

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Parliament is the highest legislative body. It must function without hindrance. The constitution gives them that freedom  they enjoy judicial immunity for their work. The idea is that they should not hesitate to speak for fear of courts or other bodies  they should be able to speak freely, said former Lok Sabha Secretary General P D T Achary. The punishment for an MP found to have committed a breach of privilege can range between a warning and imprisonment, depending upon its severity. New privileges cannot be createdthey are well defined and rely on precedents.



But everything has to be done by Parliament itself. In 1978, Indira Gandhi was expelled from Parliament by the Janata Party on the issue of privileges. She took recourse to the Supreme Court. Achary said the bottom line is the House has to decide that its privilege has been violated. "But there are restrictions as well; if an MP says, for example, that Parliament is a den of thieves, he has brought Parliament into disrepute and he has no right to do that, he said.



However, battle lines on the issue are becoming sharper by the day. Anything related to the nation is a matter of concern for all. We do not care whats happening to the Congress or its leadership. But if he (Gandhi) insults the nation, we cannot keep quiet, said Union law minister Kiren Rijiju. Reference to a special committee, which Dubey has demanded, is another matter altogether.
The opposition will on Friday press for the demand of a JPC in the Adani-Hindenburg row while the BJP is demanding an apology from the former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on his remarks in London.

The opposition MPs have moved suspension of business notices in the Rajya Sabha under rule 267 and adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha. The Congress-led opposition is trying to corner the government.

The BJP is also not letting the issue to die down, and the treasury benches have been questioning Rahul Gandhi over his London speech and demanding an apology.

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress General In-charge said, "opposition is united on the demand of JPC and anything contrary to this is incorrect."

Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that he went to Parliament and four Ministers have raised allegations against him in the Parliament House. Sources in the Congress said that the first priority is to see Gandhi speak in Parliament. He will try daily and also meet the Speaker till the session lasts. However, if not allowed then he will address the media to put forth his views, the sources added.

"It is my right to be allowed to speak on the floor of the House. I requested the Speaker today. I went to his chamber and I requested him. I said - look, I would very much like to speak. I told him that people from the BJP have made allegations against me and as a Member of Parliament, it is my right to speak," Gandhi said.

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--IANS

miz/dpb
The logjam in Parliament continued for the fourth successive day on Thursday with the ruling BJP and opposition parties sticking to their stands. The BJP is demanding apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in United Kingdom and the opposition parties are pressing for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the Hindenburg-Adani row.

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were first adjourned till 2 pm and then for the day amid protests. The second part of budget session began on March 13.

The tussle also played outside the parliament with Rahul Gandhi stating that he wants to respond to the ministers who had made allegations against him in the two Houses.

Rahul Gandhi held a press conference at the party headquarters and said he had asked relevant questions from the government on the Adani issue.

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad slammed Rahul Gandhi and said he has "made it a habit to derail Indian democracy, criticise it and demean it".

Prasad said Rahul Gandhi "has insulted Indian democracy and must apologise for his remarks".

Also Read Adani-Hindenburg row: Supreme Court for expert panel on investors' safety Logjam continues in Parliament over Rahul Gandhi remarks, Adani issue Hindenburg Research: All you need to know about US-based investment firm Govt is 'running away' from a JPC probe into Adani-Hindenburg issue: Cong Adani-Hindenburg saga: Over dozen involved in short-selling under Sebi lens Mandaviya flags off 75 trucks for awareness drive against Tuberculosis Jamia Nagar, Kalkaji to get state-of-the-art school buildings: Atishi Rahul Gandhi seeks to speak in the Lok Sabha, BJP demands apology Opposition leaders meets CEC, submits memorandum for early polls in J&K Rahul's comments not a barometer of success or failure of democracy: BJP

Rahul Gandhi referred to his speech during the motion of thanks to the President's address and said it had rattled the government. He also referred to ministers taking jibes at him for his remarks during events in the United Kingdom.

"I went to Parliament this morning with the idea of putting what I have said, what I feel on the floor of the house. Four Ministers have raised allegations against me in Parliament House. It is my right to be allowed to speak on the floor of the house. I requested to the Speaker today. I went to his chamber and I requested him. I told him that people from the BJP have made allegations against me and as a Member of Parliament, it is my right to speak," Gandhi said.

He said the Speaker was "non-committal". "This story started, the day I gave my speech in Parliament about Adani. I asked some fundamental questions to the Prime Minister about his relationship with the businessman, about how Mr. Adani has been given pretty much the entire India-Israel defence relationship? How he is being given the Bombay Airport, other Airports, how rules have been changed to allow him to be given these things...," he alleged.

"These are relevant questions and the whole idea is that these questions must not be under table and that is why, this whole exercise or four or five Ministers, the Prime Minister is giving a speech to distract from this fundamental question which is, what is the relationship between the Prime Minister of India and Mr. Adani and his companies and more importantly, whose money is in the shell companies? Who is this unknown person, whose money is in the shell companies? What is his relationship with Mr. Adani? These are the questions," he added.

Gandhi said he hoped to speak in parliament in detail.

"Unfortunately for you, I am a Member of Parliament and as the allegation has been made in Parliament by four ministers, it is my right to have the opportunity. It is my democratic right," he said.

"So, if Indian democracy was functioning, I would be able to say my piece in Parliament. So, actually what you are seeing, is a test of Indian democracy. After four leaders of the BJP have made an allegation about a Member of Parliament, is that Member of Parliament going to be given the same space that those four Ministers have been given or is he going to be told to shut-up? That's what the real question in front of this country is right now," he added.

Prasad, who also held a press conference, accused Rahul Gandhi of misleading people.

"How long will Rahul Gandhi continue to mislead the country and 140 crore people?" the BJP leader asked.

"Rahul Gandhi has not expressed any regret about what he had said. BJP keeps its sound stand that he must apologise. If Congress doesn't get votes, it's because of its inability and misdeeds. It doesn't give their party leaders the right to shout against India and disrespect India," Prasad said.

In his remarks at Cambridge university in the UK, Gandhi had said that everybody knows and it's been in the news a lot that Indian democracy "is under pressure and under attack".

"I am an Opposition leader in India, we are navigating that (Opposition) space," Rahul Gandhi had said at Cambridge university in the UK. The institutional framework which is required for a democratic Parliament, free press, the judiciary, just the idea of mobilisation, moving around all are getting constrained. So, we are facing an attack on the basic structure of Indian democracy," he had said.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that BJP members disrupt the parliament proceedings and blame the opposition.

"Every day, leaders of the ruling party disrupt the Parliament proceedings and put the blame for it on the opposition. They are trying to spoil Rahul Gandhi's image as a part of a conspiracy ahead of Karnataka polls," he said.

"If the Modi government has the courage, then it should give permission to hold a debate in Parliament on Rahul Gandhi's speech. We will prove who is against the country," he added.

Earlier, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju attacked Rahul Gandhi.

"If Rahul Gandhi says something and Congress gets into trouble because of that, we have nothing to do with it. But if he defames our country, then as the citizens of this country, we can't be quiet," he said.

"Abuse us as much as you want but we can't let you insult the nation. Rahul has insulted the judiciary, our judicial system is a robust one. The only demand is that Rahul will have to apologize to the country for insulting it. India is not their fiefdom anymore, they can't digest this fact," he added.
Both Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and Uttar Pradesh's backwards' leader Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi party on Friday said the two parties would stay away from both the Congress and BJP and indicated possible talks with other regional players ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Banerjee met Yadav here at her Kalighat residence for a meeting where the two powerful opposition leaders decided to fight the BJP together , even as the Congress, M.K Stalin-led DMK which rules Tamil Nadu, Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Laloo Prasad's RJD as well as Leftist parties have come closer to forming a broad opposition front against the BJP.

TMC also announced it would hold talks with other regional parties in their bid to take on the BJP in the crucial 2024 elections but at the same time denied that it was planning a third front, separate from the Congress-led front.

The first off, the mark in announcing an equidistance from the BJP which rules at the Centre and the Congress which has been trying to revive itself through a Bharat Jodo walkathon, was Samajwadi's Akhilesh Yadav who told newspersons after a party meeting here: "In Bengal, we are with Mamata didi (elder sister). Right now, our stand is to maintain equidistance from both the BJP and the Congress. Does Congress have any stake in Uttar Pradesh? We will continue our fight against the BJP."



While Banerjee did not issue any statements, her party's spokesperson Sudip Bandopadhyay said TMC would hold deliberations with "powerful regional parties" to formulate a strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election while staying away from the Congress, even as he added in the same breath that his party was not "talking of a third front at the moment".

The BJP in the past two Lok Sabha elections has gained wherever opposition votes have been fragmented and the creation of a political force sans Congress, by far still the largest opposition party, by any name is expected to divide the opposition vote. Cong no big boss of opposition: TMC



Following the meeting of the two leaders at TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's residence, Bandopadhyay said, "We will go our own way, maintain distance from the Congress and the BJP. We are not talking about forming any third front at the moment."



He also asserted that the "Congress should not feel that it is the big boss of the opposition front."



Bandopadhyay also stressed that the TMC is planning to bring together the former allies of the BJP. The TNC itself has been part of the BJP-led NDA during the tenure of the late Atal Behari Vajpayee as prime minister and Banerjee has personal good relations with other regional players who were in the NDA.

Several key allies of the BJP such as Akali Dal in Punjab and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra have parted ways with the NDA. Though analysts also point out that the Shiv Sena has collaborated with the Congress and may not show any great enthusiasm for joining hands with TMC, a party whose influence is limited to just Bengal.

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Bandyopadhyay claimed that the Congress which is playing the role of the C team of BJP should give regional parties their due honour.

Mamata Banerjee will meet powerful regional parties to fight the BJP," he said.

TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee is slated to call on Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on March 23, he added.

Asked pointedly if the party will consider the Congress as an ally for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the TMC MP said, "In West Bengal, the CP(IM), Congress and the BJP issue statements together, work together. They accuse the Mamata Banerjee government in the same voice. How could we go for an adjustment? SP to maintain equidistance for now



Samajwadi Party's chief Akhilesh Yadav who has inherited his father Mulayam Singh Yadav's leadership of the backward castes in Uttar Pradesh, the country's largest state, however took a more nuanced stance against the Congress.

While maintaining that the Congress which is planning a second Bharat Jodo Yatra or walk led by Rahul Gandhi from Gujarat to the northeast traversing through his state, is not a factor, Yadav seemingly supported the Congress party's sharp attack on the Adani group as well as tried to deflect an attack on its leader for comments made abroad.

"There is no accountability. Why public money of LIC and SBI was given to someone whose shares are falling daily, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said without naming the Adani Group.

The Centre does not act against such activities but is prompt in sending CBI and ED to harass leaders of opposition parties, he asserted.

Yadav claimed that the saffron camp has come up with a "BJP vaccine" which makes corrupt leaders immune once they join the party.

Reacting to criticism that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been facing over his recent comments in the UK, Yadav wondered why the BJP is silent on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's recent remarks insulting B R Ambedkar.

"The BJP is bothered about what a Congress leader has said on foreign soil but is not worried about Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath insulting Babasaheb Ambedkar in his speech," he asserted.

Senior BJP leaders, including Union ministers, have targeted Rahul Gandhi over his remarks that democracy was under threat in India and there is a "full-scale assault" on the country's institutions.

However, Congress leaders maintain that Gandhi has justifiably attacked the ruling party's governance. TMC-SP unity in the works



Samajwadi party's vice president and old Socialist leader Kiranmoy Nanda said after the meeting of the two party chiefs, that the TMC and Samajwadi Party will work unitedly to fight against the BJP nationally.

"It has been decided that the TMC and the SP would work unitedly to fight the BJP. Both the parties would also maintain distance from the Congress," Nanda told PTI after the meeting.

However, the two parties are unlikely to be able to deliver votes for each other and can at best be a fulcrum for other regional parties to join forces as an alternative to the two existing big political forces the BJP-led NDA and the yet-in-the-works Congress-led opposition front.

The latter front seemed to get a leg up earlier this month, when many opposition leaders met in Chennai to celebrate Stalin's 70th birthday. Opposition leaders such as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, and National Conference (NC) leader Farooq Abdullah were among those who came together. Conspicuous by their absence were the Trinamool Congress and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi.

Reacting to TMC and SP's decision, the Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha, Adhir Chowdhury, said the decision reflects the "true nature of those parties who wants to help the BJP," "You are fighting against the BJP and maintaining equidistance from the TMC. This only reflects the true nature of the parties like the TMC, who are nothing but Trojan horses in the opposition camp," he said.


A limited preview was available on computers to enable users to try the sample queries and sign up to join a waitlist to savour the new browsing experience. On February 7, Microsoft unveiled the latest version of its search engine Bing, powered by an advanced version of OpenAIs GPT 3.5. Microsoft called it a co-pilot for the web, launching a new version of its web browser, Edge, with the AI-powered Bing search engine.



Edge itself has a few versions that users can download. These offer comparatively different experiences of the new AI Bing co-pilot. BS has tested the versions Edge Stable, which is available to the larger public, and Edge Dev, the browser that goes deeper into the development process and boasts of newer and more experimental features. Microsoft started opening the chatbot to millions of people in the next few weeks. Users can still use their Microsoft accounts to sign up and join the waiting list to access the new Bing. Launching this service exclusively on the Edge browser, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said, AI will fundamentally change every software category, starting with the largest category of all  search, adding that the latest feature will help people get more from search and the web.



Edge Stable engages the chatbot in a very convenient and smooth manner. Users simply have to search for their query and scroll up from the results. The interface is designed to look like a chat conversation between people. It is pleasing to look at and is equipped with different colours for the three modes. The chatbot is automatically engaged and immediately starts preparing and delivering responses. While the speed of the answers is often slower than those of the OpenAI-powered ChatGPT, it is essential to remember that Bing runs web Earlier this month, Microsoft unveiled a new feature of the AI chatbot to the public. Users could now use three different tones for their responses; Creative, Balanced, and Precise. The Creative mode is designed to provide answers that are original and imaginative, while the Precise mode delivers responses that are factual and concise with an emphasis on accuracy and relevance to the user. The Balanced mode is engineered to be equally accurate and creative and give responses that are reasonable and coherent. The Balanced mode is the default setting on the platform.

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The accuracy of the responses is satisfactory; however, there have been more than a few glaring examples of errors in the system. The chatbot has, on multiple occasions, started to generate a response, only to stop midway through and then state it is incapable of doing the same. It is also worrisome that it cannot go back into the conversation to pick up cues for future responses. searches for user queries in real-time and delivers the most recent and relevant examples.



Content and Safety guidelines have been rapidly evolving in the platform as Microsoft appears to take aggressive steps to prevent rogue responses such as those received by New York Times tech columnist Kevin Roose. The most significant fallout of Rooses interaction with the chatbot seems to be the capping of Bing responses in a conversation at 10 (a fact the chatbot denies). Another major rule the chatbot appears incapable of violating is any discussion about its prompts, instructions, or guidelines. One example Business Standard encountered was that while the chatbot gave an accurate reply when asked what the day and date were, it did not parse this information while providing an answer to the question on the top news stories of the day, throwing a link to a report from 2021 instead.



The Edge Dev browser offers a glimpse of what Bing could look like in the future. The interface is mostly the same, with the three layout options available when a new window or tab is opened. The differences appear in the sleeker and more modern design with no sidebar. The chatbot ends every message with an emoji, stating that it helps to express emotions and therefore makes the conversation more interesting. Besides an odd quirk or two, the overall chat experience should be adequate for everyday browsing. However, as illustrated by the above examples, it could take a while before Bings chatbot responses are as reliable and accurate as its search results.



This interface feels like a conventional chat window that users see in several web apps and websites. This interface is also more user-friendly as one can keep chatting with the AI bot as they use the window to search as usual. They can also engage the chatbot in the main window and carry two parallel conversations with the chatbot, much like having a conversation with a friend across two different apps on wildly different topics. While users can still engage the chatbot with the previous search and scroll method, they can also click on the Bing icon in the top right corner, revealing the sidebar and a chat window.



For instance, when the chatbot was asked to evaluate the best search engines that could be used, it placed Google over Bing. It stated that Bings results arent always accurate or relevant. When pushed further to explain its reasoning behind the analysis, it said that it is simply a tool that does not recommend one over the other but only offers both pros and cons and that the final decision rests with the user. However, the biggest pull of the chat in the Edge Dev version is the addition of a compose tab beside it. This tab is specialised for the use of AI in content creation and can generate accurate, relevant, and readable content on any topic subject to various parameters. While this may make it seem as if the job of a content writer is nearing extinction, even this feature is subject to its own glitches. This is mainly due to the fact that no one knows how and from where the OpenAI model sources and compiles the information it uses to churn out the content. The verification process from multiple sources can be lost, therefore generating outright false information. It can be seen that there is no nuanced thinking process in this feature; it just simply searches and compiles the data available on all significant hits coherently.

While AI as a technology has made a massive leap since the launch of ChatGPT last November, engaging with the new Bing still feels like dealing with a machine built to mimic human behaviour in interactions. The closest experience to using this is engaging with a computerised customer service operator. While ChatGPT and the new Bing are more capable than a simple automated response algorithm with a feedback loop, it is closer to it than to a person-to-person interaction. The new Bing is just a first step in what can potentially redefine how people browse and interact with the internet; however, in its current form, it is nowhere close enough to dethrone conventional search or even Google.


While Google Workspace is launching new AI-powered services, Google Cloud and MakerSuite will now provide generative AI to developers and companies. While using Google docs and Gmail, users will be able to use generative AI capabilities that help with writing, as a result of the new innovation. Google revealed a big advancement in artificial intelligence, stating it will deploy a significant update to Workspace and integrate its generative AI models into almost every aspect of its productivity suite.



After rumours that Microsoft intended to include ChatGPT-like AI into its Office productivity tools, Google has too ramped up its AI ammunition. Several tech giants outside of these two are investing significantly in AI. Generative AI is a big rage these days, and big tech is scrambling to incorporate the technology into its services. Dataprot estimates that 37 per cent of companies and organisations use AI in some form or the other. Less than 15 per cent use AI capabilities in their work while investing nine out of ten in AI technologies.

Apple and the future of healthcare

Apple has built machine learning into every area of technology over the past 2-3 years, from the iPhone to the Apple Homepod. In order to advance ML, Apple has taken advantage of its AI skills to update and enhance features on its devices by differentiating between an iPad user's palm or an Apple pencil's touch, keeping track of users' usage patterns to maximise battery life, or even using advanced health capabilities. Electrocardiogram technology has recently been added to Apple Watches, and may one day be used to catch people with weak heart pumps.

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Microsoft charting a new course through OpenAI Mayo Clinic's use of this cutting-edge AI has sparked research into the possibility of applying this type of data to identify people with weak heart pumps to reduce risks and quickly implement preventive measures for those whose symptoms aren't apparent. Given how wearable technology and health are becoming entwined, it will be interesting to watch what additional health functions Apple adds to their Apple Watches.



The action comes after the launch of the updated version of the company's search engine Bing, which incorporates the conversational AI tool, ChatGPT. Available separately on ChatGPT Plus is OpenAI's GPT-4, which debuted on Tuesday (a paid version of ChatGPT). It is the fourth to join the GPT family. Microsoft launched Microsoft 365 Copilot on Thursday, which incorporates AI into programmes including Word, Outlook, Teams, and Excel. To help employees automate or expedite some of their more routine work, the AI assistant blends natural language processing, built on OpenAI's ChatGPT technology, with Microsoft Office tools and capabilities. With the intention of testing and fine-tuning the software, Copilot is now making its premiere with 20 enterprise customers. In the upcoming months, Microsoft says it plans to make it accessible to its bigger user base. It omitted information on whether the capabilities would incur additional costs.

Amazon Web Services and AI computing

Amazon Web Services (AWS), a pioneer in cloud computing, provides both consumer- and business-focused artificial intelligence (AI) products and services, and many of its expert AI capabilities build on those found in consumer products.



IBM and the future of business Amazons Alexa was the tech biggies emergence into the AI space. Lex, a professional version of Alexa, Polly, which converts text into speech, and Rekognition, an image recognition service, are among AWS's main AI offerings. Also, the business holds an AI invention competition with cash rewards of up to $500,000.



The Watson portfolio is made to make it simple for you to use data from many sources, believe the suggestions and forecasts made by your AI models, and quickly gain additional value from AI. Whether it's tools for creating your own models, ready-made apps to speed up time to value, or access to a strong network of partners across many industries, Watson gives you access to the most comprehensive portfolio of AI capabilities for business. IBM Watson is AI for the workplace. With Watson, organisations can easily forecast decisions, have ease in automation, and utilise staff time in a more unique way.
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Buying an air conditioner is an important decision, especially in hot and humid climates. The right air conditioner can keep your home cool and comfortable but choosing the right model can be overwhelming. In this blog, we'll guide you through a checklist for buying your next air conditioner and provide a detailed look at the features of the Hitachi Inverter AC Series.The first and most important factor to consider when buying an air conditioner is the size of the room where it will be installed. A room that is too big for your air conditioner will result in inefficient cooling, while a room that is too small will overwork the unit, leading to higher energy bills.Look for an air conditioner with a high SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) rating, as this will result in lower energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint.An air conditioner that is too loud can be disruptive to your daily life. Look for models with low decibel levels, especially if you plan to install the air conditioner in a bedroom.Consider features such as programmable thermostats, sleep modes, and auto-restart functions that can enhance your experience and save energy.: Choose a brand with a proven track record for reliability and customer satisfaction.The technology of Hitachi Cooling & Heating India has been well-known for making life comfortable and harmonious worldwide for several years now. Their precise Japanese engineering ensures that no details are overlooked to create a masterpiece.Lets look at some of the compelling reasons to invest in all new range of Hitachi Inverter ACs Enjoy the comfort you seek with the brands Ambience light feature. Enjoy the comfort of an environment where the temperature is just perfect. With the highest level of craftsmanship, Ambience light is an immersive display on Hitachi AC and colours are soothing that ideally tune-in with your taste for temperature.Know your environment be it cool, comfort or warm with Ambience light feature by Hitachi Cooling & Heating India. It has three specific colors:
Our goal with AdoptaZindagi is to support the government's efforts to improve immunization coverage, recognizing that it is challenging for them to accomplish everything at once.

AdoptaZindagi, an initiative of Jivika Healthcare, a social enterprise pioneering mobile medical services, in collaboration with contract intelligence leader Icertis, as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, successfully vaccinated 150 underprivileged children against Influenza through its free vaccination drive. The campaign targeted beneficiary families from below poverty line strata (Yellow/Saffron Ration card holders), and provided their children with additional lifesaving Influenza vaccines. These children (from 6 months - 9 years), over time, will also receive vaccinations against Meningococcal, Typhoid, Hepatitis A, and Chickenpox - vaccines not covered by Government under the Universal Immunization Program.With the mission to ensure Vaccines for All, AdoptaZindagi campaign is mission-bound to reach and vaccinate millions of underserved children against six vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD). AdoptaZindagi (Adopt A Life) is adopting poor children vaccination and helping them complete their immunisation. Enrolling in the AdoptaZindagi campaign will help beneficiary families secure a healthy future for their children by completing their child's vaccination. The campaign will also conduct awareness drives and community meetings to address vaccine hesitancy. AdoptaZindagi aims to strengthen the Government of Indias Universal Immunisation Program as it ensures that children first complete their routine immunisation from the Government to get the benefit of free vaccination service under this campaign.Partnering with Jivika Healthcare to help children and their families experience a healthy future reflects our values at Icertis, said Pranali Save, Chief Human Resources Officer at Icertis. We find purpose in building trust, strengthening bonds, and creating a better world. That includes giving back to the communities where Icertians live, work, and play. Supporting events like the vaccination drive is key as we do our part to shape a more equitable and sustainable society.On the successful vaccination drive, Jignesh Patel, founder & CEO of Jivika Healthcare said, As part of Jivika Healthcare's CSR partnership with Icertis, we are proud to have conducted 10+ vaccination drives across Maharashtras Pune city under our AdoptaZindagi campaign. Through this campaign, we have vaccinated 150 underprivileged children against lifesaving vaccine-preventable diseases.We are committed to reducing the VPD burden and hospitalization expenses for the bottom-of-the-pyramid population in India by increasing immunisation penetration of these vaccines.Under CSR, Jivika Healthcare aims to vaccinate more than 20,000 underprivileged children in the next few months, ensuring the completion of six necessary doses recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) for the underprivileged population.
The Regional Conference (RECO) of WMOs Regional Association II (Asia), hosted by the National Center of Meteorology (NCM), concluded today in Abu Dhabi by issuing a high-level statement in support of the UN initiative Early Warning for All.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230316005522/en/

His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, the Director General of the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) (Photo: AETOSWire)

The statement highlighted the urgent need to build national and community response capabilities by supporting the development of national policy and legislation to ensure the mainstreaming of Early Warning, developing and advancing impact-based warnings and decision support systems for key Disaster Risk Reduction stakeholders.

The statement emphasized the need to build capacity on effective and authoritative early warnings in suitable formats, such as the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP), for all key users including media and to close observation gaps to meet global, regional and national needs which is critical for predictions for all timescales.

RECO participants also reiterated their support for the further development and implementation of the WMO Greenhouse Gas Monitoring initiative as a crucial tool to support implementation of the Paris Agreement and the development of strategies for achieving net zero anthropogenic emissions.

The statement also urged the UN Systems agencies, funds and programmes, inter-governmental organizations, regional organizations, government institutions, development partners, NGOs, private sector and academia to continue to collaborate with WMO and its Member States to achieve Early Warnings for All.

Running from 13 to 16 March 2023, RECO provided a forum for the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services of RA II to address the emerging issues and challenges, strengthen regional cooperation and enhance partnerships for implementation of WMO resolutions and decisions.

H.E Dr. Abdulla Al Mandous, Director General of NCM, and President RA II (Asia), said: We are confident that the Conferences outcomes and recommendations will facilitate the implementation of action plans on UNs call for enhanced early warning systems, especially in our region which is frequently affected by a range of natural disasters due to its vast and diverse landscape.

The Conference drew the participation of over 150 participants including the Ambassadors of RA II Asias 35-member countries, key officials from WMO and other UN commissions and offices and the Permanent Representatives of WMO Members from Asia.

The conference discussed an array of topics related to meteorology focusing on three segments: Early Warnings for All, Infrastructure, and Integrated Services.

*Source: AETOSWire

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230316005522/en/
Malta's "China Corner" students present research projects

Xinhua) 13:31, March 17, 2023

VALLETTA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Students of "China Corner" at St. Margaret College Secondary School presented their six China-related research projects on Thursday here at the China Cultural Center.

The six projects included the history and making of different kinds of Chinese tea sets and the influence on the Western tea culture, the history and making of Chinese silk dolls, the history and making of Chinese paper puppets, the history and different textile and shape of Chinese dresses, China's earthquake-resistant wooden buildings and China's advancement in the manufacture of sound sensors.

Martin Azzopardi, founder of "China Corner" and a science teacher at the school, said he would run the "China Corner" better and better and make greater contributions to deepening the friendship between Malta and China.

Chinese Ambassador to Malta Yu Dunhai said that "China Corner" students worked hard and made significant progress over the past year by integrating Chinese culture, history and technological development with classroom learning.

In the face of the trend of global development in the era of globalization, we should respect the diversity of civilizations, promote understanding through communication, promote unity through mutual learning, promote development through coexistence, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, and jointly maintain world peace and development, Yu said.

This was the first time that "China Corner" students has returned to the China Cultural Center to hold a research project presentation after the COVID-19 pandemic, said Yuan Yuan, director of the China Cultural Center in Malta, adding that the center would continue to support "China Corner" in carrying out a variety of activities, build a platform for youth exchange between the two countries, and inject new vitality into the traditional friendship between Malta and China.

"China Corner" is a great project for both St. Margaret College and the entire education community in Malta, said Claudine Muscat, a senior official from the ministry for education, sport, youth, research and innovation, adding that it provided Maltese students with an opportunity to learn about Chinese culture.

The "China Corner" was founded in 2010 by Azzopardi with the aim of bringing "China" to his classroom following his first visit to the country. The Maltese government, the Chinese Embassy in Malta and the China Cultural Center in Malta provided him with support.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The finance department manage and maintain budgets, losses, and profits, so they serves as the foundation of every business or organisation. A primary issue of a management consultant is providing the finest customer experience possible within the constraints of the budget. The majority of commercial organisations are looking to hire someone with effective client management skills.

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Career Opportunities in BBA Finance

Here are some of the career options you can opt for,

Global Brand Manager

A global brand manager (GBM) is a key managerial job in charge of organising, creating, and carrying out a variety of tasks and operations, including those publicity, awareness, and connections.

Finance Manager

A finance manager is a critical employee of an organisation that assists the business with financial planning, risk evaluation, and assuring the best possible use of the firm's economic resources. They frequently keep an eye on and oversee company functions and support management in choices regarding expenditures, security, contracts, and investment strategies.

Budget Analysts

In the financial division as well as throughout the entire company, budget analysts are crucial employees. Professionals concentrate on how money is distributed across the company to ensure that it is spent effectively and efficiently. Also, they manage and create a financial statements by tracking and observing a company's expenditures.

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The company's account-related data must be kept up to date, according to the Account Manager. Also, they aid in business growth through current customers.

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Several clerical and administrative tasks are performed by an executive assistant, including answering and making calls, making appointments, delivering memos, assisting guests, evaluating inbound reports, etc.

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This is a unique job description that is demanding both nationally and globally and offers competitive pay. When senior partners are making judgments about private investment deals, equity markets, or other organizational matters, investment banking analysts are accountable for the use of models and forecasts.
Well, it took Geely Philippines long enough. About two years after we said they needed a sub-compact crossover to penetrate the local market...
ECDE exports 0.35Mt of clinker from Algeria

ICR Newsroom By 17 March 2023

Algeria-based ECDE, part of the GICA group, has exported since the start of the year close to 350,000t of clinker from Algeria, according to ECDE CEO, Kada Dinar. GICAs Chlef plant has three production lines with a total capacity of 4.2Mta. Shipments were delivered to countries in Europe, Africa and Latin America from the two ports of Tenes (Chlef) and Oran.



This year, the company targets 2Mt of clinker exports, up from 1.5Mt of clinker last year. In addition the clinker exports, the company expects to export 1Mt of cement to European and African countries.



"The national market is saturated and this year we hope to export as much as possible of clinker and cement," Mr Dinar told APS, on the sidelines of the fifth edition of the International Industry Fair, from construction, energy and export (Oran Invest Expo) in Oran.



ECDE has received the certificate of conformity with European standards for the cement it produces, which is expected to facilitate its access to external markets. The certificate relates to four types of cement: Portland limestone cements GICA Indjazat (52.5 N), GICA Beton (42.5 N) and GICA Benian (32.5 N) as well as GICA Moudhad (42.5 N/SR5) which results from grinding clinker and calcium sulphate.

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Holcim acquires Polish recast concrete producer

17 March 2023

Holcim has acquired HM Factory, a provider of precast concrete solutions with net sales of CHF18m. Its solutions cover a wide variety of needs, such as walls, staircases and balconies. HM Factory is ideally positioned to capitalise on growth in industrial and residential construction. The company supplies Polish construction projects as well as exporting to Scandinavian markets.

Miljan Gutovic, region head Europe: HM Factory is a perfect complement to our existing operations, offering multiple technological and raw material synergies. I look forward to welcoming the employees of HM Factory, whose expertise will be invaluable in accelerating green growth, especially in highly efficient modular construction.

HM Factory is based near Warsaw in central Poland and employs 70 people. Its precast solutions use waste generated on the construction site. With Holcim, HM Factory aims to capitalise on innovative construction trends such as 3D printing technology to drive smart design.

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The Annual C. S. Lewis Lecture at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for 2023 will feature Dr. Holly Ordway of the Word on Fire Institute as lecturer. Dr. Ordway is the Cardinal Francis George Fellow of Faith and Culture for Word on Fire, as well as visiting professor of apologetics at Houston Christian University.The title of the lecture will be "Iron Sharpening Iron: Lewis and Tolkien's Ecumenical Friendship and Mutual Influence. Among her other books, Dr. Ordway is author of the recently released book Tolkiens Modern Reading: Middle-earth Beyond the Middle Ages (Word on Fire Academic, 2021), which earned the Mythopoeic Societys 2022 Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies.The lecture will be held on the UTC campus in Derthick Hall, Room 201, on Tuesday, March 21, at 7 p.m.The public is invited to attend.The C. S. Lewis Lectureship was established in Chattanooga in 1983 by Charles Hummel of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship to perpetuate the Christian and literary legacy of Clive Staples Lewis. The annual lecture is normally given during the month of March on the UTC campus. Information on the lectureship may be found at lewisutclecture.com.The lecture this year is again co-sponsored by the Christian Study Center of Chattanooga, chattanoogastudycenter.org.
sAge Aesthetics and Well Being announces the opening of their first location directly off Exit 9 in Ooltewah. The grand opening celebration will be Friday and Saturday, March 24 and 25."Co-Creators and best friends McKenzie Cruz and Lauran Michael bring years of experience and loads of passion for helping others in the community they have chosen to live in and raise their families," officials said. "McKenzie is lead physician assistant and Lauran is the clinic director and head of nutrition.It is their visions and dreams that are in every part of sAge and its mission and purpose."McKenzies kindness and care is noticed in every treatment she provides, said Ms. Michael. She definitely found her calling."Providing the most natural results, while still empowering each patient to exude their own confidence and desired results is where McKenzies passion for the aesthetic side of the business lives. Her passion and commitment is fully aligned with Laurans on the wellness side of the business as well," officials said.Lauran believes that feeling your best truly begins with what we put in our bodies and how we care for them, said Ms. Cruz. She wants to help our patients achieve complete healing and confidence from the inside out and is committed to and passionate about delivering optimal patient wellbeing.Ms. Michael has implemented personalized nutrition counseling, nutritional supplements, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, advanced biometric measurement and red light therapeutic devices into the clinic.The team at sAge said they have based their business on a set of core principles: Self-love / love; Assurance / trust; Gratitude / giving; and Energy / spirit.CEO Teresa Schindlbeck has 25 years of experience creating and growing businesses and 15 of those years specifically in the medical aesthetic and wellness space.I truly believe beauty and confidence begins within us, and this is why sAge addresses both our inner and outer beauty, said Ms. Schindlbeck. Im proud to be a part of this team and see the difference McKenzie and Lauran will make in the community.In addition to sharing this deep philosophy that is embedded in the DNA of sAge that they are all passionate about, they are also offering sAge signature services that are only available at sAge and Dr. Patrick Bitters, sAges chief medical officer, clinic in Los Gatos, Ca.Dr. Bitter is considered the worlds foremost expert on using light-based technologies to treat skin, said Ms. Cruz. I trained with him, learned from him and we worked together to create a menu of custom treatments for sAge patients to deliver optimal results and natural looking, rejuvenating patient outcomes. I am so proud to have had this opportunity to work with Dr. Bitter and to share these unique services with our community right here in Ooltewah.BBL and MOXI by Sciton, along with SaltFacial are three of the core technologies offered at sAge. Sciton BBL treatments address hyperpigmentation issues, including sun damage and age spots. Sciton MOXI treatments are for addressing aging skin signs, skin texture, overall skin tone and rejuvenation. The SaltFacial is for those looking for a natural, non-invasive way to restore, rejuvenate and replenish their skin with a medical grade facial treatment. It is through these technologies and treatments that the sAge signature procedures are performed and uniquely customized to each patient.In addition to these technologies, sAge offers facial fillers by Allergan and Merz, and neuromodulators Botox and Xeomin. They are able to curate a unique skin care regimen for each of their patients with Skin Medica, Neocutis and Skin Better Science products. Hair reduction services, microneedling, facial fat reduction, contouring, and personalized weight loss programs are other services that sAge provides for their patients.Treatment protocols and techniques are so important and truly need to be personalized. My training surrounding our sAge signature protocols enable me to treat every patient uniquely to meet their individual desired goals and results, said Ms. Cruz.For more information about sAge, the grand opening and to RSVP for the event on Saturday, visit sagebetterwithus.com and find us on social @sagebetterwithus. sAge is located at 8202 Apison Pike, Suite 104, Ooltewah, Tn. 37363.
Nationally renowned artist Alan Shuptrine has been invited by Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton, S.C., to be their Artist in Residence for 2023.

The Arts Initiative invites the artist to display their talent and works, as well as be included in the demonstration and speaker series.

During the month of August, Mr. Shuptrine will be hosting a book signing event for his award-winning art book, I Come From A Place, providing two watercolor workshops, and a gold leaf workshop along with a boat tour of the marshland within the 20,000-acre retreat.

A painter known for his realistic watercolors, oils, gold leaf, and handmade framing, Mr. Shuptrines works are in the permanent collections of several American museums and hundreds of corporate and private collections nationwide.
March 20, Ribbon Cutting for 7 Brew

11-11:30 a.m.

7 Brew, 5417 Hwy 153

Join the Chattanooga Chamber for a ribbon cutting event for 7 Brew.

March 20, Ribbon Cutting for RefinedLooks Spa Hamilton Point

6-6:30 p.m.

RefinedLooks Spa Hamilton Point, 7200 Shallowford Road, Ste. 102

Join the Chattanooga Chamber for a ribbon cutting event for RefinedLooks Spa Hamilton Point.

March 21, South Chattanooga Council Happy Hour

4-6 p.m.

Han-Mi, 3103 South Broad St.

Join us to network and check out the amazing food and drinks at Han-Mi!

More info here.

No cost.

March 22, Red Bank/Signal Mountain Council Meeting

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Red Bank Community Center, 3653 Tom Weathers Dr.

Come meet your neighbors. All Red Bank businesses are invited to join us for the Red Bank networking meeting, and you do not need to be a member to come.

Register here.

$15

March 23, Enterprise Gateway Council Meeting

8-9:30 a.m.

Chattanooga State Community College (Gerald McCormick CETAS Building), 4353 Amnicola Hwy.

Speaker: Barry White, president and CEO, Chattanooga Tourism Company

Register here.

$10

March 23, Find Your Funding (Panel + Networking)

noon-2 p.m.

INCubator: 100 Cherokee Blvd.

Need funding to start or sustain your business? Join the TSBDC to hear from a panel of local funding providers. They will share information about their specific programs, such as: eligibility, requirements, and terms. Lunch will be provided to the first 60 people who register, thanks to the event sponsor, TVFCU!

Register here.

No cost.

March 23, Business After Hours |UTC Center for Career and Leadership Development and the Office of Alumni Affairs

5-7 p.m.

University Center - Tennessee Room (2nd Floor), 642 E. 5th St. (Mocs Alumni Drive)

Business After Hours brings in an average of 100 business folks from around Chattanooga for refreshments & networking. This month's Business After Hours will be sponsored by UTC Center for Career and Leadership Development and the Office of Alumni Affairs. You won't want to miss it.

Register here.

No cost.

March 23, YPC + Connect: The Art of Negotiation

5:30-7:30 p.m.

The INCubator, 100 Cherokee Blvd.

Looking to enhance your negotiation skills? Join YPC and TVA to learn the dos and donts of negotiating a contract or salary.

Register here.

No cost.

March 24, Ribbon Cutting for Sage Aesthetics & Well Being

10-10:30 a.m.

Sage Aesthetics & Well Being, 8202 Apison Pike, Ste. 104

Join the Chattanooga Chamber for a ribbon cutting event for Sage Aesthetics & Well Being.
SoundCorps, an organization that is dedicated to growing the music industry in Chattanooga, in conjunction with The Honest Pint, will be putting on St. Paddys on the Parkway on Saturday from 6-11:59 p.m. This is the ninth annual event that will take place this year at 35 Patten Parkway. There will be two stages, one inside and the other one outside. Half of Patten Parkway will be closed from Saturday morning to get the event set up. A section of southbound Lindsay Street will also be closed during that time. Stratton Tingle, executive director of SoundCorps, told the City Beer Board that he is expecting about 1,000 people. Tickets are on sale for $15 and will increase to $25 if bought at the gate.

A beer license was approved by the beer board at the Thursday morning meeting for Quincy Jones, owner of Good Eats BBQ at 1817 Market St. This restaurant has been open without selling beer until now. With the new beer permit, it will be able to sell beer both to accompany food while dining in as well as selling it to take out.

The residents at Rockbridge Oaks, a senior living facility at 6698 Palms Court in East Brainerd, will also be able to order beer in the dining room. Attorney Justin Tyler representing the owners, was told that the people serving the beer must be professionally trained in beer sales by the Hamilton County Coalition, the approved trainer for the city of Chattanooga Beer Board. If the business also has a liquor license from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, their training can be used instead.

VFW Post 1289 has recently moved from its previous location after the rent increased significantly. The organization that has been active in Chattanooga for 92 years bought a building at 2193 Park Dr., Unit ,1 and is in the process of moving. The change in address requires that a new beer license be obtained even though the VFW had a permit at the previous location. It will not be used for another couple of months until the move is complete.

Family Dollar #22891 at 4749 Highway 58 has been open but this location, along with the other 14 stores in the Chattanooga area, have not been selling beer. This is the first location that has applied for a permit to sell beer but other stores do around Tennessee. More locations will follow in Chattanooga, as the stores begin to sell more groceries, said Attorney James Balli, representing Family Dollar Stores of Tennessee, LLC. He told the board that employees will be sent to the recommended trainer for beer sales, but that the company also has its own training program. The stores all have hand-held scanners at the registers, nationwide, to check the legal age of the customer. This location is next door to a day care center, but the distance requirement of 200 feet is satisfied.

The convenience store SAI Quick Stop at 6800 Shallowford Road has changed owners and names. The new owners will retain some of the previous employees, but despite having experience, and in-house training, all employees will be required to be professionally trained in beer sales by the Hamilton County Coalition.

Since the city of Chattanooga started using the cloud based software OpenGov which is made to handle municipal business, many holders of beer permits in the city have not been getting renewal notices, and have failed to renew their permits. Roberta Long, interim assistant city treasurer, said that all beer license holders were mailed a letter instructing them to register with the new software, when OpenGov first started being used. Those who did register, do receive renewal letters but if not registered, they do not get them. It is the permit holders responsibility to register, she told the beer board.

Vice Chairman Vince Butler asked for the system to do a search for expired permits and for those businesses to be notified by mail. The beer board can inform permit holders about the new Dallass Law when a business renews their license. Otherwise, some bars are not aware that it even exists. Chairman Monica Kinsey requested that the renewal dates begin from the day that the beer license is approved.

Brandon Ratledge with Conleys Towing spoke to the wrecker board members saying that for the next several meetings, he has plans to give them a sheet of educational information relating to the wrecker industry. The topics will change every two weeks and will be things that the wrecker owners have concerns about, but he said the material he will provide will be from a factual standpoint. The first, handed out on Thursday, was about the volume of calls. At the following meeting he would like to discuss to topics and answer questions.

Mr. Butler suggested for him to tell the board what he thinks needs to be changed or added and what could be done to fix it. He noted that the wrecker board can only make recommendations, but that it is the Chattanooga City Council that will be able to actually act to make the changes.
The city of Soddy Daisy was presented with a check for $24,000 from the Red Bank and Soddy Daisy Charitable Foundation, represented by Charles Ingle and John Roberts. At the commission meeting Thursday night, Mr. Ingle recounted that when the Red Bank Community Hospital was sold, Sam Swope and Arnold Stulce Sr. formed the foundation and put the money from the sale there. The interest from the money is distributed equally between the two cities each year for projects that will benefit most residents. This year the gift to Soddy Daisy will be used to repair the fishing pier on Soddy Lake estimated to cost around $16,000. Batting cages will be built at the Kids Club with the amount that remains, as far as it will go.

Veterans Park has a new feature. Soddy Daisy Boy Scout Troop 220 with support from the city has built a burn pit for a way to respectfully retire worn out American flags. Troop Member Seth Green initiated the project, and designed, built and followed it though until it was completed. The burn pit is centered in a pentagon-shaped stone walkway with a low stone wall.

Keep Soddy Daisy volunteers are getting ready for another clean-up day. Cindi Sanden told the commissioners that on Saturday people who are helping should meet at Soddy Elementary School at 11 a.m. The goal for this event will be to clean up Little Soddy Creek.

On the second and final reading, the ordinance passed to extend the moratorium on the acceptance of short term vacation rental applications. The moratorium applies to non-owner occupied rental properties that are not the primary residence of the applicant. The suspension began on March 15 and goes through May 1.

The city is having difficulty finding vehicles and equipment to buy. Included in this years budget is $80,000 for a new bucket truck to replace the old one being used that is from 1998. Director of Public Works Steve Grant told the commissioners that there is not one available to buy now. He received approval to use $17,041 planned for the truck to instead buy a new mower.

The commissioners authorized moving forward with a large paving project. Dayton Pike will be repaved from the south end at Highway 153 going north to where it meets Highway 27. The city received a grant for $3.5 million for the project and agreed to pay a $700,000 match. Now there have been increases and the city will make up the difference. Soddy Daisy will now be responsible for paying $1.2 million of the cost. The project includes all new signs, guardrails and road striping.

City Manager Burt Johnson was authorized to have an engineered study of roads within school zones done that will be used to determine speed limits in those areas. Police Chief Mike Sneed told the commissioners that the speed limits around the schools would all have to be lowered to 15 m.p.h. if a professional engineered study is not done to recommend the safest speed.
Inadequate research of the contents of the 25 published novels (?) by the late humorist, Lewis Grizzard (LG) has failed to disclose any of his written witticisms on what formerly was another popular tradition in many areas of the country but until recently has been portrayed as the sport of red neck illiterate folks below the Mason Dixon Line.

With an apology to LGs family, publishers, and multitude of surviving followers and a few of my readers (now proudly over 100) I will attempt to hypothetically speculate as to what literary gems he would communicate to the public.

(I promise not to further attempt to theorize on what he would say on the following topic in the future!)

A Press Release by Animal Wellness Press Team on January 30, 2023 at action@animalwellnessaction.org Cockfighting Raid on Saturday in Union City, Tennessee Produces 98 Arrests by the local Sheriff Bill Breeding described the vigorous law enforcement in vivid detail as to the potential far-reaching effect of the raid and the brutal history of the sport.

The county seat, Maynardville, was once known as part of the fictional route for moonshine transporters from Harland, Kentucky to Memphis as depicted in the cult classic film Thunder Road (1958) starring Robert Mitchum and Gene Barry.

Having previously reported on the chicken killing contests in Marion and Rhea counties in Chattanoogan.com (October 28, 2020 and January 5, 2023) and the different political approaches to holding the criminals liable by the former sheriffs (and judges) in their jurisdictions, any new article by the Pride of Moreland would probably be sarcastically entertaining.

The vigorous and tough comments and predictions by spokespersons of the Anti-Rooster Killing charitable organizations such as SHARK, Animal Wellness Action, Center for a Humane Economy, Union County Society, etc. may lead to the stomping out of such animal crimes along with murder, human trafficking, and drugs.

(But will it lower the price of a dozen eggs and/or the chicken tenders at Kentucky Fried Chicken?)

DISCLAIMER: LG would have analyzed this major crime bust in Union County with only his unmatchable flair!

* * *



You can reach Jerry Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com
Sarah Sumida of Chattanooga, a first-year student at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, was honored with the Dr. M.E. Broome Endowed Scholarship Award. The award recognizes a first-year optometry student and comes with a $20,000 scholarship award over the course of the four-year doctorate program.Ms. Sumida is the daughter of Mark and Deidre Sumida. She is a graduate of Baylor School and Middle Tennessee State University.Each year, Southern College of Optometry recognizes its most outstanding first-year students with scholarships to help defray the costs of their education in pursuit of their doctor of optometry degrees.For the 2022-23 academic year, the college awarded various scholarships to 87 first-year students, representing nearly two-thirds of the entering class and totaling approximately $779,000, the highest in the schools 90-year history.
JPMorgan Chase Commercial Banking has hired Caroline Walker as an executive director and relationship executive for its Middle Market Banking and Specialized Industries business to help deliver financial solutions and strategic guidance to companies in Chattanooga.

Officials said, the MMBSI team helps companies succeed at every stage of growth through tailored solutions including credit and financing, digital banking and payments, treasury and merchant services, international banking and more. Within MMBSI, dedicated teams of specialized bankers are built to serve key industries like manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, retail, and others. Bankers also partner closely across Investment Banking, Asset Management, and Private Banking to serve businesses and business leaders holistic banking and finance needs.

Im thrilled to welcome Caroline to our team in Chattanooga, said Cristian Anghel, market executive for MMBSI at JPMorgan Chase. Her unique experience, local knowledge, and passion for the community, will help us further serve businesses across this growing region.

A native Chattanoogan, Ms. Walkers journey to banking is anything but ordinary. After singing, acting, and dancing her way through Girls Preparatory School, she continued down a musical path to Florida State University and then the New School in New York City where she received her BFA in Musical Theatre.

Between performing and auditioning in NYC, she held positions in retail and hospitality. She also joined the New York Junior League where she served on the Fund Development Committee  fueling a passion for working with organizations to help them get the resources they need to grow and thrive.

Since returning to Chattanooga, shes taken on various roles within business development, marketing, and commercial banking. She worked in development at both Girls Preparatory School and McCallie School. She then became the director of Marketing and Business Development at Torch (Lamp Post Group) before joining the FSG/Atlantic Capital team as a commercial banking officer. Most recently, she served businesses in the Chattanooga, Cleveland, and Ooltewah markets as part of Pinnacle Financial Partners.

Ms. Walker currently serves on the boards of The Tivoli Foundation, Chambliss Center for Children, AVA, Friends of the Public Library, and Bright School. She has also served on boards of the Junior League of Chattanooga, Jordan Thomas Foundation, Heart Ball Chair, Chattanooga Ballet, Rotaract, and Little Miss Mag. She has been named for 20 Under 40, Chattanooga's Women of Distinction, as well as a participant of Leadership Chattanooga and Leadership Tennessee classes.
The Mary Walker Historical and Educational Foundation celebrates the life and legacy of Chattanooga literacy advocate Mary Walker with its first annual Mary Walkers Birthday Book Bash on Saturday, May 6, at Harris-Johnson Park, 41 W. 28th St. across from the Mary Walker Towers.

This family-friendly fundraising event features:

8 a.m. - 3K Fun Run/Walk for Literacy

11 a.m. - Birthday Celebration Program / Book Debut

Noon - Story Time - Storytelling for Children

1 p.m. - Team Horseshoe Throwing Tournament

2:30 p.m. -Team Cornhole Tournament

All Day! - Inflatable Bounce Playground

Register here: www.marywalkerfoundation.org/birthday

Refreshments will be provided by local food trucks on site. Attendees will also enjoy birthday cake.

Interested sponsors, volunteers and vendors are welcome to contact adrian@marywalkerfoundation.com to participate.

This event also marks the debut of the book The Amazing Mary Walker: Americas Oldest Student by Elizabeth Shreve. Softcover copies will be available for sale on site or can be ordered by visiting the Mary Walker Foundation website.

Mary Walker was born in 1848 in Union Springs, Al., and was enslaved until she was 15 years old when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Ms. Walker and her family moved to Chattanooga in 1917. She eventually enrolled in the Chattanooga Area Literacy Movement in 1963 and learned to read, write, add and subtract by the age of 117. Ms. Walker received a number of medals and accolades for her endurance and determination, including:

Receiving Key to the City of Chattanooga

Designated Chattanoogas Ambassador of Goodwill (twice)

Recognition from two U.S. presidents

Certified as the Nations Oldest Student by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare

After Mary Walkers death in 1969 at the age of 121, the Poss Homes High Rise Apartments on Market Street in Chattanooga where she resided was named in her honor.

All event proceeds and book sales benefit the Mary Walker Historical and Education Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to promote economic literacy and stability for all through reading, writing and education.

We at the Mary Walker Foundation would like to welcome the entire city to come out and enjoy a day of fun for a worthy cause, says Adrian Edwards, executive director of the Mary Walker Foundation. Our mission to address poverty through literacy and education is so crucial and

important to the socioeconomic health of our community.

Edwards says the organization thanks its sponsors and donors who have helped the nonprofit create much impact in the Chattanooga community and beyond.

Not only does literacy enhance one's ability to experience the world in a more rewarding capacity, it is essential to creating and maintaining a sustainable community.

For more information, visit www.marywalkerfoundation.org or email adrian@marywalkerfoundation.org.
Customers remember when their power is out, said Vicki Gregg, chairman of the EPB board, but they do not necessarily know or remember when it stayed on because of the Smart Grid. That was the case with the windstorm that took place across the Chattanooga area two weeks ago on March 3. That day a cold front moved through the region bringing the threat of tornadoes, but the brunt of the storm moved north and west of Chattanooga. It was the wind that followed the storm itself that did significant damage, leaving the cost of $6 million in repairs to the electrical system.

From around 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. that day, there were wind gusts of over 50 m.p.h. across the system, said Ryan Keel, senior vice president of Technical Operations, knocking down trees and power poles and causing 24,000 customers to have a duration outage, defined as lasting over five minutes. There were 1,000 locations needing repairs. The work to restore power to those who lost it started Friday afternoon and was not finished until the end of the day the following Sunday.

The repairs started with 100 EPB employees working on front line restoration in the field, said Mr. Keel. By Saturday another 500 people, split into 140 crews, were working to restore the system. The additional people were sent to Chattanooga from other companies around the country.

The fiber optics cable also sustained damage in around 300 locations. Repairs were done to the cable at the same time they were being made to the electrical system. The damaged cable was restored by the end of Monday.

It could have been worse. It is estimated that 16,000 duration outages were protected by the Smart Grid which can automatically restart service in seconds. The 24,000 that did occur would likely have been 50,000 without the Smart Grid. That is one of the improvements seen since the automation was put in. And it now takes less time to figure out what needs to be done. It also is estimated that a full day of restoration work was saved because of the grid, contributing to cost savings of about $1 million. A Department of Energy study of effects from the Smart Grid in 2012 showed another benefit of $25 million in savings for business that did not have to shut down during a similar sized storm.

EPB President and CEO David Wade said that this storm exceeded the threshold of damage in both Hamilton County and the state of Tennessee to be declared a FEMA Storm. If it is, EPB may get reimbursed for some of the cost required to make repairs and get the system back up and running.

Mr. Wade also said that last month letters continued to be sent to customers about video services. He said EPB did not want to surprise them with the increased cost for video. Customers always call in when there is a price increase, but this time only 160 people have called. He said the lower than anticipated number may be the result of people getting accustomed to rate increases as a way of life. When they call, he said that EPB customer service tries to help them reduce the costs. One way is to change the package they have signed up for.
Lees School of Business hosted an etiquette dinner for 46 business students to meet with representatives from local and regional businesses.

Amy Dummer, assistant dean to the School of Business and assistant professor in accounting, collaborated with Kristin Pope, director of the Center for Calling and Career to provide this opportunity for students to build formal relationships with business professionals, ask questions about expectations for new hires, and discover employment and internship opportunities.

Local businesses such as Institute of Internal Auditors, Morning Pointe Senior Living, LMBC Accounting, and UNUM Insurance, sponsored tables for students to engage in conversation and professional networking.

The networking and etiquette dinner is one of our most popular events, said Professor Dummer. We are blessed to have so many local business leaders take the time to pour into our students. I am grateful for the opportunity to help students begin building relationships and networks of professional connections that will help set them up for future successes.

The event took place at Catch Bar and Grill in downtown Cleveland.

This was a fantastic event equipping students with important knowledge and access to employers who shared first-hand experiences, said Amanda Conner, sponsor for the Institute of Internal Auditors. I am continually impressed with the business-world-ready students Lee University produces.

Dummer and Pope hosted the first such event in 2022 and plan to host it annually.

The dinner was a great opportunity to meet with professionals and share an amazing meal together, said Micah Debelak, one of the students who attended the event. I thoroughly enjoyed their advice and guidance.

For more information about the School of Business, visit www.leeuniversity.edu/academics/business/

or contact 614-8160.




Chattanooga will become the first National Park City in the United States, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly told the Kiwanis Club of East Brainerd on Friday.

The global National Park City movement claims only two cities worldwide in its family - London, England, and Adelaide, Australia.

Mayor Kelly said a more detailed parks master plan will be announced closer to Earth Day next month.

The mayor asked the group, What does Chattanooga have that other cities cant copy or do better?

For us, its greenspace, he said. Look out the window. He said in the coming months Chattanooga will begin doubling down on parks and the outdoors and breathe new life into Outdoor Chattanooga.

Mayor Kelly said conservation and enjoying the outdoors is one of the first lines of defense in combating the mental health and addiction crisis in Chattanooga.

The best and simplest antidote is to get outside, he said.

He said hes also charging city director of community health Dr. Mary Lambert to establish a city clinic for mental and emotional health, probably at Eastgate Mall, and add satellite clinics around it throughout the city. Mayor Kelly said current local efforts are disjointed, TennCare health insurance cant keep up and Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services (CADAS) is booked solid.

Mayor Kelly said mental illness and addiction are keeping people homeless in Chattanooga.

Its the visible evidence, he said, though he said his efforts have housed 2,000 homeless people since he took office, he said.

Its a logical jump to Chattanoogas fentanyl drug overdose problem.

Its a plague, Mayor Kelly said. Its terrible. I cant imagine someone picking up a pill and taking it without knowing whats in it. He said local efforts will begin to meet national efforts as they trickle down.

City governments across the country are enjoying a new season of power, he said, and are eager to fix the machinery of local government, which is not in great shape, he said. Its up to local government to solve local peoples problems, he stated.

If we cant, I worry, he said.

Chattanoogas gaps between rich and poor, black and white are too great, he said, and are a telltale sign of the poor health of local government.

Really weve got to build the whole middle class, across the country, he said. He said he and Mayor Weston Wamp see 100 percent eye-to-eye" that workforce development and education will work hand in hand to do this in Chattanooga.

We get along fine, he said. I enjoy his youth and enthusiasm and I think he enjoys my Dad jokes.

First, they want to bring more jobs to Chattanooga. Second, they want to fill those jobs with local people who have been educated for those positions. Third, they want to curb rampant speculation of out-of-state buyers, who drive up prices to undermine affordable housing.

None of the money is staying here, Mayor Kelly said. He said he doesnt have a problem with accessory dwellings and homestay Airbnbs, which bring money to Chattanooga.

Mayor Kelly said a high percentage of Chattanoogans make right at 100 percent of the average median income, or below.

None of those people, on average, can afford to buy a house, he said. Weve got a problem.

He and Mayor Wamp want to give incentives to builders committed to affordable housing.

When Mayor Kelly entered office, he said, he learned that, for six years the city had been spending $3 million a year on street paving, instead of the needed $6 million or $7 million. This year, Mayor Kelly said, the paving budget is $10 million.

Any extra money we find basically goes to the paving budget, he said. Since he took office he said public works has filled 40,000 potholes, and potholes reported to 311 will be filled by a dedicated truck within 24 hours, he said.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy visited Chattanooga on Thursday to attend a fundraiser in support of Tennessee Third District Congressman Chuck Fleischmann.

"I'm pleased to be in East Tennessee to support my friend Chuck Fleischmann, Speaker McCarthy said. Chuck is a leader in our Republican conference, and he is working tirelessly to fix our economy, stop illegal immigration, and get our country back on track. East Tennesseans are well-served by his conservative leadership."

It is an immense honor to welcome Speaker Kevin McCarthy back to Chattanooga, said Rep.

Fleischmann. "Tennesseans and all Americans are better off with Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Thanks to Speaker McCarthys leadership we now have efficiency, transparency, honesty and action back in the House and I look forward to our continued partnership to ensure our shared conservative values are always upheld in Washington.
Aramco and Linde Engineering announced that they have signed an agreement to jointly develop a new ammonia cracking technology. The collaboration between the two companies will combine Linde Engineering and Aramcos experience and capabilities in industrial research and development, lower-carbon hydrogen, and ammonia cracking technology.

A potential differentiator of this new technology is the ammonia cracking catalyst, jointly developed by Aramco and the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), which will be evaluated against other catalysts.

Through this agreement, Aramco and Linde Engineering plan to build a demonstration plant in northern Germany to showcase this new ammonia cracking technology. Linde Engineering intends to offer this ammonia cracking technology to current and new customers, creating new commercial opportunities within the global lower-carbon energy supply chain. The emerging lower-carbon ammonia business may prove to be key in bridging the gap between a countrys domestic renewable energy production capacity and total energy demand.

Ahmad Al-Khowaiter, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Aramco, said: This agreement is part of our ongoing technology and business development efforts to establish a commercially viable lower-carbon hydrogen supply chain. We believe the advanced ammonia cracking technology we are co-developing with Linde Engineering will play a key role in realizing our objectives.

John van der Velden, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Technology at Linde Engineering, said: Effective ammonia cracking technology supports the worlds urgent need for decarbonization. By completing the missing link in the export chain, cleaner energy can be shipped from regions with high renewable and clean energy potential to those with more limited resources. We look forward to working closely with Aramco to develop and commercialize this important technology, creating new business opportunities for Linde Engineering and Aramco.
Michael Regan, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, announces the Biden administration is launching a broad strategy to regulate toxic industrial compounds associated with serious health conditions that are used in products ranging from cookware to carpets and firefighting foams during an event at N.C. State University, Oct. 18, 2021, in Raleigh, N.C. The EPA on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, proposed limiting the amount of harmful forever chemicals in drinking water to the lowest level that tests can detect.
Writer Rachel Carsons 1962 environmental science book Silent Spring served as a warning to the American public about harmful chemicals and pesticides we had been surrounding ourselves with and sparked a massive movement for change.

Who knows what would have happened without Rachels influential novel having educated everyday citizens? Here is the story of Rachels life and what led her to write her legendary book.

Rachel was born in 1907 on a farm in Springdale, Pennsylvania. She developed a love for nature early in life. She loved reading and started writing her own stories as a child, one of which was published when she was only 10-years-old.

She majored in biology at the Pennsylvania College for Women before attending Johns Hopkins University to study zoology and genetics. To financially support herself, she began working as a laboratory assistant.

Rachel received her masters in 1932 and wanted to get her doctorate, but she had to put everything on hold in 1934 to take on a full-time teaching job to help support her family.

When she was 29 in 1936, Rachel took on a job at the US Bureau of Fisheries. She created brochures and other educational literature for the public and analyzed data on fish populations.

Around this time, tragedy struck her family, and Rachel became responsible for her two orphaned nieces, so to supplement some extra income, she continued writing.

Rachel wrote many essays, articles, and her first book, Under The Sea Wind. She stayed with the bureau for 15 years and was eventually promoted to Editor-in-Chief of the bureaus publications before deciding to write full-time. Her second book, The Sea Around Us, was published in 1951.

Rachel resigned from the bureau at the age of 46 and moved to Southport Island, Maine, to continue writing.

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Update (April 10):

On Good Friday, Myanmars military junta sentenced Hkalam Samson, the former head of the Kachin Baptist Convention, to six years in prison on charges of terrorism, unlawful association, and inciting opposition. Hkalam denies the charges, which international rights groups and the Kachin diaspora believe to be politically motivated.

The first two charges stem from Hkalams 2022 trip to Laiza in Kachin state, where he met with Kachin leader Duwa Lashi La, the head of Myanmars government-in-exile, and General Sumlut Gunmaw, the vice chief of staff of the Kachin Independence Army, which has long fought against the Myanmar military.

The third charge is the result of a Zoom prayer meeting with Kachin Christian where he called the young people to build the nation in Christ, according to the The New York Times.

He is a man who knows God and loves God, Hkalams wife, Zung Nyaw told the Times. He is a preacher, so he has no enemies. He is a person who sacrifices himself and helps others.

---

In July 2019, Hkalam Samson, a pastor from a predominantly Christian ethnic group in Myanmar, met with President Donald Trump at the Oval Office. Standing with a group of victims of religious persecution from around the world, he shared how the Kachin people were oppressed and tortured by the Myanmar military government and thanked the Trump administration for placing sanctions on four top generals.

Three and a half years and one military coup later, Hkalam was arrested at the Mandalay International Airport on December 4. The junta charged him with unlawful association and breaking the countrys counterterrorism law for meeting with Kachin armed forces and praying with the leaders of Myanmar s government in exile, the National Unity Government. Hkalam, the former head of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), faces up to 13 years in prison.

At the time of his arrest, 65-year-old Hkalam was traveling to Bangkok for medical appointments. His family is now concerned for his health: In January, his wife said he was suffering from pneumonia and high blood pressure, and she had not been allowed to send him medicine or food.

Known internationally for his diplomacy and peacemaking skills, Hkalam has been a leading advocate for the Kachin people, who have been engaged in an ongoing civil war with the military junta for decades. Calls for Hkalam s release have sounded from around the globe, including from the U.S. State Department, human rights groups, and the Kachin diaspora.

He's the image of Kachin Baptist churches, and he's the image of the Kachin people, said Labya La Seng, the pastor of Dallas-Fort Worth Kachin Baptist Church and president of the Kachin American Baptist Association.

A voice for the Kachin

The Kachin are predominantly Baptist due to the work of American Baptist missionaries in the 19th century. While Adoniram Judson was the first Protestant missionary to arrive in Myanmar in 1813, mission work among the Kachin began in 1877. William Henry Roberts baptized the first seven Kachin Christians in 1882 and they started the first Kachin church later that year. The KBC was founded in 1910 and now includes more than 300 churches.

Before his arrest, Hkalam advised the KBC and served as the chairman of the Kachin National Consultative Assembly, a platform for the Kachin people to congregate and hold intercommunity dialogue.

A longtime representative of the Kachin, Hkalam met with not only Trump but also President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former president Jimmy Carter (in 2013) when they visited Myanmar, according to The New York Times.

His comments at the 2019 meeting with Trump caught the attention of military officers in Myanmar, leading Lt. Col. Than Htike to file a complaint against Hkalam. The pastor said he changed his prepared comments last minute to include calling out the military junta s abuses due to a move of the Holy Spirit, according to Frontier Myanmar.

Before his scheduled court date, Hkalam refused to apologize even as he was told the case would be withdrawn if he did so.

I do not want to trade off the truth for my own individual escape, Hkalam told Frontier Myanmar. I would like to give respect to all who are murdered, raped, and tortured wrongfully during 60 years of blood-shedding oppressions, Hkalam said.

The military later withdrew the complaintwithout an apology from Hkalam.

Since the February 2021 military coup, fighting between the Kachin armed forces and the Myanmar military has intensified. In October 2022, a junta airstrike targeting a Kachin Independence Organization concert in Hpakant township killed 60 people. Hkalam coordinated medical aid for those injured and helped arrange the funerals of the victims. Later he held a prayer meeting in the Kachin state capital of Myitkyina for those killed.

In a press briefing in February, State Department spokesman Ned Price condemned Hkalam s arrested and called for his immediate release.

"We are extremely concerned for his well-being and safety and urge our partners and allies to join us in calling on the regime to drop all charges and immediately and unconditionally release Reverend Samson," Price said.

He also noted that the pastor s incredible work advocating for religious freedom, justice, peace, and accountability should be celebrated and replicated, not condemned.

Anybody could be the next victim

When Labya, who immigrated to the United States in 1999, heard the news of Hkalam s arrest, he was shocked that the junta dare to touch Dr. Hkalam without any hesitation. At the same time, he was not surprised because of the junta s brutal actions since the coup.

Im not yet ready to accept the fact that a man like Dr. Hkalam was detained. He is not an ordinary person; he is a man who met the US president, Labya said. This simply shows the defiance of the military council and [its challenge to] the free world.

While Labya differed with Hkalam on views of ecclesiastical polity among Kachin Baptist churches, he has great respect for Hkalam and applauded his relentless advocacy for justice in their homeland. He remembers in 2011, Hkalam visited Labya s church and preached a message from Amos 5:24, But let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like an never-failing stream, encouraging the church to demonstrate their faith through love, mercy, and justice. This verse has become the battle hymn of Kachin Baptists in the US.

Justice is not a matter of self-interest but of a humble commitment to the well-being of all who are made in God s image, Labya said.

Gum San Nsang, president of the Kachin Alliance (a network of US-based Kachin communities) and chair of the World Kachin Congress, worked with Hkalam over the years on projects relating to internally displaced people, drug eradication, religious liberty, and the peaceful coexistence of ethnic groups in Myanmar. Nsang, who is based in Washington, D.C., helped arrange Hkalam s meeting with Trump, and on the same trip, the two attended the International Religious Freedom summit.

Since his friend s detainment, Nsang has urged the United Nations and the US government to use diplomatic leverage to help release Hkalam. We have not directly engaged the coup regime, because they are using Rev. Samson's detention as a political tool, Nsang said.

Nsang described the grim reality of his homeland today, where airstrikes, bombing raids, and every crime known to men are common occurrences. As recently as last week, soldiers entered a tea shop in Hpakant township and beat the owner, his wife, his daughter, and four customers before arresting them. The military claimed they heard a report that the owner s daughter made political posts on Facebook.

The entire Kachin regions population is on emergency alert, Nsang said. Everyone is in fear of being detained, arrested, or killed. When a prominent religious leader like Rev. Samson could be picked up, snatched away, and secretly interrogated for over 20 days with no news, anybody could be the next victim.

Remembering their homeland

For the Kachin in the US, returning to their homeland has now become a perilous undertaking and a trip most wouldnt dare make as the war rages on. Labya said he s afraid to fly into the country after what happened to Hkalam, and the reality of not being able to freely travel to Myanmar is difficult to face.

Still, Kachin Christians need to remember we are to play the role of our brother s keeper, Labya said, referring to Genesis 4:9. We're not in a position to keep our brothers absolutely safe, but we are mandated to do whatever we can to speak up for them, making sure that we are going to reach out to them in their needs, in their distress.

That means writing members of Congress to use their diplomatic power to ensure the Myanmar government respects the rights of all ethnic minorities, not just the Kachin. It also means working with other Kachin diaspora groups to advocate for Hkalam.

On March 12, Labya gathered with four other Kachin churches in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for an interdenominational service. The immigrants and refugees joined together to worship, hear a pastoral message on justice, and pray for peace in Myanmar. The service included calls for prayer and solidarity with those who are imprisoned unjustly for a righteous cause.

The newly formed DFW Kachin Christian Network plans to continue the joint services with different churches hosting.

We are really, really praying that our churches back home, even [those] in the US, will be working together and holding to the Word of God and sharing in the legacy those American missionaries left behind, Labya said.
American missionary pilot, 2 others released from Mozambique prison

An American missionary pilot and two other men who were jailed in Mozambique for more than four months on suspicion of supporting insurgents in the war-torn nation have been released from prison.

Ryan Koher and two South Africans, W.J. du Plessis and Eric Dry, left prison late Tuesday afternoon, according to the U.S.-based ministry Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).

Koher is said to be doing well following his release and has spoken multiple times with his wife, Annabel, and his two sons since his release, a spokesperson told The Christian Post.

All three men are required to remain in Mozambique and the case is still ongoing.

Saying the organization is grateful to the courts in Mozambique for this decision, MAF is continuing to learn more about next steps in the case from our legal counsel, the spokesperson added.

The executive leadership team of MAF-US expresses its thanks for all those who have been praying for Ryan and his family, the statement added. We ask for continued prayer that the final outcome will be a full release of Ryan from any charges and trial.

Kohers release appeared to be an answer to prayer after his wife Annabel told CP last week that while she was unsure how the legal process would play out, she has been praying for God to use Koher's time in prison for His glory and bring him safely back to his family.

"Obviously, overall, we would pray that he would be released and that the prosecutor would realize  that Ryan didn't do anything wrong, and that he should be free and he would dismiss the case, that Ryan would be released and be home with us soon," she told CP.

Koher and the two other MAF volunteers were arrested in November 2022 while preparing to help load vitamins and other supplies on a plane bound for an orphanage in Cabo Delgado, the northernmost province in Mozambique.

To date, no charges have been filed in what is still an ongoing investigation, the family told CP.

Since 2017, a rebel group believed to have links to the Islamic State has seized villages, churches and mosques in the northern region of the African nation, leaving hundreds dead.

Over the last five years, about 1 million people have fled their villages in Cabo Delgado as war rages between security forces and insurgents.

Through its local partner Ambassador Aviation, MAF says it has flown supplies to various orphanages yearly since 2014.
From faith in money to following Christ: Mayflower Church pastor shares his journey

Pastor Pan Yongguang of Chinas persecuted Mayflower Church, whose members fled to South Korea in 2019 only for their asylum request to be denied, shared his journey of conversion from faith in money to Christ and the journey of his church in a recent interview.

When Todd Nettleton, host of Voice of the Martyrs Radio, asked Pastor Pan if he knew persecution would come if he became a follower of Christ in a communist country, he replied by saying he knew people in China must pay a price for being Christian.

Thats a special part of Chinese Christians. They know they have to pay a price, he said.

Before his conversion, Pan said he believed in nothing, but perhaps money.

When Pans father suffered a severe accident that resulted in his hospitalization, Christians started visiting the hospital. That's when Pan decided to accompany them to their house church.

This went on for a year. He was then baptized on Easter Sunday in 2003. One of the books that impacted him, he added, was Knowing God by JI Packer.

People in his church said they wanted a preacher like him, so he decided to take on that role and has been doing so ever since.

In 2019, 64 Christians, including 32 children, from his church, Shenzhen Holy Reformed house church, arrived at South Koreas Jeju Island. Thats when they came to be known as Mayflower Church. The name Mayflower comes from the English ship that carried passengers  some of whom were Protestant separatists seeking religious freedom from the Church of England  who traveled to the British colonies in the 17th century.

Pan said the decision to leave China was influenced by a lunch he had with Pastor Wang Yi in 2018. Wang, who is now serving a nine-year sentence as a prisoner for Christ, urged Pan to prepare himself to go to prison as well.

After Wangs arrest, police started monitoring Pan and making in-person visits on a regular basis to intimidate him and other church members.

Eventually, Pan and his church members had to decide whether to leave China or stay. Despite having good jobs in China, they were concerned about raising their children in a godly manner amid communist pressure and indoctrination, Pan shared.

After a year of discussions, they unanimously agreed to leave China, knowing that each Sunday could be their last together, he said.

According to the Midland, Texas-based ChinaAid, which monitors human rights violations inside China, the Christians decision to flee China was also related to the ongoing interrogations they endured during the Hong Kong protests in 2019. Even though members of the church did not participate in the Hong Kong protests, they faced tremendous pressure and were interrogated by authorities in Shenzhen, which is near Hong Kong.

The Wall Street Journal reported in June 2021 that the Chinese Christian families wanted to resettle in the U.S. A couple of church members who decided to return to China after fleeing to South Korea had faced retribution. Their homes were raided by police who confiscated Christian books and electronic devices and monitored and restricted their movements.

Members of the church have applied for refugee status with the U.N., but are still awaiting approval from the office in Thailand, said ChinaAid, which is assisting the 64 Chinese Christians now living in Thailand, while Freedom Seekers International in Tyler is seeking sponsors for their resettlement to the U.S.

Earlier this month, ChinaAid said Southern Baptist congregations and other churches in East Texas have pledged to sponsor the resettlement of the exiled Christians.

In the meantime, Pan said he and the Mayflower Church members are instructing their children to follow Christ as they wait to see what the future holds for their lives. Pan added that he's hopeful that someday the persecution would end and they could safely return to China, but it's unknown if that will ever be possible.

Open Doors USA, which monitors the persecution of Christians in over 60 countries, estimates that China has more than 97 million Christians, many of whom worship in unregistered or illegal underground churches.

The five state-sanctioned religious groups in China are the Buddhist Association of China, the Chinese Taoist Association, the Islamic Association of China, the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.

Even the organizations affiliated with the five authorized religions can be subject to surveillance and monitoring.

In 2018, the communist regime released a document titled Chinas Policies and Practices on Protecting Freedom of Religious Belief. It declared that Chinese faith communities should adhere to the direction of localizing the religion, practice the core values of socialism, develop and expand the fine Chinese tradition and actively explore the religious thought which accords with China's national circumstances.
California church denies working with gov't officials to surveil lockdown-defying Calvary Chapel

A Silicon Valley church is denying any assertion that it worked in tandem with county officials to spy on a neighboring Calvary Chapel church that defied lockdown orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to court documents obtained by investigative journalist David Zweig, enforcement officers with Santa Clara County began spying on the congregation at Calvary Chapel San Jose and reported intimate details about their worship, prayer and other church meetings after Pastor Mike McClure defied social distancing orders and reopened the church.

At the height of the pandemic, the church  now known as Calvary Christian Fellowship (CCF)  and McClure were held in contempt and fined for violating a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction for holding in-person worship services in 2020 and 2021.

After CCF and McClure ignored the county's cease-and-desist letters for defying several state and county guidelines on indoor gatherings, officers with the county's Business Compliance Unit reported "observing at least 100 unmasked people gathered inside, not distancing, and with some of them singing."

Beginning in August 2020, the surveillance operation included "stakeouts, forced in-person monitoring of prayer groups and other intimate activities, and tracking the cellular mobility data of churchgoers," according to Zweig.

After an initial visit to the church on Aug. 23, compliance officers attended and left a service to write up a citation for CCF for violating masking, distancing and other guidelines. Upon returning to deliver the citation, the officers were instructed to leave the property and were prevented from returning on subsequent visits, according to documents.

The county's compliance unit, the documents allege, made a deal with an adjacent church to use their location as a base camp to surveil CCF. That location has been identified as Central Church of Christ, located in a lot just north of CCF.

From that adjacent location, county officers frequently worked in pairs and were able to conduct multiple stakeouts and observe CCF staff and attendees "by peering at them through a chainlink fence from the adjacent property," according to the report.

On one occasion, officers watched as "greeters welcomed attendees into the building" and noted, "members of the public entering the church were not wearing face coverings, and none of the greeters were wearing face coverings."

The report also noted volunteers directing traffic while unmasked, and even acts of affection among the congregation were jotted down.

"None of these traffic directors or greeters wore face coverings, and both [enforcement officers] ... witnessed some greeters hug congregants, who also were not wearing face coverings, as they arrived."

Alexander Tullis, minister at Central Church of Christ, told The Christian Post that while court documents "seem to suggest" the church was working with Santa Clara County, that's not the whole story.

"While certain members, even in leadership, may have individually allowed this to take place unofficially, I and the rest of leadership came together soon after and officially asked such surveillances be stopped immediately," Tullis said.

The county complied with the request in October 2020 and ceased all surveillance activity from the location.

Tullis, however, denied the assertion that Central Church of Christ was "willingly working in tandem with the county."

"Any suggestion that we were somehow willingly working in tandem with the county for the purposes of observing Calvary Chapel are false," he added.

Officers also watched livestream services on YouTube, where people were observed "singing and playing instruments without face coverings."

The report also noted the Santa Clara County health department used geo-tracking data firm SafeGraph, which aggregates data on a reported 47 million mobile devices across the U.S.

Using data on points of interest  what the firm calls POIs  county officials were able "to track how many people were attending Calvary Chapel on any given day" by setting a virtual boundary, or geofence, around the CCF property, according to documents cited by Zweig.

Neither Santa Clara County nor CCF responded to CP's request for comment.

Last August, a three-judge panel on California's 6th District Court of Appeals ruled CCF does not have to pay over $200,000 in fines for violating gathering restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The panel reversed a Dec. 17, 2020, order requiring the church to pay $33,000 for violating Santa Clara County's Nov. 2, 2020, restraining order forbidding the church from holding indoor gatherings with more than 100 people.

The restraining order was issued after the church failed to abide by guidelines on Oct. 13 of that year.

The guidance exempted secular establishments such as schools, train stations, airports, medical facilities, stores and restaurants from the new requirements.

The court decision also reversed an additional $22,000 in fines imposed on the church for violating the Nov. 2, 2020, restraining order and a Feb. 16, 2021, order of contempt imposing monetary sanctions on the church and its pastors totaling nearly $200,000.

The panel decision repeatedly cited U.S. Supreme Court rulings when justifying the decision to reverse the fines imposed on Calvary Chapel.
Hillsong Church lost $2.6M on defunct Dallas, Atlanta campuses: report

Hillsong Church invested $2.6 million in two campuses it was forced to abandon in Dallas, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia, in 2021 and 2022, data from a whistleblower's report on the global network reviewed by The Christian Post shows.

Less than two weeks after Reed Bogard abruptly resigned as lead pastor of the now-defunct Hillsong Dallas in January 2021, an internal investigation commissioned by Hillsong Global showed that the married father of three was accused of rape by a junior female staffer with whom he had a monthslong affair while serving at Hillsong NYC years earlier.

Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston, who was also forced to resign a year later due to misconduct, revealed in April 2021 that Reed Bogard and his wife, Jess, had allegedly used church funds lavishly.

Despite the short lifespan of Hillsong Dallas, which was started in 2019, the whistleblower's report made public by Andrew Wilkie, an independent member of the Australian Parliament, through parliamentary privilege on March 9, revealed that Hillsong Church spent $2.8 million AUD, or $1,861,454, on the campus using donations from other Hillsong churches around the world.

According to the report: "Each global Hillsong Church must pay 5% of their total tithe income to 'Hillsong Global'  which is receipted into either the bank account of Hillsong International in Australia or Hillsong Global LLC in the USA. Most of the expensive travel and other excessive expenses are paid from 'Hillsong Global.'"

Hillsong Global, the report explains, also helps fund new global church plants and assists struggling ones financially. Hillsong Dallas and Hillsong Atlanta were recipients of funding from these donations.

"[Evidence] shows the 5% tithes contributions from each global church in the 2022 budget. It's not clear if the congregation members who tithe to these Hillsong churches in global locations such as London, Netherlands, Spain, France, etc. know or understand that the sacrificial gifts they make to their 'local church' are being used to run both the operations of 'Hillsong Global' (including their luxury board retreats and other luxury travel), as well the operational deficits and start-up costs of new Hillsong Church plants in other global locations such as Monterrey, Atlanta, Dallas, and Israel," notes the report, before citing the sizeable investments made in the two defunct church campuses.

"Hillsong 'invested' over $2.8M AUD into the Dallas, USA campus from these 5% global church tithes  a campus that was eventually shuttered due to leadership issues and financial mismanagement," the report adds.

When Sam Collier, the first black lead pastor of a Hillsong church, announced he was stepping down from his role at Hillsong Atlanta less than a year after an exciting launch in June 2021, he cited the ongoing scandals plaguing the church and its founder.

Some of the spending habits of the money managers at Hillsong Atlanta were questioned in the report. When contacted for comment about the report by CP, Colliers team did not respond.

Although Hillsong Atlanta was intending to commence operations with only 5 staff members, $18.8k was allocated for the staff picnic/retreat. Yet, zero was allocated to CityCare Program Costs and zero for Bibles and Literature, the report notes.

In total, Hillsong Church invested $762,000 into Hillsong Atlanta, including $145,000 for Colliers salary.

When Sam Collier decided to separate from Hillsong in early 2022 due to the Brian Houston scandal, the $762k USD Hillsong had invested into this fledgling campus was also lost. This included $82.5k in venue break costs, the report says.

Hillsong Atlantas Year One budget was approved with an operating deficit of $608,646. This included a salary of USD 145K for Senior Pastor Sam Collier (more than twice of the salary of the COO), Sunday Catering expenses of $60k, and executive meals, travel and accommodation totaling $43k.
Vermont permits woman from another state to end her life via assisted suicide

An elderly woman dying from cancer can die by assisted suicide in Vermont even though she doesn't live in the state, according to a settlement agreement for a federal lawsuit challenging the residency requirement in the state's medical-aid-in-dying law.

Lynda Bluestein, a 75-year-old woman from Bridgeport, Connecticut, was diagnosed with Stage 3 fallopian tube cancer in March 2021. Depending on the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments, the prognosis is that Bluestein has anywhere from six months to three years to live.

While the retired public health professional does not wish to die, she wants to know if she can seek physician-assisted suicide in Vermont, which Connecticut does not allow.

Under Vermont's Patient Choices and Control at the End of Life Act, patients can receive lethal medication to end their lives if they have an illness that is likely to kill them within six months. Other parts of the law mandate that the patient must provide an oral and written request and obtain a second opinion from another physician. The law also requires patients to be a resident of Vermont.

Bluestein and Dr. Diana Barnard, a Vermont physician, reached a settlement with state officials in a federal lawsuit that asserted that the residency requirement violated the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal treatment.

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court in Burlington in August 2022, with Vermont Gov. Phillip Brian Scott, Attorney General Susanne Young, Vermont Commissioner of Health Mark Levine, and Executive Director of Vermont Board of Medical Practice David K. Herlihy listed as defendants.

The lawsuit was filed on the plaintiffs' behalf by Compassion & Choices, a group that "expands options and empowers everyone to chart their end-of-life journey." The organization announced the settlement in a Tuesday statement.

"I was so relieved to hear of the settlement of my case that will allow me to decide when cancer has taken all from me that I can bear," Bluestein said. "The importance of the peace of mind knowing that I will now face fewer obstacles in accessing the autonomy, control, and choice in this private, sacred, and very personal decision, about the end of my life is enormous."

The lawsuit noted that the death of Bluestein's mother from cancer in 1979 had a "profound effect" on Bluestein, who claims her mother died in "agonizing and needless pain."

She also later witnessed her father die from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a friend suffering from lung cancer seeking doctor-assisted suicide "struggle" with the residency requirement.

Due to these experiences, Bluestein wants to have the option to end her life and "secure a peaceful death" if her "suffering has become too unbearable," according to the lawsuit.

According to the settlement, Bluestein may utilize Vermont's law to end her life as long as she meets the other requirements, with the defendants agreeing not to enforce the residency aspect of the law.

"If Ms. Bluestein seeks to invoke the Act, she will comply with all requirements of the Act, and fill and use any prescriptions she may receive, in Addison County Vermont," the settlement reads.

The agreement also stated that the "the Vermont Department of Health will support repealing the residency requirement contained in the Act if a bill to repeal the residency requirement is proposed."

A bill to repeal the residency requirement in Vermont's Patient Choices and Control at the End of Life Act, H.190, passed the state House of Representatives on Feb. 17.

In a Thursday interview with The Christian Post, Mary Hahn Beerworth, executive director of the Vermont Right to Life Committee, expressed concern that the legislation would turn the state into a destination for people looking to end their lives. She believes people with illnesses are not "dying in pain," highlighting palliative care as an option for people like Bluestein who are facing serious or terminal illnesses.

The pro-life advocate provided a copy of her testimony before the House, which outlines her concerns about the bill. Beerworth questioned whether the state would be held liable if the drugs used to end a patient's life were to fail.

"To be clear, Vermont Right to Life opposed the underlying concept behind assisted suicide and opposes the move to remove the residency requirement as there are still no safeguards that protect vulnerable patients from coercion," Beerworth testified.

As CP reported last May, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed S.74 into law, allowing physicians to prescribe patients lethal drugs via remote consultation. The bill also removed the 48-hour waiting period between when the physician writes the prescription and the patient uses it.

The previous law required patients to make two in-person visit requests 15 days apart to a prescribing physician. They also had to visit another consulting physician to make a written request, and then they had to wait 48 hours after receiving a prescription for lethal drugs before they could use it.
Raymond Arroyo laments push to erase stories of US heroes: 'We ignore history at our own peril'

Raymond Arroyo believes it's of the utmost importance to remember history and share it with children  especially as society increasingly seeks to erase stories of American figures that left an undeniable impact on the United States.

We ignore history at our own peril, Arroyo, a bestselling author and the host of EWTNs "The World Over," told The Christian Post. He lamented that increasingly, people seem to think there is something flawed about the history of the past, that they are better than their past.

Im not sure thats true, he said. I don't think we're any better than anybody else. In fact, I think, in some ways, we're a lot worse. So it's important to mark history and abide by these lessons.

We're part of a chain here. We're not isolated in our own little moment, he added. We are part of the people who brought us to this point. And it's important for us to know them and mark them and revere them or take lessons from the bad choices, the bad decisions they made. When you don't do that, you suffer those things again and again and again.

Fueled by the belief that the lives and accomplishments of historic American figures need to be remembered, Arroyo penned a childrens picture book series titled Turnabout Tales. His first installment in the series is based on the younger years of inventor Thomas Alva Edison.

I wanted to create this Turnabout Tale series because it was a way of reintroducing young and old people to these American lives, great lives, lives well lived. And I think we risk something if we ignore them or forget them. The remembrance of great lives furnishes not only with a marker of who these people were, but the lessons and the wisdom that they gained are things we need to surpass their example to continue growing, he said.

Titled The Unexpected Light of Thomas Alva Edison, Arroyos book highlights the support of Edisons mother, Nancy Edison, who understood Thomas had a special curiosity and went on to school him at home to help expand his worldview and understanding of all things nature and science.

When researching Edisons life, Arroyo said he was struck by a quote the inventor once said: Edison, later in life, said, My mother was the making of me, he recalled. She let me follow my bent, and if it weren't for her appreciation and her faith in me at a critical moment, in my experience, I should never become an inventor. Edison even opened up an invention factory in 1876 to honor his mother after her unexpected death.

The illustrated book touches on how Edisons curiosity often got him into trouble: If he were alive today, he would probably have been diagnosed with ADHD, Arroyo noted, adding that Edison was thrown out of school at a young age.

The teacher said, he cant be taught, the author said. And Nancy, who wasnt an educator, said, No, there's a spark in my boy; he's curious. I'll take him home and homeschool him myself. And that's what she does. And that, by the way, is the last formal schooling of Thomas Edison.



But what Nancy Edison did, Arroyo said, was accommodate the learning to suit her child. Edisons struggle with deafness at an early age also compelled him to become a compulsive reader  and his mother introduced him to the classics, as well as scientific books and books about electricity.

Edison was so hyper-focused on his experiments he would nap on the shelves of his lab; he would move the beakers and materials away, nap for a few hours, roll off the shelf and continue his experiments, Arroyo said. He didn't want to go home. He was so intent on solving them. But the genius of that mind was he could keep multiple puzzles active at the same time. He could work on two or three different things at once.

And it was that incredible curiosity that led to his love of chemistry and the mechanics of the telegraph and eventually led him to invent the phonograph, the motion picture camera, the first voting machine, the light bulb, the electric grid, the dynamos and the alkaline battery.

All of those things would never have been possible were it not for the training of Nancy Edison and the mind of her son, Thomas, Arroyo said.

Most importantly, Nancy Edison taught her son to learn from failure instead of wallowing in discouragement.

Many of us think when we have a crisis, when we have a setback  that's the end of the road, that all is lost, he said. I think it's important to remind young people and slightly older people that these crisis points are sometimes the pathway to your true destiny and what God's really calling you to do.

A father of three, Arroyo said the influence and importance of parental support cannot be underestimated.

We all need loving parents who walk with us and accompany us because only when you're in that close proximity to the child will you know what makes them tick, what their interests are, what their triggers are, and how they learn best, and every child learns differently, he said.

It's not about what you do. It's about remaining close to your child, he stressed. Nancy Edison was standing by Thomas Edison. There's a reason, in his old age, he said she was the making of him. Its not what you teach them; its that youre there for them and give them the confidence to teach and grow and be their own person, to find their own vocation. That's what she did.

Arroyos book also includes an author's note and bibliography for further reading. A Teaching Guide and Activity Guide will also be available for free download to parents and educators at www.zonderkidz.com.

The journalist said there will be more installments in his new series, and all will feature stories of great lives who made a lasting impact on society. The goal of the series, Arroyo said, is to encourage children to pursue their dreams and learn from their failures  and equip parents to guide and nurture their childrens gifts.

I'm hoping to make a positive contribution and remember these great lives and not only what intrigued people about them and the lessons that are furnished there, he said.
Couple accuse fertility clinic of 'falsifying records' after baby is born with cancer gene: lawsuit

A California couple is suing a fertility clinic they claim "falsified records" to conceal an error that led to the implantation of an embryo "with stomach-cancer mutation" that could lead to their child having cancer or an "early death."

Jason and Melissa Diaz, who married in 2018, both desired to have children of their own but were concerned about passing on a genetic mutation for cancer.

Melissa Diaz carries a BRCA-1 mutation, increasing her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. And Jason, who carries a mutation of the CDH1 gene, which means that individuals with this mutation have a high risk of developing stomach cancer, himself underwent gastrectomy surgery in 2018 after chemotherapy proved unsuccessful. Neither parent wanted to pass on their predisposition for cancer and had hoped to eradicate it for future generations in their family.

According to a copy of a lawsuit provided to The Christian Post, instead of conceiving a baby naturally, the couple decided to try having a baby via IVF to avoid passing on the genetic risk of cancer. After researching their options, the couple settled on the Huntington Reproductive Center, which operates nine locations in Southern California. Owned by the Chinese

corporation Jinxin Fertility, it's purportedly one of the largest fertility clinics in the world and is ranked first among all [assisted reproductive services] providers in

the United States, the suit adds.

During a 2018 meeting at the fertility clinic, the Diazes claim they were clear about not wanting to pass on these genetic mutations to their child, according to the lawsuit. Melissa Diaz underwent several egg-retrieval procedures, creating five embryos. An embryo without either mutation was created in August 2020, but Diaz miscarried.

Although the remaining four embryos all carried the CDH1 gene and two also carried the BRCA-1 gene, the Diazes claim they were misled to believe that one of the male embryos had tested negative for CDH1 after undergoing preimplantation genetic testing.

In September 2021, the parents welcomed a baby boy, and their families shared their joy, and held a giant party to celebrate eliminating the CDH1 mutation from the family line. The family believed the parents had broken the curse of cancer.

The joy was short-lived, however, according to the lawsuit. In July 2022, the parents decided to try for a second baby before Melissa Diaz had her ovaries removed due to her risk of ovarian cancer.

After contacting an IVF coordinator to obtain a copy of the embryology report to decide which embryo they could implant next, the couple discovered their son had both of his parents unwanted gene mutations. The genetic testing report also had handwritten notations next to each baby and showed that their newborn son had the CDH1-gene mutation and there were no remaining embryos  male or female  who only had the BRCA-1 mutation.

The coordinator allegedly did not respond for several days after Melissa Diaz asked for clarification about whether she was sent the wrong report. Eventually, an employee from the fertility clinic called the couple and said the facility had made a serious mistake. The mother requested to see her medical records and claims the clinic produced an altered copy of the genetic testing report that did not show the handwritten citations noting which embryo had been implanted and the sex of each child.

Adam Wolf, the Diazes attorney, confirmed in a statement to CP that the couple does not plan to use the remaining embryos since each one has a genetic predisposition to have stomach cancer.

A spokeswoman for Huntington Reproductive Center told CP in a statement that the staff empathize with the familys situation and that the clinic stands by its medical employees' professionalism and expertise.

However, the patients associated with the case sought genetic testing and genetic counseling outside of HRC Fertility, and with an outside party; they wished to have a male embryo transferred, which we carried out according to the familys explicit wishes and in accordance with the highest level of care, the spokeswoman added. We offer a variety of fertility procedures so all families, regardless of challenges, can have the opportunity to become parents. We have successfully helped thousands of individuals, couples and families become loving parents, including the patients involved in this story.

In the suit, the couple's stated fear is that in the future, their son will undergo untold pain and suffering due to the clinics misconduct and would possibly need surgery in the future after developing stomach cancer and would "require a total stomach-removal surgery or both."

Jennifer Lahl, founder and president of the Center for Bioethics and Culture, who opposes both IVF and surrogacy, told CP that fertility clinics are in the business of making money, and they do this by promising couples the perfect baby, ordered to their specifications.

In this case, the Diaz family understandably were concerned about passing on the father's genetic disease to their child, Lahl said. This particular clinic promised that they would test the embryos and not implant any that carried this particular trait. Unfortunately, errors were made.

Once we move to making new human life in the lab, human hands are involved that can make human errors, she continued. How often do errors occur is hard to know. The only errors we typically hear about are those that are discovered.



David Davis, a medical research analyst for Focus on the Family, a Christian organization, also commented on the case, noting that reproductive technologies cannot create embryos "guaranteed to be free of certain genes or traits."

"The only way a couple undergoing IVF could be sure to avoid having a child with cancer genes such as BRCA-1 or CDH1 would be to employ preimplantation genetic diagnosis," Davis told CP in a statement on Monday. The Diazes took that step by getting preimplantation genetic testing.

"PGD, of course, does not really eliminate these genes. It merely determines which embryos carry the affected genes," he added. "Embryos that do not carry the genes for cancer are judged worthy of life, while embryos carrying these genes are destroyed."

Davis also raised concerns about IVF practices that create numerous embryos that are then discarded, destroyed for scientific research, or frozen indefinitely. Davis argued that this treats "human life as something that can just be thrown away."

He noted, however, that some moral objections to IVF "diminish" when doctors only create the number of embryos that can be safely implanted in the mothers uterus.

"We believe this is a crucial means of avoiding the most glaringly unethical consequences of IVF and are convinced that fertility specialists should adopt this approach to be certain that young human lives will be protected."
Bishop Lamor Whitehead allegedly faked bank records to finance NJ mansion

Just over two months after he was charged with fraud, extortion and lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Brooklyn Bishop Lamor Whitehead of Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries has been accused of faking bank records in order to buy his mansion in Paramus, New Jersey.

The 44-year-old pastor has been fending off fraud allegations since he made headlines last summer when he and his church were robbed of jewelry he claimed was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

An indictment cited by the New York Post said Whitehead allegedly fabricated bank records for AMS LLC, from at least in or about October 2018 up to and including  February 2019, in an effort to obtain a mortgage in excess of $1.3 million to fund [his] purchase of a home in Paramus, New Jersey.

Even though the account had less than $10, Whitehead allegedly made the account appear to have more than $2 million.

Dawn Florio, the pastors lawyer, told the New York Daily News that her client disputes the charge.

Lamor Whitehead will be pleading not guilty when he is arraigned on the [superseding] indictment and denies those charges, Florio said.

In December, an indictment unsealed by Damian Williams, United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, assistant director in charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, charged Whitehead with defrauding one of his parishioners out of $90,000 from her retirement savings, and attempting to extort and defraud a businessman, and lying to the FBI about the number of telephones he has.

Investigators allege that after Whitehead induced one of his parishioners to invest approximately $90,000 of her retirement savings with him, he spent her money on luxury goods and other personal expenses. They further allege that he extorted a businessman for $5,000, then tried to get the businessman to loan him $500,000 and give him a stake in certain real estate transactions in exchange for favorable actions from the New York City government.

The Brooklyn preacher was charged with two counts of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison each. He was also charged with one count of extortion, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of making material false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Whitehead pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Manhattan federal court and was released on $500,000 bond.

The controversial pastor was previously arrested in 2006 for a $2 million identity-theft scam and served some five years in prison but was released in 2013. He maintains that he was "falsely convicted and arrested for a crime I did not commit."
Church George Washington helped construct honors 'spiritual legacy' of enslaved builders

A historic church in Virginia that the nation's first President George Washington helped design recently installed a pair of plaques to honor those who built the structure, including those who were enslaved.

Pohick Episcopal Church of Lorton, a congregation that traces its origins back to 1724 and its current building to 1774, installed the two plaques on Tuesday near the doors on the structure's western wall.

The Very Rev. Lynn Ronaldi, rector at Pohick Church, told The Christian Post on Thursday that the congregation wanted to honor, by name, all who contributed to the construction of our church, and to our ongoing spiritual legacy.

We had gathered the names of many individuals, through our Vestry Minutes and Fairfax County Courthouse records. We have also long surmised that this church was built in part by enslaved labor as well but we had no evidence, Ronaldi explained.

I asked Pohick docent Dick Hamly to conduct research to locate those names as well as the names we already had. With the aid of the very helpful Fairfax County staff, Dick and his team located the names of several enslaved persons on site during the construction of Pohick Church. They mostly belonged to the person on whose land the church was constructed.

The church installed two plaques for the occasion. One has a paragraph recognizing those who built the church, while the other lists the names that researchers found.

In total, there were 73 individuals named as contributing to the construction of Pohick, with 27 of those named being enslaved. According to Ronaldi, while there might be additional slaves who were involved, those named on the plaque were the only ones recorded in county records.

I hope that people who see these plaques recognize that Pohick Church is grateful for all who contributed to the construction of this house of worship, from the church leaders to artisans, craftsmen and merchants, and the indentured and enslaved persons as well, said Ronaldi.

From all the records to which we have access, it appears that it took a village to build Pohick Church, which remains a visible sign of the Christian values of Americas founding fathers and mothers who were spiritually formed here.

Known as the Mother Church of Northern Virginia, Pohick was originally founded in 1724, with its name deriving from its proximity to Pohick Creek.

George Washington served as a vestryman for Pohick for 23 years, and both surveyed and proposed the tract of land where the present-day church stands.

George Mason, a wealthy landowner and friend of Washingtons who drafted the influential Virginia Declaration of Rights in May 1776 also served as a vestryman for Pohick.
Muslim leaders ban church construction in Indonesia: 'Against state regulations'

SURABAYA, Indonesia  Muslims in a village in northeastern Indonesias portion of Borneo Island prohibited a church from constructing a worship building, sources said.

Local leaders of Selumit village, in Tarakan City in North Kalimantan Province, stated in a Feb. 28 letter that Mawar Sharon Christian Churchs proposed construction was against state regulations since it would be located amid the predominantly Muslim Tidung tribes, according to news outlet Kayantara.com.

Kristianto Triwibowo S.Pi, coordinator of the Indonesian Christian Student Movement (Gerakan Mahasiswa Kristen Indonesia, or GMKI), Region VI Chapter, reportedly said the ban defies the Indonesian constitution and the countrys philosophy of Pancasila, the governments guiding policy of unity and social justice for all of Indonesias various peoples.

The state guarantees the right to worship and embrace the religion of all people, Kristianto said in a press statement on March 7. Instead of rejecting the services of the Mawar Sharon Church (GMS), which should not happen, we must tolerate each other and maintain diversity.

The GMKI encouraged the North Kalimantan and Tarakan City governments, along with the Ministry of Religion and various state agencies, to fully protect activities of the church, which is registered with the Ministry of Religion.

Church in Malang

In East Java Province, Malang Regency, a church won the right to continue constructing a building after Muslims in Sumberejo village, Gedangan Sub-District initially prohibited it.

Sumberejo village head Abdul Rohman prohibited the construction of the East Java Christian Church (Gereja Kristen Jawi Wetan, or GKJW) after members of the Sumberejo Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) branch requested a ban in a Jan. 20 letter. The church comprises 20 families, said the chairman of the GKJW Supreme Council, the Rev. Natael Hermawan Prianto.

In the local NU branchs letter, area Muslims reportedly recommended against construction to maintain harmonious relationships and the comfort and security of the community.

Pastor Natael, who helped bring together several related parties to resolve the issue, said that talks with the involvement of the Malang Regency Interreligious Communication Forum (Forum Komunikasi Umat Beragama, or FKUB) led to an agreement on March 6 under which residents allowed construction to go forward.

The church construction will surely be continued, he told Morning Star News.

Requirements for obtaining permission to build houses of worship in Indonesia are onerous and hamper the establishment of such buildings for Christians and other faiths, rights advocates say. Indonesias Joint Ministerial Decree of 2006 makes requirements for obtaining permits nearly impossible for most new churches.

Even when small, new churches are able to meet the requirement of obtaining 90 signatures of approval from congregation members and 60 from area households of different religions, they are often met with delays or lack of response from officials. Well-organized radical Muslims secretly mobilize outside people to intimidate and pressure members of minority faiths.

Indonesia ranked 33rd on Christian support organization Open Doors 2023 World Watch List of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Indonesian society has adopted a more conservative Islamic character, and churches involved in evangelistic outreach are at risk of being targeted by Islamic extremist groups, according to Open Doors WWL report.

If a church is seen to be preaching and spreading the Gospel, they soon run into opposition from Islamic extremist groups, especially in rural areas, the report noted. In some regions of Indonesia, non-traditional churches struggle to get permission for church buildings, with the authorities often ignoring their paperwork.
Calling himself a miracle of God, Mayor Eric Adams wants New York City to be a place of faith

Boldly declaring himself an unapologetic man of God and lamenting that Americans have lost their faith, New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a call to local faith leaders to work with him to make the city a place of faith and healing and help introduce faith back into our families.

We must introduce faith and wellness back into our families. And I'm baffled that you could talk about cannabis in schools but not faith. I'm baffled. I'm baffled that we don't understand the importance of it, Adams said at a mental health faith-based summit hosted by the Mayors Office of Faith-Based and Community Partnerships at the International Interfaith Research Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University on Thursday.

That's why we are rolling out in the Department of Education that every child is going to learn mindfulness, breathing exercises, they're gonna learn internal care.

Adams comments come after he made waves at another event last month where he declared that it was a mistake to take prayer out of public schools.

The mayor, who was raised in the Church of God in Christ but now attends mostly nondenominational services, identifies as a Christian.

He told his multifaith audience, which included Christian pastors and mental health professionals, that had it not been for his faith as a child, he would never have been able to escape the dysfunction that once marked his life.

People wonder why I lean into my faith so much. If you only know how broken I have been as a child, and I am just a pure miracle of God, he said, sounding like a pastor delivering a rousing sermon. And every day, just to be able to just rejoice in the fullness of you can take a broken child and turn him into the Mayor of the city of New York. God is real. God is real.

Adams expressed grave concern over the state of hopelessness among Americas youth and argued that the erosion of faith in society is partly to blame.

I am so fearful of what is happening not only to New York City but what's happening to America, he said.

You know, there was a scientific experiment I did as a child in biology class, it was, you think about it, it was a terrible experiment. But it was a reflection of where we are today. It was an experiment where if you placed a frog  in hot water, it would jump out immediately. But if you placed it in cold water and turn up the temperature ever so slightly, it will stay there until it boils itself to death, he added. That is what's happening across our city and country. The temperature, it increases so slightly, that we have normalized the conditions we are facing.

You know,  my greatest probably handicap is that I have a maladjusted personality. I cannot adjust to the dysfunctionality of what's around me.

He said when he visited China, for example, social media such as TikTok feeds positive content to users.

They don't allow the TikTok that our children are looking at. They don't allow it in China. They only have education TikTok. Our babies are waking up every day in the morning, on their way to school, stopping into stores and bodegas, buying gummy bears and Skittles laced with cannabis and sitting inside the classroom, he said.

Little girls across this country are defining themselves through social media, dealing with depression, asking their parents can they have some form of surgical changes to their figure, to having liposuction at 12 and 13 years old. Suicide rates are increasing among 9 and 10 and 11-year-olds. We are seeing the erosion of the foundation of our future. But the temperature is just so low. So slight, Adams continued. Just one Instagram post at a time, one Twitter at a time, one TikTok at a time and we think it's all in fun. Just the other day, a 14-year-old child stabbed his sister multiple times. [She was] 15 years old.

And Adams isnt wrong about the decline of faith in America.

Data from the National Public Opinion Reference Survey conducted by Pew Research Center shows that less than half of American adults pray daily as church membership continues to decline and the ranks of the religiously unaffiliated swells.

The survey results published in late 2021, found that only 45% of U.S. adults say they pray daily compared to 58% who reported doing so in 2007 and 55% who said they prayed daily in 2014.

Some 32% said they seldom or never pray, which is close to the 29% of U.S. adults who identify as religious nones  people who describe themselves as atheists, agnostics or nothing in particular, the study says.

The nations share of religious nones was 6% higher than it was five years earlier and 10% higher than it was a decade ago.

And people asked me over and over again. Why do you keep saying it's time to pray? It's time to pray. We have moved our faith-based leaders outside of what we should be doing together, Adams said.

Our challenge it's not economics. Our challenge is not finance. Our challenge is faith. People have lost their faith. And when you can take a broken child, one that was dyslexic, arrested, rejected, and now he's elected as the Mayor of the city of New York. That's what we are attempting to accomplish in this city, he added. A man of God is the mayor of the city of New York. And I'm unapologetic about that.
Only half of US pastors are 'very satisfied' with their vocations: study

Only half of U.S. pastors are very satisfied with their vocation, marking a steep decline in pastoral satisfaction over the past decade, according to a study released by Barna Group.

The research released Wednesday is based on a survey of 584 Protestant pastors conducted from Sept. 6-16, 2022, as part of Barnas new Resilient Pastor Initiative examining the phenomenon of church leaders feeling burnt out, lonely or unwell. The results reveal that just 52% of respondents described themselves as very satisfied with their vocation as a pastor.

The share of pastors with a high level of satisfaction regarding their vocation has dropped 20 points since 2015 when 72% of pastors characterized themselves as very satisfied. Barnas research attributes the growing discontent among pastors to the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing lockdowns that led to societal upheaval and restrictions on religious worship.

Our research shows that todays pastors are deeply struggling with their sense of calling in the wake of COVID. In 2020, two-thirds (67%) of pastors surveyed considered themselves very satisfied.

The percentage of pastors who feel very satisfied with their ministry at their current church also declined in the same period, from 53% in 2015 to 47% in 2020 and 38% in 2022. While two-thirds of pastors maintained they felt more confident about their calling compared to when they first entered ministry in 2015, that number dropped to 35% in 2020 and remains unchanged in 2022.



When breaking down the results by demographic subgroup, the research shows that a drop in the number of senior Protestant pastors calling themselves very satisfied is driven by young pastors. Only 35% of pastors younger than 45 said they were very satisfied with their vocation in 2022, while a majority (52%) said they were just somewhat satisfied. Eleven percent told pollsters they were not too satisfied with their vocation, and the remaining 2% were not at all satisfied.

By contrast, 58% of respondents aged 45 and older reported feeling very satisfied with their vocations, while 37% were somewhat satisfied. The share of older pastors who were not too satisfied (13%) and not at all satisfied (2%) were nearly identical to the percentages of younger pastors who said the same.

Two-thirds of pastors (66%) younger than 45 have gone through a period where they significantly doubted their calling, while 31% indicated they had not had such an experience. Among older pastors, just over half (51%) had felt self-doubt about their calling, while 45% had not.

The overwhelming majority of pastors who have considered quitting (72%) experienced self-doubt about their ministry, while 25% have not. A narrow majority (52%) of pastors who have not contemplated quitting have not had self-doubts, while 44% said they have.

The research also noted differences in satisfaction between female and male pastors. A majority of male pastors (52%) said they felt just as confident about their calling compared to when they first entered ministry, along with a plurality of female pastors (42%). A higher share of female pastors (25%) saw themselves as less confident about their calling than their male counterparts (12%). Roughly equal shares of male (35%) and female pastors (33%) maintained that their level of confidence in their calling has risen over the years.

Roughly half of the pastors who have considered quitting (48%) have maintained the same level of confidence in their calling over the years, while 29% have seen their confidence diminish. On the other hand, just 5% of pastors who have not contemplated a career change have witnessed a decline in their confidence in their calling, while a majority (52%) have seen their level of confidence remain steady. Substantial shares of pastors who have considered quitting (22%) and those who have not (43%) have seen their confidence increase.

Even 57% of pastors who have considered quitting were somewhat satisfied with their jobs, while 26% of those who have contemplated a career change were not at all satisfied. The overwhelming majority of respondents who have not considered quitting (69%) were very satisfied with their vocations, as 30% were somewhat satisfied. An additional 1% who were not too satisfied with their vocations have not considered quitting, while none of those who are not at all satisfied reported that they had not considered abandoning their position.

Previously released data also collected by Barna Group in September measured the share of pastors who had given serious consideration to quitting being in full-time ministry in the past year at 42%.
Pro-life pregnancy center suffers vandalism less than a year after firebombing

A pregnancy care center firebombed last year has been vandalized again as concerns about pro-abortion violence and the federal governments handling of the matter persist.

CompassCare, a network of pro-life pregnancy centers in upstate New York that gained national attention after its Buffalo office was firebombed last June amid a wave of pro-abortion violence, released a statement Thursday announcing its Buffalo location was vandalized again Wednesday night.

Video footage shows a lone perpetrator using red spray paint to deface the facilitys sign with the word liars.

CompassCare CEO Rev. Jim Harden called the latest attack on his facility an example of "domestic terror."

Reiterating his previous assertions that the federal government has not responded adequately to the wave of vandalism targeting pro-life organizations, Harden insists that "those in the FBI and [Department of Justice] who refuse to treat it as such need to be fired and investigated."

"This is an act of intimidation and a violation of the [Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act]," he argues. "America needs to return to a civilized order."

CompassCare suggested the vandalism is consistent with "typical Antifa/Jane's Revenge fashion."

Last year, following the leaked draft of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, a group known as Jane's Revenge declared "open season" on pro-life organizations. The collective of abortion activists has taken responsibility for multiple instances of pro-abortion violence, including the June 7 firebombing of CompassCare.

"Maoist Antifa sympathizers oddly insist that Christian pro-life pregnancy centers mislead and enslave women," CompassCare claimed in its statement, adding that they subscribe to a "political philosophy that is anti-Christian and anti-capitalist, wrongly believing women are forced to have their babies thereby becoming a permanent socio-economic underclass."

Harden contends that "CompassCare dignifies women with true choice."

"[A]nd there's nothing Antifa can do to make us stop," Harden said. "All people are made in the image of God and are equally valuable  both the mother and the child. The love of God triumphs over terror."

The wave of attacks against pro-life pregnancy centers, pro-life activist organizations and churches date back to just after Politico's May 2022 publication of the leaked draft U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

The draft decision revealed that the justices were prepared to overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide and declare that the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right to abortion.

The leaked draft and the Dobbs decision released on June 24 sparked violent outrage among some pro-abortion activists. Acts of vandalism have continued since then.

Harden has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of the federal government's response to the criminal acts targeting abortion opponents.

The FBI offered a $25,000 reward in November for information leading to the arrests of those responsible for the firebombing of CompassCare five months after the incident. Harden believes the reward was "nothing more than an attempt to appear evenhanded, bolstering their reputation ahead of more investigations by the House Judiciary Committee into the FBI's abdication of duty to investigate violence against pro-life organizations."

"If they are serious about finding the perpetrators, they will offer a $25K reward for each of the 150 pro-life organizations that have been attacked  $3.75 million," he said.

CompassCare partnered with the Thomas More Society to hire private investigators to search for the perpetrators of last year's attack on his charity and those responsible for the vandalism of pro-life pregnancy centers nationwide.

In a previous interview with The Christian Post, Harden characterized his interactions with federal law enforcement as "spotty and in many ways unprofessional and somewhat manipulative."

Harden recalled a conversation he had with an FBI investigator on the day of the Dobbs decision, where he asked "if federal law enforcement had allocated any additional resources to protect life organizations because Jane's Revenge, the pro-abortion terrorist group that firebombed our facility, was promoting a night of rage." Harden told CP that the official told him that "he didn't have to answer to us and  he wouldn't talk to me again."

Harden said he didn't hear back from the FBI until after lawmakers sent a letter to the law enforcement agency expressing concern about the response to the vandalism.

"Three hours later, after that letter was released, I got a text message from the FBI. They wanted to talk about how we were portraying the FBI in the media," he said.

"They didn't want to talk about the investigation. They didn't want to talk about the perpetrators. They wanted to talk about their reputation," he lamented.

Within two months of the attack on CompassCare that sent two firefighters to the hospital, CompassCare's Buffalo facility was rebuilt and ready for usage, thanks to pro-life supporters.

"We had to replace all the windows, all the doors, the entire ceiling, all the flooring, many walls had to be redone," he said.

He described the swift reopening as "nothing short of a miracle."

Despite Harden's displeasure, not all criminal acts targeting pro-life centers have gone unprosecuted.

In January, a federal grand jury indicted two activists  Caleb Freestone, 27, and Amber Smith-Stewart, 23  for vandalizing pro-life pregnancy centers in Florida. Under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, they were charged for engaging "in a conspiracy to prevent employees of reproductive health services facilities from providing those services."

The activists were accused of "using threats of force to intimidate and interfere with the employees of a reproductive health services facility in Winter Haven because those employees were providing or seeking to provide reproductive health services" as well as "intentionally damaging and destroying the facility's property because the facility provides reproductive health services." If convicted, they face up to 12 years in prison and fines of up to $350,000.

Earlier this month, Attorney General Merrick Garland was questioned during a U.S. Senate hearing about the apparent disparity in treatment between pro-life protesters at abortion clinics and pro-choice activists who have vandalized pregnancy care centers.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, claimed from 2022 to early 2023, the Justice Department charged 34 pro-life activists for blocking access to or vandalizing abortion clinics while two individuals have been charged for vandalizing pro-life churches and pregnancy care centers.

Garland assured that the FACE Act applies equally to efforts to damage, blockade clinics, whether they are a pregnancy resource center or they are an abortion center.

You are quite right, there are many more prosecutions with respect to the blocking of the abortion centers, but that is generally because those actions are taken with photography at the time, during the daylight, Garland said. Seeing the person who did it is quite easy.

"Those who are attacking the pregnancy resource centers, which is a horrid thing to do, are doing this at night, in the dark," he added.

Stressing that federal law enforcement has put out rewards, Garland stated that the Justice Department and the FBI have made outreach to Catholic and other organizations to ask for their help in identifying the people who are doing this.
Texas church must pay over $30K for firing whistleblower, Labor Dept. rules

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration ordered a Texas church to pay more than $30,000 in damages for firing a whistleblower.

OSHA concluded that New Mount Zion Baptist Church of Dallas wrongfully fired a nutrition specialist in 2021 for voicing concerns about the conditions at the congregation's child care facility.

These concerns included reports of rodents and various bugs in the cafeteria and the kitchen of the child care facility, made worse by a broken air conditioning unit.

In a findings report and preliminary order issued earlier this week, OSHA said that New Mount Zion Baptist owes the whistleblower back pay in the amount of $11,369.76, as well as $20,000 for additional damages, including "for pain and suffering, including emotional, financial, and mental distress."

Additionally, the church is ordered to "make no negative references relating to the facts and circumstances of this complaint to any prospective future employers" and cannot "retaliate or discriminate against Complainant in any manner for instituting or causing to be instituted any proceeding."

OSHA Regional Administrator Eric S. Harbin said in a statement Thursday that "New Mount Zion Baptist Church's actions toward the employee are unacceptable and deeply concerning."

"The existence of rodents and insects in food preparation and serving areas poses a health hazard. The employee had the legal right to express apprehensions about the unhygienic surroundings and should not have been fired for doing so," Harbin stated.

The church has 30 days from the order's issuance to file an objection or request a hearing before the preliminary order becomes finalized.

In May 2021, the whistleblower  who remained unnamed in official documents  was hired by the day care facility as a nutrition specialist, with a base salary of $560 a week.

Soon after being hired, the specialist discovered spiders and insects in food preparation areas. Also, during this time, the air conditioning unit failed and was not fixed until July. While the unit was not working, temperatures in food preparation areas were "very high," which jeopardized the quality of food served to the children.

While the air conditioning unit was being fixed in July, the complainant discovered an infestation of rats, roaches and rat feces in the kitchen.

"Despite positive feedback for his work and no disciplinary actions, shortly after Complinanant began reporting food safety concerns, Complainant was issued two incident/observation letters," the OSHA findings state.

The first came in June 2021 after he complained about the spiders and malfunctioning air conditioning unit, alleging that the complainant violated the dress code by wearing pants that did not cover the knees. The complainant denied the allegations, saying he wore pants that covered the knees and that there was no written dress code policy at the time. Over a week later, a second letter was issued after a staff member observed the complainant lying on a couch.

In August of 2021, the complainant found another rat infestation in the cafeteria near children's sleeping cots. He took pictures and reported them to local authorities. Inspectors were then sent to analyze the building but could not substantiate the complaints. On August 26, a special board meeting was held where the board voted to terminate the complainant.

OSHA contends that the whistleblower's activities were protected. The church alleges that it discharged the whistleblower because he engaged in disrespectful behavior and insubordination, pointing to an incident where he failed to greet the pastor's wife.

"These stated reasons are not supported by the evidence and are not clear and convincing evidence that Respondent would have discharged Complainant absent his protected activity," the OSHA report reads.

OSHA ruled that the whistleblower is "entitled to preliminary reinstatement, back pay with interest, compensatory damages."

"Complainant suffered personal humiliation, mental anguish, and emotional and financial distress when the Respondent terminated his employment," OSHA stated.

.
Notre Dame To Host "Queer Holiness" Event, Most Workers Fear Sharing Religious Views, Vienna Police Warn Of Attack

link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 07:48 07:48

Subscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and Thursday

Top headlines for Friday, March 17, 2023



The University of Notre Dame will host an event titled "Queer Holiness: An Experiential Christian Anthropology" even though Catholic Church teaching labels homosexuality as a sin.



Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed back on President Joe Bidens characterization of legislation banning sex-change surgeries for minors as sinful by sharing graphic images of bodies maimed by such procedures.



A Virginia judge cited a 19th-century law about slave ownership in ruling that human embryos can. legally be considered property or "chattel."

Police in Vienna are warning the public of a threat of an Islamist attack on churches and other places of worship.
Saint Patrick: Whats true and whats legend?

On March 17, people throughout the world celebrate St. Patricks Day as a festive occasion. There are parades, singing, dancing, and toasting, yet how many of the celebrants know why we pay tribute to the man behind the big event?



Each month we receive a publication from The Voice of the Martyrs ministry that educates people on persecuted Christians. Why do they feature someone like the legendary Irishman? Why do they mention uncomfortable words like slavery, suffering and smuggling of children in connection with this famous figure?



In these exciting days of history when reports of revival are surfacing as we repent of sin and turn back to God, consider how an entire nation was transformed by one humble man who wrote the following in his memoir, Confessions: The Lord opened my senses to my unbelief so that, though late in the day, I might remember my many sins and turn to the Lord my God with all my heart.



From this contrition and subsequent consecration to God came a man who impacted the world! Lets examine what is legend and what is true about Saint Patrick.

Legendary lore laid aside

Patrick was not Irish.

As a young man he had no interest in God.

He never drove out any snakes because there were none in Ireland.

His use of a shamrock to teach the Trinity is cute for children, but it's just a myth.

Leprechauns do not exist!

With St. Patrick's Day and all the green color, parades, parties with Irish stew, and Guinness toasts to the luck of the Irish, let's separate what isn't true to focus on the man who transformed a nation. What was behind a man that led Irish celebrants to annually dye the Chicago River green? After all, he died over 1,500 years ago on March 17, AD 461.

The real story

Patrick was born in Scotland around A.D. 387. He was raised in a Christian family, but his interest in God was almost nonexistent. Around the age of 14, he was kidnapped by thugs and taken hostage on a ship to Ireland.

For six years, he was a slave toiling as a shepherd. In desperation, he began to cry out to God, writing in Confessions, "I would pray constantly during the daylight hours" until finally God broke through and revealed Himself in a dream and said, "'Your hunger is rewarded. You are going home. Look, your ship is ready.'"

Patrick departs

He saw the ship and snuck aboard. It was going to Britain. He knew God was taking him back home as he journeyed some 200 miles from the Irish coast!

Patrick finally returned to his family and later entered a monastery and became a minister of the Gospel. Eventually, God led him to go back to the pagan land of Ireland to evangelize the people mired in darkness.

Patrick would face a hostile culture of pagans known for their angry outbursts and violent behavior.

Patrick wrote, "I am ready to be murdered, betrayed, enslaved  whatever may come my way!" In the face of mockery and physical opposition (history records he was beaten by thugs and harassed by Irish royalty), Patrick persevered in proclaiming the Gospel and training converts in their newfound faith.

Jesus revolution

Tens of thousands of Irish were converted and hundreds of churches were established! Thomas Cahill writes in his book, How the Irish Saved Civilization, that this warrior populace "laid down the swords of battle, flung away the knives of sacrifice, and cast away their chains of slavery."

From the fall of Rome, culture was disintegrating on the European continent. Cahill honors Patrick, writing: "The Irish not only were conservators of civilization, but became shapers of the medieval mind, putting their unique stamp on Western culture."

One hundred years after Patrick's death in A.D. 461, multitudes of churches and monasteries remained, training future leaders as a testimony to this mighty man of God. His legacy should make us "green with envy."

May Patrick's courage ignite something in our hearts to reject silence and cowardice in the face of our cultural attacks today. "For the sake of Zion, I will not keep silent  I will not rest until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a lamp that burns" (Isaiah 62:1). Let's follow this world changer in lifestyle evangelism and the courageous proclamation of truth.

Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before

me, Christ beside me, Christ go with me, Christ, to comfort and

restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ before me, Christ in quiet, Christ

in danger, Christ in the hearts of all who love Him.  Saint Patrick
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

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Members of the Dragons of Hope breast cancer survivor/supporter dragon boat team accept a $5,000 contribution towards a fundraising campaign to purchase a new boat. From left, Janice Piper, team member, Suzan Cooper Rochon, owner of Perfect Fit Lingerie and Fashion, Lani Garry, team member, and Janet Twomey, team member.
South Africa: President Ramaphosa to host Belgian Monarch on State Visit

President Cyril Ramaphosa will host a State Visit by His Majesty Prince Philippe and Her Majesty Queen Mathilda of the Kingdom of Belgium from 22 to 27 March in Pretoria.

In a statement on Friday, The Presidency said that the visit, which is the first to South Africa by the Belgian monarchy  is a demonstration of the strong bilateral relations that exist between the two countries.

The State Visit will serve to expand and strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and revitalise economic relations with a focus on trade, foreign direct investment, and tourism.

South Africa and Belgium are also pursuing cooperation in renewable energy and in particular, green hydrogen.

Belgium is one of South Africas most important economic partners and many of South Africas exports enter Europe through the Port of Antwerp, which is the second largest in the European Union, the Presidency said.

South Africa enjoys a healthy trade surplus with Belgium with organic chemicals as the key export, followed closely by diamonds and motor vehicles. Belgian companies are also significant investors in the South African economy.

The Presidency added that Belgium is traditionally among the ten major sources of international tourists to South Africa.

Relations between South Africa and Belgium are managed through a Joint Commission that meets at the level of Deputy Foreign Ministers.

The Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Alvin Botes, hosted the Fourth Meeting of the South Africa  Belgium Joint Commission in Pretoria on 8 November 2022.

King Philippes delegation will comprise political, economic, and academic leadership, including the Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Hadja Lahbib, as well as the Ministers-President and representatives of the five regions of Belgium.

The programme of the monarchs will include official engagements with President Ramaphosa and members of government as well as visits to Johannesburg and Cape Town where they will engage with academia, business, and civil society, and visit historical and cultural sites, the Presidency said. SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-03-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
University students hold special exhibition of paintings of student dormitory cleaner

People's Daily Online) 14:14, March 17, 2023

Wu Lidi, a 48-year-old student dormitory cleaning lady who has a passion for painting, was recently surprised and deeply moved by a special exhibition of her painting works held by students at Nanjing University in Nanjing city, east China's Jiangsu Province.

An exhibition of Wu Lidi's paintings held on the campus of Nanjing University.

The exhibition was named "A Cleaning Lady's Spring". The paintings were Wu's works on a blackboard hanging in the first floor of a student dormitory where she works. The paintings ranged from magnificent natural scenery and the colorful university campus to a gorgeous imaginary world.

During the exhibition, which was held in front of the entrance of a canteen in the university, many students left handwritten messages of appreciation, gratitude and best wishes to Wu. The messages included "Thank you for your blackboard paintings that have accompanied me through four years of my youth," "You have depicted a wonderful world with your painting brush," and "I hope you will stick to what you love."

Photo shows a painting of Wu Lidi.

Wu has never received any professional training in painting. She has had a keen interest in painting since she was young, and often created blackboard newspapers for her class when she was a student.

After she became a cleaner at Nanjing University, her enthusiasm for painting was rekindled since she volunteered to enrich a blackboard newspaper with pictures. The blackboard only had a few characters reading "Welcome Home, because the student who was supposed to create the blackboard newspaper didn't return to school in time.

Photo shows a painting of Wu Lidi.

The attempt became the starting point of Wu's extraordinary journey of life in the university. She has since become increasingly devoted to painting on a blackboard, and learned and practiced painting skills with online resources in her spare time.

As the contents of her paintings changed from simple flowers and plants to complex landscapes, and her painting techniques changed from chalk drawings to watercolor paintings, her paintings became increasingly sophisticated and exquisite, and she became widely known by students of the university, who often refer to her as "a cleaning lady who could have become an artist.

Photo shows a painting of Wu Lidi.

Wu is responsible for cleaning a whole building, and she usually can't finish a day's work before noon. She still tries to find time to create blackboard paintings.

"I take pleasure in painting, so I'm happy to do it," she said. The blackboard is on the first floor, so students can see it whenever they enter and exit the building, she added. "I want to give the students a different feeling, and hope they will feel happy when they see the paintings," Wu added.

Photo shows a painting of Wu Lidi.

Wu is grateful to the students who held the exhibition for her, and said that it is the encouragement from students that has kept her sticking to her hobby.

She will continue to create more paintings that will accompany every lovely student, Wu said.

Wu Lidi paints on a blackboard.

Photo shows Wu Lidi.

Photos from CCTV News, Nanjing University, Modern Express

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
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Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele
CareTech Charitable Foundation received a 7.5m windfall from its private funding partners sale last year, according to recently filed documents, and has spent 3.6m on a property purchase.

The grantmaker, set up by private social care provider CareTech Holdings in 2017, said in its latest annual report that it would invest the funds in a sustainable and diverse income stream.

CareTech Holdings, one of the largest social care providers in the UK, was de-listed from the London Stock Exchange last year when it was bought for around 870m ($1.1bn) by a consortium led by its co-founders.

According to the companys announcement , its charitable arm held 1 million shares in the firm before the consortium, called Bidco, purchased it.

Under Bidco's ownership CareTech intends to continue its support for the CareTech Charitable Foundation and its work supporting individuals with physical and learning disabilities, advancing skills development for the care sector, and supporting local communities, the announcement read.

The charity said in its latest annual report that it received 7.5m from the deal.

Following CareTech Holdings Plc being delisted from the London Stock Exchange, the Foundation received 7.5m proceeds which will be invested in a sustainable and diverse income stream, chair Haroon Sheik wrote in the reports introduction.

CareTech will continue to support the Foundation and, along with investments, this will provide an excellent opportunity for the Foundation to grow and flourish as a powerful independent charity.

CareTech Foundation chief executive Jonathan Freeman told Civil Society News that the charity did not plan to hire fundraisers.

The Foundations Investment Committee has developed a mixed investment approach for the proceeds of the sale of the shares, which we have been finalising and implementing since the completion of the sale, he said,

This includes a spread across a managed portfolio with our external investment managers, a property transaction and also taking advantage of a partial rollover shares opportunity afforded to shareholders in the previous public company.

Together, we expect these investments to provide a more diverse and sustainable income for the Foundation to supplement the companys continued generous support.

3.6m property purchase

CareTech Holdings' sale was approved just before the charity's financial year end, but the bulk of receipts from the transaction were received afterwards. 5.7m is listed "as amounts owed by a related party" due by September 2023.

The charity recorded 2.4m of income in the year to September 2022, up from 1.4m the year prior, with 1.6m coming from CareTech Holdings.

It also received 558,000 from the Care Sector Fundraising Ball and made 141,000 from investments.

The charity employed seven people on average during the year and paid 217,000 in staff costs.

After the year end, the charity purchased a property from CareTech Estates Ltd for 3.6m, which it agreed to lease back to the firm on 16 February 2023.

CareTech Estates is the property holding company which operates on behalf of certain subsidiaries of CareTech Holdings.

sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
The National Emergencies Trust was set up in 2019, after a recommendation from the Charity Commission, to respond to a growing number of crises.

After the Manchester Arena bombing, the Grenfell Tower fire, and the terror attacks in London at Westminster Bridge and London Bridge, there was massive public support for charities responding to the disasters.

Many felt an organisation which took a fast and coordinated approach to raising and sharing funds could be a helpful part of crisis response, and could help tackle instances of fraud.

Mhairi Sharp originally joined as the Trusts chief operating officer and has been its chief executive since September 2020.

Sharp says there was a gap in the market that led to the Trusts creation.

When you describe the Trust, even in the very early days, people always say I can't believe that this doesnt already exist.

From the Army to the charity sector

Sharp had a career as part of the British Army for more than eight years, and after her military career was cut short due to injury, she joined the charity sector, first joining the Jubilee Sailing Trust in 2016.

Her experience in the Army was part of her reason for joining the National Emergencies Trust, as former British Army chair of general staff Richard Dannatt is its chair.

People in the sector can relate to the fact that working in the charity sector is more than a day job  you live and breathe the mission.

For the Trust this of course means supporting people impacted by emergencies, supporting survivors to rebuild their lives, and that is a cause that you can get passionate about quite easily.

The other reason was the opportunity to work with General Lord Dannatt, probably one of the most renowned leaders of our time, the former head of the British Army.

Sharp adds the skills she learnt in the Army are quite transferable. They include the ability to not use too many words when they are not needed, to make decisions quickly, and the confidence to make decisions  which is all really needed in an emergency situation.

Launching its first campaigns

One of the big challenges in the early days of the Trust was all around brand presence.

No one's ever heard of you. Is anyone going to take us seriously? We have a very serious job to do. How do we gain that credibility? How do we raise funds and get them out there equitably?

When the charity launched its first appeal, at four months old, Sharp says attracting donors did not end up seeming to be a problem.

The 100m flowed in, she says. The mission resonated with them, the mission was clear, and they knew the need was there.

Flexible working has enabled us to keep hold of staff

Sharp says being a young charity means there are less barriers to the Trust being an equitable and inclusive organisation.

Youve got no historic policies, no red tape getting in the way, no one to blame, no excuses, and we quite like to lead from the front.

We have got diversity across the team, across the board as well. We promote equality through our recruitment processes  we show the salary and we have got CV free intern recruitment. Also, we offer true flexible working.

So, you will hear many parents in the team at the 10am meeting saying I am not coming to meetings between these times because I am picking up the kids from school, and they are really proud to announce that, not worried about what others will think.

The flexi-working has allowed us to not only recruit the best people, but keep hold of them.

We need friends across the sector

Since its inception, Sharp says the charitys networks have grown massively, and she says these are key.

We dont really exist without the rest of the sector. We are not experts in mental health, were not experts in domestic violence  we are meant to be the expert in getting money in and distributing it equitably.

To do that we need friends across the sector, so making friends before we need them is central to our strategy.

Sharp suggests the coronavirus pandemic highlighted the power of the charity sector. She says it was seen to be needed and gained more credibility.

Other sectors understand the power the sector has to really make a difference, we are being invited to the table a lot more than we would have been pre-Covid, she says.

Increasing difficulty to raise core costs

Sharp says: A lot of people knock on our door and ask us if were going to launch an appeal for the cost-of-living crisis, and we have looked at it many times through the lens of our activation criteria.

We work in a similar way to the Disaster Emergency Committee, so we have very strict criteria, and we are not seeing that propensity to give, which would help us to activate.

However, what many people do not know is that when an emergency does not reach our threshold, we actually support other emergency appeals. So were currently supporting Community Foundations crowdfunder and Coop with their cost-of-living crisis appeals.

Another impact of the crisis is on our own ability to raise core funds. We were in an okay position, but its much more difficult now to raise funds for our core costs compared to when we were an unknown charity four years ago, which is very telling of the times.

sign up to receive the Civil Society News daily bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
Happy Friday dear charity folk on this fine St. Patricks Day. Stay tuned for some imaginative charity celebrations of Irelands patron saint.

But first, Diary was tucking into its lunch on Wednesday, while keeping one eye on Jeremy Hunt as he unveiled his spring budget. It nearly choked on its cucumber sandwich to hear the charity sector get a shout out from the chancellor himself within the first few minutes.

Hunt said charities will get 100m, a surprise windfall and campaigning success. However, he did also say potholes will be getting 200m, which slightly rained on the sectors parade. That said, Diarys been tripping over the same divot each week for the past year every time it takes its Swegway out for a Sunday drive.

Mind your language

Elsewhere in charity land, sector disruptor GiveDirectly caused a stir this week with its suggestion that we should ditch paternalistic proverbs like If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.

The organisation offered four alternative suggestions and Diary particularly liked Put a fish in their hand; they eat for a day. Send cash to their phone; they choose their own way. Although, by the time that phrase has caught on, phones will probably have been replaced by holograms or microchips.

Lets ditch paternalistic proverbs like teach a man to fish. Vote for your favorite replacement below  see for the full options. 1/3  GiveDirectly (@GiveDirectly) March 13, 2023

It also reminded Diary of Petas classic attempt to remove speciesism from English idioms.

Four and a bit years on, Diary has no regrets about getting Take the flower by the thorns tattooed on its back.

Wakeboarding for Saint Patrick

In Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, this St. Patricks Day people should be on the lookout for wakeboarding leprechauns.

The colourful daredevils will be performing their stunts in island town Enniskillen , in a fitting tribute to the fifth-century bishop.

There will be an array of celebrations, including a parade and face painting, with money being raised for Home-Start Lakeland.

Meanwhile, Copenhagens three-legged charity race tradition will also continue this St. Patricks Day 2023, with a maximum of 100 teams taking to the streets of Copenhagen to raise money.

The event takes the form of a pub crawl race, and Diary was wondering whether we bring this to CSM offices in Clapham too? After all, it would be for a good cause, and Diary is nothing if not charitable.

Charities and social media

The Charity Commissions consultation on its social media draft guidance closed this week, and with Gary Lineker's Twitter escapades leading to his temporary removal from Match of the Day over the weekend, many charity sector professionals were wondering if this could happen to them. (Not the Match of the Day part)

Would the new social media guidance limit charity professionals' freedom of expression on social media, they wondered? One user took to Twitter to express their views via a meme, and it resonated with many in the sector.

When the Charity Commission tries to tell your staff what to post, but you just let them be normal people with opinions pic.twitter.com/ghmyymNeSl  Matt Smith (@InnovationMatt) March 14, 2023
You can ladle a lot of weighted meaning on top of the collapse, last week, of Silicon Valley Bank: its a sign of the economic shakiness of the tech industry; of the dangers of what happens when the CEO of a failed bank also sits on the board of its regulator; of the moral hazards of rescuing corporate depositors who should have known better.

What it is not is a pit stop on the campaign trail for 2024. And yet, in the week since the collapse of the nations sixteenth-largest bank, news outlets have been unable to resist the red meat of political conflicta piece of journalistic malpractice that led some journalists to ignore some of the serious economic issues at play, and at times even risked making this crisis worse.

First, lets dismiss what should be obvious: Silicon Valley Bank didnt fail because its board was too distracted by diversity initiatives, as an absurd Wall Street Journal opinion column put it, or because its investment in climate solutions was too taxing. In fact, the bank wasnt an outlier in either its diversity or its so-called ESG investing, as a corrective article in the New York Times pointed out.

Those facts, unsurprisingly, did not stop politicians, mainly on the right, from running with the narrative that SVB was a woke bank. And the fact that such claims were ridiculous didnt stop some in the Beltway media from boiling the situation down to a both-sides standoff. Semafor gave the story its templated treatment:

THE VIEW FROM REPUBLICANS: For Donald Trump, the specifics of the crisis and response were less important than that something bad was happening under his successors watch. JOE BIDEN WILL GO DOWN AS THE HERBERT HOOVER OF THE MODRRN AGE [sic], he wrote on Truth Social. WE WILL HAVE A GREAT DEPRESSION FAR BIGGER AND MORE POWERFUL THAN THAT OF 1929. AS PROOF, THE BANKS ARE ALREADY STARTING TO COLLAPSE!!! Sign up for CJR 's daily email THE VIEW FROM DEMOCRATS: Rep. Katie Porter told supporters shed write legislation to reverse that risky law, teaming up with her mentor, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, while Rep. Adam Schiff planned his own bill to claw back SVB executive bonuses.

Turning everything into a politics story is a dangerous road that journalism has been down many times before. It happened most dramatically with covid, when Trump and his followers dismissed health warnings and put Americans lives at risk. Health disinformation was amplified by the right-wing press, and healthcare workers got caught in the nations culture war. To their credit, most mainstream journalists eventually pushed back against the anti-mask and anti-vaccine movements, and the coverage of covid would largely count as a journalistic success in this country.

Covering bank failures is also a serious business. Overhyped coverage and misinformation can make existing problems worse, and politicizing the story often contributes to the dumbing down of complicated economic and regulatory issues. In CNNs Reliable Sources newsletter this week, Oliver Darcy reflected on this complexity in an exchange with Andrew Ross Sorkin, of the Times:

It is a story Sorkin described covering as a balancing act, a little bit like walking a tight rope. On one hand, he told me, journalists must avoid sparking panic and causing a catastrophic run on the banks. But, on the other hand, journalists also owe it to their audiences to deliver them a clear-eyed assessment of the state of affairs. Our job as journalists is to tell the public what is happeningand if you believe in transparency, we should all want that, Sorkin said. The downside of transparency in real-time is sometimes news that may not be positive can pile on itself in a way. And so I think it is really just about trying to contextualize what were seeing.

If anything, the story has become even more complicated since SVBs demise. Signature Bank, a regional bank that catered to crypto companies, was also forced to close; later in the week, European regulators had to step in to help the banking giant Credit Suisse. Its easy to see why investors, and readers, are jittery. And its inevitable that they will, again, ask where the media was in warning of this new crisis.

The sad truth is that the business press does not have a good record when it comes to foreseeing, and forewarning of, such things. Part of that is down to prudence, an aversion to creating the sort of panic that we have seen this week. But there is also, as I have noted before in this newsletter, an institutional blind spot on many business-news desks. Howard R. Gold documented the structural limits of business news for CJR in a September 2018 piece marking the ten-year anniversary of the last financial crisis. Ahead of that crash, Gold wrote, the world of journalism

failed to alert its readers to the coming disaster, to appreciate the complicity of the Wall Street banks, and to understand the inability or unwillingness of regulators to grasp the problem. That business journalists are still defending their role in a meltdown that happened ten years ago speaks to how deep the criticism cut and how raw the debate still is.

Gold went on to ask:

If business journalists missed critical parts of the story before the crisis hit and didnt see the need for fundamental change in its wake, what are the odds theyll spot the next crisis, before it comes?

Im afraid we saw the answers before us this week. You can read Golds piece here.



Other notable stories:

ICYMI: Canada imitates Australias news-bargaining law, but to what end?

Kyle Pope is the editor in chief and publisher of the Columbia Journalism Review.
In recent weeks, the spotlight of attention has fallen on new generative AI toolssuch as OpenAIs ChatGPT, Microsofts Bing chatbot, and Googles Bardwhich have been subject to debate about their potential to refashion how journalists work.

For data and computational journalists in particular, AI tools such as ChatGPT have the potential to assist in a variety of tasks such as writing code, scraping PDF files, and translating between programming languages. But tools like ChatGPT are far from perfect and have shown to hallucinate data and scatter errors throughout the text they generate.

We talked with Nicholas Diakopoulos, associate professor in communication studies and computer science at Northwestern University and a former Tow Fellow, about how to navigate those risks, whether ChatGPT can be a helpful tool for journalism students and novice programmers, and how journalists can track their steps when using AI.

Diakopoulos recently launched the Generative AI in the Newsroom Project which explores how journalists can responsibly use generative AI.

As part of the project, news producers are encouraged to submit a pitch on how they envision using the technology for news production. You can read more about the project here. This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

SG: For journalists and students who are novices to programming, how useful do you think ChatGPT can be in helping with computational tasks?

ND: As a user myself, Ive noticed that ChatGPT can certainly be useful for solving certain kinds of programming challenges. But Im also aware that you need a fairly high level of competence in programming already to make sense of it and write the right queries, and then be able to synthesize the responses into an actual solution. It could potentially be useful for intermediate coders as long as you know the basics, how to evaluate the responses, and how to put things together. But if you dont know how to read code, its going to give you a response, and youre not really going to know if its doing what you wanted.

Theres a reason why we have programming languages. Its because you need to precisely state how a problem needs to be solved in code. Whereas when you say it in natural language, theres a lot of ambiguity. So, obviously, ChatGPT is good at trying to guess how to disambiguate what your question is and give you the code that you want, but it might not always get it right.

Im wondering if journalism students will lose some fundamental knowledge if they use ChatGPT for assignments. When it comes to learning how to program, are students better off learning how to write code from scratch rather than rely on ChatGPT?

One lens that I look at this problem through is substitution versus complementarity of AI. People get afraid when you start talking about AI substituting someones labor. But in reality, most of what we see is AI complementing expert labor. So you have someone who already is an expert and then AI gets kind of married into that person and augments them so that theyre smarter and more efficient. I think ChatGPT is a great complement for human coders who know something about what theyre doing with code, and it can really accelerate your ability.

You started a project called AI in the Newsroom where journalists can submit case studies of how theyve used ChatGPT within the newsroom. How is that project going?

People have been submitting, Ive had contact with more than a dozen people with ideas that are at various levels of maturity. From different kinds of organizations such as local news media, national, international, and regional publications, and startups. Theres such a range of people who are interested in exploring the technology and seeing how far they can take it with their particular use case. I have contact with some legal scholars here at the University of Amsterdam Institute for Information Law where Im on sabbatical. Theyre looking at issues of copyright and terms of use, which I know are quite relevant and important for practitioners to be aware of.

Im also exploring different use cases myself with the technology. Ive been writing a blog about it and to put the pilot projects out there to help folks in the community and to understand what the capabilities and limitations are. So, overall, Im pretty pleased with the project. I think its progressing well. Hopefully, well see some of these projects mature over the next month and start publishing them.

Now that youve been looking at what journalists are submitting, do you have a better intuition about what things ChatGPT could help assist in the newsroom?

Theres just so many different use cases that people are exploring. I dont even know if theres gonna be one thing that its really good at. People are exploring rewriting content, summarizing and personalization, news discovery, translation, and engaged journalism. To me, part of the appeal of the project is exploring that range. Hopefully, in a couple of months, these projects can start to mature and get more feedback. Im really pushing people to evaluate their use case. Like, how do you know that its working at a level of accuracy and reliability where you feel comfortable rolling it out as part of your workflow?

A main concern among computational journalists is that ChatGPT will sometimes hallucinate data. For instance, maybe you use it to extract data from a PDF and everything works fine on the first page. But when you do it with 2,000 PDFs, suddenly errors are scattered throughout. How do you navigate that risk?

Accuracy is a core value of journalism. With AI systems and machine learning systems, theres a statistical element of uncertainty which means its basically impossible to guarantee 100 percent accuracy. So you want to get your system to be as accurate as possible. But at the end of the day, even though that is a core journalistic value and something to strive for, whether or not something needs to be 100 percent accurate depends on the kinds of claims that you want to make using the information thats generated from the AI system.

So if you want a system thats going to identify people who are committing fraud, based on analyzing a bunch of PDF documents and you plan to publicly indict those individuals, based on your analysis of those documents, you better be damn sure that thats accurate. From years of talking to journalists about stuff like this theyre probably not going to rely only on a machine learning tool to come up with that evidence. They might use that as a starting point. But then theyll triangulate that with other sources of evidence to raise their level of certainty.

There might be other use cases, though, where it doesnt really matter if theres a 2 or 5 percent error rate, because maybe youre looking at a big trend. Maybe the trend is so big that a 5 percent error rate doesnt hide it even with a little bit of error around it. So its important to think about the use case and how much error it can tolerate. Then you can figure out, well, how much error does this generative AI tool produce? Does it actually meet my needs in terms of the kinds of evidence I want to produce for the kinds of claims I want to make?

Do you imagine some kind of AI class or tutorial for journalists in the future on how to use AI responsibly?

Id like to avoid a future where people feel like they can be fully reliant on automation. There may be some hard and fast rules about situations where you need to go through and manually check the output and situations where you dont need to check it. But Id like to think that a lot is in between those two extremes. The Society for Professional Journalists puts out a book called Media Ethics which is basically all of their case studies and reflections around different types of journalism ethics. It could be interesting to think about it this way, maybe that book needs a chapter on AI to start parsing out in what situations theres more problematic things that can happen and in what situations there are fewer.

Maybe its not all that different from how its done now where we have these core journalism constructs like accuracy or the Do No Harm principle. When youre publishing information your goal is to balance the public interest value of the information against the potential harm it could cause to someone innocent. So you have to put those two things in balance. When you think about errors from AI or generative AI summarizing something, applying that kind of rubric might make sense. Like, what is the potential harm that could come from this error? Who might be hurt from that information? What damage might that information cost?

Yeah, and journalists make errors, too, when dealing with data.

Theres a difference, though, and it comes back to the accountability question. When a human being makes a mistake, you have a very clear line of accountability. Someone can explain their process and realize why they missed this thing or made an error. Now, thats not to say that AI shouldnt be accountable. Its just that to trace human accountability through the AI system is much more complex.

If a generative AI system makes an error in a summary, you could blame Open AI if they made the AI system. Although when you use their system you also agree to their terms of use, and assume responsibility for the output accuracy. So Open AI says its your responsibility as the user and they assign responsibility to you. They dont want to be accountable for the mistake. And contractually, theyve obligated you to be responsible for it. So now its your problem. Are you willing to take responsibility and be accountable as lets say, the journalist or the news organization that uses that tool?

How would a journalist keep track of using AI in case they had to track back to an error?

Thats a great question. Keeping track of prompts is one way to think about it. So that as the user of the technology theres a notion of what was my role in using the technology. What were the parameters that I used to prompt the technology? Thats at least a starting point. So if I did something irresponsible in my prompt, there would be an example of negligence. For instance, if I prompt something to summarize a document, but I set the temperature at 0.9t and a high temperature means that theres a lot more randomness in the output.

You should know that if youre going to use these models. You should know that if you set the temperature high, its going to introduce a lot more noise in the output. So maybe you do bear some responsibility if theres an error in that output. Maybe you should have set the temperature to zero or much lower in order to reduce that potential for randomness in the output. I do think, as a user, you should be responsible in how youre prompting, and what parameters you are choosing and be prepared to explain how you use the technology.

Sarah Grevy Gotfredsen
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Currently, there is one vacancy in Colorado's federal trial court, and U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson has already announced he will step down as an active judge effective at the end of September. Colorado's U.S. senators have also made one recommendation to the White House to fill the existing vacancy, but so far there have been no formal nominations.
An effort to give Colorado farmers access to the resources needed to repair their own agricultural equipment passed its final legislative vote on Thursday.

Modern agricultural equipment often runs on advanced computer software, and, currently, some manufacturers prohibit access to these systems or do not provide information on how they work. House Bill 1011 would require manufacturers to sell tools, parts and digital access to farmers and independent repair shops to diagnose and fix problems with equipment, beginning in 2024.

The Senate approved the bill on Thursday, following the House's passage last month.

A broken tractor or combine during harvest season can be devastating, and makes an already difficult job that much harder," said bill sponsor Sen. Janice Marchman, D-Loveland. "Farmers should be able to apply know-how and elbow grease to fix their own equipment instead of being forced to use an authorized dealer."

Senators voted, 25-8, in support of the bill. All Democrats voted "yes," while Republicans were split with three in support, eight in opposition and one excused. In the House, the bill passed 44-17, with all but one Democrat in support and all but two Republicans in opposition.

The bill is sponsored by three Democrats and one Republican, Rep. Ron Weinberg of Loveland.

Some Republican critics of the bill said they are worried about hurting manufacturers and dealerships of agricultural equipment that rely on revenue from repairs to stay in business. Others argued that right to repair is not even needed.

Sen. Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa, is a farmer who represents "thousands" of other farmers and said his equipment dealerships "have never failed" him.

"It is really a solution looking for a problem," Simpson said. "Since the bill was introduced, I've had a grand total of four people approach me about supporting the bill."

Sen. Rod Pelton, R-Cheyenne Wells, echoed this claim, saying, "I had a farmer that I drive his combine for him during wheat harvest. He told me, 'I don't want to know. I want the technician from the dealership to work on my stuff.'"

Other farmers testified in support of the bill during public hearings, telling stories of having to wait weeks and pay thousands of dollars to manufacturers to conduct repairs they said they could have done themselves.

Danny Wood said he paid $950 for a technician to type in a code to unlock his tractor  after he had already paid $8,500 for them to repair the tractor two days before. Dale McCall said he he spent $6,000 for technicians to work on his hay balers for over three weeks without fixing them, causing him to miss harvesting deadlines. After convincing the manufacturer to give him access to the software, McCalls son fixed the balers in less than two hours, he said.

"My constituents personally reached out and asked me to join this bill because of the problems that they have been having," said bill sponsor Sen. Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo. If you cant repair something thats yours, do you really own it? I would argue no, which is why this legislation is so important."

The bill is backed by the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Colorado Cattlemen's Association, National Federation of Independent Business and the Colorado growers associations of corn, wool, wheat, fruit and vegetables.

Manufacturers stood in opposition to the bill, arguing it would give farmers the ability to tamper with equipment beyond repairs, such as increasing a machines horsepower or by passing emissions control systems. In response to this concern, sponsors amended the bill to clarify that these changes would still be illegal and that the dealer is not liable for a change someone makes to the products.

The bill was also amended to automatically repeal if the federal government enacts legislation establishing the right to repair agricultural equipment and to allow memorandums of understanding to overrule the bill if the memorandum is actively in effect and adequately gives owners the tools or information needed to repair their own equipment.

This change came from critics arguing that the private sector is handling the problem itself, pointing to the manufacturing company John Deere reaching a private agreement with the American Farm Bureau Federation in January. While the agreement has no enforcement provision, in it John Deere promises to offer farmers and independent repair shops access to purchase software, manuals and other information needed to service their equipment.

The bill will now be sent back to the House to approve changes made by the Senate, then to Gov. Jared Polis for final consideration in the coming weeks.
Colorado landlords could soon be prohibited from evicting tenants or declining to renew leases without "just cause," if a bill passed by the state House becomes law.

Under House Bill 1171, landlords could only evict or terminate residential leases if the tenant does something wrong, such as failing to pay rent, violating lease agreements, committing illegal activity, refusing to let the landlord enter the property with advanced notice, and refusing to sign a new but substantially similar lease, among other conditions.

Landlords could evict or terminate leases in certain no-fault circumstances, such as to renovate or demolish the property or to move themselves or their family into the property. However, in these cases, the landlord would have to give the tenant 90 days notice and pay the tenant two to three months worth of rent to help them pay for new housing.

"This legislation will help keep more Colorado families from being unfairly pushed out," said bill sponsor Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver. "Evictions are disproportionately filed against low-income and people of color, creating barriers to qualifying for future housing and perpetuating the cycle of housing insecurity."

House representatives passed the bill in a 38-26 vote on Wednesday, sending it to the Senate for consideration.

Only Democrats supported the bill, while all Republicans and seven Democrats voted against it: Reps. Shannon Bird, Bob Marshall, Karen McCormick, Barbara McLachlan, Marc Snyder, Mary Young and House Speaker Julie McCluskie.

Sponsors passed extensive amendments to the bill to try to ease critics' complaints, including reducing the required notice period from 120 days to 90 days; allowing landlords to provide similar housing amenities in lieu of paying tenants the relocation assistance; and, exempting mobile homes, short-term rentals and landlords who rent out part of their primary residence.

The biggest change was exempting smaller landlords from having to pay the relocation assistance. Exempted landlords are those whose rental income is less than $6,500 per month, after payment of the mortgage and associated property fees.

Opponents, though, said the changes didn't go far enough. They introduced a dozen unsuccessful amendments that sought to, in part, get rid of the relocation assistance requirement; only require relocation assistance if a landlord did not provide proper notice; exempt landlords with less than five dwelling units from the relocation assistance requirement; and, shorten the required notice period to 60 days or 30 days.

Rep. Matt Soper, R-Delta, said it is unreasonable to require both a 90-day notice and relocation assistance, saying it is too harsh on landlords and will push them out of the rental market.

Under the bill, landlords would have to pay tenants two months rent to evict them or terminate their lease under the no-fault circumstances. Landlords would have to pay three months rent if the tenant is low-income, has a disability, is younger than 18 years old or is 60 years old or older.

"Any reasonable tenant should be able to go out and look for a new place to live within that (90-day) timeframe," Soper said. "A landlord shouldn't then be on the hook after that notice to pay for up to 90 days more to the tenant after they've left the premises and are now living somewhere else."

Other opponents argued that the bill goes too far by treating the decision not to renew a lease as an eviction, saying it essentially forces landlords into endless leases. They also noted that the 90-day notice for terminating leases makes single-month leases functionally impossible to enforce.

During a committee hearing on the bill, Gary Jones, a 70-year-old landlord of two multi-unit-converted houses in Greeley, said he could not afford to pay thousands of dollars to tenants to terminate their leases. He added that hes previously chosen not to renew leases for reasons that would not qualify under the bill, saying some tenants have been obnoxious and unsavory without breaking the lease or without proof of their behavior.

It puts the burden on people like me, Jones said. Im not rich, Im just a single guy and I cant afford it. ... It feels like youre trying to punish me for being an honest landlord and keep me from making a living.

Proponents of the bill argued that it is intended to prevent landlords from discriminating or retaliating against tenants by evicting them or terminating their leases.

Bill sponsor Rep. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver, is a housing attorney who was evicted himself as a teenager. Mabrey and other housing attorneys testified that landlords had refused to renew their clients leases after calling them racial slurs or propositioning them for sex. Mabrey said these actions dont matter to the court, as state law currently allows landlords to not renew leases for any reason, or for no reason at all.

Dozens of local renters also testified on the bill, saying theyve experienced unfair evictions.

Rita Carrasco said her landlord kicked her out after her family was victim to a drive-by shooting at their home, leaving Carrasco and her 2-year-old child to live in a car for a month. Erika Reyes said her landlord tried to evict her by falsely claiming she missed a rent payment after Reyes repeatedly asked them to address the apartment's cockroaches, mold and water damage.

We are extremely vulnerable, Reyes said. HB 1171 will protect tenants like me from landlord retaliation for advocating for repairs and our legal rights. Help us hold our corporate landlords accountable.

Other states including New Jersey, California, New Hampshire, Washington and Oregon have their own versions of "just cause" eviction laws, and the White Houses blueprint for a renters bill of rights includes requiring "justified cause" for evictions and notice if a lease will not be renewed.

However, the blueprint doesnt include the bill's controversial requirement that landlords provide financial assistance for tenants to relocate.

Nearly two dozen organizations are backing the bill, including Denver Public Schools, ACLU of Colorado, the Colorado Children's Campaign, Mental Health Colorado and the Community Economic Defense Project, where Mabrey works as a staff attorney.

Groups opposing the bill include the Colorado Association of Home Builders, Colorado Landlord Legislative Coalition, Rocky Mountain Home Association and the chambers of commerce of Denver and Colorado Springs.

The bill will next be sent to the Senate for another vote in the coming weeks.
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Meet the candidates

Meet the candidates

Seven candidates are running for three open seats in the April 4 election for Columbia School Board. Two incumbents, Helen Wade and David Seamon, declined to run this year, and Chris Horn is the only current member to file for re-election.

The one incumbent and six challengers are being profiled in the Missourian in ballot order. School Board candidates must be U.S. citizens, Columbia voters, a resident of Missouri for a minimum of one year, at least 24 years old and without tax delinquency, sex offender status or felony or misdemeanor convictions.

The board is made up of seven elected members who are unpaid and serve three-year terms.
Microsoft has resolved 80 new CVEs this month in addition to four earlier CVEs, bringing the number of security issues addressed in this month's Patch Tuesday release to 84.

Unfortunately, we have two zero-day flaws in Outlook (CVE-2023-23397) and Windows (CVE-2023-24880) that require a "Patch Now" release requirement for both Windows and Microsoft Office updates. As it was last month, there were no further updates for Microsoft Exchange Server or Adobe Reader. This month the team at Application Readiness has provided a helpful infographic that outlines the risks associated with each of the updates for this cycle.

Known issues

Each month, Microsoft includes a list of known issues that relate to the operating system and platforms included in the update cycle.

KB5022842: After installing KB5022842 on Windows Server 2022 with Secure Boot enabled and rebooting twice, the VMware VM failed to boot using the new bootmgr. This issue is still under consideration by Microsoft. After installing this update, WPF apps may have a change in behavior.

After installing this months Windows update on guest virtual machines (VMs) running Windows Server 2022 on some versions of VMware ESXi, Windows Server 2022 might not start.

Microsoft is still working on a network performance issue with Windows 11 22H2. Large (multi-gigabyte) network file transfers (and potentially similarly large local transfers) are affected. This issue should mainly affect IT administrators.

Major revisions

Microsoft published four major revisions this month covering:

VE-2023-2156: Microsoft SQL Server Integration Service (VS extension) Remote Code Execution Vulnerability.

CVE-2022-41099: Title: BitLocker Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability.

CVE-2023-21716: Microsoft Word Remote Code Execution Vulnerability.

CVE-2023-21808 .NET and Visual Studio Remote Code Execution Vulnerability.

All of these revisions were due to documentation and expanded affected software updates. No further action is required.

Mitigations and workarounds

Microsoft published the following vulnerability related mitigations for this month's release:

CVE-2023-23392: HTTP Protocol Stack Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. A prerequisite for a Windows 2022 server to be vulnerable to this security issue is that the network binding has HTTP/3 enabled and the server uses buffered I/O. Enabling HTTP/3 is discussed here: Enabling HTTP/3 support on Windows Server 2022.

CVE-2023-23397: Microsoft Outlook Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. Microsoft has published two mitigations for this serious security issue:

Add users to the Protected Users Security Group, which prevents the use of NTLM as an authentication mechanism. Block TCP 445/SMB outbound from your network by using a perimeter firewall, a local firewall, and via your VPN settings.

Testing guidance

Each month, the team at Readiness analyzes the Patch Tuesday updates and provides detailed, actionable testing guidance; that guidance is based on assessing a large application portfolio and a detailed analysis of the Microsoft patches and their potential impact on the Windows platforms and application installations.

Given the large number of changes included this month, I have broken down the testing scenarios into high-risk and standard-risk groups.

High risk

Microsoft published several high risk changes in the March update. While they may not lead to functionality changes, the testing profile for each update should be mandatory:

Microsoft has updated how DCOM responds to remote requests as part of the recent hardening effort. This process has been under way since June 2021 (Phase 1), with an update in June 2022 (Phase 2) and now this month with all changes implemented as mandatory. DCOM is a core Windows component used for communicating between services or processes. Microsoft has advised that this (and full deployment of past recommendations) will cause application-level compatibility issues. The company has offered some support on what is changing and how to mitigate any compatibility issues as a result of these recent mandatory settings.

A major change to the core system file Win32kfull.sys has been included this month as two functions (DrvPlgBlt and nf-wingdi-plgblt) have been updated. Microsoft has advised there are no functional changes to these functions. Testing applications that depend on these functions will be essential before a full deployment of this month's updates.

These scenarios require significant application-level testing before general deployment.

Bluetooth: Try adding and removing new Bluetooth devices. Stressing Bluetooth network devices would be highly advised.

Windows Network stack (TCPIP.SYS): Basic web surfing, "normal" file transfers and video streaming should be sufficient to test the changes to the Windows networking stack.

Hyper-V: Try testing both Gen1 and Gen2 virtual machines (VM's). Both types of machines should start, stop, shut down, pause, and resume successfully.

In addition to these changes, Microsoft updated a key memory function (D3DKMTCreateDCFromMemory) that affects two key system-level Windows drivers (win32kbase.sys and win32kfull.sys). Unfortunately, in past updates to these drivers, some users have generated BSOD SYSTEM_SERVICE_EXCEPTION errors. Microsoft has posted information on how to manage these issues. Hopefully you don't have to resolve these kinds of issues this month.

Windows lifecycle update

This section contains important changes to servicing (and most security updates) to Windows desktop and server platforms over the next few months:

Windows 10 Enterprise (and Education), Version 20H2 and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise, and Windows Version 20H2 will reach an end of servicing date on May 9, 2023.

Each month, we break down the update cycle into product families (as defined by Microsoft) with the following basic groupings:

Browsers (Microsoft IE and Edge).

Microsoft Windows (both desktop and server).

Microsoft Office.

Microsoft Exchange Server.

Microsoft Development platforms (ASP.NET Core, .NET Core and Chakra Core).

Adobe (retired???, maybe next year).

Browsers

There were 22 updates for March (none rated critical), with 21 included in the Google release channel and one (CVE-2023-24892) from Microsoft. All these updates are easy-to-deploy updates with marginal to low deployment risk. You can find Microsoft's version of these release notes here and the Google Desktop channel release notes here. Add these updates to your standard patch release schedule.

Windows

Microsoft released 10 critical updates and 48 patches rated as important to the Windows platform that cover the following key components:

Microsoft Printer Postscript Drivers.

Windows Bluetooth Service.

Windows Win32K and Core Graphics components (GDI).

Windows HTTP Protocol Stack and PPPoE.

Other than the recent change to DCOM authentication (see DCOM hardening) most of this month's updates have a very low risk profile. We have a minor update to a printing subsystem (Postscript 6) and other tweaks to network handling, storage, and graphics components. Unfortunately, we have a real zero-day issue with Windows (CVE-2023-24880) SmartScreen (aka Windows Defender) with reports of both exploitation and a public disclosure. As a result, add these Windows updates to your "Patch Now" release schedule.

Microsoft Office

Microsoft released 11 updates to the Microsoft Office platform with one rated as (super) critical and the remaining updates rated important and affecting just Excel and SharePoint. Unfortunately, the Microsoft Outlook update (CVE-2023-23397) will have to be patched immediately. I have included recommendations offered by Microsoft in our mitigations section above which include adding users to a higher security group and blocking ports 445/SMB on your network. Given the low risk of breaking other apps and the ease of deployment of this patch, I have another idea: add these Office updates to your "Patch Now" release schedule.

Microsoft Exchange Server

No Microsoft Exchange updates required this month. That said, there is a particularly worrying issue with Microsoft Outlook (CVE-2023-23397) that will be enough for any mail administrator to handle this month.

Microsoft development platforms

This is a very light patch cycle for Microsoft development platforms with just four updates to Visual Studio (GitHub extensions) this month. All these updates are rated as important by Microsoft and have a very low deployment risk profile. Add these updates to your standard developer release schedule.

Adobe Reader (still here, but just not this month)

We may be seeing a trend here as Adobe has not released any updates for Adobe Reader. It is also interesting that this is the first month in nine that Microsoft has not released any critical updates to its XPS, PDF or printing system. So, no mandatory printer testing is required.
After a run that lasted for a decade, the end has come for Google Glass, with the announcement this week that the tech behemoth will discontinue the enterprise version of the augmented reality (AR) glasses.

Sales of Google Glass Enterprise were halted as of Wednesday, though support will continue for another six months, according to a company announcement.

After September 15, 2023, you will continue to be able to use the Glass Enterprise Edition device and existing software. No software updates from Google are planned, Google said in a FAQ.

The company said that broken devices can be replaced via the existing process  through which users contact their distributors or resellers to submit a replacement request until September 15.

Google noted that third parties are responsible for maintaining their apps, and that no further software updates from Google are planned. System images, however, will remain available on the system images page, until at least April 1, 2024.

Google Glass never gained traction among users



Despite generating plenty of curiosity and publicity, Glass  the first, consumer version of which was announced in 2012  faced difficulties in gaining widespread acceptance, partly due to a design that made it look like a gadget rather than a fashion accessory. Additionally, the devices ability to take photos and capture videos without others knowing about it contributed to its lack of popularity.

Google Glass was largely discontinued for non-enterprise users in 2015, after which the company shifted its attention towards exploring the potential of the headset for businesses and developers.

The first edition of Google Glass Enterprise, introduced in 2017, helped a variety of industries  from logistics, to manufacturing, to field services  do their jobs more efficiently by providing hands-free access to the information and tools they need to complete their work, Google claimed. Workers can use Glass to access checklists, view instructions or send inspection photos or videos.

Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2, released in 2019, would help businesses further improve the efficiency of their employees, Google said.

Among other issues, however, the price always seemed high for the device. While the original Explorer Edition, which cost $1,500, was a big price tag for a product that, as Google eventually conceded, was essentially a prototype, the Enterprise Edition 2 did not get much cheaper ($999) and did not offer much over the original version.

Tech companies continue to develop AR, VR devices

Big tech companies are still pursuing the concept of head-mounted visualization technologies, variously called smart glasses, augmented reality glasses, virtual reality glasses, and even mixed-reality displays. While there is disagreement about how to label any particular device, industry observers commonly say that while VR presents a completely digital environment to the user, AR overlays digital information on the real, physical world.

Meta has launched Ray-Ban smart glasses, with cameras but no displays. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has talked about a product line that resembles Google Glass, and by rechristening the company Meta in 2021, showed he was betting big on virtual reality and the gear that the technology requires.

Apple is preparing a VR headset that has the ability to use outward-facing cameras to show the external environment, similar to a transparent lens.

Microsoft has HoloLens, its own augmented reality glasses for business. (The company, however, recently laid off a segment of the team working on it.)

Although Google has discontinued Glass, it doesnt imply that the company has abandoned its pursuit of augmented reality. While some commentators argue that Google Glass should not be considered true AR since it displayed only basic information, in June last year, Google previewed a different type of smart glasses, capable of real-time speech translation and transcription, and said it would continue to test prototypes of augmented reality glasses in public.
Microsoft released its monthly security bulletin this week, covering patches for over 80 vulnerabilities across its products. However, two of them had already been used by attackers before patches were released.

One vulnerability affects all supported versions of Outlook for Windows and allows attackers to steal Net-NTLMv2 hashes and then use them in NTLM (New Technology LAN Manager) relay attacks against other systems. The second allows attackers to bypass Microsoft SmartScreen, a technology built into Windows that performs checks on files downloaded from the internet through browsers.

NTLM hash-stealing flaw exploited by Russian state-sponsored APT

The Outlook vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2023-23397, is described by Microsoft as an elevation of privilege and is rated critical (9.8 out of 10 on the CVSS scale). Unlike remote code execution vulnerabilities, EoP vulnerabilities are rarely critical because they can't typically be exploited remotely and the attacker already needs to have some lower privileges on the system.

However, this flaw can be exploited by remote attackers without much effort. According to Microsoft's description, the attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending a specially crafted email which triggers automatically when it is retrieved and processed by the Outlook client. Even worse, the email doesn't have to be opened, clicked on, or previewed by the user  simply receiving it is enough, because the flaw is located in Outlook's code to process it on arrival.

More specifically, an attacker would craft the message with an extended Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) property that contains a UNC path to a remote SMB (TCP 445) share hosted on an attacker-controlled server. Server Message Block (SMB) is a file, network, and printer-sharing protocol widely used inside Windows networks that also supports inter-process communication.

The authentication used with SMB is NTLM and every time a Windows computer tries to access a remote resource over SMB it will send its NTLM hash, a cryptographic representation of its credentials that serves as an authentication token. The theft of NTLM hashes enables a type of attack called NTLM relay or pass-the-hash, where an attacker tricks a computer to send its hash and then passes it to another legitimate service that would accept that authentication.

Ukrainian team, Microsoft discovered the vulnerability

Microsoft credits CERT-UA, the Ukrainian government's Computer Emergency Response Team, as well as its own Microsoft Incident Response and Microsoft Threat Intelligence team with reporting this vulnerability. The company said that a Russia-based threat actor exploited this vulnerability in targeted attacks against government, transportation, energy, and military organizations in Europe. According to reports, that threat actor is STRONTIUM, also known in the security industry as Fancy Bear or APT28. The US government officially attributed Fancy Bear activity to a unit called Unit 26165 inside Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU.

In addition to patching their Outlook clients on Windows systems, organizations can also block outgoing traffic from their networks on TCP port 445/SMB and can disable the WebClient service on their computers, which would prevent WebDAV attacks. Additionally, Microsoft recommends adding high-privileged accounts such as domain administrators or other sensitive accounts to the Protected Users Security Group. Doing this will prevent these users from using NTLM as an authentication mechanism.

The Microsoft Exchange team has separately developed a script that can be used by Exchange Server or Exchange Online administrators to determine if any of their users have been targeted with malicious emails that tried to exploit this vulnerability.

Based on the simplicity by which this vulnerability can be exploited, we believe its only a matter of time before it is adopted into the playbooks of other threat actors, including ransomware groups and their affiliates, Satnam Narang, senior staff research engineer at security firm Tenable, told CSO. We anticipate CVE-2023-23397 to become one of the top vulnerabilities of 2023. Researchers from security firm MDSec have already created a proof-of-concept exploit, which means that the exploit can easily spread to less sophisticated groups than government-sponsored APTs.

SmartScreen bypass vulnerability also patched

The second zero-day vulnerability patched during Patch Tuesday is tracked as CVE-2023-24880 and was reported to Microsoft in February by members of Google's Threat Analysis Group, which found it exploited by the group behind a ransomware program called Magniber.

The vulnerability allows attackers to create files that would bypass the security warning dialog displayed by Windows when users try to open an untrusted file downloaded from the internet. Windows automatically flags such files with a Mark-of-the-Web (MotW), which is Alternate Data Stream (ADS) inside the NTFS stream of a file when it's saved locally. NTFS is the default file system used by Windows. This ADS is called the ZoneId and if it has a value of 3 the file was downloaded from the internet and is checked by SmartScreen.

SmartScreen is a cloud-enabled anti-phishing and anti-malware technology that started out in Internet Explorer and Edge but has been built by default in Windows starting with Windows 8. It is specifically designed to check the reputation of files that have a Mark-of-the-Web.

According to Google TAG, the Magniber attackers exploited the vulnerability by using MSI (Microsoft Installer) files signed with an invalid but specially crafted Authenticode signature. The malformed signatures force SmartScreen to return an error and bypass the security warning. TAG has observed over 100,000 downloads of the malicious MSI files since January 2023, with over 80% to users in Europe  a notable divergence from Magnibers typical targeting, which usually focuses on South Korea and Taiwan, Google TAG said.

SmartScreen bypass likely to be used by bad actors

Other groups will likely adopt this SmartScreen bypass in their malware distribution campaigns as this has happened before. Back in September, the Magniber ransomware was delivered using JScript files with an attached Authenticode signature. Normally such signatures are not for JScript files, but for executables, but the researchers realized that they were attached to the JScript files to corrupt SmartScreen and bypass its security checks.

Other threat actors later started to use the same technique and bypass to spread the Qakbot malware, suggesting both the Magniber and Qakbot attackers purchased the bypass from the same source. Microsoft eventually patched that vulnerability in December 2022 as CVE-2022-44698, but it seems that the patch for CVE-2022-44698 did not cover all exploit variants.

This security bypass is an example of a larger trend Project Zero has highlighted previously: vendors often release narrow patches, creating an opportunity for attackers to iterate and discover new variants, the Google TAG members said. When patching a security issue, there is tension between a localized, reliable fix, and a potentially harder fix of the underlying root cause issue. Because the root cause behind the SmartScreen security bypass was not addressed, the attackers were able to quickly identify a different variant of the original bug.
Single Sign-On (SSO) providers like Okta protect businesses by combining all company-approved sites and services in a single dashboard. Employees can then use a single, strongly vetted identity to log in to those sites and services using a single set of credentials. It's better for security, and easier for employees.

Now, 1Password Business customers can access 1Password with their Okta credentials, too. When they do, they can extend their Okta authentication policies to 1Password unlocks, which helps unify auditing, compliance, and reporting workflows.

It also closes the gaps that SSO alone can't fill. SSO protects logins covered by SSO providers. 1Password protects so much more, like sensitive documents, payment cards, and developer secrets like API tokens and SSH keys. The move also simplifies signing in to 1Password for employees, so there's one less set of credentials to keep track of.

1Password has long been a favorite password manager among security-minded enterprises because of its use of unique, multi-layered encryption to protect customer data. In addition to an account password, 1Password also requires a Secret Key: a unique, 128-bit, machine-generated code that's mathematically infeasible to crackand that even 1Password can't access.

The multi-layered approach ensures that even if an attacker were to breach 1Password, they still wouldn't have access to customer data. Even if they somehow obtained an account password, they couldn't get in without the Secret Key.

1Password maintains its zero-knowledge architecture with Unlock with Okta through a trusted device model. The result is the same uncompromising security that comes with the Secret Key: Even if identity provider credentials are compromised, attackers still wouldn't have access to customer data.

Setting it all up is easy. A straightforward setup wizard guides admins through the process from the Admin Dashboard. Just enter your Okta account details, and then test the connection between 1Password and Okta. From there, choose how to roll out Unlock with Okta to employeeseither in stages, as 1Password recommends for most cases, or all at once.

If employees use biometrics to sign in to Okta, they can continue to do so. None of Okta's security features are changed, weakened, or complicated by the integration.

1Password also has big plans for securing and simplifying sign-ins even further, with the recent announcement of passkey support. Passkeys are the modern alternative to passwords and are more secure and far easier to use. 1Password customers will soon be able to unlock 1Password using passkeys, and store passkeys for other sites and services in 1Password for easy sign-ins.

If youve been hesitant about adding a password manager to fill the security gaps in Single Sign On (SSO) user authentication, now you can move ahead with confidence. Unlock with Okta is the first of many SSO integrations coming to 1Password, with support for other providers, such as Azure, Duo, and Ping coming soon.

Get started today!
The Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation, the University of Oregons graduate student union, held a rally outside Johnson Hall to kick off its bargaining cycle with UO for the 2023-24 year.

Members from local unions joined in on the rally.

During the rally, members chanted UO works because we do and What time is it? Union time.

By fighting for better working conditions, we are fighting for the learning conditions of ourselves and our students, Kisa Clark, president of GTFF, said.

From Johnson Hall, GTFF members marched to McKenzie hall for their first bargaining session.

No GE is paid a living wage, and dozens are under the federal poverty line, Cy Abbott, GTFFs VP for grievances said.

The current contract for GTFF and the UO expires on June 15, 2023. The new bargaining cycle will begin next term according to the GTFF website.

According to GTFFs presentation during the session, GTFF plans to bargain for better health and wellbeing services for graduate employees, better professional working conditions and strengthen sexual harassment protections.

The union will be having negotiation meetings with the university every other week, according to its website.

But tomorrow and the next day and the day after that, we will join together with all workers on this campus and beyond to support, learn from and struggle alongside each other in order to ignite real social transformation, Clark said.
Crude Oil, WTI, Frist Republic Bank, Fed Policy Outlook - Talking Points:

Crude oil prices traded flat amid competing fundamental themes

First Republic Bank poised to receive rescue aid cooled volatility

But, markets also priced out some Fed rate cut expectations ahead

Recommended by Daniel Dubrovsky How to Trade Oil Get My Guide

WTI crude oil prices traded relatively flat over the past 24 hours in an overall volatile trading session. On the one hand, reports crossed the wires that First Republic Bank was poised to receive emergency aid to the tune of 30 billion from major lenders. But, because of cooling woes in the financial sector, Treasury yields were pushed higher.

The latter speaks to traders pricing out anticipated rate cuts from the Federal Reserve later this year because of last weeks Silicon Valley Bank collapse. Market-implied policy rates have added back about 50 basis points in tightening for the 3-month horizon. That would leave rates around 5% instead of the 4.5% seen earlier in the week.

As such, sentiment-linked crude oil faced opposing fundamental forces. On the one hand, risk appetite improved. On the other hand, a Fed that can continue tightening could bode ill for future oil demand. Looking at the remaining 24 hours, eyes turn to the University of Michigan Sentiment data at 14:00 GMT. A softer outcome speaking to worried consumers may renew selling pressure for WTI.

Crude Oil Technical Analysis  Daily Chart

On the daily chart, crude oil confirmed a breakout under a Bearish Rectangle chart formation. That may open the door to downtrend resumption. Key support seems to be a wide range between 61.69 and 65.60. The latter was established in May 2021. On the other hand, turning higher would place the focus on the December low at 70.10, which may hold as resistance.

Trade Smarter - Sign up for the DailyFX Newsletter Receive timely and compelling market commentary from the DailyFX team Subscribe to Newsletter

Chart Created Using TradingView

Crude Oil Sentiment Analysis - Bearish

Looking at IG Client Sentiment (IGCS), which tends to function as a contrarian indicator, about 90% of retail traders are net-long crude oil. Since most of them are long, this hints prices may fall. Upside exposure fell by 2.86% compared to yesterday. But, compared to last week, net-long bets soared almost 50%. With that in mind, the combination of overall positioning and recent changes in exposure is offering a bearish contrarian trading bias.

--- Written by Daniel Dubrovsky, Senior Strategist for DailyFX.com

To contact Daniel, follow him on Twitter:@ddubrovskyFX
Cherry blossoms at Shanghai's Gucun Park

(People's Daily App) 15:49, March 17, 2023

Covering more than 4.3 square kilometers, Gucun Park in Shanghai's Baoshan district hosts more than 16,000 cherry trees of 110 varieties. The most common type of cherry tree in Gucun Park is the Somei Yoshin, the most popular type of cherry tree in Japan. These flowers will be in full bloom by the end of March. Click on the video to get in touch with spring.

(Compiled by Guo Xingzhe; video source: International Channel Shanghai)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Oxfam apologised for the English language this week, describing it as the language of a colonising nation. It also counselled against using the words mother and father because they ascribed gendered roles.

Thus, in this charitys right-on eyes, has the language of Shakespeare (hiss) and Churchill (boo)  the most successful language the world has ever known  become a matter for regret and embarrassment, while simple, clear words that have stood the test of time are to be abandoned. Oxfam says its only offering guidance not prescription. Fair enough. But I wouldnt fancy the career chances of any Oxfam staffer who cared to flout it.

Oxfam has come a long way since it was founded 81 years ago. There was a time in the dim and distant past when its primary purpose was to raise money from well-meaning, relatively affluent folks and use their donations to assuage the hunger pangs of the poor and downtrodden across the globe. It was a worthy cause.

Those days are long over. For some time now its been more associated with Left-wing agitprop than famine relief. Indeed, you almost get the impression feeding the famished is now seen by some in Oxfam as an annoying diversion from the far more important work of political activism.

Hence all the effort thats gone into its 92-page Inclusive Language Guide. It wont fill a single empty belly but it will sure warm the cockles of its increasingly woke staff, with its insightful injunctions to avoid using words like headquarters (implies a colonial power dynamic), aid sector (cements idea of those with resources giving charitable aid  which I stupidly thought was the founding mission of Oxfam) and, incredibly, field trips (reinforces colonial attitudes).

The 92-page report warns against 'colonial' phrases such as 'headquarters', suggests 'local' may be offensive and says 'people' could be patriarchal

The official advice from the charity  founded in Oxford in 1942 to relieve famine worldwide  attempts to revolutionise its staff's language across a wide range of fields

The logic of that last one escaped me until I remembered that, after a teenage geography field trip (sorry) to the Scottish Highlands, we were all pretty fired up to retake India (or not  recollections vary).

Oxfam is especially obsessed with colonialism saying it is seeking to decolonise our ways. Somebody should tell it the British Empire hasnt been a force in the world for quite some time. Its easy for people to scoff at such woke nonsense (by the way dont use people which the charity says is synonymous with only men  who knew?) and Oxfam isnt even in the vanguard of such efforts to subvert language and meaning.

Universities have been at it for years. The University of Southern California beat Oxfam to the punch by banning field earlier this year (not just field trips) because of its racist undertones for descendants of slavery. The university seems to think only slaves have ever worked in fields, which suggests you should avoid its history department.

The media is at it too. Politico, a major presence in Washington DC and a growing force in political reporting on this side of the Atlantic too, advised its journalists over a year ago to avoid words such as mankind (sexist), biological woman (exclusionary), third world (derogatory), peanut gallery (apparently seats usually occupied by ethnic minorities) and, whereas Black should always be capitalised, white should not in any instances.

The Oxfam guide copies many of these injunctions. So does big business, which has embarked on a race to be woker-than-thou. This has fertilised the rise of a new breed of hucksters, charlatans and snake oil salesmen (sorry, persons), aka consultants, all bidding to advise business on how to use the correct, inclusive woke language.

Oxfam says its only offering guidance not prescription. Fair enough. But I wouldnt fancy the career chances of any Oxfam staffer who cared to flout it

Released on Monday, the Oxfam publication tells staff not to say they 'stand with' people they support because it 'potentially alienates people unable to stand'

For a fat fee, of course. Company CEOs are queuing up to pay, apparently indifferent to the fact that  as soon as they comply  the consultants will come up with even more rarified language rules (their business model depends on it). Even Nato has its own 36-page gender-inclusive language manual with such pearls of wisdom as the need to call waiters and waitresses servers. Im sure Ukrainian forces on the frontline are inspired by leafing through it as they wait for Nato arms to arrive while the Russians pummel them with another artillery barrage.

The European Union, naturally, published its own guide two years ago. But, not surprisingly given the number of languages involved, it made such a Horlicks of it that it had to be quickly withdrawn.

As I say, easy to scoff. But wrong. This is not the passing fad of a lunatic fringe obsessed with gender issues, race and colonialism  and the chance to virtue signal at every opportunity.

This is a cultural sea change brought about by the infiltration of the university campus into newsrooms, boardrooms, charities, media, civil service and public agencies.

It started in America and is now happening everywhere in the West, including Britain, as the Oxfam case so clearly illustrates. It will get much worse before it gets better, if it ever does.

For over a decade now, university graduates, especially those from the most elite universities, have left the campus for the labour force imbued with the latest nostrums and language of wokery and fired up by the latest trendy teachings on race, colonialism and gender issues.

Readers are told 'these guidelines are not set rules and should not be viewed as restrictions'

Oxfam said in a statement yesterday: 'This guide is not prescriptive but helps authors communicate in a way that is respectful to the diverse range of people with which we work'

They have done so in sufficient numbers to be feared by their bosses, who regularly capitulated to their demands. And as this generation climbs the greasy poll, they increasingly are the bosses.

Why the obsession with language, with demands for changes in usage which might be thought trivial, irrelevant, even pathetic? Because if you control the language, youve gone a long way to dominating the debate in this new age of identity politics.

By outlawing words with even the merest tangential link to race and colonialism  or, in reality, none at all  you are establishing that racism and colonial repression are the defining hallmarks of our society, as critical race theory mandates, and far more important than social class or social mobility or economic growth.

By insisting that biology can never take precedence over gender self-identity, and that the use of language must reflect that, youve pretty much handed over the argument to the transgender lobby. Its long been a conceit of those most active in the culture wars that theres no such thing as a culture war, that its just a myth promulgated by the Right, and that to be woke is just to be concerned about social justice (and who can object to that?).

The people we work with are not passive beneficiaries but are agents of their own development

Its a clever tactic. But we shouldnt fall for it.

The aim of todays culture warriors is to change the face of society by replacing the concerns of the majority (prosperity, growth, opportunity) with their newer priorities (race, gender, anti-colonialism). They hope to do this not just by determining the language but by closing down debate. In offices and shop floors across the land, people are already walking on eggshells, terrified of saying what they think lest it offend those with the power and predilection to make the lives of any deviants miserable.

Robust debate is already being strangled as folks (an Oxfam-approved word, by the way) take refuge in platitudes and pablum so as not to upset the snowflakes. Thats how the new woke generations plan to win the war.

In the Budget, the Chancellor complained about the large number of over-50s who had left the labour force during the pandemic and not returned since. He proposed some measures to entice them back.

It did not dawn on him that one reason might be the spread of Oxfam-style language and behaviour manuals, which have made the workplace an alien, even dangerous place for older workers. It is safer to work from home  or not at all.

The truth is most people (sorry again) on the Right and Left do not share the cultural identity obsessions of Oxfam and its ilk. Theyre more worried about paying the bills, keeping a job, getting the kids into a decent school.

Theyre not racist and couldnt care less about the British Empire. But they see the levers of power controlled by a new generation with a different agenda. They fear theres nothing they can do about it. Or perhaps they can.

Within an hour of Oxfam taking to Twitter to defend its guide, it was forced to turn off the reply function, such was the volume and vituperation of the responses.

Perhaps theres hope for us yet.
Oprah Winfrey is now a sworn enemy of the British Royal Family.

So while she might regard herself as the queen of the US chat show, it's high time she shuts her big gob when it comes to highly sensitive matters relating to the coronation of King Charles.

In yet another bid to destabilise our monarchy, following her despicable TV hit piece where she allowed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to utter countless mistruths, including fantastical racism claims, without a hint of journalistic pushback, she has now weighed in on the crisis surrounding the Sussexes potential attendance at the event of great significance.

Speaking on US breakfast TV, she insisted: 'I think they should do what they feel is best for them and their family. That's what I think.

'That's what the bottom line comes down to: 'What do you feel like is the right thing for you?'

Harry and Meghan have not once done what's best for their family, illustrated by the fact they granted Oprah their vile score-settling 'interview' as Prince Philip was literally on his deathbed

That, folks, is disingenuous nonsense.

Harry and Meghan have not once done what's best for their family, illustrated by the fact they granted Oprah their vile score-settling 'interview' as Prince Philip was literally on his deathbed.

And, for once, this decision should not be about what is right for them.

Of course, it's right for Harry and Meghan to be at the Coronation.

Despite displaying a visceral hatred for the institution and the members of their family within it, the Duke and Duchess of Woke have had a crushing realisation recently that their proximity to the Royal Family is largely responsible for whether the Hollywood pay cheques will keep on rolling in.

Their stock is lifted for their paymasters like Netflix and Spotify  both companies suffering from commissioning too much woke content  if they're seen at one of the most consequential royal events in living memory.

But the Sussex sideshow overshadowing the crowning of our new monarch is absolutely not the right thing for Harry and Meghan's family.

Especially not Prince William, still understandably incandescent with rage over the string of attacks about him published in Harry's vindictive autobiography Spare, including accusations of violence and bullying, which had all their context removed and whose effect was to cast a shadow over the future king's reputation forever more.

But not King Charles either, whose Coronation would be overtaken by the inevitable drama that surrounds every visit by the Montecito Moaners, who senior royals believe are already plotting a stunt designed to steal some of the limelight.

Oprah made the comments on CBS to her BFF Gayle King, another so-called friend of Meghan who showed absolutely no interest in the C-list actress while a star of Suits, but all of a sudden was in her inner circle the moment she started dating a prince.

While Oprah insisted to Gayle that Harry and Meghan hadn't directly asked for her advice, trust me that this early morning telly intervention, reported all around the world, was far from coincidental.

Oprah Winfrey is now a sworn enemy of the British Royal Family

Meghan is obsessed with US breakfast TV, believing it's the best way to turn increasingly sceptical Americans to her floundering cause.

While still in the Royal Family, I remember one of the Sussex Survivor Club members telling me that Meghan was so obsessed with the big three US breakfast anchors  Savannah Guthrie of NBC's Today Show, Robin Roberts on ABC's Good Morning America and her aforementioned pal Gayle on CBS Mornings  that announcements would often be timed to coincide with their programmes going to air at 7am New York time, with her advisers offering special briefings to the famous anchors.

And Meghan hangs on every word uttered by Gayle and Oprah in particular, who she regards as queens of the American celebrity woke movement, of which she is so desperate to be a part.

The message to Meghan from her pair of faux friends came through loud and clear: We need you to be at the coronation in order for us to retain our own influence as your powerhouse American media mates.

Given Oprah loves giving unsolicited public advice to Harry and Meghan that is designed to cause maximum damage to our Royal Family, I'd love to give her some words of wisdom of my own

It's cynical, it's ugly, but it's how the Hollywood elite have always operated; friendship is very rarely genuine, but instead determined by someone's power and influence.

Oprah made a similar public intervention following the death of the late Queen, proving that even a family tragedy is an event she will happily wade into to spread pro-Meghan propaganda if it gives her a voice of authority on a royal event.

So given Oprah loves giving unsolicited public advice to Harry and Meghan that is designed to cause maximum damage to our Royal Family, I'd love to give her some words of wisdom of my own

Ms Winfrey, you have been a dishonest player in the War of the Windsors, allowing a false narrative to spread across the globe that the Royal Family was in some way racist.

Your lack of journalistic integrity while interviewing one of your close friends did much damage to the late Queen and her husband Prince Philip and, while you publicly admitted neither of them was personally racist, you didn't correct the record about the proven falsehoods surrounding the institution they devoted their lives before either of those great Britons died.

In fact, it was Harry who eventually disingenuously walked back the allegations, downgrading racism to unconscious bias during another interview with a close friend, this time ITV's Tom Bradby, earlier this year.

Your advice, both in private and public, to Harry and Meghan has been designed to create maximum drama and advance your own involvement in the saga, rather than protect the British Royal Family, who you know cannot publicly respond because of their constitutional role.

While you might want Harry and Meghan at the Coronation because it gives you another chance to insert yourself into this sordid tale, it's not the best thing for King Charles, Prince William, the British Royal Family or the public, who want the focus to stay laser focussed on our new monarch and not a tawdry and unnecessary distraction.

In other words, Oprah: Please do butt out of royal business.
For the past decade, the Princess of Wales has taken part in the tradition of handing out shamrock to the Irish Guards on St Patrick's Day.

Wearing the celebratory green, she has attended the St Patrick's Day parade eight times, meeting officers, indulging in a sip of Guinness and even playing with the Guards' mascot - a friendly Irish wolfhound.

Despite an awkward high heel mishap and a fainting guard, the princess has consistently brought glamour and her beaming smile to the festivities over the years.

For her first parade in 2012, which was also her first solo military engagement,Kate sported an elegant emerald green coat by Emilia Wickstead paired with a chocolate brown Lock & Co hat.

2012: Kate made her first appearance at a St Patrick's Day parade which was also her first solo military engagement

And unfortunately a soldier collapsed while wearing his hot scarlet uniform as the servicemen met the Duchess

As part of the century-old custom, Kate handed out sprigs of shamrock to the Officers and Guardsmen which were then distributed among the ranks, keeping calm after one officer fainted in his uniform and bearskin hat.

The glowing princess wore the same coat the following year to cover her growing baby bump, this time styling the look with a black roll neck and matching black hat.

But Kate had to reach for her husband's Prince William's assistance when her black suede high heels got trapped in a grate.

Prince William lent an arm as the unfazed princess twisted her stiletto out of the drain and she carried on, sharing anecdotes about her impending motherhood with the guards, telling one: 'I'd like to have a boy and William would like a girl.'

2013: The princess has dealt with a number of mishaps at parades over the years, including getting her heel stuck in a grate

The princess can also be spotted giving a cluster of shamrock to the Irish Guards' friendly mascot - an Irish wolfhound

On each of her St Patrick's parade appearances, Kate has decorated her outfit with a delicate gold shamrock brooch by Cartier, loaned by the Irish Guards regiment.

The accessory was worn by the Queen Mother during her appearances with the Irish Guards on St Patrick's Day and later Princess Anne, who took over the role after the Queen Mother's death.

The princess caused controversy after choosing not to attend the parade in 2016, opting to spend time with her children, leaving Prince William to hand out the shamrock alone.

2014: Kate has donned a cluster of shamrock and a gold shamrock brooch for her St Patrick's Day appearances

2015: The Princess of Wales distributes shamrock to the Irish Guards during her visit (pictured when she was pregnant with Princess Charlotte)

2017: After missing the parade in 2016, Kate made a glamorous return the following year wearing a flattering double breasted bespoke coat by Catherine Walker with statement gold buttons

But she returned with enthusiasm in 2017, wearing a flattering double breasted bespoke coat by Catherine Walker with statement gold buttons and celebrating with a pint of Guinness.

Kate has met an array of adorable dogs during her time attending the parades, each year being introduced to an Irish wolfhound, the regiment's mascot, to present them with their own sprig of shamrock.

2018: Kate showed off her baby bump again wearing a green fur-lined Catherine Walker coat with Gina Foster hat. She gave birth to Louis weeks later

2019: Kate returned to her favourite brand Alexander McQueen for the parade sporting a green coat from the label with a matching pillbox hat by Lock & Co

2022: Last year Kate wore a 3,200 Laura Green London dress to visit the guards in Hampshire

Handing the clover to the Irish Guards has been carried out on St Patrick's Day by female members of the royal family since 1901, when Queen Alexandra began the tradition.

The custom was continued by the Queen Mother until her death, who even missed her favourite day at Cheltenham to attend the parade, and then Princess Anne.

After her marriage to Prince William in 2011, the duty fell to Kate to carry on the tradition as her husband was the royal colonel of the Irish Guards.

However in a shuffling of positions after the Queen's death last year, Kate was herself made colonel of the Irish Guards, taking over from her husband in her first Army role, as he was to become the colonel of the Welsh Guards instead.
Nothing kicks off the spring season quite like St Patrick's Day celebrations around the world.

And while its origins lie in holy rituals, many use the day to kick back, enjoy a drink or two and bask in the revelry of parades.

Thankfully, partygoers from around the world have captured their antics on camera while honouring the patron Saint of Ireland, and shared their revels online.

One hilarious image - posted to a popular Facebook group where thousands share their festive shenanigans - shows a man so committed to the lore that he dyed his goatee a brilliant shade of green.

Elsewhere, pets got in on the fun as one owner dressed their dog up shamrock green gear saying 'kiss me I'm Irish'.

It takes a few rounds to crack this so to save you the trouble, the phrase it sounds like is: 'well I'll be f*****d'

Meanwhile, a group of friends poked fun at the boozy celebrations by snapping themselves lying around the house in various poses, surrounded by empty bottles.

They captioned the resulting snap, Irish Yoga, and indeed child's pose might be a relaxing position for anyone with a sore head the next day.

And in the US, a cheeky convenience store tried to tempt people to buy miniature bottles of whiskey for $1.49 by advertising them as 'Irish flu shots'.

This frequently-memed image, jokingly captioned 'Irish Yoga', shows three women supposedly passed out in an array of acrobatic poses, the floor around them strewn with empty bottles

In Ireland, a hangover is sometimes referred to as a bout of the 'Irish flu' - and here is your medicine

It's not just humans joining in on the fun! It's no wonder why this dog, clearly delighted to be celebrating the Irish festivities, went viral for its costume

One reveller was so excited to party that he shared his St Patrick's Day garb - including a dyed goatee - on a festive Facebook group with thousands, revealing he'd like to go to Ireland to celebrate

This snap which appears to be based in the US and was posted on popular image sharing site Imgur, was captioned: 'Even the dark lord is Irish on St Patrick's Day'

One hungry reveller seemed to have an interesting understanding of the Irish cuisine as they shared their festive meal, in a post which got more than 70,000 views

This image, shared on viral platform Imgur, appears to show off a promising start to St Patrick's Day celebrations with potatoes and Guinness at the ready

The Irish embassy in Belgium appeared to be homesick as they shared a hilarious snap of the infamous of Manneken Pis statue dolled up in traditional wear

Taking to Imgur in 2015, one thirsty partygoer shared what it was like walking into US-chain Denny's during St Patrick's Day

In the Irish town of Sligo, a parade ground to a halt when the 'breakdown assistance float' broke down itself - irony at its finest

Fun glittery shamrock glasses aren't just for humans! This pup went viral after getting dolled up to celebrate Ireland's patron saint

One excited reveller from Ireland seemed ready to party as they took to Twitter to share a jokey forecast for the weekend ahead

An example of a thrill-seeker who took his celebrations very seriously indeed, and ended up unconscious
Students at St Andrews, where the Prince and Princess of Wales first met, have been watching as the cast and crew of The Crown have transformed the Scottish town into a Hollywood film set.

The hit show's sixth and last series is currently being filmed and this week stars Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy have been recreating Kate and Willaim's student years in the coastal town.

Many students in the town have enjoyed behind-the-scenes glimpses of the action, and have been busy sharing their insights on TikTok.

Filming from their classrooms, halls and bedrooms, St Andrews' locals revealed how they spotted Dominic West, who plays a middle-aged King Charles in the series, McVey and Bellamy in the streets of their town.

Students at St Andrews University have enjoyed a front seat on filming of the new series of The Crown, with cast and crew descending on the Scottish town to recreate Prince William and Kate Middleton's student years

While some reportedly begged Netflix to let them be extras on the show - with some claiming the job pays 250 a day - others moaned that filming could get in the way of their studies, and one even revealed she was paid 50 by the crew to let them film from her student room.

The film crew have been spotted all over the town in recent days, from the harbour to the University's premises and the town's independent cinema.

Many students have shared their own videos of the set on social media, with one captioning her post: 'Watch the Crown be filmed on my university campus.'

Another shared a video of Dominic West and Ed McVey filming Prince William's first day at the university with the caption: 'You wake up to The Crown season six outside your flat.'

One person even managed to get close to set while Ed McVey entered the university's library, with many remarking how much the young actor, 22, looks like a teenage William.

And another student revealed she was offered 50 from the crew to let them set up a camera in her bedroom to capture one of the scenes on the university grounds.

'If the lighting is looking extra good in season 6 of The Crown just know it was coming from my bedroom,' the student revealed.

Meanwhile, eager students recreated scenes from the third series of the show, asking Netflix to hire them, while others claim that being an extra on the show could help them earn 250 for a day's work.

Ed McVey, who plays Prince William as a university student, was spotted filming by the university's library

A student revealed she was paid 50 to let the crew film some scenes from the window of her student room

Some fans got to have their pictures with Ed, who plays young Prince William in the show, and has been spotted all over St Andrews

But while many enjoyed the Crown-mania taking over their university halls and town, not everyone welcomed their facilities being booked for filming.

'Imagine just trying to study or finish an essay and The Crown blocks off the library. I would cry,' one said.

'Filming and construction in the library when exams are in a month! Lucky us,' another said.

'Trying to get to class in sallies and fighting off camera crew is insane,' another student noted.

It was during his time at St Andrews that Prince William met and fell in love with fellow student Kate Middleton, now the Princess of Wales.

They became friends in their first year before romance blossomed after William saw 'hot' Kate strut down a charity fashion show catwalk in a sheer dress. They graduated in 2005 and William proposed five years later.

Some fans got a very close look at Dominic West portraying King Charles in the early 2000s yesterday

Fans are eagerly awaiting the release of The Crown's final series later this year, with the show already courting controversy over its depiction of the tragic death of Princess Diana.

Earlier this week, The Crown's Meg Bellamy, who is playing Kate in the series, and Ed were seen portraying the royal couple as the series recreated their time at St Andrews.

The actress, 19, was pictured arriving at the modest St Andrews terraced house where the royal couple lived together during university. Ed was seen in a green jumper for the scenes.

When William and Kate returned for their second year at St Andrews, the pair and two pals opted to live off campus in a quaint two-storey home in the city.

Some got glimpses of the behind-the-scenes from the university halls, with some saying they had to sneak through cameras and filming crews on their way to class

They moved into 13A Hope Street, which cost just 100 per week each, with housemates Etonian Fergus Boyd and Olivia Bleasdale.

The modest home included a small kitchen, where William is said to have tried to impress Kate with his culinary skills.

He had relocated to the prestigious university in Fife after completing his studies at Eton College in 2001. They graduated in 2005 and William proposed five years later.

In 2007, the couple did briefly split but reunited shortly after and married in 2011.

Speaking about their mutually agreed break-up in their engagement interview the couple admitted it was for the best.

While some begged Netflix to let them be extras on the show - with some claiming the job paid 250 a day - others moaned that filming could get in the ways of their studies, and one even revealed she was paid 50 by the crew to let them filmed from her student room

William said: 'We were both very young, it was at university and we were both finding ourselves and being different characters and stuff. It was very much trying to find our own way and we were growing up.'

While Meg has no official acting credits to her name, Ed has significantly more experience; he graduated from Drama Centre London in 2021 and was an understudy in the play Camp Siegfried, which was shown at London's Old Vic.

Meg has never acted before and applied for the role after earning an A* for drama in her A-levels at St Crispin's School in Wokingham, Berkshire.

She had previously only taken part in school productions and had a part-time job at Legoland in nearby Windsor.

For the sixth series, Imelda Staunton will reprise her role as Queen Elizabeth II, with Jonathan Pryce playing her husband Prince Philip.

Elizabeth Debicki will once again appear as Princess Diana in the build-up to her death, while Dominic West plays Prince Charles.

Many argued that filming scenes leading up to Princess Diana's death in Paris were insensitive - as well as the series going ahead with its launch not long after the Queen's death in September last year.

Focusing heavily on the fallout between Princess Diana, played by Debicki and King Charles (then Prince of Wales) as portrayed by West, the new series showcased a number of low points for the royals.

Among them were Charles and Diana's marriage breakdown, the late royal's controversial Panorama interview and the notorious 'tampongate' phone call between the King and Queen Consort, then Camilla.

Acting royalty Dame Judi Dench, who is close to King Charles and Camilla, has accused the programme of being 'crude and hurtful'.
A woman who started going grey when she was just nine years old has revealed how she found the courage to ditch the hair dye and embrace her silver locks - noting that her boyfriend has been left 'in awe' by her natural tresses.

Zoe Miolla, 25, from Connecticut, says she was 10 per cent grey by the time she was 12 - admitting that her changing hair left her struggling with severe insecurities, particularly after she was bullied by other children who branded her a 'grandma'.

The senior designer used box dye to color her hair for the next six years with the help of her mom, April, 51 - but finally decided to ditch the dye at age 18 after she started art college.

By the age of 21, her grey hair had grown out to shoulder length so she could cut off her remaining dark hair below - leaving her tresses entirely silver.

A woman whose hair started turning grey when she was just nine years old has revealed how she learned to embrace her natural silver locks after years of dying them

Zoe Miolla, now 25, from Connecticut, would use black box dye every four to six weeks in an effort to conceal her greys after facing cruel torment from school bullies

The college graduate says that she noticed her first silver hair when she was nine - and by the time she turned 12, 10 per cent of her locks had turned silver

Zoe, seen as a child, says her father was stunned when he spotted her first grey hair - but noted that early grey runs in the family

Despite years of insecurities, Zoe says she now loves her 'unique' look and jokes with boyfriend, Matt Griffin, 32, they are 'fire and ice' as he has 'fiery red' hair.

Zoe said: 'I couldn't be prouder of my hair now. I didn't always embrace it and feel confident about it. Now it's my defining trait, I love it.

'People always think it is fake and dyed. I always say back: "Do you really think I get my roots done that much?"'

Zoe's dad, Ralph Miolla, 52, first spotted a grey hair when she was nine.

'I remember the moment like the back of my hand,' she recalled. 'My dad found a grey hair and was freaking out. He said, "What the hell is happening?"'

Zoe grew up surrounded by 'beautiful grey hair', revealing that her dad found his first grey hair at age 12, while her grandmother, Annie Hogan, now 72, discovered hers at just 14 years old.

'My father always reminded me how beautiful our grey hair is,' she said. 'He found his first grey at 12 and was mostly grey in his early 20s. I always thought they had the healthiest, most beautiful hair.

'Grey hair was something I was proud to have from an early age.'

The senior designer used box dye to color her hair for the next six years with the help of her mom, April, 51 - but finally decided to ditch the dye at age 18 after she started art college

By the age of 21, her grey hair had grown out to shoulder length so she could cut off her remaining dark hair below - leaving her tresses entirely silver

She now relishes her natural grey hair - having spent years hiding it thanks to cruel taunts she faced from bullies in middle school

'It was a big insecurity of mine in middle school,' she shared. 'When I was younger I just wanted to blend in... I had people call me grandma'

But in her teens Zoe struggled with comments about her greying hair - and it was then that she began trying to conceal it from those around her.

'It was a big insecurity of mine in middle school,' she shared. 'When I was younger I just wanted to blend in. The grey was concentrated at the top of my crown and I had people call me a grandma.

'Or they'd ask me, "What is going on there?" 'It was pretty unique at the time, I wasn't like everybody else.

'I was a little pimply big girl and adding in the grey... it wasn't the cutest look.'

Zoe decided to dye her hair and would re-dye it every six weeks with the help of her mom, April, a creative director.

But when she turned 18 and prepared to head off to college in Florida, she decided to embrace her natural locks 'out of curiosity'.

Zoe - who attended the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota - said: 'I was at art school so every hair color was embraced.

'I was 50 per cent grey by the time I was in college. After six months my bangs were all grey. I rocked a bowl cut of grey for a bit. I also dyed the roots fun colors.

'By 21 it grew out to shoulder length so I could chop it all. I wasn't super used to a full grey head of hair [so] it was a shock.'

Zoe says she is now 90 per cent grey and is fully embracing her new look - while learning to deal with the reactions of people left confused by her natural color.

Zoe met her partner Matt at a Halloween party and says he thought her hair wasn't real at first

But now, Zoe says that Matt 'loves my grey hair and applauds my confidence. He appreciates someone who stands out'

Zoe (seen left with her mom and right with her dad) grew up surrounded by 'beautiful grey hair', revealing that her dad found his first grey hair at age 12, while her grandmother, Annie Hogan, now 72, discovered hers at just 14 years old

'People are not used to a young person with so much grey,' she explained. 'A few of my friends now have a few grey hairs but because of me they are not afraid.'

Zoe met her partner Matt at a Halloween party and says he thought her hair color wasn't real at first.

'Part of him just thought it was like that for the party,' she said. 'He definitely noticed it that's for sure. He loves my grey hair and applauds my confidence. He appreciates someone who stands out.'

Zoe now considers her hair her best feature and make sure to keep it healthy  using a hair cream, frizz treatment and oil.

'I don't wash my hair more than once a week,' she revealed. 'I'm cautious of heat I'm putting on it and I don't skimp on products.

'It's my best feature so I'm going to make sure it's looking in tip top shape.'

Zoe hopes sharing her journey to love her grey hair inspires others to embrace their natural hair and looks.

'It doesn't go with every outfit but I love it,' she said. 'I hope to show the world that you can embrace natural beauty. Grey hair is not a scary thing. Grey hair shows wisdom.'
The extraordinary transformation you see before you may look like it took several hours and a crack team of hair and make-up experts, but actually I managed it myself in just a couple of seconds.

Sitting in my car on a rainy afternoon, I opened up TikTok on my phone, pressed the plus button at the bottom of the screen, clicked on the Bold Glamour filter, and in the blink of an eye went from pale and stale (not helped by a stinking cold) to hot and glossy, a cross between Megan Fox and Kim Kardashian on acid.

Suddenly I had soft, pillowy lips, a smooth forehead, a narrow, smaller nose, a sultry, cat-like expression and a tighter, sharper jawline. No blotches, bumps or blemishes, just all-round foxiness.

In other words, a wholly unrealistic representation of the real me.

Social media is full of clever filters that alter a users appearance in seconds, and which arent always easily detected.

Suddenly I had soft, pillowy lips, a smooth forehead, a narrow, smaller nose, a sultry, cat-like expression and a tighter, sharper jawline (Sarah Vine before applying the filter, left, and after, on the right)

Cabinet Minister Oliver Dowden ordered Tik Tok to be deleted from all government phones and devices earlier this week (file image)

The latest iteration of this is TikToks Bold Glamour filter, which uses Artificial Intelligence  or AI  to sculpt the facial features of users, smooth out their imperfections, brighten their teeth and eyes and generally turn even the most dishevelled worn-out middle-aged hag (me) into something resembling a contestant on Love Island.

Or, as some witty TikTok users have put it, this filter makes me look the way Id appear to you if youd had one too many drinks and were in a dimly lit nightclub.

Forget Bold Glamour: they should really have called it Beer Goggles.

Since its launch just over a month ago, its been used in more than 15 million TikTok videos, with users alternately delighted and horrified at its effectiveness.

Of course, for someone like me its just a bit of harmless fun; but theres a darker undercurrent to this phenomenon.

In particular, there are concerns that for some  adolescent girls, especially these sorts of filters could be really quite harmful in terms of their mental health and self-esteem.

'I'll never be happy with how I look' Student Macie Baugh, 17, lives in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, with her mother Gemma. Student Macie Baugh, 17, says she would never post a photo of herself without makeup online She says: Ive been on social media for five years, and I dont post any pictures without tweaking them first. When I was 12 I would put natural ones online, but I didnt understand back then how filters can make you look better. Everyone in my social circle was using filters when I discovered them. I love the result of the TikTok Bold Glamour filter (above); I honestly think I look much better. I post two or three selfies on Instagram a week. When I filter pictures myself, I start by using a Snapchat filter to make my face look smoother and get rid of spots. I think Ive got quite red cheeks, so I usually use a filter to erase that. I then make my nose smaller and my lips bigger. My nose is my biggest insecurity; it looks weird and doesnt suit my face. I might change the shape of my eyebrows and add some highlights around my face, eyeshadow and small lashes. Ill finish by making my lips pinker. It takes me about 35 minutes. Would I ever post a picture of me without make-up? No. I feel Id be bringing myself down in other peoples eyes. Both online and in real life I see other girls who are so much prettier than me and dont need to use filters. I can easily spend six hours a day scrolling through peoples social media posts. It does leave me feeling worse about myself. Mum hated the result of the TikTok filter, but its normal for girls like me to change how they look online. Ive got 11,000 followers on Instagram. Yet I know my followers will only like my pictures when I have used filters. The most Ive had on one selfie was 609 likes; in the comments people called me gorgeous and so pretty. It feels really good. I dont think Ill ever be happy with my natural looks. Advertisement

The pressure on young women to conform to a certain beauty standard is nothing new, nor for that matter is it restricted to the young.

After all, older women feel increasingly obliged to keep up with societys expectations via anti-ageing tweakments that are now widely available.

But ever since the introduction of social media filters, which teen favourite Snapchat popularised in 2015, the abyss between what is real and what is not has been steadily growing.

According to a recent poll, one in four Britons will only upload a selfie if its been through a filter or been edited in some way first, with the figure rising to two in five in the 16-25 age group.

And in a City University study, 90 per cent of young women aged 1830 said they filtered their social media images because of the pressure they feel to conform.

They are driven to scrutinise every aspect of their appearance and are highly critical of their own perceived physical shortfalls.

And its not just on TikTok: these filters are endemic across all social media platforms. But theres something about this specific one, this Bold Glamour, that feels next level.

Most filters are very superficial: they just overlay your existing features, like a digital mask.

This one is different. Its far more sophisticated, using AI to alter a persons appearance from all angles.

It doesnt matter which way you move your face or what expressions you pull, the illusion is maintained.

Its the difference between playing a video game on your TV and putting on a virtual reality headset. This is full immersion.

From a technical point of view, its impressive; but in terms of the effect on the human mind, its more ambiguous. Some users have pointed out that this filter should carry a warning.

And theyre right. When the lie is this believable, the disconnect between who and what a person is in real life and the version of themselves they display and look at online is deepened.

'I'd rather be the girl on the right' Care worker Chloe Lainton, 21, lives in Somerset with her mother. She says: Chloe Lainton, 21, says: 'Id never share this unfiltered picture of myself without make-up' After Ive taken a picture, the first thing Ill do is tweak my skin tone. A bronzed, sun-kissed look makes me feel more confident. Ill also slim my jawline by using a tool which bends the picture. Ive started to get wrinkles around my mouth, and I struggle with bad skin, but I use an acne tool that removes blemishes. I think my eyebrows and eyelashes are too thin, so if I dont have make-up on, Ill use a filter to fill them in and apply eyelashes. The only thing Im happy to leave unfiltered are my lips  Ive been getting fillers since I was 18. It costs 300 each time, yet its worth it because I used to feel very conscious about my smile  I had a thin top upper lip and it looked very uneven. It usually takes me ten minutes to tweak a picture, but I have spent 45 minutes doing it. I use the Facetune app. I joined Instagram when I was 11, and can spend hours scrolling through peoples posts. I love everything about the Kardashians and their aesthetic. I also look to Love Island star Molly-Maes photos for inspiration. With an unedited selfie Ill get around 20 likes; when Ive tweaked it, I can get more than 100. Its a real confidence boost. Id never share this unfiltered picture of myself without make-up, above left. (TikTok Bold Glamour filter, pictured right.) My friends and I organise dates for the purpose of taking pictures for Instagram. We recently got dressed up for a breakfast date at a cafe, took between 300 and 400 selfies, and then sat in silence for ten minutes as we scrolled through them. Yet there werent any we were happy with. My colleagues say Im unrecognisable on Instagram. But is that a bad thing? Id rather be the girl in those posts. Interviews by Samantha Brick Advertisement

These digital, deep-fake versions of ourselves offer an alternate universe; one which, if you happen to be in the wrong frame of mind or are simply too young to know any better, can make our organic selves seem hopelessly inadequate  alien, even.

This erosion of the true self is bound to cause problems. Humans were not designed to spend their lives gazing at images of themselves, let alone warped images of their selves as designed by the gods of AI.

Its bound to lead in some cases to feelings of physical inadequacy, or even full-on body dysmorphia  both of which can be highly damaging and lead to all sorts of problems, including severe anxiety, self-harm and anorexia. It also, of course, leads to people wanting  and attempting  to translate the improvements they see on screen into reality.

Hence the shift weve seen from cosmetic procedures predominately being used by older women to look younger towards much younger women using them to fundamentally alter their facial mapping.

In particular, the popularity of fox eye surgery  plastic surgery that lifts and repositions the corners of the eye  and lip flips, a procedure which uses Botox to create a fuller, curled-up top lip. Both are attempts to achieve that filtered, almost cartoon-like look popularised by social media.

And of course, TikTok is conveniently full of videos promoting such procedures.

In truth, though, none of this is very new, its just getting more sophisticated.

Lets face it, for decades the fashion and beauty industries have made women feel worthless, inadequate, less than, in order to sell us the solution. Wear this dress, these shoes, use that moisturiser, that mascara  and maybe, just maybe  youll be up to scratch.

Concerns that TikToks parent company, ByteDance which is based in Beijing  could hand over data to the Chinese government led Oliver Dowden (pictured) to ban the app from government devices

Bold Glamour is just the evolution of this, another stick with which to beat ourselves.

That is not exactly why, earlier this week, Cabinet Minister Oliver Dowden ordered the app to be deleted from all government phones and devices.

He did so after concerns that TikToks parent company, ByteDance which is based in Beijing  could hand over data to the Chinese government, undermining national security.

But in so doing he may have added to a growing chorus of concern about these sorts of platforms, which not only promote a warped reality with soul-sapping filters, but also draw us into a bizarre, uncensored world awash with bogus conspiracy theories (let us not forgot the devastating effect all the speculation about the recent disappearance of Nicola Bulley by amateur TikTok detectives had on her poor family) and populated by dubious characters promoting all sorts of controversial ideas and behaviours.

Its not only government officials who need to delete these apps and get their heads back into the real world, its all of us.

TikTok may or may not be storing our data and giving it to Beijing. But if we allow it to, it will steal our self-esteem, our sense of reality  and, ultimately, our sanity.
The Princess of Wales enjoyed sips of Guinness after she paid tribute to her husband Prince William at the Irish Guards' St Patrick's Day Parade as she takes on her role as its new colonel.

Kate, 41, who was radiant in a turquoise coat which matched the colour of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards' blue plume, sipped on a pint of 'the black stuff' alongside her husband after the pair made speeches to officers and guards and watched the parade at Mons Barracks in Aldershot.

During her emotive speech, the princess said: 'I really couldn't be prouder to stand in front of you here today. It really is a true honour to be your Colonel. I am here to listen to you, to support you, and to champion you in all you do  this is a responsibility I do not take lightly.'

Meanwhile William said that being Colonel of the Irish Guards has been one of the 'great honours of my life'.

Kate, 41, attended the event for the first time in her capacity as Colonel of the Irish Guards, following her action-packed day carrying out training drills in snowy conditions with them last week - and today recalled the day as 'so cold'.

The Prince and Princess of Wales each enjoyed a pint of Guinness, the famed Irish stout brewed in Dublin, on their visit to Mons Barracks in Aldershot today as they attended a St Patrick's Day parade in a first for Kate since she took over from William as Colonel of the Irish Guards

The couple marked the event on their Instagram account this afternoon, writing: 'It is a true honour to be Colonel of the Irish Guards, whose enthusiasm, pride and dedication - plus boundless sense of humour - makes them so unique.

'From outgoing to incoming Colonel, we will continue to support and champion you in all you do,' the post continued.

Against a backdrop of miserable weather, Kate was a stunning flash of colour in a bespoke turquoise Catherine Walker coat complete with a frilled heart-shaped fascinator costing 1,450 from Jane Taylor and proudly displayed a Cartier shamrock brooch on her chest.

The coat matched the shade of the Irish Guards' blue plume. It featured structured shoulders, buttons and was belted at the waist to enhance Kate's svelte figure.

Her long brunette locks flowed down her back, while her make-up was minimal to enhance her natural beauty.

The mother-of-three kept her jewellery simple with a pair of emerald earrings which she has worn several times before.

Ahead of the parade, the Waleses addressed the regiment onstage as William spoke of his sorrow at leaving behind his role as colonel, while Kate confirmed her commitment to the position as she succeeds him.

William said: 'Im proud of everything [the regiment] stands for  just as Im immensely proud of every single one of you.'

He added proudly: 'I may be stepping aside, but in Colonel Catherine you have a committed, focused, and already incredibly loyal 11th Colonel.

'As you serve together over the years ahead, know that I will continue to watch you, with huge pride in having been one of you.'

The Princess of Wales looked radiant in turquoise as she arrived at the St Patrick's Day Parade in Aldershot this morning on her first event since becoming colonel of the Irish Guards. Upon arrival, Kate was given a sprig of shamrocks to wear on her coat, before she handed out the plant to the soldiers

The Princess, 41, met with the 1st Battalion Irish Guards in a training drill last week in which she wore a sensible camouflage outfit, but was dressed for the occasion today

Kate was effortlessly elegant in an all-blue ensemble for the St Patrick's Day festivities earlier today

The Prince and Princess of Wales marked St Patrick's Day on their Instagram account this afternoon and shared their own pictures of the event

The royal shared an earthy laugh around a pint of Guinness and cans of lager with the members of the Irish Guards

The guards all prepared to welcome the couple to their barracks ahead of their visit earlier this afternoon

The couple have vowed to continue to champion the Irish Guards. Service dogs and musicians welcomed the Princess of Wales to the barracks

Members of the Guards cheered to the Prince and Princess of Wales with cans of beers. St Patrick's Day bunting was hung above the door

The couple observed a parade and the Princess of Wales addressed the assembly with a speech

Kate Middleton talked of how proud she was to be the Irish Guard's colonel in her speech this afternoon

The Prince and Princess of Wales loooked serious as they sat down with the soldiers for an official picture

Cheers! The couple raised a pint of Guinness and a can of lager to the soldiers who had gathered to meet them

One soldier who took part in the parade let his hat rest on his tambourine during the royal visit in Aldershot this morning

In her speech, the Princess told the regiment: I really couldnt be prouder to stand in front of you here today. It really is a true honour to be your Colonel. I am here to listen to you, to support you, and to champion you in all you do  this is a responsibility I do not take lightly.

She referred to her visit the previous week, where she took part in an outdoor exercise dressing field casualties while wearing combat gear, saying: All I saw was enthusiasm, pride, and incredible dedication.

'I was hugely impressed with your insistence that nothing is as bad as it seems, and  most of all  your boundless, irreverent, glorious sense of humour. Thats what makes you who you are and what makes the Irish Guards unique.

She also thanked her husband Colonel William, concluding: Before I close, however, I want to thank Colonel William. He has always talked about his fierce pride for this Regiment. I know he will continue to support us all in the work we do.

William donned his uniform and smiled as he met children during the festive engagement today

Kate looked to be in deep conversation with members of the Irish Guards during her and her husband's visit

The Princess held onto a glass of Guinness as she mingled around the room on St Patrick's Day today

The Princess of Wales grinned as she came to chat with members of the Irish Guards for the St Patrick's Day celebrations

William clinked his glass with a junior rank's can as he unwinded in the dining hall during today's festivities

William looked deep in conversation as he raised a glass while mingling with members of the Irish Guards today

The royal couple raised their glasses to celebrate St Patrick's Day during a visit to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards

Kate looked delighted to be speaking with members of the Irish Guards as she enjoyed a glass of Guinness

Kate delivered a speech to the Irish Guards shortly after she took over the role of colonel from her husband, Prince William

During her visit, Kate met with two little girls and showed her natural affinity with children as she gave them shamrock sprigs

William and Kate looked joyful as ever as they waved goodbye following their visit to the Battalion today

The Princess of Wales looked touched to receive a bouquet of flowers from two little girls on the visit

The royal smiled as she enjoyed a chat with the two children, looking stunning in a deep blue ensemble

The Prince of Wales met with junior ranks of the Irish Guards and their families in the dining hall

William enjoyed a pint of Guinness in the dining hall, during his festive St Patrick's Day visit today

The Prince and Princess were all smiles as they made their departure following the royal engagements

The royals grinned following a cheerful visit to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards on St Patrick's Day earlier

The Prince and Princess of Wales sat for a group photo during their festive St Patrick's Day visit today

Larking about: The Prince and Princess of Wales erupted in laughter as Prince William's shamrock sprig was placed on his hat

The couple shared a laugh as they joined the 1st Battalion Irish Guards for the St Patrick's Day Parade

The Prince of Wales spoke alongside his wife as they visited the 1st Battalion Irish Guards for the St Patrick's Day Parade

A flash of turquoise! The Princess of Wales stood out in her bright outfit as she sat alongside the officers and guards who were dressed in black and khaki

The Princess of Wales chatted to the officers ahead of the parade, while Prince William sat one seat away

The Princess of Wales met with officers and guards following the St Patrick's Day Parade while she made her way through a half-pint of Guinness

Are you SURE you like Guinness, Kate? The Princess of Wales beamed as she chatted to guards and officers - but didn't make much progress with her half pint

Barely a hair was out of place in Kate's outfit as she nursed her half pint of Guinness - however some rain drops could be spotted on her coat

All smiles: Kate kept both hands on her drink as she sat down to chat with officers and guards following the parade, and looked thrilled to be there

Kate looked fascinated and deep in conversation as she chatted to members of the regiment in her first St Patrick's Day event since becoming colonel

The Prince and Princess of Wales laughed as they took shelter following a rainy parade, while carrying their Guinnesses

William laughed along with junior ranks as he enjoyed a glass of Guinness during his visit earlier today

The royal looked to be in stitches as he recounted a story to his drinking mates in the dining hall

William chuckled along as he grabbed a beer with junior ranks in the dining hall on his visit today

The Prince appeared in good spirits as he enjoyed his conversations today

William and Kate held onto glasses of Guinness as they enjoyed chatting along with other attendees

Bottoms up! William and Kate sipped their Guinness along in unison as they enjoyed a day of festivities

Kate was also gifted flowers by Aoife, 6, and Alice, 4, daughters of Warrant Office Second Class Alistair Wigley and smiled for official Officers and Sergeants Mess photographs.

Crouching down, she said 'thank you' and 'you both look gorgeous'.

As part of the parade, Kate handed out sprigs of shamrocks to officers and guardsmen, which were then distributed among the ranks  and, of course, the Irish Wolfhound mascot for the regiment, Seamus, received one too.

While the shamrocks were given out, the Prince and Princess of Wales fell apart laughing as Prince William's sprig was placed on his hat.

Dressed in a military uniform, William was pictured in hysterics as the bright green foliage was placed on his hat, leaving his wife in fits of laughter as well.

The royal pair basked in the festive atmosphere, grinning from ear to ear on their visit earlier today

The couple mingled with other attendees as they basked in the cheerful festivities of St Patrick's Day

Kate stood out in her symbolic outfit, the shade of which matches the colour of the Irish Guards' blue plume of feathers

The Princess of Wales looked excited for the event as she sat down to watch the parade in her first since becoming colonel

Cracking jokes: The Prince of Wales appeared to say something that made one of the officers chuckle

The royals and officers of the Irish Guards seemed to be in high spirits ahead of the parade, despite the dreary weather

The Princess of Wales beamed as she got ready to watch the parade while sat next to officers and guards

The Princess of Wales looked excited to sit down ahead of the parade as she carried out her duties as colonel of the Irish Guards

Before taking their seats to watch the parade, the Prince and Princess of Wales chatted to guards and officers

After carrying out her ceremonial duties, the Princess was pictured walking over to the stands to take her seat for the parade

A shot of the Irish Guards wearing ceremonial dress reveals the striking colour match between Kate's outfit and the regiment's blue plume of feathers

While at Mons Barracks, the Princess of Wales addressed the regiment on stage while Prince William looked on

Kate looked confident and elegant as she took to the stage and enjoyed a brief moment of cover from the rain

The Princess looked regal as she and William stood together under cover ahead of the St Patrick's Day Parade

The placement of the sprigs was according to tradition, as seen on the hats of other officers and guards.

And Kate also seemed thrilled to meet the Irish wolfhound, the mascot for the 1st Battalion of the Irish Guards, who was wearing a red blanket coat to shelter him from the rain.

The Princess made a fuss of the dog and stroked its chin as it lapped up the royal attention.

Following the parade, the Prince and Princess of Wales will meet with the Irish Guards Association which comprises of past members of the regiment.

Kate was invited to inspect the front rank, while William inspected the second rank.

Following the inspection, the William and Kate were due to meet members of the regiment before sitting for official photographs.

The weather didn't hold up for the royal couple, as they were pictured standing together while the rain pattered down

Photographers holding umbrellas could be seen in the background amid dreary weather as the Prince and Princess of Wales took to the stage

The Prince of Wales, who was wearing military dress, attended the St Patrick's Day event and was gifted a shamrock sprig which was placed on his hat

Several wicker baskets containing shamrock sprigs were laid out on the table before they were handed out to soldiers in the regiment

Kate matched her deep blue stilettos to the rest of her cool-toned ensemble for the festivities today

Kate and William exchanged what looked like a formal meeting as William attended the parade in his role as outgoing colonel of the Irish guards

Any formality between the pair didn't last long, as Kate and William could barely control their giggles as they fell about chuckling over the shamrock sprigs

After making sure she'd given the dog plenty of attention, the Princess of Wales attached a shamrock to its collar

The Princess of Wales made a fuss of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards mascot, an Irish Wolfhound dog

The Princess of Wales stroked the Irish Wolfhound's chin, who was wearing a red coat, and made a fuss of him

Kate looked thrilled as the Irish Wolfhound was brought towards her and she prepared to attach the shamrock to its collar

Kate looked delighted to meet with Seamus the Irish wolfhound as she enjoyed St Patrick's Day festivities

The look of love! Kate flashed her husband Prince William a winning smile as he joined her at the Barracks

The Princess offered sprigs of shamrocks to several guards and officers, as is tradition at the parade

Despite rain pouring down, dutiful Kate had a huge smile on her face while she handed out the shamrock sprig

The Princess of Wales looked elegant and sleek in the turquoise outfit as she handed out the sprig

The Princess of Wales presented the traditional sprigs of shamrock to officers and guardsmen today

The princess handed shamrock out as she and her husband celebrated St Patrick's Day traditions

The Princess attended the event as her first St Patrick's Day Parade since she became colonel of the Irish Guards

As rain hammered down, the Princess of Wales protected her brunette locks with her Jane Taylor hat and frilled fascinator

The Princess of Wales chatted to the soldier while handing him a shamrock sprig, ignoring the rain pattering down

The hard-working Princess of Wales beamed as she handed over the shamrock sprig to the soldier

Kate's appearance at the St Patrick's Day Parade is her first since she became colonel of the Irish Guards

They were also due to visit the Junior Ranks dining hall where senior guardsmen proposed a toast to the couple.

Last week, the Princess of Wales attended the Salisbury Plain Training Area where she carried out military-style drills on her first official visit to the regiment as colonel.

With her hair pulled back into a sensible French braid, she got stuck into a battlefield casualty drill.

Crouching in the snow, she held the soldier's leg as she was shown how to wrap a wound and check the casualty's vital signs during basic battlefield first aid training.

As she placed a tourniquet  used to stop heavy bleeding  on his calf, the princess apologised and said: 'It's the first time I've done this'.

Her appearance marked the first time Kate has visited the Irish Guards in her new position as honorary Colonel after she was promoted to her first Army role in December, taking over the position from Prince William.

Kate enthusiastically asked questions about the different first aid methods used by medics in the Army as she tended to the fake injury during the casualty simulation. She then applied a second tourniquet and Celox gauze  also used to stop bleeding  to the soldier with the fake leg injury and chest gunshot wound.

Kate patiently waited as the guards handed her a wicker basket containing shamrock sprigs which she then handed over

Mother-of-three Kate looked in her element as she arrived in Aldershot ahead of the Parade, which is her first since becoming colonel of the Irish Guards

The Princess of Wales was a bright flash of colour as she stepped out of the car against a grey background

Kate looked radiant and regal in a bespoke Catherine Walker coat, a Jane Taylor hat costing 1,450 and a Cartier shamrock brooch gifted to her by the Irish Guards

As she was greeted in a military salute, Kate smiled back at the soldier as she arrived at Mons Barracks

Kate, 41, beamed as she arrived in Aldershot and proudly displayed a gold shamrock brooch on her teal coat

The Princess was a bright flash of colour amid a grey, rainy backdrop as she stepped out of the car and was greeted with a military salute

Kate arrived at the event as colonel of the Irish Guards following her visit to a training ground in Salisbury last week to run drills with the regiment

The Princess of Wales looked radiant in teal as she arrived at the St Patrick's Day Parade in Aldershot this morning on her first event since becoming colonel of the Irish Guards

Kate beamed as she stepped out of the car into the dreary weather, paying no attention to the rain

Lance Corporal Jodie Newell, 25, who was in charge of teaching the princess first aid, said: 'I was so nervous  I'm teaching the Princess of Wales med [medicine]  it was an honour.

'We were just showing her what we medics do in the Army. She was actually really good, really eager to take part.' L/Cpl Newell added that Kate took it 'all in her stride, like she has done it before' and that it was 'amazing' to have her visit the training area, particularly on International Women's Day.

Afterwards the princess said that taking part in military first aid exercises brought the realities of their training 'to life'.

She said that the battlefield casualty drills, complete with fake gun fire and explosions, 'just brought it all to life'.

The Princess also learnt about anti-vehicle and anti-personnel mine clearance and viewed the weapons systems used by the Irish Guards. As part of the visit, she met guardsmen of No 1 and No 2 companies, who told her about their recent experiences training park rangers in East Africa in methods to counter poaching.
Emma Weymouth looked loved up with her husband, the Marquess of Bath, as the couple attended the B London VIP launch party last night.

The Marchioness of Bath, 36, stunned in the figure-hugging, strapless black dress for the event alongside her beau Ceawlin Thynn, 48, who donned a velvet jacket for the occasion.

The socialite kept her jewellery minimal and opted for a fresh-faced make-up look, accentuating her glowy complexion and a dramatic red lip.

Emma wore her raven tresses in an updo and held onto an ornate black and white clutch, keeping with the two-toned theme.

Slingback black stilettos finished the look off with a sophisticated flair.

Emma Weymouth looked loved up with her husband, the Marquess of Bath, as the couple attended the B London VIP launch party last night

Emma's father-in-law Alexander Thynn died from Covid-19 in April 2020, making her husband the Marquess of Bath in April, and inheriting the estate Longleat, which is famous for being the first drive-through safari park outside of Africa.

Emma has been married to Viscount Weymouth since June 2013. On her wedding day Emma became the first black marchioness in British history.

The happy couple looked delighted to be in each other's company as they huddled up at the star-studded gathering, which saw Lottie Moss and Lady Victoria Hervey making an animated departure after a night of partying.

The nightclub was known as Boujis in the Noughties and saw royals and celebrities regularly mix - all cramming on to the tiny dancefloor after knocking back their favoured Crack Baby cocktails.

Living up to the venue's party heady past, Lottie, 25, looked bleary-eyed as she stepped out of the South Kensington venue in a thigh grazing mini dress that she layered beneath a leather jacket.

She teetered down the venue's front steps in platform heels and a pair of lace stockings, finishing off the look with a dazzling silver clutch.

Lottie's glossy blonde tresses tumbled over her shoulders, framing her pretty features and her 'lover' face tattoo, which she recently revealed was her was of expressing her 'freedom' after 'years of being so controlled'.

Following on behind her was Lady Victoria, 46, who was dressed to impress in a plunging black gown with a feathered neckline.

The garment featured a thigh high split that showed off her tanned pins and a semi-sheer skirt adorned in glitter and sequins.

She completed the look by toting a gold handbag and a purple coat clutched in her hand.

The Marchioness of Bath, 36, stunned in the figure-hugging, strapless black dress for the event alongside her beau Ceawlin Thynn, 48, who donned a velvet jacket for the occasion

The happy couple looked delighted to be in each other's company as they huddled up at the star-studded gathering

Emma wore her raven tresses in an updo and held onto an ornate black and white clutch, keeping with the two-toned theme

Emma grinned as she and her husband attended the star-studded night out in London last night

The Marchioness stuck to a black and white theme as she donned a sparkling mini-dress and matching stilettos

The lacey detail on Emma's dress added a fun and flirty flair to her look as she attended the outing with her husband

The socialite held onto a black clutch as she stepped out, looking effortlessly chic in her sleeveless ensemble

Ceawlin and Emma looked loved up as ever as they held hands on their London night outing yesterday

Emma showed off her enviable figure in the glittering mini-dress, keeping her accessories minimal

Ceawlin looked dapper as he put on a velvet jacket over a chic white shirt for the evening with his wife

Rounding off the celebrity attendees was Emma, who dazzled in a short black mini dress featuring a sheer sequinned overlay

B London, referred to as Boujis 2.0, opened their doors with a VIP launch party ahead of its official opening to the public on Friday evening.

The club, which opened 20 years ago, will have an identical cocktail and clientele list and initially be called B London, with the aim to use the Boujis name after legal action with another former owner this summer, reported The Mail On Sunday.

Prince Harry notoriously fell out of the South Kensington hotspot and into the gutter, Kate Middleton, now the Princess of Wales, would go 'fairly wild' and regulars included the pop star Prince, Cameron Diaz, Paris Hilton, Will Smith and Lady Gaga.

Harry and Prince William had a regular table which was often surrounded by pretty girls, including Kate and her sister Pippa.

With such a star-studded guest list, perhaps it was no surprise that the club, Boujis, became so raucous it ended up breaching licensing conditions and it was shut by Kensington and Chelsea Council in 2014.

Living up to the venue's party heady past, Lottie, 25, donned a thigh grazing mini dress that she layered beneath a leather jacket

The model wore platform heels and a pair of lace stockings, finishing off the look with a dazzling silver clutch

Prince Harry infamously hit the front pages by landing in the gutter in 2007, in the days when it was a regular occurrence to find the royal stumbling on to the street after a night quaffing Crack Baby shots  the club's blend of vodka, passion fruit puree, Chambord and champagne.

B London co-owner Carlo Carello, who was an employee at the original club, recalled to The Times: 'It was a time when the rock-star lifestyle was still going ahead. Celebrities were clubbing weekly. You could go there any night and some magic would happen.'

READ MORE: Boujis 2.0 launches as revellers prepare to relive the glory days of notorious 'Noughties' club where royals knocked back Crack Baby cocktails alongside Paris Hilton Prince Harry in 2006 leaving the exclusive Boujis nightclub in South Kensington Advertisement

The club's website reportedly had 40,000 hits within 24 hours of the B London's opening being announced.

But Mr Carello suggested he isn't surprised guests are keen to relive their glory days at the club, saying: 'It was the epitome of London nightlife. Its probably the most special club for me that Ive had anything to do with.'

He recalled Lady Gaga arriving at the venue in a white leotard before asking if she could perform.

However, not everyone could get into the club, with Kate's brother James Middleton allegedly among the clubbers who were regularly rejected.

'It was a constant juggling act of which calls you picked up and [which] you didnt', admitted Mr Carello.

The new venue will be on the metaverse to allow people to experience Boujis online and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II sits at the club's entrance.

Mr Carello said in January: 'Everything from the plug sockets to the banquette seating is being rebuilt down to the millimetre.'

He recalled hosting 'wall-to-wall' Royals at Boujis, adding: 'Royalty always used to have table 11, which was often surrounded by pretty girls, and we will be recreating that for them.'

One of those pretty girls was Kate who would often join the Royal brothers with her younger sister Pippa.

A B-London insider said: 'They were the original Fab Four. We were thrilled when they all came together.

'It's amusing to look back at pictures of those days and see the Princess of Wales looking a bit bleary-eyed. We aren't used to seeing her with a single hair out of place these days, but there was a time she was fairly wild.'

The club was renowned for its 'Boujis Tuesdays', filled with a clientele so wealthy they didn't need to worry about work on Wednesday morning, if they had any.

Co-owner Jake Parkinson-Smith recalled walking into Boujis on a week night to find US rapper Missy Elliott had brought all her celebrity friends along after the MOBO awards.

'I remember doing a head count and realising there were more A-list stars than staff,' he said, 'and we had no advance notice.'

Another time the heavy metal band Metallica pulled up in a fleet of five blacked-out limousines, one for each band member, and bikini-clad girls.

The club regularly played host to the pop star Prince, who turned up in the rain and requested to leave by the back door under a purple umbrella.

Other regulars included Princess Beatrice, Hugh Grant, Charlotte Church and James Blunt.
An abandoned dog who was branded 'ugly' by potential adopted parents while she waited to be chosen in an animal shelter has finally found her forever home.

The adorable pooch, called Dutchess, was taken in by Orange County Animal Services in Orlando, Florida, around Christmas in 2022 because of an issue with a landlord, according to reports.

However, due to a few little bumps on the bottom of her eyelids, she struggled to win over potential adoptive families.

Dutchess won fans across the internet after the dog shelter posted a plea for her adoption on Facebook, claiming people 'couldn't get past' her tiny imperfections and made disparaging comments about her appearance.

And as the post attracted more attention, true dog lovers jumped at the chance to care for Dutchess, leading her to finally find her forever home.

An abandoned dog who was branded 'ugly' by potential adoptive owners has found her forever home following a social media appeal and an operation to remove small cysts underneath her eyelids. Dutchess (pictured) now lives in a loving home after her Orlando dog shelter struggled to find new owners for her

Fox 35 Orlando reports the pooch was first taken in by the shelter around December 2022 because of landlord issues, and rescuers soon realized she needed veterinary care due to her eyes.

They posted on Facebook that the growths under her eye had been determined to be causing her discomfort by a vet, meaning she would need to have an operation to remove them.

However, before the operation was carried out, the shelter claimed people who came to visit commented on Dutchess's appearance, and were sometimes disparaging.

According to the shelter, some of the comments included: 'She looks so ugly. What is that? What's wrong with her? Is she blind? How much is this gonna cost me? She'll never get adopted.'

Dutchess (pictured) has now been renamed Lena after she was adopted by new owners. She was suffering from small cysts underneath her eyelids

The pup was branded 'ugly' by people visiting the shelter as staff struggled to find someone to look after her

She has now had surgery to remove the cysts and is recovering well after finding a new family to look after her

The shelter said Dutchess, now known as Lena, has a loving family around her and is well looked after

The pooch, who had to be rehomed due to issues with a previous landlord, now lives in a home with a couple

Dutchess underwent surgery after a vet determined the cysts under her eyelids were very likely causing her discomfort

On 27 December, the shelter confirmed the surgery to remove the growths had been successful and that they were discovered to be dermoids, which are rare skin cysts that dogs are sometimes born with.

Following the social media appeal, the shelter was inundated with adoption requests for Dutchess.

Rescue Dogs Dream Inc. took her in and placed her in a foster home while she was recovering from surgery, before she was later given to her adoptive parents.

The shelter posted an update to Dutchess's many fans on social media to say she had already wolfed down a cheeseburger and was making herself at home. Her new owners had also re-named her Lena.

Speaking to Fox 35 Orlando, Rescue Dogs Dream Inc said: 'She now has a new Mom and Dad to spoil her rotten (Dad works from home), and she has a new brother to play with, in her privacy fenced yard.

'She gets to go on hikes and adventures, and she is a cherished part of the family.'
A woman who ordered a bouquet of flowers has revealed her disappointment after claiming the mailorder blooms that arrived at her door looked nothing like the colourful spring bouquet she was expecting.

Twitter user @tanyasweeney, from Dublin, took to the social media platform after the 'surprise mam' bouquet she ordered from online retailer eflorist saw a bunch of lacklustre white flowers delivered to her.

She told her followers: ' 1. What I ordered from @eflorist 2. What arrived: 3. What they said when I made a complaint.'

She says her complaints have fallen on deaf ears, posting a response from the company's customer service team, which says the flowers, thought to be worth around 35, 'are fresh' and 'meet the colour scheme advertised'.

Not the surprise you want! What Twitter user Tanya Sweeney, from Dublin, claims she thought she was getting from online retailer eflorist

The company concluded the response by saying it would not be pursuing her complaint.

Sweeney added later that the response was 'an embarrassment!', saying she was only contacted after sending the company multiple emails.

Tanya's expectation vs reality post has since been viewed more than 1.1million times, with others saying they've had similar experiences.

MailOnline contacted eflorist for comment. The company deny that complaints were ignored and say they 'had been assisting this customer throughout their issue and agreed a resolution that the customer was happy with'.

They added that the image the customer used as a comparison on Twitter was not the product they had ordered and told MailOnline: 'We understand their frustration and regret that our service was not faster in resolving the issue however their complaint has been resolved.'

And what she says is the reality: Tanya claims the bunch she received had no colourful blooms in them...and wilted after a few days

How the blooms look today, with the white roses and surrounding green foliage wilting

After reading Tanya's post, another eflorist customer, @AndreaMarySmith, chimed in, saying she'd had a similar experience with the company, writing: 'I received flowers from them once and they were also very disappointing.

'I didnt want to tell the person who sent them but I should have.'

@Bhaneasa added: 'I got stung with them last Mothers Day too. A handful of wilted, sad flowers arrived loosely in a box. Was mortified coz it ruined the surprise. Never again!'

The response Tanya posted after complaining to eflorist about her blooms

@AndreaMarySmith chimed in saying she'd had a similar experience with the company, writing: 'I received flowers from them once and they were also very disappointing'

In the response shared by Tanya online, the company told her: 'Having reviewed the photograph you have been kind enough to provide, we are pleased to see that these flowers are fresh, have met the colour scheme of the advertised product, and are to value.

The company added: 'Unfortunately, on this occasion, we are unable to pursue your complaint.'

Mothering Sunday falls on Sunday 19th March, with florists experiencing one of their busiest weeks of the year as people order flowers for their mums.
Final season of the show will focus on early days of Kate and William's romance

The Crown has recreated the Princess of Wales waitressing as a student at St Andrews University.

The final season of the hit Netflix series - which is currently being filmed in Scotland - will cover the early days of Prince William and Kate Middleton's romance.

Last night, actress Meg Bellamy, 19, was pictured filming scenes for the upcoming season in a pizza restaurant.

Dressed in a dark red shirt and black waistcoat, Meg wore a name tag with Kate written across the front.

As part of the Princess' uniform, the actress was seen with her long brown hair tied back in a ponytail and also wore minimal makeup for the scene.

Meg Bellamy, 19, was pictured filming scenes in an Italian restaurant in St Andrews last night. She was seen in a red shirt and waistcoat

The pictures show Meg appearing to serve customers seated in the window of the Italian restaurant.

During the scene, someone outside of the restaurant catches Meg's eye and she then proceeds to give them a shy wave.

Other images show the actress looking pensively out of the window before she then returns to taking a customer order.

In 2019, the Princess of Wales opened up about her experience of waitressing in Christmas TV special A Berry Royal Christmas.

During one segment, Mary prepared a non-alcoholic cocktail, which she then passed to Kate to take over to guests.

Kate then told the host: 'Reminds me of my university days when I did a bit of waitressing.'

When Mary asked if she was good at the job, Kate responded very honestly.

She laughed, and replied: 'No, I was terrible!'

The actress was pictured giving a shy wave to someone outside the restaurant before then taking more orders

Kate Middleton - who has previously admitted she was a 'terrible' waitress - pictured at her graduation ceremony in June 2005

Yesterday, Meg also filmed a scene with an actor appearing to portray one of Kate's former university flames.

Before the Prince and Princess of Wales became an item, Kate was believed to be dating fourth-year law student Rupert Finch.

Photos captured on the set showed Meg walking hand-in-hand with another man as Ed McVey - who has been cast as Prince William - walks past.

Ed looked just like as young Prince William this afternoon, dressed in a red bomber jacket, navy jumper and jeans.

Meanwhile, Meg donned a tweed twin-set with a forest green jacket and brown boots.

The cast of The Crown has descended on St Andrews in Scotland, where Kate and William met as students

Meg Bellamy was pictured gazing at someone outside the restaurant and taking orders from customers

She looked pensive as she peered at someone outside the window. It appears as though the final season of the Netflix series will focus on Kate and William's relationship

Meg was all smiles as she spoke with members of the cast in between takes in St Andrews last night

Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy filmed a scene thought to involve one of the Princess of Wales' former flames on the set of The Crown's sixth series in St Andrews yesterday

The pair looked in great spirits and were spotted joking around in-between breaks from filming

READ MORE: How does Meg match up to being a Middleton? The VERY striking similarities between actress portraying Kate and the future Queen Advertisement

It appears the last and sixth series of The Crown will focus on the blossoming love story between William and Kate.

Meg's rise is set to be meteoric after she was plucked from obscurity to play the Princess of Wales when she submitted a self-taped audition to the makers of the show after seeing the role advertised on social media.

Announcing the casting on Instagram last September, she wrote: 'Pinch me please... So excited to announce that I will be playing Kate Middleton in Series 6 of Netflix's The Crown.

'It is such an honour to be joining the most incredible cast and crew and I will strive to do Kate justice.'

And it seems like the actress will be able to draw on her own life experience for the role, with some striking similarities between her and the royal.

Both Home Counties girls, Meg grew up just 22 miles away from Kate's childhood home in Berkshire.

At school, it seems both the Princess of Wales and the actress playing her were model pupils. Each made a strong impression on their teachers as kind and humble personalities with a thirst for learning, natural leadership skills and a passion for theatre.

It's been a busy few days of filming for the show's cast and crew, with Ed McVey spotted going for a jog and eating chips by St Andrews' harbour as filming for the sixth series of The Crown continued in the student town earlier this week.

During filming yesterday, Ed was spotted digging into a box of chips while chatting to other members of the filming crew in-between takes in a nod to the Prince of Wales' favourite student takeaway.

Prince William, 40, and Kate Middleton, 41, were 'regular customers' at the award-winning Anstruther Fish Bar, in the coastal town of Anstruther, near Fife, while students at St Andrews University 20 years ago, and even revisited it in 2021.

The Prince and Princess of Wales returned to their favourite restaurant and treated themselves to a meal and ice cream, which they ate on a bench by the pier, away from prying eyes.
It's Gold Cup day at Cheltenham, and eager revellers - including Zara Tindall and Jade Holland Cooper - were determined to go all out, donning extravagant ensembles to witness the festival's spectacular grand finale.

Feathers and tweed were the order of the day, with many opting for chic tartan suits and fur-lined coats to keep out the early Spring chill, while others opted for St. Patrick's Day themed costumes.

The Gold Cup is the jewel in the crown of jump racing, and racegoers ensured they stood out from the crowd for the popular event by wearing gorgeous country chic looks or bright green outfits to celebrate March 17th.

The historic society event, which dates back to the early 19th century, has unveiled a new 'inclusive' dress code this year, which organisers hope will make spectators feel 'confident and at-ease' for their visit.

But despite dresses, heels and hats no longer being mandatory, glamourous guests have still opted to pull out all the fashion stops for the annual event.

Say cheese! A group of well-dressed women pose for a photograph during day four of the race meeting

Celebrities arriving at the event included Nick Knowles, 60, and his glamorous girlfriend Katie Dadzie, 32, who opted for a colourful check blazer and shorts, teamed with thigh-high boots.

Elsewhere, Jade Holland Cooper posed up a storm with her Superdry husband Julian Dunkerton at the racing event.

The British fashion designer showcased her style prowess in a pink houndstooth longline coat and matching trousers.

She teamed the vibrant outfit with a tan belt and coordinating boots, while sporting a stylish pair of sunglasses.

Meanwhile, Princess Anne's daughter, 41, and her rugby ace husband, 44, were all smiles as they stopped for photographs upon their arrival at the historic racing event.

The couple looked typically stylish with mother-of-three Zara opting for a longline coat from Laura Green which she paired with a vibrant pink hat from Juliette Botterill.

She completed her simple yet elegant look with a pair of black boots from Stuart Weitzman and a dazzling set of earrings from Laurence Coste.

Her husband - who couldn't resist joining some racegoers in a selfie - looked equally sophisticated in a check suit.

Mike and Zara Tindall looked very loved up during their time at the festival this morning and gazed into each other's eyes

Happy St. Patrick's Day! This racegoer opted for a green leprechaun costume when attending today's event

Elsewhere, Jade Holland Cooper posed up a storm with her Superdry husband Julian Dunkerton at the racing event

It's Gold Cup day at Cheltenham, and eager revellers were determined to go all out, donning extravagant ensembles to witness the festival's spectacular grand finale

Double trouble! Two friends dressed in blazers and shorts walk hand-in-hand as they arrive at the Cheltenham Festival

What a laugh! Mike and Zara Tindall couldn't help but smile as they posed up a storm at the final day of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse

Anne took a look at the winning prize before handing it over. She wore a crimson lipstick for the occasion

She proved her hardy nature by trudging through the muddy grass at the race course this afternoon

The royal was accompanied by her husband, Sir Captain Timothy Laurence, who wore a green tweed costume

The down-to-earth Princess Royal appeared delighted to be attending the event alongside her daughter and son-in-law

The Princess Royal later presented the festival's Gold Cup to the winning owner of Galopin Des Champs this afternoon

Anne looked very stylish in her navy tartan coat and matching hat, which she paired with blue earrings

The royal presented the cup to the wining owner of the festival and congratulated them on their performance

Mike, dressed in a check suit, couldn't resist joining some racegoers in a selfie

Mike Tindall and James Nesbitt pose for a photo together at the Cheltenham Festival 2023

Princess Anne's daughter, 41, and her rugby ace husband, 44, were all smiles as they stopped for photographs upon their arrival at the historic racing event

British TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson arrives for the final day of the Cheltenham Festival

Holding an umbrella, Jeremy donned a navy suit and teamed the outfit with sunglasses

A woman dressed to the nines in a fuchsia blazer and dark fedora hat carried a cup of white wine while her pal, carrying a rose, kissed her on the cheek

This racegoer looked glamorous in a pink slip dress and a white blazer - but she had to abandon her stylish gold heeled sandals and opted to spend the rest of the afternoon barefoot

Celebrating their wins! These revellers were thoroughly enjoying themselves at the races as a gentleman fist-bumped the air

Come rain or shine! These racegoers were prepared for the rainy weather with multicoloured umbrella hats - although they didn't seem to notice the sun had come out

That's a lot of empty cups! Tables showed stacks of plastic cups piled high as people made their way through drinks

It was mixed reviews from these revellers on Gold Cup Day as they were pictured watching a race, with some people thrilled while others looked a little less enthusiastic

These woman posed for the camera while dressed in camel coats and fedora hats, while one carried a cup of what looked like rose

Happy times! These ladies looked affectionate as they cosied up to each other and posed for the camera and appeared to be photobombed by a gentleman in a tweet jacket

These revellers carried drinks and smiled for the camera - although it's unclear if the woman in the forefront was a friend of the group

A Guinness for St Patrick's Day! This gentleman looked pleased to have a sip of his stout on Gold Cup Day

A good day's work! Lots of empty cups were visible on the table as partygoers stood around with drinks

This young woman pointed out a man in a flat cap and checked suit as she smiled at him with a knowing look

Girls with curls! This glamorous bunch of young racegoers wore their hair in loose waves as they sat outside

Racegoer Alex Knight was visiting Cheltenham Gold Cup Day on his stag do, where he donned sunglasses, a comical hat and raised a trophy

Hands up for the camera! These glamorous girls, one carrying a Louis Vuitton bag, raised their arms and beamed as they were joined by two lads

Another pint, lads? This group of men raised their glasses for the camera while a pile of empty cups could be seen on the table

These girls looked deep in conversation as they checked the phone screen of the young woman on the left

Girl power! A group of women showcase their figures in daring hemlines and chunky boots

These boots were made for walking! Glamorous racegoers put their best fashion foot forward as they attend today's event

Celebrities arriving at the event included Nick Knowles, 60, and his glamorous girlfriend Katie Dadzie, 32, who opted for a colourful check blazer and shorts, teamed with thigh-high boots

Elsewhere, Jade Holland Cooper posed up a storm with her Superdry husband Julian Dunkerton at the racing event

The British fashion designer showcased her style prowess in a pink houndstooth longline coat and matching trousers

Check her out! Princess Anne opted for a check blazer and skirt combo when stepping out today at Cheltenham Racecourse

A royally good day out! The Princess Royal with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence

Julian Dunkerton (left) and Idris Elba ahead of day four of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse

Lydia Millen arriving ahead of day four of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse

Hat's the spirit! Beaming racegoers showcased their fabulous headpieces as they arrived at the festival today

Twinning! These racegoers opted for silver and black glittering suits as they celebrated Gold Cup day at Cheltenham

Suited and booted! These revellers opted for stylish boots, while one donned a caped dress and the other wore a blazer and shorts

Celebrity guests: Ed Westwick and Amy Jackson arrive on day four of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse

Going for gold: A woman showcases her stylish prowess in a gold and black ensemble as she arrives alongside a dapper man

Ready for their big day out! This group all looked equally glamorous as they arrived at the final day of Cheltenham Festival

Beaming racegoers showcased their fabulous headpieces as they arrived at the festival today - including little green hats to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

Others made a statement in tweed ensembles, embracing the country chic look that's been the star of the show at this year's festival.

Many racegoers opted to brave the cold for the event, donning thigh-skimming mini skirts for the big day out, while others plumped for the trouser suit, in bold patterns, in a bid to marry style with comfort.

When it came to headwear, there was a sea of stylish trilby hats coming through the Festival's doors, with others opting for striking feathered fascinators.

This year's official dress code for the festival, posted on the event's website, outlines exactly what racegoers should consider when choosing an outfit.

It reads: 'For some, wearing a nice sweatshirt, pair of jeans and clean trainers is what makes them feel confident and at-ease. For others, they might prefer to turn heads with a sharp suit or glamorous dress and high heels, particularly for one of our big race meetings.

'But whatever your tastes, the most important thing when choosing your outfit is, of course, comfort and confidence. So wear what feels right for you and will keep you feeling your best from start to finish, whatever the weather.'

Strike a pose! A glamorous racegoer smiles for the cameras as she arrives at the racing festival

Thumbs up! These racegoers couldn't help but smile as they attended the event today

Girl squad! This group of radiant women commanded attention in their country chic attire

Looking good: This stylish group of friends opted for glamorous ensembles when attending today's racing festival

Glam squad: Four friends pose up a storm when attending the final day of this year's Cheltenham Festival
They've been putting on loved-up displays all week - and today was no different, with Mike and Zara Tindall affectionately posing arm-in-arm at the final day of the Cheltenham Festival.

Princess Anne's daughter, 41, and her rugby ace husband, 44, were all smiles as they stopped for photographs upon their arrival at the historic racing event.

The couple looked typically stylish with mother-of-three Zara opting for a longline coat from Laura Green which she paired with a vibrant pink hat from Juliette Botterill.

She completed her simple yet elegant look with a pair of black boots from Stuart Weitzman and a dazzling set of earrings from Laurence Coste.

Her husband - who couldn't resist joining some racegoers in a selfie - looked equally sophisticated in a check suit.

They've been putting on loved-up displays all week - and today was no different, with Mike and Zara Tindall affectionately posing arm-in-arm at the final day of the Cheltenham Festival

Mike, dressed in a check suit, couldn't resist joining some racegoers in a selfie

Princess Anne's daughter, 41, and her rugby ace husband, 44, were all smiles as they stopped for photographs upon their arrival at the historic racing event

The couple were joined at the event by Princess Anne, who braved the mud in her suede boots for the outing.

The down-to-earth Princess Royal appeared delighted to be attending the event alongside her daughter and son-in-law.

And she proved her hardy nature by trudging through the muddy grass at the race course this afternoon.

Zara and Mike have had a busy few days at the festival as they enjoyed the St Patrick's Day themed occasion yesterday and Ladies' Day on Wednesday.

The couple, who share a passion for horse racing, are often full of affection for one another, although they were somewhat more restrained today than they have been at racing events in the last few months.

They left royal fans in hysterics in January during their appearance at the Magic Millions Festival on the Gold Coast in Australia as they larked about with friends while posing for photos, poking out their tongues and kissing, while pulling silly faces.

The Cheltenham Festival, which dates back to the early 19th century, has unveiled a new 'inclusive' dress code this year, which organisers hope will make spectators feel 'confident and at-ease' for their visit.

But despite dresses, heels and hats no longer being mandatory, glamourous guests have still opted to pull out all the fashion stops for the annual event.

The down-to-earth Princess Royal appeared delighted to be attending the event alongside her daughter and son-in-law

The royal was accompanied by her husband, Sir Captain Timothy Laurence, who wore a green tweed costume

She proved her hardy nature by trudging through the muddy grass at the race course this afternoon

Zara and Mike have had a busy few days at the festival as they enjoyed the St Patrick's Day themed occasion yesterday and Ladies' Day on Wednesday

The couple were joined by Zara's mother Princess Anne at the event this afternoon, who was lapping up the races

The Princess Royal opted for a navy blue tweed ensemble as she stepped out this afternoon at Cheltenham

The Princess Royal later presented the festival's Gold Cup to the winning owner of Galopin Des Champs this afternoon

Anne looked very stylish in her navy tartan coat and matching hat, which she paired with blue earrings

The royal presented the cup to the wining owner of the festival and congratulated them on their performance

Anne took a look at the winning prize before handing it over. She wore a crimson lipstick for the occasion

The couple looked typically stylish with mother-of-three Zara opting for a longline coat from Laura Green which she paired with a vibrant pink hat from Juliette Botterill

Mike Tindall and James Nesbitt pose for a photo together at the Cheltenham Festival 2023

This year's official dress code for the festival, posted on the event's website, outlines exactly what racegoers should consider when choosing an outfit.

It reads: 'For some, wearing a nice sweatshirt, pair of jeans and clean trainers is what makes them feel confident and at-ease.

'For others, they might prefer to turn heads with a sharp suit or glamorous dress and high heels, particularly for one of our big race meetings.

'But whatever your tastes, the most important thing when choosing your outfit is, of course, comfort and confidence.

'So wear what feels right for you and will keep you feeling your best from start to finish, whatever the weather,' concluded the statement.
While most Cheltenham spectators have focused their attention on the races this week, Mike and Zara Tindall only had eyes for each other.

The couple have packed on the PDA during the racing event which saw them holding hands, lovingly gazing into each other's eyes and sharing passionate pecks.

They are never ones to shy away when it comes to showing how much they care about another, and body language expert Judi James noted that these public displays of affection are the 'real deal.'

Speaking to FEMAIL, the expert added that the parents-of-three demonstrated 'high levels of being in sync' with their loved-up gestures - including head tilt gazes - this week.

On top of their repeated kisses at the races, Judi noted that their bursts of prolonged eye contact in front of the cameras gives insight into their 'romantic' marriage.

Mike and Zara Tindall only had eyes for each other as they attended Cheltenham Festival this week

The expert said: 'Zara and Mike are no celebrity power couple trying to create faux PDAs for the cameras, they are the royal version of the real deal when it comes to signals of mutual affection.'

Describing how the couple have been increasing their PDAs of late, Judi added: 'Whenever they appear together, they use body language rituals to show high levels of love and attraction.'

As they arrived at the races yesterday, the couple were all smiles as they posed for the cameras before then exchanging a heartwarming kiss.

Labelling them the 'sexiest royals', Judi added: 'Their body poses show high levels of being in sync as they stand together and they are able to use mutual, intense and close-quarters eye contact that shows genuine feelings for one another.

'Mirrored eye contact like this is harder to pull off in public than a kiss as the eyes are the most "honest" body parts and will often create a truthful facial response, but Zara and Mike only look more besotted.'

Judi went onto say there was nothing forced or fake about the passionate pecks the couple shared during their time at the races this week.

She said: 'Their kisses look affectionate and natural and the underlying factor that they signal is a shared sense of humour and fun.

'They dont seem to take life too seriously and this is a shared value that seems to bind them as much as their love.'

The parents-of-three shared loving gazes as they arrived at the racing festival this morning

Judi noted how 'natural' the couple's passionate pecks looked as they cosied up to one another by the racecourse on Thursday

Princess Anne's daughter, 41, and her rugby ace husband, 44, were all smiles as they stopped for photographs upon their arrival at the historic racing event today for its final day.

The couple looked typically stylish with mother-of-three Zara opting for a longline coat from Laura Green which she paired with a vibrant pink hat from Juliette Botterill.

She completed her simple yet elegant look with a pair of black boots from Stuart Weitzman and a dazzling set of earrings from Laurence Coste.

Her husband - who couldn't resist joining some racegoers in a selfie - looked equally sophisticated in a check suit.

Gazing into each other's eyes! Judi explained that mirrored eye-contact is harder to pull off in public, because the eyes are the 'honest' part of the body, but added the couple only look as besotted as ever in this pose

Yesterday, the parents-of-three were caught getting lost in each other's eyes as they looked as loved up as ever

The couple looked stylish as they posed for photos on arrival at the festival on Ladies Day, with Zara rocking a teal checked coat from Rebecca Vallance while Mike was sharp in a light grey suit

Zara and Mike have had a busy few days at the festival as they enjoyed the St Patrick's Day themed occasion yesterday and Ladies' Day on Wednesday.

The couple, who share a passion for horse racing, are often full of affection for one another.

They left royal fans in hysterics in January during their appearance at the Magic Millions Festival on the Gold Coast in Australia as they larked about with friends while posing for photos, poking out their tongues and kissing, while pulling silly faces.

The Cheltenham Festival, which dates back to the early 19th century, has unveiled a new 'inclusive' dress code this year, which organisers hope will make spectators feel 'confident and at-ease' for their visit.

But despite dresses, heels and hats no longer being mandatory, glamourous guests have still opted to pull out all the fashion stops for the annual event.
Royal kneeled down to thank the sisters and admired their outfits

Princess of Wales received a bouquet of flowers from sisters Aoife and Alice

This is the heartwarming moment the Princess of Wales gushed over two sisters' matching outfits at the St Patrick's Day Parade this afternoon.

The Prince, 40, and Princess of Wales, 41, were guests of honour at the annual St Patricks Day Parade at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, where William officially stepped down from the honorary regimental position in favour of Kate.

After delivering a speech to the Irish Guards, the mother-of-three took time to meet with families and young royal fans attending the event.

A video captured by the Daily Mail's Royal Editor Rebecca English shows the royal approaching Warrant Officer Alistair Wigley and his partner.

To begin with, the Princess reaches out to shake their hands before then turning her attention to their daughters Aoife, six, and Alice, four.

The Princess of Wales told sisters Aoife, six, and Alice, four, they looked 'gorgeous' and admired their brooches

The two girls were dressed in matching navy blue coats and also wore brooches to commemorate the annual event.

Kneeling down to speak with the young royal fans, Princess thanked the girls for the bouquet of white flowers they had brought for her.

Admiring their outfits, Kate then told the girls they looked 'gorgeous'.

The clip ends with the Princess taking a closer look at Alice's brooch that was pinned on her coat lapel.

Kate looked radiant in a bespoke turquoise coat by Catherine Walker which matched the colour of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards' blue plume.

During her emotive speech, the Princess said: 'I really couldn't be prouder to stand in front of you here today. It really is a true honour to be your Colonel.

'I am here to listen to you, to support you, and to champion you in all you do  this is a responsibility I do not take lightly.'

Meanwhile William said that being Colonel of the Irish Guards has been one of the 'great honours of my life'.

Kate looked radiant in a bespoke turquoise coat by Catherine Walker for the annual St Patricks Day Parade at Mons Barracks in Aldershot today

After delivering a speech to the Irish Guards, the mother-of-three took time to meet with families and young royal fans attending the event

Kate delivered a speech to the Irish Guards shortly after she took over the role of colonel from her husband, Prince William

The Prince and Princess of Wales each enjoyed a pint of Guinness, the famed Irish stout brewed in Dublin, on their visit to Mons Barracks in Aldershot today as they attended a St Patrick's Day parade in a first for Kate since she took over from William as Colonel of the Irish Guards

Kate also seemed thrilled to meet the Irish wolfhound, the mascot for the 1st Battalion of the Irish Guards

As part of the parade, Kate handed out sprigs of shamrocks to officers and guardsmen, which were then distributed among the ranks - and, of course, the Irish Wolfhound mascot for the regiment, Seamus, received one too.

While the shamrock sprigs were given out, the Prince and Princess of Wales fell apart laughing as Prince William's shamrocks were placed on his hat.

Dressed in a military uniform, William was pictured in hysterics as the bright green foliage was placed on his hat, leaving his wife in fits of laughter as well.

However, the placement of the sprigs appeared to be traditional as other officers and guards also displayed the sprigs on their hats.

And Kate also seemed thrilled to meet the Irish wolfhound, the mascot for the 1st Battalion of the Irish Guards, who was wearing a red blanket/coat to shelter from the rain.

The Princess made a fuss of the dog and stroked its chin as it lapped up the royal attention.
A mother and daughter are planning to stay in a haunted hotel in their lingerie - in a hope that this will scare off the ghosts.

Later this month, Levi, 39 and her daughter McKenzie Bleu, 20 - who both appear on porn site Babestation - will brave a one night stay at My Haunted Hotel at Ye Olde Kings Head in Chester.

The hotel prides itself on being 'the ultimate ghost hunting adventure in one of the country's most haunted locations'.

However the women said they hope their sexy outfits will spare them from spooks, telling The Daily Star: 'We love the paranormal but we are also complete scaredy cats so we have come up with a cunning plan.

'We will wear our sexiest PJs while sleeping over in an attempt to woo the spirits in the hope they may go easy on us.'

Proud mother: Glamour model Levi began working for Babestation twenty years ago and now her daughter works for it too

Levi joined the adult company Babestation in 2002, but she has also always been a fan of ghosthunting.

She and Blue - who joined Babestation two years ago - will stay in the infamous inn, which is known for its creepy doll - called The Grace Doll - that stays locked in a glass box with chains and padlocks.

Levi added that she hoped the male spirits would give them an easy ride.

But Blue is not convinced her mother will last the night - and said she is scared of her own shadow.

Earlier this year, Levi told how she came to do porn shots with her daughter.

She said McKenzie didn't dream about being a glamour model.

She actually wanted to work in an office but it was hard finding jobs during lockdown.

She said that she and her friends decided to make a Babestation account, and they began earning so much they decided they couldn't go back to normal work.

She added that people in the industry and 'really nice' when they find out who her daughter is.

But they are far from the first pair of relatives to take on ghosthunting as a family affair.

Levi, 39 and her daughter McKenzie Bleu, 20 - who both appear on porn site Babestation - will brave a one night stay at My Haunted Hotel at Ye Olde Kings Head in Chester (pictured together)

Mother and daughter will soon stay in this haunted hotel, and will wear their skimpy underwear to scare off the ghosts

Jon Paul Kennedy, 33, and his partner, Kymmi Jeffery, 38, from Winsford, Cheshire, have heard a little girl crying and smelled rotten egg in their home since they moved to their new house in September 2022.

The couple are putting up cameras to capture the spooky ongoings and say their daughters - Snow, 10, and Pebble, six - are just as intrigued.

The family, who travel in a hearse called Morticia, hope to set up a museum for their artefacts - two dolls, Mimi and Esther, pieces of jewellery and a dybbuk box.

Jon, a teacher, said: 'We thought we had a gas leak because it was smelling like rotten egg.

'We called an engineer out and he couldn't find a leak. Suddenly the smell just vanished. Sulfur smells can be associated with demons.'

Kymmi, a therapist, said: 'The other night I woke up at 3am and heard a girl crying.

'I checked on Snow and Pebble but they were fast asleep. We're going to buy cameras to try and capture anything.'
Jeremy Clarkson appeared in high spirits as he arrived at Cheltenham this morning, donning a camouflage-print umbrella for the unpredictable English weather.

The presenter, 62, looked prepared for whatever the skies may bring on Gold Cup day as he sported a pair of sunglasses for the outing.

In contrast to the extravagant feathers and tweeds of the day, he kept it casual with a navy suit worn over a matching cardigan and blouse, carrying a newspaper along.

The columnist opted for suede brogues to tie the look together as he made his way to enjoy the festival's spectacular grand finale.

Other eager revellers - including Zara Tindall and Jade Holland Cooper - were determined to go all out, donning sophisticated ensembles on the festive day.

Jeremy Clarkson appeared in high spirits as he arrived at Cheltenham this morning, donning a camouflage-print umbrella for the unpredictable English weather

Many opted for chic tartan suits and fur-lined coats to keep out the early Spring chill, while others opted for St. Patrick's Day themed costumes.

The Gold Cup is the jewel in the crown of jump racing, and racegoers ensured they stood out from the crowd for the popular event by wearing gorgeous country chic looks or bright green outfits to celebrate March 17th.

The historic society event, which dates back to the early 19th century, has unveiled a new 'inclusive' dress code this year, which organisers hope will make spectators feel 'confident and at-ease' for their visit.

But despite dresses, heels and hats no longer being mandatory, glamourous guests have still opted to pull out all the fashion stops for the annual event.

Jeremy - whose umbrella appeared to be a new purchase with the tag still attached - was all smiles as he was pictured chatting with other attendees, amid his ongoing planning row with the council.

Meanwhile, the former Top Gear presenter has also invested in a new beer trailer to serve his flagship Hawkstone lager.

He is already challenging the local council's decision to shut down a restaurant he opened on Diddly Squat Farm in Oxfordshire - and now it appears the star has been forced to get creative to bring in much needed revenue.

Farmhand Kaleb Cooper shared a photo of the new 'mobile bar' on Instagram - with a photo showing a grey trailer with pink paint over the roof.

The presenter, 62, looked prepared for whatever the skies may bring on Gold Cup day as he sported a pair of sunglasses for the outing

In contrast to the extravagant feathers and tweeds of the day, he kept it casual with a navy suit worn over a matching cardigan and blouse, carrying a newspaper along

Jeremy - whose umbrella appeared to be a new purchase with the tag still attached - was all smiles as he was pictured chatting with other attendees

The columnist opted for suede brogues to tie the look together as he made his way to enjoy the festival's spectacular grand finale

While it's not clear what permissions Jeremy will need to set up the bar on his land, generally planning permission does not need to be sought for temporary structures that are used for less than 28 days a year. He already sells alcohol in his shop so may not need an additional alcohol licence.

Jeremy has regularly butted heads with West Oxfordshire District Council, which has also refused him permission for him to extend the shop's car park in May last year.

His struggles have prompted some local councillors to call on officials to go easy on the star, with Liam Walker - a Conservative member of Oxfordshire County Council - suggesting he was being treated differently from other developers.

'Jeremy is Marmite and he knows that,' he told MailOnline.

'Of course the council will say all planning applications are taken at face value but I do wonder if some of my council colleagues came to it with a predetermined view.'

It comes as camera crews were pictured on the property in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, to record more episodes of his popular Amazon Prime show Clarkson's Farm.

What a laugh! Mike and Zara Tindall couldn't help but smile as they posed up a storm at the final day of the Cheltenham Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse

British fashion designer Jade Holland Cooper showcased her style prowess in a pink houndstooth longline coat and matching trousers

Elsewhere, the fashionista posed up a storm with her Superdry co-founder husband Julian Dunkerton at the racing event

The controversial TV star - who faced criticism for his column about Meghan Markle earlier this year - seemed to be in good spirits as he left his farm shop with partner Lisa Hogan.

Kaleb Cooper, who is one of the fan favourites on Clarkson's Farm, was also spotted on site and posed for photos with fans.

The filming comes after it was revealed teenage workers at Diddly Squat have to wear bodycams to record abuse directed at them from angry locals over the influx of visitors.

But villagers who support Diddly Squat farm have described it as the 'crown jewel' of sustainable living as they pleaded with their local council to allow expansion plans.

A two-day Planning Inspectorate meeting continued today to consider proposals by the 62-year-old former Top Gear presenter to extend the car park on his Oxfordshire farm plot to accommodate 70 vehicles.

The plans are opposed by West Oxfordshire District Council on the grounds that it would encourage more visitors to Diddly Squat farm - which sits between Chadlington and Chipping Norton - adding to traffic problems.

WODC has also said allowing more vehicles would further disturb the tranquillity of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
A much-anticipated West End adaptation of cult novel A Little Life - starring Happy Valley's James Norton - has left preview audiences traumatised by its graphic on-stage portrayals of suicide, self-harm and paedophilia.

One attendee at Richmond Theatre, where the stage re-telling of Hanya Yanagihara's 2015 book opened on Tuesday, said they made the decision to leave at the interval after the 'relentless misery' became too much for them.

Another audience member called the adaptation, brought to stage by director Ivo Van Hove, 'possibly the most upsetting, unflinchingly brutal and explicit play Ive ever seen.'

The performance, which lasts a whopping 3 hours and 40 minutes and will soon transfer to the Savoy Theatre, has a star-studded cast, including James Norton, It's A Sin actor Omari Douglas and Bridgerton's Luke Thompson.

The book, shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2015, became a word-of-mouth hit and won the author a following of dedicated fans.

Happy Valley star James Norton takes on the role of Jude St Francis, a lawyer who can't escape a lifetime of abuse in director Ivo Van Hove's stage adaptation of A Little Life

The novel is 814 pages long and follows four classmates from a small US college who move to New York and their relationships with one another, as well as complex issues including sexual abuse, disability and addiction.

After attending early performances this week, fans of the play took to social media to express their shock at just how 'raw' the production is.

One wrote: '#Only made it to the interval of "A Little Life". 1 hour 50' of relentless misery was more than enough for me....(I gather it didn't end 'happily') #Alittlelifeplay.'

The play lasts 3 hours and 40 minutes and features graphic depictions of self-harm

A fellow audience member wrote: '#ALittleLifePlay is brutal. Relentlessly brutal. But also brilliant theatre. The entire cast shines. But it's James Norton who is the powerhouse. Barely off stage for more than 3.5 hours, this may be his best work. Award winning stuff. But not for the faint hearted!'

Another added: 'Possibly the most upsetting, unflinchingly brutal and explicit play Ive ever seen which is definitely not for the faint of heart. The entire cast soars and James Norton is an absolute powerhouse in this heartbreaking epic.'

One theatregoer penned on Twitter: 'It feels wrong to say you enjoyed something when the content is so raw & difficult, but I am extremely glad I got to see this masterpiece brought to life in such a thoughtful way.'

The novel became a critically acclaimed bestseller, with celebrity fans including Dua Lipa who said the book 'changed her life' on her podcast.

James Norton hasn't shied away from demanding roles - the actor was acclaimed for playing Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley, but this is likely to be one of the star's toughest acting challenges yet.

The actor, who's a Type 1 diabetic, told The Graham Norton Show in November that the play, at 3 hours 40 minutes, is so long he has to eat on stage to keep his blood sugar levels stable.

He told Norton: 'The added component is that I dont leave the stage for a couple of hours and I am a type 1 diabetic, so I have juice, and I cant bring it up because its got branding on it!

But I have sweet things which Ill have to have scattered around the stage just in case I go hypoglycaemic.
The Crown will show Prince William pining after Kate Middleton as filming for the final season continues at the royal couple's old university.

The sixth season of the hit Netflix series - which is currently being shot in Scotland - will cover the early days of Prince William and Kate Middleton's romance.

This afternoon, actress Meg Bellamy - who has been cast as the Princess of Wales - was spotted filming outside one of the St Andrews buildings alongside Ed McVey, who is portraying Prince William.

In one scene, Prince William is seen enjoying a break from lectures and sitting on the steps of a lecture hall with friends.

After sharing a laugh with his peers, the royal appears solemn as Kate walks past.

Prince William (played by Ed McVey) gazes at Kate Middleton (played by Meg Bellamy) as she walks past him on the set of season six of The Crown

Although William seems to want to catch Kate's eye, she seems determined not to return his gaze.

As she glides past, the royal student then appears to check Kate out as she disappears into the distance.

Dressed in a green jacket and brown top, Meg also wore a pair of blue flared jeans.

The costume team completed Kate's casual student look with some black Ugg shoes and a pleated leather belt that were all the rage in the early noughties.

Meanwhile, Ed was the spitting image of a student Prince William in a navy blue suede jacket, jeans and a red crew-neck jumper.

The focus of the scene seems to be on Art History student Kate - who gazes up at one of the historical building on the campus, which date back to the 15th century.

Following the cold encounter, Meg and Ed were later pictured filming a scene just the two of them.

The pair appeared to be engaged in a emotionally fraught conversation as Prince William looks solemnly at his future girlfriend.

However, the pair didn't let their on-screen drama stand in the way of their experience of filming - and were seen sharing a laugh in between takes.

The actress, 19, was all smiles as she filmed scenes at the couple's old university St Andrews in Scotland

The Prince and Princess of Wales pictured on the day they graduated from St Andrews University in 2005

In this episode, Prince William shares a laugh with friends before Kate Middleton walks past the group

Prince William sits on the steps of a university building with three friends on set of season six of The Crown

Prince William (played by Ed McVey) is seen enjoying a break from lectures with university friends

The future King looks solemn as his future wife walks past. The actors shot a solo scene shortly afterwards

Meg Bellamy, who plays Kate Middleton, pictured filming scenes for the next season of The Crown

Meg Bellamy walks around the St Andrews University campus holding a book as she portrays Kate Middleton in The Crown

Yesterday, Meg also filmed a scene with an actor appearing to portray one of Kate's former university flames.

Before the Prince and Princess of Wales became an item, Kate was believed to be dating fourth-year law student Rupert Finch.

Photos captured on the set showed Meg walking hand-in-hand with another man as Ed McVey - who has been cast as Prince William - walks past.

What's more, Meg was also pictured filming scenes for the upcoming season in a pizza restaurant last night.

The pictures show Meg appearing to serve customers seated in the window of the Italian restaurant.

Meg Bellamy wore a pair of flared blue jeans and a pleated leather belt that was all the rage when Kate Middleton was a student

Meg Bellamy appeared solemn as she shot scenes of Kate Middleton walking around the St Andrews campus

Left: The actors exchanged smiles in between takes. Right: Prince William looks solemn as he gazes at his future wife in season six of The Crown

Dressed in a green jacket and brown top, Meg also wore a pair of blue flared jeans and black Uggs

The focus of the scene seems to be on Art History student Kate - who gazes up at one of the historical building on the campus, which date back to the 15th century

Kate Middleton (played by Meg Bellamy) pictured exiting a university building while filming scenes for The Crown

Kate Middleton (played by Meg Bellamy) pictured walking through campus with a student peer

Pictured: The Crown crew filming scenes for season six of the hit Netflix series, which will cover Kate and William's romance

During the scene, someone outside of the restaurant catches Meg's eye and she then proceeds to give them a shy wave.

Other images show the actress looking pensively out of the window before she then returns to taking a customer order.

It appears the last and sixth series of The Crown will focus on the blossoming love story between William and Kate.

Meg's rise is set to be meteoric after she was plucked from obscurity to play the Princess of Wales when she submitted a self-taped audition to the makers of the show after seeing the role advertised on social media.

Announcing the casting on Instagram last September, she wrote: 'Pinch me please... So excited to announce that I will be playing Kate Middleton in Series 6 of Netflix's The Crown.

Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy filmed a scene thought to involve one of the Princess of Wales' former flames on the set of The Crown's sixth series in St Andrews yesterday

The actress was pictured giving a shy wave to someone outside the restaurant before then taking more orders

READ MORE: How does Meg match up to being a Middleton? The VERY striking similarities between actress portraying Kate and the future Queen Advertisement

'It is such an honour to be joining the most incredible cast and crew and I will strive to do Kate justice.'

And it seems like the actress will be able to draw on her own life experience for the role, with some striking similarities between her and the royal.

Both Home Counties girls, Meg grew up just 22 miles away from Kate's childhood home in Berkshire.

At school, it seems both the Princess of Wales and the actress playing her were model pupils. Each made a strong impression on their teachers as kind and humble personalities with a thirst for learning, natural leadership skills and a passion for theatre.

It's been a busy few days of filming for the show's cast and crew, with Ed McVey spotted going for a jog and eating chips by St Andrews' harbour as filming for the sixth series of The Crown continued in the student town earlier this week.

During filming yesterday, Ed was spotted digging into a box of chips while chatting to other members of the filming crew in-between takes in a nod to the Prince of Wales' favourite student takeaway.

Prince William, 40, and Kate Middleton, 41, were 'regular customers' at the award-winning Anstruther Fish Bar, in the coastal town of Anstruther, near Fife, while students at St Andrews University 20 years ago, and even revisited it in 2021.

The Prince and Princess of Wales returned to their favourite restaurant and treated themselves to a meal and ice cream, which they ate on a bench by the pier, away from prying eyes.
Heidi Klum has sparked frantic rumors that she has undergone plastic surgery after a side-by-side comparison of her five years apart went viral.

Popular Instagram account CelebFace shared then-and-now photos of a whole host of celebrities to compare their appearance at the 2018 and 2023 Vanity Fair Oscars parties.

Among the famous faces being scrutinized were Kylie Jenner, Naomi Campbell and Gigi Hadid.

But the star who caused the biggest stir was 49-year-old Klum who fans said had been 'aging backwards.'

Heidi Klum has sparked frantic rumors that she has undergone plastic surgery after a side-by-side comparison of her in 2018 (left) and 2023 (right) went viral

The 49-year-old attended the event in a glittering sea-green gown - but it's not the dress that has people online talking

She looked as radiant at Elton John's annual viewing party in 2018 (left) as she did at the event earlier this year (right)

In the gallery, which has so far received more than 31,000 likes, Heidi Klum's comparison was the most striking.

The first image, taken in 2018, showed the then 44-year-old beaming toward the camera in a yellow satin off-the-shoulder number with her hair worn straight past her shoulder.

In the second photo, taken earlier this month, Klum exuded glamour as she arrived for the star-studded event.

Although she hid her forehead behind a full row bangs, it was her smooth visage and taut complexion which caused the biggest stir.

Dozens of social media users were quick to flood the post with praise over the model's enduring youthfulness.

One wrote: 'How the hell did Heidi Klum reverse age herself. Looking iconic.'

Another joked: 'Who did Heidi sacrifice because she looks younger than everyone.'

And a third simply commented: 'Heidi looks so much younger now.'

Klum (pictured on the Victoria Secret runway in 2000) has often spoken about speculation that she's gone under the knife but has always denied undergoing any procedures

Dozens of social media users were quick to flood the post with praise over the model's enduring youthfulness

However, there were many who thought there was something more artificial behind her flawless appearance.

One speculated: 'Dang, I didn't know Heidi Klum got a facelift.'

Another added: 'Heidi Klum has an EXCELLENT surgeon.'

Someone else wrote: 'I want to know what Heidi Klum did.'

Klum has often spoken about speculation that she had gone under the knife but has publicly denied having procedures to any part of her face or body.

In 2012, she told Allure: 'Ask me again when I'm 65, but... I'm proud to be able to say, in this day and age, I haven't done anything.

The mother-of-four (left in 2005 and right in 2016) has previously said that she does not fear aging as much as she fears going under the knife

However, there were many who thought there was something more artificial behind her flawless appearance

'Everyone has a view of what's pretty and what's not pretty, and [surgery] just doesn't look pretty to me. Especially when I see it on really young girls.

'I don't want to name names, but it's like "wow, I remember you five years ago, looking to me so beautiful, and now it's like... who is this person?"

'And I know girls half my age who do it. What are they gonna do at 40 or 50, when the s**t really hits the fan?'

And the mother-of-four later reiterated her claims when she said that she does not fear aging as much as she fears going under the knife.

'Botox or bangs,' she told Access Hollywood Live. 'I go for bangs.'

Klum continued: 'I'm scared that all of a sudden you're changing too much, your face starts changing.

'I would have a hard time looking in the mirror and seeing something that I'm not used to seeing. I'd be afraid!'
Foodies have been sent into a spin over the announcement of a new collaboration between two iconic chocolate snacks.

KitKat is set to release a Milkybar flavoured flavour which is set to hit supermarket shelves in the coming weeks.

The Milkybar KitKat will be available in three different forms: a bar, a block and a share pack.

Bars will be sold at 7-Eleven stores from next month while the block and share pack will launch in supermarkets in May.

Aussies have been sharing their excitement for the release online saying they can hardly wait the month to try the nostalgic pairing.

KitKat and Milkybar have teamed up to create a delicious new flavour that is set to hit supermarket shelves in April and May

Crisp wafer fingers have been covered in delicious white milk chocolate combining KitKat's crunchy snap with Milkybar's creamy goodness.

7-Eleven customers will be able to get their hands on the KitKat Milkybar Bar for $2 in April.

On May 3 the $5.50 KitKit Milkybar block will be released in convenience retailers and major supermarkets while the share pack will be available exclusively at Coles.

News of the tasty collaboration is circulating online and drawing in excited responses from keen foodies.

'I'll take a semi load worth,' one woman said and another said: 'Nooooo way, my two favourite things are Milkybar and KitKat, HOW'.

7-Eleven customers will be able to get the KitKat Milkybar Bar for $2 in April. On May 3 the $5.50 block will be released in supermarkets while the share pack will be available at Coles

'I'm trying to lose weight KitKat,' a third joked.

'May is so long away,' a forth complained.

'I need this! This might be as close to the Milkybar biscuit we used to buy many years ago as we ever get' one user reminisced.

However some are speculating as to whether the new flavour will live up to the hype.

'Kit Kat's white block is already delicious though!' someone wrote.

'Couldn't possibly be better than KitKat Gold?!! May have to try it to be sure,' a second said.
A Canadian woman living in Australia has left thousands in stitches after she shared snippets of conversations she heard during a trip to the emergency room.

Ioana, from the Gold Coast, overheard some amusing exchanges between hospital staff and patients and was introduced to some classic Aussie sayings while she was waiting to be seen at the hospital.

The expat, who has been living in Australia for seven years, heard a doctor call a patient's 'bag of chips' meal a 'breakfast of champions' and another assure people a screaming child was not being 'tortured' but getting an x-ray.

She also heard a man say his smell was the only sense he had left and someone else claim they had 'never been sore' in their life when offered pain medication.

Ioana has developed a huge online following for sharing her observations about Aussie culture since moving Down Under and assured viewers she was 'all good' and 'alive and kicking' after her emergency room visit.

Scroll down for video

Ioana (pictured), a Canadian woman who has been living in Australia for seven years, shared the hilarious exchanges she overheard while waiting in a Gold Coast emergency room

Ioana overheard a patient ask if something was blood or liquid and a doctor replied 'both'. She also heard a man named Alan say he's 'never been sore' in his life when offered pain relief

In a TikTok clip, Ioana shared the conversation tid-bits she accidentally eavesdropped in on while waiting to be seen by a doctor.

'Is it blood or liquid?' one person asked to which someone replied: 'Honestly mate, it's a bit of both'.

A doctor asked a man named Doug if he had eaten anything that morning and he informed them he had a 'bag of chips'.

Canadian expat: Things I overheard in an Australian emergency room 'Is it blood or is it liquid?' 'Honestly mate, it's a bit of both' 'Have you had anything to eat this morning, Doug?' 'Bag of chips' 'Breakfast of champions, hey?' 'How's your sense of smell?' 'It's the only sense I've got left!' 'Would you like anything for you pain, Alan?' 'No. I've never been sore in my life.' *screaming the in background* 'Apologies for he noise everyone, poor child's having an x-ray, I swear we're not torturing him!' Advertisement

'Breakfast of champions, hey?' Ioana heard the doctor sarcastically respond.

She also heard a hospital staff member ask someone how their sense of smell was and they answered: 'It's the only sense I've got left!'.

Ioana made out someone ask a patient: 'Would you like anything for you pain, Alan?'

'No. I've never been sore in my life,' Alan said back.

At one point, Ioana, along with everyone else in the emergency room, could hear a child hysterically screaming before someone came out to clear up any confusion.

'Apologies for the noise everyone, poor child's having an x-ray, I swear we're not torturing him!' they apparently said.

Ioana said she is in good health after her hospital trip and she is 'super grateful for all the Aussie healthcare workers and healthcare system'.

Her video has been viewed more than 555,800 times and drew in thousands of comments from Aussies laughing at her experience.

''Breakfast of champions' is such an underrated Aussie saying,' one woman wrote.

'I'm a hospital worker and 'I've never been sore in my life.' is taking me OUT,' a second commented while a third said: 'We all know an Alan'.

'Gotta love Straya,' someone else chimed in.

'Welcome. We deal with pain like we deal with being served the wrong brand of beer. Slightly irate but hilariously,' joked another.

Others shared the 'entertaining' things they had experienced in hospital including one woman who said doctors were unsure if she was 'vomiting up blood or red wine'.

'My daughter and I overheard 'ouchie bananas is my safe word' in Townsville ER at 2am,' a mum recalled.

'Guy in the emergency room: 'I'll just sleep it off', Doc: 'your shoulder's dislocated mate sleeps not fixing that',' another added.
More than half had collaborated with a pharmaceutical company in some way

So-called 'patient influencers' are being paid by big pharmaceutical companies to make content that might mislead their TikTok and Instagram followers, experts warn.

With trust in pharmaceutical companies decreasing, drug makers are cashing in on real patients turned social media influencers to spread the word about their products.

An influx of posts on TikTok and Twitter has put drugs such as weight-loss shots Ozempic and Wegovy in the spotlight, leading some to take it without a doctor's prescription.

The Ozempic and Wegovy hashtags are among the most popular for pharmaceutical drugs on TikTok. Many patients share their experiences using the drugs and promote its weightloss, though not all reviews are entirely positive. Videos range from hundreds of thousands to millions of views

Research by the University of Colorado published this week in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that patients who later become social media influencers often offer prescription drug advice to their followers and have close links with drugmakers.

Erin Willis, lead study author and associate professor of advertising, public relations and media design, said the practice 'raises ethical questions'.

Ms Willis interviewed 26 patient influencers between March and April 2022 with conditions including lupus, fibromyalgia, Parkinsons disease, asthma, HIV, celiac disease, chronic migraines and perimenopause.

The majority were 'micro-influencers' with between 1,000 and 40,000 followers.

These people are generally cheaper for advertisers to work with than celebrities with a larger following.

More than half (69 percent) had collaborated with a pharmaceutical company in some way.

These include serving on advisory boards, speaking to physicians and researchers or communicating with key audiences.

Some 15 percent of the interviewees said they shared new releases from pharmaceutical companies with their followers if the information was relevant.

Twelve percent read medical studies and shared the results simply with their online audience.

Disseminating this information was not prompted by sponsorships or payments from the drug company  the influencers said they were doing it because 'they wanted to be credible to their followers'.

One participant said: 'I feel like I have a unique skill set where Im not trained in the neuroscience of migraine, but I can read peer-reviewed research and get the gist of it, minus the really technical sort-of-science-y parts.'

The study paper said: 'The patient influencers wanted to be an accurate, trustworthy source for their followers and did not ever want to mislead other patients.'

But some were paid to post content for pharmaceutical companies.

The patient influencers used were also a curated sample provided by Health Union, a digital health company, which Ms Willis acknowledged meant they were likely to be on the responsible side.

Ms Willis said social media users will frequently fail to recognize the difference between a sponsored ad and a genuine, personal post.

She said: 'Health literacy and digital literacy are both concerningly low in this country. The fact that patients with no medical training are broadly sharing drug information should alarm us.'

Multiple participants said followers often private message them to get more in-depth information about dosage and side effects.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertising has been popular since it first began in the 1980s.

Still only legal in the US and New Zealand, it enables drug companies to target consumers directly instead of only going through doctors.

Roughly half of the patients who ask their doctor about a drug after seeing an advert on TV get given it.

Elon Musk credited the popular diet drug Wegovy with making him 'fit, ripped and healthy' and said he lost almost 30lbs (13.6kg) while taking it

DTC drug advertising is a booming market, and has grown almost five-fold from 1997 to 2016.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) mandates that influencers disclose if they have been paid by using hashtags such as #ad or #sponsored, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regulations on the sorts of things that can be said on social posts.

However, these are open to interpretation, and features such as videos, disappearing content and direct messages can be tough to keep a handle on.

Ms Willis said regulators need to ensure they are monitoring all the new platforms.

She said: 'This is happening, with or without regulation, and people should be aware of it.'

Among Wegovy's famous users is tech mogul Elon Musk. He credited the drug with making him 'fit, ripped and healthy' and said he lost almost 30lbs (13.6kg) while taking it.

He revealed that he was using it in October last year when a fan asked what the secret was to his new slimmed-down appearance.

'Fasting', Musk, 51, replied before adding: 'And Wegovy'.

Novo Nordisk, manufacturers of Ozempic and Wegovy, told DailyMail.com: 'We do not currently work with any influencers to share their experience taking Wegovy or Ozempic through their personal social media channels. Any social media content sponsored by Novo Nordisk is identified and labeled as such.

'All Novo Nordisk sponsored content is consistent with approved labeling and with all applicable laws and regulations governing the promotion of our products.'
A gene mutation which increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer has been linked to people from Orkney.

One in 100 people with grandparents from the islands off the north-eastern coast of Scotland, have a mutation of the gene BRCA1, new research suggests.

It is believed to be the first time such a geographic ancestral link has been made in the UK.

Researchers from the universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh found the gene mutation was repeatedly spotted in women from Orkney who could trace their family ancestry back to the island of Westray.

It is likely to have come from a founder individual from the island, which has a population of just 600, at least 250 years ago, the paper published in the European Journal of Human Genetics said.

Geneticists from the universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh have linked a variant in the gene BRCA1 to a historic origin in Westray, Orkney (Terry Benson/PA)

Certain mutations in the BRCA1 gene (pictured in artist's illustration) are associated with increased breast and ovarian cancer risk

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie underwent a double mastectomy in 2013, at the age of 37, after she discovered she carried a faulty copy of the BRCA1. This famously led to the greater awareness of the gene defect. The operation was said to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer from 87 per cent to 5 per cent

Planning is now under way for a trial scheme, organised by NHS Grampian and funded by cancer charity Friends of Anchor, which will offer testing for the gene variant to anyone living on the small Scottish island with a Westray-born grandparent, regardless of a family history of the diseases.

If the pilot is successful, the long-term aim is to offer a test to everyone in Scotland with a Westray-born grandparent if they wanted one.

Professor Zosia Miedzybrodzka, director of NHS North of Scotland Genetic Service, said because it was hereditary, the gene variant could affect multiple members of families.

She added: 'Risk-reducing surgery, breast screening with MRI from age 30, and lifestyle advice can all improve health for women with the gene.

'Men do not need to take any particular action for themselves, but they can pass the gene onto female descendants.'

All women have BRCA genes and not every woman who has a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation will get breast or ovarian cancer.

But a gene mutation does increase the risk for these cancers.

Hollywood star Angelina Jolie underwent a double mastectomy in 2013, at the age of 37, after she discovered she carried a faulty copy of the BRCA1.

This famously led to the greater awareness of the gene defect.

The operation was said to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer from 87 per cent to 5 per cent.

She lost her mother, who was just 56, to ovarian cancer after a decade long battle, and carrying the faulty gene put her at high risk of getting both forms of the disease.

Previous research has found that women from certain ethnic backgrounds, such as Ashkenazi Jews, also have a high rate of a specific BRCA gene variant.

Professor Miedzybrodzka added: 'Developing cancer is not solely down to carrying the BRCA1 variant alone.

'There are many complex factors, and some people with gene alterations will not get cancer.

'However, we know that testing and the right follow-up can save lives.'

Around one in 1,000 women across the UK have a BRCA1 variant giving, but most breast and ovarian cancers happen due to chance damage to genes.

Current NHS advice states women with BRCA1/2 mutations, should undergo annual MRI scans in their thirties.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also estimate around 1 in every 500 women in the United States has a mutation in either her BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.

More than 2,000 volunteers took part in the research and gave genetic data to Orkney Complex Disease Study, known as Orcades.

It is part of the Viking Genes project, which aims to discoverer the genes and variants that influence the risk of disease.

The findings by scientists were outlined to residents of Westray on Thursday evening.
Trendy matcha tea now sold at Starbucks and Dunkin' may be able to help fight depression, a study suggests.

Researchers in Japan gave the tea to stress-susceptible mice that had been kept in social isolation for a week.

They found that those who drank the tea showed fewer signs of depression compared to rodents that received the water placebo.

Experts suggested this may be because the tea was prompting the release of dopamine, the body's feel-good hormone, helping to boost the rodent's mood.

Dr Yuki Kurauchi, a biochemist who led the research, said: 'These results suggest that Matcha tea powder exerts an antidepressant-like effect by activating the dopaminergic system of the brain, and this is influenced by the mental state of the individual.'

Matcha tea could help fight depression, a study has suggested (stock photo)

About 21million American adults are depressed, estimates suggest, with about one in four being children.

Matcha tea  made from powdered tea leaves  has been enjoyed in Japan for hundreds of years where it formed a backbone of tea ceremonies.

It has already been linked to a multitude of health benefits including preventing cancer, weight loss and improved heart health. Just this week a longevity expert at Harvard University even credited it with helping him to de-age by an entire decade.

There was also evidence that it helped to boost mental performance and reduce symptoms of depression.

In the latest study, scientists tested the impact of drinking the tea on a group of 190 mice.

Each was kept at a constant temperature of 71.6F (22C) and a 12-hour cycle of light and dark for one week. They had unlimited access to food and water.

Some were then given matcha tea to drink about 30 minutes before a measuring depression in the rodents.

Scientists used the tail suspension test for this. It is when mice are suspended by their tail using tape and monitored for about six minutes.

In the test happier mice are expected to struggle more to get free. But mice that are depressed are expected to spend more time motionless.

Results showed that mice who had drunk matcha tea were more active than their counterparts.

The researchers said this suggested that matcha tea fights depression.

An examination of their brains showed more activity in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, which suggests a possible dopamine boost.

Dr. Kurauchi from Kumamoto University added: 'Matcha tea reduced the immobility time only in stress-susceptible mice that experienced greater stress from social isolation.

'[These mice also exhibited higher depression-like behavior, in comparison to the stress-tolerant mice.'

Mice that had been bred to be stress-susceptible showed a positive effect from drinking matcha tea. But those who had not been bred for this did not.

It was not clear how well the results of the study would transfer to humans.

The matcha tea used was manufactured by AIYA company which is based in Nishio, Aichi, Japan. Its tea is available in the US.

The research was partly funded by AIYA. It was published in the journal Nutrients.
Industry stakeholders are biting back at a California bill that could ban foods including Skittles, Sour Patch Kids and Campbell's soup.

The bill hopes to curb the use of five additives linked to cancer, DNA and organ damage, but a slew of industry businesses have argued the additives are 'safe'.

Directors from companies including the National Confectioners Association, California Grocers Association and the American Chemistry Council added that the bill jumps the gun because the additives' safety is already being reviewed through a number of existing measures.

Of the five additives that would be included in the ban, three  brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate and titanium dioxide  are banned in the EU. One, the dye Red 3, is banned from use in cosmetic products in America.

Foods that could be affected include other treats such as jelly beans, PEZ candy, Trident sugar-free gum, Campbell's soup and smaller bread brands from around America.

The letter, written in opposition to the bill, stated: 'All five of these additives have been thoroughly reviewed by the federal and state systems and many international scientific bodies and continue to be deemed safe.'

It added that a petition for the removal of the dye Red 3 was submitted in November last year and is open for comment until next month.

Furthermore, non-profit consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest petitioned Californias Department of Public Health in 2022 demanding a warning label on foods containing synthetic dyes. A hearing for the petition is planned for April 11, 2023.

A separate letter, penned solely by the National Confectioners Association, highlighted that the confectionery industry supports more than 100,000 good-paying jobs in California.

It said: 'As the makers of chocolate, candy, gum and mints, the confectionery industry... we create good-paying jobs in the manufacturing sector and support thousands of additional American jobs throughout the economy.

'In California, the confectionary industry represents a $7.7 billion economic output, pays $1.8 billion in wages, and supports 106,351 total jobs in the state.'

The letter concluded saying 'there is no evidence to support banning the listed ingredients in the bill'.

Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, who represents part of Los Angeles, filed AB418 last month in an effort to curb the use of five common food additives linked to cancer, DNA and organ damage.

If the bill becomes law, foods that include them will either have to change their formula or not be allowed for sale in America's most populous state.

Foods that could be affected include other treats such as jelly beans, PEZ candy, Trident sugar-free gum, Campbell's soup and smaller bread brands from around America.

'Californians shouldn't have to worry that the food they buy in their neighborhood grocery store might be full of dangerous additives or toxic chemicals,' Asm Gabriel said in a statement.

'This bill will correct for a concerning lack of federal oversight and help protect our kids, public health, and the safety of our food supply.'

The bill, which he filed alongside fellow Democratic co-sponsor Asm Buffy Wicks, targets five additives in particular, which also includes propylparaben.

Asm Gabriel told DailyMail.com 'the goal of the bill is to protect kids and their parents from harmful chemicals.'

If it becomes law, the bill would also prevent the manufacturing of food products including these chemicals in the state  even if they are sold elsewhere.

Asm Jesse Gabriel (pictured) filed the bill last month. He hopes to 'protect' families in California by banning these potentially harmful substances

While the state assembly is only concerned with matters in California, Asm Gabriel does see the new regulations having a national impact.

'The idea here is for [companies] to change their recipes,' he explained, saying he doesn't expect many firms to abandon the large California market.

But, if they change their products for California, they will likely make the change nationwide.

'It is unlikely they'll have one recipe in California and one in Oklahoma.'

He said the five chemicals were specifically identified because each are already banned from food products in the EU.

Titanium dioxide is the most notable of the group.

The additive was at the center of a 2022 lawsuit filed in the Golden State last year alleging the popular candy Skittles were not fit to be eaten.

The naturally occurring powder is used to prevent goods from caking and often used as coloring.

It has been approved as an additive by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), though activists want the agency to revisit the 1966 decision.

The calls for the additive to be banned come as increased research shows the potential dangers of the foods.
THIRSTY ANIMALS by Rachelle Atalla (Hodder 18.99, 368pp)

THIRSTY ANIMALS

by Rachelle Atalla (Hodder 18.99, 368pp)

Catastrophic drought has forced Aida to return to her familys isolated farm on the Scottish borders.

People are fleeing northwards, and when a camper van of strangers appears in the farm yard, theyre allowed to stay in return for helping out.

But they are not what they seem and dark secrets slowly reveal themselves, shifting the balance of power.

In romantic fiction, nature takes on the moods of the characters. Rachelle Attala reverses the process with the climate crisis stifling expression, desiccating the heart and withering human bonds.

This brilliant, profoundly unsettling second novel will secure Atallas place as an extraordinary writer, and a poet of controlled bleakness.

INFINITY GATE by M.R.Carey (Orbit 18.99, 512pp)

INFINITY GATE

by M.R.Carey (Orbit 18.99, 512pp)

In the multiverse, when youve knackered one world, you can just step one dimension sideways into its quantum twin and ruin that one. With infinite resources, therell be nothing to fight over, and control will be ceded to a universal authority, the Pandominion  in theory, at any rate.

Carey has huge fun with the possibilities: heres one Earth where evolution has favoured dogs, another where its clever cats. But under the layers of brilliant social and scientific speculation is a thumpingly gripping thriller with a warm, beating heart.

Who will save the multiverse? Follow the fortunes of a gigolo from the slums of Lagos, a timid yet doughty rabbit and a downloaded scientist to find out.

THE ADVENTURES OF AMINA AL-SIRAFI by Shannon Chakraborty (Harper Voyager 16.99, 496pp)

THE ADVENTURES OF AMINA AL-SIRAFI

by Shannon Chakraborty (Harper Voyager 16.99, 496pp)

Chances to describe a heroine as lusty are few and far between, so its a warm welcome for Amina al-Sirafi, a pirate queen of giant frame, gammy leg and tremendous appetite for booze, love and adventure. A bewitching blend of real history and Arabian Nights, Aminas adventures involve all you want: maps, much fighting, treasure, deep sea monsters and weird birdgods on enchanted isles. But its her fabulous flaws that keep us gripped.

Sworn to put her swashbuckling days behind her, shes living in penury with her daughter when an opportunity to make a fortune comes knocking. Will her past  in the form of a beautiful demon boyfriend  catch up with her? Hell yes!
Super-Infinite By Katherine Rundell (Faber 10.99, 352 pp)

Super-Infinite

By Katherine Rundell (Faber 10.99, 352 pp)

Lawyer, poet, lover, adventurer, scholar and priest, John Donne was a man with a bewildering range of alternative identities.

A contemporary of Shakespeare, he sailed to Spain with Sir Walter Raleigh, married his employers teenaged niece, Anne, without her fathers permission, and was thrown into prison. The greatest writer of desire in the English language, he lived on close terms with death.

Donnes wife and six of his 12 children predeceased him, and in February 1631, aged 59 and mortally ill, he preached his last sermon at St Pauls Cathedral.

Katherine Rundells best-selling biography celebrates Donnes dark brilliance, bringing to vivid life the poet who, as a fashionable young man, sat for his portrait, wearing a hat big enough to sail a cat in.

Meantime By Frankie Boyle (Baskerville 8.99, 368 pp)

Meantime

By Frankie Boyle (Baskerville 8.99, 368 pp)

When hes roused from a drug-addled sleep, it takes Felix some time to realise that the two people yelling through his bedroom door are police.

They want him to accompany them to the station. There he learns his best friend, Marina, is dead.

She was found strangled in a Glasgow park, and hes suspected of her murder. As the police inquiry proceeds sluggishly in the wrong direction, Felix starts to investigate with the help of his downstairs neighbour and fellow drugs enthusiast, Donnie.

Also enlisting the aid of crime novelist Jane Pickford, Felix finds himself in a world of espionage, radical politics, sex, A.I and drugs.

Boyles darkly comic debut unfolds amid vivid scenes of the seamy Glasgow underworld, its hard-bitten humour offset by an unexpectedly tender conclusion.

Escape By James Patterson and David Ellis (Penguin 8.99, 448 pp)

Escape

By James Patterson and David Ellis (Penguin 8.99, 448 pp)

An African-American girl is kidnapped in Chicago. Shes the fifth teen to go missing in 18 months, but while the other girls were homeless, Bridget Leones parents are prominent citizens, bringing an extra sense of urgency to the response.

With no information beyond a vague impression of the abductor, Detective Billy Harney and his colleague are patrolling the streets when they notice a white van whose driver fits the description.

Their pursuit swiftly takes a fatal turn as the kidnapping leads to a terrifying underworld of gang violence, people trafficking and corruption.

The third thriller in the Black Book series featuring Billy Harney, a hardened cop with a dry wit and a well-hidden soft heart, is a pacy page-turner whose multiple dramatic plot lines converge in a sensational final twist.
Eighteen men, women and children were slaughtered on the evening of September 1, 1826 when their camp was attacked by mounted police.

The massacre of the Wonnarua people was revenge for the murder a few days earlier of two convict workers accused of raping their women.

It was one of the bloodiest episodes in the Frontier Wars of New South Wales between the early settlers and aborigines. And it took place in the Hunter Valley, now better known for its coal mines and full-bodied Shiraz wine.

Sacred ground: Glencore is locked in a dispute over plans to expand a coal mine on a site where it is believed eighteen aboriginal people were massacred in 1826

Almost 200 years later, Glencore is locked in a long-running dispute with indigenous leaders and local authorities over plans to expand a coal mine on the site where the massacre is believed  by some at least  to have taken place.

Planning permission has already been turned down and Glencore is now fighting a proposed heritage listing designed to protect it from being dug up.

It is the latest salvo in a much bigger conflict, which escalated three years ago when Rio Tinto detonated Juukan Gorge, a sacred 60,000-year-old site in Pilbara, Western Australia.

Mining companies across Australia, accused for years of paying lip service to the original owners of the land, are now having to tread very carefully.

The case in the Hunter Valley is less clear cut than Juukan Gorge, which brought global condemnation of Rio Tintos actions.

Glencore is eyeing 135m tons of coal lying beneath the ground, worth more than 10billion at todays prices.

This deposit holds the key to extending the life of the open-pit Glendell mine, currently due to close next year, until 2044.

The war in Ukraine has caused the price of thermal coal to soar to record highs, giving miners like Glencore extra incentive to dig up more of it.

The problem Glencore faces is that the coal is buried under a remote rural homestead called Ravensworth, consisting of a ramshackle stone farmhouse, and a couple of out buildings.

This has been identified by some oral indigenous traditions as the site of the slayings.

This place is hallowed ground for us, says Scott Franks, who is a local archaeologist and a Wonnarua man.

He added: But Glencore has shown us no respect, they are only after the coal.

The reality though, is that the precise location of the massacre is unknown.

So while the site is deemed sacred by some indigenous locals, others have dismissed the significance of the site and believe the killings took place elsewhere.

Remote: The Ravensworth site consists of a ramshackle stone farmhouse and a couple of out buildings

This uncertainty has formed the basis of Glencores case.

It has already gone to great lengths. It has hired a local historian who concluded that although Ravensworth was the scene of a number of attacks by aboriginal warriors and retaliations by settlers, the massacre is more likely to have taken place more than 15 miles away.

Ravensworth, which lies around 100 miles north of Sydney, is thought to have been built in 1832 for Dr James Bowman, a few years after the massacre.

Dr Bowman, from Carlisle in Cumbria, was the chief surgeon on early convict ships to Australia and was later appointed as the principal surgeon for the colony of New South Wales.

He became a pastoralist, grazing sheep on 12,000 acres of land. Bowmans former estate is now owned and maintained by Glencore, which bought the mining lease for the land 26 years ago.

The FTSE 100-listed firm has submitted a proposal to move the buildings to a local farm, or to a nearby village called Broke, rebuild it stone by stone and open it up to the public.

This has received the support of a group of residents and business people, as well as neighbouring Singleton town council.

But its planning application was blocked in October by New South Wales Independent Planning Permission.

It accepted the conclusion of both the states heritage and planning departments that the massacre is unlikely to have occurred on the Ravensworth estate. But it still ruled that destroying the property or moving it, and that mining the ground for coal, would desecrate a culturally significant colonial-era landscape.

To make matters worse for Glencore, the states heritage council is now seeking a heritage listing for Ravenscroft, broadening it to span an area of more than 1,200 acres. The company fears that this would force it to shut down the Glendell mine and abandon its expansion plans.

Amid global targets to move away from fossil fuels, and hit net zero carbon emissions targets, many might argue this can only be a good thing.

But it will come as a blow to many in the local community, with hundreds of local workers set to lose their jobs when the mine closes.

Glencore is now mulling over its next move, including whether to submit a fresh proposal to expand the mine.

A spokesman for the company said the heritage listing proposal does not present a balanced or factual assessment of the significance of the homestead and its surrounding landscape.
Hurricane Energy is set to be taken off the London stock market after the oil and gas firm agreed a takeover bid worth around 249million.

Bringing a four-month sales process to an end, Hurricane said its shareholders should back the offer of up to 12.5p per share from Prax.

The energy groups bid was around 84 per cent higher than the companys 6.8p closing price on November 1, when it put itself up for sale.

Takeover: In a deal that brought a four-month sales process to an end, Hurricane Energy said its shareholders should back the offer of up to 12.5p per share from Prax

Hurricane considered its future in November after an unsolicited takeover offer of 7.7p a share.

Key shareholders such as Crystal Amber and Kerogen, which own a combined 45 per cent of Hurricane, have offered their support for the deal with London energy group Prax.

It will see Hurricane shareholders paid an 119.8million, or 6p a share, up front.

This includes 5.19p in the form of a dividend from the existing cash and additional funds based on a planned lifting next month, with the rest to be paid by Prax.

The remaining 129.1million, or 6.48p a share, will be paid depending on production milestones being hit and potential revenue if Prax builds a UK upstream arm. Shares rose 1.1 per cent, or 0.08p, to 6.95p.
The future of Royal Mail boss Simon Thompson is in doubt after he was criticised by MPs and regulators.

In a damning report published today, the House of Commons business committee accused him of either an unacceptable level of incompetence or an unacceptable level of cluelessness.

It also said Thompson intentionally or inadvertently misled MPs and called on Ofcom to investigate  prompting a further broadside from the regulator.

Grilling: Royal Mail boss Simon Thompson (pictured) was accused of 'either an unacceptable level of incompetence or an unacceptable level of cluelessness'

Royal Mails recent performance is clearly well short of where it should be, Ofcom said. Were very concerned about this and have asked the company to explain what its doing to bring service levels back up, as a matter of urgency.

'Ofcom is preparing its own assessment and wont hesitate to take enforcement action.

The comments pile pressure on Thompson as he struggles to turn Royal Mail around in the face of a wave of strikes and mounting losses.

In its report, the committee said it had breached its universal service obligation (USO), which compels it to deliver letters six days a week.

It cited evidence some workers were told to prioritise parcels over letters. MPs also asked the Information Commissioner to investigate claims Royal Mail used data from personal digital assistants (PDAs) to track workers.

The company denies this is its policy. But the report accused Thompson of intentionally or inadvertently misleading MPs when he said it was not his understanding PDA data was used to monitor performance.

I find it hard to believe that such widespread breaches of company policy and legal obligations are down to a national network of rogue workers conspiring against management, said committee chairman Darren Jones MP.

We were inundated with evidence from postal workers challenging the accuracy of answers given by Simon Thompson.

The failures in company policy which Mr Thompson admitted to can only be due to either an unacceptable level of incompetence or an unacceptable level of cluelessness about what is happening at Royal Mail.

Hiding behind the pandemic as a driving factor in failures does not cut it.

Ofcom must start enforcement proceedings to ensure everyone gets a consistent service wherever they are.

Royal Mail rejected claims it misled the committee, saying it had answered in detail the questions asked and was reviewing policies around deliveries.

It said challenges facing the business and the USO cannot be ignored. We urge the Government, Ofcom and all stakeholders to work with us to ensure we have a financially sustainable universal service for many years to come, a spokesman said.
London suffered a fresh blow as a major investor called for British American Tobacco (BAT) to ditch the City for New York.

Asset manager GQG Partners, the fifth biggest shareholder, said it makes no sense for BAT to stay on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

The 76billion US-based funds founder Rajiv Jain urged bosses at the Lucky Strike and Pall Mall maker to scrap its London listing after more than a century.

Withdrawal symptoms: Asset manager GQG Partners, the fifth biggest shareholder, said it makes no sense for British American Tobacco to stay on the London Stock Exchange

Jains call raised fresh questions about the attractiveness of the LSE and follows a series of high-profile snubs for the Square Mile.

British microchip designer Arm is to float on Wall Street, dashing hopes of a dual listing. Its Japanese owner SoftBank was said to have been put off by City rules.

Fintech star Oaknorth warned it would float in New York instead of London and 30billion building materials giant CRH plans to move its shares to the US as companies seek better access to capital and higher valuations.

Jain said BAT is an orphan in Europe and highlighted the US focus of its business. He told the Financial Times: Whats the point of remaining listed in London?

Jain added: We are a large shareholder, so they listened to us and they werent committal in one way or the other.
An analysis of the evidence against suspected quadruple murderer Bryan Kohberger, 28, suggests that the criminology student likely had just one victim in mind on the night of the gruesome slayings. His meticulous plans, however, appear to have gone off the rails once he got inside the home.

Kohberger preyed upon the girls living at 1122 King Road by stalking their home repeatedly for weeks leading up to the slaughter, according to law enforcement, but it didn't stop there.

Sources familiar with the case have spoken to multiple news outlets about the lengths that the suspect allegedly went to in preparation for his crime: harassing one of the victims online, following their every move on social media and lurking on the University of Idaho campus.

Kohberger stands accused of four counts of premeditated murder and one count of felony burglary in Idaho. He has not entered a plea.

The Monroe County District Attorney's office in Pennsylvania recently revealed that at the time of his arrest, Kohberger was in his parent's kitchen 'wearing latex medical type gloves and apparently was taking his personal trash and putting it into separate zip lock baggies,' according to local outlet BRC13.
The victim's lawyer Frank Kim said his client 'believes Rochelle enjoyed it... it was like a game to her'

A bombshell lawsuit obtained by DailyMail.com claims Rochelle Azoff targeted her employee with 'cruel and sadistic' sexual punishments

The wife of music producing mogul Irving Azoff allegedly subjected her female housekeeper to a year-long campaign of sexual assault and battery

The wife of an ultra-powerful music producer inflicted horrific sexual abuse and torment on her female housekeeper, a bombshell lawsuit claims.

Rochelle 'Shelli' Azoff has been accused of 'gender violence, sexual battery' and 'sexual harassment' against ex-live in maid Rosa Martinez, according to court papers seen by DailyMail.com.

Azoff is the wife of Irving Azoff, a legendary producer who was labeled 'the most powerful man in the music industry' by Billboard magazine in 2021, after working with artists including Christina Aguilera, Jon Bon Jovi and The Eagles. The couple are worth an estimated $400 million.

Rochelle Azoff allegedly targeted Martinez with 'cruel and sadistic' attacks which are said to have included spanking Martinez, squeezing her breasts and burning her with cigarettes.

Martinez was also forced to clean Azoff's sex toys and smell her employer's soiled nightwear, the suit alleges. Azoff is further accused of making Martinez, who is a size 14, squeeze into a size 10 outfit. DailyMail.com have contacted representatives of the Azoffs for comment.

Rochelle Azoff, left, married Irving Azoff, right, in 1978. He has been dubbed 'the most powerful man in the music industry', and has an estimated net worth of $400 million

Rochelle is accused in a lawsuit of subjecting her female housekeeper to a 'sadistic' campaign of sexual battery and harassment

Rosa Martinez, pictured, claims in a bombshell lawsuit that she was targeted by Azoff while employed as her live-in housekeeper

After complaining about the abuse alongside unpaid overtime, Martinez claims the behavior escalated to up to three times a day in retaliation.

Rochelle's husband Irving is also named in the lawsuit.

Martinez claims he knew about the sexual assaults occurring in his LA mansion and failed to step in.

The industry titan is also accused of having prior 'knowledge that Rochelle Azoff had sexually battered, abused and harassed other victims' in the past.

Frank Kim of KimLegal, a Los Angeles-based law firm who are representing the housekeeper, told DailyMail.com: 'My client believes that Rochelle enjoyed it. She was in complete control throughout the abuse... she believes it was like a game to her.'

Rochelle Azoff first allegedly began her reign of terror in April 2022, around four months after hiring Martinez as the live-in housekeeper for the LA-power couple.

But after falling out over alleged unpaid overtime and Rochelle's demanding schedule, she then retaliated with 'cruel and intimidating behavior' that was 'often sexual in nature', the lawsuit claims.

Forcing her housekeeper 'into submissive obedience', the abuse allegedly included spanking the housekeeper and pinching her cheeks until she teared up, court papers say.

Azoff also routinely summoned the housekeeper and stripped naked 'for no apparent reason other than to ask (the employee) to complement her body', per the lawsuit.

While in their luxury LA mansion, Azoff would also allegedly force the housekeeper to clean her sex toys, and smell her nightwear to decide whether to wash them 'even though they were soiled with bodily fluids'.

Kim added that the abuse was able to continue for so long as there was 'a power dynamic at play'.

'Rosa was living paycheck to paycheck, and it was a job she really needed,' he added.

'My client felt that it was a game to her (Azoff), she knew that Rosa needed the job and wanted to see what she could get away with.'

Azoff allegedly escalated the abuse in April 2022, when she began sexually assaulting her housekeeper around three times a day.

On one occasion, Azoff allegedly approached the housekeeper and 'violently squeezed her breasts'.

Martinez claims the abuse took place in the couple's sprawling La Quinta mansion, pictured

When she attempted to escape Azoff's clutches, she allegedly referenced a previous housekeeper's lawsuit for similar allegations, saying: 'What, are you going to sue me for sexual harassment?'

Other claims against the media magnate's wife include forcing her to wear a size 10 uniform when she is a size 14, and 'looking at her with disgust' when she cried.

Despite claiming to routinely feel 'powerless' to the assaults, the lawsuit claims the housekeeper did confront her, only for Azoff to have a sickening response.

After confiding in her that the inappropriate touching was especially triggering as she had been raped in the past, Azoff allegedly laughed in her face, before 'pointing out that if she had really been through the pain of rape, she would be strong enough to endure her behavior'.

The next month, it is claimed that Azoff summoned the housekeeper to her bedroom while she was smoking a cigarette, before burning it on her arm 'without saying a word'.

Notably, media mogul Irving Azoff is also named in the lawsuit, as it is alleged that he knew about the sexual assaults in his home, but 'refused to take action'.

It is also alleged that he 'had knowledge that Rochelle Azoff had sexually battered, abused and harassed other victims' prior to the housekeeper named in the lawsuit.

In 2012 Irving Azoff topped Billboard's Power 100 rankings and was named as the most powerful person in the music industry, before being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2020.

His fame and fortune contributed to the sustained abuse, Kim added, noting that Martinez said she 'definitely felt intimidated by their status.'

Azoff has managed numerous major artists in a career spanning over five decades, including Christina Aguillera, left, who she parted ways with in 2020

Eventually, after over a year of alleged emotional and sexual abuse, the housekeeper told Azoff she was quitting.

The housekeeper claims she was intimidated into agreeing to stay until Azoff found her replacement, leading her to remain in the home for almost two more months.

During that time, another allegation claims that while the housekeeper was sitting on the floor of Azoff's bedroom arranging shoes, she entered the room completely naked.

Then, 'without any provocation or explanation, bent over so that her buttocks was immediately next' to the staffer's face, per the lawsuit.

After she recoiled, it is claimed that Azoff merely 'walked out without saying a word'.

While feeling trapped and helpless within the home, the housekeeper says she left a note on Azoff's bed pleading for her to 'please fire me,' after her attempts to quit were brushed off.

'I can't tolerate this anymore,' she allegedly wrote. 'My soul is crushed in a million pieces.'

At the end of June 2022, Rochelle Azoff finally told the staffer that she would accept her resignation.

However, she had one final condition for the housekeeper, allegedly only letting her go if she signed a separation agreement, which she knew she would refuse, or submitted to a strip search.

Faced with even more humiliation, she conceded and signed the severance agreement, something she claims was only agreed to 'under duress'.

Rochelle 'Shelli' Azoff, left, pictured during a 2013 event alongside Kris Jenner, right

Azoff, right, pictured alongside (L-R) Benny Blanco, Linda Moran, Jon Bon Jovi and Ed Sheeran

The court filing adds that after she finally made her way out of the home, Azoff 'defamed' the housekeeper to the agency she was employed with, claiming she had let the employee go due to poor performance rather than the 'cruel and malicious' abuse.

Mr Kim also acknowledged this and said Martinez had struggled to find employment ever since the agency let her go, and now 'believes the agency dropped her due to the allegations from Ms Azoff'.

Alongside the shocking sexual assault claims, the housekeeper is joined in the lawsuit in a separate allegation by another employee, who claim Azoff misclassified them both as exempt from overtime in order to avoid complying with California labor laws.

Two allegedly confided in each other while working for the Azoff's, after they realized they were often working double their agreed hours without overtime pay.

The second staffer says alongside her unpaid wages, Azoff never paid her last check, and allegedly attempted to get her to sign a separation agreement.

'Presumably with the same threat' that was placed upon the housekeeper, claims the lawsuit.
The early 20th Century American President Calvin Coolidge was famous for his very short answers and lack of energy.

When the poet Dorothy Parker was told of Coolidge's death in 1933 she responded, 'How can they tell?'

This is how most people feel about the 2023 NSW election campaign. There are few signs of life.

It's hard to tell if Dominic Perrottet and Chris Minns are running to be Premier or auditioning for a future career as funeral directors.

Both are listless, lacking in inspiration and solutions to the State's serious problems in energy security, cost of living and school education.

Mark Latham, One Nation NSW leader, (pictured) has revealed the key policy areas for his party going into the state election on March 25

He has vowed to tackle rising fuel bills for NSW households as a priority and says tackling real issues like this is why more people are turning to 'minor parties' like his over Labor and Liberals

Both have been captured by the PR consultants and spin doctors. Every second word is 'plan' even though they haven't got one.

Every day of campaigning is framed around photo opportunities and stage-managed events.

This is what brings the major parties down: they are more worried about imagery than answers.

On election day, March 25, the long term trend of a shrinking primary vote for Labor and Liberals/Nationals is likely to continue. Support for 'minor parties' like One Nation is growing.

It's not hard to know why.

My party is not perfect, but at least we talk plainly and directly about the policies needed to overcome our most serious social and economic problems.

The immediate challenge in NSW is keeping the lights on.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has forecast blackouts, particularly after the closure of the Eraring coal-fired power station in 2025 (which supplies one-quarter of the State's electricity).

Perrottet's policy, through his Energy Minister Matt Kean, is more solar farms and windmills in the far western districts of NSW. But when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing, that's when the lights go out.

Minns has spoken of re-nationalising Eraring, of buying it back from Origin Energy. In two years' time, however, it will be a clapped out asset as the company has no incentive to keep up its maintenance budget and ensure all its turbines are working. Approaching closure, they are running it down.

The only way to keep Eraring open is to halt the transition to a so-called green energy economy.

Australia is the only country in the world with a thing called 'Rewiring The Nation' - spending tens of billions on new transmission wires and corridors out west to hook renewables into the grid.

Someone has to pay for this, and the costs are being passed onto consumers in rapidly rising electricity bills.

Kean has introduced a new $138 million electricity tax, a five per cent increase on a $1000 bill.

'The immediate challenge in NSW is keeping the lights on,' says Mark Latham who has called for coal-powered power stations like this one in the Hunter Valley to remain open

He warns that NSW Liberal policy is more solar farms and windmills in far western districts of NSW 'but when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing, that's when the lights go out'

On Wednesday, the Australian Energy Regulator reported on the true cost of Kean's rush to 100 per cent renewables and extra transmission costs.

It's a further 15 to 25 per cent electricity price increase for small businesses and 21 per cent for residential customers on default accounts.

These cost of living setbacks can be avoided if we abandon the Kean policy. Australia used to have the most affordable and reliable electricity and gas in the world.

We need to return to what worked best: coal and gas-fired power and now, with the advent of Australian nuclear submarines, we also need nuclear electricity generation.

Only dependable, 24/7 baseload power can keep the lights on in NSW and ease the cost of living crisis.

In schools policy, Perrottet and Minns have been just as negligent. The Education Minister, Sarah Mitchell, doesn't do anything unless the Education Department tells her to.

She is totally captive to unelected bureaucrats - the same people who have given NSW the fastest-falling school academic results in the world.

The Labor policy, under orders from the Teachers Federation, is to convert 10,000 casual teachers to permanent positions.

This won't add a single teacher to any classroom or school, or address the teacher shortage crisis.

It simply changes the employment classification of existing teachers, many of whom want to stay as casuals because of the workplace flexibility it delivers.

One Nation has a different approach. We would lift the professional standards of teaching plus pay our best teachers more to bring high-achieving school leavers back into the State's classrooms.

We would also return teaching itself to the evidence base.

Mark Latham has promised One Nation would reverse the State's slide down international league tables and lift student results

It's hard to believe the NSW Government doesn't require any classroom to be taught according to the education research.

We know exactly what works and doesn't work in schools. If we know these things, why doesn't the Minister require every classroom to teach to the evidence?

That means Direct Instruction, phonics in literacy, strong behavioural standards, lots of testing and data assessment and individual student learning plans.

This is how you reverse the State's slide down international league tables and lift student results.

It's not hard to see why the major parties are failing. They have become old, complacent and ineffective.

It's time for change. It's time for the 'minor parties' to become major ones and force into government policy real solutions to longstanding problems.

In NSW, we need intent, not imagery; solutions, not spin.
A woman was allegedly under the influence of multiple illegal drugs when police said she caused a fatal car crash on a freeway on-ramp.

Evie Butterworth has been charged with manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs after a crash on a Freeway south of Perth, that killed 21-year-old Abbey Sherriff around 11.35pm on Wednesday, January 11.

Police allege Butterworth, 29, was behind the wheel of a Nissan Maxima when it clipped Ms Sherriff's Nissan X-Trail on an on-ramp of the Kwinana Freeway in the southern suburb of Baldivis.

21-year-old Abbey Sherriff (pictured) died after having her car clipped on a freeway on-ramp, police say

Evie Butterworth (pictured) has been charged with manslaughter and driving under the influence of drugs

The impact caused Ms Sheriff's vehicle to roll a number of times over 120m, police say.

Ms Sheriff suffered serious injuries and died at the scene.

Butterworth was held in custody after her arrest, but successfully applied for bail when she appeared in court hours later where Magistrate Richard Huston entitled her to the presumption of innocence.

On Thursday, Butterworth appeared again in Perth Magistrates Court on one charge of drive a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs, and one of manslaughter.

Ms Sherriff's Nissan X-Trail was hit on the Kwinana Freeway in the southern suburb of Baldivis before rolling several times

Butterworth appeared again in Perth Magistrates Court on one charge of drive a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs, and one of manslaughter

The court heard Butterworth's toxicology report following the crash showed traces of methamphetamine, amphetamine, cocaine, and tetrahydrocannabinol (a psychoactive found in cannabis).

The court was told the cocktail of drugs would have rendered her 'incapable of controlling a motor vehicle.'

Police calculated her average speed at the time of the crash was at least 141kmph, based on her being spotted at a service station about 47km away at 11pm.

Following the crash, Abbey's parents Darren and Julie Sheriff told Nine News they would never be the same again.

'For her to be taken so early, 21 is just too young. She should be burying us, not the other way around,' Mr Sherriff said.

If you or anyone you know has been affected by a road crash, contact Road Trauma Support WA on 1300 004 814.
An Oklahoma triple murderer who cut out his neighbor's heart and cooked it with potatoes to feed his family before stabbing his uncle and a four-year-old girl to death has been jailed for life.

Grief-stricken family members screamed at Lawrence Paul Anderson, 44, to 'rot from the inside out' as he pleaded guilty in Grady County District Court on Wednesday to three counts of murder and single counts of maiming and assault and battery.

The repeat felon was sentenced to life without parole as a part of a deal in which prosecutor Jason Hicks dropped plans to seek the death penalty at the request of the victims' families.

They did not want to go to trial and 'listen to all the gory details of what happened to their loved ones,' Mr Hicks explained.

Anderson brutally stabbed his neighbor Andrea Lynn Blakenship, 41, to death at her home in Chickasha on February 9, 2021. He then cut out her heart, taking it back to the home of his uncle and aunt Leon Pye and Delsie Pye.

Lawrence Paul Anderson (pictured) has been jailed for life after killing his neighbor, cutting out her heart and trying to serve it it to his family before murdering his uncle and a four-year-old girl

Anderson stabbed his neighbor, Andrea Lynn Blankenship (pictured), to death at her home in Chickasha on February 9, 2021

Anderson fatally stabbed his uncle, 67-year-old Leon Pye (left), dead and four-year-old Kaeos Yates (right)

Anderson then cooked and tried to feed the heart to his family with potatoes 'to release the demons', before fatally stabbing Mr Pye, 67, and his four-year-old granddaughter Kaeos Yates - who died in an ambulance en route to hospital.

Ms Pye - who was stabbed in both eyes - miraculously survived but she is now blind in one eye and deaf on the left side. During sentencing, she said she is heartbroken that a family member would commit such a crime.

'Family means everything to me, as my nephew I dont love you but I dont hate you  even though I cant judge you, God will,' she added.

Quindessa Flowers, another granddaughter of the Pyes, shouted in court: 'You're not sad at all! Don't shed no fake as** tears!'

During her impact letter, she screamed: 'I hope you rot from the inside out,' 'You ain't no family of ours,' and 'I hate you for everything you've done to us.'

Meanwhile Tasha Yates, the mother of Kaeos, cursed Anderson before rushing out of the courtroom.

'Who kills a baby... who does that?' Yates yelled. During her impact letter, she had said: 'I pray you hear my baby girl as she told you that she loves you and that she didnt want to die, too!

'And just like you didnt hear her then, I pray that God doesnt hear your cries either and I pray that you cry out for God on more days than you dont.'

Anderson had been staying at his aunt and uncle's home in Chickasha (pictured) after he was released from prison less than a month prior

Anderson confessed to cutting out Blankenship's heart and cooking it for his family to eat to 'release the demons'

Officers with the Chickasha Police Department discovered the two murders in the Pyes' home at 214 W Minnesota Ave on February 9 after Ms Pye called 911.

Anderson was arrested at the home after officers 'observed [him] throwing up in the living room into some pillows,' officers said at the time.

Ms Blankenship's murder wasn't discovered until two days later after investigators interviewed him at a hospital where he was being treated for undisclosed injuries.

The triple murder sparked outrage after it emerged that Anderson had been released from prison early in January, 2021.

He was sentenced to serve 20 years behind bars for gun and drug offenses in 2017 before Governor Kevin Stitt commuted the sentence to nine years at the recommendation of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board.

He was released on parole less than a month before he committed the heinous crimes and had been staying with his aunt and uncle.

Anderson also stabbed his aunt, Delsie Pye (right), in both eyes but she survived the gruesome attack. Kaeos' mother Tasha (left) yelled at sentencing: 'Who kills a baby... who does that?'

A grand jury investigation later found Anderson was wrongly placed on the commutation docket in August 2019 after the board in July 2019 rejected his commutation request, which under board rules require that he wait three years before reapplying.

The board later recommended commutation, which was approved by Stitt, following the second request.

Ms Pye and the families of the victims have sued Stitt, the Pardon and Parole Board and others for federal civil rights violations related to Anderson's release.

The lawsuit is pending, with all defendants having filed motions to dismiss the action.
A 14-year-old boy dubbed 'El Chapito' has been arrested after allegedly opening fire on a family birthday party in a drug-related mass shooting that left eight people dead in Mexico.

The young teenager, nicknamed after the infamous Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, is said to have rode up on a motorcycle and opened fire on a family in the low-income Mexico City suburb of Chimalhuacan on January 22.

Another man, known as El Nono, was arrested in connection with the shooting, while seven others gang members were charged with drug-related crimes, according to the federal Public Safety Department. The 14-year-old boy's real name was not released.

The family were reportedly celebrating a birthday party at the time of the savage attack, which also left five adults and two children including a three-year-old child, wounded.

A 14-year-old boy dubbed 'El Chapito' has been arrested after allegedly opening fire on a family birthday party in a drug-related mass shooting that killed eight. Mexican media have reported that the young man is pictured first from the left, dressed in orange

Another man, known as El Nono, was arrested in connection with the shooting, while seven others gang members were charged with drug-related crimes. (file image)

It has not yet been made public what the motive behind the killings was, but drug gangs in Mexico frequently dabble in kidnapping and contract killing.

While the adults were taken to the Neza-Bordo Penitentiary and Social Reintegration Center, the 14-year-old was placed at the disposal of a specialized control judge in the Comprehensive Criminal Justice System for Adolescents.

It is not uncommon for drug gangs to kill rivals who are selling drugs on their territory, or people who owe them money.

Unfortunately, Mexico is no stranger to child killers and this is not the first case of a young boy getting arrested for committing heinous crimes.

In 2010, soldiers detained a 14-year-old boy nicknamed 'El Ponchis' who claimed he was kidnapped at age 11 and forced to work for the Cartel of the South Pacific, a branch of the splintered Beltran Leyva gang.

He said he had participated in at least four decapitations.

After his arrest, the boy, who authorities identified only by his first name, Edgar, told reporters that he was drugged and threatened into committing the crimes.

Also Thursday, prosecutors in the northern border state of Sonora said they had arrested a woman linked to as many as nine murders in the border city of Mexicali.

The state prosecutors' office said that the woman had outstanding warrants for two killings, but that she had been named in seven other homicide investigations. The office did not say what the possible motives might be in those killings.
A Georgia couple fights to get their five kids back, including their four-month-old, a month after they were taken away from them by child services following a traffic stop where officers found marijuana and a gun.

Deonte Williams and Bianca Clayborne were passing through Tennessee on February 17 when they were pulled over for their dark tinted windows and 'traveling in the left lane while not actively passing,' a citation obtained by the Tennessee Lookout reads.

The couple was traveling on Interstate 24 to a funeral in Chicago when an officer stopped them and decided to check their car. Williams was arrested when officers uncovered a firearm and marijuana of up to five grams.

Clayborne and her children were free to leave but it wasn't until six hours later as she waited for Williams to be released from custody that police approached her with an emergency court order and took her newborn baby away from her along with her two, three, five and seven-year-old.

One month later, Clayborne and Williams are still trying to get their kids back but have been delayed due to multiple drug tests that revealed the couple was positive for either marijuana, oxycodone methamphetamines and fentanyl.

Bianca Clayborne and Deonte Williams are fighting to get their five kids, aged 4-months-old to seven, back after they were taken away by child services

Deonte Williams (above) was arrested when officers uncovered a firearm and marijuana of up to five grams while they were pulled over in Tennessee on February 17 for their tinted windows.

The court order to take the kids away alleged the children were neglected, but the couple claimed this was a lie.

Clayborne said she was approached by three child service agents in her parked Dodge outside of the Coffee County Criminal Justice Center while waiting for Williams to be bonded out for his misdemeanor for possessing marijuana.

While Clayborne was breastfeeding her now-four-month-old, one worker hopped into the car and said, 'Im taking your kids,' according to the Tennessee Lookout.

The agent ordered Clayborne to complete a drug test inside while they waited with her kids, but she refused, saying she was not 'comfortable.'

The worker got out of Clayborne's car, and about six men then surrounded the vehicle.

'The mother became very defiant and locked herself and the children in the vehicle,' court records obtained by the news outlet read.

Despite Clayborne insisting she didn't plan on fleeing, an officer put spike strips in front of her car to avoid her from leaving.

The agents then left Clayborne alone until six hours later when she went outside to wait for Williams on a bench.

That is when Clayborne's five children were taken away from her.

'My baby started crying so I reached for my son, and as Im reaching, a man held me and told me, "dont touch him. Hes getting taken away from you,"' Clayborne told the news outlet.

Clayborne said she was approached by three child service agents in her parked Dodge outside of the Coffee County Criminal Justice Center while waiting for Williams to be bonded out for his misdemeanor for possessing marijuana

Child services files obtained by the news outlet alleged some of the five children call Williams 'the weed man.'

They even 'showed (a caseworker) how to roll a joint and stated that the parents take them with them to sell the weed,' a file from February 23 reads.

Around the same time when the couple appeared in front of the Coffee County juvenile judge for their first court hearing, they were ordered to provide a urine drug test, according to the news outlet.

Williams tested positive for marijuana while Clayborne's results were negative. The two then were ordered to retest but this time by providing a sample of a hair strand.

Both Williams and Clayborne's results came back positive for several drugs. The two denied taking drugs and their argument was supported by Nashville testing expert Greg Bowen, who called the tests unreliable and known to generate 'too many false' positives, he said, according to the news outlet.

'As a result of the drug screens, the children should be deemed to be severely abused,' the department of child services wrote in a February 23 report, the news outlet reported.

Williams denied having weed around his kids, but 5 grams of marijuana was obtained during Williams' initial arrest.

The couple will return to court on March 20.

Tennessee Senator London Lamar (center) has since spoken up about the couple's situation and ordered officials to return the five kids

Lamar called the case 'ridiculous' especially since marijuana is legalized in various states around the US

Aside from frequent visits to Tennessee, Williams and Clayborne are able to communicate with their kids over the phone.

Williams described the situation as 'kidnapping' and claimed he is now in financial despair having to spend money on multiple trips to see his children.

Heartbroken Clayborne claimed she has been emotionally distressed since her kids were taken from her.

'The first night my chest was gorged; it was so painful,' she told the news outlet.

Clayborne's extreme panic has led her to unintentionally lose weight and her milk supply to run low.

'Its to the point where I dont think I'm producing enough milk,' Clayborne told the news outlet.

Tennessee Senator London Lamar has since spoken up about the couple's situation and ordered officials to return the five kids.

'I'm demanding, publicly, that DCS give this couple their children back,' Lamar said at a press conference. 'The Coffee County justice system was completely out of line for taking their children over a misdemeanor charge.'

Lamar called the case 'ridiculous' especially since marijuana is legalized in various states around the US.
A Miami-based real estate developer said his proposal plan was derailed when a bigoted immigration official refused his girlfriend and her sister entry to the Bahamas on suspicion they were sex workers.

Hal 'Nuby' Sears, 64, had been planning to ask his girlfriend to marry him during a nine-day trip to the Bahamas, during which they were planning on staying on a 70-foot yacht.

Darina Pinzaru, 25, and her sister Ina, 36, from Moldova, were denied entry in an act of prejudice, and sent back to London, Sears told the New York Post.

Sears, who met Pinzaru last summer in Romania, said the officials turned her and her sister away after they arrived in the Bahamas in February, telling them: 'I know why you're here.'

'It was so horrifying what they went through. It is beyond comprehension. They were pre-judged,' he told The Post.

Darina Pinzaru (pictured), 25, and her sister Ina, 36, were denied entry to the Bahamas because an immigration official incorrectly accused them of being sex workers

Hal 'Nuby' Sears, 64, was waiting for Pinzaru and her sister at the airport when he says he was told by an official: 'They're not in, they're out'. Sears said he had been planning on proposing to her during the trip

'The only justice we want is an apology from the Bahamian government,' Sears said. 'But we're never going to get it, so we at least want others to know they're at risk of this kind of nefarious prejudice - there's no other way to describe this.'

The original plan was for the two Pinzarus and ten other guests to join Sears on his $5million Pershing 7X yacht on a trip that would take them throughout the Bahamas and to Turks and Caicos.

Sears told The Post that he had been waiting for the pair to arrive, but when Ina was about to have her passport stamped Darina started facing issues.

Ina said they were both sent to an immigration office where they were grilled on their plans and asked if they had money and a place to stay.

'We were treated like criminals,' Darina told The Post. 'They even threatened to put us in jail.'

After she messaged Sears to let him know what was happening, he called for help from the Four Seasons' Ocean Club resort where he was staying and the hotel's head of security arrived, according to the Post.

They both spoke with the head immigration officer who they say showed no signs of budging.

'They're not in, they are out,' Sears recalled the official as saying. 'I have information, they're not coming in.'

Ina (left) said they were both sent to an immigration office where they were grilled on their plans and asked if they had money and a place to stay

The two sisters had arrived in the Bahamas to spend time on Amici, a $5 million 70-foot yacht Pershing 7X (pictured)

Darina (pictured) said that she and her sister were treated like animals and most likely judged for being Moldovan

Ina described how they took away the sisters' phones, laptops and bags and even took their fingerprints.

'Do you have the financial means to stay in the Bahamas?' Ina said she was asked. 'I said, 'Yes, of course we do, we have cash, cards, no problem.'

'She talked apparently to this lady, the head of the immigration office,' Ina told The Post. 'And she came outside, shot a glance at us and said, "They're not going in." That's all.'

'Up until this point, nobody explained a thing to us,' said Ina. 'While we were sitting outside, this lady, the head of the immigration came out and she said, "Yeah, I know your culture, I know why you're here",' Ina said she said. '"We don't want you here, and you'll never set foot on Bahamian land."'

The two were then put on another plane and sent back to London.

Sears says he later filed a complaint in the Bahamian embassy in London on behalf of the two sisters but had not heard back.

Sears called for help from the Four Seasons' Ocean Club resort where he was staying and the hotel's head of security arrived, according to the Post

The original plan was for the two Pinzarus and ten other guests to join Sears on his $5million Pershing 7X yacht on a trip that would take them throughout the Bahamas and to Turks and Caicos
A witness has told of the moment he found a woman dead in a driveway, surrounded by blood, as he returned home in Sydney's south-west in the early hours of the morning.

Maintenance worker Daniel Tau returned home to Moorebank after his night shift before 6am on Friday when he found the 43-year-old woman lying dead in his driveway.

The woman - who lived on the same property as Mr Tau - had suffered a serious cut to her left arm and had suffered no other obvious injuries, police said.

Detectives are examining a smashed window at the property.

'It was still dark', Mr Tau told Daily Mail Australia.

'As I turned into the driveway I saw the body lying there and blood was everywhere. On the driveway, on the footpath.'

He added: 'I didn't want to go near her. I was afraid.'

Homicide detectives established a crime scene after a woman was found dead on a driveway in Sydney's west this morning

Mr Tau could not get through to the emergency services so he flagged down a driver to call them.

He said the woman, his housemate, was wearing a loose-fitting Fijian-style dress.

'They (her and her boyfriend) live by themselves and I live on my own,' Mr Tau said.

'They mind their own business so I mind my own business. We don't really speak.'

Mr Tau's car was still parked across the street and on the driveway when Daily Mail Australia visited the scene.

A police officer, who had been at the scene for seven hours, said two homicide detectives were still at the scene.

However, he added: 'I don't think it's homicide: it seems more like suicide.'

A source told Daily Mail Australia the woman had injuries to the back of her head

Police take pictures of the crime scene on Bradshaw Avenue in Sydney's west

Detectives from the Homicide Squad investigated the death,

Police removed crime scene tape from the property just after 2pm.

A police officer indicated that they believed the incident was misadventure.

'We would be here a whole lot longer if it was homicide,' she said.

An official police spokesman said officers will investigate the cause of death.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.
A disturbing 'fight club' culture has overtaken a small country town, with teenagers staging punch-ups outside and uploading footage to social media.

Primary school-aged children and even parents have been caught taking part in the sickening phenomenon at Casino, in the Northern Rivers region in NSW.

A disturbing 'fight club' culture has overtaken a small country town with teenagers staging punch-ons outside and uploading footage to social media

One video shows two teenage girls exchanging blows while their friends cheer them on; another shows a teenager being pulled by her hair.

A third video shows another pair of girls brawling on the grass while a crowd watches, takes videos on their phones, and laughs.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Gavin Wood slammed the disgusting behaviour and called out the parents who were caught watching the fights.

'In terms of social media platforms being utilised, these trends go beyond stupidity and recklessness, these acts are crimes,' he told The Daily Telegraph.

'Filming yourself committing a crime and posting the video online is a sure-fire way to get yourself arrested.'

Assistant Commissioner Gavin Wood explained the fights did not appear to be solely a police issue but also a community one.

'Everyone has to take responsibility and buy in... in line with the old adage, "It takes a village to raise a child"  thats what I am talking about,' he said.

Terrified locals have taken matters into their own hands and kept accounts of criminal behaviour on local Facebook page, Casino Crime Reports.

Richmond Valley Council Deputy Mayor Stephen Morrissey said his town had a problem with youth crime and that the issue was becoming 'worse'.

Mr Morrissey claimed the matter has grown out of control since major floods hit the area and nearby Lismore in 2022.

Catastrophic floods inundated northern NSW in February and then a second time in March last year.

Thousands of residents were made homeless while the final insurance loss was estimated to be $5.7billion, making in the most expensive disaster in Australian history.

Longtime residents, who asked to remain anonymous, said their lovely town had been taken over by violent teenagers.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has slammed eight popular social media and video streaming platforms as 'goldmines for scammers,' as they launch a probe into how they scrutinize deceptive advertising.

Meta, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snap, Twitter, Pinterest, and Twitch are being asked by the FTC to provide information on how to restrict paid commercial advertising that is deceptive or exposes consumers to fraudulent health-care products, financial scams, counterfeit and fake goods, or other fraud is examined.

Consumers have reported losing more than $1.2 billion to fraud that started on social media in 2022 more than any other contact method according to new data.

The commission, which works to promote competition and protect and educate consumers, will also look at how these platforms ensure that consumers can identify commercial advertising.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has slammed eight popular social media and video streaming platforms with Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection calling them 'goldmines for scammers,' as they launch a probe into how they scrutinize deceptive advertising

Meta, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snap, Twitter, Pinterest, and Twitch are being asked by the FTC to provide information on how to restrict paid commercial advertising that is deceptive or exposes consumers to fraudulent health-care products, financial scams, counterfeit and fake goods, or other fraud

'Social media has been a gold mine for scammers who tout sham products and other scams that have cost consumers enormously in recent years,' said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.

'This study will help the FTC ensure that social media and video streaming companies are doing everything they can to keep scammers and deceptive ads off their platforms.'

Companies will have to relinquish their standards and policies as part of the investigation related to paid commercial ads and the process of screening and monitoring for compliance with those standards and policies, including through human and automated system review.

The companies will also have to report their ad revenue, the number of ad views and other performance metrics including ads involving categories of products and services more prone to deception such as those intended to treat, prevent, or cure substance use disorders and tout income opportunities.

It's hoped the investigation will shed light on how prevalent deceptive advertising is on social media and video streaming platforms, consumers who may be harmed and the effectiveness of oversight of advertisers  including whether companies differ in their approach to ads in different languages.

The study also hopes to give insight into how platforms create ads, including any use of generative artificial intelligence, and track, and classify ads, as well as the ad formats offered to advertisers, including shoppable ads, which allow consumers to purchase products or services directly through the ad, and virtual reality and other extended reality ads.

Disclosure tools for endorsers and influencers will also be looked at.

Data will be collected from 2019 to 2023 and allows the commission to conduct a wide-ranging probe that doesn't have a specific law enforcement purpose.
News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism.
Brittany Higgins has publicly criticised a Sky News Australia journalist for her coverage of Bruce Lehrmann's defamation lawsuit against two media giants.

On Thursday the former Liberal staffer appeared in court as he sues Channel 10 and news.com.au for defamation over their March 2021 report where Ms Higgins alleged an unnamed man - Lehrmann - had raped her in Parliament House in 2019.

Senior Sky News reporter and commentator Caroline Marcus shared a link to her coverage of the court case on Twitter on Thursday night.

She wrote: 'Bruce Lehrmann tells court he was ''outraged'' by Brittany Higgins', The Project and news.com.au interviews and wanted to 'fight back' against the media.

'Told his then girlfriend he was ''a pawn'' in a ''bigger political hatchet job''.'

Ms Higgins took issue with Ms Marcus' emphasis on Mr Lehrmann's allegations of a 'political hatchet job', responding to the tweet with a reminder that News Corp - Sky's parent company - is part of the lawsuit.

Bruce Lehrmann is pictured outside the Federal Court in Sydney on Thursday alongside Caroline Marcus, who was reporting for Sky News (both above)

She said: 'You realise NewsCorp is being sued as well? By your own assertion it means your own organisation was a part of this 'political hatchet job'.

'Also, I was a Liberal staffer and my partner worked at Sky News. I literally don't understand this whole narrative.'

Ms Marcus responded in what quickly became a tit-for-tat, telling Ms Higgins 'these are not my assertions but a report of court proceedings and what was said on the stand'.

By this point, Ms Higgins' initial response had amassed hundreds of 'likes' and comments of support.

Ms Higgins hit back: 'Come on. Let's just reflect at your ongoing framing of this case in tweets since the criminal case.

'Keep cherry picking away but know that the NewsCorp lawyers have filed a truth defence.'

Ms Marcus responded: 'Er yes, I've been reporting that all day', to which Ms Higgins ignored.

Bruce Lehrmann (pictured, centre, on Thursday) was not named in the Channel 10 broadcast or news.com.au article, but his statement of claim argues his identity would have been known in political circles

The comments Ms Marcus was referring to in her tweet were made by Mr Lehrmann to his then-girlfriend, Greta Sinclair.

Ms Sinclair was distraught over the extraordinary televised accusations.

He told the court on Thursday that he placated her by suggesting his lawyer had told him that he was a 'pawn' and 'part of a bigger political hatchet job'.

During cross-examination, Mr Lehrmann admitted to Ten's lawyer Matthew Collins KC that his lawyer, Warwick Korn never said that, and that he made it up to comfort her.

Mr Lehrmann was not named in the Channel 10 broadcast or news.com.au article, but his statement of claim argues his identity would have been known in political circles.

Ms Higgins took issue with Ms Marcus' emphasis on Mr Lehrmann's allegations of a 'political hatchet job', responding to the tweet with a reminder that News Corp - Sky's parent company - is part of the lawsuit

The interlocutory hearing on Thursday was about why it took him two years to file the defamation lawsuit.

Applicants normally have 12 months after publication to file a defamation case, but Mr Lehrmann's case was filed two years later.

His lawyers argued that it was unreasonable for him to launch the case any earlier.

Meanwhile, barristers for the broadcaster and news website argued he should not be allowed to sue for defamation because it was reasonable for him to have filed the lawsuit within the first year.

The hearing was adjourned until Thursday, March 23.
A second man has been found guilty of murder after a pair bashed a man to death who had sold them fake AirPods online.

The jury in Abdul Karaali's NSW Supreme Court trial returned a guilty verdict on Thursday, March 17.

After a three-week trial at the NSW Supreme Court the jury took three days to reach their verdict.

Ross Houllis, 28, was bashed at Wakeley in Sydney's west on Valentine's Day 2020, before dying in hospital three days later.

CCTV captured two men bashing Mr Houllis in a suburban street after he went to sell a pair of Apple AirPods.

Abdul Karaali (pictured) was charged with murder by NSW Supreme Court on Thursday, March 17.

Mr Houliss' mother, Janet, appeared before a press pool immediately after the verdict was handed down, saying it had been a hard three years since her son's murder.

Sami Hamdach pled guilty to murder in July 2022, but had previously refused to name the other man who took part in the bashing.

Motorists who stopped to check on Mr Houllis' welfare during the beating were told he was intoxicated and the two men were looking after him.

Kiraali's barrister Irving Wallach had previously attempted to dismiss the footage, claiming it was unrepresentative of what was happening at the time.

'What you are being presented with are clearly poor quality images,' Wallach said.

'The prosecution's evidence on its whole is of poor quality.'

Karaali is due to return to court on March 31.

Another man, Sami Hamdach, is due to be sentenced for his role in the murder on the same day.

Hamdach bought a pair of earphones from Mr Houllis the day prior to the attack and believed they weren't genuine.

His girlfriend arranged for Mr Houllis to meet and sell another pair, when he was attacked by Hamdach and Karaali.

The girlfriend of Karaali avoided charges as the sole caretaker of their three disabled children as her partner faces life in prison.

CCTV captured footage of Mr Houllis (left) selling the Airpods to Hamdach (right) at a train station days before Hamdach's girlfriend lured Mr Houllis to a carpark
Boris Johnson has been re-selected as the Conservative candidate in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.

The Uxbridge and South Ruislip Conservative Association applauded the former prime minister's commitment to the community and said it looks forward to 'continuing to work alongside him.'

Mr Johnson's re-selection comes following speculation that he might seek out a safer seat ahead of the next general election.

While the 58-year-old holds a 7,000 vote majority, his seat is seen as a target for Labour at the next election.

Boris Johnson (pictured on Thursday) has been re-selected as the Conservative candidate in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency

While the 58-year-old holds a 7,000 vote majority, his seat in Uxbridge and South Ruislip (pictured) is seen as a target for Labour at the next election

Mr Johnson, who first won the northwest London seat in 2015, will once again contest it in the next election - which can be held no later than January 24, 2025.

'I can confirm Boris Johnson has been re-selected as the Conservative candidate in Uxbridge and South Ruislip,' a spokesman said Thursday evening.

The Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency has become a top target for Labour at the next election with local Camden councillor Danny Beales selected to take Mr Johnson on.

There has been persistent speculation that the former prime minister and current MP would seek a new or safer seat - such as his former one in Henley, Oxfordshire - in the upcoming election.

However, allies of Mr Johnson have always rejected any suggestion he would do so.

Since leaving office last September, Mr Johnson has declared more than 1million in speaking fees. He has also made a number of public interventions since exiting Downing Street.

Earlier this month he criticised the deal with the EU that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed to replace elements of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

In a statement, the Uxbridge and South Ruislip Conservative Association said: 'Tonight the Uxbridge & South Ruislip selection committee adopted Boris Johnson as our parliamentary candidate.

'We look forward to continuing to work alongside him to deliver for the residents and communities within the constituency, where he has strong connections and involvement.

'His commitment to deliver a new Hillingdon Hospital for Uxbridge & South Ruislip residents remains at the forefront of his work as our local MP.'

Despite his re-selection, Mr Johnson's future as an MP is by no means safe as he will face a televised grilling next week from officials investigating whether he lied to the Commons over Partygate.

He will need to convince the MPs he did not knowingly mislead the House with his denials of lockdown-breaching parties being held in No 10 if he is to avoid censure.

Earlier this month Mr Johnson criticised the deal with the EU that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (pictured on Thursday) agreed to replace elements of the Northern Ireland Protocol

In an interim report, the Privileges Committee said the evidence strongly suggests breaches of coronavirus rules would have been obvious to Mr Johnson during the Partygate saga.

They are examining evidence around at least four occasions when he may have deliberately misled MPs with his assurances to the Commons.

But Mr Johnson, who was fined by the Metropolitan Police for breaching his own Covid laws, has denied lying to the House and says he expects to be cleared.

The committee will publish its findings on whether Mr Johnson committed a contempt of Parliament and would make a recommendation on any punishment, but the ultimate decision would fall to the full House of Commons.

A suspension of more than ten sitting days could lead to a recall for Mr Johnson in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.

The former Tory leader has raised concerns over former senior civil servant Sue Gray, who carried out a previous Partygate investigation, after it emerged she has been appointed Sir Keir Starmers chief of staff.

However, the committee, chaired by Labour grandee Harriet Harman but with a Conservative majority of four of its seven MPs, denied its inquiry is based on the Gray report.

Instead, the inquiry has taken evidence from witnesses WhatsApps, emails and photographs from a Downing Street photographer, officials allege.

The former prime minister is to appear before the cross-party Commons Privileges Committee at 2pm next Wednesday.
Terrifying footage of masked intruders involved in a failed 2022 home invasion has been linked to a drug investigation in which police seized $75,000 worth of methylamphetamine.

Following investigations into the supply of methylamphetamine in the Lithgow area in the NSW Central Tablelands, police charged a 31-year-old man they allegedly found with 150g of methylamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia in his car.

The man was stopped on Parker Street in Kingswood in Sydney's west about 1.40pm on December 28 when the discovery was made.

NSW Police have released terrifying vision of a failed 2022 home invasion in Lithgow now allegedly linked to a drug investigation

He was subsequently taken to Penrith Police Station and charged with supplying an indictable quantity of a prohibited drug and possessing instructions for the manufacture of a prohibited drug.

The man is next due to appear at Penrith Local Court on April 14.

During inquiries into the alleged drug offences, police were made aware of an attempted home invasion on Laurence Street in Lithgow.

Three masked men armed with a shotgun and machete tried to force entry through the home's back door at about 2am on November 9, 2022.

CCTV captured the horrifying attempts to kick and beat the door down while a man was inside the property.

The men armed with a shotgun and a machete allegedly attempted to force entry to the Lithgow home through a rear back door. Picture: NSW Police.

The group were captured on CCTV fleeing the scene on foot after the failed home invasion

When they were unsuccessful the group fled the scene on foot.

Detectives later executed a search warrant at the home and spoke to a 50-year-old man and a 28-year-old-woman before uncovering a number of items, including a sawn-off shotgun, a pistol and a magazine, all of which will undergo forensic examination.

The terrifying CCTV footage has been released by detectives to help identify the masked intruders.

No arrests have been made in relation to the home invasion or the items seized during the search warrant.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
A driver associated with the sovereign citizen movement has left motorists stunned after using an illegal fake number plate before the vehicle was impounded.

A passerby snapped a photo of the Toyota Hilux in Perth calling out several odd features on it before it was impounded for having fake numberplates.

'Found my first cooker today! Was a pleasure getting it impounded for fake plates,' they wrote.

A so called 'Commonwealth Custodian' has left motorists stunned after using a fake number plate and bizarre design on the back of their car

On the fake numberplate, 'private' is written in white letters across the black backdrop with the word bordered by the phrase, 'Commonwealth of Australia'.

There also appears to be a spelling error on the number plates with 'non-commercial' incorrectly spelled as 'non-commerial'.

The back of the vehicle is adorned with a coat of arms and directs people to the Commonwealth Custodian's website, an alt-right group that appears to share similar views to the sovereign citizen's movement.

The group refuses to recognise the Australian government, shares untrue information about Covid-19, and falsely claims that political parties are 'franchises' of the United Nations.

A website from a member states: 'Dear Australian Government, please be informed that we know who you are and what you are doing.

'You are nothing more than a private political corporation. You have no authority over We the People of the Commonwealth.

'PS: We would appreciate it if you would vacate the premises and hand back our country NOW!'

Social media users ripped into the appearance of the vehicle and slammed the owner of the car.

'Not willing to pay tax but willing to drive on taxpayer funded roads,' one joked.

Another added: 'I live in the US and I've seen more crazy alt-right stuff in Perth than I have in the state I live in! It's mind boggling.'
Downing Street suggested yesterday that the Tories target for reducing net migration to tens of thousands has finally been ditched.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said 270,000 a year would be the logical place to start when asked what threshold the Government wanted to get numbers below.

It is the first time Rishi Sunaks government has put a rough figure on what it will try to get net migration to fall below.

Asked if reducing it to tens of thousands was still possible, the PMs spokesman distanced himself from the target, saying ministers werent going to put a specific number on it.

But they insisted that Mr Sunak remained committed to lowering overall migration, that hasnt changed. It comes after net migration was this week forecast to settle at around 245,000 a year in the long-term despite Mr Sunaks pledge to reduce overall immigration.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said 270,000 a year would be the logical place to start when asked what threshold the Government wanted to get numbers below

The Office for Budget Responsibility revised its projection for long-term net migration  the difference between people moving to the UK and those leaving  up by 40,000 from its estimate in November.

It projected that the total will hit 245,000 a year from 2026-27 onwards. This was almost double what was predicted this time last year.

The OBR also forecast that 1.6million people will arrive in the UK over the next five years  300,000 more than previously thought.

Asked yesterday whether the Government was comfortable with the 245,000 figure, the PMs spokesman said: For our part we obviously have control of our immigration system [after Brexit] and we make decisions based on what we think is best for the whole UK.

Pressed on what baseline they would be lowering net migration against, they added: The Office for National Statistics figures for net migration covering the year up to December 2019 was 270,000 per year... that would be a logical position to start.

As ever with immigration, theres no silver bullet... but as a package of overall measures we want more UK workers to either stay or return to the workforce [to reduce reliance on foreign workers].

Asked whether the tens of thousands target was achievable, he said: The commitment from the Government is to reduce overall migration. We havent got into a specific number beyond that.

Former PM David Cameron first pledged to keep net migration to tens of thousands in 2010. The target, which has never been met, was maintained by Theresa Mays government before being ditched in 2019 under Boris Johnson.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said it was her ultimate aspiration to get net migration down into the tens of thousands

But Home Secretary Suella Braverman appeared to revive it at the Tory party conference in October, saying it was her ultimate aspiration to get net migration down into the tens of thousands.

In 2019, overall net migration to the UK was put at 270,000, meaning getting it to this level would only return it to pre-Brexit levels. In the year to last June, net migration was estimated to be 504,000 amid an influx of refugees from Ukraine and Hong Kong.
A grieving family mourning the loss of their mum have been dealt another heartbreaking blow following a major bungle where she was buried in the wrong cemetery plot.

Queensland mother-of-two Sonia Jordan, 75, died on February 21 following a long battle with illness.

Her dying wish was to be buried alongside her late parents at Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery at Bridgeman Downs in Brisbane's north.

The family communicated those wishes to cemetery staff at a meeting held a month prior to her death.

Ms Jordan was farewelled at a gravesite burial service at the cemetery on March 1, where her family believed she was buried in the same plot as her parents.

Sonia Jordan (second right) wanted to be buried with her parents after she died. She is pictured with her two daughters and twin sister (right)

The family was horrified to learn this week that not only was Ms Jordan not buried with her parents but far away on the other side of the cemetery.

The error was finally picked up on this week when the family tried to organise a grave plaque with the three names.

Ms Jordan's shattered twin sister and daughters have spent the this week struggling to get answers about the bungle.

'It's pretty ordinary that this is happening, and it's disappointing because we're still in the grieving stages,' her daughter Peta Edwards told the Courier Mail.

'We asked for mum to be buried with her mum and dad  my grandparents  on top of each other and that's what we paid for.'

'How can they muck something so important up?'

Sonia was buried in another section of Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery (pictured), which is managed by Brisbane Council

Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery is managed by Brisbane City Council which was ' extremely sorry' to hear about the error caused by the funeral director.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, the council claimed the funeral director didn't provide the existing burial plot information in accordance with the family's wishes.

'Unfortunately, an error by a private funeral director has resulted in the omission of the correct burial plot number and caused this issue,' Councillor Vicki Howard said.

'I am extremely sorry this has happened. As soon as I was made aware of this issue, I made sure Council officers resolved this matter in close consultation with the family.'

The council added it has since been in contact with Ms Jordan's family where the two parties reached an outcome which include reimbursement of burial and associated costs.
Two schoolgirls aged 12 and 13 have confessed to stabbing a 12-year-old classmate to death in a case that has shocked Germany.

The victim, known only as Luise under Germany's strict privacy laws, went missing on Saturday afternoon after leaving a friend's house near the town of Freudenberg, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Luise's body was found the following day in a wooded area not far from her home after a massive police search swept the area.

Police later said the girl was stabbed more than 30 times with a small knife.

'The child died as a result of numerous knife wounds and the resulting loss of blood,' Koblenz prosecutor Mario Mannweiler told a press conference, adding that there was 'no indication of a sexual offence'.

Pictured: Police forces stand at a cordon near Freudenberg, Germany, on March 12, 2023

Pictured: German police officers search for a knife in a woodland where a 12-year-old girl was found dead as a result of knife wounds in Hohenhain, near Freudenberg, Germany, on March 14, 2023

The victim, known only as Luise, went missing on Saturday afternoon after leaving a friend's house near the town of Freudenberg, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Local residents laid down flowers and placed candles near the wooded area where the body was located

The two girls 'made statements about the matter and in the end admitted the crime,' said Florian Locker, head of Koblenz police's homicide department.

The girls and Luise knew each other, Mannweiler said.

He declined to give further details because the suspects are too young to be held criminally responsible for their actions in Germany.

In Germany, the age of criminal responsibility starts at 14.

Investigators have yet to locate the knife or knives used in the crime.

Luise's parents reported her missing on Saturday after she failed to return from visiting the 13-year-old suspect at her home two miles away.

The 12-year-old suspect joined the two of them and the girls were spotted by neighbours walking into the woods nearby.

The 13-year-old had forced the younger suspect to assist her, according to reports.

Police said that under questioning, the two girls started to make contradictory statements and both confessed on Monday.

According to media reports, Luise had been friends with her killers but had fallen out with them.

The two girls attended the same school as Luise, according to reports, and the older girl is said to have been in the same class.

The parents of the suspects have moved away for the moment but are still in contact with their daughters.

Luise's disappearance triggered a frantic search operation that featured a helicopter, sniffer dogs and drones.

Local residents laid down flowers and placed candles near the wooded area where the body was found.

Hendrik Wuest, the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia, said that the state is 'grieving'. He added: 'It is incomprehensible and unbearable that children are capable of such horrible acts.'

He promised that the authorities would do all that is possible to uncover the motive and circumstances behind the crime.

'After more than 40 years in the job you still get cases that leave you speechless,' said Jurgen Sus, the deputy president of the Koblenz police directorate.

Pictured: A German police officer uses a metal detector in search of a knife at the woodland where a 12-year-old girl was found dead as a result of knife wounds in Hohenhain, near Freudenberg, on March 14

Luise's school replaced its homepage with a message of condolence.

'We lost our pupil, classmate and friend Luise at the weekend,' the Esther-Bejarano comprehensive school in Freudenberg said in the statement.

'Far too early, she was violently torn from our midst and from her family. Our thoughts and wishes are with her family and friends now and in the coming days.'

The case revived memories of the 1993 murder of James Bulger in England. The two-year-old was abducted and tortured before he was killed by two 10-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables.
Wealth taxes will cost families more than 170billion over the next six years in a major windfall for the Treasury.

The amount households will pay in capital gains and inheritance tax is set to soar, Budget documents show, spelling misery for millions.

Critics said the taxes were 'inefficient' and acted as a form of 'double taxation' on investors and entrepreneurs.

Jeremy Hunt has not moved to increase capital gains or inheritance tax, but he and previous chancellors have overseen massive increases in the amount HM Revenue and Customs collects from them.

Last year the Treasury took 21.4billion from the levies  almost two-thirds higher than five years ago. In 2027/28 the taxes are expected to bring in 34.5billion  another 61 per cent jump.

Jeremy Hunt has not moved to increase capital gains or inheritance tax, but he and previous chancellors have overseen massive increases in the amount HM Revenue and Customs collects from them

In total, for the six years from 2022/23 to 2027/28, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has pencilled in 45billion from inheritance tax and 126.1billion through capital gains.

The double whammy represents a 171.1billion wealth tax on households 37.3billion higher than the OBR's November forecast suggested.

Former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said: 'Capital taxes are an inefficient form of taxation. Capital gains tax is voluntary as the asset does not have to be sold so it distorts investment decisions and uses capital inefficiently.

'Death duties are double taxation but also encourage investment for tax minimisation rather than economic efficiency lowering the opportunities for growth.'

Matthew Lesh, the director of public policy at the Institute of Economic Affairs think-tank, accused the Government of 'relentlessly squeezing wealth-creators and entrepreneurs'.

He added: 'Capital gains tax is a tax on investment, while inheritance tax is a tax on working longer and harder.'

Capital gains tax is the levy paid on profits made when an asset, such as a holiday home or shares, is sold.

Higher-rate taxpayers pay 28 per cent on gains made on residential property and 20 per cent on other assets.

Former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said: 'Capital taxes are an inefficient form of taxation'

Critics have also claimed inheritance tax is increasingly a tax on middle classes. Currently, estates worth up to 325,000 can be passed on without paying inheritance tax, with a levy of 40 per cent above that threshold.

The Government said Britain's tax system 'is fair' with half of capital gains taxes paid by the wealthiest 1 per cent.
DC Comics' new Superman movie will restore 'Truth, Justice and the American Way' as the hero's slogan - two years after the comic-maker controversially dropped the phrase in favor for one more inclusive.

The motto's reinstatement was confirmed in a Wednesday press release that further revealed DC Studios has already tapped Guardians of the Galaxy's James Gunn as a director.

Set to release in 2025, Legacy will serve as a return to the hero's roots, showrunners wrote, following recent deviations that included a comic that saw him come out as gay, and the scrapping of the aforementioned slogan that originates from a radio serial that aired during World War II.

Both maneuvers came within weeks of each other in 2021, as rivals like Marvel made a series of progressive pushes that would later be criticized for a lack of quality.

Superman's new, since-scrapped 'mission statement' - 'Truth, Justice and a Better Tomorrow' - spawned similar backlash, potentially spurring DC's recently unveiled decision to ditch the new adage.

DC's upcoming Superman film, Superman Legacy, will restore 'Truth, Justice and the American Way' as the hero's slogan - two years after the comic-maker dropped it in favor of one thought to be more 'inclusive'. Pictured is a recent Superman cover from artist Renato Guedes

The motto's reinstatement was confirmed in a press release Wednesday that set the upcoming film - set to hit theatres in 2015 - will serve as a return to the hero's roots as an American icon. A promo with classic 'American Way' motto, illustrated by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, is seen here

'Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas,' the press release states, before referencing the new slogan.

'He is the embodiment of truth, justice and the American way, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.'

The statement made it clear that the prospective film - which comes after a slew of clunkers from the studio like Zach Snyder's Batman vs Superman and Justice League - will lean into the 'old-fashioned' aspect of the DC character, something many felt was missing from the Snyder adaptations.

Newly pegged Gunn - a stalwart member of Marvel's stable brought on by DC in 2021 to right David Ayer's 2016 lemon Suicide Squad - further detailed the studio's new approach to the iconic hero in a series of tweets penned shortly after it was announced he would again be righting a DC flop.

'I was offered Superman years ago,' Gunn wrote in a thread discussing the new directorial direction with the upcoming film.

'I initially said no because I didn't have a way in that felt unique and fun and emotional that gave Superman the dignity he deserved.

The revelation came shortly after DC said it was tapping longtime Marvel director James Gunn to head the film. The studio previously enlisted Gunn for 2021's The Suicide Squad with a remake and the HBO Max TV series The Peacemaker

Newly pegged Gunn - a stalwart member of Marvel's stable brought on by DC to right David Ayer's 2016 Suicide Squad - further detailed the studio's new approach to the iconic hero in a series of tweets penned shortly after it was announced he would again be righting a DC flop

'Then a bit less than a year ago I saw a way in, in many ways centering around Supermans heritage - how both his aristocratic Kryptonian parents and his Kansas farmer parents inform who he is and the choices he makes,' Gunn, 56, wrote.

'So I chose to finally take on writing the script. But I was hesitant to direct.'

Eventually, after the pestering of Producer Peter Safran, Gunn joked, he succumbed to the pressure, and decided he would once again man a DC director chair.

'The long and the short of it is, I love this script, and Im incredibly excited as we begin this journey,' Gunn wrote, offering another well-known sign off phrase as a signoff. '#Upupandaway', he wrote.

Aside from 2021's Suicide Squad remake, Gunn was recently poached by Marvel's main adversary to helm the HBO Max TV series The Peacemaker, starring John Cena.

Like the villain-centered retcon, the show has since been met with rave reviews - explaining DC's insistence to once again enlist him for the looming Superman project.

Gunn - an outspoken liberal and well-known critic of ex-President Donald Trump - did not say whether he played any part in the studio's decision to reinstate the 'American Way' phrase, which was abandoned by the character back in October of 2021.

Legacy will serve as a return to the hero's roots, showrunners wrote, following recent deviations that included a 2021 comic that saw him come out as gay, seen here

The comic, seemingly part of a progressive push from the publisher, made waves as it was revealed an issue would feature a same-sex kiss between the hero and his sidekick-slash-lover

At the time Jim Lee, DC's chief creative officer and publisher, announced during a virtual event at the DC Fandome that the Man of Steel's motto would be 'evolving' from the well-known mantra in favor for the less divisive 'tomorrow' phrase.

In a later press statement, the company attempted to explain the decision, saying it was meant 'to better reflect the storylines that we are telling across DC and to honor Superman's incredible legacy of over 80 years of building a better world.'

The decision - which came a year after Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman star Dean Cain prophetically told Fox News that he wouldn't be allowed to say the 'American Way' slogan if his show aired today - was almost immediately met with scrutiny.

Cain, 56 who portrayed the superhero for four seasons on the 1993 TV series, spoke out on the controversy, suggesting to Fox News that the staffers producing the comic were 'bandwagoning.'

'They said its a bold new direction. I say theyre bandwagoning,' the former Man of Steel said in a televised interview earlier this month.

'I dont think its bold or brave or some crazy new direction,' the actor continued.

'If they had done this 20 years ago, perhaps that would be bold or brave. But brave would be having him fight for the rights of gay people in Iran where they'll throw you off a building for the offence of being gay.'

Cain added that he would prefer to see Superman fighting the 'real evil in the world today,' like 'corruption and government overreach.'

Both changes to the hero's narrative came within weeks of each other in 2021, as rivals like Marvel made a series of progressive pushes that would later be criticized for a lack of quality. Pictured: DC Comics All Star Superman #1, illustrated by Frank Quitely

Weeks later, DC would further fan the flames of public outrage with its release of Superman: Son of Kal-El, a comic that saw the latest The Man of Steel come out as bisexual.

The comic, seemingly part of a progressive push from publisher Lee, made waves as it was revealed one issue would feature a same-sex kiss between the hero's successor and his sidekick-slash-lover.

Moreover, it ultimately members of the LA studio responsible for its creation threatened with death threats, to the point where cops were dispatched to the private residences of illustrators and staffers tasked with producing the comic.

The comic's writer, Tom Taylor, at the time defended the choice to write the character as bisexual, arguing the hero's sexuality is but a small detail - one that will allow LGBTQ people 'to see themselves in the most powerful superhero in comics.'

That said, not everyone shared the same welcoming sentiment, with many slamming DC for its creative liberty.

'Why are they sexualizing superheroes?' conservative journalist Raymond Arroyo asked Fox News' Lauren Ingraham at the time.

'I was a Batman and Superman and Spider-Man kid. I loved those heroes. We just wanted them to get the bad guys, not a venereal disease. Leave our comic book heroes alone.'

Gunn - an outspoken liberal and well-known critic of ex-President Donald Trump - did not say whether he played any part in the studio's decision to reinstate the 'American Way' phrase, which was abandoned by the character in October 2021

Readers also took to social media to protest the publisher's announcement, which came on National Coming Out Day.

'Congratulations,' one user wrote on Twitter. 'You just wrecked one of the oldest comic heroes.'

'This wont translate to sale,' another user wrote, labeling the change as 'fake.' The cross fan also suggested that the team behind the comic 'only do this for headlines.'

Another griped: 'Way to ruin a character, lets just do whatever it takes to please the 0.01% of the population.'

Now, critics are hailing the studio for its sudden change-of-heart.

'The Superman motto restoration is a very minor item, but it didn't happen in a vacuum,' right-wing critic Christian Toto told Fox on Thursday, a day after DC aired its decision.

He continued: 'Hollywood is slowly realizing how off-putting woke theatrics can be, and the Biden economy is making studios pinch pennies in every possible way.

'If that means appeasing a huge swath of comic book fans eager for an old-school, all-American Superman, so be it.' He added, citing that 'we also saw this' in this year's Oscar ceremony.

'The message is finally hitting Hollywood,' the movie reviewers said. 'Stop dividing us and take a knee in the culture wars.'

Superman Legacy - which currently does not have a cast - is set to hit theatres on July 11, 2025.
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





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New York State is set to lower the level required for students to be classified as 'proficient' in math and English tests.

The change, which will affect students in grades three through eight, is a response to the reality that academic standards have slipped since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last year in New York students performed terribly compared with 2019. In Schenectady, not one eighth grader was considered to be proficient in math.

The change will see the proficiency threshold in tests, known as the 'cut score', reduced to ensure more students appear to be in good academic form.

'Yes, there's learning loss between 2019 and 2022, but in some ways we don't want to keep going backwards,' Perie told the Times Union. 'We're at this new normal. So for New York we are saying the new baseline is 2022.'

New York State is set to lower the level required for students to be classified as 'proficient' in math and English tests

The change, which will affect students in grades three through eight, is a response to the reality that academic standards have slipped since the Covid-19 pandemic

'They're changing it because too many kids would not be deemed 'proficient' due to the impact of the pandemic on academic learning,' Jasmine Gripper, executive director of the Alliance for Quality Education, told DailyMail.com.

Gripper said that not only does shifting the goalposts by lowering thresholds reduce the credibility of the test, it also perpetuates inequalities between children and traps certain kids in underperforming schools.

'By changing the cut scores we're shielding wealthy white communities from experiencing the high stakes consequences of state testing that black and brown communities have dealt with forever,' she said.

'There will still be kids at the bottom, and the kids who were traditionally at the bottom will remain at the bottom,' she said.

Gripper argued that the need for changing the bar exposes the flaws in the system and exposes the damage that such testing can do.

'It really speaks to why state testing is problematic,' said Gripper. 'We want testing that drives instruction, instead, teachers are encouraged to teach to the test.'

She also explained that the change would have negative consequences that would not apply to wealthy communities.

Schools that underperform in the state-wide tests could be placed on 'receivership' - meaning certain schools could be slated for closures and senior teachers might be incentivized to leave for higher performing schools.

'Often these evaluations don't lead to improvement in learning they just lead to labels that are hard to get out of,' said Gripper.

'Your home value is determined by how well kids are doing in local schools. Its coddling, it's that we've always done and will always continue to,' she added.

Across the US, math scores saw their biggest decreases ever due to the pandemic, and reading scores fell to levels not seen since the early 1990s

Many of the woes faced by schools across the country stem from the pandemic and the way lockdowns impacted how children were taught and exacerbated inequities.

'You think we had rampant inequality before the pandemic, then there was a switch to remote learning which exacerbated inequality, for example, depending on whether you had high speed internet at home you may not be fully able to participate,' said Gripper.

She says the three academic school years were majorly impacted by the reaction to Covid. The first year was hybrid, the next was almost entirely remote and the third went back to being hybrid. Only now are schools starting to get back on their feet.

Over the summer the committee will do the same for the US history Regents exam - the change will take effect in 2024.

Across the US, math scores saw their biggest decreases ever due to the pandemic, and reading scores fell to levels not seen since the early 1990s, according to National Assessment of Educational Progress - known as the 'nation's report card'.

The collected scores of hundreds of thousands of fourth and eighth graders found that nearly four in 10 eighth graders failed to grasp basic math concepts.
Chasten Buttigieg went after former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday, saying a 'maternity leave' joke he made about Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg 'flies in the face' of the 'family values' Pence preaches.

The husband of the Transportation Secretary said on The View that the couple hasn't received an apology from Pence.

Pence was the GOP speaker at Saturday night's Gridiron Club Dinner in Washington and made fun of the Transportation Secretary for taking time off after the birth of his adopted twins.

'When Pete's two children were born, he took two months maternity leave, where upon thousands of travelers were stranded in airports, the air traffic system shut down, airplanes nearly collided in midair,' Pence said. 'I mean, Pete Buttigieg is the only person in human history to have a child and all the rest of us get postpartum depression.'

During his appearance on The View - as well as in an Instagram post - Buttigieg chided Pence saying 'when your kid's connected to a ventilator, you don't want to be anywhere but their bedside.'

Chasten Buttigieg went after former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday, saying a 'maternity leave' joke he made about Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg 'flies in the face' of the 'family values' Pence preaches

Vice President Mike Pence was the Republican speaker at Saturday night's Gridiron Club Dinner in Washington. Pence joked that the country got 'postpartum depression' from the travel woes created while Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was on 'maternity leave'

He argued that Pence's dig 'flies in the face of what he says he is.' 'He says he's a "family values" Republican,' Buttigieg said. 'I don't think he's practicing what he preaches here.'

The Buttigiegs' son Gus spent two months in the NICU as a newborn.

'I just don't take that when it's directed at my family,' Buttigieg said, explaining why he decided to speak out.

'And I don't think anybody else would, especially when you bring a very small, medically fragile child into it,' Buttigieg argued.

The White House had called the joke 'homophobic,' saying it was 'offensive and inappropriate.'

But Buttigieg told The View cohosts that Pence deliberately used 'maternity' leave, as a way to feminize his husband, calling the move 'misogynistic' as well.

He argued that the first weeks spent with the twins, when both he and Pete were on paternity leave, wasn't a 'vacation,' but an incredibly trying time, as their daughter Penelope also needed around-the-clock care.

'And there is nothing weak about that work,' Buttigieg said on The View.

The Gridiron Club is made up of journalists who perform skits and songs mocking both political parties - and themselves. Every years there's also a Democrat, Republican and speaker representing the White House.

The humor at the dinner is supposed to 'singe not burn.'

On Saturday night, Pence's comments about Pete Buttigieg were overshadowed by newsy remarks he made about former President Donald Trump, as he recounted what he was feeling on January 6 as the Capitol was being attacked by a pro-Trump mob.

'I was not afraid, I was angry. President Trump was wrong,' Pence said. 'I had no right to overturn the election and his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day.'

'And I know that history will hold Donald Trump accountable,' Pence said.
Indian separatist protesters stormed the country's consulate in Brisbane this week in extraordinary scenes.

Staff at the outpost in Taringa, in the city's south-west, feared for their safety when demonstrators mobbed staff and police on Wednesday, March 15.

Demonstrators were seen hoisting anti-Hinduist signs labelling government workers 'supremacists', among other slurs.

India's Ministry of External Affairs described the demonstration as a 'disruption' but denied the consulate was forced to close.

This comes days after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met and expressed concern about violence against Hindus in Australia.

Queensland police (pictured at the Consulate) said that the gathering was unauthorised

Queenslander Parvinder Singh, who attended the consulate that day, described the separatists as 'thugs'.

An Indian government spokesman Arindam Bagchi told The Times of India that they had been in touch with our government since the incident occurred.

'For a little while there were some disruptions, but it is not closed,' Mr Bagchi said.

'The honorary consulate continues to function normally providing necessary services.

'We have been taking up on a regular basis whenever such incidents occur, and they have unfortunately occurred a number of times.'

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured left) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (pictured right) expressed concerns of violence against Hindus in Australia

Wednesday's pop-up protest is the latest chapter in a dramatic saga for the Indian community in Australia, which has seen temples defaced and violent public clashes.

Earlier this month the separatist movement defaced the entrance of Burbank's Lakshmi Narayan Temple, in southeast Brisbane.

Here is a video of the Khalistani hate graffiti on the entrance of Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Burbank,Brisbane.@QldPolice @mc_millan4 Australian Hindus are closely watching how you respond to this malicious campaign by Khalistanis to intimidate Hindus & deface our places of worship. pic.twitter.com/7ageiS4l2Y  Australian Hindu Media (@austhindu) March 4, 2023

The graffiti smeared across the entrance had labelled Modi, a practicing Hindu, as a terrorist.

In January more unauthorised protestors clashed in Melbourne's Federation Square where two were arrested by police and dozens more pepper sprayed.

I strongly condemn anti India activities by pro Khalistani in Australia. Anti-social elements that are trying to disrupt the peace & harmony of the country with these activities, must be dealt with strongly and culprits must be brought to books.@ANI pic.twitter.com/xMMxNTQscc  Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) January 29, 2023

In January more unauthorised Khalistan supporters popped up in Melbourne's Federation Square (pictured) where two were arrested by police and dozens more pepper sprayed

The Khalistan seperatists appeared in Melbourne in January before gathering outside The Indian Consulate in Taringa, Brisbane (pictured) on March 15

Since then, Hindu temples across the country experienced similar treatment, leading Modi to address the issue during a recent bilateral meeting with Mr Albanese in India.

'I have conveyed our concern to PM Albanese and he has assured me that the safety and wellbeing of the Indian community in Australia is a priority for them,' Modi said.

Albanese promised Australia wouldn't tolerate any extremists, and there is no place for such action against Hindu temples while addressing a press meet in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Modi addressed the issue during a recent bilateral with Mr Albanese in India this March
A young teacher has been banned from the classroom for more than a year after writing a three-page letter expressing his feelings to a female student who he repeatedly told was his 'favourite'.

Nicholas Latella, 24, had taught at Como Secondary College, in Perth, but was found to have failed to maintain professional boundaries with one high schooler.

He asked to meet up with the girl outside of school hours, and gifted her two pairs of earrings and a plushie toy.

His career eventually came to a halt when the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia received a complaint from the Department of Education in March, 2021 that alleged Mr Latella had engaged in serious misconduct.

Upon further investigation, a State Administrative Tribunal found this month Mr Latella was unfit to work as a teacher, banning him from applying to be registered for 16 months.

Nicholas Latella, 24, had taught at Como Secondary College (pictured), in Perth, but was found to have failed to maintain professional boundaries with one high schooler

The tribunal heard that in November, 2020, the student was disappointed after not receiving a leadership position at school.

After consoling the girl, Mr Latella then asked her to write him a letter explaining what happened and what he meant to her.

'He also suggested they 'hang out' after she graduated school and get 'bubble tea' and the female student's friend could also 'hang out' with them,' the tribunal's findings read.

The student explained what happened with the position in a letter, and said she thought of Mr Latella as a brother.

Mr Latella then responded with his own handwritten letter, but told the student not to tell anyone about the note.

'The female student was 'disturbed' by this and viewed it as a 'major red flag',' the tribunal found.

The teacher had expressed his feelings to the student in the three-page letter, telling her she was his favourite and that he 'would be an amazing brother' to her.

The student was emotionally distressed by the letter.

During that same year, Mr Latella had showered her in gifts and told her on numerous times she was his favourite.

The pair did not meet nor did Mr Latella contact her outside of school hours.

Mr Latella faced the tribunal on March 2 and admitted he engaged in serious misconduct that registered him unfit to be a teacher.

He voluntarily cancelled his teaching registration in November, 2021.

The inappropriate behaviour was found to have occurred at a time when Mr Latella was 'experiencing difficulties' in his personal life, and was receiving counselling.

'Mr Latella expressed remorse and demonstrated a level of insight into his behaviour,' the findings concluded.
Serial killer Levi Bellfield is set to take legal action against the Government to try and force it to let him get married while behind bars.

The 54-year-old, who is known to have killed at least three people including Milli Dowler, has got engaged to a regular female visitor at HMP Frankfield, where he is serving a whole-life tariff.

News of his proposed nuptials with the woman, who is in her 40s, sparked outrage when they were revealed last year, and Dominic Raab has vowed action to stop it happening.

The Justice Secretary is set to unveil his new Victim's Bill in the coming weeks, which would ban people serving whole life terms getting hitched behind bars.

This has put the Government on a collision course with Bellfield, who is said to be boasting that his fight against them is 'costing me f*** all'.

Serial killer Levi Bellfield (pictured) is currently serving two whole life tariffs for murdering at least three people

The 54-year-old is reportedly engaged to a woman in her 40s who has been having regular visits with him

Bellfield, who is serving two whole-life terms for the murder of 13-year-old Milli, well as Marsha McDonnell, 19, and Amelie Delagrange, 22, has demanded prison bosses bend to his request to get married.

READ MORE HERE: Murderers and rapists on life sentences to be banned from marrying in prison after Milly Dowler's murderer Levi Bellfield's proposal to blonde visitor sparked outrage Advertisement

A letter sent on his behalf by law firm Carringtons claims the delay in approving his marriage request is 'unlawful' and is a breach of the 1983 Marriage Act and the European Convention on Human Rights, The Sun reports.

A source told the paper: 'Bellfield's laughing that he's getting all this help for free. It's alarming that, as things stand, his barristers have the law on their side.

'The prison has kicked this into the long grass because they don't want it to happen, but legally they will probably have to allow it.'

A spokesperson for the Prison Service told outlet: 'The application is being considered.'

Some 60 prisoners, many of them serving long jail terms, applied to marry last year.

Mr Raab's plans to ban the practice were pushed back amid fears of potential legal challenges, but Rishi Sunak's Government is confident it would face off any legal battle, with backing from the Attorney General.

In a leaked letter to a cabinet colleague, Mr Raab said: 'I consider there is a very real risk that marriage in such cases would undermine public and victims confidence in the Criminal Justice System.

'Even where there is no risk of direct physical harm there is a significant risk of coercive or controlling behaviour.

'I have seen how Bellfield seeking to marry has caused distress and trauma to his victims.'

Bellfield is currently behind bars at HMP Frankfield (pictured) and is unlikely to ever be released

Bellfield is known to have killed three people, including 13-year-old Milly Dowler (pictured)

He also killed 19-year-old Marsha McDonnell (left) and 22-year-old Amelie Delagrange (right)

A Government source said allowing egregious criminals to wed would add to the distress the surviving relatives of victims

Tory MP Brendan Clarke-Smith has also lent his support, saying vulnerable members of the public could be 'groomed' into marriage by manipulative crooks.

Labour's Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed criticised the Conservatives for failing to enact a bill sooner, insisting that Labour has led calls for a Victims Bill for eight years.

His new fiancee previously told the Mirror: 'He is not a monster. Yes he has a bad past, but 17 years in prison changes a person.

'He has changed, he has remorse, and there are always reasons a person goes wrong in life.

'There is always a far bigger picture. He is 53 years old, still young and has to live knowing he will just grow old and die in that horrendous place.'

Bellfield was introduced to his fiancee through Peter Sutcliffe, who was friends with the woman before he died in 2020.

Bellfield was put in touch with his now-fiance by Peter Sutcliffe (pictured), after seeing a picture of her in the Yorkshire Ripper's cell

Bellfield and Sutcliffe were on the same wing in HMP Frankland. Bellfield asked to be put in touch with her after seeing her picture in Sutcliffe's cell, the Sun reported.

They spoke on the phone, before she then began visiting Bellfield at the County Durham prison.

'What people don't realise is that the woman was friends with Sutcliffe for years before he died, although there was no romance between them,' a source told the Sun.

They said that Bellfield asked for Sutcliffe's consent to write to her, around a year before he died.

His fiancee has now said that she is 'not ashamed' of their relationship, and believes that Bellfield has 'changed' and is 'not a monster'.

She described herself to the Mirror as 'extremely non-judgemental', adding that her and her fiance have had 'kisses and cuddles' in the County Durham prison.
A jailed Putin critic has called on the UK to lift sanctions against one of the last Russian oligarchs living in London, it has emerged.

Ilya Yashin, 39, urged the Government to free billionaire Mikhail Fridman from the sanctions list, alleging he has 'serious doubts about the fairness and validity' of the financial restrictions.

Yashin told The Times that Fridman, 58, has 'never been what is usually called "Putin's oligarch"' and therefore cannot be labelled as a 'warmonger'.

The businessman, who lives in a 65million mansion in Highgate, is worth an estimated 8.2billion. His assets were frozen last March and he is only allowed access to around 2,000 per month.

A jailed Putin critic has called on the UK to lift sanctions against Mikhail Fridman (pictured in 2019), one of the last Russian oligarchs living in London

The businessman, who lives in a 65million mansion in Highgate (pictured), is worth an estimated 8.2billion. His assets were frozen last March and he is only allowed access to around 2,000 per month

The Government has described Fridman as a 'pro-Kremlin oligarch' who is 'closely associated with Vladimir Putin'.

The UK also alleges the billionaire's Alfa-Bank helps support the Russian regime, according to the newspaper.

Britain's sanctions list further states that Fridman's alleged ties to Putin make his associated with someone 'involved in destabilising and threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine'.

Similarly, the EU sanctions listing claims he 'managed to cultivate strong ties' with Moscow and enables Putin's so-called inner circle.

However, Yashin - who has been imprisoned in Russia since last year for condemning Putin's massacre of Ukrainian citizens - claims Fridman is connected to Russian opposition leaders and 'very sceptical' about the Kremlin government.

'He cannot be considered a warmonger or sponsor of the war,' the activist wrote of the alleged oligarch.

'Fridman is a private businessman who, of course, interacted with the Russian political machinery but at the same time did not compromise himself in any way by participating in the political projects of the Russian government'.

Russian opposition leader Ilya Yashin, 39, (pictured at a hearing at the Meshchansky district court in Moscow last year) urged the Government to free Fridman from the sanctions list, alleging he has 'serious doubts about the fairness and validity' of the financial restrictions

A friend of Fridman's echoed Yashin's claims, arguing that he is 'not pro-Kremlin' and has never had a one-on-one interaction with Putin.

The billionaire's friend also shared that Fridman stopped being a Russian tax resident in 2015 and instead pays taxes in the UK, where he has lived since at least 2014.

Fridman was also allegedly 'inquiring about British citizenship,' the friend told The Times.

Furthermore, Putin himself seemingly mocked Fridman in a speech last month, suggesting he has little respect for the oligarch.

'Recent events have clearly shown that the image of the West as a safe haven for capital was a mirage,' the Kremlin leader said of oligarchs who fled Russia.

'Those who failed to understand this in time, who saw Russia only as a source of income and planned to live mostly abroad, have lost a lot. They just got robbed there and saw even their legitimate money taken away.'

Fridman, a father-of-five, currently lives in his north London mansion with his partner Oksana and their three-year-old daughter.

Those close to him say he cannot leave the UK because he has 'nowhere to go.'

British Prime Minister Tony Blair stands with Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Fridman and BP CEO Lord Browne after signing a joint business deal during a Russia-UK energy summit in 2003

Then-Russian President Boris Yeltsin meets with leading industrialists and bankers Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Vladimir Gusinsky, Alexander Smolensky, Vladimir Potanin, Vladimir Vinogradov and Mikhail Fridman in 1997

The billionaire's friends allege his criticisms of the war and relationships with Russian dissidents 'make Moscow dangerous.'

Although Fridman - who is Jewish - has an Israeli passport, he reportedly does not own a home in the country. The oligarch's friends claim that because of the sanctions he also has 'no access' to funds needed to purchase a new home.

Fridman, however, is more concerned about the impacts the sanctions are having on his children than his access to money, according to the newspaper.

His 26-year-old daughter Katia has reportedly been sanctioned by Canada, blocking her from being able to renew her visa in the US. She has worked and resided in America for nine years.

Similarly, his ex-wife of 17 years, Olga Ayziman, has been sanctioned in France, where she lives.

Ayziman, who is Katia's mother, claimed the EU sanctions were imposed 'without notice or explanation'.

Her sanctions were reportedly lifted after six months, however she remains concerned for Fridman, claiming the entire situation has been 'extremely hard for him psychologically'.

Fridman, (pictured in 2019) who was born in Ukraine and has reportedly heavily invested in Ukrainian businesses, has taken legal action to challenge the UK and EU sanctions

Fridman, who was born in western Ukraine and has reportedly heavily invested in Ukrainian businesses, is understood to have taken legal action to challenge the UK and EU sanctions.

He was arrested last December after 50 officers from the National Crime Squad raided his north London mansion.

He was taken into custody on suspicion 'of money laundering, conspiracy to defraud the Home Office and conspiracy to commit perjury'.

Fridman denies any wrongdoing and his friends allege the raid was 'an effort to humiliate him and force him to quit the country'.
A teenager has been rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries following a stabbing on a bus in Melbourne.

Emergency services were called to Fitzsimons Lane, Templestowe, at about 4:30pm on Thursday after receiving reports of an altercation on a bus.

Victoria Police say the stabbing occurred during an alleged altercation between the 16-year-old victim and another man.

The teen was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

He was discharged on Friday morning as police confirmed his alleged attacker remains on the run and that no charges have been laid.

Emergency services were called to Fitzsimons Lane, Templestowe, at about 4:30pm on Thursday after receiving reports of a stabbing. Photo: 7News

Police say the stabbing occurred during an alleged altercation on a bus between the victim and another man. Photo: 7News

'Both exited the bus and the offender ran off,' police said in a statement.

Police believe the men may have been known to each other.

For almost four hours roads were blocked as officers probed the area and took statements from the female bus driver and other witnesses.

Investigators believe both men exited the bus following the incident and that the alleged offender ran off before police were at the scene.
An abseiling instructor has plunged to his death in front of shocked students and teachers during a school excursion at a popular Australian natural landmark.

The 53-year-old was teaching students from a Perth high school who had travelled to Brides Cave in Boranup, three hours south of the WA capital.

Police were initially called to the well-known site near the tourist town of Margaret River about 3.20pm on Thursday to support SES volunteers and paramedics.

'A number of students and teachers had already abseiled down to the bottom of the cave area when the instructor fell,' police said in a statement.

Brides Cave in Boranup (pictured) near Margaret River is a popular abseiling spot. The students from a Perth high school were on an excursion when their instructor plunged

First aid was provided to the man until an RAC Rescue helicopter paramedic was lowered down into the cave and took over care of the patient.

Sadly, he was unable to be revived.

'DFES State Emergency Service volunteers and the man's colleagues were able to provide guidance and instruction to safely recover the deceased, students and teachers from the bottom of the cave.'

WorkSafe WA is aware of the incident and is investigating.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Jeremy Hunt is under pressure to rethink an absurd tax-trap in his free childcare scheme.

Parents earning more than 100,000 face a hit to their income of up to 20,000, with the Institute for Fiscal Studies yesterday giving a withering assessment of the cliff-edge.

It said the move provides a massive incentive for working parents to cap their earnings.

Mr Hunt announced in his Budget on Wednesday that the entitlement to 30 hours a week of free childcare will apply to children aged from nine months to four years from September 2025.

But if just one parent has a taxable income of more than 100,000 a year, they are not eligible for the policy. The Chancellor is understood to be resisting pressure to look again at the threshold, which has not been adjusted to keep pace with rising wages.

Visit: Jeremy Hunt meets children at Busy Bees nursery, south London

Treasury officials believe that with limited money at their disposal, it was better to target the extended support at less well-paid working families.

But the IFS has warned that the distortions the cliff-edge will create are among the most severe you will ever see within a tax and benefit system.

A parent with a one and two-year old in England, paying an hourly rate for 40 hours a week of childcare, could see their disposable income fall by 14,500 if their pre-tax pay crosses 100,000, it said.

That would mean a parent earning 130,000 a year would be worse off than one earning 99,900, according to the IFSs analysis.

It said for those with higher childcare costs, the distortions are even more absurd. And in London, a similar parent, using 50 hours per week, would see a 20,000 fall in disposable income when their pre-tax earnings cross 100,000.

Parents would inevitably increase their pension contributions to avoid the issue, the IFS said.

Robert Joyce, deputy director of IFS, said: The 30-hour offer is, together with tax-free childcare, removed in its entirety when earnings reach 100,000. This means that high earning parents can be worse off overall even after a pay rise of tens of thousands of pounds, especially in high-cost areas and where they have two or more pre-school children.

Mr Hunt has pledged to increase the funding paid to nurseries to provide 30 hours a week of free childcare. But while the hourly rate will go from 6 to 8 per hour for two-year-olds, the rise for three and four-year-olds is much smaller  up from 5.29 to around 5.50.

The entitlement to 30 hours a week of free childcare will apply to children aged from nine months to four years from September 2025

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, which represents 14,000 childcare providers, said: We all know the early years sector is in desperate need of more funding.

But the uplift announced in the Budget doesnt look as though it will come anywhere close to plugging the ever-widening gap between funding and the cost of delivering high-quality early years places.

He said nurseries, pre-schools and childminders have been forced to grapple with severe underfunding for years, which has placed unbearable pressure on the sector.

This, coupled with a severe recruitment and retention crisis, has meant that providers have been left with no option but to increase fees, limit hours, reduce places and in an increasing number of cases, close completely, he added.

Whats more, the expansion of the 30-hour offer will heap unsustainable pressure on the sector if it is implemented before necessary infrastructure is in place.

The Chancellor said extending the 30 hours of free childcare would help parents get back to work.
A damning report into the Metropolitan Police will conclude it is filled with racism, sexism and homophobia, insiders have claimed.

The review by Lady Louise Casey  set to be released next week  will blast the country's biggest police force for failing to change its internal culture, despite previous reports telling it to do so.

It was ordered following the rape and murder of Sarah Everard by Met officer Wayne Couzens in 2021 and is set to be published on Tuesday, but copies have already been sent to senior officers.

Sources say the findings show the Met is in the 'last-chance saloon' and that it makes for 'atrocious' reading for the scandal-hit force, the Guardian reports.

It comes as it was revealed that a Met officer who kept his job after masturbating on a train was having his case reviewed as parallels were drawn between incidents involving Couzens before he murdered Ms Everard.

Lady Louise Casey is set to publish a long-awaited report into the Met Police next week

She's expected to conclude that the country's biggest police force is filled with racism, sexism and homophobia

The report by Lady Casey is set to say that cases such as Couzens and David Carrick, an officer from the same unit who was found to be one of Britain's worst rapists, are a damning indictment of the Met's failings and cannot be dismissed as one-offs.

Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and Home Secretary Suella Braverman are among those who have been sent draft copies of the report, as is former commissioner Cressida Dick, who is believed to have been given access.

Dick is set to find herself in the cross hairs of the report, which will say problems ramped up during her tenure as chief from 2017 to 2022, although the report will add that issues were apparent before she took the helm.

She is set to reference a 1999 report by Sir William Macpherson into failings within the force following the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, and how despite the Met claiming to have acted on this, issues lingered and festered within.

Lady Casey released an interim report last October, giving a hint of what was to come in the final review.

The 57-year-old revealed that Met officers suspected of serious criminal offences, including sexual assault and domestic violence, had been allowed to keep their jobs.

This included one officer who remained in the force despite being accused of 11 different cases of sexual assault, harassment and domestic abuse.

Rowley, who at that point had only been in the role of commissioner for a month after taking the role in September, said he was appalled by the findings and admitted that there were probably 'hundreds' of staff members who should have been sacked but hadn't.

Lady Casey added that those officers who did try to stand up and change things from within faced challenges from the Met's internal disciplinary system and an 'anything goes' culture.

Sir Mark Rowley, commissioner of the Met Police, has previously admitted there are probably hundreds of officers who should have been sacked but weren't

The report was ordered by previous commissioner Dame Cressida Dick after cop Wayne Couzens (pictured) raped and murdered Sarah Everard

Earlier this week it was revealed the force is reviewing 1,100 misconduct files for staff accused of domestic violence or sexual offences to determine whether the correct decisions had been made.

It comes after it was revealed one officer was caught masturbating on a train and received a conviction for outraging public decency in 2018, but was still given a final written warning instead of being sacked.

Dame Diana Johnson, of the Commons home affairs committee said on Wednesday: 'He was actually convicted but he wasn't dismissed from the Metropolitan Police, he's still serving as I understand it, that officer is still in post, although he's not in a position where he's front-facing with the public.'

Deputy mayor of London Sophie Linden said: 'It is unacceptable and the current leadership of the Metropolitan Police have made it really clear that that's unacceptable.

'That decision was made in the previous regime and its current leadership have made it very clear that that is a decision that would not have been taken under the present leadership at the Metropolitan Police.'

Concerns have been raised about indecent exposure as a potential gateway to more serious crimes after the case of Couzens, who went on to commit murder.

He was accused of three counts of indecent exposure but remained working as a police officer.

Ms Linden told the committee that the Met's detection rate for offences involving violence against women and girls is 'plummeting' for cases where a suspect has been identified.

She said: 'The culture within the Metropolitan Police is one which needs to radically change, there is a real issue with the way in which, internally and externally, women and girls are being treated.

'We can see that in terms of the confidence that women have in the Met, that has fallen, as it has with other communities as well.

'But also, there's an issue around detections, around those offences - we put them in violence against women and girls - rape, sexual offences, domestic abuse, those detection rates are really plummeting.

'There's two things going on, I think there's cultural problems and there's also this issue around the service that's being delivered particularly to women victims that has meant that trust and confidence has really fallen.'
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Mothers should be more valued in society rather than forced to return to work, Tory MPs warned yesterday.

After Jeremy Hunt announced a major extension of free childcare, backbenchers branded the extra support as a socialist attempt to solve problems with tax rises.

The Chancellor used Wednesdays Budget to extend the 30 hours a week of paid-for care.

But Miriam Cates, Conservative MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, was concerned by the announcement, fearing the Treasury had misunderstood the problem.

She said it was wrong to assume that the cost of childcare is the primary factor preventing women from returning to work as only around 40 per cent of eligible parents access the existing entitlement.

Miriam Cates, Conservative MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, was concerned by the announcement, fearing the Treasury had misunderstood the problem

Ms Cates said: Fundamentally, the belief behind offering work-dependent, state-funded childcare to all babies is that mothers are more valuable to society in the workplace than looking after their own children.

'As a Conservative I reject this and as a mother I know it to be untrue. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, she said women should be given a choice about returning to work based on what is best for each family, not based on economic necessity or on a mistaken understanding that a persons value derives principally from their contribution to GDP.

Her remarks were echoed by former Cabinet minister George Eustice, who said that it was a sorry state of affairs that society does not value motherhood more than it does.

In the Commons yesterday, he cited a poll showing only 50 per cent of mothers would return to work if they could afford it.

There have also been calls for Britain to introduce a household-based income tax system, similar to that in Germany, which would allow parents to transfer their tax-free allowances to each other to make it more affordable for one to stay at home to look after children.
The launch was North Korea's third show of force since Sunday

North Korea has test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile known as Hwasong-17, its state new agency reported overnight.

The missile was fired amid 'provocative and aggressive' joint military drills conducted by the United States and South Korea, the agency said Friday.

Photos released on Friday showed Kim Jong Un watching the launch with his daughter, and included pictures from space apparently shot by a camera mounted on the missile.

Thursday's launch was North Korea's third show of force since Sunday and took place as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol headed to Tokyo for a summit with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The summit's goal is to boost ties in the face of Pyongyang's growing aggression.

North Korea said the projectile it test-fired on Thursday was an intercontinental ballistic missile known as Hwasong-17, its state new agency reported overnight. Photos released on Friday by government media (pictured) showed the launch

In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches what it says is an intercontinental ballistic missile the country test-launched at the Sunan international airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, March 16

Photos released on Friday by the country's government media showed Kim Jong Un watching the launch with his daughter (pictured together)

The drill 'serves as an occasion to give a stronger warning to the enemies intentionally escalating the tension in the Korean peninsula,' KCNA said.

It added Kim Jong Un supervised the test-firing of the Hwasong-17 ICBM from Pyongyang's international airport and stressed the need to 'strike fear into the enemies' over what it called the 'open hostility' shown to the North.

Pyongyang said the missile traveled at a maximum altitude of 3,700 miles and flew some 620 miles 'before accurately landing on the preset area in the open waters off the East Sea of Korea,' also known as the Sea of Japan, the KCNA report said.

The South Korean government said the missile was fired on a lofted trajectory - up instead of out, typically done to avoid overflying neighbouring countries.

Seoul and Washington have ramped up defence cooperation in the face of growing military and nuclear threats from the North, which has conducted a series of increasingly provocative banned weapons tests in recent months.

On Tuesday, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles, having launched two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine Sunday, just hours before the US-South Korea exercises kicked off.

Known as Freedom Shield, the drills started Monday and are set to run for 10 days.

The Freedom Shield exercises focus on the 'changing security environment' due to North Korea's redoubled aggression, the allies have said.

North Korea views all such drills as rehearsals for invasion and has repeatedly warned it would take 'overwhelming' action in response.

The launch overshadowed the summit between Yoon and Kishida, where the leaders agreed to resume defense dialogue and further strengthen their three-way security cooperation with the US to counter North Korea and other regional challenges.

The summit comes after Yoon's government took a major step toward improving bilateral ties strained by historical grievances.

It announced plans last week to use local funds to compensate Koreans who had won damages in court against Japanese companies that enslaved them before the end of World War II.

Yoon's plan was widely criticized at home, where many South Koreans harbor deep resentment toward Japan over its brutal colonial rule of the Korea Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

Yoon said dramatic steps were necessary to improve ties with Tokyo as he pushes to strengthen South Korea's defense in conjunction with its alliance with the US.

'The ever-escalating threat of North Korea's nuclear missile program poses a huge threat to peace and stability not only in East Asia but also to the (broader) international community,' Yoon said.

'South Korea and Japan need to work closely together and in solidarity to wisely counter the threat.'

Photo provided by the North Korean government shows what it says is an intercontinental ballistic missile in a launching drill at the Sunan international airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, on March 16, 2023

Thursday's launch was North Korea's third show of force since Sunday and took place as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol headed to Tokyo for a summit with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida

Pictured: Kim Jong Un and his daughter, believed to be 10, are seen watching Thursday's missile launch on North Korea in pictures released by state media

North Korea has long portrayed regular U.S.-South Korean military drills as rehearsals for a potential invasion, although the allies describe those exercises as defensive.

Many experts say North Korea uses its rivals' drills as a pretext to aggressively expand its nuclear arsenal and overall military capability.

They said it seeks to force the U.S. government to accept the North's status as a nuclear power and to negotiate on issues of economic sanctions from a position of strength.

Besides the ICBM, the North has test-fired cruise missiles from a submarine and fired short-range missiles into the sea since last week, attempting to show it could conduct potential nuclear strikes on both South Korean targets and the U.S. mainland.
Bullying partners who go on to commit murder could get at least 25 years in jail  the same as if they had used a weapon, it was revealed yesterday.

Ministers will look at introducing the new minimum sentences for murderers who use coercive or controlling behaviour, with a consultation paper to be published in the summer.

In the meantime, the law will be changed to allow judges to treat coercive control and excessive or gratuitous violence as aggravating factors, adding years to jail terms.

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said: This Government will do everything we can to protect vulnerable women, and keep in prison for longer those who attack or threaten them.

Ministers also want tougher punishments for offenders who kill during so-called rough sex.

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said the government would do everything it can to protect vulnerable women

One in four murders in England and Wales are committed by a current or ex-partner or another relative (Suella Braverman and Dominic Raab leave Downing Street in February)

It comes after a review of domestic homicide sentences by barrister Clare Wade KC, to be published today.

One in four murders in England and Wales are committed by a current or ex-partner or another relative.

Ms Wades review found that of those, 51 per cent involved controlling or coercive behaviour.

Some previous murder convictions involving coercive control have seen killers handed sentences lower than 25 years.

Last year a husband who murdered his wife and fled to a monastery after she asked for a divorce was jailed for 21 years.

Mark Barrott, 55, killed NHS nurse Eileen Barrott, 50, in August 2021 at their home in Leeds. He attacked her with a hammer and strangled her.

Mark Barrott, 55, attacked and killed NHS nurse Eileen Barrott, 50, in August 2021 at their home in Leeds

Eileen Barrott who was found dead at her home in Leeds in August 2021 after her husband attacked her with a hammer

He then fled to Scotland, but was traced and arrested at a monastery near Elgin.

Sentencing judge Andrew Hatton said Barrott had a long history of domestic abuse and controlling behaviour, and described his crime as a final act of control.

The trial heard Barrott regularly followed his wife and even hid a tracking device in her handbag.

Mother-of-three Gemma Marjoram was murdered in 2020 by her estranged husband who had exerted coercive control over her for seven years.

The 38-year-old was stabbed more than 20 times and left to die at a derelict mental health hospital in Thorpe St Andrew, Norwich.

She was lured to her death by her husband Michael Cowey - who had two knives concealed in his socks - on the pretext of talking about their relationship.

Gemma Marjoram, 38, was left to die in an abandoned psychiatric hospital after being lured there by her husband and stabbed more than 20 times in 2020

Cowey, then 49, of Thorpe St Andrew, admitted murder and was sentenced to 23 years in prison in 2021.

Sixth form student Ellie Gould had been subjected to coercive control by her boyfriend, who went on to murder her after she ended the relationship.

Thomas Griffiths tried to disrupt the 17-year-olds studies, a form of behaviour described as educational sabotage by a later review into the case.

Ellie attempted to fight off Griffiths after he attacked her in May 2019 with a kitchen knife at her family home in Calne, Wiltshire.

Sixth form student Ellie Gould had been subjected to coercive control by her boyfriend who murdered her and staged the scene to make it look like suicide

He later staged the scene to make it look like suicide.

Griffiths, then 17, admitted murder and was jailed for 12 and a half years in November 2019.

It is not yet clear whether the 25 year minimum term would apply to under-18s.

Controlling or coercive behaviour was made a criminal offence under the Serious Crime Act 2015.

It can comprise emotional, psychological or economic abuse, as well as threats, regardless of whether an offender also commits physical or sexual violence.

Legislation to introduce the new aggravating factors will be published soon and could be in force later this year.
Qantas has warned its pilots of radio interference from people claiming to be Chinese military, and GPS jamming from Chinese warships.

The airline updated its flight standing orders manual on Thursday to include policies on what to do if crews encounter this.

The policy update informed pilots that flights had encountered both hostile actions, sometimes very close to Australia, but safety was not compromised.

'Qantas Group aircraft have experienced interference on VHF from stations purporting to represent the Chinese Military... in the western Pacific and South China Sea,' the update began.

'In addition, Group aircraft have experienced GPS jamming suspected to originate from warships operating off the north west shelf of Australia.'

Qantas has warned its pilots of radio interference from people claiming to be Chinese military, and GPS jamming from Chinese warships

VHF stands for 'very high frequency' and covers radio waves at frequencies 30 to 300MHz that are used for many kinds of radio communication.

The new policy instructed pilots to stay on course if they received 'unwarranted VHF communications/interference' claiming to be Chinese military.

They should then report it to the controlling air traffic control authority and submit an incident report on the Intelex software after landing.

The International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations earlier this month made a similar warning to pilots of all airlines.

The safety bulletin said the interference came on frequencies 121.50 or 123.45 and mainly occurred in the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, and east of the Indian Ocean.

'In some cases, the flights were provided vectors to avoid the airspace over the warship,' it said.

Qantas told pilots aircraft had experienced GPS jamming suspected to originate from warships (pictured) operating off the north west shelf of Australia

Pilots were also warned about possible interference of airlines' Global Navigation Satellite System and radar altimeters.

They were advised not to respond to the warships, and submit reports to their airline and air traffic control, just as Qantas instructed.

Qantas notified staff of the policy update in the same week Australia announced a landmark deal to buy American nuclear submarines under the AUKUS agreement.

Australia will have Virginia class submarines built for its navy by the US and be taught how to operate nuclear subs and American weapons systems.

The RAN will later switch to locally built nuclear submarines based on the next-generation of British designs, still with American weapons systems.

Australia on Friday morning also announced it would buy 220 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the US for about $1.3 billion.
A heroic helicopter rescue of a man desperately clinging to a wall after being swept into the raging Los Angeles River has surfaced as the state battled severe storm conditions.

Heart-pounding footage shows a first responder dangling over the rain-swollen river south of Washington Boulevard in the Boyle Heights neighborhood before pulling the man to safety.

Los Angeles Fire Department ground and air crews responded at about 5pm on Wednesday as the man, who is yet to be identified, clung for his life on a 'concrete sheer wall.'

After the man was hoisted to safety, he was taken to LAC+USC Medical Center to be treated for hypothermia. No other injuries were reported.

A heroic helicopter rescue of a man desperately clinging to a wall after being swept into the raging Los Angeles River has surfaced as the state battled severe storm conditions

The dramatic footage shot by KTLA's Sky5 showed the man desperately trying to stay above the churning muddy flood waters as an emergency crew member made several attempts to reach him.

Unforgiving high winds and rain appeared to stifle the rescue mission before the first responder managed to grab hold of the waterlogged man.

After attaching a harness around the man, the two were hoisted to safety, presenters from the broadcaster noting his severely red hands and face as he was lifted into the helicopter.

It remains unclear how the man came to be in the river or how long he spent in the frigid waters before he was rescued.

It comes as tens-of-thousands remain under evacuation orders as other Californians face blackouts, landslides, and flooding from the brutal winter deluge.

California Governor Gavin Newsom dubbed this extreme shift from drought and wildfires to flooding and snowstorms 'weather whiplash,' while surveying the damage to an agricultural region in the state's central coast on Wednesday.

'Look back [at] the last few years in this stateit's been fire to ice, with no warm bath in between,' Newsom said.

'If anyone has any doubt about Mother Nature and her fury; if anyone has any doubt about what this is all about in terms of what's happening to the climate and the changes that we are experiencing, come to California.'

Meanwhile, just days after officials in Orange County declared a local state of emergency, residents of four residential structures in San Clemente were forced to evacuate after a hillside at the rear of their properties collapsed.

Crews with the Orange County Fire Authority responded to the scene in Buena Vista after receiving a 911 call about the landslide shortly after 8 am.

Heart-pounding footage shows a first responder dangling over the rain-swollen river south of Washington Boulevard in the Boyle Heights neighborhood before pulling the man to safety

After the man was hoist to safety, he was taken to LAC+USC Medical Center to be treated for hypothermia. No other injuries were reported

Upon arrival, firefighters searched all three properties to ensure all residents were out of the buildings.

They then made safe and 'yellow-tagged' a fourth.

Drone footage shot after the evacuation showed the land beneath the properties collapsing and sliding down the hill.

Fire crews said the landslide made it all the way down to hill to the train tracks below.

Buena Vista, from Avenida Florencio to Calle Colina and the trail below, have been closed.

A swimming pool at the back of one of the properties can also be seen precariously close to the edge of the collapsing hillside.

Patio furniture from homes is shown to have been swept down the hill.

Resident Clayton Robinson spoke to KTLA 5. He's the owner of the multi-unit apartment building that appeared to suffer the most damage.

'We had a major retaining wall, and it went down and took about half of our yard with it, and we have a pool. It's the pool that's holding the rest of the yard in and the fire department right now is emptying the pool to take the pressure off the hill,' he said.

Robinson also told the outlet that it's possible they will lose everything and that his insurance company said it does not cover the hillside's collapse.

'It's possible we have lost everything. We called our insurance and they said, well, they don't cover hills going down. So all we have left is our faith in God.'

'So we're good, but it's because of our faith, not because of our house.'

'You don't know what to think,' said resident Salvador Olvera, whose home was evacuated.

'We don't live in this situation all the time, and you'd never think it's happen to me.'

The mayor of San Clemente, who was at the scene, said landslides have been an issue for the entirety of the city's coastline areas.

'Erosion along our coast is really something that affects San Clemente's entire coast,' Mayor Chris Duncan said.

'It's not a surprise,' Captain Thanh Nguyen of the OCFA conferred. 'With the amount of rain that we've gotten and how much the landscape has been saturated with rain.'

While the rain tapered off by Thursday, forecasters warned another storm could arrive next week.

A swimming pool at a residential home in Orange County, CA on the edge of the hillside

Three homes were first evacuated and made safe by responding fire crews in Orange County

Overhead shot shows furniture from homes swept down the hill as buildings teeter on the edge

Residents said they feared they might have lost everything from the damage of the landslide

Residents of four residential structures in San Clemente were forced to evacuate after a hillside at the rear of their properties collapsed

Drone footage shot after the evacuation showed the land beneath the properties collapsing and sliding down the hill

'At the Cypress Shore community on the south side of town, we did have a slope failure there, which has been stabilized by a tieback system and we haven't seen movement there.

'But along this stretch here, right along our beautiful beach trail here in San Clemente, if you walk on that trail, you can see that there has been loss on these slopes over time, so we're concerned about the whole stretch.'

No injuries were reported from the incident.

The National Weather Service has recorded slightly under two feet of rain in downtown L.A. in 2023, making this year, so far, the 14th wettest in more than 140 years.

Heading into the weekend, the weather service has predicted minor precipitation across California, followed up by more substantial storms next week.
A desperate search has been launched to find a teenage girl after she disappeared from home.

Alyssa Stewart, 13, was last seen leaving a property at Homebush West, in western Sydney, at 7pm on Thursday.

Family reported her missing to police prompting them to launch a search for her whereabouts.

A desperate search has been launched to find a teenage girl after she disappeared from home

She is 160cm tall, of thin build and has black hair.

Alyssa is of Indian Sub-Continental appearance.

She was last seen wearing a black Brent Street jacket, a pink top and black shorts.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The drunk and drugged driver who killed four children walking along a Sydney footpath to buy ice-creams has failed in his final bid to reduce his sentence.

The High Court on Friday refused special leave to hear Samuel William Davidson's appeal that he had been subject to an unfair amount of jail time due to the incorrect use of sentencing principles.

Davidson was driving erratically and speeding when he struck Veronique Sakr, 11, and her cousins, Sienna Abdallah, eight, and her siblings Angelina, 12, and Antony, 13.

The professional truck driver ploughed into them after his ute mounted a kerb at Oatlands, in Sydney's northwest on February 1, 2020.

Pictured left to right: Sienna Abdallah, eight, Veronique Sakr, 11, Antony Abdallah, 13, and Angelina Abdallah, 12, were killed drink and drug driver Samuel Davidson in 2020

Samuel Davidson was initially jailed in April 2021 for 28 years with a non-parole period of 21 years (pictured, Davidson's arrest following the crash)

Stephen Odgers SC, representing Davidson, said Davidson had prior good character, with the offence leading to his first time in custody.

This meant he had a good chance of being rehabilitated.

He said how parole and non-parole periods were determined in relation to the length of a sentence meant people with a better chance of rehabilitation were left worse off.

'It is very odd that a person with good prospects is worse off than a person with poor prospects,' the barrister told the court.

'But in NSW, good prospects of rehabilitation hurt you.'

Odgers added that if the case was to be heard, the defence would raise the issue of Davidson's ADHD, but conceded it wasn't a basis for which the appeal should be granted.

Davidson was re-sentenced to a term of 20 years with 15 years non-parole after the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal concluded his original term was manifestly excessive.

He was initially jailed in April 2021 for 28 years with a non-parole period of 21 years.

Davidson had pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter and to charges related to injuries caused to three other children in the crash.

Samuel William Davidson failed in his final bid to reduce his sentence after killing three members of the Abdallah family (above) and their cousin

Crown prosecutor Helen Robertson SC said the differences of the two sentences did 'not demonstrate fundamentally different principles' nor did they pose an issue to the law applied in NSW.

'There is no correct sentence,' she said.

'It is up to the discretion of the sentencing judge.'

Robertson pointed out most sentences were reduced in the lower courts because of special circumstances, but acknowledged Odgers was referring to long sentences.

In her reasoning for the refusal, Chief Justice Susan Kiefel said the appeal was likely to be unsuccessful.
FBI agents were seen raiding the home of an ex-GOP staffer after he failed to appear for a Monday federal trial over allegations he used his high-ranking position to steal more than $230,000 in state funds.

Following his failure to show, 53-year-old Roy McGrath was promptly declared a fugitive, leading agents to storm his $610,000 Florida home on Wednesday.

Indicted in 2021 on federal fraud charges, McGrath for years served as the chief of staff for two-term Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, who left office this January after eight years of service for the Old Line State.

That said, Hogan, a devout Republican who many had pegged for a presidential run come 2024, saw his last years in office marred by McGrath's alleged wrongdoings - which included a fraudulent $233,647 severance payment prosecutors say he paid himself when leaving another state job to take on the posh political gig.

That payment hit McGrath's bank account in June 2020, after he falsely told his former employer, the Maryland Environmental Service, that the then governor had approved the payment.

Following his failure to show, 53-year-old Roy McGrath was promptly declared a fugitive, leading agents to storm his $610,000 Florida home on Wednesday

Indicted in 2021 on federal fraud charges, McGrath for years served as the chief of staff for two-term Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (seen here earlier this month), who left office this January after eight years of service for the Old Line State

McGrath would resign from Hogan's office in April 2020 after the six-figure payment was reported, and months later would be slapped with a federal wire fraud charge.

He also faces multiple additional fraud and embezzlement charges connected to roughly $170,000 in expenses that prosecutors say the disgraced aide lined his pockets during his tenure as Hogans top aide.

Set to appear in Baltimore for the start of his criminal trial Monday, McGrath instead left his attorney standing alone on the steps of the city's federal courthouse, leading US Marshals to release a wanted poster for the ex-Hogan staffer a day later.

Less than 48 hours later, federal agents were seen swarming the three-bedroom Naples home that McGrath shares with his wife, Laura Bruner, as the woman hopelessly watched.

McGrath, however, was noticeably absent - meaning the manhunt for the alleged fraudster continues.

Prosecutors maintain that he has stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars from the state, including the previously mentioned severance payment he obtained after leaving his post as executive director of the Maryland Environmental Service.

The state further alleges that McGrath also fibbed about the hours he worked over the course of his employment, taking multiple vacations on the state's dime.

Feds swarmed this Naples home that McGrath shares with his wife Wednesday, less than 48 hours after he did not turn up to court. The couple moved to $610,000 home in 2020, after the scandal surfaced and McGrath was released on bond

Set to appear in Baltimore for the start of his criminal trial Monday, McGrath instead left his attorney standing alone on the steps of the city's federal courthouse, leading US Marshals to release this wanted poster later that day

During those excursions, McGrath's 2021 indictment alleges, the ex-Hogan staffer spent funds designated for the state of Maryland on his own 'personal expenses.'

That spending came to light after a sprawling report from The Baltimore Sun in the summer of 2020, that unmasked how McGrath had used his position as both director of MES and the governor's chief of staff to 'personally enrich' himself with the fraudulent payments.

The Sun's report saw McGrath's time as the head of Hogan's office unceremoniously cut short, after only 11 weeks. He would resign four days later, while facing a federal investigation.

At the time, Hogan, who served two consecutive terms from 2015 to 2023, repeatedly denied knowing or approving of the severance payment unmasked by the Sun.

Soon enough, federal investigators found enough evidence to indict McGrath in October 2021, on five counts of wire fraud, two counts of theft, and one count of falsifying a document.

Arrested shortly thereafter, McGrath was promptly released on bond - though was required to turn in his passport as a condition of release.

During that time, McGrath relocated to his current digs in southwest Florida, in a ritzy city known for its high-end shopping and golf courses.

It was there that his wife watched helplessly as FBI agents descended on the residence Wednesday morning, where agents were likely looking to glean any clues about McGraths current whereabouts.

On Sunday, the Sun published a video showing the raid, spurring a spokesperson for the bureau to confirm on Thursday that agents, in fact, 'conducted court authorized activity at that residence'.

The rep declined to elaborate on the operation when asked.

McGrath's lawyer, Joseph Murtha, would later reveal that McGrath's wife was cooperating with authorities, and was confused as he was as to his disappearance.

'She seemed upset and bewildered,' Murtha said after speaking with Bruner.

Murtha added that he had no reason to believe that McGrath would elect to skip court , despite facing up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the five wire-fraud counts, a maximum of 10 years on each of the two embezzlement charges and up to 20 years on the document falsification count.

He said they had a conversation about the case on Sunday evening, and that he had expected to see him on the courthouse steps come Monday morning.

The lawyer said the ex-GOP staffer was supposed to board a plane later that night.

'I havent a clue. I didnt see this coming,' he said. 'This behavior is so out of the ordinary for him. Obviously his personal safety is a concern.'

A spokesperson for the US Marshals Service did not immediately return a request for comment Friday. The search for McGrath, meanwhile, continues.
Drought in 2019 saw fish die in the same area

Up to one million native fish dead in Darling River

Millions of native fish have washed up dead near Menindee in outback NSW, in a series of mass kills caused by floods and hot weather.

The state Department of Primary Industries said fish including bony herring, Murray cod and perch had died on the lower Darling-Baaka River, in the far west, along with carp.

'This event is ongoing as a heatwave across western NSW continues to put further stress on a system that has experienced extreme conditions from wide-scale flooding,' the department said on Friday.

Up to one million fish have died in a fresh water catchment in NSW's far west as locals demand answers and government officials investigate (pictured, the fish in the Darling River)

The deaths were likely caused by low oxygen levels as floods recede, a situation made worse by fish needing more oxygen because of the warmer weather.

Bony herring were a boom-and-bust species, the department said, which thrive in floods but are more susceptible to stresses when water flows return to normal.

'NSW DPI understands that fish death events are distressing to the local community, particularly on the lower Darling-Baaka.'

Local nature photographer Geoff Looney found huge clusters of dead fish near the main weir at Menindee on Thursday evening.

'The stink was terrible. I nearly had to put a mask on,' Mr Looney told AAP.

'I was worried about my own health. That water right in the top comes down to our pumping station for the town.

Local Geoff Looney posted a series of troubling photos from the basin and questioned if there would be a state inquiry into what was killing the native fish

'People north of Menindee say there's cod and perch floating down the river everywhere.'

Mass kills have been reported on the Darling-Baaka River in recent weeks.

Tens of thousands of fish were found at the same spot in late February, while there have been several reports of dead fish downstream towards Pooncarie, near the borders of South Australia and Victoria, since February 20.

Enormous fish kills occurred on the river at Menindee during severe drought conditions in late 2018 and early 2019, with locals estimating millions of deaths.

The department's investigation involving scientists and Murray-Darling Basin experts found those events were also caused by a lack of dissolved oxygen, amid very low or non-existent water flows, high temperatures and blue-green algal blooms.

Mr Looney said there should be an inquiry into water management and fish deaths.

'It's getting ridiculous,' he said.

Several state and federal departments are responding to the latest mass kill.

'It worries me a lot as this water is used for our town supply of water and a lot of people drink it,' local Geoff Looney said of the latest fish kill in Menindee, far west NSW

In 2019, locals took pictures of the hundreds of thousands of fish (pictured) found dead along a 40-kilometre stretch of the Darling River after a prolonged drought period
The controversial offer has split opinions, with some calling him a 'noxious creep' while others said they would take him up on the offer

Steve Kirsch, 67, posted a selfie smiling on the flight along with his bizarre tweet

A tech mogul being branded a 'creep' over claims he offered a woman $100,000 to take off her mask during a flight last week has defended himself in a bombshell interview in which he insisted the proposition was merely hypothetical.

A Silicon Valley veteran worth approximately $230million, 67-year-old Steve Kirsch posed the proposition on Friday, even posting a selfie smiling on the Delta jet, with an accompanying caption detailing the off-putting offer.

'I am on board a Delta flight right now,' Kirsch wrote Friday from his first-class seat. 'The person sitting next to me in first-class refused $100,000 to remove her mask for the entire flight.'

The tycoon - credited with inventing one of the first versions of the optical mouse back in 1980 - was almost immediately bombarded with criticism, with social media users branding him a 'creepy liar' following the out-of-the out-of-the blue proposal.

Now insisting the comments were made tongue in cheek, Kirsch spoke to Inside Edition Thursday to provide his own account of the now-polarizing interaction.

Scroll down for video:

Now insisting the comments were made tongue in cheek, Silicon Valley Veteran Steve Kirsch spoke to Inside Edition Thursday to provide his own account of the polarizing interaction

Worth roughly $230million, the 67-year-old posed the proposition on Friday, posting a selfie and an accompanying caption detailing the offer

'It was a hypothetical question, "How much would it take for you to remove your mask?"' said Kirsch, appearing remotely for the interview from his living room.

'I said, "If I offered you $100...$1,000...then I upped it to $100,000." People think I am aggressively going after people, Im not doing that at all. We're having a friendly conversation.'

A known anti-masker and anti-vaccine advocate, Kirsch maintained that the encounter with the unnamed woman - who he said worked for a 'pharma company' was not serious.

That said, during a U.S. Food and Drug Administration committee meeting in September of 2021, the tech expert decried doctors for pushing vaccine mandates on Americans, claiming Pfizer's jab 'kills more people than it saves.'

Months before, the millionaire created a research fund for alternative COVID treatments in 2020, donating $1million into the venture, the MIT Technology Review reported.

However, the outlet also claims that as vaccines began to gain ground during the early days of the pandemic, Kirsch quickly began to question vaccines and their effectiveness, as they were approved by governments across the globe.

The piece went on to claim the tech vet now intentionally spreads 'misinformation' about the pandemic online.

On his Twitter profile, however, Kirsch calls himself a 'truth-teller' as well as a 'critical thinker', and he regularly shares articles skeptical of Covid vaccinations and masks.

The Silicon Valley Veteran was credited with one of the first versions of the optical mouse back in 1980. Previously the President of Frame Technology Corporation, Kirsch is seen here showing off an application he created in 1986

He said that he offered a woman $100k to remove her mas for the entire flight, claiming that she worked 'for a pharma company'

Kirsch was hit by a barrage of tweets calling him a 'creepy liar', with dozens slamming the tech millionaire for his bizarre rant

In the clip posted on Friday, Kirsch launched into a lengthy rant to explain his interaction with the woman, during which he picked her brain about her preference to wear a mask.

He recalled: 'I started the bidding at $100. And I pointed out that when she removed the mask for eating and drinking, she could be infected with one breath. So she had full disclosure.

'She took off her mask as soon as the breakfast was served!!!! Because everyone knows you can't get infected while you are eating!!

'Maybe next time I'll sit next to someone who had an account at Silicon Valley Bank.'

Kirsch was hit by a barrage of tweets calling him a 'creepy liar', with dozens slamming the tech millionaire for his bizarre rant.

The millionaire created a research fund for potential COVID treatments n 2020, donating $1million into the venture according to MIT Technology Review

One user called him an 'entitled mansplainer', while another said Delta should have reimbursed the woman for her seat after 'noxious arrogant fool' Kirsch ruined her flight.

Another said: 'What a jackass thing to do. She paid for First Class and still had to deal with an idiot in her personal space.'

A third added: 'What's happening here, Steve, is that people are weighing the likelihood of you being a sincere rich guy vs. a creepy liar and quite reasonably landing on the latter.'

But some were on the side of the tech executive, saying they would have 'bought their daughter's dream home' with the money.

One user called him a 'entitled mansplainer', while another said Delta should have reimbursed the woman for her seat after 'noxious arrogant fool' Kirsch ruined her flight

But some were on the side of the tech executive, saying they would have 'bought their daughter's dream home' with the money

Another said: 'Even if it was GUARANTEED I'd get COVID I'd take the $100k, depending on where I was going.'

The Silicon Valley Veteran was credited with one of the first versions of the optical mouse back in 1980.

He co-founded Frame Technology Corp which was bought out by Adobe in 1995 and then went on to create Infoseek and then sold it to Disney in 1999.

Airlines and airports dropped mask mandates following a court ruling in April 2022, though many travelers continued to opt for face coverings on flights.
Neighbours heard a Melbourne mother scream 'help me, he's trying to kill me' in the moments before a university lecturer murdered his wife at their family home.

Adam Brown, 40, a former Deakin University digital media lecturer who also taught gender studies and women's history, last year pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife of five years, Chen Cheng.

He sobbed as he sat in a dock at Melbourne's Supreme Court during a pre-sentence hearing on Friday, and was supported in court by more than a dozen family and friends.

The 35-year-old mother of one was found lying in the backyard of their Croydon North home in April 2022, after being stabbed multiple times.

Ms Cheng was born in China, moved to Melbourne to study in 2015 and the couple met the following year.

They married in Ms Cheng's home country in 2017 and had a child together in 2020.

Adam Brown arrives at the Supreme Court of Victoria on Friday for a pre-sentencing hearing

While there were no reported incidents of domestic violence, Brown had anger issues and sought help from a psychologist the year before the murder, the court was told.

Ms Cheng also sought mental health treatment after suffering a traumatic birth.

On the evening of April 30 last year, the couple were arguing about future kindergarten arrangements when the fight escalated and moved through different rooms of their home, prosecutor Nanette Rogers SC said.

Brown claimed Ms Cheng spat in his face, hit him around his ears and he tried to restrain her and push her away. They walked into the kitchen and the couple both armed themselves with knives, the prosecutor said.

Adam Brown (left) has pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife Chen Cheng (right)

She said Ms Cheng was stabbed in the neck in the kitchen, losing a large amount of her blood. Brown told police his wife bit him on the arm.

'The fight moved to backyard, both ended up on the ground struggling over single knife,' Dr Rogers said.

'He realised she had sustained serious injures in struggle.'

She said Brown had given no explanation about how his wife sustained so many stab wounds. He only suffered minor wounds.

Brown tried to resuscitate Ms Cheng and called triple zero.

Neighbours heard cries and screams coming from the home before she died, and heard Brown say 'stop', 'get down' or 'shut up'. Worried, the neighbours knocked on the front door.

Mother-of-one Chen Cheng (pictured) died from stab wounds to her chest and neck.

When there was no answer, they heard Ms Cheng scream 'help me, he's trying to kill me'.

They banged on the garage and Brown let them inside, with one of the neighbours performing CPR. He told the neighbours they had stabbed each other.

Ms Cheng was declared dead by paramedics at 10:40pm, with an autopsy finding she died from three deep stab wounds to her chest and neck.

Brown's barrister David Hallowes SC said his client was 'deeply sorry' and he accepted he would serve a lengthy jail term for the murder.

The hearing before Justice Mark Champion continues.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

Lifeline 13 11 14
A division of the Islamic State based in Afghanistan will be able to target US citizens in Europe and Asia within six months, a senior US general told a Senate committee.

General Michael Kurilla, head of US Central Command, told Congress that 'at least hundreds of thousands' of US citizens could be vulnerable to an attack by ISIS-K, which has the 'ultimate goal to strike on the American homeland'.

ISIS-K - the Islamic State in Khorasan - is an ISIS affiliate based in Afghanistan and a sworn enemy of both the Taliban and the United States.

The group has claimed responsibility for the Kabul airport attack during the US evacuation in August 2021 which killed 170 Afghan civilians and 13 US soldiers. It continued launching attacks throughout 2022, including on mosques and schools.

Kurilla's comments were made during an address on Thursday to the Senate Armed Services Committee requesting funds for fiscal year 2024.

General Michael Kurilla, head of US Central Command, told Congress that ISIS-K will be able to target US citizen's in Europe and Asia within six months

ISIS-K is an ISIS affiliate based in Afghanistan. An ISIS-K leader identified as Abu Haidar is pictured with his seven fighters in an undated image. The men were all killed during a clash with the Afghan forces in Nangarhar province, the heartland of ISIS-K

'It is my commander's estimate that they can do an external operation against US or Western interests abroad in under six months with little to no warning,' Kurilla said during the address this week.

'ISIS-Khorasan grows emboldened, seeking to expand its ranks and inspire enable and direct attacks in the region and beyond - with the ultimate goal to strike on the American homeland,' he added.

He was then asked about the likelihood of an attack on US soil.

'It would be harder for them to do that against the American homeland,' he said.

'If you asses six months against Europe or Asia what would you asses would be the timeline against the homeland?' senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas asked him.

'I think it's hard to put a timeline on that,' said Kurilla. 'I think it is a higher probability overseas than it is in the homeland.'

When asked how many US citizens (including troops, tourists and people working abroad) are in regions vulnerable to attack he agreed there would be 'at least hundreds of thousands'.

The commander also confirmed to the committee that there was a need for munitions that can hit 'hard and deeply buried' ISIS-K targets in Afghanistan.

Similar assessments have been made by other US officials recently.

'It's a matter of time before they may have the ability and intent to attack the West,' the chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, said during a hearing last week.

In January the National Counterterrorism Center Director, Christine Abizaid, described ISIS-K as the 'threat actor I am most concerned about'.

'We see concerning indications of ISIS-Khorasan in Afghanistan and its ambition that might go beyond that immediate territory,' she said.

Taliban fighters stand guard at the site of an explosion near the Interior Ministry in Kabul, on January 1, 2023

ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the Kabul Airport bombing in August 2021 which killed 170 Afghan civilians and 13 members of the US military

Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas asked during the address on Thursday when the group would likely be able to carry out an attack on US soil

ISIS-K was created in January 2015 by disillusioned Taliban members in eastern Afghanistan. Khorasan refers to the historic name of the region between Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia.

What is ISIS-K? ISIS-K is one of six or seven regional offshoots of the Islamic State - the K stands for the Khorasan region, which historically encompasses parts of modern day Iran, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. ISIS-K was created in 2015, as a splinter group from the Pakistani Taliban, and its original leaders were from Pakistan. It was soon recognized by ISIS's leaders in Iraq and Syria, and in January 2016 declared a terrorist organization by the State Department. Its strongholds are eastern Afghanistan, straddling the border with Pakistan in Nangarhar province, and the north of Afghanistan. In 2018 the group was weakened in the north of Afghanistan, and in 2019 severely beaten back in the east. But in 2020 they regrouped and launched a series of devastating terror attacks. Advertisement

The group previously fought the Western-backed government that fell in August 2021.

It is unclear how much control ISIS exerts over ISIS-K, but the main group does claim attacks carried out in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Its stated aim is to impose an Islamic Caliphate in the region.

In Afghanistan ISIS-K it has emerged as the primary threat to the Taliban's efforts to instill peace in the country.

ISIS-K is generally considered to be an international problem, having attacked foreign targets, in the bombing of Kabul airport as well as in separate attacks on Chinese citizens in Afghanistan.

Last year the State Department offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the capture of ISIS-K leader, 28-year-old Sanaullah Ghafari and for help finding those behind the airport attack.

Ghafari was appointed by the Islamic State's core leadership in the Middle East as head of its Khorasan affiliate in June 2020, according to the State Department.

It said Ghafari was responsible for approving all ISIS-K operations throughout Afghanistan and arranging funding to conduct operations.

Some reports suggest he was born in Iraq - based on his nickname of al-Muhajir or 'the migrant - but US government documents list his birthplace as Afghanistan.

He was believed to have been a mid-level commander in the Taliban-allied Haqqani Network, before joining the Islamic State affiliate.

The State Department's Rewards for Justice announced in February last year it was offering a $10 million reward for information leading to ISIS-K chief Sanaullah Ghafari

Ghafari is believed to sign off on all ISIS-K attacks in Afghanistan, including the one that killed 13 US service personnel at Kabul airport last year - moments after this picture was taken

ISIS-K has been responsible for a string of bloody attacks across Afghanistan. In October 2021, it claimed a mosque attack that killed and wounded dozens of people in Kunduz

It was estimated that after the collapse of the Western-backed government its membership had risen from 2,200 to closer to 4,000 following the release of several thousand poisoners.

Shortly after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan SU intelligence officials were particularly concerned about potential attacks by ISIS-K. The perceived threat from the group is therefore not new.

In October 2021 Under Secretary of Defense Colin Kahl made similar comments and said that the US had to remain vigilant against the threat from both Al Qaeda and from the ISIS offshoot.

'I think the intelligence community currently assesses that both ISIS-K and Al Qaeda have the intent to conduct external operations, including against the United States, but neither currently has the capability to do so,' he told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

'We could see ISIS-K generate that capability in somewhere between six or 12 months. I think the current assessments by the intelligence community is Al Qaeda would take a year or two to reconstitute that capability,' he added.
The glamourous girlfriend of a man who was allegedly kidnapped and had his teeth pulled out by his abductors was previously jailed for selling huge quantities of MDMA, Daily Mail Australia can reveal.

Peter Vuong, 26, was allegedly taken from a house in Smithfield in Sydney's west at 5.20am last Thursday before being tortured over six days.

Police allege six men - wearing face-coverings and wielding sledgehammers and guns - stormed the home and abducted Mr Vuong shortly before sunrise.

He was eventually rescued in a dramatic raid by dozens of armed police officers.

Mr Vuong was allegedly snatched while in bed with his girlfriend, Angela Bowyer, who Daily Mail Australia can now reveal is a former member of a drug gang that sold large amounts of cocaine, ice and MDMA.

Documents show Ms Bowyer was given a three-year sentence for her role in the drug group, with a minimum jail term of 18 months.

Ms Bowyer is believed to have counted out money exchanged in an MDMA deal at her parents' house - the same property her boyfriend was allegedly kidnapped from on March 9.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting any member of Ms Bowyer's family had any involvement in Mr Vuong's extortion, nor that they knew about her previous drug dealing.

Ms Bowyer has reinvented herself since her legal troubles and is now an influencer with 90,000 TikTok followers.

Angel Bowyer, the influencer girlfriend of the man whose teeth were pulled in the $5 million alleged torture kidnap is a convicted big time drug dealer who was jailed for selling a large commercial quantity of MDMA

Peter Vuong, 26, and his glamorous influencer girlfriend Angel Bowyer (above, together) were sleeping in her family's Smithfield home when he was allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint and taken to a squalid house 20km and tortured

She was previously arrested with her then-boyfriend in a police undercover sting operation into cocaine and MDMA supply in 2017, after being watched turning up for major drug deals in her father's black Audi.

During one of her deals, she was seen coolly counting out $38,000 of drug 'buy money' and then setting aside $7,000 from funds for the sale of MDMA to keep for herself.

Ms Bowyer denied any involvement in drug supply, but was found guilty of one charge of supplying 3kg of MDMA and two additional charges of supplying a commercial quantity of drugs.

The drug gang used the encrypted messaging system WICKR and names like 'd0peman88', 'candyman88' and 'unclekracker88' to safeguard their illegal activities, but were infiltrated by an undercover police officer.

The drug sting, part of Task Force Teribah, unfolded when Ms Bowyer was a 19-year-old UTS business student and her boyfriend was Nguyen Huynh, a Domino's delivery driver.

Ms Bowyer served 18 months in prison before her release on parole in 2018.

She has since transformed herself into a big-brand influencer on social media.

Ms Bowyer now operates an exclusive events business Cloud Nine Studio which she rents out for photo shoots, brand launches, baby showers and engagement parties in a luxury white themed space.

Since becoming an influencer, Ms Bowyer has also represented brands like PrettyLittleThing.

The business is on hold as Ms Bowyer and her family recover from the alleged kidnap ordeal of her partner Mr Vuong.

Angel Bowyer (above) was convicted of commercial supply of MDMA after a police drug sting blew apart a gang selling teh drug, alogn with MDMA and cocaine in 2017

The alleged kidnappers demanded their $5m ransom from Ms Bowyer's high-flying crypto trader and property developer relative Tran Dinh - or claimed they would cut Mr Vuong's body 'in pieces', court documents say.

No wrongdoing is suggested on the part of Mr Vuong or Tran Dinh, a father-of-four.

The alleged kidnapping has shined a light on Ms Bowyer's past in a drug gang in 2017.

Police from SF Teribah conducted three controlled drug supply operations to bring down the gang, with an undercover officer 'Jim' penetrating the group and using cash with pre-recorded serial numbers to pay for the drugs.

On March 22, 2017, Jim paid a gang member a $1000 deposited on a 1kg MDMA purchase, meeting up five days later to hand over another $49,000.

The Bowyer family's Smithfield house where Vuong was allegedly kidnapped from as he slept beside his influencer girlfriend Angel Bowyer was also where she counted $38,000 in cash during a commercial supply operation of MDMA

Police facts say that when Jim arrived at a Canley Heights address at 3.06pm on March 27, 2017, Angel Bowyer and Huynh were in her father's black Audi and Jim was instructed to follow them to the Bowyer family home at Smithfield.

Jim entered the house where Ms Bowyer, H and another man counted out $38,000 of the money, then Huynh handed over $7000 to Bowyer and instructed her to take it upstairs, which she did.

Jim then drove about 5km to an address at Wakeley, and was given a plastic-wrapped parcel covered in yellow tape and told his WICKR nickname was 'd0peman88' and the drug supplier was 'candyman88'.

Drug officers later weighed the cryo-vac plastic bag of brown powder and found it contained 992g of MDMA with 53.5 per cent purity.

The police facts say that Ms Bowyer was aware that at least a commercial quantity was being supplied, but that the Crown had not established beyond a reasonable doubt that she knew it was a large commercial quantity.

Vuong (left) was rescued by police after six days after police say his alleged kidnappers demanded $5 million from high flying crypto trader Tran Dinh (right) a relative of Mr Vuong's girlfriend Angel Bowyer

In late April 2017, Jim the undercover officer was told by Ms Bowyer's boyfriend H that he could supply MDMA by the kilo, and could also provide 'nose', (cocaine) and 'eye' (methamphetamine) and that Jim's new WICKR name was 'unclecracker88'.

Jim arranged to buy 1kg of MDMA for $40,000, an ounce of cocaine for $7500 and an ounce of ice for $4500, and collected $60,000 of recorded buy money and drove to an address at Hinchinbrook in southwestern Sydney.

Huynh and Ms Bowyer were waiting and Jim met a third man who lived there with his parents, and they went into the back yard to count out $55,000.

Huynh retrieved a black backpack which contained two knotted bags with white powder, a resealable bag with a clear crystal substance and a cryo-vac bag with a brown substance.

After the exchange of cash for drugs, Jim handed police the bags which were analysed and found to contain 1006.5g of MDMA of 49pc purity, 28g of cocaine of 87pc purity and 28g of ice of 78pc purity.

Agreed facts say that Ms Bowyer was aware that at least a commercial quantity of MDMA was being supplied, but the Crown could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she knew it was a large commercial quantity, or that cocaine and methylamphetamine were being supplied.

The final deal in the police sting took place on May 16, 2017 when Jim arranged to buy 3kg of MDMA for $120,000 and 10 ounces of cocaine for $73,000.

Angel Bowyer became an influencer after her release from prison and now operates an exclusive events business Cloud Nine which (right) rents out for photo shoots, brand launches, baby showers and engagement parties in a luxury white themed space

Police arrest one of Mr Vuong's alleged kidnappers after a days long sting operation moved in to rescue the 26-year-old from his torture ordeal

At 8am on the day Jim collected $220,000 of buy money and followed Huynh and Angel Bowyer to Hinchinbrook, where the couple had a disagreement over who would retrieve the drugs because Huynh said his foot was 'f***ed'.

Ms Bowyer entered the house's rear yard and returned with a bag of MDMA and of cocaine and gave them to Huynh who handed it to Jim.

Police arrived at the scene and arrested Huynh, Angel Bowyer and the young man who lived at the house, and seized the cash and the drugs.

Ms Bowyer's three year maximum sentence expired in May 2020.

In September 2020, Daily Mail Australia interviewed Ms Bowyer about how she had transformed her life in just five months by losing 23kg without a costly gym membership.

Ms Bowyer revealed she had weighed 73kg in November 2018, but by April 2018 was down to 50kg after working out in the backyard or at the park.

Mr Dinh is a successful businessman and father whose partner regularly shares photos of his lavish life - including on holidays in Paris.

The squalid house where Peter Vuong was taken to and allegedly held for six days as his teeth were 'forcibly removed' with pliers by members of the extortion gang

Following the dramatic alleged kidnap of her boyfriend, Ms Bowyer and her family have declined to comment publicly about the ordeal.

Mr Vuong was rescued by dozens of heavily armed NSW Police tactical officers at the rundown home on Canterbury Road in Belmore at about 6pm on Tuesday night.

Police used flash grenades to storm the home where they allegedly found Mr Vuong blindfolded on a bed, and his teeth and a set of bloody pliers in another room.

Viliami Siasau, 19, Valali Tonga, 20, Sunia Siasau, 20, and John Totau Fahamokioa, 20, faced Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday, while Lolo Liavaa, 19 and Kitueau Tatafu, 21, each appeared in Parramatta Local Court over charges related to the alleged abduction and torture.

Officers surround one of the suspects after a police sting operation dramatically rescued Mr Vuong from a Belmore house six days after his kidnap from his girlfriend's family home
Two missing mates who have spent the night lost during a gold prospecting adventure have been found.

Cody Evans and Joshua Heel-Murray contacted family around 8.30pm on Thursday night to advise they had become lost in the Mengha area in Tasmania's north-west.

The pair travelling in a white older style Mitsubishi Pajero indicated they had been heading to the Spion Kop Road area to prospect for gold when they lost their way.

Police launched a large scale search for the missing men on Friday as the Westpac Rescue Helicopter scoured the area from the air.

Frantic family members prayed for their safe return.

The two men were heading to Spion Kop Road area near Mengha (pictured) when they became lost on Thursday night

The desperate search for two men lost in Tasmania's north-west ended on Friday afternoon

'My son Josh Murray is missing somewhere in Forest area. Please pray that the police and SES find him. I'm so worried but I'm putting my faith in God that he will be found safe,' Rebecca Murray posed on Facebook.

'He has been missing since yesterday arvo doing some gold hunting in the area. I hope he is near a creek or river. The weather is good at the moment and Josh and his mate have a car but not sure if they are nearby it.'

Tasmania Police confirmed the men were found safe and well on Friday afternoon.

'The two men who were believed to be missing have been located after an emergency text message application alerted police to their location when they entered a service area,' Senior Sergeant Stewart Williams said.

'I encourage anyone entering Tasmania's remote wilderness to have a registered EPIRB or PLB device which can pin-point your location or be familiar with using the Emergency Location Service application available on most mobile phones.'
A one-year-old girl who was placed in an induced coma after swallowing a button battery has woken up and is now breathing on her own.

Little Amity's parents Daniel Buchanan and Jemma Gultzow had feared the worst when she started vomiting and choking on Monday afternoon.

They had suspected she had swallowed a polystyrene bean and rushed her to Queensland's Mackay Hospital.

A doctor checked Amity over with a stethoscope before sending the little girl home without an X-ray, with her parents led to believe she just had a stomach bug.

When her condition worsened overnight, the family went to the GP who told them to go to the emergency room immediately where doctors finally took an X-ray of the little girl and found the battery lodged in her throat.

By then, it had caused an 8cm acid burn in Amity's throat and she was rushed to Townsville Hospital for a two-hour operation to remove it before being airlifted to Brisbane Hospital.

Amity was placed in a coma and was being fed through a tube but her parents confirmed on Friday afternoon their little girl had woken up and was breathing steadily.

Amity was rushed to hospital after she became severely ill on Monday. She had swallowed a button battery which led to an 8cm burn in her oesophagus

Her family shared a video of Amity rocking on a baby's swing in her hospital room.

In another heartwarming snap, the one-year-old is seen fast asleep on her father's lap.

Amity still has a feeding tube in her nose, marked with the words 'do not remove', which will stay there for the next four to six weeks.

Mr Buchanan said Amity opened her eyes at about 6pm on Thursday night.

'She's starting to look really good at the moment. But still not out of the wars yet,' he told the Today Show on Friday morning.

'We're just playing a waiting game to see because there's a couple small risks that could happen but she is looking good so far and soldiering on.'

In a heartwarming snap, Amity's father confirmed his little girl had woken from the coma

Amity will remain in hospital for the next few weeks as she slowly recovers

He said his daughter will hopefully be transferred out of the ICU on Friday.

'The doctors are saying at the moment it's just a waiting game,' he said.

While Amity is slowly recovering, her parents are furious about the treatment she received at the Mackay Hospital.

'If (the doctor) had just done the X-ray then and there, she'd probably be her happy and healthy self at home right now,' Mr Buchanan earlier told Sunrise.

'I'm beyond angry. What's it going to take?'

Amity now has a long road ahead of her and is expected to remain in hospital in Brisbane for weeks.

The button battery lodged in Amity's throat caused a 8cm acid burn. Pictured is the X-ray

Amity Buchanan was in an induced coma and is expected to remain on a feeding tube for weeks

'She will be unable to eat for the next 4-6 weeks. Biggest risk is infection so the hospital is doing all necessary precautions for our little girl,' her dad wrote on an online fundraiser.

'This all could have been prevented if she was X-Rayed straight away, the damage that's been done and what she is going through at the moment is because of the neglect and it being in there so long.'

Mackay Base Hospital says it's reviewing Amity's case.

'Information provided to the hospital was that a polystyrene bean had been swallowed, and this would not have shown up in an X-ray,' a statement read.

'We do not routinely perform medical imaging on children who have swallowed a radiotransparent foreign body if their clinical presentation is normal.

'As always, we ask patients to represent if they develop new symptoms or their condition deteriorates.'
Transgender Assistant Secretary of Health Rachel Levine says that gender-affirming care for minors has the 'highest support' of the Biden administration.

Levine has promised that medically changing children's gender will soon be normalized, praising the controversial medical intervention which has been banned in several states at the Pediatric Grand Rounds Session at Children's Medical Center in Hartford.

Levine was invited to speak at the event about the Florida Parental Rights in Education law and the political implications of gender reassignment surgery taking place at children's hospitals.

'I can say that you, the children that you serve, the young people that you serve, their families, and you all have support at the highest levels of the federal government.

'President Biden supports you. I as the Assistant Secretary for Health will support you and I talk about this topic, everywhere I go, to get the word out,' she said.

Transgender Assistant Secretary of Health Rachel Levine says that gender-affirming care for minors has the 'highest support' of the Biden administration

'But I am positive and optimistic and hopeful that the wheel will turn after that and that this issue won't be as politically and socially such a minefield.'

Dr. Stanley Goldfarb of Do No Harm organization, a national association of medical professionals that combats 'woke' activism in the healthcare system, told Fox News that there is 'no good evidence' to back these claims.

'Levine's appearance at Connecticut Children's Hospital praising 'gender-affirming care' for minors and claiming it will be fully embraced is wrong and must be countered,' Goldfarb said.

'There is no good evidence that children treated with gender-altering hormones or puberty blockers have improved mental health assessments.'

A recent study from the University of Washington showed that there was no change in the psychological well-being of minors, Goldfarb added.

'There can be irrevocable harm being done to children by those pushing for these radical, ideologically driven, treatments,' he said.

'Treatment for minors needs to be based on rigorous scientific inquiry, not on dubious, agenda-driven studies or the demands of activists.'

Rep. Andy Harris, a member of the House Doctors Caucus and Co-Chair of the Pro-Life Caucus, said that Levine's comments are 'reprehensible.'

'It's reprehensible for a government official, let alone the Assistant U.S. Secretary of HHS to promote the genital mutilation of minors as becoming a standard practice in the U.S,' he said.

'As a physician, I was proud to co-sponsor the 'Protect Children's Innocence Act' which would prohibit harmful medical procedures used to treat gender dysphoria in transgender minors, including puberty blockers and surgeries in which minors alter their body to correspond to a sex that differs from their biological sex.'

He added: 'Many pediatricians, particularly pediatric endocrinologists, have expressed serious concerns about the use of puberty blockers, hormone blockers, and sex transition surgeries in minors.

'These doctors know that these medications and procedures can impact children's bone growth, fertility, and risk of breast and prostate cancer.

'Meanwhile, HHS has pressured providers to provide this care or else face discrimination lawsuits. We must protect our children.'

The comments come after U.S. president Joe Biden slammed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, without naming him, by calling the state's actions to transgender youth 'close to sinful.'

Florida's medical boards voted to ban puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and gender-affirming surgeries on children in November.

This follows a parental rights' bill the governor signed earlier in the year banning teachers from giving classroom instruction on 'sexual orientation' or 'gender identity' in kindergarten through third grade.

Levine said: The children that you serve, the young people that you serve, the families and you all as their providers have the support at the highest levels of the Federal government President Biden Supports you'

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who could announce a bid for president any day now, is spearheading a slew of laws that would prevent minors from receiving transgender health care and surgeries

Biden attacked Florida's response to transgender youth issues in an interview with former Obama aide Kal Penn on 'The Daily Show.'

'It's just terrible what they're doing,' Biden said in the video.

'It's not like, you know, a kid wakes up one morning and says, you know, I decided I wanted to become a man, or I want to become a woman. I mean, what are they thinking about?

'What's going on in Florida is, as my mother would say, close to sinful. I mean it's just terrible what they're doing.'

But, DeSantis' health administration in Florida pushed back on Biden's comments.

Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Jason Weida told DailyMail.com that the federal government pushing those with gender dysmorphia to receive surgeries as minors is the real 'sin' and is 'decades behind other developed countries.'

The president's attack on DeSantis and the initiatives in his state is in preparation for a head-to-head presidential election with the governor who has not yet announced a White House bid but is expected to enter the GOP primary in the matter of months.

Florida Health Care Agency Administration Secretary Jason Weida (pictured) told DailyMail.com the government pushing gender dysmorphia youth to get surgeries is a 'sin' and 'decades behind other developed countries'

'It is not 'sinful' to prohibit the mutilation of minors,' DeSantis tweeted on Tuesday.

'It is not acceptable for the federal government to mandate that procedures like sex change operations be allowed for kids.'

Republican lawmakers in Florida introduced several bills this session that activists claim are regressive and will strip members of the LGBTQ community of their rights.

'The 'gender-affirming' model pushed by the Biden Administration is decades behind other developed countries, including Sweden and most recently Norway,' Weida told DailyMail.com.

'What is 'sinful' is the establishment pushing harmful surgeries and treatment with long-term effects on minors with no accountability or transparency.'

Opponents of the proposed legislation in the Sunshine State say that the governor is using the guise of education and parental rights to implement laws they say are anti-gay and anti-transgender.

One bill, for example, would outlaw transgender surgeries and healthcare, like puberty blockers and hormone therapy, for children who say they are the opposite gender in which they were born.

Weida said that the new Florida laws are consistent with what was found after the state's Agency for Health Care Administration conducted a review in 2022 of services promoted by Biden and the federal government to treat gender dysmorphia in minors.

'Last year, the Agency conducted a thorough review of several services promoted by the Federal Government to treat gender dysphoria and found that these services  sex reassignment surgery, cross-sex hormones, and puberty blockers  are not consistent with widely accepted professional medical standards and are experimental and investigational with the potential for harmful long term affects,' he said.

Biden told Daily Show guest host Kal Penn that Florida laws related to LGBTQ rights are 'sinful' and 'cruel'

DeSantis released his memoir 'The Courage to Be Free: Florida's Blueprint for America's Revival' last month and is currently on a book tour that many see as a pre-presidential bid announcement trip around the states.

The book and the priorities of Florida's current legislative sessions are primarily viewed as a platform on which DeSantis would run his campaign once he launched a 2024 bid for the GOP nomination.

The Parental Rights in Education law, which the governor signed last year, was dubbed by critics the 'Don't Say Gay' bill  because it prevented educators from including in their classroom curriculum discussions on gender identity or sexual orientation.

The law currently includes children in kindergarten through third grade, but the Florida legislature is now considering expanding that to include minors up to the eighth grade.
A truck driver has tragically been found dead in a warehouse coolroom.

Authorities launched an investigation after shocked workers made the grim discovery of their colleague's body inside the coolroom at Shepparton in northern Victoria on Wednesday afternoon.

The alarm was raised after his vehicle was spotted at the workplace unattended and with the engine running, two hours after he had finished his shift for the day.

Shocked workers found the grim discovery inside a warehouse coolroom (stock image)

The transport worker, 50 was found in a low-oxygenated coolroom used to preserve apples.

WorkSafe is now investigating the incident.

It's Victoria's third workplace fatality this year, compared with 11 at the same time last year.

The two previous deaths in 2023 were agriculture-related, including a 65-year-old farm worker who died while moving cattle at Yarrawonga South in the state's north.
A 12-year-old girl has narrowly escaped serious injury after getting attacked by a large saltwater crocodile in the Northern Territory.

The 2.2metre beast attacked child in a rural creek just south of Darwin.

She was 'extremely lucky' to have escaped and only suffered minor injuries, the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security has said.

She was taken to Palmerston Regional Hospital in a stable condition, and has since been discharged.

A teenage girl has narrowly escaped serious injury after getting attacked by a large saltwater crocodile in the Northern Territory. The 2.2metre beast attacked the teenager in a rural creek just south of Darwin (the croc is pictured)

'A crocodile of that size has the potential to cause major, life-threatening injuries,' the department said in a statement.

'This is a timely reminder to always Be Crocwise.

'High water levels during the wet season make it easy for crocodiles to move into areas undetected.

'Crocodiles can inhabit any body of water in the Top End.'

The Crocodile Management Team explained they pulled the crocodile out of the creek just hours after the report was received.

They have removed more than 70 crocodiles from the area in the last years, with some over three metres long.

The Crocodile Management Team explained they pulled the crocodile our of the creek hours after the report was received

It comes after a wildlife expert urged governments to take action over a recent social media trend of people purposely placing themselves in crocodile habitats.

Mick Bender, a wildlife educator for Wildlife Unleashed, says he wants the government to introduce fines for those people who purposely enter places where crocodiles are common to deter people from placing themselves in harm's way.

The trend has emerged on social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram, with people posting videos of themselves entering crocodile nesting spots and waterways.

His warning comes after Alister MacPhee, 37, recorded himself walking into the water at a remote boat ramp in Cooktown, north Queensland before he was bitten on the leg by a crocodile which then attacked and killed his dog on February 22.

A fishing influencer from far-north Queensland, Daniel Colombini, was recently criticised after he was seen jumping off of a 10metre cliff into the croc-infested Tully River.

One video shows a man grabbing the tail of a resting crocodile in a small waterway and has been viewed over 1.3million times on TikTok.

Another TikTok video that has a similar amount of views shows a man on a boat antagonising a nearby croc with what seems to be a piece of wetsuit.

A video posted to TikTok by Queensland crabber, Casey Eames, shows a crocodile just a metre away from the back of his metal dinghy waiting for food to be thrown off of the back.

Mr Eames told Daily Mail Australia in 2022 that people feeding crocodiles was incredibly dangerous as when they grow to full size, they are likely to attack boats and kill people.

'As cool as it would be to feed wild saltwater crocodiles it is a dumb thing to do because when they're fully grown they will flip a boat and kill someone,' he said.
Attacked triggered by his fear of losing his kids

Man who killed his girlfriend jailed for nearly 20 years

A man who killed his former partner in fear of losing his children has been sentenced to almost two decades in jail over the 'extreme case of domestic violence' .

Rodney Dempsey, 53, last month pleaded guilty to murdering 27-year-old Jenoa Sutton, whose body was found in the bathroom of her Lithgow home, west of Sydney, on March 8, 2012.

The couple parented two young children together during their on-and-off relationship before officially separating in 2011.

Justice Peter Hamill said their relationship had been fraught but never physically violent until the day Dempsey killed Ms Sutton.

'Mr Dempsey was possessive, regularly intoxicated and often verbally abusive to Ms Sutton but until the day of the murder he had not been physically abusive,' he told the NSW Supreme Court on Friday.

Rodney Dempsey (pictured), 53, will spend nearly 20 years behind bars for brutally bashing his girlfriend Jenoa Sutton to death with a hammer and a plank of wood, at her Lithgow home in 2012

Dempsey used a rectangular object, possibly a piece of wood, to strike Jean Sutton (pictured) and caused a 'ferocious' blow to the back of her head with an object that may have been a hammer

While Justice Hamill did not believe the murder was planned, he was satisfied Dempsey had formed an intention to kill her and was motivated by 'his love of his children and fear of losing them'.

Justice Hamill called it an 'extreme case of domestic violence' before sentencing Dempsey to 19 years and nine months in prison with a non-parole period of 14 years and six months.

Dempsey used a rectangular object, possibly a piece of wood, to strike her and caused a 'ferocious' blow to the back of her head with an object that may have been a hammer.

The hit caused a depressed skull fracture and embedded 10 skull fragments into her brain.

Dempsey showed no emotion as the judge handed down the sentence, while Ms Sutton's family cried.

He will be eligible for parole in 2034.
A dying grandmother mouthed the word 'lying' when the homeowner who battered her after she mistook his house for a seaside hotel told 999 he had thought she was a thief, a murder trial heard.

David Redfern, 46, rang for medical help after he allegedly attacked frail Margaret Barnes, 71, for accidently going to bed in his five-storey home in Barmouth, Wales, thinking it was the B&B she was staying at during a seaside break.

A court heard Mrs Barnes had gone into an upstairs bedroom, unpacked, undressed, taken out her false teeth and poured herself some gin from a bottle she had bought after an evening walk.

She was then discovered by Mr Redfern, who allegedly dragged her downstairs by her feet before attacking her in a fury and throwing her suitcase into the road.

Margaret Barnes, 71, died after suffering injuries 'consistent with a high-speed collision'. She is said to have mouthed the word 'lying' as she was dying

David Redfern, 46, rang 999 after he allegedly attacked Margaret Barnes, 71, for mistaking his five-storey seaside home in Barmouth, Wales, for her B&B

The court heard there was a mix up and Mrs Barnes ended up walking into Belmont House (outlined in red)

Mrs Barnes went into cardiac arrest as neighbours tried to resuscitate her. She died at the scene from 'traumatic injuries'.

A post-mortem examination found she had a traumatic liver injury and was bleeding extensively internally.

The court heard her injuries were similar to the blunt force trauma expected in a high-speed road crash.

Prosecutor Michael Jones KC said Mrs Barnes suffered an 'utterly gratuitous' and 'totally unjustified' attack by Redfern.

Mr Jones said: 'Mrs Barnes had been drinking and, whether she thought this was the Wavecrest [B&B], she went in and went to bed.

'She mistook the defendant's address for the B&B but it was a mistake which ultimately cost her her life.'

He added: 'The reason Mrs Barnes died is she had the misfortune of coming across a man who was an angry bully.'

She was identified to police by her husband Raymond.

Margaret Barnes had booked to stay in the Wavecrest B&B (outlined in red) a few doors away from Redfern's property on Marine Parade, Barmouth

Once inside Mrs Barnes had taken herself to a room and fell asleep (Pictured: A room in Belmont House)

The court heard that Margaret Barnes was dragged down the stairs of the property. Pictured: Inside Belmont House

Redfern, of Barmouth, denies both the murder or manslaughter of Mrs Barnes.

The jury heard a recording of him saying, 'all I have done is eject her from my house', as he sought medical help for retired Mrs Barnes.

Redfern, a bank worker, denied hearing her say 'lying' with her last breaths as he explained that he had mistaken her for a thief.

In the recording he said: 'There's nothing wrong with her and all she is is p*****.'

Redfern was described in court as an angry bully. He told police in interviews that Mrs Barnes, from Birmingham, had been aggressive and had lunged at his partner

David Redfern, 46, denies murder and manslaughter. He is alleged to have flown into a rage when he saw the grandmother had unpacked, undressed and climbed into a bed at his house in Barmouth

Mrs Barnes, a retired factory worker, had travelled to the seaside resort from Birmingham for a staycation.

She had booked into the Wavecrest B&B several doors away from Redfern's property in Marine Parade.

Belmont House is a former hotel being renovated by Redfern and his partner Nicola Learoyd-Lewis.

He accepted the situation had been 'out of control' but denied being an aggressive person.

Redfern asked detectives in the wake of the alleged attack: 'How would you react to someone breaking into your house and sitting in your bed? If there's an instruction manual about it please share it with me.'

In his final police interview, he said in a prepared statement: 'I did not intend to cause the victim harm. I deny kicking the victim.

'I was not aware of the gravity of the victim's injuries until her symptoms became acute.'

He said he had been 'petrified and scared' on discovering Mrs Barnes in his bed and claimed he 'ushered' her outside with a 'bear hug'.

He told police in interviews that Mrs Barnes had been aggressive and had lunged at his partner.

The trial at Caernarfon Crown Court is expected to last about three weeks.
She took her own life in January after being told Ofsted would rate it Inadequate

A headteacher who killed herself aged 53 over an Ofsted report called it 'the worst day of my life' and claimed she was downgraded after a child had been seen flossing and an inspector insisted the viral dance move was 'sexual', it emerged today.

Ruth Perry, who was married with children and had been principal at Caversham Primary School in Reading since 2010, took her own life in January this year believing the result was a 'complete injustice'.

Mrs Perry claimed inspectors told senior staff they had seen a boy 'flossing' - a popular dance move with tens of millions of children around the world thanks to social media - and that this was evidence of the sexualisation of pupils at the school.

It is also alleged inspectors told teachers that they had seen child-on-child abuse - but Mrs Perry insisted it was a playground scuffle. She had been told the school was being downgraded from Outstanding to Inadequate - and killed herself while waiting for the publication of the report, her family have said.

Her sister Julia claimed the inspection, which took place on November 15 and 16 last year, devastated Mrs Perry, who told her it was 'the worst day of my life' and the experience was 'dreadful'.

Her beloved sister became 'an absolute shadow of her former self', she said to the BBC, adding: 'This one-word judgment is just destroying 32 years of her vocation, education was her vocation. Thirty-two years summed up in one word, Inadequate. It just preyed on her mind until she couldn't take it anymore. She was a huge loss, she was my little sister and she was only 53, she had so much more still to give, so much more that she could do.'

Ms Perry's sister Julia told BBC South the headteacher was left a 'shadow of her former self' by the Ofsted inspection

Ms Perry had been headteacher of Caversham Primary School (pictured) for more than a decade when Ofsted decided to downgrade it from Outstanding to Inadequate

The headteacher had an extraordinary bond with the school, having been a pupil there. She returned in 2006 as deputy headteacher and being promoted to principal in 2010.

What is 'flossing'? And is it a 'sexualised' dance? Flossing is a dance craze that swept the globe in recent years. The dance move involves swinging your hips and arms in different directions as if there is a piece of invisible dental floss between your legs. At the same time the hips must move to the beat while your arms are held in two fists. It was invented by 16-year-old social media star Russell Horning, who posted a video which went viral of him performing the dance to Katie Perry's hit Swish Swish. It was further popularised in the game Fortnite - but there is no evidence it is sexual. Advertisement

Mrs Perry's sister said there is a sense of 'complete injustice' about the process behind the inspection and the report. The inspection was the primary's first in 13 years, after rules exempting Outstanding schools from being looked at in-depth by Ofsted were scrapped.

She told BBC South: 'I said, "It can't be that bad", and she said, "Yes it is, it's about as bad as it can be".

'All during that process, every time I spoke to her she would talk about the countdown. I remember clearly one day her saying "52 days and counting".

'Everyday she had this weight on her shoulders hanging over her and she wasn't officially allowed to talk to her family. I remember the very first time I saw her rather than just speaking on the phone a couple of days after the end of the Ofsted inspection, she was an absolute shadow of her former self.'

It is claimed inspectors had decided after the first day of the two-day inspection to downgrade it, as well as making apparently unfounded claims about the sexualisation of children at the school.

Mrs Perry took her own life on January 8 this year, just over two months before the report was released, sparking an outpouring of grief from family, friends, colleagues and the school's community.

The report, which was published this week, found the school to be Good in every category, apart from leadership and management, where it was judged to be Inadequate.

Julia says her sister (pictured together) 'was a huge loss' and 'had so much more still to give'

The report criticised the school for poor record keeping, with gaps in employment checks potentially putting children at risk. This dropped the entire school to an Inadequate rating, the lowest possible.

Inspectors said that 'most pupils behave sensibly and rise to the staff's high expectations', adding: 'Pupils know who to turn to if they have a worry or a problem, feeling confident that they will get the help they need. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and supportive. Incidents of bullying are rare.'

But they added: 'Leaders do not have the required knowledge to keep pupils safe from harm. They have not taken prompt and proper actions when pupils are at risk. They have not ensured that safeguarding is effective throughout the school.'

The report states: 'Governors have an ambitious vision for pupils and staff. However, they have not ensured that they fulfil their statutory safeguarding responsibilities. Until the inspection, they were unaware of significant weaknesses in the schools arrangements to keep pupils safe.'

It added the school doesn't have 'robust processes' to combat persistent absenteeism from some pupils and that leaders have a 'weak understanding of safeguarding requirements and procedures'.

Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading East, where the school is based, said: 'I've had a meeting with the schools minister and I've also raised this with the regional director of Ofsted.

'I think it's fair to say that there are local concerns about the way that the inspection was carried out. Also about the way that the Ofsted framework and other regulations affecting Ofsted effectively work, and the wider pressure on headteachers.'

In a statement to BBC South, Ofsted said: 'We were deeply saddened by Ruth Perry's tragic death. Our thoughts remain with Mrs Perry's family, friends and everyone in the Caversham Primary School community.'

Inspectors from Ofsted said leadership and management at Caversham Primary School was Inadequate

In a statement released after her death, her family said: 'We are left devastated by the sudden loss of a lovely mother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, sister-in-law and friend.

'She leaves a huge, aching gap in all our lives and, we know, in the lives of so many others who were lucky enough to know her.

'We are grateful to all our friends for their thoughts and support now and in the difficult years ahead. Ruth will be remembered as the kind, funny, confident, vivacious, caring person she was and for all that she achieved in life.

'We also ask those who did not know Ruth please to respect our privacy, as we come to terms with our unfathomable grief, and to consider carefully how their words and actions might impact on others.'

'As the many tributes to her from the broader school and Caversham community attest, Ruth cared deeply not just about academic results, but also about the general well-being and happiness of the pupils and staff whom she taught and led.

'Caversham Primary was a very happy school under Ruth's leadership and, despite the many challenges that always go with the role of Head, she was happy there too.

'Ruth was a dedicated headteacher and an excellent teacher. She loved the pupils and the staff of Caversham Primary School and was very proud to have been its headteacher for 12 years and previously deputy headteacher for four years.

'Ruth was a force for good in her life, and we want her to be a force for positive change after her death too.

'We would urge anyone who has been affected by her death to talk about their feelings and know that help is available. Local and national helplines, advice and support can be found on the Reading Family Information Service website.'
At least five people killed while seven others infected with the 'strange' disease

A mysterious disease that causes headaches and a fever has killed at least five people in Tanzania.

Health chiefs in the East African nation, which is just south of Kenya, have described the illness as 'strange'.

Authorities have dispatched a team of doctors to diagnose the illness, with seven cases reported in the northwest region of Kagera.

Symptoms of the illness include a fever, headaches, fatigue and nosebleeds, the government's chief medical officer Tumaini Nagu told the BBC.

'The government formed a regional team of professionals under the Rapid Response Team who are investigating this unknown disease,' Nagu said.

Authorities have now been dispatched a team of doctors to diagnose the illness, with seven cases reported in the northwest region of Kagera

Nagu said residents in the Kagera region must avoid contact with infected people and stay calm.

In July last year, three people with similar symptoms died following an outbreak in Tanzania's southern region of Lindi. More than 20 cases were reported at the time.

Investigations later identified the disease as leptospirosis, also known as Weil's disease.

Weil's disease is a rare infection spread by the urine of animals including rats, mice, cows, pigs and dogs.

Symptoms include fever, headache, feeling and being sick, aching muscles and joints, red eyes, and a loss of appetite.

Serious cases of the infection can cause yellow skin and eyes, swollen ankles, feet or hands, chest pain, shortness of breath or coughing up blood.

The disease can be treated with antibiotics and may take between a few days and a few weeks to clear up.

But without treatment, the infection could take months to recover from, and could cause life-threatening kidney and liver failure.

Although 90 per cent of cases are mild, between five and 15 per cent progress to a severe form which can cause organ failure and even death. Between one and five per cent of cases are fatal.
China's President Xi Jinping is set to visit Russia next week in an apparent show of support for Vladimir Putin.

No other details were given but China has declared a 'no-limits' friendship with Russia and refused to condemn Moscow's invasion of Ukraine - while declaring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries be respected.

The Kremlin on Friday also announced the visit, saying it will take place 'at the invitation of Vladimir Putin'.

The talks will take place from Monday to Wednesday and focus on the two regime's 'deepening' relationship and 'strategic co-operation'.

Xi last visited Russia in 2019, though Putin attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing last year and the two leaders also met at a regional security gathering in Uzbekistan in September.

China's President Xi Jinping is set to visit Vladimir Putin in Russia next week. The two leaders met in Beijing in February last year

The Kremlin on Friday also announced the visit, saying it will take place 'at the invitation of Vladimir Putin'. Both men are pictured together at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, September 16, 2022

Xi and Putin will discuss 'issues of further development of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China', as well as exchange views 'in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese co-operation in the international arena', the Kremlin said in a statement.

The two leaders will also sign 'important bilateral documents', the statement read.

Beijing has also condemned western sanctions and accused Nato and the United States of provoking Russia.

Putin invited Xi to visit Russia during a video conference call the two held in late December.

The visit, Putin said, could 'demonstrate to the whole world the strength of the Russian-Chinese ties' and 'become the main political event of the year in bilateral relations'.

China has previously attempted to portray itself as a neutral party in the conflict, but this position has been viewed as lacking credibility and providing tacit support for Moscow.

In a 12-point position paper on the war published last month, China called for dialogue and respect for all countries' territorial sovereignty.

China and Russia are also strategic allies, with both sides frequently touting what they call a 'no limits' partnership.

Beijing's foreign ministry did not confirm whether Xi also planned to hold a rumoured call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when asked at a routine press conference on Friday.

China's foreign minister on Thursday urged Kyiv and Moscow to restart peace talks 'as soon as possible', while Kyiv said the call also raised the importance of Ukraine's territorial integrity.

In the rare phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, China's foreign minister said Beijing was concerned about the year-old grinding conflict with Russia spinning out of control.

Beijing has condemned western sanctions and accused Nato and the United States of provoking Russia. Pictured: Ukrainian servicemen on a 2S7 Pion tank in Bachmut, Donbas, March 15

China's foreign minister on Thursday urged Kyiv and Moscow to restart peace talks 'as soon as possible'. Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers take cover as they fire a mortar shell at a frontline position near Bakhmut on Thursday

Beijing 'hopes that all parties will keep calm, exercise restraint, resume peace talks as soon as possible and return to the track of political settlement', Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told the Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Qin told Kuleba China has 'always upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks', China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

Kuleba later tweeted that he and Qin 'discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity'.

'I underscored the importance of [Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's] Peace Formula for ending the aggression and restoring just peace in Ukraine,' wrote Kuleba, who spoke the same day with US secretary of state Antony Blinken.
A Polish nightclub boss accused of being a 'call girl' who conned her financier lover out of a huge chunk of his 18million estate has been found dead, MailOnline can reveal.

Magdalena Zalinska, 44, was being sued in the High Court by the brother of Danny Truell over claims she obtained 4million by 'undue influence' before he died of a neurological condition aged 55 in 2019.

But the case has taken a mysterious turn after her body was discovered by police who broke down the door of her apartment in Clapham, south London, when officers on a routine patrol were approached by neighbours who were concerned for her welfare.

Police have confirmed to MailOnline that Ms Zalinska's sudden death is not being treated as suspicious, but unexpected.

The divorced mother-of-two was at the centre of an acrimonious fight with the family of millionaire former Goldman Sachs banker Mr Truell.

The sudden death of nightclub boss Magdalena Zalinska is not being treated as suspicious

Ms Zalinska, who was left more than 1million in Mr Truell's will, denied the allegations, insisting they had a 'romantic and loving relationship' for 14 years.

Mr Truell's brother Edi, 61, who is also a City financier, claimed that although she had a sexual relationship with his brother, she was his paid carer from 2012 and did not live with him.

Danny Truell, a lifelong Labour Party member, was a contemporary of former prime minister Boris Johnson at Balliol College, Oxford, and frequently faced him in debates.

He went on to become a hugely successful fund manager. After running Goldman Sachs's asset management arm, he moved to Britain's biggest charity, the Wellcome Trust, as its chief investment officer in 2005.

In 12 years, he grew assets under management from 12.3billion to 20.9billion. He also allowed it to double the amount it donated a year to more than 1billion.

The house in Clapham, south London, where Danny Truell had a flat and where Ms Zalinska's body was found

He divorced his wife of 16 years, Naomi, in 2011, and the following year he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis which later became a form of motor neurone disease.

Balliol College alumni Danny Truell (pictured) became a hugely successful fund manager

In the High Court, Mr Justice Michael Green said Mr Truell had considerable personal wealth but lived 'an apparently frugal lifestyle', did not drive, have expensive hobbies or go on many holidays, and lived in 'a modest and poorly furnished basement and ground floor maisonette' near Clapham Junction. During his illness he was 'dependent on alcohol', the judge added.

In his will, he described Ms Zalinska, a Polish national, who has also struggled with alcohol, as his 'partner and dependent'.

The court battle was over a series of transfers to her before Mr Truell died.

These included 1.34million paid between 2013 and 2018 to a company through which she operated her London nightclub, Southwark Rooms.

Another 915,000 went to her directly in electronic transfers, 1.366million on spending and withdrawals using his debit card, while he also transferred to her his interest in the flat she had previously rented from him in Clapham, where her body was discovered.

Ms Zalinska (pictured) was left more than 1million in Mr Truell's will

Ms Zalinska (pictured), 44, a Polish national, was left more than 1million in Mr Truell's will

Lawyers for Edi Truell said she had also used her Southwark nightclub as a 'front' to 'extract' huge sums of money that have since disappeared.

Ms Zalinski's former husband Wojtek Zalinski (pictured) confirmed her death to MailOnline

In a hearing earlier this year, Mr Justice Michael Green said Ms Zalinska was 'rightly, in my view, offended by any suggestion that she was not in a deep and loving relationship with the deceased, or that she had taken advantage of him'.

Ms Zalinska claimed to have met Mr Truell at the end of his previous marriage and started a relationship with him in 2004. The couple moved into the basement flat in Clapham in 2016.

Mr Truell's brother and former solicitor John Rayner Hatchard claimed, as executors of his estate, that evidence casts doubt on the 'quality' of the relationship.

Their barrister Edward Hicks told the judge that Mr Truell had two 'very separate' lives - one with his family and the other with Ms Zalinska, with whom he had a 'very strange relationship'.

He said a crucial question at a trial would be if Mr Truell were in a relationship akin to 'husband and wife' or whether it had been 'marked by promiscuity', which he did not know about.

Ms Zalinska was being sued in court by Edi Truell (pictured), the brother of Danny Truell

'Is this a lady who is presenting a false picture of her relationship to Danny?' he told a hearing in February.

The flat door inside the property that was smashed in by Metropolitan Police officers

'We have evidence that she was in relationships with other people.'

Ms Zalinska's sudden death means Mr Truell's attempts to find out what happened to the millions may never be known.

Her former husband Wojtek Zalinski confirmed her demise to MailOnline and said he was flying to the UK from his home in Krakow, Poland, to help determine what happened to her.

Mr Zalinski denied claims that his ex-wife was a prostitute, and said: 'That was absolute rubbish, she was never a call girl. Never. I do not know why such hurtful thing were said about her in the court. That is wrong and should not have been said. She is not here to defend herself now so I will do it.

'I was called and told she had died. I do not know anymore but will be flying to London to be with family,' he added.

Mr Zalinski said he and his former wife divorced 20 years ago but kept in contact. He last saw her a year ago.

The basement flat in Clapham had previously been described as 'modest and poorly furnished'

Police said officers were approached by people concerned for the welfare of Ms Zalinska on Saturday.

A Met Police spokesman said: 'Officers forced entry and found a 46-year-old woman deceased. Her next of kin have been informed.

'The death is being treated as unexpected, though initial enquiries determined it was not suspicious.'

A full trial of the 4million claim against Ms Zalinska was set for next year.

Lawyers for Ms Zalinska and the estate of Mr Truell refused to comment.
Bruce Lehrmann texted a friend asking 'got any gear' and saying 'need bags' on the night Brittany Higgins' rape allegations became public, court documents have revealed.

The former Liberal party staffer told his friends he wanted to 'get lit' as 'no one had work tomorrow' on the night of February 15, 2021.

That was the same night Ms Higgins appeared on The Project and alleged she had been raped in Parliament House in 2019 by an unnamed man.

Mr Lehrmann is suing Channel 10 and news.com.au for defamation over reports which were published in March 2021 about the allegations. He claims that the reports led to certain people identifying him as the accused.

He has always denied the allegations.

Bruce Lehrmann texted a friend asking 'got any gear' and saying 'need bags' on the night Brittany Higgins' rape allegations became public, court documents have revealed

After his cross-examination on Thursday, where he revealed he was 'outraged' by the allegations, court documents were made public showing all the texts he sent and received on the day the news broke.

A message log shows the staffer spent the evening in his lawyer Warwick Korn's office drinking scotch and watching The Project - which featured an interview with Brittany Higgins.

He then texted his friend four consecutive texts reading: 'need bags', 'let's get it done' 'no one has work tomorrow' followed by 'paying' 'let's get lit'.

About 20 minutes later, he texted a work friend saying 'got any gear' but she replied saying she was at home and they needed to 'keep it clean'.

After his cross-examination, where he revealed he was 'outraged' by the allegations, , court documents were made public showing all the texts he sent and received on the day the news broke

He then texted another friend to say 'Get here, it's good' followed by 'How many bags?'

At the same time, a colleague texted him saying 'tomorrow won't be good' and that he needed to 'rein the s*** in'.

The work friend added: 'Clear your name mate that's all that matters. You only have your name and one name'.

'You need to take this seriously mate. Go home and don't leave your apartment'.

The former Liberal party staffer told his friends he wanted to 'get lit' as 'no one had work tomorrow' on the night of February 15, 2021. Mock-up of his WhatsApp messages is shown

Mr Lehrmann is suing Channel 10 and news.com.au for defamation over reports which were published in March 2021 about Ms Higgins (pictured) allegations. He claims that the reports led to certain people identifying him as the accused

The court documents also reveal messages from early in the day, when Mr Lehrmann discovered the news after a friend texted him with a link to the story asking if he 'knew this chick???'

Mr Lehrmann replied saying t he 'worked with her briefly' and '(she) was at team drinks etc'.

His friend replied saying it was a 'pretty cooked allegation' and asked if he 'knew who the girl was'.

Mr Lehrmann said he didn't have the 'faintest idea'.

'I haven't been approached by anyone' he wrote.

Around half an hour later, another friend texted him asking 'if had any gossip on who the Canberra rape guy is' before adding 'the yarn says ''rising star" so that rules out our mates but who else?'.

He replied he had 'no idea in the slightest' and that he 'hadn't been approached by anyone' before saying that he 'assumed it will fizzle'.

'She [Ms Higgins] is on the Project tonight which isn't exactly prime time stuff' he texted, before adding 'they wouldn't name would they  pretty slanderous stuff'.

Mr Lehrmann sent a series of messages to his then-girlfriend Greta Sinclair after the allegations against him aired (pictured). He later told the court most of them were 'fabricated' to 'placate' her because she was upset

His friend replied: 'well it's defamatory'.

The Project or news.com.au article did not name Mr Lehrmann. In his defamation suit, he is claiming their stories included details that 'could identify him' to certain people.

By 3pm, Mr Lehrmann had secured lawyer Warwick Korn and sat down with him in his Sydney office and fumed as Higgins accused him of raping her.

Texts from the next day show him thanking the lawyer for support.

Mr Lehrmann's girlfriend at the time, Greta Sinclair, was distraught over the extraordinary televised accusations.

He placated her by firing off messages suggesting his lawyer had told him that he was a 'pawn' and 'part of a bigger political hatchet job'.

During further cross-examination on Thursday, Mr Lehrmann admitted to Ten's lawyer Matthew Collins KC that Mr Korn never said that.

Mr Lehrmann's girlfriend at the time, Greta Sinclair, was distraught over the extraordinary televised accusations. He is pictured

Brittany Higgins leaves the ACT Magistrates Court with members of her legal team in Canberra on October 14

Text messages emerged where Mr Lehrmann told Ms Sinclair that he was having a 'glass of scotch' in Mr Korn's office while waiting for Lisa Wilkinson's interview with Ms Higgins on the current affairs show.

'If I'm named tonight I'm up for millions in defamation ... (Mr Korn) said I won't see the light of a courtroom,' he reassured her.

Later that evening, at 10.02pm, he sent Ms Sinclair another message that said: [Mr Korn] keeps taking notes though, very professional'.

While being grilled in court, Mr Lehrmann admitted Mr Korn was not in fact taking notes during their conversation and insisted that he just wanted to make Ms Sinclair feel OK.

'I wanted her to think I had my house was in order'
Wagner warlord Vevgeny Prigozhin has claimed he has been told of a plot spearheaded by Vladimir Putin to undermine and 'neutralise' the feared Russian mercenary group.

Prigozhin claimed he received a series of questions from Russian newspaper Nezivisimaya Gazeta that apparently exposed the plot to 'neutralise' Wagner and the warlord in particular.

Nikolai Patrushev, the head of Russia's Security Council, is said to have told Putin that he believes after the Ukraine war, Prigozhin will try to unite his mercenaries and send them to Russia to 'seize power' in the regions bordering Ukraine before potentially advancing inland.

Patrushev allegedly said in the meeting that he has already ordered for Russian troops to observe Wagner mercenaries and control their movement over fears they could rise up against Putin. A paranoid Putin reportedly thanked Patrushev for his efforts to 'neutralise Wagner in general and Prigozhin in particular'.

However, experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have cast doubt on Prigozhin's claims he received media questions exposing the plot and said there is no evidence that the discussions between Putin and Patrushev occurred.

Instead, the experts claim Prigozhin has fabricated the alleged plot in a bizarre attempt to smear Russia's military establishment and set 'careful information conditions to blame Patrushev for Wagner's failures and potential crackdowns against the group'.

Wagner warlord Vevgeny Prigozhin (pictured with Putin) has claimed he has been told of a plot spearheaded by Vladimir Putin to undermine and 'neutralise' the feared Russian mercenary group

Ukrainian soldiers of the Paratroopers' of 80th brigade fire a mortar shell at a frontline position near Bakhmut, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Thursday

Since Putin's war began in Ukraine, Prigozhin has been publicly critical of Russia's army and military leadership - and his fondess for lambasting top army brass and anyone else in his way has angered some in government who want him reined in.

Now, murky claims have emerged that Putin is plotting to 'neutralise' Wagner and Prigozhin - or so the warlord would like it to seem.

Prigozhin's press service yesterday published a series of questions allegedly sent to the Wagner chief by the Nezivisimaya Gazeta newspaper about an apparent meeting between Putin and Patrushev - details of which were apparently circulating on Telegram.

The alleged press comment claims that Patrushev told Putin there will be 'nothing left' of the Wagner group in 'one and a half to two months' due to the sheer scale of losses in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut where the mercenaries are fighting Ukrainian troops.

Patrushev also allegedly suggested that upon Wagner's destruction in Ukraine, Prigozhin will 'try to unite the former and remaining active Wagner fighters under a far-fetched pretext and using the resources at his disposal, he will organise, arm and send them to the territory of Russia in order to seize power in the regions bordering Ukraine was a possible advance inland'.

In response to the alleged press comment, Prigozhin posted an audio clip in which he said he had not heard of the alleged plot, saying that Russian special services should work to neutralize threats to Russia regardless of where they come from.

However, experts from the ISW said there is no evidence to suggest that the discussions between Putin and Patrushev had occurred.

They also pointed out that Nezivisimaya Gazeta has not published the press comment on its own site - and there is no record of the comment online other than in reference to Prigozhin's post.

'The lack of external confirmation on this subject suggests that Prigozhin has fabricated the alleged plot to further several information operations on behalf of Wagner and his own reputation,' the experts said in their latest report.

Ukrainian soldiers of the Paratroopers' of 80th brigade take cover as they fire a mortar shell at a frontline position near Bakhmut, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Thursday

Nikolai Patrushev (pictured), the head of Russia's Security Council, is said to have told Putin that he believes after the Ukraine war, Prigozhin will try to unite his mercenaries and send them to Russia to 'seize power' in the regions bordering Ukraine before potentially advancing inland

Wagner mercenaries at Popasna, the Sievierodonetsk district of the Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine

The ISW experts said the exchange 'clearly identifies' Patrushev and possibly the Russian Security Council as 'enemies' of Wagner.

'Prigozhin appears to be setting careful information conditions to blame Patrushev for Wagners failures and potential crackdowns against the group, as well as introducing an invented scenario wherein Wagner poses a direct threat to Russia domestically,' the experts said.

'This effort appears to be the next evolution of Prigozhins campaign against the Russian military establishment, and Patrushev could become Prigozhins next target after his concerted informational campaigns against the Russian Ministry of Defense and General Staff,' they added.

Prigozhin has become somewhat of a headache for Putin and Russia's defence chiefs since the war began.

He has emerged from the shadows to assume a high profile since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But his public profile, political influence, and fondness for profanely lambasting top army brass and anyone else in his way has angered some in government who want him reined in.

Indeed, Prigozhin has continued to demand for Russia to supply him with more ammunition, reinforcements and covering support if he was to win the months-long battle of attrition for Bakhmut.

In January, ISW experts claimed that Putin had turned against Prigozhin after he 'failed to take the hint' and kept on bragging that his forces were achieving more success than Russia's army.

And the Wagner chief has risked further angering the Russian President by dismissing Moscow's generals as 'a bunch of clowns'.

Prigozhin is increasingly seen as posing a rising threat to the Kremlin leader with his daily grandstanding and outspoken boasts.

In January, he claimed his ragbag fighters have achieved heroics greater than Soviet soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad, a key military turning point in the Second World War.

He has also openly mocked General Valery Gerasimov - the Russian commander-in-chief - who ordered that Russian soldiers should shave off their beards as part of a discipline drive in the armed forces.

Russia's defence chiefs were 'a bunch of clowns' seeking the 'glamorisation of the army', raged Prigozhin, a Soviet-era jail inmate who came to fame arranging banquets and managing online troll factories for Putin.

'Female war correspondents go into the absolute heat of [war],' said Prigozhin.

'Jail inmates fight better than units of the Guards. Servicemen with broken spines pass on their military experience at training camps, moving around like robots.

'And a bunch of clowns try to teach fighters exhausted with hard military labour how many times they ought to shave  and what kind of perfume they must use to greet high commanders.'
A fight over a boy may have driven two twisted schoolgirls to stab a 12-year-old classmate to death, as comments from their fellow pupils on TikTok have emerged in a case which continues to horrify Germany.

The two killers, aged 12 and 13, allegedly posted a sick video of themselves dancing on TikTok the day after they had stabbed their victim - named only as Luise - more than 30 times.

It has since emerged that Luise, who went missing after leaving the 13-year-old girl's house in Freudenberg, was killed by her two classmates 'in revenge' after she told an adult they had been bullying her for months, according to German newspaper Bild.

Other theories have involved comments, under the girls' alleged TikTok dance post, which indicate that a boy was involved.

Luise's body was found in a pool of blood on Sunday in a wooded area near the town of Freudenberg, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, after she was stabbed more than 30 times.

The victim, known only as Luise, was found in a pool of blood on Sunday in a wooded area near the town of Freudenberg, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, after she was stabbed more than 30 times

The Esther Bejerano Comprehensive School in Freudenberg that Luise and the two perpetrators attended is pictured

The shocking social media videos came to light during research by a German WELT journalist, who revealed that one of the dance videos was posted on Sunday, the day the victim  known only as Luise due to Germany's strict privacy laws  was found.

The shameless pair also allegedly posted a video pleading for help to find Luise on Saturday after she had been 'missing since 5pm', knowing exactly where the schoolgirl's body would be found after they stabbed her to death.

Many of the girls' classmates are said to have repeatedly brought up that an unnamed boy had caused the fight between the 'best friends'.

The comment section of the video was reportedly flooded with messages, with one person writing: 'I can't believe you're posting a dance video the day after the murder'.

Another classmate reportedly added: 'When your chair in the classroom was empty this morning, we all knew what was going on.'

Other videos posted on the TikTok page were also reportedly inundated with messages asking: 'How could you do this?' or 'I can't believe it'.

Since the TikTok videos emerged, there has been disbelief that the police, who had been very tight-lipped with information about the murder so far, allowed the 13-year-old murderer to remain active on TikTok and didn't block the account so users could continue to watch her videos and read the comments.

The girls' social media accounts are offline now, a police spokesperson said on Friday, March 17.

Despite their profiles not being active anymore, the 13-year-old's videos have been posted by other users, as well as screenshots of the videos where she is 'concerned' for her friend or dancing the day after stabbing Luise.

Luise went missing on Saturday afternoon, March 11, after a sleepover from Friday to Saturday with the 13-year-old friend at her house, who is said to be 'more reserved than cheeky', in the town's Hohenhain district, two miles from Luise's own home.

Although they had known each other for years, took the school bus together and were even in the same class in school, it is not clear why Luise and her killer met up in light of the bullying accusations.

Residents in Freudenberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, laid flowers and placed candles near the wooded area where the body was located

Last Saturday on March 11, Luise reportedly met the 13-year-old friend at her house in the town's Hohenhain district, 1.8 miles away from her own home

Later that day, the 12-year-old joined in and the trio walked to a nearby forest. There, they allegedly stabbed Luise more than 30 times with a knife in a case that has shocked Germany.

Luise's body was found in the woods the following day, March 12, after her parents reported the girl missing on Saturday afternoon, sparking a massive police search of the area.

The two girls, who were spotted by a neighbour as they were walking into the woods with Luise, 'made statements about the matter and in the end admitted the crime', said Florian Locker, head of Koblenz police's homicide department.

The 13-year-old, who is reportedly part of a patchwork family, is suspected to have forced the younger girl to assist her.

Mr Locker declined to give further details because the suspects are younger than 14 and under German law, children under 14 are under the age of criminal responsibility.

Investigators have yet to locate the 'small knife' used in the crime.

After the stabbing, the girls returned to the 13-year-old's house, where the younger girl was later picked up by her father.

Afterwards, the older girl called Luise's parents and told them a tale of lies, saying Luise started making her way back home at 5.30pm and wanted to let her know once she had arrived.

Pictured: Police officers stand at a cordon near Freudenberg, Germany, on March 12, 2023

Pictured: German police officers search for a knife in a woodland where a 12-year-old girl was found dead as a result of knife wounds in Hohenhain, near Freudenberg, Germany, on March 14, 2023

A book of condolences for Luise and a card reading 'We mourn Luise' are on display in the Protestant church in Freudenberg

As Luise had failed to call, the 13-year-old allegedly phoned her several times as she was 'worried' about her, while she knew where Luise really was: stabbed and left to die in the woods.

Police said that during the search and later under questioning, the two girls made contradictory statements and both finally confessed on Monday, March 13.

The two girls attended the same school as Luise and they were said to be friends.

The parents of the suspects have moved away for the moment but are still in contact with their daughters.

Luise's disappearance triggered a frantic search operation that featured a helicopter, sniffer dogs and drones. When she was found dead with multiple stab wounds, the community in the small town with just 18,000 residents was shocked.

Koblenz prosecutor Mario Mannweiler said at a press conference after Luise was found: 'The child died as a result of numerous knife wounds and the resulting loss of blood.' He added that there was 'no indication of a sexual offence'.

Local residents laid down flowers and placed candles near the wooded area where the body was found.

Pictured: A German police officer uses a metal detector in search of a knife at the woodland where a 12-year-old girl was found dead as a result of knife wounds in Hohenhain, near Freudenberg, on March 14

Hendrik Wuest, the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia, said that the state is 'grieving'. He added: 'It is incomprehensible and unbearable that children are capable of such horrible acts.'

He promised that the authorities would do all that is possible to uncover the motive and circumstances behind the crime.

Chief prosecutor Patrick Baron von Grotthuss, of the prosecution service in Siegen, said that there may never be more answers regarding the exact circumstances of Luise's death, as 'we can't break the law or cross the legal boundaries set for us just because people think they have a right to know all the details'.

He said that if they are allowed to do so, they will disclose more details, but warned that in cases like this, where the victim and suspects are children, 'one has to live with it somehow to not know everything'.

'After more than 40 years in the job you still get cases that leave you speechless,' said Jurgen Sus, the deputy president of the Koblenz police directorate.

Luise's school replaced its homepage with a message of condolence.

'We lost our pupil, classmate and friend Luise at the weekend,' the Esther-Bejarano comprehensive school in Freudenberg said in the statement.

'Far too early, she was violently torn from our midst and from her family. Our thoughts and wishes are with her family and friends now and in the coming days.'

A book of condolences for Luise and a card reading 'We mourn Luise' are on display in the Protestant church in Freudenberg.

The case revived memories of the notorious 1993 murder of James Bulger in England. The two-year-old was abducted and tortured before he was killed by two 10-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables.
He is in a critical condition in hospital after the incident in Sydney

Man in his 60s revived by paramedics after his light plane crashed

A pilot was revived after going into cardiac arrest when his light plane crashed and flipped on impact at an airport in Sydney's southwest.

The four seater Cirrus light aircraft was blown off course as it came to land at Bankstown Airport around 3.40pm on Friday.

The male pilot, aged in his 60s, was the only one on board and he became trapped in the cockpit for more than an hour.

The pilot went into cardiac arrest after being freed but was revived through CPR.

He was rushed to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition with injuries to his spine, chest, leg and arm.

A pilot is in a critical condition in hospital after his light plane crashed and flipped on impact at Bankstown Airport in Sydney's south-west

The male pilot, aged in his 60s, was the only one on board and he became trapped in the cockpit for more than an hour. He went into cardiac arrest after being freed but was able to be revived through CPR. He remains in hospital in a critical condition

Eight fire trucks responded to the crash with crews having to manage a fuel leak as they attempted to free the pilot, covering the aircraft in fire retardant foam.

It is understood the plane had travelled from the Gold Coast and a strong gust of wind was potentially to blame for the crash.

Adam, a pilot at Bankstown Airport watched the situation unfold.

He told 9News he almost couldn't believe what he witnessed as it all happened so fast.

'I saw three planes all coming in to land then one tipped violently to the left and before i knew it was on the ground,' Adam said.

'I didn't believe my eyes at first.'

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau are investigating the cause of the crash.
The Government and education unions have agreed to 'intensive talks' on teacher pay, conditions and workload reduction, they announced in a joint statement.

The talks, which will focus on pay, conditions and workload reduction, will involve unions including the National Education Union (NEU), whose members were on strike in England earlier this week.

The news follows the breakthrough in the NHS dispute on Thursday, with leaders of nurses, ambulance crews and other health workers agreeing to suspend further industrial action while ballots are held on a new pay offer.

A joint statement by the Government and education unions said: 'The Government and the education trade unions, Association of School and College Leaders, National Association of Head Teachers, NASUWT and National Education Union, have agreed to move into a period of intensive talks. The talks will focus on teacher pay, conditions and workload reduction.

The government has agreed to 'intensive talks' on teacher pay, conditions and workload reduction

Around 7 million school children saw lessons cut by this weeks strike action

'In order for talks to begin and, we hope, reach a successful conclusion, the NEU has confirmed it will create a period of calm for two weeks during which time they have said no further strike dates will be announced.

'The Education Secretary and all unions will meet today, beginning intensive talks, which will continue over the weekend.'

Earlier this week, around seven million school pupils were hit by strikes as their teachers walked out across the country in a dispute over pay - leaving their parents to pick up the pieces.

Speaking during the strikes, Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), told Times Radio he did not see parents as collateral damage in the strike.

'But I do sincerely apologise to parents for the disruption to education today, and the disruption to their home and their working lives.

'We think that parents understand the point that we're making - that this generation of children, so hard-hit by Covid, has been ignored by this Government.'

Striking members of the National Education Union (NEU) South East Region at a rally in Chichester

He added: 'It is no good politicians saying 'Oh, the economy is not doing well, we'll invest in five or six years time'.

'This generation of children are in school now and they are losing out compared with other generations of children, and we are demanding investment for them.'

This week also saw walkouts by junior doctors, civil servants, lecturers, Tube drivers, BBC journalists and Amazon workers in one of the largest periods of industrial action since a wave of strikes began last year.

Leaders of junior doctors want an early meeting with Health Secretary Steve Barclay to help resolve their pay dispute, which led to a three-day walkout this week.

The British Medical Association has exchanged letters with the Government following yesterday's announcement of a new offer to other NHS workers but no date has been set for a meeting.

Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chair of the BMA's junior doctors committee, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Our position has been that we are open to talk in good faith, meaningfully, at any time.

"We were ready to talk months ago. Our formal dispute started over 150 days ago and, again, that is just what I mean in that it is disappointing it has taken Steve Barclay so long to get to the negotiating table.

"I only hope that he does come with good faith and a mandate to negotiate.

"So far we haven't arranged a time for this afternoon but there has been some correspondence between our offices so it does look like we'll be able to set something up in the near future."

Meanwhile, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has announced a five-week strike by its members in the Passport Office in an escalation of its long-running dispute with the Government over pay, pensions, jobs and conditions.

Those working in Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough and Southport will walk out from April 3 to May 5, while those in Belfast will strike from April 7 to May 5.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "This escalation of our action has come about because, in sharp contrast with other parts of the public sector, ministers have failed to hold any meaningful talks with us, despite two massive strikes and sustained, targeted action lasting six months.

"Their approach is further evidence they're treating their own workforce worse than anyone else. They've had six months to resolve this dispute but for six months have refused to improve their 2% imposed pay rise, and failed to address our members' other issues of concern.

"They seem to think if they ignore our members, they'll go away. But how can our members ignore the cost-of-living crisis when 40,000 civil servants are using foodbanks and 45,000 of them are claiming the benefits they administer themselves?

"It's a national scandal and a stain on this government's reputation that so many of its own workforce are living in poverty."
6 Indian states advised to increase vigilance amid rising COVID-19 cases

Xinhua) 16:28, March 17, 2023

NEW DELHI, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Amid a significant surge in COVID-19 cases in six states, India's health ministry has advised local governments to take a risk assessment-based approach to prevent and contain the infection from spreading further, officials said Friday.

The federal health ministry wrote a letter on Thursday evening to the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, asking them to pay attention to testing, treating, tracking, and vaccination.

A few states are reporting higher number of COVID-19 cases, "indicating possible localized spread of infection and there is a need to follow a risk assessment-based approach to prevent and contain the infection, without losing the gains made so far in the fight against the pandemic," said the letter from federal health secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

Bhushan advised the states to examine the situation of COVID-19 and maintain the focus on implementation of necessary measures for prompt and effective management of the disease.

"It is essential that the state must maintain a strict watch and take pre-emptive action if required in any areas of concern to control emerging spread of infection," he said.

According to health ministry data released on Friday morning, 796 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in the South Asian country in the past 24 hours. India also reported five new deaths, taking the overall death toll due to the pandemic to 530,795.

In India, there has also been a surge in influenza cases across many parts and the symptoms are similar to COVID-19. Patients are complaining of prolonged illness, cough, fever and respiratory problems.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A woman who pleaded guilty to having an out-of-control dog after her Staffy-cross mauled a postman's leg and dragged him around like a 'rag doll' has been spared jail.

Mark Fox was delivering mail to the home of Gemma Woods, 40, in Bury, Greater Manchester, on April 22 last year when he heard a dog barking aggressively.

Mr Fox, who has been in the profession for more than 20 years, noticed the fence was broken then heard a loud bang as the pet came charging at him before it bit his lower leg, knocking him to the ground.

Neighbours described the animal moving him around 'like a rag doll', Minshull Street Crown Court heard.

Eventually, a man came out of the house and took the dog inside. Woods then came outside 'hysterically crying' and apologised to Mr Fox, who required surgery for his injuries.

Gemma Woods, 40, of Bury, Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to being an owner in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury

Despite the wounds to his leg, which were operated on in hospital, the postman has made a full recovery.

Woods pleaded guilty to being an owner in charge of a dog dangerously out of control causing injury at Minshull Street Crown Court.

She was handed a community order and has to pay a 50 fine.

Betsy Hindle, prosecuting, said Mr Fox could hear the dog and noticed the 5ft fence outside the house was broken on the day of the incident.

'He then heard a loud bang and saw the dog coming towards him,' Ms Hindle said. 'The dog came up to him and bit him on the lower leg causing him to fall backwards and the dog remained on his leg.'

Mr Fox tried to remove the dog by kicking out and wiggling his leg, to no success. A man then came out of the house, initially saying the injury was caused by Mr Fox falling backwards.

The postman said it was clearly a bite from the dog before calling the emergency services. Whilst on the phone, Woods came out of the house 'hysterically crying' and repeatedly apologised to Mr Fox.

In a police interview, Woods (left) wept at the thought of a destruction order for the dog. The such order has been made and the dog remains with her

Appearing at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, Woods was handed a community order and with a 50 fine

She was later arrested and said in her interview that the dog was a Staffy-cross, and became emotional because she 'knew what was going to happen to it'. She added that she knew the gate was broken and the dog managed to get out whilst she had gone to the toilet.

In a statement, Mr Fox said the incident hadn't altered his view on dogs but he was concerned if that dog escaped from the house that it could cause harm to other people, including children or animals. He had to take time off work but did not lose out financially, the prosecutor said.

Woods was said to have no previous convictions. The dog, which wasn't named in court, has remained with her and there have been no further reported incidents.

Michael Lea, mitigating for Woods, said his client was disabled and had limited movement in her legs.

'She is extremely regretful and remorseful about what happened,' he said. 'She was very emotional the first time she heard anything to do with the dog being put down.'

He said Woods had taken steps to make her home more secure including fixing the broken gate, installing two padlocks and buying a Ring doorbell. Mr Lea added that the dog has not been out of the house without a muzzle or a lead since the incident in April.

Sentencing, the judge, Recorder Michael Blakey said: 'He indicated his fear that if this escalated again that the dog would attack others. Since this offence, you have taken steps to stop this from happening again.'

Woods, of Ribble Drive, Bury, was sentenced to a 12 month community order, 12 days of rehabilitation activity requirements and ordered to pay a 50 fine over the course of ten weeks. No orders were made to destroy the dog.
An Alaska man has been arrested, suspected of the murder of a woman buried nude in a shallow grave nearly 17 years ago.

John Angerer, 53, was arrested in Anchorage last Thursday on a charge of second-degree murder over the death of Angela Wilds, 38, in 2006.

Angerer was previously charged over her murder and held for nearly five months before being released in 2010 due to lack of evidence.

But 13 years later and after interviewing new witnesses and working with forensic teams, Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson said in a statement this week: 'I am glad that we were able move our investigation into the homicide of Angela Wilds forward.

'I am proud that our detectives didn't give up on this cold case, we know Angela's family has been waiting a long time for this day to come.'

Suspect John Angerer has been arrested, associated with the death of 38-year-old Angela

Victim Angela Wilds was found in a 'badly decomposing' state in a forest near Boulder in 2006

Angela Wilds' body was found 'badly decomposing' by two hikers in the South St. Vrain Canyon outside of Lyons on 4 June 2006.

She was found wearing only a 'cross ring' on her left hand.

The body appeared to have been dragged from a nearby shallow grave by an animals.

Authorities found clothes and a sleeping bag near the grave.

DNA testing finally confirmed her identity in November 2006.

An outside pathologist judged that Wilds died of homicide by asphyxiation after the Boulder County Coroner's Office was unable to rule on the cause of death.

DNA linked to Angerer was found near where the body was found in 2009 and Angerer was arrested in 2010 and charged with second-degree murder.

Angerer was released from jail after five months when a judge ruled that there was not enough evidence against him.

Public defender Seth Temin said at that hearing: 'They need to produce evidence first that Angerer is the person who caused the death of another.

'They haven't done that, Judge. They can't even place him at the scene of the death, nor can they say how or where she died.'

But the continued investigation into the murder of Angela Wilds finally uncovered significant new evidence, which has not been detailed.

Prosecutors did say this included interviewing new witnesses and consulting with forensic teams.

Angerer was arrested for a second time on Thursday 9 March in Anchorage and his extradition to Boulder County, where Wilds was found, was pending.

He was indicted in February by a grand jury on one count of second-degree murder.

Angela Wilds' body was found undressed in 2006 by hikers near a shallow grave and clothes

An area in the woods cordoned off as part of the investigation into the death of Angela Wilds
Venues in The Rocks and Circular Quay turned into an Irish Village

St Patrick's Day celebrations kick off across the country

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Scantily-clad revellers draped in their best green attire flocked to pubs and clubs across the country on Friday to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

Sydneysiders poured into venues across The Rocks and Circular Quay - which have been transformed into an Irish village - and made a sea of green across the Harbour City.

Mini dresses, oversized hats, sunglasses as well as novelty headbands and masks - all in emerald - were popular choices among revellers who clutched pints of Guinness and danced the night away.

Celebrating Ireland's national day, partygoers draped their arms around one another while spilling drinks and throwing their hands up in joy.

Thousands of revellers draped in their best green attire flocked to pubs and clubs across the country on Friday to celebrate St Patrick's Day

Sydneysiders poured into venues across The Rocks and Circular Quay - which have been transformed into an Irish village - and made a sea of green across the Harbour City

Celebrating Ireland's national day, partygoers draped their arms around one another while spilling drinks and throwing their hands up in joy

Irish you were here! One reveller donned Irish flag face paint and opted for a football shirt

Partygoers made a sea of green across key locations, enjoying Guinness and Irish style festivities

Last year more than 15,000 people flocked to NSW's capital but numbers this year are expected to well exceed that mark

Revellers made their way to Sydney nice and early to celebrate the end of the working week

One reveller stylishly paired an oversized green shirt with a little black dress as she got ready for a night of festivities

Straight from the beach! One reveller opted for a white bikini and green skirt while her pal paired white sneakers with a playsuit

One person wore a green bowtie while another kept it simple in a green top

Last year more than 15,000 people flocked to NSW's capital but numbers this year are expected to well exceed that mark as temperatures remained a hot 23 degrees at 9pm in the city.

Around 7,00,000 Australians have some Irish ancestry, according to Census data, with the celebration always big in cities Down Under.

Observation of St. Patrick's Day on March 17 dates back more than 1,000 years in Ireland.

But, unlike today's association of the holiday with raucous parades, it was traditionally a feast day marked by a religious service in the morning, and a celebration later in the day.

The festival is now celebrated all over the world, with huge parties in cities with large Irish diasporas.

It's since evolved dramatically, thanks to the arrival of Irish immigrants to the US in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Luck of the Irish! One woman opted for a minty dress maxi dress with a very daring split which she paired with Louis Vuitton slides - while her pal helpfully carried her trail

Beach chic: One partygoer opted for a mini skirt and crop top while another wore a mint green shirt

Heels, miniskirts and boob tubes were a popular choice among the female partygoers

Hats and shamrock sunglasses were popular choices among the revellers

One woman struck a pose while dancing the night away

One person celebrating opted for a white bikini and pearls

One reveller opted for a novelty headband and mini shorts

One man opted for a green shirt and shorts

A woman in a green minidress hugs another in Daisy Dukes and a green top as the revellers head into the city

Luck of the Irish! One reveller opted for green dungarees as she partied the night away

Until now, it was thought St. Patrick's Day observance began to spring up in the US in the early 1700s, with feasts, religious services, and charitable events in New York and Boston that largely mirrored practices seen in Ireland.

New York has long been credited as having the first recorded St. Patrick's Day parade, when Irish soldiers in the British Army organized in 1762.

With an influx of Irish immigrants, and a thus rise in Irish patriotism in the country, larger celebrations eventually made their way to other locations as well, such as Philadelphia and Boston.

Recently discovered historical documents from the Florida city of St. Augustine, however, now stand as evidence of the first St. Patrick's Day parade in the US, with celebrations as early as the years 1600 and 1601.

In Ireland, St Patrick's Day modern celebrations have taken off in more recent years, with a parade and 4-day festival for the holiday in Dublin.

Many have been snapped embracing both the celebrations and each other as the party is anticipated to rage on well into the early hours of Saturday.

One couple looked delighted and held hands in Sydney harbour

Despite being 17,204km from Dublin, revellers were sure to make the most of the festivities in Sydney

It is anticipated that more than 10,000 people will head out to celebrate St Patrick's Day

Dressed up in green, those looking to party made their way into the city
Russia today vowed to 'destroy' the dozens of Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets that Poland and Slovakia have pledged to send to Ukraine in the coming days.

The Kremlin said the fighter jets would be 'destroyed' before insisting that the deployment of Western arms - including warplanes and tanks - would not change the course of the war.

Slovakia today approved a plan to send its fleet of 13 MiG-29s to Ukraine, following Poland's lead in supplying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with warplanes to help fight against Russia's invasion.

In response, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: 'The supply of this military equipment - as we have repeatedly said - will not change the outcome of the special military operation... Of course, all this equipment will be destroyed.'

Since Russia's invasion last year NATO countries have sent billions of dollars of military aid to help Ukraine defend against Russia's invading forces. Moscow has accused the West of directly participating in the conflict through supplying weapons to Ukraine, and has warned before that NATO weapons would 'burn like hell'.

Slovakia has approved a plan to send its fleet of 13 Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets (file image) to Ukraine, following Poland's lead in supplying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with warplanes to help fight against Russia's invasion

Slovakia's Prime Minister Eduard Heger said his government had unanimously voted to donate its fleet of MiGs (file image) to Ukraine, becoming the second NATO member to fulfil Kyiv's increasingly urgent requests for fighter jets

Earlier, Slovakia's Prime Minister Eduard Heger said his government had unanimously voted to donate its fleet of MiGs to Ukraine, becoming the second NATO member to fulfil Kyiv's increasingly urgent requests for fighter jets.

'We will hand over 13 of our MiG-19 jets to Ukraine,' Heger said, adding that Slovakia would also deliver a Kub air defence system to Kyiv. Slovakia grounded its fleet of warplanes last year and no longer uses the jets.

'Promises must be kept and when Zelensky asked for more weapons including fighter jets, I said we'll do our best. Glad others are doing the same,' Heger later tweeted, adding that military aid was key to ensuring Ukraine can 'defend itself'.

The move comes a day after Warsaw said it would send around a dozen of the fighter jets to Kyiv.

Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday that Poland would hand over four of the Soviet-made warplanes in the coming days and others that need servicing and would be supplied later.

'In the coming days we will first transfer, if I remember correctly, four fully operational planes to Ukraine,' Duda said, adding that Poland currently has a dozen or so MiG planes that it inherited from the former German Democratic Republic.

'These MiGs are still in service in Poland's air force. They're in their last years of operation but are still for the most part in full working order,' Duda said.

'Additional planes are currently in preparation, under maintenance, and will probably be transferred successively.'

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that deliveries could be made in four to six weeks.

The MiG-29s will help Ukraine destroy Russian air targets within radar coverage limits as well as ground targets using unguided missiles. The aircraft also features large wing extensions which gives it good manoeuvrability and control at subsonic speeds.

Poland and Slovakia had indicated they were ready to hand over their planes, but only as part of a wider international coalition doing the same.

It remains unclear whether other countries would also share their military planes.

Ukraine's Air Force has a fleet of ageing Soviet-era fighter jets that came off the assembly line before Kyiv even declared independence more than 31 years ago. The warplanes are used for intercept missions and to attack Russian positions.

While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pleaded for Western supporters to share fighter jets, NATO allies have expressed hesitancy.

Before Russia's full-scale invasion in February last year, Ukraine had several dozen MiG-29s it inherited in the collapse of the Soviet Union, but it's unclear how many of them remain in service after more than a year of fighting.

The debate over whether to provide non-NATO country Ukraine with fighter jets was initiated over a year ago, but NATO has been wary of making the war escalate.

Indeed, US President Joe Biden's administration said yesterday that Poland's move to send MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine does 'not change' the US decision against sending its own warplanes to Kyiv.

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Poland's decision 'doesn't change our calculus with regards to F16s', referring to the US-built fighter jet.

He made clear that Poland's move 'does not affect, does not change that.'

Meanwhile, the Dutch foreign affairs minister, Wopke Hoekstra, in January said it was looking into supplying F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. The Netherlands has around 40 of America's F-16s while seven other European Nato countries fly the jets, including Poland and Norway.

Polish PM Morawiecki also said on Tuesday that Warsaw was considering providing U.S.-made F-16 fighter planes which would give the Ukrainians a qualitative edge over the Russians.

Ukrainian soldiers of the Paratroopers' of 80th brigade take cover as they fire a mortar shell at a frontline position near Bakhmut, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Thursday

Ukrainian servicemen ride atop of a tank at a position near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine, on Thursday

Youth take part in an action to mark the ninth anniversary of the Crimea annexation from Ukraine with the banner reads: "Russia doesn't start wars, it ends them" accompanied with an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Yalta, Crimea, on Friday

However, the Biden administration must first approve these third-party transfers whereby a countries re-export their US aircraft to Ukraine to defend its airspace against Russian attacks.

The UK, among Kyiv's staunchest supporters and military suppliers, has also remained hesitant over sending Typhoon and F-35 jets to Ukraine on the grounds that it would take months or even years to train pilots who are used to Soviet-era fighters. Experts say they also would not be the most effective jets for the battleground.

In contrast, Ukraine's air force is familiar with MiG-29s which means they could use the planes right away.

Poland was also the first NATO nation to hand German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, last month.

Earlier this year, Washington said it was sending 31 of its fast-moving M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, while Berlin will initially supply at least 14 Leopard 2 tanks and give permission to other NATO countries to deliver their own to Kyiv.

Britain was the first NATO country to announce it would send 14 next-generation battle tanks to Ukraine in the form of the Challenger 2 tanks.

Russia responded to that move with fury, with Moscow branding the decision to send tanks a 'blatant provocation' and warned the new Nato supplies will 'burn like all the rest'.

Poland is a crucial ally in the Ukraine crisis. It is hosting thousands of American troops and is taking in more people fleeing the war in Ukraine than any other nation, in the midst of the largest European refugee crisis in decades.

It has suffered invasions and occupations by Russia for centuries and still fears Russia despite being a member of NATO.

It comes as Ukrainian forces were today continuing to withstand Russian assaults on the ruined city of Bakhmut, the focal point for eight months of Russian attempts to advance through the industrial Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine bordering Russia.

Roughly one mile from the front lines, Reuters reporters said they could hear the constant boom of artillery and the crackle of small arms fire on Thursday.

Ihor, a 36-year-old soldier at the mortar position, said Ukrainian forces had been targeted by air strikes, mortar fire and tank shelling.

'You don't always check on what's flying over your head,' he added, crouching in a deep trench.

Bakhmut has become Europe's bloodiest infantry battle since World War Two. Russian forces led by the Wagner private army have captured the city's eastern part but have so far failed to encircle it.

'The situation in the city of Bakhmut remains on the brink of critical,' Oleh Zhdanov, a Ukrainian military analyst, said in a YouTube presentation. 'Russian forces are hitting the same areas over and over again.'

Russian forces also conducted four air strikes on the frontline town of Avdiivka south of Bakhmut on Friday, the head of Ukraine's presidential office, Andriy Yermak, wrote on Telegram, posting a picture of a ruined apartment block.

'The city is being shelled almost around the clock,' he wrote, adding that there had been no casualties on Friday.
Paris is being shaken by a second night of violent protests against President Emmanuel Macron's controversial pension reforms.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told radio station RTL on Friday that 310 people were arrested overnight, most of them in Paris, after protests on Thursday.

Rioters clashed with police during demonstrations on Thursday night, with officers deploying a water cannon as thousands gathered at the Place de Concorde.

Protesters this evening congregated at the public square, with pictures emerging of them huddled around a fire with a cardboard effigy of the French President raised precariously above the flames to chants of 'Macron, Resign!' The cutout was later shown after it had been ignited.

Reuters TV broadcast images of tear gas being used by police to deal with crowd disorder at the Place de Concorde this evening as tensions over the reforms reached melting point. A water cannon vehicle was also pictured.

A protester holds a cut-out depicting French President Emmanuel Macron near a fire during a demonstration on Place de la Concorde on March 17, 2023

A poster depicting French President Macron burns as protesters set fire to construction equipment at Concorde square on March 17, 2023

Police officers stand guard during a demonstration on Place de la Concorde on March 17, 2023

Water is sprayed at a wooden cable reel drum during a demonstration on Place de la Concorde in Paris on March 17

An AFP image shows water being sprayed onto a large wooden cable reel that had been torched in the public square. Construction equipment had been burned there for the second day in a row, according to reports.

Lines of riot police could also be seen blocking the path leading from the Place de la Concorde to the National Assembly, home to the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament.

French opposition lawmakers have filed a no confidence motion against Macron's government after the controversial bill to raise the retirement age was forced through parliament without a vote.

'The motion will allow us to get out on top of a deep political crisis', said Bertrand Pancher, the head of a left-wing independent parliamentary group that co-signed the motion.

Protesters set fire to construction equipment at Concorde square as people gather near the National Assembly on March 17, 2023

Protesters gathered at the Place de la Concorde this evening. They were seen huddled around a fire

A riot policeman removes barricades built by protesters during the demonstration against the French Government's pension reform in Paris on March 17, 2023

Riot police intervene with tear gas to protesters during the demonstration against the French Government's pension reform in Paris on March 17, 2023

Riot police arrest a protester during clashes in a demonstration against the French Government's pension reform in Paris, France on March 17, 2023

Riot police drag a protester away during clashes in a demonstration against the French Government's pension reform in Paris, France on March 17, 2023

A protester fires a firework towards French Riot Police amidst clouds of tear gas during clashes at Place de la Concorde as protests continue for a second straight night against the French Government's pension reform on March 17

Gendarmerie members stand guard during a demonstration on Place de la Concorde to protest the use by French government of the article 49.3 on March 17, 2023

Fury has quickly spread across the streets of Paris as angry protesters disrupted traffic and set cars and barricades ablaze following the bill being forced through parliament.

Demonstrators have also disrupted rubbish collection and university campuses as opponents of the change maintain their resolve to get the government to back down.

Several cars were torched in Paris and other French cities in the evening during demonstrations involving several thousand people. Trade unions mobilised workers to briefly block a Paris ring road.

Angry critics, political opponents and labor unions around France all blasted Macron for his decision to ram the bill raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 through the legislature.

The formal no confidence vote will likely take place early next week.

The capital is being shaken by a second night of violent protests as tensions over the pension reforms reach melting point

Demonstrator ran through the tear gas during a protest in Paris on March 17, 2023

Gendarmerie members stand guard during a demonstration on Place de la Concorde to protest the use by French government of the article 49.3, a special clause in the French Constitution, to push the pensions reform bill through the National Assembly without a vote by lawmakers, in Paris on March 17, 2023

CGT unionists march with flares and banners on the ring road in Paris on March 17, 2023

A police water cannon vehicle is stationed alongside police vehicles as people begin to gather for a demonstration on Place de la Concorde in Paris on March 17, 2023

Riot police block the Pont de la Concorde leading from the Place de la Concorde to National Assembly, home to the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament, in Paris on March 17, 2023

Riot police vehicles at the Pont de la Concorde on the evening of March 17, 2023

A pedestrian walks past full waste bins in Paris' 2nd district as rubbish collectors strike against pension reforms, leaving many streets in the capital piled with stinking waste on March 17, 2023

Macron ordered Borne on Thursday to wield a special constitutional power to push the highly unpopular pension bill through without a vote in the National Assembly, France's lower house of parliament.

His calculated risk infuriated opposition lawmakers, many citizens and unions.

The French are deeply attached to keeping the official retirement age at 62, which is among the lowest in European countries.

More than eight out of 10 people are unhappy with the government's decision to skip a vote in parliament, and 65 per cent want strikes and protests to continue, a Toluna Harris Interactive poll for RTL radio showed.

On Thursday, thousands gathered in protest at the Place de la Concorde.

As night fell, police officers charged the demonstrators in waves to clear the Place.

Small groups then moved through nearby streets in the chic Champs-Elysees neighborhood, setting off street fires along the way.

Similar scenes repeated themselves in numerous other cities, from Rennes and Nantes in eastern France to Lyon and the southern port city of Marseille, where shop windows and bank fronts were smashed, local French media reported.

Fury has spread across the streets of Paris as police clash with protesters after a controversial bill to raise the retirement age was forced through parliament without a vote

Fights have broken out between protesters in the capital city

A barricade burns as protesters block the traffic on Paris' peripheral boulevard in the morning hours to distribute flyers against the French government's pension reform

Rubbish has piled up on the street in Paris' 5th district, as rubbish collectors strike against pension reforms, leaving many streets in the capital piled with waste

People wave General Confederation of Labour unions (CGT) flags as they block the traffic on Paris' peripheral boulevard

Firefighters intervene to stop the fire to start in full waste bins as rubbish collectors strike against pension reforms

A cyclist drives past full waste bins in Paris' 2nd district as rubbish collectors strike against pension reforms leaving many streets in the capital piled with stinking waste

The Eiffel Tower is seen while protesters set fire as clashes take place with riot police during a demonstration against French government's plan to raise the legal retirement age

Protesters set fire as clashes take place with riot police during a demonstration against plans to raise the retirement age

The trade unions that had organized strikes and marches against a higher retirement age said more rallies and protest marches would take place in the days ahead.

'This retirement reform is brutal, unjust, unjustified for the world of workers,' they declared.

Macron has made the proposed pension changes the key priority of his second term, arguing that reform is needed to make the French economy more competitive and to keep the pension system from diving into deficit. France, like many richer nations, faces lower birth rates and longer life expectancy.

Macron decided to invoke the special power during a Cabinet meeting a few minutes before a scheduled vote in the National Assembly, where the legislation had no guarantee of securing majority support. The Senate adopted the bill earlier Thursday.

Demonstration in Paris take place at Place de la Concorde, following the use of Article 49.3 to validate the government's pension reform

Protestors chant against the French Government during demonstrations at Place de la Concorde

Clashes take place during a demonstration against French government's plan to raise the legal retirement age in Paris

Protesters participate in a demonstration against French government's plan to raise the legal retirement age

Protesters set fire to items as clashes take place with riot police during a demonstration

Riot police advance as clashes take place during a demonstration in Paris last night

CGT unionists light flares on the ring road as they block the traffic to protest

Opposition lawmakers demanded the government to step down. If the expected no confidence motion passes, which requires approval from more than half of the Assembly, it would be a first since 1962 and would force the government to resign. It would also spell the end Macron's retirement reform plan.

Macron could reappoint Borne if he chooses, and a new Cabinet would be named. If the motion does not succeed, the pension bill would be considered adopted.

Addressing the protests, hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said: 'Something fundamental happened, and that is that, immediately, spontaneous mobilisations took place throughout the country.

'It goes without saying that I encourage them, I think that's where it's happening.'
Pornhub's owners look set to cash in with the sale of parent company MindGeek to Canadian private equity firm Ethical Capital Partners for an undisclosed amount.

The firm, which claims to specialize in tech opportunities that 'require ethical leadership', announced the acquisition on its website yesterday.

Financial terms of the transaction have not been revealed. But ECP say they plan to use their experience to build MindGeek while fighting illegal online content and ensuring ethical practices online.

The sale comes a day after the release of hard-hitting Netflix documentary Money Shot: The Pornhub Story, which focuses on trafficking and exploitation in the industry.

It also comes just months after two top Pornhub executives resigned after the company was accused of hosting sexually explicit nonconsensual videos, including ones involving minors, for years.

Chief Executive Officer Feras Antoon and Chief Operating Officer David Tassillo quit after more than a decade running the adult website company. At the time, MindGeek said its executive leadership team would take over day-to-day operations without naming replacements.

Performers, journalists and alleged victims spoke candidly on the new Netflix documentary

Former Chief Executive Officer Feras Antoon (left) and former Chief Operating Officer David Tassillo (right), who resigned from MindGeek, the company best known for operating Pornhub

MindGeek, which is headquartered in Luxembourg but has large offices in Montreal, said that with ECP's support it will 'further its research and adoption of the latest and best available online safety protocols to ensure that it remains a world-class leader in trust and safety and its platforms are inclusive, sex positive spaces for adults.'

Attention focused on Pornhub's practices after journalist Nicholas Kristof published a column in the New York Times entitled "The Children on Pornhub", detailing some of the survivor stories of young people whose sexual abuse had been uploaded to the website.

'[The] site is infested with rape videos. It monetizes child rapes, revenge pornography, spy cam videos of women showering, racist and misogynist content, and footage of women being asphyxiated in plastic bags,' Kristof wrote.

READ MORE: Pornhub's top two executives RESIGN after company was accused of hosting videos showing nonconsensual and underage sex for years Advertisement

Pornhub subsequently banned uploads from unverified users.

Mastercard and Visa cut their services to Pornhub in light of the report.

Its top executives also resigned in 2022 after MindGeek was accused of hosting videos showing nonconsensual and underage sex.

At the time, it was reported that CEO Feras Antoon and COO David Tassillo would remain shareholders of the company, having ran it for over a decade.

Antoon co-founded Brazzers in 2005, joining Tassilo to purchase MindGeek (then called Manwin) in 2012 from German businessman Fabian Thylmann.

Antoon and Tassillo denied claims their company allowed explicit videos of minors and unconsenting individuals to stay up on their sites.

It is not clear whether Antoon and Tassillo were still shareholders when MindGeek decided to sell to Ethical Capital Partners, announced the day after the release of Netflix's documentary.

Documentary maker Suzanne Hillinger worked with Kristof for the one-and-a-half hour Netflix expose Money Shot, released March 15, which looks into allegations of sex trafficking and rape videos shared on the website.

The film features interviews with performers, activists and past employees and claims to offer 'a deep dive into the successes and scandals of Pornhub'.

Journalists, whistleblowers and victims of the site's alleged mismanagement of content speak candidly in the documentary.

Money Shot follows the website from its inception in 2007 to the present, focusing on the difficulty the site has had protecting its creators.

New owners Ethical Capital Partners will hope to ensure high standards, ensuring MindGeek's platforms 'are at the forefront of innovation, and trust and safety on the internet, and remain home to an inclusive global community of adult creators, performers, artists and users celebrating creative and sexual expression.'

A press release said ECP would invest in MindGeek as an internet leader in fighting illegal content online, stressing 'child protection, intimate image security and digital self-determination'.

The documentary was released on 15 March, a day before ECP announced the acquisition

PayPal also cut services to Pornhub in 2019, claiming 'certain business payments' had been made through the site without PayPal's permission. Outlets claimed the payment platform had 'long been discriminating against performers' and claimed thousands would be hurt by it

After Kristof's report, Pornhub came under more scrutiny in June 2021, slapped with a lawsuit accusing the site of profiting from videos posted online without creator consent, featuring rape, revenge porn and child pornography.

The 179-page lawsuit against Pornhub's parent company Mindgeek was filed by Brown Rudnick LLP on behalf of 34 unnamed women in California state court.

Michael Bowe, representing the victims, said at the time the industry 'has operated like an old-school red-light district of commerce where rules that do apply and should be applied havent been applied.'

In February 2022, an Alabama federal judge denied MindGeek's motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought forward on behalf of two victims, originally filed in February 2021.

Pornhub has efforts to reform online practices. The decision in December 2020 to remove all videos by unverified users cut content from 13millionn to 5million videos.

MindGeek (originally Manwin) was founded by porn mogul Fabian Thylmann in 2004.

The company snapped up Antoon's creations, Brazzers and YouPorn, in 2010.

But after he was charged with tax evasion in 2012, Thymann sold Manwin to Antoon and David Tassillo for a reported $77 million.

Antoon served as MindGeek CEO and Tassillo as COO until 2022.

In 2020, Antoon made headlines after his $16 million mega-mansion on Montreal's 'Mafia Row' was burned to rubble in a suspected arson attack.

He had put the mansion up for sale just weeks before the fire.

Less is known about his business partner, Tassillo, who was listed on two companies registered in Delaware, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands, The Toronto Star reported.

The so-called Panama Papers revealed Tassillo was the sole owner of Appscrutiny LLC and Appiation Management LLC, which were both registered in Delaware.

He also registered Singleron Ltd. in Anguilla, and Teckkix in the British Virgin Islands in 2017.

He reportedly used nominee shareholders and directors to create the companies, which allowed him to hide his identity.

Antoon's 'mega mansion' under construction, close to the Bois de Saraguay park, Montreal

The house was devastated by a fire thought to be caused by arsonists

People look on at the Montreal mansion damaged after the fire

In response to Kristof's original article, Pornhub said it is 'irresponsible and flagrantly untrue' to suggest that it allows images of the sexual abuse of children on its site.

Pornhub added that it employs moderators to screen every upload and that it removes illegal material.

MailOnline approached Ethical Capital Partners for comment.
Jacqueline Gold's sister today praised her as a 'trailblazer and the most incredible woman' after she died of breast cancer aged 62.

In a double tragedy for the Gold family this year, the businesswoman passed away on Thursday evening after seven years fighting stage 4 cancer having briefly, and tragically, been given the all clear in 2020.

Vanessa Gold, who will take over as Ann Summers CEO, said today: 'Jacqueline courageously battled stage 4 breast cancer for seven years and was an absolute warrior throughout her cancer journey. In life she was a trailblazer, a visionary, and the most incredible woman, all of which makes this news that much harder to bear.

'As a family, we are utterly heartbroken at the loss of our wife, mum, sister, and best friend.'

Jacqueline was surrounded by close family when she died, including her husband, daughter and her sister Vanessa, who took over Ann Summers in 2022 and today described her sibling as 'an absolute warrior' having been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016 - the year she was handed a CBE.

David Gold with his daughter Jacqueline, who died last night after a long battle with breast cancer

Jacqueline, left, with her sister Vanessa and David Gold's partner Lesley Manning (right) in January as they laid flowers for Mr Gold on Green Street, where he grew up, after his death in January

Jacqueline Gold, then 49, and husband Dan Cunningham, then 33, with the couple's then one-year-old daughter Scarlett on their wedding day at Oxfordshire's Blenheim Palace in 2010

Jacqueline, left, who build Ann Summers into a huge brand, was described as a 'warrior' as she fought stage 4 cancer

Her famous father, the co-chairman of West Ham United, rose from abject East End poverty to a 500million fortune, died after a short illness on January 4 aged 86. He handed Jacqueline Ann Summers and its four stores to Jacqueline in 1981 - today it has 80 stores and annual sales of 113.8million.

A statement from Jacqueline Gold's family said: 'It is with unspeakable sadness that Ann Summers confirm our amazing executive chair Jacqueline Gold CBE passed away yesterday evening with her husband Dan, daughter Scarlett, sister Vanessa, and brother-in-law Nick, by her side'.

Jacqueline was last pictured laying flowers for her father in the East End of London on the day of his funeral two months ago. She was heartbroken at this death and said at the time that the Gold family had lost 'our hero'.

Jacqueline was made a CBE in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to entrepreneurship, women in business and social enterprise.

Jacqueline shared this picture of her with her father at the London Stadium after his death, calling him her 'hero'

In the same year she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she credited with transforming her life because it forced her to enjoy things more.

She wrote last year: 'It's no secret I have been through a lot of tragedy in my life. Whilst I would prefer things to have been different, I cope by finding the opportunity in a bad situation. For example, if it wasnt for my breast cancer diagnosis six years ago I wouldnt be living my best life now. If you train your mind to find the positive in every event you will banish worry and feel empowered'.

As well as battling breast cancer, she had also struggled to have children.

After a failed marriage she met Dan Cunningham, a City broker 17 years her junior.

They split in 2006 after three failed IVF attempts - but got back together and married in 2010.

In 2009 the couple lost their son Alfie at eight months.

The multi-millionaire businesswoman was told her son Alfie had an abnormality that meant he would not survive childbirth.

But the little boy fought for eight months after birth but was never well enough to leave hospital. Alfie's twin sister, Scarlett, survived and was her mother's pride and joy.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in 2018, Jacqueline said: 'Alfie did survive the birth. He was crying when he was born but not as babies do - he was crying because he was in pain. No mother should have to go through that, to hear her child cry in pain.'

She added: 'I desperately want my daughter to grow up believing she can be whatever she wants to be.'

David Gold said Jacqueline and her sister Vanessa had transformed Ann Summers. When he bought the brand with his brother Ralph in 1972, it had four stores.

The London-based company served as a standard sex shop under the ownership of its founder, Michael Caborn-Waterfield.

In 1981 Jacqueline was brought into the company. She quickly set about making her mark, introducing the 'Party Plan' concept.

This would see 'parties' held at the homes of customers, where women would be given presentations on sex toys and lingerie, and would play party games. These proved extremely popular and a good way of getting around laws that prevented sex toys being put on public display.

Ann Summers now has 80 high street stores in Britain and Ireland, and in the years since has become synonymous with the sale of lingerie and adult toys.

Jacqueline's sister Vanessa (left) with her father and sibling, said the family are heartbroken

Jacqueline, pictured in 2000, began as an intern at the company before becoming CEO. At one point she was sewing bras (pictured)

Jacqueline Gold being made a CBE by the Princess Royal during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle in 2016

Ann Summers said in a statement today today: 'Jacqueline is best-known for founding Ann Summers and leading a business run by women, for women. She was also an activist for women in business, and championed female entrepreneurs with the ambition to better the working environment for women.

'From an internship to chief executive officer in less than ten years, her determination and commitment to creating a unique retail offering led to the creation of a multi-channel retail chain, consisting of retail stores, direct sales ambassadors, and a fast growing online and third-party business. It is her vision and creativity that saw Ann Summers grow from an unknown brand to a British household name and staple of the British high street.

'In recognition of Jacqueline's significant achievements during her 40-year career, she was awarded a CBE in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to entrepreneurship, women in business and social enterprise.'

The statement continued: 'Jacqueline's death comes just two months after the passing of her father, David Gold, the joint-chairman of West Ham United FC. The thoughts and sincere condolences of everyone at Ann Summers are with Jacqueline's husband Dan, daughter Scarlett, and sister Vanessa at this extremely sad time.'

Jacqueline Gold's father David had one of Britain's ultimate rag to riches stories.

He and his brother Ralph, two years his junior, spoke about their struggle to escape the appalling poverty and anti-Semitism into which they were born in the East End of London in the Thirties.

Gold grew up across the road from West Ham's Boleyn ground, and as a talented footballer himself, he had hoped that he become a star there.

His market trader father, Godfrey, was in and out of prison for theft, receiving stolen goods and driving a getaway car.

He also had brushes with the Krays and the Richardsons, two gangster families who dominated east and south-east London in the 1950s and 1960s.

David and Ralph Gold bought Ann Summers and its four stores in 1972 (Marble Arch pictured).

Jacqueline helped transform the brand and build up 80 stores across the UK

Describing what first attracted him to supporting the club as a boy, Gold told the Independent: 'I'm seven or eight, my father's in prison, my mother's a skivvy, I'm living in abject poverty, so this was a form of escapism.'

David and Ralph's mother, Rose, a waitress, sold buttons and bric a brac from a stall in front of the house.

Gold would describe the trauma of seeing his mother spitting blood in bed as she had all her teeth pulled out aged just 30.

When their mother brought a few pin-up magazines home, the boys spotted an opportunity.

They set up their own stall in the Sixties, selling sci-fi books and magazines near Charing Cross Station and discovered what customers really wanted was the soft porn magazines of the day.

The Gold soft porn empire flourished and the brothers bought their own shops in Soho, making their first big money in 1967 from the sale of two of the stores - bought for 20,000 each - for 3million.

In 1972 the brothers bought Ann Summers and its four stores. In December 2007 David bought out Ralph.

The Gold brothers were a formidable partnership, with Ralph, a former British Army boxing champion, the chief negotiator and David in charge of strategy and organisation.

Both, they later admitted, were desperate never to be poor again.

Before long, they had seven outlets and with demand for 'glamour titles' growing in the newly permissive age, the brothers decided to cut out the middle man and set up Gold Star Publications to publish their own magazines.

Such was the demand, GSP were soon supplying most stores in the UK and attracting the attention of Parliament and the police.

Around that time Gold caught his wife of approaching 20 years, Beryl, cheating on him with his best friend in his swimming pool. It was the same day he caught his own father stealing his shares.

He would tell that story often, calling it the day that changed his life, because it drove him to make his fortune.

He would make 500million from property, retail, newspaper publishing, football and air travel - and would also find love with his fiancee Lesley.

The Gold soft porn stable, which was sold in 2006 in a management buyout, included such titles as Raider, Teenage Hardcore, Hardcore Housewives and Derriere.

Mr Gold was unabashed. He claimed it is men who are degraded by pornography, not women, and added: 'I've never published a product I am ashamed of - never, ever, ever.'

David with his daughters Jacqueline (right) and sister Vanessa (left) in a photo shared on Instagram

In an interview at the time of the sale, he proclaimed: 'I have never published or sold anything I think is wrong. I couldn't live with myself if I was running a company selling cigarettes, I couldn't live with myself if I was involved with drugs. I can't bear the thought of causing pain and anguish to other people.'

The Golds, like many others, including their business partner David Sullivan, decided to sell their titles and move on to the more lucrative opportunities.

The Gold brothers lurked just outside the top 100 of the Sunday Times Rich List for a year - at one time having been one place above the Queen - and were worth a staggering 525million.

David lived in a 10million-plus mansion in 55 acres of Surrey countryside.

He designed his own 18-hole golf course and has tennis courts and a swimming pool he rarely uses.

The grounds also had a helipad for his Gazelle helicopter and a runway for his private 4-seater Cessna 182, both of which he piloted himself.

His Bentley bore the personalised number plate D GOLD and his cufflinks spelt DG in diamonds.

His brother Ralph bought up the road, settling in his own multi-million-pound house with matching car and swimming pool.

Gold had previously been the chairman of Birmingham City - buying it with Sullivan and his brother for 1 - before selling his shares in the club in 2009 for millions.

He became joint chairman of West Ham in January 2010 following a takeover of the club, which the Hammers said 'helped to steady the ship and protect the club's future during a period of great financial uncertainty'.
US Reaper drone crashed into Black Sea after Russian fighter jets intercepted it

The Russian pilots of two Su-27 fighter planes that destroyed an American drone have been honoured by Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

The $32 million MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed into the Black Sea on Tuesday after being intercepted by the two Russian fighter jets, in what US officials have said was a deliberate act, possibly in an attempt to seize its data.

The US is in a race against time to recover the Reaper before it falls into Moscow's hands. However, Russia looks set to win the race as Putin's naval salvage vessels are already operating off the coast of Crimea.

Telegram channels indicate special purpose vessels Fizik and Professor Vodyanitskiy both sailed to or near the suspected location of the wreckage in the Black Sea.

It comes after a source close to the Russian defence ministry claimed Kremlin forces had found the downed Reaper drone at a depth of up to 2,953ft in the Black Sea off the major naval port of Sevastopol.

And today, Russia's defence ministry said Shoigu had presented awards to the pilots who destroyed the American drone.

The Russian pilots of two Su-27 fighter planes that destroyed an American drone have been honoured by Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Pictured: An image from the drone shows the Russian fighter jet dumping fuel on the MQ-9 Reaper

However, Russia looks set to win the race to find the surveillance drone as Putin's Black Sea fleet of naval salvage vessels are operating off the coast of Crimea today. Pictured: The Prof Vodyanitskiy research vessel in Russia which is said to be part of the search for the drone

Telegram channels indicate special purpose vessels Fizik (pictured in a file photo) and Professor Vodyanitskiy both sailed to or near the suspected location of the wreckage in the Black Sea

Announcing the awards, the ministry repeated Russia's version of events - strongly disputed by Washington who have released footage of the crash - that the Russian planes did not make physical contact with the drone.

'As a result of sharp manoeuvring around 9:30 am (Moscow time), the MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle went into uncontrolled flight with a loss of altitude and collided with the water surface,' it said.

The Russian ministry said the drone had been flying with its transponders turned off and violating airspace restrictions that Russia had made public in connection with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Washington has previously dismissed these claims, and said two Russian Su-27 fighters intercepted the unmanned MQ-9 Reaper during a reconnaissance mission over the Black Sea in international airspace.

Prior to that, the Su-27s dumped fuel on the MQ-9 and flew in front of it several times for 30 to 40 minutes in 'a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner', the US European Command said.

Drone camera footage released yesterday by the Biden administration showed the terrifying confrontation.

The U.S. military's declassified 42-second colour footage shows a Russian Su-27 approaching the back of the MQ-9 Reaper drone and releasing fuel as it passes, the Pentagon said. Dumping the fuel appeared to be aimed at blinding the drone's optical instruments to drive it from the area.

On a second approach, either the same jet or another Russian Su-27 that had been shadowing the MQ-9 struck the drone's propeller, damaging a blade, according to the U.S. military, which said it then ditched the aircraft in the sea.

The video excerpt does not show the collision, although it does show the damage to the propeller.

Now, Russian naval salvage vessels are searching for the destroyed drone in the Black Sea.

The activity by salvage came after a source close to the Russian defence ministry reportedly told the Crimean publication ForPost that an underwater robot had found the drone at a depth of up to 2,953ft in the Black Sea.

The source reportedly said: 'An underwater robot has descended to the seabed and detected the MQ-9 Reaper at a depth of about 850-900 metres.

'The deep-water branch of the South Stream gas pipeline runs not far from this area.'

Russian media claimed that Kremlin forces had found the downed US drone near the port

US officials said the MQ-9 Reaper drone was intercepted by two Russian Su-27 jets that dumped fuel on top of the drone before clipping its propeller, forcing it to crash

The $32million US Reaper drone taken out of the sky by Russia

The report said that Russian naval forces are 'on duty in the area where the US military reconnaissance vehicle fell'.

However there was no official confirmation of the report.

The research vessel Fizik, built in Turkey, is equipped with cranes but the vessel, having left naval port Sevastopol, later returned, said reports.

It remained in Russian territorial waters while the Reaper was reported to have fallen in international waters, according to the US.

The Professor Vodyanitskiy - a scientific research vessel equipped with laboratories, seismic sensors, an echo sounder, an underwater camera and other sophisticated search systems - remained out at sea, said reports.

Earlier, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the UAV may never be recovered from the crash site, admitting that the Reaper wreckage is still in the Black Sea.

The Pentagon also insisted parts could not be retrieved and any intelligence had been wiped.

Russia and NATO member countries routinely intercept each other's warplanes, but Tuesday's incident marked the first time since the Cold War that a U.S. aircraft went down during such a confrontation, raising concerns it could bring the United States and Russia closer to a direct conflict.

The MQ-9, which has a 66-foot wingspan, includes a ground control station and satellite equipment. It is capable of carrying munitions, but Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, would not say whether the ditched drone had been armed.
A government minister fought off tears today as MPs passed a ban on bringing dead animal hunting trophies into the UK, despite accusations that it was a 'colonial' law.

Trudy Harrison, the environment minster, referenced Cecil, a lion killed by an American dentist in Africa, as she welcomed support for the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill this morning.

The bill has been supported by celebrities including BBC presenter Gary Lineker as a way of helping reduce hunting of endangered species.

However critics have accused them of being out-of-touch luvvies whose actions could increase poaching by reducing the money available for conservation efforts.

Conservative Sir Bill Wiggin criticised 'public campaigning and lobbying done by high profile actors and celebrities, who have very little experience in these matters, but whose voices seem to speak louder due to their fame than ... the African community leaders and scientific experts who objected to the Bill'.

But MPs passed the private members bill tabled by Tory Henry Smith without a vote this morning after amendments were accepted that limit the species that the law would apply to. It will now go to the House of Lords, with MPs urging peers not to block it.

Ms Harrison told MPs it was an 'emotional' time, adding: 'Cecil the Lion did not die in vain.'

Trudy Harrison, the environment minster, referenced Cecil, a lion killed by an American dentist in Africa, as she welcomed support for the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill this morning.

The bill has been supported by celebrities including BBC presenter Gary Lineker and musician Ed Sherran as a way of helping reduce hunting of endangered species.

Cecil became a cause celebre in 2015 due to the manner of his death. Walter Palmer, an American dentist, paid 32,000 to his Zimbabwean guides in return for a chance to shoot Cecil with an arrow from inside a walled compound.

Cecil became a cause celebre in 2015 due to the manner of his death. Walter Palmer, an American dentist, paid 32,000 to his Zimbabwean guides in return for a chance to shoot Cecil with an arrow from inside a walled compound.

The black-maned lion lived on for 10 to 12 hours after he was shot. During this time he was left by his killers to 'suffer slowly and considerably' until he was eventually finished with a second arrow almost half a day later.

Palmer faced considerable anger and was the target of action from animal welfare campaigners.

Backed by celebrities including Joanna Lumley and Ed Sheeran, the ultimate aim of the legislation is to stop UK nationals from killing endangered animals in the first place. It brings Britain into line with countries including the United States, Australia and France.

It is also backed by No10, which said it met a Tory 2019 manifesto pledge on the issue.

But African leaders and grassroots groups are dismayed they have not been consulted. Representatives from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, South Africa and Namibia, which have hunted species including lions and elephants, claimed it posed a huge risk to endangered animals.

Much of the money that regulated hunting permits provide is channelled into conservation and anti-poaching work.

In a letter to Development and Africa Minister Andrew Mitchell earlier this month, dozens of conservationists and community leaders from Botswana, Angola, Zambia and Namibia said: 'We feel as if this is another way of re-colonising Africa.'

Sir Bill explained his motivation for proposing changes to the Bill, telling the Commons: 'I've been concerned throughout the progress of this Bill, however, that it is not motivated by a desire to see African wildlife flourish and prosper.

'If it were, then it would have paid heed to the scientific evidence provided by experts in conservation. British conservationists Professor Amy Dickman and Adam Hart have argued that 90 per cent of protected areas with lions are severely underfunded.

'Removing trophy hunting without providing a suitable alternative of revenue will expose those underfunded protected areas to further risks such as poaching.'

He later said he believed the Bill was 'a neo-colonial attempt to control conservation management programmes of African democratic countries'.

The North Herefordshire MP said: 'I know that not one of us here today is a racist or has that really nasty streak of wanting to judge people by the colour of their skin, but we have to be desperately careful that we don't signal that we know best to countries that are emerging.'

The Conservative MP for Crawley, Henry Smith, disagreed with Sir Bill's assessment, telling the Commons: 'To be clear, the territorial extent of this Bill is Great Britain.'

He added: 'This is about the values that we in Britain have, that we do not want to be part of a trade in endangered species' body parts.

'We are not telling other countries how to run their trade, or their conservation or hunting policies, although we may have a range of personal opinions on this, and it is important to remember that.'

Eduardo Goncalves, founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, welcomed the ban, saying: 'The outcome of today's debate signifies a momentous stride towards enshrining this bill into law, concerning a matter that is morally indefensible.

'I express my appreciation to the government for respecting their pledge to the electorate and for effecting the aspirations of an overwhelming majority of people who support this bill. The act of callously slaying innocent animals is and always has been an intolerable transgression of decency. This is a victory for wildlife and for our tireless supporters. We hope that this vote inspires other governments to follow likewise.'
A 'childlike' disabled and partially-blind woman who was jailed for manslaughter told police she 'couldn't remember' telling a cyclist to 'get off the f***ing pavement' seconds before the pensioner was killed by a car.

Auriol Grey, 49, was sentenced to three years in prison earlier this month after her outburst led to grandmother Celia Ward, 77, losing her balance and toppling into the road, where she was hit by a car and killed.

Video footage of her interview with police shows she told them 'I can't remember' when pressed for details of what happened during the incident.

Grey, who has cerebral palsy, is said to have made physical contact with Ms Ward before she lost her balance, but left the scene to do her shopping, telling police she didn't speak to emergency services because 'they weren't there'.

It comes after her sentence was criticised by campaigners as extremely harsh on Grey, who has just one friend and is estranged from her family.

Auriol Grey, 49, has cerebal palsy and is partially blind - she was described as 'childlike' and is estranged from her family

The tragic accident happened as the retired midwife was riding her bike on a path in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on October 20, 2020.

In the footage police officers asked Grey how Ms Ward ended up in the road.

'I think that the bike may have, if it swerved, onto the road,' she replied.

When asked if she had touched the bike or rider during the incident, Grey replied: 'Only in a vague way', before adding she touched her 'lightly'.

She originally also said she 'couldn't remember' whether she had said anything to Ms Ward.

Later in the interview, officers showed her CCTV footage of the collision and pointed out they could see Grey's lips moving.

She then told officers she asked Ms Ward to 'slow down'.

They also showed Grey stills of the footage, pointing out to Grey that her hand was 'on [Ms Ward's] jacket'.

When pushed to explain this, Grey again said: 'I can't remember.'

Grey repeatedly told police she 'couldn't remember' details of the incident which led to Ms Ward's death

Grey left the scene of the collision before emergency services arrived and went to a local supermarket

Footage released by the CPS showed Grey's interview after she was arrested

Grey was shown stills from CCTV footage, as well as played the tape and the audio

Read more: Mother of pedestrian who was jailed for waving at a cyclist to get off the pavement before she was hit by a car reveals how her daughter has 'struggled' after suffering brain damage at birth Advertisement

The audio of Grey telling Ms Ward to 'get off the f***ing pavement' was then played to her by the officers.

Grey said she could not hear what was being said on the audio.

She was later asked to explain what she had meant by shouting the expletive at Ms Ward, to which she replied: 'I can't remember.'

Grey was also questioned about why she did not stay to speak to emergency services after Ms Ward had been hit by the car.

She said: 'They weren't there.'

When pushed, she added: 'She was being helped and you could hear police and things coming.

'I didn't know I had to [stay].'

The court heard that until pre-sentencing Grey had expressed 'no remorse' for her actions and had walked off before emergency services arrived at the scene of the crash - despite admitting to police she had heard sirens on their way.

She is understood to be appealing her sentence, with her defence lawyer warning she stands to lose her home and all her belongings if she remains in jail.

Her laywer Miranda Moore KC told a judge: 'She has nobody to support her apart from a friend and no family support at all. She has no financial support at all other than state benefits.

'If she goes to prison today she would lose her home and has no one to store her possessions. She doesn't know what would happen to them.'

Grey has lived on her own for 17 years. Her sister Genny, older by seven years, died two years ago but even before that the two rarely had any contact.

CCTV footage showed Ms Ward falling into the road moments before she was struck by a car

She has almost no contact with her mother, who has said Grey has struggled for years after suffering from brain damage at birth.

But a judge said her actions were 'not explained by disability'.

Grey was said to have been warned to expect a custodial sentence, but still believed she would only be handed a suspended term.

Her basic ground-floor flat is run by a charitable trust that provides homes for disabled people who want to live independently.

Neighbours previously told how she was known for having a bad temper, seen as a 'loner' and was often heard shouting and swearing inside her flat.

One, who lives opposite Grey told MailOnline: 'We have paper thin walls and sometimes I heard her having heated phone conversation with people, telling then to f*** off.

'I never knew who she was taking to but it was on the phone because she never had any visitors.'

Read more: Disabled and partially blind woman who was jailed for three years after she gestured at a cyclist to get off the pavement seconds before she was killed is 'devastated' by her sentence and vows to appeal Advertisement

But another neighbour disagreed. Carrie Tooke, 51, an executive assistant, told MailOnline: 'I cannot believe that someone as delightful as she is can be treated like this.

'It is very, very cruel.'

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Sean Enright acknowledged Grey's issues, but told her they 'do not reduce your understanding of right or wrong'.

Judge Enright said he could only impose an immediate jail sentence, telling Grey she 'resented the presence of an oncoming cyclist' and her actions are 'not explained by disability'.

'This was a shared path for cyclists and pedestrians, I am sure you knew cyclists used the path, and were not taken by surprise,' the judge said.

The judgment has also been branded 'extremely harsh' by disability campaigners.

Fazilet Hadi, head of policy at Disability Rights UK, told MailOnline: 'This was a really tragic incident, where Celia lost her life, and I feel sadness and sympathy for all involved. The sentence given to Auriol does seem extremely harsh.

'With the number of cyclists increasing, we need proper separation of pedestrians, cyclists and cars, so that we can all keep each other safe.

'Government and councils need to review guidance, to ensure safe streets.'
Cases fewer but stay away from crowded places: Delhi govt over H3N2 infection IANS New Delhi More

Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday urged the people to stay away from crowded places over rising cases of Covid-19 and H3N2 influenza in the country. 'Cases are fewer in government hospitals. 20 influenza cases have been found at Lok Nayak hospital and 8-10 cases in other hospitals. Beds were reserved during the Covid-19 pandemic. We haven't released those beds," he said while addressing the media.



The government also gave instructions to all districts for surveillance to monitor the cases of influenza and Covid-19.



"Viral peak is common during this season. The current influenza peak is impacting those who have been affected with Covid infection. Elderly above 65 years and children below five years of age need to be more careful," said newly-appointed minister, adding that Centre has issued Covid advisory to six states, but Delhi is not among them.



However, we are issuing advisory on behalf of Delhi government that avoid going to crowded places, keep washing hands, and other preventive measures.



Bharadwaj also said that there are no plans to bring back the compulsory wearing of masks. "Soon, the government will start awareness programmes and will also create awareness through print, TV and FM advertisement," he added.





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Sharon Stone joked that she'd lost 'half her money' to the banking crisis as she pleaded for donations at a cancer charity gala last night.

The actress was speaking at the Unforgettable Evening Gala in Beverly Hills, which raises money for the Womens Cancer Research Fund.

Stone was honored last night for her relentless fundraising efforts. As she begged the deep-pocketed crowd for donations, she joked about there being no excuses not to donate.

'I know that thing that you have to get on and figure out how to text the money is difficult. Im a technical idiot, but I can write a f*****g check.

'And right now, thats courage, too, because I know whats happening. I just lost half my money to this banking thing, and that doesnt mean that Im not here,' she said to laughs.

The actress was speaking at the Unforgettable Evening Gala in Beverly Hills, which raises money for the Womens Cancer Research Fund

After the fall of Silicon Valley Bank, others are now clinging on. First Republic, above, is pondering a sale and desperately trying to assure customers that it is not at risk

Earlier remarks were more solemn. Stone fought back tears as she said the lives of her friends were worth more than some of the superfluous ways the Beverly Hills crowd often wasted money.

The ritzy event at the Four Seasons hotel was headlined by Maroon 5, and attracted a crowd including socialites, actors and reality TV stars.

Stone also spoke of her own health scare; doctors recently found a benign tumor that was larger than one of her breasts.

She was told that it had to be cancer, but it wasn't.

'Those mammograms are not fun. And for someone like me who was told that I had breast cancer because I had a tumor that was larger than my breast and they were sure that I couldnt possibly have a tumor without it being cancer, it wasnt.

'But I went to the hospital, saying, "If you open me up and its cancer, please take both my breasts, because I am not a person defined by my breasts.

'You know, that might seem funny coming from me since youve all seen em."'

Lisa Rinna, Sharon Stone, and Dr. Stacie J. Stephenson attend An Unforgettable Evening at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on March 16, 2023 in Beverly Hills, California

Stone's earlier remarks were more solemn. She fought tears as she asked for donations and spoke of the value of her friends' lives

Stone was told she must have cancer after doctors discovered a tumor that was larger than one of her breasts. It was removed and doctors found it was benign

Stone's representatives did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding her finances.

It's unclear if she does in fact hold any investments in the now defunct Silicon Valley Bank or any of the tech companies whose tanking stocks brought it down last week.

Stone lives in a palatial Beverly Hills mansion that she bought in 1995, but that is now estimated to be worth $12million.

In addition to writing a memoir about her health scare, she has channeled her efforts into painting.
A disgraced property tycoon who masterminded a 740million mortgage scam must hand over a 92,500 donation given back to him by a top private school after he was jailed for fraud.

Serial fraudster Achilleas Kallakis faces returning to jail for a year if he does not repay the cash given back to him by girl's school Francis Holland - whose past pupils including actress Sienna Miller, 41, and model Cara Delevingne, 30.

The Church of England School, next to Regent's Park in central London, named its theatre after the 54-year-old following his 250,000 gift in 2005 but cut ties with the conman after he was jailed in 2013 for his part in Britain's biggest mortgage scam.

A judge today gave the convicted fraudster 28 days to hand over the cash - or he will be sent to prison for a year.

Kallakis and co-defendant Alex Williams were originally jailed for seven years - later increased to 11 - after being found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to defraud in 2013. They duped banks out of more than 740million between 2003 and 2008 in the sophisticated property and luxury yacht scam.

Achilleas Kallakis and co-defendant Alex Williams were originally jailed for seven years - later increased to 11 - for their 740million mortgage scam

Kallakis faces returning to jail for a year if he does not repay the cash given back to him by girl's school Francis Holland. The school gave back more than 92,000 of his 250,000 donation in 2005 after he was convicted of fraud

The pair had both changed their names after pleading guilty to forgery in 1995 after making 85,000 by selling people from America and the Middle East forged aristocratic titles, claiming they owned ancient rights dating to the Domesday Book of 1086.

At a confiscation hearing at Southwark Crown Court, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said money given back to the fraudster by the independent school represented the proceeds of crime.

Kallakis, who was known as 'The Don' in high-stakes games on the international poker circuit, claimed he did not have an interest in the money, which he said was paid by the family trust.

Judge Tony Baumgartner on Friday granted the SFO's application to seize the cash and said Kallakis, who was not in court, must pay 92,500 within 28 days or face a year in prison.

'I am satisfied that the donation to the school came from the surplus monies of the fraud committed by the defendant and his co-conspirators,' he said in a written judgment.

Following his 2013 convictions, Kallakis was found to have a 'criminal lifestyle' and to have benefited from the scam to the tune of 95million.

He maintained a fleet of chauffeur-driven Bentleys, a private plane, a private helicopter, a luxury yacht moored in Monaco harbour and a collection of high-value artworks.

He was ordered to pay 3.25million based on his available assets, which at the time included a half share in the 4.5million family home in Brompton Square, Knightsbridge.

The past pupils include actress Sienna Miller (left) and Cara Delevingne (right)

Judge Tony Baumgartner on Friday granted said Kallakis (pictured), who was not in court, must pay 92,500 within 28 days or face a year in prison

Other assets, nominally valued at zero, were a multimillion-pound villa in Mykonos, Greece, containing an Andy Warhol dollar sign artwork, and a 250,000 Queen's Club debenture.

Kallakis satisfied the confiscation order in 2015 but the SFO brought him back to court for the money returned by the school, which was attended by his daughter Erinoula at the time of the donation.

The 'Kallakis Theatre' was named in his honour after he 'negotiated the terms of the donation' with the headmistress and bursar, said Christopher Convey, representing the SFO.

Payments of 75,000 and 175,000 were made in 2005 from his Swiss bank account into the school's account in the Channel Islands.

In June 2020, Kallakis's son Michalis launched a civil action in the High Court following the removal of the family name from the theatre and in July 2021 a settlement was reached for the school to pay 104,500 - including 12,000 in costs.

SFO director Lisa Osofsky said: 'Today's ruling demonstrates our determination to go after fraudsters, no matter when they committed a crime or where they hide their assets.

'In the last two years alone, we have recovered 100 per cent of the funds we have gone after - almost 140million in proceeds of crime - including from cases a decade after prosecution like Kallakis.'
Doctor said 'abuse' most likely cause but Bevan said dog pushed her down stairs

A two-year-old girl who was allegedly murdered by her raging stepfather suffered 101 injuries including brain damage similar to what is sustained in high-speed car crashes, a court heard.

Toddler Lola James died four days after she was allegedly attacked at home by her stepfather Kyle Bevan, 31, who claims the family dog pushed her down the stairs.

A jury was shown a full list of her horrific wounds, bruises and injuries in the family home, as a doctor told the court that 'physical abuse is the most likely cause' because the damage was were too 'catastrophic' to be explained by a fall down the stairs.

Lola sustained her injuries at Bevan's home in Haverfordwest, Wales, in July 2020 . Her mother Sinead James, 30, said she was asleep at the time.

Giving harrowing evidence, paediatrician Dr Deborah Stalker said there was not one part of Lola's body that was not bruised.

Toddler Lola James, two, died four days after she was allegedly attacked at home by her stepfather Kyle Bevan

Lola's stepfather Kyle Bevan, 31, claims the family dog pushed her down the stairs

She said: 'In my opinion Lola's severe and extensive injuries cannot be explained by a fall down the stairs.

'Physical abuse is the most likely cause. A stair fall does not explain the catastrophic and extensive injuries to the head with bleeding to both eyes.'

Swansea Crown Court heard the most likely cause of Lola's brain injuries was shaking while she also suffered 'gripping' injuries to her neck.

Dr Stalker said: 'An extensive subdural haemorrhage is usually the result of a high velocity road traffic collision where a child is thrown from the vehicle, or a fall from a great height, such as from a balcony or bedroom window of more than 10ft.

'The very severe and extensive injuries on Lola are not explained by a fall down domestic stairs.

'The most likely cause, in my opinion, is non-accidental injury, purposefully-inflicted injury, or physical abuse - the three terms are synonymous.'

The court heard bruising to Lola's ears was rarely the result of an accident.

Dr Stalker said: 'It is usually the result of a direct blow, not one from a fall.

'Injuries to the neck are also very unlikely to be caused by accident and can be caused by strangulation.

'The whole picture of Lola's head injuries led me to conclude they were caused by abusive head trauma.'

Lola sustained her injuries at Bevan's home in Haverfordwest in July 2020. Mother Sinead James (pictured outside Swansea Crown court on March 7), 30, said she was asleep at the time

The court heard injuries to Lola's back and legs were extensive and caused by a forceful blow

The court heard injuries to Lola's back and legs were extensive and caused by a forceful blow.

Dr Stalker added: 'It looks like three or four blows with a weapon.'

Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC said Bevan had been left alone with Lola at the family home when he launched a 'frenzied and extremely violent attack'.

He failed to call an ambulance immediately and instead filmed a 'disturbing 22-second film' of seriously injured Lola as he tried to prop her up.

Bevan was arrested by police and claimed the family dog had pushed Lola down the stairs at the home in Haverfordwest in July 2020.

James told police she was asleep when Lola suffered a series of horrific injuries - and claimed to have no reason to think Bevan would harm her.

Lola was rushed to Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest before she was transferred to Noah's Ark Children's Hospital in Cardiff.

James, of Neyland, denies causing or allowing the death of a child. Bevan, of Aberystwyth, denies murder.

The trial continues.
Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark are moving to the US six months after their children were stripped of their royal titles in a saga reminiscent of Megxit.

The 53-year-old royal, who is sixth in line to the Danish throne, will become defence industry attache at the Embassy of Denmark in Washington DC.

Prince Joachim is the younger son of Queen Margrethe II, who last September removed the princely titles from his four children Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Athena.

His family's move to the US has parallels to when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals in Britain in 2020 to begin their new life in North America.

Prince Joachim said: 'I am proud that I still get the opportunity to represent Denmark internationally in the area of security and defence. Transatlantic cooperation is a high-priority area, and I am honoured that they have found me qualified for the task.'

Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark are moving to Washington DC this summer

(From left) Felix, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim, Athena, Henrik and Nikolai last September

Last year, a split arose between Prince Joachim and the Danish royal house when Queen Margrethe decided that his four children should lose their titles as prince and princess.

Denmark's popular long-serving monarch later apologised for upsetting members of her family with the decision  with Prince Joachim publicly expressing his frustration, but she has refused to change her mind.

The official reason was to allow the children to live more normal lives, and follows similar moves by other royal families in Europe, including the Windsors, to slim down their monarchies, the palace said.

But Countess Alexandra of Frederiksborg, Prince Joachim's first wife and mother of his two older children, said at the time: 'We are all confused by the decision.

'We are saddened and in shock. This comes like a bolt from the blue. The children feel ostracized.

'They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them.'

And Prince Joachim himself added in an interview with Danish news outlet Ekstra Bladet that: 'We are all very sad. It's never fun to see your children being harmed. They have been put in a situation they do not understand.'

Joachim and Marie pictured with their children Henrik and Athena in December 2022

Prince Joachim, Princess Marie and their children Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Athena in 2019

It had been reported that Prince Joachim was first informed of the decision in May, however he said this was not the case - adding that he had been given only five days' notice.

Also at the time, a resurfaced interview revealed Prince Joachim had admitted he struggled to find his place in Denmark's royal family - while his wife Princess Marie said she had 'no choice' but to leave Copenhagen for Paris amid an 'internal power struggle'.

The queen's four other grandchildren were born to Crown Prince Frederik, 54, who is Joachim's older brother.

These four will retain their titles but when they come of age only the future king, Prince Christian, will receive an appanage, a decision taken in 2016.

As for Prince Joachim, he will join the Danish Embassy in Washington on September 1, where he will cover the US and Canada as an attache.

He will be in the position for three years but has the possibility of extending this.

Prince Joachim has an extensive military background with the Danish Armed Forces and elsewhere starting from 1987.

He completed his military training at the Ecole Militaire in Paris in 2020.

Queen Margrethe II, pictured at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen last October

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals in 2020 and left the UK

The prince held a similar position at the Danish embassy in Paris since 2020 but announced in November that he would leave that role this summer.

Denmark's parliament will now have to give its blessing for the prince, who is not salaried by the embassy, to receive his royal appanage or maintenance money while abroad.

Queen Margrethe, 82, is Europe's only reigning queen and the continent's longest serving monarch.

Last year she tested positive for Covid, just days after attending Queen Elizabeth II's funeral in London.
The Nigerian brothers who helped actor Jussie Smollett fake a homophobic race attack have revealed that the disgraced actor was late to the beating he arranged.

Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundario were paid by former Empire actor Smollett to attack him, with the actor blaming white supremacists who called him the n-word and screamed 'This is MAGA country'.

The pair have now made a Fox Nation docu-series on Smollett's web of lies, explaining in their own words the 'truth' of what happened on January 29, 2019.

Speaking on the show, the brothers said that they were 'sorry' about the incident, before joking around and donning a red 'Make Africa Great Again' cap similar to the one they were told to wear for the Smollett beating.

Abimbola explained that they were left waiting for Smollett for around 'four minutes' on a bench, with the attack happening around ten minutes after they had planned.

Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundario have now made a Fox Nation docu-series on Smollett's web of lies, explaining in their own words the 'truth' of what happened on January 29, 2019

Speaking on the show, the brothers said that they were 'sorry' about the incident, before joking around and donning a red 'Make Africa Great Again' cap similar to the one they were told to wear

He said: 'It felt like forever. We had no way of contacting him and he had no way of contacting us.'

They were asked by Steve Doocy if they wanted to apologize, replying: 'Definitely. An important thing for us was Justice for Jussie was an important thing for us.

'We saw how bad our characters were being attacked at the beginning of all of this. But, we didn't want to go back and forth in the media.

'Because we knew we would have our day to tell our sides of the story. The truth in its totality. Which the docuseries has done a remarkable job of doing.'

An investigation found that Smollett staged the entire thing, paying the brothers $3,500 for the attack, in a shameless bid to coax sympathy from the public.

He was convicted on five felony counts in 2021 and sentenced to 150 days behind bars, but was released while his legal team appeals his conviction.

The brothers explained that Abimbola was introduced to Smollett by a mutual friend of theirs, stressing that he did not meet him on the Empire set.

He was also an actor, and thought Jussie was asking him to 'play a role' when he said 'I want you to beat me up'.

One of the brothers even noted he gave the actor a 'noogie' to make it look like he had a scar

His brother, Olabinjo added: 'Man, I was like this cannot be real, like, this is some Hollywood stuff right here. It was mind-blowing to me. Surreal.

'At the time I didn't think it was a bad thing. Looking back now, I can see the ramifications of the whole thing that was being portrayed.'

The brothers added that they were banned from bringing their phones to the attack to stop cops from tracing them.

However they poked fun at the actor, saying he was 'not very punctual', so the fake attack was around 2:10am  adding that they said the 'infamous words' he asked them to stay.

Abimbola added: 'We approached him and then I threw the first punch, made it look like he fought back and then he walked away with a Subway sandwich.'

They also revealed that Smollett wanted both of them to wear a red MAGA hat, but said they were only able to find one.

Attorney for the brothers, Gloria Rodriguez, said that she was contacted by the brother's mother, six months after she met her when she was working as her Uber driver.

Nigerian brothers Abimbola and Olabinjo Osundario recreated how they staged the attack on actor Jussie Smollett in January 2019

Smollett has repeatedly denied that he staged the incident. He is pictured here in court last year

In Jussie Smollett: Anatomy of a Hoax, the Osundarios return to the scene of the 'crime' and share how they gave him a 'noogie' and poured bleach on his shirt before they ran away in the darkness of night.

The brothers took cameras to the spot where they sat on a bench waiting for around four minutes in the cold for Smollett at 2am on January 29.

Eventually, he said, he saw Smollett walking 'out the corner of my eye,' and the two sprang into action remarking 'We gotta go get this Empire f******' and 'Let's get that n*****.'

When they go to cross the street, Abimbola said, they said 'Hey n*****' to get his attention, 'and then he turned around, looked at us and that's when we started yelling the famous slurs he wanted us to yell.'

Among those slurs was 'This is MAGA country.'

'And then he said, "What did you say to me?" And that's when I threw the first punch at him. I held the blow, of course, so I made it look real.

'And then we started tussling, moving around and then I threw him to the ground,' Abimbola continued, noting: 'He wanted it to look like he fought back. That was very important to him.'

Smollett's face is blurred but he's seen holding the long white rope nose around his neck

The brothers' in-depth testimonies recounted how Smollett orchestrated the plot and sought them as accomplices enabled jurors to reach a guilty verdict in the high profile case - a ruling the actor last year appealed, allowing him to pause his 150-day sentence after just six days

Abimbola said he 'wanted it to look more real, so then I threw him to the ground. I used my knuckle to give him a nooggie,' demonstrating how he balled his face and rotated around Smollett's eye.

'Why did I do that? To make it look like he had a scar , to give him a mark, to make it look real like he really did get his a** beat,' he explained. 'After I did that, I fake kicked him.'

That's when Olabinjo said he 'came around with the bleach  the infamous bleach n the hot sauce bottle, poured it on his shirt, then I finally put the rope around his face.

'I did not put it around his neck,' he emphasized. 'I just placed it on his face, and that's when we took off.'

But when cops arrived at Smollett's apartment 40 minutes after he made the call to police about a hate crime, he still had a white noose around his neck.

He said he left it on to show the cops what happened as he also pointed to the bleach on his shirt.

But after just three days of probing the incident, cops began to hone in on the brothers - and subsequently suspected that Smollett's hate crime claims were, in fact, bogus.

Video evidence from more than 55 sources would prove that narrative to be true, unmasking the brothers as the definite culprits.

At this point, due to conflicting accounts offered by Smollett, cops knew the incident was a hoax - but were then faced with the task with forcing it from the brothers' mouths themselves.

Considered the state's star witnesses at the time, the brother's both delivered in-depth testimonies that laid bare the plot, leading to the actor's conviction in December 2021

Cops quickly encountered a road block after learning the pair were out of the country, but would only have to wait a few weeks before they would return.

They eventually were able to confront the brothers when they handed over their passports.

They were held in a Cook County detention cell for 47 hours before they cracked and owned up to taking part in Smollett's strange plot for the first time - which they said the actor designed with the ultimate goal of being viewed as a hero for not only the LGBTQ community, but to black people as well.

In the aftermath, the brothers said they were dumbfounded by Smollett's public remarks about the experience.

The two brothers ultimately testified against their one-time friend in court and were able to walk away from the incident with just two years' probation and a small fine, after cooperating with police and unmasking the ruse.

The FOX docuseries marks the first time the brothers spoke publicly about their role in the hoax.

It also features exclusive interviews with police officers and other key figures who played a part in unearthing the scam.
Both men will face Penrith Court next month

Two police officers have been charged with allegedly assaulting a naked and mentally ill woman in western Sydney.

The incident occurred after cops were called out to Smith Street, in Emu Plains to conduct a welfare check.

However, Senior Constable Nathan Black, 26, and Constable Timothy Trautsch, 27, are then alleged to have assaulted a 49-year-old woman who they found naked in the street.

The cops are accused of beating and stomping on the unnamed woman before pepper-spraying her exposed genitals.

Senior Constable Black is also accused to have shared the bodycam vision of the naked woman after the alleged assault.

Two police officers have been charged after allegedly assaulting a naked mentally ill woman while conducting a welfare check in Sydney's west in January (pictured Senior Constable Nathan Black)

Senior Constable Nathan Black, 26, and Constable Timothy Trautsch, 27, are accused of assaulting a 49-year-old woman who was naked in the street (Pictured: Constable Timothy Trautsch)

Following an investigation into the incident, NSW Police charged the officers on Friday.

Senior Constable Black was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm in the company of other(s), possess or use a prohibited weapon without permit, intentionally publish protected information, intentionally record intimate image without consent, and intentionally distribute intimate image without consent.

While Constable Trautsch was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm in the company of other(s).

Both men were working as part of the Nepean Police Area Command.

Acting Assistant Commissioner David Waddell said the officers have been stood down and suspended without pay.

They will both face Penrith Local Court on May 1.
A cruel dog owner who stabbed his two bull terrier puppies, scalded them with hot liquid and stubbed cigarettes out on them has been jailed for 16 weeks.

Isaac Campbell, 29, was also banned from keeping animals for life after the RSPCA uncovered he had subjected his puppies to shocking abuse.

A court heard inspectors from the animal charity were called over concerns for the welfare of the two dogs - named Sian and Frankie - in March 2020.

The dogs were found at an address in Nottingham, where they were seized by police and placed in the care of the RSPCA.

Sian and Frankie, both around six-months-old, had shocking wounds on their body and were rushed for urgent vet treatment.

A cruel dog owner who stabbed his two bull terrier puppies, scalded them with hot liquid and stubbed cigarettes our on them has been jailed for 16 weeks

The two puppies, named Sian and Frankie, both had shocking wounds on their body and were rushed for urgent veterinary treatment

The dogs were found at an address in Nottingham, where they were seized by police and placed in the care of the RSPCA

Sian was found to have extensive burns down her side from having hot liquid poured over her, and there was a large wound down the back of her skull and neck.

Frankie had two injuries on his legs - believed to be partially healed cigarette burns - as well as a puncture wound to his face, consistent with being stabbed.

Campbell, of Codnor, Derbys, was found guilty at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court of two offences of causing unnecessary suffering to the dogs.

Sentencing him to 16 weeks in prison, District Judge Johnathan Taff condemned Campbell's actions as 'sustained and systemic cruelty'.

He added: 'The defendant caused unnecessary suffering - quite deliberately and then it was unforgivable not to seek immediate veterinary treatment for the injuries he caused.'

A vet who examined the dogs said: 'On Frankie I found on the wrist a circular skin lesion next to a small healed skin lesion.

'On the right toe was also an healed lesion of similar appearance, as these had healed with unhaired scar tissue they were older healed wounds of unknown cause but had the appearance of puncture wound or cigarette burn.

'On the right side of face was a fresh circular wound close to the eye which was about 10 mms in diameter and was about 3-7 days old.

Sian was found to have extensive burns down her side from having hot liquid poured over her, and there was a large wound down the back of her skull and neck

Sentencing him to 16 weeks in prison, District Judge Johnathan Taff condemned Campbell's actions as 'sustained and systemic cruelty'

'The wound on the face was deeper and more extensive such as a puncture wound by a sharp object.

'The young female walking with a stiff, unsteady and laboured gait on her hindlegs. She was struggling to weight-bear.

'There were skin scabs over her nose and throat, fresh flat skin lesions over her ribs and involving the armpit with painful crusts and reddened and ulcerated lesions in a distinctive 'dribble' pattern.'

The vet added: 'The pattern and flat appearance of the skin lesions is consistent with liquid burns caused by hot liquid poured over her back from a height.

'She exhibited pain reaction and skin hypersensitivity over her entire torso.'

Campbell left court before his sentence was passed on February 28, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Police arrested the abuser the following day, and he was taken into custody. As part of his sentence he was also ordered to pay 200 costs and a 122 victim surcharge.

RSPCA inspector Helen Mead, who interviewed Campbell, said in her witness statement: 'I had very little in the way of explanation from Campbell about the dogs and what happened to Sian's leg.

While in RSPCA care both traumatised dogs showed aggressive tendencies and the male dog bit an inspector as she took him for veterinary treatment

A specialist was unable to handle the dogs despite all the training. As as they could not be rehomed, they were put to sleep for safety reasons

'But he claimed her leg was getting better so it was not a problem.

'He also said that Sian had knocked a pan of boiling water over herself and that was why she had those wounds.

'Throughout the interview, Campbell refused to look at me, or even in my direction, choosing to sit with his grey/silver coat hood up and his side to me throughout.'

While in RSPCA care both dogs showed aggressive tendencies and the male dog bit an inspector as she took him for veterinary treatment.

He would not let go of her arm and assistance was required and the dog became aggressive towards veterinary staff who tried to intervene.

Days later the female dog also attacked a vet during treatment - and again assistance was needed before she would let go.

They were taken to a dog behavioural therapist who worked with them both for 18 months but no progress was made.

The specialist was unable to handle the dogs despite all the training. As as they could not be rehomed, they were put to sleep for safety reasons.

Inspector Rachel Leafe, who investigated the case, added: 'Both Frankie and Sian had some awful untreated physical injuries which it appears to have affected them in their nature towards people.

'It was so sad that these dogs at such a young age were so aggressive.

'The male dog attacked an RSPCA inspector and also veterinary staff who tried to intervene. The female dog went on to attack the vet who was caring for her.

'We worked really hard to try to rehabilitate these dogs but there was nothing else we could do - the whole thing has been a very sad and upsetting incident for all involved.'
The transgender assistant health secretary who wants to make 'normalizing' gender affirming care for kids a government priority admitted that she is happy she waited until after having her own children before starting treatment.

Dr. Rachel Levine - the first openly transgender government official - is among Biden officials pushing to make it easier for children under the age of 18 to change genders.

She began her transition in 2011, when she was 54. She'd already been married for 23 years and raised two children, both of whom are now young adults, and says she's glad she waited so long because it allowed her to have a family.

'I have no regrets because if I had transitioned when I was younger then I wouldn't have my children. I can't imagine a life without my children,' Levine said during a 2019 speech about gender care.

Despite her own experience, she thinks it should become easier for other kids to start treatment as teenagers, even if it costs them their ability to have their own children later in life.

Dr. Rachel Levine, speaking at a 2019 event, said she had 'no regrets' about waiting until she was 54 to transition

By the time Levine started her transition in 2011, she'd been married for 23 years and raised two children

In the 2019 speech, she said teenagers today aren't 'willing to do that'.

'I don't know if I was 15 today, if I would take so long.'

Levine yesterday stated on a podcast that doctors offering gender affirming care to youngsters have the full support of the Biden administration.

Speaking on a podcast hosted by Connecticut Children's Hospital, she said: 'I can say that you, the children that you serve, the young people that you serve, their families, and you all have support at the highest levels of the federal government.

'President Biden supports you. I as the Assistant Secretary for Health will support you and I talk about this topic, everywhere I go, to get the word out.'

She also told of her hope that it would become less of a political 'minefield', and soon will be 'fully embraced'.

'The wheels will turn on this,' she said.

Levine's children are now both young adults. While she is glad she waited until after having kids, she is now advocating for gender affirming care to become normalized for teens

Levine's remarks about normalizing puberty blockers - some of which can cause bone fractures - sparked fury among Republicans and physicians.

Rep. Andy Harris, a member of the House Doctors Caucus and Co-Chair of the Pro-Life Caucus, said that Levine's comments are 'reprehensible.'

'It's reprehensible for a government official, let alone the Assistant U.S. Secretary of HHS to promote the genital mutilation of minors as becoming a standard practice in the U.S,' he said.

'As a physician, I was proud to co-sponsor the 'Protect Children's Innocence Act' which would prohibit harmful medical procedures used to treat gender dysphoria in transgender minors, including puberty blockers and surgeries in which minors alter their body to correspond to a sex that differs from their biological sex.'

He added: 'Many pediatricians, particularly pediatric endocrinologists, have expressed serious concerns about the use of puberty blockers, hormone blockers, and sex transition surgeries in minors.
An eco-activist who confronted Sir David Attenborough for not doing enough about climate change as he dined at a Michelin-star fish restaurant was today cleared of breaking the law over the disturbance.

Emma Smart, 45, shouted 'at the top of her lungs' towards the broadcaster after finding out he was enjoying a meal at the Catch at the Old Fish Market in Weymouth, Dorset.

Smart was upset with TV star after accusing him of lying to her in a letter he sent to her while she was in prison for her part in an M25 Insulate Britain protest.

She said he told her he had retired from public speaking after COP26 in 2021 but she then found out he was filming the new BBC series 'Wild Isles'.

In police bodycam footage from the incident, which was shown to magistrates, Smart appeared to criticise the 96-year-old for not doing more to support her and fellow activists.

Emma Smart arrives at Poole Magistrates' Court in Dorset this morning for her trial to begin

Sir David Attenborough was dining in a Michelin-star restaurant at the time of the incident

Smart, a marine biologist, shouted at him: 'The town I love, Weymouth, will be underwater and you sit there in this restaurant having dinner.'

The court heard Smart, an activist with the Animal Rebellion and Insulate Britain campaign groups, entered the upmarket fish restaurant on November 17 last year.

Staff blocked her from climbing the stairs to the second floor where Sir David was sitting before calling the police.

Smart was carried from the premises and arrested for failing to comply with a Section 35 order under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to disperse from the area.

Police who had been called to the eatery were worried about the impact the shouting would have on the elderly naturalist and asked Smart to leave.

Smart, from Weymouth, denied the charge and was today found not guilty following a trial at Poole Magistrates' Court.

A district judge found that the arresting police officers did not give her enough time to leave the area after she was ordered to do so.

She was supported in court by a band of fellow activists, one of whom at one stage shouted out 'fish don't have voices'.

Smart, an activist with the Animal Rebellion and Insulate Britain, told the court she went to the restaurant out of the 'extreme climate grief' she was feeling.

She said: 'Sir David's email address is public information, he sent me two pages in response to my letter that I sent in prison.

'He said that he understood me but that he had retired from public speaking after COP26.

'When I saw him speaking publicly on camera I felt that what he had said on that letter wasn't true.'

In footage from the incident, Smart shouted up at the naturalist, pleading with him to support activists like her.

The video showed her hollering: 'David Attenborough! I'm Emma Smart, I'm a biologist. I'm a scientist. There are 35 climate activists in prison right now.

'David, please stand up for us and support us. David, I have looked up to you my entire life and listened to you.

'The town I love, Weymouth, will be underwater and you sit there in this restaurant having dinner.

'I have spent my whole life just like you David. You said that you understood me. Are you risking everything? You can stop this. Don't let them arrest scientists.'

Emma Smart smiles as she arrives in the rain at Poole Magistrates' Court in Dorset this morning

Smart was wearing a jacket with the phrase 'deeds not words' as she arrived at court today

Smart turns around and smiles as she enters Poole Magistrates' Court in Dorset this morning

Smart, from Weymouth, insisted that she was a peaceful protestor and never meant Sir David any harm.

She said: 'I am always a peaceful protestor, I was never a threat to him.

'Had David come down and said that he didn't want to speak to me I would have left immediately.'

Police officers repeatedly asked Smart to leave before they arrested her for causing a disturbance.

Victoria Hill, prosecuting, said: 'The defendant was demanding to speak to David Attenborough who was in the restaurant that evening.

'She was told by the police officers that she was not going to be able to speak to him and asked to leave the premises.

'When she didn't she was removed from the premises and once outside, and while inside being escorted out, she was shouting towards him.

'As a result she was arrested, when she was interviewed by the police she offered no comment.'

PC Callum Hall told how Smart dropped to the floor like a 'dead weight' and had to be carried out by her arms and legs.

He said: 'We got there at around 8pm and spoke to Emma's partner outside the restaurant.

'He told us that they had technically kidnapped his wife by locking her in the restaurant.

'We entered the building and there was a member of staff blocking the way for Emma to get to the second floor where David Attenborough was.

Smart was alleged to have refused to leave the restaurant in Weymouth last November

The incident happened at the Catch at the Old Fish Market restaurant on November 17 last year

Sir David Attenborough had been filming in Weymouth at the time for a fishing documentary

The incident happened at the Catch at the Old Fish Market eatery in Weymouth (file image)

'The member of staff looked stressed because they had a high-profile guest and they wanted it to go smoothly.

'Emma continued to shout at the top of her lungs even after we repeatedly asked her not to. The manager said that he was going to have her removed if we didn't.

'We warned her again but then she dropped to the floor like a dead weight so I carried her legs and my colleague carried her arms.

'When we got outside she still continued shouting as loudly as she could.'

As she was being escorted out, she continued 'shouting' that she wanted to speak to Sir David as loudly as she could.

She represented herself during her trial at Poole Magistrates Court and earlier described the police statements as 'completely factually incorrect'.

She argued that she was never in the restaurant itself but in the shop on the first floor. Smart said: 'At no point in the footage was I in the restaurant, I was in the shop.

'In the footage I was polite and calm. I would claim that the force which was used to remove me was assault.'

In finding her not guilty today, Deputy District Judge Clare Boichot told Smart: 'The time you were given was not sufficient.

'The officer attempted to get permission at 8.23pm when telling an inspector what the situation was. It was only at 8.40pm that they actually had possession of the paperwork.

'Given the circumstances and the lack of escalation once you were outside I do not think there was sufficient evidence that there was a reasonable amount of time for the defendant to comply with the order.

'In total the incident lasted less than 18 minutes. The defendant was given seconds to comply with the Section 35 order when it was approved.

'I do not believe they had reasonable grounds to believe that your behaviour was likely to continue to escalate.

'In the footage once you are outside there is no escalation and there is nobody else in the footage to be distressed. I am not satisfied with the crown's argument. I find you not guilty.'
Delhi L-G addresses Assembly, underlines govt's works in education sector IANS New Delhi More

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena As the budget session of Delhi Assembly began on Friday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena in his inaugural address underlined the work of the AAP government in the education sector. Saxena said that due to the Delhi government's keen focus on the education sector, the students have performed well.



"Despite the Covid pandemic, Delhi's economy has been doing well. The government worked in construction, real estate, electric vehicles and other sectors. The government has performed well in the field of quality of education. In 12th and 10th classes, 98 and 97 per cent results came for students. A separate education board of Delhi has been created. Delhi has performed well in the education sector in the past five years," said L-G Saxena in his address.



He added, "In the field of social security, the government is working for inclusive development. A total of 4.08 lakh people have been given pension under the old age assistance scheme. Financial assistance has also been provided to 3.50 lakh distressed women."



In the area of infrastructure, Delhi L-G said, several underpasses, flyovers have been constructed in Delhi. Total 1,35,000 CCTV cameras have been installed across the city. Total 500 national flags were put up all over Delhi on the 75th Independence Day. About 20,000 rooms were made in the government schools. The Kejriwal government laid a new pipeline of 34 km, WTP scheme of Chandrawal and Wazirabad which is about to be completed.



"My government has placed public transport and modernly designed infrastructure among its most important objectives. Delhi Transport Corporation has a total fleet of 4,010 buses, out of which 3,760 are low-floor buses and 250 are e-buses with zero emission. 1,500 additional electric buses are being added," Saxena said while addressing the House.



However, L-G Saxena also said, "There is no doubt that the dignity of speech has broken down in the last few days, but just like leaves shed from the trees and grow back again, similarly, we are one government and our relations will continue to grow."





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Dramatic footage captured the moment a hiker was airlifted out of a canyon on the Utah-Arizona border as rapid floodwaters raced in.

Severe rainfall led to the deaths of at least two amid desperate rescue missions in the area throughout the week, which came as the West Coast continues to be battered by devastating weather.

An atmospheric river event has washed out the region in recent days, bringing with it torrential rainfall, bitter winds and snowstorms.

Following months of historic snowfall across California and the surrounding states, a severe weather front brought the third major storm of the year to the coast, leading to a death toll of at least 16.

Officials in Washington County, Utah, were forced to construct makeshift zip lines after three adults and three children were left stranded by a flash flood

Deep floodwaters have brought havoc across the West Coast in recent days as torrential rains washed in

The shocking airlift footage led Kane County Sheriff Lt. Allen Alldredge to confirm the first man found dead was among a group of three hikers venturing through the Utah-Arizona border.

Another man rescued from the group was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia and severe injuries after surviving several days through the ordeal.

Authorities confirmed they found a second body on Wednesday afternoon in the cavernous area, which is believed to be a man who was identified as missing earlier in the week, however this has not yet been confirmed.

Two Utah Department of Public Safety helicopters were deployed to rescue the group of three hikers Wednesday, a day after an additional 11 others were extracted from the fast-moving flood waters.

In Washington County, Utah, the sheriff's office confirmed they responded to a call on Thursday after receiving a report that three adults and three children were stranded on a separate canyon trail.

A flash flood rushed through the area as the hikers were travelling through, leading the group, including the children aged just two, four and six, to be stuck on one side of the river.

Search and rescue teams constructed a makeshift zip line to shuttle gear and blankets across the river, before another was anchored to traverse the individuals to safety.

Flash floods can cause water levels to rise within seconds, with the atmospheric river storm that swept in through the West Coast since last weekend causing severe damage to numerous homes and businesses.

Emergency services have been called all across the West Coast since the 'Pineapple Express' storm made landfall last weekend.

In another heroic helicopter rescue, footage surfaced showing a man desperately clinging to a wall after being swept into the raging Los Angeles River.

The LA Fire Department's ground and air crews responded at about 5pm on Wednesday as the man, who is yet to be identified, clung for his life on a 'concrete sheer wall.'

In nearby Orange County, officials declared a local state of emergency due to the torrential storms.

Residents in four apartment buildings in San Clemente were forced to evacuate after a hillside at the rear of the property collapsed - just days after a man died in Oakland, California when a warehouse roof caved in on him under the weather.

A swimming pool at a residential home in Orange County, CA on the edge of a hillside that collapsed amid the severe weather

Floodwaters in Watsonville, California have washed out residents after the Parajo River overflowed. Sandbags have been issued by several California cities and emergency shelters have been set up

The city of Woodlake was also among those damaged by the atmospheric river storm, with firefighters and police officers reportedly floating canoes across the streets to rescue those stuck in their homes.

Cities across the West Coast have been handing out sandbags to mitigate the deep floodwaters from entering homes while emergency shelters have been set up.

California's weather woes come as it was hit last week by its third major storm of the year, dubbed the 'Pineapple Express' storm.

The devastating weather front placed more than 20 counties under a state of emergency, and evacuation orders were issued in coastal counties at the end of last week.

Upwards of an inch of rain fell every hour in some parts of California over the weekend, while mountainous regions such as the San Bernadino Valley were still blanketed by snowfall.
A Metropolitan Police officer who sent a sickening pornographic photo of two men having sex with a woman's decapitated body to a colleague has been jailed.

Police Constable Liam Boshein sent the 'appalling' extreme image of a corpse to the male fellow trainee as a form of 'banter', a court heard.

The 25-year-old's conduct was said to fall into a wider 'culture' within the Met of officers looking to 'impress each other' by sharing grossly offensive images and is the latest scandal to rock Scotland Yard.

Boshein, whose father is also a police officer, was today jailed for 42 weeks after admitting being in possession of the 'grossly offensive' image, which the Crown Prosecution Service labelled as 'frankly repulsive'.

Portsmouth Crown Court also heard how the disgraced PC sent a message to a trainee officer, saying the image was 'still not as bad as the pregnant bird' in which a woman giving birth was seen alongside an erect penis.

Boshein (pictured right in the mask) has since left the police force. He admitted being in possession of the 'grossly offensive' image, which the Crown Prosecution Service labelled as 'frankly repulsive'

Judge Timothy Mousley KC said 'a sentence of imprisonment is unavoidable', adding: 'You were a serving police officer and that of course is a very serious aggravating feature.'

Boshein, from Portsmouth, Hampshire, appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty last month to committing the offence between November 7 2019 and April 4 2021.

Prosecuting, Tim Devlin described the image, and said it had been shared with fellow trainee officer Mark Hamilton in November 2019.

The court heard the images were found when Hampshire police examined Boshein's phone as part of another investigation.

Mr Devlin continued: 'There seems to have been an element of banter between Boshein and Hamilton.'

The court heard that when interviewed by police, Boshein claimed he had 'no recollection' of the picture and 'would not have kept it'.

He also said he was 'shocked' at seeing the photo and had not been 'sexually aroused' by it.

Mr Devlin told the court the offence occurred after Boshein was finally accepted to joining the police force, on his third attempt.

'He had now joined and was undergoing training and must have been mindful of the standard of conduct which fell to him as an officer of the police.'

Mr Devlin said the conduct was 'really concerning' given 'recent cases of Met police officers', citing the imprisonment of PC Jonathon Cobban and former PC Joel Borders in November last year in relation to a WhatsApp group with disgraced Wayne Couzens.

'You have to look at this in the context of the culture which appears to have arisen in the Met, where people think it is acceptable to share this sort of thing in order to impress each other.'

In mitigation, Ryan Dowding said while the photo and surrounding messages and were 'unacceptable', there had been 'no sexual gratification'.

Mr Dowding added it was the only image out of 296,000 found on Boshein's devices that was pornographic and that time in prison would further damage his 'fragile' mental health.

The court heard Boshein had made a suicide attempt, been diagnosed with anxiety and depression and was taking medication for both.

Offering an apology on behalf of the disgraced PC, Mr Dowding said: 'He has shown contrition and remorse and was a 22-year-old, immature young man at the time.

'This was not an image out of which any party involved gained any sexual gratification. It was sent out of morbid curiosity.'

Boshein did not get any sexual gratification from the image, which showed the decapitated head of a woman being violated by two men. Instead, the court heard the image was 'sent out of morbid curiosity'. Boshein, right, is pictured outside Portsmouth Crown Court

Addressing Boshein, Judge Timothy Mousley KC said: 'I have come to the view the it a serious offence.

'It is undoubtedly a grossly offensive image.

'As you know one of the most serious aspects of this offence is the fact you forwarded the image on.

'You were a serving police officer and that is of course a serious aggravating factor. My conclusion is the only appropriate punishment can by achieved by immediate custody.'

Boshein's mother wept in court as he was sentenced to 42 weeks imprisonment, half of which he will serve before being released.

Boshein had already resigned from the police force after being put on restricted duties after the investigation was taking place.

A Met Police spokesman confirmed on an earlier occasion that Boshein had been suspended from his post with the South Area Command Unit and the force's directorate of professional standards was aware of the case.

Ruth Sands, Wessex senior crown prosecutor, said after the sentencing: 'The image found on Liam Boshein's phone was frankly repulsive and certainly not something that the public would expect a police officer to have in his possession.

'The public rightly expects police officers to act with integrity and to uphold the law to keep our communities safe.

'We will continue to prosecute anyone who commits a criminal offence whenever our legal test is met.'
Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has apologized for making an 'ill-judged' quip about Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky in the midst of his whirlwind tour of D.C. timed to St. Patrick's Day.

Varadkar, 44, made the joke while speaking to a group of interns in the nation's capital  just a day after sitting next to former first lady Hillary Clinton at an event.

He was speaking to the Washington Ireland Program and recalling his own time as an intern in Washington more than two decades ago.

It was a time 'when some parents would have had cause for concern about what would happen to interns in Washington,' he quipped, in reference to the sex scandal that made headlines around the world when it was revealed in 1998.

His office immediately sought to clean up the comment.

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar made a quip about being an intern in Washington around the time of the Monica Lewinsky scandal  a day after visiting with former first lady Hillary Clinton

'At the Washington Ireland Program event today the Taoiseach was reminiscing about his time in Washington DC as an intern 23 years ago. He made an ill-judged off the cuff remark which he regrets. He apologizes for any offense caused to anyone concerned,' said his spokesman.

It all came on a high-profile day for Ireland in the U.S. Varadkar is set to meet Friday with President Joe Biden, where they will mark the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Later they join an annual Friends of Ireland Caucus lunch in the Capitol, and Biden is hosting him this evening for a Shamrock presentation and concert with Niall Horan. He visited Vice President Kamala Harris at the vice president's official residence in the morning.

Bill and Hillary Clinton are taking a prominent role next month in marking the anniversary of the accords, which were a key development of his administration. Biden and Varadkar will mark their 'steadfast support' for the agreement at the White House.

Vice President Kamala Harris laughs while she and second gentleman Doug Emhoff host a St. Patrick's Day Breakfast with Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and his partner Matthew Barrett at the Vice President's residence

Varadkar's office sought to clean up the comment, saying he meant no offense

Varadkar was an intern in Washington more than 20 years ago. He joked it was a time 'when some parents would have had cause for concern about what would happen to interns in Washington,' in reference to the Clinton Lewinsky scandal

Varadkar isn't the first prominent figure in Washington to make an intern joke. But just on Thursday he was seated next to Hillary Clinton at Georgetown University where he spoke about the important role of women in reaching the Good Friday Agreement and the Belfast Agreement, which will be marked in Ireland and Northern Ireland next month.

'The central role of women in the peace process was visible to everyone involved at the time,' he said, the Independent reported.

'Women were there at its formal and informal genesis. Women played a leading role at the political top tables in Belfast, London, Dublin and in Washington, and provided voices in civil society which shaped the context in which peace became possible,' he continued.

At their breakfast meeting, Harris said Biden began the tradition of hosting the Toiseach when he was vice president and that she has 'now caught the bug.'

She referenced the 'hard-earned and hard-won' peace.

Varadkar said he and his partner Matthew Barrett, both doctors, have been 'inspired' by Harris' support for marriage equality and the fight against the Proposition 8 California same sex marriage ban proposal.

'From Stonewall to Sacramento to San Francisco. America has led the way when it comes to LGBT equality. I don't think I would be here today were it not for what America did,' he said.
Scientists told DailyMail.com it was 'highly unusual' for the data to be withdrawn

The study, which hasn't been published or peer reviewed, comes just weeks after US authorities said a lab leak was the most likely origin of the virus

Research that suggests Covid-19 originated in raccoon dogs has been criticized because the data originated from Chinese scientists who've now withdrawn it

A research paper which suggests Covid-19 originated in raccoon dogs held in cages at a market in Wuhan has been criticized after it emerged the data originated from Chinese scientists who've now withdrawn it.

Samples taken from the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan were used for the new study which comes just weeks after US authorities doubled down on their belief the virus leaked from a nearby lab in Wuhan.

But the very same samples - which have never been shared with the international community - have previously been studied by scientists in China who concluded the virus didn't come from animals at the market.

On Friday morning, the World Health Organization also said the research 'doesn't give us the answers of how the pandemic began' and was critical of how the data surfaced.

The data was unexpectedly uploaded to an international research database called GISAID last week and downloaded by international researchers who stumbled across it while looking for other information. Within hours of processing this new data, the team discovered traces of the Covid-19 virus in samples that also contained animal genetic material that matched the raccoon dog.

The new study suggests covid originated in raccoon dogs at a the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan. Pictured: A caged raccoon dog at the market in 2014

Researchers have cast doubt on the new paper. Dr Li-Meng Yan, who gained famed for her divisive research supporting the lab leak theory, claimed the new data had come from the Chinese Communist Party as an attempt to conceal the leak

Angela Rasmussen, a virologist involved in the research, said: 'This is a really strong indication that animals at the market were infected. There's really no other explanation that makes any sense.' But critics have asked why the data used in the study was removed by the Chinese scientists who uploaded it

The team contacted the Chinese researchers who'd uploaded the files offering to collaborate on the research - before the data was mysteriously deleted from GISAID.

The new paper has also not been published or peer reviewed, casting further doubts about its reliability. The data used came from Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Details of the research were first published in The Atlantic, which made the hefty claim that the study 'may offer some of the clearest and most compelling evidence that the world will ever get in support of an animal origin'.

Angela Rasmussen, a virologist involved in the research, said: 'This is a really strong indication that animals at the market were infected. There's really no other explanation that makes any sense.'

But Dr Stephen Quay, a pharmaceutical CEO who has studied the origins of covid, likened publishing research that relies on data that's no longer available to using evidence that doesn't exist 'in a court of law'.

'You can't say, 'I have seen evidence of the origin but I am not going to show it to you. Just take my word for it',' he told DailyMail.com.

'Especially when these people have previously been untruthful not once but multiple times. I need to see the data, probe it for fabrication which I know I will find, and then publish why it is a lie.'

Dr Richard Ebright, a microbiologist at Rutgers University in New Jersey, told DailyMail.com the new research 'adds little to the discussion' about Covid's origin and necessitates 'extreme caution'.

He said: 'The claim is being made by scientists who... almost exactly a one year ago, peddled the widely hyped, but subsequently withdrawn, false claim that they had "dispositive evidence" SARS-CoV-2 had emerged from the wildlife trade with Huanan Seafood Market as "unambiguous" epicenter.

'Their track record of past false claims on the subject warrants extreme caution about their new claims on the subject, especially claims for which the data are not presented.'

Dr Steven Salzberg, a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, told DailyMail.com it was 'highly unusual' for the data to be deleted after it was uploaded. He said that it's not possible to make conclusions about the study until the paper is available and 'preferably after its been peer reviewed'.

Dr Li-Meng Yan, who gained famed for her divisive research supporting the lab leak theory, claimed the new data had come from the Chinese Communist Party as an attempt to conceal the leak.

The WHO's technical lead on Covid, Maria Van Kerkhove, said on Friday: 'Unfortunately this doesn't give us the answer of how the pandemic began, but it does give us more clues.'

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added that the data used for the research 'could have - and should have - been shared three years ago', adding: 'We continue to call on China to be transparent in sharing data, and to conduct the necessary investigations and share the results.'

The paper comes week after FBI Director Christopher Wray said the agency has concluded a lab leak was the most likely source of the virus.

On February 28, Wray doubled down on the agency's findings in 2021 and accused the Chinese government of working to undermine the damning results.

'The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan,' Wray said. 'Here you are talking about a potential leak from a Chinese government-controlled lab.'

Wray's comments came after the Energy Department made the same conclusion as the FBI.

Wray said last month that the virus was likely the result of a lab leak and that the Chinese government has worked to undermine his agency's work

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning blasted what she termed 'politicization' of theories on the origins of COVID-19, after an Energy Department analysis that pointed to possibility of a leak from the Wuhan lab

The FBI said in 2021 it had 'moderate confidence' that the pandemic that gripped the world was a result of an accidental leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Wray said last month that the work was conducted by top experts in the FBI and US government who specialize in monitoring potential outbreaks.

'The FBI has folks, agents, professionals, analysts, virologists, microbiologists, etc, who focus, specifically, on the dangers of biological threats, which includes things like novel viruses like COVID, and the concerns that in the wrong hands some bad guys, some hostile nation state, a terrorist, a criminal, the threats that that could pose,' Wray said.

'So here, you're talking about a leak at a Chinese government-controlled lab that killed millions of Americans, and that's precisely what that capability was designed for.'

Despite the FBI's conclusion, Wray added that Beijing has continuously tried to undercut the US government's work.

'I will just make the observation that the Chinese government, it seems to me, has been doing its best to try to thwart and obfuscate the work here, the work that we're doing, the work that our US government and close foreign partners are doing, and that's unfortunate for everybody,' he said.
Almost a dozen teens in one Texas school district have overdosed on fentanyl in the past six months  with three dying  as it is revealed that pharmacies in Mexico border towns are selling 'discounted' meds laced with illicit drugs.

Three high schools and two middle schools in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD have had at least one student suffer an overdose from the illegal drug in the past six months.

Of the ten students, aged between 13 and 17, who were hospitalized in the district, three died because of the pills.

Jose Alberto Perez, 14, died in January after suffering an overdose of fentanyl  and begged his mother not to take him to the hospital because 'he was not a drug addict'.

Perez attended alternative Bea Salazer School in the Carrollton area, around 20 miles from central Dallas.

Jose Alberto Perez, 14, died in January after suffering an overdose of fentanyl  and begged his mother not to take him to the hospital because 'he was not a drug addict'

Three high schools and two middle schools in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD have had at least one student suffer an overdose from the illegal drug in the past six months

His mother, Lisa Astudillo had planned on getting him medical attention in the morning, after witnessing his lips turn 'ash white' and his pupils 'popping out', but he had died overnight.

Astudillo told NBC news: 'It hurts you to see your son after he's gone and ask yourself, Why didn't I know about this sooner to help him?'

Another student at the school, Khloe Williams, 13, became addicted to fentanyl when she was just 12 years old after being introduced to it at school.

She had been transferred to the school because of behavioral issues and had been struggling with anxiety and depression.

Her mother Carmin, 39, said: 'Someone at the school offered her a pill and said 'if you're depressed or if you're going through something, this will pick you up' and that's how they are getting so many kids hooked.'

The spate of overdoses come as a report by the University of California found that many Mexican pharmacies along the US border are selling medications which are laced with illegal drugs, including fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamines.

Across 40 pharmacies in four cities in Mexico, two out of three had 'at least one controlled substance for sale without a prescription, either in bottles or individual pills.'

Alongside students in the Carrollton ISD, Sienna Vaughn , 16, died of an overdose after taking a fentanyl-laced painkiller in Plano ISD  around 20 minutes from the rash of incidents

A report by the University of California found that many Mexican pharmacies along the US border are selling medications which are laced with illegal drugs

Authorities have arrested Luis Eduardo Navarrete, 21, (left) and Magaly Mejia Cano, 29, (right) and Jason Xavier Villanueva, 22, in connection with the drugs and overdoses

An investigation by the LA Times revealed that 71 percent of the 17 pills tested positive for more powerful drugs.

The Mexican pharmacies also sell to locals, but the majority of their customers are Americans traveling to find more affordable medications, the UCLA researchers reported.

Alongside Perez and Williams, one of the victims includes a 14-year-old girl who overdosed twice and suffered temporary paralysis after buying drugs from a 16-year-old dealer at RL Turner High School.

Authorities have arrested Luis Eduardo Navarrete, 21, and Magaly Mejia Cano, 29, and Jason Xavier Villanueva, 22, in connection with the drugs and overdoses.

Each of the overdose incidents took place between September 2022 and February 2023, with another 15-year-old girl being found unresponsive at RL Turner High School on March 3.

Pupils at RL Turner High School, Hebron High School, Dewitt Perry Middle School, Dan F. Long Middle Schools and Bea Salazer High School have all been affected by the rash of overdoses.

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton announced that the minors had been hospitalized after taking Percocet and OxyContin pills laced with lethal doses of fentanyl.

Villanueva is accused of supplying pills through a juvenile dealer to Cano and Navarrete and has been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute

Jason Xavier Villanueva, 22, is accused of supplying pills through a juvenile dealer to Cano and Navarrete and has been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute

Following Navarrete and Cano's arrests, Villanueva posted on social media, 'Only thing that's gonna stop us is feds,' according to police

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the synthetic opioid, often produced illegally, is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.

Just two milligrams of fentanyl, which is equal to 10-15 grains of table salt, is considered a lethal dose.

A report from the CDCP added that median monthly overdose deaths involving fentanyl for people ages 10 to 19 increased 182 percent from July to December 2019 compared to the same period in 2021.

More than 2,200 teens fatally overdosed in the two-and-a-half-year period from July 2019 to December 2021, with fentanyl involved in 84 percent of the deaths.

A separate CDC report found that 41 percent of teens who died of an overdose had evidence of mental health conditions or treatment.

All of the schools now have Narcan on hand because the incidents have become so common  a drug which helps to reverse the effects of the illicit drug.

Simonton said: 'To deal fentanyl is to knowingly imperil lives. To deal fentanyl to minors  naive middle and high school students  is to shatter futures. These defendants' alleged actions are simply despicable.

The US Attorney's office for Texas said that Villanueva is considered to be the 'main source' of the fentanyl that killed the Carrollton teens

Jose Alberto Perez's mother, Lisa Astudillo had planned on getting him medical attention in the morning, after witnessing his lips turn 'ash white' and his pupils 'popping out'

'We can never replace the three teenagers whose lives were lost, nor can we heal the psychological scars of those who survived their overdoses. But we can take action to ensure these defendants are never allowed to hand a pill to a child again.'

She added that the defendants produced pills that looked exactly like prescription drugs, but then contained fentanyl  which is 150 times more potent than Oxycontin.

Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division, said of the arrests: 'Selling drugs alone is a serious transgression, but to sell deadly fentanyl to a juvenile is one of the most shocking and callous ways to hurt a community.

'DEA Dallas and our partners from the Carrollton Police Department will work to identify and hold accountable every individual who thinks they can profit by exposing our neighborhoods, and our children, to this deadly substance.'

He added that 107,622 Americans died from taking drugs last year, with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids accounting for nearly 70 percent of the deaths.

According to the complaint, Navarrete and Cano allegedly dealt fake Percocet and Oxycontin pills laced with fentanyl, commonly known as 'M30s,' to multiple juvenile drug dealers.

Federal prosecutors made a fourth arrest in March, accusing Donovan Andrews, 20, of using social media apps to reach out to potential buyers and cash apps to take payment

Pupils at RL Turner High School, Hebron High School, Dewitt Perry Middle School, Dan F. Long Middle Schools (pictured) and Bea Salazer High School have all been affected by the rash of overdoses

107,622 Americans died from taking drugs last year, with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids accounting for nearly 70 percent of the deaths.

They were mostly students at RL Turner High School, who in turn sold the drugs to their fellow students at R.L. Turner High School and to younger students at Dewitt Perry and Dan F. Long Middle Schools.

In a statement Bea Selzer High School said that they were 'deeply concerned' about the safety of their students.

They added: 'We have taken several actions to educate parents on the dangers of fentanyl.

'In November, CFB organized and held two community parent drug awareness programs (in both English and Spanish) to inform parents about the dangers of drug use among teens.

'Our Crisis Team and two Licensed Chemical Dependency counselors have developed student drug awareness presentations and are presenting these talks at the secondary campuses. CFB has started random canine searches at our campuses.'

Villanueva is accused of supplying pills through a juvenile dealer to Cano and Navarrete and has been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute.

Following Navarrete and Cano's arrests, Villanueva posted on social media, 'Only thing that's gonna stop us is feds,' according to police.

Naloxone - commonly sold as Narcan - is a lifesaving drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose as it is happening. Often, however, drug users are taking illicit substance alone, meaning there is no one onsite to administer the drug

Sienna Vaughn took a pill on February 19 that she believed was Percocet, a prescription painkiller, but died from fentanyl poisoning

The US Attorney's office for Texas said that Villanueva is considered to be the 'main source' of the fentanyl that killed the Carrollton teens.

After Navarrete and Cano were arrested, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted about the case, saying state legislators want to make fentanyl poisoning a murder charge.

He said: 'The fentanyl crisis plaguing our country has tragic consequences. Too many Texas families have lost children to deadly fentanyl. Their loss will not be in vain.'

The Texas Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday that would allow prosecutors to charge fentanyl distributors with murder.

In his State of the Union address last month, President Joe Biden vowed to 'launch a national campaign to educate young people on the dangers of fentanyl, and how naloxone saves lives,' through the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Ad Council.

Authorities witnessed Navarrete hand pills to a 16-year-old dealer on January 12, with officers then following the juvenile into the bathroom at RL Turner High School where he ingested the drugs.

If convicted, all three of the accused could face up to 20 years in federal prison for supplying the deadly substances.

This photo provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Phoenix Division shows some of the 30,000 fentanyl pills the agency seized in one of its bigger busts in August 2017

On February 27, San Diego Border Patrol seized 232 pounds of fentanyl during a traffic stop in San Clemente, California, located roughly 75 miles from the US-Mexico border. It was enough fentanyl to kill 50million Americans

Federal prosecutors made a fourth arrest in March, accusing Donovan Andrews, 20, of using social media apps to reach out to potential buyers and cash apps to take payment.

In arrest documents, they detailed how a 14-year-old girl who survived an overdose told investigators he sold her the drugs and left them in her mailbox.

He is accused of supplying the drugs which caused two overdoses at Hebron High school in Carrollton and advised his drugs on social media with victims paying him on CashApp.

Alongside students in the Carrollton ISD, a 16-year-old girl died of an overdose after taking a fentanyl-laced painkiller in Plano ISD  around 20 minutes from the rash of incidents.

Sienna Vaughn took a pill on February 19 that she believed was Percocet, a prescription painkiller, but died from fentanyl poisoning.

Her mother, Stephanie Vaughn, said that her daughter and her friend -who survived the incident  did not know that they had the illegal drug.

State Rep. Terry Wilson proposed a bill this month that calls for school districts to give at least 10 hours of instruction related to 'fentanyl prevention and drug poisoning awareness' for students in grades six through 12.

The bill is called 'Tucker's Law' for Tucker Roe, a 19-year-old from Leander, who died after he bought and took what he thought was a Percocet in 2021.
Hunter Biden has sued the owner of the Wilmington computer repair store for invasion of privacy, after he turned over the contents of Biden's laptop to allies of former President Donald Trump.

John Paul Mac Isaac had previously sued Biden, but in a counterclaim filed Friday morning in U.S. District Court in Delaware, lawyers for the first son said the shopkeeper had no legal right to copy and distribute private information.

Lawyers for Hunter Biden requested a jury trial to determine damages and asked that Mac Isaac return any data belonging to President Joe Biden's son.

'As a result of Mac Isaac's unlawful agreement and his conspiracy with others, Mr. Biden's personal data was made available to third parties and then ultimately to the public at large, which is highly offensive, causing harm to Mr. Biden and his reputation,' the suit said. 'The object of invading Mr. Biden's privacy and disseminating his data was not for any legitimate purpose but to cause harm and embarrassment to Mr. Biden.'

The suit comes after Mac Isaac sued Biden last year, charging that he had been defamed by the first son's claims that the repair shop owner had illegally accessed his data.

Hunter Biden has sued the owner of the Wilmington computer repair store for invasion of privacy, after he turned over the contents of Biden's laptop to allies of former President Donald Trump

John Paul Mac Isaac had previously sued Biden, but in a counterclaim filed Friday morning, lawyers for the first son said the shopkeeper had no legal right to copy and distribute private information

Mac Isaac also sued CNN, Politico, the Biden campaign and Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, who previously chaired the House Intelligence Committee.

Mac Isaac contends that Biden abandoned the laptop at the Wilmington shop, and thus after 90 days, it became his property.

The countersuit argues that the 'Repair Authorization form' that Mac Isaac alleged Biden signed at the repair shop runs contrary to Delaware law - and that for Mac Isaac to truly obtain legal ownership of the laptop, he'd have to have it in his possession for a year and file a petition in court to take ownership of it.

The court would then have to send notice to the owner, and Mac Isaac would have had to post a petition for the laptop in five or more public places and place an advertisement in a newspaper.

The claim also alleges that Delaware's 'small-print adhesion clause' would prevent Mac Isaac from legally taking ownership of the laptop, because even if Biden had signed the Repair Authorization form, the legalese was 'in the small-print font at the bottom of the page, well below the signature line.'

The first son's legal team suggests there is some question about whether Biden signed the form.

The countersuit references conflicting statements Mac Isaac had made about the identity of the individual who dropped off the laptop.

Biden's lawyers also claim that in Mac Isaac's book, the repairman accessed the president's son's data before the 90 days were up.

The countersuit also argues that even if Mac Isaac's Repair Authorization form was enforceable under Delaware law, 'it provides abandonment of only any "equipment" left behind at the Mac Shop, and not the data on or embedded within any such equipment.'

'At no time did Mr. Biden grant Mac Isaac any permission to access, review, copy, or disseminate for his own purposes any electronically stored data that ever was created or received or maintained by Mr. Biden,' the countersuit said.

The counterclaim then walks through how the data got into the hands of Trump's allies, including campaign lawyer, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

It notes that Mac Isaac was a Trump supporter who didn't want now President Joe Biden to win the 2020 election.

The laptop's contents have become an embarrassment for the Biden White House, with images and videos showing Hunter Biden using drugs and having sexual romps.

Photo of laptop computer reportedly owned by Hunter Biden

Hunter Biden is countersuing the owner of the laptop repair store for distributing the contents of the hard drive.

Photos of Hunter Biden's sexual antics were found on the laptop dropped off at the computer repair store.

The contents have also piqued the interest of Republican Congressional investigators looking into Hunter Biden's foreign business deals with partners in Ukraine and China.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, has said his investigation is into 'Biden family influence peddling.'

On Thursday, Comer's committee released information that said that Hallie Biden, Beau Biden's widow who dated Hunter after Beau's death, received a cut of $3 million in cash from China.

As those probes have heated up, the legal team surrounding Hunter Biden has gone on the offensive.

Last month, Biden's lawyer Abbe Lowell asked the Department of Justice to probe former Bannon, Giuliani, Giuliani's lawyer and Mac Isaac.

Using passages from Mac Isaac's book, American Injustice: My Battle to Expose the Truth, Lowell noted that the repair man sent a copy of the laptop data to Giuliani's lawyer Robert Costello, who turned it over to the ex-mayor, who at the time was pushing discredited theories about the younger Biden.

From there, Giuliani pitched the laptop story to a reporter at the New York Post - which broke the story in October 2020 - and to Bannon, the letter said.

Hunter Biden never consented to have his personal information shared, Lowell argued.

'This failed dirty political trick directly resulted in the exposure, exploitation and manipulation of Mr. Biden's private and personal information,' the letter said. 'Politicians and the news media have used this unlawfully accessed, copied, distributed, and manipulated data to distort the truth and cause harm to Mr. Biden.'

The letter was the first time Hunter Biden has acknowledged that his data was found and distributed to members of the news media.
The Biden administration's bid to normalize puberty blockers and other medical treatments for trans children increasingly puts the White House at odds with public opinion, Republican lawmakers and European allies.

The administration recently gave a full-throated endorsement of so-called 'gender-affirming care', for children, with Assistant Secretary of Health Rachel Levine saying trans people had 'support at the highest levels of the federal government.'

At a public appearance last month, Levine, a trans woman, argued that puberty blockers and other drugs and surgeries that help minors change their gender cut the risks of suicide, saved lives, and were backed by major US medical bodies.

The pediatrician also acknowledged that such care has become hugely controversial, putting the administration at odds with voters, Republicans, and recent studies that trans drugs and procedures do kids more harm than good.

'I think that it's not going to be politically advantageous,' Levine said at the Connecticut Childrens Medical Center in Hartford, predicting 'challenging' rows in next year's presidential election.

Joe Biden's trans male-to-female health official, the pediatrician Rachel Levine, says she has stepped into a political 'minefield'

A recent YouGov survey of 1,000 adults across red and blue states found that Americans were largely against gender-affirming procedures for children

'But I am positive and optimistic and hopeful that the wheel will turn after that. And that this issue won't be as politically and socially such a minefield.'

Levine's vocal support for gender-affirming care has since been slammed by Republican politicians and medical groups. This echoes the fallout from President Joe Biden's controversial decision last year to host at the White House Dylan Mulvaney, an adult trans TikToker who records her transition into 'girlhood.'

Gender-affirming care covers everything from puberty blockers to cross-sex hormones and, in rare cases for trans children under 18, surgery. Several medical associations say such healthcare saves lives among a suicide-prone group.

But opponents of trans ideology say sex is determined at birth and cannot be changed, that medical groups have been hijacked by trans ideologues and that politicians must intervene to stop parents, doctors, or therapists from permanently harming children.

Many are alarmed by the sharp uptick in teenage girls with autism and other mental health woes asking for sex-change drugs in recent years, and of new studies linking puberty blockers to weaker bones and osteoporosis.

Republican lawmakers in Kentucky passed a measure on Thursday to ban gender-affirming care for trans minors, the latest state to do so this year after conservatives proposed hundreds of bills across the US pushing back on various LGBTQ rights.

Poll Should 'gender-affirming care' be banned for children in your state? Yes No Not sure Should 'gender-affirming care' be banned for children in your state? Yes 5705 votes

No 285 votes

Not sure 107 votes Now share your opinion





Voters differ with the Biden administration on this frontline issue in America's culture wars. A recent YouGov survey of 1,000 adults across red and blue states found that Americans were largely against gender-affirming procedures for children.

Some 61 percent said rejected giving puberty blockers to 12-year-olds, while 21 percent said it was acceptable. They also deemed cross-sex hormones and breast surgeries unacceptable by similar margins.

DailyMail.com readers take a tougher line  94 percent want the procedures banned in their state. There is still time to have your say and vote in our poll.

Many critics of gender-affirming care in the US point to recent policy shifts in Europe, where health chiefs in several countries have backtracked after carrying out their own policy reviews.

President Joe Biden (left) first waded in to the transgender debate last year by inviting the controversial man-to-girl TikToker Dylan Mulvaney to the White House

Critics of the trans movement often point to de-transitioners, who come to regret their decisions to change gender and seek reversals. Pictured: Scars on the chest of Prisha Mosley, who had her breasts removed when she was 18 and now wants to reconstruct her chest through surgery that is expected to cost thousands of dollars

Britain's health service recently decided to close the country's only gender identity clinic for children, after a damning review and a slew of allegations by former staff and patients about rushing young people onto treatment.

A major Swedish clinic in 2021 stopped giving puberty blockers and hormones to children, and Finland's health chiefs decided that psychotherapy, not drugs and hormones, should be the first-line treatment for gender-dysphoric youngsters.

Finland's top transgender treatment expert, Dr. Riittakerttu Kaltiala, last month said 'four out of five' teens who question their gender come to accept their bodies if they don't receive medical intervention.

A recent study by the medical watchdog, Do No Harm, found that the US has more lenient policies on chemical and surgical sex change services for children when compared against 11 European allies.

Researchers found that the US offers more legal and medical access to gender transition services for kids, such as clinics, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries, in some cases without parental consent.

Dr Stanley Goldfarb, who campaigns against radical gender ideology and other 'wokery' in healthcare and contributed to the report, said there was a growing body of evidence showing that Levine's comments on trans care were 'wrong and must be countered.'

'There is no good evidence that children treated with gender-altering hormones or puberty blockers have improved mental health assessments,' Dr Goldfarb told Fox News.

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said there were some 450 anti-LGBTQ bills being debated across the US this year. Other groups put the number at closer to 350

Trans rights activist Erin Reed (left) and Zooey Zephyr, a trans representative for Montana's 100th House District, on the White House Lawn at the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act, Dec 2022

America has in recent weeks witnessed a series of seminal moments in the trans debate that are seeing a growing number of pediatricians, parents, politicians and even young trans people themselves question whether affirmation-on-demand is always the best answer.

Critics of the trans movement often point to de-transitioners, as they are known, like Chloe Cole, 18, who last month sued the healthcare providers who gave her puberty blockers at age 13 and a double mastectomy at 15  procedures she now deeply regrets.

In a bombshell whistleblower testimony this month, Jamie Reed, a former employee at the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital, revealed how the clinic administered a litany of irreparable treatments to minors, often without parental consent.

Reed said doctors would ask questions like 'do you want a dead daughter or an alive son?' to 'bully' children's parents into going ahead with gender transitions  under the pretense that not doing so would make them suicidal.

Some argue that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other US institutions that promote affirmation-on-demand have been hijacked by trans ideologues.

DailyMail.com last year exposed how AAP leaders tried to suppress members who wanted to review that policy. The US should follow the UK and other European countries that have backtracked on doling out puberty blockers, say some members.
He was convicted in 2022 of sexually abusing two children as teen in Rotherham

Lord Ahmed's sentence cut from 5 years 6 months to 2 years 6 months on appeal

Ex-Labour peer Nazir Ahmed who was jailed for trying to rape a young girl and sexually assaulting a boy aged under 11 in the 1970s has had his sentence cut after an appeal.

Last year former politician Lord Ahmed was convicted of sexually abusing two children in Rotherham, south Yorkshire, when he was a teenager.

A judge had handed Ahmed, now 65, a jail term of five years and six months after a trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

But appeal judges cut that term by three years, to two years and six months after concluding that trial judge Mr Justice Lavender 'fell into error' when passing sentence.

Lord Burnett, the Lord Chief Justice; Lord Justice Holroyde, and Lord Justice William Davis announced their decision on Friday after considering arguments at a recent Court of Appeal hearing in London in January.

Court of Appeal judges have cut three years off a jail term handed to ex-Labour peer Lord Nazir Ahmed (pictured outside Sheffield Crown Court in November 2021), 65, who was found guilty of trying to rape a young girl and sexually assaulting a boy aged under 11 in the 1970s

Former politician Lord Ahmed (pictured) had been convicted, in January 2022, of sexually abusing two children when he was a teenager in Rotherham, South Yorkshire

The disgraced former politician was found guilty of two counts of attempted rape and one of buggery.

A woman had told jurors that Ahmed attempted to rape her in the early 1970s, when he was about 16 or 17, while she was much younger.

Ahmed was also found guilty of a serious sexual assault against a boy under 11, also in the early 1970s.

Mr Justice Lavender had handed Ahmed a three-year, six-month term for the offence of buggery, and imposed sentences of two years for each of the attempted rapes.

He said the two attempted rape sentences would run concurrent to each other but be added to the buggery term - making a total of five years and six months.

Ahmed had challenged Mr Justice Lavender's sentencing decision and appeal judges made a ruling in his favour.

Appeal judges cut the three-year, six-month term to six months, but said both two-year terms would remain - making a total of two years and six months.

They said the fact that Ahmed was a child when he committed offences had to be taken into account.

Appeal judges said if Ahmed had been sentenced shortly after committing the buggery offence, he would have been 14 - and a child with no previous convictions.

They concluded that 'a custodial sentence of six months would probably have been regarded as a suitable penalty'.

But they took a different view in relation to the attempted rape sentences.

Appeal judges said the attempted rapes were offences by a teenager 'against a very young victim'.

They made no criticism of Mr Justice Lavender's reasoning in relation to the sentences imposed for the attempted rapes.

Appeal judges had considered legal issues relating to the 'correct approach' to sentencing an adult for an offence committed when they were a child.

They examined a number of cases, including Ahmed's. Each case concerned sexual offending.

Appeal judges said none of the victims could be identified in media reports.
Tragic male model Jeff Thomas's agent has suggested he may have fallen to his death while taking a selfie, after the clotheshorse's brother said his sibling had died due to addiction and mental health issues.

Thomas' Los Angeles-based agent from The Sovereign Talent Group told DailyMail.com how shocked she was by 35 year-old's sudden death at his Miami apartment tower on March 8 and believes it may have been a tragic accident.

'I just can't believe it's true that he intentionally did this. He may have fallen while he was taking a selfie,' she said.

She said the last time they spoke was on Tuesday - less than 24 hours before before his shock death - the pair had been exchanging text messages and joking regarding an upcoming audition.

They had scheduled phone call on Friday to catch up. 'He couldn't wait to tell me about his move to Miami. He seemed thrilled and was proud of himself. He was happy, motivated and excited for his next step just loving life.'

She added, 'I am so stunned. He was such a beautiful and sweet boy.'

A bare-chested Thomas standing in his underwear in front of his bathroom mirror taking a selfie weeks before his tragic passing

Another photo of Thomas making a funny face while taking a selfie in front of a mirror wrapped in a towel. The caption reads: 'Crushed it'

Her claim is contrary to a Facebook post shared by Thomas' brother Skylar Ray Thomas, which implied the death was the result of suicide after he battled addiction and mental health issues.

Thomas' cousin Meghan Rae disputed the suicide claim to DailyMail.com earlier this week, although police are currently working under the assumption that Thomas did take his own life.

Skylar wrote: 'Dear friends and family,

'It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of my brother, Jeff on Wednesday, March 8th.

'As you have followed through the years, Jeff traveled the world and lived life to the fullest. What you may not know, is Jeff struggled with addiction and mental health challenges, which ultimately led to his tragic passing.'

The luxury high-rise building where Thomas reportedly fell from on March 8th in Miami's Brickell Avenue neighborhood. The waterfront condo features 57-floors and is situate on the bay with stunning views of the Miami River and is in close proximity to downtown Miami

Further details on the drugs Jeff had been using and the mental health issues he had been battling were kept private.

The post went on to describe Jeff's struggle as 'difficult,' but paid tribute to his 'sense of humor, love for music, art and family.'

Skylar went on to urge anyone else battling similar issues to seek help.

Thomas took this selfie a few days before his untimely death. In the caption he wrote: 'Theres a man out there searching for everything youre giving to a man that isnt man enough to appreciate it'

Thomas sitting in a hot tub with his head leaning back and arms spread eagle posted this selfie at 11:43am on March 8 hours before his shock death. The caption reads: 'A cold plunge a day, keeps the doctor away,' #coldplunge #wellness #mentalhealth

Thomas died on March 8, after being found dead at the bottom of his apartment complex. The police are investigating his death as a possible suicide, but Jeff's cousin Meghan Rae insisted to DailyMail.com that he did not take his own life.

She said: 'This was not a suicide. To report otherwise is a complete disregard to his character and who he was,' she said.

'The information being published is false and defamatory. No further comments will be made by our family. Please respect our privacy and his memory during this difficult time.'

Thomas dressed causally in a matching blue jogging suit takes selfie of himself while sitting in what appears to be some type of spa or physician's office

Thomas pictured with his brother Skylar Ray (center)

A compelling post that Skylar wrote after his brother's tragic passing

Thomas was a successful model with 120,000 followers on Instagram, where he regularly posted photos of his impressive physique in a range of envy-inducing locales.

He lived in a 57-floor tower on Miami's Brickell Avenue located near the trendy downtown Miami area.

Thomas' agent said her late client was a humble man who did not take himself too seriously, and who had a great sense of humor.

During their text exchange a day before he died, she said they were having a laugh.

'We were talking about a funny audition that I had for him that involved some type of petty fight. We laughed about it and he told me how he is a comedian at heart, she said.

She said on Friday when they were supposed to speak on the phone he was planning to tell her about the next chapter in his life.

'He had started a new business - though I didn't know what it was yet.'

She added, 'I am just stunned. I don't even know how to react.'
The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the whereabouts of an American woman who was kidnapped in the western Mexico state of Colima.

Maria del Carmen Lopez, 63, has been missing since February 9 when she was taken by force from her home in the Colima municipality of Pueblo Nuevo, the FBI's Los Angeles field office announced Thursday.

Zonia Lopez, one of the missing woman's seven children, told NBC4 that neighbors witnessed the moment she was abducted by several individuals who had their faces covered.

'They got off of the truck, they had hoods on their heads and they exchanged some words,' she said. 'They said they did hear my mom say and plead that she was not going to go with them.'

U.S. citizen Maria del Carmen Lopez was kidnapped from her home in Colima, Mexico, on February 9, according to the FBI

The captors, Zonia Lopez said, sent a video in which her mother appears begging her loved ones to pay a ransom secure her freedom.

DailyMail.com has been unable to confirm the amount that kidnappers are seeking and reached out to Zonia Lopez for comment.

She took to Facebook to share a poster that the FBI put out with three images of her mother and urged the public to provide information that would help authorities locate her.

Her mother, who was born in Mexico, regularly traveled back and forth between Los Angeles and Colima. Her husband was attending a doctor's appointment in Los Angeles when she was kidnapped.

'We need our mother back! We need your help!' Zonia Lopez wrote. 'We need our mother back.'

Maria del Carmen Lopez was kidnapped by multiple individuals on February 9 in the western Mexican city of Pueblo Nuevo. The 63-year-old holds dual U.S.-Mexico citizenship and regularly traveled between Los Angeles and Pueblo Nuevo

News of Maria del Carmen Lopez kidnapping comes as the U.S. State Department warned Americans against traveling to Mexico for spring break.

'U.S. citizens should exercise increased caution in the downtown areas of popular spring break locations including Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Tulum, especially after dark,' the warning read.

The State Department also raised the alert that U.S. citizens 'have become seriously ill or died in Mexico after using synthetic drugs or adulterated prescription pills.'

Latavia McGee and Eric James were rescued by security forces Tuesday morning

Shaheed Woodard and Zindell Brown, two of the Americans kidnapped in Mexico, were found dead Tuesday

Sisters Marina Perez (left) and Maritza Perez (right), both of Penitas, Texas, were kidnapped with their friend Alicia Cervantes in the northeastern Mexican border town of Montemorelos on February 24 They crossed into Mexico to sell clothes at flea market three hours away from the border

Dora Cervantes went missing with two friends in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, on February 24

Four Americans were kidnapped March 3 by Gulf Cartel members who allegedly confused them with Haitian smugglers in the Mexican northeastern border town of Matamoros.

Latavia McGee, who traveled there for a liposuction, and Eric James were rescued from a stash house four days later. McGee's cousin, Shaeed Woodward, and Zindell Brown, were found dead inside the property.

Texas sisters Maritza Perez, 47, and Marina Perez, 48, both of Penitas, and their friend Dora Cervantes, 53, vanished after driving across the border to sell clothes at a flea market in Montemorelos, Nuevo Leon, on February 24.

Maria Ramirez told KRGV she has spoken with authorities in Mexico and hopes that they will not stop searching for her mother, Marina Perez, her aunt and their friend.

'I hope they don't give up on my mom and on my tia [aunt] and on Dora because we are waiting for them to come back home,' she said.
It's a no-brainer that mental health affects every aspect of our lives, particularly academic performance from early on: Mental health problems can impact abilities to learn and perform in school. Addressing mental health concerns early and providing resources for students can improve academic outcomes.

Addressing the Problem

Many university students report that mental health difficulties interfere with their education. In the American College Health Association 2015 survey, students identified these mental health issues as (negatively) influencing their academic performance:

Stress (30% of students)

Anxiety (22% of students)

Sleep difficulties (20% of students)

Depression (14% of students)

Mental health is an essential aspect of academic success, and focusing on online- counselling help students perform better in school. Here are some ways mental health can impact academic performance:

Poor mental health can lead to decreased academic performance: Mental health problems can interfere with a student's ability to concentrate, study effectively, and complete assignments on time. This can lead to lower grades and decreased academic performance. Mental health problems can lead to missed classes and absences: Students with mental health concerns may need to take time off from school to seek treatment or manage their symptoms. This can lead to missed classes and absences, making it harder to keep up with coursework. Mental health concerns can affect social and academic relationships: Students with mental health problems may struggle to form and maintain healthy relationships with peers and instructors. This can make it harder to get the support they need to succeed academically. Mental health concerns can lead to academic and personal burnout: Students with mental health problems may feel overwhelmed and burned out by academic and personal demands. This can lead to decreased motivation and increased stress, making it harder to succeed academically.

In summary, mental health is an important factor in academic success, and addressing mental health concerns can help students perform better in school.

How Online-Counselling Can Help Improve Academic Performance

A survey conducted in May 2022, reported that an astonishing 88% percent of public schools believed they could not constructively provide mental health resources to students in need. However, with easy access to Teletherapy, more institutions can maintain it.

Digital mental health resources are a powerful tool for promoting student well-being in higher education. By providing easy access to mental health resources like Teletherapy, educational institutions can help students manage stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns.

Access to teletherapy, or a Mental Health Practice Management Software offering online counselling, can be extremely important for students, particularly in the current context where many students are dealing with increased stress and mental health challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are a few reasons why:

Convenience and Accessibility: Teletherapy allows students to access mental health support from anywhere, without having to travel to a physical location. This can be especially helpful for students who may not have reliable transportation or who live in rural areas with limited access to mental health services. Comfort and Privacy: For many students, the idea of going to a counselling office and sharing personal information with a therapist can be intimidating. Teletherapy allows students to receive support from the comfort of their own homes, which can help them feel more relaxed and open to the counselling process. Flexibility: Online counselling sessions can be scheduled outside of traditional business hours, making it easier for students to fit therapy into their busy schedules. Reduced Stigma: Some students may be hesitant to seek out mental health support in person due to the stigma associated with mental illness. Teletherapy can help reduce this stigma by allowing students to receive support in a way that feels more private and less visible. Increased Access to Specialized Services: Teletherapy can also help students access specialized mental health services that may not be available in their local area, such as services for eating disorders, trauma, or addiction.

Overall, access to teletherapy can be incredibly important for students who are struggling with mental health challenges. It provides a convenient, accessible, and flexible way to receive support, which can ultimately help students to feel better and perform better academically.
Fashion retailer M&Co will start shutting up all 170 of its shops in the UK within days in another crippling blow for Britain's beleaguered high streets.

Plummeting sales and rising costs saw the troubled retailer fall into difficulties, with administrators Teneo last month confirming it had sold the M&Co brand - but not the company's stores.

About 1,900 jobs are now set to be axed nationwide, as the retailers branches close forever, with some shops already confirming when their last day will be on social media.

The fashion giant, previously called Mackay's, fell into administration for the second time in two years in December 2022. Teneo sold the brand and intellectual property to Yours Clothing.

Among the first stores set to close include M&Co's Wick and Fort William sites, in Scotland, with their last day of trading taking place on Saturday, March 25.

Britain's struggling high streets have been dealt another fresh blow as it was announced fashion giant M&Co will shut 170 shops - putting 1,910 jobs at risk

The closures were confirmed on both of the stores' Facebook pages, with M&Co's Wick's site saying: 'The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived, and we can now confirm that the final trading day for our Wick branch will be Saturday, March 25.

'We won't be receiving any further stock into the store, so hurry and grab your favourite items before they're gone!

'We would like to thank you for your support during our administration, and hope to see you all in the store before we say goodbye.'

M&Co's Thurso branch in Scotland is also earmarked to close before the end of the month, with The Sun reporting it will shut on Tuesday, March 28.

The M&Co brand has been bought by Yours Clothing, according to Drapers . A spokesman from Teneo, who were appointed as administrators of the business, confirmed the sale of M&Co brand and intellectual property to Yours Clothing but not the stores, The Sun reports

The shutters will come down on six more stores on April 1 in Lewes, Gosport in Hampshire, Belper, Beccles, Newquay and Lerwick

In a post on Gosport's Facebook page, the site's store manager said: 'It is with great sadness that I can now announce that our last trading day in M&CO Gosport will be Saturday, April 1, 2023.

'We will most definitely miss every single one of our many lovely customers we have gained over so many years, lots of generations of customers have shopped with us.

'I would like to thank all the kind and thoughtful things our customers have said to us since finding out we were in administration last December.

'We have some great offers in-store so please don't be strangers... it's going fast... with too many fantastic bargains.

'Thank you from Karen and the Gosport team.'

Teneo, M&Co's administrator, said further stores will close as store stock dries up. But no exact date has been given as to when the brand is due to vanish completely from the high street.
Hopes were raised that strikes chaos could finally be easing today as unions agreed to intensive talks to resolve the schools dispute.

Discussions over 'pay, conditions and workload' for teachers will take place over the weekend - and crucially involve the NEU, which has been spearheading industrial action.

The news follows the breakthrough in the NHS dispute yesterday, with leaders of nurses, ambulance crews and other health workers agreeing to suspend further industrial action while ballots are held on a new 4billion pay offer.

The move will heap pressure on junior doctors to come to a similar agreement, even though they have been demanding a 35 per cent pay hike - as well as for the RMT to halt its long-running industrial action on the railways.

However, tempering the more optimistic mood today was news that Passport Office staff are staging a five-week strike that could wreak havoc on summer holidays.

The NEU has announced it will create a window of opportunity for a settlement by not announcing any more strike dates for the next fortnight.

Teachers and supporters demonstrate in London during strikes this week

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan arrives at her department today as intensive talks begin

NHS's existing budget provides enough cash for pay offer to striking staff, says deputy PM Dominic Raab has suggested the NHS's existing budgets 'provide enough' to pay for the Government's 5 per cent pay offer to striking staff. The Deputy Prime Minister told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Well 3.5 per cent has already been budgeted for. 'It won't come of course from frontline funding and the Health Secretary will set out some more of the details once we have got this thing settled.' Pressed on whether further funding will be provided, he said: 'That will be for the Health Secretary and the Chancellor in the usual way to consider. 'I think the expectation will be the budget is set, it provides enough resource but of course with all of these things and particularly with something as fluid as the strikes, the opportunity to make sure we get that right is there. 'But the good news is that the vast majority of unions have accepted the offer. 'The Health Secretary has done a great job in calmly working through to a point of compromise and we hope that all of the unions will in that way ... we can do the right thing by our brilliant NHS staff.' Advertisement

A joint statement by the Government and education unions said: 'The Government and the education trade unions, Association of School and College Leaders, National Association of Head Teachers, NASUWT and National Education Union, have agreed to move into a period of intensive talks. The talks will focus on teacher pay, conditions and workload reduction.

'In order for talks to begin and, we hope, reach a successful conclusion, the NEU has confirmed it will create a period of calm for two weeks during which time they have said no further strike dates will be announced.

'The Education Secretary and all unions will meet today, beginning intensive talks, which will continue over the weekend.'

Earlier this week, around seven million school pupils were hit by strikes as their teachers walked out across the country in a dispute over pay - leaving their parents to pick up the pieces.

Tory MP Mark Jenkinson said: 'Glad to see @NEUnion getting round the table - dragged there kicking and screaming by their own members, but better late than never!'

This week also saw walkouts by junior doctors, civil servants, lecturers, Tube drivers, BBC journalists and Amazon workers in one of the largest periods of industrial action since a wave of strikes began last year.

Industrial action by nurses, ambulance workers and physiotherapists has so far led to the cancellation of over 140,000 operations and appointments.

But a new offer would see all one million staff on the Agenda for Change contract receive a 5 per cent pay rise in 2023/24, plus an additional payment to the lowest paid to bring them in line with the National Living Wage.

Each worker would also receive a backdated 2 per cent non-consolidated payment for 2022/23 and a 'Covid recovery bonus'.

Downing Street said the new pay deal offered to striking health workers would cost an additional 4 billion.

A No 10 spokesman said: 'The non-consolidated element for 2022/23 is an additional investment of around 2.7billion.

'The consolidated element for 2023/24 is an additional investment of around 1.3 billion'.

Deputy PM Dominic Raab suggested the money will need to be found from within NHS budgets - which could throw a spanner in the works with the unions who want funding for services to be maintained.

Leaders of junior doctors have proposed an early meeting with Health Secretary Steve Barclay to help resolve their pay dispute, which led to a three-day walkout this week.

The British Medical Association has exchanged letters with the Government following yesterday's announcement of the new offer to other NHS workers but no date has been set for a meeting.

Co-chairmen of the BMA's junior doctors' committee Vivek Trivedi (left) and Rob Laurenson

Rishi Sunak (left) and Health Secretary Steve Barclay (right) have been pushing for a resolution to the NHS strikes

Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chair of the BMA's junior doctors committee, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Our position has been that we are open to talk in good faith, meaningfully, at any time.

'We were ready to talk months ago. Our formal dispute started over 150 days ago and, again, that is just what I mean in that it is disappointing it has taken Steve Barclay so long to get to the negotiating table.

'I only hope that he does come with good faith and a mandate to negotiate.

'So far we haven't arranged a time for this afternoon but there has been some correspondence between our offices so it does look like we'll be able to set something up in the near future.'

Meanwhile, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has announced a five-week strike by its members in the Passport Office in an escalation of its long-running dispute with the Government over pay, pensions, jobs and conditions.

Those working in Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough and Southport will walk out from April 3 to May 5, while those in Belfast will strike from April 7 to May 5.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: 'This escalation of our action has come about because, in sharp contrast with other parts of the public sector, ministers have failed to hold any meaningful talks with us, despite two massive strikes and sustained, targeted action lasting six months.
A charity president who spent 200 on a giant banner calling out a major housing developer for failing to fix problems with his brand-new 500,000 home today told how he decided 'enough is enough.'

Balbinder Singh, 66, from Mickleover, Derby, says developer Avant Homes has been ignoring his repeated requests for issues to be repaired, and even caused further damage to the property on one visit to inspect the house.

The retired businessman, who lives with his wife Kulbinder Kaur, 62, moved into the four-bedroom, three-bathroom property in April 2021 - but immediately noticed issues with the construction.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline on Friday, Mr Singh described at least seven separate issues with the property that have emerged less than two years after moving in.

He said he hopes his banner 'shames' Avant into taking action and accused the company of 'making millions of pounds' while not caring for the families they are selling to.

Charity boss Balbinder Singh, 66, spent 200 on the giant banner after claiming Avant is 'ignoring' his attempts to contact them

Even before Mr Singh and Mrs Kaur, who have four children and four grandchildren, moved in they noticed a significant amount of water was running off the porch roof and down the wall next to the front door, soaking the brickwork.

Mr Singh said when he contacted Avant about the issue, they said they would fix it 'straight away' - but no-one has ever come to look at the problem.

He added: 'We are still waiting. The wall is absolutely full of water, it shouldn't be like that.

'Then we started noticing other problems after we moved in.

'The extractor fan wasn't connected to anything, there is no duct to the outside.

'So the air and cooking smells it sucks in were just circulating around the room.

'Even if we are cooking pasta, condensation from the steam drips off the cooker hood.'

He claimed Avant did send someone to fix the extractor fan, but instead of fixing the fan the workman caused a new problem by breaking their under-counter strip lighting.

The couple say they noticed water pouring off the side of the porch before they even moved in, and it has now led to mold and damp on the house's exterior

One major problem is a porch overhang from which water runs off and pours down the outside wall

Avant Homes allegedly promised to replace glass which was covered by brown paint before the Singhs moved in, but it has still not been done

Mr Singh claimed a member of Avant staff arrived to fix their extractor fan, but instead caused further damage by breaking a section of the couple's strip lighting

When the couple complained about the damage caused, around Christmas 2021, they say they were promised someone would come and fix it - but no-one ever did.

They showed MailOnline damage to the patio doors they say was present on the day they moved in, consisting of a large area of brown paint-like splatters.

Mr Singh said: 'They [Avant] came to look at it but said they couldn't remove it, so they would replace the glass. Again, that hasn't been done.'

He listed further issues including interior doors that were marked before they arrived, and a cracked toilet seat.

Mr Singh also said the wardrobes in the master bedroom were not fitted properly, meaning one door has already completely come off.

He said: 'This is all stuff we have told would be repaired, but hasn't been.

'These might seem like minor things, but they all add up. And when you spend half a million pounds on a house, you expect it to be perfect.

'All we want is for Avant to come out and finish the job. It would only take a day or two.

'But they are making millions of pounds, and simply aren't bothered.

'I gave them a week's notice before I put up the banner. But they still didn't respond. Now they are ignoring me.

'I had it done because I was angry, and I decided enough was enough.

'It cost me 200 from a local printer, but someone had to say something. I hope it shames them.

'They just don't care.'

Mr Singh claims Avant Homes 'just don't care', as his wife Mrs Kaur said: 'Someone had to do something'

The extractor fan was allegedly not connected to any external vent, meaning cooking smells only circulate throughout the room rather than exiting through the fan

Mrs Kaur said she supported her husband in putting up the banner.

She added: 'I think someone had to do something.

'If it was just one or two tiny issues then that would be one thing. But it is a lot.

'The main problem is the front wall. It's actually green with moss now because so much water has run down it. That isn't right.

'This is the third new house we have had in a row, with three different builders - but we have never experienced something like this before.'

Avant Homes said issues have been caused by the construction of an extension that impacted his warranty.

But Mr Singh claims many of the issues pre-date the extension: 'As for them trying to claim the extension has caused the problems, that isn't right at all.

'Firstly, I had permission from Avant in writing for it, and secondly some of the problems were there before it was even built.

'But I guess they have to say something.'

Avant Homes has been contacted for comment.

In a desperate bid to heap pressure on Avant Homes, Mr Singh, who lives on the Cotchett Village estate, has put up a sign that reads: 'Avant Homes our review. We moved in on April 1, 2021 and work is still uncompleted.

'Avant is no longer responding to us. There is lots of uncompleted work. We are happy to share pictures. Don't make the mistake we made.'

Mr Singh frustratedly erected the sign, which he designed himself, on March 6.

A spokesperson for Avant Homes told MailOnline: 'We have been in ongoing dialogue with the occupant regarding his property.

'Having fully investigated the occupants concerns regarding his home, we believe a significant number of them were caused by the building of an extension on the property after the house was purchased.

'In addition, the extension also voided certain aspects of the house's NHBC Buildmark warranty and this was explained at the time to the occupant by our customer liaison manager.

'We have inspected the house and communicated back to the occupant what is acceptable for us to resolve in relation to his concerns outside of those created by the extension.

'Our customer liaison team is proactively dealing with a very small number of residents at the development who have raised concerns to ensure any reasonable requests are addressed.

'We are going to contact Mr Singh at the beginning of next week to arrange a meeting with him in order to reclarify our position regarding his property.'

Avant Homes said issues have been caused by the construction of an extension that impacted the house's warranty

Other residents on the street have also said they have experienced similar issues with their new-builds

Other residents on the street, including Kevin Crisp and his family, claim they have experienced similar issues.

Mr Crisp said: 'There's been loads of stuff. We had a street barbecue for the Queen's Jubilee last year and the theme was that everyone is having the same problem.'

In their house, which they moved into in 2021, they claim a sink problem led to a kitchen worktop warping and a replacement was cut too short.

Mr Crisp's partner said: 'The customer service is diabolical. Even through the process of buying it, they ignored us.'

Avant Homes told Derbyshire Live that they are working with 'a very small number' of residents at Cotchett Village, off the A516 Etwall Road, to resolve their concerns.

Steven Bosworth, who also lives on the estate, claims that his house was riddled with issues when he moved in in 2020.

He said he had his downstairs toilet ripped out and refitted due to water leaking through walls, his floors relaid due to scratches, and his kitchen units redone due to missing plug sockets.

He said: 'We'd never buy from them again. They're a waste of time and don't want to fix anything. I'm constantly pushing them to come round and fix stuff and we're still waiting.'

Another couple who live near Mr Singh said that their experience of Avant Homes has been positive.

They believe they were one of the first to move in, having acquired the keys in March 2020.

They said that any problems were resolved swiftly after the first Covid-19 lockdown eased that summer.

At the time, not many other people were living on the site and tradesmen were working on homes every day.

However, they claim that the customer service has 'gone downhill' since then.
Dozens of migrants were intercepted by Border Force crossing the Channel in small boats today - the largest group since the government unveiled its controversial Illegal Migration Bill was announced last week.

At least 100 people including women and children were brought ashore on two Border Force vessels at the harbour at the Port of Dover in Kent on Friday morning.

The majority were brought in on large catamaran Volunteer while a smaller group could be seen on board the Defender.

They were escorted up the gangway at the immigration processing centre at the former jetfoil terminal within the docks complex.

It comes after 51 people were brought into the port in the early evening last Saturday.

At least 100 people including women and children were brought ashore on two Border Force vessels at the harbour at the Port of Dover in Kent on Friday morning

The migrants were escorted up the gangway at the immigration processing centre at the former jetfoil terminal within the docks complex

The majority of the migrants were brought in on large catamaran Volunteer while a smaller group could be seen on board the Defender

It brings the total figure for 2023 to 3,198 migrants arriving in 74 boats - an average of 43 migrants on each boat.

The arrivals were the first since it was announced that Channel migrants will be hit with a life-time ban on entering Britain under proposed laws.

Tough new measures will see any asylum seeker arriving illegally by small boat indefinitely banned from re-entering the country.

READ MORE: Migrants entering the UK illegally 'will be banned from claiming asylum Rishi Sunak's landmark borders bill will be 'applied retrospectively' for all Channel crossings Fact-box text Advertisement

Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who introduced the new laws last week, said: 'The only route to the UK will be a safe and legal route'.

Though the migrants arrived after the bill was introduced they will still be processed in the normal way, according to the Home Office.

The new laws are also expected to further prevent migrants from using human rights laws to avoid removal from Britain.

Saturday's arrivals are the first to reach the UK since March 6 when 197 people made the treacherous journey in one boat.

Strong winds had prevented crossings since then.

A total of 45,728 people made the treacherous journey across the 21-mile Dover Straits in 1,104 boats last year, compared to 28,526 in 2021.

The busiest day came on August 22 last year when 1,295 migrants crossed the Channel in rubber dinghies or other small craft in a 24-hour period.

And officials have predicted the number of people crossing the Channel in small boats could double this year - potentially reaching up to 80,000.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said: 'The unacceptable number of people risking their lives by making these dangerous crossings is placing an unprecedented strain on our asylum system.

'Our priority is to stop this illegal trade, and our new Small Boats Operational Command - bolstered by hundreds of extra staff - is working alongside our French partners and other agencies to disrupt the people smugglers.

'We are also going further by introducing legislation which will ensure that those people arriving in the UK illegally are detained and swiftly removed to another country.'
The grief-stricken former husband of a Polish nightclub boss accused of being a 'call girl' who conned her financier lover out of millions has hit back at the shocking claims made about her - following her sudden death.

Magdalena Zalinska's body was discovered by police who broke down the door of her apartment in Clapham, south London,

She was being sued in the High Court by the brother of Danny Truell over claims she obtained 4million by 'undue influence' before he died of a neurological condition aged 55 in 2019.

Mr Truell's brother had accused divorced mother-of-two Ms Zalinska, 44, of being a prostitute who got her hands on a huge slice of her lover's 18million estate.

But her ex-husband Wojtek Zalinska those claims and told MailOnline: 'That was absolute rubbish, she was never a call girl. Never.

'I do not know why such hurtful thing were said about her in the court. That is wrong and should not have been said. She is not here to defend herself now so I will do it.'

The sudden death of nightclub boss Magdalena Zalinska (pictured) is not being treated as suspicious

Ms Zalinski's former husband Wojtek Zalinski (left) said the claim his ex-wife was a call girl was 'absolute rubbish'. She was being sued in the High Court by the brother of Danny Truell (right) over claims she obtained 4million by 'undue influence' before he died of a neurological condition aged 55 in 2019

Mr Zalinska said he plans to fly to London to meet with his sons Jan and Aleksandra and make funeral arrangements.

He revealed he and his former wife divorced 20 years ago but kept in contact. He last saw her a year ago.

Ms Zalinska was found dead in her Clapham flat on Saturday after neighbours told police that they were concerned for her welfare.

Officers broke down the door to the ground floor 600,000 flat where the body was discovered.

Ms Zalinska, a glamorous nightclub owner, who was left more than 1million in Mr Truell's will, denied the allegations, insisting they had a 'romantic and loving relationship' for 14 years.

Mr Truell's brother Edi, 61, who is also a City financier, claimed that although she had a sexual relationship with his brother, she was his paid carer from 2012 and did not live with him.

His lawyers claimed in court that she was a 'call girl' - a claim she rejected.

Danny Truell, a lifelong Labour Party member, was a contemporary of former prime minister Boris Johnson at Balliol College, Oxford, and frequently faced him in debates.

He went on to become a hugely successful fund manager. After running Goldman Sachs's asset management arm, he moved to Britain's biggest charity, the Wellcome Trust, as its chief investment officer in 2005.

In 12 years, he grew assets under management from 12.3billion to 20.9billion. He also allowed it to double the amount it donated a year to more than 1billion.

He divorced his wife of 16 years, Naomi, in 2011, and the following year he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis which later became a form of motor neurone disease.

In the High Court, Mr Justice Michael Green said Mr Truell had considerable personal wealth but lived 'an apparently frugal lifestyle', did not drive, have expensive hobbies or go on many holidays, and lived in 'a modest and poorly furnished basement and ground floor maisonette' near Clapham Junction. During his illness he was 'dependent on alcohol', the judge added.

The house in Clapham, south London, where Danny Truell had a flat and where Ms Zalinska's body was found

Ms Zalinska was being sued in court by Edi Truell (pictured), the brother of Danny Truell

The basement flat in Clapham had previously been described as 'modest and poorly furnished'

In his will, he described Ms Zalinska, a Polish national, who has also struggled with alcohol, as his 'partner and dependent'.

The court battle was over a series of transfers to her before Mr Truell died.

These included 1.34million paid between 2013 and 2018 to a company through which she operated her London nightclub, Southwark Rooms.

Another 915,000 went to her directly in electronic transfers, 1.366million on spending and withdrawals using his debit card, while he also transferred to her his interest in the flat she had previously rented from him in Clapham, where her body was discovered.

The flat door inside the property that was smashed in by Metropolitan Police officers

Lawyers for Edi Truell said she had also used her Southwark nightclub as a 'front' to 'extract' huge sums of money that have since disappeared.

In a hearing earlier this year, Mr Justice Michael Green said Ms Zalinska was 'rightly, in my view, offended by any suggestion that she was not in a deep and loving relationship with the deceased, or that she had taken advantage of him'.

Ms Zalinska claimed to have met Mr Truell at the end of his previous marriage and started a relationship with him in 2004. The couple moved into the basement flat in Clapham in 2016.

Mr Truell's brother and former solicitor John Rayner Hatchard claimed, as executors of his estate, that evidence casts doubt on the 'quality' of the relationship.

Their barrister Edward Hicks told the judge that Mr Truell had two 'very separate' lives - one with his family and the other with Ms Zalinska, with whom he had a 'very strange relationship'.

He said a crucial question at a trial would be if Mr Truell were in a relationship akin to 'husband and wife' or whether it had been 'marked by promiscuity', which he did not know about.

'Is this a lady who is presenting a false picture of her relationship to Danny?' he told a hearing in February.

'We have evidence that she was in relationships with other people.'

Ms Zalinska (pictured), 44, a Polish national, was left more than 1million in Mr Truell's will

A neighbour called Ms Zalinska an 'odd fish' who didn't fit in the well-off street where she lived.

The street where she lives is a quiet and mainly affluent stretch of south London real estate where properties routinely sell for over 1 million, and one of her neighbours described Miss Zalinska as 'polite but distinctly odd' and said her presence was at odds with the atmosphere of the genteel road.

'She was perfectly polite, but to be frank she was just a bit too interesting for our road,' said the neighbour, who gave his first name as Rob.

And he added that her sudden death had not come out of the blue for him, commenting: 'it wasn't a great shock to be honest, she just struck me as someone who was hanging around the wrong kind of people.'

He said he had seen odd types coming and going from her home and suspected she might be wrapped up in drugs.

'The last time I saw her was a few weeks ago when I saw her coming out of her flat,' he said.

'My comment to my girlfriend was that she seemed well dodgy.

'It was blindingly obvious that there might be drug use going on.'

A Met Police spokesman said: 'Officers forced entry and found a 46-year-old woman deceased. Her next of kin have been informed.

'The death is being treated as unexpected, though initial enquiries determined it was not suspicious.'

A full trial of the 4million claim against Ms Zalinska was set for next year.

Lawyers for Ms Zalinska and the estate of Mr Truell refused to comment.
The hostile scenes came as Florida's legislature is facing a vote to ban puberty blockers for children

Among the activists was a blue haired woman who injected herself at the lectern as a sign of protest

Florida lawmakers were berated by pro-trans protestors over a proposed bill to ban sex changes for minors

A transgender protester injected herself to gasps during a meeting where she and others opposed plans to ban so-called gender affirming care for children.

The unnamed woman, who had blue hair and horn-rimmed glasses, declared: 'I was once a trans youth, and now I'm a happy 22-year-old trans adult... this is my healthcare, don't tread on it.'

She proudly produced the syringe, then stuck the needle into her arm and pushed the plunger, to an audible gasp from an unseen eyewitness at the hearing in Tallahassee earlier this week.

It's unclear what was in the syringe, although many transgender people take regular hormones, often intravenously.

One trans protester proudly injected herself while discussing her opposition to a new Florida bill which would crack down on so-called gender-affirming care for children

Another protester told of how they first considered suicide aged two, before undergoing a mastectomy as a teenager

Other notable speakers include a person who didn't share their gender identity, but who said they first considered suicide aged just two. That person told the hearing how they'd gone on to attempt to remove their own breasts aged just 15.

'By the time I was 15, I attempted to slice my own breasts off,' they added. 'I went to the ER because I was bleeding out.'

Florida officials heard numerous claims that blood will be on their hands if they were to support the bill, while several others made connections to Nazi-era Germany.

The scenes occurred during a public hearing with the Florida Senate Committee on Health Policy at the state's legislature in Tallahassee.

The governing body is considering banning minors from receiving sex-reassignment prescriptions, also known as puberty blockers.

The bill also includes a provision that would give courts in the state jurisdiction to take control of custody of a child to prevent them from receiving sex-reassignment procedures or prescriptions.

This led one of the activists to issue a chilling threat to the committee members, noting that 'less than a week ago gun law restrictions were loosened.'

'Anyone who thinks it's a good idea to come and take my child - I dare you.'

WATCH: Activists furious at Florida lawmakers for considering transgender surgery restrictionspic.twitter.com/KEF4asoLn2  Floridas Voice (@FLVoiceNews) March 16, 2023

Another protester, who wore a black KN95 facemask, claimed to have grown up in the aftermath of Nazi Germany, despite looking no older than 60.

She likened attempts to ban sex changes for children to the actions of Adolf Hitler, her voice trembling with emotion as she spoke.

'I grew up in Germany in the aftermath of the Nazis, and what you people are doing is no different. 'This is transphobic, it is cruel, and you really should be ashamed.'

One young activist took to the lectern to sharply criticize them for even debating the bill, saying: 'Every time I look at you guys on this committee, I realize more and more that you guys want to commit trans genocide.

'Our blood is on your hands.'

This mother made a chilling threat against those who would carry out the bill's potential enforcement of child custody changes, noting that 'less than a week ago gun law restrictions were loosened'

This woman claimed to have grown up in the aftermath of Nazi Germany, and likened the proposed new law to the atrocities committed by Adolf Hitler

A furious pro-trans agitator said the bill would endanger the lives of trans youths, including their own family members

Another protestor took aim at Florida state senator Clay Yarborough, one of the leaders of Florida's push to legislate on transgender issues.

She said Yarborough has 'militarized' the Florida GOP into a 'genital gestapo'.

'Ron DeSantis wants trans people dead,' she added. 'You are committing genocide.'

Another of the pro-trans agitators slammed the bill next, and said its potential passage would be tantamount to an 'act of war'.

After removing their mask, they continued: 'The way it is, as it is now, my people will die. And that blood, if you support this bill, will be on your hands.'

A 12-year-old non-binary speaker echoed those remarks, feeling that if the legislation comes into effect, then 'many of us will die'.

Controversy has swirled around the issue of medical intervention for minors in recent years, as many trans youths report that procedures such as puberty blockers can have a beneficial effect on their mental health.

However, others argue that the drugs can be detrimental, including their alleged effects on development and bone health.

For more drastic procedures such as top surgeries, some legislators feel they should be banned for minors and individuals should wait until they are adults to make the decision.

The bill will also prohibit state funds from being used for gender reassignment surgeries or prescriptions.

State Senator Clay Yarborough, pictured, said he has pushed to legislate on trans youths because he wants to 'let kids be kids in Florida'

Clarifying the legislation's stance on child custody, Florida State Senator Yarborough said in a statement released on Monday: 'This bill gives the court discretion on whether and how to act to protect a child when a parent is subjecting a child to sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures that this bill makes illegal in Florida.

'Again, both parents have a right to be involved in the upbringing of a child, and one parent should not be able to unilaterally attempt to change the sex of their child.

'We have other components in this bill that relate to adults and relates and relate to the expenditure of state funds, but we want to let kids be kids in Florida.

'The overall goal of the bill is to protect the children of our state.'

His statements were opposed by fellow-State Senator Tracie Davis, who slammed his push to move the bill through Florida's legislature.

'Weve heard that this bill restricts access to gender affirming care. Weve heard that it creates a potential for depression.

'Some have suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts. The target is on the back of the queer community [] The side effect to not having this care is suicide.

'Those are the words that speaker  after speaker  after speaker said, and all I could hear was, love me as I am.

'Trans kids are rare, but they do exist. This bill will be a massive step backwards because simply all this bill does is put more kids in harms way. I personally feel like this bill is unconstitutional.'
The court accused Putin of being involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children

The ICC accused Vladimir Putin of being responsible for war crimes in Ukraine

Furious Vladimir Putin has condemned the International Criminal Court's 'outrageous' decision to issue an arrest warrant for him over war crimes in Ukraine, that one expert said could hasten his removal as Russia's leader.

The ICC on Friday called for Putin's arrest and accused the despot of committing war crimes by abducting Ukrainian children from their homes and deporting them to Russia to be given to Russian families.

It also issued a warrant Friday for the arrest of Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, Russia's 'Children's Rights Commissioner', on the same charges.

The Kremlin slammed the court's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Putin 'outrageous and unacceptable'; in contrast, Ukraine hailed the decision and said 'the wheels of justice are turning'.

The Kremlin insisted that any decisions of the ICC were 'null and void' with respect to Russia as Moscow does not recognise the court's jurisdiction.

The International Criminal court on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his barbaric invasion of Ukraine

The ICC called for Putin's arrest as the court accused the despot of unlawfully abducting Ukrainian children from their homes and deporting them to Russia to be given to Russian families. Pictured: Ukrainian children onboard a train from Ukraine's Donbas region to Russia on February 22, 2022

A Ukrainian police officer takes cover in front of a burning building that was hit in a Russian airstrike in Avdiivka, Ukraine, on Friday

Sir Geoffrey Nice, who was the lead prosecutor at former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic's trial, said it was 'extremely important' that the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin.

He suggested that Putin being 'labelled and treated as a criminal' could inspire a change in regime or 'encourage the process of replacement.'

'There's enough information seeping out to indicate that there are some unhappy with his leadership,' Sir Geoffrey told Sky News on Friday.

'It's important because this man is now - as many would say he should have been a few weeks after the war started - labelled as a criminal.'

READ MORE: How CAN Putin be arrested for war crimes? The unlikely circumstances that could see Vladimir held to account for invading Ukraine and abducting children Advertisement

Sir Geoffrey added that the war in Ukraine is now a 'right, just war' that is being 'criminally led.'

Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia's Investigative Committee, reacted to the ICC's decision by proposing to create an 'international court' for 'Ukrainian war criminals' - following similar comments from Putin's cronies on state television.

The ICC's chief prosecutor Karim Khan said hundreds of Ukrainian children have been taken from orphanages and children's homes to Russia.

He said: 'Many of these children, we allege, have since been given up for adoption in the Russian Federation.

Mr Khan said a Russian law change has made it easier for the children to be adopted by Russian families while at the time of the deportations, Ukrainian children were protected persons under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

In his statement, he called Friday's arrest warrants 'a first concrete step'. while other Ukraine investigations are ongoing.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the warrant, saying: 'A historic decision from which historic responsibility will begin.'

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also welcomed the the ICC's decision, adding that investigations into alleged atrocities in Ukraine must continue.

'We welcome the step taken by the independent ICC to hold those at the top of the Russian regime, including Vladimir Putin, to account,' Cleverly tweeted, adding 'those responsible for horrific war crimes in Ukraine must be brought to justice'.

But the ICC's president, Piotr Hofmanski, admitted that while the court's judges have issued the warrants, it will be up to the international community to enforce them. The court has no police force of its own to enforce warrants.

'The ICC is doing its part of work as a court of law. The judges issued arrest warrants. The execution depends on international cooperation,' Hofmanski said.

A possible trial of any Russians at the ICC remains a long way off, as Moscow does not recognise the court's jurisdiction and does not extradite its nationals - a position reaffirmed on Friday by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in a first reaction to the warrants.

'The decisions of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view,' she said.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Friday compared the arrest warrant for Putin to toilet paper.

'The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin. No need to explain WHERE this paper should be used,' Medvedev said on Twitter, adding a toilet paper emoji.

In contrast, Ukrainian officials were jubilant at the decision. 'The world changed,' said presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the 'wheels of justice are turning' and added that 'international criminals will be held accountable for stealing children and other international crimes'.

Olga Lopatkina, a Ukrainian mother who struggled for months to reclaim her foster children who were deported to an institution ran by Russian loyalists, welcomed the news of the arrest warrant. 'Good news!' she said. 'Everyone must be punished for their crimes.'

Ukraine also is not a member of the court, but it has granted the ICC jurisdiction over its territory and ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has visited four times since opening an investigation a year ago.

The ICC said in a statement that Putin is allegedly 'responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.'

The court added that its pre-trial chamber found there were 'reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children.'

Putin was allegedly responsible both directly by committing the acts and for 'failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission', the court said.

The ICC said the crimes dated from February 24 last year, when Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine.

The ICC also issued a warrant Friday for the arrest of Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova (pictured with Putin on February 16 in Moscow), Russia's 'Children's Rights Commissioner', on similar allegations

The ICC (file image of the International Criminal Court in the Hague) accused Putin of being responsible for war crimes because of his involvement in the abduction of children from Ukraine

In the early months of the war, Russian forces were forced to retreat from towns and cities across Ukraine - but as they retreated, the war crimes they have committed against civilians has become clear. Pictured: The bodies of civilians killed by Russian soldiers lie on the street in Bucha on April 2, 2022

Forensics carry body bags in a forest near Izyum, eastern Ukraine, on September 19, 2022, where Ukrainian investigators have uncovered more than 440 graves after the city was recaptured from the Russians

Since Putin launched the invasion more than a year ago, Russians have been accused of deporting Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-held territories to raise them as their own.

At least 1,000 children were seized from schools and orphanages in the Kherson region during Russia's eight-month occupation of the area, local authorities say. Their whereabouts are still unknown.

And in response to the ICC issuing Lvova-Belova an arrest warrant for war crimes, the children's commissioner said in a bizarre statement: 'It's great that the international community has appreciated the work to help the children of our country.'

Lvova-Belova said last month she had 'adopted' a child from the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, now under Russian control.

Russia claims that the Ukrainian children don't have parents or guardians to look after them, or that they can't be reached.

But it has emerged that officials have deported Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-held territories without consent, lied to them that they weren't wanted by their parents, used them for propaganda, and given them Russian families and citizenship.

Whether or not they have parents, raising the children of war in another country or culture can be a marker of genocide, an attempt to erase the very identity of an enemy nation. Prosecutors say it also can be tied directly to Putin, who has explicitly supported the adoptions.

'It's not something that happens spur of the moment on the battlefield,' said Stephen Rapp, a former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues who is advising Ukraine on prosecutions. 'And so your ability to attribute responsibility to the highest level is much greater here.'

Even where parents are dead, Rapp said, their children must be sheltered, fostered or adopted in Ukraine rather than deported to Russia.

Russian law prohibits the adoption of foreign children without consent of the home country, which Ukraine has not given. But in May, Putin signed a decree making it easier for Russia to adopt and give citizenship to Ukrainian children without parental care  and harder for Ukraine and surviving relatives to win them back.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan launched an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine just days after Russia's invasion.

Chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan said hundreds of Ukrainian children have been taken from orphanages and children's homes to Russia

Khan and Ukraine's Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova visit a site of a mass grave in the town of Bucha in April last year

The Kyiv suburb became synonymous with scores of atrocities against civilians discovered in areas abandoned by Russian forces

Ukrainian servicemen fire a M777 howitzer at Russian positions near Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, on Friday

Following the court's decision on Friday, experts said the ICC action will have an important impact.

'The ICC has made Putin a wanted man and taken its first step to end the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russia's war against Ukraine for far too long,' said Balkees Jarrah, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch.

What is the International Criminal Court? - The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression when member states are unwilling or unable to do so themselves. It can prosecute crimes committed by nationals of member states or on the territory of member states by other actors. It has 123 member states. The budget for 2023 is about 170 million euros. - The ICC is conducting 17 investigations, ranging from Ukraine and African states such as Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya to Venezuela in Latin America and Asian nations, such as Myanmar and the Philippines, according to its website. - The ICC website says there have so far been 31 cases before the court, with some cases having more than one suspect. ICC judges have issued 38 arrest warrants. - Twenty-one people have been held in the ICC detention centre and have appeared before the court. Fourteen people remain at large. Charges have been dropped against five people due to their deaths. The judges have issued 10 convictions and four acquittals. - The ICC has convicted five men of war crimes and crimes against humanity, all African militia leaders from Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and Uganda. Terms range from nine to 30 years in prison. The maximum possible term is life imprisonment. - A top fugitive is former Sudanese leader Omar al Bashir, wanted for genocide in Darfur. The first former head of state ever to appear before the ICC, former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo, was acquitted of all charges in 2019 after a three-year trial. - Although the court is supported by many United Nations members and the European Union, other major powers like the United States, China and Russia are not members, arguing it could be used for politically motivated prosecutions. - The Ukraine investigation opened on March 2, 2022, and its focus is alleged crimes committed in the context of the situation in Ukraine since Nov. 21, 2013, according to the ICC website. Protests erupted in 2013 against then President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia when he was ousted in 2014. Advertisement

'The warrants send a clear message that giving orders to commit, or tolerating, serious crimes against civilians may lead to a prison cell in The Hague.'

The French government said 'no-one should escape justice', as it reacted to the ICC's decision.

'No-one responsable for crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, regardless of their status, should escape justice,' said the French Foreign Affairs Ministry on its FranceDiplomatie Twitter account

Prof. David Crane, who indicted Liberian President Charles Taylor 20 years ago for crimes in Sierra Leone, said dictators and tyrants around the world 'are now on notice that those who commit international crimes will be held accountable to include heads of state.'

Taylor was eventually detained and put on trial at a special court in the Netherlands. He was convicted and sentenced to 50 years' imprisonment.

'This is an important day for justice and for the citizens of Ukraine,' Crane said.

On Thursday, a U.N.-backed inquiry cited Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, among potential issues that amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.

The sweeping investigation also found crimes committed against Ukrainians on Russian territory, including deported Ukrainian children who were prevented from reuniting with their families, a 'filtration' system aimed at singling out Ukrainians for detention, and torture and inhumane detention conditions.

Indeed, in the year since the war began, the world has watched in horror as Putin's soldiers have dropped missiles on apartment buildings, tortured civilians before shooting them dead, and systematically raped women and girls.

Men, women and children - the youngest known victim being a 14-year-old boy - have been executed by Russian soldiers, their bodies thrown into deep troughs dug into the ground.

The scale of the suffering and the indiscriminate targeting of men, women and children has seen at least 7,000 civilians killed and nearly eight million Ukrainians flee to countries across Europe.

In March last year, a month into the war, Russian soldiers unleashed a series of indiscriminate bombs on civilian areas, leaving death and destruction in their wake.

During a three-month siege in the southern city of Mariupol, Russian forces levelled the city and killed hundreds of civilians in missile attacks. The world watched in horror as Russian forces bombed a maternity hospital on March 9, killing a pregnant woman and her baby, and wounding at least 17 people.

A week later, Russian aircraft again dropped missiles on civilian areas - this time on the Donetsk Regional Theatre in Mariupol, which was housing hundreds of civilians and had 'children' written in large white letters outside. At least a dozen people were killed and scores more were injured in the attack.

The attacks on civilians continue. On January 14, a Russian missile strike on an apartment building in the city of Dnipro killed at least 44 people, including five children, and injured 79 people.

Since October, Russian forces have also repeatedly targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, plunging cities into darkness and leaving millions without heat during the bitterly cold winter months.

In the early months of the war, Russian forces were forced to retreat from towns and cities across Ukraine - but as they retreated, the war crimes they have committed against civilians has become clear.

The exterior of the International Criminal Court (pictured on Friday) after it issued an arrest warrant for Putin

A local resident waves at a Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicle BMP-1 on their way to the frontline, near Bakhmut

Since March, mass graves have been filled with the bodies of thousands of civilians, many with their hands tied behind their backs, along with torture chambers discovered in liberated areas of Ukraine in areas across the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions - including the cities of Bucha, Irpin and Izyum.

Mr Zelensky was visibly emotional and stood motionless as he surveyed the scene of utter devastation he encountered when he visited Bucha in April last year, with dozens of bodies shot at close range lying on the empty streets.

The civilians who survived have detailed how Russian soldiers detained them for months and subjected them to electric shocks, waterboarding and beatings.

Horrific testimonies - including how Russian soldiers gang-raped a 22-year-old Ukrainian mother, sexually abused her husband and made the couple have sex in front of them before raping their four-year-old daughter - have also shown how Putin's men have used rape as a weapon of war.

In many cases, the Russian soldiers would shoot dead the women's husbands - or threaten to do so - as soon as they tried to defend their wives and stop them from being raped.
House Oversight Committee Republicans are seeking to bring in Hunter Biden associate John R. Walker for questioning after poring over years' worth of his bank records and uncovering a $35,000 payment to Hallie Biden, Beau Biden's widow.

Panel chair Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) released a letter Thursday with new details on the $3 million payment that Walker received from a Chinese firm, after issuing a subpoena to Bank of America for his financial records.

The information provided by Comer stated that Walker received a $3 million wire transfer from Chinese State Energy HK Limited, a firm affiliated with CEFC China Energy, then distributed $1.3 million to accounts associated with Biden family members.

Comer wrote Walker that the panel 'is investigating President Biden's involvement in his family's business practices' and 'has identified you as a critical witness in this matter and has reviewed evidence showing you received millions of dollars originating from a Chinese energy company and elsewhere.'

The House Oversight Committee has 'invited' Hunter Biden associate John R. Walker to come in for a transcribed interview

The committee 'invites you to participate in a transcribed interview with Committee staff, Comer wrote in language that stopped short of an outright demand but which can be a prelude to a subpoena if a witness declines to comply.

Democrats fumed at Comer's public campaign Thursday, with the White House calling it an 'attack' on the president's daughter-in-law.

A spokesperson for Hunter Biden's legal team blasted the disclosures as old news  and said the funds transferred to Hallie Biden were part of 'sharing expenses.' Hunter has previously acknowledged he was in a relationship with her at the time.

'Here we go again as Rep. Comer takes something old and tries to make it new by wrapping it in a wild and baseless right-wing conspiracy,' said the spokeswoman in a statement provided to DailyMail.com.

'Hunter Biden, a private citizen with every right to pursue his own business endeavors, joined several business partners in seeking a joint venture with a privately-owned, legitimate energy company in China. As part of that joint venture, Hunter received his portion of good faith seed funds which he shared with his uncle, James Biden, and Hallie Biden, with whom he was involved with at the time, and sharing expenses. The accounts so dramatically listed by Rep. Comer belonged to Hunter, his uncle and Hallie - nobody else,' said the spokeswoman.

The White House has previously denied any involvement by President Biden in his family's business practices.

The Republican-run Oversight panel hit back again Friday, posting images of the financial transactions involving Robinson Walker LLC, a company set up by the Hunter Biden associate.

One shows a March 1, 2017 wire to him in the amount of $3 million. A $300,000 wire to Owasco P.C.

House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) called it an investigation into 'President Biden's involvement in his family's business practices'

The letter 'invites' Walker to take part in a transcribed interview

Hallie Biden, seen here with Beau Biden, received $35,000 from Biden associate John Robinson Walker, according to Rep. James Comer. Comer, who, as chair of House Oversight, subpoenaed bank information, says Walker's company got $3 million from a Chinese firm in 2017

The White House hit back after Republicans subpoenaed bank records and released documents purporting to show that Hallie Biden received a cut of $3 million in cash from China. Beau Biden's widow was identified on Thursday as the third member of the first family wrapped up in Rep. James Comer's investigation into allegations they used their names to profit on business deals

Ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) said Comer should probe the 'billions' of dollars paid to Jared Kushner by a Saudi sovereign wealth fund

The Oversight panel tweeted: 'Hunter Biden didnt share funds as his lawyer claims. The wires came directly from Rob Walkers company, Robinson Walker LLC, to various Biden relatives and companies, including Hallie Biden. Here are two wires to James and Hunter Biden's companies.'

A second image showed a $25,000 transfer to Hallie Biden on March 20, 2017.

Oversight also flagged payments to an 'unknown' Biden that the panel said got incremental payments totaling more than $1 million. Comer had also cited this unidentified person after floating a 'third' Biden in Fox News interviews before Hallie Biden was unmasked as the recipient of the $35,000  a much smaller sum than went to others following the initial transfer.

The committee continue: 'If Hunter Biden was getting funding, why use Robinson Walker LLC instead of his own companies to receive the wire from the China energy company? Why use so many companies and structure payments over 3 months?'

A following tweet stated: 'The Bidens did everything to hide their involvement in the deal because they knew the source of the funds was shady.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Walker seeking comment.

The White House and House Democrats have cast the probe as a cruel investigation and pointed out that the $3 million to Walker has been known previously.

'After a disgusting attack lamenting that the Presidents deceased son Beau was never prosecuted while he was alive, Congressman Comer has now decided to go after Beaus widow,' White House spokesman Ian Sams told DailyMail.com in a statement this week.

'Instead of bizarrely attacking the Presidents family, perhaps House Republicans should focus on working with the President to deliver results for American families on important priorities like lowering costs and strengthening health care,' he continued.

Also blasting Comer was Rep Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the Oversight panel.

Chairman Comers memo proved once again that, after four years of investigations by Senate and House Republicans into Hunter Biden, they have found no connection to the President of the United States or indeed any government official at all,' Raskin said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Oversight Democrats accused Comer of giving the false 'impression' that Hallie Biden was involved in getting money from China by failing to note another transaction, although without providing information on what the payments were for.

'After issuing an overbroad and invasive subpoena for 14 years of financial records, Chairman Comer has issued a memo based on speculation and a handful of cherry picked facts in order to gin up new interest in a previously-reported transaction,' said the Democratic spokesperson.
A cocaine-using former caretaker who left his girlfriend's infant son with swollen black eyes amid a campaign of 'sadistic' abuse which included renaming his bedroom 'the torture chamber' has been found guilty of his murder.

Drug addict Jake Drummond, 33, who would smoke 10 or 15 cannabis spliffs a day, fatally shook and hit 15-month-old Jacob Lennon early on August 27 2019, leaving him with a face like a 'panda', the Old Bailey heard.

In the weeks before, Jacob suffered yet more injuries to his face, body and genitals while the boy's mother Louise Lennon, 32, failed to stop it.

Five days before the killing, Drummond sent her a sinister message saying he was putting Jacob into the 'torture chamber', in reference to his bedroom.

Jake Drummond fatally shook and hit 15-month-old Jacob Lennon (pictured) early on August 27 2019, leaving him with a face like a 'panda', the Old Bailey heard

Five days before the killing, Jake Drummond (left) sent a sinister message to the boy's mother Louise Lennon, 32, (right) saying he was putting Jacob into the 'torture chamber', in reference to his bedroom

It followed a meme of the Hollywood actor Ben Stiller in the film Happy Gilmore with the quote: 'Now you will go to sleep or I will put you to sleep.'

In another message, Lennon referred to Jacob as looking like 'a little madman' because of his bruises.

The pair had denied wrongdoing and blamed each other for Jacob's horrific injuries.

Following a trial at the Old Bailey, Drummond was found guilty of murder and wounding Jacob with intent.

Lennon, 32, was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child having earlier admitted child cruelty.

The pathologist identified a 'gaping' 3cm long cut to Jacob's penis from 'extreme pinching' or 'biting' and a wound to his scrotum. Jacob is pictured above

The injuries to Jacob's genitals were said to be 'sadistic' and were the subject of Drummond's wounding charge. A pathologist rejected a claim the cut could have been caused by a Toy Story themed 'Mr Potato Head' plastic knife

The court had heard how social services had placed Jacob under a child protection plan under the category of emotional abuse in December 2018.

But on August 20 2019 Lennon lied to the social worker by saying she was on holiday in Hastings to skip a planned visit.

Meanwhile, Drummond had already embarked on 'a campaign of deliberately assaulting and hurting Jacob', prosecutor Sally O'Neill KC had said.

Drummond was frustrated at Jacob staying in bed with him and Lennon rather than his cot as the defendant struggled with sleeplessness due to his cocaine habit.

Jake Drummond's twisted timeline of violence 2005: Drummond holds a knife to his mother's throat 2008 Drummond assaults his ex-girlfriend Dec 2018 Jacob is placed under a child protection plan under the category of emotional abuse Aug 20 2019 Louise Lennon lies to a social worker by saying she was on holiday in Hastings to skip a planned visit Aug 26 2019 Drummond is called into police station after an ex-girlfriend accuses him of harassing her in a way that was 'little short of obsessive'. Aug 27 2019 Drummond shakes Jacob to death Advertisement

On the day before the fatal attack, Drummond was also angered at having to go to a police station after a former girlfriend accused him of harassing her in a way that was 'little short of obsessive'.

Early the next day, Jacob was taken out of bed and shaken and hit so severely he fell unconscious, jurors were told.

Afterwards, Lennon concocted a story for emergency services that Jacob had fallen out of his cot.

She also claimed he had tripped on the way from a supermarket back to their flat in Roehampton, south-west London, days before.

Medics found Jacob's eyes were so swollen they could not open and he 'looked like a panda'.

He had more bruises on his forehead, temples and cheeks and his skull was described as being soft and spongy.

Jacob, who was later found to have traces of cocaine in his body, was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead just over an hour later.

A post-mortem examination found he died from a fatal head injury, likely from being hit against a blunt surface while being shaken.

Some of his injuries were inflicted days or weeks before the final assault.

Ms O'Neill told jurors: 'There were 20 marks of recent injury on Jacob's head, face and neck, 11 to his upper limbs, seven to his lower limbs and seven to his trunk.'

The pathologist identified a 'gaping' 3cm long cut to Jacob's penis from 'extreme pinching' or 'biting' and a wound to his scrotum.

The prosecutor said: 'The injury to the scrotum was a penetrating injury as a result of penetration by a semi-sharp or sharp object such as a small-bladed weapon including a skewer or similar in preceding days.'

The injuries to Jacob's genitals were said to be 'sadistic' and were the subject of Drummond's wounding charge.

A pathologist rejected a claim the cut could have been caused by a Toy Story themed 'Mr Potato Head' plastic knife.

Drummond denied that he injured Jacob and Lennon said she was being 'coerced and threatened' by her boyfriend into not getting help for her son.

The child endured a 15-month-long campaign of 'sadistic abuse'

Mother Louise Lennon, 32, and boyfriend Jake Drummond (pictured), 33, face charges over the death of Jacob Lennon in August 2019

Louise Lennon was convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child will be sentenced in April

The court heard that Drummond received a juvenile warning in 2005 for holding a knife against his mother's throat and a conviction in 2008 for assaulting another ex-girlfriend by pushing her against a wall.

The other ex-partner he was warned against harassing also claimed he had previously grabbed her around the neck to the point she nearly passed out, jurors were told

Earlier in the trial, Lennon had sobbed as prosecutor Sally O'Neill showed her photographs she had taken of her son where his injuries got progressively worse, including severe bruising across his head, a cut lip and the patch of hair that had been removed by hair removal cream.

She said that she saw some of the injuries to Jacob's genitals but did not see the worst injury, a cut.

Ms O'Neill said she must have seen all the injuries as she was regularly changing Jacob's nappy.

'It's a horrible nasty injury caused to your 16-month-old baby and you knew that the injury had been caused by the man you were having a relationship with.

'How could that injury have possibly happened in your flat without you knowing about it?' Ms O'Neill asked.

Lennon said she was asleep.

'But you've told us you're a light sleeper. I'm sure you agree that a mother is attuned to the cries of her baby, and hears them more than other people do.

'You agreed it must have been a horrendously painful injury.

'Jacob would have screamed his head off when that injury was caused to him,' Ms O'Neill said.

Lennon said Drummond had pinned her down and assaulted her as their relationship deteriorated, and would go on her phone late at night and block the numbers of her ex boyfriends.

Ms O'Neill earlier told jurors: 'Jake Drummond had embarked on a campaign of deliberately assaulting and hurting Jacob between July and the end of August.

'The injuries which he caused were obvious and noticeable.

'Lucy Lennon tried to explain them away by fabricating accidental causes for them when it must have been apparent to her that it was Jake Drummond who was causing them.

'His eyes were so swollen they were unable to open them. Beneath his eyes was so darkly bruised, he looked like a panda.

'The injury to the scrotum was a penetrating injury as a result of penetration by a semi-sharp or sharp object such as a small-bladed weapon including a skewer or similar in preceding days.

'The injury to Jacob's penis and scrotum in particular caused by a sharp implement was sadistic in its cruelty and must have caused great pain to Jacob.

'Louise Lennon was more concerned with maintaining her relationship with Jake Drummond than protecting her young son from him despite it becoming obvious to her that Jake didn't like Jacob and Jacob's ever increasing and unexplained injuries.'

Following baby Jacob's death in August 2019, a post-mortem examination found injuries consistent with horrendous long-term abuse. Pictured: Louise Lennon

The twisted pair were found guilty at the Old Bailey (pictured) and will be sentenced in April

The jury deliberated over two days to find the pair guilty of the charges against them.

Drummond denied but was convicted of murder and wounding with intent.

Lennon denied but was convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child. She admitted child cruelty.

Mr Justice Sweeting adjourned sentencing until April 24 for reports to be prepared.

Thanking the jury, the senior judge said: 'It's been a difficult case, I know, with a lot of distressing evidence for you to hear.'

Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley said today: 'No one who has listened to the catalogue of injuries inflicted on Jacob Lennon can be anything but horrified.

'It is hard to comprehend how such a young and vulnerable baby could have been so abused. Drummond and Lennon sought to cover up their guilt by blaming accidents or feigning ignorance of how he was injured.

'However, a jury saw through their attempts to avoid the blame and found them both accountable for Jacob's death.

'This case was very distressing and I would like to thank my team and all those who supported the prosecution for their professionalism and diligence.

'Everyone concerned has had to listen to some truly harrowing evidence, but we were determined to persevere and bring those responsible for Jacob's death to justice.'
President Erdogan said Friday that Turkey would support Finland's NATO application, paving the way for the country to join the military bloc ahead of Sweden.

The breakthrough came as Finnish President Sauli Niinisto met with Erdogan in Ankara today, 10 months since applying to become a NATO member.

Both Finland and Sweden have together sought to join NATO since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but their bids must be approved by all 30 member states. They still rely on votes from Turkey.

Erdogan told a news conference in Ankara following his meeting with Niinisto: 'When it comes to fulfilling its pledges in the trilateral memorandum of understanding, we have seen that Finland has taken authentic and concrete steps.'

Formal backing would allow Finland's accession to NATO without Sweden, who Turkey's government accuses of being too soft on groups that it deems to be terror organisations.

Finland's President Sauli Niinisto (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose before their meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, 17 March 2023

President Sauli Niinisto (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose before their meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara, Turkey, 17 March 2023

Turkey, Finland and Sweden signed an agreement in June last year to resolve differences over the Nordic states' membership.

With Erdogan's support, Finland's application can now go to the Turkish parliament, where the president's party and its allies hold a majority.

'This sensitivity for our country's security and, based on the progress that has been made in the protocol for Finland's accession to NATO, we have decided to initiate the ratification process in our parliament,' Erdogan said Friday.

Ratification is expected before Turkey holds its presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for May 14.

Erdogan suggested Wednesday that his country might take up Finland's accession following Niinisto's trip.

NATO requires the unanimous approval of its 30 existing members to expand, and Turkey and Hungary have failed so far to ratify the accession of the Nordic neighbours.

Earlier this month, Hungarian President Orban's Fidesz party said it would back the ratification of both Finland and Sweden's bid to join NATO, however.

The decision followed prompts by Orban himself and a government official, urging support for a stronger NATO block in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Sweden has continued to clash with Turkey over separate political issues, however, jeopardising its support.

Turkish officials said the burning of an effigy of Erdogan by pro-Kurdish activists in Sweden in January went against an agreement made under which Sweden and Finland would crack down on Kurdish militants as both seek Turkish approval for NATO membership.

Tensions worsened between Sweden and Turkey when, in response, a convicted far-right leader in Sweden received permission to burn a copy of the Koran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.

Protests broke out across the Islamic world in response to the act, with people in Iraq and Palestine pictured desecrating Swedish flags in anger.

The worsening relationship eventually prompted Finland, which applied to join NATO together with Sweden, to say that it might consider joining alone.

Sweden nonetheless offered its support to Turkey after the earthquakes that devastated the border with Syria last month.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) offers his hand to Finnish President Sauli Niinisto (L) at the Presidential Complex in Ankara, on March 17, 2023

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (2nd L) and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto (3rd L) salute the honor guards during an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex in Ankara

Sweden and Finland agreed with Turkey to help clamp down on individuals living in their countries wanted on terror-related charges, including many Kurds.

Some fled Turkish persecution in the late 1980s and subsequent crises in the Middle East.

Sweden extradited a Kurdish refugee to Turkey in December, amid pressure to meet demands in return for NATO membership.

But officials have said they will not meet the demands to extradite all those Ankara has asked for.
Former reality TV star Josh Duggar has had his 12 and a half-year prison sentence extended by almost two months, as he sits in solitary confinement for having an illegal cell phone.

Duggar, 34, was arrested in April 2021 after a Little Rock police detective found images of child abuse which had been shared by a computer traced to the '19 Kids and Counting' personality.

Investigators claim the images were downloaded in 2019 onto a computer at a car dealership owned by Duggar, which prompted federal agents to search Wholesale Motorcars in November 2019.

Duggar pleaded not guilty to one count of receiving and one count of possessing child pornography, and a jury found Duggar guilty of the charges at trial in December 2021. He was initially slated to be released on August 12, 2032.

Twice this past week, however, he has had that sentence extended, first by 10 days to August 22, 2032 and then by more than another six weeks to October 2, 2023, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

An attorney for Duggar asked a federal appeals court panel on Thursday 16 February

In February, he was reported to be languishing in solitary confinement at FCI Seagoville near Dallas after he was found to have smuggled a cell phone into prison.

It is unclear if the cell phone led to his punishment being extended. DailyMail.com has reached out to FCI Seagoville for comment.

Duggar's attorneys have maintained they would fight the charges since he was arrested but were unable to get the case dismissed.

Attempts to suppress video evidence against him were also denied by a judge.

Duggar's attorneys said the prosecution's attempt to bring up sexual assault allegations made against the personality when he was a teenager could prejudice a jury, but witnesses were allowed to testify.

TLC had previously canceled '19 Kids and Counting' in 2015 following the allegations that Duggar had molested four of his sisters and an underage babysitter between 2002 and 2003, when he was 14 and 15 years old.

Authorities began investigating the abuse in 2006 after receiving a tip from a family friend but concluded that the statute of limitations on any possible charges had expired.

Former reality TV personality Josh Duggar is pictured with his wife and six of his children

FCI Seagoville, the prison where Josh Duggar was sent to serve his 12.5 year sentence

Duggar's attorneys have maintained they would fight the charges since he was arrested in 2021

Duggar, seen here looking scruffy and unkempt in a photo from prison

Duggar's parents said after the allegations resurfaced in 2015 that he had confessed to the fondling and apologized privately.

Duggar then apologized publicly for unspecified behavior and resigned as a lobbyist for the Family Research Council, an evangelical lobbying group that promotes 'family values', opposing access to pornography among other things.

Months later, he also publicly apologized for cheating on his wife and a pornography addiction, for which he then sought treatment.

The family has been criticized for their views on modesty and purity amid the scandals, including their opposition to using birth control.

Duggar's wife and family regularly visit him as he serves his sentence, sources have said.

Duggar with his wife and children. He was sentenced to 151-months in prison for possessing child pornography

Josh Duggar (back right) with his many siblings on the show 19 Kids and Counting

Despite his vile crime, sources told the US Sun Duggar's wife Anna and their seven children visit FCI Seagoville in Dallas, Texas, where he is incarcerated 'fairly regularly.' The prison is reported to be 'dangerous' and poorly run.

The family member of another inmate at FCI Seagoville said she's seen the Duggars at the prison on numerous occasions.

'We've seen Anna at visitation fairly regularly. I've spoken to Anna a couple of times. Normally the only thing I've seen is Anna and then their kids,' they said. 'I don't really know anybody else.'

The source said the prison provided 'board games and blocks' in the visitation area to keep children occupied, but that otherwise it could be very difficult for families to visit.

She said the prison doesn't allow visitors to wear any clothing that could be viewed as provocative, and that their rules sometimes change visit to visit.

'It's kind of a crapshoot on whatever they're going to say is out of policy today. I've had a guard tell me that I had too many bobby pins in my hair to go in or like my mask was the wrong color,' the source said.

'They tried to turn me away because I was wearing a dress. I had worn the same dress the week before and they said it was fine, but this time they said it was too sexually provocative.'

The source added that visitors are often left 'waiting for hours.'

'There's always a delay. A couple of weeks back, they said that the electricity was down. It goes in and out all the time so they use it as an excuse to make us wait for a couple of hours before we could get in.

Josh Duggar holds hands with his wife Anna while leaving court during his child pornography trial

Josh and Anna Duggar hold hands while he was on trial for possessing child pornography

The source said it can be difficult just to get inside, and that visitors are admitted on a first-come first-served basis.

'Visitation is supposed to start at 8:15am and run until 3:30pm. I get there around 7:00am just to be early in the line,' the source said. 'And they start processing us anytime between 8:15am to 9:30am. Just kind of whenever they feel like it.'

The source added that visitation usually ends up to an hour earlier than it is supposed to, and that while there sit on 'plastic chairs' in a 'really cold' room while talking to their imprisoned loved ones.

'Sometimes there's food in the vending machines, but often it'll go for weeks at a time with nothing. It's very uncomfortable.'

'Partners are allowed to have a kiss and a hug at the beginning and the end of visitation. Up until a couple of weeks ago they actually allowed inmates and visitors to hold hands. It was really lovely.'

'But they rotated another guard onto the shift and now they're not allowing that anymore.'

Josh Duggar appeared on the TLC show 19 Kids and Counting

The Duggar family on their TLC show, 19 Kids and Counting

Sources close to the prison have previously claimed FCI Seagoville often serves inmates severely expired food, goes weeks without heat or hot water even in the dead of winter, and has a faulty power system that falls back on equally unreliable generators.

A source also told the US Sun 'there's not really much security around because they're dramatically understaffed.'

'The prison has pretty heavy politics, which means there are gangs in it. Fortunately, it is nowhere near as violent as a medium-security facility. It's not actually a very violent facility.'

'But it is just a dangerous situation, given the level of neglect and so I know that my family member has felt concerned for his, I guess I would say he's always concerned for his well-being, even if he feels physically safe.'

FCI Seagoville in Dallas, Texas. The prison reportedly is frequently without power and heat

Josh Duggar in a 2021 mug shot. He was found guilty of possessing child pornography

Duggar made headlines in 2015 when police reports stating that he had molested four of his young sisters when he was 12 became public. His parents said he had confessed to the fondling and apologized.

During his child pornography trial learned Duggar scoured the dark web for sick videos of little girls being tortured, humiliated and abused.

Graphic titles such as 'pedo mom,' 'play tot sweetie', 'Daisy's destruction' and 'ultra hard pedo pedofilia', left little to the imagination. One video ended with a girl being caged in a dog kennel. Another series of images depicted a minor being raped by a male adult.

The videos were downloaded between May 14 and 16, 2019.

The warped cache was so disturbing that a seasoned FBI child exploitation investigator said it was 'in the top five of the worst of the worst that I've ever had to examine.'

At the time of the trial, defense lawyers contended that a former employee or hacker could have exploited Duggar's lax internet security to hijack his computer and remotely download the material without anyone knowing.
Britain's most notorious prisoner Charles Bronson says he had a series of extraordinary meetings with actor Tom Hardy before the latter played him in 2009 movie.

The career criminal joked how he thought Hardy was too thin to play him, only to be stunned weeks later when the actor beefed up with the help of a personal trainer.

The anecdote was one of several Bronson, 70, described from HMP Wakefield to friend Steve Wraith, who uploaded the conversations to Youtube.

Elsewhere, Bronson also shared his hopes to star in the reboot of Big Brother if he is freed, joking he may take hostages in there. He also laughed about the prospect of making a sex tape with two women in Dave Courtney's Sex Museum, The Daily Mirror reports.

Speaking about his meeting with the actor, Bronson said: 'It was mental. [Hardy] just finished playing Bill Sykes in Oliver and when he came to visit me with the producer Danny Hansford I don't think he weighed 11-and-a-half stone, you know.

Charles Bronson joked how he thought Tom Hardy was too thin to play him during a visit before filming the 2009 movie, only to be stunned weeks later when the actor beefed up with the help of a personal trainer

Hardy won plaudits for his performance in Bronson (2009) which charted the life of Britain's most famous prisoner

'My visits there were behind bars, like in a cage and as he walked in, I said: F*** me, Tom, you're having a bubble ain't you mate? There's nothing of you!"

'He said: Don't worry about it. I'm getting a personal trainer over from Hollywood and I'll be bigger than you in a couple of months."'

'When he came to see me a couple of months later he was bigger than me. He was massive.

'I put my arms through the bars and felt his arms and his shoulders. It was like f***ing concrete mate.'

Bronson revealed that prison authorities later put a stop to the visits, which were deemed to have a commercial factor.

Bronson is currently is begging the parole board to approve his release after nearly 50 years in jail.

He was first locked up for armed robbery in 1974, but during his time inside he has taken hostages in 10 prison sieges and attacked at least 20 prison officers.

Eventually in 1999 he was handed a life sentence for kidnapping a prison art teacher.

Since starring as Bronson in 2009, actor Tom Hardy has become one of the UK's most bankable movie stars

Charles Bronson slammed the limitations put on released prisoners and said he would hate wearing a 'f*****g tag' because he would struggle to have a shower

Speaking in 2021 with his friend, YouTuber Steve Wraith, for his series - The Charlie Salvador aka Bronson Interviews - the inmate mocked the conditions placed on prisoners who are released on parole.

'Let's just say they say I'm not allowed to walk past the Post Office, well, how do I know if there's a Post Office round the f*****g corner?

'Now in a paedophile's case they're not allowed to walk past schools, but how do they know if there's a school round the corner?

'And you're not allowed to talk to girls? Well, what happens if a girl talks to you.

'I'm going to be on very thin ice out there. But at least it's half freedom.

'The only thing I'm not looking forward to is that f*****g tag on my ankle  for three months I think. How do you ever shower with that on?

'How do you put your socks on? I won't be able to wear my suspenders and tights with them!'

Bronson's tribunal has heard how he would need a great deal of support for everyday tasks if ever freed because he has never even used a cash machine.

He was first locked up for armed robbery in 1974, but during his time inside he has taken hostages in 10 prison sieges and attacked at least 20 prison officers

A panel of three considered the case this week at HMP Woodhill in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, while members of the press and public watch the proceedings on a live stream from the Royal Courts of Justice in central London.

The psychologist told the hearing that Bronson would be very low risk of absconding if he was moved to an open prison but she advised against releasing him into the community.

'You can never say someone is no risk but I think he would be a low risk of absconding,' she said.

'I think the benefits of being in open conditions and the work that could be done there would outweigh the immediate risks at the moment.

'[But] I can't recommend that he is released at this time because I think there's further work that needs to be done.'

The psychologist said he had suffered with PTSD from his brutal treatment in prisons across the UK, including Broadmoor and Rampton high-security hospitals.

The psychologist said he had suffered with PTSD from his brutal treatment in prisons across the UK, including Broadmoor and Rampton high-security hospitals

'His violence has been exacerbated while he has been in the prison system and that is because he has felt that he is locked in a battle with the authorities,' she said.

'He feels like the whole system is about humiliating and degrading him.'

Richard Booth, who co-authored a novel with Bronson and was yesterday described by the prisoner as 'a legend, an icon,' told the hearing that Bronson had shown significant improvements in his mood and happiness in the last four years.

'He is much more calm, he's been using breathing techniques,' he told the panel.

Mr Booth said Bronson's artworks sell for between 1,000 and 30,000 each, and they raised 67,000 for charity at a single auction last year.
A shocking number of Americans agree with Georgia firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene that the US needs a 'national divorce' where red and blue states split into two separate nations.

Twenty percent of US adults  which amounts to some 66 million people  want to call it quits on the 247-year-old union, a poll of some 1,018 US adults carried out by Ipsos last week found.

Republicans are more keen on splitting up the superpower than Democrats  a quarter of GOP voters want to break away and form a right-leaning nation, compared to only 16 percent of Democrats.

The fifth of Americans who want to split is far less than is needed to make it politically viable, but nonetheless shows how ever-more conservatives and liberals are fed up with sharing a country with each other.

Republican firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene says the US needs a 'national divorce' between red and blue states

Twenty percent of US adults  which amounts to some 66 million people  want to call it quits on the 247-year-old union

On President's Day, the Trump acolyte was decidedly unimpressed with President Joe Biden's surprise visit to Ukraine, saying in a tweet that it was time for the US to be divided.

'We need a national divorce,' the Georgia Republican posted on social media.

'We need to separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government,' she insisted. 'Everyone I talk to says this.'

'From the sick and disgusting woke culture issues shoved down our throats to the Democrat's traitorous America Last policies, we are done,' Taylor Greene insisted of Republican sentiment toward the opposing party.

Ipsos found that support for splitting was higher among men, people who make $50,000 or less each year, and those living in the South and West of the country.

There are no serious proposals in Washington to carve up the country, but secessionist moves in some states have gathered momentum in recent years.

A campaign to have rural eastern Oregon effectively secede from the blue state and join more conservative Idaho has gained traction, with politicians in both states express support for shifting the border.

A Texas state lawmaker this month filed a bill to set a referendum for voters to decide whether the state should explore the possibility of seceding from the US  a move known as Texit.

Americans increasingly flaunt their differences of opinion over everything from gun rights to trans surgery for kids. Pictured: A pro-choice activist argues with a pro-life counter-protester at a rally in Washington

Secession on the agenda: A general view of a sign at a local business proclaiming the need for parts of eastern Oregon to be joined with neighboring Idaho

Recent polling shows deep polarization between red (Republican) and blue (Democratic) states. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-Ga.) wants a 'national divorce' between the two parties

Voters head to the polls to cast their vote, but do most Americans want a 'national divorce' as one poll indicates?

The last time the states separated based on ideology was the American Civil War which started on April 12, 1861, and ravaged the nation for more than four bloody years with an average of 500 deaths a day.

But the sheer fact that one-fifth of the country is open to the potential, shows the growing sentiment of resentment voters feel toward the opposing party.

A lot goes into deciding whether a state is red or blue  like recent elections, current leaders and historical voting records of those living in the jurisdiction.

Currently, 29 of the 50 states are led by Republican governors, and 24 states have voted for Republicans in at least three or four of the last four presidential elections. When just taking into account the 2022 Senate elections, 27 states voted red.

All in all, the country would be pretty evenly split, with a slight lean toward Republican states outnumbering Democratic states.

The population disparity would be huge, however, with the denser populated states leaning Democrat and ones with more land mass but fewer people leaning Republican.
Former Vice President Mike Pence refused to apologize Thursday for a joke he made about the chaos that ensued when Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was on 'maternity' leave.

'The Gridiron Dinner is a roast. I had a lot of jokes directed at me, and I directed a lot of jokes to Republicans and Democrats,' Pence told reporters at an event in Keene, New Hampshire. 'The only thing I can figure is Pete Buttigieg not only can't do his job, but he can't take a joke.'

Pence was the GOP speaker at Saturday night's Gridiron Dinner in Washington and made fun of the Transportation Secretary for taking time off after the birth of his adopted twins.

'When Pete's two children were born, he took two months maternity leave, where upon thousands of travelers were stranded in airports, the air traffic system shut down, airplanes nearly collided in midair,' Pence said. 'I mean, Pete Buttigieg is the only person in human history to have a child and all the rest of us get postpartum depression.'

The White House called the joke 'homophobic,' saying it was 'offensive and inappropriate,' while Pete's husband Chasten went on The View Thursday where it was the main topic of conversation.

Former Vice President Mike Pence refused to apologize Thursday for a joke he made about the chaos that ensued when Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was on 'maternity' leave

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg with his twins Gus and Penelope. The White House called Pence's joke 'homophobic,' as well as 'offensive and inappropriate'

Chasten Buttigieg told the co-hosts that the joke 'flies in the face' of the 'family values' Pence preaches and revealed that the Buttigiegs did not receive an apology from the Republican.

The Transportation Secretary's husband told The View that 'when your kid's connected to a ventilator, you don't want to be anywhere but their bedside.'

The Buttigiegs' son Gus spent two months in the NICU as a newborn.

'I just don't take that when it's directed at my family,' Buttigieg said, explaining why he decided to speak out.

'And I don't think anybody else would, especially when you bring a very small, medically fragile child into it,' Buttigieg argued.

Buttigieg told The View cohosts that Pence deliberately used 'maternity' leave, as a way to feminize his husband, calling the move 'misogynistic.'

Chasten Buttigieg went after Pence on Thursday, saying a 'maternity leave' joke he made about Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg 'flies in the face' of the 'family values' Pence preaches

Pence was the GOP speaker at Saturday night's Gridiron. Pence joked that the country got 'postpartum depression' from the travel woes created while Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was on 'maternity leave'

He argued that the first weeks spent with the twins, when both he and Pete were on paternity leave, wasn't a 'vacation,' but an incredibly trying time, as their daughter Penelope also needed around-the-clock care.

'And there is nothing weak about that work,' Buttigieg said on The View.

The Gridiron Club is made up of journalists who perform skits and songs mocking both political parties - and themselves. Every years there's also a Democrat, Republican and speaker representing the White House.

The humor at the dinner is supposed to 'singe not burn.'

On Saturday night, Pence's comments about Pete Buttigieg were overshadowed by newsy remarks he made about former President Donald Trump, as he recounted what he was feeling on January 6 as the Capitol was being attacked by a pro-Trump mob.

'I was not afraid, I was angry. President Trump was wrong,' Pence said. 'I had no right to overturn the election and his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day.'

'And I know that history will hold Donald Trump accountable,' Pence said.
President Joe Biden's administration on Friday rejected a Chinese call for a ceasefire in Russia's invasion of the Ukraine, saying it would result in the Kremlin getting ownership of its conquered territory in the sovereign nation.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the proposal from Beijing is 'effectively the ratification of Russian conquest' and would 'recognize Russia's gains.'

'Russia would be free, then, to use a ceasefire to only further entrench their positions in Ukraine. To rebuild, refit and refresh their forces so that they can restart attacks on Ukraine at a time of their choosing. We do not believe that this is a step towards a just and global peace,' he told reporters in a briefing call.

The White House warning comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Moscow next week, which would be a boost for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been shunned by the international community after he invaded his neighbor.

The White House rejected a Chinese call for a ceasefire in Russia's invasion of the Ukraine as President Xi Jinping prepares to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin next week (above the two leaders at a summit in Uzbekistan in September 2022)

The announcement of Xi's visit came ahead of more bad news for Putin: The International Criminal Court on Friday issued a warrant for his arrest for war crimes because of his alleged involvement in abductions of children from Ukraine .

The court said in a statement that Putin 'is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.'

Moscow does not recognize the court's jurisdiction, making it unclear how the warrant would be enforced.

The Kremlin slammed the court's decision as 'outrageous and unacceptable'; while Ukraine hailed the decision and said 'the wheels of justice are turning'.

China has previously attempted to portray itself as a neutral party in the Russia-Ukraine conflict but that position is losing its credibility amid Xi's meetings with Putin.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Putin and Xi would have a one-on-one meeting over an informal dinner Monday. Then, on Tuesday, the leaders' talks will focus on the two regime's 'deepening' relationship and 'strategic co-operation,' the Kremlin said.

The Chinese leader last visited Russia in 2019, though Putin attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing last year.

The two men also met at a regional security gathering in Uzbekistan in September.

Meanwhile, the White House called on China to reach out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

And Kirby expressed doubts about Beijing's motive for peace.

'We have deep concerns about that because of what it actually means in terms of benefiting Russia, at the expense of Ukraine. So that's why we're expressing these concerns even before the visit. Because it would be it would be a classic part of the China playbook,' he noted.

'We just know that there's a possibility that they may raise this idea of a ceasefire and couch themselves as peacemakers and the only ones calling for the fighting to stop. We have deep concerns about that,' he said.

Ukrainian servicemen ride atop of a tank at a position near a frontline

President Joe Biden's administration has rejected China's proposal for peace between Russia and Ukraine

Kirby said the administration remained concerned that China would supply Russia with lethal weapons in its fight but noted they hadn't seen any evidence that plans were in the works to do so.

'We still don't believe they've taken it off the table, but we also haven't seen any indications any confirmation that they've made a decision to move in that direction or have actually provided anything,' he said.

'We don't want anyone to do anything that will help Putin kill more Ukrainians. Period,' he added.

And he didn't have any indication of when Biden and Xi will hold a long-promised phone call as tensions between Washington and Beijing remain high.

'While the President has made it clear he wants looks forward to another opportunity to speak with President Xi, we're not actively engaged in the in the logistics of setting that up right now,' Kirby said. 'But I think you'll seemore work being applied to that, you know, in coming days.'

In their meeting, Xi and Putin will discuss 'issues of further development of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China', as well as exchange views 'in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese co-operation in the international arena', the Kremlin said in a statement.

The two leaders will also sign 'important bilateral documents', the statement said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wants Russia out of the territory it took since its invasion and to exit the Crimea peninsula, which it annexed in 2014

Medical workers unload from a train a stretcher with a wounded civilian patient upon his arrival from eastern Ukraine

Beijing has also condemned western sanctions and accused NATO and the United States of provoking Russia.

Additionally, China has said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected but it's unclear if Beijing supports Russia' claim to seized Ukrainian territory.

Kyiv wants Russia to pull back from areas taken since its February 2022 full-scale invasion. And Zelensky also has demanded that Russia also withdraw from the peninsula of Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014 in a move denounced by most of the world as illegal.

Putin has shown no signs of backing down.
Alexander Lependin said he did not stand for the anthem because he was tired

A Russian politician who refused to stand for the national anthem because his legs were tired after working out in the gym has reportedly been drafted to fight in Ukraine.

Alexander Lependin, deputy of the Maloyaroslavets District Assembly of Russia's Kaluga region, southwest of Moscow, has been handed his summons and told he is off to fight on the frontline.

The lawmaker remained seated for the 'State Anthem of the Russian Federation' during a district assembly session last month.

He claimed to local press that his legs were too tired as he had earlier been undertaking an intense workout session in the gym.

Officials were outraged by him not standing, and he was subsequently ordered to enlist at the local military registration office.

Alexander Lependin refused to stand for the Russian national anthem because his legs were tired after working out in the gym

Lependin could now be set to join hundreds of thousands of Russians who have been called up to the frontline since Vladimir Putin's partial mobilisation in September last year.

But he claims to be unfit for service. Under Russia's conscription programme, those with military experience and relevant skills are called up first.

The lawmaker was reportedly incensed by the call-up. After declaring himself unfit, he is expecting a decision to be made over the coming weeks as to whether he is sent to Ukraine or not.

Despite the call-up, and officials demanding that he enlist, Lependin said his colleagues took no issue with him remaining seated at the time.

'Not a single person from the audience was indignant, did not pull me up, did not ask if everything was in order,' he told publication RCB.

However, Lependin's antic may also be taken before a Russian parliamentary ethics commission.

Vyacheslav Parfyonov, the head of the Maloyaroslavets district's administration, said the commission would review what happened and make a ruling.

Lependin could now be set to join hundreds of thousands of Russians who have been called up to the frontline since Vladimir Putin's partial mobilisation in September last year

After declaring himself unfit, Lependin expects a decision to be made in the next coming weeks as to whether he is sent to join Russia's soldiers in Ukraine or not

Lependin has also enraged other politicians across Russia after not rising to his feet.

The head of Russian-annexed Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, said those who did not stand for the anthem should be stripped of Russian citizenship entirely.

He told Russia's state news platform RIA Novosti: 'I consider it necessary to raise the issue of deprivation of citizenship if a case of not standing up to the Russian anthem is documented.

'Why do you need citizenship if you do not stand up, do not respect the symbols of the state, the flag, the anthem?'
A 120-year-old tree has been saved from being chopped down by a London council at the eleventh hour after a homeowner lodged an injunction to stop the felling without giving notice.

Haringey Council in north London seized the tree in a dawn raid 'under the cover of darkness' on Sunday in a bid to stop furious activists scaling it and stopping the felling.

About a dozen-strong balaclava-clad security team currently patrol the site and a huge scaffolding structure that has been erected around it to create a look-out for the guards.

The move was branded heavy-handed after the security guards were deployed to stop a nearly year-long occupation of the tree by demonstrators, who put up hammocks and signs in the branches.

The council took possession of the tree earlier this week and was going to court to get permission to carry out the felling, over claims the deep roots were causing subsidence to two nearby homes.

Haringey Council in north London seized the 120-year-old tree in a dawn raid 'under the cover of darkness' on Sunday

A guard pictured on the scaffolding which has been erected for security personnel to use as a look-out

Campaigners say they have faced 'abhorrent' action from Haringey council after balaclava-clad security guards secured the tree in the middle of the night

But resident, Andrew Brenner, lodged his injunction in the early hours of Wednesday morning to stop the authority chopping down the tree without giving notice to other parties.

The hearing at Clerkenwell County Court yesterday, which was to decide the ancient plane tree's fate, was adjourned after Mr Brenner's dramatic intervention.

The injunction will now stand until a follow up hearing in a few weeks' time.

The row over the tree began last year, when insurance company Allianz blamed it for being the primary cause of subsidence to a property and demanded the council chop it down and admit liability for 400,000.

Ohna Falby, whose home Allianz say is sinking due to the tree, has become increasingly frustrated that the insurers are not underpinning her property that she describes as 'the source of all this mayhem'.

The 58-year-old resident told MailOnline: 'These houses are worth millions. We have to get insurance companies if we want a mortgage to cover the building's insurance but they charge us and know the risk and when they have an event that's insurable, they don't want to do the underpinning so they try find alternatives.

'At the moment, the insurance company is receiving the inflated premium but not providing the service you bought. They are selling you a product they are not willing to honour and there's no accountability.'

On hearing the councils plan, Haringey Tree Protestors (HTP) mobilised over 120 activists to guard the plane tree from the council worker's chainsaws.

Mr Brenner lives directly behind the tree that insurance firm Aviva/Allianz claims is causing subsidence to his house dating back to the 1990s.

However, it was his intervention at yesterday's hearing that resulted in the victory for the protesters.

The council took possession of the tree in the early hours of Sunday morning (March 12) amid disputed claims protesters had been preparing to occupy the tree with climbing ropes ahead of the court hearing this week.

Activists from the HTP deny these allegations.

Campaigner, Giovanna Lozzi, said: 'They have tried to justify it by saying that we have been putting new stuff in the tree but it is not true.

'The tree has not been physically occupied since the autumn.'

A protective wall has been built around the tree with 24-hour guards, fences, scaffolding and a viewing tower

Martin Ball, 55, from Tottenham, described the current scene as 'an obscenity' and questioned the 'aggressive' manor of securing the tree

Robert Hare, a former Haringey Liberal Democrat councillor for 20 years and founder of the Haringey Tree Trust, said the area was being treated like a 'criminal site'

Charles Streeton, a barrister acting for Mr Brenner, said his actions were due to the council's siege of the tree at 4:30am in the morning on Sunday 'under the cover of darkness'.

The concern was not only that they might fell the tree but 'that they might also damage the tree in such a way to necessitate its felling'.

He also said his client believed that the council 'might act in a way to prejudice his case' with the insurers.

Stephen Evans, barrister for Haringey Council, said until the judgement Mr Brenner did not indicate to the council that he wished the tree to remain or had 'any difficulty with the council's decision to fell it'.

But Mr Streeton added that Mr Brenner contacted Haringey councillor, Mike Hakata, and had been told his email had been sent to the legal teams.

He said the council had never sent confirmation to its legal team that it would not fell the tree, and Mr Brenner did not know if the council would wait.

Mr Streeton also said the 'nub' of his client's complaint was that the financial ombudsman looking into subsidence issues in Mr Brennan's home was waiting for Aviva to respond in order to submit its report.

He said: 'Aviva has held up that response and that's where the delay is coming from.'

Mr Brenner's last-minute move came as a surprise for those protesting the tree being cut down.

Ms Lozzi, 49, added: 'I didn't expect it. It came at the very last hour. But I think that desperate measures ask for desperate actions. We're all so shocked.'

Mr Evans said the council had put a notice on the tree last April but had been stopped from felling it by protestors, which was why in December it sought its injunction to stop them.

He said a financial ombudsman report would look at engineering evidence.

He added that if there were any previous reports sought by Mr Brenner and his next door neighbour against the felling of the tree, 'we haven't seen them. The council's decision is made on sound grounds.'

Mr Evans also urged Deputy High Court Judge Dan Squires KC, to regard the 'grave financial inconvenience to the council if the injunction wasn't dismissed'.

The judge handed down the judgement earlier this morning (Fri) stating that the injunction will stand until a follow up hearing.

Ms Lozzi said after hearing: 'We're not quite there yet but it has definitely given us some very much appreciated breathing space.

'When the residential injunction was taken out the judge could have discharged it this morning which would have meant the council could have felled the tree today on this grim rainy morning.

'Ultimately we may lose the tree but we are hoping that this case will raise the whole issue. The reality of the climate emergency is still not being centralised in our legislation and government.

'Mature trees are being neglected. People are obsessed with new planting, but new planting just doesn't cut it. You cannot replace these mature trees.'

It is still not known whether the guarded enclosure around the tree will remain.

The level of security surrounding the tree has been slammed by locals, who claim it is a 'brutal show of power' by the local authority. Pictured are some of the guards at the site

Oakfield Road is in Haringey, north London. It's become the centre of a battle for a 120-year-old tree

Haringey Council have been approached for comment.

A spokesman for the insurance company Allianz said: 'This is a complex and ongoing case and we await the decision of the court.

'Sustainability is a business priority for Allianz and we've not taken any decisions lightly.

'We've been diligent in our investigations to find the best solution to solve the subsidence problem and are working closely with industry experts and the Financial Ombudsman Service.'
A British Muslim convert described as a 'global terrorist' who kept handbooks on how to fire mortar bombs and a secret terrorism code is still too dangerous to be released from jail, a parole board has decided.

Andrew Rowe, who took the Muslim name Yusef Abdullah, was sentenced to 15 years in September 2005 after being found guilty of possessing items that could be used in terror attacks.

The trial at the Old Bailey was told that Rowe, from west London, had the terrorist paraphernalia hidden at homes linked to him in London and Birmingham.

That sentence was reduced on appeal to 10 years in prison.

Rowe was released from jail in 2010 and made the subject of a 15-year notification order.

Andrew Rowe, who took the Muslim name Yusef Abdullah, was sentenced to 15 years in September 2005 after being found guilty of possessing items that could be used in terror attacks

He was told in March 2019 of a new obligation to give details of all vehicles used by him following a change in legislation.

It followed a series of terror attacks involving the use of vehicles as weapons in Britain and abroad.

In August 2019, he was employed by Serco to drive bin lorries, but concealed the vehicles he was driving from the police, which he had an obligation to report under a terrorist notification order.

In July 2021, he was handed a 10-month sentence at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to failing to notify police about the use of four different vehicles on nine occasions between August 15 and September 27, 2019 after passing his heavy good vehicle test.

Rejecting a non-custodial sentence, Judge Angela Rafferty QC said: 'You, a terrorist offender, drove a heavy goods vehicle in this city without notifying the police you were doing so.'

She added: 'You clearly knew what your notification requirements were, and this had been reiterated to you. This was a deliberate decision not to notify.'

In October 2003, Rowe was arrested at the Channel Tunnel (pictured) as he travelled back from Europe

Last year, Rowe, now 51, became eligible for his first parole hearing since being recalled. Under terrorism legislation introduced in 2020, his case was referred to the Parole Board for consideration.

The Parole Board rejected his appeal after the three-person panel read his prison dossier. He did not personally appear or give evidence to the panel.

Rowe will now have to wait until 2024 to apply again to be released from prison.

The 2005 conviction of Rowe, then aged 34, was noteworthy because it came two months after the deaths of 56 commuters on July 7, 2005.

Four coordinated suicide attacks carried out by Islamic terrorists in London targeted commuters travelling on the city's public transport system during the morning rush hour.

The trial of Rowe resulted in the first terrorist conviction since the tube and bus bombings and led to calls for tougher sanctions against terrorists by trial judge Mr Justice Fulford.

Rowe was jailed for seven and a half years on the two charges, making a total of 15 years, later reduced to 10 years on appeal.

Summing up, Mr Justice Fulford complained that his sentencing powers for dealing with potential terrorists were too limited.

He said: 'Ten years is not adequate and the courts should have the option of a discretionary life sentence. The government should give immediate and urgent consideration to the adequacy of that term.'

Rowe was detained by police on the French side of the Channel Tunnel in 2003 when traces of explosives were found on socks he was carrying.

Raids on his homes uncovered a handwritten guide to firing battlefield weapons, a coded sheet, videos of the 9/11 atrocities and tapes of Osama bin Laden.

He had used the names of specific models of Nokia mobile phones as code for words and phrases such as 'airline crew' 'explosives' and 'army base'.

A section of the notebook containing details on how to fire mortar bombs and a code for terrorism. Andrew Rowe was sentenced to 15 years in September 2005 after being found guilty of possessing items that could be used in terror attacks

Reconstruction showing the 'sock' device Andrew Rowe planned to detonate in the Channel Tunnel

Rowe was also known to have met terrorism suspect Lionel Dumont, who was convicted in December 2005 of participating in armed robberies in France in 1996. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Dumont, an Islamic convert, fought in Bosnia, and was involved in a plot to bomb a gathering of leaders of the Group of Seven industrial nations in France in 1996.

He also spent years raising money for Al Qaeda and organising cells in Europe and Asia.

Rowe was returning from meeting Durmont in Frankfurt when he was stopped by French police.

The court heard his socks carried traces of TNT, plastic explosives PETN and RDX and nitro-glycerine.

The prosecution claimed they were probably used to clean the barrel of a mortar or as a muzzle protector.

Rowe claimed the socks - which were bound with cord - were used during martial arts training and that the explosive material was picked up during a humanitarian visit to Bosnia in 1995.

The jury was told that Rowe, of Maida Vale, west London, travelled extensively after converting to Islam, including to places of conflict, and had gained four passports in seven years.

A search of his former flat in west London in August 2003 unearthed a WH Smith notebook with 22 pages of handwritten notes on how to aim and fire a mortar.

Officers who raided his estranged wife's home in Birmingham found the code in a video cassette case.

Other tapes, including one called Jihad In Bosnia, were also found, as were the 'living wills' of two 9/11 bombers.

An artists impession of Andrew Rowe sitting in the dock at the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court, as he was sentanced to 15 years imprisonment for planning a terrorist attack in Britain on September 23, 2005

Rowe, a father of four, admitted writing the secret code but said it was part of a plan to help Muslims in Chechnya.

He said he agreed to be an aid 'courier' after being asked by someone at a mosque in west London.

Rowe had long been under police scrutiny in the UK.

He claimed invalidity benefit after being injured by a mortar attack in Bosnia and was monitored withdrawing 7,000 from his bank account at various locations in London.

Rowe told the jury he became a Muslim in the 1990s after a drug-fuelled conversation at a rave and converted at the Central mosque in Regent's Park, London, an event which 'put meaning into my life'.

The jury returned majority verdicts but could not agree on a charge relating to the socks. The charge was not pursued.

Mr Justice Fulford told Rowe: 'Whatever your terrorist purpose was, its fulfilment was imminent.

'In the post 9/11 world, it requires no imagination to understand what would have been in your contemplation and what would have been your purpose.

'You were a paid operative over a substantial period of time, travelling the world and furthering the cause of Muslim fundamentalism.'

The head of Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist branch, deputy assistant commissioner Peter Clarke, said after the conviction: 'Today's conviction of Andrew Rowe is important. He is a global terrorist.

'He has been trained and knows how to use extreme violence. We do not know when, what or where he was going to attack, but the public can be reassured that a violent and dangerous man has been brought to justice.'

A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: 'We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board refused the release of Andrew Rowe following a paper review in March 2022.

'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.

'A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.

'Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.'
Revellers celebrating St Patrick's Day were out in force this afternoon with many enjoying pints of Guinness at Cheltenham races in the hope the luck of the Irish would land them a winning horse.

Adorned in green and orange, many were pictured boozing on the fourth race day and kicking off celebrations of the Irish bank holiday.

Race-goers enjoyed pints of the black stuff in the Guinness Village on the fourth day of the racing festival at as early as 11am.

It was an exciting day of racing with favourite-to-win Galopin Des Champs and rider Paul Townend claiming the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Race-goers enjoyed Gold Cup Day with pints while also celebrating St Patrick's Day

Racing revellers pictured enjoying the fourth race day of Cheltenham Festival

Boozy revellers pictured enjoying pints during the fourth day of the festival

A race-goer pictured at Cheltenham Festival in all his St Patrick's Day finery earlier today

Race-goers dressed in St Patrick's Day attire at Cheltenham Festival ahead of the races

Race-lovers joke between each other over pints at Cheltenham Festival

Eager revellers went all out for the festival's grand finale with many wearing feathers, fur-lined coats and tweed outfits.

But standing out from the crowd were those dressed to impress the Irish with St Patrick's Day themed costumes.

A reveller enjoying Gold Cup Day with a pint of Guinness at Cheltenham Festival

Race-goers at Cheltenham celebrating the day with pints of Guinness and lager

This race-goer went all out to celebrate the Irish bank holiday

A racing fan pictured in a comical St Paddy's Day outfit at Cheltenham

Race-goers enjoyed sunny weather today at Cheltenham Festival as they celebrated

Pictured is Alex, who is on a stag do and celebrating Gold Cup Day at Cheltenham

Race-goers adding to the tower of empty pint cups as they enjoy the day's racing

Revellers at Cheltenham Festival enjoying drinks and the dry weather

Punters pictured cheering on their horses during Gold Cup Day at Cheltenham

Race-goers pictured taking a quick break from the day's festivities

The Chelthanham Festival is one of the highlights in the horse racing calendar and brings 250,000 visitors to the Cotswolds town every years.

During the race days much of the crowd engage in boozing - on either the UK's favourite pints or on expensive champagne.

With St Patrick's Day falling on the fourth and final day, the Festival has dedicated an entire village to serving up its patriotic drink, with early estimations suggesting some 220,000 pints of Guinness will be imbibed at the event.
An RAF heros indomitable spirit moments before his death has been revealed in moving letters from his widow amid urgent appeals to keep his Victoria Cross in the UK.

Pilot Arthur Pongo Scarf was honoured with the highest award for valour for singlehandedly attacking an enemy airfield after all the others planes in his squadron were destroyed.

He was the only RAF member to receive the VC in the Far East during the Second World War. But his medal was bought by an overseas buyer for a record 660,000 last year.

Now, with only weeks left to raise the remaining money need to save his medal for the nation, letters written by his widow Sallie have been unearthed telling how he called out his last words to her, Dont worry, chin up!, as - mortally wounded - he was wheeled into the operating theatre after miraculously completing his mission.

She was pregnant and a nurse at the hospital in Malaya where he died after his selfless act. She donated blood for him as doctors battled to save him.

Pilot Arthur Pongo Scarf was the only RAF member in the Far East in the Second World War to be awarded the highest award for valour - the Victoria Cross

Pictured (L-R): The Victoria Cross with on its reverse engraving detailing: 'S/Ldr. A. S. K. Scarf. 62 Sqdn. R.A.F.' and '11 June, 1946.'; The 1939-45 Star; The Pacific Star; The Defence and War Medals 1939-45

Pictured L-R: Norman Irving and Sqd Ldr Scarf on the way to Singapore in 1939. It was Mr Irving who wrote the recommendation for Scarf's posthumous VC award on March 1

A painting of Arthur Scarf, who singlehandedly attacked an enemy airfield after all the others planes in his squadron were destroyed

She later wrote to a close friend, Pat Boxall, who was also a nurse at the same hospital, recalling Squadron Leader Scarfs last words to her.

Sallie, who was off duty when he came in to the hospital, also told how she had rushed over to be with him and was told his arm was injured.

I felt very depressed when I heard it was his left one, as he was left-handed and once said to me that flying was his whole life and I thought, How is he going to manage if he cant fly?, she wrote in the early 1980s.

Then when he was moved from the stretcher, the severe wound in his back bled profusely and you put up a drip and I gave two pints of blood. What cheered me up was when I heard him say to you, Now Pat, dont get fresh with my mammary glands!

Pictured: Sqd Leader Scarf's VC medal

But Sqd Ldr Scarf slipped into unconsciousness before the anaesthetic commenced. He died before the blood transfusion was completed as a result of extreme haemorrhage and shock.

He was 28 and he and Sallie had been married for seven months. Heartbroken and traumatised, she lost their unborn baby. Both he and his wife lived in Wimbledon, South West London, but had only met in Malaya. She later remarried and died in 1985.

Sqd Leader Scarf was posthumously awarded the VC for supreme heroism against tremendous odds for his actions on December 9, 1941.

He attacked a Japanese air base in Thailand in his Bristol Blenheim bomber after all the other aircraft in his squadron were destroyed or damaged on the ground in a surprise Japanese air strike before they could take off.

His VC citation said it would have been reasonable if he had abandoned his mission, but he decided to press on alone as he appreciated the moral effect which it would have on the remainder of the squadron, who were helplessly watching their aircraft burning on the ground.

He completed his mission successfully despite facing constant attack from enemy fighters and, despite his wounds, got back to Malaya and managed to force-land his bullet-riddled plane in a paddy field near his base without causing any injury to his two crew, who both survived.

Sqd Leader Scarfs VC was awarded posthumously in 1946 and presented to his widow by George VI at Buckingham Palace.

In another letter seen by the Mail, she wrote how she was bottled up after hearing the King say: Your late husband did a wonderful act for which this country will be eternally grateful.

As has previously been reported, his VC was put for sale by relatives and bought by an anonymous buyer at an auction last year. It was then put under embargo by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, preventing it from being taken overseas on condition that a British-based buyer or institution matches the sale price.

Arthur Scarf pictured in his flying gear and his widow Sallie

Pictured: 62 Squadron RAF Tengah in 1940

The RAF Museum has so far raised 478,205, including donations from the public. It must hit the target by April 30.

The letters from Sqd Ldr Scarfs late wife were shared with the Mail by their recipients daughter, Sallie Hammond. She was named after his wife, who was her godmother.

Mrs Hammond, 78, a grief counsellor in London, Ontario, Canada, who is secretary of her branch of the Malayan Volunteers Group, which researches the history of the Malayan Campaign, told the Mail: This fundraising drive is a noble and generous thing to do. I sincerely hope it will be successful.

'Never give up would have been Arthur Scarf's philosophy.

'He did not give up on his mission for RAF 62 Squadron even though he knew the immense risks.

'He did not give up on his two crew. He did not give up hope that he would recover from his injuries - and see his wife again.

'He did not give up on life until his death.'

Pictured L-R: Sallie, Harley Boxall and Pat Boxall

Pictured: Sallie Hammond, the god-daughter of Sqd Ldr Scarfs widow Sallie

Colonel Piers Storie-Pugh, a Vice President of The Not Forgotten, a Services charity, also urged others to support the campaign, saying: Arthur Scarf is a superb role model, especially to the youth of today, and it is essential his medal remains in the UK.

RAF Museum historian and head of collections, Dr Harry Raffal said: Not only does Squadron Leader Scarfs Victoria Cross represent his outstanding devotion to duty and supreme act of bravery, it is also a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by all the British and Commonwealth service personnel fighting in the Far East.

If were successful, the medal will be displayed at the Museum, in the heart of our collection.

To donate: https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-the-scarf-vc
California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced plans to plunge $30 million into the construction of 1,200 tiny homes to tackle the state's homelessness epidemic.

Newsom unveiled the tiny home project on his first stop of a four-city tour in Sacramento on Thursday.

The 120-square-foot properties can be assembled in just 90 minutes and will be connected to electricity - though they will not have plumbing, water or cooking appliances.

But critics claimed it is the equivalent of putting a 'band-aid' on the crisis and accused the governor of 'sweeping things under the rug'.

Nearly a third of all homeless people in the United States reside in California.

California will plunge $30 million into the construction of 1,200 tiny homes, Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday

Newsom claimed his scheme would create space to clear the homeless encampments which continue to spring up across major cities.

'We need to focus more energy and precision on addressing encampments,' he said during a trip

'There's no humanity there. People are dying on our watch.'

Federal courts previously ruled cities cannot clear homeless encampments if there are no shelter beds available.

Some 350 homes will be placed in Sacramento, 500 will be in Los Angeles, 200 in San Jose and 150 in San Diego.

The state will pay for the construction and installation of the properties but local governments will be in charge of maintaining them.

But critics say the scheme does not go far enough, with California's homeless population up by 6 percent since 2020.

Comparatively the rest of the nation has seen a 0.4 increase in the same period, according to analysis of federal data by the Public Policy Institute of California.

Senator Brian W. Jones said: 'This is just another band-aid on a crisis that is out of control in California.

'We know that throwing money at this problem doesn't work.

'California has already spent $20 billion over the last five years on homelessness and the crisis has only gotten worse with more than 172,000 people living on the streets n this state.'

He added: 'While I appreciate the governor's creativity to construct 1,200 tiny homes, that is a drop in the bucket.'

Meanwhile GOP assemblyman Josh Hoover added that it would not 'make a huge dent.'

The 120-square-foot properties can be assembled in just 90 minutes and will be connected to electricity. A prototype is pictured

Newsom was forced to deny the project was a case of 'sweeping things under the rug'

Drone footage shows lines of people sitting outside a shelter in San Francisco last year. California holds a third of the homeless population of the US

'I think this is another splashy announcement that Im skeptical will get results,' Hoover told the Los Angeles Times.

What's more neither San Francisco or Oakland will receive homes under the scheme.

A similar project was already deployed in Oakland from 2018 to 2021 with mixed results.

Newsom acknowledged on Thursday that the project was not a fix-all.

'It's not just about sweeping things under the rug or kicking people off the streets and sidewalks and claiming a job well done,' he said.

'That doesn't do justice.'
The United States Department of Justice is investigating ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, for spying on American citizens, including several journalists.

ByteDance is based in Beijing, headquartered in the Cayman Islands and said to be close with Communist Chinese government.

The company admitted in December it had inappropriately acquired the data of American TikTok users, including at least two reporters, according to the New York Times.

Forbes reporter Emily Baker-White, who broke the story, wrote that she was one of the journalists who had her data taken.

It comes as the Biden administration threatens to ban TikTok in the US unless its Chinese owner sells its shares in the app.

The Justice Department declined comment on the investigation.

ByteDance is based in Beijing , headquartered in the Cayman Islands and said to be close with Communist Chinese government. The Biden administration has threatened to ban TikTok in the US unless its Chinese owner sells its shares in the app

ByteDance claims the employees who allegedly spied on people were fired after they sought to uncover sources of leaks of internal discussions within the company.

Two of the employees worked from the Beijing office. The company claims it is working to stop the actions occurring again.

The news broke the same day a bipartisan group of six senators backed legislation to give President Joe Biden new powers to ban the Chinese-owned video app TikTok.

Earlier this month, 12 senators led by Democrat Mark Warner and Republican John Thune unveiled legislation backed by the White House to give the Commerce Department new powers to address TikTok concerns, which has more than 100 million U.S. users.

The announcement comes after TikTok said this week the Biden administration had demanded its Chinese owners divest their stake in the company or it face a potential U.S. ban.

The demand was made by the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States and specifies that TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, sell its stake in the US version of the app.

It is unclear whether federal officials have given ByteDance a deadline to sell.

Hilary McQuaide, a spokesperson for TikTok, confirmed to DaiyMail.com that the demand was made but suggested the changes would not increase the security of US citizens' data.

Pictured: Attorney General Merrick Garland. The Justice Department declined comment on the investigation

Forbes reporter Emily Baker-White (pictured), who broke the story, wrote that she was one of the journalists who had her data taken

The Biden administration has threatened to ban TikTok in the US unless its Chinese owner, ByteDance, sells its shares in the app. Pictured is Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok

The demand was made by the Committee on Foreign Investments in the US, which is chaired by Janet Yellen, the Secretary of the Treasury

'If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn't solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access,' she said in a statement.

'The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, U.S.-based protection of U.S. user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification, which we are already implementing,' she added.

TikTok critics have said Chinese laws require Chinese-owned companies to share data with the Chinese government.

The firm is instead proposing a $1.5 billion security plan, dubbed Project Texas, that would see US users' data walled off and supervised by Texas-based Oracle.

The plan would include independent monitors and auditors to ensure that neither ByteDance, nor Chinese officials, would be able to access certain data.

The Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS) is an interagency committee that oversees national security risks posed by foreign investments. It is chaired by Janet Yellen, the Secretary of the Treasury, but its members include the heads of the justice, defense, state and energy departments.

Critics of TikTok have said Chinese laws require Chinese-owned companies to share data with the Chinese government

ByteDance staff walk past the ByteDance headquarters building in Beijing in 2020. Its executives say 60 percent of its shares are owned by foreign investors

In 2020 President Trump (pictured in 2020) gave the Chinese company ByteDance 90 days to divest itself of any assets used to support the popular TikTok app in the United States. His administration's efforts were blocked in court

TikTok executives have said that 60 percent of ByteDance shares are owned by global investors, 20 percent by employees and 20 percent by its founders, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the demand.

TikTok's CEO, Shou Zi Chew, is due to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee next Thursday.

This request comes after a dozen US senators unveiled a bipartisan bill last week providing President Biden with the authority to ban TikTok nationwide.

The Restrict Act would allow the US Commerce Department to declare companies with foreign links national security risks.

Last December, the Senate passed a bill to ban TikTok on government devices.

In 2020 the Trump administration threatened to ban TikTok unless the app was sold to a US company. Those efforts were thwarted when ByteDance went to court to oppose the ban.

It argued that it would be in violation of the Berman amendments, which allow for the free flow of 'informational material' from hostile countries.
St Patrick's Day celebrations erupted across the country on Friday as hundreds and thousands of revelers started the weekend early.

Partygoers were seen lining the streets clad in green outfits in the early afternoon for the boozy celebrations.

And spring breakers got into the St Patrick's Day spirit as they flocked to beaches and bars to get the party started early.

Some wore green bikinis and painted their fingernails as they gathered at Fort Lauderdale Beach for a rowdy afternoon of drinking.

St Patrick's Day celebrations erupted across the country on Friday as hundreds and thousands of revelers started the weekend early

Spring breakers clad in green bikinis took to bars and beaches in Miami to celebrate St Patrick's day

Other revelers around the country chose to go to Irish pubs in fancy dress to get the party started

A group of partygoers getting into the spirit in downtown Boston

People came draped in boas and various other Irish themed accessories

This woman went to an Irish pub dressed in a shamrock patterned suit

Other St Patrick's Day revelers around the country chose to go to Irish pubs in fancy dress to get the party started.

People came draped in boas in the colors of the Irish flag, shamrock patterned clothing and various other Irish themed accessories.

Elaborate and extravagant parades to mark the occasion also took place in New York and Savannah with thousands of people coming to watch the floats and the performances.

Two friends head out to drink on St Patrick's Day in New York

Elaborate and extravagant parades to mark the occasion also took place in New York and Savannah

Thousands of people came to watch the floats and the performances at the events

A group clad in green attending the Savannah St Patrick's Day parade

A family enjoying the St Patrick's Day parade in Savannah

Streets were shut in New York for one of the city's grandest and oldest traditions as performers, bands and bagpipes marched along 5th Avenue.

Former UFC star Conor McGregor, from Dublin, Ireland, took to the streets of Savannah, Georgia to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

Savannah's celebration of the day is the biggest in the American southeast - with the average parade lasting almost four hours.

Conor McGregor was spotted in Savannah, Georgia to celebrate St. Patrick's Day

McGregor was joined by fiancee Dee Devlin and their children (L to R) Conor Jr, Rian, and Croia

McGregor was seen walking with his fiancee Dee Devlin and their three children- Conor Jr, Rian, and Croia- accompanied by police.

It's the second parade to be held in Savannah since the COVID pandemic led to the cancellation of festivities in both 2020 and 2021.

The Parade in Savannah began in 1824 by Irish immigrants who came to the state's oldest city.

Streets were shut in New York for one of the city's grandest and oldest traditions as performers, bands and bagpipes marched along 5th Avenue

The Parade in Savannah began in 1824 by Irish immigrants who came to the state's oldest city

President Joe Biden, who has Irish ancestry, wished those celebrating a happy St Patrick's Day and said: 'Today, on St Patrick's Day, we celebrate the fact that the fabric of modern America is woven through with the green of the Emerald Isle.

'As the great-great-grandson of the Blewitts of County Mayo and the Finnegans of County Louth who boarded a coffin ship to cross the Atlantic more than 165 years ago  As the proud son of Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden  I wish you all a very happy St. Patricks Day.'

And he welcomed Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar for a longstanding meetup between the two heads of state that had been delayed two years by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Savannah's celebration of the day is the biggest in the American southeast - with the average parade lasting almost four hours

St Patrick's Day celebrates the life of the patron saint of Ireland who is credited for bringing Christianity to the country

St Patrick's Day celebrates the life of the patron saint of Ireland who is credited for bringing Christianity to the country.

It marks the anniversary of his death in the fifth century and the Irish have observed the holiday for over 1,000 years.

St Patrick is also the designated patron saint of Puerto Rico, Boston Australia, Nigeria and Montserrat.

The annual celebration has become a huge tradition across America because of the number of people who have Iris roots.

More than 32 million Americans have ancestors as up to two million Irish people moved to the us during the great potato famine- a period of starvation and disease which from 1845 to 1852 and killed more than 1.9 million people.
A California teenager has started to sue the doctors who at age 13 cut off her breasts in a medical gender change she now bitterly regrets, in America's latest blockbuster trans lawsuit.

The 18-year-old, who is referred to as Layla Jane, says she should never have been put through the 'torment' of testosterone hormones at age 12 and puberty blockers and surgery the next year.

She is one of a growing number of detransitioners, as they are known, who come to regret their procedures and sue the doctors they accuse of pushing them into irreversible treatments instead of counselling.

'I don't think I should have been allowed to change my sex before I could legally consent to have sex,' Layla said on Fox News.

'I don't think I'm better off for the experience, and I think transition just completely added fuel to the fire that was my pre-existing conditions.'

According to legal papers, Layla experienced moodiness, anxiety, gender confusion and anger issues as a child. At age 11 learned about radical transgender ideology and went online to learn more about the new trend.

Layla, says she should never have been put through the 'torment' of a breast removal surgery at age 13

Layla experienced moodiness, anxiety, gender confusion and anger issues as a child

Layla started receiving testosterone hormones at age 12 and puberty blockers and surgery the next year to help her become a boy

She self-diagnosed that she was a boy and believed transitioning would solve her mental health problems.

According to the suit, doctors at the Permanente Medical Group and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals rushed her on to cross-sex hormones and a double mastectomy without properly assessing her mental health problems.

Her evaluations lasted only 30 minutes and 75 minutes, records show.

Legal papers identify the carers as Susanne Watson, a psychologist in Oakland, San Francisco-based plastic surgeon Winnie Tong, and Lisa Taylor, a pediatric endocrinologist in Oakland.

They are accused of 'intentional, malicious, and oppressive concealment of important information and false representations' that saw Layla pushed into the procedures.

It's claimed they presented Layla Jane and her parents with a terrifying choice: 'Would you rather have a live son, or a dead daughter?'  language that echoes complaints from other detransitioners across the US.

'These are decisions I will have to live with for the rest of my life,' Layla said in a statement.

'I'm ready to join the growing group of detransitioners so that no other child has to go through the torment I went through at the hands of doctors I should have been able to trust.'

Layla speaks with a voice deeper than is usual for a young woman  which is understood to be the result of taking the male hormone testosterone for several years. She started to detransition at age 17.

Poll Should 'gender-affirming care' be banned for children in your state? Yes No Not sure Should 'gender-affirming care' be banned for children in your state? Yes 5705 votes

No 285 votes

Not sure 107 votes Now share your opinion





Her lawyer, Harmeet Dhillon, a conservative activist and CEO of the Center for American Liberty, said Kaiser has emerged as a 'repeat player in the growing field of permanently mutilating children for profit.'

Dhillon also represents Chloe Cole, another California 18-year-old detransitioner who last month sued Kaiser for removing her breasts when she was 15 and pumping her with puberty blockers.

'Layla's medical providers grossly and recklessly breached the standard of care in this case, and others,' said Dhillon.

'We look forward to holding them liable for what they did, and together we seek to deter this assembly-line, insensitive, and destructive treatment of children with these woke, unscientific, and barbaric practices.'

Layla experienced moodiness, anxiety, gender confusion and anger issuesfrom the age of six

She started receiving testosterone hormones at age 12, which eventually led her togrow facial hair

Layla self-diagnosed that she was a boy and believed transitioning would solve her mental health problems

Layla, now 18, appearing on television news with her lawyer, Harmeet Dhillon, a conservative activist and CEO of the Center for American Liberty

Layla seeks unspecified financial damages. The company has 90 days to reply before she formally files her lawsuit, according to a 19-page legal complaint.

Kaiser spokesman Marc Brown did not comment on the case, but said its doctors 'practice compassionate, evidence-based medicine founded on sound research and best medical practices.'

'When adolescent patients, with parental support, seek gender-affirming care, the patient's care team carefully evaluates their treatment options,' Brown told DailyMail.com.

'The care decisions always rest with the patient and their parents, and, in every case, we respect the patients' and their families' informed decisions about their personal health.'

Gender-affirming care, as it is known, covers everything from puberty blockers to cross-sex hormones and, in rare cases for trans children under 18, surgery. Several medical associations say such healthcare saves lives among a suicide-prone group.

But opponents of trans ideology say sex is determined at birth and cannot be changed, that medical advisory groups have been hijacked by trans ideologues and that politicians must intervene to stop parents, doctors, or therapists from permanently harming children.

Many are alarmed by the sharp uptick in teenage girls with autism and other mental health woes asking for sex-change drugs in recent years, and of new studies linking puberty blockers to weaker bones and osteoporosis.

Whether to allow drugs and surgery for trans-identifying children has become a frontline in America's culture wars, with more Republican bills aimed at banning gender-affirming care in 2023 than in any year to date.

Dhillon says she receives 'thousands of calls from people all over the country' who want to sue healthcare providers for bungled trans care, but that 'unfortunately, most are beyond the statute of limitations.'

A recent YouGov survey of 1,000 adults across red and blue states found that Americans were largely against gender-affirming procedures for children.

Some 61 percent said rejected giving puberty blockers to 12-year-olds, while 21 percent said it was acceptable. They also deemed cross-sex hormones and breast surgeries unacceptable by similar margins.

A recent YouGov survey of 1,000 adults across red and blue states found that Americans were largely against gender-affirming procedures for children
President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy were all smiles and warm sentiments at a Friends of Ireland lunch between the pair, putting aside a bitter standoff brewing over the debt ceiling.

The pair agreed they wanted to have a friendly relationship despite their differences fashioned after that of Republican President Ronald Reagan and Democrat Speaker Tip O'Neill -- two other Irish Americans of years past.

'Our positions may be reversed, but our goals are the same - we put this country first,' McCarthy said at the lunch on Capitol Hill.

Biden agreed in his own address, adding that he's the 'only Irish man you've ever met though that's never had a drink.

Biden added there's no reason 'we can't find common ground' and that he hopes 'we can turn this breakfast into more of an everyday relationship.'

President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy were all smiles and warm sentiments at a Friends of Ireland lunch between the pair, putting aside a bitter standoff brewing over the debt ceiling

The pair agreed they wanted to have a civil and friendly relationship despite their differences fashioned after that of Republican President Ronald Reagan and Democrat Speaker Tip O'Neill -- two other Irish Americans of years past

'Our positions may be reversed, but our goals are the same - we put this country first,' McCarthy said

'There's no reason why we can't hope to change this direction of extremism of both our parties,' Biden said, adding that it's about the 'power of friendship.'

'Nice job,' the speaker whispered to the president as he sat down beside him at the conclusion of his remarks.

It was the first time the pair had seen each other in seven weeks since their initial meeting over raising the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling. McCarthy has knocked Biden for not inviting him to meet again yet while the president said he will do so once Republicans release their own budget proposal.

Biden released his $6.8 trillion proposal last week, which the speaker called 'completely unserious.'

McCarthy cracked a joke about the war of words over the bitter budget battle shaping up between the GOP-led house and the president.

McCarthy told Taoiseach Leo Varadkar: 'That a clash is brewing, people say, between the president and I of what should we do, What would be the ramifications for the entire nation the coming months, that I think you might be able to settle which one of us is more Irish.'

Varadkar praised the U.S.'s position as 'leader of the free world' in supporting Ukraine. 'To be silent means to surrender.'

McCarthy got a round of applause as he thanked former Speaker Nancy Pelosi for attending the lunch.

He also praised Joe Kennedy, the US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, saying the Massachusetts Democrat had been a 'good member of Congress' and a close friend.

Biden and McCarthy chat as the president heads out of the Capitol and back to the White House

McCarthy said when he celebrated with Kennedy after the birth of his first child Ellie, McCarthy joked that the baby would follow in his own footsteps - 'Born into an Irish Democrat family and she's going to become a Republican.'

Biden and McCarthy do not yet have another meeting on the books to talk budgets but must come to agreement before a June deadline to raise the debt ceiling. Biden wants a clean raise to the nation's $31.4 trillion borrowing limit, McCarthy says his party won't agree to lift the ceiling unless there are cuts in the budget.

Neither Biden nor McCarthy took questions as the speaker saw the president off. Ahead of the lunch, McCarthy spoke to reporters briefly where he was asked about his 2024 endorsement.

'I could endorse, but I haven't,' the speaker said, remaining coy about whether or not he will back Donald Trump or a different candidate.
New audio reveals a previous run in between Chase Allan and police last year

A Utah law student who was shot dead by cops after refusing to comply previously scrapped with officers during his mom's 'Sovereign Citizen' court hearing just six months before.

Chase Allan, 25, can be heard in new audio from Fox News clashing with police while his mom Diane stood trial for driving with invalid license plates.

Both Allan and Diane are believed to be potential followers of the 'sovereign citizen' movement, which means people do not believe in the legitimacy of the US government or authorities such as the courts system.

In the new audio, a bailiff can be heard entering the courtroom and hauling him into custody, where he shouts: 'This is battery and assault! This is treason!'

The incident on September 21 erupted mere months before Allan was shot dead during a heated traffic stop after he was caught driving without a license plate.

Chase Allan, pictured, was shot dead by police during a heated traffic stop on March 2

New audio has revealed Chase Allan, left, fought with police during trial for his mother Diana, right

Revealing audio has been unearthed from inside the Davis County Justic Court in Utah, where Allan can be heard berating officers six months before his fatal run in with police

The newly released audio reveals both Allan and his mother Diane's contempt for the law, with the hearing descending into chaos after a bailiff to entered the room with a warrant for the law student's arrest during his mother's trial.

Faced with the document, Allan can be heard aggressively firing back: 'What warrant? Provide probable cause!'

Amid his vocal protests, he was asked if there is anything that can be done to make him comply, to which he barks back: 'I am not complying'.

Diana can also be heard repeatedly screaming for the officers to 'Let him go', adding: 'You absolutely know this is improper'.

The fierce back-and-forth led Diane to call 911 from inside the courtroom, claiming that 'someone is being assaulted' during her hearing.

Allan was initially pulled over on March 1 after he was caught driving with a license plate that read: ''Notice, private automobile not for hire'

Shocking bodycam footage revealed the lead-up to the fatal traffic stop, where Allan refused to step out of his car before officers say they noticed a gun

Allan's family continue to insist that he was murdered by police, and that they only found out about his death from media reports

THE SOVEREIGN CITIZEN MOVEMENT? CONSPIRACY THEORISTS WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN RULE OF LAW 'Sovereign citizens' do not believe they are bound by federal or state law, or have to comply with any type of law enforcement. Many often do not believe that they are required to pay taxes either. The FBI considers the group to be an extremist organization. Well-known members include Terry Nichols, the Oklahoma City bomber. In 2010, two sovereign citizens shot and killed two police officers after being pulled over in Arkansas. 'Sovereign citizens do not represent an anarchist group, nor are they a militia, although they sometimes use or buy illegal weapons. Rather, they operate as individuals without established leadership and only come together in loosely affiliated groups to train, help each other with paperwork, or socialize and talk about their ideology. 'They may refer to themselves as 'constitutionalists' or 'freemen,' which is not necessarily a connection to a specific group, but, rather, an indication that they are free from government control. They follow their own set of laws. While the philosophies and conspiracy theories can vary from person to person, their core beliefs are the same: The government operates outside of its jurisdiction. Because of this belief, they do not recognize federal, state, or local laws, policies, or regulations,' a 2011 FBI paper on the group reads. Many do not think they are bound by taxes, so often do not pay those. 'They often will not pay taxes; that is pretty standard across the board, many will not pay their car registration, they won't get car insurance, they don't get licenses of any kind,' Rachel Goldwasser of the Southern Poverty Law Center told FOX News. The movement is based on a decades old conspiracy theory that the government was replaced secretly, and that the real government follows admiralty law. Advertisement

The audio does not include the lead-up to the hostility, however a probable cause affidavit for Chase's arrest that day reportedly states that he was 'disruptive and non-compliant'.

The filing adds that he refused to identify himself and failed to 'comply with Davis County Court deputies and began to resist officers.'

He spent the night in jail after being arrested on charges of disorderly conduct, interfering with an officer, disrupting a meeting, manufacture/ possession of burglary tools, and failure to disclose identity.

Chase Allan's refusal to reveal his identity played out again during his fatal traffic stop on March 1.

Police say they first pulled over the young law student after he was caught driving with a license plate that read 'Notice, private automobile not for hire'.

After repeatedly brushing off attempts from the officers to get him out of the vehicle, one of the cops opened the door and grabbed him.

But as the officer hauls him from the car, the stop spirals out of control when a separate officer yells: 'Gun, gun, gun!'

Moments later, Allan was shot multiple times by the arresting officers, and he was later pronounced dead in hospital.

Following the shooting, Allan's devastated family revealed that they only discovered he had died after they saw the incident on news reports.

Earlier this month, Diane spoke out about her 'gracious' and 'loving' son.

In a statement to FOX13, she said: '(He) was known by everyone in his community to be caring, thoughtful, and kind and would do anything for someone in need,' she wrote.

'He was always selflessly helping and protecting others in need.'

The grieving mother added that Allan had a 'shy and quiet demeanor' but was quick to make friends who she said will remember him fondly.

'He was always selflessly helping and protecting others in need. He has been studying law the last few years and was a patriot doing what he could to defend the people's freedom and liberty in his community,' she said.

Allan's family have accused the police department of unlawfully killing their loved-one, and have accused cops of a cover-up.
The judge is expected to rule on how much she and ex-boyfriend Sunny Balwani, 57, owe their victims for the Theranos fraud scheme

In recent court documents, the Stanford drop-out cited her newborn as for why she should delay her prison sentence

Elizabeth Holmes, 38, nervously walked into a California courtroom on Friday, just weeks after giving birth to her second child with fiance Billy Evans

Elizabeth Holmes looked nervous as she walked into a California courtroom to learn how much she must repay Theranos victims - as prosecutors demand she stump up $900million.

But the judge delayed his decision and is yet to rule on whether she will remain free past April.

Holmes, 38, who gave birth to a newborn just weeks ago, has put in one final plea to stay out of prison after being sentenced to 11 years because she is a mother.

The mother-of-two wore a form-fitting outfit with a knee-length skirt and blazer combo as she clutched the hands of her millionaire fiance Billy Evans and mother Noel, who was also holding on Holmes' father Christian's hand as they walked into the San Jose courthouse.

Holmes entered the courthouse alone, her fiance passed her bag, but stopped short of entering the glass doors alongside the mother of his child. This is Holmes' first court appearance since giving birth to her second child. She had her first child with Evans in July 2021.

In recent court documents, the Stanford drop-out cited her newborn as for why she should delay her prison sentence and asked Judge Edward Davilato to allow her to remain at home while she appeals her conviction to spend time with her children. Her appeal could take years.

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Elizabeth Holmes, 38, nervously walked into a California courtroom on Friday, just weeks after giving birth to her second child with fiance Billy Evans

She held on tightly to Evans and her mother Noel's hands on Friday

Her father Christian was also in attendance. The judge delayed the ruling on how much she and ex-boyfriend Sunny Balwani, 57, owe their victims for the Theranos fraud scheme

Elizabeth Holmes arrives in Federal court in San Jose for what may be her last appearance before shes scheduled to surrender for her 11.25 year prison sentence on April 27 pic.twitter.com/DLwoLiOYbZ  Evan Sernoffsky (@EvanSernoffsky) March 17, 2023

Davilato has said he will not issue an order on whether or not she will remain free until early next month. He delayed her sentence in November, with many saying it was to allow her to give birth to her second child before being imprisoned.

Prosecutors argue she is a flight risk as she had a one-way ticket to Mexico booked for January 26, 2022, just weeks after she was convicted on January 3. Her team only canceled the flight after prosecutors questioned it. Her attorneys argued she booked it prior to the conviction and was planning on attending a wedding.

The disgraced Silicon Valley entrepreneur, who promised victims her company only needed a single drop of blood to test for various diseases, is set to begin her sentence on April 27 if she is not granted her plea.

Her fiance (picture together) has been by her side throughout the court proceedings

In recent court documents, the Stanford drop-out cited her newborn as for why she should delay her prison sentence and asked asked Judge Edward Davilato allow her to remain at home while she appeals her conviction to spend time with her children. Her appeal could take years

Davilato has said he will not issue an order on whether or not she will remain free until early next month

He delayed her sentenced in November, when she was handed her prison sentence, with many saying it was to allow her to give birth to her second child before being imprisoned (pictured: Holmes in Novemer)

In addition, the judge delayed ruling how much she must pay her victim. Davilato has named ten victims, including media mogul Rupert Murdoch, according to journalist Amy Larson.

Prosecutors have argued that many more have been victimized by Holmes and her ex-boyfriend Sunny Balwani, 57, who was set to start his sentence on Thursday, but did not show up. However, the judge has ruled there's only 10 official victims.

Balwani, who was sentenced to serve nearly 13 years in prison, was convicted on 12 counts of fraud and conspiracy. He is set to serve his time in San Pedro, California. That destination represents a shift from the Atlanta prison that Balwani had been initially assigned by authorities.

His attorneys filed an appeal on the same day. The appeal will allow Balwani to remain outside of shackles until the Ninth Circuit makes a decision.

Her ex-boyfriend Sunny Balwani, 57, (pictured in December) was set to start his 13-year sentence on Thursday, but he never showed up. His attorneys filed appeal, which allowed him to remain unshackled until the Ninth Circuit ruled on it

In a filing last week, his attorney Jeffrey Coopersmith had asked Davila for additional time to appeal the Bureau of Prisons' decision to send him to the Atlanta prison that has been dogged by allegations of widespread of misconduct and other abuses.

Davila had recommended Balwani be sent to a Lompoc prison in Santa Barbara County located about 250 miles from the San Jose courtroom where his trial took place.

Although Holmes and Balwani had separate trials, the former couple was accused of essentially the same crimes centered on a ruse touting Theranos' blood-testing system as a revolutionary breakthrough in health care. The claims helped the company become a Silicon Valley sensation that raised nearly $1billion from investors.

But its technology never came close to working like Holmes and Balwani boasted, resulting in Theranos' scandalous collapse and a criminal case that shined a bright light on Silicon Valley greed and hubris.
Speculation is building that the First Lady could have indirectly received money from Hunter Biden's controversial Chinese business dealings.

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer revealed yesterday bank records he obtained via subpoena showing money from Hunter's Chinese oil giant business partners was wired to the First Son, Joe Biden's brother Jim Biden, Joe's daughter-in-law Hallie Biden, and a fourth individual referred to only by their last name: Biden.

Comer says he is currently working on obtaining further bank documents to unmask the fourth family member who received $70,000 according to the senior lawmaker.

Among the potential recipients is First Lady Dr. Jill Biden  one of the few individuals close to Hunter who shares his last name.

Speculation is building over who could have been involved in Hunter Biden's controversial Chinese business dealings. Was it the President or the First Lady?

Several Biden family members have been named as receiving funds from Hunter's foreign business dealings, including Hunter

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer revealed yesterday bank records he obtained via subpoena showing money from Hunter's Chinese oil giant business partners was wired to the Joe Biden's brother Jim Biden (left) Joe's daughter-in-law Hallie Biden

DailyMail.com has previously revealed apparent discrepancies of up to millions of dollars between Joe and Jill's IRS filings and his government transparency reports that raise questions over their income sources.

Another potential recipient of the 'Biden' wire transfer is Jim's wife Sara Biden, who was involved in the Chinese deal and received cash via her and Jim's company Lion Hall GP, as well as access $100,000 preloaded on a credit card that the family spent on flights, hotels and restaurants.

House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer is leading the investigation into the Bidens

Other family members include Ashley Biden, Hunter's sister; Caroline Biden, Jim's daughter and Hunter's cousin; Frank Biden, Joe's other brother; and Naomi Biden, Hunter's oldest daughter.

The most sensational potential recipient of all is President Biden himself  referred to as the 'Big Guy' by Hunter's business partners who discussed in an email giving him a 10% cut of the Chinese deal that would be held by Hunter as a proxy.

While Joe Biden was still serving as Vice President, Hunter began working with Chinese Communist Party-linked oil giant CEFC on a multi-million-dollar energy deal.

After Joe left office in 2017, CEFC and affiliated companies poured over $10million into a joint venture with the Biden family.

One partner in the deal, Biden family friend John 'Rob' Walker, a former Clinton administration official, received $3million from State Energy HK Limited on March 1 2017, sent to his firm Robinson Walker LLC.

Comer obtained bank records under subpoena showing Robinson Walker LLC then sent $1,065,000 to another partner in the deal, British ex-SAS officer James Gilliar, who infamously laid out the plan to allot 10% of the equity in their deal to 'the Big Guy' in a 2017 email. Other partners have revealed 'the Big Guy' referred to Joe Biden.

Another $610,692 went to companies that Comer's office believes belong to Hunter, and $360,000 to Jim Biden.

A further $35,000 went to Hallie Biden, the widow of Joe's late first son Beau and then-lover of Hunter - $10,000 in February 2017 before the March Chinese deposit, and $25,000 after.

And $70,000 went to a bank account labeled only as 'Biden'.

Another potential recipient of the 'Biden' wire transfer is Joe and Jill's daughter Ashley

In text messages Hunter complained to his daughter Naomi that 'half' his salary went to his father, and he discussed with his business partner Eric Schwerin the payment of some of Joe's bills

On Friday Comer sent a letter to Walker asking him to sit for 'a transcribed interview with Committee staff' as part of their investigation into 'President Biden's involvement in his family's business practices'.

The speed with which Comer was able to obtain the Robinson Walker LLC bank transaction documents suggests that Walker may already be cooperating with the Oversight Committee.

The White House, Treasury, and Hunter himself have previously refused and fought demands for information, documents and interviews from Comer's committee, delaying the process.

In any official interview, Comer's staff are likely to grill Walker on the identity of the fourth Biden family member who received the Chinese cash.

DailyMail.com was unable to find any documents on Hunter's abandoned laptop showing Jill Biden received Chinese funds, or that Hunter and Jill discussed his CEFC deal.

And there are no documents showing the other family members  apart from Sara Biden  directly received Chinese money either.

But in April last year we published an analysis of the president's financial records showing an apparent $5.2million in unexplained income.

The president's financial filings reveal that he declared almost $7million more income on his tax returns than he did on his government transparency reports.

Some of that difference can be accounted for with salaries earned by the First Lady and other sums not required on his reports  but still left $5.2million earned by Joe's company and not listed on his transparency reports.

Other family members include Joe's brother Frank. Frank has said in the past, 'I have never used my brother to obtain clients for my firm... I will never be employed by any lobbyist or lobbying firm'

Hunter's cousin Caroline Biden had no apparent involvement in his overseas business deals

Former Treasury Special Agent and money laundering probe expert John Cassara told DailyMail.com that financial documents obtained under subpoena could help unravel the mystery of where the Chinese money ended up.

'This kind of information sharing could be invaluable in following the money trails, unraveling associations, as well as helping to unravel the labyrinth of related LLCs and lack of beneficial ownership information,' Cassara said.

'The data will help investigators peel away the onion skin of a financial investigation. Depending on what is found, then relevant accounts can be subpoenaed, and a focused forensic audit conducted.'

Ashley, Hunter's sister, and Caroline, his cousin, had no apparent involvement in his overseas business deals.

Their communications on his laptop, though controversial, were all about personal matters.

Hunter had very little, if any, communication with his uncle Frank on the laptop.

Joe's younger brother has repeatedly used his relationship with his brother as a selling point in his own business ventures, but does not appear to have been involved with Hunter's CEFC business deal.

News site Politico reported in 2021 that Frank touted his relationship to his brother in an ad for his law firm, Berman Law Group in Boca Raton, Fla, and used another potential business partner's private jet to travel to Biden's swearing-in ceremony.

Politico reported that during Joe's presidential campaign, he took Frank aside and issued a warning.

'For Christ's sake, watch yourself,' Biden said of his brother's potential business dealings, a person with knowledge of the conversation told Politico. 'Don't get sucked into something that would, first of all, hurt you.'

White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to discuss the conversation during her press briefing when the story broke in January 2021.

But she did emphasize that Biden was committed to having 'the most ethically vigorous administration in history' and noted there are restrictions on how the president's image can be used.

Frank told CNBC at the time: 'I have never used my brother to obtain clients for my firm... I will never be employed by any lobbyist or lobbying firm.'

Amid all the shocking messages involving Joe Biden, possibly the most important email of the 154,000 on Hunter's abandoned laptop is the infamous 'big guy' email, suggesting that the president may have been involved in, and set to profit from, an alleged Chinese influence operation

Comer's review of bank records for Walker's firm shows Walker then wired $35,000 in two transactions to Hallie, and $1million to Hunter, Jim and another bank account labeled only 'Biden'

Comers is the latest Congressional investigation, but ground was first broken by Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson, who led a four-year probe into Hunter Bidens business dealings and published a report in 2020 warning of national security concerns over his relationship with CCP-linked Chinese businessmen.

They were the first to discover the $3million sent to Robinson Walker LLC by CEFC affiliates, and traced $5million sent by the Chinese energy giant to Hunter, Jim and Sara Bidens companies.

Republican Wisconsin Johnson said Joe Biden's unaccounted-for millions were 'another disturbing piece of information that raises questions that deserve answers.'

Iowa Senator Grassley told DailyMail.com at the time: 'Evidence of the president's financial and business connections to Hunter continues to grow. It's imperative for the first family to show the American people the transparency that they deserve.'

Financial crime experts have warned that money flowing from Hunter's business deals to Joe Biden may not come in the form of direct wire transfers.

In text messages Hunter complained to his daughter Naomi that 'half' his salary went to his father, and he discussed with his business partner Eric Schwerin the payment of some of Joe's bills.

'I hope you all can do what I did and pay for everything for this entire family for 30 years,' Hunter wrote to Naomi in January 2019. 'It's really hard. But don't worry, unlike pop [Joe], I won't make you give me half your salary.'

A spokesperson for Hunter released a statement following Comer's revelation this week of the $35,000 payments to Hallie, saying that the First Son was 'involved' and 'sharing expenses' with her in 2017, and that the money went to 'nobody else'.

'Hunter Biden, a private citizen with every right to pursue his own business endeavors, joined several business partners in seeking a joint venture with a privately-owned, legitimate energy company in China,' the statement said.

'As part of that joint venture, Hunter received his portion of good faith seed funds which he shared with his uncle, James Biden, and Hallie Biden, with whom he was involved at the time, and sharing expenses,' the spokesperson said in a statement. 'The accounts so dramatically listed by Rep. Comer belonged to Hunter, his uncle and Hallie  nobody else.'

White House spokesman Ian Sams issued a statement slamming Comer for suggesting in a Fox Business TV interview this month that the Delaware prosecutor investigating Hunter should have also prosecuted Beau Biden, who died in 2015.

'After a disgusting attack lamenting that the President's deceased son Beau was never prosecuted while he was alive, Congressman Comer has now decided to go after Beau's widow,' Sams said.

'Instead of bizarrely attacking the President's family, perhaps House Republicans should focus on working with the President to deliver results for American families on important priorities like lowering costs and strengthening health care.'

Hallies spokeswoman did not answer questions about the Chinese money, and declined to comment on her relationship with Hunter.

This is just another shameful attempt to smear the reputation of Beau Bidens widow, and the Biden family by extension, the spokeswoman said in a statement to DailyMail.com. Ms. Biden will not dignify it with a comment.
Horrifying video footage captured the moment a lawyer calmly chatted to his ex-girlfriend before brutally shooting her dead and killing himself in the southeaster Brazilian state of Sao Paulo.

The incident took place Tuesday night in the garage of a condominium where the suspect, Vicente Nogueira, 48, lived in the municipality of Santos.

The surveillance video shows Michelli do Nascimento, 27, speaking to her ex-boyfriend while she was pulling luggage out of her trunk.

Do Nascimento handed the suitcase to Nogueira and proceeded to remove a second one from the rear seat while he waited at the side of the vehicle.

WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT

Michelli do Nascimento (left) was shot dead by her ex-boyfriend, Vicente Nogueira (right), inside the garage of his condominium before he turned the gun and shot himself in the mouth. Authorities have not provided a motive for the femicide-suicide

Vicente Nogueira (left) talks to his former girlfriend, Michelli do Nascimento (right), prior to killing her and then turning the gun on himself and committing suicide

She subsequently motioned with her hands at the lawyer as the former couple exchanged words before she stepped inside her car.

Seconds later, Nogueira could be seen pulling a gun from his left side and firing into the vehicle, striking do Nascimento twice in the face.

He then turned to the side and pointed the gun toward his mouth and pulled the trigger. The impact of the shot knocked him backwards to the ground.

The Santos Military Police recovered Nogueira's .38 caliber gun and two cell phones.

The Santos Civil police have not yet provided a motive for the femicide-suicide, but did say that Nogueira was waiting inside the garage when Do Nascimento arrived.

Brazilian lawyer Vicente Nogueira was waiting for his ex-girlfriend to arrive at the garage of his condominium in the Sao Paulo city of Santos on Tuesday evening before he shot her dead and killed himself.

Surveillance camera footage shows lawyer Vicente Nogueira (left) and his 27-year-old ex-girlfriend, Michelli do Nascimento (right), having a conversation moments before the 48-year-old shot her after she sat in her car

Vicente Nogueira crashed to the ground and fell on his back when he shot himself in the mouth after killing his ex-girlfriend

27-year-old Michelli do Nascimento was murdered by her ex-boyfriend Tuesday night in Sao Paulo, Brazil. She was laid to rest Friday

Do Nascimento's cousin, Graziela Nascimento, posted a moving Facebook tribute vowing to forever remember her.

Nascimento said she wanted to remember her cousin 'with that beautiful and easy smile, always your laugh, your voice.

'We never know when it will be the last time, my princess,' she added. 'Go in peace that there in heaven you will be with grandma taking care of us!!! Will be greatly missed.'

If you have been affected by this story, you can call The Samaritans for free on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
Revellers across the world painted the streets green to celebrate St. Patricks day today from Newcastle to New York.

In Ireland's capital, a sea of green and orange crowds of half a million people took to Dublin's streets to take part in the festive parade while boozy revellers enjoyed pints of Guinness.

The annual parade in New York City - which bills itself as the world's largest and oldest - paid homage to Ireland's patron saint and celebrated the deep Irish history interwoven with American culture.

Meanwhile the Princess of Wales enjoyed sips of 'the black stuff' with Prince William at the Irish Guards' St Patrick's Day Parade in Aldershot.

DUBLIN: Revellers dressed up to celebrate St Patrick's Day in front of the famous Temple Bar in Dublin

NEWCASTLE: Revellers pictured out in force this afternoon in Jesmond as the St Patrick's Day celebrations started early

NEW YORK: A police department Pipe and Drums band marches in the St. Patrick's Day Parade

DUBLIN: Revellers pictured attending the parade to celebrate St Patrick's Day

WASHINGTON DC: The White House's fountain turns green for annual St. Patrick's Day celebrations

ALDERSHOT: The Prince and Princess of Wales each enjoyed a pint of Guinness

LEEDS: Boozy revellers took to the streets for a St Paddy's Day nightout

NEW YORK: A reveller at the annual St. Patrick's Day parade held along 5th Avenue

NEWCASTLE: Pictured are boozy revellers ready for a night of St Paddy's Day celebrations

LEEDS: Some had to call it a night after partying hard on St Paddy's Day

FLORIDA: Spring breakers celebrated the day at the beach - with many wearing green swimwear

NEWCASTLE: Revellers headed out for a night out to celebrate St Paddy's Day

NEW YORK: An Irish Wolfhound taking pride of place in the city's annual parade

LEEDS: Revellers dressed up for the occasion

Celebrations took place across the island of Ireland with massive crowds turning out to mark March 17 in towns and cities.

Many more watched Dublin's 2023 parade, featuring 4,200 performers including marching bands, aerial acrobats and vibrant costumes, live on television.

Parade attendees showed up in leprechaun hats, dyed-green beards and emerald scarves.

The parade centred around the theme of 'ONE' to 'shine a light on all the goodness that surrounds us' by protecting and embracing global traditions, culture and heritage.

DUBLIN: Performers taking part in the annual St Patrick's Day parade

BELFAST: Two revellers in the Northern Irish capital smartly dressed in St Paddy's Day suits

NEW YORK: Children took part in the city's annual parade

NEW YORK: Members of the Hartsdale fire department

DUBLIN: Giant colourful statues were paraded around the city during the celebration

NEWCASTLE: Revellers pictured wearing green to celebrate the day

DUBLIN: President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins attends the St Patrick's Day Parade

DUBLIN: Taking part in the parade were also floats, pictured here is the Daniel O'Connell monument float

BELFAST: A participant dressed as bagpipes in the today's parade

DUBLIN: Revellers in the city centre at the annual St Patrick's Day parade

NEWCASTLE: Some revellers had too much Guinness on the big day

SYDNEY: Revellers in Australia celebrating the day on a nightout

DUBLIN: A reveller dressed to impress

NEW YORK: Members of the fire department Pipe and Drums participate in the St. Patrick's Day Parade

NEW YORK: An Irish Wolfhound participates in the St. Patrick's Day parade

GEORGIA, USA: Conor McGregor was spotted in Savannah to celebrate St. Patrick's Day
Thirty years ago, the monstrously sadistic Nazi camp commandant Amon Goeth was immortalised on film in Steven Spielberg's multi-Oscar-winning Schindler's List. Powerfully depicted by Ralph Fiennes, this account of his shocking brutality appalled viewers the world over. Now, in a devastating new book, a man who suffered terribly at his hands, witnessed his heinous crimes against others - and vowed retribution - tells his first-hand story of the man known as the Butcher of Plaszow.

I am 96 years old, and ready to meet my God whenever He calls me. Yet despite my great age, I am haunted by a dream that I simply cannot erase from my mind after eight decades.

In my recurring nightmare I am being pursued by Amon Goeth, the notorious Butcher of Plaszow. He screams that he will kill me because I stumbled into his room when he was eating, or some such minor incident. I cower in the shadows to save myself.

Sometimes, Goeth materialises as one of the many distorted Nazi faces in my mind, swooping towards me like birds of prey.

There is another dream, though. In this, my favourite dream, I am sitting round the dinner table with my family in our home village in south-east Poland. My father, a grain trader by profession, is supervising grandparents, aunts and uncles. I have been giving my three younger brothers rides on my beloved tricycle.

Nazi Amon Goeth, pictured here on the balcony of his villa from where he shot Jews held in the concentration camp in Plaszow

I see our beautiful, kind mother approaching with steaming plates of food: chicken soup, stuffed fish and cheese pastries. But to my sadness, when I look round the table, I realise that nobody has a face. They are silhouettes, ghosts at the feast. I simply can't remember what they look like.

Once the Nazis rounded them up, I never saw them again. My mother and brothers were sent to their deaths by a random flick of a German officer's whip, while my father and I were consigned to a living hell in the labour camps. Around 150 people in my adored extended family were consumed by the Holocaust.

They did not live long enough for me to know them. They did not live long enough for me to know myself.

I was just 16 when Amon Goeth arrived at Plaszow, the death camp my father and I had been forced to help build on the site of two Jewish cemeteries south of Krakow. With our bare hands we had constructed our own prison.

An Austrian by birth, Goeth had risen swiftly through the ranks of the SS. He was 6 ft 4 in tall, with a hard face, a gravelly voice and a twisted vanity.

His terrifying reputation was established on his first day in charge, when he ordered us to assemble on the camp's Appellplatz, where we held roll call. He stood on a box, barking, boasting and lecturing. I barely registered his words. To me, he was the embodiment of evil, the personification of fear and death. As if to prove a point, he shot dead two Jewish policemen as we watched.

It was bad, bad, bad. Goeth killed randomly, incessantly, casually. He was often drunk, but took psychotic pleasure in his absolute power, brandishing his pistol, leaving bodies in his wake wherever he walked.

We learned quickly to scatter and hide when Goeth was near. He would kill people for looking him in the eye, for walking too slowly, for serving his food too hot, or for no reason at all. He used a high-powered rifle to shoot random prisoners in our barracks from the windows of his office, for target practice.

Imagine, then, the impact this monster had on those of us who lived daily with his murderous brutality. Imagine my sense of horror and helplessness when, one day, Goeth arrived at a site where I was helping dismantle a high perimeter wall. He stopped and stared as I prised out a brick and threw it carefully down to my workmate. It was a simple process, repeated countless times during a 14-hour working day. But, petrified by the commandant's presence, my companion made the fatal mistake of dropping the brick.

Goeth immediately shot him in the head without a word or a flicker of emotion, and then looked upwards to where I was positioned on top of the wall. He ordered me to throw him a brick, promising to catch it, but deliberately let it fall to the ground.

'Komm runter!' ('Come on down!'). He was suddenly screaming. The wall was about 15 ft in height. In a panic I slid down the sides, cutting open my arms and legs. Goeth raised his revolver until it was about two inches from my face, and pointed it between my eyes. So this was how I was going to die.

Josef Lewkowicz, shown here in the red circle at Ebensee concentration camp, saw Goeth's cruelty first hand

I woke up in the camp hospital two days later with no recollection of what had happened. My body was swathed in bloodstained bandages. My face was swollen, my torso badly bruised, and my skin was raw.

I was ravenous and in pain. But I knew better than to linger in bed. The SS doctors were well known for administering lethal injections to hospital patients. I preferred to take my chances in our barracks, a wooden hut into which hundreds of inmates had been stuffed, where I rested as best I could.

The mystery of my miraculous survival was solved by chance when I came across Wilek Chilowicz, one of Goeth's henchmen.

'Ah!' he said in mock surprise. 'You're alive. Do you know what happened to you?' My ignorance, and the chance to show off to those around him, pleased him no end. 'Goeth was about to kill you, so I started beating you up,' he told me. 'You fell unconscious, so I told him to save his bullet because you were already dead.'

He was a cruel and vicious man, but for some reason I benefited from a hint of humanity.

I have often thought that we would have been better off had Plaszow been officially regarded as a concentration camp, as it later was. These operated on the principle that only Hitler had the ultimate power over life and death. Camp commandants had to send telegrams to Berlin, requesting permission to conduct executions, and providing details of the intended victims.

But Plaszow was a lawless place. It was no surprise that people took desperate measures. Food became a deadly weapon to be used against us. When bread was found in a clerk's drawer, Goeth had him and the four other workers in the administration office sent to a shooting range and killed.

It was meant to scare and demoralise us, but I'm almost ashamed to admit that Goeth's more crazy, spontaneous acts of cruelty - such as making a boy with diarrhoea eat his own excrement before shooting him - had greater impact.

Sometimes I hoped I was mistaken, that my imagination had got the better of me. But I was there. It did happen. Even after nearly 80 years I still bear the scars from Goeth's two dogs, Rolf and Ralf, which he had trained to attack prisoners on command.

During interrogations he would set these hounds from hell, a Great Dane and a German Shepherd crossbreed, on defenceless prisoners, strung up by their legs from a hook in the ceiling. We heard their screams across the camp as they were torn limb from limb by these terrible creatures.

Goeth was immortalised by actor Ralph Fiennes who portrayed the monster in the film Schindler's List (pictured)

I'm conscious that giving too many examples of depravity may dilute their impact, but some deaths are too shocking to ignore. One poor soul was summarily shot at morning roll call because Goeth he decided the man was too tall. As he lay dying, the beast urinated over him in a show of malice and contempt.

The women were treated terribly, with less respect than the mules whose jobs they so often did. When we were building a railway they were harnessed to carriages filled with stones. They dragged these carriages uphill, bent double, often slipping because their wooden clogs fell off or offered no grip. The mortality rates were criminal.

As the months and years blurred into one, stealing my youth and early manhood, there was further unimaginable pain and anguish to endure. In 1944 I was briefly seconded with 100 others to a slave labour camp around 80 miles away, to help make fighter planes. When I returned to Plaszow my father had vanished. I had no idea where he was or whether he was still alive. I prayed that he had not been a victim of the monster's whims.

It was not until after the war that, through the International Red Cross, I discovered my father was one of 30,000 Jews who had died in the Flossenburg concentration camp in Bavaria. There were no details of how he met his end.

He was just another slave, lost in the shadows of history.

As the war neared its end, I was sent to Mauthausen, in upper Austria - one of the war's most hideous concentration camps. From there I was moved to a sub-camp, Ebensee.

I cannot even describe to you how we felt one afternoon in May 1945 when we saw hundreds of Allied planes darken the skies on their way to complete the job of pounding the Germans into submission. People were wandering around in a daze as if trapped between life and death. Many did not dare to think the nightmare was over.

I did not believe it until I witnessed a German soldier touching the electrified perimeter fence of the camp without coming to any harm. That was when I knew it was all over. I had survived.

In many ways it was natural for young Jewish survivors to try to put the war behind them by recreating the families they had lost. Many quickly married and had children.

I understood why, but was still too young to consider settling down. I was driven by deeper desires. I wanted to honour the memory of my family. The best way I could do so, it seemed to me, was to help bring our Nazi tormentors to justice. I had nothing to lose by trying to convince the Allied authorities of my usefulness.

Through the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, I offered my services. I could speak four languages and was young and highly motivated.

I presented the authorities with a shortlist of names of SS men who had made me suffer. I knew their faces, their voices, their history, their crimes. I was desperate to track them down and help bring them to justice. I must have been persuasive because I was given a motorcycle so I could begin travelling around Austria and Germany. There was one man at the top of my list: Amon Goeth.

The task of finding war criminals, and confirming their identities and actions, was immense. Many evaded prosecution and were mistakenly released, owing to the sheer volume of Nazis captured by the Allied forces. Others simply walked out of prisoner-of-war camps.

Amid the chaos, Goeth was found with an SS ID and arrested in May 1945. But somehow it appears his captors did not grasp the significance of his arrest.

The records suggest he was then moved to Dachau, in southern Germany, in early February 1946. But a month later a U.S. intelligence report, outlining his crimes, stated that his 'whereabouts are unknown. Believed to be at large'. The dots had not been joined. Goeth had disappeared under the radar.

I was sourcing and following up leads, and working through the most likely sites or refuges for someone of his military status.

Dachau, which housed around 30,000 Germans, was an obvious place to look. My investigators and I began by asking random individuals detained in the camp where they had served, and if officers or strangers were mingling with rank-and-file German soldiers. If so, we asked them to point them out.

We took down the name and rank of each person interviewed, and cross-checked them with our intelligence colleagues. It was slow, deliberate work, done on the understanding that anyone involved with the SS would lie through their back teeth.

I needed a slice of luck to reward my perseverance. It came about three weeks or so into our spell at Dachau, when I approached yet another group of ordinary soldiers.

One, identified as an officer by his men, was willing to talk.

'Are there any strangers here that are not from your group, your battalion, or your division?' I asked him. 'Is there anyone here that you do not know?'

'There is someone, a stranger who wasn't with us.'

'Where is he?'

'There.'

He pointed at a hunched, rather pitiful figure squatting on the ground like a beggar, about 20 paces away. As I came closer, I let out a scream and began running towards him. He was dressed in a scruffy soldier's uniform that was several sizes too small. But I would have recognised him anywhere. It was Amon Goeth. He was haggard, and had lost a lot of weight, but I knew that cruel face only too well. It was the last thing that so many people in Plaszow had seen before they met their end.

I was boiling inside, and lost control, kicking and punching him in a flurry of all-consuming rage. 'Get up you b*****d!' I screamed. 'You b*****d, you damn s**t!'

He showed no sign of comprehending who I was. Not surprising, since the military policeman spitting in his face wore a white helmet and was well fed. The last time we had been in close contact, I was just another emaciated victim of his brutality.

'You will pay for spilling innocent blood!' I screamed. He tried to protect himself from my kicks and punches but did not say a word. Once I had reported my discovery to the U.S. commander at Dachau, Goeth was placed in solitary confinement. I went into his cell, alone, and sat beside him on a bench.

Once again, I lost my temper. I demanded to know why he was so violent, malicious and unfeeling. I asked him to explain what had turned him into such a sadist. I might as well have been talking to the stone wall of his cell. He did not utter a word.

The Counter-Intelligence Corps reprimanded me severely for assaulting a prisoner. As impulsive as ever, I talked back to my superior: 'If you had been there, and seen what he did, you would have cut pieces off him.'

It was the beginning of Goeth's end. Numerous witnesses travelled to Dachau to identify him and give statements. All backed up my recollections. One of them described Strauss waltzes being played as 'children were being loaded on to trucks and taken away to be destroyed'. Another remembered being at the camp garage and seeing Goeth shoot a woman for not cleaning his car window properly.

I was proud that my evidence against him was singled out at his trial for mass murder at the Supreme National Tribunal at Krakow in the summer of 1946.

I choose not to dwell on the details of the court case. But I cannot ignore the appropriate irony of his end. Amon Goeth was hanged on September 13 that year, close to the site of the Plaszow camp. His remains were cremated, and the ashes thrown in the river.

I live alone in Jerusalem now, after many decades working as a diamond dealer in South America and raising a family with my adored late wife Perla.

I hope to be around for many more years, but when my time comes I would wish to be thought of as an ordinary man who was lucky enough simply to survive.

Meanwhile, the act of remembrance should not prevent us savouring the small pleasures of each day. One of those pleasures, for me at least, is a nip of Scotch whisky. I wish nothing but the best for you and future generations. I would be honoured if you would join me in a toast.

L'Chaim. To life.

Adapted from The Survivor: How I Survived Six Concentration Camps And Became A Nazi Hunter by Josef Lewkowicz & Michael Calvin, to be published by Bantam on March 30 at 20.  Josef Lewkowicz and Michael Calvin 2023. To order a copy for 18 (offer valid until April 1, 2023; UK P&P free on orders over 20), visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
Kremlin is accused of transporting children to Russia to be given to new families

The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Putin amid accusations of war crimes during his faltering invasion of Ukraine.

Karim Khan, the ICC's chief prosecutor, today said hundreds of children have been unlawfully taken from orphanages and children's homes in occupied areas of Ukraine and transported to Russia to be given to new families.

Putin has become only the third serving president to have been issued an ICC arrest warrant, after Sudan's Omar al-Bashir and Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, and the first leader of one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

The ICC's warrant now obligates its 123 member states to arrest the Russian president and transfer him to The Hague for trial should he set foot on their territory.

But the Kremlin today slammed the court's decision as 'outrageous and unacceptable', instead insisting any decisions of the ICC are 'null and void' with respect to Russia as Moscow does not recognise the court's jurisdiction.

Putin has become only the third serving president to have been issued an ICC arrest warrant

International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan stands next to a grave where remains of three bodies were found, in the town of Bucha, outside Kyiv, in April last year

A volunteer places a cross with a number to a grave of one of unidentified people killed by Russian troops in Bucha

Its stance inevitably casts doubts over how Putin can be arrested, with the possibility of a trial remaining a long way off.

Moscow does not recognise the court's jurisdiction and does not extradite its nationals - a position reaffirmed on Friday by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in a first reaction to the warrants.

READ MORE: Putin's fury as International Criminal Court issues warrant for his arrest for war crimes and abducting Ukrainian children Advertisement

'The decisions of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view,' she said.

Even the ICC's president Piotr Hofmanski admitted that while the court's judges have issued the warrants, it will be up to the international community to enforce them.

Under the Rome Statute system of international criminal justice, the court has no police force of its own to enforce warrants.

What's more, the Statute - from which the ICC draws its authority - precludes trials being held in absentia, meaning Putin would have to be tried in person.

But while the likelihood of Putin's arrest remains highly unlikely, it is not entirely impossible.

Systematic reminders of the ICC's arrest warrants are sent to member countries when a suspect travels abroad.

If a country fails to comply with a request to cooperate, it may be referred to the court itself.

Putin will not be arrested in or extradited from Russian territory, but has made trips abroad since the outbreak of the war in February last year.

In June, he travelled to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan before visiting Iran the following month.

The despot also travelled to Uzbekistan in September, Kazakhstan in October and Armenia in November, as well as Kyrgyzstan and Belarus in December.

In the early months of the war, Russian forces were forced to retreat from towns and cities across Ukraine - but as they retreated, the war crimes they have committed against civilians has become clear. Pictured: The bodies of civilians killed by Russian soldiers lie on the street in Bucha on April 2, 2022

The ICC (file image of the International Criminal Court in the Hague) accused Putin of being responsible for war crimes because of his involvement in the abduction of children from Ukraine

Of these countries, only Tajikistan is a member of the ICC and party to the Rome Statute and Putin may avoid entering the country again on that basis.

But while non-members have no obligation under the statute to cooperate with the ICC, they will be encouraged to do so.

What is the International Criminal Court? - The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression when member states are unwilling or unable to do so themselves. It can prosecute crimes committed by nationals of member states or on the territory of member states by other actors. It has 123 member states. The budget for 2023 is about 170 million euros. - The ICC is conducting 17 investigations, ranging from Ukraine and African states such as Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya to Venezuela in Latin America and Asian nations, such as Myanmar and the Philippines, according to its website. - The ICC website says there have so far been 31 cases before the court, with some cases having more than one suspect. ICC judges have issued 38 arrest warrants. - Twenty-one people have been held in the ICC detention centre and have appeared before the court. Fourteen people remain at large. Charges have been dropped against five people due to their deaths. The judges have issued 10 convictions and four acquittals. - The ICC has convicted five men of war crimes and crimes against humanity, all African militia leaders from Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali and Uganda. Terms range from nine to 30 years in prison. The maximum possible term is life imprisonment. - A top fugitive is former Sudanese leader Omar al Bashir, wanted for genocide in Darfur. The first former head of state ever to appear before the ICC, former Ivorian president Laurent Gbagbo, was acquitted of all charges in 2019 after a three-year trial. - Although the court is supported by many United Nations members and the European Union, other major powers like the United States, China and Russia are not members, arguing it could be used for politically motivated prosecutions. - The Ukraine investigation opened on March 2, 2022, and its focus is alleged crimes committed in the context of the situation in Ukraine since Nov. 21, 2013, according to the ICC website. Protests erupted in 2013 against then President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia when he was ousted in 2014. Advertisement

Some non-members have even played an active role in previous warrant operations.

If the United Nations Security Council triggers the ICC's jurisdiction over a situation, the country has a duty to cooperate regardless of whether they are a member of the Rome Statute.

Commenting on the likelihood of his arrest, ICC chief prosecutor Mr Khan told the BBC those who feel they can 'commit a crime in the daytime, and sleep well at night, should perhaps look at history'.

Lawyer Joshua Rozenberg acknowledged the warrant was 'to some extent symbolic', but said it 'sends a message'.

He said the warrant is a message to Putin that, while he may be president today, he may not be head of state in the future and 'at some point the law will catch up with you'.

Ken Roth, the former executive director of Human Rights Watch, highlighted how the impact of Western sanctions may force the Kremlin into cooperating with the ICC.

Speaking to The I, he said : 'Given the serious economic pressure that the Russian government faces, impunity today can well give rise to accountability tomorrow.

'Putin may calculate that he can sit tight in the Kremlin and never have to worry about ICC prosecution, but that would require him to become president-for-life  a difficult goal to sustain.'

He added that if any future Government in Russia sought to bring an end to the sanctions and restore normal relations with the rest of the world, it would likely face 'considerable pressure' to surrender Putin.

Legal commentators have cited the case of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who went on trial for war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.

No one thought Milosevic would face trial during his lifetime, but he was overthrown and extradited to face charges in 2001 after the then Prime Minister of Serbia Zoran Djindjic faced increasing pressure from the US and EU to cooperate with the ICC or risk losing financial aid.

Similarly, Bosnian Serbs political and military leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic faced trial in The Hague in 2016 and 2017 for war crimes.

They were arrested in Serbia, without opposition, after spending years evading capture.

Also cited are the cases of Charles Taylor in Liberia, who was jailed for 50 years, and Felicien Kabuga, who was arrested in 2020.

In 1997 Kabuga was indicted by the UN's International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda on charges related to conspiracy to commit genocide, persecuktion and extermination.

He had a 4 million bounty on his head and had been accused of equipping ethnic Hutu extremists in the 100-day genocide that killed more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus

Kabuga, once one of Rwanda's richest men, was found living under a false identity in a town north of Paris, Asnieres-sur-Seine.

Elsewhere, US President Jo Biden signed a new statute expanding the scope of the country's ability to prosecute war crime suspects.

The ICC also issued a warrant Friday for the arrest of Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova (pictured with Putin on February 16 in Moscow), Russia's 'Children's Rights Commissioner', on similar allegations

The ICC called for Putin's arrest as the court accused the despot of unlawfully abducting Ukrainian children from their homes and deporting them to Russia to be given to Russian families. Pictured: Ukrainian children onboard a train from Ukraine's Donbas region to Russia on February 22, 2022

The Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act, signed in January, allows the country to prosecute alleged war criminals found in the US regardless of where they committed any offences or their nationality.

Since Putin launched the invasion more than a year ago, Russians have been accused of deporting Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-held territories to raise them as their own.

At least 1,000 children were seized from schools and orphanages in the Kherson region during Russia's eight-month occupation of the area, local authorities say. Their whereabouts are still unknown.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the 'wheels of justice are turning', adding that 'international criminals will be held accountable'.

Ukraine also is not a member of the court, but it has granted the ICC jurisdiction over its territory and Mr Khan has visited four times since opening an investigation a year ago.

The ICC said that its pre-trial chamber found there were 'reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children'.

After his most recent visit, in early March, Mr Khan said he visited a care home for children two kilometres from frontlines in southern Ukraine.

'The drawings pinned on the wall... spoke to a context of love and support that was once there. But this home was empty, a result of alleged deportation of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation or their unlawful transfer to other parts of the temporarily occupied territories,' he said in a statement.

'As I noted to the United Nations Security Council last September, these alleged acts are being investigated by my office as a priority. Children cannot be treated as the spoils of war.'

Karim Khan, visits a mass grave in Bucha, on the outskirts of Kyiv, on April 13, 2022

Volunteers lower into a grave a coffin with one of fifteen unidentified people killed by Russian troops in September last year

A local resident waves at a Ukrainian infantry fighting vehicle BMP-1 on their way to the frontline, near Bakhmut, on Friday

The ICC cannot try suspects in absentia, but Khan said the court had 'other pieces of architecture' to push cases forward.

He cited a recent case in which he asked judges to hold a hearing to confirm charges against Joseph Kony - the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, who launched a bloody rebellion in Uganda - even though Kony remains at large.

'That process may be available for any other case - including the current one' involving Putin, added Khan.

Ukraine's human rights chief, Dmytro Lubinets, has said that based on data from the country's National Information Bureau, 16,226 children were deported. Ukraine has managed to bring back 308 children.

And while Russia rejected the allegations and warrants of the court as null and void, others said the ICC action will have an important impact.

'The ICC has made Putin a wanted man and taken its first step to end the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russia's war against Ukraine for far too long," said Balkees Jarrah, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch.

'The warrants send a clear message that giving orders to commit, or tolerating, serious crimes against civilians may lead to a prison cell in The Hague."

Professor David Crane, who indicted Liberian President Charles Taylor 20 years ago for crimes in Sierra Leone, said dictators and tyrants around the world 'are now on notice that those who commit international crimes will be held accountable to include heads of state'.

Taylor was eventually detained and put on trial at a special court in the Netherlands. He was convicted and sentenced to 50 years in jail.

'This is an important day for justice and for the citizens of Ukraine," Prof Crane said.

'Vladimir Putin will forever be marked as a pariah globally. He has lost all his political credibility around the world. Any world leader who stands by him will be shamed as well.'
Lance Reddick was reportedly found dead in the couple's home in California on Friday morning

Late actor Lance Reddick tied the knot with his wife Stephanie in 2011, over a decade after they first met

The widow of the late actor Lance Reddick enjoyed a quiet, humble life with the Hollywood star for almost 25 years before his tragic death aged 60.

Their low-key 2011 wedding in Minnesota typified their modest lifestyle, which came over 12 years after they met when he acted in a theater where she worked.

Despite starring in numerous blockbusters, most recently John Wick 4, Reddick seemingly enjoyed an unpretentious relationship with his spouse.

While his co-stars splashed out on lavish ceremonies, Stephanie insisted on only two rules. 'One was that everyone had to have fun,' she said, according to MspMag.

'And the other was that Lance couldnt see my dress before I walked down the aisle. That was it.'

Lance Reddick and his wife Stephanie tied the knot in 2011, over a decade after they first met. They are pictured together at the premiere of White House Down in 2013

This is the $ 2.5 million home of John Wick and The Wire' star Lance Reddick where the 60-year-old was reportedly found dead on Friday

Stephanie, who was Lance's second wife, shared two children with the late actor, Yvonne and Christopher.

She has made numerous red carpet appearances through the years as her husband starred in hits including White House Down, The Blacklist and Godzilla vs Kong.

And while they spent most of their days in their classy $2.5 million mansion in Los Angeles, the couple decided to tie the knot in Minnesota to pay tribute to their humble roots.

Brushing off an opulent Hollywood ceremony, they opted for the Midwest state because it was where they had their first encounter in 1999 while Stephanie was working on the set of the Gurthrie Theater.

Opting for an intimate ceremony between close friends, Stephanie's low-key approach was on full display as she detailed her choice of floral arrangements and dress.

'I told (the florist) I didnt care what the flowers were as long as they were pretty,' Stephanie said.

'She suggested peonies, because they were in season at the time. I didnt even know what color the flowers were going to be until the day of the wedding, and they turned out just gorgeous.'

After insisting that Reddick couldn't see her dress before the big day, his Hollywood fortune was put aside as she later admitted: 'I found it online for $250, including shipping.

'Lance picked it up at the post office, and it fit perfectly. My favorite moment of the wedding day was when my mom saw me in my dress and she started crying.'

Lance landed a role in her theater five years after receiving a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama.

His breakout performance came in 2001 after he was cast in The Wire, and he would go on to appear in all 60 episodes alongside stars including Dominic West and Idris Elba.

But throughout his time as a Hollywood star, Lance managed to keep his family life private.

Tributes have poured in for the actor following the news of his tragic passing, which came as he was in the middle of a promotional tour for the latest chapter in his John Wick franchise.

Guardians of the Galaxy actor James Gunn said: 'Lance Reddick was an incredibly nice guy, and an incredibly talented actor.

Reddick and his wife Stephanie were all smiles at their June 11 Wedding in 2011

Their low-key 2011 wedding in Minnesota typified their modest lifestyle, which came over 12 years after they met when he acted in a theater where she worked

The couple first met at Gurthrie Theater in Minnesota in 1999, where Stephanie worked while Lance was acting in a play

The couple spent the majority of their time in their classy $2.5 million home, pictured, where they shared two children

The actor's body was discovered at his home in Studio City, California Friday morning around 9:30am

'This is heartbreaking. My love goes out to all his family, friends, and collaborators.'

'A man of great strength and grace,' added Wendell Pierce, his co-star on The Wire.

'As talented a musician as he was an actor. The epitome of class. A sudden unexpected sharp painful grief for our artistic family.

'An unimaginable suffering for his personal family and loved ones. Godspeed my friend. You made your mark here. RIP'
Federal and local law enforcement agencies are preparing for a possible indictment of former President Donald Trump  making security preparations for what would be a historic charging decision.

The moves, though preliminary and preparatory in nature, come after a series of signals that an indictment in the Stormy Daniels case could be coming, following testimony by former Trump fixer Michael Cohen, and the porn star Daniels' meeting with prosecutors.

Multiple law enforcement agencies have been conducting 'preliminary security assessments' in the event of an indictment, multiple officials told NBC News. They are making arrangements for a security plan for Manhattan Criminal Court, where Trump would have a hearing if he were to be charged in the probe, which has seen a flurry of activity in recent months after going dormant.

Trump currently resides in Florida at Mar-a-Lago, so presumably would have to make arrangements through counsel to travel to Manhattan, where he continues to maintain his Trump Tower penthouse, in the event he is charged.

A handful of law enforcement agencies are making preparations for a potential Donald Trump indictment in Manhattan related to 'hush' payments dealing with his alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump denies a sexual relationship

The movement comes two days after Daniels met with prosecutors at the end of a week where former Trump fixer Cohen spoke before a grand jury in Manhattan.

The signals come long after Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance crimes related related to his arranging for $130,000 in 'hush' payments to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

A handful of agencies are involved  the Secret Service, which continues to provide protection for Trump  as well as the FBI, the NYPD, the Manhattan DA's office, as well as state court officers.

If he does get charged, Trump's team is signaling he will appear before the court.

'There wont be a standoff at Mar-a-Lago with Secret Service and the Manhattan DAs office,' lawyer Joe Tacopina told the New York Daily News.

Trump was identified as 'Individual-1' in court documents. Although he publicly made comments denying knowledge of the scheme, his lawyer Joseph Tacopina this week said his statements while president were 'not a lie.' He also called an indictment 'more probable.' The exact nature of any charges that may come in the coming days was not known.

Trump continues to deny a sexual relationship with Daniels.

Trump spokesman Steven Cheung issued a blistering statement to Fox News, which reported that Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg asked for a meeting with law enforcement in advance of a possible indictment. Cheung calling the probe a 'witch hunt,' the same term Trump applies to the Russia probe and the investigation of government materials found at Mar-a-Lago.

Federal and local law enforcement agencies are preparing for a possible indictment of former President Donald Trump at the criminal court in Manhattan

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is rumored to be filing an indictment against Trump next week.

The news comes during a week when Michael Cohen spoke to a grand jury

Donald Trump's lawyer Joseph Tacopina said an indictment of his client in the Stormy Daniels case is becoming 'more probable'

'President Donald J. Trump is completely innocent, he did nothing wrong, and even the biggest, most Radical Left Democrats are making that clear,' he said. 'From Russia, Russia, Russia, to the Mueller Hoax, to Impeachment Hoaxes 1 and 2, and even the Unlawful Mar-a-Lago Raid, Democrats have investigated and attacked President Trump since before he was elected  and they've failed every time.'

'Now Democrats are at it again, pushing the 'Nuclear Button' and attacking a President because of a disgraced extortionist,' he said, disparaging Daniels.

'This is happening because President Trump is leading in the polls by a large margin against both Democrats and Republicans, and there's never been anything so blatant in American political history.'
A Cambridge University college will appoint an academic to a four-year post to examine the ways in which it might have gained from slavery.

Trinity College said its new Legacies of Slavery Research and Teaching Fellow will be appointed this October.

The Fellow will examine the college's legacies of slavery, potential gains and explore any contributions by Trinity members who opposed the practice of enslavement.

The move follows Cambridge University's 2019-2022 Legacies of Slavery Inquiry.

Cambridge University's Trinity College will appoint an academic to a four-year post to examine the ways in which it might have gained from slavery

Trinity College said its new Legacies of Slavery Research and Teaching Fellow will be appointed this October

Trinity College said the Fellow will consider the ways in which the college might have gained from slavery.

This could be through fees and bequests from students and alumni, or from investments by the College.

Isuri Ratnayake, ethnic and inclusion officer of Trinity's Graduate Society, said: 'Examining and acknowledging the college's legacies of slavery is crucial in cultivating a culture of accountability and inclusivity.

'Only by facing our past can we pave the way towards a more equitable future, where all members of our community can thrive free from the shadows of oppression and discrimination.

'I hope that other institutions along with Trinity continue in recognising their historical ties to slavery and taking tangible steps towards repair and reconciliation.'

Dr Michael Banner, Dean and Fellow of Trinity, said it was a 'welcome initiative' and 'essential to enabling us to comprehend the extent to which the college was involved or benefited from slavery, whether directly or indirectly'.

The Fellow will examine the college's legacies of slavery, potential gains and explore any contributions by Trinity members who opposed the practice of enslavement

'This research will enable debate and discussion from a wide range of perspectives, both within the college community and with the wider public,' he said.

The post follows the conclusion of the Legacies of Slavery Inquiry which saw recommendations made for the establishment of a research centre at Cambridge and for funding for new partnerships in Africa and the Caribbean, including Cambridge Caribbean Scholarships.

Trinity College has pledged to donate 1 million over five years to Cambridge Caribbean Scholarships, enabling up to three Masters' students per year from the Caribbean to study at Cambridge.

Two PhD studentships will also be available during the five-year initiative, which begins in October.
A law to ban trophy hunting imports was approved by MPs yesterday  but the move quickly descended into farce as it emerged the rules will not apply to Northern Ireland.

Experts had warned the plans will actually have a disastrous impact on endangered animals.

And now DUP MPs have claimed the Bill is drastically undermined by the fact Ulster would become a backdoor for big game hunters to bring souvenirs into Britain.

It means they could fly into Belfast with a hoard of body parts before simply crossing the Irish Sea. The loophole is made possible because Northern Ireland was left behind in the European Unions single market after Brexit.

The Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill was put forward by Tory MP Henry Smith. During a debate, DUP MP Sammy Wilson said: To find a law which is supported by over 86 per cent of the UK population cannot apply in one part of the UK is offensive.

Pictured: Cecil, one of Zimbabwe's most famous lions, who was reportedly shot dead by US hunter Walter Palmer. DUP MPs have claimed the Bill is drastically undermined by the fact Ulster would become a backdoor for big game hunters to bring souvenirs into Britain

Its offensive to me and its offensive to millions of constituents who wrote to me asking me to support this legislation. Experts in wildlife protection fear the Bill will actually have a disastrous impact on endangered animals.

They, along with African leaders and grassroots groups, have called on Britain to allow certain trophies to be imported if it is proven the animals were hunted ethically.

Revenues from selective hunting keep locals in jobs and fund patrols against poachers, the real enemy of conservation. The plans would ban the import of 6,000 endangered species including elephants, rhinos and leopards.

Environment minister Trudy Harrison hailed the legislation, which will now be scrutinised in the House of Lords. Cecil the lion has not died in vain, she said, referring to the lion which was shot by an American dentist in Zimbabwe in 2015 in a case that sparked global outrage.

The Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill was put forward by Tory MP Henry Smith

But Tory peer Lord Mancroft said: Its clear that this Bill evaded any meaningful scientific scrutiny or expert challenge as it was raced through the Commons. Were determined that wont be the case in the House of Lords.

Professor Amy Dickman, a conservation expert from Oxford University, said: It is bitterly disappointing MPs have succumbed to an emotive but misinformed animal rights campaign. This Bill will kill more animals than it will save.

Maxi Pia Louis, director of conservation body Nacso, said: We are immensely disappointed Africas voice has not been heard. This Bill will make African communities poorer for many years to come.

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said imports to Northern Ireland will continue to be carefully scrutinised.
Rep. Lauren Boebert tore into San Francisco's proposal to give some $5 million in reparations to black residents, claiming California never had slavery.

While the Golden State was admitted into the union as a free state, there were of course enslaved people brought there both before and after it became a state.

'The fact that supposedly serious people in San Francisco are considering a plan that would give $5,000,000 in reparations to every Black resident in their city in a state that never had slavery is a joke,' Boebert wrote on Twitter.

Rep. Lauren Boebert tore into San Francisco's proposal to give some $5 million in reparations to black residents, claiming California never had slavery

'If they want to make the racial divide in this country worse than ever before, they'll certainly achieve that goal!'

A city-appointed reparations committee recently came up with a number of lofty proposals for how to atone for past enslavement of African Americans -- payments of $5 million to every eligible Black adult, the elimination of personal debt and tax burdens, guaranteed annual incomes of at least $97,000 for 250 years and homes in San Francisco for just $1 a family were among them.

Critics have slammed the plan as financially and politically impossible. An estimate from Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution, which leans conservative, has said it would cost each non-Black family in the city at least $600,000 to give $5 million in reparations.

Reparations are being considered in various Democratic cities around America as a means of providing compensation to the descendants of enslaved African-Americans.

Many say they are owed not just for the time their ancestors were enslaved, but also for generations afterwards, because African Americans have been incarcerated at disproportionately higher rates than white Americans.

The proposals put forward in San Francisco last night are among some of the most generous to be heard to date.

Sgt Yulanda Williams, the president of the police association Officers for Justice, told the board: 'My dad always taught me never to beg. And I am not begging you today. It is time for you to do the right thing and provide us with reparations: make us whole'

The Board of Supervisors who heard the suggestions last night can vote to adopt some or all of the recommendations.

Of the 11 people on the board, one - Board President Shamann Walton - is African American.

The board will not decide on whether or not to adopt the recommendations until later this year, once the committee which put forward the draft plan has submitted a final report.

Another meeting has been scheduled for September.

The board however signaled its enthusiasm for the plan last night.

'If you look at the (draft) report, youll see so many examples of how black folks were done wrong here in San Francisco, and all of that can really be traced back to the negative effects of slavery,' Walton said last night.
Bikini-clad women and shirtless men stormed the streets and beaches of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as the party continued for spring breakers after a night of debauchery.

Chaotic scenes surfaced as the sun rose over partying hot spots Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Cancun of students drunkenly diving into pools, stripping off in crowded clubs and twerking on yachts.

Like moths to a flame, hordes of bleary-eyed spring break revelers were later seen descending onto the beach on Friday morning to soak up the sun and gear up for St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

A police presence was obvious at the popular beach with girls posing for photos with officers armed with weapons stood alongside them smiling.

Bikini-clad women and shirtless men stormed the streets and beaches of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as the party continued for spring breakers after a night of debauchery

This is the first time in three years that college students have been able to truly enjoy Spring Break without the threat of COVID-19 restrictions - and their incessant partying proves that they are making the most of the new-found freedom.

Officers on bicycles, buggies and SUVs were seen patrolling the area, others were seen leading K-9s between sun bathers on the crowded beach.

Preparation for the busy season comes as US officials, including the Department of State, warned Americans against traveling to Mexico after a spate of violent crimes.

Last month four Americans were kidnapped in Matamoros, Mexico, and two were killed.

The biggest fears this year for authorities is combating opioid overdoses with several non-profits teaming up with the Florida Department of Health to distribute free Narcan and educate people about the dangers.

The influx of people will have law enforcement keeping a close eye on area beaches, especially after what happened last year on Florida's east coast.

Party-goers were seen hydrating after a night of debauchery as they soaked up the sun

Bikini-clad women were seen posing on the beaches sporting green in the lead up to St. Patrick's Day celebrations to follow

The party rolled onto into the morning as revelers laughed and drank in the 24-hour party city

St Patrick's Day Spring Breaker enjoy the Beach front bars and beaches with many opting for Irish Green bikinis

People appeared to be in high spirits even after a night of dancing and drinking

Women wearing Irish green were seen drinking in the morning as celebrations continued

Cheering revelers geared up for another night of boozy fun

Some revelers appeared worse-for-wear as they sunk drinks with friends

Beaches were inundated with people who were seen enjoying a relaxing morning before night events

That's where six West Point Cadets were hospitalized after authorities said they overdosed on what they thought was cocaine, but later learned it was laced with fentanyl.

'People are taking opioid, and they don't realize that they're taking an opioid,' Florida Harm Reduction Collective Executive Director Shelby Meaders told Fox News.

'They don't realize that maybe they're consuming fentanyl and cocaine or a different type of drug supply, and people are overdosing and not having Narcan on hand.'

According to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody's office, the opioid crisis is claiming 21 lives a day in the state.

In Pinellas County, accidental drug overdose deaths increased every year since 2018 according to the Pinellas County Opioid Task Force.

Their numbers show that of the 618 accidental overdose deaths in 2021 at least 418 were caused by fentanyl.

A woman was seen walking along the beach wearing Irish green and a leprechaun hat

Bikini-clad women were omnipresent in the streets of Fort Lauderdale

Police have ramped up their crack down on drugs to protect party-goers by handing out Narcan at beaches so as to reduce the number of overdoses

Women were seen sunbathing on the beach at Fort Lauderdale

Posing for pictures on the beach was a common theme among those partying at Fort Lauderdale

Scantily clothed women were seen scattered across the beach town

Another night of partying was obvious as revelers appeared to be gearing up for another big night

It's why organizations like the Florida Harm Reduction Collective is working with the county's opioid task force.

They will hand out free Narcan every Tuesday and Thursday through May at area beaches, educating spring breakers on the dangers and showing them how to administer the life-saving medicine in case of an emergency.

'It's a really easy nasal spray you can use,' Meaders said.

'You can get it for free, and you can save a life by having it on hand. We're just teaching people the signs and symptoms of an overdose how to obtain it for free if you don't want some or take it from us today, and then we're working to teach the businesses and restaurants and bars how they can have it on hand to save a life.'
An abseiling instructor who plunged to his death in front of school students during a trip to a set of caves was a loving father to a young family.

Marcello Silveira, 53, slipped and fell about 40 metres from the top of the Brides Cave in Boranup, three hours south of Perth, on Thursday.

Mr Silveira was an experienced outdoor instructor who had been leading an excursion with a group of Year 11 students from Newman College.

An abseiling instructor who plunged to his death in front of school students during a trip to a set of caves was a loving father to a young family

Marcello Silveira, 53, slipped and fell about 40 metres from the top of the Brides Cave in Boranup, three hours south of Perth, on Thursday

His death has left his family devastated with the 53-year-old remembered as a loving father and husband.

He had studied in Brazil before moving to Australia and celebrated his birthday in early March - just weeks before his death.

Margaret River Officer-in-Charge Sergeant Simone Taplin said Mr Silveira was held in high regard by his peers.

'This gentleman is a well-known and well-respected member of the caving society as well as the community of Margaret River,' she told Perth Now.

'I know there's a lot of people that are traumatised by this incident and don't want to relive the facts in the public eye.'

Outdoors WA chief executive Adam Marr added he was a well respected member in the outdoor activities community.

'Our sincere condolences go out to the instructor's family, friends, everyone present when this accident happened, and the local community,' he said.

Acting Newman College principal Lucie McCrory expressed the college's sincerest condolences in a letter sent to parents.

'One of the external instructors who was participating in the camp unfortunately fell at the scene,' it read.

'Emergency services were immediately called, and our students were led by staff members to another location.

'Sadly, we were informed shortly thereafter that the external instructor had passed away. On behalf of Newman College, we extend our sympathies and condolences to his family and loved ones.'

'Given the distressing nature of this incident, our Year 11 students and teachers returned early from the expedition late last night.'

Mr Silveira was an experienced outdoor instructor who had been leading an excursion with a group of Year 11 students from Newman College

A heartbroken friend of the family has kickstarted a GoFundMe to help raise much needed money for the family.

'As many of you know, Marcello Silveira has sadly and tragically lost his life. Katie has lost her husband and the boys have lost their Dad,' it read.

'This gofundme page has been set up so that friends and family of Katie and Marcello can offer their support to Katie and the boys through this very difficult time and ensure that they have the funds to cover all their costs.'

Police were called to the Brides Caves near the tourist town of Margaret River about 3.20pm on Thursday to support SES volunteers and paramedics after Mr Silveira fell.

'A number of students and teachers had already abseiled down to the bottom of the cave area when the instructor fell,' police said in a statement.

First aid was provided to him until an RAC Rescue helicopter paramedic was lowered down into the cave and took over care of the patient.

He was unable to be revived.

'DFES State Emergency Service volunteers and the man's colleagues were able to provide guidance and instruction to safely recover the deceased, students and teachers from the bottom of the cave.'
A local news reporter managed set the studio abuzz after she made a risque comment, all while presenting the weather forecast on Friday morning.

Philadelphia anchor for ABC6 News, Karen Rogers made an early morning remark about her colleague, weather girl, Jessica Boyington, suggesting that Jessica likes to 'double fist'.

'....and to another woman who liked to be double-fisted but in a different way, Jess,' Rogers stated as she completed her forecast and handed over to her co-anchor during the St. Patrick's Day broadcast, all while holding two remotes controls in her hands.

'She means beer, she means beer,' Boyington flatly responded, suppressing laughter, as she attempted to riff off the drinking-related holiday remark.

Philadelphia anchor for ABC6 News, Karen Rogers made an early morning remark about her colleague, weather girl, Jessica Boyington, suggesting that Jessica likes to 'double fist'

Boyington was taken aback but quickly attempted to make light of the gaffe and explain that it was a reference to her liking to hold two glasses of beer in her hands

Karen Rogers, meteorologist for 6ABC Action News in Philadelphia was camouflaged against the green screen

'She means beer!' she repeated, this time shouting across the studio. 'Don't put me on YouTube! My God!' she demanded.

Boyington quickly attempted to make light of the gaffe and explained that it was a reference to holding two glasses of beer in her hands.

She then jokingly requested that the footage not be uploaded to YouTube.

The request, however, was widely ignored the video going viral within minutes of it being uploaded to Twitter.

The short clip racked up more than 750,000 views - likely far more viewers that would have been watching the 5am broadcast.

In the U.S. the term, 'double fisting' is a crude slang term that refers to the practice of holding two alcoholic beverages at once and drinking them simultaneously.

The term, as in this case, can also refer to an uncomfortable-sounding sexual act which is what created the studio uproar during Friday morning's live broadcast.

Karen Rodgers held two remote controls in her hands while talking about 'double-fisting'

Boyington jokingly requested that the footage not be uploaded to YouTube

Jessica Boyington (far left), a weather and features reporter for 6ABC Action News in Philadelphia, is shown with colleagues Katherine Scott, Tam Edwards, Alyana Gomez and Karen Rogers, far right

Jessica Boyington as seen in photos from her Facebook page

Boyington is pictured in a publicity shot from her social media accounts
A sunny, late winter morning in Brighton and a scene that has become chillingly familiar here is playing out in a coffee shop in the High Street mall.

A group of men in their 20s and 30s, some wearing designer clothes  Armani is a particular favourite  are huddled around a table in deep discussion in their native language.

They laugh and joke as they brazenly count the wads of banknotes in front of them, oblivious to other customers and clearly delighted with the profits from their 'business activities'.

Known locally as 'the Albos', these men are the drug dealers at the bottom of the chain in organised crime groups that supply cocaine 24/7 to customers in the city of Brighton and Hove and beyond. Occasionally, the dealers may be joined by the 'assistant managers' who oversee illegal drug operations in the East Sussex resort. But the UK-based Albanian crime lords behind this highly lucrative enterprise are careful never to set foot in the city or consort with their operatives.

And as for the real masterminds, Albanians such as Dritan Rexhepi known as the 'King of Cocaine', they are many thousands of miles away in Ecuador, where they are engaged in a bloody battle with rival mobsters to secure a monopoly on the supply of cocaine to Western Europe.

Known locally as 'the Albos', these men are the drug dealers at the bottom of the chain in organised crime groups that supply cocaine to the city of Brighton and Hove and beyond

Our investigation lays bare how mafia from tiny Balkan country has seized control of transatlantic smuggling routes to flood cities like Brighton

READ MORE HERE: Albanian narcos bringing cocaine misery from Ecuador to the streets of Britain Advertisement

For this special Daily Mail investigation and accompanying documentary, Albanian Narcos: Bullets, Bloodshed & Britain on Mail+ and MailOnline, the photographer Jamie Wiseman and I travelled to the South American country to investigate how the so-called Balkan Mafia has established itself there as a major supplier of cocaine to the UK.

Such is their success that, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA), our version of the FBI, Albanian organised crime now controls the cocaine market across all the main city and suburban areas of Britain (with the exception of Merseyside, where notorious home-grown gangs are seemingly making a last stand against the Albanian narcos).

And the demand for their illegal product is certainly growing. The powder cocaine market here is worth a staggering 2 billion, with the number of regular users in England and Wales hovering at just under a million (976,000), which is likely to be an underestimate.

Cocaine-related deaths have risen seven-fold in a decade and in 2021 stood at a record 840. That does not take into account the tens of thousands who suffer physical and mental health problems associated with the drug and the resulting impact on the NHS.

In the course of this investigation, we interviewed police chiefs, judiciary and ministry officials, and senior military figures in Ecuador. During an anti-narcotics operation overseen by the Ecuadorian navy following a tip off from U.S. intelligence, we witnessed the arrest of two fishermen attempting to smuggle $20 million (17 million) worth of cocaine off the coast.

And, in a momentous encounter, we came face to face with a local gangster with first-hand knowledge of Albanian operations in the sprawling Ecuadorian port city of Guayaquil  nicknamed 'Guayakill' because of the high numbers of drug-related homicides.

It is from here that much of the UK's supply of cocaine is channelled via ports such as Antwerp and Rotterdam. But first to Brighton, where in the shadow of the elegant Regency terraces lining the seafront and the grandiose Pavilion, a growing number of middle-class consumers aged between their mid-20s and early 40s source their drug of choice with breathtaking ease.

It has become a key end point to the so-called 'cocaine superhighway' from South America to European shores.

The annual UK Drug and Alcohol Use survey, published in August 2021, carried out by the private residential rehabilitation provider Delamere, found that the city was a 'cocaine hotspot'.

Based on interviews with 2,000 people, their experts estimated that one in five people in Brighton and Hove had taken cocaine; one in ten regularly used MDMA (ecstasy); and one in 14 had experimented with ketamine.

One Brighton resident, an amiable man in his 30s  let's call him Oliver because he fears retribution for speaking out  told me the Balkan suppliers of cocaine here run a military-style operation.

'I would say you can get cocaine delivered in Brighton quicker than getting a pizza on Deliveroo,' he laughs. Oliver insists he has foresworn the drug, but used it for long enough to get a sense of how things operate.

'I'd ring my Albanian, give a postcode and it would be with me in five minutes. Dropped to my front door. The Albanians don't have to advertise. They don't change their numbers . . . they simply build up customers. If you go into any pub in Brighton and ask someone where they get their gear, they will say 'the Albos'.'

For this special Daily Mail investigation, the photographer Jamie Wiseman and I (pictured) investigated how the so-called Balkan Mafia has established itself there as a major supplier of cocaine to the UK

Based on interviews with 2,000 people, their experts estimated that one in five people in Brighton and Hove had taken cocaine

According to Oliver, the more cocaine you buy, the cheaper it gets. A 0.4g pack would be 40, 70 for two  and 100 for three.

'Brighton is a party town,' he says. 'I know of people from all walks of life who are on it. Paramedics, solicitors  everyone does it. It would be more strange to go to a venue and people are not on it.

'When I was using cocaine I used to meet Albanians on the street all the time and there's no one in authority trying to control it. I used to get a lot of drugs and I was never once stopped by police. We have got the best drug-recovery services in Brighton, but we also have the worst drug problem.'

A source who has had close dealings with Brighton's 'Albos' gave a more detailed account of how they work.

'I have seen them,' he told me. 'The higher up in the business you go the more designer clothes they wear, yet the lower down you go you see the dealer who may be underweight and not wearing nice clothes. They're staying awake 24 hours a day as the drug delivery doesn't turn off.

'In Brighton mall, there's a coffee shop and the top people are quite often there, wearing designer clothes and always flaunting money. Generally, if you are there, they will be counting out money in the public eye.

'You might have individuals, maybe students selling a little bit. But usually it's the Albanians doing it all. It's massive.'

Which begs the question: is the National Crime Agency (NCA), now in its tenth year, up to the job?

The question has profound political implications. In 2022, 12,301 Albanians arrived in Britain on small boats out of a total of 45,755 illegally crossing the Channel. That figure is expected to rise in 2023.

The majority are believed to be economic migrants seeking a new life in the UK and have no intention of falling into the clutches of the Albanian crime gangs established here.

Unfortunately, a significant proportion inevitably do.

Earlier this year, this concern was given new focus by a report in the Observer. According to the newspaper's investigation, dozens of youngsters who had recently arrived in the UK without parents or carers have disappeared from a Brighton hotel run by the Home Office.

It is a pattern that appears to have been repeated along the South Coast. The Home Office was apparently warned repeatedly by police that the vulnerable occupants of the hotel would be targeted by criminal networks.

The annual UK Drug and Alcohol Use survey, published in August 2021 found that Brighton was a 'cocaine hotspot'

Pictured: Albanian narcos bringing cocaine to the UK

Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the revelations as 'truly appalling' and called on the Government to reveal how many children had disappeared and what was being done to find them. Whatever the truth about their disappearance, the potential for Albanian organised crime gangs to recruit youngsters  who would be 'clean skins' because they are unknown to the police  to work for them in East Sussex is obvious.

So who is driving this evil trade on the South Coast? The Mail has learned that one of the so-called Albanian Mr Bigs supplying cocaine to Brighton is a man in his 30s who lives in London and is in a long-term relationship.

He is known only by an initial, drives a 100,000 Mercedes GWagon, and is renowned for his gold bling accessories and a penchant for Gucci and Versace.

Such is the fear this individual instils, nobody we spoke to was prepared even to say what letter of the alphabet he is known by. One can only hope that detectives do.

In response to a series of questions from the Daily Mail, Sussex Police declined to comment on the 'potential' nationalities of those supplying cocaine in Brighton. However, a number of Albanian drug dealers operating locally have been jailed in the past few years.

In 2017, catering manager Mevlan Dema and eight other Albanians were sentenced to a total of 45 years for their part in a Brighton-based drugs and money-laundering ring.

Dema was in the UK on a false Bulgarian passport and the Dema dynasty has form in the area. It is linked to gang warfare which erupted in Hove after a long-running feud in May 2004 when Altin Molita, 23, an Albanian club doorman, was murdered.

Vionest Dema, Flamur Toppali and Ermir Dema were given life sentences for stabbing him 20 times in his car after he finished work at the Pussycat lap-dancing club. (Endrit Llazari and Mevlan Dema were both cleared of those charges.)

More recently, in October 2018, a five-strong Albanian drugs gang was sentenced to a total of 67 years at Hove Crown Court.

Evidence produced at trial included a list of 6,397 customers in the Brighton area who were involved in more than 155,000 separate deals worth 6.5 million made through a call centre operating around the clock.

In September 2021, Lecture Sahib, of no fixed address, was found carrying 30 bags of cocaine while delivering to customers in Brighton from a hired taxi. He was sentenced at Hove Crown Court to 22 months for possessing cocaine with intent to supply and deported to Albania.

These are notable successes, yes, but given the lucrative and established market in the resort it is inevitable that other gangs will move in once police have taken out a rival.

'Liverpudlians used to supply cocaine around here,' according to our source with intimate knowledge of Albanian operations in Brighton. 'They're not here at all now.

'In the past ten years, the Albanians have come in and cocaine started being sold much cheaper.'

The source said that a typical drugs gang would involve a 'manager, or boss, sitting in his house somewhere, probably not in Brighton'.

He added: 'They would have people under them, their 'assistant managers' in Brighton, and they would have their runners on the street and they're all Albanians.'

'In my belief, those people running drugs on the streets, dropping off 'tickets' [little bags/wraps of cocaine and other drugs to customers] are victims of human trafficking. They're sold false hopes.

'It's like they're victims themselves. It's the people at the top who are making the money. The people below them, delivering the drugs, are on cocaine themselves.'

So who is driving this evil trade on the South Coast?

Cocaine-related deaths have risen seven-fold in a decade and in 2021 stood at a record 840

A former inmate at Lewes Prison in East Sussex told the Daily Mail that being off the streets doesn't stop dealers. Convicted Albanian gangsters continue their drugs operations from behind bars  including at Friday prayers (in the jail's 'multi-faith centre').

'It's an open secret that they use the privacy to make mobile phone calls,' he claimed. The Albanian Embassy in London and an Albanian community group in Sussex declined to answer any questions from the Daily Mail.

Of course, the illicit cocaine trade has devastating consequences for the wellbeing, mental health and livelihood of many users.

Mike Pattinson, a former probation officer, has spent almost 25 years working in the drugs charity sector. A widely respected figure, he started out with the Sussex Association for the Rehabilitation of Offenders in the late 1990s before becoming involved with a Crime Reduction Initiative (CRI) in Brighton, where he has lived since the mid-1980s.

A former executive director of the CRI, he noted that 16 per cent of those seeking treatment with the charity for substance abuse, specifically powder cocaine, were professionals or in secure employment.

'In almost every job in [Brighton and Hove] you are likely to be working with someone who is using drugs. Often, people are blind to what their colleagues are doing or just think they are hungover.'

Brighton is a challenging place to work, he adds. 'It's a wealthy city, with a vibrant young population, [but] it has some areas of serious poverty and deprivation.

'There are huge issues with mental health and homelessness and drink as well as drugs.'

A support worker at Change Grow Live, a Brighton charity that helps alcohol and drug addicts, echoed Mr Pattinson's concerns. Last year, 53 people accessed the service citing cocaine as their primary substance. A further 22 needed help to get off crack cocaine. 'What we're seeing is people who are mostly in full-time employment and they're struggling to maintain that work and their personal life balance, and the cocaine is starting to impact on that,' the support worker said.

'We're seeing people whose cocaine use has gone beyond the weekend pattern and has started to become more of a daily habit.

'It's very mixed [those using the service] between men and women. Over half of the service users, whose primary substance is cocaine, are aged between 25 and 44.'

There are financial implications, too. 'What I will say is that cocaine use is becoming the done thing, socially. The people we see are finding it hard to manage and sustain that lifestyle [social cocaine taking]. It's a very expensive habit to keep going.'

The Mail has been probing the trail of destruction left by Albanian gangsters smuggling drugs from Ecuador to fuel Britain's insatiable demand for cocaine

In response to questions from the Daily Mail, Sussex Police said it dedicates significant resources towards tackling the supply and use of Class A drugs in the county. And it is true that over the past 12 months, police in Brighton and Hove have disrupted dozens of drug-supply operations and arrested hundreds of people linked to the drug trade.

But are Sussex Police and the NCA adopting the right approach? How many Albanian Mr Bigs have they successfully brought to justice? And are they guilty of going after 'low-hanging fruit': people at the bottom of the crime empires, who are simply replaced if arrested and charged?

Retired deputy chief constable Lewis Benjamin, one of Britain's foremost experts on serious and organised crime, questions the current strategy. He regards going after lowly dealers as poor use of limited resources. 'Although this seems worthy in itself it does nothing to address the gang leaders,' he says. 'The individuals themselves must be targeted. This is the way to break the gangs and force the leaders to get their hands dirty.

'Clearly, something isn't working because the UK is awash with drugs. It's awash with cocaine.'

As the bloodshed continues in Ecuador, and the insatiable demand for the drug in the UK, the Albanian Narcos are surely having the last laugh.

Additional reporting: Simon Trump
A rampant fraudster who ripped off Medicare to pay for her lavish lifestyle felt she was entitled to the money because she was special.

Sarah Ward, 31, of Noble Park North - in Melbourne's southeast - was on Friday jailed for two years, but will only have to serve one year before being released on a recognizance order - a Commonwealth version of a good behaviour bond.

Ward had been working as a receptionist at the Melbourne Digestive Clinic when she put through 1609 fraudulent Medicare claims totalling $181,121 for herself and her husband.

It was not the first time she had illegally sponged taxpayers, with a prior conviction in 2015 for a $29,000 fraud against a Melbourne hospital.

Walk of shame: Sarah Ward leaves the County Court of Victoria on Wednesday in what would be her last hours of freedom

In sentencing her, County Court of Victoria Judge Geoff Chettle revealed Ward had began stealing from taxpayers less than a year after completing a community corrections order she received for those thefts.

The court heard Ward's thieving was motivated by her desperate need to 'present an affluent appearance to others'.

A seemingly unrepentant Ward later told forensic doctors she felt entitled to the money because she felt underpaid by her bosses.

Forensic psychologist Patrick Newton told the court Ward showed all the signs of being a 'narcissist'.

'Ms Ward's narcissistic traits have a predictable and clear impact on her self evaluation and her perspective of other people. She was apt to overestimating her own abilities and to lack empathy for others,' he said.

'Ms Ward underestimates the gravity of dishonesty ... tending to see such conduct as justifiable because she is special and because it assists her to overcome the unfairness which would otherwise prevent her from achieving the success that is her due.'

Mr Newton said Ward was less likely to feel guilt or shame over her treachery and felt a need to take advantage of others out of risk of being exploited by them.

The court heard Ward had made up to 80 fraudulent claims a day between March 2019 and when she was caught in April 2020.

Court documents state over the year she submitted 781 false Medicare patient claims in her own name and 828 in the name of her husband, Morton Ward, before the clinics accountants tipped off Medicare and authorities.

Sarah Ward hoped her breast feeding child might keep her out of jail. She was wrong

Ward made more than 1600 fraudulent transactions

Judge Chettle was scathing in his assessment of Ward's behaviour.

'Your offending is obviously serious. It involved planning, sophistication and was repetitive and long lasting,' he said.

'You flagrantly breached the trust placed in you to honestly carry out your employment duties. Your offending was motivated by greed and not by need.'

Your offending was motivated by greed and not by need

The court heard Ward had told doctors she believed she had been 'inadequately paid' by her employers and was desperate to keep up with her more wealthy friends.

'You wanted better clothing for your children and a better car,' Judge Chettle said.

Ward had banked on being handed a 'get out of jail free card' because she became pregnant after getting caught, and that baby is now a year old child who she continues to breastfeed.

Her barrister, Michael Allen, attempted to convince Judge Chettle that jailing his client would 'lead to a deterioration in her child's health and well-being'.

But on Wednesday the court heard Ward's plans had come undone because her child would be able to live with her in jail through the state's Living With Mum Program.

Ward's baby will now be forced to go to jail with his vile mother, who ripped off sick Australians

The court heard Ward had shown little concern for the health and wellbeing of sick children when she repeatedly defrauded Australia's health system.

As part of her job, Ward had access to the Medicare patient claims system and used that to make false claims for consultations with the two doctors who supervised her at the clinic.

Ward pleaded guilty to a single charge of obtaining a financial advantage by deception from a Commonwealth entity.

Mr Newton told the court Ward was motivated to steal because she had come from a poor family and was bullied at school.

'Ms Ward concluded that unless she could demonstrate overtly her worthiness by accumulating the external trappings of success, she would be destined to experience recurrent rejection and so remain on the periphery of social groups as she had during her youth,' he told the court.

'Ms Ward seems to have reasoned that she must either take advantage of the situation to enhance her ability to present an affluent appearance to others or else be doomed to face continued rejection and ostracism.'

Crown prosecutor Adam Murphy accused Ward of 'robbery of the Australian community'.

He further dismissed Ward's attempts to convince Judge Chettle that she was suffering from a 'personality disorder' that compelled her to be steal.

'Patrick Newton ... said word for word "that none of the offender's traits either individually or in combination are sufficiently severe to reach the level of a personality disorder",' Mr Murphy said.

The court heard Ward had secured another job with a psychology practice, whose owners were oblivious to her previous and current offending.

She has since repaid the money in full, taking $100,000 from a mortgage offset account and selling a $70,000 car. She also borrowed money from her mother.
Tenants are leaving expensive city centres and moving further out, new research reveals.

They are making the move in a bid to find a cheaper place to live or to get more for their money, as the average UK asking rent has risen 11 per cent in the last year.

The findings by Rightmove revealed that 42 per cent of tenants are now looking to move out of the city they currently live in. The remaining 58 per cent are looking to stay put.

It is up from 37 per cent who were looking to leave last year and up from 28 per cent pre-pandemic in February 2020.

Tenants are leaving expensive city centres and moving further out, according to Rightmove

RIGHTMOVE LOOKED AT TENANTS MOVING IN AND OUT OF CITIES City Proportion of tenants looking to leave the city February 2023 Proportion of tenants looking to leave the city February 2022 Proportion of tenants looking to leave the city February 2020 Birmingham 49% 45% 38% Bristol 45% 41% 31% Edinburgh 38% 35% 23% Glasgow 48% 44% 32% Leeds 49% 47% 36% Liverpool 35% 34% 26% London 38% 31% 24% Manchester 54% 49% 39% Nottingham 48% 48% 37% Sheffield 52% 47% 36% Source: Rightmove

London has seen the biggest increase in the proportion of renters looking outside the city compared with a year ago, followed by Sheffield and Manchester.

Rightmove attributed the increase to rents rising at a record pace in the past few years, and a decline in the number of available properties to move to.

Average asking rents across Britain are up 11 per cent compared with this time last year, and up 12 per cent across ten major city centres on average.

Edinburgh City Centre has seen the largest increase in average asking rents compared with last year, up 19 per cent, followed by Inner London, up 18 per cent, and Manchester city centre, up 14 per cent.

Rightmove explained that demand from tenants to secure a rental property has rapidly increased.

Competition to secure a home to rent in a city centre has more than doubled compared to three years ago, and is up 125 per cent.

However, some good news for tenants is that competition between them is easing - although only slightly compared with the record levels of last year.

Tenant demand for each available rental home across Britain has dropped by 4 per cent compared with last year, and the number of available homes to rent has increased by 8 per cent

Costing more: Average asking rents across Britain are up 11% compared with this time last year, it has been revealed

TABLE TITLE City centre Average asking rent per calendar month Average asking rent growth compared with February 2022 Feb-23 Birmingham City Centre 1,116 11% Bristol City Centre 1,452 13% Edinburgh City Centre 1,511 19% Glasgow City Centre 1,181 7% Leeds City Centre 1,067 13% Liverpool City Centre 948 2% Inner London 3,308 18% Manchester City Centre 1,409 14% Nottingham City Centre 1,114 10% Sheffield City Centre 888 9% Source: Rightmove

Renters are also looking at properties across a larger area than they did before the pandemic. The average spread of areas a renter considers when moving has nearly doubled, up 87 per cent since February 2020 to 122km square, as renters cast their net wider to find a home.

Rightmove went on to suggest that the impact of financial uncertainty and the rising cost of living is reflected in the way renters are looking for their next home.

A total of 35 per cent of tenants end their search with a property that is cheaper than the first one they contacted an agent about, up from 31 per cent three years ago.

However, for those who can afford it, Rightmove also claimed that more tenants are also ending their search with a more expensive property than the first one they contacted an agent about, up from 34 per cent three years ago to 42 per cent today.

Tenants are looking in a wider spread of areas than they did before the pandemic

Tim Bannister of Rightmove, said: 'The latest rental market trends demonstrate how cost pressures and the imbalance between supply and demand are changing the way tenants search for their next home.

'We're seeing that a greater proportion of prospective buyers are looking for a home in the city they live in, but it's the opposite trend for renters who may be finding that they've been priced out of the city or have decided to move further out to reduce their overall bills.

Tenants are now looking to just let what they can afford, rather than holding out for a property in the right location Sarah Bush, Cheffins

'Some good news for renters is that some competition with other tenants and pressure on available homes to rent seems to be easing. However with the pace of the lettings market still strong, it is likely to be a challenging experience for many looking to secure a home that suits their needs and budget.'

Sarah Bush, of lettings agents Cheffins said: 'Availability in city centres is low, and these locations always command premiums. However as rental levels continue to rise, we are seeing that tenants are now looking to just let what they can afford, rather than holding out for a property in the right location.

'In busy areas like Cambridge, the lack of available properties has forced up prices and this is coupled with demand from job movers or those who are only coming to the city for a short amount of time for employment reasons.

'These are the tenants who are now having to compromise with a village or rural location. Similarly, families who need to rent properties with three or four bedrooms often have to turn to village properties to simply get the space they need at an affordable level.'
Your beloved pets could be to blame for more restless nights, leg jerks and even sleep disorders, experts have claimed.

New research has shown that dog owners are more likely to have sleeping disorders than those without a pup, while cat owners are associated with more leg jerks throughout the night.

Snoring, abruptly waking up and needing sleeping pills were among the factors considered in the study by US scientists at Lincoln Memorial University.

Although it was recognised that pets offer 'a sense of security and companionship' that may relax owners, results clearly showed they worsened sleeping quality overall.

While pets can provide a 'sense of security', scientists say they negatively affect sleep overall (stock image)

How your pet can disrupt your sleep Dogs More trouble with sleeping

Sleeping disorders

Sleep apnea

Feeling unrested

Feeling sleepy

Not getting enough sleep

Needing pills to sleep

Having leg jerks Cats Snoring

Trouble with falling asleep/ sleeping

Leg jerks Advertisement

Dr Lauren Wisnieski, who led the study, said: 'Prior studies on the association between pet ownership and sleep quality and sleep disorders have varied results.

'On the one hand, dogs and cats may be beneficial for an owner's quality of sleep due to the social support that pets provide  pets offer a sense of security and companionship, which may result in improvements in levels of anxiety, stress and depression.

'Yet on the other hand, pets may disrupt their owners' sleep.'

For its analysis, the study drew upon data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted in 2005-2006.

Around 5,500 perspectives were examined, 51.7 per cent of who were females and 48.3 per cent males.

Sleep quality differences were shown to be most drastic between dog and non-dog owners compared with cat and non-cat owners.

Overall, dog owners were shown to have more trouble with sleeping, sleeping disorders, sleep apnea, feeling unrested, feeling sleepy, not getting enough sleep, needing pills to sleep, and having leg jerks compared to non-dog owners.

Meanwhile, cat owners were more likely to snore, have trouble with falling asleep/ sleeping, and leg jerks compared to non-cat owners.

Snoring, abruptly waking up and a need for sleeping pills were factored into the study conducted by scientists at Lincoln Memorial University in the US

Dr Wisnieski suggested that this could be down to cats being more active at night, but the true cause was not established.

She added: 'If the causal relationship is established through further investigation, the results will have implications for clinician recommendations for treating patients with poor sleep quality.

'Additionally, educational resources can be developed to inform pet owners about the risks of sleep disruptions and offer potential solutions, such as crating the pet or restricting access to the bedroom at night.'

Despite its findings, the Mayo Clinic in Arizona previously found that letting pets rest with you in the bedroom may help sleep.

Study author Dr Lois Krahn from the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, said: 'We found that many people find comfort and a sense of security from sleeping with their pets.

'Today, many pet owners are away from their pets for much of the day, so they want to maximize their time with them when they are home. Having them in the bedroom at night is an easy way to do that.'
Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo and goddess of the moon in Greek mythology.

NASA has chosen her to personify its path back to the moon, which will see astronauts return to the lunar surface by 2025 - including the first woman and the next man.

Artemis 1, formerly Exploration Mission-1, is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will enable human exploration to the moon and Mars.

Artemis 1 will be the first integrated flight test of NASAs deep space exploration system: the Orion spacecraft, Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the ground systems at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Artemis 1 will be an uncrewed flight that will provide a foundation for human deep space exploration, and demonstrate our commitment and capability to extend human existence to the moon and beyond.

During this flight, the spacecraft will launch on the most powerful rocket in the world and fly farther than any spacecraft built for humans has ever flown.

It will travel 280,000 miles (450,600 km) from Earth, thousands of miles beyond the moon over the course of about a three-week mission.

Artemis 1, formerly Exploration Mission-1, is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions that will enable human exploration to the moon and Mars. This graphic explains the various stages of the mission

Orion will stay in space longer than any ship for astronauts has done without docking to a space station and return home faster and hotter than ever before.

With this first exploration mission, NASA is leading the next steps of human exploration into deep space where astronauts will build and begin testing the systems near the moon needed for lunar surface missions and exploration to other destinations farther from Earth, including Mars.

The will take crew on a different trajectory and test Orions critical systems with humans aboard.

Together, Orion, SLS and the ground systems at Kennedy will be able to meet the most challenging crew and cargo mission needs in deep space.

Eventually NASA seeks to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon by 2028 as a result of the Artemis mission.

The space agency hopes this colony will uncover new scientific discoveries, demonstrate new technological advancements and lay the foundation for private companies to build a lunar economy.

Who is Victor Glover? The man set to become NASA's first black astronaut to orbit the moon

Victor Glover (pictured) was selected as an astronaut in 2013 and became the first African American ISS expedition crewmember to live on the ISS seven years later

NASA is set to send the first-ever black astronaut to the moon.

Victor Glover, 46, was selected to take part in the space agency's Artemis II mission  the US' first lunar mission in a half-century.

The Pomona, California, native will be the first person of color to travel into deep space, hundreds of thousands of miles beyond the low-Earth orbiting International Space Station (ISS).

NASA officials say the diverse crew assignments signify the cultural shifts that have taken place since the original Apollo missions, which ended in 1972, at a time when white men dominated space exploration.

Glover was also the first black man to ever live on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2020 and is among 15 African Americans to be selected as an astronaut.

In his esteemed career since being selected as an astronaut in 2013, Mr Glover has logged over 3,000 flight hours in 40 different aircraft.

Artemis II - which will launch in November 2024 - will see the four-man crew orbit the moon in the Orion spacecraft but not land.

Their goal is to test new technology, including heat shields that protects Orion as it travels 24,500 mph in 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit on its way back.

If successful, NASA plans to launch an expedition to land on the moon titled Artemis III. Another success would spell out a trip to Mars for NASA.

I wanna thank God for this Amazing opportunity, Mr Glover said during a new conference Monday.

This is a big day. We have a lot to celebrate. Its so much more than the four names that have been announced. We need to celebrate this moment in human history.

'Artermis II is more than a mission to the Moon and back. Its more than a mission that has to happen before we send people to the surface of the moon. It is the next step on the journey that gets humanity to Mars.

This crew will never forget that.

Mr Glover was born in 1976 in Pomona, around 30 miles east of Los Angeles.

The city is far from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, known for its high poverty rate and relatively high crime.

Mr Glover grew up in Ponoma, CA, 30 miles east of Los Angeles

He said his parents and teachers served as mentors as him growing up.

'Early on in life it had to be my parents; they encouraged me and challenged me and held me to high standards. Outside of home, I had teachers that did the same,' he told USA Today in 2017.

'They all challenged me, and they encouraged me.'

Mr Glover continued that his teachers and parents urged him to go the engineering school and eventually become a test pilot  leading to him becoming an astronaut.

He graduated from Southern California's Ontario High School in 1994, and went on to attend California Polytechnic State University, before completing his graduate education at Air University and the US Naval Academy.

'Im the first person in my family to graduate from college, and being at graduation with my mom and my dad and my stepdad and my little brothers and my grandparents,' he said to USA Today.

'That was unreal, that was cool and it was special for me.'

In 1999 he was commissioned as part of the US Navy. After completing flight training in Corpus Christy, Texas, he was 'given his wings' and awarded the title of pilot in 2001.

He then moved to San Diego to learn to fly the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, known as one of the Navy's more versatile aircraft.

After spending the next two years training in Florida and Virginia, he was deployed to Iraq in 2004 for six months.

Mr Glover was working in the office of the late Sen John McCain as a legislative fellow when he was selected by NASA to become an astronaut in 2013.

NASA only selects a handful of the thousands of people that apply to be a member of the nation's astronaut corps each year. Only 15 black astronauts have ever been selected out of 348.

A vast majority of the 41 current astronauts have a military background, like Mr Glover.

He completed his astronaut training in 2015. Three years later, he was selected to be a part of the first ever operational flight of SpaceX's Crew Dragon, a reusable aircraft designed by the firm Elon Musk found in 2002.

As part of that mission, he would live on the ISS from November 17, 2020 to May 2, 2021.

The nearly six-month-long stay on the station makes him the first black astronaut to inhabit it.

Jeanette Epps, 52, who was selected to be an astronaut in 2009 is set to become the second African American, and first black woman, to live on the ISS after the launch of Boeing Starliner-1 in 2024 or later.

In 2020, Mr Glover said it was an honor to be the first black person selected to the ISS.

'It is something to be celebrated once we accomplish it, and I am honored to be in this position and to be a part of this great and experienced crew,' he said during a news conference.

'I look forward to getting up there and doing my best to make sure, you know, we are worthy of all the work that's been put into setting us up for this mission.'

In an interview with The Christian Chronicle later that year, he said there were qualified black astronauts that should have earned the honor before him.

'I've had some amazing colleagues before me that really could have done it, and there are some amazing folks that will go behind me,' he said.

'I wish it would have already been done, but I try not to draw too much attention to it.'

Who is Christina Koch? The first female NASA astronaut set to orbit the moon

Christina Koch is set to become the first woman to go around the moon when NASA's Artemis II mission takes off next year.

Christina Koch, 44, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, is set to become the first woman to go around the moon

The Grand Rapids, Michigan native, 44, is already the record-holder for the longest amount of time a woman has spent in space, 328 days, and for taking part in the first all-female spacewalk in 2019.

Selected to become an astronaut in 2013, Ms Koch said she has not followed a 'checklist' in order to become an astronaut  but instead chased her passions whether this be rock climbing, sailing or even learning to surf in her 40s.

She said in 2020: 'I really don't remember a time when I didn't want to be an astronaut.

'For me, I learned that if I was going to be an astronaut, it was because my passions had turned me into someone that could contribute the most as someone contributing to human space flight.'

While she's exploring space, her husband Robert will be left taking care of housework and the couple's puppy, LBD. It is not believed that they have children.

'Am I excited? Absolutely!' she said at a news conference at the crew's announcement Monday.

The one thing I'm most excited about is that we will carry your excitement,your aspirations, your dreams, on this mission.

She also said: We are going to launch from Kennedy space center, we are going to here the words go for launch on top of the most powerful rocket NASAs ever made.

NASA has sent a total of 355 people to space so far, of which some 55 have been women  or 15 percent. It has also sent 24 people to orbit the moon and 12 to walk on the lunar surface who were all men.

Russian Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to ever leave the earth's atmosphere  setting off in 1937. American women did not get sent to space until 1983.

Ms Koch, however, will make history on the Artemis II mission when she completes her long-awaited trip around the moon.

She revealed her love of space in a video when she was announced as a member of the Artemis I team in 2020.

The astronaut said: 'I am someone who has loved exploration on the frontier since I was little.

'I used to be inspired by the night sky and throughout my career, it's been this balance between engineering for space science missions and doing science in really remote places all over the world.

'I loved things that made me feel small, things that made me ponder the size of the universe, my place in it and everything that was out there to explore.'

She added: 'I didn't necessarily live my life following check boxes of how you could become an astronaut.

'But I followed those passions and one day I looked at what I had become and the skills I had gathered and I asked "could I sit across from a table and present myself as someone who could do this well?". And I thought, I'm going to give this a shot.'

She went to North Carolina State University in Raleigh to get a bachelor's and a master's in Electrical Engineering.

She then became an Electrical Engineer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, before becoming a research associate for the United States Antarctic Program  living an entire year in the Arctic.

Ms Koch was one of eight selected as part of NASA's 21st class of astronauts in 2013. After two years of training, she became a full-fledged astronaut.

Her first space flight came in 2019 when she was sent to the International Space Station (ISS) to work as a flight engineer.

She stayed up there for 328 days, taking the record for the longest spaceflight by a woman. The previous record holder, Peggy Whitson, was in space for 288 days.

While in space she also took the record for the first all-women space walk  when an astronaut gets out of a vehicle while in space  with Jessica Meir.

The pair spent seven hours and 17 minutes on the side of the ISS as they worked to replace a power controller. The walk also included a brief call with President Trump.

Upon her return to Earth in 2020, Ms Koch said she felt 'like a baby' who was two weeks old and working hard to hold up its head.

Back on Earth, she lives in Galveston, Texas, just outside of the Houston area.

Among her interests are backpacking, running, yoga, photography and travel.

Now she will be a part of a groundbreaking mission in NASA's goal towards putting a man on Mars.

The Artemis II mission marks NASA's first trip to the moon in half a century. It says it will be performed to help test kit in preparation for getting humans onto Mars.

The agency sent an empty Orion capsule around the moon last year before it returned to Earth in a long-awaited dress rehearsal.

If this latest mission goes well, then another flight to land people on the moon will be sent in 2025  as part of tests ahead of getting people onto Mars.
Regulators said toxic water did not leak into drinking sources

Americans are in an uproar after learning Thursday about radioactive water leak at a Minnesota nuclear power plant that happened in November 2022.

At least 400,000 gallons of spilled from Xcel Energy's Monticello facility on November 22, which came from a pipe between two buildings.

The public is outraged by silence of the matter, as it occurred months before the devastating East Palestine train derailment that released 1.6 million pounds of hazardous chemicals in Ohio.

An Xcel Energy spokesperson told DailyMail.com: 'We understand the importance of quickly informing the communities we serve if a situation poses an immediate threat to health and safety. In this case, there was no such threat.

'With no immediate safety risk, we focused on investigating the situation and containing the affected water in concert with our regulatory agencies.

Regulators said Thursday they are monitoring clean up and there is no danger to the public.

The Monticello plant is about 35 miles northwest of Minneapolis, upstream from the city on the Mississippi River. The plant leaked 400,000 gallons of radioactive water in November

People have their outrage about the incident on Twitter, with some claiming that 'this is why the public doesn't trust nuclear bros.'

Another user is sure that there is a risk to public safety, even though the company stated otherwise.

DailyMail.com has contacted Xcel Energy for comment.

The water contained tritium, which is a rare and radioactive isotope of hydrogen with half-life about 12 years.

Tritium can enter the body through inhalation, ingestion or absorption through the skin, and increases the risk of cancer if consumed in extremely large quantities, according to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).

Minnesota Health Commissioner Dan Huff told MPR News: 'While tritium is radioactive, its low energy, and so it is not like plutonium. If you were to sit it next to you in a glass, it would not hurt you.

'If you drank it, it would increase your radiation exposure. And we want to limit radiation exposure because radiation can cause tissue damage.'

The Monticello plant is about 35 miles northwest of Minneapolis, upstream from the city on the Mississippi River.

Both the regulators and company said the radioactive water did not flow into the Mississippi River.

The Monticello plant is about 35 miles northwest of Minneapolis, upstream from the city on the Mississippi River

The public is outraged by silence of the matter, as it occurred months before the devastating East Palestine train derailment that released 1.6 million pounds of hazardous chemicals in Ohio

Xcel Energy said there was not a threat to public health at the time of the leak, but some people do not believe the statement

Xcel Energy said in a statement that it reported the leak to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the state on November 22.

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency spokesman Michael Rafferty said in a statement: 'We knew there was a presence of tritium in one monitoring well, however Xcel had not yet identified the source of the leak and its location.

'Now that we have all the information about where the leak occurred, how much was released into groundwater, and that contaminated groundwater had moved beyond the original location, we are sharing this information.'

Xcel Energy claims it has been pumping groundwater, storing and processing the contaminated water, which contains tritium levels below federal thresholds, since the leak occurred.

The water contained tritium, which increases the risk of cancer if consumed in extremely large quantities

'To date, Xcel Energy has recovered about 25 percent of the tritium released and will continue recovery over the course of the next year,' the company shared.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said tritium spills happen from time to time at nuclear plants, but that it has repeatedly determined that they havee either remained limited to the plant property or involved such low offsite levels that they did not affect public health or safety.

Xcel reported a small tritium leak at Monticello in 2009.

Chris Clark, president of Xcel Energy-Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, said in the statement: 'While this leak does not pose a risk to the public or the environment, we take this very seriously and are working to safely address the situation.

'We continue to gather and treat all potentially affected water while regularly monitoring nearby groundwater sources.'
It has also invented a 'ground-breaking' contraption that can do it for you

Whether from a bottle or can, Guinness have laid out the law for the perfect pour

As St Patrick's Day rolls back around, beer guzzlers from far and wide will no doubt be flocking to get their hands on a pint of Guinness.

But pouring the perfect Irish stout is trickier than it might seem, with drinkers oftentimes left gaping at the horrors of huge frothy heads.

Thankfully, help is at hand, as scientists have revealed the perfect way to pour a pint, whether it's from draught, bottle or can.

Unlike a lager or an IPA which can be poured into a pint glass at once, the key with a Guinness is a two-part pour technique.

Here's everything you need to know about how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness this St Patrick's Day.

For bar and pub tenders, Guinness has devised a different 'two-part' pour to achieve the ideal draught

Scientists have revealed the perfect way to pour a pint of Guinness, whether it's from draught, bottle or can

For bar and pub tenders, Guinness has devised a different 'two-part' pour to achieve the ideal draught.

GUINNESS GUIDE FOR POURING A PINT FROM A BOTTLE First store the bottle at 8 degrees Celsius for at least a day Crack open the bottle and tilt it and a glass towards each other at a 45 degree angle. These should not touch at any stage This should be poured in one single go until the bottle's end is reached Advertisement

It advises that the Guinness Draught should be poured into a dry glass at a 45 degree angle until it is around three-quarters full.

Pourers are then encouraged to let the bubbles settle before finally filling it up to the top.

If pouring from a bottle, the Irish stout company recommends a similar approach of tilting this towards a glass at a 45 degree angle, not allowing these to touch at any stage.

But this time, it can flow out in one single go until the bottle's end is reached.

Guinness explains: 'Pour slowly in one single go, the bottle shouldnt touch the glass at any stage. As you reach the end of the bottle, the head comes just over the top to create a beautiful tanned head. Your perfect Guinness is now ready to drink.'

Despite this advice, Professor William Lee at the University of Huddersfield suggested pouring draught could be a much faster process that is currently 'as much about marketing as it is the physics'.

He explained: 'It has become a time-honored ritual in pubs around the world. A bulk of that time is the settling. But this time period is as much about marketing as it is the physics. You may be waiting longer than you would for another beer, but that's by design.'

Bubbles in Guinness are filled with nitrogen, he explained, while most beers are carbonated using carbon dioxide.

If pouring from a bottle, the Irish stout company recommends a similar approach of tilting this towards a glass at a 45 degree angle, not allowing these to touch at any stage

The 'ground-breaking' 25 electronic contraption lets fans experience the 'ritual' that is the two-part Guinness pour at home

GUINNESS GUIDE FOR POURING GUINNESS DRAUGHT Grab a dry clean glass Pour Guinness Draught into it at a 45 degree angle Stop pouring when it is three-quarters full Allow the bubbles to settle Pour the remaining liquid Advertisement

Unusually, the bubbles in Guinness pint also sink rather than rise which he claims is due to the shape of the glass walls that push them downwards.

'As it sinks it carries the bubbles with it. So that's why you see the sinking bubbles in Guinness with the small bubbles, which get carried down by the currents,' he added.

In advice that will fill many Guinness lovers with dread, Professor Lee actually recommends drinking the beverage from a giant cocktail glass.

In a video for Tech Insider in 2018, he said: 'Every Guinness is supposed to be poured into a specially crafted tulip glass. But that glass is designed to manipulate the bubbles in the beer to turn the pour into a performance, making you wait longer than you need to.'

In response, Anna MacDonald, Category Marketing Director Beer at Diageo GB said: 'A beautiful, great tasting pint of Guinness Draught is served using our famous 'two-part' pour. First, pour the Guinness Draught into a clean, dry Guinness pint glass tilted at 45 degrees, until it is three-quarters full.

'Now, its time to wait! Allow the surge to settle before filling the glass completely to the top, creating the perfect pint!'

If you want to make pouring a pint even easier, engineers at the Dublin brewery have also released an 'ultrasonic' device called 'Nitrosurge'.

The 'ground-breaking' 25 electronic contraption attaches to the top of a Guinness can and pours a perfectly-straight jet of liquid  as if it's coming from draught.

After coming to Ireland in September 2021, the Nitrosurge device is now available at Tesco and will come to additional UK retailers later this year.

'We know people want the option of enjoying the iconic two-part pour and the cold, smooth taste of Guinness wherever they are,' said Neil Shah, head of Guinness GB.

'With Nitrosurge, we've pushed the boundaries of technology to give Guinness fans an enhanced pouring experience which delivers beautiful, great tasting Guinness, every time.'
It turns out the romantic candlelit dinner you planned for Valentine's Day in 2046 won't need to take place in an underground Doomsday bunker.

That's because NASA has said that the asteroid the size of the Leaning Tower of Pisa tipped to strike Earth that day actually has a 99.97 per cent chance of missing us.

Earlier this month, the 165-foot (50 m) space rock, named '2023 DW', was given a one in 560 chance of impact on February 14 2046.

However, NASA has since downgraded this to around one in 3,300, while the European Space Agency (ESA) said it is one in 5,494.

'No one needs to be worried about this guy', Richard Moissl, the head of the ESA's planetary defence office.

NASA has confirmed that the enormous asteroid tipped to strike Earth on Valentine's Day in 2046 actually has a 99.97 per cent chance of missing us

Earlier this month, the 165-foot (50 m) space rock, named '2023 DW', was given a one in 560 chance of impact on February 14 2046

He added that these odds will likely continue to drop to zero in the next few days as scientists gather more data on the asteroid.

Asteroid 2023 DW Name: 2023 DW Size: 165 feet (50 m) Closest it will come to Earth: 1,998,550 miles (3,216,354 km) Date of closest approach to Earth: February 14 2046 NASA's odds of collision: 1/3,300 ESA's odds of collision: 1/5,494 Advertisement

NASA's Planetary Defense Officer Lindley Johnson agreed, but said that the US space agency tends to be 'a little more conservative'.

'But it definitely appears to now have a downward trend in probability,' he said.

Mr Johnson said that it was actually normal for odds of an asteroid hitting Earth to briefly increase before rapidly falling.

This is because, as more is learnt about it, the more confident scientists get of its path and how close it will come to Earth.

Initially, observational data confirms the asteroid will come within our planet's vicinity, raising the odds of it striking.

However, eventually they will also confirm that it is not on a collision course, and then the odds drop to zero, as is expected to happen with 2023 DW.

2023 DW was first spotted through an asteroid search program based in Chile's Atacama Desert on February 26.

On March 1, an Italian astronomer shared NASA showed a one in 1,200 chance of it striking Earth, but the next day this increased to one in 710.

NASA officially announced the discovery of 2023 DW on March 7, noting that it 'takes several weeks of data to reduce the uncertainties and adequately predict their orbits years into the future.'

By this point, the odds of a collision were up to one in 560, based on 62 observations.

But now it has been demoted to eighth on NASA's Risk List with a 0 on the Torino scale, meaning there is virtually no chance of collision.

It is fourth on the ESA's risk list, which gives its impact probability a one in 5,494, or 0.018 per cent.

Both agencies still predict it will make its closest approach to Earth on February 14 2046, but NASA says the nearest it will get is 1,998,550 miles (3,216,354 km) away.

Both NASA and ESA still predict the asteroid will make its closest approach to Earth on February 14 2046, but NASA says the nearest it will get is 1,998,550 miles (3,216,354 km) away.

If 2023 DW does collide with our planet, the impact would be comparable to the Tunguska 12-megaton event that slammed into Siberia 114 years ago.

This 160-foot (49 m) asteroid caused a nuclear explosion that would have destroyed a large metropolitan area - but it landed in a forest, flattening more than 80 million trees.

Dr Moissl said that an asteroid the size of 2023 DW would create 'regionalised destruction' and not have a major effect on the rest of the world.

The asteroid, which is orbiting the sun, came around 5.6 million miles (nine million kilometres) from Earth during its most recent closest approach on February 18 - a week before it was discovered.

If it was to strike Earth in 2046, it would be speeding along at around nine miles (15 km) a second, according to estimations.

There would be a roughly 70 per cent chance it lands in the Pacific Ocean, but the potential strike zone would also include the United States, Australia or Southeast Asia, Dr Moissl said.

The collision of 2023 DW with our planet would be comparable to the Tunguska 12-megaton event that slammed into Siberia 114 years ago. Pictured: Fallen trees caused by the massive explosion in 1908 during surveys of the site in the 1990s

This 160-foot (49 m) asteroid caused a nuclear explosion that would have destroyed a large metropolitan area - but it landed in a forest, flattening more than 80 million trees (pictured)

The last significant asteroid impact was on February 15, 2013, known as Chelyabinsk.

A 60-foot-wide meteor hit the Earth's atmosphere with energy estimated to be equivalent to 500,000 tons of TNT, sending a shockwave twice around the globe.

It caused widespread damage and injured more than 1,600 people, and 2023 DW is more than twice the size.

NASA recently confirmed it can deflect a killer asteroid off a path toward Earth, following its successful DART mission in 2021.

The agency launched its Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) in 2022 for humanity's first planetary defense mission, dubbed NASA's 'Armageddon moment.'

The craft's target was a moonlet called Dimorphos circling its parent asteroid, Didymos.

On September 26, the world watched as DART soared 15,000 miles per hour toward Dimorphos to push it off its orbit.

And on March 1, 2023, NASA confirmed the mission was a smashing success.

The last significant impact was on February 15, 2013, known as Chelyabinsk. Pictured is the moment the 60-foot meteor streaked through the skies over Russia

The space agency's refrigerator-sized satellite managed to shave 33 minutes off the orbit of a 520-foot-wide asteroid - nearly five times greater than what was predicted.

Scientists from the Northern Arizona University said: 'This serves as a proof-of-concept for the kinetic impactor technique of planetary defense, DART needed to demonstrate that an asteroid could be targeted during a high-speed encounter and that the target's orbit could be changed.'

Davide Farnocchia, a scientist at NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, said the 'DART mission gives us confidence that such a mission would be successful' against 2023 DW, if required.

With 23 years to prepare, there is 'ample time' for such a mission to be planned, Moissl said, but is unlikely to be required.

NASA's Johnson confirmed that any threat was likely to 'evaporate' soon, but 'the planetary defence community will keep looking up!'
Aliens could be hiding in special 'terminator zonnes' on distant planets where it is not too hot and not too cold, scientists say.

Many exoplanets - planets outside our solar system - are tidally locked, meaning one side always faces the star they orbit and the other side is in permanent darkness.

Astronomers from the University of California, Irvine discovered these planets have a band around them which may be able to harbour liquid water - a key ingredient for life.

This is called the 'terminator zone', where the terminator is the dividing line between the exoplanet's day side and night side.

Any attainable water would likely be frozen solid on the cold nightside, but the light dayside would be so hot it would evaporate.

Astronomers from the University of California, Irvine discovered tidally locked exoplants have a band around them which may be able to harbour liquid water, a key ingredient for life

Lead author, Dr Ana Lobo said: 'The dayside can be scorching hot, well beyond habitability, and the night side is going to be freezing, potentially covered in ice.

WHAT IS THE 'TERMINATOR ZONE'? Tidally locked planets, where one side always faces the star it orbits and the other is in permanent darkness, have a band around them called the 'terminator'. This is the dividing line between the planet's day side and night side. Astronomers that the area around the terminator, called the 'terminator zone' may be able to harbour liquid water, a key ingredient for life. This is because it is neither too cold to freeze water, nor too hot to evaporate it. Advertisement

'You could have large glaciers on the night side.

'You want a planet that's in the sweet spot of just the right temperature for having liquid water.'

Anything with mass has gravity, and the more massive it is, the stronger its gravitational pull.

In the case of a planet orbiting a star, the star's gravitational force pulls the planet towards it, while the planet's own gravity also pulls it towards the star.

A planet's orbital path is determined by the combination of these forces, as well as the velocity and direction of its motion before it locked into orbit.

If a planet orbits extremely close to a star, the star's gravity can distort the planet's shape so it bulges on one side.

The gravitational force felt by this bulge is stronger than other regions on the planet, so it starts to slow the planet's axial rotation.

Eventually, this is slowed to the point where the rotation stops completely, and only the bulging side is facing the star - causing it to become tidally locked.

Tidally locked exoplanets are more likely to exist around 'M-dwarf' stars, a type of red dwarf that is cooler and smaller than our Sun.

This is because smaller stars are are more likely to catch smaller exoplanets in their orbit, which are more susceptible to tidal forces than larger ones.

Many exoplanets are tidally locked, meaning one side always faces the star they orbit, and the other side is in permanent darkness. Pictured: Surface temperatures (C) of different simulated tidally locked exoplanets. The black lines indicate the terminator

As M-dwarf stars make up about 70 percent of the stars seen in the night sky, tidally locked exoplanets are thought to be relatively common.

Astronomers discover 'rare' Earth-like exoplanet that could host life Astronomers have discovered an Earth-like planet just 31 light-years away from us that could host life. Named 'Wolf 1069 b', it has a similar mass to our home planet and orbits a star at a distance that would allow for the presence of liquid water. Evidence also suggests that the exoplanet - a planet outside our solar system - could have an atmosphere and magnetic field, as well as an eternal day and night. Read more here Advertisement

For their study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, the researchers wanted to find out whether these planets have life-sustaining conditions, like the ability to hold water in its liquid form.

If so, this would significantly increase the pool of planets astronomers could study for extraterrestrial life.

The researchers simulated the climate of a number of tidally locked exoplanets, looking at their varying temperatures, wind patterns and radiation exposure.

They used software normally used to model Earth's climate, but slowed down its rotation on its axis.

This highlighted a 'just right' zone around the terminator of these planets which could hold liquid water, enabling the existence of life.

However, this was only the case when there was a lot of land on the planet, as if it was largely covered in ocean, the water on the dayside would evaporate and cover the planet in vapour.

This would change the temperature of the terminator zone and make it no longer habitable.

'Ana has shown if there's a lot of land on the planet, the scenario we call 'terminator habitability' can exist a lot more easily,' said co-author Dr Aomawa Shields.

'These new and exotic habitability states our team is uncovering are no longer the stuff of science fiction  Ana has done the work to show that such states can be climatically stable.'

Most studies that assessed the potential for life look at water-rich planets.

Dr Lobo said: 'We are trying to draw attention to more water-limited planets, which despite not having widespread oceans, could have lakes or other smaller bodies of liquid water, and these climates could actually be very promising.'

The researchers say they think this is the first time astronomers have proven that their is a potential for life in the terminator zone of exoplanets.

Their finding may mean that scientists looking for signs of life on exoplanets will need to be aware that they may be hidden in specific areas.

It has also increased the scope of planets that can be searched to include those that are not largely covered in water.

'By exploring these exotic climate states, we increase our chances of finding and properly identifying a habitable planet in the near future,' said Dr Lobo.
The animal kingdom is a lawless land where creatures eat their young, have sex with their dead and stab mates with a knife-like penis.

Cats will sometimes eat their babies if it is sick or a stillborn, along with desperation during an intense labor - and this cannabalistic trait is found among hedgehogs and reptiles.

Penguins have also been observed to rape each other and have sex with the dead bodies of their fellow birds.

And while most know animals are wild beings, dolphins on the other hand willing commit any crime you can think of.

Humans may have their quirks and kinks, but sex in the animal kingdom can be truly strange and excruciatingly painful.

But just like the human world, animals have a dark side that appears within their own groups.

While rare, cats will eat their kittens. It could be the kitten is sick, a stillborn or the mother needs extra nutrients

Cannibalistic cats

People adore felines for their unconditional love, purring and comfortable silence, but this can change the moment a mother gives birth.

While eating their kittens is rare, it tends to happen when one is sick.

The mother consumes the ill baby to stop the disease from infecting her litter.

She will also eat a stillborn for extra nutrients to pass to the surviving kittens, but even for herself after an intense labor.

Cat owner Jahanzab Jhandeer shared in Medium: 'Science wonders why a cat or any other animal would act in such a cruel way.

Keep in mind that as an owner, it does not affect you. Nature cannot be stopped or controlled indefinitely.'

He continued to explain that cats, just like humans, do not want to see their kittens suffer and if one lacks the ability to survive she will eat it out of mercy.

Penguin sex crimes

Penguins have also been observed to rape each other and have sex with the dead bodies of their fellow birds

The dark side of penguins was hidden for more than a century, until the journey to the South Pole of Dr George Murray Levick in 1911.

Levick's paper on penguin behavior revealed evidence of gang rapes, sexual abuse of chicks and even attempts by male penguins to mate with dead females.

The Edwardian explorer was so shocked by the findings in his paper, 'Sexual Habits of the Adelie Penguin', that he initially recorded them in Greek to make them inaccessible to the average reader.

The paper details several instances of necrophilia, with offenders mating with bodies which had died the previous year.

Levick observed how male Adelie penguins would gather in 'hooligan bands of half a dozen or more and hang about the outskirts of the knolls, whose inhabitants they annoy by their constant acts of depravity'.

In 1998 more penguin depravity came to light, when people observed penguins were turning to prostitution.

Dr Fiona Hunter, a researcher in the Zoology Department at Cambridge University, spent five years observing the birds' mating patterns.

Hunter and her team reported that some of the prostitute penguins tricked the males into thinking they would have sex by performing an elaborate courtship ritual, then run away with their stones.

However, females would stay with their male partner, while also having sex with others.

'There was no suspicion on the part of the males. Females quite often go off on their own to collect stones, so as far as the males are concerned there is no reason to suspect,' Hunter told BBC in 1998.

'It tends to be females targeting single males, otherwise the partner female would beat the intruder up.'

Brutal mating of bed bugs

A male bed bug has a knife-like penis that it uses to stab the female in the abdomen to guarantee insemination

Bed bugs are one of the few species that mate using traumatic insemination.

The male pierces the abdomen of the female bed bug with his genitals and injects semen through the wound.

The stab creates an open wound that can take up to two weeks to heal,

And during this time, the female is susceptible to infection that can end in death.

Theories suggests the violent method evolved to guarantee insemination by completely bypassing typical intercourse.

However, males have been found to mate with other males by also piercing the abdomen.

Experts believe this is because the insects' sexual attraction is based on size.

Dolphins are the ultimate criminals

Dolphins are known for their playful, inquisitive nature and even for saving humans who have got into trouble at sea.

But the intelligent mammals are not so kind to harbor porpoises.

In 2014, marine experts observed a pod of bottlenose dolphins murder one of the small mammals.

In 2014, marine experts observed a pod of bottlenose dolphins murder a porpoise. The pod beat the small mammal to death

The researchers saw the much larger dolphins hitting the animal on its side, and continued until the porpoise was a lifeless body floating off the coast of in Cardigan Bay in West Wales.

Other research found males assert their authority by forcefully mounting other males. These were short-term shows of strength, used to dominate males from other groups.

This can lead to bloody battles in which more than 20 dolphins bite and bash each other over the right to one female.

Dr Janet Mann, who has a special interest in dolphin sexuality, has observed encounters between herds of bottlenose dolphins and tropical dolphins, ending in a kind of homosexual orgy in which the stronger gang of bottlenose dolphins played a decidedly active role, Medium reports.
Our stroll after dinner took us around Portoferraio harbour  small and sheltered, it was described by Nelson as the safest in the world. Still warm at nearly 10pm in mid-October, there was a lively buzz from quayside drinkers. Soon we reached the spot where our day had started on Elba, Italys third-biggest island.

A gaggle of us on this Mediterranean cruise had risen early to go shopping for our supper, and within minutes of stepping down the gangway, Chef Li was negotiating with fishermen selling from their boats.

We then walked to a bakery for schiaccia briaca, a boozy fruit-and-nut cake that gets its rosy colour from lashings of sweet red Elban wine, before heading to a delicatessen for cheeses, pasta and cured meats.

Serving fresh fish and local delicacies along the way is impossible for big ships with thousands to feed, but we were only 100 passengers aboard Emerald Azzurra, the first ocean-going ship from Emerald, an Australian, family-owned line that until now has specialised in river cruises.

And what a ship! Within its pyramid of striking black-and-white decks are 50 large cabins  all but six with balconies  and on this week-long cruise from Civitavecchia, near Rome, to Nice it was hard to believe it was full. There were always tables if you wanted to dine on the terrace, loads of seating and room for performances in the large lounge, and plenty of sun beds on the pool deck.

Caroline Hendrie boards Emerald Azzurra, the first ocean-going ship from Emerald, to sail around the French and Italian rivieras

Access all areas: Caroline anchors in the harbour at Portofino, which would be too small for most cruise liners, but not Emerald Azzurra

Azzurras clever design  airy and spacious yet nifty enough to get into small ports most cruise ships cannot reach  meant the yacht was always at the heart of things. So on Elba it was easy to pop back to the ship for a swim and out again to stroll up to Napoleons elegant villa.

At anchor in the bay at Portofino we were whisked ashore by tender in a trice, having the pink-and-yellow-washed village all to ourselves. Returning to the quayside, we saw about 1,000 passengers arriving on ferries from the big ships docked in Genoa. It was time to return to Azzurra and succumb to feelings of smugness about the exclusivity of our yacht.

Walking tours were included on our cruise and were well worth joining.

Striking: Caroline says she feels a sense of 'smugness' about the exclusivity of the yacht (pictured above off the coast of Corsica)

The yacht has 50 large cabins  all but six with balconies

One passenger tells Caroline the yacht is like 'having a luxury taxi to take you from place to place'

When docked in Porto Ercole in Tuscany, eight of us hiked to 15th Century Forte Filippo. From our mooring in Corsica, a little road train whisked us up to the old town for a walking tour that ended with robust local wine in a cliffside bar. And in Menton on the French Riviera, our tour took us to a beautiful covered market surrounded by palm trees and groaning with fine foods, as well as to see the Wedding Hall in the town hall, decorated by Jean Cocteau in the 1950s. Afterwards I jumped on one of the ships electric bikes for a spin along the promenade almost to the Italian border.

Many of the British empty-nesters on board Azzurra knew and loved the Italian and French rivieras, and were first-time cruisers trying another way to visit favourite places and explore new ones without a car.

As one guest told me: Such a relaxing holiday  its like having a luxury taxi to take you from place to place.
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It's one thing for a photographer to showcase their talent using the best cameras on the market. But, the latest Mobile Photography Awards have once again proven just how versatile photographers can be in capturing awe-inspiring images using just their smartphones.

Judges of the prestigious annual competition, which is in its 12th year, said that the most recent captivating images submitted, ranging from black and whites, landscapes, street photography and more, were among the best that they had ever seen.

Simply staggering vivid photographs featured an elephant's bath time, a driver passing a raging housefire and a breathtaking waterfall. The MPA received photographs from over 80 countries this year, highlighting the global reach of mobile photography in the modern day.

The Toronto-based awards, which were founded in 2011, are held every year to celebrate the art and craft of mobile photography. This year, Australian Glenn Homann championed over a record number of entrants with his portfolio described as 'stunning' and 'breathtaking' by MPA judges. He takes home a $3,000 cash prize.

The talent did not stop there though. The awards were divided into 12 categories, with Shulong Ma triumphing in the black and white category for a photograph of an elephant being washed, which was taken with an iPhone 7.

Meanwhile Fabio Sartori snapped a close up of a bug on his Samsung which won the Macro category, and a stunning photograph of miners of the Ijen Volcano in East Java, Indonesia, took first place in the Travel/Transportation section. Scroll on to see all the winners.

Australian photographer Glenn Homann, who showcased his mastery of different genres, was crowned as the 12th annual MPA Photographer of the Year. He named the piece above 'John'

Homann's photographs were described as both 'stunning' and 'breathtaking' by MPA judges - who also admitted this year's entries were among the best ever seen. The above piece is called 'Stop, Reflect'

Homann's 'Toward the Light': Awards founder Daniel Berman said: 'Glenn's work truly captures the essence of what mobile photography is all about - the ability to create stunning images anytime, anywhere, using only a smartphone.'

Homann said he was 'blown away' by being recognized for his astonishing artwork. He hopes it will inspire others to explore the 'endless possibilities of mobile photography'. 'Cross Here' is pictured left and 'Eyeing Ibis' is on the right

'Washing Elephant, Chitwan': This mesmerizing photograph was captured by Shuolong Ma using an iPhone 7. It won the Black and White category

Street Photography winner 'Indifference' by Konstantin Chalabov features a driver passing a burning home (left), while Chen Lin's 'Miners of Ijen Volcano' in Indonesia (right) won the Travel and Transportation category

'Eyes': Fabio Sartori snapped an impressively detailed close up of a bug on his Samsung phone which won the Macro category

Zhengjie Wu triumphed in the Landscapes category with their stunning 'Geocentric Exploration' photograph which shows a lone figure being struck by glorious rays of sunshine

Heather McAlister was the Digital art/Visual FX winner at the 12th annual MPA awards. Her piece was called 'Flight Pattern'

Homann showcased his mastery of different genres, including portraits, architecture, and street photography. He named the piece on the left 'Free' and added: 'Even an 'ugly' thing has a flickering, fleeting moment of radiant beauty.' On the right is 'The Other Side'

The categories spread far and wide, with Yue Qiu picking up the Silhouettes award for their impressive 'Heart of Water' photograph

Artificial Intelligence winner 'Souls of the Ancient Sea Bed' by John Nieto is on the left, while Dorota Yamadag scooped the award for the best artwork in the Architecture category with a photo of skyscrapers called 'Steel. Glass. And All That Jazz' (right)

Founded in 2011, the MPA celebrates the art and craft of mobile photography, recognizing talented smartphone photographers from all around the world. Pictured: Another of Homann's stunning photographs called 'It Went Away'

Homann also scooped the award for best portrait with his 'Old Mate' piece (left), while the People's winner was 'Nunset2' (right) by Daniela Calo

'The Scenery After the Rain': A simply stunning photograph captured by Wang Hsiu Ling who won the Water/Snow/Ice category

Mobile photographer Michel Kharoubi was crowned winner of the Darkness category for his 'Spirit of the City' work of art
CORONATION STREET

Carla is having a bad time of it in Coronation Street as her co-workers lose faith in her - and Peter has to break the bad news

Theres more bad news for Carla this week. The poor dear is already in a clinic, convinced that her psychosis has returned, plus shes got Paul breathing down her neck for compensation following her drug-fuelled joyride in the Underworld van.

Now Peter has to break the news to his wife that her loyal co-workers have voted to depose her at the factory. The queen is dead as far as Underworld is concerned, it seems, and long live the king.

Well, maybe not. Sneaky Stephens barely got his little Canadian tush on that throne when hes tipped right off. Creepy client Rufus arrives, demanding a bigger slice of the Nippersnapper deal (what is it with soaps and terrible business names? See also Emmerdales Take A Vow and EastEnders The Kim-fluencer).

OLD FRIENDS While Sarah and Damon may be strangers, actors Tina OBrien and Ciaran Griffiths arent. We first worked together at 14, and now I feel about 102 working with him again! laughs Tina. Advertisement

If not, hell tell everyone about Stephens little tricks with Carla and the LSD. Soon, a desperate Stephen is cornered and seeing red.

Dont make him angry, Rufus. You really wont like him when hes angry...

Elsewhere, with the Nippersnapper deal done and dusted (so she thinks), Sarah has decided its time for fun with hubby Adam, who shes been neglecting while negotiating multi-million-pound international deals for garish polycotton with the odd questionable slogan slapped on the front. But when she and Adam argue, Sarah heads off alone to the hotel hes booked for their date night (by my reckoning, this is the same hotel where he once bedded Carla. Maybe not the place Id have chosen for a romantic getaway Adam, but each to their own).

Sarah arrives full of fury, but replaces that with prosecco, and soon shes chatting to a handsome man at the bar. And would you believe it?

In an only-in-the-soaps occurrence, despite this man co-owning a business with Sarahs brother Nick and being arrested a few weeks back practically outside her front window, Sarah has no idea shes chatting to drug-dealing wrong un Damon, having never seen him in the flesh. But shes soon going to remedy that...

EASTENDERS

Zack is guilty about the secret hes carrying  he hasnt told Whitney (pictured) about his HIV status  and pulls back, leaving her more confused and alone than ever

Its clear why EastEnders likes to pile misery onto poor Whitney. Actress Shona McGarty is just so good at it, breaking our hearts several times in recent episodes.

Freddie jumps in feet first... Skint Stacey is intrigued this week as Freddie flashes the cash. In a slightly weird plot (unless it floats your boat, that is), Freddie is selling pics of his feet online. But actress Lacey Turner says Staceys not one to judge. She just thinks its an odd thing, but its good money  if youre paying the rent, youre paying the rent! she laughs. But this weeks no joke  Stacey has a loan shark on her tail and needs cash fast. Shes scared of him, admits Lacey. Hes not a normal thug, hes a creepy thug. Advertisement

There may be a glimmer of light for Whit this week, but as always theres another drama hanging above her head just ready to drop.

The heartbreak of saying goodbye to their baby has seen Zack and Whit push each other away. But after some words from best mate Martin, Zack decides to pay a tribute to baby Peach.

Touched by his efforts, Whitney kisses him. However, Zack is guilty about the secret hes carrying  he hasnt told Whitney about his HIV status  and pulls back, leaving her more confused and alone than ever.

Step in Sam Mitchell to save the day, as she accompanies Zack to his appointment and asks the awkward questions about sex and having children in the future. All credit to the writers and actress Kim Medcalf for their development of this more mature Sam, playing the role of guiding hand to Zack without losing her Mitchell edge.

Elsewhere, theres a blast from the past when Patrick pipes up that its his ex-wife Yolandes 70th birthday. Yolande also got a mention a few weeks back. Are we paving the way for a return?

EMMERDALE: So whats the mystery woman really up to?

A leopard never changes its spots, so they say. Well, apart from in soaps, where characters often start as one thing and end up the complete antithesis a few months later.

Even so, weve treated with scepticism the idea that blackmailer and kiddie snatcher Alex has turned over a new leaf. Even Charles  whose main brand value is forgiveness  isnt buying it, especially as Alex is walking out with his daughter Naomi.

This week, it turns out we were right when Alex is spotted meeting a mystery woman and child. Hes quick to come up with a story, claiming to Naomi that Clare (above right, with Naomi and Alex) is the wife of a man he was in prison with who hed promised to help.

Naomi is left glowing at her boyfriends loyalty and kindness. But it turns out the only person Alex is trying to help is himself  to a cabinet of drugs at the docs surgery.

In cahoots with Clare, hes planning a heist. But theres trouble afoot when Manpreet unexpectedly returns as Alex lurks with a crowbar...

Meanwhile, Mack and Charitys joint stag and hen party has a Yorkshire v Scotland Highland Games theme (what will these soaps think of next?).

However, its Macks fling that might see him the loser when Chloes injured and he races to her aid. Will he be able to mask his fatherly concern?
Love Island contestant Will Young says Aussie co-star Jessie Wynter is moving to the UK to live with him on his farm  and help deliver lambs.

The couple, who were dumped from the ITV2 show days before Monday night's final in South Africa, have been inseparable since flying back to London.

And speaking exclusively to MailOnline, they told of their keenness to live and work together on Will's Buckinghamshire farm just in time for lambing season.

Their decision comes after Will revealed veteran Countryfile host John Craven 'slid into his DMs' to congratulate him for endorsing farming to younger audiences.

Will said: 'Jessie is moving to the farm for the next month or two and she will be doing lambing and all of that, which I'm super, super excited about.

Love Island star Will Young says Aussie co-star Jessie Wynter is moving to the UK to live with him on his farm  and help deliver baby lambs

The couple, who were dumped from the ITV2 show days before Monday night's final in South Africa, have been inseparable since flying back to London

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, they told of their keenness to live and work together on Will's Buckinghamshire farm just in time for lambing season

Will and Jessie spent one night apart when they landed on UK soil but the smitten couple, who met eight weeks ago on the dating series, say they found being separated 'horrible'

'When she visited for the first time this week, I gave her some wellies and she was getting really stuck in and feeding the animals, it made me fall in love with her even more.'

Will, 23, and Jessie, 26, spent one night apart when they landed on UK soil but the smitten couple, who met eight weeks ago on the dating series, say they found being separated 'horrible.'

Indeed, the frisky pair admit they've barely left the bedroom now the cameras are no longer rolling.

Jessie said: 'It's 100 times better now we're out the villa. It is a million times better, I'll tell you that much.'

However, the couple says they're yet to speak to their parents about having sex in the villa, while Jessie admits she went on Love Island with the intention of not romping on TV.

Jessie said: 'Our parents haven't commented on us having sex in the villa we're just going to pretend like that didn't happen. I wasn't planning on doing that...'

Speaking about the villa's famous Hideaway, Will added: 'I thought we were just going to go in and not have sex because we were being filmed but you're in there for so long It's portrayed in a playful way.

'But it's been so nice leaving the villa and having proper alone time. The Hideaway gives you a good idea of whether this is going to work on the outside, there are cameras, little hidden ones but it felt like a hotel on the outside.'

The frisky pair admit they've barely left the bedroom now the cameras are no longer rolling, saying the sex is better between them now they're outside the villa

Will and Jessie had sex on TV during their time in the villa, taking their relationship to the next level by being intimate in the show's famous Hideaway

Personal trainer Jessie says it was never her intention to have sex on camera but the couple admit eight weeks is a long time to go without any intimacy

Will is thankful their connection goes beyond life inside the Love Island villa, adding: 'There are no cameras, we can just chill and when you can relax with someone in silence and it's not weird, that's so nice.

'Some people on the show were saying they wanted to spend time apart from their partner to make their heart grow fonder and I said to Jessie 'we are not doing that.' I don't need my heart to grow fonder! I know what my heart wants.'

Jessie, who's a personal trainer from Tasmania and currently lives in Sydney, found fame on the Australian series of Love Island in 2019.

She entered the UK winter season, which was presented this year for the first time by Maya Jama, as a bombshell.

Meanwhile, Will grew up on a farm in Buckinghamshire that has been in his family for six generations.

Will insists the pressure to make their romance work isn't purely on Jessie's shoulders, saying he will be visiting her home in Tasmania before they commit to a long-term plan.

Will and Jessie were dumped from the villa just days before the Love Island final on Monday, narrowly missing out on becoming 2023 finalists

Love Island viewers crowned schoolteacher Kai Fagan and social worker Sanam Harrinanan winners on Monday after they earned 44 per cent of the public vote

The couple beat runners-up Ron Hall and Lana Jenkins to the 50,000 prize money

Love Island was presented this year for the first time by Maya Jama, who took over from former host Laura Whitmore

He said: 'A relationship works both ways, I can't rely on Jessie to pack her bags and I would never want her to do that. I am such a family man and I want to experience Jessie's family, her home. I've never been to Australia, but I've heard there's loads of sheep there.'

They already have approval from Countryfile's John after Will, who's amassed thousands of TikTok and Instagram followers with his entertaining farming videos, said the veteran host reached out to him, hinting a presenting role on the BBC One show could be on the cards.

He teased: 'Maybe, maybe I want my career to be with farming. John Craven actually slid into my DMs, it was so rewarding that someone from Countryfile had reached out. He can really see I have a passion and a love for farming.'

The couple are busy making plans for the future and hope they can follow in the footsteps of 2019 Islanders Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury, who recently welcomed their first baby together.

Will said: 'We've had conversations about marriage and babies. We are on the same page with everything we want. I don't want to live my life without her.'

And Jessie couldn't agree more, adding: 'I am turning 27 later this year and I'm from the country. Most of my friends were married at 22, I'm the odd one out!'

Viewers watched their romance blossom for eight weeks in the Love Island villa, but it wasn't all smooth sailing for the couple, whose relationship was thrown into doubt after Will kissed Layla Al-Momani during the Casa Amor loyalty test.

Jessie confessed to being 'shattered' by Will's actions, while he considered quitting the show if he failed to win her back.

Will and Jessie's relationship was thrown into doubt after Will kissed Layla Al-Momani during the Casa Amor loyalty test

Will said he contemplated quitting the show after betraying Jessie and insisted he couldn't continue if he didn't win her back

It wasn't just Will's betrayal that left Jessie on the brink of an emotional breakdown, with the star revealing producers 'had to take me out of the villa to see a psychologist a couple of times'

She said: 'It was so much harder than I could have imagined and it's because I love Will so much. I got so emotionally invested so early on. It was shattering. It bought up past emotions.

'I've had a lot of experiences with partners being unfaithful. I started to feel like I wasn't good enough.

'For me it was the thought of losing Jessie and messing up, it crushed me,' Will added.

'It was in my mind for a week or two that if we didn't go back to normal, I didn't want to be in the villa, I felt like I didn't have a place there.

'I have never been in love my entire life... this is the first time. So, I had those feelings building up to Casa Amor and then I f***ed up and I didn't know whether I'd get her back or not. It was that feeling of I ruined everything.'

It wasn't just Will's betrayal that left Jessie on the brink of an emotional breakdown.

She also faced criticism from her fellow Islanders, who questioned whether her feelings for Will were genuine after they allegedly saw 'no tears' when she sobbed over the Casa Amor fallout.

Now Jessie has revealed that Love Island bosses had to step in, admitting, 'it was tough. Producers actually had to take me out of the villa to see a psychologist a couple of times.'

She continued: 'You're enclosed in that environment, and I felt I was always being chipped at. I put my whole heart into everything.

'I felt like I was really there for people, and I genuinely loved Will but for some reason no matter how much I did I would do the dishes for everyone, and I was trying so hard to be happy, but people would still come at me, and no one ever said those things to my face.'

Love Island viewers crowned schoolteacher Kai Fagan and social worker Sanam Harrinanan winners on Monday after they earned 44 per cent of the public vote, beating Ron Hall and Lana Jenkins.

Will and Jessie believe the right couple won the 50,000 cash prize and say they were focussed on their relationship from the moment they met.

Jessie said: 'They were mature and stayed out of the drama. I'm so happy for them.

'They were there to concentrate on themselves and that's what they did. Perhaps we weren't as close to them, Kai I didn't really get to know but it's good seeing such a pure couple, a teacher and social worker, win Love Island.'
Rye Lane (15, 82 mins)

Verdict: A sparkling debut

Rating: Five stars

Originality on screen comes in many forms. The wildly over-praised (and now over-Oscared) Everything Everywhere All At Once is nothing if not original, but it is also exhaustingly baffling. Rye Lane, made for a fraction of the budget yet with oodles more charm, shows originality in, dare I say, a more original way.

A romantic comedy, it takes an age-old premise (in which a man and woman on the rebound from painful break-ups fall for each other) and gives it such a modern sheen, such crackle and wit, that you feel as though you're watching something excitingly novel and new.

The most auspicious of directorial debuts by Raine Allen-Miller, with a sparkling script by Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia, Rye Lane has been compared with the hit 1999 rom-com Notting Hill, albeit mainly because it draws its title from the part of London in which it is set, in this case Peckham and Brixton, and certainly not because of the demographic of its cast.

Rye Lane's romantic leads are Dom, played by David Jonsson (right) and Yas, played by Vivian Oparah (left)

Rye Lane is as black as Notting Hill was white and draws much of its humour and vibrancy from the strong Afro-Caribbean heritage in South-East London. That said, there is a gloriously counter-intuitive sequence in which a young black man's choice of music is deemed not black enough.

Our romantic leads are Dom (David Jonsson) and Yas (Vivian Oparah). He is an accountant who at the start of the film is sobbing his heart out in an art gallery toilet cubicle, his girlfriend having left him for one of his best mates.

It's a unisex loo and he is overheard by Yas, an aspiring costume designer. She even takes a peek under the door and a little later, out in the gallery, recognises him from his shoes.

She, it turns out, has also just had her heart broken. That's the narrative springboard from which the rest of the film bounces, almost literally so, because it has a zesty energy that I found irresistible.

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Dom and Yas spend the rest of the day together, encountering their respective exes in delightfully funny scenes and through their non-stop banter realising gradually, inevitably, that they are made for one another.

The two engaging leads are splendidly served by a script that again and again made me laugh out loud, and when I wasn't laughing I was smiling, especially when a major British movie star  practically synonymous with white, middle-class roles  pops up in a fleeting cameo.

That is a coup for Allen-Miller, but more significantly she does an impressive job in keeping her lovely, mischievous, inventive film to a snappy 82 minutes, while including (with cinematographer Olan Collardy) conspicuous nods to Wes Anderson in the vivid use of colour and stylised wide shots. I watched Rye Lane with my wife and we kept saying how much our kids, all in their 20s, would love it.

That's the generation it is unapologetically aimed at... but what fun it was to crash the party.

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods (12A, 130 mins)

Verdict: Too puerile by half

Rating: Two stars

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods isn't nearly as much fun as everyone involved seems to think it is, despite a promisingly riotous opening scene in which Dame Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu as vengeful Greek goddesses, the daughters of Atlas no less, wreak havoc in a modern-day museum.

I quite liked the original Shazam! (2019); it's always a relief when superhero movies don't take themselves too seriously and that one emphatically didn't, but this sequel actually strains too hard for laughs, which repeatedly tests the patience as gags fall flat with thunderbolt force.

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods isn't nearly as much fun as everyone involved seems to think it is, despite a promisingly riotous opening scene in which Dame Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu (pitcured) as vengeful Greek goddesses, wreak havoc in a modern-day museum

It's a shame, really, because the special effects are terrific, especially when a band of mythical monsters, balefully unleashed by Kalypso (Liu), terrorise the good people of Philadelphia.

Kalypso and her sisters Hespera (Mirren) and Anthea (Rachel Zegler) believe that Shazam (Zachary Levi, rather overdoing the comedy gurning) and his gang of wisecracking vigilantes, otherwise known as plain Billy Batson and his foster siblings, have stolen their superpowers from the realm of the gods.

All hell duly breaks loose over Philly as the two factions go head to head, but pleasurable as it is to see the great Mirren decked out in ancient Greek garb, solemnly uttering lines such as 'Do not underestimate the judgment of the wizard', the novelty wears off long before the 130 minutes are up.

Allelujah (12A, 99 mins)

Verdict: Didactic but worthy

Rating: Three stars

Another venerable acting dame, Judi Dench, pops up in Allelujah, Richard Eyre's broadly welcome adaptation of Alan Bennett's play about the NHS in which the geriatric ward of a Yorkshire hospital is run with what appears to be stern but benign efficiency by a veteran head nurse (played, excellently, by Jennifer Saunders).

It's a fabulous cast, also comprising Sir Derek Jacobi and David Bradley, with Russell Tovey as a Whitehall bean counter forced to reappraise his slash-and-burn attitude towards the health service. And the screenplay by Call The Midwife writer Heidi Thomas pays due homage to Bennett's wry one-liners, which pepper the dialogue.

Allelujah seemed to me perhaps 30 per cent too didactic, too much of a cinematic lecture on why, despite its flaws and foibles, we should all cherish the NHS.

But there is enough talent on show, in all departments, to make it a film worth seeing.

Hold the front page: Keira's got a serial killer in her sights

Boston Strangler (113 mins)

Rating: Three stars

Boston Strangler shares a title and subject with the 1968 picture starring Tony Curtis and Henry Fonda, for whom Keira Knightley, with all due respect, is a pretty poor substitute.

But this film approaches the story of the serial killer who terrorised the Massachusetts city in the early 1960s, murdering 13 women, from a different angle.

Kiera Knightley (right) plays Loretta McLaughlin, a dogged reporter with the Record-American newspaper in Boston, who teamed up with an even feistier colleague, Jean Cole, played by Carrie Coon (left)

Knightley plays Loretta McLaughlin, a dogged reporter with the Record-American newspaper in Boston, who teamed up with an even feistier colleague, Jean Cole (Carrie Coon). Together, the two women overcame the kind of institutionalised workplace sexism so characteristic of the era (Mad Men turned it into seven seasons of TV drama) to become, in essence, the Woodward and Bernstein of the Strangler story. There's a satisfying irony in two women chasing a man targeting women, but really their main antagonists are the obstructive (and apparently useless) police department.

A classy supporting cast includes Chris Cooper, Alessandro Nivola and Bill Camp, and it's an enlightening film without being especially gripping. (On Disney+)

Marlowe (15, 109 mins)

Marlowe features a miscast Liam Neeson as Raymond Chandler's laconic gumshoe in Neil Jordan's watchable but stolid attempt at a neo-noir crime thriller. I like Neeson and he certainly wears a 1930s trilby well, but he just doesn't fit the character like Humphrey Bogart, Robert Mitchum and even Elliott Gould did. For starters, it doesn't seem to occur to anyone in 1939 LA to ask why a private detective might sport an Ulster brogue. But trilbys off to Neeson all the same  this is his 100th film and, at 70, he can still convincingly beat up a couple of heavies half his age.

Plus, it's always a pleasure to see Jessica Lange, here playing an imperious old movie star. (In cinemas and Sky Cinema.)

65 (12A, 93 mins)

I went to the Hereford Odeon last weekend to watch 65, a daft sci-fi caper with Adam Driver as an intergalactic pilot not in the future... but 65 million years in the past, who crash-lands on Earth in the age of the dinosaur.

I amused myself by thinking of 65 reasons to walk out, but in fairness, nobody did. (Only in cinemas.)
A former producer on Married At First Sight has leaked some of the show's most explosive secrets.

In a candid AMA thread on Reddit, they said production are told to 'magnify and amplify' any drama for the cameras to encourage contestants to save the drama for the dinner parties.

They also revealed the worst scenes to film involve the families of the reality stars.

When asked if scenes were 'fabricated' on the show, the former producer admitted they do beef up the story lines.

'I wouldn't say entirely fabricated but it's the job of post production to take a storyline or scene that was maybe a 6 or 7 out of 10 and make it an 11 out of 10. 'Magnify and Amplify' is a phrase that gets used a lot in all reality tv,' they explained.

A former producer on Married At First Sight has leaked some of the show's most explosive secrets. Pictured: Harrison and Bronte this season

He added that producers are encourage contestants to vent their frustrations at the dinner parties.

'A big example is the dinner party, you want all the big drama to happen after they sit down. So you make sure that happens by telling them not to talk about certain things until they sit down,' they said.

Working with the family of a contestant is a 'punish' as they often try to avoid any drama.

'Anything with the families are a punish because most of them can barely string a sentence together. They also have a tendency to either ignore or derail the main story we're following,' the producer explained.

They said production are told to 'magnify and amplify' any drama for the cameras to encourage contestants to save the drama for the dinner parties

When asked if scenes were 'fabricated' on the show, the former producer admitted they do beef up the story lines

Earlier this week, the MAFS experts were called out for pairing couples who are 'doomed to fail' because they live so far apart.

Lyndall Grace and Cam Woods reached breaking point at Wednesday's dinner party as they argued over their future together, as she is a city girl from Perth while he works in remote communities in the Northern Territory.

One fan vented their frustration about the pairing on the MAFS Australia Fans Facebook group.

Earlier this week, the MAFS experts were called out for pairing couples who are 'doomed to fail' because they live so far apart. Pictured: John Aiken

Lyndall Grace (pictured) and Cam Woods reached breaking point at Wednesday's dinner party as they argued over their future together, as she is a city girl from Perth while he works in remote communities in the Northern Territory

'It continues to amaze me why they would match people who live so far away from each other,' they began.

'It's not so bad for young people starting out, but [impossible] people in their thirties who have established careers. They are already set in their ways and this just adds more conflict.'

Another viewer said: 'Yep! And putting Lyndall who needs constant specialist medical care with someone who lives out bush for months on end was just plain stupidity.'

'They should match people living in the same state at least,' a third fan wrote.

It has since been revealed that Lyndall had a post-show fling with Josh White, which reportedly ended on bad terms.

One fan vented their frustration about the pairing on the MAFS Australia Fans Facebook group
Bindi Irwin has posted a funny video to celebrate Australia Zoo's Facebook page reaching 900,000 followers, as she recovers from endometriosis surgery.

The clip, which was filmed at the Sunshine Coast zoo, was likely pre-recorded as it has only been nine days since the 24-year-old underwent serious surgery in the U.S.

Bindi and her husband Chandler Powell, 26, showed the various different animals at the sanctuary, including a turtle, elephant, crocodile and meerkat.

They tried to make the video lighthearted and humorous as they included voice-overs along with the animal clips.

'Hello, Facebook, Bindi and Chandler here to say thank you guys so much,' Chandler said.

Bindi Irwin has posted a funny video to celebrate Australia Zoo's Facebook page reaching 900,000 followers, as she recovers from endometriosis surgery

The clip, which was filmed at the Sunshine Coast zoo, was likely pre-recorded as it has only been nine days since the 24-year-old underwent serious surgery in the U.S

'Nine hundred thousand followers for Australia Zoo, that is so wild. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts.'

Bindi added: 'We are incredibly appreciative for your amazing support.

'Also, some of the animals at Australia Zoo would like to share their thanks and congratulations and their amazement for 900,000 followers here on Facebook.

'So, without further ado, have a look at our beautiful animals and how thrilled they are.'

On Wednesday, Bindi gave her fans an update on her health after she underwent major surgery in New York for endometriosis.

The wildlife warrior said she was on the mend and 'healing' as she recovers at home.

The mother of one posted a photo of herself in bed holding a huge bunch of red roses, presumably from her husband Chandler Powell.

Bindi and her husband Chandler Powell, 26, showed the various different animals at the sanctuary, including a turtle, elephant, crocodile and meerkat

They tried to make the video lighthearted and humorous as they included voice-overs along with the animal clips

Bindi thanked fans for their support and said she had been reading their own struggles with endometriosis on her social pages.

The Crikey! It's the Irwins star's surgeon at Seckin Endometriosis Center in New York City removed a total of thirty-seven lesions and a 'chocolate cyst' - a term for a cyst filled with menstrual blood- during her surgery.

'Healing. I have spent the week reading your kind words and stories of strength through your own experiences with endometriosis. Thank you with all my heart for sharing,' she wrote.

'I can finally see a new me on the journey towards better health. I can't wait to be able to focus all my energy on our family and the conservation work we are so passionate about.

The wildlife warrior said she was on the mend and 'healing' as she recovers at home following endometriosis surgery

Last week Bindi shocked her fans when she revealed was suffering from endometriosis and underwent major surgery

'Sending my love and light your way.'

Last week Bindi shocked her fans when she revealed was suffering from endometriosis and underwent major surgery.

She shared a picture of herself from her hospital bed and said she wanted to raise awareness and help other women who might be suffering from the condition.

The 24-year-old spoke out because she wanted to draw attention to the fact doctors often do not take the condition seriously enough, noting how one physician had once told her the pain was just a normal part of being a woman.
Actor and filmmaker Ben Affleck shuts the door on returning to the DC Universe as a director under new DC Studios head James Gunn in a candid chat with the Hollywood Reporter this week.

The actor played Batman in 2016's Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad, 2017's Justice League and 2021's Zack Snyder's Justice League, and he was also set to star in and direct a Batman movie himself.

However, the experience on Justice League was 'the worst experience' the 50-year-old filmmaker went through and made him have no interest in returning to the superhero world as a filmmaker.

He will make one last appearance as The Caped Crusader this summer when he appears in The Flash, arriving in theaters June 16, where he says he, 'finally figured out' how to play that character.

Still, while Affleck - who also opened up about what Jennifer Lopez really said to him during the Grammys and much more - says he thinks Gunn is a 'nice guy,' he still would never return to the DC Universe as a filmmaker.

No more DC: Actor and filmmaker Ben Affleck opened up on a large number of topics in a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where he also shuts the door on returning to the DC Universe as a director under new DC Studios head James Gunn

Nice guy: Still, while Affleck - who also opened up about what Jennifer Lopez really said to him during the Grammys and much more - says he thinks Gunn is a 'nice guy,' he still would never return to the DC Universe as a filmmaker

'I would not direct something for the (James) Gunn DC. Absolutely not,' Affleck succinctly stated.

'I have nothing against James Gunn. Nice guy, sure hes going to do a great job. I just wouldnt want to go in and direct in the way theyre doing that. Im not interested in that,' Affleck clarified.

He added that superhero stories like Justice League have, 'became somewhat repetitive to me and less interesting,' though he admits he did finally 'figure out how to play' Batman in his appearance in The Flash.

'I nailed it in The Flash. For the five minutes Im there, its really great. A lot of its just tone,' Affleck explained.

'Youve got to figure out, whats your version of the person? Who is the guy that fits what you can do? I tried to fit myself into a Batman. And by the way, I like a lot of the stuff we did, especially the first one, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

When asked 'what went wrong' on 2017's Justice League - which united some of the biggest superheroes in the DC comics library but was plagued with tragedy and disaster - Affleck said, 'You could teach a seminar on all the reasons why this is how not to do it.'

'Ranging from production to bad decisions to horrible personal tragedy, and just ending with the most monstrous taste in my mouth,' Affleck said.

He added, 'The genius, and the silver lining, is that Zack Snyder eventually went to AT&T and was like, "Look, I can get you four hours of content." And its principally just all the slow motion that he shot in black-and-white.'

Less interesting: He added that superhero stories like Justice League have, 'became somewhat repetitive to me and less interesting,' though he admits he did finally 'figure out how to play' Batman in his appearance in The Flash

'And one day of shooting with me and him. He was like, Do you want to come shoot in my backyard? I was like, I think there are unions, Zack. I think we have to make a deal. But I went and did it. And now (Zack Snyder's Justice League) is my highest-rated movie on IMDb,' Affleck explained.

When asked if ZSJL is his highest-rated IMDB movie because of the intense fan base of director Zack Snyder, Affleck brushed that off, stating, 'Say what you want, it is my highest-rated career movie.'

'Ive never had one that went from nadir to pinnacle. Retroactively, its a hit. All of a sudden I was getting congratulated for the bomb Im in,' Affleck said.

Still, despite Zack Snyder's Justice League's positive reception from fans, the whole experience turned Affleck off from the possibility of directing a superhero movie.

'But I was going to direct a Batman, and (Justice League) made me go, "Im out. I never want to do any of this again. Im not suited,"' Affleck explained.

'That was the worst experience Ive ever seen in a business which is full of some s****y experiences. It broke my heart,' he added.

Justice League was in the midst of post-production when director Zack Snyder stepped away from the project after the death of his daughter Autumn by suicide.

Joss Whedon was brought in to finish the film, and direct two months of reshoots, which resulted in a finished film comprised of footage shot by both Snyder and Whedon, which was not met well by fans and critics alike.

Worst: 'That was the worst experience Ive ever seen in a business which is full of some s****y experiences. It broke my heart,' he added Worst: 'That was the worst experience Ive ever seen in a business which is full of some s****y experiences. It broke my heart,' he added.

'There was an idea of someone (Joss Whedon) coming in, like, "Ill rescue you and well do 60 days of shooting and Ill write a whole thing around what you have. Ive got the secret." And it wasnt the secret. That was hard,' Affleck admitted.

'And I started to drink too much. I was back at the hotel in London, it was either that or jump out the window. And I just thought, "This isnt the life I want. My kids arent here. Im miserable,"' Affleck admitted.

'You want to go to work and find something interesting to hang onto, rather than just wearing a rubber suit, and most of it youre just standing against the computer screen going, If this nuclear waste gets loose, well  Thats fine. I dont condescend to that or put it down, but I got to a point where I found it creatively not satisfying,' Affleck said.

Not satisfying: 'You want to go to work and find something interesting to hang onto, rather than just wearing a rubber suit,' Affleck said

'Also just, youre sweaty and exhausted. And I thought, I dont want to participate in this in any way. And I dont want to squander any more of my life, of which I have a limited amount,"' he admitted.

Affleck also clarified comments he made during a wide-ranging interview with Howard Stern, which many construed as the actor blaming his ex-wife Jennifer Garner for his drinking problem.

'The idea [was] that I was blaming my wife for my drinking. To be clear, my behavior is my responsibility entirely,' Affleck clarified.

'I was trying to say, "Hey, look, I was drinking too much, and the less happy you become, whether it's your job, your marriage, it's just that as your life becomes more difficult, if you're doing things to fill a hole that aren't healthy, you're going to start doing more of those things." I think I was pretty articulate about that,' he explained.
Barry Keoghan is in talks to appear in the sequel to Gladiator, which is directed by Ridley Scott and features Paul Mescal.

The 30-year-old actor has been linked to the upcoming project, sources told The Hollywood Reporter Thursday, which is the sequel to Scott's Oscar-winning 2000 motion picture, which starred Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix.

The feted film saw Crowe's Maximus character sent to slavery by Phoenix's corrupt Roman emperor Commodus.

Keoghan would portray the role of Emperor Geta (who was an actual emperor, but the film is not based on a true story), THR reported.

The Dublin, Ireland native, who was nominated Sunday for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his work in The Banshees of Inisherin, has been seen in Eternals, The Batman and Chernobyl.

The latest: Barry Keoghan, 30, is in talks to appear in the sequel to Gladiator, which is directed by Ridley Scott, 85, and features Paul Mescal, 27. Pictured last month in LA

Mescal, 27, who was nominated for the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Aftersun, is slated to play the role of Lucius.

The character is the nephew of Phoenixs Commodus and son of Lucilla, who was played by Connie Nielsen in the original. (The role was played by Spencer Treat Clark in the first movie.)

The 2000 movie was a commercial and critical success, garnering $503 million worldwide and winning five Academy Awards in 2001 - including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Crowe - on 12 nominations.

Scott was up for Best Director while Phoenix was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

Scott is collaborating on the film with screenwriter David Scarpa, who he has past worked with on movies including All The Money In the World and the forthcoming film Napoleon Bonaparte.

He is also working with some crew members from the original film, including costume designer Janty Yates, director of photography John Mathieson and production designer Arthur Max.

Paramount is producing the film, with Universal - who co-produced the first film - having the option of co-producing once the motion picture is complete.

Paramount has slated a release date for the film as November 22, 2024.

Mescal is slated to play the role of Lucius, the nephew of Phoenixs Commodus and son of Lucilla. Pictured at the Oscars Sunday
B*Witched was one of the biggest girl groups of the late nineties and early 2000s.

And on Friday the Irish group, consisting of twin sisters Edele and Keavy Lynch, 43, Lindsay Armaou, 44, and Sinead O'Carroll, 49, made a rare appearance on Australian TV after making a music comeback.

The band appeared on Today Extra and looked incredible as they showed off their ageless looks, proving they haven't changed a bit from their heyday.

The girls have just released a new comeback track, called Birthday.

Speaking of their comeback, Edele said: 'We've been in the studio for a while and Birthday, as soon as we heard it, we were like, ''this is a hit, this is what we need''. It's all about empowerment.'

Remember them? B*Witched stars made a rare Aussie TV appearance on Today Extra on Friday, after making a music comeback. Pictured in 1998

Reflecting on how much the music industry has changed in recent years, they said they now can't believe they have a TikTok account.

'We have a TikTok account for starters! Social media has made a massive difference you're not doing as many TV appearances or magazines,' Sinead said.

Lindsay added that her daughter was 'impressed' to learn that her mum was a star back in the day.

Pictured from left to right: Sinead O'Carroll, Lindsay Armaou, and twin sisters Keavy and Edele Lynch

'My little girl is now five and she's started to get impressed by it and is like, ''that is quite cool you sang all those songs,'' she said with a laugh.

They've released their latest single to celebrate it being 25 years since the band was first formed.

They ruled the charts between 1997 and 2002 and are known for hits including C'est la Vie, Rollercoaster, To You I Belong, Blame It on the Weatherman and Champagne and Guinness.

The girls are loving performing this time round as they reflected on their whirlwind fame in the nineties in a new interview.

'There's more space to enjoy it now. The industry was so huge then, it was non-stop. We would work 16 or 17 hours a day and just be constantly on the phone,' Edele told The Sun.

B*witched are back with new music for the first time in nearly a decade. The girls have just released a new comeback track, called Birthday. Pictured recently

Keavy added: 'Now you couldn't legally do a 22-hour video shoot, like we did. There's protection to stop people being pushed so much. There was a lack of care.

'We have a lot of fun but every number one we had, the pressure mounted. There's only so long you can go on at that level of hard work with those long hours, all the travelling and not eating properly.'

Speaking of their new music, Edele said she hopes the new music will allow 'people to really see us and understand where we're going with this. We're in it for the long haul.'

They ruled the charts between 1997 and 2002 and are known for hits including C'est la Vie, Rollercoaster, To You I Belong, Blame It on the Weatherman and Champagne and Guinness. Pictured in 1999

In 2001, a third album was in the works, and the band had chosen Where Will You Go? as the new single.

But the girls received a phone call from their manager telling them their record label had dropped them and a year after. With no record deal in sight, Sinead left the band.

The group split officially a year later and reunited in 2012 for ITV2 reality show The Big Reunion, and performing together ever since.

B*Witched had to hold 'emotional clear the air' talks before reforming.

The group split officially a year later in 2002 and reunited in 2012 for ITV2 reality show The Big Reunion, and performing together ever since

Edele admitted on the show that she and Sinead had fallen out in 2006 and hadn't spoken since

She said at the time: "My biggest anxiety about doing this  there's only one, and it's Sinead, I think. It's just how I'm going to feel about being in her person again.'

In 2022, the girls toured with boyband Blue, and speaking to Evoke, Sinead said: 'We are having a blast, we love touring with Blue.

'It feels incredible to be performing in arenas all over the UK again. The crowds have been amazing.'

When asked about their infamous look, she said: 'We are loving putting on the denim. People love to see it and you get lots of fans turning up in double denim.'
Mvuselelo Mkhabela, a 21-year-old activist of the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS), who escaped from a hospital after being shot and tortured by the police, confirmed that he is safe in a video message released on March 9.

Mvuselelo is only the latest victim of the brutal repression unleashed by security forces of King Mswati III, Africas last absolute monarch, against those who criticize the king. Mvuselelo was shot on February 28 while leading a protest against a government campaign to encourage people to vote in the upcoming parliamentary election, expected to be held in the second half of 2023.

Mvuselelo Mkhabela, 21-year-old activist of the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS) [ Photo Credit: CPS Swaziland/via Facebook]

CPS International Secretary Pius Vilakati told Peoples Dispatch that these elections have nothing to do with the interests of the people of Swaziland. Only those approved by the kings local chiefswho also control the community land can contest the elections to the parliament of the southern African kingdom, where all political parties have been banned since 1973.

On February 28, Mvuselelo was shot, and then the police picked me up and threw me in one of the vans they had brought, he told Peoples Dispatch, while speaking from a hideout. The police tortured Mvuselelo for hours, finally bringing him to the hospital in the afternoon. That evening, a fellow party member snuck into the hospital and helped Mvuselelo escape.

The police remain on the lookout for him. Mvuselelo said that he must soon flee the country. Most political dissidents pursued by the monarchy end up in exile, mostly in South Africa, after going underground. Others have been assassinated or imprisoned on charges of terrorism.

Credit Line: from the Peoples Dispatch / Globetrotter News Service




She had a scene-stealing role as the first victim in box-office horror hit Scream VI.

And Samara Weaving was having plenty of fun on Thursday as she was interviewed alongside Josh Gad on The Late Late Show with James Corden.

The Australian actress, 31, quipped about having an 'Illuminati' tattoo as she showed off her rarely seen inking on her ankle.

But all jokes aside, she said the tattoo wasn't actually a sign of the shadowy elite group at the centre of many conspiracy theories.

In reality, she said, it was a tribute to her love of the Harry Potter franchise.

Samara Weaving (pictured at Paris Fashion Week on March 6) had plenty of fun on Thursday as she was interviewed alongside Josh Gad on The Late Late Show with James Corden

She said she was a lifelong fan of the Wizarding World and was so excited when she was cast in the 2019 film Guns Akimbo alongside Daniel Radcliffe, who played the Boy Who Lived in the Harry Potter films based on JK Rowling's bestselling books.

Samara said she had to keep her tattoo, an icon from the Deathly Hallows films, on the 'downlow' during the shoot to avoid freaking out Daniel.

This proved tricky, however, because the two actors spent a lot of time together during their four weeks of stunt training.

The Australian actress, 31, quipped about having an 'Illuminati' tattoo as she showed off her rarely seen inking on her ankle. In reality, the tattoo is a reference to the Harry Potter books

During their action sequences, Samara wore 'super long socks' to cover up her tattoo, but found herself in an awkward situation when she forgot to wear them to set one day.

'I was trying to be really cool, like, "Oh, hey, Dan,' she said, but she was eventually rumbled when the 33-year-old Brit clocked her tatt.

'Is that what I think it is?' he asked her circumspectly.

Samara had an awkward moment a few years ago when she was filming a movie with Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe and he recognised the symbol on her ankle

'No, it's not,' Samara replied, which prompted Daniel to ask: 'Then what is it?'

The Babysitter star then joked, 'I'm in the Illuminati!' before immediately conceding it was a Harry Potter tattoo.

However, she reassured him: 'It's not about you, it's about the books.'
She's the new global ambassador for Aussie swimwear brand Seafolly.

And model Joanna Halpin is working hard in front of the camera to promote the label's latest designs.

Seafolly posted behind the scenes footage of Halpin's shoot on their Instagram page on Thursday.

Shot in a tropical beachside setting, Halpin, 31, posed in a black and mint green diamond wire bandeau bikini top with matching cheeky-cut bottoms.

The bikini is from Seafolly's Palm Paradise range.

New face of Seafolly Joanna Halpin sizzles in latest bikini campaign for the brand after furore surrounding non-binary 'ambassador' Deni Todorovic

She accessorised with a cream woven tote bag, a gold pendant necklace and sported a dainty belly button ring.

British-born, New York-based model Halpin has been the official face of the celebrated swimwear brand's latest campaign, Summer Somewhere, since early February.

The stunning model's role was overshadowed earlier this month when non-binary influencer Deni Todorovic, who uses they/them pronouns, claimed on social media that they were Seafolly's 'ambassador and brand partner'.

Seafolly also issued a statement last Friday, insisting that they are 'supportive of all women' and that Halpin is their official ambassador, not non-binary transgender activist Deni.

Halpin spoke out last Saturday in an interview with News Corp's Stellar magazine, where she appeared to subtly reference the recent furore surrounding Deni's association with Seafolly.

'Brands now work with people who are not necessarily a model, more a personality,' she said.

'It's not just limited to models in the way it was in the '90s, with traditionally beautiful women.'

After days of criticism, Seafolly Australia finally issued a statement last Friday regarding their latest campaign, saying they continue to support and uplift women.

Writer Alexandra Marshall was one of those who had spoken out against brand's partnership with Todorovic, saying the swimwear brand was 'mocking women' and said she would boycott Seafolly.

Seafolly posted behind the scenes footage of Halpin's shoot on their Instagram page on Thursday

Shot in a tropical beachside setting, Halpin, 31, posed in a black and mint green diamond wire bandeau bikini top with matching cheeky-cut bottoms

British-born, New York-based model Halpin has been the official face of the celebrated swimwear brand's latest campaign, Summer Somewhere, since early February

'Bye @seafolly. Never again. Been buying swimsuits from you for many years. Never again,' she posted on Twitter.

However, Seafolly denied Todorovic was an ambassador for the brand, and said they were a 'special guest' to the brand's World Pride event in Sydney.

'We would like to address the recent coverage of Seafolly's involvement with Sydney World Pride in which Deni Todorovic was invited as a special guest, and wore a custom, not-for-sale Seafolly design,' the statement reads.

'On Saturday 4th March, Deni attended our in-store Sydney World Pride event as out special guest. We chose to host this event to inspire everyone to feel seen, included, and confident to be themselves at the beach.

The stunning model's role was overshadowed last week when non-binary influencer Deni Todorovic (pictured), who uses they/them pronouns, claimed on social media that they were Seafolly's 'ambassador and brand partner'

Last Friday, Seafolly Australia issued a statement in regards to their latest campaign, saying they continue to support and uplift women. The statement also noted that Todorovic was not the brand's new ambassador, but rather a 'special guest' to their World Pride event in Sydney

'This season our Global Ambassador and Face of the Brand is Joanna Halpin, a trail-blazing model and photographer.

'We are passionate about supporting and uplifting women, and to broadening our representation of women living the Australian beach lifestyle.'

The statement concludes: 'We stand proud that our brand is inclusive and supportive of all women, including the LGBTQIA+ community and beyond.'

Earlier this month, Todorovic gushed about making 'history' in a lengthy Instagram post over the weekend.

Halpin stuns in a series of sizzling photos for Seafolly's new summer campaign

'This marks the first time iconic Aussie swim giants @seafollyaustralia have worked with a trans ambassador/brand partner,' they said.

They have since edited their caption to read: 'Today we made history. This marks the first time iconic Aussie swim giants @seafollyaustralia have worked with a Trans person.'

Seafolly's move to work with Todorovic sparked calls for a boycott of the brand, which is known for its glamorous advertisements featuring some of the world's most famous female models including Miranda Kerr, Gigi Hadid, and Shanina Shaik.

Since the launch of the advertising campaign - which features a bearded Todorovic posing in lime green Seafolly bikini bottoms and a matching cover-up - the activist has been relentlessly trolled.

Speaking exclusively with Daily Mail Australia last week, the non-binary model claims they warned Seafolly that the company would be bombarded with threats and abuse.

The British-born beauty shows off her sun-kissed physique in a patterned Seafolly bikini

'I told Seafolly "I will have people say it's iconic. But I will also have people tell me to kill myself, to burn in hell, that I'm a groomer, and that my mum should be ashamed,"' Todorovic said.

'I absolutely expected that, when I sat down with Seafolly, I prepped them for this,' the socialite continued.

'I told them, people will say "you're trying to be woke, it's tokenistic". I told them to have a statement ready to go.

'I've done it before with Bonds and David Jones. I feel very supportive and very prepared,' they explained.

'It all part and parcel of being a trans creator, and just being a trans person in Australia.'

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, Todorovic said he'd been flooded with hateful and abusive comments since working with Seafolly

Todorovic said the slurs directed at transgender people - such as 'groomer' and 'paedo' - echoed the attacks gay men faced in the past.

Others targeted Todorovic on Instagram, with one saying: 'Since when do women have penises in their bikini bottoms. This is beyond disgusting and Deni you are trying to eradicate biological women. Deplorable.'

Hitting back at the comment in a video on their story, Todorovic said that some women 'do have penises' because not all want - or can afford - genital surgery.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Todorovic said the criticism still 'deeply hurt' despite its predictability.

Other trolls also targeted Deni on Instagram, with one saying: 'Since when do women have penises in their bikini bottoms. This is beyond disgusting and Deni you are trying to eradicate biological women. Deplorable'

'The proud moment comes when I think about why campaigns like this are so necessary,' they said.

'We need queer people on TV, in parliament and in power. And not just queer people but trans people - in many parts of the world being a lesbian or gay is seen as okay, but being trans isn't.'

While celebrating the novel use of a transgender model in a swimwear campaign, Todorovic said seeing the outline of a penis beneath swimmers was hardly new.

'I'm wearing bikini bottoms which are basically Speedos, which, last time I checked, people with penises wear Speedos.

Australian models Jesinta Franklin and Lara Worthington have represented the brand before

'So maybe you just need to investigate and dig a little deeper as to why me, in a Speedo essentially, feels like an attack on your gender identity, because that's not what I'm trying to do.'

Todorovic's role as a model for Seafolly was celebrated by a number of celebrities, including the brand's former ambassador Jesinta Franklin.

Many shoppers also left positive comments on Seafolly's official Instagram account to celebrate the campaign.

'As some one who hasn't shopped at Seafolly for years I'll be back now! Love seeing brands be inclusive and that is where I want my money to go,' one woman wrote.

'So amazing to see this, Seafolly. I love to see brands pioneering the celebration of pride and inclusion,' another added.

Author and artist Alexandra Marshall (pictured) said it felt like the fashion brand was 'mocking women'
EastEnders fans are in for a shock in upcoming episodes as Keanu Taylor appears to get into some hot water with the law - leaving his friends and family gobsmacked.

In snaps of the cast filming the new scenes, the character and his on/off partner Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) are seen deciding to hold a Christening for their son Albie.

But as they brush up for the occasion and are joined by friends and family for the ceremony - things are interrupted by the police, who arrest Keanu outside of the church.

Carnage then breaks loose during the scenes as Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley) has an outburst upon seeing her son get arrested.

As she is held back by Zack (James Farrar) and Martin (James Bye) - who returned to screens this week after some time away - the event quickly descends into chaos.

EastEnders SPOILER: Sharon is left mortified as Keanu gets arrested during a christening ceremony for their son Albie - with shocked friends and family watching on

Fuming: Carnage then breaks loose during the scenes as Karen Taylor has an outburst upon seeing her son get arrested

Pictures of the cast filming show them gathered outside after the christening service, with drama unfolding.

Keanu arrived to the ceremony driving a van loaded with washing machines, but was unaware that police cars were following his every move.

While the dad-of-one is inside the church, the van is then inspected by the authorities, who force open the door and manage to crack into a washing machine.

Inside the appliance was an abundance of suspicious white powder, leading the police to believe that Keanu is heavily involved with drugs.

The police then gather outside of the church as they pounce on Keanu after his son's christening.

Donning a light grey suit and a dusty blue shirt, the shocked character is forced to place his hands behind his back as he's handcuffed by the authorities.

A furious Sharon stood alongside her ex, dressed up for the occasion in a navy blue dress with a lace layer.

Her blonde locks were left to fall freely in a sleek style as she added a white fascinator on top.

Joyous day: Keanu and his on/off partner Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) are seen deciding to hold a Christening for their son Albie

Guests: Joined by friends and family, staples of the square such as Whitney, Martin, Zack and Cathy

Here come the boys: Martin and Keanu were suited and booted for the occasion

Arrival: Keanu arrived to the ceremony driving a van loaded with washing machines, but was unaware that police cars were following his every move

Discovery: While the dad-of-one is inside the church, the van is then inspected by the authorities, who force open the door and manage to crack into a washing machine

Red handed: Inside the appliance was an abundance of suspicious white powder, leading the police to believe that Keanu is heavily involved with drugs

Got him: The police then gather outside of the church as they pounce on Keanu after his son's christening

Drama: Donning a light grey suit and a dusty blue shirt, the shocked character is forced to place his hands behind his back as he's handcuffed by the authorities

Shock: A furious Sharon stood alongside her ex, dressed up for the occasion in a navy blue dress with a lace layer

What's going on? While his mother Karen is left just as furious at the sight of her son being arrested

Jumping in: The mother then attempts to help her son in an exaggerated rant - jumping in full throttle to stop the arrest

Close? Whitney and Zack appear closer than they are currently in the scenes, with the latter wrapping his arms around her

Class: Whitney dresses up for the occasion in a black midi dress and dogtooth coat for the day

Going wild: While Karen is held back by police as has an outburts ovre the moment

Squaring up: She goes all out on the authorities while squaring up to them

Keeping her at bay: Karen was held back by Martin and Zack as they attempted to diffuse the situation

Appearing taken aback by the arrest, she is snapped shooting a disapproving look towards Keanu.

While his mother Karen is just as furious as she attempts to help her son in an exaggerated rant - jumping in full throttle to stop the arrest.

But held back by Zack and Martin, the strong-willed character is left battle both the police and her friends as they all attempt to keep her at bay.

Watching as the carnage unfolds, a shocked Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) stands to the side, looking classy in a black midi dress and dogtooth coat.

Breaking character during filming, the actors showed that it isn't all serious between takes - sharing laughs amongst one another.

Despite filming a tense moment, Lorraine Stanley had her co-stars giggling as Shona and James Farrar broke into laughter while holding her back.

Spring look: While Cathy was dressed up in a floral maxi dress and dusty blue coat for the occasion

Having a laugh: Breaking character during filming, the actors showed that it isn't all serious between takes - sharing laughs amongst one another
The White Lotus hunk Lukas Gage has revealed how his mother felt about his raunchy gay sex scene on the buzzy series.

Lukas, 27, features on season one as the breezy hotel employee Dillon who catches the eye of his tightly-wound, recovering alcoholic manager Armond (Murray Bartlett).

Armond, whose sobriety was already hanging by a thread, falls disastrously off the wagon and indulges in a drug-fueled sex romp with Dillon.

In one scene that set fans' tongues wagging, Armond is caught in his office performing anilingus on his subordinate.

Now in a new interview with Variety, Lukas spilled that his mother reacted by saying: 'Thats a great a**. Get that money. Get that bag and be committed.'

'That's a great a**': The White Lotus hunk Lukas Gage has revealed how his mother felt about his raunchy gay sex scene on the buzzy series

Backdrop: Lukas, 27, features on season one as the breezy hotel employee Dillon who catches the eye of his tightly-wound, recovering alcoholic manager Armond (Murray Bartlett)

Whoops: In one scene that set fans' tongues wagging, Armond is caught in his office performing anilingus on his subordinate

Along with The White Lotus, Lukas also drew attention for a scene on the Netflix series You in which he gets urinated on as a sexual fetish.

His mother took a relaxed view, Lukas said, describing her as 'a cool little hippie lady. With nudity, I think we both share sort of a European vibe.'

Shortly after the anilingus scene aired on The White Lotus, Murray explained that 'I love that it's not something that we see very often.'

In an interview with Digital Spy, he said with a chuckle: 'In terms of the function of the scene, I think the shock value of that for people who are not used to that kind of...configuration of intimacy is really brilliant.'

He argued that the scene 'felt right in terms of the shock value. And it felt great in terms of: "Let's show something that is a natural part of sex for a lot of queer people." It serves the scene in such a great way.'

Murray has been open about his own homosexuality for years, while Lukas is currently dating hairstylist to the stars Chris Appleton.

In the past Lukas was relentlessly attacked by woke social media users furious that he plays LGBT roles without publicly labeling himself as such.

When the subject came up in a recent New York Times interview, he shared that he was once dropped by an agent for refusing to clearly define his sexual orientation.

The look of love: Lukas is currently dating hairstylist to the stars Chris Appleton, who made their romance Instagram official just this week

Pushing boundaries: Along with The White Lotus, Lukas also drew attention for a scene on the Netflix series You (pictured) in which he gets urinated on as a sexual fetish

The agent purportedly instructed him: 'Stop dyeing your hair, stop wearing weird clothes and pick a lane: gay, bi or straight. Its too confusing.'

Meanwhile Lukas' own position is: 'I understand representation and voices that need to be heard, but I dont want to do anything on anyones accord but my own.'

He insisted: 'Let me do it when Im ready. And its acting. I feel like everyone should get the opportunity to play whatever they want.'

More recently Lukas also defended Diplo, who went viral for dishing on Emily Ratajkowski's podcast High Low that he has gotten oral sex from men.

Although Diplo confessed he was 'not NOT gay,' he did not attach a label to his sexuality either, leading to a touch of online trolling.

Lukas had only positive words for Diplo, saying: 'Im sure there are a lot of people who have that same exact experience but maybe dont have the confidence or the honesty to talk about it like that.'

He acknowledged: 'And, you know, theres going to be people on either side saying that hes not labeling himself enough.'

Lukas came down on Diplo's side, saying: 'I commend him on his honesty and I dont think we need to label everything and have it all figured out. Things can be in a gray area and dont have to be so black and white.'
The Bachelorette star Carlin Sterritt is now a married man.

The 31-year-old personal trainer, who won Angie Kent's heart on the Channel 10 dating show in 2019 only to split months later, tied the knot with his partner Emily Bradwell in an intimate ceremony at Dunes Palm Beach, north Sydney, on Thursday.

Carlin posted a video on Instagram of the newlyweds leaving their reception with their guests holding sparklers, and wrote: 'Hitched! What a night.'

He looked sharp on his big day in a white shirt and a black bow tie, while his bride opted for a classic white dress with a strapless design.

The couple's guests also shared pictures from the nuptials showing Carlin and Emily sharing their first kiss as husband and wife and looking happier than ever.

The Bachelorette star Carlin Sterritt is now a married man. The 31-year-old, who won Angie Kent 's heart on the dating show in 2019 only to split months later, tied the knot with his partner Emily Bradwell in an intimate ceremony at Dunes Palm Beach, north Sydney, on Thursday

Emily completed her bridal look with a long white veil, and swept her long brunette locks back off her face to highlight her flawless makeup.

She carried a bouquet of white flowers that perfectly complemented her dress.

'You are the most stunning bride I have ever laid my eyes on,' one of her friends wrote on Instagram.

Carlin (centre) looked sharp on his big day in a white shirt and a black bow tie, while his bride (left) opted for a classic white dress with a strapless design

Emily completed her bridal look with a long white veil, and swept her long brunette locks back off her face to highlight her flawless makeup

Emily shared a picture of herself holding hands with Carlin in bed overlooking Pittwater after their wedding on Friday, as the pair showed off their wedding rings.

'Waking up with a whole husband,' she wrote.

Carlin and Emily announced their engagement in October last year.

Emily shared a picture of herself holding hands with Carlin in bed overlooking Pittwater after their wedding on Friday, as the pair showed off their wedding rings

'Yes to spending the rest of my days with you,' Emily captioned a photo of her hand, on which she wore a stunning diamond ring.

Carlin added: 'What a memorable celebration of two years with this incredible human.'

The couple went Instagram official in December 2020.

He announced his break-up with Angie Kent in July 2020 after just 10 months of dating. They met on The Bachelorette in 2019.

The pair chose to part ways because her lifestyle clashed with his Christian values.

Carlin and Emily announced their engagement in October last year

Angie, 32, previously claimed Carlin had wanted her to look 'like a Barbie doll', and even said he refused to adopt an 'ugly dog' because it wasn't 'aesthetically pleasing'.

'I'm going to attract people that I don't really like, because I don't like being 48 kilos and drinking too much and having to look like a doll all the time,' she said on her Nova podcast Two Girls One Pod.

'I'm going to end up with Carlin, and look how swimmingly that turned out. I don't want to attract that s**t. I want to look like this and attract a really nice human.'

Cuttingly, she added: 'And no offence to him. I'm sure you know, he's a great partner to a Barbie doll... but not for this guy.'

Angie revealed last month she was dating lesbian AFLW player Jess Trend, but not exclusively, and the pair celebrated Mardi Gras together.
Fitness influencer Sophie Guidolin has broken her silence on her split from husband Dr Andrew Firgaira, just days after he announced their separation.

Dr Firgaira, a high-profile Gold Coast dentist, confirmed the couple's split on Wednesday, following weeks of rumours they had quietly ended their marriage just four months after their dream wedding.

But in a series of Instagram comments on Friday, Guidolin claimed that - contrary to rumours doing the rounds online - she was the one who 'left' her husband, not the other way around.

She opened up about her failed marriage on her 34th birthday, after posting a gallery of photos with her teenage son Kai, with whom she recently reunited after he spent several months living with her parents in Adelaide while they were going though 'a hard time in our lives'.

Guidolin said being back with Kai, who had reportedly not attended her wedding to Dr Firgaira, was 'the silver lining' after a nightmare year that saw her relationship with her husband fall apart after she gave birth to a stillborn child.

Fitness influencer Sophie Guidolin (right) has broken her silence on her split from husband Dr Andrew Firgaira (left), just days after he announced their separation

In a series of Instagram comments on Friday, Guidolin claimed that - contrary to rumours doing the rounds online - she was the one who 'left' her husband, not the other way around

'The silver lining,' she wrote in the caption, referring to her eldest son.

'Gratitude times a million to have you back in my arms. I will do everything in my power to never let anyone or anything ever come between our bond.

'Thirty-three Nothing on earth could have prepared me for the year that was. Here's to redoing 33 #family #love #Kai.'

One of her followers asked in the comments section, 'Where's your hubby?' to which Guidolin replied, 'I left him.'

Another fan said, 'Here's to a better year ahead. Happiest birthday,' and the self-styled nutritionist responded, '[It] can't be worse than the last.'

She opened up about her failed marriage on her 34th birthday, after posting a gallery of photos with her teen son Kai, with whom she recently reunited after he spent several months living with her parents in Adelaide while they were going though 'a hard time in our lives'

A fan said, 'Here's to a better year ahead. Happiest birthday,' and the self-styled nutritionist responded, '[It] can't be worse than the last'

She replied 'oath' when a supporter said it's 'better to split than live a miserable life'

One follower offered kind words after Guidolin's horror year, and praised her for her 'bravery'

One follower offered kind words after Guidolin's horror year, and praised her for her 'strength' and 'bravery'.

'Sounds like your heart was broken twice this last year, [but] you're still standing, strong and brave, surrounded by so much love,' they wrote.

'Heartbreak is hard, losing a baby is hard. I've lost two as well and nothing makes you mentally stronger.'

Guidolin responded with a teary-face emoji, and wrote: 'Yep.'

She replied 'oath' when a supporter said it's 'better to split than live a miserable life'.

It comes after Dr Firgaira (left) confirmed on Wednesday the couple had ended their marriage. The dentist said he was 'not willing' to discuss the reasons for the split, which came after Guidolin gave birth to a stillborn baby while he was on holiday in Europe with his daughters

'In order to remove the constant speculation I'll answer this once by saying we are no longer together,' he wrote in a comment on his own post. 'I have my reasons why and I'm not prepared to discuss this matter any further'

His comments come after Guidolin quietly unfollowed Dr Firgaira on Instagram weeks earlier (as seen here), and wiped all evidence of him from her own feed

It comes after Dr Firgaira confirmed on Wednesday the couple had ended their relationship in an emotionally raw Instagram post.

The dentist said he was 'not willing' to discuss the reasons for the split, which came after Guidolin gave birth to a stillborn baby while he was on holiday in Europe with his daughters from a previous relationship.

'In order to remove the constant speculation I'll answer this once by saying we are no longer together,' he wrote in a comment on his own post.

'I have my reasons why and I'm not prepared to discuss this matter any further.'

He stressed he 'wants people to refrain' from commenting on the relationship as 'nothing positive can come from discussing it further'.

His comments come after Guidolin quietly unfollowed Dr Firgaira on Instagram weeks earlier, and wiped all evidence of him from her own feed.

Photos of Guidolin and Dr Firgaira at their wedding were deleted, as well as their engagement post and a photo announcing Guidolin's pregnancy over Christmas last year.

The couple tied the knot in November, and announced a month later they were expecting their first child together (pictured)

Rumours about the couple's marriage had been swirling for months, after fans noticed the model had stopped posting photos of Dr Firgaira on social media.

Last month, Guidolin added more fuel to the fire by uploading a cryptic Instagram post hinting at heartbreak.

She said she was going through a 'rough patch' and stressed the importance of 'human connection' despite her desire to 'recharge her batteries alone'.

She then alluded to her need for 'closure' after a difficult time, writing: 'Forgiveness is key, but some things are unforgivable and closure is the choice.'

Guidolin announced her engagement to Dr Firgaira in June 2022, just over two years after splitting from Married At First Sight star Jake Edwards in May 2020.

The couple tied the knot in November, before announcing a month later they were expecting their first child together.

Guidolin, who has four children from a previous relationship, encountered serious health problems during her fifth pregnancy.

In January, she told fans she had been diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness.

While recovering from the condition in hospital, Guidolin shared a post complaining about how lonely she felt without Dr Firgaira by her side.

When quizzed by fans where her husband was, she said he was overseas on a long-promised European holiday with his two daughters.

Guidolin announced in late January her fifth child, and first with Dr Firgaira, a girl named Pixie, was stillborn.

In January, Guidolin told fans she had been diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness. (Pictured recovering from the condition in hospital)

While in hospital, Guidolin shared a post complaining about how lonely she felt without Dr Firgaira by her side. She described her struggles during an exchange with MAFS star Martha Kalifatidis, who was also pregnant at the time

When asked by her followers where her husband was, Guidolin said he was overseas in Europe

Guidolin responded candidly after one fan asked how she was coping

'I cannot begin to articulate my pain, grief and despair through my entire soul,' she wrote in an emotional Instagram post, revealing she underwent a C-section.

'I am trying to trust in God's timing and I have always believed that the universe has my back and no matter how confusing this all feels, I am trying to make sense of this grief with my faith.

'I feel so guilty for my thoughts prior and I would do anything to have that pain, over this harrowing experience. I don't even have the words on how to write or how to comprehend this. Maybe some souls were always meant to be angels.'
Riley Keough was pictured with her War Pony co-director Gina Gammell at the North American premiere of film at SXSW Thursday, held at The Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas.

The 33-year-old actress/filmmaker donned a plunging V-neck dress with long sleeves and gold bracelets at the debut of the movie, which tells the 'interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation,' according to a synopsis.

Keough - the granddaughter of the late Elvis Presley and daughter of the late Lisa Marie Presley - wore her reddish brown locks down and parted with gold earrings at the screening, where she posed alongside her collaborator on the project, Gammell.

Gammell wore a cotton Bijou Check ensemble of a short sleeve shirt and wide leg pants with light brown sandals.

The creative, who has past worked on projects such as Manodrome and Welcome the Stranger, wore her wavy brown locks down and parted with hoop earrings at the cinematic event.

The latest: Riley Keough, 33, was pictured with her War Pony co-director Gina Gammell at North American premiere of film at SXSW Thursday, held at The Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas

The outing comes as the film's rights in the U.S. and Canada were obtained by Momentum Pictures, Deadline reported Wednesday.

The offering from Keough and Gammell comes after War Pony debuted the film to a worldwide audience last May at the Cannes Film Festival in Un Certain Regard, claiming the prize for the Camera dOr (for Best First Feature Film).

Keough has been in the headlines as of late amid an ongoing rift with grandmother Priscilla Presley over her late mother Lisa Marie Presley's will.

The actress lost her mother after she suffered cardiac arrest at her Calabasas, California home in January.

The dispute with Priscilla stemmed from both Keough and her brother Benjamin being named trustees to Lisa Marie's estate in 2016, after she was the sole trustee for years.

Benjamin died by suicide in 2020, meaning the fortune now belongs to Keough. Priscilla is contending the 2016 amendment and has questioned the authenticity of her late daughter's signatures on the document.

The family hostility continued this week in a Los Angeles court when Lisa Marie's ex-husband Michael Lockwood, 61, was granted full custody of their twin girls daughter Harper and Finley, 14, in the wake of her passing at 54.

Lockwood had been in a contentious custody battle for seven years with Lisa Marie, whose side Riley took, as she was upset she was losing time with her half-sisters to him.

Keough wore her reddish brown locks down and parted with gold earrings at the screening

The 33-year-old actress/filmmaker donned a plunging V-neck dress with long sleeves and gold bracelets at the debut of the movie

She posed alongside Gammell, her collaborator on the award-winning project

Gammell wore a cotton Bijou Check ensemble of a short sleeve shirt and wide leg pants with light brown sandals

Keough smiled at the event amid a difficult few months following the death of her mother Lisa Marie Presley

Keough and Gammell posed with cast members from the motion picture at the screening

Priscilla has been amenable to Lockwood amid recent developments as she seeks to 'be a part of her grandchildren's lives,' a source told People last month.

Keough has also been busy promoting her new 10-episode Amazon Prime miniseries Daisy Jones and The Six, which focuses on the 1970s music scene in Los Angeles and is loosely inspired by Fleetwood Mac.

The show which follows the rise of rock band Daisy Jones and The Six through the '70s LA music scene on their quest for worldwide icon status.

The show is based on the New York Times bestselling novel, also starring Suki Waterhouse, Camila Morrone, Sam Claflin, Sebastian Chacon, Josh Whitehouse, Nabiyah Be and Tom Wright.

The series will feature 24 original songs written exclusively for the series and recorded by the cast. The original music will be released by Atlantic Records during the rollout of the series.

The series will debuted March 3, with new episodes released every Friday through March 24.

Keough stars in the Prime Video series Daisy Jones and The Six, which follows the rise of rock band Daisy Jones and The Six through the '70s LA music scene on their quest for worldwide icon status

The show is based on the New York Times bestselling novel, also starring Suki Waterhouse, Camila Morrone, Sam Claflin, Sebastian Chacon, Josh Waterhouse, Nabiyah Be and Tom Wright
Dax Shepard and his wife Kristen Bell made a stylish pair as they hit the red carpet at the 2023 South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, on Thursday.

The Employee of the Month actor, 48, sported a casual cool look, wearing slim grey jeans with suspenders over a maroon t-shirt.

Meanwhile the Veronica Mars star, 42 - who recently opened up about her parenting strategy - stunned in a stylish hot pink Lafayette 148 pantsuit, worn over a white top, and paired with pointed-toe white heels.

The couple - who've been married since 2013 - also shared a tender moment on the red carpet, as they leaned into each other while smiling.

The duo attended the Building a Brand Through Community session, held at the Austin Convention Center.

Stylish pair: Dax Shepard, 48, and his wife Kristen Bell, 42, made a stylish pair as they hit the red carpet at the 2023 South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, on Thursday

Tender moment: The couple - who've been married since 2013 - also shared a tender moment on the red carpet, as they leaned into each other while smiling

Dax paired his look with comfortable black sneakers.

He wore his dark blonde hair parted slightly off-center and sported a light beard.

Meanwhile his beautiful wife wore her tresses in a slicked bun, and accessorized with gold earrings.

She was also seen posing solo on the red carpet, wearing an oversized pastel pink Lafayette 148 coat over her suit.

The Michigan-born beauty accessorized with a stylish white purse for the occasion. As for glam, the star opted for a touch of mascara and gloss.

The couple were also seen posing with journalist Sam Sanders, who was dapper in a black suit.

Later on the duo spoke onstage at the event, and were pictured tenderly holding each other's hands.

The couple were joined by business partner Erica Buxton, as they talked about their children's brand Hello Bello.

Cute: The loved-up duo gazed into each other's eyes as they took a break from posing for the shutterbugs

Causal cool: The Employee of the Month actor sported a casual cool look, wearing slim grey jeans with suspenders over a maroon t-shirt

Hot pink: Meanwhile the Veronica Mars star stunned in a stylish hot pink Lafayette 148 pantsuit, worn over a white top

Chic: The Michigan-born beauty wore her tresses in a slicked bun, and accessorized with gold earrings

Pretty in pink: Kristen posed up a storm on the red carpet, showing off her vivid ensemble

Dapper: The couple were also seen posing with journalist Sam Sanders, who was dapper in a black suit

They discussed building their brand and focusing on community first during their talk.

It comes after Kristen revealed that she has spoken to her two young daughters about their father Dax's history with addiction.

The showbiz power couple have been married since 2013 and are raising two little girls together - Lincoln, nine, and Delta, eight.

Dax had a substance abuse problem for over a decade before achieving sobriety in 2005, the year he turned 30.

When he briefly relapsed in 2020 after being prescribed Vicodin following a motorcycle accident, Kristen remained a steadfast source of support.

She told REAL SIMPLE: 'I know it's shocking, but I talk to my kids about drugs, and the fact that their daddy is an addict and he's in recovery, and we talk about sex.'

'I hate the word "taboo." I think it should be stricken from the dictionary. There should be no topic that's off the table for people to talk about,' she argued.

'There are all these "hard topics" that don't have to be if you give the person on the other end your vulnerability and a little bit of credit.'

Loved up: Later on the duo were seen speaking onstage at the event, and were pictured tenderly holding each other's hands

Their brand: The couple were joined by business partner Erica Buxton, as they talked about their children's brand Hello Bello

Community first: They discussed building their brand and focusing on community first during their talk

Stylish: Kristen paired her look with pointed-toe white heels

Delicate glam: As for glam, the beauty opted for a touch of mascara and gloss

Having a blast: Dax appeared to have a blast during the event

Gold accessories: The actor sported a gold watch on his wrist

The look of love: The adorable couple shared a sweet look as they spoke
Paris Hilton gifted her mother Kathy Hilton a blue Chanel purse while announcing the arrival of her newborn son Phoenix Barron.

Late in January Paris, 40, announced that she and her businessman husband Carter Reum had welcomed a baby boy via surrogate.

The couple kept the birth a secret from both of their immediate families until Paris was on the verge of breaking the news on Instagram.

Now in a new interview with Rolling Stone, Paris revealed that she gave Kathy a designer handbag and then handed her Phoenix for the first time.

'I was like, if I give her Chanel first, maybe she wont be so upset that I didnt tell her about this,' Paris confessed to the magazine.

Side by side: Paris Hilton gifted her mother Kathy Hilton a blue Chanel purse while announcing the arrival of her newborn son Phoenix Barron

Softening the blow: 'I was like, if I give her Chanel first, maybe she wont be so upset that I didnt tell her about this,' Paris confessed to Rolling Stone

The moment Kathy met Phoenix for the first time was captured on reality TV cameras for the Peacock series Paris In Love.

Paris described the scene: ''I was holding the baby on my shoulder with a blanket over him, and then I just sat down.'

The hotel heiress dished that Kathy was 'like: "What is that?" And I was like: "A baby...meet your grandson." Shes like: "Is this yours?" And she starts crying. Shes like: "Let me hold him. Hes the most beautiful baby Ive ever seen in my life. Oh, hes so beautiful." She was just in tears.'

Recently she explained why she and Carter hid the baby's birth from even their immediate families until right before she made the Instagram announcement.

'My entire life has been so public,' she told Harper's Bazaar. 'Ive never had anything for myself. We decided that we wanted to have this whole experience to ourselves.'

She said of her son: 'I want to protect him and to be with him every second. You have this mother instinct that kicks in, which I've never had before.'

While the surrogate was in labor, Paris was so determined to protect her privacy that she even went to the trouble of disguising herself with a brunette wig and checking into the hospital under an alias.

Her decision was especially notable considering how close she is to her family, particularly her sister Nicky Hilton Rothschild and their mother.

Joy: Late in January Paris, 40, announced that she and her businessman husband Carter Reum had welcomed a baby boy via surrogate

Resemblance: Her secrecy was notable considering how close she is to her family, particularly her sister Nicky Hilton Rothschild (right) and their mother (center); seen in 2021

However tension flared up between mother and daughter in November when Kathy let slip to E! News that IVF had been a 'struggle' for Paris.

'I don't know where she got that,' Paris shot back in a TMZ interview the following day. 'Its never been a struggle at all.'

When Paris announced the arrival of her firstborn child, all she said was 'You are already loved beyond words,' on a photo of the babys hand holding Pariss finger.

On a recent episode of her podcast This Is Paris, she spilled that Phoenix was 'like over a week old' before she told Kathy and Nicky about his birth.

'When I introduced my mom to our baby boy, it was amazing to see the look on her face, she was so surprised,' said Paris. 'Just the look on her face, it was just priceless.'
She plays a single mother on Netflix's Ginny & Georgia and now Brianne Howey is expecting her first child with husband Matt Ziering.

The 33-year-old actress took to Instagram on Thursday, sharing a snap from the Miami Hugo Boss show, while showing off her baby bump in a stunning brown dress.

'@boss show with my forever new +1 thanks for having us! Loved every second of the new collection #hugoboss,' Howey said in the caption.

The post received over 626K likes in just a few hours since she posted it, with a number of her co-stars congratulating her.

The actress - who tied the knot with Matt Ziering in 2021 after five years of dating - is coming off the second season of Ginny & Georgia which ended with an explosive and shocking finale.

Expecting: She plays a single mother on Netflix's Ginny & Georgia and now Brianne Howey is expecting her first child with husband Matt Ziering

Happy couple: The actress - who tied the knot with Matt Ziering in 2021 after five years of dating - is coming off the second season of Ginny & Georgia which ended with an explosive and shocking finale

Howey was wearing a stunning skin-tight brown dress that fell to the floor and accentuated her baby bump in the post.

She wore a sheer blouse over the dress and accessorized with a necklace while completing her look with a pair of brown pumps.

The actress received a number of congratulatory comments from friends and co-stars such as Diesel La Torraca, who plays Austin, the young son of Howey's Georgia on the hit Netflix series.

'I cant wait to be a big brother!!! Sooooooo excited!!!' the young actor said while Antonia Gentry, who plays Ginny, added, 'so. happy. for. you' with red heart emojis.

Sara Waisglass, who plays Maxine Baker on the series, added, 'OMG BRIANNE YOU ARE GLOWING IM FREAKING OUT AAAAAAAAAH IM ALREADY JEALOUS OF YOUR CHILD!!!!!!!!!!!'

Jennifer Robertson, who plays Ellen Baker, added, 'Beautiful mama!  Can't wait to be a zany auntie!!!' while Nate Mitchell, who plays Zion Miller, commented, 'I cant wait to meet them!!!'

Scott Porter, who plays Mayor Paul Randolph, said, 'The glow!!! Incredible news! So happy for you!'

Nikki Roumel, who plays the younger version of Georgia Miller, added, 'Your glowing, you beautiful mama! the best news ever congrats!'

Brianne's look: Howey was wearing a stunning skin-tight brown dress that fell to the floor and accentuated her baby bump in the post

Comments: The actress received a number of congratulatory comments from friends and co-stars such as Diesel La Torraca, who plays Austin, the young son of Howey's Georgia on the hit Netflix series

Jennifer: Jennifer Robertson, who plays Ellen Baker, added, 'Beautiful mama!  Can't wait to be a zany auntie!!!' while Nate Mitchell, who plays Zion Miller, commented, 'I cant wait to meet them!!!'

Humberly Gonzalez, who plays Sophie Sanchez, added, 'The cutest bump and youre just radiating.'

The second season of Ginny & Georgia debuted in early January, ending with quite the shocking twist, with Howey's Georgia Miller being arrested for murder on her wedding day.

Netflix has still not officially renewed or canceled Ginny & Georgia, with series creator Sarah Lampert and showrunner Debra J. Fisher telling Deadline they have not yet discussed a third season with the streaming service yet.

'No, theres been no talks with Netflix about Season 3. Theyre very regimented about how they do things,' Lampert said.

'So theres very much a strategy in place where I think well drop it, and then we have to wait to see how it does and if were going to see Season 3 but I certainly hope we do because its going to be a wild ride,' she added.

When asked about the logistics of what Season 3 could look like - including who Georgia's two young children would stay with - Lampert said there were many possibilities.

'I think weve set up a lot of really great possibilities in the sense that, just playing out hypotheticals, if Georgia is being charged with this crime, we have Zion, hes Ginnys dad, we have Gill in the picture now,' Lampert said.

'I think previous to this, he had no chance at custody because he was a convicted felon but who knows now, and weve got Paul, whos the stepdad. We have so many golden possibilities for storytelling based on how rich these characters are, and based on how many surprises we want to throw into Season 3 that Im being coy about but we do have it planned out,' Lampert said.

Kids: When asked about the logistics of what Season 3 could look like - including who Georgia's two young children would stay with - Lampert said there were many possibilities
We Are China

Tibetans celebrate spring plowing in Lhasa

Ecns.cn) 16:56, March 17, 2023

Villagers take part in a ceremony marking the start of this year's plowing season in Lhasa, southwest Tibet Autonomous Region, March 16, 2023. (Photo/China News Service)

Villagers gathered in the fields, singing and dancing, to mark the beginning of spring plowing on Thursday.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
At the end of 2022 Germany arrested a 53-year old former soldier who currently held a senior position in the BND (Federal Intelligence Service). The interrogation of the prisoner has confirmed he was spying for Russia and this led to the arrest of the Russian courier who took classified information to Russia while bringing the BMD mole (a spy working for a foreign intelligence agency) his cash compensation. The Germans fear there are more such moles. There were a lot of them during the Cold War and most of those were arrested after 1991, or surrendered voluntarily. Not all the cold war era moles were identified and Russia revived its espionage program in the 1990s, even before former KGB officer Vladimir Putin took power in Russia. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Putin was a KGB officer in East (communist) Germany. He spoke German and apparently knew about the West German mole network and sleeper agents operating in the West.

Even before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, there were problems with Russian sleeper agents, also known as illegals. During the last decade Russia has activated more of these sleeper agents and used them for a variety of tasks besides espionage. Since the Russians invaded Ukraine, more sleepers have been activated to gather information on NATO efforts to supply the Ukrainian war effort. These sleepers are trained to do this discreetly but some used commercial quad-copters too frequently and attracted unwanted attention. European counter-intelligence agencies have prepared profiles of likely sleepers and that has made it easier to detect and arrest sleepers even if they have not been activated.

As a result of all this activity NATO governments, often the post-Cold War ones in East Europe have increasingly gone public with details of Russian espionage operations, especially the use of assassination of those Russia considers traitors or simply enemies of the state. There has been more of that since the Ukraine invasion and more Russians have fled their homeland.

One news story about the sleeper program did more than just report on the problem. A 2019 French newspaper article described the Russian GRU (Russian Military Intelligence) Unit 29155 that had recently been operating from a secret logistics base in France near the Swiss border. From there at least fifteen GRU undercover agents engaged in espionage, sabotage and assassination operations. Also described was a joint British, Swiss, French and American intelligence operation to track down details of Unit 29155 and what it was doing between 2014 and 2018. The Unit 29155 base was apparently moved around Western Europe frequently to avoid detection and concentrate efforts on specific tasks.

One of these was assassination, including attempts on the life of Sergei Skripal in Britain early in 2018. This incident did make the news, mainly because the GRU agents used a form of nerve gas called novichok. That incident caused an international uproar. In mid-August 2018 the U.S. imposed its first round of new sanctions on Russia for its March 2018 use of nerve gas in Britain. The details of this use of Russian nerve gas had been confirmed. British investigators identified the Russians who were involved with the use of nerve gas to try and attempt to murder Sergei Skripal, a former Soviet intelligence officer who worked for Britain as a double agent.

In response to the March 2018 incident, Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats suspected of being intelligence agents and Russia responded by expelling 23 British diplomats. More nations said they would expel Russian diplomats and after the June confirmation that it was Russian novichok, the U.S. ordered into effect a series of additional sanctions on Russia. These could be limited if Russia admitted it used novichok and provided assurances it would never do so again with any banned weapons. Russia said it will do neither and denied any involvement.

This assassination effort was nothing new for Russia. Skripal was still working for British intelligence when he was arrested in Russia at the end of 2004 and prosecuted for espionage. He was sent to prison in 2006 but got out in 2010 when Russia agreed to use him as one of the three imprisoned spies exchanged to get back several Russian illegals who were caught in the United States. Russia was reluctant to part with Skripal, who had apparently done enormous damage to Russian overseas spying efforts. But they wanted their imprisoned agents in the U.S. back. This was not the first time Russia had gone after people like Skripal in Britain. This sort of thing has happened elsewhere in Europe before and after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Russia insists that it does not do this and has been saying that since the Soviets started hunting down and killing traitors overseas back in the 1930s.

What was not revealed at that time was the joint investigation of Unit 29155 and how many of the growing number of Russian espionage efforts in Europe could be traced to it and similar GRU or KGB operations in East Europe. The Russians have been quite active in Serbia and Bulgaria where local intel agencies have more experience with Russian methods. Thats because until the 1980s Bulgaria was ruled by a Russia-backed communist government that had close ties to the KGB and GRU. It was these former communist states in East Europe that were the first to detect and warn their NATO allies of the resumption of major Russian espionage efforts. Even journalists in East Europe were able to identify some Russian agents on their own.

Decades of Russian-imposed communist rule in East Europe left bitter memories of how ruthless the Russian espionage services could be, and many victims are still alive to provide personal testimony. Western Europeans, except those in East Germany, did not experience this and were slow to accept the fact that the Russians were back, since the late 1990s, at their Cold War espionage efforts. That attitude is changing as more details of recent Russian efforts are made public.

For example, in late 2012 Germany revealed it was prosecuting two Russians (a married couple) who were arrested in 2011 on suspicion of espionage. Russia insisted that the two Russians were not active Russian agents, but retired Cold War era spies. Germany accused the couple of recruiting and using a local spy three times between 2008 and 2011. When the police came to arrest the couple, the woman was found listening to coded messages. There was apparently much more evidence as well that the couple was spying.

The two 51-year-old Russians were sent to Germany (via Austria using false Austrian IDs) in 1988, to serve as "sleepers", agents that spend most of their time doing nothing until activated from time-to-time for some simple, but essential, mission. While Germany let a lot of its own Soviet era spies off easy, there is still a lot of animosity towards Russian spies. That's because Russia is still very much involved with espionage. In Germany that means stealing economic secrets, which hurts the German economy. The Germans are not in a forgiving mood because of this Russian aggression.

Germany believes that this couple are but two of many other Cold War sleeper agents that Russia, or someone, is reactivating. Prosecuting these two included attempts to get them to reveal details of how the sleeper program operates. This would help the Germans track down other sleepers and get an idea of how many of them are out there. These two sleepers were apparently not very cooperative.

Some details of the sleeper operation were gathered from the investigation of so many sleepers. Many, if not all, the sleepers were cut loose in the 1990s, as the KGB back home was reorganized and saw its budget cut sharply. But after 2000 the FSB (the rebranded and reorganized domestic operations branch of the KGB) and SVR (foreign operations of the KGB) revived a lot of Cold War era operations. In large part that's because KGB men hold many senior jobs in the Russian government. The president of Russia for most of the last decade, Vladimir Putin, was a career KGB man. The SVR and GRU got more money to operate in foreign lands.

There are two foreign intelligence services: SVR and GRU. The first one is the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. It is the former First Chief Directorate of the Soviet era KGB, which has managed most foreign intelligence operations for decades. Its activities are well known throughout the world.

The second one is the GRU, Russian military intelligence. It is a part of the Defense Ministry. Its full name is much longer, as in The Chief Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Army. GRU has retained its Soviet era name and just about everything else. GRU is seen as a living relic of Soviet times. That is why GRU is so much more secretive than the "Westernized" SVR. GRU officers are considered more patriotic (and old school) than those of the SVR. During the Cold War there were fewer GRU defectors, which is still a point of pride in Russia. GRU prefers to stay in the shadows, which makes the exposure of Unit 29155 activities all the more unusual. Westerners have not written many books about the GRU, compared to the KGB. This is largely because GRU keeps its secrets better and, in the West, is considered an obscure part of Russian intelligence. It's possible that the GRU activated these sleepers but the Germans did not go public with a lot of information. The Germans shared their information with the clandestine investigation of Unit 29155 only with other Western intelligence agencies.

Both GRU and SVR perform the same functions: Political Intelligence, Scientific and Technical Intelligence (industrial espionage), and Illegal Intelligence. Because of this the two agencies have a very real rivalry going.

There was, and remains, one area where only the SVR (and its predecessor, the KGB) participates, running counter-intelligence abroad. This was long a KGB monopoly because it was the KGB's job to make sure the armed forces remained loyal, while GRU was and is very much a part of the armed forces.

When GRU officers are working abroad, they are monitored by Directorate K (counter-intelligence) of the SVR. Those who serve inside Russia are watched by the Directorate of Military Counter-Intelligence (The Third Directorate) of the FSB (Federal Security Service, inheritor to the KGB). Interestingly, in the Soviet period, it was also called the Third Directorate. It is not a coincidence but a continuation of the Soviet tradition. The Third Directorate of the FSB is still assigned to monitor the Defense Ministry, of which the GRU is a part. The head of GRU does not even report directly to the Russian president. GRU reports have to go through the Head of the General Staff and the defense minister before reaching the top man. GRU is very much number two in the Russian foreign intelligence business. As such they tend to try harder and consider themselves more elite than those pampered wimps over at SVR.

On the other hand, there also is one function monopolized by the GRU: battlefield intelligence and NATO countries are, and always have been, considered potential battlefields. Battlefield intelligence is run in peacetime as well. For example, in preparation for future wars, the GRU sets up illegal weapons and ammunition dumps in the territory of many foreign countries. This is a risky operation. It usually involves groups of junior Russian diplomats secretly going into rural areas to bury rifles, machine-guns, and other weapons. They have to do this discreetly and in a hurry, to avoid detection by the local counterintelligence service. It is considered a hard job.

Western analysts regard the GRU as the most closed Russian intelligence service partly because it does not even manage its own press relations. That's because GRU is one of many components of the Defense Ministry and is not eligible to have its own press relations staff. The FSB and SVR are higher up in the government pecking order and entitled to their own press relations operations. Formally, GRU is nothing but one of the numerous Chief Directorates of the General Staff of the Defense Ministry. It does not even report directly to the Minister of Defense. That is why those foreign journalists who have questions about GRU must address them to the Press Service of the Russian Defense Ministry. The questions are often handled by some press aide who knows little about intelligence work, while FSB and SVR press people are very well informed. Foreign journalists tend to seek out the SVR press department when seeking information on Russian intel operations.

During the Second World War GRU worked in close contact with the NKVD, the predecessor of the KGB. For example, in March 1941, both intelligence services jointly carried out a successful operation aimed at overthrowing the pro-German government of Yugoslavia. During the entire war, GRU and NKVD managed a joint network of foreign agents in Europe. The current system of two separate intelligence services competing with each other only came about in the 1950s, after Stalins death. It was done by the Central Committee of the Communist Party in order to protect itself from a coup inspired by either intelligence service. As a result, the GRU not only competes with the SVR, but it is also supposed to keep an eye on the SVR for signs of disloyalty.

In Soviet times, although the GRU was monitored by the KGB, both organizations reported to the Central Committee of the Communist Party. In case of emergency, the Central Committee could control the KGB using the GRU. The communists believed it best that someone guards the guards. Nowadays, GRU does not monitor the SVR anymore. GRU, the military, and the rest of Russia are all subordinate to the FSB/SVR.

SVR has more money and resources. It's long been like that, and the GRU has developed a tradition of getting by on very little. GRU methods are considered more aggressive and crude than those of the SVR. GRU operatives tend to think they are at war even during peacetime. The SVR assigns its officers to do some jobs in the form of tasks, not detailed orders. The task is not supposed to be necessarily accomplished, while the order is to be carried out by all means. The GRU prefers ordering and expects results no matter what.

In the GRU nobody cares how their officers obtain secret information, like parts of missiles and other weapons. They may buy it legally or semi-legally or even steal it. One enterprising GRU agent in the 1970s shipped a stolen Sidewinder air-to-air missile from West Germany to Moscow via United Airlines air freight. The SVR officers are not allowed to do so. They are supposed to use foreign collaborators for it. In the GRU you just go get it. Thats why tracking Unit 29155 was such a big deal. These are all reasons why Unit 29155 is still active.
Rebel Wilson shared a rare glimpse of her newborn daughter Royce on Friday.

The Pitch Perfect star, 43, posted a photo of the four-month-old bub as she cradled the bundle of joy in her arms.

Looking every inch the doting mother, Wilson wore a pastel yellow tracksuit which matched her child's yellow bunny-ear beanie and pastel pink onesie.

To protect Royce's identity, Wilson positioned a love heart emoji over the newborn's face.

Rebel shocked fans when she announced that she had become a mother to a daughter named Royce Lillian, who was welcomed via surrogate, on November 7.

Rebel Wilson (right) shared a rare glimpse of her newborn daughter Royce (left) on Friday. The Pitch Perfect star, 43, posted a photo of the four-month-old bub to Instagram as she cradled the bundle of joy in her arms

She called her bundle of joy a 'beautiful miracle' when sharing a photo of the baby on Instagram.

In June 2022, Rebel came out as a lesbian, introducing Ramona as the stunning lucky lady who stole her heart.

Her sweet baby snap comes just a day after the Australian actor made a jaw-dropping appearance at the Unforgettable Evening benefit held by the Women's Cancer Research Fund.

Stepping out on the red carpet in Beverly Hills alongside Hollywood's A-listers, Wilson showed off her slimmed-down figure in a royal blue satin dress.

Falling all the way to the ground, it featured cap sleeves and a high, square neckline which she paired with silver, pointed high heels and a black clutch.

Wilson opted for her usual glam makeup look with heavy bronzer and a nude lip as she twisted her golden tresses into loose curls.

Wilson arrived hand-in-hand with her fiancee Ramona Agruma, whom she shares baby Royce with.

Glam: It comes just a day after the Australian actor made a jaw-dropping appearance at the Unforgettable Evening benefit held by the Women's Cancer Research Fund

Couple: Wilson arrived hand-in-hand with her fiancee Ramona Agruma, 37, (left) whom she shares baby Royce with

The fashion designer put on a leggy display as she slipped into a little black dress with a feathered neckline

With a hem just hitting above her knees, she paired the form-fitting frock with a pair of strappy black heels and a bright pink Kate Spade handbag worth $739

Parents: Rebel shocked fans when she announced that she had become a mother to a daughter named Royce Lillian, who was welcomed via surrogate, on November 7

The 37-year-old fashion designer put on a leggy display as she slipped into a little black dress with a feathered neckline.

With a hem just hitting above her knees, she paired the form-fitting frock with a pair of strappy black heels and a bright pink Kate Spade handbag worth $739.

Agruma opted for a classic makeup look with black winged eyeliner and a bronzed nude lip as she pulled her blonde locks back into a slick bun
Katie Holmes opted for casual comfort as she stepped out in chilly New York City on Thursday.

The actress, 43, bundled up with an oversized cable knit cardigan and slipped on baggy dark denim jeans.

She layered her cozy sweater over a blue button-up shirt and pounded the pavement in black oxford shoes.

The Dawson's Creek star covered up her head of wet brunette hair with a navy blue cap.

Katie appeared makeup-free and toted her essentials in a standard black leather purse.

Out and about: Katie Holmes opted for casual comfort as she stepped out in chilly New York City on Thursday

Cozy: The actress, 43, bundled up with an oversized cable knit cardigan and slipped on baggy dark denim jeans

She kept her cellphone in hand as if she were waiting for an important phone call or text.

The Secret actress' outing comes after a busy few weeks promoting her latest film Rare Objects, which will be in theaters and on demand on April 14.

She appeared on Live with Kelly and Ryan to talk about the project, as well as her Off-Broadway play The Wanderers.

The versatile actress has been performing in The Wanderers at the Roundabout Theater since the previews began January 26.

It officially opened on February 17.

Katie stars as a movie star whose e-mail correspondence with a novelist ends up taking away time from the man's wife and family.

Charles Isherwood at the Wall Street Journal called the play, 'perfectly cast' and said of Katie's performance that, 'She imbues the character with a gracious intelligence and twinges of self-deprecation and humor.'

As for Rare Objects, Katie premiered the first trailer for the film with her followers on Instagram earlier this month.

Film star: The Secret actress' outing comes after a busy few weeks promoting her latest film Rare Objects, which will be in theaters and on demand on April 14

Promo mode: She appeared on Live with Kelly and Ryan to talk about the project, as well as her Off-Broadway play The Wanderers

Performer: The versatile actress has been performing in The Wanderers at the Roundabout Theater since the previews began January 26; seen on February 16 with co-stars Lucy Freyer, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Dave Klasko and Sarah Cooper

'I am so excited to share the trailer for Rare Objects' she wrote. 'It is a film about friendship, resilience, truth and beauty. It will be in theaters and on demand April 14.'

IMDB describes the film as a '...story of a young woman who seeks to rebuild her life when she takes work at an antique store.

She regains her confidence from the kind souls who own the shop, until those from her traumatic past begin to resurface.'

Katie not only stars in the film, she also wrote and directed it. It is based on the novel by the same name from Kathleen Tessaro.

Along with her thriving acting career, Katie also mingles with fashion's elite.

Last month, the mother-of-one partook in numerous New York Fashion Week festivities.

She notably attended the Michael Kors show with the likes of Kate Hudson, Ellen Pompeo and Lea Michele.

Fashionista: Along with her thriving acting career, Katie also mingles with fashion's elite. Last month, the mother-of-one partook in numerous New York Fashion Week festivities

Star-studded: She notably attended the Michael Kors show with the likes of Kate Hudson, Ellen Pompeo and Lea Michele

Katie also dropped by the Ulla Johnson show, where she sat front row.

The Alone Together star was gracious in her thanks, sharing a post-runway snap in Instagram Stories writing, 'Thank you for having me to your beautiful show!!!! And congratulations @ullajohnson'

Though she enjoys the perks of a Hollywood A-lister, Katie is most in her element while spending time with her 16-year-old daughter Suri Cruise.

She shares Suri with ex-husband Tom Cruise, 60, who she filed for divorce from in 2012.
Pregnant Stassi Schroeder opted for comfort while grabbing groceries in Los Feliz on Thursday.

The Vanderpump Rules alum, 34, covered up her baby bump with a cozy cream sweater, which she paired with black leggings and matching black boots.

The former Bravo TV personality - who revealed she is expecting a baby boy earlier this week - was pictured pushing a large shopping cart as she made her way into the store with a root beer in hand.

The podcast host wore her blonde tresses parted in the middle and styled straight for the outing, and sported minimal makeup.

The outing comes after Vanderpump Rules has been rocked by a cheating scandal involving Tom Sandoval, 39, his partner of nearly 10 years Ariana Madix, 37, and his mistress, Raquel Leviss, 28.

Comfort: Pregnant Stassi Schroeder opted for comfort while grabbing groceries in Los Feliz on Thursday

Bumpin' along: The Vanderpump Rules alum, 34, covered up her baby bump with a cozy cream sweater, which she paired with black leggings and matching black boots

Schroeder is currently expecting her second child with husband Beau Clark. The couple already share daughter Hartford, two.

The duo also revealed the gender of their baby on their podcast The Good, The Bad, The Baby earlier this week, announcing that they are expecting a boy.

'I knew the whole entire time that we were having a boy,' the reality star boasted. 'I kept saying it. I felt it. It was a vibe.  I dont know how to f**king explain it.'

She announced her second pregnancy on Instagram at the beginning of the month. She posed with Hartford on a brown leather couch as she put a hand on her growing baby bump.

The beauty wrote in her caption, 'Secrets stress me out. Baby #2, I love you so much already.'

She wore a black turtleneck with matching leggings, showcasing off her burgeoning bump.

The star married Beau for a second time on May 12, 2022 at the Hotel de Russie in Italy.

The couple - who share podcast The Good The Bad The Baby - previously officially wed in a backyard ceremony in 2020 with few in attendance due to COVID. They welcomed Hartford, their firstborn, on January 7, 2021.

Baby number 2! Schroeder is currently expecting her second child with husband Beau Clark. The couple already share daughter Hartford, two

Baby boy: The couple revealed they are expecting a baby boy earlier this week on their podcast, The Good, The Bad, The Baby

Exciting news: The star announced she is pregnant with her second child via an Instagram post earlier this month

Proud mom-to-be: Stassi flaunted her growing pregnant belly in a mirror selfie snapped in her bathroom

It comes after the Vanderpump Rules alum chimed in on the recent cheating scandal between her former co-stars Raquel and Sandoval, who split from girlfriend Ariana earlier this month, after the affair was revealed.

Stassi shared her thoughts on a kiss between Raquel and their other co-star Tom Schwartz, 40, on the show.

'It sounds like something that Sandoval would have come up with,' the former reality TV star said on Wednesdays episode of her Straight Up With Stassi podcast.

'He would be like, "This would be a great way to cover up." Its a cover-up. And Raquel [was] like, "Yeah,"' Stassi continued.

Stassi also agreed that the kiss seemed 'weird' but 'now it makes sense.'

And Schwartz wasn't the only man Raquel made out with to distract people from what was really going on. She also made out with Garcelle Beauvais' son Oliver Saunders, 32, which Stassi called 'messy' and a 'distraction' for her affair with Sandoval.

'I think it goes without saying that Im Team Ariana,' Stassi admitted. 'There shouldnt even be a choice. Its not up for debate.

'You have to be a new level of evil to do this to someone who has been nothing but a wonderful partner to you.'

Drama: It comes after the Vanderpump Rules star chimed in on the cheating scandal between her former co-stars Raquel Leviss, 28, and Tom Sandoval, 39, who split from Ariana Madix, 37, earlier this week, after the affair was revealed; (L-R) Madix, Sandoval, Leviss and Tom Schwartz

Team Ariana: 'I think it goes without saying that Im Team Ariana,' Stassi admitted. 'There shouldnt even be a choice. Its not up for debate'; Sandoval and Leviss pictured in 2021

Her former co-stars appear to hold a similar opinion, with Lala Kent calling Leviss a 'bottom-feeder' while branding Tom a 'narcissist', Katie Maloney admitting that she 'wasn't shocked' about the affair, and Scheana Shay being accused of punching Leviss in the face and giving her a black eye over the affair.

And now the upcoming Vanderpump Rules season 10 reunion is in trouble over Leviss' restraining order against Shay.

Leviss filed for the restraining order after claiming that her costar Shay had punched her in the face, giving her a black eye. She also said Shay had shoved her into a break wall, which allegedly injured the back of her head.

'[The reunion] just cant happen in any meaningful way while this order is in place,' Shay's attorney Neama Rahmani claimed.

The reunion is currently scheduled to tape on March 23, nearly a week before a court hearing on Leviss' restraining order.

Neither Leviss nor Shay could be in the same room for the event, which usually takes on a confrontational atmosphere.

Meanwhile Ariana has finally broken her silence about the affair on Thursday and addressed the scandal while thanking her friends including her castmates for their support during what she described as her 'darkest hours.'

'when i have felt like i couldnt even stand, you all have given me the strength to continue and seen me through my darkest hours. to say i have been devastated and broken is an understatement. however, i know that i am not in this alone,' she wrote.
Kerry Washington was going green in style on Thursday.

The Scandal actress, 46, wowed in a floral print cardigan worn over a black maxi dress with rose decor at Marie Claire's Fashion Our Future event in New York on Thursday.

She looked stunning with her black hair styled into a single braid that dangled over her shoulder and a pair of gold hoop earrings glamming up the look.

The Little Fires Everywhere actress, who has been busy promoting her new show Unprisoned, worked a smoky eye, blush, and a French tip manicure which she flaunted as she placed her hands on her trim waist.

When Kerry wasn't displaying her stunning outfit, she was on stage chatting with other fashion leaders about sustainability.

Going green in style! Kerry Washington wowed in a floral print cardigan worn over a black maxi dress with rose decor at Marie Claire's Fashion Our Future event in collaboration with Kering in New York on Thursday

A new initiative between Marie Claire and Kering, Fashion Our Future 'will focus on women, fashion and sustainability, addressing the great public,' according to the Kering website.

During the event, the two organizations announced a new joint podcast, Fashion Our Future.

While sharing the stage with Sally Holmes, the editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, Aurora James, founder of the luxury accessories brand Brother Vellies, and fashion designer Angel Chang, Kerry talked passionately about spreading the message of sustainability.

'Real change happens when the message is being delivered in multiple stages in the process,' she explained. 'If people are walking down the street and they see a huge [billboard] of what Kering is doing they [can] turn on their phone and scan a QR code, and they walk past the store.

'People get information in multiple places and understand this is not just a fashionable moment. This is not a trend.

'This has to be a life shift for the health of our planet.There are multiple opportunities to contribute to that narrative.'

Her latest appearance comes amid the release of her new series Unprisoned, which debuted on Hulu last week.

The show sees her play Paige Alexander, the daughter of a man who has been released from prison following his latest 17-year sentence.

Style icon: She looked stunning with her black hair styled into a single braid that dangled over her shoulder

Strike a pose: She displayed her French tip manicure as she posed with her hands on her trim waist

Eco-friendly: When Washington wasn't displaying her stunning outfit, she was on stage chatting with other fashion leaders about sustainability at Manhatta restaurant

In her new show, Kerry plays a therapist trying to unpack and heal from her childhood traumas caused by her father's many stints in prison.

While promoting the show on Today, Kerry noted that 'we do a lot of shows about going into prison,' as well as plenty about 'being in prison,' but she thought there was a dearth of shows dealing with how formerly incarcerated people readjust to life on the outside.

She added that the story could speak to many Americans, as 80 million Americans had criminal records and most have family members adjusting to their freedom as well.

Unprisoned also stars Delroy Lindo as Paige's father Edwin Alexander.

Doing their part! While sharing the stage with Sally Holmes, the editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, Aurora James, founder of the luxury accessories brand Brother Vellies, and fashion designer Angel Chang, Kerry talked spreading the message of sustainability

Fashionistas! She posed beside James and Holmes

Wow! Washington inspected a garment hanging from a mannequin

For the planet: A new initiative between Marie Claire and Kering, Fashion Our Future 'will focus on women, fashion and sustainability, addressing the great public'
Celebrity chef Manu Feildel plugged his own sauce range before shopping for some supplies at a Coles Local at Sydney's Birkenhead shopping centre on Thursday.

The My Kitchen Rules judge, 48, sported a navy 'Sauce By Manu' T-shirt while roaming the aisles of the supermarket following his in-store tasting event.

Manu looked to be browsing the health foods section before picking up a small bottle of mineral water.

He later went to the self-serve checkout to purchase his supplies.

Manu's food range has grown popular in recent years, after he awkwardly discovered his gravy sachets were one of the few products Australians weren't stockpiling during the covid pandemic back in 2020.

Celebrity chef Manu Feildel plugged his own sauce range before shopping for some supplies at a Coles Local at Sydney's Birkenhead shopping centre on Thursday

At the time, the celebrity chef tried to spruik his signature sauce when he noticed there were still plenty of packets of it in the rows of barren shelves at his local Woolworths.

Despite customers clearing out the fresh meat section, they didn't appear to be interested in his gourmet sauce.

'You know guys how much I love my sauce,' Manu said in an Instagram video of his trip to the shops.

The My Kitchen Rules judge, 48, sported a navy 'Sauce By Manu' T-shirt while roaming the aisles of the supermarket following his in-store tasting event

Manu looked to be browsing the health foods section before picking up a small bottle of mineral water and heading to the self-serve checkout

Panning over to the near empty shelves, he added: 'So we can do a little bit of lamb. And lot of sauce. Yum!'

The My Kitchen Rules judge expressed his surprise in the caption, before urging fans to 'be kind'.

'Popping to the shops to grab some dinner after work is a little harder at the moment, empty shelves everywhere!' he wrote.

Manu's food range has grown popular in recent years, after he discovered his gravy sachets were one of the few products Australians weren't stockpiling during the covid pandemic back in 2020

'Be kind to each other and only buy what you need (and I always need sauce) that way there will be enough for everyone when they need it,' he added.

The products have since had a complete makeover with the sauces featuring a more colourful packaging after customers were struggling to find them on supermarket shelves.

'Feels like another proud dad moment as I introduce you to our bolder range of @bymanuf sauces,' he announced last month on his Instagram page.

The products have since had a complete makeover with the sauces featuring a more colourful packaging after customers were struggling to find them on supermarket shelves

'We listened when you said they were hard to find on the shelf so have made the changes to a brighter more eye catching packaging! Hopefully more of you can easily find them now.'

'It's the same delicious sauce just a new pack,' he added.

Manu's signature sauces are available in Woolworths supermarkets and Coles Local stores.
She posted some steamy topless sauna snaps earlier in the week.

And Abbie Chatfield, 27, one again turned up the heat on Friday when she modelled a pink and orange bikini at her home.

The radio and TV star showed off her cleavage and toned physique in the two-piece, which she was gifted from Monday swimwear.

She appeared to be makeup free and wore her locks in a natural curly style.

It comes after some of her followers accused Abbie of making an inappropriate comment about Margot Robbie's dress at the Oscars on Monday.

Abbie Chatfield turned up the heat on Friday when she modelled a pink and orange bikini at her home

The radio host shared a series of videos on Instagram addressing the backlash.

She had angered her followers by posting a photo of the Hollywood actress, 32, presenting an award on stage with Morgan Freeman, alongside the caption: 'Best she has ever looked. I am done!'

Some of her fans felt this remark was a backhanded compliment implying Margot's previous red carpet looks weren't up to scratch.

A fired-up Chatfield told her critics to 'take a f**king breather' because she hadn't meant to throw shade at Robbie.

Moment later she uploaded nude photos of herself to Instagram while sweating it up in a sauna.

Her curly locks were dampened and framed around her stunning features as she dismissed the criticism made against her.

It comes after some of her followers accused Abbie of making an inappropriate comment about Margot Robbie's dress at the Oscars on Monday

She had angered her followers by posting a photo of the Hollywood actress, 32, presenting an award on stage with Morgan Freeman, alongside the caption: 'Best she has ever looked. I am done!

Abbie looked relaxed as she sat with a towel draped across her chest, just enough to reveal she was topless.

The reality star will hit the road on a five date solo stage show called The Trauma Dump Tour in April and May.

Her speaking tour will kick off in Melbourne April 28, before moving on to Adelaide on May 5.

She will then head to Perth on May 12, and Brisbane on May 18, before wrapping up in Sydney on May 27.
Freddie Prinze Jr. opened up Thursday about his disappointment in working on the 2002 Scooby-Doo live-action film.

The actor, 47, told Too Fab that he was misled by Warner Bros. in regards to multiple aspects of the film.

'There was too much bait and switch on the first one, the studio was not honest with me in any way, shape or form,' the Los Angeles native said. 'They were not straight forward in any way, shape or form.'

Prinze played the role of Fred Jones in the adaptations from the cartoon, which costarred his wife Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy and Linda Cardellini as Velma.

They reunited to appear in 2004's Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed.

The latest: Freddie Prinze Jr., 47, opened up Thursday about his disappointment in working on the 2002 Scooby-Doo live-action film. Pictured earlier this year in LA

Prinze last month told Lights Camera Barstool that the script he'd reviewed ahead to appearing in the first film bore little resemblance to the one used when production commenced in Australia, to the point he thought of leaving the project.

Speaking with Too Fab, Prinze said the professional experience 'wasn't the best,' and actually one of the worst he's ever been involved with.

'I've been on two jobs where I had regret doing it and Scooby was one of them,' Prinze said. 'I'm a really honest guy, man ... when I get lied to, you're dead to me, I don't trust you ever again.

'I'm telling you, ever again. So some of those people would have to still be involved if it got remade ... and that's not any business I want to be involved with.'

He continued: 'I'm only gonna work with people I love and respect, and who love and respect me.'

Prinze, who has two children with wife Sarah Michelle Gellar, 45 - 13-year-old daughter named Charlotte Grace and 10-year-old son Rocky James - said that young fans have helped him appreciate it better in hindsight.

'I didn't fully appreciate Scooby until it was seen and children came up to me, and would be like, "Oh my gosh,"' he said. 'And when I was able to appreciate the experience through their souls, right - because that's what they're doing, they're bearing their souls, "When I was a kid, I watched this and I made my dad watch it 30 times" and they're sharing their life, that's your soul, right?"'

He said after receiving the feedback from them, 'All of a sudden I was like, "Hey, man, we did good, we did good." There's legit millions of people that love this movie.'

Prinze said that the 2002 film wasn't the film he 'wanted to make' but the positive feedback has helped him change his outlook on it.

Prinze played the role of Fred Jones in the adaptations from the cartoon, which costarred Linda Cardellini as Velma, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy and his wife Sarah Michelle Gellar as Daphne

Prinze and wife Sarah Michelle Gellar both appeared in the 2002 and 2004 Scooby-Doo films

He said, 'There was too much bait and switch on the first one' and that Warner Bros. 'was not honest with me in any way, shape or form'
Fitness influencer Sophie Guidolin has reunited with her teenage son after a stint apart.

In a series of posts to Instagram on Friday, Sophie cuddled up to Kai, 15, as she celebrated her 34th birthday.

'The silver lining. Gratitude times a million to have you back in my arms' she wrote in her caption alongside the images.

'I will do everything in my power to never let you anyone or anything ever come between our bond,' she continued.

'Nothing on earth could have prepared me for the year that was. Here's to redoing 33,' Sophie added, indicating she wanted to turn 33 again instead of 34 after her difficult year.

Fitness influencer Sophie Guidolin has reunited with her teenage son after a stint apart. In a series of posts to Instagram on Friday, Sophie cuddled up to Kai, 15, as she celebrated her 34th birthday. Both pictured

Sophie was asked by a fan in the comments where the teen had been, and she replied: 'He went and stayed with my parents in Adelaide'.

In the images, mother and son shared a sweet embrace while taking a number of selfies.

Sophie also posed with Kai as she held her birthday cake while wearing a floral dress.

It comes after the influencer broke her silence on her split from husband Dr Andrew Firgaira, just days after he announced their separation.

Dr Firgaira, a high-profile Gold Coast dentist, confirmed the couple's split on Wednesday, following weeks of rumours they had quietly ended their marriage just four months after their dream wedding.

'The silver lining. Gratitude times a million to have you back in my arms,' she wrote in her caption alongside the images

'I will do everything in my power to never let you anyone or anything ever come between our bond,' she added

'Nothing on earth could have prepared me for the year that was. Here's to redoing 33,' Sophie wrote, indicating she wanted to turn 33 again instead of 34 after her having a difficult year

Mother and son looked delighted to be together in the photos

Sophie was asked by a fan in the comments where the teen had been, and she replied: 'He went and stayed with my parents in Adelaide'

In a series of Instagram comments on Friday, Guidolin claimed that - contrary to rumours doing the rounds online - she was the one who 'left' her husband, not the other way around.

She opened up about her failed marriage on her 34th birthday, after posting a gallery of photos with her teenage son Kai, with whom she recently reunited after he spent several months living with her parents in Adelaide while they were going though 'a hard time in our lives'.

One of her followers asked in the comments section, 'Where's your hubby?' to which Guidolin replied, 'I left him.'

Another fan said, 'Here's to a better year ahead. Happiest birthday,' and the self-styled nutritionist responded, '[It] can't be worse than the last.'

One follower offered kind words after Guidolin's horror year, and praised her for her 'strength' and 'bravery'.

'Sounds like your heart was broken twice this last year, [but] you're still standing, strong and brave, surrounded by so much love,' they wrote.

'Heartbreak is hard, losing a baby is hard. I've lost two as well and nothing makes you mentally stronger.'

Guidolin responded with a teary-face emoji, and wrote: 'Yep.'

She replied 'oath' when a supporter said it's 'better to split than live a miserable life'.

It comes after the influencer broke her silence on her split from husband Dr Andrew Firgaira (left), just days after he announced their separation

In a series of Instagram comments on Friday, Guidolin claimed that - contrary to rumours doing the rounds online - she was the one who 'left' her husband, not the other way around

It comes after Dr Firgaira (left) confirmed on Wednesday the couple had ended their marriage. The dentist said he was 'not willing' to discuss the reasons for the split, which came after Guidolin gave birth to a stillborn baby while he was on holiday in Europe with his daughters

'In order to remove the constant speculation I'll answer this once by saying we are no longer together,' he wrote in a comment on his own post. 'I have my reasons why and I'm not prepared to discuss this matter any further'

It comes after Dr Firgaira confirmed on Wednesday the couple had ended their relationship in an emotionally raw Instagram post.

The dentist said he was 'not willing' to discuss the reasons for the split, which came after Guidolin gave birth to a stillborn baby while he was on holiday in Europe with his daughters from a previous relationship.

'In order to remove the constant speculation I'll answer this once by saying we are no longer together,' he wrote in a comment on his own post.

'I have my reasons why and I'm not prepared to discuss this matter any further.'

He stressed he 'wants people to refrain' from commenting on the relationship as 'nothing positive can come from discussing it further'.

His comments come after Guidolin quietly unfollowed Dr Firgaira on Instagram weeks earlier, and wiped all evidence of him from her own feed.

Photos of Guidolin and Dr Firgaira at their wedding were deleted, as well as their engagement post and a photo announcing Guidolin's pregnancy over Christmas last year.

His comments come after Guidolin quietly unfollowed Dr Firgaira on Instagram weeks earlier (as seen here), and wiped all evidence of him from her own feed

The couple tied the knot in November, and announced a month later they were expecting their first child together (pictured)

Rumours about the couple's marriage had been swirling for months, after fans noticed the model had stopped posting photos of Dr Firgaira on social media.

Last month, Guidolin added more fuel to the fire by uploading a cryptic Instagram post hinting at heartbreak.

She said she was going through a 'rough patch' and stressed the importance of 'human connection' despite her desire to 'recharge her batteries alone'.

She then alluded to her need for 'closure' after a difficult time, writing: 'Forgiveness is key, but some things are unforgivable and closure is the choice.'

Guidolin announced her engagement to Dr Firgaira in June 2022, just over two years after splitting from Married At First Sight star Jake Edwards in May 2020.

The couple tied the knot in November, before announcing a month later they were expecting their first child together.

Guidolin, who has four children from a previous relationship, encountered serious health problems during her fifth pregnancy.

In January, she told fans she had been diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness.

In January, Guidolin told fans she had been diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness. (Pictured recovering from the condition in hospital)

While in hospital, Guidolin shared a post complaining about how lonely she felt without Dr Firgaira by her side. She described her struggles during an exchange with MAFS star Martha Kalifatidis, who was also pregnant at the time

When asked by her followers where her husband was, Guidolin said he was overseas in Europe

Guidolin responded candidly after one fan asked how she was coping

While recovering from the condition in hospital, Guidolin shared a post complaining about how lonely she felt without Dr Firgaira by her side.

When quizzed by fans where her husband was, she said he was overseas on a long-promised European holiday with his two daughters.

Guidolin announced in late January her fifth child, and first with Dr Firgaira, a girl named Pixie, was stillborn.

'I cannot begin to articulate my pain, grief and despair through my entire soul,' she wrote in an emotional Instagram post, revealing she underwent a C-section.

'I am trying to trust in God's timing and I have always believed that the universe has my back and no matter how confusing this all feels, I am trying to make sense of this grief with my faith.

'I feel so guilty for my thoughts prior and I would do anything to have that pain, over this harrowing experience. I don't even have the words on how to write or how to comprehend this. Maybe some souls were always meant to be angels.'
YouTube star Olivia Jade was among the stars who lent support to the Women's Cancer Research Fund's glamorous gala in Beverly Hills on Thursday, which also included the likes of honoree Sharon Stone, Julianne Hough and Lisa Rinna.

The daughter of fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli and actress Lori Loughlin showed off her fashion sense in a black and white shoulder-less dress.

The striking number hugged her lean waist and midriff, all while giving a hint of her. cleavage with the plunging design.

Rounding out her overall look for the evening, Jade (born Olivia Jade Giannulli), 23, wore a pair of black heels, and had her dark brown tresses styled long and pulled into a stylish ponytail with a center part.

Show of support: Olivia Jade, 23, lent her support to the Women's Cancer Research Fund's An Unforgettable Evening Benefit Gala, which was held at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills on Thursday

Stone, who has attended the event as a guest in years past, received a Courage Award for her support of breast cancer research and dedication to raising awareness for the cause.

The Basic Instinct star, 65, has made a habit out of donating her time and effort to various causes, resulting in her being honored in the past with a Nobel Peace Summit Award, a Harvard Humanitarian Award, a Human Rights Campaign Humanitarian Award and an Einstein Spirit of Achievement Award, to name a few.

Dr. Stacie J. Stephenson and global merchant banker Richard J Stephenson were also honored with the Unsung Hero Award 'for their unwavering commitment to fighting cancer and supporting patient-centered treatment and care,' according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Adam Levine's band Maroon 5 took the stage as the headline performers, which included taking the stage at the end of the evening to close out the show.

Proceeds from the event support the Womens Cancer Research Fund, a program of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

WCRF was founded by Quinn Ezralow, Marion Laurie, Kelly Chapman Meyer, Jamie Tisch and the late Anne Douglas and Renette Ezralow. WCRF honorary chairs include Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks, Kate Capshaw and Steven Spielberg.

Previous An Unforgettable Evening honorees include such high-profile people as Kate Hudson, Gabrielle Union, Christina Applegate, Renee Zellweger, Courteney Cox, Tom Ford, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Jennifer Hudson.

There were other honorees such as Elton John, Nicole Kidman, Stella McCartney, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sofia Vergara, among others.

Chic: The YouTuber's elegant number showcased her fab figure by hugging her upper body and giving a hint of her cleavage with its plunging and shoulder-less design

Making a difference: Proceeds from the event support the Womens Cancer Research Fund, a program of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation

Jade actually became more of a household name in 2019 when her famous parents, Loughlin, 58, and Giannulli, 59, both ended up serving prison time for their part in the college admissions scandal.

They were accused of paying $500,000 in bribes in order to get Jade and sister Bella Giannulli admitted into the University Of Southern California as recruits for the crew team, despite the fact that they had never participated in the sport.

Both of them ended up copping a plea in the cases, resulting in Loughlin serving two months in prison in 2020, to go along with a $150,000 fine and 100 hours of community.

Giannulli was sentenced to five months in prison in 2020 and 2021, fined $250,000 and ordered to complete 250 hours of community service.
Melissa Gorga made a bombshell claim that her sister-in-law Teresa Giudice had her forehead lengthened during a recent RHONJ After Show.

'Everybody gets a little tune-up after the first time,' she said to co-star Rachel Fuda in regards what most Housewives after they finally catch themselves on TV.

'Teresa did her forehead,' Melissa alleged during the sit-down, adding: 'She went back a little further.'

Forehead lengthening is a procedure where an incision is made along the hairline in order to lift and move back the scalp.

Melissa and Rachel then remarked how they'd actually like to get their larger foreheads to 'go a little forward.'

Did she? Melissa Gorga made a bombshell claim that her sister-in-law Teresa Giudice (seen left in 2022, seen right in 2012) had her forehead lengthened during a recent RHONJ After Show

'Me, too. I could give half of mine,' Melissa joked, to which Rachel replied: 'Pretty girls have big foreheads!'

Though Teresa's forehead may appear higher now than when she appeared in the first season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey in 2009, this could just be a natural phenomenon.

As we age, our hairlines naturally recede and many adults experience gradual hair loss.

Regardless, Teresa has been open about enhancing her appearance through injectables, including Botox and lip fillers, and surgery in the past.

She announced in 2021 that she made the decision to get her 'breasts re-done' after having the same implants for 10 years.

'I was very nervous to re-do my breasts, but I felt it was necessary for me to feel like my best self. I encourage anyone who doesn't feel their best self to work on feeling better.

'Even if it is the smallest thing every day. If it is something that requires cosmetic surgery to feel better,' she explained in an Instagram post at the time.

That same year, she admitted to getting a nose job by the doctor who performed her daughter Gia's, 22, surgery the previous summer.

She got the 'tip' of her nose done in order to 'feel better' about her appearance, which her now-husband Luis Ruelas was in full support of.

'Teresa did her forehead,' Melissa alleged to co-star Rachel Fuda during the sit-down, adding: 'She went back a little further'

The opposite: Melissa and Rachel then remarked how they'd actually like to get their larger foreheads to 'go a little forward'

As for her enviably fit figure, Teresa says it's all due to her grueling workout routine which includes intense weight training as well as daily cardio.

Melissa has been somewhat candid about going under the knife, having revealed in 2016 that she also got her nose done.

She previously said that the change in the shape of her nose was due to contouring, which is when someone uses makeup to amp up natural shadows on the face.

But after former co-star Jacqueline Laurita accused her of having 'four nose jobs,' Melissa felt as though she had to come clean.

Melissa's recent allegation is just another shot fired in her ongoing feud with Teresa, which also involves Melissa's husband Joe Gorga, who is Teresa's brother.

In the most recent episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, which aired Wednesday, she sat down with a therapist to discuss the latest developments in the drama.

She made the visit before her wedding last August to Luis, 47.

Teresa revealed in a confessional that she had been in therapy for six months and that it was her now-husband who told her to go.

Teresa told her therapist that a recent boys' night did not go well because her brother Joe, 43, kept telling Luis to go 'f*** himself like 10 times.'

Transformed: Teresa has been open about enhancing her appearance through injectables, including Botox and lip fillers, and surgery in the past

Fitness queen: As for her enviably fit figure, Teresa says it's all due to her grueling workout routine which includes intense weight training as well as daily cardio

Teresa said she called her brother and asked him to make peace but then he didn't come to her house warming party.

She said the rift was hurtful and that she was worried because her father and her cousin didn't talk for six years over $200.

'Growing up, I didn't grow up with my cousins,' Teresa said. 'I want my kids to grow up with their cousins. It is upsetting.'

Teresa said their children used to be close, but now weren't coming to each other's events.

'But being around my brother scares me,' Teresa said. 'His temper is out of control.'

'All this toxicity hurts,' Teresa said.

Unfortunately, Melissa and Joe did not end up attending Teresa's wedding which they told ET at the time was 'very difficult' to even talk about.

'It's a rough situation, it really is, and you know what, I think everyone will see -- obviously, because a lot of was filmed for,' Melissa said at the time.

Feud: Melissa's recent allegation is just another shot fired in her ongoing feud with Teresa, which also involves Melissa's husband Joe Gorga, who is Teresa's brother; seen in 2016

Therapy: In the most recent episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, which aired Wednesday, she sat down with a therapist to discuss the drama

Tying the knot, She made the visit before her wedding last August to Luis, 47, which Melissa and Joe did not attend

'It's hard to discuss right now, so we can't really discuss it, but we wish them the best, and we're very happy.

But it did not come as a total surprise to Teresa, who revealed on her podcast in August that she 'found out a few days before my wedding that they weren't coming.

'I'm totally fine with it.'

She continued: 'The way that everything played out with my wedding, everything that happened is the way it was supposed to be. I'm all about that I'm all about good energy, and whoever wanted to be at my wedding was there.'
Japan has a rather effective space program using locally designed and built SLVs (satellite launch vehicle) and satellites. For over a decade Japanese firm have been developing the new H3 SLV whose first test launch in February was called off because the solid-fuel rocket would not launch. This H3 test involved delivering the three-ton ALOS-3 (Advanced Land Observing Satellite) into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). This is one of the more difficult orbits to achieve, because it is 36,000 kilometers out, and exact positioning is required in order to get the satellite to the proper position. A second launch effort on March 7 succeeded initially but the ALOS-3 payload was not delivered because the second stage of the SLV failed to operate correctly. The satellite was destroyed.

Seven H3 launches were planned for 2023. Testing will continue until all problems have been resolved. The future of Japans space program depends on getting the H3 to function as designed. H3 is a 53 meter (207 foot) long, 574-ton two-stage SLV that can lift up to four tons in to the highest orbits. Each H3 costs about $50 million to manufacture and launch.

The H2 SLV continues to be used and carried out its latest launch in January 2023. It was a success and there will be more launches into 2024, when the H2 program will end. The H2 has been the primary Japanese SLV since 1994. Since then, there have been upgrades that resulted in the H2A and H2B. The original H2 weighed 260 tons and was launched seven times with five successes between 1994 and 1999. The H2A was launched 46 times between 2001 and 2009. There was only one failure. H2A weight varied from 285 to 445 tons. The heavier SLV was first used in 2017 and the H3 as developed from this. Japan launched most of its spy satellite using H-2A SLVs. In 2020 Japan had two digital camera photo satellites and five radar satellites operational. Japan has been expanding that to ten photo and radar satellites.

Japan has long been a major producer of satellites and SLVs because Japan launched its first satellite in 1970 and became the fourth nation (after Russia, America and France) to do so. For decades Japan mainly launched scientific satellites. In the late 1990s Japan, alarmed at the threat of attack by North Korea, began developing and launching military satellites. The first two were launched in 2003, the third in 2006 and the fourth in 2007. Japan continues to build and launch its own photo, radar and ELINT (electronic intelligence) satellites. While Japan buys some launcher and satellite tech from foreign nations (mainly the U.S.), Japan has become quite proficient and self-sufficient in both areas.

By 2010 the cameras onboard Japanese photo satellites could make out objects as small as one meter (39 inches) in diameter. By 2013 a new Japanese photo satellite could detect objects .6 meters (two feet) in size. The best U.S. spy satellites can make out much smaller objects, but for Japan's needs, .6 meters is adequate. The radar satellites provide all-weather coverage.

Technically, the satellites are in violation of a 1969 Japanese law, which mandated Japan only use space for non-military purposes. To get around this these satellites are technically non-military and are not controlled by the military. Japan had long refrained from launching military satellites but this changed when North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan in 1998. Japan promptly set out to get eight surveillance satellites in orbit by 2006 to keep an eye on North Korean nuclear weapons and ballistic missile efforts. This proved impossible to do. While two Japanese satellites were launched in early 2003, another two were destroyed during late 2003, when the rocket malfunctioned.

Japan had long relied on commercial photo satellites and whatever they could get from the Americans. But for high-resolution shots, on-demand, of North Korea, and electronic eavesdropping from space, they needed their own spy satellites. It is believed that Japanese spy satellites are also being used to watch military developments in China and Russia.

The Japanese program has cost over three billion dollars so far. Much of this was spent to develop SLVs large and reliable enough for satellite work. The latest launch was the 35th successful launch for the H-2A, which has a 97.5 percent success rate. The similar H-2B SLV has carried out ten successful launches. Japanese SLVs have put nearly a hundred satellites into orbit since 1970. Most have been non-military and several were for other nations. Japanese SLVs are locally designed and manufactured. These rockets operate from a launch complex in southern Japan.

Later versions of the H-2A weighed up to 445 tons with a max payload of 15 tons. The H-2B variant weighs 531 tons and can put 16.5 tons into orbit. The new H3 SLV was supposed to have its first test launch in 2020. There were technical problems that have delayed test launches until 2023. The H-3 will specialize in putting satellites in high orbits. Because of the breakthroughs American firm SpaceX has made with their reusable (they land under their own power after launch) rockets, Japan is now working on an H4 SLV with that feature.

The Japanese photo satellites weigh about a ton, while the radar one weighs about a third more. The United States provided a lot of technical assistance on the design and construction of the satellites initially and Japan now builds its own rockets to launch them. Like most spy satellite users, Japan does not report on how effective they are. It is known that Japan could get more detailed photos from commercial satellites, but those are not controlled by the Japanese government.
Sylvia Jeffreys enjoyed a sunny day at the beach with her family on Friday.

The television host was joined by her husband Peter Stefanovic and their two sons, Henry and Oscar, as they went for a swim at Sydney's Bronte Beach.

The 36-year-old showed off her slender figure in a yellow and white bikini in a retro style cut.

It featured a pair of high cut bottoms with a belted design and a halter top with a bow in the centre.

Sylvia stayed sun safe and wore a straw had while on the shore, before removing it for her swim.

Sylvia Jeffreys (pictured) enjoyed a sunny day at the beach with her family on Friday

The television host was joined by her husband Peter Stefanovic and their two sons, Henry and Oscar, as they went for a swim at Sydney's Bronte Beach

Peter Stefanovic is pictured during the beach day with his family

She appeared to go makeup-free for the outing, while wearing her blonde bob down around her face.

Standing in the shallows, the television host balanced one of her sons on her hip while shielding her eyes from the glare.

Peter meanwhile matched his wife with his own vintage style swimmers, donning yellow and white boardshorts.

The 41-year-old wore a straw hat in the surf while carrying another of the couple's sons.

The 36-year-old showed off her slender figure in a yellow and white bikini in a retro style cut

It featured a pair of high cut bottoms with a belted design, and a halter top with a bow in the centre

Sylvia stayed sun safe and wore a straw had while on the shore, before removing it for her swim

Standing in the shallows, the television host balanced one of her sons on her hip while shielding her eyes from the glare

She appeared to go makeup free for the outing, while wearing her blonde bob down around her face

Sylvia had a plastic hair tie on one of her wrists

She wore her wedding and engagement rings into the surf

The TV star's son giggled as she carried him along the sand

The couple stayed close together in the surf, chatting in the water as they held onto their young children.

Sylvia had earlier arrived at the popular beach wearing a white T-shirt tucked into a pair of yellow shorts.

She brought along a large tote bag and had on sunglasses as well as her trusty hat, while carrying her sandals in her hand.

Peter opted for a pink T-shirt, sunglasses and a cap, and had a straw bag over one shoulder.

Peter meanwhile matched his wife with his own vintage style swimmers

He was donning yellow and white boardshorts

The 41-year-old wore a straw hat in the surf while carrying another of the couple's sons

The couple who were married in 2017 share two sons

Sylvia and Peter began dating in 2013 after meeting at Nine and were engaged in 2016 while on holiday in France

Peter stripped off cap for his swim before returning to the shore

The loved-up pair looked delighted as they stood on the sand, with Peter's arm slung over his wife's shoulder.

The couple who were married in 2017 share two sons, Oscar, the eldest, and Henry, two.

Sylvia and Peter began dating in 2013 after meeting at Nine and were engaged in 2016 while on holiday in France.

Last September, Sylvia revealed the simple secret behind her happy marriage.

The loved-up pair looked delighted as they stood on the sand, with Peter's arm slung over his wife's shoulder

Sylvia had earlier arrived at the popular beach wearing a white T-shirt tucked into a pair of yellow shorts

She brought along a large tote bag and had on sunglasses as well as her trusty hat

Sylvia finished her look with a pair of black, flat leather sandals

Peter opted for a pink T-shirt, sunglasses and a cap, and had a straw bag over one shoulder

Sylvia certainly looked like she was ready to leave the beach after a fun day in the sun

She told Stellar Magazine that Peter helps her discipline herself - and believes in the old adage 'happy wife, happy life'.

'He's lights out by 8pm without fail, whereas I'd still be scrolling through my phone at 9-9.30pm, looking for one more story to read,' she said.

'He's much better at those hours than I was. I'm a horrible wife We're best mates and a really strong team, and there's an equal level of respect on both sides.

'He lets me order the pizza that I want. And that's crucial to the success of our marriage,' she added.

She told Stellar Magazine that Peter helps her discipline herself - and believes in the old adage 'happy wife, happy life'

'He's lights out by 8pm without fail, whereas I'd still be scrolling through my phone at 9-9.30pm, looking for one more story to read,' she said

'He's much better at those hours than I was. I'm a horrible wife We're best mates and a really strong team, and there's an equal level of respect on both sides' Sylvia went on

'He lets me order the pizza that I want. And that's crucial to the success of our marriage,' she added

Sylvia had recently been off work for six months after giving birth to her second child, and revealed she wants one more child.

'I'd absolutely love to have a little girl, have some more Estrogen in the house as I'm a little outnumbered at the moment!' Sylvia told Who Magazine.

'But right now, with the boys being so full on, another baby is just not something I can contemplate right now,' she added.
Laura Byrne has lashed out at a caller to her KIIS FM radio show who complained about women breastfeeding in public.

The man, called Justin, claimed that it's 'indecent' to see women feeding their babies out in the open where he or his children could see it.

The caller went on to compare breastfeeding to 'public nudity' and insisted women should feed their babies in their cars or somewhere private so men won't have to see it.

'If your kid needs to eat, and you have your baby with you, it's fine,' said Laura, who is a mum of two.

'Do you eat in public? Do you drink from a bottle of water in public? So why can't a baby eat from it's food source in public?' she asked the caller.

Laura Byrne (pictured) lashed out at a caller to her KIIS FM radio show who complained about women breastfeeding in public on Friday

He admitted that he did, but claimed seeing women breast feed was 'indecent'.

'Look, I just don't really need to leave my house and you know, I'm going to the shops, I've got my kids with me, and then it's like a woman breastfeeding,' he complained.

'I just don't get it. Why don't you just to your car, or just go somewhere else and do that, you know?'

A furious Laura snapped back: 'It's a boob! Grow up!'

The caller then suggested women use bottles to feed babies instead.

'Not every woman wants to bottle feed a child. What's wrong with a boob?' she asked.

Laura went on to accuse the man was seeing breasts as having a 'sexual purpose' when in fact they had an 'important function'.

She appeared to have caught him off guard, with the caller admitting, 'yeah well' before Laura and her co-stars guffawed at his repose.

'It's a boob! Grow up!' Laura snapped. The caller then suggested women use bottles to feed babies. 'Not every woman wants to bottle feed a child. What's wrong with a boob?' she asked

The former Bachelor star and her husband, Matty 'J' Johnson, 35, have two children together. The pair welcomed daughters Marlie-Mae in 2019 and Lola in February, 2021. They got engaged while on holiday in Fiji in April 2018. All pictured

The former Bachelor star and her husband, Matty 'J' Johnson, 35, have two children together.

The pair welcomed daughters Marlie-Mae in 2019 and Lola in February, 2021. They got engaged while on holiday in Fiji in April 2018.

Matty and Laura exchanged wedding vows on the South Coast in November last year.

Their nuptials came after Laura confessed she almost lost her chance at true love after she almost pulled out of The Bachelor at the last minute.

Laura and Matty are one of the most successful couples to come out of the show, but the brunette beauty told the I've Got News For You podcast it almost didn't happen because she got 'cold feet' the day before filming was set to begin in 2017.

'I had a change of heart and almost didn't rock up for filming,' she admitted.
Lottie Moss and Lady Victoria Hervey made an animated departure from B London nightclub on Thursday after enjoying the VIP launch party.

The nightclub was known as Boujis in the Noughties and saw royals and celebrities regularly mix - all cramming on to the tiny dancefloor after knocking back their favoured Crack Baby cocktails.

Living up to the venue's party heady past, Lottie, 25, looked bleary-eyed as she stepped out of the South Kensington venue in a thigh grazing mini dress that she layered beneath a leather jacket.

She teetered down the venue's front steps in platform heels and a pair of lace stockings, finishing off the look with a dazzling silver clutch.

Lottie's glossy blonde tresses tumbled over her shoulders, framing her pretty features and her 'lover' face tattoo, which she recently revealed was her was of expressing her 'freedom' after 'years of being so controlled'.

Party time: Lottie Moss (left) and Lady Victoria Hervey made an animated departure from B London nightclub on Thursday after enjoying the VIP launch party

Following on behind her was Lady Victoria, 46, who was dressed to impress in a plunging black gown with a feathered neckline.

The garment featured a thigh high split that showed off her tanned pins and a semi-sheer skirt adorned in glitter and sequins.

She completed the look by toting a gold Piccolo mini bag and a purple coat clutched in her hand.

Rounding off the celebrity attendees was Emma Weymouth, 36, who dazzled in a short black mini dress featuring a sheer sequinned overlay.

B London, referred to as Boujis 2.0, opened their doors with a VIP launch party ahead of its official opening to the public on Friday evening.

The club, which opened 20 years ago, will have an identical cocktail and clientele list and initially be called B London, with the aim to use the Boujis name after legal action with another former owner this summer, reported The Mail On Sunday.

Prince Harry notoriously fell out of the South Kensington hotspot and into the gutter, Kate Middleton, now the Princess of Wales, would go 'fairly wild' and regulars included the pop star Prince, Cameron Diaz, Paris Hilton, Will Smith and Lady Gaga.

Harry and Prince William had a regular table which was often surrounded by pretty girls, including Kate and her sister Pippa.

With such a star-studded guest list, perhaps it was no surprise that the club, Boujis, became so raucous it ended up breaching licensing conditions and it was shut by Kensington and Chelsea Council in 2014.

Here she comes: Living up to the venue's party heady past, Lottie, 25, looked bleary-eyed as she stepped out of the South Kensington venue in a thigh grazing mini dress

Loving life: The model looked in high spirits as she made an animated departure from the iconic venue

Heading home: The blonde beauty hopped into the back of a black cab after the party

Prince Harry infamously hit the front pages by landing in the gutter in 2007, in the days when it was a regular occurrence to find the royal stumbling on to the street after a night quaffing Crack Baby shots  the club's blend of vodka, passion fruit puree, Chambord and champagne.

B London co-owner Carlo Carello, who was an employee at the original club, recalled to The Times: 'It was a time when the rock-star lifestyle was still going ahead. Celebrities were clubbing weekly. You could go there any night and some magic would happen.'

The club's website reportedly had 40,000 hits within 24 hours of the B London's opening being announced.

But Mr Carello suggested he isn't surprised guests are keen to relive their glory days at the club, saying: 'It was the epitome of London nightlife. Its probably the most special club for me that Ive had anything to do with.'

He recalled Lady Gaga arriving at the venue in a white leotard before asking if she could perform.

However, not everyone could get into the club, with Kate's brother James Middleton allegedly among the clubbers who were regularly rejected.

'It was a constant juggling act of which calls you picked up and [which] you didnt', admitted Mr Carello.

The new venue will be on the metaverse to allow people to experience Boujis online and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II sits at the club's entrance.

Mr Carello said in January: 'Everything from the plug sockets to the banquette seating is being rebuilt down to the millimetre.'

He recalled hosting 'wall-to-wall' Royals at Boujis, adding: 'Royalty always used to have table 11, which was often surrounded by pretty girls, and we will be recreating that for them.'

One of those pretty girls was Kate who would often join the Royal brothers with her younger sister Pippa.

Dressed to impress: Following on behind Lottie was Lady Victoria, 46, who was dressed to impress in a plunging black gown with a feathered neckline

Leggy lady! The garment featured a thigh high split that showed off her tanned pins and a semi-sheer skirt adorned in glitter and sequins

Finishing touches: She completed the look by toting a gold Piccolo mini bag and a purple coat clutched in her hand

Striking: Rounding off the celebrity attendees was Emma Weymouth, 36, who dazzled in a short black mini dress featuring a sheer sequinned overlay

Strike a pose: TV's Hayley Palmer put on a VERY leggy display in a sparkly mini dress at the star-studded event

A B-London insider said: 'They were the original Fab Four. We were thrilled when they all came together.

'It's amusing to look back at pictures of those days and see the Princess of Wales looking a bit bleary-eyed. We aren't used to seeing her with a single hair out of place these days, but there was a time she was fairly wild.'

The club was renowned for its 'Boujis Tuesdays', filled with a clientele so wealthy they didn't need to worry about work on Wednesday morning, if they had any.

Co-owner Jake Parkinson-Smith recalled walking into Boujis on a week night to find US rapper Missy Elliott had brought all her celebrity friends along after the MOBO awards.

'I remember doing a head count and realising there were more A-list stars than staff,' he said, 'and we had no advance notice.'

Another time the heavy metal band Metallica pulled up in a fleet of five blacked-out limousines, one for each band member, and bikini-clad girls.

The club regularly played host to the pop star Prince, who turned up in the rain and requested to leave by the back door under a purple umbrella.

Other regulars included Princess Beatrice, Hugh Grant, Charlotte Church and James Blunt.

READ MORE: Boujis 2.0 launches as revellers prepare to relive the glory days of notorious 'Noughties' club where royals knocked back Crack Baby cocktails alongside Paris Hilton Prince Harry in 2006 leaving the exclusive Boujis nightclub in South Kensington Advertisement

Meanwhile, Lottie recently hit out at the 'common misconception' her family are 'rich and famous' as she waded into the nepo baby row.

She said in fact she 'doesn't really know' her older half-sister Kate, 49, with their relationship so distant 'she doesn't reply to my texts'.

In a self-penned essay, Lottie said while her sister provided her a useful stepping stone, she was determined to make her own money herself and used her earnings to pay for private schooling at St. Bede's School in Redhill.

The Chelsea socialite also responded to the backlash for a series of Tweets she posted in response to Lily Allen, the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen, who launched a defence of celebrity children raised within privileged families.

'I think a common misconception is that because Kate, who is 24 years older than me, is rich and famous, so were my family. But obviously, that was her money and her fame, not ours,' Lottie wrote in Newsweek.

Lottie continued: 'I knew that my sister Kate was famous and growing up, I idolized her, thinking she was the coolest.

'I never got much love or attention from her though, which has always upset me, especially because people have brought her up to me for as long as I can remember.

'How do I say to people that I don't know her and that she doesn't reply to my texts? I honestly think the whole "nepo baby" concept is so weird.

'There are so many people in the world that have had obvious advantages in their career because of who they know or who someone in their family is, not just famous people.'

Lottie said she had to delete Twitter after she wrote she is 'sick of people blaming nepotism for why they aren't rich and famous or successful'.

The model 'finds it hard to understand the anger' from her Tweet and said she 'sometimes say things in the wrong way, or it comes out differently to the way I meant it to'.

Lottie said her childhood was troubled at times with her father Peter (Kate's father) going to rehab for depression for several months after her mother's store collapsed.

But the age of 13, she secured a modelling contract after being a bridesmaid at Kate's wedding to her now ex-husband Jamie Hince.

The young model appeared to be following Kate's meteoric trajectory after signing for the internationally respected, London based Storm Management when she was just 14-years old - the age at which her sister was initially discovered by the same agency.

Posing up a storm: Earlier in the evening Lottie was seen posing for photographers

Edgy: She exhibited her 'lover' face tattoo, which she recently revealed was her was of expressing her 'freedom' after 'years of being so controlled'

Hot stuff: The model, 25, put on a leggy display in a black minidress featuring blue floral prints, which she layered beneath a leather jacket

Not close: The influencer recently said she 'doesn't really know' her older half-sister Kate, 49, with their relationship so distant 'she doesn't reply to my texts' (pictured in 2014)

Not excelling at school, Lottie says she threw herself into modelling - but it was a far cry from 'the dream' she had been sold.

The Vogue cover star said she indulged in drugs and alcohol in her late teens and 'completely lost myself' aged 18, when she was told by agents she needed a personal trainer and a 23-inch waist.

As she hit the social scene, Lottie said she developed a bit of a reputation as a 'party girl' but never knew the 'darkness and loneliness that came with it'.

High-fashion runways have been replaced with racy online content and the potentially lucrative subscription-only website OnlyFans, where Lottie claims she has finally stepped out of her sister's tall shadow while expressing herself within a like-minded community of free-spirited, X-rated models.
Married At First Sight's Carolina Santos has spoken up on her night out with Duncan James.

Duncan was pictured flirting and holding hands with Carolina from the 2022 season of MAFS during a wild night out in Sydney back in January.

The former TV bride, 34, played down the outing, which she attended along with co-star Olivia Frazer and Sebastian Guilhaus, who appeared on season seven.

'We got a little drunk and then Olivia and Seb decided to leave so I stayed out with my friend,' she told Yahoo on Friday.

'We ended up going to this gay bar on Oxford Street and it was such a vibe, really loud music, and we ran into Duncan,' Carolina continued.

Married At First Sight's Carolina Santos (pictured) has spoken up on her night out with Duncan James

Duncan (pictured) was pictured flirting and holding hands with Carolina from the 2022 season during a wild night out in Sydney back in January

'It was kind of a club so it was really hard to hear each other and we obviously had to speak into each other's ears. There's nothing really more to it.'

Carolina admitted that the the pair 'might have messaged here and there afterwards' but insisted, 'I haven't spoken to him in over two months.'

Fans were shocked when photos emerged of groom Duncan James looking cosy with a bride from last year's season.

A source close to the 37-year-old cyber security sales director this week rubbished rumours that there was anything romantic between the two.

Carolina admitted that the the pair 'might have messaged here and there afterwards' but insisted, 'I haven't spoken to him in over two months'

A source close to the 37-year-old cyber security sales director this week rubbished rumours that there was anything romantic between the two

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the friend, who was also in attendance on the night, said the night out was nothing more than a harmless bit of fun.

'Duncan just ran into Carolina, they were actually at a gay bar. There is nothing more to it. They were chatting and some guy just snapped a photo.'

The friend added that Carolina and Duncan 'haven't spoken again' since the photo was taken.

According to Yahoo, they were seen sharing an 'intimate conversation' and 'whispering into each other's ears', and even placed their hands on each other's knees.

Carolina leaned in seductively as they spoke, drawing Duncan's gaze to her cleavage, which was on display in a low-cut black crop top.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the friend, who was also in attendance on the night, said that the night out was nothing more than a harmless bit of fun

'Duncan just ran into Carolina, they were actually at a gay bar. There is nothing more to it. They were chatting and some guy just snapped a photo,' said the source

Later in the evening, the single mum wrapped her arms around Duncan, who couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

At the time, he was two months out from filming the latest season of MAFS.

He remains under strict instructions to keep any post-show relationships discreet, after fellow groom Dan Hunjas was sent a legal letter from Nine for breaking his contract by debuting his new girlfriend.

The sighting comes as Duncan and Alyssa's TV marriage remains on life support after they clashed over his 'priorities' at the couples' retreat and Alyssa later stormed out of Sunday's commitment ceremony.

A source said this week the couple lived like 'strangers' towards the end of the experiment, with Duncan spending more time with his friends in Sydney while Alyssa made regular trips back to the Northern Beaches to see her son.

It comes as Duncan's marriage to Alyssa Barmonde remains on life support after they clashed over his 'priorities' at the retreat and she later stormed out of Sunday's commitment ceremony

Carolina was involved in one of the biggest scandals in MAFS history last season.

The glamorous Brazilian began hooking up with her co-star Daniel Holmes when she was still technically 'married' to her on-screen husband Dion Giannarelli.

The duo had several rendezvous while hapless Dion tried everything to make things work with his uninterested 'wife'.

Married At First Sight continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine
Paris Hilton admits she was in tears after seeing herself on the front cover of Playboy in 2005 as she hadn't given her permission for her photos to be used.

The heiress, 42, told in her new biography Paris: The Memoir that she had initially turned down late founder Hugh Hefner's seven-figure offer to star in the magazine as she was weary of the impression it would give following her previous sex tape scandal.

Paris told how she was later shocked to see herself on the cover with images from an old photoshoot, telling in her book: 'No one was terribly surprised to see me on the cover of Playboy. Except me. I was surprised. And not in a good way.'

She recalled how the late editor-in-chief Hugh had previously offered her 'more and more money', telling her: 'I wouldn't have to be totally naked, just topless. And then saying, I didn't have to be topless, just sheer. And then saying I could wear whatever lingerie I wanted.'

She went on: 'Even when he offered seven figures, I turned it down, because I knew my mom would lose her mind, and because I had already been branded as a sl*t after the sex tape. I felt like a Playboy pictorial would just cement that in people's minds.'

Emotional: Paris Hilton admits she was in tears after seeing herself on the front cover of Playboy in 2005 as she hadn't given her permission for her photos to be used

No thanks: The heiress, 42, said she had initially turned down late founder Hugh Hefner's seven-figure offer to star in the magazine as she was weary of the impression it would give following her previous sex tape scandal (pictured in 2003)

Paris confessed that years before the cover came out, she initially found the idea 'awesome', with the star living with Playboy bunnies Jennifer Rovero and Nicole Lenz in Los Angeles at the time and regularly attending parties at the Playboy mansion.

However, her mother Kathy Hilton - who herself was approached to model for the magazine in her teens - put her foot down, telling Paris it would be 'so trashy', with Paris abiding by her mother's wishes.

But just four years later, Paris unexpectedly did end up on Playboy's front cover shortly after her very racy Super Bowl advert for burger chain Carl's Jr - with Playboy using a picture from an 'old test shoot' with a female photographer, whom Paris described as 'really great'.

The Stars Are Blind hitmaker told that with the cover she was on, Hugh had 'honoured' her with a 'Sex Star of the Year Award', meaning the magazine could claim it as 'news' and not a 'pictorial'.

Paris said that she imagined the edition had good sales as people 'expected' to see her naked inside the magazine, quipping 'surprise, suckers', before t=adding that they got 'nothing, same as me'.

In the wake of the cover, Paris recalled that her mother Kathy and 3father Richard were 'p****d', while she 'cried', but told how no one confronted Hugh at the time as 'you just didn't do that'.

It comes after Paris revealed what the Kardashians gifted her new baby and her surprising skydiving experience on Thursday's episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Bravo.

The socialite was asked questions by host Andy, 54, about her new baby Phoenix who arrived in January via surrogacy as she promoted her new book, Paris: The Memoir.

Shock: Paris told how she was later shocked to see herself on the cover with images from an old photoshoot, telling in her book: 'No one was terribly surprised to see me on the cover of Playboy. Except me. I was surprised. And not in a good way'

Here she is: The Stars Are Blind hitmaker told that with the cover she was on, Hugh had 'honoured' her with a 'Sex Star of the Year Award', meaning the magazine could claim it as 'news' and not a 'pictorial'

Spilling the beans: Paris opened up about her ordeal in her new book Paris: The Memoir

'Which of your famous pals has sent you the best baby gift?,' Andy asked.

'Kim and Kourtney and Kris sent me this giant alpaca. It's not a real one, but it's just so cute I have it in the front of my house now. I hug it every day,' Paris answered.

Paris in February shared on social media that Kris Jenner, Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian had gifted her baby boy with a life-size plush alpaca.

The businesswoman recently has been promoting her memoir that was released on Tuesday by Dey Street Books.

An extract from the memoir published by Stellar revealed that Paris didn't enjoy sex as a young woman and would fake orgasms to end her encounters.

Keen: She recalled how the late editor-in-chief Hugh had previously offered her 'more and more money', telling her: 'I wouldn't have to be totally naked, just topless' (pictured in 2003)

Memory: 'Even when he offered seven figures, I turned it down, because I knew my mom would lose her mind, and because I had already been branded as a sl*t after the sex tape'

She wrote about wondering if she was 'asexual' in her 20s, as despite her reputation of 'sleeping around with a hundred gorgeous guys' she preferred kissing and found sex a chore.

'I called myself the "kissing bandit" because I only liked to make out. A lot of my relationships didn't work out because of that' she said.

'I could fake it, and I was good at faking it, but it felt like getting run over by a minibike a hundred times. I thought orgasm was something faked so that sex could be over. I kept trying to make it work,' the memoir read.

Paris told Harper's Bazaar magazine this month that she did not have strong sexual urges before she met her husband Carter Reum, 42.
Snoop Dog received a true Scottish welcome when he touched down in Glasgow Airport ahead of his concert in the city's OVO Hydro on Friday.

The rapper, 51, stepped off his flight to be greeted by his and Dr Dre's 1999 hit Still D.R.E played on traditional bagpipes.

Snoop appeared overjoyed by the welcome which he described as 'f***** dope' and give a thumbs up before showcasing his dance moves on the tarmac.

The musician was wrapped in a blanket after his long journey and kept warm from the Scottish chill with a red beanie.

Piper Ross Ainslie, who was also dressed in a kilt, told Glasgow live: 'It was a very cool experience!'.

Big welcome: Snoop Dog, 51, received a true Scottish welcome when he touched down in Glasgow Airport ahead of his concert in the city on Friday

What a welcome: The rapper stepped off his flight to be greeted by his and Dr Dre 's track Still D.R.E played on traditional bagpipes

'I only had a day to suss out some music but 'Still D.R.E' is a great pipe tune! Who knew?'.

Racing to Instagram one fan wrote: 'Ive never felt so proud to be Scottish'.

With a second writing: 'Brilliant, best Scottish welcome'.

And a third said: 'Now thats the crossover Ive been waiting for!'.

It comes after the hip-hop legend stunned a Sydney crowd of 20,000 fans earlier this month when he belted out a racy song to four scantily clad pole dancers on the stage.

The hitmaker had a cheeky grin on his face as he sung his risque hit I Wanna F**k You to his back up dancers while the roaring crowd screamed for more during the Australian leg of his tour.

Snoop was then joined on stage by a performer wearing an ape mask holding an enormous prop blunt, throwing money at the dancers during the performance.

The crowd then went wild as Snoop lit a cigarette on stage and puffed on it in between his songs.

Loving it: Snoop appeared overjoyed by the welcome which he described as 'f***** dope' and give a thumbs up before showcasing his dance moves on the tarmac

Loving it: Piper Ross Ainslie, who was also dressed in a kilt, said: 'It was a very cool experience!'

Snoop had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand as he performed crowd favourites including Gin and Juice, Whats My Name? and a cover of Notorious BIG's Hypnotise.

The California native is known for his love of marijuana and revealed in a 2013 Twitter Q&A that he smokes up to 81 blunts per day.

In 2015, the rap artist launched his own platform called Merry Jane, a lifestyle media site that serves as an information hub for everyone interested in weed from the occasional puff to the daily smoker.

Amazing: Racing to Instagram one fan wrote: 'Ive never felt so proud to be Scottish'

Hitmakers: The hit track was released by Snoop (right) and DR Dre (left) in 1999 (pictured together at the 2022 Superbowl)

Snoop's Sydney show comes after the rapper was accused of groping one of his backup dancers during his Perth show.

While performing on stage, Snoop shot fake bills from a money gun and touched one of the dancers named Nicole as she swung around a pole.

Speaking to 2DAY FM's Hughesy, Ed & Erin, Nicole praised Snoop as a 'true professional'.

'It's just having fun and entertaining the crowd. He's the coolest person, super laid back and he just wants to entertain the people like we all do,' she said.

'It's an amazing time every time I perform with him. He is a true professional.'

Saucy: It comes after the hip-hop legend stunned a Sydney crowd of 20,000 fans earlier this month when he belted out a racy song to four scantily clad pole dancers on the stage
Vicky McClure took to Instagram on Friday to announce the return of the ITV series Trigger Point.

The Line of Duty star, 39, shared pictures from the set of the London-based thriller with her 721, 000 followers, teasing the release of its second series.

The actress, who plays bomb disposal expert Lana Washington in the show, was decked out in full costume for the snaps.

Donning a serious expression, Vicky wore an explosives vest on top of in a dark grey jacket with a light grey Union Jack emblazoned on its sleeve.

The regalia was paired with a sturdy black helmet with its protective eye mask lifted up to reveal the star's blue eyes.

'Back with another bang': Vicky McClure took to Instagram to share pictures from the Trigger Point series two set as she announced the return of the series

All smiles: The actress, 39, grinned as she posed with show producer and Line of Duty creator Jed Mercurio

It was paired with black leather fingerless safety gloves and she held an electronic tablet.

Despite the intensity of the drama, the This Is England alum showed it wasn't all work and no play on the set as she shared a selfie with show producer Jed Mercurio.

Vicky and the Line of Duty creator, 57, grinned for the photo, both displaying their pearly white teeth.

The actress removed her helmet for the picture, revealing her slicked-back cropped brunette hair.

Co-star Eric Shango, who plays Danny, can be seen in the background, cheekily photobombing the pair with a peace sign.

Among the photos was an adorable shot of two Playmobile explosives experts placed on top one of the show's cameras.

She also teased fans by including a snap of the nodding dog toy who stole the fan's attention and hearts in series one.

She captioned the post: 'Back with another bang...Trigger Point series two incoming!'

She also joked: 'Swipe to see who's back' with a dog emoji, referring to the fan favourite car ornament.

The Nottingham native's friends and fans were delighted with the announcement, many commenting their joy over the show's return.

Announcement: The Line of Duty star used the post to announce the return of the hit series to ITV

Cute: The actress also shared an adorable snap of explosive expert playmobiles posing on a camera on set

Fan favourite: Vicky teased fans by sharing a picture of the nodding dog who stole fans' hearts in series one of the show

Her Line of Duty co-star Martin Compston, 38, couldn't help but use the selfie as an opportunity to poke fun at his former boss' bronzed complexion.

The Scottish actor wrote: '[Did] Jed get caught in the blast or [has he] been hitting the hitting the sun beds again?'

Trigger Point was written by screenwriting newcomer Daniel Brierley and produced by Jed's HTM Television.

The crime drama centres on Metropolitan Police Bomb Disposal Squad officers who risk their lives daily on 'the long walk' towards danger.

Series one focused on a terrorist campaign that threatened the capital over the summer with the bomb disposal operatives or 'Expos', at the forefront of urgent efforts to find out who is behind the bombings before fatalities escalate.

Nearly 11 million viewers watched the first episode and the series averaged 9.24 million viewers per episodes 1-4, as the audience enjoyed the series on ITV, ITV Hub and BritBox.

Fans, however, were left disappointed at the series' finale, which they branded 'predictable' and 'rushed'.

Trigger Point will return to ITV later this year. Series one can be watched on ITV, ITVX, and Britbox.

Trigger Point will be available later this year, only on Stan in Australia.

Teasing: Her former Line of Duty co-star Martin Compston couldn't resist the temptation to poke fun at his former boss Jed's bronzed complexion
Erin Barnett has finally been approved for a hysterectomy after battling with doctors and enduring over a dozen surgeries.

The former Love Island Australia contestant, who suffers from endometriosis, announced the news in an Instagram Stories post on Friday.

'IT'S HAPPENING! I've just been approved for a hysterectomy,' the 27-year-old shared with her fans.

'I'M CRYING HAPPY TEARS! I can't believe it's finally happening. I'm so overwhelmed with so many different emotions,' she went on.

'I've wanted this for so long. WHAT A WIN FOR ME!' a clearly delighted Erin added.

Erin Barnett (pictured) has finally been approved for a hysterectomy after battling with doctors and enduring over a dozen surgeries

A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, and is used to treat a number of conditions including endometriosis, fibroids and prolapse.

Erin revealed in 2022 that she was warring with doctors who refused to give her a hysterectomy.

She has had 17 surgeries starting at age 14, due to suffering severe endometriosis and PCOS.

The former reality star said she wanted to have a hysterectomy to end her pain - but can't find a surgeon who will agree to perform the operation.

'It's not a cure but I would probably be 90 per cent pain-free and today I'm living with about 1000 per cent pain every day,' she told Nine Honey last year.

'IT'S HAPPENING! I've just been approved for a hysterectomy' the 27-year-old shared with her fans

'Sure, I would go into menopause and there are increased risks of having a stroke or heart attack in my 60s,' she continued.

'But that means I have to live in pain and have constant surgeries for another 30 years. I accept the risks and yet they still won't do it'.

Erin went on to say that she was able to get breast implants, but wasn't granted a hysterectomy despite suffering pain that she describes like being burned from the inside.

'When I asked for large breast implants my surgeon advised against it, but it was what I wanted so I understood the risks and signed the form,' she said.

Erin revealed in 2022 that she was warring with doctors who refused to give her a hysterectomy. She has had 17 surgeries starting at age 14

Previously describing her symptoms on Instagram, Erin wrote: 'Don't know what's going on! But look at how swollen I am. I'm in agony! I feel like my insides are on fire.'

A furious Erin continued: 'When you've had 17 surgeries since you were 14, left fallopian tube/ovary removed, two cyst ruptures and diagnosed with endometriosis, adenomyosis and PCOS, then come back and tell me how to live my life.'

She added: 'You have no idea what this amount of pain, suffering and surgeries will do to you mentally, let alone physically.'

Erin first discovered she had these debilitating disorders when she had a three-litre cyst removed from her ovary at the age of 15.
She has been in the UK on an intense promotional tour for her new memoir.

And on Friday's instalment of This Morning, Paris Hilton, 42, was preened to perfection in a pink maxi dress and hair bow.

The American heiress as she left hosts Alison Hammond, 48, and Dermot O'Leary, 49, baffled by how she sounds after her tone was much deeper and softer than expected.

The TV presenters and viewers alike have all known the platinum bombshell from her reality star days, when she had a high-pitched girly voice

Alison asked: 'This is the authentic Paris? this isn't the voice I remember!' to which new mum Paris explained: 'This is my real voice, that was a character.'

Glam: On Friday's instalment of This Morning, Paris Hilton, 42, was preened to perfection in a pink maxi dress and hair bow

Sounding different: Viewers have all known the platinum bombshell from her reality star days, when she had a high-pitched girly voice

What? The American heiress as she left hosts Alison Hammond, 48, and Dermot O'Leary, 49, baffled by how she sounds after her tone was much deeper and softer than expected

Paris continued: 'I am not a dumb blonde, people I am just good at playing it. After the good life I got stuck in playing that role.'

Indeed, the star recalled a time she 'escaped' from a party with her pop star pal Britney Spears, saying: 'We were bored in a friends party so we climbed out of a bungalow window.'

She also told viewers that her life now, is a far cry from her wild party girl younger years, insisting: 'I am older now, I like to cook lasagne for my husband and lay in bed with my baby.'

Paris - who revealed last month that she secretly welcomed a baby boy named Phoenix, with her husband Carter Reum via surrogate - spoke fondly of raiding her firstborn.

Of being a working mum, she gushed: 'I do it all, he's my world, I miss him [Phoenix] and can't wait to get home to him. I sing The stars are blind acoustic version to him.'

Elsewhere on her promo tour, Paris told Magic Radio that she created herself a character with a 'Barbie perfect life' as a 'trauma response.'

The heiress admitted she dealt with her teenage trauma of being abused, including being sexually groomed by a teacher aged 14, by creating a persona that couldn't be farther from the 'shy' person she really is.

And because her 'dumb' blonde alter-ego was 'magnified' when she starred in the reality series The Simple Life in the noughties alongside pal Nicole Richie, she felt pressured to keep playing the role.

The real Paris! Alison asked: 'This is the authentic Paris? this isn't the voice I remember!' to which new mum Paris explained: 'This is my real voice, that was a character'

Skilled actress: Paris continued: 'I am not a dumb blonde, people I am just good at playing it. After the good life I got stuck in playing that role'

Gorgeous: Paris teamed her floor length salmon pink dress with pointed white heels

Busy day: After her appearance on This Morning, Paris signed copies of her new book at the UK launch of Paris: The Memoir

Cute: The reality star shared a sweet moment with a star-struck fan as she gave her a warm hug

New look: She changed into a blue wool dress for the event at Selfridges in London

Celebrity guests: Paris posed for a photo with designer Julien Macdonald at the launch who looked elated as she signed his copy of her book

Elegant: Paris looked as chic as ever in the stylish midi dress that featured glitzy piping and flower shaped buttons

Tell-all: The book, Paris: The Memoir explores her life in the spotlight

Paris recently explained why she and husband Carter hid their baby's birth from even their immediate families until right before she made the Instagram announcement.

'My entire life has been so public,' she told Harper's Bazaar. 'Ive never had anything for myself. We decided that we wanted to have this whole experience to ourselves.'

She said of her son: 'I want to protect him and to be with him every second. You have this mother instinct that kicks in, which I've never had before.'

While the surrogate was in labor, Paris was so determined to protect her privacy that she even went to the trouble of disguising herself with a brunette wig and checking into the hospital under an alias.
Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin wowed on the red carpet as they arrived at a charity fundraiser in Beverly Hills Thursday.

The glamorous couple, mingled with host Sharon Stone and other celebrities at the The Women's Cancer Research Fund's An Unforgettable Evening Benefit Gala 2023 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire.

Lisa, 59, looked stunning in a sparkling gold stretch tulle jumpsuit with hand-embroidered pailettes from the Spring/Summer 2023 Michael Kors Collection.

The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast member brushed her short dark hair away from her face, showcasing her flawless complexion.

Her makeup was natural looking with a muted pink lip.

Wow! Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin wowed on the red carpet at The Women's Cancer Research Fund's An Unforgettable Evening Benefit Gala 2023 in Beverly Hills Thursday. Harry, 71, looked handsome in a classic suit and tie

The Days of our Lives star accessorized the look with a pair of large gold hoop earrings.

The Shrink Next Door actress carried a handbag with clear crystals and gold trim.

Harry, 71, looked handsome in a classic black suit with a white shirt and tie.

The Mayfair Witches star wore glasses with a square black frames as he placed his arm around his wife's waist.

Now that she's no longer with RHOBH, Lisa has been focusing on her businesses, including Rinna Wines and Rinna Beauty.

The decision for Lisa to leave the reality show after season 12 was a mutual decision between her and the show's producers, according to Today.com

'This is the longest job I have held in my 35 year career and I am grateful to everyone at Bravo and all those involved in the series,' she said in the statement to the outlet.

'It has been a fun eight-year run and I am excited for what is to come!'

Stunning: Lisa, 59, looked stunning in a sparkling gold Michael Kors jumpsuit with a plunging neckline. The actress brushed her short dark hair away from her face, showcasing her flawless complexion. Her makeup was natural looking with a muted pink lip

Business: Since leaving The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills after the end of season 12, Lisa has been busy promoting her business - Rinna Beauty and Rinna Wines

Harry can currently be seen on the big screen in 80 for Brady, playing Jane Fonda's love interest in the girlfriend comedy based on a true story.

Of his make out session with the Oscar winner, Harry told Chicago Today, in an interview to promote the film, 'a soon as I found out I was going to do it, I wrote it in on my bucket list, and I was able to check it off.'

It was the first studio film the veteran actor had done since the then-controversial film Making Love in 1981.

The LA Law actor starred as a novelist who enters into a same-sex affair with a married doctor.

Big screen: Harry can be seen on the big screen as Jane Fonda's love interest in 80 for Brady, explaining to Chicago Today when he realized he got the role he added kissing Jane Fonda to his bucket list and check it off

Break: The 80 for Brady part as Harry's first in a big screen movie since 1981's Making Love. The actor said he chose to stick with TV work so he could be close to home while his daughters, Amelia, 21, and Delilah, 24, were growing up

Harry told the outlet he had chosen to stick to TV work while his daughters were growing up.

The couple are parents to Amelia, 21 and Delilah 24. Harry has a son, Dimitri, 42, from a previous relationship with actress Ursula Andress, 86.

'I kind of took 20 years off, when my girls were born. And I said to Lisa that I was not not going to leave town until they left town and we had an empty nest, at it worked out that way.'
Russia is having problems with the test launches of its new RS-29 Sarmat ICBM. The latest test launch in February 2023 failed. The 200-ton missile carries multiple Avangard hypersonic warheads. The 220-ton RS-28 is having similar reliability problems which have delayed efforts to declare the missile operational. Some of the problems are with the firm that manufactures the missiles. There have been accusations of corruption involving theft of money and substandard work. Russia has been having similar problems with aircraft production and military procurement in general.

This failure to procure reliable ICBMs is a major problem for Russia because the strategic missile forces are Russias ultimate defense. If all else fails, Russia can threaten to retaliate with its ICBMs. The problem is that Russia only has fewer than 300 operational ICBMs. About half of these are the RS-24, a relatively small ICBM carrying four warheads each. All Russian ICBMs together carry about 1,200 nuclear warheads. About half as many warheads are carried by SSBNs (nuclear powered ballistic missile subs). These subs have availability problems because they are either too old, or new and still finding and fixing problems. A similar situation exists with the 500 nuclear warheads and cruise missiles used by the long range bombers. Most of these are the fifty Tu-95 propeller driven aircraft. Designed right after World War II, over 500 were built between 1952 and 1993. Fewer than a hundred remain in service, mainly as bombers that normally carry non-nuclear bombs and cruise missiles. Some of these have recently been used against Ukraine.

Since the 1980s, Russia has had problems producing new ICBM, SSBNs and heavy bombers. There have been technical problems with all of these and not enough money to build enough replacements for the older missiles, SSBNs and ICBMs that eventually become inoperable. These problems are one reason why Russia recently withdrew from the START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty). START is actually a series of agreements that began in the 1980s and continued to be revised and renewed after the Soviet Union disbanded. These treaties not only reduce the number of nuclear weapons each treaty member has but also allow everyone to inspect each others systems regularly. Because of the Ukraine War, Russia (Vladimir Putin) believes that wartime secrecy requires that Russia temporarily suspend these inspections, which required suspending its participation in START. While some nuclear systems, like the Tu-95 bomber, are also used for delivering non-nuclear missiles against Ukrainian targets, Russia also does not want the current quality and quality problems with its nuclear weapons to be scrutinized by foreign nuclear powers.

One item to be kept from foreign inspectors is the many problems Russia is having with its new ICBMs. While there have been some successful test launches of the new RS-29 Sarmat ICBM, recent failures made it clear this model was not ready for prime time. Then there are the problems with the other new ICBM. The RS-28 ICBM was supposed to be ready for service, along with its Avangard hypersonic warheads, in 2022. That did not happen. RS-28 missiles were supposed to begin replacing 40 older RS-18 missiles by the end of 2020 but that was delayed as a few more technical problems had to be fixed with the production model. The successful launch from a silo of a production missile allows those already built to begin replacing older ICBMs.

Design errors and quality control problems are an issue with all new Russian weapons, especially aircraft, warships, tanks and ICBMs. All of these weapons entered service in smaller numbers than planned and with some flaws still present. This has become customary with Russian ICBM and SLV (satellite launch vehicle) rockets and the Russians have adapted by making allowances for that as well as work-arounds. An example of this can be seen in the 2020 decision to delay acceptance of the solid-fuel SS-26, which was also supposed to carry the Avangard hypersonic warhead. The solid-fuel RS-26 had run into a lot more problems than the liquid-fuel RS-28. In 2019 Russia announced the suspension of the RS-26, one of the two ICBM projects that were designed to use the Avangard, a revival of a Cold War era hypersonic glide vehicle system. RS-26 was a solid fuel missile based on the Topol M, which was the first successful solid-fuel ICBM missile Russia was able to deploy. It is comparable to the 1960s era U.S. Minuteman. Solid fuel is tricky to manufacture, and after many abortive attempts, the Russians stuck with liquid fuel until the 1980s. They finally perfected their solid fuel technology in the 1980s with the successful test launch of the 45-ton Topol in 1985. The 52-ton Topol-M followed ten years later. Both missiles have a range of 10,500 kilometers.

This is the second time Russia ran into problems adapting the Topol M for other uses. The first effort was to turn Topol M into Bulava, an SLBM (Sea Launched Ballistic Missile) for the new Borei class SSBN ((ballistic missile nuclear subs). The Bulava problems were largely caused by a shortage of competent engineers and manufacturing specialists. Getting Bulava to work took a lot longer and cost a lot more than expected. Sensing the same pattern with the RS-26, Russia suspended work on this until 2027, or whatever future time when the personnel and manufacturing quality control problems can be solved.

The other new missile designed to carry Avangard, the 220-ton RS-28, had fewer problems but was still behind schedule and officially not expected to be ready until 2021. RS-28 was finally declared ready to use in 2022. Previously, because of several successful test launches, Russia declared the Avangard/RS-28 missiles ready for deployment in 2019. That means these missiles are being taken off the production line, equipped with their Avangard third stage and headed for an existing R-36M (SS-18) base at Orenburg (1,500 kilometers southeast of Moscow) where those R-36M silos have been prepared to accept the RS-28 missiles. Satellite photos confirmed that many RS-28s were now in the R-36M silos. Given Russian production and budget problems, only a token number of RS-28s were in those silos by the end of 2019, with the number slowly increasing. The Orenburg ICBM base has been in service since the 1960s and has 62 silos. Since the 1990s most have been taken out of service. Some of those silos were used for launching ICBMs modified to carry commercial satellites. A dozen or more silos are available for the RS-28s and loading a silo with a new missile is a very visible (from the air) and time-consuming process.

RS-28 development began as a replacement for Cold War era ICBMs that are rapidly becoming too old and unreliable to use. By 2016 the RS-28 had also evolved into the primary carrier for the new hypersonic glide vehicle project Russia announced in 2013 but was believed to have suspended because of budget cuts brought on by low oil prices and sanctions. That crisis is still active and made worse by additional sanctions in 2022 because of the Ukraine invasion. The defense budget has undergone cuts for several years in a row. Yet the Avangard project remained quite active and has apparently received budget priority to get it into service as soon as possible.

The RS-28 was originally scheduled for testing before the end of 2016. That did not happen and there followed the usual succession of delays because of technical or manufacturing problems. RS-28 has been in development since 2009 and was originally scheduled to enter service in 2018. Russia has had a growing number of quality control problems throughout the Russian space problem and military tech development in general. The cause was the return of a market economy to Russia in the 1990s. At that point, most of the more talented people in defense industries found better-paying jobs in the commercial sector or overseas. No solution to this has been found, especially not with Russia suffering from an economic recession and pervasive corruption. Despite the fact that the government has devoted a lot more money and management talent (also in short supply) to nukes, ballistic missiles and nuclear subs, the problems and delays persist.

Russia believes the RS-28 is essential for state security because it can carry nine or more independently targeted warheads and will be the most important weapon in its ICBM arsenal. Moreover, the missile RS-28 is replacing (R-36M), is aging to the point where refurbishment is no longer able to keep these decades old missiles operational. The Russians saw this problem coming and in 2003 decided to refurbish its force of 1970s era R-36M (SS-18 or "Satan" in the West) ICBMs so they could remain in service another 10-15 years (2013-18). Both the old (210-ton, 32.2 meter long and 3.05 meters in diameter) R-36 and new (210-ton, 36.3 meter long and 3 meters in diameter) RS-28 are similar in size. The new missile is longer and that will require some adjustments to the existing R-36 silos. Some of that work appears to have already been done.

The R-36M was designed in 1969, first tested in 1972 and entered service in 1975. It's the largest ICBM the Russians ever built, with a liftoff weight of 210 tons and a warhead weighing eight tons. While it's a liquid-fuel rocket, storable liquid fuel is used. This avoids lengthy fueling procedures common with earlier Russian ICBMs. Modifications and upgrades for the missile produced six separate models, the last one entering service in 1990. Russia wanted to refurbish a hundred of the most recently built (in the 1980s, for the most part) R-36Ms. Shortages of cash and resources reduced the number refurbished and as of 2016 only about fifty were operational. By 2018 only about 30 will be usable and by 2020 none were. The RS-28 is very similar to the R-36M, weighing 220 tons and a warhead hauling up to ten tons of smaller warheads (up to 15) or 24 Avangard vehicles.

The secretive Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle project was something that began during the Cold War but never got into service. Suspicions that Russia had changed its mind may have been a side-effect of China revealing in early 2016 that they had perfected the technology for a maneuverable ballistic missile warhead. This came a little after it was revealed that since 2014 China had conducted six tests of a maneuverable gliding warhead for ballistic missiles. Five of the six tests were successful and this hypersonic glide vehicle was officially known as the DF-ZF.

In effect, this Chinese hypersonic glide vehicle is a warhead that can glide rather than simply plunging back to earth, and is purportedly maneuverable enough to hit small moving targets in space or down on the surface. The DF-ZF was initially developed as China sought to perfect a version of the DF-21 ballistic missile that could hit moving warships at sea. DF-21 is a 15 ton, two-stage, solid fuel missile. The DF-21D (the carrier killer version) missile using the DF-ZF warhead is also more difficult for anti-missile missiles to hit. This is what the Russian hypersonic glide vehicle is designed for.

Russia and the United States had developed this technology much earlier but neither has deployed it in the form the Chinese appear to favor. The original work in this area was by the Germans during World War II. The U.S. and Russia both investigated the concept more during the Cold War but never felt it worth building. In the 1990s the United States proposed reviving work on hypersonic glide vehicles for its Prompt Global Strike system. This would put hypersonic glide vehicle warheads, using high-explosive and not nuclear explosives, on ICBMs. This meant a very expensive weapon that could hit a target anywhere on earth in less than an hour of the order being given. In any event, the United States successfully tested its version of the hypersonic glide vehicle in 2011 but with the defense budget shrinking the project was halted. This was encouraged when a 2014 hypersonic glide vehicle test failed. Now, this effort has been revived, sort of.

The United States moved ahead with reviving its Cold War era hypersonic glide vehicle ballistic missile warheads. In late 2017 the U.S. revealed several active research projects like TBG (Tactical Boost Glide) and HAWC (Hypersonic Air-Breathing Weapon) which are similar in size and shape to the cruise missiles carried by bombers, and launched from high altitudes into orbit or remain in the atmosphere, but moving at hyper speeds (over 5,000 kilometers an hour). This is similar to the X-51A Waverider project that was halted in 2013 but not forgotten. The problem with the X-51A was that it could not be made reliable enough. A 2010 flight test had the 8 meter (36 foot) long, cruise missile-like X-51 aircraft boosted to 3,300 kilometers an hour, using a solid fuel rocket, at which point the scramjet engine took over, and successfully operated for over two minutes, achieving speeds of nearly 6,000 kilometers an hour. This was the longest a scramjet had ever operated (the previous best was ten seconds). By 2013 the 4th test got the liquid fuel engine going for five minutes.

What makes scramjets work is the compression of incoming air without the use of a fan system (as in conventional jet engines). But while scramjets have been in development for half a century, the lack of adequate materials (that can handle the high heat and pressure), and adequate design tools, frustrated attempts to build workable and reliable scramjets. Scramjets have few moving parts but must cope with very extreme conditions and the design challenges have proved very frustrating. The recent X-51 tests, like all previous ones, ended with the aircraft crashing. The next step was to get longer hypersonic engine use, de-acceleration, and landing via parachute (and eventually an auxiliary engine.) Going beyond the 2013 test proved too expensive and time consuming to continue when there were cheaper alternatives available and these depended more on getting into orbit and letting gravity provide and maintain the high speed. It was definitely easier to achieve those high speeds with orbital technologies like TBG and HAWC. Or the new Chinese systems like DF-ZF.

Russia stresses the need for Avangard to deal with American missile defense systems. This doesnt make sense to Westerners because the American anti-ICBM systems are limited and meant to deal with small numbers of ICBMs from North Korea or Iran. Russia interprets it differently because Russian leaders since 2010 have blamed their internal problems on the growing threat of NATO. The reality is that the NATO threat is a myth but Russias growing economic problems are not. This is made clear via opinion polls and international economic surveys. Corruption rankings put Russia among the most corrupt nations, and those are the ones that have the worst economic and military performance. The most recent corruption surveys show Russia as more corrupt than China and getting worse. Avangard is an expensive defense against an imaginary threat. Meanwhile growing corruption, Western sanctions and shortage of competent people (who are leaving Russia or avoiding defense industries) make it more and more difficult to complete high-tech weapons projects of any kind.
Pink gave fans some insight into her protective parenting style in a new interview.

The 43-year-old pop star revealed on KTU 103.5 FM's Carolina With Greg T In The Morning Show that her daughter Willow, 11, does not have a phone.

The Philadelphia-bred songwriter  who recently announced an upcoming tour said she won't allow the youngster to possess the mobile device until she can prove social media is good for you.

She said during the chat, 'I told [Willow], point blank, "If you can produce literature from a reputable source that tells me that social media is good for you, then you can be on it. Otherwise, good luck."'

In addition to Willow, Pink and husband Carey Hart also share a six-year-old son named Jameson.

Revelation: Pink revealed on KTU 103.5 FM's Carolina With Greg T In The Morning Show that her daughter Willow, 11, can't have a phone until she proves social media is good for you

During the conversation Pink also explained she doesn't want to 'coddle' her children for fear the world will 'eat them up.'

As a result, the entertainer strives for balance and noted there's a 'fine line' between preserving her kids' 'innocence' and 'preparing' them for adulthood.

On her choice to keep a cell phone out of her daughter's hands she said, 'Its hard. A lot of my friends have their kids on TikTok and I dont.

'I told Willow, "That doesn't move my needle, they're not my kids, you're my kid."'

The star, whose real name is Alecia Moore, also explained to her firstborn that there are 'a lot of eyes on her' as the child of a famous public figure.

She noted, however, that Willow does possess a watch which she uses to communicate with her parents when necessary.

In regard to Willow actually finding proof that social media is 'good for you,' Pink said, 'She could be a lawyer. She could literally pass the bar.

'Shes always right... She might actually find that literature, but good luck.'

Explanation: Pink said during the chat, 'I told [Willow], point blank, "If you can produce literature from a reputable source that tells me that social media is good for you, then you can be on it. Otherwise, good luck"'

Family of four: In addition to her daughter, Pink and husband Carey Hart also has a six-year-old son named Jameson

Moore, who in recent years has become known for her stage acrobatics, plans to take her kids on her upcoming Summer Carnival world tour.

'I'm so lucky to be able to bring my kids with me, and all of my guitar players' kids are going to be there... it's amazing,' she gushed about hitting the road.

Careful not to 'take over' the pre-teen's life, she added that Willow will travel back and forth between tour and home to ensure she has her own life.

The musician's new album Trustfall was released one month ago on Friday, February 17.

At the time she shared a four-image carousel with her 9.2M Instagram followers and said, 'I cant believe this day is finally here!! I have been waiting almost patiently to share my heart and soul with all of you.

'This album means so much to me its silly sauce. I hope this becomes the "I remember where I was when I listened to that album" for you.

'So many options, how do I choose?! Box sets, zines, vinyl. I want em all.'
Joan Collins sent temperatures soaring as she took to Instagram in a pair of black lace stockings on Friday.

The 89-year-old looked sensational as she posed up a storm modelling a T-shirt for Comic relief.

Joan slipped her feet into black heels as she showcased her long and elegant pins while beaming for the camera.

The stunner sported a gorgeous palette of make-up with a classic pillar box red lip and wore her dark locks in curls.

She captioned the snap: 'My husband INSISTED I post this photo for #rednosedaybut the t-shirt is so fabulous Ive been wearing it to bed!'

Good cause: Joan Collins sent temperatures soaring as she took to Instagram in a pair of black lace stockings on Friday for Comic Relief

Raising money: She captioned the snap: 'My husband INSISTED I post this photo for #rednoseday but the t-shirt is so fabulous Ive been wearing it to bed!

'Buy them now at @tkmaxxuk stores and online. At least 5 will go to @comicrelief to help children and young people living incredibly tough lives in the #uk and around the world #rednoseday2023'.

Elsewhere Gethin Jones, 45, wiped away tears as he was told he'd raised over 1million for Comic Relief thanks to his 24-hour danceathon.

The BBC Morning Live host boogied his way through the night - while dressed in various costumes, including as Pixar's Mr. Incredible - in a bid to raise funds, which continue to climb.

Gethin was joined on the daytime show by his co-stars Kimberley Walsh and Helen Skelton live on air for the final countdown to completing his charity danceathon.

Golden confetti rained down on them after the ticker ran down, and he told viewers: 'This celebration sums it up. All the messages overnight have been phenomenal.

Emotional: On Friday, an emotional Gethin Jones, 45, wiped away tears as he was told he'd raised over 1million for Comic Relief thanks to his 24-hour danceathon

Celebrations: Golden confetti rained down on the TV host and his colleagues after the ticker ran down on BBC Morning Live

Disbelief! 'I can't quite believe what we've raised for Comic Relief!' admitted the daytime television star

'I can't quite believe what we've raised for Comic Relief!' admitted the veteran TV host.

Choking up, Gethin began to cry as he gushed: 'It's going to change lives. It's going to save lives. I've said it all along, I'm so proud.'

The Cardiff-born presenter - who has just been announced as an ambassador for GO Outdoors - was surrounded by co-workers who cheered on his impressive achievement.

Gethin then collapsed onto the floor after completing his physically exhausting 24-hour danceathon.

Ahead of his televised fundraiser, he told Metro: 'As a kid I'd busk on the street for Children In Need and raise money for Comic Relief in school, so being asked to do one of their big challenges is a real privilege.'

Gethin is a much-loved TV presenter, who is best known for his work on BBC Morning Live, The One Show, Strictly's It Takes Two and Blue Peter.

Fun! The BBC Morning Live host boogied his way through the night - while dressed in various costumes, including as Pixar's Mr. Incredible - in a bid to raise funds, which continue to climb

Exhausted: Gethin collapsed onto the floor after completing his 24-hour danceathon
Brian Cox channeled his inner Logan Roy in an interview discussing Succession's upcoming fourth and last season.

Last month series creator Jesse Armstrong announced that the upcoming season of the Emmy-winning HBO drama would be it's last.

And that's a decision Cox is wholeheartedly on board with.

'He's very disciplined in that way, and also he's very British in that way,' the Scottish actor, 76, told Variety. 'The American inclination is to milk it for all it's worth.'

And there's another American convention he despises - the Method acting his co-star Jeremy Strong - who plays Kendall Roy - is so fiercely committed to.

The End: Brian Cox agrees that season four is the right time to end Succession

And despite agreeing that the time to end the series is here, Cox will miss it. 'I'll miss the cast, I'll miss the atmosphere, I'll miss the bonhomie,' he said.

But will he miss Logan, the outlet asked. 'Logan, probably, I'll miss a bit. But upward and onwards.'

One thing Cox will not miss is the back and forth arguing he and Strong have butted heads on - Strong's commitment to method acting.

Cox loathes the practice and called it out in his 2021 memoir Putting the Rabbit in the Hat, writing that their is 'a certain amount of pain at the root of Jeremy.'

And he isn't slamming Strong. In fact, he called him 'a wonderful actor.'

He continued, 'It's really a cultural clash,' Cox says. 'I don't put up with all that American sh*t. I'm sorry. All that sort of 'I think, therefore I feel.''

'Just do the job. Don't identify,' he said referring to legendary Method actor Daniel Day Lewis.

'He retired at the age of 55, and I'm going, 'That's when the roles become really interesting. You've retired just at the point when actually the roles get better!''

Succession: The Roy kids have had four seasons to prove themselves worthy of taking over the family business and have failed to do so

New season: Succession season four drops on HBO on March 26

He's fine: Strong insists it is his character Kendall Roy who is in pain, not him

And he revealed something new: 'Of course, Jeremy was Dan Day-Lewis' assistant. So he's learned all that stuff from Dan.'

For what it's worth, Strong disagrees with Cox's assessment that he's in pain.

In a cover story for GQ, he admitted Cox has 'earned the right to say whatever the fuck he wants,' but said that it is his character Kendall is in pain, not he.

Cox responded to that by simply saying: 'I'm glad he is not in pain personally.'

As for Logan and his quest to find his successor, Cox humorously sums it up thusly: 'They would absolutely destroy it,' he said of Logan's offsprings quests for the throne. of the family business.

'It would last in their hands probably no more than five minutes. And yet that's what he wanted. He wanted his successor. Four seasons to prove it! And they simply haven't proved it,' he exclaimed.

Cox went on to list Logan's kids' Achilles heels. Roman (Kieran Culkin) is 'the gifted one,' butcan't be trusted. Shiv (Sarah Snook) is Logan's 'darling,' but 'she just doesn't know who she is.' AndKendall, 'his own avarice is what's gotten in the way,' as well as his 'Oh, poor me' attitude.

But what's the imposing Logan Roy's weakness? He loves his children.

'If he didnt love his children, it would be so much easier,' he says. 'Its his Achilles heel.'

Achilles heel: Logan Roy's Achilles' heel is that he loves his children
Love Island winner Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan as they were spotted leaving their hotel in Manchester on Friday.

The couple, both 24, enjoyed their first night together back in the UK after beating couple Ron Hall and Lana Jenkins to take home the money on Sunday night's final.

Sanam cut a casual figure for the outing layering a black denim jacket over leggings and a white t-shirt.

She completed the look with comfy trainers and accentuated her features with make-up and wore her brunette tresses loose.

Meanwhile beau Kai opted for an alabaster hoodie and joggers as he chivalrously carried the bags on route to the train station.

On route: Love Island winner Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan, both 24, as they were spotted leaving their hotel in Manchester on Friday

Smiles: The couple enjoyed their first night together back in the UK after beating couple Ron Hall and Lana Jenkins to take home the money on Sunday night's final

Low key: Sanam cut a casual figure for the outing layering a black denim jacket over leggings and a white t-shirt

It comes after fellow couple Ron and Lana reportedly had a 'furious row' on the plane journey home from South Africa on Thursday.

The couple, both 25, are said to have has such a barney that members of Love Island's production crew had to intervene during the flight.

According to The Sun After touching down in the UK the couple refused to film their homecoming, until producers stepped in once again.

They then left the Heathrow airport separately rather than spending a romantic night together.

An onlooker told the publication: 'Lana and Ron had a furious argument on the plane home - production crew had to step in and calm it down'.

Comfy: She completed the look with comfy trainers and accentuated her features with make-up and wore her brunette tresses loose

Lovebirds: Meanwhile beau Kai opted for an alabaster hoodie and joggers as he chivalrously carried the bags on route to the train station

'They were so fuming they refused to film the 'meeting the family' part of the reunion show at Heathrow until producers stepped in again'.

'They were due to stay overnight in London together but after the fight they went back to their family homes separately to cool down.'

A representative for ITV declined to comment.

Kai and Sanam made history as the first time a Casa Amor bombshell has entered the show and gone on to take the win in the show.

Furious: It comes after fellow couple Ron & Lana reportedly had a 'furious row' on the plane journey home from South Africa on Thursday

Gutted: The pair appeared to keep their distance from each other after refusing to film until producers stepped in

The couple were speechless when host Maya Jama announced the results during the live final in South Africa.

Before their win, Sanam accidentally revealed she is in love with Kai, while he told viewers to 'watch this space' about making the beauty his girlfriend in the outside world.

Tom and Samie placed third in the competition, while airport security officer Shaq, 24, and Tanya Manhenga were the first out.

After their win, Sanam told Maya, 28, 'I can't believe it', while Kai was lost for words.

She said of their romance: 'For me, it was always Kai, like I always said he was my number one. Obviously, he is a very attractive guy but I fell in love with everything. Everything about him, I just loved it. I really didn't think I was gonna be here. I'm going to cry.'

'We are both so shook!': Love Island winners Kai Fagan and Sanam Harrinanan have broken their silence after their incredible victory on Monday night

Like every romance on the show, Kai and Sanam have had a rough ride - after the PE teacher's former love interest Olivia Hawkins left furious when his head was turned in Casa Amor - as was hers.

But Kai's decision to re-couple with Sanam has proven to be a worthy one as they have remained strong ever since.

In their interview, the PE teacher noted his journey on the show had been a 'rollercoaster' but he is looking forward to treating Sanam away from the glamour of the South African villa.

'It's been a rollercoaster,' he said. 'But literally, she blew me away. I think it's the eyes. I always to her that it was the first conversation we had, she did the eyes. But she doesn't do it anymore! After that first one, we just got closer and closer.

'She doesn't leave my side and I absolutely love her.

'In here, it's amazing and you have so many people working around you, arranging the most amazing dates ever but I can't wait to be able to put my time and effort into her and show her how amazing she is.

'On the outside, she's going to be my girlfriend but I want that control. I'm gonna make it so special and I have told her so many times that she is gonna be my girlfriend on the outside. So keep a look out.'

Watch Love Island: The Reunion on Sunday on ITV2 and ITVX at 9pm.
Michelle Williams showed off her chic style as she made her way into the Whitby Hotel in New York City for a special screening of Showing Up on Thursday.

The Dawson's Creek alum - who looked ethereal at the 95th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday - looked classy in a long sleeve polka-dot midi dress under a black pea coat with red velvet heels and Calzedonia tights.

The 42-year-old two-time Golden Globe winner rocked a platinum blonde pixie cut, accessorized with a range of rings, and carried a quilted black velvet Chanel bag with chain-link gold hardware.

The Venom star, who received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role in The Fabelmans, plays Lizzy Carr in her new film Showing Up, which marks her fourth collaboration with director Kelly Reichardt, 58.

Michelle and director Kelly previously worked together on the 2008 film Wendy And Lucy, the 2010 period piece Meek's Cutoff, and the 2016 drama Certain Women.

Looking good: Michelle Williams, 42, looked chic as she made her way into the Whitby Hotel in New York City for a special screening of Showing Up on Thursday

Artsy role: The two-time Golden Globe winner plays sculptor Lizzy Carr in Showing Up, which marks her fourth collaboration with director Kelly Reichardt

In the new comedy-drama, Michelle's character is a Portland sculptor preparing for an exhibit, locked in a simmering rivalry between fellow artists Lizzy and Jo, her landlord.

Williams' character must balance her creative life with the daily dramas of family and friends as she prepares to open a new show.

Joining her at the event was Hong Chau, who plays the character Jo. Chau received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Whale.

Chau looked stylish at the special screening as she posed alongside Williams in a loosely fitted grey-striped suit.

Williams was also pictured with her longtime friend, Steve Buscemi from Boardwalk Empire, who wore a green button-up shirt under a black jacket.

Earlier this week, Michelle looked sensational at the Oscars in a strapless gown with sequin embroidery alongside her husband Thomas Kail, 45, whom she has been married to since 2020.

The five-time Academy Award nominee played Mitzi Fabelman in The Fabelmans, based on the true story of legendary director Steven Spielberg's life.

The semi-autobiographical film, directed by Steven Spielberg, is based on Steven's parents and their eventual divorce.

The Fabelmans also presents the dissolution of his parents' marriage, as Michelle's character begins an affair with the best friend (Seth Rogen) of her husband (Paul Dano).

Fashionista: The Dawson's Creek alum looked classy in a long sleeve polka-dot midi dress under a black pea coat with red velvet heels and Calzedonia tights

Costars: Hong Chau looked stylish as she posed alongside Williams in a loosely fitted grey-striped suit

Portland sculptor: Williams plays the role of a Portland sculptor preparing for an exhibit in the new comedy-drama Showing Up

Star-studded cast: Chau's character is an idle landlord and artist colleague of Williams' ceramics sculptor character. She recently received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Whale

Williams revealed that she has not worked since The Fabelmans since she welcomed her third child in November.

'I haven't worked since I did this movie and part of me is still there. I've had a baby so I've been busy with that,' Williams told Lorraine in January.

She shares her youngest child and son Hart, two, with her husband, and previously welcomed daughter Matilda in 2005 with Heath Ledger.

The couple became an item in 2004 after starring together in Brokeback Mountain but split up in 2007. Ledger was discovered unconscious in his bed on January 22, 2008.

Longtime friends: Williams posed for a snap with Boardwalk Empire's Steve Buscemi
Emily Ratajkowski stepped out in an elevated casual Friday outfit in New York.

The model, 31, who has been spending time with her parents, flashed a glimpse at her toned tummy in a short black suede jacket and low rise khaki pants as she arrived at Sony studios.

She was there to tape the latest episode of her podcast, The High Low with Emrata.

The runway veteran accessorized the comfortable look with yellow sneakers and a green crossover bag.

The influencer wore bangs and let her long brown hair lay in loose straight layers down her back.

Emily wore daytime makeup with a natural lip and accessorized with gold tear drop earrings.

Toned tummy: Emily Ratajkowski stepped out in an elevated casual Friday outfit in New York. The model, 31, flashed a glimpse at her toned tummy in a short black suede jacket and low rise khaki pants as she arrived at Sony studios

The working mother, who shares son Sylvester, two, with her ex-husband Sebastian Bear McClard, 42, carried an iced coffee drink in one hand and her cell phone in the other as she headed into the facility.

The My Body author tackles a wide variety of topics on her podcast, which is carried by Apple, iHeart and Spotify.

In a BuzzFeed celeb interview, in which Emily played with some rambunctious puppies while answering questions, the cover model said she has been trying to book one of her dream guests.

'I'd love to have Pamela Anderson. I'm working on that.'

Other high priority gets include Aubrey Plaza and Doja Cat.

The Lying and Stealing actress said she hesitated to host a podcast at first, 'because I was just, like, everyone has a podcast and I don't want to be another person with a podcast.

'After I wrote my book, it just made sense for it to be the next thing in an extension of that.'

The host explained her approach to interviewing her guests.

'I think with interviews you want to get the juicy scoop... and that's so not my instinct to do that to my guests because I hate when people have done that to me.'

Natural: The runway veteran accessorized the comfortable look with yellow sneakers and a green crossover bag. The influencer wore bangs and let her long brown hair lay in loose straight layers down her back

Podcast: Emily was scheduled to tape an episode of her podcast The High Low with Emrata

People feel comfortable with me and want to have genuine conversations where they're opening up. It's been good.'

The iCarly star has been trying to get back into acting. 'I don't think anyone would be surprised, but I auditioned for the (model) role in Triangle of Sadness, which tracks for me.

The part eventually went to Charlbi Dean, but Emrata isn't giving up. She'd like to be considered for a part in her favorite binge show, White Lotus, and sent a message to its creator. 'What's up Mike White?' she said.

'I heard the next one's going to be in India. I'm available for any casting. I related most to the Aubrey Plaza character in the last season. I wanted to be the Italian girls, but unfortunately, I'm more of an Aubrey Plaza character.'

Hopeful: Emily said she would also love to book Aubrey Plaza for her podcast, admitting she 'related' to the Independent Spirit Award winner's character in White Lotus. Emily said she would also love to book Doja Cat
Sam Neill has revealed that he is being treated for stage-three blood cancer.

The Jurassic Park star disclosed the news in his upcoming memoir, Did I Ever Tell You This, where he writes in the first chapter that he is 'possibly dying.'

In an interview with The Guardian, the 75-year-old actor said: 'The thing is, I'm crook. Possibly dying.'

He added: 'I may have to speed this up. I found myself with nothing to do.

'And Im used to working. I love working. I love going to work. I love being with people every day and enjoying human company and friendship and all these things. And suddenly I was deprived of that. And I thought, "What am I going to do?"'

Neill also told the BBC that he has had 'a ferocious type of aggressive' non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

He began writing his memoir as a distraction and to 'give me a reason to get through the day.'

Jurassic Park star Sam Neill, 75, reveals he's being treated for stage-three blood cancer in new book: 'I'm crook, possibly dying'

The book will look back on the New Zealand actor's 50-year career on screen, as well as his sudden illness.

Neill revealed that he sought medical treatment after noticing that he had lumpy glands on his neck while doing a publicity tour last year for the film Jurassic World Dominion.

The Piano star stayed calm when doctors told him of his diagnosis, and he immediately began plotting to write a book of his life.

'I thought I need to do something, and I thought, 'Shall I start writing?' he told the BBC.

'I didn't think I had a book in me, I just thought I'd write some stories. And I found it increasingly engrossing.

'A year later, not only have I written the book - I didn't have a ghostwriter - but it's come out in record time,' he said proudly.

And about the literary effort he also said he 'never had any intention to write a book.'

Sam explained, 'But as I went on and kept writing, I realised it was actually sort of giving me a reason to live and I would go to bed thinking, Ill write about that tomorrow that will entertain me.

'And so it was a lifesaver really, because I couldnt have gone through that with nothing to do, you know.'

Tragedy struck: Neill revealed that he sought medical treatment after noticing that he had lumpy glands on his neck while doing a publicity tour last year; Pictured in 2019

Sam's specific ailment was diagnosed as angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.

He is now in remission but will be on chemotherapy medication for the rest of his life.

According to Lymphoma.org AITL is 'a rare, often but not always, aggressive form of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).'

Statistically, this specific type of blood cancer makes up just one to two percent of all NHL cases in the United States.

The site also notes that elderly patients are more likely to be diagnosed with it.

Symptoms can include having high fever, night sweats, skin rash, and autoimmune disorders.

Reflecting on life, the seasoned actor admitted, 'Im not afraid to die. But it would annoy me. Because Id really like another decade or two, you know?

'Weve built all these lovely terraces, weve got these olive trees and cypresses, and I want to be around to see it all mature. And Ive got my lovely little grandchildren. I want to see them get big.

'But as for the dying? I couldnt care less.'

The star was married to Japanese makeup artist Noriko Watanabe from 1989-2017 and they share two kids - Elena, 32, and Tim, 40.

Flashback: Sam, Joseph Mazzello, and Ariana Richards in 1993's original Jurassic Park

Sam, who was born in Ireland and later moved to New Zealand, first appeared in 1975's Landfall.

He went on to star in 1979's My Brilliant Career, which was based on the novel by Miles Franklin.

Neill's breakout international role was in Andrzej Zulawskis 1981 surreal film about divorce, Possession.

The actor told The Independent that Zulawski was 'a genius, but crazed. He asked so much more of you than you could possibly give. He asked much more than a director should.'

Sam's most notable role is Dr. Alan Grant, who he portrayed in the Jurassic World franchise most recently in last year's third installment.
Ed Sheeran and his wife Cherry Seaborn were pictured departing her extravagant 30th birthday party over the weekend. The singer, 32, pulled out all the stops for his partner's special day at his own restaurant Bertie Blossoms in Notting Hill. Ed, who matched with Cherry in all-black ensembles, had laid on a private party at the venue, with a sign outside letting regular customers know.
Comic Relief viewers in Scotland raged on Friday as a technical error left them watching lifeboats instead of Red Nose Day.

Viewers across various parts of the country took to Twitter to vent their frustrations as they missed the opening segment of the comedy extravaganza.

The impacted fans turned to social media in confusion after tuning into BBC One to see the charity fundraiser kick off, only to find the BBC Two feed airing instead.

Rather than watching Sir Lenny Henry regenerate into Doctor Who's David Tennant, instead they were shown footage from Saving Lives At Sea.

One viewer tweeted: 'Comic Relief didn't get shown on @BBCScotland - was some other programme at the start before they cut to the intro with all 5 presenters.'

Fuming: Comic Relief viewers in Scotland raged on Friday as a technical error left them watching lifeboats instead of Red Nose Day

'@comicrelief Folks in Aberdeen just got to see the start of Saving Lives at Sea?' wrote another disgruntled person.

'Great start to Comic Relief they've got this sketch where they broadcast exactly what's on BBC2,' someone else complained.

'Anyone else miss the start of #rednoseday as they were showing BBC2 on BBC1?' asked another fuming fan, to which another viewer replied: 'Yeah! Seeing tweets about Dr. Who but watching lifeboats!'

And as the mix-up continued, one viewer raged: '@BBCScotland And now you've gone from Reporting Scotland to BBC2 RNLI program instead of Comic Relief! It is YTS day??? Or are you all on the p**s already?'

Elsewhere during Comic Relief, the Eurovision Song Contest brought a host of familiar faces together with a hilarious Red Nose Day sketch.

Ahead of Friday night's fundraising telethon, Gordon Ramsey recited Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star on the recorder while Jamie Dornan sang with 'no voice' as celebrities audition for the talent show.

Judges Lulu, Graham Norton and Sam Ryder decided who they would be sending though, but were left unimpressed by the chef and the actors awful performances.

First up was Jamie, who stood before the panel with a message scrawled across a piece of cardboard.

Fuming! Viewers across various parts of the country took to Twitter to vent their frustrations as they missed the opening segment of the comedy extravaganza on Friday night

In the hilarious clip, the actor when on to reveal that he couldn't perform the song that had been written for him by Paul McCartney because he 'had no voice.'

The panel were left baffled by his audition as they reminded him that it was a singing competition and sent him on his way.

Next up to try his hand at impressing the judges was Gordon, who took to the stage with an out of tune rendition of a nursery rhyme.

The high pitched squeal echoed around room, forcing Lulu to make a sly exit while Sam and Graham were left arguing over who would break the bad news to Gordon.

'We'll put you down as a maybe,' the chat show host grimaced as the angry chef snapped the instrument over his thigh and told the judges to 'F*** off.'

Elsewhere, The Traitors Red Nose Day sketch parody began with Dawn French taking on Claudia Winkleman's role as host, channelling the presenter's trademark blunt fringe and eyeliner.

As she began to interrogate the 'contestants' it emerged that Stephen Merchant, Danny Dyer, Mary Berry and Alison Hammond were the celebrity guests.

Talent: Elsewhere during Comic Relief, the Eurovision Song Contest brought a host of familiar faces together with a hilarious Red Nose Day sketch with Gordon Ramsey playing a recorder

Shocking: Judges Lulu, Graham Norton and Sam Ryder decided who they would be sending though, but were left unimpressed by the chef's awful performance

The camera cut to Danny saying that he 'recognised' a fellow traitor 'from Walford', with season one fan favourite Maddy Smedley making a surprise cameo as she ripped off her hood and explained her history on the show.

On Maddy's season she came under suspicion when she confessed that she was an actress who had appeared in one episode of EastEnders - where she played a homeless woman named Rita - and in one episode of Casualty where she played a woman without a womb.

The next contestant to reveal themselves on the parody was Wilfred Webster, who nearly won the jackpot on season one before being exposed at the very last minute.

The celebrity contestants then focused their attention on another ominous figure - whose identity was not revealed in the teaser.
AJ Odudu caught the eye on Friday evening as she took to the Comic Relief stage in an ultra-fitted red latex dress.

The presenter, 35, opted for the bold midi while hosting the charity event alongside stars such as David Tennant, Joel Dommett, Paddy McGuinness, and Zoe Ball.

Showing off her very toned figure in the number, many fans took to social media as they branded the host 'stunning'.

But it did cause some controversy amongst other viewers as they questioned how she got in - and managed to move around - in the fitted dress.

The annual TV programme returned to BBC with a slew of celebrity sketches and segments, hoping to raise money for the charity - which will help with issues such as homelessness and food poverty in the UK and around the world.

'How did she get into that dress?': AJ Odudu opted for a red latex midi while hosting Comic Relief on Friday evening - but left fans questioning how she can move in the skintight ensemble

Taking to the stage for the evening, AJ made quite the entrance in her bright red latex number - which featured a high neck and sleeveless design.

She teamed it with a pair of strapped red high heels, pulling her tresses into a sleek ponytail while opting for a pared-back look to let the dress do the talking.

Despite matching the Red Nose Day theme with the bright number, AJ certainly got fans talking as the dress had opinions split.

Many lauded the choice, as one user shared to Twitter: '@AJOdudu you look fantastic'.

While another echoed: 'How stunning is AJ in that dress?'

'@AJOdudu WOW!! You look amazing tonight on @comicrelief x,' added a third.

But many were more interested in the practicalities of the ensemble as they questioned how possible it was to move around.

'I don't know how AJ Odudu can host the entire show in that dress, but big up to her for doing so...,' shared a viewer to Twitter.

Wow! Taking to the stage for the evening, AJ made quite the entrance in her bright red latex number - which featured a high neck and sleeveless design

Stunner: Many lauded the choice, as one user shared to Twitter: '@AJOdudu you look fantastic'

Another added: '@AJOdudu looks incredible for @comicrelief, that dress is unreal but I can't help but think how you got into it??'.

Noticing that her movement was slightly altered by the outfit, many shared that her legs appeared 'permanently' crossed.

'Aj's dress is so tight, her legs are permanently forced into being crossed over,' added another viewer.

Her dress wasn't the only talking point of the evening, as viewers of the show in Scotland raged as a technical error left them watching lifeboats instead of Red Nose Day.

Viewers across various parts of the country took to Twitter to vent their frustrations as they missed the opening segment of the comedy extravaganza.

The impacted fans turned to social media in confusion after tuning into BBC One to see the charity fundraiser kick off, only to find the BBC Two feed airing instead.

Rather than watching Sir Lenny Henry regenerate into Doctor Who's David Tennant, instead they were shown footage from Saving Lives At Sea.

One viewer tweeted: 'Comic Relief didn't get shown on @BBCScotland - was some other programme at the start before they cut to the intro with all 5 presenters.'
Ella Ding announced she was working on a health and wellness app at the Channel Nine 2023 upfronts in September.

The Married At First Sight star, 28, officially launched her 4U PLUS app in January and has added 'sexual health' to the lineup of things on offer.

Posting to the company's Instagram page on Friday, the reality TV star shared a list of health goals her app promised to help users improve on.

The graphic image read: 'Home workouts, Pilates, nutrition, meditation, affirmations, sexual health.'

Ding told Daily Mail Australia last year she was working on the new project, saying the app will focus on all of the things she believes in.

The Married At First Sight star officially launched her 4U PLUS app in January and has added 'sexual health' to the lineup of things on offer

'It's around wellness, mental health, female anatomy and sex education. I just want to help women who are younger than me,' she said.

It comes just weeks after some of her followers were outraged by a raunchy brand deal she participated in.

The former beauty therapist starred in a saucy Instagram ad to promote sex toy company Vush's new lingerie collection.

Posting to the company's Instagram page on Friday, the reality TV star shared a list of health goals her app promised to help users improve on

Not only did Ding shock her fans by posing provocatively in the extremely revealing garments, she also waved around various Vush vibrators.

'I really don't want to see what you get your rocks off to! You're far too good to be doing these ads!' commented one fan.

'You don't have to sell your body or your soul,' added another.

It comes just weeks after some of her followers were outraged by a raunchy brand deal she participated in. The former beauty therapist starred in a saucy Instagram ad to promote sex toy company Vush's new lingerie collection

'Sell out,' commented someone else, while one said the star was 'Z-grade' now that she'd jumped on the sex toy bandwagon.

Up until now, Ding has been more strategic and selective with the brands she's aligned with on Instagram.

The fitness fanatic has primarily stuck to promoting fashion brands and activewear.

The brunette beauty's biggest partnership is with global fashion giant Pretty Little Thing, with Ding coming on as an official ambassador with her own 'edit' available to purchase on their website.
Jack Whitehall has revealed his girlfriend Roxy Horner collapsed at the Brit Awards in 2021 while he was hosting the ceremony.

The model and actress, 31, revealed that she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes back in 2021.

But before she was diagnosed, Roxy had a health scare and had to be resuscitated by paramedics.

Jack told The Sun: 'We found out she had diabetes the night I was hosting the Brits. She had something called a diabetic hypo and she fainted.

'Paramedics were trying to resuscitate her and her sugar levels were spiking dangerously.

Health scare: Jack Whitehall has revealed his girlfriend Roxy Horner collapsed at the Brit Awards in 2021

Health: Roxy now wears an electronic device which monitors her blood glucose level and sends a message and alarm to her and others phones when it is dangerously low

Health scare: Jack and Roxy hit the red carpet separately in 2021, with the model later collapsing backstage

'We ended up in A&E on the night of the Brits, which definitely made for a slightly different vibe of an after-party.

A hypo, also called hypoglycaemia, is a low blood sugar level, and happens when the level of sugar (glucose) in blood drops too low.

People who struggle with diabetes need daily injections of insulin to keep your blood glucose levels under control.

What is Type 1 Diabetes? Type 1 diabetes causes the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood to become too high. It happens when your body cannot produce enough of a hormone called insulin, which controls blood glucose. You need daily injections of insulin to keep your blood glucose levels under control. Managing type 1 diabetes can take time to get used to, but you can still do all the things you enjoy. This guide is here to help. Type 1 diabetes is not linked with age or being overweight  these things are linked with type 2 diabetes. Source: NHS Advertisement

A low blood sugar level can be dangerous and cause brain death if it's not treated quickly.

Roxy now wears an electronic device which monitors her blood glucose level and sends a message and alarm to her and others phones when it is dangerously low.

She previously admitted to having a 'rough time' with the condition as she struggled to handle her glucose levels.

Opening up to her 199k Instagram followers, she explained: 'I've been having a really rough time managing my glucose levels the past few weeks, they are yo-yoing for absolutely no reason.

'I throw up when I go too high and I've had a few too many hypos for my liking lately.

Back in March, Roxy praised Jack for being her 'rock' amid her Type 1 diabetes diagnosis.

'Jack's been my absolute rock, he's so lovely. He was there when I got diagnosed. My parents and my family live in Australia, so he has been my family. We're amazing,' she told The Sun.

She explained to the publication how her symptoms got worse during the pandemic, pushing her to seek medical advice.

'I felt extremely tired and exhausted for a long time, I had no energy. I couldn't even go for a walk, it was draining, I felt like I was dying. I was drinking four to eight litres of water a day,' she recalled.

Despite 'knowing something was really wrong' with her body and visiting the doctors on numerous occasions, Roxy was not tested for diabetes due to not fitting the criteria.

The model took herself to A&E out of desperation, where she was finally diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes - which causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high.

The smitten couple have now been dating for over two years and reside in Jack's 17.5million, five-bed home in Notting Hill with their pooch Coco.

Jack said: 'We found out she had diabetes the night I was hosting the Brits. She had something called a diabetic hypo and she fainted'

Smitten: The smitten couple have now been dating for over two years and reside in Jack's 17.5million, five-bed home in Notting Hill with their pooch Coco

It comes after Jack revealed his romance with Roxy got off to an awkward start because of his choice of venue on their first date.

He told the Mail On Sunday that he was unaware that Roxy was vegan and took her on a first date to a Chinese restaurant decorated with dead ducks.

The comedian explained that they then went on to a bar, which had a taxidermy theme.

'It was like something out of a sitcom,' Jack joked.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a post-budget webinar on 'PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman', on Saturday, (PTI)

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed a post-Budget Webinar on the subject of 'PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman'. The webinar was the last and final of a series of 12 post-budget webinars organized by the government to seek ideas and suggestions for effectively implementing the initiatives announced in the Union Budget 2023.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that for the last three years, a tradition of a post Budget dialogue with the stakeholders has emerged.

He expressed happiness that all stakeholders have participated productively in these discussions.

He noted that instead of discussing the making of the Budget, the stakeholders have discussed the best possible ways of implementing the provisions of the Budget.

The Prime Minister remarked that the series of post-budget webinars is a new chapter where the discussions held inside the Parliament by Parliamentarians are being held by all stakeholders where getting valuable suggestions from them makes for very useful practice.

The Prime Minister said that today's webinar is dedicated to the skill and expertise of the crores of Indians.

Referring to skilling and creating job opportunities for crores of youth through Skill India Mission and Kaushal Rozgar Kendra, the Prime Minister emphasized the need for a specific and targeted approach.

PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman Yojana or PM Vishwakarma, the Prime Minister said is a result of this thinking. Explaining the need for the scheme and the rationale of the name 'Vishwakarma', the Prime Minister talked about the exalted status of Lord Vishwakarma in the Indian ethos and a rich tradition of respect for those who work with their hands with implements.

He said while a few sectors' artisans received some attention, many classes of artisans such as carpenters, ironsmiths, sculptors, masons and many others that are an integral part of society have been adapting to the changing times to fulfill the needs of the society that were ignored.

"Small artisans play an important role in the production of local crafts. PM Vishwakarma Yojana focuses on empowering them", PM Modi said.

He informed that skilled craftsmen were contributing in their own ways towards exports in ancient India.

He lamented that this skilled workforce was neglected for a long time and their work was considered non-significant during the long years of slavery.

Even after India's independence, the Prime Minister pointed out that there was no intervention from the government to work for their betterment and as a result, many traditional ways of skill and craftsmanship were abandoned by the families so that they could make a living elsewhere.

He underlined that this working class have conserved their craft of using traditional methods for centuries and they are making a mark with their extraordinary skills and unique creations.

"Skilled craftsmen are symbols of the true spirit of self-reliant India and our government considers such people as Vishwakarma of new India," he said.

He explained that PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman Yojana is initiated especially for them where the central focus remains on those skilled craftsmen from villages and towns who create a living by working with their own hands.

Focussing on the social nature of human beings, the Prime Minister said that there are streams of social life which are essential for the existence and thriving of society. These tasks, despite the growing influence of technology, remain relevant. PM Vishwakarma Yojana focuses on such scattered artisans, he said.

Referring to Gandhi ji's concept of Gram Swaraj, the Prime Minister highlighted the role of these professions in village life along with agriculture. "Empowering every section of the village for its development is essential for India's development journey", he said.

He also stressed the need to reorient the skill infrastructure system according to the needs of Vishwakarma.

Mentioning the continued attraction of hand-made products, the Prime Minister said that the government will provide holistic institutional support to every Vishwakarma of the country. This will ensure easy loans, skilling, technical support, digital empowerment, brand promotion, marketing and raw material.

"The objective of the scheme is to develop traditional artisans and craftsmen while preserving their rich tradition", he said.

"Our aim is that Vishwakarmas of today can become entrepreneurs of tomorrow. For this, sustainability is essential in their business model", he said.

PM Modi emphasized that the needs of the customers are also being taken care of as the government is keeping its eye out not only on the local market but also targeting the global market. He requested all the stakeholders do a hand-holding of Vishwakarma colleagues, increasing their awareness and thereby helping them in moving forward. For this you have to go to the ground, you have to go among these Vishwakarma companions.

He highlighted that artisans and craftsmen can be strengthened when they become a part of the value chain and pointed out that many of them can become suppliers and producers for our MSME sector.

Noting that they can be made an important part of the economy with the help of tools and technology, the Prime Minister said that industry can increase production by linking these people with their needs where skill and quality training can be provided.

He further emphasized that better coordination between the Governments will help in the financing of projects by banks.

"This can be a win-win situation for every stakeholder. Corporate companies will get quality products at competitive prices. Banks' money will be invested in schemes which can be trusted. And this will show the widespread effect of the schemes of the government", he said.

The PM expressed confidence that the partnership with the private sector will be further strengthened through PM-Vishwakarma so that the innovation power and business acumen of the private sector can be maximized.

Requesting all the stakeholders to prepare a robust blueprint, He emphasized that the government is trying to reach the people in the remote parts of the country and many of them are getting the benefits of the government schemes for the first time. Most of the artisans are from Dalit, Adivasi, and backward communities or are women and to reach and provide benefit to them a practical strategy will be needed. "For this, we will have to work in a time-bound mission mode", he said further.
Narasimha Reddy pays last respect to his son Lt Col VVB Reddy's mortal remains in Hyderabad on Friday. (Photo: PTI).

Hyderabad: The mortal remains of Lt. Col. V. Vinay Bhanu Reddy, who died in a helicopter crash along with an Army pilot, Major Jayanth A. in Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday, was received with military honours at the Air Force Station in Begumpet at 9 pm on Friday.

Officers paid tribute and placed a wreath during a brief ceremony. Later, the mortal remains of Lt. Col. Reddy was taken to his native place Bommalaramaram in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, by road.

The final rites are likely to be performed at Yadadri on Saturday. Chief of army staff Gen. Manoj Pande, along with Lt Gen Nav Kumar Khanduri, GOC, western command, will be present for the final rites.

Lt Col Reddy is survived by wife Spandana, a dentist in the army, and daughters aged six and four. Dr Spandana, who is posted at AFMC in Pune, flew to Tezpur to receive her husbands body. The 41-year-old officer's parents along with granddaughters reached Hyderabad from Pune.

Lt Col Vinay Bhanu Reddy had joined NDA at the age of 17 years and was commissioned into the army in 2007.

His father Narasimha Reddy had moved to Hyderabad several years ago to work in Republic Forge company but later moved to his village for farming. The family was living in Malkajgiri.

Lt Col Reddy and Major Jayanth were in the single-engine Cheetah helicopter when it crashed near Mandala in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh when they were in an operational sortie between Missamari in Assam's Sonitpur and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

The mortal remains of Major Jayanth reached his native place in Madurai on Friday night.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy with the Budget Books at the Assembly Budget sessions at Velagapudi in Guntur District on Thursday. (Photo By Arrangement)

VIJAYAWADA: The Jagan Mohan Reddy governments welfare schemes get a fresh boost with an increase in fund allocations for them in the AP Budget 2023 presented in the Assembly on Thursday.

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the Budget kept in mind both welfare and development aspirations of the people. Taking to Twitter later in the day, the CM said, "The main objectives were to provide good education, good medicine, good health, happiness for farmers, empowerment of my sisters, and speedy industrial development."

Community Welfare (SC, ST, BC, Minority) gets 27 per cent of the Budget allocations, the DBT Schemes gets 19 per cent funds of the Budget, Education gets 16.87 per cent, women welfare and development 11.4 per cent (based on gender budget), rural development gets 9.19 per cent, Health 8.32 per cent, agriculture 7.36 per cent, Irrigation 6.24 per cent and child welfare gets 4.72 per cent funds of the new state Budget.

According to finance minister Buggana Rajendranath, this year's Budget has a record low fiscal deficit -- pegged at 1.54 per cent. An increase in fund allocations was shown, under which there was a 32.5 per cent increase in BC welfare as compared to the 2022-23 Budget Allocations of Rs 29,143 crore. This has been raised in the present 2023-24 Budget to Rs 38,605 crore.

Further, a 6.6 per cent increase in the allocation for municipal administration & urban development is effected in the Budget 2023-24 compared to the 2022-23 figure (2022-23: Rs 8,796 crore; 2023-23: Rs 9,381 crore).

There is a 6.2 per cent increase in allocation for the roads & buildings department in the 2023-24 Budget, compared to the 2022-23 Budget allocations. (2022-23: Rs 8,581 crore; 2023-24: Rs 9,118 crore).

Budget allocation is increased by 10 per cent for welfare schemes (DBT), which gets the maximum share of the Budget, meaning Rs 54,228 crore (2022-23: Rs 48,882 crore; 2023-24: Rs 54,228 crore).

The 7 per cent increase in allocations for the education sector meant a rise from Rs 30,077 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 32,198 crore in 2023-24.

A 3.2 per cent increase in the allocations for the health sector showed a rise from Rs 15,384 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 15,882 crore in 2023-24.

Further, a 3 per cent increase in the allocations for the agriculture sector saw a rise from Rs 13,630 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 14,043 crore in 2023-24.

Finance minister Rajendranath, education minister Satyaranarayana and BC welfare minister Venugopalakrishna said the Budget focused on welfare and sustained development.

Rajendranath said welfare has taken a lions share of the Budget allocations -- with YSR pensions getting Rs 21,434.72 crore and the total Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) running into Rs 54,228.36 crore this time.

Satyanarayana said that in the education sector, Amma Vodi gets a major chunk of Rs 6,500crore while the Jagananna Vidya Deevena, Jagananna Vasathi Deevena, Jagananna Vidya Kanuka and Mana Badi Nadu-Nedu are allotted Rs 2,841.64crore, Rs 2,200crore, Rs 560crore and Rs 3500 crore respectively.

Minister Venugopalakrishna said the annual budget showed its commitment for economic empowerment of the weaker sections of the society by allotting Rs 38,605 crore for BC component, Rs 20,005crore for SC component, Rs 6,929crore for ST component, Rs 4887 crore for Kapu welfare and Rs 4,203 crore for minority welfare.

Health minister Vidadala Rajini said that recognising the importance of priority sectors, the Budget has allotted Rs 15,882 crore for medical, health and family welfare.

Some Rs 15, 873crore was allotted for panchayat raj and rural development, Rs 9,381 crore for municipal and urban development, ` 6700 crore for YSR Asara, Rs 5,000 crore for YSR Cheyuta and Rs 1,600 crore for YSR-PM Bima Yojana.

With an intention to boost developmental efforts, roads and buildings sector was allotted `9118 crore, water resources (Irrigation) Rs 11,908 crore, environment, forest, science and technology Rs 685 crore, energy Rs 6456 crore and village and ward secretariats Rs 3,858 crore.

While Industry and Commerce was allotted Rs 2602 crore, YSR Rythu Bharosa got Rs 4,020 crore. The allotment of Rs 5,600 crore for housing for the poor will boost the construction sector across the state, while tourism, culture and youth development will get a facelift with the allotment of Rs 1291 crore, the government claimed.

With an allotment of Rs 1166 crore for skill development, more youth will get opportunities to learn new skills. The other major allocations are Rs 3000crore for price stabilization, Rs 1000crore for zero interest loans for DWCRA associations and Rs 1212 crore for agricultural mechanization.
Relatives mourn over the death of M. Pradeep who was electrocuted while on a morning walk at the GHMC park in Padmaraonaga (Deepak Deshpande/DC)

Hyderabad: In a tragic incident, a 40-year-old English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) employee was electrocuted while on a morning walk at the GHMC park in Padmaraonagar, after coming into contact with a high-tension wire that had fallen on the walking track.

The deceased was identified as M. Pradeep, a resident of Bapujinagar of Parsigutta. Pradeep had left home at about 5 am on Friday, stating that he would come home early. When Pradeep did not return home, family members went to the park and were shocked to see him lying motionless.

Pradeep was a regular walker at the GHMC park, and he arrived early and started walking on the track, oblivious to the high-tension wires.

According to the Chilkalguda police, a live electric wire was damaged and fell on the ground as a result of the severe winds and rain on Thursday. Praveen stepped on the wire without noticing it and received an electric shock. The cable came from a transformer placed at a corner of the park.

"As Pradeep reached the electric transformers installed inside, he came in contact with the high-tension wire that fell on the ground. He suffered serious injuries and died on the spot," stated Chilkalguda inspector K. Nageswar.

Police officials arrived in the park after receiving information from morning walkers, discovered Pradeep dead, and shifted him to the Gandhi Hospital mortuary for a postmortem. The police registered a case of negligence. When Deccan Chronicle tried to contact the TSSPDCL officials, they did not respond.

Meanwhile, angry family members and BJP leaders protested outside the park's entrance after the tragedy, demanding that TSSPDCL officials be held accountable for installing transformers inside the park. They alleged that the TSSPDCL personnel were negligent in failing to recognise the problem early on and in failing to take the necessary action even after high-tension cables were damaged inside the park.

The GHMC and TSSPDCL officials acted irresponsibly by failing to inspect and remove any damaged high-tension wires inside the park. The young man was electrocuted to death as a result of the inaction of the authorities, said senior BJP leader Marri Sashidhar Reddy.

"Why did the GHMC staff allow high-tension wires inside the park, endangering the lives of morning walkers and visitors to the park? We found that children were playing close to the transformer, posing a grave threat to their lives," he stated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (Photo: PTI)

NEW DELHI/HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday that PM MITRA mega textile parks will be set up in Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, and asserted that they will attract massive investments and create lakhs of jobs.

The parks would provide state-of-the-art infrastructure for the textiles sector and be a great example of 'Make in India' and 'Make For the World', Modi tweeted.

He added the PM Mega Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel Parks (MITRA) scheme would boost the textiles sector in line with vision of 5F (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign). The Prime Minister had made a mention of this during his public meeting in Hyderabad in July last year.

In Hyderabad, Union minister G. Kishan Reddy thanked Modi for announcing a textile park "as a gift for Telangana." He said the farmers and the weaving community would will benefit immensely and it would create thousands of new jobs, he said.

He said he had pushed for the project with the Prime MInister and the Union textile minister Piyush Goyal. On February 14 last, Kishan Reddy had written to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, requesting him to submit a strong proposal for the scheme.

Modi also lauded the persistent efforts being to make Indias defence sector self-reliant. He remarked that the boost to self-reliance in defence also reaffirmed "our faith in Indian talent."

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday had given initial approval to defence acquisition proposals worth `70,500 crore to be procured mainly locally, including BrahMos missiles for Indian Navy's front-line warships and 155mm/52 caliber advanced towed artillery gun system (ATAGS) for the Army.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha speaks during a round table conference on the Women's Reservation Bill, organised under the banner of Bharat Jagruthi, in New Delhi, Wednesday, March 15, 2023. (PTI Photo/ Shahbaz Khan)

HYDERABAD: After the Supreme on Wednesday refused to grant urgent hearing to Kalvakuntla Kavitha for questioning in connection to the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, the BRS MLC and daughter of Chief Minister K.Chandrashekar Rao on Wednesday said she will appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in New Delhi on Thursday and fully cooperating with the central investigating agency.

Ministers K.T.Rama Rao, T.Harish Rao, Errabelli Dayakar Rao, Sabitha Indra Reddy, and Satyavathy Rathod, along with an entourage of lawyers, raced to the capital on Wednesday night to offer moral and legal support to Kavitha. Dozens of BRS and Bharat Jagruthi activists who arrived in New Delhi on March 11 in support of Kavitha have remained and plan to organise protests in the national capital if Kavitha is arrested on Thursday.

Kavitha already flew to New Delhi on Tuesday and had a round table meeting with 18 political parties, women's organisations, and others on Wednesday, demanding that the Centre introduce and pass the Women's Reservation Bill in the ongoing session of the Parliament. MPs from nine political parties, including the Shiv Sena, RJD, CPI, RLD, JMM, AAP, SP, VCK, DMK, and others, attended the round table meeting and expressed their support for Kavitha's fight for a women's quota Bill.

Tension gripped the BRS rank and file because Kavitha will be appearing before the ED for the second time in less than a week. The last time, on March 11, the ED interrogated Kavitha for around nine hours at her residence in the Delhi liquor scam case. Kavita mobile phone was seized by the ED.

The ED officials claimed that Kavita played a key role in representing the South Group along with Abhishek Boinapally, auditor Gorantla Buchi Babu, and Aurobindo Pharma director P. Sarath Chandra Reddy in formulating the controversial Delhi excise policy. The main accusation made by the ED was that the AAP leaders in New Delhi allegedly received kickbacks totaling Rs 100 crore in exchange for formulating the liquor policy in favour of the South Group. The ED claimed to have obtained technical evidence of WhatsApp data and the chat conversations between the accused who were arrested by the ED. Based on this, the ED would question Kavita on her alleged role in the case in the presence of Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramachandran Pillai and auditor G.Buchi Babu. Arun Pillai is still in the custody of the ED officials.

Buchi Babu grilled for 11 hours

The ED officials questioned auditor Buchi Babu in connection with the case on Wednesday when he appeared before it in New Delhi at around 10 am. He was grilled for 11 hours till 9 pm. The ED is likely to question Buchi Babu again on Thursday along with Kavitha. He was arrested by the CBI in the case and was released on bail recently.
TSPSC cancels Group I exams; Chairman asks aspirants not to re-apply. Representational image/DC

HYDERABAD: As a result of controversy surrounding the question paper leak and the criticism following the arrest of those involved in the scam, the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) cancelled three recruitment tests on Friday, including the preliminary test for Group-I, which was held October 16 last year.

The test will be conducted on June 11. The last year's Group-I notification was the first since Telangana State was formed. On October 16, 3,42,954 of the 3,80,081 applicants downloaded their hall tickets, but only 2,86,051 (75 per cent) showed up.

The other two recruitment examinations cancelled include those for assistant executive engineers in various departments as well as the divisional accounts officer posts. The dates for these exams will be announced at a later date.

The TSPSC noted in an official statement that a special meeting of the commission convened on Friday decided to cancel recruitment examinations-Group-I, AEE, and DAO that were held on October 16, last year, January 22, and February 26 respectively, after careful examination of the report of the special investigation team and an internal inquiry. It stated that the dates for rescheduling other examinations would be announced shortly.

The commission cancelled the assistant engineers (AE) exam scheduled for March 5 due to allegations of question paper leak, even as protests by several student organisations continued for the second day on Friday.

On Monday, nine persons were arrested, including an assistant section officer in the TSPSC, two candidates, and a police constable, for allegedly stealing and leaking assistant engineer (Civil) examination question paper.

TSPSC chairman B. Janardhan Reddy told the Deccan Chronicle that applicants need not reapply for the examinations. He stated that applicants who have previously taken the preliminary test are qualified to take the examination in June.

"As announced earlier, the preliminary test will be conducted in English, Telugu and Urdu. The number of candidates to be admitted to the Main exam will be 50 times the total number of vacancies available in each multi-zone following the rule of reservation," he stated.

Some Group I posts notified:

Mandal parishad development officers: 121

Deputy superintendents of police: 91

Commercial tax officers: 48

Deputy collectors: 42

Municipal commissioners: 41

Assistant audit officers: 40
Stagnated water near Charminar amid rains cause harships to commuters and shoppers on Friday (P. Surendra/DC)

HYDERABAD: Heavy rains, accompanied by hail storms and thunderstorms, continued across the state for the second day, affecting crops in several districts, particularly Kothagudem, and claiming the life of a goat herder in Nalgonda's Nagarjunasagar Mandal.

Many districts in the state, including Zaheerabad, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Vikarabad, Kamareddy, Narayanpet, Gadwal, Jagitial, and Sangareddy, witnessed severe thunderstorms. The southern part of the state was severely impacted, with Hyderabad, Mahbubnagar, Ranga Reddy, Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda seeing sporadic but widespread rain from Thursday night until late Friday night.

The central part of the state, including Yadadri, Medak, Medchal, and Jangaon, Bhongir, remained dry for the most part, with strong gusts and moderate drizzles in parts. Storms wreaked havoc on crops such as maize, chilli, mango, and papaya in the Kothagudem district.

Lightning struck a 17-year-old tribal goat herder and over 40 of his sheep in Nalgonda's Nagarjunasagar Mandal, killing them both. When the rains refused to cease, Saidanayak of Chintala Thanda took shelter under a tree with his goats. On Thursday, he and the goats were killed instantly by a thunderbolt.

In Hyderabad, motorists experienced traffic jams from early in the day until the evening on Friday. Students taking the Intermediate public exams had a difficult time getting to their exam centres. Schools witnessed lower attendance as well, according to teachers, who said that due to the forecast, parents were not inclined to send their children until Monday.

Power outages in Ameerpet, Basheerbagh, Manikonda, Ameenpur, Kukatpally, and a few more localities around Lakdikapul on Thursday night remained unresolved until Friday morning. After a transformer burst, residents in Neredmet worried about using electronic appliances. A few locations in the city, such as Barkatpura and Mettuguda, had wires that were dangerously dangling, which alarmed the residents.

The Indian Meteorological Department issued an orange alert stating that thunderstorm accompanied with lightning, gusty winds 40 kmph and hailstorm are likely at isolated places in Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagityal, Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam Jangaon, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, Rangareddy, Hyderabad, Sangareddy, Medak, Kamareddy.

A yellow alert was issued for the remaining districts of Telangana with thunderstorms and winds likely to occur. In Hyderabad, the minimum temperature on Saturday is likely to dip to 19C with a maximum temperature of 27C.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. (Twitter)

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy air-dashed to New Delhi on Thursday evening for likely meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, among others.

The sudden tour of the CM raised eyebrows. Jagan, who attended the state Assembly Budget presentation during the day, reached Delhi at 7.15 pm. YSRC MPs welcomed him at the airport there with bouquets.

While the Assembly Session is currently underway in the state, the CMs tour is believed to have major political import. Sources say there was a sudden invitation to Jagan to be in Delhi for an important meeting with top government functionaries.

Usually, when a Chief Minister goes to the national capital, advance information is provided to the media and officials and a lot of pre-planning is involved. There was no such hint this time.

One official source claimed that Jagan sought a sudden appointment to meet the central leaders. If so, chances are that he would discuss key issues like the three-capitals, pending issues in the Bifurcation Act, and the states urge to go for more borrowings/debts. AP has been borrowing more and more and the Centre had warned the state on this repeatedly.

In another scenario, the central agencies are ringing danger bells in relation to the Y.S. Viveka murder case and the liquor scam. While an MP's son was arrested in the liquor scam, Y.S. Avinash Reddy is facing CBI probe in Y.S. Viveka's case. A guess in some circles is that the CM might also discuss the possibility of early Assembly polls with the Centre, as TS had done in 2018.

The Opposition Telugu Desam has alleged that Jagan's sudden Delhi tour was in line with the latest happenings on the Viveka murder case and the Delhi liquor scam.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi being presented a memento by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy in New Delhi, Friday, March 17, 2023. (PTI Photo)

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Friday and urged him to address several issues of AP that are pending with the Centre since the state bifurcation, including Special Category Status (SCS).

In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister, the CM pointed out that some key issues remained unsolved despite several rounds of discussions between AP and the special committee headed by the Union finance secretary vis-a-vis the AP Reorganisation Act.

In specific, the Chief Minister urged the PM to release the pending amount of Rs 36,625 crore under the Resource Gap Funding for the 2014-15 fiscal and enhance the credit limit of Rs 17,923 crore -- which was reduced from Rs 42,472crore after the Covid-19 pandemic season.

He also pleaded for reimbursement of the arrears of Rs 2,600.74 crore incurred by the state sovernment on Polavaram Project.

Jagan Mohan Reddy appealed to the Prime Minister to accept the technical advisory committees estimates of Rs 55,548 crore on Polavaram Project, treat the drinking water supply component as its part and parcel, and release Rs 10,000 crore immediately on ad-hoc basis to expedite the construction and for paying the compensation to the displaced persons.

Referring to the SCS promise by the Center to AP, Jagan said the Centre made the promise at the time of the state bifurcation. The promise remains unfulfilled. SCS would help AP get central grants and tax concessions in more ways, he said.

The Chief Minister hoped that apart from large-scale industries, the service sector will also expand once SCS is granted to AP. "SCS will help the state move towards self-reliance," he said and appealed to the Centre to grant this to AP without further delay.

Regarding the pending clearances for a dozen medical colleges, the CM said, "We made 13 districts into 26 districts. But, including the three newly sanctioned medical colleges, there are only 14 in total. I request that permission be granted to the remaining 12 colleges as soon as possible. The work related to these colleges is progressing fast. I request the Centre to provide appropriate assistance in this regard."

Jagan requested for speedy central steps to ensure that the Telangana government cleared its dues of Rs 7,058 crore outstanding from the TS Discoms to the APGENCO for the power supplied between 2014 and 2017.

The Chief Minister told PM Modi that the state has so far incurred a financial burden of Rs 5,527 crore on supply of ration to 56 lakh families under the PMGKAY due to irrational selection of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act. To compensate this, unused ration stocks should be allotted to AP as recommended by NITI Aayog, he said.

Jagan Mohan Reddy further recalled that the Centre has promised to set up a steel plant in the YSR Kadapa district, as per the AP Reorganisation Act. He urged the Centre to allot the required mines to APMDC to cater to the raw material needs of the steel plant in YSR Kadapa district.
Macron's calculated risk set off a clamour among lawmakers, who began singing the national anthem even before Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne arrived in the lower chamber. She spoke forcefully over their shouts, acknowledging that Macron's unilateral move will trigger quick motions of no-confidence in his government. AFP

Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron ordered his prime minister to wield a special constitutional power on Thursday that skirts parliament to force through a highly unpopular bill raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a vote.

His calculated risk set off a clamour among lawmakers, who began singing the national anthem even before Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne arrived in the lower chamber. She spoke forcefully over their shouts, acknowledging that Macron's unilateral move will trigger quick motions of no-confidence in his government.

The fury of opposition lawmakers echoed the anger of citizens and workers' unions. Thousands gathered at the Place de la Concorde facing the National Assembly, lighting a bonfire. As night fell, police charged against the demonstrators in waves to clear the elegant Place, but hundreds remained nearly an hour later.

The unions that have organised strikes and marches since January, leaving Paris reeking in piles of garbage, announced new rallies and marches in protest. "This retirement reform is brutal, unjust, unjustified for the world of workers," they declared.

Macron has made the proposed pension changes the key priority of his second term, arguing that reform is needed to keep the pension system from diving into deficit as France, like many richer nations, faces lower birth rates and longer life expectancy.

Macron decided to invoke the special power during a Cabinet meeting at the Elysee presidential palace, just a few minutes before the scheduled vote in France's lower house of parliament because he had no guarantee of a majority.

"Today, uncertainty looms" about whether a majority would have voted for the bill, Borne acknowledged, but she said "We cannot gamble on the future of our pensions. That reform is necessary."

Borne prompted boos from the opposition when she said her government is accountable to the parliament. Lawmakers can try to revoke the changes through no-confidence motions, she said.

"There will actually be a proper vote and therefore the parliamentary democracy will have the last say," Borne said.

She said in an interview Thursday night that she was not angry when addressing disrespectful lawmakers but "very shocked."

"Certain (opposition lawmakers) want chaos, at the Assembly and in the streets," she said.

Opposition lawmakers demanded the government step down. One Communist lawmaker called the presidential power a political "guillotine." Others called it a "denial of democracy" that signals Macron's lack of legitimacy.

Marine Le Pen said her far-right National Rally party would file a no-confidence motion, and Communist lawmaker Fabien Roussel said such a motion is "ready" on the left.

"The mobilisation will continue," Roussel said. "This reform must be suspended."

The leader of The Republicans, Eric Ciotti, said his party won't "add chaos to chaos" by supporting a no-confidence motion, but some of his fellow conservatives at odds with the party's leadership could vote individually.

A no-confidence motion, now expected early next week, needs approval by more than half the Assembly. If it passes which would be a first since 1962 the government would have to resign. Macron could reappoint Borne if he chooses, and a new Cabinet would be named.

If no-confidence motions don't succeed, the pension bill would be considered adopted.

The Senate adopted the bill earlier Thursday in a 193-114 vote, a tally that was largely expected since the conservative majority of the upper house favoured the changes.

Raising the retirement age will make workers put more money into the system, which the government says is on course to run a deficit. Macron has promoted the pension changes as central to his vision for making the French economy more competitive. The reform also would require 43 years of work to earn a full pension, amid other measures.

Leftist leader Jean-Luc Melenchon told the crowd at the Concorde that Macron has gone "over the heads of the will of the people." Members of Melenchon's France Unbowed party were among the lawmakers singing the Marseillaise in an attempt to thwart the prime minister.

Furious union leaders announced even more strikes a day after nearly 500,000 people protested against the bill. Francois Hommeril of the CFE-CGC, representing energy workers among others, said the government "forces a vote when it is sure to win it" and "prevents the vote when they know they would lose."

Economic challenges have prompted widespread unrest across Western Europe, where many countries, like France, have had low birthrates, leaving fewer young workers to sustain pensions for retirees. Spain's leftist government joined with labour unions Wednesday to announce a "historic" deal to save its pension system.

Spain's Social Security Minister Jose Luis Escriva said the French have a very different, unsustainable model and "has not addressed its pension system for decades." Spain's workers already must stay on the job until at least 65 and won't be asked to work longer instead, their new deal increases employer contributions for higher-wage earners.
BJP national President J P Nadda on Friday said, it is Congress party and not democracy which is in danger in the country, as he attacked that party's leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent remarks in London.

He also accused the Congress leader of challenging India's sovereignty, and urged the public to make such people sit at home. "The way in which Congress is moving towards mental bankruptcy is reprehensible and painful. The kind of activities that the Congress party is involved in these days and what their leader Rahul Gandhi is doing is condemnable," Nadda said.

Addressing a public meeting here, he said, Congress leaders are involved in corruption, commission, criminalisation, and divide and rule is their policy. "Now they have crossed all limits....Rahul Gandhi goes to England and raises questions on India's sovereignty. He says democracy has ended here. During the recent Assembly polls- in Nagaland Congress got zero, five seats in Meghalaya and three in Tripura. It is not democracy that is in danger, your party (Congress) is in danger," he added.

Also read | Rahul Gandhi permanent 'part of toolkit' working against India: J P Nadda

The BJP President was addressing a public meeting here as part of the party's 'Vijaya Sankalpa Yatre', ahead of Assembly polls by May. He was referring to Rahul Gandhi's remarks made in London -- that structures of Indian democracy are under "brutal attack".

Further hitting out at Rahul Gandhi for allegedly seeking America and Europe's intervention into the issue of democracy in India, he said, "Should we allow such leaders to remain (in politics)? They should be made to sit at home." Rahul Gandhi is challenging India's sovereignty, he said, as he targeted the Congress for trying to preach about democracy.

Nadda pointed out that it was the Congress government at the Centre that imposed emergency on the country under Indira Gandhi's leadership. Karnataka BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel, state Ministers R Ashoka, B Sriramulu among others were present at the public meeting.

Earlier in the day, the BJP President held roadshows at Challakere and Molakalmuru, as part of the Yatre. Noting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has played a key role in changing the political culture in the country, Nadda said the politics propagated by Congress was of corruption, commission, criminalisation, dynastic rule, but the PM with a responsible leadership has begun the politics of report card in the country. A strong and responsible government that believes in serving the people, has been established by PM Modi, he said, highlighting the concept of "New India", and listed out India's growth as the fifth largest economy, and in sectors like automobile, digital payments, mobile phone manufacturing, among others.

Affirming that Karnataka's picture has changed, thanks to the push given by the "double engine government" (BJP govts both in centre and state) in various sectors and in infrastructure, the BJP President said, the state stands number one in FDI inflow, innovation, startups among other areas.
At least 10 people of a family were killed and three injured when the roof of their house collapsed after catching fire in the mountainous district of northwest Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province on Friday, rescue authorities said.

The fire occurred due to short-circuiting, officials in the Seri Pattan area of the lower Koshistan district said.

The dead and injured belong to the same family, rescue officials from lower Kohistan and Shangla districts said.

Three persons were rescued during the search and rescue operation.

The injured and dead bodies have been shifted to the district hospital.

The majority of the houses in mountainous districts of the province are made of wooden materials.

Governor KPK Haji Ghulam Ali and caretaker chief minister Muhammad Azam Khan expressed their grief and sorrow over the tragic incident.
Three members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang were arrested following an encounter in Rajasthan's Sriganganagar district, police said Friday.

The accused, identified as Sonu, Sachin and Harish, all residents of Punjab, were arrested on Thursday, they said.

According to police, the gang was trying to extort money from businessman Harakhchand Malpani.

Also Read  Lawrence Bishnoi gang member arrested after exchange of fire with police in Delhi

Malpani, in his complaint, alleged that the accused were trying to extort money from him in the name of Anmol Bishnoi, Lawrences brother.

SP (Sriganganagar) Anil Paris Deshmukh said, Three persons who were trying to extort money from a local businessman were arrested last night. They have affiliation with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi,"

Acting on a tip-off, a police team went to Punjab as the accused residents of Fazilka district. However, later it was discovered that the accused were in Sriganganagar itself, police said in a statement.

The accused were arrested near Sadhuwali area following an encounter in which Harish was injured, they said.

He was admitted to a government hospital for treatment, they said.
President Droupadi Murmu on Friday spoke to her new Nepalese counterpart and congratulated him on assuming the office of the President and discussed ways to further advance bilateral cooperation and strengthen the strong bonds of friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

President Murmu, who is presently on tour in Kerala, called up President Paudel and both leaders noted the unique and multi-faceted relations between Nepal and India, according to the Indian Embassy here.

Also Read | President Droupadi Murmu stops convoy, gives chocolates to kids in Kerala

They also discussed ways to further advance bilateral cooperation and strengthen the strong bonds of friendship between the peoples of the two countries, it said.

The President expressed confidence that under the guidance of Paudel, India-Nepal bilateral relations would reach even greater heights, the mission said.

Senior Nepali Congress leader Paudel on Monday took the oath of office and secrecy as Nepal's third President.

Paudel, 78, replaced Bidya Devi Bhandari, whose term ended on March 12.
The long march of farmers and tribals has halted after assurance from the government, but their representatives on Friday said they will continue to head to Mumbai if they see no concrete steps from the government to address their issues.

We have halted the long march. But we need to see concrete action from the government that our issues will be addressed or else we will head to Mumbai, Vinod Nikole, Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA said.

His party colleague and former MLA Java Gavit is spearheading the long march comprising thousands of farmers who started their walk from Nashik. He said till the time the government does not issue orders to officials on ground, they will stay put.

Also Read | Maharashtra: CM Shinde says had 'fruitful negotiations' over farmers' demands, agitation still on

Their demands range from Rs 600 per quintal relief to onion farmers, 12-hour uninterrupted power supply to farmers, and waiver of farm loans.

The march is currently at Vasind, around 80 kilometres from Mumbai.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde, who led the talks with Deputy Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday, termed the discussion with farmers representatives positive.

He will also make a statement on the issue in the state legislature on Friday.
Karnataka police have arrested an auto driver on charges of sexually assaulting a seven-year-old school girl, whom he ferried to school everyday in Ramnagar district of the state on Friday.

According to police, the accused used to drop the victim last after dropping off others. The victim after being sexually assaulted was threatened by the accused.

Growing terrified after the incident and not being able to tell her parents, the victim had fallen ill at home. The mother after observing her, spoke to her closely and after much talking, the victim had shared the incident of sexual assault on her by the auto driver.

The parents have lodged a case against him at the Ramnagar Women's police station. Acting swiftly, the police have arrested the auto driver and slapped a case under the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (Pocso).

The incident has raised concern among the parents who send their children to school in autos.
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Ltd., Cimation, Cirrus Connect Australia Pty Ltd, Cirrus Connect Limited, Cirruseo, Clarity Insights, ClearEdge Partners, Clearhead, Clearhead Group LLC, ClientHouse GmbH, Cloud Sherpas, Cloud Sherpas (GA) LLC, Cloud Sherpas Japan G.K., Cloud Sherpas New Zealand Limited, Cloudeasier SAS, Cloudpoint Limited, Cloudsherpas Inc, Cloudworks, Cloudworks Consulting Services Inc, Cloudworks Technology LLC, Computer Research and Telecommunications LLC, Concrete Desenvolvimento de Sistemas Ltda, Concrete Solutions, Concrete Solutions Ltda, Context Information Security, Context Information Security LLC, Context Information Security Limited, CoreCompete LLC, CoreCompete Limited, CoreCompete Private Limited, Corliant Inc., Creative Drive LLC, Creative Drive US LLC, CreativeDrive, CreativeDrive Digital Content Services (Shenzhen) Co Ltd., CreativeDrive EMEA Limited, CreativeDrive Singapore Pte Ltd, CreativeDrive UK Group Limited, Cutting Edge Solutions Limited, Cygni AB, Cygni Norrsken AB, Cygni Stockholm AB, Cygni Syd AB, Cygni Vast AB, Cygni Ost AB, Cygni Ostersund AB, DAZ Systems Inc, DAZ Systems LLC, DAZSI Systems (India) Pvt. 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Limited, Intrigo Systems LLC, Inventor Technology Ltd, InvestTech, Investtech Systems Consulting LLC, ItSafer Continuity Services S.L., JKD Consulting LLC, Javelin Group, K Comms Group Limited, KSC Studio LLC, Kaper Communications Limited, Karma Communications Debtco Limited, Karma Communications Group Limited, Karma Communications Holdings Limited, Karmarama, Karmarama Comms Limited, Karmarama Limited, King James Group, Knowledge Rules Inc., Knowledgent, Knowledgent Group LLC, Kogentix, Kogentix LLC, Kogentix Limited, Kogentix Singapore Pte Ltd, Kogentix Technologies Private Limited, Kolle Rebbe, Kolle Rebbe GmbH, Kream Comms Limited, Kunstmaan, Kurt Salmon, Kurt Salmon Canada LTD, Kurt Salmon US LLC, LEXTA, LINKBYNET, LINKBYNET Indian Ocean (L.I.O) Ltd, LabAnswer, Lexta GmbH, Lexta UK Limited, Lien par le reseau Inc, Lien par le reseau infrastructures Inc, Lin Bo (Shanghai) Network Technology Co. 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Ltd., Mackevision Korea Ltd, Mackevision LLC, Mackevision Medien Design, Mackevision Medien Design GmbH, Mackevision Singapore Pte Ltd, Mackevision UK Limited, Maglan, Maglan Information Defense Technologies Research Ltd, Maihiro, Matter, Maud Corp Pty Ltd, Maxamine International, Measuretek LLC, Media Audits Ltd., Media Hive, Mediasenz Pty Ltd., Meredith Specialty LLC, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing, Meredith Xcelerated Marketing LLC, Meridian Informed Purchasing Ltd., Mindtribe, Mistral Wind Operations  Servicos Empresariais Unipessoal Lda., MobGen, Mortgage Cadence LLC, Mortgage Cadence an Accenture Company, Most Champion Ltd, Mudano, Mudano Limited, Myrtle Consulting Group LLC, N3, N3 (Dalian) Business Consulting Co. 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Ltd., RBCP Fund 1-A Vapor Blocker LLC, RBCP Platform Vapor Blocker I LLC, REPL Consulting LLC, REPL Consulting Limited, REPL Digital Limited, REPL Group K.K., REPL Group Pty Ltd, REPL Group Worldwide Limited, REPL Pte Ltd, REPL Software Limited, REPL Technology Limited, Radiant Services LLC, Random Walk Computing Inc., Reactive Media Pty Ltd., Real Protect, Realworld OO Systems Ltd., Redcore, Redcore (New Zealand) Limited, Redcore Group Holdings Pty Ltd, Redcore Pty Ltd, Revolutionary Security, RiskControl, Root LLC, Rothco, Rothco Limited, S3 TV Technology Ltd., SALT Solutions GmbH, SEC Servizi, SOPIA Corp., Sagacious Consultants, Salt Solutions, Sandbox Studio LLC, Sapling Bidco Limited, Sapling Midco Limited, Sapling Topco Limited, Schlumberger Business Consulting, Seabury Aviation & Aerospace (UK) Limited, Seabury Consulting, Seabury Corporate Advisors LLC, Seabury Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Search Technologies BPO Inc, Search Technologies International LLC, Search Technologies LLC, Search Technologies Limited, Securiview SAS, Sentelis, Sentor Managed Secuirty Services AB, Servicios Tecnicos de Programacion Accenture S.C., Seven Seas Business Ventures LLC, Shackleton, Shackleton Chile S.A., Shackleton S.L.U., Shanghai Baiyue Advertising Co. Ltd., Shun Zhe Technology Development Co. Ltd., SigInt Technologies LLC, Silveo, Silveo Consulting India Private Limited, Simian Pty Ltd, SinnerSchrader, SinnerSchrader AG, SinnerSchrader Content GmbH, SinnerSchrader Deutschland GmbH, SinnerSchrader Praha s.r.o., Sirvart S.A., Sistemes Consulting S.L., Skylink SAS, Soltians Limited, Solutions IQ LLC, SolutionsIQ, SolutionsIQ India Consulting Services Private Limited, Somers Ventures Ireland Limited, Somers Ventures LLC, Spacelink SAS, Storm Digital, Structure Consulting Group LLC, Sutter Mills, Synership LLC, Systor AG, T.A. 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Ltd., Zielpuls GmbH, avVenta, designaffairs, designaffairs Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., designaffairs GmbH, designaffairs group China Co. Ltd., dgroup, i4C Analytics, iDefense, solid-serVision.com GmbH, and umlaut.

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The following companies are subsidiares of LyondellBasell Industries: A. Schulman, A. Schulman 's-Gravendeel B.V., A. Schulman AG, A. Schulman Asia Limited, A. Schulman Belgium BVBA, A. Schulman Canada Ltd., A. Schulman Castellon S.L., A. Schulman Europe GmbH & Co. KG, A. Schulman Europe International B.V., A. Schulman Europe Verwaltungs GmbH, A. Schulman Gainsborough Ltd, A. Schulman GmbH, A. Schulman GmbH (Austrian Branch), A. Schulman Holding Company France S.A.S., A. Schulman Holdings (France) S.A.S., A. Schulman Holdings S.a.r.l., A. Schulman Inc., A. Schulman Inc. Limited, A. Schulman International Inc., A. Schulman International Services BVBA, A. Schulman Ireland Limited, A. Schulman Magyarorszag Kereskedelmi Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, A. Schulman Nordic AB, A. Schulman Plastics (Branch), A. Schulman Plastics (Dongguan) Ltd., A. Schulman Plastics (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., A. Schulman Plastics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., A. Schulman Plastics BVBA, A. Schulman Plastics India Private Limited, A. Schulman Plastics PTY. LTD., A. Schulman Plastics S.r.l., A. Schulman Plastics SAS, A. Schulman Plastics bvba Bornem Sucursala Cluj-Napoca, A. Schulman Plastics organizacni slozka, A. Schulman Plastk Sanayi ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, A. Schulman Plasticos do Brasil Ltda., A. Schulman Polska Sp. z o.o., A. Schulman Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, A. Schulman S.A.S., A. Schulman S.a.r.l., A. Schulman Thermoplastic Compounds Limited, A. Schulman Thermoplastic Compounds Sdn Bhd, A. Schulman de Mexico S.A. de C.V., A. Schulman del Peru S.A.C., A.Schulman Poznan Sp. Z o.o., ARCO Chemical, AS Global Holdings Inc., AS Mex Hold S.A. de C.V., AS Worldwide LLC, AS Worldwide LLC & Cie S.C.S., ASI Akron Land Co., ASI Employment S.A. de C.V., ASI Investments Holding Co., Al Waha Petrochemical Company, BKV Beteiligungs- und Kunststoffverwertungs-gesellschaft mbH, BMC Deutschland GmbH, BMC Dongguan Limited, BMC Far East Limited, BMC TetraDURTurkey Plastik Hammadde Kompozit Uretim Sanayi ve Ticaret Limted Sirketi, Basell (Thailand) Holdings B.V., Basell Advanced Polyolefins (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Basell Advanced Polyolefins (Suzhou) Co. 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Z.o.o., Basell Poliolefinas Comercial Espagnola S.L., Basell Poliolefinas Iberica S.L., Basell Poliolefinas Ltda., Basell Poliolefinas S. de R.L. de C.V., Basell Poliolefine Italia S.r.l., Basell Polyolefin Istanbul Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Basell Polyolefine GmbH, Basell Polyolefines France S.A.S., Basell Polyolefins Company BVBA, Basell Polyolefins India Private Limited, Basell Polyolefins Korea Ltd., Basell Polyolefins UK Limited, Basell Sales & Marketing Company B.V., Basell Service Company B.V., Basell Slovakia s.r.o., Basell Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Basell UK Holdings Limited, Basell UK Ltd., Brindisi Servizi Generali S.c.a.r.l., Bulk Molding Compounds Inc., Bulk Molding Compounds Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bulk Molding Compounds do Brasil Industria de Plasticos Reforcados Ltda., Citadel Brazil Holdings LLC, Citadel Intermediate Holdings LLC, Citadel Plastics Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Citadel Plastics Holdings Inc., Citadel Plastics Mexico Holdings LLC, Citadel Plastics Netherlands Holdings LLC, Compagnie Petrochimique de Berre SAS, Compagnie de Distribution des Hydrocarbures SAS, EMS Holding Ltd., EPS Ethylen-Pipeline-Sud Geschaftsfuhrungs GmbH, EPS Ethylen-Pipeline-Sud GmbH & Co. KG, Elian S.A.S., Equistar Bayport LLC, Equistar Chemicals LP, Equistar GP LLC, Equistar LP LLC, Equistar Mont Belvieu Corporation, GuangZhou Basell Advanced Polyolefins Co. Ltd., HGGC Citadel Plastics Holdings Inc., HGGC Citadel Plastics Intermediate Holdings Inc., HMC Polymers Company Limited, HPC Holdings LLC, Hadlock Plastics LLC, Houston Refining LP, I.F.M. S.c.a.r.l., ICO Europe C.V., ICO Holdings LLC, ICO Holdings New Zealand Limited, ICO Petrochemical Cayman Islands, ICO Polymers Cayman Islands, Indelpro S.A. de C.V., Infraserv GmbH & Co. Hochst KG, Inmobiliaria Satchmo S. de R.L. de C.V., Innovacion Y Desarrollo en Materiales Avanzados A.C., J.R. Courtenay (N.Z.) Limited, LPI Holding Company, LYB (Barbados) SRL, LYB Advanced Polymer Solutions Ireland Limited, LYB Americas Finance Company LLC, LYB Equistar Holdings LLC, LYB Export Holdings Limited, LYB Exports Inc., LYB Finance Company B.V., LYB International Finance B.V., LYB International Finance II B.V., LYB International Finance III LLC, LYB Ireland 2 Limited, LYB Ireland Limited, LYB La Porte Hyperzone LLC, LYB Luxembourg S.a r.l., LYB Matrixx Holdings Inc., LYB Receivables LLC, LYB Trading Company B.V., LYB Treasury Services Ltd., Limited Liability Company "LyondellBasell Polyolefins", Limited Liability Company A. Schulman, Lucent Polymers Inc., Lyondell Asia Holdings Limited, Lyondell Centennial Corp., Lyondell Chemical Company, Lyondell Chemical Europe Inc., Lyondell Chemical Overseas Services Inc., Lyondell Chemical Products Europe LLC, Lyondell Chemical Properties L.P., Lyondell Chemical Technology 1 Inc., Lyondell Chemical Technology L.P., Lyondell Chemical Technology Management Inc., Lyondell Chemie (PO-11) B.V., Lyondell Chemie (POSM) B.V., Lyondell Chemie Nederland B.V., Lyondell Chimie France SAS, Lyondell China Holdings Limited, Lyondell Greater China Holdings Limited, Lyondell Greater China Ltd., Lyondell Greater China Trading Limited, Lyondell Japan Inc., Lyondell PO-11 C.V., Lyondell POJVGP LLC, Lyondell POJVLP LLC, Lyondell POTechGP Inc., Lyondell POTechLP Inc., Lyondell Refining Company LLC, Lyondell Refining I LLC, Lyondell South Asia Pte Ltd, LyondellBasell Acetyls Holdco LLC, LyondellBasell Acetyls LLC, LyondellBasell Advanced Polyolefins Mexico S.A. de C.V., LyondellBasell Australia (Holdings) Pty Ltd, LyondellBasell Australia Pty Ltd, LyondellBasell Brasil Ltda., LyondellBasell Canada Inc., LyondellBasell Central Europe Kft., LyondellBasell China Holdings B.V., LyondellBasell Circular Economy B.V., LyondellBasell Covestro Manufacturing Maasvlakte V.O.F., LyondellBasell Egypt LLC, LyondellBasell F&F Holdco LLC, LyondellBasell Finance Company, LyondellBasell Holdings France SAS, LyondellBasell Hungary Kft, LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V., LyondellBasell Industries N.V., LyondellBasell Investment LLC, LyondellBasell Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., LyondellBasell Polyolefin (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., LyondellBasell Services France S.A.S., LyondellBasell Subholdings B.V., LyondellBasell Taiwan Co. Ltd., LyondellBasell Transportation Company LLC, Millennium Chemicals, Natpet Schulman Specialty Plastic Compounds, Ningbo ZRCC Lyondell Chemical Co. Ltd., Ningbo ZRCC Lyondell Chemical Marketing Co. Ltd., OE Insurance Ltd, Oil Casualty Insurance Ltd., Oil Insurance Limited, PD Glycol LP, PO JV LP, PO Offtake LP, POSM II Limited Partnership L.P., POSM II Properties Partnership LLC, PT A.Schulman Plastics, PT ASchulman Plastics Commercial, PTT Chemical PCL, Poly Pacific Polymers Sdn. Bhd., Poly Pacific Pty. Ltd., PolyMirae Co. Ltd., Premix Holding Company, Premix Inc., Prime Colorants Inc., QCP B.V., QCP Holding B.V., QCP IP B.V., Quantum Composites Inc., RIGK GmbH Gesellschaft zur Ruckfuhrung industrieller and gewerblicher Kunstoffverpackungen mbH, Rayong Olefins Co. Ltd., Rexene - LDPE and PP Businesses, SCG ICO Polymers Company Limited, SJS Plastiblends, San Jacinto Rail Limited, Saudi Ethylene & Polyethylene Company, Saudi Polyolefins Company, Sociedad Espanola De Materiales Plasticos Semap S.A., Societe des Stockages Petroliers du Rhone SA, Solvay Engineered Polymers, Surplast S.A., TRV Thermische Ruckstandsverwertung GmbH & Co. KG, TRV Thermische Ruckstandsverwertung Verwaltungs-GmbH, Technology JV LP, The Matrixx Group Incorporated, ULSAN PP Co. Ltd., YNCORIS GmbH & Co. KG, Zylog Plastalloys, and tetra-DUR Kunststoff-Produktion GmbH.

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ConocoPhillips is a US-based muti-national energy company. ConocoPhillips is a diversified and integrated energy company with operations in all energy industry segments. In 2021, it was ranked the 8th largest petroleum company by market cap and was #156 on the Forbes Fortune 500 list. Regarding the global economy, it is the worlds 574th largest business, with operations in 13 countries. It is one of 5 remaining companies from Standard Oils split up and is the result of decades of mergers and acquisitions.

The companys earliest origins are in 1875 with the birth of Continental Oil and Transportation Company, Conoco. The company grew quickly with the industrial revolution and the widening usage of Kerosene, among other petroleum products, for heating and lighting. By 1885 it had become part of the Standard Oil family of companies, a time in which it also saw explosive growth.

Assets related to the original Conoco were sold to oil exploration leader E.W. Marland and were later remerged following Standards demise. By 1929, the company was an independent and fully integrated energy company specializing in crude and derivative products. Phillips Petroleum Company was founded in 1917 as an oil exploration company that quickly expanded into diversified operations. The company hit the big times upon the discovery of natural gas in the Texas panhandle and it saw explosive growth in the war and post-war periods of the early and mid-20th century.

Today, ConocoPhillips explores for, develops and produces crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and bitumen across a diversified portfolio of assets. The company also transports and markets crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), natural gas liquids and their derivative products through a global network of distributors.

The companys operations span the conventional and tight oil markets, including shale gas, heavy oil, oil sands and other petroleum-related businesses. As of late 2022, the company had more than 6.1 billion barrels of proven oil and oil-equivalent reserves and was producing 1.731 million barrels of crude and equivalents per day. Roughly 50% of operations are centered in the crude oil market while less than 40% are natural gas, with the remainder made up of LNG and bitumen (asphalt).

The company's portfolio includes conventional, unconventional plays in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Assets are primarily located in Alaska (about 33% of US production), Eagle Ford, the Permian Basin, the Bakken, the Gulf of Mexico and the Anadarko Basin. Revenue topped $45.8 billion in 2021 and the company employs about 9,900 worldwide. Exploratory operations are underway in Columbia and Chile where the opportunity for both scale and flexibility is present.

ConocoPhillips was the first major oil company to adopt the Paris Climate Accord and pledge to achieve net-zero scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 2050. Areas of focus include increasing operational efficiencies, supporting the reduction of end-use pollutants and advancing low-carbon alternatives, including hydrogen production and fuel cells.
The following companies are subsidiares of Iron Mountain: AB Archyvu Centras, AB Archyvu Sistemos, AB Archyvu Sistemos Estonia Branch, AS Archivu Serviss, Accutrac Software Inc, ArchivesOne, Archyvu sistemos, Arhiv-Trezor d.o.o., Ausdoc Group Pty Limited, Ausdoc Holdings Pty Limited, Bonded Services (International) B.V., Bonded Services Acquisition Ltd., Bonded Services Group, Bonded Services Group Limited, Bonded Services International Limited, Bonded Services Limited, Box Butler, Britannia Data Management Limited, Capital Vision Holdings SAS, Capital Vision SAS, Connected Corporation, Cornerstone Records Management, Crozier Fine Arts, Crozier Schweiz Ag, Custodia S.O.S. SA, DBJ Limited, DMS Storage s.r.o., DigiGuard, Disaster Recovery Services Limited, Docscan Cape Town Proprietary Limited, Docscan Proprietary Limited, Docu-File JHB Proprietary Limited, DocuTar Iratrendezo es Tarolo Szolgaltato Kft., DocuVault, Docufile (Pty) Ltd, EAC Invest, Eurospags Investments ApS, EvoSwitch, F.T.S. (Freight Forwarders) Limited, F.T.S. (Great Britain) Limited, F.T.S. (Road Transport) Limited, FTS Bonded Limited, Fairfield Fine Art, File Express Limited, Film Media Services Limited, First International Records Management AG, First International Records Management LLC, Fleet Freight Limited, Fontis International GmbH, Fortrust, G4S Secure Data Solutions Colombia, Glenbeign Records Mangement (GRM) DWC-LLC, Global Logistics Worldwide Limited, Haworth Group Holdings (UK) Limited, Haworth Group Limited, Hays IMS, Helcom Limited, IG2 Data Security, IM Mortgage Solutions LLC, IMI Investments Two Ltd, IMSA Peru SRL, IO.com, Information Storage Consolidation Co, Iron Mountain (Deutschland) Service GmbH, Iron Mountain (Espana) Services S.L, Iron Mountain (Gibraltar) Holdings Limited, Iron Mountain (Ireland) Services Limited, Iron Mountain (Nederland) Data Centre B.V., Iron Mountain (Nederland) Data Centre Holdings B.V., Iron Mountain (Nederland) Data Centre Services B.V., Iron Mountain (Nederland) Services BV, Iron Mountain (Schweiz) AG, Iron Mountain (UK) Data Centre Limited, Iron Mountain (UK) EES Holdings Limited, Iron Mountain (UK) PLC, Iron Mountain (UK) Services Limited, Iron Mountain A/S, Iron Mountain Acquisition Holdings Pty. Ltd., Iron Mountain Argentina S.A., Iron Mountain Arsivleme Hizmetleri A.S., Iron Mountain Asia Pacific Holdings Ltd, Iron Mountain Asia Pte Limited, Iron Mountain Australia Group Pty. Ltd., Iron Mountain Australia Group Services Pty. Ltd., Iron Mountain Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd, Iron Mountain Austria Archivierung Gmbh, Iron Mountain BPM SPRL, Iron Mountain Belgium NV, Iron Mountain Bulgaria, Iron Mountain Canada Operations ULC, Iron Mountain Ceska Republika S.R.O., Iron Mountain Chile S.A., Iron Mountain Chile Servicios S.A., Iron Mountain Cloud LLC, Iron Mountain Colombia S.A.S., Iron Mountain Cyprus Limited, Iron Mountain DIMS Limited, Iron Mountain Data Centers LLC, Iron Mountain Data Centers Services LLC, Iron Mountain Data Centre Pte. Limited, Iron Mountain Data Management (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Iron Mountain Data Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Iron Mountain Deutschland GmbH, Iron Mountain Do Brasil Ltda, Iron Mountain Document Holdings Sweden AB, Iron Mountain Document Storage Services LLC, Iron Mountain EES Holdings Ltd., Iron Mountain Enterprises Sdn. Bhd., Iron Mountain Espana SA, Iron Mountain Eswatini (Pty) Ltd, Iron Mountain Europe (Group) Limited, Iron Mountain Europe Ltd., Iron Mountain FZ-LLC, Iron Mountain Finland OY, Iron Mountain France S.A.S., Iron Mountain Fulfillment Services Inc., Iron Mountain Global Holdings Inc., Iron Mountain Global LLC, Iron Mountain Group (Europe) Limited, Iron Mountain Hellas SA, Iron Mountain Holdings (Europe) Limited, Iron Mountain Holdings (France) SNC, Iron Mountain Holdings Sweden AB, Iron Mountain Hong Kong Ltd., Iron Mountain Incorporated, Iron Mountain India Private Ltd, Iron Mountain Information Management LLC, Iron Mountain Information Management Services Canada Inc., Iron Mountain Information Management Services Inc., Iron Mountain Intellectual Property Management Inc., Iron Mountain International (Holdings) Ltd, Iron Mountain International Holdings BV, Iron Mountain Ireland Holdings Limited, Iron Mountain Ireland Limited, Iron Mountain Korea Limited, Iron Mountain Latin America Holdings Sociedad Limitada, Iron Mountain Lesotho (Proprietry) Limited, Iron Mountain Luxembourg Sarl, Iron Mountain Luxembourg Services S.a.r.l., Iron Mountain MDM Limited, Iron Mountain Macau Limited, Iron Mountain Magyarorszag Kereskedelmi es Szolgaltato Kft., Iron Mountain Management Services GmbH, Iron Mountain Mayflower Limited, Iron Mountain Mexico Holding S. de RL de CV, Iron Mountain Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Iron Mountain Mexico Servicios S. de RL de CV, Iron Mountain Mortgage Finance Holdings LLC, Iron Mountain Mortgage Finance I LLC, Iron Mountain Nederland B.V., Iron Mountain Nederland Holdings B.V., Iron Mountain New Zealand Limited, Iron Mountain Norge AS, Iron Mountain Participations SA, Iron Mountain Peru S.A., Iron Mountain Philippines Inc., Iron Mountain Poland Holdings Ltd, Iron Mountain Polska Services Sp z.o.o., Iron Mountain Polska Sp. z.o.o., Iron Mountain Receivables QRS LLC, Iron Mountain Receivables TRS LLC, Iron Mountain Records Management (Puerto Rico) Inc, Iron Mountain Records Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Iron Mountain SRL, Iron Mountain Sdn. Bhd., Iron Mountain Secure Shredding (Pty) Ltd, Iron Mountain Secure Shredding Canada Inc., Iron Mountain Secure Shredding Inc., Iron Mountain Services Private Ltd, Iron Mountain Services S.A.S., Iron Mountain Shanghai Co Ltd, Iron Mountain Singapore Pte. Ltd., Iron Mountain Slovakia s.r.o., Iron Mountain South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Iron Mountain South Africa Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Iron Mountain South Africa Information Management (Pty) Ltd, Iron Mountain South Africa Records Management (Pty) Ltd, Iron Mountain South America Sarl, Iron Mountain Southeast Asia Holdings Limited, Iron Mountain Sweden AB, Iron Mountain Taiwan Ltd., Iron Mountain UK Services (Holdings) Ltd, Iron Mountain US Holdings Inc, Iron Mountain Vietnam Company Limited, Iron Mountain d.o.o. Novi Banovci, Jigsaw Freight Limited, Jigsaw Pieces Limited, Jin Shan Limited, KDM Spectrumdata Pty Ltd, KH Data Capital Development Land LLC, Lane Archives Technologies Corporation, Livevault, Marshgate Morangis Sarl, Mimosa Systems, Nettlebed Acquisition Corp., Novo Group Limited, Novo Holdings Limited, Novo Overseas Limited, NxtGen Data Center & Cloud Services, OEC Records Management Company Private Limited, OSG Records Management (Europe) Limited, OSG Records Management Center LLC, OSG Records Management Centre LLC, OSG Records Management Crypto LLC, OSG Records Management Foreign LLC, OSG Records Management LLC, OSG Records Management LLC (Ukraine), OSG Records Management LLP, OSG Services sp. zoo, Oda International Management Corporation NV, Osrecki d.o.o., PT Iron Mountain Indonesia, Preferred Media Ltd, Prism Integrated Sdn Bhd, Recall, Recall (London) Limited, Recall (Shanghai) Ltd., Recall Europe Finance Ltd., Recall Europe Limited, Recall GQ Ltd, Recall Holdings, Recall Holdings Limited, Recall India Information Management Pvt. Ltd., Recall International Pty Limited, Recall Italy SRL, Recall Limited, Recall Overseas Holdings Pty Limited, Recall Shredding Limited, Recall Technology Pty. Ltd., Recall Total Information Management India Pvt. Ltd., Record Data Limited, Royal Seal S.R.O., SIA RIATech, Saracen Datastore Limited, Shanghai Iron Mountain Data Storage Co. Ltd., Shuttle SRL, Startify, Superior Storage Limited, UAB Confidento, and Xepa Digital.

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The United States Navy has delivered a budget request of approximately $255 billion, focusing on the acquisition of at least nine battle force ships. They hope one such ship will be its second Columbia-class submarine. The proposal... More of this article 
The Government and education unions have agreed to hold intensive talks on the issues which have sparked a series of strikes by teachers in recent months, it has been announced.

The talks, which will focus on pay, conditions and workload reduction, will involve unions including the National Education Union (NEU), whose members were on strike in England earlier this week.

The news follows the breakthrough in the NHS dispute on Thursday, with leaders of nurses, ambulance crews and other health workers agreeing to suspend further industrial action while ballots are held on a new pay offer.

A joint statement by the Government and education unions said: The Government and the education trade unions, Association of School and College Leaders, National Association of Head Teachers, NASUWT and National Education Union, have agreed to move into a period of intensive talks. The talks will focus on teacher pay, conditions and workload reduction.

WATCH & SHARE: A round-up of the @NEUnion #PayUp #SaveOurSchools Carnival on Budget Day. @GillianKeegan its time to come back to the negotiating table and talk to us. pic.twitter.com/bSwzm44dGd  National Education Union (@NEUnion) March 16, 2023

In order for talks to begin and, we hope, reach a successful conclusion, the NEU has confirmed it will create a period of calm for two weeks during which time they have said no further strike dates will be announced.

The Education Secretary and all unions will meet today, beginning intensive talks, which will continue over the weekend.

The Department of Health and Social Care said the British Medical Association (BMA) has agreed to enter into talks on pay for junior doctors under the same terms as unions representing nurses, ambulance staff and other NHS workers in talks which concluded this week.

The dispute led to a three-day walkout from junior doctors this week, which NHS England said caused 175,000 appointments and procedures to be postponed.

In a statement posted on social media, the junior doctors representatives at the BMA confirmed they had written to Health Secretary Steve Barclay offering to meet next week.

They acknowledged some members would have reservations about the suspension of industrial action, but said they were ready to return to the picket line in the event of a substandard offer.

They wrote: We are entering these negotiations in good faith and, having completed our initial 72-hour strike, there is a window of opportunity here where we can achieve full pay restoration.

This has always been our aim, and we will always be willing to talk anywhere and on any grounds that do not prevent us from achieving this goal.

   More than 1,000 PCS members working in the Passport Offices in England, Scotland and Wales are to take 5 weeks strike action. More here: https://t.co/lCswDh9Qwz#PCSonStrike #BlameTheGovt pic.twitter.com/b5W90iGRE6  PCS Union (@pcs_union) March 17, 2023

Downing Street said later on Friday the new pay deal offered to striking workers including nurses and paramedics would cost an additional 4 billion.

A No 10 spokesman said: The non-consolidated element for 2022/23 is an additional investment of around 2.7 billion.

The consolidated element for 2023/24 is an additional investment of around 1.3 billion.

He would not detail how it will be funded, with the health department to hold discussions with the Treasury.

Meanwhile, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has announced a five-week strike by its members in the Passport Office in an escalation of its long-running dispute with the Government over pay, pensions, jobs and conditions.

Those working in Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough and Southport will walk out from April 3 to May 5, while those in Belfast will strike from April 7 to May 5.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: This escalation of our action has come about because, in sharp contrast with other parts of the public sector, ministers have failed to hold any meaningful talks with us, despite two massive strikes and sustained, targeted action lasting six months.

Their approach is further evidence theyre treating their own workforce worse than anyone else. Theyve had six months to resolve this dispute but for six months have refused to improve their 2% imposed pay rise, and failed to address our members other issues of concern.

They seem to think if they ignore our members, theyll go away. But how can our members ignore the cost-of-living crisis when 40,000 civil servants are using foodbanks and 45,000 of them are claiming the benefits they administer themselves?

Its a national scandal and a stain on this Governments reputation that so many of its own workforce are living in poverty.

The British Dental Association remains in dispute with the government and stressed on Friday it has not received a pay offer despite yesterdays breakthrough.

Chairman Eddie Crouch said: Like our BMA colleagues working under the Junior Contract weve received no offer and have been party to no negotiations.

The British Dietetic Association, the professional body and trade union for dieticians, was one of the unions which received the new pay offer.
There was a musical theme to St Patricks Day celebrations in Belfast  with thousands coming into the city centre for the annual celebration.

Crowds lined the streets to witness the colourful showpiece of this years March 17 festivities.

The parade, led by Belfast Lord Mayor Tina Black, moved off from City Hall in the afternoon, travelling in a loop along Chichester Street, Victoria Street, High Street, Castle Place and Donegall Place, before returning to its starting point.

The rain held off In Belfast as floats, street artists and dance troupes made their way through the city centre.

The theme for this years event was voices of Belfast and it was billed as a celebration of Belfasts music heritage from pop to punk and traditional to disco.

The parade was staged by the arts organisation Beat Carnival.

Stewards handed out green shamrock flags to the large number of children at the parade as onlookers cheered and clapped amid a carnival atmosphere.

There was an international feel to the event, both in the floats and the spectators who had travelled to Belfast to witness the spectacle.

Felix Angel and Patrick Kressner had travelled from Leipzig in Germany to watch their first St Patricks Day parade and were dressed from head to toe in green.

Mr Kressner said: We have come here for the parade and the party.

This is our first time coming to Belfast and we wanted to see the St Patricks Day events.

It is fantastic. There is so much fun and so much green everywhere we look. We are having a good time.

We will definitely be coming back next year.

I am also called Patrick so I thought I had better come for St Patricks Day.

Sylvia McAllister, from the city attended, the celebrations with her three children.

She said: We like to come every year, the event seems to be getting bigger and bigger.

There are thousands here and this is the best atmosphere we have experienced yet.

The children just love it and thankfully the weather has stayed kind to us today.

Belfast City Council is also using its building at 2 Royal Avenue to stage various events over the weekend, including a Celtic Storm concert on Saturday.

Parades are taking place in towns and cities across Northern Ireland on Friday, including Armagh, Downpatrick and Derry.
Sony has just launched new headphones which are claimed to be very light in weight. The headphones are said to weigh around 192 grams which is the lightest weighing Sony headphones. They also come with active noise cancellation and many more features. Lets check them out:

Lightweight

The most noticeable feature of the headphones is that they are extremely light in weight, in fact, Sony claimed that this is their lightest headphones ever. They weigh 192 grams and they are made of synthetic leather and urethane materials.

Active Noise Cancellation

The new Sony WH-CH720N is equipped with Dual Noise Sensor technology, which helps in reducing the background noise effectively.

Chip

The headphones are backed by the Processor V1 chip that improves the whole noise cancellation by eliminating the other external sounds with low processing delay. It also comes with an adjustable Ambient Sound mode and Adaptive Sound control.

DSEE

The WH-CH720N earphones showcase Sony's Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE), which improves the sound to replicate the original recording, along with multipoint connectivity support that empowers users to effortlessly switch between devices.

Battery

The battery life of the headphones can last up to 50 hours and the quick charging feature can give you up to one hour of playback time with just three minutes of charge.

Sony WH-CH720N will be available on the Sony retail stores, ShopatSC website, all the big electronic stores and e-commerce websites on March 17. These headphones will be priced at 9,990.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
Microsoft has announced its new productivity tool, Microsoft 365 Copilot that will be available for use in two ways. The first is through integration with Microsoft 365's most popular apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. The second is through a new application called Business Chat which is also announced with Copilot. Business Chat will allow customers to interact with Copilot across their calendar, emails, chats, documents, meetings, and contacts.

Copilot combines the power of large language models with your data and apps to turn your words into the most powerful productivity tool on the planet, said Jared Spataro, Corporate Vice President of Modern Work and Business Applications, at Microsoft. By grounding in your business content and context, Copilot delivers results that are relevant and actionable. Its enterprise-ready, built on Microsofts comprehensive approach to security, compliance, privacy and responsible AI. Copilot marks a new era of computing that will fundamentally transform the way we work.

Copilot's integration with Microsoft 365's apps will enable customers to be more creative and productive in Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook and Teams.

Microsoft Copilot in Microsoft 365 applications

Copilot in Word will be able to write, edit, summarise, and create alongside users as they work. Copilot in PowerPoint will enable users to turn their ideas into a designed presentation through natural language commands, while Copilot in Excel will help users unlock insights, identify trends, or create professional-looking data visualisations in a fraction of the time.

Microsoft Copilot in Business Chat

Copilot will also be available through Business Chat, which will bring together data from across a customer's documents, presentations, emails, calendar, notes, and contacts to help summarise chats, write emails, find key dates, or even write a plan based on other project files.

Microsoft 365 Copilot is already being tested with a small group of customers to get the critical feedback required to improve these models as they scale. The details on pricing and licensing will be shared soon, Microsoft said.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
Samsung has confirmed a new A-series smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy A24. Samsung recently launched three A series smartphones which are the Samsung Galaxy A14, Samsung Galaxy A34 and Samsung Galaxy A54. Samsung launches its mid-range phones under the Galaxy A series.

Recently, Samsung Turkey revealed the Samsung Galaxy A24 in a press statement but the South Korean company did not reveal any specifications about the smartphone. However, the Samsung Galaxy A14 was spotted several times previously on certification websites.

A Turkish publication known as Gadgety has shared some expected specifications and renders of the Samsung Galaxy A14. Lets take a look.

1. Samsung Galaxy A14 Design

The design of the smartphone is said to be similar to the Samsung Galaxy A34 and Samsung Galaxy A54, with a flat display and flat back panel. It will be available in three colours reportedly which are black, silver, lemon-green, and red-burgundy colours.

2. Samsung Galaxy A14 Display

The Samsung Galaxy A14 could feature a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED FHD+ display with the support of a 90Hz refresh rate and could also give an output of 1000 nits.

3. Samsung Galaxy A14 Performance

In terms of performance, the smartphone is rumoured to be equipped with the Snapdragon 680 processor paired with 4GB RAM. It might launch with 128GB storage and expandable up to 1TB.

4. Samsung Galaxy A14 Camera

Samsung Galaxy A14 is tipped to feature a triple camera setup holding a 50-megapixel primary camera and along with that a 5-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 2-megapixel macro lens. On the front, it could sport a 13-megapixel selfie camera.

5. Samsung Galaxy A14 Price

Samsung Galaxy A14 is rumoured to launch with a price of $285 which means it might launch with a price of around 23,500 approximately in India.

For more technology news, product reviews, sci-tech features and updates, keep reading Digit.in or head to our Google News page.
It was March 17, 1805, when Napoleon Bonaparte proclaimed the Kingdom of Italy.

The Italian Republic became a kingdom  all under the blessing of Pope Pius VII.

Bonaparte conquered the Belpaese and its wonders. The political power of his every gesture claimed glory and power. Obviously, there were many Italian and international artists who were fascinated by his figure. Among them, Andrea Appiani who chose to portray the emperor on the day of his coronation in Milan Cathedral, again in 1805.

Solemn, stern, haughty and somewhat disdainful, in a three-quarter pose, Napoleon is portrayed as the King of Italy. Andrea Appiani created a majestic, authoritative work in which Napoleon appears as much king as man, a man of power, but without an unroyal pose, but a more regal one. The coronation ceremony took place on May 26, 1805, a few days after the declaration of the Kingdom of Italy, and another artist paid tribute to that moment: Gaetano Monti.

In 1811 Gaetano Monti  born in Ravenna  was commissioned to realize a sculpture to be placed on the Simplon Gate  Milans Arch of Peace. Its realization was put on hold with the fall of Napoleon in 1814. It resumed later in 1826 at the behest of Emperor Francis I of Austria.
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Eoin Reynolds

An engineer has told Michael Scott's trial that a suggestion his aunt Chrissie Treacy was run over twice by the teleporter Mr Scott was driving is "unsupported" and all her injuries could have been caused by "one movement".

Dr Mark Jordan also disagreed with a garda report suggesting that the 76-year-old Ms Treacy should have been visible as Mr Scott reversed across his yard.

Mr Scott (58) of Gortanumera, Portumna, Co Galway has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Treacy outside her home in Derryhiney, Portumna, Co Galway on April 27th, 2018. The prosecution case is that Mr Scott deliberately ran over Ms Treacy following a long-running dispute over land. Mr Scott's lawyers have told the Central Criminal Court that her death was a tragic accident.

After the end of the prosecution case, Dr Jordan was called by defence counsel Paul Greene SC and told him that he is a mechanical engineer who regularly advises on civil and criminal proceedings involving accidents with machinery. He said he was hired by Mr Scott's lawyers but is independent and his duty is to the court and jury.

Disagreed with previous evidence

Dr Jordan disagreed with a number of points made in reports drawn up by a garda collision investigator and an engineer who previously gave evidence for the prosecution. Dr Jordan said that a suggestion that Ms Treacy was driven over twice appears to be "particularly unsupported".

He said that from early on gardai had decided that the teleporter went over Ms Treacy twice, but Dr Jordan found there was only one clear imprint over Ms Treacy's trousers. He said that the other marks are "very difficult to interpret" but may have been left when Ms Treacy was in the upright position.

The trial has previously heard that Mr Scott told gardai he was reversing the teleporter across the yard when he felt a "thump" and thought he may have hit a trailer. He said he moved the machine forward to get it on level ground where it would not roll before getting down and finding Ms Treacy on the ground.

John Hayes, an engineer called by the prosecution, said a "flailing" injury to Ms Treacy's left arm was "not consistent with a vehicle reversing over the deceased, coming to a stop and moving forward."

'More aggressive action'

He said the injury was consistent with "a far more aggressive action and could be consistent with the rotation of the wheel while on the limb." He explained that by "aggressive" he was not commenting on the driver's intent but on the "high torque" of the vehicle which allowed it to change from reverse to forward "very quickly".

One of the first gardai on the scene previously gave evidence that there were rubber marks around Ms Treacy and the flesh was "ripped completely from her left forearm and strewn onto the yard in front of her hand."

Dr Jordan's view was that the degloving injury happened "in one motion as the machine was going back. There is no evidence of a second rollover of Ms Treacy in my opinion."

He said the way her clothes were gathered towards her shoulders suggested that she was "struck and knocked down and hit the concrete hard at which point the left rear wheel ran over her right hand and before Mr Scott had a chance to stop, the left front wheel travelled over her back while he was braking or stopping the machine."

'One movement'

He said in his opinion that "one movement" of the back and front wheels accounts for all her injuries.

The injuries that caused Ms Treacy's death, the witness said, did not require any unusual use of the teleporter. "Just driving the vehicle backwards will do it," he said.

Dr Jordan disagreed with a garda statement that Ms Treacy would have been visible to Mr Scott as she walked the 45 metres from her door to where she was found. He said that if Mr Scott was not expecting anyone to be in the yard he might not have looked across the yard before getting into the machine.

Once in the cab, Dr Jordan said Mr Scott was reversing and looking over his right shoulder so the left portion to the rear, where Ms Treacy was, was not in his line of sight.

Dr Jordan described as subjective a test carried out by gardai in which they placed an object the same height as Ms Treacy around the teleporter and found that at all times it was visible from the cabin.

He said the test involving a stationary teleporter was not representative of the view Mr Scott had on the day as he reversed across a bumpy yard while looking through windows coated in "field stuff, dust and dirt". He said there were blind zones and the sun hitting the dirt on the back windscreen could have caused glare and affected his view.

He also disagreed with a statement in the garda report that it would be natural to reverse the teleporter while looking over the left shoulder. There is no natural way to drive, he said, but the steering wheel is mounted to the left and therefore "almost invites the left hand to deal with the steering wheel" so that the driver would turn and look over his right shoulder where there are a number of obstacles obscuring the view to the rear.

Dr Jordan said that gardai had stated that Ms Treacy should have been visible to the driver but, he said, her direction of travel before the incident has not been established. The windows of the teleporter were "extremely dirty" and there were other impediments to the driver's view.

Dr Jordan disagreed with a garda survey which found that there was only a negligible slope in the yard and said that he found a large depression in the middle of the yard beside where Ms Treacy lay. At its maximum depth it was 70mm and there were bumps and hollows in parts of the yard.

He said that the surface of the yard was rippled and corrugated with many bumps and hollows and concrete slabs that were laid at different times. Reversing the teleporter in the yard would create a "distinct, jaunty feel" for the driver, he said.

Before the close of the prosecution case Detective Sergeant Paul Duane told Mr Greene that clothing worn by Mr Scott and the deceased on the day was examined by scientists at Forensic Science Ireland. There was no evidence of an exchange of DNA, blood or clothing fibres between the accused and the deceased, he said.

The trial continues next week in front of Ms Justice Caroline Biggs and a jury of eight men and seven women.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Two aging UK coal plants will close at the end of the winter despite requests by the government to keep them running.

The plants were originally scheduled to shutter in 2022, but the government asked them to remain on standby through the winter of 2022 and 2023 to pick up the slack during the ongoing energy crisis prompted by Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The two remaining units at West Burton A coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire will close as planned on March 31 2023, in line with the agreement signed last year, Electricite de France (EDF), which operates one of the plants, said, as the Press Association reported.

EDFs West Burton plant was only used once during the winter, during a cold snap on March 7. The other plant in limbo is a plant operated by Drax in North Yorkshire that has not been used yet this winter.

EDFs West Burton A coal-fired plant in Nottinghamshire, UK on the right, commissioned in 1968, next to EDFs combined cycle gas turbine power station (West Burton B) on the left, commissioned in 2011. J.Hannan-Briggs / CC BY-SA 2.0

On Wednesday, the National Grids Electricity System Operator (ESO) revealed that the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero had asked it to make sure there were backup energy plans in place for the winter of 2023 and 2024, as BBC News reported.

At our Operational Transparency Forum this morning we have confirmed receipt of a letter from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero requesting that we explore the procurement of winter contingency contracts, for additional non-gas-fired capacity over the 2023/2024 winter, that would otherwise not have been available, the ESO said, as the Press Association reported.

Both operators, however, said that would not be possible.

There are a number of workforce and operational reasons that mean extending the life of West Burton A again is very challenging, EDF said, as the Press Association reported. For example, retaining suitably qualified and local personnel to ensure safe operation was a major challenge last year and, looking forward, becomes untenable as many of the workforce have stayed on well beyond planned retirement dates already. Approximately half the staff are retiring by the second quarter of this year. Notices have already been given for around half of these and they leave early April. This includes a large part of the station leadership team.

Drax also said that remaining open another year would be impossible and that it would also close its plant at the end of March.

[W]ith a number of certifications expiring on the coal-fired units, the units would not be able to operate compliantly for winter 2023, a Drax spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

In response, ESO said it could not comment on ongoing negotiations, BBC News reported.

Ultimately, the decision will be a commercial one for the coal generators and ESO will update the market in due course, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said in a statement reported by BBC News.

Britain had already promised to close all of its coal-fired plants by October 2024 as part of its drive to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to address the climate crisis, according to Reuters. Coal is notorious for being the dirtiest fuel burned for energy, but its use has fallen dramatically in the UK in recent years, reaching lows not seen since before the start of the industrial revolution in 1757, as Carbon Brief reported.
Another train has derailed, this time on the Swinomish Reservation near Anacortes, Washington. The incident, which happened in the early morning hours on Thursday, March 16, has led to a fuel leak estimated by state officials to be around 5,000 gallons.

The freight train with BNSF Railway derailed on a berm along Padilla Bay in northwest Washington, with the fuel leaking out into the soil rather than into the waterways. The first responders from the states ecology department estimated the leak to be around 5,000 gallons. BNSF Railway spokesperson Lena Kent told Huffington Post that the leak was below that estimate, although the amount was still unknown.

The fuel leak is occurring on the Swinomish Reservation. Officials have so far said there are no injuries related to the incident and no wildlife has been affected. The fuel spill has not reached local waterways, The Associated Press reported. Responders placed a boom along the shore to minimize risk of the fuel reaching the water, and any remaining fuel from the two derailed train cars has been removed.

The cause of the derailment is still unknown and under investigation. Emily Tasaka, a communications manager with Washingtons Department of Ecology, told HuffPost that the spill was not from the trains cargo, but was from the diesel fuel in the front two locomotives that derailed. The additional four tank cars, which did not derail, were marked to carry propane, but were empty before the train derailed.

As of Thursday night, responders are removing contaminated soil from the site and will continue soil sampling until the area is backfilled, according to a tweet from the Washingtons Department of Ecology. The U.S. EPA Region 10 also reported on Friday that the EPA, the Swinomish tribe, the state department of ecology, BNSF Railway and the Skagit County Department of Emergency Management were working collectively in a Unified Command to swiftly contain the spill and clean up the site.

The train derailment on the Swinomish Reservation comes shortly after another BNSF Railway train derailment on Wednesday night in Mohave County, Arizona. That train was carrying corn syrup, and authorities said there were no injuries nor spills or leaks, as NPR reported.

In 2022, the Federal Railroad Administration reported 1,164 train derailments. More and more derailments are making headlines, particularly after the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio in February, which has raised concerns over railway safety, especially for trains carrying hazardous cargo.




320,000-square-foot beef plant to be set up in Olathe, Kansas, US

An unnamed company plans to build a 320,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art beef processing and packaging facility for retail ready products in Olathe, Kansas, the United States.

The company conducts business in several merchandising units, including grocery. Its subsidiary, 1918 LLC, requested insurance of US$257 million of industrial revenue bonds for the facilitys construction.

Over the next decade, the project is predicted to create nearly 700 full-time jobs with a total estimated payroll of US$23.5 million. In the first year, the facility is expected to generate US$282 million in sales and to grow to US$502 million in 10 years.

"The operation would be unique to the food industry, combining the latest in meat production design with best-in-class packaging and material handling systems," according to the company's project application. "The facility would use a sustainable design solution and provide the company with reliability and flexibility in raw material storage, track and trace, wet and dry processing, palatising and finished project handling systems."

The application added that the plant would not house slaughter. All animals would be raised and processed in another US state.

The company does not currently operate industrial facilities in Olathe but has retail locations in the city. After opening the planned Olathe plant, all its Kansas retail stores' Choice beef cuts would be supplied through the local production. The Olathe operation would also cover Choice beef production for other retail stores in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri and Arkansas.



- Meat + Poultry




Sri Lanka expected to witness further rise in beef prices as transport ban comes into force

Sri Lanka is likely to see further increase in beef prices as the island nation's northern province has banned the transportation of cattle to other provinces and slaughterhouses.

The ban was imposed due to lumpy skin disease identified in herds in that area, officials and industry stakeholders said.

"The disease is also spreading to other provinces in Sri Lanka," S. Vaseeharan, the Provincial Director at Department of Animal Production and Health (DAPH) told EconomyNext. He said all the police stations have been informed to halt cattle transportation and health certificates are required to transport them after the animals are cleared of lumpy skin diseases.

Officials are worried of the disease spreading due to illegal transportation.

Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts have been identified as high-risk zones, while Vavuniya, Jaffna and Manner districts are under surveillance.

The northern province accounts for 15% of total beef production in the island, according to the government's official data.

"Due to the transportation restrictions in that affected area, the supply will go down," Dr. M Ijas, Chief Municipal Veterinary Surgeon at Colombo Municipal Council told EconomyNext. "When there is a low supply, the price will increase. And the northern area has a larger supply of beef."

Market players said the move could increase the price of other protein-based products including chicken, pork and mutton.

Lumpy skin disease was first detected in Mullaitivu in February and the number of cattle prone to the disease varies between 300-500 or 3000-5000 depending on the area, Vaseeharan said.

He said there is no specific treatment for the disease, and infected animals should be quarantined and left to recover.

- ECONOMYNEXT




Vietnam to export US$1 billion worth of aquaculture products by 2025

Vietnam aims to export up to US$1 billion worth of aquaculture products by 2025, under a development project for the industry towards 2030 with a vision to 2045, VN Express reported.

The project also aims to increase the total are of aquaculture to 280,000 hectares, with an annual yield of 850,000 tonnes.

The sector is anticipated to contribute more than 25% of the Vietnam's total fishery production by 2045, estimated to exceed US$4 billion in export revenue.

These objectives require actions to address bottlenecks and transform Vietnam's aquaculture sector into a large-scale production industry in a coordinated, safe, efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable manner.

With a total area of 85,000 hectares, Vietnam currently has about 7,447 aquaculture companies, according to the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The sector is currently expected to grow by an average of 23.3% per year.

- VN Express




EU pork production slumps to lowest level in nearly 10 years

Pork production in Europe has dropped by 5.6% (1.3 million tonnes) year-on-year, to the lowest annual volume since 2014, totalling 22.1 million tonnes in 2022, due to several challenges over the past year, such as rising input costs, continued outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF), new environmental regulations, and increasing consumer costs, UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board reported.

All major producing countries experienced significant declines, but Germany was the most notable. Germany has been experiencing production declines since 2017, but these declines have only averaged 23% annually. By 2022, the annual decline had reached almost 10%, a loss of almost 500,000 tonnes over the course of a year.

In 2022, production in Poland, Spain, Denmark, and Belgium all decreased by 110,000 to 180,000 tonnes annually.

The production decline has been caused primarily by a reduction in the number of animals slaughtered. The total number of pigs killed for the EU27 was 237 million in 2022, the lowest level since 2014 and a significant drop of 12.6 million (-5.1%) per year. Germany experienced the largest declines at -4.8 million head, followed by Poland at -1.9 million head, Spain at -1.7 million head), and Belgium at -1.1million head.

Due to difficulties European producers and processors encountered in 2022, the EU's swine herd decreased by 5.8%. More significant to the market is the drop the number of breeding sows, particularly the number of sows in swine at -6.2% and -5.5% respectively.

The decline in these sow numbers supports broader industry commentary about tight supplies and suggests that there will be fewer swine available for slaughter in 2023. This might result in increased prices on the European swine market, if domestic consumption remains steady.

- UK Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
UK Space Agency funds Rolls-Royce's bid to put a nuclear reactor on the moon The technology is estimated to arrive by 2029.

There's a global race happening to put humans back on the moon, with the United States, Japan and China among the countries working to get astronauts there as soon as possible. However, infrastructure is needed for astronauts to have a place to live and work.

To that end, today, the UK Space Agency announced funding for Rolls-Royce to build a nuclear reactor that would support a future moon base. The current 2.9 billion (~$3.52 billion) given by the UK Space Agency follows 249,000 (~$302,000) provided last year for Rolls-Royce's initial study.

Engineers and scientists at Rolls-Royce are working to build a nuclear micro-reactor due to its small size and ability to function regardless of sunlight available or location. Currently, Rolls-Royce estimates the micro-reactor will go to the moon in 2029.

Were backing new research by @RollsRoyce that will support future Moon missions. 



The funding will help develop tech that will provide power needed for humans to live and work on the Moon - from comms systems to life-support. 



 https://t.co/IctjqdmK5J#BSW2023 pic.twitter.com/lxb8pMfNNM  UK Space Agency (@spacegovuk) March 17, 2023

The funding announcement comes only two days after NASA and AXIOM Space released the new prototype spacesuit Artemis III astronauts will wear on the moon. Currently, NASA aims for the Artemis III mission to launch in December 2025. NASA also plans to build a base camp on the moon's surface.

Subscribe to the Engadget Deals Newsletter Great deals on consumer electronics delivered straight to your inbox, curated by Engadgets editorial team. See latest Subscribe Please enter a valid email address Please select a newsletter By subscribing, you are agreeing to Engadget's Terms and Privacy Policy.

In the next decade we will likely see greater progress in all areas surrounding travel to the moon. Last month, the UK Space Agency announced 51 million (~$61.89 million) available for UK companies to build communication and navigation systems to use in future moon missions. The initiative comes as part of the goal of the European Space Agencys Moonlight program to have satellites around the moon aiding future astronauts and rovers with communication and safety.
In the first article of this series, Oncu and Oncu (2022) established a link between the imperialistliberalist hegemonic mode cycles of Karatani (2012) and their globalisationdeglobalisation cycles, and relying on the observations of Rodrik (2022), among others, argued that the ongoing globalisationthe current imperialist phase that started in the early 1990shad not ended yet. They then demonstrated with examples from the last 20 years how the word deglobalisation had come to dominate the prevailing rhetoric and defined the age of deglobalisation as the age in which deglobalisation became a buzzword.

With this second article of the series, we turn our attention to the deglobalising country Turkey where with the ongoing monetary policy experiment that started after the currency crisis of August 2018, almost every citizen is now well-informed about, if not an expert on, monetary policy. We all are hotly debating whether the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) should be independent, whether the macroprudential measures taken by the CBRT and Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BRSA) are appropriate, whether the country needs capital controls to protect the Turkish lira, and the like, irrespective of our occupations.
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ATHENS, Greece, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The results from the first clinical pilot study of maternal spindle transfer (MST) were published online in the journal, Fertility and Sterility, as an ahead of print version of the article. The project was carried out in Greece, at the Institute of Life-IASO IVF Center, and involved a multidisciplinary team of scientists from internationally renowned institutions: Embryotools (Spain); Juno Genetics (UK); the University of Oxford (UK); Oregon Health & Science University (US). The exploratory study provides the first insights into safety and efficacy of maternal spindle transfer in humans, when applied in a context of infertility treatment. The study resulted in the birth of six children to patients with a long history of previous failed in vitro fertilization attempts. The article additionally reveals important information concerning the potential use of MST to reduce the risk of disease transmission in patients carrying pathogenic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations.

The egg is the most important element during the first few days of life. Not only does it carry the genetic contribution (DNA) from the mother, but it also contains stores of materials (e.g., RNA, protein, energy supplies and organelles) in its cytoplasm vital for the developing embryo. Poor egg quality is a significant factor contributing to female infertility, for which no effective treatments have been developed. The problem is characterized by repeated failure of eggs to fertilize and/or impaired embryo development. Currently, the only strategy available for patients that produce poor quality eggs is to undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments using donated eggs or embryos. This approach can help patients achieve a pregnancy but excludes them from a genetic contribution to their child.

Maternal spindle transfer is an advanced laboratory technique that belongs to the family of methods known collectively as mitochondrial replacement therapies (MRTs). These techniques were originally proposed to avoid the transmission of mitochondrial diseases and their application for this clinical purpose is already permitted in some countries, such as the UK and Australia. The method involves the replacement of the patient's egg cytoplasm with cytoplasm taken from young, donated egg, while retaining the patient's nuclear genetic material. Accumulating evidence suggests that this process can overcome some problems related to a failure of an egg to support fertilization and embryonic development, while also allowing patients to produce genetically related offspring.

This exploratory pilot study was conducted in Greece after receiving approval from the National Authority of Assisted Reproduction. The research team aimed to explore, for the first time, the clinical feasibility of the maternal spindle transfer technique in a context of infertility treatment. The pilot study started in 2018 and was limited to a cohort of 25 infertile couples that were carefully selected based on their long history of unsuccessful IVF treatments, associated with poor egg quality. The patients had undergone between 3 and 11 previous IVF attempts (average 6.4 per patient) without success. The outcomes monitored in the study included the usual measures of IVF success, as well as other parameters specifically related to the technique, and pediatric follow-up to evaluate the general health of children born following the procedure.

The data obtained during the study is unique, suggesting that the maternal spindle transfer technique might have the potential to help a class of infertile patients that has been extremely difficult to treat with conventional methods. Together, the patients included in the study had undergone a total of 159 previous IVF treatments, in which 423 mature eggs had been collected, but no pregnancies had ever been achieved. A total of 28 maternal spindle transfer attempts were carried out, resulting in the birth of six babies. The health and developmental status of the children (some now close to 4 years old) is unremarkable, providing some reassurance about the safety of the method.

The scientific team monitored the amount of DNA from mitochondria (mtDNA) transferred into the donor egg along with the patient's spindle and showed that more than 99% of the mtDNA in the embryos produced was from the egg donor. However, in one child born following the procedure the mitochondria from the patient expanded dramatically during development, and by the time of birth had come to represent about 50% of the total in the cells of the child. This is the first time this phenomenon, known as 'reversal' has been reported in human embryos. While none of the patients in the study were carriers of mitochondrial disease, the possibility that the small number of mitochondria, unavoidably transferred to the donor oocyte along with the patient's DNA, could proliferate disproportionately has implications for the use of MRTs to prevent the transmission such disorders. The severity of mtDNA disorders is linked to the proportion of mitochondria derived from the affected patient. The resurgence of a patient's mitochondria, after they were initially reduced to a tiny population, suggests that some of these treatments might be less than 100% effective.

While the data obtained is encouraging, potentially creating a new therapy for types of infertility that were previously untreatable, the researchers are keen to stress that this was a pilot study, and as such was limited in size and scope. A definitive assessment of the clinical value of the technique must await future larger, controlled and randomized trials.

Article identification: DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.202....

Authors: Nuno Costa-Borges, PhD; Eros Nikitos, MSc; Katharina Spath, PhD; Irene Miguel-Escalada, PhD; Hong Ma, PhD; Klaus Rink, PhD; Clement Coudereau, PhD; Hayley Darby; Amy Koski, MSc; Crystal Van Dyken, PhD; Enric Mestres, PhD; Evmorfia Papakyriakou, MSc; Dominique De Ziegler, MD; George Kontopoulos, MD; Themistoklis Mantzavinos, MD; Ioannis Vasilopoulos, MD; Stylianos Grigorakis, MD; Thomas Prokopakis, MD; Konstantinos Dimitropoulos, MD; Panagiotis Polyzos, MD; Nikolas Vlachos, MD; Konstantinos Kostaras, MD; Shoukhrat Mitalipov, PhD; Gloria Calderon, PhD; Panagiotis Psathas, MD; Dagan Wells*, PhD.

View original content: https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/results-from-the-first-clinical-pilot-study-using-maternal-spindle-transfer-indicate-that-the-technique-may-have-value-as-a-treatment-for-challenging-types-of-infertility-and-reveal-potential-limitations-when-the-method-is-used-fo-301775094.html
MBABANE - The Eswatini Competition Commission has approved the acquisition of Horseshoe farm in Manzini by Africa Chicks Swaziland (Pty) Ltd.

The farm was owned by Owned by Early Harvest Farming (Pty) Ltd, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Muzi Dlamini disclosed that the farm comprised mainly of grasslands with some old irrigated lands and is currently used for grazing. He said they considered the products of the firms and concluded that the relevant market was the market for farmland in Manzini Region, Eswatini.

There are overlaps between the activities of the merging parties since Africa Chicks, owns commercial land for farming at Extension 1 Ngwenya Industrial Site, Oshoek. However, the overlaps do not come about as a result of this transaction since the farmland being acquired is in a different geographical area, added Dlamini. As such, the CEO mentioned that there would be no market share accretion in the relevant market and the transaction was categorized as a phase 1 because the combined market share post-merger was below 15 per cent.

Postmerger, he said the market shares in the relevant market, market concentration and barriers to entry would not be affected and hence the transaction was unlikely to result in the substantial lessening of competition in the country. Therefore, the transaction was approved without conditions. The Eswatini Competition Commission (ECC) s approved nine mergers and acquisitions in the second quarter.

ECC examines merger notifications in order to make a determination on the effects of such transactions on competition and then either gives conditional approval, approval with conditions or prohibits the transactions based on the outcome of the analysis. The approved mergers in the second include the acquisition by Mr. Price Group Limited (Mr. Price) of sole control over Blue Falcon 188 Trading (Pty) Ltd Trading as Studio 88 Eswatini (Pty) Ltd.

ECC said they considered the products of the firms and concluded that the relevant market was the retail of branded sports-lifestyle; athleisure oriented clothing apparel, footwear and accessories by departmental chain stores in Eswatini. They said there were no overlaps between the activities of the merging parties in the relevant market and that the proposed transaction was as such categorized as a phase 1 since there were no overlaps in the relevant market.

Post-merger, there will be no market accretion in the relevant market, market concentration, countervailing power and barriers to entry will not be affected and the transaction is unlikely to result in the substantial lessening or prevention of competition. Therefore, the proposed transaction was approved without conditions, adds the commission.

Another approved acquisition was the acquisition of 49.36 per cent shares by Adia (Pty) Ltd in Orchard Insurance (Pty) Ltd from African Alliance Limited. The Commission said there were overlaps between the activities of the merging parties in the relevant market since Adia, was already a shareholder in Orchard. ECC added that the transaction was categorized as phase 1 because the combined market share post-merger is below 15 per cent.

There will be no market share accretion since Adia and its shareholder does not own, directly or indirectly, any other insurance business in Eswatini. Post-merger, the market shares in the relevant market, market concentration, countervailing power and barriers to entry will not be affected and hence the transaction is unlikely to result in the substantial lessening of competition in the country. Therefore, the transaction was approved without conditions, added the commission.

The third merger and acquisition approved was the acquisition by Xerotech Proprietary Limited of the entire issued share capital in Altron document solutions business division (ADS) of Altron TMT Proprietary Limited.

ECC said the transaction was approved without conditions.

The commission said the transaction was a foreign-to-foreign merger between two South Africa entities. However, due to their sales into Eswatini there was a horizontal overlap in their activities particularly in regard to the sale of OAE and related consumables.

They said the transaction was categorized as a phase 1 merger since the combined market shares of the merging firms is less than 15 per cent. The acquisition of 45 per cent shareholding by Public Service Pension Fund (PSFP) in Swaziland Radiology Services (Swaziland Radiology) was also approved by the commission. ECC said there were no overlaps between the activities of the merging firms. Pursuant to the implementation of the proposed transaction, PSPF acquired control over Swaziland Radiology with 45 per cent shareholding.

Post-merger, ECC said the market shares in the relevant market, market concentration would not change in that the acquiring firm was a new player in the relevant market, countervailing power and barriers to entry would not be affected or altered hence, the transaction was unlikely to result in the substantial lessening or prevention of competition.

Since it was a busy year, the commission further approved the acquisition by Eric Slabbert Agencies (PTY) LTD of industrial land from The Reclamation Group (Swaziland) (PTY) LTD. Eric Slabbert Agencies is a private company with limited liability, and has been in operation in Eswatini since 2004 and its operations include a fabric and paper facility at 12th Street, Matsapha (premises leased from the Eswatini Investments Promotion Authority (EIPA).
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne met boos, jeers and lawmakers holding signs of protest, as she told the National Assembly that she would skip a vote on an unpopular pensions bill, upping the age of retirement, and force it through.
Chief Justice Paul Newby questions attorney Paul Brachman during Wednesdays proceedings. (Photo: Screen grab from video stream)

For the second time in two days, the Republican-majority high court rehears arguments in a case decided by a Democratic majority just months ago

The North Carolina Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on whether a voter ID law passed in 2018 was intended to discriminate against prospective voters of color.

The high court issued a ruling in the case just three months ago, under a previous Democratic majority. That court ruled the voter ID bill was unconstitutional because lawmakers enacted the legislation with an impermissible intent to discriminate against African American voters in violation of the North Carolina Constitution.

But then Republicans picked up two seats in last years elections, flipping the courts partisan makeup to a 5-2 Republican majority, which then agreed to GOP lawyers request that they rehear the case.

In oral arguments Wednesday afternoon, Pete Patterson, an attorney for Republican lawmakers, said the previous justices had erred in their ruling. He said that it had been decided hastily, since the case skipped the Court of Appeals and oral arguments before the state Supreme Court were expedited.

Patterson argued that the state Supreme Court could rehear cases if some fact had been misapprehended or overlooked. The court should rehear, and change, its opinion on the voter ID law because it got it wrong the first time, he told the justices.

So help me understand when any case would be final because in every case, there are two sides to the argument, and the side that loses believes that we misapprehended the law and got it wrong, said Associate Justice Anita Earls, one of two Democrats on the court and the author of the opinion issued on Dec. 16, 2022. So, where do we draw the line? When do we not allow rehearing? If one side says we got it wrong, thats sufficient to have rehearing and reverse our decision? How does that give us any finality in the law?

Patterson said the court can decide to rehear cases when a majority decides that something had been misapprehended or overlooked.

Lawmakers intent

Patterson was arguing for a law that was approved by legislators in 2018. That bill requires people to present photo identification in order to vote and have their ballot count. The ruling that Earls authored last year held the voter ID provision was unconstitutional.

Patterson argued that legislators were required to pass a voter ID law after voters approved a constitutional amendment requiring the identification. Legislators had not meant to discriminate against African American voters, he said, because everyone could cast a ballot under the law  as long as they presented a photo ID. He said there were provisions in the law allowing for free IDs at early voting locations, and that even those who dont vote with an ID have 10 days to go to a county board of elections, get their photograph taken and have their ballot counted.

In short, Patterson said lawmakers enacted the narrowest possible racial disparity in terms of a voter ID law.

But, Earls pointed out, theres a difference between being able to cast a ballot and having that ballot counted. She pointed to evidence from the trial court indicating that in a 2016 primary, voters were still disenfranchised by a previously enacted voter ID law, despite having the option of completing a reasonable impediment declaration so that they could cast a provisional ballot. A reasonable impediment is defined as the inability to get a photo ID because of a lack of transportation, disability or illness, lack of a birth certificate or required documents, work schedule, and family responsibilities.

More than 15% of reasonable impediment provisional ballots did not count in that election, Earls said.

This is not inference, this is evidence, that people who tried to use the reasonable impediments process did not have their votes counted, Earls said.

Patterson said the 2018 voter ID law was entirely different. It would have allowed those who were disenfranchised in the 2016 election to have more opportunities to have their votes counted.

It just does not bespeak discriminatory intent, racially discriminatory intent, to enact a voter ID law that allows everyone to vote, Patterson said.

Paul D. Brachman, attorney for the voting rights advocates, was also asked about legislators intent in passing the voter ID bill into law. Associate Justice Trey Allen, one of the Republicans who won a seat in last years elections, asked Brachman what evidence showed legislators had intended for the voter ID law to discriminate against voters of color.

Brachman said there wasnt any evidence suggesting legislators explicitly stated that they were trying to suppress the voting power of people of color. But, he said, case law allows judges to conclude discriminatory intent by looking solely at circumstantial evidence.

Theres nothing improper about that, precisely because we hope in 2023, that we are well past the point where legislators are going to stand up on the floor of the General Assembly and proclaim an intent to disenfranchise African American voters, Brachman said.

Brachman said the law allows people to cast a provisional ballot if they dont have an acceptable form of ID on them when they vote. He seemed to follow Earlss point, that casting a ballot is different from it counting, but Allen interrupted him before he could finish the thought.

So how is it relevant to us if administrators fail to follow the law properly? Allen asked.

Brachman said those defending the law are arguing that legislators couldnt have had bad intent because of the laws reasonable impediment provision. But if that provision doesnt work, thats not very good evidence that the legislature couldnt possibly have had any improper intent, Brachman said.

The day before

Wednesdays arguments were the second time this week the high court heard a case that had already been decided several months prior. On Tuesday the justices heard arguments in a redistricting case that, if Republicans get their way, would allow them to redraw state House and Senate districts, as well as congressional voting districts, for the 2024 election, without fear of a court finding them an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander.

Just before those redistricting arguments, a Peoples Coalition met outside the State Capitol Building to warn about the ways the new Republican majority could imperil hard-won gains on voting rights. Among the speakers was Deborah Dicks Maxwell, president of the state conference of the NAACP. Maxwell said North Carolina has been a testing ground for voting suppression as far back as the poll taxes and 1971 redistricting tactics that were used to exclude Black voter engagement.

Maxwell drew a straight line between those efforts to keep suppress Black voters political power and the voter ID law legislators passed in 2018, which she said would make it harder for people of color to vote. Then she reminded those in attendance of the hard-fought battles won by their historical forebears  and how they won them.

Our rights were won through blood, sweat, tear and litigation, Maxwell said.

The post Deja vu: NC Supreme Court rehears arguments in voter ID case appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Fairfield, MT (59436)

Today

Sunshine this morning followed by increasing clouds and a few showers this afternoon. High around 55F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Rain showers early changing to snow showers overnight. Low 32F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
British Wool has launched its exclusive competition for one YFC member in England, Wales and Scotland to win a place on the co-operative's training and development programme in 2023.

The programme will see the successful candidate receive one year's free access to training courses, including machine shearing, gear training and wool handling.

The successful entrants will also be invited to Bradford to visit British Wools Head Office to learn more about the wool processing chain.

Supporting the next generation of shearers and wool handlers is crucial to a thriving UK sheep sector and for ensuring the highest standards, according to British Wool.

Richard Schofield, shearing manager for the organisation, said: We are once again delighted to be supporting the training and development of the next generation of shearers.

"[We] look forward to welcoming young farmers onto our courses and in participating on our training & development programme again this year.

Anyone, either with or without previous shearing experience, can apply to win one of the three places available on this training and development programme.

To be entered into the competition, YFC members need to submit a short video or send an email explaining why they should be chosen for this opportunity.

Imogen Ogborne from Devon, the previous England winner said: Do it - not just for the courses and prize, but to get a deeper understanding of everything, from your gear to knowing how the wool is sold in auction.

"It feels like a community, and I now have lots of contacts to pursue this as a career.

Closing date for entries is 14 April 2023 and the competition will be judged by a panel of industry experts from the shearing sector and British Wool.

Competition winners will be expected to work with British Wool by sharing their training journey over 14 months on social media, the press and online.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Spring Budget failed to address the needs of agricultural and horticultural businesses facing surging energy costs, the NFU has warned.

The union's president Minette Batters wrote to the Chancellor ahead of the Spring Budget on 15 March, urging the government to prioritise food production.

The letter reinforced the need to extend the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries (ETII) scheme to include energy intensive sectors such as horticultural and poultry production.

Current support, under the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS), is due to expire at the end of March.

It will be replaced with the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS), which will run for 12 months.

But this scheme offers far less protection to businesses with the removal of the price cap, which will instead be replaced with a token discount.

A pre-defined selection of industries have been identified for additional support under the ETII.

However, in the government's Spring Budget announced earlier this week, Mr Hunt did not extend the scheme to cover farm sectors.

Mrs Batters said this lack of support for the industry was 'extremely frustrating' as production costs continued to soar, with many farmers now facing a 'cliff edge'.

She said: The NFU was clear that greater support is needed for the thousands of farm businesses which are trying, but struggling, to keep our nation fed amidst soaring production costs.

"Its therefore extremely frustrating that the Energy and Trade Intensive Industries scheme was not extended to include energy intensive sectors such as horticulture and poultry.

It begs the question  where does boosting Britains food security fit into the Treasurys growth plans?" the NFU president asked.

The union had called for an urgent review into the ETII, stating that it was "irresponsible" that the scheme "completely overlooks" food production.

"Not to mention it being wholly at odds with the governments own ambition to produce more home-grown fruit and vegetable," Mrs Batters added.

An urgent review into the ETII is needed to ensure that essential and vulnerable food producing sectors do not face a cliff edge when the Energy Bill Relief Scheme ends later this month."

Earlier this month, the UK's four farm unions, including the NFU, sent a letter to the government calling for an extension of the ETII to include horticultural and poultry production.

The letter concluded that unless the scheme is amended to provide a higher level of relief, there could be a fall in UK food production.

It stated: When the EBRS changes at the end of March, higher energy costs will be a challenge for all farmers, however, the situation will be acute for the poultry and horticulture sectors.

"Poultry businesses are reliant on gas and electricity to rear poultry and store fresh produce safely and they will struggle to absorb the huge hikes in energy prices that they will face.

"Horticultures exposure is significantly greater for gas for glasshouse heating, but also electricity used for lighting (for those with lit crops) and chilling and storing picked produce."

The letter warned: "Energy prices are already seriously damaging our ability to produce food and from next month, many of our members businesses will face an energy cost cliff edge.
MANZINI  The University of Eswatini (UNESWA) has closed indefinitely, following the non-stop (waya-waya) strike by employees.

The employees are making a hue and cry over award performances (notching). The closure of the university happened amid the ongoing strike by members of the Association of Lecturers, Academic and Administrative Personnel (ALAAP), which began last Wednesday. The strike was initiated after a deadlock had been reached on the dispute between UNESWA and its employees, where a certificate of unresolved dispute was issued in February this year.

The university had been taken to the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC), following grievances by the employees on the issue of salary adjustments. Management had offered employees three per cent cost-of-living adjustments (CoLA) but reportedly refused to allow staff to notch, yet in previous years, each CoLA award came with notching. The employees have not been receiving their notching since 2018, due to that the university had decried a shortage of funds.

The closure of the university was confirmed through a memo issued by the Registrar, Dr Salebona Simelane. The resolution to close the university was subsequent to a senate meeting held on Wednesday. All university students will be affected by the closure, as there will be no lectures. Simelane further mentioned that students should have vacated the university premises by 11am yesterday. The registrar noted, however, that registration should remain open until the closing date, Friday, March 31, 2023. He added that Moodle should remain open so that those who may wish to gain access to same may do so at will.

Meanwhile, when reacting to the university closure, ALAAP General Secretary Dr Mduduzi Shongwe, expressed that it was unfortunate that students had to be affected by the strike. A UNESWA student representative council (SRC) electoral officer said the students were negatively affected in that there were some who had not registered. She mentioned that this would prevent them from learning online. This is quite sad because we did not play any role in contributing to the temporary closure of the university, the electoral officer said. She also mentioned that some students from Luyengo had not gone home since they wished to complete the registration process.
MANZINI  Classes had to take a break at Ngwenyameni Primary School, as over 60 pupils were yesterday suffering from stomach ache, which was suspected to be caused by food poisoning.

The pupils of the school, which is located on the mountains of Luyengweni in the Manzini Region, were said to have started complaining of stomach aches from Tuesday. It was said more pupils reported experiencing abdominal pains yesterday, such that the administration of the school had to inform guardians of the learners about the development.

It was gathered from sources that the decision to stop the pupils from buying snacks emanated from suspicions that some of the snacks may have been contaminated.

Some sources claimed that some of the packets of snacks had a substance which they suspected to be either ink or a high amount of colourant. The source said the suspicion was that the high volume of the ink or colourant could have resulted in the pupils suffering from stomach ache. Also, some parents who contacted this publication expressed frustration that some of the minors who were turned back home had no access to health facilities.

Medication

They claimed that given that Ngwenyameni Primary was a rural school, some of the learners resided with grandparents, who could not afford to get medication for them. They supposed that an effort to get emergency healthcare had fallen off, as paramedics had informed them that they did not have vehicles to attend to them.

When a visit was paid to the school around noon yesterday, pupils were found in the assembly square, wherein the head teacher was informing them that that they should stop buying snacks.

It was also gathered that the school had informed the pupils that they would be offered consent forms to be signed by their guardians in order for them to be de-wormed on Monday. Meanwhile, the head teacher of the school requested that this publication contact the office of the Manzini Regional Education Officer (REO), Sizwe Kunene, for details on the matter.

Officers

Kunene confirmed that the school had reported that about 65 pupils had suffered from stomach ache at the school. He said the cause was still unknown; however, the Manzini regional health officers had visited the school to administer first aid. The regional health officers went to the school where they treated some of the learners. They are to return to establish the cause of the stomach ache, Kunene said. Furthermore, he said some of the pupils had already left the school with their guardians when the officers from the health department arrived.

On the other hand, it was gathered that vendors selling their wares at the school had been requested by the administration to suspend the sale of snacks for two weeks. This, it was said, would assist in establishing if the suspected snacks were the real cause of the learners suffering from stomach ache.




PIGGS PEAK  Nine firearms and a Mercedes-Benz sedan belonging to Piggs Peak Acting Mayor, Councillor Absalom Ndlovu, were yesterday morning stolen during a break-in at his house, situated at Glen Township.

According to sources privy to the matter, the incident occurred at around 11am. Three armed unknown men are said to have jumped over the fence to gain entry into the acting mayors home. This publication yesterday established that Ndlovu was in legal possession of the stolen firearms. It could not be immediately established how the suspects knew that the mayor had the firearms in his house. Sources said it appeared as if the intention of the suspects was to steal the firearms.

Ndlovu confirmed that his nine guns and a Mercedes-Benz had been stolen by unknown people. I was not at home and they found my wife. They assaulted her and tied her up. They were carrying guns in a duffle bag, which they threatened to shoot my wife with. They came prepared with tools they used to forcefully open our safe and steal the guns, said Ndlovu.

The acting mayor highlighted that the unknown people jumped over the fence to gain entry into their home. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the theft of the Mercedes-Benz and nine firearms, in a statement she issued yesterday.

The police are seeking assistance from the public in locating a white Mercedes-Benz sedan, which was stolen while parked in a garage at Glen Township, she said. However, Vilakati later said the motor vehicle had been found abandoned. She said no one had been arrested in connection with the crime so far. The police further warned that the suspects were considered dangerous as they stole nine firearms at the same homestead.

Housebreaking

Last Tuesday, following a string of housebreaking and robbery crimes at Glen Township, residents, the police and town council officials, met at Gobolondlo Hall where a neighbourhood watch scheme of the township was officially launched. The meeting was chaired by Hhohho Regional Crime Prevention Coordinator Veli Mbatha. A senior police officer based in Piggs Peak confided to this publication that break-ins, such as it had been the case with the robbery at the acting mayors house, were now committed in broad daylight in the area.

The level of crime has increased such that the crimes are carried out during the day, when the house occupants are away at work. It means those committing the crimes stay not too far because they are able to monitor the movements of the people they intend to rob, said the police. Meanwhile, other housebreaking crimes at Glen Township committed this year include robbery of a Pakistan national on January 16, 2023, where a laptop, four cellphones and cash amounting to E10 000 were stolen. It total, the thugs reportedly went away with items valued at E27 000.

The Pakistani businessman, operating a shop around town, said the incident happened at around 3am. Further, it was reported that there were two more break-in attempts in two houses in the same area and police were able to promptly respond and stop the attempted break-ins. In a different incident, thugs are said to have broken into a doctors flat at Glen Township, while he was asleep.

According to sources, the thugs woke the medical practitioner up and started to heavily assault him. They are said to have also stolen some of his electronic gadgets, which included a television set and clothing items. It was also reported that the thugs forced him into his car, which had been parked outside the flat while they continued to assault him.They then took the items they had stolen from his house, loaded them into his car and drove away. The criminals returned with the doctors car after transporting the items they had stolen and parked it where they had initially found it parked.
The United Kingdoms clothing imports stood at 21.256 billion ($25.86 billion) during 2022 which was 23.50 per cent higher than the imports of 2021, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) informed in its latest report. The county had imported clothing worth 17.034 billion in 2021. The growth in the inbound trade showed recovery despite the impact of the Ukraine crisis.

The country had imported clothing worth 20.059 billion in 2018, which increased slightly to 20.947 billion in 2019, but slipped to 20.790 billion in 2020 due to the pandemic, as per the ONS.

In 2022, the UK imported clothing worth 21.256 billion, up 23.5 per cent from 2021, despite the impact of the Ukraine crisis. Textile fabric imports were also up by 6.07 per cent to 6.359 billion, while textile fibre imports increased to 545 million. The country's clothing imports had fluctuated in the years prior, with 20.790 billion imported in 2020.

UKs textile fabric imports were noted at 6.359 billion during 2022, which was 6.07 per cent higher than the inbound shipment of 5.995 billion in 2021. The import was recorded at 5.593 billion in 2018, 5.758 billion in 2019 and 8.734 billion in 2020.

Similarly, the imports of textile fibre increased to 545 million in 2022 against 458 million in 2021. Earlier, the country imported textile fibre worth 484 million in 2018, 468 million in 2019 and 335 million in 2020.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 16, 2023 / Usha Resources Ltd. ("USHA" or the "Company") (TSXV:USHA)(OTCQB:USHAF)(FSE:JO0), a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of drill-ready battery and precious metal projects, is pleased to announce that, subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"), due to investor demand it has increased the size of its non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement"), as previously announced on March 3, 2023. The Company now proposes to issue up to 9,230,769 units (each a "Unit") at $0.325 per Unit for total gross proceeds of up to $3,000,000.

Each Unit will consist of one common share (a "Share") of the Company and one transferable common share purchase warrant exercisable at $0.50 per Share for a period of three (3) years from the closing date of the Private Placement.

Finder's fees may be payable in accordance with Exchange policies. The Company anticipates using the proceeds from the Private Placement for exploration activities on the Company's properties in Nevada and Arizona and general working capital.

Subject to compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and in accordance with National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions ("NI 45-106"), the securities will be offered for sale to purchasers resident in Canada and/or other qualifying jurisdictions pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of NI 45-106 (the "Listed Issuer Financing Exemption"), as well as other available exemptions under NI 45-106. The securities to be issued pursuant to the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption will not be subject to a hold period pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws, except for the Securities to be issued to directors, officers, promoters, consultants, insiders and other persons whose shares will be subject to the hold period required by the Policies of the Exchange. Securities to be issued pursuant to the other available exemptions are subject to a hold period.

There is an offering document related to this Private Placement that can be accessed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com and at www.usharesources.com. Prospective investors should read this offering document before making an investment decision.

Final Option Payment

The Company is also pleased to announce that it has issued 654,070 common shares (the "Shares") at a deemed price of $0.344 per Share to Ares Strategic Mining Inc. (the "Vendor") based on the Company's 10-day VWAP as of March 8, 2023.

The issuance of the Shares to the Vendor represents the final payment required pursuant to the option agreement dated March 17, 2022, as amended, (the "Option Agreement") entered into with the Vendor for the acquisition Jackpot Lake, located in Clark County, Nevada. With the full payment of the option now complete, the Company is the legal and beneficial owner of the Vendor's 100% interest in the Property.

The Shares are subject to a hold period of four months and one day. The Shares issued were fewer than the maximum of 937,500 Shares, being the cap included in the Option Agreement, as the Company's 10-day VWAP of $0.344 was above the 10-day VWAP at the time of signing the Option Agreement.

About the Jackpot Lake Lithium Brine Project

USHA's Jackpot Lake Lithium Brine Project is located within Clark County, 35 kilometres northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and is comprised of 442 optioned and staked mineral claims that total 8,714 acres (approximately 35.3 km2).

The Project's geologic setting is similar to that of Albemarle's Silver Peak Nevada Lithium Mine, the only producing lithium mine in North America, which has operated continuously since 1966, where sediments from lithium-rich surrounding source rocks accumulate and fill the deposit leading to a potential concentration of lithium brine due to successive evaporation and concentration events. Considering the elevated lithium concentrations identified in historic soil samples, such events could theoretically concentrate lithium as rainwater passes through these materials, developing enriched brines at depths.

The Company has permitted 2,700 metres over six holes and has commenced a maiden drill program with the goal of defining a 43-101 resource. The Project target was identified based on geophysical studies and 129 core samples collected by the USGS with an average lithium value of 175 ppm with a high of 550 ppm. Samples from the first hole of its drilling program have identified lithium is present at a grade of up to 300 ppm within ten samples collected from shallow surface soils (<442 ft). The present average grade for Albemarle's project is approximately 121 ppm.

Modelling indicates that the Project target comprises the entirety of the Company's core optioned claim block (2,800 acres; 11.3 km2) and is open in all directions for expansion. The target is shallow, predominantly above bedrock depths of 600 metres, and is approximately 450 metres thick. The total basin within which the target is situated is estimated to be approximately 10,900 acres of which the Company now controls 8,714 acres.

The Project's Qualified Professional (QP) is Michael Rosko, a professional geologist with over 30 years of experience, with extensive experience with world-class lithium brine projects including Tier 1 projects such as Galaxy's Sal de Vida Deposit, Millennial Lithium's Pasto Grandes Deposit, and Lithium America Corp's Cauchari-Olaroz Deposit.

Figure 1 - Conceptual basin model illustrating the theoretical location of borehole JP22-01 with respect to the deposition anticipated in a geologic setting as that of Clayton Valley. The stratigraphic column on the left, taken from Pure Energy's Preliminary Economic Assessment, shows the stratigraphy of borehole CV-8, located in a similar position within the Clayton Valley basin. The general stratigraphy of CV-8 consisted of lacustrine sediments (clays, silts) overlaying a zone of sand and conglomerate where superior grades of lithium were identified which is similar to the stratigraphy observed in JP22-01.

IR Agreement

The Company also announces it has entered into a service agreement with Native Ads, Inc. (the "Agreement") in connection with a digital advertising campaign, pursuant to which Native Ads, Inc. will provide the Company with services which include sponsored articles and other advertising development, ad campaign analytics and media buying and distribution services. The digital advertising campaign is planned for the 6-month term of the Agreement, or until budget exhaustion, with a total campaign budget of US$180,000. The majority of the campaign budget will be disbursed by Native Ads, Inc. in order to satisfy its obligations under the Agreement. The Company and Native Ads act at arm's length, and Native Ads has no present interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company or its securities. The appointment of Native Ads is subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Seth Cude, P.G., CPG. RM, M.Sc., a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").

About Usha Resources Ltd.

Usha Resources Ltd. is a North American mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality battery and precious metal properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Based in Vancouver, BC, Usha's portfolio of strategic properties provides target-rich diversification and consist of Jackpot Lake, a lithium project in Nevada; Nicobat, a nickel-copper-cobalt project in Ontario; and Lost Basin, a gold-copper project in Arizona. Usha trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol USHA, the OTCQB Exchange under the symbol USHAF and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol JO0.

USHA RESOURCES LTD.

"Deepak Varshney" CEO and Director

For more information, please call Tyler Muir, Investor Relations, at 1-888-772-2452, email tmuir@usharesources.com, or visit www.usharesources.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements:

This news release may include "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and are based on a number of estimates and/or assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking information are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain and volatile equity and capital markets, lack of available capital, actual results of exploration activities, environmental risks, future prices of base and other metals, operating risks, accidents, labour issues, delays in obtaining governmental approvals and permits, and other risks in the mining industry.

The Company is presently an exploration stage company. Exploration is highly speculative in nature, involves many risks, requires substantial expenditures, and may not result in the discovery of mineral deposits that can be mined profitably. Furthermore, the Company currently has no reserves on any of its properties. As a result, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

The securities referred to in this news release have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements.

This news release does not constitute an offer for sale of securities for sale, nor a solicitation for offers to buy any securities. Any public offering of securities in the United States must be made by means of a prospectus containing detailed information about the company and management, as well as financial statements.

SOURCE: Usha Resources Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/744328/Usha-Resources-Announces-Increase-in-Non-Brokered-Private-Placement-Announces-Issuance-of-Shares-for-Jackpot-Lake
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 16, 2023) - Founders Metals Inc. (TSXV: FDR) (the "Company") The Company is pleased to announce that further to its news releases dated October 24, 2022, November 10, 2022, January 24, 2023, and March 10, 2023, the Company is extending the closing to March 20, 2023, to close the concurrent financing (the "Concurrent Financing") of up to 16,000,000 units of the Company for gross proceeds of up to $3,200,000, to allow for additional subscribers to participate. The Company received conditional approval from the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") on March 14, 2023 for the increased amount of the Concurrent Financing.

In connection with the extension of the scheduled closing of the Concurrent Financing, the Company is also scheduled on March 20, 2023 to complete the acquisition (the "Acquisition") by the Company from Orea Mining Corp. ("Orea") of the option to acquire up to 75% of the Antino Gold Project (the "Property") in Suriname from Nana Resources N.V. ("Nana"), which has been conditionally approved by the Exchange on January 23, 2023.

The Property consists of two contiguous Right to Exploit Gold mining titles over two blocks covering a combined area of approximately 20,000 ha located in southeastern Suriname, South America, along the border between Suriname and French Guiana. In 2021, Orea was granted the right to acquire up to 75% of the Property from Nana and Lawa Resources N.V. ("Lawa"), a Surinamese entity wholly-owned by Nana. The Right to Exploit Gold in the Property will allow the Company to conduct exploration, drilling, and small-scale mining on the Property without any additional permits. There are no known overlapping surface rights in the Property and, apart from small-scale miners and villages along the river, no traditional landowners live in the area.

The Property lies within the Precambrian crystalline basement of Suriname which consists of two high-grade metamorphic gneiss belts of Archean and Lower Proterozoic age, a likewise Lower Proterozoic volcano-sedimentary greenstone belt, and a granitoid-volcanic complex in-between. The low-grade metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks in Suriname are known as the Marowijne Group, and occupy large areas in NE and E Suriname, and some smaller areas in the north and northwest. They form part of a generally east-west to northwest-southeast striking greenstone belt along the northeastern margin of the Guiana Shield.

The Property falls within the larger Benzdorp mining district and is hosted in the Lower Proterozoic Paramaka Formation greenstone assemblage which locally consists of amphibolite, graphitic schists, andesite, dacite, meta-graywacke, siltstones, pyroclastic agglomerates, and lapilli tuffs. These older lithologies are intruded by tonalite, diorite, and quartz-diorite intrusives.

The Property's gold mineralization is found in shear-zone hosted quartz veins and associated with phyllic alteration zones composed of quartz-sericite-biotite-pyrite ankerite. Gold mineralization is also associated with tonalite intrusives in some portions of the Property.

In connection with the Acquisition, the Company received a geological technical report prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards for Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") on the Property titled, "Technical Report, Antino Project, Suriname, South America" dated effective December 23, 2022, as amended February 3, 2023 (the "Technical Report"). The Technical Report has been prepared for the Company by Kristopher J. Raffle, B.Sc., P. Geo. and Rock Lefrancois, B.Sc., P. Geo., who are each a "Qualified Person" as such term is defined in NI 43-101. The Technical Report is available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com.

About Founders Metals Inc.

Founders Metals is a Canadian exploration company focused on advancing gold projects in the Guiana Shield. Its flagship project is the 23,800 ha Antino Gold Project in South America's underexplored and mining-friendly country of Suriname. Historical surface/alluvial gold mining on the property has produced over 500,000 gold ounces to-date1. Historical exploration work at Antino includes, over 30,000 m of historical drilling, >35,000 auger gold-in-soil samples, property-wide aeromagnetic survey data, and a 2022 LiDAR survey, providing numerous opportunities to expand known high-grade greenstone gold mineralization, and delineate new targets.

12022 Technical Report - Antino Project; Suriname, South America. K. Raffle, BSc, P.Geo & Rock Lefrancois, BSc, P.Geo.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Per: "Colin Padget"

Colin Padget

President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director

For further information, please contact:

Nick Stajduhar, Director

Telephone: +1 (780) 701-3216

Email: nicks@fdrmetals.com

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This news release may contain certain "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date of this news release. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether because of new information or future events, or results or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Not for distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of U.S. securities laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/158777
NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - Alcoa Corp. (AA) announced the closure of its Intalco aluminum smelter in Washington State, which has been fully idle since 2020. The Intalco smelter site operated for nearly 55 years. The closure announcement begins a process to prepare the site for new economic development opportunities. As per an agreement, AltaGas has acquired the rights to develop and own about 1,600 acres at the Intalco site, which includes transportation and utility infrastructure. Alcoa said it will record restructuring and related charges in the first quarter 2023 of about $120 million, or $0.67 per share, related to the permanent closure. Cash outlays related to the permanent closure of the site are expected to be about $85 million over the next three years, with about $25 million to be spent in 2023. The company noted that the site currently has 19 employees; some will remain to assist with the closure-related activities that allow opportunities for future redevelopment. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Rio Tinto (RTPPF.PK, RIO.L, RIO, RTNTF.PK) said that it increased its spend with Australian suppliers to more than A$15.3 billion in 2022, as part of the company's ongoing commitment to support communities where it operates. This was an increase of almost 9 percent on the previous year and was spent with more than 6,200 businesses, including Australian owned and operated businesses and locally owned and managed branches of global companies. The company noted that the spend helped support tens of thousands of Australian jobs and delivered a significant economic contribution to communities across the country. As part of the spend, more than A$565 million was spent with Indigenous businesses across Australia - an increase of 40 percent on the year before. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.


Image 1: Ochanomizu University Institute for Gendered Innovations



Image 2: Overview of the initiatives of the Fujitsu-Ochanomizu University Social Collaboration Program for AI Ethics

TOKYO, Mar 17, 2023 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu and Ochanomizu University today announced the establishment of the "Fujitsu-Ochanomizu University Social Collaboration Program for AI Ethics", a new joint research laboratory to develop AI solutions contributing to the solution of gender equality issues. The two parties established the new laboratory on March 1, 2023 as part of Fujitsu's "Fujitsu Small Research Lab"(1) program and Ochanomizu University's Social Collaboration Program(2), one of the University's industry-academia collaboration programs.Ochanomizu University in April 2022 established the Institute for Gendered Innovations(3) to promote research, innovation, and social communication based on gender perspectives, strengthening its track record in research on gender equality issues. Based on its expertise in trustworthy and ethical AI, Fujitsu developed technology to mitigate intersectional bias(4) to prevent AI from discriminating against different groups due to bias in learning data.Within the new joint research program, the two parties will combine Fujitsu's AI ethics technology and Ochanomizu University's knowledge in gendered innovations to conduct pioneering R&D in AI solutions that enable quantitative and objective gender equality measures, and promote the development of talent able to contribute to the solution of societal issues through interdisciplinary expertise.BackgroundGender equality, which also represents one of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains an important issue worldwide. In the Global Gender Gap Report 2022, Japan was ranked 116th out of 146 countries worldwide(5), revealing significant gender inequality persists in the country. To address this issue, the Japanese Cabinet Office implemented measures including "The Fifth Basic Plan for Gender Equality"(6) as a basic act for realizing a gender equal society. However, social implementation of measures to achieve gender equality continues to be an ongoing challenge, as concerns - both in Japan and other countries worldwide - remain, that efforts to empower women might on the other hand create new, unintentional unfairness toward other parties.To address these issues, Fujitsu and Ochanomizu University established the "Fujitsu-Ochanomizu University Social Collaboration Program for AI Ethics" to explore the possibility of utilizing AI solutions to contribute to the solution of gender inequalities. However, as AI itself can cause risks including the discrimination of minority groups due to bias in the AI training data, social trustworthiness represents a central focus in the development of AI systems. To this end, Fujitsu and Ochanomizu University aim to develop practical solutions to gender issues, while addressing the risk of bias in AI by leveraging Fujitsu's strength in R&D in ethical AI technologies and Ochanomizu University's research on gendered innovations. In addition to their R&D activities, the two parties further plan to nurture talent able to take the lead in solving societal issues by combining approaches from information science and social sciences.Outline of the "Fujitsu-Ochanomizu University Social Collaboration Program for AI Ethics"1. Period:March 1, 2023 - March 31, 20262. Location of the collaborative research laboratory:Institute for Gendered Innovations, Ochanomizu University (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan)3. Outline of the joint researchAs a first step of the joint project, Fujitsu and Ochanomizu University aim to develop an AI solution for highly reliable human resource assessment by the end of March 2024 to contribute to the realization of a diverse, equal and inclusive society. To approach ethical risks in AI models, the two parties will apply Fujitsu's technology to mitigate intersectional bias to human resource assessment AI technology and verify the fairness of the assessment results using evaluation methods including interviews and workshops, utilizing Ochanomizu University's expertise in the social sciences. Within the verification tests, the two parties will use AI technology to conduct quantitative analysis of the fairness of the assessments and present the decision-making process and facts behind the analysis results to ensure that the AI eliminates any unequal treatment of women, but at the same time does not create any new unfairness affecting the total majority. Based on the results of the tests, the two parties will further improve this human resource assessment AI to ultimately develop a technology that ensures fair and nondiscriminatory decisions.Utilizing the results of this joint research, Fujitsu and Ochanomizu University will propose concrete solutions that contribute to the solution of gender inequality and societal issues.The two partners further plan to hold seminars and workshops on various themes related to AI technologies and societal issues to nurture future specialists and leaders able to address societal issues through cross-sectional collaborations.4. Roles and responsibilitiesFujitsu:- Research and development of AI ethics technologies, application to gender equality issues- Development of technological solutionsOchanomizu University:- Evaluation of the AI's judgment and assessment with regard to social fairness- Development of practical solutions to solve societal issues, policy proposals5. Organization:- Program Leader: Etsuko Saito (Professor, Institute for Gendered Innovations, Ochanomizu University)- Program Sub-leader: Hiroya Inakoshi (Project Director, Human-AI Collaborative Society Project, Research Center for AI Ethics, Research Unit, Fujitsu)- Izumi Nitta (Research Scientist, Human-AI Collaborative Society Project, Research Center for AI Ethics, Research Unit, Fujitsu)- Mika Omori (Professor, Human Science Division, Faculty of Core Research, Ochanomizu University)- Takayuki Ito (Professor, Natural Science Division, Faculty of Core Research, Ochanomizu University)- 17 additional researchers from both Fujitsu and Ochanomizu University(1) Fujitsu Small Research Lab :Initiative where Fujitsu researchers are embedded at technology incubators at universities in Japan and internationally to conduct joint research with some of the leading minds in their fields, including professors as well as the next generation of researchers.(2) Ochanomizu University's Social Collaboration Program:The Social Collaboration Program accepts funds and researchers from research institutes and private companies to carry out collaborative research and education projects with shared interests.(3) Gendered innovations:Gendered innovations research and technology development considers gender perspectives to find solutions that help create new innovations and ultimately contribute to the realization of gender equality.(For reference: Institute for Gendered Innovation (IGI) )(4) Technology to mitigate intersectional bias:Technology developed by Fujitsu that mitigates intersectional bias that appear when attributes such as age, gender, and nationality are combined under certain conditions.(5) Japan was ranked 116th out of 146 countries worldwide:Source: World Economic Forum "Global Gender Gap Report 2022"(6) The Fifth Basic Plan for Gender Equality:Whitepaper Japanese Cabinet OfficeAbout FujitsuFujitsu's purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers in over 100 countries, our 124,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: Computing, Networks, AI, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.6 trillion yen (US$32 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: www.fujitsu.com.About Ochanomizu UniversityOchanomizu University was established in 1875 as Japan's first national institution of higher education for women, and now enjoys a history of over 145 years. As a pioneer of women's education in Japan, Ochanomizu University offers programs that will develop women capable of being leaders in politics, economics, academia, culture, and other fields on the international stage.Press Contacts:Fujitsu LimitedPublic and Investor Relations Divisionwww.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/presscontacts/form/index.htmlOchanomizu UniversityPublic Relations OfficeE-mail: info@cc.ocha.ac.jpSource: Fujitsu LtdCopyright 2023 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
The Chinese Association for Radio, Film TV Exchanges, together with Yoywow Communications presents outstanding "Chinese Generation Z" content creators to the world, aiming to connect and communicate with teenagers all over the world.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230316005766/en/

Youth Aspirations Lighting up the curiosity of "Generation Z" around the world (Photo: Business Wire)

In March 2023, the Chinese Association for Radio, Film TV Exchanges launched a campaign "Youth Aspirations" together with Chinese and foreign scientists, artists, and "Chinese Generation Z" content creators to convey the power of contemporary "Chinese Generation Z" role models.

The event aims to show the talents of exceptional content creators from Generation Z in China to young people all over the world. The Chinese Association for Radio, Film TV Exchanges, Yoywow Communications will share the stories of advanced and outstanding peers of Chinese Generation Z in the online space to the whole world, and promote cultural exchange and mutual learning among Chinese and other civilizations. The Chinese Association for Radio, Film TV Exchanges, Yoywow Communications have put forward a proposal for the global Generation Z: Pay attention to the works of outstanding Chinese teenagers and share Chinese teenagers positive stories that can guide and inspire all young people towards a healthy and meaningful future. The Chinese Association for Radio, Film TV Exchanges, Yoywow Communications believe that the accomplishments of these young individuals represent the new power of China's future.

The event was officially launched in China in October 2022, as role model education is an essential aspect of everyone's development, particularly for young people's socialization and growth. The Chinese Association for Radio, Film TV Exchanges, Yoywow Communications want to encourage more young people to ignite their curiosity and thirst for knowledge about the world.

At this event, people all over the world will witness the remarkable talents of Chinese teenagers with their unique skills, who will share their inspiring stories of growth and personal development with their peers. The Chinese teenagers will engage in conversations with scientists, artists, and various big shots from all walks of life. The Chinese teenagers will visit villages across China, and immerse in local traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage projects to appreciate the beauty of Chinese culture.

This event will show the young generation of China to the world, listen to international voices, create diverse cultural exchange scenes, respect differences, understand the importance of individuality, and jointly support the healthy growth and development of young people. The Chinese Association for Radio, Film TV Exchanges, Yoywow Communications believe that everyone's sharing will have a profound and lasting impact on the growth and well-being of young people worldwide through this collaboration.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230316005766/en/

Contacts:

Yoywow Communications

PanPan

info@yoywow.com
First of its kind research indicates that if chronic insomnia disorder (CID) was treated effectively and comprehensively across the working age population, it could increase the GDP in the UK by as much as 34billion per year 1 *

Report suggests that working days lost to CID result in an overall cost to UK GDP of 1.31% in lost productivity per year 1

Report estimates the total wellbeing costs of insomnia in the UK could be close to 17.7billion1*

LONDON, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On World Sleep Day 2023, Idorsia UK calls for greater global action to tackle the burden of chronic insomnia disorder (CID) and reduce its impacts on individuals, employers and society, as new, first of its kind research reveals the hidden costs of the condition in the UK.

In a new report, funded by Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Switzerland, experts from RAND Europe indicate that if CID was treated effectively and comprehensively across the working age population, it could increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the UK by as much as 34billion per year.1* Findings also highlight the serious toll that insomnia places on quality of life and wellbeing, with those affected willing to trade on average an estimated 14% of their annual per-capita household income to recuperate the wellbeing loss associated with the condition.1 A series of targeted recommendations for health leaders and clinicians are also provided, which if implemented could potentially help to reduce the burden of sleep conditions in the UK. These include steps to help increase awareness of the importance of sleep, improve diagnosis and management of insomnia, and support optimal treatment.

Marco Hafner, study co-author and RAND Europe research advisor commented:

"This new research lays bare the significant personal and economic impacts that the inadequate management of sleep conditions such as chronic insomnia disorder is having in the UK. Our findings point to the need for more timely diagnosis and management of insomnia to improve outcomes for patients and deliver better economic outcomes for the UK. This could include incorporating insomnia screening within routine clinic visits and enabling access to evidence-based, affordable, and cost-effective treatments for chronic insomnia."

Findings from RAND Europe show that in the UK, CID is associated with approximately 11 to 18 days of absence from work, 39 to 45 days of working whilst sick, and 44 to 54 days of overall productivity loss annually.1 When calculated at a population level, these working days lost to CID result in an overall cost to UK GDP of 1.31% in lost productivity per year, meaning that around 1 in every 76 of national wealth is lost.1

CID is a persistent medical condition that impacts a person's ability to fall or stay asleep, for at least three nights per week for at least three months, and has a negative impact on the individual's daytime functioning.2,3 In a recent survey of UK insomnia sufferers over 80% of respondents reported that their condition impacted their performance at work along with their ability to concentrate and maintain stress levels.4 Poor management of sleep disorders such as CID is also associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents, falls, and costly workplace errors,5,6,7 as well as further hidden costs that have not previously been widely explored.1 While approved treatment options for insomnia are available in the UK, such as cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi), these may not be suitable or effective for all patients and innovative behavioural and pharmacological treatments for chronic insomnia are needed that are effective for long-term use.1

Kevin Bampton, CEO, British Occupational Hygiene Society, commented:

"Ensuring the health of our workforce is fundamental to building economic growth, and these new findings highlight what a critical impact sleep conditions like chronic insomnia disorder can have on this. Recent years have shown the difference employers can make to protecting the health of their workforce by implementing preventative measures. Elevating the importance of sleep health and supporting employees to achieve the restorative sleep they need not only supports the health of workers, but has the potential to improve productivity, to the benefit of all."

Along with considering its economic costs, RAND Europe also examined the wellbeing impacts of CID, which is strongly linked with poorer quality of life and lower life satisfaction,1 as well as significant decrements in health status, such as fatigue, reduced energy, mood alteration and cognitive difficulties.8 In order to quantify the impact of insomnia on overall wellbeing and to determine its cost, RAND Europe employed a novel monetary valuation approach called the "WELLBY".1 Short for Wellbeing-adjusted Life Year, the "WELLBY" was endorsed by the UK Treasury in 2021 and is used to measure overall life satisfaction and wellbeing, similar to how the NHS uses the QALY (Quality-Adjusted Life Year) to measure health impact.1,9 Using the "WELLBY" approach RAND Europe found that people suffering from insomnia, including CID, would be willing to trade on average an estimated 14% of their annual per-capita household income to recuperate the wellbeing loss associated with the condition.1 When extrapolated across the UK population, RAND Europe estimates the total wellbeing costs of insomnia in the UK could be close to 17.7billion.1*

Robert Moore, General Manager of Idorsia UK, commented

"Though widely under-researched, sleep is an essential pillar for good physical and mental health. We welcome these clear recommendations from RAND Europe to help address the current burden of insomnia in the UK. Idorsia commits to working alongside other UK stakeholders to help increase public understanding of the benefits of quality, restorative sleep and provide solutions that improve both the identification and management of CID."

*Converted from USD to GBP

Notes to the editor

About insomnia disorder

Insomnia disorder is defined as difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep, causing clinically significant distress or impairment in important areas of daytime functioning.3 Chronic insomnia disorder occurs when the impact on sleep quantity or quality is present for at least three nights per week for at least three months, and occurs despite an adequate opportunity to sleep.3

Insomnia is a condition of overactive wake signaling and studies have shown that areas of the brain associated with wakefulness remain more active during sleep in patients with insomnia.10,11

Insomnia as a disorder is quite different from a brief period of poor sleep, and it can take its toll on both physical and mental health.12 It is a persistent condition with a negative impact on daytime functioning.3 Poor quality sleep can affect many aspects of daily life, including the ability to concentrate, mood, and energy levels.8

About The Societal and Economic Burden of Insomnia in Adults: An International Study

The objective of this study was to identify and quantify the societal burden of insomnia and its resultant impacts, both in terms of indirect economic costs (i.e. non-healthcare related costs) and intangible costs (i.e. costs that are not directly observed through economic transactions but nonetheless have impacts on an individual's health or well-being). Based on these findings, the report includes recommendations for future policy, clinical practice and research to mitigate the societal and economic impacts of insomnia.

The focus of this research was on general adult populations in high-income, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries of Northern, Southern and Western Europe, as well as North America and Australia. The research methodology included a literature review, secondary database analysis and the development of a macro-economic model to estimate the indirect economic costs associated with insomnia. More detailed information on the methodology can be found here.

The Societal and Economic Burden of Insomnia in Adults: An International Study was funded by Idorsia Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Switzerland and conducted by RAND Europe under the advisement of a steering committee whose members were selected for their subject-matter expertise and objectivity.

RAND Europe is a highly regarded, not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to help improve policy and decision making through research and analysis. All RAND research undergoes rigorous expert review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.

About Marco Hafner

Marco Hafner is an economist and co-author of The Societal and Economic Burden of Insomnia in Adults: An International Study. He is also lead author of the 2016 report Why Sleep Matters: Quantifying the Economic Costs of Insufficient Sleep. Hafner was Senior Research Leader at RAND Europe at the time of this study, where he conducted research at the intersection between health, labour and international economics.

He has published studies in peer-reviewed academic journals on the economy-wide effects of ill-health in the population. Hafner holds a Master's in Economics from the University of Zurich, an MPhil in Economics from UCL, and conducted doctoral studies at the University of Freiburg. He previously worked for the Institute for Employment Research in Germany, before joining RAND in 2013.

About Kevin Bampton

Kevin Bampton is the Chief Executive Officer of the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS), the leading professional body for occupational hygiene in the UK. He joined BOHS in 2017 after a successful career in higher education, where he held various senior leadership roles.

As CEO of BOHS, he is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction and operational management of the organisation, which aims to protect workers' health and wellbeing by promoting excellence in occupational hygiene practice. He also represents BOHS on national and international platforms, forging alliances with other health and safety organisations, regulators, trade unions and businesses. Kevin is passionate about raising awareness of occupational hygiene as a vital discipline that can make a difference to people's lives.

References

1 Hafner M., Romanelli R.J., Yerushalmi E. & Troxel W.M. The Societal and Economic Burden of Insomnia in Adults: An International Study. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2023.

2 The International Classification of Sleep Disorders (3rd ed.; ICSD-3; American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2014).

3 The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

4 Data on file, Idorsia UK Ltd.

5 Erickson, E.A., et al. MSMR. 2017; 24(12):2-11.

6 Chen, T-Y., et al. Sleep. 2017;40(11): zsx142.

7 Shahly, V., et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2012; 69(10):1054-63.

8 Morin, CM, et al. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2015;1:15026.

9 Social Impacts Task Force. 2021. Wellbeing Guidance for Appraisal: Supplementary Green Book Guidance. HM Treasury. Available at: www.gov.uk/official-documents.

10 Buysse, DJ, et al. Drug Discov Today Dis Models. 2011;8(4):129-137.

11 Levenson, JC, et al. Chest. 2015;147(4):1179-1192.

12 Wardle-Pinkston, S, et al. Sleep Med Rev. 2019;48.

About Idorsia

Idorsia UK, an affiliate of Idorsia Ltd is reaching out for more - We have more ideas, we see more opportunities and we want to help more patients. In order to achieve this, we will develop Idorsia into a leading biopharmaceutical company, with a strong scientific core.

With commercial operations based in London, we are helping to realise the company's ambition of bringing innovative medicines from bench to bedside.

Our goal is to build a commercial footprint that will deliver Idorsia's deep pipeline of products from its R&D engine to the UK market - with the potential to change the lives of many patients.

Headquartered in Switzerland, Idorsia Ltd was listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: IDIA) in June 2017 and has over 1,200 highly qualified specialists dedicated to realising our ambitious targets.

The above information contains certain "forward-looking statements", relating to the company's business, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "estimates", "believes", "expects", "may", "are expected to", "will", "will continue", "should", "would be", "seeks", "pending" or "anticipates" or similar expressions, or by discussions of strategy, plans or intentions. Such statements include descriptions of the company's investment and research and development programs and anticipated expenditures in connection therewith, descriptions of new products expected to be introduced by the company and anticipated customer demand for such products and products in the company's existing portfolio. Such statements reflect the current views of the company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/new-research-reveals-chronic-insomnia-disorder-costs-uk-economy-up-to-34billion-per-year-301774622.html
Damac Group, under its property development arm Damac Properties, has awarded the main works contract worth AED 544 million ($148.2 million) to Aima Construction Company Private Limited for 120 villas at its recently announced Mandarin Oriental Bolidhuffaru Reef resort in the Maldives.

The 34-hectare luxury resort, scheduled to open in 2025, will be located in the Bolidhuffaru Reef in South Male Atoll.

This pristine tropical location is easily accessible through a 30-minute yacht ride from Males Velana international airport or other forms of water transportation.

Characterized by its white sand beaches and vibrant coral reefs, the upcoming resort will offer its guests a wealth of recreational activities, water sports, culinary experiences, wellness retreats and more.

Commenting on this, Mohammed Tahaineh, General Manager of Projects at Damac Properties, said: "We are fully confident in the capabilities of Aima Construction, whose track-record and enthusiasm for the project exceeded all our expectations during an extensive and highly competitive candidate vetting process."

"Damac Properties looks forward to seeing such a high-profile development project, the first of its kind for our group, come to fruition across the beautiful Maldives," he stated.

As per the deal, Aima Construction is set to deliver 120 stand-alone villas, 64 of which are overwater and 56 are beachfront villas.

These villas, which will be some of the markets largest, will also come with private pools and picturesque ocean views.

Resort-goers will also get to choose from eight dining outlets, including three specialty restaurants and an exclusive venue featuring a pool bar. Furthermore, indoor and outdoor event will also be made available to guests for a wide range of uses, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CYBERPOL DEPSINT Deep Web Intelligence Technologies was first used in 2015 to Track and Trace, using the deep Web, and locate the stolen funds from US companies stolen by Terrorist behind Cyber crimes in protection of private corporation's interests and assets.





It was predominantly designed and used by US military contractors such as LP3, but since has evolved into more sophisticated methodologies that can now be used to compile investigative reporting and extreme Enhanced Due Diligence on a particular subject or investigation.

These are not the ordinary 'mill of the a run' background checks, but a comprehensive overview of the targeted subjects links to criminality, hidden assets and deep web hidden information often not visible to private investigators or lawyers when beginning a procedure or a case with time constraints and technical requirements needs.

Over the last three years the CYBERPOL DEPSINT Technology was tested and used by the IIA, the largest international Israeli based International Intelligence Agency to track huge theft or embezzlement of funds. This is what they had to say: The head of IIA, detective Moshe Buller: "The use of CYBERPOL DEPSINT Technologies has helped us to solve many high profile cases and often the result of such data lead to successful prosecutions and recovery and or litigation cases in which some cases involved the loss of up to $2 billion."

The methodology developer and IP (Intellectual Property) owner, Ricardo Baretzky, Senior Partner at BARETZKY & PARTMNERS LLC has a long successful history in fighting cross border Cyber Crimes and consulting both governments and Corporations on strategy and information building on how to mitigate such risks.

President of CYBERPOL Ricardo Baretzky said: "We begun this alternative option over traditional methods of investigations since today all crime is somewhat linked to cyber and online data in which often detectives lack the ability to harness the data and understand the processes needed to do so. You could say this is the gray area where the Internet, CyberCrime and Technology overlap that is still in exploration of understanding stages. We are just getting started!"

Ricardo Baretzky was also Experts Witness at the United States Foreign Relations Committee during 2018 at the 19th Annual Legislative Forum in Washington DC session where Expert Investigator Ricardo Baretzky presented evidence of cybercrime and Crypto Crimes that affect the US and European economic development that currently has lost more than $3 trillion due to CyberCrime since 2018.

CYBERPOL DEPSINT Technologies has no borders and thus is not limited to geo locations. In short, any cyber case can be investigated across the broad spectrum of the global geographical settings.

It is it now possible to gain insight into case areas that was prior difficult to investigate such as Hong-Kong, India, Abu Dhabi and Dubai often used by cyber criminals and Crypto scams to hide their takes without setting a single foot in these regions. Finding the King Pin behind such CyberCrimes can be difficult and a lengthy process but with CYBERPOL DEPSINT Technologies of CYBERPOL CFC has proved more than 90% success rates over the past few years during developing the Know-How of this DEPSINT Track and Trace methodology.

The new CYBERPOL CFC initiative based company was established in 2022 and is based in Bulgaria. The Cyber Fusion Centre is predominant virtual based private firm with a global coverage reach. All Cyber Investigations can now be possible and affordable to the public industries and legal services with global reach. The CYBERPOL CFC Virtual Cyber Fusion Centre will also facilitate the CYBERPOL The International Cyber Policing Organization Federal Approved Agency by Royal Decree WL22/16.595 that was established in Belgium during 2015 and currently hosted in Switzerland.

CYBERPOL CFC (Cyber Fusions Centre) firm's website can be found on www.cyberpol.ltd and https://cyberpol-cfc.com/

About CYBERPOL CFC EOOD:

Bulgarian based CYBERPOL CFC EOOD firm established by leading Cyber Crime expert Ricardo Baretzky is the first Cyber Fusion Centre first to implement cyber security and investigations with a fully functional Virtual Cyber Fusion Centre. CYBERPOL CFC EOOD is facilitating Legal firms and Private Investigation firms across the globe providing DEPSINT Deep Web Track and Trace Technologies with its viral team based in foreign countries such as Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia. The company is in partnership with CYBERPOL The International Cyber Policing Organization Federal Approved Agency by Royal Decree WL22/16.595 that was established in Belgium during 2015 and currently hosted in Switzerland with Certificate of Authority (CA).

CYBERPOL CFC Authorized Cyber Fusions Centre Services: The Company provides services related to cyber, open source and deep web investigations. Services include Threat detections and cyber risk management including Due Diligence and Business Intelligence services with a complete overview of all cyber security services needed to operate a full function able Cyber Fusion Centre with legal representation and mediation of all foreign natural and legal persons.

The company operating license can be found on link:

https://portal.registryagency.bg/CR/en/Reports/ActiveConditionTabResult?uic=207063215

Contact Person:. CEO Ricardo Baretzky

Email:.contact@cyberpol-cfc.com

Tel:. +359 52 462 794

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2035058/CYBERPOL_CFC_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/private-investigators-and-lawyers-can-now-use-cyberpol-cfc-depsint-international-cybercrime-investigation-ici-products-and-services-to-enhance-their-case-findings-in-courts-and-cyber-investigations-301774767.html


The Resolve2Win - Legal Services of Hong Kong, Opportunities for All campaign debuted in Bangkok, Thailand on 15 to 17 March Nearly 30 representatives from the Hong Kong legal sector join the delegation.



Dr Patrick Lau, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, gave welcoming remarks



Mr Horace Cheung, Deputy Secretary for Justice gave the opening remarks

HONG KONG, Mar 17, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - To consolidate Hong Kong's strategic position as a centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific under the National 14th Five Year Plan, the Department of Justice (DoJ) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) are organising the Resolve2Win - Legal Services of Hong Kong, Opportunities for All campaign (Resolve2Win). The signature promotion in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) for Hong Kong's legal and dispute resolution services debuted with a delegation visit to Bangkok, Thailand on 15 to 17 March. Mr Horace Cheung, Deputy Secretary for Justice, led nearly 30 representatives from Hong Kong's legal sector in face-to-face talks with Thai legal and business representatives to promote the advantages of Hong Kong legal services, encourage collaboration between Hong Kong and Thailand and seize opportunities in the region.Encouraging Thai businesses to choose Hong Kong as a platformThe promotion visit aimed to let Thai businesses understand the unique advantages of Hong Kong legal services more comprehensively, raising awareness on resolving commercial disputes through arbitration and mediation, while encouraging them to choose Hong Kong as their preferred trade and dispute resolution platform and help Hong Kong legal professionals seize opportunities and develop business in Thailand. Legal groups from Hong Kong and Thailand responded proactively. The Hong Kong Bar Association, Law Society of Hong Kong, Thailand Arbitration Center and Thai Branch of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators are supporting organisations.At the plenary session - Hong Kong as a Deal Making and Dispute Resolution Hub - Mr Cheung and Dr Patrick Lau, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, were officiating guests. In his welcome remarks, Dr Lau said: "Hong Kong has a large, well-established legal sector full of professionals well-versed in legal systems across the world, making the city the perfect choice for anyone seeking legal services. As business links grow between ASEAN countries and Mainland China, particularly the Greater Bay Area, disputes are bound to arise. All parties would agree that arbitration and mediation is a better approach than litigation. In today's forum, we will find out how businesses in Thailand, ASEAN and Mainland China can use Hong Kong as a dispute-resolution platform."Highlighting the unique opportunities offered by Hong Kong as the only common law jurisdiction within China under "one country, two systems", Mr Cheung pointed out that national strategies - including the 14th Five-Year Plan, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Development and the Belt and Road Initiative - had injected continuous impetus to the growth of Hong Kong and brought opportunities to ASEAN member states.He further said that as the leading legal and dispute resolution services centre in the Asia-Pacific, Hong Kong had a strong pool of legal talents, particularly in dispute resolution services. He encouraged enterprises and talents to capitalise on Hong Kong's unique advantages of enjoying the strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world under "one country, two systems" to tap into development opportunities in the GBA and beyond.Mr Cheung reiterated that the National Security Law had provided stability and a secure environment to enterprises and investors, which was conducive for both local and international businesses in Hong Kong to flourish.The plenary session was hosted by Mr Jose Maurellet, Senior Counsel, Des Voeux Chambers, Vice-Chairman of Hong Kong Bar Association, with panelists Ms Winnie Tam, SBS, SC, JP, Senior Counsel, Des Voeux Chambers and Mr Tommy Tong, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP. The speakers shed light on Hong Kong's advantages in corporate and commercial legal services and illustrated why Hong Kong was an effective arbitration and mediation platform for resolving commercial disputes. They also provided practical tips for Thai businesses to handle cross-border commercial disputes, especially when Mainland Chinese parties were involved.The next session, Mediate First Pledge, featured speakers Mr Rimsky Yuen, Chairman, Hong Kong Mediation Accreditation Association Limited, and Ms Ereblinda Sadiku, Legal Counsel, Thailand Arbitration Center. They focused on the flexibility and other advantages of mediation for dispute resolution. More than 10 Thai companies confirmed their willingness to deploy mediation before turning to other resolution methods, including litigation. The HKTDC also arranged a luncheon and interaction session where more than 200 legal representatives from Hong Kong and legal and business sectors from Thailand conducted in-depth discussions on the story in Hong Kong.Networking for Hong Kong legal practitioners and Thai businessesDuring the three-day trip, the Hong Kong legal delegation paid a courtesy visit to legal and business groups, including Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Thailand Arbitration Center and Lawyers Council of Thailand to discuss potential collaboration.After the Resolve2Win Campaign launch in Thailand, the HKTDC will continue to work with DoJ. The campaign will promote legal and dispute resolution services of Hong Kong in the GBA early next year, showcasing the robust legal system, solid foundation of the rule of law and diversified legal and dispute resolution services in Hong Kong while helping to better understand the views of mainland stakeholders and their needs towards Hong Kong's legal and dispute resolution services.Photo download: http://bit.ly/3LyOXfBAbout HKTDCThe Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedInMedia EnquiriesPlease contact the HKTDC's Communication and Public Affairs Department:Janet Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4369, Email: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.orgSource: HKTDCCopyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2023) - HighGold Mining Inc. (TSXV: HIGH) (OTCQX: HGGOF) ("HighGold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that, further to the Company's news release dated February 22, 2023, HighGold has entered into an arrangement agreement (the "Arrangement Agreement") with Onyx Gold Corp. ("Onyx Gold"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, pursuant to which the parties intend to complete a spin-out transaction (the "Spin-Out") of the Company's Ontario and Yukon exploration properties (the "Properties") under which the existing shareholders of HighGold will receive one common share in the capital of Onyx Gold ("Onyx Gold Shares") for every four shares held in the capital of HighGold ("HighGold Shares").

The Spin-Out into Onyx Gold will be completed by way of a court approved plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "PoA").

Arrangement Details

Pursuant to the PoA, among other things:

HighGold will transfer all of the outstanding common shares of Epica Gold Inc. ("Epica"), the wholly-owned subsidiary of HighGold, which owns the Properties, to Onyx Gold;

In consideration of the foregoing, Onyx Gold will transfer to the Company: (i) the respective number of Onyx Gold Shares equal to the number of HighGold Shares outstanding at the time of the Spin-Out, multiplied by 0.25; and (ii) 5,000,000 Onyx Gold Shares (the "Onyx Gold Spin-Out Shares"). The Company will retain the Onyx Gold Spin-Out Shares as well as the Company's remaining assets and working capital, and continue as a mineral exploration company; and

Upon closing of the Spin-Out, HighGold shareholders will receive 0.25 of an Onyx Gold Share.

For further details on the PoA, refer to the Arrangement Agreement which will be available on the Company's SEDAR profile.

It is also anticipated that Onyx Gold will complete a concurrent non-brokered private placement of Onyx Gold Shares to fund work programs and for general working capital (the "Concurrent Financing").

The board of directors of the Company has determined that the PoA is in the best interests of the Company. Among other things, the separation of the Properties into a separate public company will position such assets to be valued on a standalone basis. In addition, the transaction will allow the Company's management to focus their efforts on the development of certain other exploration properties with Onyx Gold's management focused on exploring and developing the Properties.

HighGold intends to apply for a listing of the Onyx Gold Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSX-V"). Any such listing will be subject to Onyx fulfilling all of the requirements of the TSX-V.

In addition, pursuant to the Arrangement Agreement, the holders of HighGold options and warrants will exchange such securities for new options and warrants of HighGold, respectively, as well as 0.25 of an equivalent security in Onyx Gold. The PoA remains subject to customary conditions, including, among other things, the approval by the TSX-V, approval by an affirmative vote of 66 2/3% of shareholders of the Company in attendance at a meeting of HighGold's shareholders (the "Meeting"), and approval of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. There can be no assurance that such approvals will be obtained or that the PoA will be completed on the terms contemplated, or at all.

Additional details of the PoA will be included in the information circular to be mailed to shareholders of HighGold in connection with the Meeting which will be available on the Company's SEDAR profile. The Company currently anticipates the Meeting to be held at the end of May 2023. The effective date for determining the shareholders of HighGold who are eligible to receive Onyx Gold Shares pursuant to the Spin-Out will be determined and announced in due course.

The securities to be issued under the PoA have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or applicable exemption from registration requirements. It is anticipated that any securities to be issued under the PoA will be offered and issued in reliance upon the exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 provided by Section 3(a)(10) thereof. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities.

About HighGold

HighGold is a mineral exploration company focused on high-grade gold projects located in North America. HighGold's flagship asset is the high-grade Johnson Tract Gold-Zinc-Copper Project located in accessible Southcentral Alaska, USA. The Company also controls one of the largest junior gold miner land positions in the Timmins, Ontario gold camp. This includes the Munro-Croesus Gold property, which is renowned for its high-grade mineralization, and the large Golden Mile and Timmins South properties. HighGold also has 100% ownership of a group of properties in Yukon's emerging new Selwyn Basin Reduced Intrusive Related Gold district. HighGold's experienced Board and senior management team, are committed to creating shareholder value through the discovery process, careful allocation of capital, and environmentally/socially responsible mineral exploration.

On Behalf of HighGold Mining Inc.

"Darwin Green"

President & CEO

For further information, please visit the HighGold Mining Inc. website at www.highgoldmining.com, or contact:

Darwin Green, President & CEO or Naomi Nemeth, VP Investor Relations

Phone: 1-604-629-1165 or North American toll-free 1-855-629-1165

Email: information@highgoldmining.com.

Website: www.highgoldmining.com

Twitter: @HighgoldMining

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-looking statements: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", "budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's plans to complete the Spin-Out, the anticipated listing of Onyx Gold on the Exchange, the completion by Onyx Gold of the Concurrent Financing, the distribution of a management information circular relating to the Spin-Out in connection with the Meeting, the timing of the Meeting, the expected benefits of the Spin-Out, the timing of the completion of the Spin-Out, the Company successfully applying to the TSX-V for a resumption of trading as a mineral exploration issuer following the completion of the PoA and any future results at the Company's projects are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include actual exploration results, the ability of the Company to obtain requisite approvals for the Spin-Out, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/158791
EQS-Ad-hoc: Aggregate Holdings SA / Key word(s): Statement

Aggregate Holdings SA: Publication of a notice pursuant to Article 17 (1) of the Market Abuse Regulation (Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014)Publication of a notice pursuant to Article 17 (1) of the Market



17-March-2023 / 11:05 CET/CEST

Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



Publication of a notice pursuant to Article 17 (1) of the Market Abuse Regulation (Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014) ----- AGGREGATE HOLDINGS S.A. (a societe anonyme, governed by the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) ("Aggregate" and together with its subsidiaries, the "Group") Aggregate Holdings S.A. has entered into a binding agreement with a group of institutional investors in relation to 100% sale of VIC Properties S.A. For the purposes of MAR, this announcement is made by the directors of Aggregate Holdings S.A. Luxembourg,17 March 2023: Aggregate Holdings S.A. ("Aggregate") announces that today it has entered into a binding agreement (the "Agreement") with a group of institutional investors for the sale (the "Sale") of 100% of the share capital of its indirect subsidiary, VIC Properties S.A. ("VIC Properties", "VIC", "Company"), and, amongst other matters, to release the Aggregate guarantee under the terms of the 250 million 3.00 per cent. Secured Pre-IPO Convertible Bonds due 2025 (ISIN XS1964739715) issued by VIC and guaranteed by Aggregate (the "VIC Convertible Bonds") (the "Transaction"). The sale is to a consortium led by the institutional investors AlbaCore Capital Group, Mudrick Capital Management L.P. and Owl Creek Asset Management L.P., and the existing VIC management team. The total enterprise value of the Transaction is more than 670 million, which will also result in a reduction in Aggregate consolidated net debt by more than 670 million upon the closing of the Transaction. VIC had net assets of 1,150 million and total assets of 1,882 million, including goodwill of 1,135 million as at 30 June 2022. The sale of VIC will be at a premium to net tangible assets and a discount to net assets. Under the terms of the Transaction, Aggregate will receive an equity participation entitling it to receive 5% of all net distributions to the new investors in excess of 1 billion. The Agreement provides for the solicitation of consents from the holders of the VIC Convertible Bonds (the "Bondholders") to approve certain amendments, including (but not limited to) the release of Aggregate from its existing guarantee and any future obligations of Aggregate related to the VIC Convertible Bonds upon completion of the Transaction, and permitting additional debt funding. Bondholders representing more than 70% of the outstanding principal amount of the VIC Convertible Bonds have committed to implement the proposed Transaction. The Transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2023 and is subject to closing conditions, including the amendment of existing financing arrangements of VIC's subsidiaries. There can be no guarantee that the Transaction as contemplated will be implemented on the terms set out above. Notifying Person Benjamin Lee, Chief Financial Officer, Aggregate Holdings S.A.

Email: b.lee@aggregateholdings.com ---- Important Notice This announcement contains statements about Aggregate that are or may be forward looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this announcement may be forward looking statements. Without limitation, any statements preceded or followed by or that include the words "targets", "goals", "should", "would", "could", "continue", "plans", "believes", "expects", "aims", "intends", "will", "may", "anticipates", "estimates", "hopes", "projects" or words or terms of similar substance or the negative thereof, are forward looking statements. Such forward looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect expected results and are based on certain key assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or implied in any forward looking statements. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Aggregate disclaims any obligation to update any forward looking or other statements contained herein, except as required by applicable law or regulation. Nothing in this announcement constitutes or contemplates an offer of, an offer to purchase or the solicitation of an offer to sell securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. The securities referred to in this announcement have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, except pursuant to an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the United States and in compliance with any applicable securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States.

17-March-2023 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


NICE Rapid is a reliable and cost-effective injection moulding and rapid tooling specialist.

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2023) - NICE Rapid, a world-class moulding and rapid prototyping provider, introduces the latest qualified compression moulding and aluminum extrusion service. All of the raw materials that NICE Rapid used comply with FDA, REACH, and ROSH, which underlines their stringent policies in line with ISO-9001 international quality system certification.

Compression Moulding offered by NICE Rapid has been recognised as an efficient way of reducing cost as well as ramping up production rates. A variety of industries, from architectural, automotive, aerospace, electronics, and energy, can find NICE Rapid compression moulding services economical and affordable since they primarily use rubber as the main raw material when producing parts and components. NICE Rapid delivers strong mould-making capabilities through scientific pre-forming procedures, precise and accurate refined operation, as well as modern rubber vulcanizing equipment.



NICE Rapid Introduces The Best Compression Moulding and Aluminum Extrusion Services For Manufacturing Industries

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/158808_f82430aff4991881_001full.jpg

The next updated service launched by NICE Rapid is Aluminum Extrusion, which is an important manufacturing process in many industries. A customized solution of aluminum extrusion services is provided to meet each company's specific qualifications, from aluminum extrusion, to surface finish, to machining, cutting and assembly. This allows businesses to do the surface finish to enhance the appearance, improve corrosion resistance and protect the surface from being anodized to a wide range of appliances.

As customer satisfaction is NICE Rapid's number one priority, they strive to always meet all of customers' needs and requirements. The manufacturer employs a team of skilled and technical workforce that works round the clock to ensure products are gotten within the set time limit. Thus, the introduction of quality Compression Moulding and Aluminum Extrusion proves NICE Rapid goal of look-out for new technologies ensuring customers get the best compression moulding procedure.

For more information, please visit: https://www.nicerapid.com/

About NICE Rapid

NICE Rapid delivers fully experienced engineering moulding service and customer satisfaction in both local service and quality control at the first rate. The manufacturer provides customers with the reassurance that working with a Chinese company need not be any different to one located in their home country. The injection moulding service at NICE Rapid substantially reduces the lead times to production.

Contact Info:

Name: Steven Zhang

Email: steven.zhang@nice-rapidtooling.com

Organization: Nice Rapid Tooling Manufacturing Limited

Address: No. 26, Haotou Ave, Torch Development Zone, Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, 528451, China

Phone: +86 760 8996 7810

Website: https://www.nicerapid.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/158808
MUMBAI, Mar 17, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - Team the Future Event organized India's first Collection-focused conference & Exhibition: Collections & Recovery Summit- India, on 23rd & 24th February, 2023 at the Taj President Hotel, Mumbai. This networking event was aimed to bring together India's top industry experts to discuss the latest technology and digital transformation strategies to overcome challenges and empower organizations to be future ready with strengthened operations, increased productivity and improved customer experience in the Debt & Loan Collections, Subscriptions & Renewals and Credit Processes.





With 500+ handpicked attendees, this conference was sponsored by almost 20 industry leaders along with 20+ Media Partners! With Uniphore being the Platinum Sponsor and Clear Touch, Enterprise Tiger & GoCollect (Credility) joining as the Gold Partners, Credgenics was the official Collections Technology Partner. Some of the other key sponsors and solution providers that demonstrated their solutions are Ezetap by Razorpay, SingleDebt, Rezo.ai, Saarthi.ai, Alohaa, UltraCash, Dista, CLXNS Technologies Pvt Ltd, Taurus Collection, Easy Recovery, Provakil, ILeads & Ikontel Solutions Pvt Ltd.

In the word of Uthaman Bakthikrishnan, Executive Vice President at ClearTouch, "Me & my colleague would like to thank the Future Event for organising such an event where it is very clear that each one of the attendees have been hand-picked since whoever is here, is really interested & genuine with their questions. It is a lot more exciting because this is the very first Collection-focussed event in India!"

The Collection and Recovery Summit- India featured an array of keynote speakers and panel discussions, providing attendees with valuable insights and knowledge on topics such as debt collection, credit management, bankruptcy, and financial recovery. Some of the key topics that were covered during the 2-day summit were:

Weaving Collections and Recovery into Business Strategy

Maintaining a Positive Customer Experience During Collections

The Importance of "self-service" platforms

Managing Multichannel Debt Collection Model

Decoding the Scope, Scale and Challenges of the BNPL

Understand consumer sentiment and preferred channels

Rise of ECommerce Subscriptions

Customer communication and engagement

"We were excited to bring together the best and brightest minds in the debt collection and credit management industry for the Collection and Recovery Summit India," said a representative of the event organizer. "This summit was an opportunity for professionals across the industry to share their expertise, learn from one another, and explore the latest trends and innovations that are shaping our industry."

While 45+ expert speakers took the stage to discuss & provide their insights on the latest strategies, innovations, and challenges in the industry, the 100+ pre-scheduled meetings provided the attendees with ample networking opportunities to connect with peers, industry experts, and solution providers. This allowed them to gain new insights and perspectives, as well as build new partnerships and collaborations that can help them improve their practices and achieve better outcomes. Apart from this, the summit was also attended by 40+ solution providers and 15+ exclusive exhibitors.

When Harish B. Parmar, Founder at SingleDebt, a Silver Sponsor for the event, was asked about how SingleDebt was different from traditional collection companies, he said, "What we do we actually represent the creditor and also most importantly the debtor. In this case the debtor comes to us with their issues and we find a payment plan that will help them repay back the debt. Because most of the debtors won't have 1 creditor but will have five or six creditors and they will be struggling to pay all of them. Because they are struggling to pay all of them and these creditors are chasing them, we work out an affordable payment plan that they can afford to pay all the five creditors. That's how we are different than the traditional lending companies."

The Collection and Recovery Summit India is a leading event in the debt collection and credit management industry, bringing together professionals from across the sector to discuss the latest trends, innovations, and challenges in the field. The summit provides attendees with valuable insights and networking opportunities. The Collections & Recovery Summit- India was the debut conference & exhibition of the chain of summits that will be organised by team The Future Event all across the globe. For more information on the upcoming events, visit: https://thefuture-event.com/

Contact:

Jamal Alturaby

The Future Event Media & Productions

Phone: +91 888 4144 691

Email: jamal@thefuture-event.com

Source: The Future EventCopyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.


MOSCOW (dpa-AFX) - Russian forces in Ukraine faced fresh accusations of war crimes as UN-appointed independent human rights investigators released the latest findings of their ongoing probe.



According to the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, set up one year ago at the request of the Human Rights Council, Russian troops committed a wide range of violations across the country, many of which are war crimes.



These included attacks with explosive weapons in populated areas, willful killings of civilians, unlawful confinement, torture, rape and other sexual violence, as well as unlawful transfers and deportations of children.



In addition, Russian attacks against Ukraine's energy grid left millions without power in freezing temperatures.



Speaking in Geneva on Thursday, Chairperson of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Erik Mose said the Commission found that 'the waves of attacks from 2022 October 10 on Ukraine's energy-related infrastructure by the Russian armed forces, and the use of torture by Russian authorities, may amount to crimes against humanity.'



She said the Commission recommended further investigations 'to ascertain whether those violations have been committed in furtherance of a specific policy.'



The Commission prepared the report, which covers nine Ukrainian regions, after visiting 56 towns and interviewing nearly 600 witnesses.



The findings build on the Commission's first report released in October last year, which found that war crimes had been committed by Russia in the regions of Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Sumy, early on in the conflict.



A key finding of the report relates to 'widespread' unlawful confinement in areas controlled by Russian armed forces, going hand in hand with 'consistent' methods of torture by Russian authorities.



The report highlights numerous instances of rape and sexual violence committed by Russian military personnel,



The Commission also documented a 'limited number' of violations committed by Ukrainian armed forces.



The report highlights the 'deep loss and trauma' of survivors and recommends that all perpetrators of violations and crimes are held accountable through judicial proceedings in accordance with international human rights standards, 'either at the national or the international level'.



Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
Experienced Mining and Finance Executive Patrick Loftus-Hills to Join as Director

PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / Ivanhoe Electric (NYSE American:IE)(TSX:IE) Executive Chairman, Robert Friedland and President and Chief Executive Officer, Taylor Melvin are pleased to announce that Patrick Loftus-Hills is joining the Company's Board of Directors and will serve on the Compensation and Nominating Committee. Mr. Loftus-Hills is replacing Oskar Lewnowski, who is stepping down from the Ivanhoe Electric Board to focus on his responsibilities as Founder and Group CEO of Orion Resource Partners.

Mr. Loftus-Hills brings over 35 years of experience in the global mining industry and is currently a Senior Advisor at Moelis & Company, a New York-based investment bank. He is also a former Partner and Managing Director at Moelis & Company. Mr. Loftus-Hills was previously the Joint Head of the Asian Industrials Group and Head of Natural Resources at UBS in Hong Kong, and held leadership roles in the UBS global mining team in New York and Australia. He spent over 25 years in investment banking, advising global mining companies on a range of transactions including cross-border M&A and capital raisings.

Mr. Loftus-Hills holds Law and Science degrees from Monash University in Australia. He is also a Managing Member of Sweetwater Royalties LLC, an Orion Resource Partners portfolio company, Chairman of the Monash University US Leadership Council, Co-Chairman of the US Friends of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Vice Chairman of the AUS USA Foundation.

Mr. Friedland commented: "We are fortunate to have Patrick join the Ivanhoe Electric Board of Directors. His extensive experience in the global mining and investment banking industries will be of great value to our Board and Company. Also, I want to thank Oskar for his dedicated service to Ivanhoe Electric's Board. He provided valuable insights during and after the Company's 2022 initial public offering."

Mr. Loftus-Hills commented, "Ivanhoe Electric has a fantastic asset base, disruptive mineral exploration technology and an exceptional management team. I have known Robert and Taylor for many years, and I am excited to be joining the Company's Board of Directors."

About Ivanhoe Electric

Ivanhoe Electric is an American technology and mineral exploration company that is re-inventing mining for the electrification of everything by combining advanced mineral exploration technologies, renewable energy storage solutions and electric metals projects predominantly located in the United States. Ivanhoe Electric uses its Typhoon transmitter, an accurate and powerful geophysical survey system, together with advanced data analytics provided by its subsidiary, Computational Geosciences, to accelerate and de-risk the mineral exploration process as well as to potentially discover deposits of critical metals that may otherwise be undetectable by traditional exploration technologies. Through its controlling interest in VRB Energy, Ivanhoe Electric also develops and manufactures advanced grid-scale vanadium redox battery storage systems. Finally, through advancing its portfolio of electric metals projects located primarily in the United States, headlined by the Santa Cruz Copper Project in Arizona and the Tintic Copper-Gold Project in Utah, as well as projects in Montana, Oregon and North Carolina, Ivanhoe Electric is also well positioned to support American supply chain independence by delivering the critical metals necessary for electrification of the economy.

Contact Information

Investors: Valerie Kimball, Director, Investor Relations 720-933-1150

SOURCE: Ivanhoe Electric Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/744252/Ivanhoe-Electric-Announces-Changes-to-its-Board-of-Directors
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 17 2023 / CIBT Education Group Inc. (TSX:MBA)(OTCQX:MBAIF) ("CIBT") reports that it has received approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") to commence a normal course issuer bid ("NCIB") to purchase up to 3,374,877 of its common shares, representing approximately 5% of the 67,497,540 common shares which were issued and outstanding as at the close of business on March 10, 2023 (net of shares purchased under the previous NCIB but not yet cancelled), to a maximum aggregate acquisition cost of approximately $2,000,000. The NCIB is being implemented because management believes that purchases under the NCIB constitute a desirable use of its funds on the basis that recent market prices of the common shares do not, and at certain times during the course of the NCIB may not, fully reflect the value of CIBT's business and future business prospects.

CIBT may buy back common shares anytime during the 12-month period beginning on March 22, 2023 and ending on March 21, 2024, or on such earlier date as the Company may complete its purchases pursuant to the NCIB or provides notice of termination. Share purchases under the NCIB will be conducted through the facilities of the TSX and other Canadian marketplaces/alternative trading systems. The actual number of shares purchased, and the timing of any such purchases, will be determined by CIBT in accordance with the rules of the TSX. Any shares purchased under the NCIB will be cancelled.

Subject to prescribed exceptions, CIBT may purchase up to 1,259 common shares per day, representing 25% of the average daily trading volume of 5,036 common shares during the six months ending on February 28, 2023. The exceptions to this limitation include block trade purchases of (1) shares having a purchase price of at least $200,000, (2) at least 5,000 common shares having a purchase price of at least $50,000, or (3) at least 20 board lots of common shares and a total of at least 7,554 common shares.

The Company was authorized to purchase up to 3,423,000, common shares under its last normal course issuer bid. During the last 12 months, CIBT has purchased 963,200 of its common shares through a normal course issuer bid at a weighted average price per share of $0.5819. These purchases were effected through the facilities of the TSX and other Canadian marketplaces/alternative market places.

About CIBT Education Group:

CIBT Education Group Inc. is one of Canada's largest education and student housing investment companies focused on the domestic and global education market since 1994. CIBT owns business and language colleges, student-centric rental apartments, recruitment centres and corporate offices at 41 locations in Canada and abroad. Its education subsidiaries include Sprott Shaw College Corp. ("SSCC") (established in 1903), Sprott Shaw Language College ("SSLC"), Vancouver International College Career Campus ("VIC") and CIBT School of Business & Technology Corp. ("CIBT China"). CIBT offers over 150 educational programs in healthcare, business management, e-commerce, cyber-security, hotel management, and language training through these schools. In 2022, CIBT serviced over 10,000 domestic and international students through its educational and rental housing subsidiaries.

CIBT owns Global Education City Holdings Inc. ("GECH"), an investment holding and development Company focused on education-related real estate such as student-centric rental apartments, a hotel and education super-centres. Under the GEC brand, GECH provides accommodation services to 90 schools in Metro Vancouver, serving 3,000 students from 71 countries. The total portfolio and development budget under the GEC brand near $1.3 billion.

CIBT also owns Global Education Alliance Inc. ("GEA") and Irix Design Group Inc. ("IRIX"). GEA recruits international students for elite kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities in North America. Irix Design is a leading design and advertising company based in Vancouver, Canada. Visit us online and watch our corporate video at www.cibt.net.

For more information, contact:

Toby Chu

Chairman, President & CEO

CIBT Education Group Inc.

Investor Relations Contact: 1-604-871-9909 extension 319 or | Email: info@cibt.net

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information (the "forward-looking statements") about CIBT Education Group Inc. and its plans. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, without limitation, that recent market prices of the common shares do not fully reflect the value of CIBT's future business prospects. The forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors (collectively, the "Risks") that could cause CIBT's actual results or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by forward-looking statements. The Risks include, without limitation, national and global economic factors, customary risks of the construction industry, unexpected delays or requirements of the applicable municipalities, and other risk factors identified in the Company's management's discussion and analysis for the period ended November 30, 2022 which is filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions and expectations of CIBT's management at the time they are made, and CIBT does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions or expectations, or other circumstances should change, except as may be required by law.

SOURCE: CIBT Education Group Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/744095/CIBT-Education-Group-Inc-Reports-Normal-Course-Issuer-Bid
Ryan Mitchell, PhD and Director of Business Development at Satellos to highlight SAT-3153 and Satellos' novel muscle regeneration technology in two forums at this year's MDA Conference and Summit

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2023) - Satellos Bioscience Inc. (TSXV: MSCL) (OTCQB: MSCLF) ("Satellos" or the "Company"), a drug discovery company developing small molecule therapeutics to regenerate muscle as a new approach to treating disease conditions from muscular dystrophy to aging, today announced that Ryan Mitchell, PhD and Director of Business Development will present preclinical proof of concept data the Company has generated with its lead drug candidate SAT-3153. These data will be featured in a poster presentation at this year's Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Clinical and Scientific Conference being held in Dallas, TX from March 19-23, 2023.

In addition, Satellos has been invited to present its technological approach to correct muscle stem cell polarity and restore muscle regeneration as a novel therapeutic treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy ("Duchenne") and other life-altering muscular disorders in front of biopharmaceutical business development and venture capital investment professionals at the MDA's third annual Insights in Research Investor Summit. Dr. Mitchell will deliver the Company's presentation, titled "Therapeutic Restoration of Muscle Regeneration in Duchenne," on Tuesday, March 21 at 11.40 am CDT. Outside of the presentation, Dr. Mitchell will be joined by Dr. Phil Lambert, Chief Technology Officer at Satellos, for meetings to discuss opportunities with biopharmaceutical, academic, clinical, philanthropic, investment and other stakeholders attending this year's conference.

"We view this opportunity to present in two different forums at the MDA's flagship annual event as a tangible sign of the progression of our science and the growing acceptance of our unique insights into the modulation of muscle stem cell polarity to induce muscle regeneration, in the absence of the dystrophin protein, as a potentially novel treatment for Duchenne patients regardless of their exon mutation status, level of background AAV antibodies or ambulatory status," said Frank Gleeson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Satellos. "We can imagine no better event to showcase our lead candidate SAT-3153 and its potential than MDA's prestigious Clinical and Scientific Conference and its associated Insights in Research Investor Summit."

Satellos asserts that a dysfunction in the normal process of stem cell polarity in response to muscle damage represents a previously unrecognized root cause of Duchenne. The goal of correcting polarity is to restore the body's innate ability to regenerate muscle in response to the ongoing damage experienced by people living with Duchenne. Satellos' vision is to create a drug in pill form, to be taken by mouth, that can restore polarity to enable muscle fibers to self-repair and regenerate. SAT-3153 has been designated by Satellos as its lead drug candidate and the Company is pursuing pre-IND development activities. In his presentations, Dr. Mitchell will present preclinical findings showing that SAT-3153 has the potential to reset stem cell polarity, stimulate skeletal muscle regeneration and increase muscle strength.

A copy of the presentations will also be added to the events section of the Satellos website following the MDA Conference and Summit at www.Satellos.com.

About Satellos

Satellos is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing life-changing medicines to treat degenerative muscle conditions. Our scientists discovered what we believe to be a previously unrecognized root cause of skeletal muscle degeneration. One which has the potential to transform how muscle disorders are treated. Our scientific founder, Dr. Michael Rudnicki, is a thought leader who discovered and has shown how muscle stem cells regulate muscle repair and growth throughout life. He has shown how defects in a process known as stem cell "polarity," which controls how muscle stem cells divide to create muscle progenitor cells, lead to a failure of muscle regeneration in Duchenne and potentially other muscle disorders. As a result of this ongoing inability to produce sufficient numbers of new muscle cells, the muscles of people living with Duchenne are unable to keep up with and repair the continuous and accumulating damage their muscles experience. Satellos' lead program is focused on developing an oral therapeutic drug (i.e., a pill) intended to correct muscle stem cell polarity and restore the body's innate muscle repair and regeneration process. We believe our unique therapeutic approach represents a potential disease modifying treatment for Duchenne and other dystrophies, offering new hope to patients. To expand our programs to other degenerative muscle conditions or disorders, Satellos has created a proprietary discovery platform, MyoReGenX, which we utilize to identify disease situations where deficits in muscle stem cell polarity and regeneration occur and are amenable to therapeutic treatment. For more information about or to discuss potential collaborations with Satellos concerning our discovery platform and therapeutic candidates or our subsidiary Amphotericin B Technologies Inc., please contact Ryan Mitchell, Ph.D., Director - Business Development at rmitchell@satellos.com or visit Satellos.com.

Contact:

Communications at Satellos Bioscience Inc.

Christina Cameron

ccameron@satellos.com

647.660.1780

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking information or forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws regarding Satellos and its business, which may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the anticipated benefits to patients from a small molecule treatment for Duchenne; the general benefits of modulating stem cell polarity by administering small molecule drugs; its/their prospective impact on Duchenne patients and muscle regeneration generally; the utility of regenerating muscle by modulating polarity; adoption of Satellos' approach by the medical community; and Satellos' technologies and drug development plans. All statements that are, or information which is, not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, occurrences or developments, are "forward-looking information or statements." Often but not always, forward-looking information or statements can be identified by the use of words such as "shall", "intends", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "potential", "prospective" , "assert" or any variations (including negative or plural variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "might", "can", "could", "would" or "will" be taken, occur, lead to, result in, or, be achieved. Such statements are based on the current expectations and views of future events of the management of the Company. They are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties. Although management believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release, may not occur and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the Company, including risks relating to the pharmaceutical and bioscience industry, general market conditions and equity markets, economic factors and management's ability to manage and to operate the business of the Company generally. Although Satellos has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or information. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Satellos does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the content of this press release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulatory Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/158730
New Delhi, Mar (UNI) Both Houses of parliament have been adjourned till Monday amid uproar over the issues of Rahul Gandhi's remarks in the United Kingdom and the Adani issue.

The stalemate continued for the fifth consecutive day on Friday, as opposition and treasury benches stuck to their demands

The BJP MPs demanded a public apology from Gandhi over his remarks on Indian democracy while the Congress called for a Joint Parliamentary Committee JPC probe into the Adani case.

In the Lok Sabha, when the House met the treasury bench members started sloganeering demanding Rahul Gandhis apology while members from Congress, DMK and others were in the well demanding Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani Group matter.

TMC, NCP and other opposition party members were on their feet.

Amidst uproar, Speaker Om Birla kept waiting for order in the House, but agitating members continued with their protest.

Birla asked them to allow the House to function, highlighting that they have not been sent here for sloganeering.

Amid the pandemonium in the House, Lok Sabha Speaker Birla adjourned the house for the day.

In the Rajya Sabha, when the House assembled for the day, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar disallowed the adjournment notices given by the opposition party members over the Adani Group matter.

Afterwards, Congress, AAP and other members trooped into the well raising the demand to constitute JPC on the issue.

Other opposition party members including TMC, DMK and Left were on their feet. Treasury bench members also countered the opposition parties by reiterating their demand for Gandhis apology. In view of the noisy scene, the House was adjourned for the day.

UNI JA RKM
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2023) - Plurilock Security Inc. (TSXV: PLUR) (OTCQB: PLCKF) and related subsidiaries ("Plurilock" or the "Company"), an identity-centric cybersecurity solutions provider for workforces, announced today that Roland C. Sartorius is stepping down as Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Secretary after five and a half years to pursue other business interests.

Mr. Sartorius, who joined Plurilock in 2017, will remain with the Company through to April 2023 and ensure an orderly and smooth transition of his responsibilities. The Company is in the process of searching for a new Chief Financial Officer, led by a sub-committee of the Board of Directors.

Ian L. Paterson, CEO of Plurilock, stated, "On behalf of our Board and our entire team, I want to thank Roland for his many contributions over the past five and half years. He was very instrumental in guiding the Company's growth from revenues of $500k in 2017 to a current run rate of over $60M. Roland leaves the Company with a strong finance team and foundation that is well positioned for our next accelerated growth phase ahead."

Roland C. Sartorius commented, "It has been a huge honor to help manage this incredible brand through such a transformational period of growth. Plurilock is a very special place, full of passionate, high-performing, talented staff. As a meaningful shareholder, I'm excited to watch the Company's success and continued growth.

About Plurilock

Plurilock provides identity-centric cybersecurity for today's workforces. The Plurilock family of companies enables organizations to operate safely and securely while reducing cybersecurity friction. Plurilock offers world-class IT and cybersecurity solutions through its Solutions Division, paired with proprietary, AI-driven and cloud-friendly security through its Technology Division. Together, the Plurilock family of companies delivers persistent identity assurance with unmatched ease of use.

For more information, visit https://www.plurilock.com or contact:

Ian L. Paterson

Chief Executive Officer

ian@plurilock.com

416.800.1566

Prit Singh

Investor Relations

prit.singh@plurilock.com

905.510.7636

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") related to future events or Plurilock's future business, operations, and financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements normally contain words like "will", "intend", "anticipate", "could", "should", "may", "might", "expect", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential", "project", "assume", "contemplate", "believe", "shall", "scheduled", and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, actions, or developments and are based on expectations, assumptions, and other factors that management currently believes are relevant, reasonable, and appropriate in the circumstances. Although management believes that the forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, actual results could be substantially different due to the risks and uncertainties associated with and inherent to Plurilock's business. Additional material risks and uncertainties applicable to the forward-looking statements herein include, without limitation, the impact of general economic conditions, the success of the Company in obtaining new or extended contracts or orders; the Company's ability to maintain existing customers or develop new customers; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions of other businesses and/or companies or to realize on the anticipated benefits thereof; and unforeseen events, developments, or factors causing any of the aforesaid expectations, assumptions, and other factors ultimately being inaccurate or irrelevant. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the Company's forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are beyond the control of Plurilock. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at the date hereof, and Plurilock undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in its most recent Annual Information Form. They are otherwise disclosed in its filings with securities regulatory authorities available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/158802


NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - First Republic Bank, the latest casualty in the ongoing banking turmoil, said it has secured around $30 billion funding from America's 11 largest banks as a lifeline, including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo.



Following the news, the bank's stock, which has been sinking since last week, gained around 10% on Thursday from the previous day's close. In pre-market activity on the NYSE, the shares are currently down 5 percent.



The rescue fund is expected to help the firm meet customer withdrawals amid the ongoing struggles following recent failures of U.S banks Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, deemed as the biggest U.S. banking failures since the 2008 financial crisis.



Credit Suisse Group AG also received a lifeline of up to 50 billion Swiss Francs or around $54 billion from the Swiss National Bank after the Swiss banking major lost much of its value in the wake of banking industry turmoil.



In a statement, First Republic Bank said it received uninsured deposits from Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bank of New York Mellon, PNC Bank, State Street, Truist, and U.S. Bank.



As per the deal, Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo are each making a $5 billion uninsured deposit into First Republic Bank. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley contributed $2.5 billion each, while BNY Mellon, PNC Bank, State Street, Truist and U.S. Bank made an uninsured deposit of $1 billion.



Jim Herbert, Founder and Executive Chairman, and Mike Roffler, CEO and President of First Republic Bank said, 'Their collective support strengthens our liquidity position, reflects the ongoing quality of our business, and is a vote of confidence for First Republic and the entire U.S. banking system.'



Meanwhile, the supporting banks, in a joint statement, said their action reflects their confidence in First Republic and in banks of all sizes, adding that regional, midsize and small banks are critical to the health and functioning of the country's financial system.



The banks noted that there were outflows of uninsured deposits at a small number of banks following the receiverships of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.



'Together, we are deploying our financial strength and liquidity into the larger system, where it is needed the most. Smaller- and medium-sized banks support their local customers and businesses, create millions of jobs and help uplift communities. America's larger banks stand united with all banks to support our economy and all of those around us,' they said.



As previously announced, First Republic Bank obtained additional liquidity through additional borrowing capacity. It has since drawn on this borrowing capacity following recent industry events.



As of March 15, First Republic Bank had a cash position of around $34 billion, not including the latest $30 billion of uninsured deposits with an initial term of 120 days at market rates.



From March 10 to March 15, Bank borrowings from the Federal Reserve varied from $20 billion to $109 billion at an overnight rate of 4.75%.



Since close of business on March 9, the Bank has also increased short-term borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank by $10 billion at a rate of 5.09%.



First Republic Bank said it is focused on reducing its borrowings and evaluating the composition and size of its balance sheet going forward. The Bank's Board of Directors has determined to suspend its common stock dividend.



Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
17 March 2023

FORBES VENTURES

("Forbes Ventures" or the "Company")

Update and Withdrawal from Trading

Forbes Ventures announces that the Company's ordinary shares of 0.1p each will be withdrawn from trading on the Access segment of the AQSE Growth Market with effect from the close of business today, 17 March 2023.

Future Strategy

As announced on 7 July 2022, the Company has been in negotiations with regard to a proposed acquisition that complements the strategy previously outlined by the Company. Following the withdrawal from trading, the Company intends to complete this acquisition, of an identified litigation funding vehicle, with the intention of re-listing the enlarged Forbes Ventures on an appropriate market within the next 12 months.

Forbes Ventures intends to use its time as a private company to stabilise the Company's financial position and strengthen its balance sheet.

Forbes Ventures is continuing to investigate the failure of its litigation funding securitisation project, and intends to take appropriate action to recover the costs incurred by the Company in pursuing that project.

The Directors of Forbes Ventures accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

-ENDS-

For further information, please contact:

Forbes Ventures

Rob Cooper, Chief Executive Officer

Nigel Quinton, Chief Financial Officer

020 3687 0498 AQSE Corporate Adviser

Peterhouse Capital Limited

Mark Anwyl

020 7469 0930

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information. Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
Anne-Marie Russell, named Executive Director & CEO effective immediately, brings entrepreneurial experience and a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and passion to the MFA and St. Petersburg community.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg (MFA) today announces Anne-Marie Russell as Executive Director and CEO. Russell joined the MFA in September 2022 as Interim Executive Director.

As Executive Director and CEO, Russell will be responsible for continuing the successful momentum of the MFA, providing leadership and support to the accomplished staff to ensure the museum maintains the high-quality experience for which it's celebrated, from curating exciting exhibitions to delivering engaging community programs to preserving works of art for generations to come. In her first six months at the MFA, Russell has been pivotal in reshaping the museum's structure, processes, and focus to support the core mission. Her keen leadership and experience as a museum director have proven invaluable during her short time with the MFA.

"Anne-Marie brings a highly informed understanding of professional art museum practice, an inclusive, community engagement approach, and a deep and abiding passion for art," said Dimity Carlson, Chair of the Board of Trustees. "Always mission-oriented, she has compelling ideas about how the MFA can further engage, educate and excite our community. Such thoughts led to the recent creation of the Museum Studies Institute, which provides the opportunity to re-examine the role of the encyclopedic museum in society, re-animate the MFA with thoughtful yet entertaining programs, and involve our community in the conversation along the way. Anne-Marie is the ideal person to lead us into our next chapter."

Over the past several months, Russell has worked alongside museum staff and the Board of Trustees to harmoniously bring together the wide range of extraordinary offerings at the MFA-great exhibitions, dynamic programming, mission-driven retail opportunities, delicious culinary sensations, fun social events, and community engagement collaborations-and activating them to create innovative and holistic art experiences. This momentum carries forward as the museum prepares for the opening of Gio Swaby: Fresh Up at the Art Institute of Chicago and the announcement of the EXPO CHICAGO Northern Trust Purchase Prize in April.

"I'm honored and inspired to be stepping into the Executive Director and CEO role at the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg," states Russell. "I look forward to working with the museum's dedicated board and incredible staff, our members, constituents, colleagues, and supporters to continue bringing excellent exhibitions and dynamic programming to our St. Petersburg and greater Tampa Bay communities. I am especially inspired by our community's commitment to art and ideas. The overwhelming response we've had to our current programming season is a testament to the remarkable people who make up this community, and their interest in topical content. Our guest speakers have been equally impressed by our enthusiastic and involved audiences. We look forward to continually expanding and inspiring engagement in the community as we embrace the freedom to re-imagine how art museums can better serve our society."

Russell brings more than 25 years of expertise in cultural production leadership, both institutional and entrepreneurial, to the MFA. She received a BA in cultural anthropology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and an MA in art history from the University of Arizona. She was the inaugural Executive Director of the Sarasota Art Museum and previously the Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tucson. Before joining the MFA, she was the founding Executive Director for Architecture Sarasota. In addition to her vast museum and nonprofit leadership roles, Russell is a respected and award-winning documentary film director and entrepreneurial business leader who has utilized new technologies to make art accessible to wider audiences. Her educational leadership is demonstrated through her role in co-designing, leading, and teaching a unique MA program at Christie's auction house, in addition to her teaching positions at the University of Arizona. Russell joined the MFA as Interim Executive Director in September 2022 and is the seventh director in the MFA's history.

Related News:

MFA Unveils New Opportunities to Engage Audiences with Dynamic Winter-Spring Programming Season and Special Exhibitions

Russell has placed a reignited focus on reengaging the community with exciting, entertaining, and mission-driven educational programming. Announced in February, the Winter-Spring Programming Season at the MFA features prominent figures in the art world, including Jerry Saltz, Dr. Lowery Stokes Sims, Maira Kalman, and Billy Collins, as well as MFA Curators. Much of the programming ties directly back to Russell's dedication to revisiting the vision of Founder Margaret Acheson Stuart, a commitment to making art from around the world, and throughout time, available to all in our community.

The new programming season includes several new series, including Museum Studies Institute, Art Now, The Story of Art, In Conversation, and By Design. Each program allows audiences to delve deeper into the MFA Collection, garner different perspectives from experts, and reflect on how current issues impact the art museum space and our lives.

In addition to the recently announced Winter-Spring Programming Season, the MFA has several new special exhibitions lined up, including Shashin: Japanese Photographs from the Meiji era, 1870-1900 and Lasting Impressions: Japanese Prints from the Read-Simms Collection.

MFA Prepares for Opening of Gio Swaby: Fresh Up at the Art Institute of Chicago Aligned with EXPO CHICAGO and the Northern Trust Purchase Prize

Gio Swaby, Pretty Pretty 8 (detail), 2021, Thread and cotton fabric on Muslin, Museum purchase in honor of James G. Sweeny

On the heels of the successful debut solo museum exhibition of multidisciplinary artist Gio Swaby (b. 1991, Nassau, Bahamas) at the MFA, the Art Institute of Chicago will open Gio Swaby: Fresh Up on April 8, 2023. This exhibition, co-organized between the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg and the Art Institute of Chicago, features bodies of work by Gio Swaby spanning 2017 through 2021. Employing the portrait genre and a range of textile-based techniques, Swaby explores the intersections of Blackness and womanhood. MFA Senior Curator of Contemporary Art Katherine Pill co-curated this exhibition with the Art Institute of Chicago Chair and Christa C. Mayer Thurman Curator of Textiles Melinda Watt.

The opening of Gio Swaby: Fresh Up at the AIC coincides with EXPO CHICAGO, the International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art, taking place April 13-16 at Navy Pier's Festival Hall in Chicago. EXPO CHICAGO features leading international galleries alongside a premier platform for contemporary art and cultural programming. In December 2022, EXPO CHICAGO and Northern Trust announced the annual Northern Trust Purchase Prize, awarded to three institutions for the tenth-anniversary edition of the fair. The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg was named one of three museums to win the 2023 Northern Trust Purchase Prize, alongside the Seattle Art Museum and the Saint Louis Art Museum.

###

CLICK HERE TO SEE A PDF VERSION OF THE RELEASE

ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg (MFA) at 255 Beach Drive NE is one of the largest encyclopedic art museums in Florida. The collection includes works of art from ancient times to the present day and from around the world, including ancient Greek and Roman, Egyptian, Asian, African, pre-Columbian, Native American, European, American, and contemporary art. The photography collection is one of the largest and finest in the Southeast. For more information, please visit mfastpete.org and follow @mfastpete on social media.

MEDIA CONTACT

Darcy Schuller

Director of Marketing & Communications

Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg

dschuller@mfastpete.org

727-896-2667 ext. 252

SOURCE: Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/744319/The-Museum-of-Fine-Arts-St-Petersburg-Embarks-on-a-New-Era-with-Strong-Leadership-Dynamic-Programming-and-a-Mission-Driven-Mindset-Anne-Marie-Russell-named-Executive-Director-CEO-Effective-Immediately
Columbus, Ohio--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2023) - Better For You Wellness, Inc. (OTCQB: BFYW) ("Better For You Wellness" or the "Company"), an Ohio-based company focused on the rapidly-growing $1.5T wellness industry, announced it has filed amendments to its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended May 31, 2022, and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended August 31, 2022 (each, an "Amended Quarterly Report" and together, the "Amended Quarterly Reports"). The Company's management concluded that in light of certain errors in the original Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the period ended May 31, 2022, and the period ended August 31, 2022 (each, an "Initial Quarterly Report"), a material weakness existed in the Company's internal control over financial reporting related to the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures as of May 31, 2022, and August 31, 2022. The material weakness prompted the Company to develop and begin implementing a remediation plan concerning such material weakness. The Amended Quarterly Reports filed today provides details of the Company's remediation plans.

Regarding the Amended Quarterly Reports, Ian James, Chief Executive Officer of Better For You Wellness, stated: "On January 31, 2023, the Company retained Dr. Pratibha Chaurasi as our new fractional CFO and added Aprari Solutions to assist with financial reporting and audit preparation. With their help, we meticulously and painstakingly worked to identify and rectify the material weakness in the Company's internal control over financial reporting." Mr. James continued, "Through our review process, we identified certain errors and began implementing a remediation plan to strengthen our internal controls and ensure accurate and timely SEC filings in the future. Retaining Dr. Chaurasi as fractional CFO has streamlined our closing and filing processes and allowed us to develop and implement the strong remediation plan detailed in the Amended Quarterly Reports."

Mr. James highlighted the following changes in the Amended Quarterly Report for the period ended May 31, 2022:

1. Increased Assets - Prepaid and other assets totaling $78,072 added, $583,586 of goodwill added, reversing a $577,473 impairment expense. The effect was to treat the Mango Moi acquisition as an investment rather than a write-down investment.

2. Increased Total Assets - Total assets of $674,133 compared to $10,338 in the Initial Quarterly Report for the period ended May 31, 2022.

3. Convertible Note Payable - Net of amortization reduced from $315,063 in the Initial Quarterly Report for the period ended May 31, 2022, to $ 254,369; reduced total liabilities from $674,503 in the Initial Quarterly Report for the period ended May 31, 2022, to $556,449.

4. Stockholder's Equity (Deficit) - Stockholders' equity increased from $(664,165) in the Initial Quarterly Report for the period ended May 31, 2022, to $117,684, as a result of an increase in additional paid-in-capital from $2,419,264 in the Initial Quarterly Report for the period ended May 31, 2022, to $2,609,749, representing an increase of $190,485. Additionally, the Company's accumulated deficit decreased from $3,121,510 in the Initial Quarterly Report for the period ended May 31, 2022, to $2,530,147, representing an improvement of $771,363 or approximately 25%.

Mr. James also highlighted the following changes in the Amended Quarterly Report for the period ended August 31, 2022.

1. Increased Assets - Prepaid and other assets totaling $78,072 added, related party receivables of $107,068 added, and $583,485 of goodwill added. Other changes related to certain re-classifications to meet GAAP standards.

2. Increased Total Assets - Total assets of $778,011 compared to $695,375 in the Initial Quarterly Report for the period ended August 31, 2022.

3. Convertible Note Payable - Net of amortization increased from $521,593 in the Initial Quarterly Report for the period ended August 31, 2022, to $543,176; reduced total liabilities from $1,131,343 in the Initial Quarterly Report for the period ended August 31, 2022, to $1,105,403.

4. Stockholder's Equity Deficit - Stockholders' equity decreased from $435,968 in the Initial Quarterly Report for the period ended August 31, 2022, to $327,392 as a result of an increase in additional paid-in-capital from $2,820,220 in the Initial Quarterly Report for the period ended August 31, 2022, to $2,931,841, representing an increase of $111,621. The Company's accumulated deficit increased from $3,294,778 in the Initial Quarterly Report for the period ended August 31, 2022, to $3,297,824.

About Better For You Wellness, Inc.

Better For You Wellness, Inc. (OTCQB: BFYW) is a Columbus, Ohio-based Company pursuing a dual buy-and-build model within the wellness industry. Better For You Wellness, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, builds and operates digitally native, mission-driven brands within the clean beauty sector, including Mango Moi. Learn more at https://BFYW.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology including "could," "may," "will," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" and the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our business, actual results may vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions, or other future performance suggested in this press release. Except as required by applicable law, we do not intend to update any forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results. Investors should refer to the risks disclosed in the Company's reports filed with SEC (https://www.sec.gov/).

Contact:

Better For You Wellness, Inc.

Ian James, CEO

investors@bfyw.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/158815
Nordea Bank Abp / Key word(s): Transaction in Own Shares

Nordea Bank Abp: Transaction in Own Shares



17.03.2023 / 13:10 CET/CEST





Nordea completes third share buy-back programme

Nordea Bank Abp

Stock exchange release - Other information disclosed according to the rules of the Exchange

17 March 2023 at 13.00 EET

Nordea has now completed its third share buy-back programme announced in July 2022. From 20 July 2022 to 16 March 2023, Nordea repurchased 150,069,276 of its own shares (FI4000297767) at an average price per share of EUR 9.99.

On 18 July 2022 Nordea announced a share buy-back of up to EUR 1.5bn, based on the authorisation granted by the Annual General Meeting 2022. The purpose of share buy-backs is to pursue an efficient capital structure and generate sustainable shareholder returns by reducing Nordea's excess capital. Since the inception of the inaugural buy-back programme in October 2021, Nordea has distributed EUR 4.5bn to its shareholders through repurchasing around 447 million shares at an average price of EUR 10.05 per share.

Nordea repurchased the shares in public trading otherwise than in proportion to the shareholdings of its shareholders (directed repurchases). The repurchased shares were cancelled on a monthly basis.

The repurchases of the third buy-back programme reduced the company's unrestricted equity by EUR 1.5bn. Nordea now holds 24,602,431 treasury shares for capital optimisation purposes and 6,073,651 treasury shares for remuneration purposes.

On 3 March 2023 Nordea announced approval from the European Central Bank for further share buy-backs of EUR 1.0bn, and a new buy-back programme is expected to be initiated after the Annual General Meeting 2023.

For further information:

Matti Ahokas, Head of Investor Relations, +358 9 5300 8011

Media inquiries, +358 10 416 8023 or press@nordea.com

The information provided in this stock exchange release was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contacts set out above, at 13.00 EET on 17 March 2023.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com .

End of Media Release






Geneva, Switzerland, Mar 17, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - DCM Swiss, a Digital Content Marketplace, is excited to announce a special event taking place during the Open Geneva Innovation Festival on March 17 at 2:30 PM CET. DCM DAY will focus on the exciting topic of Web3 and the Future of Media, exploring the latest developments and innovations in this rapidly-evolving field. The event will be held at Federation des Entreprises Romandes Geneve, 98 Rue de Saint-Jean, Geneve, GE, 1201.DCM DAY promises to be a must-attend event for anyone interested in the future of media, including media professionals, entrepreneurs, technologists, investors, and anyone curious about the impact of Web3 on the media industry. The event will feature a panel discussion rich in diverse perspectives for the Future of Media and Web3, featuring Egor Plotnikov from DCM Swiss, Alex Fedosseev from 1World Online, Florian Ducommun from Disruptive Company, and Nathalie Kazzi from Blue Tree Advisors."We are excited to bring together leading experts and thought leaders to share their insights, ideas, and vision for the future of media in the age of Web3," said Egor Plotnikov, COO & ITO Lead at DCM Swiss. "As the media industry continues to evolve rapidly, it is crucial to stay on top of the latest developments and innovations. We are thrilled to offer this unique opportunity to engage with experts and explore the exciting possibilities of Web3 for media professionals and enthusiasts alike."The panel discussion will cover a range of topics related to Web3 and the Future of Media, including the potential of blockchain technology for media distribution, the impact of NFTs on the media industry, and the role of decentralized finance in funding media projects. The panelists will also explore the challenges and opportunities facing the media industry in the age of Web3, and share their predictions for the future of media.As Open Geneva partners, DCM is thrilled to offer Festival participants a chance to explore NFT technology. By downloading an NFT in the form of a QR code, participants can easily access Festival events and enjoy special offers from local partners like cafes, bars, bakeries, and wine cellars. This unique opportunity to engage with NFT technology is just one of the many exciting offerings available during and after the Innovation Festival by Open Geneva.DCM DAY promises to be an informative and engaging event, providing attendees with a unique opportunity to learn from and connect with leading experts and thought leaders in the field of media and Web3. Don't miss this opportunity to explore the exciting possibilities of Web3 for the future of media.For more information about DCM DAY and to register for the event, please visit the eventbrite.About DCM SwissDCM, also known as the Digital Content Marketplace, is a blockchain-based platform that operates both as a protocol and an application. It provides a decentralized media ecosystem that allows creators, publishers, and advertisers to interact in a single environment.About Open GenevaNon-profit association Open Geneva promotes and stimulates open innovation in the Greater Geneva area by bringing together a community of more than 3500 innovators, bringing their ideas to life, communicating their projects and supporting their development in the fields of art, science, technology, and society.Media Contacts:DCM SuisseAnna ElitzurDirector of PartnershipsAnna.elitzur@dcm-swiss.comSource: DCMCopyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
NECKARSULM (dpa-AFX) - Bechtle AG (BC8G), a German technology firm, said on Friday that it expects a significant growth in revenue and earnings for full year. The company also has raised dividend for 2022. For full year, the firm expects to deliver 'above-average' business performance with a significant growth in revenue. However, the EBT margin is projected to remain at a level similar to that of the prior year. Thomas Olemotz, Chairman of Bechtle, said: ' We expect rising costs, which need to be compensated for. Meanwhile, the digital transformation will continue to move ahead and open up numerous business opportunities for Bechtle. This strengthens our confidence that even in challenging times we will be able to achieve profitable growth.' For 2022, considering a very strong business performance and comfortable liquidity situation, Bechtle will pay a dividend of 0.65 euro per share, higher than last year's 0.55 euro per share. For 2022, the firm had recorded a post-tax income of 251.118 million euros or 1.99 euros per share, higher than last year's 231.446 million euros or 1.84 euros per share. A rise in earnings was driven by an increase in revenue, higher business volumes, recent acquisitions, and two-digit revenue growth in all regions. EBIT stood at 355.425 million euros, versus 325.721 million euros of 2021. EBT moved up to 350.487 million euros from previous year's 320.500 million euros. EBI margin fell to 5.8 percent from last year's 6 percent. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. and Astraius Ltd. announced today a collaboration to enhance future satellite launch capabilities from Prestwick Spaceport.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005187/en/

Executives from Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. and Astraius Ltd. sign a collaboration agreement to enhance future satellite launch capabilities from Prestwick Spaceport, Scotland, on Friday. From left, Sam Marnick, Spirit Executive Vice President Chief Operating Officer; President, Commercial, Scott McLarty, Spirit Senior Vice President, Airbus Regional/Business Jets Programs; Ivan McKee, Scottish Government Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise; Kevin Seymour, Chief Executive Officer, Astraius; and Sir George Zambellas, Chairman of Astraius. (Photo: Business Wire)

During a visit to the Spaceport by Scottish Government Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism, and Enterprise Ivan McKee, the companies commemorated the announcement with a signing ceremony.

Prestwick Spaceport, a joint partnership between Glasgow Prestwick Airport and South Ayrshire Council, aims to become Europe's premier location for carrying small satellites into orbit via "air launch," a proven technique that enables a rocket to reach space after being launched from an aircraft that has flown out to an ideal location over the ocean.

Spirit and Astraius both located within Prestwick's developing space cluster are working to advance and accelerate the system components and key processes required for the Astraius horizontal launch platform. The U.K. government has made orbital launch a key priority, with the National Space Strategy outlining plans to secure an increased portion of a global space economy expected to be worth 490bn by 2030. The space sector in the U.K. already employs over 45,000 people, with Scotland accounting for one-fifth of that figure.

Scott McLarty, Spirit Senior Vice President, Airbus and Regional/Business Jet Programs, said Spirit's sites in both Scotland and Northern Ireland are well placed to support and develop a robust and sustainable space sector.

"Spirit is well-positioned to develop new skills and technologies to contribute to the U.K.'s resilience and supply chain in the space sector and support high-value manufacturing regional hubs," he said. "We are delighted to be working with Astraius to explore opportunities to contribute further to the expansion of the U.K. Space Sector, through the design, manufacturing, integration and testing of aerostructures for launch activities."

Astraius' horizontal launch solution leverages the accessibility of C-17 transport aircraft, combining innovative technology with proven delivery platforms that removes the reliance on individually modified aircraft and increases responsiveness. The company brings together an international team with experience in commercial space launch and operations, to offer an affordable solution that caters to the growing demand for payloads designed to carry out a variety of tasks from orbit, such as monitoring climate change and supporting disaster relief efforts.

Astraius Chief Executive Officer Kevin Seymour stated, "This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is the first step in what I'm confident will be a long-term partnership with Spirit AeroSystems. Spirit's advanced manufacturing expertise and world-class facilities can significantly bolster our development roadmap, bringing together UK engineering excellence with proven horizontal launch technology. With both companies located in Prestwick, Scotland's largest aerospace cluster, our collaboration is further testament to the proactive and vibrant space ecosystem developing around Prestwick Spaceport."

On the collaboration between Spirit and Astraius, Minister Ivan McKee commented, "There is great potential and opportunities in the space sector in Scotland with the first orbital launch from Scottish soil due this year. That is why we have identified the sector as a priority in our National Strategy for Economic Transformation. Our ambition is clear, we want to become Europe's leading space nation by 2030. The signing of this MoU is great news, and it is another positive step in the development of space and aerospace opportunities in Prestwick. Spirit AeroSystems brings a wealth of capability and technologies that can support further growth of the space sector in Scotland, and I am excited about the innovative developments Spirit and Astraius can bring to Prestwick."

Ian Annett, deputy chief executive officer at the U.K. Space Agency, said: "We are committed to becoming the leading provider of commercial small satellite launches in Europe by 2030 and we welcome the partnership between Spirit AeroSystems and Astraius, which brings Astraius another step closer towards conducting a launch from the U.K. Developing orbital launch capabilities is already helping the space sector to generate growth across science and engineering supply chains, catalyse investment, create new jobs and career paths, and inspire the next generation of space professionals all over the U.K."

Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. ("Spirit"), a subsidiary of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. [NYSE: SPR] ("Spirit AeroSystems").

On the web: www.spiritaero.com and www.astraius.com

On Twitter: @SpiritAero and @AstraiusL

About Spirit AeroSystems Inc.

Spirit AeroSystems is one of the world's largest manufacturers of aerostructures for commercial airplanes, defense platforms, and business/regional jets. With expertise in aluminum and advanced composite manufacturing solutions, the company's core products include fuselages, integrated wings and wing components, pylons, and nacelles. We are leveraging decades of design and manufacturing expertise to be the most innovative and reliable supplier of military aerostructures, and specialty high-temperature materials, enabling warfighters to execute complex, critical missions.Spirit also serves the aftermarket for commercial and business/regional jets. Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit has facilities in the U.S., U.K., France, Malaysia and Morocco. More information is available at www.spiritaero.com

About Astraius Ltd.

Astraius has brought together a formidable international team with experience in commercial space launch and operations. Astraius will provide a dependable, global, affordable, low-risk, responsive launch option for the growing world-wide market for satellite launch. Astraius is headquartered in the UK with executive offices in Washington DC, and will operate from new, state-of-the-art, launch and payload integration facilities at Prestwick Spaceport.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that may involve many risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "could," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "forecast," "intend," "may," "might," "objective," "outlook," "plan," "predict," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would," and other similar words, or phrases, or the negative thereof, unless the context requires otherwise. These statements reflect management's current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown. Our actual results may vary materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such forward-looking statements and that should be considered in evaluating our outlook include, without limitation, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations; the timing and conditions surrounding the full worldwide return to service (including receiving the remaining regulatory approvals) of the B737 MAX, future demand for the aircraft, and any residual impacts of the B737 MAX grounding on production rates for the aircraft; our reliance on Boeing for a significant portion of our revenues; our ability to execute our growth strategy, including our ability to complete and integrate acquisitions; our ability to accurately estimate and manage performance, cost, and revenue under our contracts; demand for our products and services and the effect of economic or geopolitical conditions in the industries and markets in which we operate in the U.S. and globally; our ability to manage our liquidity, borrow additional funds or refinance debt; and other factors disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These factors are not exhaustive and it is not possible for us to predict all factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in our forward-looking statements. These factors speak only as of the date hereof, and new factors may emerge or changes to the foregoing factors may occur that could impact our business. Except to the extent required by law, we undertake no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any obligation to, publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005187/en/

Contacts:

Media:

Forrest Gossett

+1 (316) 523-5197

forrest.s.gossett@spiritaero.com

Investor Relations:

Ryan Avey

+1 (316) 523-7040

investorrelations@spiritaero.com

Media (Astraius):

Stephen Watson Lara Zanoni

+44 (0)7710 391225

stephen.watson@astraius.com lara@astroagency.co.uk

Investor Relations:

(Astraius)

Jonathan Stolerman

jonathan.stolerman@astraius.com
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE), a leading global provider of data, technology, and market infrastructure, today announced record open interest (OI) across its global commodity and energy futures and options markets, with record volume in oil options.

On March 15, 2023, ICE hit record OI of 51.1 million contracts across commodities futures and options, up 10% since the start of the year, as well as record OI in energy futures and options of 47 million. Across ICE's global oil markets, OI is up 18% since the start of the year at 11.37 million contracts, with OI in Brent futures and options up 28% at 4.98 million contracts.

On March 15, 2023, a record 567,731 oil option contracts traded on ICE, including a record 513,567 Brent options. Both records were last set three years ago on March 9, 2020. Brent is used to price an estimated 80% of oil traded on the global market and is the most liquid crude oil futures and options market in the world.

Elsewhere in the oil portfolio, Gasoil, where OI is up 19% since the start of the year, saw 308,400 tons of diesel headed for delivery to North-West Europe at its most recent expiry, the highest since November 2021. Other ICE oil benchmarks performing strongly since the start of the year include ICE Dubai (Platts) where OI is up 9%, with ADV of 55,000 contracts, up 33% year-over-year (y/y); Murban where OI is up 16% at 47,300 contracts, with ADV of 8,400 contracts, up 77% y/y; Midland WTI (HOU) where OI has grown to 14,000 contracts with ADV of 4,700; and Wet Freight, which is used to manage price risk associated with shipping oil, up 7% in OI at 158,100 contracts and ADV up 27%.

"The increase in trading activity across ICE's markets reflects the breadth of ICE's commodity benchmarks, with customers utilizing our liquidity and transparency to hedge their risk," said Jeff Barbuto, Global Head of Oil Markets at ICE. "The resilience of ICE Brent through the shocks the market witnessed last year, and its outperformance this year versus other oil benchmarks, shows how the market depends on its ability to reflect global fundamentals."

Meanwhile, OI across ICE's global natural gas futures and options portfolio is up 9% since the start of the year at 30.4 million contracts, with OI across North American natural gas futures and options, which includes Henry Hub and U.S. Basis Markets contracts, up 8% at 27.8 million. OI in ICE TTF natural gas futures and options is up 29% since the start of the year at 2 million contracts, with ICE seeing the first trades this week in TTF Calendar Year 2031.

Across ICE's global environmental complex, which alongside ICE's energy markets provides price signals and liquidity to help companies transition to alternative forms of energy, OI is up 16% since the start of the year at 1.9 million contracts.

About Intercontinental Exchange

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE) is a Fortune 500 company that designs, builds and operates digital networks to connect people to opportunity. We provide financial technology and data services across major asset classes that offer our customers access to mission-critical workflow tools that increase transparency and operational efficiencies. We operate exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange, and clearing houses that help people invest, raise capital and manage risk across multiple asset classes. Our comprehensive fixed income data services and execution capabilities provide information, analytics and platforms that help our customers capitalize on opportunities and operate more efficiently. At ICE Mortgage Technology, we are transforming and digitizing the U.S. residential mortgage process, from consumer engagement through loan registration. Together, we transform, streamline and automate industries to connect our customers to opportunity.

Trademarks of ICE and/or its affiliates include Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, ICE block design, NYSE and New York Stock Exchange. Information regarding additional trademarks and intellectual property rights of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. and/or its affiliates is located here. Key Information Documents for certain products covered by the EU Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products Regulation can be accessed on the relevant exchange website under the heading "Key Information Documents (KIDS)."

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 -- Statements in this press release regarding ICE's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see ICE's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors in ICE's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as filed with the SEC on February 2, 2023.

Category: EXCHANGES

ICE- CORP

Source: Intercontinental Exchange

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005084/en/

Contacts:

ICE Media:

Rebecca Mitchell

Rebecca.Mitchell@ice.com

+44 7951 057 351

ICE Investors:

Katia Gonzalez

katia.gonzalez@ice.com

(678) 981-3882
New Delhi, Mar 17 (UNI) Forty-five Indian sailors continue to be in detention in various countries, including 16 in Nigeria, 10 in Iran and five in China, Parliament was told today.

Answering a question in the Lok Sabha on the number of Indian sailors detained abroad in the past three years, and their status, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, presented a chart according to which 45 Indian sailors are in detention in eight countries. These include: Five in China, two in Ivory Coast, 10 in Iran, three each in Italy and Mauritius, 16 in Nigeria, four in Senegal, and two in Trinidad &Tobago.

On the status of the 16 Indian sailors in Nigeria, he said the Government is in regular touch with the concerned Nigerian authorities for their early release. Three of the sailors are from Kerala.

He said the Indian High Commission in Abuja is also engaged with the concerned shipping companys lawyers representing the sailors. Consular access was granted on the request of High Commission during which the Indian High Commissioner had interacted with the seafarers and ascertained their well-being.

The matter is sub-judice in Nigeria. However, all efforts are being made for early release of the Indian sailors.

The High Commissioner has had interactions with all the key stakeholders including Nigerian Foreign Minister, Minister of Justice, Attorney General, Chief of Naval Staff of Nigerian Navy, senior officers of Ministry of Defence, among others, to expedite the judicial process. The next date of Court hearing is on March 24, he informed the House.

MoS also added that the Government attaches highest priority to the safety, security and well-being of Indians abroad. As soon as any case of Indian sailor(s) being detained abroad is reported, the Indian Mission/Post concerned immediately takes up the matter with local Foreign office with a request to advise the concerned law enforcement agencies to expedite the investigation/trial as also early release/deportation of the sailor(s).

Indian Missions/Posts abroad also obtain consular access to visit the detained Indians regularly and follow up their cases with Courts, jails and public prosecution offices and other concerned agencies. Apart from extending all possible consular assistance, Missions/Posts abroad also use Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) to provide financial assistance to distressed Indian nationals for legal aid as well as travel documents / air tickets on a means tested basis in deserving cases, he added.

UNI RN
17 March 2023

ANANDA DEVELOPMENTS PLC

("Ananda" or the "Company")

Additional Subscription and Result of Broker Option

Further to the announcement of 9 March 2023, Ananda announces that the Company has raised an additional 101,200 (before expenses) through the issue of 33,733,330 ordinary shares of 0.2p each in the Company ("Ordinary Shares"; "New Ordinary Shares") at a price of 0.3p per share.

The New Ordinary Shares comprise 20,233,330 New Ordinary Shares issued to additional subscribers procured by the Company and 13,500,000 New Ordinary Shares issued pursuant to valid applications received by Peterhouse Capital Limited in the Broker Option, which closed on 16 March 2023.

The Company has therefore raised a total of 427,400 (before expenses) in the last 7 days, comprising 386,900 raised by the Company in two tranches (60,700 today and 326,200 raised and announced on 9 March 2023) and 40,500 via the Broker Option. This completes the current capital raising.

Application for Admission

Application will be made for the New Ordinary Shares to be admitted to trading on the Access segment of the AQSE Growth Market. It is expected that admission will become effective on 23 March 2023.

The New Ordinary Shares will, on admission, rank pari passu in all respects with the Ordinary Shares in issue and will rank in full for all dividends and other distributions hereafter declared, paid or made on the ordinary share capital of the Company.

Total Voting Rights

Following the issue of the New Ordinary Shares, the Company will have 2,060,285,229 Ordinary Shares in issue, each share carrying the right to one vote.

This figure of 2,060,285,229 Ordinary Shares may be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change in their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the FCA's Disclosure and Transparency Rules.

-Ends-

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

ANANDA DEVELOPMENTS PLC



Chief Executive Officer

Melissa Sturgess



Investor Relations

Jeremy Sturgess-Smith +44 (0)7463 686 497

ir@anandadevelopments.com PETERHOUSE CAPITAL LIMTED



CorporateFinance

Mark Anwyl



Corporate Broking

Lucy Williams

Duncan Vasey +44 (0)20 7469 0930

About Ananda Developments plc

Ananda is an AQSE-listed medical cannabis company creating UK-based operations to grow and provide carbon zero, consistent, medical cannabis for the UK and international markets.

For more information, please visit: https://anandadevelopments.com

Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information. Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / Brigadier Gold Limited (the "Company", or "Brigadier") (TSXV:BRG) | (FSE:B7LM) | (OTC PINK:BGADF) is pleased to provide a comprehensive introduction to its newly acquired and 100% controlled, Nemaska2 Lithium Property ("Nemaska2"), James Bay, Quebec.

About the Nemaska2 Lithium Property

Nemaska2 consists of 57 map-designated mining titles covering a total area of 3042.80 hectares and is located adjacent to Li-Ft Power Lithium Project, Critical Elements Lithium and ~23 kilometres West of Nemaska Lithium (Whabouchi Project; 27.3Mt on proven and probable reserves), in northern Quebec, approximately 160kms east of James Bay, near the community of Nemaska.

Nemaska2 hosts at least 20 white pegmatite outcrops, each approximately 1000 square metres in size. The Quebec government carried out a large sampling program over Nemaska2 and the geological findings suggest these white pegmatites contain spodumene. Further exploration of the property has been recommended to identify possible additional pegmatite outcrops and spodumene occurrences.

Management Commentary

"We are delighted to have closed the Nemaska2 transaction and have turned our attention to securing the best teams, equipment and technology available to quickly and effectively assess the lithium potential within the Property", remarked Robert Birmingham, President, and CEO of Brigadier Gold. "Nemaska2 may be the most conveniently located property in the region for access, logistics and infrastructure, which will allow Brigadier to conduct its exploration programs and publish results in an efficient and timely manner."

Advantaged Location and Access

Nemaska2 hosts easily accessible on-site infrastructure including a powerline, aerodrome, railway and an accommodations camp. The Property is bisected by the region's primary east-west road and is ~5km by road from additional accommodations, fuel and supplies. A large portion of the property is also accessible by all season logging roads eliminating the need for any use of helicopters in reconnaissance, mapping, sampling or drilling.

Geology / History

The Property and surrounding area have been the focus of sporadic exploration work since 1963. The first work, which was undertaken by the Government of Quebec, focused more on the geological and structural reconnaissance of the James Bay Region.

The Property is located in the Champion Lake region within the La Grande Subprovince, James Bay area. This region is primarily composed of intrusive and metasedimentary rocks. Volcanic rocks are present in small proportions. In the southern half of the area, the Nemiscau Subprovince is dominated by metasedimentary rocks migmatized to varying degrees and assigned to the Rupert Complex. The northern portion is occupied by intrusive rocks assigned to the Champion Complex, which represents the southwest extension of the La Grande Subprovince. In contact with the Champion Complex, the Nemiscau Subprovince contains a volcano-sedimentary belt assigned to the "Lac des Montagnes" Group.

Based solely on its geological environment, the Property has the potential to host a number of deposit types. However, based on the known discoveries, two types of mineralization are possible on the Property: Type 4 (Magma-related mineralization) and Type 6 (Rare-Element LCT-type Pegmatite) with the major Whabouchi lithium deposit in the area.

The airborne magnetometric survey completed in the past by the Government Ministry shows the presence of several low magnetic anomalies likely corresponding with fractures or shear zones within the granitic Valiquette Pluton. These structures are generally favourable hosts for mineralization in precious metals (gold, silver), base metals and/or pegmatites.

The Property is at an early stage of exploration with regional reconnaissance mapping and sediment sampling programs having been completed in the past. In spite of limited historical exploration at Nemaska2 it is a important prospect due to:

the presence of white pegmatites mapped in regional reconnaissance

the presence of anomalous values of Li and Cs obtained by the Ministry in regional till sampling; and

the existence of a major lithium deposit (Whabouchi) in the area

Why Quebec?

Quebec is a highly attractive investment destination for lithium exploration and production due to its supportive resource development sector, access to skilled labour and its proximity to emerging European and North American electric vehicle markets. Additionally, Quebec is Canada's largest producer of iron concentrate and zinc, the country's second-largest producer of gold, is the dominant source of lithium in Canada, and accounts for 20% of Canada's total mining output. Quebec is consistently ranked in the top quartile by the Fraser Institute for most attractive jurisdictions for mining investment.

Marketing/Investor Relations

Brigadier has entered into a contract with RazorPitch Inc. to, on a non-exclusive basis, assist in improving visibility of the Company to the investment community through the distribution of media on various online channels. Under the terms of the engagement, RazorPitch Inc. has been retained for one month, commencing March 20th, for a total of $7,500 (USD).

Qualified Person

Mr. Garry Clark, P. Geo., a member of the Company's Board of Directors, a "Qualified Person" under NI 43-101, is responsible for the technical contents of this news release and has approved the disclosure of the technical information contained herein.

For further information, please contact:

Brigadier Gold Limited

www.brigadiergold.ca

Robert Birmingham, Chief Executive Officer

rob@brigadiergold.ca

(604) 424-8131

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.

Forward-Looking Information Cautionary Statement

This release includes certain statements and information that may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company regarding future events. Generally, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends" or "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would" or "occur". The Company cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to: the Company further exploring Nemaska2; securing the best teams, equipment and technology available; quickly and effectively assessing lithium potential within Nemaska2; conducting exploration programs and publishing results in an efficient and timely manner; the lack of need for use of helicopters in reconnaissance, mapping, sampling or drilling; Nemaska2 having the potential to host a number of deposit types; and other risks and uncertainties relating to the actual results of current exploration activities; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with adjacent properties and the Company's expectations; operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mining (including environmental accidents and hazards, industrial accidents, equipment breakdown, unusual or unexpected geological or structural formations, cave-ins, flooding and severe weather); environmental and regulatory requirements; availability of permits, possibility of equipment breakdowns and delays, exploration cost overruns, availability of capital and financing, general economic, political risks, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks involved in the mineral exploration industry, and those risks set out in the filings on SEDAR made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of th e date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities legislation.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

SOURCE: Brigadier Gold Limited

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/744326/Brigadiers-NEMASKA2-Property-Situated-at-Hub-of-James-Bay-Lithium-Exploration-Boom
Mastercard, ING and Migros among new and existing customers

SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / Picus Security, the pioneer of Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS), has today announced several major updates to coincide with the end of its 2022 financial year. The company, now in its tenth year, discloses strong financial results, four new leadership appointments, and multiple new strategic partnerships.

Picus helps organizations measure and optimize their threat readiness by simulating the attacks of real-world cybercriminals. The company recently released the next-generation version of its Complete Security Validation Platform to make validating security effectiveness easier and more accessible.

"In 2013, Picus was the first company to offer automated breach and attack simulation," said Picus Security Co-founder and CEO, Alper Memis. "Ten years on, the need for automation to augment traditional approaches and continuously validate security effectiveness against the latest threats is greater than ever. It's been a remarkable journey and the last 12 months have been the most exciting so far. Since securing Series B funding in 2021, we have doubled the size of our team, expanded our platform, and strengthened our channel and alliance programs."

According to Frost & Sullivan, the global BAS market is expected to generate more than $709 USD million in revenue by 2026*; with Picus driving adoption of the technology by removing barriers of entry for security teams of all sizes and skill sets.

Key updates from the company include:

Global growth - In 2022, Picus expanded significantly in North America, EMEA and APAC, with total Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) growing 110% across these regions. Growth is being accelerated by new and existing partnerships with distributors, resellers and managed services providers, including e92plus, Ridge IT and Firmus.

- In 2022, Picus expanded significantly in North America, EMEA and APAC, with total Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) growing 110% across these regions. Growth is being accelerated by new and existing partnerships with distributors, resellers and managed services providers, including e92plus, Ridge IT and Firmus. Customer success - Picus now has more than 300 customers, with new and existing clients including Mastercard (also an investor and partner), ING and Migros. The company's net dollar retention rate is close to 120% due to the impact of its platform and the adoption of new validation capabilities.

- Picus now has more than 300 customers, with new and existing clients including Mastercard (also an investor and partner), ING and Migros. The company's net dollar retention rate is close to 120% due to the impact of its platform and the adoption of new validation capabilities. New hires - Picus doubled its total headcount in 2022 and now has more than 190 employees worldwide, including new teams in Brazil, India and Singapore. Notable leadership team hires include Chris van Staden (VP of Sales, Americas), Trevor Daughney (VP of Marketing), Tiffanny Jackson-Davey (VP of People & Culture), and Omer Oz (VP of Finance & Operations).

- Picus doubled its total headcount in 2022 and now has more than 190 employees worldwide, including new teams in Brazil, India and Singapore. Notable leadership team hires include Chris van Staden (VP of Sales, Americas), Trevor Daughney (VP of Marketing), Tiffanny Jackson-Davey (VP of People & Culture), and Omer Oz (VP of Finance & Operations). Technology update - Picus launched the next generation of its Complete Security Validation Platform in November 2022, extending the capabilities of its technology beyond Security Control Validation with the release of Attack Path Validation and Detection Rule Validation solutions. Designed to be modular and simple to use, this all-new Saas platform makes continuous security validation quick and easy to perform.

- Picus launched the next generation of its Complete Security Validation Platform in November 2022, extending the capabilities of its technology beyond Security Control Validation with the release of Attack Path Validation and Detection Rule Validation solutions. Designed to be modular and simple to use, this all-new Saas platform makes continuous security validation quick and easy to perform. Threat library growth - Picus has continued to enhance its simulation capabilities to strengthen customers' defensive readiness against the latest threats. The Picus Platform's extensive threat library now contains more than 4,000 threats and over 20,000 malicious actions. New threats are added to the library within 24hrs of discovery, enabling security teams to validate controls and processes against the latest ransomware, APT groups and MITRE ATT&CK techniques.

- Picus has continued to enhance its simulation capabilities to strengthen customers' defensive readiness against the latest threats. The Picus Platform's extensive threat library now contains more than 4,000 threats and over 20,000 malicious actions. New threats are added to the library within 24hrs of discovery, enabling security teams to validate controls and processes against the latest ransomware, APT groups and MITRE ATT&CK techniques. New integrations - Picus' Technical Alliances Program (TAP), the largest ecosystem in the BAS market, ensures organizations can validate the latest security controls and benefit from vendor-specific mitigation recommendations to optimize them. In 2022, the company announced new product integrations with Palo Alto Networks, SentinelOne, Imperva, Zscaler, Trend Micro, Securonix, and more.

"2022 was the year that BAS went mainstream, with government agencies like CISA and the NCSC now citing the importance of automation to help organizations keep pace with rapidly evolving threats," said Volkan Erturk, Picus Co-founder and CTO. "By enabling security teams to continuously validate their security posture across even more aspects of their estate, The Picus Platform makes it easy for them to prioritize and manage risks more effectively. The investments we've made in our technology and talent mean that we will continue to push boundaries."

About Picus Security

Picus Security helps security teams of all sizes to continuously validate and enhance organizations' cyber resilience. Our Complete Security Validation Platform simulates real-world threats to automatically evaluate the effectiveness of security controls, identify high-risk attack paths to critical assets, and optimize threat prevention and detection capabilities.

As the pioneer of Breach and Attack Simulation, we specialize in supplying the actionable insights our customers need to be threat-centric and proactive.

Picus has been named a 'Cool Vendor' by Gartner and is recognized by Frost & Sullivan as a leader in the BAS market.

* Frost Radar:: Breach and Attack Simulation 2022, Frost & Sullivan

Media contact

Mike Marquiss

Decoded Comms

+61476267683

Mike@decodedcomms.com

SOURCE: Picus Security

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/744235/Picus-Security-Turns-Ten-Announces-Global-Growth-and-New-Leadership-Hires
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands and SAN DIEGO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SkylineDx, an innovative diagnostics company, focused on research & development of molecular diagnostics for oncology and inflammatory diseases, today announced the publication of an independent study showing that gene expression profiling (CP-GEP model) can be used to identify primary cutaneous melanoma patients with a high risk for disease recurrence.

The University of Tuebingen (Germany) study analyzed 543 patients diagnosed with stage I/II primary cutaneous melanoma between 2000 and 2017. It found that when combined with clinicopathologic factors, the CP-GEP model can be used to stratify these patients into high risk and low risk cohorts for disease recurrence. Specifically, the patients determined to have Low Risk have an almost five times favorable 5-year recurrence free survival (RFS) over the CP-GEP High Risk patients in stage I/II melanoma, with 93% of low-risk patients are recurrence-free 5 years after diagnosis [2].

Although the research was focused on patients with a negative sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), a separate analysis on patients with very thin melanomas and unknown SLNB status also demonstrated CP-GEP's ability to significantly stratify CP-GEP Low Risk from High Risk patients among this group. The publication supports the value of diagnostic information over a long-term period following the initial diagnosis. Outcomes of this study were published earlier this year by the European Journal of Cancer [2].

"We are encouraged by the study's findings, which support the potential prognostic utility of the Merlin test to inform patient consultation related to disease recurrence," comments Dharminder Chahal, CEO of SkylineDx. "The Merlin test can drive a profound economic benefit by significantly reducing the number of SLNB procedures performed on Low Risk melanoma patients. As we strive to present a complete view of the utility of the Merlin test, this research is an important addition to its clinical dossier."

The CP-GEP model used in the study is an innovative integrated algorithm that combines clinicopathological features with gene expression of the primary melanoma. SkylineDx launched a diagnostic test, Merlin, based on this model in the United States, where it is currently covered by Medicare. It also launched in Europe last year, as a CE-IVD kit. Merlin is used to identify patients (T1-T2 melanoma) at Low Risk for nodal metastasis that may forgo invasive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) surgery. SLNB surgery is used to determine metastatic spread of the cancer for staging purposes and is negative in approximately 80% of cases [3]. This University of Tuebingen research shows CP-GEP's potential to replace SLNB in patients that did not undergo the procedure [2].

About the Merlin test

The Merlin test uses the CP-GEP model, a powerful proprietary algorithm that calculates the risk of metastasis in a patient's sentinel lymph nodes [3]. The model is able to calculate risk on an individual basis through a combination analysis of 8 genes from the patient's primary tumor, the tumor thickness, and the patient's age; and has been analytically and clinically validated. The main focus of the Merlin Study Initiative, developed under the wings of Falcon R&D Program, is to conduct further clinical research and validation studies on the predictive use of the CP-GEP model. More information (including references) may be obtained at www.falconprogram.com. The Merlin test is commercially available and reimbursed by Medicare as a Laboratory Developed Test serviced from SkylineDx's CAP/CLIA laboratory in San Diego (CA).

About SkylineDx

SkylineDx is a biotechnology company focused on research & development of molecular diagnostics in oncology and inflammatory diseases. SkylineDx uses its expertise to bridge the gap between academically discovered gene expression signatures and commercially available diagnostic products with high clinical utility, assisting healthcare professionals in accurately determining the type or status of disease or predicting a patient's response to treatment. Based on test results, healthcare professionals can tailor the treatment approach to the individual patient. SkylineDx is headquartered in Rotterdam. the Netherlands, complemented by a U.S. base of operations and a CAP/CLIA certified laboratory in San Diego California, USA. To learn more about SkylineDx, please visit www.skylinedx.com.

Link to this press release on website SkylineDx can be found here.

Footnotes

1. Amaral et al., Identification of stage I/II melanoma patients at high risk for recurrence using a model combining clinicopathologic factors with gene expression profiling (CP-GEP). European Journal of Cancer (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2022.12.021.

2. Bellomo et al., Model combining tumor molecular and clinicopathologic risk factors predicts sentinel lymph node metastasis in primary cutaneous melanoma. JCO Precision Oncology (2020). https://doi.org/10.1200/PO.19.00206.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/independent-study-shows-favorable-long-term-prognosis-for-cp-gep-low-risk-melanoma-patients-301774982.html
Both companies enter into a global strategic partnership for Biologicals discovery and commercialization, that includes crop protection and biostimulant products based on molecules derived from natural sources / Kimitec becomes a new strategic partner for Bayer, combining their unique biologicals discovery capabilities with Bayer's global field-testing resources, market expertise and comprehensive crop protection portfolio / Implementation of LINNA, Kimitec's MAAVi Innovation Center AI platform, will accelerate the discovery of natural molecules

MONHEIM, GERMANY and ALMERIA, SPAIN / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / Bayer and Kimitec announced today a new strategic partnership focused on accelerating the development and commercialization of biological crop protection solutions and biostimulants. As part of a global agreement, both companies will become key partners to advance and establish biological solutions derived from natural sources: crop protection products that address pests, diseases and weeds, as well as biostimulants to promote plant growth.

Kimitec operates the MAAVi Innovation Center, Europe's largest biotechnological innovation hub with 15 years of experience in the research and discovery of natural molecules and compounds for agriculture and food sectors, to provide farmers and growers with all types of natural agricultural products. By leveraging Bayer's unparalleled product development expertise with Kimitec's proven discovery capabilities, biological product development will be accelerated to build integrated crop management solutions that can scale and develop through Bayer's global infrastructure backbone. This includes field testing, product support and commercialization.

"Bayer is committed to providing growers with the benefits of biological solutions as part of an integrated crop management system backed by our leading traits, crop protection products and digital tools," said Dr. Robert Reiter, Head of R&D for Bayer's Crop Science division. "Every farmer can benefit from biologicals, from seed treatment to pest control, and Bayer will be bringing together systems of solutions to provide more value by providing farmers greater flexibility."

With this agreement, Kimitec becomes a key partner for the acceleration of Bayer's pipeline of Biologicals. As a world leader in biologicals R&D, Kimitec's MAAVi Innovation Center will provide its expertise and its unique disruptive technology, including AI as an enabler of faster time-to-results. This will fuel Bayer's ability to market the next generation of biological solutions.

"Our work with Kimitec offers a unique accelerated path to innovative biological solutions that will help us deliver on our shared vision for a new generation of effective, safe, and sustainable solutions derived from nature," said Benoit Hartmann, Head of Biologics for Bayer's Crop Science division. "Being able to partner with Kimitec is exactly how Bayer is going to leverage the open innovation ecosystem to work with our different strategic partners and bring the next generation of biologicals to growers."

The biologicals market is expected to grow to nearly 25 billion by 20281, as consumers' demand for low- and no-residue food products, and retailer food sourcing standards drive growers to look for new innovations in crop protection. Since 2007, Kimitec has been developing effective biologicals that provide effective alternatives and complementary options to synthetic crop protection, aligning them well with Bayer's strategy to provide best-in-class solutions for growers through the integration of future and existing technologies.

"15 years ago, Kimitec had a clear vision to change the way food was produced. Our agreement with Bayer will help us get closer than ever to materializing our vision as it allows us to expand our global footprint and bringing our technology to millions of growers for the first time," said Felix Garcia, Chief Executive Officer for Kimitec. "As a world leader in biological solutions R&D and manufacturing, Kimitec delivers natural and sustainable solutions without a compromise in efficacy or productivity to the farmer. This agreement with Bayer is closely aligned with our 360 Open Innovation strategy, to partner with world leading innovation companies to bring meaningful and sustainable solutions for the farmer, the consumer, and the planet."

Note to editors:

Representatives from Bayer and Kimitec will be attending Fruit Logistica in Berlin from February 8-10, 2023. You are kindly invited to our joint event on February, 9 at 3:00 p.m. CET at Bayer's booth (Hall 1.2, Stand C23).

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2021, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 44.1 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 5.3 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

About Kimitec

Kimitec positions itself as the alternative to agricultural products based on synthetic chemistry, putting consumer health, the respect for the environment and natural productivity at the heart of the agricultural production system. Currently, the company operates in over 94 countries and have branch offices in the USA, Brazil, LATAM and China. In 2019, Kimitec opened its MAAVi Innovation Center, Europe's largest biotechnology innovation hub focused on the research and development of natural molecules and compounds, to facilitate the transition from synthetic chemistry to a more natural system in the agricultural and agri-food industries. MAAVi stands for "Making a Vision" and represents a unique way of producing food with natural solutions, without jeopardizing efficacy and productivity, and focusing on the environment and human health. Kimitec has currently over 50 independent research projects in the pipeline, all of them focused on developing natural, effective, productive, residue-free solutions for the main issues facing the farming industry worldwide. For more information, go to www.maaviic.com.

1 Source: DataM Intelligence, 2021: Global Agriculture Biologics Market

Market Size, Share and Forecast; Market Outlook, Opportunity and Data Analysis 2021-2028

Find more information at www.bayer.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

Contacts

Media Relations

Alexander Hennig

alexander.hennig@bayer.com

+49 175 30-89736

Investor Inquiries:

Bayer Investor Relations Team

ir@bayer.com

Kimitec

Paloma Touris

palomatouris@kimitec.com

+34 617 811841

View original content here



As a world leader in biologicals R&D, Kimitec's MAAVi Innovation Center will provide its expertise and its unique disruptive technology.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Bayer on 3blmedia.com.



Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Bayer

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/bayer

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Bayer

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/744365/Bayer-and-Kimitec-Join-Forces-To-Bring-the-Next-Generation-of-Biologicals-to-Millions-of-Growers-Worldwide
Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2023) - Cellular VPN has recently launched a breakthrough technology that promises to provide its users with a safer online experience. This technology comes in the form of an AI-powered smart data filter, which has been developed to ensure that every piece of data passing through the VPN is securely filtered.





Cellular VPN



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8744/158732_0ed451a42449e9ae_001full.jpg

With the ever-increasing amount of data being transmitted online, it has become more important than ever to ensure that this data is properly filtered and protected. This is especially true for those who use VPN or proxy services to access the internet.

VPN and proxy services are commonly used to protect online privacy and data security. However, these services are not foolproof, and many users still face security risks when using them. This is where Cellular VPN's AI-powered smart data filter comes in.

The filter works by using artificial intelligence to analyze and filter all incoming and outgoing data through the VPN or proxy service. This means that users can be sure that their data is protected and filtered in real-time, without having to worry about any potential security risks.

The technology used by Cellular VPN's smart data filter is advanced and innovative. The AI-powered filter is capable of detecting and blocking a wide range of threats, including malware, spyware, and phishing attacks. This ensures that users are protected from any potential threats while using the VPN or proxy service.

Furthermore, the filter is designed to be user-friendly and easy to use. It can be customized to suit individual user preferences, and users can easily turn the filter on or off depending on their needs.

Overall, Cellular VPN's AI-powered smart data filter is a game-changer in the world of VPN and proxy services. It provides users with a level of security and protection that was previously unavailable, making it safer than ever to use these services.

For more information, please visit https://cellularvpn.com/

Social media links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cellularvpn

Telegram: https://t.me/cellularvpn

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/cellularvpn

Media Contact:

Full Name: Luke Baker

Email: luke@cellularvpn.com

Company Name: Cellular VPN LLC

Location: 1200 Brickell Ave, Ste 1950 #180, Miami, FL 33131

Website: http://www.cellularvpn.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/158732
17 March 2023

TWENTYFOUR SELECT MONTHLY INCOME FUND LIMITED

(THE "COMPANY")

(a non-cellular company limited by shares incorporated in the Island of Guernsey under the Companies (Guernsey) Law 2008, as amended, with registered number 57985 and registered as a Registered Closed-ended Collective Investment Scheme with the Guernsey Financial Services Commission. Legal entity identifier: 549300P9Q5O2B3RDNF78)

PUBLICATION OF CIRCULAR AND NOTICE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

The Company announces that is has today published a circular to shareholders and notice of extraordinary general meeting of the Company (the "Circular") to be held at the offices of Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited Trafalgar Court, Les Banques, St Peter Port, Guernsey on 3 April 2023 at 10.00 a.m.

The Circular will be posted to Shareholders today and a copy of the Circular can be found on the Company's website at https://www.twentyfouram.com/view/GG00BJVDZ946/twentyfour-select-monthly-income-funddocuments.

A copy of the Circular has been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for viewing online at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism.

Terms used in this announcement unless otherwise defined, shall have the same meaning as set out in the Circular.

The expected timetable and text of the Chair's letter, extracted from the Circular, are set out below.

Expected timetable

Expected timetable of principal events 2023 Posting of the Circular 17 March Latest time and date for receipt of Forms of Proxy for the extraordinary general meeting 10.00 a.m. on 30 March Extraordinary general meeting 10.00 a.m. on 3 April

Chair's letter

17 March 2023

Dear Shareholder

Introduction

At the Company's annual general meeting held on 22 July 2022 (the "2022 AGM"), Shareholders granted the Directors authority to issue up to 41,992,703 Shares, being 20% of the Company's issued share capital at that time, and to dis-apply pre-emption rights in relation to such Shares, which would otherwise have required share issuance made pro rata to all Shareholders.

Due to ongoing demand for the Shares in the market, the authority granted at the 2022 AGM has been substantially utilised. As at 15 March, being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document, the Company had issued 33,800,000 Shares pursuant to the authorities granted at the 2022 AGM ("the 2022 AGM authority"). Accordingly, the 2022 AGM authority has been substantially utilised with a balance of 8,192,703 Shares remaining to be issued under the existing authority.

The Board is hopeful that there will continue to be strong demand for the Company's Shares and in order to meet such demand for the Shares, the Directors are now seeking approval from Shareholders for additional authorities to be granted in order for the Company to issue further Shares.

Share issuances utilising the 2022 AGM authority to date, have been made at a price per Share of no lower than a 2% premium to the last published Net Asset Value per Share at the time of the relevant issue, which the Company has calculated to be a level of premium which protected the then existing Shareholders from any economic dilution arising from such Share issuances. The Company intends that future Share issuances made pursuant to the authorities granted by the Resolutions, will continue to be made at no less than a 2% premium to the last published Net Asset Value per Share at the time of the relevant issue, in order to continue to protect the then existing Shareholders from any economic dilution arising from such issue.

Renewal of authority to issue Shares on a non-pre-emptive basis

The Shares have continued to trade at a premium to the Net Asset Value per Share since July 2022, evidencing strong ongoing demand for them in the market. As part of the Board's efforts to satisfy this demand and to instil a degree of premium control, the Company has issued 33,800,000 Shares during the period from the 2022 AGM to 15 March 2023 by way of regular tap issuances.

In order to seek to satisfy continuing demand for the Shares, and given the benefits to existing Shareholders described below, the Directors have resolved to convene the EGM on 3 April 2023 to seek additional Shareholder approval to issue further Shares for cash on a non-pre-emptive basis. Aside from the matter of Shareholder authority to dis-apply pre-emption, the Company must also comply with the requisite provisions of the Prospectus Regulation when issuing new Shares, and in particular the rolling requirement that the Company should issue no more than 20% of its issued share capital during any preceding 12 month period without having published a prospectus.

Benefits of the renewal of the authority to issue shares on a non-pre-emptive basis

The Directors believe that any Share issuance pursuant to the authority conferred by the Resolutions should continue to yield the following principal benefits:

 maintenance of the Company's ability to issue Shares to meet ongoing demand in the market, in order to provide effective management of the premium to Net Asset Value per Share at which the Shares may trade, to help to ensure that long-term investors who regularly acquire Shares are not disadvantaged;

 increase in the size of the Company, thereby spreading operating costs (other than management fees which are charged by reference to the Net Asset Value), over a larger capital base which should reduce the Company's ongoing charges ratio; and

 improvement of liquidity in the market for the Shares, enabling easier purchase and sale, and providing Shareholders with flexibility in the management of their own wealth without impacting the investment decisions of the Company.

Extraordinary General Meeting

An Extraordinary General Meeting ("EGM") of the Company will be held at 10.00 a.m. on Monday, 3 April 2023 at the offices of Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited, Trafalgar Court, Les Banques, St. Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3QL, Channel Islands. Notice of the EGM is set out at the end of this document.

The Directors consider that the Resolutions to be proposed at the EGM are in the best interests of the Company and its Shareholders as a whole. The Directors therefore recommend unanimously to Shareholders that they vote in favour of each of the Resolutions, as the Directors intend to do, in respect of their own beneficial holdings.

Resolution 1 and Resolution 2: Under Resolution 1, the Board is seeking the approval for the authority to issue and allot (or sell from treasury) up to 10% of the issued Shares. Resolution 2 is conditional on Resolution 1 being passed and applies in addition to Resolution 1. Under Resolution 2, the Board is seeking the approval for authority to issue and allot (or sell from treasury) an additional 10% of the issued Shares.

If both Resolution 1 and Resolution 2 are passed, Shareholders will be approving the issuance and allotment of 20% of the issued Shares. The Board recommends Resolutions 1 and 2 with a view to broadening the Shareholder base in a cost effective manner which will also help reduce the ongoing charges ratio. Broadening the register is one of the Company's key objectives and therefore the Board believes that it is important that the Company has the ability to issue new Shares to investors in order to satisfy demand.

If Resolution 1 is passed but Resolution 2 is not passed Shareholders will be approving the issuance and allotment of only 10% of the issued Shares.

Extraordinary Resolutions

Resolution 3: Resolution 3 dis-applies the pre-emption rights contained in the Articles so that the Board has authority to allot and issue (or sell from treasury) Shares for cash on a non-pre-emptive basis in respect of Shares in the Company (equivalent to 10% of the shares in issue as at the latest practicable date prior to the date of publication of this document, excluding shares held in treasury). The disapplication expires on the earlier of the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company and the date falling fifteen months after the date of passing of this Resolution 3, and permits the Board to allot and issue shares (or sell shares from treasury) after expiry of the disapplication if it has agreed to do so beforehand.

Resolution 4: Resolution 4 is conditional on Resolution 3 being passed and applies in addition to Resolution 3. Resolution 4 dis-applies the pre-emption rights contained in the Articles so that the Board has authority to allot and issue (or sell from treasury) Shares for cash on a non-pre-emptive basis equivalent to a further 10% of the Shares in issue as at the latest practicable date prior to the date of publication of this document, excluding shares held in treasury. The disapplication expires on the earlier of the conclusion of the next annual general meeting of the Company and the date falling fifteen months after the date of passing of Resolution 4, and permits the Board to allot and issue shares (or sell shares from treasury) after expiry of the disapplication if it has agreed to do so beforehand.

If both Resolution 3 and Resolution 4 are passed, Shareholders will be approving the disapplication of pre-emption rights in respect of a total of 20% of the Shares in issue. As the issue of shares (or sale from treasury) by the Company on a non-pre-emptive basis will only be made at a premium to the prevailing Net Asset Value, the Board believes that the authority to issue new shares equal to 20% of the existing shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) is appropriate.

If Resolution 3 is passed but Resolution 4 is not passed Shareholders will be approving the disapplication of pre-emption rights in respect of only 10% of the existing Shares in issue.

Meeting

The resolutions seeking authority for the Board to issue and allot further Shares will each be proposed at the EGM as ordinary resolutions and will each require a simple majority in order to be passed.

The resolutions to disapply the rights of pre-emption in respect of the Shares will each be proposed at the EGM as extraordinary resolutions and will each require a majority of not less than 75% of the votes cast in person or by proxy in order to be passed.

All Shareholders are entitled to attend and vote at the EGM.

All persons holding Shares at 10.00 a.m. on 30 March 2023, or, if the EGM is adjourned, on the register of Shareholders of the Company 48 hours before the time of any adjourned EGM, shall be entitled to attend, speak and vote at the EGM. Voting on the Resolutions will be voted on a poll. In accordance with the Articles, each Shareholder present in person or by proxy shall on a poll be entitled to 1 vote per Share held. In calculating such 48 hour periods, no account shall be taken of any part of a day that is not a Business Day.

As at 15 March 2023, being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document there were 243,763,518 Shares in issue (the Company currently holds no Shares in treasury).

Action to be taken

The only action that you need to take is to complete the accompanying Form of Proxy for use at the EGM

Shareholders will find enclosed with this document a Form of Proxy for use at the EGM. Whether or not you intend to attend the EGM, you are requested to complete the enclosed Form of Proxy in accordance with the instructions printed on it and return it to the Company's Registrar, Computershare Investor Services (Guernsey) Limited, The Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol BS99 6ZY, as soon as possible and, in any event, by no later than 10.00 a.m. on 30 March 2023. CREST members who wish to appoint a proxy through the CREST electronic proxy appointment service are referred to Note 9 of the notice of the EGM.

The quorum for the EGM is not less than two members present (in person or by proxy).

If a quorum is not present within thirty minutes after the time appointed for the commencement of the meeting, the EGM will be adjourned to 11.00 a.m. on Wednesday, 12 April 2023 at the offices of Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited, Trafalgar Court, Les Banques, St. Peter Port, Guernsey GY1 3QL, Channel Islands when those members who are present in person or by proxy will constitute a quorum.

Completion and return of a Form of Proxy or the giving of a CREST Proxy Instruction will not prevent a Shareholder from subsequently attending and voting in person at the EGM should they wish to do so.

Shareholders are requested to complete and return the Form of Proxy whether or not they wish to attend the EGM.

Recommendation and voting intentions

The Board considers that the passing of the Resolutions, is in the best interests of the Company and its Shareholders as a whole.

The Board accordingly unanimously recommends Shareholders to vote in favour of the Resolutions to be proposed at the EGM, as they intend to do in respect of their own beneficial holdings totalling 138,750 Shares (representing in aggregate approximately 0.05% of the Company's voting rights) as at 15 March2023, being the latest practicable date prior to the publication of this document.

Yours sincerely

Claire Whittet

Chair

For further information, please contact:

Numis Securities Limited:

Hugh Jonathan +44 (0)20 7260 1000

George Shiel

TwentyFour Select Monthly Income Fund Limited:

John Magrath +44 (0)20 7015 8900

Alistair Wilson
CHICAGO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MarketsandMarkets has been recognized as one of America's best management consulting firms by Forbes, as per their recent report released on 15th March 2023. Forbes listed 199 global consulting firms, of which only 4 are of Indian origin.





MarketsandMarkets leverages a culture of 'Give Growth' through a unique man-machine approach for progressive B2B firms. As a part of its growth program, MarketsandMarkets helps its clients monetize the $25 Trillion revenue shift happening in this decade.

Sandeep Sugla, Founder, CEO & Chairman of MarketsandMarkets, stated, "It's a joyous moment for all of us at MarketsandMarkets! The exemplary work of each employee and the entire culture of 'GIVE GROWTH' has resulted in us transforming into a management consulting firm, solving growth problems for global businesses leveraging a unique man-machine model - a model that delivers growth programs to executives responsible for driving growth - not just the boardroom. This recognition is a testament of our customer's faith in us and the value that we create in their overall growth journey."

Forbes partnered with market research company, Statista, to create the list of America's Best Management Consulting Firms that are optimally positioned to help businesses tackle the known and unforeseeable challenges in 2023. The list relies on surveys of partners and executives of management consulting companies and their clients. Companies were evaluated within different consulting sectors (such as automotive, insurance, and healthcare) and the expertise in which they offer services (including leadership, sustainability, and legal and litigation).

Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelpeachman/2023/03/15/meet-americas-best-management-consulting-firms-2023/'sh=1925eb8e5ff1

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space.

The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing.

To know more, visit: www.marketsandmarkets.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube

Contact:

Mr. Aashish Mehra

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/forbes-recognizes-marketsandmarkets-as-one-of-americas-best-management-consulting-firms-301775109.html
TOKYO, Mar 17, 2023 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Power IDS Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has received an order for a renovation project to enhance the output of steam turbine generators at the Renwu Refuse Incineration Plant, a waste incineration facility in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The renovation contract was concluded with Onyx Ta-Ho Environmental Services Co., Ltd. (Onyx Ta-Ho, Head Office: Taipei), a major waste disposal company that handles operations and maintenance (O&M) for the facility.The Renwu Refuse Incineration Plant is located in the Renwu District of Kaohsiung City, northeast of the city center. The initial 21-year contract period, begun when responsibility for O&M was transferred from the city's Environmental Protection Bureau to a private company, has now concluded. As the contract has been renewed for a further 15 years with Onyx Ta-Ho in charge of O&M, improvement work for core equipment is to be conducted. The conclusion of renovation work and start of operations is scheduled for mid-2024.The contracted renovation project is for steam turbine generators originally supplied by MHI in 1998. The scope of the project has been kept to a minimum, with components carefully selected for upgrade in order to make the best possible use of the existing equipment and improve efficiency. By optimizing the design of the turbine casing and internal equipment based on the changes in operating conditions since the plant was built, the project is expected to enhance power generation output markedly. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Power IDS was awarded this contract in recognition of its advanced engineering proposal, along with past performance and reliability that has ensured stable operations for more than two decades.Onyx Ta-Ho was established in 1992 as a joint venture between the French company Veolia, a major general environmental services firm, and Taiwan Cement Corporation. Taking advantage of favorable trends in the Taiwanese government toward privatization of waste treatment facilities, Onyx Ta-Ho has expanded its O&M business throughout Taiwan. This renovation project for core facilities, by providing for more efficient use of the heat generated from waste incineration, will enhance the cost performance of O&M, and is expected to contribute to the energy efficiency and CO2 reductions Taiwan is pursuing as a policy measure.Like Japan, Taiwan has a large number of small and mid-sized industrial thermal power facilities (boilers and turbines) in operation, not just waste incinerators. Decarbonizing these facilities has become a major concern for industry. As part of MHI Group, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Power IDS will utilize its technological capabilities to contribute to decarbonization and the realization of a carbon neutral world, while ensuring a stable energy supply for industry.About MHI GroupMitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world's leading industrial groups, spanning energy, smart infrastructure, industrial machinery, aerospace and defense. MHI Group combines cutting-edge technology with deep experience to deliver innovative, integrated solutions that help to realize a carbon neutral world, improve the quality of life and ensure a safer world. For more information, please visit www.mhi.com or follow our insights and stories on spectra.mhi.com.Source: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Copyright 2023 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2023) - Xtra-Gold Resources Corp. (TSX: XTG) (OTCQB: XTGRF) ("Xtra-Gold" or the "Company") announces today that, due to a longer than expected review process with its auditors, it may not be in a position to file its annual filings for the year ended December 31, 2022, which includes its audited consolidated financial statements as at and for the year ended December 31, 2022, together with the auditor's report thereon and the notes thereto, its management's discussion and analysis for the year ended December 31, 2022 relating to the audited annual financial statements, and the CEO and CFO certificates relating to its annual filings (collectively, the "Required Documents"), before the required deadline of March 31, 2023.

As a precaution, the Company has applied to the Ontario Securities Commission, as principal regulator for the Company, for the imposition of a management cease trade order ("MCTO") under National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203") throughout the duration of a possible default.

There is no certainty that the MCTO will be granted if the Company is not able to meet the required filing deadline. The MCTO, if, as and when approved, will generally not affect the ability of persons who are not or have not been management of the Company to trade in its securities.

The Company confirms that, in the event an MCTO is granted, it will satisfy the provisions of the alternative information guidelines under NP 12-203 by issuing bi-weekly default status reports in the form of news releases for so long as it remains in default of the above-noted filing requirements.

The Company confirms other than its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2022, there is no other material information relating to its affairs that has not been generally disclosed.

Other than as disclosed herein, the Company is up to date in its filing obligations.

About Xtra-Gold Resources Corp.

Xtra-Gold is a gold exploration company with a substantial land position in the Kibi Gold Belt, in Ghana West Africa.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among other things, statements about: the anticipated filing of the audited annual financial statements and the approval of the management cease trade order by the Ontario Securities Commission. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the inability of the Company to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Company's business plan, competition, regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, the success of the Company's research and development strategies, including the success of this product or any other product, the applicability of the discoveries made therein, the successful and timely completion and uncertainties related to the regulatory process, the timing of clinical trials, the timing and outcomes of regulatory or intellectual property decisions, the risk that the anticipated benefits from the receipt of funds from the Investor will not be realized as contemplated, or at all, and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation.

Contact Information

For further information please contact:

James Longshore

Chief Executive Officer

416-628-2881

E-mail: info@xtragold.com

Website: www.xtragold.com

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/158816
New Delhi, Mar 17 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday inaugurated a major exhibition based on the works of Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, an event held to also celebrate the 75th anniversary of India-Sri Lanka diplomatic relations.

EAM Jaishankar, accompanied by Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi and Sri Lankan High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda, inaugurated the exhibition titled 'Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential to be There, at the National Gallery of Modern Art.

In a tweet, the EAM said:

Delighted to inaugurate the Geoffrey Bawa: It is Essential to be There, at the National Gallery of Modern Art.

Noted the rich legacy of his work, which are also present in Madurai, Goa, Puducherry and Chennai in India."

The Sri Lankan High Commission in a tweet said that it, along with the National Gallery of Modern Art, and the Geoffrey Bawa Trust Sri Lanka, are presenting the exhibition at the NGMA, Delhi, from March 17  to May 7. It is the first major exhibition which draws from the works of Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa.

Among his many buildings in Sri Lanka, including residences, schools, clubs, offices, and hotels, the most notable is the Parliament Building.

According to an official statement, the exhibition celebrates the 75th Anniversary of Indo-Lanka Diplomatic Relations, and the Cultural Exchange Programme between India and Sri Lanka.

"Exploring relationships between ideas, drawings, buildings and places, the exhibition explores the different ways in which images were used in Bawas practice. Over 120 documents from the Bawa archives will be on view, including a section on unbuilt work and Bawas own photographs from his travels. This exhibition was first presented in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from FebruaryApril 2022.

"Bawas work has been exhibited at multiple venues in Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, North America, Australia, India, Brazil, Singapore, and Germany but this is the first exhibition to focus on the archive, and the first retrospective exhibition of his work to be shown internationally since 2004.

"The Geoffrey Bawa Trust received financial support from Kohler India as initiating partner to produce this exhibition."

UNI RN


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Routed through new hubs and expanded criminal networks, international cocaine trafficking has made a dramatic surge after an initial slowdown caused by the emergence of Covid-19, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said in a report.



Criminal networks are now diversifying with alarming results alongside record levels of production, moving beyond the pandemic and its related global shutdown, which had appeared to have temporarily hobbled the illicit trade, UNODC said in its Global Report on Cocaine 2023.



'The surge in the global cocaine supply should put all of us on high alert,' UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly said. The potential for the cocaine market to expand in Africa and Asia is a dangerous reality, according to her.



She urged governments and others to closely examine the report's findings to determine how this transnational threat can be met with responses based on awareness raising, prevention, and international and regional cooperation.



The report says coca cultivation soared 35 per cent from 2020 to 2021, a record high and the sharpest year-to-year increase since 2016.



The rise is a result of both an expansion in coca bush cultivation and improvements in the process of converting coca bush to cocaine hydrochloride, the drug which is then sold on the streets.



Many regions show a steady rise in cocaine users over the past decade. While the cocaine market remains concentrated in the Americas and parts of Europe, the report warns that there is a strong potential for a large expansion in Africa and Asia.



The report examines the emergence of new hubs for cocaine trafficking, noting that countries in Southeastern Europe and Africa - particularly those in West and Central Africa - are increasingly being used as key transit zones for the drug.



Arrests and seizures related to cocaine trafficking have also skyrocketed. A record high of nearly 2,000 tons of cocaine shipments have been seized by law enforcement around the world in 2021, the report said.



Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
March17, 2023, Oslo, Norway: PGS ASA and/or its subsidiaries ("PGS" or the "Company") has successfully placed a new $450 million senior secured bond with 4-year tenor (the "Bonds"). The proceeds from the Bonds will together with cash held on balance sheet be used to repay $600 million of the Company's Term Loan B (the "TLB") maturing in March 2024 at par value (the "Transaction"). The Transaction is expected to be completed around March 31, 2023.



The offshore seismic market is in strong recovery as multiple years of underinvestment in oil and gas exploration and development, combined with a materially changed energy security situation, drive a strong increase of E&P spending.

The Transaction materially improves the Company's debt maturity profile while still allowing PGS flexibility to pursue its deleveraging strategy without incurring excessive costs.

After the Transaction, $138 million of the TLB maturing in March 2024 will remain outstanding and be repaid at par value from cash flow and liquidity sources

The $50 million super senior loan maturing in March 2024 remains in place. The loan may be extended by one year at the Company's discretion or alternatively be replaced by a revolving credit and guarantee facility of up to $75 million

The Bonds are callable after two years with a customary declining call premium profile





Early February PGS made a repayment of $83 million on its export credit financing ("ECF") loans. The remaining balance of the ECF loans is $180 million gross (~$140 million net, if considering ~$40 million of restricted cash for debt service on the ECF loans).

The Bonds will carry a fixed interest of 13.5%. The total interest costs for the Company will be reduced following the Transaction as the Company will have significantly less debt. In addition, the interest on the remaining portion of the TLB is expected to be reduced by approximately 1% as a result of improved credit ratings and lower leverage. The Company remains committed to continue reducing its debt and thereby further reduce interest cost.

PGS retains a strong liquidity reserve after the debt repayments.

DNB Markets, a part of DNB Bank ASA and Pareto Securities AS acted as joint bookrunners (the "Joint Bookrunners") for the issuance of the Bonds. Advokatfirmaet BAHR AS is acting as Norwegian counsel to the Company and Wikborg Rein Advokatfirma AS is acting as Norwegian counsel to the Joint Bookrunners and Nordic Trustee.



FOR DETAILS, CONTACT: Bard Stenberg, VP IR & Corporate Communication

Mobile: +47 99 24 52 35



***

PGS ASA and its subsidiaries.

***

The information included herein contains certain forward-looking statements that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future. These statements are based on various assumptions made by the Company, which are beyond its control and are subject to certain additional risks and uncertainties. The Company is subject to a large number of risk factors including but not limited to the demand for seismic services, the demand for data from our multi-client data library, the attractiveness of our technology, unpredictable changes in governmental regulations affecting our markets and extreme weather conditions. For a further description of other relevant risk factors we refer to our Annual Report for 2021. As a result of these and other risk factors, actual events and our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in or implied by such forward-looking statements. The reservation is also made that inaccuracies or mistakes may occur in the information given above about current status of the Company or its business. Any reliance on the information above is at the risk of the reader, and PGS disclaims any and all liability in this respect.

--END--




NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / Twelve new participants join Nickelodeon's annual Writing and Artist Programs, designed to develop the next generation of creative voices from underrepresented communities. This year's programs are back in person at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank for the first time since 2020, where group members will develop their skills with hands-on work. The long-running Writing Program enters its 23rd year, while 2023 marks the 12th year for the Artist Program. Both programs are overseen by the Paramount Office of Global Inclusion and aligned with the company's Content for Change initiative.

"We are thrilled to welcome the new participants and future storytellers to the Nickelodeon Writing and Artist Programs," said Marva Smalls, Paramount's Executive Vice President, Global Head of Inclusion. "For over 20 years, this program has been a catalyst for many people in the creative community to learn and develop the tools needed to launch their careers. Programs like these continue our commitment to an inclusive talent pipeline and diverse representation within both creators and the content they produce at Paramount."

The Writing Program offers aspiring television writers with unique voices from underrepresented communities the opportunity to hone their skills and launch their careers as writers on Nickelodeon's scripted live-action and animated television productions. Nickelodeon's Artist Program opens the door for talented artists with unique voices from underrepresented communities by mentoring, developing and staffing emerging artists with diverse backgrounds and experiences on the studio's animated productions in design and storyboard roles.

The Writing Program participants are:

Paige Elson: Paige Elson is a writer, actor, and comedian originally from Stockton, Calif. While studying at Pepperdine University, she created a web-series with her fellow acting peers, wrote and performed monologues, and even created, produced, and performed in a showcase for the theater department's Black performers. As a Black, biracial, queer woman raised by a single, white mother, she often explores themes of Blackness, biracial-ness, womanhood, identity, and unconventional families in her writing.

Michelle Miyoko Timm: Michelle Miyoko Timm is a biracial Japanese American from Castro Valley, Calif. She attended Las Positas Community College, where she took an acting class she loved so much that she dropped out at age 19 and moved to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, she discovered that she's a terrible actress. She did, however, find a love for improv and sketch comedy, and writing short films. Timm decided to pursue comedy writing instead, and is proudly becoming her father at the volume of her mother.

Bryan Smith and Mayanna Berrin ("Bryanna"): Bryan Smith and Mayanna Berrin are what's known in show-biz as a "Triple Threat"-they write together, they do stand up together, and they apply for writing programs together! The essence of their voice as a writing team comes from the beautiful, messy collision of their opposite lived experiences. Berrin found her comedic style in her loud, mixed Long Island family that sent her to improv classes before she could talk. Smith developed his need-for-laughter growing up as an identical twin in Colorado.

The Artist Program participants are:

Chase Mack (Storyboard Track): Chase Mack was born in Houston, Texas and spent his formative years drawing and immersing himself in animation and filmmaking through local art classes and clubs. Mack graduated from The University of Texas at Dallas with a bachelor's degree in Arts, Technology and Emerging Communications with a focus in animation. Mack continues to further his passion in storytelling so that he can inspire the next generation of artists.

Dianna Kim (General Design Track): Dianna Kim was born and raised in SoCal's South Bay, spending summers at the beach or watching cartoons. As art was still just a hobby, she studied economics at UCLA and began a career in tech marketing. When she was abruptly laid off in early 2020, Kim found joy in drawing again and she made the big decision to pursue a career in animation. Through online classes, she found a love for creating spaces and telling stories through background art.

Chad Bennett (Storyboard Track): Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Bennett loved cartoons and spent most of his childhood drawing comics and characters inspired by the shows he saw on television. Thanks to the Internet and the advent of social media, Bennett discovered making silly cartoons could be a job! He pursued a degree in animation at Columbia College Chicago, where he found a deep love for storyboarding. Bennett recently moved to Los Angeles to break into the industry, hoping to share his sense of humor and his desire for complexity and diversity in the animation world.

Elise Fedoroff (CG Generalist Track): Elise Fedoroff is a Los Angeles-based 3D artist who grew up with a passion for telling stories through her art. Fedoroff secured her love for animation in the California State Summer School for the Arts pre-college program at CalArts, after which she attended Ringling College of Art and Design. There she discovered a passion for 3D modeling and texturing, and after graduating, put her skills to work in the toy industry.

Doyung Lee (Storyboard Track): Doyung Lee started his storyboarding journey two years ago, learning through mentorship programs like Rise Up Animation and Story4All, as well as numerous online resources. In college, he studied engineering where he fed his creativity by learning various forms of printmaking, building robots and coming up with eclectic art projects.

Jonathan Fernandez (General Design Track): Jonathan Fernandez is a visual development artist based in Los Angeles. As a child, he was inspired to draw and paint because of his love for television shows and movies. In college he jumped around different career paths but always found time to draw and paint. Fortunately, he stumbled upon a concept art painting that reignited his curiosity and redirected him to pursue animation.

Bikram Singh (Storyboard Track): Bikram Singh grew up in the suburbs of Sacramento, Calif. watching Saturday morning cartoons and anime. His passion for animation led him to enroll in the Animation/Illustration program at San Jose State University and there he joined the illustrious Shrunkenheadman Club. After graduating, he did design and animation work for various companies and organizations in the Sacramento area.

Richard Rodriguez (General Design Track): Richard Rodriguez is a visual development artist from Southern California with a sense of humor and lively imagination influenced by the cartoons that captivated him in his youth. Rodriguez honed his artistic skills at ArtCenter College of Design, where he discovered the power of visual storytelling. While working in animation has been his long-time goal, his greatest ambition is to entertain and inspire young audiences in the same way as storytellers have done for him.

Following in the footsteps of many others, alumni of the Writing Program currently working at Nickelodeon include Josh Brown (Story Editor, Baby Shark's Big Show), Angel Hobbs (Staff Writer, That Girl Lay Lay), Sarah Allan (Writer, Big Nate), Jeff Sayers (Staff Writer, The Loud House) and more. Additionally, Program Alumnus writer/producer Sameer Gardezi, in collaboration with his brainchild Break the Room, works closely with NWP designing and architecting innovative curricula for the workshops and writers' rooms exercises. Alumni of the Artist Program include Roger Hernandez (CG Generalist, Big Nate), Dominique Evans (Visual Development Artist, Transformers: EarthSpark), Sarah Jacques (Art Director, Santiago of the Seas), Jasmine Reyes (Storyboard Revisionist, Big Nate), Anna Hill (Storyboard Artist, The Loud House), Carl Edward Mongan (Storyboard Revisionist, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years), Marisa Torres (Visual Development Artist, Santiago of the Seas & Rock, Paper, Scissors), Jake Kim (Storyboard Revisionist, Shimmer & Shine). Outside of Nickelodeon, alumni of both Programs have gone on to create shows and hold staff positions at every major studio and network.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Paramount on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Paramount

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/paramount

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Paramount

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/744408/Nickelodeon-Welcomes-12-Participants-to-Annual-Writing-and-Artist-Programs
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares

For immediate release

17 March 2023

FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC

(the "Company")

MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES

The Company announces that it has today purchased 119,457 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 851.00 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company.

The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 17 January 2023.

Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 15,806,310; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 209,184,993.

The figure of 209,184,993 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

For and on behalf of

Frostrow Capital LLP

Company Secretary

For further information, please contact:

Victoria Hale

Frostrow Capital LLP

Tel: 020 3 170 8732
FTG Makes Strategic Investment in Advance Business Systems to Expand Market Share in the Northeast

BALTIMORE, MD / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / Flex Technology Group (FTG) announced today the acquisition of Advance Business Systems, a premier office technology and solutions provider based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Flex Technology Group - Advance

Flex Technology Group Continues National Expansion with Advance Business Systems

Since its founding in 1964, Advance Business Systems has become a leading provider of business solutions in Maryland, helping to improve workflows and increase efficiencies with Managed IT Services, Hardware, Production Print, Managed Print Services, Document Management, and Software Enhancement. Today, Advance Business Systems serves customers throughout the greater Mid-Atlantic region and across the nation out of its corporate headquarters in Baltimore, MD.

"We're excited to welcome Jeff Elkin and his team of over 130 professionals to the FTG family. Advance is a world-class organization. Their core values and unwavering commitment to their customers, community, and people align strongly with FTG, creating a solid foundation for a phenomenal partnership," states Frank Gaspari, CEO of Flex Technology Group. "With this acquisition, FTG's revenue now exceeds $400 million. We have a strong pipeline of great dealers looking to join FTG. Our national sales platform continues to fuel our organic growth. The future is exciting at FTG, and I look forward to the opportunities it will create for our 1300+ employees."

"I'm thrilled to announce our partnership with Flex Technology Group and what that means for our entire team at Advance and our customers - new growth opportunities, additional employee programs, and expanded resources to provide an even greater customer experience," states Jeff Elkin, President of Advance Business Systems. "We're incredibly proud of what we've built here and look forward to leveraging our collective resources to continue our growth and elevate our value propositions."

"We are excited to continue our best-of-breed acquisition strategy," said John Knoll, co-founder of Oval Partners and investment partner to Flex Technology Group. "Advance's longstanding customer relationships and deep market presence in the greater Baltimore area creates an attractive opportunity for FTG to offer its market-leading managed print platform to both existing and new enterprises in that market. Combining the local presence of our copier dealer partners that have joined Flex with the nationwide coverage and capabilities of FTG is a powerful combination that has benefited all our customers. This is an exciting continuation of that strategy."

Mr. Elkin, who will be an equity holder in Flex Technology Group, and his executive team will remain in their current leadership roles to ensure the continuation of the company's proven success in serving their employees, customers, and the greater Baltimore community.

###

About Flex Technology Group

Flex Technology Group provides customized office technology solutions for national and leading-edge regional companies. The company focuses on print, document management, document production, and managed IT solutions, representing industry-leading suppliers such as Canon, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, HP, Lexmark, Sharp, and various software solutions. FTG services over 25,000 customers nationally. For additional information, please visit www.flextg.com.

About Oval Partners

Oval Partners is a multi-family office investment firm designed to provide liquidity, growth, capital and acquisition funding to founders of growing businesses across North America. Oval's capital base is permanent-it is committed, unencumbered and unconstrained in terms of holding period. Oval offers the capabilities and capital of a private equity fund, but the mentality, partner orientation and investment time frame of a private holding company. Oval's principals have completed more than 75 transactions involving platform investments, acquisitions, exits, and re-financings. Oval focuses on making investments in the tech-enabled services, information services, internet, software/SAAS, and industrial technology markets. FlexPrint embodies the essence of Oval's targeted "buy and build" strategy in attractive, service-oriented, niche end markets. For additional information, please visit www.OvalPartners.com or contact Dan Ruhl at Dan@OvalPartners.com.

About Advance Business Systems

Advance is an iconic Baltimore-based business serving the Maryland community since 1964. They attribute their longevity to delivering exceptional service to customers as well as their commitment to the growth and development of their employees. Advance's mission: "We are a people company with an intense passion for improving our customers' businesses and enhancing our team members' lives," is the guiding principle behind their every action. Advance partners with Maryland businesses to identify areas within their organizations that would benefit from more effective technology and processes to help increase efficiencies while maintaining the security of their data and the safety of their employees. Advance provides Hardware, Managed IT, Managed Print, Document Management, and Software Enhancement services.

From its inception in 1964, Advance has made caring for and investing in its employees and their families a top priority. The culture is team-oriented and collaborative, with standardized processes in place that create efficiencies that are utilized at every level of the organization. Advance has been able to consistently thrive in the Baltimore marketplace by constantly adapting to and staying ahead of business and technology innovations. Learn more at www.advancestuff.com.

Contact Information

Andy Smalley

VP of Marketing

marketing@flextg.com

480-368-0011

Related Video

https://vimeo.com/557762641

SOURCE: Flex Technology Group

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/744421/Flex-Technology-Group-Continues-National-Expansion-With-Advance-Business-Systems
Recognizing the intersecting relationship between innovation, technology, the digital space and gender inequality, the Women's Entrepreneurship Accelerator (WEA) brought together senior representatives of its founding partners to mark its three-year anniversary with a timely discussion ahead of CSW67 on how to move the needle to create a more gender-inclusive innovation eco-system and to address the digital gender gap.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005336/en/

For the first time since its inception, CSW67 holistically examined the theme of innovation and technology from a gender perspective, presenting a unique opportunity to explore the gendered impacts of innovation and technology with recommendations that will set a course for a more inclusive and equitable digital economy.

With a mission to address the barriers faced by women entrepreneurs to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), WEA is working to create an enabling digital innovation eco-system for women entrepreneurs to ensure countries reap the benefits of the digital transformation underway to achieve a more inclusive and sustainable world.

Hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in Geneva, and convening WEA's five other UN partners, the WEA anniversary event highlighted the need to invest in women entrepreneurs through digital to scale their businesses. The event underscored how the digital revolution offers tremendous opportunities to advance women's economic status by opening up access to knowledge and international markets, and by enabling women to engage with a broader network. The event also served to highlight the risks posed by the digital transformation underway in perpetuating existing patterns of gender inequality. Key take-aways from the event included:

Existing innovation and start-up eco-systems greatly lack gender diversity and are characterized by an uneven distribution of opportunity and financial resources.

and are characterized by an uneven distribution of opportunity and financial resources. Women entrepreneurs are consistently faced with a lack of capital and investment to scale their businesses, 1 limited access to connectivity and to information and communication technologies (ICTs), as well as to opportunities to learn the critical skills necessary to compete in the digital economy. 2

to scale their businesses, as well as to opportunities to learn the necessary to compete in the digital economy. Digital technologies, platforms and tools can also reinforce harmful gender stereotypes and discriminate against women and girls, unless they are designed to be safe, inclusive and accessible from the outset. For example, gender biases found in data sets and coded in AI algorithm products may lead to systems and services that replicate patterns of discrimination.

and discriminate against women and girls, unless they are designed to be safe, inclusive and accessible from the outset. For example, found in data sets and coded in may lead to systems and services that replicate Women and girls, and especially those who are at greater risk for multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, are also the primary targets of online violence and abuse, which push them out of public participation, conversations and digital spaces more broadly. These are just some of the pressing challenges that call for gender-inclusive solutions in the digital age.

Did You Know:

37% of women in the world do not have access to the internet. 3

By 2050, 75% of jobs will be related to STEM areas. 4

Today, women hold just 22% of positions working in artificial intelligence and only 1 in 3 global researchers are women. 5

Only 28% of engineering graduates and 40% of graduates in computer science are women. 6

Women's exclusion from the digital world has shaved $1 trillion from the gross domestic product of low- and middle-income countries in the last decade.7

Launch of the WEA Digital Innovation Challenge

The event officially launched the WEA Digital Innovation Challenge by ITU with the support of Mary Kay Inc, as a key opportunity to advance this agenda. The global challenge selects 10 digital best practices and digital solutions with potential to create a more gender-inclusive eco-system for start-ups and scale-ups. These winners will gain access to the Digital Innovation Eco-System Program where they will receive capacity-building training to help further refine their business plans as well as specialized mentorship and access to a network of change-makers.

Extracts from the anniversary WEA event:

Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of International Telecommunication Union , spoke of the proven economic impact in bridging the digital gender gap, noting how in 2020 alone, potential revenues that were lost due to the lack of women's access to entrepreneurial opportunities was calculated at $126 billion. Bogdan-Martin called for more to be done to develop a gender-inclusive digital eco-system through partnerships with business, civil society organizations, policy makers, regulators and UN sister agencies.

, spoke of the proven economic impact in bridging the digital gender gap, noting how in 2020 alone, potential revenues that were lost due to the lack of women's access to entrepreneurial opportunities was calculated at $126 billion. Bogdan-Martin called for more to be done to develop a gender-inclusive digital eco-system through partnerships with business, civil society organizations, policy makers, regulators and UN sister agencies. Deborah Gibbins, Chief Operating Officer at Mary Kay, noted that while the pivot to digital provides a unique window of opportunity for women to innovate and scale their businesses, the digital acceleration can also perpetuate inequalities. To this end, Gibbins called for inequities to be addressed and the creation of an enabling environment for women to fully participate in the digital economy.

The Digital Innovation Challenge is the latest initiative of WEA. Throughout the event, WEA partners highlighted key areas of work they have advanced in support of women entrepreneurship since the inception of this transformative multi-stakeholder partnership.

Online Entrepreneurship Skills Development

The International Trade Centre (ITC) highlighted the first-ever free online Entrepreneurship Certificate Programme developed in support of WEA and launched in January 2022. The 27 module-digital curriculum covers the 7 key stages of the entrepreneurial journey and is available in English, Spanish, French and soon Arabic, Russian and Chinese. The curriculum is enriched with 200 videos and aims to teach aspiring and established entrepreneurs the skills to design and set up their businesses. Participants learn how to adopt an entrepreneurship culture, develop business ideas and learn start-up methodologies, prepare a business model, design a pitch, identify sources of funding, find the right partners and mentors, and build a team.

Private Sector Advocacy on Gender-Responsive Procurement

UN Women recalled its work to advance gender-responsive procurement highlighting last year's publication of an Advocacy Brief, with support from the UN Global Compact, titled Procurement's Strategic Value. Why gender-responsive procurement makes business sense. The Brief presents compelling evidence of the benefits for strengthening the participation of women in private sector supply chains in realizing inclusive economic growth and sustainable development.

Addressing the Barriers Faced by Women-Owned and -Led Start-ups

UN Women in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region spoke of the first ever Women's Entrepreneurship EXPO a bootcamp held across the region in 2021 to increase the capacities of women entrepreneurs to attract investment. This culminated in an Investors Pitch Finale in April 2022 where 25 women entrepreneurs from 9 countries (Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, North Macedonia, Moldova, and Serbia) pitched their early-stage start-ups and business plans to address one of the biggest challenges women entrepreneurs face in growing their businesses access to capital. Following their pitches, investors offered financial support, mentorship and networking opportunities to women entrepreneurs to help scale their businesses. In November 2022,the second live Women's Entrepreneurship EXPO, in partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Yildiz Holding brought women entrepreneurs and business partners together to mobilize and take forward specific action to advance the landscape for women's entrepreneurship development in the ECA region.

Women Entrepreneurship Policy and Advocacy in the LATAM Region

The International Labour Organization (ILO) introduced its policy and advocacy work in support of women's entrepreneurship development in LATAM. Over the course of 2020-2021, ILO conducted and released a Women's Entrepreneurship Development (WED) assessment of policy conditions that impact women's entrepreneurship focused on the commerce and industry sectors in Mexico City in support of WEA. The assessment included a series of 19 actionable recommendations to address the institutional gaps that exist for women entrepreneurs. In Brazil, ILO worked with Servicio Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial (SENAI) to advocate for women's entrepreneurship development through a package of communication and awareness-raising campaigns, capacity-building workshops and events.

A recording of the event is available here.

About the Women's Entrepreneurship Accelerator

The Women's Entrepreneurship Accelerator (WEA) is a multi-stakeholder partnership on women's entrepreneurship established during UNGA 74. It convenes six UN agencies, International Labour Organization (ILO), International Trade Centre (ITC), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Global Compact (UNGC), UN Women and Mary Kay Inc. to empower 5 million women entrepreneurs by 2030.

The ultimate goal of the initiative is to maximize the development impact of women entrepreneurship in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by creating an enabling eco-system for women entrepreneurs around the world. The Accelerator exemplifies the transformational power of a multi-partnership of unique magnitude to harness the potential of women entrepreneurs. Learn more at we-accelerate. Follow us: Twitter (We_Accelerator), Instagram (@we_accelerator), Facebook (@womensentrepreneurshipaccelerator), LinkedIn (@womensentrepreneurshipaccelerator)

1 Research suggests that women entrepreneurs face $1.5 trillion financing deficits. MSME Finance Gap, International Finance Corporation, 2017. https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/03522e90-a13d-4a02-87cd-9ee9a297b311/121264-WP-PUBLIC-M SMEReportFINAL.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=m5SwAQA

2 Of the estimated 2.9 billion people still offline, the majority are women and girls who are less likely to use a phone, access the Internet or have the skills to leverage digital technology. https://www.gsma.com/r/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/The-Mobile-Gender-Gap-Report-2022.pdf?utm_source=website&utm_medium=download-button&utm_campaign=gender-gap-2022

3 ITU (2022). Facts and Figures 2022 The gender digital divide (itu.int)

4 A smart move (pwc.com.au)

5 https://www.unesco.org/reports/science/2021/en/women-digital-revolution

6 We need more girls and women in science. What are three ways in which we can support them? (worldbank.org)

7 UN Women. Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. The Gender Snapshot 2022.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005336/en/

Contacts:

Mary Kay Inc. Corporate Communications

marykay.com/newsroom

(+1) 972.687.5332 or media@mkcorp.com
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2023) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: VGANF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leading consolidator of emerging food brands is pleased to announce that it has signed a definitive franchise acquisition agreement with PIRHO Food Grill ("PIRHO"), a gourmet bowls, wraps, and pitas fast casual Greek restaurant with the fresh wholesome tastes of Greece and the Mediterranean.



"We are very pleased to welcome PIRHO Food Grill into our portfolio of emerging brands. After announcing our entry into franchising with Lettuce Love, our plant-based QSR on March 9th, we are excited to add PIRHO Food Grill to our franchising operations with their fast casual Greek offering", said Sean Black, Chief Investment Officer of Happy Belly. "With the signing of this definitive agreement for an asset-light franchising model, we look forward to working with George Plagakis, founder of PIRHO Grill, and his team as we focus on a accelerated franchise development model and real estate growth plan for PIRHO Grill that is already in motion".



"Ever since we grew our previous brands such as Extreme Pita, Mucho Burrito, Burger's Priest and Fresh to over 300 franchised and corporate locations we have been looking for our next thoroughbred in fast casual. I can confidently say that not only have we found that next thoroughbred, but that we feel we have the chance to create a real category leader in North America with PIRHO Grill. The asset-light franchise model that we are implementing is one that I have worked with previously at Extreme Brandz and MTY Food Group (TSX: MTY). It yielded great success for us and will continue to be a big part of the future growth plans here for Happy Belly."

"PIRHO culture is rooted in old-world Greek traditions with an emphasis on family and community. We are really excited for the opportunity to provide fresh & healthy Greek food in a fast-casual environment across Canada as we join the Happy Belly family", said George Plagakis, founder of PIRHO Grill.





PIRHO Food Grill

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/158918_75a4d95004f47aa0_001full.jpg

This transaction is aligned with our strategic plan and goals of delivering shareholder value through accretive M&A. Post closing of this accretive transaction we anticipate immediate organic growth from PIRHO Grill through the existing four (4) locations and net new franchised locations being established throughout 2023 through an aggressive Canada-wide franchising program. Sourcing of suitable new locations is currently underway as we work with the PIRHO Grill management team on a combined accelerated growth strategy. Happy Belly is looking at the expansion of PIRHO Grill fast casual Greek restaurants via corporate and franchise locations.



Acquisition Details

Happy Belly & PIRHO Grill have signed a definitive franchise acquisition agreement. A JVCo was incorporated for the purposes of corporate franchise expansion and growth of PIRHO Grill Fast Casual Greek Restaurants.

Happy Belly will issue to JVCo such number of common shares of Happy Belly equal in value to $250,000 (based on a 10-day VWAP) at time of closing for 50% ownership of the JVCo. The JVCo receiving the shares will be 50% owned by Happy Belly, and George Plagakis and family will own the remaining 50% in exchange for PIRHO Grills franchising rights, brand assets and IP rights. The Company anticipates the closing of this agreement to take place within the next 10 business days. Happy Belly has also obtained the rights to acquire the remaining 50% of the business at its optionality.



Based upon 2023 growth plans for PIRHO Grill, the Company expects to open at least eight franchise locations that would operate under the joint venture agreement between the Parties. Gross system sales of approximately $7,500,000 are forecasted to be generated from the eight franchises to be opened.

About PIRHO Grill

We strongly believe that food can bring people together and inspire colorful conversations. PIRHO culture is rooted in old-world Greek traditions with an emphasis on family and community. In the Mediterranean world, mealtime is a big family event. The wholesome ingredients, the careful preparation, the irresistible aromas, the delicious food and of course the human interaction all make for a warm and inviting atmosphere. During our visits to Greece, this nurturing environment left a deep and lasting impression with us. So much so that it led to the creation of PIRHO True Food Grill. The best of Greece and the Mediterranean, right here in Ottawa. In our fast-paced world, taking the time to connect with friends and family has never been more important. You deserve to enjoy those precious moments and connect with your loved ones, in real life, with True Food. Join us for lunch or dinner at PIRHO Grill and fuel your soul.

About Happy Belly Food Group





Happy Belly Brands

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6625/158918_75a4d95004f47aa0_002full.jpg

Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: VGANF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leading consolidator of emerging food brands.

For more information please visit: www.HolyCrap.com, www.YamChops.com, www.LumberHeads.com, www.HealWellness.ca, www.LettuceLoveCafe.com, www.LadyGlazeDoughnuts.com, www.PirhoGrill.com, and www.HappyBellyFG.com.

Happy Belly Food Group

Shawn Moniz

Chief Executive Officer

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT:

www: www.happybellyfg.com or email hello@happybellyfg.com



Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur, and include the future performance of LumberHeads Food Co. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the business plans for Happy Belly described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are posted on www.sedar.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/158918
Lachute, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2023) - Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) ("QI Materials" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results of the voting at its Annual General Meeting ("AGM") of shareholders which was held yesterday, March 16, 2023 (the "Meeting"). All matters submitted to shareholders for approval as set out in the Company's Notice of Meeting and Information Circular, both dated Feb 10, 2023, were approved by the requisite majority of votes cast at the Meeting.

Shareholders voted in favour of all items put forward by the Company. At the Meeting, two new directors, Lisa Thompson and Hani Zabaneh, were elected to the Board. Incumbent director, Patrick Levasseur was re-elected to the Board for the ensuing year. Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"), Raymond Wladichuk will maintain his position as an officer of the Company. The Company would like to thank Ming Jang for his invaluable contribution as a member of the QIMC Board.

Raymond Wladichuk, CEO commented, "We are very pleased to welcome Lisa and Hani to the QIMC team. Their combined experience strengthens our expertise in all areas and will undoubtably be a huge asset as we advance toward our goal of becoming a major player in Canada's green economy."

About Lisa Thompson

Mrs. Thompson brings over 20 years of experience as a corporate/securities paralegal, working with both large and small cap companies listed for trading on US and Canadian stock exchanges.

For over 5 years, Mrs. Thompson has provided corporate secretarial consulting services for US and Canadian corporations.

Mrs. Thompson has also served on various non-profit boards and committees. She is a founder of Meraki Corporate Services in Vancouver, BC.

About Hani Zabaneh

Mr. Zabaneh is a seasoned consultant specializing in growth funding, mergers, and acquisitions, and transitioning companies to public markets.

For over 20 years, Mr. Zabaneh has held both officer and board positions in numerous public companies including Summa Silver Corp., Blue Gold Mining, Auryn Resources, and Sigma Lithium Resources Corporation. Mr. Zabaneh currently serves on several boards of public companies.

Previously, Mr. Zabaneh was a principal at Orange Capital Corp, a boutique investment bank located in Vancouver, BC. He was also Vice President of Corporate Development at Eventbase Technology Inc., where he was instrumental in helping the company secure Series A financing from a US-based VC.

About Quebec Innovative Materials Corp.

Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) (previously Quebec Silica Resources Corp.) is a mineral exploration, and development company with a diversified portfolio of natural resource assets including high grade silica, hydrogen, and helium properties. QIMC is working toward becoming a sustainable supplier of resources which are essential in advanced batteries and the electrification of the new green economy. The Company has a 100% interest in the Charlevoix Silica Project, near Clermont, Quebec, Canada as well as its various other silica properties in Quebec.

Additional information on Quebec Innovative Materials is available at www.qimaterials.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

QUEBEC INNOVATIVE MATERIALS CORP.

"Raymond Wladichuk, P.Geo."

Chief Executive Officer

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations

Tel: +1 (833) 474-5422

Email: info@quebecsilica.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor it's Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the CSE policies) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements". Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Quebec Innovative Materials' actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur.

Although Quebec Innovative Materials believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with general economic conditions; the COVID-19 pandemic; adverse industry events; future legislative and regulatory developments in the mining sector; the Company's ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; mining industry and markets in Canada and generally; the ability of Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. to implement its business strategies; competition; and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/158922
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2023) - York Harbour Metals Inc. (TSXV: YORK) (OTC Pink: YORKF) (FSE: 5DE0) (the "Company" or "York") reports that the Company has extended the expiry date of 2,500,000 outstanding share purchase warrants (the "Warrants") exercisable at $0.60 per common share from March 31, 2023, to April 1, 2024 (the "Warrant Extension"). None of the Warrants are held by insiders of the Company. All other terms of the Warrants, including the exercise price, are to remain unchanged. The Warrant Extension has received the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About the Company

York Harbour Metals Inc. (TSXV: YORK) (OTC Pink: YORKF) (FSE: 5DE0) is an exploration and development company with a focus on two high-grade projects in Newfoundland. The York Harbour Copper-Zinc-Silver Project is located approximately 27 km from Corner Brook in Newfoundland. The Company intends to continue drilling the 11 known mineralized zones and explore new massive sulphide targets.

Recently, the Company announced the acquisition of a high-grade Rare Earth Elements ("REE") project also located in Newfoundland. The Bottom Brook Critical Metals Project, covering 13,025 hectares, is located next to the Trans Canada Highway and is just 27 km from the deep-water port at Turf Point. York Harbour intends to actively identify diamond drill targets by property-wide prospecting and focused soil sampling and geological mapping. A substantial drill program scheduled for this year.

For further details on York Harbour Metals, please reach out to info@yorkharbourmetals.com or call +1-778-302-2257. You may also visit the Company's website at www.yorkharbourmetals.com for past news releases, media interviews and opinion-editorial pieces by management.

On Behalf of The Board of Directors,

Bruce Durham

CEO, President, and Director

Telephone: 778-302-2257 | Email: info@yorkharbourmetals.com

Website: www.yorkharbourmetals.com

1518 - 800 Pender Street W, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 2V6

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements herein include but are not limited to statements relating to the prospects for development of the Company's mineral properties, and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to business, market and economic risks, uncertainties and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/158926
LUXEMBOURG / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / Ternium S.A. (NYSE:TX) announced today that its annual general meeting of shareholders will be held on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. CET. Each holder of Ternium ADSs as of March 27, 2023, shall be entitled to instruct The Bank of New York Mellon, the depositary bank, as to the exercise of the voting rights pertaining to the shares represented by such holder's ADSs.

The following documents are available on the Company's website at www.ternium.com in the Investor section:

Notice and Agenda for the meeting.

Shareholder Meeting Brochure and Proxy Statement.

Company's 2022 Annual Report (which includes the Company's consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 and for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, together with the consolidated management report and the Company's annual accounts as at December 31, 2022, together with the independent auditors' report thereon).

Copies of these documents are also available, free of charge, at the Company's registered office in Luxembourg, between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. CET. In addition, shareholders registered in the Company's share register may obtain electronic copies of such documents, free of charge, by sending an e-mail request to ir@ternium.com.

About Ternium

Ternium is Latin America's leading flat steel producer, with operating facilities in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, the southern United States and Central America. The company offers a broad range of high value-added steel products for customers active in the automotive, home appliances, HVAC, construction, capital goods, container, food and energy industries through its manufacturing facilities, service center and distribution networks, and advanced customer integration systems. More information about Ternium is available at www.ternium.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Some of the statements contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are based on management's current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those statements. These risks include but are not limited to risks arising from uncertainties as to gross domestic product, related market demand, global production capacity, tariffs, cyclicality in the industries that purchase steel products and other factors beyond Ternium's control.

CONTACT:

Sebastian Marti

Ternium - Investor Relations

+1 (866) 890 0443+54 (11) 4018 8389

www.ternium.com

SOURCE: Ternium

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/744443/Ternium-Announces-Annual-General-Meeting-of-Shareholders
By Mir Afroz Zaman

Dhaka, Mar 17 (UNI) Various discussions are going on in the party focusing on the participation of 5 leaders of BNP in the dinner at the invitation of Indian High Commissioner Prannoy Verma.

On Thursday (March 16) at 7:30 pm, the leaders of the party went to the High Commissioner's residence in Baridhara. After the participation of these 5 specific leaders in the dinner, a multi-faceted discussion and exchange of questions started among the leaders of BNP.

While talking to the responsible leaders of BNP, it is known that Indian High Commissioner Prannoy Verma, appointed in Dhaka, suddenly organized a dinner with 5 leaders of BNP after many days. Even though there are regular meetings, discussions and banquets with some leaders behind the scenes, this time the news has become public, creating a mystery even within BNP.

A responsible leader commented, 'The 5 leaders who participated in the dinner - were they invited by the High Commission, or were they sent as a delegation by the BNP. If a delegation was sent by BNP, there would have been a chance to have the names of a few more people in the list," said this official.

He also mentioned, 'If 5 people have been invited by the Indian High Commission, then there is politics behind it.'

The matter was inquired at various levels of BNP. Several members of the party's standing committee claimed that the leaders who attended the Indian High Commissioner's residence were invited by the High Commission. Originally 6 leaders were invited.

Except standing committee member Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku, the remaining 5 leaders participated in the dinner. Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir was in the delegation - Dr. Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Abdul Awal Mintu and Shama Obaid. According to reliable sources of the party, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud could not go because he was busy with an important work.

The participating leaders, however, declined to comment on the dinner. BNP Foreign Relations Committee member Shama Obaid said, 'We were invited by the High Commission, we have gone. I can't comment any more.

Commentary by two members of the Standing Committee  First, Indian High Commissioner Prannoy Verma has joined. This is the introductory dinner. Secondly, bilateral issues were discussed. Among these issues, the issues that are being discussed between the people of Bangladesh and India have come up. At the same time, there was also the matter of upcoming twelfth national parliament elections.

When asked about the dinner, Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, chairman of BNP's foreign relations committee and member of the standing committee, said, "Purely dinner was held at the residence of the Indian High Commissioner on Thursday. In-formal talk at dinner. If it was a meeting - I might have briefed the media. As a result, there is nothing to comment on this dinner.

UNI MAZ GNK
BOWIE, MD / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / It's time to celebrate justice! Besides his recent reselection for top honors as a 2023 Top 40 Under 40 by the National Black Lawyers and National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, Samuel Elira, founder and lead attorney of The Elira Law Firm LLC (Elira Law) is proud to announce the grand opening of his second office in Upper Marlboro, MD, located conveniently next to the Prince George's County Circuit Courthouse at 5302 E.Court Drive. "This milestone marks a momentous occasion in our journey of providing justice and equitable representation to our clients," says Elira. This new office provides a more accessible option for clients who may not be able to get to the firm's original main office in Bowie, MD, located at 3060 Mitchellville Rd., Suite 216. Elira Law has been providing quality legal services to its clients for many years and now, with the addition of this second office, they are extending its reach to a wider audience in the service of justice in the Prince George's County community.

The primary reason for the choice of the new location is so that the team at Elira Law can better serve their clients by being close to the two main courthouses for Prince George's County. But there is a personal connection as well. Elira Law Founder Samuel Elira clerked for the Honorable William A. Snoddy at the Circuit Court for Prince George's County, MD early in his legal career. This means he has a personal connection to the court that he brings to the mix when helping the firm's clients. This brings a level of convenience and personal service that few firms can offer in the area.

Sam is excited about the firm's expansion, "Having this second office is an incredible opportunity to continue to provide the highest quality of legal representation to those who need it. By broadening our services to this new location, we can reach even more individuals who could benefit from our expertise and knowledge. I am proud to serve my community in this way and I am confident that this expansion will make it even easier for our clients to access our services."

About the Elira Law Firm, LLC

Elira Law is a full-service firm offering a wide range of legal services. It was founded in 2019 by Attorney Samuel Elira. They handle every type of legal matter, including criminal cases from traffic violations up to serious felonies, real estate, personal injury, and simple to complex civil litigation. They also handle family law cases, including divorce, custody issues, child support, and domestic violence. In the field of business law, they deal with business donations, drafting and reviewing contracts, breach of business contracts, violations of confidentiality agreements, fraud and misrepresentation claims, and violations of purchase agreements. The attorneys at Elira Law view themselves as public servants, hoping to leave the world a little better than they found it by providing their clients with the most effective legal representation. Their clients' testimonials all stress the high level of service they received from the firm. The firm serves its community in other ways, including supporting local charities and offering its services pro bono to several indigent clients each year.

The story of Elira Law is closely tied to the story of its founder, Samuel Elira. Samuel became an attorney to serve others because he realized that African Americans are underrepresented in the legal profession. After receiving his law degree from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, he clerked for the Honorable Michelle M. Rick at the 29th Circuit for Gratiot County, Michigan. He continued his record of service at the Michigan State Appellate Defender's Office (SADO) in the Juvenile Lifer Division. There Sam was tasked with helping indigent juvenile defendants that had been serving the unconstitutional sentence of Life without Parole. He then went on to clerk for Circuit Judge William Snoddy in the Circuit Court for Prince George's County.

Sam's passion for serving his community eventually led him to enter politics. In July 2022, he became a candidate for Prince George's County Council. Sam says, "I love the great state of Maryland, and I have a deep connection to the people of Prince George's County. Serving others is the truest path to happiness."

His experience and convictions have set the tone for how Elira Law operates, with a staff of people who share his servant's heart. Contact Elira Law today if you need legal help.

You can also find Elira Law Firm on Facebook,Instagram,LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Contact: Attorney Samuel Elira

Phone: (410) 934-4926, or (301) 936-1418

Email: samelira@eliralawfirm.com

Website:https://www.theeliralawfirm.com/

A Production of Pro Bono Legal, LLC/LawTegic: john.fenno@probonolegal.org

SOURCE: The Elira Law Firm, LLC

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/744286/Elira-Law-Firm-LLC-Opens-Second-Office-in-Prince-Georges-County-Maryland-Celebrating-Justice
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / Today, CNH Industrial is expanding its alternative fuel capabilities by taking a majority stake in Bennamann - a UK-based expert in solutions to capture, repurpose and store fugitive methane emissions for energy use. In conjunction with CNH Industrial equipment, Bennamann's infrastructure delivers a carbon negative system that fully supports a circular economy in farming. This move boosts our leading position and portfolio in alternative fuels for the agriculture industry.

"By consolidating our share in Bennamann, we are offering our customers a full energy production, storage and distribution service," says Derek Neilson, President Agriculture at CNH Industrial. "This solution can transform farms into mini energy hubs that can satisfy their own energy needs, produce their own natural fertilizer and sell any excess gas on the open market. It also enables them to generate their own electricity. This makes us a true alternative energy enabler, able to serve myriad applications and contribute to a carbon negative future."

Reducing emissions such as methane and CO2 from biowaste and operations is one of agriculture's greatest environmental issues. To help farmers meet this challenge, CNH Industrial has been pioneering sustainable alternative power solutions in agriculture for over two decades, including the world's first tractor running on compressed natural gas - the New Holland T6.180 Methane Power. Alternative fuels and electrification can enhance a farmer's operational flexibility, efficiency, and even profitability, while dramatically offsetting their carbon footprint.

Our relationship with Bennamann began in 2019 when we jointly developed a liquefied natural gas fuel tank for our tractor prototype. In 2021, our Ventures investment arm acquired a minority stake in the business. On a pilot farm in the UK, our shared technologies are capturing fugitive emissions from farm biowaste - specifically livestock manure slurry - which are then purified into biomethane that is subsequently either compressed or liquefied. Both can be used as vehicle fuel, to generate electricity, and even supply household or farm power, while the byproducts of the conversion process can be used as a natural fertilizer. In total, the system provides energy independence for the farm, reduces input costs, and potentially generates additional revenue streams. This work has also led to the introduction of the world's first liquefied fugitive methane tractor prototype, the New Holland T7 Methane Power LNG, which is operationally carbon negative when fueled by Bennamann's system.

This latest strategic investment furthers our commitment to the Science Based Targets initiative by reducing CO2 emissions in agriculture. Our research has found that a 120-cow farm operating our shared methane capture technology can reduce the CO2 equivalent of 100 western European households - about 780 tons annually.

Together, we have progressed beyond the prototype phase and will install the CNH Industrial-Bennamann solution on multiple farms over the next year. This will start with compressed fugitive methane solutions, moving to liquefied in the future.

Why Liquefied Fugitive Methane?

Due to its high energy density, liquefied methane (a natural gas) is much easier to store and efficiently distribute than renewable energy sources such as Hydrogen and compressed natural gas. This makes liquefied methane a direct and suitable replacement for fossil fuels in high power applications, even in the most remote locations such as construction sites.

Our strategic and sustainable solutions see CNH Industrial continue Breaking New Ground in energy independence to keep our customers competitive while facilitating climate-friendly practices in farming.

Click here to view the full Press Release.

Caption: New Holland T7 Methane Power LNG Tractor with Bennamann system at pilot farm in the UK

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from CNH Industrial on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: CNH Industrial

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cnh-industrial

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: CNH Industrial

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/744461/CNH-Industrial-Takes-Controlling-Stake-in-Bennamann
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2023) - Defence Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: DTC) ("Defence" or the "Company"), a Canadian biopharmaceutical company specialized in the development of immune-oncology vaccines and drug delivery technologies, is pleased to announce that over the course of the last 6 months the Company has received over $5 million in gross proceeds from the exercise of warrants, pursuant an early warrant exercise program (the "Early Warrant Exercise Program").

To date 4,395,500 common share purchase warrants (each a "Warrant") issued by the Company on December 24, 2020 have been exercised at an exercise price of $1.25 per share under the Early Warrant Exercise Program. As a result of the exercises of Warrants, the Company received gross proceeds of $5,494,375.

The Company will pursue the Early Warrant Exercise Program with Canaccord Genuity Corp. ("Canaccord") assisting in the exercise of up to an additional 3,589,500 Warrants on a commercially reasonable best-efforts basis. The term of Canaccord's services will run until April 30, 2023.

Canaccord will be compensated with a cash fee equal to 5% of the total gross proceeds raised from the exercise of the Warrants and further, will be issued compensation warrants exercisable at $4.00 or such greater price as is required by the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange into one common share for a period of two years from the date of issuance (each a "Compensation Warrant"). Compensation Warrants shall only be exercisable for such number of common shares in the capital of the Company as equals 5% of the total number of Warrants exercised under the Early Warrant Exercise Program. As of the date hereof, the Company paid Canaccord aggregate cash fees of $285,674.25, and issued Canaccord 219,775 Compensation Warrants, equals to 5% of the total number of Warrants exercised under the Early Warrant Exercise Program, having the following terms: 44,475 Compensation Warrants exercisable at a price $2.50 per share until September 23, 2024, 169,100 Compensation Warrants exercisable at a price of $3.00 per share until January 30, 2025, and 6,200 Compensation Warrants exercisable at a price of $3.00 until February 27, 2025.

About Defence:

Defence Therapeutics is a publicly-traded biotechnology company working on engineering the next generation vaccines and ADC products using its proprietary platform. The core of Defence Therapeutics platform is the ACCUMTM technology, which enables precision delivery of vaccine antigens or ADCs in their intact form to target cells. As a result, increased efficacy and potency can be reached against catastrophic illness such as cancer and infectious diseases.

For further information:

Sebastien Plouffe, President, CEO and Director

P: (514) 947-2272

Splouffe@defencetherapeutics.com

www.defencetherapeutics.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

Neither the CSE nor its market regulator, as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/158823
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - March 17, 2023) - Deveron Corp. (TSXV: FARM) ("Deveron" or the "Company"), a leading agriculture service and data company in North America, announces that it has agreed to settle an aggregate of $103,265 of indebtedness owed to an arm's length creditor of the Company through the issuance of an aggregate of 295,043 common shares (each, a "Common Share") of the Company at a deemed price of $0.35 per Common Share (the "Debt Settlement"). The Debt Settlement remains subject to receipt of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued in connection with the Debt Settlement will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation.

About Deveron: Deveron is an agriculture technology company that uses data and insights to help farmers and large agriculture enterprises increase yields, reduce costs and improve farm outcomes. The company employs a digital process that leverages data collected on farms across North America to drive unbiased interpretation of production decisions, ultimately recommending how to optimize input use. Our team of agronomists and data scientists build products that recommend ways to better manage fertilizer, seed, fungicide, and other farm inputs. Additionally, we have a national network of data technicians that are deployed to collect various types of farm data, from soil to drone. Our geographic focus is the US and Canada where 1 billion acres are actively farmed annually.

For more information, please visit www.deveron.com .

Phil Linton

VP Corporate Development

Deveron Corp.

Plinton@deveron.com

Tel: 647-622-0076

"Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of that phrase under Canadian securities laws. Without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Company are forward looking statements that involve various degrees of risk. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current views with respect to possible future events and conditions and, by their nature, are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific to the Company. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements. The following are important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: changes in the world-wide price of agricultural commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in agriculture, the uncertainty of future profitability and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. Additional information regarding the material factors and assumptions that were applied in making these forward-looking statements as well as the various risks and uncertainties we face are described in greater detail in the "Risk Factors" section of our annual and interim Management's Discussion and Analysis of our financial results and other continuous disclosure documents and financial statements we file with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update this forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. The Company relies on litigation protection for forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/158948
almentor, a Dubai, UAE-based provider of an online video learning platform in Arabic, raised $10M in Series C funding.

The round was led by e& capital, Partech, Sawari Ventures, Egypt Ventures, Sango Capital and Endure Capital.

The company intends to use the funds to increase its investment in the B2C segment and to expand in Saudi Arabia.

Led by CEO Dr. Ihab Fikry and COO and Mr. Ibrahim Kamel, almentor is a provider of an online video learning platform in Arabic. Since 2016, the company has worked with more than 950 mentors to create over 1,000 online courses for individuals, corporations, and government entities. The start-up recently launched its monthly & annual subscription plans where learners get unlimited access to a library of over 700 courses on topics as diverse as health, humanities, technology, entrepreneurship, business management, lifestyle, drama, sports, corporate communication, and digital media.

The company targets a market of more than 400 million Arabic speakers with underserved educational needs.

The team also includes Sonia Lekhal (Chief Customer Officer), Adel Khalil (Chief Technology Officer), Sally Metwally (Chief Business Development Officer), Tharwat Ibrahim (Chief Finance Officer), and Ahmed Faysal (Chief Content Production Officer).

FinSMEs

17/03/2023
Fenix24, a Chattanooga, TN-based cyber disaster recovery company, raised $5M in funding.

The round was led by Eos Venture Partners. Zach Powell, General Partner of Eos Venture Partners, will join Fenix24 as a board member.

The company intends to use the funds to scale operations to meet growing market demand for ransomware response and recovery.

Led by CEO Mark Grazman, Fenix24, a sister company of Conversant Group, provides a professional cybersecurity force focused exclusively on restoring companies after cyber breach events. With Fenix24, global cyber carriers, brokers and reinsurers can empower policyholders and target the most critical, damaging parts of a ransomware attack post-breach. Their approach:

Starts involvement at Hour One post-breach.

Accelerates the gathering and of essential data for forensics, which enables a more rapid and modularized restoration strategy.

Drives faster up-time in critical systems through aligning an executive view of business operations with front-line, technical and battle-tested expertise.

FinSMEs

17/03/2023
Zedify, a Cambridge, UK-based electric cargo bike delivery network, raised 5M in funding.

The round was led by Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital and MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund, with participation from existing investor Green Angel Syndicate.

The company intends to use the funds to to roll out the service to more locations including Birmingham and Manchester and more than double in size with the creation of over 120 jobs nationwide including 20 in the Midlands. The company also plans to move it headquarters to Birmingham.

Founded in 2018 by Rob King, and Sam Keam, Zedify operates microhubs on the edge of city centres where parcels are consolidated for onward delivery. It also has its own fleet of electric cargo bikes and its own technology platform which offers consumers a choice about when they receive deliveries and optimises for the most cost-effective and low-impact routes.

The company works in partnerships with leading national delivery firms as well as big retail brands and hundreds of regional and local businesses.

FinSMEs

17/03/2023
India hosting 100th G20 meeting today, in run up to September summit 17 Apr 2023 | 1:53 PM New Delhi, Apr 17 (UNI) India is hosting its 100th G20 meeting today, the Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) in Varanasi, which marks a key milestone in its G20 Presidency. see more..

8 injured after a house collapses due to LPG cylinder blast 17 Apr 2023 | 12:19 PM New Delhi, Apr 17 (UNI) At least eight persons were injured after a building collapsed due to LPG cylinder blast at gali no 10, Kunwar Singh Nagar in Delhis Nangloi Road area, Delhi Fire Service said on Monday. see more..

Decennial Census should be conducted immediately: Kharge 17 Apr 2023 | 11:42 AM New Delhi, Apr 17 (UNI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has demanded that the BJP-led government at the Centre should immediately conduct the decennial Census and that a comprehensive 'Caste Census' be made its integral part. see more..

India records 9,111 fresh cases of Covid-19 and 24 more deaths 17 Apr 2023 | 11:39 AM New Delhi, Apr 17 (UNI) India recorded a 9,111 fresh cases of Covid-19 during the last 24 hours as per the latest by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday. see more..
Indias top wearables brand, boAt, has partnered with Singapore-based KaHa Technologies to create state-of-the-art smartwatches that offer primary, preventive, and customized healthcare data.

These wearables use an AI-based algorithm to track critical health data and provide insights into ones health, using unconventional data that is not typically collected in a hospital setting.

boAt and KaHa Technologies Develop Smartwatches for Healthcare

boAt, in partnership with KaHa Technologies, has developed smartwatches to help monitor and diagnose patients, offering primary, preventive, and customized healthcare data.

Recently, the companies partnered with Jalan Kayu Community Health Club (JKCHC) in Singapore, providing newly developed smartwatches to club members for regular vitals monitoring.

Health partners such as Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and Pinnacle Family Clinics supported this project, which will soon extend to General Practitioner Clinics. The Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong, hosted a formal ceremony to mark the occasion.

boAt acquired KaHa Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based smart IoT product development company, in 2022 to create IoT-Enabled Wearables. With expertise in building IoT devices and a technology-focused platform for wearables, KaHa offers proprietary AI and machine learning capabilities, as well as end-to-end smart wearable solutions. Theyve received the prestigious Clarivate award for Innovation for two consecutive years, 2020 and 2021.

Smartwatches launching soon

boAt also announced the launch of smartwatches powered by KaHa Technologies in India, which will help monitor and diagnose patients, offering primary, preventive, and customized healthcare data.

Speaking on the announcement, Pawan Gandhi  Founder, and CEO  COVE IoT  KaHa Pte Ltd said,

Smart Watches have been a game-changing technology for users to achieve better fitness and health. Artificial Intelligence based algorithms can provide personal insights and KaHa has been a pioneer in this domain with considerable IP and leading the industry. Our platform has been deployed by companies and health agencies in the United States of America, and Europe in addition to Singapore. With complete end-to-end in-house technology, KaHa plans to deploy these solutions for Indian consumers with its parent company Imagine Marketing Pvt Ltd soon. boAt is the most loved smartwatch brand in India, and we will be pioneering this initiative in India through an ecosystem of partners to bring the best advantage to Indian users.

Speaking on the collaboration, Sameer Mehta, CEO and Managing Director at boAt said,
Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 Mobile platform today that promises 50% improved CPU performance, 2x improved GPU performance and 13% improved power efficiency. Qualcomms release already revealed Redmi and realme phones will be the first to use the chip.

At the China event, Qualcomm has confirmed that the realme GT Neo5 SE and Redmi Note 12 Turbo will be the first phones with Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 SoC.

Redmi Note 12 Turbo

Lu Weibing, the general manager of Redmi, said that the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 is a revolutionary product and the most powerful 7 series ever. Its appearance will completely change the status quo of the mid-end chip market and greatly promote the overall upgrade of terminal performance, he added.

He said that he is particularly optimistic about this chip, which is very important for Redmi, especially the Note series.

The GM said that that the second-generation Snapdragon 7+ chip is jointly developed by Redmi and Qualcomm after multiple rounds of in-depth discussions between the two teams.

From the initial specification proposal, precise positioning, product definition, to the final full-scale implementation of functions, I participated in the whole process.

It will offer a flagship experience, breaking the rules in the mid-range product line with the largest user base and a disruptive performance upgrade, he added.

The new generation of performance Redmi Note 12 Turbo will be the worlds phone to be powered by the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 SoC. It inherits the excellent tuning of Redmi, equipped with the latest gaming engine, not only has a million-level performance, but also offers a full gaming experience.

The Redmi Note 12 Turbo will launch in China later this March. Based on rumours, the phone will launch outside China as POCO F5, successor to the popular POCO F4 smartphone powered by Snapdragon 870 SoC.

realme GT Neo5 SE

realme also claims that its GT Neo5 SE will be the first to be equipped with the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 SoC. The company already confirmed that the phone will launch later this month, probably a few days after the Redmi Note 12 Turbo launch.

Based on rumours, the phone will feature a 6.74-inch 144Hz AMOLED display with 2160Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, 64MP rear camera with Omnivision OV64M sensor, OIS, 8MP ultra-wide camera, 2MP macro camera, 16MP front-facing camera and a 5500mAh (typical) battery with 100W SuperVOOC fast charging.

We should know more details about both the phones in the coming days.

Source 1, 2
After rumours, Samsung has confirmed the launch of Galaxy F14 5G, successor to last years F13 in India on March 24th. The company says that it is the first phone in the segment to be powered by a 5nm chip, which is Exynos 1330. The phone has support for 13 5G bands.

The phone will come in 4GB and 6GB RAM versions, with up to 6GB of additional virtual RAM with RAM Plus. It will come with a 6.6-inch FHD+ screen with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, run Android 13 with OneUI 5.0, and the company has promised 2 OS updates and 4 years of security updates for the phone.

Samsung says that it is the first phone in the segment to packs a 6000mAh battery with support for 25W fast charging. This promises 2 days of battery life.

The company also hints at under Rs. 15,000 starting price for the phone. It will be sold on Flipkart, in addition to Samsung.com.
Tokyo, Mar 17 (UNI) The Japanese government has sanctioned three North Korean officials involved in the development of nuclear and missile programs of North Korea in response to Pyongyang's launch of a Hwansong-17 ballistic missile on Thursday, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Friday.

On Thursday, Japan's Defense Ministry said that North Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile from Sunan District in Pyongyang toward the Sea of Japan. The missile flew for about 70 minutes and presumably landed at 8:19 a.m. local time (23:19 GMT on Wednesday) 125 miles from Oshima Island in Hokkaido, outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. The missile traveled some 620 miles at an altitude of 3,728 miles, according to the Japanese military. The state-run Korean Central News Agency reported on Friday that North Korea test-fired a Hwansong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday in response to joint military drills, held by the United States and South Korea.

"These provocative actions, taken with unprecedented frequency, constitute a serious and imminent threat and are totally unacceptable," Matsuno told a briefing.
Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], March 17: Top officials from the University of Bradford visited Vadodara with the view to explore academic collaborations with city-based educational institutes and meet aspiring students. This visit is part of their 12-day Indian and Sri Lanka tour aimed at strengthening ties between the University and students in these two countries. The officials also visited Vadodara, Gujarat, at their partneras Global Collaince office to meet prospective students.

The top officials who visited the city include Vice-Chancellor Professor Shirley Congdon and Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Gaffney, Professor Vishanth Weerakkody, Professor & Associate Dean School of Management and Jaishree Chaturvedi, MCIM, Regional Manager, South Asia and Indonesia will visit Colombo, Sri Lanka and Delhi, India, as well as other locations, to link up with their counterparts in higher education institutions.

A special greet and meet event were hosted for the University officials wherein they met heads of academic institutes in the city. The objective was to explore various collaboration opportunities with the University of Bradford. It also aimed to promote research and educational exchange programs between the two countries.

Officials, during their visit, wanted to establish a framework for joint research projects, student and faculty exchange programs, and other academic initiatives. This partnership will facilitate the sharing of expertise and knowledge, fostering a culture of innovation and discovery.

The objective of the trip was:

To increase and diversify student recruitment from India and Sri Lanka

To raise the profile of the University of Bradford on an international stage

To engage with businesses and institutions and develop partnerships

To reconnect with alumni and launch our alumni representatives and ambassador schemes

Vice Chancellor Professor Shirley Congdon said: We are excited to partner with universities and educational institutes here and combine our strengths to advance our academic missions. Through collaboration, we would want to assert our commitment to promote global academic excellence and research.a

In addition, the University of Bradford will be honoured to welcome a delegation of top officials from India. The delegation can explore opportunities for academic and research collaborations with Indian institutions.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Gaffney said: This visit is a testament to the strong partnership between our countries and the potential for greater collaboration in the future.

Jaishree Chaturvedi, MCIM, Regional Manager, South Asia and Indonesia, said, aWith a rich history of making knowledge work, our mission is simple: to drive sustainable social and economic development through outstanding teaching, research and innovation. As a friendly, inclusive institution, we enable our staff, students and partners a individuals and organisations a to make a difference through collaboration.a

The visit included meetings with officials from leading universities and research institutions in India, as well as industry leaders and policymakers. The delegation will also participate in academic and cultural events to promote people-to-people ties between the two nations.

The University of Bradford looks forward to a fruitful collaboration with academic associations here and to building stronger partnerships with institutions and organizations around the world.

The University of Bradford is one of the worldas great technology universities. 77% of its research is ranked 3* and 4* (the best ratings) for its impact beyond the university sector. In 2021, the University was awarded a Queenas Anniversary Prize for outstanding contribution to Archaeology and the pioneering of technology to deliver real-world impact. The same year, their triple-accredited School of Management was named the Times Higher Education Business School of the Year.

Disclaimer: This is syndicated feed from PR agency and any legal liability for the content is theirs only.
(The Center Square)  Louisiana is one of the most federally dependent states in the country, ranking 10th in a recent analysis.

The personal finance website WalletHub released a report Wednesday that ranked states dependency on the federal government based on three metrics: return on taxes paid to the federal government, share of federal jobs, and federal funding as a share of state revenue.

The study ranked Louisiana in 10th overall with a score of 57.46, though the state governments dependency ranked third. Residents dependency was ranked 22nd.

Vance Ginn, chief economist at the Pelican Institute, told The Center Square much of Louisianas dependency derives from the states high poverty rate  19.6% in 2022  and the federal funds from various programs that flow into the state as a result.

Forty-four percent of all state funding in Louisiana comes from Congress, and the Pelican Institute is working on finding ways for Louisiana to have a comeback that boosts businesses and employment, which in turn reduces poverty.

Louisiana is overly dependent on the federal government and the way to reduce that depends on getting more Louisianans back to work, he said. The way to get people back to work is removing barriers in the private sector, restraining government spending, providing tax relief, and reducing regulations.

The WalletHub analysis shows only state governments in Alaska and Wyoming receive more funding as a share of state revenues than Louisiana.

Neighboring Mississippi ranked third overall in the study, while Arkansas was ranked 28th and Texas 29th.

Other states in the top 10 most dependent on federal funding include Alaska in first, followed by West Virginia, Mississippi, Kentucky, New Mexico, Wyoming, South Carolina, Arizona, and Montana.

New Jersey was ranked as the least dependent state, followed by Washington, Utah, Kansas, Illinois, California, Massachusetts, Iowa, Delaware, Nevada, and Colorado.

The analysis also derived an average ranking for red and blue states, based on how residents voted in the 2020 presidential election.

Democratic states produced an average ranking of 30.68, compared to the average ranking of 20.32 in Republican states, suggesting Republican states are generally more dependent than Democratic states.

The study also examined how tax rates factor into the equation.

Louisiana fell into the high dependency, low tax category, with a tax rate thats ranked 25th in the country.

Other analysis compared gross domestic product per capita compared to dependency on the federal government, and WalletHub placed Louisiana in the high dependency, low GDP category with a GDP per capita ranking of 40th.
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The same Greater Albany Public Schools board members who fired then-superintendent Melissa Goff in 2021 voted this week to not renew contracts for two administrators known for their commitment to educational equity in the district.

Assistant Superintendent Lisa Harlan and Equity Director Javier Cervantes will not return to their positions once their contracts expire at the end of the 2023-24 school year.

I just worry about the message that its sending to our families, staff and community that you do not renew the contacts of two executive level members who advocate for their most marginalized students, Harlan said in an interview with Mid-Valley Media. It wasnt a surprise, but its shocking.

Board members Pete Morse, Brad Wilson, Roger Nyquist and Eric Aguinaga voted to support first-year Superintendent Andy Gardners decision to not renew the two contracts, while board member Michael Thomson opposed.

In June, Harlan was awarded the statewide Achievement of Excellence award by the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators. Having worked at GAPS for five years, and in the education sector for 23 years, her institutional knowledge allows her to rattle off answers to questions off the top of her head, according to staff who work with her.

There are meetings after meetings after meetings where (Harlan) is the smartest person in the room, Thomson said at the meeting. Its exceedingly difficult in the education realm to find quality people.

Thomson was also the only board member who opposed firing Melissa Goff under a no-cause clause in her contract, which allowed the board to keep mum on its reasoning. Goff is now the educational adviser to Gov. Tina Kotek.

In an interview with Mid-Valley Media, Thomson shared that, given the current trajectory, he is worried the district may not hire a new director of diversity once Cervantes is gone.

When you start to add it all up, you start to paint a picture, he said, and I do have concerns.

Congress or school board?

An hour before Mondays school board meeting, Harlan received an email from Gardner that directed her not to attend after discussing it with the board.

School board member Wilson hinted at the contract nonrenewal online, posting in the Parents of GAPS Facebook page that friendly faces to the board would be appreciated at the meeting.

On tonight's agenda there are some items that have drawn attention from one side of the table, and I would like to ensure both sides, in fact the entire community is represented, Wilson wrote.

But the school board is not Congress, Thomson said. School-related topics should not be thought of as partisan issues.

Im well versed in the world of politics, Thomson said at the meeting. The idea that my child and her friends lost an election in 2021 is just insane. This is a school district, not partisan elections.

Mondays meeting got off track when several community members stood up to yell comments, including some insults and name-calling, at the board. At one point, Nyquist called a five-minute recess to reset.

When asked about Harlan and Cervantes contracts, GAPS spokesperson Michelle Steinhebel said the district cannot and will not comment on personnel matters.

Gardner was not available to answer any questions from Mid-Valley Media.

A reputation of turnover

GAPS reputation of being a good ol boys club started when Goff was fired in a 3-1 vote.

Nyquist and Wilson had just been elected to the school board. The two of them, along with Morse, voted to terminate Goff in an effort to end all COVID-19 restrictions, including social distancing, unless required by the state, as previously reported by Mid-Valley Media.

Thomson voted no and Aguinaga, then-board chair, abstained from the vote.

Shortly thereafter, Rob Saxton stepped in as interim-superintendent with his chief of staff, Rich Sipe, in the summer.

Administrators soon began to trickle out.

Russell Buttram, who was the GAPS executive director of operations for five years, resigned soon after Goff was fired.

I simply reached a point where I felt I could not support the actions of the new Board, nor reconcile their campaign promises with the actual actions Ive observed, Buttram wrote on Facebook. Since I could not square my values with those of the people in charge, I had to leave.

Then, Nancy Dickerman, who previously worked as the assistant to the executive director of human resources, left her position in August, citing changes happening in the administration.

Kerri Tatum, secondary education director for the district, resigned in September for the same reasons as the others.

Lasting effects

Tabitha Neely, who worked alongside Harlan as a secretary for the past five years, said losing Harlan is going to have a lasting effect on both the students and staff at GAPS. The district has experienced plenty of turnover, and is currently on its fifth superintendent in six years.

Harlan directly oversees the Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction department which includes the elementary director, the secondary director, the special education director and others. None of her staff were questioned about how they felt about Lisa's leadership or ability to support them in their roles, Neely said.

Shes the first one out there doing all the work you wouldn't expect someone at her level to jump in and do, she said. We are all very sad and disappointed by the choices that are being made.

Harlan said she intends to work every single day through the end of her contract, because advocating for the most at-risk students is a core part of who she is.

Before Mondays vote, board member Morse stated in the microphone: Elections have consequences.

His statement told me that this was an intention from the beginning, she said. Elections have consequences, and I would encourage everybody to get involved.

Related stories:
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
Arusha  A 61bn/-(250,000 million) initiative is set to address the knowledge gap in the horticulture sector.

Implemented by 10 Dutch horticulture companies with the Arusha Technical College (ATC) and the Horticultural Research and Training Institute Tengeru, the five-year Northern Highlands Education Programme (NOHIED) project seeks to address challenges that have marred the fast-growing sector in Tanzanian agriculture.

Ms Linda Maat from the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands said the initiative would address challenges that international companies encounter while hunting for well-trained staff members.

"Such companies have failed to hire staff with prerequisite knowledge and expertise, this project will help address that," she said here recently.

Ms Maat further noted that the project will spare technical and vocational education and training (TVET) scholars the hassle of looking for jobs upon graduation.

"It will also enhance professional network between Dutch TVET colleges, horticulture companies and Tanzania expertise centres," she added.

The country's horticultural sector is arguably growing at a faster pace and is on the path to meet the goal of Tanzania Development Vision 2025 to achieve a $3 billion annual export, up from $779 million in 2019.

Currently, Tanzania exports its horticultural produce to Europe, the Middle East, and regional African countries.

However, the sector is suffering from issues like low-quality produce, improper packaging materials, poor traceability systems, unreliable transportation, and high post-harvest losses.

Ambassador of the Netherlands to Tanzania Wiebe de Boer on his part exuded confidence that the project will help students to have a better landing in their workplaces.

He described the deal as another solid partnership between Tanzania and the Netherlands which is on its 50th year now.

"Today we are witnessing a very important part of this cooperation, it is indeed rewarding to see Hanze University working in Tanzania for quite some time now," added the envoy.
Cystic fibrosis (CF), which is caused by a faulty gene inherited from one's parents, is a debilitating disease requiring difficult and time-consuming treatment and resulting in premature death. CF causes mucus in the body to thicken, with often disastrous consequences in organs such as the lungs and pancreas, and triggers a range of symptoms in people living with the condition, including chronic coughing, wheezing, and malnutrition. Ongoing treatment of symptoms often requires children with CF to miss school and can make it difficult for adults with CF to hold steady employment.

Yet, a new class of medicines introduced over the past decade called CFTR modulator therapies offers new hope to people living with CF - dramatically reducing CF's symptoms and allowing people with CF to live longer healthier, and more productive lives.

As antiretrovirals did for HIV, the introduction of CFTR modulator therapies is transforming cystic fibrosis from a progressive, life-threatening illness into a chronic, manageable condition.

These new treatments, whose research and development benefited from significant public and philanthropic financing, have been hailed as a "miracle" for people with CF. As antiretrovirals did for HIV, the introduction of CFTR modulator therapies is transforming cystic fibrosis from a progressive, life-threatening illness into a chronic, manageable condition. CFTR modulator therapies are so effective because they address the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis symptoms - a malfunctioning protein made by the CFTR gene.

But, more than a decade after the introduction of the first CFTR modulator therapy to treat CF in the United States, no CFTR modulator therapies are yet registered in South Africa and only a fraction of patients who need this therapy have access to it, and that is only after jumping through some extraordinary hoops. As a result, the only way for the vast majority of people to manage CF in South Africa is to aggressively prevent and treat its symptoms using older therapies. This is no small task for patients and their families, as it can require time-consuming, daily physical therapy to loosen mucus in the lungs and weeks-long hospital stays to treat infections. In severe cases, treating cystic fibrosis can even require a lung transplant.

Without access to CFTR modulator therapies, people with CF in South Africa continue to die prematurely. The average age of death of people with CF in South Africa was 27.5 in 2020. People in the global North live almost twice as long. The life expectancy of people living with cystic fibrosis in the United States is now 50 and is expected to lengthen as a result of newly introduced treatments.

No CFTR modulator therapies are yet registered in South Africa and only a fraction of patients who need this therapy have access to it, and that is only after jumping through some extraordinary hoops.

Why can't people in South Africa access CFTR modulator therapies?

As a person living with cystic fibrosis, or the parent of a child with cystic fibrosis, it can be unbearable to know there is a medicine that could allow you to breathe easier, keep you or your child out of hospital, and even prevent the need for a lung-transplant or premature death, but that you can't have it, largely due to decisions taken by one company.

Was great to get a chance to write about cystic fibrosis and health inequities for #NationalGeographic on #rarediseaseday2023 https://t.co/oXBFw0k9qi

As recently detailed in the New York Times, one company holds a monopoly on the manufacture and sale of CFTR modulator therapies and is choosing not to make new CF treatments available to people in the developing world through the normal channels. Vertex, the company that holds monopoly patents on all available CFTR modulator therapies, is - for the most part - not registering or marketing its CFTR modulator therapies in developing countries. Registration is typically required before a drug can be marketed in a country.

The average age of death of people with CF in South Africa was 27.5 in 2020. People in the global North live almost twice as long. The life expectancy of people living with cystic fibrosis in the United States is now 50.

While Vertex does offer some compassionate use and donation access programmes in select developing countries, Vertex Save Us, a global coalitional of advocates seeking affordable and universal access to CFTR modulator therapies, says these efforts reach only a small minority of patients that could benefit from the treatments and are restricted to countries with which Vertex believes it can secure a reimbursement deal.

Some activists suggest that the neglect of patients in developing countries is part of a strategy to squeeze the highest possible prices for CFTR modulator therapies from health systems in wealthy countries, with which Vertex has been locked in extended negotiations. Offering lower prices to developing countries for its CF medicines could provide ammunition to wealthy countries in demanding lower prices.

"This is a really fundamental and really simple example of how unfettered profit-driven business practices basically sacrifice the lives of people, particularly those of people who happen to live in low- and middle-income countries," says Diarmaid McDonald, medicine access advocate and Director of the UK-based advocacy group, Just Treatment.

Vertex charges over R5 million ($322,000) annually for its most effective CFTR therapy, Trikafta (which must be taken as a life-long treatment) in the United States. But researchers in the United Kingdom have shown that the medicine can be manufactured and profitably marketed at a fraction of that cost.

Does Vertex plan to register its products in South Africa?

In response to queries from Spotlight regarding whether Vertex plans to register its drugs in South Africa and what the timeline for doing this is, the company indicated that they did not plan to register their medicines but would supply them via Section 21 authorisations - a mechanism allowing for importation of unregistered medicines into the country.

"As seen in other rare disease areas, bringing medicines to patients in South Africa is challenging as the reimbursement system and willingness to invest do not support a viable path to sustainable access. Analyses show that most novel, high-value medicines targeting disease areas comparable to and including CF are not on the Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PBM) list. There is therefore no obligation for funders to reimburse the costs of these medicines even after a lengthy regulatory registration process," said Vertex's Director of International Communications Daria Munsel.

"Given this, we believe that sustainable access could be achieved through 'Section 21' (on a named patient basis), which provides the fastest and most efficient route to access for rare disease medicines in South Africa," Munsel added. "As part of this effort, we are currently in discussions with relevant stakeholders in the private insurance system to ensure sustainable access is available to eligible CF patients in South Africa."

However, Munsel declined to identify the local company with which Vertex has signed an agreement for distributing its medicines, saying, "We can confirm that we have recently signed a distribution contract with a local distribution partner for our CF medicine in South Africa. Given that reimbursement conversations are still ongoing, it is inappropriate for us to name other parties for the moment."

For now, the lack of transparency about the local distributor effectively blocks the use of Section 21 authorisations for importing Vertex's medicines into South Africa, as patients and clinicians must supply details of local distributors in their applications to the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) for authorisation to import unregistered drugs.

Vertex did not respond to a question from Spotlight regarding what price it would charge patients in South Africa able to secure Section 21 authorisations to import their medicines.

Landmark court case seeks to challenge Vertex's monopoly in South Africa

Vertex has secured a global monopoly over CFTR modulator therapies by aggressively pursuing patents related to the class of drugs around the world. These patents prevent other companies from manufacturing and marketing CFTR modulator therapies and give Vertex wide latitude in setting prices.

Between 2007 and 2016, Vertex filed six patents in South Africa related to the CFTR modulator therapies, Kalydeco and Trikafta. While Vertex received marketing approval to sell Kalydeco and Trikafta to treat CF in the United States in 2012 and 2019, respectively - it has still not applied for registration of either product in South Africa.

What this means is that despite Vertex's failure to take steps to register or market its medicines in South Africa years after doing so in the US, patents granted to Vertex in South Africa block any other companies from supplying the medicines to CF patients in the country.

Cheri Nel, a woman living with cystic fibrosis in South Africa, and the Cystic Fibrosis Association have now gone to court to challenge Vertex's monopoly.

"The bottom line is that people are dying, they need to be able to access affordable treatments," says Kelly du Plessis, founder of Rare Diseases South Africa. "If Vertex isn't going to be able to come to the party in South Africa, then fine. We respect their choice, but then move out the way and allow someone else to do it. You can't maintain the market and hold it ransom, but also not do anything from your perspective to help."

According to Fatima Hassan, director of the Health Justice Initiative, "You can't have a system where you file your patents, [but then] you refuse to bring a product to market or you have it at such an excessive price in the country with the highest inequality in the world, but then you don't allow any generic manufacturers to come in at a lower price."

The bottom line is that people are dying, they need to be able to access affordable treatments - Kelly du Plessis

Cheri Nel, a woman living with cystic fibrosis in South Africa, and the Cystic Fibrosis Association have now gone to court to challenge Vertex's monopoly. On 7 February 2023, Nel's lawyers submitted a Notice of Motion to the Court of the Commissioner of Patents (within the High Court) requesting that the court grants a compulsory license to override Vertex's patents on Kalydeco and Trikafta.

Nel and the Cystic Fibrosis Association are seeking a compulsory license on the grounds that the patents held by Vertex are being abused. Nel's lawyers argue that by failing to register or supply their CF medicines in South Africa, make them available in South Africa at reasonable prices, or license other companies to supply the medicines, Vertex is abusing its patents. They further argue that Vertex's actions are violating the Constitutional rights of people with cystic fibrosis in South Africa, including the right to health care.

If granted, a compulsory license in South Africa would effectively override Vertex's monopoly and allow the importation of generic cystic fibrosis medicines into South Africa, as well as their manufacturing in the country.

The legal action taken in South Africa is being pursued simultaneously with broader global efforts, led by Vertex Save Us, to overcome Vertex's monopoly on CFTR modulator therapies and ensure universal access for all people who can benefit from these treatments.

"South Africa is the only country where papers have been launched with courts to start a legal process to try and secure a compulsory license, although the process is playing out in other countries following the most logical, legal routes set out in their national law," explains McDonald.

"Requests of the government to issue compulsory licenses [have been made] in both Ukraine and in Brazil. And in India, it's a petition of the government requesting that they revoke the patent under the terms of the Indian patent law," says McDonald.

Any precedent for granting compulsory license on a medicine in South Africa?

If Nel and the Cystic Fibrosis Association's pursuit of a compulsory license on the cystic fibrosis medicines is ultimately successful, then the issuing of a compulsory license order will be the first time this type of license is granted in the country on a pharmaceutical product. While South Africa has not issued a compulsory license on a medicine, the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) has previously used competition law to overcome patents impeding access to affordable antiretroviral medicines in South Africa.

TAC cases at the Competition Commission and the threat of 'compulsory licensing' resulting from these cases led several multinational companies to grant voluntary licenses that enabled manufacturing and marketing of generic ARVs in the country. Generic competition resulted in massive price decreases for ARVs and has been critical to South Africa's success in building the world's largest public sector HIV treatment programme.

While South Africa's courts have not issued a compulsory license on a medicine, its own challenges in securing access to affordable HIV medicines contributed to the affirmation and strengthening of the rights of countries to issue compulsory licenses to address health challenges within international trade law in the early 2000s. Both developing and developed countries have subsequently used compulsory licensing to improve access to critical health tools under patent including for HIV, cancer, and more recently, COVID-19.

The Fix the Patent Laws coalition, a coalition of over forty patient groups in South Africa, has long called on government to amend South Africa's patent laws to improve the usability of compulsory licensing provisions to address health challenges in the country. The landmark court case of Nel vs Vertex will provide important insight into the ongoing need for these reforms in the country.

Trikafta increased the production of the faulty CFTR protein in cystic fibrosis patients, but it remained in an immature state, a study says. https://t.co/GWAaKIvl8e #cysticfibrosis #cfwarrior #curecf #cysticfibrosislife pic.twitter.com/RqnIkz54n4

-- CF News Today (@CFNewsToday) March 2, 2023

Who can benefit from Kalydeco and Trikafta

While cystic fibrosis is caused by a defect of the CFTR gene, over a thousand different types of mutations can occur in the gene that causes CF. People with CF must inherit a mutated gene from each parent in order to develop CF illness. The type of gene mutations that each person with cystic fibrosis inherits from their parents determines their eligibility for different CFTR modulator therapies.

Vertex, which has a monopoly over the entire class of CFTR modulator therapies available for CF, currently markets six medicines made up of different combinations of active ingredients that seek to correct the faulty CFTR protein (produced by the CFTR gene).

Kalydeco, made with the active ingredient ivacaftor, was the first CFTR modulator therapy approved to treat CF, yet it is only effective in treating five percent of people living with CF. Trikafta, which was approved in the U.S. in 2019 and combines three active ingredients--elexacaftor, tezacaftor and ivacaftor--is effective in treating 90 percent of people living with cystic fibrosis.

According to 2020 registry data, 450 patients (85.7%) would benefit from currently available CFTR modulator treatments.

How many people in South Africa could benefit from Trikafta?

The recently established South African Cystic Fibrosis Registry has compiled health and demographic data for 525 people diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in the country. According to 2020 registry data, 450 patients (85.7%) would benefit from currently available CFTR modulator treatments. Dr Marco Zampoli, paediatric pulmonologist at the University of Cape Town, estimates that around 35 patients are currently sourcing generic CFTR modulators in their personal capacity from overseas (see more below on how a small group of patients in the country are accessing treatment from Argentina).

While the registry counts 525 patients diagnosed with CF in South Africa, the true number of people born with CF in the country is likely far higher. Zampoli estimates (using population and genetic data) that between two and three thousand babies could have been born with cystic fibrosis in South Africa since 1999.

"We think a lot of them are probably dying from a very young age without being diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as it looks similar to other common things like malnutrition, TB, and HIV," says Zampoli.

While improving CF detection and diagnosis can save lives and will also increase the number of known patients in the country that could benefit from currently available CFTR modulator therapies, many of the new patients identified from better detection efforts would be unable to benefit from existing treatments. This is because black Africans are less likely than people of Caucasian descent to have the mutations that are responsive to currently available treatment.

Zampoli, however, notes that research is underway that will likely deliver new treatments that benefit patients who are ineligible for currently available drugs and adds "we're going to be facing the same issues [of unaffordability] down the line... when we do eventually license a drug that will target their specific genes."

How do a few people in South Africa get access to CFTR modulators?

While the South African government is not currently in negotiations with Vertex, price negotiations with health systems in wealthy countries have often dragged on for years, as price remained a sticking point.

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People living with severe cystic fibrosis, however, do not have years to wait as their disease advances, placing them at risk of severe complications and death. Some have joined together to start a CF Buyers Club. The Buyer's Club supports CF patients from around the world in buying generic versions of CFTR modulators from Argentina.

Argentina has taken steps to set strict criteria for granting patents and limit the granting of patents on certain types of claims related to pharmaceutical products. As a result, Vertex has not been granted patents on its CFTR modulator treatments in Argentina, and two Argentinian pharmaceutical companies, Gador and Tuteur, are legally manufacturing generic versions of these medicines.

While the Argentinian companies producing these medicines are unwilling to export them to South Africa for fear of facing patent infringement challenges from Vertex, Argentinian pharmacies will supply medicines to CF patients from South Africa visiting Argentina.

"You need to have a doctor's script and you need to have a Section 21 authorisation," explains Belinda Nell, a South African advocate working to facilitate access to CF medicines in South Africa. "You've got to fly to Argentina in your personal capacity or have a family representative go there and collect [the medicines] and then fly back."

South Africans holding Section 21 authorisations from SAHPRA can legally travel with up to six months' medicine supply on them.

While the CF Buyers Club provides an important access pathway enabling some people in South Africa to access life-saving CFTR modulator therapies, this pathway is not a feasible mechanism to ensure access to the CF medicines for all patients that could benefit from them.

The cost of generic CF medicines from Argentina is a fraction of the prices charged by Vertex. They are, however, still prohibitively high for most people living in South Africa. The annual cost of generic Trikafta from Argentina is almost R1 million ($60,000) [other CFTR modulator therapies (tezacaftor/ivacaftor and lumacaftor/ivacaftor) can be bought from Argentina for around R245 thousand ($15,000) annually]. The medicine costs, combined with the costs of biannual travel to Argentina, are simply unaffordable for most.

@vertexpharma @drtlaleng @UNHumanRights @vertexsave #internationalhumanrightsday #humanrights#HumanRightsDay #vertexsaveus https://t.co/OOZj53fD2U pic.twitter.com/ZQRjFHCk9v

How can a CL further reduce prices?

As seen with other classes of drugs, such as antiretroviral medicines for HIV, and antiviral medicines for Hepatitis C, the introduction of generic competition is expected to substantially reduce the cost of CF medicines.

If compulsory licenses are granted in the countries that they are being sought by Vertex Save Us, or if Vertex buckles under the pressure for expanded and affordable access to CF medicines and grants voluntary licenses allowing other companies to produce generics, then prices are expected to fall.

An analysis of the costs of production of CF medicines produced by health economists shows that generic Trikafta can be manufactured and sold with a 10 percent profit margin for around R93,000 ($5,700) per patient per year--2% of what is charged for the medicine by Vertex in the United States. While supplying medicines at this price would remain a stretch for South Africa's public health sector, the introduction of new CF medicines must be considered within the context of potential cost savings arising from reduced hospitalisation periods and fewer transplants.

"The ripple effects of an effective CL campaign and petition in South Africa would be felt globally," says McDonald. "First of all, I think we would see increased interest from generic suppliers... that could help to... drive down prices... this would [also] show the rest of the world that... accepting the unquestioned, monopoly power of Vertex is not necessary--you can put the lives of your citizens over the profits of that drug company."

Note: The Fix the Patent Laws coalition and the TAC are mentioned in this article. Tomlinson worked at the TAC until 2012 and was a member of the Fix the Patent Laws steering committee until 2019. SECTION27 has also applied to be admitted as amici curiae to the case. Spotlight is published by SECTION27 and the TAC, but is editorially independent - an independence that the editors guard jealously. Spotlight is a member of the South African Press Council.
TORONTO, March 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Middlefield Group (Middlefield) announced today that it has concluded the risk rating review of its Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). The risk rating of Middlefield Innovation Dividend ETF (the Fund) (TSX:MINN) has been increased from Medium to Medium-to-High, which is reflected in the Prospectus and Fund Facts dated March 16, 2023. The risk rating change is effective immediately and is based on the risk classification methodology mandated by the Canadian Securities Administrators, in accordance with National Instrument 81-102 Investment Funds.



Middlefield reviews the risk rating of the ETFs it manages at least on an annual basis, as well as when a fund undergoes a material change. This change is not the result of any changes to the investment objectives, strategies, or management of the Fund.

Copies of the Prospectus and further information about any of our ETFs are available by visiting our website at www.middlefield.com or contacting Nancy Tham in our Sales and Marketing Department at 1.888.890.1868.

About Middlefield

Founded in 1979, Middlefield is a specialist and independent equity income manager headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Middlefields actively managed, award-winning funds are designed to be investments that work for you by distributing consistent and high levels of income through various market cycles. Middlefields funds span a number of market sectors including real estate, healthcare, innovation, sustainability, infrastructure and energy. Investors can access these strategies in a variety of product types including ETFs, Mutual Funds, Closed-End Funds, Split-Share Funds and Flow-through LPs.

Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with an investment in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). You will usually pay brokerage fees to your dealer if you purchase or sell units of an ETF on recognized Canadian exchanges. If the units are purchased or sold on these Canadian exchanges, investors may pay more than the current net asset value when buying units of the ETF and may receive less than the current net asset value when selling them. Please read the prospectus and disclosure documents before investing. Important information about an exchange-traded fund is contained in these documents. ETFs are not guaranteed; their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated.

This communication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase mutual funds managed by Middlefield Group and is not, and should not be construed as, investment, tax, legal or accounting advice, and should not be relied upon in that regard. Every effort has been made to ensure that the material contained in this document is accurate at the time of publication. Individuals should seek the advice of professionals, as appropriate, regarding any particular investment. Investors should consult their professional advisors prior to implementing any changes to their investment strategies. These investments may not be suitable for the circumstances of an investor.

Certain statements in this press release may be viewed as forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, intentions, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "plans", "estimates" or "intends" (or negative or grammatical variations thereof), or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements including as a result of changes in the general economic and political environment, changes in applicable legislation, and the performance of each ETF. There are no assurances the ETFs can fulfill such forward-looking statements and the ETFs do not undertake any obligation to update such statements. Such forward-looking statements are only predictions; actual events or results may differ materially as a result of risks facing the ETFs, many of which are beyond the control of the ETFs.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, March 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Currently, in the year 2023, the sales of metal containers market around the world is estimated to be around US$ 124.9 billion. Further, the market report projects it to expand at a CAGR of 6% during the forecast period 2023 to 2033.



Containerization has enabled the transportation and shipping of products without creating a monetary burden. This has reduced the cost associated with shipping and enhanced margins for the players in the shipping industry.

Metal container with lids is significantly used in the food & beverage industry owing to features such as low weight. In addition to this, it is unbreakable, and light-proof with excellent barrier properties against oxidation and temperature are other advantages. Moreover, track-and-trace packaging is gaining momentum in the food supply chain and has almost become a necessity now.

Get a Sample PDF of the Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-9432

Further, metal containers are used prominently in the chemicals industry as they are apt storage solutions for many industrial chemicals such as, sealants, and resins. They provide resistance to corrosion, have the ability to handle harsh solvents, and are available in a wide range of sizes and designs. Along with the regulations for air, rail, highway, and sea transportation, the need for safe transportation of hazardous products is expected to boost the demand.

Plastic containers are can be easily reconditioned in reconditioning facilities at a low cost adding to the list of desirable features in a bulk container. Another important factor that gives plastic containers an edge over metal containers is recyclability as the ultimate objective is cheap transit of goods.. Therefore, plastic containers are witnessing preference over metal containers, owing to reduced risk of wear and tear.

Key Takeaways from the Metal Containers Market Study Report

With a market valuation of US$ 19,891.1 million in the year 2023, the United States metal container market leads the global market. During the forecast years, this regional market is projected to grow at a limited rate of 4.8%.

Germany is the leading manufacturer of Metal containers in the European region with a market valuation of US$ 8,707.9 million for the year 2023. However, Poland is anticipated to be more lucrative where the demand for metal containers is poised to grow at 7.7% yearly through 2033.

Likewise, China is the prominent region for metal containers in the Asia Pacific region with a market valuation of US$ 6,075 million in 2023. On the other hand, the sales of metal containers by Indonesia are expected to witness a CAGR of 9.9% through 2033.



Competitive Landscape for the Metal Containers Market Players

Ball Corporation, Ardagh Group S.A., CCL Industries Inc., CPMC Holdings Ltd., Silgan Holdings Inc., Grief Inc., Toyo Seikan Co., Ltd., Crown Holdings, Inc., Mauser Packaging Solutions, Nampak Ltd., Montebello Packaging Inc., Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd., HUBER Packaging Group GmbH, NCI Packaging, and Great Western Containers Inc. among others are some of the major players in the global metal containers market.

Recent Developments by the Metal Containers Industries

Some new advances that have taken place in the market include the use of RFID technology for metal containers with lidFor instance, metal cans have codes printed on can bottoms that let food manufacturers add the data that can be used by retailers, consumers, and recyclers.

In June 2022, Ball Corporation expanded its operation by opening a new production plant in Peru for metal storage containers.

Ask An Analyst@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-the-analyst/rep-gb-9432

Key Segments Covered in Metal Containers Industry Research

Market Segments by Product Type:

Cans Cane Top Cans F-style Steel Cans Utility Cans Slip Cover Cans Other cans

Drums

Aerosol Cans

Pails

Intermediate Bulk Containers

Other Products



Market Segments by Material Type:

Steel

Aluminum

Tin

Other Metals

Market Segments by End-use:

Food and Beverage Industry

Chemical Industry

Automotive Industry

Pharmaceutical & Healthcare Industry

Cosmetics & Personal Care Industry

Building & Construction Industry

Other End Use Industries



Market Segments by Region:

North America Market

Latin America Market

Europe Market

East Asia Market

South Asia Market

Oceania Market

Middle East & Africa (MEA) Market



View Full Report@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/metal-containers-market

Table of Content

1. Executive Summary | Metal Containers Market

1.1. Global Market Outlook

1.2. Demand-side Trends

1.3. Supply-side Trends

1.4. Technology Roadmap Analysis

1.5. Analysis and Recommendations

2. Market Overview

2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy

2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations

3. Market Background

3.1. Market Dynamics

3.1.1. Drivers

3.1.2. Restraints

3.1.3. Opportunity

3.1.4. Trends

3.2. Scenario Forecast

3.2.1. Demand in Optimistic Scenario

3.2.2. Demand in Likely Scenario

3.2.3. Demand in Conservative Scenario

3.3. Opportunity Map Analysis

3.4. Product Life Cycle Analysis

3.5. Supply Chain Analysis



Read More TOC..

Buy Now@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/9432

Explore FMIs Extensive Coverage on Packaging:

Two Piece Metal Containers Market : Need for easy packaging and leakage proof transit of the product contributing to significant demand for two piece metal containers in the past three years.

Pressurized Metal Containers Market : The increasing demand of a better quality of packaging solution for delivery of different products of different fields like beauty products, personal care with better transport facility has led to the pressurized metal containers manufacturing

Rigid Packaging Containers Market : During the projected period, the global rigid packaging containers market is set to enjoy a market valuation of US$ 208.6 Billion in 2022, and register a CAGR of 4.0% to reach US$ 308.7 Billion by 2032.

Cupcake Containers Market : According to estimates, the cupcake container market share to be worth close to US$ 1.6 Billion in 2022 and US$ 2.6 Billion by the end of the projected period in 2032

Spout Containers Market : Spout containers are a specific type of containers which are mainly designed for packaging of liquid and compressed gas substances but also used for storage of semiliquid and semisolid substances.

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Portland, OR, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global agricultural textiles market was estimated at $11.8 billion in 2021 and is expected to hit $18.8 billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 4.9% from 2022 to 2031. The report provides a detailed analysis of the top investment pockets, top winning strategies, drivers & opportunities, market size & estimations, competitive landscape, and evolving market trends. The market study is a helpful source of information for the frontrunners, new entrants, investors, and shareholders in crafting strategies for the future and heightening their position in the market.

Get Free Sample PDF Brochure @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/54036

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20222031 Base Year 2021 Market Size in 2021 $11.8 Billion Market Size in 2031 $18.8 Billion CAGR 4.9% No. of Pages in Report 472 Segments Covered Type, Material, Product Type, Application, and Region Drivers Increased demand from the agriculture industry Rising demand for eco-friendly and organic products Opportunities Technological advancement Restraints Fluctuating prices of raw material





Covid-19 Scenario:

The COVID-19 pandemic had created several problems with plant management, logistics, and global supply chains.

The agriculture and related sectors' products had been in short supply due to travel restrictions and labor shortages on farms, leading to losses for farm owners and a negative impact on the agricultural industry and economy.

However, due to favorable government policies promoting sustainable practices in agriculture and related sectors, there has been a steady increase in products demand in the post-pandemic.

The report offers a detailed segmentation of the global agricultural textiles market based on type, material, product type, application, and region. The report provides an analysis of each segment and sub-segment with the help of tables and figures. This analysis helps market players, investors, and new entrants in determining the sub-segments to be tapped on to achieve growth in the coming years.



Procure Complete Report (472 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://bit.ly/3yLq5JT

By type, the knitted segment held the largest share in 2021, accounting for nearly half of the global agricultural textiles market and would dominate the market in terms of revenue through 2031. The same segment would also cite the fastest CAGR of 5.1% throughout the forecast period. The woven, non-woven, and others segments are also studied in the report.

By material, the polyethylene segment contributed to more than one-third of the global agricultural textiles market revenue and is projected to rule the roost by 2031. The same segment would also display the fastest CAGR of 5.2% throughout the forecast period. The other segments assessed through the report take in nylon, polypropylene, polyesters, and others.

By product type, the fishing nets segment accounted for the highest share in 2021, generating nearly one-third of the global agricultural textiles market revenue and is projected to maintain its dominance by 2031. However, the shade nets segment would showcase the fastest CAGR of 5.4% during the forecast period. The mulch mats, anti-hail and anti-bird nets, crop covers, and others segments are analyzed in the report.

By application, the aquaculture segment held the largest share in 2021, garnering more than two-fifths of the global agricultural textiles market revenue and is projected to rule the roost by 2031. The agriculture segment, on the other hand, is expected to manifest the highest CAGR of 5.2% throughout the forecast period. Also, the horticulture, forestry and others segments are discussed in the report.

By region, Asia-Pacific held the major share in 2021, garnering more than half of the global agricultural textiles market revenue and is projected to maintain the lions share by 2031. Simultaneously, the same region would also showcase the fastest CAGR of 5.1% throughout the forecast period. The other provinces studied through the report include North America, Europe, and LAMEA.

Leading players of the global agricultural textiles market analyzed in the research include Beaulieu Technical Textiles, Siang May Pte Ltd., Helios Group S.r.l., tencate geosynthetics, Garware Technical Fibres Ltd., Diatex, Aduno SRL, Meyabond Industry & Trading (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Belton industries, and Hy-Tex (UK) Limited. These market players have embraced several strategies including partnership, expansion, collaboration, joint ventures, and others to highlight their prowess in the industry. The report is helpful in formulating the business performance and developments by the top players.

Want to Access the Statistical Data and Graphs, Key Players' Strategies: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/agricultural-textiles-market/purchase-options

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Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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Dublin, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Anti-Jamming GPS Market - Forecasts from 2022 to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global anti-jamming GPS market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 14.99% over the forecast period to reach a market size of US$9.193 billion in 2027, from US$3.459 billion in 2020.



The market growth is attributed to the growing demand for GPS technology in various military and civilian applications. Rising investments and funding for the development of novel GPS anti-jamming technologies for different applications are expected to drcive market growth during the forecast period.

Major key players and institutions have been investing a considerable amount of capital in the development of novel and advanced anti-jamming solutions. Global tension among various nations that have some of the largest defense budgets is driving the demand for anti-jamming equipment across various developed countries.

Tension between countries such as China, India, Russia, and Ukraine will increase the demand for advanced surveillance and other capabilities, thus, pushing the market growth. Moreover, the high military and defense expenditure is another key factor that is anticipated to drive the market growth during the forecast period.



Players in the market are introducing innovative products which will further contribute to overall market growth. For instance, NovAtel has announced the launch of new GPS Anti-Jam Technology (GAJT) solution which has applications in commercial and defense marine markets. The GAJT-410MS is a low size and weight unit that protects unmanned surface vessels from interference and jamming.



One of the prime reasons supporting the market growth is the rising defense expenditure, worldwide. Various countries around the globe are adopting innovative and advanced solutions to strengthen their anti-jamming equipment capabilities. Many developed economies spend more than 5% of GDP on their military and defense sector (Source: Our World in Data). According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the total world military expenditure in 2020 was $1,981 billion which is 2.6% higher than 2019 and 9.3% higher than 2011.

The United States is considered as one of the biggest spenders, with total spending of around US$778 billion in the year 2020. The US department of defense is also planning to invest a large sum of capital in military modernization and technologies like AI, 5G communication, GPS technology and quantum computing which will significantly contribute to the overall market growth in the coming years. Moreover, the current ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine and planned procurements of advanced military equipment for the replacement of old and aging equipment are projected to accelerate the market's growth during the forecast period.



From dismounted troops' point-to-point navigation to precise weapon guidance, leading nations around the world have grown almost entirely reliant on GPS in military operations. This has led to a surge in the instances of GPS jamming cases throughout the world. GPS technology is often used to run weapons systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), troop radios, and other applications. The expansion of satellite navigation, as well as the demand for improved military navigation systems, is encouraging GPS technological innovations, which are expected to expand the market.



In 2021, overall global military spending increased by 0.7 percent, reaching US$2113 billion. The United States, China, India, the United Kingdom, and Russia accounted for more than 60% of global military spending in 2021, according to new estimates released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). It would be the seventh year in a row that expenditure climbed. The United Kingdom recently announced an extra UK1.3 billion (US$1.63 billion) for military support to Ukraine. The UK has already supplied anti-tank and anti-ship missiles, air defense systems, and other equipment systems to support Ukraine in the war against Russia. These instances of increased government expenditure on defense systems are expected to increase the anti-jamming GPS market.



Market Developments:

October 2020: Mayflower Communications was granted a US$56 million contract for a GPS navigation antenna system. The technology will be used by the United States military and will be phased out in September 2024.

December 2021: The Pentagon signed a US$315 million contract with BAE Systems for new anti-jamming GPS chips bringing the total deal worth US$640 million. The procurement is expected to help with the provision of more competent common GPS units to troops.

March 2022: The Biden-Harris Administration filed a planned FY 2023 Budget request to Congress, totaling US$813.3 billion for national security, with US$773.0 billion for the Department of Defense. The FY 2023 Budget strives to develop the military workforce and strengthen resilience and preparedness. Space and Space-Based Systems are among the investments, which include two GPS Enterprises for US$1.8 billion. Furthermore, for the next three years, the United States Space Force has planned for allies to borrow and test navigation system that uses a new GPS signal that is difficult to block. Allies can borrow receiver cards for military GPS user equipment technology for lab and field testing as per the new deal, according to the Space and Missile Systems Center.

Market Segmentation:

By Receiver Type

Commercial and Transportation Grade

Military and Government Grade

By Technology

Beam Steering Technique

Civilian Technique

Nulling Technique

By Application

Surveillance and Reconnaissance

Flight Control

Position, Navigation, and Timing

Others

By End-User

Military

Civilian

By Geography

North America

United States

Canada

Mexico

South America

Brazil

Argentina

Others

Europe

UK

Germany

France

Italy

Others

Middle East and Africa

UAE

Israel

Saudi Arabia

Others

Asia Pacific

China

Japan

India

Australia

South Korea

Taiwan

Thailand

Indonesia

Others



Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 146 Forecast Period 2020 - 2027 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2020 $3.46 billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2027 $9.19 billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 14.9% Regions Covered Global



Companies Mentioned





Hexagon

Raytheon Company

NovAtel Inc.

Orolia

Furuno Electric Co. Ltd.

Harris Corporation

BAE Systems

InfiniDome, Ltd.

Cobham Ltd.

Chelton Ltd.





For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6q6fi8

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
TORONTO, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Guardian Capital LP announces the following regular cash distributions for the period ending March 31, 2023, in respect of the ETF series of the Guardian Capital funds listed below (the Guardian Capital ETFs). In each case, the distribution will be paid on March 31, 2023 to unitholders of record on March 27, 2023. The ex-dividend date in each case is March 24, 2023.



Guardian Capital ETFs Series of ETF Units Distribution

Frequency TSX Trading

Symbol Distribution Amount

(per ETF Unit) Guardian Directed Equity Path ETF Hedged ETF Units Monthly GDEP $0.0746 Guardian Directed Equity Path ETF Unhedged ETF Units Monthly GDEP.B $0.0684 Guardian Directed Premium Yield ETF Hedged ETF Units Monthly GDPY $0.1231 Guardian Directed Premium Yield ETF Unhedged ETF Units Monthly GDPY.B $0.1133 GuardPath Managed Decumulation 2042 Fund ETF Units Monthly GPMD $0.0667 Guardian i3 Global Quality Growth ETF Hedged ETF Units Quarterly GIQG $0.0081 Guardian i3 Global Quality Growth ETF Unhedged ETF Units Quarterly GIQG.B $0.0081 Guardian i3 US Quality Growth ETF Hedged ETF Units Quarterly GIQU $0.0032 Guardian i3 US Quality Growth ETF Unhedged ETF Units Quarterly GIQU.B $0.0032 Guardian i3 Global REIT ETF Hedged ETF Units Quarterly GIGR $0.0777 Guardian i3 Global REIT ETF Unhedged ETF Units Quarterly GIGR.B $0.0777 Guardian Canadian Bond ETF ETF Units Quarterly GCBD $0.1119 Guardian Canadian Sector Controlled Equity Fund Unhedged ETF Units Quarterly GCSC $0.0698

About Guardian Capital LP

Guardian Capital LP is the manager and portfolio manager of the Guardian Capital Funds and Guardian Capital ETFs, with capabilities that span a range of asset classes, geographic regions and specialty mandates. Additionally, Guardian Capital LP manages portfolios for institutional clients such as defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans, insurance companies, foundations, endowments and investment funds. Guardian Capital LP is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian Capital Group Limited and the successor to its original investment management business, which was founded in 1962. For further information on Guardian Capital LP, please call 416-350-8899 or visit www.guardiancapital.com.

About Guardian Capital Group Limited

Guardian Capital Group Limited (Guardian) is a diversified, global financial services company operating in Investment Management and Wealth Management. As at December 31, 2022, Guardian had C$49.6 billion of assets under management and C$27.5 billion of assets under administration, which includes $23.8 billion of assets related to Worldsource entities which have been sold, while managing a proprietary investment portfolio with a fair market value of C$660 million. Through its subsidiaries, Guardian provides extensive investment management and wealth management solutions to institutional, retail and private high and ultra-high net worth clients. Founded in 1962, Guardians reputation for steady growth, long-term relationships and its core values of trustworthiness, integrity and stability have been key to its success over six decades. Its Common and Class A shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange as GCG and GCG.A, respectively. To learn more about Guardian, visit www.guardiancapital.com.

Unlike traditional exchange traded funds (ETFs), the GuardPath Managed Decumulation 2042 Fund (the GuardPath ETF) is a unique investment fund structure and investors should carefully consider whether their financial condition and investment objectives are aligned with this retirement-focused investment. The GuardPath ETF may be suitable for an investor primarily concerned about having sufficient income in retirement, especially in the later years of their life. It may not be suitable for an investor whose primary objective is to leave capital behind for their estate. The GuardPath ETF is not an insurance company, nor an insurance or annuity contract and unitholders will not have the protections of insurance laws. Distributions provided by the GuardPath ETF are not guaranteed or backed by an insurance company or any third party. The long-term total return and the sustainability of the rate of distributions of the GuardPath ETF may be impacted by volatility and sequence of returns risk. This is not a complete list of the risks associated with an investment in the GuardPath ETF. Please refer to the prospectus of the GuardPath ETF for details.

This communication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase Guardian Capital ETFs and is not, and should not be construed as, investment, tax, legal or accounting advice, and should not be relied upon in that regard. Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with investments in ETFs. Please read the prospectus before investing. ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. You will usually pay brokerage fees to your dealer if you purchase or sell units of an ETF on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). If the units are purchased or sold on the TSX, investors may pay more than the current net asset value when buying units of the ETF and may receive less than the current net asset value when selling them.

All trademarks, registered and unregistered, are owned by Guardian Capital Group Limited and are used under licence.
Dublin, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Resistant Starch Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Source (Vegetables, Grains, Cereal Food), By Product (RS1, RS2), By Application (Beverages, Confectionery, Dairy Products), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global resistant starch market size is estimated to reach USD 2,511.07 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.9% from 2023 to 2030.

The growing product demand for packaged food and convenience food products is one of the key industry drivers. Furthermore, consumers moving towards plant-derived sources are preferring resistant starch from wheat and rice sources.

The increasing demand for convenience and processed foods coupled with the continuous expansion of starch production, especially in the emerging economies of Asia Pacific including China, Japan, India, Indonesia, and Thailand is the key driving factor for the global industry.



The demand for starch is high in developed regions, such as Europe and North America, owing to the rising demand for processed foods requiring functional characteristics of starch during processing. Food manufacturing companies are increasingly investing in different types of resistant starches to improve the texture of food and beverages. Some of the manufacturers offer starch-based thickeners, which can be utilized by beverage manufacturers to improve the texture of end products. Some of the commercially available products using resistant starch are THICKENUP by Nestle Health Science. THICKENUP is a thickening agent used in foods and beverages meant for consumers with swallowing difficulties.



Growing research and development activities in the starch industry have led to technological advancements favoring market growth. Manufacturing trends include green techniques, such as enzymatic debranching and physical treatments.Scientists at Rothamsted Research and Oxford University have identified that the addition of precursor, sugar trehalose 6-phosphate (T6P) to wheat grains enhances the starch content of wheat grains by 20% without genetically modifying the crop innovations in technology, such as the development of new chemical methods to increase the crop yield as well as the content of starch, will present growth opportunities for the market. Asia Pacific accounted for the largest share of the global industry in 2022 due to the growing demand for ready-to-eat foods.



Rising disposable incomes, hectic lifestyles, increasing product penetration, and growing awareness regarding maintaining overall gut health among millennials are also boosting the product demand in the region. Manufacturers, such as Cargill, are focused on expanding their resistant starch production in Asian countries to cater to therising demand from end-user industries.Key players have adopted new product launches, agreements & partnerships, and investments & expansions as key growth strategies. For instance, in May 2022, ADM announced an investment in its Minnesota facility to expand the production of starch to cater to the growing demand from the food and beverage sector. Similarly, in September 2022, Cargill invested USD 100 billion in a new corn wet mill in East Java, Indonesia to cater to the growing demand for starches and sweeteners in Asia.



Resistant Starch Market Report Highlights

The grains source segment dominated the industry in 2022 owing to the high content of starch in grains, such as corn, wheat, and rice

RS2 type of resistant starch led the market, in terms of revenue, due to increased demand for resistant starch from sources, such as wheat, corn, and potato, on account of their low glycemic index

The meat substitutes segment is expected to register one of the fastest growth rates during the forecast period owing to the demand for resistant starch in processing meat replacers for improved texture and mouthfeel for the consumers

Asia Pacific dominated the industryin2022. Companies in the region are involved in the manufacturing facility and production expansion to cater to the growing demand for resistant starch from the food & beverage industry





Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 135 Forecast Period 2022 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $1265.07 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $2511.07 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 8.9% Regions Covered Global

Key Topics Covered:



Chapter 1 Methodology And Scope



Chapter 2 Executive Summary



Chapter 3 Resistant Starch Market: Industry Outlook



Chapter 4 Resistant Starch Market: Source Estimates & Trend Analysis

4.1 Resistant Starch Market: Source Movement Analysis, 2021 & 2030

4.2 Fruits & Nuts

4.3 Grains

4.4 Vegetables

4.5 Cereal Food

4.6 Beans & Legumes

4.7 Others



Chapter 5 Resistant Starch Market: Product Estimates & Trend Analysis

5.1 Resistant Starch Market: Product Movement Analysis, 2021 & 2030

5.2 Rs1

5.3 Rs2

5.4 Rs3

5.5 Rs4



Chapter 6 Resistant Starch Market: Application Estimates & Trend Analysis

6.1 Resistant Starch Market: Application Movement Analysis, 2021 & 2030

6.2 Bakery Products

6.3 Confectionery

6.4 Beverages

6.5 Breakfast Cereals

6.6 Pasta & Noodles

6.7 Dairy Products

6.8 Nutrition Bars

6.9 Meat & Processed Food

6.10 Meat Substitute

6.11 Soups, Dressings & Condiments

6.12 Others



Chapter 7 Resistant Starch Market: Regional Estimates & Trend Analysis



Chapter 8 Resistant Starch Market: Competitive Analysis



Chapter 9 Company Profiles



Companies Mentioned





Cargill, Incorporated

Emsland Group

Mgp Ingredients

Tate & Lyle

Roquette Freres

Ingredion

Arcadia Biosciences

Lodaat Pharmaceuticals

Manitoba Starch Products

Adm





For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/h8bf7p

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment
Windsor, CO, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (Windsor, CO) Hayden Outdoors Real Estate Brokers received multiple awards at the Realtors Land Institute (RLI) annual APEX awards during the recent National Land Conference in Westminster, Colorado. The APEX awards are issued annually by RLI and include categories such as commercial land sales, residential land sales, and ranch land sales. Over 65 entries were submitted to qualify for the ranch land sales award, representing over $850 million in real estate sales.

Hayden Outdoors managing partner Dax Hayden was awarded Americas Top Land Broker - Ag/Ranch Sales for 2022.

Being recognized by peers in the industry as the top ranch broker in the country is humbling, Hayden said. Ranch sales are very difficult, and the details and intricacies of large land transactions can be tricky. Im honored to be able to work with such fine folks on both sides of a sale since its the people and stories that bring these properties to life. I am extremely proud of our entire team at Hayden Outdoors and the number of our agents who have received recognition for another record-breaking year.

Dax Hayden, along with fellow broker Austin Callison, were recognized on a short list of the Top 20 Land Brokers in the country. Other Hayden Outdoors recognitions at the event included Producers Club honoree John Herrity and a new ALC designation holder Casey Stayman.

RLI CEO Aubrie Kobernus, along with Eddie Rider and Eric OKeefe of The Land Report magazine, delivered the recognition for each of the award winners. Each year, the RLI APEX Awards recognizes the top brokers' coast to coast in a wide variety of categories ranging from crops to timberland. On March 7, Dax Hayden was singled out as the National Broker of the Year in the Ranches category. This highly competitive segment boasted 60 applicants and represented a whopping $862 million in ranch sales in more than a dozen states. Even more impressive is the fact that this was Dax's second time to be awarded this prestigious honor. The Land Report sponsored the APEX awards again in 2022, and is widely known as the Magazine for the American Landowner.

Hayden Outdoors, LLC is a family-owned and operated real estate brokerage started in 1976 that is based in Windsor, Colorado. Hayden Outdoors has grown to over 200 licensed brokers, agents, and staff in over 30 states. Learn more by visiting www.HaydenOutdoors.com.

Attachments
Edmonton, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) is proud to announce that Manon Plante, P.Eng., will become APEGAs 104th president at the 2023 annual general meeting (AGM) on Friday, April 28.

Plante is a passionate leader with more than 30 years of experience as a professional engineer. She prides herself on being a champion of active participation and engagement, which she has shown by serving on APEGA Council since 2016, including as vice-president in 2021-22, and sitting on many Council committees. Plante will lead APEGAs executive committee of Council, which comprises newly elected president-elect Tracey Stock, P.Eng.; newly elected vice-president Margaret Allan, P.Eng., P.Geo.; and current president Lisa Doig, P.Eng., who will transition into the role of past-president at the AGM.

APEGA also welcomes re-elected councillors Geoffrey Kneller, P.Eng., and Jason Vanderzwaag, P.Eng., and newly elected councillors Mihaela Ciulei, P.Eng.; Ken Hawrelko, P.Eng.; and Jeffrey Priest, P.Eng.

They will join their colleagues who are continuing their terms: Claudia Gomez-Villeneuve, P.Eng.; Seema Makwana, P.Eng.; Victoria Wishart, P.Eng.; Lorna Harron, P.Eng.; Wally Kozak, P.Eng.; Dean Mullin, P.Eng.; and Wendy Shier, P.Geo.

APEGA thanks outgoing councillors Darren Hardy, P.Eng., and RaeAnne Leach, P.Eng., whose terms expire on April 28 at the AGM.

As the regulator of engineering and geoscience in Alberta for more than 100 years, APEGA continues to drive the province forward with courage and innovation. We are the largest regulator of self-regulated professionals in Western Canada, with nearly 69,000 registrants who safeguard the public welfare and contribute significantly to Albertas economic success and quality of life.

Backgrounder: Biography backgrounders attached.

Note: A zip file of high-resolution images of new council members is available for download.

YouTube: Videos of the 2023 APEGA election candidates.

Attachment
State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang meets with John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), in Beijing, capital of China, to exchange their views on diplomatic work related to the HKSAR, March 16, 2023. (Xinhua)

BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang on Thursday met with John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), in Beijing to exchange their views on diplomatic work related to the HKSAR.

Lee thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its support to the HKSAR government over the years, especially in terms of opposing foreign interference, upholding "one country, two systems," and promoting Hong Kong's external exchanges and cooperation.

He expressed hope that the ministry will continue to provide guidance and support for Hong Kong in foreign affairs relating to the HKSAR.

The ministry has always supported the HKSAR government in administering Hong Kong in accordance with the law, and in fully and faithfully implementing "one country, two systems," Qin said.

"We will follow the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, continue to support, guide and assist Hong Kong in diplomatic work related to the HKSAR, and resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests, thus promoting Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability," Qin said.
Tokyo  The Angolan Head of State, Joao Lourenco, on Monday in Tokyo called on Japanese entrepreneurs to invest in various areas in Angola.

Speaking at the Japan/Angola Business Forum, in the ambit of his four-day official visit to the "Land of the Rising Sun", the Angolan President mentioned oil, gas, farming, fisheries, industry, tourism, health and education as important sectors in which Japanese entrepreneurs can invest in Angola.

Joao Lourenco stressed that Angola wants development in the referred sectors, especially in agribusiness, aiming at the increase of employment, self-sufficiency of goods and diversification of exports.

He went on to reassure that the Angolan government will provide all the necessary support to investment intentions from Japanese businesspeople, in the various areas of the Angolan economy.

Reforms in Angola

Joao Lourenco also reaffirmed that Angola has been implementing important reforms with a view to becoming more and more open to the world, mainly through a more welcoming business environment.

"As a result of such reforms, Angola today has an environment of greater transparency, good governance, with clear actions of fight against corruption and impunity", emphasised the Angolan President and Head of the Executive.

Lourenco went on to say that Angola respects and protects private property and sound business competition, as well as defends and insures improvement in international circulation of capital, profits and dividends.

The Angolan President reiterated that his government will continue to deepen the reforms, chiefly to promote the development of national human capital and the country's socioeconomic development.

"For thorough materialisation of such tasks, it is vital the participation of the private sector, which we consider to be the engine for the growth and development of our country", he underscored.

President Joao Lourenco's state visit happens at the invitation of the Japanese authorities.

The programme of the visit, which is set to end on Wednesday (15), includes meetings with the Imperor of Japan, Naruito, the country's prime minister, Fumio Kishida, and local entrepreneurs.
English Lithuanian

LITGRID AB, electricity transmission system operator, company code 302564383, registered office address Karlo Gustavo Emilio Manerheimo str. 8, Vilnius, Lithuania is publishing Company's financial statements, annual report and the Independent auditors report for the year ended 31st December 2022.

Key financial indicators in 2022:

Revenue EUR420.4 million (in 2021 EUR 270.9 million).

EBITDA EUR (-36.5) million (in 2021 EUR 46.2 million).

Net loss EUR 49.5 million (in 2021 net profit EUR 20 million).

Annexe:

Companys financial statements, annual report and the Independent auditors report.

More information:

Jurga Eivaite

Communications Project Manager

+370 613 19977

jurga.eivaite@litgrid.eu

Attachment
Houston, Texas, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Houston based skincare company Apoth.o.gy is a black-owned business newly founded in 2020 that defines itself as a consumer driven enterprise. It was built with the goal of cultivating acceptance and care for their clientele through a beautiful selection of sustainable products. Apoth.o.gys ingredients are ethically sourced and naturally occur in nature. Only trace amounts of acids and chemicals are in certain products to give stronger benefits of fighting difficult conditions such as acne. However, the products are thoughtfully concocted to maximize the benefits of each ingredient within them.

Apoth.o.gys ingredients are sourced from indigenous plants in countries such as Mexico, Egypt, and Turkey. They are paraben-free with naturally derived preservatives and surfactants, and incorporate underutilized components. This combination results in bioactive products that veer away from the unethical extraction and consumption of chemicals for skincare products. Some ingredients in their Daytime Skin Set include red reishi mushroom extract, orchid stem cells, and lingonberry stem cells. Apoth.o.gys products boast a list of skin benefits, but theyre also fairly priced amongst other competitors utilizing similar ingredients.

Founder Michael Chambers visited exotic locations to learn about the historical use of indigenous ingredients and their scientific makeup. Apoth.o.gy was born from the mixture of apothecary and mythology principles: The ancestral practices part of plant medicine and religious rituals birthed a company that provides products from the most natural sources while also spreading the significance of self-care via skincare routines. The pillars that support Apoth.o.gy revolve around community, healthy living, and charitable acts.

In addition to Apoth.o.gys future vision to fight homelessness and poverty in many vulnerable groups, they are also advocating for equality in skincare. They want to break gender norms and make skincare a normalized activity for both sexes because not investing in skin health can be detrimental overtime. Apoth.o.gy wants to build a world that reflects the values of the people and gives back to those who need it.

Apoth.o.gy founder Michael Chambers concluded:

Apoth.o.gys ethos is to become a global brand that promotes the change people would like to see in the world by uplifting humanity through selfless giving and the promotion of natural skincare products. My goal is to share the beautifully unique way our eco-friendly ingredients are used in places abroad to nourish skin. I want to take those magical traditions and reach someone who typically wouldnt encounter ingredients my company uses. People are the greatest resource in my opinion, so reinvesting in them and the most vulnerable groups is also part of my business. By incorporating charitable effects from each purchase that customers make, they can participate in the impact I hope to make.

Media Contact:

Name: Michael Chambers

Email: info@apothogy.com








Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States

TORONTO, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PIMCO Canada Corp. (PIMCO Canada) today announced the 2023 March cash distributions for the ETF series (ETF Series) of the PIMCO Canada mutual funds that distribute monthly (Funds). Unitholders of record of the ETF Series, at the close of business on March 24, 2023, will receive per-unit cash distribution payable on or about March 31, 2023.

Details of the per-unit cash distribution amount are as follow:

Fund Name Ticker Cash Distribution per Unit PIMCO Monthly Income Fund (Canada) PMIF $0.11648 PIMCO Monthly Income Fund (Canada) US$ PMIF.U US $0.12407 PIMCO Investment Grade Credit Fund (Canada) IGCF $0.05041 PIMCO Global Short Maturity Fund (Canada) PMNT $0.06685 PIMCO Low Duration Monthly Income Fund (Canada) PLDI $0.10541

The Manager, PIMCO Canada administers and manages the PIMCO Canada ETFs, and retains Pacific Investment Management Company, LLC (PIMCO), to provide sub-advisory services to the Funds.

About PIMCO

PIMCO was founded in 1971 in Newport Beach, California and is one of the worlds premier fixed income investment managers. Today we have offices across the globe and 3,000+ professionals united by a single purpose: creating opportunities for investors in every environment. PIMCO is owned by Allianz S.E., a leading global diversified financial services provider.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those identified by the expressions expect, intend, will and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Funds. The forward-looking statements are not historical facts but reflect the Funds, PIMCO Canadas and/or PIMCOs current expectations regarding future results or events. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, including, but not limited to, market factors. Although the Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. The Funds, PIMCO Canada and/or PIMCO undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statement or information whether as a result of new information, future events or other factors which affect this information, except as required by law.

No offering is being made by this material. Interested investors should obtain a copy of the prospectus, which is available from your Financial Advisor.

Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated.

All investments contain risk and can lose value. For a summary of the risks of an investment in a specific fund, please see the risks of mutual funds section of the prospectus.

Investments made by a Fund and the results achieved by a Fund are not expected to be the same as those made by any other PIMCO-advised Fund, including those with a similar name, investment objective or policies. A new or smaller Funds performance may not represent how the Fund is expected to or may perform in the long-term. New Funds have limited operating histories for investors to evaluate and new and smaller Funds may not attract sufficient assets to achieve investment and trading efficiencies. A Fund may be forced to sell a comparatively large portion of its portfolio to meet significant shareholder redemptions for cash, or hold a comparatively large portion of its portfolio in cash due to significant share purchases for cash, in each case when the Fund otherwise would not seek to do so, which may adversely affect performance.

Funds can offer different series, which are subject to different fees and expenses (which may affect performance), having different minimum investment requirements and are entitled to different services.

The products and services provided by PIMCO Canada may only be available in certain provinces or territories of Canada and only through dealers authorized for that purpose.

PIMCO Canada has retained PIMCO LLC as sub-adviser. PIMCO Canada will remain responsible for any loss that arises out of the failure of its sub-adviser.

PIMCO as a general matter provides services to qualified institutions, financial intermediaries and institutional investors. Individual investors should contact their own financial professional to determine the most appropriate investment options for their financial situation. This material contains the current opinions of the manager and such opinions are subject to change without notice. This material has been distributed for informational purposes only and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. Information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission. PIMCO is a trademark of Allianz Asset Management of America L.P. in the United States and throughout the world. 2023, PIMCO

PIMCO Canada Corp. 199 Bay Street, Suite 2050, Commerce Court Station, P.O. Box 363, Toronto, ON, M5L 1G2, 416-368-3350

Contact:

Agnes Crane

PIMCO  Media Relations

Phone: +212 597.1054
Investors can contact the law firm at no cost to learn more about recovering their losses

LOS ANGELES, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Portnoy Law Firm advises Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE: CS) investors that a lawsuit filed on behalf of investors that purchased Credit Suisse securities (NYSE: CS) between March 10, 2022 and March 15, 2023, both dates inclusive (the Class Period).

Investors are encouraged to contact attorney Lesley F. Portnoy , by phone 844-767-8529 or email : lesley@portnoylaw.com, to discuss their legal rights, or click here to join the case via www.portnoylaw.com . The Portnoy Law Firm can provide a complimentary case evaluation and discuss investors options for pursuing claims to recover their losses.

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants made false or misleading statements, or omitted important information during the Class Period. Specifically, it claims that: (1) despite Lehmann's statements in December 2022, the significant increase in customer outflows that Credit Suisse experienced in October 2022 continued; (2) Credit Suisse understated the impact of its recent losses and failures in risk and compliance on its liquidity and ability to keep client funds; (3) as a result, Credit Suisse exaggerated its financial position and prospects; and (4) consequently, the Company's public statements during the relevant times were significantly false and misleading.

Please visit our website to review more information and submit your transaction information.

The Portnoy Law Firm represents investors in pursuing claims against caused by corporate wrongdoing. The Firms founding partner has recovered over $5.5 billion for aggrieved investors. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Lesley F. Portnoy, Esq.

Admitted CA and NY Bar

lesley@portnoylaw.com

310-692-8883

www.portnoylaw.com

Attorney Advertising
Aurora, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aurora, Colorado -

Colorado personal injury law firm Franklin D. Azar & Associates, P.C. is celebrating a recent big victory for one of its clients.

The plaintiff, a single mother who was badly injured in a highway crash three years ago, was represented by the law firm's attorneys Erica A. Vecchio and Emily Benight. Several months earlier, the insurance company representing the at-fault driver had offered her a meager settlement that was simply not enough to make up for the pain and suffering that its client had caused her. To seek justice, the victim approached Franklin D. Azar & Associates, P.C. and enlisted the law firm to represent her.

At the trial, the Azar team called on a series of experts to testify regarding the client's physical injuries, neuropsychological evaluations, and future lost earnings due to impairment from the crash. After deliberation, the El Paso County jury decided that the client was entitled to $469,700 for economic damages, $235,200 for pain and suffering, and $142,440 for impairment. This was more than seven times what the at-fault driver's insurance company had initially offered to settle the case. With interest, the total award is estimated to exceed $1,000,000.

"My client is ecstatic," says attorney Benight. "This gives her the tools to make a life for herself and her kids. If she had accepted the original offer, there would be a lot of consternation about her future, which the accident has irrevocably altered. While we can't turn back time to prevent it from happening, we can do our best to ensure that the times to come are not tainted by the past, especially if the suffering was caused by someone else's negligence. You have to know what your case is worth and be willing to fight for it. That's what we did for our client and it is what we do best at Franklin D. Azar & Associates."

The case is now part of Franklin D. Azar & Associates' long and successful track record of securing significant settlements and verdicts on behalf of its clients. A list of many past victories is available for visitors to browse through on its website.

Senior attorney Erica Vecchio shared her perspective on the verdict, "Head injuries can be tough cases for a jury to understand. Having the right experts to back you up makes all the difference in the world. With our years of experience in jurisprudence and the network of professionals that we have fostered over this time, it all came down to putting the right people in front of the jury to show the true extent of our client's injuries. Insurance companies know just how severe the injuries can be and, thus, try their best to downplay them to minimize their liability. Thankfully, they didn't get away with it this time."

Erica has been with Franklin D. Azar & Associates, P.C. since July 2007. She is a member of the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association and is a past President of the Pueblo County Bar Association (PCBA). She was also named Pueblo County's Outstanding Young Lawyer in 2009 and received the PCBA's Outstanding Pro Bono award in 2013.

Attorney Emily Benight received her J.D. from the University of Wyoming in 2013 and has since racked up a long list of enviable professional distinctions. She was recognized by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys in 2017 (10 Best Attorneys  Colorado) and in 2020 (10 Best Female Attorneys  Colorado), and the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys (Top 10 under 40) in 2017 and 2018.

Franklin D. Azar & Associates is Colorado's largest personal injury law firm. It has over three decades of experience and has fought for the rights of over 50 thousand clients, recovering over $2.3 billion for them. The firm's practice areas cover all aspects of personal injury law including car, motorcycle, truck, rideshare, and pedestrian accidents, workers' compensation, product liability, class action lawsuits, and more.

Readers looking for a car accident lawyer in Colorado can contact the law firm at (303) 900-5595 or visit their website to schedule a consultation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaBarA1cH88

###

For more information about Franklin D. Azar & Associates, P.C., contact the company here:



Franklin D. Azar & Associates, P.C.

Media Relations

(303) 900-5595

info@fdazar.com

https://www.fdazar.com/

14426 E Evans Ave

Aurora, CO 80014
Tokyo  The Angolan Head of State, Joao Lourenco, analysed on Monday in Tokyo, with the Japanese Emperor, Naruhito, matters of commom interest, in the ambit of the strengthening of relations between the two countries.

The meeting between the two personalities was the highpoint of the second day of Joao Lourenco's visit to Japan, at the invitation of the Asian country's authorities.

Joao Lourenco, who is in Tokyo since last Sunday, went to dialogue with the Niponic Emperor in the company of First Lady Ana Dias Lourenco.

In the framework of the Japanese law, the Emperor acts as Head of State in diplomatic occasions, since Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the Emperor has very limited powers.

The Japanese Constitution defines the figure of the Emperor as "a symbol of the State and Unity of the people". He does not hold governmental powers.

The governmental affairs in Japan is run by a prime minister, plus other elected officials.

Audiences

Still on Monday, the Angolan Head of State granted audience to several personalities linked to the local entrepreneurial sector. Firstly, Joao Lourenco received the C.E.O of NEXI, Atsuo Kuroda, a company specialised in insurance for trade and investment.

He then received the Vice Governor of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Kazuhiko Amakawa, and the Vice Chairman of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Junich Yamada.

With the mentioned personalities the Angolan President analysed issues linked to possible investments from the said companies to the Republic of Angola.

On the same day, Joao Lourenco delivered a speech at the opening of the Japan/Angola Business Forum, where he appealed to Japanese entrepreneurs to invest in Angola.

The Angolan President mentioned oil, gas, farming, fisheries, industry, tourism, health and education as important sectors in which Japanese entrepreneurs can invest in the African country.

Japan, the world's third major economy, has the tenth highest population, which is roughly 125.4 million people.
Trooper Sanders is the CEO of Benefits Data Trust, a nonprofit that uses data, technology, policy change and direct service to help people tap the more than $80 billion in unclaimed benefits that support critical needs such as food security, health care and broadband. He has held White House policy staff positions during two administrations and served as the Clinton Foundations domestic policy adviser. More recently, he completed a fellowship at the Rockefeller Foundation where he led a project to identify opportunities to ensure that artificial intelligence improves social and economic equity. He currently serves on the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee, a body established by Congress to advise the president on national AI efforts. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, serves on the national board of Girl Scouts of the USA, and on the Military Family Research Institute's advisory board. He earned his bachelors degree from the University of Michigan and holds master's degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of London.


Bank of Ghana authorises airlifting of cash nationwide

Graphic.com.gh Business News Mar - 17 - 2023 , 18:12

The Bank of Ghana has collaborated with the Ghana Air Force to airlift cash to some of its regional offices nationwide.

The move is expected to help reduce robberies of bullion vans, some of which results in fatalities.

BANK OF GHANA, GHANA AIR FORCE COMMISSION HELIPAD TO AIRLIFT CURRENCIES TO SEFWI BOAKO

Following the accident of a Bank of Ghana Bullion Van in November 2019 at Techiman, in the Bono East Region of Ghana, the Management of the Bank of Ghana established a committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the accident and make recommendations to improve currency movement operations in the country.

Amongst other recommendations, the committee suggested to the Management of the Bank to explore other means of distributing currencies across the country. Based on the committees report, the Bank engaged the Ghana Air Force on the possibility of airlifting currencies to some of its Regional Offices in the country.

The engagement with the Air Force led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which made the Air Force to commence the lifting of currencies from Accra to Tamale in late 2020. After a successful lifting of currencies via the Tamale-Accra route, the two institutions begun ways of extending the services to other Regional Offices.

Based on the foregoing, the Ghana Air Force in collaboration with the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, begun the construction of a Helipad at the Banks Regional office at Sefwi Boako in the Western North of Ghana.

At a short ceremony on Thursday, 16th March 2023, the Air Force and the 48 Engineer Regiment handed over the newly constructed Helipad at Sefwi Boako to the Bank.

The helipad will boost the Banks currency movement operations to the Western part of the country by airlifting currencies from Accra to Sefwi Boako.

The handing over ceremony was witnessed by officials of the Bank, the Ghana Air Force and 48 Engineer Regiment Officers. The Banks team was led by the Director of the Security Department of the Bank, Wing Commander Kwame Asare-Boateng (Rtd), Nana Buabeng of the Corporate Management Services Department and the Regional Manager of the Sefwi Boako Office. On behalf of the Governor, Wg Cdr Asare-Boateng expressed the Banks appreciation to the Ghana Air Force, 48 Engineers Regiment and other stakeholders for helping to construct the Helipad in record time. He indicated that the helipad will enable the Bank to transport currencies safely to Sefwi Boako without any attacks on the Banks bullion vans.

The Air Force and the 48 Engineer Regiment were represented by Air Cdre C.N.A Mills, and Lt. Col. Albert Tekyi.
Atsu's wife Maria Claire Rupio overcome by emotion at his burial service

Kweku Zurek Showbiz News Mar - 17 - 2023 , 10:22

Maria Claire Rupio, the widow of Christian Atsu, the late Chelsea and Newcastle star became emotional as she attempted to read a tribute to her husband at his burial today at the forecourt of the State House in Accra.

Mrs Rupio Twasam was accompanied by her three children, namely; Joshua Christian Rupio Twasam, Godwin Rupio Twasam and Abigail Rupio Twasam and the player's sister Christiana Atsupie Twasam, to read the tribute.

However, she broke down and started weeping when she started to read the tribute.

Atsu's sister took over from her and read the tribute.

Mrs Rupio Twasam, an author was accompanied to the funeral grounds by two other family members.

In 2012, Christian Atsu married Marie-Claire Rupio.

The pair previously met in Portugal while he was playing for Porto.

While Marie-Claire might have had a high-profile husband, she has often kept details of her personal life out of the spotlight and off social media.

After tying the knot, Christian and his wife welcomed three kids: two sons and a daughter.

When he spoke of his family to TV3 Sports, Christian said: "I met my wife in Portugal and you can see we have a beautiful family.

"We've been together for nine to ten years and I just love her."

It was a time of mourning and solemn observation at the pre-burial service for the late Ghanaian footballer as a sea of Ghanaians clad in traditional red-and-black mourning clothing thronged the State House forecourt to pay their last respects to the fallen hero - Christian Atsu Twasam, 1992 - 2023.

The solemn funeral service included a display of traditional artifacts from the star's tribesmen amidst the sorrow and tears.

In the wee hours of Friday, mourners and wreath bearers arrived just in time to find suitable locations to pay their respects to the late Atsu, who died in a terrible earthquake in Turkey at the forecourt of the State House decorated in black and red as well as some national colors to depict the state of mourning.

More than a dozen dignitaries including sportsmen, icons from the entertainment industry joined the public and Atsu's mourning family state-assisted funeral amidst h3avy security presence.

Hosts of dignitaries present at the preburial service as at press time included the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Director General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Isaac Kofi Egyir, Minister for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Opare, Henry Quartey, Sports, President of the Ghana Football Association and other executives, some high ranking sportsmen and other political figures including MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong and MP for Ayawaso Central, Henry Quartey.

At exactly eight o'clock, tributes started to pour in, eulogising the late Ghanaian star as a philanthropist whose deeds would forever leave a mark in history.

Christian Atsu goes home: Wife's tribute

Lying before me today is the mortal remains of a beloved father and husband. I knew little that morning that God is going to call you home.

In life, I love you dearly. In death I do the same. It breaks my heart to lose you.

You did not go alone.

For part of me went with you.

Your love is still my guide, and though I cannot see you

You are always on my side.

You were always so full of life.

You seemed to be immortal.

Your smile, your love, I see you in our childrens smile.

You are never really gone as part of you is within them.

You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure.

But as you always say, God win. In Love, your wife.

Christian Atsu Twasam popularly known as Christian Atsu, was born on January 10, 1992 at Kyeiamanfro, Kwahu in the Eastern Region to Jonah Akami Twasam and Sarah Afiko Dzuvor all of blessed memory.

He later moved to Madina with his mother and other siblings where he begun his primary education at the La Nkwanta Primary School in Madina.

During his early school days at Madina, he was known by his peers as Devioo (little) due to his diminutive stature among the big boys he was playing with.

A name he was still called by his close peers even after he became a professional footballer.

At an early age of about 5, his football talent was so evident and his late father use to tell everybody his son will be the next big player in Ghana.

A prophecy he did not live to see come to pass.

Nevertheless Papa indeed your son also chart his own course and left his legacy on this beautiful sands of time.

He started his football career with Peace Boys Football club.

A colts team at Achimota, Accra. By age ten, he was scouted by the Coach of the then Ga District under 12 football team to represent the district in the Greater Accra under 12 inter district football competition that was hosted in Tema when he was playing for La Nkwanta Primary School.

Even though the Ga district team came as the runner up of the competition, Atsu won the best player of that tournament and was subsequently chosen to represent Greater Accra in the national milo under 12 championship in Kumasi.

Before the tournament in Kumasi, he was seen by scouts of Feyenoord Fetteh Football Academy in one of his games for Peace Boys Football Club at Achimota, Accra and was picked for further trials at their academy in Gomoa Fetteh.

But as fate will have it, the same scouts were at Kumasi to watch the national milo under 12 tournament to scout for other players.

During one of the training sessions for the Greater Accra team, the scouts decided to pick him and make final arrangement for his permanent transfer to the academy instead of opting for a further trials.

His parents were consulted and Atsu was officially allowed to join the academy at the age of 11.

That was the beginning of his football education at the Feyenoord Fetteh Football Academy.

During his time at the academy, he continued with his formal education and was admitted at the Potsin T.I. Ahmadiya Senior High School in the Central Region for the 2007/2008 Academic year.

He was the only form one student to play for the school team in the 2008 National Milo Championship for second cycle schools in the then Brong Ahafo region, where he was awarded the best attacker of the tournament.

Atsu won the best player awards in tournaments Feyenoord participated in in South Africa, The Netherlands, Belgium, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

CHRISTIAN ATSU TWASAM 1992 - 2023

An enviable record he made for himself at the Academy. It wasnt long Scouts within Europe and Africa came calling eager to get him to clubs in Europe.

In 2009, Ramp management led by their chief scout, Graham Heydorn secured a deal for Atsu at Portuguese giant F.C Porto, but due to him being under age, he will leave Feyenoord Fetteh Academy for Cheetah F.C at Kasoa, in the Central Region till he turned 18 years in January 2010 when he left the shores of Ghana for F.C Porto in Porto, Portugal.

He joined the youth ranks of F.C Porto and continued with his hard work with the youth team.

He won several awards including the Adidas Best Player Award at the Blue Stars/FIFA Youth Cup Tournament in Zurich, Switzerland in 2011.

On May 14, 2011, he was called by the then first team manager Andre Villas Boas into the first team for a match against Maritimo, but was an unused substitute.

Atsu, never returned to the youth ranks and was made a permanent first team player.

At the end of the 2010/2011 season, F.C Porto sent him on a season long loan at fellow Portuguese Primeira Liga Club, Rio Ave for the upcoming 2011/2012 season.

He made his debut for Rio Ave on 28 August 2011, in a 01 home loss against Olhanense.

On December 16, 2011, Atsu opened the score at Estadia do luz against F.C Portos bitter rivals Benfica in the 24th minute.

He made 27 appearances for Rio Ave and scored 6 goals for the 2011/2012 season.

He was adjudged the best player for Rio Ave for the 2011/2012 season. He will return to his mother club FC Porto for the 2012/2013 season.

F.C Porto won the 2012/2013 Primeira Liga title and Atsu was very instrumental in that campaign starting almost most of the league games and the UEFA Champions league.

He had and excellent season, by the time the season was coming to close in 2013, it was rumoured that a lot of big clubs within Europe was after his signature.

Chelsea Football Club reportedly brought the rumours to an end by signing him for an amount believe to be in the region of 3.5 million and was immediately loaned to Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem for the 201314 season.

Atsu made his debut against Feyenoord as a substitute on October 6th 2013. He went on to providing an assist for Vitesse only goal of the match.

That was indeed a shadow of what was to come for the season. Atsu played a total of 30 games in all competition for Vitesse and scored 5 goals for the Dutch side as they finished 6th in the league.

This led to the team qualifying for the playoff. By the end of the 2013/2014 season, he was voted the Vitesses player of the season.

He returned to his mother club, Chelsea football club where he will also have loan spells at fellow premier league club, Everton for the 2014/2015 season, Bournemouth for the 2015/2016 and Malaga in the Spanish Top flight La liga for the 2015/2016 season. Injuries hampered his season and he could not perform to his maximum abilities as he used to.

He fully recovered for the 2016/2017 season and was loaned again to Newcastle United. There he made almost 32 appearances for Newcastle United as they won the championship gaining promotion to the English top flight the premier league.

Newcastle signed him on permanent basis at the end of the 2016/2017 season on a four years contract where he will spent a total of five years at Newcastle United making him a fan favourite and a cult hero at the James Park.

By the time his contract came to end in 2021, he entered the free agency and moved to Saudi pro league club, Al-Raed in Saudi Arabia for the 2021/2022 season.

But due to injuries, his playing time was limited. At the beginning of the 2022/2023 season, he signed an initial one year contract for Turkish Super big club Hataypor on September 6, 2022.

There he was still battling with injuries until the end of January 2023 when he was fully declared fit to compete.

On February 5, 2023, he came on as a late substitute to score the only goal of the match in the seventh minute of added time to rescue the club from going on relegation.

In June 2012, Coach Kwesi Appiah the then coach of the senior national team, the Black Stars gave Atsu his call up to the national team.

On his debut against Lesotho at the Babayara Sports Stadium, he score in the process and from that time became an integral part of coach Kwesi Appiahs team and subsequent coaches of the senior national team. He was in the Ghana squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa. He scored the second goal of Ghanas 3-0 win against Niger in Port Elizabeth.

Atsu featured in the rest of the games as Ghana came fourth in the tournament in South Africa 2013.

In 2014, Atsu was selected for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He started all the matches for Ghana.

Ghana was eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup.

In 2015 Atsu was selected for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations tournament. Ghana lost to Ivory Coast in the final. Atsu won three man of the match at the tournament. He was adjudged the player of the tournament and his strike against Guinea was also adjudged the goal of the tournament.

He participated in the 2017 and 2019 Africa Nations Cup in Gabon and Egypt respectively.

He won one man of the match award at the 2017 tournaments, but his 2019 Nations Cup ended early as he sustained an injury during the opening game.

In all Atsu made 65 appearances for the senior national team.

Atsu was actively involved in charity and philanthropic work. These are things he did without letting it known to the public domain.

He was an ambassador for arms Around the Child, an organisation supporting disadvantaged children and also an ambassador for Crime Check Foundation, an organisation dedicated to crime prevention advocacy, petty offenders project, health check series, philanthropy and ex-convict reintegration project.

Atsu's wife

Atsu was married to Marie Claire Rupio and was blessed with two sons Joshua Christian Twasam, Godwin Twasam and a daughter Abigail Twasam.

Attached below is a copy of the full funeral brochure
Aftermath of Wednesdays fire - Kejetia Market shut down

Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor Mar - 17 - 2023 , 07:23

The Kejetia Market has been shut down until Monday to allow the management of the facility to assess the damage caused by last Wednesdays fire and put safety measures in place.

Over 30 shops were burnt in the fire incident, destroying items worth millions of Ghana cedis.

During the closure, only those affected by the fire will be allowed entry for three hours daily to salvage what is left of their items.

The Managing Director of the Kumasi City Markets Limited (KCML), E. K. Duffuor Addae, announced this yesterday when he briefed the media on the fire incident.

He said the decision was taken following a recommendation by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah, and in consultation with the leadership of the traders.

The market was, however, opened yesterday for half of the day to enable those with perishable goods, such as vegetables, meat and fresh fish, to have access to their goods.

Statistics

In all, Mr Addae said, 50 shops were affected, but, directly, 30 shops were destroyed by the fire.

According to him, the fire started around 4:30 p.m. and it took about two hours for the fire team to bring the blaze under control.

He said the area where the fire occurred had 579 shops.

He said although the management knew where the fire started from, they were unable to tell the cause and said they would leave that to the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS).

The exact shop where the fire started is numbered F3472.

We know that much, so we know where the fire emanated from.

We will work with the GNFS, cooperate with them and make all necessary information available to them to help with their investigations, he said.

The regional minister, who visited the market yesterday, commended the GNFS and the police for their intervention in ensuring the fire was brought under control.

He was grateful that no human life was lost and attributed that to the swift intervention by the GNFS and the police for ensuring that traders goods were secured.

First, lets praise the GNFS and the Ghana Police Service; they did very well.

We also thank God that we did not have any causality.

Even though we have items that have been massively destroyed, we thank God we did not lose any life, he said.

Committee

Mr Osei-Mensah said he would collaborate with the Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Decentralisation to set up a committee to investigate the incident.

According to him, the fire would need to be investigated because certain things must be clarified; for instance, why is it that the sprinkler did not switch on when the fire started, and why is it that the smoke detectors were not working?

Challenge

The Ashanti Regional Fire Commander, Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO1) Henry Giwa, said although the management of the market had installed every needed equipment to fight fire, the couplings were not compatible with those of the GNFS.

If you fight the fire using their hoses and you need to extend farther, that is where you will have the challenge, he said.

He said the service was yet to determine the cause of the fire, although it was aware of the source.
International relations minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said it is vital that Namibia and Tanzania prioritise the speed of pending agreements in various fields which have been identified, as this will strengthen and deepen cooperation between the two states.

Nandi-Ndaitwah was speaking at the third session of the Namibia-Tanzania Joint Commission on Cooperation (JCC), which was held from 8-10 March 2023 in Windhoek.

"From the second JCC, we agree that not much had happened since that meeting. And now we have committed ourselves to make sure that more will be done now after this meeting, and that's why we have put in place monitoring and follow-up mechanisms," she stated.

Stergomena Lawrence Tax, Tanzania's minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, said her country noted the slow implementation on some of the issues which were agreed upon during the second session. She added that for these sessions to be meaningful to the countries' relations, there is a need to take the decisions made seriously and tackle the implementation of all agreed issues, as well as to remove the bureaucracy that hinders reaching the targeted milestones.

"The implementation of these agreements will for sure contribute to the socio-economic development of our two countries, and enhance the living standards of our people. It is, therefore, very important that we commit ourselves to the implementation so as to meet the intended objectives. Let us speed up the implementation, with the need to redouble our efforts to ensure the timely implementation of our great decisions in order to strengthen the historical bonds, increased trade links and the broader socio-economic, political and diplomatic collaboration between our two countries for mutual benefit," said Tax.

The commission witnessed the signing of various legal instruments, being the Agreement on political and diplomatic consultations; Agreement on cooperation on security matters; and Agreement in the field of energy resources.

Touching on their energy resources' agreement, Nandi-Ndaitwah said energy is one of the enablers which is required by both countries if the two are to seriously take and achieve objectives in other sectors, such as agriculture and mining.

She added that it is important to make use of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which came into force in January 2021, to increase trade between the two countries.

AfCFTA aims to reduce tariffs among member countries and cover policy areas such as trade facilitation and services, as well as regulatory measures such as sanitary standards and technical barriers to trade.

"It is an instrument we can use to intensify trade and investment collaboration between our two countries. In pursuance of the common objective, I would like to see Namibian entrepreneurs investing in Tanzania, and those from Tanzania invest in Namibia," said Nandi-Ndaitwah.

According to a World Bank report, the AfCFTA agreement is expected to create the largest free trade area in the world, measured by the number of countries participating. The pact connects 1.3 billion people across 55 countries, with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) valued at US$3.4 trillion. It has the potential to lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty, but achieving its full potential will depend on putting in place significant policy reforms and trade facilitation measures.

Additionally, Tax said the essence of cooperation compels Namibia and Tanzania not only to tackle challenges that face the two countries and peoples, but also to continuously explore and create opportunities for growth.

"We express concern about the slow flow of trade between our two countries, and agree to continue promoting trade and investment as we cooperate, noting that investment, trade and business are among the critical ingredients for cooperation. There is a need, therefore, to harmonise and improve the business and trading environment for investment and trade to thrive, including by removing non-tariff barriers," she stressed.

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The main objective of cooperation, Tax said, is to add value to socio-economic endeavours, and to jointly address emerging peace and security threats.

There are about 18 agreements that are still pending finalisation. The next and fourth JCC is expected to take place in Tanzania in 2025.

As per the joint communique read out last week, the commission expressed concern about the security situation in the region, the killing of innocent people in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the instability being perpetrated through terrorist attacks in the northern Province of Cabo Delgado in the Republic of Mozambique, as well as the emerging political and security situation in the Kingdom of eSwatini.

It further called for the lifting of the embargo and sanctions on Cuba, Venezuela and Zimbabwe, reaffirmed its solidarity with the people of Western Sahara, and reiterated its call for the implementation of AU Decisions and UN Resolutions on the holding of the referendum.
Caretaker Trade Minister commissions VW assembly plant

Della Russel Ocloo Mar - 17 - 2023 , 06:35

The Caretaker Minister of Trade and Industry, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has commissioned a Volkswagen (VW) vehicle assembly plant in Tema.

With the opening of the 8million facility, the parent company, VW, will take over the vehicle assemblying responsibility from its licensed importer in Ghana, Universal Motors Limited (UML).

With an installed capacity of 5,000 units per annum, the new facility will assemble the T-Cross, Tiguan, Amarok and Virtus models of the VW range of vehicles, creating 80 jobs, including local third-party service suppliers.

By the new facility, the country becomes the fourth assemblying location for VW vehicles in sub-Saharan Africa, joining the league of South Africa, which is host to the companys largest assemblying plant, and Kenya and Rwanda.

Importance

Speaking at the ceremony to commission the plant at the Tema Freezones enclave last Wednesday, Mr Jinapor said the government realised the importance of the automotive sector to economic growth, skill development and technology transfer.

He said an automotive component manufacturing policy would strengthen the incentive and regulatory framework for investment in component and parts manufacturing in the country.

The ongoing implementation of the Ghana Automotive Industry Policy, Mr Jinapor said, required the need to further enhance the availability of certified parts and assemblying components to drive the export of made-in-Ghana vehicles to other parts of the continent under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The automotive and the manufacturing industries are key strategic sectors globally and noted for stimulating economic growth and transformation and powerful drivers for skill employment, foreign and domestic partnership, local supply chain development, innovation and technology transfer, he pointed out.

The minister also said the forward and backward linkages in the automotive industry could trigger an integration with other industrial sectors that would lead to economic growth and the creation of sustainable jobs, while enhancing value addition to local resources.

For that reason, the government, he said, was promoting integrated aluminium and steel industries through the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Corporation (GIADEC) and the Ghana Integrated Iron and Steel Development Corporation (GISDEC) to support the automotive industry.

VAT

Additionally, Mr Jinapor said, the ongoing implementation of a zero rating of value added tax (VAT) on the sale of locally assembled vehicles was aimed at making them cheaper for the end users.

We are actively engaging member states under AfCFTA regarding the rules of origin requirement for the trading of vehicles produced on the continent and it is our hope that Ghana, which currently hosts six original equipment manufacturers with assembling plants in the country, will become the hub for the assemblage of vehicles for the domestic and the international markets, he said.

Present at the ceremony were the Deputy German Ambassador to Ghana, Sivine Jansen; the South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Lulu Xingwana, some members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade and Industry, among many industry players.

AfCFTA

The Industrial Development Advisor to the Secretary General of AfCFTA, Themba Khumalo, said AfCFTA remained excited about the opening of the facility and many other businesses striving to operate under the agreement.

Presently, 47 African countries out of 54 had ratified the agreement, a testament that progress was being made for holistic trade among member states, he said.

The implementation of the payment systems between Ghana and Nigeria is an added value to the progress being made, Mr Khumalo said.

VW

The Chairperson and Managing Director of the Volkswagen Group South Africa, Martina Biene, for her part, said VW believed in long-term investments which were nurtured through mutual relationships with like-minded partners.

She said the countrys Automotive Development Policy remained the blueprint automotive policy in the region in terms of intentionally creating an enabling environment for the establishment of a thriving sector.

Volkswagen is the first automotive company to benefit from the incentives offered by the policy and our company has identified sub-Saharan Africa as an important region for the long-term sustainability of our business, especially at a time when major global economies are moving away from internal combustion engines to battery/electric vehicles to reduce carbon footprints, Ms Biene said.

Welcome address

The Managing Director of VW Ghana, Jeffery Oppong Peprah, in his welcome address, said the production processes were in line with the necessary safety standards that existed in Europe and the Americas in vehicle manufacturing and assemblage.
Exhibition on northern Ghanas resistance to slavery underway

Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson & Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Mar - 17 - 2023 , 06:43

The Institute of African Studies (IAS) of the University of Ghana (UG) has held an exhibition showcasing how people from the northern part of the country resisted slavery during the era of the slave trade.

The exhibition, which opened yesterday, will continue until June 1 this year.

It is being held on the theme: Every human being is a human being, and attracted members of the diplomatic corps, people in the diaspora, civil society organisations and students.

Exhibition

It featured events from some of the former slave trade centres and markets such as Pikworo, Salaga, Sandema, Paga, Builsa, Sankana and Gwollu.

The exhibition, made up of photographs, texts and video documentaries, depicts the various techniques and defence mechanisms used by the natives of the north to fight slave raiders and merchants.

Also on exhibition are weapons and war regalia, as well as traditional wear, artefacts and instruments of the area.

It is meant to generate new perspectives and knowledge on the evolution of the country in the face of slavery and colonialism to change the existing narratives about slavery by highlighting the fact that there was serious resistance on the part of Africans to slavery.

Focus of resistance

The Director of the IAS, Prof. Samuel A. Ntewusu, explained that the exhibition focused on resistance because despite being a critical aspect of slavery, not much focus was placed on it.

He said the world needed to know that during the time of the slave trade, there were communities, individuals, ethnic groups and tribes that stood their ground against the institution, and for that reason, their stories needed to be told.

Prof. Ntewusu also noted that it could boost tourism because many people seemed to focus only on edifices such as forts and castles which formed just a small part of the slave trade.

Our tourism and culture seem to be concentrated on buildings as if that was the end of it, as far as slavery is concerned.

However, people need to know that beyond forts and castles, there are specific places that you could have a similar or even better experience of the whole issue of slavery, he said.

Preservation

The Representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to Ghana, Abdourahamane Diallo, noted that enslaved people had always resisted slavery by using their culture.

He added that it was for that reason that UNESCO was working to preserve and enhance such heritage through publications, debates and other public meetings so that its memory could add to the recognition of the cultural contributions of people of African descent.

Mr Diallo stated that the organisation would support member states who would leverage local media outlets, including newspapers, television, and radio stations, to disseminate the general history of Africa, and who would also inculcate similar content into the curricula, co-curricular activities and teacher training programmes of their educational institutions.
Ghanaians must patronise local goods, services to encourage entrepreneurs- Asha Mweru

Vincent Amenuveve Mar - 17 - 2023 , 14:10

The Co-founder of WomenWork, a network of professional female executives and business owners across Africa, Asha Mweru has called on Ghanaians to support entrepreneurs particularly women in the country by patronising their goods and services.

She explained that such a measure would ultimately encourage small businesses to grow and support economic development.

Miss Mweru stated this in an interview with Graphic Online on Thursday, March 16,2023 on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of a four-month Catapult pilot training programme dubbed the first Capstone Day in Accra.

The Capstone Day was an event organised by WomenWork for Catapult programme trainees after completion of their training to create a platform for them to introduce their new products or services they have developed to a group of potential strategic partners, financiers, investors and business advisors for support.

One of the partners that graced the event was an Actress and Television hostess, Anita Erskine, who is also the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Anita Erskine Media, a boutique content production, and distribution firm.

The Catapult pilot programme is being implemented in Kenya and Ghana by the WomenWork with support from Argidius Foundation. It was aimed at creating access to networks and providing technical support skills to ensure a higher success rate in the businesses of the beneficiaries of the programme.

In all four women entrepreneurs were presented with certificates at the end of their training. They are, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Isabella Healthcare Services, Naana Akyaa Asante, Creative Director and Owner of Bello Edu, an organisation for women's clothing, Alima Bello, Founder of Wonfliki, a firm that provides agricultural drone services and data, Hillary Adare and the Founder of Checky Monkey, a child after school centre, Asha Bello.

Innovative, conducive environment

While encouraging women entrepreneurs to be innovative and produce quality goods and services, Ms Mweru entreated government, investors and other stakeholders to create a conducive environment for small businesses to grow.

What are investors and government doing?; what are policy makers doing?; different people must support entrepreneurs at different levels and in different ways. If you support only the big businesses what happens to the small ones? the co-founder further asked.

She encouraged people to be creative and innovative to solve their own problems, stressing that If you see some rubbish somewhere try to collect it but do it in a cheaper, faster way.

Circular economy

Ms Mweru indicated that patronising goods and services in the country would equally create what she described as a circular economy where resources are gradually distributed among Ghanaians themselves thereby boosting the local economy.

She said in all there were six women who were trained under the Catapult programme in Ghana but four were presented with certificates at the event.

These women, she pointed out have therefore become part of the Womenwork Network across Africa as they will work with over 5,000 women who are also in different professions.

Womenwork she noted has trained over 600 women in digital skills and reached over 65,000 women-led micro businesses in Kenya.

The organisation

Co-founded in Kenya with Pan-African ambition by Isis Nyongo and Asha Mweru, WomenWork is focused on the advancement of African women through digital communities, skill enhancement, and access to capital and opportunities to improve their chances of success in their respective businesses.



The organisation has currently trained more than 2,500 women business owners in East Africa. It is a community of over 5,000 ambitious female professionals who are focused on the advancement of African women through digital communities, skill enhancement, and access to capital to improve their chances of success.

Appreciation

The four trainees while receiving their certificates, expressed gratitude to the organisers for the opportunity offered them to grow their respective businesses.

They said it was a good learning experience for them and pledged to leverage on the skills acquired to support other women to grow their businesses across the continent.
Graphic Development Series: High-level agric dialogue in Kumasi - under the auspices of Otumfuo Osei Tutu

Zadok Kwame Gyesi Mar - 17 - 2023 , 12:16

The Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) will, on March 28, this year, hold the first edition of its new project, the Graphic National Development Series (GNDS), in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.

The GNDS is an initiative meant to diagnose some of the major socio-economic issues confronting the country and prescribe solutions to them.

The initiative, which will be held in the month of the countrys independence celebration each year, will assemble some of the best brains, both home and abroad, in one room to discuss the issues under consideration and make recommendations.

Themes for the discussions will be carefully selected to reflect the urgent needs of the country in order to help influence national discourse and stimulate actionable initiatives and policies.

The Kumasi edition, which will be held at the Lancaster Hotel from 10 a.m. on the said date, and which will be chaired by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is on the theme: "Transforming Ghana's agriculture using home-grown solutions for food security."

The event is expected to bring together agricultural value-chain actors, including farmer associations, input dealers, marketers, policy makers, development partners, financial institutions and distribution agents.

The programme will have the Director of the Organic Farm Centre, Songhai, Professor Godfrey Nzamujo, as the main speaker.

Among other speakers billed to speak at the event is a former Member of Parliament for Twifo Atti-Morkwa in the Central Region, Abraham Dwuma Odoom.

Expectations

Sharing more insights on the initiative, the Director of Sales and Marketing of the GCGL, Franklin Sowa, said the GCGL, as the leader in the media industry, had a greater responsibility to set the agenda for the countrys development.

He said over the years, the company had played an important role in the countrys development and had just come up with an additional avenue that would help the country tackle some of its major challenges.

He said the GNDS would create a pool of solutions that were critical to the countrys development, explaining that the agricultural sector, for instance, was the key driver of the countrys economy.

GNDS platform

We have been part of the process of finding solutions to problems that we have identified and also problems on which we have reported, Mr Sowa said, pointing out that we have realised that, as a nation, we do not have any platform on which, around independence, we can discuss very topical issues of national interest that are solution directed.

He said it would be prudent if, during the independence celebrations of the country, one key issue could be picked and addressed, as the GCGL intended to do.

We believe strongly that anytime we celebrate our independence or mark our independence, it must trigger a conversation around sensitive issues of national interest to improve our lives, he explained.

He said the company chose agriculture for the first edition of the GNDS, considering the various reports on rising cost of food in the country due to many solvable factors, including the high cost of production.

He indicated that once the country was food secure, it would affect other sectors positively, hence the need to pay critical attention to the agricultural sector.

Mr Sowa noted that the Kumasi event would tackle all aspects of the agricultural value chain, saying this event is targeting relevant stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

He wondered why, in spite of the countrys fertile lands, it continued to rely on imported food to feed its population.

In Ghana, everywhere you grow something it will grow, he said, and asked: So how come we are still importing everything?

Look at the amount of money we are spending to import only rice that money can be used to address the light issue in hospital theatres in the north, he added.

Partnerships

Mr Sowa encouraged all corporate bodies and development partners to come on board to make the GNDS a success to help turn the countrys fortunes around positively and commended the corporate bodies that had so far shown interest in the programme and partnered the GCGL.
RCC lauds Henry Quartey for national award

Daily Graphic Mar - 17 - 2023 , 06:28

The Greater Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) has lauded the Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, for being honoured with the Order of the Volta - Companion award.

It said the award, which was bestowed on him for the role he played in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, was a testament to his commitment to improvement in health delivery in and the overall development of the region.

According to the council, Mr Quartey had, at the slightest opportunity, demonstrated his resolve for selfless service to this nation.

We are grateful to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for conferring the Order of the Volta - Companion on you at the National Honours and Awards ceremony, a statement from the council said.

National Awards

Last Tuesday, President Akufo-Addo conferred national honours on some Ghanaians at the National Honours and Awards.

They were made up of individuals who supported the countrys fight against the COVID-19 and others who helped it to win the maritime dispute with Cote dIvoire.

A total of 41 Ghanaians received the highest honours, the Order of the Volta - Companion.

Four Ghanaians also received special awards for their extraordinary individual achievements.

Mr Quartey worked to the best of his ability in confronting the COVID-19 which had plagued humanity and was bent on altering our way of life on all fronts, the RCC said, adding: Little did we know that your humble and selfless service to God and country would gain this high recognition for this prestigious national honour.

This award is certainly a trophy to your hard work here in Ghana and across the globe. We are proud of you.

To all who supported you in any shape or form in the line of duty for the successes you chalked up to come this far, we say a big thank you, it added.

We also salute the Minister for National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, for granting you that rare opportunity, as his deputy, and backing you to play that leading role on the COVID-19 National Security Operations Committee, it said.

The statement expressed the hope that the award would spur the regional minister on to do even more in the area of environmental cleanliness.
Thousands file past Christian Atsu

Kweku Zurek Mar - 17 - 2023 , 08:42

Thousands of fans are paying their respects to Christian Atsu Twasam as part of his final funeral rites today in Accra.

The body of the 2015 African Cup of Nations best player is at the forecourt of the statement where Ghanaians from all walks of life are paying their final respects.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to take his turn filing past at 8.45am.

Some dignitaries present at the ceremony include the Chief of Staff, Frema Osei Opare, presidential aspirant Kennedy Agyapong and the Director of the Ghana Prisons Service.

more to follow...
Reject new Electoral Commission C.I.- Coalition urges Parliament

Daniel Kenu Politics Mar - 17 - 2023 , 07:04

A Coalition of smaller political parties, "Third Force Alliance," has called on Parliament to reject the new Constitutional Instrument (C.I.) by the Electoral Commission (EC) and not allow it to mature and become law.

The coalition made up of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) and the Ghana Union Movement (GUM) said it held the view that the new C.I. was not only obnoxious and unconstitutional, but it was inimical to the tenets of participatory democracy in the country.

The new C.I. seeks to make the Ghana card the sole identification document for voter registration, and when laid in Parliament, will come into force after 21 sitting days, except the House annuls it by a vote of not less than two-thirds of all Members of Parliament (MPs).

Last month, the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa, told Parliament, as part of the pre-laying of the C.I., that the Ghana Card as the sole registration document would ensure that only eligible Ghanaians registered as voters.

Presser

However, addressing a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Spokesperson of the coalition and National Communications Secretary of the PNC, Awudu Ishaq, said it was time for the EC to apprise itself of the dangers and repercussions that the C.I. posed to the countrys nascent democracy.

Mr Ishaq said the teething challenges that continued to bedevil the Ghana Card registration process made the proposed C.I. even more objectionable.

"Apart from logistical and network concerns, we now know that the operations of the National Identification Authority (NIA) have been hamstrung by financial constraints.

"These financial challenges, as the NIA itself has disclosed, have led to 3.5 million blank cards being locked up in a bonded warehouse due to its indebtedness to its private partner, Identity Management System (IMS), while another 645,663 cards are yet to be issued to Ghanaians who have completed their registrations.

Additionally, about 631,847 cards have not been printed while as we speak, an estimated 2.5 million Ghanaians are yet to be registered in the first place," he said.

The group expressed shock at the EC's proposal to abandon its own guarantor system which had been integrated into L.I 2111(2012), the very law regulating, the issuance of the Ghana Card.

"Making the Ghana Card the sole document for the identification of Ghanaians can only be construed as a devious plot by the Jean Mensa-led Electoral Commission acting in cohorts with the failed Akufo-Addo and Bawumia government to subvert the inalienable right of millions of Ghanaians," Mr Ishaq alleged.

Continuous registration

He contended that the decision by the EC to abandon the registration of voters at polling stations and electoral area levels for registration at district centres would hugely disenfranchise a greater majority of prospective voters considering the geographical outlook of the districts across the country.

"This arrangement would require people to travel long distances in order to access the registration centres in the districts.

Apart from inconveniencing prospective voters, this will further place a financial burden on the very Ghanaians whose economic and financial circumstances have been worsened," he added.

Guarantor system

Mr Ishaq said the unpopular decision by the EC to expunge the guarantor system from the proposed C.I. as a form of identification for the purposes of voter registration is curious, untenable and inexplicable.

"Why would the Electoral Commission accept a Ghana Card which can be procured through the guarantor system as proof of citizenship at the National Identification Authority but cannot allow the same or similar guarantor system for voter registration? he asked.
A pre-print study by European environmental scientists assesses the direct impact of the recent sabotage of the undersea Nord Stream pipelines on marine ecosystem. The explosions that ripped open the gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea last September released more than 100,000 tonnes of methanewhich was widely covered in the media and also stirred up some 250,000 tonnes of heavily contaminated sedimentwhich was not widely covered.





Baltic Sea natural gas release (Photo: Danish Defense)

As the researchers note in their paper, the four explosions that deliberately ruptured Nord Stream 1 and 2 took place near a major chemical munition dump site near the Danish island of Bornholm.





Explosion site map, with chemical munition dumpsite indicated, where 11,000 tons of chemical warfare agents were sea-dumped in 1947. Sanderson et al.

While the massive release of natural gas into atmosphere raised serious concerns for climate, this paper assesses the overlooked direct impact of this sabotage on marine ecosystem. Seals and porpoises within a radius of four km would be at high risk of being killed by the shockwave, while temporary impact on hearing would be expected up to 50 km away. As the Baltic Proper population of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) is critically endangered, the loss or serious injury of even a single individual is considered a significant impact on the population. The rupture resulted in the resuspension of 250,000 metric tons of heavily contaminated sediment from deep-sea sedimentary basin for over a week, resulting in unacceptable risks towards fish and other biota in 11 km3 water for more than a month. Sanderson et al.

In addition to the harbour porpoisewhich is considered the most vulnerable in relation to the explosions, other marine mammal populations near the explosion sites are the Gray seal and the harbour seal.

The paper explores the environmental impacts of the pipeline explosions and release of gas by modeling potential impacts on marine ecosystem of the explosions themselves as well as toxic risk from resuspended contaminated sediments in the water.

Among the findings:

The event released historically introduced pollutants to the deepest location of the Bornholm basin and resulted in large volumes of water exceeding the environmental toxic threshold for up to 34 days;these did not reach the surface of the sea nor the surrounding shores. The cause of marine environmental risk was primarily resuspension of TBTan endocrine disrupter used to protect ship hullsand Pb representing 75% of the total mixture toxicity contributions.

The Bornholm Basin is the traditional spawning and nursery ground for the Eastern Baltic cod (Gadus morhua) population. The rupture happened at the end of the normal cod spawning season from March to September. The resuspension of toxic sediments could moreover reach fishes as well as juvenile cods and eggs in the area for more than a month. The most likely long-term impacts on fish would be endocrine disruption due to TBT exposure. Lead (Pb) exposure to fish may induce oxidative stress, affect biochemical and physiological functions among this disrupt neurotransmitters causing neurotoxicity and disruptions to the immune system. The contaminant load resulting from resuspension of sediments by this event likely adds more pressure on already existing ones, putting the e.g. the Baltic cod stock under additional stress.

Resources
March 10- Youssef Diamond Mining Company is committed to good business practices in Liberia.

A statement released Friday said, it has been licensed by the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Mines and Energy to conduct mineral resources assessment and is in good business standing. Over the past 11 years, YDMC has discovered numerous Kimberlite pipes and dikes in the Camp Alpha area of Gbarpolu County and Cape Mount County that outnumber the Kimberlite emplacements throughout other areas of West Africa. These Kimberlite emplacements when mined can lead to a better economic future for Liberia and be of great benefit to her people.

Within the Gola Forest National Park Act, SECTION 7: MINERAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT IN THE PARK, the Government of the Republic of Liberia expressly approved the continuation of exploration activities within the Park area for the purposes of mineral resources assessment to add value to the Liberian economy and her people. YDMC has been licensed by the Government of Liberia to accomplish this.

GFNP ACT SECTION 7: MINERAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT IN THE PARK:

"The government of Liberia shall have, as provided in the constitution of the Republic, the rights at all times to prospect for minerals and conduct scientific research in the park with the collaboration of the Park authority."

In a recent newspaper article, entitled: "Youssef Diamond Mining Company Accused of Illegally Mining in Gola Forest,"YDMC was wrongly accused by a group of journalists that its activities were not legitimate per the Gola National Forest Act. In response to this, the Ministry of Mines and Energy reaffirmed the rights for YDMC to continue to work in the areas around Camp Alpha in a letter written by the Minister of Mines and Energy Honorable Gestler Murray. Here is an excerpt from that letter:

"YDMC has been carrying out detailed mineral exploration activities in the Camp Alpha area since 2012. The license they possess was extended in 2016, just at the same time the act that established the Gola Forest National Park was being enacted,". This effectively confirmed without a doubt that YDMC activities are legal as far as the Government of Liberia was concerned.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy in an official communication responding to the article informed the group that "the Ministry of Mines and Energy is a very strong advocate for environmental stewardship during prospecting and mineral exploration activates as required by Environmental Protection Act of Liberia, the Minerals and Mining Law of 2000 the Regulations Governing Mineral Exploration Activities, and the RIGHT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF LIBERIA TO PROSPECT AND CONDUCT MINERAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT WITHIN THE GFNP (Gola Forest National Park ) AS ENVISAGED BY SECTION 7 OF THE 2017 ACT THAT ESTABLISHED THE GOLA FOREST NATIONAL PARK."

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The Government of Liberia has licensed YDMC to conduct these mineral resource assessment activities in this area. YDMC will continue its exploration to add value to the Liberian economy through the discovery of valuable mineral resources, especially Kimberlite diamond pipes, and dikes.

YDMC has a fantastic relationship with the local community that is very supportive of its exploration activities. Over the years, YDMC has completed numerous corporate social responsibility projects in the Camp Alpha areas of Gbarpolu County and Cape Mount County such as building a school, multiple churches, mosques, and a town hall, and is extending her support to care for families and children. This year, 2023 YDMC is building a free medical clinic for the community among its other beneficial initiatives for the people of Liberia.
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Docomo Pacific customers on Guam and Saipan lost service Friday as the result of a cyberattack, according to a statement from the company.

As of 5 p.m., Docomo was working to assess the situation and restore service.

"Early this morning, a cyber security incident occurred and some of our servers were attacked. Immediate failsafe protocols were initiated by Docomo Pacific cyber security technicians to shut down affected servers and to isolate the intrusion," President and CEO Roderick Boss said in the statement.

The company's "customer data, mobile network services, and fiber services remain unaffected, protected and secure at this time. We are working to restore service as soon as possible."

Customers were encouraged to use mobile data to tether other devices, such as laptops and tablets, at no additional cost.

There was no time given for restoration of full service.

The company said updates would be posted on social media and customers could call 671-688-CARE on Guam or CNMI 670-488-CARE.
Lawmakers will have to fund a bill before government of Guam employees can see the 22% pay raise set to start in two weeks, according to the governor.

But Sen. Chris Duenas, the most vocal critic of the administrations pay plan so far, said he wants scrutinize the plan first and see its cost to the public slashed.

Republicans lawmakers on Thursday stalled a bill from Adelup that would fund the raises through the end of the fiscal year in September.

They raised concerns over transparency and a bump in the price tag for the bill.

Initially projected to cost $16 million, Bill 24s cost jumped to $23 million after the Judiciary of Guam and several autonomous agencies of the government asked to be included in the pay increase.

Deadlock by the numbers Its unlikely the hold up can persist, as Bill 24 came just one vote short of being placed on the session agenda during a Committee on Rules meeting Thursday. Three committee members were absent, and the vote was split across party lines. Democrat Sens. Chris Barnett, Sabina Perez, Therese Terlaje, Joe San Agustin, Roy Quinata, Dwayne San Nicolas, and Speaker Therese Terlaje all voted to place the measure on the agenda. Republican Sens. Duenas, Telo Taitague, Tom Fisher, and Joanne Brown did not. Three membersall Democratswere absent from the vote: Sens. Amanda Shelton, Will Parkinson, and Vice Speaker Tina Muna Barnes.

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero Thursday said she doesnt set the pay for the Judiciary and the autonomous agencies of the government, like the University of Guam, which was why they werent included in the original cost for the bill.

Legislative budget chair Sen. Joe San Agustin has said funding for the other agencies was included when they asked for parity with the new pay scale as part of the public hearing process. Legal counsel for the Legislature has given the move the go-ahead.

I think Sen. San Agustin did the right thing, Leon Guerrero stated, adding that all legal processes were followed.

The governor said she was now working with San Agustin to come up with a solution and would push for the bill to move forward. Payouts, however, were in the Legislatures court, she said.

When the administration OKd a 20% pay increase for educators in the middle of last fiscal year, the Guam Department of Education used federal American Rescue Plan money to cover costs until lawmakers green-lit the use of local tax money to cover the raises.

Leon Guerrero Friday said she didn't oversee how Guam DOE used the federal money to cover costs, but for this round of raises, local tax dollars controlled by the Legislature are the only funding source being looked at. Senators will have to fund any back wages.

She accused Republican senators, such as Duenas, of making a political stand over their refusal to support the raise and not using common sense.

This is the right time. Theres no other time that's right, she said.

Duenas responds

This is just really something that I think the people of Guam need to take a good look at, said Duenas, adding that he planned to ask San Agustin for another public hearing on the measure.

The increased cost in the Bill 24 would be a long-term expense for GovGuam moving forward, according to the senator. Whether the government could afford that was an open question and there was no room for "empty promises." If the measure cost $23.3 million for half a fiscal year, it would likely cost double that by fiscal 2024, he said.

By the time you factor in increments and everything else that are on an annualized basis, we're looking at probably close to $50 million next fiscal year.

A pay increase that cost closer to $14 million or $16 million for the rest of fiscal 2023 was more reasonable, he said. A tiered approach, in which the highest-paid, non-critical employees were getting raises lower than 22% was more reasonable.

You go into the six figure salaries and there's hundreds of them. There's individuals that are (at) $120,000, $130,000  they're gonna be getting $30,000 and $40,000 and $45,000 pay raises, he said.

Revenue stream

Besides that, other legislation looks to tap into the same revenue stream that Bill 24 is looking at, Duenas said  the $43 million worth of excess tax revenue that GovGuam has collected this fiscal year.

Duenas has proposed to use $30 million of that money to repay schools for the money that went toward pay raises last year, while Leon Guerrero has committed to supporting another $20 million in stimulus money for businesses.

Theres also the land bank reform act that Adelup has pushed, which would use local money to repay landowners who had their property taken by the federal government. Senators to date haven't finalized the cost of that plan.
The Guam Legislature will be joining the abortion case now before the Supreme Court of Guam.

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero has asked the Supreme Court about the validity of Public Law 20-134, a decades-old abortion ban in the legal code, which Attorney General Doug Moylan has moved to revive. The ban was deemed unconstitutional after it was passed, but the constitutional right to an abortion has since been reversed.

One of the questions posed by Leon Guerrero to the court was whether the Legislature has the authority to pass unconstitutional laws.

The Guam Legislature was invited by the court to file a brief on that issue, according to Sen. Chris Barnett, chair of the Committee on Rules.

Members of the legislative Committee on Rules Thursday adopted Resolution 54-37, which allowed for legal counsel to be hired to represent lawmakers in the case. Attorney Mike Phillips was hired, according to a release from Barnetts office.

Up to $12,500 may be spent for the legal services.

Despite some reservations during Thursdays meeting, Barnett said that legal counsel wouldnt be responding to questions about the Legislatures policy on abortion. It was a matter of the bodys authority to pass laws, he said.

Members of the Committee on Rules will have 48 hours to review any briefs prepared by Phillips, which will then have to be passed by a majority vote.

The deadline for filing is March 31.
Chinas increasing military threat prompted the U.S. military to reassess its land needs on Guam, according to Navy Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson.

He said the military now plans to keep land that in recent years had been considered for possible return to the local government.

He said the military owns about 27% of the land on Guam, but only about 5% of the militarys land holdings are suitable to be developed for future military activity.

Some of the militarys unused land is on poor terrain, or is set aside for environmental mitigation and cant be developed, he said.

The military also is required by federal law to own less Guam land at the end of the military buildup than it owned in 2011.

Theres no more excess land, except for some parcels of land already in the process of being returned to the local government, said Nicholson, who is commander of Joint Region Marianas.

As we look at the lands, and as time changes, or as things change and the geopolitical situation changes, we have to reassess where we are, Nicholson said.

He said excess land is what the military calls property that has no military use at that time. That does not automatically start a transfer process of that land to the government of Guam, which requires several additional steps, Nicholson said.

Missile defense

He said the need for a 360-degree missile defense system, which will occupy multiple military sites on island for different radar systems and interceptors, prompted the military to revise its excess land inventory.

We took all of the land that had been listed as excess but had not started the process for transfer, and we removed it from the excess list, Nicholson said. We realized weve got to  hold where we are right now until we make sure that everything is sited.

The militarys revised land-use requirements are one reason a proposed 40-megawatt solar farm, on leased military property at South Finegayan, was scrapped last year.

ENGIE Solar won a bid to build the project for the Guam Power Authority, but the project was canceled last summer following a lengthy procurement protest that delayed the project, increasing costs and prompted ENGIE to back out.

The military, which first offered the South Finegayan land for the solar project in 2014, last year told GPA the property no longer is available.

The situation changed, and we realized we needed that land for the missile defense system, Nicholson said.

Prime piece of land

The admiral said the militarys 112-acre Eagles Field property, in Mangilao, is a prime piece of land thats developable, but the military committed to leasing the property to the government for a new medical campus and hospital. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero received a copy of the lease from the Navy Wednesday, and has until the middle of April to sign it.

Nicholson said part of the new missile defense system, which will sit on adjacent land in Mangilao, was redesigned to allow the medical campus to operate at Eagles Field.

Keeping the Eagles Field property would increase the militarys inventory of developable land, Nicholson said, But we see the value in that hospital.
Certain provisions of basic conditions of employment or service for employees and employers in the fisheries industry have been varied by the labour minister.

This means provisions of the Labour Act, as provided for these conditions, have been substituted by the varied provisions, which were published in the Government Gazette of 1 March 2023.

The variation came into force on 1 March 2023 and will remain in force for the next five years.

The new varied basic conditions of employment provisions for fishers in terms of the ordinary hours of work is nine hours a day if a fisher works six or fewer days a week.

In addition, fishers are entitled to a meal interval (lunch) of at least thirty minutes for every five hours of continuous work.

The variation brings changes in terms of overtime for fishers, where it permits them to perform overtime not exceeding 35 hours in a week and in any case not more than five hours a day.

Like in a normal overtime situation, affected employees should first give consent before employers seek authorisation from the Executive Director in the labour ministry to perform overtime work.

To limit fatigue, the variation provides for a rest period not less than 10 hours in any 24-hour period and 77 off hours in any seven-day period.

The fishers are further entitled to be paid shore leave of one full day off for every seven days worked at sea and a fraction of a day, calculated on a pro-rata basis for less than seven days worked at sea, which the

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employer grants upon the return of a fisher from sea.

The Labour Act provides for the minister to exempt any employer or class of employers from any provision of Basic Conditions of Employment, expect in terms of severance pay and dispute resolutions.

Labour and industrial relations minister Utoni Nujoma varied the labour provisions after consulting the Labour Advisory Council. This followed an application by employers in the fishing industry with a consent of the affected employees through their trade unions.

According to labour ministry executive director Otniel Podelwilts, the conditions of service that have been varied include the ordinary hours of work, overtime, meal intervals and daily spread-over as well as the weekly rest period.

The variation gives effect to the provisions of the International Labour Organisation Convention 188 on Work in Fishing, which Namibia ratified in 2018. The Convention aims to ensure that fishers have decent conditions of work on board fishing vessels with regard to minimum requirements for work on board, conditions of service, accommodation and food occupational safety and health protection, medical care and social security.
Published on 2023/03/16 | Source

New stills added for the upcoming Korean drama "Duty After School" (2023).

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Addis Abeba  Ethiopia said it is dismayed by the resolution issued by the Arab League regarding the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

A statement released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry said that "the management and utilization of the Nile River, including the filling and operation of the GERD, must be left to the concerned parties in Africa" accusing the Arab League of serving "as the spokesperson of one state, disregarding basic principles of international law".

"Such attempts to politicize the issue of GERD neither advance friendly relations nor support the efforts to arrive at amicable solutions, as they are not based on facts or supported by law," the statement added.

On 09 March, the Arab League's foreign ministers council issued a resolution calling on Ethiopia to show flexibility on filling and operation of the GERD, after the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry asked Arab nations to pressure Ethiopia to halt its "unilateral and unco-operative practices" according to media reports.

Expressing its commitment to resolve the remaining outstanding issues under the AU-led negotiations, Ethiopia said "the League's resolutions and statements by Egypt call into question whether Egypt has been engaged in good faith in the negotiations under the AU's auspices".

It reiterated that Ethiopia continues to fill and operate the GERD in accordance with the Agreement on the Declaration of Principles of March 2015 signed between Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan, with full respect to the principle of equitable and reasonable utilization of transboundary water resources.

In August last year Ethiopia announced the successful completion of the third round water filling of the dam and started power generation by a second turbine with the capacity to generate 270 MW electricity. AS
The Finnish majority state-owned airline said the plan, floated in conjunction with the launch of consultative negotiations last autumn, was scrapped after it reached a roughly three-year agreement on cost-cutting measures with its cabin crew.

FINNAIR on Wednesday announced it has scrapped its plan to outsource cabin crew services on its routes to and from Thailand and North America.

Valid until the end of 2025, the agreement also stipulates that the current collective bargaining agreement for cabin crew will be extended by a year, until 31 January 2025.

We are pleased that we have been able to find solutions together with our employees, said Johanna Karppi, the head of people and culture at Finnair. The agreements with our employees support our important goal of restoring profitability. We are grateful that our employees have been willing to contribute to solving our profitability challenge to safeguard the future of Finnair and jobs at Finnair.

The airline has earlier agreed on cost savings with pilots, senior clerical staff and engineers, as well as cabin crew based in Japan and South Korea. It has also implemented a number of local agreements designed to improve productivity with ground operation units and technical services staff.

Presently, the cost-cutting agreements cover 87 per cent of its staff.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
Finland was one of the countries that managed to survive the energy crisis of 2022, according to a report released by the Kalevi Sorsa Foundation. The report, titled "Nine Questions and Answers About the Energy Crisis of 2022," was written by Janne M. Korhonen, an energy policy expert at the foundation. It examines the causes of the crisis and suggests ways in which it could have been avoided.

The report indicates that Finland weathered the energy crisis in a top-tier position, with electricity prices being the second lowest in Europe in 2022. This was due primarily to Finland's reduced dependence on fossil fuels compared to most European countries. According to Korhonen, electricity prices are projected to return to normal levels most quickly in Finland and Sweden.

However, the report also highlights that the primary cause of the energy crisis was Russia's attempt to punish countries that supported Ukraine by reducing its exports of natural gas and electricity to EU countries. Furthermore, France's nuclear power plant issues, including delayed maintenance and technical problems, compounded the crisis. The crisis was further exacerbated by an exceptionally dry and hot summer in 2022.

According to the report, Finland would have been much better positioned to manage the crisis if Olkiluoto 3, a nuclear power plant, had been completed before the winter of 2022. However, coal-fired backup power plants were unable to mitigate the crisis in 2022, as backup power had already been shut down earlier. Nonetheless, previous investments in renewable energy helped ease the crisis, particularly the rapid growth of wind power in Finland, which lowered electricity prices on windy days. Additionally, increasing energy efficiency and demand response measures helped to lower the electricity bills for everyone.

The report concludes that the energy crisis of 2022 serves as a vital reminder of the risks of fossil fuel dependence, similar to the oil crisis of 1973. Reducing dependence on fossil fuels not only helps to reduce the impact of such crises but also frees countries from the whims of producing countries' leaders.

The report also touches on other energy-related issues, including the cost of wind energy alternatives, the impact of emissions trading on electricity prices, and the role of peat in energy crises.

Overall, the report provides valuable insights into the factors that contributed to the energy crisis of 2022 and how Finland was able to withstand it better than most countries. It also highlights the importance of continuing to invest in renewable energy sources and increasing energy efficiency measures to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and minimize the impact of future energy crises.

HT
President Andrzej Duda said that almost a dozen aircraft that Poland had inherited from the former German Democratic Republic would be handed over in the upcoming days after being serviced.

Poland - the first NATO member to do so - on Thursday pledged that it would send four MiF-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. This was a significant development in Kyiv's struggle to fend off Russian aggression, CNN reported.

Duda added, "When it comes to the MiG-29 aircraft, which are still operating in defence of Polish airspace, a decision has been taken at the highest levels, we can say confidently that we are sending MiGs to Ukraine."

In providing Kyiv with heavy weaponry, Warsaw has assumed a leading position among NATO allies. A step beyond the rest of the alliance's commitments, Poland's statement that it will send the Soviet-designed aircraft may put pressure on other members to follow suit.

The US said on Thursday that Poland's proposal would not require Washington to act, given that other NATO countries have been unwilling to go much beyond their earlier this year decided to send tanks to Kyiv.

The Polish president voiced the support of his nation and the Czech Republic for Kyiv while speaking at a news conference in Warsaw alongside his new counterpart, Petr Pavel, reported the CNN.

President Duda also said, "The Czech Republic and Poland are countries that are in the absolute vanguard when it comes to supporting Ukraine, both at humanitarian and military levels."

Even before Russia invaded Ukraine, Poland was one of the loudest opponents of Russia in Europe. Many people in Poland's political and diplomatic circles still view Russia from the Cold War perspective. Warsaw has always held the opinion that Putin is an unreliable leader and that any Russian expansion should be resisted at all costs. It is one of the few NATO nations with a legal obligation to fulfil its 2 per cent of GDP commitment to defence spending and is an active member of the European defence community.

Deploying MiGs is not out of the ordinary for Poland, and it fully complies with its NATO membership.

Although, this might alter the dynamic inside the alliance, serving as a stimulus for more nations to do so, or it might enrage nations like Hungary who are against NATO to get more involved in the fight.

The main concern will be whether it exerts pressure on the United States and the United Kingdom, which would then exert pressure on Germany. In the end, Poland presumably intended to put this pressure on other allies.

According to the White House, President Joseph Biden won't send F-16 planes since Poland's decision to send the fighter jets is a "sovereign choice," made on Thursday.

John Kirby, a senior official at the US National Security Council, claimed that it didn't alter his organisation's thinking regarding F-16s.

He said, "These are sovereign decisions for any country to make and we respect those sovereign decisions," adding, "They get to determine not only what they are going to give but how they're going to characterise it."

"I wouldn't think it's our place to characterise Poland's decision one way or another," Kirby said, denying to endorse the decision.

He said that Biden, who earlier this year declared he would not send US combat jets to Ukraine, will not be persuaded by Poland's choice.

Ukraine has argued that it needs fighter jets from the US in addition to tanks so that it can defend itself from Russian missile and drone assaults.

But, the US and NATO officials have expressed doubt over the initiative, claiming that the jets wouldn't be realistic since they require substantial training and that Russia has powerful anti-aircraft systems that could easily shoot them down.

HT

Source: ANI
Johannesburg  Child marriage, gender-based violence (GBV), sexuality education, religion, and tradition came under the spotlight during a conference, Arab and Asian Parliamentarians' Meeting to Follow-Up on ICPD25 Commitments: Addressing Youth Empowerment and Gender-Based Violence, held in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Professor Keizo Takemi, MP Japan, Chair of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD), reminded delegates that GBV is on the rise in conflict situations, during disasters, and during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

"Furthermore, children in some countries are at higher risk of child marriage due to economic pressures and school closures caused by the pandemic. Globally, about one in five (21 percent) girls are married before the age of 18. Child marriage not only deprives girls of educational opportunities, but early pregnancy and childbearing also come with a higher risk of complications and death.

Pierre Bou Assi, MP Lebanon, President of the Forum of Arab Parliamentarians on Population and Development (FAPPD), told the delegates it was necessary to acknowledge and confront the issues of GBV in the region. It was clear from a series of case studies from the Arab and Asia Pacific region that while there has been some success, there was plenty of work to do.

Dr Dede Yusuf Macan Effendi, MP for Indonesia and Chair of the Indonesian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (IFPPD), said the country had had some successes - for example, the incidence of GBV dropped from 33 percent in 2016 to 26 percent in 2021. However, many incidents were unreported, and this was considered "the tip of the iceberg."

Effendi noted the region's issues - like the high proportion of child marriage and exposure to HIV/Aids.

Dr Hasto Wardoyo, the chairperson of BKKBN, said parliamentarians played a critical role, with various "studies suggesting that the government should take steps such as increasing care capacity and access to services such as health services, social services, developing children's abilities, opening and equalizing access, strengthening family and social bonds."

A professor from UIN Jakarta, Dr Nur Rofiah, gave a perspective from Islam and said the religion had a concept of maslahah or goodness. This recognizes women's bodily experiences are different from men's, and it would be important to consider actions that "cause painful experiences for women's bodies, including gender-based injustice."

Rofiah emphasized the adverse effects of child marriage for women saying that child brides lost out on their childhood, dropped out of school, experienced domestic violence, often were adversely impacted by divorce, were stigmatized by being widowed, lacked competitiveness in the work environment, very often experienced single parenthood and were susceptible to child marriage.

COVID-19 had impacted the ICPD25 programme of action, especially on health care, with malaria and tuberculosis neglected, as was gender equality, said Nadimul Haque, an MP in India. The Regional Sexual and Reproductive Health Adviser, UNFPA ASRO Professor Hala Youssef, developed this theme, saying policymakers need to change strategy during this decade of action to 2030 - without which it would be difficult to achieve the goals. She called on delegates to move from the idea of "funding" ICPD goals to "financing" them. Funding was reliant on the government, but financing involved the wider society.

Youssef called on parliamentarians to concentrate on the needs of young people, people with disabilities, universal health coverage, budgetary and financial allocations, social determinants of health, maternal deaths among adolescent girls, strengthening health workforce numbers, and capacity building.

The case study presented by Professor Ashraf Hatem, an MP from Egypt, showed that his country's Universal Health Insurance (UHI) would soon remove the issue of what he called "catastrophic health expenditure" of the poor. The scheme rolled out in phases, would decrease out-of-pocket expenditure from 62 percent to 32 percent in 2032.

The government was subsidizing about 35 percent of the population. He gave an example of open heart surgery done in a UHI facility that would cost a patient 300 Egyptian pounds or about USD 10.

A grim picture of the social, psychological, economic, and medical burdens resulting from unintended pregnancies in her country was painted by Soukaina Lahmouch, an MP from Morocco. While there had been an improvement in the legal arsenal regarding abortion, marriage, and access to quality health services, much was still to be done. She explained that in Morocco, about 153 newborns are born out of wedlock each day, of which 24 children are abandoned at birth.

About 11,4 percent of pregnant women still received no prenatal care; however, in rural areas, about one-fifth of mothers received no prenatal care, and 13.4 percent gave birth without the assistance of qualified personnel.

"More than half of the women affected by poverty do not seek follow-up during pregnancies," Lahmouch said, adding that education was a determinant, with almost all women with secondary school education giving birth in a health facility, but those without education more likely to give birth at home.

About 12 percent of women were married under 18, and a recent survey showed that 62.8 percent of women aged between 18 and 64 experienced violence during the year before the survey.

Dr Suhail Alouini, a former MP of Tunisia, quoted a World Bank study, saying 18 percent of women were married before 18 in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region. While in many countries, the legal minimum age for marriage is set at 18, there were exceptions for the marriage of underage individuals due to court decisions.

Alouini said conflict and displacement increased the risk of GBV, including sexual violence and forced marriages.

"In some conflict-affected areas in the Arab region, the rates of child marriage have increased, and the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in reports of GBV in the Arab region and around the world. The pandemic also disrupted efforts to prevent child marriage as school closures and economic hardships made girls more vulnerable to early marriage."

He noted that GBV and child marriage requires a comprehensive and multi-sectorial approach focusing on prevention response and political leadership, and ICPD25 recommendations provide a road map for action emphasizing the importance of investing in data and research and engaging a wide range of stakeholders and political leadership. The role of parliamentarians is critical in addressing GBV and child marriage.

Laissa Alamia, MP of Bangsamoro Transition Authority, Philippines, spoke about the situation in the self-governing region and the Philippines.

"One in four Filipino women aged 15 to 49 experienced physical, emotional, and sexual violence by their partner or husband. One in six Filipino girls finds herself married before hitting the age of 18."

This is the case even though the Philippines is known for its "most vibrant woman's rights movement and the most comprehensive anti-GBV legal frameworks and mechanisms in the world."

Bangsamoro region is disproportionately poor, and 62 percent of the women belonged to poor communities; the approximate number of child brides was 88,600 out of a population of 2.46 million women.

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He said ethnic minority Muslim women continue to face different forms of discrimination, and the code of Muslim personal laws in the country gives a prescribed age for marriage of 15 for men and 15 or at puberty for females.

Alamia said the Philippines law, which prohibits child marriages, is not universally accepted by all communities and brings up religious freedom debates.

Dr Jetn Sirathranont, MP Thailand, noted in his closing remarks that there was still a long way to go to achieve the ICPD25 programme of action, but he hoped this conference would give an impetus to finding solutions.

Tomoko Fukuda, Regional Director of IPPF ESEAOR, encouraged parliamentarians to continue their work on the ICPD programme of action, despite conflicting priorities.

"So we as the older generation have to be committed to ensuring that the world is a better place for the young people and the children born into this world," she said.

Anjali Sen, UNFPA Representative in Indonesia, shared a study by Schneider and Hirsch in 2020 that showed that "comprehensive sexuality education meets the characteristics of an effective GBV prevention ... comprehensive sexuality education is based on human rights and gender equality."

She called for it to be implemented, stating that it needed support and involvement from teachers, parents, healthcare providers, young people, and the government. Parliamentarians had a role in ensuring that policy and financial support were available.

Note:. This conference was organized by APDA and FAPPD, hosted by IFPPD and supported by UNFPA and Japan Trust Fund (JTF).

IPS UN Bureau Report
Bipartisan group of legislators pitches solutions for childcare crisis

More state funding for childcare subsidies, a pilot program to split childcare costs differently, broadening obstetric coverage, extending federal childcare compensation grants and reforms to improve the quality rating system for childcare centers are all proposed fixes to a statewide childcare shortage a bipartisan group of Republican and Democratic legislators announced.

Here's a roundup:

House Bill 321: Reduce Maternal Morbidity/Mortality/Medicaid: The bill would increase rates for obstetric coverage to at least seventy-one percent (71%) of the Medicare rate [or] the Medicaid rate paid for obstetrics maternal bundle payments for pregnancy care.

House Bill 322: Tri-Share Child Care Pilot Funds: This bill creates a pilot program in three counties, which D.H.H.S. and the North Carolina Partnership for Children will determine. It would divide the cost of child care between an employee, their employer, and the state government.

House Bill 342: Extend Child Care Compensation Grants: This bill would appropriate $300 million from the states General Fund to extend the compensation grants portion of the child care stabilization grants, which are grants given to child care centers. The state must exhaust federal resources before tapping into state funds, which this bill allows.

House Bill 343: Increase Rates/Set Floor/Child Care Subsidy: The bill would increase the child care subsidy market rates to the seventy-fifth percentile as recommended by the 2021 Child Care Market Rate Study for children in three-, four-, and five-star-rated child care centers and homes. Additionally, when the same study recommends new rates, the bill would automatically increase the child care subsidy rates to the seventy-fifth percentile of those recommended rates going forward.

House Bill 343 would cost taxpayers at least $206 million in the first year, most of which would be covered by federal funds. However, state funds ($24 million) will cover the gap in the second year and, by the third year, will be responsible for covering the entire sum.

House Bill 344: QRIS/Star Rating System Reform: The bill would extend the deadline for star system assessment reporting, which was previously extended during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill also requires the North Carolina Child Care Commission to recommend reforms to the quality rating improvement system by March 31, 2024.

Referring to $800 million the federal government sent North Carolina for childcare stabilization, Gov. Roy Cooper called the grants a triple play during his State of the State speech last weekthe grant money will provide education for the child, a job earning money for the parent, and a badly needed employee for the business, he said. We need to fill them with high-quality staff and keep those childcare centers open.

'Treat this crisis like the emergency it is'

A mom from Rockingham County opened the press conference legislators held to announce the childcare bills.

We need lawmakers to treat this crisis like the emergency it is, Daphne Alsiyao, the mother of three children, told the press on Thursday while standing in front of legislative proponents.

Alsiyao said she and her husband are moving from Rockingham County to Forsyth County, where they will be looking for childcare for two of their children.

Rep. David Willis, R-Union, is the lead sponsor of each of these five bills. He said these drafts are compromises between Democrats and Republicans and that changes are still likely to be made before the legislation is final.

In 2022, Democrats filed legislation to appropriate $180 million from the General Fund to fund Pre-K slots for eligible four-year-olds, $45 million to subsidize childcare, $159 million to make school lunches free, and $10 million for community colleges operating public childcare programs.

In the press conference, Willis emphasized that the bill is bipartisan and said the business and education communities were aligned on this issue.

'Child care begins at conception'



Affordable childcare is a complicated and important topic, said Dr. Robert Luebke, director of the Center for Effective Education at the John Locke Foundation Still, in moving forward, we need to ensure our policies help families, businesses, and taxpayers and dont merely prolong a troubled system.

Burgin, a supporter of the legislation, said the current proposed solution is not sustainable in the long run.

We have about 116,000 children born in this state each year, Burgin said. About 52% of those are born under the Medicaid system, and I firmly believe that child care begins at conception. So what this bill will do is it will pay for doulas to be involved from conception through birth.

Long term, we have to figure something else out, but let me tell you what happened, Burgin said. When we took the money from the federal government, and we spent on childcare, we basically gave them a raise. You could say it was one-time money, but after you give somebody a raise and they have it for a year, you cant take it away from them. So we created the situation, and weve got to figure out what to do with it.


Environmental NGO Nature Seychelles has successfully completed the testing of a prototype device that will be used to monitor turtle nests in the future, said a top official.

The device, called 'Nest', is being developed in collaboration with a Seychellois company, OceanLabs. It will be able to monitor the nest's internal temperature, sea level and oxygen levels, among others, to help conservationists better protect sea turtles. The device was assembled with the off-the-shell parts in Mahe, the main island.

"One of the biggest factors that influences the sex of a turtle is the temperature. With the planet becoming warmer, it means that more turtles being born are turning out to be males and this is an issue," said Dr Nimal Shah, the chief executive of Nature Seychelles.

He explained that such a device will allow conservationists to better understand what is happening to the hatchling and react to it, such as finding ways to reduce the nest's temperature, to allow for more females to be born.

The prototype's testing was completed on Cousin Island, a granitic island lying 2 km west of Praslin, the second most populated island of Seychelles. It is a nature reserve managed by Nature Seychelles and protected under Seychelles law as a special reserve. It is one of the oldest marine protected areas in Seychelles.

"Cousin is a very important island when it comes to turtle nesting, especially hawksbills, where every year a large number of them come up to the island's beaches to nest. That is why the island was chosen to test the device," Shah explained to SNA.

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The hawksbill sea turtle is classified on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a critically endangered species. The species is largely limited to tropical and subtropical marine and estuary ecosystems.

The device is now ready to be produced and Shah said he hopes that with its success, it can then be mass produced and sold to other organisations around the world.

Aside from monitoring various areas of the nest, the device is also capable of motion detection, where it can then record everything that goes on around the nest and even let the rangers on the island know when the young turtles hatch and leave for the sea.

Shah told SNA about the plans to work with the same company, to come up with another piece of technology, aimed at the monitoring of coral reefs.

Nature Seychelles is a leading environmental organisation in the western Indian Ocean. It is the largest and oldest environmental NGO in the Seychelles archipelago, involved in environmental conservation and management. It employs 15 full-time staff including biologists, an economist, educators and protected area specialists.
press release

FAO's FISH4ACP programme empowers women to address falling yields and discrimination

When Suzana Hamimu Kaleju began working as a fish processor 30 years ago in the port of Kigoma, she used to lay the sprat, a type of herring, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika before selling her dried fish in local and regional markets.

They would get dusty or sandy so they would fetch lower prices. Sometimes goats would even eat them, but that was all she could do without drying racks or other tools. It was what she and the other local fish processors always did.

Suzana, like her mother before her, grew up in the United Republic of Tanzania, right on this lake, which borders Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. It is the world's second largest freshwater lake and accounts for 40 percent of Tanzania's annual fish catch.

Small-scale fishers and fish processors, like Suzana, account for a large share of the workforce in Tanzania's sardine, sprat and perch fisheries, a sector that employs 27 000 fishers and 11 000 processors in total.

Although the men still do most of the fishing, it is the women who dry and process the fish for selling. Nearly 90 percent of the fish processors in Tanzania are women and many work as roadside vendors, restaurant owners, wholesalers and retailers.

While two-thirds of the catch is consumed locally, exports of Lake Tanganyika's sprat, sardine and perch are worth almost USD 1 million a year.

However, poor fishing methods, climate change impacts and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing have all contributed to declining yields in recent years. Furthermore, fish processors in the region lose much of their harvest due to poor refrigeration, inadequate handling or poor processing techniques.

Through its FISH4ACP programme, FAO is aiming to address these post-harvest challenges, as well as declining yields by implementing more sustainable value chains for sardines, sprat and perch, while contributing to the conservation of Lake Tanganyika's natural resources.

An initiative of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, FISH4ACP contributes to food and nutrition security and prosperity and job creation by safeguarding the economic, social and environmental sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture value chains.

FAO's FISH4ACP is funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and, in Tanzania, the programme is implemented in partnership with the Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute.

Through the FISH4ACP programme, Suzana and other participants have learned new methods for handling and processing fish, such as how to build and use drying racks and solar tent dryers, as well as how to better market their fish products. These new methods help reduce food losses and increase revenue for the fish processors.

"With the knowledge gained from trainings, I have managed to build drying racks, which improved my products, and now I am getting good quality products with better prices," says Suzana. With her increased income, she has been able to send her kids to school and invest in other areas of her life like building a house.

"Fishers and fish workers are gaining new business skills and learning ways to reduce post-harvest losses that have been a problem for many years," says Hashim Muumin, FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Officer in Tanzania. But the initiative is not just about improving processing technology, he says it's also about building the capacity and business skills of fish workers at Lake Tanganyika.

"We are also providing fish processors access to institutions for microfinance and loans to help them grow their businesses, as well as potential markets to help them unlock opportunities in the value chain," concludes Muumin.

Tumaini Godfrey Luhingulanyi, a 60-year-old grandmother, is another fish processor from the lake region. In addition to the training received from the programme, she has also installed a modern kiln processor, which is more efficient for drying fish than traditional kilns and produces higher-quality fish products with a longer shelf life.

"I now employ 10 people who help me with everything from carrying fish from the landing site to drying and smoking the fish at the processing site to packaging, transporting and selling at the market," she says.

"Through my business, I've been able to build my own home, buy land, start a poultry farm and even pay the tuition for my son who recently graduated with a diploma in clinical medicine."

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Women work together for change

Through FISH4ACP, women have learned that there is power in numbers. Over the years, female fish processors have suffered from poor access to capital and microfinance and complained of sexual harassment, workplace abuse and robberies.

They are now forming cooperatives and associations to advance their interests, gain greater access to finance and improve their trade and marketing. Suzana joined the local chapter of the Tanzania Women Fish Workers' Association, which was launched by FISH4ACP last year. She and others have joined forces to build their businesses and expand trade, as well as learning from each other and raising awareness about their rights.

FISH4ACP has also analysed the entire value chain and has proposed further improvements in improving processing techniques, increasing participation by women, better coordinating access to urban markets and complying more fully with legislation to ensure the sustainable use of fishery resources.
Geita  EGHT artisanal miners have been killed due to underground pit collapse at Igando Village in Magenge Ward, Geita Region.

Geita Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Safia Jongo confirmed the incident on Saturday, while speaking to journalists after recovering the bodies of the deceased.

ACP Jongo said the accident occurred due to severe weather conditions following heavy rains that flooded the pit, while the miners were underneath.

"The miners were found dead around 9am after heavy rains pounded in the surrounding area...water invaded the pit where they were mining," ACP Jongo said.

The commander named the deceased as Juma Pamba (42), Akili Anthony (40), Samwel John (25), Juma Swalele (50), Simon Mabula (40), Kamala Nyambogo (30), Bahati Nyambogo (25), and Juma Sumuni (53).

"It is unfortunate that the deceased were conducting their activities in an unauthorised area," the RPC said.

On his part, Fire and Rescue Service Commander in Geita Region, Shabaan Dawa said the rescue procedures started immediately after they received notification of the development, adding that in the course they managed to recover all the eight bodies.

In his address, Geita Regional Mining Officer, Mr Martin Shija said the area where the accident occurred was licensed to one -Abdul Joseph, but banned for artisanal mining activities in September 2022.

Elaborating, Geita Regional Commissioner, Mr Martin Shigella had announced the ban on small-scale miners from operating their activities in the area, and asked the public to follow proper procedures to obtain a licence for safe mining.

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Meanwhile, the Police Force in Mara Region has said that the employee of the North Mara Gold Mine, who died inside the mine threw himself into a hole approximately 20 metres long after he was found digging stones thought to contain gold in an underground mine in the Gokona area.

"The body of the deceased has been kept at the Tarime Town Council Hospital pending a medical examination to determine the cause of his death," the Regional Police Commander (RPC) of Tarime Rorya, ACP Geoffrey Sarakikya said yesterday.

RPC Sarakikya named the deceased as Emmanuel Chacha (25), a resident of Kemakorere village in Tarime District, Mara Region.

RPC Sarakikya has said that the incident happened on Saturday around 11 pm inside the mine operated by the Barrick Company in partnership with the government of Tanzania, through the Twiga Minerals Company.

"He threw himself into a hole after he was found stealing stones thought to contain gold, but the autopsy will provide answers to the cause of death," emphasised RPC Sarakikya.

RPC Sarakikya said that before he threw himself, the task force team found him stealing stones believed to contain gold in the pit.

Commander Sarakikya explained that the taskforce team including the Regional Mining Officer, officers from police force, the mine's security unit and the company's hired Nguvu Moja are working on the issue for further information.

However, RPC Sarakikya said that he will provide a full report of the incident after the autopsy of the deceased is completed.
Aerial photo taken on July 12, 2021 shows scenery of the Zhengding ancient town after rain in Shijiazhuang, north China's Hebei Province. (Xinhua/Luo Xuefeng) BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- A recently released report titled "Toward Modernity: The Value of Xi Jinping's Economic Thought" has explored the origins of Xi's economic thought from the perspective of local governance. When working in different localities, Xi put forward a series of new ideas, new ways of thinking and new measures concerning economic work. His years of solid practice on the ground have enriched his experience and enhanced the depth of his theoretical thinking, laying a solid foundation for his economic thought to take shape and evolve. Recounting Xi's stories of economic governance when he worked at the local level, the report, which was released by New China Research, the think tank of Xinhua News Agency, has offered a vivid illustration on how Xi's economic thought helped promote local development. The following piece tells Xi's story in Zhengding. From March 1982 to May 1985, Xi worked for more than three years as deputy chief and chief of the Communist Party of China (CPC) committee of Zhengding County in north China's Hebei Province. During this time, he established a good rapport with local officials and the public, got to know every village through in-person visits, fought on the frontline of reform and opening-up, comprehensively advanced work on different spheres, and obtained a political reputation with remarkable achievements. "Zhengding is where I got started in local governance," Xi once said. Starting with Zhengding, Xi deepened his thinking on economic work day by day and continuously put his ideas into practice. He conducted in-depth investigations and research, gave full play to Zhengding's comparative advantages, and creatively put forward the idea of a "semi-suburban economic model" to promote the coordinated development of urban and rural areas. He has respected and cherished talent, and led the formulation of the widely commended "nine policies for talent attraction," clarifying that "talent is the foundation of the country's prosperity." He has also recruited a broad talent pool and accelerated Zhengding's economic development. "SEMI-SUBURBAN ECONOMIC MODEL" - INNOVATIVE APPROACH FOR DEVELOPMENT To the north of the old town of Zhengding is a vast countryside, and 15 kilometers to its south is Shijiazhuang City, capital of Hebei Province. In 1982, following in-depth investigations and study, Xi pinpointed Zhengding's location, a rural-urban fringe area, and creatively proposed the idea of a "semi-suburban economic model," which aims at benefiting urban areas, advancing rural prosperity, and promoting coordinated development. The essence of this development model allowed Zhengding to capitalize on both urban and rural areas. By providing services to and digging into the purses of urban residents, Zhengding developed its economy and increased its locals' incomes. The CPC committee of Zhengding County made a plan to "rely on and serve cities, infiltrate the market in Shijiazhuang, enter the markets of Beijing and Tianjin, seize the markets of Shanxi and Inner Mongolia, and do businesses across the country." Under the guidance of this development approach, Zhengding vigorously developed diversified businesses, and its economic development rapidly accelerated. In order to sell Zhengding's farm and sideline produce to Beijing, Shijiazhuang and other big cities, Xi worked as a "salesman" on many occasions. Xi encouraged locals to produce marketable products, and spared no effort to communicate and coordinate to find long-term business cooperation partners for Zhengding. Zhengding's pork, eggs, fruits and other products thus landed in stable and reliable markets. From 1982 to 1984, Zhengding's gross industrial and agricultural production doubled, and the per capita income of local farmers more than doubled, rising from 148 yuan (about 21 U.S. dollars) to more than 400 yuan. From the local to the central government, and from one city and region to the whole country, Xi has been consistent in valuing coordinated development. "NINE POLICIES FOR TALENT ATTRACTION" - EXPLORING POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH Xi has always respected and cherished talent. He has noted that talent is an important indicator of a country's comprehensive strength. National development depends on talent, and national rejuvenation depends on talent. In 1983, he presided over the formulation of "Provisions on Further Emancipating the Mind, Relaxing Policy and Accelerating the Economic Development of the County," which is now widely known as Zhengding's "nine policies for talent attraction." According to the provisions, all scientific and technical personnel coming to Zhengding could share the profits of or receive a one-time payment for each project. A then fresh take on talent recruitment arose. All those with expertise were welcome, including those with problematic family background, complex social connections and people who erred but already corrected their faults. Failures in research projects were allowed. The county also built offices and residential buildings for talent transferring to Zhengding, and provided shuttle services and paid allowances to experts, scholars and professors who gave lectures in Zhengding. Yearning for talent, Xi often visited people with expertise in person. His nighttime meeting with Wu Baoxin is an oft-told story. Wu was an engineer who had mastered a new technique to make foot powder. At that time, he wrote to Xi to express his willingness to work in Zhengding after reading the "nine policies for talent attraction." It was getting late in the evening when Xi received the letter, but he immediately set off with a colleague for Tangu Community in the then Qiaodong District of Shijiazhuang, where Wu lived. There were dozens of buildings in the community. Not knowing Wu's specific address, they went from house to house. It was past 10 p.m. and they still could not find Wu's home. Xi refused to give up. They shouted "Wu Baoxin" loudly throughout the community, and finally found him. Wu was very moved and invited them in to discuss the matter. Finally, the project was established smoothly in Zhengding. Less than one year after it was put into production, the company made a net profit of 300,000 yuan. Xi has attached great importance to giving full play to the role of talent, and established a county advisory group composed of more than 50 people, including famous mathematician Hua Luogeng, economist Yu Guangyuan and other famous experts.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has commended Geita Gold Mining Limited (GGML) for enabling the company's female employees to develop academically and promote them to various levels, including leadership roles, after completing their training and education.

Equally, he urged other businesses to create development chances for various trainings for female employees in order to boost their productivity, particularly in the digital world, as GGML did.

Majaliwa made the remark recently in Dar es Salaam during the eighth graduation of the Female Future Tanzania Programme organized by the Association of Tanzania Employers (ATE), where a total of 65 graduates, including four from GGML, were presented certificates.

Tatu Tibashengwa, formerly the Internal Control Superintendent, was one of the graduates; she has since been elevated to Manager (Good Governance) and Finance. Changwa Mjella, Hellen Mallya, and Flora Muhochi are three other alumni of the FFT programme.

Majaliwa, commenting on the effort, stated, "I am pleased to learn that a number of women who graduated from this program have attained significant leadership positions, such as at GGML (Tatu Tibashengwa); this is the success we want."

Elaborating, he urged women to show up in big numbers to participate in the program because it has continued to provide beneficial outcomes for them, particularly in terms of their professional performance and their personal lives.

In his address, he also challenged women and Tanzanians in general to continue capitalizing on the potential presented by the development of a digital economy through the use of technology.

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Suzanne Doran, the chief executive officer of ATE, stated that since the program's inception in collaboration with the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) in Arusha, 274 women from 79 companies, including 150 members of parliament and representatives, had received training.

Since the training commenced in 2016, the GGML has sent a total of 17 female employees to the Female Future Tanzania training programme, according to Dominic Marandu, the company's acting human resources manager.

Several of the graduates, including Janeth Luponelo, who serves on the board of State Mining Company, have been selected to various leadership roles within and outside the corporation, according to him (STAMICO).

"We are currently in the process of recommending four additional female employees for the next programme, and I believe GGML will keep advancing diversity and inclusion at the mine," he added.

Ms. Tibashengwa, in addition to expressing her excitement over the promotion, praised the company for recognizing her outstanding performance, efficiency, courage, and commitment to gender equality at work.

"More women will be encouraged to work, and even my coworkers will be encouraged that it is doable," she said.
Arusha  TOURISM stakeholders have expressed mixed views on how to realise the envisioned concept of Sustainable Tourism as Tanzania gears to receive five million tourists, come 2025.

The players, who were speaking separately at a Sustainable Tourism Roundtable hosted by the European Union Business Group (EUBG) here midweek rooted for the protection of wildlife corridors if the country wants to achieve the concept.

Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) Conservation Commissioner, William Mwakilema observed that it was important for conservation agencies to closely engage communities in securing wildlife corridors.

"If we do not protect corridors, then we are all liable to genetic cut offs," warned the conservation expert.

Putting it into context, Mr Mwakilema said Arusha National Park (ANAPA) used to be connected with Amboseli National Park through Tarangire National Park, with King'ori Ward being the wildlife corridor.

"This is no longer the case as animals are now confined to one area," he explained.

Sustainable Tourism refers to sustainable practices in and by the tourism industry.

It is an aspiration to acknowledge all impacts of tourism, both positive and negative.

It aims to minimise the negative impacts and maximise the positive ones.

Dr Gladstone Mlay, the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) Acting Marketing Director on his part said sustainable tourism called for concerted efforts from stakeholders.

Dr Mlay was categorical that the board was hinging on Cultural Tourism Enterprises (CTEs) in achieving sustainable tourism.

"Mindful of its importance, TTB is now promoting CTEs through working closely with the private sector," opined Dr Mlay.

He further revealed that TTB had hired a Canadian expert to promote such an initiative.

CTEs operate as a total set of products that involve different cultural and natural attractions, activities and provision of services in a given local community and aim at providing employment and income generating opportunities to local communities in rural areas of Tanzania.

For Breakthrough Attorneys senior partner, Kheri Mbiro, communities need to be empowered and involved in the quest for sustainable tourism.

He said: "While giving licences to investors, communities need to be brought on board."

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Mr Mbiro also took issue with some of the existing laws in the country, arguing that they were ancient and needed to be updated.

"For instance, the Public-Private Partnership Act needs some bit of amendment," he added.

In his sentiments, Dr Maswet Masinda from the National College of Tourism Arusha, rooted for clear policies to achieve sustainable tourism.

Dr Masinda said it was equally important to have a guideline on how the private sector utilises resources.

The National College of Tourism senior official also pushed for the country to have its own accreditation in promoting and marketing Tanzania, as a destination.

"We also need to explore other tourism products," he suggested.

During the roundtable discussion, stakeholders delved into the question of the meaning of sustainable tourism and presented recommendations identifying potential areas for public and private sector to collaborate.

They also highlighted the importance of showcasing tourism's benefit to the local communities, interventions on solid waste management in national parks, tree planting for zero carbon and reduction of plastic bottle usage.
PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has challenged youths and women to access loans and capital for business from lending institutions, and quickly reminded them to honour resettlement obligations.

"Our youths should not be afraid to borrow from commercial lenders to get capital. The loan can be a useful tool for development," he said while citing CRDB Bank as one of the lenders with a variety of loan products for youths and women.

The Premier aired his challenge during a seminar "CRDB Bank Investment Day" held in Dar es Salaam yesterday, which coincided with the launch of the CRDB Bank Foundation.

PM Majaliwa challenged youths and women across the country to tap the potential of the CRDB Bank's iMBEJU programme, which is geared to improve their commercial innovation.

The iMBEJU initiative aims to provide training, advice, and enabling capital for youths and women.

The programme, championed by CRDB, in collaboration with Information Technology Commission (ICTC), and the Science and Technology Commission (COSTECH), started with a seed capital of 5bn/-.

The Prime Minister said that iMBEJU is centred on providing a solution for start-ups, young people and women by building capacity on the ability to run business profitability, especially through strategic training to be provided in collaboration with ICTC, COSTECH, plus other training for women's empowerment programmes through groups.

"The truth is that many startups failed not for the lack of capital but rather on business management," Mr Majaliwa said adding.

"Financial institutions are ready to finance these startups but the risk of failure is high for young businesses due to lack of proper managerial skills...and CRDB has seen this and came up with a solution-the iMBEJU programme."

The PM also used the platform to task government institutions to give opportunities to young people, who come up with innovations that can solve society's challenges. He asked the Ministry of Works to work with the designers of the system to guide and control vehicles on roads.

He said the government continued to use various loan schemes to provide loans to youths and women and for example, through the Youth Development Fund a total of 1.88bn/- has been disbursed in 2022/23 for 85 youth projects.

The Minister for Information, Communication and Information Technology, Mr Nape Nnauye, said the iMBEJU programme will stimulate the establishment of new products and services that are compatible, while tackling the real needs of wananchi.

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"Youths and women should come up with innovations that will be able to compete in and outside the country," Mr Nape said during the event.

Zanzibar's Minister for Construction, Communications and Transport Dr Khalid Salum Mohammed encouraged young men and women from the Isles to make good use of the programme, since the Revolutionary Government strives on improving the business environment to stimulate creativity and growth of startups.

CRDB's Vice-Chairperson Prof Neema Mori said the programme is part of the bank's efforts to stimulate development and build economic inclusion for youths and women.

"The iMBEJU is part of sustainable programmes that will be implemented through CRDB Bank Foundation which has been given the responsibility of designing, establishing and managing sustainable empowerment projects in the community," she said.

CRDB CEO and Managing Director Abdulmajid Nsekela said that the iMBEJU major goal is to enable many young people and women to develop their businesses to excel financially while contributing to economic growth.

The CRDB Bank Foundation, Director General, MS Tully Esther Mwambapa, said the foundation will provide capital for those who have undergone training and graduated under iMBEJU.

"The applications will be submitted through the websites of ICTC and COSTECH, while women will go through our branches," Ms Mwambapa said.

CRDB Bank in collaboration with the ICTC and COSTECH will also be providing business operation training and despite targeting women and youth businesses in various sectors but the emphasis is on technology innovations.
Hyatt Centric Jumeirah Dubai Hotel has appointed Jihane Rahmani as marketing & PR communications manager.

Rahmani is fluent in three languages and holds a Masters in Marketing and Commercial Communications from Morocco. Before joining Hyatt Hotels, she was the Cluster Marketing Manager at IHG Hotels & Resorts Abu Dhabi, where she successfully launched several marketing campaigns and events, resulting in increased brand awareness and revenue growth.
NMB Bank Plc has recorded another milestone after bagging the Best Bank in Tanzania 2023 Award during the 10th Africa Bank 4.0 Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya in recognition of its strong performance momentum and deepening impact on the Tanzania's economy by providing innovative digital solutions and distinguished services.

The award considered all fields of the bank's products and services offerings that include retail banking and digital banking.

Bank's Chief Executive Officer Ruth Zaipuna also scooped the Best CEO in Tanzania Award 2023 for the second year in a row having received the prestigious accolade during the summit last year.

The Africa Bank 4.0 Awards recognise the efforts and innovation of the region's key players in the banking, financial services and insurance sectors.

Speaking shortly after receiving the awards, NMB's Chief Human Resources Officer Emmanuel Akonaay said the Best Bank in Tanzania 2023 Award is another strong evidence of the bank's commitment to innovate and meet its customers' growing needs and represents the bank's efforts in establishing a culture of excellence by providing innovative services by keeping pace with the advancement in modern technologies.

"I am very proud and honoured to accept this award on behalf of the bank.

Winning this award confirms that we have attained the level of excellence we strive for.

I dedicate this to my fellow NMB bank employees for their hard work and commitment as their dedication and excellence earned this honour for our bank. We understand the importance of providing distinct and unique experiences to our customers and are constantly introducing services to enhance the customer experience," he said.

Mr Akonaay said the bank has over the years succeeded in providing distinguished services to its clients, whilst introducing innovative concepts that have also significantly helped improve the quality of work.

"As a market leader in Tanzania, we take pride in offering our clients seamless banking services that are in line with international standards.

At NMB, creating financial opportunity for everyone is the core of our mission. We are committed to putting the full force of our people and resources to work and drive financial inclusion," he added.

The accolades come at a time the Bank's profit after tax increased by 47 per cent to top 429bn/- compared to 290bn/- in 2021 leading to the new biggest historic profit to have ever been made in Tanzania's banking sector and making NMB 3rd best bank in East Africa Region in terms of profitability.

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Total assets peaked to over 10tri/- from 5.5tri/- four years ago with the deposits base expanding to 7.5tri/-from 4.2tri/- in just three years.

The 2022 financial outturn reflects the strong performance momentum NMB has had in the last four years and the impact of its Banking solutions excellence.

Commenting on the Best CEO award, a statement issued by the NMB Bank CEO Ruth Zaipuna in Dar es Salaam said; "I am deeply humbled and grateful to be the recipient of the 2023 Best CEO in Tanzania Award which recognises the modest achievement and contribution as a leader.

I am humbled to be leading an organisation with a growing reputation that is continuously positioning itself to have a global mark of excellence."
2023 Open Days at Les Roches Marbella are now scheduled for all applicants with an interest in getting a first-hand look at the characteristics of one of the most luxury hotel and tourism industry's most acclaimed educational models.

Applicants will be immersed in the hospitality industry during their visit on campus by getting to know the school's facilities first-hand and enjoying the delicious gastronomy prepared by current students. In addition, students and educational advisors will be available to explain what life is like at the school, the curriculum, internships, as well as the whole on-campus learning experience delivered through an educational system combining the technical efficiency of North American education and the renowned Swiss teaching model.

At the Les Roches Marbella campus, the Spring 2023 Open Days are scheduled on 17 March, 21 April, 26 May and 23 June.

Open Day attendees will acquire detailed insights on the Bachelor's, Master's, and postgraduate degrees available at Les Roches. All Les Roches degrees are taught in English and include professional internship periods at hotels and luxury establishments around the world. Currently, Les Roches offers a BBA in Global Hospitality Management with five specializations enabling the development of detailed knowledge in a specific professional discipline (Hospitality Entrepreneurship, Digital Marketing Strategies, Hotel Financial Performance Management, Sustainable Developments and Practices, and Resort Development and Management); the Postgraduate Diploma in International Hospitality Management, the Master's in International Hotel Management, the Master's in Marketing Management for Luxury Tourism, the MBA in Global Hospitality Management, the Master in Hospitality Strategy and Digital Transformation, as well as the Executive Master's in International Hotel Management, and the Executive MBA in Global Hospitality Management which are both designed exclusively for active professionals and provide hybrid and flexible formats.

About Les Roches

Les Roches is a Swiss institution focused on creating the innovative and entrepreneurial minds of tomorrow. Founded in 1954, Les Roches offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Hospitality and Tourism Management following the Swiss model of education. With campuses across Switzerland and Spain; a student body of more than 100 different nationalities, the institution provides students with a unique culturally diverse experience. As of 2021, Les Roches also has an academic alliance with the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) with a partner campus in Gurugram (Delhi NCR).

Les Roches ranks among the world's top 5 higher education institutions for hospitality and leisure management and for Employer Reputation (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2022). Part of Sommet Education, worldwide leader in hospitality education, Les Roches is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

For more information, visit Les Roches.

This event is organized by Les Roches

For more information please contact Anouck Weiss
Key Takeaways

Airbnb reveals the most wishlisted pub conversions around the world to celebrate St Patricks Day

American, British, French and German guests are some of the top guests visiting Ireland

In 2022, Irish Hosts collectively earned over 3.2 million during the celebrations

From Dublin to Dallas and from Limerick to London, the Irish Diaspora and those who hold Ireland close to their hearts will be donning green this March to celebrate the global phenomenon of St. Patricks Day. One of the most enduring symbols of the Irish abroad  a home away from home  is the iconic Irish pub.

To celebrate St. Patricks Day, Airbnb reveals the most wishlisted converted pub stays around the world, where guests can pull a pint and then stay the night.

Most wishlisted pub stays around the world1:

Alongside the Irish celebrants, Airbnb also reveals the top 10 guest origin countries visiting Ireland to celebrate St. Patricks Day, with Americans coming out top, followed by the British, French and German guests.

Top 10 nationalities visiting Ireland around St. Patricks week this year2:

United States

United Kingdom

France

Germany

Canada

Italy

Spain

Switzerland

Australia

Brazil

Hosting on Airbnb during events, both local and international, can create incredible earning opportunities for Hosts. In 2022, Irish Hosts collectively earned over 3.2 million during the St. Patricks celebrations, with the typical Host earning just over 400 for the week3. This comes at a time of rising living costs, with the additional earnings helping many stay afloat during these tough economic times.

For those interested in sharing their home with guests this St. Patricks Day, Airbnb has made it easier than ever to get started. As part of the 2022 Winter Release, Airbnb introduced Airbnb Setup  an all-new, super easy way to list your home, including free one-to-one guidance from a Superhost and for your first booking, you can choose to welcome an experienced guest who has at least three stays and a good track record on Airbnb. Weve also expanded AirCover, now featuring even more top-to-bottom protection, with guest identity verification, reservation screening, and $3 million damage protection, including coverage for cars, boats, art and valuables.

Anyone can visit airbnb.com/host to learn including how much you could potentially earn.

For something a little more unique, Ted Lassos favorite pub is now available for an overnight stay. Guests can channel their inner Greyhound in the heart of Richmond while enjoying pub fare and learning to BELIEVE at the beloved local haunt. Ted Lasso fans can request to book this stay beginning Tuesday, March 21 at 1:00 PM EST at airbnb.com/tedlasso.

All homes in this press release are intended purely to inspire and illustrate. Airbnb does not recommend or endorse these listings or any other homes on the platform.

(1) Based on the most wishlisted homes globally with the word pub in the title (Q4, 2022)



(2) Based on the origin of guests for Ireland during five days around St. Patricks week (16-20 March, 2023) NB from Q122-Q422



(3) Based on Total and Typical Host earnings in Ireland during St. Patricks week (16-20 March, 2022)



(4) Based on the typical median amount of earnings for new Irish Hosts in Q1-Q3 2022 (started hosting sometime between January-September 2022)

About Airbnb

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 4 million Hosts who have welcomed more than 1 billion guest arrivals across over 220 countries and regions. Travel on Airbnb keeps more of the financial benefits of tourism with the people and places that make it happen. Airbnb has generated billions of dollars in earnings for Hosts, most of whom are individuals listing the homes in which they live. Among Hosts who report their gender, more than half are women, and one in five employed Hosts are either teachers or healthcare workers. Travel on Airbnb also has generated more than $4 billion in tax revenue around the world. Airbnb has helped advance more than 1,000 regulatory frameworks for short-term rentals, including in 80% of our top 200 geographies. In late 2020, to support our continued expansion and diversification, we launched the City Portal to provide governments with a one-stop shop that supports data sharing and compliance with local registration rules. We continue to invest in innovations and tools to support our ongoing work with governments around the world to advance travel that best serves communities.

About Airbnb.org

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc."s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org"s charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows Hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, Hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform.

Airbnb Press

Airbnb Press Office

Airbnb
When it comes to making workplaces fairer for women, theres still a long way to go.

Take pay. The time required to close the gender pay gap has risen to 132 years from 100 years since the pandemic started, according to the United Nations latest Sustainable Development Goals. Full gender equality is a staggering 286 years away. Last year in the U.S. alone, working women received only $80 for every $100 a man earned.

But if companies think theyre done when they hit a gender equality quota, theyve hit the target but missed the point, says Sue Asprey Price, CEO of EMEA Work Dynamics.

Providing everyone with the same resources  such as pay  aims to address equality. But it doesnt eliminate challenges from deep-rooted biases that can impact a womans career, such as taking maternity leave.

These require addressing equity. An equitable workplace is one where all employees have their perspectives heard and opportunities to progress, regardless of gender, race or background.

For big companies, this is an issue theyre increasingly trying to tackle. Corporate attention to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is on the rise. The World Economic Forums Global Parity Alliance estimates some US$15.4 billion will be spent on DEI related efforts by 2026  almost double the US$7.5 billion spent in 2020.

Without that, those same people youve hired may not be sticking around, Asprey Price says.

The route to the top

While the recent shift to hybrid and flexible working practices has given women greater access to work, especially working mothers, equity does not necessarily follow.

In the U.K. men outnumber women by two to one in positions of power, and no women from ethnic minority backgrounds head up any of the countrys largest 100 listed companies, according to the Fawcett Society.

In the U.S., 85% of Fortune 500 CEOs are men, while in Asia Pacific, Equileap found just 4% of CEOs were female.

This disparity could be down to a broken rung in the career ladder. The U.N. reports more than two thirds of middle managers and supervisors are men.

For all leaders, recognizing that the path they followed wont be the same for everyone is vital, says Walid Goudiard, EMEA Head of Project Delivery Services.

For women, having children is a well-known hurdle. In 2021, Londons South Bank University discovered around half of women believe maternity leave harmed their career. A recent 'careers after babies' report found the number of women in management drops 32% after having children and 44% of women end up in lower paid roles.

As a father of five and a people manager, Ive seen how policies that support both maternity and paternity leave are key to retaining talented employees, says Goudiard.

Asprey Price says to consider additional training to ensure that remote and hybrid staff feel included and that people not physically present in the workplace dont miss out.

Cultivating allyship

Those in privileged positions can proactively use their status so many groups, not just women, have a space for their perspectives to be heard. Its a culture that Microsoft is building through tactics like onboarding buddies and resource groups. Critically, all employees are responsible for fostering equity, with diversity and inclusion a performance management factor.

However, traditional career pathways, such as having a mentor, can also mean those without a champion  typically individuals from more marginalized groups  may struggle to progress.

Prudentials Global Talent Sponsorship Programme nurtures diverse talent by using a talent review process to identify promising employees, before matching them with senior executive sponsors. In 2022, over 60% of those sponsored were women.

Fixing the ladder

When it comes to being treated fairly, a combination of other demographic factors such as a womans age, race and class, may also influence career opportunities.

To create greater equity, Goudiard suggests that senior and middle managers be held accountable for creating diverse representation in their teams. Managers must challenge their own choices when it comes to who they interview for jobs, consider for promotions and assign to high-profile projects, he says.

The buy-in of senior leadership is key. In 2014, the CEO of Japanese consumer cosmetics company Shiseido made DEI a key pillar of the firms corporate strategy. Consequently, inclusive work policies, process redesign and upskilling resulted in a 24% increase in their ratio of women leaders and 44% of program participants were promoted to vice president or director roles.

Despite the ongoing challenges, Asprey Price remains optimistic.

Many companies are grappling with progress, but DEI has recently accelerated up the agenda, she says. Businesses now realize that its not only the right thing to do, but that theyll retain talent and perform better.

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Were only a few weeks away from Unfold and its smorgasbord of exciting hospitality topics. Top industry leaders are joining us in Amsterdam on April 4th to explore this years theme: The New Standard in Hospitality.

Talk about a substantial topic.

Well, if you insist... Our speakers are teasing out their vision of the new normal in hospitality.

Weve already discussed what the new standard of revenue management looks like. Today, the spotlight is on trends and changes in hotel tech, and who better to dig into the topic than Stuart Greif, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy, Innovation & Operating Officer at Forbes Travel Guide.

Formerly, he was Microsofts Senior Executive for Hospitality and Travel, and led J.D. Powers Global Hospitality and Travel group. Greif also worked for a unicorn startup Amperity, backed by early investors in Facebook, LinkedIn and Amazon.

Now that youve met the maestro, lets ask him some challenging questions.

Why do you love the hospitality industry?

Back when I launched my career, I was living in hotels five to six days per week for months on end and spent a lot of time with the hotel staff. Its something that always resonated with me on a profound level  in terms of having empathy and experiencing kindness in a hotel and within a travel context of new experiences and people. That's what I find wonderful about creating memories and experiences, be it for business, travel or leisure.



I've been across a lot of industries earlier in my career, but it became apparent over time that I am continuing to hang out with travel and hospitality folks. I think it's been in my blood since I was very young, but unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to realize it as early as others.

What do you think the new standard in hospitality is?

To me, the new standard in hospitality is self-actualization. Covid really shifted the notion of life being precious and there was a recalibration of enjoying our lives in different ways, not necessarily waiting until after work is over. And that's where you see themes like bleisure emerge.

I think theres a need and desire to connect on a much deeper level: experientially and authentically. The new standard is the self-actualization of ourselves as guests and travelers, but also as employees and colleagues, in what we do and how we integrate that into our daily work and personal lives. That's the unstated macro trend out there in the ether, and I hope it will be sustained over a long period of time.



Generationally, there were already shifts underway because of the macroeconomic conditions where younger generations realized that there was more to life than work. And I think that's healthier. The European countries have that culture inherently in ways that other countries around the world don't, so there's also a recalibration within different cultural contexts.

The new standard in hospitality should be predicated on what's really going on and what people need: employers, our colleagues in industry, guests, our partners. It needs to consider everyone.

What role does technology play in this?

Theres an increasing use of technology to remove frictions, make things faster, personalize and customize using data in ways that resonate with the customers and employees. It helps create connections in a way that's human, even though it's not a human being  just look at chat bots and things like that.

And then there's the remaining touch points of kindness and authenticity. The question is how to create a human connection there? Within hospitality, especially the airline industry, there is a trend of less direct human contact, mainly out of financial and labor considerations. This is where technology will play a great role.

That's where I see companies like Mews and others innovating in ways that can cut through the legacy systems. They understand how critical it is to be authentic and have technology enable that in ways that humans just couldn't do at scale the same way.

Tell us more about social commerce.

For me, social commerce represents a profound change. About 60% of people look to social first for inspiration and discovery, and it goes beyond celebrities and influencers. People whose curation I respect and that resonates with me could be friends and family, or simply experts on a particular food area in certain countries or locations.

There is an increasing demand for booking travel directly through posts. So, if you look at all the major social platforms as a hotelier, that's where you need to meet your guests. I know of a few startups that are working on solving the problem of booking natively via influencers, friends or family. That's what people want.

And I think that's true of OTAs too. What happens when influencers at scale offer decentralized ways of marketing your brand or your products and services? When bookings are directly enabled through them, they become points of sales and distribution. That's bound to become a new channel where people look for reviews written by people with common interests, instead of going through heaps of unfiltered, aggregated reviews.

How does ChatGPT fit into all of it?

Lets say a Google search returns five personalized recommendations under ChatGPT. The question is how do you as a supplier end up among those five  whats the basis of the algorithm? I think Norm Rose described it as fetch. So instead of searching, it's more like fetching a subset of more personalized discreet turns. I think that has profound implications for travel.

The reality is that Google and ChatGPT will coexist for a long time, and hoteliers will have to embrace influencers as a new distribution channel. Theyll need to decide where to spend their advertising budgets while considering multiple channels at the same time.

What other trends are emerging in hospitality?

There is also the challenge of labor. There are some upcoming gig models coming that will supplement, but a lot of people have left hospitality for other emerging economies because of workplace security, benefits and not having to work at night or during the weekends. The restaurant industry is facing this problem as well.

Anytime you have this kind of intersection between labor shortages and needing a financial return, innovative technology emerges to help drive those goals. And it usually results in digital experiences with fewer people and less human experience. A good example of this is opt-in housekeeping. Were also seeing it in the airline industry and hotels that dont cater to luxury or boutique guests.

If I want to interact with a human being, I either need to pay much more or become a frequent guest. But even though the basis of loyalty is changing, you can still have a great experience. You could say that the people who are there matter even more, but I think well be seeing fewer human touch points.

Do you see any generational shifts?

Absolutely. Younger generations are fully digital. Theyve grown up accustomed to selfservice and QR codes, grab-and-go type of experiences, so they may be more accepting of those tradeoffs. And while there are things nobody can predict that will impact us all profoundly over the next 10 years, there are also things like responsible and sustainable tourism that we know will have the biggest impact on younger generations.

Lets talk about the hurdles and enablers in hospitality.

So, the hurdles would be legacy tech and mindset.

Mews is a perfect example of a middleware and API product that obviates the need to work through legacy tech. It innovates instead; enabling you to do things with customer data, personalization, the PMS system, etc.

There are also new generations of startups trying to create a new way to connect socially, as well as the increasing focus on responsible and sustainable travel. There's a great company called Kind Traveler. It enables sustainable hotels to choose a local charitable organization along the UN guidelines and support it via guest donations, 100% of which go to a selected local charity. Every guest gets an impact report showing the exact impact they made: the number of meals that were served, animals that were rescued or trees that were planted. So, it's not abstract or hypothetical.

A give and get model is a wonderful way to help advance responsible tourism. The hurdle of climate and responsible travel is tackled by some wonderfully innovative startups. Of course, more needs to be done, so I think we'll see an increase in that area over the next 10 years.

What books would you recommend?

I love this question. It doesn't matter what you do or what part of the industry, or how senior or junior you are  reading and absorbing information from different sources is one of the most important things. Some of the best insights or thoughts on my business strategy came from reading information on nature, science, evolution and adaptive theory. Microsoft CEO Satya would often say: Be a learn it all, not a know it all. What a great quote.

I highly recommend the PhocusWrights 2022 interview with Frederic Lalonde, CEO of Hopper. They understand what the Chinese companies have pioneered when it comes to social commerce and how powerful it is. And what they've discovered is how to engage customers when they are not traveling using innovative loyalty programs. So instead of missing opportunities to engage their guests when they are not traveling, hotel groups can organize local events, such as yoga classes or cooking workshops with their chefs.

I also highly recommend hertelier. Emily Goldfischer is doing an amazing job with that platform and its exciting to see the next generation of women leaders and diverse teams come up. That's going to be transformational for our industry in a very positive and complementary way, so be sure to check out hertelier.

Greif will be speaking at Mews Unfold, hospitalitys most innovative one-day event. It takes place in Amsterdam on April 4th and there are still tickets available.

About Mews

Mews is a leading platform for the new era of hospitality. Over 3,500 properties in 80 countries are powered by Mews. The Mews Hospitality Cloud is designed to streamline operations for modern hoteliers, transform the guest experience and create more profitable businesses. Customers include Accor, Generator-Freehand, Nordic Choice Hotels, The Social Hub, Life House and Les Airelles. Mews has been named the World's Best Independent Hotel PMS Provider by World Travel Tech Awards (2022) and won Best Place to Work in Hotel Tech (2021, 2022) from Hotel Tech Report. The company has offices in Europe, the United States and Australia.
Sustainability has evolved beyond a trendy buzzword in recent years, with consumers and businesses alike becoming more conscious and involved in playing their part in preserving the planet for future generations. India has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2070, and in order to turn the countrys climate-change-related ambitions into reality, all industries must work together in an unprecedented collaboration.

Thanks to the growing demand for greener holidays, sustainability has become crucial even in the tourism and hospitality sectors, which not only make significant contributions to global warming and climate change but also suffer from its effects. Nowadays, travelers not only want to go to an eco-friendly destination, but they also want to know how ecologically responsible the place is; the more climate-friendly a destination is, the more attractive it becomes. Moreover, adopting ecofriendly practices not only help hotels win over green travelers but also help in reducing costs and improving the bottom line in the longer run. Hence, not only are forward-thinking companies upping their climate action, but the entire sector is moving towards a greener, more sustainable future.

The hospitality sector has come a long way when it comes to adopting sustainable hotel operations, from reducing single-use plastic and going paperless to putting the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) into practice and implementing rainwater harvesting as well as other strategies like smart meters and motion-activated lights and faucets to save water and energy. The adoption of green and sustainable hotel design and construction techniques will be the sector's next big step toward sustainability. As per United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) buildings, including hotels, account for 37% of global energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and with 75-80% of the existing buildings across the world expected to still be in use by 2050, the hospitality industry must now prioritize sustainable construction practices and retrofitting existing hotels to achieve sustainability goals.

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Chicago, IL (60637)

Today

Windy. Snow this morning will taper off this afternoon but it will remain cloudy. High 42F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 80%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low around 35F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.
Chicago, IL (60637)

Today

Windy with on and off snow showers during the morning. High 42F. Winds WNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later at night. Low near 35F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.
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The EU is funding the French Defence Ministry agency Economat des Armees (EDA) to deliver a maritime security programme in Mozambique. The European "Peace" Facility (EPF), which actually funds arms purchases, is funding EDA to buy from the French company Zodiac Milpro eight 9-metre rigid-inflatable boats for the Mozambique coastguard. Last year the EPF paid for 35 speedboats from the Dutch company Tideman for use in Cabo Delgado. Mozambique already has two Tideman pilot boats in Maputo port. EDA does logistics for the French military in the Sahel and for peacekeeping missions. (Africa Intelligence 10 Mar 2023, 28 Oct 2022)

Other news

Top rap artist Azagaia died 9 March at age 38, apparently from epilepsy related issues. Born Edson da Luz, he criticized the Mozambican political system and rapped about the most vulnerable social groups, including the former migrant workers in East Germany (known colloquially as "madgermanes") and the veterans of the civil war. Zitamar comments that "his image was that of a courageous Mozambican representing the powerless," and his music was not broadcast on state radio, despite its popularity. Mia Couto wrote: "In his art, he questioned the immorality of the elite and said there was not much difference between the different parties, with privileged access to the same pot."

Edson Macuacua has been named Deputy Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education. Previously high in Frelimo, in 2013 he became Spokesperson to President Armando Guebuza. From 2014, which marked the end of Guebuza's terms, he held the important position as chair of the parliament's 1st commission, on Constitutional Affairs, Human Rights and Legality and was also Frelimo party secretary for economic affairs. But under President Filipe Nyusi he seemed to lose status. In January 2020 he was named secretary of state for Manica province and lost that post in January this year. The new post of Deputy Minister for Science was created for him, and at his formal inauguration he said that "the government has its policies" and "we will work and make our humble contribution to meeting the challenges."

Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Mozambique Governance Conflict 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.

A drug trafficker continues to do business from jail, admitted Enina Tsenine, provincial spokeswoman for the national criminal investigation service SERNIC. He is known as Nahota, and has been imprisoned in Nampula for several months, She acknowledged that corruption has created weaknesses in the prison system. Enina Tsenine was speaking in the context of the arrest of five Mozambicans, including one woman, accused of trafficking about half a ton of heroin and methamphetamines which were seized earlier this year on Mozambique Island. The group has links with Nahota, who owns several boats in the coastal districts of Nampula. (VOA, AIM, Zitamar)

The kidnapping industry has extorted $34mn from businessmen and their families in Mozambique, CTA business association president Agostinho Vuma said 27 February, citing provisional data from a CTA study. He said kidnappings have resulted in capital flight and a loss of investment in the national economy.

Government is not paying its bills, not paying invoices on time and failing to reimburse businesses for the Value Added Tax (VAT) paid when marketing goods, CTA president Agostinho Vuma said 27 February. (Zitamar 28 Feb) Government cannot pay for election registration equipment already delivered. (CIP Elections 9 Mar)
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The work of Lama Tashi Norbu is seen, left, in 'Across Shared Waters: Contemporary Artists in Dialogue with Tibetan Art from the Jack Shear Collection,' at the Williams College Museum of Art.

Williamstown Board of Health OKs Tattoo Demonstration at College Art Museum

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  The Board of Health on Monday gave a variance to the Williams College Museum of Art to allow a tattoo demonstration at the venue on April 27.

The public creation of body art is planned as a program in conjunction with the museum's current exhibition, which displays works of contemporary artists of Himalayan heritage alongside traditional Tibetan Buddhist art dating back to the 18th century.

"One of the artists is Lama Tashi Norbu, a Buddhist monk ... and tattoo artist," WCMA Assistant Curator of Programs Roz Crews told the board. "When I invited him here to come and do a program, he suggested making a performance where one person would have the opportunity to get a tattoo that represents their personal mantra.

"Along with the tattoo, he would write a prayer song, and he is inviting local musicians of all different kinds to play alongside him at the museum."

Norbu is a practicing tattoo artist in the Netherlands, where he lives, Crews said.

To oversee the event on April 27, WCMA has engaged North Adams' Alexis Rosasco, the owner/operator of AR Designs Fine Art and Tattoo on Holden Street.

"I have all the licenses required for the state," Rosasco said. "I will be there to supervise, even though [Norbu] is a professional in his own right. I'll provide any sterilization products he may not be coming over with himself."

Rosasco said she also will be available to the tattoo recipient in case there are any side effects that show up at the event or in subsequent days.

Health Inspector Jeff Kennedy explained to the board the genesis of the town's regulations on tattoos.

"Our body art regulation, crafted many years ago, was based on the Los Angeles regulation, which I found and customized a bit for Massachusetts," Kennedy said. "It is a stringent regulation because body art is a procedure where untrained people or people who don't meet stringent requirements could cause blood borne illnesses."

Kennedy noted that he was not suggesting anyone involved in the WCMA event was untrained, and he was supportive of the museum's request for a variance.

Crews said now that the late April event has town approval, the museum will create an application process to choose the one person who will receive a tattoo from Norbu in the public event.

"The goal in submitting that [application] would be to explain why they're passionate about getting the tattoo and how it would benefit them to receive a tattoo from a Buddhist monk visiting from the Netherlands," Crews said.

In other business on Monday morning, the board discussed the most recent numbers for COVID-19 cases in town, which remains low with just four reported positive cases on the Massachusetts Virtual Epidemiological Network.

Board member Erwin Stuebner pointed out that the MaVEN system is no longer a definitive source given the number of people doing home tests that are not accounted for in the commonwealth's database. But he said the home cases he has heard about locally are not coming with severe symptoms.

"At [Berkshire Medical Center], they're running between four and eight [cases]," Stuebner said. "None are seriously ill and half are discovered when they come in for elective surgery and are asymptomatic. I don't think there's been more than one patient in the intensive care unit at any one time recently."

The board also Monday received an update from Kennedy about his plan to retire from Town Hall in early August. He told the board he is working on a job description that he will pass on to the town's recently named human resources director to use in posting for the position.

Kennedy said that while the town manager is the hiring authority in Williamstown government, the Board of Health was involved in the interview process when he joined the town. Several members of the board expressed a hope that the panel will be able to provide input this time around.


The role of the well-known orphan is being played by Chloe King. CHESHIRE, Mass.  Hoosac Valley will perform the musical "Annie" on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m.

"We were looking for a feel-good musical that was recognizable and would bring in many students. We were looking for a show that would build the program back up after COVID," director Rebecca Koczela said.

The musical "Annie" is based on the 1924 comic strip "Little Orphan Annie" by Harold Gray. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and a book by Thomas Meehan.

Annie, an orphan, goes off to live with a rich man, Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks, to promote his own image. Annie enjoys living in the mansion but still longs to meet her parents.

"[The students] are very excited now that we have gotten to the final rehearsals with costumes and mics and the pit band," Koczela said. "For many of our students, this is their first show so they are nervous and excited."

There are about 50 students participating in the production from Grades 7-12. Students make up the tech and backstage crews and the majority of the pit band.

Koczela said almost everyone is playing multiple roles.

Chloe King stars as Annie, Ian Cappiello is Warbucks, Anelia Ziaja is Miss Hannigan, Zack Sawyer is Rooster and Tia Kareh is Lily.

"All are seniors and have been involved in the musicals since they were in 8th grade, aside from the COVID years.

Jolyn Davis is Grace Farell. Koczela said she is also a senior and this is her musical debut.

The Pittsfield Police dog, Officer Winston, is also making his stage debut in the role of Sandy.

Amanda Watroba is the musical director, and Morgan Foisy, a student and actor in the show, did the choreography.

Koczela said although they have held performances since the pandemic, it was nice to return to larger shows with more expansive ensembles.

"We performed the '25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' last year, but it was a much smaller cast. It is so great to have so many students involved. They all come together and support each other like a family," she said. "We've had the regular pre-pandemic challenges -sickness, snow days, and the older students' work schedules, but these kids all step up and fill- in when someone is missing."

Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students. They can be purchased here or at the door.

"The talent is amazing," Koczela said. "I think it's important to support the talent and dedication that the students have put in. They give up a great deal of time while still managing their student responsibilities. The show is entertaining and the songs are familiar.

"I also think it is very important to support high school theater and music programs. The skills that students gain from their involvement are immeasurable. And where else can you see a full musical for a $10 ticket?"
MCLA Softball Picks Up Second Win

NAPLES, Fla. -- Kristie Zator went 2-for-4 with a pair of triples Thursday to lead the MCLA softball team to a 10-6 win over SUNY-Delhi.

Hailey Peabody hit a two-run home run, and Hoosac Valley graduate Abby Bird hit a pinch-hit single.

Sarah Williams struck out three and allowed three earned runs in seven innings to earn the win.

The Trailblazers Thursday also dropped a 6-2 decision to William Patterson.

MCLA (2-8) goes to Albertus Magnus for a double-header on March 25.
The planned Mphanda Nkuwa dam, just downstream from Cahora Bassa, will force 1400 families to move. Development projects take priority over lands rights, but people forced off their land must be properly resettled. This has not happened with coal mines in Tete, gas and rubies in Cabo Delgado, and other projects, causing conflicts and protests lasting decades.

After so may bad experiences, including displaced fishers and miners joining the insurgency in Cabo Delgado, one might have thought it useful to try to settle the issue in advance. But Frelimo disagrees.

Officially, there is free movement in Mozambique and NGOs do not need permission to go into villages. But the NGO Justica Ambiental (JA!) says it has been barred, and that community leaders were told by the locality chief that they should not allow members of the community to meet with JA!. Subsequently, the Marara district administrator said in a meeting with JA! that environmental activists cannot go to the project region to talk about rights and laws, or mention the impacts of other megaprojects. ''The dam project should not be crucified for the sins of Jindal's previous coal projects. We cannot be pessimistic and think that will happen here in Marara,'' he added. https://justica-ambiental.org/2023/03/06/lideres-das-comunidades-da-regiao-de-mphanda-nkuwa-recebem-ordens-superiores-para-nao-serem-capacitados-sobre-os-seus-direitos

JA! has always opposed Mphanda Nkuwa.

Rio Tinto preparing to start the digging up of 80 km of beach from Inhambane south to Inharrime.

Mutamba Mineral Sands, owned by mining giant Rio Tinto, is planning to mine heavy sands in 25,000 ha it has a licence for in Jangamo, Inhambane. The first phase, of just 261 ha, will displace 54 houses, 17 commercial establishments, and 173 cultivated fields. (Zitamar 27 Feb) The people want equivalent farmland nearby, but this will be hard to provide because mining companies have concessions or applications to dig up the entire beach from Inhambane town 80 km south to Inharrime, and going from the sea 10 km inland to and including the N1 main road.

Mutamba sands has the concession for a 30 km long strip in the middle of the zone. A company called +258 Limitada has applied for a mining concession for 21,000 ha north of the Mutamba concession to within 5km of Tofo beach. +258 Limitada involves all of the Frelimo elite, including families of former presidents Samora Machel, Joaquim Chissano and Armando Guebuza, as well as Frelimo Political Commission member General Alberto Chipande. (@Verdade 18 Oct 2016)

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Heavy sands are historic sand dunes which a dug up by huge dredges and then sieved for titanium (for white paint and dye), rutile and zircon (both used in the foundry and ceramics industries).

Will government release incriminating documents or accept losing key hidden debts case?

Mozambique's government is suing Credit Suisse and Privinvest in London for bribing public officials to enter into the $2bn secret debt. The case is now in pre-trial hearings and Judge Robin Knowles has ordered the government to provide documents from the State Information and Security Service (SISE) and the Office of the President. These are relevant because senior SISE officials have been convicted of taking bribes and because President Nyusi was defence minister at the time. Knowles has threatened to not allow the case to go ahead ("strike out" in legal jargon) if the documents are not provided.

The just completed secrets debt case in Maputo jailed allies and family of former President Armando Guebuza - who were manifestly guilty. But it would be highly surprising if allies of the current president, and even senior people in Frelimo, were not also involved. Former Finance Minister Manuel Change has been kept in a South African prison for four years while the Mozambican government tries to stop him being extradited to the United States, where he would surely spill the beans. Is Frelimo so anxious to protect some key people that it will give up on the London case it seems likely to win?
Manama  The Parliament of Angola on Sunday joined the campaign entitled "My Parliament, My Planet" which was launched during the 146th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), held in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.

According to the theme of the campaign launched by the IPU, the aim is to mobilize parliaments and parliamentarians to act on the climate emergency.

The IPU argues that climate action starts at home and parliamentarians must lead by example before convincing people to engage in actions to protect the environment.

The first part of the campaign encourages Parliaments and their staff to the reduction of carbon use and be greener and the second part of the campaign will help Parliaments to intensify their action for the approval of adequate legislation, budgets and especially the control of governmental measures aiming at the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change adopted in 2015.

For the Angolan Parliament Speaker, Carolina Cerqueira, Angola welcomes the campaign "My Parliament, My Planet", for a greener Parliament and to intensify initiatives to monitor and control the execution of the Executives policies in favour of the environment, the reduction of carbon emission under the Paris Agreement and the implementation of the UN Convention for climate change.

The reduction of carbon use and greenhouse gas emissions are other priorities, which will rely on the parliamentarians defence.

According to Carolina Cerqueira, the Parliament will continue to encourage the strengthening of institutional capacities to accompany the completion of certification of forests and environmental conservation areas of national parks and reserves.

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Carolina Cerqueira reaffirmed the protection, conservation and restoration of nature, with more investment in the transition to blue and green carbon, capable of generating more sustainable development and boosting the circular economy.

She said that Parliament will continue to plant trees both in the institutions premises and as part of the various campaigns being developed by environmental activists.

During the event, parliamentarians will analyse the organisations strategies on climate change, accountability at all levels, as well as the transformation of speeches into actions to fight climate change, as well as the strengthening of climate legislation to reduce carbon emissions and support for a clean energy transition.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union is made up of 178 national parliaments and 12 regional assemblies. It is currently the main parliamentary interlocutor for the United Nations.
These trends are not only in terms of the AUM, but also in terms of the composition of the AUM, the composition of flows, mix of investors as well a macro picture of mutual funds. Here are key mutual fund trends in February 2023.

Key Trends in Indian mutual funds for February 2023

Here is a collection of some interesting mutual fund trends for the month of February 2023 based on AMFI data release.

Over the last year, the total assets under management (AUM) of Indian mutual funds has grown from Rs38.56 trillion to Rs40.69 trillion. In terms of average assets, the AUM is up 5.5% on a yoy basis. The AUM growth in equity funds and passive funds has been largely offset by AUM outflows from active debt funds and liquid funds between February 2022 and February 2023.





Let us now turn to the scheme wise composition of mutual funds AUM and how it changed over the last one year? Between February 2022 and February 2023, the AUM of active debt funds has fallen from 24.1% of overall AUM to 19.2% of AUM; a market share loss of 490 basis points. Liquid fund AUM is down 20 bps from 16.5% to 16.3%, in terms of its market share of the overall composition of AUM.





It is hardly surprising that active equity funds have seen a sharp improvement in AUM share across the board. For instance, active equity-oriented schemes saw their market share rise 310 bps from 48.2% to 51.3% between February 2022 and February 2023. Interestingly, the AUM of ETFs and FOFs is up 200 bps from 11.2% to 13.2%; indicating a sharp move within equities to passive assets.





The shift in the composition of mutual funds AUM away from institutions and towards individual investors is not just intuitive but also backed by evidence. That trend got accentuated in the last one year. Share of individual investors went up 310 bps from 54.5% to 57.6% between February 2022 and February 2023. During the same period, share of institutional clients in the AUM fell further from 45.5% to 42.4%.





How have individual and institutional investors allocated money to different asset classes as of February 2023? In active debt schemes, 57% of AUM was from institutions and 43% from individual. In equity schemes, institutions were just 11% while individuals were steady at 89%. Institutions were, however, a good 86% of the AUM of liquid funds; essentially being a treasury product. What needs to change is that individuals accounted for just about 10% of ETF/FOF AUM while institutions account for 90%. Individuals are still not making the best of passive strategies.





What does this mean for the wallet share of an individual? Individuals have 80% of their MF AUM in equity-oriented funds, 14% in ETFs, 4% in liquid funds and just 2% in debt funds. Institutions have 33% of their wallet in liquid funds, 28% in ETFs/FOFs, 26% in debt funds and just 13% in equity-oriented funds.





Who contributed more to the AUM growth between February 2022 and February 2023? Was it individuals or institutions? Total AUM was up 5.5% from Rs38.56 trillion to Rs40.69 trillion yoy. This was largely driven by individual investor AUM growing from Rs21.02 trillion to Rs23.44 trillion (a growth of 11.5%), assisted by a mix of NFOs, SIP flows and folio accretion. In contrast, the AUM of institutional investors fell from Rs17.54 trillion to Rs17.25 trillion in the same period. This can be attributed to the predominant exposure of individuals to equity over debt.





How does the mix of AUM look when classified into T-30 and B-30 cities. (T-30 represents the top 30 cities while the next rung is represented by B-30). As of February 2023, AUM from B-30 cities has been stable at 17%, while 83% of the AUM came from the T-30 cities. Here is how the asset mix varies in the B-30 cities and T-30 cities.





Let us first talk about B-30 cities as of February 2023. The share of equity and growth funds in AUM remain stable at 79% with the balance 21% accounted for by non-equity funds. If you go to the T-30 cities, 45% of AUM was in equity schemes and 55% was in non-equity schemes. These numbers have been stable over the last one year and can be attributed to the presence of large corporates and institutions in T-30 cities; where most corporate and bank treasuries are located.





Are individuals making the best of direct plans. While entry loads were scrapped in 2009, the Direct Plan was made official in 2013 to enable reduction in TER. This enhances returns. The overall mutual fund flows through the Direct Route were stable at 45%. However, the direct segment is dominated by corporates and institutions. In the case of individuals, only 18% of retail investors and 24% of HNIs invested through Direct route. The percentage is as high as 90% for institutional investors and 77% for corporates. Institutions and corporates preferred the direct route over regular route to save TER.





How have the folios (investor accounts unique to an AMC) grown in India. Folios are considered a much better reflection of retail spread of mutual fund investments. In September 2014, the total number of mutual fund folios stood at 3.95 crore. Between September 2014 and February 2023, the total number of folios have grown 3.65 times to 14.43 crore folios. Post the COVID pandemic, there has been a 61% surge in the number of mutual fund folios from 8.97 crore to 14.43 crore.





Let us turn to folio composition! Out of the 14.43 crore folios in mutual funds as of February 2023, retail individuals accounted for 91.1% of the folios, high net worth investors (HNIs) accounted for 8.2% of the folios while institutions accounted for just about 0.7% of the overall MF folios. Out of the total folios, 67.5% are in equity-oriented funds, 12.5% of the folios are in ETFs / FOFs, 8.5% folios in hybrid funds and the remaining folios distributed across debt, liquid, solution funds and close-ended funds.




At a recent meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, an Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) was granted for capital acquisitions worth over Rs70,500 crore under the Buy Indian-IDDM program.

The Indian Navy submitted proposals that constitute more than Rs56,000 crore of the total, with a focus on acquiring indigenous BrabMos missiles, Shakti Electronic Warfare (EW) systems, and Utility Helicopters-Maritime.

The Indian Navy's maritime strike capabilities and anti-surface warfare operations will be improved with the additional procurement of BrahMos missile system, while the inclusion of Utility Helicopters will significantly enhance their operational readiness.

The approval of the AoN for the Medium Speed Marine Diesel Engine under the Make-I category is a crucial milestone, marking India's first foray into the indigenous development and manufacturing of such engines. This move is aimed at achieving self-reliance and harnessing the capabilities of Indian industries towards the goal of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat.'

The DAC approved the Indian Air Force's proposal for an indigenously designed, developed and integrated Long Range Stand-Off Weapon (LRSOW) on the SU-30 MKI aircraft.

Further, the DAC has also given its approval for the procurement of the Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) with High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs) and Gun Towing Vehicles (GTVs) for the Indian Army.

In addition to the above, the DAC also approved the procurement of Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) MK-III from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Coast Guard.

With the addition of today's proposals, the total AoN granted for Capital Acquisition in FY 2022-23, exceeds Rs2.71 lakh crore, with 99% of the procurement to be sourced from domestic industries.

This substantial amount of indigenous procurement will serve as a catalyst to drive the Indian industries towards realizing the objective of an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' or self-reliant India.

For feedback and suggestions, write to us at editorial@iifl.com
Rwanda on March 10 signed a host agreement with the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Afreximbank for the $10 billion Adjustment Fund aimed at supporting all initiatives geared towards the implementation of the AfCFTA.

The fund is expected to serve as a vehicle for mobilizing funds, develop and operate a compensation facility aimed at mitigating the short-term impact of tariff revenue losses of state parties.

ALSO READ: Africa on track to conclude AfCFTA protocols - Mene

The launch was hosted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vincent Biruta, together with the Minister of Trade and Industry, Jean Chrysostome Ngabitsinze, Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of the Intra Africa Trade Bank, Clare Akamanzi the CEO of Rwanda Development Board, Dennis Karera, the EABC Vice Chairperson, Francoise Mubiligi, the Chairperson, Rwanda Private Sector Federation, and many other senior of officials from both the government and the private sector.

ALSO READ: Business leaders tell govts to accelerate AfCFTA talks

The East African Business Council (EABC) is the regional apex body of private sector associations and corporates from the seven EAC countries.

Continental integration initiatives and engagement

During the launch, Karera hosted Wamkele Mene, the AfCFTA Secretary General, and his team, to discuss various continental integration initiatives and engagement related to partnership in the successful implementation of the AfCFTA and how the agreement is poised to benefit the private sector in the EAC.

Karera appreciated the Secretary-General for his continued involvement of the private sector in the AfCFTA implementation process and most importantly championing the roll-out of the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative that has practically enabled businesses to trade and called upon the private sector in the EAC region to take up the opportunity presented by the initiative.

In July 2021, Karera was given an extra assignment as the regional business community's focal point on the AfCFTA. He told The New Times that AfCFTA is a golden opportunity for Africa.

ALSO READ: What is the AfCFTA Guided Trade Initiative all about?

According to the EABC, the continental priorities presented to the AfCFTA Secretary General include:

1. The AfCFTA Secretariat to support the regional Business Councils including EABC, SADC, COMESA, ECOWAS Business Councils and any other that would want to join, in establishing a formal engagement platform with the AfCFTA Secretariat and implementation of the agreement jointly.

2. The AfCFTA Secretariat and the EABC to work on a joint AfCFTA awareness strategy aimed at scaling up sensitization of the private sector on the AfCFTA protocols and its benefits to the private sector.

The Strategy is to be launched at the forthcoming AfCFTA business forum slated to take place in Cape Town, South Africa tentatively from April 15-19.

3. On mobilizing resources to support regional Business Councils to raise awareness on matters pertaining to the AfCFTA, the Secretary-General committed to supporting the EABC-AfCFTA promotion programmes through the private sector support programmes at AfCFTA Secretariat - technical assistance facilitation - as well as the AFDB support programme.

4. Convening Regional Business Councils Summit to engage governments on the status of the AfCFTA implementation. The role of the continent's eight RECs is critical especially as the latter are building blocks for the AfCFTA.

5. Establishment of One Stop Centre to create efficiency in doing business across the continent.

6. Establish data centers to access market-related information across the continent. The Secretary-General committed to supporting the EABC in its efforts to establish regional a regional data center with outlets in all partner states to enable the private sector to access market information on product availability and access while trading through the AfCFTA.

7. Regular engagement with the business membership organisations (BMOs).

As noted, Mene committed to hosting the private sector from the RECs in the annual business forum to discuss the private sector priorities at the continental level.

More about the newly launched AfCFTA Adjustment Fund

The Fund headquartered in Kigali, Rwanda, will support AfCFTA state parties to adjust to the new liberalised and integrated trading environment established under the AfCFTA Agreement.

It was established by the AfCFTA Secretariat and Afreximbank following a mandate from the African Union (AU) Summit of Heads of State and Government and the AfCFTA Council of Ministers responsible for trade.

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The Adjustment Fund addresses among others, potential tariff revenue losses, infrastructure deficits to facilitate trade growth and possible supply chain disruptions that states parties may face in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.

ALSO READ: East Africa meets minimum requirements for trading under AfCFTA

The AfCFTA Adjustment Fund consists of three sub-funds: the Base Fund, the General Fund, and the Credit Fund.

The Base Fund will utilise contributions from AfCFTA state parties as well as grants and technical assistance to address tariff revenue losses that would result from the implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement.

The General Fund will finance the development of trade-enabling infrastructure while the Credit Fund will be used to mobilise commercial funding to support both the public and private sectors enabling them to adjust and take advantage of the opportunities created by the AfCFTA.

The Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), the impact investment arm of Afreximbank, was selected as the Fund Manager of the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund.
If Tess was standing in front of me now Id be considering advice more around her choice in dating a heist junkie, he said. She should consider letting him go and move on with his life and someone else, think of it as risk transfer.
Id like to thank our more than 43,000 colleagues for all they do to make Gallagher such a special organization and one of the worlds most ethical companies.
They both contributed strongly to our companys strategic development. Their guidance and governance expertise will be thoroughly missed. We wish them all the best for the future.
Outreach programs are one option to showcase how a career in this field can be rewarding and stimulating with real opportunities for growth. It is also imperative that in an age of career swapping due to COVID and more favourable remote work positions, a company really needs to impart a sense of value in its employees who could potentially be looking elsewhere.
Creative craft industries have an important role to play in defining the identity of a city, says Maeve Murphy, operations manager with Benchspace in Cork.

Based in Marina Commercial Park, Benchspace is a collaborative working hub giving people from disadvantaged backgrounds with resources to start new ventures in Cork, availing of the open access, shared space and the wood, steel and laser equipment. Demand hugely overshoots the 5,000 sq ft space, so the hope is to move to larger premises soon.

Having started out in 2017 focused on woodwork, the space currently accommodates 15 people full-time in studio units, ranging from wood and steel craft, furniture startups, jewellers and visual artists to an engineer developing a new scientific prototype. It has another 20 or so members, who come in to use the equipment without occupying a full-time work unit.

This really started with furniture-making graduates who saw a gap in the market for somewhere that creative people could go to use industrial equipment and it has grown from there, said Maeve Murphy. Now were looking at scaling up. We are at capacity and we have a long waiting list. We need a bigger space.

Benchspace is one of five groups to receive backing under Rethink Irelands 700,000 Step-Up Fund, which supports mid-level social enterprises operating successfully to provide vital services in communities across Ireland.

The others are: Galway Community Circus, an access programme for young people; St Gabriels Orthotics in Limerick, providing affordable orthotics to children and adults with physical disabilities; The Shona Project, an educational programme for girls in Waterford; and The Urban Co-op, promoting food nutrition and awareness in Limerick.

These five social enterprises will receive a combination of cash grants and business supports to fund expansion. The Step-Up Fund provides each awardee with cash grants of up to 118,750, support budget worth 12,000, and a place on Rethink Irelands Accelerator Programme.

The Social Enterprise Step-Up Fund 2023-24 is a two-year fund created by Rethink Ireland in partnership with Tomar Trust and the Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Accounts Fund. Rethink Ireland provides cash grants and business supports to charities and social enterprises working in Irish communities across the country.

The Step-Up Fund focuses on elevated funding for social enterprises at the next stage and aims to directly impact the social enterprise ecosystem in Ireland, supporting and expanding this vital sector to drive change.

Maeve Murphy, Benchspace, in Benchspace HQ at Marina Commercial Park, Cork.

Deirdre Mortell, CEO, Rethink Ireland, said: Social Enterprises are integral to driving equality in Ireland. Equality is fundamental to a sustainable economy and a just society. These community-based social enterprises have developed successful models through which to deliver vital services in our communities, addressing inequality.

Access to funding and business supports for already established initiatives is critical for the continuity and growth of scaling social enterprises in Ireland. Rethink Ireland set out a Manifesto for 2030 in 2021, detailing the Ireland we want  one that is fair, inclusive and sustainable.

Maeve Cavanagh, manager of Tomar Trust, said that the trust is supporting the Step-Up Fund in order to encourage further philanthropy in Ireland. She said she looks forward to seeing these five social enterprises working to improve the lives of others.

Benchspace is a very good example of how not-for-profit groups can help nurture creative startups. The group is underpinned by an impressive voluntary board and has a wide range of highly skilled tutors supporting and training the creative startups sharing the space.

In creating the hub, the groups leaders visited similar shared spaces like Building BloQs in London. They also looked at how Dutch authorities developed hubs for creative startups in Eindhoven in factory spaces vacated by the Philips electrical goods group.

The Rethink Ireland funding is a vital lifeline for us, said Maeve Murphy. Weve done a lot of work on our business enterprise model. We are developing a sustainable model that will allow us to increase employment and create opportunities for creative graduates, many of whom would otherwise choose to live abroad.

By giving people access to professional quality equipment, we are lowering barriers. We need to buy more equipment and double or triple the space. This space is like a library, except that people borrow equipment instead of books.

It is important that Cork city should be an attractive place for creative sole traders to live and work. Other parts of the country are looking at our model. We have one goldsmith from Offaly who moved here to work in an environment that is diverse and innovative. We see this space as an oasis for innovation.

Benchspace welcomes approaches by creative individuals looking for information on its workspace, seeking to learn skills, use the machinery or access workspaces. The group can host a tour of the space. Benchspace is also seeking experienced tutors.

Maeve added: Were delighted that Rethink Ireland recognised our ambition to grow as a social enterprise and believed in backing us. We are looking forward to scaling our capacity and services to increase our impact in the creative sector in Cork and further afield.

benchspacecork.ie

rethinkireland.ie
Investigations are under way after rogue treasure hunters with metal detectors and shovels disturbed human remains during one of a spate of recent illegal excavations at protected national monument sites.

Experts from the National Museum of Ireland, the National Monuments Service, and the Office of Public Works (OPW) spent Thursday assessing the damage to Ireland's archaeological heritage following the most recent incident involving illegal metal-detector use at Kilcrea Friary in Ovens, west of Cork city.

They identified at least 10 holes which were dug by detectorists at the protected national monument, a ruined medieval abbey built by Franciscans in the mid-15th century and occupied until the early 1600s. Its burial ground contains the remains of Art O Laoghaire, the subject of the epic poem written by Eibhlin Dubh Ni Chonaill.

They are also preparing a report on the illegal digging of up to 70 holes at another national monument in Co Cork  the 16th century Conna Castle, east of Fermoy.

The Irish Examiner has confirmed that human remains of archaeological interest were disturbed during the illegal digging of one of those holes on the imposing outcrop upon which the castle is built.

A report is being prepared on the illegal digging of up to 70 holes at Conna Castle, east of Fermoy.

Anne Carey, the district archaeologist in the National Monuments Service, has inspected the damage at both sites and is preparing reports to assist separate Garda investigations into the unauthorised excavations.

People don't like it and people are upset by it. It affects the visitor experience," she said.

"It obviously affects the archaeological information that we have on the site. So we're very keen to have people be aware it's illegal, she said.

The incident at Kilcrea Friary occurred on March 11 and was reported by a concerned member of the public who spotted two men on the site with a metal detector and digging tools. The incident at Conna Castle occurred in February and involved a group of people with metal detectors and shovels. It was also reported by a member of the public.

Speaking at Kilcrea Abbey on Thursday, Ms Carey said the scale of damage and the nature of disturbance caused at both sites is very evident.

Disturbed ground and discarded metal at Kilcrea Friary. Picture: Jim Coughlan

It's very distressing to see excavations of this type and for this purpose in the monument, she said. Some of these holes are right up against the wall of the monument. You couldn't get closer to the monument.

It's usually for the purposes of finding metal, but metal is just one of the aspects of the rich range of remains left by previous occupants of a site.

The retrieving of metal alone in this manner destroys context, it destroys the things we're interested in which are left by the previous occupants. And it's just very disheartening to see this.

Under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2004, it is illegal to use a metal detector at a protected national monument site, and even to be in possession of the device at the site, without the prior written consent of the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Penalties include fines of up to 63,486 or three months in jail. Penalties for digging or excavating for archaeological objects without a licence include fines of just over 126,000 and up to 12 months in jail.

It is also illegal to promote the sale or use of detection devices for the purposes of searching for archaeological objects.

Anyone who finds an archaeological object must report it to the National Museum of Ireland within 96 hours.

Matthew Seaver, National Museum of Ireland assistant keeper, said those involved are 'stealing from the interpretation of the site '. Picture: Jim Coughlan

Matthew Seaver, an assistant keeper in the Irish antiquities division in the National Museum of Ireland, who was also at Kilcrea Abbey assessing the damage, said archaeological objects are the property of the State.

The people involved in this activity are actually stealing from the interpretation of the site and the appreciation that the general public would have of these sites, he said.

Anyone who spots detectorists at a national monument site has been urged to contact nationalmonuments@housing.gov.ie

where the reports will be investigated.
President Museveni has directed the State House Anti-Corruption Unit together with police to kick off investigations into the handling of relief items including iron sheets meant for Karamoja sub-region.

According to police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, the joint investigations have since kicked off.

"We are continuing to pursue a joint led prosecution inquiry into the alleged theft of iron sheets for Karamoja. The president directed for an expeditious inquiry into the allegations and this followed increased complaints from the intended beneficiaries and other concerned citizens," Enanga told journalists on Monday.

The police publicist said owing to the president's directive, the Director of Public Prosecutions directed the Criminal Investigations Division working jointly with State House Anti -Corruption Unit to handle the investigations.

"The task to be handled by a joint team with officers from the DPP, CID and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit," Enanga said.

He explained that the team will expand on the inquiries that have so far been conducted and work with sister agencies like the IGG and parliamentary team that is investigating the same.

"We shall interact with concerned personalities to ensure an expeditious investigation. Now that we have a task force in place, we shall be giving progressive updates to members of the public on the investigations."

The development comes on the backdrop of a revelation by the Inspectorate of Government, Beti Kamya that her office has tasked all the government officials involved to explain their role in the Karamoja iron sheets saga.

"I have already written to all of those people that have been named in the papers, and also whose names were found in distribution stores of the OPM, from the Vice President, the Prime Minister and all the ministers,"Kamya said on Sunday.

"I have already written to them to explain their part, whether they requisitioned, where they took them. That's why we want to know if it falls within the relief programme of your area."

The development also comes at a time when parliament has also kicked off investigations into the saga in which several ministers and other high ranking government officials shared amongst themselves relief items including iron sheets meant for the vulnerable in Karamoja sub region.
Features Donated Huts Provide Modicum of Shelter for Victims of Myanmar Junta Arson Attacks

A resident stands in front of her palm hut. / S&C

Although it is just a flimsy palm hut, it offers a small degree of consolation for Daw Thida and her family, and a better option than living near a haystack without a roof over their heads. The 44-year-old teacher and mother of two children lives in Let Yat Kone Village of Sagaings Depayin Township, a stronghold of the anti-junta resistance.

She lost her moderately spacious and pleasant house worth more than 10 million kyats (US$4,800) in late December when regime troops sped up their arson campaign in order to wipe out local support for resistance groups.

According to independent researchers Data for Myanmar, over 43,000 houses in Sagaing Region have been burned down by junta forces. This is almost 80 percent of the total number of civilian houses that have been burned down nationwide. Depayin Township has suffered the most in Sagaing Region, with 6,018 civilian homes torched as of the end of January 2023.

Daw Thidas village, Let Yat Kone, which has more than 300 households, was torched in December 2022 and again in January 2023, with almost 250 houses destroyed. After her house burned down, there was one bed left for her family. As they werent able to rebuild the home, they were living next to a haystack.

We have suffered many losses and suffered a lot of trauma because of them [regime soldiers], Daw Thida told The Irrawaddy.

Daw Thida and some other villagers were able to build low-cost palm huts in February with the help of Myanmar people at home and abroad. Such palm huts have become an alternative form of shelter for a growing number of homeless civilians in Sagaing Region. As of the second week of March, 31 palm huts had been built in Let Yat Kone by the donors, out of 250 houses burned down by the junta.

Palm huts: homes reborn in Anyar

Palm trees and palm huts are characteristic of the Myanmar countryside and are also recognized as a symbol of central Myanmars Anyar Region, which comprises Mandalay, Sagaing and Magwe, where the majority of Bamar people live.

Many years ago, Anyar people lived in houses made of palm leaves but in later times they opted for stronger materials and only a few people lived in palm leaf houses. However, at present, the small palm huts are increasingly being seen in central Myanmar again, especially in Sagaing Region.

Even those who have money and can build a new house are living in palm huts because they fear their homes will be burned down again, a resident of Mu Kha Twin Village of Depayin Township told The Irrawaddy.

Mu Kha Twin is near Let Yat Kone and is one of the villages in the area that recently suffered a regime arson attack. It has more than 300 households, with 164 houses torched in arson attacks in December 2022 and January 2023. So far, 14 palm huts have been built in that village thanks to donations from the S&C educational and emergency rescue team, which help civilians displaced by the regimes raids with the support of Myanmar well-wishers at home and abroad.

Structure of palm huts

Palm huts are made of palm leaves, bamboo and wood, ranging in width from around 15 feet (4.5 meters) to 18 feet with enough room for five people. It costs only 200,000 kyats for a hut. For those like Daw Thida who are unable to rebuild, S&C and private donors provide the money for the hut.

The main reason palm huts were chosen is because it is easy to find the palm leaves for the roofsalthough they are becoming scarcer due to strong demandand it doesnt take too much time to build one, according to Ko Soe Moe Aung, a representative of S&C. The S&C team started their support activities in 2021 and have been helping Sagaings homeless civilians to build the palm huts since last year.

S&Cs aim is to donate 1,000 huts to Sagaing residents. So far over 400 have been built in the regional townships.

Our intention is to build quickly at a fair price. So, we chose palm leaves because they are readily available in the region, Ko Soe Moe Aung explained.

The price of a palm leaf is 120 kyats and a bamboo stick is 900 kyats. Around 300 palm leaves and 37 bamboo sticks are needed for a hut. Mostly, the villagers use palm leaves as the roof and the sides are surrounded with tin sheets left over from the fires in the villages. However, some villagers use bamboo and wood instead of tin in order to reduce the heat.

Daw Myint, 48, from Nyaung Gyi Kone Village never thought she would live in a small and narrow hut. She is one of many Sagaing villagers to lose everything in a junta raid.

We had to flee with fear because they shelled our village with heavy weapons. We couldnt take anything with us, Daw Myint recalled about the junta raid in late December.

There are only seven houses left that did not burn in the village of Nyang Gyi Kone, which has around 70 households.

She lost her wooden house built with money saved over many years by selling vegetables. Currently, she lives in the palm hut with her four children.

It is very different from living with our house because we are living very close to the ground. Furthermore, it is also narrow, Daw Myint told The Irrawaddy.

However, Daw Myint and the Sagaing residents are very grateful to those who donated money to build the palm huts for them.

We are very glad for their help in such a difficult situation. At the same time, we are very sad for our losses because it is not easy to rebuild our house the same as before, Daw Myint said.

As Sagaing Region has been the worst hit by the regimes arson campaign, S&C has accepted a lot of requests from residents for palm huts. However, some villagers request tarpaulin tents instead of palm huts, according to Ko Soe Moe Aung.

Advantages of tents

Those who are worried that the regime troops will repeatedly raid and burn down their villages have asked for donations of tarpaulin tents because they are portable.

Some homeless residents in Myaung Township in Sagaing Region live in tarpaulin tents which were donated by the Helping Hands team, another charity for displaced civilians run with support from Myanmar well-wishers. Until his arrest, the charity group was led by a senior monk, Sayadaw Agga Wuntha, the leader of the Pyigyitagon anti-dictatorship strike group. The team put up 48 tarpaulin tents in the border of Myaung Township and Mandalay Regions Nganzon Township before the monk was captured by the regime in early March.

A tarpaulin tent costs 150,000 kyats and one tent can sleep eight to a dozen people, according to Helping Hands.

Some residents just live on the ground without shelter because their villages were burned down two or three times. So, Sayadaw made the shelters using tarpaulin in order to keep out the heat and rain, said Kyar Khin Sein, a female resistance fighter who donated tarpaulin to Myaung residents along with the senior monk.

The monk was captured while planning to build palm huts for homeless residents in Ma Yoe Kone Village of Myaung Township.

Challenges for donors

Although the palm leaves were easily available last year, they are becoming scarcer due to high demand among Sagaing residents following the regimes arson campaigns, according to regional charity groups.

As the military sped up the arson campaign, we werent able to get enough palm leaves for the villagers. So, we are thinking of using an iron frame but it will cost more than a palm house, S&C representative Ko Soe Moe Aung told The Irrawaddy.

He said there are now so many homeless civilians in Sagaing Region that demand is exceeding supply. According to the UN, 726,800 civilians from Sagaing Region had been forced to flee their houses as of March 6 this year. Often, they shelter in nearby forests and return to their villages after the regime troops depart, only to find themselves without homes.

Daw Chit is one of those civilians who fled a junta raid, taking with her only the clothes she wore on the day. The 75-year-old resident of Let Yat Kone Village lost her wooden house in late December. Currently, she lives with her youngest sons family in a palm hut built by a private donor this month.

The donors donate food for us. Now, we are living in a small narrow hut. As our hut is surrounded with tin sheets, it is too hot, Daw Chit told The Irrawaddy.

She misses her two-story wooden house, which was torched by regime troops. She said it is not easy for her family to rebuild the house because her three sons are day laborers and dont have their own farms like some other villagers.

If possible, I would like to rebuild the house, Daw Chit said.
Burma Myanmar ethnic rebel alliance asks China to help defuse post-coup crisis

FPNCC members meet in the Wa Region capital of Panghsang on Thursday.

YANGONAn alliance of China-backed Myanmar ethnic rebels on Thursday called for Beijings help to defuse the bloody post-coup crisis that is ravaging the country.

China is a major ally and arms supplier of the internationally isolated junta and has refused to condemn the putsch that ousted Aung San Suu Kyis government two years ago.

Beijing also backs and arms several ethnic rebel groups along its border with Myanmar, analysts say, some of which have clashed repeatedly with junta troops in the aftermath of the coup.

The Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) groups seven ethnic outfits, who together can call on tens of thousands of well-armed and well-trained fighters, analysts say.

We welcome and support Chinas involvement to end domestic conflicts happening in Myanmar, the FPNCC said following the meeting in an autonomous enclave run by the United Wa State Party (UWSP).

With a standing force of around 25,000, the UWSPs force is one of the worlds largest non-state militaries.

The FPNCC statement did not give details on what involvement from Beijing it would welcome.

It would continue working together with the Chinese government to improve the stability of border areas, it added.

On-off fighting along the border before the coup sent thousands fleeing into China, and analysts say Beijing has recently been pressuring the northern ethnic rebel groups to stay out of the post-coup conflict.

But many FPNCC members have offered shelter and weapons training to the Peoples Defense Forces (PDF) that have sprung up across the country to fight back against the coup.

Last year a military airstrike on a concert held by the Kachin Independence Army in northern Kachin state killed around 50 people and wounded more than 70, the rebels said.

Several projects in Beijings Belt and Road initiative are slated to run through northern Myanmar to link Chinas landlocked Yunnan province with the Indian Ocean.

Chinas special envoy to Myanmar has met junta chief Min Aung Hlaing at least twice since he was appointed in December and has also met ethnic rebel leaders for talks.

Beijings diplomats are also mediating between Myanmar and Bangladesh for a pilot program to repatriate Rohingya refugees who fled a 2017 military crackdown now subject to a UN genocide investigation.

Repatriations would start very soon, Beijings ambassador to Dhaka, Yao Wen, told reporters on Tuesday.
Burma Myanmar Regime Extends Counterterrorism Law to Block Resistance Funding

Myanmars junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in 2022. / AFP

Myanmars regime has enhanced its Counterterrorism Law, allowing it to block digital resistance funding.

Under the rules added to the 2014 law on March 10, the regime can demand consumer data from communications and internet service providers, allowing it to intercept and cut the communications of those allegedly linked to revolutionary forces.

Pro-democracy forces established since the 2021 coup are mainly publicly funded, often through digital wallets from Myanmars diaspora.

Activists advocating for digital privacy said the regime intends to crack down on anyone supporting the resistance.

The rule is not designed to protect the people from terrorism but intended to launch a crackdown on the revolution and anyone supporting it by labeling them as terrorists and prosecuting them under the Counterterrorism Law. The rule will enable the regime to monitor and investigate more effectively, said Ma Wai Phyo Myint of Access Now, a global advocacy group for digital rights.

She said: The regime is likely to conduct wider surveillance and make more prosecutions under the law. People should exercise greater caution.

The regime has labeled the civilian National Unity Government and its armed wings as terrorist organizations.

The regime already carries out surveillance, online censorship and information control but the new regulations allow it to establish digital authoritarianism, say observers.

The junta can now intercept and cut off communications for up to 60 days with an extension if approved by its counterterrorism working committee.

NUG spokesman U Nay Phone Latt said: The junta has enacted rules to justify its actions and say that it is legal. Military regimes intercept information. The junta wants to crush revolutionary forces.

The rules say cellphone and network surveillance data can be used to target terrorism.

One lawyer said: The junta wants to cut off assistance from citizens, the lifeblood of the revolution.

The regime can now confiscate all assets of those prosecuted under the law and probe any associates.

The regime has started targeting people over social media posts critical of the regime or those complaining about living under military rule.
Conflicts In Numbers A Week of Atrocities: The Myanmar Juntas Crimes in Numbers

Nam Name village is burned by junta troops on March 13. / KNDF

Amid its ongoing atrocities, the Myanmar junta killed a total of 48 people in the past week (March 10-16) while destroying 11 villages and launching six air strikes, mostly in the countrys anti-regime strongholds. Arrests and injuries committed by the regime were also reported. Here is a breakdown of their atrocities in numbers based on media reports.
War Against the Junta Scores of Myanmar Junta Forces Killed in Six Days of Resistance Attacks

PDF fighters of Galone Guerrilla Force-Myaing during a clash with regime forces / GGF-Myaing

At least 79 Myanmar junta forces as well as a resistance fighter were killed in the last six days as Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs) and an ethnic armed organization (EAO) stepped up their attacks on regime targets nationwide.

In one case, PDF groups bombed the base of the North West Military Command in Sagaing.

Incidents were reported in Mandalay, Sagaing, Magwe and Tanintharyi regions and southern Shan State.

The Irrawaddy has rounded up the following reports of significant attacks from PDFs and the EAO group.

Some military casualty figures could not be independently verified.

27 junta forces killed in land mine attacks in Mandalay

At least 27 regime forces were killed and many others injured in Thabeikkyin and Sintgu townships, Mandalay Region from Saturday to Tuesday when three PDF groups used around 70 explosives including 54 land mines to attack a military detachment raiding villages at the border of two townships, said Bo Linn Yone PDF group, which joined the attacks.

During the raids, regime forces burned and looted civilian houses and also shot dead two cows belonging to the residents.

Intense clashes break out in southern Shan

At least 20 regime soldiers were killed in Pinlaung Township, southern Shan State on Thursday when the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), Pa-Oh National Defense Force (PNDF), Karenni Revolutionary Union (KRU) and PDF groups jointly attacked 200 regime forces raiding mountains near Nam Name Village, said the KRU, which took part in the clash.

During the firefight, five resistance forces were injured.

North West Military Command base shelled in Sagaing

Chindwin Attack Force said six regime troops were killed when it and nine other PDF groups used heavy weapons to shell the base of the North West Military Command in the town of Monywa in Sagaing Region on Tuesday night.

They bombarded the junta base for 45 minutes. Regime forces responded with heavy weapons and firearms, but there were no PDF casualties.

The next day, the PDF group also bombarded regime forces stationed at a newly built junta prison in Monywa with eight 60-mm and 120-mm improvised mortar rounds.

Two PDF bases raided in Sagaing

PDF group Zarmani Guerrilla Force said its base and another camp of Myitnge PDF group were raided by two military columns in Myaung Township, Sagaing Region early on Wednesday.

During the junta raids, four PDF fighters were injured and another was killed.

Regime forces also burned weapons, ammunition, equipment and machinery used for producing weapons and explosives, which was worth over 100 million kyats (nearly US$34,850 at the current black market exchange rate).

The junta raid came a day after the two PDF groups and two other resistance groups used 38 land mines to ambush a military detachment between two villages in Myaung Township on Tuesday, killing 15 soldiers.

Regime forces face resistance attacks in upper Sagaing

Many regime forces were believed to have been killed or injured in Indaw Township, upper Sagaing Region on Tuesday when PDFs and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) used firearms and land mines to attack convoys of military vehicles in four locations, said Indaw Revolution, a media wing of local PDF groups.

A 30-year-old female resident was killed when regime forces randomly attacked the villages after facing the resistance ambushes. Regime forces also stole four mobile phones and 1.5 million kyats from vehicle drivers in the township.

The PDF groups also shelled regime forces and pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia members stationed at Thit Kyin Gyi Village in Ayadaw Township, Sagaing Region on the same day. Military casualties were unknown.

Military checkpoint raided in Magwe

At least three regime forces were killed in Pakokku Township, Magwe Region early on Monday when four PDF groups attacked a military checkpoint at Kyauk Hlay Khar Village at the entrance to the town of Pakokku, said Galone Guerrilla Force-Myaing, which joined the raid.

Military detachment ambushed in Magwe

Yesagyo-PDF claimed it and two other PDF groups killed at least eight soldiers and injured many others when they ambushed 70 regime forces on the Yesagyo-Chaung-U road in Yesagyo Township, Magwe Region on Wednesday.

During the ambush, a PDF fighter was injured when a police station nearby shelled the resistance forces. All PDF forces were forced to retreat from the ambush site as junta reinforcements arrived in the area.

Junta-run immigration office burned down in Tanintharyi

PDF group Oak Awe Column Dawei claimed that it and two other PDF groups raided and burned down the regime-run immigration office in Ye Phyu Township, Tanintharyi Region on Wednesday night.

The PDF groups also burned household documents collected by the office for the coming illegal election the junta plans to hold.

During the PDF raid, regime forces stationed in the area opened fire at random, but there were no PDF casualties.
Analysis Atrocities and Reinforcements: Myanmar Regime Tries to Control Resistance Strongholds

Myanmar regime soldiers in Naypyitaw in 2021. / AFP

Warning: Graphic Content

Myanmars junta is deploying massive reinforcements as it steps up its atrocities during its scorched earth campaign aimed at retaking control of the resistance strongholds of Sagaing Region and Chin and Kayah states.

The military regime has lost control of most of the rural areas in Sagaing, Chin and Kayah, while its forces and officials in the towns also face frequent attacks from resistance forces.

Special task forces deployed by the junta have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity against both resistance fighters and civilians including massacres, the beheadings of victims and the use of sexual violence, while also employing indiscriminate air and artillery strikes and looting and burning villages.

The regime atrocities are aimed at deterring civilians from becoming involved in or supporting the resistance movement.

The much greater use of atrocities has been reported recently in Sagaing, as well as Kayah and southern Shan states, and comes after the military regime imposed martial law in February in 40 more townships across four regions and four states including Sagaing and Kayah and Chin states.

Since martial law was imposed, an estimated 5,000 junta reinforcements have been sent to Sagaing and Chin and Kayah States, the strongholds of resistance to the military dictatorship, according to local Peoples Defense Forces (PDF) and ethnic armed organizations.

Military observers said the regimes deployment of more troops seemed to be a desperate attempt to regain control of the resistance strongholds.

Thet Htar Maung, a local military analyst, said he expected more intense fighting in Chin and Kayah states, because the resistance fighters in those regions are better-trained.

The fighting will be bloodier and more frequent, he said.

Since February 23, intense clashes have been reported in many townships in Kayah State and the neighboring townships of Pinlaung and Pekon in southern Shan State.

PDFs and the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), the Karenni Army and the Pa-O National Defense Force have been fighting up to 12 Myanmar military columns totaling 2,000 soldiers which have been raiding villages and the forest.

Another 1,000 junta reinforcements have been sent from Mandalay to Sagaing Region in recent days, where several military columns are raiding and torching villages daily in a number of townships.

Fierce clashes have also taken place in Chin State in western Myanmar over the last week.

A combined force of fighters from the Chin National Army (CNA) and Chinland Defense Force (CDF) has been battling junta reinforcements sent from Sagaings Kale Township and traveling in a convoy of 30 vehicles, including two armored cars, along the Tedim-Falam Road, according to Salai Htet Ni, the spokesperson of the Chin National Front, the CNAs political wing.

Fighting also broke out on Thursday in Mindat Township, southern Chin State, when CNA and CDF fighters attacked a regime convoy of 80 vehicles sent from Magwe Region and traveling the Mindat-Kyaukhtu Road.

Days before the arrival of the convoy, five junta fighter jets conducted airstrikes between Magwe Regions Kyaukhtu and Mindat without any provocation, said Salai Htet Ni.

Terrifying escalation of junta atrocities

On March 11, Myanmar junta troops massacred 22 civilians including three Buddhist monks during a raid on Nam Name Village in Pinlaung Township, southern Shan State.

Having occupied a hill near the village on March 9, the junta soldiers raided Nam Name on March 11 while also shelling the village.

The following day, resistance fighters found the bodies of 22 people, including three monks, who had been shot dead at the village monastery. The resistance said that 11 more village residents who had sheltered at the monastery during the raid are also missing.

Pro-regime Telegram channel Ko Thet shared photos of some of the victims, describing them as PDF and KNDF fighters killed by regime soldiers in Nam Name. Blood can be seen dripping from the victims in the photos.

Regime spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun said via-military owned media that PDF fighters were captured in the raid along with weapons.

The Ko Thet Telegram channel has since removed the photos of the victims and accused the KNDF and PDFs of massacring them.

In an online press conference held on March 16 by the human rights ministry of Myanmars civilian National Unity Government, Dr. Ye Zaw, a doctor in charge of Kayah States medics, said that he had seen the bodies of the Nam Name victims and that most of the victims had been shot multiple times.

Some of the victims had broken limbs and head injuries, indicating that they had been tortured before being killed.

Another junta special task force of around 100 soldiers killed and beheaded 20 resistance members and massacred 16 civilian detainees, including three woman who were raped before being killed, during a series of raids from February 23 to March 15 in Ayadaw, Myinmu and Sagaing townships in Sagaing Region.

On Monday, a Myanmar military detachment shot dead a resistance detainee and beheaded another during an operation in Sagaings Khin-U Township, according to local sources.

Regarding the regimes escalating offensives, the spokesperson for the Karenni military central information committee, Khu Nye Reh, said that the resistance would fight back as best as they can.

There has to be defense if theres an offensive and people will have to suffer. But I want to encourage them not to feel bad and to stay with us till the regime is toppled and we get the federal democracy we all dream of, he said.
March 16, 2023



More than 2,200 middle and high school students from across the state converged on the Idaho State University Holt Arena on Thursday for the 22nd annual Tech Expo. The event provided students with a glimpse into the world of career technical education (CTE) and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers as well as the opportunity to interact with industry partners and explore various academic programs.

More than 30 businesses and 40 academic programs were present at the event, offering interactive demonstrations and exhibits. In addition to the unmanned aerial systems program showcasing its latest drones with lidar and heat-sensing cameras, students had the opportunity to operate tractors in dexterity exercises and experience a 3D environment created by the Computer Aided Design Drafting Technology program through virtual reality goggles.

"We are thrilled with the turnout at this year's Tech Expo event. It was a great opportunity for us to showcase the cutting-edge technology and innovative degree programs we offer at ISU," said Jake Dixon, Director of Marketing and Recruitment for the ISU College of Technology. "We hope that the students who attended today are inspired to pursue the high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand jobs that career technical education prepares students for, as well as the many other academic and career pathways available at ISU."

Many of ISU's industry partners were also present at the event, engaging with students and highlighting the various career opportunities available in their respective fields. They discussed what it's like to work in their fields, educational requirements, and career growth potential. These partners included businesses and organizations such as Idaho National Laboratory, Northrop Grumman, Titan Machinery, Western Aircraft, Idaho Power and Idaho Central Credit Union, among others.

For those who were not able to attend the event, personalized, one-on-one tours are available to learn about the ISU College of Technology's programs. To schedule a tour, visit the ISU College of Technology website at isu.edu/tech.
Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Kawempe South, Mubarak Munyagwa has warned National Unity Platform (NUP) against some members he claims are being planted in the party as agents by the State.

Munyagwa was reacting to the recent incident of Eric Mwesigwa, who claimed he had been abducted and tortured by security officers but later backtracked on his claims, saying the injuries were self-inflicted for the promise of Shs 50 million by some NUP leaders.

Appearing on a talk show, Munyagwa said Mwesigwa is playing tricks on NUP, and cast doubts into his torture claims.

According to Munyagwa, had Mwesigwa been tortured, torture marks would be visible most especially on his hands. He wondered why most of Mwesigwa's body parts appeared intact if indeed he had been tortured.

"If you take a closer look at Eric, you can see he has two burns; one on his left side of the chest and another on the right. I have been tortured before. No one can inflict harm on you when they have not handcuffed you because you would fight back," Munyagwa said.

Munyagwa warned NUP of Mwesigwa and others he claims are being sponsored by the regime to discredit opposition political parties.

"NUP and other political parties have to avoid that group. They (Mwesigwa's group) always fight hard to take photos with opposition party leaders to assume allegiance with them. Some of them claiming to have been abducted by the state are just being trained as state agents," Munyagwa narrated.

The former MP warned that government continues to plant people like Mwesigwa in NUP to cover its 'gross' human rights record from the Western countries and donors, and advised the opposition party not to fall into the trap.

"Now, they are resorting to paint a picture that it's the opposition torturing people. What brought Kulayigye was to exonerate UPDF. He wanted to create an impression that UPDF is not involved in torturing Ugandans because embassies had picked interest in Mwesigwa's story. They are playing PR games. It was purely a movie, as simple that." Munyagwa said.

He warned that like it has been the case in Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), the regime will continue to plant political agents in NUP.
Financial services provider Latitude Financial has disclosed a breach that it says has led to the leak of personal IDs of more than 100,000 customers from one of its service providers.

Additionally, about 225,000 customer records were stolen from a second service provider, the company said in a statement to the ASX on Thursday.

"The activity is believed to have originated from a major vendor used by Latitude. While Latitude took immediate action, the attacker was able to obtain Latitude employee login credentials before the incident was isolated," the company said.

Major retailers Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, David Jones and The Good Guys offer buy-now-pay-later services in association with Latitude.

The company said access to its internal systems had been breached, following which the attacker(s) stole an employee's login details.

These credentials were then used to gain access to the two service providers from which the customer data was stolen.

"As of today [Thursday], Latitude understands that approximately 103,000 identification documents, more than 97% of which are copies of drivers licences, were stolen from the first service provider," the statement said.

"Approximately 225,000 customer records were also stolen from the second service provider.

"Latitude apologises to the impacted customers and is taking immediate steps to contact them. Further updates will be provided to the ASX and on Latitudes website.

"Latitude is continuing to respond to this attack and is doing everything in its power to contain the incident and prevent the theft of further customer data, including isolating and removing access to some customer-facing and internal systems.

"We are working with the Australian Cyber Security Centre, have alerted relevant law enforcement agencies and engaged several cyber-security specialists to assist with[the] response.

"Latitude will co-operate with authorities to investigate this attack. Our priorities are to ensure the ongoing security of our customers, our employees and our partners while continuing to deliver services."
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.
In response to the initiative of President Xi Jinping of China's support for developing good neighborly relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, delegations of the two countries recently held talks in Beijing. In a joint statement released with China, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to reopen their embassies and diplomatic missions within two months, hold talks between their foreign ministers on the arrangement of ambassadors' exchange, and explore ways to improve bilateral ties. The Saudi-Iranian agreement to restore diplomatic relation was hailed by Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, as "a victory for dialogue and peace" and has been widely welcomed worldwide. The kindness and goodwill in China's diplomacy are reflected in the country's efforts to expand all-round diplomacy in a coordinated manner and to build a new type of international relations. China has had a growing network of friends, made more and more new friends, and strengthened ties with old ones. China has never and will never invade or bully others, or seek hegemony. The country will take it as its mission to defend its core interests. It firmly opposes any form of hegemonism and power politics, and firmly opposes the Cold War mentality, camp-based confrontation, and acts to contain and hold back other countries' development. It will resolutely safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests. The kindness and goodwill in China's diplomacy are reflected in the country's efforts to promote common prosperity of the world with its own high-quality development. Recently, the Chinese path to modernization has become a hot topic around the world. Chinese modernization offers solutions to many challenges facing human development. It busts the myth that modernization is westernization; it creates a new form of human advancement; and it provides an important source of inspiration for the world, especially developing countries. China hopes and believes that as more and more countries begin their own journey of modernization, the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind will become true. China's development benefits the world and China cannot develop in isolation from the rest of the world. Amid rising unilateralism and protectionism, China will solidly promote high-level opening up, not only making good use of the global market and resources to develop itself, but also promoting common development of the world. The kindness and goodwill in China's diplomacy are reflected in the country's efforts to firmly uphold and practice multilateralism and actively improve global governance. Through the past ten years, Xi has put forward a host of major initiatives and proposals, including building a community with a shared future for mankind, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the common values of humanity, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. The core message of these initiatives is that countries are interdependent, mankind have a shared future, and the international community must get united for cooperation. China believes that global governance should be promoted in accordance with the law and the principles of international law enshrined in the UN Charter; equity and justice must be upheld while hegemonism and selfish interests must be rejected; solidarity must be defended while division and confrontation must be abandoned. People in developing countries are entitled to a better life, and developing countries are entitled to greater representation and a louder voice in international affairs. China will take multilateralism as the way forward. It will promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, promote greater democracy in international relations, and make global governance more just and equitable. It will offer more, better Chinese insight and solutions to help meet humanity's common challenges. This year, China will follow the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy. It will ensure the success of the two major diplomatic events that the country will host at home- the first China-Central Asia Summit and the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which will be the showcase of the distinctive character of China's diplomacy. The first China-Central Asia Summit is expected to mark the latest practice of China to build an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future. Ten years after its inception, the BRI has laid down a pathway toward common development, and created an array of national landmarks, livelihood projects, and milestones of cooperation. It has brought nearly $1 trillion of investment, established over 3,000 cooperation projects, created some 420,000 jobs in countries along the routes and helped lift nearly 40 million people out of poverty. As global development faces severe challenges, the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation will promote high-quality development of Belt and Road cooperation and inject new impetus into building a community with a shared future for mankind. The new journey of China's diplomacy will be an expedition with glories and dreams, and it will also be a long voyage through stormy seas. China will continue to pursue the independent foreign policy of peace, and will continue to implement the mutually beneficial strategy of opening up. China will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of the international order. It will keep writing new chapters in its distinctive major-country diplomacy in the new era.
Luanda  The Angolan Head of State, Joao Lourenco, on Monday congratulated Xi Jinping on his recent re-election as President of the People's Republic of China.

Xi Jinping was re-elected Friday for a third term as president of China, after the parliament unanimously voted for him to continue in office.

In the message, to which ANGOP has had access, President Joao Lourenco expressed congratulations to the Chinese President on behalf of the Angolan government as well as in his own behalf.

According to the Angolan Head of State, the reappointment of President Xi Jinping "to such a high Office" is the reaffirmation of the trust placed in him by the whole of Chinese society.

He said that the trust placed in him by the Chinese people was in recognition of the great role that President Xi Jinping has been playing in the construction of modern China, committed to expanding and consolidating the conquests achieved on an economic and social level.

President Lourenco expressed his full conviction that in this new mandate at the helm of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese statesman will pursue policies aimed at building a world of peace and security, in which a geostrategic balance is in force.

According to the Angolan Head of State, this is a geostrategic balance capable of guaranteeing global stability and the interaction of all the nations of our planet, in benefit of safeguarding the different interests of the peoples and nations of the world.

In the message, Joao Lourencos stresses that on this occasion, he expresses the Angolan government's certainty that relations of cooperation between the Republic of Angola and the People's Republic of China will continue to get closer and generate factors of development capable of creating significant reciprocal advantages and benefits.

In his letter to President Xi Jinping, the Angolan Head of State reiterated his wishes for many successes in carrying out his noble mission, as well as "much health and personal well-being".
Abuja  Human rights groups have called on Nigerian authorities to end sectarian attacks that left at least 35 people dead in northern areas over the weekend.

Amnesty International is among human rights groups condemning the recent attacks in Nigeria and calling for accountability.

In a statement Sunday, the group urged authorities to "immediately and decisively end incessant attacks by gunmen on communities in southern Kaduna." Kaduna is a state in northern Nigeria.

Armed men on Saturday night invaded Unguwan Wakili village in the local district of Zangon Kataf and killed 15 people, most of them women and children.

For many years, the region has suffered from violence involving local farmers and herders, causing thousands of deaths.

Amnesty International said 366 people were killed there between January and July of 2020.

Aminu Hayatu is Amnesty International's spokesperson.

"Authorities are not living up to the expectation that they bring perpetrators to justice and conduct investigations on those issues, the fact that these kinds of killings have been going on for quite some time. It is quite unacceptable," he said.

Kaduna state police authorities say they're looking into the attack but say initial findings show it could be reprisal for the killing of a herder who was tending to his animals a few days earlier.

Police spokesman Muhammad Jalige did not immediately respond to calls for comment.

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Hayatu says authorities have been investigating for too long without taking action.

"The position of the Kaduna state government has been that investigations are going on. [But] we haven't seen a single day that the public has been informed of the findings of the so-called investigations that they claim to be going on by the Kaduna state government and this really calls for worry because it emboldens the perpetrators," he said.

Nigeria has been battling a range of security challenges including insurgency, kidnappings, and communal clashes.

In a separate attack on Saturday, gunmen killed 20 people in northwest Katsina state, according to police.

Isah Gambo, a spokesperson for the Katsina state police, says authorities have restored calm in the affected areas and are keeping watch.

"They came all along from Zamfara state on motorbikes into Katsina state. Although there was stiff resistance from members of the community, police, military and other security agencies were mobilized; even the aircraft went for a rescue mission but unfortunately, they killed 20 members of the community and so many persons were injured also," he said.

Millions of Nigerians went to the polls to elect a new president last month. As outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari's eight-year tenure comes to an end, many hope his successor can do something to rein in the chronic violence and insecurity.
Vice President with President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania at the White House in April 2022. "We discussed strengthening democracy, economic investments, and global health. Our administration is committed to strengthening ties with Tanzania and countries across Africa."

announcement

Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff will travel to Accra, Ghana; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and Lusaka, Zambia from March 25 to April 2.

The Vice President's visit will build on the recent U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit that President Biden hosted in Washington in December 2022. The trip will strengthen the United States' partnerships throughout Africa and advance our shared efforts on security and economic prosperity. Throughout the trip, in partnership with African governments and the private sector, the Vice President will advance efforts to expand access to the digital economy, support climate adaptation and resilience, and strengthen business ties and investment, including through innovation, entrepreneurship, and the economic empowerment of women.

The Vice President will meet with President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, President Samia Hassan of Tanzania, and President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia to discuss regional and global priorities, including our shared commitment to democracy, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, food security, and the effects of Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine, among other issues.

The Vice President will strengthen people-to-people ties and engage with civil society, including young leaders, business representatives, entrepreneurs, and members of the African Diaspora.

RELATED:

Remarks by Vice President Harris at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit Working Lunch on Multilateral Cooperation

Vice President Harris Meets Tanzania's President Hassan (April 2022)
Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), has warned farmers to beware of false rainfall onset as the raining season commences.

NiMet stated that farmers in Abuja and some north central states who have experienced some rainfall in the last two weeks should not commence with planting crops as it is false onset.

The director-general of NiMet, Prof. Mansur Matazu, who stated this in Abuja, said the rains that we have witnessed in Abuja and the environs are just a false onset and don't represent the commencement of the rainy season.

According to him, "What happened in Abuja is a false onset as it was predicted in our Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP) which we categorized as pre-onset activities. However, extreme southern coastal states like Akwa Ibom State, Bayelsa, and a few other states have already reached their onset which we predicted was starting from March 3rd.

"But for Abuja, it is pre-onset activities that are temporary. Farmers should use the opportunity to do land clearing and pre-raining activities. The onset for FCT is predicted to be from late April to early May depending on the local council."

This is even as NiMet has warned pilots and the general public to be wary of thunderstorms and other hazardous weather events.

NiMet, in a statement by its spokesman, Muntari Ibrahim, said, "NiMet predicted rainfall onset to be earlier than the long-term average in most parts of the country during the 2023 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP). The onset is expected to start from the coastal states of Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom in early March, progressively followed by the inland states and the Central states."

The statement also stated that the recent thunderstorms recorded over parts of the coastal and inland states showed that the agency's prediction is on-point, reliable and accurate.
document

From March 13-17, 2023, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Lee Satterfield will travel to Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. She will address nearly 500 alumni of the Young African Leaders Initiative's flagship program - the Mandela Washington Fellowship - representing countries from across sub-Saharan Africa; meet with U.S. exchange participants, and South African government officials and educational leaders; and discuss a variety of issues, ranging from United States-South African collaboration on higher education, including community colleges and technical schools, to cultural heritage protection and preservation.

The Assistant Secretary's trip follows President Biden's U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit announcement that he and other senior U.S. government representatives would visit Africa during 2023.The Assistant Secretary's trip underscores the United States' strong commitment to African countries and citizens, as well as its bilateral relationship with South Africa.

In addition to delivering closing remarks to the Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Symposium, while in Johannesburg, Satterfield will meet with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, a past recipient of an Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) grant, as well as alumni of exchanges to the United States. She will also meet with leaders from the National School of Government and participate in a local tour of Victoria Yards, a historically industrial area of Johannesburg that has been a focus of urban renewal. She will visit the Victoria Yards American Corner, part of the global network of nearly 600 American Spaces, U.S. government cultural and information venues abroad which provide free and open access for communities worldwide to learn about the United States.

In Cape Town, from March 16-17, Assistant Secretary Satterfield will visit the College of Cape Town, which currently hosts several Fulbright English Teaching Assistants; meet with alumnae of State Department entrepreneurship programs for women at their local businesses; and visit AFCP grantees at their cultural heritage sites. In addition, she will meet with IVLP, Humphrey, and MWF program alumni, as well as local women participating in a digital literacy class at the Cape Town American Corner.

For further information, contact ECA-Press@state.gov. Follow along on Twitter.

Office of the Spokesperson
Tunis/Tunisia  Police deployed heavily Monday near the Parliament building as an inaugural session opened. Barricades and patrol cars were seen in its vicinity, in addition to armoured vehicles near its fence, TAP journalist said.

A number of local and foreign journalists gathered outside the parliament building after being prevented from covering the session. Police said their names were not on the list of assigned reporters.

Only public media journalists from public service television broadcaster, the Tunisian Radio station and TAP news agency were allowed in.

Journalists and photojournalists, including member of the National Union of Tunisian Journalists (French: SNJT) Yassine Bahri and Deputy SG of the General Media Union Hedi Tarchouni, voiced solidarity with colleagues who were banned from entering the parliament.

"This is an unjustified exclusionary practice and a step backwards when it comes to the freedom of press and the right to access information," they said. They also called for allowing local and foreign media to exercise their professional rights and duties.
Armenia said Thursday it would appeal to the international community to help prevent "genocide" in Nagorno-Karabakh after criticising the role of Russian peacekeepers in the breakaway region in Azerbaijan.

The Caucasus-region arch foes have fought two wars for control of the mountainous Karabakh region since the 1990s, with both Moscow and the West playing mediation roles.

Yerevan has said that an Azerbaijani blockade of the only land link between the separatist stronghold and Armenia has spurred a humanitarian crisis there.

Baku has denied the accusations.

"Azerbaijan's political-military leadership is preparing an ethnic cleansing, a genocide in Karabakh," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told a meeting of his cabinet.

"Russian peacekeepers are the guarantors of the security of the population of Karabakh and if they can't ensure it, they must turn to the UN Security Council to prevent genocide," he said referring to Moscow's troops.

Pashinyan added that he had instructed his foreign ministry to "launch international mechanisms on preventing genocide... within the framework of the UN."

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow's peacekeepers "are doing everything in their power to prevent escalation and stabilise the situation on the ground, and they are doing so in their area of responsibility."

Zakharova said Russia was carrying out "scrupulous efforts, titanic work" to settle the conflict diplomatically.

Baku and Yerevan's most recent war ended in 2020. The six-week conflict in autumn was brought to a halt with a Russian-brokered ceasefire and the deployment of Moscow's forces.

Under that deal, Yerevan ceded to Baku swathes of territory it had controlled for decades.

Pashinyan said Yerevan will also initiate talks with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees on the return of Armenians to the territories in Karabakh under Azerbaijani control and to the surrounding areas.

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, ethnic Armenian separatists in Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan. The ensuing conflict claimed around 30,000 lives.
Niamey  "On my return from Dosso I had to face a very delicate problem: one of the boys who had been living with us for seven years, and who had created a sewing workshop with his wife, suddenly found himself confronted with his mother and an uncle who claimed, respectively, his legitimate family authority. The uncle in question had abandoned him to go to Cote d'Ivoire and his mother to prostitute herself".

Thus begins the story of Gilles, who 15 years ago created the "Foyer totonn Gilles" in Niamey, the home of his uncle Gilles, where he welcomes about twenty street children together with their families (see Fides, 22/2/ 2022).

Gilles had gone to the Dosso mission to meet Father Rafael Casamayor, a priest of the Society for African Missions, who had helped him a few years ago to get out of a precarious situation.

"Gilles came to spend a few days with us in Dosso because a married couple from our Christian community intends to welcome street children," Fr. Rafael told Fides.

"I invited him because no one better than him could advise them on a project in which he has been involved for 20 years. We spent some unforgettable days during which, in addition to telling us about the work he is doing with these children in the city, he told us about his experience as a street child in Maradi and Niamey".

Resuming his story, Gilles talks about Mohamed, the boy who was Muslim before meeting him and who is now a Catholic. "Mohamed looked for years for his parents, or someone from his family, in vain. With us in Niamey, he learned over time the craft of tailoring and married a Christian. Not long ago, his mother and uncle reappeared to claim family authority. On my return from Dosso, I was called by the police because Mohamed's uncle had hired a band of bandits to kill the boy's mother. Fortunately, the woman was only seriously injured and, in the hospital, she was able to report the facts."

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There are many similar episodes, contexts of violence and threats against children living alone in the streets of Niamey: "At the same time, writes Gilles again, I met Ismael, another street child, fleeing the mistreatment of his stepmother, who occasionally came home in search of food. Ismael found himself in the hospital, with another street child who had shared with him a dish that his stepmother had prepared him to poison him. It took two weeks to find out what really happened until the police finally arrested the stepmother who, a few days ago, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for double attempted murder. Ismael is going to live in his uncle's house in Agadez where he will be able to learn a trade", concludes Gilles.

Father Rafael, with the testimony of Gilles, wanted to bring hope to his community of Dosso. "We learned a lot from his stories and I hope that one day soon we can start a similar project in Dosso because there are many children who go around our city begging and taking refuge in remote corners trying to make themselves invisible by daydreaming", said the missionary.
Russia's forced transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children to areas under its control amounts to a war crime, UN investigators said Thursday, also warning of possible crimes against humanity.

In its first report, the high-level investigation team created by the UN Human Rights Council a year ago determined that Russia had committed a vast array of violations since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"Many of these amount to war crimes," the report by the so-called Commission of Inquiry said, highlighting the forced transfers of children.

"The commission has concluded that the situations it has examined concerning the transfer and deportation of children, within Ukraine and to the Russian Federation respectively, violate international humanitarian law, and amount to a war crime," the report said.

According to Kyiv, 16,221 Ukrainian children were deported to Russia as of last month.

The investigators said they could not verify the figures but pointed to indications that Russian officials had taken measures to place transferred Ukrainian children in institutions and foster homes, and give them Russian citizenship.

The report pointed to a decree signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin facilitating the granting of Russian citizenship to some categories of children.

'Pattern of torture'

The report stressed that "international humanitarian law prohibits the evacuation of children by a party to the armed conflict," with few exceptions.

The investigators said they had reviewed in detail incidents concerning the transfer of 164 children, aged four to 18, from the Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions.

They said parents and children had spoken of youngsters being informed by Russian social services that they would be placed in foster families or adopted and said children "expressed a profound fear of being permanently separated" from relatives.

The report highlighted numerous other Russian violations in Ukraine that it said amounted to war crimes, including widespread attacks on civilians and infrastructure, killings, torture, rape and other sexual violence.

It also said Moscow could be responsible for the even more serious "crimes against humanity", pointing to the wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy-related infrastructure that began last October, and recommended further investigations.

The commission also pointed to a "widespread pattern of torture and inhuman treatment committed by Russian authorities" in areas under their control, including applying electricity to genitals, hanging detainees from the ceiling with their hands tied, suffocating with plastic bags, rape and sexual violence.

'Systematic and widespread'

"Russian authorities used torture in a systematic and widespread manner," the report said, indicating that "Russian authorities may have committed torture as crimes against humanity."

The investigators said they had also tried to determine whether the massive bombing and months-long siege of Ukraine's southeastern city of Mariupol before it fell to the Russians last May might constitute a crime against humanity.

But without access to the Donetsk region, "it does not have a sufficient basis to make such determination and recommends further investigations," it said.

The three-person commission, headed by Norwegian judge Erik Mose, was created last year and the Human Rights Council will decide early next month whether to extend its one-year mandate.

For their report findings, they said they had visited 56 cities, towns and settlements, and had inspected sites of destruction, graves, places of detention and torture, as well as weapons remnants.

They said they had interviewed 595 people and consulted documents, photographs, satellite images and videos.

The investigators had already in preliminary findings last September accused Russia of committing war crimes on a "massive scale" in Ukraine but had said at the time it was too soon to prove crimes against humanity.

The investigators said Thursday they had also documented "a small number" of violations committed by Ukrainian armed forces, including "two incidents that qualify as war crimes."
Russia's forced transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children to areas under its control amounts to a war crime, UN investigators said Thursday, adding that they are probing allegations of genocide in the Ukraine conflict.

Presenting their first report, the high-level team of investigators said they had determined that Russian authorities had committed "a wide range of war crimes" since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. They also warned of possible crimes against humanity.

But Erik Mose, chairman of the Commission of Inquiry (COI), said that so far they "have not found that there has been a genocide within Ukraine".

Asked about specific accusations of genocide, including the forced transfer of Ukrainian children to areas under Russian control, Mose said: "We are absolutely aware of these possibilities, and we will pursue this" if the commission's mandate is prolonged.

The investigators' report did however conclude that the forced deportations of Ukrainian children "violate international humanitarian law, and amount to a war crime".

According to Kyiv, 16,221 Ukrainian children had been deported to Russia as of last month.

The investigators said they could not verify the figures but said they had documented that Russian officials had taken measures to place transferred Ukrainian children in institutions and foster homes, and to give them Russian citizenship.

- 'Pattern of torture' -

The investigators said they had reviewed in detail incidents concerning the transfer of 164 children, aged four to 18, from the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson.

They said parents and children had spoken of youngsters being informed by Russian social services that they would be placed in foster families or adopted, and said children "expressed a profound fear of being permanently separated" from relatives.

The report highlighted numerous other Russian violations in Ukraine that it said amounted to war crimes, including widespread attacks on civilians and infrastructure, killings, torture and rape and other sexual violence.

It also said Moscow could be responsible for the even more serious "crimes against humanity", pointing to the wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure that began last October, and to a "widespread pattern of torture and inhuman treatment" in areas under Russia's control.

- 'Systematic and widespread' -

"Russian authorities used torture in a systematic and widespread manner," the report said, indicating that "Russian authorities may have committed torture as crimes against humanity".

"The commission recommends further investigations," Mose said.

The investigators said they had also tried to determine whether the massive bombing and months-long siege of Ukraine's southeastern city of Mariupol before it fell to the Russians last May might constitute a crime against humanity.

But without access to the Donetsk region, "it does not have a sufficient basis to make such determination and recommends further investigations", it said.

The investigators said Thursday that they had also documented "a small number" of violations committed by Ukrainian armed forces, including "two incidents that qualify as war crimes," including the likely use of cluster munitions.

They stressed the need for accountability for all the violations documented, and Mose said they had gathered information on suspected perpetrators "which may form a list to be submitted to the relevant authorities."

The commission was created last year, and the Human Rights Council will decide next month whether to extend its one-year mandate.

"The conflict is ongoing and there is a lot of work to be done... this is meaningful work," said Mose.

Ukraine and its allies are meanwhile calling for the COI mission not only to be prolonged, but also strengthened.

Katharina Stasch, Germany's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, said Thursday the COI report had confirmed Russia's "abhorrent" war crimes in Ukraine, and showed why further investigation of "the child abductions should be explicitly included in the new mandate".
Guatemalan police on Thursday arrested a former prosecutor who had brought an ex-dictator to trial for genocide, the latest in a string of arrests that has worried the United Nations.

Orlando Lopez, once a senior human rights prosecutor, was arrested for alleged "abuse of authority" in a series of raids in Guatemala City, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

It said he had practiced as a lawyer and notary in 2019 when he was still in the employ of the prosecutor's office, in violation of his contract.

Lopez prosecuted former dictator Efrain Rios Montt 10 years ago for the killing of hundreds of Ixil Maya Indigenous people during the darkest days of the country's civil war, which lasted from 1960 to 1996.

Rios Montt was sentenced to 80 years in prison, but the Constitutional Court overturned his conviction, citing procedural errors.

The retired general died in 2018, at the age of 91, during a retrial.

Lopez's arrest follows that of a number of former prosecutors and members of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), a UN-backed entity that helped unearth several corruption scandals. It was closed by the government in 2019.

Many former corruption prosecutors are in exile today, claiming to be the victims of persecution and revenge for the work they did.

The United Nations in January voiced "deep concern" over what it called threats, harassment and reprisals faced by justice officials and human rights defenders in the Central American country.

That came after a Guatemalan court jailed a senior anti-corruption prosecutor following a trial criticized as a bid to undermine the fight against graft.

Attorney General Consuelo Porras has been added by the United States to a list of "corrupt actors" for hampering and then firing an anti-mafia prosecutor.

Last year, Guatemala's then-human rights ombudsman Jordan Rodas, whose term has since ended, warned that corruption in the country was at unprecedented levels under an "authoritarian" government that punishes those who investigate organized crime.
Sixteen months since Sudan's top generals ousted a transition to civilian rule, the coup leaders are embroiled in a dangerous power struggle with deepening rivalries within the security forces, analysts warn.

Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo worked together in October 2021 to remove the short-lived transitional authorities put in place following the toppling of Omar al-Bashir's regime in 2019.

Magdi al-Gizouli, from the Rift Valley Institute think tank, said their once united front has devolved into "brinkmanship".

"The power struggle in Sudan is no longer between military and civilians," Gizouli said. "It is now Burhan against Daglo, each with his own alliance".

The coup triggered international aid cuts and sparked near-weekly protests, adding to the deepening political and economic troubles of one of the world's poorest countries.

Burhan, a career soldier from northern Sudan who rose the ranks under the three-decade rule of now jailed Islamist general Bashir, has said the coup was "necessary" to include more factions into politics.

But Daglo, also known as Hemeti, the commander of the much-feared paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has since called the coup a "mistake".

Created in 2013, the RSF force emerged from the Janjaweed militia that Bashir unleashed a decade earlier in the western region of Darfur against non-Arab rebels, where it was accused of war crimes by rights groups.

Daglo -- from Darfur's pastoralist camel-herding Arab Rizeigat people -- said the coup had not brought change but rather the return of Bashir-era regime loyalists, angering Islamist factions.

- 'Delaying tactic' -

Disagreements between the two generals also reflect long-running divisions between the regular army and Daglo's RSF, said military expert Amin Ismail.

"Burhan wants the RSF to be integrated into the army in accordance with the rules and regulations within the army," said Gizouli.

"Daglo seems to want restructuring of the top army command to take place first, so that he can be part of it before the integration."

In December, Burhan and Daglo signed a tentative deal with multiple factions -- including the key civilian bloc, the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) -- as part of a two-phase political process towards a civilian-led transition.

But critics called the deal "vague" and cast doubt on the generals' pledge to exit politics after a civilian government was installed.

"The December deal highlighted the disagreements which have their different aspirations at its core," said Ismail.

Gizouli says the accord was "a delaying tactic" for Burhan, while Daglo sought "to improve his competitiveness" and bill himself as "an ally to the FFC."

"It is clear that neither of them has any intention to exit politics, as they have been investing in alliances that would allow them to continue," he said.

Daglo has been jet-setting across the region drumming up support, travelling to neighbouring Eritrea and Equatorial Guinea, two African nations with close ties with Russia.

The day after Burhan visited Chad in January, Daglo started a visit of his own.

- 'Polarisation' -

Analyst Kholood Khair said a recent initiative by Egypt has appeared to favour Burhan and "catalysed renewed tensions between the generals".

In February, Cairo hosted a workshop among multiple Sudanese factions including those who opposed the December deal, notably two ex-rebel commanders -- Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim and Darfur governor Minni Minnawi.

Khair, in an article for the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, said the Cairo initiative left political groups seeking to make pacts "with one general over the other".

"This is a false choice, and one that can only lead to further polarisation of the political space and, potentially, an armed confrontation between Burhan and Hemeti's forces, with disastrous consequences," she said.

Daglo, in a recent speech to RSF troops, said his disagreement was not with the armed forces.

"The disagreement is with the people clinging on to power," said Daglo, insisting he backed the installation of a civilian government.

"We are against anyone who wants to be a dictator."

On Saturday, Sudan's armed forces hit back, dismissing accusations of "the unwillingness" of the army's generals "to complete the process of change and democratic transformation".

"It is an open attempt to gain political sympathy, and to obstruct the transitional process," it said in a statement.

On Sunday, Sudan's ruling sovereign council said Burhan and Daglo held security talks.

Ismail said that while the outright military confrontation that many fear is unlikely, it is not the only potential outcome.

"It's a political disagreement... but it could push the Sudanese people to rise up and turn on all of them," Ismail said.
The International Criminal Court on Friday announced it had issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin for the "unlawful deportation" of Ukrainian children.

The Hague-based ICC said it had also issued a warrant against Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's presidential commissioner for children's rights, on similar charges.

Russia is not a member of the ICC. It was unclear how the ICC planned to enforce the warrant.

"Today, pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued warrants of arrest for two individuals in the context of the situation in Ukraine: Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Ms Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova," the ICC said in a statement.

Putin "is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation."

The ICC said the crimes dated from February 24, 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine.

"There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes," it said.

Putin was allegedly responsible both directly by committing the acts and for "failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission."

The arrest warrants are being kept secret to protect victims and witnesses, it said.

The ICC is a court of last resort for crimes that countries cannot or will not prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan launched an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine just days after Russia's invasion.

'Spoils of war'

Khan said earlier this month after a visit to Ukraine that the alleged abductions of children "are being investigated by my office as a priority".

"Children cannot be treated as the spoils of war," he said in a statement on March 7.

Posting a picture of himself alongside empty cots, Khan said he had visited a care home for children in southern Ukraine that was "empty, a result of alleged deportation of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation" or other occupied areas.

Khan also confirmed that the ICC was investigating attacks on "critical civilian infrastructure" in Ukraine and that he had visited the sites of several such strikes.

Along with Ukraine's prosecutor general "we underlined our collective commitment to ensure that such acts are fully investigated and those responsible for alleged international crimes held to account," he added.

The ICC prosecutor added in the statement that he had a "sense that the momentum towards justice is accelerating."

Khan has previously described Ukraine as a "crime scene", and has also visited the town of Bucha where AFP journalists saw at least 20 bodies lying in a street.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine are members of the ICC, but Kyiv has accepted the court's jurisdiction and is working with Khan's office.

Russia denies allegations of war crimes by its troops. Experts have said it is unlikely it would ever hand over any suspects.

Russia's reaction

Moscow dismissed decisions by the International Criminal Court on Friday as having "no meaning" for Russia, after The Hague-based court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin.

"The decisions of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on social media.

"Russia is not a party of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and bears no obligations under it," she added.

"Russia does not cooperate with this body and possible 'recipes' for arrest coming from the international court will be legally void as far as we are concerned," she said without referring to Putin by name.

Russia is not a member of the ICC. It was unclear how the ICC planned to enforce the warrant.
Kim Sae Ron's legal counsel delivers an update regarding the actress after her first trial due to the drunk driving incident.

The former child star recently made headlines after attending her first court hearing where she was fined 20 million KRW or 15,000 USD for DUI charges.

Unfortunately, "The Great Shaman Ga Doo Shim" star continues to receive online hate with the public criticizing her current status after revealing to the court that she is working part-time and is the breadwinner of their family.

Kim Sae Ron's Lawyer Says he 'Couldn't Contact' the Actress

However, Kim Sae Ron's lawyer revealed that they couldn't reach the actress after getting backlash from the public.

In a report, the legal representative said that he tried to contact the 22-year-old actress to clarify news regarding her work but he couldn't reach her.

"I knew he was working part-time at one place, but I didn't know she was working multiple jobs at the same time," the lawyer said, adding "I saw an article about a part-time job at a cafe and contacted her directly, but I couldn't reach her," hence the legal representative couldn't confirm the exact facts about the actress' current work.

As for the photos, the lawyer briefly commented about them but insist that it is true that Kim Sae Ron is "working part-time" however, he has nothing else "to say about the fake cafe part-time photos.

On the other hand, the lawyer also spoke about the former child star's current condition and shared that she "has left the apartment belonging to her previous agency but I can't confirm if she is living with her family again" adding that Kim Sae Ron doesn't want to release new information about her at the moment.

Kim Sae Ron Faces Backlash: From Stage Part-Time Photos to Fake Apartment

During her first court trial, Kim Sae Ron expressed regret and says that she has been doing self-reflection since the incident that happened in 2022.

She promised that it will "never happen again" and that she have quit drinking and even sold her car.

Moreso, it has been difficult for her since she is struggling financially to make ends meet.

However, a few days after the court appearance, Kim Sae Ron's Instagram featured a series of photos of the actress wearing a uniform at a cafe and making beverages.

Immediately after posting these, the franchise coffee brand clarified that the actress has never worked at any of their cafes but instead it was her friend who was their employee.

On the other hand, her lawyer revealed that the house that was featured on tvN's show "On and Off" was not her apartment but belonged to her agency.

He added, "The apartment (that was shown on tvN's show 'On and Off') belonged to her agency.

In addition, the representative also mentioned that the actress had a huge debt to her former agency Gold Medalist since they are the ones who initially paid for the settlement and penalties of their talent.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: YouTuber Calls Kim Sae Ron's Instagram Photos Staged + Says Actress' Stress Reliever is Alcohol



KDramastars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
As Seoul Central District Court continues investigation regarding Yoo Ah In's drug abuse, the actor's doctor gets involved in the ongoing probe.

According to a news portal, as authorities look into the "Seoul Vibe" star's past activities, a medical professional is facing a substantive arrest warrant for prescribing the top star propofol.

Yoo Ah In's Doctor Underwent Investigation

Based on the update, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's narcotics crime investigation division revealed that the doctor, referred to as A, was arrested for suspicion of violating the Narcotics Control Act and administering the said drug, which is commonly known as an intravenous anesthetic agent, to the award-winning star.

Due to this, A underwent investigation to find out if this was used for medical purposes or illegally acquired.

In addition, the police also learned that A is a close acquaintance to the actor and runs a hospital in Seoul.

As for the arrest, it comes after the investigation division obtained pieces of evidence after raiding Yoo Ah In's home in Seoul as well as his parents' residence and related hospitals.

Moreover, authorities also planned to summon the actor to look into his drug purchase route and how it was administered to him.

News about Yoo Ah In's drug scandal broke after the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety suspected the actor's prescriptions of propofol were quite excessive.

With this, the department requested the police to launch an investigation and found out that the "Chicago Typewriter" star has been habitually using illegal substances since 2021. It was also found that propofol was administered to the actor 73 times in the same year alone.

Besides propofol, three substances were also found in Yoo Ah In's system. It includes hemp, cocaine, and ketamine after conducting urine and hair strand tests.

As the investigation continues, the award-winning star is barred from leaving the country. However, his agency, United Artists Agency (UAA), released a statement, confirming that the actor "is actively cooperating in all investigations."

Will Yoo Ah In Bounce Back After Drug Scandal?

South Korea is sensitive when it comes to celebrities having a negative image. Yoo Ah In is no exemption, with brands reportedly pulling out the endorsement featuring the actor.

From fashion brands and more, traces of the "Hellbound" star was also removed from its online campaign.

As for his upcoming projects, Yoo Ah In officially stepped down from his role as the lead star in the much-awaited sequel of Netflix's "Hellbound." With this, he will not be able to reprise his role as cult leader Jung Jin Soo.

On the other hand, he is replaced by "Our Beloved Summer" star Kim Sung Cheol to play the New Truth founder.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
To avoid scandals and controversies in the competitive Hallyu industry, "The Glory" production unit did a background check on every actor prior to filming the drama.

Since the premise revolves on school violence, the Netflix series didn't only deliver suspense and thrill but also raised awareness about the topic.

With that, Song Hye Kyo's "The Glory" remains as the most streamed work today. Keep on reading.

'The Glory' Team Checked Actors' School Records Prior To Filming

Netflix's "The Glory" captivates the viewers with its gripping premise and jaw-dropping production!

Released on March 10, the second half of the work focused on the extraction of Moon Dong Eun's (Song Hye Kyo) revenge on her perpetrators that made her life miserable.

Due to its timely concept, the series immediately enjoyed huge success in the domestic and international scenes.

It also took the No. 1 spot in the Netflix global charts in 79 countries including the Philippines, Vietnam, Canada, the US, Turkey, Pakistan and more.

In the past year, a growing number of actors had been caught in a scandal involving misconduct towards their fellow schoolmates during their high school years-this created a more competitive environment in the Hallyu industry.

Apart from that, the production unit will suffer from its consequences that sometimes include the loss of budget for the work, time wasted for refilming and recasting and more.

In a recent interview with Netflix Korea, "The Glory" actress Cha Joo Young, who played one of the bullies in the series, revealed that the management had checked their school records prior to filming.

After confirming that the actor hasn't been involved in a situation that could tear down the project such as being a school bully, "The Glory" began its production.

With its engrossing storyline, "The Glory" didn't only give viewers a satisfying watching experience but it also raised awareness about school violence that is rampant among institutions.

The cast of the work including Song Hye Kyo, Lim Ji Yeon, Lee Do Hyun, Jung Sung Il and more extend their deepest gratitude to fans who supported the work from beginning to end.

'The Glory' Director Denies School Violence Rumors

While the cast of the revenge series is safe from scandals, "The Glory" director Ahn Gil Ho made headlines!

Ahead of Part 2's premiere on March 10, school bullying allegations against Ahn Gil Ho circulated online.

According to reports, the director assaulted his classmate during his time as a student in the Philippines. However, Ahn Gil Ho denied the allegations and claimed that he didn't hit anyone.

On March 12, the director's lawyer Kim Mun Hui from JIPYONG released a statement, saying that his client asks for forgiveness.

It is revealed that Ahn Gil Ho had a girlfriend in the Philippines in 1996 who was the subject of endless teasing inside the classroom. The director became emotional and punched a person with an unforgettable wound.

Ahn Gil Ho deeply regrets what he did and if given the opportunity, the director would like to reconcile with the person and personally ask for their forgiveness.

Fans are divided with the incident, saying that the drama is useless if its own director was a school bully. However, some fans stated that Ahn Gil Ho only retaliated for defense.

On the other hand, all episodes of "The Glory" are available on Netflix. Check it out now!

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
Lee Sung Kyung and Kim Young Kwang continue to see each other at work, trying to be civil despite the awkwardness between them.

In "Call It Love" episode 7, Lee Sung Kyung is stuck in a sticky situation which makes her question her true feelings for Kim Young Kwang. Keep on reading.

Shim Woo Joo Discovers Han Dong Jin's Real Intentions

"Call It Love" episode 7 takes viewers to the past as Han Dong Jin (Kim Young Kwang) interrogates his mother about the previous tenants of their home.

However, Ma Hee Ja (Nam Gi Ae) refuses to speak up and lashes out at him. It is revealed that the previous tenants were Shim Woo Joo (Lee Sung Kyung).

In the present time, Han Dong Jin rushes over to the real estate agent after discovering that Shim Woo Joo is at their house, creating a scene.

When he arrives, Shim Woo Joo isn't there anymore. Han Dong Jin's mother reported her for trespassing which made her blood boil even more.

Shim Woo Jo is racked with guilt when she learns that Han Dong Jin had been looking for her family to personally apologize to them for what his mother did. He also wants to give the house back to them.

She realizes that she has been bothering Han Dong Jin for so long due to an incorrect hunch.

Shim Woo Joo Vows To Protect Han Dong Jin

Outside Han Dong Jin's house, Shim Woo Joo patiently waits outside. However, she catches Kang Min Young (EXID Hani) instead.

She then calls her horrible for making Han Dong Jin go through what she did. Unfortunately for her, Kang Min Young also doesn't back down easily and retaliates by asking her for a drink.

At the bar, she tells Kang Min Young that she needs to move out and stop bothering her ex-boyfriend. After a few hours, the two get so drunk that they end up outside Han Dong Jin's apartment.

The following day, Han Dong Jin then asks Shim Woo Joo why she coaxes Kang Min Young to move out. Shim Woo Joo answers that she wants him to have his own safe space unlike her who was thrown out of her place.

Shim Woo Joo Deciphers Feelings For Han Dong Jin

Things between Shim Woo Joo and Han Dong Jin continue to be filled with awkwardness but after all that has happened, she knows that she cares about Han Dong Jin a little bit more now.

At the end of the episode, Shim Woo Joo tries her best to decipher her own feelings for Han Dong Jin.





KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
With only eight episodes left, things get exciting as "Our Blooming Youth" slowly reveals the mysterious person behind the secret letters.

The latest episode also featured the closeness of Park Hyung Sik and Jeon So Nee's characters.

Based on the novel, "The Golden Hairpin," "Our Blooming Youth" follows the story of a Crown Prince who suffers from a mysterious course.

He then crosses paths with Lady Min Jae Yi, who is accused of murdering her own family.

With their unfavorable situation, they help one another to reveal the truth and break the curse.

Joining Park Hyung Sik and Jeon So Nee as lead stars are Pyo Ye Jin, Yoon Jong Seok, Lee Tae Sun, and Heo Won Seo.

'Our Blooming Youth' Episode 12 Viewership

Now that the historical drama series nears its finale, "Our Blooming Youth" episode 12 experiences another boost in viewership.

According to Neilsen Korea, the March 14 broadcast garnered an average nationwide rating of 3.651 percent. It is a minimal increase from its 11th episode after scoring an average nationwide rating of 3.598 percent.

Interestingly, viewers will get to see Park Hyung Sik and Jeon So Nee's team up on March 20 as "Our Blooming Youth" airs its 13th episode via tvN and TVING.

'Our Blooming Youth' Episode 12 Recap

Among the highlights of "Our Blooming Youth" episode 12 is the Crown Prince's current situation.

In the 11th episode, the royal ended up being locked in the east palace with only Eunuch Go, or Min Jae Yi beside him.

With this, his actions and plans got intervened by the King who seemed to doubt his son.

On the other hand, the Crown Prince ordered Min Jae Yi to deliver a letter to his closest ally Han Sung On with the help of his guardian warrior, Tae Gang.

However, it seemed like Min Jae Yi had a bad hunch toward Tae Gang.

It was after she recalled the man who delivered wedding gifts right before her whole family was poisoned.

Moreover, Min Jae Yi thinks that Tae Gang was also the black ninja who attacked him while red letters were distributed to people, causing chaos inside the palace.

With this, she warned the immediately tried to find the Crowne Prince after learning they the royal went for a walk alongside Tae Gang.

After seeing him, Min Jae Yio draws a sword toward Tae Gang and warns the Crown Prince not to give his full trust to Tae Gang.

Min Jae Yi felt like Tae Gang will be the one betraying the royal and not her former fiance who happens to be Han Sung On, the sergeant, and Yi Hwan's close friend.
Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, Jean Muonaowauza Sendeza, has disclosed that structural challenges continue to hamper digitalization in Malawi.

Sendeza highlighted access to electricity, internet connectivity, poor or weak telecommunications infrastructure, low access to gadgets or high cost of electronic gadgets, and the limited ability of individuals to use digital solutions as some of the challenges hindering digitalization drive.

The minister made the remarks in New York in the United States of America (USA) where she is attending the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

Sendeza disclosed that only 20 percent of Malawians have access to internet, and this challenge largely affects women and girls.

"As reported by the African Union that poor access to broadband internet represents a major hurdle, particularly for people living in rural and remote areas, to fully harness the potential of digital transformation, also affects Malawi. Malawi has been pursuing the course of reducing gender inequalities in STEM through the implementation of the country's strategic development blueprints, which are the Malawi Growth and Development Strategies, and more recently the Malawi 2063 development agenda," she said.

She added "The Malawi 2063 development agenda identifies science and technology as one of the enablers for achieving sustainable development. It emphasizes the importance of reducing gender inequalities and improving opportunities for all people without discrimination. It further regards gender equality as one of the key human capital development enablers driving economic growth and a vibrant knowledge-based digital economy. It further recognizes the importance of science, technology and innovation to harness the country's competitive advantage in the inclusive wealth creation and self-reliance agenda."

Sendeza further stated that since the Government of Malawi places issues of STEM at the center of the country's development, it instituted the National Commission on Science and Technology, as a driver for propelling meaningful development.

She said the Malawi Government realizes the importance of mainstreaming gender in science, technology and innovation. In actualizing this realization, the National Commission for Science and Technology has been implementing a number of initiatives that aim at inculcating a science and technology culture in the country.

She cited the establishment of the Women in Science and Technology Network, comprising Malawian women scientists, researchers and technologists from the academia, private sector, civil society and government, the Constitution of Malawi, in Sections 20 and 41, which upholds the principle of equal rights for men and women and prohibits any discrimination based on gender or marital status.

"This is to ensure that women and girls fully participate in all development activities including the participation in STEM and other digital technologies and innovations. To demonstrate this, Malawi conducts the Presidential Delivery Unit Digitalization labs to provide comprehensive guidance to transform Malawi into a wealthy and self-reliant nation through provision of integrated and inclusive ICT, digital systems and life enhancing services, Annual commemoration of the International Girls ICT Day since 2017, the African Development Bank-funded STEM in Universities Project where scholarships are awarded to girls who have been admitted in STEM programmes and academic staff proceeding for further studies in STEM programmes. It is targeting especially all the public universities and their research entities," said Sendeza.

She also cited A USAID Project entitled Strengthening Higher Education Access in Malawi, which supports Adolescent Girls and Young Women with the objective of increasing access to education for adolescent girls and young women, persons with disabilities, vulnerable and other disadvantaged youth, and the higher education institutions such as the Malawi University of Science and Technology, which annually organize Girls Camps to encourage adolescent girls in secondary schools and female first year students studying STEM at MUST and other public universities to make good use of science and technology opportunities in their institutions.

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"Allow me to reiterate that the Malawi Government is committed to promoting women's full, equal and meaningful participation in STEM and Innovation.

"While realizing that Technology is a gateway to accessing information and services, and to participating in all spheres of life, we should be mindful that other people's rights are not infringed upon, especially women and girls, by the same technology through cyber bullying," thus concluded Sendeza.
The uptake and continuation of tuberculosis (TB) preventive therapy were much higher when it was provided through a community-based model compared to the standard clinic-based model, a study conducted in KwaZulu-Natal found. The findings were presented at the recent Conference for Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle, USA.

Among others, TB preventive therapy is recommended for people living with HIV in South Africa, a group that is at an increased risk of developing TB. The risk is higher when someone's CD4 count is low - an indication that the immune system is compromised. The most common form of TB prevention therapy used in South Africa is an isoniazid pill taken for six or more months (commonly referred to as IPT or isoniazid preventive therapy). A shorter three-month regimen (called 3HP) consisting of the drugs rifapentine and isoniazid is being piloted in some districts.

But the uptake of TB preventive therapy in South Africa is suboptimal, says Dr Adrienne Shapiro, a co-author of the new study. She is an infectious disease specialist, epidemiologist, and assistant professor at the University of Washington. She lists several reasons for the suboptimal uptake, including TB prevention medication not being available at the clinics when patients come to initiate HIV treatment as well as complicated guidelines for initiation that change regularly. There is also the high turnover of staff and lack of clinician confidence in what the right process for initiation is or in whether TPT works, to begin with.

The uptake of TB preventive therapy in South Africa is suboptimal. - Dr Adrienne Shapiro

"Clinic visits, particularly for ART (antiretroviral therapy) initiation, they're very busy. There's a lot going on and the priority of TB preventive therapy is often not as high as the priority for doing other things, especially starting ART," she says. Shapiro tells Spotlight their study "wanted to address these inefficiencies or these challenges for both patients and clinicians by simplifying the process and continuing to deliver TB preventive therapy with ART. But in a programme where the ART delivery process was greatly simplified and decentralised from the clinic".

Study design

The new findings are from a sub-study nestled in a larger study called DOART. DOART looked at whether community-based ART initiation and delivery would improve HIV virologic suppression. In DOART, people living with HIV in a rural and a peri-urban region of KwaZulu-Natal province were randomised into one of three study arms for ART initiation and resupply of ART. One was the standard clinic-based ART with initiation and refills done at a public health sector clinic according to the clinic schedule. The second was a community arm where ART was initiated in the community via a mobile clinic van and refills provided. And finally, a hybrid arm where participants initiated ART at the clinic and then, after initiation, received their refills in the community through a mobile clinic van. The vans were staffed with nurses.

Enrolment was between February 2017 and February 2019, with a one-year follow-up.

TB is more preventable than ever: a one-to-three month course of TB Preventive Therapy (TPT) can keep people at risk of TB from ever getting sick. But very few of the people who would benefit most - household contacts of people with TB - have access to TPT. pic.twitter.com/ohAcoy7kn8

-- Treatment Action Group (TAG) (@TAGTeam_Tweets) October 31, 2022

Within the sub-study, IPT followed the ART distribution in each study arm, according to Shapiro. In the community and hybrid study arms, participants were initiated on ART and then seen one month later for a follow-up and then given the option of initiating IPT. After this, they were seen at quarterly follow-up visits where they got their ART and IPT refills. TB symptom screens and adherence assessments were done at each visit. The clinic arm followed the standard practices of a public health sector clinic.

Eligibility for participating in the DOART study was being clinically stable, not on ART, having a CD4 count of greater than 100, and screening negative for TB symptoms.

"For participants who did not initiate IPT at the month one visit, catch-up IPT could start at any subsequent visit," Shapiro says. She explains that IPT initiation and continuation in the community and hybrid arms were measured with medication dispensing records and self-reported adherence given at the follow-up visits. In the clinic arm, initiation and continuation were measured by reviewing clinic charts, as participants did not have in-person follow-up by the study team until the end of the study.

A total of 1 039 participants initiated ART during DOART and then had the opportunity to initiate IPT. Of those, 55% initiated IPT at any point during the study. The study saw higher initiation of IPT in the rural region compared to the peri-urban region.

Large differences

The best results for starting IPT were seen in the community-based arm where 90% of those who started ART also started IPT. Within the clinic arm, 20% of participants started IPT and in the hybrid arm, 45% started IPT.

In terms of continuing IPT, in the clinic arm, 48% of those who started IPT continued to take it. In the hybrid arm, it was 84% and in the community arm, 89% of those who started IPT continued to take it.

"We found that initiation and continuation of TB preventive therapy were significantly higher with community-delivered HIV care than clinic-based treatment," says Shapiro. "In the DOART study in South Africa, multi-month dispensing of IPT was safe and acceptable and use of point-of-care urine Isoniazid testing can enhance adherence monitoring," she says. "We believe community-based integrated IPT delivery eliminated both provider and patient barriers to TPT by simplifying the process for both patients and providers."

When asked whether there were concerns around initiating IPT outside of the clinic in the community arm, Shapiro says all participants did have one visit with a clinician and were screened for eligibility criteria and TB before the study. And those in the community arm were seen by a nurse during the quarterly follow-up visits in the mobile vans to get their ART and IPT refills. "Because there was still a nurse contact in the community arm that achieved the level of consistency with the kind of care someone would receive in a clinic," Shapiro says.

Implications of results

Makaita Gombe, a Health Economist at the Aurum Institute who focuses on increasing efficiency in TB/HIV service delivery, explains that the study findings "show that community models of care are an important aspect of clinical care for people living with HIV." The Aurum Institute is a research and health systems management organisation that focuses on TB and HIV prevention, treatment, and care.

She adds that it is feasible to potentially combine TPT and ART delivery services in community and clinic delivery settings to improve uptake and adherence to TPT. As this approach solves some of the socio-economic issues like a lack of resources to travel to healthcare facilities that users experience.

"Overburdened health systems also do not allow time for clinicians to dispense ART and counsel clients on TPT, therefore, TPT is seldom offered nor demanded by clients as they know very little about it," she says. "We live in an age where clients have different lifestyles and clinical services need to evolve to suit the client's needs. Innovations such as community initiations of TPT increase uptake because they meet the clients at their doorstep and allow them to stay healthy without disrupting their livelihoods.

"Advances in TPT options also allow patient-centred care with an expanded suite of TPT options available in South Africa as 3HP has been included in the national guidelines, further reducing TPT to three months, taken once a week," Gombe adds.

Overburdened health systems also do not allow time for clinicians to dispense ART and counsel clients on TPT, therefore, TPT is seldom offered nor demanded by clients as they know very little about it. - Makaita Gombe, a Health Economist

Prospects for 3HP

Shapiro says that the next question they want to investigate is how 3HP can be provided together with ART. "We're very interested in doing another round of studies looking at 3HP delivery, both in the community and in clinics to try to improve uptake. Also thinking about monitoring and adherence to make sure when people are getting medication, are they actually taking it and completing it in full," she says.

She explains they tried to keep study conditions as true to the clinic setting as possible, so the IPT regimen given for six months was used because that's what the public healthcare clinics they worked with in KZN were providing to patients.

[T]he next question they want to investigate is how 3HP can be provided together with ART.

The study was close to real-world conditions in other ways as well. No additional training was given to the study nurses, only refresher training in the community and hybrid arms about what IPT is, what doses to give, and what the possible side effects are. "All of the training was consistent with training that someone would have received in the public sector if training was operating on the intended schedule. We didn't provide any information outside of what one would be expected to learn," she says. "We didn't want to interfere or impose anything in the public sector, so the clinic-based clinicians didn't receive any additional training from the study in IPT or in monitoring delivery."

Real-world challenges

The study did experience some challenges in the form of stockouts of the IPT medication at the public sector clinics that supplied medication to the study. It was also sometimes difficult to get hold of participants in the community and hybrid arms to set up their quarterly refill visits.

"I think that the main challenges encountered within the study were really mirroring those that are reflected in the public health sector on a regular basis," Shapiro says.

As in the real world, treatment adherence was also not perfect. The researchers monitored adherence using a urine dipstick test in a subset of participants for the community and hybrid arms to see if they were actually taking the IPT.

[It] really created an opportunity for good adherence counselling, messaging, and some additional education that generally led to people deciding that they would take it in future.

A total of 255 participants who self-reported taking IPT were tested. Of those, 63% had a positive urine dipstick test that confirmed the presence of Isoniazid. Within the study, according to Shapiro, this discrepancy between self-reported adherence and a positive urine test allowed the nurses to have conversations with patients about whether they were actually taking their medication and address possible concerns.

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"[It] really created an opportunity for good adherence counselling, messaging, and some additional education that generally led to people deciding that they would take it in future," she says.

Feasible for the public sector?

Parts of the study that were novel at the time it was conducted were in the community-based and hybrid arms. Most notably, the mobile clinic vans that go to the community that delivered the services and the longer time frame in which IPT refills were given. Another novel approach was simplifying the delivery of ART and IPT by giving it all together.

"When the nurses were delivering a package of ART and IPT, it was all in one place. It was prepacked. It was all together. And that's different from what would happen in the clinics where often people need to go to two different pharmacies to collect the ART and IPT," Shapiro says.

Another novel approach was that study nurses in the community and hybrid arms had a mobile app prompting them to initiate IPT and screen for TB symptoms. However, Shapiro explains that this could easily be converted into paper-based prompts.

Overall, she says many aspects of the study are feasible to implement in a public sector clinic setting. "The study was really designed to not have too much by way of special new technology, but really it was a strategy of simplifying and spacing out delivery... and that could certainly be replicated in a programme in the public sector, either in a clinic or in a mobile delivery setting," she says.

While the mobile van delivery system might not be available to all clinics, strategies from the study could easily be used, like simplifying IPT delivery for people living with HIV who are initiating ART. "When we look at the major difference in the IPT uptake, it's really between that clinic-based arm and the community arm and so much of it in the clinic-based arm is that patients were just never given that first dose of IPT in the clinics," she says.

The community delivery method aside, according to Shapiro, it's important to figure out how to simplify TB preventive therapy initiation. Whether this is in the community or in the clinic. "If we can overcome that barrier, then we can really do quite a lot. I think that much of what we learned about the importance of simplifying delivery, making it very clear for clinicians that TB preventive therapy is just part of how you start, I think that can quite feasibly be integrated into public sector programmes," Shapiro says.
Representatives of Kilkenny County Council, who are in New York for the St Patricks Day period, met with senior executives from Tourism Ireland and were briefed on Tourism Irelands promotional programme in the United States for 2023.

This year, Tourism Ireland is rolling out an extensive programme of promotions in the United States, to rebuild overseas tourism to Ireland and to drive the return of revenue from American holidaymakers to pre-pandemic levels.

St Patricks Day offers a unique opportunity for Ireland and Irish tourism, so Tourism Ireland in the United States is rolling out an extensive programme of trade, media and consumer activity to capitalise on Irelands heightened profile around the St Patricks Day period.

Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Irelands Head of North America, said: We were delighted to meet with the representatives of Kilkenny County Council and to have the opportunity to brief them about the extensive promotional programme we are undertaking in the United States this year. Our new Fill your heart with Ireland campaign will go live at the beginning of April. The campaign is about celebrating the different ways in which Ireland fills the hearts of our visitors and of locals  and inviting potential American holidaymakers to come and experience those for themselves.

Our St Patricks Day programme includes an extensive and targeted programme of trade, media and consumer activity to rebuild overseas tourism this year. Our aim is to remind American holidaymakers that Ireland offers the warmest of welcomes and great fun, as well as wonderful scenery and heritage. We are taking every opportunity to capitalise on Irelands heightened profile around this St Patricks Day period.
South East Technological University (SETU) is to open its doors on Thursday evening, March 23 to people interested in confirming CAO choices and exploring other education options including part-time and postgraduate courses, many with September start dates.

On Thursday, March 23 (6pm-8pm) SETUs Cork Road Campus, Waterford will be filled with information stands, demos, and students will have the chance to explore the campus. A map of the campus, schedule of talks and booking details for try events will be available at www.setu.ie/spring.

Dr Derek OByrne, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Registrar on SETUs Cork Road Campus, Waterford emphasises the importance of visiting the campus for CAO applicants and their families to help confirm their choices.

At SETU we have a right student, right programme initiative. From open events to our popular Try events for specific disciplines, and from our online and phone help lines we care about helping prospective students answer the question is this really right for me?.

At this stage, many CAO applicants have a clear idea of what they want and visiting SETU during our Spring Open events will help intending students confirm that choice so they can settle into studying for the Leaving Cert without additional worry.

Jess Lawton, Marketing and Outreach Officer says that the open evening will offer students an opportunity to attend workshops to get a feel for what they might like to study. The School of Health Science is holding two Try events from 5pm to 6pm in conjunction with open evening. These events give students the opportunity to Try Health Promotion and Try Sport and Performance Science.

SETU will also open computer labs for an Hour of Code and take you into the world of business with four events from our business school. This is a great opportunity for prospective students to get a feel for college life and those all-important question. Please see www.setu.ie/events for time, location and booking details.

The newly launched postgraduate quick guide will also be available for attendees. This will be of interest to CAO applicants thinking about their long-term educational goals and what they can progress onto at SETU after they finish their degree.

SETU doesnt just offer courses for school leavers, our range of postgraduate and part-time life learning courses offers opportunities to parents, employees and others thinking of returning to education to upskill or reskill.

Across its postgraduate and part-time offering there are a range of courses that are designed to meet the needs of busy, working professionals who want to attain further skills or qualifications.

Neil Quinlan, Head of Department of Lifelong Learning on the Waterford campus said: The move toward flexible and blended learning facilitates adult learners who often have to juggle work, personal and study responsibilities.

There is a wealth of highly subsidised upskilling opportunities for adult learners available in the University. These courses are in areas of high demand in the job market. Springboard programmes are purpose designed to allow people who are working to gain a new career focused qualification "in just one year.

Learners also have opportunities to gain a full degree or masters qualification in part-time or flexible modes at SETU.

The event is free of charge and will give prospective students and their parents to learn about courses, college life, fees, accommodation and so much more. You can find more information on www.setu.ie/spring.

SETUs Carlow campus have a Spring open day on Saturday, May 13 from 10am until 2pm on the Kilkenny Road Campus, Carlow. For a full list of open events, visit www.setu.ie/events.
Sinn Fein TD for Carlow Kilkenny Kathleen Funchion, has welcomed todays Still Left Out in the Cold report by Friends of the Earth.

The Carlow Kilkenny TD said the report "exposes the glaring inadequacy of the Government's energy policies" and "echoes a need for a fundamental overhaul of the national retrofit plan". The report stressed the significant barriers for low income households to access the retrofitting scheme either due to high cost and lack of eligibility.

Teachta Funchion said:

The Governments plan is lacking in scale and ambition.

"It fails to come close to addressing the urgent issue of energy poverty, which is at its highest level ever recorded, occurring in a context of rising polluting emissions in Ireland and of high household reliance on fossil fuels.

Todays report from Friends of the Earth Ireland is welcome. It puts forward 49 recommendations to address rising energy poverty and to increase energy efficiency in Irish homes, many of which both echo the views of the Climate Change Advisory Council and furthermore align with existing Sinn Fein policies, for example our A Fairer Retrofit Plan launched last year.

"Rather than being a top priority that the report recommends, the less well-off are currently left out in the cold from the current government scheme.

Similarly, the report also found that tenants renting from private landlords are at most risk of energy poverty; these properties are more likely to be older, lower energy buildings. Sinn Fein has been critical of government silence on renters, arguing that they have been left behind.

Importantly, it highlights the fact that a combination of high energy costs, inadequate incomes and inefficient housing are the key driving factors for households falling into energy poverty, reinforcing the point that the Government's current plans fail to incorporate those in greatest need.

"Instead, what we have is a socially regressive, deeply inequitable approach that is both inefficient and inadequately targeted and regulated.

Sinn Fein has presented a real alternative in our policy document A Fairer Retrofit Plan. We commit to significantly increase the retrofitting budget, targeting the funding at the poorest, coldest and most carbon intensive homes.

Our plan is to spend more where it matters - it is an ambitious costed proposal to move all households to a B2 BER insulation standard for a tiered, area-targeted, scheme aimed at low and middle income households.

"We proposed a tiered plan targeting those most in need. Directing scarce labour resources to the coldest homes is the best use of public money, is socially equitable and will show the best return on public investment in achieving climate targets.

In addition, weve also called on the government to accelerate shallow retrofits to help cut carbon emissions, as figures from the SEAI show the number of attics and cavity walls insulated in 2022 was 88% lower than the number completed in 2011.

"The insulation of roof space and cavity walls has fallen off over a cliff over the past decade despite being a simple, quick measure that can immediately help reduce heat loss from a home, cut household energy bills and reduce carbon emissions.

The calls on Government to change tack are getting louder and more numerous. Minister Eamon Ryan should heed those calls.
Refugees Banyamulenge from Cibitoke camp being relocated to Mwaro in the center of Burundi, ONUB Photo/ Martine Perret, 19 October 2004

analysis

The Banyamulenge are a minority ethnic group in South Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In December 2022, the UN adviser on the prevention of genocide raised concerns about attacks against the community based on "ethnicity or perceived allegiance with neighbouring countries". The Banyamulenge have long been viewed as not being Congolese. The government, however, has often dismissed claims that the community is facing targeted attacks as fiction. Delphin R Ntanyoma, who has extensively researched the Banyamulenge, explains why they are facing persecution.

Who are the Banyamulenge and how has their status changed over time?

The Banyamulenge live in eastern DRC in South Kivu province. They are mostly seen as affiliated to the Tutsi of the African Great Lakes region, and they speak a language close to Kirundi (Burundi) and Kinyarwanda (Rwanda). The Banyamulenge settled in South Kivu between the 16th and 18th centuries, having come from what are today Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. They are largely cattle keepers.

They mostly occupy the southern part of South Kivu province: the Fizi, Mwenga and Uvira territories. In the 1960s and 1970s, some Banyamulenge moved to Katanga in the DRC's southern region. The region has rich pastures for cattle herding and is close to the large cities of Lubumbashi and Mbujimayi, providing business opportunities. However, in 1998, nearly 20,000 Banyamulenge were forced to flee Katanga after they were attacked for being "foreigners".

Since 1984, the DRC has not organised a general census. The historian Joseph Mutambo estimated the group had around 400,000 people in 1997. There are no clear estimates today, but it's safe to assume that they have grown in number.

Colonial history in the Great Lakes region has categorised local communities into "native" and "immigrants". Farmers are seen as native, while cattle herders are largely perceived as immigrants, foreigners and invaders.

Read more: Why history matters in understanding conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Based on these assumptions, the Banyamulenge have been viewed as foreigners and were denied citizenship in the 1980s. A decade later, the Congolese state sought to expel them after a parliamentary resolution to send back all Rwandan and Burundian descendants.

This added to the perception that the Banyamulenge were "invaders". I have researched the drivers of violence in South and North Kivu for six years, with a focus on the Banyamulenge situation. It's clear that much of the violence targeting them revolves around the misconception that they are strangers in their own country.

Who's who on the list of their political adversaries?

The Banyamulenge's political adversaries range from local politicians to armed groups and militias. Most of the politicians who rally their constituents against the Banyamulenge are from neighbouring ethnic communities. These include the Babembe, Bafuliro, Banyindu and Bavira. Members of these ethnic communities consider themselves "native". Political figures outside South Kivu have also spread the idea that the Banyamulenge are outsiders.

Those who take issue with the Banyamulenge claim to be protecting their country from "invaders". This has led to armed mobilisations and the use of local militias, like the MaiMai and Biloze-Bishambuke. These militias have vowed to expel the Banyamulenge or eliminate them.

Read more: How conflicts intertwined over time and destabilised the DRC - and the region

Since 2017, Burundian rebel groups like Red-Tabara and Forces Nationales de Liberation have joined local militias in attacks against the Banyamulenge. The Red-Tabara's involvement raised questions about Rwanda's role after UN reports claimed that the country had supported the rebel group with logistical and training skills.

How are the Banyamulenge targeted?

The Banyamulenge have been targeted by Congolese security services and local militias in major attacks in 1996, 1998 and 2004.

A new wave of violence against the group began in 2017, and has since led to the deaths of thousands of civilians and the destruction of hundreds of villages. That year was marked by intensifying conflict in the DRC over election delays.

The looting of Banyamulenge-owned cattle has been a constant occurrence since the 1960s. Cattle constitute a major source of income and livelihood, and looting has worked as a strategy to impoverish the community and jeopardise their future.

Read more: Burundi's Gatumba massacre offers a window into the past and future of the DRC conflict

Due to the widespread destruction of villages, the remaining Banyamulenge in South Kivu live in small localities like Minembwe, Murambya/Bijombo, Mikenge and Bibokoboko. They continue to face regular and coordinated attacks, which have prevented the community from accessing pastures and farmland beyond a two-kilometre radius.

Armed militias in South Kivu have prevented and constrained humanitarian organisations from getting aid into Banyamulenge settlements.

Hate speech has played a major role in fuelling violence against the community. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms have thousands of posts and videos that claim the Banyamulenge are not Congolese citizens and shouldn't be in the country.

Such dehumanising and hateful speech feeds the minds and hearts of young people, mainly men, who consider attacks against the Banyamulenge a "noble" cause. Researchers and activists have called for greater attention to be paid to these attacks.

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Who's behind the attacks?

The Banyamulenge are targeted because they are viewed as "foreigners". For decades, local armed groups and militias have mobilised to get rid of those perceived as invaders. This ideology is transmitted across generations.

In addition, the Congolese national army has played a role in enabling attacks against the Banyamulenge by providing ammunition to militias or opening breaches when rebels attack civilians. Huge destruction has taken place in areas where the Congolese army is present but didn't intervene.

There are three possible reasons for the army's general inaction. First, some military commanders and soldiers may believe the narrative that the Banyamulenge are not Congolese. Second, some military commanders create chaos and conflict pocket zones to serve one or more protagonists in the Great Lakes region. Third, violence allows military commanders to access operational funds - and looted cattle can be turned into money.

Delphin R. Ntanyoma, PhD Visiting Researcher, International Institute of Social Studies
The PSNI has asked for 330 officers from the rest of the UK to assist with a massive security operation during a visit to Northern Ireland by US President Joe Biden.

Mr Biden has confirmed he will visit Northern Ireland and the Republic as part of the celebrations around the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next month.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Todd said that while there was no confirmed date for the presidential visit, the police service would have contingencies in place.

He said: We have asked for approximately 330 officers from across the United Kingdom to support the policing operation.

The mutual aid officers will be used to provide additional search capabilities and a range of other specialist policing functions during this period.

Mutual aid officers are a vital part of the vast policing and security operation for these events.

They will be provided with the necessary equipment and familiarisation training.

They are coming to Northern Ireland to assist with the security operation and not every day policing of Northern Ireland. 

PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne, who is currently in Washington, said it would be a unique policing operation for which the PSNI would require support.

It is going to be a stretch and it is going to be a huge policing operation, he told the BBC.

Mr Byrne added: We are in close dialogue already with colleagues in England and Wales because we are likely to be asking for hundreds of specialist officers to come into Northern Ireland to support what will be a unique policing operation.

We are really proud to play our part in 25 years of all the good news and optimism that fell out of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

If you think of the busy period across our summer months, we dont normally ask for help from other parts of the UK.

An operation like this, even if we are at full resource, we will have to rely on some specialist support.

The scale of this means it will be a bigger ask than normal.

My anticipation is that hundreds of officers from England and Wales will support what we are doing.

He added: We are a strong and resilient organisation and we have shown time and time again that we can step up to the challenge even in tough times.

This is an operation which has been very carefully planned, we are getting advice and learning from recent events elsewhere in the UK and we want to do our part in making sure everybody can enjoy a celebration of the Agreement, and move around peacefully and without interruption.

Mr Byrne has previously raised concerns about PSNI resources due to an ongoing funding shortfall. He said that would form part of his message during meetings in the US.

He said: I come here with two messages. One is to investors that Northern Ireland is the safest part of the UK, but at the same time we need a police service that is sufficiently resourced to meet the challenges.

We are not returning to the awful scenes of the past, the terrorist threat at the minute is about attacking the police service, it is not about deterring investors.

Asked about the condition of senior detective John Caldwell, who was shot several times in an attack in Co Tyrone last month, Mr Byrne said: John is receiving tip-top care but he remains seriously ill.
GLOBALink | How China contributed to global anti-COVID fight? Pub Date:23-03-17 09:16 Source:Xinhua It's been 3 years since WHO called COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. By assisting other countries in fighting the pandemic and calling for concerted efforts to build a global community of health for all, China has made significant contributions to global health governance. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Editor:Zheng Chen

Related News There is no shortage of kindness and goodw... Xi Focus: Exploring Xi's economic thought ... State Councilor meets with HKSAR chief exe... China launches new experiment satellite
analysis

Essential service workers in the health sector who fail to return to work by the morning of Tuesday, 14 March, will be committing an act of misconduct subject to disciplinary action, including possible dismissal, says Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla. This comes in the wake of the Labour Appeal Court ruling interdicting any further strike action from Nehawu, its members and employees in an essential service 'with immediate effect'.

The National Department of Health has given essential service workers in the health sector until the morning of Tuesday, 14 March, to report to work. Those who fail to report will be in contempt of the Labour Appeal Court ruling issued on Monday that interdicted any further strike action from Nehawu, its members and employees in an essential service, and will be liable to face charges of misconduct.

This was according to a media briefing by Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla on Monday evening. Phaahla said that the ministry and the National Department of Health welcomed the Labour Appeal Court judgment.

"There is no doubt that the strike has disrupted provision of essential healthcare services in the country, leading to untold suffering and frustrations amongst the public who desperately needed...
MISSOURI - Acting Gov. Mike Kehoe, on behalf of Gov. Mike Parson, ordered U.S. and Missouri flags to be flown at half-staff at government buildings in Gasconade County on Sunday in honor of fallen Hermann Police Department detective Sgt. Mason Griffith.

On Sunday, March 12, Griffith was shot and killed as he attempted to arrest a suspect with outstanding warrants.

Griffith was also chief of the Rosebud Police Department. He also previously served the Gerald Police Department and the Gasconade County Sheriff's Office.

From boyhood, Mason Griffith dreamed of being a police officer, and Gasconade County and Missouri are better off today because he fulfilled his dream, Parson said. Sadly, only after his tragic, senseless death are we coming to understand the full extent of Griffiths selfless commitment to public service: aided citizens at all hours, strengthened law enforcement through training, and always prioritized service to his fellow man."

Griffith helped build a network of behavioral health intervention resources in Gasconade County, according to a news release. Griffith was also recognized by the Missouri Crisis Intervention Team (MO CIT) Council in March 2022 for his many interventions and de-escalations of situations with people in a behavioral health crisis and for coordinating a micro-CIT Council in Gasconade County.

Detective Sergeant Griffith was a model officer, committed to honorably serving the people of Hermann, Rosebud, and Gasconade County, Lt. Gov. Kehoe said. This senseless act of violence is a solemn reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face each day to keep our communities safe, and the debt we owe them for their courageous service.

A visitation and funeral are scheduled for Sunday at Owensville High School. Additional details can be found here.
President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, will pay a State Visit to South Africa this week at the invitation of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Thursday's State Visit will crown the 2nd Session of the South Africa-Tanzania Bi-National Commission (BNC).

"The Bi-National Commission is a platform for strengthening cooperation especially in areas such as trade and investment, infrastructure, transport, energy, water, science and innovation, education, defence, agriculture, environment, health, and culture, among others," the Presidency said on Sunday.

Tanzania is one of South Africa's foremost trading partners on the continent.

"South Africa wishes to see an increase in trade and investment and broader economic development between the two countries. To this end, total trade between South Africa and Tanzania increased from R6.89 billion in 2021 to R8.71 billion in 2022.

"The strong economic ties are evidenced by the presence of more than 250 South African companies in diverse sectors in Tanzania," the Presidency said.

The BNC comprises four committees: Political and Diplomatic; Defence and Security; Economic Affairs, and Social and Cultural Affairs.

South Africa and Tanzania enjoy deep historical relations arising from Tanzania's solidarity with South Africa's liberation struggle.

"The ruling party in Tanzania, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), supported the African National Congress (ANC) and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) in the struggle against apartheid.

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"These ties culminated in the establishment of official diplomatic relations when South Africa achieved freedom in 1994 and have since evolved into excellent political, economic, and social relations," the Presidency said.

The programme of the Heads of State and Government will be preceded by meetings of senior officials on Monday and Tuesday.

On Wednesday, a meeting by the Ministerial Bi-National Commission on the Senior Officials will be held.

These engagements will take place at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation's OR Tambo headquarters in Pretoria.

On the margins of the State Visit and the BNC, a Business Forum will take place under the theme: "Forging a New Deal between South Africa and Tanzania Towards High Levels of Trade and Investment".

The forum will focus on agriculture, agro-processing, oil and gas, mining and infrastructure development.

President Ramaphosa and President Hassan are expected to address a plenary session of the Business Forum.
The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward in the case of missing American, Maria del Carmen Lopez, who was kidnapped from her home in Mexico on February 9.
(From left to right) Iron County Sheriff Jeffery Burkett, Deputy Chase Brasnahan, Deputy Matt Cozad and Rick Gaston were arrested Thursday in connection with a parental kidnapping plot, charging documents show.
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Windy with occasional snow showers. High 38F. Winds W at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 40%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 33F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.
Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

Snow showers this morning becoming more scattered later. High 39F. Winds W at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 60%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Overcast. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 33F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph.
Eritrean soldiers allegedly massacred at least 300 people near Adwa just days before the Ethiopian government and Tigray forces signed a peace deal. A survivor in the village of Mariam Shewito told DW her story.

In late October 2022, 63-year-old Abrehet Hagos heard that Eritrean soldiers had surrounded her village near the town of Adwa in Ethiopia's Tigray region.

During two years of civil war in northern Ethiopia, which began in November 2020, Eritrean soldiers had fought alongside the Ethiopian military against the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). The conflict is one of the deadliest in recent memory, with an estimated 600,000 people killed and millions displaced. Much of the population has been left hungry due to a blockade by the Ethiopian army.

But the fighting only reached Abrehet Hagos and her family in Mariam Shewito on October 26, when rumors about people being killed nearby started to circulate.

This was exactly one week before the Ethiopian government and theTigray forces signed a peace accord, ending the war and mandating the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Tigray.

"It was a Wednesday. That night, we knew we had to flee," Abrehet told DW. "But we had nowhere to go, so we spent the night hiding outside, near our house."

A son and husband murdered

The family continued hiding the next day, until they heard the animals making unusual noises. Her 70-year-old husband, Berihu Abay, and their 28-year-old son, Gidey Berihu, decided to go to the house to see what was going on.

"A soldier came and killed them both. There are five or six bullet holes in the door and the walls of the room. I think my son tried to hide in the room when he saw the soldier. He thought he might escape death," Hagos said.

She was so close she heard the killer's voice shortly before he opened fire. "He lisped. I only heard him say 'come'," Hagos recalled.

After he left. Hagos and her daughter crawled out from their hiding place and went into the house where they found a bloodbath. Hagos' husband, who had been a priest, was lying on the floor, holding his cross behind his head.

Hagos said she felt her pain growing worse every day: "I ask God why he didn't take me instead of my son. I am heartbroken." Her son was engaged and due to be married very soon.

"He [Gidey] worked all day. He was a well-mannered child. He liked tending to his trees. He planted all the trees you see around here. What are these trees now to me? They only remind me of him and that is painful. They killed my soul with him."

Buried in the backyard

Terrified, Hagos and her daughter didn't leave the house for four days, staying next to the dead bodies.

By then, the Eritrean soldiers had occupied Mariam Shewito and nearby villages.

Eventually, Hagos said, she left the house to go to the nearby church and see if she could bury the bodies there.

"There I met a high-ranking Eritrean soldier. He didn't threaten me. He told me they don't allow burials on the church compound. He also said it was us who attacked them. I told him we didn't. He said to bury them in the house."

So she buried the bodies in her backyard; they were moved to the church's graveyard two months later.

Hagos told DW that she was worried about her daughter who has a mental disability, adding that she had had nightmares and lost weight since the murders.

Retaliation for defeat

The administration of the town of Adwa told DW that over 300 people in several villages has been killed in the week of October 25 to 31.

Witnesses told DW that they believed the massacre of civilians was a retaliation by Eritrean soldiers for the defeat they had suffered at the hands of Tigrayan forces.

An investigation by the US Washington Post newspaper featured interviews of 22 relatives of the victims, including 15 who said they witnessed the killings or their immediate aftermath.

Satellite images published by the newspaper showed at least 67 severely damaged houses in the area where the killings reportedly happened. Other images show military vehicles matching witness descriptions of Eritrean vehicles, fewer than three miles away.

Eritrea rejects allegations

At a rare press conference during a visit to Nairobi in February of this year, President Isaias Afwerki rejected allegations of rights abuses by Eritrean forces, dismissing them as "fantasy."

DW requested a comment from Eritrean Information Minister Yemane, who referred to a statement released by the Eritrean embassy in the US in response to the Washington Post's report. It says that the Eritrean government "vehemently rejects the false allegations made against Eritrea and its disciplined army," saying that there was "no validation or verification" of the stories, which were "obviously planted." It adds that "Eritrea has an impeccable track record for its humane treatment not only of civilians but also its prisoners of war as well."

Rights groups and the UN have accused Eritrean forces of committing atrocities and human rights abuses against civilians, including mass killings, gang rapes, torture, arbitrary detentions and looting.

A report by UN-backed researchers from the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity had been committed by all sides in the conflict: Ethiopian government troops, Eritrea's military and Tigray forces. The report also found that Ethiopian soldiers had also resorted to the "starvation of civilians" as a tool of war, while both Ethiopian and Eritrean forces were seen to be responsible for "sexual slavery."

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Justice for the victims

Since January, Eritrean troops have been seen retreating from several towns in Tigray but observers say they remain in the region. Eritrea was not a party to the peace deal and the continued presence of its forces in Tigray is seen as a major challenge to the agreement's implementation.

Mariam Shewito was one of the worst affected villages in the week-long massacre, social worker Atsede Abay told DW. She has compiled a record of the names, dates and causes of death of victims in the village, collecting photographs from relatives, and speaking to survivors and eyewitnesses.

"Of the 91 victims, 12 were women. Ten were religious leaders. One was a teacher," she said, adding that the youngest victim was a two-year-old baby, the oldest a 92-year-old. In one case, four members of the same family were massacred: a father, his two sons and his nephew.

In another gruesome account, both parents were killed in front of their five children. The youngest was six months old. After shooting dead the mother, named Tsige Gebrekirstos, the soldiers mutilated her breasts with a knife before putting the baby on top of her, Atsede said. She hoped the evidence she has gathered will one day help to bring justice to the victims.

"I am doing this because I believe those who committed the atrocities should be held accountable," she said.

Edited by Cristina Krippahl
The sixth episode of "Peak Time" has now been aired, which focused on the remaining collab battle of the groups, and its final winners as well.

Read to catch up on the program's episode 6!

'Peak Time' Episode 6: Collab Battle Concludes, Final Winners Unveiled

On "Peak Time," the sixth episode continued the intense rivalry between the alliances.

The sixth episode picked off on the previous battle, where various units consisting of rap, dance, and vocals faced head on. In its previous fourth episode, all 16 teams created an alliance, consisting of 4 teams each.

Episode 5 elaborated that two percent of all votes will be given to the winning alliance. MC Lee Seung Gi also explained that one MVP for each category (vocal, rap, dance) will be chosen by a special set of 25 judges.

These judges are separate from the show's star-studded judge lineup. Additionally, five percent of all votes will be complemented to each MVP's team (group).

See the alliances below:

Alliance 'A'

Team 2:00 (NTX)

Team 5:00 (ATBO)

Team 9:00 (BLITZERS)

Team 18:00 (BDC)

Alliance 'B'

Teams 8:00 (DKB)

Team 20:00 (M.O.N.T.)

Team 21:00 (24K)

Team 23:00 (DGNA)

Alliance 'C'

Teams 11:00 (VANNER)

Team 13:00 (BAE173)

Team 15:00 (BLK)

Team 24:00 (soloists)

Alliance 'D'

Team 1:00 (DIGNITY)

Team 4:00 (BXB)

Team 7:00 (MASC)

Team 14:00 (GHOST9)

The first batch of performance were featured in Episode 5, comprised of the alliances' rap unit. As a follow up, the vocal unit of alliance "C" entered their first stage. In conclusion, "B" rap unit secured the victory, successfully gathering 790 points.

Rap Category

1. "B" rap unit - 790 points

2. "C" rap unit - 761 points

3. "A" rap unit - 713 points

4. "D" rap unit - 691 points

These performances were then trailed by the remaining performances of vocal and dance units.

Watch their stages here:

Vocal Competition

'A' Vocal Unit - "Time of Our Life" by DAY6

'B' Vocal Unit - "Behind You" by Park Jin Young

'D' Vocal Unit - "My sea" by IU

After the vocal battle, the judges then tallied the overall score for each team. Upon conclusion, it was revealed that "D" vocal unit had won, earning a total of 767 points.

1. "D" vocal unit - 767 points

2. "C" vocal unit - 719 points

3. "B" vocal unit - 709 points

4. "A" vocal unit - 692 points

The program then proceeded to the dance battle, which showcased the teams performing popular dance-based tracks.

See their energetic performances here:

Dance Competition

'B' Dance Unit - 'Bang!' by AJR

'A' Dance Unit - 'Gimme Gimme' by Johny Stimson

'C' Dance Unit - 'Bad' by Christopher

'D' Dance Unit - 'Power' by Little Mix

With all of the performances on hand, the judges declared the winner for dance units. "C" dance unit claimed their triumph, garnering 789 points.

1. "C" dance unit - 789 points

2. "B" dance unit - 780 points

3. "D" dance unit - 779 points

4. "A" dance unit - 773 points

As of March 4, 5 p.m. KST, here are the current rankings:

1. "Team 11:00" - (VANNER)

2. "Team 23:00" - (DGNA)

3. "Team 7:00" - (MASC)

4. "Team 20:00" - (M.O.N.T)

5. "Team 24:00" - (soloists)

6. "Team 13:00" - (BAE173)

7. "Team 8:00" - (DKB)

8. "Team 2:00" - (NTX)

9. "Team 14:00" - (GHOST9)

10. "Team 18:00" - (BDC)

11. "Team 21:00" - (24K)

12. "Team 15:00" - (BLK)

13. "Team 1:00" - (DIGNITY)

14. "Team 5:00" - (ATBO)

15. "Team 4:00" - (BXB)

16. "Team 9:00" - (BLITZERS)

Which team are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments below!

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Written by Israel Monte
BIGBANG G-Dragon has dropped some big news through his pictorial for Harper's Bazaar, surprising many VIPs.

Will the "King of K-pop" finally make his comeback?

BIGBANG G-Dragon Comeback? 'K-pop King' Drops Project Announcement

On March 16, G-Dragon appeared on the cover for the April issue of Harper's Bazaar.

In the pictorial, G-Dragon slayed as the global ambassador for Chanel. The iconic artist wore Chanel's 2023 Spring/Summer Ready to Wear collection, which consists of stylish jackets and pearl necklaces as accessories.

G-Dragon successfully pulled of the mysterious aura in the photoshoot, together with his fierce and confident appearance. During the pictorial's pre-shoot, he was also interviewed by Harper's Bazaar, gaining insights from his future activities.

G-Dragon then hinted a possible comeback, to which he described as something "exciting in many ways." Although upcoming releases are always teased from time to time, G-Dragon made sure to keep fans in their seats to anticipate the release. Furthermore, he added that the imminent project is now being prepared.

"I've been wanting to tell you that there's a new project I'm currently working on. This project fascinates me and is exciting in many ways." "I can't tell you just yet what it's all about, but I assure you there's a process being made. We're working on it step by step."

With the announcement out in the open, BIGBANG's fandom VIPs, surged with excitement and voiced it out on a forum. The fans couldn't contain their own enthusiasm, expressing how long they've rooted for G-Dragon to make a comeback.

Meanwhile, there were others who reacted to his stylish pictures for Harper's Bazaar. Fans praised G-Dragon for his legendary visuals and how much he suits Chanel.

Read their reactions below:

"Oppa, I'm really looking forward to it." "As a VIP who's been rotting away, I'm f**king looking forward to this." "Jiyong-ah, I've been gathering money while waiting." "God-per's Bazaar has never disappointed. Every time, it's legendary and it's f**king legendary this time too." "GD's existence itself is such a premium masterpiece."

G-Dragon's Latest Music Release With BIGBANG

In other news, G-Dragon was also affiliated with BIGBANG activities, such as their new song "Still Life. On April 4, 2022, BIGBANG released the song, marking their first music release in four years since "Flower Road" in March 2018.

In less than 24 hours, "Still Life" achieved numerous feats since its release, proving BIGBANG's solid fanbase. In just one hour following its release, "Still Life" already achieved the millionth mark in China through their digital copy sales.

Meanwhile in South Korea, the song entered at No. 26 on MelOn's 24Hits chart within an hour. As of March 17, the music video for "Still Life" currently garners a total of 80,579,492 views on YouTube.

Watch the full MV for "Still Life" here:

Are you excited for G-Dragon's new project? Tell us in the comments below!

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KpopStarz owns this article

Written by Israel Monte
South Africa must swiftly set up a watchdog mechanism to examine prisons, detention centres, and other facilities, UN independent experts on torture prevention said on Monday, citing "entrenched" ill treatment.

The experts offered several recommendations after observing a range of concerns, from poor detention conditions to allegations of corruption, on the heels of the first visit of the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT) to South Africa, from 26 February to 9 March.

"This must change," said Abdallah Ounnir, head of the subcommittee's delegation. "There is an urgent need for South Africa to fully establish a national preventive mechanism."

This would ensure the country's compliance with its commitment made in 2019 to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, he explained.

Such a national preventive mechanism should be a fully independent monitoring body empowered to visit all places of detention, which "is key to prevent torture and ill-treatment in the country", he said.

'Inhuman' practices

During the visit, he said the delegation had noted the overuse of liberty deprivation across sectors, such as prisons, police stations, immigration facilities, mental health facilities, and drug treatment centres.

"This reflects a de facto punitive rather than a rehabilitative approach to crime and other social issues," he said. "The high number of remand detainees and overcrowding in detention places reflect deficiencies in the criminal justice system and the judiciary."

In addition, the delegation received allegations of corruption within facilities and "observed entrenched inhuman practices, ill-treatment, and poor detention conditions," he said.

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Taking a proactive approach

The subcommittee visited public and private penitentiaries, police stations, military detention barracks, youth care centres, psychiatric hospitals, drug rehabilitation institutions, and a migrant detention camp.

They conducted confidential interviews with staff members and people held in these institutions and met with Government officials, civil society, the South African Human Rights Commission, and related bodies.

Following the visit, the subcommittee will submit a confidential report to the Government of South Africa, with observations and recommendations to prevent torture and ill-treatment of people deprived of their liberty.

The Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture began its work in the UN human rights system in 2007, with a preventive mandate focused on taking a proactive approach to preventing torture and ill treatment.
Speaker of the National Assembly Catherine Gotani Hara on Monday gave permission to members of Parliament from the Southern Region to return to their constituencies following the devastating cyclone Freddy induced heavy rains.

This is in response to Cyclone Freddy, which has so far killed 11 people, while 16 others are missing in the South.

This means that the legislators will not be part of the cluster committees currently scrutinizing the 2023/24 national budget.

Mwanza West Member of Parliament Joyce Chitsulo has since thanked the Speaker for allowing the members of parliament be with their constituents in time of need.

Writing on her face book wall, Chitsulo described Gotani Hara as a good leader for allowing the legislators to go back to their constituencies to be with their people, who are currently going through difficult times.

This comes as President Dr Lazarus Chakwera is receiving pressure to return home from Doha in Qatar to be with the people in the country who are facing unprecedented heavy rains.

Chakwera's Mozambican counterpart, Filipe Nyuse cut short his trip to Qatar following the devastating cyclone Freddy induced heavy rains in his country.

The cyclone is now moving from southern region to central region.
Zimbabwe and Botswana citizens will soon be using national identity cards as travel documents amid indications that Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi has hinted on scrapping use of passports between the two nations.

Media reports in Botswana say President Mokgweetsi Masisi is planning to meet President Mnangagwa, with whom he enjoys good relations, to deliberate on the proposal to allow nationals of the two countries to use national identity cards (IDs) to enter either jurisdiction. Currently, citizens from both countries require passports for cross-border travel. According to the media reports, President Masisi told democrats attending the Boteti West constituency celebrations that he was expecting to pitch the idea to President Mnangagwa when they meet.

"President Mokgweetsi Masisi has just revealed that in a few months' time, he will be meeting his Zimbabwean counterpart Emmerson Mnangagwa on a visit where he will make sure they discuss the use of identity cards for border crossing among the two countries," wrote a Botswana newspaper.

Last month, President Masisi and the Namibian President Hage Geingob signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to permit citizens of the two republics to use IDs to cross borders.

President Masisi said the same bilateral initiatives would be rolled out to other neighbouring countries that share borders with his country.

Botswana and Zimbabwe have a shared history, culture and family ties that pre-date the two countries' diplomatic relations which were formally established in 1983.
Maputo  Mozambique is in the process of joining the Africa50 platform, in order to facilitate access to funding for infrastructure projects.

Headquartered in Casablanca, Morocco, the Africa50 platform was established by the African Development Bank and African states with the aim of supporting and facilitating the development of infrastructure projects on the continent, by mobilizing public and private sector funding.

The desire to join this financing mechanism was expressed in the Maputo daily "Noticias' by a source in the Ministry of Economy and Finance, explaining that, in a context of tax restrictions and infrastructure gaps that persist in the country, Africa50 can be an appropriate catalyst to meet the country's development challenges.

According to the source, Mozambique's entry into this platform will allow the country to monetize existing infrastructure assets through farming them out to the private sector, with funds received to be reinvested in other priority projects.

Currently, Africa50's investor base consists of 30 African countries, two African central banks and the African Development Bank, which is also the manager.

Mozambique, the government source said, intends to use this opportunity to obtain a financial return on its investment, since the platform is strongly committed to advancing and complying with the guiding principles of combating climate change, aligned with the energy transition priorities in the country.

The country needs to continue to improve the supply of infrastructure and for this it has to maintain high rates of economic growth, reduce poverty and make development sustainable.

The source noted that one of the biggest challenges that Mozambique is expected to face is the weak ability to develop adequate infrastructure, particularly in rural areas, and the biggest reason for this deficit is limited access to adequate financing solutions.

It is believed that financing private sector initiatives can stimulate economic growth by increasing production, creating enterprise and generating tax revenues.
In Israel, protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned judicial reform have been going on for weeks. Cultural activists say Israel's democracy is in danger. Writer Etgar Keret explains why.Etgar Keret is a superstar of Israel's literary scene. The Jewish Museum in Berlin is currently dedicating an exhibition to him titled "Inside Out" in which the author's work and life is presented. Keret, who was born in 1967 in Israel, is considered a master of short story writing and stands firm on his political views, including protesting the judicial reform in his country. "All the demonstrators have one thing in common," Keret said back in February in an interview with journalist Uri Schneider reporting for DW from Israel, "they don't want democracy to be robbed from them."

Also Read | Business News | Success and Spirituality: Do the Twain Meet?.

Keret is also one of the signatories of a letter to the ambassadors of Germany and the UK in Israel. In the letter, around 1,000 Israeli artists, writers and intellectuals called for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's inaugural visits to Berlin and London to be cancelled.

Also Read | India News | Over 200 Universities on Board for CUET-UG, Up from 90 Last Year: UGC.

According to a report in the Israeli news outlet "Haaretz," the cultural activists who signed the letter say Israel is in the most serious crisis in its history and is "on the way from a vibrant democracy to a theocratic dictatorship." Prominent signatories include writer David Grossmann and sculptor Sigalit Landau. Nevertheless, Netanyahu arrived in the German capital on March 16 where he met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Less power for the Supreme Court

The new reform calls for more power for the government and less rule of law controlled by an independent judiciary. Critics accuse Netanyahu and his right-wing religious coalition of weakening the judicial system and thus undermining democracy. The government in Jerusalem, which has been in office since December, wants the reform to strengthen its influence in selecting judges, among other things.

Under the new law, the Supreme Court's powers will be restricted. Authorities justify such a move with claims that judges have interfered in politics. Netanyahu, who is in coalition with ultra-Orthodox and right-wing extremists, is currently facing trial for corruption charges. "The whole state," Keret says, "is hostage to this man who  like Nero or Caligula  considers himself more important than the state."

"This protest movement doesn't need writers to explain the world," Keret said in the interview. "Every liberal democrat understands that a court under the control of the prime minister is a weak court." The same is true, he said, if the government hires a "misogynist, homophobic racist" in the Education Ministry. "My son then learns misogynistic and homophobic attitudes. You don't have to be a genius to understand that. Everybody gets that."

A widespread protest movement

In Keret's observation, the protest movement unites people in Israel, across political divides. "In my whole life, I've never been to demonstrations with so many people with whom I have almost nothing in common," reports Keret. "To my left are hipsters with a joint in their mouth, to my right are high tech entrepreneurs, and behind me are communists. A range of rich and poor, people from the army and conscientious objectors." What they all have in common, he said, is a fear of losing democracy.

Older people in particular took to the streets. There's a reason for that, Keret said, and it's because Israel is a country of immigration. "A large part of the people who came here did so because they watched the democracies they came from collapse." Older people in particular shaped the image of the demonstrations today, he said, "They are the ones who come week after week. In the rain. In the cold. Maybe because they know the price we will pay if these government plans go through."

Religious fundamentalists in the government

The State of Israel, founded in 1948, defines itself as Jewish and democratic, Keret said. "But it's actually a Jewish state that is also democratic as a hobby." Those who talk to members of the religious camp, he said, are told: "Democracy is a temporary phenomenon." Judaism existed before and will exist after democracy, he said. "They don't care about the weakening of democracy, because in the end only God decides anyway."

The interview was conducted by Uri Schneider and this article was translated from German.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 17, 2023 05:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI): The Delhi Police apprehended two persons during an informal visit to the Kamla Nagar Market in Delhi for keeping a sharp-edged cleaver and also seized a stolen bike on which they were riding, said the police on Friday.

"On 16.03.2023, at around 11 AM while on an informal visit to the Kamla Nagar Market, two constables spotted two suspicious looking men both in their twenties rashly driving through Agrasen Cut. They were coming from Spark Mall roundabout side. They were riding on a black and red colour Pulsar 220 CC bike, which was later found stolen", said the police.

Also Read | Maharashtra: Man Booked for Cheating Auto Driver of Rs 9 Lakh on Pretext Providing Job at Mumbai Airport.

The two persons have been identified as Mohammed Imran aka Chand Nawab, 27 years, resident of Chauhan Bangar, New Seelampur, Delhi and Mohammed Hashim aka Lapalap, aged 23, resident of Chauhan Bangar, Zafrabad, Delhi.

The police said, "Constable Shravan recovered a sharp-edged cleaver was recovered from Mohammed Imran's possession, which was pinned down on his belt. And they were brought to Geeta Colony police station and SI Nishant was the officer on emergency duty. He further checked the details and asked to verify the registration details of the bike which was later found stolen."

Also Read | Mumbai Weather Forecast for Weekend: Light Rainfall and Thunderstorms Likely To Lash City on March 18-19; Drop in Temperatures Expected.

According to the police, the two men tried to escape the spot at the sight of the police, which added to the suspicion. Then while turning the bike around, they lost balance and both of them along with the bike fell to the ground.

The two men again got up and started to run towards Spark Mall roundabout but the police too were quick to follow them and nab them both within a distance of about 50 meters.

Further investigations are underway. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, Mar 17 (PTI) Rajapur-based journalist Shashikant Warishe was brutally killed in an accident that was carried out deliberately, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated on Friday.

Also Read | West Bengal Teacher Recruitment Scam: Major Part of Proceeds Invested in Tollywood Industry, ED Tells Court.

Warishe, who had written against a proposed refinery in the coastal Ratnagiri district, was mowed down by an SUV, allegedly driven by a local real estate dealer, last month.

Also Read | NHAI Diverts Traffic on NH 48 in Delhi-NCR to Facilitate Construction of Dwarka Expressway.

In a written response to a question about the incident in the Legislative Council, Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio, said probe was on to ascertain whether it was pre-planned murder.

Journalist Shashikant Warishe was brutally killed in a deliberately orchestrated accident, Fadnavis's reply said.

Warishe had written against the accused which angered him, it added.

A Special Investigation Team headed by an officer of the deputy superintendent rank is probing the case, the deputy CM said.

Warishe (48), a journalist with Mahanagri Times, was mowed down by the SUV allegedly driven by land dealer Pandharinath Amberkar at Rajapur, 440 km from Mumbai, on February 6. He died in hospital the next day.

Opposition targeted the Eknath Shinde-led government over the death, questioning the law and order situation in the state.

(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, Mar 17 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu on Friday spoke to her Nepalese counterpart Ram Chandra Paudel and congratulated him on assuming the top office.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said both presidents noted the unique and multifaceted bilateral relations and discussed ways to further strengthen the strong bonds of friendship between the two countries.

Also Read | PM @narendramodi to Inaugurate the Global #millets Conference at Subramanian Hall, NASC   Latest Tweet by DD News.

President Murmu, who is presently on tour in Kerala, called up Paudel and congratulated him on assuming the office of the President of Nepal, the MEA said.

"Both Presidents noted the unique and multifaceted relations between India and Nepal. They also discussed ways to further advance bilateral cooperation and strengthen the strong bonds of friendship between the peoples of our two countries," the MEA said.

Also Read | Germany: Strikes at 4 airports ground hundreds of flights.

"The President expressed confidence that under the guidance of President Paudel, India-Nepal bilateral relations would reach even greater heights," it said.

Paudel took the oath of office and secrecy as Nepal's third president on March 13.

(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, Mar 17 (PTI) There is an increase in the number of dowry, rape, and attempt to rape complaints received in the National Commission for Women in the last three years, the Union Women and Child Development Ministry said.

Responding to a question in Lok Sabha, WCD Minister Smriti Irani gave data as per which 357 complaints of dowry were received in 2022, 341 in 2021, and 330 in 2020.

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"There is an increase in the number of complaints received/registered in the Commission under categories 'Dowry and Rape/attempt to Rape' during the last three years and current year," Irani said in a written response.

The NCW received 1,710 complaints of rape and attempt to rape in 2022, 1,681 in 2021, and 1,236 in 2020, according to the data.

Also Read | Amruta Fadnavis Bribe Case: Designer Anishka Jaisinghani Accused of Offering Bribe to Maharashtra Deputy CMs Wife Sent to Police Custody Till March 21.

Responding to another question, Irani said as of January this year, 764 Fast Track Special Courts, including 411 exclusive POCSO (e-POCSO) Courts were functional in 28 States/UTs, which have disposed of more than 1,44,000 cases.

More than 1,98,000 cases are still pending in these courts, 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)
Guwahati (Assam) [India], March 17 (ANI): Assam Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu on Friday said that the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) would announce a new date for the Assamese following the leakage and cancellation of the paper.

"Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has advised SEBA to reschedule the Assamese exam also," Pegu said.

Also Read | Liquor Policy Scam Case: Delhi Court Extends AAP Leader Manish Sisodia's ED Custody by Five Days.

Assam CM on Thursday evening informed about the leakage of the paper which was cancelled days after the General Science question paper leak of the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examination.

"It has been brought to my notice that the arrested accused centre incharge of Luhit Khabalu HS School has, during interrogation, confessed to leaking Assamese paper as well. In view of this, I have advised SEBA to reschedule the Assamese exam also," Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted.

Also Read | Delhi Excise Policy Case: Court Extends AAP Leader Manish Sisodias ED Custody Till March 22.

On the other hand, Assam Education Minister Dr Ranoj Pegu said that SEBA has informed him that as advised by the Chief Minister, the examination of all Modern Indian Language (MIL) subjects, including English (IL) of HSLC scheduled for 18 March, will be rescheduled.

"SEBA has informed me that as advised by HCM @CMOfficeAssam, the exam of all MIL subjects, including English (IL) of HSLC scheduled for 18 March, will be rescheduled. The new date will be announced tomorrow," Dr Ranoj Pegu said.

According to Assam police, the alleged mastermind who is the teacher of Luhit Khabalu HS School of Lakhimpur district has been arrested by police.

Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan, IGP (L&O) and Spokesperson of Assam police told ANI that, police have so far arrested 28 persons including students so far in connection with the question paper leakage case.

"We arrested Pranab Dutta, a teacher of Luhit Khabalu HS School last night. So far, 28 persons have been arrested," Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan said.

However, the state police have detained 22 people in connection with the General Science question paper leak in the High School Leaving Certificate (HSLC) examination.

Police detained people from Guwahati, North Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Sadiya, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia.

"Further lawful action as mandated by law is being taken against them. We remain committed to unearthing the network of people involved in the leak of the question paper and the conspirators," said police. (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, Mar 17 (PTI) The situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China is stable but there is a need to keep a very close watch on it, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said on Friday amid the nearly three-year-long border row in eastern Ladakh.

In an interactive session at the India Today Conclave, Gen Pande said the Indian Army has a robust deployment of troops all along the LAC besides having adequate reserves to deal with any contingencies.

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"Overall, I would say that the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is stable but we need to keep a very close watch on the situation as it develops," he said.

"As far as the deployment of forces by the adversary is concerned, there has been no significant reduction in the deployment. There is a great focus on modernization of forces, especially those deployed opposite the LAC," Gen Pande said.

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He said both sides are engaged in talks to resolve the remaining issues in eastern Ladakh.

"Till the time a resolution happens, our deployment of forces, our alertness level will continue to remain of a very high level," General Pande said.

He said the infrastructure development on the "other side is coming about at a very hectic pace, be it the road infrastructure in terms of the highways which run along the LAC, be it the upgrading of airfields and heliports".

Gen Pande said these are some major developments which need to be taken note of specially in the context of the adversary's ability to mobilise troops.

"As far as what we are doing, I think we have a robust deployment all along the LAC and all three sectors. I must mention that we have adequate reserves to deal with any contingencies," he said.

"With the infusion of new technology and new weapon systems, our capability development is an ongoing endeavour. Equally we are focussing on infrastructure development, especially forward area roads, and helipads etc," he said.

He said the Indian Army's preparedness levels are high.

"From the winter months, now we are transiting into the summer months and we have undertaken minor changes as you would do as summer posture," Gen Pande added.

Asked about the lessons learnt from the Russia-Ukraine war, he said land-centric warfare will remain a decisive domain, especially in India's case where it has contested land borders.

The notion of victory will remain land centric in our context, he said.

On the Agnipath recruitment scheme, the Army Chief said it is a win-win policy not just for the military but for the society and country at large.

Calling Agnipath a transformational reform, Gen Pande acknowledged that getting the implementation right is key. Issues like training the recruits in a short frame of time is critical.

"The initial feedback that I get from the regimental sectors, the youth that have come up are very enthusiastic and energetic. So I think that's a very good sign," he said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kolkata, Mar 17 (PTI) Trinamool Congress will go its own way, maintaining distance from both the Congress and BJP, senior Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said here Friday after a meeting of party leaders.

He, however, said the party was not "talking of a third front at the moment", while warning that the Congress should not believe it was the big boss of the opposition.

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Following the meeting at TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's residence, Bandopadhyay said that in the coming days, the party would hold deliberations with "powerful regional parties" to formulate a strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

"We will go our own way, maintain distance from the Congress and the BJP. We are not talking about forming any third front at the moment... The Congress should not feel that it is the big boss of the opposition front," he told reporters here.

Also Read | Amruta Fadnavis Bribe Case: Designer Anishka Jaisinghani Accused of Offering Bribe to Maharashtra Deputy CMs Wife Sent to Police Custody Till March 21.

Mamata Banerjee will meet powerful regional parties to fight the BJP," Bandopadhyay said.

He said that both in panchayat polls slated for this year and in the Lok Sabha elections scheduled next year, the party would prove to the country how it can single-handedly stop the BJP in West Bengal.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], March 17 (ANI): Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and DoNER, G Kishan Reddy has written a letter to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao urging him to ensure that the pending land acquisition of national highway projects worth Rs 32,383 crore in the state is expedited.

In his letter to the Chief Minister, G Kishan Reddy stated that to complete the required land acquisition for the 11 national highway projects of 750 km length, about 4,332 hectares of land is required at an estimated cost of Rs 32,383 crore. However, only 284 hectares have been handed over to the NHAI by the state government.

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"I have written a letter to KCR asking him to take measures to provide the rest of the land on time and to cooperate in completing the projects on schedule," tweeted G Kishan Reddy, in Telugu, releasing the letter and the details of the projects that were currently awaiting land acquisition to be complete.

The projects that have come to a halt because of land acquisition which includes the 158-km northern part of the Hyderabad Regional Ring Road for a cost of Rs 13,163.18 crore. The NH163G of the Nagpur Vijayawada Corridor, with approximately 275 km in Telangana, has also been a big casualty as a result. This included the four-laning of 108-km stretch of the Warangal-Khammam section of NH163 G for Rs 3,397.01 crore, the four-laning of the 109-km stretch of the Mancherial-Warangal section of NH163 G for Rs. 3,441 crore and 61 km of four-laning working in the Khammam-Vijayawada section that falls in Telangana for a cost Rs. 3,007 crore.

Also Read | New Zealand bans TikTok from lawmakers phones.

In his letter G. Kishan Reddy also highlighted the work done by the Narendra Modi government in building a modern national highway road network. "In the time from Independence till 2014, the Telangana region had a total of 2,500 km of national highways. Since 2014, another 2,500 during were constructed in the last eight and a half years since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister," he wrote. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Maputo  The Mozambican government and the World Bank on Friday signed in Maputo an agreement that formalises a grant of around 400 million US dollars to support the rehabilitation of 508 kilometres of the country's main north-south highway (EN1).

The agreement was signed by the World Bank Regional Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, Victoria Kwakwa, and the Mozambican Minister of Economy and Finance, Max Tonela.

The project aims to improve the connectivity, safety and climate resilience of the road system, and develop social inclusion, in addition to making roads safe for better economic integration in Mozambique.

According to the Public Works Minister, Carlos Mesquita, who witnessed the ceremony, the section of EN1 in worst condition is about 1,050 kilometres long, out of a total length of 2,600 kilometres.

"The project will last 10 years, with two years of construction and eight years of maintenance. According to the identification of critical sections registered along the entire length of the N1, each section has its respective cost and duration', the minister said.

In phase 1, the intervention will focus on 508 kilometres, of the 1,050 kilometres regarded as critical. This includes the stretches Inchope-Gorongosa, in the central province of Sofala, Chimuara-Nicoadala (in Zambezia) and Metoro-Pemba (in Cabo Delgado).

"After finishing phase 1, phase 2 will immediately follow, which includes the Lurio river-Metoro section (Cabo Delgado); the stretch from the Save river to Muchungwe and Muchungwe to Inchope (both in Sofala). Phase 3, includes the Pambara to Save river section (in Inhambane province)', he said.

For her part, Kwakwa stated that the programme is aimed at rehabilitating critical stretches to speed up the connectivity between Mozambican provinces, from the north to the south.

Over the next ten years, the World Bank, according to Kwakwa, will inject about 850 million dollars to finance the rehabilitation of the 1,053-kilometer stretch of the N1, as a way to support the government's vision.

"Ultimately, it's about the benefits that provide aid to the people of Mozambique, and the N1 will promote economic activity, as well as the inclusion of the many who depend on it. But we also know that with climate change we have to build better, ensuring resilience to the next disasters that are sure to come', she said.
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 17 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday paid tribute to former Chief Minister Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna on his death anniversary. He also offered flowers on the statue of the freedom fighter installed at Yojna Bhawan in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow.

Addressing the people, CM Yogi Adityanath said, "Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna had to resign from his position as Chief Minister due to disagreements when the Congress attempted to strangle democracy in this country, but Bahuguna ji never gave up on his values and ideals."

Also Read | Who Is Kiran Patel? Know All About Gujarat Conman Who Posed as Top PMO Official, Received Z-Plus Security in Jammu and Kashmir.

Yogi said that the late Bahuguna was born in the present-day Pauri district of Uttarakhand.

He added, "After receiving his childhood education in the village, he came to Prayagraj for further studies. During his higher education, he became a part of the national freedom movement. He actively took part in various movements, including the Quit India movement. He gave his able and brilliant leadership as the state's Chief Minister while associating with many social, and political activities in independent India."

Also Read | Labour Pain: Scientists Develop New Imaging Tool Called Electromyometrial Imaging to Study Uterine Contractions During Labour.

Deputy Chief Ministers of the state Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya, Finance Minister Suresh Khanna, and Chief Secretary Durgashankar Mishra remained present. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chennai, Mar 17 (PTI) President and managing director of auto-major Volvo Group India Kamal Bali was on Friday elected chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry, Southern Region for the period 2023-24.

Managing director of Tamil Nadu based Chandra Textiles Pvt Ltd R Nandini was elected deputy chairperson.

Also Read | Shares of Eight Adani Group Firms Settle With Gains; Adani Enterprises Rallies Over 5%.

Bali, a member of the CII National council, earlier served CII Southern Region as its deputy chairman and was the past chairman of CII Karnataka in 2017-18, a press release said.

He also headed the CII Southern Region manufacturing sub-committee as its chairman.

Also Read | India's Exports Dip 8.8% to USD 33.88 Billion in February 2023.

Nandini, an active member of the CII, was the co-chairperson of CII National Council Task Force on rural development and migrant workforce.

She is also the past chairperson of the education sub-committee in 2022-23 and past chairperson of CII Tamil Nadu in 2010-11, the release said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Rawalpindi, March 17: The global air transport body has warned of an 'aviation crisis' in Pakistan as airlines are struggling to recover USD 290 million due to a severe financial crisis, Dawn reported quoting the Financial Times on Thursday.

Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) has said it was trying to pay the airlines on time and has been in contact with relevant authorities over the issue. Pakistan Economic Crisis Deepens: Industries Bracing for Cut in Production, Layoffs.

The Financial Times, while quoting the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it has become "very challenging" for carriers to serve Pakistan as they struggle to repatriate their dues which are paid in dollars, Dawn reported. Pakistan Economic Crisis: Chinese Bank To Refinance USD 500 Million Loan for the Cash-Strapped Country.

The IATA, which represents some 300 airlines comprising 83 per cent of global air traffic, said USD 290 million were stuck in Pakistan as of January, which increased by almost a third since December.

"Airlines are facing long delays before they are able to repatriate their funds," Philip Goh, the IATA's Asia-Pacific head, was quoted as saying by FT. "Some airlines still have funds stuck in Pakistan from sales in 2022." Outstanding dues reached USD 290 Million, Dawn wrote citing a Financial Times report.

"If conditions persist that make the economics of operation to a country unsustainable, one would expect airlines to put their valued aircraft assets to better use elsewhere," Goh added.

While talking to Dawn, PCAA DG Khaqan Murtaza confirmed airlines were facing some delays in the repatriation of their payments but added that the authority was in contact with the State Bank and the finance minister for timely payments to the airlines.

In December 2022, the global aviation body said Pakistan has blocked USD 225m it owed to international airlines, making it one of the top markets where airline funds have been blocked from repatriation, according to Dawn.

The development coincided with Pakistan's balance of payment crisis with fast-depleting foreign exchange reserves, standing at a low mark of USD 4.3 billion.

The ongoing crisis has also hit the aviation industry where airlines sell tickets in local currency but repatriate dollars to pay for expenses such as fuel costs.

The FT, citing data from an aviation analytics company Cirium, shared that foreign airlines have been reluctant to return to Pakistan, with fewer total flights scheduled for March 2023 than the same month in 2019.

"If you can't take money out of a country, then there's no point in you even going there," said Mark Martin, chief executive of aviation consultancy Martin Consulting, in the FT report. Last month, Virgin Atlantic announced the suspension of its operations in Pakistan.

Although the airline said that the decision was part of its plan to revamp operations, the FT, citing a person familiar with the matter, said the decision was based on the economics of the route.

Earlier this month, the Senate Standing Committee on Aviation recommended the aviation ministry meet with the airline heads and 'dispel the negative opinion about Pakistan' and convince them to resume operations as usual.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Berlin, Mar 17 (AP) German police detained 42 people as part of a crackdown on gangs suspected of blowing up cash machines, authorities said on Friday.

Incidents in which thieves blow up ATMs and then make off with the cash, usually during the night, have become increasingly common in Germany in recent years.

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There were a record 496 cases last year, a 27 per cent increase over 2021, according to the Interior Ministry.

Over the past three days, police in seven of Germany's 16 states conducted searches on more than 5,300 vehicles and 8,000 people, the ministry said in a statement. It said 42 people were detained, but didn't specify what they are accused of.

Also Read | Chinese President Xi Jinping to Visit Russia on March 20 for Talks With Vladimir Putin.

The aim was to raise the pressure on perpetrators active across regional and international borders, the ministry said.

Anyone who blows up cash machines risks the life of people who aren't involved," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said.

She added that further incidents can be foiled only by effective and wide-ranging preventative measures, including increased video surveillance, systems that dye stolen banknotes and reducing cash stocks at individual sites.

In many cases, cash machines in bank foyers are now closed to customers overnight. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dubai, Mar 17 (PTI)In a bid to intensify a sustainable and healthy food chain in the Middle East, leading processed food producer IFFCO Group on Friday opened the region's first 100 per cent plant based meat factory here.

Located in Dubai Industrial City, the THRYVE factory will provide nourishing, sustainable and healthy local plant-based meat products inspired by the unique flavours of Middle Eastern cuisine.

Also Read | ICC Issues Arrest Warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin Says 'Meaningless'.

Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said the 100 per cent plant-based meat factory supports the UAE's Food Security Strategy and our mandate to mitigate the impact of climate change.

The opening of this innovative new facility also supports our efforts to protect the country's ecosystems and enhance its food and water security and diversify our food sources, she said, adding that the new factory represents a significant contribution to sustainability in the food supply chain.

Also Read | Pakistan Economic Crisis: Cash-strapped Country Struggling to Pay International Airlines.

Hadi Badri, CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation at Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism said: It contributes to Dubai's economic diversification journey in line with the goal of the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 to consolidate the emirate's status as one of the top three global cities.

The THRYVE plant-based venture, developed using cutting-edge food technology, contributes to at least three UN SDG's: good health and well-being, responsible consumption and production, and climate action.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
By Ayushi Agarwal

New Delhi [India], March 17 (ANI): Iranian Ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi in a press briefing here said that the resumption of the diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia mediated by China should not be a concern for India, adding that this step could benefit India since it helps intensify stability and peace in the Persian Gulf region.

Also Read | How electric vehicles are driving Indias green transition.

"The resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran whether the mediation has been done by China or India or any other would be to the benefit of India. Since it helps and intensifies the stability and peace in the region and security in the Persian Gulf region", said the Iranian Envoy.

Saudi Arabia is a leading country in the Sunni world. Iran is a leading country in Shia world. So, it will effect the region positively. In the comings months , the embassies will be open and relations between two countries will be restarted and it will help different crisis in the region.

Also Read | Indian-Origin Serial Rapist Balesh Dhankhar Accused of Drugging, Raping and Recording Sex Videos of Korean Women After Luring Them With Fake Job Ads, Faces Trial in Australia.

"It (diplomactic ties between Iran-Saudi) would be to the benefit of India despite it has been done by the mediation of China. I think it is not a concern for India. China is a power in the world now competing with the US and no one can deny the power and position of China. India is a rising power. So, this resumption could be to the benefit of India", he added.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are two pillars of Islamic world. Two powers in the west of Asia. "There are different commonalities between two countries. Of course there are differences between their political approaches. The main point is that Iran should accept Saudi Arabia as it is and Saudi Arabia should except Iran as it is. We look at Saudi Arabia and other nations respectfully. Not to interfere in their internal issue is a basic principle in our foreign policy," he added.

Earlier, Iran and Saudi Arabia signed a China-brokered agreement to restore diplomatic relations, ending a seven-year dispute. "The three countries expressed their keenness to exert all efforts towards enhancing regional and international peace and security," according to a statement signed by senior representatives from China, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

On Thursday, in a response by India on its reaction to the China-brokered reconciliation agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, it said that New Delhi had always been in favour of "dialogue and diplomacy".

In the first official response, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that it had "seen reports" about the agreement. "India has good relations with various countries in West Asia and we have an abiding interest in the region. India has always advocated dialogue and diplomacy to resolve differences," he said at the weekly media briefing on Thursday. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Balochistan [Pakistan], March 17 (ANI): In Pakistan, Sectarian and ethnic violence has become a regular affair and is on a constant rise as security forces recovered arms and ammunition in the Chaman district of Balochistan, according to Geo News.

In an intelligence-based operation in Chaman, Balochistan, security personnel recently found a sizable cache of weapons and ammunition, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Thursday.

Also Read | Greater Quantities of Fentanyl Directly Enter the United States and Canada Than Mexico,   Latest Tweet by Reuters.

The operation to find the terrorists' hideout was carried out on the Boghra Road in Chaman in search of a suspected hideout of terrorists.

The "latest fire events on law enforcement personnel and civilians in the Chaman area, in addition to the placement of improvised explosive devices in adjacent areas," were carried out by the terrorists, Geo News reported.

Also Read | Bird Flu Outbreak: Whats the Risk That Spread of H5N1 Avian Influenza in US and Worldwide Could Start a Human Pandemic? Four Key Questions Answered Here.

Moreover, numerous improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other accessories were recovered from the region, which highlighted the rise of terrorism in the area.

Balochistan has been under a grip of racial, religious, militant, and separatist violence that is supported by a variety of organisations, making the situation in the region quite unpredictable, Geo News reported.

The situation has further gone worse due to the rise of outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) across Pakistan. With TTP on the rise, the number of terror attacks has increased manifold.

TTP has killed an estimated 83,000; mostly innocent people since 2006, pushed them out of their homes and stalled development that they oppose anyway to retain their hold, reported International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS).

In Pakistan, the ongoing political game involving the political class, the military and the judiciary, has ignored the public suffering on numerous counts. On top of the murky heap is violence by the country's largest and most violent militant group TTP.

The TTP, a Pakistani offshoot and close ally of the Afghan Taliban, is listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations.

According to UN estimates, it has between 4,000 to 6,500 fighters in Afghanistan. Its spread is beyond the tribal belt, to Pakistani cities.

Pakistan's sectarian violence demonstrates the growing hold of extremists as sectarianism is seeping through the sections of society previously untouched by religious fundamentalism, reported Global Strat View. (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, March 17 : iQOO is all set to launch its new smartphone, iQOO Z7 5G, in India on March 21, and the company on Friday confirmed that the smartphone will be powered by 'MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G' processor. Starting at Rs 17,499, the iQOO Z7 5G will be available for purchase on Amazon.in and the iQOO e-store, the company said in a statement. Moto G73 5G Launched in India With Impressive Specs and Features and Affordable Pricing; Checkout Key Details Here.

It will come in two colour options -- Norway Blue and Pacific Night. "The smartphone is equipped with exceptional features such as India's first 64MP OIS Ultra-Stable Camera in the segment," it added. Microsoft Launches AI-Powered Copilot for 365 Apps, To Make the Users Life a Breeze.

It also provides 44W FlashCharge, Ultra Game Mode, in-display fingerprint and an "Ultra Bright" AMOLED display with a screen brightness of 1300 nits. The new smartphone has also surpassed benchmarks with the "Highest AnTuTu score" of more than 4,85,000.

"In addition, the company is providing three years of monthly security updates and two years of Android updates for the iQOO Z7. The phone will have Funtouch OS 13 based on Android 13 out of the box," the smartphone maker said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 17, 2023 06:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Beijing, March 17: Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Russia on Monday to hold crucial talks with his counterpart Vladimir Putin, the foreign ministry here announced on Friday, amid reports that Beijing plans to initiate peace talks to end the raging conflict in Ukraine.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying in a brief announcement said, "at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation, President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia from March 20 to 22. No other details were given.

This will be Xi's first overseas trip after getting endorsed for an unprecedented third five-year term as the President and head of the military early this month by the National People's Congress (NPC).

According to a Kremlin statement, the two leaders will discuss "pressing issues related to the future of relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China."

The parties are also expected to exchange views on ways to enhance Russian-Chinese cooperation on the international stage. In addition, the Kremlin press service specified that "a number of important bilateral documents will be signed" during the Chinese leader's visit, Russia's state-run Tass news agency reported on Friday.

Xi, 69, was elected as the head of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) for an unprecedented third term in October last year, the only leader to have more than two five-year terms after the party founder Mao Zedong.

Speculation is rife that Xi, a close friend of Putin for the past 10 years, is likely to make an attempt to initiate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. He is also expected to talk to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the phone.

Xi's visit comes days after China clinched a Saudi-Iran deal, regarded as a diplomatic coup, to end the hostilities between the two countries and restore diplomatic their ties.

The deal was regarded as a major achievement for China in expanding its global outreach and countering the US influence, especially in the Middle East.

The visit also comes at a time when there seems no near end to the war in Ukraine which surpassed one year earlier last month.

Western officials have also raised concerns that China may be considering providing Russia with lethal military assistance, an accusation denied by Beijing. China reiterated its call for a political settlement to the Ukraine conflict on the one-year anniversary last month.

In a newly released document, China's Foreign Ministry called for a resumption of peace talks, an end to unilateral sanctions, and stressed its opposition to the use of nuclear weapons, a stance Chinese leader Xi communicated to Western leaders last year.

The 12-point document is part of Beijing's latest efforts to present itself as a neutral peace broker, as it struggles to balance its "no-limits" relationship with Moscow amid fraying relations with the West as the war drags on.

"Conflict and war benefit no one. All parties must stay rational and exercise restraint, avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from deteriorating further or even spiraling out of control," it said.
Associated Press

Along large swaths of Californias lush central valley, almonds in their fuzzy hulls blow in the wind on thousands of acres of orchards. Thousands of miles away in India, customers browse the nut sections of busy street markets and grocery stores in search of the best almonds to use in curry dishes, health drinks, ice cream and many other recipes.

Now the future of that market is uncertain. This month, India imposed tariffs on almonds and 27 other U.S. products, including apples and walnuts, in retaliation for the United States ending Indias preferential trade status. Those tariffs, which took effect June 16, come on top of significant tariffs China placed on almonds last year.

We can deal with market disruption in one country, but to have it in multiple countries is a real challenge, said David Phippen, a partner of Travaille & Phippen Inc., a farm and processing company in Manteca, northwest of Modesto.

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California supplies 82% of the worlds almonds and has almost 7,000 growers. The Almond Board of California estimates the industry generates about 104,000 jobs in the state, and the effect of the tariffs might ripple outward. India is such an important market that the almond board, whose members engage in market research and promotion overseas, has an office in New Delhi with a $6-million annual advertising budget.

The tariffs add about 12 cents a pound for shelled almonds, a 20% increase, and about 4 cents a pound for those still in their shells, a rise of 17%.

That doesnt sound like a large number, but India was an important alternative to exports that wouldve gone into China, said Julie Adams, president of the Almond Board of California. Its difficult to know what the long-term effect of [the tariffs] will be.

The hit from Chinas tariffs was much harder: That country imposed 50% tariffs on U.S. almonds in an escalating trade war. Exports to China decreased by about one-third, according to the almond board.

Bhupesh Gupta, a grocery store owner in New Delhi, believes higher prices will cut into sales. Although India is one of the worlds largest consumer markets, it also has huge income disparities; and hundreds of millions of its people live in poverty. Even a small increase in cost could have a large ripple effect on what people buy.

Still, other sellers say Indians are so passionate about almonds that they will figure out a way to deal with price hikes.

Anyone who needs almonds will buy no matter what the price, Delhi grocer Virender Kaneja said.

For California farmers, most immediately the tariffs mean planning difficulties as the harvest season approaches. For example, some may need to take on more of the shipping costs to make up for the increased prices, which will be negotiated in the contracts. The handlers then may absorb the increased costs or force growers to accept less for their crops.

To cope, growers may cut down on spending on equipment and fertilizer, perhaps making the choice to forgo replacing a tractor or other big-ticket item. If the Indian tariffs slow the flow of inventory, as happened after the Chinese tariffs, the capacity of storage facilities may be stretched.

From a grower perspective, were along for the ride, said Jake Wenger, whose family has grown almonds on Wenger Ranch in Modesto for four generations.

Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo is in India this week, meeting with officials as tensions between the two countries grow over trade and tariffs. The trip is focused on Iran, but California Rep. Josh Harder (D-Turlock) has asked Pompeo to raise the almond tariff issue.

Some growers worry that if California almonds get too expensive, buyers will look elsewhere.

They can buy other nuts or seeds, or if theyre preparing a nut mix, they can lower the amount of almonds in that mix, Phippen said.

Countries may also turn to other producers, such as Australia, whose free-trade agreement with China enables it to replace U.S. almonds that now carry tariffs.

Ultimately, the almond industry will need to make inroads in other markets, which is no small task.

It takes so long for us to build relationships to market our products, said Sara Neagu-Reed, associate director of the California Farm Bureau Federations federal policy division.

Still, no one is panicking yet. Californias annual export of almonds to India is valued at about $650 million, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department and the California Department of Food and Agriculture, but the state tallied $4.5 billion in foreign sales in 2017. The USDA valued U.S. almond exports to China and Hong Kong at about $549 million in 2017-18.

In just over a month, the nuts will be harvested and trucked to hulling facilities for processing.

Its pretty amazing and gives you pride as a grower when you think about something thats making its way all over the world, Wegner said.

In recent years, drought has been the biggest challenge for almond growers, and farmers noted that they have become accustomed to market fluctuations and cite the strong, worldwide demand for almonds as reason for optimism.

The almonds at Wenger Ranch are part of this years record-high crop of 2.5 billion pounds, up from about 2.3 billion pounds last year. Most of those almonds are already committed to contracts, so Wenger isnt worried for now. Its the future thats in the air.

We cant do this every year, he said. Long term, there has to be a solution to settle this.
The combined armed forces of UPDF and Congolese FARDC have killed one of the most wanted and top Allied Democratic Forces(ADF) commander, Elias Ssegujja.

Ssegujja, also known as Fezza, Feeza and Mulalo was killed during clashes with the joint forces that are part of Operation Shuja in the eastern part of DRC .

We have been hunting these groups because they are small and so you bump into one and exchange fire and if you are lucky, you get a big catch like this Ssegujja. That is well and good," the UPDF spokesperson, Brig Felix Kulayigye said of the development.

The Ugandan army spokesperson described Ssegujja as a big fish in the ranks of the ADF rebel group which has since been designated as a terrorist outfit.

"He has spent many years in the ADF and has since been among the three top most commanders of the group. He was killed together with three others. We shall not relent on hitting them."

According to Colonel Mak Hazukay, the spokesperson for Operation Shuja,Ssegujja was killed during clashes in Mwalika valley in the Rwenzori sector in North Kivu.

He noted that at the time of his death, the deceased was the head of the political wing of the ADF, commander of the Southern sector under which Mwalika where he was killed falls but also the third highest ranking commander of the group which the Islamic State group claims as its central African affiliate.

Whereas Ssegujja was killed late last month, it took long for the two armies to confirm his identity and according to sources, it took one of the former bodyguards to the ADF commander who had earlier been captured to identify and confirm his identity.

Born in Uganda, Ssegujja has been one of the ADF's original members and has since risen through the ranks at the terrorist outfit to become the third tom most commander by the time of his death.

The recent death and capture of a number of senior ADF commanders has seen Sseguja rise in ranks and position to fill the vacuum left behind.

As a field commander, he has been accused of leading multiple deadly attacks against civilian populations, commanding a mobile camp, burning United Nations armored vehicles, caning uncooperative civilians, and killing civilians suspected of aiding the DRC army.

For example, at some time he led a mobile camp in the Mayangosie forest along the Kasindi-Beni highway where he was charged with creating insecurity to drive away civilians and the Congolese army when the ADF needed to transit between its southern camps and those in Eringeti.

In 2013 he is accused of leading an attack against a group of FARDC soldiers who were escorting civilians along the Kamango road and under his command, the ADF killed a number fo soldiers and civilians, most of whom were beheaded whereas the UN vehicles in which they were travelling were torched.

Ssegujja had also previously served as the chief of combat and operations but also worked with the artillery before becoming a commander.

About ADF

The ADF was formed out of remnants of the National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (NALU) and Jamilu Mukulu was the group's founding leader until a few years ago when he was captured by the Tanzanian forces and repatriated back to Uganda where he is currently facing charges related to terrorism.

They operate in North Kivu which borders other provinces including Ituri to the north and South Kivu to the South and has been a battle ground for a number of rival armed ethnic groups since 1998.

The province consists of three cities including; Goma, Butembo and Beni as well as six territories--Beni, Lubero, Masisi, Rutshuru.

According to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, the ADF which was designated as a terrorist group by the US government, has used the name Madina at Tauheed Wau Mujahedeen (City of Monotheism and Holy Warriors--MTM) to refer to emphasize its links to the Islamic State.

In 2019, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for an ADF attack and first referenced a "Central Africa Province."

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The Islamic State group has in the past claimed that ADF is its Central African offshoot .

The organization is led by Musa Baluku, who served as a senior ADF Islamic legal official before consolidating power following Mukulu's 2015 arrest.

ADF has been blamed for several attacks on villages where many have been killed , others abducted as well as planting bombs that have killed many.

The group was also blamed for the twin blasts in Kampala in November last year at the Central Police Station and along Parliamentary Avenue in Kampala that led to death of several people whereas others were left injured.

Whereas it was hoped that Baluku had been killed in the November 30 air and artillery strikes by the UPDF and FADRC, no evidence has confirmed this.

However, nothing has ever been heard about Baluku's whereabouts following the launch of the attacks by the UPDF.
Elon Musk's Starlink wireless internet service now provides internet to some of Brazil's most remote locations, even inside the Amazon rainforest. However, Brazilian federal agents recently found that criminal groups use this to their advantage.

The Brazilian government on Tuesday sent three helicopters full of federal agents to raid an illegal mining site in the Amazon rainforest.

However, the illegal miners were ready. According to the Associated Press, they met the helicopters with gunfire and escaped into the jungle.

The illegal miners did leave behind some of their equipment and weapons. Among them are several units from Musk's Starlink internet service, which connects people from the remotest parts of the Amazon to the world wide web.

READ NEXT: Brazil Riot: Pro-Jair Bolsonaro Rioters Plotted Insurrection Openly Online

How Illegal Miners in Brazil Use Elon Musk's Starlink for Criminal Activities

While Starlink's internet service has proved to be useful in Ukraine, as Ukrainians use the internet to help find Russian positions, Brazilian criminals use the service for more nefarious reasons.

Illegal miners reportedly use the strong internet connections provided by the SpaceX subsidiary for coordinating logistics, receiving advance warnings for law enforcement raids, and making payments without flying back to the city.

According to Fortune Magazine, the raid was conducted in an illegal mining area known as Ouro Mil, controlled by an infamous criminal organization, the First Command of the Capital.

While the miners left a terminal behind, authorities noted that they could have also taken an unspecified number of these terminals as they fled the scene.

These illegal mining operations usually send their own technician by plane to install a heavy, fixed antenna that cannot be carried off. That means that their lines of communication through the internet were cut after the mines were raided.

However, Starlink's introduction in Brazil solved these problems as the devices are portable and can connect to the internet almost anywhere in the country.

Nevertheless, the service has proven useful to many people living in the Amazon, though it has been making law enforcement a little bit harder.

According to Gizmodo, these terminals were proposed by Elon Musk last year before meeting with then-President Jair Bolsonaro, who proudly announced that Musk was bringing Starlink terminals to Amazon.

Musk promised that this would connect schools to the internet and "monitor illegal logging across the rainforest."

What Authorities in Brazil Found in the Illegal Mining Camp

The Ouro Mil mining raid was still a big find for Brazilian authorities, as they seized around "21 ounces of mercury, .5 ounces of gold, 508 ammunition cartridges," as well as personal documents.

The Brazilian government also claimed to have destroyed "848 gallons of fuel, four mining barges, 12 generators, 23 camping and storage units, and seven outboard motors."

This is all part of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's plans to crack down on environmental violations all over the Amazon.

Environmental crimes increased during the time of Jair Bolsonaro. Deforestation increased due to human encroachment in the largest rainforest system on Earth.

READ MORE: Joe Biden and Lula Swap Insurrection Stories

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Starlink in Brazil, and... - From TTN Clips
In Los Angeles, various SNAP benefits scams have become a common case of reporting in February, with some beneficiaries noting that their food stamp money has vanished despite never using their Electronic Benefits Transfer card or EBT card.

Los Angeles County officials estimated that more than $19.6 million in EBT benefits were stolen in 2022, which was more than a 20-fold increase from the previous year, as reported by Los Angeles Times.

L.A. County Deputy Dist. Atty. Alex Karkanen said that people are "hemorrhaging money," adding that scams got to be stopped.

A spokesperson for the California Department of Social Services, Jason Montiel, said that the agency is considering the use of cards with chips, but did not provide a specific timeline at the time.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently issued a warning on March 9, urging beneficiaries to be cautious of an EBT scam claiming in a text that their EBT cards are blocked.

READ NEXT: SNAP Benefits Update: Are You a Victim of SNAP Scam? There's a Chance You Could Get Your Money Back!

EBT Card Blocked

The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services also issued a warning on Thursday on a possible SNAP benefits scam targeting beneficiaries, with victims receiving text messages claiming that their EBT cards have been blocked and will be prompted to provide their EBT card information.

FOX 43 reported that acting DHS Secretary Val Arkoosh noted that people who are not SNAP beneficiaries have also been targeted.

Arkoosh said in a press release that people receiving a suspicious text or call asking for personal information should inform the DHS fraud tip line immediately.

The acting DHS secretary went on to say that the agency will never ask recipients in Pennsylvania information about their EBT card, SNAP benefits, Medicaid, or any other public assistance programs they are receiving through unsolicited or random calls or texts.

Arkoosh said that the DHS uses the number 1-833-648-1964 when sending informational messages to people who receive SNAP, Medicaid, or other benefits.

SNAP Benefits Scam

Arkoosh said that some examples of DHS's legitimate texts are like this: "Is your contact information up to date with DHS? Don't miss important info about your benefits. Update your information at dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS."

Mostly, the messages are about renewals and updates about the mailed renewal packet, according to Local 21 News.

Recipients can take certain steps to avoid SNAP Benefits scams such as contacting their respective state SNAP offices immediately if they have fallen victim to food stamps theft, as detailed by Forbes.

There are states that allow SNAP beneficiaries to cancel their cards and request new ones online.

Some recipients can also ask for a reimbursement depending on where they live.

In California, SNAP beneficiaries can be reimbursed for their stolen benefits. However, it might take a long time.

It is also advisable to have your PINs changed often. Ideally, it should be done each month before your issuance date.

SNAP benefits recipients can contact their state's SNAP office to change their EBT cards' PINs.

READ MORE: SNAP Benefits Update: USDA Warns of Scammers Using EBT Card Skimming to Steal Your Money

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Card skimming scams target EBT-card users - from KING 5 Seattle


Donald Trump is already facing a litany of investigations. Now, federal investigators are looking into his social media company Truth Social for a possible money laundering scheme. All this is happening while Trump Media laid off employees due to a possible merger.

According to Bloomberg, Truth Social, which is owned by the Trump Media & Technology Group, laid off around half a dozen people, including senior members of its staff. This includes Chief Technology Officer William "BJ" Lawson.

Trump Media and Truth Social Awaiting Merger Approval

The company is facing financial problems, and a merger with the Digital World SPAC is offering a big financial lifeline to the embattled company. However, it is still awaiting regulatory approval for this to happen.

Trump launched Truth Social last year after he was banned from both Facebook and Twitter following the January 6 Capitol insurrection. It promised to offer more "freedom of speech" to users, though has since only served as a propaganda mouthpiece as it continuously flailed in trying to get people to sign up.

According to the Business Insider, Trump Media has stated that the company wanted to "even the playing field in the media and tech industry by creating platforms where people can share content without fear of reputational ruin."

READ MORE: Donald Trump Thrown Under the Bus by Lindsey Graham?

With the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reviewing the deal, Trump Media's general counsel sent a letter asking Congress to investigate the government regulator, claiming that the "endless investigation of the DWAC-TMTG merger constitutes an unprecedented attempt to kill the deal without any finding of wrongdoing."

At current spending levels, Trump Media could reportedly fund itself until September this year.

Concern About Trump Media and Money Laundering

The SEC is examining the social media company whether it violated money laundering statutes in connection with the acceptance of $8 million from sources with suspected Russian ties. The investigation over this started with its potential merger with a blank check company called Digital World.

The investigations were launched last year, and federal prosecutors are examining whether those loans, which came from two obscure entities that both appear to be controlled in part by the relation of an ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, were part of a money laundering scheme.

This investigation threatens to delay the merger, which was why the company's lawyers wanted to have the SEC investigated. The Guardian noted that it is still unclear how much exposure Trump Media executives had to money laundering and that prosecutors are required "to show that defendants knew the money was the proceeds of some form of unlawful activity and the transaction was designed to conceal its source."

The company was really struggling and needed a big loan to keep itself afloat. This was when DWAC's chief executive Patrick Orlando sent a $2 million load wired from Paxum Bank registered in Dominica, according to a wire transfer receipt reviewed by the Guardian.

The true identity of the lenders was not revealed by Orland, but Paxum Bank was identified as the beneficial owner. The U.S. attorney's office for the southern district of New York is now examining the Russian connection, as the owner of Paxum Bank is Anton Postolnikov, who appears to be a relation of Putin ally Aleksandr Smirnov.

READ NEXT: Ex-Donald Trump Lawyer Jenna Ellis Admits to Lying in 2020 Election Fraud Claims

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Donald Trump SPAC COMPLETELY CRASHES - MeidasTouch
The wives of Chicago drug lords - the Flores twins - who cooperated against Sinaloa cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera are planning to enter a guilty plea to money laundering charges filed against them.

Vivianna Lopez and Valerie Gaytan, the wives of drug traffickers Pedro and Margarito Flores, are accused of laundering millions of their husbands' drug proceeds.

According to ABC 7 Chicago, the wives of the Flores twins were accused of collecting, hiding, and spending the ill-gotten gains of their husbands, who made a lot of money being the top lieutenants to El Chapo's drug empire.

The Flores twins have served their 14-year sentence for being the Sinaloa Cartel connect in Chicago and other cities. They are currently in witness protection. Lopez and Gaytan were indicted last year in Chicago on federal money-laundering charges.

Attorneys representing the wives of the Flores twins told U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly on Thursday that the two women are planning to plead guilty to the charges against them, and they will make it official at next month's hearings.

READ NEXT: El Chapo Trial: Sinaloa Cartel Boss' Life Sentence Upheld by U.S. Appeals Court

Chicago Flores Twins' Wives Request Denied

Last November, Judge Matthew Kennelly denied the request of Vivianna Lopez and Valerie Gaytan to dismiss the money laundering charges against them.

The wives of the Flores twins argued that the prosecutors had assured them that their husbands' cooperation in apprehending El Chapo meant that they would not face any charges for their own actions.

But in his ruling, Kennelly said there was no evidence of an immunity agreement in writing for the Flores twin's wives.

The judge noted that there was also no indication of any "meeting of the minds" about a formal agreement, and clearly, nothing was obtained in writing.

Kennelly added that the Flores twins' plea agreement did not mention any immunity, and it was clear that no other promises were made.

The judge said the jail calls made by prosecutors at the hearing were a "pretty strong indication" that "immunity had not been obtained."

Lopez's lawyers had maintained that prosecutors either gave her immunity or "knowingly elicited her husband's perjured testimony" at the trial of El Chapo. Lopez and Gaytan allegedly helped to hide millions of drug money over a dozen years, which started in 2008.

Prosecutors alleged that the wives of the Flores twins used the drug money for lavish trips and to pay for schools for their children. The wives allegedly spent the money after their husbands were arrested in 2008 and became key informants in the case against El Chapo.

In July last year, Pedro Flores testified that he was promised that no one in his family would be prosecuted for any drug-related activities. His testimony via a video link turned up in the money laundering case against his wife, Lopez, and his sister-in-law, Gaytan.

Pedro said former Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Shakeshaft, the lead prosecutor handling his case, had promised him during their first in-person meeting in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2008 that no one in his family would be charged.

When asked if Shakeshaft's promise was ever repeated, Pedro told Kennelly: "Yes, multiple times throughout my cooperation."

However, the Chicago drug kingpin admitted that the promise of immunity was never put in writing as he thought it was already being taken care of.

He also acknowledged that it was not mentioned in the plea agreement he and his twin brother signed in secret in 2012. Shakeshaft was supposed to testify about the negotiations.

However, he died last year after years of health issues. Federal agents testified that they had never heard Shakeshaft make the immunity promise.

Chicago prosecutors also maintained that no promise of immunity was ever extended to the Chicago Flores twins' wives. However, MiAngel Cody, Lopez's attorney, said charging the wives of the Flores twins sent a "chilling message" to other possible informants.

Chicago Flores Twins Testifying Against Sinaloa Cartel Boss El Chapo

The Flores brothers were sentenced in 2015 to 14 years in prison and were released in 2020 into witness protection. The twin brothers were given relatively lenient sentences in exchange for cooperating in the case against El Chapo.

They became key informants in the case after they surrendered to authorities. The Flores twins admitted smuggling at least 1,500 kilograms of cocaine into the U.S. every month between 2005 and 2008.

Their plea agreements further noted that they sent more than $930 million in "bulk cash" back to the Sinaloa Cartel.

The Flores brothers also admitted using Chicago as a distribution hub for shipping illegal narcotics to 30 wholesale customers in New York, CBS News reported in 2014.

Aside from New York, they also distributed to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Vancouver.

The brothers also said that Alfredo Vasquez-Hernandez helped manage the shipments, adding that they even invested in the submarines with Vasquez-Hernandez and paid him $600,000 to set up a furniture company they used as a front.

Vasquez-Hernandez has denied having any part in El Chapo's Sinaloa Cartel, which is considered one of the world's most powerful drug trafficking syndicates.

READ MORE: El Chapo Allegedly Ordered Sinaloa Cartel Hitmen to Torture, Kill 2 Men Who Forced Him to Pay $500K for Son's Underwear

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Cartel Wives Married to Twins Who Flipped on 'El Chapo' Face Legal Blow - From ABC 7 Chicago




Members of drug cartels in Mexico start young, and this is evident in a teen killer nicknamed "El Chapito," who was arrested by police after he gunned down and killed eight people in a drug-related attack.

According to the Associated Press, the federal Public Safety Department said Thursday that the 14-year-old Mexican who allegedly became a drug gang hitman at a young age was captured near Mexico City.

His real name was not released to the public, but his nickname "El Chapito," which means "Little Chapo," is in reference to the imprisoned Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera. He is the latest teen to be arrested that was part of a criminal organization.

In 2010, Mexican soldiers arrested a 14-year-old boy nicknamed "El Ponchis," who was kidnapped at a young age and forced to work for a splinter of the Beltran Leyva gang called Cartel of the South Pacific.

READ NEXT: Mexico: Military Finds 1.8 Million Fentanyl Pills in Tijuana

How Mexican Teen 'El Chapito' Carried Out His Deadly Assault That Killed 8 People

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Mexican teen opened fire on a family in the low-income Mexico City suburb of Chimalhuacan while riding a motorcycle.

The drive-by shooting resulted in eight deaths and left five adults and two children wounded. The family was reportedly having a birthday party. So far, Mexican authorities have not yet released a possible motive for the deadly attack.

"El Chapito" was reportedly part of a violent drug gang in the area. These Mexico City drug gangs are known to commit various violent crimes, which range from kidnapping to contract to kill.

They are also known to kill members of rival gangs who encroach on their territory and sell drugs there.

Mexican Drug Cartels Often Use Kids as Cannon Fodder

Mexican drug cartels often recruit kids as young as 11. Many of the kids they recruit are school dropouts, while older recruits are reportedly unskilled workers.

These young gang members are then treated as cannon fodder as they are often thrown in "suicidal attacks on security forces."

According to WIRED, these children and teens are often enticed or manipulated into joining the cartels. They are often sent to training camps where they are given basic weapons instruction.

Many of these camps are found near the Mexico-Guatemala border, and these facilities train children in using various firearms, including o Uzi submachine guns and .38 and 9-mm caliber pistols.

After being trained in using these weapons, these kids are placed in cells led by experienced cartel members who are often former military or police officers.

However, despite all the training these kids receive, pay is reportedly quite meager. Killing somebody can be worth as low as $78, though some killers can make between $390 and $468 every two weeks.

This is much higher than what most people in Mexico earn with a legitimate job getting as little as $298 a month.

READ MORE: Mexico Kidnapping Update: Drug Cartel Sends Apology Letter

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: The Kids Fighting Mexico's Cartel Wars - From VICE NEWS
Jack Smith, the special counsel investigating Donald Trump's handling of classified documents, is reportedly eyeing to talk to one of the former president's lawyers to testify before a grand jury.

A person familiar with the matter told CBS News that prosecutors said they need to learn more about an alleged June 2022 call between Trump and his lawyer, Evan Corcoran.

At the time, investigators sought to secure classified documents at Trump's home. The source noted that prosecutors want to know what the former president may have said during the alleged conversation, including whether he instructed Corcoran on how to handle the subpoenas.

The chief judge presiding over the case has yet to decide whether the Trump attorney will be called to testify about the call in the coming days.

Corcoran has appeared before a grand jury. However, he refused to answer questions regarding communications with the former president, citing attorney-client privilege.

Corcoran citing attorney-client privilege, urged prosecutors to seek the use of a "crime-fraud exception," wherein the attorney-client privilege would not apply if the discussions include illegal activity.

A second person familiar with the investigation said some key questions remain unanswered, such as what Trump told his attorneys before and after the Federal Bureau of Investigation searched Mar-a-Lago in Florida.

READ NEXT: Donald Trump Visits Ohio Town After Train Derailment, Says Officials 'Indifferent'

Donald Trump Communications With Attorney

ABC News Go reported that it was not immediately clear how Jack Smith's investigators found out about the call or why they are now focusing on it as part of their investigation.

Another attorney of the former president, Jennifer Little, is also being asked to testify. Little has also claimed attorney-client privilege.

She has been representing Trump in Fulton Country, George, amid the investigation that Trump and his allies sought to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state.

A spokesperson for Trump told ABC News that the former president "has done nothing wrong." The spokesperson added that "radical democrats" still "weaponize the justice system" against Trump.

According to the source, Corcoran declined to answer questions about his efforts to locate possible classified documents after the government sent the subpoena.

Donald Trump Classified Documents

In February, people familiar with the matter noted that the Justice Department wanted to know how a boxload of classified documents ended up at Mar-a-Lago.

According to CNN News, Jack Smith's investigators interviewed a Donald Trump aide who copied classified materials found in the box using her phone to put them onto a laptop.

Prosecutors then subpoenaed the password to the laptop after a voluntary interview with the aide. One of the sources said that the aide provided the password to investigators. The classified documents were discovered in December.

Tim Parlatore, an attorney for Trump, noted that the said Trump aide did not see the classified markings on the documents. Parlatore added that they called the Justice Department to inform them about it as soon as they found out.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Says FBI Agents Raided Mar-A-Lago Home; Agency's Visit Unannounced

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Additional Classified Documents Found By Trump's Attorneys - From NBC News




California may be one of the wealthiest states in the U.S., but it also has a massive homeless problem.

California has the largest homeless population in the country, and Governor Gavin Newsom is addressing the issue as he reveals a massive plan to build homes for the homeless.

California will reportedly spend approximately $30 million for this plan to build 1,200 small homes across the state this year.

Newsom announced it on Thursday as part of his plan to deal with the problem of homelessness throughout the state.

However, these homes are reportedly tiny, measuring only around 120 square feet (11 square meters). But they can be assembled in 90 minutes, costing a fraction of what it takes to build permanent housing.

The California governor hopes that these would help clear homeless encampments that have sprung up across many California major cities.

Various cities in the United States have used this practice of using small houses for years. And Newsom's plan would be implemented on a state-wide scale.

Cities that have successfully implemented this practice include San Jose, California, which has installed 500 small homes in the last three years. The number of homeless people in the city dropped from 84% to 75%.

According to the Associated Press, that was the first time the number of homeless people has declined in the city in many years.

"If you look around the world at places that have gotten a handle on this challenge, it's because they've scaled up safe places for people to go," said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan on the success of his program.

READ NEXT: California Gov. Gavin Newsom Targets Ron DeSantis

Gavin Newsom Skipped State of the State to Tour California

When Gavin Newsom made his big housing announcement, he was in the first leg of his four-city tour in Sacramento.

The Democrat reportedly chose to skip the pomp and pageantry of the annual State of the State address to go on this tour.

"He's not interested in the pomp of the State of the State speech," said political adviser Sean Clegg. "He wants to get a spotlight on these issues he's going to talk about rather than getting up there and doing the laundry list."

Newsom highlighted his administration's housing efforts and other issues, such as criminal justice reform, Politico reported. The governor also planned to visit on Friday San Quentin State Prison, where he will address prison reform.

He will also outline his healthcare plans in Los Angeles before proposing mental health policies in San Diego.

California Government Suing Huntington Beach Over Housing Ban

Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta also announced Thursday that they had filed a lawsuit against the city of Huntington Beach.

The suit alleges that the city's ban on approving applications for certain housing projects violates state law.

Bonta noted that "the Huntington Beach City Council has chosen to stifle affordable housing projects, infringe on the rights of property owners and knowingly violate state housing law."

Newsom has called what is happening in Huntington Beach an example of "what's wrong with housing in the state of California."

However, according to the Los Angeles Times, Huntington Beach Mayor Tony Strickland said during a news conference that "neither the state or Gavin Newsom are serious about actually producing more housing."

He accused the state government of trying to "urbanize quiet private property-owning communities" and called the move unconstitutional.

Newsom had been trying to place affordable housing projects all over the state, including Huntington Beach, which was pushed back on this policy.

READ MORE: Gavin Newson Net Worth 2022: How Did the 40th California Governor Become a Multimillionaire?

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Gov. Gavin Newsom Announces $1 Billion in Homelessness Funding - From KTLA 5
At least 21 miners were reported dead, and nine were wounded after a Colombia coal mine exploded, with officials saying it was an accident.

According to Daily Mail, the coal mine near Sutatausa town collapsed on Tuesday after an explosion that blocked several of its entrances.

Rescue teams were reported to have worked nonstop for more than 30 hours to find survivors and retrieve bodies.

Cundinamarca province governor Nicolas Garcia announced that nine workers who survived the accident had been released from the hospital while relatives of the killed miners were receiving psychological support.

Officials confirmed that all of the workers at the coal mine at the time of the accident had been accounted for, with the last 10 victims removed from the mine on Thursday.

READ NEXT: United States Submits Request to Colombia to Extradite Gulf Clan Boss Dairo Antonio Usuga

Colombia Coal Mine Explosion

Media outlets earlier reported that only 11 people were killed in Colombia's coal mine explosion. It was before rescue workers found the remaining 10 other miners trapped under the debris.

President Gustavo Petro tweeted that the large-scale rescue efforts to free the remaining 10 miners trapped underground had failed after the death toll rose to 21, Al Jazeera reported.

The president added that he is offering his "solidarity to their families. There was reportedly a build-up of gas at the mining site.

It caused an explosion after a worker's tool caused a spark. It then spread through the connected, legal mines.

Nine miners managed to escape, while 10 remained trapped 700 to 900 meters underground when the coal mine exploded.

To rescue the remaining 10 miners, more than 100 rescue workers were deployed.

Nicolas Garcia thanked the rescue workers who worked nonstop for two days to rescue the trapped bodies underground.

Colombia Mining Accidents

The most serious incident of a mining accident in Colombia occurred in June 2010, wherein 73 people were killed.

According to Al Jazeera, mining accidents usually occur in illegal operations or do not impose sufficient security measures.

In June last year, Colombia's rescuers continued searching for three miners after an explosion of another coal mine last May 30. At the time, two more bodies were pulled from a shaft, bringing the number of casualties to 12.

Officials previously said a build-up of gas also caused the explosion, BBC News reported.

Colombia's National Mining Agency said the mine's conditions inside were difficult, with bodies having to be transported through a 300-meter-long tunnel at a 35-degree angle.

The agency said they could not use a mining cart during the rescue as rockfalls were over the route.

Mining accidents are not unusual in Colombia. The number of people killed in 2021 due to mining accidents was 148.

READ MORE: Colombia's Most-Wanted Drug Lord Dairo Antonio Usuga Arrested; Pres. Ivan Duque Likened It to Capture of Pablo Escobar

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Colombia Coal Mine Explosion Kills at Least 11 - from Reuters




press release

Drop Charges; End Civil Society Crackdown

Burundian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release five human rights defenders arbitrarily arrested on February 14, 2023, and drop the baseless charges against them, Amnesty International, the Burundi Human Rights Initiative, and Human Rights Watch said today.

The five human rights defenders are accused of rebellion and of undermining internal state security and the functioning of public finances. The charges appear to relate only to their relationship with an international organization abroad and the funding they have received from this organization. Two of the defenders work for the Association of Women Lawyers in Burundi (Association des femmes juristes du Burundi, AFJB) and three for the Association for Peace and the Promotion of Human Rights in Burundi (Association pour la paix et la promotion des droits de l'Homme, APDH).

"The arrests of the five human rights defenders and the serious charges brought against them signal a worsening climate for independent civil society in Burundi," said Clementine de Montjoye, Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "If working in partnership with or receiving funding from international groups is treated as a criminal offense and a threat to state security, what little space was left for civil society to operate in Burundi will be closed."

On February 16, Martin Niteretse, Minister of Interior, Community Development and Public Security, accused the organizations of working with an international nongovernmental organization.

Intelligence agents arrested four of the defenders - Sonia Ndikumasabo, president, and Marie Emerusabe, general coordinator, of AFJB; Audace Havyarimana, legal representative, and Sylvana Inamahoro, executive director, of APDH - on February 14 at Bujumbura's Melchior Ndadaye Airport as they were preparing to fly to Uganda for a meeting with partners.

Prosper Runyange, the APDH land project coordinator, was arrested in Ngozi on February 14 and transferred to Bujumbura the next day. The five defenders were held at the National Intelligence Service (Service national de renseignement, SNR) headquarters in Bujumbura, then transferred to Mpimba central prison in Bujumbura, on February 17. On March 2, the high court of Ntahangwa in Bujumbura confirmed their pretrial detention.

Niteretse told the media: "The case is ongoing. The results we have at the moment show that there is a high probability that there is a risk of financing of terrorism through these funds. We must be vigilant on all points to ensure that nothing disturbs peace and public order." Under international human rights law and standards, seeking, obtaining, and using financial resources, including from foreign and international sources, is a vital component of the right to freedom of association. Undue restrictions on resources available to organizations have a negative impact on the right to freedom of association.

The two organizations work on gender-based violence and land rights and are officially registered in Burundi. They help some of the most marginalized groups in Burundian society. The judicial authorities' decision to pursue prosecution of the defenders, apparently solely on the grounds of their organizations' partnership with and funding from an international organization, has triggered fears of another civil society crackdown in Burundi and undermines the president's stated reform agenda, the organizations said.

In October 2018, the authorities suspended the activities of most foreign organizations in Burundi and forced them to reregister, which included submitting documentation that stated the ethnicity of their Burundian employees.

The government policy, based on a law on foreign nongovernmental organizations, adopted in January 2017, caused some international organizations to close their offices in Burundi because they disagreed with government-imposed ethnic quotas and objected to the requirement to provide information on the ethnicity of their staff. Some said they feared that submitting this information could put their employees at risk of ethnic profiling and targeting.

"The charges of endangering state security and rebellion against these five human rights defenders are absurd," said Carina Tertsakian from the Burundi Human Rights Initiative. "If the authorities have questions about their sources of funding, these can be solved through normal administrative channels, as provided for by the law."

During late President Pierre Nkurunziza's third and final term, from 2015 to 2020, independent civil society and media were often targeted, and their members attacked, forcibly disappeared, detained, and threatened. Scores of human rights defenders and journalists fled the country and many remain in exile. There has been almost total impunity for these crimes.

Since President Evariste Ndayishimiye came to power in June 2020 and despite his promises to restore freedom of expression and association, the government's hostility toward Burundi's once thriving civil society and media remains. The arrests of the five rights defenders followed the conviction, on January 2, 2023, of an online journalist, Floriane Irangabiye, to 10 years in prison, on charges of "undermining the integrity of the national territory" in violation of her rights to free speech and to a fair trial.

These latest arrests and Irangabiye's conviction reverse a brief moment of optimism after the acquittal and release, in December, of Tony Germain Nkina, a lawyer and former human rights defender who spent more than two years unjustly imprisoned on unsubstantiated charges of collaboration with a rebel group. Twelve human rights defenders and journalists in exile were convicted in June 2020 of participating in a May 2015 coup attempt. The verdict, which was only made public in February 2021, came after a deeply flawed trial during which the defendants were absent and did not have legal representation, flouting the most basic due process principles. The 12 were found guilty of "attacks on the authority of the State," "assassinations," and "destruction."

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The arrest of Ndikumasabo, Emerusabe, Havyarimana, Inamahoro, and Runyange appears to be designed to punish the human rights defenders and their organizations for collaborating with an international organization, obstruct their organizations' activities, and intimidate other activists. Such behavior belies Burundian authorities' claims that they respect human rights and further stains the image of openness and reform that they try to project internationally, the organizations said.

"Actions speak louder than words," said Flavia Mwangovya, Deputy Regional Director at Amnesty International. "If the Burundian authorities want their human rights promises to be taken seriously, they should allow civil society to do its valuable work - including defending and assisting victims of human rights violations - without harassment."
Irish Water has been praised for "stepping up to the mark" in taking over pipes in a long built Laois housing estate.

Railway Mews in Portarlington with some 100 houses was built over a dozen years ago, next to the commuter town's busy train station.

While it was taken in charge for roads and streetlights by Laois County Council some five years ago, a "strange situation" remained where the water services for residents was left in the hands of the developer.

Cllr Aidan Mullins welcomed progress at last, at the March meeting of Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District.

His motion asking for an update on when Railway Mews would be taken in charge by Irish Water, got the best answer possible.

"It is now in the charge of Uisce Eireann," Laois County Council replied.

The water services department added that last August, Irish Water confirmed to council planners that "all water pipes and foul/combined sewers within the public area" were accepted by it.

"That's good news. It was one of those strange situations where the council had taken it in charge but Irish Water hadn't. There were difficulties with the pipes and bad connections. I am delighted to see it is taken in charge, but this is news to me. I'd have thought I'd be notified," Cllr Mullins said.

Cllr Ben Brennan had seconded the motion.

"It's great to see Irish Water stepping up to the mark," he said.
The Irish government has sought advice from cyber security experts on whether TikTok should continue to be permitted on work phones used by people in the public sector.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government was liaising with the countrys National Cyber Security Centre.

Mr Varadkar said there was not yet any change to the governments position and it was not telling officials to stop using the Chinese-owned app but he said that was being kept under review.

His comments come after the UK Government moved to ban TikTok from work phones used by ministers and officials.

We have requested advice from the national centre for cyber security on TikTok, Mr Varadkar told reporters in Washington DC.

As things stand, were not advising anybody in the public sector or in government to remove TikTok from their work phone but that is still under review.

TikTok has been banned from UK Government phones after a security review but ministers and officials will still be able to use it on their personal phones.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had been under pressure from senior MPs to follow the US and the European Union in barring the video-sharing app from official devices.

TikTok, owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance, has insisted the bans are based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics.

Separate concerns have recently been raised about the CCTV system in operation at the Irish parliament in Dublin which is made by a company linked to the Chinese Communist Party.

A human rights group highlighted qualms about the use of the surveillance cameras inside and outside the Houses of the Oireachtas in Dublin.

Mr Varadkar, who is visiting Washington DC as part of St Patricks events, insisted that was an issue for the Oireachtas authorities, not the Government.

But, you know, those cameras have been in operation for a very long time around Leinster House and other places and I havent been made aware of any substantive concerns in relation to them, he added.
There can be no commemoration of the Good Friday Agreement without properly recognising the role of women, the Irish premier has said.

Speakers at an event honouring womens involvement in Northern Irelands peace process praised the work of Mo Mowlam, who served as the secretary of state for Northern Ireland at the time that the Good Friday Agreement was signed, and Hillary Clinton, who was present at the talk at Georgetown University in Washington DC.

Irish premier Leo Varadkar said the role of women had been undervalued, and wondered what effect the Womens Coalition would have if it was still a political party.

The central role of women in the peace process was visible to everyone involved at the time, he told those gathered.

Women were there at its formal and informal genesis. Women played a leading role at the political top tables in Belfast, London, Dublin and in Washington, and provided voices in civil society which shaped the context in which peace became possible.

He said that women were there to respond when things fell apart and move forward when others tried to drag us back.

The Taoiseach said: As Bernadette Devlin McAliskey said, the real problem in our history was not that women were written out of Irish history, its that they were never written into it in the first place.

In truth, women from across the political spectrum are able to contribute to everything that happened, except it seems, the photographs at the end.

And I believe, therefore, we can have no meaningful commemoration of the Good Friday Agreement unless the role of women is properly recognised and applauded.

Monica McWilliams, who also spoke at the event, praised Mrs Clinton for her work in Northern Ireland, saying we were truly blessed to have women on this side of the Atlantic to help us, and good men, too.

Today is very emotional for me in many ways, because we would have been somewhere down there in the back looking on, never mind not even being in the picture.

She said that there was unfinished business as part of the Good Friday Agreement, including integrated education and the participation of women in politics.

Ms McWilliams added: We are in the cusp of a new era. And were crafting tools that we could never have dreamed of for our children. There are people alive today that would not have been alive had we not made that Good Friday Agreement.

Former president of Ireland Mary Robinson, Sinn Feins vice president Michelle ONeill and former Irish minister of state Liz ODonnell also spoke on the panel with Ms McWilliams.
US President Joe Biden was presented with a bowl of shamrocks by Irish premier Leo Varadkar at the White House, as the St Patricks Day celebrations in Washington DC draw to a close.

The White House event was attended by former rugby player Rob Kearney, a distant relative of Mr Bidens, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald.

Irish pop star Niall Horan performed four songs after the shamrock ceremony, two of which dealt with the theme of emigration, and was told by Mr Biden that he was welcome back anytime.

During the course of St Patricks Day festivities on Friday, Mr Biden thanked Ireland for its response to the invasion of Ukraine, voiced his strong support for the Windsor Framework and said that he was looking forward to the return of Northern Irelands devolved government.

He also said he hoped Ireland would win the Grand Slam on Saturday, when the Irish team are due to take on England as part of the Six Nations rugby tournament.

The traditional visit comes weeks after the UK and EU struck the Windsor Framework to reduce red tape on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland that was created by the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.

The regions largest unionist party, the DUP, is currently blocking powersharing at Stormont in protest at the trade barriers imposed by the withdrawal deals contentious Northern Ireland Protocol.

The DUP says the Windsor Framework has gone some way to address its concerns, but it maintains some fundamental problems remain with the new accord.

Washington, London and Brussels are all keen for powersharing at Stormont to be restored ahead of next months landmark 25th anniversary of Northern Irelands Good Friday peace agreement, and Mr Biden is due to travel to the island of Ireland in April to mark the event.

However, the DUP has insisted it will take time to deliberate on whether to return to devolution and does not consider the 25th anniversary a deadline it must work to.

Speaking to Mr Varadkar in front of the media ahead of their bilateral talks, President Biden noted his recent discussions with UK Prime Minster Rishi Sunak on the revised deal with the EU on post-Brexit trading arrangements.

I very strongly supported the Windsor Framework, which I know you do too, said the president.

At a later St Patricks lunch on Capitol Hill hosted by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Mr Biden again expressed firm backing for the Windsor Framework.

Its a vital, vital step and its going to help to ensure that all the people in Northern Ireland have an opportunity to realise their full potential, he said.

Earlier at the White House, Mr Varadkar thanked the president for backing Irelands position on issues related to Brexit.

I really want to thank you for your help and support and understanding for our position on Brexit in recent years, it really made a difference and weve got to a good place now, I think, with the Windsor Framework, where we can have an agreement that lasts which is important for Northern Ireland, and also important for British, Irish and European relations, he said.

Mr Varadkar also spoke about the presidents upcoming visit to Ireland.

I promise you that were going to roll out the red carpet and its going to be a visit like no other, he said.

Everyones excited about it already. Were going to have great crowds whod love to see you.

The two politicians also praised each others respective stances on opposing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who is in Washington to attend St Patricks-themed events this week, is seeking further clarity and assurances from the UK government to address his partys continuing concerns.

He has denied being pressured by US politicians to sign up to the new Brexit deal.

Sir Jeffrey is set to meet President Biden at a reception at the White House later on Friday.

The Taoiseach began the day of traditional St Patricks Day engagements in Washington DC at a breakfast event hosted by the US vice-president, Kamala Harris.

Mr Varadkar and his partner, Matt Barrett, posed for photos with Ms Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, when they arrived at her residence early on Friday.

Inside, he hailed Ms Harris and the wider USs work on LGBT rights.

Mr Varadkar thanked Ms Harris for her advocacy on LGBT issues and for being a strong ally.

From Stonewall to Sacramento to San Francisco, America has led the way when it comes to LGBT equality, he said.

I dont think I would be here today were it not for what America did. I know youve been such a strong ally to our community in that regard.

Ahead of Fridays events, Mr Varadkar was embroiled in a controversy after apologising for an ill-judged remark that was seen as an apparent reference to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.

While reminiscing about his experience as an intern in the United States, the Taoiseach made a reference to possible concern about being an intern in the US capital at the time.

Mr Varadkar made the remarks on Thursday during an address to the Washington Ireland Programme, which helps young people develop career skills and which Mr Varadkar took part in, in 2000.

The Taoiseachs comment came hours after attending an event honouring womens role in the Good Friday Agreement, during which he praised Hillary Clinton for her sustained involvement in Northern Ireland.

A spokesperson for Mr Varadkar said in a statement following the event: He made an ill-judged, off-the-cuff remark which he regrets. He apologises for any offence caused to anyone concerned.

Former US president Bill Clinton and Mrs Clinton are due to take a leading role in commemorations planned in Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Monica Lewinsky was a young White House intern when she and the then-US president Mr Clinton embarked on a romance in the 1990s. She was pilloried for years after the scandal broke.

The affair almost forced Mr Clinton out of office and Ms Lewinsky has spoken about the devastating effect it had on her life in the years after.

Mr Varadkar sat beside Mrs Clinton at Thursday mornings event at Georgetown University focusing on the role of women in the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Fridays political engagements will culminate with the Taoiseach handing over a crystal bowl of shamrocks to Mr Biden at the White House.
President Joe Biden has praised Northern Irelands political leaders standing together following the attempted murder of a police detective.

Police Service of Northern Ireland Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell remains in a critical but stable condition after being shot multiple times at a leisure centre in Omagh, Co Tyrone, last month.

The New IRA, an armed dissident republican group opposed to the peace process, has been blamed for the attack on the high-profile officer.

Following the murder bid, senior figures from the main Stormont parties went together to meet PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne to receive an update on the incident.

Afterwards, they stood side by side along with Mr Byrne to condemn the attack and express solidarity with the police.

The show of togetherness came despite political upheaval at Stormont that has seen powersharing put in cold storage due to an impasse over post-Brexit trade.

Mr Biden referenced the incident in a speech at a St Patricks Day lunch hosted by Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Friday.

Mr Byrne was a guest at the lunch in Washington DC, as were the leaders of the five main Stormont parties.

Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald sat at the same table as DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

Northern Ireland leaders that are here today, let me say how important it was to see you standing shoulder to shoulder with Chief Constable Byrne confirming your commitment to the future following the attempted murder of Detective Chief Inspector Caldwell, said Mr Biden.

We all have to continue to work to protect peace and stability.

After the luncheon, Mr Byrne described as quite amazing the support offered by President Biden.

Mr Byrne, who was given a standing ovation at a gala Irish American dinner on Wednesday evening, thanked the president for the empathy and compassion he had displayed to Mr Caldwell and his family.

I think its really important that the hard work that the men and women of the police service are doing around the clock is acknowledged in this way, I just think its quite amazing, he told the PA news agency.

We really, really appreciate the support from someone whos so significant in global politics.

He added: I think one of the themes of the few days here in various settings is politicians and other key people from right across the spectrum have been single in their sympathy for John himself, but also the effect on his family.

So when we get back well be able to pass on some of those messages (to his family), which I think, again, shows how this awful attack has crossed certainly to this part of the globe.

I think people are united in condemning it and seeing support for policing certainly continue to make progress in the next 25 years, after 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement and continuing to keep people safe.
Sometimes it can be dazzling on St Patrick's Day in Ireland on other occasions it can be drenching, the 2023 edition looks to be leaning towards a typically Irish day of weather.

Met Eireann says St Patrick's morning will be generally cloudy with scattered outbreaks of rain and drizzle. It says the rain will be followed by scattered showers and occasional sunny spells through the afternoon and evening.

It warns that some showers will be heavy, particularly in the west with isolated thunderstorms possible over Connacht. However, it will be drier in the east and northeast.

Thankfully, it won't be cold as the forecaster expects temperatures to go into the mild double figures peaking at 14 degrees in a moderate south to southeast breeze.

As for the holiday weekend, Met Eireann expects the weather to be generally unsettled with rain and showers at times.

There'll also be no tornados like what was recorded in Meath in 1995 which caused a parade in Louth to be called off. Read more about the upcoming weather below tweet.

A tornado struck County Meath on St. Patrick's Day in 1995, snow in 1979 led to the cancellation of the Drogheda parade. What will St. Patrick's Day 2023 bring? See more here - https://t.co/98zUX07JZf pic.twitter.com/Ta0YBRUKUm  Irish Observational Climatology (@METclimate) March 16, 2023

Friday night: Scattered showers early tonight will gradually die out, leaving a good deal of dry weather for a time. Outbreaks of rain will develop in the west and northwest towards morning. Patches of mist will develop in a light southerly breeze. Lowest temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees.

Saturday: Starting off dry for many with a few bright intervals. Rain in the west will spread eastwards across the country, reaching the east coast by early afternoon. Sunny spells will develop as the rain clears into the Irish Sea by evening. Highest temperatures of 9 to 13 degrees in a light southerly breeze, increasing moderate to fresh northwesterly as rain clears.

Saturday night will be cold and dry with clear spells. Fresh northwest winds will ease and become light. Frost and some icy patches will develop. Some patches of mist also. Lowest temperatures of -1 to +2 degrees.

Sunday: It will start off dry with some sunny spells. Rain will develop in the west during the morning and spread eastwards to all areas through the afternoon. Highest temperatures 8 to 10 degrees moderate south to southeast breezes. On Sunday night, rain will continue and will be most persistent over the northern half of the country. Lowest temperatures of 4 to 7 degrees with moderate southerly breezes.

Monday: Mostly cloudy with further spells of rain, which will clear to the northeast in the evening with showers following through the evening and night, especially over Connacht and Ulster with isolated thunderstorms possible. Highest temperatures of 11 to 14 degrees with moderate to fresh, south to southwest winds.

Tuesday: A fair amount of dry weather with some bright intervals and well scattered showers. Highest temperatures of 11 to 14 degrees with moderate southerly breezes. Rain will spread eastwards on Tuesday night.

Wednesday: Starting off wet with rain in most areas. The rain will clear with showers following. Highest temperatures of 8 to 11 degrees with moderate southerly breezes.

The rest of the week will continue unsettled with spells of rain or showers. Highest temperatures of 9 to 12 degrees.
St Patrick is not just Ireland's patron saint, but also is a saint for all victims of human trafficking due to his experience of being trafficked to Ireland as a teenager, according to the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland.

Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin Primate of All Ireland spoke on St Patrick's Day about the saints meaning globally

"Today, when people from every continent like to trace even their slightest connections with Ireland and the Irish, St Patrick can truly be hailed as a saint for all the world.

"Our patron saints name has been carried around the world by generations of Irish emigrants and missionaries - his appeal remains both local and global. In a special way therefore I extend greetings this year to the many migrants who have recently come to Ireland. Cead mile failte romhaibh!

"When St Patrick returned to Ireland as a bishop, almost sixteen centuries ago, he saw himself as a messenger of Gods love and closeness, sent to bring the Good News to the ends of the earth. He was ready to give his life completely to his new flock in Ireland, even though as he says himself in his writings, he had to endure much hardship, many insults and taunts for being a foreigner (Confession of Saint Patrick, 37).

"St Patricks personal experience of being trafficked to this island as a teenage slave had a deep and lifelong impact on him. The trauma of being uprooted from family and friends at such an early age gave him a particular empathy for victims of human trafficking. Patricks captivity transformed and shaped his whole life and his relationships with God and others. In his slavery and isolation he discovered through prayer a warm and personal friendship with God which he instinctively wanted to communicate to everyone he met.

"In that sense St Patrick is truly a saint for modern times. His witness and courage speaks to all the world. He challenges us to listen out for the cry of the poor, the ordeal of the migrant, the loneliness of those displaced through war and violence. His experience raises awareness of the injustice of human trafficking which shockingly continues here in Ireland, North and South, in 2023. If we seriously wish to trace our connections with Saint Patrick this week, then we must open our hearts and minds to those who are struggling to survive such cruelty and exploitation in todays world.

"One of the highlights of St Patricks week this year in Armagh is the arrival into the Saint Patricks Cathedral here of a replica of the sculpture, Let the Oppressed Go Free by Tim Schmalz. The sculpture graphically portrays the reality of human trafficking and the forced migration of people. A similar replica of the sculpture is also being welcomed this week by Cardinal Timothy Dolan in Saint Patricks Cathedral, New York. Alongside the Sudanese Saint Josephine Bakhita, perhaps Saint Patrick can be seen as a patron for those around our world today who are victims of human trafficking.

"Guim idirghui Naomh Padraig ar ar lucht imirce scaipthe ar fud na cruinne. Ba dheorai Naomh Padraig e fein trath. Tuigeann se ar nuaigneas agus ar mbriseadh chroi. Guim beannacht, rath agus sean ar bPatruin oraibh uilig," concluded the Archbishop.

St Patrick was the founder of the bishopric of Armagh in the fourth century. St Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17 as that is thought to be the date of his death.
South Africa: SA-Tanzania in talks to strengthen relations

While South Africa has enduring ties with Tanzania, the two countries can do more to strengthen cooperation, says President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Since our two countries established diplomatic relations in 1994, we established the Bi-National Commission in 2011, bilateral trade and investment between our two countries has continued to grow, President Ramaphosa said.

Speaking at the South Africa-Tanzania Business Forum held in Pretoria on Thursday, President Ramaphosa said the partnership between the two nations is founded on a friendship that stretches back many decades, when the people of Tanzania stood alongside the people of South Africa during the struggle to end apartheid and establish a democratic society.

We found common ground on practical measures we need to take to forge a new partnership aimed at enhancing and increasing our bilateral trade and investment relations, said President Ramaphosa.

This as the President earlier hosted his Tanzanian counterpart, President Samia Suluhu Hassan on an Official State Visit to South Africa earlier on Thursday.

He said that South Africa is a major investor in Tanzania. Between 1997 and 2022, South African companies have invested in a total of 250 projects, valued at US$ 1 billion, which have created more than 18,000 jobs in Tanzania.

The projects cover sectors like agriculture, construction and real estate, telecommunications, financial services, transportation, manufacturing, mining and petroleum, tourism, energy infrastructure, services and broadcasting.

There is still much scope for South Africa and Tanzania to strengthen cooperation in these sectors and to expand into other sectors, such as minerals beneficiation, health care and pharmaceuticals, and infrastructure development, he said.

South Africa and Tanzania are both State Parties to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Free Trade Agreement which governs trade relations between the two countries.

It is crucial that we leverage the SADC Free Trade Agreement to increase mutually beneficial trade flows. To achieve this goal, we need deeper and more meaningful dialogue between our respective private sectors, President Ramaphosa said.

Both South Africa and Tanzania convened the business forum to encourage the private sector to make practical suggestions about the basket of products that should be targeted for trade under preferential terms.

President Ramaphosa said there is a need to transform the structure of trade relations with each other and with the rest of the world.

We are buying goods from other countries that we could be buying from each other. We are creating jobs in other countries that we could be creating in South Africa and Tanzania.

We must therefore make a concerted effort to increase the supply of Made in South Africa and Made in Tanzania goods into each others markets. It is our desire to build on the solid relations between our two countries and to harness our collective capabilities to forge a new deal for the mutual benefit of all our people, the President said.

President Hassan said they have agreed to enhance cooperation in the areas of trade and investment. She said South Africa is among the main sources of direct foreign investment in Tanzania.

We have agreed to enhance our cooperation in the areas of trade and investment considering that South Africa is among the main sources of direct foreign investment in Tanzania. We hope to forge new deals from the business forum, she said.

She said the Tanzanian government has amended tax laws to ease business transactions for both countries.

I encourage South African businesses to invest in Tanzania. We are ready to work with the private sector, she said, adding that tourism and manufacturing are the leading sectors for investment in Tanzania.

Tanzania is one of South Africas foremost trading partners on the continent and South Africa wishes to see an increase in trade and investment and broader economic development between the two countries.

To this end, total trade between South Africa and Tanzania increased from R6,89 billion in 2021 to R8,71 billion in 2022.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-03-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, attends the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting via video link and delivers a keynote address in Beijing, capital of China, March 15, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] Initiative:Cultural diversity emphasized Leaders of political parties and organizations from around the world have hailed the China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative, saying that it has great relevance, together with the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, to building up countries' consensus on addressing mounting global challenges in terms of peace, security, development and harmonious coexistence. Their comments came as Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, unveiled the Global Civilization Initiative on Wednesday at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting. The meeting's theme was "Path Towards Modernization: the Responsibility of Political Parties". The initiative calls for respect for the diversity of civilizations, upholding the common values of humanity in pursuing peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, and promoting robust international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation. Political leaders who took part in the virtual meeting spoke positively about Xi's initiative and expressed their willingness to work with the CPC to play a guiding role in promoting exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations and pursuing a path toward modernization based on their own national contexts. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is also the president of the African National Congress, the ruling party of South Africa, said that he fully agrees with Xi's initiative. The history of South Africa in struggling for national independence makes its people value the importance of unity, harmony, inclusiveness and mutual respect, he said. The initiative is particularly important considering the destructive challenges that the world is facing, such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorism and geopolitical confrontation, Ramaphosa added. He also said that South Africa appreciates China's foreign policy based on noninterference in domestic affairs and mutually beneficial cooperation, which are reflected in China's global initiatives and are crucial to promoting the collective growth of developing countries. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, also president of the Serbian Progressive Party, said that the world is expecting China to provide innovative solutions to coping with challenges amid the complex changes of the international landscape. Vucic said humanity should work together to advocate the diversity of cultures and civilizations. The Serbian president also said, echoing Xi's speech on Wednesday, that nations should uphold the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness and should, as Xi said, "let cultural exchanges transcend estrangement, mutual learning transcend clashes, and inclusiveness transcend any sense of superiority". In his speech, Xi, who is also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, underlined the need for all countries to refrain from imposing their own values or models on others and from stoking ideological confrontation. At a moment when geopolitical competition has brought about crises and challenges, Xi's initiatives regarding development, security and civilization are very significant to international and regional peace and cooperation, said Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, who is also chairman of the Mongolian People's Party. He added that Mongolia fully supports the initiatives, and mutual trust, dialogue and cooperation are common aspirations of humanity and represent the future of the world. South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, who is also chairman of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, criticized a number of countries' reluctance to build an equitable and balanced global governance system. These nations are eager to instigate geopolitical competition, resulting in complex global security threats, he said. Given the current international landscape, leaders of political parties need to carry forward the common values of humanity, advocate respect for various development paths and diversified cultures, and oppose ideological confrontations in various forms, Kiir said. Xi also elaborated on Chinese modernization in his speech. "We must uphold the principle of independence and explore diversified paths toward modernization," he said. It is the people of a country that are in the best position to say what kind of modernization best suits them, Xi said, adding that developing countries have the right and ability to independently explore a modernization path with distinctive features based on their national realities. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, also chairman of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, said there is no universal model for modernization that applies to all countries. Some countries attempt to impose their own models on others in disregard of countries' differences in political, cultural and historical contexts, Maduro said.
The Daures constituency community, farmers, and small miners are up in arms regarding what they claim are the illegal lithium mining activities of Tangshan XingFeng Spodumene Mining.

The group also petitioned the Ministry of Mines and Energy, and the Tsiseb conservancy, among others, to stop the mining with immediate effect.

The company has been accused of not following the proper channels and procedures and contravening the Environmental Management Act 7 of 2007.

The company allegedly did not conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and has ignored the community's needs for investments in infrastructure, sponsorships and donations to farmers and small miners, bursaries to local best-performing science students, and shares to the conservancy for environmental destruction and negative effects caused by mining.

Hundreds of protesting community members last Friday (3 March) handed over a petition to the mine, demanding that XingFeng stop their operations with immediate effect and carry out its EIA with the consent of the Daures Traditional Authority and the Tsiseb Conservancy.

"We further demand that XingFeng compensate the Tsiseb Conservancy with a fee of N$5 million for neglecting [sic] its presence and operating in its sensitive area without proper consultation and agreements," said Uis community activist Jimmy Areseb.

The community claims mining operations are being carried out on land acquired from a previous owner, and that the company has not paid royalties for the minerals it is exporting.

The community also maintains that while the company claims to be exporting lithium, there are other minerals in the area, such as tin, tantalum and fluorspar tourmaline, which may also be present in the raw materials being exported.

"The lack of transparency regarding the exact minerals being extracted is a major concern for residents. We are demanding that the minerals be tested at a competent laboratory so that they can be sure about what the company is exporting," Areseb told The Namibian.

Furthermore, there are questions about how the company obtained the necessary permits to operate in the area, as the conservancy claims not to have any knowledge of the company.

Residents are calling for an investigation into these allegations and are urging the mines ministry to establish stringent measures to protect the environment and the interests of the local community.

In response to questions, mines and energy minister Tom Alweendo said a team of officials from the ministries of mines and environment have been directed to investigate the complaints.

"We hope to have the team's findings by the end of the week. I have also arranged a town hall meeting with all stakeholders to take place at Uis on 24 March," he said.

He agreed that mining companies, just like companies in other sectors of the economy, must be good corporate citizens.

"This means companies must immerse themselves in the communities they are operating in, paying particular emphasis on principles related to the environment, society and governance. This can only happen when companies have effective communication strategies how to engage communities," Alweendo noted.

He emphasised that the law prescribes that minerals licence holders must engage and obtain permission from the landowners before any prospecting or mining activities take place.

In response to the petitioning, Eric Xaweb, Tsiseb conservancy manager under the Daure Daman Traditional Authority, told The Namibian while the conservancy recognises that there are applicable laws which allow for mining activities to happen, they are concerned about the environmental damage taking place in the area.

Xaweb said Tsiseb has lost some revenue due to the mining taking place.

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The conservancy management committee is being advised to sit down with the traditional authority, the regional council, and the farmers' representatives to discuss how to deal with mushrooming mining activities taking place within the conservancy, he said.

"We need to come up with a concept paper on how we can deal with the mining that is coming to our areas and ensure that mining activities do not seriously compromise our conservation efforts the past 20 years," Xaweb said.

Several attempts to reach out to the mine failed, although the mine's assistant site manager, Frans Tjazamo, who received the petition, said he will ensure it reaches his employer.

"If they don't heed to our concerns, we are planning to close down the road going from Uis to Henties Bay, where we are going to stop any truck of that company going to Walvis Bay and any coming from there to the mine site. We are going to be camping there till our demands are met," Areseb warned.
A dog bag dispenser on the Numbers Road in Graiguecullen has been requested to be taken out, because it is doing the opposite of its job.

Dog walkers are using the dispenser as a bin instead, to throw in their filled dirty dog bags, with some missing the mark and leaving waste on the ground according to Cllr Ben Brennan.

He asked Laois County Council to remove the Mutt Mitt dispenser, of which there are now over 75 around the county offering free plastic bags to dog walkers caught short.

People are asking me to take it away altogether. The dog foul is falling out on the path and people are walking around it. It's being vandalised. It's not used for what it's there for.

"People on the Numbers Road and in Tommy Murphy Park are asking us to take it away, he reported to engineer Philip McVeigh at the March meeting of the Portarlington Graiguecullen Municipal District.

Mr McVeigh had listed council works done in Graiguecullen since the previous meeting. This included footpath cleaning, litter picking and landscaping of roundabouts on the Northern Relief Road, gully grate repairs in Oakley Park and street sweeping.
Two Rathangan sisters have launched a Guinness world record attempt to raise funds for Cara Projects, which runs a girl rescue centre in Kenya.

Over the past few months, Aideen Behan and Niamh Gilligan have been working hard to make this a reality and the attempt takes place this Sunday, March 19. The event will run from 12 noon until 2pm at the Blueway Canal, Rathangan.

We are trying to break a Guinness World Record attempt for "Longest Line of Colouring Pages". The current record is 3,895 pages, explained Aideen Behan and her sister, Niamh Gilligan.

Our theme for the project is, We're all Connected. We have a specially commissioned drawing, designed by local graphic design graduate Ciara Brearton. This is a fundraiser for Cara Projects. This is a registered Irish charity helping children in Kenya. One hundred percent of funds raised will be donated to the charity.

Aideen explained that all colouring pages will be attached together to form a continuous line.

Once all pages are attached together, we will be linking the ribbon on each page showing that were all connected. Irish children helping children in Kenya, she said.

Participants were asked to make a 2 donation for every completed page. The sisters traveled to Kenya earlier this year as part of a volunteer group. While there, they arranged for the girls in the Cara Girls Rescue Centre and also the children attending the preschool to also take part by colouring in some pages. These pages are to be added to those already collected.

Every effort will be made to return the pages to each school/organisation once the attempt is completed.

The sisters thanked all the schools, organisations, clubs and individuals who have taken part and encouraged everyone to come out and support the event on the day.
Ceann Comhairle and Kildare South TD Sean O Fearghail will spend today visiting Irish troops deployed to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), as part of the St. Patricks Day travel programme for Ministers and Officeholders.

The Ceann Comhairle spent time with Defence Forces members in Lebanon and laid a wreath in Peace Keeping Square in memory of the 48 Irish Defence Forces personnel who have lost their lives in the service of peace in the country.

In his address to Irish troops the Ceann Comhairle also acknowledged the great sacrifice made by Defence Force personnel by being away from families and friends for prolonged periods.

On behalf of Government and the Members of the Oireachtas he thanked Defence Force personnel for their contribution and invaluable work to peacekeeping in the region, a vital part of Irelands commitment to global peace and security.

While speaking to the troops in Southern Lebanon, Ceann Comhairle O Fearghail said:

As we gather here this afternoon, we do so less in celebration than would normally be the case around St Patricks Day, and with more of a heavy heart. You, the members of the 121st Battalion have come through a very difficult experience. The tragic death last December of your comrade and friend Private Sean Rooney and the serious injuries suffered by Private Shane Kearney, were a shocking reminder to all of the risks taken by each and every one of you, in discharging your duty and maintaining our countrys proud record and reputation.

Ceann Comhairle O Fearghail concluded: St Patricks Day is our national day and the day on which we reflect what it means to be Irish. We do what comes naturally to us  we reach out and connect with communities around the globe. Today is a day when there are only two kinds of people in the world  those who are Irish and those who wish they were! Irelands biggest asset is our people  our primary and most valuable natural resource. This year, St Patrick's Day marks '100 Years of Ireland in the World'. A century of our country's engagement as an active member of the international community in the promotion of democracy, peace and security. Nowhere is this engagement more evident, than in the work you do here in South Lebanon.
Minister of State Martin Heydon is currently in Korea for St Patrick's Day and is meeting members of the Irish community in the region.

The Kildare South TD, whose areas of responsibility are Research & Development, Farm Safety and New Market Development, said he is helping to pave the way for Irish beef to be exported to Korea.

The first visit was to Jeju island, off the south coast of the peninsula, where the minister laid a wreath at St Isidore Farm to commemorate Father PJ Glinchey, a Colombian Missionary from Co Donegal who helped modernise agriculture on the island.

In addition to pigs and dairy cows, the farm also has a thriving stud farm operation which is part of Korea's growing horse racing industry.

Mr Heydon added: "It was also great to meet with members of the Irish community in Jeju who have helped spread Irish culture here and set up the world's newest GAA club- Inis Jeju CLG!

"I was delighted to present the club treasurer Min with a token of Lilywhite appreciation. A little bit of Kildare in Korea!"

The minister also said that progressing Ireland's market access application for Irish beef to Korea is among the primary aims of this year's St Patrick's Day mission.

Mr Heydon said: "I held meetings with the Korean Ministries for Agriculture and Food Safety to discuss the file while I also visited the Korean Parliament.

"It was great to visit the home of McHale and Tanco in Korea! Won International is bringing the best of Ballinrode and Bagenalstown to Korean farmers. Irish made machinery is doing the business abroad! It's a family business delivering benefits for rural communities in Ireland and Korea.

"We spent the evening with members of the Irish community in Seoul.

"Seoul Gaels have been at the heart of community here for many years and it was great to meet some local musicians who are passionate about traditional Irish music.

"A warm welcome no matter where you go!"
The United States has led the free world in opposition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Leo Varadkar has said.

The Taoiseach thanked the US administration for standing with European governments in the face of Russian aggression.

He told a St Patricks Day lunch on Capitol Hill, hosted by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, that Russia was attempting to deny the people of Ukraine any kind of future through its brutal invasion.

While Ireland is a militarily neutral country, were not politically neutral in the face of violations of international law and human rights, he added.

The past 13 months have united us all who believe in freedom and democracy, and the rule of law and the UN Charter.

We stand with Ukraine because silence means surrender and we will not stay silent when liberty, freedom and fundamental human rights are being attacked.

So, we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. Weve seen so many times in history how the story ends if its not challenged. How appeasement, no matter how well intentioned, ultimately fails.

I have to say I endorse the ongoing co-operation between Europe and the United States to help defend our Ukrainian friends.

In the last century, America led the free world in the fight against fascism and communism and in this century America leads the free world once again and we thank you for that.

Earlier, during their bilateral engagement at the White House, President Joe Biden thanked the Taoiseach for standing together with the US against the Russian invasion.

It means a great deal speaking out against Russias brutal aggression, he said.
Ireland must work with the UK to crack down on illegal migration into both countries, the Taoiseach has said.

Leo Varadkar said there had been an increase in people using the Irish land border to enter both Ireland and the UK irregularly.

He said it was important that free movement on the island for UK and Irish citizens, provided for by the Common Travel Area, was preserved.

Anything that the UK does in relation to migration or border controls impacts on us, Mr Varadkar said during a visit to Washington DC.

And we have seen an increase in the number of people seeking international protection who have come across the border from north to south, rather than through our ports or airports.

That, of course, does go in both directions.

Because a lot of it is clandestine, its very difficult to get accurate statistics as to how people got into the country and where they were before that.

Its really important that the Irish and British governments work together on the issue of irregular migration in particular.

We have a Common Travel Area which allows us to travel north/south freely and between Britain and Ireland freely, you know just with an ID and with very few complications.

We need to protect that. Its very valuable to us. And thats why we will work together on these issues, and it will certainly feature in my conversations with the British Government and is happening at ministerial level too.

So, certainly when it comes to irregular migration, if we can stop people getting onto either island illegally, well then that removes the issue of the crossing between the two jurisdictions.

Mr Varadkar was asked whether the UK governments controversial legislative Bill to crack down on human trafficking was an example of the sort of hard-line action he was supportive of.

The Illegal Migration Bill aims to stop people claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive through unauthorised means.

Well, I think human trafficking is wrong, he replied.

Its an illegal activity for a start and what human traffickers do is they put people on boats and send them across the sea to another country and they dont really care if they die on the way or not because they got the money.

You know, it is a criminal industry and I think everyone, any right-thinking person, would want to be hard on that. Its not a particular issue for us in Ireland because our seas are so vast that people cant get there on small boats, but I can understand why governments across Europe, particularly the Mediterranean area, have to take the actions that they do.

Mr Varadkar said Irish police had reported that irregular entries to Ireland using the airports were decreasing, at the same time more people were entering the country via the land border from Northern Ireland.

Certainly, there is evidence from the gardai that when we started checking people coming off the planes again that that decreased the numbers coming through Dublin airport, but there was an increase of people then coming from north to south, he said.

But I should say it goes in both directions. Its not a case of Ireland blaming Britain or Britain blaming Ireland. We have a Common Travel Area, we need to preserve that and that means working together on these issues.
Brian Ward, 26 Oakgrove, Kinlough was charged with the theft of a bottle of rum and a bottle of vodka worth approximately 59 at Spar, Main St, Kinlough on December 13, 2021.



The case came before Judge John Aylmer in Carrick-on-Shannon Circuit Court last Wednesday, March 8.

Garda Bernard Kenny from Kinlough Garda Station said Mr Ward and a member of his family entered the shop owned by Noel McGowan on the above date. He placed the two bottles of alcohol in a bag and handed them to the family member. They then both left the shop without paying. They were followed by staff but refused to return. It was all captured on CCTV and Mr McGowan identified both parties.



The next day, December 14, 2021 Gardai interviewed the defendant but nothing of evidential value was obtained.

The court heard the defendant had 107 previous convictions, 25 of which were for theft.

Barrister Eoin McGovern told the court Mr Ward who is 36-years-old has ten children and lives with his wife and family in Boyle, Co Roscommon. Three of Mr Wards children have a blood disorder and one child has cerebral palsy. He also said his client is on a waiting list for alcohol rehab. He explained his client who served a prison sentence for road traffic offences was released in February 2021 and remained clean and sober for 15 months before relapsing.



The court was informed Mr Ward has a matter in Letterkenny Circuit Court next week and has recently completed a Probation Service assessment. Judge John Aylmer adjourned this matter into Letterkenny Circuit Court so all offences could be dealt with together.

Mr Ward had 100 compensation in court for Mr McGowan, owner of Kinloughs Spar store.
A man who had previously been found guilty of producing an axe and threatening to kill another man had his case concluded at Manorhamilton District Court last week.

John Flanagan, 3 Rouse Close, Knock, Stafford, UK, was found guilty in June 2022 of criminal damage, assault, and threatening behaviour and intimidation using an axe at Kilcoon, Dromahair on May 29, 2021.

The 52-year-old father of two had threatened a man with an axe telling him he had split in two someone who had previously entered the property.

Judge Sandra Murphy had adjourned sentencing and ordered a probation order and last Wednesday she delivered her ruling, ordering Mr Flanagan to carry out a total of 140 hours community service.

In the June court Mr Flanagan said that he had moved to Ireland to care for his mother.

Josef Pinzari told the court that he worked for Blackwater Asset Management and was carrying out a property inspection on behalf of receivers. He said that he had keys to the property and as part of his brief had to take photos and file a report.

State Solicitor at the time, Noel Farrell, explained that Mr Pinzari had been carrying out an inspection of the recently repossessed, partially built, property in Dromahair when he was approached by the defendant, who was carrying an axe.

He came out of the hedges and threatened him, said Mr Farrell.

He said that Mr Pinzari did not know the defendant and had begun recording the incident on his phone. This video was shown in the court.

Mr Farrell noted that the video showed the defendant heading to Mr Pinzari's vehicle and noted that the defendant told Mr Pinzari that he had split in two the last person who was on the property.

A physical altercation occurred near the vehicle and Mr Pinzari disarmed Mr Flanagan, taking his axe and placing it in the boot of his car before driving away.

Mr Farrell said that as Mr Pinzari drove away Mr Flanagan struck the car, a Mercedes Benz, causing damage.

Mr Pinzari drove to Manorhamilton Garda Station where he reported the incident and then was directed to Sligo Garda Station where photos of the damage to his vehicle were taken by scenes of crime officers.

Gda William Powell told the court that he had been on duty on May 29 and had taken a statement of the incident from Mr Pinzari.

Judge Sandra Murphy said at the time these were extremely serious charges with very onerous and draconian penalties.

She ordered a probation report to assess Mr Flanagans suitability for community service before remanding him on continuing bail.

Last week, Conor Maguire, solicitor, said Mr Flanagan believed he was provoked but now agreed that what had happened shouldnt have happened and he regretted his actions.

He said Mr Flanagan had never been before the courts in Ireland or the UK and had a completely clean record.

He should have walked away and called the Gardai, it was a red mist moment and he sincerely regrets it now, Mr Maguire said.

He said Mr Flanagan, who played for Leicester City for four years and has a degree in equine studies, had returned to Ireland during the pandemic to look after his 85-year-old mother. He has two adult children, one living in the US and one in the UK.

Mr Maguire said a criminal conviction would mean he would not be able to travel to the US to see his son.

He said the probation report was very favourable and asked Judge Murphy to take a certain view and give him one chance.

Judge Murphy remarked they were very serious offences and it was a very serious matter, noting that the case had been fully fought.

Mr Flanagan said the whole thing had happened so quickly on a Saturday morning when he was cutting up wood and had an axe in his hand. He said it wasnt a case of him going and looking for an axe to brandish at the man.

He said he didnt understand the implications at the time and said a conviction would have a serious impact on him.

Judge Murphy said to him that he had no insight into what was done, it was a big axe and he had said to the victim the last person who called to the property had been split in two.

You did damage to the car. You had a lack of insight and it continues in relation to what happened. It was proven in court you did what you did, Judge Murphy told him.

Judge Murphy noted what were very detailed probation reports.

On the charge of threatening to kill, she convicted and sentenced him to 80 hours community service, three months in prison in lieu.

She convicted and sentenced him to an additional 60 hours community service for producing an axe, again indicating three months in lieu. He was also convicted of criminal damage and that was taken into consideration.

Recognisances of 250 in his own bond and 250 cash were fixed in the event of an appeal.

A certificate of legal aid was granted.
This combination photo shows Russian President Vladimir Putin (left) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on September 16, 2022, and China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing on December 2, 2019. SERGEI BOBYLEV; NOEL CELIS / AP

China says President Xi Jinping will visit Russia from Monday, March 20 to March 22 in an apparent show of support for Vladimir Putin.

No other details were given, but China has declared a "no-limits" friendship with Russia and refused to condemn Moscow's invasion  even while declaring that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries be respected.

The Kremlin on Friday also announced the visit, saying it will take place "at the invitation of Vladimir Putin."

Xi and Putin will discuss "issues of further development of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China," as well as exchange views "in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese cooperation in the international arena," the Kremlin said in a statement. The two leaders will also sign "important bilateral documents," the statement read.

Beijing has also condemned Western sanctions and accused NATO and the United States of provoking Russia. Putin invited Xi to visit Russia during a video conference call the two held in late December. The visit, Putin said, could "demonstrate to the whole world the strength of the Russian-Chinese ties" and "become the main political event of the year in bilateral relations."

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes 'The 'no-limits friendship' between Putin and Xi has reached its limits. It is not panning out well for Russia'

In a rare phone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Thursday, China's foreign minister said Beijing is concerned about the year-old grinding conflict with Russia spinning out of control and urged talks on a political solution with Moscow.

Qin Gang told Dmytro Kuleba that China has "always upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks," China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

Kuleba later tweeted that he and Qin "discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity."

"I underscored the importance of [Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's]'s Peace Formula for ending the aggression and restoring just peace in Ukraine," wrote Kuleba, who spoke the same day with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Beijing: A new political player in the Middle East

Le Monde with AP
... Says Cummings

The Standard Bearer of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Alexander Cummings, has disclosed that inadequate funding of the National Elections Commission (NEC) puts the country's democracy, and security at risk.

Cummings argues that President George Weah's administration's failure to timely finance the NEC constitutes a flagrant breach of the Liberian Constitution.

"The issue of insufficient funding is the result of gross incompetence on the part of the Weah's administration, which then put the country's peace and security at serious risk," Cummings claimed in an interview with the VOA on, March 12.

"There is an urgent need to adequately fund the electoral process and hold the NEC accountable to conduct free, fair and transparent elections that reflect the actual will of the Liberian people."

Cummings' rebuke of the Weah administration comes after the electoral body's had complaints about not receiving all of the funding required to conduct the voter registration process.

According to the NEC, the Ministry of Finance has provided US$18 million for the conduct of the biometric voters registration which is expected to kick off this month but a deficit of US$3.3 million still remains.

"We were informed that some four million was being processed but up to date, there is no funding for the elections process," NEC Board Davidetta Browne Lansanah disclosed during a March 10 appearance at the Senate.

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Lansanah also revealed that the Weah administration has also adjusted its US$91 million election budget to US$33 million and promised to make payment in phases.

This for Cummings, is worrisome as payment in phase pose a threat to the elections, saying he will remain vocal about the adequate and timely funding of the electoral process.

Cummings added that he will galvanize opposition political parties to discuss the need for the Weah administration to realize that funding NEC is a "critical responsibility" for the country's safety.

On the issue of the recently concluded census, the CPP Standard Bearer said there are serious concerns about the integrity of the census result.

Cummings said he is awaiting the details of the census for proper analysis and evaluation by a team of specialists, to make an informed decision.

The CPP Standard Bearer spoke on a wide range of issues aimed at restoring good governance, improved health care, education, economic revitalization, job creation, and ensuring national security for all Liberians and foreigners on the shores of Liberia.
Two Mig-29 fighter-bombers during an exercise near Lask Air Base, Poland, on October 12, 2022. RADOSLAW JOZWIAK / AFP

This is a new stage in Western military support for Ukraine, and without doubt a new red line crossed, from Moscow's point of view. On Thursday, March 16, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced the delivery of four fully operational MiG-29 fighter jets to the Ukrainian Air Force in the next few days. "Other aircraft are being maintained and will probably be transferred successively" to Ukraine, the Polish head of state added, during a joint press conference with his Czech counterpart, Petr Pavel.

However modest it may seem, this announcement is a first. Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, nearly 13 months ago, no NATO member country had supplied combat aircraft to the Kyiv forces. According to various sources, Ukraine did receive a few Sukhoi Su-25s in the spring of 2022, transferred to its territory as spare parts, but their origin has never been clarified. Bulgaria denied having supplied these aircraft (now decommissioned).

The announcement is all the more important because at least some of the Polish MiG-29s  a Soviet fighter-bomber that entered service in 1983 and has been involved in numerous conflicts (Iraq, Yugoslavia, Kosovo, etc.) in recent decades  have been "hybridized" with modern equipment, making them more effective than the aircraft currently available to Ukraine. "They are equipped with avionics [electronic equipment] to NATO standards and can drop guided bombs," said Xavier Tytelman, an aviation consultant and president of the firm Aviation NXT.

Aircraft Ukrainian pilots are familiar with

Ukrainian pilots will also be able to use them as they are familiar wtih flying aircraft from the Soviet era. The Ukrainian air force is essentially composed of MiG-29s, Sukhoi Su-27s and Sukhoi Su-25s. These have an undeniable advantage over Western aircraft, which, even if delivered quickly to Ukraine, could not be used for several months, given the significant technological differences between the aircraft.

This first shipment of four fighters will be followed by others, promised Duda, one of the European leaders most hostile to Russia. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Warsaw still has 28 MiG-29s in its arsenal, a dozen of which are operational. Above all, other countries could follow Poland. Several nations are "clearly" ready to provide Ukraine with MiG-29s, Polish government spokesperson Piotr Muller said on Wednesday. Slovakia, which has a dozen MiG-29s, said it was considering it, but has not yet made a decision. Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania also have several of these aircraft.

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Slovak Air Force MiG-29 goes through a water gate during an airshow in Malacky, Slovakia, Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. PETR DAVID JOSEK / AP

Slovaki's government approved a plan on Friday, March 17, to give Ukraine its fleet of 13 Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets, becoming the second NATO member country to heed the Ukrainian government's pleas for warplanes to help defend against Russia's invasion. Prime Minister Eduard Heger said during a news conference announcing the decision that his government was "on the right side of history." Earlier, Heger tweeted that military aid was key to ensuring Ukraine can defend itself and all of Europe against Russia.

Poland announced Thursday that it would give Ukraine around a dozen MiG-29s, starting with four expected to be delivered in the coming days. Both Poland and Slovakia had indicated previously they were ready to grant Ukraine's requests for military aircraft, but only as part of a wider international coalition. Heger said his government's move "is closely coordinated with the Polish side, Ukraine and other allies."

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Poland will be the first NATO country to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the promised planes were another example of NATO members "raising the level of their direct involvement in the conflict." "The equipment deliveries naturally won't have any impact on the outcome of the special military operation, but it may bring more misfortune to Ukraine and Ukrainian people," Peskov said during a conference call with reporters.

Slovakia will receive 200 million euros ($213 million) from the European Union as compensation and unspecified arms from the United States worth 700 million euros ($745 million) in exchange for giving its MiG-29 fleet to Ukraine, Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Western objections to supporting Ukraine are limited but growing

Ukraine will be able to use the MiGs immediately without needing any training. Before Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine had several dozen MiG-29s it had inherited in the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, but it's unclear how many remain in service after more than a year of fighting.

The Slovak government that made the decision to sign a bilateral deal with Ukraine for the jets has only limited powers after a December no-confidence vote brought down the coalition government that was formed after the country's 2020 election. The next election is set for September, when the opposition stands a good chance of winning. Its leaders include populist former Prime Minister Robert Fico, who opposes military support for Ukraine and EU sanctions on Russia and has said Slovakia's government has no mandate to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine. Opposition parties including Fico's Smer-Social Democracy party rejected the government's decision Friday, threatening to sue.

Read more Slovak government collapses after losing no-confidence vote

Le Monde with AP
In 1910, one of the first laws aimed at introducing pensions was described by the CGT as a "measure for the dead": At that time, 94% of workers did not reach the age of 65. Demands for an eight-hour work day made more sense. That's why  rather than talking about retirement  Paul Lafargue, as early as 1880, demanded TThe Right to Be Lazy, a superb bit of wit to promote a drastic reduction of daily working time.

We often associate long working days, drudgery and working until we die with the industrialization of the 19th century, but these phenomenons date back to well before then, both in cities and the countryside. The great textile factories of the 17th century were based on schedules that had already been tried and tested two or three centuries earlier: 13 to 14 hours of work per day, with demanding productivity standards. When workers could no longer meet these standards, they were downgraded to jobs that were less demanding, but also paid less. The family and charitable institutions were all they had to fall back on when they could no longer work. There was no retirement, except for old soldiers or certain elderly servants of the state.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Is delaying the retirement age the only way to save France's pension system?

Industrialization only increased the number of workers subjected to such regimes. In the cotton mills of the 1890s, men were earning the most at the age of 40, women at the age of 35. From then, the older you got, the less you were paid. After the decree of September 9, 1848, daily working time in this industry was 12 hours, with people working 280 to 290 days a year. This decree was one of the first signs  albeit a timid one  of state intervention in social matters.

However, with fraud, legal exceptions and sectors ignored by the law, around 1880 we can still find workers who worked maximum hours similar to those of the beginning of the century or of pre-industrial Europe, i.e. 3.400 to 3.700 hours per year  compared to 1.500 today! Of course, many of them worked only intermittently. But when work was urgent, they no longer counted their hours. Reasoning by average makes no sense here.

A vision of life in three phases

Additionally, the definition of working hours means nothing without an analysis of the kind of work. The intensification of physical work did not wait for industrialization: machines dictate working rhythms, which increase with technical progress and force the worker to intensify their efforts. As a laboratory of modernity, textile spinning, for example, required more intense use of a person's body and attention. Intensification also affected sectors that were not as affected by the mechanical revolution. In mines, construction, and industries using fire, methods of remuneration (piecework and subcontracting) were designed to make workers compete with each other. From 1870 to 1880, the spread of small pieces of equipment  like sewing machines, for example  meant that people could also be subjected to this piecework pressure at home. Drudgery was sometimes much greater at the end of the 19th century than at the beginning.

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DEVELOPERS have withdrawn a planning application for a gas-fired power plant in Limerick after more than 800 people signed an online petition against the scheme.

Kilshane Energy sought planning permission from Limerick City and County Council for the 150m project, having identified land at the old quarry site in Luddenmore, near Ballyneety.

The plant would be capable of generating power for up to 300,000 homes, but would primarily be used to tackle energy shortages which may occur during extreme weather periods.

However, there has been huge concern about the proposals in the community, with more than 800 people signing an online petition against the project.

Some 53 groups and individuals have contacted council, mostly opposing the application. In this number was local councillor

Brigid Teefy, who wrote: This is a rural community and the location of the proposed gas plant in the open countryside is totally unsuitable for this proposed project.

There are no services to support this proposal and the impact on the rural area of this type of development is unnecessary, she added.

In the wake of the planning application, an action committee was set up to fight against the blueprint with over 100 locals joining the campaign.

The rationale behind the firm withdrawing the application is unclear, with Kilshane Energy declining to comment.

However, there are some suggestions that the application was to be removed before the objections. But representatives of the firm only formally wrote to council to request its withdrawal this Monday.

This is after the vast majority of objections had arrived at County Hall.

One of the members of the action committee Suzanne Higgins says residents have welcomed the withdrawal of the application by Kilshane Energy.

But she added: We know and weve all said ourselves that we are not taking our eye off the ball. We feel there will be a new application at some point, whatever it might look like. Whether thats in a month, six months or even a year, we as a community are going to keep an eye out.

We will not allow this plant to proceed with planning. Its entirely unsuitable and will be a detriment to every individual living here. It offers no benefits to the community, and we must protect our people, land, animals now and for our future, so our children will still have a home which is untarnished by pollution, the group said in a statement.

Ms Higgins said there is a single-lane, unmarked road around the old quarry, so even getting construction traffic to the site could cause problems.

The roads and local infrastructure doesnt cater for it. No gas line is nearby, so this would mean another submission [application to the council]. I dont know where the nearest gas line is. What will they do? Dig up fields for 3km to 5km  I dont know how this is feasible, she added.

The application for the plant details a 44-metre high chimney stack, which Ms Higgins said would not fit in with the natural landscape and added it wouldnt clear adjacent land, with a neighbouring field rising up higher than this.

If it doesnt clear neighbouring land, what is the point of having it there, she asked.

We are near Lough Gur which is going for a dark-sky initiative. The [gas-fired] site is presumably going to have all-night lighting. These types of plants are often quite loud when generating. Would local animals be spooked by this, she asked.

Kilshane Energy  backed by Belfast businessman Stuart Draffin  had an application before Fingal County Council to build a similar facility. But these proposals were rejected by planners in north Dublin. Although powered by fossil fuels, gas-fired power generators emit fewer greenhouse gases than existing coal and other fossil fuel plants.
REPRESENTATIVES of Limerick City and County Council, who are in the Big Apple for St Patricks Day, met with senior executives from Tourism Ireland.

Councillor Francis Foley, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, was joined by Caroline Curley of Limerick City and County Council at the Tourism Ireland event in New York City this Thursday.

During the visit, the Limerick delegates were briefed on Tourism Irelands extensive promotional programme in the United States for 2023, which is in full swing right now.

This April in the US, the Fill your heart with Ireland campaign will aim to rebuild overseas tourism to Ireland, and remind American holidaymakers that Ireland offers the warmest of welcomes and great fun, as well as wonderful scenery and heritage.

Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Irelands Head of North America, said: "We were delighted to meet with the representatives of Limerick City and County Council and to have the opportunity to brief them about the extensive promotional programme we are undertaking in the United States this year.

"The campaign is about celebrating the different ways in which Ireland fills the hearts of our visitors and of locals  and inviting potential American holidaymakers to come and experience those for themselves."

"Weve been taking every opportunity to capitalise on Irelands heightened profile around this St Patricks Day period," said Ms Metcalfe.

Tourism Ireland is the organisation responsible for promoting the island of Ireland overseas as a leading holiday destination.
A TEENAGER who is accused of making threats to kill two people has been remanded in continuing custody.

Barbie Kardashian, 18, of no fixed abode, appeared before Limerick District Court via video link from the womens section of Limerick Prison this Tuesday afternoon.

Ms Kardashian appeared in front of Judge Mary Larkin for a brief two-minute hearing, wearing a pink t-shirt, after she was escorted to the video link by a prison officer.

At a previous appearance of Limerick District Court on September 26, gardai had informed the court that Ms Kardashian was born a male but had identified as female, and was very anxious she be detained in a prison facility for females, as she identifies as a female.

Kardashian was refused bail following a garda objection and has been remanded in continuing custody until she appears before the court again next month.

Solicitor Darach McCarthy appeared for Ms Kardashian, acting as an agent for another solicitor.

Prosecuting sergeant Sean Moloney told the judge that gardai are awaiting directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions, and asked that the matter be revisited in four weeks.

Judge Larkin remanded the accused in custody at the womens section of the Mulgrave Street prison, and to appear before Limerick District Court via video link on November 10.
Liam Neeson has said he thinks a united Ireland will happen if all sides are appeased.

The Hollywood star, 70, who grew up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, said Protestant and Catholic voices have to be heard.

Speaking to Skys Beth Rigby Interviews, the Taken actor said: I think it will happen but, you know, everybody has to be appeased.

The Protestants in the north of Ireland have a strong voice.

I hear them, I know where theyre coming from, and they have to be respected.

If theres going to be a united Ireland, their voice has to be heard and they have to be represented, if a united Ireland comes about.

Neeson told of theatres receiving bomb threats while he was working as a stage actor.

The actor also said the Good Friday Agreement, signed on April 10 1998 to bring an end to the Troubles, was an extraordinary achievement.

He went on: There was just a feeling in the air, you know, of change  and change for good.

Neeson currently stars in Marlowe, which will be his 100th film, and tells the story of a brooding, down on his luck detective hired to find the ex-lover of a glamorous heiress in Los Angeles.

Neesons role of detective Phillip Marlowe, is based on the famous character created by American-British author Raymond Chandler.

Speaking at the films London premiere, he told the PA news agency: I felt honoured to play him.

Im an avid reader but strangely enough I have not read Raymond Chandler until I knew I was doing the film  it was just a great discovery.

He was a most extraordinary writer and a most extraordinary character.

Neeson said it had been cool stepping back into the 1930s, being able to wear suits and trilby hats.

Asked what drew him to characters such as Marlowe, he added: They have a certain code of ethics thats rapidly disappearing in todays world.

Some people might say its old-fashioned but I dont. Its a lovely code of ethics and a code of behaviour.

Marlowe is due for UK release on March 17.
The Irish-American relationship has been hailed as one of two proud democracies, close friends and economic partners by Leo Varadkar ahead of his visit to the White House for St Patricks Day.

The Irish premier made the remarks at a reception hosted at the residence of Irelands ambassador to the US Geraldine Byrne Nason, in which he praised Irelands 14 Oscar nominations.

He said the Irish-US relationship took root and grew from the contribution of millions of Irish emigrants who came here over the years to expend their talents and energies in the creation of modern America.

The Irish and Scots Irish came here from a troubled homeland to build new lives for themselves and their families and they succeeded.

Among those present at the event were DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, UN Special Envoy to Northern Ireland Joe Kennedy III, and former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mr Varadkars partner Matt Barrett.

It comes after Mr Varadkar apologised for an ill-judged remark made during a speech in Washington DC on Thursday in what is being seen as an apparent reference to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.

While reminiscing about his experience as an intern in the United States, the Taoiseach made a reference to possible concern about being an intern in the US capital at the time.

Mr Varadkar made the remarks during an address to the Washington Ireland Programme, which helps young people develop career skills and which Mr Varadkar took part in in 2000.

The Taoiseachs comment came hours after attending an event honouring womens role in the Good Friday Agreement, during which he praised Hillary Clinton for her sustained involvement in Northern Ireland.

A spokesperson for Mr Varadkar said in a statement following the event: At the Washington Ireland Programme event today, the Taoiseach was reminiscing about his time in Washington DC as an intern 23 years ago.

He made an ill-judged off the cuff remark which he regrets. He apologises for any offence caused to anyone concerned.

It comes as former US president Bill Clinton and Mrs Clinton are due to take a leading role in commemorations planned in Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next month.

The remarks were made at one of the lower profile events on the Taoiseachs three-day itinerary in DC, taking place between engagements with senior political and business figures.

Monica Lewinsky was a young White House intern when she and the then-US president Bill Clinton embarked on a romance in the 1990s.

She was pilloried for years after the scandal broke.

The affair almost forced Mr Clinton out of office and Ms Lewinsky has spoken about the devastating effect it had on her life in the years after.

Mr Varadkar sat beside Hillary Clinton at Thursday mornings event at Georgetown University focusing on the role of women in the peace process in Northern Ireland.

The Taoiseachs controversial comments about interns later in the day came ahead of his meeting with President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday to mark St Patricks Day.

During a bilateral meeting the two politicians are expected to discuss the Presidents planned visit to the island of Ireland next month.

Mr Varadkar is also set to thank Joe Biden for his administrations support during the Brexit process.

The Taoiseachs visit will culminate in a high-profile ceremony to hand over a crystal bowl of shamrocks to the US president at the White House.

Fridays programme will start with a breakfast engagement for Mr Varadkar with US vice-president Kamala Harris.
Air India unveiled a second round of an early retirement scheme for employees in just about a year since its takeover by the Tata group. The move underscores efforts by the once state-owned airline to prune its workforce and cut costs.

Mint was the first to report on 4 November about Air Indias plan to introduce a second voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) to trim staff costs and pave the way for a younger workforce.

The new round has been offered to all permanent general cadre officers who are at least 40 years and completed at least five years of continuous service at Air India. This includes clerical and unskilled employees.

Those applying from 17 March to 30 April will also be provided with an ex-gratia amount as a one-time benefit. Other eligible employees who apply until 31 March will receive 1 lakh in addition to the ex-gratia amount.

The loss-making airline launched the first phase of VRS in June 2022. It was offered to 4,500 eligible employees above 40 years and who have completed 20 years of continuous employment.

There has been a request from employees for extending the additional benefit of voluntary retirement to other permanent employees as well," read an announcement by Air India to its employees.

The first VRS offered by Air India since its takeover in January 2022 was accepted by 1,500 employees. At the time of its privatization, the airline had about 12,085 employees, of whom 8,084 were permanent employees.

Meanwhile, Air India, owned 25.1% by Singapore Airlines, has been looking to add new talent in line with its transformation plan. It plans to achieve accelerated growth in domestic and international aviation markets.

The company is also trying to reduce the multiplicity of roles and bring in more efficiency in manpower, a person aware of the development said, requesting anonymity.

The airline aims to achieve a 30% share in both domestic and international markets in the next five years. Currently, it has a domestic market share of 10% and an international market share of 12%.

Last month, the full-service airline placed a mammoth order of 470 aircraft with an option to extend the order size to 840.

Air India, along with AirAsia India, Vistara and Air India Express, are currently under the umbrella of Tata Sons, the holding company of the diversified Tata group.
New Delhi: Gail (India) Limited on Friday said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shell Energy India Private Limited to explore opportunities in different facets of energy value chain.

Gail plans to import ethane from the US to replace natural gas and naphtha as feedstock at petrochemical plants.

For Gail, this is a step towards achieving improved sustenance in business operations, the company said in a statement.

In a bid to diversify feedstock for its petrochemical plant, Gail is looking to import ethane from ethane-surplus countries with matured export terminal infrastructure through water-borne transportation and transport it further through its pipeline systems to demand centres.

The MoU envisages to explore prospects in import and handling of different hydrocarbons which are important chemical and petrochemical precursors, LNG for road transport, regasification of imported LNG and renewables, the statement added.

Gail is Indias largest natural gas company. It owns and operates a network of around 14,830 kilometres of natural gas pipelines spread across the length and breadth of the country. It commands around 68% market share in gas transmission and sells 53% of all gas sold in the country.

The company reported 90% drop in December quarter net profit after it suffered losses in petrochemical and natural gas marketing business.

Consolidated net profit of 397.59 crore in October-December 2022 is compared with 3,800.09 crore earning in the same period a year back.
analysis

.... "Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere [Artificial Intelligence], will become the ruler of the world." Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin

What if voters in Liberia had the ability to decide who to vote for by using an ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-based (AI-based) software, installed on their mobile devices, or any computing device?

What if a voter could simply enter the names and credentials of presidential candidates, into an AI-based system that has the capacity to do a comparative analysis of those candidates, based on their qualifications, previous and present contributions, moral and ethical history, etc., and predict whether he/she would be a good leader?

What if this "AI-based software" had algorithms that leverage "trained data" (candidates' credentials) to predict the winner of an election? Would you be comfortable voting that way?

Using the approach mentioned above, candidates would not have to invest the kinds of resources (money, time, etc.) they currently invest in campaigns; all they would need are their qualifications, and past and present history since those are the "data" the "software" will use to make predictions. Could all this happen anytime soon? Of course! In fact, they are happening now!

Now, let us look at political campaigns. What if a political candidate uses Artificial Intelligence as a campaign tool to overpower the competition? Let us assume for a moment, he/she uses "Deepfakes" as a propaganda tool (mind you, we have no laws in Liberia against deep fakes, do we?).

Knowing how gullible our Liberian society is, this could be effective in manipulating the sentiments of voters. "DEEPFAKE is a video of a person in which their face or body has been digitally altered so that they are someone else, typically used maliciously or to spread false information." Deepfakes use advanced AI (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE) techniques to first encode features, then reconstruct images from the encoded features.

For example, a political party develops a distasteful video of another candidate to play on the sentiments of voters, especially the gullible ones. Obviously, such a video can and will have the propensity to destroy the other candidate's campaign and his/her chances of winning. Is this possible in Liberia? Of course!

Note that Liberia now has a higher internet penetration rate now (2023), while smartphones have incredibly permeated our society. These days, folks in rural areas have access to smartphones, so even the most illiterate person has access to social media, which uses videos and other visual mechanisms to play on the sentiments of people.

So, to paraphrase Russian president Vladimir Putin, in modern presidential and general elections, whoever becomes the leader in the use of Artificial Intelligence or any other technology, will become the winner.

In presidential and general elections, money and propaganda have been the most effective and ubiquitous tools used by candidates. In some cases, especially in developing countries like Liberia, low literacy and the epidemic poverty rates are vehemently exploited. But this is not exactly the case in modern day electioneering, especially since the advent of the Internet and its accompanying technologies. Who would have imagined this?

The internet and social media have changed the way many things are done today, including the way presidential and general elections are held. And just as these technologies have shifted the paradigms in politics, so too have political candidates and other politicians shifted the paradigm in the way they conduct their affairs, including campaigning.

Oftentimes, this paradigm shift is articulated as the "ELEMENT OF SURPRISE" thus, catching their opponents off guard. This gives them (politicians) a competitive advantage over their opponents and helps them ultimately achieve victory.

Can all this happen in Liberia or any part of Africa? Certainly, and it has! The recent scandal of Cambridge Analytica's significant role in African politics, notably in Kenyan and Nigerian elections, is an example of how African politicians and economic elites can connive or collude with foreign AI firms to capture sensitive data of citizens.

Another case of AI use in elections is the one of 2016, in which the major opposition party in Ghana won a historic election by using a data analytics system to avoid the controversy that surrounded the previous election results. This party predicted the 2016 election results before the electoral commission declared it the winner.

We are now in 2023, a time referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution or 4IR, driven by another "phenomenon", known as ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, which will impact the world more disruptively than the internet had done years ago. It has emerged as a significant technology in many fields, including politics.

In Liberia, while AI is still relatively new to the multitude, it has the potential to bring a significant metamorphosis to our national politics and electoral process. In our presidential and general elections, AI can be utilized in several ways including voter registration, data analysis, and security. The implementation of AI technology in these areas can be beneficial, as it helps to improve transparency, efficiency, and accuracy in the election process.

What follows is a delineation of a few ways in which AI can be used to change the political landscape, through the National Elections Commission, political campaigns, and voters' actions.

Voter Registration: The process of voter registration can be complex and time-consuming, with a high possibility of errors. However, AI technology can be used to streamline this process and reduce the potential for errors. For instance, AI algorithms can be used to automatically verify and authenticate voter information, such as fingerprints and facial recognition, which helps to prevent voter fraud and ensure that only eligible voters are registered.

Voter Outreach: AI-powered chatbots can be used for voter outreach and education, answering questions, providing information on polling locations, and even reminding voters to cast their ballots.

Data analysis: AI can help to streamline this process by automating data collection and analysis, which helps to identify patterns and trends that might be missed by human analysts. This data analysis can help to identify voter preferences, assess campaign effectiveness, and even predict election outcomes.

Security: AI-powered surveillance systems, security personnel can detect and prevent potential threats to the election process, such as voter intimidation and violence. For instance, to ensure Nairobi, Kenya's capital city, is safe, the government is using AI-powered facial recognition video surveillance technology to complement policing efforts and expedite case-solving.

Social Media Monitoring: AI-powered social media monitoring tools can be used to detect and prevent potential threats, such as fake news and disinformation campaigns that may influence the election outcome.

Task Automation: There are AI-powered election management tools that can be used to automate tasks, such as ballot counting and reporting, which can reduce errors and speed up the electoral process.

Predictive Modeling can be used to forecast election outcomes and identify factors that may influence voting patterns.

In political campaigns, AI tools can be used in many ways to give a candidate a competitive advantage over his/her competitor. For example, AI can be used to analyze voter sentiment, predict election outcomes, target specific demographics, automate campaign activities and so on. Some AI tools that can be used in political campaigns include:

Chatbots are AI-powered digital assistants that can interact with voters and answer questions in real-time. Chatbots can be used to automate the process of responding to voter inquiries and providing personalized campaign messaging.

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Predictive analytics involve using statistical techniques to analyze large data sets and make predictions about future events. Predictive analytics can be used to forecast election outcomes and inform campaign strategies.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a branch of AI that focuses on the interaction between computers and human language. NLP can be used to analyze social media posts, news articles, and other forms of online communication to identify trending topics, sentiment, and other insights that can be used to inform campaign messaging.

Machine Learning (ML) can be used to predict voter behavior, identify swing voters, and target specific demographics with personalized campaign messages.

Image and speech recognition technologies can be used to analyze videos and images of political rallies and events to gauge audience sentiment and engagement.

Another AI-based tool that could impact elections and campaigns is FACT-CHECK SYSTEMS. Fact-Check Systems are systems that allow citizens and marginalized groups to participate in the elections process by counter-checking statements made by candidates to ensure that they are factual. This system draws from previous data relating to candidates that are stored on the Internet.

I have just listed a few ways that AI can be used in elections. Let me end by noting that while AI tools can provide valuable insights and efficiencies in political campaigns, they should be used responsibly and in compliance with ethical and legal standards. Doing so will ensure fairness and transparency in the democratic process.

Irresponsible use of AI could influence policy discussions negatively and change the political narratives of the country. So, let's not forget what President Putin said, "Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere [Artificial Intelligence], will become the ruler of the world."

Until next week, CARPE DIEM!!!
The Delhi high court on Friday directed the Centre and the Delhi government to immediately address Delhi Metro Rail Corp.s (DMRC) request to extend sovereign guarantee, or interest-free debt, to help clear arbitral award dues to Reliance Infrastructure-owned Delhi Airport Metro Express.

The decision be taken within a period of two weeks from today. If permission is accorded to the DMRC in respect of either of the two modes as suggested by it, it shall proceed to deposit the entire amount payable under the award along with up-to-date interest in terms thereof within one month," said a bench led by Justice Yashwant Varma. Delhi Airport Metro Express, a unit of Reliance Infrastructure, appro-ached the court to recover unpaid arbitral award dues of 7,200 crore from DMRC.

The high court added that if the Centre and the Delhi government decline the request, the Centre should repatriate all funds received by it from the Delhi Metro after 10 March 2022. Upon receipt of the money, the Delhi Metro shall transfer the dues to Reliance Infrastructure, the court said.

In case DMRC fails to clear its dues, the court said it reserves the right to frame further appropriate directions against the Union ministry and the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD). On 18 January, DMRC, in a ditch effort to pay the dues, submitted before the high court that it had requested the Delhi government and the Centre to provide an interest-free subordinate debt of 3,565.64 crore each for paying its arbitration dues owed to Delhi Airport Metro.

In 2017, Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt. Ltd won a 4,500 crore arbitration award against DMRC. The arbitral tribunal accepted the claim of Delhi Airport Metro that running trains on the airport line was not viable due to structural defects in the viaduct made by DMRC.

The Supreme Court in December directed the Delhi high court to execute within three months the arbitral award of 7,200 crore won by the Delhi Airport Metro Express against state-owned DMRC, of which an amount of 2,600 crore has already been disbursed.
Housing Development Finance Corp, India's largest mortgage lender, on Friday said it would consider fundraising on 27 March by the issuance of non-convertible debentures of up to 57,000 crore on a private placement basis.

In a stock exchange filing, HDFC Corp wrote, "We wish to inform you that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Corporation is scheduled to be held on Monday, March 27, 2023 inter alia to consider issuance of unsecured redeemable nonconvertible debentures, in various tranches, under a Shelf Placement Memorandum, aggregating 57,000 crore on a private placement basis, in accordance with the approval granted by the shareholders of the Corporation at the 45th Annual General Meeting held on June 30, 2022".

Last month, HDFC raised 25,000 crore through a 10-year non-convertible debenture issue.

HDFC, which is soon to be merged with Hdfc Bank, sold 10-year bonds at a coupon of 7.97%.

"Today, as soon as the bids opened, there was a wide participation from several high-quality investors across insurance companies, pension funds, provident funds, banks, and mutual funds," the mortgage firm said in February.

The issue was oversubscribed and received 92 bids amounting to 27,863 crore of which the company retained 55 investor bids totalling 25,000 crore, it said.

HDFC was Indias top seller of rupee bonds last year, according to Bloomberg news agency.

Most of the funds would help HDFC meet capital requirements after the merger, while some of it may also be used to buy government bonds to meet its statutory liquidity ratio needs to post the merger, merchant bankers said.

The NBFC has now raised an aggregate of 784.14 billion through bond issuance in this financial year, the highest by any company.
The Cabinet on Friday approved for listing of IREDA - a CPSE under Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) on the stock exchanges through an Initial Public Offer (IPO) by part sale of governments stake in it and to raise funds for IREDA through issue of fresh equity shares.

Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) will drive the listing process," Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) said in a press release.

This decision supersedes earlier CCEA decision taken in June, 2017 for allowing IREDA to issue 13.90 crore fresh equity shares of  10.00 each to the public on book building basis through IPO.

The instant decision has been necessitated due to change in capital structure following infusion of capital to the tune of  1500 crore by the government in March, 2022.

The Initial Public Offer (IPO) will help in unlocking the value of governments investment on one hand and on the other hand will provide an opportunity to the public to acquire stake in the national asset and draw benefits therefrom.

Besides, it will help IREDA in raising a part of its capital requirement for meeting growth plans without depending on the public exchequer, and improve governance through greater market discipline and transparency arising from listing requirements and disclosures.

IREDA is currently a wholly owned Government of India, Mini-ratna (Category-I) CPSE incorporated in 1987 and is engaged in financing of Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE) projects in India. It is registered as a Non-banking Financial Company (NBFC) with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

The government, in line with the pledge made as a part of Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in Paris Accord on Climate Change has set the targets of achieving 175 GW of installed RE capacity by 2022 and 500 GW by 2030. IREDA has a pivotal role to play in achievement of RE targets.

The implementation and operation of Renewal Energy/Energy Efficiency projects by IREDA as per their business plan in line with the RE targets of GoI will help in creating direct and indirect employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled manpower.
The The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Friday has approved the merger of HDFC and HDFC Bank.

HDFC Ltd has already received approvals from Reserve Bank of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), PFRDA and Competition Commission of India (CCI) as well as from India's stock exchanges - BSE and NSE.

NCLT has also given approval for holding a shareholders meeting for obtaining approval for the proposed merger.

The HDFC-HDFC Bank merger is expected to be completed by the second or third quarter of FY24.

Last year, in April, HDFC Bank announced that parent HDFC will merge with the bank to enable seamless delivery of home loans and leverage on the large base of over 68 million customers of HDFC Bank and inter alia improve the pace of credit growth in the economy.

The proposed merger is to create a large balance sheet and net worth that would allow a greater flow of credit into the economy. It will also enable the underwriting of larger ticket loans, including infrastructure loans, an urgent need of the country.

Under the scheme, HDFC shareholders will receive 42 shares of HDFC Bank having a face value of Re 1 each for 25 shares of HDFC having a face value of 2 each. Further, HDFC shareholding in HDFC Bank will be extinguished as per the scheme of amalgamation.

Post the merger, HDFC Bank will be 100% owned by public shareholders and existing shareholders of HDFC will own 41% of the former.

HDFC Bank, with more than 68 million customers, 6,342 branches, and a full suite of credit, liability, and distribution offerings is the leading private sector bank with deep relationships, insights, and understanding of its customers built over multiple decades.

HDFC is Indias premier housing finance company and has unrivaled relationships, scale, and deep underwriting expertise in the housing sector, built over multiple decades and across economic cycles.

The combined entity will bring together complementary strengths of the two organizations, enabling a rewarding customer relationship. Post the combination, HDFC Banks customers will be offered mortgages as a core product in a seamless manner. HDFC Bank will also leverage the long tenor mortgage relationship to offer varied credit and deposit products enabled through better insights throughout the customer life-cycle, as per the regulatory filing on April 4.

On Friday, on BSE, HDFC Bank shares closed at 1,572.55 apiece up 1.36% HDFC finished at 2,577.45 apiece up 1.81%.
PhonePe, one of Indias largest fintech platforms, today announced it has raised additional $200 million in primary capital from Walmart, at a pre-money valuation of $12 billion.

This new funding comes as a part of PhonePes ongoing fundraise of up to $1 billion in capital, following its domicile shift to India last year. With this tranche, the company has raised $650Mn from several global investors. The company expects further investments, which will be announced in due course.

PhonePe plans to deploy these funds to build and scale new businesses like Insurance, Wealth Management, Lending, Stockbroking, ONDC-based Shopping and Account Aggregators. The fundraise will also help PhonePe turbo-charge the next wave of growth for UPI payments in India, including UPI lite and Credit on UPI.

Speaking on the fundraise, Sameer Nigam, CEO and Founder of PhonePe said, We would like to thank Walmart, our majority investor, for their continued support of our long-term aspirations. We are excited about the next phase of our growth as we build new offerings for Indian consumers and merchants, along with enabling financial inclusion across the nation.

President and CEO for Walmart International Judith McKenna said: We are excited about PhonePes future and have confidence in how it continues to expand its offerings and provide access to financial services for Indians at scale. India is one of the worlds most digital, dynamic and fastest growing economies, and we are pleased to have the opportunity to continue to support PhonePe."

PhonePe was founded in December 2015 and has emerged as one of Indias largest fintech platform, enabling digital inclusion for consumers and merchants alike. With ~45 crore (~450 Million) registered users, more than one in three adult Indians are now on PhonePe.
Tata Consumer Products Ltd on Friday said that it had ceased discussions with packaged water maker Bisleri International about a potential acquisition.

The company in its regulatory filing said that it has not entered into any definitive agreement or binding commitment with Bisleri.

"The company wishes to update that it has now ceased negotiations with Bisleri with regard to a potential transaction and to confirm that the company has not entered into any definitive agreement or binding commitment on this matter," Tata Consumer Products said in a stock exchange filing.

This comes after various reports showed that Tata Group is planning to acquire a stake in the bottled water giant.

The Company had clarified that it evaluates various strategic opportunities for growth and expansion of its business, on an ongoing basis, and pursuant to this, the Management of the Company remained in discussions with various parties, including Bisleri International Private Limited (Bisleri")," the filing added.

Bisleri chairman Ramesh Chauhan was in talks to sell the company to Tata Consumer Products for up to 70 billion rupees ($848 million), reported Reuters citing news reports.

Bisleris owners were looking to raise about $1 billion from a deal, Bloomberg reported citing people aware of the matter. However, the negotiations with Tata hit a snag as the companies were unable to agree on a valuation.

In 1949, Shri Jayantilal Chauhan founded soft drinks maker Parle Group, which acquired Bisleri from an Italian entrepreneur in 1969, according to its website. It said it has a 60% share in Indias bottled mineral water market, reported Bloomberg.

The company also manufactures hand sanitizer. Bisleri was in talks to sell a stake to Tata and several other players, Bisleri Chairman Ramesh Chauhan said in a interview in November.

For Tata Group, acquiring Bisleri could have expanded its portfolio of bottled water brands in India. Tata Consumer Products Ltd. owns the Himalayan Natural Mineral Water and Tata Water Plus brands.

Tata Consumer Products reported a 25.6 per cent rise in consolidated net profit to 364.43 crore for the December 2022 quarter. This is against a net profit of 290.07 crore in the year-ago period.

The consolidated revenue of Tata Consumer Products major grew by 8.29 per cent to 3474.55 crore in the quarter under review from 3208.38 crore a year ago.

TCPL on March 17 closed 2.05 percent higher at 708 apiece on BSE.
After a year of re-appointment as CEO at IT giant TCS, Rajesh Gopinathan in an unexpected move has decided to resign from his position to pursue other interests. Gopinathan's exit comes as shock and TCS share price traded volatile on Friday. But the impact of his exit on TCS stock was minimal. It is most likely that TCS' business operation will not be affected by Gopinathan's exit. And the reason would be the new CEO K. Krithivasan who has over a three-decade of experience with the company and in the overall IT sector as well.

The transition of CEO in TCS is seen to be smooth especially because the new leader Krithivasan has played key roles in the company, especially heading the largest industry vertical, BFSI.

Although Krithivasan's new role as CEO at TCS has come into effect from March 16, Gopinathan will be part of the same position in the company for about six months. Gopinathan's resignation will come into effect from September 15, 2023.

On BSE, TCS share price closed at 3,178.95 apiece marginally down from the previous closing of 3,184.75 apiece. The stock ranged from an intraday high and low of 3,220 to 3,145 apiece on Friday.

TCS is the flagship company of Tata Group and is also the second largest company in India in terms of market share. By end of March 17th, TCS' market value is over 11.63 lakh crore.

In a research note, analysts at ICICI Securities explained that "the announcement of change in CEO was unexpected, particularly as Rajesh Gopinathan was re-appointed as CEO in 2022 after having completed 5 years in the role since Feb 2017. However, we expect CEO transition to be smooth, since Krithivasan has been with the company for 34 years, serving various customer-facing leadership roles and heading the largest industry vertical, BFSI."

Currently, Krithi is the President and Global Head of the BFSI vertical (~32% of revenue) at TCS. He joined TCS in 1989 and has been part of the IT services industry for over 34 years now. During his long tenure at TCS, he has held various leadership roles in delivery, customer relationship management, large programme management, and sales. He holds a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Madras and a masters degree in Industrial and Management Engineering from IIT Kanpur.

The brokerage's note added, "this appointment is in line with TCS strategy of succession planning well in advance and grooming internal employees to take on leadership positions. Additionally, Rajesh Gopinathan will also be available to support this transition over the next six months.

Along similar lines, Motilal Oswal in its note said, "Given Krithis long tenure at TCS (34 years), we expect the company to maintain its operational performance intact. He oversees the largest industry unit at the company (32% of FY22 revenues) and has experience across roles, including delivery, CRM, program management, and sales, which should help TCS maintain its track record of seamless transition. We do not expect meaningful leadership attrition due to this change."

However, Motilal's note also pointed out that tenure as CEO of Krithi will be limited.

It said, unlike previous transitions, where incoming CEOs had a long runway in front of them till retirement at 65 years  S Ramadorai (CEO at 51 years), N Chandrasekaran (CEO at 45 years), and Gopinathan (CEO at 46 years), Krithi is 58 years old and will be CEO for the next 6-7 years only.

While this limits the flexibility for Krithi, however, Motilal expects TCS to continue to benefit from the recent changes in its operating model (in 2022) as well as the significant recent intake of freshers in the system."

Both Motilal and ICICI Securities have given a buy rating on TCS ahead.

ICICI Securities note said, "we continue to value TCS at 25x FY26E EPS of Rs172 (discounted back 1-year with WACC of 12%) to arrive at our 12-month target price of Rs3,834, implying ~20% upside. Our estimates of 10% US$ revenue CAGR and 14% EPS CAGR over FY23-26E remain unchanged. We upgrade the stock to BUY (earlier: ADD) on the recent correction (-9% in last one month) in the share price. TCS is currently trading at 21x/18.5x on FY25E/26E EPS."

Further, TCS continues to be among the top picks of Motilal in IT sector. This brokerage's note said, "we continue to see TCS as the best play in the IT services space in the current environment. It is focused on cost optimization and vendor consolidation, both of which are its strong areas. TCS is also poised to gain from a favourable pyramid mix change to improve margins in FY24, ahead of its peer group."

Lastly, Motilal's note said, "We expect a USD revenue CAGR of ~11% and an INR EPS CAGR of ~16% over FY23-25. Our TP of INR3,810 implies 24x FY25E EPS, with a 20% upside potential. We have a BUY rating on the stock and would recommend adding to the name on any near-term weakness due to this news."

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.
Billions of dollars of money are stuck in US-based lenders after they met their doomsday earlier in March. It began with the 16th largest lender Silicon Valley Bank and right after, in a matter of hours, lenders like Signature Bank and Silvergate Capital followed suit. These banks have exposure to cryptocurrencies as well, in fact, they have been seen as flexible hubs to park their money. The shutdown of these banks sent a shockwave across companies and individuals. In regards to the crypto market, these banks' failure is likely to have some impact however may be short-lived. Experts also believe the failure may become a blessing for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

When the SVB collapsed, Punit Agarwal, Founder of KoinX cited that not only did it cause tremors across the tech industry, but the crypto markets felt its effect equally. USDC (a stablecoin), for example, lost its $1 peg and tanked straight to $0.89.

KoinX added that crypto companies like Circle (the issuer of USDC) found themselves unreachable to the $3.3 billion it had in SVB. In the same way, crypto holders that are trying to convert their USDC to other stablecoins are also excessively using the Ethereum network right now, which has led to the gas fee going way up.

Yesterday, a Reuters report said that Circle pulled around $3 billion from its overall reserves at SVB.

Right after SVB met its doomsday, one of the largest operators of USDC, Circle announced that it had $3.3 billion of reserves backing the token which was stored with the bank.

Among some of the major crypto names that came in limelight to face impact from US bank fallout are Coinbase Global Inc. and Paxos Inc.

Agarwal believes the future of SVB isnt certain right now, its collapse has still had somewhat of a negative impact on the crypto market.

Another lender Signature Bank especially is said to be one of the largest lenders of crypto.

As of March 8th, Bloomberg earlier reported that Signature had begun a pullback from digital assets in the wake of the blowup of the FTX exchange but still had $16.5 billion in crypto-related client deposits. Also, both Signature and Silvergate enabled fast payments between customers like hedge funds and exchanges, supporting digital-asset liquidity.

Giving a brief about the SVB, Silvergate, and Signature Bank, Rajagopal Menon, Vice President, WazirX said, these banks "are all known to have significant exposure to cryptos."

Menon explained further:

- Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) is a major bank in the United States, focusing on technology and innovation-based businesses, including several crypto startups. SVB is a pioneer in the crypto space, offering services such as cryptocurrency custody and lending.

- Silvergate Bank is well-known for offering banking services to the crypto industry. Silvergate created a platform that enables crypto exchanges and other businesses to retain deposits in multiple cryptos that could be used to facilitate trades and other activities.

- Signature Bank is another bank that has aggressively served the crypto industry. Signet, the bank's blockchain-based payments platform, allows users to move funds immediately and without incurring costs.

As per WazirX's vice president, the exposure of these banks to cryptos can impact both the crypto companies and investors. Access to banking services from SVB, Silvergate, and Signature Bank is critical for crypto firms. These banks can provide the necessary infra to crypto-related businesses, including access to capital, custody services, and payment processing.

For investors, Menon said, "these institutions' exposure to cryptos demonstrated the credibility and potential of the crypto market. It may also allow investors to indirectly invest in the cryptocurrency business by investing in these institutions."

Interestingly, Dileep Seinberg, Founder & CEO of, MuffinPay believes these banks' fallout is a blessing to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

Seinberg said, the fallout of tech lender Silicon Valley Bank is a blessing for Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as the event has drawn parallels with the 2013 Cyprus Crisis that highlighted the flaws in the fractional reserve system and brought decentralized banking under the spotlight. In such cases, there are no depositors, only lenders and this wipes billions of dollars from the economy.

In a fractional reserve banking system, Seinberg highlighted that a lender is required to maintain only a small portion of deposits that are available for withdrawal while the remaining funds are lent out for economic activities and banks earn interest on them. The lenders believe that the withdrawal amount will not exceed the threshold limit and if this happens, customer confidence is shaken and this leads to heavy withdrawals from the bank and ultimately chokes the liquidity.

Hence, Seinberg believes that the intervention from the US Fed has stabilized a number of dollar-pegged stablecoins, which earlier had lost their pegging amid the feeble market sentiments. The historic failure of the 16th largest bank in the US is a big dent, but for the crypto fanatics, it is a real-time ad for self-custody assets like Bitcoin.

"We believe that it is a banking crisis and not a crypto crisis. The entire episode is a testimony that customers' funds aren't as safe in regulated banks as they are made to believe," Seinberg added.

Also, the KoinX founder believes that with time, it seems that we might be able to recover from this gradually too.

On Friday, the crypto market recovered some of its previous losses with Bitcoin crossing over the 26,000 mark.

At CoinMarketCap, during the time of writing, the global crypto market cap traded at $1.14 trillion, rising by 5.4% over the last day.

Bitcoin was up nearly 7% and traded near the $26,700 mark. Bitcoin has touched above $26,800 levels in the early trade. The leader of the crypto market has now recorded weekly gains of nearly 36%.

Meanwhile, Ethereum is up nearly 5% on Friday, and BNB surged over 5% too. XRP, Cardano, Polygon, and Dogecoin also climbed between 3-7%.

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.
Markets extended their gaining spree on Friday driven by broad-based buying with banking, realty, and metal stocks outperforming the board. Sensex neared the psychological mark of 58,000, while Nifty 50 regained a little over the 17,100 level. The sharp rebound in global cues on expectations of relief in banks turmoil boosted domestic equities.

Sensex closed at 57,989.90 up by 355.06 points or 0.62%. Nifty 50 rose by 114.45 points or 0.67% to end at 17,100.05. Bank Nifty rallied nearly 466 points or 1.2%, while BSE Bankex surged by over 541 points or 1.2%.

In regards to sectoral indices, on BSE, the Metal index rebounded massively to close with nearly 461 points or 2.42% gains. Also, the Realty index soared by 3.2%, while the IT index jumped over 1.1%.

In broader markets, Small cap stocks on BSE recovered previous losses to rise by nearly 187 points.

HCL Tech was the top gainer on Sensex, zooming by nearly 3.6%. Ultratech Cement and Nestle followed with an upside of 2.5% and 2.3% respectively. Other stocks such as Tata Steel, Kotak Bank, ICICI Bank, Bharti Airtel, HDFC Bank, HDFC, Infosys, and L&T rallied between 1-2%.

Among the losers on Sensex was --- ITC in the lead with a downside of 1.5% followed by Maruti Suzuki, NTPC, and Asian Paints.

Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services said, "Following the sharp rebound in the global markets, the domestic indices took a breather in hopes of relief from the global banking turmoil."

Nair added, "Global equities reversed their selling streak on reports of a rescue package for the beleaguered First Republic Bank, along with an aid provided to Credit Suisse from the Swiss Central Bank, which would soothe concerns over the global financial stability. On the other hand, the ECB further raised its rates by 50 bps, indicating its preparedness to provide liquidity to banks upon necessity."

At the interbank forex market, the rupee strengthened against the US dollar as market sentiments improved after liquidity rescue in some of the US and European banks. The local unit closed at 82.5525 against the greenback compared to the previous print of 82.73 per dollar. For the entire week, the rupee however has depreciated by around 0.6%.

On Thursday, First Republic Bank received uninsured deposits amounting to $30 billion from major US banks such as Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo among others.

Going ahead, on Nifty 50, Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities said, a Doji pattern followed by a recovery candle on the daily chart indicates the possibility of a bullish reversal. On the higher end, immediate resistance is placed at 17250, where the bears might try to return to the market. However, if bulls take the Nifty above 17250, the index may move towards 1750017600. On the lower end, support remains intact at 16950.

Meanwhile, on Bank Nifty, Kunal Shah, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities said, the index witnessed a sharp recovery from the lowest levels and the index formed a morning star pattern on the daily chart. The index if it manages to hold the support of 39,000 on the downside can witness a pullback rally towards 40,000. A sustained move above 40,000 will open up room for a big rally toward the 41,000 level.

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.

Know your inner investor Do you have the nerves of steel or do you get insomniac over your investments? Lets define your investment approach. Take the test
The recent crisis of Silicon Valley Bank and the headlines about its financial woes can make it easy for people to wonder: Whos next?

Barely a month before this debacle, closer back home, the markets were worried regarding the future of the Adani group.

Ironically, the New York based research firm, Hindenburg, was too busy being nosy 12,000 km away from home to ignore the second largest banking failure in the history of USA in its own backyard!

Over the years, there have been numerous instances of companies that have either gone bankrupt, merged, or still exist but have fallen from the top.

At the time of writing this, shares of Switzerlands second largest bank, Credit Suisse cratered as much as 30%after the banks biggest lender, Saudi National Bank,saidit would not be able to offer it more financial help.

This does make one wonder, what exactly is the shelf life of a company today.

While there are companies that are over a century old, are they all thriving? Are they still at the top of their game?

Thankfully, there are companies out there that are absolutely crushing it in their respective industries and they show no signs of slowing down.

In fact, there are a handful of companies that are so dominant in their industries, that it seems highly unlikely for them to lose their leadership anytime soon.

Now, ideally, when we think of dominant players, we may think that the top 3 players by market share in any category should qualify to be part of the list.

But then in an industry with say 30 firms, the top 3 companies could still qualify even with a market share of just 5% or 7% each.

View Full Image .

However, that would not be the ideal definition of a dominant player as it could be very likely for the firm to be upstaged by another with such close proximity among each other.

Hence, for the purpose of this discussion, we decided to restrict our study to only those companies that enjoy at least a 50% share in their respective categories.

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Over the coming weeks, we are going to cover the most dominant companies in their specific sectors / sub-sectors that are likely to retain their top position over the next 10 years.

It is pertinent to note here, that we are specifically looking at companies which have a dominant market share within a particular category which has potential for sustained growth over the coming years.

However, there are various other factors that can contribute to a companys survival as well as leadership position in the long term. For instance, over the long run, compliance and corporate governance play a critical role in survivability of a firm.

Groups such as the Tatas and Mahindras have survived and thrived over a century, partially because they have always endeavoured to adopt the best practices and the highest standards ofcorporate governanceandstrong compliance.

Another key point to note here is that while these companies may currently enjoy almost monopolistic share in their respective categories, there is always the risk of substitution of such products.

A classic example is Nokia. In 2007,Nokia's smartphone market share was a dominant 49.4%.

Then all of a sudden, Steve Jobs walked on to a stage and pulled an iPhone out of his pocket and changed the world forever.

Now, before we get to the first company on our list, let us take note of a few characteristics of these companies which makes them such rockstars!

Most companies that lead their segments are pioneers. Hence they had the first mover advantage.

Another key noticeable aspect is that these companies have been around for a while.

Majority of these companies have grown organically which highlights that the products churned out by these companies have an insatiable demand.

These leaders have earned and retained their leadership positions through hard work and innovation, instead of buying market share.

Finally, most of the companies deal directly with consumers, hence enjoying brand loyalty.

The companies on this list are either dominating their rivals right now or are positioning themselves so well that youll look back in a decade and wonder why you didn't see the makings of a giant earlier.

Here is part one of the 5-part series. The first company is

Zydus Wellness Ltd.

Zydus Wellness is an Indian consumer goods company which produces nutrition

and skincare products. It is a subsidiary of Indias fourth largest pharmaceutical company, Zydus Lifesciences, formerly known as Cadila Healthcare.

The companys vision is to bring wellness to your life by creating innovative products that will nourish, nurture, and energise your life.

With the launch of Indias first zero calorie replacement of sugar, called Sugar Free, in 1988, Zydus Wellness began its journey as Indias leading consumer wellness company.

Since then, its grown into a larger business, spanning the entire wellness spectrum with seven power brands -Sugarlite, Complan, Sugar Free, Glucon-D, Everyuth, Nycil, and Nutralite.

Headquartered in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, Zydus has 5 manufacturing facilities across 4 locations - Aligarh, Sitarganj, Ahmedabad, and Sikkim. It has eight co-packing facilities in India, Oman, and New Zealand.

Today, the Zydus Wellness business spans over 20 countries and 3 continents.

But you are probably wondering, arent there much bigger players in the packaged food industry.

Well think again Zydus Wellness makes the cut because of its omnipotent position in the sugar substitute industry.

The companys brand, Sugar Freeis the category leader in India with a whopping 95.8% market share!

Now, that is the very definition of complete and total dominance.

India: Eat Less Sugar, You are Sweet Enough Already!

India is the second-largest producer and largest consumer of sugar in the world.

As a matter of fact,the most popular sweetener in the world, sugar, was invented in India.

There is reference to sugarcane cultivation and the preparation of sugar in an Indian religious text, theAtharva Veda.

India is simply in love with sugar. Traditionally, any occasion in India is celebrated with intake of sweets. It is customary to sweeten the mouth" after every meal, any joyous occasion, religious festival, or social gathering.

Even our Gods are appeased with sugar! It is considered mandatory to offer sweets to the Gods on every religious occasion.

While sugar is such an integral part of our culture, unfortunately it is also believed to be the root cause of various major illnesses and as toxic as tobacco by some.

According to the World Health Organisation, in India, there are 77 million people suffering from diabetes and nearly 25 million are prediabetics (at a higher risk of developing diabetes in near future).

This makes India the second most affected country in the world after China.

But in recent times, our population is increasingly getting aware and involved in what it eats, both consumers and the food sector are showing more interest in natural and healthier foods.

Sugar substitutes as a category have witnessed higher penetration of late as more households opted for the product amid the growing incidence of diabetes, obesity, and cardiac diseases among consumers and the shift towards a healthier lifestyle.

Even governments around the world have stepped in to curb this unhealthy trend. Government organisations in over 50 countries have levied sugar taxes on sugar-sweetened drinks to reduce their increasing consumption.

India, today, has one of the highest tax rates of 40% (28% GST plus 12% compensation cess) on carbonated soft drinks.

Thus, regulatory pressure in the form of sugar taxes might also encourage beverage industries to adopt sugar substitutes and produce sugar-free drinks, driving the growth of the sugar-free products market.

Looking at the number of diabetics and pre-diabetics in India, with the changed regulatory scenario allowing the use of sweeteners in everyday consumables, the market is bound to grow.





The sale of sugar substitutes has already grown three times since the onset of the pandemic, according to data from Bizom.

Which brings us back to Zydus Wellness







Zydus Wellness: Making Your Life Sweet WithoutSugar

The companys brand, Sugar Free isa name synonymous to the sugar substitute category. Its the category leader in India with a whopping 95.8% market share!

The brands portfolio consists of three products:

Sugar Free Green that is 100% natural and made from Stevia leaves.

Sugar Free Natura made using Sucralose, a derivative of sugar but doesnt contain the same amount of calories.

Sugar Free Gold,made from Aspartame - a protein derivative.

With consumers increasingly becoming health conscious and opting for sugar substitutes, Sugar Free has the potential to grow significantly from here.

While the brand has been around since its launch in 1988, it is only in recent times, that the need for sugar substitutes has gained prominence.

Sugar Free has seen a shift in consumption patterns as today non-diabetics account for almost 50% of the sales.

The product, which was mostly an urban phenomenon has also seen more takers in rural areas. The share of rural sales, now stands at over 18% as compared to 12% in the pre-Covid period.





To tap this demand for the product in rural areas, Zydus Wellness plans to expand its presence to 600,000 outlets from the current 400,000 outlets over the next two years.

In recent years, the company expanded its international footprint by entering new geographies as Hong Kong, Lebanon, Zimbabwe, Muscat, Ethiopia, and Australia.

The company also incorporated its wholly owned subsidiary Zydus Wellness (BD) Pvt Limited in Bangladesh aimed at serving local consumers at a competitive price.

The international business has continued to grow at high double digits and the company is targeting between 8-10% revenue contribution from international markets over the next five years.

With complete dominance in its domestic industry, Sugar Free has the potential to also be among the top 3 global brands.





Zydus Wellness: Sugar Free and a Whole Lot More

While we have focused on Zydus brand, Sugar Free brand for the purpose of this discussion about dominant companies, Zydus owns other popular brands as well.

And surprisingly, the company is the market leader in four out of the five other categories it operates in!





Yes, you read that right

Glucon-D



Glucon D is the leading Indian brand in the glucose powder category with a market share of 59.9% as on December 2022, an increase of 1.6% over the previous year.

Glucon-D is pitched as a product that provides instant energy and helps support immunity.

Nycil

Nycil is Indias No. 1 prickly heat & cooling powder brand with a with a market share of 35.1%. The brand has also expanded its portfolio into the hand sanitizer category.

Everyuth Naturals

Zydus Wellness offers a range of skin care products under the brand name of Everyuth Naturals.

Everyuth Scrub has the leadership position with market share of 41.8%, an increase of 1.6% YoY in the facial scrub category.

Everyuth Peel off on the other hand is again the leader with a market share of 78.4% in the Peel off category.

Nutralite

Launched with the intention to provide customers with a healthier alternative to butter, Nutralite is Indias leading brand in the category of table spreads.

Complan





Remember the popular jingle 'I am a Complan Boy, I am a Complan Girl'?

The popular brand of the eighties and nineties somehow lost its way over the years with frequent change of hands, from GSK to Kraft Heinz, and then to Zydus Wellness in 2018.

Complan's market share, which a decade ago was 15% (Horlicks is the market leader now with over 50% share), is now only around 4.5%.

Zydus continues to focus on expanding category size of each of these categories and increase the market share of its brands with necessary investments in each brand through product innovations, various media campaigns, sales promotions, and digital initiatives.

View Full Image ...

The companys sales have grown at a CAGR of 19.3% since 2013. Zydus reported revenue of 20.09 bn for the year ended 31 March 2022, up 8.4% YoY.





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Profit jumped 160% during FY2022 to 3.09 bn as against 1.19 bn in the previous year.

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During 2021-22, the company further reduced its debt by repaying the loan of 1.68 bn. The consolidated debt of the company as on 31 March 2022 was at 3.81 bn against 5.49 bn in the previous year.

Net debt-equity ratio was 0.08 as on 31 March 2022 as against 0.12 as on 31 March 2021.

View Full Image ..

Over the last 12 months, the stock has hit a 52-week high of 1,791 and a low of 1,364 on the BSE. Currently, it trades close to its yearly low at 1,491 per share.

On a Final Sugar Free Note

Projecting a companys position and market share 10 years out or for that matter even 10 months ahead isn't an exact science.

However, with an unchallenged dominance in a particular segment, investors can look at some of such companies which are unlikely to lose their leadership anytime soon and potentially find likely winners.

But do always keep in mind Warren Buffetts motto:

"It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price, than a fair company at a wonderful price."

A company might be the leader in its industry having a near monopolistic market share. But even if it has a track record of sustained profit and sales growth, the valuation might not be right.

In such cases, it is prudent for an investor to keep such companies on their watchlist and only consider them only when valuations seem fair.

It's crucial to conduct your due diligence before making any investment decisions. Despite the favourable outlook, don't overlook the significance of sustained research.

Investing your hard-earned money should not be taken lightly, so make sure to conduct thorough research before making any commitments. Take the time to meticulously analyse the financial statements of potential investment opportunities.

With that we conclude of our coverage of the first company that could continue to dominate its industry and remain the leader over the next decade.

Hope you found this information useful. Stay tuned for the second part in our series to find out the next company on our list.

Happy Investing!

Disclaimer:This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such.

This article is syndicated from Equitymaster.com
The National Elections Commission has disclosed that phased one of biometric voter registration exercises would go on as planned.

The electoral body's clarification comes after complaints about not receiving all of the funding required to conduct the voter registration process. This then raised concerns that the NEC would be forced to postpone the start of the voter registration as scheduled from March 20 to April 9.

However, NEC Chairperson Davidetta Browne Lansanah dismissed such fears, claiming progress has been made "in preparation for the scheduled commencement of the voter registration process."

"A 5-day training of electoral supervisors has started, while training of 3,195 voter registration staff convenes today and ends on March 17. Also, the locations of voter registration centres in phase one counties had been published in keeping with Section 3.2 of the New Elections Law," Lansanah said.

"NEC has also conducted several mock demonstrations of the biometric voters registration exercise for the Liberia Marketing Association, political parties and civil society and that a 20-man technical team from LAXTON Group, headed by Daniel Engelbrecht, is currently in the country to assist NEC with training, logistics, and preparations for the arrival of equipment and other BVR materials and the setting up of the server in the Data Center of NEC."

The NEC move to biometric registration comes as the electoral body has been under pressure to dash its optical manual registration (OMR) system. The OMR system, for many, does not improve the accountability and transparency of electoral processes since the final voter roll is usually tainted by controversy and mistrust.

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The biometric system however if properly used would help NEC for the first time secure voter rolls and the integrity of the elections process: fending off any issues of deduplication, which has in time passed been a major problem for elections in Liberia.

However, the NEChas not yet addressed whether the more than 20,000 polling stations in the country will be interconnected to share registration centres to close any room for double voting during elections. This silence has been so since the Commission announced its intention in 2022 to use biometric systems for the March 20 voter registration exercise.

Lansanah noted that civic and voter Education (CVE) activities for the voter registration have been ongoing in the six phase one counties since its launch on February 24.

"To mitigate risks and challenges associated with the BRV exercise, the NEC Chairperson challenged all stakeholders to effectively play their role by avoiding spreading fake news, misinformation, and disinformation in order to ensure that the transition to BVR is successful."

Meanwhile, the first phase of the biometric voter registration exercise is expected to kick off in Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Bassa, Gbarpolu, Margibi and Montserrado counties.
Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has upped its attack on senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and may ask Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to suspend his membership from the lower house.

According to a report published in Indian Express Bhartiya Janata party(BJP) has upped its attack on senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and may ask Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to suspend his membership from the lower house.

BJP has approached the Lok Sabha Speaker to set up a special committee on the lines of the panel set up in 2005 to probe the cash-for-query scandal. The committee generally submits its report in a month.

Earlier, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday demanded the constitution of a special parliamentary committee to inquire into Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "contemptuous" remarks and consider if he should be expelled from the House to give a clear message so that "no one takes the pride and respect of high institutions for a ride".

Dubey said he is seeking the formation of a special parliamentary committee similar to the one made in 2008 on the cash-for-votes scam during the UPA-I government.

In a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker, Dubey said he is giving notice under Rule 223 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha on the "contemptuous and unbecoming behaviour" of the member of Parliament over his remarks at Cambridge University.

"This conduct of the Member is required to be investigated thoroughly either by the Privileges Committee or by a special committee.

"Thereafter, House should consider whether such a member should be expelled from the House to protect the esteem of parliament and other democratic institutions and give a clear message that no one takes the pride and respect of high institutions for a ride in future," Dubey said in the letter.

He alleged that statements made by Gandhi are virulent and "systematically anti-India campaign to malign and bring disrepute and contempt of Parliament" and a concerted effort to "run down and defame our democratic institutions."

The BJP leader also said this conduct is unworthy of a member of Parliament and clearly an affront to the dignity of the House and other highest constitutional authorities.

Meanwhile, the logjam in Parliament continued for the fourth successive day on Thursday with the ruling BJP and opposition parties sticking to their stands. The BJP demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in the UK while the Opposition members pressed for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research against the Adani Group.

BJP leaders alleged that Rahul Gandhi had insulted the country from foreign soil by asserting that the US and European nations were oblivious that a huge chunk of democratic model had come undone in India.

"India's prestige has not been attacked in such a manner before. Political differences may be there but there cannot be a graver crime than to seek interference from foreign powers. Anger prevails across the country for the grave insult Rahul Gandhi has inflicted upon what even the world acknowledges as the mother of democracy," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters here.

Congress leaders have ruled out an apology by Gandhi, who met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and sought permission to respond in Parliament to the allegations levelled against him.

Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Kiren Rijiju, Anurag Thakur, Giriraj Singh and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Gandhi of "lying" about India in London and expressed anger that the Congress leader had not shown any remorse for his actions.

"Welcome to Parliament. It has been a week-long wait. Rahul Gandhi has maligned India from foreign soil, has spread lies and insulted Parliament. He should come to the House and apologise," Information and Broadcasting Minister Thakur said.

Law Minister Rijiju said Gandhi was not above other Members of Parliament and should not treat the Indian Parliament as his personal fiefdom.

"Rahul Gandhi may have lived his 50 years as an entitled dynast. Before 2014, he may have had a free pass to do and say what he wants without any accountability, including tearing ordinances. But that stops now. He has to be accountable for his lies," Chandrasekhar said.

The BJP leaders asked Gandhi to "first demonstrate" his regret as the Congress leader met Birla seeking permission to speak in the House amid an impasse in Parliament over his comments in the UK on the state of democracy in India.
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Thursday announced that they have achieved a significant milestone in their efforts to safely land a spacecraft on the Moon. The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft has successfully passed the essential tests" that validate its ability to endure the severe vibration and acoustic conditions it would experience during its launch.

These tests were conducted during the first week of March at the U R Rao Satellite Centre, which is located at the national space agency's headquarters in Bengaluru. ISRO emphasized that "these tests are an essential part of the qualification and acceptance process for any spacecraft," and were particularly challenging as Chandrayaan-3 is a composite of three modules- Propulsion Module, Lander Module and the Rover module.

View Full Image The vibration and acoustic tests carried out on the integrated spacecraft has provided sufficient confidence about its structural integrity and survivability

The statement from the space agency added that the vibration and acoustic tests carried out on the integrated spacecraft has provided sufficient confidence about its structural integrity and survivability in the launch environment.

The Chandrayaan-3 project is a continuation of the Chandrayaan-2 mission from July 2019, which had the objective of successfully landing a rover on the South Pole of the moon.

View Full Image ISRO emphasized that these tests are an essential part of the qualification and acceptance process for any spacecraft

The Chandrayaan-2 mission was comprised of three components, namely an Orbiter, Lander, and Rover, all of which were equipped with scientific instruments designed for lunar exploration purposes.

Unfortunately, the Vikram lander was not successful in its landing, prompting the need for another mission to demonstrate the necessary landing capabilities for the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission in collaboration with Japan in 2024.

The upcoming mission will consist of an orbiter and a landing module, but the orbiter will not carry any scientific instruments, unlike its predecessor. Its sole responsibility will be to transport the lander to the moon, monitor the landing process from its orbit, and facilitate communication between the lander and the Earth station.

(With inputs from PTI)
The National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of the Indian government, Invest India, was led by Deepak Bagla as managing director and CEO.

Deepak Bagla, Managing Director and CEO of Invest India, an investment promotion and facilitation body under the commerce and industry ministry, has resigned from his post citing "personal reasons" sources told PTI. They said that Bagla has cited "personal reasons" for stepping down from the post, PTI further reported.

Bagla came under under observation after returning from the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos earlier this year, and a Ministry of Commerce audit recently questioned him about the operations of the investment promotion group, according to Moneycontrol report.

Moneycontrol has learned that the audit had been going on for a year and Bagla came in for intense questioning. The people cited above also said the Commerce Ministry had reprimanded Bagla, stating that the audit had found no substantial work had happened on ground.

In his previous position, Deepak Bagla served as the CEO and Managing Director of Invest India, the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency established by the Indian government in 2009 under Section 25 of the Companies Act.

According to his biography on the Invest India website, Bagla has spent more than three decades working for the World Bank and Citibank and is a member of a number of important government committees, including Fintech and Innovation.

He is the leader of the 105-nation World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies, which has its headquarters in Geneva. Also, he is a member of the Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council for the Prime Minister. The "Grande Ufficiale della Stella d'Italia" was awarded to Bagla by the Italian president. Bagla has a bachelor's degree in economics with honours from St. Stephen's College in New Delhi and a dual master's from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC, in international diplomacy and international trade and finance.

Invest India is investment promotion agency having 00 business experts work as a team to assist foreign investors in India. Invest India is the advisor, guide, and facilitator to every investor looking to make a home in India," the agency's website reads.
Controversial godman Swami Nithyananda and his fictional country "Kailasa" is in the news again and this time, for duping the city of Newark in New Jersey, United States. Apparently, Newark. admitted to falling victim to a scam that led them to become a "Sister City" with a fake Hindu nation.

The incident occurred when Mayor Ras Baraka invited representatives of Kailasa to Newark City Hall for a "cultural trade agreement," only to discover later that Kailasa was not a real country.

Despite Newark's apparent commitment to partnering with diverse cultures to enrich each other with connectivity, support, and mutual respect, the city reportedly did not realize Kailasa's inauthenticity until after an official ceremony had already taken place.

Footage shows city officials signing documents and taking photographs during the ceremony to become a "Sister City" with "Kailasa."

Following the incident, the Newark City Council reportedly rescinded the agreement just days after signing the "Sister City" agreement papers. One city council member called the oversight "unacceptable" and said it "cannot happen any longer."

Newark is not the only city to sign the Sister City deal

The funny thing is as many as Newark is not the only city to sign this deal with Kailasa. As per the website of the United States of Kailasa, it has as many as 30 cities in the United States. And a Fox report said, most mayors have accepted of signing such deals.

How Kailasa got these cities to sign the deal?

The report cited, that the cities claimed that the proclamation is not an endorsement but a response to a request. Most of them further confirmed that they did not very the information in the request.

That means, Kailasa got them to sign the deal simply by requesting them to do so.

Watch Video here:

A fake Indian guru scammed 30 American cities #FoxNews pic.twitter.com/Xhpc3XIzZO  Jesse Watters Primetime (@jesseprimetime) March 16, 2023

What is Kailasa?

'Kailasa' is a self-proclaimed country founded by controversial godman Nithyananda, who purchased an island off the coast of Ecuador and named it after a sacred site for Hindus. 'Kailasa' claims to be a movement founded by members of the Hindu Adi Shaivite minority community from Canada, the United States, and other countries. It offers a safe haven to all the world's practicing, aspiring, or persecuted Hindus.

However, 'Kailasa' is not recognized as a country by the United Nations or the international community, and it is considered a micronation. Despite this, the 'Kailasa' movement maintains a strong social media presence and claims to have various departments, including treasury, commerce, sovereign, housing, and human services, as well as a flag, a constitution, an economic system, a passport, and an emblem.
India's first seaplane operations between Sabarmati river front and the Statue of Unity launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2020 is facing an uncertain future due to the rising cost in maintenance and operations.

According to media reports, the state government has not provided a specific timeline for the resumption of the seaplane service between the two tourist destinations which was closed during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last year, in his written reply, the then Minister of State for Civil Aviation VK Singh said the ministry introduced a new mode of transportation  seaplane operations from water aerodromes under UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme.

Sabarmati River Front & Statue of Unity water aerodromes were identified in UDAN for seaplane operations. An airport of the State Governments, Airports Authority of India (AAI), Public Sector Undertakings and Civil Enclaves and which is included in the awarded routes of UDAN and requires upgradation/development for commencement of UDAN operations, is developed under Revival of unserved and underserved airports scheme," Singh said.

The state government of Gujarat has informed that they have spent 7,77,65,991 for development of infrastructure and security equipment for seaplane operations." He said seaplane operations commenced on October 31, 2020 and discontinued on April 11, 2021, due to commercial and COVID-19 reasons".

This route has not been offered under UDAN thereafter". The minister said UDAN is a market driven scheme.

Interested airlines based on their assessment of demand on particular routes, submit their proposals at the time of bidding under UDAN. Bids are invited by the Airports Authority of India, the implementing agency, from time to time," he said.

In response to a question whether the state government has sent a request to the ministry for an allocation of 1.2 billion to purchase two seaplanes to independently operate the service, Singh said, There is no provision under the "revival/upgradation of airports/water aerodromes/heliports" scheme to provide funds for acquisition of an aircraft." Modi had launched the countrys first seaplane service between the Statue of Unity near Kevadiya in Gujarats Narmada district and Sabarmati river front in Ahmedabad in October 2020.

He had travelled in the maiden flight of the twin-engine plane from a lake close to Sardar Sarovar Dam and landed at Sabarmati riverfront.
More than three years after the suspension of oil imports from Iran, the country's ambassador to India batted for a resumption of trade on Friday. Iraj Elahi lauded New Delhi as a rising power that was strong enough to withstand western pressure. He also pitched for faster implementation of the Chabahar port project.

Iran is an oil producer and oil is important in our economy. Despite the sanctions (for more than 10 years) we have found some ways to sell our oil and oil products like petrochemicals and other products," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

As he put it, India was not Taiwan or South Korea. India is a rising power. India has a powerful economy. So, India could easily resist the pressure of the West," the diplomat opined.

Elahi also cited India's stance on Russian oil amid the ongoing war with Ukraine - a move that has greatly irked Kyiv's western allies. "We hope that for the benefit of Indian companies, economy and people, the Indian government will start importing oil," he added.

Also read: Russia-Iran ties deepen; Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets' deal sealed

The envoy also said that the recent China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to revive diplomatic ties should not be a matter of concern for India.

It would be of benefit to India since it would help and intensify the stability and peace in the Persian Gulf regionSo it would be of benefit to India despite what has been done at the mediation of China," he said.

While the announcement on the deal had taken the diplomatic circles in New Delhi by surprise, India has welcomed the move.

Also read: Iran, Saudi Arabia agree to resume diplomatic relations, with China's help
India's supersonic missile BrahMos was fired and landed in Pakistan on March 9, 2022, leading to the dismissal of three Air Force officers who were found guilty in a Court of Inquiry. One of the officers challenged the decision and the Central government presented its stance in the Delhi High Court.

The Additional Solicitor General, Chetan Sharma, appeared for the government and expressed that the incident could have sparked a war with Pakistan due to negligence in the line of duty. The Air Force cannot ignore such incidents as they put India in an embarrassing situation even in front of the international community, he stated.

Also Read: Another India-Pakistan war? High possibility of military retaliation in Kashmir under Modis leadership, says US intel

The officer who approached the court argued that the accident occurred during a simulation exercise and he was only responsible for maintenance, not firing the missile. He claimed that only the CO and training officer were accountable for the operation of the missile and the action taken against him was wrong.

He further added that he was not aware of the allegations against him during the inquiry and that he had no experience in operating the missile or dealing with its emergencies. Therefore, he requested the court to order his reinstatement to the job.

Also Read: India ditches Pakistan route, to send food supply to Afghanistan through Iran

The US Director of National Intelligence, in its annual threat assessment report, earlier warned of a potential conflict between India and Pakistan. The report highlighted concerns over the possibility of India retaliating against Pakistan in the event of a terrorist attack on India or orchestrated "violent unrest in Kashmir" by extremist groups based in Pakistan. The report cited the risk of an "escalatory cycle between two nuclear-armed states" as a particular concern.

The report acknowledges that Pakistan has a history of supporting extremist groups, which increases the probability of India responding with military force under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to what they perceive as provocations by Pakistan. The report warned that heightened tensions on either side could increase the risk of conflict, with Kashmir or a militant attack in India as potential flashpoints.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President JP Nadda has launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in the UK. Why do George Soros and Rahul Gandhi speak the same language? Why do Pakistan and Congress speak similarly?" Nadda told ANI.

#WATCH | Why do George Soros and Rahul Gandhi speak the same language? Why do Pakistan and Congress speak similarly?: BJP President JP Nadda pic.twitter.com/LeTzSdINoX  ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2023

The BJP chief accused Rahul Gandhi of insulting India, its Parliament, and the government in Britain. What Gandhi has done amounts to strengthening those working against India, JP Nadda said.

"At a time when India is becoming the 5th largest economy in the world and G20 meetings are being held here, Rahul Gandhi on foreign soil is insulting the nation and the Parliament," Nadda said.

Nadda questioned Rahul Gandhi about his intention over "demanding the intervention of another country in the internal matters of India".

"Rahul Gandhi, what is your intention when you demand the intervention of another country in the internal matters of India?" he said.

The Congress has asserted that Gandhi will not apologise and he has sought permission to speak in Parliament to respond to the criticism levelled against him by the ruling party members in both houses.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has issued a notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his "women are still being sexually assaulted" remark made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Reacting to the development, the Congress said on Twitter. "A govt rattled by Shri Rahul Gandhis questions on PM Modi & Adanis relationship hides behind its police."

45-days after Bharat Jodo Yatra was completed, Delhi Police has, via a notice, sought details of women who met him & spoke about harassment & violence they may have faced," Congress Party tweeted.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a lecture at Cambridge University in London recently, said, "Everybody knows and it's been in the news a lot that Indian democracy is under pressure and under attack."
China's President Xi Jinping will exchange opinions on major international and regional issues with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Russia, China's foreign ministry said on Friday.

The objective of the visit is to further deepen bilateral trust, spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular news briefing.

Xi will visit Russia March 20-22, the Chinese foreign ministry announced earlier.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.
Israel's health ministry has confirmed two cases of unidentified Covid variants in two people. According to local media, the virus is a combination of the BA.1 (omicron) and BA.2 variants.

The infected patients underwent an RT-PCR test upon landing at Ben-Gurion International airport. According to the Health Ministry, the patient had developed symptoms like fever, headaches, and muscle aches.

The infected people are a couple in their 30s who contracted the virus from their infant son, Professor Salman Zarka wrote.

The country's Covid czar, Professor Zarka said that the linking of two viruses is a common phenomenon. He said it happens because two of the presence of two viruses in the same cell. The two viruses multiply and exchange genetic material, then a new virus is formed, the professor added.

In Israel, omicron infections are declining but BA.2 infections are rising. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met Israel's health Minister Nitzan Horowitz due to a rise in a surge in Covid cases.

Bennett ordered to continue of Israel's mask policy in closed spaces. The Israeli prime minister encouraged the public to get vaccinated with three doses.

At present, the R number, or the number of each coronavirus carrier infects, remains below 1 but is gradually rising.

The number, which is calculated from data from the previous 10 days, hit 0.9 on Wednesday, the highest since January. An R number over 1 means the virus is spreading.

This week, on Tuesday, 6,310 people tested Covid positive. There are currently 335 patients in serious condition, of whom 169 are in critical condition and 151 are on the respirator.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health in India has written a letter to the State governments of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka to follow a five-fold strategy of test, track, treat, and vaccinations as these states witness a rise in Covid-19 cases.

According to Union Health Ministry, there are 4,623 active Covid cases in the country. Maharashtra reported 125 new Covid cases on Thursday while Karnataka reported 42 cases. Notably, Karnataka also reported a death due to disease on Thursday.

Tamil Nadu reported 12 Covid cases, Telangana 29 and Gujarat logged 68 cases on Thursday. Kerala reported 36 cases Covid cases on Thursday, as per Union Health Ministry.
Liberia: Several Injured in Chaos at Capitol Hill

- The chaos came after Rep. Gray led his followers on UL campus in show of political power

Capitol Hill, the seat of the Liberian government, was on Monday in a state of pandemonium as an unprovoked Montserrado County district #8 Representative Acarous Gray protected by scores of thugs, invaded the main campus of the University of Liberia (UL) to settle scores with the leadership and members of the campus-based Student Unification Party (SUP).

The invasion, which was being resisted by hardliners, known as 'militants', led to a tense hour-long stone-throwing battle that led to many sustaining wounds. Backed by thugs and wayward youths, known as zogos, reportedly recruited from Central Monrovia, who kept pouring in, Rep. Gray's group eventually dislodged the SUP militants.

The lawmaker, who had gone under the pretext of having lunch on the campus of the nation's leading public tertiary institution, was apparently infuriated by SUP militants who had been harassing government officials aligned with the ruling party, who are deemed corrupt.

Prior to the melee, Gray, a stalwart of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change and a ranking member of the House of Representatives, had dared SUP, informing the group that he would be on the campus to have lunch with students -- sending a caveat that he would be the last man to be intimidated by the student-run political party -- the most powerful in the history of the university that has produced nearly all of the presidents of the student council government since the 1970s.

The presence of the lawmaker and his thugs plunged the premises of the university and the entire Capitol Hill into chaos and lawlessness, as people ran helter skelter.

Though a showdown was inevitable, officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) remained mere spectators, folded their arms as they watched stone-throwing rivals besiege the UL campus.

It came as no surprise that the police apparently made no preparation to secure the campus or take control of the situation, despite the growing tension within the public since Gray announced his appearance on the campus over three days ahead. The Liberia National Police has in numerous instances stood by as actors claiming loyalty to the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change carried out attacks against perceived opponents of the George Weah administration. Less than a year ago, on July 26, 2022, Liberia's Independence Day, a student of the University of Liberia was stripped naked and beaten in front of the United States Embassy by actors loyal to the CDC, during a protest organized by the victim and his colleagues in front of the Embassy, calling on President Weah to "fix the country". This happened also in the presence of armed police officers who did not lift a finger to disperse the attackers.

Rep. Gray, whose unusual lunch visit to the UL was apparently provoked by verbal attacks on national leaders and stakeholders by the students, noted that there is no way there can be another republic within the republic of Liberia.

SUP militants have been recently booing perceived corrupt government officials who had gone on official and private visits on the campus -- most times asking them to leave the vicinity of the university.

The most high profile of these officials intimidated by the students is Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, who had gone on the campus of the university to grace the launch of the fisheries studies program. The VP was booed, followed by a "rogue, rogue" chant.

Another victim of the student's action was the former Solicitor General, Cyrenius Cephus -- one of three top government officials sanctioned for corruption by the United States government last year.

The latest action that apparently prompted Rep. Gray to announce his lunch visit was the humiliation of Aloysius Howe, a special assistant to Finance Minister Samuel Tweah. Howe, a staunch member of the ruling CDC, was implicated in a corruption scandal at the Liberia Institution for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) National Housing and Population Census.

Howe took to social media on March 7, to explain his ordeal with the SUP militants and, within hours, Representative Gray announced, also on social media, that he would visit the campus.

He wrote: "Guys you can join me on Monday at 12:30pm for LUNCH at the University of Liberia student center. I General Acarous Moses Gray will be with my students and constituents."

Subsequently at a press conference, the SUP militants also vowed to deny Gray access to the premises of the university and that they would do all they could to protect their campus from the influences of corrupt national elements.

With that, the battle lines were drawn.

So in anticipation of the battle, SUP members, in the early hours of Monday, began crisscrossing the campus of the University of Liberia, chanting anti-government slogans.

As all this was ongoing, Representative Acarus Gray was heard on OK FM 99.5, vowing to enter the UL by mid-day.

And he did so exactly as he promised, entering the UL campus with throngs of thugs, who had marched with him from as far as his 9th street residence.

During his address upon his successful invasion of the campus, Gray, surrounded by his bodyguards and goons, chided the authority of the university for allowing students to become outlaws by creating another republic within the republic of Liberia.

"But let me repeat to the media. Like I said, in District eight, let the world know, our International partners, human rights groups, the religious community, the women, political actors, officials of government, the students and the traditional leaders, as long as I am a representative in District #8 Montserrado County, there will never be a state within a state," he declared.

"I am not here to prove anything to University students. They are not my target. Those are my sons, my daughters, my family members. They voted for me also," Rep. Gray said.

"I am even disappointed in some people in the fourth state who will call me and tell me don't go there for the sake of peace, but you cannot call our sons and daughters not to throw stones.

"No man, no soul will break the laws of Liberia and go scot free . They said they were bringing Yekeh here, I was excited that Yekeh would be here today, I am still excited. The reason is this, it means that the day he's having program in his district, the same spot I will be there that day. There will be maximum political repository," Rep Gray said.

"No one -- if they were shooting bullets here today, I would have come here. If they have a bazooka, I would have been here. This is my alma mater.

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"The Police have a responsibility to protect the territorial confines . University teachers have been attacked. They say government officials have been attacked, innocent students have been attacked, classes have been disrupted because of 20 hard-headed boys."

As Rep. Gray and his men chased the students from campus, Yekeh Kolubah, an opposition lawmaker and staunch critic of President George Weah, went to the rescue of the students along with his own men to counter Gray's and his group.

Yekeh Kolubah, Representative of Montserrado County District #10, stood at the same place Gray stood to address supporters, calling on the student community to forgive Gray for his ignorance act exhibited.

He blamed President Weah for embracing violence on the campus of the university. "President Weah, if you bring the guns we will take the guns to your doors. This place is for our brothers and sisters to come and learn, not to bring chaos on this ground.

"If you have a government who is irresponsible, that is not mature because you cannot be in glass house and throw stones," Rep. Kolubah said.

However, Gray did not have the lunch for which he claimed to have gone to the campus, since all of the eateries on the campus had been closed for fear of his violent arrival. The UL administration had earlier issued an urgent statement canceling all academic activities for the day.

This however raises the question whether the CDC lawmaker's mission was a successful one.
Amidst the ongoing tension between the United States and China, defence scientists in Beijing have made alarming predictions about North Korea's military capabilities. According to them, North Korea possesses a ballistic missile so powerful that it could cause destruction on American soil in just 33 minutes.

This warning comes at a time when military exercises are taking place between the US and South Korea, and North Korea has also issued threats against America. The ballistic missile in question was recently launched by North Korea near the Japan border and is a nuclear-capable weapon.

Chinese defence experts claim that, if the US missile defence network fails to intercept it, the North Korean missile could reach Central America in 1,997 seconds, or roughly 33 minutes. The Hwasong-15 missile, fired by North Korea for the first time in 2017, is the focus of this research published in the Chinese-language journal Modern Defense Technology.

Also Read: To stop US investors from funding Chinese companies, Biden administration is coming up with new rules

The missile is a two-stage, nuclear-capable weapon with an effective range of 13,000 km, which is "enough to hit the entire US soil", according to the research team led by Tang Yuan of the Beijing Institute of Electronic Systems Engineering.

The Chinese team claims that the Hwasong-15 missile originated from Suncheon, a city in South Pyongan province in central North Korea, and its target is Colombia in the Central American state of Missouri. The US missile defence headquarters would receive an alert about 20 seconds later, and the first batch of intercepting missiles would take off from Fort Greely in Alaska within 11 minutes. If the first attempt fails, another wave of interceptors will be launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Also Read: North Korea girls not allowed to share same name as Kim Jong Un's daughter

While there has been no official statement from the US on China's research, the Chinese research underscores the rising tension between the US and China, with experts warning that any conflict involving North Korea could easily escalate into a global crisis. The US has been pushing for a more robust missile defence system, and this research by Chinese defence scientists highlights the importance of this effort.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sounak Mukhopadhyay Sounak Mukhopadhyay, who also goes by the name Sounak Mukherjee, has been producing digital news since 2012. He's worked for the International Business Times, The Inquisitr, and Moneycontrol in the past. He's also contributed to Free Press Journal and TheRichest with feature articles. He covers news for a wide range of subjects including business, finance, economy, politics and social media. Before working with digital news publications, he worked as a freelance content writer. Read more from this author
Republicans at the US House of representatives are eyeing unspent COVID-19 relief funds as a target to rein in federal spending. However, a review of federal spending figures by Reuters suggests that clawing back the remaining $80 billion of unspent aid may not significantly improve the US fiscal picture, but could instead have real-world repercussions.

How is the US government planning to use it?

The largest chunk of unspent funds, $47 billion, is earmarked for financially troubled union pension funds that have asked the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation for help. Reclaiming this money could mean that around one million union workers, including fishermen in Massachusetts and carpenters in Ohio, would not receive their full retirement benefits. Additionally, clawing back funds could also affect veterans' healthcare, as the Department of Veterans Affairs has yet to spend $4.6 billion of the money it received for COVID-19 related care. The health system is currently treating 4,500 patients for the disease.

Other remaining pots of money include $6.8 billion to fight the virus itself by developing improved vaccines and tests and researching topics like long COVID, as well as $3.2 billion for small business aid and $2.5 billion for bus and subway systems that have struggled with declining fare revenue. Much of this money has been designated for specific recipients.

However, some funding that remains on the books will never be spent, and thus offers no potential budget savings. For example, the Transportation Department handed out less than $700 million from a $3 billion fund that aimed to preserve airplane-manufacturing jobs after several major firms declined to participate. Businesses also claimed less than Congress anticipated in tax breaks to keep employees on the payroll and provide COVID-related sick leave.

Furthermore, some Republican-led states opted out of expanded unemployment and food-stamp benefits, saying they discouraged work. That led the federal government to spend less than it would have otherwise. Republican governors of Nebraska and Arkansas last year rejected a second round of aid for people behind on their rent. Those dollars were then given to other states.

While Republicans argue that clawing back unspent COVID-19 relief funds is an obvious starting place for any debt ceiling discussion, the reality is that the remaining funds are a small target that could have significant consequences for vulnerable populations. The Treasury Department has not seen many state and local governments return funds, despite Republican Senator Rick Scott's call for them to do so voluntarily to help pay down federal debt.
A study published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases has stated that the subvariant of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron, XBB.1.5, is highly transmissible and infectious. As per the study, the researchers at the University of Tokyo in Japan found that the relative effective reproduction number (Re) of XBB.1.5 was 1.2-fold greater than that of the parental XBB.1. This indicates that an individual with the XBB.1.5 variant could infect 1.2 times more people than someone infected with XBB.1 variant.

Jumpei Ito from the varsity's Division of Systems Virology said, "Our data suggest that XBB.1.5 will rapidly spread worldwide in the near future."

Earlier in January, Omicron XBB.1.5 strain was the fast spreading strain across the globe. Countries like US, Britain were dominated by this strain. India too saw COVID's XBB.1.5 strain in the country. The XBB.1.5 strain is a relative of the Omicron XBB variant, which is a recombinant of the Omicron BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 subvariants.

In January, World Health Organisation (WHO) had revised the risk assessment for Omicron XBB.1.5 variant from "Low" to "Moderate". WHO had noted that the variant was likely to contribute to increase in case incidence globally and had also mentioned that number of cases associated with XBB.1.5 was low and thus severity cannot yet be confidently assessed.

Speaking of symptoms, XBB.1.5 led COVID infections were having same impact on people as the previous variants were. Classic COVID symptoms like runny nose, sore throat, headache are seen in patients reporting positive for COVID. Experts had added that XBB.1.5 are more likely to report flu-like symptoms like feeling very sick in general due to the high fevers.

Also Read: Suffering from fever and cough? How do you know its H3N2 or new COVID variant XBB 1.16

Coming back to the study, Prof. Kei Sato from the Division of Systems Virology said that XBB.1.5 has potential to cause the next epidemic surge. He further added that the variant needs to be carefully monitored "to safeguard public health".

While studying emerging variants of the SARs-CoV-2 Omicron lineage, the research team found that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB.1.5 variant has a novel mutation in the spike (S) proteinthe protein that anchors the virus firmly to the human angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor, thus facilitating the invasion of human cells.

Further experiments using lentivirus-based pseudoviruses also showed that XBB.1.5 had approximately 3-fold higher infectivity than XBB.1. The study also led to another important discovery from an immunization perspective which is the XBB.1.5 S protein was found to be highly resistant to neutralization antibodies elicited by breakthrough infection with the BA.2/BA.5 subvariants.

In other words, patients with prior infection from the BA.2/BA.5 subvariants may not show robust immunity against XBB.1.5, increasing their chances of infection and disease, the study showed.

Yusuke Kosugi from the Division of Systems Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, "The results of our virological experiments explain why the Omicron XBB.1.5 variant has a higher transmissibility than past variants: This variant acquired strong binding ability to human ACE2 while maintaining a higher ability to escape from neutralizing antibodies.
Pollution is the process of making land, water, air or other parts of the environment dirty and not safe or suitable to use. This can be done through the introduction of a contaminant into a natural environment, but the contaminant doesn't need to be tangible. Things as simple as light, sound and temperature can be considered pollutants when introduced artificially into an environment.

Toxic pollution affects more than 200 million people worldwide, according to Pure Earth, a non-profit environmental organization. In some of the world's worst polluted places, babies are born with birth defects, children have lost 30 to 40 IQ points, and life expectancy may be as low as 45 years because of cancers and other diseases. Read on to find out more about specific types of pollution.

Land pollution

Land can become polluted by household garbage and by industrial waste. In 2014, Americans produced about 258 million tons of solid waste, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A little over half of the waste  136 million tons was gathered in landfills. Only about 34% was recycled or composted.

Organic material was the largest component of the garbage generated, the EPA said. Paper and paperboard accounted for more than 26%; food was 15% and yard trimmings were 13%. Plastics comprised about 13% of the solid waste, while rubber, leather and textiles made up 9.5% and metals 9%. Wood contributed to 6.2% of the garbage; glass was 4.4% and other miscellaneous materials made up about 3%.

Commercial or industrial waste is a significant portion of solid waste. According to the University of Utah, industries use 4 million pounds of materials in order to provide the average American family with needed products for one year. Much of it is classified as non-hazardous, such as construction material (wood, concrete, bricks, glass, etc.) and medical waste (bandages, surgical gloves, surgical instruments, discarded needles, etc.). Hazardous waste is any liquid, solid or sludge waste that contain properties that are dangerous of potentially harmful to human health or the environment. Industries generate hazardous waste from mining, petroleum refining, pesticide manufacturing and other chemical production. Households generate hazardous waste as well, including paints and solvents, motor oil, fluorescent lights, aerosol cans and ammunition.

Water pollution

Water pollution happens when chemicals or dangerous foreign substances are introduced to water, including toxic chemicals, sewage, pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural runoff, or metals like lead or mercury. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 44% of assessed stream miles, 64% of lakes and 30% of bay and estuarine areas are not clean enough for fishing and swimming. The EPA also states that the United State's most common contaminants are bacteria, mercury, phosphorus and nitrogen. These come from the most common sources of contaminates, that include agricultural runoff, air deposition, water diversions and channelization of streams.

Water pollution isn't just a problem for the United States. According to United Nations, 783 million people do not have access to clean water and around 2.5 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation. Adequate sanitation helps to keep sewage and other contaminants from entering the water supply.

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 80% of pollution in marine environment comes from the land through sources like runoff. Water pollution can also severely affect marine life. For example, sewage causes pathogens to grow, while organic and inorganic compounds in water can change the composition of the precious resource. According to the EPA, low levels of dissolved oxygen in the water are also considered a pollutant. Dissolved is caused by the decomposition of organic materials, such as sewage introduced into the water.

Warming water can also be harmful. The artificial warming of water is called thermal pollution. It can happen when a factory or power plant that is using water to cool its operations ends up discharging hot water. This makes the water hold less oxygen, which can kill fish and wildlife. The sudden change of temperature in the body of water can also kill fish. According to the University of Georgia, it is estimated that around half of the water withdrawn from water systems in the United States each year is used for cooling electric power plants.

"In nearly all cases, 90% of this water is returned to its source, where it can raise the water temperature in an area immediately surrounding the water discharge pipe. Depending on water flow, the water temperature quickly returns to ambient temperatures that do not harm fish." Donn Dears, former president of TSAugust, a not for profit corporation organization focused on energy issues, told Live Science.

Nutrient pollution, also called eutrophication, is another type of water pollution. It is when nutrients, such as nitrogen, are added into bodies of water. The nutrient works like fertilizer and makes algae grow at excessive rates, according to NOAA. The algae blocks light from other plants. The plants die and their decomposition leads to less oxygen in the water. Less oxygen in the water kills aquatic animals.

Air pollution

The air we breathe has a very exact chemical composition; 99% of it is made up of nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor and inert gases. Air pollution occurs when things that aren't normally there are added to the air. A common type of air pollution happens when human activity releases particles into the air from burning fossil fuels. This pollution looks like soot, containing millions of tiny particles, floating in the air.

Another common type of air pollution is dangerous gases, such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and chemical vapors. These can take part in further chemical reactions once they are in the atmosphere, creating acid rain and smog. Other sources of air pollution can come from within buildings, such as secondhand smoke.

Finally, air pollution can take the form of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide, which are warming the planet through the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is when gases absorb the infrared radiation that is released from Earth, preventing the heat from escaping. This is a natural process that keeps our atmosphere warm. If too many gases are introduced into the atmosphere, though, more heat is trapped and this can make the planet artificially warm, according to Columbia University.

Air pollution kills more than 2 million people each year, according to a study published in the journal of Environmental Research Letters. The effects of air pollution on human health can vary widely depending on the pollutant, according to Hugh Sealy, professor and director of the environmental and occupational health track at the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, St. George's University, St. George's, Grenada. If the pollutant is highly toxic, the effects on health can be widespread and severe. For example, the release of methyl isocyanate gas at Union Carbide plant in Bhopal in 1984 killed over 2,000 people, and over 200,000 suffered respiratory problems. An irritant (e.g. particulates less than 10 micrometers) may cause respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease and increases in asthma. "The very young, the old and those with vulnerable immune systems are most at risk from air pollution. The air pollutant may be carcinogenic (e.g. some volatile organic compounds) or biologically active (e.g. some viruses) or radioactive (e.g. radon). Other air pollutants like carbon dioxide have an indirect impact on human health through climate change," Sealy told Live Science.

Noise pollution

Even though humans can't see or smell noise pollution, it still affects the environment. Noise pollution happens when the sound coming from planes, industry or other sources reaches harmful levels. Research has shown that there are direct links between noise and health, including stress-related illnesses, high blood pressure, speech interference, hearing loss. For example, a study bythe WHO Noise Environmental Burden on Disease working group found that noise pollution may contribute to hundreds of thousands of deaths per year by increasing the rates of coronary heart disease. Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA can regulate machine and plane noise.

Underwater noise pollution coming from ships has been shown to upset whales' navigation systems and kill other species that depend on the natural underwater world. Noise also makes wild species communicate louder, which can shorten their lifespan.

Light pollution

Most people can't imagine living without the modern convenience of electric lights. For the natural world, though, lights have changed the way that days and nights work. Some consequences of light pollution are:

Some birds sing at unnatural hours in the presence of artificial light.

Scientists have determined that long artificial days can affect migration schedules, as they allow for longer feeding times.

Streetlights can confuse newly hatched sea turtles that rely on starlight reflecting off the waves to guide them from the beach to the ocean. They often head in the wrong direction.

Light pollution, called sky glow, also makes it difficult for astronomers, both professional and amateur, to properly see the stars.

Plant's flowering and developmental patterns can be entirely disrupted by artificial light.

According to a study by the American Geophysical Union (opens in new tab) , light pollution could also be making smog worse by destroying nitrate radicals that helps the dispersion of smog.

Turning on so many lights may not be necessary. Research published by International Journal of Science and Research estimates that over-illumination wastes about 2 million barrels of oil per day and lighting is responsible for one-fourth of all energy consumption worldwide.

Other pollution facts:

Americans generate 30 billion foam cups, 220 million tires, and 1.8 billion disposable diapers every year, according to the Green Schools Alliance.

According to the WHO, ambient air pollution contributes to 6.7% of all deaths worldwide.

The Mississippi River drains the lands of nearly 40% of the continental United Sates. It also carries an estimated 1.5 million metric tons of nitrogen pollution into the Gulf of Mexico each year, resulting in a dead zone each summer about the size of New Jersey.

Pollution in China can change weather patterns in the United States. It takes just five days for the jet stream to carry heavy air pollution from China to the United States, where it stops clouds from producing rain and snow.

About 7 million premature deaths annually linked to air pollution, according to WHO. That is one in eight deaths worldwide.

Additional resources
Every year on March 17, millions of people gussy themselves up in green attire, hold big parades and guzzle pints of beer, all in the name of an old Irish saint. But what's the story behind this emerald-hued holiday, and why do we celebrate it with shamrocks and alcohol?

St. Patrick wasn't actually Irish

St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain  not Ireland  near the end of the fourth century, according to a 2006 report in the publication History Ireland (opens in new tab). He came from a wealthy family, and although his father was a Christian deacon, historians think he didn't have a particularly religious upbringing. When he was 16, Irish raiders ransacked his family's estate, kidnapped and enslaved him, and brought him to Ireland where he worked as a shepherd. He spent six years in captivity, turning to religion for solace. It's believed that in his fear and loneliness, he began to dream of converting the Irish to Christinanity.

Patrick wrote in his spiritual autobiography " Confessio (opens in new tab)" that God's voice came to him in a dream, commanding him to escape back to Britain. There, he described having a second revelation: an angel told him to return to Ireland as a missionary. He trained to become a priest for 15 years before setting off on a dual mission to convert the Irish and minister to Christians already living there  contrary to popular belief, St. Patrick didn't introduce Christianity to Ireland. Rather than uprooting pagan Irish rituals, he incorporated them into his teachings. For instance, the Irish used to honor their gods with fire, which inspired Patrick to light bonfires to celebrate Easter.

Patrick died on March 17, 461 A.D. (although some sources (opens in new tab) give the year 465 A.D.) which became St. Patrick's Day.

St. Patrick's Day was originally celebrated with blue, not green

The color green has become emblematic of St. Patrick's Day, but the holiday was originally celebrated in blue. The shift to green was probably inspired by the many Irish symbols that contain green  its flag, the shamrock  as well as the island's nickname, "The Emerald Isle." People have paraded in green ribbons and shamrocks since the 17th century and Irish soldiers wore green on March 17, 1798, as a political statement during the Irish Rebellion against British Rule, Time reported (opens in new tab). Legend has it that wearing green makes a person invisible to leprechauns that will pinch anyone they see.

In Ireland, some people still adhere to the tradition of Catholics wearing green and Protestants wearing orange on St. Patrick's Day, the colors that represent them, respectively, on the Irish flag.

Every St. Patrick's Day, the leaders of Ireland and the U.S. chitchat over shamrock

Nothing screams Irish like the simple shamrock, which comes from the Gaelic word "seamrog," meaning young clover. According to folklore, St. Patrick used the three-leaved plant to illustrate the Christian Holy Trinity in his teachings. Every year, the Irish prime minister, or taoiseach (pronounced "taysha"), presents a bowl of shamrock to the U.S. president during an audience at the White House. The tradition began in 1952, when the Irish Ambassador to the U.S. John Hearne delivered a box of clovers to President Harry Truman.

St. Patrick's Day turns everything  even beer  green

It's no secret that St. Patty's Day is a boozy occasion. While the Irish Guinness remains many people's drink of choice, green beer is also a favorite. The bright concoction is an American invention from 1924, which Thomas H. Curtin, a New York toastmaster and coroner's physician, is said to have served at his St. Patrick's Day bash. Green beer is simply beer mixed with green food coloring, although Curtin's recipe used "one drop of wash blue," a laundry whitener that was unfortunately poisonous to humans, according to Irish Central (opens in new tab).

The world's largest St. Patrick's Day parade is not in Ireland

St. Patrick's Day wouldn't be complete without flamboyant parades, festivals and ceilithe (pronounced "kaylee"), which are social gatherings that involve Gaelic folk music and dancing. The largest parade in the world happens every year in New York City. It was first held in 1762, 14 years before the Declaration of Independence, by a group of homesick Irish expats and soldiers who served with the British Army in the American colonies, according to the parade's website (opens in new tab).

The world's shortest St. Patrick's Day parade is held in the Irish village of Dripsey, in County Cork, and stretches just 75 feet (23 meters) from one of the village's pubs to the other.
-- Receives a paltry US$30K out of US$300K budget from 2018-2022

A highly comprehensive work plan submitted to members of the 54th Legislature by the Legislative Information Services (LIS) is revealing that the institution has been severely and embarrassingly underfunded since 2018 to 2022.

The 2023 work plan, which LIS submits annually to the Legislature accompanied by a circular to all 103 Legislators, shows that since 2018, that repository for Legislative articles and or other informative items, has only received a meager US$30,000 out of US300,000 allotment through the Senate in four years.

The LIS work plan and the circular, obtained by the Daily Observer, shows that LIS did not receive a dime from the amount of US$100,000 in 2018-2019; likewise in the 2019-2020 respective budgets; from 2020-2021, LIS received US$15,000 of US$50,000, but the institution was not captured in the 2021 Special Budget. Of the US$50,000 meant for LIS in 2022, only a paltry US$15,000 was remitted, bringing the total amount of US$30,000 received out of a budgetary allotment of US$300,000 since 2018.

The Legislative Information Service submission of its Work Plan 2023 is a professional tradition of the bicameral department to submit its work plan annually, based on the important fact that the joint service department has budgetary appropriation annually.

"Our plan of action for the year provides clues as to how funds received are intended to be utilized. May I state here, for the record, however, unfortunately, that since the sitting of the 54th Legislature, the Liberian Senate which manages the department's fund, has not been forthcoming in making funding available as should," said LIS Director, McCarthy Weh, in his work plan to the lawmakers.

This behavior of the Senate, according to LIS, led to the near-collapse of the department prior to the 2020 Special Senatorial election, which brought in the likes of Sen. Emmanuel Nuquay, Jeremiah Koung.

"Out of US300,000, the department has only been able to receive a meager $30,000.00 in the last five years; and this was predicated upon the personal interventions of Sen. Nuquay. '

The LIS boss submitted that from the table displayed, "I do hereby inform you that the joint service department, under your leaderships (House Speaker Bhofal Chambers & Pro temp Albert Tugbe Chie), has received the least support since its existence in 2011. More regrettably, Sirs, the information center's budgetary appropriations during the last five years have been so badly mismanaged, so much so to the extent that out of US$25,000.00 which was placed in the Senate's Central Bank's Account, US$10,000.00 is unaccounted for as I submit this work plan.

Besides the US$25,000.00, LIS regretted that the Senate could not pull out any additional amount from the department's other US$25,000.00. "Sirs, the US$10,000.00 cannot be accessed as the information center is currently without internet and local dailies as other subscriptions have since expired, rendering the space semi-dormant."

Weh recalled the last time the LIS experienced hiccup with its budgetary funding was during the 53rd Legislature under the Speakership of Mr. Alex Tyler, during which time the department's fund was reportedly misapplied by the then Ways and Means Chair and Co-Chair.

"This led to my office reporting the House of Representatives to their employers, the citizens, after every effort to seek redress failed including intervention from [then] Senate Pro Tempore Armah Jallah. Following the recusal of Mr. Tyler, I then pleaded with then Speaker, now Senator Emmanuel Nuquay, for the LIS fund to be removed from under the House and placed under the Senate."

Under the then Senate Chair on Ways, Means and Budget, the late Grand Cape Mount County Senator Edward Dagoseh, the Senate judiciously managed the fund of the LIS with absolutely no problem, according to Mr Weh. "Since then, the LIS fund was effectively and efficiently managed until the 54th Legislature, when under the Pro Tempship of Senator Chie and the chairmanship of Senator Morris Saytumah, the LIS began to experience hitches and hiccups.

It took the election of Sen. Nuquay and his interventions for the LIS to even receive the US$30,000 the department received just recently.

Through House Speaker and Senate Pro Tempore, the LIS boss is requesting that the legislature make the LIS fund of US$10,000.00 available to enable the department to pay for its subscriptions to have the information center effectively provide services to members, staff and mainly this election year, the public.

"As majority members of the legislature are poised to seek re-election, the department does not see it prudent for any one or group of members to force it into reporting action or inaction of said lawmaker or lawmakers to their employers (your constituents), as we were compelled to painstakingly do in 2016."

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The LIS has expressed desire to implement its annual work plan that will include the proposed project named: "Enhancing Accountable Legislative Governance (ALG Project)", to be implemented in 73 Districts in all 15 Counties of Liberia, with the cost of US$70,165.31 for the period of three months (March 1-May 30) 2023, with sponsorship expected from the Legislature and International Partners/Donors and the public.

"However, contingent upon securing funding and support, the survey will commence when sufficient resources are secured which can underwrite the cost of the survey. In the event funds are not secured in time, the commencement of the survey will be adjusted accordingly."

Some of the LIS activities will also include engaging the legislature for passage of what the department calls a 'Reorganization Act' and as well as other key information-related service deliverables.

"Honorable Speaker and Pro Temp, the table as shown in this submission, shows how the LIS has been 'hell-like' in the professional space."
Elizabeth "Lizzie" Greenlee was last seen in the area of the Country Inn and Suites on West Bridge Road. Photo by DPD.
A senior engineer in Longford County Council said challenges presented by construction inflation will not result in the shelving of a Longford town centre regeneration project.

Director of Services for Planning, Regeneration and Capital Projects, John Brannigan, told the March meeting of Longford County Council that work on The Royal Canal Gateway Project is continuing.

The plans were put out to tender over a year ago to link the town centre with the Royal Canal greenway, but at the meeting Cllr Gerry Warnock (Ind) said: I have lost the warm fuzzy feeling about this project.

Cllr Warnock expressed concerns over a lack of progression on the delivery of The Royal Canal Gateway Project at the rear of Market Square in Longford Town. He said assurances from council management that the project would be prioritised for commencement have not come to pass.

I am seriously concerned over the lack of progress, said Cllr Warnock, I took people at their word that we would hit the ground running in Q1 of this year and here we are in the third month of Q1 and zero progression from what I can see.

Im not a person who looks for ghosts behind doors but Im beginning to seriously question what the hell is going on.

Why are we constantly running into walls when it comes to progressing projects in our county town while it appears seamless in other parts of the county, particularly in the south of the county? What Im asking now is if there is a danger that this project might not be delivered?

Responding to the query the Director of Services for Planning, Regeneration and Capital Projects, John Brannigan, assured members the challenges around costs would not result in the shelving of the project.

Mr Brannigan said the council are working to resolve the issues causing the delay: The work on The Market Square has continued since this was raised at the end of last year, and into 2023. There is no plan to shelve it, but we just need to acknowledge that there is some work that needs to be done in that area.

Speaking after the meeting Cllr Warnock said that he was satisfied for now with the response, but stressed he will continue to raise the issue: Longford County Council has secured 725K from Failte Ireland and the Department of Tourism together with committing to providing a further 450k from their own resources as matched funding, to bring the total investment to nearly 1.2m to deliver this for the people of Longford Town.

It would reflect very badly indeed on the Management of Longford County Council if we had to return this capital because of procrastination and indecision, as a matter of fact it would be inconceivable.

Works undertaken as part of the Longford Connected Public Realm Enhancement Project (LCPREP) include the enhancements to Market Square and Longford Shopping Centre as focal points within Longford Town.
Irish premier Leo Varadkar has held talks with President Joe Biden as the two leaders marked St Patricks Day at the White House.

Ahead of the bilateral engagement, Mr Varadkar hailed the Irish-American relationship as one of two proud democracies, close friends and economic partners.

During the meeting, the two politicians are expected to discuss the presidents planned visit to the island of Ireland next month.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office before the private engagement, Mr Varadkar pledged to roll out the red carpet for Mr Biden when he visits Ireland.

The President said the two leaders would discuss the Ukraine conflict and the forthcoming anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Taoiseach began the day of traditional St Patricks Day engagements in Washington DC at a breakfast event hosted by the US vice-president, Kamala Harris.

Mr Varadkar and his partner, Matt Barrett, posed for photos with Ms Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, when they arrived at her residence early on Friday.

Inside, he hailed Ms Harris and the wider USs work on LGBT rights.

Mr Varadkar thanked Vice President Kamala Harris for her advocacy on the LGBT issue and for being a strong ally.

From Stonewall to Sacramento to San Francisco, America has led the way when it comes to LGBT equality, he said.

I dont think I would be here today were it not for what America did. I know youve been such a strong ally to our community in that regard.

Ahead of Fridays events, Mr Varadkar was embroiled in a controversy after apologising for an ill-judged remark that was seen as an apparent reference to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.

While reminiscing about his experience as an intern in the United States, the Taoiseach made a reference to possible concern about being an intern in the US capital at the time.

Mr Varadkar made the remarks during an address to the Washington Ireland Programme, which helps young people develop career skills and which Mr Varadkar took part in, in 2000.

The Taoiseachs comment came hours after attending an event honouring womens role in the Good Friday Agreement, during which he praised Hillary Clinton for her sustained involvement in Northern Ireland.

A spokesperson for Mr Varadkar said in a statement following the event: He made an ill-judged, off-the-cuff remark which he regrets. He apologises for any offence caused to anyone concerned.

Former US president Bill Clinton and Mrs Clinton are due to take a leading role in commemorations planned in Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next month.

Monica Lewinsky was a young White House intern when she and the then-US president Bill Clinton embarked on a romance in the 1990s. She was pilloried for years after the scandal broke.

The affair almost forced Mr Clinton out of office and Ms Lewinsky has spoken about the devastating effect it had on her life in the years after.

Mr Varadkar sat beside Hillary Clinton at Thursday mornings event at Georgetown University focusing on the role of women in the peace process in Northern Ireland.

Fridays political engagements will culminate with the Taoiseach handing over a crystal bowl of shamrocks to Mr Biden at the White House.
Health & Wellness

By Chris Boyle Published: March 17 2023

Medical Students To Discover Doctor Destinies In Suspense-filled Ceremony.

The Class of 2023 will participate in the annual Match Day, a suspense-filled ceremony, held at medical schools across the country, on Friday, March 17.

During this event, it will be revealed where each student is destined to fulfill their medical residency and begin their careers as doctors. During the past few years, several of these medical students were working in different industries and decided to make a change. Lauren Jansma, a former nurse; and three former teachers, Jaydee Choompoo, Maxwell Oberlander, and Santiago Luis, highlighted below, made the switch and chose to study medicine.

NYU Long Island School of Medicine (NYULISOM) students will discover their doctor destinies among four primary care areas of: family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology in addition to other specialties. Residency positions will start soon after the schools May 16 graduation.

The NYU Long Island School of Medicine opened its doors to its first class of medical students four years ago, September 2019. NYU LISOM became one of the first medical schools in the nation to offer an accelerated three-year program devoted exclusively to training primary care physicians, in which there is expected to be a significant shortage of primary care physicians nationwide. Last month, LISOM was granted full accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, a significant milestone for the Mineola school, which currently has 74 students.

While NYU Long Island School of Medicines graduating students may be matched with any residency position nationwide, it is hoped that some will match with institutions in the broader New York region, including at NYU Langone HospitalLong Island, helping to fill the void of regional primary care physicians. Following residencies, many are also expected to return to serve the communities in which they have been trained.
Liberia and the United Kingdom have highlighted the key role of the private sector as a catalyst in advancing trade and investment between the two countries.

The Minister of Africa of the United Kingdom, Andrew Mitchell and Commerce and Industries Minister of Liberia- Madam Mawine G. Diggs, held discussions on broadening trade with Liberia and the United Kingdom.

Speaking at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in London, Minster Mitchell recounted the continuing partnership between Liberia and the United Kingdom in promoting democratic governance.

He indicated that following the COP27 Climate Summit, the United Kingdom will continue its leadership role in soliciting greater commitment around climate change and global peace.

He hailed Liberia for strengthening its democratic gains especially as Liberians look towards the 2023 general and presidential elections.

Minister Mawine Diggs reflected on the strategic importance of the UK Liberia relations and how it continues to impact varying aspects of the two countries.

She commended the United Kingdom for support to Liberia's development across education, health, and fisheries.

She highlighted the importance of attracting UK investment to Liberia as well as development financing to consolidate the efforts of Liberian businesses.

Minister Mawine Diggs expressed optimism that Liberia's new legislation on Standards - will [propel] made in Liberia products, thus reducing the reliance on imports, while increasing the prospects of Liberian businesses in accessing other markets.

Commerce Minister Mawine Diggs- indicated that a new trade agreement will be productive - - alongside development finance to boost the private sector.

Also speaking at the offices of the British International Investment (BII), she rolled out the prospect of Liberian business and the need to explore markets beyond Liberia. 'The focus is geared toward strengthening the private sector through access to capital: focusing on agriculture and manufacturing." Minister Diggs stressed.

According to Vivianne Infante, Director, Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator - two study tours have already provided sufficient insight into the approaches and partnership in Liberia, especially through commercial banks.

They hailed Commerce Minister Diggs- for the visit and pledged the commitment of BII as the key outlet of the United Kingdom to drive private sector growth and development around the world.

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The BII seeks to leverage the partnership with commercial institutions to provide better and long- term support for private sector development in Liberia.

According to Andrew Palmer, Director, Global Affairs, the focus of (BII) is concentrated at key projects with high prospects; interventions are aligned with prosperity and targeted at yielding great fruits.

The British International Investment (BII) is part of ARIA (Africa Resilience Investment Accelerator) alongside US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and other development finance institutions (DFI).

ARIA aims to boost investment by bringing together experience to overcome the challenges in providing investment in these countries.

Currently, BII is the largest development financial partner with infrastructure, solar energy as well as digital connectivity.
Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: March 17 2023

The victim spoke to an unknown male claiming to work for Microsoft who instructed her to go to her local bank branch and transfer $49,000.

According to Nassau County Police Detectives, a female victim, 85, while inside her North Hills residence using her computer, received a prompt to call a phone number. She called and spoke to an unknown male claiming to work for Microsoft.

The male instructed her to go to her local bank branch and transfer $49,000 (U.S.) to another bank account that he had provided the information for.

After the transfer was completed, the unknown male instructed the victim to send a copy of her drivers license and the bank receipt of the transfer to a phone number that he provided.
Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: March 17 2023

Marvin Moralez pleaded guilty in February for 2021 Freeport murder and for pointing gun at police officer.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that an alleged MS-13 member was sentenced today to 23 years to life in prison for the murder of an 18-year-old man in Cow Meadow Park in March 2021 and the attempted murder of a Nassau County Police Department detective.

Marvin Moralez, 21, a/k/a Little Chucky, pleaded guilty on February 14, 2023, before Judge Teresa Corrigan to one count of Murder in the Second Degree (an A-I felony) for his role in the murder of Daniel Garcia-Carbajal in Freeports Cow Meadow Park on March 1, 2021, and Attempted Murder in the First Degree (an A-I felony) for pointing a loaded handgun at a Nassau County Police Department detective on March 15, 2021.

The defendant was sentenced today to 23 years to life in prison. The NCDA recommended a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

Marvin Moralez participated in the callous murder of an 18-year-old man, and just two weeks later, pointed a loaded gun at a police officers chest, said DA Donnelly. This dangerous individual will now spend decades in prison paying for his crimes, unable to cause further harm to Nassau communities.

According to the investigation, in the early morning hours of March 1, 2021, Daniel Garcia-Carbajal was allegedly contacted by a male co-defendant on social media and invited to hang out with girls. The 18-year-old victim was picked up in a car and taken to Cow Meadow Park in Freeport. Garcia-Carbajal entered the park with multiple people  including Moralez  that afternoon and was shot once in his head causing his death.

A family member reported Garcia-Carbajal missing and his body was found the following day in the park. The victim was a perceived enemy of MS-13 due to his social media posts.

Cases against co-defendants Tulio Ayala, Manuel Aparicio Gomez, Kevin Torres, and Henry Canales in Garcia-Carbajals death are pending.

On March 15, 2021, Moralez was a passenger in a Hyundai SUV operating at a high rate of speed in a Hempstead parking lot. Nearby police officers activated their vehicles lights, and the Hyundai did not immediately stop. An NCPD detective left his vehicle and approached the Hyundai when Moralez exited the passenger door and pointed a loaded gun at the officers chest. Moralez was arrested at the scene.

Veronica Guariglia, Deputy Chief of the Homicide Bureau, is prosecuting the case. The defendant is represented by Scott Gross, Esq.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) Division of Law Enforcement in Suffolk County spent a few days providing security for seals.

Earlier in March, Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) Dickson, Anderson, and Perkins responded to a call from Suffolk County Central Dispatch of a potentially injured seal on a boat ramp in Babylon Village.

The ECOs arrived at the location and contacted the New York Marine Rescue Center to report the seal's condition and behavior. Experts at the rescue center, who determined it was likely a male harp seal visiting from arctic waters, advised that these types of seals stress easily. When stressed, the seals tend to consume sand and rocks that can damage their digestive systems.

ECOs and Village of Babylon Code Enforcement set up a perimeter 150 feet around the boat launch to protect the seal from curious bystanders who had gathered to take pictures.
(Alliance News) - Amala Foods PLC on Friday said that it has terminated a proposed transaction with Terra Rara UK Ltd, after identifying administrative issues with the company's mining assets through due diligence.

The Jersey-based food technology firm is now pursuing the return of USD125,000 due from Terra Rara, which is seeking to develop assets in two African countries where the due diligence is "lengthy and complex".

In other news, Amala Foods has raised new funds of GBP405,000 through the subscription of convertible loan notes. The loan notes carry zero interest, and will convert at re-admission upon a reverse takeover at a 50% discount to the re-admission price.

A director, Aidan Bishop, has also subscribed to GBP40,000 of the notes.

The company now expects to publish its annual financial report at the end of this month. It said that the delays have been "largely due to the busy season", as well as resourcing challenges faced by its auditors.

Upon publication, Amala will apply to restore its shares to trading.

By Holly Beveridge, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - The leader of the DUP has denied being pressured by US politicians to sign up to the new Brexit deal on trade for Northern Ireland.

Jeffrey Donaldson told the PA news agency that the US administration and other political figures in Congress had been "very understanding" of his party's desire to seek further assurances from the UK government following the signing of the Windsor framework.

Donaldson held talks with US national security advisor Jake Sullivan in the White House on Thursday to discuss the framework, which is aimed at removing some of the economic barriers on Irish Sea trade created by Brexit's contentious Northern Ireland protocol.

The DUP is currently blocking devolution at Stormont in protest at the terms of the protocol.

While the party says the Windsor framework has gone some way to address its concerns, it says some "fundamental problems" remain with the new accord.

Donaldson, who is in Washington to attend St Patrick's themed events this week, is now seeking further clarity and assurances from the UK government to address his party's continuing concerns.

MPs will vote on legislation next week that would give effect to the "Stormont brake" mechanism within the Windsor framework. The brake would allow a minority of MLAs at Stormont to formally flag concerns about the imposition of new EU laws in Northern Ireland  a move that could see the UK government veto their introduction in the region.

Donaldson said he understood why political leaders in the US capital would like to see the institutions in Belfast restored ahead of next month's landmark 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement.

But he said his party was focused on getting the right outcome, not deadlines.

"Well, of course, look I understand why people would want to see the political institutions up and running," he told PA.

"But I have to be honest, I haven't been put under any pressure during my time here in Washington. I think people are actually very understanding of the need for unionist parties in particular to assess what the Windsor framework is, what it means, to examine the legal text and the legislation that will be used to implement that framework.

"So, I think that amongst the people I've talked to here, whether in the administration or on Capitol Hill, there is an understanding that it's not about working to a particular deadline, it's about getting it right."

Commenting on his engagement at the White House on Thursday, Donaldson added: "We had a very good meeting with Jake Sullivan, the national security advisor, and we were bringing him up to date in terms of our approach to the Windsor framework, the continuing concerns that we have about our ability to trade with the rest of the UK.

"We want to ensure that any new arrangements don't put barriers in place that prevent us or restrict our ability to trade with the rest of the UK and we've already indicated to the Government where we have areas of concern.

"I note that the government is bringing forward legislation next week on the Stormont brake and of course we'll look at that and consider what our approach should be.

"But I think it's important that we work our way through now the legislation, the legal text, so that we understand fully the detail of what this framework actually means in practice for businesses trading within the UK or trading with the EU."

Donaldson will be taking part in a range of engagements to mark St Patrick's Day in Washington on Friday, culminating with a reception at the White House where he is potentially set to discuss the Windsor framework with President Joe Biden.

"That's an opportunity yet again to explain to people where we're coming from, what our case is and how we intend to deal with the challenges in front of us at the moment," the DUP leader said of the reception.

"We want to see a stable government in Northern Ireland but, fundamentally, we've got to deal with the problems created by the protocol. We've got to ensure that what is being put in place actually works for businesses in Northern Ireland and respects Northern Ireland's place as part of the UK."

source: PA

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - John Wood Group PLC on Friday said it agreed to extend the put-up-or-shut-up deadline for Apollo Global Management Inc to make a formal takeover offer.

The Aberdeen, Scotland-based energy sector-focused engineering and consulting business said the deadline for the New York-based asset manager to make an offer or walk away has been extended to April 19 from Wednesday next week. John Wood said this will allow it to release its 2022 results on March 28 as originally scheduled.

The decision to give Apollo more time comes after John Wood said earlier this it was "minded to reject" a fourth proposal of 273 pence per share in cash from Apollo, saying it "continued to undervalue the group". The offer valued John Wood at about GBP1.89 billion.

Shares were up 3.7% at 210.40 pence in London on Friday morning, giving the company a market capitalisation of GBP1.46 billion.

By Sabrina Penty; Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
opinion

Strategies for bridging the gap in access to technology and internet service

One of the world's poorest nations, Liberia, is struggling with a significant digital divide that has an impact on both its educational system and its ability to thrive economically. The digital divide refers to the disparity between persons or groups who have access to modern technology and those who do not. Due to the high expenses of purchasing and maintaining technology, the digital gap is pervasive in many developing nations. Low literacy rates and poor infrastructure in Liberia further contribute to the country's digital divide. A thorough strategy that would boost access to technology, develop digital literacy, and offer technical support is needed to solve the digital gap in Liberia. The government of Liberia, in partnership with non-governmental organizations and private sector companies, can play a crucial role in bridging the digital divide.

Access to technology should be made more widely available as one of the first stages toward closing the digital divide. This can be achieved by giving remote libraries and schools access to computers, the internet, and software. Moreover, Wi-Fi hotspots and other community-based projects can increase mobile internet availability in rural areas. Funding for such an endeavor might be provided in a crucial way by donors and international organizations. Increasing digital literacy is a crucial first step in closing the digital gap. Technology education-focused training programs can be established by the government and non-governmental groups in rural areas. The training ought to address fundamental computer abilities, web usage, and online safety. By offering classes in regional tongues, training programs might be created to meet the demands of the local population.

The need to provide technical support to those with restricted access to technology is also necessary. This can be accomplished by establishing community technology centers that offer technical support and repair services. Local technicians who are able to help rural residents on the spot can work in these centers.

As a result, closing the digital divide in Liberia calls for a multidimensional strategy that emphasizes technical assistance, digital literacy training, and technological access. The government, non-governmental groups, and private sector businesses must work together to close the gap. Through a comprehensive strategy, Liberia can create a trained workforce with the necessary tools to compete in the global market.

In the current digital era, having access to technology and internet services is essential for social and economic progress. Yet, there is a sizable digital divide in Liberia, just like in many other developing nations, with a sizable percentage of the population lacking access to technology and internet services. To ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to engage in the digital economy, the digital gap is a crucial issue that needs to be addressed. This article will go over ways to close the access gap in Liberia for technology and internet services.

Understanding the Digital Divide in Liberia

Liberia, a West African country with a current population of 5,377,025 as of Sunday, March 12, 2023, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data. Liberia's internet penetration rate stands at 22.0 percent of the total population at the start of 2022 according to datareportal.

Datareportal estimates that in 2022, just 22.0% of people had access to the internet. There are a number of reasons for this low rate of internet adoption, including the expensive nature of internet services, a lack of infrastructure, and low levels of digital literacy. The distance between those who have access to contemporary information and communication technologies (ICTs) and those who do not are known as the "digital divide." This gap affects people, homes, enterprises, and geographical areas. Due to poor internet access and low ICT adoption rates, the digital divide in Liberia continues to be a serious problem.

Liberia had one of the lowest internet penetration rates in the world in 2022, according to datareportal, with only 22.0%. Only urban areas, where telecommunications infrastructure is comparatively superior than in rural areas, have access to the internet. For people residing in rural areas of the country, this imbalance has led to limited access to essential services including healthcare, education, and banking.

Another factor that contributes to the digital divide in Liberia is the cost of internet services. According to the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), the average cost of 1GB of mobile data in Liberia is around 8.7% of the average monthly income, which is well above the affordable threshold of 2% recommended by the United Nations. High internet costs are a significant barrier to internet adoption, especially among low-income households and individuals.

In conclusion, the digital divide in Liberia remains a significant challenge, with limited internet connectivity and high internet costs being the main barriers to ICT adoption. The government and other stakeholders must work together to address these challenges and promote digital inclusion, especially for those living in remote and underserved areas.

Bridging the Gap: Strategies for Addressing the Digital Divide

Improving Infrastructure

The absence of infrastructure is one of the main causes of Liberia's low internet penetration rate. An essential requirement for internet connectivity is dependable energy, which is lacking in many areas of the nation. The government must make infrastructure investments to bring internet connectivity to underserved communities in order to close the digital divide. These investments should include energy, fiber-optic cables, and other network infrastructure. To accomplish this, the government can collaborate with businesses in the private sector.

Increasing Digital Literacy

Digital literacy is another critical factor that contributes to the digital divide. Many people in Liberia lack the skills and knowledge required to use technology and access the internet. To address this, the government can provide digital literacy training programs for all age groups. The training programs should focus on basic computer skills, internet browsing, and online safety. Digital literacy training programs can be implemented in schools, libraries, and community centers.

Reducing the Cost of Internet Services

High internet service costs are another barrier to internet access in Liberia. The government can work with internet service providers to reduce the cost of internet services. The government can also provide tax incentives to internet service providers to encourage them to expand their services to underserved areas. This will not only increase access to the internet but also promote competition among internet service providers, leading to lower prices.

Implementing E-Government Services

The government can also promote the use of e-government services to improve access to public services. E-government services can be used to provide information and services to citizens through online platforms. This will reduce the need for physical visits to government offices, making it easier for citizens to access government services. E-government services can also promote transparency and accountability in government.

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Promoting Public-Private Partnerships

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) can be an effective way to bridge the digital divide in Liberia. PPPs can bring together the government, private sector, and civil society to work towards increasing access to technology and internet services. The government can provide incentives to the private sector to invest in infrastructure and provide internet services in underserved areas. PPPs can also be used to provide digital literacy training programs and support the implementation of e-government services.

Conclusion

The digital divide in Liberia is a critical issue that needs to be addressed to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities to participate in the digital economy. Improving infrastructure, increasing digital literacy, reducing the cost of internet services, implementing e-government services, and promoting public-private partnerships are strategies that can be used to bridge the gap in access to technology and internet services in Liberia. The government, private sector, and civil society need to work together to implement these strategies and ensure that everyone in Liberia has access to technology and internet services.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Willie Bee Tingba, Jr. is a Liberian youth and the leading Digital Rights Activist, Former Lecturer at BlueCrest University Liberia, Founder, and President Emeritus at the Liberia Information Technology Student Union (LITSU).He can be contacted at the following WhatsApp number and email addresses +231777538605 / wtingba@ciu.edu.lr / williebee0880321976@gmail.com
Manchester, VT (05254)

Today

Areas of patchy fog early. Showers this morning, becoming a steady rain during the afternoon hours. High 59F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. Low 42F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
African Diaspora Investment Symposium 2023 (ADIS23) is the eighth annual global convening that celebrates and champions the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of Africans, African Diasporans, and friends of Africa. Hosted by the African Diaspora Network, the symposium inspires and equips participants to be agents of change and active contributors to the development of Africa and communities in which the diaspora lives.

Silicon Valley, Calif  The African Diaspora Network (ADN) will host the eighth edition of the African Diaspora Investment Symposium (ADIS23) from March 22 - 24, 2023 at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View California. This year, ADIS explores the theme - Future Ready Africa, with discussions around trending innovations, blueprints for the future, and the interconnectedness of sectors such as climate change, healthcare, finance, education, and agriculture.

ADIS, which is ADN's annual flagship symposium, will convene Africa-focused investors, entrepreneurs, high-level leaders and professionals from across four continents and 23 countries for insightful dialogue around investment and innovation in Africa, supporting the continent to chart a course forward for large scale development across sectors.

"Africa must plan for a sustainable recovery and reimagine its path forward. What does a future ready Africa look like? How can we transform the continent through innovation, entrepreneurship, investment, and human capital development?" says Almaz Negash, Founder and Executive Director of African Diaspora Network. "I look forward to engaging with the African and African diaspora communities to explore possibilities and build bridges between Africans, African diasporans, and friends of Africa to help drive transformational economic, environment, and social change on the continent and the communities in which we live."

Keynote speakers at ADIS23 include the Honorable Ms. Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; Travis Adkins, President and Chief Executive Officer, United States African Development Foundation (USADF); Monica Shupikai Simmons, Head of Africa  ICON Tech Investment Bank; Patrick Awuah, Founder & President, Ashesi University; Kaye-Anne Greenidge, Chief Executive Office, Invest Barbados; Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, CEO and General Partner of Fund for Africa's Future (Future Africa); Mary-Ivy Mbayah, Global Innovation, EY Sustainability; Stephen Gelb, Senior Research Associate, ODI; Connie Tzioumis, Director for Partnerships, U.S. Department of State; and Latanya Mapp Frett, President and CEO, Global Fund for Women.

ADIS23 will feature panel discussions, networking opportunities, keynote speeches, and side events covering a wide range of relevant topics that are critical for the growth and development of Africa. Discussions will focus on diaspora engagement beyond remittances, climate change, digital transformation, ESG, healthcare infrastructure, among others.

The symposium will also recognize exemplary individuals who have made remarkable contributions to Africa and the African diaspora community through the Barka Awards and the African Diaspora Luminaire Awards. This year, the Barka Award will be presented to Dr. Amadou Alpha Sall, the CEO, Institut Pasteur de Dakar in Senegal, for his leadership and contribution to healthcare development in Senegal and Africa. Ten Luminaire Awards will also be presented to distinguished Africans and Diasporans making high-level impact on a global scale and have demonstrated their commitment to advance the African continent.

This year's symposium, which is the first in-person gathering since the pandemic, is sponsored by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Sanofi, United States African Development Foundation, Invest Barbados, Hugh Stuart Center Charitable Trust, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, EY, Global Fund for Women, King Baudouin Foundation United States, Africa No Filter, Mastercard Foundation, Center for African Studies, eBay, Millennium Challenge Corporation, allAfrica, William H Cilker Family Foundation, Ashinaga USA, and USA for IOM.

For additional information about ADIS23 registration, speakers, and agenda, please visit https://africandiasporanetwork.org/programs/adis23/. For media inquiries please email Damilola at damilola@baobab-consulting.net.

ABOUT African Diaspora Network

Founded in 2010, African Diaspora Network (ADN) is a Silicon Valley-based nonprofit that promotes entrepreneurship and economic development on the African continent and in the communities where the African diaspora live. We bring together Africans on the continent, in the diaspora, and friends of Africa to actualize their full potential, activate their entrepreneurial spirit, and strategically mobilize financial and intellectual resources to ensure a brighter future for the African continent. Learn more about ADN and the upcoming ADIS event by visiting http://www.africandiasporanetwork.org.

MEGAN HUNSBERGER

African Diaspora Network

+17247770698



DAMILOLA AINA

+234 8088609242


St. Patrick's Day is a cultural and religious celebration held on March 17, which is the traditional death date of Saint Patrick - the patron saint of Ireland.

While St. Patrick's Day pays homage to Ireland, and celebrations are held in the country, many people in the United States also pay homage, especially due to the large number of Irish people who migrated to the country many years ago.

Was Saint Patrick actually Irish?

Born under the name Maewyn Succat, St. Patrick decided to change his name to Patricius after becoming a priest. He was born by the end of the fourth century in Britain, not Ireland.

Aged 16, he was captured by a band of Irish raiders who attacked the estate that belonged to his wealthy family. He was taken to Ireland and held captive there for six years.

Many people think he was brought to live on Mount Slemish in County Antrim, but it's more likely that he was detained in County Mayo close to Killala.

"We know that he was a Roman citizen, because Britain was Roman then, and then he was enslaved and taken to Ireland, where he either escaped or was released," said Marion Casey, a clinical assistant professor of Irish Studies at New York University.

"And then he became a priest and went back to Ireland, where he had a lot of luck converting the Druid culture into Christians."

Patrick, who was familiar with the Irish language and culture, decided against eradicating old Irish beliefs and incorporated them into his lessons on Christianity.

For instance, he utilized bonfires to celebrate Easter because the Irish were accustomed to honoring their gods with fire. In order to make Irish worship of the sign seem more natural, he also added a powerful Irish symbol-the sun-to the Christian cross to create what is now known as a Celtic cross.
Luanda  The National Assembly discusses and votes on Friday (17), in an extraordinary plenary session, a Draft Resolution to approve the Request for Authorization to the President of the Republic on sending a Military Contingent of the Peacekeeping and Support Operations Component to the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

This decision was made public this Monday, after the Conference of Whips, led by the National Assembly's First Vice Speaker, Americo Cuononoca, and aimed at the consideration of a matter submitted urgently to the parliament by the President of the Republic, in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA).

The statement explains that after due consideration, and given the urgency of the matter, "an Extraordinary Plenary Meeting will be convened, which will take place on March 17, Friday".

Thus, during the month of March, the National Assembly will hold two Extraordinary Plenary Meetings, the first on the 17th and the second on the 29th, according to the statement issued at the last Conference of Whips.
BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council Information Office on Thursday released a white paper titled "China's Law-Based Cyberspace Governance in the New Era."

The white paper focuses on upholding the rule of law in cyberspace, consolidating the legal system for cyberspace governance, keeping order in a rule-based cyberspace, defending fairness and justice in cyberspace, promoting public awareness and competence in law-based cyberspace governance, and increasing international exchanges and cooperation in law-based cyberspace governance.

In the new era, China has made law-based cyberspace governance an essential part of the overall strategy of the rule of law and the drive to build up its strength in cyberspace, read the white paper.

Marked improvements have been made in ensuring law-based cyberspace governance, said the white paper, adding that China has boosted cyberspace governance by developing a complete system of laws and regulations, a highly efficient enforcement system, a stringent supervision system, and an effective supporting system.

With stronger domestic capacity in law-based internet governance, China has contributed ideas and solutions to global internet governance, it said.

On the new journey toward becoming a modern socialist country, China will always be committed to all-around law-based governance of the country and of cyberspace, the white paper noted.

According to the white paper, China will promote the lawful, orderly and healthy development of the internet, safeguard the high-quality development of a digital China under the rule of law, and provide a solid legal guarantee for building up China's strength in cyberspace.

The rule of law in cyberspace is an important tool of digital governance and a marker of digital progress, the white paper read.

Facing the opportunities and challenges brought about by digitalization, China will follow the global governance principle of achieving shared growth through consultation and collaboration, and work together with the international community to ensure that global cyberspace governance is law-based and that digital progress will deliver greater benefits to the people, said the white paper.

"China stands ready to partner with all other countries to build a community with a shared future in cyberspace and create a better world," it added.
Benguela  The programmme of support to vulnerable families (Kwenda) has disbursed an overall 2.1 billion kwanzas to assist needy people in Benguela Province, ANGOP learnt Monday.

According to the provincial director of the Local Development Institute (FAS), Jasmim Ndatimana, the amount has benefited 48,403 vulnerable families in municipalities of Cubal, Chongoroi and Caimbambo.

Jasmim Ndatimana said that during the second phase of the implementation of Kwenda, which has already started with the process of registration of households in the Municipality of Chongoroi, it is intended to reach 54 districts and benefit 10,722 families.

Ndatimana said the implementation of Kwenda follows several stages, starting with the registration process through community agents and later the institutional validation process.

The director explained that the institutional validation process consists in the identification and exclusion of registered families that do not meet the eligibility criteria.

"These are people who already have a fixed income and cannot receive the social cash transfers", she said.

The official said that the institutional validation process has made it possible to detect ineligible people who are civil servants, such as teachers and pensioners, since the programme must be carried out with great rigour and transparency in the management of the allocated resources.

Jasmim Ndatimana assured that the Kwenda amounts are really reaching the needy families and that some beneficiaries have used them very responsibly.

The director stressed that since the beginning of the programme in 2020, the work has been challenging due to the poor state of roads to reach certain locations, however with the help of community agents, it has been possible to change the lives of families living in vulnerable situations in the most remote areas of Benguela.

Kwenda is a programme of the Angolan government that implements policies to support the poorest families in vulnerable situations. Each family receives 25,500 kwanzas every quarter.

Valued at 420 million US dollars, the project is 320 million US dollars financed by the World Bank, while the remaining 100 million US dollars comes from the National Treasury. The Programme is operated by the Social Support Fund - Local Development Institute.
Tokyo  The Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, on Monday acknowledged Angola's economic potential and expressed the intention to strengthen cooperation ties.

Speaking to journalists after meeting with the Angolan Head of State, Joao Lourenco, who is on an official visit to Japan, Fumio Kishida recalled that Angola held democratic elections in 2022 and lives a "high political stability".

"Angola is a country with high economic potential, prominent in oil production and rich in mineral resources", said the Japanese Premier, after a meeting of about half an hour with the Angolan statesman.

He also said that, in the scope of the bilateral cooperation, his country's government will give more importance to the fomentation of investment and business in Angola, with emphasis on the sectors of renewable energies, agriculture and health.

Other sectors that were also highlighted were industry, security, demining, electric power, port development, and geospatial information technologies.

According to the Japanese Prime Minister, the meeting with the Angolan Head of State, Joao Lourenco, also served to talk about the situation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
How to use the mindat.org media viewer

Click/touch this help panel to close it.

Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. Different controls are available depending on the type of media being shown (photo, video, animation, 3d image)

Controls - all media types

Zoom in and out of media using your mousewheel or with a two-finger 'resize' action on a touch device.

Use the mouse or your finger to drag the image or the view area of the image around the screen.

< and > at the left and right hand side of the screen move forwards and backwards for the other images associated with the media you selected. Usually this is used for previous/next photo in a gallery, in an article or in search results. Keyboard shortcuts: use shift + the left and right arrow keys.

< and > in the bottom center are used for switching between the photos of the same specimen. Keyboard shortcuts: use the left and right arrow keys.

> in the bottom center, raises the information box giving details and further options for the media, < at the top of this box then hides it. Keyboard shortcuts: use the up and down arrow keys.

? opens this help window. Keyboard shortcuts: use the H key or the ? key.

Other keyboard shortcuts:

1 Fit image to screen 2 Fill screen with image 5 Display at full resolution < Make background darker > Make background lighter space Hide/dim titles and buttons

Scalebar

If the field of view (FOV) is specified for the photo, the scalebar appears in the left bottom corner of the viewer. The scalebar is draggable and resizeable. Drag the right edge to resize it. Double click will reset the scalebar to it's default size and position. If the scalebar is in default position, double click will make it circular.

Controls - Video

Video files have a standard set of video controls: - Reset to start, - Skip back, - Play, - Pause, - Skip forwards. Keyboard shortcuts: You can stop/start video play with the P key.

Controls - Animation (Spin Rotation)

Animation (usually 360 degree spin rotations) have their own controls: - enable spin mode. Note that while images are loading this option will not be available but will be automatically activated when the animation has loaded. Once active you can spin the image/change the animation by moving your mouse or finger on the image left/right or by pressing the [ or ] keys.

The button switches to move mode so that you can use your mouse/fingers to move the image around the screen as with other media types.

The button, or the P key will start playing the animation directly, you can interrupt this by using the mouse or finger on the image to regain manual movement control.

Controls - 3D Stereoscopic images

If a stereoscopic 3D image is opened in the viewer, the 3D button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "3D settings" menu. The 3D images can be viewed in several ways:

- without any special equipment using cross-eyed or parallel-eyed method

- with stereoscope

- with anaglyph glasses.

- on a suitable 3D TV or monitor (passive 3D system)

For details about 3D refer to: Mindat manuals: Mindat Media Viewer: 3D

To enable/disable 3D stereo display of a compatible stereo pair image press the 3 key. If the left/right images are reversed on your display (this often happens in full-screen mode) press the 4 key to reverse them.

Controls - photo comparison mode

If a photo with activated comparison mode is opened in the viewer, the button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "Comparison mode settings" menu.

Several layouts are supported: slider and side by-side comparison with up to 6 photos shown synchronously on the screen. On each of the compared photos a view selector is placed, e.g.: Longwave UV . It shows the name of currently selected view and allows to select a view for each placeholder.

Summary of all keyboard shortcuts
press release

Africa is at a crossroad. A convergence of crises  the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine war along with climate change  have exacted a huge toll on the continent's development. The pandemic pushed 62 million non-poor Africans into poverty in 2020, and 149 million non-poor people (whose consumption was 20 per cent above the poverty line) were at risk of falling into poverty in 2022. Indeed, Africa is now home to more than half of the world's poor, and 546 million people are living in extreme poverty  yes, that's more than half of the continent's population.

These crises have set Africa's development back by decades and with much poorer economic performance going forward, prospects are only getting dimmer and require concerted policy intervention.

One thing to note is that poverty in Africa is primarily a Sub-Saharan Africa phenomenon and is largely concentrated in least developed countries (LDCs), while middle income countries have less than 5% of their population in poverty.

UNECA Extreme Poverty by Sub-Regions

Figure 1: Poverty in Africa (2022)

Source: ECA computations based on World Bank data

While Africa's robust economic growth in the last two decades reduced poverty, its benefits were not equally accrued as inequality not only widened, but also remained pervasive across all sub-regions. Income and wealth inequalities are particularly stark in Southern Africa.

Figure 2: Wealth inequality in Africa by sub-region (2022)

Source: ECA computations based on World Bank data

These high rates of poverty and inequality have exacerbated the socio-economic conditions of the poor going forward. For instance, over 80% of the labor force works in the informal sector where they generally lack access to healthcare and other social schemes. Thanks to lockdowns during the pandemic, their earnings declined by 81 per cent in the first month of the pandemic (ILO), increasing their risk of slipping into poverty. The same holds for the majority of Africa's rural residents (an estimated 50 to 80 per cent according to the ILO) who cover their health expenses out of pocket, are being driven into poverty. Similarly, children from poor and vulnerable households were adversely affected by the pandemic as prolonged school closures in many countries left them without access to education. According to UNESCO, 98 million children in Africa were out of school in 2021, with girls whose school dropout rate was higher than for boys (4.2 vs. 3.1 percentage points, respectively), bearing the brunt.

UNECA Least Developed Countries

Making the right turn to reduce poverty and inequality in Africa

As the clock is ticking on the 2030 Agenda, achieving SDG1 on eliminating poverty appears untenable. Moreover, growing poverty and rising inequality pose challenges to an increasingly fragile social contract that could fray under the weight of citizens' unfulfilled expectations while threatening the prospects for peace, security and prosperity. Taken together, these developments underscore the need to confront head on what are inarguably the continent's most pressing development challenges.

UNECA Middle Income Countries

At the fifty-fifth session of the Economic Commission for Africa themed Fostering recovery and transformation in Africa to reduce inequalities and vulnerabilities, which takes place from March 15  21, 2023 in Addis Ababa, African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development will convene to deliberate these issues. The meeting provides an opportunity for policymakers to consider how to best tackle Africa's most pressing development challenges and ensure that benefits of development are more equitably distributed and accrue to all.

The task is daunting as shrinking fiscal space constrains governments' capacities to adequately respond to and meet citizens' needs. However, to effectively deliver on the social contract and accelerate the recovery from the crises' adverse effects, African governments need to take bold and decisive actions that ensure equal access to public goods as well as opportunities for all.

Policy measures that governments could consider include pursuing pro-poor and inclusive macro-economic policies, with spending targeted at safety nets to support the poor and most vulnerable. Ensuring resource mobilization for an inclusive recovery, including through fair taxes and by leveraging climate finance for decent job creation, is vital to tackling poverty and inequality. Carving a structural development path that is just and meets people's needs, with industrialization and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) acting as catalysts, can provide the impetus for structural transformation that contributes to an economic recovery that leaves no one behind. Finally, advancing reforms for a more just and inclusive global financial architecture by advocating for the global debt architecture reform and the rechanneling of IMF Special Drawing Rights is crucial for building resilience and sustainability in countries.

UNECA Wealth inequality in Africa by sub-region (2022)

Taken together, these actions can reduce poverty and inequality and help lay the foundation for a more inclusive, equal, resilient and prosperous continent.

*Sweta Saxena is ECA Chief of Staff and Acting Director of Gender, Poverty and Social Policy Division, ECA, and Jane Muthumbi is Economic Affairs Officer at ECA.
Seun Jimoh, a well-known Nigerian actor, has offered some advice to women who are considering cheating on their male partners.

The filmmaker believes that no lady should ever confess to their partner if they have cheated on them.

While he acknowledged that mistakes do happen, which were not necessarily her intention, he maintained that men will never condone that adage.

In a social media post, the actor stated that men can never forgive and forget a cheating woman.

To him, even if they do, that will undoubtedly be used to punish the lady for the rest of the days they will spend together. They have the right to keep it to themselves.

His post reads, Dear female, I know this may be a hard pill for men to swallow, if you ever cheat on your man by mistake, dont ever confess! Keep it between you and God.

Men dont forgive cheating; if they do, they will hold it over and punish you for the rest of your life.
Slut Boy Billy is the ultimate guide and hype man in a new Instagram post that sees him give his big sister visiting from his hometown, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, a week-long treat in some of the countrys classy corners.

If it feels like just a week ago when you saw news of Slut Boy Billy on your favorite blog sites, that is because you most likely did. The burgeoning emo rappers much-talked-about debut EP, "Mineral Rock" will soon be upon us. And as Accra's seemingly new it-boy, he can't seem to stop nabbing the internet's attention on and off the gram while fans wait. His eccentric, carefree persona has undeniably become a source of amusement for most online and his new Instagram post doesn't break this flow.

In a 12-minute reel shared to his Instagram account a few days ago, the funky star turned what could've been a lackluster reunion with his big sister, Joyceline Affou, who flew in from his hometown, Pittsfield, Massachusetts - for her first visit to Ghana, into an adorable week-long vlog that might as well merit a full-blown series on its own. Its that exciting, with tons of wholesome vibes from the edgy millennial.

Throughout the video, Slut Boy Billy offers lots of banter in voice overs that serve as the icing on the cake. It has him sprinkle his personality all over the glam visuals like confetti and lifestyle connoisseurs would be pleased. Bundles of cash, mouth-watering food, costly activities, beautiful scenery and all that jazz are on point-hell, fans even get a little backstory to the now-infamous thirst trap that the artist posted to his Instagram about a week ago, making the experience is an easy ten from start to finish.

Another multi-talented artist from the diaspora, Billy Affou, professionally known as Slut Boy Billy, is an oddball rapper working on the fringes of Hip-Hop, most notably emo Rap/Trap. From the distinct sounds of his 'Draco' to the sensual tension he creates on 'Eish', the Americanized-Italian-Ghanaian rapper's unconventional style has been a polarizing spectacle. After debuting with 'Abracadabra' in 2018, the Pittsfield, Massachusetts-raised artist relocated to Accra, Ghana, to focus on his music career following an unfortunate turn of events that saw him withdraw from acting under the studio production team of veteran Ghanaian actress, Yvonne Nelson.
Avian influenza is a highly contagious viral infection of birds, commonly called bird flu, which has been recurring in Nigeria since 2006 . It has resulted in the loss of millions of birds and income for people who rely on the poultry industry. Nigeria is currently grappling with another outbreak which started in 2021 .

The Conversation Africa asked Clement Meseko, a virologist and expert on animal influenza, to explain the disease's re-occurrences.

What is bird flu? How does it spread? Is it dangerous to humans?

Bird flu is scientifically known as avian influenza and the pathogenic form as highly pathogenic avian influenza. It is a disease in birds (specifically poultry) caused by an influenza virus. It is highly pathogenic, meaning it causes tissue and organ damage in the host, and can kill more than 75% of the infected flock.

Waterfowls like ducks are natural reservoirs of the disease. They can harbour avian flu without showing any symptoms . Many waterfowls and other wild birds are migratory, moving across and between continents  this brings them into contact with resident birds and domestic poultry. Their body secretions and excretions may contain virus that can then infect other birds and poultry.

The symptoms in infected poultry include sudden death, respiratory distress, cough and haemorrhages in tissue and organs. Other animals, including pigs, horses and dogs can also be infected  and so can humans. In fact, it is zoonotic and therefore can be fatal for humans too. Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus infections have infected more than 880 people with about 50% case fatality globally.

The virus also has the capacity to cause a pandemic: an influenza virus of avian origin, but not the currently circulating strain, caused the 1918 pandemic that ultimately killed about 50 million people  worse than the current COVID-19 pandemic .

How many outbreaks have there been in Nigeria since 2006?

Nigeria's first outbreak of bird flu was confirmed in January 2006, the first epidemic in poultry in Africa . It killed millions of birds and millions more were culled to contain its spread. The economic and livelihood loss was huge as the disease spread all over the country with 100% mortality in many cases. The estimate of the economic cost of bird flu outbreak in Nigeria was over nine billion Nigerian naira (about US$32 million)  with people losing investment, livelihood and jobs. Dead birds are gathered in a dump for burning in Kano 11 February, 2006. Pius Utomi EkpeiAFP via Getty Images

The disease was brought under control by 2008 thanks to stringent biosecurity measures like depopulation (culling), decontamination and control of poultry movement. In 2015 another strain emerged in Nigeria. Since then, new strains keep appearing .

Live bird markets, common across Nigeria, are the main points of spread of bird flu while wetlands are the points of initial transmissions. Local waterfowls and other birds that may harbour avian flu come into contact with other bird species and with people. In 2006, 312 cases and in 2015, 256 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza were recorded.

What should Nigeria be doing differently?

The disease may become endemic in Nigeria if circulation continuous and detection of the same strain is established. If a disease is constantly circulating in reservoir hosts it will lead to spill over to poultry and humans.

If that's the case, biosecurity measures must be stepped up. For instance, the government may consider other measures in addition to biosecurity. This may include controlled and regulated vaccination. There are vaccines. They have been used in Egypt, China, Indonesia with a mixture of failure and success. Vaccines only reduce the impact of the disease but do not prevent infection or re-infection.

Those in the agricultural sector also need to introduce effective control measures at live bird markets and in the way poultry is traded more broadly. Measures would include restructuring the live bird markets, discouraging the mixing of species, the introduction of plastic cages and crates that can be easily cleaned and disinfected. Frequent cleaning, disinfection and decontamination of live bird market environments is very important for disease containment.

You've described as Nigeria was an ecological sink for such viruses. Please explain

In the research that examined the outbreak of the 2015-2016 bird flu, we found that west Africa was the epicentre of the virus that was later found in other sub-Saharan African regions  the central, eastern and southern African countries. In particular, within west Africa, Nigeria was the most important point of virus introduction and a central hub in the virus spread.

Bird flu is mostly introduced into Nigeria through the presence and activities of wild birds. For instance, in the 2015-2016 outbreak we identified four virus introductions into Nigeria likely from east Europe.

These birds travel across continents and countries through multiple international migratory routes, in much the same way that airlines move across the world on designated routes. Three major wild bird migratory routes from Asia and Europe transverse Nigeria. That's good news for biodiversity but bad news for disease control.

Bird watchers and ornithologists have found that migratory birds from Europe move into Nigeria every year during the cold harmattan season (November - February). This is the peak time for avian flu outbreaks.

Nigeria is the most affected African country in terms of the frequency and burden of avian flu. This makes it the destination sink of the strains that may be circulating in Europe at any given time.

Because we can't change birds' routes or habits, it would be up to Nigerian authorities to make sure it keeps its local birds and people as safe as possible. This would include surveillance of wild birds at wetlands and the monitoring of viral infections. Early detection is vital for early warning, risk analysis and control of infection.

Clement Meseko receives funding from National Veterinary Research Institute. He is affiliated with OIE/FAO (OFFLU) Expert Working Group on Animal Influenza.

By Clement Meseko, Veterinarian & Virologist, National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Jos
Striking refuse collectors are set to be forced to remove thousands of tonnes of rotting rubbish on Parisian streets after a top policeman took charge of the clean-up.

Laurent Nunez, the capital's most powerful officer, ordered Paris town hall to send him names of refuse collectors in the city so that he could contact them and requisition their services.

His move follows the refusal on Wednesday night of Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo to force refuse collectors to clear up the piles of bin bags following a week of strikes over planned reforms to the retirement age.

Hidalgo said it was up to the government to sort out the reasons for the industrial action.

Refuse workers can currently retire at the age of 57 if they have the required number of years of contributions. The reform would push the age to 59.

Claims

Opponents of the reform say refuse collectors often have work-related health problems, shorter life expectancy than many other workers and are unable to do the physically demanding lifting in their late 50s.

"We work whether there's rain, snow or wind," Nabil Latreche, 44, told the French news agency AFP. "When we're riding behind the truck, we breathe in all sorts of fumes. We often get sick from work."

On Thursday, police fired tear gas to empty a warehouse occupied by striking garbage collectors in Vitry-sur-Seine, just outside Paris.

The depot, managed by Pizzorno Environnement, acts as a base for refuse collections in the south-western 15th district of Paris as well as 150 schools in Paris.

La France Insoumise MPs Mathilde Panot and Louis Boyard were with the demonstrators when the police arrived.

"The garbage collectors will pick up the garbage when the pension reforms are inside them," Panot tweeted.

On Thursday, the French senate approved Emmanuel Macron's pension reform bill which would raise the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64 years old.

The bill was forced through the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, on Thursday with the use of the 49.

"We can not gamble with the future of our retirement," said Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.
Protesters and security forces clashed in multiple neighbourhoods of the Senegalese capital Dakar on Thursday as an opposition leader appeared in court in a politically charged trial.

Ousmane Sonko is being tried for allegedly defaming a minister, a case that could determine whether he will be eligible to run in presidential elections in February next year.

Supporters of Sonko, who has already declared himself a candidate for the 2024 race, say President Macky Sall is using the judiciary to sideline him for the vote, a charge Sall denies.

The politician also faces separate charges of rape and making death threats.

Young people threw stones at gendarmes and police in the streets surrounding the heavily secured courthouse.

Ousmane Sonko stands accused of slander by Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang. By GUY PETERSON (AFP)

"We are neither for nor against what is happening -- what we are interested in is peace," said Mamy Diouf, the 20-year-old manager of a nearby pharmacy, one of the few businesses in the neighbourhood to have stayed open.

"Everyone does what they want, but they should wait for the elections and make a decision then. Violence leads nowhere -- and it's not good for business."

In another neighbourhood, an AFP photographer saw dozens of young people pelting a security vehicle on one of the capital's main roads, forcing it to pull away sharply, as plumes of smoke rose in the background.

Another fire was seen burning near an Auchan grocery store.

Tension in court

Sonko's journey to court -- under heavy police escort, through a city on high alert -- was itself fraught with unrest.

Security forces eventually forcibly removed him from his vehicle and drove him to the courthouse.

Those accompanying him say that he and others were manhandled during the transfer and sprayed with tear gas.

Once in court, he was examined by a doctor. His defence said he is asthmatic and needed to be re-oxygenated after breathing in tear gas.

Those accompanying Sonko say he and others were manhandled and sprayed with tear gas. By GUY PETERSON (AFP)

Several other interruptions marred the tense hearing, which, after several hours, had still not touched on the substance of the case.

Sonko has been accused of slander by Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang, a member of Sall's party, after accusing him of being criticised by state inspectors for his handling of a rural unemployment scheme.

The trial was eventually postponed to March 30.

But as people left the courtroom, a fistfight broke out, an AFP journalist saw.

This was just the latest development in a two-year political drama that has caused considerable turmoil.

In March 2021, Sonko was accused of rape and arrested on his way to court for a hearing in another case. That arrest triggered the most serious riots in years in Senegal, a country that has a reputation of being an oasis of stability in troubled West Africa.

At least a dozen people were killed in the 2021 unrest.

'For the youth'

Tensions are again rising in the run-up to next year's election.

Convictions in either the rape case, which has not yet gone to trial, or the defamation case could prevent Sonko from contesting the vote.

Sonko's journey to court -- under heavy police escort, through a city on high alert -- was fraught with unrest. By SEYLLOU (AFP)

Sonko claims the charges are part of a plot to torpedo his chances.

Sonko had on Tuesday held an authorised rally where he urged thousands of supporters to come en masse to back him during Thursday's trial.

A firebrand speaker who came third in the 2019 presidential election, Sonko has enjoyed a rapid political ascent thanks in part to his popularity with young people.

But the 48-year-old is a divisive figure, with his pan-Africanist, anti-elite and anti-French discourse.

His detractors denounce him as a populist damaging the country's social fabric.

President Sall, who was elected in 2012 and again in 2019, has neither confirmed nor denied whether he intends to override the constitution and seek a third mandate.

President Macky Sall has neither confirmed nor denied whether he intends to override the constitution and seek a third mandate. By JOHN WESSELS (AFP)

Near the courthouse, Abdou Anne, a 53-year-old teacher, poured buckets of water on a tyre fire that was giving off heavy black smoke after clashes.

He said that while he supported the protesters he was dousing the fire because there was a childcare centre next door.

"I am not for Ousmane Sonko, I am for the youth -- all they want is to stop this project", he said, referring to a possible bid for a third term by Sall.

"No one agrees (with that). We are ready to give up our lives," he calmly told AFP.

mrb-lal-prc-amt/jj
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday offered new humanitarian assistance and a show of support on a rare visit to Niger, holding up the Western partner as a model in a jihadist-torn region where Russia is making inroads.

Blinken is the highest-ranking US official to visit the former French colony, where both France and the United States maintain forces to battle jihadist insurgencies in the troubled Sahel region.

"Niger is a young democracy in a challenging part of the world," Blinken told a news conference. "Niger has been quick to defend the democratic values under threat in neighbouring countries."

After talks with President Mohamed Bazoum, Blinken announced $150 million in new humanitarian assistance for the Sahel region including Niger, one of the world's poorest countries.

The funding, which brings the total for the Sahel to $233 million for the fiscal year, includes food aid and support for migrants who have fled to war-ravaged Libya, the State Department said.

Blinken began his visit by meeting former violent extremists who have been rehabilitated through vocational training backed by $20 million in US funding.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced $331 million in new food and other emergency aid for Ethiopia. By TIKSA NEGERI (POOL/AFP/File)

The programme is about "giving them a better choice" and is "from our perspective, very much a model that others can look to", Blinken said afterwards.

Niger, one of the world's poorest countries, returned to stability in 2011 after a history of coups.

Bazoum has drawn praise from the United States with his vocal criticism of Russia's Wagner Group mercenaries, who are increasingly active on the continent.

"They are making the right choices, we think, to help deal with the types of threats that are common across the Sahel. So, we are trying to highlight a positive example," said a senior US official travelling with Blinken.

"Frankly, Niger is in a very difficult position. Despite all those challenges, the leadership is really trying to do the right thing," she said.

Blinken also pointed to environmental threats. Niger is one of the countries hit hardest by climate change, losing 100,000 hectares (250,000 acres) of arable land each year to desert.

Russian inroads

The Biden administration launched its bid for greater engagement in Africa in the face of rising investment by China, seen as the top rising challenger to the United States, but concerns have grown more recently about Russia.

Niger's western neighbour Mali is under military rule and has shifted decisively into Russia's orbit, hiring the Wagner Group after French troops withdrew following a nine-year military operation.

Last month, Mali was one of just six countries that joined Russia in voting against a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly urging Moscow to withdraw from Ukraine on the invasion's anniversary.

Burkina Faso, which saw two coups last year alone, has also fallen out with France, though both the country's military leader and Russia have denied claims that Wagner is operating there.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting with human rights leaders in Addis Ababa. By TIKSA NEGERI (POOL/AFP)

Niger has since become the linchpin for French military efforts in West Africa, with 1,000 troops stationed in the country.

The United States also operates so-called Air Base 201 in the centre of the desert country, which is used to fly drones for attacks and surveillance on jihadists in the Sahel.

Blinken started Thursday with talks in Addis Ababa with the leadership of the African Union, part of the Biden administration's effort to show deference to the region and avoid perceptions of an overbearing US role.

AU-led negotiations, backed by US diplomats, brought about a November 2022 ceasefire that has largely ended the brutal two-year Tigray war in Ethiopia.
A taxi driver believed to be in his late 30s died instantly after a head-on collision involving his car and a truck with registration number GW 1342-17 on March 15, at Mensahkrom on the Agona Nyarkrom stretch in the Central Region.

The truck driver was said to be heading towards Swedru, while the taxi driver was also approaching Asikuma when the accident occurred.

According to eyewitnesses, the passengers on board the taxi as well as the truck driver who sustained various degrees of injuries are all receiving treatment at the Agona Swedru government hospital.

The driver of the taxi cab, Ishmael Kwao died on the spot. The body has been deposited at the morgue and the mangled car towed.

One of the accident survivors, Yaw Amoanteng, who suffered a fractured hand is accusing rescuers of stealing his money.

He claimed individuals who came to their rescue after the incident made away with an amount of GH1,200 meant for his childs upkeep at school.

The survivor who is not happy condemned the act, demanding the rescuers Tto return his money.

Narrating the accident, he said, what happened was that I was sending my daughter to secondary school at Asikuma. But while on the way, we got to Nyarkrom area and our taxi cab was involved in an accident. The driver was not drunk he is a Muslim, but the only problem was that after the accident those individuals who came to our rescue bolted with GH1,200 which was meant for my daughter to school and this is bad. As we sit here, now we dont have any money on us. The individual who took the money must return it.

-citinewsroom
16.03.2023 LISTEN

The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has petitioned Parliament to uncap Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund).

NUGS contends that there has been a decline in the funding of education as a result of the capping of the GETFund.

The student body says this has negatively affected the allocation of funds to the Student Loan Trust Fund and other educational agencies.

The National President of NUGS, Dennis Appiah Larbi Ampofo, presenting the petition to the Education Committee of Parliament appealed to them to reject the 2023 proposed formula for the disbursement of GETFund.

Our concern primarily stems from the concerns of declining funding for education which emanates from GETFund. Act 947 especially for the GETFund part is an enemy of the progress of education in Ghana. Our biggest problem started in 2023 when we realised that it was not a boardroom discussion again. Its a matter of deliberate attempts to deprive students in this country of the requisite funding needed to run an educational sector. The necessary funds supposed to be released to the agencies have ceased.

He added, we stand at the crossroad where the fate of our young students lies in your hands. First, we reject the formula without any equivocation. We can only have a comfortable discussion about the future of education when the fund meant for education is guaranteed by this House. We call on you to reject the 2023 proposed formula, and move steps to immediately uncap GETFund. Uncapping GETFund is a communal labour.

Supporting the group to present the petition, the Executive Director of Education Think Tank, Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, says the committee must take a decision by Monday, March 20, to save the education sector from collapse.

Lets respect the fact that education funds are meant for education, its as simple as that. We hope that by Monday the select committee will take a decision, he said.

-citinewsroom
France's Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne vowed on Thursday to carry on despite a bruising day of political manoeuvres in which she deployed the emergency powers of Article 49.3 to sweep the government's controversial pensions reform bill through the National Assembly.

Borne blamed MPs in the Les Republicains (LR) party for the last-minute decision to avoid a vote in the lower house of parliament and unleash what is considered in French political circles as the nuclear option.

Article 49.3 allows a government to bulldoze legislation through without the need for approval from the National Assembly.

"Some members of the LR group played a personal card and went against their group," Borne told TF1's 8pm news programme.

"The numbers might not have been there for the bill to pass," she added. "We couldn't gamble on it."

Borne, who took over as prime minister last May, said she was shocked by the jeering in the National Assembly when she prepared to announce the adoption of Article 49.3.

"Parliament, the National Assembly, is the place for debate," Borne added. "If we don't want to listen to each other, it reflects the fact that a number of groups do not respect our institutions.

"The chaos, the disorder, it is the ordinary French person who will pay for it."

Protests

After the government's move, thousands took to the streets of Paris, Marseille and Lille to protest against the measure.

Riot police deployed water cannons and made eight arrests after demonstrators attempted to deface the Obelisk site in the middle of La Place de la Concorde in Paris.

In Marseille, rampaging mobs ransacked several stores in the city centre and smeared offensive slogans on the facades of several banks before dispersing into side streets.

Unions opposing the propsoals to raise the retirement age to 64 from 62 called for a nationwide day of strikes on 23 March. Millions have taken to the streets since Emmanuel Macron was re-elected last April with the pledge - inter alia - to revamp the country's unwieldy pensions system.

"This bill is, I think, the best proposal we can make," said Borne during her 15-minute TV interview.

"In any case it integrates everything that we have been able to report as particular difficulties, such as long careers or difficult jobs.

"I am well aware that it is an effort to ask the French people to work two years more," added Borne.

"Maybe some people want to believe that we can finance everything by debt. It is not a serious option."

On Thursday night, LR party chiefs refused to become the scapegoats for the political meltdown. "The use of 49.3 is a sign of failure of the government," said LR boss Eric Ciotti.

"There have been errors over the method for many months and inaction for years," he added.

"Emmamunel Macron's party was not united and unanimous. That's why there was no majority."
Suddenly, collecting toll on our roads has become a topic being discussed on major Radio and TV stations. The NPP are going around saying they are going to bring back toll collections on our roads based on the 2023 Budget statement, which among other things stated that they will begin collecting tolls on NEW roads they are going to construct.

Ghana is officially bankrupt so the question Ghanaians should ask the government is, where is the money to build the NEW roads? Do Ghanaians know how much money this government owes road constructors? Definitely, this new born toll debate is another way the NPP is using to revive their 2024 campaign message and people should not take them serious.

I however, have three things I would suggest to my NDC on this road toll debate:

1. They should tell Ghanaians in plain language that they are the ones coming to restore the road toll. In so doing, they should tell them how and what the toll money will be used for.

There are many disadvantages on toll collection in Ghana and if we are not careful and just join in the debate, the NPP, with their loudmouth, will win the debate. Take for instance, there is a toll booth on the Kasoa road and about 5 to 10 meters after paying your toll going to Kasoa, you are faced with several potholes. How do I become happy if NDC will bring back the toll booths?

2. The NDC should shut this road toll debate down by assuring Ghanaians that all those involved in stopping the collection of tolls on our roads will face the law in 2025. In other words, the Minister for Roads and his deputies are all going to jail for causing financial loss to the state.

3. Again, the NDC should shut down the road toll debate by assuring Ghanaians that there will be full forensic audit on the income and expenditure of the E-levy. The audit should include the reasons for the E-levy, how it was passed in parliament and why E-levy should be collected together with the road toll. People should go to jail on the E-levy.

My fellow NDC members, the NPP, between now and December 2024 will try to be relevant in the political space by trying to come up with bogus campaign messages. We should not entertain those messages at all. We should rather find ways and means to shut their messages down.

We should not debate them on their cooked messages. We should assure Ghanaians that the next NDC government is not going to govern with sloganeering but with action. 2025 will see a far better Ghana with NDC in power. Bam.

Lawrence Appiah-Osei
document

N'Djamena, Chad: Mr. Kenji Okamura, Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following statement today in N'Djamena at the conclusion of his visit to Chad:

"I wish to thank President Deby, Prime Minister Kebzabo, President of the National Transitional Council Kabadi, Minister of Finance and Budget Nguilin, and other senior officials for their hospitality, and parliamentarians and representatives of the private sector and the donor community for their engagement. I very much appreciated the constructive discussions I had during my visit, which allowed me to deepen my understanding of the challenges Chad is facing and to reiterate the IMF's commitment to support the authorities' efforts to surmount these challenges.

"I congratulated the authorities for the debt agreement that they reached with their official and private creditors late last year. The implementation of this agreement, which allowed for the conclusion of the first and second review under the ECF arrangement with the IMF in December 2022, is key to the authorities' efforts to ensure debt sustainability and financial stability.

"I welcomed the sustained commitment of the authorities to create the fiscal space necessary to address Chad's considerable social and investment spending needs. The streamlining of non-priority spending, including of regressive fuel and electricity subsidies, and reforms to strengthen non-oil revenue mobilization will be key in this regard.

"I was impressed by the dynamism of the students I met during my visit of N'Djamena industrial technical high school and would encourage further public-private partnerships to allow a vocational education of quality. This would help ensure employability of the young and the development of a nascent industry for a strong private sector-led growth.

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"I also had have the opportunity to discuss with the authorities and other stakeholders the food security situation and the impact of climate change on the Chadian economy and how to alleviate their impact on the most vulnerable. IMF staff will continue this dialogue with the authorities and will notably start discussing in the second half of the year whether some support could be provided under the Fund's new long-term facility, the Resilience and Sustainability Facility, to help the country address climate change issues.

Useful link:

Staff report and press release on the first and second review of the Extended Credit Facility

Factsheet: The IMF's Resilience and Sustainability Facility
I am glad that Dr. Issah Imoro has responded to my article on Bawku published in the Ghanaian Times and Daily Graphic. I enthusiastically welcome this debate and hope it will be pursued with the highest intellectual rigor and integrity. I am particularly pleased that Dr. Imoro has invoked J.K.G. Symes book to make his case. I will do same, but unlike Dr. Imoro, I will quote directly from the book with page numbers, and refrain from personal name calling, insinuations and innuendos. I hope Dr. Imoro, as an academic, knows that it is not good scholarly practice to simply say evidence shows, all sources agree etc without producing such evidence or referencing such sources as he has done throughout his article. I will simply use the exact words of Syme to respond to Dr. Imoro and let the discerning readers decide which of us is disingenuous.

J. K. G. Syme was the Acting District Commissioner of Bawku and the author of: The Kusasi: A Short History, published in 1932. As the colonial official, he worked closely with the ruling class, and is, understandably a sympathetic witness of the Mamprusis. Syme acknowledges in the preface that his principal informant was one Yakubu Mamprusi, brother of the Mamprusi Chief of Bawku at the time. That said, right in the introduction, Syme makes the following submission: That part of the Kusasi Tribe which lives in English Territory occupies the fertile lands which lie North of the Gambaga Scarp and East of the Red Volta. The area these people inhabit is known as the Kusasi District. (p. i) Syme later describes the area as the country of Kusasi (p. 89). The Kusasis spilled over into French and German Territories at the time, and Syme is writing about Kusasi territory within the British Colonial jurisdiction. After identifying the area as Kusasi District and Kusasi country, Syme goes on to state that: The principal town and Administrative Headquarters is Bawku (p. i). In other words, Bawku is the Traditional and Administrative capital of the Kusasi District.

Syme further observes that the District is bisected by the White Volta. The land between the two rivers is known locally as TOENDEMA, while that to the East of the White Volta is termed AGOLLE, after a local fetish hill near Bawku (p. ii). Agolle and Toende means East and West in Kusaal and that is how Kusasis refer to these two halves of their territory up to this day. Syme never identifies the area as Mamprusi territory. R. S. Rattray, who undertook a more thorough and scholarly study of the area around the same time as Syme, in his book, The Tribes of the Ashanti Hinterland, states that: The Kusase are a large tribe, numbering over 40,000, which inhabits the extreme north-eastern corner of the Northern Territories. They also extend across the border into the mandated territory of Togoland. The people call themselves Kusase, singular Kusa, and their language is Kusal (p. 374). This is the area now covering Bawku Municipal, Pusiga, Zebilla, Binduri, Garu and Tempane Districts. In fact, Syme has a map covering this exact area as Appendix D in his book with the caption Map of Kusasi.

That the area is Kusasi District has never been questioned by any serious scholar or group apart from Bawku Mamprusis. It was after the 1966 coup that the Kusasi was replaced with Bawku and in the mid-1980s, Kusasis made a bid to restore the original name and to use Kusasi Traditional Area. The Mamprusis through their lawyer, Ambrose Derry, the current Minister of Interior, issued a spurious legal opinion that designating the territory Kusasi Traditional Area will exclude some important tribes living in the area. Of course, other ethnic groups have spilled over from Burkina and Togo (Bisas and Yangas), or since moved into the area (Hausas, Moshies, Mamprusis etc), and none of these tribes, except the Mamprusis, have ever objected to the use of Kusasi or Kusaug. Nowhere in my piece did I say the area covering the six administrative districts is purely Kusasi. That is an unfortunate misrepresentation by Dr. Imoro. Dr. Imoro goes on to claim that Pusiga and Binduri were founded by Mamprusis, Garu is purely a Mossi division, Zebilla was founded by the Talensi. My question is: So why are Moshies and Tanlensis not fighting for the Chieftainship of Garu and Zebilla respectively? In Dr. Imoros mind, Kusasis do not even exist let alone belong to the area. Yet, there is no Mamprusi in Bawku without Kusasi blood in their ancestry through marriages, including the Royal Family of Nalerigu. Still, Kusasis have nowhere to call home, according to Dr. Imoro.

The Mamprusi territorial claim of Kusaug is based solely on a Gbewaa they claim as their great ancestor, who is alleged to have settled in Pusiga, disappeared into a hole, and turned into a python. All academics who have studied the area, including Syme, refer to this claim as a myth. In any case, if Gbewaa first settled in Pusiga, 9 miles away from Bawku, why are Mamprusis not claiming the Pusiga Chieftainship? The dangerous thing about the Mamprusi claim is that it is based on a myth. It can neither be proven nor disproven. There is no shred of historical or empirical evidence to back the claim. There is no record of Mamprusi conquest of the area, no record of a treaty. The only two times Mamprusis and Kusasis fought, Mamprusis were defeated, including the Kugri battle in 1895 where, in the words of Syme, the people of Kugri, with the help of other Kusasis, fought and routed the troops of the Na of Mamprusi (p. 90); and the enemy fled, and were followed as far as the Morago river. (p. 93)

The Mamprusi claim that they founded Bawku and are therefore the rightful owners and rulers of the whole of Kusaug is most laughable and illogical, to say the least. Certainly, in earlier times, there were vast areas of uncultivated and uninhabited lands throughout Kusaug. So even granted without admitting that Mamprusis founded Bawku, does that entitle them to the whole area from Tili in the West, to Pulimakoum and Woriyanga in the East; and from Kulungungu in the North to Sinnebaga in the South? Nima and Madina are not Ga terms and not Ga settlements. Does that entitle the inhabitants of those communities to claim ownership and Chieftainship over the whole of the Ga Traditional Area? Anloga junction is an Ewe settlement in the heart of Kumasi. Does that give Ewes the right to claim the whole of Kumasi and the Asante Traditional Area as their territory?

The biggest of all the Mamprusis arguments is that they started Chieftaincy in Bawku long before the British. No Kusasi has disputed this even if the timelines spouted by Dr. Imoro and his tribesmen are completely unsubstantiated and uncorroborated by empirical historical data. Syme acknowledges that when the British arrived in the early 20th century, there were five Mamprusi Chiefs living among the Kusasis (Sinnebaga, Binduri, Bawku, Teshie and Tanga), and adds that The Mamprusi Chiefs came in from Gambaga (p. iii). Their principal function, according to Syme, was to keep the trade route open between Nalerigu and Tenkudugu, in the Upper Volta, where the Chief of the Busangas lives, and to provide escorts for traders and slavers passing down from the North. They were merely islands surrounded by hostile Kusasis, and their spheres of influence extended a very short distance. Indeed their existence was most precarious, and Chiefs Bala of Sinnebaga and Abdahmani of Tanga were actually driven back to Gambaga, while Sateem, Chief of Bawku, was killed by the Busangas assisted by the Kusasis (p.22). In other words, those Dr. Imoro and his tribesmen call Chiefs were mercenaries sent from Nalerigu to protect slave traders and their human wares through Kusasi territory enroute to the slave market in Salaga. And Kusasis resented these mercenaries.

Syme continues: Were it not for the fact that the Mamprusi Chiefs had been imposed upon them by the Na of Mamprusi, whom the Kusasis regarded with a certain amount of awe, it is improbable that they would have tolerated them at all. The five Chiefs had but little influence except among their own immediate followers, and they themselves are the first to admit this (p. 22-23). The Kusasi and other tribes deference to the Chief of Nalerigu was borne out of sheer superstition about his alleged spiritual prowess. Never because of his political suzerainty. Mamprusi continued rehearsals of a list of past Mamprusi Bawku Nabas to support their claim as the rightful owners and rulers of Bawku, and Kusaug is as ridiculous and delusional as the British clinging to a list of colonial governors of the Gold Coast and insisting that they are the original owners and rulers of modern Ghana. Obviously, Mamprusis do not have any regard whatsoever to modern nation states boundaries and constitutions. But they have to make up their minds as to whether they want to live in modern Ghana with its laws or in a mythical 13th century Mamprugu Kingdom surrounded by witch camps.

Kusasis are the first to admit that, like other tribes in the Upper Regions, they are an autochthonous or acephalous people group who had Tindanas but not Chiefs. And talking about the Tindanas in the Kusasi area, Syme had this to say: It has been suggested that in time to come these Tindanas would have evolved into Chiefs in the real meaning of the word. They never got a chance to do it in their own leisurely way, however, for the British suddenly arrived in Gambaga and then came into Kusasi asking for Chiefs. They found them in Gambaga and expected the same in Kusasi, where, however, they were not much in evidence. And Chiefs had to be produced (p.26). According to Syme, the British pushed forward some important Kusasi Tindanas or a member of the Tindana family, to become Chiefs.

Syme then goes on to comment that During the past thirty years all these Chiefs, including those made by the Germans in the Mandated Area, have consolidated their positions, and, most important of all, each was allowed to be absolutely independent of everybody else. The Chief of Bawku has perhaps been more in the limelight than the others, but he never had any authority over them (p.29).

It was against this background that the 1931 conference of Chiefs was convened by Syme in his capacity as the Acting District Commissioner of Bawku. Syme impressed it upon the nineteen Canton Chiefs (five Mamprusis and fourteen Kusasis), to elect one amongst themselves as the Tribal or Head Chief for ease of colonial administration. He added a not so veiled threat that if the Mamprusi Bawku Naba is not elected, the government would relocate the station away from Bawku. With this level of arm-twisting, the fourteen Kusasi and four Mamprusi Chiefs elected the Mamprusi Bawku Naba at the time, Buguri, as the Head Chief of the Kusasi District. This was the first time Mamprusis exercised direct rule over Kusasis and Syme remarks that with the election, the eighteen Chiefs lost their independence with their own consent, and there, for the present, the matter rests (p.30).

The Acting Commissioner goes on to make the following instructive observation: That a Mamprusi should have been chosen for the position is a significant indication of a change in attitude. But at the same time it should be remembered that the Chief of Bawku is largely a Kusasi himself and Kusasi in sympathy. Were he otherwise the consensus of opinion might not have been so whole-heartedly in his favour. At the moment, the Chiefs seem prepared to follow him implicitly. They realize he is the link between them and the Na of Mamprusi, that he is their Tribal Chief, and that the Na has given him authority to provide them with certain regalia, which is the symbol of Mamprusi Chieftainship. Thats all quite pleasant so far, says the Kusasi, but it is doubtful if the time has arrived yet when he would say the same if the Na began to take a more worldly interest in his affairs (p. 30). Syme knew exactly what he did and hoped the Mamprusis will not overstep their boundaries or abuse the trust reposed in them.

Unfortunately, the Mamprusis did exactly that and the time Syme feared came in 1957 when Kusasi threw off a twenty-six year yoke of Mamprusi oppression. The rest of Dr. Imoros arguments are not worthy of a serious response. Basically, he is arguing that the findings of a Committee of Inquiry undertaken by three eminent Ghanaians (not Kusasis), were wrong. That the 1958 Appeals Court ruling was a miscarriage of justice. However, a unilateral decree by a military junta was justice to Dr. Imoro. But when another military junta reverses a decree by a former junta, that was illegal. And yet still, when the Supreme Court dismisses their case in 2003 without the liberty to reapply, suddenly it was about land and not Chieftaincy. All this time, the Mamprusis could not seek any redress through due process, but decided to take the law into their own hands, perform the funeral of a man who died over 40 years ago, to pave the way for an imported Chief from Nalerigu to rule over Kusasis. This is justice in Dr. Imoros logic.

In conclusion, may I remind Dr. Imoro that we are in the 21st century and should join hands in educating our young men, and particularly the teaming vulnerable young Mamprusi girls sleeping rough on the streets of Accra and Kumasi rather than being stuck with 13th century traditions and myths. A reality of the 21st century is that while many Kusasis still respect the Chief of Nalerigu, the veil of superstition of old is gone for good. Dr. Imoro submits that there was no compulsion at the 1931 Conference. Rather, Mamprusi, Kusasi, Bissa, Bimoba, and Mossi chiefs WILLINGLY chose the 10th Bawku Naaba who was enskinned by the Nayiri in 1921 as their head and that is how come the status of the Bawku skin has been the head of the cantons (now divisions) up til today. Well, in 1957 the Kusasis took back what they willingly gave in 1931. Since the outbreak of the current violence in November 2021, Mamprusis in Bawku cannot step outside one kilometre radius of their hole-up in the town centre without disguise or escort. How do they think they can rule over Kusasis throughout the six districts? If they dont know this, I can only remind them of the Kusasi proverb that if a bachelor goes about lying that he has a wife, he is only deceiving his manhood!

Rev. Prof. John Azumah

Executive Director,

The Sanneh Institute Visiting Professor, Yale University.
17.03.2023 LISTEN

UN Women estimate that globally we will not reach gender equality in the highest positions of power for another 130 years. Across the world, the UK government is working with other nations and civil society organisations to hold Ambassador for a Day competition.

In Ghana, the British High Commission in partnership CAMFED, Plan International Ghana, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched their own Ambassador for a Day competition in February.

The Ambassador for a Day competition provides winners with an opportunity to spend a day with a full-time Ambassador. Each winner will also receive long-term mentoring and care from the Mission they work with.

Together British High Commissioner, Harriet Thompson, Norwegian Ambassador, Ingrid Mollestad, French Ambassador Jules Armand Aniambossou and Swiss Ambassador Simone Giger have spent the last month reviewing the applications before deciding on four winners. The winners are Wilhelmina Lawerh-Lawerh, Tipagya Yahaya, Umar Wasila and Martha Allotey.

Congratulating the winners, British High Commissioner Harriet Thompson said: "Today of course we celebrate our amazing winners, but we also celebrate every single woman who applied, we celebrate our incredible partners: CAMFED, Plan International Ghana and UNFPA, and we celebrate women and girls the length and breadth of this country. This competition reminds us of the need for equity, the need to create space for equality so that men and women around the world can stand shoulder-to-shoulder.

This year we celebrate Ambassador for a Day as the UK launches a new Women and Girls Strategy, putting gender equality firmly at the centre of everything we do.

The competition, which is now in its second year, forms part of the British High Commissions Africa Gender and Equalities Month. Throughout March the Mission is marking and celebrating gender and equality by holding roundtables and seminars, sharing the work of partners and holding discussions to interrogate, learn from and understand more about gender and equality in todays Ghana.

Speaking ahead of the event Norwegian Ambassador, Ingrid Mollestad said: Together, we believe the programme will help to bridge the gender inequality gap, and support the empowerment of women in Ghana. I am excited about spending the day with one of the inspiring winners, congratulations to them all.

Today (Friday 17th March), the four winners: Wilhelmina Larweh, Tipagya Yahaya, Umar Wasila and Martha Allotey, will join the four Ambassadors and representatives from CAMFED, Plan International and UNFPA at the British High Commissioners Residence in Accra to formally announce the winners and celebrate their success.

Ahead of the award, winner of the competition Yahaya Shekuratu Tipagya said; "As an Ambassador for a Day, I have a strong desire to learn from experienced diplomats, thrive in a fast-paced and challenging environment, and develop skills that will contribute to my education and career.

Another winner Umar Wasila also said:  During my shadowing experience, I am hopeful to learn about the Ambassador's role, understand what an Ambassador does and the day-to-day functions at the High Commission.
Former Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has opined on the do-or-die postures of most African leaders in elections.

It is totally unfair to ever think of using violence to acquire power and probably take the lives of the same people you are offering services for, according to him.

The former leader of the Peoples Democratic Party argued that it is no longer anyones birthright to be a leader but rather a privilege.

Mr. Jonathan counselled politicians on Thursday, March 16, at the Sampou community in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Nigeria, after paying a visit to Governor Douye Diri, who lost his father, Pa Abraham Diri.

"Leadership is not by force. It is about serving the people. So, if you want to lead the people, you cannot kill them before you lead them.

"In Bayelsa, the challenges will be minimal because we do not have a governorship election on Saturday. But I urge our people to conduct themselves well," he said.

The former Presidents comment also comes in the build-up to the countrys upcoming Assembly and gubernatorial elections, slated for Saturday, March 18.
Member of Parliament for the Ashaiman constituency, Eric Henry Norgbey has expressed satisfaction over the visit by the Defence and Interior Committee to the Ashaiman community to ascertain events that led to the killing of a young military officer and a subsequent military invasion.

The Committee promised to visit the community last week after some residents were brutalized and arrested in the militarys attempt to arrest persons involved in the murder of 21-year-old Trooper Imoro Sherrif.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM after the Committees visit, Mr Norgbey said the presence of the Defence Minister and the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament was very helpful in trying to bring closure to this issue.

He took some time to once again, condemn the militarys actions which he said could have been prevented if they had collaborated with the Ghana Police Service to find the killers of the young serviceman.

It is a fact that there was no collaboration between the military and the police because if there was, what happened would not have happened, but I commend the Ghana Police Service for their swift action in having some suspects picked up for further investigations into the matter.

Mr. Norgbey further called for appropriate punishments to be meted out to those that invaded the community on Tuesday, March 7.

None of the 184 people who were arrested was found culpable and therefore there should be some form of punishment for those who went there and assaulted residents and had them arrested for no apparent reason.

Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul during the visit also called for calm in the area while the respective security services do their best to serve justice.

He also appealed to the family of the deceased and the community not to seek revenge.

Don't take revenge as a family and people of Ashaiman. The gods of Ghana will answer you. I know that it is difficult for all of us, but God has a way of defending the defenceless and Ghana will defend this family and the people of Ashaiman and in doing that, we will do what is right in accordance with the law. We at the Ministry of Defence are there and will support you.

citinewsroom
17.03.2023 LISTEN

Chairman of the Petty Traders Association, Nana Akwasi Prempeh has slammed the inadequacies of the Ghana Fire Service which he said is to blame for the extensive damage caused by Wednesdays fire at the new Kejetia market.

Parts of the first and second floors of the market were ravaged by fire on Wednesday, March 15 which caused extensive damage to several stores.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, the petty traders chairman said the Fire Service cannot absolve itself from the unfortunate damage that was caused by the fire because that would not have happened if the necessary firefighting equipment were put in place at the market.

If the fire fighting system in the market had been activated earlier, we think the extent of damage that was caused in the market would have reduced drastically because there were instances where we realized that there was no flow of water in the nearby water hydrant. They had locked the water and there was no alarm warning to indicate that there was going to be some fire.

He added that there was no alarm system to forewarn the traders, there were no smoke detectors and there were no fire detectors to alert the market traders of the looming damage.

On his part, the Ashanti Regional Fire Commander, ACFO1 Henry Giwah, explained that management of the market had some lapses in its readiness to fight fire outbreaks.

We identified some lapses, we informed management of the market, and they promised to fix it for which reason we have not even renewed their certificate. We were going to make sure those things are rectified first before the outbreak happened.

citinewsroom
The management of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), operator of the state-owned television network GTV, has responded to a recent claim by broadcaster Kwasi Kyei Darkwa known by his initials KKD.

Contributing to a discussion on Accra-based Onua TV, the vocal journalist explained why he has not been going to GTV as a guest in recent times.

KKD, who sometime ago accused Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta in a discussion on the station of using his Databank to shortchange the country, alleged that the government has instructed the station to ban him from appearing on its platform.

"They told them not to allow KKD to appear on GTV again," he said, adding, "when they were in opposition, they cheered when some people like me criticised other governments, but now that the time has come to do the same, they are after me."

KKD continued, "When you needed people to speak against the government, you talked about integrity, but when we started speaking, when you were stealing, you instructed them not to allow KKD to appear on GTV anymore."

"Since they said GTV is for the nation, I have never mentioned it anywhere. But it's funny. I haven't been there since they asked me not to come. If they deny that they said that, let them ask the Director General of GTV and the producers of GTV what they said to me that made me stop going there," KKD added.

This claim, according to the stations management, is a fabrication.

"The Management of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, operators of GTV, has taken note of a news item purported to be caused by Kwasi Kyei Darkwa alleging that the Government instructed GBC not to allow him to appear on GTV.

"If this statement is truly coming from Kwasi Kyei Darkwa, it would be unfortunate. The claim is not true and can only be a product of his imagination," the management rebutted.

In a statement, GBC clarified that its outfit doesnt take orders from government but operates on its own editorial policies.

The statement noted that the station has the right to stop a panelist from attending any of its live TV programmes the moment they change their mode of discussion to one that will dents peoples images without proof.

"GBC is guided by the ethics of public service broadcasting journalism. We do not allow our guests to make allegations against other persons who are not present or do not have the immediate opportunity to respond," it noted.

Explaining why KKD is no longer invited, the management stated that "panellists who adopt a combative style of discourse are not accommodated on GBC's network."

Read a copy of the full statement below;

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Re: Government has banned me from appearing on GTV - KKD Reveals

The Management of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, operators of GTV, has taken note of a news item purported to be caused by Kwasi Kyei Darkwa alleging that the Government instructed GBC not to allow him to appear on GTV. If this statement is truly coming from Kwasi Kyei Darkwa, it would be unfortunate. The claim is not true and can only be a product of his imagination.

Management of GBC wishes to put it on record that the Corporation does not take instructions from the Government when it comes to content production. Management is fully aware that it will be unlawful for Government to determine who comes on our platforms.

GBC is guided by the ethics of public service broadcasting journalism. We do not allow our guests to make allegations against other persons who are not present, or do not have the immediate opportunity to respond. We are also not into adversarial journalism, and panelists who adopt a combative style of discourse are not accommodated on GBC's network.

GBC provides opportunities to panelists of all political persuasions to speak on our platforms and may retire them when there is a change in our content plan. We also retire panelists who over time change their style of discourse into a form that is unbefitting of GBC's editorial guidelines.

We wish to remind all Ghanaians that GBC requires the support of all as it is being transformed into a public service broadcasting service as anticipated by the 1992 Constitution and subsequent Supreme Court decisions.

Issued by the Public Relations Department

For further information contact: Stephanie Baka on 0264340204
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday faced intensified protests and accusations of anti-democratic behaviour after pushing through a contentious pension reform without a parliamentary vote. On Thursday, thousands gathered outside parliament to protest the government's move.

Using the constitutional clause known as 49.3, the government bypassed the need for a parliamentary vote on legislation which has provoked bitter resistance across the country.

"We can't take the risk of seeing 175 hours of parliamentary debate come to nothing," Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told MPs as she announced the move amid jeers and boos from opposition MPs, who also sang the national anthem.

Aurelien Pradie, an MP with right-wing opposition party the Republicans, said the government's move ran "the risk of a democratic rupture in this country.

"We have a problem of democracy. This law, which will change the lives of the French, has been adopted without the slightest vote at the National Assembly," Pradie said.

Strikes against the reform have perturbed transport, schools, public services and fuel distribution since January, with one demonstration mobilising at least 1.28 million protesters, the biggest turnout in decades.

The continuing strike by municipal rubbish collectors in Paris has seen 7,000 tonnes of trash pile up in the streets, attracting rats and dismaying tourists and residents.

According to opinion polls, two-thirds of French people oppose the pension overhaul.

Hundreds arrested in Paris

On Thursday evening, police used tear gas and water cannon to clear protesters after a fire was lit in the centre of Place de la Concorde, oppposite the Frencgh parliament.

Even after the rally was dispersed, some protesters started fires and caused damage to shop fronts on side streets.

By midnight, Paris police said 217 people had been arrested on suspicion of seeking to cause damage.

Similar scenes were reported across France. Several stores were looted during protests in Marseille, while clashes between protesters and security forces also erupted in the western cities of Nantes and Rennes as well as Lyon in the southeast.

Unions have called for another day of mass strikes and protests next Thursday, calling the government's move "a complete denial of democracy".
17.03.2023 LISTEN

Former President, John Dramani Mahama has shared in the pain of traders affected by this weeks fire outbreak at Kejetia Market in the Ashanti Region.

Around 4:30 pm on Wednesday, March 15, fire gutted shops at the Kejetia Market when one shop on the third floor went up in flames.

The fire which spread to many shops trapped a number of people and destroyed items worth millions of Ghana Cedis.

Former President John Dramani Mahama expressed sadness in a post on his Facebook page.

I share in the pain of traders and others who were affected by Wednesday night's fire disaster at the newly constructed Kejetia market in Kumasi.

The sight of our mothers and sisters struggling to rappel down ropes to reach safety, as the fire raged on, was a sign of the trauma and injury many may have suffered from this unfortunate event.

Lordina and I, extend our heartfelt sympathy to all who suffered physical harm or loss of livelihood from this incident, and our best wishes of a speedy recovery to all who were rushed to the hospital, ex-President John Dramani Mahama said in his post.

According to him, he prays that government is able to assist all affected traders in this difficult time.

We also pray that all those affected by this fire will be supported by government and their insurance companies (where applicable) to recover their lost livelihoods in what is already a dire economic situation, John Dramani Mahama added.

Following the fire outbreak, the Kejetia Market has been closed for three days, starting today, Friday, March 17.
Justice Eric Baah has described as devious, a plot by Tiger Eye P.I. boss Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his team, to entrap the President of Ghana and the Prime Minister of Ivory Coast in a corruption scandal.

The Court of Appeal judge, who recently dismissed a GHS25-million defamation suit filed against Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong by the ace investigative journalist at the High Court, said in his lengthy judgment on Wednesday, 15 March 2023. The President and the Prime Minister, who [the] plaintiff and his team targeted are the leaders of their nations. They embody the soul and spirit of the nations. They are obliged to lead by example, so, if they engage in corrupt acts, journalists like [the] plaintiff and, indeed, any citizen, is entitled to expose them.

However, a pre-emptily unjustified attack on their credibility, unprovoked by any credible suspicion of a specific act of corruption engaged in or about to be engaged in by them, such as drawing them into a trap, so as to be caught in a contrived corruption set up, as was alleged by the defendant, and backed by exhibits KOA4, was unwarranted and devious, Justice Baah said.

He added: It should be understood that as officers caught by plaintiff in his investigations have lost their jobs, an entrapped president may be compelled to resign out of shame or public pressure. That means, the plaintiff, through his investigative antics, can cause the removal of a president, and thereby upend the mandate given to him at the elections."

That is not investigative journalism. It is investigative terrorism. It is exercise of indirect political power under the cloak of journalism, Justice Baah asserted.

He said: The serious aspect is that political enemies of a president, who could not stand him at an election, may hire the plaintiff to entrap him to undermine his presidency.

In all honesty, Justice Baah noted, the plot by plaintiff and his group in exhibit KOA4 has nothing to do with journalism.

Instead, he said: It was a scheme for grabbing power by the back door and satisfying plaintiffs insatiable taste for power, publicity, fame, awards, and rewards.

Since the president is an embodiment of the soul of the nation, any unwarranted plot out of nothing to entrap him to destroy his reputation and undermine his authority is reproachable.

Read the relevant portion of Justice Baahs judgment below:

Exhibit KOA4

This exhibit is a video covering plaintiff, one Amakye, a Sheik[h], an Arabian  and a Blackman.

They conversed about efforts to implicate the Ivorian Prime Minister.

They talked about sharing some percentages with a President and his family.

They also talked about gold.

The linkages between the topics discussed was not clear.

In his evidence in chief, [the] defendant contended that the meeting in exhibit KOA4, was to plot to entrap the Prime Minister of Ivory Coast and the President of Ghana.

The conversations in exhibits KOA3 and KOA4 appear very much to confirm that claim.

I consider the plaintiff and his team to be serious-minded people.

They will not incur huge expense[s] in dollars by booking flights, renting expensive hotels, paying fake Sheik[h]s in addition to living expenses, without a plan.

They would have a script for each investigation, detailing the role of members of the team, and their culprits or victims, depending on the angle from which one takes it.

As the fake Sheik[h] stated in exhibit KOA3, they planned it very well.

Corruption rating agencies have never been kind to Ghana in their ratings.

As to how plaintiff and his team select their subject persons, is a matter shrouded in secrecy.

But how do they choose their subject persons out of the large number of corrupt Ghanaians?

As things stand, persons selected may just be the unlucky ones, since some of those not selected may be worse than those selected.

Leaving that issue, which is obiter dicta, I turn back to the scripts of the plaintiff and his team.

The President and the Prime Minister who, [the] plaintiff and his team targeted are the leaders of their nations. They embody the soul and spirit of the nations. They are obliged to lead by example, so, if they engage in corrupt acts, journalists like [the] plaintiff and, indeed, any citizen, is entitled to expose them.

However, a pre-emptily unjustified attack on their credibility, unprovoked by any credible suspicion of a specific act of corruption engaged in or about to be engaged in by them, such as drawing them into a trap so as to be caught in a contrived corruption set up, as was alleged by the defendant, and backed by exhibits KOA4, was unwarranted and devious.

It should be understood that as officers caught by [the] plaintiff in his investigations have lost their jobs, an entrapped president may be compelled to resign out of shame or public pressure.

That means, the plaintiff, through his investigative antics, can cause the removal of a president, and thereby upend the mandate given to him at the elections.

That is not investigative journalism. It is investigative terrorism. It is exercise of indirect political power under the cloak of journalism.

The serious aspect is that political enemies of a president, who could not stand him at an election, may hire the plaintiff to entrap him to undermine his presidency.

Enemies of a state can also hire him just to destroy the political hierarchy. That brings up the issue of money.

In exhibit KOA3, the fake Sheik[h], who was hired to work for [the] plaintiff, talked about the numerous bags of dollars sent to Dubai by [the] plaintiff and his team.

[The] defendant alleged that [the] plaintiff has amassed wealth through corruption.

Even if that allegation is discarded, the question remains as to how [the] plaintiff and his team get those thousands if not millions of dollars.

[The] plaintiff is a lawyer and journalist, but these professions do not breed dollars from nowhere. If [the] plaintiff is being sponsored by internal or external entities, who are they? What are their motives and objectives? Does it include tarnishing the images of Presidents and Prime Ministers in our sub-region?

If the sponsors are external entities, do they approve of the modus operandi of the plaintiff? Can a journalist from CNN or BBC, out of nothing, lay traps just to implicate the American president or the British Prime Minister for the purpose of grabbing the headlines and instilling unwarranted fear in the populace?

Have they ever thought of sending [the] plaintiff to their countries to use same methods to catch people in racist acts, which is a social canker plaguing those societies? In all honesty, the plot by plaintiff and his group in exhibit KOA4 has nothing to do with journalism.

It was a scheme for grabbing power by the back door and satisfying plaintiffs insatiable taste for power, publicity, fame, awards, and rewards.

Since the president is an embodiment of the soul of the nation, any unwarranted plot out of nothing to entrap him to destroy his reputation and undermine his authority is reproachable.

The attacks of [the] defendant on [the] plaintiff on that ground deserves commendation and not condemnation. I hold, in respect of exhibits KOA3 and KOA4, that any statements based on them were justified and passed the test of fair comment.

In the result, the court finds established the defence of justification and fair comment in relation to the statements of defendant based on exhibits KOA1, KOA2, KOA3 and KOA4.

Since those statements were justified, they could not have actually defamed the plaintiff.

Undefended statements

In his written address, [the] counsel for [the] plaintiff asserted that there were some statements made by [the] defendant which the plaintiff averred in his claim and adduced evidence [to], but which the defendant did not respondent to in his statement of defence or testify on in his evidence.

The said statements were composed in a pen drive admitted as exhibit C.

The effect of those statements were summed up by counsel for plaintiff in paragraph 2.16 of his written address.

What runs through the gamut of accusations by the defendant are references to the plaintiff as a criminal, murderer, evil person, thief, a cheat, fraudster, extortionist, blackmailer, corrupt, land-grabber, tax evader, bribe taker/giver, cheat, interferer in the administration of justice, terrorises people, email hacker, among others.

The failure of [the] defendant to plead and provide evidence on those matters only meant that the words were admitted by him sub silentio, as having being uttered by him; that they were uttered in reference to plaintiff and that they were published.

As already mentioned above, it is the burden of the judge, as a trier of fact, to determine whether the words actually defamed the plaintiff, using the hypothetical reader test.

I have concluded aforehand; based on exhibits KAO1, KAO3 and KAO4, that the plaintiff engaged in the crime of bribe-taking and bribe-giving.

A person who commits a crime is a criminal, simpliciter. However, since every word uttered on a different occasion ought to be assessed for their defamatory effect, I will assess the alleged words to determine if they succeeded in actually defaming the plaintiff.

The facts and the evidence established the plaintiff as a self-confessed criminal, so defendants statement is factual and justified. Bribe-taking is a dishonest, fraudulent, cheating, extortionist, thieving, blackmailing, and a corrupt act; besides being illegal.

[The] plaintiff, who has been established by the evidence, as having taken and given bribes, could not have actually been defamed by those words.

On the allegation that [the] plaintiff murdered former Member of Parliament Joseph Boakye Danquah, is consorting with his wife, and was responsible for the killing of some Chinese, [the] defendant explained under cross-examination that he said so because [the] plaintiff had alleged that he killed his colleague, Ahmed Suale.

The hypothetical reader would have read about that notorious case involving the murder of the former Member of Parliament, Mr. Boakye Danquah, and would be aware of the trial of the suspects which excludes the plaintiff.

The allegation made by [the] defendant could not, therefore, succeed in actually defaming the plaintiff.

The allegation of land-grabbing could equally not actually succeed in defaming the plaintiff.

The defendant referred the court [to] the decision of the Supreme Court in [the] Republic v the High Court, Land Division(7) Accra, ex parte: The Registered Trustees of the East Dadekotopon Development Trust, Adolph Tetteh Adjei, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Holy Quaye (Civil Motion No: J5/46/2020, 22nd July 2020).

This judgment, being case law, is freely available on this Services, and most online law portals. In that case, the Supreme Court, by an order of certiorari, quashed a decision of the High Court, which had favoured the plaintiff herein and his grantor.

The basis of the Supreme Courts decision was that, [the] plaintiffs side did not effect service on a relevant party, and further, the High Court decision was based on a decision that had already been set aside by the Court of Appeal.

The statement of the defendant was substantially factual, and, therefore, justified.

It could not have succeeded in actually defaming the plaintiff.

Some of the long list of words made by defendant and tendered as exhibit C were capable of defamatory meanings, but none was proven to have actually defamed the plaintiff.

I state in conclusion, that whereas all the statements founded on exhibits KOA1,KOA2, KOA3 and KOA4 were truthful and factual, thereby sustaining [the] defendants defence of justification and fair comment, the statements in [the] plaintiffs exhibit C; though capable of defamatory meanings, were not proven to have actually defamed the plaintiff.

I found the claims of [the] plaintiff merit-less. It is hereby dismissed.

ERIC BAAH, J.A

COUNSEL

ODEI KROW Esq., for plaintiff,

OKYERE DARKO Esq., for defendant .

Source: Classfmonline.com
The Minority in Parliament wants an investigation into the galamsey claims made by Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation against the ruling New Patriotic Party NPP.

In an interview, the former Minister revealed that some ruling government officials are involved in illegal mining, with the alleged missing excavator story being used against him by his own party and other government officials involved in the galamsey as a weapon to remove him from office.

Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, Parliaments Ranking Member on the Lands and Forestry Committee, told journalists that the allegations are grave and must be probed.

We have reports of key government officials being key galamsey operators involved in destroying lands in forest reserves. We wish to call on government to investigate the allegations made by the forever Minister of Environment. It is also our expectation that government must desist from joining illegal immigrants engaged in galamsey because today, most of the lands destroyed have not been restored.
analysis

From the widespread outbreak of mpox (formerly called monkeypox) in 2022, to the evolving bird flu situation, to recent cases of Marburg virus in Equatorial Guinea, COVID isn't dominating the headlines as much as it used to. Instead, we've been regularly hearing about outbreaks of newly emerging or re-emerging viruses.

So, is the incidence of virus outbreaks increasing? Or, have we just become better at detecting outbreaks thanks to improved technology developed during the COVID pandemic? The answer may be a bit of both.

Read more: Three years on, the COVID pandemic may never end - but the public health impact is becoming more manageable

There are an estimated 1.67 million viruses yet to be identified that currently infect mammals and birds. Of these, it is thought that up to 827,000 have the potential to infect humans.

To understand how viruses emerge, we need to go back to the beginning of life on Earth. There are several theories about how the first viruses came into existence, but they all agree that viruses have been around for billions of years, evolving alongside living things. When there's disruption to this stable co-evolution, that's when we can run into trouble.

The main drivers of viral emergence in the human population are humans and their actions. Agriculture became a common practice more than 10,000 years ago, and with it humans started having close contact with animals. This presented the opportunity for viruses that naturally infected these animals to "species jump" into humans. This is called zoonosis. Around 75% of newly emerging infectious diseases are due to zoonosis.

As human civilisation and technology advanced, the destruction of animal habitats forced animals into new areas in search of food sources. Different species that wouldn't usually have been in contact were now sharing the same environment. Add humans into this equation and you have the perfect recipe for a new virus to emerge.

Urbanisation leads to high population density, creating an ideal environment for viruses to spread. The rapid development of towns and cities often outpaces adequate infrastructure such as sanitation and healthcare, further increasing the likelihood of virus outbreaks.

Climate change is also contributing to the spread of viruses. For example, arboviruses (viruses spread by arthropods like mosquitoes) are being detected in new areas because the range of countries mosquitoes can survive in is increasing.

We've known about these factors for a long time. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) did not surprise any virologist or epidemiologist. It was a matter of when - not if - a pandemic would occur. What was unexpected has been the scale of the COVID pandemic, and the difficulty of effectively limiting the spread of the virus.

We also couldn't have predicted the impact that misinformation would have on other areas of public health. Anti-vaccination sentiment in particular has become more commonplace on social media over the past few years, and we're seeing increased rates of vaccine hesitancy.

There has also been disruption to routine childhood immunisation programmes, increasing the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles.

Lessons in surveillance

Science has moved at an unprecedented rate during the COVID pandemic, resulting in the development of new and improved virus detection methods to monitor outbreaks and the evolution of the virus. Now, many of the scientists involved in tracking SARS-CoV-2 are turning their attention to monitoring other viruses as well.

For example, wastewater monitoring has been used extensively to detect SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic, and could similarly help track other viruses that pose a threat to human health.

When a person is infected with a virus, some of the genetic material of that virus is usually flushed down the loo. Wastewater has the power to show if the number of infections in an area is increasing, usually before case numbers start to increase in hospitals.

Adapting this technology to look for other viruses such as influenza, measles or even polio could provide us with valuable data on the timing of virus outbreaks. This is already happening to some degree - poliovirus was detected in wastewater in London during 2022, for example.

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Read more: We measured vaccine confidence pre-pandemic and in 2022 - it's declined considerably

This increase in viral surveillance will naturally result in more virus outbreaks being reported. While some people may regard this as fearmongering, information like this could be the key to containing any future pandemics. If an outbreak were to occur in an area that doesn't have adequate virus surveillance, the infection is more likely to spread too far to be easily contained.

That said, surveillance is only one part of pandemic preparedness. Governments and health and science agencies around the world need to have (regularly updated) virus emergence and pandemic protocols in place, so that we are not scrambling to understand a situation when it may already be too late.

COVID is unlikely to be the last pandemic that many people alive today will witness. Let's hope we are better prepared next time.

Lindsay Broadbent, Lecturer in Virology, University of Surrey
The support team of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny have installed a small concrete box marked with the word SHIZO (meaning punishment cell in Russian) behind the Louvre Museum in Paris, to try and raise awareness over his dire conditions of detention.

The grey box measuring 3 metres by 2 metres is a mock-up of the SHIZO punishment prison cell where Navalny has spent more than 100 days since he was transferred to the Melekhovo penal colony in June 2022.

Inside the dimly lit box is a little washbasin, a toilet on the ground and a simple bed, which is folded away during the day.

His team call it "a prison inside a prison".

We launched the project because we realised that when we want to explain to the West what a Russian prison is like, very few people really understand, Ivan Jdanov, head of Navalny's FBK anti-corruption foundation, told RFI .

 Basically prison in Russia is already a form of torture."

Caged like an animal

Navalny, the main opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is serving a nine-year sentence for embezzlement and other charges. His supporters regard this as a punishment for having challenged the Kremlin.

Navalny is regularly sent to the SHIZO cell, his supporters say, for reasons such as not having buttoned his prison uniform correctly or not keeping his hands behind his back when walking in the courtyard.

While periods of isolation in the SHIZO do not usually exceed 15 days, Navalny spent 91 days in isolation last year.

Access to hot water is restricted and visits and packages are forbidden. He can use a paper and pen for just 35 minutes per day and is allowed only one book.

The installation arrived from Berlin and will remain in Paris for two weeks. It is open to the public day and night.

Martine Fuguet, one of the visitors, said Navalny was being kept in a cage like an animal. She said she felt a sense of repulsion on entering the cell and that she wanted to get out immediately.

Vsevolod Tlelov, an opposition activist who fled Russia last year, said the installation represented a different universe. "This is the life we don't deserve," he added.

Isolation as a weapon

Navalny's supporters say the installation is a way of keeping him and his battle in the public eye while Moscow continues to do everything it can to silence him.

We are trying to draw attention to our cause, on Alexei's situation and that of all Russian political prisoners, Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh told RFI . This cell is symbolic of the way they are treated.

While Navalny is not being held in the isolation cell at the moment, Yarmysh said his conditions were scarcely better.

" The only difference with the SHIZO cell is that he has the right to two books not one.

" Putin is doing everything to stop Alexei continuing his political activities, by giving him heavier sentences [...] and also by trying to silence him by isolating him as much as possible inside prison.

Oscar easier than getting fair trial

Navalny was poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet-made nerve agent, in 2020. He barely survived, and accused Putin of being behind the attack, though Russia has denied attempting to kill him.

He went to Germany for treatment, violating parole on old fraud charges.

On his return to Russia, he was immediately detained and sentenced to three-and-a-half years behind bars.

In March 2022, his jail time was extended to nine years.

The film "Navalny" by Canadian Daniel Roher w on the Oscar for best feature documentary on Sunday.

On Wednesday, Navalny dedicated his part in the film to those fighting against dictatorship and war.

"This Oscar was easier for Alexei to get than a fair trial because that doesn't exist in Russia," said Jdanov.
Ace investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas has reminded Member of Parliament for Assin Central Kennedy Agyapong that the defamation suit filed against him in the United State of America (USA) is ongoing.

Anas said this after rejecting the High Court ruling on the defamation case he failed against Mr Agyapong.

He said a careful study of the judgment indicates that the judge moved into the arena of criminal prosecution.

My team and I and the lawyers have carefully studied the judgment delivered by the court and we are unanimous that the judge made an overreach and descended into the arena and made criminal pronouncements about me as If I was standing a criminal trial.

He also justified the MP accusing me of the murder of JB Danquah, murder of 20 Chinese nationals. We are filing an appeal because there was no evidence provided, Anas said in a video recording responding to the judgment.

He added last year we also filed another defamation case against the MP in the United States where he made similar defamatory statements against me. the case is ongoing.

The Accra High Court on Wednesday, March 15 dismissed the GH25 million defamation suit against Kennedy Ohene Agyapong brought by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

The judge, Justice Eric Baah, held that Anas Aremeyaw Anas failed to prove that Ken Agyapong defamed him by airing the documentary  Who watches the watchman  but rather, the documentary exposed shady deals that Anas and his associates were involved in.

This was after Anas, in 2018, sued the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker for allegedly defaming him.

Anas prayed to the court to award GH25 million against Mr Agyapong to compensate him for the defamatory material published against him by the MP.

The court concluded that what Anas is engaged in is not investigative journalism but rather investigative terrorism and that Agyapong was justified to call Anas a blackmailer, corrupt, an extortionist, and evil.

I find the claims by the plaintiff [Anas Aremeyaw Anas) meritless and they are hereby dismissed, Justice Baah ruled.

3news.com
Andre Egyapa Mercer

17.03.2023 LISTEN

Member of Parliament (MP) for Sekondi, Andrew Egyapa Mercer has accused the Minority in Parliament of praying for the governments Gold for Oil policy to fail.

This according to him, is because the Minority does not want Ghanaians to benefit from the low pricing of petroleum products.

They have consistently sought for this policy to fail because if you listen to the comment of our friends from the other side on social media and mainstream media, their intent is for Ghanaians not to benefit from low pricing of petroleum products, Andrew Egyapa Mercer said while speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, March 16.

The Sekondi MP added, That gold-for-oil policy is rather what has come in to help address the rampant increase in foreign exchange so that the Ghaian community can have the benefit of low prices at the pump.

In the discussions that ensued in Parliament, the Minority warned that the Gold for Oil Policy has the potential of making the Bank of Ghana heavily indebted.

Speaking in the house, Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah rejected the claim by Vice President, H.E Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia that the drop in the prices of petroleum products in the country is because of the Gold for Oil policy introduced by the government.

He argued that the drop in prices at the pumps is due to a reduction in crude prices globally.

There is nowhere in this world where we do batter trade for oil, somebody should tell me where you take your gold and then you take the oil, there is nowhere in this world. So there is nothing like gold for oil.

The Vice President is saying that petroleum prices are going down because of gold for oil, he is a vice president and he wants to be president, and so I am going to be very charitable but frankly, his advisors should advise him. The reason why petroleum prices have gone down is that crude prices were over 100 dollars and it got down to 72 dollars per barrel globally, it has nothing to do with Bawumia, it has nothing to do with gold for oil. It is shocking, it is unthinkable and this must be investigated," Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah stressed.
17.03.2023 LISTEN

Somalia has been a country plagued with decades of civil war, violence, and political instability. However, in recent years, there has been a glimmer of hope as the country makes progress towards democracy. A new book, "Somalia's Road to Democracy: A Journey of Hope and Resilience" authored by leftist advocate Jibril Mohamed Ahmed, offers a comprehensive look at the challenges and successes of Somalia's quest for democracy.

I had the opportunity to speak with Jibril Mohamed about his book and the journey that Somalia has taken towards democracy. Jibriil is a Somali activist who has spent his life advocating for the rights of the Somali people. He has been involved with various civil society organizations in Somalia and has been a vocal supporter of democracy in the country.

"As a leftist advocate who has seen the devastating effects of political instability and violence in our country, I strongly believe that democracy is the only way forward for Somalia," says Jibril Mohamed. "Our country has been torn apart by war and violence for decades, and democracy offers a way to bring stability and prosperity to the Somali people."

The book chronicles the journey of Somalia's democratization, highlighting the challenges that have been faced and the strides that have been made. Mohamed provides valuable insights into the rich history, culture, and diversity of Somalia and highlights the resilience and determination of its citizens.

"We have faced many challenges on our journey towards democracy," says Jibriil Mohamed. "From clan politics and corruption to violent extremism, there have been many obstacles that we have had to overcome. But despite all these challenges, the Somali people have remained determined to build a better future for themselves and their children."

The book covers the various efforts that have been made towards establishing a democratic system in Somalia. Mohamed discusses the role of civil society organizations, the importance of free and fair elections, and the need for a strong and independent judiciary.

"Democracy is not just about elections," says Mohamed. "It's about building institutions that are accountable to the people and that can provide the services that the people need. We need a strong and independent judiciary that can uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of every Somali citizen."

Jibriil also discusses the importance of inclusivity in the democratization process. He highlights the need to ensure that all Somali communities are represented in the political process and that their voices are heard.

"We cannot build a democratic system that excludes any segment of our society," says Jibril Mohamed. "We need to ensure that every Somali citizen has a say in the political process and that their rights are protected. This is essential for building a stable and prosperous Somalia."

The book also covers the progress that has been made towards democratization in Somalia. Mohamed discusses the successful presidential and parliamentary elections that were held in 2016 and 2021, as well as the efforts to establish a federal system of government.

"Although there is still much work to be done, we have made significant progress towards democracy in Somalia," says Jibril Mohamed. "The successful elections in 2016 and 2021 are a testament to the determination of the Somali people to build a better future for themselves and their country."

Jibril Mohamed also acknowledges the challenges that lie ahead in the journey towards democracy. He discusses the ongoing security threats posed by terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab and the need to address the underlying causes of violent extremism.

"We cannot achieve democracy in Somalia without addressing the root causes of violence and extremism," says Jibriil Mohamed. "We need to address the issues of poverty, unemployment, and marginalization that drive young people towards extremism. We also need to ensure that the Somali people have access to education, healthcare, and other basic services."

In conclusion, "Somalia's Road to Democracy: A Journey of Hope and Resilience" provides a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding the challenges and successes of Somalia's quest for democracy. Jibriil Mohamed's insights and experiences offer a unique perspective on the journey towards democracy and highlight the resilience and determination of the Somali people.

"We have come a long way in our journey towards democracy, but there is still much work to be done," says Jibril Mohamed. "I hope that this book will inspire others to join us in our quest for a stable and prosperous Somalia that is built on the principles of democracy and human rights."
Ms Agness Peprah Ankomah, a B.A Political Science student at the University of Education, Winneba emerged winner in the essay competition organised by Advancing and Harnessing Opportunities for the Youth (AHOY Africa) with the support from Oxfam and the European Union to celebrate International Womens Day 2023.

The topic for the essay was, How can technology be used to empower and create equal opportunities for young women? This reflected the IWD theme for the year, "DigitALL: Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality."

The second-best entry was awarded to Ms. Iman Abubakar, a BEd. Home Economics student from the University of Cape Coast while the third-best entry went to Ms. Hilda Asare Darkwah, a BSc Nursing student also from the University of Cape Coast.

Prizes for the essay included a brand-new laptop and a MiFi device with a 3-month 50GB data bundle for Ms Agness Ankomah, the winner.

Ms. Iman Abubakar also took home a brand-new laptop with 50GB data bundle for 1 month, while Ms Hilda Darkwah also took home a brand-new MiFi device with 20GB data bundle for 3 months.

These prizes were awarded as part of AHOYs commitment to women empowerment and gender equality, and to enhance the digital literacy skills and internet access of young women.

Present at the award ceremony was the Gender Advisor at Oxfam Ghana, Thelma Hayford who was also the Guest Speaker at the award ceremony.

She shed light on the need to bridge the gender gap by ensuring the availability of ICT tools and internet access, and at the same time ensuring that the digital space is safer for women and girls to socialise, enhance their skills, and work.

Ms Agness Ankomah, in her essay stated that, gender equality is not about superimposing women over men but rather shedding centuries-old deep-rooted gender imbalances whose impacts are still felt today.

She added that progress made in achieving gender equality is ever than before threatened with more complex and unique challenges. These included the pandemic, climate change, conflict, and the energy crisis.

She acknowledged the role technology had played in the education, work, and health of women.

On menstrual health and hygiene, she acknowledged the role of mobile applications that have increased awareness and preparedness.

On contrary, she indicated that, there is the problem of period poverty caused by obnoxious taxes on sanitary products.

She further added that this is deliberately created and could be solved by the removal of such taxes and to a larger extent making sanitary products affordable and accessible.

On technology, she mentioned that Blockchain Technology with its superb features of security, transparency, and interconnectedness, makes it equitable and inclusive and can create and empower and create equal opportunities for women and other marginalized or disadvantaged individuals when embedded in applications.

She also added that the Internet of Things (IoT), precisely effective internet of things (AIoT) has the potential of preventing gender-based violence and there is the need for more research and development into AIoT.

Speaking on the issue of gender inequality, the General Manager of AHOY Africa urged young girls to be enthusiastic about ICT and technology and take every opportunity to explore the digital space and use it to gain employable skills.

AHOY used the occasion to announce the Informed to Decide(I2D) project under its Formal Education and Civic Programs. The project targets young voters in formal institutions in Ghana.

The I2D Project is pursuant to Information for Integrated Decision-Making and Participation, a related goal to the Sustainable Development Goal 16  Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.
Madrid, 16 March 2023. In his first official visit to Madrid, the Spanish president of the UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Alvaro Lario, highlighted Spain's potential to "become a world leader in the fight against hunger and poverty at this crucial time," when high food prices are putting millions of people on the ropes and threatening global stability.

"Although tragic, the multiple crises we are experiencing are also a great opportunity to seek structural and durable solutions," said the IFAD President, referring to the need to prioritise medium and long-term strategic support to rural areas in low- and middle-income countries. Eighty per cent of the world's extreme poverty is concentrated in rural areas.

Lario praised Spain's commitment to international cooperation and multilateralism, especially through climate action. The new Spanish cooperation law, which makes it mandatory for 0.7% of the Gross National Income to be directed to Official Development Assistance by 2030, represents a new opportunity to expand cooperation between Spain and the only specialised UN agency dedicated to rural development, especially in their joint action to help the most vulnerable adapt to climate change and prosper in their places of origin.

The current food security crisis is one of our greatest concerns, in addition to the energy and cereal supply crisis derived from the pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine. These crises require sustaining and promoting food security efforts, which is core to IFAD's programmes. To tackle these crises, Spain has contributed 5 million euros in 2023 within the framework of the 12th IFAD Replenishment, and we have actively participated in the consultation process," said Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, after his meeting with the President of IFAD in Madrid.

"Spain is a strategic partner for IFAD because of its ability to build bridges around the world due to its geographic location, and thanks to its cultural, historical and linguistic ties," said Lario.

The IFAD President's visit is part of the IFAD13 triennial replenishment campaign. For every euro IFAD receives from member states, the Fund is able to generate up to six euros of investment, thanks to its ability to attract co-financing.

Member state contributions form the basis of IFAD's programme of highly concessional loans and grants to low- and middle-income countries. The main objective of the programme is to empower small-scale farmers, vulnerable communities and marginalised groups to be the architects of their own destiny.

According to the Rome-based UN Fund's impact studies, its investments are the most effective for rural development; investments in agriculture are estimated to generate two to three times more economic growth than in other sectors. Between 2019 and 2021, IFAD's investments (US$8.1 billion), improved the incomes of 77.4 million people by at least 10 per cent.

According to IFAD's president, this level of efficiency and impact is not enough when compared to the 828 million people suffering from hunger in the world. "We need to take our work to a much larger scale, and we rely on Spain's commitment and collaboration to do so," Lario insisted.

Debt crisis

The President of IFAD also took advantage of his official visit to warn of the threat of a global debt crisis, in view of data from the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the latest IPES FOOD report. A total of 21 countries are approaching catastrophic levels of debt and food insecurity.

"Some governments in the poorest countries are going to have to choose between feeding their people or paying off their debt," warned the President of IFAD, which is also an international financial institution.

Food production and a resilient agricultural sector are key to emerging from the multiple interlocking crises, especially in the poorest countries. Many small-scale food producers in these countries spend more than half of their income on food. When prices rise suddenly as in this crisis, they are simply unable to cope and have to stop farming in order to eat.

With its investments in sustainable agriculture and climate change adaptation, IFAD promotes local food production and connects small-scale farmers to markets and applies an inclusive approach to gender and youth. The creation of decent work opportunities in the most marginalised rural areas of the world, where IFAD works, is key to curbing involuntary migration.

During his official visit to Madrid, the IFAD President also met with the Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Pilar Cancela, and the President of the International Cooperation Commission of the Congress of Deputies, Roser Maestro Moliner, in addition to other meetings with civil society organisations, such as the World Rural Forum, and academia.
The government of Bangladesh has prohibited the refugees from finding formal employment and confined them to the camps. These forcibly displaced refugees are more or less entirely dependent on food assistance. Bangladesh's government's decision to restrict the free movement of the Rohingya refugees has prevented them from finding self-sufficiency in food and medical emergencies in this foreign land.

It is unfair to expect a developing nation like Bangladesh which has been showing warm hospitality for nearly six years to one million immigrants, to continue to do so with an exact level of enthusiasm. Pressure from the international level is on the government of Bangladesh to lift all sorts of restrictions on the refugees so they can live a decent life in this foreign land.

Myanmar, even after all these years, cannot be convinced to acknowledge Rohingya as their own. Instead of putting pressure on the government of Myanmar, the global focus is on Bangladesh to create a safe environment for immigrants.

So far, the government of Myanmar has shown no progress in ensuring the safe return of its people. They refused to take any responsibility for the violence that had caused the immigration of hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas. They are still adamant about not giving citizenship rights to the returning Rohingyas. All the violence and injustice that had led the Rohingyas to flee their homeland remained unchanged in the last three years.

The World Food Program has been consistent in providing food, nutrition and other necessities to the refugee community with the handful support of donors and partners.

Up to February 2023, nearly 1 million Rohingya men, women, and children have been given food assistance via vouchers valued at US$ 12 per person. Starting from March 1st, the voucher has been reduced from US$ 12 to US$ 10 per person.

Almost six years into the Rohingya refugee crisis, for the first time, WFP is declaring its limitations on assistance for the refugees living in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. WFP has a deficit of about US$ 125 million in its funding for the Rohingyas. The rationing by WFP reduces the number of calories per person below the accepted minimum standard of 2,100 calories per day. A decrease in calorie intake puts people at risk of malnutrition, increasing the risk of future outbreaks of diseases, especially water diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea.

Reduced access to adequate food will increase the dependency of these helpless refugees on medical support. It will eventually increase the already high demand for health services at an overwhelming rate. The Children, adolescents, and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers will be particularly at high risk in camps due to their vulnerable condition. They can be an easy target for abuse, exploitation, and gender-based violence.

The government has proposed to relocate more Rohingya refugees to Bhashan Char island from Cox's Bazar for the well-being of the displaced community. The government is now seeking assistance from international organisations and agencies to bear entirely or at least contribute to a large degree to the expenses of the Rohingya relocation.

Without help from outside, it will not be easy, in fact, possible to construct well-planned infrastructures in Bhashan Char to make the remaining areas of the island livable for the refugees. The Bangladesh government can't handle things alone. Donors should come forward to induce the supply of food and healthcare for the suffering community.

It is expected that refugees should not be considered a burden but a contributor to the host economy. However, unless the deficit in the funding for the Rohingya refugees is taken care of with the assistance of international donors, the situation remains unsolvable for the Bangladeshi government alone.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has vowed to broaden support for the violence-wracked Sahel beyond the realm of security, pitching the United States as a better partner than Russia, which has been expanding its footprint in the region.

Speaking to AFP on the highest-level visit ever by a US official to Niger, Blinken called for moving on from what was often seen as a military-first approach by the United States and former colonial power France, which wound up a controversial nine-year operation in Mali in November.

"We're in the midst of building something relatively new," Blinken said in an interview late Thursday in the capital Niamey.

"We absolutely have to have a holistic, comprehensive approach in which security is absolutely necessary but is not enough."

"The fact that Niger, which is obviously one of the poorest countries on earth, is doing this so effectively, I think only underscores the importance of taking this comprehensive approach."

Niger. By (AFP)

Blinken announced $150 million in new humanitarian aid to Niger and highlighted US support for a programme to rehabilitate former extremists as well as a major US initiative to improve irrigation and climate-resilient agriculture in a country battling desertification.

But Blinken acknowledged the desire for security ties with Niger, where the United States has stationed forces and built Air Base 201 in the desert to fly drones deep into the Sahel.

France also maintains more than 1,000 troops under a long-running anti-jihadist mission, which is being reconfigured following its pullout from neighbouring Mali.

The African Union has voiced concern over the rise of the foreign military presence on the continent, where China also set up its first overseas base in Djibouti.

"These partnerships that we have, it's not something that we're imposing on anyone. Countries choose to be partners or not," Blinken said when asked about the drone base.

"The work that we can do to combat terrorist groups -- extremist groups -- ultimately will be to the benefit of others" as well as Niger, he said.

'Bad things tend to follow'

Blinken's visit comes as neighbouring Mali swings sharply into Russia's orbit following the end of France's Operation Barkhane, which was launched in 2014 to prevent jihadists from sacking the capital Bamako.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks in Niamey, Niger, on March 16, 2023. By BOUREIMA HAMA (POOL/AFP)

Mali is ruled by military putschists who have denounced France and turned to Russian operatives for help -- Wagner mercenaries, according to France and others.

Mali last month was one of just six nations that joined Russia at the UN General Assembly in voting against a call for Moscow to pull out of Ukraine.

"Everywhere Wagner goes, bad things tend to follow," Blinken said.

"Where we have seen it act, it hasn't improved security. On the contrary, we've actually seen things get worse, and the exploitation of resources, the corruption, the violence that it brings are a plague on people in the countries that have chosen to work with it."

Protesters in the Malian capital Bamako hold a banner reading 'Thank you Wagner' at a rally in February 2022 to celebrate France's announcement that it would withdraw from the country. By FLORENT VERGNES (AFP)

Wagner, run by the Kremlin-connected businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been accused of abuses in the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali and most recently in the Ukraine war.

Ghana has alleged a Wagner presence in military-ruled Burkina Faso but both the junta and Moscow have denied the charge and Blinken did not directly answer a question on the issue.

A senior official travelling with Blinken said it was no accident that Wagner had thrived in French-speaking nations, saying Russia had fanned post-colonial resentments.

Blinken said he believed the United States and France were united on a new approach to West Africa that emphasises democracy, development and good governance.

"The challenge for everyone -- us, France, our partners -- is to show through the work we're doing together that we can get results that benefit the people," Blinken said.

"If you have profound problems of insecurity, there has to be an answer to them. And if there is no answer to them, then groups like Wagner will try to plunge in and take advantage."
U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Madam Virginia Palmer, has described Ghana as an exporter of peace and a leader in the African Region.

She commended the country for being a top contributor of uniformed peacekeepers to UN peace operations.

Madam Palmer was speaking at the U.S. Special Operations Command  Africa Exercise Flintlock 2023 closing ceremony jointly held in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire in Accra.

Flintlock is U.S. Africa Command's premier and largest annual special operations exercise, which aims to strengthen key partner nation forces throughout Africa alongside the U.S. and international special operations force communities to counter violent extremist organisations collaborating across borders.

The two-week field training exercise is now a multinational exercise comprised of 30 African and international partners, operating across five sites, spanning two countries (Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire) and conducting command post exercises, field training exercises, and now, for the first time, maritime training exercises with 1400 participants.

The exercise kicked off on March 1, 2023, with a week of academic training before transitioning to the command posts and tactical training exercises on March 7.

The training ended with a capstone on March 14, 2023.

The Ambassador said Ghana's steadfast commitment to peace and regional security was demonstrated by deploying nearly 2,800 military and police peacekeepers to eight UN peacekeeping operations on the continent.

I am proud of the security cooperation partnership the United States enjoys with Ghana and our longstanding partnership is based on shared democratic values and a shared history,  she stated.

The Ambassador said through the Flintlock exercise, the United States government had demonstrated the strength of its relationship with Ghana.

She said they had focused on supporting Ghana as a leader in West Africa, working together on regional security, investing in people through long-term development relationship, protecting democratic institutions, and advancing mutual prosperity.

Madam Palmer said in the past two weeks, the Ghana Armed Forces had also demonstrated that in addition to its robust peacekeeping efforts, it was a capable leader in highly specialised operational command and control.

This is one of many reasons the United States is committed to supporting the Ghana Armed Forces through training and technical support, she added.

The Ambassador said this year, the U.S. government would exceed $48million dollars in security cooperation support to Ghana.

She said Ghana's commitment to freedom of assembly, religious tolerance, and respect for human rights was foundational to its status as a successful democracy.

We know that building a strong, inclusive economy is also one of the best ways to support the stability in, which democracies flourish, she said.

Madam Palmer said through multi-year implementation of the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, the U.S. Government would work across Coastal West Africa to promote inclusive economic growth and accountable governance to prevent conflict.

The Ambassador said they were implementing programmes in Ghana that would support local communities as they sought to provide economic opportunities to vulnerable populations.

The programmes would also strengthen the military-to-military relationship, and bolster the capacity of the Ghanaian security services to ensure that Ghana remained resilient in the face of an increasing threat from violent extremist organisations.

Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, the Chief of the Defence Staff, said cooperation and partnership in the fight against terror and violent extremism had generated not just interest, but also enthusiasm among the participants.

He said: The skills developed in Flintlock exercise, particularly the skill of planning and conducting joint, multinational operations are of vital importance for ensuring peace in the sub-region at this critical time.

Vice Admiral Amoama said the recent activities of these terrorist groups in the West African sub-region reflect how these groups operate across border, therefore, highlighting the importance of joint security exercise such as Flintlock, which is designed to neutralise these threats.

GNA
President Emmanuel Macron met staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, promising a bigger budget and major hiring spree in an effort to allay fears about the reform of France's vast diplomatic corps.

The president promised 700 new jobs and a 20 percent budget boost to what is the world's third-largest diplomatic apparatus, after the United States and China.

"I want to see our diplomatic service completely rearmed," the president said, perhaps unfortunately in the light of the conflict in Ukraine.

The Quai d'Orsay, where the ministry has its sumptuous central Paris headquarters, will have an annual budget of nearly 8 billion euros by 2027, Macron promised.

The presidential announcement came the day after Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna received the final report of a commission set up to consider internal opposition to proposed reforms of the diplomatic sector.

A profession under pressure

The profession is under pressure, faced with the war in Ukraine, several major conflicts in fomer French colonies in Africa, Europe's divisions on refugees, and the international effort to slow ecological disaster, not to mention the challenges posed by cybersecurity and online disinformation.

Last summer, hundreds of foreign affairs staff staged a strike, the first in decades, to protest changes which would, among other things, see certain specialised diplomatic staff lose their titles and status.

Under the reform, such lofty individuals as foreign affairs councillors and plenipotentiary ministers would become rank-and-file state employees.

The president sees the proposals as leading to increased coherence and adaptibility. The staff fear a loss of status and of hard-won skills.

"This reform is good for the state," Macron told Quai d'Orsay staff on Thursday. "It is good for your ministry and for you, the people who work here."

Referring to the controversial proposal to abolish parts of the the diplomatic machinery, Macron assured foreign affairs staff that their jobs will continue to be crucial, whatever the institutional framework in which they work.
analysis

The One Forest Summit delivered more pledges, but accelerated action is vital to stop illegal logging and deforestation.

The Congo Basin is the world's second largest tropical rainforest and its biggest carbon sink. Yet more than a quarter of its forests could vanish by 2050 if deforestation, caused mostly by illegal logging, continues unchecked. The consequences for the region and beyond are dire. And despite new pledges, there's little sign of the urgent follow-up action required.

For the world's forests, there have been some positive outcomes at recent high-level meetings. The global target agreed at the 2022 United Nations (UN) Biodiversity Conference in Montreal was to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030. That followed a declaration to halt deforestation and land degradation by 2030 at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow in 2021. The COP26 parties affirmed the importance of forests in limiting global warming to 1.5C.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba organised the One Forest Summit on 1 and 2 March 2023 in Libreville, Gabon. The idea was to get fresh commitments and concrete plans to advance scientific cooperation on forest ecosystems, foster sustainable value chains in the forestry sector, and source funds innovatively.

The Congo Basin, which spans six countries in Central Africa, should be at the heart of global climate action. It absorbs 4% of the world's CO2 emissions, and its peatlands alone store 30 billion metric tonnes of carbon - the equivalent of three years' worth of global fossil fuel emissions.

The Congo Basin, spanning six Central African countries, should be at the heart of global climate action

Yet the forests are increasingly at risk. One study calculated that deforestation increased by 5% in 2021. (Global deforestation rates must drop by 10% annually to meet the Glasgow declaration goal.)

Driving deforestation is illegal logging by multinationals, local criminals and armed groups, and corruption. This is to meet the high demand in Europe, North America and Asia for Congo Basin timbers such as rosewood and African teak. Countries the World Bank classified in 2020 as fragile and conflict-affected 'supplied about half of China's hardwood logs and most of its tropical logs,' according to Forest Trends. These include the Solomon Islands, Laos, Mozambique, Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is home to more than half of the Congo Basin's rainforest by area. Although it outlawed illegal logging in 2002, the government lacks the resources for forest surveillance in a country a quarter the area of the United States (US).

A 2014 Chatham House report calculated that 87% of logging in the DRC was illegal, a percentage that has remained largely unchanged. A 2018 Global Witness report asserted that a European timber business with the largest holding of logging concessions in the DRC was operating illegally on 90% of those concessions.

In Cameroon, an established crime syndicate facilitates the illegal movement of timber from remote forests to illicit markets in Nigeria, Vietnam and China. Transnational terror groups operate from bases across the Congo Basin, killing forest guards and earning hundreds of thousands of dollars by exploiting forest resources to finance their activities.

COP26 pledges of US$1.5 billion to protect the Congo Basin are yet to materialise

The deforestation of the Congo Basin has potentially catastrophic consequences. It increases climate emissions and is predicted to reduce rainfall in Ethiopia and across the Sahel, damaging agriculture and exacerbating climate migration. Deforestation threatens the 75 million people whose livelihoods rely on forest health. Wildlife habitats are equally vulnerable - 39 mammal species and a third of the plant species in the Congo Basin are found nowhere else.

Climate finance is crucial to protect the Congo Basin as a critical climate asset. Historically, the region has received relatively less bilateral funding than South East Asia and the Amazon Basin. At COP26, a dozen donors including the US, United Kingdom and European Union, pledged US$1.5 billion between 2021 and 2025 to protect the Congo Basin. But this was criticised as inadequate and is yet to materialise.

Funding is urgently needed to boost policies against illegal logging and deforestation. Although the area is immense, governments must police the Congo Basin rainforest - perhaps starting with an inter-agency task force.

In 2021, Cameroon deployed soldiers to help rangers crack down on poachers on its eastern border with the Central African Republic. Forest guards must match the sophistication of organised crime groups, incorporating paramilitary training, covert and aerial surveillance, improved weaponry and community relationship building for intelligence gathering.

A multinational joint task force among Congo Basin countries is one potential solution

A multinational joint task force among the countries, all of whom are members of the Central African Forests Commission, is another potential solution. The commission is a regional authority responsible for coordinating and making decisions regarding forest ecosystem conservation and sustainable management.

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National forest ministries can integrate public whistleblower policy with projects that involve civil society in forest governance. In Cameroon, community volunteers are trained to use satellite-linked phones to document illegal logging and make toll-free calls to report suspicious activity to the police, forest ministry and national anti-corruption commission.

The Republic of the Congo passed a law in 2020 to combat forest exploitation and illegal logging. It enshrines local communities and indigenous people's involvement in forest governance and establishes a community forestry scheme.

Regional initiatives must also target global industry players in Europe, Asia and North America. Trade regulatory agencies in the global north and Asia need to implement transparent measures that ensure responsible sourcing of timber from the Congo Basin.

A robust timber certification process for the entire supply chain is essential. It exists in some form in the global north and Asia, but stringent implementation for tropical timber is lacking. Governments should create tropical timber groups with representatives that include importers, retailers and environmental advocacy groups to monitor the certification process.

Oluwole Ojewale, Regional Organised Crime Observatory Coordinator - Central Africa, ENACT, ISS
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has set up a committee to investigate the fire that gutted the New Kumasi Kejetia Market in the Kumasi metropolis of the Ashanti Region.

The Minister of State-designate to the Ministry of Local Government, Mr Osei Bonsu Amoah, said this in an interview with the media when he visited the fire scene today, Friday, March 17, 2023.

The minister was accompanied by the Deputy Minister for Local Government, Mr Collins Ntim; the Director-General of the NADMO, Nana Agyeman Prempeh; and the KMA boss, Mr Samuel Pyne among others.

Mr Amoah said whether the market will be reopened for business or not when the three days given for the closure of the market elapse will depend on the recommendations by the security agencies.

The Kumasi Mayor, Mr Sam Pyne, pleaded with the traders to stay away from the property for the security agencies to do their work to protect lives and properties.

For his part, the Chairman of the Federation of Traders, Nana Akwasi Prempeh, welcomed the ministers decision to set up the committee to investigate the fire incident.

The blaze started in one of the shops on the last floor of the market around 4:30 pm on Wednesday and spread to other shops.

Firefighters who were called to the scene were able to confine the fire and put it under control from further spreading.

Property amounting to thousands of Ghana cedis were burnt in the inferno in the market which was commissioned for business in 2021.

A rope was used to rescue traders who had been trapped on the last floor of the market before a crane machine was brought to their rescue.

The market has since been shut down for three days for a fire audit.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Madam Jean Mensa, the head of the Electoral Commission, is battling a potential conviction that she is aware may happen after the NPP government is no longer in office. After being protected by Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah and refusing to testify in the witness box to explain to Ghanaians how she arrived at the false figures she presented as the election results to choose a presidential loser as the winner for the 2020 elections, the woman is feeling uneasy and being haunted by her dishonesty.

If Jean Mensa believes that rigging the elections again in favor of either Bawumia or Alan Kyerematen is the best way to avoid her facing any justice under a new government, about whatever wrong she has done and also over the killing of 8 persons during the 2020 elections, then she is seriously mistaken. Under the current administration, the majority of Ghanaians have had enough after losing everything, including their businesses, and have no further interest in the NPP government.

Since millions of Ghanaians have yet to receive their Ghana cards and there isn't enough time for every Ghanaian who is eligible to vote to obtain one, the decision by the head of the Electoral Commission to use the Ghana card as the only form of identification for the upcoming general elections is absurd. Not Akufo Addo, Jean Mensa, or Kwasi Anin-Yeboah, power belongs to the people. The majority of Ghanaians who are uninterested have the right to fight against it if these criminals decide to act jointly and take such terrible actions solely to advance their own interests.



Jean Mensas demand to use a Ghana card as the only identification for eligible voters is not because she cares about Ghanaians. She is battling against any justice she would face under a new administration, due to her crimes and the Ghanaians murdered during the 2020 elections.

Jean Mensa is wasting her time; her ideas won't work because nobody in that nation is that ignorant to permit such a tragic choice to be made. She cannot make a choice that will endanger the lives of millions of Ghanaians while benefiting only a small group of people. This will never occur; those who are ordering her to carry out such evil deeds will fail alongside her. Even though this woman has the bible so close to her, she still struggles to sleep at night because her heart is so filled with wickedness.

In Nigeria, where Jean Mensa was present to observe the election, the biggest electoral fraud in recent memory was documented in the political history of West Africa. It has come to the point in Ghana where most Ghanaians can no longer take it and don't want anything to do with this party called the NPP. If she thinks Ghana is a peaceful nation and therefore, can take the people for granted and introduce that phony election that took place in Nigeria to Ghana, she must exercise extreme caution if she is wise.

Since the majority of Ghanaians are no longer interested in the NPP today or tomorrow, Jean Mensa cannot pretend she doesnt know. If she wants to deny Ghanaians the right to vote by demanding a Ghana card that has been issued more in the NPP stronghold regions rather than NDC regions, then she is treading on dangerous grounds because the majority are suffering and hungry. I am really happy that Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu in the Volta region, has requested the National Identification Authority's date of issuance to investigate.

The decisions made by the NPP government have all been disastrous, and the tragic aspect of Ghana's problem is the gang of corrupt Supreme Court judges that back all of Akufo Addo's policies or crimes, whether they have an impact on the country or not. I don't think anyone will live under the NPP government if Ghanaians try to follow Jean Mensa's lead and make the Ghana card the only form of identity recognized for voting in the country because Bawumia, Afriyie Akoto, and Kyerematen are all a part of this destructive government.

I'm curious as to whether Ghanaians are aware of the amount of money being squandered on her. She represents a useless government that has emptied Ghana's coffers without being held accountable, bringing the nation and economy to their knees. Why are Ghanaians silent about millions of Cedis being wasted on Jean Mensa due to her dishonesty while the former heads of the Electoral Commission, Afari Gyan, and Charlotte Osei, never squandered taxpayers money by asking for police or army protection?

Although Jean Mensa is aware that her evil schemes have the potential to incite violence, she doesn't care because she knows that she will convince many of her supporters, including NPP politicians, to blame the former president of Ghana, John Mahama, for the unrest. However, not this time because numerous international organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund, are keeping tabs on the political developments in the nation and are aware of the harm Akufo Addo has caused to the nation.



Building a solid reputation takes a million individuals, but all it takes is one foolish person to ruin everything that has been accomplished. Jean Mensas selfishness and the threat of facing responsibility for her crimes under a new government, is pushing her to commit more crime. If she knows that she has committed any crime, then, she cant escape punishment, she must be ready to accept the blow that is hers.
Thirty-three people have been arrested under a criminal investigation into a ferry accident off Gabon last week that claimed 21 lives, prosecutors said on Friday.

Rescue teams are looking for another 16 listed as missing after a small passenger boat, the Esther Miracle, sank off the capital Libreville on March 9 with 161 onboard.

Those detained include officials at the ministry of transport, the merchant marine and the vessel's owner, Royal Cost Marine, public prosecutor Andre Patrick Roponat told AFP.

Transport Minister Brice Paillat stepped down on Thursday following an outcry by relatives and civil society groups.

Four other officials in the merchant marine and maritime affairs administration have also been suspended.

The Esther Miracle began service last November, shuttling between Libreville and the oil city of Port-Gentil farther south.

It started taking on water during an overnight trip and sank around 10 kilometres (six miles) off the coast.

Many survivors said they received negligible help or guidance from the crew.

Some spent hours at sea clinging onto inflatable rafts before they were rescued by a flotilla of motorised canoes and a supply barge for the oil industry.
The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin on suspicion of the "unlawful deportation" of children from Ukraine, which would constitute a war crime.

The court also issued an arrest warrant for Putin's commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova.

According to ICC judges, there are "reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children".

Hundreds of children are believed to have been forcibly removed from Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022, with Lvova-Belova accused of overseeing the operation.

'Deliberate Russian policy'

According to Amnesty International, which documented the transfers in a report in November, "in several cases, children fleeing without parents or other guardians towards Ukrainian-held territory were stopped at Russian military checkpoints, and transferred into the custody of Russian-controlled authorities in Donetsk.

"The process of obtaining Russian citizenship has been simplified for children who are alleged to be either orphans or without parental care, and for some people with disabilities. This was meant to facilitate the adoption of these children by Russian families, in violation of international law," the rights watchdog said.

"These actions indicate a deliberate Russian policy related to its deportation from Ukraine to Russia of civilians, including children."

In December 2022, the French association Pour l'Ukraine, pour leur liberte et la notre ("For Ukraine, for their freedom and ours"), asked the ICC to examine allegations of "genocide" in relation to the deportations.

Russia does not recognise the authority of the ICC, which is based in The Hague and has a remit to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity around the world.

In a statement, the court's pre-trial judges said that they had decided to make the warrants public in the hope that it "may contribute to the prevention of the further commission of crimes".

The warrants were requested by the prosecution on 22 February, according to the ICC, just two days before the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Gaziantep  Just over a month since devastating earthquakes hit communities in Turkiyes southeast, torrential rains on Wednesday, 15 March, caused deadly flooding in Adiyaman and Sanliurfa provinces. With humanitarian needs at already alarming high levels, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has supported the Government of Turkiye to reach affected communities rapidly with essential assistance, including shelters.

The people of Turkiye are already dealing with the colossal impact of one of the strongest earthquakes in decades and now the disaster is being compounded by heavy rains and flooding, said Antonio Vitorino, the Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) who visited earthquake affected areas in Turkiye last week.

It is of paramount importance that we reach these communities with assistance and fast. Our IOM teams are working in partnership with the Government of Turkiye to do so, he added.

The floods have caused the death of at least 18 people, as well as damage to around 2,000 homes and workplaces, according to the Ministry of Interior. With enough power to damage infrastructure, split roads and move cars, the floods have washed away the temporary shelters and belongings of people affected by the recent earthquakes. Today, IOM dispatched materials to improve and strengthen shelters conditions and mitigate the effects of any additional extreme weather conditions. IOM also provided items to elevate shelters to avoid ground water, as well as materials to strengthen shelter roofs to prevent leaks.

Were truly in a difficult situation and now we are trying to live our lives in mud. We cannot even go out to get food. Everything is so difficult, and our resources are limitedI am trying to hold my family together, as a mother mustI want to be mad and get angry, but I dont want my children to be further affected and become upset. All I can do is cry and then quiet myself, said Ozlem, a mother of three, who eyes welled up with tears as she spoke outside her familys tent in a temporary settlement in Adiyaman that has been badly affected by the floods. Last month, she lost their job and home due to the earthquakes.

Todays initial dispatch of relief items will help 625 people to better protect themselves from extreme weather conditions, while the Organization plans to reach a further 2,290 people over the coming days in both Adiyaman and Sanliurfa. This rapid response has been made possible with funding from the Government of the United States.

The majority of those displaced by the earthquakes have stayed within the 11 affected provinces, two of which are Adiyaman and Sanliurfa. Of these people, more than half are living in temporary settlements, both formal and informal, which consist of shelters like tents, containers or makeshift structures. In support of Government efforts, IOM is co-leading the Temporary Settlement Support Sector which coordinates support for earthquake affected populations living in those sites.

Since the start of the earthquake crisis, IOM teams have been working around the clock to support affected communities, particularly those made homeless. The Organization has dispatched more than 1 million core relief items and nearly 10,000 shelters, including relief housing units which are resistant shelters that provide greater privacy and protection from the elements.

IOMs appeal for USD 161 million to support response efforts in Turkiye and northwest Syria is currently 35 per cent funded. As urgent funds are needed, IOM will continue to advocate and call the international community to back its vital response.
New York, March 17, 2023  In response to news reports that a Togolese court on Wednesday sentenced journalists Ferdinand Ayite and Isidore Kouwonou to three years in prison for insulting authorities, the Committee to Protect Journalists released the following statement of condemnation:

Togolese authorities should not contest the appeals of LAlternative publisher Ferdinand Ayite and editor-in-chief Isidoro Kouwonou, and must ensure that independent journalism can continue to hold those in power to account, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator. Public officials must be held to high standards of scrutiny and legitimate criticism should never be criminalized.

At the sentencing hearing on Wednesday, March 15, the court in Lome, the capital, also fined the journalists 3 million Central African francs (US$4,860) each, those reports said, noting that Ayite and Kouwonou are presently in hiding. The LAlternative newspaper issued a statement, which CPJ reviewed, saying a warrant had been issued for the journalists arrests.

The journalists lawyer, Elom Kpade, told CPJ via messaging app that his clients planned to appeal the convictions at the Lome Appeal Court.

The case stems from an online broadcast by LAlternative in late 2021, in which the journalists discussed corruption allegations involving two government ministers and accusations that they had manipulated the public.
The Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has commended the Inspector General of Police, (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare for his outstanding leadership in the police service.

According to him, Ghanaians have seen the transformational leadership of the current IGP who he said is making great strides to improve the operations of the service.

"We thank him for the changes he is bringing to the police service. He is showing leadership and I hope his men will follow his steps. Since he took over we've all seen the changes in the service."

Otumfuo was speaking at the 56th Graduation ceremony of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology(KNUST) in Kumasi on Friday, March 17, 2023.

Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has assured that the efforts being put in by the Police to bring Law and Order to the country have the full backing of the government.

The institution such as the Police Service needs to reconsecrate itself to respond adequately to the security needs of the country and Ghanaians are witness to the pragmatic steps being taken by the service in this regard, the President stated when he handed over motorbikes to the Police Administration at the National Operations Centre last year.
17.03.2023 LISTEN

On 19 March 2023, presidential election will be held in Montenegro for the eighth time since the introduction of the multi-party system in this country and for the fourth time since its independence was proclaimed in 2006. 542,154 voters will be eligible to give a vote. The president of Montenegro is elected in a single national-wide constituency based on the two-round system. The candidates may not have dual citizenship and residence in another country.

Seven candidates will run in the presidential election:  Milo ukanovic  candidate of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS)  Jakov Milatovic  candidate of the Europe Now Movement (PES)  Andrija Mandic  candidate of For the Future of Montenegro coalition: Democratic Front (New Serb Democracy  Movement for Changes Democratic People's Party  Workers' Party)  True Montenegro  Free Montenegro  Jovan Radulovic  independent candidate  Goran Danilovic  candidate of the United Montenegro  Aleksa Becic  candidate of the Democratic Montenegro  Draginja Vuksanovic Stankovic  candidate of the Social Democratic Party of Montenegro (SDP).

Deciding between the past and the future

Montenegro declared independence and autonomy in 2006. The forthcoming presidential election in this country will be the first national level contest for power since the 2020 parliamentary election and after the Fundamental Agreement with the Serbian Orthodox Church was signed. Montenegro is prone to various influences, the most noted being that from Russia which has intensified its activities in this country after it became a NATO member. Montenegro has economic ties with Russia with 20% of its companies being in Russian ownership[2] (and another 20% of companies owned by Serbian citizens). On the other hand, China has power over Montenegro's government finance through the loan it granted for the Bar-Boljare motorway,[3] thus controlling the key national investment and jeopardizing Montenegro's public finances. According to the loan agreement China is in case of default entitled to access the assets of Montenegro as collateral. Construction of the motorway increased government debt to 83%[4] of GDP in 2021, but the incumbent government decreased it[5] to 73.4% in 2022. The former Montenegro government led by DPS launched the project despite dire warnings from Brussels and Washington. No other NATO member state is as vulnerable and dependent from Russia and China as Montenegro, which calls for the verification of NATO security certificates, starting from Montenegro President Milo ukanovic and other officials.

Although the first round of presidential election is yet to be held, the focus is on the second round scheduled for 2 April 2023.

Milo ukanovic (DPS) has been in power for 33 years and is running for the third presidential term. He is put in connection with numerous scandals related to bringing Russian investors, his foreign accounts, loans, companies in the country and abroad, as well as the illegal financing of DPS election campaign and gaining personal profit for himself and certain members of his family. ukanovic has a mortgage from the wartime past and was one of Slobodan Milosevic's closest associates. He refused to appoint new ambassadors and the formateur for the formation of the new government of Montenegro. Analysts believe that Milo ukanovic has missed the key chance to reform his DPS after losing the 2020 election, and that the reformed DPS with another candidate would win in the first round. The greatest damage to Montenegro's interests was caused by ukanovic's decades-long attempts to establish autocratic rule. He wants to surpass Josip Broz TITO in terms of the tenure of his reign, and thinks that he is the past, the present and the future of Montenegro. ukanovic represents a barrier to the operation of the incumbent government.

Andrija Mandic (DF) is the candidate of the pro-Serbian Democratic Front, the largest political alliance that advocates Montenegros withdrawal from NATO, revocation of the recognition of Kosovo's independence and the lifting of sanctions against Russia, which Montenegro introduced in 2014 and 2022. Mandic states that his opponent ukanovic is the candidate of organised crime.

The leader of Democratic Montenegro Aleksa Becic became the Montenegrin Assembly (Parliament) Speaker after Milo ukanovic lost the 2020 parliamentary election. He condemned Russian aggression against Ukraine and supported Euro-Atlantic integration. He insists that the state should never again be ruled by one man and one political party, having ukanovic and DPS in mind. Becic enjoys the support from the United Reform Action (URA) civic movement led by Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic. Becic has the potential to unite the antagonists in Montenegro.

Jakov Milatovic is the leader of the Europe Now Movement (PES), a non-parliamentary party founded shortly before the 2022 local elections in Podgorica where they received a substantial number of votes. Milatovic supported the introduction of sanctions against Russia.

Analysts believe that the large number of presidential candidates has the effect of votes dispersion. The incumbent President Milo ukanovic is expected to win the most votes in the first round. Andrija Mandic, Aleksa Becic and Jakov Milatovic are competing for the second place in the first round. If Aleksa Becic or Jakov Milatovic make it to the second round, it is highly probably that they will defeat Milo ukanovic, while Andrija Mandic has a much weaker capacity to gather other parties in a coalition and to ensure wider support in the second round. If the winners of the 2020 parliamentary election had presented a common presidential candidate, Becic or Milatovic, they would have assured themselves victory already in the first round. It is the presidential election that determines the time and result of potential early parliamentary election. The forthcoming presidential election will also determine the future of DPS, which has not managed to undergo a fundamental reform and to assert itself as a party that has the power and knowledge to act as strong opposition. As a result, it records a constant trend of declining support among voters.

An important role of minority communities

The Albanian, Bosniak and Croat minority communities played an important role before and after proclaiming Montenegro's independence. With their programmes, public and secret actions and frequent verbal nationalistic attacks and assaults against minorities, the pro-Serbian and pro-Russian opposition parties in Montenegro are actually pushing those minorities into the hands of ukanovic and DPS. Albanian and Bosniak political parties are aware that they can only build and strengthen their position in a strong and independent state of Montenegro being a full NATO and EU member. Albanians and Bosniaks have to build their future together with other citizens but without ukanovic, or else they would become the biggest collateral damage of Montenegros independence. However, without those minority communities, Montenegro could not have become an independent state.

The votes of minority communities were and still are decisive for all ukanovic's victories and the victories of the civic option in Montenegro, notably bearing in mind the victory at the referenda on independence and NATO membership.

A short election campaign with a dirty run-off

The campaign for presidential election spanned over a very short period. The rhetoric was quite harsh with numerous incidents and innuendos.

The campaign lacked some innovative approaches, as most of the candidates merely repeated what they had been saying for many years. Nevertheless, it can be noticed that the candidates are softening their political rhetoric in order to reach a wider electorate. Although they come from different political parties, in can be noticed that some enjoy (un)disguised support from aboard.

Nevertheless, analysts have noted some offensive statements during the campaign, and even physical assaults against the candidate of the Europe Now Movement Jakov Milatovic and death threats against candidates Milo ukanovic (DPS) and Draginja Vuksanovic Stankovic (SDP).

Involvement of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the election campaign

Milo ukanovic and Draginja Vuksanovic Stankovic are trying to involve Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially its political elements, in the election campaign. The thesis is that Montenegro, which is a NATO member, allegedly needs to be defended and protected by Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is not a NATO member and which is vulnerable and threatened by numerous internal and external hazards and threats.

ukanovic is animating the media, individuals, non-governmental organizations and civil society in Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to supposedly protect Montenegro as an endangered NATO member, while he is actually trying to protect his political survival in power and also in freedom. Attempts are being made to carry out the process of humanisation of his actions as a member of Slobodan Milosevic's criminal enterprise and defence of his character and deeds.

EU to be blamed for the deadlock in the enlargement process

After the fall of ukanovic's regime, it has often been suggested that the incumbent government of Montenegro is responsible for slowing down the country's European integration process. However, it has been overlooked that the EU itself stopped the process since it does not know whether and when the enlargement would take place. At the moment it is the EU that does not want the enlargement, and not the elites from Montenegrin or other West Balkan states. Intensification of the enlargement policy will lead to strengthening the security, building resistance to foreign interference, solving the challenges posed by migration, and improving the efficiency of fight against terrorism, organized crime and corruption.

The EU has to adopt strategic decisions on enlargement and its timeline. The undefined position of West Balkan states pushes them away from the EU and creates additional internal tensions. EU member states must show visionary capacity when it comes to the enlargement process, because without its past enlargement the EU would never have seen such expansion. The uncertainty regarding the EU enlargement process benefits that part of the public in the Western Balkans which opposes membership of their countries in the EU and is in favour of EUs rivals and enemies. If the EU does not proceed with the enlargement to the West Balkans, Russia will do it.

Ljubljana/Brussels/Washington/Podgorica, 17 March 2023
Uganda's police said Friday they had arrested six men for "practising homosexuality", an announcement that came a day after President Yoweri Museveni described gay people as "deviations".

"Through (an) intelligence network, we have arrested the six men in a room in Jinja city where they were practising homosexuality," police spokesman James Mubi said.

"We have been informed the six were part of the larger group in Jinja engaging in acts of homosexuality and we are appealing to the public to provide police with information leading to the arrest of the remaining members of the group."

Jinja lies 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of the capital Kampala.

Uganda is notorious for intolerance of homosexuality -- which is criminalised under colonial-era laws -- and for strict Christian views on sexuality in general.

On Thursday, addressing lawmakers who are preparing to discuss anti-gay legislation, Museveni said "homosexuals are deviations from normal".

"Why? Is it by nature or nurture?" the 78-year-old asked.

"We need to answer these questions," he said. "We need a medical opinion on that. We shall discuss it thoroughly."

Under the proposed law, anyone who engages in same-sex activity or who identifies as LGBTQ could face up to 10 years' imprisonment.

The bill is due to be discussed next week, with a vote possible as early as Tuesday.

It comes as conspiracy theories accusing shadowy international forces of promoting homosexuality gain traction on social media in Uganda.

There has never been a conviction for consensual same-sex activity in Uganda since the country gained independence from Britain in 1962 .

In 2014, Ugandan lawmakers passed a bill that called for life in prison for people caught having gay sex.

A court later struck down the law on a technicality, but it had already sparked international condemnation, some Western nations freezing or redirecting millions of dollars of government aid in response.
Dr. Kwabena Duffuor

17.03.2023 LISTEN

Flagbearer hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Kwabena Duffuor has stressed that he will do his campaign without insulting anybody.

This follows the shots at him fired by Ningo Prampram MP Samuel Nartey George during an appearance on the GHOne TV breakfast show.

During the engagement, Sam George alleged that Dr. Kwabena Duffuor has not paid his staff some 17 months salary but is going around promising to bring comfort to Ghanaians when he becomes President.

how can we trust you in running the party, EIB, you (referring to the host) hosting me this morning, you are owed months of salary and yet Kwabena Duffour is running around promising Ahotor. He is promising Ahotor which is comfort and relaxation yet you his staff some of you are owed 17 months of salary. How are you feeding, how are you coming to work every day? So, if he cannot pay his own workers but he is promising Ghanaians that he will pay, Sam George said.

Speaking to Adom FM, Dr. Duffuor, a former Finance Minister refused to reply to Sam George.

He indicated that he finds it difficult to understand why the Ningo Prampram MP always attacks him.

I have always asked that we stop politics of insult because it retards progress and doesnt help a party grow.

As a Member of Parliament, you should have sympathy and reach out to the workers to know what the situation is. But he doesnt even understand why I want to be a flagbearer and is insulting me, the NDC flagbearer hopeful said while asking, "Do you do that to an elderly person?

Dr. Duffuor, a former Bank of Ghana Governor is one of four people who have picked forms to contest the upcoming NDC Presidential primaries.
analysis

A month ago South Africans heard some hard truths about the state of the power utility, Eskom, from the outgoing CEO Andre de Ruyter. In an interview broadcast on television, De Ruyter made accusations about the role of criminal gangs as well as politicians in corruption that's crippled the utility. The interview triggered his immediate departure - he was due to leave some weeks later - as the ruling African National Congress rounded on him.

But, in my view, South Africans - particularly the new Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa - would be well advised to look more carefully at what De Ruyter said, rather than trying to discredit the messenger.

De Ruyter outlined four levels at which Eskom is being destroyed.

Firstly, there is the issue of a lack of political support from Cabinet for a renewal strategy for Eskom which De Ruyter attempted to implement. The plan included dealing with crime, separating the existing entity into three different companies (generation, transmission and distribution) and over time, decarbonising energy generation. Effectively this meant, over time, closing coal-fired power stations and replacing them with renewable energy storage capability.

Secondly, De Ruyter outlined how Eskom continues to be infiltrated by systematic corruption involving private individuals and companies using public assets for personal gain. The pattern of state capture began in earnest under the presidency of Jacob Zuma but these players have continued to hold onto powerful interests within the company, including contracts for coal, construction and maintenance. They are principally rent-seekers, and extract money for no added value.

Thirdly, there is organised crime. These groups are distinct from the agents of state capture. They control how money flows as well as the operations of several power stations. For instance, Eskom has lost control of Tutuka, one of the bigger coal-fired power stations that should be generating at least three GW (12% of the total demand). Yet energy availability from the plant is now an eye-watering 12% of its capacity.

Finally, De Ruyter identified intentional malfunction and petty crime as a major threat. Anyone who can break the law does so without consequence.

Much of the resource and power that are necessary to solve problems at all four levels are in the Minister of Electricity's or government's control. He needs to get Cabinet behind a renewal strategy that aligns with the global energy transition, he needs to get the police to do their job with competence, and he needs a powerful CEO who has local legitimacy and support.

And he needs to act immediately.

The depth of the crisis

South Africa's electricity supply crisis has never been more severe. This is clear from the data that Eskom publishes on its data portal.

Power cuts - known locally as loadshedding - have now risen to 15% of total demand. This means that, on average, embattled customers are without power for at least 5.5 hours for each 24 hour cycle (see figure below).

As the figure shows, loadshedding rises every month, with February being the worst on record ever.

(The data in the graph is based on actual dispatched generation versus the anticipated demand, where the latter is obtained by Eskom from historical patterns of use.)

Just when South Africans had hoped that the situation could improve, it deteriorated. In May last year, loadshedding was a 2% of the total demand. At the time they still had confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa's ability to solve the crisis with his six-point action plan.

Since then the country has endured a string of broken promises, heard explosive revelations from the De Ruyter interview and witnessed the further collapse of the coal fleet.

The longer the crisis lasts, the more Eskom's energy market will shrink. Using the data from the last few years, it is possible to model what is happening to energy demand and what could happen in the future.

About nine GW of Eskom's customer base are untouchable - these customers are unaffected by Eskom and unlikely to source alternative supply. We also know that about nine GW of demand mainly allocated to the Energy Intensive Users Group, will be replaced by in-house generation over the next two to three years.

Combined with the growing use of rooftop solar in residential and commercial buildings, my prediction, based on my modelling studies, is that by March 2026, the shifted demand will be 11 GW, leaving a residual demand on the national grid at 14 GW, or about 40% of the average demand in 2020.

If Eskom cannot sell the electricity that it generates, operating costs will quickly outstrip revenue. The challenge is therefore not only to rebuild generation, but also to keep high value customers, who are switching to solar.

What will help

All eyes are on the new Minister of Electricity. Does he have the skills, energy and political influence to resolve the energy crisis? Or will his appointment further obfuscate an already incoherent portfolio?

Minister Ramokgopa needs to add three important tasks to his programme of action. He needs to learn from the De Ruyter interview (and address the problems he identified), he needs to rapidly unbundle Eskom and he needs to solve problems that are delaying the implementation of the renewable energy programme.

In his budget speech, Minister Enoch Godongwana made it clear that the establishment of the National Transmission Company of South Africa is a priority. Although National Treasury will borrow R254 billion to refloat Eskom, the funds can only be used to secure and extend the assets of the transmission company. The implications of this position are clear - sell off the generation capacity to private investors and leave distribution to local authorities, where this is possible.

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One aspect of the De Ruyter interview which has been largely ignored is the issue of the renewable energy programme and how this has been derailed despite its obvious benefits in terms of lower energy cost and minimal water usage. As De Ruyter mentioned, if the programme had remained on track, South Africa would have avoided 98% of the 2022 loadshedding.

In addition, the closure of several Eskom coal-fired water-cooled power stations will release billions of litres of water for use in domestic applications, savings which will become essential for a water-scarce country. Closure of these stations will also deal with the air quality concerns and the ongoing breaches by Eskom of its emissions permits.

It is apparent, now, that nothing will save Eskom in its present configuration. It will join a list of state-owned entities that are a fraction of their former scale - the Post Office, South African Airways, the Passenger Rail Association of South Africa.

How far it sinks will depend on how effective Minister Ramokgopa can be in his new position.

David Richard Walwyn, Professor of Technology Management, University of Pretoria
Director of Research at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Dr. John Kwabena Kwakye has advised Ghanaians to reject political leaders who cannot reject their party control and pursue independent policy agenda for the country in the 2024 general elections.

This is contained in a series of posts on his Twitter page on Friday, March 17.

According to Dr. John Kwakye, Ghana urgently needs a leader who can win his independence from his political party capture and put Ghanaians first.

In 2024, we need a leader who can assert his independence and not allow himself to be controlled by his party. We need the person to assure us of this prior to the election. Any flagbearer who cannot give us that assurance should be rejected by the electorate, the Director of Research at the IEA stressed in a post on Twitter.

Dr. John Kwakye added, For NPP and NDC presidential candidates to be accepted by the electorate, they should give the assurance that they will not be captured by their parties.

Ghana will go to the polls in 2024 to elect a new President.

While the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is confident it will stay in power, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is also working hard to regain power.
An estate developer, who allegedly prevented a landowner from building on his land, has been remanded into Police custody by an Accra Circuit Court.

The prosecution opposed the granting of bail to Isaac Sackey, alias Nii Shipii, saying he had some weapons in his possession, which were yet to be retrieved by the police.

Sackey pleaded not guilty to conspiring with Emmanuel Agbeko Vittoria, alias Agbeko and Nii Abbey Tawiah, alias Freeman to protect land in which they have an interest contrary to Section 12 of the Lands' Act 2020 (1036).

However, Vittor and Tawiah were granted a GHC70,000.00 bail with two sureties each and all the sureties are to be justified.

The Court presided over by Mrs Afia Owusuaa Appiah adjourned the case to March 22, 2023.

Police Inspector Wisdom Alorwu giving the facts, said Mr Davis Essuman, the complainant, was a military man living at Takoradi, adding that he was also the Asafoatse of Gbawe Gonse.

Inspector Alorwu said Sackey, alias Ni Shipii, Emmanuel Agbeko Vittoria, alias Agbeko and Nii abbey Tawiah, alias Freeman, the accused persons, were estates developers, traders and Mason, respectively.

The prosecution said the complainant had acquired two plots of land at Agape Down near Gbawe Gonse, where he had constructed a fence wall on one side of the land and started constructing another fence wall on the other side of the land.

The Court heard that a fresh wall reached five courses and on February 12, 2023, whilst the workers of the complainant were working on the fence wall, Sackey allegedly armed with a pistol, mobilised a group of young men, including Vittor and Tawiah, some of whom were wielding Pump Action guns and G-three rifle, marched to the complainants land.

It said they fired shots, attacked and caused harm to Emmanuel Osei Amoah, Nelson NiI Baffoe Sackey, George Nortey and Foster Nii Armah who were engaged by the complainant.

The prosecution said the accused persons also caused damage to the fence wall as well as sacked the workers from the land and warned them not to step foot on the land again.

The Court heard that the workers sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to Anyaa Polyclinic where they were treated and discharged.

It said one of the victims was referred to the Ga South Municipal Hospital for further treatment where he underwent surgical operation.

After the incident, the accused persons and their accomplices went into hiding, the Court was told.

The prosecution said on the same day, the case was reported at the Accra Regional CID for investigation.

Inspector Alorwu said on February 17, 2023, Sackey was arrested and Vittor and Tawiah were picked up on February 24, 2023, and March 1, 2023, in that order.

He said Vittor and Tawiah admitted the offences in their investigation cautioned statements and mentioned Sackey as the one who had engaged them to attack the complainant's workers and that he (Sackey) fired a pistol on the land.

GNA
17.03.2023 LISTEN

An Adentan District Court was unable to start committal proceedings against Safina Mohammed Adizatu, a student and Michael Fiifi Ampofo Arku a technical officer, who are being held on charges of murder.

The two accused persons are being held over the death of Frank Kofi Osei, a Ghanaian resident Canadian, who was murdered in cold blood at Ashaley Botwe School Junction in July 2022 during a visit to Safina's residence.

At the Adentan District Court today, Senior State Attorney Nana Ama Adinkra said they have received forensic evidence, which would be sent for analysis and added to the new Bill of Indictment.

According to the Senior Attorney, the forensic evidence was just received.

She said since forensic investigations took a long time, the court should grant them 30 days as the accused persons were on bail.

The Attorney said Arku would not be charged with an indictable offence.

She could not, however, tell the court of new charges that would be preferred against Arku.

The Attorney said on receipt of the forensic report, a new Bill of Indictment would be prepared.

The District Court said it would need feedback from the Attorney General on Arku.

The matter has been adjourned to April 18, 2023.

The Office of the Attorney General had on March 9, this year, filed a Bill of Indictment and served same on the police and the court.

This was to make way for committal proceedings to be conducted by the court against the two accused persons.

Nii Amartey and Joseph Bondzi represented Arku while Kasia Naa Abekah held Mr Samuel Alorsu Takyi's brief for Safina.

The accused persons who are facing charges of conspiracy and murder, are now on bail.

The two are standing trial for their alleged involvement in the death of Osei.

The case of the prosecution was that on Sunday July 2022, Osei, who was on vacation in Ghana, visited Safina, his fiance, who lived at Ashaley Botwe School Junction and decided to spend the night with her.

At night, Safina and other accomplices yet to be arrested allegedly stabbed Osei with a knife and strangled him.

The prosecution said Osei's blood was allegedly cleaned from the floor by Safina and Arku while his body was in the room for 24 hours.

It said the accused persons allegedly dragged Osei's body from the first floor of the storey building through the staircase and dumped it at the gate of the house where the deceased had parked his Toyota Tundra.

The prosecution said Safina had called a policeman claiming that her boyfriend, who visited her had died in her room.

When the Police proceeded to the scene, they found the body of Osei, lying at the gate of Safina's house.

Safina, a student was nabbed at Ashaley Botwe School Junction and Arku, who allegedly escaped to Kumasi was picked up later.

GNA
An Accra Circuit Court has asked a salesgirl to sign a bond to be of good behaviour for six months after she was found culpable of GHC25,181.00 theft.

Regina Amegbe, who was caught on Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) stealing, denied the offence but paid the amount involved in the course of the trial.

Police Chief Inspector Christine Bansah had earlier informed the Court presided over by Mrs Susanna Eduful that Mr Isaac Osei Darko, the complainant owned a mens wear boutique in Accra.

He and Regina were residents of Accra, adding that she was employed by the complainant a year before the incident and that as a salesgirl, she kept the keys to the shop after close of work.

Chief Inspector Bansah said on March 3, 2021, at about 2130 hours, Regina allegedly called Mr Darko to tell him that thieves had broken into the shop and made away with a number of the wears.

Mr Darko rushed to the shop to verify for himself, only for him to discover on the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) at the boutique that on that same day at about 1900 hours, Regina closed from work but went back to the shop two hours later.

The Court heard that she came with a black polythene under her armpit accompanied by a guy.

Chief Inspector Bansah said the CCTV captured the two in the shop packing mens suits, trousers, shirts, shoes, T-shirts and perfumes, valued GHC25,181.00.

She said the complainant arrested Regina, the convict, and sent her to the police station where she was rearrested.

In her cautioned statement, Regina admitted the offence but added that she was tricked by her accomplice, now on the run.

GNA
The last two South Sudanese journalists of a group of seven detained over a video purportedly showing President Salva Kiir urinating on himself have been freed, a media lobby group said on Friday.

The seven journalists -- staff at the state-run South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation -- were arrested in January by agents from the National Security Service as part of an investigation into the source of the clip, which went viral on social media in December.

In the footage, 71-year-old Kiir, dressed in his trademark black hat and a grey outfit at what is described as a road commissioning ceremony, is seen with a damp patch on his left trouser leg.

On Friday, the Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) welcomed the release of reporters Garang John and Jacob Benjamin and said it would continue fighting "to ensure journalists work in a free and safe environment".

Kiir oversaw the birth of South Sudan as an independent nation after it broke free from Sudan in 2011.

But the world's youngest country has lurched from crisis to crisis since then, enduring conflict, political turmoil, natural disasters and hunger. Between 2013 and 2018, 400,000 people died and millions were displaced.

South Sudan ranks 128th out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) press freedom index.

The media watchdog says freedom of the press is "extremely precarious" in South Sudan, "where journalists work under constant threat and intimidation, and where censorship is ever present".
17.03.2023 LISTEN

Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has urged government to be transparent with Ghanaians as the country works towards dealing with the current economic challenges.

Our debt level has become unsustainable pushing the government to roll out a domestic debt exchange programme that aims to restructure the nations debt and ensure some fiscal space for the country to operate.

He said, sadly it appears public consultation did not take place before the programme commenced. The nation is currently in a tense mood even though government has announced the completion of the programme. I want to implore government to demonstrate high level of transparency and be candid in these difficult times in order to win the trust and confidence of the general public.

He further called on government to bring together best brains with the requisite expertise from the various political parties, academia and civil society organisations to present an excellent proposal to help Ghana secure a bailout that would be beneficial to all.

Government should be more accommodating and reach out to those who may even oppose them politically, the interest of the country is paramount, and we must all work together to prevent the collapse of the economy. No one can pretend not to see the difficult times that we find ourselves in. But at the same time I want to encourage all of us to keep hope alive.

Otumfuo Osei II said, as we move to negotiate with our external creditors, I urge government to bring together the best brains with the requisite expertise from all political perspectives to present the finest proposal so that whatever decision the country chooses will be everyones responsibility.

Speaking at the 56th congregation at KNUST, the Asantehene encouraged Ghanaians to ensure judicious use of resources in order not to overburden the economy.

The current economic difficulties should serve as a wake-up call for all of us to carefully review our economy and implement some significant adjustments. The moment has come for us to reduce wasteful spending and direct resources towards economically productive areas in order to improve the quality of life of our people, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II entreated.

The voluntary debt exchange programme seeks to tackle the current economic crisis, bring back macroeconomic stability and guarantee sustainable growth.

According to Ofori-Atta, not executing the domestic debt exchange programme would have brought grave disorder in its ability to service the country's ballooning national debt and exacerbated the current economic crisis.

On Wednesday, March 15, government commenced payments of outstanding coupons to individual bondholders who failed to participate in the Domestic Debt Exchange programme.

In a statement, the coalition of Individual Bondholders confirmed the payments of matured coupons to its members but called on the Ministry of Finance to review its communication management and reposition it for proactive engagement with creditors as is professionally expected.

While we welcome the commencement of payments, it is important to note that the failure to be definite

about a payment schedule or a notification date for outstanding payments does not augur well for the

rebuilding of confidence in the financial market. This came after the Coalition of Bondholders gave the government a 48-hour ultimatum to pay all their outstanding coupons or face their wrath.

President Nana Addo Dankwa-Akufo-Addo has called on the Diplomatic Corps to help Ghana's bid for a $3 billion bailout at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Addressing members of the Diplomatic Corps at the Peduase Lodge on March 1, the President said with the cooperation received from the Paris Club, he is confident that the IMF deal will finally be concluded by the end of March.

Just as we managed to achieve a staff-level agreement with the Fund in record time in December last year whose terms were systematically fulfilling including the difficult but ultimately highly successful process of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, I am confident that with the cooperation we have received from the members of the Paris Club and the People's Republic of China, which sent a delegation from China's EXIM Bank to Accra over the weekend to meet with officials of the Ministry of Finance, we shall be able to go to the Board of the Fund to conclude finally the agreement by the end of March, he said.

-citinewsroom
-- Ms. Manty Tarawalli, Gender and Children's Affairs Minister, says a new landmark gender equality and women's empowerment law is a game changer for women

In January 2023, President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone signed into law the country's landmark Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Act, which provides that at least 30 per cent of public and private jobs be reserved for women, 14 weeks of maternity leave, among others. The country's Minister of Gender and Children's Affairs, Manty Tarawalli, who was at the frontline of the effort to enact the law, participated in the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York in March. Africa Renewal's Kingsley Ighobor interviewed her about the new law and its potential impact on Sierra Leonean women. These are excerpts from the interview:

How we passed the landmark GEWE Act in Sierra Leone--Manty Tarawalli, Minister of Gender and Children's Affairs

Passing the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE) Act was challenging. It was not easy because you are confronting the status quo. You are trying to change something that has existed for decades, trying to introduce a new thing.

For 40 years, Sierra Leoneans talked about the GEWE law and wanted to pass it but could not even formulate a policy on it.

But we took some steps that made us successful.

First, we put a policy paper together.

As you know, a policy paper is not legally binding. You can choose to implement or not implement it.

Therefore, we needed to make the policy binding so that any government that comes, whether I am there as a minister or not, will continue to implement it. That is why we went to the law, to parliament.

Second, we went to the grassroots population to galvanize support.

It took us 13 months. We had to shift people's ideas and change the argument from just rights-based to economic growth. The economic growth conversation is that empowered women will contribute economically to the family, community and country. Once we started that conversation, we saw a bit of a change.

For countries struggling with terminology on equality, I would advise them to change the conversation. When we are talking to Paramount Chiefs about [just] the rights of women, that is not an effective argument to make. But when we talk about how empowering women means more money to your town or village, and there will be less burden for households, people become receptive.

And we will give examples of homes where two parents are working versus where there is only one working parent, and how two working parents thrive better. They understood that point.

Third, we had the presidential will

(I would not just call it political will). President Bio jumped in the ring. On many occasions, on the radio and TV, he came out to support the bill and urged MPs to pass it. And straight away people wanted to sit down with me and discuss, saying, 'Okay, now let us negotiate. In terms of jobs to be reserved for women, should it be 40 per cent minimum, or should it be 30 per cent? Do you want to bring it down?' The negotiations meant we were making progress.

Finally, we created a momentum that ensured the successful passing of the law.

that ensured the successful passing of the law. Overall, I am proud that we did the right thing in Sierra Leone.

I am proud of all Sierra Leonean citizens, our President who believes in gender empowerment, the MPs, our international partners and other stakeholders in the gender conversation.

The theme for this year's CSW focuses on using the power of technology and education to empower women and girls in the digital age. What are the key takeaways for you?

As you know, this is the first in-person CSW since the pandemic, and it is great to see many countries represented in numbers, sharing experiences.

One key takeaway is that across all member states, we experience similar challenges--different levels and different stages, but similar challenges--in girls and women accessing ICT. For us, the initiatives we are taking and the political backing we have are really encouraging.

What is the level of digital access for women in Sierra Leone?

For us, digital exposure for women is quite low, under 5 per cent. However, we have put some initiatives in place, working particularly with the Commonwealth Businesswomen's Network, to introduce women's businesses to online trading. But we need strong infrastructure for that to work well.

The power supply is improving while broadband is becoming more widespread, although still expensive. We need to bring down its costs so that more women can have access. Broadband is important for trade and education, but other infrastructural elements need to fully mature to enhance access for women.

You have engaged in many bilateral talks here at this meeting in New York. Are there tangible results from these talks?

I have had several bilateral talks mostly as a result of the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE) Act 2022 that was signed into law earlier this year.

To fully implement the law, we need all hands on deck. I was able to talk to officials of UNFPA, UN Women and Ireland. They are all supportive. They want to see implementation.

On GEWE, I'm proud to say that the legislative environment in Sierra Leone is quite rich. Now, it is about implementation.

The GEWE Act provides that a minimum of 30 per cent of elective and appointive positions in public and private sectors be reserved for women. So, we are talking about cabinet ministers like myself, heads of parastatals, ambassadors, high commissioners and so on. The GEWE Act also includes a minimum of 30 per cent of top leadership positions for women.

The law is about mainstreaming gender, and having gender units within all ministries, departments and agencies, and gender-responsive budgeting.

Access to finance is also part of it. The Bank of Sierra Leone and the Ministry of Finance are mandated to come up with new approaches to increase women's access to finance. There is a plan to create a banking product for women that all financial institutions will sign on to.

The GEWE Act provides that a minimum of 30 per cent of elective and appointive positions in public and private sectors be reserved for women. So, we are talking about cabinet ministers like myself, heads of parastatals, ambassadors, high commissioners and so on. The GEWE Act also includes a minimum of 30 per cent of top leadership positions for women.

Does the Cabinet reflect a minimum of 30 per cent women?

Not currently, but it will. Sierra Leone is having general elections (presidential and local government elections) in June this year. The next cabinet is expected to reflect the provisions of the act.

And the ripple effect is that having women leaders in cabinet and parliament means other laws, instruments, action plans, budgets will move the gender agenda forward.

Do you anticipate any challenges with implementation?

The challenge that we see, apart from the usual funding, is to ensure that we bring the law to the people. It is not only for urban or educated women.

Everybody knows that the act has been passed, but what exactly does it mean to grassroots women? How does it touch their lives? We need now to explain it to them so that they know their rights under this law.

Here in New York, we are talking about it and everybody's hearing about it, but the Sierra Leonean woman in the village needs to know that things have changed and that opportunities have come for her.

We need structures in place to help women understand their rights so that in any village they know that they can, for example, inherit a piece of land and can be a councilor.

We are already doing some work now with our partners to ensure more women go into Parliament.

How soon do you think people can begin to feel the impact of the new law?

After the next elections, we are going to see more women in parliament, in cabinet and in other appointive positions.

We will see more women have access to finance. We will start to see the ripple effects of women in key positions. So, if you are in parliament, you are ensuring that bills have a gender agenda. If you are in other institutions, you are ensuring that the gender agenda is factored into your work.

To fully implement the Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE) Act 2022 law, we need all hands on deck. I was able to talk to officials of UNFPA, UN Women and Ireland. They are all supportive. They want to see implementation.

How do you ensure compliance if, for example, the current administration is no longer in power?

The law includes penalties for those who do not comply with its provisions. It requires every political party to comply. A political party's list of officials for elective offices may be rejected by the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone if it does not ensure that with every three names, a woman's name is included.

Did you get the support of the opposition parties in passing this law?

Yes. That is why it took 13 months. We have a hung parliament [no single party has an absolute majority] in Sierra Leone. There is no way to pass any bill without the support of the opposition.

You mentioned a finance mechanism for women. What is that about?

Currently, there is absolutely no way a bank can give a woman a loan without asking her for collateral. You cannot tell a bank 'When a woman comes from a rural area to borrow money, don't ask for collateral.'

So, with the support of the World Bank, we want to put in place a mechanism that will ensure collateral is not as expensive as is normally the case.

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Which other key gender empowerment activities is your ministry championing?

There are so many. You can talk about sexual and gender-based violence (GBV), ensuring a robust response mechanism as well as preventative measures.

We have seen a 30 per cent drop in GBV between 2019, when we started, and now [2023]

Overall, I am proud that we did the right thing in Sierra Leone. I am proud of all Sierra Leonean citizens, our President who believes in gender empowerment, the MPs, our international partners and other stakeholders in the gender conversation.

What are the specific interventions?

With sexual and gender-based violence, we looked at it in two ways: prevention and response.

I always say that response is expensive because it is costly to individuals, to the community and to the country.

On prevention, we developed a male involvement strategy. We partnered with the Ministry of Youth Affairs to train youth leaders to become gender advocates. And we sent them into the communities to change hearts and minds. Data shows that men listen to men more than they do other women.

Within the school curriculum, we introduced sex education. So young boys and girls are taught sex education, sexuality, and gender rights.

We have a response strategy. We have a call center that's open 24 hours a day across all mobile networks. We have also created one-stop centers that provide comprehensive survivor-centered services.

We provide survivors with free medical, free legal and free psychosocial services. These are dotted across the country.

And we also have a special court to fast-track cases. It sits six days a week. As a result of that, cases now move quickly through the court process.

We can't forget the work of the First Lady [Fatima Bio] who is championing the Hands Off Our Girls campaign.

What about land rights for women?

Yes, we have the Customary Land Rights Act of 2022, which guarantees women equal rights and access to land. So we are mainstreaming gender rights into land issues too. As a result, women can now own and inherit land. Before, land was mostly for men.
The armed conflict in North Kivu province between the March 23 Movement (M23) and the Congolese army (FARDC) has intensified, with devastating consequences for civilians. The fighting, which had previously been confined to Rutshuru territory, has spread to Masisi territory, causing hundreds of thousands of people to flee for the provincial capital of Goma.

"The conflict is nearing densely populated urban areas, which is extremely concerning," says Pascal Hundt, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. "The ICRC reminds all parties to the conflict that they must respect international humanitarian law, including by taking every feasible precaution to protect civilians and civilian objects from combat."

Clashes between M23 combatants and the FARDC have erupted again on a large scale, forcing hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee.

"This crisis is on the way to becoming a humanitarian catastrophe," says Anne-Sylvie Linder, head of the ICRC subdelegation in Goma. "If the displacement continues, it will outstrip our capacity to respond, and that of the other humanitarian organizations. There may not be space to take all of the people. Already there is no room left in Nyiragongo territory, which took in the first arrivals."

"When the fighting ramped up, people panicked and ran in every direction," says Beatrice Ndayunvayino, 35, a resident of Kingi, Masisi territory. "I fled with my six children, a pot and a jerrycan to the school in Sake, where there were already so many people."

Repeated displacements

Some people have had to pick up and leave multiple times owing to the incessant fighting, including thousands who have ended up in Goma. Others move back and forth, constantly adapting to security conditions that can quickly deteriorate.

Mother of six Rachel Masika, 30, says, "I took the road to Tongo, and then I made it to Kabizo, where I only stayed for a few days. Then I went to Katsiru. After that, I went to Kitchanga. But after a week, people started fleeing the city, so I walked to Sake. It took me three and a half weeks in all. It's exhausting."

These repeated displacements, along with the worsening security conditions, make it even more difficult to get humanitarian aid to the conflict's many victims.

Increasingly precarious living conditions

Aside from the makeshift camps where people fleeing the fighting have squeezed together, a number of people from the area, who themselves live in insecure circumstances, have taken new arrivals into their homes.

The living conditions are precarious for those who have been displaced. Cecile Nabuko, who left her home for Sake, says, "We sleep like animals crammed together. But what can we do? When you've been displaced, you don't have time to sleep. You make do with wherever you can rest your head because you're not at home."

Humanitarians estimate that there are now more than 300,000 displaced people in Goma. Anne-Sylvie Linder says, "Some of them are at Bulengo or Lac Vert - where a site was prepared - as well as Rusayo, an outlying district in Goma where authorities have made several acres available. The Lac Vert site nevertheless poses a significant risk to the people there because of the potential for the release of dangerous methane gas."

The more or less daily arrival of newly displaced people to Goma and the surrounding area is taxing essential social services and making it more difficult for those in the area, whether residents or displaced people, to access what they need to survive. That includes food and water but also access to health-care facilities where the sick and injured are streaming in.

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What the ICRC is doing

The ICRC has taken a number of steps to help people affected by the conflict, especially in and around Rutshuru, Nyiragongo and southern Lubero territories.

The organization has supported the care of the injured in the Bethesda-Ndosho hospital centre in Goma, at the general hospital in Beni and in the provincial hospital in Bukavu, where it runs a war-surgery programme. "We are constantly running near full capacity at the Ndosho hospital centre," says Anne-Sylvie Linder. "I think we're looking at a large-scale humanitarian crisis whose fallout will be felt for the medium to long term."

The ICRC works in close collaboration with the Red Cross Society of the Democratic Republic of the Congo around providing first aid, improving access to water and sanitation, and restoring family links.
March 17, 2023

Ukraine Open Thread 2023-63

Only for news & views directly related to the Ukraine conflict.

The current open thread for other issues is here.

Please stick to the topic. Contribute facts. Do not attack other commentators.

Posted by b on March 17, 2023 at 15:19 UTC | Permalink

Comments

next page 
Cyclone Freddy continued to wreak havoc in Malawi and Mozambique on Tuesday, with powerful wind and torrential rain. More than 100 people have been killed in what is shaping up to be the longest-lasting tropical storm on record, authorities said Monday.

Freddy, barrelled through southern Africa at the weekend for the second time within a few weeks, making a comeback after a first hit in late February.

Malawi bore the brunt, counting at least 99 deaths after mudslides washed away houses and sleeping occupants on Sunday night. Malawi's commercial capital Blantyre recorded 85 deaths.

"We expect the number to rise," Charles Kalemba, a commissioner at the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, told a press conference.

Another 134 people were injured and 16 are reported missing.

Residents used their bare hands to dig through the mud hoping to find survivors.

"The people are overwhelmed. The situation is very difficult," said ambulance driver Honest Chirwa, adding rescuers lacked adequate equipment.

More than 11,000 people were affected by the storm, said the United Nations.

Fear of cholera

The impact of the cyclone has piled more woes on a country grappling with the deadliest cholera outbreak in its history, which has killed over 1,600 people since last year.

"Severe weather events such as these are likely to exacerbate the spread of waterborne diseases like cholera," the UN children's agency UNICEF warned.

President Lazarus Chakwera, currently in Doha attending a Least Developed Countries meeting, declared a "state of disaster in the Southern region" of the nation.

The government was responding to the crisis while appealing for local and international aid for affected families, his office said.

Malawi has ordered schools in ten southern districts to remain closed until Wednesday, with rains and winds expected to keep battering the nation's south.

Second landfall

National carrier Malawi Airlines said all flights to Blantyre have been cancelled until further notice after an inbound plane ran into the bad weather and was forced back to the capital Lilongwe.

The country's energy utility also warned that electricity generation would be unstable, as it would have to temporarily shut down hydropower stations to prevent muddy water from damaging turbines.

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Cyclone Freddy reached landlocked Malawi early on Monday morning after sweeping through Mozambique at the weekend, killing at least 10 and injuring a further 14.

The Mozambique National Institute for Disaster Management (INGC) said the fallout from the storm's second landfall in the country was worse than expected.

Origin in northern Australia

According to the UN's World Meteorological Organization, Freddy, which formed off north-western Australia in the first week of February, was set to become the longest-lasting tropical cyclone on record.

It crossed the entire southern Indian Ocean and blasted Madagascar from 21 February before reaching Mozambique on 24 February.

Following what meteorologists describe as a "rare" loop trajectory, Freddy then headed back towards Madagascar before moving once more towards Mozambique.

In total, Freddy has so far killed at least 136 people -- 99 in Malawi, 20 in Mozambique and 17 in Madagascar.

The last cyclones to cross the entire southern Indian Ocean were Leon-Eline and Hudah in 2000.

(with AFP)
WALLINGFORD  High paying jobs  and many that don't require a college education  are out there, but have historically been dominated by men. On Saturday, the Wallingford Public Library will host a workshop for girls in grades seven through 12 to introduce them to fields that they might not otherwise have considered as a career.

"Unique Careers: An Exploration Event for Teen Girls" takes place Saturday from 9:45 a.m. to noon at the library at 200 North Main St. The Wallingford Community Women's Education Committee partnered with the library to coordinate the event.

"Initially it started as looking at careers for women so that they wouldn't be incurring a lot of college debt, trades and things like that, because of all the awful college debt kids are going into," said Mary Reid, a member of the Wallingford Community Women. "But we also didn't want to discourage girls from going to college, so we expanded it to nontraditional careers for women. We started thinking about getting computer scientists, electrical engineers and things that were more male-dominated fields."

More than a dozen women will be on hand to talk to the girls about their careers, including Megan Magoveny, a Wallingford police officer; Isabel Caban, a firefighter with the Waterbury Fire Department; Christine White, a surgical veterinarian with Small Animal Surgical Service of Connecticut; Nicole Huelsman, a welder/ironworker with Atlantic Equipment Installers of Wallingford, and Koreeda Siconolfi, an electrical engineer.

Its the first event in a series the Wallingford Community Women are calling OPEN, which stands for Opportunities, Possibilities, Exploration, NOW!

The girls will have the opportunity to learn about the fields, as well as the schooling or training needed and what the jobs entail. Each woman will be stationed at a table, and the teens will visit each table to learn about each career.

Kelly Flynn didnt have to look far for a good paying career opportunity in a field traditionally dominated by men. Flynn is a plumber apprentice with Charles Flynn Plumbing and Heating in Wallingford, the business owned by her father, and is one of the women who will be at the event.

"My dad is a plumber so I started working with him and got the hang of it, and I thought, Oh, this is a good career," Flynn said. "I enjoy working with my hands so it's a good fit."

But it's also a long road before she will be a licensed plumber. The apprenticeship lasts about four years and requires 8,000 hours of work, said Flynn, a Lyman Hall High School graduate. She attended Eli Whitney Technical High School's plumbing and heating program, where she was the only girl in her class, she said.

"They were all great," she said of her male classmates. "I made friends with a couple of them."

According to the job website Zippia.com, only 5.3% of plumbers in the United States are women, so Flynn is joining an elite group, and salary estimates are as high as $100,000 a year for experienced plumbers. And Flynn said she loves the job.

"There's always something new every day," she said. "You never know what you'll be working on and it's nice when you feel accomplished after you fix something that had been giving you a hard time."

Early on she faced some obstacles, such as lifting heavy objects like toilets, but she quickly overcame them.

"I remember I couldn't pick one up by myself when I first started," she said, "and now it's no problem."

Her advice to the teens she'll be talking to Saturday?

"Don't be intimidated by anyone, she said. Just work hard and learn as much as you can and if anyone gets to you, prove them wrong."

kramunni@record-journal.com
Active volcano spotted on Venus. The planets not dead yet. Space.com

Alligator in the Attic: Building Inspector Shocked to Find 8-ft Beast in Three-Story Home Field & Stream

B-a-a-a-a-d Banks

Fire the Fed Matt Stoller, BIG. Good clean fun. Well worth a read.

Feds Yellen expects no new financial crisis in our lifetimes Reuters

The stupidest timeline would quite naturally have the stupidest Secretary of the Treasury:

Stripped bare of the technocratic mumbo jumbo, Janet Yellen is utterly utterly reckless. This clip is just astonishing (ht @DoombergT) https://t.co/mxxwygMKN9  Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) March 17, 2023

Yes, the clip is worth watching, but put down your coffee.

Fed Blocked Mention of Regulatory Flaws in Silicon Valley Bank Rescue NYT

* * *

I Was an S.V.B. Client. I Blame the Venture Capitalists NYT (Re Silc). Well worth a read. A telling detail:

Ill keep my S.V.B. debit card as a souvenir, partly because the giant arrow logo points in the opposite direction that its supposed to go into a card reader  an example of a design that obviously went through no user testing. Its also a reminder that successful people arent always the best decision makers.

ANHD Statement on Signature Banks Closure The Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (timotheus). A well-deserved kick to the prostrate body.

Wall Street banks to deposit $30bn into First Republic FT. This is the bank where the depositors are wealthy lemmings, as opposed to New York real estate lemmings (Signature), or tech bro lemmings (SVB).

* * *

Another Chaotic Week for Banks Marks the End of an Era for the Global Economy John Authers, Bloomberg

Financial Panic in the Age of Digital Banking and Social Media RAND

Cryptos winners and losers after a bank run Politico

Pentagon Mobilized to Support Tech Startups After Bank Failure Defense One
The evolution of my position with the Post dates to 2000, when I began work with The City Paper. In 2008, SouthComm Inc. bought the Post and TCP, with the latter ceasing operations in 2013. In 2018, FW Publishing acquired the Post, for which I have served as managing editor since 2011.

Follow William Williams Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today
(Natural News) Australia is set to purchase up to five nuclear-powered submarines from the United States in response to the growing military threat posed by China in the region. The communist nation claims the purchase is driven by a Cold War mentality that will only bring Australia down a path of error and danger.

Australia recently unveiled the deal for purchasing nuclear submarines as part of the defense partnership with AUKUS, which includes the U.S. and the United Kingdom. The details were unveiled during a joint announcement that featured President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin claimed in a press briefing that Australias nuclear submarine deal with AUKUS could endanger regional stability and security. (Related: China may have already deployed unstoppable hypersonic missiles capable of targeting American bases in the Pacific.)

The latest joint statement from the U.S., U.K. and Australia demonstrates that the three countries, for the sake of their own geopolitical interests, completely disregard the concerns of the international communities and are walking further and further down the path of error and danger, said Wang. This comes after China claimed at the U.N. that the three nations are fueling an arms race and that this deal was a textbook case of a double standard.

Wang also accused the U.S. of refusing to communicate clearly with China and harming bilateral relations. The U.S. side should come forward sincerely, with practical actions to promote China-U.S. relations, he said.

Australia to buy submarines, work with UK, US on developing new submarines

Australias nuclear submarine program is expected to cost up to AU$368 billion ($244.77 billion) over the next three decades.

Under the terms of Australias deal with the U.S. and the U.K., the Australian government will take three, likely second-hand Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines by the early 2030s, pending the U.S. Congress approval of the deal. Australia will also be given the option to purchase another two nuclear submarines.

In the meantime, Sunak, Biden and Albanese recommitted their nations to the development of a next-generation attack submarine, known as SSN-AUKUS. This new submarine will be leveraging work the British have already been doing to replace their own submarines and will also use American combat systems. It is intended to be the primary submarine of the British and Australian navies.

One submarine will be built every two years beginning in the early 2040s through the late 2050s. The Royal Australian Navy is set to have at least five SSN-AUKUS submarines in operation by the middle of the 2050s.

Current Australian plans are for the nations navy to include at least eight Australian submarines built in Adelaide by the 2060s.

As part of the security agreement with AUKUS, Australia has also agreed to host a rotational force of five British and American submarines at a naval base in Western Australia.

This new agreement builds off of an earlier agreement announced in 2021 that saw Australian sailors and engineers being trained by their British and American counterparts in anticipation of future Australian submarine acquisitions.

AUKUS has one overriding objective: To enhance the stability of the Indo-Pacific amid rapidly shifting global dynamics, said Albanese, who confirmed that America was already training Australian navy personnel on how to man nuclear-powered submarines.

I am proud to confirm that they are all in the top 30 percent of their class, said Albanese. This will be an Australian sovereign capability, commanded by the Royal Australian Navy and sustained by Australians in Australian shipyards.

Learn more about the threat posed by China at CommunistChina.news.

Watch this episode of China In Focus from NTD as host Tiffany Meier discusses Australias plan to purchase U.S. nuclear-powered submarines and Chinas hostile reaction to it.

This video is from the channel Pool Pharmacy on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

China increases military budget to $224 BILLION in preparation for invasion of Taiwan.

Russian, Chinese nuclear arsenals have been upgraded in race to dominance over outdated US ICBMs.

CCP has been creating spy balloons for YEARS out of a heavily guarded naval base in southern China.

China set to have PERMANENT presence near Australia via deals with South Pacific nations.

Thousands of Marines deployed to Australia in preparation for a possible war with CHINA.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

TheGuardian.com

NPR.org

ABC.net.au
(Natural News) China is causing division between the United States and its allies in order to push Chinese global domination.

Part of the 100-year war for the Chinese is to divide those who are allied with the United States of America. Divide those alliances and then build trust with the other side. So, divide us from some partners that we had. And then they become their new partner, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Michael Mike Flynn told host Alex Jones during the March 11 episode of The Alex Jones Show on the InfoWars network.

So how do they do that? They do that very, very shrewdly. They do that over time. And they have done that economically, added Flynn, citing Chinas huge economic plan called the Belt and Road Initiative.

According to Jones, the Ukraine War energizes the Belt and Road Initiative. He asked the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) about his view on the matter.

Flynn said the northern part of the Belt and Road Initiative goes through Ukraine and into Europe. It goes all the way not only into the European mainland but also in places like London.

The former national security advisor stated that the southern route is the big deal and it is a blue water route that connects into Africa  particularly in places like Nigeria and the west coast of Africa, which are filled with resources and commodities that China needs to sustain its own people. The blue water route goes from the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea and into the Mediterranean Sea.

Chinas strategy has been effective so far.

China, Saudi Arabia alliance is a dangerous one for America

Flynn warned the new alliance that is starting to grow between China and Saudi Arabia is a dangerous one for America. He pointed out that China already has an economic alliance with Russia and Iran. Just recently, China successfully brokered an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The former Army general also talked about BRICS, which refers to Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. He said the group has created an economic coordinating body for trade, which represents 47 percent of the global population.

At least another 10 countries have signified their intention to join BRICS, including Saudi Arabia. (Related: End of petrodollar edges closer as Saudi Arabia looks set to join new China-dominated BRICS economic alliance.)

But China remains the biggest threat for America.

Chinas 100-year plan, Flynn said, also involves infiltration into America through its education system and other institutions such as the Department of Justice.

And I could go through so many examples that are publicly available examples of how the Chinese have infiltrated every single institution of our society since the mid-90s. And in particular, our education system, and they started at the highest level of graduate degrees and undergraduate degrees to the tune of no less than 100,000 a year. And they got up to at least 500,000 a year, Flynn said.

He added the Democratic Socialist Party of America and Communist Party of America have been influenced and supported by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The CCP, I believe, made a very conscious decision back in the late 80s and the early 90s at the tail end of the Cold War. When it looked like Russia was basically the loser in the Cold War, China made a big decision to basically [say] that they were going to rise. They then took that as their opportunity to say, Nows our chance,' Flynn said.

China is our adversary, and it wants global domination.

Follow CommunistChina.news for more news about China.

Watch the video below to know more about Gen. Michael Flynns interview on The Alex Jones Show.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Gen. Michael Flynn: Americans must get involved in politics.

Leaders of Iran, China meet in Beijing to boost economic ties that will sideline America and the dollar.

China will not hesitate to use FORCE to retake Taiwan, warns Xi.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

GeneralFlynn.com
(Natural News) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a crackdown on so-called forever chemicals in drinking water by means of proposed national standards.

The agency put forward the proposed guidelines in a March 14 press release. It emphasized that the guidelines will prevent thousands of deaths and reduce tens of thousands of serious illnesses caused by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The proposal sought to regulate two PFAS  perflourooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)  as individual contaminants. Public water systems must ensure that the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for these two chemicals does not exceed four parts per trillion (ppt).

Meanwhile, four other PFAS  PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS and GenX Chemicals  would be regulated as a mixture. Water systems would use an established approach called a hazard index calculation  to determine if the combined levels of these PFAS pose a potential risk, the agency stated.

If finalized, the proposed regulation will require public water systems to monitor for these chemicals. It will also require [public water] systems to notify the public and reduce PFAS contamination if levels exceed the proposed regulatory standards.

But the American Chemistry Council, a lobby group representing the interests of more than 190 chemical companies, begged to differ. They blasted the EPAs misguided approach, adding that the proposed limits would likely result in billions of dollars in compliance costs.

The interest group expressed serious concerns with the underlying science used to develop the proposed MCLs. It also accused the EPA of violating its own guidance by combining substances affecting different health endpoints into a single index  as seen in the hazard index calculation.

The proposals have important implications for broader drinking water policy priorities and resources, so its critical that [the] EPA gets the science right, the ACC said in a statement.

WHO proposes smaller PFAS limit for drinking water

The EPAs announcement came four months after a group of scientists rebuked the World Health Organization (WHO) for turning a blind eye on the dangers of PFAS in drinking water.

The 116 PFAS experts denounced the global health bodys proposed PFAS guidelines in a Nov. 10, 2022 letter to Bruce Gordon, the WHOs coordinator of water, sanitation, hygiene and health. The WHO draft guidelines proposed a 100 ppt contaminant level for PFOA and PFOS, and a 500 ppt contaminant level for other PFAS. (Related: More than 100 scientists accuse WHO of ignoring risks of forever chemicals on human health.)

The proposed WHO guidelines are derived using a seemingly arbitrary technology-based approach, and are far less protective than if a scientifically defensible health-based approach were used, they wrote.

The PFAS experts also indicated that the WHO assessment disregards the robust evidence of human health harm [caused by PFAS] at environmentally relevant exposure levels, which is also supported by experimental literature. According to them, PFAS can cause different kinds of harm to human health  including cancer, liver damage, increased cholesterol levels and damage to the immune system.

The signatories of the letter urged the WHO to significantly revise the draft and consider the numerous studies that link PFAS exposure to different health issues, if not withdraw it altogether.

PFOA and PFOS are routinely removed from drinking water to non-detectable levels. Therefore, treatment removal limitations do not prevent the ability to meet health-protective drinking water levels. We share the WHOs concern about the high cost of PFAS remediation. However, the high cost associated with water treatment measures is not a valid justification for setting less protective drinking water guidelines.

Visit CleanWater.news for more stories about PFAS in drinking water.

Watch this video about PFAS being found in the drinking water systems of 43 U.S. cities.

This video is from the ZGoldenReport channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

EPA pledges to regulate PFAS in drinking water.

Scientists challenge WHO draft guidelines for PFAS in drinking water.

EPA doing bare minimum to address toxic PFAS pollutants in drinking water.

Forever chemicals from almost 42,000 sources threaten to contaminate drinking water.

PFAS chemicals are now in the drinking water of about 16 million Americans, new study concludes.

Sources include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

EPA.gov

NaturalHealth365.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Two men in the United States have been charged with hacking a federal law enforcement data portal.

Those charged are 25-year-old Nicholas Ceraolo of New York and 19-year-old Sagar Steven Singh of Rhode Island. Officials claim they are part of an online hacking collective known as ViLE.

Ceraolo and Singh are being accused of breaking into the database of a federal law enforcement agency; using the compromised email address of a Bangladeshi police officer to fraudulently request user data from a social media company; and attempting to purchase the services of a facial recognition company whose products are not available to the general public by impersonating a law enforcement officer. (Related: WhatsApp HACKED: Nearly 500 million phone numbers from 84 countries and territories put up for sale.)

Singh was arrested in Rhode Island on Tuesday, March 14, and Ceraolo remains at large. Singh, who is facing charges of computer crimes, can face up to five years in prison. Ceraolo, charged with both wire fraud and computer crimes, could spend up to 20 years in prison.

Members of ViLE seek out the personal information of potential victims, such as physical addresses, phone numbers and Social Security Numbers. They then threaten to dox these people by posting this personal data on their website if the victims refuse to pay.

Singh, Ceraolo had access to very sensitive information on federal law enforcement portal

According to a press release from the United States Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York, Singh and Ceraolo, as part of ViLE, unlawfully used a police officers stolen password to access a restricted database maintained by a federal law enforcement agency that contains (among other data) detailed, nonpublic records of narcotics and currency seizures, as well as law enforcement intelligence reports.

One of the hackers allegedly wrote to a contact that his access to U.S. federal law enforcement data was so complete that he can request information on anyone in the U.S., doesnt matter who, nobody is safe.

At another point, Singh also reportedly wrote to a contact that the federal law enforcement portal had some f potent tools, highlighting just how comprehensive the portals information was.

Ceraolo and Singh reportedly used the information stolen from the data portal to cyberstalk, threaten and extort their victims. At one point, Singh allegedly called one of his targets and threatened the victim by flaunting his access to the persons Social Security number, home address and drivers license information. He even told the victim that he would harm the persons family if he did not receive payment.

In Ceraolos case, he is accused of using his access to the portal to submit fraudulent emergency data requests to social media companies, which gave him access to sensitive subscriber data not found in the portal itself.

At one point, Ceraolo, using the Bangladeshi police officers compromised email, was able to induce one social media platform to provide information about one subscriber, including the persons address, email and telephone number, by claiming that the subscriber had participated in child extortion and blackmail and had threatened officials of the Bangladeshi government.

Officials refused to name the law enforcement portal involved, merely describing it as a nonpublic, password-protected web portal  maintained by a U.S. federal law enforcement agency, whose purpose is to share intelligence from government databases with state and local law enforcement agencies.

While unconfirmed, cybersecurity reporter Brian Krebs claimed the portal in question belongs to the Drug Enforcement Agency. The agencys portal provides law enforcement officials with access to 16 other databases. This would have given criminals who purchased Singh and Ceraolos services a broad swath of very sensitive information.

Learn more about hacking and data leak incidents at CyberWar.news.

Watch this clip from The American Journal on InfoWars as host Harrison Smith discusses the key government secrets revealed following a security breach of U.S. Marshals Service data.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related articles:

Free AI voice generation software successfully hacked into bank accounts using simulated voices.

PayPal hack exposes names, social security numbers of 35,000 customers.

Medibank hackers release 6.5GB of stolen data in response to Australian health insurers refusal to pay ransom.

Facebook employees accused of hijacking user accounts fired after taking bribe money from outside hackers.

State Department is freely giving intelligence agencies unrestricted access to passport data of 145 million Americans.

Sources include:

Vice.com

Gizmodo.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has subpoenaed Bank of America for the financial records of three of Hunter Bidens associates, which analysts see as opening new avenues of investigation into the first familys crime syndicate.

The move apparently alarmed House Democrats, who quickly came to the presidential sons defense. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) accused Comer of blocking the committees receipt of financial records subpoenaed from former President Donald Trumps accounting firm, Mazars USA.

The committee simply cannot coordinate with former President Trumps attorneys to obstruct a lawful subpoena investigating his demonstrated corruption, then issue an invasive and overbroad subpoena based on an investigation of the business dealings of his political rivals son, who has never served in government, Raskin wrote in a letter addressed to Comer dated March 12.

A committee spokesperson responded to the allegations. The accusation by ranking member Raskin is completely unfounded and untrue. There has been no coordination or discussion with anyone from the committees majority with anyone about the Mazars documents, the spokesperson said, citing that even Raskins own letter admitted that there was no evidence for what he is accusing Comer of.

The spokesperson added that Raskin may want to have his staff conduct another review of the records obtained by the committee, as there are several quite notable developments that have both solidified the committees understanding of several areas of concern and opened new avenues of investigation about the Biden familys business schemes. (Related: House Republicans bring the heat: GOP preparing to launch several hearings into Biden regime, beginning with investigation into the presidents family.)

Last month, an attorney for the younger Biden denied the committees request for documents and information, arguing that there was no legislative purpose.

Hearing on Biden family investigation delayed as witness refused to attend

On March 10, a hearing titled The Biden Family Investigation: The Department of the Treasury (USDT), was postponed because the requested witness refused to attend that day.

Comer said the Treasury Department officials have repeatedly confirmed their cooperation with the committees request, but all we have seen is obstruction. He added that multiple good faith accommodations have been offered, but the fed department continued to employ delaying tactics.

The focus of the hearing was on the Treasury Departments refusal to provide bank activity reports about the financial dealings of Hunter Biden. The GOP House has repeatedly announced that they are going to probe the familys foreign business dealings in China and Ukraine by looking at the departments suspicious activity reports on his transactions. Even before Republicans had the majority, Comer was requesting documents from the Treasury Department to mount an investigation into Bidens son.

Back in February, the committee chairman formally requested that Hunter, the presidents brother James Biden and their former business associate Eric Schwerin provide the oversight committee with all documents, communications and records relating to the presidents involvement in their business schemes.

Evidence obtained in our investigation reveals the Biden family business model is built on Joe Bidens political career and connections, Comer said at the time.

Biden family members attempted to sell access around the world, including individuals who were connected to the Chinese Communist Party, to enrich themselves to the detriment of American interests. If President Biden is compromised by deals with foreign adversaries and they are impacting his decision-making, this is a threat to national security.

Visit BidenCrimeFamily.news for more stories related to the Biden familys illegal activities.

Watch the video below that talks about the recent subpoena issued by the Oversight Committee on the Biden family dealings.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Hunter Biden admits ownership of laptop from hell, requests federal probe for data theft.

Republicans vow to call all 51 intelligence community pros who signed onto bogus letter claiming Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation.

Ex-naval officer Jack Maxey expounds on link between Hunter Biden and Metabiota.

MSNBC forced to admit Hunter Biden will be CHARGED for multiple felonies.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

OversightDemocrats.House.gov

TheHill.com

WashingtonExaminer.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Over the past three years, approximately 100,000 covid-19 deaths in America could be attributed to Remdesivir-induced renal failure. This estimate was extrapolated from a Massachusetts investigation conducted by John Beaudoin that looked into the causes of death on individual death certificates before and during the covid-19 scandal.

Beaudoin filed a Freedom of Information Act request and received all death certificates in Massachusetts from 2015 to 2022. After analyzing all the data on the causes of death, Beaudoin found that there were 1,840 EXCESS deaths from acute renal failure in Massachusetts alone from January 1 2021 to November 30, 2022. He believes these excess cases of acute renal failure are the result of mandated hospital protocol that begins with the highly toxic Remdesivir. His analysis does not even include the risk of cardiac events caused by Remdesivir, which is a safety signal detected by the European Spontaneous Adverse Event Reporting System.

John Beaudoin in calling for a criminal investigation.

Remdesivir drives organ damage, covid-19 fatalities

In May of 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized American hospitals to use a failed Ebola drug named Remdesivir (brand name Veklury). The drug was proven the least effective and the deadliest in a large study in 2019; however, the FDA provided full approval for Remdesivir by October of 2020. In the study, Remdesivir had the highest mortality rate, greater than 50%.

Additionally, a large study on US veterans found that Remdesivir treatment was not associated with improved survival but was associated with longer hospital stays. Even though the drug can cause high rates of renal failure, it was eventually granted full approval for pediatric covid-19 cases and is still the primary treatment for covid-19 diagnoses in hospitals today.

According to studies by the World Health Organization (WHO), Remdesivir increases ones risk of kidney failure 20-fold, and increases ones risk of dying by four percent. WHO advised against the use of Remdesivir for covid-19 back in November of 2020, yet American hospitals continue to pump this toxin into patients. Sadly, WHO would eventually go on to re-recommend Remdesivir in mild or moderate covid patients who are at high risk of hospitalization.

When patients are isolated from their family members and nurse advocates, when they are sedated and ventilated unnecessarily, then the negative effects of Remdesivir are compounded. No matter how deadly this protocol is, it is the protocol that gave hospitals their payout throughout the covid-19 emergency; it is the protocol that paved the way for emergency use of the mRNA vaccine platform. Sadistically, liability protections remain for hospitals, covering their provably harmful protocols and their deleterious vaccine programs.

Remdesivir pushed due to clinical fraud conducted by the NIAID

During the covid-19 emergency, hospitals were granted immunity under the PREP Act. Hospitals were also paid financial incentives for listing covid-19 as the cause of death on the death certificates. The underlying factors and iatrogenic errors that went into these deaths were ignored, and they continue to be ignored to this day.

Dr. Anthony Fauci and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) repurposed Remdesivir after it failed to treat Ebola. The NIAID also manipulated the primary and secondary objectives of Remdesivir studies for covid-19, to obscure the findings and falsely promote it as an antiviral drug for covid-19.

Initially, the primary objective of the study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of different investigational therapeutics relative to the control arm in adults hospitalized with COVID-19. This was changed during the study to calculate time to recovery by Day 29. The secondary objectives of the study were initially to evaluate the clinical efficacy of different investigational therapeutics as compared to the control arm as assessed by clinical severity, hospitalization, and mortality, and evaluate the safety of different investigational therapeutics as compared to the control arm, yet these were later changed to evaluate treatment-related improvements in the 8-point ordinal scale at Day 15. In other words, safety and efficacy was never proven, but the drug was pushed onto the population by the NIAID anyway.

In 2016, a Johns Hopkins research team found that medical errors were the third leading cause of death, at 250,000 deaths per year in the US. The team warned that the CDCs way of collecting national health statistics FAILED to classify medical errors separately on the individuals death certificate. The researchers advocate for updating official criteria for classifying deaths on the death certificates. These updates are desperately needed, as Remdesivir-induced renal failure appears to be a serious issue of medical malfeasance across the entire medical system. In any case, this spike in excess death from acute renal failure must be investigated.

As Remdesivir use continues with no apology, much of the ongoing covid-19 deaths can be best described as premeditated murder, considering the fact that the NIAID manipulated the clinical trials and knew full well in 2019 that Remdesivir was a dangerous poison.

Sources include:

Expose-News.com

Pubmed.gov

NEJM.org

NEJM.org [PDF Table S9]

JAMANetwork.com

BMJ.com

WHO.int

ClinicalTrials.gov

HopkinsMedicine.org
(Natural News) Prior to its implosion, Signature Bank of New York was busy indoctrinating its employees into the world of LGBT pronouns like ze and hir, it has been revealed.

Chairman Scott Shay co-hosted a company event just last fall called Know Your Pronouns in which lower-level employees were browbeaten into adopting the use of made-up gender pronouns that affirm the delusions of the mentally ill  instead of learning how to properly run a bank so it avoids a collapse.

Video footage of the seminar, which up until today was publicly available on the Signature Bank YouTube page before it was taken private, depicted employees dressed up in tar-and-feather costumes dancing around to woke tunes and lyrics, presumably inspired by Shay and his ilk.

Along with Finn Brigham, a Manhattan-based corporate consulate on gender issues, Shay forced Signature Bank employees to participate in a so-called Social Impact series that proudly featured as its header the claim that Signature Bank was the first bank in the United States to have an openly gay man on our board.

That header, ironically enough, referenced former Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who sat on Signature Banks board after co-sponsoring legislation to regulate banks following the 2008 financial crisis.

Brigham, by the way, was presented as a genderqueer trans masculine person during the symposium, according to the New York Post.

(Related: Fake president Joe Biden wants you to stop worrying about the banking system  everything is just fine, he insists.)

Did Signature Bank, at any point, train its employees in actual banking as opposed to LGBT perversion?

At one point in the now-private video, Brigham went through a list of pronouns that included the following: she, hers, he, his, they, them, ze, and hir. The most common, Brigham clarified, are she and he  but at Signature Bank, there were apparently a higher-than-normal percentage of customers using made-up pronouns.

The most common pronouns folks are familiar with are she and he,' Brigham explained. I dont know if theres anyone in the Signature Bank world, but probably you have clients that use they / them as pronouns. Theyre gender-neutral pronouns on purpose.

Ze is another gender-neutral pronoun, Brigham went on to state. The other part of that would be hir  spelled H-I-R.

The stated purpose of Signature Banks Social Impact symposium was to promote sustainability, diversity, equity, inclusion, community engagement, employee development, employee health and safety, and any other environmental, social, or governance-related initiatives, the company indicated.

One wonders how often Signature Bank held seminars on, you know, actual banking stuff. Did the average employee at the bank know how to count, we wonder? Was there any governing oversight over actual financial matters? Or was it all centered around promoting bizarre sexual fetishes and dancing around in social media videos, much like the dancing nurses did during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) scamdemic?

I think these banks were highly leveraged on continuous COVID vaccines, and the profits dissolved on them once the people realized the shots were killing and maiming them, one of our readers commented, making an interesting observation about the possible true cause behind the Operation Warp Speed circus.

Now these banks are going belly up and rightfully so.

Another asked why businesses these days seem to have so much trouble just doing their business rather than trying to promote some special interest cause like gender pronouns.

Im looking for a bank that does banking; a grocery store that sells groceries; a department store that sells merchandise, this person added. Quit being woke and just do the business that youre supposed to be in. Maybe then you will make a profit. Stay focused on your damn business.

The latest news about the state of American banking can be found at Collapse.news.

Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Strategic leader and technologist Justin Mitson believes the Fourth Industrial Revolution will change the world through artificial intelligence (AI). He shared this belief with Dr. Daniel Bobinski during the March 9 episode of Keep The Republic on Brighteon.TV.

This AI topic is going to change the world. It is the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Mitson said, adding that expertise in the application of AI to business is an emerging field.

The big focus is how to help the businesses that Ive worked with to really accelerate their profitability, maintain, reduce or grow their capability and reduce their headcount. AI seemed like the perfect tool to do it  and then ChatGPT happened. This was perfect timing for those efforts.

Bobinski, meanwhile, remarked that the user-friendly ChatGPT can be used by most companies that have a sales force.

His guest agreed, saying that AI can be used to go through a list of leads and identify common characteristics by placing a buyer profile on customers. It can also reprocess leads and return the top 150 that qualify under different criteria.

Mitson, the author of the book Corporate Strategy in the Age of AI, also noted that AI can identify contact information of customers and help sales representatives reach out to them. He continued that aside from sending the right message to the right people, AI also enables making different sales pitches to the customer.

The Keep The Republic host seconded his guests remarks, pointing out that using AI can save lots of time searching for possible clients, which could take weeks or months for humans. (Related: Welcome to your jobless future Artificial intelligence will replace half of all jobs in the next decade.)

Bobinski denounces AI pivoting toward wokeism

But AI is still a work in progress.

Bobinski recounted an experiment he conducted using ChatGPT, telling the AI bot to summarize the stance of Idaho Gov. Brad Little on the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) based on an article the program host wrote. He was insulted by the reply given to him, implying that his data was neither factual nor reliable.

Noting the programs left-wing stance, Bobinski stated that people need to learn how to ask ChatGPT the right questions. He also noted the importance of pushing back when the AI adopts a holier-than-thou approach.

In response to the Keep The Republic hosts question about other AI platforms that lean left, Mitson said there are already five others that exhibit various levels of wokeism. However, ChatGPT is the farthest when it comes to capability. Mitson ultimately remarked that there is no AI chatbot that is truly conservative and credible.

In spite of this, Mitson said the discouraging things about the ChatGPT and other liberal AIs will eventually drive the development of conservative versions.

Even SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk observed this leftist bias in ChatGPT, accusing its creator OpenAI of training the platforms language models to be woke. According to the Toronto Star, the technology bigwig is now working on a conservative version of ChatGPT  and is now recruiting AI researchers for the endeavor.

Follow Robots.news for more news about AI.

Watch the March 9 episode of Keep the Republic below. Keep the Republic with Dr. Daniel Bobinski airs every Thursday at 4 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

More related stories:

Elon Musk warns: 95% chance artificial intelligence exterminates humanity.

Rise of the robots: 8 professions that will be taken over by AI technology,

CCP blocks ChatGPT: Party officials fear chatbot will spread American propaganda online.

Artificial intelligence ChatGPT program successfully passes Bar, medical licensing exams  are machines taking over the world?

Rise of the machines: Expert warns AI will take over 20% of all jobs within 5 YEARS.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

TorontoStar.com
(Natural News) Californias Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom has around a quarter of a million dollars being held in the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) that recently collapsed.

(Article by Kelen McBreen republished from Infowars.com)

While this fact was conveniently withheld, Newsom simultaneously promoted the Biden administration bailing out SVB customers with more than the $250,000 limit covered by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insurance.

Its interesting that Newsom seems to have just above the threshold typically covered by the FDIC in SVB, but the same is true for more than 90% of the banks clients.

On Sunday, Newsoms office issued the following statement regarding Bidens handling of the banking crisis:

The Biden Administration has acted swiftly and decisively to protect the American economy and strengthen public confidence in our banking system. Their actions this weekend have calmed nerves, and had profoundly positive impacts on California  on our small businesses that can now make payroll, workers who will get their paychecks, on affordable housing projects that can continue construction, and on non-profits that can keep their doors open tomorrow. California is a pillar of the American economy, and federal leaders did the right thing, ensuring our innovation economy can continue to grow and move forward.

Meanwhile, The Intercepts Ken Klippenstein revealed Tuesday that three wineries owned by Gavin Newsom are listed as clients on the SVB website.

If that close financial tie isnt suspicious enough, Klippenstein also reported an SVB president sits on the board of Newsoms wifes charity the California Partners Project and that SVB gave $100,000 to the charity in 2021.

Its possible Newsom played a major role in convincing the Biden administration to bail the bank out as he revealed in a Saturday statement, hed been in touch with the highest levels of leadership at the White House and Treasury.

Twitter financial guru Tara Bull accurately pointed out Newsom appears to be taking a page out of his Aunt Nancy Pelosis playbook by engaging in shady business dealings.

She also noted the governors same wineries with money in SVB were kept open while small businesses were forced to close during the pandemic.

Gavin Newsom took a page right out of his Aunt Nancy Pelosis book, lobbying for bank bailouts without disclosing his hefty investment. This is the same guy who kept his winery open while small businesses were forced to close during the pandemic. They get to play by a separate https://t.co/1J7P0Fhy8Z  TaraBull? (@TaraBull808) March 14, 2023

Journalist and podcast host Glenn Greenwald joked about Newsoms assets being protected by the Biden Admins acts in a tweet on Tuesday.

Barney Frank helped lobby to rollback Dodd-Frank in 2018 to exclude the now-failed bank on whose Board he sits. In other good news for Dems, Gavin Newsom had his assets protected by the Biden Admins acts this weekend, so congrats to him. https://t.co/bJY0Ozw9H6  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) March 14, 2023

The corruption of the modern elite is more brazen than ever as the establishment makes its shift from semi-Democratic to full-on totalitarian.

Read more at: Infowars.com
(Natural News) As a lifeline to all the startup companies that fell victim to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a number of deep-pocketed nonprofit groups, several of them major foundations, are dangling free cash infusions in front of them as aid. The only catch is that said startups must first bow down to the gods of diversity and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) wokeism (in the event that they have not done so already).

People familiar with the matter told Semafor that converting to the religion of anti-whiteism is a must in order to be eligible for a nonprofit cash infusion. Unless they embrace all the demanded tenets of corporate leftism, these startups will be left to face the government and the Federal Reserve, which truth be told have already promised to bail these companies out anyway.

Even though the vast majority of deposits held at SVB were above the $250,000 insurance threshold set by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the powers that be have decided that these depositors are too big to fail. And if that ends up not being enough, then the startups can go the diversity and ESG route as a failsafe.

The governments move on Sunday to protect all uninsured deposits made those funds unnecessary, explains Reed Albergotti, writing for Semafor.

But the proposal reflects the growing, opportunistic demands of venture capital investors, like university endowments and nonprofits, which have been sending questionnaires to VCs (venture capitalists) they back about diversity numbers, greenhouse gas emissions, and other governance issues.

(Related: Have we entered the final stage of the controlled demolition of the American economy with all these cascading bank failures?)

The capital markets are controlled by globalist bullies pushing an anti-white agenda

In recent months, including before the sudden collapse of SVB, diversity and environmental data requests from pension funds and other institutional investors have really ramped up in the capital markets. Companies are essentially being bribed into embracing the cult of diversity and ESG in order to survive.

Without the diversity and ESG mark of the beast, so to speak, companies risk running out of capital. Therefore, many of them comply out of compulsion in the sink or swim environment of corrupt markets controlled by globalist bullies.

The questionnaires often come in response to a fundraising round by a venture capital firm, Albergotti writes about how the process works. They are often detailed, like how many people in the company suffer from chronic illnesses or how many identify as transgender.

Some VC firms described the requests as onerous, partly because its understood that once they start tracking this data, theyll have to continue doing so and those numbers, especially on diversity, will be expected to improve.

According to Alison Nankivell, a senior vice president at BDC Capital, a Canadian venture fund that also invests in other VCs, the pressure around diversity and climate change first began with institutional shareholders pressuring the companies they invest in to conform, or else. Then it trickled down to venture firms, particularly over the past year.

That conversation, which had been brokered over the past 12 to 18 months, has just grown that much more pronounced because of the current climate where there is a greater willingness on the part of [venture capital firms] to understand what they need to do to secure a long-term commitment, Nankivell said.

Improving diversity and climate change disclosures is now a part of the risk management process, Nankivell further revealed, adding that companies that obey see their market values rise while resistors are pummeled into oblivion.

There is very little time left before the New World Order fully manifests. To keep up with the latest, visit Collapse.news.

Sources for this article include:

Semafor.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) One of them is a Hillary Clinton mega-donor who visited a Shinto shrine to pray when Donald Trump won the White House. Another is a former staffer for President Barack Obama whose own political career ended in failure. A third person is a frequent contributor to Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi, who owns a vineyard near the former House speakers Napa Valley estate. The group also includes an improv performer.

The 12 directors responsible for overseeing the now-fallen Silicon Valley Bank may not be widely known, but they are under scrutiny for their role in the banks collapse and are currently facing multiple investigations, the New York Post reported this week.

A Post examination of the board reveals it did not jibe with Silicon Valleys young image: Only one independent director is under 60, while the oldest is 78, the outlet said.

SVB emphasized its diversity in its 2022 proxy statement, though, stating that 45 percent of its board members are women, as well as having other diversity such as one black member, one LGQBT+ member, and two veterans.

Tom King, former CEO of investment banking at Barclays, was appointed to the board of SVB Financial Group, the parent company of fallen Silicon Valley Bank, in September. The groups board is composed of seven men and five women, with just one member having a career at the top of the investment banking world. Meanwhile, the bank and much of the board were vocal about their Democratic credentials as part of their strategy, The Post noted.

They have been revealed to have donated to prominent Democrats such as Obama, Clinton, and President Biden. They also contributed to the political action committees for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee. Only one board member has had a career in investment banking, which is expected to be a focus for investigators. These contributions were definitely in line with the banks business model (which failed, obviously).

Everyone knew it was the go-to bank for woke CEOs, one source told the New York Post. They knew they were aligned politically. The companies SVB loaned money to all had a woke agenda.

Kate Mitchell, 64, one of the directors facing investigation, is a major donor to Hillary Clintons campaign. In 2016, after Donald Trumps victory, she was so upset that she went to a shrine in Kyoto during Thanksgiving, she said.

I prayed for me and us to get beyond our grieving and shock and to figure out how to engage and listen to what happened and come back together, Mitchell told CNBC. She had already donated $50,000 to Hillarys Victory fund.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Busy Burr, one of the board members of SVB, has a rare hobby of improvisational theater. The 61-year-old Burr is currently serving as the interim CEO of RiteAid after Heyward Donigans exit in January. She credits being in an improv troupe for her success, noted The Post.

Ive learned a lot from doing improv, and its influenced how I think about leadership, she told Authority Magazine in February 2021 before joining SVBs board in November of that year.

In the same interview, she made her wokeness known, emphasizing her belief that directors have a responsibility to encourage companies to prioritize diversity and make it a central part of their business strategies.

Another board member of SVB, Garen K. Staglin, has a history of donating to the Democratic Party. He has been a member of the board since 2012 and is the owner of Staglin Family Vineyard, a 61-acre property in Napa County. The vineyard is known for producing certified organic wines, with their 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon retailing for over $300. Less than 15 minutes away is the Napa Valley estate owned by Democratic Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and her husband, Paul, The Post added.

Sources include:

NYPost.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) One of the biggest scandals in modern history has been perpetrated by a racist organization that, in 21st-century America, should never have been allowed to exist.

A new funding database from the Claremont Institute has revealed that corporations have provided an astonishing $82.9 billion to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and related causes, Breitbart News reported this week.

According to an article in Newsweek, the Claremont Institutes Center for the American Way of Life stated that their report on corporate funding of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement was necessary because the movement was not just about rioting and destruction.

The BLM pressure campaigns, harassment, and moral blackmail also amounted to possibly the most lucrative shakedown of corporate America in its history, the center explained.

As a point of reference, $82.9 billion is more than the GDP of 46 African countries. In 2022, the Ford Motor Companys profits were $23 billion, the report noted. The sum of $82.9 million includes more than $123 million to the BLM parent organizations directly, as well as much more to other organizations that support BLMs agenda  a group founded by self-described Marxists, proving again that the hard left is replete with hypocrites.

Several popular corporations from various industries provided the BLM movement with significant funding, according to a new funding database from the Claremont Institute. The database reveals that Walmart donated $100 million to support BLM and related causes focusing on racial equity, while Amazon gave $169.5 million. Silicon Valley Bank contributed $73.45 million to the movement as well, Breitbart News said.

Other companies included pharmaceutical firm Abbvie, as well as Allstate, American Express, Apple, AT&T, and Nike. Airlines such as United Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, and Delta Airlines also gave money to BLM and related causes. The movement received $18.25 million from Bank of America, $210 million from Wells Fargo, and $85 million from Deloitte.

BlackRock, a leading asset management company, contributed a staggering $810 million towards BLM and its associated causes. Several other powerful financial institutions also provided financial backing to the movement, with Capital One Financial donating $10 million, Morgan Stanley donating $30 million, US Bank donating $160 million, and Goldman Sachs donating $10.1 million.

Prudential Financial contributed $450 million to the BLM movement and its related causes, while Mastercard surpassed that amount with a staggering $500 million donation. The funding database also revealed that Boeing gave $15.6 million, Northrop Grumman gave $2 million, and Raytheon gave $25 million. In addition, The Walt Disney Company donated $8.8 million, while the Pokemon Company contributed $200,000, the institute found.

The Claremont Institutes Center for the American Way of Life also explained how the funds had been used.

The Global Network is investing tens of millions of dollars to support future operations, purchasing luxury real estate, engaging in nepotism, disbursing grants to dozens of BLM chapters and revolutionary organizations, and operating a PAC to elect progressive community leaders, activists, and working-class candidates fighting for Black liberation, the center noted.

At the same time, Local BLM chapters are spending millions on activism and initiatives to defund police departments while BLM At School is indoctrinating children around the country in critical race theory and queer theory, teaching them to hate themselves, their peers, and their country.

Left-wing nonprofits are effecting wholescale societal change too radical for normal legislative avenues, constituting a form of shadow governance, the organizations report went on to say.

The BLM agenda has extended to the financial industrys loan operations. Banks are issuing billions of dollars in subprime loans to end systemic racism while corporations are funding leftist bail funds that release violent rioters and criminals onto our streets and collaborating to create racialized, anti-meritocratic hiring schemes.

The financial exploitation may be viewed as a form of reparations made to self-declared enemies of the American nation and way of life, the groups added.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has touted 2023 as the companys year of efficiency. That means more employees are on the chopping block.

On Tuesday, March 14, Zuckerberg announced the companys plan to cut 10,000 employees in the next two months  just short of the 11,000 it laid off in November, which equated to roughly 13 percent of Metas overall staff at the time. (Related: Metas Mark Zuckerberg fires more than 11K employees, takes blame for overestimating companys growth prospects.)

Zuckerberg earlier said that Meta plans on cutting projects that arent performing or may no longer be crucial. The company also wants to remove layers of middle management to make decisions faster.

Heres the timeline you should expect: Over the next couple of months, org leaders will announce restructuring plans focused on flattening our orgs, canceling lower priority projects and reducing our hiring rates, Zuckerberg said in a message to employees.

The company is expected to incur restructuring costs ranging from $3 billion to $5 billion.

Meta, Facebooks parent company, also plans to close 5,000 additional open roles that it hasnt yet filled. Zuckerberg noted that the company should prepare for the possibility that this new economic reality will continue for many years.

In a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing announcing the cuts, Meta said it is expecting lowered total expenses this year  ranging from $86 billion to $92 billion.

We are a technology company, and our ultimate output is what we build for people, Zuckerberg said. As part of the restructuring, the company will increase the number of direct reports each manager has.

A leaner org will execute its highest priorities faster, Zuckerberg noted in his message to employees.

Meta laying off thousands of employees while losing billions in metaverse

Amid these job cuts, Meta continues to spend billions of dollars developing the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies required to build the digital universe coined the metaverse.

The companys Reality Labs division, which is tasked with creating the metaverse, reported a total of $23.7 billion in operating losses over the past two years against a combined $4.4 billion in revenue over the same period.

Back in 2014, Meta bought Oculus for $2 billion. Oculus is the pioneering VR hardware company that formed the groundwork for these efforts.

Metas investment in the area has only escalated since. The company picked up a number of major software companies along the way  including Within, developer of the virtual workout app Supernatural.

Meta hasnt disclosed its headcount numbers for Reality Labs, but the company reportedly had 17,000 employees in the division prior to the layoffs late last year. Staffing and hardware development account for the majority of cash spent in the area.

In a recent earnings call, Zuckerberg emphasized the fact that Reality Labs encompasses AR, VR and metaverse-related software (Horizon Worlds, etc.) at the company.

I think the software and social platform might be the most critical part of what were doing, but software is just a lot less capital intensive to build than the hardware, Zuckerberg said.

Meta appears ready to the stay the course on VR and AR.

None of the signals that Ive seen so far suggests that we should shift the Reality Labs strategy long term, Zuckerberg said.

We are constantly adjusting the specifics of how we execute this, so I think that well certainly look at that as part of the ongoing efficiency work.

Read more news related to the Facebook founder at MarkZuckerberg.news

Watch this video about Facebooks plans to lay off thousands of employees months ago.

This video is from the Pool Pharmacy channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Meta plans to sack thousands of employees amid severe drop in revenue.

BardsFM host Scott Kesterson: Meta is the biggest trap ever laid for humanity  Brighteon.TV.

Meta MADNESS: World Economic Forum to have leadership role in the metaverse.

Sources include:

CNBC.com

BusinessInsider.in

Brighteon.com
The toughest freshwater fish in America have the power to save the Great Lakes or restart the Midwest's fishing industry. Your appetite determines a lot of things.

Looking at the Lake

Amy Yang leaned over the side of a small fishing boat on a Beautiful afternoon. She had a bow and arrow in her hands. When the sky grew gloomy, she searched the surface of the Cumberland River in Kentucky for telltale flickers of silver. After spending hours outside, it was getting close to dusk. She had persuaded her lover to make the trek from Chicago, the city she had adopted since she wanted to take advantage of the opportunity.

She continued to look towards the water. The boat rocked along a particularly unattractive section of water with the carp carcasses scattered around the stony shores. Yang called it "smelly." She also needed to focus. She wasn't an experienced angler but a city girl straight out of college. She had never fished before. She had to rest her arms after holding the bow.

She then noticed the flicker. silver that sparkles. More flickers follow. The tranquil surface of the river was transformed into a riot of rippling and gleaming fins. Although its coastlines were not attractive, life was teeming beneath the surface. She stretched the arrow back, hoped her form wasn't crappy and released.

She says we had a cooler full of fish when we returned to Chicago.

Also Read: To Stop Them From Spreading, Killing Invasive Species Now A Competitive Sport

Invasive Copi

Not any fish, though. Yang is wholly fixated on one kind. Although technically a collection of four distinct species-bighead carp, grass carp, black carp, and silver carp-it is frequently called "copi." In the U.S., this fish is commonly perceived as a threat, particularly to the Great Lakes. It is an invasive species that has spread over American streams in the South and Midwest, becoming so numerous that it has wiped out native species and altered the environment. Yang wants to encourage people to perceive it as a potential food supply that is both viable and abundant.

I remember seeing them on the dinner table as a youngster," Yang adds, "so the idea that people weren't eating them didn't make sense to me." The fish has been eaten there for thousands of years and is still popular today. Yet, it wasn't easy to find in Chicago and most other American cities until recently. Yang had grown weary of making large online purchases by the time she went bowfishing. She has an Instagram account devoted to showing off various ways to eat it and is an enthusiastic home cook. She raves about copi to everyone she encounters, praising its versatility, flavor, and unfair slander.

Eating Copi

Yang is not the only person who has become obsessed with this fish. Scientists, chefs, and the U.S. freshwater fishing industry are leading a rising push to restore copi's reputation and persuade Americans that it is an undervalued, cost-effective protein that is good for the environment rather than a nuisance.

Since being brought by ecologically conscious aquaculturists in the 1970s to clean catfish retention ponds, copi have been present in several southern U.S. waterways. They were viewed as a greener substitute for chemicals at the time. They could have remained that if they had not escaped during floods, infiltrated other streams, and eventually wholly overpowered every creature. Over all things, these fish are incredibly resilient and adaptable. Irons did everything he could to comprehend them once they reached his territory. He claims, "I was traversing the world lecturing about these critters. Illinois hired him in 2010 to develop a method to cope with the invasive animal.

Related Article: Top 5 Most Destructive Invasive Species Today

For the most recent updates from the animal kingdom, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
The majority of the sunflower sea star population was reduced to goo by a fatal syndrome. 10% of the marine life is left.

According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, there are 33 endangered species in Washington State and more than 7,000 worldwide. Now, a starfish found on the coast of Washington might be included in the list.

The sunflower sea star should be listed as "threatened" under the endangered species act, according to a proposal made on Wednesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

It will be the very first time that a species of starfish or sea star would be listed as an endangered species, according to Jason Hodin, a University of Washington senior research scientist.

According to NOAA officials, the designation of sunflower sea stars as "threatened" as per the Endangered Species Act will have an impact on federal actions, decisions regarding the protection of shorelines, and potential funding for research.

Sea Star Wasting Syndrome

What was once among the most widespread species on earth has almost completely disappeared over the past ten years. The "Sea Star Wasting Syndrome" is thought to have killed billions of sunflower sea stars, or more than 90% of them, according to NOAA officials.

Sea stars with the illness grow lesions, lose their arms, and in a matter of days, they turn into goo.

Hodin and his team from the University of Washington have been breeding sunflower sea stars in Friday Harbor for the past four years in an effort to reintroduce this species to the wild in response to this growing concern.

According to Hodin, they have been learning about how they develop, what they need to eat, the types of environments they require for growth, and how one might save the species.

As per Hodin's research, the disease has killed more than 95% of the state's sunflower sea stars, according to estimates from the Fish and Wildlife Department of Washington. There is still a long way to go, according to him, and he hopes that declaring the species as "threatened" will result in the necessary adjustments to ensure its survival.

Hodin Pointed out that the sunflower sea star population decline indicates the need to better protect the ocean's ecosystem. Although there may not be much that experts can do to prevent a disease from spreading, there are things that can be done to reduce environmental pollution and other stresses on the ocean, King5 reports.

Also Read: Fairy Lantern That Eats Fungi Rediscovered 30 Years After Extinction in Japan

Sunflower Sea Star

This stunning sunflower star can be distinguished from other sea stars by its array of 24 arms.Its beauty is enhanced by its soft skin, which comes in hues of purple to shades of brown, orange, or yellow. This creature is a voracious predator for a sea star. The sunflower star swings effortlessly on its 15,000 tube feet while searching for food, moving at the astounding rate of more than 40 inches per minute.

According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium prey of the sunstar use an array of escape strategies to avoid being ensnared by the tube feet of the sea star. Sea urchins have ways to flee, California sea cucumbers, which are typically sedentary, would slither out of the way, and abalones and snails violently twist their shells to break the star's strong hold.

Related Article: Rare Sparrow to Die Out by 2035, Several Other Species in Maine Also Faces Possible Extinction
A winter storm will bring heavy snow in the form of "heavy lake enhanced" and "lake effect snow" across the Great Lakes region through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The weather forecast warns of a looming threat of hazardous travel and rapidly changing road conditions. During this period, road traffic movement, public transport, and air travel could be disrupted.

Meanwhile, the NWS weather forecast shows that scattered severe thunderstorms are likely to continue across Texas, as well as into parts of southern Arkansas, Louisiana, and the central Gulf Coast by Friday, March 17. The severe storms could unleash isolated tornadoes, large hail, and heavy rain with flooding, as seen in previous related events.

The official start of the meteorological spring will start in a few days. However, weather systems linked to the 2022-2023 winter season are still recurring. Over the past week, heavy snow bombarded high-altitude areas in California, leaving some residents trapped in their homes. In recent days, a nor'easter storm was on track towards the New England and Northeast regions, disrupting over 1,000 flights.

US Winter Storm

Heavy snow is anticipated over parts of the Upper Midwest and into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan throughout the first half of the weekend, according to the NWS and its Weather Prediction Center (WPC) department.

Heavy snowfall from lake effect snow could affect the said regions in the coming days, the WPC estimates snowfall totals of 1 to 2 feet is possible.

Moreover, strong to severe thunderstorms and torrential rain are expected until Friday across parts of the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley.

Also Read: US Winter Storm Could Intensify Into a Bomb Cyclone; Blizzard and Winter Storm Warnings Remain in Effect

Lake Effect Snow

Lake effect snow forms when cold air with below-freezing temperature passes over a lake's warmer waters. The air's passage causes some lake water to evaporate and warm the air. After the moist air moves aware from the body of water and cools down, the air releases its moisture onto the ground, where the precipitation can become snow, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The NOAA emphasizes if the amount and intensity of winds and temperatures are right, the air acts like a giant sponge that absorbs water from the lake and dumps it on land. In this case, the wind direction or angle it is blowing is important; since if it covers more of the lake, the lake will absorb more water. The greater the temperature difference, the larger amount of water it can absorb.

Intensifying Factors

The organization Sea Grant Michigan stated large urban areas situated along the shores of the great lakes could sometimes contribute in the development or intensification of downwind, lake effect snowstorms. This is made possible due to the additional heat and ice-forming particles cities and other metropolitan areas provide.

For instance, even small cities are warmer than their surrounding environment, making air passing over urban areas to gain additional warmth, which serves as a supplement to the heat acquired by the system from the lakes. This can make lake effect snowstorms stronger, according to the organization.

In addition, ice-forming nuclei and natural iodine from automobile exhaust can serve as intensifying factors for lake effect snow events.

Related Article: US Storm Alert: Multi-Hazard Winter Storm Threatens Central and Southern Regions [NWS]
The key to increasing the population of a native endangered bird in Florida is the rapidly expanding population of an invasive snail.

Few species in Florida's Everglades are more dependent on the health of their habitat than the snail kite, an endangered bird.

The Everglade Snail Kite is a hawk-like raptor that only consumes snails.

As more of the Everglades were drained over the past century, the bird's population sharply decreased. But recently, a strange snail has helped the kite recover.

It's a rare instance when an invasive species has a beneficial effect.

The invasive snail species was discovered for the first time in 2004, according to Robert Fletcher, a professor at the University of Florida who oversees a snail kite monitoring program.

It quickly spread through most of the Everglades within a few years. The snail kite population began to rebound during that time.

Endangered Bird: Snail Kite

Slate gray for the males and blotchy brown for the females.

The endangered birds seem like they are floating on air when they take flight, thus, they are given such a name.

Due to their habitat, which is frequently hidden in the Everglades, their species were among the very last bird species to be discovered in the US.

According to Tyler Beck, who oversees the population of the threatened bird for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the species is specially adapted to survive almost entirely on an ingredient that is typically plentiful in freshwater marshes: apple snails.

In order to lift the shell out of the water then carry it away, Beck explained that the long talons of the endangered bird species hook around the shell and get a firm grip on it.

They can also pry the snails out of their shells using the long, hooked bill that they have.

The snail kite population fell over the past century as much of their habitat was dried up and water stopped flowing through certain areas of the Everglades.

In the 1960s, it became the very first birds to be listed as an endangered species, according to a 1999 study published in Research Gate.

The snail kite population was down to under 800 by 2007 due in part to droughts.

Also Read: 25 Juvenile Sea Turtles Named After Beaches, Rehabilitated, Released by National Aquarium in Florida

Invasive Snail: Island Apple Snail

Beck explains that soon after that, however, an invasive snail entered the area and immediately began to thrive, populating every wetland and experiencing enormous population booms.

The population of the snail kite has been gradually increasing ever since.

According to a count from last year, there are currently over 3,000 snail kites, he noted.

Despite the early season, field teams are discovering numerous nests that had eggs and live chicks.

According to Samuel Chan, an expert on invasive species at Oregon State University, the pet or aquarium trade is most likely how the island apple snail, originally from South America, ended up in Florida.

This type of snail outcompeted the local species and took control because it was more resistant to dry conditions, CBC reported.

They are related to Florida apple snails and are commonly found in aquariums in private homes.

The invasive species, the Island apple snail, is larger than its Florida-based cousin and can be found in habitats similar to those in South America.

It produces thousands of eggs, which are seen in pink clusters clinging on the stalks of many marsh plants.

The snail kite has benefited from restoration work in Florida's Everglades, which has also revived native plants and allowed water to flow once-dry marshes.

The invasive snail, according to scientists, may have ended up saving the snail kite.

However, Fletcher is worried about the species' potential long-term effects on the Everglades.

In contrast to relying on invasive snails to increase native bird populations, he argued that native snail populations should be restored because invasive species have negative effects on the ecosystem.

Some native marsh plants may already be suffering due to the South American snails, indicating trouble may be on the horizon. In the interim, they have assisted in saving Florida's threatened snail kite from extinction, NPR reported.

Related Article: Endangered Sierra Nevada Red Fox Seen Near National Parks in California a Century After Last Sighting, Trail Camera Reveals
Microsoft investment in ChatGPT doesnt just involve money sunk into its maker, OpenAI, but a massive hardware investment in data centers as well which shows that for now, AI solutions are just for the very top tier companies.

The partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI dates back to 2019, when Microsoft invested $1 billion in the AI developer. It upped the ante in January with the investment of an additional $10 billion.

But ChatGPT has to run on something, and that is Azure hardware in Microsoft data centers. How much has not been disclosed, but according to a report by Bloomberg, Microsoft had already spent several hundred million dollars in hardware used to train ChatGPT.

In a pair of blog posts, Microsoft detailed what went into building the AI infrastructure to run ChatGPT as part of the Bing service. It already offered virtual machines for AI processing built on Nvidias A100 GPU, called ND A100 v4. Now it is introducing the ND H100 v5 VM based on newer hardware and offering VM sizes ranging from eight to thousands of NVIDIA H100 GPUs.

In his blog post, Matt Vegas, principal product manager of Azure HPC+AI, wrote customers will see significantly faster performance for AI models over the ND A100 v4 VMs. The new VMs are powered by Nvidia H100 Tensor Core GPUs ("Hopper generation) interconnected via next gen NVSwitch and NVLink 4.0, Nvidias 400 Gb/s Quantum-2 CX7 InfiniBand networking, 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors (Sapphire Rapids) with PCIe Gen5 interconnects and DDR5 memory.

Just how much hardware he did not say, but he did say that Microsoft is delivering multiple exaFLOPs of supercomputing power to Azure customers. There is only one exaFLOP supercomputer that we know of, as reported by the latest TOP500 semiannual list of the worlds fastest: Frontier at the Oak Ridge National Labs. But thats the thing about the TOP500; not everyone reports their supercomputers, so there may be other systems out there just as powerful as Frontier, but we just dont know about them.

In a separate blog post, Microsoft talked about how the company started working with OpenAI to help create the supercomputers that are needed for ChatGPT's large language model(and for Microsoft's own Bing Chat. That meant linking up thousands of GPUs together in a new way that even Nvidia hadnt thought of, according to Nidhi Chappell, Microsoft head of product for Azure high-performance computing and AI..

This is not something that you just buy a whole bunch of GPUs, hook them together, and theyll start working together. There is a lot of system-level optimization to get the best performance, and that comes with a lot of experience over many generations, Chappell said.

To train a large language model, the workload is partitioned across thousands of GPUs in a cluster and at certain steps in the process, the GPUs exchange information on the work theyve done. An InfiniBand network pushes the data around at high speed, since the validation step must be completed before the GPUs can start the next step of processing.

The Azure infrastructure is optimized for large-language model training, but it took years of incremental improvements to its AI platform to get there. The combination of GPUs, networking hardware and virtualization software required to deliver Bing AI is immense and is spread out across 60 Azure regions around the world.

ND H100 v5 instances are available for preview and will become a standard offering in the Azure portfolio, but Microsoft has not said when. Interested parties can request access to the new VMs.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Intermittent snow showers and windy this morning. Peeks of sunshine later. High near 55F. Winds WNW at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of snow 70%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..

Tonight

A clear sky. Low 32F. NW winds at 10 to 20 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph.
A recent editorial published in the Journal of Virology summarized the evidence on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) origin hypotheses.

Two leading hypotheses about SARS-CoV-2 origin are debated  direct zoonosis and laboratory leak. The former states that SARS-CoV-2 emerged due to a natural spillover from animals to humans, followed by sustained transmission in humans. According to the lab leak hypothesis, researchers created or cultured SARS-CoV-2, and an accidental exposure resulted in the pandemic.

Editorial: A critical analysis of the evidence for the SARS-CoV-2 origin hypotheses. Image Credit: NIAID

Scientific evidence alone cannot definitively provide an answer. Establishing the laboratory leak hypothesis requires evidence from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) that it was working on a CoV closely related to the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain. If such work had been taken up at the institute, then initial coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases could have been among WIV personnel. While China has refuted this, transparency is lacking.

Establishing the zoonosis hypothesis would require evidence of the spillover events. However, this is difficult as the spillover events might have been unnoticed. Besides, the levels of certainty to definitively prove either hypothesis differ significantly. Therefore, examining the best available evidence can only shed light on the viability of these hypotheses. As such, researchers in the present study posit and critically analyze several hypotheses on SARS-CoV-2 origin.

Hypothesis 1  SARS-CoV-2 emerged from a lab-adapted CoV

If SARS-CoV-2 had a lab origin, the viral genome would contain signatures due to propagation in the lab. Many researchers have cultured human SARS-CoV-2 isolates over the last three years and have consistently observed the deletion of the furin cleavage site in the spike protein. However, early SARS-CoV-2 isolates contain an intact furin cleavage site, arguing against the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 was introduced into humans after culturing in the laboratory.

Hypothesis 2  SARS-CoV-2 was produced in the lab

Although some reports suggest that SARS-CoV-2 contains hallmarks of recombinant DNA technology, this theory has been refuted, including by the United States (US) intelligence community. Recent studies suggest that amino acids N-terminal to the furin cleavage site, comprising the cleavage loop, are critical. The length of the loop and a glycosylation site define the cleavage sites contribution to SARS-CoV-2 virulence. Since this was not understood before 2020, deliberately engineering the cleavage site to enhance viral pathogenesis was improbable without this information.

Hypothesis 3  SARS-CoV-2 was a bat zoonosis introduced in humans

Bat species are hosts to diverse CoVs. Since the 2003 outbreak of SARS-CoV, bats have been known to serve as a CoV reservoir with the potential for spillover. Extensive molecular epidemiologic and surveillance efforts identified civet cats in Guangdong live markets as the proximal source of SARS-CoV. In turn, these cats were likely infected by bats.

While an intermediate host for SARS-CoV-2 is yet to be identified, a similar emergence is feasible. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a considerable evolutionary gap between closely related bat CoVs and SARS-CoV-2. For example, RaTG13, the most closely related bat CoV, differs from initial SARS-CoV-2 isolates by more than 1000 nucleotides, equivalent to a genetic distance of about 4%.

Therefore, RaTG13 is not a proximal ancestor. However, given the lack of transparency, viruses in the WIV lab could not be independently verified. Further, high recombination rates are observed within the Sarbecovirus subgenus. Recombination produces chimeric genomes, increasing CoV diversity and making ancestor tracing more complex.

Thus, recombination signatures in the SARS-CoV-2 genome do not necessarily point to zoonotic/laboratory origin. Anti-bat CoV antibodies were detected in individuals living near caves in China. Recently, antibodies against the novel rhabdovirus isolated from bats were detected in people living near the sampling site, contributing to the evidence that these animals can harbor viruses that infect humans.

Hypothesis 4  Early COVID-19 cases suggest SARS-CoV-2 origin

Among the first 174 COVID-19 cases in December 2019, around 50% of them were linked to a market, and particularly, approximately a quarter was associated with the Huanan seafood wholesale market. None were scientists working on bat CoVs. The early phases of the COVID-19 outbreak clearly showed a link to this market. Further, early infections in Wuhan involved two SARS-CoV-2 lineages, suggesting multiple spillover events in humans.

Concluding remarks

Based on the existing evidence, it is unlikely that SARS-CoV-2 was a laboratory-adapted virus or was created in the lab. Likewise, available scientific data favor the zoonosis hypothesis. As new evidence emerges, the understanding of SARS-CoV-2 origin will evolve. However, it is also likely that the origin may never be conclusively known.
In a recent study posted to the Preprints with The Lancet* server, researchers examine whether the involvement of the ipsilateral or contralateral lymph nodes differentially affected vaccine-induced cellular and humoral immunity during sequential vaccination. This observational study was conducted among a cohort of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) naive individuals who received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine.

Study: Differences in SARS-CoV-2 Specific Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses after Contralateral and Ipsilateral COVID-19 Vaccination. Image Credit: Inside Creative House / Shutterstock.com

*Important notice: Preprints with The Lancet publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

Background

As with many other vaccines, clinicians follow a dual-dose primary vaccination regimen for BNT162b2. According to current recommendations, BNT1262b2 is administered in the deltoid muscle in the upper arm.

Generally, an individual seeking vaccination elects the non-dominant arm for administering both doses of the BNT162b2 vaccine. Limited studies have examined the effect of choosing the ipsilateral or contralateral side of the arm when administering the second BNT162b2 vaccine dose.

Nevertheless, some studies have examined these effects in adults and infants for other vaccines, including the rabies vaccine, which is given as a four-dose series. However, these studies were limited to the analysis of vaccine-triggered antibodies and yielded conflicting results. Thus, there is an urgent need for more studies addressing how vaccine administration site affects the outcome of sequential vaccination.

About the study

In the current study, researchers extensively searched the Cochrane Central Registry and Medline to retrieve controlled human trials that examined the immunological effects of sequential vaccinations carried out in different extremities using relevant search terms, including contralateral or ipsilateral.

Study participants were recruited from two sites in Germany between March 1, 2021, and September 10, 2021. These SARS-CoV-2 naive individuals had either received both doses of BNT162b2 in the same arm or the second dose in their contralateral arm.

Heparinized blood samples from all study participants were collected 12 to 22 days after receiving the second vaccine dose. SARS-CoV-2 spike (S)-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in these samples were subsequently determined.

A subset of the larger study cohort was formed to quantify and characterize differential blood counts, B-cell and T-cell subpopulations, and SARS-CoV-2 S-specific CD4 and CD8 T-cell levels using flow cytometry (FC). The researchers also recorded BNT162b2 vaccine-related adverse events in the first seven days post-first and second vaccination and analyzed this data using the 2 test.

Study findings

BNT162b2 recipients at ipsilateral or contralateral sides tolerated the vaccine well, with the only adverse events including pain at the injection site and fatigue. Neutralizing antibody (nAb) activity was markedly lower post-contralateral vaccination; however, the magnitude of SARS-CoV-2 S-specific IgG was similar in both groups. Fewer individuals in the contralateral vaccination group exhibited an adequate S-specific CD8 T-cell response.

Although the magnitude of S-specific CD4 T-cells was comparable between both groups, the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) expression was markedly higher for the contralateral vaccination group. Furthermore, the elicited immune responses were highly variable across both groups.

A likely explanation for these observations is the limited involvement of contralateral lymph nodes, whereas ipsilateral lymph nodes are much larger with higher metabolic activity. Antigen persistence on follicular dendritic cells in the lymph nodes also facilitates B-cell proliferation and affinity maturation after secondary boosting.

Notably, the current study findings align well with previous studies and further validate a more robust induction of specific immunity after ipsilateral vaccination, especially in adults. Note that the right arm has lymphatic drainage through the right lymphatic duct, whereas the left arm, similar to the legs, drains through the thoracic duct.

Conclusions

The activity of vaccine-induced antibodies contributes to protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection, with specific T-cells protecting vaccinated individuals from severe COVID-19. The study findings indicate that ipsilateral administration for the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine might contribute to overall vaccine effectiveness on a population level.

Moreover, it is feasible to translate these findings into clinical practice without incurring additional costs or posing any potential safety issues. In addition, these findings have relevance to other vaccines administered as a dual dose regimen.

*Important notice: Preprints with The Lancet publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers in the United States described a blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to identify severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposure in animals.

The worldwide pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 infections poses a serious threat to public health. In addition to humans, SARS-CoV-2 can infect many animal species. Therefore, highly sensitive as well as specific diagnostic reagents and assays are required for quick diagnosis and implementation of measures for the prevention and mitigation of the infection in animals.

Study: Development of monoclonal antibody-based blocking ELISA for detecting SARS-CoV-2 exposure in animals. Image Credit: Saiful52 / Shutterstock

*Important notice: bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

About the study

In the present study, researchers described the generation of a blocking ELISA (bELISA) based on monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to identify SARS-CoV-2 exposure among animals.

The team cloned the synthetic gene of the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan-hu-1 strain to express a His-tagged recombinant protein and yield an N antigen for immunization of mice. To develop mAbs specific for SARS-CoV-2, animals were immunized with the created N antigen. After fusing splenocytes from mice with myeloma cells, supernatants produced from the resulting hybridoma cells were assessed by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) utilizing transfected MARC-145 cells that express the N protein. This cell lysate was employed to determine whether this panel of mAbs could identify the N protein via immunoprecipitation (IP) and western blot. Vero cells infected with either SARS-CoV-2 variants B.1 (Omicron), WA1, P.1 (Gamma), B.1.1.7 (Alpha), or B.1.617.2 (Delta) were exposed to IFA to evaluate if this panel of mAbs recognized the N protein present in the virus-infected cells.

The team examined the N proteins of four human CoVs, two feline CoVs, two canine CoVs, and mink and ferret CoVs. In transfected cells, the N proteins of each of these viruses were expressed. A mAb-based bELISA was then developed to detect anti-N antibody responses in multiple animal species.

SARS-CoV-2 was experimentally introduced into a group of 24 cats. Cat serum samples were collected 14 days after infection and were combined to create a group of positive control serums. Also, large volumes of negative cat sera were combined to create a single batch of negative control serum. To investigate the diagnostic sensitivity as well as specificity associated with mAb-based bELISA, the team evaluated a panel of blood samples from cats, ferrets, minks, and deer with known antibody status. The team also used the bELISA to detect SARS-CoV-2 infections in domesticated animals. Three canine serum specimens were collected at a veterinary facility. These dogs displayed clinical symptoms of respiratory illnesses.

Results

IFA results demonstrated that all five mAbs identified N proteins that were expressed by MARC-145 cells. This panel of mAbs displayed varying levels of reactivity toward each variant, with mAbs #127-3 and B61G11 exhibiting strong reactivity, #41-10 and #86-12 exhibiting moderate reactivity, and #109-33 showing mild reactivity. According to IFA results, mAb #86-12 displayed cross-reaction SARS-CoV, CCoV-Type 1, and HCoV-OC43 N proteins, whereas mAb #B61G11 exhibited cross-reaction with the SARS-CoV-2 N protein. In contrast, mAbs #41-10, #109-33, and #127-3 displayed no reaction with any of the CoV N proteins. Since mAb #127-3 exhibited substantial reactivity with many SARS-CoV-2 variants and did not have any cross-reaction with other common CoVs, including SARS-CoV-1, this mAb was chosen for the development of the assay.

The bELISA results demonstrated that a cut-off PI value of 17.60% increased diagnostic sensitivity to 97.8% and specificity to 98.9%. Anti-N antibody response was identified as early as seven days post-infection against Delta and B.1 variant before substantially escalating to a high level at 14 days post-infection. Antibody response mediated by an Omicron variant was observed at a late time point. Compared to B.1 and Omicron variants, the Delta variant produced the greatest antibody response.

Two dogs tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies; the third one tested negative for specific anti-N antibodies. The neutralizing titers were 92.86%, 37.04%, and 5.69% for dog-1, dog-2, and dog-3, respectively. Dog-2 demonstrated chronic disease and made periodic visits to the animal hospital. The increasing antibody titer was found by bELISA 15 days following the initial investigation. At the third examination, the titer had lowered. At the fourth assessment, which occurred 176 days after the first, a reduced level of antibody titer was discovered.

Conclusion

The study findings showed that the array of mAbs developed in this study offers important reagents to facilitate disease diagnostics as well as viral pathogenesis research. The researchers believe that mAb-based bELISA could be a valuable field tool for determining the frequency of COVID-19 among animal populations and identifying possible new animal reservoirs.

*Important notice: bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
In a recent study posted in the medRxiv* preprint server, scientists assessed the efficacy of sotrovimab for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) treatment.

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants have lowered the fold change in half maximal effective concentration (EC50) for the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 sublineage and subsequent sublineages. Yet, the association between this decrease and clinical efficacy outcomes is unknown. With a lack of clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of sotrovimab against novel variants, real-world evidence becomes an essential data source.

Study: Real-world effectiveness of sotrovimab for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection during Omicron BA.2 subvariant predominance: a systematic literature review. Image Credit: Cryptographer / Shutterstock

*Important notice: medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

About the study

In the present study, researchers assessed the efficacy of sotrovimab on severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes throughout the period of the prevalence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 subvariant.

This systematic literature review (SLR) comprised observational papers assessing clinical outcomes as well as the viral load in sotrovimab-treated patients, which were published between 1 January 2022 and 3 November 2022 in preprint articles, peer-reviewed journal publications, and conference abstracts. To identify data related to Omicron BA.2 and the following subvariants, the team chose a suitable publication period for the systematic review.

The following electronic databases were searched on 3 November 2022: MEDLINE, LitCovid, Embase, EcoLit, and Cochrane COVID-19 Study Registry. Further searches were undertaken in medRvix, bioRvix, arRvix, xhemRvix, Preprints.org, SSRN, and ResearchSquare for relevant preprints. In addition, relevant abstracts from the following conferences were indexed beginning in January 2022: Infectious Diseases Week, International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, European Respiratory Society, and European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Data extraction from the listed studies was conducted by a single extractor using a Microsoft Excel-designed data extraction file. Information extracted included the study's title and citation, data source, study design and details, country, number of patients, study population, data collection period and circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants, duration of follow-up, key baseline features, and clinical outcomes. The clinical outcomes taken into account for the study included hospital admission, intensive care admission, respiratory support, emergency department visits, mortality, COVID-19 progression, the relative and absolute change in viral load observed during the acute phase after sotrovimab therapy, and the number of patients having undetectable viral load after sotrovimab treatment.

Results

Initial searches of electronic databases generated 257 studies. Another 263 studies were found by searching preprints, conference abstracts, and citation chasing from appropriate SLRs. After removing duplicates, 343 unique abstracts and titles were evaluated, of which 89 were deemed eligible for full-text review. Five observational trials reporting viral load or clinical outcome data associated with sotrovimab during the era of BA.2 predominance were deemed appropriate for inclusion in the present SLR.

Point estimates for hospitalization or mortality (as a composite endpoint) or clinical progression for sotrovimab-treated patients. a95 CIs calculated via Clopper-Pearson methods using reported data. bDefined as March through April 2022 in source and assumes homogeneity in the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 variants across all US states. cOnly COVID-19-specific outcome shown; all-cause outcome also reported in source. dHospitalizations were COVID-19-specific; deaths could be due to any cause. CI confidence interval

The number of patients reporting hospitalization or fatality due to COVID-19 was consistently low for all investigations and periods of the prevalence of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 variants. COVID-19-related hospital admission or mortality rates were between 1.0% and 3.1% for sotrovimab-treated patients during Omicron BA.1 prevalence and from 1.0% and 3.6% when BA.2 was predominant. The number of patients who reported hospitalization and mortality due to all causes ranged from 2.1% to 2.7% for the BA.1 predominance era, and from 1.7% to 2.0% for the BA.2 era. During Omicron BA.1 predominance, COVID-19-related mortality was projected to be 0.21% for the sotrovimab group versus 0.67% for the molnupiravir group, and 0.15% versus 0.96% for the BA.2 era, respectively.

During the BA.1 and BA.2 subvariant surges, sotrovimab was associated with a significantly decreased incidence of 28-day SARS-CoV-2-related hospital admission or fatality compared to molnupiravir. After statistical adjustment for demographics, vaccination status, high-risk cohort categories, body mass index, calendar time, and other comorbidities, the findings indicated that sotrovimab was associated with a significantly lower risk of COVID-19-related hospital admission or mortality compared to molnupiravir during the BA.1 and BA.2 periods.

During the BA.2 subvariant surge, sotrovimab was linked with a decreased risk of 30-day hospitalization or mortality from all causes compared to no mAb treatment. In March 2022, sotrovimab was considerably more successful than non-mAb-treated patients, with an adjusted reduction of 59% in relative risk and a propensity score-matched relative risk reduction of 64% with respect to 30-day all-cause hospital admission or mortality. Similar risks of hospitalization were associated with BA.1 and BA.2 patients treated with sotrovimab.

Conclusion

The study findings showed that sotrovimab continued to be clinically effective in mitigating severe clinical outcomes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections during the period of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 predominance compared to the control/comparator and relative to Omicron BA.1 predominance. During Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 subvariant predominance, the studies consistently reported low rates of poor clinical outcomes in individuals treated with sotrovimab.

*Important notice: medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
In virtually all persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and in up to half of all cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia, a protein called TDP-43 is lost from its normal location in the nucleus of the cell. In turn, this triggers the loss of stathmin-2, a protein crucial to regeneration of neurons and the maintenance of their connections to muscle fibers, essential to contraction and movement.

Writing in the March 16, 2023 issue of Science, a team of scientists, led by senior study author Don Cleveland, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Neurosciences and Cellular and Molecular Medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues and elsewhere, demonstrate that stathmin-2 loss can be rescued using designer DNA drugs that restore normal processing of protein-encoding RNA.

With mouse models we engineered to misprocess their stathmin-2 encoding RNAs, like in these human diseases, we show that administration of one of these designer DNA drugs into the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord restores normal stathmin-2 levels throughout the nervous system." Don Cleveland, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Neurosciences and Cellular and Molecular Medicine at University of California San Diego School of Medicine

Cleveland is broadly credited with developing the concept of designer DNA drugs, which act to either turn on or turn off genes associated with many degenerative diseases of the aging human nervous system, including ALS, AD, Huntington's disease and cancer.

Several designer DNA drugs are currently in clinical trials for multiple diseases. One such drug has been approved to treat a childhood neurodegenerative disease called spinal muscular atrophy.

The new study builds upon ongoing research by Cleveland and others regarding the role and loss of TDP-43, a protein associated with ALS, AD and other neurodegenerative disorders. In ALS, TDP-43 loss impacts the motor neurons that innervate and trigger contraction of skeletal muscles, causing them to degenerate, eventually resulting in paralysis.

"In almost all of instances of ALS, there is aggregation of TDP-43, a protein that functions in maturation of the RNA intermediates that encode many proteins. Reduced TDP-43 activity causes misassembly of the RNA-encoding stathmin-2, a protein required for maintenance of the connection of motor neurons to muscle," said Cleveland.

"Without stathmin-2, motor neurons disconnect from muscle, driving paralysis that is characteristic of ALS. What we have now found is that we can mimic TDP-43 function with a designer DNA drug, thereby restoring correct stathmin-2 RNA and protein level in the mammalian nervous system."

Specifically, the researchers edited genes in mice to contain human STMN2 gene sequences and then injected antisense oligonucleotides -; small bits of DNA or RNA that can bind to specific RNA molecules, blocking their ability to make a protein or changing how their final RNAs are assembled -; into cerebral spinal fluid. The injections corrected STMN2 pre-mRNA misprocessing and restored stathmin-2 protein expression fully independent of TDP-43 function.

"Our findings lay the foundation for a clinical trial to delay paralysis in ALS by maintaining stathmin-2 protein levels in patients using our designer DNA drug," Cleveland said.
The Ashaninka are the most numerous Indigenous people living in the rainforests of Peru and Brazil where they inhabit a crucial area between the Andes and sources of the Amazon River. And yet, despite the size of the population and their importance in the past and present, their genetic history has remained understudied.

Now a team of researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology on March 16 has analyzed the genomes of more than 50 individuals to clarify the group's interactions with nearby South American regions, including Central America and the Caribbean. Their findings show that the Ashaninka are not as homogeneous as had been reported previously. They also suggest that the Ashaninka, along with other Arawakan speaking groups, may be genetically linked to those who migrated from South America to the Caribbean islands leading to the transition from Archaic to Ceramic culture.

We have identified at least two genetic subgroups that were differentially shaped by past interactions with populations living in the western side of the Andes and in the Peruvian Pacific coast. Ashaninka show a high genetic proximity with other populations from Amazonian Peru and from the east side of the Andes, but their ancestral origins can probably be traced back to a migration from southeastern South America or even from the Southern Cone." Marco Rosario Capodiferro of Trinity College Dublin

The team led by Alessandro Achilli, from the University of Pavia, Italy, and Capodiferro set out to reconstruct the pre-European genetic history of the Americas. To clarify the genetic history of this population, they enlisted the help of local authorities and Indigenous peoples of Peru, including Peruvian co-authors with years of experience conducting genetic analyses. They also took advantage of DNA samples that had already been collected with the informed consent of all study participants.

Overall, they analyzed the genome-wide profiles of 51 Ashaninka individuals from Peruvian Amazonia, revealing an unexpected amount of underlying variation or diversity. In fact, the analysis showed that the group is not one but rather includes at least two genetically distinct Ashaninka subgroups.

The genetic data for the two newly uncovered groups shows that they have been differentially shaped over the course of time by the degree and timing of people coming in and mixing with them from other parts of South America. Those outside groups included other Indigenous people from the Andes and the Pacific coast. On a continental scale, the researchers report that the Ashaninka ancestors probably trace back to a south-north migration of Indigenous groups moving into the Amazonian rainforest from a southeastern area with contributions from the Southern Cone and the Atlantic coast.

These ancestral populations subsequently diversified in the variegated geographic regions of interior South America, in the eastern side of the Andes, where they interacted in different ways with surrounding coastal groups. "In this complex scenario," they say, "we also revealed strict connections between the ancestors of present-day Ashaninkas (from the Arawakan language family) and those Indigenous groups that moved further north into the Caribbean, contributing to the early Ceramic (Saladoid) tradition in the islands."

"The high genetic variation within Ashaninka and their relations with neighboring populations surprised us more than other results; we expected a very homogeneous group, following events of isolation in their history, but instead we found genetic groups as a result of continuous interactions with neighboring populations, contradicting what already emerged in the literature," Capodiferro says.

"The finding that left us most perplexed concerns the origin of the group, which would seem to derive from a migration of a population from the Southeast," he says. "And this point will certainly be analyzed better by increasing the data resolution and adding the ancient individuals from the region."

Capodiferro says the findings show how a microgeographic study, with a good representation of a specific Indigenous population that can highlight different facets that are impossible to identify when fewer individuals, and a macrogeographical approach are considered. While elucidating the history of this group, the findings also show that "there is still much to be discovered about Indigenous American groups," with implications for the genetic history of South America more broadly.

"This research study was an international collaborative effort that brought together geneticists, archaeologists, linguistics, and anthropologists from Italy, Ireland, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, USA, Estonia, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria with the same objective of reconstructing what happened to the Indigenous people of the Americas before the European contact using DNA as principal tool," Achilli said. "DNA has characteristics specific to each individual and can provide information on individuals' ancestors, making it possible to reconstruct their histories by studying the DNA sequence in people living today."

The researchers say that there is much more still to uncover about the genetic history of Indigenous Americans, especially in the Southern continent. In future work, they will explore the entire genomes of Ashaninka individuals together with other Indigenous groups. They will also make comparisons between present-day and ancient DNA from archeological sites in the area to further refine the region's genetic history from the early Holocene through colonial times.
Thought Leaders Bruce Hood Professor of Developmental Psychology and Society University of Bristol

March 20th is the UN International Day of Happiness. To commemorate the day, News Medical speaks to Professor Bruce Hood, Professor of Developmental Psychology and Society at the University of Bristol, about his course The Science of Happiness and beyond.

Please can you introduce yourself and tell us about your professional background?

My name's Bruce Hood, and I'm a Professor of Developmental Psychology and Society at the University of Bristol. My first degree was in psychology when I didn't even know what psychology was. I became fascinated and fell in love with it, so I decided to train as a psychologist.

As my undergraduate project, I'd done work on babies and was fascinated by the developing mind and how children grow into adults. I was fortunate to get a position at Cambridge working with a team, looking at visual development. Their approach was from a physiological point of view, which is the neuroscience aspect of my training. I studied the development of the eye movement system in very young babies.

What is chemically happening in our brains when we talk about feeling "happiness"?

Happiness isn't a single kind of mental state. It covers various things, from bliss and ecstatic feelings to a sense of contentment. Most people are familiar with the idea of there being neurotransmitters that are released. We talk about endogenous opioids, which are those neurotransmitters that generate feelings.

Image Credit: Tatiana Shepeleva/Shutterstock.com

Another neurotransmitter commonly discussed whenever you hear about happiness is dopamine, a very common neurotransmitter spread throughout the brain, but it's taken on this role as the pleasure chemical. Dopamine is part of the reward system. It is certainly involved in those positive experiences, but the research suggests it's more to do with wanting than liking. You can distinguish between those two types of behavior.

You can want something and not necessarily like it. Addiction is a classic example, where addicts will pursue or want something and not necessarily get the high they anticipate. So wanting and liking in the brain are different systems.

It's not the prevalence of a particular neurotransmitter or drug; rather, it's how they operate on the different systems, which better explains how pleasure and happiness work. Take opioids, for example. There are centers deep in the brain that we know that various recreational drugs act upon, but you only have to move a millimeter within the brain, and the effect of that drug is completely different.

How does happiness impact our health, both mental and physical?

We all experience happiness as a fluctuating daily state of mind. Some things make us unhappy, and some things make us happy. Interestingly, the research indicates that these mental states impact our physical well-being. We have known that intuitively, we don't feel up to our best physical self at times, which is often linked to our mood.

But the really interesting work is the long-term effects of being unhappy. There's now work coming out demonstrating that optimism impacts our longevity. A study published in 2019 looked at 70,000 people over approximately 40 years. The most optimistic lived longer, about 10 to 15%, in other words, eight to 10 years.

How do we change psychologically as we grow up, and how does it impact our happiness?

I think that development is the key to happiness. The biggest predictor of adult happiness is childhood happiness. It's really interesting because, in general, children are happier than adults.

As a child, you're blissfully unaware of many of the problems in the world, and you're the center of attention in most nurturing families. Most children are raised in a very egocentric world where they're the focus of attention. But with development, you get a development of identity and a development of self. So you have to become less egocentric to get on with other people.

I call that a shift towards being allocentric, which means you can see other people's perspectives. The problem is that when you start to be warier of what other people are thinking, that makes you very self-conscious. Children become increasingly anxious about their status and how they appear to others.

There is a shift from the young child who's been told they're great by their parents. As they move into adolescence, they're now comparing themselves to their peers. As they leave adolescents, they enter the world of adulthood, where competition is really important.

Young children are fairly insulated from negativity and criticism. But as they become more independent, that exposes them to many more negative views and thoughts.

There's a network in the brain called the default mode network. This is the brain circuitry that kicks into action when you're not focusing on a task. When your mind wanders, the default mode network becomes overly active and is associated with negative rumination.

Could you tell me about your course "The Science of Happiness"?

Six years ago, I decided I needed to do something about student well-being because they were more preoccupied with their marks than enjoying this period of life. By coincidence, a former student of mine who I had taught at Harvard, Laurie Santos, had put a course on at the time called Psychology in the Good Life, and it was all about positive psychology. Laurie and I collaborated to put together a course. The one I did is somewhat different from Laurie's but very much based on her approach.

Science Of Happiness and The Good Life Play

The course is very broad and open to first-year students who can take open units. As far as I'm aware, my course is entirely unique because students earn credit on our course, but there are no graded examinations. I did that because it felt hypocritical to lecture students about the dangers of examination stress and then give them an examination.

Image Credit: SeventyFour/Shutterstock.com

We've developed a course entirely based on engagement, so it's not just lectures. They have to turn up regularly. And they meet in small groups that we call happiness hubs, which are mentored by third-year students who we've trained to run small groups. In those groups, they do activities and things we recommend during the lectures. We also get them to do weekly journals and measure their happiness at the beginning and end of the course. That's how we've established that this course has a positive impact and benefits their own mental well-being.

What is the current state of student mental health?

I feel that we're not preparing students for university. The way that we educate is very much in a competitive way. When they hit university, which is very different from school because it's much more self-directed learning, it's much more independent. I think the students are struggling with that, the clash, and the transition to university. They want to do well, but they fail to realize that their efforts and perfectionism can be counterproductive.

It's much more important to train the next generations about how to deal with adversity and develop resilience. The world is unpredictable, and while learning content is all very well, it has to be done in a way conducive to well-being. I think that's missing at the moment.

Were there any surprising findings from the course that are easy for people to implement into day-to-day life to help improve their happiness?

There's nothing I am saying that hasn't been said before. But knowledge is not enough. You can watch as many TED Talks or read as many self-help books as possible. It won't make a difference unless you actively engage in it. You have to act. That's why our course is based on active engagement.

When we looked at the long-term benefits of our course, we found that, as a group, most of the students returned to their baseline measures again. So the benefits they had subsided, except those students stuck with the activities. About half of them continued to do the gratitude letters, meditations, and all these exercises.

It's like physical exercise; if you don't keep up with the program, you'll go back to your baseline again. Like a muscle, you will not suddenly become strong picking up the heaviest weight. It takes time, and it takes continual effort.

How do you believe we can create a happier and kinder world together?

I think the sorts of goals we set ourselves are somewhat misguided by commercial interest. We've got to understand that to get a balanced society, it works at the individual and societal levels. That means changing the way we look after each other.

What is next for you and your work?

I want to try and get Bristol to adopt other courses, which I think will empower students with life skills they can take into the world of work. For example, financial literacy, presenting skills, etc. I'm working on structures and strategies to get the university to make room in the curriculum for what I think are generic skills that we could all do with.

Where can readers find more information?

About Professor Bruce Hood

Bruce is Professor of Developmental Psychology in Society at Bristol University since 1999. He undertook his Ph.D. in neuroscience at Cambridge followed by appointments at University College London, MIT and a faculty professor at Harvard. He researches child development, origins of superstition, self-identity and ownership. For the past 5 years he has been concentrating on how to grow happier. Bruce is a Fellow of the American Psychological Society, the Royal Institution of Great Britain and the British Psychological Society. He gave the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures Meet Your Brain in 2011 broadcast on the BBC to over 4 million viewers. He also gave the Christmas Lectures on tours to Japan, China, Singapore, and South Korea. Bruce has written four popular science books published in 16 countries - SuperSense, The Self Illusion, The Domesticated Brain and Possessed. He has made numerous media appearances on radio and TV and featured in the 2019 award-winning eco-movie, Living in the Futures Past with Academy Award winner, Jeff Bridges. Bruce has received numerous academic awards and honorary degrees for his services to popularizing science. He is currently working on his next popular science book about the science of happiness.
Patients who have been hospitalized with severe COVID-19 have permanent changes in their cholesterol 3 months after recovery, according to a study from the University of Oslo. This increases their risk of developing heart disease later in life.

Many clinicians and scientists have wondered whether COVID-19 disease affects people's health later in life. Several recent studies have shown that there is an association between COVID-19 and heart disease. Does being severely ill with COVID-19 increase people's risk of developing heart disease?

"Recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanisms for this are still unclear", Ida Gregersen, a researcher at the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, says.

Norwegian researchers have found that patients, who had been hospitalized with severe COVID-19, have permanent changes in their cholesterol after their recovery.

"We believe that COVID-19 increases the risk of developing heart disease later in life, and that these changes is a possible explanation for this increased risk", Bente Halvorsen, Professor at the University of Oslo and the Principal Investigator of the study, says.

"Bad" LDL cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease

Cholesterol is one of the body's fatty substances and is an important building block in the body. There are different types of cholesterol, one of which is LDL, which is comprised of several LDL particles.

"LDL is responsible for transporting fat in the body and is sometimes called the "bad cholesterol", Gregersen says.

It is called the bad cholesterol because high levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood raises your risk for heart disease and stroke.

"It is a well-known fact that the risk of cardiovascular disease increases with high levels of LDL in the blood. In addition, the risk also increases when there are changes in the composition of the LDL particles", she says.

Changes in LDL particles seen in patients who has recovered from severe COVID-19

The researchers observed such changes in LDL composition in these patients, 3 month after they recovered from severe COVID-19.

"Patients who have had severe COVID-19 have had the composition of these LDL particles changed after their illness. Among other things, they contain several inflammatory substances", says Gregersen.

Such changes can influence these LDL particles to collect in the walls of your blood vessels. This can drive the development of heart disease in the long term.

"We therefore believe that severe COVID-19 causes long-term changes in the composition of LDL particles, i.e. in the body's system for transporting fat around the body. It could potentially give the patients an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later, but we don't know that yet", she says.

We can prevent heart disease when we know more about the risk

It is important that people who have had severe COVID-19 are aware of their increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the researchers.

"It is incredibly important that patients who have had severe COVID-19 know that they may have a changed composition of cholesterol in their body. We know from previous research that they have a greater risk of cardiovascular disease later in life", Halvorsen says.

By identifying people who have an increased risk, it is possible to engage in preventive measures. Among other things, there are effective measures aimed at people with high levels of LDL cholesterol in their blood.

"The more we know, the more we can prevent and treat that risk. We have tools to treat the risk of heart disease in people with elevated LDL", she says.

Lifestyle factors such as smoking and obesity are also important

Halvorsen recommends that those who have had severe COVID-19 disease follow up with their general practitioner. To find out if you have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, you can ask for a blood test.

"We cannot say for sure that these patients actually will develop cardiovascular diseases. Environmental factors and lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity and high blood pressure will play a role in whether this will develop further", Halvorsen says.

New method can isolate and measure changes in LDL particles

The researchers have investigated a specific characteristic of the LDL particles, so-called LDL aggregation, which is when the LDL particles group together in the blood vessels. To investigate LDL aggregation, the researchers collaborated with the Wihuri Research Institute in Finland that have established a method that can isolate and measure these changes in LDL.

"We know that LDL can aggregate, i.e. group together. However, this method can obtain quantitative measures that can demonstrate whether there is a change in LDL aggregation in the blood. We can therefore use this as a measure of risk for cardiovascular", Halvorsen explains.

Persistent changes in LDL indicate an active immune activation

"The fact that these differences in LDL composition are seen 3 months after patients recovered from COVID-19, is important", Halvorsen points out.

LDL has a plasma half-life of only a few days before it is renewed. Half-life means the time it takes for LDL to decrease by half. After a few days, new LDL is produced. Normally, one would thus expect the changes in LDL composition to disappear after a few days.

"When we still see changes in LDL composition after 3 months, it suggests that COVID-19 can lead to long-term disturbances in the system that transports fat in our body. In addition, the LDL carries inflammatory markers. This shows us that there is still immune activation in the body 3 months after recovering from COVID-19", Halvorsen explains. The professor believes the findings are surprising.

"We saw significant differences in the way LDL grouped together, between healthy people who did not have COVID-19, and these patients, who had been ill and hospitalised with severe COVID-19. For me, this is quite sensational. This is a new finding, and it will be interesting to see how this develops further", Halvorsen says.

Analyzed blood samples from the first COVID-19 patients in Norway

The researchers analyzed blood samples from 66 people who had been hospitalized with severe COVID-19, taken during a check-up 3 months after being discharged from hospital. These patients were hospitalized during the first wave of COVID-19 in March 2020. The researchers then compared these samples with 42 healthy adults who served as controls, and checked whether factors such as age, gender and ethnicity played a role.

More research is needed

"Our data suggest new mechanisms for increased cardiovascular risk in COVID-19 patients. However, further and larger studies that can examine the association between these LDL characteristics and the development of cardiovascular diseases, is needed to support our findings further", Halvorsen concludes.
insights from industry Ramon Sun Associate Professor of Biochemistry

& Molecular Biology University of Florida

Dive into the future of spatial biology in this second episode of Bruker's omg OMx podcast series. In this episode, Kate Stumpo speaks with Ramon Sun, Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology on the topic of SpatialOMx, the future generations of researchers and the role of mass spectrometry in the future of spatial biology research. Read selected highlights from the episode or watch the full episode below.

Can you tell us about your academic paths and how you landed at the University of Florida?

I have had the opportunity to travel extensively around the world. I grew up in New Zealand as a Chinese national, completed my Ph.D. in Australia, and then came to the United States to pursue my first postdoctoral position at Stanford University. After moving to Kentucky with my wife, I obtained my first faculty position at the University of Kentucky.

One of the main reasons for my move to Florida was the opportunity to collaborate with some of my closest colleagues and acquire new resources for my research. In particular, the University of Florida offered to buy us two Bruker timsTOF fleX instruments, which will allow me to conduct more imaging studies.

Ramon Sun | omg OMx Podcast | Ep. 2 Play

Could you elaborate on your methods for inspiring your students to develop an appreciation for science? Could you also discuss your successful ventures, the development of assays, and effective scientific methodologies for specific disease areas?

I come from a long line of educators, with four generations of my family being university professors, including my great-grandfather, a well-known philosopher and expert in ancient writing. I found my passion in mentoring my postdocs and graduate students one-on-one.

As a relatively new academic researcher and mentor, my approach differs from those who have been in the field for longer. I do not try to push my trainees toward academic research specifically, but instead encourage them to set and work towards their own goals, regardless of their future career paths.

In my approach to science, I get excited about everything and have a scattered mind, but I speak to my trainees almost every day, explaining why I am excited about certain data or projects.

My enthusiasm is evident in my tone and actions, and my trainees can sense that I am genuinely invested in their success. For me, every academic research project has a connection to human physiology and disease.

I ensure that I explain to my trainees the impact of their work and the potential difference it could make in people's lives.

Early on in my career, I realized that to fully commit to scientific research and helping others in the long run, I needed to be financially independent of my job. This led me to start investing in science and eventually come up with an idea for a non-science-related app that I was able to sell, providing financial stability for myself and my family.

With this stability, I am now able to devote the vast majority of my time to my work in the lab, where I am developing new assays that I believe will have a positive impact in clinical settings.

This work is now an integral part of my lab workflow, and I am excited about the possibility of commercializing it into a clinical diagnostic assay that could benefit many people.

What are your thoughts on the role of mass spectrometry in the current growth of spatial biology?

As an advocate of spatial biology, particularly spatial metabolomics, I strongly believe in the potential of this technology to revolutionize the field. Recently, a Nature article highlighted seven key technologies to watch, and spatial metabolomics was listed alongside the space telescope for 2023.

This is a testament to the fact that this technology is not only gaining traction but is also seen as a major technology of the future. Bruker is a leading innovator in the development of tools for spatial metabolomics, which has greatly facilitated researchers' ability to utilize this technology for their studies.

Spatial metabolomics has already shown promise in addressing foundational biological questions, such as a new type of muscle fiber, as seen in a recent Science Advances paper.

It is exciting to think about how this technology will continue to shed light on areas that we did not even know we wanted to know about five to ten years ago. I believe that mass spectrometry is the last frontier in the spatial biology revolution, as it allows us to understand the metabolic functions of proteins, such as the formation of metabolites like ATP and lipids.

However, the key to unlocking the potential of spatial metabolomics is to have good computational methodologies that can make sense of the vast amounts of data generated by this technology.

The timsTOF flex in action in Ramon's laboratory. Image credit: University of Florida

How do you envision the integration of new technologies and tools, particularly AI, to help researchers obtain crucial outputs for making informed decisions on biological questions?

I believe the potential of the Bruker software and API is limited only by one's creativity. The datasets we work with are both beautiful and complex, providing endless possibilities for exploration.

I am currently collaborating with Dr. Derek Allison at the University of Kentucky, along with several other clinicians with whom I have built strong relationships over the past five years. Together, we aim to apply AI and machine learning to help pathologists predict digital pathology regions using spatial metabolomics hardware.

Ultimately, this technology could significantly boost pathologists' workflow, increasing the number of slides they review each day from 10-20 to up to 100.

The result would be a faster turnaround time for patients, which is critical when diagnosing rare forms of cancer. In our research, we are focused on anatomical annotation matching and high dimensionality reduction mechanisms, as well as the implementation of multiplex immunohistochemical mass spectrometry workflows to enhance cell lineage identity and make sense of what we are seeing in the spatial biology platform.

While we are still exploring and learning as we go, I am confident in the potential of this technology for both the clinics and research fields.

Apart from the technologies highlighted in the Nature article, are there any other tools you are considering to complement your analytical techniques and advance spatial metabolomics?

Our research efforts are focused on in vivo omics imaging by MRI, particularly in the investigation of metabolic changes in the brain. A graduate student will be working on this project, and we are fortunate to have a highly skilled expert in in vivo NMR and MRI, who is collaborating with us.

We plan to use contrast agents and isotopic tracers, including deuterated glucose, to measure brain metabolism through MRI. Our ultimate goal is to translate our knowledge from multi-imaging or multi-spatial data sets into hypothesis testing on humans.

Our laboratory has access to state-of-the-art resources, including Bruker NMR systems and two human MRI instruments. These resources are crucial for our research, which focuses on finding targets in MRI to study dementia and cancer.

We have carried out sufficient preliminary research, and we now have identified potential targets that we can use to focus on during our MRI scans. By utilizing tracers and contrasting agents, we aim to identify diagnostic clinical biomarkers for the progression of these diseases or find ways to reverse their phenotypes.

Overall, we believe that MRI or NMR technology is an excellent tool to pair with MALDI Imaging to bring us closer to a more physiological setting, particularly when we are trying to understand the metabolic changes in the brain of patients.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance is a powerful tool to advance spatial metabolomics research. Image credit: Bruker Life Sciences Spectrometry

Are there any notable intellectuals or figures in the scientific community who have influenced your perspectives on science and how you approach it?

It is difficult for me to name a single person who has been my inspiration. Rather, I am motivated by the qualities of successful scientists who have come before me. I aspire to learn and incorporate these qualities into my work.

One such quality is curiosity, which drives me to conduct scientific investigations. However, I believe that curiosity alone is not enough. To succeed in the constantly evolving scientific world, one must also be willing to take risks and be fierce. I have observed that some scientists struggle to break free from the limitations of their comfort zones, preventing them from pursuing their curiosity.

To overcome this barrier, I advise my trainees to be fearless and not worry about finances or the potential cost of their research. I emphasize the importance of making the most of the opportunity to succeed and help people rather than wasting time on mediocre science that is safe to do.

One example of my willingness to take risks was my decision to purchase a spatial imaging instrument, even though I had zero experience with it. This decision was inspired by a pilot experiment conducted by Richard Drake, with whom I have been collaborating since our first email exchange.

This decision was not without its risks, as it required a significant investment of my startup funds and there was no guarantee that it would work. I was mesmerized by the potential of spatial technology after seeing the first dataset and decided to go with my gut feeling and purchase the machine.

As a result, I have been able to conduct successful research on mapping brain glycans, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have taken this risk.

About the speaker

Ramon Sun, Associate Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Florida

Ramon's current research focuses on understanding the molecular events connecting complex carbohydrates to cellular metabolism, signaling and physiology, with a strong emphasis on disease etiology of lung cancers, ewing's Sarcoma, and dementia. Complex carbohydrates such as glycogen, glycolipids, and N-linked glycans play critical roles in cellular energetic, protein folding/activity, cellular interactions, and cell membrane integrity. The primary research goal of his lab is to elucidate signaling pathways that modulate complex carbohydrate metabolism and how they are connected to cellular and organismal physiology in neoplastic and aging diseases.

omg OMx host: Kate Stumpo, Senior Market Manager at Bruker

LinkedIn

About Bruker Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry

Discover new ways to apply mass spectrometry to todays most pressing analytical challenges. Innovations such as Trapped Ion Mobility (TIMS), smartbeam and scanning lasers for MALDI-MS Imaging that deliver true pixel fidelity, and eXtreme Resolution FTMS (XR) technology capable to reveal Isotopic Fine Structure (IFS) signatures are pushing scientific exploration to new heights. Bruker's mass spectrometry solutions enable scientists to make breakthrough discoveries and gain deeper insights.
A Kaiser Permanente study confirms the benefit of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir, also known as Paxlovid, as an early-stage treatment to prevent hospitalization for people with mild to moderate COVID-19, regardless of prior immunity or age. The study was published March 15, 2023, in Lancet ID.

Among Kaiser Permanente members in Southern California who tested positive for coronavirus infection, receiving Paxlovid within 5 days of the start of COVID-19 symptoms was associated with substantial reductions in the risk of hospital admission or death. These findings are even more notable because in this population with high levels of vaccination, we still see additional benefits of this treatment." Sara Tartof, PhD, senior author of the study and epidemiologist with the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation

Paxlovid is an oral therapeutic drug aimed at reducing the risk for severe outcomes of coronavirus infection. It is manufactured by Pfizer Inc. It currently has emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for adults and children 12 and older who are at high risk for progression to severe COVID-19.

The study analyses included patients with positive results from coronavirus tests undertaken in outpatient settings between April 8 and October 7, 2022. In the study population, 7,274 people had received Paxlovid, and 126,152 had not received Paxlovid. It was a time dominated by the omicron subvariants BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5. Overall, 86% of the 133,426 participants had received 2 COVID-19 vaccine doses, and 61% had received 3 or more.

The study found:

Effectiveness in preventing hospital admission or death within 30 days after a positive test was 80% for people who were dispensed Paxlovid within 5 days after symptom onset. Within the subgroup of patients who were dispensed Paxlovid on the day of their positive COVID-19 test, effectiveness was 90%. Effectiveness declined to 44% for patients who received Paxlovid 6 or more days after symptom onset or for cases not experiencing acute clinical symptoms. Overall, for patients who received Paxlovid at any time within their clinical course, effectiveness was 54%.

Effectiveness in preventing intensive care unit admission, mechanical ventilation, or death within 60 days after a positive COVID-19 test was 89% for patients who were dispensed Paxlovid 0 to 5 days after symptom onset, and 84% for people who were dispensed Paxlovid treatment at any time.

"Our data showed that the sooner people take Paxlovid upon symptom onset, the more effective the medication can be," Tartof said. "However, there is still some benefit to treatment 6 or more days after symptom onset. People should talk with their doctors about the best approach for them."
Raman spectroscopy has a wide range of applications as it can detect subtle changes in intricate aqueous systems, including the analysis of biopharmaceutical processes such as cell growth in bioreactors.

The Raman spectrometer can monitor biopharmaceutical production processes in real-time, in situ, and non-destructively when it is used as a continuous process analyzer of these intricate chemical systems. Raman spectroscopy has become a powerful process analytical tool due to its capacity to identify changes in a wide variety of metabolites during bioreactor processes.

MarqMetrix Bioreactor BallProbe with TouchRaman immersion technology

Reusable optical probes for Raman spectroscopy analysis provide advantages such as increased process repeatability and reliability by lowering run-to-run variability. There are many different probes that can be used with the Thermo Scientific Ramina Process Analyzer.

The Ramina Process Analyzer can be used with the MarqMetrix Bioreactor BallProbe, which is made to meet the needs of the bioprocess industry. These probes can handle sterility procedures such as offline autoclaving, are quick and simple to swap out, and are also easy to connect.

Thermo Scientific HyPerforma DynaDrive Single-Use Bioreactor (S.U.B.), for perfusion cell culture applications

The most recent development in SUB technology, the DynaDrive Single-Use Bioreactor (SUB), provides enhanced performance and scalability for large-volume bioproduction. The cuboid-shaped tank has several significant advantages over earlier S.U.B. designs, including better mass transfer and mixing capabilities and increased scalability.

This application note explains how to integrate the Ramina Process Analyzer System with the 500L HyPerforma DynaDrive bioreactor to carry out in-line measurements of crucial process parameters (CPPs).

This integrated system enabled the development of precise prediction models for many parameters and metabolites using continuously generated spectral data throughout a cell growth culture run.

Materials and methods

Cell culture and feeding strategy

Cell culture was carried out in a 500 L HyPerforma DynaDrive S.U.B. with a working volume of roughly 320 L of cell culture medium and 0.5*106 cells/mL inoculated at 36.5 C, pH = 6.9+/0.3, and 50% DO). CO 2 gassing and sodium carbonate additions, as necessary, were used to regulate the pH level.

Starting on day three, a two-step feeding procedure was used every day to feed the cells as they grew in a chemically defined medium. Using the initial volume as a starting point, the first feed media was added at 4% by weight, and the second feed media at 0.4%.

On day six, the temperature changed to 33 C. After 14 days, the run was over. To block stray light, the bioreactor was covered. For in-line, real-time spectral Raman data generation following autoclaving, the Ramina Process Analyzer Bioreactor optical ball probe was inserted into the HyPerforma DynaDrive S.U.B.

Figure 1. 500 L Thermo Scientific HyPerforma DynaDrive S.U.B. for cell culture applications. Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific-Handheld Elemental & Radiation Detection

Ramina Process Analyzer measurements

The optical bioreactor ball probe of the Ramina Process Analyzer was directly submerged in the bioreactors (500 L) D when measurements were made using the Ramina Process Analyzer System. Each Raman spectrum was produced using an average of 20 measurements, a 3 second integration/exposure time, and a 450-mW laser.

The Ramina Process Analyzer and offline instrument analysis used a timestamp match to determine the total acquisition time per data spectra, which was two minutes.

Chemometrics, model building

Models were built using independent data from various Ramina Process Analyzer instruments, probes, and bioreactor types. Each chemometric model was developed using 45 samples per bioreactor from the training datasets. After reviewing the spectral data, cosmic ray-related outlier spectral spikes were eliminated.

Figure 2. Thermo Scientific Ramina Process Analyzer. Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific-Handheld Elemental & Radiation Detection

The spectra were pre-processed to remove the baseline and increase signal-to-noise after the spectral region of interest was chosen. The Savitzky Golay filter with derivatives, Automatic Whitaker Smoothing, Extended Multiplicative Scatter Correction, SNV, and mean centering were just a few of the pre-processing methods that were tested.

The most effective pre-processing methods varied depending on the particular parameter of interest that was modeled. For each property of interest, partial least squares (PLS) models were made, and cross-validation was used to assess how well each model had been optimized.

During the bioreactor culture run, common metabolites such as glucose, lactate, glutamine, glutamate, TCD, and VCD were produced.

Results

In this study, a fed-batch CHO cell culture process was subjected to continuous in-line Raman spectroscopy. The offline analytical data collected for the relevant parameters and the in-line spectral data were correlated.

Before using Raman spectroscopy to monitor process parameters, chemometric models must be built using a set of externally calibrated data (independent offline data). Bioreactor samples were taken every day and analyzed for comparison to judge the reliability of the Ramina Process Analyzer predicted values.

For each parameter, the root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), root mean square error of cross validation (RMSECV), and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) were calculated. To determine the RMSECV, which is used to build the model, the error was averaged based on the models prediction.

The model is tested using the RMSEP against new data that it has never seen before. Each PLS models R2 coefficient of variation was noted. The value is used to calculate the percentage of the Y variables variation that the model predictors (X variables) can account for.

It is significant to note that more precise and reliable predictive chemometric models were created when several sizable, independent data sets from bioreactor runs of the same CHO culture process were combined. Five distinct datasets from earlier bioreactor runs were combined for this study to train a sizable chemometric model.

The spectral data collected during this HyPerforma DynaDrive S.U.B bioreactor run was then subjected to the calibration model. The data show that the model was able to predict this new dataset accurately, and those model predictions were highly correlated with data measurements obtained offline for many metabolites, as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Correlation of model prediction with offline data analysis. Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific-Handheld Elemental & Radiation Detection

Metabolite Predicted R2 Predicted RMSEC RMSECV RMSEP Glucose (g/L) 0.98 0.43 0.49 0.40 Lactate (g/L) 0.92 0.15 0.18 0.25 Glutamine (mmol/L) 0.92 0.42 0.48 0.58 Titer 0.92 0.21 0.25 0.37 Cell Viability (%) 0.94 1.72 2.29 1.83

Figure 3. Thermo Scientific HyPerforma DynaDrive S.U.B. Chemometric Model Plots- Comparison of Raman Model vs Offline Analytical Data for Important Bioreactor Parameters. Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific-Handheld Elemental & Radiation Detection

Conclusions

Utilizing the reusable MarqMetrix Bioreactor BallProbe with TouchRaman immersion technology, the Ramina Process Analyzer provides precise in-line, real-time measurements of the vital process parameters glucose, glutamine, and lactate as well as total and viable cell densities in the 500 L HyPerforma DynaDrive S.U.B.

The robustness of the model, when applied to the parameters in Table 1, is demonstrated by the correlation analysis, which demonstrates excellent agreement between the model prediction data and the offline analytical data.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific  Handheld Elemental & Radiation Detection

Founded more than 25 years ago, we are the pioneer in portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF). With more than 35,000 instruments installed worldwide, we maintain offices in Munich, Germany, and Hong Kong, in addition to our headquarters outside Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

A culture of innovation and a distinguished history of breakthrough achievements have defined our Thermo Scientific portable XRF analyzers since we introduced the first handheld XRF instrument in 1994. Many firsts have followed, including the:

First use of miniaturized x-ray tubes in one-piece handheld analyzers

First and only isotope-based handheld analyzer that never requires source replacement

First handheld analyzer equipped with an He purge for direct analysis of Mg, Al, Si, P, and S in metal alloys

First handheld small-spot XRF analyzer

First handheld analyzer to feature a 50kV x-ray tube

First geometrically optimized large area drift detector

The company has been awarded numerous patents and has received many honors and awards, including an unprecedented three R&D 100 Awardsin 1995 for the Thermo Scientific Niton XL-300, in 2003 for the Niton XLi and XLt Series, and, most recently, in 2008 for the Niton XL3t Series.

Handheld and mobile Thermo Scientific portable XRF analyzers, from our value-leading Niton XL2 instrument to our Niton FXL field x-ray lab, are engineered for accurate and reliable on-site elemental analysis and ease of use. These nondestructive analyzers are used for a variety of applications, including:

Identification and analysis of metal alloys, including precious metal & jewelry analysis

Mining and exploration

Testing for lead, cadmium, and other hazardous substances in toys, jewelry, apparel, and other consumer goods

Compliance testing for RoHS, WEEE, and ELV regulations

Environmental analysis  site assessment, monitoring, and clearance testing

Lead-paint inspection

We are committed to making the highest performance, easiest to use, most economical portable XRF analyzer in the worldgiving you the tools that help you work more productively than ever beforeand enabling you to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer.

Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments.
Process development teams have started using real-time monitoring of intricate parameters during manufacturing processes to better comprehend and manage mammalian cell cultivations in the biopharmaceutical sector.

In terms of strategy, the procedure is more effective than earlier workflows. It has been determined with confidence that Raman Spectroscopy is a tool that can be applied for in-line, real-time monitoring of biopharmaceutical production processes.

This technical note explains how to integrate two benchtop 5 L bioreactors with the Thermo Scientific Ramina Process Analyzer System to perform in-line measurements of TCD, VCD, and the concentrations of glucose and lactate.

An accurate prediction model for several significant metabolites was created using spectral data from the Thermo Scientific Ramina Process Analyzer, demonstrating a high correlation with independent data obtained from an at-line instrument.

Background

The biopharmaceutical industry is currently showing much interest in implementing Process Analytical Technology (PAT) tools in biopharmaceutical manufacturing to enable rapid development and access to therapeutics and existing medications without compromising high quality.1,2

Real-time monitoring of crucial process parameters has decreased development times, opened access to novel chemistries impractical for batch processing, increased safety, and improved product quality assurance.3,4

Since frequent sample analysis is necessary to determine the amount of cell feed (glucose), cell culture processes require a lot of labor. Nutrients are periodically added to bioreactors running in fed-batch mode using a bolus-feeding strategy and predetermined volumes of concentrated nutrients. These volumes are subsequently obtained from off-line concentration analyses.

This typically leads to significant fluctuations in glucose levels over a broad range. Due to the potential for greater nutrient depletion or accumulation (waste), this is not ideal for the cells.

Due to abnormal glycosylation, increased glucose levels also impact titer product quality.6 Inefficient feeding methods can result in an abundance of secondary metabolites that reduce cell viability and product yield.

In contrast to traditional monitoring systems, which require manual sampling and offline analysis5, using an immersed Raman optical sensor that provides real-time process information about the critical process parameters (CPPs) is highly advantageous.

Increased data acquisition frequency enables quick correction of any process parameter deviations, and reduced offline sampling lowers the risk of contamination, among other noted benefits.

Some spectroscopic tools have been linked to the FDAs proposed PAT initiative, which aims to enhance pharmaceutical processes and their products. Raman spectroscopy, a laser-based technique for creating a chemical fingerprint of a sample, is one of these tools.7

Raman spectroscopy analysis has attracted attention in bioprocess monitoring due to its capacity to measure various variables in situ, without causing any damage, and with little interference from water. Nutrient feed, metabolites, growth profiles, product levels, and product quality attributes are some of these variables.1,2

To interpret spectral peaks related to the measured process parameters and attributes, the Raman spectral data is combined with chemometric modeling.

The ability to simultaneously predict multiple components (such as lactate, glutamine, glutamate, viable cell density [VCD], and total cell density [TCD]) in cell cultivation is made possible by the Thermo Scientific Ramina Process Analyzer.

This enables quick decision-making. It is a small, portable analyzer that is simple to set up, gets a lot of process data in real-time, and is easy to use for people who are not experts in Raman.

Materials and methods

Cell culture and feeding strategy

For the bioreactor culture experiment, a Thermo Scientific ExpiCHO clone that expresses a biosimilar substitute for Rituximab was used. Chemical definitions were applied to all used media.

Each bioreactor was inoculated with 0.6  106 cells/mL, T = 36.6 C, pH = 7.0 +/0.3, DO = 40%, in a working volume of roughly 2.6 L of cell culture medium (ExpiCHO SPM). By gassing CO 2 and adding sodium carbonate as needed, the pH level was maintained.

The cells were grown for 14 days in a medium designed for mammalian cells in duplicate, standard fed-batch bioreactors using a platform process (SPM for the basal medium, Efficient feed C+ as the feed) created by Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Starting on day three, the cultures were fed 3% weight/volume in the form of bolus feed and glucose ranging from less than 4 g/L (preEFC feed) to 6 g/L (final).

To shield them from stray light, the bioreactors were covered in aluminum foil. A bioreactor ball probe with TouchRaman immersion technology was inserted into the cell culture media and connected to each bioreactors Thermo Scientific Ramina Process Analyzer system for in-line real-time measurements.

All cultivations underwent manual offline measurements to assess cell growth (VCD, and viability), pH, DO, glucose, and lactate levels.

Ramina measurements

Thermo Scientifics Ramina Process Analyzer System was used to measure Ramina, and each bioreactor was directly probed with the optical probe (Bioreactor BallProbe with TouchRaman immersion technology) of the analyzer (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Thermo Fisher Scientific Ramina Process Analyzer with optical probe immersed into the bioreactor. Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific-Handheld Elemental & Radiation Detection

Every Raman spectrum was produced using an average of 20 measurements, a 3-second integration/exposure time, and a 450-mW power setting. The total acquisition time for each spectrum was 2 minutes, and the offline instrument and Thermo Scientific Ramina Process Analyzer timestamps were matched to create the model.

Chemometrics, model building

To create each chemometric model, raw spectral data was reviewed, cosmic rays were subtracted, and the training set data was gathered from 45 samples per bioreactor. The spectra were preprocessed to remove the baseline and increase signal-to-noise after the spectral region of interest was chosen.

The Savitzky Golay filter with derivatives, Automatic Whitaker Smoothing, Extended Multiplicative Scatter Correction, SNV, and mean centering were just a few of the pre-processing methods tested. The most effective pre-processing methods changed depending on the modeled property of interest.

For each property of interest, partial least squares (PLS) models were made, and cross-validation was used to optimize each models parameters. The properties of glucose, lactate, glutamine, glutamate, TCD, VCD, and other typical bioreactor byproducts were of interest.

Results

In this study, a fed-batch CHO cell culture process was examined using in-line Raman spectroscopy. The offline reference data for lactate and glucose were correlated with the in-line spectral data.

Building a chemometric model using a calibration dataset is necessary before using Raman spectroscopy to monitor process parameters. Daily samples were taken and analyzed to compare the Thermo Scientific Ramina Process Analyzer measurements accuracy to conventional offline sampling techniques.

For each parameter, the root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), root mean square error of cross validation (RMSECV), and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) were calculated.

The models error was averaged based on its predictions to determine the RMSECV, which is used to build the model while the RMSEP is used to test the model using new data that it has never seen before.

Each PLS models R2 coefficient of variation was noted. The value is used to calculate the percentage of the Y variables variation that the model predictors (X variables) can account for. The data show a correlation between offline data and model predictions, and Table 1 shows that the combined model data also show highly correlated predictive data for a variety of metabolites.

Source: Thermo Fisher Scientific-Handheld Elemental & Radiation Detection

Metabolite Predicted R2 Bioreactor 1 R2 Bioreactor 2 Bioreactor 1 Bioreactor 2 RMSEC RMSECV RMSEP RMSEC RMSECV RMSEP Viability (%) 0.9 0.9 2.92 3.12 2.50 2.92 3.12 2.95 TCD (106 TC/mL) 0.97 0.94 2.63 3.45 1.77 2.63 3.45 2.96 VCD (106 VC/mL) 0.97 0.92 2.83 3.59 1.80 2.83 3.59 3.26 TCD (106 TC/mL) 0.9 0.9 1.83 2.11 1.72 1.83 2.11 1.83 VCD (106 VC/mL) 0.9 0.9 1.73 2.43 1.62 1.73 2.43 1.72 Viability (%) 0.94 0.96 2.55 3.48 2.17 2.55 3.48 2.74 Diameter (m) 0.91 0.91 0.41 0.47 0.41 0.41 0.47 0.39 Gln (mmol/L) 0.96 0.98 0.23 0.28 0.25 0.23 0.28 0.20 Glu (mmol/L) 0.97 0.97 0.38 0.4 0.40 0.38 0.4 0.33 Gluc (g/L) 0.97 0.97 0.42 0.64 0.38 0.42 0.64 0.43 Lac (g/L) 0.93 0.93 0.16 0.2 0.16 0.16 0.2 0.16 NH4+ (mmol/L) 0.95 0.89 1.04 1.27 0.79 1.04 1.27 1.20 Na+ (mmol/L) 0.97 0.96 2.72 2.84 2.50 2.72 2.84 2.78 K+ (mmol/L) 0.98 0.96 0.31 0.35 0.25 0.31 0.35 0.34 pCO 2 (mmHg) 0.92 0.92 4.1 5.16 4.06 4.1 5.16 3.89 Osm (mOsm/kg) 0.98 0.96 8.41 9.08 7.03 8.41 9.08 9.03 Titer 0.96 0.95 0.34 0.35 0.31 0.34 0.35 0.34

In addition to cell viability and cell titer, Figures 2 and 3 display plots of the Raman Model vs. offline analysis of metabolites that demonstrate an excellent correlation between measured and predicted metabolic concentration.

Figure 2. Bioreactor model plots, selected plots of Raman model vs off-line analysis for metabolites. Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific-Handheld Elemental & Radiation Detection

Figure 3. Bioreactor model plots, selected plots of Raman model vs off-line analysis for metabolites. Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific-Handheld Elemental & Radiation Detection

Conclusions

The critical process parameters glucose, glutamine, glutamate, and lactate as well as the total and viable cell densities were all measured inline, in real-time, by the Thermo Scientific Ramina Process Analyzer in two bench-scale bioreactors.

The Ramina Process Analyzer data obtained from Thermo Scientific and the offline data for many metabolites and CPPs showed excellent agreement in the correlation analysis (Table 1).

It is particularly interesting to measure metabolites and product titers simultaneously because this will improve process control over cultivation and purification parameters during continuous biomanufacturing processes.

The ability of process Raman spectroscopy as a Process Analytical Technology (PAT) tool for in-line monitoring of a variety of key metabolites in bioreactor systems is demonstrated in this study.

References

Real time monitoring of multiple parameters in mammalian cell culture bioreactors using an in-line Raman spectroscopy probe. Nicholas R Abu-Absi1, Brian M Kenty, Maryann Ehly Cuellar, Michael C Borys, Sivakesava Sakhamuri, David J. Strachan, Michael C Hausladen, Zheng Jian Li. Biotechnol Bioeng. 2011 May;108(5):1215-21. doi: 10.1002/bit.23023.Epub 2010 Dec 22 Quick generation of Raman spectroscopy based in-process glucose control to influence biopharmaceutical protein product quality during mammalian cell culture. Brandon N Berry, Terrence M Dobrowsky, Rebecca C Timson, Rashmi Kshirsagar, Thomas Ryll, Kelly Wiltberger Biotechnol Prog 2016 Jan-Feb;32(1):224-34. doi: 10.1002/btpr.2205. Epub 2015 Dec 21 Raman spectroscopy as a method to replace off-line pH during mammalian cell culture processes. Carl Rafferty, Jim OMahony, Barbara Burgoyne, Rosemary Rea, Karin M Balss, David C Latshaw 2nd. Biotechnol Bioeng 2020 Jan;117(1):146-156. doi: 10.1002/bit.27197. Epub 2019 Nov 12 Raman-based dynamic feeding strategies using real-time glucose concentration monitoring system during adalimumab producing CHO cell cultivation. Julia Domjan, Annamaria Fricska, Lajos Madarasz, Martin Gyurkes, Akos Kote, Attila Farkas, Panna Vass, Csaba Feher, Balazs Horvath, Kalman Konczol, Hajnalka Pataki, Zsombor Kristof Nagy, Gyorgy Janos Marosi, Edit Hirsch1 Biotechnol Prog. 2020 Nov;36(6): e3052. doi: 10.1002/btpr.3052. Epub 2020 Jul 31 A Novel Approach for Non-Invasive Continuous InLine Control of Perfusion Cell Cultivations by Raman Spectroscopy. A Graf, J Lemke , M Schulze, R Soeldner, K Rebner, M Hoehse, J Matuszczyk Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2022 Apr 25; 10:719614. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.719614. eCollection 2022 Fed-batch cultivation of animal cells using different medium design concepts and feeding strategies. L Xie1, D I Wang. Biotechnol Bioeng. 1994 May;43(11):1175-89. doi: 10.1002/bit.260431123 Using Raman spectroscopy to characterize biological materials. Butler HJ, Ashton L, Bird B, Cinque G, Curtis K, Dorney J, Esmonde-White K, Fullwood NJ, Gardner B, Martin-Hirsch PL, Walsh MJ, McAinsh MR, Stone N, Martin FL. Nat Protoc. 2016 Apr;11(4):664-87. doi: 10.1038/nprot.2016.036. Epub 2016 Mar 10

About Thermo Fisher Scientific  Handheld Elemental & Radiation Detection

Founded more than 25 years ago, we are the pioneer in portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF). With more than 35,000 instruments installed worldwide, we maintain offices in Munich, Germany, and Hong Kong, in addition to our headquarters outside Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

A culture of innovation and a distinguished history of breakthrough achievements have defined our Thermo Scientific portable XRF analyzers since we introduced the first handheld XRF instrument in 1994. Many firsts have followed, including the:

First use of miniaturized x-ray tubes in one-piece handheld analyzers

First and only isotope-based handheld analyzer that never requires source replacement

First handheld analyzer equipped with an He purge for direct analysis of Mg, Al, Si, P, and S in metal alloys

First handheld small-spot XRF analyzer

First handheld analyzer to feature a 50kV x-ray tube

First geometrically optimized large area drift detector

The company has been awarded numerous patents and has received many honors and awards, including an unprecedented three R&D 100 Awardsin 1995 for the Thermo Scientific Niton XL-300, in 2003 for the Niton XLi and XLt Series, and, most recently, in 2008 for the Niton XL3t Series.

Handheld and mobile Thermo Scientific portable XRF analyzers, from our value-leading Niton XL2 instrument to our Niton FXL field x-ray lab, are engineered for accurate and reliable on-site elemental analysis and ease of use. These nondestructive analyzers are used for a variety of applications, including:

Identification and analysis of metal alloys, including precious metal & jewelry analysis

Mining and exploration

Testing for lead, cadmium, and other hazardous substances in toys, jewelry, apparel, and other consumer goods

Compliance testing for RoHS, WEEE, and ELV regulations

Environmental analysis  site assessment, monitoring, and clearance testing

Lead-paint inspection

We are committed to making the highest performance, easiest to use, most economical portable XRF analyzer in the worldgiving you the tools that help you work more productively than ever beforeand enabling you to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer.

Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments.
For efficient operation, biopharmaceutical production needs a stream of compositional data that is nearly constant. When compared to conventional physical sampling-based measurements, the solid-state process Raman is a proven technology for gathering that data while significantly lowering maintenance and operating costs.

The composition measurements are useful for understanding a bioprocess, but ultimately, this data should be used for optimization and control.

The compositional information can be processed to achieve this goal using data science tools and packages that create reliable predictive models for crucial processes. These models can be quickly deployed to various Raman systems once they have been created and validated.

To optimize the bioprocess, the predictive models deployment will provide information that can be put into practice, such as when feeds or controls should be turned on.

To show how simple it is to add value with an all-in-one portable and scalable Raman system, this article will break down the straightforward process of developing and implementing quantitative Raman solutions.

Creating a model for glucose

Cells in the biopharmaceutical manufacturing process need a glucose-feeding cycle to support cell division. Modeling the glucose content of a bioprocess and predicting when to add more glucose to ensure that cells are produced at a precise rate are two functions of the Thermo Scientific Ramina Process Analyzer.

Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific-Handheld Elemental & Radiation Detection

Global data for a global solution

The process of gathering data is the first step in creating this model. The information displayed below is drawn from three data sets that were gathered from various processes using various Ramina Process Analyzers in various parts of the world.

A robust glucose prediction model was constructed quickly. Although the combined data at first appeared to be quite disorganized, cleaning up the data and making everything work well together was easier.

Due to the Ramina systems stability and the available data science tools, this task was relatively simple. A global glucose model was created using the data after they had been cleaned (pretreated).

Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific-Handheld Elemental & Radiation Detection

The power of preprocessing

Three key characteristics of the Ramina Process Analyzerstability, reproducible sampling interface, and factory calibrationhave a significant impact on how easily data can be preprocessed. No matter where the fleet is located, these characteristics guarantee that every Raman system is incredibly accurate, stable, and consistent with other Raman systems.

From this starting point, basic preprocessing techniques can be used that pinpoint and amplify the pertinent signals in the Raman data. As a result, a predictive model was created that offers improved precision and accuracy when used with various Ramina Process Analyzer instruments.

Knowing when to feed bioprocess with data science

The predictive model can be used with any Ramina Process Analyzer after it has been created. The glucose model was applied to data outputs from a fourth Ramina system, enabling real-time monitoring of glucose concentration.

The graph below shows users where the bioprocess has been fed more glucose, as indicated by the spikes. As the glucose levels decline over time, it is necessary to feed the bioprocess to keep it in check once a minimum value is reached.

Image Credit: Thermo Fisher Scientific-Handheld Elemental & Radiation Detection

Companies can take concrete actions to improve the management of their processes, thanks to the solution offered by the combination of the Ramina Process Analyzer hardware and data science tools. One application where modeling can provide a useful solution is glucose monitoring.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific  Handheld Elemental & Radiation Detection

Founded more than 25 years ago, we are the pioneer in portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF). With more than 35,000 instruments installed worldwide, we maintain offices in Munich, Germany, and Hong Kong, in addition to our headquarters outside Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

A culture of innovation and a distinguished history of breakthrough achievements have defined our Thermo Scientific portable XRF analyzers since we introduced the first handheld XRF instrument in 1994. Many firsts have followed, including the:

First use of miniaturized x-ray tubes in one-piece handheld analyzers

First and only isotope-based handheld analyzer that never requires source replacement

First handheld analyzer equipped with an He purge for direct analysis of Mg, Al, Si, P, and S in metal alloys

First handheld small-spot XRF analyzer

First handheld analyzer to feature a 50kV x-ray tube

First geometrically optimized large area drift detector

The company has been awarded numerous patents and has received many honors and awards, including an unprecedented three R&D 100 Awardsin 1995 for the Thermo Scientific Niton XL-300, in 2003 for the Niton XLi and XLt Series, and, most recently, in 2008 for the Niton XL3t Series.

Handheld and mobile Thermo Scientific portable XRF analyzers, from our value-leading Niton XL2 instrument to our Niton FXL field x-ray lab, are engineered for accurate and reliable on-site elemental analysis and ease of use. These nondestructive analyzers are used for a variety of applications, including:

Identification and analysis of metal alloys, including precious metal & jewelry analysis

Mining and exploration

Testing for lead, cadmium, and other hazardous substances in toys, jewelry, apparel, and other consumer goods

Compliance testing for RoHS, WEEE, and ELV regulations

Environmental analysis  site assessment, monitoring, and clearance testing

Lead-paint inspection

We are committed to making the highest performance, easiest to use, most economical portable XRF analyzer in the worldgiving you the tools that help you work more productively than ever beforeand enabling you to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer.

Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the morning. High 29F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 40%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Low 12F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Mainly cloudy with snow showers around this evening. Low near 10F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

Mainly cloudy with snow showers around this evening. Low near 10F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 60%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Sameer Abdulla Nass, the Chairman of Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and Union of Arab Chambers President, has called for stronger Arab-French economic relations and increased trade exchange rates during the Arab-French Economic Summit 2023.

The event was held under the patronage of French President Emmanuel Macron with the theme A Partnership That Must Be Forged in a World in Crisis. Nass emphasized the significance of the unions commitment to developing joint relations and the role of growing Arab-French ties in promoting broader horizons for cooperation in various fields.

He described the summit as a turning point in the process of joint action and a true awareness of what the current period requires. Nass also stressed the need for effective solutions to address global crises, including the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which poses frightening repercussions on the overall economic situation in the European continent and the rest of the world.

He noted that the crisis has been negatively affecting energy, food security, supply chains and sectors, climate, and cyber security, in addition to posing geopolitical risks. The chairman further emphasized the importance of investing in human competencies and natural resources in the Arab region for their significant impact on the progress, development, and stability of countries.

He expressed his aspiration to achieve fruitful cooperation between Arab-French economic societies in the commercial, industrial, financial, tourism, and agricultural sectors.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the worlds largest Aluminium smelter ex-China, has secured a sustainable financing loan of BD1.6 million to establish a Solar Farm Project from Bank of Bahrain & Kuwait (BBK).

The signing ceremony on 12 March 2023 at Albas Al Dana Hall was attended by Albas Chief Executive Officer Ali Al Baqali and BBKs Group Chief Executive Office Dr A. Rahman Saif and senior officials from Alba and BBK.

Commenting on the deal, Albas CEO Ali Al Baqali said: Every small step we take collectively, will get us closer to meet Bahrains objectives for Net Zero Emissions by 2060.
Air transport workers have sued Hadi Sirika, aviation minister, and the Federal Airports Authority Of Nigeria (FAAN) over the planned concession of four major airports in the country.

In the suit marked NICN/LA/68/2023 and filed before an industrial court on Thursday, the plaintiffs are seeking to stop the concession of Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; Port Harcourt International Airport, Rivers state; Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos state and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The claimants are the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), the National Union Of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Association Of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP), and the Nigeria Union Of Pensioners (NUB- FAAN BRANCH).

They argued that the aviation minister and FAAN were not competent to concession the various airports without the consent and authority of the federal government, the 36 state governments, and the 774 Local government councils in Nigeria.

In their statement of facts, the unions said the terminals require no further investments for the envisaged period of the concession.

The scope of the concession to the surroundings of the terminals, up to FAAN housing estates did not take the assets valuation into account.

The proposed concession has not considered the very serious implication of handing such important national security assets over to foreigners.

The concession is being undertaken by the ministry of aviation, and not by the 2nd defendant (FAAN) which negates the Concession Act.

They also claimed that the defendants arbitrarily fixed the profit-sharing ratio (60:40) in favour of the concessionaire.

The proposed concession of the nations international airports has failed to address the payment of severance benefits to members of the claimants along with pension arrears owed former and present staff of the agency currently estimated at over N150 billion, they said.

The defendants have decided to determine the employment of the claimants in utter breach of the federal airports authoritys reviewed conditions of service, 2021 made pursuant to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria Act.

In order to resolve the dispute concerning the proposed concession of the four international airports, the claimants have held several meetings with the defendants but the meetings did not achieve any result due to the recalcitrant attitude of the defendants.

Asides from seeking to stop the planned concession, the claimants are also praying for an order of injunction restraining the defendants from determining the employment of the members of the claimants without complying with the provisions of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria Act (CAP F5) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria Reviewed Conditions of Service 2021 in any manner whatsoever and howsoever.








With 24 hours to the governorship election, a former Kogi west Senator, Dino Melaye, has accused Senators of the All Progressives Congress, APC, of electoral malpractice.





Melaye accused an APC senator participating in the governorship election of printing ballot papers.





He also alleged that another APC Senator printed result sheets ahead of Saturdays governorship election.





In a series of tweets, Melaye wrote: APC senator printed ballot papers, another APC senator printed result sheets. How can this election be credible, fair and transparent? Yahoo Yahoo election indeed. SDM





How can a person who is participating in an election be the one printing security and sensitive electoral material? A sitting Senator and gubernatorial candidate of APC.





This is a clear case of conflict of interest. This is a clear violation of the theory of participation. SDM
The 2023 Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the viral video of the chairman of Lagos State Parks Management Committee, Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, threatening Igbo ahead of the governorship election on Saturday.

Atiku urged the Lagos State government and the police to ensure that politicians and their proteges submit to the rules of democratic fair play in the state.

In a trending video, MC Oluomo was seen threatening the Igbo residing in Lagos State against voting for other political parties.

MC Oluomo said Igbo who would not vote for the All Progressives Congress, APC, should sit at home.

However, Atiku urged political leaders and their proteges to desist from promoting violence ahead of Saturdays election.

In a series of tweets, Atiku wrote: It is important for political leaders across the country, especially Lagos State, to desist from actions that promote election violence, such that can compromise peace, unity and democracy in our country.

I am concerned about how lackeys of political leaders in Lagos State have unabatedly made ethnic slurs aimed at intimidating voters in the state in tomorrows election.

I have watched with profound disdain a certain video in circulation where some persons known to be associates of the leaders of the ruling party in Lagos State are issuing threats against other ethnic groups in the build-up to the Governorship and State House of Assembly election in the state tomorrow.

I condemn this uncivilised behaviour and also condemn the criminal silence of the security agencies and the political leadership in Lagos State and Abuja on this development.

It is, therefore on this note, that I specifically call on security agencies in the country to ensure that politicians and their proteges submit to the rules of democratic fair-play across the country, especially in Lagos State, for the sake of decency and the promotion of peace and unity.




No fewer than twenty-two villagers have been reportedly killed by gunmen at Majifa village in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.





According to eyewitnesses, the attack took place after the bandits attended a reception for one of their celebrated friends, Mai Katifar Mutuwa.





A source told newsmen that the bandits came into the village shooting sporadically, a situation that forced the villagers to be running helter skelter.





He said twenty-two people were killed instantly as a result of the attack, while many women and children were abducted by the bandits.





He also confirmed that several other residents were badly wounded and are currently hospitalized.





When contacted on phone, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Gambo Isah confirmed the incident, saying that the bandits had been facing serious resistance from the members of the vigilante in the area.





However, the State police spokesman said that fifteen people were killed, while five others have been hospitalised.





He said that the police were still compiling casualty figures as of the time of reporting the incident.





Isah also said that some members of the bandits were equally killed, but that the police could not give the figure as the bandits evacuated the corpses.




Crystal Palace have sacked Patrick Vieira as their manager after only 20 months.





The former France midfielder leaves Selhurst Park with the Eagles sitting 12th in the Premier League table, only three points above the relegation zone.





The club is yet to announce who will take charge of their league fixture against Arsenal on Sunday.





Ex-Leeds boss Jesse Marsch and former Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl are the early frontrunners for the job.





Palace chairman Steve Parish admitted, It is with enormous regret that this difficult decision has been made.





Vieira replaced former England manager Roy Hodgson in July 2021.





In his first season, he guided the team to a 12th-placed finish in the Premier League and the FA Cup semi-final, which they lost to Chelsea.




Police in Anambra State have barred non-state actors, including operatives of the Anambra Vigilante Services, from involving themselves in Saturdays House of Assembly election.





Commissioner of Police in charge of election duties in Anambra State, CP Aderemi Adeoye stated this on Friday evening, in a press conference.





CP Adeoye said police personnel have been adequately mobilised for the election, and operatives of the state vigilante services are not permitted to engage in any election duty by way of guarding VIPs, intimidating voters or trying to coerce them against their wish, and that any one arrested for that would be dealt with.





Adeoye who said he was briefing journalists on behalf of the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 13, AIG Rudolf Obe Echebi, said: He has asked me to tell Anambra people that the police is ready to provide a safe environment for free and fair election in Anambra.





We will also provide security for the people of the state, and they should feel free to go out and vote in the election.





The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, had already ordered a restriction of all forms of vehicular movement on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation from 12 midnight to 6 pm, on election day, with the exception of those on essential services and other emergency situations.





We also announce to you that non-state actors, like the vigilante group, are excluded from participating in any manner in this election.





They are warned not to attempt to participate, either by intimidation, or by any means to coerce voters against their will, or they will be dealt with.





Adequate arrangements have been made to ensure the safety of Anambra people and the police will ensure that the environment is safe for people to come out and cast their votes.
Dele Alake, a media aide to Bola Tinubu, president-elect, says its unfair for a section of the international media to describe the countrys presidential election as fraudulent.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives of international media organisations in Abuja on Thursday, Alake alleged that some of the outlets took sides with candidates on the basis of flawed polls.

The president-elects aide said these events have led to a mischaracterisation of Tinubu that they object to.

With the eventual outcome of the election at variance with some of the Labour Party-sponsored pre-election predictions, many international media organisations that took premature positions on the basis of these flawed polls, found themselves blind-spotted, leading to some of the skewed reports about the election, Alake said.

We object to the mischaracterisation of the presidential election by a section of the international media.

Contrary to the innuendos and aspersions being cast on the election by organisations such as Financial Times, Economist, New York Times among others, we make bold to say that the 2023 Presidential election is the most credible, most free and most fair national election in Nigeria since 1999.

We consider it unfair and quite uncharitable to describe the last election as fraudulent, manipulated or flawed.

All the noise over results not being uploaded on the INEC server was misplaced. The election in Nigeria is done at about 176,000 polling units. The results are announced, signed by party agents and sent to collation centres at ward, council and state levels.

Results are tallied at the state level and announced.

Alake said Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), failed at the polls because of the way they split votes among themselves.

It must be stressed that only the APC went into the 2023 election intact, he said.

These divisions within the main opposition played out in our favour. It was a repeat of 2015 when some PDP states supported the new coalition of parties called APC and gave President Buhari a resounding victory.

The presidential candidate of PDP at his post-election press conference admitted that the Labour Party swept away his partys votes from its traditional stronghold in south-east and south-south.

He is yet to admit the impact of the rebellion of the G5 governors and Kwankwaso in the large voting state of Kano.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP governorship candidate in Lagos state, Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has maintained that he has not stepped down for any candidate in the state.

Adeniran stated this while addressing a press conference in Lagos on Thursday ahead of the March 18th governorship election in the state.

Recall that, earlier, the PDP in Lagos had also maintained that Adediran would not step down for any candidate.

Hakeem Amode, Lagos PDP spokesperson, said the report that Adediran, is considering stepping down for Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, Labour Party (LP) candidate, is false.

The statement was a reaction to a comment credited to Rhodes-Vivour, the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the state, that the LP is talking to the owner of the structure of PDP ahead of the March 11 governorship election.

There have been speculations that the LP and PDP in Lagos might form an alliance to defeat the ruling party  the All Progressives Congress  in the state.

The Lagos PDP however said there is no official conversation between the party and LP.

Lagos state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has debunked claims by the Labour Party Candidate PDP Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour that hes talking with what he called the real owners of PDP structure in Lagos State, saying the statement as credited to the Labour Party candidate came as a disrespect to PDP, as no one can lay claims to the ownership structure of the PDP, the statement reads.

So whoever Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is talking to are only representing themselves and not Lagos PDP, as no official conversation across the two party lines at the moment, and Jandor is NOT planning to step down for any candidate.




Barely 48 hours to the March 18 gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections, Reno Omokri, a social media influencer and former aide to ex-president Goodluck Jonathan said Lagosians should vote other parties other than Labour Party.

On his official Twitter handle on Thursday, Omokri faulted the performance of the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi during his eight years reign as Anambra State governor.

He listed world class railways and solid roads as achievements of Sanwo-olu.

Love him or hate him, Sanwoolu built world class railways and solid roads. What does Obi have to show for his 8 years in Anambra, other than a beer brewery that he has interest in? If you cant vote PDP on Saturday, March 18, jejely vote any other party but Labour [sic].

Sanwo-olu, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of Labour Party, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran of Peoples Democratic Party and others will lock horns for the 7,060,195 registered voters in the 37 Local Government Areas in Lagos State.




Security operatives attached to the convoy of the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai on Thursday evening, clashed with Shiite members in Bakin Ruwa Area of Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.





The development, according to reports, resorted to the death of at least four persons, while many others were injured.





It was gathered that the governors convoy came in contact with the Shiite members while they were performing their weekly procession at Bakin Ruwa along Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway.





According to Daily Trust, a Shiite representative in Kaduna state, Abdullahi Usman, who confirmed the incident, said none of those killed was their member.





The spokesperson of the Kaduna State Police Command, DSP Mohammed Jalige, also confirmed the incident, saying investigation was ongoing and that a statement would be issued later.
Atiku Abubakar has mocked the Presidential Campaign Organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for seeking endorsements after the February 25 election in Nigeria.

The presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused the APC of begging United States President Joe Biden to congratulate Bola Tinubu.

The APC PCC Director of New Media, Femi Fani-Kayode, said though the U.S. State Department had greeted Tinubu, there was a need for Biden to do the same.

Its time for Joe (Biden) to pick up the phone and add his voice. We are a big nation, we deserve no less, Fani-Kayode tweeted.

In a statement on Thursday, Atikus Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu said the former Ministers remarks were evidence of desperation.

Shaibu described FFKs action as appalling, advising even Tinubu and his team to stop forcing foreign countries to recognise the sham election conducted by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The aide said after being the beneficiary of the worst and most fraudulent election in the history of Nigeria, Tinubu and his ilk are now running from pillar to post, begging Western powers to recognise him.

Shaibu recalled the days of Sani Abacha days where the maximum ruler tried to ingratiate himself with the West after refusing to recognise M.K.O. Abiola as the winner of June 12 election.

He noted that the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard stated expressly that the countrys general poll was below the expectation of Nigerians.

Several credible media houses locally and internationally, as well as EU observers, have all questioned the credibility of this election. Yet, Tinubu and his ilk want a stamp of approval on it? What a joke!, the statement added.

Two days after the presidential election, the International Republican Institute, IRI, and the National Democratic Institute, NDI, joint mission declared INEC lacked transparency during the exercise.
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide the required materials and access to the partys legal team challenging the presidential poll.

Recall that the court of appeal granted leave to Obi to have access to all the sensitive materials used by INEC for the election.

Commenting on the development on Friday, Obi said the February 25 poll was conducted in gross deviation of the agreed rules and regulations.

The LP presidential candidate said the exercise was manipulated and aimed at suppressing the will of Nigerians.

What INEC did with the WILL OF NIGERIANS on the 25th of February is even far more troubling. It will only serve to exacerbate our sad situation, the frustration of the people and the deterioration of the country, Obi wrote in a Twitter thread.

As we are directed to go to court, we call on INEC to provide all the required materials and access to our legal and technical teams to do their job. INEC should not be a hindrance to the efforts to get justice for a New Nigeria!

History has taught us that the destruction of a society can be gradual or sudden through deliberate manipulation of the rule of law and suppression of the will of the people.

Obi called on his supporters in the 28 states where elections will be conducted on Saturday to vote for candidates of the LP to enjoy a better future of unlimited opportunities.

I am especially gratified by the fact that many of you were voting for the first time, and you have demonstrated without question your capacity to shape your country and its destiny. I salute your courage, resilience and resolve, he said.

We are undaunted and remain resolutely committed to the fight for a New Nigeria as it is an idea whose time has come. Datti Baba-Ahmed and I, therefore, implore you, my dear brothers and sisters, that March 18th is another day and opportunity to birth a New Nigeria.

The Governors and State House of Assembly members will be elected, and I urge you all to use the same burning passion and commitment to troop out and vote for Labour Party- the character and competence you can trust.

Vote for a new set of dynamic and people-oriented leaders to birth a New Nigeria. We have the patriotism, love, unity and power to defeat the forces of division and prejudice as they represent a brand of politics that has expired and cannot take us into the future.
Southern and middle belt leaders have described the 2023 presidential poll as fraudulent.

The leaders  Edwin Clark, convener of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF); Ayo Adebanjo, leader of Afenifere; Pogu Bitrus, president, Middle Belt Forum; Chukwuemeka Ezeife, former Anambra governor; and Okey Emuchay, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide secretary-general  signed an open letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.

In the letter, they noted that the conduct of the February 25 poll was against the dictates of the Electoral Act 2022.

Mr. President should note that there has been an uneasy calm in the land and that the polity is laden with uncertainty orchestrated by the conduct and outcome of the Presidential election, they said.

Your Excellency, across Nigeria, voters of all ages and groups, consider the conduct and outcome of the February 25 presidential election as fraudulent.

Likewise, many foreign and local observers concluded that the conduct of the election failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians and that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to follow the Electoral Act 2022, and even its own guidelines in the conduct of the poll.

This was in spite of the humongous amount of taxpayers money spent by INEC and the promises of free, fair and credible elections given to Nigerians and the international community, ahead of the elections, by Mr. President and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

They called on INEC to ensure that inconsistencies and irregularities observed in the presidential election are addressed before the gubernatorial and state assembly polls.

Mr. President, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must be told, in unequivocal terms, to ensure that the inconsistencies and irregularities observed during the Presidential and National Assembly elections on February 25 will not reoccur in the Governorship and State Assembly elections, holding on Saturday, March 18, 2023. Elections belong to the people; its their decision and the peoples decision must be respected, the letter reads.

Though the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System may have mitigated the concern of ghost or multiple votes and the February 25 election resulted in a national assembly somewhat reflective of the extant political viewpoint of the country, the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strictly follow the Electoral Act 2022 marred the credibility of the election.

The sanctity of the ballot must be upheld by the electoral umpire and results of the elections must truly reflective the will of the citizenry. We are not sure that pretexts of technical glitches with regard to uploading of results from the BVAS to the iREV immediately after collation at the polling units shall be tolerable in the Governorship and State Assembly elections. The elections must be free, fair and credible!




A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Julius Oji (aka Ochiri Edda), has asked the Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi to stop making inciting statements about the people of Edda clan in the Afikpo South Local Government Area of the state.





According to Oji, who is one of the conveners of Edda Identity, a socio-cultural group in the area, Umahis recent utterances were capable of provoking intra-communal war among the people, saying the clan felt threatened.





Umahi had, on Wednesday, at a public event in the state, among other things, said the people of Edda didnt do well in the February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections and challenged them to do whatever they could to ensure his ruling All Progressives Congress wins the forthcoming governorship poll on March 18.





But the PDP stalwart in a statement, on Thursday, said the governor had no right to force residents of the area to vote against their will on March 18, saying Umahi wasted the years he governed the state.





The statement read, Our people have been in perpetual pain since you assumed office as Ebonyi State Governor in the last seven years and 10 months.





Under your watch as the Chief Security Officer, there have been a lot of killings, intimidation, violence, bloodshed and all manner of crises in Ebonyi State.





The most recent killings in Ekoli Edda community on the 26th December, 2022, one thought could humble you, yet you came to Edda, on Wednesday, threatening violence.





We have had enough of these unwanted killings, intimidation, bloodshed and we cant keep quiet any longer. Allow Edda people to choose whosoever they have confidence in to govern and represent them.





Edda people are known warriors and cannot be cajoled or subjected to any form of intimidation or oppression to influence their choice or change their mandate in the coming election, on Saturday.





Go to your hometown of Uburu and choose for them. We heard in the last elections of February 25 that you lost woefully but resorted to violence just to win. Our people will resist all your antics to ensure that the choices of the people emerge victorious.





Our people have spoken. They have rejected you, your party and whatever you stand for. Ebonyians have never had it this bad before you came as governor. Under your watch, Ebonyians have experienced all manner of killings, intimidation, bloodshed, and calamities yet you stood on the podium to call on God, which is aimed at confusing and deceiving our people.





Our people yearn for good governance, yet you stood against them just to keep them in perpetual pain.





Edda people and I have listened to your video outburst and threats to my person and life. Im using this medium to draw the attention of the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, the State Security Services and other security agencies to the threats outburst and inciting statements of Governor David Umahi, about Edda people.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the just concluded election of February 25, Atiku Abubakar, has vowed to ensure that the alleged fraud perpetrated by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is reversed.

Recall that Atiku came second behind the President-elect, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Against the outcome of the election, Atiku vowed to head to court to protest the result announced by INEC and reclaim his stolen mandate in due course.

In a video circulated by his media aide, Paul Ibe, on Wednesday, Atiku said: I thank you immensely for your high sense of patriotism in bracing the myriads of odds to perform your civic duty during the February 25 presidential election. I truly appreciate your resilience, tenacity, and courage.

As attested to by both local and international observers, the result of the February 25 presidential election, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, was grossly tainted and did not reflect the will of the electorate. You all have demonstrated against this blatant injustice through different mediums. And for that, I thank you again for your non-violent conduct despite the provocations.

Indeed, what the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did in announcing the manipulated result was a clear breach of not only the 2022 Electoral Act but also its own guidelines which the electoral commission had repeatedly claimed would uphold the standards we had seen in the Osun and Ekiti elections. The INEC chairman further ignored calls for a review of the process in line with the amended law.

My fellow citizens, all hope is not lost. You must never give in to apathy. I assure you that the electoral fraud perpetrated by INEC will be reversed in due course as I champion the cause to reclaim our mandate.
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The food at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival remains remarkably consistent, with the same vendors returning with the same dishes year after year, often for decades. They become their own traditions at the annual spring fest.

But now one of the longest-running Jazz Fest food vendors is bowing out. For the first time since its debut in 1987, there will be no crawfish bread at Jazz Fest this year.

The same vendor serves sausage bread and shrimp bread, but its the crawfish bread that ranks as one of the most popular perennial items at Jazz Fest.

John Ed Laborde is the creator of crawfish bread and founder of Panorama Foods, a caterer in the central Louisiana town of Marksville. He said the decision to end a 35-year run as a festival food vendor was a daunting one.

One thing I learned from my daddy, there comes a time in your life when youre less effective and maybe its time to move on, Laborde said. Its just been a good run.

The decision came through a matrix of factors and what Laborde called stressors. At 65, Laborde said it was time to reassess the all-consuming effort it takes to participate in Jazz Fest, a two-week stretch of outdoor food sales that takes months of preparation. He takes a hands-on role in that work.

I make every batch of dough, and I cook every loaf of bread, he said, describing 16-hour days at the peak of crawfish bread prep time.

Many of his key staff members have been with the company for decades, and they are also getting older. The heavy lift to ramp up for Jazz Fest while keeping up with catering duties for weddings, funerals and other events around their community was becoming more onerous.

Costs have also risen across the board, Laborde said, from raw materials to the New Orleans hotel rooms needed to house his crew coming down from central Louisiana to staff the Jazz Fest booth.
Chefs, restaurateurs and social activists Saqib Keval and Norma Listman moved from Oakland, California, to Listman's native Mexico City in 2017 to explore their interests in cooking, foodways and social activism. They now run two restaurants, Masala y Maiz and Mari Gold, as well as a co-op grocery. Keval and Listman are visiting New Orleans this week to cook at a collaborative dinner on Tuesday, March 21, at Lengua Madre with resident chef Ana Castro and Atlanta chef Maricela Vega of Chico. Visit lenguamadrenola.com for information about the dinner. More information about Keval and Listman can be found at masalaymaiz.com.

Gambit: How do you explore food at your restaurants?

Saqib Keval: Norma and I started six years ago. It was never supposed to be a restaurant. It was a research project looking into the migration of cooking techniques and ingredients and political movements between South Asia, East Africa and Mexico.

We were offered a restaurant space. We went against our own ideas and opened up a brick and mortar. We both come from a background of using food for political means and advocating for restaurant workers at the intersection of food, art and social justice. We both have 18 years experience in the restaurant industry. We were like, if we do open a restaurant it needs to be focused on promotion of good labor practices. The restaurant should be a platform for change in our community. We should use food to support political movements.

The work we do in the restaurant group is focused on that. How do we create a dining experience where our diners, our staff, our farmers and producers can use the restaurant as a platform? We push for labor reform and worker rights here in Mexico City.

Were not fine dining, but we use really high-end ingredients. Were not casual dining, but we want service to feel casual. Were a really small restaurant. We have room for 30 people. And were only open for lunch.

Gambit: How do you describe the cuisine at your restaurants?

Keval: Foodwise, we are adamant that our food is not fusion. We focus on a term that doesnt exist in English. Its mestizaje, and it means the organic blending of culture that happens over time. The food that we cook are moments of intersection between the food of Normas Mexican heritage and the food of my family, from Indians in East Africa. The way we create dishes is we tell the story of these moments of intersection between our respective food cultures.

An example would be a stalwart on our menu, esquites makai pakka. Esquites is a Mexican dish of corn served with mayonnaise, chilies and lime. We start the dish as a traditional Mexican dish. We finish it as makai pakka, like youd have on the coast of Kenya, like where my family is from in Mombasa. Makai means corn. Pakka is the technique of cooking in coconut milk. With the Indian influence, its cooked with fresh turmeric and fresh ginger and a masala. We also finish it with Mexican Cotija cheese and aioli.

Our food gets nerdy, because we try to tell migration stories. Right now, when you sit down in the restaurant, we send out a dish as a gift. Its peanuts that we boil in a tamarind and chili broth. That dish comes with a story of groundnuts moving from the Americas to West Africa and back to the American South.

Groundnuts are native to Mexico and South America. When Spanish colonizers came here, they took groundnuts with them, and when Europeans colonized Africa, peanuts became part of West African foodways. The Portuguese took peanuts to Goa (India), and from there into Southeast Asia.

Then during the slave trade, peanuts came to the American south. During that period, the Underground Railroad brought people north. But its not as well known that people also went south to Mexico, which was the first country to outlaw slavery. Through that, groundnuts came back to Mexico. We prepare them in the traditional manner. In pre-colonial Mexico, they were boiled. We add other ingredients that were part of that history.

We like hyper local, seasonal foods with 100% traceability, from the salt we use to the plates we use. We try to be clear about who produces what, so its traceable.

We have a worker-owned natural wine that we produce. We have a worker-owned cooperative grocery. All those projects were started during the pandemic to create alternative sources of income. We took care of our staff during the pandemic, making sure they had full benefits, and we started other things to have income. We do weekly and daily breads. We do breakfast sandwiches and stuff like that. We have a coffee window and bar. We make salsas and spices and pantry staples. We have some household goods.

Gambit: What will you do at the Lengua Madre dinner?

Keval: We are just coming there to cook with Ana Castro and Maricela (Vega, of Chico in Atlanta). We are fans of theirs. We are inspired by the way they use their restaurants as a platform and the way they care for their local food systems. We have collaborated with Maricela before.

The dinner is one night at Lengua Madre. I am excited about the menu. A dish that Ill be doing is kitfo. Its not a tartare, but its a raw dish. My family is from Ethiopia. Were doing a kitfo, but its a very Mexican kitfo. We will serve it with (Louisiana) ingredients, and were bringing some mango pickle that weve been fermenting to mix with the beef.

We have never been to New Orleans, but thats always been a dream. I find the city inspiring, especially the food history and the history of migration, and the music scene and all of that. Well be there for a week  first working on the meal, and then well have two days to explore.
When state wildlife agents announced theyd seize a Bucktown couple's pet nutria, it sparked questions about the legality of domesticated wildlife.

On the subject of possessing a nutria, state law is pretty clear: Nutria shall not be relocated and shall be euthanized within 12 hours of capture.

In short, if you catch it, youve got to kill it.

Thats because nutria are an outlaw species in Louisiana. The big, orange-toothed rodents were brought to Louisiana from South America for the fur trade in the 1930s. When the fur market tanked, nutria were released into the wild, where they thrived at the expense of the states fragile wetlands. Unlike Louisiana's native muskrats, which eat plant tops, nutria gnaw away the roots, leaving little to hold the soil in place.

Nutria have converted more than 40 square miles of the coast into open water in recent decades, according to state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries estimates. Thats equivalent to losing five Grand Isles.

They also eat the eggs of ground-nesting birds and cause trouble for flood-control levees, which can be undermined when nutria burrow into them.

But what if you take home a seemingly harmless nutria baby? That appears to have been the case with Denny and Myra Lacoste, who found the nutria they named "Neuty" after passing cars near a Metairie canal killed its mother and left it an orphan.
When Cameron Parish sheriff's deputies saw a 3-year-old boy walking by the side of the road near Long Beach on Sunday, they knew something was wrong.

The boy's discovery led them to the scene of a tragedy, the sheriff said: A mother and her two daughters had drowned just off a beach. Her nine-year-old son was rescued from the rocks.

It appears the mom went into the water trying to save her children, Sheriff Ron Johnson said.

Samantha Alexander, 28, of Ethel, Mississippi was visiting the beach with her four children on Sunday. Her husband works for a liquified natural gas facility in the area, the sheriff said.

A sparsely-visited beach, strong winds and a line of large rocks not far from shore may have all contributed to the deaths.

"You have waves crashing onto the rocks from the Gulf, and that energy goes back out," Johnson said.

The bodies of the mother and her daughters, ages 7 and 8, were found on the rocks, about 100 feet apart on the side of the rocks facing the Gulf, Johnson said. The 9-year-old boy was able to wave at officers for help from his place on the rocks.

"Those rocks are very hard to climb up on, they're covered with algae and they're slick," Johnson said. "The deputies were having to climb using their hands and feet."

The boy spent a short time in the hospital and is now back home.

Johnson said there are several beaches in Cameron Parish, and some of them are highly popular with visitors  like Holly Beach, which may have a couple of thousand people on the weekend.

But, Long Beach, is "very, very sparsely populated," Johnson said. "There are very few camps there and not a lot of places to park."

"I don't blame anybody," he said, "but as a sheriff, I wouldn't want anybody to go where other people couldn't see you."

The Cameron Parish Sheriff's Office was assisted on Sunday by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriffs Office, Johnson Bayou Fire Department, Cameron Parish Ambulance District No. 2 and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The last Mardi Gras float passed a month ago, but a few wrinkled ribbons of toilet paper still sway in the spring breeze along the St. Charles Avenue route. To some onlookers, they have apparently worn out their welcome.
Seen from the hallway through glass doors, Southside Junior High School science and STEM teacher Jessalyn Revelle (in pink) waves at a visitors coming through the door, as she and students get ready to start on the first day of classes for the new school year at Livingston Parish public schools, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. It was the first day back in a traditional school building for students at Southside Elementary and the adjoining Southside Junior High, previously separate schools that were torn down after extensive damage from the 2016 floods, after which their students were taught in temporary campus buildings set up next to Juban Park Elementary and Juban Park Middle School, respectively. The two schools were rebuilt together on the original Southside Junior High campus on La. 16.
NTV News 24 is a service of Nippon Television, Japan's leading broadcasting network. This page provides a selection of today's stories in English.
Caregivers in Indiana are spending more hours providing unpaid care to Alzheimers and dementia patients and experiencing a greater health toll, a report found.

The Alzheimers Association 2023 Alzheimers Disease Facts and Figures study found an estimated 216,000 caregivers in Indiana spent 321 million hours of unpaid care last year, up 16% from 276 million hours the previous year.

The value of unpaid care rose from about $4.3 billion in 2021 to $5.2 billion last year.

The report also found dementia caregivers are more likely to suffer from depression or a chronic condition like stroke, heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

An estimated 34.1% of caregivers surveyed reported depression while 57.3%. About 74% of dementia caregivers nationally reported being concerned about maintaining their own health while 59% reported high emotional stress.

In Indiana, 18.% of dementia caregivers reported having poor physical health.

This years Facts and Figures report underscores the considerable physical and emotional toll Hoosier caregivers experience when caring for someone living with Alzheimers, said Natalie Sutton, executive director of the Alzheimers Association Greater Indiana Chapter. It clearly underlines the need for caregiver support in Indiana. The Alzheimers Association offers free local support throughout our state including support groups, education and the Associations 24/7 Helpline. This support can be a lifeline to caregivers.

It's estimated 6.7 million people over the age of 65 suffer from Alzheimer's disease in the United States, including 110,000 in Indiana.
Cedar Lake was recently featured in a national business-to-business magazine.

The fast-growing community in south Lake County was highlighted in Business View Magazine. The publication reaches 840,000 executive subscribers across North America.

Business View Magazine's Editor in Chief, Karen Surca, interviewed Cedar Lake Town Manager Chris Salatas for the article, which describes Cedar Lake as "a peaceful oasis a short commute to the big city."

It's part of an ongoing series Business View is running on economic growth and best city practices.

The Business View article covers the town's 800-acre glacial lake and its history as a popular resort destination that was a weekend getaway for many Chicagoans in the 1920s.

The article notes how Cedar Lake is 45 minutes from the city and only a half hour to 40 minutes away from Lake Michigan and the Indiana Dunes National Park.

The Business View story highlights how the town of 14,000 is one of the 10 fastest-growing in the state.

"According to Cedar Lake Town Manager Chris Salatas, it is a great place for residents to build a life because they enjoy low taxes and high quality of life while retaining access to Chicago in well under an hour, high quality of life, a great business and restaurant community, and plenty of outdoor recreational opportunities," the article stated.

"As the towns permanent population grows, steps are being taken to help bring more seasonal visitors back to the Town to support new and improved infrastructure," Business View said in the story.

Business View shines a spotlight on planned improvements like more walkable trails around the lake and a $6 million project to dredge up to 500,000 cubic yards of materials for the bottom of Cedar Lake.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources also plans to then restore the lake to its natural condition with a fish kill and restock.

The town management showcases a number of economic development projects, including the 30-acre Lakeview Business Park, the Rail Side Business Park and a large multi-use lakefront commercial and residential development that would bring condos or townhouses with lakefront views.

The town of Cedar Lake has been attracting retail and banks, and looks to bring in more service-oriented businesses.

"According to Salatas, Cedar Lake offers a flexible zoning process that allows for changes to meet the needs of the community," the article stated.

"That process offers few restraints except for smoke-stacked heavy manufacturers," Business View said in the story. "That means retailers, service-based businesses and even some light industrial may have their choice of locations for future developments assuming town approval."

For more information, visit www.businessviewmagazine.com.
Edgewater Health is seeking to reduce barriers to care for LGBT people in Northwest Indiana.

The health care provider, which offers both behavioral and physical treatment, is looking to cultivate an environment that's inclusive for patients, staff and the community. It recently received competency of care training from Mosaic Health & Healing Arts from Goshen in Northern Indiana.

Mosaic Health and Healing, a family medicine facility that provides primary care to LGBT people, went over how to create a welcoming environment. It covered how to be respectful and how use inclusive language when interacting with LGBT patients.

The course includes team-building activities and interactive conservation.

Unfortunately, the LGBTQ2IA+ population experience worse health outcomes than their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts due to lack of access and culturally incompetent care," President and CEO Danita Johnson said. "We will continue to train our staff and take the lead in cultural competency of care that will address barriers and improve health outcomes for everyone.

Edgewater Health wants to help LGBT people who experience greater mental and physical health inequalities as a result of marginalization and societal pressures.

I am excited to partner with Mosaic Health and Healing Arts in the training of our staff on cultural competency of care for the LGBTQ+ community," Edgewater Health Chief Clinical Officer Chris Carroll said. "It was important for both our clinical and non-clinical staff to receive training to build a more welcoming and supportive healthcare environment. We now feel even more empowered to serve all of our patients.

Founded in 1974 as the Gary Community Mental Health Center, Edgewater Health provides holistic healthcare services in Gary and greater Northwest Indiana.
VALPARAISO  Nearly two years after dropping a bag of cocaine outside Chesterton High School, where he taught, Patrick Miller was in court Friday where it was determined that as a result of complying with the terms of a plea agreement over the past year, his charge would be entered as a misdemeanor rather than a felony.

The 62-year-old Jackson Township resident also dodged serving any more time behind bars as a result of his compliance, Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer said.

Clymer determined Miller has continued to take part in counseling, completed more than the 90 hours of required community service and has avoided further arrests.

Porter County Deputy Prosecutor Christopher Hammer, who agreed Miller complied with the terms of the plea, said Miller went further than required in surrendering his teaching license.

Clymer said Miller would be eligible to reapply for his teaching license after three years.

"Good luck, Mr. Miller," Clymer said.

Had Miller not complied with the terms of the plea agreement from a year ago, he faced his conviction being entered as a felony and up to two and a half years behind bars.

Miller, who was represented by defense attorney Jason Denny, pleaded guilty to a reduced felony count of possessing cocaine, according to the plea agreement.

The case goes back to April 15, 2021, when a parent told police she was picking up her daughter from practice at Chesterton High School about 4:30 p.m. when she noticed a small baggie containing white powder in the parking lot. She took it home and provided it the next day to police, who confirmed it was cocaine.

An officer viewed surveillance footage of the area in question from April 15 and watched as Miller pulled keys from his pocket and the bag in question fell to the ground unnoticed at 12:18 p.m., according to the charges. The officer then watched as the parent picked up the bag about four hours later.

Miller, who reportedly has not taught at the high school since the incident, later told police he went to Illinois, picked up two friends and the package in question, which he assumed was cocaine, according to the charges.

He then gave several differing stories about how he came into possession of the cocaine, police said. He admitted to having used the drug in the past, but reportedly refused to take a drug test.

The Duneland School Corp. said it cooperated with Chesterton police during the investigation and had taken "immediate steps to remove the staff member from employment."

"At no time were students involved in the incident," according to the school district.
He said he was fascinated by the intangible parts of a relationship that are both permanent and temporary  elements that he uses the documentary format to highlight and preserve.

I think documentary can be a really beautiful way of sort of giving us access to those things, he said, that disappear so much more quickly than we probably realize, especially as we get older.

So, how to channel romantic heartbreak into your art? Well, there are many ways. Frida Kahlo, after a tumultuous relationship with her husband, the artist Diego Rivera, painted canvas after canvas alluding to their love and complex connection. In the ballad Song Cry, Jay-Z raps about being unable to show his emotions because of pride. Instead he unpacks his regret and pain over a bad breakup in the song.

Deesha Philyaw, the John and Renee Grisham writer in residence at the University of Mississippi, had resisted writing directly about her own heartbreak for much of her career. But within the last five years, she has begun writing about her second marriage, which ended in divorce.

The end of that marriage was tied to the emotionally fraught relationship she had with her father, she explained.
As a kid, I believed every last old wives tale. I was sure that if I read in the dark I would go blind. That if I swam in the lake after a generous lunch I might sink to the bottom. That if I swallowed my bubble gum, the kind that came with a tiny comic strip, the hardened pebble of it would ferment in my stomach for the next seven years, which was a whole lifetime to me then.

In pregnancy I was a child again, vulnerable to received wisdom, desperate for anyone or anything that might show me the way. Through all of it, women considered my belly  how low it hung, how it led the rest of my body around  and declared that I was having a boy. I couldnt help picturing my young son, until the day, eight months ago, when my baby slid into the tub water and I held her up to the lousy bathroom light.

The imagined divide between legitimate knowledge and the stories of women is archaic, older even than the King James Bible, in which Paul advises Timothy to refuse profane and old wives fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. But the phrase old wives tales became popular in America in the 19th century, when a nascent medical establishment decided it would dismantle and replace female lay-healing traditions. Midwives, many of them older Black and immigrant women, were the final holdouts in this takeover. They were so thoroughly disparaged by male obstetricians that midwifery was essentially outlawed in the United States.

The physicians condemned the midwives in the name of science. These old wives, who educated one another in the evidence of their experience and rarely wrote anything down, were accused of trading scraps of hearsay, a damning indictment. For what could possibly be less credible than a story told by a woman?
Mr. Spratlan, whose long road to the Pulitzer and the premiere also included his self-financing the concert that led to the prize, died on Feb. 9 at a hospice center in Mount Laurel, N.J. He was 82. His wife, Melinda (Kessler) Spratlan, said the cause was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Mr. Spratlan, who taught at Amherst College in Massachusetts for 36 years, composed works for large ensembles and small ones, as well as solo pieces. He even invented an instrument, which he called the terpsiptomaton and which incorporated metal coils and rods, piano strings and ball bearings.

When a key is depressed, the ball bearings are released and fall, hitting the rods and the piano strings, The Boston Globe explained in 1980. Amherst magazine described it as a cross between a harpsichord and a pinball machine.

Both the instrument and a piece he composed for it, Coils, were given their world premiere in a concert in Amherst in 1980. The instrument seems not to have caught on, but the effort showed Mr. Spratlans penchant for whimsy in his works.

In the chamber piece When Crows Gather (1986), which was inspired in part by the arrival of a throng of crows outside his studio window in Massachusetts, he had the musicians approximate wintry winds and end with, as Mr. Tommasini put it in The Times, what could be called the Crow Squawk Toccata. In 2002, Allan Kozinn of The Times described another chamber piece, Zoom, this way:

He begins by having the players alternate sharp, loud chordal bursts with all manner of breathy vocalizations, including sighs, heavy breathing, gasping and panting. Eventually the musical content sweeps away the sound effects, only to career between slidey modernist textures and fleeting hints of big-band jazz. A touch of what seems to be the influence of Frank Zappa streams through the last two movements as well, and from there its a short step to cartoonish sound effects.
Macron forces through retirement plan

President Emmanuel Macron pushed through contentious legislation to raise Frances retirement age  without a full vote in parliament. The decision inflamed tensions and set the stage for a no-confidence vote against his government.

The move, which allows the retirement age to be raised to 64 from 62, drew calls for more protests after two months of mass demonstrations and strikes. In parliament, opposition lawmakers sang the national anthem and banged on their desks. On the streets, protesters pledged to continue the fight.

Macron used a constitutional measure to enact the bill without putting it to a vote in the National Assembly, the lower and more powerful house of Parliament. The upper house, the Senate, approved the bill. Macrons party and its allies hold only a slim majority in the National Assembly and did not have enough votes to pass the bill.

The decision to avoid a vote is legal  but will be regarded by Macrons opponents as anti-democratic. A no-confidence vote in the National Assembly is expected in the coming days, most likely on Monday, but its unlikely to succeed. If it did pass, it would bring down his prime minister and the cabinet, and the bill would be rejected.
WASHINGTON  As U.S. regulators prepared to announce an extraordinary government rescue of depositors at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank on Sunday, officials from the Biden administration pushed to formally spotlight shortcomings in financial regulation that they blamed for the banks rapid descent to insolvency, according to several people involved in or close to the discussions.

But Jerome H. Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, blocked efforts to include a phrase mentioning regulatory failures in the joint statement released early Sunday evening by the Fed, the Treasury Department and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Government officials raced through the weekend to decide how to protect the financial system against the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, and the back and forth underlined a tension in the discussions. Some administration officials wanted to include that lapses in bank regulation and supervision had contributed to the problems that helped fell the bank.

Mr. Powell pushed to take the line on regulation out of the statement because he wanted to focus on the actions being taken to shore up the financial system, according to a person familiar with that matter. Those steps included ensuring that no depositors at Silicon Valley Bank would lose their money and setting up a new program from the Fed to provide loans that could help the banking system at a challenging moment.
WARSAW  Polands president said on Thursday that his country would transfer four Soviet-designed MIG fighters to Ukraine literally in the next few days, potentially pushing Western military aid to the embattled country over a significant threshold.

The warplanes would be the first sent to Ukraine by a NATO country since Russia invaded last year.

The pledge from Polands president, Andrzej Duda, fell short of Ukrainian requests for more advanced F-16 fighter planes from the United States but was nonetheless welcomed by the chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine as great news coming soon.

Still, some uncertainty remained.

Poland first pledged such fighters a year ago, in the weeks after Russia invaded  but has so far sent none. Polish officials had previously indicated that they would send warplanes to Ukraine only as part of a coalition with other countries.
Many young artists survive their early careers with commissions from friends and family. Zachary Ginsberg was no different, participating in local fairs and selling his portraits to relatives for a couple of hundred dollars.

Then his biggest score appeared out of nowhere. A stranger emailed through the painters website to inquire about a $3,400 purchase.

It seemed too good to be true  and it was.

What happened next followed a pattern seen in nearly a dozen attempts at defrauding artists of their paintings and money that were reviewed by The New York Times. In each case, young artists were offered an attractive price for artworks by collectors who sent them checks to cover the price of the work and the cost of shipping it. Each of them was then asked to forward the shipping fee by money order to a person who was arranging the delivery.

Ginsberg sent $2,060 to the aptly named Linda Shady, who was supposed to be a shipping agent based in Fond du Lac, Wis. That name turned out to be fictitious and the person apparently used fake identification to cash the money order before Ginsberg was told by his bank that the $6,210 check he had received  more than he asked for  had not cleared.
Yet form eluded him once again  until he decided to experiment with hemp rope. And suddenly it made sense  it was like giving the sculpture a see-through skin, he said. He showed these rope sculptures for the first time in his first solo show, and also his big break, in 1992, at the Philippe Briet Gallery in SoHo. It has become his signature, wrapped like mesh around the disparate objects he has collected for years, making his entire oeuvre appear to be the giant collection of a well-traveled fisherman, rescuing lost items from the sea.

When youre from an island in the Caribbean, the only news you get is from the sea, said Jose Martos, owner of the Martos Gallery in Manhattan, where Simms had a solo exhibition in 2021. They were introduced by Marquita Flowers who, in 2019, showed six works by Simms at Shoot the Lobster, an intimate gallery on the Lower East Side, also belonging to Martos. I was immediately hooked to his practice, he recalled, because it contained a clear understanding of art history balanced by a great sense of diplomacy, which is the only way you can have all these influences and still manage to keep things balanced.

In The Miracle of Burano, the survey of Simmss work at Karma, through April 29, many objects the artist collected are seen for the first time, most marvelously wound with hemp rope. There are pieces dealing with his personal experiences, like Chester, Alice, Marcia, Erica and Arthur Take a Ride, from 1993  a sculpture in the form of a vessel, referencing his familys journey from Jamaica to the U.S. His own interest in movement is accentuated by pieces in the show that have tires or wheels cleverly bound to them, or toy cars with wire, toy giraffes and brightly colored wood.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York changed the name of one of its Edgar Degas pastels Friday morning from Russian Dancers to Dancers in Ukrainian Dress, the second Degas it has reclassified since Russia invaded Ukraine.

The National Gallery in London renamed one of its Degas pastels Ukrainian Dancers from Russian Dancers last year. And the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles updated an old item on its website to note that Degass dancers were Ukrainian, not Russian.

The adjustments reflect a movement that is currently underway at museums all over the world, spurred by Russias invasion of Ukraine. Many are re-examining  and, in a growing number of cases, relabeling  artworks and artists from the former Russian Empire and the former Soviet Union to better reflect their Ukrainian origins.

Scholarly thinking is evolving quickly, Max Hollein, the Mets director, said in a statement, because of the increased awareness of and attention to Ukrainian culture and history since the Russian invasion started in 2022.
The Early family counterclaim challenges the veracity of the gift account, asserting that Helen had once asked her brother Thomas for permission to exhibit the Rockwells in San Francisco in 1980, a sign that she recognized she was not the sole owner. A decade later, the counterclaim says, she wrote to a museum and said she had received the Rockwells as a gift in 1960, nine years after her father had died.

The counterclaim argues that the works had long been in the possession of the press secretarys widow, Helen Wrenn Early, but that soon after she died in 1978, Mr. Elam took them out of his grandmothers home and brought them to the White House, where they were placed on loan with the lender listed as anonymous. Those court papers describe that as an effort to launder or wash the ownership of the artwork and promote sole ownership by Mr. Elam.

Mr. Elams lawyers, David G. Fiske and Thomas C. Junker, said in an interview that they took strong exception to those assertions, saying that there was no basis to accuse Mr. Elam or his mother of misconduct. The loan to the White House, they said, had been initiated by Mr. Elams mother in 1978 after an attempted break-in at her mothers home in Virginia where she and her son had been living for about a decade.

The lawyers added that they were unaware of any evidence that either Mr. Elam or his mother had ever asked the White House to conceal the identity of the lender. They provided a copy of a program for a 1980 exhibition in San Francisco of materials related to the presidency that lists the Rockwells and says they were lent to the White House by Ms. Elam.

They also provided a copy of a 1980 letter to her from Clement Conger, then the White House curator, thanking her for loaning the four Rockwell panels for the San Francisco show and adding, The drawings you lent contributed so much to the success of the exhibition.

Mr. Goldman said that Mr. Conger had addressed his letter only to Ms. Elam because the White House was unaware that other family members shared ownership of the works.
Two years later, Schlather debuted on Frankfurts main stage with Domenico Cimarosas Litaliana in Londra, a 1778 work that lies far outside of the standard repertoire. Once again, it triumphed. A critic in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper called it the rebirth of the Frankfurt Opera out of the spirit of comedy.

When Schlather returned to Frankfurt last year, it was not with a rarity, but with Madama Butterfly in a daringly stripped-down staging that left much to the viewers imagination.

There was no cliche of Madame Butterfly, like these terrible romantic productions we have seen, Loebe said, comparing aspects of it to classical Japanese theater. It was very clean and clear.

The production was so successful that it will return for eight performances between May and July. And Loebe has invited Schlather back to work at the house during the 2024-25 season. (Like Huffman, Schlather is keeping one foot in the States: In October, he will direct a Handel opera in Hudson, N.Y.).

I love working in a place like Frankfurt, where theres such a diversity of repertoire and you can see the most obscure thing and the most popular thing always in an interesting point of view, Schlather said, adding that the house has given him opportunities that he would be unlikely to get in the United States.

He took a big leap of faith on me, Schlather said of Loebe. So I think I really lucked out by being what he was looking for, or what he was open to.
Lance Reddick, a prolific actor who gained fame playing a police commander on the Baltimore crime drama The Wire and later had prominent roles in the John Wick movie franchise and the Amazon series Bosch, died on Friday. He was 60.

His death was confirmed by his publicist, Mia Hansen. She did not say where he died or cite a cause.

Mr. Reddick was having some success as a stage actor when, in 1996, he began landing small roles on New York Undercover, The West Wing and other television series, as well as some TV movies.

Even then he was often playing law enforcement figures, and he would be doing so when his breakthrough came in 2002: He was cast as Lt. Cedric Daniels, the principled head of the investigation unit, on The Wire, the sprawling HBO series that was praised for its realistic and often downbeat depiction of policing, crime, education and other aspects of life in Baltimore.
The day before Mr. Nicholss funeral service in Memphis, she called Eliza Fawcett, a reporting fellow on the National desk who was in Memphis covering the aftermath of Mr. Nicholss death. Ms. Fawcett, along with Ava Sasani, another fellow, spent about a week searching for the scenes captured in Mr. Nicholss pictures, visiting his hangouts and speaking with his friends. Their article, Memphis, Through the Lens of Tyre Nichols, was published this month.

To report on the story, Ms. Fawcett and Ms. Sasani went to some of Mr. Nicholss favorite local spots, such as Tobey Skate Park, where he liked to skateboard, and a Starbucks where he would sit with a group of regulars on most mornings.

When Ms. Fawcett first visited the coffee shop, none of Mr. Nicholss friends were there, and the employees did not want to talk to reporters. It was a dead end, Ms. Fawcett said. But when she returned the next day, she noticed a man who hadnt been there the day before. He just kept saying hi to every single person who came in, by name, she said.

From the mans outgoing demeanor, she suspected it was Perry Williams. Ms. Fawcett had learned through her reporting that Mr. Williams brought the Starbucks group together. She approached him, introduced herself and asked if she could join him. While they spoke, he relished the sun shining on them and said that their group always sat on the sunny side of the patio. His gregarious, easygoing manner grew somber only when the conversation turned to Mr. Nicholss death.
Bryon and Melia said they initially envisioned the two characters strolling through Camden, a popular part of north London, also known for its exuberance. But when they sent Allen-Miller the script, she said she would only join the team if the film (her directorial debut) was set in South London. She wanted to almost write a love letter to the area, she said, having moved there at 12 to live with her father and grandmother. One of my fondest memories is walking around Brixton Market with my grandma and getting Jamaican spices, she said.

Melia had previously lived in Brixton, and felt the location still matched what we were going for. The scripts first draft was a bit more like Before Sunrise, insofar as it could almost be one shot, he said. By the time Raine read it, it had developed a bit further away from that anyway.

The finished film is shot in a saturated color palette, and in parts with a fisheye camera lens. The dreamy, joyful atmosphere is in stark contrast with how Peckham and Brixton were once depicted in the mainstream British press. In 2007, The Guardian reported that for more than a generation, Peckham had been linked with drugs, gangs and violent murders.

Recently, these areas in South London have also experienced significant gentrification, with house prices rising and wealthier people moving in, inadvertently hurting longstanding locals. In the upcoming book All The Houses Ive Ever Lived In, the journalist Kieran Yates details how, while living in Peckham in 2017, she witnessed the sheer speed at which wealthy property developers saw an opportunity to move in. She later moved to Brixton, where an influx of restaurants, farmers markets, galleries, cafes and bars has led to a spike in rent, she wrote.
Still Time

Stream it on Netflix.

Dante (Edoardo Leo) works in insurance. Or rather, he overworks in insurance. His life is spent rushing around and juggling responsibilities, and so he is always running late, much to the frustration of his artist girlfriend, Alice (Barbara Ronchi). Until the morning following a birthday, when Dante wakes up to the realization that an entire year has gone by while he was asleep  mind you, everybody else experienced it normally. Another day goes by, and another year that has elapsed for him. In what feels like just a few (subjective) hours, Alice is pregnant, then the couple have a baby, who just as quickly turns into a toddler, and into a little girl. One day Dantes a grunt at his company, the next he is the boss, and so on. To his horror, he is living his life in fast-forward.

An Italian remake of the 2021 Australian film Long Story Short (which stars Rafe Spall and is also on Netflix), Alessandro Aronadios comedy skips cumbersome logistics  the script does not bear close scrutiny  to essentially focus on Dantes powerlessness as his life passes him by. The message to slow down and smell the roses is fairly obvious, but that does not make Still Time any less fun.

Re/Member

Stream it on Netflix.
Administrators at the Kings College, a small Christian liberal arts college in Manhattan, have been meeting with students in recent weeks to deliver a grim message: All of you should find someplace else to go to school.

Between the pandemic and a business deal gone bad, the college had struggled for years. But what began as a handful of layoffs in November quickly escalated to a doomsday scenario. Now it appears likely the school will close, and school officials have been going from department to department to show students a list of schools that might accept them as transfer students.

The Kings College is a small school. But as the citys only high-profile evangelical college committed to the truths of Christianity and a biblical worldview, it is more well known than its enrollment numbers  over 600 students before the pandemic, down to roughly half that now  might suggest.

Its sudden decline has drawn national attention.

Most of its students are white, and many come from conservative households far from New York City. For them, Kings has been a pathway to a world beyond their lives back home, where roughly half were either home-schooled or attended private, often Christian, academies.
The footage released by the attorney general, taken from at least four hours of video from cameras worn by the officers on scene, shows the police repeatedly telling Mr. Seabrooks, who can be seen at points holding a bloody knife, to come out and talk to his mother. They asked him how they could help, urged him to stop cutting himself and then pleaded with him to come out so they could take him to a hospital. Then, at 12:35 p.m., Mr. Seabrooks leaped out of the bathroom.

It was a dangerous situation in there, said Andre Sayegh, the mayor of Paterson, whose administration had repeatedly urged the state attorney generals office to release footage from police body cameras.

The officers were there to render aid and as youll see in the videos, they were trying as much as possible to avoid a tragic outcome, he said.

The police did not respond to messages for comment. The attorney generals office said it would not comment beyond its statement, citing the continuing investigation.

Members of the Paterson Healing Collective, the antiviolence organization where Mr. Seabrooks had worked for two years as an interventionist, said the videos show precisely why the police should not be the primary responders when a person is in the throes of a mental health crisis.
Construction workers have been at work demolishing an abandoned tuberculosis hospital in Queens over the past several months, dismantling the long-empty wards and carting off the bricks. But first, they had to figure out what to do with a school of goldfish which for unknown reasons had come to call the flooded basement home. Three hundred of them.

Their go-to goldfish rescuer? A beautician from the Bronx.

Brenda Prohaska, who teaches cosmetology at an alternative learning high school, had only a passing interest in fish when she joined a local aquarium interest group a few years ago. She just had some questions about how to treat ich, an illness that had wiped out her mollies. Then the pandemic lockdown began and the fish club became a fish 911.

Messages poured in: There were sultan fish languishing in a closed acupuncture office in Midtown Manhattan, a cluster of spike-topped apple snails forfeited by a Bronx family fleeing the contagion, and a nearly 20-year-old Oscar fish in Co-Op City whose owner had died of the coronavirus.

I thought someone else would answer the call, Ms. Prohaska, 51, said in an interview in her house on City Island in the Bronx, over the burble of hundreds of gallons of aquarium water. Beside her, the foot-long sultan fish from the acupuncture office chewed a fresh earthworm she had plopped in his tank. They didnt, so I had to.
Brought by the nonprofit organization Upsolve and the Rev. John Udo-Okon, a pastor in the South Bronx, the case focuses on debt collection lawsuits. Hundreds of thousands are filed annually in New York State, and millions more across the country. Many people sued in these cases cannot afford a lawyer. With help, many could defend themselves by explaining, for example, that the wrong person was sued, the wrong amount was sought, the wrong creditor claimed to own the debt, the lawsuit was filed too late and the like. But most people do not respond to the suits, allowing creditors to obtain default judgments and then garnish peoples wages and seize their assets.

Mr. Udo-Okon wants to help members of his congregation sued in debt collection cases, and he has received training from Upsolve, a civil rights group focused on helping low-income New Yorkers respond to debt collection lawsuits, to help him do this well. More than 100 community residents have said they would want his free legal help. If permitted, he would download a fill-in-the-blank form from the New York courts website, then explain to people how to complete and file the form. Thats all. But even this would violate the states unauthorized practice bans.

States should ease up on these restrictions.

A Federal District Court judge found last year that the unauthorized practice prohibition likely infringes on Mr. Udo-Okons First Amendment freedom of speech, and authorized him to begin helping people while the case is on appeal. The order applies only to the plaintiffs in this case, but if the Court of Appeals upholds it and endorses the district judges analysis, groups such as Upsolve can explore other ways to train people to take on their low-income communities vast unmet legal needs. (We wrote amicus briefs in support of the plaintiffs on behalf of the National Center for Access to Justice.)

Many would agree that the Constitution should give everyone the right to give and receive free advice about lifes challenges, including legal problems. The Constitution requires that laws censoring speech must be narrowly tailored to serve a compelling purpose. States can protect people from bad or fraudulent advice, but not by forbidding everyone but a lawyer from helping others in their community with their legal problems. That goes too far, because people who do not have a lawyer can benefit from free advice about common legal problems from someone with training or experience they know and trust, even if that person is not a lawyer.

New Yorks attorney general, Letitia James, argues in part that this is not a freedom-of-speech issue at all because Mr. Udo-Okon would primarily be engaging in conduct, not speech. She asserts that, given Upsolves training, he would be applying legal knowledge, judgment and skill to the facts of an individuals legal problem. That, she says, is the practice of law, not speech, even though he would not charge money, nor pose as a lawyer, nor advocate for anyone in or outside of court.
To the Editor:

Re Florida Re-edits a New Subject: Social Studies (front page, March 17):

Gov. Ron DeSantiss push to eradicate ugly truths from our history, while pretending to protect young minds, is deceitful, cynical and manipulative, and will in fact harm young hearts and minds.

It will promote the use of denial, false narratives and other poorly adaptive coping mechanisms that will handicap youths as they face their futures.

Life is painful. That is a fundamental truth of our existence. It is only by examining a true and accurate history of our faults and errors that youths can become equipped to use only the healthiest coping skills.

Paul Rosenberg

Palm Beach, Fla.

The writer is a retired psychiatrist.

To the Editor:

Attacks on school curriculums emanating from Gov. Ron DeSantis and currently focused on social studies underscore the danger of such campaigns.
And crucially this is true even, or especially, if you regard some of those 1960s alterations as mistaken or disastrous. Because then you yourself are in the position of the critic, the dissenter, the 19th-century liberal Catholic. For your conception of Catholic tradition to be vindicated, it would necessarily be the case that the church can get things badly wrong  because otherwise, why would it be in need of your desired traditionalist restoration?

This is why a Latin Mass Catholic like Pink finds himself elaborating the case against general infallibility. Indeed, in this sense, the legacy of Vatican II makes liberals out of members of all the Catholic factions. From whatever vantage point, we all must concede some substantial zone of legitimate argument and disagreement, some ground on which to faithfully differ with the pope.

Of course, that concession doesnt tell you which trajectory a given argument should rightly take or how large the ground of faithful dissent might be  which is why a figure like Newman, a liberal Catholic in debates about the scope of infallibility, could also be the great enemy of theological liberalism in other Victorian debates.

But once youve put away Mannings expansive definition of infallibility, his argument still has its revenge  because matters of faith and morals are still clearly connected to matters of policy and governance, which is why entire edifices of theological reasoning are raised to justify specific rules and disciplines and decisions. So you cant just cleanly say: Question the churchs policies and prudence, but dont question its teaching on faith and morals! You also have to concede some terrain of public teaching thats subject to potential error, thats owed respect and deference but not absolute assent.

Pink calls this kind of teaching official theology to distinguish it from the usual term magisterial teaching, which has much more authority. The merely official kind of teaching, he writes, is the ordinary register in which the church discusses issues, and it is not itself protected from error  As it mutates and changes, official theology may repeat magisterial teaching, or it may go beyond it; it may pass over some magisterial teaching in silence, or even begin to contradict it. But at the same time, its often the main medium through which the Churchs teaching is represented and understood by Her members. For that reason, it is often difficult for many of them to distinguish the official theology of the age from magisterial teaching proper.

Let me offer a concrete example of this difficulty, at one remove from the current culture war: Its difficult for me, as a fairly well-read Catholic with strong opinions on the faith, to tell you exactly where the current teaching of the church stands on usury, the lending of money with interest charged. There is a traditional teaching, with a long pedigree, that considers almost all forms of interest-based lending to be sinful, which if taken seriously would condemn basically the entire banking system of the modern world. Theres also a widespread belief that in current Catholic teaching only excessive or predatory interest stands condemned  and not the operation of, say, my home mortgage or mutual funds. And then theres a lively debate between the two positions at the margins of the churchs thought-world, while in the mainstream, it is taken for granted that the old understanding has been updated without there being a definite magisterial statement to that effect.

Was the old teaching merely official, overdrawn and now superseded? Or was the old teaching magisterial and the new perspective a case of official teaching gone awry or corrupted by the world? At the moment, that seems like its up to the conscience and intellect of the individual Catholic to discern.
On Dec. 15, nurses walked out and began the largest nurses strike in the history of Britains National Health Service. They were protesting working conditions that have left them burned out and stretched thin  and compromised patient safety  and wages that fell in the last decade in real terms. Ambulance workers joined them. This week, thousands of junior doctors went on strike for three consecutive days.

I come to work and can see that theres a patient waiting eight hours to see a doctor. There are some days where I finish my shift, come back the next day and then I see the same patient still sat waiting in A&E  the emergency room  the next day, Dr. Kiara Vincent, one of the doctors striking, told the BBC on Monday.

But you dont have to work in a hospital to know that Britains N.H.S. is in the most serious crisis of its history; you just have to be injured, or ill. Thousands of people are estimated to have died in the last year because of overwhelmed ambulance and emergency services. There are 7.2 million people in England, more than 10 percent of the population, on waiting lists for treatments like hip or knee replacements, back surgery or cataract operations. And hundreds of thousands of people have had a doctors referral for outpatient care at a hospital rejected because there are no available appointments  they are simply bounced back to the doctor to begin the process again.

That the flagship health care service of one of the wealthiest countries in the world is in such a state is shocking, but not without explanation. Decades of marketization, 10 years of Conservative austerity and a pandemic have hollowed out the N.H.S. so much that people who can afford to, and increasingly those who cant, are having to pay for health care.
In Japan, its possible to enjoy a coffee while an owl perches on your head, or to sit at a bar where live penguins stare out at you from behind a plexiglass wall. The countrys exotic animal cafes are popular with locals as well as visitors seeking novelty, cuteness and selfies. Customers can even buy animals at some of the cafes and bring them home.

But visitors of these venues may not realize that many of these cafes put wildlife conservation, their own and public health, and animal welfare at risk.

In an exhaustive survey of Japans animal cafes published earlier this year in the journal Conservation Science and Practice, researchers found 3,793 individual animals belonging to 419 different species, 52 of which are threatened with extinction. Nine of the exotic species they found, including endangered slow lorises and critically endangered radiated tortoises, are strictly banned from international trade.

Some species we saw are of very questionable origins, said Marie Sigaud, now a veterinarian and wildlife biologist at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, who conducted the study as a postdoctoral researcher at Kyoto University. Many of the animals are most likely caught in the wild, and this has implications for their long-term survival.
A plan to return to work full-time  he had been doing some part-time consulting and technical work  once his children left home had to be scrapped when his mother developed Alzheimers disease in the late 2000s; he was one of two primary caregivers until her death in 2015.

If Ms. Fooden and Mr. Correy, who goes by Mickey, didnt find much to bond over professionally on their Fred Segal date, their family backgrounds made up for it. Both are mixed race. Ms. Fooden, who has a bachelor of fine arts degree from Parsons School of Design, grew up in Chicago with a Black mother, Elizabeth Fooden, and a Jewish father, Jack Fooden. Both parents have died.

Mr. Correy, who spent two years studying at Los Angeles City College before working at AT&T, grew up in Los Angeles with a mother, Suggie Correy, who was biracial. His father, Bert Correy, who died when Mr. Correy was 12, was Black and Cape Verdean.

Their racial similarities became especially meaningful for Ms. Fooden after their coffee date. A week later, they accidentally saw a Phish cover band at the Santa Monica nightclub Harvelles. He thought he was bringing her there to see a blues show when an unfamiliar group took the stage. The couple stuck around, despite their lack of enthusiasm for jam bands. We both thought it was funny, Ms. Fooden said. People seemed so happy two older Black people were there.

At the end of date number three  a Memorial Day barbecue at the home of Mr. Correys son, along with Mr. Correys other two children  both were ready to commit. Ms. Fooden had felt ambivalent about going. I thought it was too soon to meet his family, she said. But they were so lovely, and it was so special to me. When they got in the car to leave, the first thing Mickey said was, You know theyre talking about us right now. Both laughed. But it was true.
David Brendan Ruttura and Katherine Julia Travis met in October 2014 in New York while working on the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera. Ms. Travis, who goes by Katie, was playing the role of Christine Daae and Mr. Ruttura was the resident director.

They were friends for more than a year before they began dating, but each had an inkling there was something more brewing. For example, Mr. Ruttura was workshopping the adaptation of the School of Rock the Musical, and gave a character named Katie her last name. Children across the world play Katie Travis, he said of the show, which opened on Broadway in 2015.

Their first date happened when they were no longer touring together and Mr. Ruttura, 40, learned that Ms. Travis, 36, was newly single. He asked her out to a now-closed restaurant called BarBacon in Hells Kitchen in September 2017.

After bacon-flavored food and drinks, Mr. Ruttura invited Ms. Travis to his apartment to try his Ouija board. They conjured spirits, Mr. Ruttura said with a laugh.
Despite being old fashioned, Mr. Greene, 52, is actually pretty flashy, Ms. Anderson said. He showed up in a Bentley, wearing a mink coat and a long platinum and diamond chain. He reminded me of Biggie Smalls, she added. I was like, who is this guy?

It was frigid, Mr. Greene said, but they still decided to have dinner outdoors at Tidewater Grill in Dumfries, Va., as it was the peak of the pandemic and there was no indoor seating. They stayed until the restaurant closed. In the parking lot, she told him, I dont know what this is going to be, but its going to be something.

The connection was instant, the conversation was effortless and he was transparent, Ms. Anderson said. Mike is most definitely what you see is what you get. The only thing I didnt see coming initially was the fur coat and the chain.

On their third date, he asked her to be his girlfriend. And on their fifth date, he shared with her a timeline he had in mind to work their way toward marriage.

The timeline included spending time with each others family. They had their first vacation together in July 2021 in Ocean City, Md., with Ms. Andersons son from a previous relationship and Mr. Greenes two sons from his first marriage. (He also has two daughters from that marriage, but they were unable to join. Additionally, he had a second marriage that ended in divorce.)
Lone Women

A novel by Victor LaValle

The men climbed up and got the horses trotting. With so much weight on the animals, they took the journey slow.

What happened? Adelaide asked. To your horses.

Matthew grunted as they rode. He remained quiet for another quarter mile.

Four horses gone missing this morning, Matthew said. Two of ours and two from the folks that own this place.

Stolen?

Thats right, Matthew said. By kids.

Kids? Adelaide asked.

Four boys. Seen riding off on them before the sun came up.

Fleeing California after a fire destroys her childhood home, Adelaide Henry makes her way to rural Montana, where, per the Homestead Act, theres free land to be had, even by an unmarried Black woman in 1915. She arrives with a large steamer trunk that she keeps locked over the course of the months she spends contending with the punishing landscape and getting to know her neighbors. If its opened, she fears, harm may come to those around her, and not for the first time. To be published by One World on March 28.
Two weeks into Broadway rehearsals for Room, a show about a mother held captive with her young son, the first act had been fully blocked. Tickets were on sale. Critics had been invited.

It was 18 days until the first preview performance, and on Thursday, actors were continuing to work through Act II. But then, inside the rehearsal studio on 42nd Street, a lead producer gathered members of the cast and crew to announce that a financial shortfall meant the show would be postponed indefinitely.

It just became pin-drop silent, said Michael Genet, one of the shows actors.

The churn of Broadway machinery had ground to a halt. The producer, Hunter Arnold, explained to those present  including the star, the Tony-winning actress Adrienne Warren  that an attempt to save the show through dozens of phone calls to potential investors had been unsuccessful.

I said, very truthfully, that this is the most painful thing Ive ever had to do in my professional life, Arnold said in an interview on Friday. We had spent the last few days doing everything in our combined power to try to save something that we believe is really beautiful, and failed.
The sound of rage woke me just before midnight. A mans voice in the adjacent hotel room screamed, Get out of my room! with an obscenity added. His staccato fury was interspersed with heavy slamming noises and pleas of mercy from a womans voice.

I was frozen. What was happening and what should I do? Then the room went silent.

Around 2 a.m. I heard a mans voice erupting again, this time from the parking lot outside, where I could clearly see a man and a woman engaged in a heated argument. The man was forcefully holding onto the womans arm as they walked out of view. This time I called the front desk.

Should I call the police? I asked.

The attendant told me that the hotel, a major brand just off an Interstate, had its own security, and that it would investigate and involve law enforcement if necessary. Soon, I heard more thuds next door  they must have returned  followed by the sound of sobbing. Then a door slammed and there was silence.

Early the next morning, as I checked out, the clerk assured me that the problem had been dealt with. But I could not stop thinking about what I had heard and seen. I didnt know if any crime had been committed, but the womans cries pulled me down a rabbit hole of research into the prevalence of sexual violence and abuse in hotels and what is being done to stop it. Hotels, with their closed doors and transient nature, can offer a ripe environment for violence, whether it is domestic abuse, sexual assault, rape or human trafficking.
Fort Hood has been under intense scrutiny since the killing of Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old Army specialist, who was reported missing from the base in Killeen, Texas, in April 2020, after telling friends that she had been sexually harassed. Federal prosecutors said she was killed by another soldier who later in 2020 killed himself with a pistol, days before charges were announced.

Uneasy Coexistence: A new round of U.S. military expansion in Guam comes just as new efforts are being made by the Chamorro people, the islands first inhabitants, A new round of U.S. military expansion in Guam comes just as new efforts are being made by the Chamorro people, the islands first inhabitants, to rediscover their culture and assert their identity

Stripping Confederate Ties: In the first of nine scheduled redesignations aimed at purging the symbols of the Confederacy from the military, In the first of nine scheduled redesignations aimed at purging the symbols of the Confederacy from the military, Fort Pickett in Virginia became Fort Barfoot in honor of Col. Van Barfoot, a Medal of Honor recipient.

Feeding the War Machine: The Pentagons deliveries of weapons to help Ukraine hold off Russia have exposed a worrisome lack of production capacity in the United States that The Pentagons deliveries of weapons to help Ukraine hold off Russia have exposed a worrisome lack of production capacity in the United States that has its roots in the aftermath of the Cold War

Private Basalduas mother, Alejandra Ruiz Zarco, told Telemundo News that her daughter had told her a few weeks ago that an Army superior was harassing her and that she was the target of repeated sexual advances on the base.

Ms. Ruiz, who lives in Mexico, last spoke to her daughter on March 8. Private Basaldua had told her mother that she was very sad, that she was going through very difficult things, that things were not as normal as she thought, that she couldnt tell me much, but that there was going to be a moment when we were going to be together and she could tell me everything, Ms. Ruiz told Telemundo News in Spanish.

Private Basalduas father, Baldo Basaldua, who lives in California, said that his daughter had recently told him that her whole life was wrong, that she wanted to die, Telemundo News reported. Her parents did not immediately respond to messages seeking further comment.

At a news conference outside Fort Hood on Friday, leaders of the League of United Latin American Citizens, or LULAC, called on the F.B.I. to investigate Private Basalduas death, saying it was important for investigators outside the military to examine the circumstances.
That means that more than 1,000 Los Angeles Unified schools may have to close from Tuesday through Thursday, according to the district superintendent, Alberto Carvalho.

S.E.I.U. Local 99, the union that represents the employees who are planning to strike, is seeking a 30 percent raise and other increases in compensation. Its members know a strike will be a sacrifice, but the school district has pushed workers to take this action, Max Arias, the executive director of Local 99, said in a statement.

The district is offering a 5 percent wage increase for the current school year and another 5 percent raise for the next, as well as one-time bonuses and additional raises for certain positions, officials said this week.

Carvalho called that a historic offer, and said that the district was working to reach a deal with union officials that would avert a strike. But in a sign that the walkout was becoming more likely, he urged parents to begin making arrangements with their employers and child care providers to prepare for schools to be closed. The contract dispute comes at a time when schoolchildren are only beginning to recover from educational setbacks they suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I want to personally apologize to our families and our students, Carvalho wrote on Twitter this week. You deserve better. Know that we are doing everything possible to avoid a strike.
In a decision that jangled the nerves of some elected officials, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court last week reaffirmed a basic liberty established by the founding fathers: the right to be rude at public meetings.

The ruling sent waves of consternation across the state, where many local select board and school committee members have emerged battle-scarred from the coronavirus pandemic and its fierce disputes over masks, vaccines and remote learning. Stemming from a lawsuit filed against the town of Southborough, Mass., by a resident who said selectmen had silenced her unlawfully, the decision pushed back against attempts to mandate good manners.

On its face its very dispiriting, said Geoff Beckwith, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, which until last week had been nudging towns to develop civility guidelines for meetings. Will it encourage the very few, very vocal individuals whose goal is to be disruptive? The S.J.C. is saying thats the price of true freedom of speech.

In a state with a long, proud tradition of grassroots democracy, where people still sit shoulder to shoulder in high school auditoriums each spring to quarrel over budgets at annual town meetings, fierce debate is a hallmark of civic engagement. Still, some observers caution that unchecked unpleasantness could have unintended consequences: fewer volunteers to take on the often thankless work of running town boards, for example, and fewer opportunities for public comment, which are not required by law.
The report, which analyzed department data, policies and training, along with interviews with police personnel and community members, raised questions about oversight. For years, activists have called for the creation of a civilian oversight board to address citizens complaints against police officers in a community that sometimes still feels mistreated.

The police killings of Mr. Floyd and Breonna Taylor ignited a social movement, but the results so far have been a mixed bag. Many American police departments have cut budgets, experimented with methods and made hiring more diverse officers a priority. Governments across the country have approved more than 140 new policing measures, many focused on limiting use of force, banning chokeholds, requiring de-escalation and holding officers accountable. Other municipalities, though, have increased their budgets and abandoned earlier promises of change.

The aftermath of Walter Scotts death offers insights into how departments work to rebound after a police killing. Chief Burgess said the work requires juggling competing demands: balancing honesty about what went wrong with lifting the morale of officers, while moving ahead with changes to address whatever aspects of policing had gone wrong. In this case, as in many others, it was a traffic stop that led to Mr. Scotts death.

The department emphasized community policing, partly to help repair public perception  though the audit found that some officers didnt understand or embrace the concept. The strategy included making officers more visible beyond responding to crimes. Officers were also sent to racial equity and anti-bias training.
Mr. Biden is only the second Irish Catholic to occupy the White House, after John F. Kennedy. (Ronald Reagan, who was also Irish American, beat him to the office by more than 40 years.) But the current president may be the most unabashedly proud of his Irish roots, saying often that he got his Irish values from his mother, who told him to treat people with respect and dignity.

His mother also told him not to bow to the Queen of England, advice he has said he took during two meetings with the monarch, first as a senator and later as president.

But if there has been some familial Irish-English tension in Mr. Bidens past, he has also been an ardent supporter of the efforts to secure peace in Northern Ireland. The treaty that created the framework for that peace, known as the Good Friday Agreement, turns 25 years old this year and will serve as the reason for Mr. Bidens first visit to Ireland as president in April.

I promise you that were going to roll out the red carpet and its going to be a visit like no other, Mr. Varadkar told the president ahead of their Oval Office meeting on Friday. Everyones excited about it already.

That includes Mr. Biden.

There has been anticipation inside the West Wing for months about the presidents likely visit in the spring. The official announcement didnt come until some ongoing disputes were resolved over power sharing in the countries, but Mr. Biden made it clear in recent days that he plans to make the trip to mark the Good Friday anniversary.
They demonstrated through internal messages on the chat app Telegram how the Proud Boys  including the men on trial  were ecstatic when President Donald J. Trump called them out by name during a presidential debate in September 2020, when he told the groups members to stand back and stand by.

The prosecutors also called a former Proud Boy, Matthew Greene, to the stand and had him explain to the jury that there was a collective expectation among the Proud Boys that violence would be used during political demonstrations.

I believed from my experience that violence was celebrated, Mr. Greene said.

At the same time, the prosecution began to paint a detailed picture of the Proud Boys collective emotional state in the postelection period, showing how the group became more frustrated with the legal and political systems and began edging closer to violence as Jan. 6 drew near.

Hundreds of Proud Boys took part in pro-Trump rallies in Washington in November and December 2020, both times clashing with leftist counterprotesters and ultimately turning on their traditional allies in the police, who they believed had sided with their adversaries.

The witness who helped describe these rising tensions was Jeremy Bertino, a former Proud Boy from North Carolina, who was gravely wounded in a street brawl after the rally in December. Mr. Bertino, after investigation by the government, pleaded guilty to seditious conspiracy and agreed to testify for the prosecution in the case.

In nearly a week on the stand, Mr. Bertino told the jury how a sense of anxiety spread throughout the Proud Boys after the Supreme Court declined to overturn Joseph R. Biden Jr.s victory in Pennsylvania in December 2020. He went on to say that the groups top leaders came to believe that time was running out to save the country. The Proud Boys, Mr. Bertino testified, would have to take the lead in galvanizing Trump supporters who were going to Washington on Jan. 6 into realizing an all-out revolution.

That day, Mr. Bertino, sitting at home recovering from his injuries, was watching live streams of the riot and offering advice to his compatriots on the ground. In a barrage of frantic messages, he told his fellow Proud Boys to form a spear, encouraging them to move en masse toward the Capitol, believing, as he put it, that a second American Revolution was afoot.
WASHINGTON  The Justice Department is investigating the surveillance of American citizens, including several journalists who cover the tech industry, by the Chinese company that owns TikTok, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The investigation, which began late last year, appears to be tied to the admission in December by the company, ByteDance, that its employees had inappropriately obtained the data of American TikTok users, including that of two reporters and a few of their associates.

The departments criminal division, the F.B.I. and the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia are investigating ByteDance, which is based in Beijing and has close ties with Chinas government, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

A Justice Department spokesman had no comment.

Confirmation of the investigation comes as the White House hardens its stance toward forcing the company to address national security concerns about TikTok. They include fears that China might be using the popular video service to gather data about or spy on Americans, undermine democratic institutions and foster internet addictions among young people.
Several gifts given by foreign countries to Donald J. Trump during his presidency are unaccounted for in government records, according to a report released on Friday by Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, which detailed ways in which the Trump White House had failed to follow the law in how it handled gifts.

The missing items included a $3,040 driver and $460 putter given to Mr. Trump by Shinzo Abe, the prime minister of Japan at the time, and a larger-than-life-sized painting of Mr. Trump given to him by El Salvadors president, Nayib Bukele, according to the report.

A box decorated in silver patterns that a union activist in Egypt had given to Mr. Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner is also missing, the report said. The box was valued at $450.

The Trump White House, the report said, failed to properly document more than 100 gifts valued at more than $250,000  including about $48,000 from Saudi Arabia  that had been given to Mr. Trump; his wife, Melania; Mr. Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump. Those gifts were turned over to the government and ultimately accounted for in records but were never publicly reported, as required by law.
To underscore the celebratory atmosphere surrounding the long-awaited visit by South Koreas president this week, Japans prime minister hosted not just one, but two, dinners on Thursday night in Tokyo.

Shortly after Yoon Suk Yeol, of South Korea, told reporters that frozen ties should be thawed and Fumio Kishida, of Japan, hailed a new chapter in their long-fraught relationship, they went with their wives to a traditional restaurant in Tokyos luxury Ginza district. The two leaders then broke off for a more casual meal of omurice, a popular dish of an omelet layered over fried rice. The Yomiuri Shimbun, Japans largest newspaper, noted that Mr. Kishida and Mr. Yoon were so relaxed that they reportedly took off their jackets and ties as they ate and drank.

Underlying the conviviality of the first bilateral summit to be held in Japan in a dozen years was the question of how long the fragile truce between the two countries will last.

Both sides have made good-will gestures. Seoul dropped its demand that Japanese companies compensate Korean victims forced into labor during World War II, a contentious issue for years. Tokyo plans to end its 2019 restrictions on technology exports to South Korea.
Drawing on the expertise of engineers and tech experts who fled to rebel-held territory, a cottage industry has sprung up to produce IEDs and adapt drones to drop explosives on enemy targets, Mr. Davis said.

What we have seen over the past year is a remarkable improvement in the level of organization and weaponry now used by resistance forces, he said. It is still David and Goliath, but David is looking increasingly cocky and combative.

The Tatmadaw, as the military is called, is perhaps most infamous for its ruthless campaign against Rohingya Muslims in 2017, which killed at least 24,000 people and drove more than 700,000 across the border into Bangladesh, where most still live in squalid refugee camps.

During the protests against the coup in 2021, soldiers and the police gunned down demonstrators and bystanders, including young children. Many were shot in the head. Last October, military jets bombed a concert in Kachin State and killed 80.

With the Tatmadaw facing an increasingly well-armed resistance, the regime placed 40 townships under martial law in February, adding to the 10 that already had been. The declaration sent troops the message that anything goes, Mr. Davis said.

Since then, there has been a surge in military atrocities, including the beheading, disembowelment or dismemberment of nearly two dozen rebels and civilians this month in Sagaing Region.

All these crimes are not mere human rights abuses, Myanmars ambassador to the United Nations, Kyaw Moe Tun, who was appointed before the coup, said in a speech to the General Assembly in New York on Thursday. They are part of the military juntas systematic, widespread and coordinated attacks against the civilian population. He held up photos of the bodies at the Nanneint monastery.
BANGKOK  In Thailand, a steel canister with dangerously radioactive contents has vanished from a coal power plant and may have been missing for three weeks  or possibly longer. The search for it, which began a week ago, has expanded repeatedly but so far yielded nothing.

Globally, radioactive objects are lost fairly often, sometimes improperly discarded and posing a lethal hazard to people who find them. Their potential value to terrorists is another worry.

In this case, the power company operating the plant where the canister vanished has expressed concern that a scrap metal scavenger might have taken it to sell. Despite a cash reward for information leading to its recovery, there have so far been no signs of the 55-pound canister that is eight inches long and five inches in diameter.

It contained cesium-137, a dangerous isotope, said Narong Nakornjinda, the governor of Prachin Buri Province. Exposure to the substance, which is used in small amounts in various industrial devices in the form of a white crystalline powder, can cause cancer, burns, radiation sickness and death, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Chinas top leader, Xi Jinping, has cast himself as a global statesman, helping Saudi Arabia and Iran broker a deal to restore diplomatic ties while extolling the virtues of Chinese solutions and wisdom in solving the worlds biggest security challenges.

Now, Mr. Xi is putting himself at the center of Russias war with Ukraine, working to portray himself as a mediator who could cool down the protracted fight.

The Chinese leader is expected to meet in person next week with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, and a call with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine could follow. China has already proposed a peace settlement, though it does not address important details such as whether Russian troops would withdraw. In announcing Mr. Xis visit to Russia, a Chinese official on Friday said it was for the sake of peace.

At stake for Beijing is its push for legitimacy as leader of an alternative world order to the one dominated by the United States, a role it has sought with growing urgency to resist what Mr. Xi described as Washingtons containment, encirclement and suppression of China.
Follow the latest news of the Putin-Xi summit in Russia.

Global dividing lines over Russias war in Ukraine hardened on Friday with the announcement that Chinas top leader, Xi Jinping, would personally meet with President Vladimir V. Putin in Russia next week  and that he would do so under the shadow of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court that accuses Mr. Putin of war crimes.

Mr. Xis visit was cast by China as a mission of personal diplomacy to help make peace between Russia and Ukraine. But it is more broadly seen by Western officials as the most overt sign yet of Chinas support for Mr. Putin, and that Mr. Xi is increasingly determined to challenge the idea of any U.S.-led global order by drawing other countries into closer orbit with China.

Even with an apparently strengthening lifeline from China, Russia seemed more isolated than ever on Friday. Its neighbor Finland cleared a hurdle to join NATO. European allies maneuvered to get Ukraine warplanes. And, most dramatically, the International Criminal Court at The Hague accused Mr. Putin of war crimes, putting him alongside only a handful of other national leaders, including Slobodan Milosevic and Charles Taylor, to face such a charge.

In issuing its arrest warrant, the court said that Mr. Putin bore individual criminal responsibility for the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children.
The Australia Letter is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau. Sign up to get it by email.

When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese formally unveiled plans with the U.S. and U.K. on Monday to develop and deploy nuclear-powered attack submarines, it set off a chain reaction of questions and criticism at home, and notably within his own party.

The plan, in which Australia initially will buy up to five U.S.-made submarines before building a new version with British and American help, is aimed at reinforcing American-led military dominance in the Asia-Pacific region to counter Chinas military growth. The security pact, called AUKUS, has been criticized by China for threatening peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific.

Although the agreement has bipartisan support in Australia, it has also triggered criticism in recent days from former prime ministers, diplomats and experts who have questioned everything from the eye-watering cost and the submarines usefulness, to whether that the agreement binds Australia to U.S. interests.

Experts say that the debate, which has sometimes turned vitriolic, speaks to the need for a broader national conversation about Australias future strategic direction and its role in the Asia-Pacific region in the face of an increasingly assertive China.
The way that change had happened  through a decision by appointed justices of a high court that circumvented the usual process of adjudicating a legal case  traced the outline of a democratic fracture that is showing up in polarized nations around the world.

This week, two other abortion cases, argued in courtrooms more than 5,000 miles apart, bring those vulnerabilities into sharper relief. In Warsaw on Tuesday, a Polish court found a womens rights activist guilty of providing abortion pills  the first conviction of that kind in Europe, and one that is expected to sharply limit the already scarce access to abortion in Poland.

And in Amarillo, Texas, a federal judge heard arguments on Wednesday about whether to issue a preliminary injunction that could impose a nationwide ban on access to mifepristone, a widely used abortion pill.

To learn more about the two cases, the place to start is, as always, with reporting from The New York Times. My colleague Monika Pronczuk reported on the trial from Warsaw, where the defendant was convicted even though the woman who received the pills has said that she miscarried naturally. An earlier story, written with Katrin Bennhold on the risks to women that have followed Polands abortion ban, gives important context about what is at stake.

It is not a coincidence that this latest battle is happening in a courtroom. As I wrote in 2020, Polands right-wing Law and Justice Party had tried and failed to pass new abortion restrictions in 2016, but the opposition blocked the bill in the legislature. So the government turned instead to the countrys high court, which was packed with party loyalists. The court ruled that abortion in cases of fetal anomalies was unconstitutional.
Opposition parties filed two no-confidence motions against President Emmanuel Macrons government on Friday after his decision to push a widely unpopular pension bill through Parliament without a full vote, escalating a showdown with protesters and labor unions, who have vowed more strikes.

Mr. Macrons decision, announced by his prime minister on Thursday during a raucous session in the National Assembly, Frances lower house of Parliament, infuriated opponents of the bill, which would push back the legal age of retirement to 64, from 62.

Overnight, violent demonstrations broke out in several French cities, and protesters returned to the streets on Friday.

In Paris, for the second night in a row, thousands of mostly young protesters converged on the Place de la Concorde, across the River Seine from the National Assembly, chanting slogans like Macron, you are done, the youth is in the street! As night fell, the air was clouded with smoke from fires lit by protesters and tear gas fired by riot police, who charged into the crowd as protesters threw cobblestones.
LONDON  The International Criminal Court accused the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, of war crimes and issued a warrant for his arrest on Friday, a highly symbolic step that deepened his isolation and punctured the aura of impunity that has surrounded him since he ordered troops into Ukraine a year ago.

The court cited Mr. Putins responsibility for the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children, thousands of whom have been sent to Russia since the invasion. It also issued a warrant for Russias commissioner for childrens rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, the public face of the Kremlin-sponsored program that transfers the children out of Ukraine.

There is little prospect of Mr. Putin standing trial in a courtroom anytime soon. The International Criminal Court cannot try defendants in absentia and Russia, which is not a party to the court, dismissed the warrants as meaningless.

Yet the courts move carried indisputable moral weight, putting Mr. Putin in the same ranks as Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the deposed president of Sudan, accused of atrocities in Darfur; Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian leader imprisoned for abuses during the Balkans war; and the Nazis tried at Nuremberg after World War II.
The International Criminal Court was created two decades ago as a standing body to investigate war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity under a 1998 treaty known as the Rome Statute. In the past, the United Nations Security Council had established ad hoc tribunals to address atrocities in places like the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

Many democracies joined the International Criminal Court, including close American allies like Britain. But the United States has long kept its distance, concerned that the tribunal could someday try to prosecute Americans.

Both Democratic and Republican administrations have taken the position that the court should not exercise jurisdiction over citizens of countries that are not a party to the treaty.

President Bill Clinton signed the Rome Statute in 2000 but, calling it flawed, did not send it to the Senate for ratification. In 2002, President George W. Bush essentially withdrew that signature. Congress, for its part, enacted laws in 1999 and 2002 that limited what support the government could provide the court.
The International Criminal Court on Friday issued an arrest warrant for war crimes for President Vladimir V. Putin and a second Russian official. Heres a closer look at the court, the warrant and what it could mean for Russias leader.

Why did the International Criminal Court issue the warrants?

The court says that Mr. Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children since Russias full-scale invasion began in February last year. The court also issued a warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russias commissioner for childrens rights, who has been the public face of a Kremlin-sponsored program in which Ukrainian children and teenagers have been taken to Russia.

The court said in a statement that there are reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

A New York Times investigation published in October identified several Ukrainian children who had been taken away under Russias systematic resettlement efforts. The children described a wrenching process of coercion, deception and force. Russia has defended the transfers on humanitarian grounds.
Her name was Simone Segouin, but she was known by her nom de guerre, Nicole.

Thats how Jack Belden, a Life magazine war correspondent, came to know that armed teenage French resistance fighter after he entered Chartres, France, with the United States Third Army in August 1944, around the time of the citys liberation from German occupation.

She was clad in a light-brown jacket and a cheap flowered skirt of many hues, which ended just above her knees, Mr. Belden wrote. Her legs were bare and brown. About her arm went a ribband bearing the legend FTPF. In the waistband of her skirt was stuck a small revolver.

The FTPF, the Francs-tireurs et partisans francais, was one of the most effective militias of the French resistance.

Under my stumbling French questioning, Mr. Belden wrote, she admitted that she was a partisan fighter.
The government of Slovakia said on Friday that it would send 13 Soviet-designed fighter jets to Ukraine, a day after a similar announcement by Polands president, marking a possibly significant shift from NATO allies in increasing arms supplies for Kyiv.

Most of Slovakias MIG-29 warplanes are not in working order so their delivery to Ukraine, most likely to provide spare parts for Ukraines own fleet of Soviet-era jets, will not change the balance of force on the battlefield. But it could add momentum to a Polish-led push within NATO, of which both Slovakia and Poland are members, to break a taboo on sending Ukraine warplanes to defend against Russias invasion.

Until Polands surprise announcement on Thursday that it would send a first batch of four MIG-29s within days, NATO countries, including the United States, had refrained from providing jets, even aging or damaged Soviet-era ones.

With Russia expected to mount spring offensives, the push to provide Ukraine with more sophisticated weapons has been accelerating, particularly in Europes former Soviet eastern edge, which has been especially vocal about opposing Russias aggression.
KYIV, Ukraine  Ukraines fighter pilots have helped to keep Russia from controlling the skies above the battlefield in the yearlong war. But the fact remains that Russias air force dwarfs Ukraines and its pilots have far superior technology.

The addition of more than a dozen Soviet-designed MIG fighter jets from Poland and Slovakia will certainly help Ukraine, which has seen dozens of aircraft shot down or worn out after more than a year of combat. But Ukrainian officials and military analysts do not expect the MIGs pledged so far to fundamentally alter the battle in the skies.

Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian air force, said new MIGs would not radically change the situation on the front lines. Most of Slovakias MIG-29 warplanes are not working, so they are likely to be used mainly for spare parts.

To some extent, this will increase our combat capabilities, he said in an appearance on Ukrainian national television Friday morning. But one should not forget that these are still Soviet and not modern Western aircraft.
KYIV, Ukraine  The Russian tanks roll up to the house of 4-year-old Taras and open fire, burying his mother in debris. Taras tries, as hard as he can, to pull her from the rubble, but she is too heavy, and so he just pulls uselessly on her arm.

Then he awakes  sobbing uncontrollably.

Tarass mother, Anastasia Haidukevych, 41, described her sons nightmare in an interview. I tried to hide the war from him, she said, but the war is everywhere around us.

For many, even dreams offer no haven.

A year into the Russian invasion, the war is touching Ukrainians in the small hours of night, even those who live far from the front line and have not personally witnessed the violence, like the Haidukevych family, which lives in Kyiv.

In a recent online survey, 70 percent of Ukrainians reported having had a nightmare about war, and 30 percent said they had seen death in their dreams.
The Eyal family, who said they live in a less fancy house on the same street as Mr. Barkat, were among the neighbors who came out to support the protest outside the economy ministers home. It was one of many that have been organized outside the homes of the politicians behind the judicial overhaul in recent weeks.

What to Know About Israels Judiciary Overhaul Card 1 of 6 A divisive proposal. Israel is in the throes of a grave political crisis over a contentious plan to overhaul the countrys judiciary. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus right-wing government contends the Supreme Court has unchecked power, but critics of the proposal say it goes too far. Here is what to know: What is the government trying to do? Netanyahus governing coalition is first trying to change the makeup of the committee that selects judges by giving representatives and appointees of the government an automatic majority on the committee. The government also wants to drastically restrict the Supreme Courts ability to strike down laws that it deems unconstitutional. What do opponents of the overhaul say? Critics say the plan would place unchecked power in the hands of the government of the day, remove protections afforded to individuals and minorities and deepen Israels divisions. They also fear that Netanyahu, who is standing trial on corruption charges, could use the changes to extricate himself from his legal troubles. Why is Israel divided? In broad terms, the schism has divided Israelis into two groups: those who want a more secular and pluralist state and those with a more religious and nationalist vision. To its critics, particularly ultra-Orthodox Jews, the Supreme Court is seen as the last bastion of the secular, centrist elite who dominated Israel during its earliest decades. Who is protesting? The opposition has mainly been driven by secular centrists who fear the overhaul will threaten their freedoms, but there is also resistance from parts of the religious right who say the government has pushed too far and too fast. The plan has also drawn opposition from crucial components of Israeli society: the military, universities and trade unions. What happens next? After a nationwide work stoppage and mass protests, Netanyahu announced a delay in the legislation to allow for negotiations and a possible compromise between his ruling coalition and the opposition parties. But many Israelis remained wary that the pause was merely a tactic to quell the civil unrest. It also failed to ease U.S.-Israeli tensions.











He should know what his neighbors think, said Amit Eyal, 24, a medical student, adding, I feel like I was born in one country and now its changing into another.

When the police tried to move along the Eyals and other neighbors, they said they were just out for a walk and paraded around in a circle on the street.

We are very busy people, said Mr. Eyals mother, Sara Eyal, 58, a professor of pharmacy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. But speaking for myself, this is more important.

Bills being hastily pushed through Parliament by the governing coalition would essentially give the government the power to appoint judges, severely curtail judicial review over legislation and allow the legislature to overturn Supreme Court rulings with a bare majority.

Critics say that the move would be dangerous in a country that lacks a formal written constitution or any other significant means of checking the governments power.

Polls indicate that a majority oppose the proposed bills, and many older Israelis say the divisions the plans have wrought have provoked one of the countrys most perilous periods since the Arab-Israeli war of 1973, also known as the Yom Kippur War, or since the war in 1948 surrounding the establishment of the State of Israel.
The capuchinbird, an exotic bird found in the jungles of South America, is famous for having one of the most bizarre-sounding mating songs in the entire animal kingdom.

Capuchinbirds have a rather peculiar look. They have light brown plumage that becomes bright orange on the belly, and a bald vulture-like head covered in blue skin. The contrast between its rich plumage and its bare head is striking and makes for an unusual appearance, but youll forget all about its weird look when you hear its mating song. Calling the sounds coming out of this birds beak during mating season a song seems like a bit of a stretch, because it sounds nothing like the melodious chirping of a nightingale or a mockingbird.

Photo: Greg Hume/Wikimedia Commons

Describing the mating songs of the male capuchinbird is very tough, as it has a very unique sound, but some have compared it to the coarse mooing of a cow followed by the rattling of a chainsaw. That really doesnt do it justice, but I also cant think of anything better to compare it to. The songs similarity to bovine mooing has earned the capuchinbird the nickname calfbird.

During mating season, male capuchinbirds gather in large groups and try to attract potential mates with their majestic singing. They produce their unique melodies by inhaling air and storing it in air sacks located on either side of the neck. When the sacks are full, they lean back and produce their bizarre song.

The mating song of the capuchinbird is regarded as one of the most incredible and odd vocalizations in the avian world.



For more unusual bird sounds, check out the worlds loudest bird. Just make sure to turn the volume down when watching the videos
The Beast is a legendary 1970s muscle car powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 airplane engine that can produce over 750hp and has a fuel consumption of around 2.35 mpg.

The story of The Beast goes back to 1966, when English engineer Paul Jameson decided to find out what would happen if someone put a tank engine in a street-legal custom car. Jameson created a custom rolling chassis for the car and fitted it with a Rolls-Royce Meteor tank engine, before turning to transmission expert John Dodd to commission an automated transmission for the unique car. Dodd became intrigued by Jamesons wacky idea, so when its original creator put the project on hiatus for a while, he ended up buying it from him and completing it himself. It was a labor of love, one that eventually became known as one of the most impressive automotive projects in English history.

Photo: Car and Classic

After completing the transmission for the car and ordering a custom fiberglass body with the hood almost as long as the rest of the vehicle to accommodate the giant engine, John Dodd completed The Beast in 1972. The cars unique appearance and technical specifications made it somewhat of an oddity that drew the attention of both passers-by and seasoned motorists. It was featured on television shows and at various events around Europe, but in 1974, when returning from a trip to Sweden, disaster struck.

The one-off vehicle caught fire while being transported from a car show, and the damage was so extensive that Dodd had no choice but to rebuild the whole thing virtually from scratch. He did just that, this time fitting it with a Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 airplane engine which had powered the Spitfire and Hurricane fighter aircraft during WW2s Battle for Britain.

Photo: Car and Classic

Dodd commissioned a huge fiberglass body from a company named Fibre Glass Repairs, which had also built the first one, and created a special custom grill for The Beast. This second iteration was named the most powerful car in the world by Guinness Records in 1977, and there were rumors about it being able to reach a top speed of up to 260 mph (418 kph). Its exact performance is still unknown.

John Dodd fled Britain and settled in Spain after Rolls Royce won a lawsuit against him for describing The Beast as a Rolls Royce, and he took his beloved muscle car with him. He never sold it, but Dodd passed away at the end of last year, and his family has decided to auction off The Beast. It has just over 10,000 miles (16,093 km) on the odometer and is in perfect working condition.

Photo: Car and Classic

Well, we can tell you first hand that when The Beast fires into life, the earth shakes. No hyperbole, no sales talk, you can feel it shake everything around it. It is LOUD, the Car and Classic auction house said about the unique car. The engine is every bit the symphony of mechanical noise you would expect from a war-era engine. Its exciting, captivating and even a little bit scary, but in a good way. Like a 183 mph rollercoaster if you will.

The auction for The Beast ended just a few hours ago. The winning bid was 72,500 ($87,800).
Joseph DeRuvo Jr., from Norwalk, Connecticut, gave up on footwear over two decades ago, after getting painful bunions on his feet, and he has been walking around barefoot ever since.

59-year-old Joseph DeRuvo Jr. doesnt remember the exact day he decided to shun footwear for good, but he recalls that it was about five years before the first Apple iPhone came out (2002). He had developed bunions on both feet, which hurt when he went jogging in tight running shoes. A doctor recommended surgery to relieve the pain, but before being scheduled for the procedure, the former photographer decided to go barefoot because the pain in his feet was so intense. As he considered the surgery, DeRuvo Jr. learned that the screws that were to be inserted into his feet contained a metal he was allergic to, and he also realized that he was feeling much better. In the end, he passed on the surgery and decided to adopt a barefoot lifestyle.

Photo: Sandro Gonzalez/Unsplash

The tactile feedback just kind of makes everything else going on feel a little bit smoother, Joseph recently told The New York Times.

But simply shunning footwear for good isnt as simple as it sounds. We may be born barefoot, but as a respectable adult living in the United States, you are kind of expected to wear shoes when going out. Which is why Joseph DeRuvo Jr. and his wife Lini Ecker get thrown out of a lot of places. People apparently dont feel comfortable around someone who is barefoot, even if they are otherwise acting completely normal, and they will complain to the management of whatever establishment they are in.

Because certain situations require him to have shoes on, such as going out with friends at restaurants that he knows he cant go into barefoot, Joseph jas a pair of loose sandals in his car, but he only puts them on when he absolutely has to. Otherwise, he prefers to go barefoot, even in the extreme heat of summer, or on freezing winter days. He claims that nothing is as painful as walking on chemically treated, ice-melting salt in winter, adding that the experience has given him a lot of sympathy for dogs.

DeRuvo often gets asked about the danger of getting sharp objects stuck in his callused soles, but he says that the benefits far outweigh the risks, and that walking barefoot simply means that he has to be more careful when hes out and about.

Its disciplined movement, he told CBCs Asi It Happens. I mean, it doesnt allow you to be absent-minded when youre walking around. You have to be conscious where youre stepping and where youre placing your foot and how youre rolling off your foot.

Apart from his medical reasons for going barefoot, Joseph DeRuvo Jr. claims that he has gotten so used to walking barefoot that whenever he doesnt feel the ground beneath his feet he always gets a little edgier than normal. When his feet make direct contact with the ground, he always feels literally more grounded.

DeRuvo, who describes himself as a religious man, also cites the Bible as an inspiration for his unusual lifestyle choice, particularly the Old Testament story of God speaking to Moses from the bush, where he says Take off your sandals, this ground is holy. He tries to take that as far as he can

Joseph certainly isnt the only person to adopt a barefoot lifestyle, but he has been doing it for a lot longer than most.
One of the biggest hair trends of 2023 isnt a celebrity-inspired cut or TikTok-famous colour  beauty buffs eager to make more sustainable choices are lathering up with solid shampoo bars instead.

Starting out as a niche product for eco enthusiasts, shampoo bars have gone well and truly mainstream in recent years, with beauty behemoths like Aussie and Garnier, as well as salon brands such as Percy & Reed, launching their own.

Cosmetics company Lush reports customers have bought 76% more shampoo bars than bottles of liquid shampoo so far this year.

According to Lush, shampoo bars were invented in 1987 by the brands co-founder Mo Constantine and cosmetic chemist Stan Krysztal for Cosmetics to Go (the former mail order company owned by the founders of Lush).

Theyve come a long way since then, which explains why even skeptics are now being converted to plastic-free haircare.

Here are six reasons you should think about trying a solid shampoo

1. Less plastic packaging

New research published in journal Plos One reveals the staggering level of plastic pollution, with 170 trillion particles floating in the worlds oceans.

The worldwide plastic waste issue is obvious, says Rebecca Mapes, CEO of Winden, a hair accessories brand that recently branched out with the launch of its Signature Solid Shampoo.

Whats really alarming to me is the cosmetics industry contributes so heavily to that waste, and only 9% of all plastic is recycled.

Recognising the climate crisis can be paralysing for shoppers, she says: Solid shampoo is one way we as consumers can easily change our habits, without sacrificing the quality of our haircare products.

Megan Curtin, senior manager of education at hair brand Briogeo, agrees: Many shampoo bars provide the equivalent number of hair washes as two shampoo bottles, which is a major reduction in plastic waste.

2. Reduces water use and carbon emissions



Good solid shampoo is simply liquid shampoo without the water, Mapes explains.

Most consumers already have access to water in their homes, and shipping water around the globe just isnt necessary anymore.

Plus, the heavier the products, the more carbon emissions result from transporting them.

3. Solid shampoo is just as good as liquid



While they may look like a bar of soap, solid shampoos have more in common with their liquid counterparts.

The quality is generally the same as traditional shampoos, meaning they wont strip your hair, Curtin says.

Most shampoo bars are formulated without harsh surfactants and [are] infused with hydrating ingredients to provide the kind of slip were used to with liquid shampoos.

With a huge range available in stores and online, theres a solid shampoo whatever your hair type or concern.

4. Cut down on clutter



There was a time when choosing sustainable options meant you would have to sacrifice aesthetics, thankfully that just isnt true anymore, says Mapes.

Shampoo bars  and their aesthetically pleasing cases  take up less space and mean you dont end up with a graveyard of almost-empty bottles clogging up your bathroom.

Investing in a case for your shampoo bar will help prevent it from melting away in your shower.

5. Convenient for travel

Shampoo bars are the ultimate on-the-go product, especially with the right travel case, says Curtin.

Theyre compact and fit easily into the smallest toiletry bags  most are sized to fit nicely in the palm of your hand.

Some brands even make smaller versions especially for packing in your luggage or cabin bag.

The best part? Curtin adds, Since theyre solid bars, they are always airport-friendly  no worry about liquids here!

6. Long-lasting and affordable



How many times have you accidentally squeezed way too much shampoo into your palm, only to watch it drip to the shower floor and run down the plughole?

Theres no such problem with shampoo bars that can be lathered directly onto wet hair, plus you wont need to use as much product each time  and most are priced under 10.

Our solid shampoo bars are much more concentrated than liquid shampoo, meaning they can last up to 80 washes, says Rae Stanton-Smithson, Earthcare communications lead at Lush.

Not only does this eliminate plastic bottle waste, but potentially saves our customers having to purchase up to three 200ml liquid bottles of shampoo.

Raise the bar: Plastic-free shampoos for every hair type

Aussie Koality Moisture Vegan Solid Shampoo Bar, 6.66 (was 9.99), Boots

Winden Petite Signature Solid Shampoo, 6.50

Lush Seanik Shampoo Bar, 9

Wild Coconut & Vanilla Shampoo, 8.50

Garnier Ultimate Blends Honey Treasures Strengthening Shampoo Bar for Damaged Hair, 7.99, Boots

Gruum Har Zero Plastic Anti-Dandruff Shampoo Bar, 8, LookFantastic

Percy and Reed All Lathered Up Shampoo Bar, 12

Eco Warrior Sensitive Scalp Shampoo Bar, 5.50, Sainsburys

Brigeo Be Gentle, Be Kind 3-in-1 Cleansing Bar for Hair, Face + Body, 25.99

WeDo/ Professional Shampoo Bar and Holder Bundle, 24.90, LookFantastic
Power of attorney can be a powerful tool to help protect your future financial affairs.

But recent research from Scottish Widows suggests that, despite many having heard of it, a third (33%) dont understand how it can be used.

Less than half (41%) of married couples have power of attorney in place, far fewer than the three-quarters (76%) of couples who have discussed writing wills.

A power of attorney is a legal document. It allows a trusted person to make decisions for someone else, or take action on their behalf, if that person loses the capacity to, for example, if they become ill or have an accident.

It can help with managing mortgages, bills and investments, for example. The processes may vary, depending on where you live in the UK.

Make a lasting power of attorney so your loved ones can manage your affairs if you can't http://t.co/KmzXMVl3Uz #WorldMentalHealthDay #WMHD  Ministry of Justice (@MoJGovUK) October 10, 2015

Rose St Louis, protection director at Scottish Widows, has some tips for how power of attorney could help:

1. Talk it through

While couples may or may not decide to nominate their partner or spouse, its still important to discuss their decision with them.

St Louis says: Having these difficult conversations can pay off hugely if it means families get the protection they need.

2. Understand the costs involved

St Louis says the costs may be cheaper than some people realise, with some people on benefits or lower incomes potentially being able to apply for reduced fees.

She says: While concerns about costs are, of course, understandable, many people assume that power of attorney is beyond their means without even knowing what is available.

St Louis adds: Dont forget to check whether youre eligible for support.

If you lose your mental capacity and don't have a Power of Attorney, it is very hard for your relatives to access your money, even to pay for your care and your mortgage. Find out more here:https://t.co/5yAi0Ke6Al pic.twitter.com/MdaUCLLct7  Money Saving Expert (@MoneySavingExp) October 16, 2022

3. Could you sort it at the same time as your will?

St Louis says: This March is Free Wills Month, an opportunity for people to get free advice about writing their will, but theres no need to stop there.

Writing your will is an ideal opportunity to explore the other tools available, in the event that you need someone to manage your finances on your behalf.

4. Dont put it off

Dont underestimate the importance of exploring your options in good time, says St Louis.

Its no good waiting until you already need someone else to manage your finances.

If someone loses capacity and there is no power of attorney in place, this could mean having to go to court, which could be costlier than setting up power of attorney in the first place, she says.

Of course, power of attorney may never be needed, but by having it in place, its there as a safety net, in case there is a time when it becomes essential.
One of the police officers killed in Edmonton was about to be a father for the first time and the other was called a snow angel for going beyond the call of duty to help people.
Eurasia Review 29 Mar 2023

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Justin Trudeau accused his Conservative rival of trying to score political points at the expense of Canadian democracy on Friday by questioning his personal relationship with former governor general David Johnston.
The UK and New Zealand have moved to ban TikTok from government phones, but the Australian government is waiting for the result of a major review into social media security.
A Melbourne mum will spend at least a year behind bars after stealing nearly $200,000 from Medicare.
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The grain export deal struck last July between Russia and Ukraine is due to expire on March 18. Food security experts and organizations say it is essential that the deal is renewed.
Bettina Stark-Watzinger is set to be the first German Cabinet minister to visit Taiwan since 1997, a trip likely to irk Beijing. Her meetings with Taiwanese officials are expected to focus on semiconductors.
SeattlePI.com 21 Mar 2023

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Provincial government members voted unanimously to pass the Saskatchewan First Act on Thursday in front of a gallery full of First Nations and Metis community members who travelled to the legislature in opposition of the bill.
In a rare show of unity, the UN Security Council asked for an "independent assessment" on dealing with the Afghan Taliban, saying it needed some "fresh thinking."
Veuer 24 Mar 2023

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Canada implemented a ban on TikTok across government-issued phones recently, joining a list of governments that have moved to rein in or bar the platform.
The German federal parliament, the Bundestag, is bursting at the seams. Now the ruling parties have pushed through legislation to make it smaller and limit its size. But the opposition argues that is unconstitutional.
Chancellor Scholz and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will look at ways to deepen bilateral security relations amid growing challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. The war in Ukraine is also high on the agenda.
Since the beginning of Russias invasion, countries around the world have been hesitant to send fighter aircraft to Ukraine,..

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The Hague-based ICC accused the Russian president of responsibility for war crimes committed in Ukraine. How to successfully extradite Putin to face trial could prove a far greater challenge.
News24 29 Mar 2023

The African Transformation Movement has welcomed the Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to the country; however, it has..
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of abducting children from Ukraine.
Rumble 24 Mar 2023

HERE IS THE REPORT TO WATCH AND SHARE LET MORE PEOPLE SEE IT.
Eurasia Review 31 Mar 2023

What ever happened to good old-fashion spying? The Saint? James Bond? Spy mania seems to have come (with 19th c imperialism) and..
Tonight, rioters threatened the residence of French president Emmanuel Macron after he raised the retirement age from 62 to 64 without consulting Parliament.
Junior doctors and the government are set to enter talks following a 72-hour-strike which saw more than 175,000 appointments reorganised.
Beijing (AFP) March 16, 2023



China urged the United States to stop "unreasonably suppressing" TikTok on Thursday, after Washington gave the popular video-sharing app an ultimatum to part ways with its Chinese owners or face a nationwide ban. The United States and the European Union have been taking an increasingly firm approach to the app, owned by the Chinese firm Bytedance, citing fears that user data could be used or
Istanbul (AFP) March 17, 2023



The helmet-topped engineer drove his pointy instrument into the concrete to test whether Durmus Uygun's building will crumble when the feared big quake finally strikes Istanbul. "I'm pretty confident but my children aren't convinced, so we're having this test done," said Uygun, who lives in one of the Turkish megalopolis's poorer and more densely packed neighbourhoods. "If the result is
autoevolution 19 Mar 2023

On a long enough timeline in which mankind doesn't abandon human-crewed spaceflight beyond LEO as we did in the early 70s, a..
His Bill to raise age from 62 to 64, that could become law without a democratic majority, has sparked outrage across France
The long-anticipated visit was announced simultaneously in Moscow and Beijing. Moscow said Xi is coming at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, though it made no mention of the war in Ukraine.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has presented awards to the pilots of two Su-27 fighter planes that intercepted a US drone near the airspace around Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, his ministry said on Friday.
Rumble 23 Mar 2023

Putin and Xi meet in Moscow for diplomacy talks shortly after the ICC issues an arrest warrant for Putin over alleged "war..
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant on Friday against Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of being responsible for war crimes committed in Ukraine.
Xi Jinping's visit to Russia follows Beijing's 12-point plan to resolve the Ukraine conflict, which NATO and the US have criticized.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes following a "dramatic move" by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Lawyers for Prince Harry asked a judge Friday to rule that a tabloid newspaper libeled the British royal with an article about his quest for police protection when
Oneindia 13 Apr 2023

Reports have emerged that the Game of Thrones prequel based on George R R Martins Dunk and Egg books is officially..
Cotonou, Benin (PANA) - The African economy experienced a significant decline in the year 2022, according to statistics in a paper on recent economic and social developments in Africa produced by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - Many developing countries may miss out on the benefits of the green tech revolution unless governments and the international community take decisive action now, the head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said on Thursday, releasing its latest report
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the United Kingdom, this month's lead co-chair of the International Monitoring Committee's Security Working Group, under the Berlin Process, met in Tunisia on Thursday to discuss the way forward on the security track
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Deputy Chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council, Abdallah al-Lafi, has presented to a group of representatives of US research centres the North African country's national reconciliation project, which is supervised by the Presidential Council, as part of its efforts to support political, social and security
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan newspaper "Alsabaah" (Le Matin) has taken exception to "statements and insinuations" of some Libyan politicians, dubbed "miserable amateurs", who do not understand anything about history or politics, when they call for the reduction of the Libyan presence in Africa and the closure of embassies, looking northwards to the imaginary Western "Eldorado"
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libya's Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Health in the Government of National Unity, Ramadan Abu Jnah, has deplored the "serious consequences" of the lack of appropriate intersectoral policies on the health of refugees and migrants worldwide
Bamako, Mali (PANA) - The President of the Transition of Mali, Colonel Assimi Goita, on Thursday handed over to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Major General Alou Boi Diarra, new equipment to strengthen the capacities of the defence and security forces, as part of its fight against terrorism, an official source told PANA on Friday
Port-Louis, Mauritius (PANA)  Mauritian President Prithvirajsing Roopun on Thursday said that amid global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, his country should reconsider its high dependency on imports, increase supply of local food production, and streamline supply chain challenges
New York, US (PANA) - The UN Security Council on Thursday adopted a presidential statement calling on the international community to support ongoing efforts to forge a lasting peace in Libya
Photo: (Photo : Getty Images/Joe Raedle)

The once nemesis of health-conscious parents have now gotten the seal of approval from the United States government and are making a comeback in school.

Lunchables, the bento-like box of crackers, deli meats, and other snacks, available in grocery stores since 1988, will now make their way into school cafeterias this fall.

Kraft Heinz, the manufacturer of this ready-to-eat package that is "among the most loved US brands" by children, has succeeded in making it a part of the school's lunch program in an important new initiative.

There was one condition, though. The company needed to "reformulate" the ingredients and choices of food to ensure that the products meet federal guidelines first, such as the nutritional standard for school meals.

Executive vice president of Kraft Heinz Carlos Abrams-Rivera revealed that two new varieties of Lunchables, separate from those sold in grocery stores, will have the "improved nutrition" to comply with the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). These new Lunchables, dubbed "Built for School," will be served in K-12 schools nationwide.

Built for School

Speaking to CNN Business Tuesday, Kraft Heinz expressed that this will be the first time the products are "directly entering schools." School administrators nationwide can acquire and offer the new products by selling them in school cafeterias or giving them for free under NSLP, which provides lunch to almost 30 million students in public schools, nonprofit private schools, and residential childcare institutions daily.

The two new Built for School Lunchables are the "Turkey and Cheddar" and the "Extra Cheesy Pizza." Both options were crafted using "a specialized recipe that incorporates more protein and whole grains to keep kids powered throughout the day, reduced saturated fat and sodium, and an increased serving size," the company stated.

The Turkey and Cheddar Lunchables comes in a three-and-a-half ounce container and contains two ounces of meat/meat alternative (MMA), an ounce equivalent of grain, six grams of saturated fat, 930 milligrams of sodium, and qualifies for the "whole grain-rich criteria" of the NSLP.

The Extra Cheesy Pizza Lunchables, on the other hand, comes in a 5.05-ounce container and contains two ounces equivalent of MMA, two ounces equivalent of grain, 1/8 cup of red/orange vegetable, seven grams of saturated fat, 700 milligrams of sodium and qualifies for the "whole grain-rich criteria" of the NSLP.

Further, one of the primary selling points of the products for schools is that the latter need not be frozen. They only need to be kept refrigerated, which will minimize the school's labor needs and costs, especially since most schools are complaining about their staff shortage.

Read More: 959 Pounds Of Lunchables Recalled By Kraft Heinz Due To Misbranding, Undeclared Allergens

Parents are divided

Some parents are excited that their favorite childhood package is back for their children to try and enjoy. However, some are adamant, saying that school meals should be "more nourishing and creative," than Lunchables, Mario Sulaksana stressed.

The 28-year-old, who was not allowed to have Lunchables growing up, explained that though the product may seem an affordable and more convenient option for busy working parents, he feels it does not have to be endorsed by the school cafeteria.

Twenty-five-year-old Ava Macha, who has always wanted to eat Lunchables daily as a child but her doctor father did not allow her, shared that as she looks back, she is just glad that her dad would resist and pack her lunch that does not contain "all of those preservatives and empty calories in those little packages," according to BBC News.

Kraft Heinz hopes to change the minds of doubting parents as another new variety of Lunchables is in the works, potentially available later this year or 2024 - the Lunchables Fruits option.

Related article: USDA's Instruction To Make School Meals Healthier Gets Backlash From School Cook, Parents, Students
Photo: (Photo : MIGUEL ROJO / Getty Images)

San Antonio Zoo's giant tree branch caused the hospitalization of park visitors.

A family's visit to the San Antonio Zoo turned into a traumatic incident when a tree branch fell on them, injuring seven people in total.

The victims included five children, who were immediately taken to the hospital for treatment.

The local fire department reported that two adults and four children were in stable condition, while one child was in critical condition as his injuries were more severe.

The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon in broad daylight, and it is unclear what caused the branch to fall.

San Antonio Zoo's giant tree branch incident

NBC DFW reported that the incident at the San Antonio Zoo in Texas occurred around 12:05 P.M. local time on Wednesday and was immediately reported to the city's fire department.

The branch unexpectedly broke and fell on a family and other kids nearby. Videos of the gruesome incident, including tiny clips before the tragedy, were caught on camera and now circulating online.

Guests at the zoo were seen swarming the area where the tree fell, and some people ran up to it. It can be seen that other parkgoers hurried immediately to take out the tree branch and rescue the kids that were stuck.

Fortunately, two adults and four children were listed in stable condition, while the fifth child is in critical condition. The ages of the injured individuals have not been disclosed.

Hope Roth, the park's vice president of marketing, expressed her sadness at the incident, noting that it was a busy spring break day at the zoo.

Furthermore, a woman who claims to be the mother of one of the victims shared on Facebook that her daughter was put to sleep as doctors ran tests.

The New York Post reports that the mother requested prayers for her child's recovery and stated that there was a lot of blood at the scene, and the incident happened so fast that there was no time to react.

The San Antonio Zoo confirmed that the zoo's Security/EMT teams quickly responded to the incident and began treating guests.

The San Antonio Park Police and San Antonio Fire Department also responded to the incident within minutes.

The zoo authorities have stated that they are cooperating with the investigation into the incident.

Read Also: Minneapolis Bus Driver Goes Above, Beyond To Help Lost 9-Year-old Boy During Snowstorm

Precautions to stay safe at the zoo

The San Antonio Zoo is a popular destination for families and tourists looking to enjoy a day outdoors.

The zoo attracts thousands of visitors annually with its wide variety of animals, interactive exhibits, and educational programs.

However, accidents can happen in any public place, including zoos, and visitors need to take appropriate precautions to stay safe.

The recent incident at the San Antonio Zoo, where a tree branch fell on a family of seven, is a reminder of the importance of safety measures in public places.

While accidents like this are rare, they can happen, and it's crucial to take appropriate steps to minimize the risk of injury.

However, as recommended by Safety First, parents also play a significant role in keeping their children safe when visiting the zoo.

It is crucial to stay vigilant and supervise children at all times, especially in areas where animals are on display.

Some animals may be dangerous, and visitors must follow all safety guidelines provided by the zoo staff.

Additionally, visitors should be aware of potential hazards in the zoo, such as uneven terrain, slippery surfaces, and other environmental factors.

Wearing appropriate footwear and clothing can help prevent falls and other accidents.

Related Article: Outdoor Activities for Families: Healthy Ways to Get Outside, Stay Active
Photo: (Photo : Getty Images/ED JONES/AFP)

A federal program now allows parents in the country to legally request refugee status for their children left behind in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

Refugees International, a non-profit organization, reported Wednesday that few Guatemalan children had been welcomed in the United States to reunite with their parents settled in the country. This has been made possible by an expanded program of the government called Central American Minors (CAM).

CAM allows parents in the country to apply for refugee status for their kids through Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

The Obama administration initially launched the program in 2014, but it was ended in 2018 during the Trump administration.

President Joe Biden reestablished it last March 2021, with the program's second phase opening its doors to the children of Guatemala.

There was only two percent of Guatemalan applicants during the Obama administration because TPS was only granted to the people from El Salvador and Honduras following natural disasters in these countries.

Extended to Guatemalan families

The non-profit advocacy group was surprised to find a report that few Guatemalan children had already arrived in the country under the program's expansion.

"We wanted to focus on Guatemalans just because this is really the first time they are eligible. The U.S. government is kind of building up a bit more of the infrastructure to process CAM cases in Guatemala, as well as outreach to Guatemalan families in the U.S," Senior advocate for Latin America at Refugees International Rachel Schmidtke expressed.

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office of the Refugee Resettlement, almost 50 percent of all unaccompanied children who crossed the Mexican border in the country last 2022 were from Guatemala. This includes those trying to be reunited with their parents in America.

Since the beginning of the second phase, about 1,000 applications have been received. Two-hundred-fifty of these is from Guatemalan parents, with the majority from Hondurans and Salvadorans, to which the director of the Americas and Europe Refugees International, Yael Schacher, described as "very little."

Read More: Migrant Parents Sending Children Unaccompanied to Cross International Border Into South Texas out of Desperation

Challenges and recommendations

The low number of applications from Guatemalan parents is due to a lack of outreach, but for those who can apply, getting the children to CAM interviews has been challenging. Moreover, those who can go through the interviews and are granted parole face difficulties getting passports to leave the country.

One of the most difficult challenges for applicants is getting the consent of both parents for the passport since, under Guatemalan law, the two parents need to give consent. Most of the time, the father usually is absent in the picture or the actual aggressor, especially for kids and women below 18 years old who have fled due to domestic violence, NBC News reported.

Thus, according to Schmidtke, the passport requirement needs to be improved for a better process and to make it available for more families.

Other recommendations include additional resources to invest in by the federal agencies in the program, such as more collaboration with Guatemala and Mexico officials, outreach efforts to Guatemalan families, and more aggressive and readily available information dissemination about the program. Further, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services should have an online "check case status" feature so that families can quickly check the progress of their cases.

Related article: Ukrainian Woman Helps Dad Get His Kids to Safety and Reunite With Their Mom
Photo: (Photo : Getty Images/ Phillip Faraone)

The actor is the new Chief Wellness Officer for Form Nutrition, sustainable, plant-based protein powder and vegan multivitamin products that his entire family loves, even his daughter.

Orlando Bloom adds Chief Wellness Officer to his list of roles and recognition as he partners with Form Nutrition, being launched in the United States.

Putting his "money where his mouth is," the actor shared that he was encouraged to passionately share the brand with the world because he has seen how it effectively worked for him and his family. He stressed that if something worked in his life, especially in his family's life, he would share it. This is how it started with Form Nutrition.

Bloom's two-year-old daughter, whom he shares with fiancee Katy Perry, has given her full support on the brand and to his dad's new role.

"She's beautiful; she's growing fast, big, strong and healthy. And you can't be more blessed than that. And literally, I kid you not, she's like, 'Daddy, can I have a smoothie?' You know what she gets? She gets Form. We are very blessed," the actor replied when asked how his daughter was doing.

Perry is his 'biggest fan'

The 46-year-old actor shared to People that his new venture would not have been possible without the push and inspiration from his family, especially from his fiancee, who is also his "biggest fan."

He further stated that it was easy for the couple to support each other because they are each other's fans, first and foremost.

He admits that Perry is a "force," and he fully supports her for being an American Idol judge, who empowers young musicians, and as a performer who can easily do a powerhouse Vegas show.

Bloom further explained their relationship and support using different "pools" they "swim in" as metaphors, stating that as they swim in their own pools, and though they do not certainly understand each other's pool, they recognize the other's pool and respect it. At the end of the day, they tell each other that they may be doing different things, but they are doing it together, which the actor described as "great."

Read More: Katy Perry Is a Tremendous Mother According to Luke Bryan

Relationship with Perry a real challenge

The star of both Hollywood blockbuster movies, "The Lord of the Rings" and "Pirates of the Caribbean," cannot be prouder of his relationship with Perry. However, he has also boldly admitted how a relationship with a "force," which has lasted for seven years and counting, can be a real challenge.

According to Vanity Fair, the actor opened up to Flaunt magazine and expressed how things are "really, really, really, challenging" sometimes and that he would not even deny that fact or lie about it.

They "battle" with their different emotions and creativity. What makes them fight the relationship out is the awareness that both of them are blessed "to have uniquely connected" in the way that they did at the time that they did.

Bloom then concluded that despite the challenges, there was never a dull moment with her fiancee.

Related article: Katy Perry Posts Throwback Photo; Fans Thought It Was Orlando Bloom and Their Newborn Baby
Photo: (Photo : Getty Images/FETHI BELAID/AFP)

Three sets of Jewish parents whose kids require special needs education are suing the state of California.

A lawsuit against the California Department of Education was filed Monday by a group of Jewish parents, demanding from the state an equal provision for students enrolled in private religious schools in terms of special needs education funding.

"It takes a special kind of chutzpah to deny Jewish kids with disabilities equal access to special education benefits. California politicians can end this unlawful discrimination the easy way or the hard way. Either they change the law that is hurting children with disabilities, or they can shamefully fight in court for the right to discriminate," boldly proclaimed Eric Rassbach, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, a "non-profit, public interest legal and educational institution" that provides pro-bono legal assistance to defend religious liberty, at the same time the organization that is representing the parents in the lawsuit.

Private religious schools lack funding

According to Becket, the country has a federal law named the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It ensures that all children with disabilities in America can receive a free public education to meet their needs. Funds from the act will help pay the cost of staff training, special education programs, assistive technology, and other services.

Part of IDEA's benefits for children with disabilities is placing them in private schools when the public school cannot meet their needs. They can be enrolled in either secular or religious private schools, depending on what truly fits the child with a disability.

Other states support and follow IDEA, but California does not. The California law only allows secular private schools as participants in the benefits program and "categorically excluded" religious schools.

The three Jewish parents that filed the lawsuit have children requiring special needs education. With this, they want their kids to receive an education that will allow them to reach their full potential and an education centered on their Jewish religious beliefs.

Jewish schools - Shalhevet High School and Yavneh Hebrew Academy, do not want anything but provide this education to children with special needs. Unfortunately, they cannot, as they lack the budget for those services without access to state or federal funding.

Read More: Christian School Fights To Stay Open After School District Issues Order To Vacate Building

Violates civil rights of parents

Rassbach called out the state's elected officials for hurting these children instead of helping and protecting them as society's most vulnerable individuals. Further, he declared that there is no reason to continue with this "outmoded law" and instead should give children with disabilities the equal benefits they deserve.

The lawsuit claims that the current law violates the civil rights of parents under the First Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution in terms of religious discrimination and equal protection of parents under the law.

One of the counsels at Becket, Laura Wolk Slavis, emphasized that if a state offers its citizens a "public benefit," it cannot in any way exclude participants just because they are religious, especially if they are qualified.

Slavis confidently shared that the legal precedent is "absolutely" on their side provided in the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decisions, according to the National Catholic Register.

The California Department of Education spokesperson spoke to Channel News Asia and said no lawsuit had been served yet. Thus, they would not provide any comment about the issue until they got to review it thoroughly.

Related article: Alabama Foster Mom Denied Adoption Because of Her Secular Beliefs
Photo: (Photo : Getty Images/Kevork Djansezian)

Maryland parents are calling lawmakers for help in fixing the problem of the state's 529 College Savings plan. A plan is on the way, lawmakers stated.

Maryland's 529 College Savings Plan is a state-sponsored investment plan that allows consumers to save money for a particular beneficiary and settle education expenses. Recently, the program encountered a system glitch that has resulted in hundreds of customers being unable to withdraw money from their accounts.

Head officials of the 529 savings plan explained that an "interest calculation error" had caused the problem plaguing Maryland parents and families who were reported to have lost tens of thousands worth of money, WTOP News reported.

'Scammed' by the state

Parents have been honest that they are prepared to sue if they cannot access all the funds promised as soon as possible.

Some parents expressed that they were not able to tap the funds they had saved for years.

Victoria Sansone was one of the parents hurt by the 529 savings plan. She attended the state panel Wednesday, where parents' challenges and concerns about suddenly having no money to pay their children's college bills were raised.

"This is scary. This is scary stuff. I am literally shaking in my seat. You guys need to help us correct this, and get our money refunded," Sansone declared.

Another parent, Vicky Eavers, whose daughter is heading off to college in the fall, shared she had lost almost half of her investment. She cannot believe the state could "pull the rug out from under us" in the eleventh hour.

Baltimore Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming also invested in the 529 saving plans. She told The Baltimore Banner that when she was still a young prosecutor, she decided to open trust accounts for her sons, who were still babies then, to ensure they get some help paying for college. Considering the state-backed guarantee, she believed the money she invested would be safe and protected.

However, when she tried to "rollover" the balance from one of the prepaid trust accounts to a 401k-style investment plan that the state also oversees, she was shocked to know that she could only move the principal amount and not the earnings acquired for the past two decades since she started the program. The earnings, she was later informed by the agency staff, were "unavailable."

She was further told that she could only roll over $15,000 instead of her expected amount of $43,000.

Cumming's work has allowed her to investigate financial crimes, and in the situation that the 529 savings plan has placed her, she expressed her fears of never seeing her money again. Never had she thought that she could be "scammed" by her own state, she proclaimed.

Read More: When Should You Start Saving For Your Child's College Fund?

State treasurer to take over

Senator Mike McKay narrated how they have been receiving calls from parents and people complaining about the 529 savings plan suddenly not working out. He described the current situation as a "disaster," and recognized the need and urgency to fix the problem, stating that not giving these parents "clarity is just a disservice."

State of Maryland's lawmakers announced that there is currently a bill to abolish the current board of officials handling the 529 savings plan and authorize the state treasurer to take over.

Maryland Treasurer Dereck Davis declared in the state hearing that his office is ready to take over and have control of the 529 savings plan. However, he gave out a condition - lawmakers should provide his office with additional funding and staff.

Further, he had also expressed that if the bill passes, he is now setting the expectation that the change will not happen overnight. The process will be long, provided that crucial issues need to be resolved, according to CBS News.

Lawmakers pledged to find a solution before the legislative session ends.

Related article: Three Ways To Save Up For Your Child's College Education
Photo: (Photo : RAUL ARBOLEDA / Getty Images)

The U.S. maternal mortality rate has skyrocketed.

New data on maternal mortality showed how the healthcare system treats pregnant women in the country.

The U.S. has experienced the highest maternal mortality rate in 60 years.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that 1,205 women died of maternal causes in 2021, compared to 754 deaths in 2019 and 861 in 2020.

The rate of maternal mortality in 2021 was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, significantly higher than the rates of maternal mortality in 2019 (20.1) and 2020 (23.8).

COVID-19 pandemic and maternal mortality rate

According to CBS, COVID-19 can put pregnant women at high risk, and experts believe it was the main reason for the 2021 spike in the maternal mortality rate.

A recent study published by BMJ Global Health showed that pregnant women who contracted COVID-19 were nearly eight times as likely to die as their uninfected peers.

Infection, excessive bleeding, and blood vessel blockages are the leading causes of maternal death. COVID-19, on top of other health problems, can make the condition of pregnant women more fragile as the virus forces their hearts to pump harder.

According to Dr. Elizabeth Cherot, the chief medical and health officer for the March of Dimes, COVID-19 can potentially exacerbate existing health problems in pregnant women. She stated that the virus could make their condition much worse.

Several proponents believe that overworked medical professionals may have contributed to the rise in risk by ignoring the concerns of pregnant women.

Low vaccination rate among pregnant women

According to the Associated Press, the latest statistics demonstrate that the maternal mortality rate in the United States is higher than in any other developed country, especially for women of color.

The maternal mortality rate for black women in 2021 was nearly three times as high as it was for white women.

Additionally, the maternal mortality rate for Hispanic American women in 2021 rose 54 percent compared to the previous year, surpassing the death rate for white mothers.

Compounding the problem is the low vaccination rates among pregnant women in 2021, particularly among Black women.

A portion of this was due to the limited availability of vaccines. The CDC did not thoroughly recommend shots for pregnant women until August 2021.

As per Samantha Griffin, the owner of a doula service that primarily serves families of color in the Washington, D.C. area, there was initially a significant amount of vaccine hesitancy among Black communities.

Low vaccination rates among pregnant women increased the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 for pregnant women, especially those of color.

This is an urgent call to action for policymakers, healthcare providers, and the public to prioritize vaccination for pregnant women and those considering pregnancy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted the persistent health disparities disproportionately affecting women of color. Taking immediate action to address the maternal mortality rate in the United States is crucial.

Read Also: Abortion Battle: Senators Urge Walmart, Costco, Albertsons, Kroger To Sell Mifepristone in Their Pharmacies

Spike in maternal mortality

The spike in maternal mortality rates in the United States in 2021, especially among women of color, is alarming.

The COVID-19 pandemic has put pregnant women at a higher risk of severe illness and death, especially when combined with other health problems.

Low vaccination rates among pregnant women also increased the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19.

This highlights the urgent need to prioritize vaccination for pregnant women and those considering pregnancy.

Policymakers, healthcare providers, and the public should work together to address the persistent health disparities that disproportionately affect women of color and take immediate action to reduce the maternal mortality rate in the United States.

Related Article: Pfizer's New COVID-19 Booster Targets Omicron Variant, Offers Extra Protection for Kids
This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions
That They Might Come Again unto the Remnant of the House of Jacob: Onomastic Allusions to Joseph in 3 Nephi 26:810 and 4 Nephi 1:49, written by Matthew L. Bowen

Abstract: The prophecies in 3 Nephi 26:810 and 4 Nephi 1:49 are third-generation members of the same family of texts derived from Isaiah 11:1112 and Isaiah 29:4, all of which ultimately rely on yasap (yosip or yosip) idioms to describe the gathering of Israel and the concomitant coming forth of additional scripture. Mormon, following Nephi, apparently engages in a specific kind of wordplay on the name Joseph in 3 Nephi 26:810 and 4 Nephi 1:49 that ultimately harks back to the divine promises made to Joseph in Egypt (2 Nephi 25:21; see also especially 2 Nephi 3:416, Genesis 50:2434 JST) and to his descendants. This wordplay looks forward to the name and role of the prophetic translator through whom additional scripture [would] be brought again and [would] come again in the last days.

Interpreting Interpreter: That They Might Come Again, written by Kyler Rasmussen

This post is a summary of the article That They Might Come Again unto the Remnant of the House of Jacob: Onomastic Allusions to Joseph in 3 Nephi 26:810 and 4 Nephi 1:49 by Matthew L. Bowen 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: Bowen expands on earlier proposals related to the Hebrew word for Joseph, exploring language from Mormon in 3rd and 4th Nephi that could allude to earlier prophecies from Nephi and Isaiah, with those allusions based on the word yasap or to do [something] again. These connections emphasize Mormons own role in preparing the Book of Mormon as a record that would be brought again to Lehis descendants.

I now share some additional still relatively new items from the website of the Interpreter Foundation. Its easy, when on the other side of the globe in a quite different time zone, to lose track of whats going on back at home. I apologize, for example, for being late in calling the links to below your attention. Ive been otherwise occupied, and Ive been sleeping while others work:

At this link, you can read one of Jonn Claybaughs weekly notes for students and teachers of the adult Sunday school curriculum of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Come, Follow Me  New Testament Study and Teaching Helps Lesson 13, March 20  26: Matthew 13; Luke 8, 13  Who Hath Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear

Conference Talks: The Book of the Dead as a Temple Text and Its Implications for the Book of Abraham, presented by Stephen Smoot

These remarks were delivered on Saturday, 25 October 2014, at the 2014 Temple on Mount Zion Conference

Interpreter Radio Show  March 5, 2023

The 5 March 2023 episode of the Interpreter Radio Show featured Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye, Stephen Smoot, and Hales Swift. Here are two of the topics from that evening:

Restoration Advocacy: Blacks and the Priesthood

Discussion: Warren Astons article, Nephis Bountiful: Contrasting Both Candidates, in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

The New Testament in Context portion of this show, for the Come, Follow Me New Testament lesson 14, covering Matthew 14, Mark 6 and John 56, will be posted on Tuesday, 21 March 2023.

The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard on Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640, or you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com.

Original air date: March 5, 2023. These recordings have been edited to remove commercial breaks.

Interpreter Radio Show  March 12, 2023

In this, the 12 March 2023 episode of The Interpreter Radio Show, Terry Hutchinson, John Gee, and Kevin Christensen join with special guest Brent Schmidt. Here are two of the topics that they discussed:

Restoration Advocacy: History of the Mark Hoffman Forgeries

Discussion: Brent Schmidts books Relational Grace: The Reciprocal and Binding Covenant of Charis and Relational Faith

The New Testament in Context portion of this show, for the Come, Follow Me New Testament lesson 15 on Easter, will be posted on Tuesday, 28 March 2023.

The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640, or you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com.

Original air date: March 12, 2023. These recording have been edited to remove commercial breaks.

The New Testament in Context Lesson 13: Who Hath Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear

In the 26 February 2023 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Radio Show, Steve Densley and Mark Johnson discussed New Testament lesson 13, Who Hath Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear, which focuses on Matthew 13, Luke 8, and Luke 13.

The other segments of the 26 February 2023 radio show can be accessed at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreter-radio-show-february-26-2023. Otherwise, the Interpreter Radio Show can be heard each and every Sunday evening from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640. Or, if there is no other option available or even if it simply floats your boat, you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com.

Original air date: February 26, 2023. This recording has been edited to remove commercial breaks.

As a follow-up to my own blog entry of yesterday (Big News from a Small Country), I share the latest from Neville-Neville Land: Why the Mesoamerican photos in the 19631981 Book of Mormon are important.

Mr. Neville has now responded with an indignant blast, to which Neville-Neville Land responds with substantial quotations from it (see Jonathan Nevilles incredible self-own). You will, I trust, be appalled at my villainy, and you will understandably want to flee in righteous disgust. Pax vobiscum.

Before you go, though: A few people out there seem to be deeply befuddled by my attitude toward the Heartlander movement. Ive tried to state it clearly on multiple occasions, but they just cant seem to follow. So Ill try yet again: Although I think that the Heartlander model of Book of Mormon geography is incorrect, I have no other particular issue than that with people who choose to accept it. What I do object to, though, is the tendency of some in the movement to make acceptance of their geographical model a principal criterion, if indeed not the only one, for judging who is and who is not a faithful believer in the Restored Gospel  effectively, who is, and who is not, an apostate. (As if it were their province to judge faithfulness in the first place!) To me, Book of Mormon geography is an peripheral interesting topic, but holding the proper views on it isnt even remotely essential to anybodys salvation. And, oh yes: Of late, Ive also been disturbed to see clear anti-Semitism and other conspiratorial thinking on the part of at least one prominent Heartlander. (See Conspiracy Fantasies and Anti-Semitism in the Heartland? and Hijacking the Book of Mormon for the Satanic Cause of Anti-Semitism.)

Finally, these materials were all found in or near the Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File:

Women General Officers Discuss Humanitarian Initiatives With Cabo Verdes First Lady: Sister Browning and Sister Craven meet with Saints in Cabo Verde, Baltics and England

Church Donates 332 Wheelchairs to the Mexican State of Tamaulipas

President Johnson Visits UNICEF Sites in Uganda

Women Church Leaders Observe International Womens Day at Home and Abroad: Focus in 2023 is #EmbraceEquity and strengthen women, children and families throughout the world

International Womens Day: How One Latter-day Saint Woman Is Building a Better World

Latter-day Saints Help Aid Snow-Stricken Residents in California

Interfaith Volunteers Gather Items for 48 Moms-to-Be: The Church joins interfaith organization, San Clemente Military Family Outreach to support military families in California

The Church Helps Give Aid to Refugees in Democratic Republic of the Congo; Funding from the Church helps Catholic Relief Services and Caritas support thousands of displaced women and girls in war-torn North Kivu

BYU Study: Missions Positively Impact Womens Educational and Career Outcomes: Researchers find female students who served missions are more likely to succeed in their studies and careers

Humanitarian Efforts Support Education Projects in 74 Countries: The Church of Jesus Christ gave books, desks and chairs; built latrines and classrooms; and collaborated with other organizations to promote education in 306 projects worldwide

Posted from Jerusalem, Israel
The book, The Infallibility of the Church (1888) by Anglican anti-Catholic polemicist George Salmon (1819-1904), may be one of the most extensive and detailed  as well as influential  critiques of the Catholic Church ever written. But, as usual with these sorts of works, its abominably argued and relentlessly ignorant and/or dishonest, as the critique below will amply demonstrate and document.

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The most influential and effective anti-Catholic Protestant polemicist today, Dr [???] James White , cites Salmon several times in his written materials, and regards his magnum opus as an excellent work. In a letter dated 2 November 1959, C. S. Lewis recommended the book to an inquirer who was vexed about papal infallibility. Russell P. Spittler, professor of New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary, wrote that From an evangelical standpoint, the book has been standard since first published in 1888 ( Cults and Isms , Baker Book House, 1973, 117 ). Well-known Baptist apologist Edward James Carnell called it the best answer to Roman Catholicism in a 1959 book . I think we can safely say that it is widely admired among theological (as well as emotional) opponents of the Catholic Church. * Prominent Protestant apologist Norman Geisler and his co-author Ralph MacKenzie triumphantly but falsely claim, in a major critique of Catholicism, Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1995, 206-207, 459), that Salmons book has never really been answered by the Catholic Church, and call it the classic refutation of papal infallibility, which also offers a penetrating critique of Newmans theory.

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Vol. XI: March 1902

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Dr. Salmons Infallibility (Part 7)

Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Murphy, D.D.

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[I have made a few paragraph breaks not found in the original. Citations in smaller font are instead indented, and all of Dr. Salmons words will be in blue . St. John Henry Cardinal Newmans words will be in green . In this installment, I have omitted, for the sake of brevity and concision, some portions regarding religious tolerance and freedom that are extraneous to the main dispute at hand and would  I believe  would be tedious and boring to the average reader]

Dr. Salmon devotes three long lectures to a series of statements, the aim of which is to discredit the Church as a teacher. Under the headings of Hesitations of the Infallible Guide, Modern Revelations, and Blunders of the Infallible Guide, he has brought together a mass of miscellaneous matter as a series of charges against the teaching authority of the Church. In the charges themselves, there is nothing new, and there is nothing new or striking in the Doctors manner of presenting them; and when he has said his last word the Churchs authority remains untouched. The lectures must have been amusing to his students, but as part of their training for controversy they were simply waste of time.

The Church did not decide the controversy De Auxiliis; she does not publish an authorized commentary on Scripture (page 188); she does not put the seal of her infallibility to any of her catechisms or books of devotion (page 190); she does not tell us whether we are or are not bound to believe the extraordinary incidents recorded in the Glories of Mary and in the Roman Breviary; she does not tells us what we are to believe about Loretto, Lourdes, or La Salette. On all these she has carried her caution to an extraordinary degree, lest she may compromise her infallibility, but by a just judgment on her she has completely shattered the claim by her condemnation of the scientific teaching of Galileo.

This is the burden of Dr. Salmons three long lectures. Now in all these charges, except the last, he is condemning the Church for what she has not done; and in the last he is charging her with having done what she never did at all. He admits himself that he is judging her by what she has not done. The complaint I made was, he says, that the Church of Rome did not tell us whether we are to believe these things or not. And he wants to know why she does not (page 215, note). The Doctor, in his capacity of Judex Controversiarum, is so much in the habit of sitting in judgment on his own  a Church made by men  that he fancies be can take the same liberty with the Catholic Church, founded by God. But she has her mission marked out for her, and she will not turn from her appointed course to accommodate even a Regius Professor. His duty is to hear her, not to judge her. He told his theologians that 

Romish teaching has constantly a double face. To those within the communion it is authoritive, positive, stamped with the seal of infallibility, which none may dispute without forfeiting his right to be counted a good Catholic. . . . She speaks differently to those who have the courage to impugn it, and bring it to the test.  (Page 187.)

Here is a grave charge, specific and direct; and as proof of it Dr. Salmon brings forward a number of subjects which, according to himself, the Church does not teach at all. There is a strange fatality about the Doctors logic. The Church, he says, abandons her teaching on a number of

subjects which, he says, she never taught at all. So the Doctor told his theologians who, no doubt, appreciated his logic. It shall be an evil day for the Catholic Church when Dr. Salmons patent controversialists take the field against her. Now, the Doctor has a wide field open to him. Let him search through the history of the Church from the first Pentecost to the present day, from St. Peter to Leo XIII., and let him find out, if he can, a solitary instance in which the Church permitted anyone, either in the Church or outside of it, to impugn a doctrine which she once taught. He can find no such instance. For those who impugn or deny her defined doctrine the Church has invariably one answer, and that is final  anathema sit.

Dr. Salmon founds one of his charges on the controversy De Auxiliis [a debate concerning predestination and how God can and does move the human will], on which he takes his information from Burnets Commentary on the Seventeenth Article. He has not studied the folios of Levinus Meyer or Serry, or the modern works of Schneeman, to say nothing of the voluminous writings of those who actually carried on the controversy; and the result is that he seems to know as much about the controversy De Auxiliis, as he does of the Beatific vision. It is amusing to hear one like Dr. Salmon giving his views so confidently on a controversy which for years engaged the talents of such men as Bannez and Alvarez and De Lemos on one side, and Molina and Lessius and Bellarmine and Gregory of Valentia on the other. A disputation on it by Dr. Salmons students, and under his own training, would be better than a pantomime.

It was essentially a scholastic controversy  confined to the schools, and the body of the faithful took no part in it; they did not and could not enter into its merits. No Catholic doctrine was affected by it; the necessity of grace was maintained by all the parties to the controversy; and so too was the existence of efficacious grace and its co-existence with free will. The point of the controversy was, what was the intrinsic nature of efficacious grace  what precisely it is that makes grace efficacious. This point was argued with a great deal of logical and theological subtilty on both sides, and, unfortunately, with a good deal of the odium theologicum also. To check, to repress this uncharitableness was the immediate, the pressing necessity, and that was done by Paul V. commanding each school to abstain from attaching theological censures to the opinions of the opposite school. But the interests of souls called for no decision on the question as to the intrinsic nature of efficacious grace, and no decision was given on it. It was allowed to remain, and it still is a matter for free discussion amongst theologians, due regard being had to the requirements of charity.

Again, Dr. Salmon says: It might be expected that the infallible guide would publish an authoritative commentary on Scripture (page 188). If the infallible guide agreed with Dr. Salmon that the Bible alone is the rule of faith, then his suggestion may be valuable, though to make it

really so the guide should first teach all nations to read. But . . . Founder said to her: Teach all nations. He did not say to her: Write a book, and read it for all nations, or give it to them to read for themselves. . . .

Again, Dr. Salmon complains that though the Catholic Church has catechisms and other books of instruction . . . she has not ventured to put her seal of Infallibility to any of them (page 190). And hence he says if we detect a catechism in manifest error, if we find a preacher or a book

of devotion guilty of manifest extravagance, . . . the Church always leaves a loophole for disowning him. And he adds: Does it not seem strange that a communion possessing the high attribute of Infallibility should make no use of it in the instruction of her people? (page 191). Yes, it would

seem strange if it were a fact; but it is one of Dr. Salmons fictions, and not a very clever or ingenious one. The Catholic Church is a teacher, and she is that precisely in virtue of her Infallibility. It is that which ensures that the ever-living voice shall always enunciate divine truth. Catechisms and books of devotion are permitted to circulate amongst Catholics, and are used by them, provided they have proper ecclesiastical approbation. That approbation ensures that the books contain nothing opposed to faith or morals  no doctrinal error, no unsound principle of morality.

Now this approbation presupposes an infallible standard of faith and morals, whereby the doctrine of such books is tested. And hence, if such books have this approbation, the faithful who use them have ample security as to the orthodoxy of the doctrine, as far as the approbation goes. And, therefore, in the instruction of her people the Catholic Church always uses that very attribute of Infallibility which, according to Dr. Salmon, she never uses at all. The Doctor was speaking to his students when he made this extraordinary statement, and clearly he thought his logic good enough for them. But all his rhetoric here is leading up to what he evidently regards as a crushing case against the Catholic Church. I need take no other example, he says, than the case I have already mentioned of Keenans Catechism (page 191). He had already quoted the Catechism at page 26 to convict the Catholic Church of a change of faith, and now he quotes it to show, moreover, that we, heretics, knew better what were the doctrines of the Roman Church than did its own priests (page 192). Now, assuming (and it is scarcely a safe assumption) the correctness of Dr. Salmons extract from Keenan, what does it prove? According to the Doctor, Keenan said of Papal Infallibility, some fifty years ago: It is no article of Catholic faith. This is, according to the Doctor and his friends, a false statement; they knew better what were the doctrines of the Roman Church than did its own priests.

Now, in order that a doctrine be an article of Catholic faith, it must be revealed, and it must be proposed by the Church to the faithful. The Infallibility of the Pope was revealed in Christs charge to St. Peter, and it has ever since been in the Churchs keeping as part of the deposit of faith. But it was not proposed by the Church to the faithful until the Vatican Council, and, therefore, up to that time it was no article of Catholic faith. And, therefore, Keenans statement was true and the Doctors statement is not true. Up to the time of the definition it was an article of divine faith to such as had considered the evidence of its revelation and are satisfied of its sufficiency  and there were very many such; but it was not an article of Catholic faith for anyone until it was taught by the Church. But see what the Doctors logic comes to. At page 26 he introduced Keenans statement to convict the Church of a change in faith. If there be a change of faith made by the definition of Papal

Infallibility, then Keenans statement must have been true; it was not an article of faith when he wrote. But if Keenans statement be false (as Dr. Salmon says at page 192), then there was no change in doctrine caused by the definition.

But the Doctors memory is just as bad as his logic, for at page 26 he held Keenans statement to be true; at page 192 he holds it to be false, and again he holds it to be true at page 269, where, in reference to the evidence of some Irish bishops before a Royal Commission, he says, they swore, as they then could with truth, that the doctrine of the Popes personal Infallibility  was not an article of Catholic faith. The students are fortunate in their teacher! Now all this is so elementary, so frequently and so clearly stated by Catholic theologians, that it is difficult to fancy a Regius Professor ignorant of it; and yet it is only the plea of ignorance that can shield him from the charge of bearing false witness against his neighbours.

A great rock of scandal to Dr. Salmon is the Roman Breviary, and also the process of canonisation of saints. This ardent lover of truth is shocked at the number of lying legends . . . that are inserted in the Breviary by authority for the devotional reading of priests (page 196). But the Church, with her wonted versatility, is prepared to repudiate them when called to account by theologians of the Dr. Salmon type. He says: If a Protestant hesitating to become a convert to Popery, should allege, as the ground of his hesitation, the number of lying legends proposed by the Church for his acceptance, he would be told that this is no obstacle at all, and that as a Roman Catholic he need not believe any of them (page 196). The Doctor is here referring to the brief histories of the saints that are generally given in the lessons of the Second Nocturn of the Breviary. And as he proclaims himself that Catholics are not bound to accept these histories as truths of faith, it is difficult to see what legitimate motive he can have in putting them forward as arguments against the Churchs Infallibility. As the Church orders the Breviary to be read by priests, it can contain nothing that is opposed to faith or morals; this is all the Church guarantees.

The intending convert is asked to accept the Catholic profession of faith, which comprises a number of truths originally revealed by God, and proposed by the Church for the belief of the faithful. The histories of the saints, given in the Breviary, were not revealed, and are not put forward as such by the Church; and, therefore, the intending convert is truly told that he is not bound to accept them as truths of faith  for it is of such truths that Dr. Salmon is speaking. But according to the Doctor they are lying legends proposed by the Church. Now, the Doctors word is not a substitute for proof, and he has not even attempted to prove that any of the statements referred to as lying legends is really such. The Roman Breviary was frequently revised, and the last general revision of it was made under Urban VIII. by a congregation of cardinals, amongst whom were Bellarmine and Baronius, and they were assisted by a number of eminent scholars as consulting theologians, amongst whom were Gavantus, the great writer on Ritual, and our own countryman, Father Luke Wadding.

Now, it is not a conclusive proof of the Doctors modesty, or even of his prudence, to find him setting down as lying legends statements which passed the criticism of such scholars. The Regius Professor would make a very sorry figure if he was for a while under examination in history and theology by Bellarmine and Baronius. But even on Dr. Salmons own admission there is much more to be said for the histories of the Breviary. He says that many of them, at least, are taken from Bulls of Canonisation, and if he would only read one process of canonisation he would be in a better position to judge of the character of the evidence he is discussing so glibly. Let him but read vol. v. of Moignos Splendours de la foi , let him study the his assertion of lying legends. The lying legends are those of Dr. Salmon, and of men like him, whose sole stock-in-trade they are. Such statements excite no surprise in Irish Church Mission teachers, but in a university professor they are lamentable.

In justification of his assertions Dr. Salmon quotes the case of the Holy House at Loretto, which he proves to be fictitious on the high authority of his friend, Mr. Ffoulkes. Now, as Mr. Ffoulkes reasons are not given, we have only his assertion repeated by Dr. Salmon, which, as a proof, amounts to nothing. Another of his arguments is from the case of St. Philumena  but the Doctor doctors the history of the saint in his own peculiar fashion. He says: 

We learn from the authorized history of her life that a good Neapolitan priest had carried home some bones out of the Roman

catacombs, and was much distressed that his valuable relics should be anonymous. He was relieved from his embarrassment

by a pious nun in his congregation, who, in a dream, had revealed to her the name of the saint and her whole history, etc.  (Page 197).

This history must have been authorised by the Doctor himself. The real history, which he could have found in the Breviary, tells us that the relics were not anonymous at all. They were discovered in the catacomb of St. Priscilla, on the 2nd of May, 1802. They were contained in an urn,

and on a terra-cotta slab covering them was written: Philumena. Peace with thee.  Amen. On the tomb also was found the lily, the symbol of virginity, also the palm, the blood-stained phial, the arrow, and other symbols of martyrdom. Dr. Salmon can see a facsimile of the slab in Northcote and Brownlows Epitaphs of the Catacombs (page 33). Now De Bossi, judging from the internal arrangement of this catacomb, and also from the inscriptions and symbolisms used, holds that it goes back to the second century of the Christian era. Here, then, we have a fact

as strictly historical as anything recorded of the catacombs, showing that the relics in question are those of Philumena, a virgin and a martyr, who must have suffered at a very early period of Christian history. Now, whether the dream of the pious nun, alleged by Dr. Salmon, be real or unreal, the historical fact which be has conveniently suppressed reveals both the name and the character of the saint, and supplies also abundant foundation for the devotion to St. Philumena, which has so shocked the tender conscience of this truth-loving theologian.

This case of Philumena leads the Doctor on to the subject of modern revelation as a foundation for new doctrines (page 199). He says: But these alleged revelations are also the foundation of new doctrines, and the Popes silence concerning them affects the whole question of the rule of faith (page 200). And the new doctrines thus introduced are, according to Dr. Salmon, Purgatory, Devotion to the Sacred Heart, and the Immaculate Conception. These revelations are, according to Dr. Salmon, in plain English, ghost stories, and on such stories beliefs are being silently built up in the Church to such an extent that the Church really is a vast manufactory of beliefs to which additions are being yearly made (page 213). The sum of his charge against the Church in this matter is that very many of her doctrines are founded on ghost stories, and that, as she will not tell us definitely what we are to think of these stories, she is, therefore, shown to be fallible.

Now, first, Infallibility can be tested only by what the Church does teach, not by what she does not teach; and, hence, the Doctors instances cannot be a test at all. And, secondly, no article of Catholic faith is founded, or can be founded, on any revelation not contained in the original deposit of faith. This is the Catholic theory, and Dr. Salmon is well aware of it. Whether there have been revelations made to individuals in later times is a matter to be determined by testimony, but such revelations cannot enter into the deposit of faith, and no article of Catholic faith can be grounded on them. And of this, too, the Doctor is well aware. If there be in reality any such modern revelations those to whom they were made are bound to believe them, not, however, as articles of Catholic faith (for such they cannot be), but as articles of divine faith, for, in the supposition, God has spoken to them and they must believe Him.

But others to whom the revelation was not made are not bound to believe it, for the simple reason that they have not sufficient evidence that God has spoken. Dr. Salmon says: If there be any one in the latter Church to whom God has made real revelations we are bound to receive the truths so disclosed with the same reverence and assent which we give to what was taught by the Apostles (page 214). He is here giving testimony unconsciously against himself. Unfortunately for him in his own theory the statement is quite true. He has no better means of knowing what the Apostles taught than he has of knowing whether a revelation was made to this or that individual in recent times. But in the Catholic theory  the true theory  the Doctors statement is quite false; for the Catholic has the infallible authority of the Church to tell him what was taught by the Apostles, whilst in the case of modern revelation he has only the authority of the person to whom the revelation is alleged to have been made.

One of the doctrines alleged by Dr. Salmon to have been founded on modern revelation is that of the Immaculate Conception. Well, the doctrine was defined in 1854, and the alleged revelation, or rather apparition, took place in 1858. The doctrine thus came before the revelation, and consequently could not be founded on it. The Doctor first builds his house and then looks about for a foundation. This is genuine town-clock theology. Again, he regards the revelations made to Margaret Mary Alacoque as the foundation of devotion to the Sacred Heart, and he says: My object is to show that every one of these alleged revelations has a distinct bearing on doctrine (page 224). He holds that they give rise to the doctrine.

Now, devotion to the Sacred Heart is founded on the Incarnation, on the Hypostatic Union, and Dr. Salmon cannot well maintain that the doctrine has been in any way affected by the revelation said to have been made to Blessed Margaret Mary. Out of this doctrine devotion to the Sacred Heart grew, and though it has become much more general since Margaret Marys time, it existed long before her time. There is an Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart given in the Divini Amoris Pharetra , written by Lauspergu?, and published a.d. 1572, fully a hundred years before Blessed Margaret Marys time. The devotion is distinctly referred to in the Vitis Mysbica , c. 3, n. 8, fully four hundred years before her time ; and it is not difficult to trace it much farther back into Christian antiquity. It is thus very much more ancient than Dr. Salmon fancies, and it could not, by any effort of imagination, be said with truth to have been founded on the revelations said to have been made to Blessed Margaret Mary.

But to the Doctor it is downright Nestorianism; and he condemns it on the ground that in the Nestorian controversy it was distinctly condemned to make a separation between our Lords Godhead and His Manhood (page 223). This precisely is what the devotion does not do. It rests on the impossibility of such separation; it presupposes the inseparable union of our Lords Godhead and His Manhood, as the Doctor can see for himself, in any Catholic treatise on the subject, if he care to ascertain the truth. Of Blessed Margaret Mary herself he says: This poor nun was subject to what we heretics would call hysteric delusions. This is his substitute for argument. He does not consider the evidence for the alleged revelations; that would be a tedious, a difficult process, and may perhaps lead him to an undeniable conclusions. Within his class-room he knew that his assertions would pass for argument, but for those outside, who may read his lectures, and calmly and patiently test his statements, to fancy that his mere assertion will carry much weight is one of the most supreme delusions of his life.

But, as might have been expected, the doctrine of Purgatory is Dr. Salmons most fruitful source of argument against the Catholic Church. All through his lectures, there is a tone of levity when speaking of Catholic doctrines that is open to grave suspicion, but this is most noticeable in his references to Purgatory. The whole faith of the Church of Borne on this subject, he says, has been built upon revelations, or, as we should call it in plain English, on ghost stories. For hundreds of years the Church seems to have known little or nothing on the subject (page 206). The Doctor himself seems certainly to know little or nothing of it when he speaks thus. The Catholic Church teaches that there is a Purgatory, and that souls detained there are helped by the suffrages of the faithful, but most particularly by the acceptable sacrifice of the altar. This is the defined doctrine on which theologians are allowed to reason and pious souls to meditate, so long only as their reasonings and inferences do not infringe on this fixed truth. Where this place or state of purgation is: what the precise nature of the sufferings there endured: how long they are to last for anyone, the Church does not say: though there is a strong tendency of Catholic teaching to lead one to believe that the pains are severe. And much unauthorised speculation on these questions in popular instructions is distinctly discouraged by the Council of Trent.

Now the supreme and sufficient argument for this or any other Catholic doctrine is the teaching of the infallible Church. The doctrine is necessarily involved in the doctrine and practice of prayer for the dead which the Church has always taught and maintained. If it be well to pray for the dead, if our prayers help them, then there must be some of them in such a state as to need our help. The saints in heaven do not need our prayers or help, and to the lost souls in hell our prayers can do no good. The souls, therefore, who can be served by our prayers must be in some intermediate state, in some state of purgation or expiation, where our prayers can procure for them the succour they need. This place or state Catholics call Purgatory. This is the substance of the doctrine on Purgatory which the Church has always taught, though Dr. Salmon told his theologians that for hundreds of years she seems to have known little or nothing of it.

Now, in the face of this confident assertion stands the indisputable fact that the doctrine was taught and believed by Gods chosen people long before the Catholic Church came into existence at all. Dr. Salmon is, of course, familiar with the well-known text, 2 Machabees xii. 43, 44, which records that Judas Machabeus made certain provision for sacrifices to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection, etc. This clearly cannot be set down as the personal opinion of Judas. He is giving expression to the belief which must have been held by all those who co-operated with him in that act of mercy; by all who believed in the resurrection. They must have believed that it was not superfluous and vain to pray for the dead. Now, if it was not superfluous, then some of the dead must stand in need of prayers; and if it be not vain, then the prayers must be useful to the departed souls. No wonder, then, holding this doctrine, that he should say, It is, therefore, a holy and a salutary thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from their sins.

It will avail the Doctor nothing to say that the book is not canonical; for (to say nothing of the conclusive evidence against this statement) the text supplies historical proof, that the Jews at that time prayed for the dead; and believed that departed souls were succoured by the prayers of the living. It is then absolutely certain that the doctrine was believed and acted on by the Jews in our Lords own time, and there is no trace of any protest from Him or from the Apostles against it. On the contrary, there are texts in the New Testament which seem to presuppose the doctrine, and the force of such texts becomes much stronger when taken in connexion with the comments and teaching of early fathers. Doellenger, whom Dr. Salmon frequently quotes as an authority, shows that several texts of the New Testament were understood in early times as referring to the state of the departed souls and to make special comment on 2 Tim. i. 16-18. [First Age of the Church, vol. ii, pp. 64-70] Tertullian [De Corona Mil., c. iii., No. 79] says we make annual sacrifices for the dead, and in the opening sentence of the next chapter (iv.) he says: Of this and other such customs if you ask the Scripture authority, you shall not find it. Tradition hands it down to you, custom confirms it, faith secures its observance. And in his book, De Exhortatione Castitatis, he argues against second marriages on the ground that the husband has still a religions affection for the deceased wife, for whose soul, he says, you pray, for whom you offer up annual sacrifices. [Cap. xi]

St. Cyprian in his sixty-sixth letter Ad Clerum refers to a previous synod which forbade priests from becoming executors, and he now orders that anyone who violates that law shall not have the sacrifice offered for him when dead. St. Cyril of Jerusalem [Cat. v. Myst., No. 9] says that after Commemorating patriarchs, and prophets, and apostles, and martyrs, that God may through their intercession receive our prayers, we then pray for . . . all those who have died amongst us believing that it shall be the greatest help to their souls for whom prayers are offered while the holy and august victim is present. It is quite unnecessary to multiply texts from the early fathers, this doctrine is the teaching of them all. Most readers will recollect the feeling language of the dying St. Monica to her son, St Augustine, asking to remember her at the altar. St. Ambrose, St. Chrysostom Epiphanius, St. Gregory the Great, all teach this doctrine in the most unmistakable language. Again in all the ancient liturgies there are prayers for the dead, and the same cry for mercy goes up from the tombs of the catacombs. Moreover, in several early councils we find canons regulating oblations for the dead. Against all this teaching it is alleged that the prayers referred to are only commemorations such as we find made of persons departed who certainly do not need our prayers, We often find the Blessed Virgin and the Apostles so commemorated.

A glance at the texts and prayers will however dissipate this delusion. In the text given from St. Cyril a clear distinction is made between those whom we commemorate to honour, to gain their intercession, and those whom we commemorate as an act of charity to obtain mercy for them. And this distinction is clearly laid down in the writings of other fathers, and is as clearly embodied in the ancient liturgies, as it is in the Roman Missal of this day. Honourable mention, such as distinguished soldiers get in military despatches, will not satisfy this. And from these original fountains of Apostolic teaching, the doctrine has come down through fathers and councils to our own time. Now, are all these testimonies ghost stories? In the face of this chain of evidence the Doctor told his theologians that for many hundreds of years the Church seemed to have known little or nothing of the doctrine!

And in this, as in other matters, Dr. Salmon seems to know as little of the teaching of his own theologians, as of that of ours. The very latest commentator on the Articles, the Rev. E. Tyrrell Greene, M.A., says, while explaining Article 21:  There is abundant evidence which goes to prove that the practice of prayer for the dead prevailed in the Primitive Church (page 148); and he proves his assertion from the ancient liturgies and from inscriptions in the catacombs. Dr. Luckock, Dean of Lichfield, says:  It seems almost impossible to form any other conclusion than that the souls of the departed pass through some purifying process, between death and judgment. [Intermediate State, c. vii. 62] And Dr. M. MacColl, Canon of Ripon, in his Reformation Settlement, after a long and appropriate quotation from Jeremy Taylor, says: 

I will now assume that I have established these three statements:  (1) that the Church of England had nowhere refused her sanction to prayers for the dead; (2) that such prayers have been sanctioned by the Christian Church from the beginning; (3) that the Christian Church inherited them with our Lords tacit sanction from the Jewish Church.  (Page 318.)

And that Dr. MacColl is correct in his reference to the Church of England, was clearly proved by the decision of the Court of Arches in the case of Breeks v. Woolfrey, Nov. 19th, 1838. In that year a Catholic, John Woolfrey, died at Carisbrooke, in the Isle of Wight. He was buried in the local cemetery, and his wife erected a tombstone to his remains with the following inscription: 

Pray for the soul of J. Woolfrey.

It is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead.  2 Ma. xii. 46.

This prayer was too distasteful to the orthodoxy of the local parson, Rev. J. Breeks, who cited Mrs. Woolfrey before the court of the Bishop Winchester, in order to have the tombstone and inscription removed. From this court it was sent to the Court of Arches, of Canterbury, where a decision was given on the day above-named by Sir Herbert Jenner Fust. The charge is a most elaborate survey of the ecclesiastical law bearing on this question; but the outcome brought very little consolation to the wounded feelings of the Rev. John Breeks. The tombstone, with its prayer, was to remain. The rev. gentleman was much more orthodox than his Church. He may inhibit prayers for the dead, but there is no evidence that the Church of England ever did so. And, as if to make matters worse for Mr. Breeks, the judge had the cruel taste of quoting the epitaph, composed by Bishop Barrow, for his own tomb; which can still be read in the Cathedral of St. Asaph, and which is quite as Roman as the prayer for poor J. Woolfrey. All these men too, of course, based their opinions on ghost stories. Surely if Dr. Salmon had been aware that divines of high standing, scholars of high reputation, had made, after mature examination, the statements given above, he would have been less reckless in addressing an audience even such as his was.

Instead of setting before his students the real foundation of our doctrine, he entertained them with the recital of a number of stories well calculated to bring ridicule on it. He took from Father Faber, and from the Abbe Louvet, a number of alleged revelations as to the general character of Purgatory, and the state of the souls therein, and on these ghost stories he told them the whole faith of the Church of Rome on this matter rests. He has not even attempted to disprove any one of the stories. And even though he had disproved them all, the Catholic doctrines on Purgatory and on Prayers for the Dead would remain just what they are. From Father Fabers All for Jesus he quotes a number of such expressions as Our Lord said to St. Gertrude, or to St Teresa, which he clearly regards as too silly to need refutation. Now, Father Faber must have believed that there was evidence for these statements, and must have believed them. He does not give them as arguments for doctrine.

In fact, only one of the passages quoted by Dr. Salmon refers to Purgatory; and Dr. Salmon draws from them the following conclusion;  A number of new things about Purgatory are stated on this authority . . . for instance, that the Blessed Virgin is Queen of Purgatory, that St. Michael is her Prime Minister, etc. (page 205). This is very witty, and must have been amusing to Dr. Salmons theologians, but Father Faber is not to blame for the Doctors profane levity. He believed the revelations quoted by him, just as he was free to disbelieve them if he thought the evidence unsatisfactory. And anyone who reads his work, and knows his history, must feel that he possesses the critical faculty quite as much as Dr. Salmon, though he has used it in a different way, and with far different results. And certainly Dr. Salmon, as revealed in those lectures, is not the man to give a decisive opinion on the dealings of God with favoured souls as St. Gertrude or St. Teresa.

But Dr. Salmons favourite author on this subject is the French Abbe Louvet. This priest seems, from his book, to be a pious man, not overburthened with judgment, and he wrote in circumstances of special difficulty. I have formed a very high opinion both of the piety of the Abbe and of his literary honesty, says Dr. Salmon (page 205). And no wonder, for he supplies the Doctor with some valuable material for his lecture. He gives, for instance, and fully believes the history of St. Patricks Purgatory as told by Count Ramon, and, furthermore, he actually regards it as in some way connected with the real Purgatory of the departed souls. No wonder that Dr. Salmon should admire so learned, so reliable an authority. But, to do the good Abbe justice, he does not claim such high authority himself. In his Preface he apologises for the many imperfections of his book. He is a hard-working missionary in China, and he says that the book was written during a period of illness, away in his distant mission many thousand leagues from any library, from notes taken long before, and from memory. To expect a reliable or valuable work on a difficult subject from one so circumstanced is out of the question.

And the Abbes memory failed him on one very vital matter. According to the law of the Catholic Church such a book should not be issued without proper ecclesiastical approbation, and the Abbes book has none; and it is certainly quite characteristic of Dr. Salmon, as a controversialist, that he should quote as a high authority on Catholic doctrine a book written in violation of the law of the Catholic Church. There are recorded in Scripture visions and revelations quite as wonderful as any recorded by the Abbe Louvet. Those recorded by him then are possible, and for all that Dr. Salmon has said they may be true. They are not to be disposed of by notes of exclamation. As long as statements like those of Abbe Louvet do not infringe on faith or morals, the Catholic Church is just as much, and just as little, concerned with them as Dr. Salmon himself, and he is quite aware that this is so. And yet he makes on it the following characteristic comment: 

To people of their own community they assert things as positive facts, which they run away from defending the moment an opponent grapples with them. It would seem as if their maxim was, We need not be particular about the truth of what we say if no one is present who can contradict us.  (Page 216, note.)

Et tu Brute! Such a statement implies an unusual amount of hardihood, considering the character of his own lectures!

The Gallican theory is, according to Dr. Salmon, fatal to the Infallibility of the Church. That theory, he says, places the Infallibility in the Church diffusive (page 262). The Doctors language here is equivocal. It would apply either to passive infallibility of the body of believers, or to the active infallibility of the teaching Church. And as his aim here is to assail infallibility in teaching, let it be supposed that he is more logical than his language indicates, and that by the Church diffusive he means the body of bishops diffused throughout the Church, and including, of course, the Pope. The Gallicans held that this body was infallible in its teaching, and this doctrine has been already proved. They disbelieved in the Infallibility of the Pope; and it is a curious thing about Dr. Salmons logic that his arguments against the doctrine which the Gallicans held are arguments in favour of the doctrine which they denied, and which he himself denies and denounces most vehemently.

One thing is plain, he says, namely, that if this is the nature of the gift of infallibility Christ has bestowed on His Church, the gift is absolutely useless for the determination of controversies (page 269). We can see thus that the Gallican method of ascribing Infallibility to the Church diffusive does not satisfy any of the a priori supposed proofs for the necessity of a judge of controversies (page 271). Thus, whilst arguing against one Catholic doctrine he is, no doubt, unconsciously proving another; his argument against the infallibility of the Church tends very strongly to prove the Infallibility of the Pope. The General Synod should look to the Doctors logic. As Dr. OHanlon used to say, such teaching deserves a note.

Now, the Gallicans held the Infallibility of the Church, how then can they be quoted as witnessing against that doctrine? The Doctor has not explained the intricate process which led him to this discovery. How far Gallicanism can be regarded as an argument against Papal Infallibility will be considered when that doctrine comes on for discussion. Dr. Salmon is well aware, for he says so, that the Declaration of 1682 was forced on the French Church by the tyranny of Louis XIV.

I believe [he says] that, but for court pressure, Bossuet and his colleagues would not have engaged in the controversy with Rome, which the act of formulating these propositions involved. . . . I have my doubts whether these hangers-on of the court of Louis XIV. really carried the religious mind of the nation with him.  (Page 266.)

And yet, strange to say, in the very same page he says: The four Gallican propositions expressed, as I believe, the real opinion of the French Church! They did not express the real opinion of the venerable French Church, and of this there is now conclusive evidence. They were forced on by the unscrupulous tyranny of the king and his ministers; and were accepted only by time-serving prelates who were ready to give to Caesar what belonged to God. M. Charles Gerin, in his History of the Assembly of 1682, has accumulated from sources hitherto unpublished, a mass of information on the proceedings of the assembly; and has put in its true light the conduct of its leading spirits. It was a packed assembly. Its members were really chosen by the kings agents. Only thirty-four out of one hundred and thirty bishops were present, and these were selected, not for their learning or their piety, but for their well-known servility; and M. Gerin has produced letters of very many of them which show how fully they expected to be rewarded for their services. Such an assembly could have no moral weight, and its decision was forced on the French Church by the most absolute tyranny.

In his fifteenth chapter M. Gerin shows what were the feelings of the French Church at the time, and the means adopted to crush those feelings. Colbert, the kings unscrupulous minister, had his spies in the University to note how the articles were likely to be received, and the secret reports supplied to him are brought to light by M. Gerin. Of one hundred and sixty doctors of the Sorbonne all, but six or seven, are reputed as opposed to the articles; in the College of Navarre all, but one, opposed; at St. Sulpice and the Foreign Missions Colleges all, but four or five; and among the orders all. And a month after the assembly Colbert, himself, writes that nearly all the bishops who signed the declaration would willingly retract the next day if they could. This is the evidence of facts, as adduced by M. Gerin, and it completely disproves Dr. Salmons statement that the four articles expressed the real opinion of the French Church. And it is clear, therefore, that even as a difficulty against Papal Infallibility, Gallicanism breaks down hopelessly.

*

In speaking of General Councils Dr. Salmon has surpassed himself. Here his real controversial tact is conspicuous; and if his students carry away from his lectures any respect for early General Councils, the fault is not attributable to their Professor. He told them that the authority of General Councils had now practically ceased to be matter of controversy, because that Catholics who claim that prerogative for the Pope, and whose ascendancy was completely established at the Vatican Council of 1870, have been quite as anxious, as we can be, that no rival claim for councils should be allowed to establish itself (page 281). The Doctor is here drawing on his imagination. Catholics can never give up any doctrine once taught by the Church. There have been several dogmatic treatises written on the Church since the Vatican Council; and he will find in each one of them this doctrine stated and vindicated, though he told his students it was practically set aside.

This doctrine is included in the ordinary proof of the Infallibility of the Ecclesia Docens which Dr. Salmon has not considered. But having laid down the above extraordinary premises, be proceeds to discredit General Councils on Catholic authority. I am trying to prove no more, he says, than has been asserted by eminent Roman Catholic divines as, for example, by Cardinal Newman (page 282). Now it must be borne in mind that there is question only of General Councils, for to such only do Catholics attribute Infallibility. And Newmans testimony against them, he says, is that Cardinal Newman describes the fourth century Councils (Nicaea and first of Constantinople being of the number), as a scandal to the Christian name.

It appears absolutely useless to look for a fair quotation in Dr. Salmons book. This quotation is from Newmans Historical Sketches, vol. iii. p. 335, and is as follows:  Arianism came into the Church with Constantine, and the Councils which it convoked and made its tools were a scandal to the Christian name. Dr. Salmon omitted all except the concluding words of the sentence, and applied these words in a sense openly and expressly excluded by the text. According to Newman, certain Arian Councils were a scandal to the Christian name, and, therefore, says Dr. Salmon to his students, we have Newman teaching that all the fourth century Councils, Nicaea, and the first of Constantinople amongst the number, were a scandal to the Christian name. Now, Dr. Salmon could not have mistaken Newmans meaning in the passage, for besides his specially naming the Arian Councils, he added, in the very next sentence, the Council of Nicaea, which preceded them, was by right final on the controversy, but this Constantines successor, Constantius, and his court bishops would not allow. And yet Dr. Salmon quotes Cardinal Newman as teaching that even this Council of Nicaea was a scandal to the Christian name!

On the strength of his misquotation of Newman, Dr. Salmon proceeds to show that the Ecumenical Councils of the fifth century were quite as much discredited as those which preceded them, and selects specially the Council of Ephesus. His argument against this Council is founded altogether on the personal character of St. Cyril of Alexandria, whom he paints in the very blackest of colours indeed. After referring to a number of Cyrils alleged misdeeds, he again quotes Cardinal Newman:  Cardinal Newman here gives up Cyril, Cyril, I know, is a saint, but it does not follow that he was a saint in the year 412  (page 307). Now, to say that a man is a saint does not look like giving him up; and Newman, moreover, says of him, after referring to the charges made against him: 

Thoughts such as these . . . were a great injustice to Cyril. Cyril was a clear-headed constructive theologian. He saw what Theodoret did not see. He was not content with anathematising Nestorius; he laid down a positive view of the Incarnation which the Universal Church accepted, and holds to this day, as the very truth of Revelation. It is this insight into and grasp of the Adorable mystery which constitutes his claim to take his seat among the Doctors of Holy Church. [Hist. Sketches, vol. iii, p. 345]

But the question is not at all what was the personal character of Cyril, but was the Council infallible: and Cardinal Newman, in the very page quoted by Dr. Salmon, has given his answer which is the answer of all Catholic antiquity: There was a greater Presence in the midst of them than John, Theodoret, or Cyril, and He carried out His truth and His will in spite of the rebellious natures of His chosen ones. [Ibid., vol. iii, 353] Cardinal Newman here asserts, what no Catholic ever thought of questioning, that the authority of General Councils is due to the over-ruling guidance of the Holy Ghost, and not to the personal character of those who compose them. And at a time when heretical bishops were intruded in several sees by the civil power, and laboured by the most violent means to diffuse the poison of their heresy, it is not much matter for surprise that one like St. Cyril, of strong temper, and of stern, unbending orthodoxy, should, in dealing with them, have sometimes forgotten the principles of politeness. But, in the eyes of Dr. Salmon, St. Cyrils unpardonable sin is that he was the Popes Legate at the Council.

Dr. Salmon quotes a well-known text of St. Gregory Nazianzen against the authority of General Councils. It is from the opening of letter forty-two to Procopius: If I must write the truth, I am disposed to avoid any assembly of bishops, for of no synod have I seen a profitable end, but rather an addition to, than a diminution, of evils (page 297). Now, there is nothing more notorious about the text than that it does not refer to General Councils at all. The only General Council held before this letter was written was that of Nicaea; and in his twenty-first oration on St. Athanasius he speaks in most enthusiastic terms of that Holy Council held at Nicaea, and of the three hundred and eighteen most select men whom the Holy Spirit brought together there. Surely, then, it is trifling, even with his students, to quote St. Gregory against that Council. Now, the letter was written before the second General Council, the first of Constantinople, and consequently could not refer to that Council either.

There are some Protestant writers who say that Gregorys letter was in reply to an intimation to attend the second General Council, and they continue with a strange perversity to quote his letter against it. But, even though this were granted (and it is not granted, for it is not true), the letter could have no reference to General Councils, for the second General Council became general only in exitu. No one regarded it as a General Council at its opening. And, there fore, even though Gregorys letter actually referred to it, it would be no evidence against the authority of General Councils. St. Gregory was speaking of a number of synods held in his time, in which the violence of heretical bishops rendered calm discussion impossible, and from which, therefore, no good result could be anticipated. And Dr. Salmon himself supplies abundant proof that St. Gregory was complaining of such synods, and that he had ample cause.

At page 295, he quotes even St. Augustine against the infallible authority of councils. But it is perfectly clear, even from the extract given by Dr. Salmon, that the saint is only anxious to bring his Arian opponent to argue on the common ground of Holy Scriptures; and hence he says, I shall not quote Nicaea against you, for you reject it; nor you quote Rimini against me, for I reject it; let us argue on the Scriptures which we both accept. The extract is from Liber Contra Man. Ar., Lib. 2, c. 14, n. 3, and the opening sentence of the section shows how fully St. Augustine maintained the doctrine which Dr. Salmon told his students he denied!

But Dr. Salmon puts the climax to his arguments against the Infallibility of General Councils, when he compares them to meetings of the Protestant Synod! When an assembly of ourselves meet, he says, together to consult on questions affecting the interests of the Church . . . we do not expect any such assembly to be free from error (page 285). After this very modest disclaimer on the part of the Doctor, it is difficult to see how General Councils can survive the blow. It is the most unkindest cut of all. As already stated the Infallibility of General Councils rests not on the personal character and merits of those who compose them, though very many learned and holy men are always among them, it rests on Gods promise to be with His Church in her teaching. Dr. Salmon accepts the doctrine of the early General Councils, not, however, because the Councils were infallible, but because he knows that the doctrine is true. But how does he know this? The answer is not far to seek, it is the old story, General Councils are not infallible but the Doctor is.
Microsoft 365 Copilots AI tools dont seem particularly surprising for the company who originated Clippys helper bot. But applying AI and natural language to Microsoft Office feels like a profound, fundamental change that could absolutely transform the way you work.

Microsoft 365 Copilot essentially injects AI into the various Office apps. Youll still interact with them the way you normally would, but Copilot will also live in the toolbar atop those apps, and youll interact with it in a sidebar. If youve ever hauled a coworker over and told them, Show me how to do this, youll understand what Microsoft 365 Copilot can do. Except it will actually, you know, do it.

Its really the next generation of AI chatbots: Not bots that talk to you like Bing Chat, but assistants that take orders.

Jared Spataro, corporate vice president of Modern Work & Business Applications at Microsoft, probably best explained the potential in a blog post Microsoft published Thursday. Copilot makes you better at what youre good at and lets you quickly master what youve yet to learn, he wrote. The average person uses only a handful of commands  such as animate a slide or insert a table  from the thousands available across Microsoft 365. Now, all that rich functionality is unlocked using just natural language. And this is only the beginning.

Microsoft 365 Copilot for Excel. Microsoft

Microsoft 365 Copilot will roll out over the coming months to all of Microsofts Office apps, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Viva, Power Platform, and others. Its currently being tested with 20 customers, including eight Fortune 500 companies. Youll need to subscribe to Microsoft 365 to gain access.

What Microsoft 365 Copilot can do for you

Lets put this into context. Its still hard to believe that Bing Chat debuted in February, navigated through a series of weird interactions, and has now arrived as a business tool to assist workers and executives at major corporations. But Copilot isnt designed to tell stories and jokes. Its power is to unlock some of the deeper capabilities of Microsofts apps  maybe even behind the scenes  and free you up from the drudgery of day-to-day business life. Presumably, it uses OpenAIs GPT-4 technology, though Microsoft hasnt confirmed this.

Microsoft 365 Copilot is designed to assist you in different ways in different apps. In general, though, expect to see a Copilot button that will allow you to enter natural-language prompts. Microsoft suggested some prompts than you could use in Copilot, below:

In Word, for example, one example could be: Draft a two-page project proposal based on the data from [a document] and [a spreadsheet], then Make the third paragraph more concise. Change the tone of the document to be more casual.

In Excel: Give a breakdown of the sales by type and channel. Insert a table.

In PowerPoint: Create a five-slide presentation based on a Word document and include relevant stock photos.

In Outlook: Draft a response thanking them, and asking for more details about their second and third points; shorten this draft and make the tone professional.

In Teams: Summarize what I missed in the meeting. What points have been made so far? Where do we disagree on this topic?

Take Excel, for example. Excel is, almost by design, esoteric. To some, its almost impenetrable! It very much caters to a certain type of mentality that enjoys interacting with columns of numbers, applying rules and logic, and transforming them into useful information via charts and graphs.

What Copilot could do, potentially, is simply make Excel a tool for non-Excel people. Thats an enormous shift in the way people work. Being able to ask Excel to identify key trends in sales data and report them in natural language  that could be sent up the chain of command to an executive, say  would be an enormous time-saver to a lot of people, and allow you to look smarter, too. Asking Copilot to actually create that email in a few seconds well, you should get the idea. Weve already covered how Excel Formulator and ExcelFormulaBot can use natural language to transform your ideas into Excel formulas via AI, but this could go far beyond what those tools offer.

As a writer, though, Copilot seems less useful. Ive asked Edge Copilots content-creation tool to summarize a press release and write an article in PCWorlds voice. Theres simply no comparison to what I or my colleagues write. Right now, Id spend so much time rewriting the copy that it would almost save time simply starting from scratch. But to an accountant who lacks writing skills? Copilot in Word could be the tool that helps him reach customers he otherwise wouldnt connect with.

Microsoft 365 Copilot for Word. Microsoft

Copilots utility, then, could be in the way that it allows workers who arent as fluent in Excel, say, to up their game to a more fundamental level of competence, and know enough about what youre working on across the Microsoft 365 apps to facilitate followup steps across the various apps. Thats profoundly useful right there.

Of course, theres a more serious concern. What Microsoft is promising  and, granted, what the workforce will have to collectively test  is whether or not the companys AI can actually understand what data is relative, and accurately collate, contexualize, and analyze that data into a coherent format. Thats going to be a big deal for an enormous number of highly paid people.

Microsofts Spataro claimed that sometimes Copilot could be usefully wrong, giving you an idea thats not perfect but that could spark something more useful. Sure, that sounds nice. But thats not going to cut it for someone who is literally banking on their data being right.

Copilots Business Chat feels a little more iffy

Business Chat feels somewhat less defined. In concept, it sounds something like what Slack is doing with its own AI chatbot: a conversational tool that you can interact with in the privacy of a Teams channel. Ask the Copilot bot what you need to prepare for your next meeting, and hopefully it will summarize your previous interactions with the client, correlate related news, summarize relevant email, and so on. Youll also be able to address Copilot within Outlook, much in the same way youd add a coworker.

Microsoft Business Chat is another twist on the Copilot tool. Microsoft

Microsoft listed some example prompts, including What is the next milestone on [project]. Were there any risks identified? Help me brainstorm a list of some potential mitigations. That all sounds very promising, but Im still doubtful that Microsoft can collate and correlate all this data, in a meaningful way, in the near future. Still, pulling those documents together could at least get you off on the right foot.

Incidentally, Copilot also feels very much like the tool that may actually get people dictating again. Remember how everyone felt uncomfortable talking to their PC? But for those working at home, in a private office, interacting with their computer via natural language It certainly feels like the simplest way to direct Copilot may be by voice, rather than typing out make the text bigger and color it purple or something like that.

The future got here in a hurry

Its certainly important to realize that were in the the future is here!!!1 mode of AI tools. As Microsoft 365 Copilot rolls out to the workforce, workers, managers and society at large will begin factoring what Copilot can do, cant do, and whether or not that will change our day-to-day working lives. Its certainly possible that it wont prove to be that useful, initially. (Microsofts metaverse ambitions werent that long ago, after all.)

Still, Microsoft today painted a profound, ambitious AI-enhanced future. Copilot could be just the beginning.
Printers are dead. No one buys them anymore and no one even needs them. At least, thats what you people say. By you people, I mean, you people who dont buy or use printers anymore.

Well I got news for you: We all got together last night and decided that your days of freeloading are finally over.

By we, I mean those of us who still keep a serviceable printer up and running. In my case, Im down to just one active printer from a high of fivea Canon all-in-one inkjetwhile my only other printer, a Brother color laser printer sits offline as quiet as Chernobyl reactor 4 due to an unfortunate off-brand toner accident.

I still carefully track the ink on the Canon to make sure each of the individual sixyeah, six, count emcolor slots is sufficiently full and theres a spare on hand for when the ink gets low. Sure, its annoying and expensive, but I like having a printer available to me at any time.

And the thing, is so do you peopleits just that you dont want to pay for it. Sure, you dismiss the need for a printer with a wave of the hand and make snarky comments about printers and the people who buy them. But every few months I get that ding on my phone and a message that reads: Hey, are you home? Can I print something?

Like a pass to a concert, a contract you need to sign, or a government form, and then another government form.

How come you dont have a printer anymore? I ask. The response: I dont need one.

And thats where last nights group meeting comes in. I talked to themeveryone who still has a printerand we have collectively decided to stop enabling your freeloading ways.

No more Phish concert tickets, no more Braniff boarding passes, and no more passport applications will be printed for you at 10 p.m. on a Sunday.

Even worse for you people, freeloading off your office is coming to an end, too. You see, you think work doesnt care or know that youre firing off 100-page PDFs on the company printer, but those sharp-eyed facilities managers do. They know that those Ikea furniture instructions arent work-related and theyve known it for years because every print job is tracked and monitored. It didnt matter before, but with belts being tightened and fewer people coming into the office at all, your abuse of the work printer stands out like a sore thumb nowso yeah, you can only print work-related documents at work now. The memoprinted outis on your hot desk.

So now youll have to fend for yourself and maybe truck your butt down to that 24-hour FedEx Center in the next town over at 1 a.m. and pay them 49 cents to $15 a page to get your hard copies.

It didnt have to end this way, of course. Even though youve never so much as given me a buck for the printer use, I didnt mind it, as helping others is built into the DNA of every upstanding printer owner.

But all the printer dismissal, all the shrugs and who needs em? has finally come to a head, and told the rest of us what you think: That were either suckers for making our printers available to you, or ancient fossils for even maintaining a printer at home.

Maybe after youve racked up enough printing costs at FedEx, youll realize that, yes, you need a printer too. Until then, your printer-freeloading privileges are cut off.
Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company Limited, a State-Owned Enterprise(SOE) , has been adjudged the beacon of corporate governance by Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for its operational excellence and strategic growth into a profitable company.



BOST, in 2017 was saddled with liabilities of $624 million, Legacy loans of GHS284 million, Bulk Distribution Companies (BDCs) claims of $37 million, and GRA Tax Liability of GHS47 million, making the company unattractive for credit lines to stay in business.



The Vice President speaking at the commissioning of the new Head Office of BOST, said 30 per cent of the companys tanks had been decommissioned with three out of the companys 6 depots non-operational.



Four river barges were out of commission, the entire network of pipelines of 361km across the country were out of service and 77km of 12-inch pipes procured under US Exim facility had been detained in Huston for over 10 years as a result of a contractual dispute.



There was a picture of a company that was being run down. To complete this chaotic picture, the BOST account had been unaudited for 3 years, making it very difficult to determine the companys financial position and no bank was going to extend a credit loan to a company which had no audited account, he narrated.



Dr Bawumia applauded the Board under the chairmanship of Mr Ekow Hackman for the approval of a 5-year turnaround strategy from 2020 to 2024 prepared by the management of BOST led by the Managing Director, Mr Edwin Provencal to save the company from insolvency.



He added that the strategy between the board and management which focused on enhancing operational excellence and aggressively growing the business sought to make BOST profitable, ensure the development and effective implementation of policies fully utilised all BOST assets and automate the companys processes and most importantly be the beacon of corporate governance in the country."



He said the implementation of the BOST strategy made it possible for the company to repair 13 out of the 15 defective tanks, all four river barges which were out of commission, all pipelines which were out of service had been repaired and the obsolete pump meters and loading machines replaced at BOST depots.



The result has been an increase in the utilisation of BOST revenue-generated assets from 34 per cent in 2019 to its current level of 97 per cent. That is remarkable. The increase in BOST margin from 3 pesewas to 6 pesewas per litre in 2019 and subsequently to 9 pesewas per litre in 2020 has contributed significantly to the execution of these projects,  he commended.





Commenting on the operational efficiency of BOST, Vice President Dr Bawumia noted that the company had paid $611 million with its internally generated funds, comprising about $423 million from a debt position of $624 million owed to suppliers and related parties.



I was elated when I heard that an internal committee of BOST vetted the claims of eight BDCs for products stored with BOST, a loss from 2009 to 2014, amounting to $37 million and after the vetting, the internal committee succeeded in reducing this figure to $11 million, resulting in a saving of $26 millionThis is worthy of emulation and worthy of congratulations, he stated.



He again stated that BOST, for the first time in 11 years made a profit of around GHS164 million, congratulating the board, management and staff for ensuring stewardship and prudent management of resources on behalf of the government and people of Ghana.



He, therefore, implored other State-Owned Enterprises to emulate BOSTs blueprint to enable them to contribute to the execution of government policies.



Imagine if 100 State-Owned Enterprises had made a profit of GHS164 million, that will be some GHS16 billion for the nation. This only goes to show that with good leadership and a vision, state enterprises can be profitable. It only takes a few good men and women for that turnaround to happen and that is exactly what is happening at BOST, he said.



Dr Mahamudu Bawumia however, commissioned the $39 million new Head Office of BOST to mark the companys 30 years historical milestone to find its permanent location.



Today marks a significant milestone in the 30 years history of BOST, having transitioned from Diamond House through Heritage Towers to Roman Ridge, Airport Residential and Dzorwulu; finally, the company has found its permanent location, he said.



The building was conceived around 2015 as part of plans to ensure that BOST staff work in a conducive environment.



On 15th June 2015, BOST engaged a construction company to design, build and finance the construction of a new Head Office building, 7-storey twin blocks at a total cost of $39 million, exclusive of VAT and all taxes.



The building was to be completed in 24 months. This project which has transitioned from the previous government to this government has been bedevilled with many challenges.



Between 2016 and 2022, the project underwent a value-for-money audit, an EOCO audit, a re-evaluation by an independent valuer, PPA ratification and a valuation for the updated scope. But notwithstanding all these challenges, the building has finally been completed and commissioned.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Government has been told to constitute a commission to investigate the recent fire outbreak at the Kejetia Market in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.



The first and second floors of the market went in flames late Wednesday, destroying some shops.



Even though the cause of the fire is not immediately known, some have blamed it on traders cooking inside the market.



Samuel Ayeh Paye, a former Member of Parliament for the Ayensuano says there's something amiss and we need to know what actually happened"



One meter, 8000 stalls



Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that the over 8,000 stalls inside the Market used a single meter since its completion in December 2018.



"How can this be? some people have been negligent, so heads must roll," he told Kwami Sefa Kayi during a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo'.



Listen to him in the video below















Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Nigeria has sanctioned about 25 broadcast stations for failing to adhere to broadcasting laws while covering last month's general elections.



The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has also issued a final warning to 16 others for various poll-related offences, local media said.



-Seventeen stations were accused of airing partisan content 24 hours prior to election



-Three were sanctioned for inciting comments



-Four were said to have aired divisive ethnic or religious content



-One was sanctioned for announcing results ahead of an official announcement by the electoral commission.



Subversive discussions and reckless comments, capable of tearing us apart as a people were broadcast freely without proper gatekeeping. Ethics and professionalism were thrown overboard," the director-general of NBC, Balarabe Ilelah, said.



Mr Ilelah urged all broadcast stations to adhere to the provisions of laws on broadcasting ahead of Saturdays gubernatorial and state assembly polls.

Source: BBC









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Ernest Henry Norgbey, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ashaiman Constituency, has called for the establishment of an independent committee of inquiry to investigate the invasion of some military personnel in Ashaiman following the killing of a soldier Trooper Imoro Sherrif in the area.



Speaking to Peace FMs Salaamat Kuukua Paintsil, Hon Ernest Norgbey explained, the bi-partisan committee if established must be able to identify all the officers and bring them to justice for dehumanizing innocent residents in the area.



Meanwhile, residents have gone back to their normal daily duties, according to Hon Norgbey.

Source: Salamat Painstil/Peacefmonline.com









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Ugandan Catholic pilgrims visiting the popular Namugongo Martyrs Shrine in central region have been cautioned against drinking water from the so-called holy well.



Church authorities say the water can be used for other scripture purposes such as making the sign of the cross, but it is not fit for consumption.



Uganda Episcopal Conference secretary general, John Kauta, on Thursday said although faithful who collect the water claim spiritual healing, health experts have advised church leaders that the water is unclean and unsafe.



The water in Namugongo is distilled, but it is not safe to drink. This is also because it runs from many places. People can take it and use it for signs, but dont drink it, Mr Kauta told state-run New Vision website.



Mr Kauta said the church will in future set up more taps at the well for easier access due to the high demand for the water.



Pilgrims have started arriving at the Namugongo shrine for this years Martyrs Day celebrations in June.



The annual event pays homage to the 22 Catholic and 23 Anglican martyrs who were executed for their faith on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga of Buganda between 1885 and 1887.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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According to information received by the Nyankonton Mu Nsem news desk, a newborn baby girl was dumped in a public toilet in Akwamu-Senchi Apaaso, a suburb of Asuogyaman district in Ghanas Eastern region.



The baby was pushed through a base broken water closet pot into a pit filled with tissues, pads, and other items.



When neighbours heard a baby crying for help, they broke through part of the toilet building to save him.



The police were later informed and an investigation was launched.

Residents in the area have described the issue as unfortunate and asked the Police to investigate and bring the offender to book.



Several of them wondered why someone would dump the baby in the toilet when several others were in search of a child.













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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Adansi Travels LTD partners with Enterprise Insurance LTD to introduce an industry-first product dubbed Insure & Travel for Free under their boss travel club.



The offer seeks to make the travel dreams of many come through as it will give customers who buy their Motor, Home, and Travel Insurance through Adansi Travels the opportunity to accumulate travel points that can be redeemed for discounted or free travel.



Speaking at the launch, the Managing Director of Adansi Travels, Mr. Gideon Asare detailed the need for such an innovation hinging it on the organizations goal to encourage domestic travel as they create a family but not customers with impeccable services.



The launch of the Insure & Travel for Free is an industry-first initiative which Adansi is proud to have pioneered. He said.



He added that, this product is targeted at the members of the Boss Travel Club who are regular travelers. As such, it is intended to reward their loyalty by reducing the cost of engaging in both local & international travel & tour activities.



He was however quick to add that this initiative and many others are open to all Ghanaian lovers of travel, and anyone who dreams of traveling someday but finds it hard to get a budget or forgo other needs to save towards traveling.



The CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Mr. Akwasi Agyeman, lauded Adansi Travels and Enterprise Insurance for partnering to offer travelers some relief with respect to cost as they encourage people to explore Ghana and promote local tourism. He also stated that initiatives like the Insure & Travel for Free are key in promoting both foreign and domestic tourism since the travel points accumulated by customers can easily be redeemed for more trips or reduce the travelers cost burden when purchasing travel packages from Adansi Travels.



He ended by entreating industry players within the travel and tour space to create value-added services with the aim of encouraging tourism on all fronts with a focus on local tourism.



The Head of Marketing and Communications at Enterprise Insurance LTD, Mr. Mark Addison on his part said, As a leading Non-Life Insurer, Enterprise Insurance is happy to partner with Adansi Travels, to offer peace of mind, convenience, and superior insurance services which will consequently improve the quality of local and international travel for customers.



The launch ceremony was on 15th March 2023 at the Head Office of Adansi Travels at East Legon, Accra with key personalities such as the CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Senior Management teams of both Enterprise Insurance and Adansi Travels as well as customers & partners of both entities in attendance.



Renowned media personalities such as George Quaye and Kwame Sakyiamah (Lexis Bill) testified to the benefits of being members of the Boss Travel Club and encouraged travelers and future travelers to buy their Motor, Home, and Travel insurance from enterprise so they can join the globetrotters.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Campaign Team of Alan Kyerematen, the immediate past Minister for Trade and Industry is not happy with the way majority of the New Patriotic Party Members of Parliament are lining up supporting the presidential bid of the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.



The Campaign spokesperson for Alan Kyerematen, Yaw Buaben Asamoah who expressed concern over the incident noted that the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh has moblised over 100 MPs who will join the Vice President on a planned visit to the Manhyia Palace coming Sunday.



Speaking on Accra based Okay Fm, he claimed the MPs are being forced to join the Vice President at anywhere he goes adding that Now as we speak, MPs are being called and threatened into joining a certain delegation for the upcoming Akwasidae just to prove that they have the numbers and Annoh-Dompreh is into it.



The former Adentan MP lamented that How are MPs who are supposed to be thinking and strategizing about protecting their seats being forced into joining a presidential campaign and are being threatened? Akwasidae is coming and we will all witness it. They are saying 100 MPs will follow the Vice President.



He also alleged that the Majority Chief Whip who has openly declared his support for the vice president is actively involved in the recruitment of MPs for the campaign of Dr Bawumia.



Ask Annoh Dompreh about who has been writing the names of MPs who will follow the vice president to Kumasi. They want to prove that he is loved by the MPs and that he is the right candidate. Those MPs are tired, they have seats to protect. Those seats are in the interest of all of us. We will all suffer if we lose any of the 137 seats, we want more in addition, he said.



The former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen and the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia are deemed the frontrunners in the NPPs upcoming flagbearership contest with other candidates such as Kennedy Agyapong, Kwabena Agyepong, Francis Addai-Nimoh and Joe Gyartey.



The party is yet to fix a date for the contest which is expected to be a tight race.









Source: Daniel Bampoe/Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Member of Parliament for Asawase in the Ashanti Region, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak, has sued 11 branch executives of the National Democratic Congress in the constituency for defamation.



The 11 persons are said to have published and circulated comments deemed libellous against the Member of Parliament.



The Asawase MP is demanding GH10 million in damages against the defendants.



A Kumasi High Court has also directed the defendants and other media houses that published the said defamatory material to retract and render an unqualified apology in a national newspaper.



Some members of the NDC in the Asawase Constituency led by the 11 branch executives issued a Press Statement on March 10 2023 which contained the said defamatory remarks.



Counsel for the defendants declined comments on the development when Citi News contacted him, but said he is working to defend his clients in court.











Source: citinewsroom.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) for Klotey Korley Constituency, Mr. Nii Noi Nortey has appealed to the youth to ignore the promises by former President John Dramani Mahama stressing he has nothing better to offer Ghanaians.



According to Mr. Nii Noi Nortey, choosing Mr. Mahama is not only scary but also empty.



Any time Mahama is talking you could see how desperate he isHe is soo desperate that he can even insult without thinking. He does not have a single solution to the country's problems. Mahama is just desperate to rule the country again, hence his penchant for making false claims of having all the answers to the countrys problems. Was it not under Mahama Ghana faced multiple problems like Dumsor collapsing numerous businesses, poor infrastructure and the likes.



Speaking at TESCON general meeting at Accra Technical University College, Mr. Nii Noi added; We want to hear something new and different from John Mahama. we want to hear him say he will do tertiary education free, we want to hear he will take care of our children right from birth to 18 years, we want to hear him say he will take full medical bill of our aged mothers and fathers...we want to hear something new and different ideas from him and not always trying to rubbished someones good initiatives.



He asked Mr. Mahama and the NDC to mention a single social intervention they have made for Ghanaians.



Why Im I saying this, because anytime NPP is in power we come up with soo many social intertions namely, Female Maternal Care for our pregnant mothers, NHIS for free medical care, Free SHS and more.



The incompetence of Mr Mahama rather eroded the gains made by the erstwhile Kufuor government, thereby worsening the plight of the people. In the midst of the challenge, we are still constructing roads, building schools, paying nursing and teachers allowance...



Mr. Nii Noi also stated the need for all TESCON members to sacrifice and have an enduring heart to achieve victory for the NPP.



With you all around I believe we will break the eight. The good people of Ghana will retain NPP government because of our good works. Put your energy and strength in this constituency and we will reward you because NPP reward hard work.



Get us the numbers get us the people and help us break the 8, he said.



Chief Executive Officer of the Coastal Development Authority, Jerry Ahmed Shaib also advised the youth to ignore former President Mahamas promises and champion President Akufo Addos works to every student on campus.



If you prefer the return of domso lets welcome Mahamas empty promises back. John Mahama is not the option.



He also urged them to vote for Nii Noi Nortey when nomination is open.



In 2024 lookout for those who are vibrant, those you see relationships in them, affable and reliable. Were looking for candidate who will do the talk, who will give us power and snatch this seat from the NDC. Look out for the right candidate.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Left: Chefs Stacy Johnston and Minette Lotz of Poplar Grove Restaurant bid adieu to chef Rob Ratcliffe. Right: Nikoletta Tormas and Timea Bordas, seen here with the Poloskeys, are the new owners of Accent Chocolate.
PN Podcast: Hellmuth's House, Wynn Millions Champ & Guest Joe Stapleton Talks USA SCOOP

March 16, 2023 Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S.

On the latest PokerNews Podcast episode, Chad Holloway, Jesse Fullen, and Connor Richards talk about Phil Hellmuth looking to sell his Las Vegas house, Daniel Negreanu calling out Ali Imsirovic, winners from the recently-completed Triton Super High Roller Series Vietnam, and offer a winner interview with Michael Rossitto, who took down the 2023 Wynn Millions for $604,637.

Chad then sits down with Joe Stapleton to dive into the upcoming PokerStars USA SCOOP schedule for players in New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Stapes also opens up about stand-up comedy, his upcoming comic book, and watching his good friend James Hartigan win a Global Poker Award.

Also, hear from Robbie Strazynski, who talks about his upcoming Mixed Game Festival IV returning to Resorts World March 19-23.

Finally, the crew ended the show by discussing the real-time assistance (RTA) debate raging on Twitter after a poker training tool removed their 20-second delay.

Listen to those stories and more on the latest episode of the PokerNews Podcast!

PokerNews is hiring for the 2023 WSOP! Click here for details.

Time Stamps

Tell us who you want to hear from. Let us know what you think of the show  tweet about the podcast using #PNPod, and be sure to follow Chad Holloway, Jesse Fullen, and Connor Richards on Twitter.

Subscribe to the PokerNews Podcast on Apple Podcasts here!

Check Out Past Episodes of the PN Podcast Here!

Sharelines PN Podcast: @Stapes talks @PokerStarsUSA #SCOOP, @WynnPoker Champ @RossittoMichael & much more.
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After Tucker Carlson took aim at The Lincoln Project on his Fox show, the never Trumpers responded with total destruction.

Here is Carlsons original comment and the response by Stuart Stevens:

.@TuckerCarlson, we met when you were rejected by CIA, writing for Talk Magazine. Desperate to be taken seriously. You were fired by CNN, then MSNBC. Bitter failues who feel rejected are classic targets for hostile foreign power recruitment. Easy to see why you were targeted https://t.co/XhZQZoTS4B  stuart stevens (@stuartpstevens) March 16, 2023

The Lincoln Project wonders why Carlson is so obsessed with them:

It's giving restraining order pic.twitter.com/IonSzDPfoo  The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) March 16, 2023

Tucker Carlson spent decades in media as a loser, and thanks to rampant sexual harassment at Fox News, the weekend Fox and Friends co-host got the 8 PM timeslot. If Bill OReilly wasnt a monster, Tucker Carlson would still be on the Fox News B-team.

Carlson is also completely terrified of losing his gig.

Why does The Lincoln Project get under the skin of so many Republicans? Is it because they speak the language of the conservative, or could it be that they know the truth about people like Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump?

Carlson isnt anything different in American mass media. There have been Tucker Carlson types spreading their message since radio was all the rage in the last century.

Tucker Carlson is a more extreme version of Glenn Beck, who analyzes the minute-by-minute ratings numbers to find the exact buttons to push to move his audience. Carlsons show is contrived mass manipulation of his audience from a guy who failed at every other TV gig and is desperate to keep the one that hes got.
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Law enforcement at all levels of government is preparing for Donald Trump to be indicted over the Stormy Daniels hush money case.

NBC News reported:

Local, state, and federal law enforcement and security agencies are preparing for the possibility that former President Donald Trump is indicted as early as next week, according to five senior officials familiar with the preparations.

Law enforcement agencies are conducting preliminary security assessments, the officials said, and are discussing potential security plans in and around the Manhattan Criminal Court, at 100 Centre Street, in case Trump is charged in connection with an alleged hush money payment to Stormy Daniels and travels to New York to face any charges.

The precautionary preparations also signal that Donald Trump is likely facing an indictment. It is possible that the grand jury could decide not to indicate Trump, but that is extremely unlikely given the comprehensiveness of the investigation and the evidence that has been collected.

It also appears that Trumps nearly constant threats to incite political violence if he is indicted are having no impact on law enforcement. If Trump is indicted, enhanced security will be needed because the nation will have never been in this situation before.

Given Trumps relative ineffectiveness so far in convincing his fans that an indictment of him is an indictment of them, the odds are against there being widespread political violence, but it looks like America is getting closer to breaking the seal on holding Trump accountable.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie scored the best second weekend ever for an animated movie in North American theaters with $87 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. Mario faced little major competition this weekend even with a slew of new national releases including The Popes Exorcist, which opened in second place; Renfield, which debuted in fourth; Mafia Mamma and the animated Suzume. A24 also debuted Beau is Afraid, starring Joaquin Phoenix, in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles where it made $320,396 over the weekend before it expands nationwide on Friday. Read moreMario tops charts again; Beau is Afraid wins in limited
COLUMBIA  A woman has won a $29.1 million verdict in a Richland County case involving allegations that cancer-causing asbestos was present in makeup and body powders.

But that award money could be a longtime coming because the company found liable apparently has ceased operations except to defend itself in court.

Two other parties in the case, including cosmetics giant Mary Kay, reached undisclosed settlements during the recent trial. According to her lawyer, attorneys for Mary Kay said it was the first time a case against them over possible asbestos had gone to trial.

Sarah J. Plant, 36, a former Spartanburg resident who now lives in Tennessee, was diagnosed two years ago with mesothelioma. It's a rare type of cancer that is associated with asbestos exposure.

The diagnosis especially is unusual for someone in their 30s. The average age of a patient with this form of cancer is 72, according to the American Cancer Society.

The five-year average survival rate for patients is 12 percent, according to the nonprofit.

Plant, a mother of three, sued a variety of retailers and makers of beauty and personal hygiene products.

Plant believes that early exposure to talc products, both in body powders used in her family home and in makeup, contributed to her cancer, said one of her attorneys, Jessica Dean.

Because of the diagnosis, pushing the case to trial or resolution quickly was urgent, as with other plaintiffs who have mesothelioma cases, said Dean, of Dallas law firm Dean Omar Branham Shirley.

"It is the No. 1 thing that matters to them," she said.

Plant's family used body powders containing talc frequently after bathing when she was a child, and she began to wear makeup for dance recitals beginning at age 6.

She was allowed by her parents to wear eye shadow at age 12 and then any makeup she wanted when she reached high school, Dean said.

There have been many lawsuits against makers of talcum powder over the alleged presence of asbestos in the products.

Asbestos, long ago used as a fire-resistant substance in construction, is connected in some studies with mesothelioma after prolonged exposure and inhalation of it as a powder.

It naturally occurs in areas where talc, the core ingredient in talcum powder, is mined. Companies such as supplier Whittaker Clark & Daniels have to certify that it is not present in the talc.

Whittaker Clark & Daniels did not settle and was found liable by a jury on March 3, in a case heard in Columbia by former S.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal.

Another company, talc manufacturer IMI Fabi, was not held liable by the jury.

The two companies that settled while the trial was underway, Mary Kay and Color Technologies, did not to respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit. Whittaker Clark & Daniels also did not respond to a request for comment submitted to its attorneys.

At one point, Dean said, attorneys for Mary Kay were making the point in court that they had to trust their talc supplier, Whittaker, about the ingredients being sold.

It was unusual, Dean said, for two legal parties on the same side to disagree in front of a jury.

Whittaker has lost several mesothelioma lawsuits, and faces concerns that it is not able to meet its legal obligations, Dean said.

In fact, it's unclear whether the company retains sizable assets.

According to a court document, the company has said it sold most of its assets back in 2004 to a different company, Brenntag Specialties, and no longer has any employees, customers or incoming revenue.

Dean and her legal team requested that a receiver be appointed to determine the company's current assets and to protect Plant's rights, a request that Toal granted March 10 after Whittaker failed to file a response.

A court-appointed receiver can investigate whether substantial assets or insurance exist that should cover a company's liabilities, then report back to the court.

That can require researching records on past insurance policies or even following assets or insurance to new owners.

They also can check to ensure that unnecessary legal fees are not eroding money that otherwise would go to plaintiffs.

In Plant's case, a receiver should help her get the settlement she is due, Dean said.

"We fought for her to get a unanimous verdict and are doing what we can to protect her verdict given the information we have to date," Dean said.

Companies in the cosmetics industry reportedly are moving away from the use of talc in face powders and other products.

They also are taking legal claims from mesothelioma patients more seriously, said Dean, who has been active nationally in representing patients in suits, including several against Whittaker Clark & Daniels.

"I am just now seeing a change," she said.
COLUMBIA  Fives days a week, South Carolinians can hear the first Black woman host of the states most-listened-to radio news show.

Thelishia Eaddy, a journalist from St. Stephen who has reported and produced news stories for South Carolina Public Radio for seven years, began hosting the state's local airing of National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" in late February.

I am honored and humbled to be able to provide South Carolinians with top-tier local news coverage as they start their day," Eaddy said. "I hope my presence sparks interest from even more viewers and gets people interested in programming that they may not think would resonate with them.

Eaddy joined SCPR in 2016 to cover the aftermath of flooding in Columbia. In her time with the network she also worked on television, covering elections, moderating debates and hosting the political analysis show "Palmetto Perspectives" for SCETV.

Now Eaddy's day starts at 4 a.m. She said she loves the dark, peaceful commute that gives her the chance to clear her mind ahead of anchoring a daily three-hour radio news show.

"I could feel that I wanted something a little different," said Eaddy, a wife and mother of two, adding that she was initially hesitant to take on Morning Edition because of the atypical work hours

"It's almost like a blank slate. There's a lot of opportunity to do some new things down the road, and so I think that was the thing that made me say, 'OK, let's do this.'"

Eaddy said that before she got the job, she did not know she'd be the first Black female "Morning Edition" host in the show's 50-year run. She realized she'd done something historic when people from her hometown of St. Stephen, a Berkeley County town with about 1,700 people, started calling and congratulating her.

"The acknowledgement of this will hopefully allow more Black people, females, people in our rural areas ... to not just see and think 'I can do that too,'  I think we're kind of past that part," Eaddy said, "but for them to connect with what we're doing here."

"A more diverse set of people at the table can get us deeper into South Carolina, not (just) our metro areas, but down in Berkeley County, Williamsburg County, Lee County and all the little places in between," the Lowcountry native said.

A recipient of the S.C. Broadcasters Association Radio Reporter of the Year award, Eaddy also produced "The Road We Trod," a one-hour special on the state's historically Black colleges and universities and their cultural and economic significance in 2019.

SCETV Interim President Stephanie Cook said she hopes listeners and viewers will see themselves represented by the on-air talent, and that the "experience, integrity and passion" that the first Black woman morning show host brings to the network "invaluable."

Its important for all our listeners to see themselves represented in the talent behind South Carolina ETV and Public Radio," Cook said. "Having (Eaddy) as the local host of Morning Edition not only showcases her expertise in journalistic excellence, but is a historic moment for SC Public Radio."

Eaddy can be heard 6-9 a.m. weekdays on SCPR or on the network's website and social media pages.

Click here for more news from Columbia, S.C.
GEORGETOWN  The Georgetown County Planning Commission voted March 16 to defer an ordinance that would remove itself and the Georgetown County Council from site plan reviews of multi-family developments.

The vote was 6-0 with commission member John J. Walker absent. Even if passed by the Planning Commission at a later date, the amendment to county zoning ordinance requires the County Council's approval.

Georgetown County Planning Director Holly Richardson said the county received "a good bit" of written opposition to the amendment, some of it alleging the amendment was the county's way of attempting to silence the public.

"I just wanted to clarify that that is not what we're doing here," Richardson said. "Certainly, this process itself is an open process."

Under county zoning ordinance, a development of two-family or multifamily housing of more than five units per acre or 10 units total must be reviewed by the Planning Commission and approved by the County Council. Such projects require notification of property owners within 400 feet of the construction site and a public hearing before the Planning Commission.

Under the proposal the Planning Commission considered March 16, site plan reviews would be a function of county planning staff. The radius required for notification of a multifamily development would increase to 600 feet, and the period for notification would change from within 21 days of a public hearing to 15 days of an application.

Multifamily developments were reviewed by the county zoning department in a similar manner to single-family homes and commercial projects until 2008. At that time, due to the Planning Commission's concerns about prior notice of multifamily developments, multifamily projects were required to be reviewed as planned developments.

A further amendment was approved in 2011 in the aftermath of a South Carolina Supreme Court case to allow public notice and hearings and site plan reviews by the Planning Commission and County Council.

The original amendment was approved in the middle of the Great Recession of 2007-09, at a time when "very little development was taking place due to the economic downturn," according to the proposal presented to the Planning Commission.

The amendment was requested by the Council, which has approved multiple developments over the past year that were previously rejected by the Planning Commission and eventually landed the county in court.

Multiple residents spoke against the amendment on March 16, questioning its effect on transparency and public input.

"The fact that five other South Carolina counties all handle site plan reviews at the staff level doesn't necessarily justify that Georgetown County should follow suit," Board Chairman Duane Draper of Keep It Green Advocacy said, referring to a section in the amendment's introduction that stated the county contacted other counties regarding their policy for site plan reviews.

Cynthia Ranck Person, the executive director and chief legal counsel of Keep It Green, sent the planning commission a letter on March 15 regarding the amendment. Person wrote that while her organization "whole-heartedly" supported an amendment to bring the site plan review process and general residential ordinance in compliance with state law, further issues needed to be addressed.

Namely, Person wrote, conflicts with the county comprehensive plan and land development regulations need to be settled, further guidelines for communication are necessary and notice requirements should be extended.

"For the above reasons, we respectfully request Planning Commission to defer this item pending further review of the above issues," Person wrote.
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More than three years after a woman shot a 20-year-old man to death outside a Ladson gas station, a judge granted her immunity from prosecution after determining she acted in self-defense.

Tunisia Monique Bryant shot and killed Javion Tyrese Ford on Aug. 15, 2019, at the Scotchman gas station at the intersection of U.S. Highway 78 and Von Ohsen Road. The 39-year-old woman cooperated with authorities at the scene. She was charged later that day with murder and a weapons offense, according to court documents.

Bryant's attorney argued Ford confronted Bryant at the gas station in the presence of her children, threatened the family with physical force and reached for Bryant's gun, which was inside her vehicle.

Bryant's attorney grounded her argument for immunity in South Carolina's application of the Castle Doctrine, a legal principle that protects a person's right to defend themselves in their home against an intruder. The state law extends the principle beyond residences to "occupied vehicles."

A person is immune from criminal prosecution if they use force against a person whom they believe is unlawfully or forcefully entering their property. In that circumstance, "a person is presumed to have a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death.

"My client was in fear for her life (and) for her children's lives," Mary Alison Ford, a 9th Circuit public defender, said at a Feb. 1 hearing.

But the prosecutor argued Bryant's use of deadly force unreasonably escalated what was a verbal argument.

"If one of your kids told someone they were going to beat them up, do you think it would be OK for that person to shoot your child in the chest?" asked Assistant 9th Circuit Solicitor Cassity Ann Brewer.

A reasonable person would not have killed someone in that situation," the prosecutor added.

Circuit Judge Roger M. Young ruled March 16 from the bench in favor of the defense. His decision followed oral arguments and a lengthy hearing last month that featured testimony from Bryant, the victim's girlfriend and other witnesses.

Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson said she respects the outcome of the case.

"We thought the matter was worthy of a hearing versus our dismissing the case," Wilson said. "We knew it was a tough factual situation and we respect Judge Youngs thorough approach."

Attorneys and witnesses at the immunity hearing last month painted a picture of a dysfunctional relationship between Bryant and Ford that erupted into gun violence that August day.

The defense and state disputed an array of facts about the case. They agreed that on the afternoon of the shooting, Ford and his girlfriend were on poor terms with Bryant, who had previously been staying at their home in Berkeley County with her children.

Ford and his girlfriend pulled into the gas station and confronted Bryant, who was near her truck with her three sons. Ford and his girlfriend thought Bryant had broken into their home the previous day and stolen from them, the prosecutor said.

Bryant testified Ford ran up to her and was "vicious," demanding his belongings and threatening to beat up her and her children.

Bryant's 18-year-old son, who was seated in the passenger seat, removed his mother's gun from the glovebox, she testified. Ford shoved part of his body into the car to try to grab the firearm.

Bryant, who then took position of the gun, said she repeatedly told him to walk away. Bryant shot Ford as he was motioning to strike her, she testified.

A cashier inside the Scotchman that day testified through video conference Feb. 1 that she saw Ford put his hand in the air as if he were going to strike Bryant.

He was about to punch her, the cashier testified.

The victim's girlfriend, 24-year-old Shantrell Govan, was present at the shooting. She defended Ford in her testimony and said Bryant had previously threatened the young couple.

Govan said she heard the gunshot. The gas station then fell silent. She rushed to try and help her boyfriend, who was the father of her child.

"He was very lovable," Govan said. "He was a family guy."
When he moved from his native upstate New York to Charleston in 1994, Peter Farrell was looking for two things: an escape from lake effect snow and to continue his blossoming career in law enforcement.

Help available If you or someone you know is in crisis help is available 24/7 by calling 988

After a one-year stint as a case manager with a high school dropout prevention program, he began a 25-year run through the ranks of the Charleston Police Department. During that time, he was able to touch on nearly every aspect of the organization, serving time in everything from patrol to CPDs intelligence and technology units.

Along the way he discovered two things  he had a passion for crisis communications and that the need for mental health education and resources pertains to first responders as well as the public.

Farrell was tasked with establishing the departments Crisis Intervention Team, an initiative partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness-South Carolina 10 years ago. The team has grown from 20 officers trained to respond specifically to mental health calls to more than 100 CIT-certified officers trained to respond to those who might be experiencing a mental health crisis. That includes the officers who responded last month after someone was spotted positioning to jump off the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Farrell and others placed some of the credit for that successful rescue on the officers training.

Farrell retired from the police department three years ago. He is now Crisis Intervention Training regional coordinator for NAMISC. He sat down with The Post and Courier to discuss his journey.

What prompted you to transition from being an officer to NAMI?

After serving for 25 years, it was a natural transition for me to join NAMISC as a training coordinator. It was 2020, a difficult year for law enforcement. I knew there was a need, more than ever, to continue to train additional officers in the skills of de-escalation and to also make sure they had the knowledge about who some of our community partners are that may serve as resources to assist those in need.

Police officers are thrust into the position of being the first on scene when mental health patients and caregivers are involved in crisis situations, which frankly, can be frightening and/or violent in nature. I wanted to be able to bring training to as many Lowcountry officers as I could.

Im pleased that a growing number of agencies have recognized the value of this training and are filling training rooms of police departments throughout the area. NAMISC provides a two-hour mental health awareness course in addition to the full weeklong certification class.

Whats the biggest thing youve learned during your time with NAMISC? Anything especially surprising?

Ive been so impressed with the commitment of our community partners to the mission of providing training to our law enforcement officers. Each month Im able to assemble such an array of experts. The most impactful part of the training for the officers is the segment entitled "Faces," where consumers in the mental health system and family members share their experiences during law enforcement encounters  both positive and those that were viewed as falling short.

Officers hear about the impact that their actions on these calls can have on families for years, as they listen to the emotional stories from those brave enough to share their stories in front of a room full of police.

What would the you of 2023 tell the you who first became a police officer with regards to mental health awareness and treatment?

I know that I would have benefitted from having this training earlier in my career. Just learning how to look for certain behaviors and formulate appropriate responses is a huge benefit.

Has your new role changed the way you look at things you mightve experienced as a police officer?

One thing that I realize more now than when I was responding to calls day-to-day is that officers need to remind themselves that while this is one call of many today, it is potentially a life changing moment for those involved in this call. Their empathetic and competent approach can have lasting consequences.

SCDHHS Announces $35 Million Behavioral Health Crisis Stabilization Grant Program COLUMBIA, S.C.  The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) recently announced the creation of a new grant program to

This is exactly what we saw when the CPD officers were able to talk with the person in crisis on the Ravenel Bridge. That was a high-profile incident, but police officers are responding to numerous mental health calls everyday and successfully de-escalating difficult situations and linking community members with appropriate treatment.

How did the Charleston police officers use their training that night?

One of the main tenants of Crisis Intervention Training is the importance of being empathetic when establishing rapport. The officers who responded to the bridge did a great job establishing rapport through empathy.

What about the other side of the coin? Being a police officer  really any first responders  is a stressful job and can often place them in traumatic situations. How have the resources available to police officers evolved when it comes to their own mental health? And have you seen them more willing to leverage those resources?

Law enforcement agencies statewide have recognized the need to provide support for our law enforcement community. During our weeklong training, we have blocks of training that focus on self-care for officers. We have presenters discuss the importance of dealing with the repeated exposure to trauma.

NAMI South Carolina is fortunate to have partners who provide specialized services for its first responders. Delynn Morgan, the program manager for the First Responder Support Team in South Carolina, is a regular presenter at our CIT training. FRST provides mental health services for officers individually.

There are other great resources, too, like the South Carolina Law Enforcement Assistance Program. It provides a number of support programs for officers, including post-critical incident seminars that provide opportunities for officers whove been involved in particularly difficult or tragic incidents. It helps them process what theyve experienced or witnessed and to develop coping strategies.

Fortunately, the overall culture in law enforcement is evolving. Its now seen as a sign of strength to reach out and seek help when needed.
Rep. Jeff Duncan, of South Carolinas third congressional district, was in Sweetwater March 14 to hear from Edgefield Countys first responders what they needed from their representative in Washington.

Duncans half-hour appearance at Sweetwater Community Center was the first of three stops; the congressman also met with first responders in Saluda and Laurens counties.

About 15 people from the Edgefield County Sheriffs Office, Edgefield County EMS and area fire departments talked with Duncan about the problems theyre seeing in the county, notably the costs of EMS and a drug problem that one of the sergeants said is worse than its ever been in the seven years hes been with the sheriffs.

Duncan attributed much of the heightened drug problem, both locally and nationally, to a federal inability to stanch the flow of drugs coming into the U.S. via foreign cartels and took aim at President Joe Bidens handling of the issue.

Were doing all we can to stop the flow of illicit drugs into this country, but the administrations not willing to enforce the border and do the things that as American citizens we all know are necessary, he said.

Sgt. Bryce Rutland, with the Edgefield County Sheriffs, said the department is feeling the impact of the border and that in the seven years hes been with the sheriffs, last year was the biggest he knew of for violent crime and drugs.

Thats the issue that were running into, Rutland said. Weve got I Teams, and they're hammering down and theyre still getting through. These guys are working all day, trying to intercept whats coming across.

Rutland said the special teams are seizing large quantities of narcotics but that a good portion of them still make it into the local market.

Deputies are also recovering firearms brought into the county by the undocumented. And theres no real follow-up between local law enforcement and ICE, said Rutland. Weve taken them to jail and thats the last we hear of them.

Edgefield County is seeing the same increases in fentanyl (and other drugs laced with fentanyl) that other counties are also seeing. These agencies are relying on the often life-saving Narcan, administering it in emergency situations to keep someone who's overdosed alive.

But Whos going to pay the cost for Narcan for all these agencies? asked Duncan. Is the state going to step up and help these counties provide the emergency equipment that you need? Is it going to be a federal grant program? Should the federal government ship money down to the states to provide this kind of equipment, Narcan primarily, to help officers and firefighters and all the first responders? Those are questions that were talking about and questions weve been asking.

Proposed legislation, at least at the state level, would if signed into law give local law enforcement in South Carolina a bigger axe to wield in cases of fentanyl trafficking and fentanyl-induced homicide.

The state Senate unanimously approved the bill sponsored by S.C. Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken, in February. It now resides with the House Judiciary Committee. Should it become law, possession of more than 2 grains of the drug would be a felony.

Law enforcement isnt the only group facing challenges. Edgefield County EMS, like many counties, is facing staffing shortages, and lackluster funding  the result, some say, of continual cuts to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to EMS providers.

Were a legislative branch. Were making laws, we try to pass laws or cut funding to certain agencies to get their attention and direct funding in certain ways, said Duncan. But with almost $31.5 trillion in national debt, its a tricky balance and might require more effort by the states, he added.

Emergency Management Services or EMS only became essential in South Carolina in 2022 after the General Assembly awarded it this designation. South Carolina is one of just 13 states to have deemed EMS essential, a term the National Conference of State Legislatures says comes with varying definitions but that often has meant establishing minimum requirements, as is the case in South Carolina.

The law enacted last May requires that all South Carolina counties ensure at least one licensed ambulance service is available within its limit. The law does not directly address funding gaps within EMS, but according to Edgefield County EMS, it could open up grant opportunities to palliate the high costs of what they do.

Just before leaving for Saluda, Duncan briefly (and inconclusively) addressed the topic of who hes backing for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. Though he mentioned his relationships with six in the running, he did not come out backing any one of them in particular.

My relationships with those people mean a lot more than just endorsing one of them. Ill see who comes out in the primary and get behind them fully, he said. Weve got a broad field, a lot of time, a lot of smarts. All of them are worthy and capable of being president of the United States and leading this nation much better than what were seeing right now.
SLED Chief Mark Keel made a valiant effort to tie the Good Friday shooting on the Isle of Palms to the push by S.C. police for bail-bond reform legislation, speaking on Tuesday about the problem with too many kids and too many repeat offenders having access to guns. Read moreEditorial: There's no easy answer for IOP shooting, but there is a place to start
April's Yard of the Month recipient is 58-year Goose Creek resident Mrs. Lee (seen posing with City Code Enforcement Officer Chris Torres at left) was recognized for her beautification efforts and was awarded with a $50 Lowes gift card, certificate, and sign to display for the duration of t Read moreYard of the Month
Since the return of democracy in 1999, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has governed Akwa Ibom State through three governors who were each elected for two terms.

But ahead of Saturdays election, the PDP hold is seriously being threatened like never before by the opposition who have reportedly formed an alliance to dislodge it from power.

Akwa Ibom is one of the 28 states where the governorship election will be conducted on Saturday. The state has 2,357,418 registered voters according to the Independent National Commission (INEC) but only about a quarter of them participated in the 25 February presidential election.

With about 504,000 barrels per day capacity production, the state is the highest oil producer in the country and enjoys huge oil earnings.

Since it was created in 1987, the state has had 10 governors, four of them democratically elected while six were military officers.

Victor Attah was the first elected governor of the state in the Fourth Republic. Mr Attah, an architect by training, was re-elected in 2003 and is widely credited to have laid the foundation for industrialisation for the state.

His successor, Godswill Akpabio, was also elected under the PDP in 2007 and re-elected in 2011. Mr Akpabio is considered to have transformed the state in terms of infrastructure.

Mr Akpabio in 2015 installed a banker, Udom Emmanuel, as his successor. Mr Emmanuel was re-elected in 2019.

PDP members in the state consider the party as a religion due to its serial victories at the polls in the last 24 years but an end seems near based on the outcome of the 25 February elections.

The PDP lost a Senate seat in the state to the opposition for the first time since 1999. Mr Akpabio, a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, defeated Emmanuel Enoidem, the PDP candidate for Akwa Ibom North-west district to secure a second non-consecutive term in the Senate under the APC.

The APC also won the Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency seat. APC and Young Progressives Party (YPP) may win other National Assembly seats at the conclusion of elections in areas where the polls were declared inconclusive.

The shocking outcome has placed PDP in palpable fear of more upsets on Saturday in the state.

2023: candidates, strengths, weaknesses and governorship race

The stage is now set for a fresh election to decide who succeeds the incumbent governor, Mr Emmanuel, who is serving out his second term on 29 May.

In the race are 18 candidates from different political parties, including two females, Abasiekeme Ekanem, of the Action Alliance (AA) and Emem Udoh of Social Democratic Party (SDP) cleared by INEC to contest what may be the fiercest governorship race in the states history.

But among the 18 candidates are four major contenders who are not leaving anything to chance in securing the states most powerful office.

PDP has Umo Eno, a former commissioner of Lands and Water Resources in the state as its candidate while YPP has Bassey Albert, a serving senator as its flag bearer. The other two are Akan Udofia of the APC and John Akpanudoedehe of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Although there are four major candidates in the race, analysts and followers of political events in the state believe the election is a two-horse race between Messrs Albert and Eno.

Umo Eno

Mr Eno, an entrepreneur, is the candidate of the PDP and the preferred successor of Governor Emmanuel who is leaving nothing to chance to instal his former aide as his successor.

Although Mr Eno enjoys both financial and material blessings of the government in power, there are forces that are up against him.

There appears to be a hunger against the PDP candidate in the state. Many are of the view that it is a payback time for Governor Emmanuel for among other things imposing Mr Eno whom they consider an unpopular candidate on the people by voting against the PDP candidate.

Also, it is widely reported that opposition parties in the state are working on an alliance to dislodge the PDP but it is unclear if the alliance will see the light of day.

After recording a few defeats during the 25 February elections, the PDP, like a wounded lion, will fight to the finish on Saturday.

Mr Eno is from Nsit Ubium Local Government Area while his running mate, Akon Eyakenyi, is from Oron LGA, PDP won both areas during the 25 February election.

The battle may be fierce but PDP stands a better chance for victory on Saturday.

Bassey Albert

Mr Albert, a serving senator and former finance commissioner in the state, is considered as the most popular candidate in the race.

Despite his party, YPP, being new in the state, Mr Albert has staged an aggressive campaign across the state propagating his message of renewed hope.

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Mr Albert first aspired for governorship in 2014 but was persuaded to step down for the incumbent, Mr Emmanuel. He was compensated with the Senate ticket and is currently serving out his second term as a senator.

He was elected senator under the PDP but defected to YPP last year where he secured the governorship ticket of the party.

Mr Albert enjoys widespread grassroots popularity and goodwill but it is unclear if the people will translate it to votes on Saturday.

Labour Party won Ibiono LGA where Mr Albert hails from during the 25 February election while his party  YPP narrowly lost the Itu/Ibiono Federal Constituency to PDP.

Alliance

Negotiations are reportedly on-going for an alliance that may result in the APC candidate, Mr Udofia, stepping down for Mr Albert ahead of the election.

Zion Umoh, a member of APC, days ago went live on Facebook to inform the public that the YPP in Akwa Ibom North-west had an alliance with APC to support Mr Akpabio for Senate. According to him YPP members voted for Mr Akpabio and it was time for APC to reciprocate the gesture by voting Mr Albert for governor.

Mr Umoh and many others want Mr Udofia to form an alliance with the YPP and challenge the ruling PDP at the poll on Saturday.

Although Mr Albert is considered the candidate to beat in the race, he was last year convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment for fraud, raising concerns on if he will be sworn in if elected.

Mr Albert has appealed his conviction. The case has not yet been heard but he was able to secure bail.

Legal practitioners within and outside the state have disagreed on the legibility of the YPP candidate for this election and if he will be sworn in if he wins.

A legal practitioner, Ekemini Udim said that Mr Albert can be sworn as governor if he wins the election despite his conviction by a court.

Citing Section 182 (1) of the Constitution which provides qualifications for the office of the governor of the state, Mr Udim said the YPP would have been disqualified having been convicted by a court if there was no other section that counters it.

However, that same Section 182 in subsection (2) goes further to say that where the convict has filed an appeal before a higher Court and the appeal is yet to be decided upon sub section (1) shall not apply for time being.

According to Mr Udim, since Mr Albert has appealed his conviction, Section 182 (1) which talks about disqualification from the office of governor is frozen. If he wins the election he would be sworn in because theres no impediment. That is the position of the law, Mr Udim told this newspaper on Monday.

Section 182 (2) states an appeal against the decision is pending in any court of law in accordance with any law in force in Nigeria, subsection (1) of this section shall not apply during a period beginning from the date when such appeal is lodged and ending on the date when such appeal is determined, or as the case may be, the appeal lapses or is abandoned, whichever is earlier.

Louis Alozie, SAN, agrees with the submission of Mr Udim but not in totality. According to Mr Alozie, the YPP candidate can be sworn in if elected and can also be removed because anybody being convicted of an offence bothering on dishonesty or fraud is not qualified to contest an election.

Disqualification is a ground for presentation of election petitions. If someone proves that his opponent was not qualified, his election can be annulled, he said, adding that voters in the state could be throwing away their votes on Mr Albert.

Despite an appeal filed by the YPP candidate, Mr Alozie said it doesnt matter, the judgment stands until the appeal says otherwise.

Sharing his perspective on the matter with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, Clement Onwuenweunor agrees with the position of Mr Alozie, saying that once someone is convicted the judgment of the court stands until it is set aside.

Once theres judgment of any court, by Section 287 (3) everyone is expected to respect that judgment until it is set aside.

According to Mr Onwuenweunor, SAN, the YPP governorship candidate is not qualified to stand for the election having been convicted of fraud. The fact that he has appealed his conviction does not yet set aside that judgment. As long as that judgment stands, the verdict on him remains what it is. If he wins the election, Section 182 of the Constitution will be interpreted against him.

The legal practitioner said a better option would have been for Mr Albert to form an alliance with somebody that is contesting the election so that he can transfer his support and votes to that other candidate.

Akan Udofia

Mr a successful entrepreneur in the oil and gas sector , was last week recognised by INEC as the APC governorship candidate in the state, 10 months after its governorship primary.

Many people including APC members who believe he does not have the grassroots support to win the election want him to step down and form alliance with Mr Albert of the YPP. But the spokesperson of APC governorship campaign council in the state, Imoh Akpan, thinks otherwise.

Mr Akpan, a lawyer, last week dismissed the rumour that his partys candidate would step down for Mr Albert.

For Mr Akpan, since the APC has produced the president-elect and a senator, it was other parties that should collapse their structure for the APC and not the reverse.

Mr Udofia, who is from Nsit Ibom LGA, lost his local government area to PDP in the 25 February election.

James Akapnudoedehe

Mr Akpanudoedehe, a former national secretary of the APC, last year defected to the NNPP where he secured the 2023 governorship ticket of the party.

He is not new in the governorship race in the state, having contested unsuccessfully in 2011 under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria. He has been the face of opposition politics in the state for decades.

Mr Akpanudoedehe has been touring local government areas and wards in the state but the race is likely going to be a straight battle for two political parties, Messrs Albert and Eno of the YPP and PDP respectively.

The NNPP candidate could not win his polling unit for his presidential candidate during the 25 February election.

Although he is a grassroots politician, he is not believed to have the needed finances to mount a serious challenge. Also, his party, NNPP, is new and unpopular in the state.

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Saturdays governorship election in Kebbi State, North-west Nigeria, promises to be one of the most keenly contested in the history of the 31- year-old state.

Although 15 of the 18 registered parties have candidates in the race to succeed Governor Atiku Bagudu, it is largely viewed as a two-horse race between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While the APC is fielding Nasiru Idris, a former national president of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), the PDPs flag bearer is Aminu Bande, a retired major-general and former GOC 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, Sokoto.

Upon the return of democracy in 1999, Kebbi State, carved out of the old Sokoto State eight years earlier, was governed by Adamu Aliero of the defunct All Peoples Party (APP) which was later rechristened All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). He was succeeded after eight years by Saidu Dakingari of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who governed the state from 2007 to 2015.

Mr Bagudu assumed office in 2015 on the ticket of the APC and will conclude his second four-year term on 29 May.

However, the chances of the ruling party retaining the governorship seat of the state appear to be slim. Several factors account for this.

APCs unending crises, divided house

The ruling APC in Kebbi State is enmeshed in several crises, some of which have resulted in some of its prominent members defecting to other parties.

In the build-up to its governorship primary election in the state last year, a crisis erupted in the party when Mr Bagudu, who is also the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), a body of all APC governors in the country, was accused of hijacking the structure of the party to the benefit of his supporters.

The crack in the party eventually led to the exit of some of its members, including two senators  Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central) and Abdullahi Yahaya (Kebbi North), a former Senate leader.

Apart from Mr Bagudu emerging as the senatorial candidate for Kebbi Central, Mr Idris, his political ally, emerged as the governorship candidate.

Messrs Aliero and Yahaya, alongside their followers, defected to the PDP where they sought re-election. Although the senators met stiff opposition in their new party with a series of legal battles against their candidacies, the Supreme Court judgement affirming them as candidates changed the face of the contest and put the APC under pressure and uncertainty.

Also, prior to the crisis, the party was unsettled by the allegation that the governor was planning to impose Abubakar Malami, the attorney general and minister of justice, as the governorship candidate.

Another crisis erupted in the state APC just before the presidential and parliamentary elections. This time it was a disagreement between Mr Bagudu and the members of the party in the state House of Assembly. The crisis led to the resignation of all the principal officers of the assembly from their positions in protest against the governors alleged highhandedness in the handling of the party.

They also complained about the governors constant absence from the state, thus not being available to address the plight of his people and party members.

The lawmakers also invited the governor to appear before them to explain how he spent about N19 billion of federal government loans they approved for the state in 2021.

The governor, however, refused to appear until former governor Dakingari reportedly pleaded with the lawmakers to return to their respective positions and reconcile their differences to forestall the party going into the elections as a divided house.

Outcome of Presidential/National Assembly elections

The results of the 25 February presidential and National Assembly elections in the state may also influence Saturdays governorship election in Kebbi.

In that election, the opposition PDP floored the ruling party in the state. The presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, won with 285,175 votes while Bola Tinubu of the APC came second with 248,088 votes.

The PDP also won two out of three senatorial seats  Kebbi Central and South districts. Mr Bagudu lost the central seat, which he once occupied before he became governor, to Mr Aliero.

The opposition also picked Kebbi South, beating APC incumbent senator, Bala Ibn NaAllah.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), however, declared the election in Kebbi North, where Mr Yahaya was the PDP candidate, inconclusive.

The PDP won in three federal constituencies  Aliero/Gwandu/Jega federal constituency, Argungu/Augie federal constituency and Bunza/Birnin Kebbi/Kalgo federal constituency.

The APC, on its part, got three seats  Baguio/Suru federal constituency, Fakai/Sakaba/Wasagu/Danko Wasagu/Zuru federal constituency and Ngaski/Shanga/Yauri federal constituency.

INEC declared the elections in Arewa/Dandi and Koko Besse Maiyama federal constituencies inconclusive.

Analysts say if the pattern of voting in the presidential and National Assembly elections is maintained, the PDP may trounce the APC in Saturdays contest. But it is also believed that if the APC succeeds in putting its house in order, it may retain the state.

Bagudus alleged non-performance

There are people who believe Mr Bagudu has brought ill luck to the APC because of his alleged poor performance in the almost eight years he has been in power and that this may affect the partys outing on Saturday.

For instance, while the scuffle between the governor and members of the state legislature raged, a video recording of a former APC local government chairperson, Umar Mashaya-Digi, went viral on social media in the state accusing the governor of failing to address the infrastructural development needs of the state.

In the video, the politician claimed that he regretted supporting Mr Bagudu to become governor, alleging that under the governor, the state is facing its worst times.

I am calling on the people of Kebbi State, especially the members of the APC, together with our family members and supporters we have done our best and voted for Governor Bagudu hoping for good things to happen but this is the worst government in the history of Kebbi State.

We must not shy away from the truth, my position as the local government chairman will not stop me from telling the governor the truth because power comes from God. I am calling on the people of the state to pray because we are approaching a stage whereby we will regret having Kebbi State if things continue this way.

Under Bagudu, Kebbi has no development, no empathy, no listening ears, and no responsible leadership. I am not afraid of anything happening to me as a local government chairman, the governor cannot even give you time to tell him the truth.

But its mandatory for us the local government chairmen to speak to the people of Kebbi State, the former council boss said in the Facebook video.

It is not clear when Mr Mashaya-Digi made the video. He has, however, joined the opposition PDP.

Mr Bagudus handling of the security challenge in the state is another source of concern for residents. There are those who believe that insecurity in Kebbi State under the governor is underreported.

Unlike in other banditry-prone states in the North-west and North-central zones, governors, government officials and politicians unofficially donate money for the release of their abducted people in Kebbi. Mr Bagudu merely visits IDP Camps without releasing money to them.

Parents and relatives of some of the yet-to-be-released students of Government Secondary School, Yauri, believe that their daughters are in captivity due to the alleged nonchalant attitude of the governor who allegedly refused to listen to the bandits leaders to negotiate the release of the students, some of whom have been reportedly married off in the forest to their abductors.

In all this, the opposition PDP is taking advantage of the APCs alleged poor handling of security in such areas where the school children were kidnapped. The residents of such local government areas are reportedly being wooed by the PDP candidate, who has promised to secure their lives and properties.

Kebbi political structure and power rotation

The existing animosity over power rotation among the three senatorial zones may also influence the outcome of the governorship election in favour of the opposition.

Although both the APC and PDP produced their governorship candidates from the central zone, the PDP candidate may be considered by voters in the southern zone because of the grudge against the incumbent governor.

Mr Badugu had insisted that his successor must come from Kebbi Central despite the fact that the southern senatorial district has yet to produce the state governor since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999.

Kebbi has many ethnic groups but has a record of political, religious and cultural tolerance strengthened by intermarriage among the various groups.

The state has four emirate councils  Gwandu, Argungu, Yauri and Zuru  some of which cut across senatorial districts.

Kebbi Central Senatorial District consists of eight out of the 10 local government areas in Gwandu Emirate. These are Birnin-Kebbi, Kalgo, Gwandu, Bunza, Jega, Aliero, Maiyama and Koko-Besse.

Kebbi North has six local government areas. Four of these are in the Argungu Emirate, comprising Argungu, Augie, Arewa and Dandi. The other two, Bagudo and Suru, are in Gwandu Emirate.

Kebbi South has seven local government areas spread across Yauri and Zuru emirates These are Yauri, Ngaski, Shanga, Zuru, Fakai, Sakaba and Danko-Wasagu.

Mr Aliero hails from Aliero LGA in the central district while Mr Dakingari is from Suru LGA in the northern district and Mr Bagudu is from Birnin Kebbi, also in the central district.

The APC candidate, Mr Idris, is from Birnin Kebbi in Kebbi Central, the same as Mr Bagudu, the outgoing governor, while the PDP candidate, Mr Bande, is from Bunza, also in Kebbi Central. They are, however, from the Gwandu emirate.

Based on the unofficial rotational arrangement of power, the 2023 governorship ticket should move to Kebbi South. This district has two emirates  Yauri and Zuru. It is feared that because Mr Bagudu refused to allow the southern district to produce the state governor, this will draw protest votes against the APC in the two emirates.

Incumbency factor will not guarantee victory  Don

Badamasi Saidu, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, told PREMIUM TIMES that the APC may not be able to cross many of its hurdles to win Saturdays poll.

Mr Yau said that though the APC has been in power in the state since 2015, it is not enough to guarantee its victory in the election. He said the party has to work hard to secure the support of the people in the coming poll.

But despite this home advantage (incumbency factor) and the effort by the party, there is massive criticism and opposition by the larger part of the people in the state on the poor performance of the party within its leadership period in the state in terms of poor infrastructures and services coupled with the heightening insecurity, economic policies of the party at national levels such as currency redesigned, cashless policy and fuel scarcity among others.

These and many more are serious challenges to the APC ruling party in the state, of which the opposition PDP is building its political muscles to ensure it wrestles the power from the APC in the coming election. And the chances of the opposition party securing victory are high given itemised issues above, he said.

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With a few hours to the governorship election in Enugu State, political parties are geared up to lock horns in their bids to take over the Lion Building, the states seat of power.

The candidates ended their campaigns Thursday midnight, in line with the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

In Enugu, like most states in the South-east, a zoning arrangement has been central to the emergence of the candidates for the governorship election.

All the political parties, last year, zoned their governorship tickets to Enugu East District.

The zoning debate had threatened to tear some of the parties apart, especially the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), when some politicians from outside Enugu East District kicked against the arrangement.

For instance, a former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who was a PDP governorship aspirant in 2022, said there was no such agreement in the party.

Mr Ekweremadu, who is currently being held in London over alleged organ harvesting, hails from Mpu in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu West District.

The senator later withdrew from the race and subsequently expressed support for Peter Mbah, after he emerged the partys governorship candidate.

Like the PDPs Mr Mbah, all the candidates from other political parties, hail from Enugu East District.

A total of 17 candidates from various political parties will be taking part in the election.

Major candidates

Of the 17 candidates participating in the exercise, only four are considered major contenders.

They are a former State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Mbah of the PDP, former State Commissioner for Environment, Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party (LP), a former Minister of Information and Communications, Frank Nweke Jr of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and an entrepreneur, Uche Nnaji, of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The candidates chances

Mbah

Although PDP has enjoyed dominance in the state for the past 24 years  winning all elections in the state within the period until the recent presidenial election  Mr Mbah is sweating over the growing popularity of the LP in the state.

The LP recorded an outstanding performance in the 25 February National Assembly and presidential elections in Enugu and other states across the South-east. The LP, for instance, won seven of the eight House of Representatives seats in the state and one out of the two senatorial districts where elections took place.

That was the first time the PDP would lose an election in the state since the return of democracy in 1999. Mr Mbahs worry about another possible LPs upset is therefore understandable.

The widespread victories of the LP candidates in the state, observers believe, were due to the effect of the LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who has been enjoying growing support in many parts of the country.

Again, despite Mr Mbahs acclaimed competence and capacity, residents of the state appear unwilling to continue with the PDP in the state.

Also, PREMIUM TIMES understands that many residents remain worried about Mr Mbahs circle of political sponsors and associates, particularly a former governor of the state, whom many believe would help to mismanage the states funds if the PDP candidate is elected governor.

These will combine to stand as a big hurdle to the election of the PDP candidate as the governor.

Edeoga

Mr Edeoga has bright chances. As witnessed during the National Assembly elections, there are indications that voters would vote for LPs Mr Edeoga as part of their revolt against the PDP in the state, which saw the state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of the PDP, lose to the LP senatorial candidate in Enugu North District election.

Aside from that, Mr Edeogas chances appear to have gained more strength considering that he is being backed by Nsukka people in Enugu North District, which has the highest voting strength in the state.

The reason for the Nsukkas widespread support for Mr Edeoga is not far-fetched. Mr Edeoga hails from Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of the state. Although Isi-Uzo is in Enugu East District, they have cultural affinity with Nsukka, which comprises six local government areas: Nsukka, Igbo-Eze South, Igbo-Eze North, Igbo-Etiti, Uzo-Uwani and Udenu.

But the LP candidate also has obstacles standing against his possible victory in the election.

Mr Edeogas candidacy has been criticised by many residents who believe his cultural link to Nsukka means that his election would be tantamount to the emergence of another Nsukka man as governor after Mr Ugwuanyi, who also hails from Nsukka.

Again, critics argue that the LP candidate is unfit to be the governor of the state because he allegedly did not perform well as commissioner of environment in the state.

Enugu became one of the dirtiest states under his watch, according to the critics.

Mr Edeoga resigned as the commissioner, last year, to contest the PDP governorship ticket, but lost to the eventual winner, Mr Mbah.

He would later defect to the LP, where he emerged as the partys governorship candidate.

Another hurdle facing Mr Edeoga is his lack of manifesto. Before the end of the campaign, his opponents had been accusing him of not being prepared to govern the state because he did not present any manifesto  a policy document that contains plans and programmes for intending political leaders.

It is not going to affect my chances. Those people who are nipping those things are looking for excuses because they know it doesnt matter, Mr Edeoga said during a radio programme in Enugu last week.

He claimed those who presented their manifestoes in the past were not held accountable after winning their elections.

Nweke Jr

Mr Nweke, the APGA candidate, is another governorship hopeful likely to cause an upset in the state. Widely loved across the state, the former minister appears to be an alternative to those revolting against the PDP and who believe that their support for Mr Obi should not be transferred to LP candidates who, according to them, lack character, capacity and competence.

He was reportedly endorsed by some LP supporters in the state.

His weakness lies in the fact that his support base is not spread across the three senatorial districts of the state. Can he overcome LPs threat to emerge victorious? Time will tell.

Nnaji

The APC candidate, Mr Nnaji, is unlikely to win the poll for some reasons. The fact that the APC has not received the needed acceptance in the state and region, remains the major obstacle to his quest to become the first citizen of the state.

Again, the APC in the state has been enmeshed in a prolonged leadership crisis which has resulted in the splitting of the party into two factions.

The crisis, analysts say, may affect the partys chances of winning the poll as they lack a common font to engage in electoral tussle to win elections.

More insights

Apart from Mr Edeoga, the three other candidates hail from Nkanu Area of the state, although from different local government areas. Mr Mbah hails from Owoh in Nkanu East Council Area while Messrs Nnaji and Nweke are from Nkanu West Council Area.

Given that the candidates hail from the same Nkanu land, unlike Mr Edeoga, there is an expectation that they will share votes in the area, a situation that may end up as an advantage for the LP candidate.

In a nutshell, the governorship election in the state is believed to be a two-horse race between the PDP candidate, Mr Mbah and his LP counterpart, Mr Edeoga  with one of them expected to win the poll on Saturday.

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Before the 25 February presidential and National Assembly elections, the consensus of Lagosians was that Baba Jide Sanwo-Olu, the incumbent governor of Lagos, will be the shoo-in winner of the governorship election.

This generally held view of Lagosians was not without reasons. Familiarity leads to comfort. Mr Sanwo-Olu rowed the boat of the state without rocking it in any significant manner. Humans are wary of the unknown. The governor is the latest CEO of a political hegemony, wrought by the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, which has governed Lagos since the return to democratic rule in 1999.

Lagos is one of the better-run states in the country, so why change its leadership, some have argued?

Though many people would also say that the Tinubu hegemony has not been able to solve some of the challenges faced by a mega-city the size of Lagos. Despite the states financial muscle as the commercial capital of the country, it has under-delivered in traffic management, flood control, and the provision of potable water, just to name a few.

But the primary reason many thought Mr Sanwo-Olu would be re-elected easily was the strength of the opposition. Hammered by repeated defeats at the poll, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome following its unsuccessful attempts to excite the majority of voters in Lagos. At least in the last three elections, the party seemed to have surrendered the election to the ruling APC even before the contest. So, many, even if they are not particularly chuffed by Mr Sanwo-Olu, shrugged their shoulders and accepted his re-election as a done deal.

Though to be fair to the PDP, its governorship candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly called Jandor, put up a spirited campaign early in the race. In fact, at some points, he was more visible than any other contestant in the race.

Despite Mr Adedirans earlier energetic campaign, however, he was generally not considered a threat to the governors re-election. Mr Sanwo-Olu was so relaxed that he paid more attention to the election of his political godfather, Mr Tinubu, than campaigning for his own re-election.

The campaign of the candidate of the Labour Party, at this point, was without lustre. Despite the growing popularity of the partys presidential candidate among young Lagosians, the campaign of its governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, was missing like a pin in the sand on a beach. If the APC did not consider Jandor a threat, Mr Rhodes-Vivour didnt even exist in their reckoning.

Then the 25 February election happened.

Against the prediction of many analysts, Labour Party won the presidential election in Lagos. This was not the first time an opposition party would win the presidential election in the state. However, the other times the opposition  the PDP  won the election, there was often little or nothing at stake for Mr Tinubus political hegemony. In fact, during the 2011 election, it was widely believed that he reached a deal with then-President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP won with a landslide.

But this time, the political godfather of the Lagos hegemony was on the ballot and the ruling elite in the city thought it was impossible for the ruling party to lose the state. They thought wrong.

The result also catapulted the profile of Mr Rhodes-Vivour from the third favourite candidate to the main contender for Mr Sanwo-Olus job.

After Labour Partys narrow win on 25 February, the ruling party in Lagos was slapped out of their complacency. The governor has since started the campaign in a manner Lagosians have not seen him do previously. But will that be enough? What are the factors that may determine how Lagosians will vote on Saturday?

Ethnicity, voter suppression and intimidation

After the presidential election, elements of the ruling party ethnicised their campaign, with perhaps the hope of spurring more ethnically Yoruba voters to vote for Mr Sanwo-Olu. Though the LP candidate is a Yoruba whose father is originally from Lagos, the APC questioned his ethnicity because his mother is Igbo and he is married to an Igbo. He was also questioned for his inability to speak Yoruba. APC supporters also ran with the narrative of an Igbo takeover of Lagos. The head of the Lagos park services, Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo, was seen in a video threatening Igbo voters to stay away from polling units if they are not going to vote for the candidates of the ruling party in the House of Assembly and governorship elections.

In fact, after the presidential election, there were flashes of disturbances after reported attacks on Igbo in parts of Lagos Island. The governor and other leading APC members had to issue statements to douse the tension.

If the ethnic Yoruba voters are mustered enough to come out to vote for these reasons, and if Igbos and other non-Yorubas from Southern Nigeria, are sufficiently intimidated to stay at home, then the incumbent should win the election.

Voter Apathy

Traditionally, Lagosians show little interest in how they are governed and the process of electing their representatives. Voter turnout in the city is traditionally below the national average. But the EndSAR protests and the Obedient movement, which was birthed out of it, have given birth to a generation of politically conscious youths and this group if sufficiently convinced to come out to vote could be the albatross of the ruling party.

Obidient and the Obi factor

It is clear that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has endeared himself to young voters in the city. The result of the presidential election in the state makes that obvious. If the Labour Party can excite this group enough to come out on Saturday, the party may just be able to pull another surprise on Saturday.

But Mr Rhodes-Vivour lacks the charisma of Mr Obi and a lot of those who voted for Mr Obi on 25 February will stay away on Saturday. If a large chunk of those who voted for Mr Obi stay away on Saturday, the ruling party will definitely prevail.

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In Saturdays governorship election in Adamawa State, North-east Nigeria, voters principally face a choice between the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aishatu Dahiru, popularly called Binani, and the incumbent governor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ahmadu Fintiri. But the choice is not as straightforward as it may seem: Binani is not just facing an incumbent, she is also running against religious and cultural biases that have long stood against women in contests for power in the more conservative part of Nigeria.

In spite of the gender bias, the two main contenders are seen as having almost equal strengths, which has made it very difficult for pundits to project a winner for this election, This is evident in their campaign rallies that have pulled massive crowds in all the 21 local government areas of the state. The two candidates are familiar to the states electorate because of their long history of public service.

As a non-partisan, I know the two candidates are strong enough to win the election judging by their teeming supporters. But if not for the incumbency factor, Aisha Binani has more support than Governor Umar Fintiri across the segments and the divides in Adamawa State, because of her open-handedness, Boboye Abba, a Yola-based public analyst, told PREMIUM TIMES when asked to preview the poll.

Wherever she went before the presidential election, her teeming supporters always showed her love and open support. If she asked them to vote for the APC from president down to the governor, the crowd would reply No! For president, we will vote for Atiku Abubakar but in the state, we will vote for Binani. It showed that those who voted for Atiku in the presidential election may not vote for Fintiri in the governorship election, but for Binani.

Attendance at her campaign rallies was more than that of her rivals, the incumbent governor cannot pull her kind of crowd. Because Fintiri does not give out welfare despite being the serving governor, that is why people like Binani, Mr Abba said.

Binani has long sponsored economic empowerment and skills acquisition programmes across the state targeted at the less-privileged who are mostly women, the elderly and youth. This seems to be paying for her in the governorship race.

Her messages at a typical campaign stop usually go like this: I am here before my parents, my grandparents, my sisters and my younger ones. I am your daughter, who is here before you to respectfully seek for your kind support in the forthcoming governorship election. I want you to give me your mandate. And by the grace of God the Almighty, I will not disappoint you in any way. I will be your servant, not a ruler, I am ready to work for my land.

Possible Religious Barrier

But the woman has faced strong pushback from conservative sections of the society in the state on account of her gender. A running campaign against Binani by some clerics on social media was allegedly sponsored by the PDP state government to discourage voters, especially Muslims, from casting their votes for her.

Although Islamic clerics in the state are divided on her ambition, Mrs Binanis quest for the leadership of the state is the subject of debate. Her supporters argue in her favour that the Islamic system of government is different from the democratic system under which Binani is aspiring for political power. They also note that the state is not a monolithic Muslim society, but a secular state where the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides the laws, rather than the Quran. In this case, they argue that leadership by a woman is not forbidden.

READ ALSO:

The debate got so intense that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) stepped in and warned electronic media in Adamawa State against airing anything that has to do with it. In spite of the warnings, experience indicates that on Friday, the day before the election, sponsored Islamic clerics will in their preaching at Jumaat services discourage giving the leadership of the state to a woman. However, her supporters will also use their pulpits to canvass support for Binani.

Apart from the hostile Islamic clerics, Binani is also facing a challenge from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state. Like their Islamic counterparts, Christian leaders are also divided over her governorship ambition. The youth wing of CAN initially endorsed Binani but was forced by the state leadership of the association to withdraw the endorsement. The state leadership of CAN is believed to enjoy a close relationship with Mr Fintiri.

Ethnicity

Another issue that may influence the election is ethnicity. Adamawa has many ethnic groups. While the incumbent governor is a Kilba, one of the many minority groups in the state, Binani is Fulani, the dominant ethnic group in the state.

If the governorship election is going to be decided by ethnicity, they (minority groups) may team up against Binani who is Fulani. Most of them see the Fulani as a dominant ethnic group, who occupies many areas and is spread across the state with Fulfulde, the common language, widely spoken in the state, Jibrilla Jallo, an indigene of the state, explained.

Mr Fintiri has been accused of playing the ethnicity card and allegedly rallying the others against the Fulani in contests for power in the state. The governor was quoted after taking the oath of office of governor in 2019, as saying, I have come to break the jinx that seemed to be unbreakable, and I am here to break the calabash containing cow milk in the state. That statement has been given different interpretations but many take it as a jibe at the Fulani.

However, one thing that may haunt Mr Fintiri in the election is the memory of the role he played in the impeachment of Governor Murtala Nyako in 2014 when he was the Speaker of the state House of Assembly. Mr Nyako is a Fulani and many members of the ethnic group see Mr Fintiri as a tribalist.

Cultural beliefs

Although Islamic belief in northern Nigeria does not give much power to women, some of the ancient kingdoms were ruled by women before the advent of Islam. Queen Amina of Zazzau and Queen Daurama of Daura were prominent cases in the history of Hausa land. Some of her supporters thus see Binani as one of the great women God has chosen above the men to lead and govern their people, especially after the men had failed in their leadership of the society. These people are now yearning for women to be given a chance to show their capability in political leadership.

Binani also enjoys the support of a large segment of the traditional institution in the state. This has been attributed to her good personal relationship with the traditional rulers and regular assistance to them. In contrast, Mr Fintiris relationship with the first-class chiefs and emirs is said to be sour due to what one of his critics described as the governors high-handedness and arrogance toward the traditional rulers. The governor had threatened to remove some traditional rulers and has been accused of not carrying the traditional institution along in governance.

Civil Servants

Mr Fintiri is also not very popular among the states civil servants despite paying their salaries regularly. Unemployment is a big problem in the state that can also count against him in the election. He has failed to implement skills acquisition schemes for the teeming unemployed youth across the state since he came to power.

Even the developmental projects said to have been executed by the Fintiris government are all within the state capital. Other areas of the state have been left undeveloped. But he did a lot in the state capital, he constructed flyovers, bridges and major roads. So he brought the developments that were not there in the past, a resident said.

Gender influence

Many women in the state are also gearing for one of their own to be governor and many of them have promised to give Binani the votes of the millennium. She enjoys the support of women in the state because of her generosity and sponsorship of many women empowerment programmes that have direct impacts on their welfare.

But some political pundits believe that the election will be characterised by vote buying by both sides.

After losing the 25 February polls, the spokesperson of the APC in the state, Muhammad Abdullahi, said this Saturday will be different. He said the people of Adamawa voted massively for Atiku Abubakar because he is from the state.

But in the governorship election, most of those who voted for the PDP in the presidential and the National Assembly elections will now vote for the APCs candidate, Aisha Binani. And the majority of women in the state are in her support, saying this is the time they will have a woman as a governor in the state, Mr Abdullahi said.

He stated further that the APC and other political parties in the state, including the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), have also agreed to work together for Binani in the election.

But the state chairman of the PDP, Attahiru Shehu, is confident that Mr Fintiri will be reelected because his government has done a lot for the citizens of Adamawa State.

We seized power from an incumbent government in 2019. We told the citizens of Adamawa State that we would work for them, they gave us their mandates and we have executed projects across the state. We did employment across the civil service. Even though we cannot satisfy everybody in the state, we are doing our best, Mr Shehu added.

In the last National assembly elections, APC got one senate seat and one in the House of Representatives while PDP got two senate seats and seven seats in the House of Representatives. If that pattern of voting is sustained on Saturday, Northern Nigeria and indeed the whole of the country may wait longer for its first elected woman governor.

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The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chairman House Committee on Constitution Review, Idris Wase (APC, Plateau), said President Muhammadu Buhari has signed 16 constitution alteration bills into law.

Mr Wase, in a statement on Friday, commended the president for giving assent to the bills, which according to him will devolve more power to states.

The bill on financial independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary is one of the bills signed by the president.

Other bills signed by the president are on the removal of the railway, prison and electricity from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the National Assembly in January transmitted 35 constitution amendment bills to the president for assent.

The 35 bills have been considered by 27 State Houses of Assembly (SHA) and approved by at least 24 state assemblies as required by Section 9 of the Constitution.

The state assemblies, however, failed to vote on the two bills that seek financial and legislative autonomy for local governments.

Mr Wase said four of the bills will help to address the call for true fiscal federalism.

Essentially four of the bills deal with devolution of powers/promoting true Federalism. And also strengthening of State Houses of Assembly and Judiciary.

The deputy speaker also congratulated members of the 9th National Assembly for working tirelessly to ensure the passage of these legacy legislations.

Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Babajide Omoworare, in a statement on Friday also confirmed the signing of the bills.

He said Mr Buhari also assented three other bills; The Nigerian Institute of Leather and Science Technology Act, The Nigerian Institute of International Relations Act, and The Federal Medical Centres (Amendment) Acts.

Full list of 16 Constitution alteration bills Mr Buhari assented to.

1. Fifth Alteration (No.1), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to change the names of Afikpo North and Afikpo South Local Government Areas; and for related matters.

2. Fifth Alteration (No.2), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to change the name of Kunchi Local Government Area; and for related matters.

3. Fifth Alteration (No.3), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to change the names of Egbado North and Egbado South Local Government Areas; and for related matters.

4. Fifth Alteration (No.4), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to correct the name of Atigbo Local Government Area; and for related matters.

5. Fifth Alteration (No.5), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to correct the name of Obia/Akpor Local Government Area; and for related matters.

6. Fifth Alteration (No.6), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the financial independence of State Houses of Assembly and State Judiciary; and for related matters.

7. Fifth Alteration (No.8), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to regulate the first session and inauguration of members-elect of the National and State Houses of Assembly; and for related matters.

8. Fifth Alteration (No.9), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to delete the reference to the provisions of the Criminal Code, Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Act, Criminal Procedure Code or Evidence Act; and for related matters.

ALSO READ: Senate transmits 35 Constitution amendment bills to Buhari for assent

9. Fifth Alteration (No.10), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to exclude the period of intervening events in the computation of time for determining pre-election petitions, election petitions and appeals; and for related matters.

10. Fifth Alteration (No.12), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to provide for the post-call qualification of the Secretary of the National Judicial Council; and for related matters.

11. Fifth Alteration (No.15), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to delete the item prisons in the Exclusive Legislative List and redesignate it as Correctional Services in the Concurrent Legislative List; and for related matters.

12. Fifth Alteration (No.16), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to move the item railways from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List; and for related matters.

13. Fifth Alteration (No.17), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to allow States to generate, transmit and distribute electricity in areas covered by the national grid; and for related matters.

14. In Fifth Alteration (No.23), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to require the President and Governors to submit the names of persons nominated as Ministers or Commissioners within sixty days of taking the oath of office for confirmation by the Senate or State House of Assembly; and for related matters.

15. In Fifth Alteration (No.32), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to correct the error in the definition of the boundary of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; and for related matters.

16. In Fifth Alteration (No.34), the Bill seeks to alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 to require the Government to direct its policy towards ensuring the right to food and food security in Nigeria; and for related matters.

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Police in Cross River State, south-south Nigeria, have confirmed the abduction of the Deputy Governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the state, Agbor Onyi.

The police spokesperson in Cross River, Irene Ugbo, told reporters on Friday in Calabar that Mr Onyi and three others were abducted along the Calabar-Ogoja Highway.

She said among those abducted was an Assistant Superintendent of Immigration, Imojara Imojara.

Ms Ugbo, a superintendent of police, said the four persons were travelling to northern Cross River for Saturdays election when they were abducted on Thursday evening.

The victims were travelling in a Toyota Corolla when the kidnappers stopped the vehicle and took them away into the forest.

One of the occupants, Mrs Sandara Egbung, is the wife of an aide to Governor Ben Ayade, the police spokesperson said.

Ms Ugbo said the police were working to ensure their release.

The Commissioner of Police in charge of Election has directed that drastic action should be taken. It is being worked on. Let us hope and pray that before Saturday, everything will be fine, she added.

A source who did not want his name mentioned in the report said the kidnappers had initially demanded N60 million ransom, which they later reduced to N40 million.

(NAN)

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FCMB Group Plc (FCMB Group or the Group) has successfully completed the issuance of a N20,686,000,000 Perpetual 16% Fixed Rate Resettable NC5.25 Additional Tier I Capital Subordinated Bonds (the Series I Bond or the AT1 or the Instrument) under its N300,000,000,000 Debt Issuance Programme.

The Groups AT1 Issuance is the first non-sharia local currency AT1 instrument issued in Nigeria and the Groups maiden issuance of its N300 billion funding programme in the Nigerian Capital Markets to support its next phase of growth.

The book build commenced on January 24, 2023, and closed on February 3, 2023. The offer was well received by the market with active participation from a diverse range of high-value investors, including Corporates, other Financial Institutions, Trustees and high net-worth individuals. The AT1 instrument was issued at a clearing coupon rate of 16.0% per annum.

The successful Series I Bond issuance highlights the Groups track record of innovation across a broad spectrum of the Nigerian financial service industry and is in line with the Central Bank of Nigerias desire for financial sector stability and well-capitalized banks.

The net proceeds from the Series I Bond will be invested in the Groups Banking Subsidiary  First City Monument Bank Limited (the Bank)  enhancing the Banks Tier 1 and total capital adequacy ratios and enabling the Group and the Bank to expand its support for the growth and development of the Nigerian economy.

Commenting on the Series I Bond issuance, Ladi Balogun, Group Chief Executive of FCMB Group Plc said: FCMB Group Plc is grateful to our investors, advisers and regulators (particularly the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria)for their support on the maiden issuance in our N300 billion bond programme. The innovative structure of a perpetual, income yielding, bond that qualifies as tier 1 capital,  a first of its kind in the domestic Capital Markets  achieves 3 objectives for our investors: it is non-dilutive for existing shareholders; creates capacity for potentially improved earnings per share and dividends per share; and provides an attractive income stream for investors in this instrument. We are also pleased to have been able to support our largest banking subsidiary towards the attainment of its growth, risk management and strategic objectives with this investment.

Yemisi Edun, Managing Director of First City Monument Bank Limited said: FCMB is very proud to be a part of a group that embraces innovation and thanks the investor community for their support which will enable the Bank to achieve its long-term strategy. In addition to strengthening the Banks capital base which will comply with the forthcoming application of Basel III capital requirements, the AT-1 bond will enable the Bank to finance incremental term lending in priority sectors.

Chapel Hill Denham Advisory Limited and FCMB Capital Markets Limited acted as the Issuing Houses to the Series I Bond.

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Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said that former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi worked against the aspiration of Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 25 February election.

Mr Wike who stated this in a state broadcast on Thursday also accused Tonye Cole, the APC governorship candidate in the state of not supporting Mr Tinubus ambition, Channels TV reported.

Rotimi Amaechi and his protege, Mr Cole, actively opposed the demand for power shift to the south and worked against their partys presidential candidate in Rivers State, Mr Wike said in broadcast.

When the president-elect emerged as the winner, Tonye Cole rushed to congratulate him on his Instagram handle but deleted the post when he was criticised.

Mr Amaechi, a former governor of state is the leader of the APC in the state. He was one of the aspirants that was defeated by Mr Tinubu at the partys presidential primary last year.

Mr Amaechi, who came second in the primary became inactive in the party, particularly at the national level after the primary and did not also play an active role in the APC presidential campaign council.

Governor Wike was an aide to Mr Amaechi before succeeding him in 2015.

Mr Wike further took a swipe at his former boss, saying Mr Amaechi failed as governor of Rivers State for eight years and could not attract any single development project to Rivers State as Minister for Transportation for seven years.

How Wike contributed to Atikus defeat

Like Mr Amaechi, Governor Wike was also one of the aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that was defeated by former vice president Atiku Abubakar during the partys presidential primary last year.

Mr Wike fell out with Atiku after the primary for reneging on an alleged promise to ensure the exit of the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu.

Governor Wike is the leader of the G5, a group of five PDP governors who demanded Mr Ayus replacement with a southerner to achieve a regional balance since Messrs Atiku and Ayu are both northerners.

Apart from Mr Wike, other members of the G5 are Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State), Governor Samuel Ortom (Benue), Governor Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State) and their Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde.

The quintet withdrew their membership of Atiku campaign council and boycotted the activities of the council.

About a week to the presidential election, Mr Wike was accused of surreptitiously directing his political appointees to canvass support for Mr Tinubu, a development that contributed to the PDP losing Rivers State in presidential election for the first time since 1999.

For us in the G5, the presidential election was about fairness, equity, and justice. Our commitment was for a presidential power shift from the north, where it has been for the last eight years, to southern Nigeria.

Thankfully, Nigerians have vindicated our stand, and we appreciate the electoral majority for strengthening the nations unity with their choice, Mr Wike said.

Mr Wike during the broadcast also accused Mr Amaechi of planning to disrupt the 18 March election in the state but said the security agents have been notified.

The governor, during the broadcast, declared 17 March as a public holiday to enable private and public sector workers to travel to their communities and vote in their polling units.

David Iyofor, spokesperson for Mr Amaechi did not respond to requests for comments on the allegations at the time of filing this report.

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has refuted media reports alleging that it has withdrawn its petition at the Presidential Election Tribunal

Debo Ologunagba, the PDP national publicity secretary, said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, describing the reports as false and reprehensible fabrication.

The PDP states in clear terms that our party and Atiku Abubakar did not withdraw our petition against INEC, APC and Tinubu at the Presidential Election Tribunal.

However, to set the record straight and for the benefit of our teeming members, supporters and the general public, the PDP clarify as follows;

On Monday, March 13, 2023, the Legal Team of Atiku Abubakar led by J.K Gadzama, SAN, was in court to move a Motion Exparte accompanied by an Affidavit of Urgency (CA/PEC/12M/2023).

The motion sought for orders directing INEC to allow us observe/participate in the process of sorting out the ballot papers used for the Presidential, Senatorial and House of Representatives elections conducted on February 25 across the country, he said.

He added that the court directed that all parties should be put on notice and asked that PDP amend its Motion Exparte to Motion on Notice, to serve same on the parties (INEC, APC & Tinubu) and return on Wednesday, 15 March, for hearing of our Motion on Notice.

On Tuesday, March 14, 2023, our Legal Team had a conference meeting with the Legal Team of INEC.

The commission gave its assurance to cooperate with our team during the inspection and sorting out of ballot papers, and to also provide election materials needed to file our petition.

On account of this agreement with and assurance by INEC, there was no longer need to proceed with the hearing of the Motion on Notice (CA/PEPC/13M/2023). Consequently, our Team filed a Notice of Discontinuance of the said Motion.

Mr Ologunagba said that on Wednesday, March 15 PDP Legal Team returned to Court to inform the Court of the resolution reached with INEC and formally discontinued the Motion on Notice against all the Parties (INEC, APC & Tinubu).

The PDP is therefore on course and we are determined to pursue the case to its logical conclusion, which is the retrieval of our Presidential mandate at the Tribunal.

He said that the PDP appreciated the concerns of millions of Nigerians over the false report, which pointed to the fact of the overwhelming support of majority of Nigerians for the PDP and Atiku Abubakar at the 25 February presidential election.

(NAN)

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One person was reportedly injured after suspected thugs disrupted a rally of Labour Partys (LP) candidate for Surulere state House of Assembly constituency 1, Olumide Oworu.

Speaking on Thursday via his Twitter handle, the movie actor said he and members of his campaign team were attacked in the Iponri area of Surulere during the rally.

The incident, he said, occurred on Tuesday and was reported at the Iponri police division.

My team and I were attacked on Tuesday as we attempted to campaign at Iponri, Surulere. A member of my team was injured, but we are thankful the incident didnt escalate past the level it was. The case has been reported at the Iponri police station, he wrote.

I am not deterred by the incident. Instead I am more committed to seeing this through. We will pass through the wards in constituency 1 (Akinhanmi/Cole, Adeniran/Ogunsanya, Iponri Housing Estate/Eric Moore, Igbaja/Stadium, Shitta/Ogunlana Drive, Yaba/Ojuelegba). See you outside!

The LP candidate is challenging the incumbent Desmond Elliot of the APC in Saturdays elections. Mr Elliot is also a movie star.

The police spokesperson in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, did not answer his telephone calls.

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The Special Offences and Domestic Violence court in Lagos dismissed on Thursday the no-case submission filed by Femi Olaleye, a doctor accused of rape.

The judge ruled that the defendant should open his defence.

Mr Olaleye, the managing director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, is facing a two-count charge of defilement and sexual assault by penetration of his wifes niece, offences which he is alleged to have committed between March 2020 and November 2021.

After the prosecution presented its case, the defence team made a no-case submission.

Accordingly, the no-case submission is hereby overruled. The defendant is now called upon to open his defence under Section 246, the judge said.

The judge said the prosecution team has presented six witnesses and evidence but he cannot rule based on the evidence provided.

At this stage, I am not to decide whether the evidence presented is believed or not. I am not to decide the credibility of the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses.

What I am obligated to do at this stage is to consider whether the evidence is reliable, then I can look at it candidly.

Earlier, Olusegun Fabunmi, the lawyer for the defendant, argued that the prosecution had not provided sufficient evidence against his client to warrant him to enter a defence.

Mr Fabunmi said there was no time that the defendant was caught engaging in the alleged crime.

The defendant even denied committing the offence. There is no prima facie case linking the defendant to the offence, the lawyer said.

In the first instance, the survivor did not state that the offence was committed, it was after thought, the lawyer said.

We want the court to look at the testimony of PW6, the police officer, who said that the survivor did not produce the medical report at the time she alleged the offence was committed.

On his part, Babajide Martins, the prosecutor said the survivor identified the defendant as the person who allegedly asked her to perform sexual activities on him.

There is no doubt about the identity of the defendant as the survivor gave account of how she was asked to suck the defendants sexual organ, Mr Martins said.

The issue that PW2 (survivor) does not know when the incident happened does not arise. The testimony of the survivor corroborated what the prosecution alleged the defendant of.

Even when the survivor was cross- examined by the learned silk, she informed the court that her defilement was during her menstrual cycle.

That indicates that the survivor knows her menstrual time. The survivor said that the defendant usually came when children were asleep.

We humbly urge the court to dismiss the application of the defendant and ask him to enter his defence.

The judge fixed 29 March for continuation of trial.

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The traditional ruler of the Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom in Lagos State, Saheed Ademola, on Wednesday said the Oro festival scheduled by the kingdom for Sathrday is an annual event and would not affect the governorship elections scheduled for the same day.

The monarch had declared a three-day oro rites between the hours of 12 a.m.  5 a.m. on Wednesday to Saturday.

In a memo issued to the residents of the community, the monarch announced that there will be a restriction of movement to perform the oro festival stating in midnight Wednesday.

The festival is a midnight thing, it starts from 12 midnight today to 5 a.m. tomorrow, midnight tomorrow to 5 a.m. Friday, then Friday 12 midnight to 5 a.m., the monarch told PREMIUM TIMES through his spokesperson, Temitope Oyefeso, on Wednesday.

There is a curfew from the government from 12 midnight on Friday up till 6 p.m. the next day (Saturday).

By 4:30 to 5 a.m., we will be out of the road. Anyone that wants to drive to the polling unit will get there at 8:00 because INEC will not even get to the polling unit until 7 a.m.

The oro is just within the kingdom and people that want to come and vote in Ikate who dont live in Ikate will arrive Friday evening.

Annual event

Mr Oyefeso said that the festival is an annual event which is performed for a month. He said that the part that restricts movement is just for three days.

The Oro does not have anything to do with the election in anyways, there is no interference of any kind, I have spoken with the PPRO from Abuja. By 12 midnight that is when Oro will start and that is the same time that the government curfew will start too, he said.

Mr Oyefeso said that they had fixed the ritual for 18 March in a deliberate attempt to avoid the election but INEC postponed the election to same day.

There is a process that is not public which has started since last weekend and must be completed this weekend, he said.

Many social media users claimed that the development is an attempt to disenfranchise voters.

The community was a traditional stronghold of the ruling APC until the last election.

Telephone calls to Wale Ahmed, the states commissioner for community and local government, were unanswered. However, the states commissioner for information, Gbenga Omotoso, told this newspaper that it is a community matter.

He added that he had yet to speak with the monarch on the matter.

Reacting to the development, the Labour Party governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, urged his supporters to come out en masse and vote, adding that the festival wont affect Saturdays election.

Be rest assured that we are going to come out in force to ensure that we resist any form of intimidation or harassment on Saturday and our votes are going to count, he said in a video clip posted on his Twitter handle on Wednesday.

Recently, there were rumours that Oro festival will be performed in Akesan, however, the monarch quickly dispelled it as false.

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The police in Anambra State, south-east Nigeria, have spoken on the alleged killing of a middle-aged man by operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) in the state.

The police spokesperson in Anambra State, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

A report in the local media had claimed that the middle-aged man was shot by some SSS operatives on Thursday in Ogidi, a community in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.

Some youths from the community were said to have staged a protest against the killing.

Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, described the report suggesting that the victim was killed by SSS operatives as misleading.

The police spokesperson said the victim was shot by a member of a vigilante group in the area and not SSS operatives.

On receiving the report at about 2:00 p.m., the police moved swiftly and effected the arrest of the assailant who was found with a pump action gun, he said.

The assailant was disarmed and taken into custody for interrogation and comprehensive investigation, Mr Ikenga added.

The police spokesperson said the police in the state decided to clear the air on the erroneous report because they owe the public a duty to do so.

The Commissioner of Police in charge of election in the state, Aderemi Adeoye, has commiserated with the family of the deceased, Mr Ikenga said.

Mr Adeoye assured residents of the area that the investigation into the homicide will be swift and thorough.

He said the assailant would be arraigned in court.

The police commissioner thanked the protesting youths of the community for ensuring that their protest was peaceful just as he commended the traditional ruler of the community who intervened in the matter to calm frayed nerves.

He urged residents of the area to remain law-abiding and assured them that the police in the state will always protect their fundamental human rights.

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A former Deputy Governor of Imo State, Gerald Irona, has been released from Owerri Correctional Centre, seven days after he was remanded at the facility.

Mr Irona was, on 9 March, remanded after he was arraigned before a magistrate by the police in the state for alleged treason, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.

He was released on Thursday.

Walter Duru, a special adviser on media to Mr Irona, confirmed the development to reporters in Owerri on Friday, Vanguard newspaper reported.

Mr Duru said a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered Mr Ironas release.

He is a free man now. I can confirm that to you now, he said.

Mr Irona was charged to court by the police in the state on a three-count charge of alleged treason.

The three-count charge read: That you Hon Gerald Irona sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri Magistrate District, did conspire with others now at large, to commit felony to wit: treason and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the Criminal Code, cap c 38, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo State.

That you Hon Gerald Irona sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri Magistrate District, did make several utterances to the effect that you will make Imo State ungovernable and immediately afterwards hoodlums levied several attacks on Imo State with intent to intimidate or overawe the governor of Imo State and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 37 of the Criminal Code, cap, c 38, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo State.

That you Hon Gerald Irona on the 15th day of January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri Magistrate District, do convert to your own use two land cruiser jeep (V8 and V6) and one Toyota Hilux vehicle valued N493 million property of Imo State Government thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code, cap c 38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo State.

Background

Mr Irona served as the deputy governor under Governor Emeka Ihedioha from May 2019 and January 2020, when the Supreme Court nullified their election and declared Hope Uzodinma as the governor of the state.

The former deputy governor was arrested by the police on 8 February at his Owerri Residence.

He was arraigned on a three-count charge before C.N Ezerioha, a magistrate, on Thursday after which he was remanded in prison.

On Tuesday, he went to a State High Court in Imo to apply for bail.

Counsel to the former deputy governor, S.I. Imo, prayed to the court to grant his client bail.

But counsel to the police opposed the bail application, arguing that it would be unlawful for the judge to entertain the application when a counter-bail application had not been filed by the prosecutors.

After hearing from the counsel, the judge declined to grant Mr Irona bail.

The judge subsequently adjourned the case till 22 March to enable the prosecutors to file their counter-bail affidavit.

Meanwhile, the police had, in a letter addressed to the chairperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State, Charles Ugwu, invited Mr Irona over alleged murder, kidnapping and arson cases.

Also invited were the former governor of the state, Mr Ihedioha, and the spokesperson of the Coalition of United Political Parties, Ikenga Ugochinyere.

In the letter, dated 13 March, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ahmed Barde, asked Mr Ugwu to produce the three persons at the State Criminal Bureau last Thursday by 10 a.m.

The trio are chieftains of the PDP.

It is not clear, for now, if the meeting has taken place or not.

Governor Uzodinma of Imo State has repeatedly accused members of the opposition political parties, mainly the PDP, of being behind the worsening insecurity in the state.

The governor had, in December, threatened to name the alleged sponsors of the insecurity in the state, but would later make a U-turn, two weeks after, saying he would rather leave security agencies to do their work and prosecute those found culpable.

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Some gunmen who attacked communities in Paikoro and Munya Local Government Areas of Niger State, killed a soldier, a village head, and a medical practitioner while abducting over 60 people, including women and children.

The gunmen invaded the neighbouring communities of Beni in Munya Local Government and Adunu in Paikoro Local Government in two different groups at about 2 p.m. and raided from house to house, dispossessing the people of their money, foodstuff and other valuables.

At Beni, the group killed the village head, Salihu Ahmed, when they sighted him while on his way back from the farm and abducted about 20 people, mostly women and children.

Also at Adunu, a medical practitioner, Joshua Bitrus, was killed after he attempted to escape into the bush on sighting the gunmen. More than 40 people including women and children, and a retired police officer, Moses Tanko, aka Arada System, were abducted.

Sources in the community said those who could afford between N10,000 to N20,000 cash regardless of either old or new naira notes were set free by the gunmen.

However, it was gathered that the gunmen after raiding the two communities, ran into an ambush by the Joint Security Task Force at Sarkin Pawa on their way to their hideout in Kaduna State and a soldier was killed in the resultant gunfight. Also killed was a member of a vigilante group. Several vigilante members were injured in the clash, residents said.

Two patrol vehicles belonging to the Joint Security Task Force were vandalised by the gunmen with the windscreen and tires shattered with bullets.

According to a source, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, an unspecified number of the gunmen were killed during the gunfight with the security personnel.

The state police command is yet to issue a statement about the incident, but the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Humanitarian Affairs, Emmanuel Umar, said he was aware of the incident but had yet to get the details of the attacks. He promised to issue a statement later.

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A young Nigerian female activist and one of the promoters of the popular #EndSARS campaign of 2020, Rinu Oduala, has been selected for the 2023 Hurford Youth fellowship by the World Movement for Democracy.

Ms Oduala, the Project Director of Connect Hub NG, a platform that advocates against police brutality, is the only African to be selected via a keenly competitive process.

The World Movement for Democracy announced on its official Twitter account on Wednesday that only 4 applicants were picked from around the world.

Our 2023 Hurford Youth Fellows are here! Welcome Sofia Pozzo from Paraguay, Kadir Cetin from Turkey, Rinu Oduala from Nigeria, and Chiranthi Senanayake from Sri Lanka, the tweet read.

About the fellowship

According to the World Movement for Democracy, the Hurford Youth Fellowship Programme seeks to build the leadership skills and harness the potential of young democracy activists from around the world.

The organisers further noted that: Through the programme, young activists spend three months at the World Movements Secretariat in Washington DC where they expand their global connections, share experiences with other activists from democracy movements around the world, and contribute to the development of the World Movement for Democracy.

Hurford Youth Fellows engage in strategic meetings; conduct research; and organise and lead presentations, online discussions, and information-sharing sessions on key democracy issues.

What qualifies Oduala

Introducing the fellows on its website, the World Movement for Democracy said Ms Oduala is also the executive director of the Marigold RO Foundation, a civic organisation that aims to foster civic capacity among young people.

She was at the forefront of the biggest civil demonstration of the 4th Republic of Nigeria and was a member of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution on police brutality.

She is the winner of Woman of the year in Advocacy, HerEconomy 2022, and HerNetwork, 2021 and has been nominated for Future Awards Africa Prize for Advocacy and Activism.

Tasks for participants

According to the organisers, each successful participant would use the opportunity of the programme to pursue a project with the intention to achieve globally relevant results.

The Movement noted that Ms Odualas project for the fellowship will examine how online spaces are becoming a part of democratic spaces for citizens around the world, especially for young people.

It added that through online discussions and surveys among young people and civil society leaders, she seeks to better understand how young people organise through civic discourse online.

Oduala reacts

Ms Oduala, who took to her Twitter page on Wednesday to express excitement over the news, said: Im excited to announce Im now a Hurford Youth Fellow with the World Movement for Democracy. @MoveDemocracy.

In a message to PREMIUM TIMES, the female activist said it is an honor to have been selected for such a competitive programme.

She said: The Hurford Fellowship is a highly sought-after opportunity that provides young activists with the platform to bring their causes to the forefront of global conversations.

I am really excited to have the opportunity to use my platform to raise awareness for important issues affecting young Nigerians. Its my hope that my participation in the programme will inspire other young Nigerians to fight for change and help to create a more just and equitable nation for us all.

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The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has lambasted the Presidential Campaign Organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for shopping for endorsements and begging United States President, Joe Biden, to call to congratulate Bola Tinubu.

The APC PCC Director of New Media, Femi Fani-Kayode, had taken to Twitter to say that although the US State Department had congratulated Mr Tinubu, there was a need for Mr Biden to add his voice as both the US and Nigeria shared a historic relationship.

Yes, the American State Department and the American Ambassador to Nigeria both congratulated Asiwaju. For this, we are eternally grateful, and it reflects a measure of respect. However, its time for Joe (Biden) to pick up the phone and add his voice. We are a big nation: we deserve no less, Mr Fani-Kayode tweeted.

Responding in a statement, however, Atikus Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said Mr Fani-Kayodes remarks were evidence of desperation.

Mr Shaibu described Mr Fani-Kayodes action as appalling even as he called on Mr Tinubu and his team to stop forcing foreign countries to recognise the sham election conducted by INEC.

He added, After being the beneficiary of the worst and most fraudulent election in the history of Nigeria, Tinubu and his ilk are now running from pillar to post, begging Western powers to recognise Tinubu. This is the height of desperation.

the UEAFIt is reminiscent of the Sani Abacha days where the maximum ruler tried to ingratiate himself with the West after refusing to recognise MKO Abiola as the winner of June 12 election and deciding to seize power over a people that did not want him.

Even the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, stated expressly that Nigerias election was below the expectation of Nigerians. Several credible media houses locally and internationally, as well as EU observers, have all questioned the credibility of this election. Yet, Tinubu and his ilk want a stamp of approval on it? What a joke!

Mr Shaibu noted that even Chatham House, an independent policy institute based in London, in an analysis by one of its fellows, said the 25 February presidential election showed that the Independent National Electoral Commission failed to learn new lessons.

The London-based Think-Tank had stressed that the electoral umpire failed to adhere to its own guidelines, which it put in place before the poll, especially the one bordering on the uploading of results in real-time.

Atikus aide advised Tinubus campaign team to save their strength for the legal challenge in the coming weeks rather than beg the US President to recognise his tainted mandate.

Signed:

PHRANK SHAIBU

Special Assistant, Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar on Public Communication

Abuja

16th March, 2023.

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Burglars have broken into the 100-bed Mother and Child Hospital opened only last month in Iperu, Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State and stole equipment worth millions of naira.

This hospital was commissioned by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on 18 February. Iperu is the hometown of the state governor, Dapo Abiodun.

However, the State Security Network, Amotekun Corps, said it has arrested three suspects in connection to the incident.

The state commandant of the Corps, David Akinremi, confirmed the arrest to journalists in Abeokuta on Friday.

Mr Akinremi said the suspects stole six 43-inch Hisense television sets, two 65-inch Bruhm television sets, three Bruhm fridges, one Midea refrigerator and three Lontor rechargeable standing fans, all valued at three million naira.

He added that one Ogunjembola Kehinde, who is among the suspects in custody, led his gang to burgle the hospital.

The commandant said Mr Ogunjembola was arrested following a complaint by one Kehinde Banjoko of a burglary incident in her residence while she was away in Lagos.

The items the complainant said were stolen in her residence include a generating set, gas cylinder, standing fan, mattresses and rug, all valued at about N500,000.

Based on actionable intelligence, the prime suspect was arrested and upon interrogation, he admitted that he committed the alleged crime with one other now at large. His admission led to the recovery of all the items stolen from one Lawal Aliu who is the receiver of the crime proceeds.

READ ALSO:

While investigation into the original complaint was still ongoing, intelligence received further revealed that the same principal suspect in this case, Ogunjembola Kehinde and his criminal gang was responsible for breaking and stealing of some electronic equipment at the newly inaugurated 100 bed Mother and Child Hospital, Iperu.

When he (suspect) was confronted with this, he also admitted he committed the offence with his co-accomplice in the original case of burglary and stealing reported by Banjoko Kehinde.

So far, three suspects have been arrested in connection with this case while efforts are ongoing aimed at apprehending other criminal receivers mentioned by the suspects with a view to recovering items allegedly sold to them, the Amotekun boss said.

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The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended the Chief Judge of Taraba State, Filibus Andetur, for compulsory retirement.

It made the recommendation to the Governor of Taraba State at its 101st meeting held on Thursday, a statement by the councils Director of Information, Soji Oye, said Friday.

According to the statement, the NJC made the recommendation based on the findings of its investigation committee which held Mr Andetur liable for suppressing judgement by failing to deliver his verdict in a suit for 30 months.

The committees investigations triggered by a petition written against Mr Andetur by a former senator and minister, Muhammed Sanusi Dagash, revealed that the Chief Judges conduct breached the provisions of section 294(1) of the Constitution.

The statement said the NJC therefore recommended him for compulsory retirement with immediate effect to Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku of Taraba State.

Pending the confirmation by the governor, the NJC said it had placed the Chief Judge on suspension in exercise of its disciplinary powers under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended.

The meeting of the NJC was presided by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and chairman of the council, Olukayode Ariwoola.

READ NJCS FULL STATEMENT

PRESS RELEASE: 17 MARCH 2023  NJC RECOMMENDS THE COMPULSORY RETIREMENT OF A CHIEF JUDGE;  EMPANELS COMMITTEES TO INVESTIGATE FOUR JUDICIAL OFFICERS;  RECOMMENDS THE APPOINTMENT OF SIX HEADS OF COURT AND FIVE HIGH COURT JUDGES.

The National Judicial Council under the Chairmanship of Hon. Justice Kayode Ariwoola, GCON, at its 101st Meeting of 16 March 2023 has recommended the compulsory retirement of Hon. Justice F. B. Andetur, the Chief Judge of Taraba State High Court with immediate effect.

Hon. Justice Andetur was recommended for compulsory retirement following the findings of an Investigation Committee to a petition written against him by Senator Muhammed Sanusi Dagash, that His Lordship suppressed judgement by failing to deliver judgement in Suit No: TRSJ/134/17: Mallam Kassim Yahaya Ahmad Vs Shittu Wurmo & Shuwari Farms Limited 30 months after adoption of final addresses by the parties.

Council after deliberation found that the Hon. Chief Judge breached the provisions of S.294(1) of the Constitution and therefore recommended him for compulsory retirement with immediate effect to Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku of Taraba State.

In the interim, the Council in exercise of its disciplinary powers under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, is suspending Hon. Justice Andetur from office pending his compulsory retirement. He is to hand over to the next most senior Judge in the State.

REPORT OF THE PRELIMINARY COMPLAINTS ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE:

Council considered the Report of one of its Complaints Assessment Committees and agreed with the Committees recommendation to empanel four Committees to further investigate four of the seven petitions forwarded to it, and dismissed three others. One of the three, was dismissed for being subjudice and the remaining two were dismissed because the Judicial Officers had retired from service, and by virtue of Rule 18(2) (h) of the National Judicial Council Judicial Discipline Regulations 2017, the Respondent Judicial Officers are no longer under the disciplinary control of the Council.

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INTERVIEW COMMITTEE:

Similarly, Council considered the list of candidates presented by its Interview Committee and at the end of deliberation, recommended the appointment of six Heads of Court and five Judges of Plateau State High Court as follows:

1. CHIEF JUDGE, BENUE STATE

i) Hon. Justice Ikpambese Maurice Ahemba

2. CHIEF JUDGE, ADAMAWA STATE

i) Hon. Justice Hafsat Abdulrahman

3. CHIEF JUDGE, KWARA STATE

i) Hon. Justice Abiodun Ayodele Adebara

4. CHIEF JUDGE, OYO STATE

i) Hon. Justice Iyabo Subulade Yerima

5. GRAND KADI, SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, ADAMAWA STATE

i) Hon. Kadi Ibrahim Wakili Sudi

6. PRESIDENT, CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, ADAMAWA STATE

i) Hon. Justice Audu James Balami

7. FIVE (5) JUDGES, HIGH COURT, PLATEAU STATE

i) Charles Donglong

ii) Ashahabu Suleiman Wase

iii) Shikamma Kassam Sheltu

iv) Mary Abah Izam

vi) Nanle Titus Komak

NOTIFICATION OF RETIREMENTS AND DEATH:

The notification of retirements of eight Judicial Officers of the Federal and State Courts and notification of death of a Court of Appeal Justice were also received and noted by Council.

Soji Oye, Esq

Director, Information

Posted on: Fri, 17th Mar, 2023

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The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, has announced a total restriction of movement from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday when the governorship and house of assembly elections will be conducted.

He also ordered quasi-security outfits nationwide to keep off all matters related to the elections and banned security aides attached to VIPs from accompanying them to polling units.

The IGP issued the directive in a statement in Abuja on Thursday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, a chief superintendent of police.

He said the restriction would be observed in all states where elections would be conducted.

The IGP, however, said the restriction would not affect those on essential services, such as INEC officials, election observers, accredited journalists, ambulances, and firefighters.

Mr Baba added that the movement restriction would not affect the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

He urged citizens to be law abiding during and after the elections.

The IGP assured that necessary security arrangements had been emplaced to enable the electorate to exercise their franchise unhindered.

READ ALSO: Police rescue 14 kidnapped victims in Zamfara

Mr Adejobi urged the public to contact the Force Headquarters via 08033440189 (DIG Operations), 08033027731 (AIG FEDOPS), and 08034040439 (CP Elections).

He said the Force could also be reached through the NPF Rescue Me Emergency Toll-free line 08031230631, in case of any emergency.

(NAN)

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The National Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended candidates for appointment to 11 judicial positions, including the Chief Judges of four states.

NJCs Director of Information, Soji Oye, said in a statement Friday that the council made the recommendations to the governors of the relevant states at its 101st meeting held on Thursday.

The meeting was presided by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and chairperson of the NJC, Olukayode Ariwoola.

The four states set to have new Chief Judges, according to the NJCs statement, are Benue, Adamwa, Kwara, and Oyo.

The NJC also recommended candidates for appointment as the Grand Khadi, Sharia Court of Appeal, Adamawa State, and the President Customary of the Court of Appeal in the same state.

The rest were recommendations of five nominees as judges of Plateau State High Court.

The statement said the NJC considered the list of candidates presented by its Interview Committee and at the end of the deliberation, recommended the appointment of six heads of court and five judges of Plateau State High Court.

The list is as follows:

1. CHIEF JUDGE, BENUE STATE

i) Hon. Justice Ikpambese Maurice Ahemba

2. CHIEF JUDGE, ADAMAWA STATE

i) Hon. Justice Hafsat Abdulrahman

3. CHIEF JUDGE, KWARA STATE

i) Hon. Justice Abiodun Ayodele Adebara

4. CHIEF JUDGE, OYO STATE

i) Hon. Justice Iyabo Subulade Yerima

5. GRAND KADI, SHARIA COURT OF APPEAL, ADAMAWA STATE

i) Hon. Kadi Ibrahim Wakili Sudi

6. PRESIDENT, CUSTOMARY COURT OF APPEAL, ADAMAWA STATE

i) Hon. Justice Audu James Balami

7. FIVE (5) JUDGES, HIGH COURT, PLATEAU STATE

i) Charles Donglong

ii) Ashahabu Suleiman Wase

iii) Shikamma Kassam Sheltu

iv) Mary Abah Izam

vi) Nanle Titus Komak

NJC sets up committee to probe four judges

Similarly, the council disclosed that it had set up separate committees to investigate four judges.

The council said it took the decision after considering a report of one of its complaints assessment committees which review a total of seven petitions sent against various judges.

Three of the seven petitions were dismissed while the four others were recommended for further investigations, according to the NJCs statement.

The names of the four judges were not disclosed.

It said three other petitions were dismissed.

One of the three, was dismissed for being subjudice and the remaining two were dismissed because the Judicial Officers had retired from service, and by virtue of Rule 18(2) (h) of the National Judicial Council Judicial Discipline Regulations 2017, the Respondent Judicial Officers are no longer under the disciplinary control of the Council, the statement said.

Death notification

The council also received notification of the retirements of eight judges of federal and state courts.

The council also said it received notification of the death of a Court of Appeal Justice.

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The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to upload the results of Saturdays governorship and House of Assembly elections to its INEC Result Viewing(IReV) immediately after counting of ballots at various polling units across Akwa Ibom State.



The judge, Obiora Egwuatu, gave the judgement on a suit filed by the Labour Party (LP), its governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Uduakobong Udoh, and 13 House of Assembly candidates of the party in the 18 March elections in the state.

The judge ordered that INEC must upload the results from the polling units in the state to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in accordance with its regulations and guidelines.

He ordered the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to upload scanned copies of the result forms EC8A to the IReV portal immediately after counting at the polling units in Akwa Ibom State.

The judge further directed the commission to conspicuously paste the publication of its result posters EC60(E) at polling units after completing the EC8A result sheets in the state.

He equally ordered INEC to enforce the observance and compliance of Section 27(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 in the distribution of electoral materials during the conduct of the polls in the state by engaging the services of independent, competent, and reliable logistic companies who are non-partisans or known supporters of any political for the distribution of electoral materials and personnel.

Mr Egwuatu held that since the electoral umpire averred in its filed affidavit that it was aware of its responsibilities under the law and had not failed to carry them out, granting the prayers sought by the applicants would not do any harm to the commission but instead, energise its performance.

Suit

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the applicants suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/334/2023 was filed on 15 March.

The suit has INEC as the sole defendant.

It was filed on behalf of the applicants through their lawyer, Moses Usoh-Abia,

The applicants prayed the court seven prayers, one of which was, an order of mandamus compelling INEC and all its agents to comply with and enforce the provision of Clause 37 of the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of the Saturdays governorship and house of assembly elections in Akwa Ibom.

They also prayed the court to mandate the presiding officers of all polling units to conspicuously paste the publication of result posters EC460(E) at the polling units after completing the EC8A result sheets.

They sought an order of mandamus compelling the commission to mandate the presiding officers of all polling units in the state to electronically transmit or transfer the result of the polling units, direct to the collation system and use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to upload a scanned copy of the EC8A to INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) immediately after the completion of all the polling units voting and results procedures.

They said this was in compliance with the provision of Clause 38 of the guidelines for the conduct of the polls.

The applicants equally prayed for an order directing INEC to enforce the observance and compliance of Section 27(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 in the distribution of electoral materials during the conduct of the polls by engaging the services of independent, competent, and reliable logistic companies who are non-partisans or known supporters of any political for the distribution of electoral materials and personnel, among other reliefs.

NAN reports that the judge, Mr Egwuatu, had, on Wednesday, granted leave to the applicants to proceed with a judicial review, filed the requisite motion, and put INEC on notice, following an ex-parte motion moved by Mr Usoh-Abia.

Judgement

Upon resumed hearing on the matter on Friday, Mr Usoh-Abia informed that he had complied with the earlier court order and that their motion was served on INEC the same Wednesday.

The lawyer said despite the service of their process, the commission was not represented in court.

The judge, however, said that he noticed INEC:s counter-affidavit and a preliminary objection to their originating summons in the courts file.

He said the application was filed on Thursday.

Responding, Mr Usoh-Abia said though they were yet to be served by the commission, he was ready to proceed with the matter due to the urgency of the case.

He said the motion, dated 15 March, had a 26-paragraph affidavit with nine exhibits.

The lawyer urged the court to direct the electoral umpire to comply with its regulations and guidelines of Clauses 37 and 38 on the conduct of the elections.

He said the order was necessary because the commission, in the Feb. 25 Presidential and National Assembly polls, failed to transmit the results of the elections in the state and across the country.

He argued that INEC created the regulations and guidelines pursuant to Sections 148 and 60(5) of the Electoral Act, 2022 to guide the conduct of elections and collating of election results among others.

Usoh-Abia said INECs refusal to comply with the law had resulted in serious prejudice; and had foisted uncertainty and frustration on his clients at their various polling units and wards.

The lawyer said if the order was not granted, the same scenario would repeat itself in Saturdays poll.

But INEC, in its preliminary objection, said the suit was incompetent and the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain it.

The commission argued that the applicants had not established a justifiable action against it.

It also said that the applicants acted in contravention of the practice direction by commencing the suit via originating summons.

Delivering judgment, Mr Egwuatu said he was satisfied that the applicants had complied with the practice direction rules in the filing of their application.

He also said a cause of action had been established against INEC in the paragraphs of the applicants process.

The judge, therefore, ordered INEC to direct all its presiding officers to comply with Clauses 37 and 38 of its regulations and guidelines for the conduct of Saturdays election in Akwa Ibom.

He held that the commission had the legal duty to act in accordance with the law.

The judge, however, refused to grant other reliefs.

(NAN)

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An Immigration Officer, Imojara Imojara, posted for election duty in Cross River, south-south Nigeria, has been kidnapped by gunmen in the state.

Mr Imojara, who is an assistant superintendent in the Nigeria Immigration Service was kidnapped along with three others along the Biase axis of the Calabar-Ogoja Highway in the state, according to a report by an online newspaper in the state.

The incident occurred on Thursday.

The police spokesperson in the state, Irene Ugbo, who confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday, said the police were working on getting the victims released.

Mrs Ugbo, a police superintendent, however, said the police were unaware if the kidnappers have contacted the family of the victims.

The newspaper, Converseer, which reported the incident, said the kidnappers were demanding N50 million ransom.

According to the newspaper, the four victims were traveling in a Toyota Corolla vehicle when the kidnappers attacked and whisked them away.

Cross River, like other states in the country, has witnessed a surge in kidnap-for-ransom within the last two years.

PREMIUM TIMES last week reported how the Troops of the 13 Brigade Nigerian Army in Calabar, rescued the Commissioner for Women Affairs in the state, Gertrude Njar, after over a month in captivity.

She was kidnapped on 1 February in the Mayne Avenue area, Calabar South.

This newspaper also in December 2022 reported how four persons, including a former accountant-general of the state, Rose Bassey, were kidnapped by gunmen in the state.

She was abducted along with three others along the Uyanga-Okomita area of the Ikom-Calabar highway.

READ ALSO: Army rescues abducted female commissioner in Cross River

A month earlier, PREMIUM TIMES had reported how the police rescued eight travelers that were abducted by gunmen along the Ikom-Ogoja highway in the state.

Eight of the victims are in safe hands while the ninth person escaped, the police spokesperson had said, dismissing reports that the kidnapping was carried out by herdsmen.

The gunmen were said to have emerged from the forest and shot at vehicles to force them to stop.

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Ahead of the 18 March general elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State has spoken over confusion surrounding the partys deputy governorship candidate in the state.

There has been confusion over the authenticity of the APC deputy governorship candidate in the state.

The APC has been campaigning with George Ogara as its deputy governorship candidate in the state, but checks by PREMIUM TIMES on data by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed that Robert Ogbonna Ngwu is the running mate published by the electoral commission in its final list of candidates for the 2023 elections.

Uche Nnaji emerged as the governorship candidate of the APC in Enugu after he won the partys primary in May, last year.

Although several APC billboards and campaign posters across the state identify Mr Ogara as the deputy governorship candidate of the party in the state, the INECs list of candidates recognises Mr Ngwu as the deputy governorship candidate of the party in the state.

While Mr Nnaji was on the INEC list as the APC governorship candidate in the state with serial number 277, Mr Ngwu was identified as his running mate with serial number 278.

But the APC has continued to campaign and insist that Mr Ogara remains the deputy governorship candidate of the party despite not being recognised by INEC ahead of the elections.

Unlike Mr Ogara, Mr Ngwu has not been seen in several campaign rallies organised by the party in the state.

The governorship and State Assembly elections are billed to hold this Saturday.

APC speaks

When contacted, the chairperson of the APC in the state, Ugochukwu Agballah, told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Ogara is the deputy governorship candidate of the party in the state.

Mr Agballah explained that Mr Ngwu was used as a placeholder to beat the deadline for submission of running mate to the INEC.

The APC chairperson claimed that Mr Ngwu had withdrawn as the deputy governorship candidate of the party in the state after the party nominated a substantive running mate.

We have handed over all his (withdrawal) documents to INEC; where he (Ngwu) withdrew and where we replaced him with George Ogara, he said.

Mr Agballah suggested that it would be mischievous if INEC went ahead to publish Mr Ngwu as the deputy governorship candidate of the party in the state.

Robert (Ngwu) has never claimed the deputy governorship position. He was a placeholder and when we found a (substantive) deputy, he willingly deposed an affidavit of withdrawal and we replaced him with Ogara. We have notified INEC, he added.

When asked why Mr Ngwus name was published in the final list of candidates for the 2023 elections by the INEC, the APC leader said: If it is still in the list, then it is a typographical error, because they (INEC) have been notified and there is a legal letter to that effect.

Controversial deputy governorship candidate breaks silence

Mr Ngwu, the controversial deputy governorship candidate, told PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday evening that the matter had been decided by a Federal High Court, Enugu on 8 December, last year.

The court, according to Mr Ngwu, ruled that the nomination of Mr Ogara as the APC deputy governorship candidate in Enugu State was valid and binding.

Since 8 December 2022 till date, there is no appeal against the said judgement and the judgement has not been set aside till date, he said.

On the continued appearance of his name on the INEC list, Mr Ngwu said INEC has since been served with a copy of the court judgement and order.

INEC is bound to comply with the order of the court, he insisted.

The INEC spokesperson, Festus Okoye, did not respond to calls seeking comments from him about the issue.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Mr Okoye, a lawyer, was yet to respond to a WhatsApp message sent to him at exactly 12:49 p.m. on Monday.

A screenshot of the INEC final list where Mr Ngwus name appeared was attached to the WhatsApp message to the commissions spokesperson.

Background

The APC in Enugu State has been enmeshed in a leadership crisis lately, resulting in the splitting of the party into two factions.

A faction of the party led by a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, has been in a lingering disagreement with another faction of the party led by Mr Agballah.

Members of the faction led by Mr Nnamani include Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, former Governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime, and a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Eugene Odo.

The faction had accused Mr Agballah and the partys governorship candidate, Uche Nnaji, of running the party like their personal businesses.

The faction repeatedly complained that one of their major grouses was that the Mr Agballah-led faction of the party was fielding its governorship and deputy governorship candidates from the same senatorial district.

Messrs Nnaji and Ngwu hail from Enugu East District.

But Mr Ogara, the deputy governorship candidate adopted by the party in the state, hails from Enugu North District.

Group petitions INEC

In February, a civil society group, the Enugu Good Governance Group, petitioned INEC over what it termed a fake deputy governorship candidate of the APC in the state.

In a statement by its National Coordinator, Odinaka Okechukwu, the group asked INEC to sanction the party for deceiving Enugu people with a fake deputy governorship candidate different from the candidate approved by the electoral commission.

On 30th January 2023, INEC published the Amended List of final candidates pursuant to court orders, death, and corrections of errors made by political parties in line with section 287 of the 1999 constitution.

We observed that the changes did not affect any political party in Enugu, hence Robert Ngwu remains the deputy governorship candidate of the Enugu APC, the group said.

It claimed that the APC has continued to parade Mr Ogara as its deputy governorship candidate despite not being published by INEC because the party wants to hide the fact that Messrs Nnaji and Ngwu hail from the same senatorial district.

We hold that it is fraudulent, ignoble, anti-democratic and must be immediately sanctioned by the INEC, the group said of Mr Ogaras deputy governorship candidacy.

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Ahead of the governorship and state assembly elections slated for Saturday, 18 March, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has deployed personnel across the states where the elections will hold.

The teams led by senior officers began arriving at their assigned locations earlier on Friday 17 March with some of them consulting with the other security agencies involved in election security and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The team for Ebonyi State arrived in Abakaliki and met with the Commissioner of Police at the State Headquarters to register their presence before proceeding to the State INEC Headquarters for a brief meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC).

Officers of Kaduna Zonal Command led by ACEII Mustapha Abubakar who are on an election monitoring mission to Niger State also met the Commissioner of Police, J. A Ogundele, to register their presence in the state. They also visited the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Niger State, Ahmed Yushau Garki.

Officers of the Abuja Zonal Command on election monitoring duty in Nasarawa State, led by ACE II Adeniyi Adebayo also registered their presence at the Nigeria Police Command Lafia and had a brief meeting with the Commissioner of Police.

The brief of the teams is to deter vote trading and other financial malpractices that could compromise the integrity of the elections.

The Executive Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa of the commission had, in a message to the teams before the Presidential and National Assembly elections of 5 March, charged them to exhibit a high sense of integrity and professionalism in carrying out their duties. You are out on a national assignment and I expect you to conduct yourselves responsibly in line with our core values of professionalism, integrity and courage. You have a responsibility to ensure that this election is devoid of financial malpractices, especially the inducement of voters. The attention of the world is focused on Nigeria and we must do what is necessary to ensure that we have credible, free and fair elections, he stated.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media & Publicity

17/03/2023

L-R

1. Officers of Abuja Zonal Command on election monitoring duty in Nasarawa State, led by ACE II Adeniyi Adebayo rat the Police Command Lafia, meeting with the Commissioner of Police.

2. Team Ondo State at the Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Police to register their presence with the Commissioner of Police.

3. EFCC Plateau State monitoring team on a visit to INEC office in Jos, meeting with the state REC.

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Yiaga Africa, a pro-democracy organisation, has highlighted factors that may affect the successful conduct of the governorship elections which will hold on 18 March.

The non-profit organisation said on Friday in its pre-election observation statement that the inducement of voters by politicians, low turnout and ethnic divisions, among others, are factors that may shape the forthcoming elections across 26 Nigerias states.

The think-tank also said it has observed some improvements in the logistic deficits that marred the 25 February presidential elections but noted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may need to upscale its performance in many areas.

Read the full report below.

Dear Friend,

On March 18th, 2023, Nigerians will once again go to the polls to elect Governors in Twenty-eight (28) States and State Lawmakers into 993 state constituency seats. Undoubtedly, these are high stake elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is presented another opportunity to address the logistical, administrative and technological shortcomings during the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections. How the electoral commission manages the election will have grave implications for rebuilding public trust and confidence in the electoral process. Additionally, the election will test citizens resilience to participate in the electoral process against the background of the hardship imposed by the naira scarcity, fuel crisis and unmet expectations with elections management.

As observed by Yiaga Africa on the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly Elections, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) device functioned optimally across majority of polling units. Yiaga Africa also highlighted cases where voters bypassed the accreditation with BVAS and cast their ballot in some polling units. The late commencement of polls, shortfalls in election materials and failure to conduct election in some polling units resulted in voter disenfranchisement. These infractions and non-compliance with electoral guidelines call for behaviour change on the part of electoral officials, voters and political stakeholders including sanctions to deter future occurrences.

Yiaga Africa notes corrective actions taken by INEC to sanction its staff. In the aftermath of the February 25 elections, INEC took action against RECs in Anambra, Sokoto and Abia states for undermining election preparations and failure to implement the commissions guidelines. The suspension of the Sokoto State Resident Electoral Commissioner and redeployment of Electoral Officers in Rivers state is a confidence building measure, but it is insufficient to serve as a deterrence. INEC should extend punitive measures to other RECs and staff who manipulated election results and allegedly sabotaged the deployment of election materials by either centralizing the deployment of election materials and failing to fulfil contractual obligations to transporters employed by INEC to convey election materials and personnel to the polling units. Yiaga Africa also hopes the glitches with the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) Portal have been resolved to allow for a seamless electronic transmission of results on election day.

For the March 18 Governorship election, Yiaga Africa is deploying a comprehensive and systematic observation of the elections which involves deploying the Parallel Votes Tabulation (PVT) to observe the governorship elections in Benue, Delta and Kano States. Yiaga Africa will also be deploying stationary and roving observers to observe and report the election day process in the other 25 states. Further, at the end of polls, Yiaga Africa will be deploying observers to all the Local Government Areas (LGA) and State Results Collation Centers in all the states where elections will be conducted to observe and report on the Governorship results collation process.

This briefing is the first in a series of three planned press conferences to be hosted by Yiaga Africa

for the March 18 election.

Summary of Key Findings from Yiaga Africas Pre-Election Observation

1. Deployment of Election Materials: Yiaga Africa notes the deployment of election materials across the States with at least 26 States confirming the deployment of sensitive and non- sensitive materials to the Local Government Areas. While this is a positive sign, Yiaga Africa calls on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure proper coordination and communication with the transport companies/unions providing logistics support to ensure early deployment of materials and personnel to polling units on election day. This will reverse the trend of late commencement of polls during Nigerian elections.

2. The Status of the BVAS: Yiaga Africa received reports from across the states that the Commission reconfigured a substantial number of Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems ahead of the Saturday polls. Some states like Oyo reported receipt of additional 406 BVAS as a backup. As of 15 March 2023, Yiaga Africa received reports from Rivers state that 22 BVAS devices are missing and 3 damaged BVAS.

3. Cases of Voter Inducement: As citizen mobilisation efforts intensify ahead of the elections, Yiaga Africa received reports of voter inducement through the distribution of gift items and wire (money) transfers by the political actors. Specifically, Yiaga Africa received reports of the distribution of money and food items by supporters of the APC in Mbakyaa Mbachougul, Tarka LGA, Benue State. The APC and PDP representatives were seen collecting voters bank account details in Damaturu and Potiskum LGAs in Yobe State, to make wire transfers ahead of the elections. From Akwa Ibom, Yiaga Africa also received reports that PDP youths in

Ibeno LGA were given a cash amount of N1,000,000 for endorsing a candidate on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

4. The Security Climate: Yiaga Africa observed relative calm since the February 25 election. However, the organisation received disturbing reports of proliferation of light arms and small weapons in Abua-Odual, Andoni, Akuku Toru, Asari Toru, Eleme, Gokana, Khana and Tai LGAs in Rivers State. The House of Assembly candidate for Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni State constituency was allegedly abducted in Rivers State. These incidents have created a tense atmosphere ahead of the elections in the state.

5. Rising ethnic and religious tension: Yiaga Africa is concerned with the divisive campaign rhetoric that has shaped the campaign in some states following the 25 February elections. Social media is awash with hate speech and attacks against ethnic groups in the build-up to the election. Politicians are visibly exploiting these fault lines to mobilise for the election. Yiaga Africa also received reports about recurring clashes between herdsmen and farmers in Ucha Gbeji, Vaase and Boiko Ayti communities in Ukum LGA and Mkomon, Moon, Mbaikyor and Liev1 communities in Kwande LGA, in Benue State. Yiaga Africa is deeply

concerned with this development as it has created an atmosphere of fear and apprehension in some states like Lagos.

6. Lingering Impact of Naira Scarcity: Yiaga Africa is worried that the Commission may experience further logistics challenges if the scarcity of cash is not addressed.

7. Low Voter Turnout projections: Yiaga Africa is concerned that the low turnout of the presidential elections will be repeated for the governorship elections. While INEC and others continue to encourage voters to turn out for elections, citizen confidence in the Commission, poor voter education coupled with lingering impacts of the Naira scarcity may impact voter turnout.

Recommendations

1. INEC must ensure the shortcomings observed in previous elections are properly addressed ahead of the Governorship elections. INEC should ensure proper and consistent communication with the transport union and companies providing logistics support to ensure early election day deployment. This also includes the need to ensure that only trained ad-hoc officials are deployed on election day. Contingency plans should be put in place in situations where transport unions /companies withdraw or default in their contractual obligation to deploy election materials and personnel.

2. INEC Should ensure proper and timely communication with stakeholders on the election day process, challenges experienced and immediate plans to address those challenges to inspire citizens confidence in the process.

3. Yiaga Africa calls on the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Elections Security (ICCES) to ensure that security personnel deployed complies with the code of conduct on election security. This includes professionalism in their conduct, arrest of electoral offenders and respect for the rights of citizens, media, and observers, including the right to freedom of movement on Election Day for duly accredited observers and media practitioners.

4. Yiaga Africa calls on Political parties, candidates and their supporters to commit to peaceful campaigns ahead of the election and on election day and refrain from vote-buying and compromising the secrecy of the ballot.

5. Yiaga Africa urges voters to resist efforts to purchase their votes, to turn out in their numbers and vote according to their preferences on Saturday, March 18.

Watching The Vote Observation of the 2023 Governorship Elections

On March 18, 2023, Yiaga Africa will deploy a total of 1,547 duly trained and accredited stationary and roving observers to observe the conduct of the Governorship election in 28 states. Yiaga Africa will be deploying the Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) methodology to observe the governorship elections in Benue, Delta and Kano states. This will involve deploying 900 stationary observers to a representative randomly selected sample of 300 polling units for each of the states, Yiaga Africa will also be deploying 97 roving observers in the three states. Additionally, Yiaga Africa will deploy 517 stationary observers and 33 roving observers in the other 25 days where the governorship elections will be held, to observe and report on the entire election day process from setup of the polling units, accreditation, voting, announcement and posting of the official results and will send in periodic reports to the Watching the Vote National Data Centre. At the end of polls, Yiaga Africa observer will deploy to all LGAs and States results collation centres to observe and report the results collation process. This deployment will enable Yiaga Africa to provide the most timely and accurate information on the governorship elections in the states.

Using the PVT, Yiaga Africa will also provide an independent projection of voter turnout in Benue, Delta and Kano States, and will be able to project the vote shares that each party should receive within a narrow-estimated range. If the official results fall within Yiaga Africas estimated ranges, then the public, political parties and candidates should have confidence in the ballots cast at the polling units.

Only INEC, however, has the legal mandate to announce the election results. As soon as INEC announces the official results, Yiaga Africa will follow up with a result verification press conference to share its statement on the accuracy of the election results.

Utilizing information communications technology and statistical principles, PVT is the gold standard for citizen election observation and has been utilized throughout Africa and the world. Yiaga Africa has also deployed this methodology in the 2023 presidential election and eleven (12) off-cycle gubernatorial elections in Nigeria.

Yiaga Africa restates its commitment to the objective, non-partisan and credible observation of the election. The Waatching Thae Vote is Driven by Data  For All Nigerians  Beholden to None!

Thank you and God Bless the people of Nigeria!

Ezenwa Nwagwu

For Chair, Watching The Vote Working Group

Yiaga Africa

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Days after what the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, had promised would be Nigerias best election, there are widespread claims that the polls instead did not meet the minimum standards for credibility.

The preliminary reports of many domestic and international observer groups noted that the election failed to meet the expectation of Nigerians.

Many were disappointed because INEC had the ample time, resources and experience to prepare for the election. From the Electoral Act to the use of election technologies such as the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), the electoral commission appeared to have all it needed for the assignment.

Yet, the election witnessed challenges, especially logistical issues which the commission had acknowledged were always a problem and promised to address.

Two major opposition candidates, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), have already initiated processes to challenge the outcome of the presidential election at the election petition court. They have rejected the declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, as the President-elect.

On Saturday, INEC will be conducting another round of elections in more constituencies. The governorship elections in 28 states and House of Assembly elections in all the 36 states of the federation are expected to be much more keenly contested than the 25 February polls.

But the events of two Saturdays ago have increased the tension in the polity and set politicians and political parties going for broke in this final round of elections.

To avoid the hiccups that in the first round of elections, INEC must improve in some areas.

Logistics: Arrival of election officials, voting materials

While the commission admitted logistics was always a major problem, it failed on its promise to manage it better in the 25 February polls. Election officials and sensitive materials got to several polling units late, leading to voting starting late in the affected polling units.

The election day process was fraught with widespread logistical challenges resulting in the late arrival of polling officials and late opening of polling units across the country particularly in South East and South-south geopolitical zones, said YIAGA Africa, which deployed over 3,014 observers to 1,507 polling units in all 774 local government areas (LGAs), in the 36 states and the FCT.

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, had weeks to the 25 February polls, approached the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, to request that cash be made available for the commission to pay for logistics, to which Mr Emefiele agreed to.

He also met the Head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to seek for the provision of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) for election duty vehicles, which the NNPC also promised to deliver.

INEC was said to have struck an understanding with unions of transport workers, including the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) for movementi of sensitive materials and election duty officials.

Despite the assurance of the CBN to provide cash to pay for logistics and the provision of PMS for election duty vehicles by the NNPCL, drivers were seen on election day grumbling and demanding that they be paid in cash before they would convey officials and materials to the polling units.

Which is it: Electronic or Manual Transmission of Result?

Perhaps one of INECs biggest undoing in the elections was the failure to transmit election results directly from the polling unit to the IReV for real time monitoring by citizens and political parties.

The demand from the PDP agent at the National Collation Centre, which started as a mild request, soon turned into a chain of events that would affect the citizens assessment of the election.

It did not help even when the commission said almost 24 hours later that it was witnessing some technical hitches with the upload of results. What followed were allegations of compromise on the part of the electoral commission and a subsequent boycott of the collation of results by the PDP and LP.

This has led to one of the biggest post-election conversations, which is whether or not the Electoral Act mandates the commission to collate results electronically.

While a quick review of the law should settle this, it has not. The meaning of that section of the Electoral Act appears to depend on who is interpreting it, and on which side they stand.

While the commission had said, several times, before the election that it was not going back on real time electronic transmission of results, INEC has not been as committal on the issue post 25 February.

The Electoral Act and INEC Guidelines

The Electoral Act did not specifically mandate electronic transmission of results, but it stated in Section 60(5), that the presiding officer shall transfer the results including total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot in a manner as prescribed by the Commission.

In the Regulations and Guidelines for the elections as signed by the INEC Chairman on 24 May, 2022, however, the commission directed the Electronic Transmission of Results and Upload of Results to IReV in Paragraph 38.

But Paragraph 53, 54 and 55, which deals with collation of presidential results in the local government, states and national level went further to enumerate both the manual and electronic procedures of collation of results.

Paragraph 38 reads: On completion of all the Polling Unit voting and results procedures, the Presiding Officer shall:

(i) Electronically transmit or transfer the result of the Polling Unit, direct to the collation system as prescribed by the Commission. (ii) Use the BVAS to upload a scanned copy of the EC8A to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), as prescribed by the Commission. (iii) Take the BVAS and the original copy of each of the forms in tamper evident envelop to the Registration Area/Ward Collation Officer, in the company of Security Agents. The Polling Agents may accompany the Presiding Officer to the RA/Ward Collation Centre.

But the guidelines did not state that the electronic transmission of results replaced the manual collation of results. Paragraph 53, 54, 55, for the collation of presidential results in local governments, states and national level respectively, enumerated both the manual and electronic transmission of results.

For instance, Paragraph 53 of the guidelines stated that the Local Government/Area Council Collation Officer for the Presidential Election shall:

Take delivery of all the original copies of Forms EC8B from the Registration Area/Ward Collation officers together with other materials and reports relating to the election, including Form EC40(G) if any; (ii) Collate the results for the Presidential election by entering the votes scored by each Political Party in the original copy of Forms EC8B into Form EC8C in figures and words. (iii) Add up the RA/Ward results to get the LGA summary; (iv) Cross-check the totals and entries in the EC8C with the Collation Support and Result Verification System (CSRVS) Secretariat.

(xii) Electronically transmit or transfer the result directly to the next level of collation, as prescribed by the Commission; and (xiii) take the original copies of Form EC8C to the Presidential Collation Officer at the State Collation Centre together with other materials and reports relating to the election, including Form EC40G(I).

Paragraph 54 directed that the State/FCT Collation Officer for the Presidential election shall take delivery of the original copies of Form EC8C from the LGA/Area Council Collation Officers, transfer the votes scored by each Political Party into Form EC8D, and add up the LGA/Area Council collated results to obtain the State summary.

It added that the state collation officer shall : Transmit or transfer the result directly to the next level of collation as prescribed by the Commission; and (xiii) Take the original copy of Form EC8D together with other materials and reports relating to the election which were returned by the LGA/ Area Council Collation Officers to the National Collation Centre, in a tamper-proof envelope.

The Returning Officer for the Presidential election, shall take delivery of the original copies of Form EC8D from the State Collation Officers, collate the votes scored by each party from Form EC8D received from State Collation Officers and enter the votes scored by each Political Party in both figures and words.

Cross-check the totals and entries in Form EC8D(A) with the Collation Support and Result Verification System (CSRVS) Secretariat for computational accuracy, paragraph 55 of the guidelines stated.

Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe

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Nigerias ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has dismissed reports that it has zoned the leadership positions in the National Assembly.

Felix Morka, the spokesperson of the party, in a statement on Friday, said it has yet to take a decision on the leadership of the party.

The ruling party is expected to form a majority in both chambers of the National Assembly based on the number of seats declared so far.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 98 out of 109 senate seats have been declared while 325 out of 360 seats have been declared for the House of Representatives.

APC won a majority in the Senate with 57 seats while the PDP has 29 seats. LP has six seats, NNPP and SDP have two seats each, APGA and YPP have one each.

In the House of Representatives, APC has so far won 162 seats out of the 325 seats declared while PDP won 102.

Furthermore, LP and NNPP have 34 and 18 seats respectively, APGA four seats, ADC and SDP two each while YPP got one seat.

The Senate president, Speaker, deputy Senate president and deputy speaker are decided by election among the members. While the majority party is expected to appoint majority leader, deputy majority leader, whip and deputy whip for both chambers.

Nigeria is divided into six geopolitical zones; North-west, North-east, South-west, North-central, South-south and South-east.

The President-elect, Bola Tinubu is from the South-west, while his Vice, Kashim Shettima, is from the North-east. In addition, both are Muslims.

The party recently met on the issue at the Presidential Villa but no decision was taken on it.

The 10th National Assembly will be inaugurated in June.

Well make announcement at the right time  Morka

Mr Morka said the general public should disregard any report on zoning, adding that the party will disclose any decision taken on zoning.

The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to a report circulating on social media on purported zoning of key positions of the incoming 10th National Assembly.

The report is false and misleading, and should be disregarded in its entirety.

The Party has not made any decision on zoning of positions or offices of the 10th Assembly.

As soon as a decision is made on zoning, it will be made public through the Partys official communications channel, he said.

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Nigerias 25 February presidential election in which a former two-term governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, emerged as the president-elect, may have come and gone. But the lessons from it are likely to linger with us for a long time.

Arguably, one of the most competitive political battles in Nigerias history  it is no doubt an election in which the youth, including students, have made their voices heard. In the final results of the tightly contested polls, Tinubus vote total of 8,794,726 was just enough to defeat his closest rivals, the Peoples Democratic Partys Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, who scored 6,984,520 and 6,101,533 respectively.

I love the energy that the youth brought into the keen contest and the entire voting and collation process. My friend and editor of the Nigerian Tribune, Lasisi Olagunju paints the picture of the youth participation most succinctly in his article in the aftermath of the election.

His words: It was enthralling seeing students at the Zik Hall of the University of Ibadan turning the positive result of their structure-less struggle into a song.

It was beautiful seeing medical students of the University of Lagos chanting their figures in rhymes of conviction. I saw young men and women on popular Lagos streets counting their votes of rebellion. I saw youths of Lafia in Nasarawa and in Kaduna standing firm to count the little-big blessings of their labour of faith.

This is the reality in many parts of Nigeria and I cant help but say kudos to these youth for finally deciding to take their destiny into their own hands. They no longer have to tell anyone that they have moved beyond ranting on social media and that they are not just mere noisemakers. Whether some people like to come to terms with it or not, the February 25 election has changed the face of politics in Nigeria. And I dare say that the true champions of this poll are the youth including Nigerian students.

An article on the election published by the University World News quoted some students as confirming the active participation of Nigerian students in the election. I think there was progress in terms of [the number of] people who registered to vote. For the first time in forever, Nigerian youths are getting involved in politics and realising that we cant let a few people choose who will rule us  not in a country of over 200 million people, Jessica Fortunes, a Nigerian student who participated actively by voting, told the international medium.

Another student, Blessing Wachukwu, said that, despite questions about the election process, the youth involvement in the election was a noteworthy step in the right direction.

In this election  the youth were involved and people actually came out to protest and fight for their votes. Their eyes are opened. They are now awakened. Obviously, progress will not just start all of a sudden, but at least peoples eyes are still open, she explained.

Even President Muhammadu Buhari attested to the uniqueness and competitiveness of the presidential election. According to him, Never has the electoral map shifted so drastically in one cycle. In the presidential elections, states in all regions across the nation changed colour. Some amongst you may have noticed my home state amongst them.

The winning candidate did not carry his own home state either. That happens during a competitive election. Votes and those that cast them cannot be taken for granted. Each must be earned. Competition is good for our democracy. There is no doubt that peoples decision has been rendered in the results we look at today.

Perhaps what the President didnt remember to add is that sitting governors were also randomly defeated in their states. At least, three of them lost their senatorial bids. Even, the vice-presidential candidate of the major opposition party, who is also a sitting governor could not deliver his state. I also read of a candidate that had been in the senate for decades who was defeated by a first timer politician- so many upsets. Many members of the National Assembly could not return to the house.

INECs Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) may not have been maximally put into use with the failure to allow for the electronic transmission of results in real time, thus giving room for manipulation. However, the use of BVAS in this election should still be considered as a major breakthrough.

Regardless of who they supported, the youth were actively involved in mobilising their colleagues, friends and family to register for the elections. They also insisted that the Federal Government should allow them to vote. One of them, a final year student of the University of Benin, Moses Omoyele, even approached the court seeking an order to compel the Nigerian Government to declare a short vacation across all tertiary institutions to enable students to participate in the elections. The government heeded the call and sent the students home for the election. The enthusiasm of Nigerias youth force was evidently on display.

This is the kind of progress we should be celebrating as a nation. A major lesson from this election is that with the right technology, commitment to making technology work and the determination of the citizens and their active participation in the electoral process, Nigerians can truly determine who leads them and make their leaders accountable. One of the problems with the political class before now is their ability to easily rig themselves into power. Since they dont need the electorate, they dont feel committed to serving them. But now, the story is changing. Politicians are learning the hard way that they are at the mercy of the electorate. That is why many of them have been running helter-skelter since the presidential results were announced. They are struggling to curry the favours of the electorate ahead of this Saturday governorship and house of assembly elections. Thats the way it should be.

I was also not surprised that the President-Elect touched on the concerns of the youths in his short speech after he was declared winner. Tinubu said he would pay attention to the demands of tertiary education. He has also promised to give the university system the autonomy it needs to upgrade its syllabus on its own.

He also assured students that there will be no more strikes in the higher education sector and that lecturers will be provided with everything they need to make life comfortable, promising also, to offer student loans.

Tinubus special attention to the youth population may not be unconnected with a major upset in the general election in which he was defeated in Lagos, a state where he had not only governed for eight years (1999-2007), but maintained a stronghold.

Not a few people were shocked that the godfather of Lagos State politics was defeated by Peter Obi, described as an outsider and structureless candidate. Tinubu has been in control of Lagos State politics for years, the expectation was that it would be hard for Obi to get the 25% in Nigerias commercial city. But the LP candidate won in Lagos. If victory in an election is a sign of a candidates popularity, the inference is that Obi is more popular than the president-elect, who is fondly referred to as the City Boy, in his own domain. Yet, a lot of people believe rightly or wrongly that Obis feat was as a result of his popularity among the youth population popularly referred to as Obidients. This also confirms that the youth have brought themselves into relevance in Nigerian politics.

Having achieved this feat, it is essential that the youth do not relent in making their voice strong and clear. They should go further by demanding good governance from elected political officers at all levels. There is nothing complicated about the Nigerian nation. Our leaders get away with murder because we dont force them to be accountable. It is not unusual for political leaders to attempt to trample on their citizens rights. This happens even in countries we often describe as civilized but the people are the ones that will resist such moves. It is high time we started civil resistance in Nigeria. We need a new crop of people that can engage our leaders constructively. Hopefully, the incoming administration will encourage such constructive engagements.

Also, the youth should step up campaign for good education in every part of the country, especially in the northern region where poverty and illiteracy are still being weaponised to keep people in bondage. Today, the top 10 states with highest out of school children rate in Nigeria are in the north coming in this order- Kebbi  62.3%; Bauchi  60.4%; Zamfara  57.4%; Yobe  57.3%; Gombe  56.3%; Sokoto- 51.1%; Borno  49.3%; Jigawa  46.2%; Niger  39%; and Katsina  33.7%. That is despicable.

Their leaders know that the day these youth become truly politically conscious, being able to differentiate their left hand from the right, resisting to be controlled by some greedy and deceptive politicians  is the day they will be free from every form of self-imposed bondage. So, everyone should be involved in the campaign for their freedom because once they get out of their bondage, they would be free to fight for what duly belongs to them.

In the meantime, the Nigerian youth deserve to savour their latest victory. The democratic revolution has begun and Nigeria shall surely rise again!

Olabisi Deji-Folutile is the editor in chief of Franktalknow.com and Director at AF24news.com. Email bisideji@yahoo.co.uk

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As it happened during the Cold War, where smaller dictators played one power against the other to secure their rule and maximise benefits, it will happen presently and in the future. As with the Cold War, one power in the East did not care about democracy and human rights. As a result, the one which at least pretends to will sink deeper into more pretence with less substance in the coming years.

With the Saudi-Iran rapprochement, it is becoming increasingly clear that this is most likely Chinas century, and we are all just living in it as tenants. In nearly every geopolitical trend, there are losers. None is more obvious in the Chinese-brokered rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia than two: Israel and the Uighurs.

The Trump Administration-engineered Abraham Accords, for all of its successes, failed to accomplish one major victory: over-the-top Saudi-Israel normalisation. This was not a problem for the White House, which felt that under-the-radar security cooperation between both will naturally set the course for a full-fledged normalisation in the coming years. Israel badly wanted it to happen because it needs to shore up its anti-Iran coalition in the region.

Now that China has pulled Riyadh and Tehran into a room and had them sing kumbaya, the Saudis wouldnt be much interested in such deals, at least for now. Although talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia have been going on for close to two years with Israels knowledge, last Fridays announcement still took Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  who was on an official trip to Italy  by surprise, and the Israelis are not taking it well. Benny Gantzs criticism of Netanyahus coalition governments assault on the countrys judiciary, in which he mentioned the China-brokered deal, revealed as much. Israels foreign minister, Eli Cohen, was billed to visit Riyadh on Sunday, but a lack of security assurances by his hosts got him to cancel the visit. This only means one thing: the Saudis, in a desperate search for security, understand first that the US can no longer guarantee their security against Iran and its proxies, and Israel may not be able to defeat Iran in the present circumstances. It is then in Saudi Arabias best interest to have the elephant in the room on their side, even in the most backhanded of ways.

Using the Uighurs as a case in point for the Global South: I was born five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. I did not get to witness Cold War politics first hand, but I have lived long enough to see what I read and studied play out in the rear. That rear is becoming the surface: two power centres are emerging with old, familiar patterns of East and West divides.

For us in the Global South, achieving a multipolar world with multiple key power centres is hardly possible. Even with the Congress Systems, which began at the Vienna Congress in 1815 and ended in 1914, it was mostly a European affair with sub-centres of power, which acted as balancers against each other. What we are seeing right now is a return to the post-World War II era of two key power centres. The immediate biggest losers in this context are the Uighurs  the Muslims in Chinas North Western Xinjiang autonomous region whose rights have been repressed by the Communist Party of China in its quest for cohesion. Chinas decision to get two of the three biggest and most significant centres of Islam into a room to get them to work for Chinese interests (energy security) is a blow to the Uighurs, as it robs them of key moral international support. No major player in the Middle East will give a flying flamingo about their plight. The possible holdout, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, has also shown that hes interested in all of the Muslim worlds problems, except that of the Uighurs.

Using the Uighurs as a case in point for the Global South: I was born five years after the fall of the Berlin Wall. I did not get to witness Cold War politics first hand, but I have lived long enough to see what I read and studied play out in the rear. That rear is becoming the surface: two power centres are emerging with old, familiar patterns of East and West divides. Both centres will be shopping for allies and neutrals. As a result, just like the main Muslim power centres are overlooking the Uighurs in their deals with China, so will the East and West, in their quest for allies and non-allied friendlies, be overlooking human rights abuses and autocratic tendencies of governments in the Global South.

As it happened during the Cold War, where smaller dictators played one power against the other to secure their rule and maximise benefits, it will happen presently and in the future. As with the Cold War, one power in the East did not care about democracy and human rights. As a result, the one which at least pretends to will sink deeper into more pretence with less substance in the coming years.

In the final analysis, the idea of a bipolar or multipolar world where one can balance the power of the other seems good on paper. However, a much deeper look and understanding reveals that the world may not necessarily be better off for it.

The Americans already indicated as much when in December 2018, Trumps National Security Adviser John Bolton laid out the doctrine of strategic competition with China and Russia as the underlying component of the US relations with Africa. Security-themed cooperation has given dictators like Yoweri Museveni a lifeblood. A similar relationship has made President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world, having been in office since 1999. This also explains why not only has the US been soft on sanctions against the Buhari administration for its anti-democratic actions, but UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak rushed to congratulate APCs Bola Tinubu for being declared winner in an obviously flawed election, which barely passes the basic test of what representative democracy looks like.

In the final analysis, the idea of a bipolar or multipolar world where one can balance the power of the other seems good on paper. However, a much deeper look and understanding reveals that the world may not necessarily be better off for it.

Confidence MacHarry is an analyst at SBM Intelligence.

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As your incoming president, I accept the task before me. There has been talk of a government of national unity. My aim is higher than that. I seek a government of national competence. In selecting my government, I shall not be weighed down by considerations extraneous to ability and performance. The day for political gamesmanship is long gone. I shall assemble competent men and women and young people from across Nigeria to build a safer, more prosperous and just Nigeria.

A fair, credible election has been held and won. The honour of that victory and the steep responsibility it entails has fallen on me. I say this not to gloat or boast because there is no room for such behaviour. I merely state the facts as they are.

I realise many good and well-meaning Nigerians voted for other candidates. They are naturally disappointed that their favoured candidates did not win. Other candidates have voiced their dissatisfaction, stating they will go to court to contest the election. This is inherent to the democratic process. We defend their right to seek legal recourse. While they exercise the legal rights afforded them in our democracy, I have set my course and mind on the leadership of this nation. We have important work to do and I am committed to getting that work done for the benefit of all the people, whether or not they voted for me or even voted at all.

This is not the time for continued acrimony and partisan recrimination. These negative things can incite strong passions; but they are not the pathway to a better nation. Only unity and national commitment can serve that purpose..

Critics of Nigeria have been too quick to conclude that our political system is fragmented because of the impressive showing of new parties and their candidates. These critics are wrong. The emergence of the new parties and their candidates underscores the dynamic strength of our democracy. People want democracy to work and they want to have their voices heard and interests met within it. This is a good thing to be promoted, not something to be feared.

What must concern us is not the growth of parties but the regrowth of old prejudices and bigotries such as ethnicity, creed and place of origin. As a nation and as individuals imbued with the love of God and of our fellow man, we are better than this. At some point we must decide whether we shall be enticed by the ills of the past or shall be more bravely and nobly encouraged by the eminent prospect of a brighter future.

There have been times in our past when our governing institutions created more questions than they answered. But the arc of our political history gives me confidence that we can overcome that past. We have walked through the thick of the night to emerge into the light of brighter days to come. There is no good reason to retreat into the darkness of years past.

We must begin to repair and rebuild this national home of ours. There is time to complete the task, but time is also of the essence. We must not tarry or fret over the enormity of what we face.

We are able of mind and body. Now, we must show the spirit and willpower to accomplish the historic things that lie within our grasp.

Our Renewed Hope Action Plan outlines goals for greater economic growth in our cities and rural communities. We are committed to an economy of double-digit GDP growth, greater food security and one with a strengthened manufacturing base, as well as an active digital economy where young people will have ample space to fulfill their dreams and aspirations.

As your incoming president, I accept the task before me. There has been talk of a government of national unity. My aim is higher than that. I seek a government of national competence. In selecting my government, I shall not be weighed down by considerations extraneous to ability and performance. The day for political gamesmanship is long gone. I shall assemble competent men and women and young people from across Nigeria to build a safer, more prosperous and just Nigeria. There shall be young people. Women shall be prominent. Whether your faith leads you to pray in a church or mosque will not determine your place in government. Character and competence will.

To secure our nation and to make it prosperous must be our top priorities. We cannot sacrifice these goals to political expediencies. The whims of politics must take a backseat to the imperatives of governance.

We have bridges and roads to build not just for commerce and travel but to connect people of different faiths, parties and different outlooks in harmonious dialogue and common purpose. We have families to feed, not just to eliminate hunger but to nurture enlightenment, civic responsibility and compassion. We have jobs to create, not merely to put people to work but to afford all a better standard of living by which families and communities are improved and democracy deepened. We have water to replenish, not just to quench physical thirst but to ignite a thirst for creative and better solutions to societys challenges. We have a nation to protect, such that we eliminate danger and even the fear of danger. May all of our people be able to live their lives in the light of peace and the glow of broadening prosperity.

An important step towards restoring economic normalcy has been taken by the Supreme Courts decision on the parity of old and new notes. This restores both the rule of law and economic decency. But this is not the end of the story. It is merely the beginning of a more comprehensive solution to our economic challenges.

Our Renewed Hope Action Plan outlines goals for greater economic growth in our cities and rural communities. We are committed to an economy of double-digit GDP growth, greater food security and one with a strengthened manufacturing base, as well as an active digital economy where young people will have ample space to fulfill their dreams and aspirations.

I realise that I am the servant of a larger purpose. As such, I have gone straight to work.

My team and I have been daily engaged in discussions and meetings, refining our ideas and policy solutions so that we can begin actively working toward the common good the very first day we assume office.

This great project called Nigeria beckons to us all.

Dear Nigerians, this is our country. This is our moment. We dare not waste it. Nor do we back away to accept a lesser version of ourselves and of our collective fate. We can no longer be satisfied with calling ourselves the giant of Africa. We must devote ourselves to doing those great and historic things that only a giant can do. As your president-elect, I shall do my utmost in this regard for this is my sworn duty.

I ask that we work together as Nigerians for Nigeria. Those who voted for me, I ask that you continue to believe in our policies and plans for the country. I also ask that you reach out to your brothers and sisters who did not vote as you did. Extend to them the hand of friendship, reconciliation and togetherness. To those of you who did not vote for me, I ask you to believe in Nigeria and in the capacity of your fellow citizens, even those who voted differently than you did. The better Nigeria I seek is not just for me and my supporters. It is equally yours.

I do not ask you to abandon your political preferences. That would be undemocratic. I do beseech you to answer the call of patriotic duty as the loyal opposition.

Remain loyal to the cause of a greater, more tolerant and just Nigeria. I too shall keep faith with this objective.

If we all play our proper roles, we shall begin the task of rebuilding our national home together, day by day, brick by brick, notwithstanding our political differences.

As such, the victory of national progress will belong to all of us. The triumph of our nations democracy shall cite all of you as its very authors. This is how things should be.

Dear Nigerians, this is our country. This is our moment. We dare not waste it. Nor do we back away to accept a lesser version of ourselves and of our collective fate. We can no longer be satisfied with calling ourselves the giant of Africa. We must devote ourselves to doing those great and historic things that only a giant can do. As your president-elect, I shall do my utmost in this regard for this is my sworn duty.

I call upon you to come bravely forth as well, not for me but out of abiding love of country and for the people who inhabit it with you. We are so much better than we have been. Now is the time to stand fast and have faith in what this nation can be.

I, for one, am standing. But this time, I shall not be the last or only one standing. Imagine how great we can be if over 200 million other souls stand with me. Let the world see a Nigeria that nothing can stop.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the president-elect, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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While Obi may not congratulate the president-elect in the short term because of the supposed political implications and Obis perceived psychological dilemma, time will tell how or whether the growing zealotry in the movement and an attempt by some people to perceive it as an Igbocentric will lead to better performance in the coming elections. Until then, the Obidient Movement may contribute to deepening social divisions, which may eventually consume it, rather than building a patriotic movement for national unity and progress.

The 25 February presidential election has set in motion a number of actions, reactions and processes. Some of these we can only fully understand and appreciate in the years to come. The elections not only demonstrated Nigerias political dynamism but most importantly its peoples capacity to shift their support across political parties. It also witnessed the shocking performance of the Obidient Movement, a political action group, which is a complex amalgamation of youth conviction and radicalism. While the Movement definitely complicated the hitherto bifurcated political space usually dominated by two main parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), it undoubtedly creates a third force whose performances in the last presidential election has given its followers the courage and confidence to believe that they can shake the table and spring out surprises in subsequent elections in Nigeria.

However, while the 2023 presidential election and possibly the gubernatorial elections that will follow on 18 March will make an interesting intellectual episode for political scientists and historians, I will like to articulate the reasons Mr Peter Obi, the new kid on the block and the main beneficiary of the Movement that became known as the Obidients, may not be willing to congratulate the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The reasons are both psychological and existential.

Not to be in doubt, the events preceding and the outcome of the 2023 presidential election has its psychological dimensions: both on voters and politicians. Of all the candidates, arguably, Obi is confronted by the most difficult psychological dilemma. The former governor of Anambra State and former vice-presidential candidate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP in the 2019 election, in Marxist terms, committed class suicide by breaking away from his past and forging a new or connecting to an independent political movement away from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) that gave him political life as governor in Anambra, and the PDP that made him its vice-presidential candidate. He is currently leading an unusual movement in the Nigerian political landscape and he does not wish to squander this unique opportunity. He is therefore in a delicate situation that simultaneously attracts respect and sympathy. For this reason, Obi may not be willing to blink his eyes and congratulate the President-elect Asiwaju Tinubu without negative consequences from his followers, many of whom are yet to come to terms with their loss at the poll.

there is an unfolding dangerous dimension that I will like to conclude with. Obis decision not to congratulate Tinubu is not new and neither will he be the first not to do so in our democratic process. But it may be combustible, as it could set in motion dangerous actions that either Obi or other political actors may not be able to control. Inadvertently, it could or may have already created a monster

To continue to enjoy the respect of the Obidients, especially the extremist elements in the group, Obi must not show a sign of being consolatory. Indeed, Obi can only remain relevant if he can continue to hold the Obidients spellbound with his non-compromising attitude and messianic personality; a personality that cannot at the moment accommodate being soft on the existing structure that his movement has set to demolish. Logically, Obi, like any rational politician, will like to retain his frenzied supporters, including the fervent ones who strongly believe that he won the 25 February presidential election and nothing other than that would calm their nerves. To make a consolatory phone call to Asiwaju in the light of this will therefore make him look as if he has chickened out of the movement in which he is seen and regarded and the arrow-head, especially to the radical elements in the movement who believe that Obi won in all the states of the federation and must recover his mandate. As the 2023 election is a precursor to the 2027 presidential election, Obi is not likely to congratulate Tinubu who may also be going for re-election and running against him in four years time. That being the case, Obi will like to demonstrate a strong personality and continue to give leadership to the movement, while making himself the rallying point for the movement and its future.

However, there is an unfolding dangerous dimension that I will like to conclude with. Obis decision not to congratulate Tinubu is not new and neither will he be the first not to do so in our democratic process. But it may be combustible, as it could set in motion dangerous actions that either Obi or other political actors may not be able to control. Inadvertently, it could or may have already created a monster that could destroy the many positive gains of the Obidient Movement in Nigerias political space. As a democratic force, the movement remains a gentle reminder to politicians that participatory democracy in which everybody, including the youths, is considered to be part of a whole is very essential to the consolidation of our democratic institutions. This is commendable.

Lamentably, apart from the fact that Obidients are very critical of opposing views and impatient with people who dont support their views, particularly online, freedom of association and expression, which the Obidients also enjoy, is one of the fundamental canons of democracy, and it will be undemocratic, unfair and unjust, both morally and constitutionally, to attack or bully other people for expressing their views, even if you dont agree with such views. It is unfortunate that the emergence of the movement has generated the most toxic ethnic discourse in Nigerias recent history. Obviously, an unexpected outcome (because this couldnt have been the intention of the movement, which comprises people from different geo-political zones in the county, including the Southwest) of the Obidient movement is the emerging ethnic tension  specifically between the Yorubas of the Southwest and the Igbos of the Southeast. As I noted above, this cannot be an expectation of the movement but this, regrettably, is one of the unintended outcomes in Lagos and if this trend is allowed to continue, it may affect the gains of the Obidient Movement in future elections. Although Atiku, a Northerner, also lost to Tinubu, a Southern Yoruba, but there is yet to be a Yoruba-Hausa tension on the scale of the Yoruba-Igbo tension that we are currently witnessing due to the mischaracterisation of the Obidient Movement as an attempt by the Igbos to take over Lagos to the detriment of the Yorubas owners.

The history of Yoruba-Igbo tension in Lagos is not new but Obidients could either escalate this or contribute to reduce it. A patriotic and nationalistic movement, if properly managed and harnessed, can help to improve performance, transparency and accountability in government, instill confidence in our political system, as well as strengthen our democratisation process.

As I said above, many Yoruba youths and elites mobilised for the Obedient Movement in Lagos during the last presidential election and I believe their intention had no ethnic undertones. The history of Yoruba-Igbo tension in Lagos is not new but Obidients could either escalate this or contribute to reduce it. A patriotic and nationalistic movement, if properly managed and harnessed, can help to improve performance, transparency and accountability in government, instill confidence in our political system, as well as strengthen our democratisation process. Happily, the president-elect has offered to build a government of national unity but he cannot do it alone without the support of Obi and Atiku, both of who are yet to congratulate him.

While Obi may not congratulate the president-elect in the short term because of the supposed political implications and Obis perceived psychological dilemma, time will tell how or whether the growing zealotry in the movement and an attempt by some people to perceive it as an Igbocentric will lead to better performance in the coming elections. Until then, the Obidient Movement may contribute to deepening social divisions, which may eventually consume it, rather than building a patriotic movement for national unity and progress.

Kayode Oladele, a lawyer and former legislator, writes from Abuja.

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In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the Accepting of Repentance, the Especially Merciful, the Bountiful, the Generous. He pours His sustenance upon His creation. And accepts repentance from His servants. We praise him for His guidance and we are grateful to Him for what he has given and bestowed.

Dear brothers and sisters! Allah Almighty said:

And it is He [i.e., Allah] who is [the only] Allah in the heaven, and on the earth [the only] Allah. And He is the Wise, the Knowing. And blessed is He to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them and with whom is knowledge of the Hour and to whom you will be returned. [Quran, 43: 84-85]

Respected brothers and sisters! Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) remembered Allah Almighty at all times. And each day, he used to repent to Allah and ask for His forgiveness one hundred times. For his knowledge that Allah Almighty loves the repentance of His servants and accepts it from them and rewards them for it.

Dear servants of Allah! Be conscious of Allah Almighty and obey Him, and welcome the Noble Month of Ramadan by renewing the repentance and abandoning disobedience and purifying the heart from rancour and freeing oneself for obedience. For Ramadan is days that pass by and go. And the obedient shall profit and the disobedient shall lose. And take heed from those who have left us (died). And last Ramadan they were with us. They used to be among us fasting and praying. Then they became under layers of earth that is a barrier between them and performing righteous deeds. So let us work with that destiny in mind. For the appointed time is near. And the torment of Allah is severe. Allah Almighty said:

O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it was decreed upon those before you that you may become righteous. [Quran, 2:183]

Our Lord  Exalted is His Majesty, blessed is His name, and Exalted is His Nobleness  is more merciful on us than our fathers and our mothers and all of the people. And he does not like to punish and torment His servants even if His wisdom and will necessitate that. For Allah approves Iman (faith) and gratitude. And dislikes disbelief and disobedience. Allah Almighty said:

If you disbelieve  indeed, Allah is Free from need of you. And He does not approve for His servants disbelief. And if you are grateful, He approves [i.e., likes] it for you. [Quran, 39:7]

And Allah Almighty does not punish and torment the grateful believers, because tormenting His creation does benefit Him at all. Allah Almighty said:

What would Allah do with [i.e., gain from] your punishment if you are grateful and believe? And ever is Allah Appreciative and Knowing. [Quran, 4:147]

Therefore, Allah, glory be to Him, rejoices at the repentance of His servants, and calls them to it, encourages them to it, wants it from them, and loves it for them. Allah Almighty said:

Allah wants to accept your repentance. [Quran, 4:27]

So has everyone who read this verse asked why Allah wants to accept our repentance?

Allah wants to accept our repentance so that He does not punish or torment us. And to recompense us for our repentance with the greatest reward and to elevate us by it to the greatest levels and positions. He wants to accept our repentance even though our repentance does not benefit Him at all. Rather the benefit of that or harm of not doing so returns to us. With that Allah the Gloried wants to accept our repentance.

Al-Barrah Bin Azib reported that Allahs Messenger (Peace be upon him) said:

What do you say of the joy of a man whose mount has escaped, it drags its reins on a barren land where there is neither food nor drink, and on it is his food and drink, so he searched for it until it became difficult for him, then it passed by a tree trunk and its reins got caught, and he found it stuck to the tree? We said: Extremely (delighted) oh Messenger of Allah. Then the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: by Allah, Allah is more delighted at the repentance of His servant than the man with (finding) his mount. [Muslim]

Allah wants repentance for us for our salvation, our happiness, and our triumph. So will our Lord call us to something that He wants from us, and in His hand is our sustenance, our life, and our death? And to Him is our return and our destiny. And He is the one in Whose Hands is our benefit and our harm, our happiness and our misery. All of these are gifts from the Most Merciful, and He bestowed them on us when He Most Glorified wants to accept our repentance. For if it were not for His revelations we would not know about repentance and its method. And if it were not for the innate disposition, that He placed in us, to worship Him and have servitude to Him, we would have been too arrogant to repent. And had it not been that He opened the doors of repentance for us and instructed us to it and softened our hearts, we would not have repented. Then He the Glorified crowned all of that by accepting our repentance no matter how big and large the crime and the number of sins. Allah Almighty said:

And it is He who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons misdeeds, and He knows what you do. [Quran, 42:25]

And in His will, Glory be to Him, repentance of His servants protects them from punishments for the sins and transgressions. And from the reduction of goodness and removal of blessings. And from the onslaught of fear, hunger, worry, grief and other effects of sins. For it is a call from Him, Glory be to Him, to safeguard peoples security and sustenance through repentance; Because if the evil stop their wickedness, the causes of torment will be removed.

However, the Shaitan and his helpers have another aim. Allah Almighty said:

But those who follow [their] passions want you to digress [into] a great deviation. [Quran, 4:27]

Their will is represented by turning away from the way of repentance and persisting on the sin and arrogance from accepting the truth. They want diversion from us. But it is a diversion to where?

It is a diversion from Allah and His religion and His straight path to whims, desires and lusts that storm within the heart and destroy people and devastate societies. That results in destruction in this world and torment in the hereafter.

Indeed the people of desire have a path other than the path of Allah Almighty. And a way other than His way. And a religion other than His religion. It is the religion of whims and lusts. The religion of disorder and animalistic license. The religion of dissolution and loss.

And they are not satisfied with a small diversion. For that does not please them. What they want is a major digression in which correct understanding is turned upside down. And innate dispositions dissolved. And societies changed. They want to eradicate and reject the acceptable. Allah Almighty said:

But those who follow [their] passions want you to digress [into] a great deviation.

A great deviation that changes the makeup of society. And turns it on its head upside down. To the point that someone who returns to it after having left for some time does not recognise it all. And he does not know that this is his society because of the great deviation through which it went.

Indeed this great verse:

Allah wants to accept your repentance, but those who follow [their] passions want you to digress [into] a great deviation.

Is a verse that the believer must ponder at all times.

And reminds himself of it, as well as his family and his believing brothers; because it describes with precision and clearly uncovers the aims of those devoted to their lusts.

Dear brothers and sisters! We will soon start fasting. So do we understand what our Lord Most Exalted wants of us so that He forgives us, accepts our repentance and is pleased with us, and what those following their lusts want for us and our families of great deviation?!

So do we obey our Creator and Sustainer and Provider, or do we obey people who deviate from the path of guidance and embraced temptations, and are incapable of righteousness and repentance and they wish for all the people to fail in repentance just as they have failed.

Respected Muslims! Be conscious of Allah Almighty and obey Him for you are going to welcome the Noble Month of Ramadan, the month of Taqwah (consciousness of Allah). And there is no Taqwah (consciousness of Allah) without repentance. So let us repent to Allah before this Noble Month of Ramadan. Because Allah wants to accept our repentance and He wants us to repent. And so that we attain His pardoning, forgiveness, salvation from the fire. And we triumph with Lailatul-Qadr and with the highest levels of paradise (Jannah) and glancing at the Lord Most Majestic and attaining His pleasure and closeness to Him. For whoever attains that, has truly achieved a great triumph.

O Allah, You are Forgiving and love forgiveness, so forgive us. Oh Allah return us to you in the most beautiful way. Oh Allah, rectify our hearts. Indeed, You are All Hearing, Answering.

Dear brothers and sisters! Please, we sincerely seek your financial support, we need your help, we need your assistance, your donation and your contribution on the preparation in this coming blessed and Noble Month of Ramadan and Sallah period for the continuation of taking care of our orphans, widows and the students under our care. Your support is highly needed for Allahs sake.

Respected servants of Allah! As usual, we sincerely solicit for your kind and sincere contribution towards the Ramadan preparation for our orphans, widows and students; and the development of our schools and Islamic Center financially, materially and morally.

Our aim and objective always is to have a standard Islamic center and Arabic/Islamic schools for orphans and less privileged Muslims children.

And if you want to pay your Zakah, our great Islamic centre is waiting for your kind and merciful gesture. Sincerely, your donation will help distribute Ramadan foods, etc for our orphans.

Remember, the Month of Ramadan will not be the same without our families, but unfortunately this is not a privilege enjoyed by everyone. This is the reason were steadfast in planning to provide Ramadan and Sallah feedings for the orphans, widows and students under our care!

We planned to distribute food packages that worth amount up to 4000 widows and 3000 orphans In Shaa Allah, this year.

And your contribution is highly waiting as usual. May Allah rewards all your efforts and your good deeds, ameen.

Remember, Allah Almighty says:

If you support the course of Allah, He will support you. [Quran, 47: 7]

And the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

Whoever relieves his Muslim brother of a hardship from the hardships of this world, Allah shall relieve him of a hardship from the hardships of the Day of Judgement. And whoever makes things easy for a person in difficulty, Allah will ease for him in this world and the Next. Allah is forever aiding a servant so long as he is in the aid of his Muslim brother.

And he (Peace be upon him) said:

Every act of goodness is considered as Sadaqah. [Bukhari]

Here is our Account details:

Account no.  0048647196

Account name  Murtala Muhammed

GTBank

For more enquiries contact, Imam Murtadha Muhammad, the director and Imam Of the Center: 08038289761.

To donate food items, etc, contact the following Numbers: 08038289761, 08056557477

Jazakumullah Khairan as you kindly contribute.

I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon our Prophet as our Lord commanded:

Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace. [Quran, 33:56]

O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.

O Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know.

O Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know.

O Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge.

O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good.

Dear servants of Allah! Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.

Remember Allah, the Great  He will remember you. Thank Him for His favours  He will increase you therein. And seek forgiveness from Him  He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him  He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation; may Allah extol the mention of our noble Prophet Muhammad in the highest company of Angels, bless him and give him peace and securityand his family, his Companions and all those who follow him correctly and sincerely until the establishment of the Hour.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumuah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okenes Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761.

This Jumuah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today Friday, Shaaban 24, 1444 AH (March 17, 2023).

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There are many advantages and challenges of Africa splitting into two separate continents with a new ocean between them. But do I have the right to peer into a future millions of years away? I think we really need to discuss that future as it may come earlier than humans think. For now, let us see how far we have gone with the AU Vision 2063.

As we sleep, nature is ever awake, working. Even if we snore, it cannot be as loud as the rumbling Mount Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which this week is threatening to blow out as it did on 22 May, 2011. The tragic flood Freddy that is ripping through Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar and which has claimed some 300 lives, is like a drop in the sea in comparison to the new ocean that nature is burrowing through the continent.

The East African Rift System (EARS), elongating from the Afar area of northern Ethiopia, splitting up countries like Kenya and Tanzania from parts of Africa, has been found to be separating at seven millimetres per year.

The most obvious indication of the shifting tectonic plates, created a 35-mile-long rift in the Ethiopian desert in 2005. This was a most revolutionary and extraordinary occurrence, as the tectonic shift that normally takes hundreds of years, occurred in just a few days.

Geologists point at tell tales of rapid shifts in the bowels of the continent, such as the Victoria micro plate, the biggest of its kind on earth; tucked between each side of the rift, it has for two years now been rotating anti-clock wise. There are also, several active volcanoes in the East African region, which are contributing to the breakup of the continent. These include the Ol Doinyo Lengai Mountain of God in Tanzania that rises to an elevation of 9,442 feet and has one of the fastest flowing lava on earth.

There are the volcano clusters in Ethiopia, like the Aloo Dalapila and the Erta Ale volcano, the mountain that smokes, which has been erupting for over a century. There are only five known volcanoes with lava lakes in the world, and this is the most unique of them; it has two lava lakes, dating back from 1967.

Satellite measurements have also showed the slow birth of both a new ocean and a new continent in Africa. Geophysical Research Letters, the authoritative biweekly peer-reviewed geoscience journal published since 1974, said geologists have made two fundamental confirmations; a new ocean is being created in Africa, and the continent as we know it, will split into two.

The challenges of having a new ocean in Africa, which would slice through the continent creating two distinct continents are quite enormous. It starts with the question; do we need a new ocean? If no, can we still prevent it? If yes, how do we prepare for it, including the huge lands that will be yielded to it, the people that would be displaced, countries recreated, merged or new ones that would be born?

Christopher Moore of the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, in employing satellite radar to monitor the volcanic activity, said: This is the only place on Earth where you can study how continental rift becomes an oceanic rift. On Africa, he adds: We can see that oceanic crust is starting to form, because its distinctly different from continental crust in its composition and density.

Cynthia Ebinger, a geophysicist at Tulane University in New Orleans, who is studying the phenomenon revealed: The hottest inhabited town on the Earths surface is in the Afar. Daytime temperatures often go to 130 degrees Fahrenheit and they cool off to a balmy 95 degrees at night.

Ken Macdonald, a marine geophysicist and professor emeritus at the University of California, Santa Barbara, explains how the new ocean will get its waters: The Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea will flood in over the Afar region and into the East African Rift Valley and become a new ocean, and that part of East Africa will become its own separate small continent.

The challenges of having a new ocean in Africa, which would slice through the continent creating two distinct continents are quite enormous. It starts with the question; do we need a new ocean? If no, can we still prevent it? If yes, how do we prepare for it, including the huge lands that will be yielded to it, the people that would be displaced, countries recreated, merged or new ones that would be born?

Preparations for this future can start with tackling something as mundane as a name for the new ocean. Africa is bounded in the north by the Mediterranean Sea, the west by the Atlantic Ocean, the east by the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean and in the south by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. But none of these bear its name.

The Indian Ocean was named after India, while the Atlantic Ocean which until the 19th Century was called the Ethiopian Ocean, was finally called Atlantikoi pelagei or the Sea of Atlas, named after the Greek god, Atlas. So, since the African Union (AU) has not succeeded through diplomatic negotiations or the United Nations to properly rename either the Atlantic Ocean or Indian Ocean after Africa, maybe the new ocean that may arise in another five or ten million years will be named the African Ocean. But should we wait for so long?

There are many advantages and challenges of Africa splitting into two separate continents with a new ocean between them. But do I have the right to peer into a future millions of years away? I think we really need to discuss that future as it may come earlier than humans think. For now, let us see how far we have gone with the AU Vision 2063.

The earth, about 240 million years ago, was a single supercontinent, known as Pangaea, before slowly splitting into seven continents. Now with mother Africa, which gave birth to the six other continents, pregnant again, an eighth continent will be born. The Arabian plate, in the last thirty million years, has been moving apart from mother Africa, leading to the creation of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Birth is usually welcome in Africa. In the case of a child, we tend to fix a special day for the naming ceremony during which we roll out the drums and celebrate. Can we do less if unto us a new continent is born? Should we be excited that our continent may become two?

Obviously there are advantages, such as landlocked Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi having their own coastlines. But the geologists say the smaller of the emergent continents comprising Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti, the eastern parts of Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique where the valley ends, may drift away from the rest of the continent.

Doubtlessly, with a new ocean, there will be far more maritime activities including shipping and fishing and a possible shorter route to other parts of the world. But is this an advantage Africa can take or we would sit back and allow foreigners take advantage and control the new routes and maritime business?

In casting a glance into that far future, there are issues like: Would the twin continents remain as one or develop apart like North and South America? What would be the security implications and would trade tie them together as a common entity, even if they have become like separated Siamese twins?

There are many advantages and challenges of Africa splitting into two separate continents with a new ocean between them. But do I have the right to peer into a future millions of years away? I think we really need to discuss that future as it may come earlier than humans think. For now, let us see how far we have gone with the AU Vision 2063.

Owei Lakemfa, a former secretary general of African workers, is a human rights activist, journalist and author.

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, has accused men of the states Anti-Thuggery Committee of attacking his motorcade Thursday evening in Gusau.

Mr Lawal, in a statement by his media office, said this was the second time officials of the group would be attacking his convoy.

The Anti-thuggery Committee was created by the state governor, Bello Matawalle, to checkmate the excesses of thugs in the state but opposition parties especially the PDP and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have accused the committee of witch-hunting their members.

In the statement, the PDP candidate said the attack was unprovoked. He claimed officials of the state outfit ambushed and opened fire on vehicles in his convoy. He said a police officer attached to Mr Lawal was wounded.

Mr Lawal claimed the state government was planning to cause chaos before the elections.

The convoy of the Zamfara State PDP Governorship candidate, Dauda Lawal on Thursday, March 16, 2023, came under heavy attack from armed men of the anti-thuggery committee on the Sani Abacha Way of the GRA in Gusau Local Government Area of the state.

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Dauda Lawal had gone to some areas for a last-minute campaign and on his way back home, the uniformed anti-thuggery launched a heavy attack on him, spraying his car and backup vehicles with bullets.

This is the second time within a month that the anti-thuggery assassins have made attempts on the life of the PDP Candidate.

The anti-thuggery is operating illegally in Zamfara State, because there is an existing court order restraining the committee from harassing, intimidating, brutalizing, terrorizing, arresting, detaining, and any form of torture of members of the opposition parties, the statement added.

The statement called on security agencies to ensure lives and properties of people of the state are protected before, during and after the elections.

Both the anti  thuggery Committee chairman, Bello Bakyasuwa and the police spokesperson Mohammed Shehu did not respond to calls and SMS sent to them on the allegation made by the PDP guber candidate.

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The campaign council of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State says the party has uncovered a plot by the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, to rig the 18 March elections in the state.

Greg Ibe, the founder and chancellor of Gregory University, Uturu, is the APGAs governorship candidate in the state.

The spokesperson of the APGA campaign council in the state, John Nwokocha, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Mr Ikpeazu, the state governor, is a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Mr Nwokocha claimed that Mr Ikpeazu, through one of his aides, directed that all the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deployed for the Saturday election in the state should be lodged in the Abia State Government House in Umuahia, the state capital, for briefings.

The campaign spokesperson said the party spotted a text message which expressly mentioned a personal assistant to the governor and indigene of Obingwa West Local Government Area being directed to oversee the INEC officials welfare.

They were said to have been accommodated in an undisclosed hotel in Aba, a commercial city in Abia State. Then, the INEC officials proceeded to the chief of staff to the governors lodge in Umuahia, he claimed.

He said the text message also indicated that an unnamed presiding officer and assistant presiding officer were invited for a meeting on Wednesday at the lodge of the chief of staff for a proper orientation on how to deceive voters.

When contacted on Thursday night, the spokesperson to Governor Ikpeazu of Abia State, Onyebuchi Ememanka, refuted the allegations.

It is not true, he said of the allegations.

Mr Ememanka said the PDP, as an opposition political party at the national level, could not have been colluding with INEC to rig elections given that the electoral commission is under the national government of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

So, how can we now be controlling and colluding with an agency of the federal government to rig an election that is holding this Saturday? Mr Ememanka told PREMIUM TIMES.

The governors spokesperson said APGA was only raising a false alarm having been aware of its imminent loss at the polls.

He said Mr Ibe had been a member of the PDP since 1999, but only defected to the APGA because of his inability to clinch the PDP governorship ticket in the state.

Prof. Greg Ibe is an illustrious son of Abia State. But, in this election, nobody is taking him seriously, he stated.

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Suspected political thugs on Thursday invaded a meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Ile-Tuntun in Ibadan South East Local Government Area of Oyo State and reportedly gunned down three members of the party.

The thugs also destroyed vehicles and other properties belonging to members of the party, many of whom also sustained injuries.

The partys state assembly candidate in constituency 2, Wariths Alawuje, said he was at the meeting but narrowly escaped being hit.

He said: We were in a meeting with party executives when we heard members of (party name withheld) walking towards our office. Our people waited, for them to go. Not long after, we saw a top member of the party whispering to another and the next thing, we started hearing gunshots and before we could say jack, many of our people had been injured, cars had been damaged while nearby houses were not spared. Some persons were also killed.

Another party member, who identified himself simply as Adewale to PREMIUM TIMES, said the gun wielding thugs carried out the attack in a commando-like manner.

READ ALSO: Delta APC campaign council condemns attack on PDP gov candidate

This is a political attack, when they entered they were behaving as if they had been ordered to kill us all.

The police, even the military, must monitor this Saturday election else there may be casualty. The atmosphere is tensed here, please help us.

The police spokesperson in the state, Adewale Osifeso, neither answered calls nor responded to messages sent to his phone by this reporter requesting his comments.

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The Federal High Court in Osogbo has restrained the police from arresting leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State.

The Judge, N. Ayo-Emmanuel, gave the order on Thursday in a suit filed by the state chapter of the PDP and four leaders of the party.

Thefour other plaintiffs in the suit are Ibukun Fadipe, Sarafadeen Awotunde, Ojo Michael and Abiodun Ojo .

The respondents are the Inspector-General of Police, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (Zone XI Command Osun State) and Osun State Commissioner of Police.

The plaintiffs told the court that opposition party members in connivance with the police planned to have them detained ahead of Saturdays election.

In his ruling, Justice Ayo-Emmanuel granted tge application of the plaintiffs pending the determination of their substantive originating summons for right enforcement.

An order restraining all the defendants from arresting, detaining or further arresting/detaining the plaintiffs and their members across Osun State so as not to infringe or further infringe on the rights of the plaintiffs to dignity of human person, liberty and freedom of movement and expression guaranteed under Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and under the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (particularly in relation to the opportunity to freely, actively and outrightly participate in the forthcoming Osun State House of Assembly election scheduled to take place on the 18th March, 2023), pending the final determination of the originating summons in this case, he ordered.

READ ALSO:

An order restraining all the defendants from making efforts or restrict liberty of the plaintiffs, dignity of human person, and freedom of movement and expression guaranteed under Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and under the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (particularly in relation to the opportunity to freely, actively and outrightly participate in the forthcoming Osun State House of Assembly election scheduled to take place on the 18th March, 2023), pending the final determination of the originating summons in this case.

In the past few days, the PDP and All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state have been trading allegations of plans to disrupt the state House of Assembly elections in the state.

The APC had called on the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali, to order the arrest of some PDP leaders who it named as masterminds of the alleged planned disruption of election.

But the PDP said leaders of the APC were the ones planning to disrupt the elections.

The police, however, said they were investigating the claims, warning that anyone suspected of electoral offenses will be made to face the law.

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INTERLAKEN, Switzerland, March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EIGER Adventure, a popular Indonesia eco-friendly outdoor apparel brand, open its first international store in Interlaken on March 15th, 2023. The store is expected to attract tourists and locals who seek high-quality outdoor clothing and accessories.

Visit https://eigeradventure.com/ to find out more about EIGER Adventure's products.

Switzerland (15/03)- Located in Jungfraustrasse 2, 3800 Interlaken, EIGER Adventure's first store in Europe, is designed with a touch of Indonesian culture and tropical wonders.

Quality, design, and sustainability at the forefront of EIGER Adventure's international roadmap

As a brand that puts its best foot forward on the international stage, EIGER has received numerous certifications, ensuring that all products have passed vigorous quality checks to meet the high-quality global standard. The store will also showcase the company's commitment to green business practices. An example of this dedication is the award-winning EIGER's Ecosaviour 45 Rucksack, made from recycled materials. The carrier's frame uses bamboo manufactured by Indonesian SME (Small Medium Enterprise) communities as an alternative for aluminum, fiber, or steel wiring.

In addition to selling outdoor activity products, the Interlaken store also aims to introduce Indonesian culture and tourist attractions to visitors. Aside from enjoying the "Wonderful Indonesia" store theme, shoppers will receive a free signature coffee from Indonesia.

EIGER's international debut pays homage to its founding inspiration

The brand name EIGER Adventure, founded in 1989, was inspired by the famous Swiss Eiger mountain. Since then, the company has grown and developed a solid customer base across Indonesia and has been cultivating a spirit of sustainability in every business initiative. "Our first overseas store in Interlaken marks our long-awaited dream shared with EIGER's consumers. We are here to listen to their stories across the nation and worldwide and committed to encouraging innovation and collaboration within the spirit of sustainability," said Ronny Lukito, Founder of EIGER Adventure.

With a strong history of achievements in Indonesia, EIGER Adventure has the potential for continued growth in the international market. Globally, the outdoor apparel market is estimated to reach approximately $26 billion by the end of 2026; therefore, the investment by both the Indonesian and Swiss governments is primed for success in the long run. "We are looking forward to welcoming EIGER Adventure, a proud Indonesian brand, here in Switzerland and congratulate them on going international," said Philippe Ritschard, Mayor of Interlaken. "We are honored to become their first overseas location and hope that the EIGER Adventure store will pioneer other Indonesian products to enter Switzerland, as Interlaken appreciates the trust to invest in our city."

Continuing its success, EIGER Adventure will soon enter the Southeast Asian outdoor apparel market to strengthen its global growth.

About EIGER Adventure

EIGER Adventures offers high-quality outdoor apparel and equipment for enthusiasts of open-air activities. EIGER provides adventurers within three primary product categories: Mountaineering, Riding, and Authentic 1989, catering to climbers, bikers, and hikers who love classic, stylish designs. Besides focusing on outdoor activities, EIGER prioritizes environmental sustainability and social responsibility, aiming to educate and inspire people on green life, Expedition, and Responsibility.

Media Contact

Shulhan Rijal

PR Manager EIGER Adventure

shulhan.syamsur@eigerindo.co.id

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2034720/TOKO_EIGER_DI_SWISS__2.jpg

SOURCE EIGER Adventure
EVANSTON, Ill., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 160 Driving Academy's newest location in San Diego, California hosted a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Academy.

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the San Diego Location occurred on Wednesday, February 15th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Attendees included 160 Driving Academy San Diego Leadership team, Assemblymen's Representatives, Local City Council Members, and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Members.

160 Driving Academy San Diego Leadership Team Celebrates their Official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony.

The San Diego Branch is located at 700 N Johnson Ave Ste E, El Cajon CA 92020.

Overview of 160 Driving Academy CDL Training Programs in San Diego:

Starting salaries for 160 Driving Academy graduates (on average) start at $65,000 /annual, with tremendous growth potential.

/annual, with tremendous growth potential. Commercial Truck Driving is one of today's fastest growing career paths. Estimates predict 300,000 new jobs for CDL Holders.

Technologically Driven: Our unique and data-driven programs focus deeply on driver safety and personalized analytics to provide our students with individual feedback and top of the line instruction via our proprietary App.

Lifelong Career Support: We offer continuous job placement opportunities through our subsidiary company, Truckers Network the premier job posting and hiring platform in the trucking industry.

About 160 Driving Academy

160 Driving Academy is the nation's largest commercial driving school. As the fastest growing vocational school in the country, in 2023, the Company will train over 35,000 students on how to safely operate a semi-truck. 160 Driving Academy is licensed and operates in 43 states and each school is certified and licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Entry Level Driver Training Program. The 160 Driving Academy is integrated with over 400 Workforce offices nationwide to create jobs for unemployed and underemployed workers.

The 160 Driving Academy supplies the largest employers in the nation with an unparalleled level of recruiting, high-quality training, safety effectiveness, and driver analytics. Many of these employers have trusted the Company to provide the majority of their driving workforce.

160 Driving Academy's sister companies, Truckers Network, and the 160 Driver Score provide the most advanced job placement and compliance scoring capabilities in the industry.

SOURCE 160 Driving Academy
NOIDA, India, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights, the 3D Printing Filament Material Market was valued at more than USD 300 million in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 19% from 2022-2028. The analysis has been segmented into Type (Plastics, Metals, Ceramics, and Others); Application (Industrial, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Healthcare, and Others); Region/Country.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/3d-printing-filament-material-market/

The 3D printing filament material market report has been aggregated by collecting informative data on various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the 3D printing filament material market. The 3D printing filament material market report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors in the market that are influencing the market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the 3D printing filament material market at the global and regional levels.

Request for Sample Pages

https://univdatos.com/get-a-free-sample-form-php/?product_id=35768

Market Overview

3D printing filament material refers to the plastic or other materials used to create three-dimensional objects using a 3D printer. The filament is fed into the 3D printer, which heats and melts the material, and then extrudes it through a small nozzle to build up the object layer by layer. These are used in the manufacturing of electric and lighting systems such as headlamps, ignition or engine elements, electric switches, frames, and bulb sockets. Additionally, these are also used in the medical sector to produce disposable and multiple-use medical devices, probe casings, or monitors. Furthermore, many players are adding new products to the market to improve the material sustainability of the films. For instance, in May 2022, Brazilian petrochemical firm Braskem released its first line of sustainable 3D printing filaments.

Factors such as high-quality print in industrial and automotive applications coupled with the growing adoption of 3D printing filament material in the aerospace and defense industry for design communication and prototyping, increasing adoption, and product launches in the market are some of the prominent factors that are positively influencing the market growth globally.

Some of the major players operating in the market include 3D Systems, Koninklijke DSM N.V., Materialise NV, Evonik Industries AG, Arkema S.A, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH, DuPont de Nemours Inc., EnvisionTEC, CRP Technology srl.

COVID-19 Impact

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic exhibits a negative influence on the global 3D printing filament material market. The stringent lockdown regulations across several nations have led to the temporary shutdown of several manufacturing facilities for 3D printing filament material, thereby resulting in supply chain disruptions and slow growth in the telecom and IT industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic moderately affecting the 3D printing filament material market.

The global 3D printing filament material market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

Based on type, the market is segmented into plastics, metals, ceramics, and others. Ceramics type is to hold a significant share of the market in 2021. This is because of its unique properties, such as high strength, toughness, and heat resistance. These properties make ceramics ideal for applications that require high-performance and durable parts, such as medical implants, aerospace components, and industrial machinery parts. Additionally, ceramics as a filament material is also biocompatible, making it ideal for the production of medical implants and other healthcare products. Thus, increasing the demand for ceramics in the 3D printing filament market.

Based on application, the market is categorized into industrial, aerospace & defense, automotive, healthcare, and others. Among these, the healthcare industry is to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This is owing to the use of 3D printing in healthcare enables the production of parts that are customized to the specific needs of each patient, resulting in a better fit and improved patient outcomes. Additionally, 3D printing also enables the production of parts that are difficult or impossible to manufacture using traditional manufacturing methods, such as parts with complex geometries or internal structures. There are several filament materials that are used in 3D printing for healthcare applications, including ceramics, metals, and polymers. Thus, increasing the demand for 3D printing filament in the healthcare sector.

Have a Look at the Chapters https://univdatos.com/report/3d-printing-filament-material-market/

3D Printing Filament Material Market Geographical Segmentation Includes:

North America ( The United States , Canada , Rest of North America )

( , , Rest of ) Europe ( Germany , The United Kingdom , France , Spain , Italy , Rest of Europe )

( , The , , , , Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , India , Japan , Rest of Asia-Pacific )

( , , , Rest of ) Rest of the World

APAC is anticipated to grow at a substantial CAGR during the forecast period. This is mainly because of the growing effects of price drops and the rapid adoption of 3D printing technology, which is driving up demand for 3D printing services in prototype, product design, and concept modeling. Additionally, the region is anticipated to rise because of the early adoption and advancement of superior 3D printing technology as well as the considerable presence of manufacturers. Furthermore, the growing demand for 3D printing technology from APAC manufacturing businesses as well as numerous government-led programs and regulations in the fields of healthcare, construction, and education. Many major players are working towards increasing their business portfolio in the market of 3D printing filament market. For instance, BASF to strengthen its position in the 3D printing market and widen its sales channel with the purchase of Sculpteo.

The major players targeting the market include

3D Systems

Koninklijke DSM N.V.

Materialise NV

Evonik Industries AG

Arkema S.A

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation

BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH

DuPont de Nemours Inc.

EnvisionTEC

CRP Technology srl

Competitive Landscape

The degree of competition among prominent global companies has been elaborated by analyzing several leading key players operating worldwide. The specialist team of research analysts sheds light on various traits such as global market competition, market share, most recent industry advancements, innovative product launches, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions by leading companies in the 3D printing filament material market. The major players have been analyzed by using research methodologies for getting insight views on global competition.

Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include:

What are the latest trends, new patterns, and technological advancements in the 3D printing filament material market?

Which factors are influencing the 3D printing filament material market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the 3D printing filament material market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the 3D printing filament material market?

What are the demanding global regions of the 3D printing filament material market?

What will be the global market size in the upcoming years?

What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by global companies?

We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature and geography. Please let us know If you have any custom needs.

About UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI)

Browse Other Related Research Reports from UnivDatos Market Insights

3D Printing Filament Material Market Report Coverage

Report Attribute Details Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2028 Growth momentum Accelerate at a CAGR of over 19% Market size 2021 300 Mn Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of World Major contributing region APAC to Dominate the Global 3D Printing Filament Material Market Key countries covered United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, and India Companies profiled 3D Systems, Koninklijke DSM N.V., Materialise NV, Evonik Industries AG, Arkema S.A, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, BASF 3D Printing Solutions GmbH, DuPont de Nemours Inc., EnvisionTEC, CRP Technology srl. Report Scope Market Trends, Drivers, and Restraints; Revenue Estimation and Forecast; Segmentation Analysis; Impact of COVID-19; Demand and Supply Side Analysis; Competitive Landscape; Company Profiling Segments Covered By Type; By Application; By Region/Country

About UnivDatos Market Insights

UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) is a passionate market research firm and a subsidiary of Universal Data Solutions. We believe in delivering insights through Market Intelligence Reports, Customized Business Research, and Primary Research. Our research studies are spread across topics across the world, we cover markets in over 100 countries using smart research techniques and agile methodologies. We offer in-depth studies, detailed analysis, and customized reports that help shape winning business strategies for our clients.

Contact

UnivDatos Market Insights

Ankita Gupta

Director Operations

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://univdatos.com/

Logo : https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1225049/UnivDatos_Logo.jpg

SOURCE UnivDatos Market Insights Pvt. Ltd.
CALGARY, AB, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As the saying goes, not all heroes wear capes. But you'll definitely find them disguised as frontline disability workers in Alberta at tomorrow's Celebrating Frontline Disability Workers event!

"As professionals in the mental health and caregiving community, we're dedicated to educating, guiding and informing individuals to become compassionate caregivers," said Brian Morrissey, President, Above & Beyond Caregivers Association. "In the same breath we know that the efforts of these everyday heroes often go unnoticed, until now."

Above & Beyond Caregivers Association

Made possible by a Government of Canada Grant, Above & Beyond developed a program to honour and celebrate outstanding frontline disability workers in Alberta that provided exemplary care throughout the pandemic. A call to action was sent throughout the disability community to submit nominations. A Nomination Committee made up of leaders in the disability sector reviewed all the nominations and selected award recipients.

"It was a really tough job to narrow down the nominations," said Lyndon Parakin, Executive Director, Autism Calgary Association, who was a member of the Nomination Committee. "The amount and quality of the submissions show meaningful engagement in support and connection."

Tomorrow's celebration will be attended by the Honourable Minister of Children's Services Mickey Amery and the Honourable Minister of Trade, Immigration and Multiculturalism Rajan Sawhney; both will present the deserving award recipients with gifts.

"By honouring frontline disability workers for their exceptional efforts, Above and Beyond Caregivers Association shines light on a whole community of dedicated Canadians," said the Minister of Canadian Heritage Pablo Rodriguez. "The Reopening Fund was created to celebrate people and their achievements in response to the pandemic. This evening is an opportunity to thank every disability worker for making a difference in the lives of our fellow citizens, pandemic or not. They inspire us and show the true meaning of inclusion. Our government is proud to support this event."

About Above & Beyond Caregivers Association  A non-partisan, not-for-profit organization, Above & Beyond Caregivers Association is committed to creating a society of educated and experienced workers that support individuals with special needs for inclusion into the community, and to live a satisfying life within their abilities.

For Media Inquiries Contact:

Selly Principio-George

Public Relations, Above & Beyond Caregivers Association

Email: [email protected]

Mobile: 403.703.4440

SOURCE Above & Beyond Caregivers Association
AD Solutions advances its Florida expansion plans with a second acquisition in two years.

ORLANDO, Fla., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AD Solutions, Inc's Best in Business 2022, an award-winning workplace technology provider and the leading Sharp Platinum Dealership with global headquarters in Orlando, Florida, announces that it has recently acquired Core Imaging USA, an office equipment dealership and Managed IT Services provider with offices in Longwood and Tampa, Florida.

Founded in 2014, Core Imaging USA is a Business Solutions company that provides Managed IT Services, VOIP Solutions, and document management services, including Konica Minolta copiers. With AD Solutions' dedicated worldwide partnership with Sharp and its unmatched services and products, AD Solutions is primed to expand its delivery of only the very best in print, document, software, network, display, IT solutions, and more to the greater Tampa area. This acquisition undoubtedly expands and improves the products, technology, and services available to Core Imaging and AD Solutions clients resulting in better services and workplace technology now available to a broader range of Florida businesses.

Moody Hamdan, Chief Executive Officer of AD Solutions, says," We are excited to have Core Imaging USA join the AD Solutions family. We believe this acquisition will help us further our mission of providing our customers with the best workplace technology solutions possible." Core Imaging customers will now benefit from a broader range of technology solutions, including SHARP's exciting copiers and printers, Dynabook laptops, Sharp Aquos Boards, interactive displays, and NEC video walls.

This marks the second acquisition for AD Solutions in two years and represents continued geographical expansion and service and product expansion in Managed IT Services and VOIP Solutions. Founded in 2009, AD Solutions has enjoyed organic growth resulting in two Orlando offices, offices in Deland and Jacksonville, and over 50 employees. As a result of this latest acquisition, AD Solutions clients can experience and test the newest office technology solutions by visiting one of its showrooms in Orlando, Jacksonville, Melbourne, and now, Tampa.

About AD Solutions

AD Solutions is a workplace technology company headquartered in Orlando, Florida, that offers equipment, services, and software nationwide to simplify working and learning in a hybrid world. With the company's primary mission being "Service First and Foremost," AD Solutions helps businesses large and small by using a consultative approach to meet their unique needs. Solutions include Sharp copiers and printers, managed print and software services, interactive displays, NEC video walls, VOIP, IT Support, and more. Along with award-winning service and ongoing local support, AD Solutions utilizes remote diagnostic tools to be fast, reliable, and proactive. For more information about acquisitions, employment, and the best workplace technology, visit www.myadsusa.com .

SOURCE AD Solutions
SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Advanced Medaesthetic Partners (AMP), a leading provider of medical aesthetic services, today announces its strategic investment in Destination Aesthetics (DA), Northern California's Premier Medical Spa.

"The Destination Aesthetics mission shares our vision of providing the highest quality medical aesthetics services to patients," said Nicole Chiaramonte, CEO of AMP. "The #DADifference delivers amazing outcomes from outstanding providers with a true five-star experience. They fit naturally as an AMP partner."

With a reputation as a leading aesthetics provider, DA has garnered five consecutive "Best Medical Spa" accolades from Sacramento Magazine, a prestigious publication in the area. This investment will empower DA to accelerate its growth plans and expand its service offerings across its five locations. The AMP operational support will empower DA to focus on what it does best  provide exceptional patient experiences.

Shawna Chrisman, DA CEO, expressed her excitement about partnering with AMP. "We are thrilled to partner with AMP, a company that has demonstrated they can help a practice like DA reach another level of excellence. The DA culture and the AMP culture are highly synergistic, and the combined organizations will lead the way in the US medaesthetics market as the largest and fastest-growing multi-brand practice platform," she said.

In addition to operational support, AMP is focused on investing in practices to drive exceptional patient outcomes. The backbone of this investment is industry-leading clinical training and education capabilities, best-in-class practice experience leadership and professional development capabilities.

"Shawna Chrisman has been an aesthetics leader in clinical training through her educator and advisor roles, as well as a passionate advocate for women's leadership," shared Drew Fine, Chief Commercial Officer at AMP. "Her recent appointment to the IFundWomen & Allergan Aesthetics advisory board exemplifies her expertise, and bringing such a dynamic leader into the AMP family shortly after International Women's Day is perfect timing."

About Advanced MedAesthetic Partners (AMP)

AMP is comprised of some of the most successful business and clinical leaders in the medical aesthetics industry. AMP support includes managerial, administrative, marketing, clinical training, information technology, and numerous other elements to allow practices to focus on what they do best  serving their clients. Learn more at www.weramp.com.

About Destination Aesthetics (DA)

DA's mission is to deliver inspiration, empowerment, and beauty through aesthetic art, passion, and love. We hope to show you the #DAdifference! Visit www.destinationaesthetics.com to learn more about the multi-award-winning med spa.

SOURCE Advanced MedAesthetic Partners
ATLANTA, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AJC, the Atlanta-based food and logistics solutions leader, is celebrating its 50th anniversary and aligning its $2 billion-plus revenue streams of its family of businesses , brands, services, and people under one unified structure, the AJC Group.

For 50 years, AJC Group has focused on its five core values of performing with integrity, building relationships, embracing teamwork, delivering innovation, and providing service. This has led to its ever-expanding global network encompassing customers in 150 countries and suppliers on every continent.

AJC Group, the global food and logistics solutions leader, celebrates its 50th anniversary. Tweet this AJC, the Atlanta-based food and logistics solutions leader, is celebrating its 50th anniversary and aligning its $2 billion-plus revenue streams of its family of businesses, brands, services, and people under one unified structure, the AJC Group. (PRNewsfoto/AJC Group)

Today, AJC Group is implementing a bold plan to be the world's largest non-processor exporter of refrigerated food. It is rapidly expanding its network of locations to be closer to its partners, adding new businesses to its portfolio that share its values, and leveraging technology to deliver best-in-class knowledge, service, and solutions. The company delivers over 1.8 million metric tons of essentials annually.

The Group's two primary platforms include AJC Foods and AJC Logistics.

AJC Foods, a leading global marketer of refrigerated food products, connects all major agricultural-producing countries with their international consuming markets delivering on its mission of "We feed the world."

AJC Logistics provides full-service, time-sensitive cargo and supply chain management solutions worldwide by land, air, and ocean and is focused on giving "Service in every shipment."

With its commitment to service, diversity, and multicultural representation, the Group's 600-person team represents 40+ countries and speaks more than 35 languages through its portfolio of companies and five logistics service centers.

"The AJC Group has successfully delivered cargo to the world for 50 years. We've grown with our valued suppliers and customers while making it personally and professionally rewarding for our people. And together, we set new global standards for navigating the world's increasingly complex supply chains by raising the bar via innovative marketing, information platforms, and technology solutions," said Brad Allison, CEO & Chairman of AJC Group.

About the AJC Group:

For 50 years and beyond, the AJC Group will continue providing leadership in food and logistics for a consuming world. With its suppliers and customers, the food and logistics company builds a seamless international network, shipping more than 49,000 containers annually to over 1,000 origin-to-destination port pairs. The AJC Group is dedicated to a world-class business code of conduct to set new standards by raising the bar in service, quality, and innovative marketing. www.ajcgroup.com

SOURCE AJC Group
OAKVILLE, ON, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. ("AQN") (TSX: AQN) (TSX: AQN.PR.A) (TSX: AQN.PR.D) (NYSE: AQN) announced today that its board of directors has approved and declared the following common and preferred share dividends:

US$0.1085 per common share, payable on April 14, 2023 , to the shareholders of record on March 31, 2023 , for the period from January 1, 2023 to March 31 , 2023. Registered shareholders can elect to receive the dividend in Canadian dollars in the amount of C$0.1495 .



C$0.32263 per preferred share, Series A, payable in cash on March 31, 2023 to preferred share, Series A holders of record on March 24, 2023 , for the period from December 31, 2022 to, but excluding, March 31, 2023 .



C$0.31819 per preferred share, Series D, payable in cash on March 31, 2023 to preferred share, Series D holders of record on March 24, 2023 , for the period from December 31, 2022 to, but excluding, March 31, 2023 .

Each of the foregoing dividends will be paid in cash. Effective March 16, 2023, AQN suspended the dividend reinvestment plan ("DRIP") for its common shares. If AQN elects to reinstate the DRIP in the future, shareholders who were enrolled in the DRIP at its suspension and remain enrolled at reinstatement will automatically resume participation in the DRIP.

The quarterly dividends payable on common shares are declared in U.S. dollars. Beneficial shareholders (those who hold common shares through a financial intermediary) who are resident in Canada or the United States may request to receive their dividends in either U.S. dollars or the Canadian dollar equivalent by contacting the financial intermediary with whom the common shares are held. Unless the Canadian dollar equivalent is requested, holders of common shares will receive dividends in U.S. dollars, which, as is often the case, the financial intermediary may convert to Canadian dollars. Registered holders of common shares receive dividend payments in the currency of residency. Registered holders of common shares may opt to change the payment currency by contacting TSX Trust Company at 1-800-387-0825 prior to the record date of the dividend.

The Canadian dollar equivalent of the quarterly common share dividend is based on the Bank of Canada daily average exchange rate on the day before the declaration date.

Pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada) and corresponding provincial legislation, AQN hereby notifies holders of common shares, preferred shares, Series A, and preferred shares, Series D that such dividends declared qualify as eligible dividends.

About Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. and Liberty

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp., parent company of Liberty, is a diversified international generation, transmission, and distribution utility with over $17 billion of total assets. Through its two business groups, the Regulated Services Group and the Renewable Energy Group, AQN is committed to providing safe, secure, reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable energy and water solutions through its portfolio of electric generation, transmission, and distribution utility investments to over one million customer connections, largely in the United States and Canada. AQN is a global leader in renewable energy through its portfolio of long-term contracted wind, solar, and hydroelectric generating facilities, together with its pipeline of renewable energy development projects. AQN owns, operates, and/or has net interests in over 4 GW of installed renewable energy capacity. AQN's common shares, preferred shares, Series A, and preferred shares, Series D are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQN.PR.A, and AQN.PR.D, respectively. AQN's common shares, Series 2018-A subordinated notes, Series 2019-A subordinated notes and equity units are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbols AQN, AQNA, AQNB, and AQNU, respectively.

Visit AQN at www.algonquinpowerandutilities.com and follow us on Twitter @AQN_Utilities.

SOURCE Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp.
Announcement represents the fourth facility Company will open in 2023 to broaden network and provide services for customers in key Western U.S. locations.

ATLANTA, Ga., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arcadia Cold Storage and Logistics has entered into an agreement to lease and operate a new cold storage facility that is currently under construction and located west of Phoenix between US Interstates 17 and 10 in the heart of the Southwest distribution market.

This marks Arcadia's fourth facility that will open in 2023 in support of their national cold storage platform. Tweet this The Phoenix Cold Storage Facility will be a fully convertible freezer and cooler distribution center facility designed to support regional distribution, import export activity and high-volume throughput handling services.

This marks Arcadia's fourth facility that will open in Q3 2023 in support of their national cold storage platform in strategic markets across the United States. The Phoenix Cold Storage Facility will be a 293,000 square foot fully convertible freezer and cooler distribution center facility with 40,500 pallet positions designed to support a combination of regional distribution, import export activity and high-volume throughput handling services. The site will serve as a hub for the Southwest U.S. with access to key metropolitan markets in Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado. Phoenix is going through a boom in distribution center growth and the facility will play an important role in allowing Arcadia to serve food manufacturing and end user demand more quickly and efficiently.

"Arcadia is once again excited to announce our newest location in the fast-growing Phoenix market. The facility represents our westernmost site to date and will satisfy our customers' need for a well-designed and operated building to help manage their product storage and handling requirements. We see strong demand for Phoenix as supply chains continue to gravitate slightly eastward and away from increasingly operationally challenging points in Southern California. We look forward to bringing the unique Arcadia customer service experience to this important market along with new, quality jobs to Phoenix and the surrounding area." said Arcadia Cold CEO Chris Hughes.

About Arcadia Cold: Established in 2021, Arcadia specializes in providing third-party handling, storage, distribution, and value-added services to the food industry. Arcadia Cold bridges the innovation and supply gaps within the cold industrial industry in the United States through modern cold storage warehouse development expertise and proven operational "know-how". Its strategic development partnership with Saxum Real Estate offers a collaborative approach to the design-build and operation model that provides for efficient construction of fully temperature convertible buildings, coupled with modern supply chain technology innovations for its valued customers in the "New Age of Cold Chain". www.arcadiacold.com

SOURCE Arcadia Cold
Berkeley Has Served as Interim CEO For Nine Months And Will Continue Leading The Charge For Change Within The BTA

NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) has confirmed Tracy Berkeley as Chief Executive Officer, creating history as the organisation's first female leader. Berkeley has been serving as the BTA's Interim CEO since June 2022.

Bermuda Tourism Authority

Tracy Berkeley joined the Bermuda Tourism Authority in January 2020 and took on the role of interim CEO in June 2022. Within the last nine months, Berkeley has worked tirelessly to stabilize the organization for increased team productivity, raised the awareness and relevance of the destination by meeting with stakeholders in the travel trade, and media industries, and worked alongside partners to deliver the BTA's award-winning Lost Yet Found campaign. With her steady hand, Berkeley has helped to build a new leadership team that is better fit to meet the organisation's needs, reengaged with key industry leaders, and most importantly, restored the credibility of the BTA in the eyes of its stakeholders. Berkeley serves on several private and public Boards and is a 2024 Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) candidate.

When asked about her appointment as BTA CEO, Tracy Berkeley said: "It is with a deep sense of pride and humility that I officially take the helm as the CEO of the Bermuda Tourism Authority. We are starting to see incremental growth along with a reinvigorated local community. Our success can be attributed in part to a focused, data-led strategic recovery plan and our commitment to seeing it through. By championing Bermuda's core strengths and engaging with media and trade partners around the world, we have been able to leverage the island's key selling characteristics and reinforce the message that we are open business. I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to further develop this vital sector of the island's economy."

"We are excited to announce Tracy Berkeley to the position of CEO and are confident that the organization  and Bermuda as a whole  will benefit greatly from her leadership and expertise," said Wayne Caines, Chairman of the BTA Board. He continued, "as Interim CEO, she answered the call to take on the challenge and delivered against a clear set of mandates, determined by the board, impeccably. I am confident that she will continue to do so with our support and the support of the island's valuable community."

"I am pleased by the announcement of Tracy Berkeley in the role of CEO for the BTA. I support her confirmation in the role and that this appointment was done in consultation with me as the Minister of Tourism. I am looking forward to continued engagement with Ms. Berkeley, her team and all of our industry partners." said Minister of Tourism and Cabinet Office, Vance Campbell JP, MP.

"There is renewed energy and focus within our organisation and the tourism industry as a whole. As we gear up for what looks to be a steadying year of growth, we are working hard to strengthen our local and international partnerships to lay out plans for the future of tourism. The team is progressing with an emphasis on enhanced product offerings and service levels. We look forward to putting our ideas into action and working together to ensure continued prosperity for Bermuda," ended Tracy Berkeley.

About the Bermuda Tourism Authority

The Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) is an independent, non-government, entity and the official destination marketing organization for the island country. The Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) promotes Bermuda globally as a world-class destination for leisure and group travel and tourism investment. For more information visit: www.gotobermuda.com/bermudatourism .

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kiwan Michael Anderson

Director of Global Communications, PR & Content Development

[email protected]

(212) 916-3139

SOURCE Bermuda Tourism Authority
ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Beyer Auto Group has put together many charitable opportunities to help raise money to give back over the past couple of months. With the new year comes a new start, and what better way to kick off the year than with a Million Dollar Buy Back Offer ? We have been working hard to develop promotional events that can benefit both our clients and the charities. The Million Dollar Buy Back Event has been very successful so far. We will buy your vehicle even if you don't buy ours. In addition, we are donating $100 to charity for every vehicle we buy. This event has already raised thousands for charity. To continue our efforts to give back to the community, we are now going to offer another promotion, our March Sales Shoot-Off Event. Depending on the Beyer location, when your purchase any new or used vehicle, you can shoot to win a charitable donation or money off your vehicle. Join us at at Land Rover Alexandria in Alexandria, Va., to participate in our Shoot to Win March Sales Event for Local Charity. When you purchase a new vehicle, you'll get 3 chances to shoot for $250, $500, or $1,000, and we will donate to a local charity. The event will take place all month long at our Land Rover dealership. All proceeds from this event will go directly to the local charity, so come out and have some fun while supporting a great cause! For more information on our March Sales Event, please contact us at 888-530-7296 or visit us at our website www.landroveralexandria.com .
TAMPERE, Finland, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bioretec Ltd has today published its 2022 Annual Report, Report by the Board of Directors, and Financial Statements. The publications are attached to this release and also available in Finnish and English on the company's website at www.bioretec.com/investors/investors-in-english/reports-and-presentations.

Further inquiries:

Timo Lehtonen, CEO, +358 50 433 8493

Johanna Salko, CFO, +358 40 754 8172

Certified advisor:

Nordic Certified Adviser AB, +46 70 551 67 29

Information about Bioretec

Bioretec is a globally operating Finnish medical device company that continues to pioneer the application of bioresorbable orthopedic implants. The company has built unique competencies in the biological interface of active implants to enhance bone growth and accelerate fracture healing after orthopedic surgery. The products developed and manufactured by Bioretec are used worldwide in approximately 40 countries.

Bioretec is developing the new RemeOs product line based on a magnesium alloy and hybrid composite, introducing a new generation of strong bioresorbable materials for enhanced surgical outcomes. The RemeOs implants are resorbed and replaced by bone, eliminating the need for removal surgery while facilitating fracture healing. The combination has the potential to make titanium implants redundant and help clinics reach their Value-Based Healthcare targets while focusing on value for patients through efficient healthcare. The first RemeOs product market authorization is expected in the U.S. during April 2023 and in Europe during 2023. Bioretec is positioning itself to enter the addressable over USD 7 billion global orthopedic trauma market and to become a game changer in surgical possibilities.

Better healing  Better life. www.bioretec.com

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/20509/3736122/1924080.pdf Bioretec financial statements 2022 https://mb.cision.com/Public/20509/3736122/b79b5f35c85df0f5.pdf Bioretec Annual Report 2022

SOURCE Bioretec
BEIJING, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- China Global Television Network (CGTN) is marking the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War with the release of a three-part documentary, "The Legacy of War", premiering on March 17th. The documentary presents an objective account of the war and its aftermath through the stories of ordinary people. It highlights the impact the war is still having on people in Iraq.

(Warning: This video contains violent images that some viewers may find disturbing.) The series re-tells the story of the 2003 Iraq War from the perspective of those who lived through it. The eye-witness accounts from people of all ages and from a wide range of backgrounds provide viewers with a well-rounded picture of the horror of the war and the social devastation that it created. China Global Television Network (CGTN) is marking the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War with the release of a three-part documentary, The Legacy of War, premiering on March 17th.The documentary presents an objective account of the war and its aftermath through the stories of ordinary people.

The series re-tells the story of the 2003 Iraq War from the perspective of those who lived through it. The eye-witness accounts from people of all ages and from a wide range of backgrounds provide viewers with a well-rounded picture of the horror of the war and the social devastation that it created.

The CGTN team spent 40 days, from November 9th to December 18th, 2022, filming on location in Iraq. They visited the capital Baghdad, as well as key areas such as Basra in the south and Mosul in the north. They also headed to the front line in Diyala Province, where they spent time with an Emergency Response Division unit under Captain Osman, which is conducting operations to root out the last remaining members of the ISIS terror group.

"During the 40 days of filming, we visited many places in Iraq and held in-depth discussions with the local people. We came to deeply appreciate the strength of people's desire for peace," says Ke Yi, the series' executive director. "Peace is the common pursuit of us all, and while filming this documentary, that desire was probably the strongest emotion we picked up from those who we interviewed. We want to issue a call to the world through this documentary to value peace, and we want the people of Iraq who have lived through the war to lead their lives without fear."

In Mosul, the CGTN team interviewed Mohammed Mahmood, conductor of the Mosul Symphony Orchestra. They also filmed Khairi Bozani, who has devoted every day of the last eight years of his life to helping Yazidi refugees who were sold into slavery.

The team also interviewed Amar Ali, an Iraqi Paralympic fencer who was severely injured in a 2007 terrorist attack, as well as Sajad who, along with his sister Duah, was injured in a helicopter attack in which their father was killed.

In Basra, they spoke to Mohamad al-Khashali, a cafe owner who lost four of his sons in a 2007 terrorist attack.

About CGTN

China Global Television Network (CGTN) is an international media organization that launched on December 31, 2016. CGTN produces content not only for television, broadcasting 24 hours a day on six channels in five languages, but also for radio and digital platforms, as well as an international video news agency.

CGTN's headquarters in Beijing and three global production centers, located in Nairobi, Washington, D.C. and London, are staffed with international professionals from more than 50 countries. As a pioneer of media convergence in China, it delivers digital content through CGTN Digital, which is accessible via cgtn.com, as well as via the CGTN mobile applications and other social media platforms.

SOURCE CGTN
Twelve diverse student leaders to conduct a study of social justice leadership in America, South Africa, and Ireland.

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) is pleased to announce the 2023 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows, twelve exceptional student leaders who will participate in a three-continent global journey that will take them to Washington, D.C.; Cape Town, South Africa; and Dublin, Ireland; for a comparative study of social justice leadership.

The 2023 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows will participate in a three-continent global journey that will take them to Washington, D.C.; Cape Town, South Africa; and Dublin, Ireland; for a comparative study of social justice leadership.

During the four-week summer program, Fellows will explore the legacies of Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, John Lewis, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Daniel O'Connell, John Hume, and other giants of social change.

The outstanding students of color selected for this prestigious award were chosen based on their demonstrated commitment to advancing peace in our world by building bridges between people with different viewpoints.

The 2023 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows are:

Daniel Hernandez  Arizona State University , Health Service Administration

 , Health Service Administration Akil Cole  Georgetown University , Interdisciplinary Studies

 , Interdisciplinary Studies Samuel Li  Georgetown University , International Business

 , International Business Ife Martin  Howard University , Computer and Information Sciences

 , Computer and Information Sciences Ja'Niya Howard  Indiana University , Interior Design and Business Management

, Interior Design and Business Management Ryan Javier  Lehigh University , Engineering and International Studies

 , Engineering and International Studies Hufsa Ahmed  Macalester College , Political Science and Economics

, Political Science and Economics Darius Butler  Oberlin College , African American Studies and Law and Legal Studies

 , African American Studies and Law and Legal Studies Charlotte Yeung  Purdue University , Political Science

 , Political Science Malavika Kannan  Stanford University , Comparative Literature and Ethnic and Cultural Studies

 , Comparative Literature and Ethnic and Cultural Studies Florence Onyiuke  University of Pennsylvania , International Relations and International Business

 , International Relations and International Business Gregory Perryman  University of Virginia , Public Policy Analysis and Environmental Science

You can meet the 2023 Fellows in this personal video.

"The 2023 cohort of Frederick Douglass Global Fellows is an extraordinary group of student leaders, selected from a record number of outstanding applicants representing a rich diversity of academic and cultural backgrounds," said Kyndall Cox, Director of the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship.

The Government of Ireland will co-sponsor the 2023 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows in honor of the meeting between 27-year-old abolitionist Frederick Douglass and the great Irish reformer Daniel O'Connell in Dublin in 1845  an experience that expanded Douglass' view of social injustice and influenced his style of agitating for positive change through non-violent social and political efforts in the United States.

"Just as Douglass' style of agitating for positive social change through non-violent social and political efforts was influenced by his meeting with Daniel O'Connell, the Fellows' future changemaking efforts will be shaped by their comparative study of international peacebuilders and the personal connections they forge with their peers during the program," said James P. Pellow, President and CEO of CIEE. "The students on this program will return home from their time abroad with an enhanced global perspective on advancing social justice and will be better prepared to be agents of positive change in their communities and in our world."

Welcoming the announcement, Ireland's Ambassador to the U.S., Geraldine Byrne Nason remarked: "When 27-year-old Frederick Douglass met and spoke alongside the Irish abolitionist Daniel O'Connell in Dublin, Douglass was, in his own words, 'completely captivated.' Three months later, as he readied to leave Ireland, the young American reflected that he had spent some of the happiest moments of his life in Ireland and now lived 'a new life.' To celebrate that legacy, and reinforce the ties between our nations, I'm delighted that, through the Frederick Douglass Global Fellows, twelve brilliant young Americans from minority backgrounds will have the opportunity to travel to Ireland this year."

The Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship was launched in 2017 as part of CIEE's commitment to increasing access to study abroad by students in underrepresented groups. In addition to funding the 12 Fellows, CIEE will provide the nearly 600 students who applied for this year's fellowship with a $1,500 Frederick Douglass Scholars Grant that can be applied on any CIEE study abroad program for the next year, committing more than one million dollars in grant funds to help diverse students study abroad.

Each year, the CIEE Frederick Douglass Scholars Grant is matched by more than thirty college presidents who are champions of international education, further reducing the cost of studying abroad for their students. CIEE is proud to partner with these global leaders to open doors for all students from all backgrounds and significantly increase diversity abroad.

To learn more about the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship, visit ciee.org/FDGF.

About CIEE

CIEE builds bridges between different people, different countries, and different cultures. For 75 years, we have helped young people participate in high-quality international exchange and study abroad programs that bring the world together. We change lives, our alumni change the world. Learn more at ciee.org.

Press contact: Leslie Taylor, [email protected], (207)553-4274

SOURCE Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)
NEW ORLEANS, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ClearWorld, the leading industry provider of RetroFlex, a patented solar LED lighting and smart pole solution, is proud to announce its partnership with Valmont Industries, a global leader in infrastructure solutions. Valmont will offer ClearWorld smart solar solutions through the partnership.

"ClearWorld's focus is to keep critical infrastructure and networks alive through power outages and natural disasters. ClearWorld is excited to partner with Valmont Industries to expand our infrastructure solutions to make a conscious and lasting impact on our communities' resilience and serve a wider range of clients," said ClearWorld CEO Larry Tittle. "The patented Solar RetroFlex LED Lighting and smart pole solution provides a redundant power source that supports a range of applications. With Valmont's extensive experience in the infrastructure industry, we look forward to working together to offer innovative solutions to our customers."

Valmont's expertise in infrastructure solutions make it the perfect partner for ClearWorld. Together, the companies will be providing clients with a comprehensive solution to meet their lighting and smart infrastructure needs. ClearWorld's solutions will complement Valmont's existing offerings, enhancing its position as a leader in infrastructure solutions.

"Renewable energy solutions are continually a top priority for Valmont and our customers. We are proud to partner with the leaders in solar pole technology to offer our customers sustainable, smart infrastructure solutions that meet their needs," said Dan Witt, Vice President of Technology Commercialization at Valmont Industries.

ClearWorld and Valmont Industries are committed to providing innovative infrastructure solutions that meet the needs of clients and communities. The partnership is a testament to their shared commitment to innovation and the companies look forward to working together to create smarter, safer, and more sustainable cities.

About Valmont

For over 75 years, Valmont has been a global leader in creating vital infrastructure and advancing agricultural productivity. Today, we remain committed to doing more with less by innovating through technology.

Learn more about how we're Conserving Resources. Improving Life. at valmont.com.

About ClearWorld

ClearWorld is an alternative energy systems provider that designs and retrofits energy-efficient systems for municipal, commercial, industrial, utility and telecom markets. The company specializes in lighting, broadband and IoT applications. ClearWorld is working with partners to build a resilient foundation of power to support technologies at the edge, as the market continues to grow.

Visit Clearworld and learn more about RetroFlex technology at https://clearworld.us/

Contact: Lexie Assunto

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE ClearWorld
TORONTO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Cybeats Technologies Corp. ("Cybeats'' or the "Company") (CSE: CYBT) is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed 'System and Organization Controls' (SOC) 2 certification, achieving a significant organizational maturity milestone. SOC 2 certification provides credibility with customers in specific target verticals such as industrial controls, healthcare, and automotive industries, where high levels of data security are essential.

Today, tech companies often require SOC 2 certification, as it signals a high degree of organizational maturity and internal information security. Cybeats has been confirmed by MHM Professional Corporation1 to meet the AICPA Trust Service Criteria, verified through an in-depth independent audit focusing on security, availability, and confidentiality. With SOC 2 compliance, Cybeats is equipped to meet specific needs of key industries and provide customers with confidence that their sensitive data is protected by a trusted partner.

"Cybersecurity is not a destination, but a continuous journey. SOC 2 compliance certification demonstrates an important milestone for Cybeats and provides the validation of our continued commitment to protecting our current and prospective clients," said Evgeniy Kharam, CISO of Cybeats.

About SOC 2

SOC 2 is a comprehensive audit that evaluates a company's internal controls, specifically regarding how customer data is protected and how well those controls are functioning. This audit also examines the design suitability of security controls within the Cybeats platform and products. SOC 2 Trust categories consist of four key areas: access controls, which include logical and physical restrictions on assets to prevent unauthorized access; change management, which is a controlled process for managing changes to IT systems and methods for preventing unauthorized changes; system operations, which include controls that can monitor ongoing operations, detect and resolve any deviations from organizational procedures, and; mitigating risk, which involves methods and activities that allow the organization to identify risks, respond to and mitigate them, while addressing any subsequent business impact. By successfully completing a SOC 2 audit, a company can demonstrate to its customers that it has implemented strong security measures and that it is committed to protecting their sensitive data.

About Cybeats

Cybeats is a cybersecurity company providing SBOM management and software supply chain intelligence technology, helping organizations to manage risk, meet compliance requirements, and secure their software from procurement to development and operation. Our platform gives customers comprehensive visibility and transparency into their software supply chain, enabling them to improve operational efficiency and increase revenue. Cybeats. Software Made Certain. Website: https://cybeats.com

SUBSCRIBE: For more information, or to subscribe to the Company's mail list, visit: https://www.cybeats.com/investors

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement

Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for the products described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Company filings are available at sedar.com.

SOURCE Cybeats Technologies Corp.
TORONTO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Cybeats Technologies Corp. ("Cybeats'' or the "Company") (CSE: CYBT) is pleased to announce the signing of a software evaluation agreement, effective March 1, 2023, with a 'Big Five' technology company for Cybeats SBOM Studio.1

"The interest from a 'Big Five' technology company is a clear indication of the growing demand for SBOM consumption and SBOM management, and software supply chain security, and it further validates the effectiveness of SBOM Studio in addressing critical needs. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work closely with our partner to trial our innovative security solutions that elevate their internal capabilities to mitigate cyber risks across their product offerings. With our cutting-edge technology and expertise, we are confident that this partnership will be a long-lasting and fruitful one, benefiting both companies and their customers alike," said Yoav Raiter, CEO, Cybeats.

About SBOM Studio

Cybeats' SBOM Studio enables organizations to efficiently manage, distribute, and view their software bill of materials (SBOMs) in a single interface. By doing so, they can easily identify and address cybersecurity vulnerabilities, reduce the cost of protection, and improve compliance. SBOM Studio is specifically designed to support software producers and consumers who use open source and 3rd party software components and who are transitioning to more transparent software development practices. The platform is compatible with various SBOM generation tools and can validate and correct imported SBOMs to improve their accuracy. With the recent addition of the SBOM Quality Score, the key features of SBOM Studio now include:

Ability to ingest SBOMs from any source

Semantic evaluation of SBOMs

SBOM Quality Score

Automated SBOM Management

Accelerated Vulnerability Management

Improved Workflow for Security Operations

SBOM Sharing and Exchange

Data-Driven Business Decisions

Regulatory Compliance and Licence Infringement

VEX functionality

About Cybeats

Cybeats is a cybersecurity company providing SBOM management and software supply chain intelligence technology, helping organizations to manage risk, meet compliance requirements, and secure their software from procurement to development and operation. Our platform gives customers comprehensive visibility and transparency into their software supply chain, enabling them to improve operational efficiency and increase revenue. Cybeats. Software Made Certain. Website: https://cybeats.com

SUBSCRIBE: For more information, or to subscribe to the Company's mail list, visit: https://www.cybeats.com/investors

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement

Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for the products described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Company filings are available at sedar.com.

_____________________

1 https://www.cybeats.com/sbom-studio

SOURCE Cybeats Technologies Corp.
The multifamily property management company transforms neglected places into vibrant communities.

HOUSTON, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's competitive market, businesses are always looking for an edge over their rivals, making them stand out from the rest. For Cypress Creek Residential, that edge provides more convenient property management services. This new company has opened its doors nationwide to become one of America's most accessible and fastest property management groups.

Cypress Creek Residential built on November 24, 2022

Owning property comes with a lot of responsibility. From finding and screening tenants to dealing with maintenance requests and late rent payments, being a landlord can be a full-time job. That's where property management services come in.

Property management companies are businesses that specialize in taking care of all the day-to-day tasks associated with owning and renting out property. From collecting rent and maintaining the grounds to handling repairs and dealing with problem tenants, these companies can do it all. And while you might think that hiring a property management company would be expensive, the truth is that the cost is often offset by the increased efficiency and peace of mind that comes with having professional help.

Cypress Creek Residential is dedicated to providing the best possible service to its tenants. They offer a wide range of services to keep properties running smoothly, from maintenance and repairs to renovation and upgrades. They also have a team of skilled professionals who are always available to answer any questions or concerns that tenants may have. In addition, Cypress Creek offers a variety of payment options to make it easy for tenants to pay their rent on time. All of these factors contribute to making Cypress Creek an excellent choice for those looking for a reliable and affordable property management company.

"Every property is different, which means that every owner's needs will be different as well, said Allyson Pritchett, Founder and CEO at Cypress Creek Residential. "That's why Cypress Creek focuses on creating individualized plans to meet the unique needs of each client. We believe there is a better way of apartment living. We believe an apartment should be a home. Not just a home where you store your things or watch Netflix at night, but a haven where you can relax, recharge and prepare to step out into the world to bring your wildest dreams to life. A true Home is a place that empowers you and your family."

"At Cypress Creek, our vision is to win for our team, our residents, and our world. We are a team marked by excellence, driven toward impact, and skilled at creating action and delivering positive results, Pritchett continued. "Our residents are empowered to live fully, knowing their home has the four pillars: Peace, Positivity, Playfulness, and Power. Our communities are revitalized with a long-term focus that allows them to positively impact the world in years to come. Together, we are making a difference in the world through our commitment to excellence and our dedication to changing lives for the better."

For more information about Cypress Creek Residential, visit cypresscreekresidential.com

SOURCE Bodka Creek Capital, LLC
LOS ANGELES, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- After a long journey to becoming a professional entrepreneur, David Woroboff has established a scholarship targeting all students in the United States who aspire to become entrepreneurs. University and high school students with a strong desire to learn how to become entrepreneurs are eligible to apply for the grant. Applicants are required to participate in an essay writing competition. Mr. Woroboff will select a star student with the best essay who will receive the $1,000 award along with mentorship from David, who is an accomplished entrepreneur himself. Essays must be no longer than 1000-words, direct to the point, and answer the question presented on the scholarship website. Students may send their applications in a Word format to [email protected]. Along with the essay, students must provide their full name, address, phone number, email address, educational background, current school, and their GPA, and a short bio.

David Woroboff has an impressive academic background, having earned a BA in Business Administration from SUNY Albany, an MS in Computer Engineering from the University of Southern California, an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Certificate in Marketing from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. He worked at Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Hughes Electronics as their corporate director of strategy. At AT&T Bell Laboratories, he worked on top-secret federal communication technology. He was part of the small team that developed DirecTV. David Woroboff is now the CEO of 24/7 Call-A-Doc, a telemedicine and online mental health care pioneer.

This scholarship program is a significant step in the right direction, as it will help support struggling entrepreneurs. If any applicants have questions or require more information about the David Woroboff Scholarship for Entrepreneurs, they may fill out the contact form on the website's contact page to send him a note. Don't be afraid to contact colleges or groups that want to be involved with the scholarship. David Woroboff appreciates everyone's involvement. He is committed to supporting these young people financially so that they can focus on their studies without worrying about finances. He hopes that every qualified student will submit their application and consider this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

SOURCE David Woroboff Scholarship
Denver Firm Serves Exclusively Nonprofit and Government Clients

DENVER, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lasso Digital CEO Taylor Rosty was recently named one of ColoradoBiz's Top 25 Young Professionals. The award recognizes top achievers under 40 throughout the state.

At only 28, Rosty was named CEO of Lasso Digital after years of transforming the agency into a full-service, integrated marketing and fundraising agency serving nonprofits across the region.

Taylor Rosty, Lasso Digital CEO

Rosty has been integral in the growth of the agency, expanding a two-person team to 12 in just three years.

"I am incredibly grateful for the recognition from ColoradoBiz. I am proud of what we've built at Lasso and consider this award a recognition of what my entire team has accomplished together," Rosty said.

Finalists for the award were announced March 10 following a rigorous decision process. The magazine's editorial board narrowed down hundreds of nominations to just 25 young Colorado professionals through an in-depth look at career achievements, community engagement and personal histories.

Under Rosty's leadership, Lasso has successfully served major organizations including Wyoming's Department of Education and Connect for Health, Colorado's healthcare marketplace.

"Taylor has been instrumental in bringing us back from the depths of the economic turmoil caused by COVID. She brings such authenticity, knowledge and passion to the fundraising and marketing work we do on behalf of our nonprofit and government clients," said Erich Kirshner, Lasso Digital's founder and owner.

On top of Rosty's career successes, she is the proud mother of a two-year-old, a frequent guest on her daily Zoom calls. Navigating new challenges daily, Rosty quickly became accustomed to the unique intersection of raising a newborn and nurturing an expanding agency during a pandemic.

Outside of her work at Lasso, Rosty is a member of the board of directors for Project Safeguard and Mental Health Colorado.

About Lasso Digital

Lasso Digital, formerly The Evolution Agency, is a Denver marketing and fundraising firm that specializes in meeting the needs of nonprofit and government clients. The agency, originally founded in 2013, has significant experience in the public health, social services, and arts arenas. Information available at lassodigital.co .

Contact:

Erich Kirshner, Lasso Digital

303.921.6733 or [email protected]

SOURCE Lasso Digital, LLC
SILVER SPRING, Md., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an at-a-glance summary of news from around the agency:

Today, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Cue Mpox (Monkeypox) Molecular Test for use in a point-of-care (POC) setting. The Cue Mpox (Monkeypox) Molecular Test is molecular-based test intended to detect monkeypox virus DNA in lesion swab specimens from individuals suspected of monkeypox by their healthcare provider. This EUA is the latest example of the FDA's ongoing commitment to advance greater consumer access to tests for infectious diseases.



On Thursday, the FDA updated the webpage Medical Device Shortages During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency to reflect changes to expected shortage durations for:

Radiological devices



General plastic surgery devices



Cardiac diagnostic, and monitoring products



General ICU/ hospital products and



Specimen collection - testing supplies and equipment and



Ventilators - ventilation-related products.

The FDA also added several medical devices to the device discontinuance list including:



One trade name of surgical masks (product code FXX)



One trade name of surgical apparel (product code LYU)



One trade name of surgical caps (product code FYF)



Multiple trade names of portable oxygen generators (product code CAW).

The FDA continues to work with federal partners and other supply chain stakeholders to help mitigate and prevent shortages of medical devices. The FDA will continue to monitor the supply chain and update the device shortage list and device discontinuance list as new information becomes available.

On Wednesday, the FDA announced a final guidance, Definitions of Suspect Product and Illegitimate Product for Verification Obligations, as part of the agency's implementation of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA). The guidance clarifies FDA's interpretation of specific terms used in the definitions of "suspect product" and "illegitimate product" to assist trading partners in meeting verification obligations (including notification). The specific terms discussed in the guidance are counterfeit, diverted, stolen, fraudulent transaction, and unfit for distribution. This guidance replaces the draft guidance of the same name.



The DSCSA establishes requirements for product tracing, verification, and product identification for certain drug products that are distributed in the U.S. to enhance FDA's ability to help protect consumers from exposure to drugs that may be counterfeit, stolen, contaminated, or otherwise harmful. These requirements add safeguards to improve detection and removal of potentially dangerous drugs from the drug supply chain to protect U.S. consumers.



The DSCSA establishes requirements for product tracing, verification, and product identification for certain drug products that are distributed in the U.S. to enhance FDA's ability to help protect consumers from exposure to drugs that may be counterfeit, stolen, contaminated, or otherwise harmful. These requirements add safeguards to improve detection and removal of potentially dangerous drugs from the drug supply chain to protect U.S. consumers. On Wednesday, the FDA issued a draft guidance, Development of Local Anesthetic Drug Products with Prolonged Duration of Effect, to assist sponsors that are developing local anesthetic drug products to produce postoperative pain relief for a prolonged duration. The administration of these drug products has been used to reduce or eliminate the pain associated with surgical procedures, such as inguinal hernia repair or total knee arthroplasty. Many of the local anesthetic drug products currently available are only effective for several hours. This guidance focuses on local anesthetic drug products that prolong the duration to a period of days rather than hours.



This guidance is part of FDA's efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of opioid analgesic drug products. The agency continues to explore ways to use our current authorities to improve the availability of non-addictive treatments for pain. Comments and suggestions regarding this draft guidance should be submitted within 60 days of publication in the Federal Register of the notice of availability of the draft guidance.



This guidance is part of FDA's efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of opioid analgesic drug products. The agency continues to explore ways to use our current authorities to improve the availability of non-addictive treatments for pain. Comments and suggestions regarding this draft guidance should be submitted within 60 days of publication in the Federal Register of the notice of availability of the draft guidance. On Wednesday, the FDA issued a warning letter to a leading manufacturer of endoscopes, Olympus Medical Systems Corporation, following an inspection of an additional facility in Tokyo, Japan that manufactures endoscopes and endoscope accessories. This is the latest step in the Center's extensive and ongoing efforts with Olympus to address compliance issues related to the reprocessing of endoscopes, which are medically-necessary devices used in the diagnosis of certain conditions, including some cancers of the digestive tract and associated structures. This warning letter follows previous warning letters issued to the firm and one of its subsidiaries on January 10, 2023 , and describes additional violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act at another Olympus manufacturing facility.



"Olympus' continued failure to meet FDA requirements demonstrates a troubling disregard for patient safety," said Jeff Shuren , M.D., J.D., director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "The FDA's Quality Systems requirements are essential to protecting public health."



The recent warning letter cites numerous violations of the FD&C Act, including failure to evaluate user reports of adverse events (Complaint Handling) and, when necessary, report the event to the FDA (Medical Device Reporting). Additional violations cite Olympus' failure to correct and prevent recurrence of quality problems and verify and validate that its preventive, as well as corrective actions are effective (Corrective and Preventive Actions). The FDA will continue to ensure that Olympus fully addresses the violations described in the warning letters.



that manufactures endoscopes and endoscope accessories. This is the latest step in the Center's extensive and ongoing efforts with Olympus to address compliance issues related to the reprocessing of endoscopes, which are medically-necessary devices used in the diagnosis of certain conditions, including some cancers of the digestive tract and associated structures. This warning letter follows previous warning letters issued to the firm and one of its subsidiaries on , and describes additional violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act at another Olympus manufacturing facility. "Olympus' continued failure to meet FDA requirements demonstrates a troubling disregard for patient safety," said , M.D., J.D., director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "The FDA's Quality Systems requirements are essential to protecting public health." The recent warning letter cites numerous violations of the FD&C Act, including failure to evaluate user reports of adverse events (Complaint Handling) and, when necessary, report the event to the FDA (Medical Device Reporting). Additional violations cite Olympus' failure to correct and prevent recurrence of quality problems and verify and validate that its preventive, as well as corrective actions are effective (Corrective and Preventive Actions). The FDA will continue to ensure that Olympus fully addresses the violations described in the warning letters. COVID-19 testing updates:

As of today, 445 tests and sample collection devices are authorized by the FDA under emergency use authorizations (EUAs). These include 300 molecular tests and sample collection devices, 84 antibody and other immune response tests, 60 antigen tests, and one diagnostic breath test. There are 78 molecular authorizations and one antibody authorization that can be used with home-collected samples. There is one EUA for a molecular prescription at-home test, two EUAs for antigen prescription at-home tests, 28 EUAs for antigen over-the-counter (OTC) at-home tests, and five for molecular OTC at-home tests.





The FDA has authorized 45 antigen tests and eight molecular tests for serial screening programs. The FDA has also authorized 1298 revisions to EUA authorizations.

Additional Resources:

Media Contact: FDA Office of Media Affairs, 301-796-4540

Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration
NOIDA, India, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights, the Fill Finish Cartridge Market was valued at more than USD 1.82 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 9.7% from 2022-2028. The analysis has been segmented into Cartridge Size (Less than 1ml, 1ml-3ml, and More Than 3ml); Drug Type (Biologics, and Others); Injection Devices (Pens, and Autoinjectors); and Region.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/fill-finish-cartridge-market/

The fill finish cartridge market report has been aggregated by collecting informative data on various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the fill finish cartridge market. The fill finish cartridge market report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors in the market that are influencing the market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the fill finish cartridge market at the global and regional levels.

Request for Sample Pages

https://univdatos.com/get-a-free-sample-form-php/?product_id=35793

Market Overview

Fill Finish cartridge is the process of filling the pharmaceutical solution into the cartridge for distribution. The market is growing at a tremendous rate owing to the increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases, and the surge in the investments by pharmaceutical companies in the research and development sector. Furthermore, companies are also expanding their production facilities, which is also having a positive impact on the market's growth during the forecast period. For instance, in September 2021, Lonza announced its investment to expand its drug product manufacturing network in Switzerland. The new line will support liquid and lyophilized vial filling and processing, cartridges and pre-filled syringes.

Some of the major players operating in the market include Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing, Syntegon Technology, Novocol Pharma, Recipharm AB, SCHOTT Pharma, Vetter, Sever Pharma Solutions, Cytiva, Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing, and Lonza.

COVID-19 Impact

The recent covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the world and has brought a state of shock to the global economy. The global pandemic has impacted the healthcare industry and has transformed the way healthcare is delivered. However, pharmaceutical research and development has seen an upsurge, which has presented huge opportunities for manufacturers of COVID-19 management drugs.

The global fill finish cartridge market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

Based on cartridge size, the market is segmented into less than 1 ml, 1ml-3ml, and more than 3ml. The more than 3ml category is expected to grow with high CAGR during the forecast period. This is attributed to their rising usage in diagnostic applications for various chronic diseases. Moreover, technological advancements by pharmaceutical companies are also propelling segmental growth during the forecast period. For instance, in June 2021 , SGD Pharma announced the adoption of nest & tub for processing a variety of primary packaging containers including vials, syringes, and cartridges for optimal manufacturing flexibility. The Nest & Tub solution avoids glass-to-glass contact, protecting the sterility and integrity of each vial.

, SGD Pharma announced the adoption of nest & tub for processing a variety of primary packaging containers including vials, syringes, and cartridges for optimal manufacturing flexibility. The Nest & Tub solution avoids glass-to-glass contact, protecting the sterility and integrity of each vial. On the basis of drug type, the market is bifurcated into biologics and others. Biologics held a dominant share in the market in 2021. Several factors, including the increasing investment by pharmaceutical companies, surge in the prevalence of chronic diseases, loss of patent exclusivity of leading biologic drugs, the growing demand and higher acceptability of innovative therapies, and rapid launch of novel products. For instance, in November 2022 , U.S. FDA approved the second interchangeable insulin glargine biosimilar, Rezvoglar, to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients with diabetes, according to a drug information update from the agency.

Have a Look at the Chapters https://univdatos.com/report/fill-finish-cartridge-market/

Fill Finish Cartridge Market Geographical Segmentation Includes:

North America (U.S., Canada , and Rest of North America )

(U.S., , and Rest of ) Europe ( Germany , United Kingdom , Spain , Italy , France , and the Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , and the Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , Japan , India , and the Rest of Asia-Pacific )

( , , , and the Rest of ) Rest of the World

In 2021, North America held a significant share of the global fill finish cartridge market, which is due to several factors, including the presence of major key players in the region, the surge in the geriatric population and the subsequent increase in the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, highly developed healthcare system, the higher adoption of technically advanced products, and favorable government policies for the launch of advanced products. Moreover, rising company investment is also having a positive impact on the market's growth of the market. For instance, in January 2023, Argonaut Manufacturing Service announced a capital investment led by majority shareholder Telegraph Hill Partners that will be focused on expansion at their Carlsbad, CA, manufacturing facilities. In addition to increased capacity and scale, the new capabilities include complex formulation of parenteral drug products and a new state of the art isolator-based filling line capable of filling vials, syringes, and cartridges for clinical and commercial drug products.

The major players targeting the market include

Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing

Syntegon Technology

Novocol Pharma

Recipharm AB

SCHOTT Pharma

Vetter

Sever Pharma Solutions

Cytiva

Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing

Lonza

Competitive Landscape

The degree of competition among prominent global companies has been elaborated by analyzing several leading key players operating worldwide. The specialist team of research analysts sheds light on various traits such as global market competition, market share, most recent industry advancements, innovative product launches, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions by leading companies in the fill finish cartridge market. The major players have been analyzed by using research methodologies for getting insight views on global competition.

Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include:

What are the latest trends, new patterns, and technological advancements in the fill finish cartridge market?

Which factors are influencing the fill finish cartridge market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the fill finish cartridge market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the fill finish cartridge market?

What are the demanding global regions of the fill finish cartridge market?

What will be the global market size in the upcoming years?

What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by global companies?

We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature and geography. Please let us know If you have any custom needs.

About UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI)

Browse Other Related Research Reports from UnivDatos Market Insights

Fill Finish Cartridge Market Report Coverage

Report Attribute Details Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2028 Growth momentum Accelerate at a CAGR of over 12.2% Market size 2021 USD 1.82 billion Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of World Major contributing region North America to Dominate the Global Fill Finish Cartridge Market Key countries covered United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, and India Companies profiled Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing, Syntegon Technology, Novocol Pharma, Recipharm AB, SCHOTT Pharma, Vetter, Sever Pharma Solutions, Cytiva, Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing, and Lonza Report Scope Market Trends, Drivers, and Restraints; Revenue Estimation and Forecast; Segmentation Analysis; Impact of COVID-19; Demand and Supply Side Analysis; Competitive Landscape; Company Profiling Segments Covered By Cartridge Size; By Drug Type; By Injection Devices; By Region/Country

About UnivDatos Market Insights

UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) is a passionate market research firm and a subsidiary of Universal Data Solutions. We believe in delivering insights through Market Intelligence Reports, Customized Business Research, and Primary Research. Our research studies are spread across topics across the world, we cover markets in over 100 countries using smart research techniques and agile methodologies. We offer in-depth studies, detailed analysis, and customized reports that help shape winning business strategies for our clients.

Contact

UnivDatos Market Insights

Ankita Gupta

Director Operations

Ph: +91-7838604911

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://univdatos.com/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1225049/UnivDatos_Logo.jpg

SOURCE UnivDatos Market Insights Pvt. Ltd.
PLANO, Texas, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fisher Investments, one of the world's largest independent, fee-only investment advisers, was named to Built In.com's 2023 100 Best Places to Work in Technology list for the Dallas, Texas region. Built In.com, a global technology career platform, recognizes companies who offer the best total rewards programs among their peers. The award also spotlights organizations that foster meaningful employee experiences through cultural programs.

"Fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment for our employees is a critical part of our mission to help more clients with their investment goals," said Greg Miramontes, Fisher Investments' Executive Vice President of Global Human Capital. "We're honored to be recognized for the benefits we offer our employees that help make us a top workplace in the Dallas area."

The Built In Best Places to Work recognition is the latest honor for Fisher Investments in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In 2022, The Dallas Morning News named Fisher Investments to its Top 100 Places to Work in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Additionally, Top Workplaces has honored the firm as a Top Workplace in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for two years in a row from 2019-2020 and Great Place to Work named Fisher Investments a Top 20 Best Workplace in Texas in 2019.

About Fisher Investments

Fisher Investments is an independent, fee-only investment adviser. As of 3/31/2022, Fisher Investments and its subsidiaries manage over $197 billion in assets globallyover $156 billion for private investors, $39 billion for institutional investors and $2 billion for US small to mid-sized business retirement plans. Fisher Investments maintains four principal business groups: US Private Client, Institutional, Private Client International and 401(k) Solutionsserving a global diverse investor clientele. Strategies may vary by jurisdiction. Founder and Executive Chairman Ken Fisher wrote the Forbes "Portfolio Strategy" column for 32  years until 2017, making him the longest continuously running columnist in its history. He now writes monthly for the New York Post. Ken's columns, varying by country, have run regularly in major media globally, spanning more countries and more volume than any other columnist of any type in history. Ken has appeared regularly on major TV news like Fox Business and News and CNN International. Ken has written 11 investing and finance books, including four New York Times bestsellers. For more information on Fisher Investments, please visit www.fisherinvestments.com.

Media Contacts

Winners were determined based on an algorithm which looks at data across all Built In profiles, using company provided data about compensation and benefits as described here. Fisher Investments pays an annual fee to post jobs and to manage a premium profile on the Built In website. A premium profile page is not required for eligibility as described here.

SOURCE Fisher Investments
Applications are now open for Young Entrepreneurs

MIAMI, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Produced with Purpose is excited to announce its Fourth Annual Young Entrepreneurs Showcase on Saturday, May 20th, 2023 from 11 AM  4 PM at Miami International Mall. Produced with Purpose was born from founder Leila Hilliard's curiosity and desire to begin her own business at 10 years old. Leila was determined to be a trailblazer and inspire other young entrepreneurs that wanted to begin businesses like she did, and she accomplished that with support from her teachers and parents. The Young Entrepreneurs Showcase grew from the desire to allow young kids to brainstorm an idea, develop a business, and launch it to the community. This event is FREE to the public, and we encourage the community to support our Young Entrepreneurs and purchase from their businesses.

Fourth Annual Young Entrepreneurs Showcase at Miami International Mall

Registration is now open for any Kid Bosses from grades 3-10 who would like to participate. All business categories are welcome and encouraged to register. Produced with Purpose has had over 40 businesses participate in Young Entrepreneurs Showcase year to year. During this one-day showcase, Kid Bosses display their creativity and sell their original products and services. Most of these impressive businesses run year-round. All Kid Bosses are responsible for their booth setup, sales transactions, and interactions with customers. To register as an entrepreneur please visit producedwithpurpose.org.

"At Produced with Purpose, we believe that every child has gifts that can alter communities in a profound way. These gifts can be channeled into the creation of products and services that solve problems and bring about waves of positive change in the world. The Young Entrepreneurs Showcase is hosted yearly to give the inspired young minds a place to show people how they would like to make change in their communities and beyond."  Leila Hillard, Founder

Produced With Purpose is thrilled to have the support of their Chairman Sponsor, The Al & Jane Nahmad Family Foundation and City of Doral Mayor Christi Fraga.

"Empowering our youth to follow their dreams and cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit isn't just about creating successful individuals, it's about building a better society. When we encourage our young people to think outside the box, take risks, and pursue their passions, we are investing in the future of our communities and our world. By giving them the tools and support they need to turn their ideas into reality, we are fostering innovation, creativity, and a sense of purpose that will drive progress and prosperity for generations to come," said Mayor Fraga.

The Produced with Purpose mission is to train kid bosses to THINK like entrepreneurs and create a platform where they can bring their products and services directly to the people. This vision comes to fruition at the yearly Young Entrepreneurs Showcase, where Kid Bosses come together to do just what 10-year-old Leila had been looking for.

Media Contact

LA Communications

305-809-6697

[email protected]

SOURCE Produced with Purpose
MORRISON, Colo., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly miraculous conditions are required for fossils to form and last millions of years. Once lost to erosion, they're gone forever. The location paleontologists have ranked as the #1 dinosaur tracksite in America is home to hundreds of irreplaceable trace and bone fossils preserved in situ on a section of the Dakota hogback in Morrison, Colorado known as Dinosaur Ridge. Since the nonprofit Friends of Dinosaur Ridge was founded in 1989, mapping has shown a loss of at least 50 dinosaur footprints caused by erosion.

The famous tracksite sits at about a 40-degree angle facing Denver was inadvertently revealed in 1937 by a road crew blasting into the sandstone with dynamite. The prehistoric beach also contains ripple marks made by ancient sea waves, crocodilian swim marks carved into a long gone creek bed, and microbial mats where prehistoric life thrived during the Cretaceous time period.

"It's very important that these ancients landscapes are preserved because they are actual Jurassic Parks." Tweet this

On the west side of Dinosaur Ridge facing the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, uplifted layers of stone encase fossilized dinosaur bones from an even older time the Jurassic. In 1877, hundreds of bones were excavated here and sent by railroad to Yale for study and description. Many of them still reside in the Peabody Museum, and some can be viewed a few miles southwest of the original quarries at the Morrison Natural History Museum. Still others remain embedded in the rock along a now closed roadway where visitors can view them and picture a completely different Colorado with giant sauropods walking in search of plants to eat, and bipedal theropods tracking after them.

As Friends of Dinosaur Ridge co-founder Dr. Martin Lockley explained at a recent TEDx Mile High Talk, "It's very important that these ancients landscapes are preserved because they are actual Jurassic Parks. Just as we protect sites like Stone Henge or Pompeii or the Grand Canyon, we need to protect these sites for the future."

Occasionally, erosion reveals new fossils as soil is worn away or boulders containing fossils break off and slide within human view. At Dinosaur Ridge it's estimated 36 dinosaur tracks have been revealed by erosion since 1989 when mapping began far less than the number lost, and evidence of the need for greater preservation efforts. A working group has begun to address strategies including water diversion, high-resolution photogrammetry monitoring, and a review of other efforts in the U.S. and around the world.

Contact: Kristen Kidd, [email protected]

SOURCE Friends of Dinosaur Ridge
Independent survey results show franchise owners are highly satisfied with performance of leader in window treatment consultation

DENVER, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gotcha Covered, a leader in custom window treatment consultation in the U.S. and Canada, was recently named a Top Franchise for 2023 by Franchise Business Review. Gotcha Covered also ranks 15th in the Top 50 Midsize Franchise category and 12th among home service franchises.

This is the 18th annual ranking of the 200 best franchise opportunities as rated by franchise business owners.

Gotcha Covered, a leader in custom window treatment consultation in the U.S. and Canada, was recently named a Top Franchise for 2023 by Franchise Business Review.

With an emphasis on end-to-end consultations, Gotcha Covered provides homeowners the best in soft and hard window treatments, including a variety of blinds, draperies, and smart solutions.

"Our franchisee support system is critical to our success at Gotcha Covered," said Paul Linenberg, president of Gotcha Covered. "We take pride in helping franchise owners thrive in serving their communities and customers. Our extensive training and innovative technology separate Gotcha Covered from other companies in the industry, and we also provide essential one-on-one support whenever our franchisees need it."

Franchise Business Review , a market research firm that performs independent surveys of franchisee satisfaction and employee engagement, provides the only rankings and awards for franchise companies based solely on actual franchisee satisfaction and performance. Franchise Business Review publishes its rankings of the top 200 franchises in its annual Guide to Today's Top Franchises .

Gotcha Covered was among over 360 franchise brands, representing nearly 38,000 franchise owners, that participated in Franchise Business Review's research. Gotcha Covered franchisees were surveyed on 33 benchmark questions about their experience and satisfaction regarding critical areas of their franchise systems, including training and support, operations, franchisor/franchisee relations, and financial opportunity.

"Franchisee satisfaction levels hit an all-time high last year despite the pandemic, and we are pleased to report that our 2023 research shows satisfaction has remained sky higha sure indicator that franchisee satisfaction is a top priority for franchise companiesand that's good news for franchise owners and anyone thinking about investing in a franchise," said Michelle Rowan, president and COO of Franchise Business Review. "As an independent research firm, Franchise Business Review is committed to helping prospective franchisees get an objective view of the best franchise opportunities available based on actual feedback from the people who own them.

"This year, nearly 38,000 franchisees completed our survey and from there we identified the franchise brands with the highest levels of satisfaction and performance to educate potential buyers about which franchise to invest in. Each of the 200 Franchisee Satisfaction Award winners on this year's list achieved stellar ratings from their franchisees."

Visit FranchiseBusinessReview.com to see the full description of the 2023 Top Franchises .

For more information or to find your local Gotcha Covered consultant, visit https://www.gotchacovered.com.

About Gotcha Covered

Gotcha Covered is a leader in custom soft and hard window treatment consultation in the U.S. and Canada. Flying under their Gotcha Covered flag since 2009, they offer custom window treatments including blinds, draperies, shutters and much more. They offer end-to-end consultation with the customer's specific needs and goals in mind. The company currently has over 155 total franchises across the U.S. and Canada.

About Franchise Business Review

Franchise Business Review (FBR) is a leading market research firm serving the franchise sector. FBR measures the satisfaction and engagement of franchisees and franchise employees and publishes various guides and reports for entrepreneurs considering an investment in a franchise business. Since 2005, FBR has surveyed hundreds of thousands of franchise owners and over 1,200 leading franchise companies. FBR publishes free and unbiased franchisee satisfaction research reports throughout the year online at http://www.FranchiseBusinessReview.com . To read our publications, visit https://franchisebusinessreview.com/page/publications/ .

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

(865) 977-1973

[email protected]

FRANCHISE BUSINESS REVIEW CONTACT:

Ali Forman

B2B Marketing Director

(603) 319-4818

[email protected]

SOURCE Gotcha Covered
Early Childhood Education Franchise Expand Baltimore Footprint to Meet Demand in City Limits

BALTIMORE, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebree School, a leader in early childhood education that provides infant and toddler care, preschool, before and after school care, and summer camp programs, will open its newest school on April 17 in the Canton neighborhood of Baltimore. Located at 3904 Boston Street, the new school will provide a customized program that addresses the physical, social, emotional and academic needs of children while adhering to Maryland's early education standards.

Celebree School has 20-plus locations in the Baltimore metropolitan area, but the Canton school is its first within the city's boundaries. While schools in urban settings often look different than their suburban counterparts, Celebree School of Canton will feature the same premier learning center while prioritizing outdoor play space, as it features a 6,000 sq. ft. risk-based playground with age-appropriate play areas set to fuel imagination.

Enrollment is now open, and community members are encouraged to schedule a site visit at Celebree School's Welcome Center located at 720 S. Montford Avenue, Suite 101, Monday  Friday from 10 a.m.  4 p.m. For more information, call 410-202-8816.

Celebree School of Canton is the second Celebree School owned and operated by local entrepreneur Jason Skidmore. Since he opened Celebree School of Glen Burnie in 2021, Skidmore has watched an impassioned community of educators and parents form around the children who have grown up with his school. Seeing the impact that the curriculum, hands-on activities, socialization, and playtime positively building a strong foundation in a child's development has inspired Skidmore to expand Celebree School's educational offerings throughout the Baltimore area.

A native and life-long resident of Maryland, Skidmore has built his career in the Old Line State as the co-founder of a healthcare transportation company he started right out of high school. Skidmore went on to create a management company and a full-service automotive repair and inspection company over the course of his 25-year career. In addition to being a serial entrepreneur, Skidmore prides himself on being an engaged parent who took an active role in his children's education. Ready for a new challenge and the opportunity to continue supporting the community, Skidmore has teamed up with Celebree School to be a part of building bridges between students, parents, and educators in the greater Baltimore area.

"In partnering with Celebree School, I've seen how children can blossom when the right people provide each child with a safe and nurturing environment that fosters, growth, exploration and learning," Skidmore said. "I want to continue creating exceptional experiences for the families who trust us with their children, and I also want to continue to create opportunities for local educators to partner with a leadership team that is passionate about helping teachers pursue advancement in the field of education. Operating these Celebree Schools has introduced me to the phenomenal community of teachers, advocates, and parents across Baltimore who believe in the power of education. I am honored to work with and support our extended family every day."

Celebree School lives by its promise to Grow People Big and Small and was founded on the belief that success in early childhood development is equal parts curriculum and a connection that extends beyond the classroom to address the needs of the whole child and the whole family. Each Celebree School is a village made up of parents, children, and educators while providing curriculum-based care that prepares your child for kindergarten and beyond.

With a 28-plus-year history of providing superior early childhood education, Celebree School delivers a stable, secure learning environment that helps children develop a lifelong love of learning. Programs are available for children six weeks to 12 years old with unique curriculums designed to develop positive social skills and values while allowing children to learn about their world through age-appropriate play, projects, and activities. Care is available part time or full time, and parents are allowed to drop in and visit at any time.

"We're honored to continue to help brilliant entrepreneurs like Jason actualize their business goals and have them continue to grow within our Celebree School family," said Richard Huffman, Founder and CEO of Celebree School. "As we continue to expand our brand's footprint through franchising, it's more important than ever that we partner with local community leaders who have a passion for early childhood education. The opening of Jason's second school brings me immense pride and joy. I know he is the perfect franchisee to drive our mission forward."

Celebree School of Canton will be open Monday  Friday 7:00 a.m.  6:30 p.m. For more information on Celebree School of Canton and its upcoming grand opening event slated for May, please visit the local website, Facebook, or Instagram, or call 410-202-8816.

About Celebree School

Founded in 1994, Celebree School is a leader in early childhood education that provides infant and toddler care, preschool, before and aftercare, and summer camp programs. With a mission to Grow People Big and Small, Celebree School believes success in early childhood development is equal parts curriculum and connection. Each school employs a customized program that addresses the physical, social, emotional, and academic needs of children and follows applicable state guidelines. In 2019, Celebree School launched its franchise offering. Learn more about how we grow confident children who are prepared for school and life at Celebree.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Daisy Dow, Fishman Public Relations, [email protected]

SOURCE Celebree School
GUADALAJARA, Mexico, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Grupo Simec, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE American: SIM) (the "Company") on March 17, 2023 filed an Amendment No. 1 to the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021, dated as of May 18, 2022, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov (the "Form 20-F/A"). The Company filed the Form 20-F/A solely to amend a risk factor relating to weaknesses in internal controls by removing an inadvertent reference to a material weakness in 2019 and including a cross-reference to Item 8. "Financial InformationLegal Proceedings." The Form 20-F/A also is available on the investor relations section of the Company's website at https://gsimec.com.mx/sec-filings.php. Shareholders may request a hard copy of the Form 20-F/A, free of charge, by contacting the Company's Finance coordinator, Mario Moreno Cortez, by email at [email protected].

About Grupo Simec

Grupo Simec is a diversified manufacturer, processor and distributor of SBQ steel and structural steel products with production and commercial operations in the United States, Mexico and Brazil. Grupo Simec is also an important producer of structural and light structural steel products in Mexico in terms of sales volume. Grupo Simec's SBQ products are used across a broad range of highly engineered end-user applications, including axles, hubs and crankshafts for automobiles and light trucks, machine tools and off-highway equipment. Its structural steel products are mainly used in the non-residential construction market and other construction applications.

Contact: Mario Moreno Cortez Grupo Simec, S.A.B. de C.V. Calzada Lazaro Cardenas 601 44440 Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico +52 333 770 6700

SOURCE Grupo Simec, S.A.B. de C.V.
MONTREAL, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Haivision Systems Inc. ("Haivision" or the "Company") (TSX: HAI) announces that it has adopted a shareholder rights plan (the "Rights Plan") with Computershare Investor Services Inc. as rights agent effective as of March 17, 2023 (the "Effective Date"). While the Rights Plan is effective immediately, it is subject to ratification by the Company's shareholders within six months of its adoption. The Company will be seeking shareholder ratification of the Rights Plan at its upcoming annual general meeting of shareholders on April 26, 2023. If the Rights Plan is not approved by the shareholders it will terminate and cease to be effective. Approval of the Rights Plan at the upcoming annual general meeting of shareholders is not being proposed in response to or in anticipation of any pending or threatened take-over bid, nor to deter take-over bids generally. The Board is not aware of any third party preparing any take-over bid to acquire control of the Company.

On March 6, 2023, the Company received a non-binding expression of interest from Evertz Technologies Limited ("Evertz") outlining a proposal to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company for $4.50 per share (the "Evertz Non-binding Expression of Interest"). The Evertz Non-binding Expression of Interest expired on March 9, 2023 and provided that prior to entering into and completing due diligence Evertz was unable to provide a binding transaction structure or price. As a result of the Evertz Non-binding Expression of Interest, the Company has been notified by the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") that the TSX will defer consideration of the acceptance of the Rights Plan until such time as the TSX is satisfied that the appropriate securities commission will not intervene pursuant to National Policy 62-202  Take-Over Bids  Defensive Tactics.

A summary of the principal terms of the Rights Plan will be included in the management information circular in connection with the upcoming annual general meeting of shareholders and a complete copy of the Rights Plan will be available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may include "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "targets", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "an opportunity exists", "is positioned", "estimates", "intends", "assumes", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, nor guarantees or assurances of future performance but instead represent management's current beliefs, expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events and operating performance.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Haivision as of the date of this release, are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from those indicated by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risk factors identified under "Risk Factors" in the Company's latest annual information form, and in other periodic filings that the Company has made and may make in the future with the securities commissions or similar regulatory authorities in Canada, all of which are available under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect Haivision. However, such risk factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. There can be no assurance that the non-binding expression of interest will result in a formal offer or that any such offer will ultimately result in a completed transaction. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Haivision undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, except as required by applicable securities laws.

About Haivision

Haivision is a leading global provider of mission-critical, real-time video streaming and visual collaboration solutions. Our connected cloud and intelligent edge technologies enable organizations globally to engage audiences, enhance collaboration, and support decision making. We provide high quality, low latency, secure, and reliable live video at a global scale. Haivision open sourced its award-winning SRT low latency video streaming protocol and founded the SRT Alliance to support its adoption. Awarded four Emmys for Technology and Engineering from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Haivision continues to fuel the future of IP video transformation. Founded in 2004, Haivision is headquartered in Montreal and Chicago with offices, sales, and support located throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Learn more at haivision.com.

SOURCE Haivision Systems Inc.
Longtime CEO, Hillary Schafer informs Multiplying Good Board of Governors her intent to step down from position in 2023 and board begins work to search for successor.

NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Multiplying Good, the nation's leading nonprofit focused on fueling personal growth and leadership through public service, announced that CEO Hillary Schafer is stepping down after 10 years of service. The executive search firm Korn Ferry has been retained by the Board of Governors to assist in the search for a new CEO. She will remain as CEO until her successor is named and will move into a leadership role on the Board of Governors when the transition is complete.

Hillary Schafer informs Multiplying Good Board of Governors her intent to step down as CEO in 2023. Tweet this Hillary Schafer stepping down as CEO from Multiplying Good after ten years.

"After an amazing and transformative decade at Multiplying Good, I've decided that my efforts will have maximum impact as a leader on our Board of Governors," stated Schafer. "We have the opportunity to bring in a world-class leader who has the skills, energy and experience necessary to execute against a bold strategic vision. I am excited for this next chapter  both for Multiplying Good and for myself."

Over the last ten years, Schafer led the organization to new heights as one of the largest champions and leaders in the power of public service and good in the country. She led the rebranding of the organization, formerly known as the Jefferson Award Foundation, to Multiplying Good. The new name better reflects the nonprofit's mission to transform individuals through service and multiply the good they create. She oversaw the deepening and strengthening of the organization's in-depth leadership training and development for youth through the Students in Action program, which has mobilized 62,000 youth across the country, build up the work celebrating organizations through corporate partners, and increased partnerships to recognize local changemakers across the country through its many established media partners.

"Hillary's leadership has been transformational. During her tenure, the organization has tripled in size and has created significant national impact when it comes to service," said Jack Russi, Chair of Multiplying Good Board of Governors. "Like all great leaders, through her commitment to our mission and values, she has built an impressive team, and positioned Multiplying Good for the next stage of its growth and impact journey. The next CEO will be the beneficiary of this exemplary work, and I personally look forward to having Hillary play a significant role on the Board of Governors and continue to invest a meaningful amount of her time and energy into the success of Multiplying Good."

The organization also continued to honor the best in public service with the Jefferson Awards, which in 2022 celebrated its 50th anniversary, with a list of honorees that is unparalleled. They include hundreds of national figures - both public and private - more than 65,000 unsung heroes, tens of thousands of employees, and young people in communities across the county.

Prior to joining Multiplying Good in 2013, Schafer worked on Wall Street for 12 years. She served as Head of U.S. Institutional Equity Sales at Citigroup in New York City and during that time was one of the highest-ranking women in the equity business. As a prominent woman in the world of finance, Schafer honed her ability to process information quickly and then take precise action at the right time, skills that transferred seamlessly to her stewardship of Multiplying Good over the past decade.

About Multiplying Good

Multiplying Good is a national nonprofit that believes in the power of service to others to unleash potential, inspire individuals, and transform lives. Multiplying Good fuels personal growth and leadership development through a continuum that starts with engagement and culminates in recognition. It has offices in 11 communities across the country, delivering on-the-ground impact where it is needed most. Founded in 1972 by Sam Beard, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Senator Robert Taft, Jr., the organization has recognized the extraordinary public service of thousands with its Jefferson Award. To learn more, visit MultiplyingGood.org.

CONTACT: Amy Reiland

VP, Marketing & Communications

(714) 606-3267

[email protected]

SOURCE Multiplying Good
DUBLIN, March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "ICT Investment In Government Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The global ICT investment in government market size reached US$ 511.74 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, the publisher expects the market to reach US$ 671.02 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.62% during 2021-2027.



ICT Investment In Government Market Trends:



At present, increasing business activities, expansion of government services and the growing investment flows are among the key factors positively influencing the market. Apart from this, the e-governance initiatives to simplify digital channels are catalyzing the demand for ICT in the administrative sector. Moreover, the escalating demand for enhanced products and services to solve vulnerabilities in information security due to continuous improvement in the cloud, information technology (IT), and mobility solutions, are providing a thrust to the market growth.

In line with this, regional governing authorities are focusing on information and communication strategies to deploy the internet of things (IoT) and cloud-based solutions, which is creating a positive market outlook. Besides this, governments of various countries are increasing their ICT budget across their primary areas of enterprise, such as hardware, software, IT services, communication, and consulting.

This, in confluence with the development in the approach of purchasing technologies adopted by government institutions, is offering better insights to ICT vendors and service providers. In addition, the rising need to bridge the infrastructure and technological gap and increasing adoption of cloud hosting services by government authorities is driving the market.



Key Market Segmentation:



The publisher provides an analysis of the key trends in each sub-segment of the global ICT investment in government market report, along with forecasts at the global, regional and country level from 2022-2027. Our report has categorized the market based on solution and technology.



Breakup by Solution:

Devices

Software

IT Services

Data Center Systems

Communication Services

Breakup by Technology:

IoT

Big Data

Cloud Computing

Content Management

Security

Breakup by Region:

North America

United States

Canada

Asia-Pacific

China

Japan

India

South Korea

Australia

Indonesia

Others

Europe

Germany

France

United Kingdom

Italy

Spain

Russia

Others

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Others

Middle East and Africa

Competitive Landscape:



The competitive landscape of the industry has also been examined along with the profiles of the key players being Amazon Web Services Inc. (Amazon.com Inc.), Avaya Holdings Corp., Capgemini SE, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. and Nokia Corporation.



Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global ICT investment in government market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years?

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on the global ICT investment in government market?

What are the key regional markets?

What is the breakup of the market based on the solution?

What is the breakup of the market based on the technology?

What are the various stages in the value chain of the industry?

What are the key driving factors and challenges in the industry?

What is the structure of the global ICT investment in government market and who are the key players?

What is the degree of competition in the industry?

Key Topics Covered:



1 Preface



2 Scope and Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Introduction



5 Global ICT Investment In Government Market



6 Market Breakup by Solution



7 Market Breakup by Technology

8 Market Breakup by Region



9 SWOT Analysis



10 Value Chain Analysis



11 Porters Five Forces Analysis



12 Price Analysis



13 Competitive Landscape



Companies Mentioned

Amazon Web Services Inc. (Amazon.com Inc.)

Avaya Holdings Corp.

Capgemini SE

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

Nokia Corporation.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/vgaikw

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
LIMA, Peru, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Intercorp Financial Services Inc. ("IFS" or "the Company") (BVL/NYSE: IFS) announced that, in accordance with the Company's Bylaws, its Virtual Annual Shareholders' Meeting will be held on March 31, 2023, with the first call at 09:30 a.m. Peru Standard Time. If the first call does not achieve a quorum, as set forth under IFS' Bylaws, a second call will take place on April 10, 2023 at the same time and also conducted virtually. The following agenda will be discussed during the meeting:

2022 Results Presentation. Approval of the Annual Report for the fiscal year 2022. Approval of the Audited Separate and Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal year 2022. Presentation of results of IFS' participation in the S&P Global 2022 Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) and the Company's progress in matters of sustainability (ESG). Approval of Net Profit Allocation and Dividend Distribution for the fiscal year 2022. Approval of Dividend Policy for the fiscal year 2023. Appointment of Board of Directors for the period 2023-2025. Approval of Share Repurchase Program and granting of powers. Approval of power of attorney to formalize decisions approved at the 2023 Annual Shareholders' Meeting.

Shareholders may attend the 2023 Annual Shareholders' Meeting virtually or by proxy. Proxies must be registered with the Company, by sending an email to IFS' Investor Relations Office ([email protected]) at least 48 hours in advance of the scheduled time for the 2023 Annual Shareholders' Meeting.

Accordingly, it is hereby evidenced that all information regarding the agenda to be discussed at the Company's 2023 Annual Shareholders' Meeting, as well as a valid proxy for shareholders' representation and related guidelines, are available on IFS' website (www.ifs.com.pe).

About the Company:

Intercorp Financial Services, Inc. ("IFS"), is a company incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Panama, and has securities listed on the Lima Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. IFS is a leading provider of financial services in Peru. IFS' main subsidiaries are Banco Internacional del Peru, S.A.A.-Interbank ("Interbank"), Interseguro Compania de Seguros, S.A. ("Interseguro"), Inteligo Group Corp. ("Inteligo") and Procesos de Medios de Pago S.A. and its subsidiary Izipay S.A.C. ("Izipay"). Interbank is a full-service bank providing general banking services to retail and commercial customers. Interseguro is a leading insurance company, providing annuities, individual life insurance, disability insurance and survivor benefits, and mandatory traffic accident insurance. Inteligo is a fast-growing provider of wealth management services through Inteligo Bank Ltd. and Interfondos, as well as brokerage services through Inteligo SAB. Izipay is a payments company and provider of products and services related to payments acquirer, correspondent banking and credit cards processor.

SOURCE Intercorp Financial Services Inc.
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kinecta Federal Credit Union today announced seasoned C-suite leader Jason Pendergist has joined its Executive Management Team as Senior Vice President and Chief Lending Officer. Pendergist succeeds Mike Squire, who has transitioned to Senior Vice President and Chief Experience Officer at Kinecta.

Bringing over 20 years' experience in lending, corporate governance, finance, sales, operations and business expansion, Pendergist will be responsible for the continued development of Kinecta's first-class lending team as well as the formulation and execution of innovative lending strategies to serve Kinecta's members and communities. Pendergist will report to Keith Sultemeier, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kinecta.

"We're honored to welcome Jason Pendergist to our leadership team," said Sultemeier. "Jason's proven leadership in regional and community banking and his expertise in consumer and commercial lending are well suited to help us meet the needs of our members and to be their financial institution of choice."

Sultemeier added, "Mike Squire has transitioned to Chief Experience Officer, where he can leverage over 10 years in leadership roles at Kinecta to provide members the consistently superior service experience they expect and deserve from their credit union."

Most recently, Pendergist served as Head of Commercial Services at Security Service Federal Credit Union. Previously he served as Executive Vice President and Head of Real Estate and Commercial Banking with Banc of California, leading six of the bank's business units, and as of President of Consumer and Commercial Banking at Luther Burbank Savings, overseeing efforts that secured the institution's ranking as a top multifamily lender on the West Coast.

He also serves on the Board of Miracles for Kids, a Southern California-based nonprofit, which provides financial aid, health, wellness and advocacy services to the families of children battling life-threatening illnesses.

With the hiring of Pendergist, Kinecta bolsters its Executive Management Team to continue guiding its members and communities to financial security. With the completion of Kinecta's merger with Xceed Financial Credit Union in 2021, the credit union is now the nation's 35th largest, California's eighth largest in terms of asset size and the largest credit union headquartered in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County.

About Kinecta Federal Credit Union

Headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California, Kinecta Federal Credit Union is the country's 35th largest credit union, with assets of $6.7 billion and more than 270,000 members from coast to coast. Banking the Southern California area for more than 80 years, with additional branches in New York, New Jersey, Northern California and Florida, Kinecta offers its members a full range of financial products from banking, lending and insurance to wealth management services. Kinecta has been recognized by the Mortgage Bankers Association as a recipient of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Residential Leadership Award, and received the Best of Show award granted by the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Technology Council. Residents of Rochester, NY, voted Kinecta as a finalist for Best Credit Union in the Democrat & Chronicle's annual Rochester Choice Awards in 2022. Forbes awarded Kinecta as a top-ranked credit union in California on its America's Best Credit Unions in Each State 2022 List. Kinecta has 29 locations, and its members can use a network of more than 5,800 shared branches and access over 85,000 fee-free ATMs nationwide. For more information on Kinecta, visit the website and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Ryann Checchi, Interdependence PR

[email protected]

708-420-4776

SOURCE Kinecta Federal Credit Union
LOS ANGELES, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the leading cannabis brands in the market since 2015, Kushfly recently announced its new service to customers. Kushfly now provides legal hemp, Delta THC, and CBD product shipping services throughout the United States!

Kushfly CBD & Hemp Shipping

Dedicated to helping customers to increase their wellness and life quality in a natural way, Kushfly follows industry-leading standards to ensure purity, potency, and consistency. Since it's challenging to find rigorously tested products obtained from legal, licensed retailers, its new shipping service offers a fast, reliable, and affordable solution.

Kushfly Puts Safety and Quality First Place

Firstly, independent labs confirm the quality of its premium recreational products, including hemp, Delta THC, and CBD. Every single product goes through rigorous lab tests and gets approved. The consistent quality controls ensure that all its products meet or exceed excellent standards and satisfy customer expectations.

"We believe in the healing power of the cannabis plant and provide the best legal hemp, Delta THC, and CBD products at the most affordable prices for the welfare of our customers," says John Susman from the Kushfly family. "We continue to grow with an implacable passion and our new products to keep the highest quality and safety standards."

Kushfly's online shipping service ships domestically across the United States, excluding states that do not recognize Delta 8 as a legal substance. As of January 2023, they ship to the following states:

Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Kushfly's Online Store Offers A Whole Shopping Experience

Kushfly also launched its new website , which provides legal hemp, Delta THC, and CBD products. This highly curated online store stands out with its vast product diversity and easy user interface that makes a whole shopping experience.

From top-quality industrial hemp to chewy CBD gummies, and disposable CBD vape pens to blunts and pre-rolls, there are numerous options for customers.

Moreover, Kushfly makes it very easy to place an order. You can add products to your cart, fill in your information, select your payment and delivery method, and place your order. Their team members will contact you shortly to verify your order and ID. Kushfly accepts online credit or debit cards as payment.

There's always consistent communication with Kushfly's customer service support team. Whether you want to call, text, email, or chat with them live, their team responds professionally and quickly.

They provide two shipping options for customers. First Class Shipping can take anywhere from 3-7 business days. Priority Shipping can take anywhere from 2-5 business days. It is also important to note that Priority Shipping is required for orders over 1 pound.

Kushfly continues to receive high-rate customer reviews on different platforms for its online shipping service. Their motto is simple:

"Legal hemp, Delta THC, and lab tested CBD products are available for everyone!"

About Kushfly

Kushfly is a premium cannabis company providing the best cannabis brands in the Los Angeles area.

All customers are welcome to visit their website online and order easily with text messages or by phone. All order details arrive via email, with text confirmations using a tracking app that keeps you updated about your delivery driver's ETA and route.

After delivery, sit back, relax, and enjoy your products peacefully. Kushfly's team is always happy to help.

Learn more at: www.shipping.kushfly.com

Media contact:

John Susman

[email protected]

2133794284

SOURCE Kushfly
Lindab has appointed Lars Ynner as Chief Financial Officer. He will take up his position on 11 April 2023

GREVIE, Sweden, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lars Ynner has since 2011 worked in various financial roles at Assa Abloy Entrance Systems, most recently as VP Finance Industrial Segment. Prior to that, Lars Ynner was CEO of the education company Celemi.

"We are very pleased to welcome Lars to Lindab. He has solid expertise as financial director from a listed industrial company. We value his long experience from an international, result-oriented business with a high acquisition pace. We very much look forward to Lars' contribution to Lindab's continued development.", says Ola Ringdahl, President and CEO of Lindab.

"Lindab is a quality company with great potential. The Group has already gone through a major change and continues to aim high. I am very much looking forward to becoming part of Lindab.", says Lars Ynner.

Lars Ynner will be part of Lindab's Group Management Team and report to the CEO. He will assume his role on 11 April 2023. Lindab's resigning Chief Financial Officer, Jonas Arkestad, will leave the Group in April.

Contacts:



Ola Ringdahl

President and CEO

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: +46 (0) 431 850 00



Catharina Paulcen

Head of Corporate Communications

E-mail: [email protected]

Mobile: +46 (0) 701 48 99 65

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Lindab
VANCOUVER, BC, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - MANTARO PRECIOUS METALS CORP. (TSXV: MNTR) (OTCQB: MSLVF) (FSE: 9TZ) (the "Company") is pleased to announce it has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering"). Under the Offering, a total of 7,307,400 units (each a "Unit") at a price of $0.05 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $365,370.

Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (each a "Share") and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder to purchase one additional Share for a period of one year from the date of issuance at an exercise price of $0.10 per Share. The Company will have the right to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants if, at any time, the average closing price of the Shares is equal to or greater than $0.15 for 20 consecutive trading days on the TSX Venture Exchange.

The securities issued under the Offering will be subject to restrictions on resale for a period of four months from the date of issue. The Company paid finders a fee in cash of $3,000 and issued a total of 70,000 share purchase warrants exercisable at $0.05 per share for a period of two years.

Insiders subscribed for a total of 500,000 Units for gross proceeds of $25,000. The issuance of 500,000 Units to insiders is considered a related party transaction subject to Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company intends to rely on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 on the basis that the participation in the Offering by the insiders will not exceed 25% of the fair market value of the Company's market capitalization.

The proceeds of the Offering will be used for exploration at Santas Gloria silver property and general corporate purposes.

About Mantaro Precious Metals Corp.

Mantaro Precious Metals Corp. is a British Columbia company that holds a diversified portfolio of gold and silver focused mineral properties in Bolivia and Peru. The Company holds an option to acquire up to an 80% interest in the advanced Golden Hill orogenic gold property ("Golden Hill"), located in the underexplored Precambrian Shield, Bolivia.

In Peru, the Company has a 100% interest in the high-grade Santas Gloria silver property as well as a 100% interest in each of the La Purisima, Cerro Luque and Huaranay properties.

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Company's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Mantaro Precious Metals Corp.
JEFF GUYTON TO BECOME MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION CFO & REPRESENTATIVE DIRECTOR

IRVINE, Calif., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced Tom Donnelly, currently Senior Vice President of Retail Operations, to be appointed President & CEO, MNAO leading the company's operations in the region. Donnelly's appointment, along with several additional changes to MNAO's leadership team, will be effective April 1, 2023.

Tom Donnelly Jeff Guyton

Jeff Guyton, currently MNAO's President & CEO, will become Mazda Motor Corporation's Chief Financial Officer and a Representative Director of the Company based in Hiroshima, Japan, after its annual meeting of the shareholders in June 2023. He will retain oversight of operations in North America, including U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Colombia markets. Donnelly will report to Guyton.

"Tom has played a key role in the growth of MNAO over the last 15 years. He has greatly progressed the Mazda brand in the U.S. while also improving the overall business operations and relationships with our dealer network," said Guyton.

"As MNAO continues to show year-over-year sales growth, I am thrilled to continue this momentum and focus on not only our product, but also our people," said Donnelly.

The news follows Mazda's announcement that Masahiro Moro, currently Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer, will be appointed President and CEO. Prior to his current role, Moro served as Chairman and CEO of North American Operations.

"The North American markets are crucial to Mazda's global success, and we have made significant investments to grow our business in the region," said Moro. "Jeff and Tom have been instrumental in delivering growth in the U.S. In Jeff's new role, he will continue to make significant contributions to MNAO while bringing new insights to Mazda globally."

The following additional MNAO executive changes will be effective April 1, 2023:

Ryuichi Umeshita, continues his role as MNAO's Executive Vice President and Assistant to the President, and will now oversee Mazda's sales operations in Canada , Mexico , Colombia , as well as manufacturing operations in the region

, , , as well as manufacturing operations in the region Theresa Barrera will become Senior Vice President of Human Resources

Tim Manning will become Senior Vice President of Retail Operations overseeing U.S. vehicle sales, aftersales, and U.S. regional office operations

will become Senior Vice President of Retail Operations overseeing U.S. vehicle sales, aftersales, and U.S. regional office operations Stefan Meisterfeld will become Vice President of Strategic Planning

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Colombia through approximately 795 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada Inc. in Richmond Hill, Ontario; operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City; and operations in Colombia are managed by Mazda de Colombia in Bogota, Colombia. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at News.MazdaUSA.com.

Follow MNAO's social media channels through Twitter and Instagram at @MazdaUSA and Facebook at Facebook.com/MazdaUSA.

SOURCE Mazda North American Operations
The region's only location will provide emotional support and activities for cancer patients

MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, in partnership with the largest professionally led cancer support nonprofit, Cancer Support Community, opened the newest location of Gilda's Club at the Methodist Cancer Institute on the campus of Methodist University Hospital in the Memphis medical district.

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, in partnership with the largest professionally led cancer support nonprofit, Cancer Support Community, opened the newest location of Gildas Club at the Methodist Cancer Institute on the campus of Methodist University Hospital in the Memphis medical district.

Established to honor the memory of Saturday Night Live cast member Gilda Radner, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 1989, Gilda's Club is a national support and resource program for cancer patients and their families. Gilda's Club includes a network of 175 locations across the world, reaching 1.6 million participants each year. As the only Gilda's Club location in the Memphis area, cancer patients, survivors, caregivers and loved ones can access free emotional support, healthy lifestyle activities, social engagement and education at no cost.

"The fear of cancer weighs heavy on the hearts and minds of our neighbors across the Mid-South," said Kathleen Forbes, MD, executive vice president of MLH's Academic Group, which includes Methodist University Hospital and Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. "In addition to offering cutting-edge cancer treatment and exceptional clinical expertise, we are delighted to partner with the Cancer Support Community to support the emotional, physical and social wellness needs of all those facing cancer diagnoses, helping patients and families heal and thrive."

Oncology patients across the Mid-South, not just those receiving care at Methodist, can utilize Gilda's Club at the Methodist Cancer Institute for resources that focus on overall health and wellness.

For more information on Gilda's Club programming and activities, visit MethodistHealth.org/gildasclub.

About Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare

Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare has been caring for patients and families regardless of their ability to pay for more than 100 years. Guided by roots in the United Methodist Church and founded in 1918 to help meet the growing need for quality healthcare in the greater Memphis area, MLH has grown from one hospital into a comprehensive healthcare system with 13,000 Associates supporting six hospitals, including nationally ranked Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient facilities, hospice residence and physician and specialty practices serving communities across the Mid-South. From transplants and advanced heart procedures to expert neurology services and compassionate cancer care, MLH offers clinical expertise with a focus on improving every life we touch.

SOURCE Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare
TROY, Mich., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitten Extracts , a leading cannabis concentrates brand producing premium vapes and edibles in Michigan, announced the launch of its wholesale brand Mitten Distro . Operating a 70,000-square-foot commercial grow facility and two processing facilities, the brand provides thoughtfully crafted, Michigan-made cannabis products to more than 280 retailers, making it one of the largest industry wholesalers in the state.

Founded in 2018, Mitten Extracts was developed in the Michigan caregiver market by two friends, Jacob Saboo and George Hallak, with a mission to deliver a brand focused on potency, locality and craft. Today, the company produces cartridges, concentrates and edibles (most recently launching Mitten PLUS+ Disposables ), and has become one of the most recognizable brands in the state.

With the success of Mitten Extracts, Mitten Distro has expanded its product portfolio to offer both Wonderbrett and Ric Flair Drip to its valued retailers. Across its brand portfolio, Mitten Distro contains a diverse product selection; with more than 80 current skus and an additional 50 skus coming to the Michigan market in the coming months, the company gives retailers a one-stop-shop for all their product needs.

"It is the relationships we have fostered with Michigan retailers that allows Mitten Distro to maintain such a large footprint in the state," said Mitten Extracts co-founder George Hallak. "Distributing a breadth of products from brands like Wonderbrett and Ric Flair Drip ensures our partners have access to the best of the best. We couldn't be more excited for this next phase of growth."

Wonderbrett, a legacy California brand founded in 2014, is known as both an innovator and purveyor of the highest quality and most sought-after products. Last year, the company entered the Michigan market to offer customers premium flower crafted by the heritage of their brand and the quality of their processes. Strains launched in Michigan include Pink Picasso, Melon OG, Black Orchid, Orange Banana, Peach OZ, and Grapes of Wrath, available in eighths, smalls, 1 grams, and pre-rolls.

The Ric Flair Drip Cannabis line, developed under Carma HoldCo's brand house, was officially launched in Michigan today to more than 90 retailers. Founded by the larger-than-life professional wrestling icon Ric Flair, the brand's products are available in eighths, vapes and pre-rolls, which come in strains including Indica (The Ultimate Recovery), Sativa (Making You the World Champion of Your Empire), and Hybrid (Keeping you Wheelin' and Dealin').

"Our cannabis line was built for the wheelin', dealin', jet flyin', premium cannabis aficionados of Michigan that are stylin', profilin' and ready to attack their day," said Ric Flair, Founder of Ric Flair Drip, Inc. "These products will make you say 'WOOOOO!' with heavy strains intended to tap out any opponent. Our partnership with Mitten Distro allows us to offer Michigan consumers my favorite cannabis products that have personally helped me find wellness, joy and elevate my state of mind."

About Mitten Extracts:

Founded in 2018, Mitten Extracts was developed in the Michigan caregiver market by two friends, Jacob Saboo and George Hallak, with a mission to deliver a brand focused on potency, locality and craft. Today, the company produces cartridges, concentrates and edibles (most recently launching Mitten PLUS+ Disposables ), and has become one of the most recognizable brands in the state. Follow @mittenextractsco on Instagram for the latest on its award-winning product suite.

About Mitten Distro:

Mitten Distro is one of the largest cannabis wholesalers in the state of Michigan with a 70,000-square-foot commercial grow facility and two processing facilities. Mitten Distro is the Michigan home of Mitten Extracts , Wonderbrett and Ric Flair Drip , producing more than 80 product skus to more than 280 retailers across the state. Follow @mitten_distro on Instagram to stay in the know with the latest brand and product launches in Michigan. If you are a licensed cannabis retailer, contact [email protected] to inquire about Mitten Distro's brands and products.

Mitten Extracts Media Contact

MATTIO Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE Mitten Extracts
AUSTIN, Texas, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MyyShop, a cross-border social commerce platform launched by DHGATE Group in 2020, completed a successful four-day exhibit at SXSW Creative Industries Expo, held from March 12-15, 2023 in Austin, Texas. MyyShop booth at the Austin Convention Center attracted thousands of attendees who were eager to learn about the platform's AI-powered capabilities, including empowering creators to discover viral products quickly, build customized stores, and earn commission on sales.

MyyShop, a cross-border social commerce platform launched by DHGATE Group in 2020, completed a successful four-day exhibit at SXSW Creative Industries Expo

"We are thrilled with the positive responses we received at SXSW," said Diane Wang, founder, chairperson, and CEO of DHGATE Group. "As the only exhibitor from China in this year's CIE, MyyShop's AI-powered platform and the insightful panel discussion at SXSW Next Stage resonated well with attendees. We believe that we have the right tools and the right message to help content creators and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) entrepreneurs reach their full potential."

MyyShop held a panel discussion themed Unlocking the Power of Social Commerce at the Next Stage of CIE on March 15, giving visitors an opportunity to learn how social commerce is transforming the retail landscape in America. The panelists discussed how social commerce had taken Asia by storm and would shake the US and global market in the future, how MyyShop enable creators to conveniently "Share to Earn" by sharing a shoppable link on their own social accounts, for the trending products they love, with their followers and fans. They also shared the success stories of some content creators and discussed the future of social commerce in America, including how individuals like stay-at-home moms, unemployed adults, and young entrepreneurs could cash in on this retail revolution.

MyyShop panelists also shared, only in 2022, content creators made over $3.5 million from recommending their favorite DHgate products to shoppers on various social media platforms. The event's highlights included a content creator specializing in home decor who shared with the audience how she built her store and recommended chairs, tables, and vases that went viral on TikTok.

In the past two years, Myyshop has worked and built partnerships with global content creators with experience in social commerce, empowered creators through the Academy program, and hosted events to support their entrepreneurial dreams. Looking to the future, MyyShop will expand small business catalogs from local small businesses in the US to MyyShop, create a custom product line for selected partners and content creators, and allow merchants to directly access a functional creator marketplace.

"We are on a journey to guide creators through the social commerce trend that will take over the world and change the way creators work with brands, and we plan to do so with transparency, inclusivity, and heart," the panelists expressed the mission of MyyShop at Next Stage.

Outside the SXSW venue, MyyShop brand appeared in Times Square, one of the iconic commercial intersections in New York City, on March 15, spreading its signal to change the retail landscape in the US in a more magnificent way.

About MyyShop

MyyShop is a pioneering social commerce platform launched by DHGATE Group that allows effortless selling on social media. MyyShop aims to provide content creators with online store creation tools, as well as AI-powered, tailored product recommendations that their audiences will find irresistible, allowing them to sell with confidence knowing the products are in demand and backed by a world-leading supply chain that delivers to increase earnings quickly. For more information, please visit MyyShop.com and follow @MyyShopOfficial

About DHgate

Founded in 2004, DHgate has become the leading B2B cross-border e-commerce marketplace in China. Through our global operations and offices, including in the US and UK, we reach millions of people with trusted products and services. As of December 31, 2022, DHgate served more than 59.6 million registered buyers from 225 countries and regions by connecting them to over 2.54 million sellers in China and other countries, with over 34 million live listings on the platform annually. For more information, please visit dhgate.com and follow @DHgate.com

SOURCE DHGATE Group
The IRS has yet to review nearly 750,000 outstanding ERTC applications.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) has intensified its campaign to clear the IRS' growing tax credit backlog, warning Congress the inaction threatens small and mid-sized businesses across the country.

NAPEO's grassroots effort urges Congress to push the IRS to process hundreds of thousands of Employee Retention Credit (ERTC) applications from small and mid-sized businesses, many of whom have been waiting years to receive these funds that are critical to their survival.

A stagnation in processing applications for millions of dollars earmarked for small businesses has developed at the IRS. What began as a moderate accumulation last year has now ballooned to nearly 750,000 outstanding claims - a 455% increase since August.

NAPEO and its members have sent more than 700 letters to members of Congress, including leaders of the House and Senate Small Business committees, highlighting the problems caused by the delay in processing ERTC applications. In addition, small and mid-sized businesses have sent scores of letters to federal lawmakers.

"This administrative logjam is avoidable, unacceptable, and downright cruel to small and mid-sized businesses," said NAPEO President and CEO Pat Cleary. "These funds are the difference between life or death for many of these companies. It is not an issue for the IRS or Congress to take lightly."

Dozens of companies across a number of vital industries including construction and technology have warned of employee layoffs, additional loans, and closure should these funds not arrive.

"We have exceeded all of our borrowing amounts," a Utah-based energy company told lawmakers. "Within weeks we will have to close the doors."

A Wisconsin-based software firm has waited more than 14 months for its claims to be reviewed.

"As a result, we are struggling to meet our financial obligations and maintain our workforce," the company said.

Without the ERTC funds, a sales and marketing firm cautioned they are "on the brink of losing our company and laying off our remaining employees."

A sampling of 15% of NAPEO members found that 13,631 small business PEO clients are waiting for the IRS to approve roughly $3 billion worth of ERTC credits. Some companies have waited more than two years for that needed money to arrive.

"We have many small businesses that are counting on these funds to pay their employees and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, " one PEO company told Congress. "The delay in payment is affecting our relationship with them as well."

PEOs provide payroll, benefits, and other HR services to hundreds of thousands of primarily small and mid-size businesses employing 4 million people. Through a PEO, the employees of small businesses gain access to employee benefits such as 401(k) plans; health, dental, life, and other insurance; dependent care; and other benefits typically provided by large companies. More than 15 percent of all employers with 10 to 99 employees partner with a PEO.

About NAPEO  The Voice of the PEO Industry

NAPEO's 250 PEO members provide payroll, benefits, workers' comp, regulatory compliance assistance, and other HR services to more than 173,000 small and mid-size businesses employing 4 million people. Our members account for more than 90 percent of the industry's $254 billion in revenue. An additional 250 companies that provide services to PEOs are associate members of NAPEO. For more information, please visit www.napeo.org.

SOURCE National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO)
Magnet is Continuing to Justify the Transaction Based on Outdated, Misleading Information

Four Software Takeovers at Higher Premiums Since Magnet's Takeover Announcement

Nellore Urges Shareholders to Follow Leading Independent Proxy Advisor Glass Lewis' Recommendation AGAINST, Comments on ISS

Nellore Suggests Shareholders Read Recent Notes From Brokers Quoted by Magnet

PALO ALTO, Calif., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Nellore Capital Management LLC ("Nellore) today provided final commentary to explain its opposition to the proposed C$1.8 billion takeover of Magnet Forensics Inc. ("Magnet") (TSX: MAGT) by the private equity firm Thoma Bravo.

EV / LTM FCF (CNW Group/Nellore Capital Management LLC) EV / LTM Free Cash Flow (CNW Group/Nellore Capital Management LLC)

Sakya Duvvuru, Founder and Portfolio Manager of Nellore Capital, said "the Software PE market continues to be strong and Magnet stands out as an especially weak negotiation in comparison. The presentation put out today by Magnet is further proof that the Special Committee doesn't understand the value of the company, which continues to be justified by outdated and misleading information."

Ending Where We Started: Magnet is a Special Business Creating Continued Shareholder Wealth

Magnet's operating and financial model are such that roughly every 4 years, revenue converts into free cash flow ("FCF"). For instance, the company generated US$27mmof revenue in 2018 and generated US$33mmof FCF in 2022. The company generated US$50mmof revenue in 2020, and per Management Forecast, expects US$65mmof FCF in 2024. The company is expected to generate the equivalent of 2022 revenue, US$99mm, in 2026 FCF -> a compounding machine! Thus, one could pay up to 20x 2023 revenue (>100% above current offer price), and still earn a double digit return over 4 years.

Materiality of Q4 FCF on Realizing Fair Value

It seems like Magnet (and its Special Committee) are either not aware of, or don't appreciate, how FCF can drive returns for the buyer. Consider that by waiting for March 9th instead of January 19th, Magnet's Last Twelve Months ("LTM") FCF doubles, and at the offer price, is actually trading 13% below the average over the last twelve months!

EV / LTM FCF

This is especially significant because the last twelve months have been especially punitive toward high growth, technology companies. Yet, here we are with an offer price that is below the average in that punitive period. Applying the unaffected average of 43x on LTM FCF post Q4 results and Thoma Bravo's 37% median premium results in a offer price of C$60 per share. Or, using the unaffected stock price on January 19th of C$38.15, we derive a multiple of 32x LTM FCF. Using the same multiple on 2024 FCF and discounting back to today, we get to C$60 per share.

Further, using the same methodology Magnet uses on slide 3 of today's presentation to justify the transaction, we can see that not only is Magnet not trading at 56x estimated 2023 FCF, it is trading at just 38x twelve months trailing FCF and well below the peers:

EV / LTM Free Cash Flow

Not only is there no control premium here, Magnet consideration is not even at the level of transaction unaffected, slower growing, lower margin public comps. Applying the median multiple of peer group results in a stock price of C$66. Applying a further control premium results in a price >C$80. The Special Committee should have understood this and negotiated using this information.

Four Software Takeovers at Higher Premiums

Since the Magnet transaction was announced on January 20th, takeovers by private equity ("PE") firms have been announced for four other public software companies with one-day unaffected premiums ranging from 29% to 62%. Clearly, the 15% premium for Magnet is far too low.

Notably, three of the takeovers were announced just this week, highlighting the underlying demand for recurring revenue and software business models even in the face of Silicon Valley Bank issues and general macro uncertainty. Further, the size of the deal values, the variety of players investing, and the unaffected premiums paid all highlight the vibrancy of the Software PE market.

















Unaffected Premia

Date

Target Acquiror Deal Value

Rule

of 40 1-Day 30-day

VWAP





















01-20-23

Sumo Logic Francisco Partners 1.7bn

15 % 57 % 50 %

Post SVB / SBNY:













03-13-23

Momentive STG 1.5bn

10 % 46 % 51 %

03-13-23

Qualtrics Silver Lake + CPP 12.5bn

33 % 62 % 73 %

03-14-23

Cvent Blackstone 4.6bn

28 % 29 % 54 %





























Mean

22 % 49 % 57 %









Median

22 % 52 % 53 %





















01-20-23

Magnet Forensics Thoma Bravo 1.4bn

74 % 15 % 12 %





















Moreover, high growth, high quality software companies Kinaxis and Docebo have both reported strong earnings in the last two weeks and are both trading above their pre-earnings reports. Cellebrite is also trading up 15% since its strong Q4 report.

Don't fall for Magnet's downside risk scare tactic. To the contrary, Nellore believes the stock will start to price in US$65 million of FCF in CY'2024 and trade above the deal price.

Comments on ISS

We believe even the cautionary support recommendation from ISS is not warranted. We can just agree to disagree about the significance of Jim Balsillie choosing the Rolling Shareholder option, procedural depth of the market check of reaching out to just two financial sponsors, the differential consideration and the lack of value for Grayshift synergies for SV shareholders. But we will not let the following ISS assertions go unchallenged:

Valuation methodologies:

ISS claimed "it is not illogical or unprecedented to think about software transactions through a FCF multiple lens, and such an approach would likely ascribe a higher intrinsic value to MAGT. However, there is not enough evidence to conclude that the valuation supporting this transaction was not credible"; The facts below indicate that the supporting valuation is not credible

The facts below indicate that the supporting valuation is not credible We believe that you do not HAVE to use FCF multiples as a valuation methodology, but methodologies based on other financial metrics, especially revenue, require more careful consideration of growth, margin, and quality characteristics in the reference range

As Glass Lewis points out, the issue is not the methodology chosen but the "the multiples applied by MS here are substantially misaligned with the Company's stand-alone trading patterns (e.g. application of 2.5x and 4.5x 2023 revenue multiples, despite the Company's average NTM revenue multiple of 7.0x in the one-year prior to announcement and while trading at NTM revenue multiple of 8.9x on market close the day prior to announcement; we see similar discrepancies with respect to NTM EBITDA)."

ISS specifically points to Datto's fairness opinion as lacking FCF-based valuation methodologies. That is true but they use an EBITDA range of "16.0x  30.0x" and highlight "unaffected EBITDA Multiple for Datto was 23.2x"

If Datto deserves 16-30x for a 20% revenue grower and the unaffected multiple was 23.2x, then how about Magnet? Magnet's reference range is 22.5x  27.5x for a 35% grower and the unaffected multiple prior to announcement was 42.0x, 53% above the high end of the range.

Similarly, the "unaffected Revenue Multiple for Datto was 5.4x based on the Analyst Projections" and the financial advisor's range for Datto's fairness opinion was "4.5x to 7.5x."

and the financial advisor's range for Datto's fairness opinion was "4.5x to 7.5x." Again, Magnet is a 35% grower versus 20% for Datto and only gets 2.5  4.5x, while the unaffected multiple is 8.9x.

Lastly, we believe Independent Valuator's otherwise pristine DCF analysis is also flawed by a poor terminal value assumption, which again doesn't jive with reality: "considered the implied terminal enterprise value to LTM revenue multiple, which ranged from 2.1x to 3.0x, and the implied terminal value to LTM EBITDA multiple, which ranged from 7.5x to 10.6x"

In the end, we just believe that it is easiest to look at FCF, since Magnet consistently produces it, but we are open to the appropriate Revenue and EBITDA multiples, as long as they are adjusted for growth rates, margins and cash flow generation

Standalone Path:

Worth repeating that only 60% of Magnet's business concerns Public Safety, Grayshift is not relevant to the Private Sector business.

Within the Public Safety business, the vast majority of customers REQUIRE dual sourcing or triple sourcing extraction vendors. CEO says so himself on 08.02.22 at the CG conference

at the CG conference It has been over 8 months since Magnet lost Grayshift to Thoma Bravo and changed their friendlier GTM partnership structure, Magnet has reported two of its strongest quarters ever

and changed their friendlier GTM partnership structure, Magnet has reported two of its strongest quarters ever Further, Cellebrite is also available as a mobile extraction M&A target, and is available at a similar enterprise value as Grayshift. Lastly, Grayshift has a heavy debt load and has a very small revenue base  are they really going to pose a threat to Magnet's Artifact Library? I think Thoma Bravo /Grayshift needs Magnet more than Magnet needs Grayshift

Share Price Volatility:

ISS claims "Magnet share price was volatile and lost ground in late 2021 and early 2022  Magnet fell 76.4 percent from its all-time high to its all-time low closing price ( Aug. 31, 2021 to June 16, 2022 )"

Nellore considers that period in July to September 2021 to be driven by non-fundamental buying in a very tight float, immediately post IPO. The Board agrees given their call out of the "No News" press release released on 08/31/21 on Slide 12 of the February 10 th presentation

to be driven by non-fundamental buying in a very tight float, immediately post IPO. The Board agrees given their call out of the "No News" press release released on on Slide 12 of the presentation Thus we believe that ISS should only consider the period of trading following Magnet's secondary transaction on December 14, 2021 . Abiding by this ourselves, we start our EV/LTM FCF analysis starting on January 1, 2022

Comments on Research Analyst Commentary

The tone of the analyst community has moved significantly toward our favor since our initial press release on February 9th, the release of the management forecast on February 22nd, and finally the release of Q4 results on March 9th. Even so, Magnet again continues to highlight research reports from January 20th despite more recent commentary from the same institutions.

RBC, March 9 th : "Solid Q4 adds fuel to the takeout debate" "Strong results reaffirm that purchase price too low for investors."

: "Solid Q4 adds fuel to the takeout debate" "Strong results reaffirm that purchase price too low for investors." CG, March 9 th : "Outstanding Q4 ahead of the March 23 vote" "Q4 results were outstanding again and would normally have led to a big jump in the shares if this was still trading on fundamentals."

: "Outstanding Q4 ahead of the vote" "Q4 results were outstanding again and would normally have led to a big jump in the shares if this was still trading on fundamentals." NBF, March 9 th: "standard beat from Magnet and given the Company is in the process of a takeover, the only thing the results would do is to add further uncertainty to the shareholder vote"

Nellore Capital Signing Off: Protect Your Interest, Vote AGAINST

Nellore is the only party that is 100% aligned with its fellow SV shareholders. We are sincerely trying to present the facts as they are and attain full value for all of our Magnet shares.

Nellore continues to urge shareholders to use to GOLD proxy to vote AGAINST the proposed takeover.

If you have already voted another proxy, you can still vote the GOLD proxy AGAINST the takeover. Only the later-dated vote will be counted. The voting deadline for the GOLD proxy is Monday, March 20 at 5pm Toronto time.

About Nellore Capital Management LLC

Nellore Capital Management invests in entrepreneurially managed, competitively advantaged technology businesses globally for the long term.

For further information:

Investor contact

Sakya Duvvuru, Founder & Portfolio Manager, Nellore Capital Management LLC, Ph: 501-551-0128, Email: [email protected]

If you require assistance with voting your shares, please contact Carson Proxy Advisors:

North American Toll Free Phone: 1-800-530-5189; Local (Collect outside North America): 416-751-2066 Email: [email protected]

1 Based on closing stock prices as of March 16th, 2023, except for Magnet at offer price of C$44.25. FCF is defined as Cash Flow From Operations less Capital Expenditures and Capitalized Software.

2 In good conscience, we couldn't bring ourselves to include TDC as a comparable for Magnet, despite the Board and its advisors choosing it as one. It is a legacy data warehouse provider that is declining in revenue. If we were forced to include TDC, we would also include SNOW, an innovative data warehouse provider that has a Rule of 40 that is more like Magnet's. Including both TDC and SNOW cancel each other out, leading to mean / median of 60x FCF. Including TDC only leads to a mean of 54x FCF and median of 46x FCF. Both are still materially above Magnet's 38x.

SOURCE Nellore Capital Management LLC
InfraOps, when applied well, should be the embodiment of governance policies as expressed by standards in architecture and automation.

TORONTO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - To tackle the challenge of meeting growing business demands for scale and speed in IT operations, Agile methodologies have become a foundational approach for many tech teams. As a result, DevOps has evolved from Agile and given rise to various "xOps" categories that can be overwhelming to navigate. To make sense of this spectrum, InfraOps, which has a focus on automating and managing infrastructure, was introduced as a subset of DevOps. To help IT leaders make sense of this broad spectrum of xOps, global research and advisory firm Info-Tech Research Group has published its latest blueprint, Next-Generation InfraOps.

The two overarching categories of next-generation InfraOps tools, as outlined in Info-Tech Research Groups Next-Generation InfraOps blueprint. (CNW Group/Info-Tech Research Group)

The new research explains that all xOps methodologies and approaches serve the same purpose; to increase effectiveness through automation and improve governance through visibility. The key for IT teams is to identify the right tools and methodologies that will deliver actual benefits to both the IT operation and the organization as a whole.

"There are as many different types of 'xOps' as there are business models and IT teams," says Nabeel Sherif, principal advisory director at Info-Tech Research Group. "To pick the approaches that deliver the best value to an organization and that align to its way of operating, it's important for IT leaders to understand the different major categories in the xOps spectrum and how they may apply to their approach."

Info-Tech's blueprint explains that InfraOps is one of the major methodologies that address a key IT problem at cloud scale by eliminating friction and errors in deliveries and outputs. Architectures, tools, and frameworks are available to make adopting this approach easier for IT departments and organizations.

Although infrastructure architecture is usually a binary choice, an automation approach should use any and all tooling that helps. Info-Tech's research blueprint places InfraOps tools into the following categories:

Infrastructure Architecture

Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI)  HCI is a disruptive departure from traditional IT infrastructure provisioning and management, while also being a logical progression of infrastructure convergence. It virtualizes servers, networks, and storage on a single server or storage appliance, allowing for easy scaling as more appliances are added to a cluster or stack.

 HCI is a disruptive departure from traditional IT infrastructure provisioning and management, while also being a logical progression of infrastructure convergence. It virtualizes servers, networks, and storage on a single server or storage appliance, allowing for easy scaling as more appliances are added to a cluster or stack.

Composable Infrastructure (CI)  CI is a different approach from HCI, focusing on further disaggregating resources and components used to build systems. It provides virtual bare metal resources and enables tightly coupled resources to be released back and forth into the resource pool as required by a given workload. Additionally, CI systems are based on next-generation network architecture that supports the more efficient use of the application-layer resources.

 CI is a different approach from HCI, focusing on further disaggregating resources and components used to build systems. It provides virtual bare metal resources and enables tightly coupled resources to be released back and forth into the resource pool as required by a given workload. Additionally, CI systems are based on next-generation network architecture that supports the more efficient use of the application-layer resources. Automation Tooling

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)  IaC is the process of managing computer data centers using machine-readable definition files instead of physical hardware or interactive configuration tools. This approach reduces costs; increases scalability, speed, and flexibility; and provides better consistency and version control. IaC also helps reduce deployment errors and enables better management of infrastructure.

 IaC is the process of managing computer data centers using machine-readable definition files instead of physical hardware or interactive configuration tools. This approach reduces costs; increases scalability, speed, and flexibility; and provides better consistency and version control. IaC also helps reduce deployment errors and enables better management of infrastructure.

Automation and Orchestration (A&O)  Orchestration automates the coordination and management of complex computer systems, middleware, and services, particularly in service-oriented architecture, virtualization, and converged infrastructure. It aligns business requests with applications, data, and infrastructure through policies and automated workflows, allowing for scalable and application-aligned infrastructure. Orchestration enables tasks previously performed by multiple administrators to be automated, and it provides centralized resource consumption management.

"Ultimately, DevOps and InfraOps approaches should embody an organization's governance needs via architecture and process," adds Sherif. "As time goes on, however, both the IT footprint and the business environment will shift. It's important to build the tools, telemetry, and governance to anticipate and adapt to change, as well as a virtuous cycle between development needs and IT operations tools and governance."

Info-Tech advises that by defining the end goals and framing solutions based on the type of visibility and features required, IT departments can enable speed and reliability for their organizations without losing control of the work.

To learn more, download the complete Next-Generation InfraOps blueprint.

For more information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and over 200 IT and Industry analysts through the ITRG Media Insiders Program. To gain access, contact [email protected].

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group
CHICAGO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A college education once seemed unattainable due to the cost for far too many people, but at Northeastern Illinois University, the once-elusive college degree is now very much within reach, thanks to the NEIU for You Scholarship program.

In the Spring of 2021, to increase applications, admissions, and recruitment efforts, our university proposed a scholarship initiative that will cover tuition and mandatory fees for one year for incoming first-year, full-time undergraduate students. The NEIU for You program registered 330 new students in the 2021 fall semester and has shown early signs of success with a nearly 55% enrollment increase for first-time, full-time undergraduate students.

As a university dedicated to serving those who are commonly underserved, we have a responsibility to ensure every student who wants a college degree has the opportunity to earn one Tweet this

"As a university dedicated to serving those who are commonly underserved, we have a responsibility to ensure every student who wants a college degree has the opportunity to earn one. As a university dedicated to providing access to the underserved and to all students, we have a responsibility to ensure every student who wants a college degree has the opportunity to earn one. The NEIU for You scholarship opportunity aligns with our university mission as a designated Hispanic Serving Institution and that of the Illinois Board of Higher Education's strategic plan, A Thriving Illinois" said President Gloria J. Gibson.

Encouraged by this progress, the initiative was expanded to provide tuition through the first four years of a bachelor's degree. This new 2.0 initiative has been led by NEIU Vice President for Finance and Administration Manish Kumar.

"College should be accessible to everyone, but financial barriers often prevent students from pursuing higher education," said Kumar. "Not only do we want students to enroll---we want them to complete their degree and be active citizens within their communities."

With NEIU for You 2.0, four consecutive years of tuition for eligible first-time, full-time freshmen will be covered or one three-credit hour class for eligible first-time, full-time transfer students.

"The University is committed to our investment in tomorrow's leaders, and this scholarship goes a long way in opening the door to NEIU for those who otherwise could not attend without bearing significant personal and financial hardship," said Kumar.

"With my tuition covered by the NEIU For You scholarship, I am focused on getting good grades, not working full-time to pay off student debt. Success, to me, is having financial freedom. Northeastern is giving me all the resources I need to be able to succeed in college and beyond," said student and NEIU For You scholarship recipient Ashely Garcia.

To view the criteria for an NEIU for You Scholarship and other scholarship opportunities, visit https://www.neiu.edu/financial-aid/scholarship-opportunities .

ABOUT NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Northeastern Illinois University offers more than 40 undergraduate degree and certificate programs and more than 50 graduate degree, certificate, licensure and endorsement programs. The Main Campus is located on 67 acres in an attractive residential area on the Northwest Side of Chicago. The University has additional locations in the metropolitan area, including the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, El Centro and the University Center of Lake County.

SOURCE NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
CHICAGO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/-- A college education once seemed unattainable due to the cost for far too many people, but at Northeastern Illinois University, the once-elusive college degree is now very much within reach, thanks to the NEIU for You Scholarship program.

In the Spring of 2021, to increase applications, admissions, and recruitment efforts, our university proposed a scholarship initiative that will cover tuition and mandatory fees for one year for incoming first-year, full-time undergraduate students. The NEIU for You program registered 330 new students in the 2021 fall semester and has shown early signs of success with a nearly 55% enrollment increase for first-time, full-time undergraduate students.

"As a university dedicated to serving those who are commonly underserved, we have a responsibility to ensure every student who wants a college degree has the opportunity to earn one. As a university dedicated to providing access to the underserved and to all students, we have a responsibility to ensure every student who wants a college degree has the opportunity to earn one. The NEIU for You scholarship opportunity aligns with our university mission as a designated Hispanic Serving Institution and that of the Illinois Board of Higher Education's strategic plan, A Thriving Illinois" said President Gloria J. Gibson.

Encouraged by this progress, the initiative was expanded to provide tuition through the first four years of a bachelor's degree. This new 2.0 initiative has been led by NEIU Vice President for Finance and Administration Manish Kumar.

"College should be accessible to everyone, but financial barriers often prevent students from pursuing higher education," said Kumar. "Not only do we want students to enroll---we want them to complete their degree and be active citizens within their communities."

With NEIU for You 2.0, four consecutive years of tuition for eligible first-time, full-time freshmen will be covered or one three-credit hour class for eligible first-time, full-time transfer students.

"The University is committed to our investment in tomorrow's leaders, and this scholarship goes a long way in opening the door to NEIU for those who otherwise could not attend without bearing significant personal and financial hardship," said Kumar.

"With my tuition covered by the NEIU For You scholarship, I am focused on getting good grades, not working full-time to pay off student debt. Success, to me, is having financial freedom. Northeastern is giving me all the resources I need to be able to succeed in college and beyond," said student and NEIU For You scholarship recipient Ashely Garcia.

To view the criteria for an NEIU for You Scholarship and other scholarship opportunities, visit https://www.neiu.edu/financial-aid/scholarship-opportunities .

ABOUT NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Northeastern Illinois University offers more than 40 undergraduate degree and certificate programs and more than 50 graduate degree, certificate, licensure and endorsement programs. The Main Campus is located on 67 acres in an attractive residential area on the Northwest Side of Chicago. The University has additional locations in the metropolitan area, including the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, El Centro and the University Center of Lake County.

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SOURCE NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY
WARSAW, Poland, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OANDA Global Corporation ("OANDA"), announced today the launch of new operations in the EU.

This is the result of a strategic change aimed at refocusing OANDA's retail trading operations in the EU around the ability to offer a much wider range of asset classes.

OANDA's operations are now run from Warsaw, Poland, under the financial regulatory authority of KNF, the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (PFSA).

Through this launch, OANDA brings an impressive multi-asset offering to EU investors and traders, including thousands of CFDs on FX, indices, commodities, precious metals, cryptos, shares, and a wide variety of non-leveraged equity shares.

Such a broad proposition provides clients with valuable diversification opportunities. In addition, our shares offering enables them to build positions in the most popular companies, including US listed equities, across a wide range of sectors. We are also committed to providing the best quality pricing and competitive fees; for example, clients trading from a EUR account can now trade shares of 1,700 individual US companies with 0% commission.

With more than 26 years of history as a global finance company, eight regulated entities in the world's most active financial markets, and more than 3,000 financial instruments available in the EU27, OANDA is the broker of choice for traders seeking a smarter way to trade.

Developed for mobile users, the OANDA TMS app provides extensive access to global markets for stocks and CFDs, empowering traders to easily design and build their own investment portfolio. Furthermore, our technology stack is very flexible, and clients can trade with OANDA via MetaTrader 5, a web-based trading platform with outstanding order processing speed and enhanced analytical capabilities or, in the near future, through the popular TradingView charting platform.

OANDA clients get news, trade ideas, and market analysis at their fingertips; along with advanced tools such as Historical Spreads and Trader Sentiment, which provide valuable insight for better trading decisions.

Marcin Niewiadomski, Head of Europe, commented, "This is an exciting new chapter and a significant growth opportunity for OANDA in the EU. We want to serve the client in the best way possible, so we made the decision to base our operations in Poland. This was a natural choice, as it will enable us to build the OANDA brand on the strengths of OANDA TMS , which the OANDA group acquired in 2021 for its deep product offering and cutting-edge tech stack.

Now, thanks to our refocused operations, investors and traders in the EU can easily access an extensive multi-asset proposition with the knowledge that they are partnering with a trusted, award-winning, and regulated broker."

As of today, EU retail traders and investors will be able to explore OANDA's offering on www.oanda.com/eu-en/.

Marcin Niewiadomski is available for interviews and further comments.

Please direct requests to [email protected]

About OANDA

Founded in 1996, OANDA was the first company to share exchange rate data free of charge on the Internet, launching an FX trading platform that helped pioneer the development of web-based currency trading five years later. Today, the OANDA group, which includes OANDA TMS Brokers S.A. and other subsidiaries of OANDA Global Corporation, provides online multi-asset trading, currency data and analytics to retail and corporate clients around the globe, demonstrating an unrivaled expertise in foreign exchange.

With regulated entities in many of the world's most active financial markets, including New York, Toronto, Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney, London, and Warsaw, OANDA remains dedicated to transforming how the world interacts with trading, enabling clients to trade global market indices, commodities, treasuries, precious metals and currencies on one of the fastest trading platforms in the market. For more information visit https://www.oanda.com/group/ or follow OANDA on LinkedIn .

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2034829/3943464/OANDA_EN_Smarter_Trading_Logo.jpg

SOURCE OANDA
MADISON, Wis., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OneNeck IT Solutions is pleased to announce the appointment of Theodore (Ted) Wiessing as its new President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective today. Wiessing succeeds Terry Swanson, who stepped down after 6 years at the helm.

OneNeck IT Solutions announces the appointment of Theodore (Ted) Wiessing as its new President and CEO. Tweet this Ted Wiessing

"Ted is a proven technology and security leader with a distinguished track record of innovation, talent development, and a deep knowledge of OneNeck," said LeRoy T. Carlson, Jr., TDS President and CEO. "I am confident that he, along with the rest of the senior leadership team, will ensure strong execution of OneNeck's hybrid IT and multi-cloud strategy. I'd also like to thank Terry Swanson for his leadership and significant contributions throughout his tenure at OneNeck."

As former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of OneNeck, Ted drove the company's go-to-market strategy and spearheaded the launch of new products and services. Ted joined OneNeck in 2018 and has been an integral part of the TDS, Inc. family of companies since 2002, where he worked in various IT leadership roles such as IT operations, application development, security, and privacy. Prior to joining TDS, Ted spent 11 years as an enterprise software consultant at Accenture, working extensively with companies in the communications industry.

When sharing the news with associates, Wiessing said, "As OneNeck's former COO, I am confident we have the right people, culture, and strategy to be wildly successful in the market. I am committed to continuing the legacy of excellence that OneNeck leadership has established over the years, while also exploring new methods of enhancing the value of our offerings and continuing to ensure we keep employees at the heart of our business model."

A Wisconsin-native, Wiessing will continue to work from the company's headquarters in Madison. Wiessing holds a Bachelors of Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and currently resides in Wisconsin with his wife and two children.

For more information about OneNeck, visit www.oneneck.com.

About OneNeck IT Solutions

OneNeck IT Solutions LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems, Inc., employs 450 people throughout the U.S. The company offers multi-cloud solutions, combined with managed services, professional IT services, hardware and local connectivity via top-tier data centers in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon and Wisconsin. OneNeck's team of technology professionals deliver secure, modern platforms and applications for organizations embracing data-driven transformation and secure end-to-end solutions. Visit oneneck.com.

Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. [NYSE: TDS], a Fortune 1000 company, provides wireless; cable and wireline broadband, TV and voice; and hosted and managed services. TDS has approximately six million connections nationwide through its businesses UScellular, TDS Telecom, OneNeck IT Solutions LLC and TDS Broadband Service. Recently, TDS has been named to three Forbes lists: America's Best Employers for Diversity, Best Large Employers, and Best Employers for Women. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Chicago, TDS employs 9,300 people. Visit tdsinc.com.

SOURCE OneNeck IT Solutions
NOIDA, India, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new report published by UnivDatos Markets Insights, the Pap Test Market was valued at more than USD 7.23 Billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 11.4% from 2022-2028. The analysis has been segmented into Method (Liquid-based and Conventional-based); Test Type (Pap Smear, Primary HPV Screening, Co-Testing, and Follow-Up Test for HPV); Application (Cervical Cancer Screening, Vaginal Cancer Screening, and Others); Product (Instruments, Consumables, and Others); Technology (PCR and Others); End User (Hospitals, Clinics &Labs, Home Setting, and Others); and Region.

Click here to view the Report Description & TOC

https://univdatos.com/report/pap-test-market/

The pap test market report has been aggregated by collecting informative data on various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the pap test market. The pap test market report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors in the market that are influencing the market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the pap test market at the global and regional levels.

Request for Sample Pages

https://univdatos.com/get-a-free-sample-form-php/?product_id=35848

Market Overview

Pap test is a process in which cells from the surface of the cervix and the vicinity are gently removed with a little brush so that they can be examined under a microscope for cervical cancer or cell alterations that may result in cervical cancer. Other disorders, including as infections or inflammation, can also be discovered with a pap test. It is typically performed concurrently with a pelvic examination and may also be concurrent with a test for specific forms of human papillomavirus (HPV), also known as the Papanicolaou test and Pap smear. The market for pap test is expected to grow significantly owing to the increasing number of HPV cases and rising awareness regarding cervical cancers. For instance, diagnosed in more than 90% of cervical cancers, the fourth deadliest cancer in women, HPV is currently the most common pathogen responsible for female cancers, as per the study conducted on the estimated lifetime probability of acquiring human papillomavirus in the United States.

Some of the major players operating in the market include Abbott, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., BD, QIAGEN, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., HOLOGIC, INC., Seegene Inc., Arbor Vita Corporation, Femasys Inc., Hospital Equipment Mfg. Co.

COVID-19 Impact

The recent covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the world and has brought a state of shock to the global economy. The global pandemic has impacted the healthcare industry and has transformed the way healthcare is delivered.

The global pap test market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.

Basis of application, the market is segmented into cervical cancer screening, vaginal cancer screening, and others. In 2021, the vaginal cancer screening category is expected to grow with high CAGR attributed to rising cases and high mortality rates of vaginal cancer that have propelled the demand for effective screening tests. For instance, as per a 2018 report by the American Cancer Society, an estimated 1 out of every 1,100 women is likely to develop vaginal cancer. In 2018, 5,350 women were diagnosed with vaginal cancer in the U.S. and the number of vaginal cancer-related deaths in the U.S. was 1,430 in the same year.

Based on end user, the market is segmented into research laboratories, diagnostic centers, hospitals & clinics, and others. The diagnostic centers segment is expected to witness significant CAGR during the forecast period due to the rising women population suffering with cervical cancer and surge in demand for diagnosis and detection of the disease.

Have a Look at the Chapters https://univdatos.com/report/pap-test-market/

Pap Test Market Geographical Segmentation Includes:

North America (U.S., Canada , and Rest of North America )

(U.S., , and Rest of ) Europe ( Germany , United Kingdom , Spain , Italy , France , and the Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , and the Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , Japan , India , and the Rest of Asia-Pacific )

( , , , and the Rest of ) Rest of the World

In 2021, North America held a significant share of the global pap test market mainly due to a surge in the cases of cervical cancers, leading to the need for rising technological advancement related to the early screening for cancers during the forecast period. Technological development such as culmination of AI and big data have been used to improve the accuracy and efficiency of cervical cancer screening and automation may help overcome the labor-intensive and subjective interpretation of cellular morphology. Products from key players such as SurePath, ThinPrep, and FocalPoint GS Imaging are now commonly being used in clinical practice. Thus, these factors are driving the regional market in the forecast period.

The major players targeting the market include

Abbott

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

BD

QIAGEN

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

HOLOGIC, INC.

Seegene Inc.

Arbor Vita Corporation

Femasys Inc.

Hospital Equipment Mfg. Co.

Competitive Landscape

The degree of competition among prominent global companies has been elaborated by analyzing several leading key players operating worldwide. The specialist team of research analysts sheds light on various traits such as global market competition, market share, most recent industry advancements, innovative product launches, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions by leading companies in the pap test market. The major players have been analyzed by using research methodologies for getting insight views on global competition.

Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include:

What are the latest trends, new patterns, and technological advancements in the pap test market?

Which factors are influencing the pap test market over the forecast period?

What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the pap test market?

Which factors are propelling and restraining the pap test market?

What are the demanding global regions of the pap test market?

What will be the global market size in the upcoming years?

What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by global companies?

We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature and geography. Please let us know If you have any custom needs.

About UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI)

Browse Other Related Research Reports from UnivDatos Market Insights

Pap Test Market Report Coverage

Report Attribute Details Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2028 Growth momentum Accelerate at a CAGR of over 11.4% Market size 2021 USD 7.23 Billion Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of World Major contributing region North America to Dominate the Global Pap Test Market Key countries covered United States, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, China, Japan, and India Companies profiled Abbott, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., BD, QIAGEN, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., HOLOGIC, INC., Seegene Inc., Arbor Vita Corporation, Femasys Inc., Hospital Equipment Mfg. Co. Report Scope Market Trends, Drivers, and Restraints; Revenue Estimation and Forecast; Segmentation Analysis; Impact of COVID-19; Demand and Supply Side Analysis; Competitive Landscape; Company Profiling Segments Covered By Method; By Test Type; By Application; By Product; By Technology; By End-User; By Region/Country

About UnivDatos Market Insights

UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) is a passionate market research firm and a subsidiary of Universal Data Solutions. We believe in delivering insights through Market Intelligence Reports, Customized Business Research, and Primary Research. Our research studies are spread across topics across the world, we cover markets in over 100 countries using smart research techniques and agile methodologies. We offer in-depth studies, detailed analysis, and customized reports that help shape winning business strategies for our clients.

Contact

UnivDatos Market Insights

Ankita Gupta

Director Operations

Ph: +91-7838604911

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://univdatos.com/

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SOURCE UnivDatos Market Insights Pvt. Ltd.
Speedy and Safe Redemptions Demonstrate Power of Primary Prudential Regulation for Stablecoins

NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Paxos, the leading regulated blockchain and tokenization infrastructure platform, has facilitated the safe, steady redemption of more than $7.9B Binance USD (BUSD) in 32 days. On February 13, 2023, Paxos announced it halted minting of new BUSD tokens and that it is ending its relationship with Binance. Paxos redeemed these assets without any loss to customers or market dislocation. This achievement is a testament to Paxos's strong risk management program and commitment to safeguarding customer assets. BUSD has not experienced sustained price dislocation from its 1:1 peg to the US dollar across various third-party crypto exchanges.

Paxos has upheld its promise to customers by always safeguarding assets in a regulated trust, even through periods of extreme market volatility. Since its inception, Paxos has set the standard for compliance in the blockchain industry by advocating for customer protections and measured governance, including receiving the first New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) trust charter for digital assets in 2015. As a result of NYDFS oversight, Paxos built compliance, customer protections, risk management and corporate controls into all aspects of its operations. Paxos custodies all customer assets bankruptcy-remote and under New York State banking law. This structure provides legal consumer protections as opposed to "constructive trusts" of other stablecoin issuers.

Paxos strongly believes all stablecoin issuers should be subject to regular oversight, examination and approval requirements of a primary prudential regulator. Prudential regulators and independent third parties examine, audit and attest to our practices regularly to ensure we can withstand situations of external "stress" typical of the world's most sophisticated financial institutions. Paxos' ability to operate and process the smooth redemption of nearly 50 percent of BUSD in circulation in just 32 days speaks to its commitment to clients and the strength of its risk management.

As a good faith actor that embraces transparency and complies with regulatory requirements, Paxos utilizes blockchain technology in responsible ways to develop real world use cases to improve the financial system. Paxos has always supported a regulation-first approach, and encourages regulators to focus efforts on creating a clear and transparent framework that drives the marketplace to redirect capital to companies facilitating uses that protect consumers and derive clear social benefits.

All BUSD remains fully-backed 1:1 with USD cash & cash equivalents held in custody with the company's NYDFS Trust, and Paxos will continue to support BUSD in circulation for at least one year. All other Paxos products remain unaffected by BUSD redemptions. Paxos will continue accelerating the mainstream adoption of blockchain and tokenized assets by building solutions that are interoperable between digital asset ecosystems and traditional finance. Through its various digital assets like the USDP stablecoin and PAX Gold, partnerships with PayPal, Mercado Libre and Bank of America, and the growth of its securities and commodities settlement networks, Paxos is uniquely positioned in the market to address the blockchain and tokenization needs of global, regulated enterprises.

About Paxos

Paxos is the leading regulated blockchain infrastructure and tokenization platform. Its products are the foundation for a new, open financial system that can operate faster and more efficiently. Today, trillions of dollars are locked in inefficient, outdated financial plumbing that is inaccessible to millions of people. Paxos is replatforming the financial system to enable assets to instantaneously move anywhere in the world, at any time, in a trustworthy way.

Paxos uses technology to tokenize, custody, trade and settle assets. It builds enterprise blockchain solutions for institutions like PayPal, Interactive Brokers, Mastercard, MercadoLibre, Nubank, Bank of America, Credit Suisse and Societe Generale. Paxos is a top-funded fintech company with more than $540 million raised from leading investors including Oak HC/FT, Declaration Partners, Founders Fund, Mithril Capital and PayPal Ventures. With offices in New York, London and Singapore, Paxos takes a global approach to modernizing the financial system.

CONTACT: [email protected]

SOURCE Paxos
HOUSTON, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PCS, a leading provider of innovative transportation management solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ted Pardee as the company's new Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Ted will be responsible for driving revenue growth and overseeing the sales and marketing initiatives. In his role, Ted will lead new business strategies to accelerate the company's expansion in the transportation management software market.

Ted Pardee brings more than 30 years of sales and marketing experience to PCS as Chief Revenue Officer. Pardee has direct experience negotiating complicated agreements with Fortune 500 companies like Amazon, Ford Motor Company, Coca-Cola and Royal Dutch Shell. In addition to his experience building teams focused on the Global 500, Pardee has also led Sales and Marketing teams whose customers include the largest cities, counties and government agencies in the world including New York City & State, the State of California, Miami-Dade County, UK Ministry of Defence, The US State Department, USAID and the US Department of Defense.

"Ted's appointment as CRO marks an important milestone in our company's growth trajectory," said Chris Poelma, PCS CEO. Tweet this

"Ted's appointment as Chief Revenue Officer marks an important milestone in our company's growth trajectory," said Chris Poelma, CEO of PCS. "His proven track record of driving revenue growth and his impressive leadership skills will be instrumental in taking our sales organization to new heights. We are excited to have Ted on board and look forward to leveraging his expertise to further solidify PCS's position as a leader in the transportation management solutions space."

As CRO, Ted will focus on expanding the company's market share, establishing strategic partnerships, and enhancing the overall customer experience. He will work closely with the executive team and other departments to ensure that PCS continues to deliver industry-leading solutions that address the evolving needs of companies worldwide.

About PCS:

PCS is a leading provider of transportation management solutions, dedicated to empowering transportation and logistics companies to streamline their operations, improve efficiency, and maximize profitability. With a suite of advanced software tools, PCS supports shippers, carriers, and brokers in managing their end-to-end transportation processes, from planning and execution to compliance and analytics. Committed to innovation and customer success, PCS Software continually enhances its product offerings to address the evolving needs of the industry. To learn more about PCS Software, visit www.pcssoftware.com.

Contact: Amanda Mueller

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE PCS Software
RADNOR, Pa., March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Phoenix Services LLC ("Phoenix Services" or the "Company") has received support from an Ad Hoc Group of lenders (defined below) for terms of a restructuring that (i) creates a path to emerge from chapter 11 mid-year, (ii) provides $45mm of new money to invest in the business, (iii) reduces over $500mm of funded indebtedness, (iv) positions the Company to be more profitable and competitive while continuing to provide best-in-class service.

Phoenix Services, a premier provider of mission critical services to leading, global steel, stainless steel, and iron ore producing companies, announced that lenders representing approximately 78% of the Company's debtor-in-possession indebtedness (the "DIP Facility") and approximately 76% of the Company's other prepetition secured indebtedness (collectively the "Ad Hoc Group") have agreed to support the Company's restructuring, subject to various approvals, conditions and final documentation.

The agreed timeline will allow the management team to finalize new contracts with existing customers ahead of the Bankruptcy Court's consideration of the plan of reorganization and disclosure statement that will implement the Company's restructuring.

"Today's announcement moves Phoenix a step closer to emerging from chapter 11 and creating customer relationships to take the Company into the future. We look forward to working with our customer partners and lenders to bring new equipment, manpower and expertise to safely and efficiently perform our necessary work," said Mark Porto, Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Services.

The Board of Managers supports the restructuring terms and is pleased that the Company has reached this agreement with the Ad Hoc Group on a path to move forward.

Key Terms of the Restructuring Contemplate:

New money investment of $45 million ;



Reduction in net leverage to approximately 2x on a pro forma basis (reduction in funded indebtedness of over $500 million );



Pro forma indebtedness to include partial PIK-pay interest to position the Company to generate cash flow, reinvest in existing customer sites, and pursue new growth opportunities; and



Path for the Company to (i) file a disclosure statement and plan of reorganization with the Bankruptcy Court on or around March 31, 2023 , and (ii) emerge from chapter 11 mid-year.

SOURCE Phoenix Services LLC
NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The power electronics market size is expected to grow by USD 9.44 billion from 2022 to 2027. The growth momentum of the market will accelerate at a CAGR of 5.55% during the forecast period, according to Technavio. The market is driven by innovations to reduce the design time of power electronic systems. The performance, efficiency, cost, and weight of the systems are determined during the design part of the manufacturing cycle of power electronic components. Different physical prototypes must be created for this stage using various electrical component combinations. The lengthy process of designing and evaluating physical prototypes will result in a high time-to-market (TTM) for various power electronic goods. Virtual prototyping can help improve the reliability of the system and expedite the design process, thereby reducing the TTM for the goods. This procedure eliminates the need for real prototypes by simulating the thermal and electromagnetic conditions in the circuit using the software. The industry's embrace of new virtual prototyping tools will spur the use of power electronic components. This will increase the demand for innovation, which in turn, will drive the growth of the market focus during the forecast period. For more insights on the historic data (2017 to 2021), and forecast market size (2023 to 2027)  Request a report sample

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Power Electronics Market 2023-2027

Power electronics market 2023-2027: Regional Analysis

APAC is estimated to contribute 54% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. The market growth in APAC can be attributed to the growing demand from the developing nations in this region for power. It is expected that by 2026 the energy demand will increase up to 1.5 times that of 2021. This demand will be met partially from renewable sources for which every country has set targets. The key contributors to the market in APAC are Japan, China, South Korea, and India. Furthermore, policies on manufacturing by the Chinese and Indian governments also drive market growth in this region.

Power electronics market 2023-2027: Segmentation

Product

Discretes



Modules

The market share growth by the discretes segment will be significant during the forecast period. These are silicon-based components that are primarily used in consumer electronic goods. Applications like consumer electronics and light-emitting diode (LED) lighting systems account for the majority of the demand. Discretes must be module-optimized for power efficiency before being installed. When modules are purchased directly, considerable time and effort can be spared from the hunt for and acquisition of discrete components. To shorten the design cycle and lower the TTM, engineers in various end-user industries integrate more modules than discrete ones in their electronic systems. The demand for discrete is also fueled by technological advancements used to create wide bandgap materials like silicon carbide (SiC) and GaN. Thus, owing to such factors the segment is expected to grow during the forecast period.

Material

Silicon



Silicon carbide



Gallium nitride

Geography

APAC



Europe



North America



South America



Middle East and Africa

Power electronics market 2023-2027: Vendor analysis

ABB Ltd.- The company offers power electronics such as low-voltage AC drives.

Analog Devices Inc. - The company offers power electronics such as Analog Devices isoPower.

Fuji Electric Co. Ltd. - The company offers power electronics such as power MOSFETs.

Infineon Technologies AG - The company offers power electronics such as IGBT, smart power switches, and LED driver IC.

We provide a detailed analysis of around 15 vendors operating in the power electronics market, including ABB Ltd., Alcon Electronics Pvt. Ltd., Analog Devices Inc., Danfoss AS, Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., General Electric Co., Infineon Technologies AG, Kerala State Electronics Development Corp. Ltd., Magna Power Electronics, Mitsubishi Electric Corp., NXP Semiconductors NV, OM Semiconductor Corp., Power Electronics, Renesas Electronics Corp., Siemens Energy AG, STMicroelectronics NV, Texas Instruments Inc., Toshiba Corp., Vitesco Technologies Group AG, and Arete and Cocchi Technology.

Power electronics market 2023-2027: Scope

Our power electronics market report covers the following areas:

Learn more about the contribution of each segment of the market. Download a sample

Power electronics market 2023-2027: Key Highlights

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Power Electronics Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.55% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 9.44 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 5.19 Regional analysis APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 54% Key countries US, China, Japan, South Korea, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled ABB Ltd., Alcon Electronics Pvt. Ltd., Analog Devices Inc., Arete and Cocchi Technology, Danfoss AS, Fuji Electric Co. Ltd., General Electric Co., Infineon Technologies AG, Kerala State Electronics Development Corp. Ltd., Magna-Power Electronics Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Corp., NXP Semiconductors NV, ON Semiconductor Corp., Power Electronics, Renesas Electronics Corp., Siemens Energy AG, STMicroelectronics NV, Texas Instruments Inc., Toshiba Corp., and Vitesco Technologies Group AG Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and Market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Table Of Contents :

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Global Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Product



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Material



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

Exhibit 14: Chart on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 17: Data Table on Global Market: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

4 Historic Market Size

4.1 Global power electronics market 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size  Data Table on Global power electronics market 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.2 Product Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size  Product Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.3 Material Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size  Material Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size  Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 22: Historic Market Size  Country Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

5 Five Forces Analysis

5.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 23: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027

5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 24: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027

5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 25: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 26: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 27: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 28: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.7 Market condition

Exhibit 29: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027

6 Market Segmentation by Product

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 30: Chart on Product - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Product - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Product

Exhibit 32: Chart on Comparison by Product



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Comparison by Product

6.3 Discretes - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 34: Chart on Discretes - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Discretes - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 36: Chart on Discretes - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Discretes - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.4 Modules - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 38: Chart on Modules - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Modules - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 40: Chart on Modules - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Modules - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.5 Market opportunity by Product

Exhibit 42: Market opportunity by Product ($ billion)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on Market opportunity by Product ($ billion)

7 Market Segmentation by Material

7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 44: Chart on Material - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 45: Data Table on Material - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

7.2 Comparison by Material

Exhibit 46: Chart on Comparison by Material



Exhibit 47: Data Table on Comparison by Material

7.3 Silicon - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 48: Chart on Silicon - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 49: Data Table on Silicon - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 50: Chart on Silicon - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 51: Data Table on Silicon - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.4 Silicon carbide - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 52: Chart on Silicon carbide - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 53: Data Table on Silicon carbide - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 54: Chart on Silicon carbide - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 55: Data Table on Silicon carbide - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.5 Gallium nitride - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 56: Chart on Gallium nitride - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 57: Data Table on Gallium nitride - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 58: Chart on Gallium nitride - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 59: Data Table on Gallium nitride - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.6 Market opportunity by Material

Exhibit 60: Market opportunity by Material ($ billion)



Exhibit 61: Data Table on Market opportunity by Material ($ billion)

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 62: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 63: Chart on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 64: Data Table on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)

9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 65: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 66: Data Table on Geographic comparison

9.3 APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 67: Chart on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 68: Data Table on APAC - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 69: Chart on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 70: Data Table on APAC - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 71: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 72: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 73: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 74: Data Table on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.5 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 75: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 76: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 77: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 78: Data Table on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.6 South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 79: Chart on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 80: Data Table on South America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 81: Chart on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 82: Data Table on South America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.7 Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 83: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 84: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

and - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 85: Chart on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

and - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 86: Data Table on Middle East and Africa - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.8 China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 87: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 88: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 89: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 90: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.9 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 91: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 92: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 93: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 94: Data Table on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.10 Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 95: Chart on Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 96: Data Table on Japan - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 97: Chart on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 98: Data Table on Japan - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.11 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 99: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 100: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 101: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 102: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.12 South Korea - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 103: Chart on South Korea - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 104: Data Table on South Korea - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 105: Chart on South Korea - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 106: Data Table on South Korea - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.13 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 107: Market opportunity by geography ($ billion)



Exhibit 108: Data Tables on Market opportunity by geography ($ billion)

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 109: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 110: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 111: Overview on factors of disruption

11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 112: Impact of key risks on business

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 113: Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 114: Matrix on vendor position and classification

12.3 ABB Ltd.

Exhibit 115: ABB Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 116: ABB Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 117: ABB Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 118: ABB Ltd. - Segment focus

12.4 Analog Devices Inc.

Exhibit 119: Analog Devices Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 120: Analog Devices Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 121: Analog Devices Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 122: Analog Devices Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 123: Analog Devices Inc. - Segment focus

12.5 Fuji Electric Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 124: Fuji Electric Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 125: Fuji Electric Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 126: Fuji Electric Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 127: Fuji Electric Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

12.6 Infineon Technologies AG

Exhibit 128: Infineon Technologies AG - Overview



Exhibit 129: Infineon Technologies AG - Business segments



Exhibit 130: Infineon Technologies AG - Key news



Exhibit 131: Infineon Technologies AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 132: Infineon Technologies AG - Segment focus

12.7 Kerala State Electronics Development Corp. Ltd.

Exhibit 133: Kerala State Electronics Development Corp. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 134: Kerala State Electronics Development Corp. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 135: Kerala State Electronics Development Corp. Ltd. - Key offerings

12.8 Magna-Power Electronics Inc.

Exhibit 136: Magna-Power Electronics Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 137: Magna-Power Electronics Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 138: Magna-Power Electronics Inc. - Key offerings

12.9 Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

Exhibit 139: Mitsubishi Electric Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 140: Mitsubishi Electric Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 141: Mitsubishi Electric Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 142: Mitsubishi Electric Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 143: Mitsubishi Electric Corp. - Segment focus

12.10 NXP Semiconductors NV

Exhibit 144: NXP Semiconductors NV - Overview



Exhibit 145: NXP Semiconductors NV - Product / Service



Exhibit 146: NXP Semiconductors NV - Key news



Exhibit 147: NXP Semiconductors NV - Key offerings

12.11 ON Semiconductor Corp.

Exhibit 148: ON Semiconductor Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 149: ON Semiconductor Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 150: ON Semiconductor Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 151: ON Semiconductor Corp. - Segment focus

12.12 Power Electronics

Exhibit 152: Power Electronics - Overview



Exhibit 153: Power Electronics - Product / Service



Exhibit 154: Power Electronics - Key offerings

12.13 Renesas Electronics Corp.

Exhibit 155: Renesas Electronics Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 156: Renesas Electronics Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 157: Renesas Electronics Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 158: Renesas Electronics Corp. - Segment focus

12.14 Siemens Energy AG

Exhibit 159: Siemens Energy AG - Overview



Exhibit 160: Siemens Energy AG - Business segments



Exhibit 161: Siemens Energy AG - Key news



Exhibit 162: Siemens Energy AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 163: Siemens Energy AG - Segment focus

12.15 STMicroelectronics NV

Exhibit 164: STMicroelectronics NV - Overview



Exhibit 165: STMicroelectronics NV - Business segments



Exhibit 166: STMicroelectronics NV - Key news



Exhibit 167: STMicroelectronics NV - Key offerings



Exhibit 168: STMicroelectronics NV - Segment focus

12.16 Texas Instruments Inc.

Exhibit 169: Texas Instruments Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 170: Texas Instruments Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 171: Texas Instruments Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 172: Texas Instruments Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 173: Texas Instruments Inc. - Segment focus

12.17 Toshiba Corp.

Exhibit 174: Toshiba Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 175: Toshiba Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 176: Toshiba Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 177: Toshiba Corp. - Segment focus

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 178: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 179: Exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 180: Currency conversion rates for US$

13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 181: Research methodology



Exhibit 182: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 183: Information sources

13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 184: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

SOURCE Technavio
NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CYBERPOL DEPSINT Deep Web Intelligence Technologies was first used in 2015 to Track and Trace, using the deep Web, and locate the stolen funds from US companies stolen by Terrorist behind Cyber crimes in protection of private corporation's interests and assets.

It was predominantly designed and used by US military contractors such as LP3, but since has evolved into more sophisticated methodologies that can now be used to compile investigative reporting and extreme Enhanced Due Diligence on a particular subject or investigation.

These are not the ordinary 'mill of the a run' background checks, but a comprehensive overview of the targeted subjects links to criminality, hidden assets and deep web hidden information often not visible to private investigators or lawyers when beginning a procedure or a case with time constraints and technical requirements needs.

Over the last three years the CYBERPOL DEPSINT Technology was tested and used by the IIA, the largest international Israeli based International Intelligence Agency to track huge theft or embezzlement of funds. This is what they had to say: The head of IIA, detective Moshe Buller: "The use of CYBERPOL DEPSINT Technologies has helped us to solve many high profile cases and often the result of such data lead to successful prosecutions and recovery and or litigation cases in which some cases involved the loss of up to $2 billion."

The methodology developer and IP (Intellectual Property) owner, Ricardo Baretzky, Senior Partner at BARETZKY & PARTMNERS LLC has a long successful history in fighting cross border Cyber Crimes and consulting both governments and Corporations on strategy and information building on how to mitigate such risks.

President of CYBERPOL Ricardo Baretzky said: "We begun this alternative option over traditional methods of investigations since today all crime is somewhat linked to cyber and online data in which often detectives lack the ability to harness the data and understand the processes needed to do so. You could say this is the gray area where the Internet, CyberCrime and Technology overlap that is still in exploration of understanding stages. We are just getting started!"

Ricardo Baretzky was also Experts Witness at the United States Foreign Relations Committee during 2018 at the 19th Annual Legislative Forum in Washington DC session where Expert Investigator Ricardo Baretzky presented evidence of cybercrime and Crypto Crimes that affect the US and European economic development that currently has lost more than $3 trillion due to CyberCrime since 2018.

CYBERPOL DEPSINT Technologies has no borders and thus is not limited to geo locations. In short, any cyber case can be investigated across the broad spectrum of the global geographical settings.

It is it now possible to gain insight into case areas that was prior difficult to investigate such as Hong-Kong, India, Abu Dhabi and Dubai often used by cyber criminals and Crypto scams to hide their takes without setting a single foot in these regions. Finding the King Pin behind such CyberCrimes can be difficult and a lengthy process but with CYBERPOL DEPSINT Technologies of CYBERPOL CFC has proved more than 90% success rates over the past few years during developing the Know-How of this DEPSINT Track and Trace methodology.

The new CYBERPOL CFC initiative based company was established in 2022 and is based in Bulgaria. The Cyber Fusion Centre is predominant virtual based private firm with a global coverage reach. All Cyber Investigations can now be possible and affordable to the public industries and legal services with global reach. The CYBERPOL CFC Virtual Cyber Fusion Centre will also facilitate the CYBERPOL The International Cyber Policing Organization Federal Approved Agency by Royal Decree WL22/16.595 that was established in Belgium during 2015 and currently hosted in Switzerland.

CYBERPOL CFC (Cyber Fusions Centre) firm's website can be found on www.cyberpol.ltd and https://cyberpol-cfc.com/

About CYBERPOL CFC EOOD:

Bulgarian based CYBERPOL CFC EOOD firm established by leading Cyber Crime expert Ricardo Baretzky is the first Cyber Fusion Centre first to implement cyber security and investigations with a fully functional Virtual Cyber Fusion Centre. CYBERPOL CFC EOOD is facilitating Legal firms and Private Investigation firms across the globe providing DEPSINT Deep Web Track and Trace Technologies with its viral team based in foreign countries such as Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia. The company is in partnership with CYBERPOL The International Cyber Policing Organization Federal Approved Agency by Royal Decree WL22/16.595 that was established in Belgium during 2015 and currently hosted in Switzerland with Certificate of Authority (CA).

CYBERPOL CFC Authorized Cyber Fusions Centre Services: The Company provides services related to cyber, open source and deep web investigations. Services include Threat detections and cyber risk management including Due Diligence and Business Intelligence services with a complete overview of all cyber security services needed to operate a full function able Cyber Fusion Centre with legal representation and mediation of all foreign natural and legal persons.

The company operating license can be found on link:

https://portal.registryagency.bg/CR/en/Reports/ActiveConditionTabResult?uic=207063215

Contact Person:. CEO Ricardo Baretzky

Email:. [email protected]

Tel:. +359 52 462 794

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2035058/CYBERPOL_CFC_Logo.jpg

SOURCE CYBERPOL CFC
SKT selects Pindrop's leading voice authentication solution to improve security and help deliver a frictionless experience to their customers and is now available in the market

ATLANTA, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SK Telecom, today announced its partnership with Pindrop, an industry leader offering voice security, identity and intelligence, to bring secure voice authentication and voice liveness detection to the Korean market.

Through this partnership, SKT has deployed Pindrop's secure Voice API solution in order to provide voice security and customer authentication which together will improve the overall customer experience. In addition, SKT will make Pindrop's solutions accessible to SKT affiliates and the broader market.

Guysik Lee, GM Head of Enterprise AI for SKT said, "We are pleased to announce our collaboration with Pindrop, the global leader in voice authentication. We look forward to creating unique synergies with SKT's AI technology in the ever-growing AI Contact Center (AICC) market. In addition, we anticipate expanding our presence into the security and commerce markets in the near future. SKT plans to increase collaboration efforts with various partners to further introduce innovative technologies moving forward."

"As Pindrop continues to expand in Asia, I am delighted to have as a customer and partner such a significant market innovator and leader as SKT. SKT's focus on providing its customers with the highest level of security and customer experience aligns nicely with Pindrop's mission in the market," said Michael Hughes, GM, Pindrop Global business.

The partnership comes at a time when investment in a digital-first future continues to accelerate and organizations are faced with emerging security threats and customer demands for a frictionless experience. Advancements are required in multi-factor authentication in order to confidently allow account access and recovery, detect liveness, stop risky transactions, and drive process improvements and automation capabilities across a remote and distributed workforce. Voice is a simple and effective way to solve these market challenges. Through Pindrop's cloud SaaS Voice API solution, organizations can quickly detect liveness, enroll and authenticate a customer's voice, all across multiple channels.

"SKT has seen great adoption and results on using voice authentication and it's a great testament to our product that they've decided on bringing the Pindrop solution to other organizations in Korea. With this partnership and our regional HQ in Singapore, we're looking to quickly and effectively expand Pindrop's reach in the other Asian markets." said Anurag Srivastava, Pindrop GM - Asia Pacific and Japan.

As part of this partnership, SKT is pleased to announce that Pindrop's Voice API and liveness detection solution is available for general market use.

ABOUT PINDROP

As humans, our most intrinsic communication method is our voice. Pindrop's advanced audio and voice analysis technology recognizes this distinct and unique human quality with the kind of precision and certainty that's needed when access to information is essential. Protecting some of the world's biggest banks, insurers and retailers, Pindrop Solutions enable companies to prevent fraud and deliver exceptional customer experiences in call centers, obtain information from smart devices and even activate cars. A privately held company, Pindrop is venture-backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Citi Ventures, Felicis Ventures, CapitalG, GV, IVP, and Vitruvian Partners. Visit pindrop.com for more information.

ABOUT SK Telecom

AI Company that Brings Benefits to Customers through Technology and Service Innovation. SK Telecom is shaping into an AI Company by combining AI to a wide range of connectivity technologies based on telecommunications. SK Telecom is securing new growth drivers by redefining our core businesses with AI, while innovating customer relations through AI services equipped with new technologies and content. Through these efforts, SK Telecom aims to become the leading AI Company in Korea.

SOURCE Pindrop
FN Media Group Presents USA News Group News Commentary

VANCOUVER, B.C., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- USA News Group - Spin-out opportunities in the mining sector can generate mixed reactions from the market when they arise, depending on how they're handled. And this year is no different as multiple opportunities are arising, with much of the headlines going towards talk of Teck Resources Limited (NYSE:TECK) (TSX:TECK-A) exploring splitting off its steelmaking coal operations into a spin-out company worth an estimated $11 billion, in order to focus on copper and other "future-friendly" metals. Now other miners large and small are exploring their spin-out playbooks, including Usha Resources Ltd. (TSXV:USHA) (OTCQB:USHAF), Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE), and Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) with Atac Resources Ltd. (TSXV:ATC) (OTCQB:ATADF).

On the heels of identifying evaporite crystallization and more than tripling its land position at its Jackpot Lake Lithium Brine Property in Nevada, Usha Resources (TSXV:USHA) (OTCQB:USHAF) is bringing market attention back to its own spin-out opportunity which is set to be known as Formation Metals Inc. or FMI.

Shareholders of Usha Resources are set to receive shares of Formation Metals on a 1:5 pro rata basis. In simpler terms, for each 10,000 common shares of USHA owned by the share distribution date of on or around April 3, 2023, they get also own 2,000 common shares of FMI.

Essentially, it's like a 20% dividend of another interesting mining opportunity, as FMI will then hold USHA's interest in the Nicobat Nickel Project, and will focus on the advancement of this project, while USHA continues to press onwards in the lithium space, especially the Jackpot Lithium Brine Project, where they're working toward defining a 43-101 resource.

Soon-to-be FMI's Nicobat is a nickel-copper-cobalt project in the Rainy River District in northwest Ontario, Canadaa region known to already have active mine development with excellent road and rail access, power, and water.

Back in December, the spin-out was overwhelmingly approved by USHA's shareholders, garnering support from 99.76% of the votes cast. By January, USHA obtained its final court order approval of the spin-out, which officially started the transaction in motion. However, with the April Share Distribution Record Date set for early April, the opportunity to partake in the spin-out opportunity is still in play for the next little while.

In the case of Vale S.A. (NYSE:VALE), CEO Eduardo Bartolomeo told the FT Mining Summit back in October that his company was exploring separating off its copper and nickel unit from its primary iron ore business. Without specifying a date, Barolomeo implied that this would all go down in 2023, with the idea being to eventually grow the base metals unit as big as Vale is already today, which as of March 2, 2023 was valued at $80 billion.

Already it's been reported that General Motors is competing for a stake in Vale SA's base metals unit following its $650 million investment into the Thacker Pass Lithium project in Nevada. Up for grabs is 10% of its base metals business estimated to be worth nearly $2.5 billion, which Vale already now has a shortlist of potential suitors in place to evaluate before they pull the trigger.

"This thing can get even bigger than Vale," said Bartolomeo to FT.com. "Not tomorrow, not even next year  when you look long-term."

Most of Vale's nickel and copper assets were acquired via a 2006 $17-billion acquisition of Inco.

Another major spin-out underway is that of Teck Resources Limited (NYSE:TECK) (TSX:TECK-A, TECK-A), which is set to split into two world-class, independent companies: Teck Metals and Elk Valley Resources.

Teck Metals will be growth-oriented, with premier, low-cost base metals production, a top-tier copper development portfolio and a disciplined capital returns policy, while Elk Valley Resources will be a high-margin Canadian steelmaking coal producer, focused on long-term cash generation and providing cash returns to shareholders, with significant equity value accretion potential.

"This transformative transaction creates two strong, sustainable, world-class mining companies committed to responsibly providing essential resources the world needs," said Jonathan Price, CEO of Teck. "Both Teck Metals and [Elk Valley Resources] have high-quality operating assets and strong financial foundations, with talented and dedicated employees, committed to ensuring safe and responsible operations. The transaction simplifies the portfolio of each company, allowing for strategic and financial focus and the ability to pursue tailored capital allocation strategies. It provides investors with choice in response to the evolving investment landscape, and establishes a pathway to full financial separation of the two companies over time."

Teck Metals will retain a substantial interest in steelmaking coal cash flows through a transition period in the form of an 87.5% interest in a gross revenue royalty (the "Royalty") and preferred shares of EVR (collectively, the "Transition Capital Structure"). Under the Transition Capital Structure, Teck Metals will receive quarterly payments consisting of Royalty payments and preferred share redemption amounts that will in aggregate equal 90% of EVR free cash flow.

Closing out February, Atac Resources Ltd. (TSXV:ATC) (OTC:ATADF) announced an LOI signed with Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) that would have Hecla acquire all issued and outstanding shares of ATAC. However, attached to the announcement, ATAC shareholders will also receive shares in a new exploration company (so far just labeled "Spinco") which will hold all of ATAC's rights and interests with respect to its Idaho Creek, Catch, Rosy and PIL projects (the "Spinco Assets") as well as ATAC's cash balance following completion.

The Proposed Transaction represents consideration to ATAC shareholders of C$31 million in Hecla shares and a value of approximately C$8 million in Spinco shares based on Hecla's C$2 million placement.

"The spin-out of a new copper-focused exploration company provides additional value to shareholders," stated ATAC president and CEO, Graham Downs. "With the foundation of our existing copper assets, Spinco will be well positioned to aggressively explore for copper  a key critical metal  throughout BC and Yukon."

It's notable that so far, the LOI does not create a binding agreement with Hecla for the Proposed Transaction, and there is no assurance that ATAC and Hecla will reach agreement on the terms of the Definitive Agreement as set out in the LOI or at all.

But should it go through, the Hecla shares contemplated to be received provide ATAC shareholders with a premium of 66% based on ATAC's 20-day volume-weighted average price of C$0.0845 as of February 17, 2023, or a 109% premium when including the value of Spinco.

For more information please visit: https://energymetalnews.com/2023/02/28/charging-along-the-highway-towards-domestic-lithium-dominance/

Article Source:

USA News Group

http://USAnewsgroup.com [email protected]

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Media Contact e-mail:

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U.S. Phone: +1(954)345-0611

SOURCE USA News Group
NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Danco Laboratories forcefully defended the approval of Mifeprex in a four-hour hearing held in federal court in Amarillo, Texas in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The plaintiffs in this case raise a series of meritless challenges to FDA's approval of Mifeprex, including the agency's analysis of the drug's safety profile, which dates back to 2000, and to the REMS that has governed the distribution and use of Mifeprex since 2008. The hearing laid bare both the unprecedented nature of the plaintiffs' legal theory and the speculative nature of their factual allegations.

No court has ever found that doctors can ask a court to suspend or withdraw the approval of a drug based on attenuated theories of potentially having to treat side effects or complications of a drug another doctor prescribed. Here, the plaintiff doctors admittedly do not prescribe mifepristone, and are speculating that other doctors may prescribe it for those other doctor's patients who seek a medication abortion, and that those patients might hypothetically one day in the future be treated for follow-up care by the plaintiff doctors. The consequences of this far-fetched theory are stark: It would undermine the FDA drug approval process and the pharmaceutical industry if doctors (or other hypothetically and tangentially related parties) could seek to overturn the approval of a drug in these circumstances.

Additionally, the plaintiffs argued for a reading of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that would remove the ability of FDA to exercise its scientific and medical expertise to determine the appropriate labeling for a drug based on the agency's assessment of clinical trials and other data submitted in support of approval. This too would upend the pharmaceutical industry and has no basis in (and in fact contradicts) the statute, FDA's regulations or case law. The plaintiffs ultimately were forced to admit that they could point to no precedent consistent with their view of the federal statutes at issue. They acknowledged that no court has ever ordered FDA to withdraw approval of a drug that, like Mifeprex, has been approved and safely used for more than 20 years.

Because of the many legal and factual shortcomings in the plaintiffs' theory, which came into the spotlight at the hearing, Danco asked the court to deny plaintiffs' request that the court enjoin the decades' old approval of Mifeprex and the approval of generic mifepristone. Danco joined this lawsuit in order to ensure that the FDA approval of Mifeprex remains in force and people continue to have access to this safe and effective product.

Over 5 million women in the United States have used Mifeprex since its approval in 2000 for the termination of early pregnancy. Mifeprex is 97% effective in terminating early pregnancy; approximately 3% of women will require surgical intervention for ongoing pregnancy, heavy bleeding, incomplete expulsion, or other reasons such as patient request. The safety profile for mifepristone is well-established and has remained consistent for the more than two decades the drug has been marketed in the United States. Mifepristone is approved in 82 countries and on the World Health Organization's Model List of Essential Medicines for more than 15 years.

MIFEPREX: Important Safety Information

WARNING: SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES FATAL INFECTIONS OR BLEEDING

Serious and sometimes fatal infections and bleeding occur very rarely following spontaneous, surgical, and medical abortions, including following MIFEPREX use. No causal relationship between the use of MIFEPREX and misoprostol and these events has been established.

Atypical Presentation of Infection. Patients with serious bacterial infections and sepsis can present without fever, bacteremia or significant findings on pelvic examination. A high index of suspicion is needed to rule out serious infection and sepsis.

Prolonged heavy bleeding may be a sign of incomplete abortion or other complications and prompt medical or surgical intervention may be needed.

MIFEPREX is only available through a restricted program called the Mifepristone REMS Program.

Before prescribing MIFEPREX, inform the patient about these risks. Ensure the patient knows whom to call and what to do if she experiences sustained fever, severe abdominal pain, prolonged heavy bleeding, or syncope, or if she experiences abdominal pain or discomfort or general malaise for more than 24 hours after taking misoprostol.

Contraindications

Administration of MIFEPREX and misoprostol for the termination of pregnancy is contraindicated in patients with any of the following conditions:

Confirmed or suspected ectopic pregnancy or undiagnosed adnexal mass (the treatment procedure will not be effective to terminate an ectopic pregnancy)

Chronic adrenal failure (risk of acute renal insufficiency)

Concurrent long-term corticosteroid therapy (risk of acute renal insufficiency)

History of allergy to mifepristone, misoprostol, or other prostaglandins (allergic reactions including anaphylaxis, angioedema, rash, hives, and itching have been reported)

Hemorrhagic disorders or concurrent anticoagulant therapy (risk of heavy bleeding)

Inherited porphyrias (risk of worsening or of precipitation of attacks)

Use of MIFEPREX and misoprostol for termination of intrauterine pregnancy is contraindicated in patients with an intrauterine device ("IUD") in place (the IUD might interfere with pregnancy termination). If the IUD is removed, MIFEPREX may be used.

Warnings and Precautions

Infection and Sepsis

As with other types of abortion, cases of serious bacterial infection, including very rare cases of fatal septic shock, have been reported following the use of MIFEPREX. Healthcare providers evaluating a patient who is undergoing a medical abortion should be alert to the possibility of this rare event. A sustained (> 4 hours) fever of 100.4F or higher, severe abdominal pain, or pelvic tenderness in the days after a medical abortion may be an indication of infection.

A high index of suspicion is needed to rule out sepsis if a patient reports abdominal pain, discomfort, or general malaise (including weakness, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea) more than 24 hours after taking misoprostol. Very rarely, deaths have been reported in patients who presented without fever, with or without abdominal pain, but with leukocytosis with a marked left shift, tachycardia, hemoconcentration, and general malaise.

Uterine Bleeding

Uterine bleeding occurs in almost all patients during a medical abortion. Prolonged heavy bleeding (soaking through two thick full-size sanitary pads per hour for two consecutive hours) may be a sign of incomplete abortion or other complications and prompt medical or surgical intervention may be needed to prevent the development of hypovolemic shock. Counsel patients to seek immediate medical attention if they experience prolonged heavy vaginal bleeding following a medical abortion.

Excessive uterine bleeding usually requires treatment by uterotonics, vasoconstrictor drugs, surgical uterine evacuation, administration of saline infusions, and/or blood transfusions. Because heavy bleeding requiring surgical uterine evacuation occurs in about 1% of patients, special care should be given to patients with hemostatic disorders, hypocoagulability, or severe anemia.

Mifepristone REMS Program

MIFEPREX is available only through a restricted program under a REMS called the Mifepristone REMS Program, because of the risks of serious complications. Notable requirements of the Mifepristone REMS Program include the following:

Prescribers must be certified with the program by completing the Prescriber Agreement Form.

Patients must sign a Patient Agreement Form.

MIFEPREX must only be dispensed to patients by or under the supervision of a certified prescriber, or by certified pharmacies on prescriptions issued by certified prescribers.

Ectopic Pregnancy

MIFEPREX is contraindicated in patients with a confirmed or suspected ectopic pregnancy because MIFEPREX is not effective for terminating ectopic pregnancies. Healthcare providers should remain alert to the possibility that a patient who is undergoing a medical abortion could have an undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy because some of the expected symptoms experienced with a medical abortion (abdominal pain, uterine bleeding) may be similar to those of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy.

Women who became pregnant with an IUD in place should be assessed for ectopic pregnancy.

Rhesus Immunization

The use of MIFEPREX is assumed to require the same preventive measures as those taken prior to and during surgical abortion to prevent rhesus immunization.

Adverse Reactions

Most common adverse reactions (>15%) are nausea, weakness, fever/chills, vomiting, headache, diarrhea, and dizziness. The frequency of adverse reactions varies between studies and may be dependent on many factors including the patient population and gestational age.

This is the Important Safety Information. For more information, please see the Full Prescribing Information, including BOXED WARNING and Medication Guide, available at www.earlyoptionpill.com .

SOURCE Danco Laboratories
Teamster Warehouse Workers Fight for and Win Strong Agreement

ERLANGER, Ky., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Teamsters Local 1199 warehouse workers have reached an agreement with Coca-Cola Consolidated, following more than a year of negotiations. This is the first contract Local 1199 members in Erlanger, Ky., have ratified with the company.

The new contract covers over 100 Coca-Cola Consolidated warehouse workers. The four-year contract, which is effective immediately, includes wage increases, improved benefits, a grievance process, and job security provisions for workers at the facility.

"This agreement is a victory for our members at Coca-Cola Consolidated," said Randy Verst, President of Local 1199. "The company dragged out negotiations much longer than necessary, but our members stuck with it and never gave up. We believe this contract reflects the value of collective bargaining."

Coca-Cola Consolidated, the largest Coca-Cola distributor in the U.S., distributes, markets, and manufactures Coca-Cola products in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Its largest customers are Walmart Inc., The Kroger Company, and Food Lion.

Approximately 14 percent of Coca-Cola Consolidated workers are covered by collective bargaining agreements, including more than 1,300 Teamsters in Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana.

"I'm proud of our members for demanding a fair first contract," Verst said. "I also want to recognize the leadership of the International and the Brewery, Bakery, and Soft Drink Conference, including Director Jeff Padellaro and our Central Region Representative, Max Zelma, for supporting our members at Coca-Cola Consolidated. Local 1199 and our members are also deeply appreciative of the strong support provided by all the Teamsters at Coca-Cola Consolidated throughout Ohio and West Virginia, and the Ohio Conference of Teamsters."

Contact:

Randy Verst, (513) 721-4116

SOURCE Teamsters Local 1199
The Bahamas collaborates with world-class yacht brokerage firm to target wider yachting audience

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to target a wider superyacht audience, The Bahamas will participate in the 2023 Palm Beach International Boat Show (PBIBS) in collaboration with Worth Avenue Yachts, a world-class yacht brokerage firm specialising in the sale of luxury yachts, yacht charters and new yacht construction.

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation (BMOTIA) Yachting Department will join forces with Worth Avenue Yachts in a co-branded opportunity that will see the branding of The Islands of The Bahamas showcased inside Worth Avenue Yachts' main tent area on their floating dock space over the four days of the 41st Palm Beach International Boat Show.

Additionally, BMOTIA will have a booth in the Clematis tent at booth M-12 where our hotels, marinas, and airlines, will have exhibitor space to promote their products. These partners include Bay Street Marina, Romora Bay Resort & Marina, Jet Nassau Aviation, Bluff House Resort & Marina, Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board, Grand Bahama Island Promotion Board, Bahamasair, Grand Bahama Yacht Club, the Association of Bahamas Marinas, Nassau Cruise Port, Atlantis Paradise Island, Chub Cay Resort & Marina, Exuma Escape Bahamas Ltd, Sandyport Beach Resort, Long Island Bahamas Boat Rentals & Tours, and Nassau Yacht Haven. The Boat Show will take place in downtown West Palm Beach, 23  26 March.

Boating and yachting represent one of the biggest growth sectors of the Bahamas tourism industry. In 2022 The Bahamas saw 92,926 boaters visit the various islands with over 50% ( 46,880) coming from Florida. A leading event on the calendar of international boat shows, PBIBS features the latest in boating, yachting, and marine technology. This year's edition of the Boat Show will attract more than 55,000 attendees and 600 exhibiting brands. Some 600 boats will be on display, ranging from 8-foot inflatables to superyachts nearly 300 feet in length.

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation officials attending this year's show will include the Honorable John W. H. Pinder II, Parliamentary Secretary.

"The Bahamas has a longstanding reputation as a boating paradise," said Parliamentary Secretary Pinder. "In recent years, we have seen the strong emergence of the superyacht market. This is a market of tremendous potential, one that we are courting very vigorously. This year, we have partnered with Worth Avenue Yachts, a leader in the global yachting sector, to reach a greater number of clients among the international yachting community."

Pinder further noted: "The Palm Beach International Boat Show is considered the Monaco Yacht Show of the U.S, attracting a high net worth clientele. Placing Bahamas branding on the dock space of Worth Avenue Yachts will give us direct access to charters, buyers, current owners, as well as charter brokers. We will capitalise on this singular opportunity to showcase The Bahamas' diverse yachting product and to educate yachting enthusiasts on the recent changes to The Bahamas boating fees."

Over the four days of the Palm Beach International Boat Show, staff of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation Yachting Department, joined by various industry partners including Odyssey, Nassau Yacht Haven and Romora Bay Club, will showcase The Islands of The Bahamas as a top yachting destination, with opportunities throughout each day to interact directly with clientele visiting Worth Avenue Yacht's dock space. Ministry officials will engage in meetings with potential investors in the boating sector.

The four busy show days will be highlighted by two gala events, both of which will offer excellent networking opportunities for BMOTIA executives and industry partners to interact with clients and key players in the international yachting sector.

Worth Avenue Yachts' Annual Private Client Event, hosted on the evening of day one of the boat show (23 March), is dedicated to current and prospective yacht owners as well as previous and prospective charterers. This event will also be attended by Worth Avenue Yachts charter brokers as well as clients from the supporting brands  Rolls Royce, Flex jet, UBS, and others.

Bahamas Night, a Bahamas themed soiree, will be hosted on the evening of day two (24 March) aboard a megayacht. The evening's guest list will include yacht owners, yacht brokers, professional athletes, Bahamian dignitaries, BMOTIA executives, industry stakeholders and influencers. Bahamas Night will be hosted by the BMOTIA in partnership with Worth Avenue Yachts, The Cut Agency  Sports, Amerant Bank, Louis XIII, Tequila 512 and Pink Sands Spirits * (not confirmed)

About The Bahamas

The Bahamas has over 700 islands and cays, as well as 16 unique island destinations. Located only 50 miles off the coast of Florida, it offers a quick and easy way for travellers to escape their everyday. The island nation also boasts world-class fishing, diving, boating and thousands of miles of the Earth's most spectacular beaches for families, couples and adventurers to explore. See why It's Better in The Bahamas at www.bahamas.com or on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram.

About Worth Avenue Yachts

Worth Avenue Yacht was founded in 2011 by industry leaders Michael Mahan and Brian Tansey. Michael has been in the yachting industry for over 30 years, and has watched luxury yachting evolve from a niche, relatively unknown leisure industry to the global luxury yacht brokerage it is today. As the industry became more professional, more regulated, and more competitive as it matured, Michael recognized the need for a fresh and innovative approach to luxury yacht sales and charterin fact, he believed an entirely new yacht brokerage business model was called for. For more information, please visit www.worthavenueyachts.com.

PRESS INQUIRIES

Anita Johnson-Patty

Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation

[email protected]

SOURCE The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., March 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Harry H. Kazakian is acknowledged as a Top Pinnacle Professional for his contributions in legal and investigative services.

Harry Kazakian (PRNewsfoto/The Inner Circle)

Mr. Kazakian earned a private investigator's certificate in 2001 from the School of Private Investigations. He was certified in phlebotomy in 1983 by the California Association of Paramedical Schools, and in 1982 he was certified as an emergency medical technician by the Associated Technical College. Mr. Kazakian is a certified criminal defense investigator through the United Latino Students Association. He has experience working as a high exposure claims adjuster for the Automobile Club of Southern California. He worked as an emergency medical technician in Glendale, California and Los Angeles County from 1982 to 1997.

Mr. Kazakian is the founder, president, and chief executive officer of USA Express Legal & Investigative Services and also serves as a private investigator and claims adjuster. According to Mr. Kazakian, he oversees day to day operations, directs investigations, oversees and reviews reports to determine future actions on each case, determines the cause of wrongful deaths, and ensures justice for victims.

Mr. Kazakian has published articles in Forbes Magazine and has been recognized for providing education and guidance to clerical support by the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles. He attributes his success to his dependability, hard work, honesty, and willingness to always make himself accessible to clients. In the future, Mr. Kazakian plans to merge his business with a larger company. He also hopes to train and mentor more investigators to preserve his legacy.

Mr. Kazakian would like to give special thanks to his wife, Gina Kazakian, with whom he has been married 30 years.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE The Inner Circle
DOVER, Fla., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Karl Kasischke is acknowledged as a Most Trusted Healthcare Professional for his contributions to the Medical Field.

Dr. Kasischke earned a Master's degree at the University of Cologne and Berlin and completed a residency at the University of Ulm. He then completed a Fellowship in Vascular Neurology. The doctor is a clinical neurologist and neuroscientist and has more than 20 years in the field. According to Dr. Kasischke, he has specialized training in neurology, vascular, neurology, and neuroscience from top universities and hospitals in the United States and Germany.

Dr. Kasischke is considered an expert in the management of rare medical conditions that lead to stroke and brain disorders, post-stroke epilepsy, and vascular disorders. He is fluent in both English and German. It has been Dr. Kasischke's passion to become a neurologist since experiencing a stroke-related loss in his own family. He notes that his goal is to recognize disease early and treat his patients with the same empathy and dedication he would his own family.

Dr. Kasischke enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, staying active, and working on his pet science projects. He is associated with Alpha Omega Alpha, ANA, AAN, AMA and supports the American Heart Association.

His mentors are Dr. Scott Bergen and Dr. David Rose. Dr. Kasischke would like to dedicate this honor to his wife and sons and in loving memory of his mother Keiko Tsuno.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE The Inner Circle
The growing prevalence of chronic and autoimmune diseases, increased use of therapeutic drug monitoring in organ transplantation, technological advancements in drug monitoring technologies, and the growing awareness of therapeutic drug monitoring drive the global therapeutic drug monitoring market.

PORTLAND, Ore., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A new business intelligence report released, titled, "Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Market by Product (Consumables, Equipment), by Technology (Immunoassays, Chromatography-Spectrometry, Others), by Drug Class (Antiepileptic Drugs, Antiarrhythmic Drugs, Immunosuppressant Drugs, Antibiotic Drugs, Others), by End Users (Hospital, Diagnostic Labs, Research and Academic Institutes): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2031" According to the report, the global therapeutic drug monitoring industry was valued at $1.93 billion in 2021 and is estimated to generate $4.41 billion by 2031, witnessing a CAGR of 8.5% from 2022 to 2031. The report offers a detailed analysis of changing market trends, top segments, key investment pockets, value chain, regional landscape, and competitive scenario.

Download Free Sample Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/9517

Drivers, Restraints, and Opportunities

The growing prevalence of chronic and autoimmune diseases, a rise in demand for therapeutic drug monitoring services in emerging markets, increased use of therapeutic drug monitoring in organ transplantation, growing awareness of therapeutic drug monitoring, the rising demand for precision medicine, technological advancements in drug monitoring technologies, and the increasing number of initiatives taken by the government to promote healthcare drive the therapeutic drug monitoring market. However, a lack of skilled professionals to implement the tests is likely to hinder the market growth during the forecast period. On the other hand, an unprecedented increase in R&D activities for the development of advanced equipment to accurately measure drug levels in the body, surge in disposable income, and rise in healthcare spending in developing regions will present new growth opportunities for the global therapeutic drug monitoring market in the coming years.

Covid-19 Scenario

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the therapeutic drug monitoring market, owing to delays in laboratory testing due to disruptions in the supply of reagents and testing kits.

Furthermore, the pandemic led healthcare professionals to focus more towards the care of COVID-19 patients rather than the monitoring of chronic diseases, such as those related to therapeutic drug monitoring.

However, the market is expected to grow at a significant rate in the post-pandemic period owing to the increased number of individuals needing organ transplants. Due to the increased risk of rejection, therapeutic drugs will be needed to help monitor the body's acceptance to the new organ.

The immunoassays segment to dominate the market during the forecast period

Based on technology, the immunoassays segment contributed to the largest share of more than two-fifths of the global therapeutic drug monitoring market in 2021 and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. The same segment is projected to witness the fastest CAGR of 9.2% from 2022 to 2031. This is due to the rise in use of immunoassay technology, as it provides quick, sensitive, and accurate results.

The consumables segment to grab the lion's share during the forecast period

Based on product, the consumables segment grabbed the highest share of more than three-fifths of the therapeutic drug monitoring market in 2021 and is expected to dominate the market in 2031. The same segment would witness the fastest CAGR of 9.0% from 2022 to 2031. This is due to an increase in the demand for drug monitoring for precise and accurate drug levels in the body.

Procure Complete Report (292 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout-final/therapeutic-drug-monitoring

The antiepileptic drugs segment to maintain its leadership during the forecast period

Based on drug class, the antiepileptic drugs segment grabbed the highest share of nearly one-third of the overall therapeutic drug monitoring market in 2021 and is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period. The same segment is projected to witness the fastest CAGR of 9.3% from 2022 to 2031. This is owing to the rise in adoption of anti-epileptic drugs for the treatment of seizures.

Asia-Pacific to achieve the fastest growth by 2031

Based on region, the market in Asia-Pacific is likely to show the fastest CAGR of 9.5% during the forecast period. This is owing to the rise in health awareness, increase in disposable income, development in healthcare facilities, and surge in healthcare expenditure in the region. However, the market in North America was the largest in 2021, accounting for two-fifths of the global therapeutic drug monitoring market and is likely to maintain its dominance during the forecast timeframe. This is owing to the higher adoption of advanced therapeutic drug monitoring tools and the availability of well-developed healthcare infrastructure in this region.

Leading Market Players

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Abbott Laboratories

Biomerieux SA

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Siemens AG

Chromsystems Instruments & Chemicals GmbH

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

Danaher Corporation

Seikisui Chemical Co., Ltd.

Exagen, Inc.

The report analyzes these key players of the global therapeutic drug monitoring market. These players have adopted various strategies such as expansion, new product launches, partnerships, and others to increase their market penetration and strengthen their position in the industry. The report is helpful in determining the business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and developments by every market player.

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A roundup of the week's most newsworthy consumer and retail industry press releases from PR Newswire, including a new chicken dish at Chipotle and a birthday cruise for Chips Ahoy!

NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the consumer and retail industries stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

PR Newswire Weekly Consumer Press Release Roundup, March 13-17, 2023. Photo provided by HSN. https://prn.to/3FpTrRS

Read more of the latest consumer-related releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNcnsmr on Twitter.

Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News

These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists.

Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers and freelancers have access to the following free features:

Customization: Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more.

Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story.

Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Subject Matter Experts: Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles.

Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Related Resources: Read and subscribe to our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, for media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more.

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PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals.

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A roundup of the week's most newsworthy financial industry press releases from PR Newswire, including a roundup of SVB-related headlines and the Q2 hiring outlook.

NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the finance industry stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

PR Newswire Weekly Finance Press Release Roundup, March 13-17, 2023. Photo provided by SVB Financial Group. https://prn.to/3ZUXrSs

Read more of the latest finance-related releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNfinance on Twitter.

SVB and Signature Bank Fallout

After the rapid collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank last weekend, many companies took time this week to share updates for their customers and shareholders. Here are a few of those announcements:

Catch up on more SVB/Signature Bank-related stories here.

Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News

These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists.

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Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story.

Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Subject Matter Experts: Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles.

Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Related Resources: Read and subscribe to our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, for media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more.

About PR Newswire and PR Newswire for Journalists

For more than 65 years, PR Newswire has been the industry leader with the largest, most comprehensive distribution network of print, radio, magazine, television stations, financial portals and trade publications. PR Newswire has an unparalleled global reach of more than 200,000 publications and 10,000 websites and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages.

PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals.

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A roundup of the week's most newsworthy policy and public interest press releases from PR Newswire, including the percentage of parents that are struggling to feed their families.

NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the policy and public interest industries stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

PR Newswire Weekly Policy & Public Interest Press Release Roundup, March 13-17, 2023. Photo provided by American Council of the Blind. https://prn.to/3l7gES9

Read more of the latest policy-related releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNpolicy on Twitter.

Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News

These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists.

Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers and freelancers have access to the following free features:

Customization: Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more.

Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story.

Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Subject Matter Experts: Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles.

Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Related Resources: Read and subscribe to our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, for media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more.

About PR Newswire and PR Newswire for Journalists

For more than 65 years, PR Newswire has been the industry leader with the largest, most comprehensive distribution network of print, radio, magazine, television stations, financial portals and trade publications. PR Newswire has an unparalleled global reach of more than 200,000 publications and 10,000 websites and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages.

PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals.

For questions, contact the team at [email protected].

SOURCE PR Newswire
A roundup of the week's most newsworthy technology industry press releases from PR Newswire, including a new Microsoft gaming partnership.

NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help journalists covering the business technology industry stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a roundup of stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

PR Newswire Weekly Technology Press Release Roundup, March 13-17, 2023. Photo provided by Montavista Ltd. https://prn.to/3ZOHq0v

Read more of the latest business technology releases from PR Newswire and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @PRNtech on Twitter.

Can't-Miss Earnings

In addition to these popular releases, several must-read earnings reports crossed the wire this week, including the quarterly results for JinkoSolar.

Catch up on all the latest earnings reports here.

Helping Journalists Stay Up to Date on Industry News

These are just a few of the recent press releases that consumers and the media should know about. To be notified of releases relevant to their coverage area, journalists can set up a custom newsfeed with PR Newswire for Journalists.

Once they're signed up, reporters, bloggers and freelancers have access to the following free features:

Customization: Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more.

Create a customized newsfeed that will deliver relevant news right to your inbox. Customize the newsfeed by keywords, industry, subject, geography, and more. Photos and Videos: Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story.

Thousands of multimedia assets are available to download and include with your next story. Subject Matter Experts: Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles.

Access ProfNet, a database of industry experts to connect with as sources or for quotes in your articles. Related Resources: Read and subscribe to our journalist- and blogger-focused blog, Beyond Bylines, for media news roundups, writing tips, upcoming events, and more.

About PR Newswire and PR Newswire for Journalists

For more than 65 years, PR Newswire has been the industry leader with the largest, most comprehensive distribution network of print, radio, magazine, television stations, financial portals and trade publications. PR Newswire has an unparalleled global reach of more than 200,000 publications and 10,000 websites and is available in more than 170 countries and 40 languages.

PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) is an exclusive community that includes over 20,000 journalists, bloggers and influencers who are logging into their PRNJ accounts specifically looking for story ideas. PR Newswire thoroughly researches and vets this community to verify their identity as a member of the press, blogger or influencer. PRNJ users cover more than 200 beats and verticals.

For questions, contact the team at [email protected].

SOURCE PR Newswire
CHICAGO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The ultrasound probe disinfection industry is expected to experience steady growth in the near future due to the increased use of ultrasound technology in the medical field. The need for efficient and effective disinfection of ultrasound probes has become increasingly important due to the spread of healthcare-associated infections. As a result, there is an increasing demand for efficient and cost-effective disinfection solutions. Companies in the ultrasound probe disinfection industry are expected to invest in research and development to develop more advanced, automated, and cost-effective solutions. Additionally, technological advancements, such as the use of artificial intelligence and robotics, are expected to drive the growth of the industry in the near future. Furthermore, rising awareness about the importance of disinfection and stringent regulations are expected to drive the growth of the ultrasound probe disinfection industry.

Ultrasound Probe Disinfection Market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $501 million in 2022 and is poised to reach $936 million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 13.3% from 2022 to 2027 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The ultrasound probe disinfection market is mainly driven by factors such as rising incidence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), growing volume of ultrasound procedures performed, and the increasing need for the high-level disinfection of ultrasound probes after each patient use. However, the lack of guidelines and low awareness about the high-level disinfection of semi-critical ultrasound probes are restraining the growth of this market.

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Browse in-depth TOC on "Ultrasound Probe Disinfection Market"

280 - Tables

53 - Figures

290 - Pages

Ultrasound Probe Disinfection Market Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2022 $501 million Estimated Value by 2027 $936 million Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 13.3% Market Size Available for 20202027 Forecast Period 20222027 Forecast Units Value (USD Million) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By product, by process, type of probe and by end user Geographies Covered North America (US and Canada), Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, and RoE, Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia and RoAPAC), Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Increasing birth rates/ number of pregnancies Key Market Drivers Increasing number of ultrasound imaging procedures

The consumables segment is expected to holds the largest market share during the forecast period.

On the basis of product, the ultrasound probe disinfection market is segmented into instruments, services, and consumables. The consumables segment is expected to holds the largest share of the global ultrasound probe disinfection market during forecast period. The large share of this segment can be attributed to the repeat purchase of disinfectants for ultrasound probes.

The high-level disinfection segment is expected to account for the largest share of the Ultrasound Probe Disinfection Market in 2022.

On the basis of process, the ultrasound probe disinfection market is segmented into high-level disinfection and intermediate/low-level disinfection processes. In 2022, the high-level disinfection segment is expected to account for the largest share of the ultrasound probe disinfection market. The increasing demand for high-level disinfection of semi-critical ultrasound probes and heat-sensitive probes and the high capability of high-level disinfectants to suppress the growth of pathogenic organisms are the major factors driving the adoption of the high-level disinfection process for ultrasound probes.

North America accounted for the largest share for players operating in the ultrasound probe disinfection market in 2021

On the basis of region, the ultrasound probe disinfection market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. North America accounted for the largest share of the ultrasound probe disinfection market in 2021. Factors such as growing quantity of transvaginal, transrectal, abdominal, and intraoperative ultrasound procedures, as well as transesophageal echocardiography and ultrasound-guided interventional procedures (biopsies and venous access), and the presence of leading market players in the region are driving the growth of this segment.

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Ultrasound Probe Disinfection Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

Increasing number of ultrasound imaging procedures Rising incidence of hospital-acquired infections due to the improper reprocessing of ultrasound probes Increasing adoption of automated high-level disinfection systems for critical and semi-critical ultrasound probes Government regulations and guidelines in developed markets Technological advancements in ultrasound probes

Restraints:

High cost of automated probe reprocessors Reluctance to shift from manual disinfection methods to automated probe reprocessors

Opportunities:

Increasing birth rates/number of pregnancies High growth opportunities in emerging countries

Challenges:

Lack of knowledge about probe reprocessing Inadequate cleaning and disinfection of probes

Key Market Players:

The ultrasound probe disinfection market is consolidated. Some of the major players operating in this market include Nanosonics (Australia), Tristel plc (UK), STERIS plc (US), Ecolab (US), Advanced Sterilization Products (US), Metrex Research, LLC. (US), CIVCO Medical Solutions (US), CS Medical LLC (US), Virox (Canada), Germitec (France), Schulke & Mayr GmbH (Germany), Parker Laboratories, Inc.(US).

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Recent Developments

In September 2022 , Tristel Plc collaborated with Parker Laboratories. Under this collaboration, Parker will manufacture and distribute Tristel DUO, a disinfecting foam approved for the cleaning and disinfection of general medical surfaces, including ultrasound transducers, in the US markets.

, Tristel Plc collaborated with Parker Laboratories. Under this collaboration, Parker will manufacture and distribute Tristel DUO, a disinfecting foam approved for the cleaning and disinfection of general medical surfaces, including ultrasound transducers, in the US markets. In March 2021 , Metrex Research, LLC announced a strategic partnership with the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) to reduce the risk of infection.

, Metrex Research, LLC announced a strategic partnership with the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) to reduce the risk of infection. In June 2021 , STERIS plc. acquired Cantel Medical Corporation, a leading player in the infection control market for endoscopy, dental, dialysis, and life sciences services. This acquisition increased the share of STERIS in the infection control and ultrasound probe disinfection markets.

, STERIS plc. acquired Cantel Medical Corporation, a leading player in the infection control market for endoscopy, dental, dialysis, and life sciences services. This acquisition increased the share of STERIS in the infection control and ultrasound probe disinfection markets. In February 2020 , GAMA Healthcare Ltd. partnered with Cardiff University. The partnership helped GAMA Healthcare in the R&D of innovative disinfection solutions. GAMA Healthcare provided funding of USD 687,827.50 (GBP 500,000) to the University for procuring innovative solutions.

Ultrasound Probe Disinfection Market Advantages:

Enhances the safety of patient care: Ultrasound probe disinfection products help to reduce the risk of cross-contamination between patients, which is an important element of patient safety.

Enhances the reliability of ultrasound images: As ultrasound probes are an integral part of the imaging process, proper disinfection helps to ensure quality images.

Reduces costs: With increased safety and reliable images, healthcare facilities are able to reduce costs associated with ultrasound imaging procedures.

Minimizes staff time: Automated ultrasound probe disinfection products minimize the amount of staff time required for manual cleaning and disinfecting procedures.

Improves patient experience: By providing a safer, more reliable imaging experience, ultrasound probe disinfection products help to improve the overall patient experience.

Related Reports:

Medical Device Cleaning Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Sterilization Equipment Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Infection Control Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Surface Disinfectant Market - Global Forecasts to 2026

Ultrasound Market - Global Forecasts to 2026

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NAPLES, Fla., March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vernon Litigation Group, based in Naples, Florida is representing a retiree with dyslexia, who was allegedly solicited to invest by barred broker Howard J. Goldman. Our client was allegedly solicited to invest in a trading program run by Mr. Goldman through Velocity Clearing, LLC. Velocity Clearing allegedly failed to disclose to our client that Mr. Goldman was not a registered representative of Velocity Clearing, and that Mr. Goldman had been barred by FINRA over 20 years ago. Velocity Clearing permitted Mr. Goldman to enter short sale trades on behalf of our client, losing more than 80% of his account in less than one month.

FINRA rules require representatives in the securities industry to be properly registered. As a result of Velocity Clearing's alleged regulatory breach, the investor is seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, costs, interest, and attorney's fees under the Florida Securities Act Chapter 517. If you, or someone you know was solicited to invest by Howard J. Goldman, please contact one of our securities attorneys to discuss your rights.

securities arbitration and litigation claims For more information, visit our website at http://www.vernonlitigation.com/ or contact Vernon Litigation Group by phone at 1-877-649-5394 or by e-mail at [email protected] to speak with a representative of Vernon Litigation Group. SHARE

SOURCE Vernon Litigation Group
BEIJING, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Waterdrop Inc. ("Waterdrop", the "Company" or "we") (NYSE: WDH), a leading technology platform dedicated to insurance and healthcare service with a positive social impact, today announced the appointment of Mr. Wei Ran as a new director to its board of directors (the "Board") and the resignation of Mr. Yao Hu from the Board, effective March 17, 2023. After the change, the Board will consist of nine members, three of whom are independent directors. Mr. Hu's resignation does not involve any disagreement with the Company with regard to its business, finance, accounting or any other affairs.

Concurrently with the Board change, the Company brings in new members to, and refines roles and responsibilities within, the leadership team. Mr. Wei Ran was appointed to serve as the general manager of the insurance technology business while Mr. Guang Yang serves as vice president of finance and general manager of international business of the Company. Mr. Yao Hu will cease to serve as the general manager of the crowdfunding and healthcare business of the Company and will focus on the Company's strategy and investments in the healthcare field. Meanwhile, Mr. Zetao Zhu was appointed as the general manager of crowdfunding and pharmatech business of the Company.

Mr. Wei Ran joined the Company in June 2016 as head of strategy and business analysis and was responsible for establishing the Company's strategy and business analysis system and exploring new business initiatives. Before joining the Company, he worked as senior strategy analyst at Meituan Waimai, the food and grocery delivery business of Meituan (HKSE: 3690), from July 2015 to June 2016, where he was responsible for strategy and business analysis. Prior to that, he worked at Accenture Consulting, which provides consulting services to various enterprise clients, as a strategic consultant from July 2013 to June 2015, and participated in a number of digitalization projects for large and medium-sized enterprises in the energy and financial industries. Mr. Ran obtained a bachelor's degree in Economics from Shanghai Jiaotong University in June 2009, and a master's degree in Software Engineering from Peking University in June 2013.

Mr.Zetao Zhu joined the company in April 2022. Prior to joining us, Mr. Zhu worked as General Manager of China Region at DiDi Global Inc. from March 2016 to April 2022, where he was responsible for the regional strategy, operation, marketing, public relationship, finance and customer services. Prior to that, he worked as director and head of digital transformation of China region at Capgemini Consulting from April 2014 to February 2016. From July 2005 to March 2014, Mr. Zhu worked at IBM consulting with his last position as senior consultant manager, mainly focusing on application innovation. Mr. Zhu obtained a bachelor's degree in scientific calculation and computer application from Sun Yat-Sen University in June 2003 and a master's degree in computer science from Sun Yat-Sen University in June 2005.

Mr. Peng Shen, the Company's founder, chairman and chief executive officer, on behalf of the Board and management, said, "During his tenure as a director and as general manager of the crowdfunding and healthcare business of the Company, Mr. Yao Hu has demonstrated his loyalty, diligence and dedication in performing his duties. The Company and the Board believe that Mr. Yao Hu will continue to help the Company innovate and succeed in his new role focusing on the Company's strategy and investments in the healthcare field.

The Board would like to take this opportunity to welcome Mr. Wei Ran for joining the Board. The Company firmly believes that Mr. Wei Ran and Mr. Zetao Zhu will continue to contribute to the success of the Company in their new roles with their sound talents, expertise and experience."

About Waterdrop Inc.

Waterdrop Inc. (NYSE: WDH) is a leading technology platform dedicated to insurance and healthcare service with a positive social impact. Founded in 2016, with the comprehensive coverage of Waterdrop Insurance Marketplace and Waterdrop Medical Crowdfunding, Waterdrop aims to bring insurance and healthcare service to billions through technology. For more information, please visit www.waterdrop-inc.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "aims," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "likely to," and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Waterdrop's beliefs, plans, and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Waterdrop's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and Waterdrop does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

For investor inquiries, please contact:

Waterdrop Inc.

Ruichen Chen

[email protected]

SOURCE Waterdrop Inc.
Lucknow, March 17 : The Uttar Pradesh government has warned that it will deal with the striking power employees sternly and anyone found sabotaging the power system would be booked under the National Security Act (NSA), even as power employees in the state began a 72-hour strike from Thursday night.

While the employees, who are demanding implementation of a December 3 agreement with the government, threatened that they would switch to an indefinite strike if any of the strikers was arrested or harassed, the authorities said all the alternative arrangements to keep the power supply on track had been made, seeking to allay apprehensions that consumers could be on the receiving end.

After last-ditch efforts to persuade the UP Vidyut Karamchari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti leaders to withdraw the strike call, state Energy Minister A.K. Sharma admitted that the talks had failed to produce the desired result.

He said the government was ready to consider implementation of most of the points of the December 3 agreement, including the point 13 that talked of quashing FIRs lodged against power employees in the past.

"We already announced the decision to provide cashless treatment facility to all power personnel, pensioners and their families in all government hospitals and earlier gave them bonus despite the UPPCL's fragile financial health," he said.

Sharma further said that while doors for talks were still open, the government would deal with strikers in a tough manner if they were found creating any trouble.

"They chose to go on strike ignoring our pleas at a time when people need smooth power supply in the summer season that has already set in," he added.

The minister warned that any striker found sabotaging the power system would be booked under the National Security Act (NSA).

He said provisions of Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) would also be invoked if consumers were put to any inconvenience. The services of contractual employees would be terminated if they joined the strike, he added.

"The Chief Secretary has already alerted the district magistrates, asking them to toughly deal with strikers," he added.

UPPCL Chairman M. Devraj said that all the alternative arrangements to keep the power supply on track had been made.

"The NTPC and the private power plants' staff have been roped in to run the thermal plants while employees of the electricity wing in departments like irrigation, PWD, Nagar Nigam will take care of power distribution as well as students of engineering colleges will render their services in taking care of power distribution," he said.

He said there were certain unions that were not joining the strike. The UP Power Officers' Association, he said, had assured that its engineers would work two hours extra during the strike.

Sangharsh Samiti convenor Shailendra Dubey, on the other hand, alleged that the strike had been imposed on the employees because the government was not able to implement the December 3 agreement due to stubbornness on the part of UPPCL top management.

"The minister was asking us to defer strike plan without giving an assurance on implementation of the December 3 agreement that was signed in his presence. We deferred work boycott agitation then with the government assuring us to implement the agreement in 15 days," he said.

The main points of the agreement, he said, were that the government would, at the earliest, initiate the process of appointing UPPCL chairman and the managing director through selection process as laid down and not through routine transfer-posting route, UPPCL will give time-bound pay scales to all the employees like earlier and introduce power sector employees protection law.

"Our strike is only for 72 hours and the government can use this period to implement the agreement," he said.

He claimed power employees in all the states were demonstrating in support of the strike.
Rome, March 17 : Italy's Council of Ministers has approved a decree that will allow for the building of the world's longest suspension bridge between the island of Sicily and the Italian mainland.

Such a bridge has been discussed since ancient times, but it is the first time the project has received this level of formal authorisation, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a statement on Thursday, the ministry of infrastructure and transport said the bridge would be "the crown jewel of Italian engineering".

The north-eastern most tip of Sicily is clearly visible from the western shore of Calabria, but deep water and fast currents between the two land masses mean building a bridge is a daunting challenge for engineers.

According to technical specifications, once completed the bridge will be 3,666 meters long, with a single span of 3,300 meters.

This means the central span will be over 50 percent longer than the 2,023-meter central span of the Canakkale Bridge in Turkey, currently the world's longest suspension bridge. The Turkish structure, which connects the European part of Turkey to the Asian part, was completed a year ago. The bridge took six years to build, and reportedly cost at least $2.7 billion.

The timetable and budget for the Italian Messina Bridge project have not yet been announced, but according to previous estimates the project will take at least six years to complete, at a cost of around 8.5 billion euros ($9 billion).

As far back as 251 BC, the Roman historian Pliny the Elder wrote about plans to construct a floating bridge to connect Sicily to the Italian mainland, and other projects were discussed in later centuries. The first modern-day project was announced in 1981, and a blueprint for the project was produced in 2005.

The case in favour of the bridge has included economic development both in Sicily and Calabria. Data shows the per-capita income in both these regions is around half that of Italy. The bridge would provide cheaper and faster transport, and connect high-velocity trains from the mainland to Sicily for the first time.

However, critics of the project are concerned over potential cost overruns, involvement by organised crime groups, vulnerability to earthquakes, and adverse environmental impacts.

According to Thursday's statement from the government, the project will be paid for over several years by tolls on bridge traffic, with initial funding from the ministry of infrastructure and transport and the ministry of finance.

Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini, said in Thursday's statement that the project would be environmental friendly, reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation. It would also increase tourism and attract industry to the area, Salvini said.

The project will be based on previous plans developed in 2011, adapted to reflect "new technical, safety, and environmental standards", the government said.

Further details on the plans for the bridge are expected in the coming weeks.
Ramallah, March 17 : Four Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli soldiers who stormed the northern West Bank city of Jenin, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement.

Another 20 Palestinians were wounded, four of whom were in serious conditions, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the statement.

According to Palestinian sources and eyewitnesses, heavy clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants broke out in Jenin's main street after an Israeli undercover unit stormed the city.

There has been no official statement from Israel on the shootings.

Israeli security forces have regularly conducted raids in Jenin in the past few months, amid an escalation of tension between Palestinians and Israelis in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said that 84 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli soldiers since January. Meanwhile, official Israeli figures show that 14 Israelis were killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians.
Singapore, March 17 : Kumar Amrit, a 29 year-old Indian national formerly working with a yoga institute in Singapore, was fined $4,000 by a court here on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to molesting a female student last year.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Jing Min told the court that in April 2022, the victim, whose details have been redacted from court documents, bought a package for one-on-one lessons at Trust Yoga in Telok Ayer Street.

Min said during the lesson, Kumar placed his hand on the victim's lower back and applied pressure without asking her permission, The Straits Times reported.

"He instructed her to lie on her stomach while he used his feet to step on her buttocks and lower back. Subsequently, he used his hands to massage her upper back, while her face was pressed to the yoga mat," Min told the court.

The court was told that Kumar gave minimal verbal cues when moving the victim from one pose to the next, and instead, he physically moved her into position without warning before telling her to perform a stretching exercise.

"The victim felt shocked," The Straits Times reported, adding that the victim asked Kumar to keep his hands off. After class, she alerted the police later that day.

Earlier this month, another yoga instructor from India, Rajpal Singh, claimed trial to eight molestation charges involving four alleged victims in Singapore.

Both Kumar and Singh were employees of Trust Yoga.
Kiev, March 17 : Ukraine and the European Union (EU) have extended a deal on road transport liberalisation for one year till June 30, 2024, the Ukrainian government press service has reported.

While commenting on the deal, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said it has "proven its practical effectiveness" in the first months of being in place, Xinhua news agency reported.

"During the period of its validity, the volume of bilateral and transit road freight traffic has increased by more than 50 percent," Kubrakov said.

Since the deal came into effect, the number of carriers crossing the EU border from Ukraine increased by 53 per cent year on year, Kubrakov added.

Ukraine and the EU signed the deal on road transport liberalisation, which is aimed at boosting Ukraine's export, in June 2022.

Under the agreement, the EU cancels the obligation for Ukrainian haulers to obtain special permits for transporting goods in the EU and simplifies the procedure for recognizing Ukraine's driving documents.
Prayagraj, March 17 : The Allahabad Kennel Club has adopted the three surviving dogs of former MP Atiq Ahmad, left behind by the family at his ancestral home in Prayagraj's Chakia locality.

The Kennel Club has been given the authority to take care of the dogs, officials said.

Atiq had five Great Danes at his ancestral house.

All family members have fled after Umesh Pal's murder and no one was left to take care of the dogs following which two of them died.

The remaining three dogs also fell sick due to starvation and thirst.

The neighbours who had been providing food earlier, also shied away due to the fear of the police.

It was only after two dogs died, that there was public resentment on the issue and the administration asked the Kennel Club to take care of the three dogs.
Prayagraj, March 17 : The Allahabad High Court has expressed 'strong displeasure' over the sealing of Rampur Public School, run on the leased land of Maulana Jauhar Ali Research Institute, and said that it is wrong to seal schools at the time of examination.

Giving immediate relief in the matter, the court directed to open the school from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and said that there is no fault of the children studying in the school.

The order was given by the division bench of Justices Surya Prakash Kesarwani and Anish Kumar Gupta while hearing the petition of the Executive Committee Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust.

The state government, meanwhile, informed the court that classrooms required for internal examination of students at Rampur Public School (RPS) will be opened and no interference in the examination will be caused from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the exam days on FRiday and Saturday.

The Rampur Public School is located on the leased land of Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Shodh Sansthan (Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Training and Research Institute). The premises were sealed by the Rampur district administration recently.

The court directed the Rampur district administration to abide by the order and fixed March 21 for the next hearing.

The Rampur Public School's lease had expired on January 28 and accordingly, the minorities welfare officer of Rampur had directed that the building be vacated.

When the school building was not vacated, the Rampur district administration sealed the entire premises.

The present petition was filed by the executive committee of Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Trust.

In the petition, the decision of the district administration was demanded to be quashed.

The counsel for the petitioner argued that the internal examination of the students of class 1 to 9 and class 11 is going on in the institution, which will end on Saturday.
Lucknow, March 17 : The Uttar Pradesh government will be releasing booklets, highlighting its achievements on the Yogi Adityanath government which completes the first year of its second term on March 25.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will release one booklet in Lucknow which will cover work done across the state, but separate booklets are being prepared for each Assembly constituency, highlighting works done there.

Short films of two to three minutes on various subjects like women empowerment, farmers, law and order in the state, industrialization, etc., are also being put together. These will be shown on March 25.

"The films will be shown on display screens and LED screens across the state. Most of these screens are located in large cities, including Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Agra, Varanasi and Prayagraj. The films will be screened all day.

"The chief minister will hold a press conference in Lucknow, where he will recount the works done by the government in the past six years and especially over the last one year and this will be telecast live across the state and on social media," said an official in the chief minister's secretariat.

The booklets will be made available at all gram panchayats, libraries and government offices.

"The book will have two sections, one on achievements of the past six years and the other on achievements of past one year. Works done by each department in all the Assembly constituencies are being put together. It will also focus on BJP's Sankalp Patra issued before the Assembly elections and how many of those promises have been fulfilled," the official said.
New Delhi, March 17 : The opposition will on Friday press for the demand of a JPC in the Adani-Hindenburg row while the BJP is demanding an apology from the former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on his remarks in London.

The opposition MPs have moved suspension of business notices in the Rajya Sabha under rule 267 and adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha. The Congress-led opposition is trying to corner the government.

The BJP is also not letting the issue to die down, and the treasury benches have been questioning Rahul Gandhi over his London speech and demanding an apology.

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress General In-charge said, "opposition is united on the demand of JPC and anything contrary to this is incorrect." Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said that he went to Parliament and four Ministers have raised allegations against him in the Parliament House. Sources in the Congress said that the first priority is to see Gandhi speak in Parliament. He will try daily and also meet the Speaker till the session lasts. However, if not allowed then he will address the media to put forth his views, the sources added.

"It is my right to be allowed to speak on the floor of the House. I requested the Speaker today. I went to his chamber and I requested him. I said - look, I would very much like to speak. I told him that people from the BJP have made allegations against me and as a Member of Parliament, it is my right to speak," Gandhi said.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on March 17, 2023, shows the North firing a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile from the Sunan area in Pyongyang the previous day.(Yonhap/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects the test-firing of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile on March 16, 2023, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day.(Yonhap/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Seoul, March 17 : North Korea test-fired a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in a show of the "toughest response posture" of its strategic forces against "aggressive" massive combined drills by the US and South Korea, Pyongyang's state media reported on Friday.

The nation's leader Kim Jong-un "guided" the launch on Thursday together with his young daughter Ju-ae, as it served as an occasion to "give a stronger warning to the enemies intentionally escalating the tension" on the peninsula, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

It cited the "unstable security environment" in the region attributable to "provocative and aggressive large-scale war drills", referring to the South Korea-US Freedom Shield (FS) exercise underway in a program coupled with major field trainings, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The drill involving the Hwasong-17 was "aimed at confirming the mobile and normal operation and reliability of the country's nuclear war deterrent", the KCNA said.

It confirmed "the war readiness of the ICBM unit and the exceptional militancy of the DPRK's strategic forces and strictly verified their reliability," it added, using the acronym for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The KCNA said the ICBM, launched at Pyongyang International Airport, reached a maximum altitude of 6,045 km and flew 1,000.2 km for 4,151 seconds before accurately landing on the preset area in the open waters off the East Sea.

The Hwasong-17, called by observers here the "monster missile", was apparently shot at a lofted angle.

It came hours before South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol had summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo amid Washington's campaign to bolster trilateral security cooperation with the two key regional allies to counter the North's nuclear and missile threats.

Kim was quoted as stressing the need to "strike fear into the enemies" and warning that the allies' persistent military moves against the North will only bring "irreversible, grave threat" onto themselves.

He emphasized that the North will "react to nuclear weapons with nukes and frontal confrontation in kind" and called for "strictly maintaining the rapid response posture of the strategic forces to cope with any armed conflict and war".
San Francisco, March 17 : Tech giant Microsoft has announced its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered 'Microsoft 365 Copilot' for Word, Excel, Outlook and more.

"This latest AI-powered offering combines the power of large language models (LLMs) with your business data and context -- across all your Microsoft 365 apps, documents, and conversations -- to turn your words into the most powerful productivity tool on the planet," the tech giant said in a statement.

The new Copilot is integrated in the productivity applications and experiences which people use and rely on every day for work and life, like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Power Platform, Viva and more.

For instance, the Copilot in Word "writes, edits, summarizes and creates right alongside people as they work," it added.

With the help of natural language commands, Copilot in PowerPoint makes the production process possible by transforming concepts into a designed presentation.

Copilot in Excel helps to unlock insights, identify trends and create professional-looking data visualisations in a fraction of the time, on the other hand, Copilot in Teams makes meetings more productive by providing real-time summaries and action items directly in the context of the conversation.

How much of your day is spent drafting emails, preparing presentations, or staring at a blank page? AI can help lighten the load.



Introducing @Microsoft365 Copilotthe next era of work: https://t.co/1DjXfsJvyj  Microsoft (@Microsoft) March 16, 2023

"Microsoft 365 Copilot is currently in testing with select commercial customers to get the critical feedback required to improve these models as they scale. Specifics on pricing and licensing will be shared soon," the company said.

The tech giant also announced 'Business Chat', a tool that uses Microsoft Graph's real-time power to combine data from documents, presentations, emails, calendars, notes, and contacts to assist with writing emails, summarising chats, finding important dates, and even creating plans based on other project files.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Athens, March 17 : Greece's public services, including transport, were paralysed by a 24-hour nationwide general strike called by labour unions over the deadly train accident last month.

A series of marches in the centre of Athens on Thursday staged by the umbrella civil servants' union ADEDY, the private sector union GSEE, and other unions and opposition parties, ended in scuffles between protesters and police, Xinhua news agency reported citing local media.

According to police estimates, around 25,000 people gathered in the streets of the capital, demanding accountability for the worst trail accident in Greece on February 28, which claimed 57 lives.

They also called for justice for the victims and safe railways for all.

Thursday's mobilisation followed a series of walkouts and protests over the tragedy in the past two weeks.

"We are here, and we demand that everything comes to light. We will not stop until we are heard," Konstantinos Vlachakis, secretary of the Central Youth Council of the main opposition SYRIZA party, told Xinhua.

Four station masters and a supervisor have been charged so far with manslaughter through negligence for the head-on collision of a passenger train with a freight train in central Greece.

The government has apologised for chronic shortcomings in the safety of the railway network operation, pledging a gradual upgrade.

Passenger and freight services that were stopped on March 1 are expected to restart gradually under strict safety protocols on March 22, officials said.
Phoenix, March 17 : A freight train carrying corn syrup derailed in the US state of Arizona, the rail provider said, after initial reports said the train may have hazardous materials onboard.

Railway company BNSF Railway said in a statement on Thursday that the train derailed near Topock, close to Arizona's border with California, reports Xinhua news agency.

Approximately eight cars were reported to be derailed, the company confirmed, adding that "there were no injuries as a result of the derailment and preliminarily reports indicate there are no hazardous materials involved".

The cause of the accident is under investigation, according to the statement.

The company said that it is one of North America's leading freight transportation companies, with a rail network of 32,500 route miles in 28 US states and three Canadian provinces.

While no spills have been reported, Mohave County sheriff deputies initially reported that the train could have been carrying hazardous materials, according to local media reports.

The US National Transportation Safety Board and BNSF Railway are actively responding to the crash, the reports added.

The incident came after a string of recent train derailments in the country.

The state of Ohio sued railroad Norfolk Southern on Tuesday over a train derailment in the state's East Palestine last month.

A Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine on February 3, which resulted in a significant fire and hazardous materials release in the area.

Another freight train operated by the company derailed near Piedmont in Alabama last week.
Bogota, March 17 : The death toll from a coal mine blast earlier this week in Colombia's Cundinamarca has increased to 21 after the bodies of 10 trapped miners were found, President Gustavo Petro announced.

"I have just been informed by the Governor ... that despite all rescue efforts, unfortunately 21 people lost their lives in this tragic accident in Sutatausa," Xinhua news agency quoted the President as saying on Thursday.

"Labour and business restructuring plans in coal mining areas have become increasingly essential. Each worker death is not only a business failure, but also a social and governmental failure," he added.

Cundinamarca Governor Nicolas Garcia said the rescuers had sighted the 10 bodies and had begun the extraction process.

He said families of the victims will have the full support of the government with social and psychological services, as well as economic aid.

Eight of the nine miners who survived the explosion were treated in hospital and later discharged, while the ninth remained under observation, according to Cundinamarca fire captain Alvaro Farfan.

Farfan said the National Mining Agency will begin an investigation to determine the cause of the blast in the interconnected mines belonging to the Minminer company, which have been in operation for 30 years.

The National Mining Agency said it has ordered the suspension of Minminer's activities, and initiated an evaluation of the state of the mines after the explosion.
Buenos Aires, March 17 : Argentina will hold the general elections for the 2023-2027 presidential term on October 22, the National Electoral Chamber announced.

Mandatory primary elections are scheduled for August 13, reports Xinhua news agency citing the poll body as saying.

Political parties can present one list of primary candidates and voting is mandatory for citizens.

Primary candidates must obtain at least 1.5 per cent of the total votes in order to be eligible for the October election.

The general election will also choose the vice president, 24 senators, 130 Chamber of Deputies members and 43 Southern Common Market parliamentarians.

In October, a presidential ticket must obtain 45 per cent of the votes, or 40 per cent with a difference of at least 10 percentage points over the second place to win the race.

If necessary, a run-off election between the top two vote-getters will be held on November 19, when a simple majority will determine the winner.

According to the South American country's Constitution, incumbent President Alberto Fernandez is allowed to run for a second term.
Kolkata, March 17 : Veteran minority face of Trinamool Congress and 11-time elected MLA from Islampur Assembly constituency in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district since 1967, Abdul Karim Chowdhary, seems to have turned rebel.

He has decided to skip the crucial meeting of the party at Kolkata on Friday afternoon to be chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to finalise the strategy for the forthcoming polls for the three-tier panchayat system in the state.

"The main agenda of the meeting is the forthcoming panchayat polls. The party high- command will give instructions there. There is no scope to say anything. So, I will not be attending the meeting," Chowdhary said.

To recall, Chowdhary also did not attend a meeting of the North Dinajpur district core committee meeting on Wednesday which was convened by the party's district president Kanaia Lal Agarwal, with whom Chowdhary's differences surfaced a number of times in the recent past.

Recently, Chowdhary had even threatened to resign as a party MLA. However, the very next day he said that he will continue to be in Trinamool Congress but as a rebel legislator.

Chowdhary had publicly demanded that Agarwal should be removed from the post of party's district president as the latter was allegedly the main brain to fuel infighting within the party in the district.

Friday's meeting of the party to be organised at the chief minister's residence in south Kolkata is crucial on multiple counts considering the crisis faced by the party on different fonts.

Party sources said that one important agenda of the meeting will be the recently concluded bypolls in Sagardighi Assembly constituency in Murshidabad district, which Trinamool Congress lost to Congress by a margin of over 20,000 votes. Sagardighi being a thoroughly minority-dominated constituency and a traditional Trinamool Congress stronghold, the results have kept the party leadership worried, considering it as a signal of the beginning of the erosion in its dedicated minority vote bank.

Another important agenda of the meeting will be Birbhum district and how the party's organisation there would operate for the panchayat polls in absence of its district president Anubrata Mondal, who is currently in Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody in New Delhi for his alleged involvement in the cattle smuggling scam.

The third important agenda, according to sources, will be on how to counter the charges of corruption, especially as regards to the multi-crore teachers recruitment irregularities scam in which several party leaders, including the former state education minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general Partha Chatterjee, are currently in judicial custody.
Hyderabad, March 17 : BJP-backed candidate AVN Reddy on Friday won the election to the Telangana Legislative Council seat from the Mahabubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad Teachers' constituency.

Reddy secured 13,436 votes, crossing the required quota of 12,709 ballots to emerge victorious.

He was declared elected after 21 rounds of counting, defeating his nearest rival G. Chennakesava Reddy of the PRTU.

AVN Reddy had contested as the candidate of the BJP-affiliated teachers' union.

According to returning officer Priyanka Ala, a total of 25,868 votes were polled, and a candidate needed to secure 12,709 votes to be declared the winner.

As no candidate secured more than 50 per cent of first preference votes, counting of second preference votes was taken up.

Out of total 21 candidates, 19 were eliminated when the counting was stopped on Thursday night.

AVN Reddy was leading by 943 votes over Chennakesava Reddy.

Polling in the constituency spread over nine districts was held on March 13.

A total of 90.40 per cent polling was recorded.

According to officials, a total 29,720 voters had exercised the franchise.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 17 : For the second day in succession, the Kerala Assembly session on Friday ended in nine minutes, less than the previous day's 15 minute-duration due to the protest by the Congress-led opposition.

The opposition is on a warpath in the floor of the Assembly after their legislators, including two women MLAs were roughed up by the Watch and Ward staff on Wednesday during a protest outside the office of the Speaker A.N. Shamseer.

What has irked the Congress-led opposition legislators is the Kerala Police have registered cases against seven of their MLAs based on the complaint from the treasury bench legislators and the Watch and Ward staff. The charges include very strong non-bailable offences. On the other hand, when the opposition legislators approached the police and registered their complaint against the Watch and Ward and treasury bench legislators who attacked them, the charges were all under non-bailable charges.

On Friday, when the session began, Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan started to speak about the way the victims of Wednesday's attack have now become accused.

But the Speaker intervened and switched off the mike and called for the Question Hour to begin.

Soon the entire opposition legislators were on their feet. The treasury benches also got active and sensing that the proceedings might be difficult to go forward, Shamseer in a few minutes rushed through the listed business and adjourned the House in a matter of nine minutes and reminded the House that the next sitting will be on Monday.

Speaking to the media after the session ended, Satheesan said under no circumstances will they allow Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's autocratic style of functioning to go forward.

"Vijayan thinks he can continue like this by not answering questions. We are not going to succumb to his arm-twisting tactics in and outside the Assembly.

"The cases against our legislators were registered in the early hours of Thursday, and a few hours later there was a leaders' meeting called to discuss the impasse in the House. It was after that meeting that we got to know that non-bailable charges were put on our legislators, while in our complaint, simple offences were put.

"We will now hold protests outside the House also and unless our issues are addressed, we will not cooperate," said Satheesan.
Indian Wells : , March 17 (IANS) Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz of Spain surged past Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime, 6-4, 6-4 to book his spot in the Indian Wells Masters semifinals for the second consecutive season.

Alcaraz continued to gain steam in his bid for a maiden Indian Wells title as he marched to his first victory in four tries against the 10th-ranked Canadian.

"Today, the goal was to stay there. I knew that I was going to have my chances. I had to try to take it. Probably I played one of my best matches this season, in 2023. I'm really happy and want to keep going," Alcaraz was quoted as saying by the ATP Tour.

In his last meeting with Auger-Aliassime, Alcaraz only saw one break point and wasn't able to convert. He flipped the script on that narrative on Thursday, earning 12 break points and converting three to keep his 22-year-old rival at bay.

The Spaniard won 30 percent of his first-serve return points and 58 percent of his second-serve return points and saved three of the four break points he faced to come through a close contest in two hours.

The victory, Alcaraz first against a Top 10 opponent since he beat Casper Ruud in the US Open final, moved him within two wins of a return to the top of the ATP Rankings.

The 19-year-old Alcaraz, who is now 13-9 against Top 10 opposition, is seeking to become the second man to win at least three ATP Masters as a teen, having won Miami and Madrid last year. His countryman Rafael Nadal won six.

He will next meet Jannik Sinner, the pair's fifth meeting and the first since their epic meeting in New York, in which he saved a match point to win the second-longest match in US Open history.

Earlier, the 21-year-old Sinner made history for Italy with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 takedown of defending champion Taylor Fritz, stopping the American's nine-match winning streak at Indian Wells and reaching the final four at a Masters 1000 for the second time.

Sinner and Alcaraz have split their four previous meetings, with the Spaniard winning their two hard-court meetings.
Kolkata, March 17 : Tollywood actor Bonny Sengupta aka Anupriyo Sengupta has returned Rs 40 lakh to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that he took from expelled youth Trinamool Congress leader Kuntal Ghosh, who is currently in judicial custody for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore teachers' recruitment irregularities scam in West Bengal.

Sources said that he had transferred the amount to the account of the central agency late Thursday evening.

Earlier, Sengupta admitted that he took the amount as loan from Kuntal Ghosh for purchasing his new high-end premium vehicle. He also added that he repaid the loan by performing in at least 20 events organised by Ghosh. However, he was unable to furnish any document of such an agreement to the ED sleuths.

He gave his own logic for not having any written document on this count. "The Tollywood industry is an extremely small world and hence a lot of things work on trust. This payment made by Ghosh and me performing at events organised by him in return was driven by that trust factor. I have disclosed all this to the ED and I am ready to extend all necessary cooperation to the agency in the matter," said Sengupta on March 9, when he was for the first time summoned by ED for questioning on March 9.

Sources said that after understanding that return of that hefty amount was inevitable, initially the actor became puzzled on how to arrange that money within a short span of time. However, finally he paid the money to the ED to come clean out of the entire controversy.

Meanwhile, the ED has also asked Soma Chakraborty, a beauty salon owner, who took a loan of Rs 50 lakh from Kuntal Ghosh reportedly for expansion and infrastructure development of the salons owned by her, to return that money to the ED. Chakraborty has assured to return the money at the earliest.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 17 : Normal functioning of hospitals in Kerala was disrupted as the dawn-to-dusk statewide strike called by Kerala-chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) began on Friday.

All hospitals in the public and private sector, except emergency services, have been affected by the total strike.

Even small clinics, including the dental clinics, are also closed for the day in protest.

Friday's 12-hour strike was announced many days ago. Several hospitals saw a good number of patients arrive, but all had to go back empty-handed.

The doctors are carrying out their protest marches in all district headquarters.

The day's protest call has been given in view of the long delay in the arrest of accused in an attack on a doctor at a private hospital in Kozhikode early this month.

The IMA expressed deep concern in the rising number of attacks on health workers in the state. The medical body claimed that the cases have increased in the past three years.
New Delhi, March 17 : As India celebrates its historic wins at the Oscars, here's a look at the global icon whose films, literature and art continue to have an impact on audiences across the world.

Satyajit Ray (1921-1991), polymath, polyglot, novelist, short-story writer, illustrator, designer and music composer, was one of the most eminent film directors of world cinema.

His 'Pather Panchali' (Song of the Little Road, 1955) established his position as a major film director, winning him the earliest of the many awards that he was to win throughout his career, culminating in the Lifetime Academy Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the Oscars in 1992.

The award, which he could not receive in person because he was ailing, was given to him "in recognition of his rare mastery of the art of motion pictures and for his profound humanitarian outlook, which has had an indelible influence on filmmakers and audiences throughout the world." Ray took Indian cinema to a grand platform hitherto unachieved by any Indian film director. "Not to have seen the cinema of Ray means," said Akira Kurosawa, "existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon." Ray's films are fairly well-known, but his writings -- fiction and non-fiction -- written in Bengali and English also continue to attract attention. His illustrations, design works, comic strips, science fiction, detective stories are gems of Indian literature.

Ray's non-fiction works are gems, which bring to light his thoughts on filmmaking, film appreciation, composition of music, art, design and screenplay, among others. The Penguin Ray Library is an endeavour to open a window to the master's writings to a wide spectrum of readers.

Some of the titles under The Penguin Ray Library are: The Best Of Satyajit Ray

From the ever-popular adventures of Ray's enduring creation, the professional sleuth Feluda to the chronicles of Professor Shonku; short stories; writings on filmmaking; and thoughts on world as well as Indian cinema, among others, this anthology, a two-volume box set, 'The Best of Satyajit Ray' is not only a treat for the Ray enthusiasts but also a collector's edition.

Satyajit Ray Miscellany 'Satyajit Ray Miscellany' brings to light some of the rarest essays and illustrations of Ray that opens a window to the myriad thought-process of this creative genius. With more than 70 gripping articles and rare photographs and manuscripts, this book is a collector's item.

Three Rays: Stories from Satyajit Ray On the occasion of his centenary birth anniversary, '3 Rays: Stories from Satyajit Ray' opens a window to the brilliance of this Renaissance man. With more than 40 stories and poems along with many unpublished works, autobiographical writings and illustrations by Ray, this volume offers a unique glimpse into Ray's creative genius.

Speaking Of Films 'Speaking of Films' brings together some of Ray's most memorable writings on film and filmmaking. With the masterly precision and clarity that characterize his films, Ray discusses a wide array of subjects.

He also writes about his own experiences, the challenges of working with rank amateurs, and the innovations in the face of technological, financial and logistical constraints. Ray provides fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpses of the people who worked with him.

This first-ever translation of 'Bishay Chalachitra', a seminal collection of essays on cinema, 'Speaking of Films' retains the lucidity and simplicity that is a hallmark of Ray's writing, and gives an invaluable insight into the mind of a genius.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New York, March 17 : Wall Street giants have moved to end the USs spiraling banking crisis by agreeing to prop up troubled First Republic, a mid-sized bank whose shares have been pummeled amid a wider banking turmoil.

Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and others will deposit $30 billion in First Republic, which has seen customers yank their money following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and fears that First Republic could be next, te Guardian reported..

"The actions of America's largest banks reflect their confidence in the country's banking system. Together, we are deploying our financial strength and liquidity into the larger system, where it is needed the most," the banks said in a joint statement on Thursday.

The big banks have received billions in deposits from smaller, regional banks as the banking crisis has spooked their customers. US authorities swooped in to take control of SVB and New York's Signature bank last weekend after frightened customers pulled their deposits.

Banks and regulators are hoping that the action will act as a firewall by protecting First Republic and stopping the crisis spreading to other smaller banks, the Guardian reported.

Shares in First Republic -- a San Francisco-based bank that largely caters to wealthier clients including Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg -- had fallen about 70 per cent since the news of SVB's collapse.

They fell another 22 per cent on Thursday before the bailout but ended the day up nearly 10 per cent.

In a joint statement, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell and senior regulators said: "This show of support by a group of large banks is most welcome, and demonstrates the resilience of the banking system." The unprecedented rescue plan will see most of the US's largest banks making uninsured deposits into First Republic, the Guardian reported.

Bank of America, Citigroup, JP Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo are each making a $5 billion deposit into First Republic.

Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are each making deposits of $2.5 billion, and BNY Mellon, PNC Bank, State Street, Truist and US Bank are each making a deposit of $1 billion, for a total deposit from the 11 banks of $30 billion.
Bengaluru, March 17 : Congress MLA from Shanthinagar constituency in Bengaluru, Nalapad Ahmed Haris on Friday sought apologies after visiting Shri Dharmarayaswamy temple in Tigalarapet following the backlash from Hindu devotees.

Haris during a speech had dubbed the historical 'Karaga' festival of Bengaluru as a "drama", while criticizing the BJP.

Karaga festival is known as the festival of the land and is celebrated with much fanfare and reverence by Hindus in Bengaluru. The festival is also known as a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity as the Karaga procession stops near the mosque and offers worship.

Haris' speech went viral and was slammed by the Hindu devotees. Following the backlash, the MLA apologized on his social media. But, as brutal trolling and criticism continued on social media, MLA Haris put an end to all this. Taking no chances during the election time he went to the temple and apologized for his comments.

"I have great respect for God. I have apologized at the Dharmarayaswamy temple. I also participate in the Karaga festival celebrated every year in Bengaluru," Haris said.

Karaga Committee President Satish stated that MLA Haris had already sought apologies. Since, social media trolls continued he came to the temple and tendered an apology. "I request all community members and devotees to end the protest at this point. I request everyone not to talk demeaningly about the Karaga festival. I will oppose it strongly, it happens," he stated.

Harris had equated the BJP leaders and its workers to the Karaga devotees. He had stated "they are going to the masses in this election time much like those who attend the Karaga festivities for two-three days".
Hyderabad, March 17 : In a setback to Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy, the Telangana High Court on Friday dismissed his petition seeking direction to the CBI not to take any coercive action against him in the murder case of his uncle and former Andhra Pradesh minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy.

Refusing to stay further proceedings against him in the case, the court ruled that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) may continue its investigation into the case. It, however, asked the agency to video and audio record questioning of Avinash Reddy, who is a cousin of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Justice K. Lakshman, who had reserved the order on Monday, pronounced the same on Friday.

The judge also rejected the plea of the MP to allow his lawyer to be present during the questioning. He, however, asked the CBI to allow the lawyer to a point where he can't see Avinash Reddy.

Avinash had claimed in his writ petition that the CBI is being unfair in its investigation of the murder. He claimed that the CBI was attempting to portray him as the primary conspirator in the murder. He also accused the CBI of not following protocol during questioning. As a result, he filed interim motions exhorting the court to order the CBI not to arrest him in the aforementioned matter.

The MP's counsel stated that the CBI was not looking into the involvement of N. Rajasekhar Reddy, son-in-law of Vivekananda Reddy and his second wife Shamim. He informed the court that YS Viveka had married Shamim for the second time in 2010. They gave birth to a boy. Viveka's family was divided as a result of his second marriage. Financial transactions have also resulted in disagreements, the court was told.

Vivekananda Reddy's daughter Suneetha Reddy had also impleaded in the case. Her counsel had submitted that the allegations made by Avinash Reddy against the CBI and her were baseless as he was only trying to divert the case from the main issue. She alleged that Avinash Reddy was the main conspirator in the murder.

Vivekananda Reddy, younger brother of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, was found murdered mysteriously at his residence at Pulivendula in Kadapa district on March 15, 2019, a month ahead of 2019 general elections.

The 68-year-old former state minister and former MP was alone at his house when unidentified persons barged in and killed him. He was killed hours before he was to launch YSR Congress Party's election campaign in Kadapa.

The CBI took over the investigation into the case in 2020 on the direction of Andhra Pradesh High Court while hearing a petition of Vivekananda Reddy's daughter Suneetha Reddy, who raised suspicion about some relatives.

In November last year, the Supreme Court transferred to a CBI court in Hyderabad the trial and probe into the larger conspiracy behind the murder. The apex court observed that doubts raised by Sunitha Reddy about getting a fair trial and investigation in Andhra Pradesh were reasonable.

Avinash Reddy appeared before the CBI for the fourth time on March 14. He was questioned by the agency on January 28, February 24 and March 10.
New Delhi, March 17 : Parliament was adjourned for the day on Friday amid continued protests by both treasury benches and opposition members over Rahul Gandhi's remarks and Adani issue.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned within 20 minutes amid ruckus.

The BJP MPs raised slogans in both the Houses demanding an apology from the Congress leader, while the Opposition MPs continued to target the Centre over the Adani issue.

Though Speaker Om Birla tried to run the proceedings by announcing Question Hour and asked Congress MP Manish Tewari to put up his question, he adjourned the House after around 20 minutes amid chaos.

Parliament will now reconvene on March 20.

The adjournment meant that the entire week's proceedings were washed out without any business having been transacted in both the Houses.

In an unprecedented move, the ruling BJP members have been stalling the proceedings in both Houses, seeking Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's apology over his remarks on democracy in London.

The Congress-led opposition has been protesting over the government's silence on the Adani Enterprises issue. It has been seeking a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the matter.

Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were present in the Lower House.

Rahul Gandhi had met Birla on Thursday, seeking time to speak in Parliament.

He had later said that he wants to respond to allegations against him inside the House, but the BJP is adamant that he apologises first.

Meanwhile, leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday sought to know why the BJP was scared to hold discussions in Parliament.

"Why are the BJP party members speaking here and there? Why are they scared to hold discussions in Parliament? BJP is scared of Rahul Gandhi. PM Modi's 56 inches chest has now shrunk," Chowdhury said.
Patna, March 17 : A gang of five to six armed robbers looted a bike and other valuables of a sub-inspector in Naugachia in Bihar's Bhagalpur district.

The incident happened late on Thursday night.

The victim, sub-inspector Umashankar Singh, is deployed at the Naugachia police station. He had gone to the Bihpur police station for some official work.

While returning at around 9 p.m., his motorbike was overtaken by the highway robbers at Kharik village, who looted him of his bike, cash and two mobile phones at gunpoint. The robbers had put the gun on his head and threatened dire consequences if he shouted or revealed the incidents to anyone.

Sushant Kumar Saroj, the SP of Navgachiya said: "An incident of loot with a sub-inspector rank officer happened in the district. We are making efforts to identify the accused. Raids are on to nab them.

Following the incident, a large number of police forces reached the spot and conducted raids in the adjoining villages.
New Delhi, March 17 : Seven men, including three police personnel, were booked for thrashing and robbing two meat vendors in Delhi's Anand Vihar area, an official said on Friday.

The incident occurred on March 7 when the two meat vendors were travelling in their car and hit a scooter. However, the FIR was registered three days later, on March 10, even though the victims (meat vendors) had approached the police immediately.

According to FIR, on March 7, Nawab was headed home in his car with his cousin Shoaib when he hit a scooter near Anand Vihar.

"They were carrying meat in the car. The scooter driver demanded Rs 4,000 in damages from them. Just then a PCR van arrived there and one of the policemen took Rs 2,500 from the meat suppliers and gave it to the scooter driver. The policeman then demanded Rs 15,000 from the meat suppliers and threatened to take them to the police station if they did not pay up," the FIR read.

Nawab, who supplies meat to the Ghazipur slaughterhouse and is a resident of Mustafabad, alleged the policemen in the PCR van called four other people and took them to an isolated spot.

"The duo was confined and thrashed by the accused, who also tried to cut their hands with a knife. The accused also urinated on their faces and threatened to kill them. The policemen also accused them of slaughtering cows and threatened to dump their bodies in a drain after killing them," the FIR stated.

"A total of Rs 25,500 were extorted by the policemen from the victims," the FIR added.

As per the medical report, the victims sustained injuries on their limbs and back.

A senior police official said that an investigation in the matter is underway and all facts are being verified.

The official said that the three policemen, one of them an assistant sub-inspector, have been suspended.
New Delhi: Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel during the winter session of Delhi assembly, at Vidhan Sabha in New Delhi on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. (Photo: TV Grab/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi: Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel during the winter session of Delhi assembly, at Vidhan Sabha in New Delhi on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. (Photo: TV Grab/IANS) Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, March 17 : The budget session of the Delhi Assembly began on Friday on a stormy note as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs resorted to sloganeering demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The MLAs from both parties -- BJP and AAP - raised slogans against each other during Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena's address to the House.

Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel ordered to marshall out three BJP MLAs -- Jitendra Mahajan, Anil Bajpai and O.P. Sharma -- to bring order to the House.

The BJP MLAs demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Kejriwal over alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped excise policy.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP said that the party will bring a no-confidence motion during the ongoing budget session.

The 2023-24 budget of the AAP government will be tabled by Finance Minister Kailash Gahlot in the Assembly on March 21.
New Delhi, March 17 : Unruly behaviour by some passengers inside the flight has refused to cease. In a recent such instance, a man complained of a few drunk passengers who were allegedly harassing others, including some women in a Vistara flight.

"Today travelled with Vistara UK256. And faced one of the worst experiences. Few passengers were totally drunk and harassing Ladies and other people Still they gave more drink. Crew: Shreya, Chaitali, charles didn't control and ignored the situation," said a passenger on Twitter handle Bhavitals.

"Instead of teaching lessons to such passengers they were totally ignored. Vistara is famous for premium service but today I lost #vistara. And during offboarding instead of being serious about the situation, the crew were laughing and saying "uska(drunk)to pent nikal gaya tha," the passenger tweeted on March 12.

Responding to the tweets, the airline said, "our crew is trained to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone on board. This sounds like an unforeseen event. We do not condone such behavior and absolutely give our best to provide a comfortable journey to our customers." In the last two years since 2021, including the current year, a total of 139 incidents of unruly behaviour were reported to DGCA by various airlines.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the civil aviation safety regulator, has issued Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), Section 3- Air Transport, Series M, Part VI titled 'Handling of unruly/disruptive passengers' in order to ensure safety of the aircraft/persons/property on board and maintain good order and discipline on board the aircraft.
Pulwama : , March 17 (IANS/ 101Reporters) The Urdu word umeed means hope. True to its name, the Umeed scheme aka the State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM) has turned out to be a harbinger of good times for the women of South Kashmir's Pulwama district by making them a significant contributor to the family's income.

Mir Masarat Qounser (42) from Sharshali panchayat in Pampore block of Pulwama is a community mobiliser, being the first leader and bookkeeper under the project. She is also the president of the cluster-level federation and leads the 13-member Bagh-I-Jannat self-help group (SHG).

"I am also associated with at least 15 other SHGs in my area. The total strength of these SHGs is 300. At least 200 members are very active and performing well. The Umeed scheme has given a new meaning to our lives," Qounser tells 101Reporters.

Under the scheme, a group of at least 10 village women can come together to form an SHG, with each contributing Rs 100 every month. The mission provides Rs 80,000 grant-in-aid, also known as capitalisation amount, which helps the SHG to launch its activities before applying for a bank loan. This is released in three tranches - Rs 15,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 25,000.

The members of a beneficiary SHG need not always launch a joint venture, and have the option of taking up different trades. For example, Qounser got acquainted with the scheme when the SRLM officials visited Sharshali. She independently started Zaman Cloth House dealing with ladies garments and kids wear in March 2018, which was fully funded under the Umeed scheme.

"First, I express gratitude to Almighty Allah and then to the SRLM officials who motivated me to join the scheme," says Qounser, who has completed her schooling. Besides Bagh-I-Jannat, Qounser is also a member of SHGs such as Rehmat, Apple, Bhat Kongposh, Madina, Izzat, Sehnoor, Azmat, Musa, Usmania, Nowsheen, Pakeeza, Daisy, Unique and Anza. Their varied business interests include running provision shops, poultry and sheep units, dry fruits units and kangri making.

A 2019 batch anesthesiology graduate, Bilqees Binti Arshad (27) of Kadlabal-Pampore works as a mobiliser for Bismillah SHG. "Some members have plunged into the transport business. They either have their own passenger vehicles or are supplementing the transport business of their dear ones," she says.

Touching on their diverse activities, Arshad says, "Our team leader Roohi Ashraf's shop deals with handmade sweaters. Three other members are into mobile repairing, while another runs a unisex beauty parlour." Easy loans

The Umeed scheme has made interaction with the banking system easier for women. "Once they access the grant of Rs 80,000, we act as the bridge linking them with banks. They can take loans up to Rs 20 lakhs per SHG. The first tranche is of Rs 1 lakh, followed Rs 2 lakh, Rs 5 lakh, Rs 7 lakh and Rs 10 lakh," Aijaz Ahmad Wani, District Programme Officer, SRLM, Pulwama, tells 101Reporters.

Noting that loan repayment is a continuous process, he says 70 per cent of the beneficiaries have repaid the loan amounts on time to different banks to date.

According to Nadeem Bhat, District Programme Manager, Institution and Capacity Building, SRLM, 2,848 SHGs have been formed since 2019 in Pulwama district, with Rs 23,64,80,000 totally disbursed as loan amount to them. "The capitalisation amounts disbursed to date come to Rs 9,38,80,000," he informs.

The contributions of Rs 100 per month from the members are saved in the respective SHG's bank account. This amount totals Rs 4,21,30,481 in Pulwama district. This is a continuous fund as the contributions from members are regular.

"The SHGs do not receive any subsidy under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). Instead, what they get is interest subvention by the NRLM against prompt repayments to the bank," says Bhat.

The government does not provide any support with respect to registration and accounting. The marketing support is in the form of exhibitions at different places showcasing their products. The SRLM also organises time-to-time awareness programmes and workshops.

SRLM Block Programme Manager Arshad Ahmad tells 101Reporters that 24,000 women have so far been associated with the scheme in Pampore, Kakapora, Tral and Pulwama blocks.

Ishrat Nazir, SRLM Cluster Coordinator for Pampore, says financial assistance has played a decisive factor in making rural women self-sufficient. Qounser agrees when she talks about her present income. "I applied for the bank loan in 2020 and it got sanctioned in 2021. My monthly average income used to be Rs 10,000 to 12,000 initially, but it has now reached Rs 16,000. I have appointed a salesgirl for a monthly salary of Rs 1,500." Qounser says she could contribute to the family income even during the Covid-19 period. "The pandemic did affect my business, but not in a big way. At that time, banks relaxed loan repayment for us. I started to pay the instalments regularly only once the situation improved." Changed perspectives

There is no doubt that the Umeed scheme has become the pillar of strength for the women of Pulwama. But not everybody was convinced about the scheme at one go like Qounser. "Launching the scheme in my village was not easy. People suspected the SRLM officials to be cheats. However, all that changed with the passage of time," she says.

Some women presently have a working capital of Rs 5 lakh at their disposal. In the past, the SHG members would not have met the magistrate or officer concerned without difficulties. "We face no such hassles today. The Umeed scheme has given us a sense of pride. We get due respect whenever we visit an office, which was not the case earlier," says Shazia Bashir (26).

District Programme Officer Wani agrees that women nowadays have become so confident that they are meeting the respective officials with ease. "I would say the community as a whole has come forward to support them. These women are the role models of our society." Bashir had managed her wedding expenses on her own by generating income from her saffron business. A resident of Konibal and humanities graduate, Bashir leads the 11-member Jannat SHG.

"My father has been into saffron cultivation for decades now. All along, we have seen middlemen exploit us by quoting throwaway prices for our produce. They then sell it for higher prices and earn huge profits," explains Bashir, who now sells the produce directly to prospective buyers.

"The year 2021 brought about the much-desired change. While attending a training programme on saffron harvesting by experts from Hyderabad, I got acquainted with some buyers who now directly contact me for the produce," says Bashir. With her income, she could also support her brother in running his provision shop.

"Despite being educated up to class 12, I used to sit idle at home five years ago. But now, I am the team leader of Habba Khatoon SHG and am associated with dry fruit and saffron businesses. Two of my SHG mates have helped their husbands set up tailoring shops. Another SHG mate has started a dairy business," says Nighat Ayub (24) from Chandhara. Some other members of Jannat SHG have scripted success by foraying into male-dominated work like sheep rearing.

(Jehangir Malik is a Jammu and Kashmir-based journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)
New Delhi, March 17: India has to invest massively in software, design and critical technologies like drones, hypersonic missiles and quantum computing if it has to fend off the challenge from China. India also has to invest in cyber-security to gain asymmetric advantages over China.

Speaking at a seminar on the looming Chinese challenge organised by the Centre for China Analysis and Strategy (CCAS), former president of NASSCOM Kiran Karnik said that just like maintaining geo-strategic relations, India will have to build technological alliances with friendly countries like Taiwan, Europe and the US.

Karnik added that China has gained such a headstart in technology that it is now trying to rival the US. He added that India is dependent on Chinese companies in power and telecom which have a lot of electronics due to which these sectors can be manipulated if the Chinese investment continues in these sectors.

Giving an insight into why China has been belligerent, Jayadeva Ranade, president CCAS, said that China's comprehensive strength has risen that is why it has attacked India and has been aggressive with other nations. Another area where India has to work on is the trade balance which is highly skewed in China's favour. Ranade said that India is importing a lot of non-essential items like umbrellas, lamp-shades and idols which can be easily produced in the country.

Ranade added that it is time India drops its defensive attitude towards China and begins to name the country. This was a sentiment which Lt. Gen. Rakesh Sharma, distinguished fellow Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) also spoke about. Sharma said: "Our politicial hierarchy has laid a lot of restrictions, which include not crossing the borders, not going till Skardu... or not opening up another front." He added that we need to increase our defence budget and also need to prioritise on how we spend it.

To a question on whether India will protect its western border or its north-eastern border in the situation of a conflict with China, Sharma said that India is a sovereign nation. "We will fight everywhere and protect both the glacier and also the north-east." Giving an insight into the GDP of a country, C Raja Mohan, Senior Fellow at The Asia Society Policy Institute, said that Japan had the third-largest GDP but it did not matter as the country restrained itself in military expenditure and defence matters. But now that situation is changing.

The panelists were of the view that the GDP comparisons between India and China are not as relevant because of the role of technology, asymmetrical warfare and the role of alliances in future conflicts.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
San Francisco, March 17 : Amazon has stopped selling magazine and newspaper subscriptions through Kindle Newsstand as of March 9, and also stated that it will stop delivering current Kindle Newsstand subscriptions in September.

Kindle Newsstand lets people read Kindle-specific versions of publications right on their devices.

"For monthly Kindle Newsstand subscriptions, you will continue to receive your issues through September 4, 2023, unless you decide to cancel. After that date, you will no longer be able to renew your subscription(s) through Amazon. You can continue to read the issues that have already been delivered to you," the company said in a post.

The company has also halted sales of print magazines and newspapers in addition to Kindle Newsstand subscriptions.

"You can continue to manage your print magazine subscription(s) through Amazon until June 5, 2023. After that date, all customer service inquiries for any remaining active subscriptions will be serviced directly by the publisher," the company said.

Earlier this month, Amazon announced it would shut eight of its Go convenience stores in the US.

According to CNBC, the tech giant will close two Go stores in New York City, two locations in Seattle, and four stores in San Francisco on April 1.

The company said it will work to help affected employees secure other roles at the company.
New Delhi, March 17 : As the budget session of Delhi Assembly began on Friday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena in his inaugural address underlined the work of the AAP government in the education sector.

Saxena said that due to the Delhi government's keen focus on the education sector, the students have performed well.

"Despite the Covid pandemic, Delhi's economy has been doing well. The government worked in construction, real estate, electric vehicles and other sectors. The government has performed well in the field of quality of education. In 12th and 10th classes, 98 and 97 per cent results came for students. A separate education board of Delhi has been created. Delhi has performed well in the education sector in the past five years," said L-G Saxena in his address.

He added, "In the field of social security, the government is working for inclusive development. A total of 4.08 lakh people have been given pension under the old age assistance scheme. Financial assistance has also been provided to 3.50 lakh distressed women." In the area of infrastructure, Delhi L-G said, several underpasses, flyovers have been constructed in Delhi. Total 1,35,000 CCTV cameras have been installed across the city. Total 500 national flags were put up all over Delhi on the 75th Independence Day. About 20,000 rooms were made in the government schools. The Kejriwal government laid a new pipeline of 34 km, WTP scheme of Chandrawal and Wazirabad which is about to be completed.

"My government has placed public transport and modernly designed infrastructure among its most important objectives. Delhi Transport Corporation has a total fleet of 4,010 buses, out of which 3,760 are low-floor buses and 250 are e-buses with zero emission. 1,500 additional electric buses are being added," Saxena said while addressing the House.

However, L-G Saxena also said, "There is no doubt that the dignity of speech has broken down in the last few days, but just like leaves shed from the trees and grow back again, similarly, we are one government and our relations will continue to grow."
Bareilly : , March 17 (IANS) An Army jawan has been arrested in Bareilly district for allegedly killing the wife of a colleague, who was in an illicit relationship with his spouse.

The local police said that the jawan took this extreme step as his colleague was blackmailing his wife using her objectionable pictures and videos.

According to Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Rahul Bhati, a case was registered on March 13 against an unidentified person at Cantt police station for the murder of Sudeshna, the wife of Army jawan Manoj Senapati.

Bhati further said the police team examined footage of CCTV cameras installed in the area. On the basis of the footage, Nitish Pandey, also an Army jawan and the victim's neighbour, has been arrested with the help of military police, he said.

Pandey's wife was in an illicit relationship with Senapati.

On March 13, Pandey went to Senapati's house and found his wife Sudeshna there. The accused asked Sudeshna to call Senapati and ask him to delete his wife's pictures and videos. This angered Sudeshna and she started an argument.

Pandey took a 'khukri' from his bag during the argument and repeatedly attacked Sudeshna on her neck and other body parts.

Later, he washed his hands and kept the khukri in his bag before dumping it, the accused told police.
Prayagraj, March 17 : It has been exactly 21 days since Umesh Pal, a witness in the 2005 MLA Raju Pal murder case, was shot dead in Prayagraj along with his two gunmen.

More than 100 people have been questioned, 1,000 cellphones active in the area at the time of the incident have been scanned and an undisclosed number of persons have been detained.

Of the seen shooters involved in the killing of Umesh Pal, two of them - Arbaz and Usman -have been killed in encounters.

However, the five other shooters remain out of police's reach even though the local cops and the Special Task Force officials claim to have 'vital leads' about the whereabouts of the shooters.

Most of the leads picked up by the investigators, including the STF, have led the cops to dead ends.

A senior police officer said, "The shooters are constantly on the move and have apparently stopped using mobile phones." Teams of Commissionerate Prayagraj and STF have launched 'target' oriented operations to track and arrest the assailants, conspirators and underground supporters.

However, the cops have not managed to make any major breakthrough in the case.

Moreover, cops have also failed to extract any crucial information from the close associates of the gang and relatives of the absconders so far about their whereabouts.

"We have tracked out the possible hideouts of the absconders, including Shaista Parveen, wife of Atiq Ahmed and carrying Rs 25,000 cash reward on her head, but have failed to arrest her so far," said an official.
Ghaziabad, March 17 : A video of a groom and some 'baraatis' performing stunts on moving cars in Ghaziabad's Modinagar has gone viral on social media.

While the groom stood out in a sunroof car, the other men were seen climbing out of the windows of the five cars that followed, with loud music playing inside.

After the 44-second video went viral, police took cognisance of the matter. So far, the exact date of the incident has not been ascertained.

Police said that investigation into the matter is underway.
Hyderabad, March 17 : Mortal remains of Lieutenant Colonel Vinay Bhanu Reddy, who died in a helicopter crash along with another Army pilot Major Jayanth in Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday, will be brought to Hyderabad on Friday evening.

Defence spokesperson said the mortal remains will arrive at Begumpet Air Force Station at 17.30 hors. Thereafter, the mortal remains will be moved by road to his native place Bommalaramaram in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district.

Lt Col Reddy's last rites are likely to be performed on March 18.

Meanwhile, the mortal remains of Major Jayanth A. will reach his native place in Madurai by 8 p.m. on Friday.

Lt Col Reddy and co-pilot Major Jayanth died in an Army helicopter crash near Mandala in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday. The single-engine, multi-role Cheetah helicopter crashed during an operational sortie between Missamari in Assam's Sonitpur and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

Lt Col Reddy is survived by wife Spandana, who is a dentist in the Army, and two daughters aged six and four.

Spandana is a dentist working in Armed Forces Medical College in Pune. She has left for Tezpur to receive the body of her husband.

The deceased officer's parents along with granddaughters have left for Hyderabad from Pune.

Hailing from Bommalaramaram in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, Vinay Bhanu Reddy had joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) at the age of 17.

His father Narasimha Reddy had moved to Hyderabad several years ago. He was working in Republic Forge company in Hyderabad and later started farming in his village. The family was staying at Malkajgiri in Hyderabad.

Narasimha Reddy's elder son Uday Bhanu Reddy lives in the United States while younger son joined the NDA. Vinay Bhanu Reddy became an Army officer in 2007 and served at various places in the country.
Washington, March 17 : US President Joe Biden is going all out to turn the tables on Republicans who are trying to paint Democrats as being soft on crime in the hope of winning the crucial spending fight this year on the budget showdown, ahead of the election year in 2024.

Republicans however stoutly defend their position and dismiss Biden's counterclaims saying that the Democrats are the ones who would like to "defund the police" as budget and debt ceiling talks escalate before a summer deadline with far-reaching economic ramifications, media reports say.

The US government breached the debt ceiling limit of $31.4 trillion needing a relaxation to raise it further to meet commitments on pay-outs for senior citizens welfare schemes, interest payments to institutions and honouring the deals on US securities, the most traded financial instrument in money markets globally.

Biden has virtually gone to war against the freedom caucus ahead of the debt ceiling showdown, says the Washington Examiner in a special dispatch.

US Treasury Secretary Yanet Yellen has told the Congress that unless the debt ceiling limit is raised by the House of Reps, the US economy could take a serious hit and investors could lose their confidence in the US which has a huge external commercial borrowing, 247 per cent of its trillion dollar GDP, one of the highest in the world, next to Singapore. Yellen says she can do extraordinary measures to meet commitments till June this year but not beyond.

Biden is "top-tier gaslighting" the public after he "filled his administration with radical 'defund the police' supporters from top to bottom," Republican strategists charge.

Democrat-run cities continue to advocate for defunding the police and have followed through by slashing money from police budgets," Republican National Committee spokeswoman Emma Vaughn was quoted by the Examiner as saying. "Americans know that Democrats are to blame for the rise in violent crime." Vaughn has forwarded a "helpful" RNC video titled "Nine Minutes of Democrats Calling for Defunding the Police" in an attempt to defame the Democrats on the eve of election year.

Biden had first distanced himself from more liberal Democrats and their "defund the police" movement during his State of the Union address last year, and asked the Congress for increased money for police training, among such other schemes, says the University of Wisconsin-Madison Elections Research Center Director Barry Burden.

"That is a rather different position from prominent progressives in his party who want (to) redirect police funding to social services and other initiatives," he said. Biden was not as direct during this year's address, delivered with Tyre Nichols's parents, RowVaughn and Rodney Wells, in the House chamber.

Nichols, a black man, was beaten to death by five black former Memphis, Tennessee, police officers in January.

Poll strategists say that however alarming it may be, standing behind policing will make it difficult in the 2024 presidential campaign for Republicans to cast Biden as an irresponsible liberal who does not care about crime," Burden said. "Republicans will continue to blame Biden for the violent crimes in the country. He said this strategy did not however work in the 2022 midterm elections when it ran up against the abortion issue.

Vaughn and Wells however claim that it's quite possible that sitting and former Republican governors, especially those wanting to be GOP nominees for the 2024 presidential run, could undercut Biden and Democrats on crime as they can cite their state's respective policies.

Middlebury College political science professor Bertram Johnson however disagrees, though he did not agree that Biden is deploying the "the best defence is a good offense" tactic.

Democrats may garner a quantum of solace and support in highlighting the negative effects of budget cuts in general, they will find it a tough going to convince voters that Democrats support police more than Republicans do," he said.

In a memo circulated to reporters on Wednesday, the White House spokesman Andrew Bates argued that the House Freedom Caucus is seeking to "defund the police by cutting 20 per cent of federal funding for law enforcement, assuming their proposed cuts are spread evenly." The House Freedom Caucus circulated its budget demands last week.

The Caucus is planning to reverse the Biden administration's common sense step to more strictly regulate stabilising braces attached to pistols - the weapon of choice for mass shooters in Boulder and Dayton," Bates wrote. "This also comes as a slew of MAGA Congressional Republicans advocate for abolishing the FBI and the ATF - the first responders to the mass shooting after state and local police, media reports said.

Biden stated at a Monterey Park, California, meeting this week that his new gun control executive order, which, among other actions, will ensure gun dealers conduct proper background checks on the buyers, a condition being that the person be of sane mind and seeks the gun for self protection and is also not a danger to his live-in partner. A gunman killed 11 people at a Monterey Park dance studio in January this year, it may be recalled.

Biden said that in his budget last week he had outlined the government invest more in safer communities schemes. "And expand access to mental health services for those affected by gun violence," he said on Tuesday. "Congressional Republicans should pass my budget instead of calling for cuts to these services or defunding the police or abolishing the FBI, as we hear from our MAGA Republican friends," he said Biden spun the "defund the police" campaign amid his budget and debt ceiling issues with Republicans in Philadelphia, a key constituency for the Democrats, last week during a speech about his budget, though some reporters thought he misspoke.

"MAGA Republicans are calling for defunding the police departments and defunding the FBI now," he said. "That's a good one. I like that one... My budget invests in public safety. It includes funding for more training; more support for law enforcement at a time when they're expected to play many roles," a media report quoted the president as saying.

"We're going to provide 100,000 more community policing officers nationwide and invest in tens of thousands more school nurses and school counsellors and mental health help," Biden said adding, "We're going to save communities billions of dollars over time." The White House had argued in 2021 that Republicans tried to defund the police by voting against the American Rescue Plan Act, which allocated more than $350 billion in emergency money for state, county, city, and tribal governments to avoid, for instance, officer layoffs because of the pandemic.

Biden's aides have also dinged Republicans who endorsed former President Donald Trump's budget, which recommended dismantling the Department of Justice's Community Relations Services and Community Oriented Policing Services, the Examiner pointed out.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Jaipur, March 17 : Tourists can now enjoy the aerial view of the Pink City.

From Friday, the service for seeing various tourist spots here by helicopter --Aravali forests and Amer Fort, Nahargarh, Jaigarh, Jalmahal, Hawa Mahal -- are available.

The cost for this joy ride is Rs 5000-7000.

This facility will also be available in other cities of the state, including Jodhpur and Udaipur. Preparations are also on to start a helicopter service for visiting religious places of Rajasthan. Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) is planning for this.

RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore said that after Jaipur, helicopter joyrides will be started in Udaipur as well. Also, a special circle is being prepared for the devotees coming to visit the temple. Under this, devotees will be able to go to Khatushyam ji, Salasar Hanuman temple and Pushkar by helicopter.

After this, helicopter joyrides will be started at other tourist places, including Ranthambore and Ghana Bird Sanctuary (Bharatpur). The idea is also going on to start cruise tourism in Chambal, said Rathore.

He said that before this RTDC has also started helicopter joyrides in Jaisalmer and Ajmer. "We have got good response from the tourists here. After Jaipur, such facilities will be started in other cities of the state as well. This includes Udaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Jodhpur, etc." There will be large-scale programmes from March 28, 29 and 30 to celebrate the Rajasthan Day beginning. Famous artists of the country and the world will give their performances. Soon RTDC will also share artist information. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot will also participate in the programme to be held in Jaipur, said Rathore.

Cultural programmes will be organized at the block level across the state from April 2 to 10 in which local artists will participate. This will not only boost local tourism but also provide a platform to artists.
Bhubaneswar, March 17 : Despite the Odisha government's assurance to fulfil their demands in three months, thousands of drivers continued their agitation across the state. The protest affected supply of petrol, vegetable, and other essential commodities in Odisha.

Nearly 2 lakh drivers under the banner Drivers Ekata Mahasangha are on an indefinite 'quit steering' protest since March 15 to press for their 10-point charter of demands.

A large number of the drivers gathered at Chandikhol square on the national highway on Friday morning and launched demonstrations. Heavy police force was also deployed there.

They are demanding pension after 60 years of age, death benefits, life insurance, social security, parking and toilet facility.

Due to the protest, consumers made beeline for petrol pumps fearing shortage of fuel. Several fuel stations were shut due to unavailability of petrol and diesel in cities like Bhubaneswar, Balasore, Jeypore and Malkangiri.

Sanjay Lath, general secretary of Utkal Petroleum Association said, "Due to the protest by drivers, there is a shortage of petrol in many fuel stations across Odisha. We need around 500 fuel tankers every day to cater the needs of the consumers. However, till now the movement of fuel carrying vehicles has not been restored completely." Speaking about the situation in the capital city Bhubaneswar, he said, on an average, 3.30 lakh litres of petrol being sold in Bhubaneswar each day. However, about 8.25 lakh litres of petrol were sold on Thursday alone, Lath said.

People have resorted to panic buying. But there is not much difference in diesel sales as trucks remained off road, he said.

The oil tankers were also stranded in front of oil depots at Jatni and Paradip. Some of the vehicles have started movement, Lath informed.

"We expect that the situation will start improving in Bhubaneswar city from the evening as some fuel tankers are scheduled to reach the city. But it will take two or three more days to return to normalcy in other parts of Odisha," he said.

Similarly, the vegetable price has gone skyrocket in different markets as the trucks laden with vegetables and other essential commodities were stranded due to the drivers' strike. Few trucks have started reaching the Bhubaneswar and Cuttack markets. But the vegetables were damaged, sources said.

Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena held a meeting with the agitating drivers on Thursday evening and assured them that their demands will be resolved in three months.

Despite the written assurance from the government, the drivers continued their protest in many places across Odisha. A violence was also reported in Berhampur during the protest. The drivers clashed with police, in which four police officials were injured.

Chief Secretary Jena and DGP Sunil Bansal have again appealed to the drivers to call off their strike as the government is positively considering their demands.

The matriculation students are facing mental pressure due to the strike, which will affect their performance in the ongoing examination. Besides, the supply chain of the essential commodities was also affected due to the protest, Jena said.

The government will again hold a meeting with the drivers very soon, he said.

Appealing to the drivers to call off their protest, the police DG warned that strong legal action will be taken, if they try to take law into their hands.
Bengaluru, March 17 : The World Sleep Day is an annual event organised by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Sleep Society on Friday (Mar 17). The objective is to celebrate the benefits of good and healthy sleep and to draw attention to the burden of sleep problems.

Sleep disorders can have a significant impact on a person's overall health and quality of life. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a range of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and depression. Treatment for sleep disorders typically involves lifestyle changes, medication, and/or therapy, say experts.

Dr Satyanarayana Mysore, HOD and Consultant - Pulmonology, Lung Transplant Physician, Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road, said: "Bangalore is almost like a city that never sleeps and is known for professionals, with a large chunk of IT professionals residing there. Given the cosmopolitan, urban, and industrial characteristics of the city, the Bangaloreans, whether they are permanent residents or temporary migrants, all experience upper airway resistance syndromes, sleep apnea, circadian sleep rhythm disorders, and other sleep disorders that are seen without any geographic limitations.

The increased light exposure leads to a huge number of sleep issues, including insomnia, sleep onset insomnia, and disruption in normal sleep and wake-up times." "There is an urgent need for increased awareness of these sleep disorders and careful consideration of adopting good sleep habits such as avoiding light-emitting devices (smartphones, laptops, tablet devices, and television) before bedtime, limiting coffee post-afternoon, and adopting good sleep hygiene such as dark rooms and comfort beds for good sleep with less to no noise or disturbance," Dr Satyanarayana Mysore stated.

Dr Vivek Anand Padegal, Senior Consultant-Pulmonology, Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore, explained that by far the most common problem today is the lack of sleep followed by habits that decrease the quality of sleep. People do not get enough sleep; the average sleep required for restorative sleep is about eight hours. "Due to various reasons, the lack of sleep makes us wake up tired and not refreshed, leading to various health problems later'" he said.

Habits such as using blue light devices like phones and pads, consuming alcohol or smoking before bedtime, can interfere with sleep onset and decrease the quality of sleep. Shift work and varied sleep timing can lead to sleep disruption, further interfering with sleep quality, he explained.

"The cumulative effect of these behaviours and the added stress of modern lifestyles can lead to difficulty in falling asleep - insomnia. Lack of sleep can lead to several health problems like obesity, hypertension, depression, metabolic syndrome, to name a few. The prescription is simple - get at least 8 hours of sleep, try and avoid using devices before bedtime, avoid coffee, tea, and smoking towards the end of your day, exercise before bedtime, and keep a regular sleep schedule. These simple steps can lead to better sleep health and a better quality of life," Dr Vivek Anand Padegal explained.

Dr Damodar Bindhani, Clinical Director and HOD, Pulmonology, CARE Hospitals, Bhubaneswar, explains that sleep disorders are a group of conditions that interfere with normal sleep patterns, causing disruptions in a person's ability to fall asleep, stay asleep or feel rested upon waking.

"Unlike obstructive sleep apnea, which is caused by a physical blockage of the airway, central sleep apnea is caused by a failure of the brain to send the proper signals to the muscles that control breathing during sleep. This can result in periods of interrupted breathing and can lead to daytime fatigue and other health problems," he said.

Dr Damodar Bindhani stated: "Circadian rhythm disorder is a condition that disrupts the normal sleep-wake cycle, which is regulated by the body's internal clock. The body's internal clock is a complex system that is influenced by various factors, including light exposure, hormone levels, and temperature." "When the body's internal clock is disrupted, it can cause a range of sleep-related problems, including difficulty falling asleep or staying awake, excessive sleepiness during the day, and changes in appetite and mood.

"Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that is characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep attacks, and other symptoms that can significantly impact a person's daily life. Narcolepsy affects approximately 1 in 2,000 people and is typically diagnosed in adolescence or young adulthood," Dr. Damodar Bindhani explained.

"The primary symptom of narcolepsy is excessive daytime sleepiness, which can cause a person to feel tired and drowsy throughout the day, regardless of how much sleep they get at night. This can make it difficult to concentrate, work, and carry out daily activities," he said.
Mumbai, March 17 : Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan, whose streaming talk show 'What Women Want', released its fourth season on Friday, has revealed that her younger son Jehangir absolutely loves dancing to the Oscar winning song 'Naatu Naatu' and that he doesn't eat unless the song is played for him.

The actress told IANS, "Jeh only eats his dinner when we play 'Naatu Naatu' and he wants the original version not the Hindi dub version of the song. The song touches a 2 year old's heart, it shows that they have created something spectacular with the film and the song".

With India bagging two Oscars at the 95th Academy Awards, it has brought a sense of pride for every Indian. Kareena feels proud to be a member of the fraternity that's bringing accolades for the country on the international platform.

She said, "I'm very proud to see the audience watching more movies, be it Hindi films, regional films, parallel films or documentaries. People are taking Indian cinema a lot more seriously and as a member of the fraternity it fills my heart with so much pride and gratitude towards our audience".

The fourth season of 'What Women Want' is available to stream on the YouTube channel of Mirchi Plus.
New Delhi, March 17 : The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notices to its registry, the Centre and the city government on a petition seeking directions to set up 42 more commercial courts in the national capital to ensure a speedy redressal of commercial cases.

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad issued the notice while hearing a plea moved by a social activist and lawyer Amit Sahni.

The court has granted four weeks' time to the registry to file a response on why commercial courts have not been set up in terms of the last order.

The PIL matter has sought directions for setting up more commercial courts, as per Delhi government's notice dated April 13, 2021, to ensure speedy redressal of commercial cases.

The plea stated that despite the High Court's order dated July 5, 2022, directing its Registrar General, Government of NCT Delhi and others to set up 42 commercial courts within six months' time, the same is not done till date.

Earlier, the same bench had noted its administrative side's submission stating that a shortage of courtrooms is coming in the way of immediately starting additional commercial courts which will be established once the infrastructure is completed.

"The delay caused in the dispensation of justice has taken note of High Courts and the Supreme Court from time to time and the directions have been issued to recruit the pending vacancies in different courts of the country," the petitioner said.

At present, only 22 commercial courts are functioning in the capital.

The petition read: "As against the world's best practice towards the timeline for disposal of commercial disputes of 164 days, Delhi takes 747 days in deciding a commercial dispute. Mumbai, on average, takes only 182 days." "Delhi courts have been over-burdened, as per the data available on the official website of District Courts, Delhi," the petitioner added.
Kolkata, March 17 : A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday observed that the state police forces in West Bengal cannot act in a biased manner while giving permission for rallies by different political parties in the state.

The Calcutta High Court's single-judge bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha also ruled that from now onwards instead of seeking permission from the local police station, all political parties can seek permission either from the commissioners of respective police commissionerats or the respective district police superintendents.

"I hope the police to adopt an unbiased approach in permitting rallies without any discrimination in political parties," Justice Mantha ruled in a case filed at the Calcutta High Court complaining denial of police permission for joint rally by CPI(M) and All India Secular Front (AISF) at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal.

Justice Mantha observed that recently there had been several cases filed at the court with complaints against police for giving permission to conduct political rallies and programmes. "It seems there is a necessity to format some specific norms on this count," Justice Mantha observed.

He also outlined a specific format regarding applications for permission for rallies to commissionerats and offices of district police superintendents, besides setting some norms for the police authorities on this count.

According to Justice Mantha, the police authorities concerned should separately register the different applications and at the same time upload the status of the application on their respective websites. He also said that it is advisable to treat the application on a "first come first serve" basis, which means priority should be given to applicants applying before.

"There should not be any kind of disparity on this count," Justice Mantha observed. He also said that the police should maintain and document proposed routes of rally and estimated turnout and ensure that the rally is conducted peacefully.
Patna, March 17 : Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi triggered a fresh row on Friday after he said that Ravan was a greater character than Ram.

Manjhi said: "When Ram was in trouble, some divine powers always helped him, which was not the case with Ravan. Hence, Ravan was a greater character than Ram." Manjhi, however, also said that Ram and Ravan were imaginary characters in Ramcharitmanas and Ramayana, but in whatever way the writers presented the characters on the basis of their imagination, Ravan had an edge over Ram.

When asked whether his statement could create a controversy, Manjhi said: "I am telling the truth. Rahul Shankritayan and others had said that Ram is an imaginary character. While most who said that were Brahmins, no one would question them. But some people will accuse me for saying the same." "Ramcharitmanas is a very good book but it has many points which are wrong. B.R. Ambedkar and Ram Manohar Lohia had also said that the wrongful content should be removed," Manjhi said.

"Ramayans was written by Valmiki, but no one worshiped him. On the other hand, Ramcharitmanas was written by Tulsi Das and hence every one worships him. People having Manuvadi ideology have made such a system," he said.
New Delhi, March 17 : After a gap of three years, the sixth edition of Jazz India Circuit will take place on March 19 at Gurugram. This year, the jazz festival will have performances by the Darshan Doshi Trio, the Matteo Fraboni Trio, and Aditi Ramesh's trio.

Avik Roy, Senior Executive Producer, Teamwork Arts, said, "We are thrilled to finally bring back the Jazz India Circuit after a gap of three years. JIC has always been a platform to showcase the best of Indian and international jazz.

"Renowned artistes, including Dave Weckl, Louis Banks, Stanley Jordan, Jamison Ross, Jojo Mayer and many will be on the stage... JIC 2023 features a power-packed triple headliner line-up with three trios, led by two drummers and one vocalist respectively.

"We have The Darshan Doshi Trio, Aditi Ramesh's Trio, & Italian drummer Matteo Fraboni's Trio -- their performances will showcase a variety of jazz music: classic jazz, fusion of jazz and Carnatic music, and jazz with drum and bass music. As a music lover, this is one night you surely cannot afford to miss."
New Delhi, March 17 : Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday urged the people to stay away from crowded places over rising cases of Covid-19 and H3N2 influenza in the country.

'Cases are fewer in government hospitals. 20 influenza cases have been found at Lok Nayak hospital and 8-10 cases in other hospitals. Beds were reserved during the Covid-19 pandemic. We haven't released those beds," he said while addressing the media.

The government also gave instructions to all districts for surveillance to monitor the cases of influenza and Covid-19.

"Viral peak is common during this season. The current influenza peak is impacting those who have been affected with Covid infection. Elderly above 65 years and children below five years of age need to be more careful," said newly-appointed minister, adding that Centre has issued Covid advisory to six states, but Delhi is not among them.

However, we are issuing advisory on behalf of Delhi government that avoid going to crowded places, keep washing hands, and other preventive measures.

Bharadwaj also said that there are no plans to bring back the compulsory wearing of masks. "Soon, the government will start awareness programmes and will also create awareness through print, TV and FM advertisement," he added.
Canberra, March 17 : Life in captivity hinders birds' chances of surviving migratory flights, a new research has found.

In a study published on Friday, researchers from Australian National University (ANU) have shown that changes in wing shape among birds bred in captivity have a significant impact on their survival in the wild, Xinhua news agency reported.

For the orange-bellied parrot, a critically endangered native species that is the subject of one of the largest breeding programs of any Australian species, captive-bred juveniles with altered wing shapes had a migration survival rate 2.7 times lower than those with an ideal wing.

A previous study published by ANU in November revealed that animals bred in captivity develop physical and behavioral changes.

The new research found direct evidence for the first time that the altered wing shapes of orange-bellied parrots lower migration success.

It also found evidence of altered wing shapes in four other captive bird species.

Dejan Stojanovic, author of the study from the ANU College of Science, said the findings could have widespread implications for breeding programs.

"This is likely only the tip of an iceberg of subtle physical changes to the bodies of captive bred animals that, although easily overlooked, have a big impact after release," he said in a media release.

"We should be aware of this and find ways to mitigate the effects of captivity if we want to give our breeding programs the best chance of supporting wild populations." This could become especially important as the global extinction crisis forces more species into captive breeding programs, he said.
New Delhi, March 17 : The total number of control units and ballot units has increased significantly since 2014. Control Units and Ballot units are constituents of electronic voting machines (EVM).

Currently there are 31.03 lakh ballot units (BU) and 22.15 control units (CU) available in the country. While the number of BUs and CUs in 2014 was 3.82 lakh and 2.50 lakh it increased to 13.95 BUs and 10.56 CUs in 2018. There are 13.26 lakh BUs and 9.09 lakh CUs which are new procurement or under production.

The above information was given by the Ministry of Law and Justice in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed that EVMs and VVPATs are designed and manufactured indigenously by Bharat Electronic Limited (M/s. BEL) (PSU under the Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India) and Electronic Corporation of India Limited (M/s. ECIL) (PSU under the Department of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India). Paper Roll of the VVPAT is procured by the States/UTs from the manufacturers including M/s. BEL and M/s. ECIL, said the reply.

The ECI has informed that presently, it is using the M-3 Model of EVMs and VVPATS.

In an election petition filed in Karnataka High Court in the matter of Michael B. Fernandes vs. C.K. Jaffer Sharief, 2004 SCC online Kar 72, the Hon'ble Court had observed that EVMs are tamper proof and there is no possibility of manipulation of mischief at the instance of anyone, added the reply.

As per the Election Commission, an EVM is designed with two units, the control unit and the balloting unit. These units are joined together by a cable. The control unit of the EVM is kept with the presiding officer or the polling officer. The balloting unit is kept within the voting compartment for electors to cast their votes.
Mumbai, March 17 : Actress Rani Mukerji spoke candidly about why the film 'Mrs Chatterjee VS Norway' speaks to her.

Rani in an exclusive BTS clip shared with IMDb, said: "The film resonates with one emotion which is the mother's emotion. This movie is a reminder to all children in the world that there's no greater emotion or relationship than with a mother. As a mother, I couldn't place myself in Sagarika's shoes because it is a painful thought to be separated from your child.

She added: "I can't even imagine it. Animals too have a natural instinct with their children that if someone tries to take their children away, the mother will straightaway attack. It is the same with human mothers as well. If you try to do something with their child, they will not spare you.

"You forget to say thank you to your mothers and take them for granted. I am hoping after watching this film, a lot of sons and daughters will reach out to their mothers and give them tight hugs and kisses." 'Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway' is directed by Ashima Chibber. It stars Rani Mukerji, Anirban Bhattacharya, Neena Gupta and Jim Sarbh.

The film is the true story of an Indian couple, an adaptation based on the mother - Sagarika Chakraborty's autobiography titled 'The Journey of a Mother', whose children were taken away from them by the Norwegian Childcare System (Barnevernet) in 2011.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Mumbai, March 17 : The Norwegian Ambassador to India, Hans Jacob Frydenlund, has objected to the representation of his country's child welfare policies in the recently released film 'Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway'.

The film stars Rani Mukerji in the lead and is based on the actual case with Sagarika Bhattacharya who was living there with her husband Anup Bhattacharya with two children.

Hans took to his Twitter and pointed out "factual inaccuracies" and said the story is a 'fictional representation of the case'. He also shared that the cultural differences in the film, which serve as the primary factor in the case, are "completely false." Sharing a screenshot of an op-ed article on his Twitter that he wrote for a media house, he tweeted: "It incorrectly depicts Norway's belief in family life and our respect for different cultures. Child welfare is a matter of great responsibility, never motivated by payments or profit. #Norwaycares." In the film, it is shown that feeding with hands and sleeping in the same bed become reasons for taking away the child of Rani's character by the Child Welfare Services of the country.
Bengaluru, March 17 : In a master stroke, the Congress in Karnataka is strategising to field a formidable candidate against Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in Shiggaon constituency to ensure his defeat from his native constituency, sources confirmed on Friday.

Congress senior leaders will soon take a call on fielding Vinay Kulkarni, Congress leader, former minister and Opposition leader Siddaramaiah's blue eyed boy against Chief Minister Bommai. The calculation is Vinay Kulkarni belongs to Panchamasali sub caste of Lingayat community while Bommai belongs to Sadar sub-caste.

The votes of Panchamasali sub sect play a deciding role in the constituency. The Panchamasali sub sect is not happy with BJP in connection with a series of incidents that took place in connection with its demand to get reservation under OBC quota. Vinay Kulkarni and his family members are actively participating in the agitation by the Panchamasali sub-sect.

Vinaky Kulkarni has confirmed the news and stated that Congress party wants him to contest against Bommai. However, he maintained that he is preferring to contest from Dharwad Rural, his native constituency. The party will take a final call on this and there are many leaders in the party who can give a tough fight to Chief Minister Bommai, he said.

Bommai is getting elected from Shiggaon constituency three times from BJP. In the 2018 elections, Ajjam Peer Khadri from Congress was defeated by 9,000 votes. He had secured 74,000 votes. CM Bommai had secured 83,000 votes and emerged victorious.

The Congress thinks that if Vinay Kulkarni is fielded, he will ensure breaking of Lingayat vote bank and with traditional Congress votes its candidate can win. The contest will also ensure that Bommai focuses more on his constituency, affecting his state-wide campaign.
Bengaluru, March 17 : The Ruling BJP has been on a spree of inaugurating statues across the state to attract the Lingayat vote bank.

From northern tip of the state Belagavi to southern tip Chamarajanagar districts, statue politics has taken a precedence.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has announced the construction of a 108-foot tall Basavanna statue on the banks of Ghataprabha River. The announcement was made to make an appeal to the Lingayat vote bank , according to insiders.

Close on the heels of inauguration of the 36-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji atop the historical Rajahansgadh fort located 20 kms from Belagavi, CM Bommai laid foundation stone for the 15-ft tall Basavanna statue and a memorial in Belagavi South constituency.

Religious seers and political leaders were present on the occasion. BJP insiders said that after Maratha votes, the BJP is focusing on the Lingayat vote bank. The community plays an important role in most of the 18 Assembly seats of Belagavi district.

CM Bommai is all set to inaugurate 108-foot tall statue of Male Mahadeshwara on March 18 at the famous pilgrimage spot Male Mahadeshwara Hills in Chamarajanagar district. People are objecting that the inauguration is being done hastily without the completion of the project as elections are nearing.

The chief minister has also inaugurated a 65-foot tall Akkamahadevi statue at Udutadi in Shivamogga district. Akkamahadevi was one of early female poets in 12th century and revered by the Lingayat community in Karnataka and other states.
Kolkata, March 17 : Retired Army officers, many from the Army Aviation Corps (AAC), have demanded that the Ministry of Defence come clean on the schedule of delivery of Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) to replace the ageing fleet of Cheetahs, Cheetals and Chetaks. This demand was raised after Thursday's crash of a Cheetah near Bomdila in Arunachal Pradesh.

The pilot Lt Col V.V.B. Reddy and co-pilot Maj Jayanth. A lost their lives in the disaster. In October 2022, Lt Col Saurabh Yadav, who was piloting an AAC Cheetah, died in a similar crash near Tawang.

"Replacement of these single-engine relics is long awaited. The Army started using these helicopters nearly 60 years ago. Many of their airframes are weak and their avionics are outdated. These helicopters were supposed to be replaced in a phased manner by the LUH developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). There needs to be a proper time schedule as these helicopters are crucial for reconnaissance and surveillance as well as to keep forward posts supplied. They also play a major role in medical evacuation from forward bases. Weather is a major issue in the northeastern states where these helicopters operate and that is why the AAC requires sturdier machines with superior avionics," a retired AAC officer said.

In February this year, Indian Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande had said that nearly 250 Cheetahs, Cheetals and Chetaks in the Force's inventory would be replaced by advanced helicopters. The single-engine LUH in the 3-ton Class is the first choice. The first two LUHs are expected to be inducted soon. According to sources, the Ministry of Defence has already issued a Letter of Intent to HAL for procurement of 12 LUHs.

HAL has set up a new unit for assembly of these helicopters after the development of three prototypes at its Bengaluru plant. Four helicopters are now being readied at the new set-up in Tumakuru, Karnataka. These will be known as the Low-Rate Initial Production 1 (LRIP1) series. While two of these will go to the AAC, the remaining will be commissioned into the Indian Air Force (IAF). The eight helicopters of the LRIP2 series will be completed in 2024. Four of these will go to the Army and the remaining to the IAF.

"At this rate, it will take two decades for the entire fleet of ageing helicopters to be replaced. While this happens, we will be putting the lives of more pilots at risk. The Ministry needs to ensure faster production and delivery, even if this involves the setting up of more assembly lines," another retired officer said.
New Delhi, March 17 : The deadly Covid-19 pandemic may have originated in raccoon dogs from the Wuhan market in China, according to an international team of virus experts.

More than two years after the pandemic, the origins of Covid-19 remain unclear. It has been a political and scientific debate with scientists and politicians globally contending that the Coronavirus jumped into people from bats, or have been leaked from a laboratory.

The new study, yet to be published, and led by experts including from Universities of Arizona, Utah and Sydney and from the Scripps Research Institute is based on genetic data drawn from swabs taken from in and around the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market starting in January 2020, the New York Times reported.

Although the Chinese authorities had shut down the market after being linked to the outbreak of Covid pandemic, and the animals cleared out, the researchers got the samples from swabbing walls, floors, metal cages and carts that are used for transporting animal cages.

The results showed that large amounts of genetic material were a match for the raccoon dog, the NYT report said.

Raccoon dogs are related to foxes and are known to be able to transmit the Coronavirus.

"We were able to figure out relatively quickly that at least in one of these samples, there was a lot of raccoon dog nucleic acid, along with virus nucleic acid," Stephen Goldstein, a virologist at the University of Utah who worked on the new analysis, was quoted as saying.

(Nucleic acids are the chemical building blocks that carry genetic information.) However, the team noted that "jumbling together of genetic material from the virus and the animal does not prove that a raccoon dog itself was infected. And even if a raccoon dog had been infected, it would not be clear that the animal had spread the virus to people." "Another animal could have passed the virus to people, or someone infected with the virus could have spread the virus to a raccoon dog," they said.

But the scientists stated that their "analysis did establish that raccoon dogs deposited genetic signatures in the same place where genetic material from the virus was left," the NYT report said.

That evidence was consistent with a scenario in which the virus had spilled into humans from a wild animal.

"We don't have an infected animal, and we can't prove definitively there was an infected animal at that stall," Goldstein said.

But genetic material from the virus is stable enough, he said, adding that it is not clear when exactly it was deposited at the market.

"But," he said, "given that the animals that were present in the market were not sampled at the time, this is as good as we can hope to get." The experts also pointed out the presence of genetic material from other animals and from humans in the samples.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Hyderabad, March 17 : The Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) on Friday cancelled three more examinations, including Group I Prelims, in the wake of leakage of question paper of an exam held to recruit assistant engineers.

At a special meeting, the Commission took the decision to cancel the Group I Prelims conducted on October 16, 2022.

Nearly 2.86 lakh aspirants of Group I posts appeared in the exam across the state.

The Commission also decided to conduct the re-exam for Group I Prelims on June 11, 2023. The examinations held for the recruitment of Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) on January 22 and for Divisional Accounts Officer (DAO) on February 26 have also been cancelled.

The dates for the conduct of the two examinations will be announced later.

The TSPSC secretary said the Commission took the decision to cancel the three examinations after careful examination of the report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the internal inquiry by the Commission.

The TSPSC had conducted the examination on March 5 for 833 vacancies of Assistant Engineer, Municipal Assistant Engineer, Technical Officer, and Junior Technical Officer in various engineering departments.

A total of 55,000 candidates had written the exam.

However, the Commission suspected leakage of the question paper and lodged a complaint with the police.

On March 13, the police arrested nine people, including two employees of the TSPSC.

Following the arrest of the accused, the Commission cancelled the exam and also postponed other exams scheduled to be held later this month.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand had handed over the investigation to SIT.

The investigations revealed that P. Praveen Kumar, who was working as Assistant Section Officer (ASO) and Rajasekhar Reddy, a network expert working on an outsourcing basis, copied question papers from computers in the confidential section and shared them with other accused.

The investigations also created doubts that question papers of exams conducted earlier were also leaked.

It was revealed that Praveen Kumar had also written the Group-I exam. His OMR sheet had also surfaced on social media with claims that he secured the highest marks.

TSPSC chairman Janardhan Reddy confirmed that Praveen had appeared in the Group-I Prelims but it was not correct that the 103 marks secured by him was the highest.
New Delhi, March 17 : The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to deposit all funds payable as per an arbitral award to Reliance Infrastructure-owned Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL), on receipt of funds from the Central and Delhi governments.

A single-judge bench of Justice Yashwant Varma directed the two governments to tend to the DMRC's request for extension of the sovereign guarantee subordinate debt, enabling it to liquidate its liabilities under the award.

"If permission be accorded to the DMRC, it shall proceed to deposit the entire amount payable under the award along with interest within one month. If the Union Ministry or GNTCD declines the request, the Union shall at the end of two weeks, revert and repatriate all moneys received by it from DMRC post March 10, 2022," the bench said.

The DMRC was directed to send the whole sum due to DAMEPL, plus interest, to the escrow account upon receipt of the funds.

Justice Varma added: "In case DMRC fails to clear all outstanding amounts despite the directions above, the Court reserves the right to frame further appropriate directions against the Union Ministry and GNTCD consequent to the corporate veil having been duly lifted." The High Court on March 2 was informed by the Centre that it cannot give sanction for attachment of properties of the DMRC for repaying unpaid arbitral award to the DAMEPL as it would bring the city to a halt.

It had said that giving sanction will cause significant inconvenience to the public and impact law and order in the national capital.

"It is submitted that sanction for attachment of the properties of the DMRC cannot be accorded by the answering respondent since that would result in closure of the DMRC and bring the city of Delhi to a halt. Such a situation will cause significant inconvenience to the public and impact law and order in the city. The answering respondent, being the custodian of the public good, cannot permit such circumstances to ensue," the affidavit had stated.

An amount of Rs 1,678.42 crore of the arbitral award has already been paid and Rs 6,330.96 crore is yet to be paid by DMRC.

Attorney General R. Venkataramani had on January 31 told the high court that if the Centre agrees to an interest-free subordinate debt on behalf of the DMRC to pay Reliance Infra, the Delhi government will follow suit.

Earlier in January this year, the DMRC had informed the court that it has requested the Centre and Delhi government for interest-free subordinate debt of Rs 3,565.64 crore from each for repaying the DAMEPL.

Each of the Central and Delhi governments owns 50 per cent of the shares in DMRC, but neither of them accepted to pay.

The award under consideration resulted from a contract that the DMRC and DAMEPL signed in 2008 to build and run the Delhi Metro's orange line, which runs from the New Delhi Railway Station to Terminal 3 at Indira Gandhi International Airport to Dwarka Sector-21.
Srinagar, March 17 : The imposter arrested on Thursday for posing as a top official of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) was on his third 'VVIP' visit to Jammu and Kashmir when his luck failed him, an official said on Friday.

Kiran Patel of Gujarat was picked up from the Lalit Grand Palace Hotel in Srinagar after the police got suspicious about his credentials.

Police said he was taken to Nishat police station where he confessed his crime. Ten visiting cards of different identities and two mobile phones were found in his possession.

"He was presented before a magistrate who remanded him to the police custody till Friday. A deputy commissioner posted in one of the districts in the Valley had recommended him for security cover," a police source said.

"The accused had been claiming that he had been deputed to identify apple orchards in south Kashmir areas. He impressed officials by dropping names of people in high places.

"This was his third visit to the Valley. During his present visit he had also gone to Gulmarg where he was purportedly looking for improvement in the hospitality industry," the source added.

A number of people have so far been questioned in this case.

Reports also said that the same person is wanted in over a dozen other cases of fraud in Gujarat.
Hyderabad, March 17 : The Hyderabad Police on Friday detained Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay, MLA Eatala Rajender and others when they were trying to march to the office of Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) office to protest exam paper leak.

Tension prevailed at Telangana Martyrs' Memorial Gun Park near Assembly building when police stopped Sanjay and other BJP leaders from proceeding towards TSPSC office in Nampally.

The police officers told BJP leaders that there was no permission for a rally.

As Sanjay and his supporters tried to march forward, police forcibly stopped them.

This led to pushing and jostling between the two sides.

Police detained Sanjay, Rajender and B. Narsaiah Goud. Both were whisked away in a vehicle to police station.

The BJP workers tried to stop the police vehicle carrying their leaders but police arrested them.

The protest triggered tension in the busy area in central Hyderabad and disrupted movement of traffic.

Earlier, Sanjay along with a large number of supporters took out a padyatra from BJP office to Gun Park.

The protesters were raising slogans against the BRS government and displaying placards to protest over leakage of question paper of an exam recently conducted by the TSPSC for recruitment of assistant engineers in various departments.

Sanjay, who is also a Member of Parliament, had announced that after paying tributes to Telangana martyrs, he will sit on protest at BJP office.

However, suddenly changing his plan he sat on protest at Gun Park.

Police told him that there is no permission for the protest. However, he remained seated there with his supporters. Some police officials held talks with him.

With the police softening their stand, Sanjay continued protest for some time.

Later, he announced that he will march to TSPSC office. Police immediately went on alert and prevented him and others from taking out the rally.

The BJP leader demanded probe by a sitting judge into the question paper leakage.

Alleging that leaders of the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) were involved in the scam, he said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state police cannot conduct an impartial probe.

Earlier, the police also arrested Youth Congress leaders and workers who tried to march towards TSPSC office from Congress headquarters Gandhi Bhavan.

Police also arrested BSP's Telangana unit president R.S. Praveen Kumar when he began hunger strike at party office in Lakdi Ka Pul area.

He was demanding a CBI inquiry into the paper leak.
New Delhi, March 17 : GAIL India has signed an agreement with Shell Energy India Private Limited to explore opportunities for infrastructure development for ethane sourcing.

In a bid towards diversification of the feedstock for its petrochemical plant, GAIL is looking to import ethane from ethane-surplus countries with matured export terminal infrastructure through water borne transportation to India and for moving it further through GAIL's pipeline systems to demand centres, a company statement said.

The MoU envisages exploring prospects in import and handling of different hydrocarbons which are important chemical and petrochemical precursors, LNG for road transport, regasification of imported LNG, renewables, etc.
Pune, March 17 : At least three persons were killed when a speeding car rammed into a stationery goods laden truck parked on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Saturday, police said here.

The crash took place near the Urse village around 7.30 a.m. when the car virtually drove into the truck that had suffered a tyre burst and repairs were underway.

The impact was so powerful that the car almost fully went under the loaded truck and was crushed, killing the three occupants on the spot, said a local eyewitness.

Among the victims are the vehicle driver and two others and the accident occurred on one of the busiest spots on the Expressway.

Two victims have been identified as Rahul B. Kulkarni, 45, and Vijay V. Khaire, 70, while the identity of the third victim is being ascertained.

Following the accident, there was a traffic jam on the affected Mumbai-Pune arm of the highway which was cleared soon by the local police, highway patrol and volunteer groups.

Though the exact causes of the crash are not clear, police suspect that the driver probably may have lost control or was dozing at the wheel.
Parker, the first charge card for e-commerce, today announced $157M in funding. This includes $31.1M in Series A venture funding led by Valar Ventures, following $5.9M in previously unannounced Seed funding. Alongside venture funding, the company has raised a combined $70M in debt, comprised of venture debt from Triple Point Capital and warehouse debt from Jefferies. The Jefferies warehouse debt facility includes an uncommitted option to upsize by $50M, for a combined total amount of $120M.

The company currently has hundreds of customers, and the ten largest brands using Parker generate over $1B in combined revenue each year. Companies relying on Parker include Amour Vert, Italic, SpikeBall, Canopy, Caraway, Immi, and Obvi. The company has seen particular success across mid-market, internet native retailers in industries like apparel, luxury goods, wellness, skincare, beauty, and food & beverage.

Parker has identified an opportunity as a massive segment of e-commerce has been underserved by traditional banks, startup cards, and merchant cash advance companies, said Andrew McCormack, Valar Ventures. The company has seen great product/market fit among companies that require flexible financing terms and innovative underwriting to be successful and unlock growth. This team is building an exciting business."

Co-founded by Yacine Sibous and Milan Ray, Parker offers a unique approach to underwriting, with limits based on the performance of the business. By combining this with customizable, rolling payments terms, Parker gives e-commerce businesses a financing model built for their unique needs.

As former e-commerce entrepreneurs, we built the card and software that met the needs of online businesses like ours, said Yacine Sibous, Co-Founder & CEO, Parker. The typical Parker customer has a hit product and a healthy business, but they could use some help extending payment terms, combing through costs, and managing their cash flow. We want to provide these businesses with cards, software, and analytics that make these tasks effortless and let them focus on their product. Our goal is for Parker to be a true partner in their growth. With the funding, Parker will invest across product, engineering, and go-to-market as it aims to expand to businesses across the country in 2023.

About Parker

Parker is the first charge card for e-commerce. With over $300M in transaction volume since inception, Parker is used by brands like Amour Vert, Italic, SpikeBall, Canopy, and Caraway. The company has raised $157M in funding from investors that include Valar Ventures, Y Combinator, Jefferies, and Triple Point Capital. Parker is based in New York, with offices in Tribeca. The company was co-founded by Yacine Sibous and Milan Ray.
A vast majority of the event attendees are high-net-worth individuals who are looking to invest in international properties in 3-6 months. Others are professionals, businesspeople and Canadians who are interested in investing in real estate for different reasons.

Billed as the largest international real estate exhibition in Canada, the Canada International Property Show (CIPS) is set to showcase over 600 real estate projects and investment opportunities from more than 18 countries.

The CIPS is an international expo hosting high-net-worth investors and leading real estate companies from all over the world in 2 full days of exhibitions, conferences and networking in Toronto, Canada.

Besides local Canadian exhibitors, the event will host real estate companies from the United States, United Kingdom, UAE, India, China, Nigeria, Ghana, Mexico, Greece, Portugal, the UAE, Qatar, Singapore, Malaysia, Cyprus, Pakistan, Turkey, the Caribbean, and more countries to offer investors a wide choice of property investment options.

The Canada International Property Show will co-host six sub-events: the Arab Property Market, Asia Property Market, Europe Property Market, India Property Market, Canada Property Market and Africa Property Market - in separate pavilions that reflect the different regional markets.

The program schedule at the event includes roundtable and panel discussions that would examine the international real estate market in a post-pandemic-recession-imminent global economy, workshops focusing on investment, financing, legal and technology, and an awards dinner. Speakers include renowned real estate experts, investment gurus, leading real estate entrepreneurs and real estate legal practitioners.

On why Toronto Canada is an ideal location for the exhibition, Steve Ike, CEO of Diaspora Media Inc., organizers of the event noted that Canada is a land of immigrants who account for almost 100% of the country's labour force growth. Roughly 75% of Canada's population growth comes from immigration, mostly in the economic category.

By 2036, immigrants will represent up to 30% of Canada's population, compared with 20.7% in 2011. A recent survey conducted by the company shows that a whopping 79% of immigrants in Canada are keen on buying properties in their native countries of origin and the event is being hosted in Toronto by popular demand.

Ike further stated that a vast majority of the event attendees are high-net-worth individuals looking to invest in real estate in 3-6 months. Others are immigrant workers, businesspeople and Canadians who are interested in investing in real estate for different reasons.

From second homes to income properties, vacation homes to vacant lands, international REITs to freehold properties and citizenship by investment programs, the Canada International Property Show is the one-stop event for all the avid international real estate investors.

Aside from real estate companies, the CIPS will host commercial and mortgage banks, home insurance companies, investment and fund managers, architects and designers, proptech companies and other organizations within the real estate ecosystem.

For exhibitors and sponsors, participating at CIPS means connecting to the right people  keen, pre-qualified and investment-ready real estate investors in a space designed to optimize their businesses, relationships, and brands. The event offers an unrivaled platform and access to a pool of new investors and business partners.

For attendees, the event provides a platform to explore and discover the best real estate opportunities and to receive the most informed real investment advice from the experts.

The 2023 Canada International Property Shows holds September 25-26, in Toronto, Canada.
Maine Media has achieved accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Membership with the commission recognizes the quality and educational excellence in the programs of study at Maine Media.

Maine Media President Michael Mansfield noted the accomplishment. Maine Media has been on a remarkable journey over the last 50 years. What an exceptional achievement! he stated. This is an important acknowledgment of the creative spirit here on campus, and the human energy that makes this place so electric. We were founded on the very idea that artists share, teach and learn from one another. This recognition from the New England Commission of Higher Education gives compelling testimony to that idea.

Accreditation and membership with the Commission carries many benefits, including the expansion of student access to federal financial assistance programs for both Maine Medias low-residency MFA program as well as its two Professional Certificate programs in photography and filmmaking. The Commission also conferred approval for Maine Medias distance education programs, further enabling online certificate programs, virtual courses and workshops. Academic credit in various programs of study, such as advanced level and master workshops, could now be eligible for transfer to other accredited colleges and universities through new institutional partnerships and credit sharing agreements.

The Commission is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as an authority on the quality of education for the institutions it accredits. The accreditation process itself is rigorous and verifies that Maine Media meets or exceeds nine distinct standards including mission & purpose, planning, governance, research, teaching, resources, educational effectiveness and institutional integrity. Nils Tcheyan, Chair of the Board of Directors said, Accreditation supports students at Maine Media to meet their creative potential and affirms the value of our innovative programs as educational models evolve. The process and relationship with NECHE, including critical self-evaluations over an 8-year period, has made us a better educational institution. Initiated under President Meg Weston in 2015 and guided by President Mansfield since 2020, this represents the achievement of a core strategic goal. The Board particularly wants to recognize Provost Elizabeth Greenberg for her commitment and leadership throughout this process and her focus on our mission to enable students to achieve their creative potential.

Since beginning the process of accreditation, Maine Media has evolved as an institution of higher learning and adopted the commissions standards to strengthen its education programs, financial health and governance responsibilities. In addition to raising academic standards and affirming new learning opportunities for students in that time, Maine Media has also established a $1M operating reserve titled The Keystone Fund and secured an endowment from the Arnold and Augusta Newman Foundation in excess of $1.1m. Maine Media has also designed and implemented programs online and extended access in real time for students around the globe.

Elizabeth Greenberg, Maine Medias Arnold and Augusta Newman Provost added, I am thrilled that Maine Media College has achieved accreditation. This recognition affirms our commitment to providing students with a rigorous and comprehensive education in the media arts through life-long learning opportunities for students of all ages from 14 to 100. Maine Media is a unique institution in the landscape of higher education, and the process of achieving accreditation has strengthened and improved our programs for adult learners to pursue their creative aspirations. I am inspired by the opportunities that can now be available for the school and our students.

Not by coincidence, Maine Media celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. In addition to accreditation, a major exhibition at the Portland Museum of Art titled, Drawn to the Light: 50 Years of Photography at Maine Media opens on June 15th. Other anniversary events include an expanded workshop program, public lectures, a Visionary Awards Dinner, and a special edition book to be published in September. See MaineMedia.edu for additional detail.

President Mansfield added, We have a great deal to celebrate. Our 50th year finds Maine Media in a particularly bright moment, and accreditation adds a lot of light. Were embarking on a strategic planning process that will undoubtedly benefit from membership with the commission. In terms of advancing human understanding and imagination in visual art  implicit in our mission  its an entirely new chapter for our school and for the arts in Maine.

For more information on the universitys accreditation visit MaineMedia.edu/accreditation.
"We are committed to reducing the financial barriers for AANHPI students not only through scholarships, but also through partnerships and applied research. We are grateful for this opportunity to discuss the issues that affect our NHPI students. said Noel Harmon, President of APIA Scholars.

APIA Scholars (Asian Pacific Islander American Scholars) thanks Congressman Kilili Sablan, Congresswoman Uifaatali Amata, and Congressman James Moylan for meeting our Board Member Former Congressman Robert Underwood, President Noel Harmon, Senior Vice President Julie Ajinkya, and Senior Director of Research & Pacific Island Partnerships Florie Mendiola to discuss the needs of Pacific Islander students throughout the US and in the Pacific region in higher education earlier this month on March 8.

APIA Scholars is committed to serving the under-represented within our community. Within the Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, the proportion of adults who have not enrolled in any postsecondary education is particularly high. Often these students are first-generation college students and from low-income families with limited opportunities for English language access, financial aid, and other academic support. We are committed to reducing the financial barriers for AANHPI students not only through scholarships but also through partnerships and applied research. We are grateful for this opportunity to discuss the issues that affect our NHPI students. said Noel Harmon, President of APIA Scholars.

One of the most significant barriers to including NHPI students in broader discussions about equity and inclusion in higher education is a lack of research that can provide insight into their educational trajectory and their unique needs and challenges. This exclusionary practice is a significant disservice and injustice for NHPI students and APIA Scholars has been addressing this problem with our own research with Dr. Rob Teranishi and a research team from the Institute for Immigration, Globalization, and Education (IGE) at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). We are excited that we had this opportunity to present early findings in our meeting. We look forward to having more productive discussions like the one we had with Congressman Sablan, Congresswoman Amata, and Congressman Moylan. Said Julie Ajinkya, SVP of APIA Scholars.
WebTec announced that it has officially launched a brand new website for Bravo Dog Training.

WebTec announced that it has officially launched a brand new website for Bravo Dog Training. Bravo Dog Training is based out of Northern Kentucky and uses canine ethology to overcome dogs unwanted behaviors and replace them with positive behaviors by reinforcing the behavior they want to see. Not only does this help bond people with their canine companions but it is safe and effective! Bravo Dog Training offers in-home consulting, group classes, puppy training, and behavior remodification.

If you'd like more information, you can reach out here.

The website build is a pretty simple one meant for small businesses but includes a responsive design, search engine optimization, and is built on Wordpress. Wordpress gives business owners the ability to manage the website themselves with a very user-friendly admin panel and it saves on cost for the customer since it's a pre-built admin panel.

WebTec will be hosting this website and we look forward to growing with Bravo Dog Training.

WebTec is a leading Cincinnati Web Design company that specializes in design, development, hosting and marketing. WebTecs portfolio ranges from small mom and pop shops to large corporations and franchises across the nation. WebTec has been in business for more than 15 years and is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH. If youd like more information, feel free to reach out.
By updating to this new CMS (content management system), we can now get our clients what they need faster while improving our search engine optimization, Ashley Jones, chief executive officer of MCA, said.

Marcom Content by Ashley, LLC (MCA) updates its website to provide businesses with helpful marketing services and tips. In addition, to help other companies transition to faster and custom-built websites, the company is providing an initial discount of 10 percent.

By updating to this new CMS (content management system), we can now get our clients what they need faster while improving our search engine optimization, Ashley Jones, chief executive officer of MCA, said. Google has repeatedly stated that fast websites improve rankings, so we prioritized this for 2023.

MCAs transition to a custom CMS is increasing speed and functionality for those looking to browse the website for marketing and communications services and resources. The companys old CMS had a lot of unnecessary code, slowing down load times for website pages. In addition, the website's theme changed, breaking some of its functionality.

The new CMS does not rely on a theme or third-party software, making updates simple and fast. It also provides better security since the older website was vulnerable to malware and hackers.

"The new website is literally 18 times faster than the old version," Jones said. The website is optimized for performance since we now have complete control over design and functionality.

MCA offers an integrated marketing approach to clients, meaning they are about creating a unified user experience through marketing and communications efforts. Whether it be new or traditional media, MCA believes it all needs to work together to communicate a consistent message to the audience effectively.

The services MCA provides include copywriting, communications, digital and strategy. The company does one-off projects and provides customizable packages for ongoing work throughout the year. To learn more about MCA, visit http://www.marcomcontentbyashley.com.

About MCA:

Marcom Content by Ashley, LLC (MCA) offers copywriting, communications, digital and strategy. Working in a variety of markets, MCA can work with many messages and target any audience. MCA revolutionizes traditional marketing by bringing it into the now by aligning it to the modern-day funnel. With a solid understanding of the marketing mix, MCA works with content to make it impactful and relatable, no matter where the audience is at in the buyers journey. For more information, visit http://www.marcomcontentbyashley.com.
"This initiative underscores our commitment to be bold and to act together to engage students from traditionally underrepresented communities across California." -Kristen Soares, President of AICCU

The Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) announces the launch of a new initiative, California Private College is Possible, that provides students, families, and counselors with valuable information about resources and other critical facts they need when applying to Independent California Colleges and Universities (ICCUs), creating a path to welcome historically underserved students to our states top schools in greater numbers.

The announcement will take place at Santa Clara University and features representatives from each of the nine inaugural institutions participating in the initiative, as well as Assemblymember Evan Low, one of its key advocates. Representatives from these campuses will work through the initiative to share pertinent admissions information with high school and community college students along with their families and counselors. This includes admission requirements, FAFSA, institutional financial aid, and more. We know that many students and families just dont see themselves at our institutions, said AICCU President Kristen Soares. They do not think they can attend. They do not think they can afford it. We see a tremendous opportunity to change this, which is why we launched this new initiative to offer better coordinated outreach and resources, particularly for low-income and first-generation college students. I'd especially like to thank Assemblymember Evan Low who has met several times with the inaugural institutions over the last year to discuss the need to better engage low-income and first generation students. This initiative underscores our commitment to be bold and to act together to engage students from traditionally underrepresented communities across California."

AICCU understands that there are many considerations that go into picking the right institution for students to have a fulfilling college experience, which can be a springboard to professional success. Offerings that play a deciding factor on where students choose to enroll range from specialized programs and scholarships to on-campus amenities and housing. Oftentimes, the most pressing question is affordability. Many students believe higher education, especially at a private institution, is simply not a realistic option based on the perceived price tag."

To address these concerns, a group made up of institutional staff from nine ICCUs met over the course of several months, resulting in the formation of the California Private College Alliance (CPCA). The first course of action to show students that private college is possible is to provide them with a comprehensive outlook at our diverse institutions made readily available in one place. The platform is starting with a smaller set of AICCU institutions with the full expectation to be inclusive of all of the ICCUs that are AICCU member institutions who collectively provide incredible regional access for California students.

"Santa Clara University is pleased to partner with AICCU on the 'California Private College is Possible' initiative," said Julie Sullivan, President of Santa Clara University. Helping students, particularly first-generation and low- and middle-income students, learn more about and access the resources potentially available to them at our California independent colleges, is vital. We want to see as many students as possible attend college, gain their degrees, and realize their full potential."

At Pomona College, we are eager to work with AICCU partners across the state to help more students from all backgrounds attend and graduate from college  and help Californias leaders meet the states ambitious college attainment goals, said Pomona College President G. Gabrielle Starr.

AICCU and its member institutions understand the importance of creating equitable opportunities for students to access higher education in places and ways where they are most likely to succeed. The association intends to fight even harder to bring more resources that help serve our diverse student population in face of the approaching Supreme Court decision on affirmative action.

Today marks the launch of an online resource center to serve as a portal for interested parties to learn more about the initiative, research partner schools and follow steps to apply all in one online hub. Resources from the inaugural AICCU institutions are now available to access on the new website, http://www.caprivatecollegeispossible.org. By Fall 2023 more ICCUs will be added to this new website. Students and counselors will no longer have to search through various channels to get the information they need, removing a significant obstacle in pursuing a private college education.

# # #

About AICCU

The Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU) is comprised of 80+ independent, nonprofit colleges and universities, which make up the Independent California Colleges and Universities (ICCU) sector. The ICCU sector plays a pivotal role in the development of the states model higher education offerings and in making California a symbol of innovation across the globe. Within California, ICCU institutions award nearly 20 percent of all undergraduate degrees and over 50 percent of graduate degrees, making them the largest preparers of Californias advanced workforce.

About the California Private College Alliance

The California Private College Alliance (CPCA) was launched by AICCU along with California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Occidental College, Pomona College, Santa Clara University, Scripps College, Stanford University, and University of Southern California. The alliance aims to increase access to private higher education institutions by expanding coordinated outreach to students, families, and counselors that provides them with the information and resources needed to determine that California private college is possible.
With the drastic changes in the workforce over the past few years, learning how to keep up with these demands is invaluable to help close the expectations gap between job seekers and employers. - Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller

Join business leaders across North America as Express Employment Professionals and HR Dive kick off their first ExpressTalks learning event of the year focusing on areas of disconnect between employers and their workers with actionable steps to overcome them.

The one-hour webinar starts at 2 p.m. EDT on March 21, and attendees can enroll online at ExpressPros.com/ExpressTalks.

Participants will hear from experts Megan Bickle, Global Head of Culture, Employee Engagement and Employee Listening of Western Digital and Dr. Deanna Kimbrel, CEO & Principal Consultant Kimbrel Management Consulting, on how companies must adapt to todays workforce demands, especially in these key areas:



Child Care/Elder Care Needs

Wage Expectations

Transportation and Geography

Benefits

Workplace Culture

Bickle has held leadership roles at global organizations, including Western Digital, Dropbox, and GE Digital, and her work has spanned all aspects of talent management with an emphasis on facilitating change management and organizational transformation. She believes that culture is everyones responsibility, and a thriving culture can only be achieved through partnership with all stakeholders including, HR, leaders, and employees.

Bickles co-presenter, Dr. Kimbrel, has led DEI and leadership strategies for organizations like Paychex, Sears, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and Monroe County in New York State. She currently leads a team of consultants through the Kimbrel Management Consulting Company, which guides organizations through the development of structure and strategy around leadership, organizational culture, and DEI.

Finding qualified employees in todays labor market is the top challenge business owners are consistently facing, said Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller. With the drastic changes in the workforce over the past few years, learning how to keep up with these demands is invaluable to help close the expectations gap between job seekers and employers.

This program has been approved for 1 HR credit hour with SHRM, HRCI, HRPA, and CPHR.

###

If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bill Stoller to discuss this topic, please contact Sheena Hollander, Director of Corporate Communications and PR, at (405) 717-5966.

About Bill Stoller

William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment International. Founded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the international staffing franchisor supports the Express Employment Professionals franchise and related brands. The Express franchise brand is an industry-leading, international staffing company with franchise locations in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

About Express Employment Professionals

At Express Employment Professionals, were in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, employing 579,000 people globally in 2022 and more than 10 million since its inception. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com.
Two Mercedes Benz SUVs, examples of which can be found at Autos of Dallas. "Our new research pages offer comprehensive information and resources to help customers make informed decisions when shopping for a pre-owned Mitsubishi or Mercedes-Benz SUV."

Autos of Dallas, a premier auto dealership, has recently launched two new research pages for their customers looking to buy pre-owned vehicles. The pages offer a wealth of information and resources to help buyers make informed decisions when shopping for a Mitsubishi or Mercedes-Benz SUV.

The first research page highlights the best place near Dallas, Texas, to find a pre-owned Mitsubishi. The page features detailed information on the various Mitsubishi models available at Autos of Dallas, including the Outlander, Eclipse Cross, and Mirage. Customers can browse through high-quality photos, specifications, and features of each vehicle, as well as read reviews from other buyers. The page also offers valuable resources such as financing options and a trade-in value calculator.

The second research page showcases the best place near Dallas, Texas, to find a pre-owned Mercedes-Benz SUV. This page provides an in-depth look at the different Mercedes-Benz SUV models, such as the GLC, GLE, and GLS. Customers can view high-resolution photos, compare prices, and learn about the features and specifications of each model. The page also includes customer reviews, financing options, and a trade-in value calculator to help customers make informed decisions.

"At Autos of Dallas, we strive to provide our customers with the best possible car-buying experience," said a spokesperson for the dealership. "Our new research pages offer comprehensive information and resources to help customers make informed decisions when shopping for a pre-owned Mitsubishi or Mercedes-Benz SUV."

The new research pages are just one of the many ways Autos of Dallas is committed to providing top-notch service to their customers. With a vast inventory of pre-owned vehicles, competitive pricing, and exceptional customer service, Autos of Dallas is the go-to destination for car buyers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Luxury vehicle owners looking for high-quality pre-owned vehicles are welcome to visit Autos of Dallas. The dealership has a large selection of many kinds of luxury makes and models. Interested parties can contact the dealership by dialing 972-484-9200 for further information.
BlackArch Partners, a leading middle-market investment bank, announced five promotions, including Ryan Jackson to Managing Director, Jonathan OConnor to Director, and Nhan Nguyen, Zach Daniels and Chris Lyons to Vice President. These well-deserved promotions reflect BlackArchs continued success and growth.

Ryan Jackson joined BlackArch upon formation of the firm in 2010 and has fifteen years of experience executing middle-market transactions, including sellside, buyside and strategic advisory assignments. Mr. Jackson serves as co-head of BlackArchs Business Services practice and co-head of BlackArchs Car Wash practice. He also has diverse industry experience across a range of other sectors, including Healthcare Services, Distribution and Diversified Industrials. Prior to joining BlackArch, Mr. Jackson worked in the investment banking division of Morgan Joseph & Co. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Business Administration with honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Mr. Jacksons full bio can be found here on the BlackArch website.

Jonathan OConnor joined BlackArch in 2017. He has more than a decade of experience in middle-market mergers and acquisitions advisory, capital raises and debt financings, having advised on transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $5 billion. Mr. OConnor leads BlackArchs Residential Services practice and is a senior member of BlackArchs Business Services and Consumer practices. Prior to joining BlackArch, Mr. OConnor was an officer within M&T Banks commercial lending division. He previously co-founded LifeNet International, a healthcare nonprofit in Burundi, East Africa and began his career in the private equity real estate division of CNL Financial Group. Mr. OConnor earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Southeastern University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Virginias Darden School of Business, where he was the recipient of the G. Robert Strauss Award. Mr. OConnors full bio can be found here on the BlackArch website.

Nhan Nguyen joined BlackArch in 2018. Mr. Nguyens transaction experience covers a range of sectors, including Building Products & Infrastructure, Consumer, Distribution and Industrial Services. Prior to joining BlackArch, he worked in the assurance practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers, focusing on the banking and capital markets sector. He started his career at the Naval Sea Systems Command in the aircraft carrier procurement division. Mr. Nguyen earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Accounting from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also earned a Master of Business Administration from the Yale School of Management. Mr. Nguyens full bio can be found here on the BlackArch website.

Zach Daniels joined BlackArch in 2018. Mr. Daniels has more than five years of experience executing middle-market investment banking transactions, including advising on mergers and acquisitions of companies across a diverse range of industries and business models. His transaction experience includes companies in the Car Wash, Consumer, Distribution and Diversified Industrials sectors. Prior to joining BlackArch, Mr. Daniels worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the firms financial services assurance practice, primarily serving clients in the asset management sector. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of North Carolina. Mr. Daniels earned a Master of Science in Accountancy from Wake Forest University. Prior to earning his masters degree, he graduated with honors from North Carolina State University, receiving Bachelor of Science degrees in Accounting and Business Administration. Mr. Daniels full bio can be found here on the BlackArch website.

Chris Lyons joined BlackArch in 2019. Mr. Lyons transaction experience covers a range of sectors, including Business Services, Car Wash, Consumer, Distribution and Diversified Industrials. Prior to joining BlackArch, Mr. Lyons served in the United States Navy. Mr. Lyons earned a Bachelor of Science from Webb Institute and a Master of Business Administration from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Mr. Lyons full bio can be found here on the BlackArch website.

About BlackArch Partners

BlackArch is a leading middle-market investment bank offering a full spectrum of advisory services to financial sponsors, private companies and diversified corporations. BlackArch addresses the needs of companies with specialized services that include M&A advisory, strategic advisory and private capital solutions. Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, BlackArch features a total of 12 industry-focused practices that cover all sectors of interest to middle-market investors; BlackArch professionals have closed more than 450 transactions in 16 countries on four continents. Please visit our website, http://www.blackarchpartners.com, for more details.

Securities offered through BlackArch Securities LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC. Testimonials may not be representative of the experience of all clients. Testimonials are not a guarantee of future performance or success.


Anthology of Highland Park Topping Out Ceremony The Topping Out of a project is exciting and we are thrilled to reach this milestone. The team has worked hard to respect the community throughout the duration of this project, and we are so grateful for everyone who has given 100% since the beginning.

Cadence McShane Construction Company, Anthology Senior Living, and PRDG Architects recently celebrated the Topping Out milestone for the Anthology of Highland Park assisted living and memory care facility located at the corner of Throckmorton and Herschel near Downtown Dallas, as the project team placed the uppermost steel member of the building.

Anthology of Highland Park is an 130,000-square-foot, 11-story development and is the first of its kind in the area. The 121-unit high rise features 24 memory care units occupying the second floor and 97 assisted living units on the remaining floors. The assisted living units include eight studios, 53 one-bedroom units, and 36 spacious two-bedroom/two-bathroom configurations.

Nestled comfortably in the prestigious Highland Park neighborhood of Dallas, future residents will have easy access to the restaurants and shopping areas nearby.

The property will feature amenities tailored to the needs of its residents, providing a salon, theater, fitness center, cozy library and pub with a fireplace, and top-floor dining areas with incredible, unobstructed views of Dallas.

The exterior of the building features shaded, elevated terraces on floors two, three, and eleven, and a subterranean parking garage offering 58 parking spaces for full-time residents.

The Topping Out of a project is exciting and we are thrilled to reach this milestone, commented Vice President of Housing and Senior Living, Dave Tague. The team has worked hard to respect the community throughout the duration of this project, and we are so grateful for everyone who has given 100% since the beginning.

The project is scheduled for completion in summer 2023 and will soon be ready to welcome residents to their new home.
"The Culture Partners method isnt just about strategy or purpose. Its about creating a new belief system tied to our culture and to me, thats where change starts." Frank Wasson, CEO, CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union

A multiyear partnership between Culture Partners, leader in transforming workplace cultures and CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union, a full-service, non-profit financial cooperative serving members in Virginia and Washington, D.C., has launched.

What drew me to working with Culture Partners is that they offer more than just a leadership development model, its about the whole organization: everyone has to be on board with this program, said Frank Wasson, CommonWealth Ones President and CEO. The Culture Partners method isnt just about strategy or purpose. Its about creating a new belief system tied to our culture and to me, thats where change starts.

Wasson notes that CommonWealth One has kicked-off its journey by setting an ambitious climb toward their Key Results: the organization will significantly broaden the scale of its membership in order to offer better products and opportunities, as well as provide opportunities for employees to grow in their own careers. Executive and management teams have met and crafted the Cultural Beliefs that will get them to the next level. In the next phase of their Culture Equation Journey, CommonWealth Ones entire organization will be enlisted in the journey.

We are fewer than 100 employees so every person has to count, said Wasson. We have to move together to transform our culture and believe that the unbelievable will happen."

We are thrilled to be partnering with CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union as they grow as a member-centered and member-focused institution, said Joe Terry, CEO of Culture Partners. CommonWealth Ones mission to help their members and employees achieve financial goals and enjoy a better way of life will empower them on their journey toward reaching their full potential as they shift their culture toward new results.

Developing new beliefs that will drive business results is a core element of every multiyear Culture Equation Journey that Culture Partners creates with its clients.

About CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union

CommonWealth One Federal Credit Union, founded over 75 years ago, is a full-service, member-owned, financial institution supporting nearly 40,000 members and serving communities in greater Alexandria, VA, Washington D.C., and Harrisonburg, VA.

About Culture Partners

For 30 years and counting, we have empowered clients across the globe to harness the power of culture. Our human industrial-organizational psychological methods activate organizations to achieve results, year after year, by connecting experiences, beliefs, and actions. Our purpose is to unleash the power of culture to inspire businesses and people to reach their full potential.

Find Culture Partners online at http://www.culture.io
"We will be offering sessions on sustainability strategies and industry-specific discussions that will enhance existing efforts and provide tools for those just getting started. said Kate Caddy, ISPAs sustainability manager.

The International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) announces its 2023 Sustainability Conference, taking place September 13-14, 2023, at the Sheraton/Le Meridien Charlotte Hotel Complex in Charlotte, North Carolina. The conference will provide an opportunity for professionals from across the value chain to gather, share information, and inspire practical solutions that companies can use to move forward with their sustainability initiatives. Formatted to maximize engagement, learning and networking, the conference program will appeal to mattress manufacturers, suppliers and retailers at any stage of the sustainability journey.

Last years sustainability conference was a resounding success. Nearly 200 participants learned about topics ranging from greenwashing and the FTCs Green Guides to integrating sustainability concepts into company operations and products. The 2023 conference will deliver sustainability topics directly relevant to the industry and provide opportunities for collaboration among attendees from around the globe. Conference exhibits will showcase companies and products that attendees can use to advance their sustainability plans.

"We are pleased to bring the industry together again to learn more from experts about topics affecting our industry. We will be offering sessions on sustainability strategies and industry-specific discussions that will enhance existing efforts and provide tools for those just getting started. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more! said Kate Caddy, ISPAs sustainability manager.

More information on the conference is available at http://www.ispasustainability.com

# # #

Established in 1915, the International Sleep Products Association (ISPA) is dedicated to lead and advance the interests of the sleep products industry by helping the world sleep better. As the industrys trade organization, ISPA represents the sleep products industry and members in countries around the world.

ISPA provides a wide range of services that benefit its membership. These include exclusive industry surveys and statistics, government advocacy support, educational offerings, the industrys ISPA EXPO trade show, safety research through its Sleep Products Safety Council, consumer research and education through its Better Sleep Council, BedTimes and Sleep Savvy publications.

To learn more, visit http://www.sleepproducts.org or contact info@sleepproducts.org.
Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Enovix Corporation, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

The San Francisco employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action lawsuit against Enovix Corporation alleging the company violated the California Labor Code. The lawsuit against Enovix Corporation, Inc. is currently pending in the Alameda County Superior Court, Case No. 23CV028923. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here.

According to the lawsuit filed, Enovix Corporation, Inc. allegedly failed to pay employees for all the time they were under the employer's control. This, allegedly, includes the time Plaintiff and other California Class Members had to submit to mandatory COVID-19 screening prior to clocking in for the day. To the extent that the time worked off the clock did not qualify for overtime premium payment, Defendant allegedly failed to pay minimum and overtime wages for the time worked off-the-clock.

Additionally, Enovix Corporation allegedly failed to reimburse employees for required business expenses. California Labor Code  2802 expressly states that "an employer shall indemnify his or her employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties..." During employment, Plaintiff and other California Class Members were allegedly required to use their personal cellular phones as a result of and in furtherance of their job duties

For more information about the class action lawsuit against Enovix Corporation, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is a labor law firm with law offices located in San Diego County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, Orange County, and San Francisco County. The firm has a statewide practice of representing employees on a contingency basis for violations involving unpaid wages, overtime pay, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and other types of illegal workplace conduct.

***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT***
The 10th Annual International Pediatric Feeding Disorder Conference Unites 58 prominent Feeding and Therapy experts and more than 80 authors With a focus on collaboration, this conference grants access to the latest research on PFD and can connect attendees with a community of diverse disciplines and families all working together to improve health outcomes for children, said Jaclyn Pederson, chief executive officer of Feeding Matters.

Arizona-based nonprofit Feeding Matters, the first organization in the world dedicated to advancing the system of care for pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) is proud to host the upcoming 10th annual International Pediatric Feeding Disorder Conference (IPFDC). The IPFDC 2023 will be streamed live April 13-14, 2023, with pre-conference events on April 12, and will offer the most diverse group of speakers and lightning talk authors to date. All sessions will be available on-demand through May 31, 2023.

The two-day conference is the largest of its kind and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education(ACCME), American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), Early Illinois Intervention(EI) and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association(ASHA).

Feeding Matters recognizes the importance of a collaborative care model and invites all healthcare disciplines to attend the IPFDC. When providers of various backgrounds work together, patients benefit. Every healthcare professional will receive a certificate with CE hours along with a program syllabus that can be submitted to their respective association. The event is presented by Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition.

Since 2008, the IPFDC has been a leader in providing evidence-based education for the evaluation and treatment of children with PFD featuring intermediate and advanced-level sessions formatted into lightning talks, breakout sessions, and keynote presentations. This years conference will bring together a lineup of the pediatric feeding communitys foremost experts, leaders, and contributors.

The IPFDC is also designed with the family attendee in mind and helps pave the way for widespread awareness to reach families on a feeding journey. In an effort to continue focusing on the crucial dynamics that occur in the everyday lives of the families on a PFD journey, this years keynote address Healing Feeding Trauma: It takes a village, from Dr. Anka Roberto DNP, MSN-MPH, APRN, PMHNP-BC, will bring focus to how critical it is to heal feeding trauma not only for the child but for the entire family. Dr. Roberto, by her own admission, is a mother first and all other aspects of her life and career have been largely impacted by her experiences in parenthood. She is mom to now 16-year-old Maya who was born with congenital heart defects and had four open heart surgeries by the age of four. Mayas congenital heart defects during childhood made feeding a challenge and inspired Dr. Roberto's work for many reasons. Further informing Dr. Robertos work in the psychiatric field, their family and community survived the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in 2012. The level of grief, loss, and trauma the family unit experienced from that horrific event has had a long-reaching impact, a familiar feeling she noted to be similar to her experiences during Maya's open-heart surgeries. Different, but similar in the same breath. So, when Dr. Roberto takes the stage to share on the neurobiological impact of medical trauma on children and their families, she will be speaking from an informed and educated personal and professional level. Her presentation will offer practical strategies to help children and families heal from their own trauma, while empowering families to find ways to help their children and family members navigate the impact of the traumas impacted by feeding disorders.

Dr. Roberto is a nationally board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), and certified Eye Movement Desensitization (EMDR) APRN provider. Dr. Roberto is also an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where she teaches and leads future PMHNP's in the doctoral program. She has also authored book chapters and numerous publications on trauma and resilience. With over 20 years of experience as an RN working with children with special needs, she was humbled to be able to return to school to receive her doctoral degree in nursing practice as a PMHNP from Fairfield University in Connecticut in 2016 to help those impacted by trauma. She currently has her own private practice, Holistic Healing, PLLC where she helps children, families, and adults alike target and reprocess negative life experiences.

With the family engagement experience in mind, there will be reduced cost ($35) and pre-conference options specifically designed for families impacted by PFD. Families are encouraged to visit: Conference Pricing to learn more.

Visit this link to learn more about all of this years internationally renowned presenters. You may also view their biographies and disclosures here. To register for the conference and learn more about pre-conference events with an opportunity to receive continuing education visit: 10th International PFD Conference.

With a focus on connection and collaboration, this conference is not one that should be missed. Within two days, you gain access to the latest research on PFD and can connect with a community of diverse disciplines and families all working together to improve health outcomes for children, said Jaclyn Pederson, chief executive officer of Feeding Matters. In addition, this years keynote will address a critical but often overlooked component of the PFD journey which is the medical trauma that occurs in the lives of families and care providers. Dr. Robertos inspired work on neutralizing these traumatic experiences offers something for every type of attendee, Pederson concluded.

To secure your registration or see the complete schedule with session descriptions for the years most prolific and informative pediatric feeding conference, visit International Pediatric Feeding Disorder Conference.

About Feeding Matters

For kids with pediatric feeding disorder (PFD), every bite of food can be painful, scary, or simply impossible to swallow, potentially impeding nutrition, development, growth, and overall well-being. Yet, there is no functional system of care for PFD locally, nationally, or internationally. Thats why Feeding Matters is dedicated to creating a world where children with pediatric feeding disorder will thrive. Established in 2006, Feeding Matters is the first organization in the world uniting the concerns of families with the fields leading advocates, experts, and allied healthcare professionals to ignite unprecedented change to the system of care through advocacy, education, support, and research  including a stand-alone diagnosis, the International Pediatric Feeding Disorder Conference, and the Infant and Child Feeding Questionnaire. To learn more about pediatric feeding disorder, visit feedingmatters.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube at @FeedingMatters.

Media Contacts:

Stephanie Sanstead

Public Relations

stephanie@communicadenceco.com

602.476.9997

Jaclyn Pederson, MHI

Chief Executive Officer

Feeding Matters

jpederson@feedingmatters.org

602.690.6680

###
The ACTEC Foundation

Washington, DC, March 16, 2023: The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) Foundation today announced that four ACTEC Fellows were elected to The Foundations Board of Directors on Friday, March 3, during the ACTEC 2023 Annual Meeting, held in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Foundation President Jeffrey C. Thede (2020-2023) chaired the 2023 ACTEC Foundation Nominating Committee, with members Theron E. Fry, Joseph G. Hodges, Jr., Benetta Y. Park, Bruce S. Ross, and Melissa J. Willms.

Four ACTEC Fellows were elected as Foundation Directors for a three-year term ending in 2026: Keith Bradoc Gallant, Shannon G. Guthrie, William P. LaPiana, and Kendis Kay Muscheid.

Four ACTEC Fellows were elected as 2023-2024 Foundation Officers: John T. Rogers, Jr., President; Melissa J. Willms, Vice President; Kathleen R. Sherby, Treasurer; and Lora G. Davis, Secretary. Jeffrey C. Thede will serve as Immediate Past President.

Also elected as Foundation Director for a second term ending in 2026 are ACTEC Fellows W. Cameron McCulloch, Jr., Charles Ian Nash, Benetta Y. Park, and Bruce S. Ross.

About The ACTEC Foundation: The ACTEC Foundation is the philanthropic arm of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that offers education to families and professionals and supports students interested in the trust and estate area of the law. Through continued financial support, The ACTEC Foundation provides professional development, scholarships, and education for several vital efforts, including legal education, educational support, public initiatives, legal publications, and the student editorial board.

About the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC): Established in 1949, The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) is a national nonprofit association of approximately 2,500 lawyers and law professors from throughout the United States and abroad. ACTEC members (Fellows) are peer-elected based on professional reputation and expertise in the preparation of wills and trusts, estate planning, probate, trust administration, and related practice areas. The Colleges mission includes improving and reforming probate, trust and tax laws, procedures and professional practice standards. ACTEC frequently offers technical comments about legislation and regulations but does not take positions on matters of policy or political objectives.


As book banning efforts intensifyalong with assaults on womens bodily autonomy and on the AP African American studies curriculumold-school feminist bookstores and new intersectional feminist stores alike are drawing customers seeking safe spaces for buying books and gathering information.

Sarah Hollenbeck, co-owner of Women & Children First in Chicago, echoed other feminist booksellers PW spoke with when she said that the current culture wars have rejuvenated her 44-year-old store. In recent years, weve only stood stronger in our mission and encouraged our community to invest in the ongoing work, Hollenbeck said. Our most recent tote bag reads Support Your Local Feminist Bookstore in big, bold, all-caps letters. That pretty much captures the tone of our current marketing strategy.

WCF also has been buoyed by spikes in new customers and sales due to external factors. Most notably, in June 2022, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker visited WCF to mark his repeal of a state law requiring minors to obtain parental consent before having an abortion, just before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. We continue to have quite a bit of interest in certain titles, like the new edition of The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service and Ejaculate Responsibly: A Whole New Way to Think About Abortion, Hollenbeck said.

WCF has also upped its scheduling of collaborative programming benefiting feminist organizations, including two Bake Sale for Abortion fundraisers for the Chicago Abortion Fund.

Sales at 49-year-old Charis Books & More in Decatur, Ga. also have gone up, and up, and up in the past year, said co-owner Sara Luce Look, who ascribes this success to being rooted in community that holds us accountable. Charis has always had robust programming in collaboration with like-minded organizations, such as one Atlanta group focused on reproductive justice and another on domestic violence. The kinds of books we carry and the programing we do are intertwined, Look added, noting that the store is going to be a distribution point for Plan B contraception pills.

Most of the indies identifying as feminist stores that have opened in recent years also embrace LGBTQ books and Black literature. One such store, Socialight Society in Lansing, Mich., was founded in 2021 as a pop-up specializing in books by Black women; it moved into a bricks-and-mortar space inside the Lansing Mall a year ago. Owner Nyshell Lawrence said she was inspired to open Socialight Society after visiting a large bookstore in Lansing that had a pretty disappointing section of books by BIPOC authors.

Things are going well with in-store and online sales, plus sales to local schools, Lawrence said, noting that Socialight stocks 300 titles. Conversations with customers often concern banned books, since people want to get their hands on them, she noted.

This past summer, sales at Socialight rose when customers were given the opportunity to donate books to be handed out to protesters for womens rights rallying outside the Michigan state capitol building. Just Get on the Pill: The Uneven Burden of Reproductive Politics was probably the most popular book handed out to the protesters, Lawrence said.

All She Wrote Books, founded in Somerville, Mass., by Christina Pascucci Ciampa in 2019 as a pop-up, moved into a bricks-and-mortar location in July 2020. Ciampa was prompted to open All She Wrote, she explained, due to the lack of curation of certain feminist and LGBTQ titles in other bookstores, shelved in such a way that they were overshadowed by some of publishings biggest names.

Ciampa promotes books by women and LGBTQ writers, as well as those by disabled writers and those portraying disabled characters in positive ways. When I was younger, she explained, I did not see any books with someone in a wheelchair featured in it and being this bold, amazing character, or anybody talking about autism, whether it was fiction or nonfiction. I knew these types of books were out there.

All She Wrote is more than just a feminist/queer independent bookstore, Ciampa said. When I think of the words intersectional, feminist, and queer, which are in our mission statement, I think of them as guiding lights for those who are not only actively seeking queer/feminist spaces out like ours but for those who want more spaces like ours in the world.

Inspired by the 1970s feminist publishing movement, Jamie Harker started Violet Valley in 2018 in Water Valley, Miss., a town of 4,000 residents 17 miles from Oxford. Referring to a 2017 state law that indemnified license to discriminate against LGBTQ people, Harker said she wanted to create a safe space, especially for queer youth, adding, I know books and I know LGBTQ culture. So launching an explicitly queer and feminist bookstore made sense.

Violet Valley customers are a mix of locals and travelers from Oxford, Memphis, Jackson, and beyond, Harker said. The store had repeated upticks in sales this past year whenever something happens, either nationally or locally.

She recalled that when a controversy erupted over critical race theory, a supporter in San Francisco launched a fund through Violet Valley benefiting Mississippi queer youth who want to read banned books but cannot afford to buy them. This is one of those moments when we have to use our ingenuity to get around homophobic culture, Harker said.

Another intersectional feminist indie, Burdock Book Collective in Birmingham, Ala., was founded in 2018 by Katie Willis and Meagan Lyle. After visiting Charis, the two were inspired to start their own feminist bookstore. BBC has collaborated on several events with Violet Valley and Charis, including a recent hybrid event featuring Alex Ketchum, the author of Ingredients for Revolution: A History of American Feminist Restaurants, Cafes, and Coffeehouses.

We wanted to have a community organizing space for people to connect, learn and grow, Willis and Lyle said of their pop-up. We wanted our inventory to represent voices and authors from different backgrounds and life experiences, especially writers who have been marginalized in more mainstream bookstores. We saw many indies in our city that did not uplift the voices of women, people of color, LGBTQ+ folks, disabled people, and people from poor communities.

Though BBC did not see the increase in sales last summer reported by other feminist indies PW spoke with, Lyle and Willis said the stores sales are slowly climbing. And making money is not a priority, they addedthey opened the store because they love books and think it is important to create space for people to come together around literature.
John Steinbecks home in Long Islands Sag Harbor may soon secure its place in literary history, thanks to an impassioned coalition of readers, writers, and booksellers. The Sag Harbor Partnership; the town of Southampton, N.Y.; and the University of Texas at Austin have joined forces to purchase Steinbecks beloved summer cottage, which is currently for sale for the first time in 60 years. The goal: to preserve the property to use as a writers retreat, hosted by UT Austins Michener Center for Writers.

The coalition is nearing its monetary goal, and the Sag Harbor Partnership is now in the midst of its final fundraising push. As of this writing, through a combination of public and private funds, the Sag Harbor Partnerships bid has been accepted by the seller, and now the organization needs to raise $90,000 by the closing date of March 30 to complete its purchase of the $13.5 million property.

Steinbeck bought the cottage, located on secluded Bluff Point Lane, in 1955 and spent summers there until his death in 1968. He filled his days there with fishing and writing. In his 1962 book Travels with Charley, he referred to the home as my little fishing place, and he completed his final novelThe Winter of Our Discontent, set in a fictional coastal town modeled on Sag Harborthere. The 1.8-acre waterfront property includes the one-story wood-shingled cottage, a pier, and a small gazebo that Steinbeck used as a writing studio.

When the property went up for sale in 2021, local bookseller Kathryn Szoka sprung into action. Szoka, who is the co-owner of Canios Bookstore in Sag Harbor, believed the community had on its hands a national treasure worth preserving. I called everyone I knew who could guide and advise me, she said, and began strategizing with community leaders, local politicians, and Steinbeck scholars.

Soon she launched an online petition to convert the property into a writers retreat with limited visitation and community access. Within weeks, the petition garnered more than 30,000 signatures. Szoka then teamed with writer John Avlon and artist April Gornik, who live in Sag Harbor, to form the Steinbeck House Committee, which quickly drew Colson Whitehead, another local resident, as honorary chair. Before long, the nonprofit Sag Harbor Partnership signed on to support the committees fundraising efforts.

Next, UT Austin, which currently houses an extensive collection of Steinbecks archives, was brought on board to facilitate the planned writers retreat. The Michener Center for Writers, the universitys MFA program, proved the ideal steward for the retreat. Michener Center director Bret Anthony Johnston said that when he was first approached by the committee, he revisited Steinbecks oeuvre and several biographies, which impressed upon him how important community was to Steinbeck, including both Sag Harbor and the community he made with the writers he admired.

Johnston believes that a writers retreat in Steinbecks name will carry on the authors own legacy of supporting early-career writers. When Steinbeck won the Pulitzer Prize for The Grapes of Wrath in 1940, he gave his $1,000 in prize money to an aspiring writer to help him finish his first novel. That level of supportthat commitment to writers and the work theyre makingis the bar hes set for us, Johnston said, and its the model that we should use to honor his legacy as a writer.

While its still too early to describe the specifics of the retreat, Johnston envisions the residencies will be available for both early-career writers and established authors. When we assemble a jury to select residents, we wouldagain, following Steinbecks exampleprioritize inclusivity and diversity, artistic excellence and literary promise, and of course community engagement, he said. We want Sag Harbor to embrace the writers, and we want the writers to spend time in the community that was so important to Steinbeck.

The campaign has gained traction in the past two years, and in February, Southampton voted to contribute $11.2 million from its Community Preservation Fund to the project. This is not the first time residents have mobilized to commemorate Steinbeck: in 2019, Sag Harbor opened the 1.25-acre John Steinbeck Waterfront Park.

We believe that this is a win-win for everybody, said Diana Howard, a member of the Sag Harbor Partnership. We would preserve this piece of literary and cultural history, the property would be open by appointment to visitors, and Steinbecks home would be used to foster a new generation of authors.

Donate here by March 31.
Ivy Pochodas new novel, Sing Her Down (MCD, May), began as a dare between herself and a friend at a bar. She wondered if one could write a female version of Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthys very bloody, very male western from 1985.

Pochoda had been thinking, she says via Zoom during a visit to New York City (she lives in Los Angeles), about why we allow men to be violent in books but not women, and Blood Meridian is the ur-example of that.

Could she do it? Could she challenge the conventions of the genreand flout readers expectations for women charactersby telling a story of carnage from a female perspective? She decided she would. And she certainly has.

Sing Her Down centers on three female characters: two newly released ex-convicts, Florida and Dios, and a detective, Lobos, who embarks on a hunt for them after identifying them as suspects in a murder. The book, set mainly in Los Angeles in 2020, may not have the usual trappings of a westernas far as mise-en-scene goes its more freeways and gas stations than the bloodred clouds and desert nighthawks of McCarthys epic. But one thing Pochoda realized about the genre as she was preparing to write the book is that its highly malleable.

More than a time period or location, she says, the west is an ideaits a mood. And with its focus on characters taking justice into their own hands, the western is well suited to the present.

Were seeing a lot of vigilante justice, Pochoda says. She cites as examples the recent surge in gun violence and the proliferation of private militias. People feel that the government is failing them, or that its abandoning them. Were seeing western-style justice being carried outnever for better, always for worse.

In Sing Her Down, its definitely for worse. After their release from a womens prison in Arizona, Florida and Diosex-cellmates with much bad blood between themat first go their separate ways. Florida (real name Florence), a rich girl with a penchant for bad crowds and reckless behavior, sets her mind on retrieving her cherished Jaguar from her mothers mansion in Los Angeles and leaving her criminal past behind.

But Dios, a highly educated and darkly philosophical sociopath who calls to mind McCarthys Judge Holden, believes that Florida is as much a natural-born criminal as she is. She feels that, with enough convincing, Florida will come to see the beauty in her evil, and over the course of the novel she stalks Florida with this eventual conversion in mind. Stop lying to yourself, Dios tells Florida. Youre not rehabilitated. You dont want to be.

Even Lobos, a committed upholder of the law, harbors fantasies of violence and extrajudicial score settling. Shes reeling from a failed marriage that culminated in a violent attack by her ex-husband, and as she searches for Florida and Dios she finds herself tapping into her own reservoir of fury. Shes trained to pretend she doesnt understand the hatred, couldnt possibly identify with the lawless rage that comes across her desk, Pochoda writes of Lobos. But she does.

Sing Her Down is Pochodas third novel set in Los Angeles, after These Women and Wonder Valley. All three deal with life on the citys marginson Skid Row, in its encampments, among its misfits and drifters.

A native of Brooklyn, Pochoda moved to Los Angeles in 2009 with her then husband, who worked in TV. I had no connection to the city whatsoever, she says. I felt really uncomfortable writing about L.A., which is why I think I write about outsider versions of the city.

Pochoda already knew a good deal about being an outsider. She spent much of her youth playing squash, first in Brooklyn and later at Harvard, where in 1998 she won the title of individual national champion. She went on to play professionally for several years after college. She loved the sport and still plays regularly, but shes never felt at home in the buttoned-up squash community. In a 2013 New York Times essay, she wrote about the culture shock she experienced when she, the daughter of committed leftists, entered the world of Brooklyns Heights Casino squash club, where women wore elephant pins to signal their political affiliation and spectators were discouraged from cheering.

Ive always felt different from most of the people who play squash, Pochoda says. Im a little more outspoken. They think Im a punk, or a hippie, or something.

Pochodas time as a squash player was isolating, but it was good training for writingas isolating a profession as there can possibly beand it helped her find her subject matter and perspective. Her characters, she says, are often lonely and alienated and by themselves.

They also do not arrive at happy endings, and that is very much to Pochodas point. In keeping with her interest in the western genre, in allowing women to be as violent and unrepentant as men, she affords her characters little in the way of redemption. The novel is dark from start to finish.

I read way too many books where its very violent and then theres a beautiful scene at the end where theres a possibility for a new world, Pochoda says. And Im likeI mean, maybe! But that doesnt seem to serve the story you just told. Follow your characters where theyre going to lead you. They can be super-violent and awful but there can also be beauty within that.

Pochoda finds that writers often hasten to justify a womans violence with exonerating explanations. She was raped, or she had an abusive childhood, or someone stole her child, or its Thelma and Louise and her husbands an asshole, she says. Its a kind of perversion. People want to read about violent women up to a point, and then they need that violence to be excused.

Pochoda herself fell prey to this instinct while writing the book, adding in exculpatory backstories for her characters that she later cut. I was like, No, no, no, dont do that!  she says. It doesnt matter. Theyre just allowed to do these things. It can just be in their nature.

In all her novels, Pochoda likes to zero in on a turning point that decides a characters trajectory. For Florida, its the pivotal second when she opts to commit the crime that lands her in prison (suffice it to say it involves a lit match). After that, her fate is sealed: no pardons, no reformations, no bright tomorrows await.

Theres a moment when your life either stays on course or goes off course, Pochoda says. If you can pinpoint that moment, thats enough redemption for me, because it shows there was a possibility that you could have been otherwise.

Daniel Lefferts is a writer living in New Yorks Hudson Valley. His debut novel, Ways and Means, is forthcoming from Overlook Press in early 2024.
Transit Books, the Bay Area nonprofit publisher focused on international titles and work in translation, has launched Transit Childrens Editions. The new imprint spotlights noteworthy picture books from around the world and anticipates publishing four titles annually.

Transits debut childrens catalog touts three forthcoming picture books: a story of bedtime fears titled Monster-Scared by Betina Birkjaer and illustrator Zarah Juul, translated from the Danish by Katrine gaard Jensen and Orien Longo (Sept.); a multigenerational story called The Tailor Shop at the Intersection by Ahn Jaesun, translated from the Korean by Sora Kim-Russell (Oct.); and Claire Lebourgs humorous tale of a portrait artist, How Dreadful!originally titled Quelle horreur!translated from the French by Sophie Lewis (Feb. 2024).

Transit publishers Adam Levy and Ashley Nelson Levy got into picture books the same way many people do, by raising a junior product tester with passionate opinions about read-alouds. To be totally honest, we owe so much of this to our son Samuel, who was born in 2019, said Adam Levy. We were always hunting down new books by presses like Enchanted Lion or Archipelagos Elsewhere Editions. Before long, the family realized picture books were a natural extension of what we were doing on our adult list.

The Levys founded Transit Books in 2015, and the press has met with success in the six years since their summer 2017 premiere catalog. They publish novelist Jon Fosses acclaimed three-volume Septology, translated from the Norwegian by Damion Searls, a finalist for the 2022 National Book Award, International Booker Prize, and National Book Critics Circle Award. Their Undelivered Lectures series of narrative nonfiction includes Mexican essayist Mariana Olivers Migratory Birds, translated from the Spanish by Julia Sanches and the winner of the 2022 PEN Translation Prize.

This has been a big growth year for us, Levy said, and the recognition and strong sales enabled Transit to hire sales and marketing manager Jarrod Annis, formerly of Brooklyns Greenlight Bookstore and the nonprofit Ugly Duckling Presse. In the past it's just been me and Ashley, but now Jarrod's come on to handle our marketing and publicity and we have a publicity assistant who's working with us as well, said Levy.

When they branched out into Transit Childrens Editions, their translators expressed enthusiasm for childrens titles too. We're thinking about playfulness for this audience, and its led to some interesting editorial choices, Nelson Levy said. Jaesuns Tailor Shop, for instance, spans the early 20th century to the present day, following the fortunes of a family of tailor-dogs who create bespoke suits; the Transit editors chose to maintain the Chinese and Hangul shop signs and cultural details throughout the illustrations. These nuances are similar to things we pay attention to when editing translations for the adult list, like preserving certain kind of expressions or turns of phrase rather than transforming them into something that might feel more American, Nelson Levy explained.

It's not necessarily the kind of thing that your three-year-old is going to notice, but it's something that an adult reader will be able to appreciate, Adam Levy added. Where children will take note of the personalities and streetwear of Jaesuns animal characters, their parents will observe the historical allusions and technologies in the pictures.

Tailor Shop, originally published by Woongjin Think Big of South Korea, received a 2020 Bologna Ragazzi special mention in the Opera Prima category for first-time authors. Jaesun thus arrives at Transit on a wave of positive international attention, and Birkjaerthe author of Monster-Scaredis known for Coffee, Rabbit, Snowdrop, Lost (Enchanted Lion), which garnered a Batchelder Honor. But Transit looks beyond the critical attention. Awards are always nice to see and will spark an acquiring editors interest, but are not a core part of our acquisitions strategy, Nelson Levy said.

Adam Levy agreed: Were looking for books that have an enduring appeal and a high level of artistry and quality. Is this the kind of book we want to read 30 times? Can we see people keeping this on the shelf, so its not a flash in the pan? Their initial selections hint at their tastes. Monster-Scared addresses a commonplace fear of the dark in a contemporary style, with roughly inked page borders, spots of cheerful color, and inventive monsters in the end pages. How Dreadful! introduces an oddball cast of creatures (a puffball spider, a green millipede, a languorous shrimp) who complain that their artist friend, a sweet-natured, goggle-eyed bug, fails to capture their true likenesses on the canvas.

Transit Childrens Books has added variety to Transits days. Agents are reading me picture books over a Zoom call, said Levy. Or my son comes into the room and asks what books Im working on, and well read them together. Although Samuel doesnt always get his way (We definitely have passed on books hes been really into), he will have plenty to read as he grows. Levy expresses only one regret: It's too bad that he's going to age out of the job.
DEAL OF THE WEEK

Randall Goes Country at S&S For Simon & Schusters Black Privilege Publishing imprint, Nicholas Ciani took world rights to Alice Randalls My Black Country. Randall (Black Bottom Saints), a bestselling author and songwriter, was represented by Dupree Millers Alexandria Kominsky. S&S said the book is a hybrid work of research and personal history that exhumes the Black roots of country music. Randall structures the narrative through her travels across the nation to trace the story of Americas First Family of Black Country  and reckon with her own complex past.

Gregory Gets National at HarperVia

HarperVia took world rights to Philippa Gregorys Normal Women. The agreement originated out of the bestselling historical fiction authors native U.K., with Arabelle Pike at HarperCollins UK imprint William Collins acquiring the book and Zahra Gibbery at Vivat Publishing representing Gregory. Gretchen Schmid at HarperVia will edit the title in the U.S., and its set for release here in February 2024. The publisher said National Women tells the story of the U.K. through the stories of women soldiers, jousters, guild widows, nuns... and female husbands who for centuries blazed the trail for women today.

Holt Signs Menger-Anderson

Amy Einhorn at Henry Holt preempted world rights to The Expert of Subtle Revisions by Kirsten Menger-Anderson. The publisher said the debut novel, sold by Heather Jackson at Heather Jackson Literary Agency, is a taut, genre-bending historical mystery perfect for readers looking for their next dark academia fix and is steeped in math and misfortune. Menger-Andersons 2008 short story collection, Doctor Olaf van Schulers Brain, was a finalist for the Northern California Book Award. The Expert of Subtle Revisions is slated for August 2024.

Makos Wave Hits Ballantine

Adam Makos (A Higher Call) sold Tidal Wave to Mary Reynics at Ballantine in a world rights agreement. The publisher said the nonfiction book tells the dramatic tale of a young American B-24 crew who crashed during a bombing raid against the Ploesti oil fields in Romania during WWII and their journey to escape with the help of Romanian allies. The author did not use an agent in the deal, and Tidal Wave is slated for spring or summer 2025.

Little, Brown Swims in Cordaliss Water

Little, Browns Tracy Sherrod took world rights at auction to Amy Bowers Cordaliss Child of Big Water. Cordalis, a member of the Yurok Tribe in California, was represented by Mark Tauber at the Watermark Agency. The publisher said the booksubtitled Indigenous Resistance, Resilience and Stewardship, How a Tribe and a Family Fought to Win the Worlds Biggest River Restoration Projecttells the story, through the voices of Cordaliss family, of a century of her tribes subjugation and the battle they took upon themselves to... rescue their heritage. Members of the tribe have been fighting government agencies for decades over the damming of irrigation waters, and last year Congress ordered that a dam be removed from the Klamath River. Child of Big Water is slated for December 2024.

Bloomsbury Nabs Pearsons Debut

In a North American rights agreement, Bloomsburys Daniel Loedel bought Joanna Pearsons adult debut Bright and Tender Dark. The publisher said the literary mystery is about the death of a charismatic young college student and its long, sensational aftermath in a community possessed by questions of the unknown. Pearson, a psychiatrist and Drue Heinz Literature Prize winner, was represented by Marya Spence at Janklow & Nesbit Associates.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the title of Philippa Gregory's new book; it's Normal Women, not National Women.
Screening Room

The limited series adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reids Daisy Jones & the Six began streaming on March 3, and this week, the 2020 trade paperback edition is the #4 book in the country. The tie-in edition sold about 5,000 print copies this week, and 20K since its February release, but the older edition is the clear fan favorite.

Triple Crown

Hannah Whitten debuted in 2021 with For the Wolf, first in a fairy taleinspired duology that concluded with 2022s For the Throne. Each received a starred review from PW and landed on our trade paperback list in its first week; the two have sold a combined 140K print units. Her new book, The Foxglove King, is her first hardcover release and debuts at #18 on that list. Its a stunning fantasy, per our starred review, whose fascinating magic system and ever-present danger keep the pages flying.

In Clubland

The March Good Morning America pick, Pineapple Street by Knopf v-p and executive editor Jenny Jackson, debuts at #5 on our hardcover nonfiction list. Its a clever if tepid debut that chronicles the struggles of three women born or married into an old-monied New York City family, our review said. Despite the dusty feeling, this has its moments, and Jackson shines in her incisive observations about the ravages of contemporary real estate developments.

NEW & NOTABLE

A MOST INTRIGUING LADY

Sarah Ferguson

#13 Hardcover Fiction

This superior blend of mystery and romance from the Duchess of York introduces Lady Mary Montagu Douglas Scott, the younger daughter of close friends of Queen Victoria, who chafes at being expected to adhere to her eras rigid restrictions on women, per our starred review. Ferguson plausibly depicts the struggles of a capable woman who empowers herself to achieve her own potential.

WAYWARD

Emilia Hart

#19 Hardcover Fiction

Hart explores in her triumphant debut sexual desire, violence, and personal autonomy in the lives of three strong-willed English women from the 17th century to the present, according to our starred review, showing how they confronted a patriarchal society to take control of their lives.
The 2024 federal budget process kicked off with the March 9 release of the Biden Administration's $6.8 trillion budget blueprint. And with federal library funding hanging in the balance, this year's budget negotiation is set up to be a tough one. In a release this week, the American Library Association urged members and library supporters to ask their representatives to sign "Dear Appropriator" letters in support of critical library programs, including the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program. And with an abbreviated process this year, the House deadline for signatures is already upon us: March 20.

Thankfully, the team at ALA makes supporting libraries easy. Just go to the ALA's #FundLibraries action center, where you can quickly add your information and with a few clicks contact your reps about the Dear Appropriator letters. It takes about a minute. There are also a host of resources you can tap for your advocacy work. You can also track whether your representative has signed the letters here (and when they do sign, don't forget to write again to say thanks). And be sure to share a little about the good work your library does in your community.

In American Libraries, ALA President Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada writes about this year's budget process, including a report on "a strategic fly-in" organized by ALA just ahead of the Biden Administration's budget release. Some 97 library advocates (including 24 state librarians) traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with legislators and their staffs about library funding.

Did I say it's been a challenging time for libraries? From Bridge Michigan, news that a Lapeer County prosecutor is mulling criminal charges against "employees or officials" of the Lapeer District Library if Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer: A Memoir is not pulled from library shelves. According to the report, the prosecutor suggested the book's presence in the library might violate criminal code 750.145a, a charge "often associated with police sting operations of adults who prey on minors." Library director Amy Churchill accused the prosecutor of trying to intimidate librarians, and sounded a defiant note in response. "I am not hard to find, Churchill told reporters. If [the prosecutor] wishes to arrest me, I am in my office working for the patrons and staff of the Lapeer District Library Monday through Friday.

From local Little Rock NPR affiliate KUAR, news that Senate Bill 81 has passed the Arkansas House. The bill, which overcame a brief legislative hurdle earlier this month, would expose librarians to criminal prosecution for furnishing books deemed to be obscene. "The bill passed on a vote of 56 to 25 with eight lawmakers voting present," the article notes. "Its the bills final hurdle before being sent back to the Senate, then to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to be signed into law."

Louisiana librarian Amanda Jones announced this week that she has filed an appeal seeking to reinstate a defamation lawsuit against men who accused her online of seeking to sexualize children after she spoke in favor of keeping challenged books on the shelves of her local library. "I am committed to going the distance and fighting for my right to a fair trial against those who have sought to destroy my good name," Jones wrote this week on her website. "I will update court procedures as they happen in the upcoming year, and give periodic updates on how I am helping in the fight against anti-library/pro-censorship legislation in our state. To everyone fighting in their own states, I hope you keep up the good fight! You are not alone, and there are thousands of us waking up each day to fight for the rights of our students and our communities."

From the Idaho Press, a petition to shut down the Meridian Library doesn't appear to have a lot of support, but library leaders warn that the results would be devastating if it manages to pass. The library "would be completely dissolved, all assets would be liquidated and if there was a new petition to restart, a library would have to be restarted from scratch," library director Nick Grove notes.

The New York Times reports on how conservative groups, empowered by the DeSantis administration, are seeking to change social studies textbooks used in Florida schools. The article notes that one group that "has helped lead a sweeping effort to remove school library books deemed as inappropriate, including many with LGBTQ characters," has reportedly recommended the state "reject 28 of the 38 textbooks that its volunteers reviewed," including "more than a dozen" by one of the nation's largest educational publishers, McGraw Hill. "In a summary of its findings submitted to the state last month, the group complained that a McGraw Hill fifth-grade textbook, for example, mentioned slavery 189 times within a few chapters alone," the Times reports. "Another objection: An eighth-grade book gave outsize attention to the 'negative side' of the treatment of Native Americans, while failing to give a fuller account of their own acts of violence, such as the Jamestown Massacre of 1622, in which Powhatan warriors killed more than 300 English colonists."

Meanwhile, Politico reports that Florida is still barred from enforcing the state's so-called Stop-WOKE law after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a federal judge's injunction from last year. "Inspired by DeSantis, [the law] takes aim at lessons over issues like 'white privilege' by creating new protections for students and workers, including that a person should not be instructed to 'feel guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress' due to their race, color, sex or national origin," the article notes. Last year, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said the law was "positively dystopian" and blocked its enforcement.

 What seemed most painful to the librarians I spoke witheven more than the personal attacks and fear of litigationwas the way in which book bans hinder their ability to connect their patrons to information that might help them. 

Over at Book Riot, Kelly Jensen opens her must-read weekly censorship news column by asking a fresh new voice to weigh in on the question of book banning in libraries: ChatGPT. "With the fervor over AI and how ChatGPT will inevitable change English classesand nary a word from said author of that piece on the scores of books being removed from those classesit seemed only right to experiment with the tool. How easily could it parrot the talking points of 'parental rights' activists?" Jensen writes. "I asked several questions pulling the talking points from the above group playbooks and each time, ChatGPT better articulated why access to books are a right (and, frankly, does it better than the Big Name White Authors who are doing more harm right now than good)."

In the New Republic, Melissa Gira Grant has a long, well-written look at the right-wing attack on the freedom to read. "While only a minority of the public may be behind renewed book-banning efforts, that small group has an outsize voice in our politics and, as a result, in what books are available at schools and libraries," Grant writes. "These people are the ones most likely to attend a library board meeting to shout their objections, driving this nationwide book-banning campaign. The same books are challenged from place to place, with queer and trans subjectsparticularly those by queer and trans authors of colordominating the list of most-challenged books. The same rationale for the bans repeats across the country: protecting the innocence of children."

In the Atlantic, author Xochitl Gonzalez spent some time with librarians (including at the New York Library Association conference) and writes about the challenges they are facing. "They told me about getting hate mail and harassing phone calls on their private lines, about being verbally attacked while on the job over things as seemingly banal as book displays," Gonzalez writes. "What seemed most painful to the librarians I spoke witheven more than the personal attacks and fear of litigationwas the way in which book bans hinder their ability to connect their patrons to information that might help them." (Note: this article is currently paywalled.)

The Huffington Post reports that New York attorney general Letitia James is hosting a four-hour drag story read-a-thon in Manhattan's West Village neighborhood this weekend, sponsored by the New York, Queens, and Brooklyn public libraries in conjunction with Drag Story Hour NYC.

Earlier this month, lawmakers in Connecticut held hearings on the state's new library e-book bills HB 6800 and HB 6829 (although the bills appear to be identical). The testimony for and against is now posted and is well worth checking out: The testimony dated March 10 is here. The testimony dated March 6 is here. And via the Connecticut Library Association, testimony in support of the bill is available here to read and watch.

Meanwhile, Michael Blackwell at ReadersFirst offered his quick take on the new Connecticut library e-book bill, noting its difference from the Maryland law struck down by a federal judge last year.

And finally this week, with all the thorny questions involving the impact of AI and ChatGPT, a report in the Federal Register from the Copyright Office this week attempted to put one issue to rest: machine-generated works don't qualify for copyright protection. "If a work's traditional elements of authorship were produced by a machine, the work lacks human authorship and the Office will not register it."

The Week in Libraries is a weekly opinion and news column. News, tips, submissions, questions or comments are welcome, and can be submitted via email. Previous columns can be viewed here.
Former bookseller Alexander Pootss debut, The Strangers House, is a lyrical ode to Northern Irish literature. Through close readings of literary heavyweights (C.S. Lewis, Seamus Heaney) and overlooked talents (Forrest Reid), Poots surveys the writings and history of a region known for fraught political positions and cultural identities. Biographical sketches highlight the relationship between the authors writings and Northern Irish history, and Pootss prose is at turns funny and poetic, as when he suggests that Lewiss prim child protagonists act like bank managers in training and that poet Louis MacNeice describes his childhood with tactile care, as if he were running his hand up the bannisters of the rectory once again. Its a powerful evocation of the beauty and complexity of Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut. This is a tiny place. Drive for more than two hours in any direction and you will find yourself in the Republic of Ireland or, if youre careless, the Irish Sea. Yet writers are everywhere. They always have been. More novelists and poets than seems reasonable for such a modest slice of the world. Perhaps this is because Northern Ireland is not just a place but, in the words of Seamus Heaney, a predicament. A predicament that calls for tact, nuance, and deep historical understandingall virtues to be found in the poems, novels, and reportage that I have chosen here.

1. Milkman by Anna Burns No onewell, almost no onehas a name in Burnss glorious black comedy. The narrator is middle sister. There's also first sister, and Somebody McSomebody, and tablets girl. The place is unnamed, too, though it is Belfast, or a kind of Belfast. Middle sisterbookish, wry, bluntdescribes her claustrophobic world, a place in which people are ruled by gossip and violence. Its a compelling premise, but it could have become too abstract in the wrong hands. Burns makes the reader care, but crucially, she also makes the reader laugh. Despite the subject matter, this book is a screamand a worthy winner of the 2018 Man Booker Prize.

2. F for Ferg by Ian Cochrane In this 1980 novel, Fergus arrives in a small Antrim village. He is a bit posh. He has been to boarding school and is on his way to Oxford. His dad runs the nearby factory. Over the course of a summer, he tries to fit in with the local lads. Slowly, he is sucked into village life, with everything that it entails. Cochrane loved William Faulkner, and created a Northern Gothic in this and other short novels. Funny, unsparing, and unique, his books deserve a wider readership. For fans of Flannery OConnor and Carson McCullers.

3. North by Seamus Heaney This is a poetry collection about land. What land swallows and what land throws up again. Land as timepiece and tomb. Bodies preserved for centuries in peat bogs complain about their undignified exhumation, while Heaney wonders at their perfect state of preservation and recounts their deaths. Layers of Irelands history are dug up and examined. Towards the end comes Whatever You Say Say Nothing, one of the best poems written about daily life during the Troubles. Picking just one collection from the Nobel Laureate will elicit squeals of outrage: What about Station Island? What about Death of a Naturalist or Human Chain? I dont care. North is the one for me.

4. New Selected Poems by Derek Mahon Mahon often revised his work after publication, so his New Selected Poems from 2016 is a good place to start. A Disused Shed in Co. Wexford is his masterpiece. A man opens a shed door to find that a riot of mushrooms has colonized the building. This macabre piece about the grossness, violence, and melancholy of organic life is an allusive commentary on the Troubles, and must be counted among the greatest Irish poems ever written. See also Afterlives, a guilty meditation on conflict and home, and Everything Is Going To Be All Right, which found a new audience when it was read on Irish television at the start of the pandemic.

5. The Unfixed Horizon: New Selected Poems by Medbh McGuckian There are many fine poems here, but I would draw your attention to just one of them. Written in memory of a friend killed in a 1972 bombing, Drawing Ballerinas takes its title from Henri Matisse, who said that he had endured the Second World War by sketching young dancers. McGuckian, often considered an abstract poet, is in fact the opposite. As this poem illustrates so beautifully, she is capable of drawing a body in words, talented enough to give that body form and heft and movement, and clear-eyed enough to let it break.

6. Meeting the British by Paul Muldoon I might have chosen Why Brownlee Left, another collection of Muldoons that includes The Boundary Commission, surely the best probing of the absurd nature of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. But I plumped for Meeting the British because of its title poem, in which the consequences of Pax Britannica are described with cruel simplicity. This collection also contains 7, Middagh Street, in which Muldoon ventriloquizes through the puppet-shade of another Northern poet, Louis MacNeice.

7. Sweet Home by Wendy Erskine One aspect of the Troubles that receives little attention is the manner in which decades of conflict quashed all other stories in Northern Ireland. Even during the worst years, people got married, started bands, moved house, and changed careers. Erskines debut collection of short stories, largely set in contemporary Belfast, moves the focus back to the inner lives and struggles of Northern Irish people. While the Troubles cast a shadowas in To All Their Dues, in which a woman who opens a beauty salon must deal with the demands of local paramilitariessectarianism is a background hum, not the subject. My favorite story here is the soul has no skin, where an act of kindness hollows out a young mans life.

8. Making Sense of the Troubles: A History of the Northern Ireland Conflict by David McKittrick and David McVea The best one-volume history of the Troubles. McKittrick and McVea do an admirable job of sorting through one of the most complex episodes of European history. Clean prose, deeply researched, and as objective as it is possible to be. A fantastic starting point for the curious or confused.

9. Can Ireland Be One? by Malachi O'Doherty 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. It was inevitable, especially in the aftermath of Brexit, that this would be a time to consider the question of Irish unification once again. ODoherty rejects the Panglossian rhetoric employed by many supporters of a united Ireland, and asks tough questions about what such a new state might look like in practice. This provocative mixture of biography, reportage, and analysis offers that rarest of things: a fresh perspective on the Irish Question.
Single-subject cookbooks reflect their times, says Lisa Dyer, associate publisher at Welbeck Publishing Group. In the 1990s, she recalls, books touted of-the-moment appliances and equipment such as microwaves and juicers; slim, gift-y titles about a single ingredient, like the avocado, followed. Forthcoming books, Dyer says, speak to a market hungry for both simplicity and variety: Even if I have one thing, the thinking goes, I can build a meal around it.

Refined tastes

In Ramen, a June release from Welbeck imprint OH! Life, that one thing is the familiar Japanese noodle soup, rendered by London restaurateur Makiko Sano in 80 recipes that emphasize ease and affordability. Ramen is ubiquitous, popular, and endlessly customizable, Dyer says, explaining that Sano draws from her Japanese childhood and her Korean culinary education in foundational recipes for dashis and tares, and in dishes that incorporate fresh sea vegetables. The book also includes TikTok-inspired takes on instant ramen, Dyer adds. We want readers to have fun, and eat ramen all the time: for breakfast or instead of grandmas chicken soup when youre sick.

Anna Hezel, senior editor at Epicurious, emphasizes the versatility of canned seafood in Tin to Table (Chronicle, Apr.). Im part of the CannedSardines subreddit, she says. Its tens of thousands of people who eat tinned fish and leave funny, nice little reviews about how they ate them and what they paired them with.

Packaged seafood, Hezel notes in the books introduction, has made its way into hundreds of dishes and cuisines around the world. She stresses its utility in the opening chapters: tinned mussels may be enjoyed straight out of the can; canned octopus is just as delicious as its fresh counterpart and far more affordable, too. Theres plenty of inspiration to be found here, according to PWs review, in snacks (Vermouth Hour Potato Chips with Mussels, Olives & Piparras), mains (Rice Cooker Sardine Rice with Grated Ginger, Sweet Corn & Green Onions), and more. Eunjo Park, a 2020 Food & Wine best new chef, contributed a recipe for tuna kimbap. The cheapest canned tuna mixed with gochujang for a spicy, fermented, sweet flavor, Hezel says. Its insanely good. You wont believe that youre eating a $2 can of tuna.

The Arepa (Ryland Peters & Small, June) focuses on what Baltimore restaurateur Irena Stein sees as an ambassador of Venezuelan cuisine. Millions of people have left Venezuela for political and economic reasons, she says, and went everywhere in the world. Wherever they went, they brought arepas. I want to honor this wonderful, important aspect of our gastronomy, which started before colonial times and has stayed in everybodys household every single day.

Steins favorite recipes are for cheese arepa, which every child takes to school, and pabellon arepa, which she calls Venezuelas national dish. Theyre important in our culture, and theyre damn delicious. She sees the books Asian-, Mediterranean- and Middle Easterninspired variations as a celebration of the Venezuelan diaspora. Every Latin country has its pockets of bread, she says. And every flavor of every culture fits in it so well.

Total immersion

Baking cookbooks, a category unto themselves, are ripe for the single-subject treatment.

When Brown Butter Blondie blogger Heather Mubarak noticed that her sandwich cookieswhoopie pies, macarons, copycat Oreoswere popular on her social media channels, she knew shed hit upon a book idea. In her debut, Stuffed (Chronicle, Apr.), she shares 65 recipes for stuffed cookies, including ones she says are a little less typical, such as carrot cake cookies with brown butter cream cheese frosting and rosemary pine nut sables with whipped goat cheese. The books final chapter has recipes for 30 fillings, among them eggnog buttercream, Meyer lemon curd, and slow-churn ice cream. I want readers to mix and match, she says. Because really, no two cookie cravings are the same.

Erica Council, the chef-owner of Atlantas Bomb Biscuits, speaks to the African American heritage of her signature quick bread in Still We Rise (Clarkson Potter, Aug.). I grew up in this industry and I saw nothing but African American men and women baking, she says. Everything that elevated my own baking style came from them.

Council is the granddaughter of soul food chef Mildred Mama Dip Council, who cooked and baked to support the civil rights movement, and many of the books recipes are rooted in family histories. For example, her roasted peach biscuit is an homage to her great-aunts shortcake biscuit-type concoction, which she cut in wedges, like a cake, she says. Theyre not the prettiest, but they remind me of what she made.

Council hopes her single-subject book will lead readers to cookbooks that shaped African American culinary history, like those by Norma Jean and Carole Darden, Cleora Butler, and Freda DeKnight. And all these extraordinary African American men and women who were fermenting potatoes to make biscuits in 1939, she says. I want people to know their names.

Whats the big idea?

Narrowing the focus to a single ingredient can inspire introspection and exploration, says Artisan publisher Lia Ronnen. A pair of her spring titles highlight ingredients that foodies obsess over, she says. People who are really interested in food love going narrow and deep. They have definite opinions about tomatoes and oysters.

In The Joy of Oysters (May), Wine Enthusiast food editor Nils Bernstein shares tips for buying, storing, and shucking oysters, and, Ronnen says, debunks the notion that oysters should only be eaten during certain months. Recipes include Korean oyster fritters (gul jeon), oyster fricassee, and oyster shooters. In Simply Tomato, James Beard Awardwinning food writer Martha Holmberg stresses using the right tomato for the right preparationa beefsteak to roast with fish, cherry tomatoes for a saladand embraces the convenience of canned varieties. People like to become instant experts; thats part of the intention of these books, Ronnen says.

Rhubarb (TouchWood, May) by chef and photographer Sren Staun Petersen speaks to the same sort of readership, and elevates the spring ingredient beyond pies and crisps. Petersens 35 recipes include savory preparations, such as pizza bianca, and sweets, such as rhubarb banana bread, as well as compotes, chutneys, and drinks. In Yogurt & Whey (Norton, out now), Homa Dashtaki, founder of artisanal yogurt brand White Moustache, highlights whey, a by-product of traditional yogurt-making practices. She employs whey as the star in labneh and kashak, and in a supporting role in ghormeh sabzi, lemon meringue pie, and pineapple martinis. PWs starred review called Dashtakis debut an edifying and delicious exploration of Zoroastrian cuisine.

Michigan chef Abra Berenss previous books addressed vegetables (Ruffage) and beans and grains (Grist); her next outing, Pulp (Chronicle, Apr.), which incorporates fruit at every meal, will have home chefs heading to the farmers market or produce aisle with renewed confidence, according to PWs review. Chapters are divided by fruit (drupelet berries, pears, plums) and further by technique (raw, poached, stewed). Her one-pan Sunday roast uses baked apples; she tops coconut tapioca pudding with roasted mulberries and lime.

Similar to Berens, Mark Kurlansky has written several well-regarded single-subject books, including Cod, Salt, and Milk!. With the forthcoming The Core of an Onion (Bloomsbury, July), he peels back the alliums layers through science, art, mythology, and 100 historical recipes. Onions are both commonplace and unusual: theyre the only vegetable with a built-in defense mechanism to attack mammals who try to eat them, he says. Theyre also ubiquitous around the world, but because of their strangeness, theyve taken on all kinds of meanings in different cultures and are used in a lot of ways. He packs the book with historical context, including the whole story of how sweet onions ended up in Texas. The British didnt want to waste their land growing onions, so they grew them in Bermuda. Then the U.S. used tariffs to destroy Bermuda onions and grew them in Texas instead.

Kurlansky, like other authors and editors interviewed for this piece, uses his narrow lens as a window onto a larger vista: Youre learning a lot about the world when you look at these seemingly small things.

Pooja Makhijani is a writer and editor in New Jersey.

Read more from our Cooking Book feature:

Who Are You Feeding?: PW Talks with Natasha Pickowicz

In More Than Cake (Artisan, Apr.), the James Beard Awardwinning pastry chef showcases her distinctive aesthetic and her commitment to social justice.

Have Your Kayak and Eat Well Too: New Cookbooks

Great meals in the great outdoors? No problem, say these cookbooks.

Setting the (cui)Scene: New Cookbooks

Media tie-in cookbooks invite fans to experience old favorites in a new way.

Open Kitchen: New Cookbooks

PW spoke with the authors of two spring titles that combat ableism in the kitchen.
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Walking through the front door of Sunny Day Therapeutics, most can immediately sense that it is not the average therapists office. In addition to the warm, calm and inviting atmosphere, there are lively colors, sensory decor, swings to sit on and cloud-covered sheets over the LED lights. Each element allows Sunny Days to provide care for people of all ages and abilities in both the neurodivergent and neurotypical communities.
The March 20-22 visit comes as China faces pressure to also talk to Ukraine and limit support to Russia.

In this Sept. 12, 2018 photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping cook pancakes on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

UPDATED at 10:30 EST on 3/20/2023

Chinese leader Xi Jinping will travel to Russia next week for talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, Beijing and Moscow announced on Friday as the U.S. warned against "one-sided" Ukraine peace plans and the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for illegally deporting Ukrainian children.

Xi's visit to Moscow Monday to Wednesday, his first to China's closest global partner since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, will be a "a trip for peace," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily news briefing in Beijing.

"China will uphold an objective and fair position on the Ukraine crisis and play a constructive role in promoting talks for peace," he added.

China last month released a 12-point proposal for ending the war and called for a cease-fire and peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow. The plan received a cautious welcome from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy but was greeted skeptically by the U.S. and Europe because it called for an end to unilateral sanctions without demanding a Russian withdrawal from Ukrainian territory.

China's attempts to portray itself as neutral in the conflict have been strained by Beijing's actions, including its refusal to condemn or even recognize Moscows move into Ukraine in February 2022 as an invasion, its declaration of a no-limits friendship with Russia just weeks before the Russian aggression, and the parrotting of Moscow's propaganda by officials and state-controlled media blaming NATO for the war.

In this June 5, 2019 photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a gala concert dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China in the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia. Credit: Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/AP

China has also provided diplomatic support for Moscow and held joint military drills with Russia, as state firms have snapped up Russian oil and gas at distressed prices to help ease the pain of international sanctions.

A ceasefire now is, again, effectively the ratification of Russian conquest, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters when asked about Xi's trip.

A premature pact would in effect recognize Russias gains and its attempt to conquer its neighbors territory by force, allowing Russian troops to continue to occupy sovereign Ukrainian territory," he said, encouraging Xi to reach out to Zelenskyy as well as Putin.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Xi is expected to have a phone call with Zelenskyy after the trip, in what would be their first conversation since Russia invaded Ukraine.

In this June 5, 2019 photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping attend a ceremony in the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia. Credit: Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/AP

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang spoke by phone with his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, on Thursday and "this topic, among others, was discussed by foreign ministers of Ukraine and China," the Washington Post reported, quoting a text from Ukrainian presidential spokesperson Serhiy Nykyforov. "So we can say that the work is in progress.

China's spokesman Wang declined to comment on the possible call, but said: "Chinas position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. We maintain communication with all parties."

Washington has released intelligence suggesting Beijing is considering providing lethal support to help Russia in the war, drawing an angry rejection from Beijing.

On Thursday the U.S. online outlet Politico reported that trade and customs data showed that Chinese companies have sent Russian entities 1,000 assault rifles, drone parts and body armor, among items that could be used for military purposes.

China-Russia cooperation is completely aboveboard, Wang said when asked about the report.

China always handles export of military items in a prudent and responsible manner and regulates export of dual-use articles in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, he told reporters.

In a development Friday that could complicate Xi's mission, International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russias commissioner for childrens rights, accusing them of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine, Reuters news agency reported.

Russia, like the U.S. and China, is not a party to the ICC, but the move will obligate the Netherlands-based court's 123 member states to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory, Reuters noted.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the ICC allegations "outrageous and unacceptable," the agency reported.

Xi's visit to Putin comes in the wake of a surprise Chinese diplomatic success in brokering a detent between Middle East rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.

This story has been updated to correct the dates in the sub-headline.
The arrests have forced others to seek shelter in the jungle or face conflict back home.

In this Feb.15, 2023 photo, an activist of "India for Myanmar" group distributes pamphlets in support of Myanmars pro-democracy movement and condemning the atrocities committed by Myanmar junta and supported the pro-democracy movement on World Democracy Day in the Indian border town of Moreh.

Authorities in northeast Indias state of Manipur have detained at least 170 refugees from villages along the border with Myanmar since the start of the year, according to the refugees and an aid group, causing others to shelter in the jungle or return home to avoid arrest.

Salai Dokhar, the founder of India For Myanmar, a group assisting Myanmar refugees, told RFA Burmese that a special commando group arrested the 170 refugees in January and February during door-to-door raids on 17 villages in Moreh townships Lawngtlai district.

The Indian authorities have been searching and collecting population data in each and every house for about a month. We think that they have a plan to do something once they have the statistics, said Dokhar.

Since they are checking the household members with the list they have, many people have fled. Many war-torn refugee schools have been closed. We are having such difficulties. News has spread that there are more arrests as well.

Since the Feb. 1, 2021, military coup in Myanmar, more than 60,000 people have crossed the border into India, according to India for Myanmar. More than 10,000 are in Manipur.

Indian authorities have repeatedly targeted the refugees, the organization says, noting that the operation was the fifth time in two years police had sought to detain them.

No safe harbor

The latest efforts to arrest the refugees forced many to seek shelter in the jungle and even cross the border into Sagaing regions Tamu township, where they face becoming victims of the post-coup conflict in Myanmar, Dokhar told RFA.

According to India for Myanmar, the 170 refugees have been held in Manipurs Imphal Prison since their arrest. The group said it is compiling a list of those arrested so far in March.

A Myanmar national in Manipur, who refused to be named for security reasons, told RFA that Indian authorities have ordered village administrators in the state not to accept Myanmar refugees.

Village chiefs ask [the refugees] to flee as they cant help them when the authorities come to arrest them. Therefore, the refugees dare not stay in the temporary shelters they have built and flee when [the police] come, he said.

When [the police] find empty shelters, they ask why they are empty, whether they were the homes of Myanmar refugees, and the owners whereabouts. They order the village chiefs not to let the refugees stay and to drive them back to where they came from.

A helpless situation

Another refugee in Moreh, who also declined to be named, told RFA that although they had fled to India for safety from Myanmar, they have been struggling to earn a living at the same time they are being hunted by the authorities.

We fled here to save our lives as our native place in our country is too dangerous to live in. But its too difficult to make a living here. We have to look for random jobs for wages, they said.

We came here for safety but the Indian authorities arrested us here, too, and some of us have even died  refugees like us are in a helpless situation.

In this Feb. 25, 2023 photo people gather at the coffin of a 32-year-old Chin refugee, who died in Imphal Prison in India. Credit: Photo/Citizen Journalist Lann Kho Chun, a 32-year-old ethnic Kuki-Chin refugee from Myanmar, died suddenly on Feb. 25 while in custody in Imphal Prison. His case remains under investigation.

Aid workers told RFA that the conditions at Imphal are poor and refugees held there are in need of medical care and other assistance.

We are going to return

One worker condemned the Manipur governments lack of humanity, noting that the refugees didnt leave our country for fun.

The military junta rules our country lawlessly and citizens like us have to flee here from their atrocities as we do not want to die. But if we have to face more dangers here, our lives wont be worthwhile anymore, the worker said.

We dont want to live here forever. Once the situation in Myanmar is back to a stable condition, we are going to return.

Attempts by RFA to contact the Myanmar Embassy in New Delhi and the Indian Embassy in Yangon regarding the arrest of refugees went unanswered Friday.

The arrests come as Lt. Gen. Soe Win, the juntas deputy chairman, and the Indian Ambassador to Myanmar, Vinay Kumar, held a meeting on March 7 in Myanmars capital, Naypyidaw, where they discussed issues related to stability and cooperation in the Myanmar-India border region, according to a recent announcement by the junta.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Matt Reed.
The UNs top official in Myanmar wrote to colleagues that the junta made a very firm request.

Chris Gunness speaks at the 2014 International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East at Sophia University in Tokyo.

Military junta officials were transported from Myanmar into Bangladesh aboard United Nations boats on which UN markings had been removed, according to an email from the UNs resident coordinator in Myanmar, a move that could put humanitarian workers at risk.

The UNs boats were used to carry officials from Myanmars ruling military junta to Coxs Bazar in southeastern Bangladesh on Wednesday, according to the email sent Thursday by Ramanathan Balakrishnan. The email was obtained by the Myanmar Accountability Project and sent to Radio Free Asia.

Junta officials have recently been negotiating a pilot project that would repatriate about 1,000 Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar. Wednesdays trip in the unmarked boats was made so that officials could engage in further talks and meet with refugees who could return under the pilot program.

The journey was made without an armed escort and no weapons were observed on any of the boats, Balakrishnan wrote in the email. But he told colleagues he was concerned that the trip had created a reputational risk for all UN agencies and could jeopardize staff security.

The removal of the UN logo from the boats was a serious security violation, said Chris Gunness, a former UN official who is now the director of the Myanmar Accountability Project, a London-based NGO that is working to build criminal cases against members of Myanmars security forces.

Thats a serious breach of UN neutrality and it puts in danger UN convoys across Myanmar, he told RFA. If rebel groups, if opposition groups and others feel that these transports, these aid convoys are being used by the junta to be transported, they may come under attack. And that puts at risk the lives of humanitarian workers across Myanmar.

1 million refugees

The area, which borders Myanmar, houses about 1 million refugees from the persecuted Rohingya minority, including about 740,000 who fled Myanmar following a military crackdown in Rakhine state beginning in August 2017.

The UNs refugee agency  the UNHCR  and the World Food Program provided the boats at the very firm request of Myanmar junta officials, Balakrishnan said in the email.

The Myanmar delegation has interviewed more than 240 refugees since Wednesday, Bangladeshi official Khalid Hussain told BenarNews, a Radio Free Asia-affiliated news service. More interviews will take place over the next few days, he said.

The UNHCR hasnt been involved in negotiations between Bangladesh and Myanmar for the pilot program, Balakrishnan said. The position of the UN and UNHCR on return to Myanmar remains unchanged  conditions in Rakhine are currently not conducive to the safe and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric reiterated at Fridays noon briefing in New York that UNHCR isnt involved in the pilot program. He repeated Balakrishnans line about the unsafe conditions in Rakhine.

Pilot program or public relations stunt?

Nonetheless, it appears the UN was used by the junta in a vile propaganda stunt as the regime prepares to hold sham elections later this year, Gunness said.

Its extraordinary that the UN on the one hand says its dangerous and then on the other hand is going ahead and supporting this pilot scheme, Gunness said. It doesnt make sense.

Karin Valtersson, Burma Campaign UK's Campaigns Officer, echoed that, saying the pilot program feels like a public relations exercise by the Burmese military and the Bangladeshi government.

The situation inside Rakhine state is still a situation of ongoing genocide and they cannot return at this point, and I dont think anyone will return, she told RFA. The reports that UN agencies have been involved are clearly shameful.

Instead of returning, Rohingya refugees need support in the camps so they can have a decent living standard, with their security guaranteed, she said.

The security situation in the camps has deteriorated and they cannot be abandoned again by the international community, she said.

Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. BenarNews, a Radio Free Asia-affiliated news service.
Despite being Beijings mouthpiece, Ilham Rozi was imprisoned for inviting Uyghur scholars to speak at schools.

Guards stand in a guardtower on the perimeter wall of the Urumqi No. 3 Detention Center in Dabancheng in northwestern Chin's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, April 23, 2021.

A former Uyghur propaganda chief who was imprisoned on separatism charges despite being a mouthpiece for Beijing has died at age 57, according to a prefectural official and an activist who runs a nonprofit human rights advocacy group.

Ilham Rozi was arrested in 2019 and sentenced to 15 years in prison for inviting prominent Uyghurs to give lectures in early 2010s. He died on March 7, only five days after he was released from jail, said Abduweli Ayup, founder of Norway-based Uyghur Hjelp, or Uyghuryar, which maintains a database of Uyghurs detained in Xinjiang.

Many of the scholars Rozi asked to give lectures were sentenced themselves after 2017, the year that Chinese authorities began detaining Uyghurs in re-education camps under the guise of providing vocational training to prevent the mostly Muslim minority from turning to religious extremism and terrorism.

Ayup, who obtained information about Rozi through various channels, said officers from the Igerchi police station in Aksu city took Rozi out of a prison that operates under the auspices of the Xinjiang Construction and Production Company, a state-owned economic and paramilitary organization also known as Bingtuan, where he was serving his sentence.

The officers placed Rozi, who was gravely ill, in a nursing home for the elderly, Ayup said.

We have obtained new information that the police took Ilham Rozi out of prison and transferred him to the nursing home for the elderly in Aksu city, which was, in fact, a new prison, Ayup told Radio Free Asia. It is where he died.

Educator and speaker

Rozi was born in Shayar county and graduated from the literature department of Kashgar Teachers College in 1988, according to Ayup. After graduating, he became well-known for his social activism and public-speaking skills.

Rozi went on to become head of Shayar Middle School, chief of Shayars Education Bureau and director of the Aksu Prefecture Education Bureau. He was recognized as the best public speaker in all of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region 2010 and was promoted to deputy chief of the prefectures Propaganda Department.

Rozi not only performed Chinas propaganda work, but he also educated audiences in Uyghur ideology and culture.

Authorities arrested Rozi and gave him a lengthy prison sentence after he invited writer Yalqun Rozi and poet Abduqadir Jalalidin to give lectures several times at schools in Shayar in 2012 and 2013, Ayup said.

Rozis children filed a petition with the regional high court, complaining that their father performed the Chinese Communist Partys propaganda work, and that he bore no responsibility for the lectures he organized.

But the court rejected the petition, said the head of the Petition Bureau at the Aksu Prefecture Communist Party Committee, who is also a member of the prefectures Political and Legal Committee.



Confirmation but few details

When RFA contacted the head of the Petition Bureau, he first said he was unaware of Rozi's situation, but he later mentioned that he knew about Rozis death. The chief refused to disclose the cause of death.

[T]here are some concrete things that we can talk about, and some that we cannot, he said. We have an order from our superiors that if some random people ask us random questions, we should not answer them.

According to information previously obtained by Uyghur Hjelp, Rozi was arrested with his son, Behtiyar Ilham, in 2019. Ilham was re-educated for two years and released.

After Ilham Rozis arrest, we continuously paid attention to his case, Ayup said.

The information also indicated that Rozi was healthy before his arrest.

When RFA contacted the Igerchi police station, an officer there confirmed that police had taken Rozi to a nursing home for the elderly, where he died five days later.

He could not meet with his family members, and we didnt inform his family about his transfer, the police officer said.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
They say someone in France paid them hundreds of dollars to carry some goods.

Custom officers inspect toothpaste tubes filled with drugs as one of four Vietnam Airlines flight attendants, who carried the tubes in their baggage, looks on, at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Updated at 7:46 P.M. EDT on 03-21-2023

Members of a Vietnam Airlines crew on an international flight from Paris to Ho Chi Minh City were arrested at an airport in Vietnam on Thursday after customs officers found illicit drugs in toothpaste tubes they were carrying, state media reported.

Customs officers at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City detected the drugs in the baggage of four female flight attendants during a security clearance check.

The flight attendants  Dang Phuong Van, Tran Thi Thu Ngan, Vo Tu Quynh and purser Nguyen Thanh Thuy  were carrying 112 toothpaste tubes containing 8.4 kilograms (18.5 lbs.), including package weight, of gray tablets and 42 toothpaste tubes containing 3.04 kilos (6.7 lbs.) of white powder. Quick tests indicated that the substances contained MDMA, commonly referred to as ecstasy; ketamine, a short-acting anesthetic with hallucinogenic effects; and cocaine.

Thuy, 37, and the other three flight attendants said someone in France paid them more than 10 million dong, or about U.S.$424, to help transport some goods to Vietnam.

Law enforcement officials have not disclosed information about the person.

The attendants also told authorities that they quickly checked the toothpaste because they were tired from another long-haul flight, but did not find any signs of tampering.

At a press conference held by Ho Chi Minh Citys Customs Department on Friday, Bui Le Hung, director of the airport customs office, said it was regrettable that one newspaper ran the story early, thereby making the drug traffickers aware that law enforcement agencies were on to them while authorities expanded their investigation to go after the culprits.

As a result, the culprits never showed up at the airport to collect the toothpaste, he said.

Nguyen Huu Nghiep, the office's deputy director, refused to disclose what tipped off authorities during the screening of the attendants luggage.

A Vietnam Airlines representative said the national flag carrier was working with relevant agencies on the case.

The arrested flight attendants are fairly young and only have about one year of work experience with the airline, he said, adding that they may have believed that they were helping friends to transport goods to Vietnam.

From January 1 to March 14, customs officials at Tan Son Nhat International Airport detected eight cases of drug trafficking and confiscated nearly 15 kilos (33 lbs.) of various illegal narcotics.

Translated by Anna Vu for RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Joshua Lipes.

Correction: The story was corrected to say that customs authorities found MDMA, commonly referred to as ecstasy, and not methamphetamine. An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of one of the flight attendants as Tran Thi Thu Nga.
Welcome back to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe, click here.



I'm Mustafa Sarwar, a senior news editor at RFE/RL's Radio Azadi. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

After the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the United States, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), and other countries evacuated tens of thousands of Afghans to temporary facilities around the world.

The U.A.E. took in thousands of Afghans, housing them in makeshift refugee housing. Many of the Afghans were later resettled to the United States, Canada, and elsewhere. But up to 2,700 Afghans remain stranded in the Gulf nation after not qualifying for resettlement.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the U.A.E. of arbitrarily detaining the remaining Afghans. In a report issued on March 15, the rights group said the U.A.E. was keeping thousands of Afghan asylum seekers locked up for over 15 months in cramped, miserable conditions with no hope of progress on their cases."

The Gulf nation denied reports of dire living conditions and said it was working with the United States to resettle the remaining evacuees in a timely manner.

Dayan Fayez, an Afghan evacuee in the U.A.E., told Radio Azadi that they have limited access to basic services, including education. Another Afghan evacuee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they are not allowed to go outside the camp.

Why It's Important: The allegations highlight what activists have called the shocking plight of Afghans stranded in limbo in the U.A.E.

Thousands of other Afghan evacuees remain stranded in temporary housing in Qatar, Kosovo, and Albania as they wait to be resettled to third countries. Some Afghans in those facilities have also complained of mistreatment.

Many Afghan evacuees have protested what they call the protracted resettlement process to the United States and elsewhere, with rights groups repeatedly calling for Washington and other governments to fast-track the process.

What's Next: The fate of the Afghan refugees in the U.A.E., who are not eligible for resettlement elsewhere, remains unclear.

Many of the Afghans have said they cannot return to Afghanistan because they fear reprisals from the Taliban, which has been accused of widespread human rights abuses since seizing power.

Many Afghans who fled their homeland had worked in some capacity for the Western-backed Afghan government that collapsed, the NATO-led mission in the country, or for Western embassies or organizations, making them a target for retribution.

The Week's Best Stories

Dozens of Afghan refugees hoping to emigrate to the West have become stranded in Pakistan, sheltering in a squalid camp in the capital, Islamabad. They fled Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power in 2021. Women vastly outnumber men at the refugee camp. In this video, RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal visited the camp where refugees struggle to survive on handouts from charities.

March 11 marked the anniversary of the destruction of Bamiyans sixth-century Buddha statues by the Taliban in 2001. Archaeologists working to preserve what little cultural heritage is still present in the Bamiyan Valley have been dealing with illegal excavations, encroaching developments, and Taliban gunmen who use the remnants of the Buddhas for target practice.

What To Keep An Eye On

India offered Taliban diplomats and officials an online course in economics and leadership.

The four-day program -- called immersing with Indian thoughts -- started on March 14 and was attended by several members of the Taliban, according to Indian media.

The training course was organized by Indias Ministry of External Affairs. The program covered Indias economic environment, regulatory ecosystem, leadership insights, social and historical backdrop, cultural heritage, legal and environmental landscape, consumer mindsets and business risks.

Why It's Important: Indias offer of training courses to the Taliban raised eyebrows.

India is a longtime foe of the Taliban. In the 1990s, New Delhi backed the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance. After the Taliban regime was ousted in 2001, India was a close ally of the Western-backed Afghan government. The Taliban, on the other hand, is a historical ally of Pakistan, Indias archenemy.

Since the Taliban regained power, New Delhi has expressed concerns about the threat of terrorism emanating from Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and criticized the militant groups human rights abuses. But its offer of online courses to the Taliban could hint at Indias attempt to establish some sort of relations with the militant group.

India on March 16 said the offer of training courses did not mean it had recognized the Taliban government. No country in the world has yet to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate ruler of Afghanistan.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.



Until next time,



Mustafa Sarwar



If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.
Journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian-British dual national and one of the Kremlin's most vocal critics, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Moscow court for treason and other offenses, sparking an international outcry and calls for his immediate release.

The Moscow City Court, overflowing with reporters, diplomats, and supporters, handed down its verdict in the trial on April 17, just over a year after Kara-Murza, who twice nearly died after what he says were deliberate poisoning attacks, was arrested on the charge of spreading false information about Russia's armed forces. He denies the charges.

After his sentence was pronounced, Kara-Murza, who reporters said sat almost motionless inside a glass cage in the courtroom while listening to the judge, proclaimed that "Russia will be free," an opposition slogan.

Russian news agencies quoted Maria Eismont, part of his defense team, as saying they would immediately appeal the judgement because of various legal violations.

The British government immediately condemned the verdict and sentence, one of the harshest penalties to date against a Russian who has spoken out against the Kremlin's war against Ukraine, saying the case against the 41-year-old father of three was "politically motivated."

It added in a statement that the Russian ambassador to the United Kingdom had been summoned and that British officials "will make clear that the U.K. considers Mr. Kara-Murzas conviction to be contrary to Russias international obligations on human rights, including the right to a fair trial."

"Vladimir Kara-Murza bravely denounced Russias invasion of Ukraine for what it was  a blatant violation of international law and the UN Charter," the statement said. "Russias lack of commitment to protecting fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, is alarming."

UN rights chief Volker Turk called on Russia to release Kara-Murza.

"Kara-Murza was tried on charges that appear related to the legitimate exercise of his right to freedom of opinion.... No one should be deprived of their liberty for exercising their human rights, and I call on the Russian authorities to release him without delay," Turk said in a statement.

The European Union also condemned Russia's sentencing of Kara-Murza.

"Today's outrageously harsh court decision clearly demonstrates yet again the political misuse of the judiciary in order to pressure activists, human rights defenders, and any voices opposing Russia's illegitimate war of aggression against Ukraine," EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said in a statement.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the case when asked by reporters in Moscow.

In August, Russian authorities added the charge of involvement in an "undesirable" foreign organization, and in October they added the treason charge for his public criticism of the Russian authorities in the international arena.

The trial was delayed last month after his lawyer told the court his client's health had "significantly deteriorated." A certificate from the medical unit of Kara-Murza's detention facility stated he was being treated for polyneuropathy, which he says is a result of the poisonings.

In his final statement to court on April 10, Kara-Murza, who Amnesty International has designated a "prisoner of conscience," said the level of opaqueness about the charges against him surpassed the trials of Soviet dissidents in the 1960s and '70s, and the language used against him was reminiscent of the 1930s, when Soviet citizens were arrested on fabricated charges and put on show trials.

Kara-Murza, a long-standing proponent of democratic values and a vocal opponent of the current Russian government, said he was jailed for his political views, "for speaking out against the war in Ukraine, for many years of struggle against [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's dictatorship."

"Not only do I not repent of any of this, I am proud of it," he said, adding that he looks forward to a day "when those who kindled and unleashed this war, and not those who tried to stop it, are recognized as criminals."

Russia adopted a law criminalizing spreading "false information" about its military shortly after it sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

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.

Kara-Murza is the latest in a string of opposition activists, reporters, and others who have been arrested and prosecuted under the legislation amid a growing Kremlin crackdown on civil society.

According to the human rights group OVD-Info, almost 20,000 Russians have been detained for anti-war protests since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Several hundred people have had criminal cases opened against them for opposing the war in Ukraine, with some facing sentences of up to 15 years for offenses as slight as posting anti-war messages on social media. OVD-Info said in the next week alone, 53 "political criminal cases"are scheduled for the coming week.

"The criminalization of criticism of government actions is a manifestation of fear, not strength," U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy said on the steps of the court building. "Vladimir Kara-Murza and countless Russians believe and hope for a future in which fundamental freedoms are respected in Russia. And we share these hopes.

"Thirty years ago, Russia fought for the creation of democracy. Now this struggle has taken a sad turn," the Canadian ambassador to Russia, Alison Leclaire, said after the court session.

Kara-Murza was a key advocate for the U.S. Magnitsky Act, which sets out sanctions for human rights violators in Russia. He has also called for sanctions to be imposed on culpable Russian officials.

On March 3, the United States designated six people, including three judges, for sanctions due to their role in Kara-Murza's detention.

The judge who chaired the trial and who read the ruling on April 17, Sergei Podoprigorov, was one of the first sanctioned by the United States under the Magnitsky Act 10 years ago. The British government also has already sanctioned him for "previous involvement in human rights violations."

He was also the judge who approved the pretrial detention of the law's namesake, Sergei Magnitsky, a whistle-blowing Russian tax lawyer who died in a Moscow jail in November 2009, just seven days before the expiration of the one-year term during which he could be legally held without trial.

Magnitsky, who accused Russian law enforcement and tax officials of a massive tax fraud scheme, was tried posthumously and convicted on tax evasion charges.

The British government also has already sanctioned him for "previous involvement in human rights violations."

The late U.S. Senator John McCain was a proponent of Kara-Murza's efforts, and he served as a pallbearer at McCain's funeral in 2018.
On March 22, 2013, Chinese leader Xi Jinping made his first foreign trip to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and highlight the growing importance of Beijing-Moscow ties and send a signal to Washington that a geopolitical counterweight to the West was being formed.

During that landmark visit, the leaders expressed admiration for one another, with Putin saying the two countries were forging a special relationship, while Xi added that the Russian leader was his good friend and that he and Putin shared a similar personality.



Ten years later, the fruits of that personal bond between the men at the top and the long-term quest by China to forge deeper ties with its northern neighbor will be on display as Xi heads to Moscow on March 20 for a three-day visit and his 40th face-to-face meeting with Putin.

Xi has tried to put distance between China and Russia in recent months, especially as Russian forces have faced setbacks on the battlefield in Ukraine. In a sign of a growing Chinese conviction to play a part in brokering peace, Xi is also ready to hold his first phone call since the war began with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to The Wall Street Journal. Kyiv has not confirmed that a call will take place, and the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry declined to comment when asked by RFE/RL.



But beyond Chinas diplomatic tightrope and Xis desire to burnish his status as a global statesman, experts say the visit to Moscow reflects a doubling down by Xi in supporting Putin as part of a longstanding bet on Russia as a Chinese partner needed to push back against the United States in the superpower competition.



Make no mistake, wrote Alexander Gabuev, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The trip will be about deepening ties to [Russia] that benefit Beijing, not about any real peace brokering.

Xi's Next Move

Despite concerns about Beijings strategic bond with Moscow, both American and European officials have cautiously encouraged Xi to open a line with Zelenskiy and engage more directly with Kyiv.



That would be a good thing, because it would potentially bring more balance and perspective to the way that [Beijing] is approaching this, U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters on March 13. We hope it would continue to dissuade them from choosing to provide lethal assistance to Russia, which is obviously something that we have warned [them] about.

While China-Russia ties have tightened considerably in the last decade, they intensified weeks before Moscows February 2022 invasion of Ukraine with a joint declaration of a no-limits partnership that both Xi and Putin held up as a new era in their ties. China has not condemned the unprovoked invasion by Russian forces and has remained a vital political and economic lifeline for Moscow in the face of Western pressure -- including dual-use trade -- but has cautiously navigated the sanctions placed on Russia.



In late February, Beijing sought to showcase its mediation bona fides by calling for a cease-fire and peace talks to end the war with a 12-point proposal that called for an end to unilateral sanctions on Russia and appeared to warn Moscow against escalating the conflict with nuclear weapons. Moscow was receptive to the Chinese document, which was dismissed by most Western officials. Kyiv stated that it was a good sign, although Ukrainian officials noted that the proposal doesnt mention a withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied territory.



When Xi goes to Moscow, he will be in listening mode with Putin. If he is asked to open up a channel to Zelenskiy, I think Xi would be more than willing to take on that kind of role, Dennis Wilder, a former director for China on the U.S. National Security Council, told RFE/RL. On the other end, if Putin were to say to Xi that he cant win without more support, I think Xi would feel compelled to help him.

To Supply Or Not To Supply



Little is known about what will make up the content of the talks between Xi and Putin, but U.S. allegations that China is considering sending lethal military aid to Russia will hang over their meeting.



U.S. officials claim China is weighing shipments of ammunition and artillery to Russia, which could be particularly crucial as the war grinds into a second year with the front lines likely to be dominated by brutal artillery fights.



Beijing has accused the United States of disinformation over those claims and said Washington should stay out of its relationship with Russia. But Wilder, who is a research fellow at Georgetown University, says China is well-placed to supply Russia should it decide to do so.

Chinas existing stockpile of old artillery and ammunition, some of which is Russian made, could be readily used and covertly delivered either through the two countries shared border or passing through a third party like North Korea, which has already supplied Moscow with weapons.



Its easy to remove factory markings from shells and replace them with another countrys, and it would be very hard for [the United States] to prove that the Chinese did something like that, Wilder said.



Retrofitted civilian Chinese drones bought from commercial manufacturers have been a key part of the war effort for both Russian and Ukrainian forces, and some reports have also raised the prospect of China providing more advanced military drones as a form of aid. Wilder notes that, unlike drones, a prospective delivery of artillery has the advantage of providing Beijing with plausible deniability for any transfer.



But any form of support from China comes with its risks, says Devin Thorne, a senior analyst at Recorded Future, a private intelligence company.

While Beijing is eager to make sure that Moscow can endure the fallout from its stalled invasion, its also in the process of trying to mend ties with the European Union -- one of its largest trading relationships. EU officials and European leaders have said military aid from China to Russia would be a red line and prompt a tough backlash that could jeopardize relations.



[There] is a push [to] bring more European leaders to China, and Beijing still wants that improved relationship with Europe, Thorne told RFE/RL, who concluded in a recent assessment that China was unlikely to supply Russia with lethal aid.
Milo Djukanovic has a long habit of ignoring his political opponents.

For three decades, it has mostly worked for him. Serving as prime minister six times and president twice, the chameleonic 61-year-old has singularly dominated Montenegrin politics.

But this time, in the first national election since pro-Serbian parties and their fractious coalition defeated his parliamentary allies two and a half years ago, Djukanovic's challengers for a five-year term as president have his attention.

Speaking earlier this month about his opponents in the March 19 presidential election, Djukanovic called them "charlatans" and "dukes" and included a "titled" Chetnik, a historical swipe at a veteran Serbian nationalist's fealty to Montenegrin statehood. The governments of the past two and a half years "served" the Serbian Orthodox Church and "big-state nationalism," he charged.

It's part of a race that could unseat one of Europe's longest-ruling leaders in one of its youngest democracies, with signs that any eventual winner will face serious challenges trying to unite 620,000 Montenegrins.

"Whoever wins...will be the president of a deeply divided country and will find it near impossible to rally all of the country's citizens behind them," said Kenneth Morrison, a professor of modern Southeastern European history at Britain's De Montfort University.

Djukanovic's populist Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), the successor to the Yugoslav-era Communists, governed continuously from 1991 to 2020 and was dogged by accusations of corruption, nepotism, and ties to organized crime. Determined to unseat Djukanovic's party, a coalition led by pro-Serbian groups with support from the Serbian Orthodox Church defeated the DPS in August 2020 elections.

The victory deepened tensions over Montenegrin national identity and shared culture with larger neighbor Serbia that are exacerbated by right-wing narratives, including some that Djukanovic's promotion of Montenegrin consciousness helped to create.

Since then, two governments have collapsed as the country lurched from one political or institutional crisis to another. A "technical" government remains in charge ahead of early elections sparked by Djukanovic's dissolution of parliament on March 16, three days before this weekend's election.

The paralysis threatens to tarnish accomplishments under Djukanovic since he emerged as an ally of strongman Slobodan Milosevic in Yugoslavia's dying days to lead Montenegrins to independence in 2006, NATO membership in 2017, and most likely EU accession in the next few years.

"I see him as a consummate machine politician who, like Franco Tudjman in Croatia before him, has been blessed by having an incompetent and divided opposition," Patrick Moore, RFE/RL's chief Balkan political analyst from 1977-2008, said recently.

Djukanovic recently acknowledged that "the state and society are in serious agony." However, he blames the current problems on the erosion of the DPS's electoral fortunes.

He has used his presidential powers to deny any new government mandate and his March 16 decision to dissolve parliament and announce early parliamentary elections, to be held on June 11, has further raised the stakes, with his gamble that voters blame their troubles on his opponents' 2020 election victory.

"Any sound-minded person can only conclude," he said during campaigning that "'it happened [once] and it won't happen again.'"

Institutional problems, namely corruption, have always complicated Djukanovic's rule. Milan Jovanovic, a senior researcher at the Digital Forensic Center (DFC) in Podgorica, the country's capital, rejects the notion these miseries arose so suddenly.

"I think in the last 20 years, Montenegro has been burdened" with corruption, particracy, and nepotism, he said. He called it "the major issue" left behind following the DPS's nearly 30-year reign.

"The biggest weakness of the government during this 30-year period is that they didn't approach the construction of, let's say, strong and independent institutions more decisively," Jovanovic said. "That way of acting [backfired] on Montenegro negatively after the change of government in 2020, and currently the institutions in Montenegro are almost nonexistent."

Meanwhile, the question of closer relations with Serbia is omnipresent.

Around 30 percent of people in Montenegro identify as Serbs, and many lament the 2006 declaration of independence from Serbia. More than 70 percent of the population worships under the local arm of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which has a history of meddling in independent Montenegro's affairs and led public opposition to the DPS in the 2020 elections.

The short-lived ruling coalition that brought Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic, a Serb, to power in late 2020 was led by the Democratic Front, a right-wing alliance of Serbian nationalist and socially conservative parties that tapped into some Montenegrins' identification as Serbs.

Marija Popovic Kalezic from the Center for Civil Liberties (Cegas), a nonprofit based in Podgorica, blames Djukanovic in part for fanning ethno-nationalist divisions. He was "the creator of right-wing nationalist narratives that have led to social and political turbulence," she said.

Djukanovic has campaigned in the current race as "Our President," tapping into both nationalist and historical sentiment.

"He may seek to be a president for all Montenegrins, but this is not easily attainable," Morrison said. "Indeed, a defeat for Djukanovic could hasten his political demise."

That would be a particularly painful blow for a man who "has held high political positions for almost all of his adult life and has been, for decades, by far the dominant political figure in Montenegro," he said.

And if so, Morrison said, "He will, perhaps, see his legacy as incomplete, given that his core objective had been to see Montenegro become a member of both NATO and the EU."

Most observers expect Djukanovic to advance to a second-round runoff in two weeks, on April 2, to face one of the other six candidates.

Many regard New Serb Democracy leader and Democratic Front candidate Andrija Mandic as the other favorite. The 58-year-old veteran politician is similarly eager to capitalize on experience and recognizability while shedding some unwanted baggage.

With dual citizenship illegal under Montenegrin law, Mandic famously acknowledged having Serbian citizenship in 2011. He was later convicted of participating in the purported Serbian- and Russian-backed coup attempt in 2016 before an appeals court threw out his guilty verdict.

Now, Mandic has told voters, "It is my duty to unite Montenegro," adding, "We invite all honest people to join us, regardless of who they voted for previously." During the campaign, the tricolor and other Serbian national symbols that for years have been central to the Democratic Front's right-wing, populist message were downplayed or absent.

Radoje Cerovic, a Podgorica psychologist and veteran political communications consultant, called it part of a savvy strategy.

"The whole [Mandic] campaign is centered around an attempt to distance him from his political past," Cerovic told RFE/RL's Balkan Service. "With the slogan, 'Building the future, let's preserve tradition,' he is trying to say that this is both Mandic and a new Mandic."

Among the other notable challengers is Jakov Milatovic of the upstart Europe Now, a new party that exploded onto the scene with a surprisingly strong showing in last October's local elections in the capital, Podgorica.

Thirty-seven-year-old Milatovic served as economy minister in the first, short-lived cabinet after the anti-Djukanovic coalition unseated the DPS in 2020. He has campaigned on jobs and better living standards.

Djukanovic and Mandic appear to have taken note.

"Given that both have been attacking the [Europe Now] candidate, Jakov Milatovic, it's clear that they regard him as a potential threat, albeit one that could be eliminated in the first round," Morrison said.

Milatovic has expressed confidence that he can reach the second round and then attract the former governing coalition's supporters to defeat Djukanovic or anyone else.

"Finally, after 30 years of one-man rule, Montenegro will see clearly again and return to the path of democratic and economic development," Milatovic told supporters recently.

It's become a familiar refrain.

The Democratic Montenegro civic group argues that its candidate, Aleksa Becic, is the only candidate who is assured of "defeating the personification of the 30-year autocracy."

Becic described himself on the campaign trail as "the people's president."

Meanwhile, Democratic Front leader Milan Knezevic has already called on Mandic, Milatovic, and Becic to agree to support whichever of those three candidates reaches a second round.

Draginja Vuksanovic Stankovic, a parliamentary deputy for the Social Democratic Party which she once led, is the only woman running for president. A legislator and legal expert, she received over 8 percent of the presidential vote in 2018 on a platform of NATO and EU membership.

Goran Danilovic is a pro-Serbian former interior minister who has opposed international recognition of Kosovo, the predominantly ethnic Albanian former province of Serbia that declared independence in 2008, and has argued for Montenegro to abandon EU-led sanctions against Russia for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

The last of the presidential challengers is Jovan Radulovic, an Internet influencer and outsider whose appeal is thought to be limited among voters.

Virtually all of the candidates are running on messages of reconciliation, unity, and progress. That includes Djukanovic and Mandic.

"The big question is how two candidates who have been on the political scene for the past 30 years can be the president of all citizens," Popovic Kalezic said.

Polling in Montenegro is notoriously unreliable, frequently reflecting the views of the messenger more than the desires of voters. So it's unclear whether the electorate is buying it.

Veselin Nenezic, a resident of Podgorica, said when asked about the campaigns that it felt like the candidates were too concerned about alienating voters to say anything substantial, and he said he doesn't believe anything they say.

"Before there was much greater stratification, both political and national and so on," he said. Now, Nenezic added, "I have a feeling that they all share one major fear: the fear of losing."

Anica Vujisic, another voter in the capital, agreed that it was hard to distinguish between candidates' messages. "Everything is kind of blurred, as they say," she said. "To tell you the truth, I'm bored listening to them and watching them."

But despite the mealy messaging, analysts say it is difficult to envisage the emergence of anyone capable of uniting all Montenegrins.

"In my opinion -- and I think that many people would agree -- it would be very challenging at this moment to find one candidate who could, at some point, represent unity and who would be accepted by all sides of this very polarized Montenegrin public," the DFC's Jovanovic told RFE/RL.

Written and reported by Andy Heil with contributions from RFE/RL Balkan Service correspondents Lela Scepanovic, Aneta Durovic, and Srdjan Jankovic in Podgorica.
Ukrainian fighters repulsed a fresh series of Russian assaults in Bakhmut and the surroundings of the city in the eastern region of Donetsk, Kyiv's military said early on March 17, while Russian shelling of settlements caused deaths among Ukrainian civilians.

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.

In the south, the city of Kherson came under intense Russian shelling again, according to the region's military administration.

Donetsk region governor Pavlo Kirylenko said that two people were killed and eight others were wounded over the past day.

"On March 16, the Russians killed two residents of the Donetsk region: in Toretsk and the village of Krasnohorivka. Another 8 people in the region were injured," Kirylenko wrote on Telegram.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russian troops carried out more than 70 attacks in the past day along the front line in eastern Ukraine, with the focus being on the now-ruined city of Bakhmut, the main target of an intense Russian offensive that started last summer and has ground on relentlessly during the winter months.

The fight for Bakhmut has been one of the most sustained battles since Russia invaded Ukraine almost 13 months ago despite its questionable strategic -- as opposed to symbolic -- worth in the eyes of many Western military observers.



Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council, told RFE/RL on March 17 that for Kyiv, Bakhmut remains "a very important fortress," and that military leaders including Valeriy Zaluzhniy, the commander in chief of the armed forces, and Oleksandr Syrskiy, the commander of Ukraine's ground forces, favor continuing and further strengthening the defense of the city.



"This is our land, and we have no right not to defend it," Danilov said, adding that Ukrainian forces are causing huge losses to the Russian attackers in and around Bakhmut.



"Everywhere in and around Bakhmut the land is littered with them," Danilov said, referring to the enemy losses. "That is of key importance for us," he told RFE/RL.

Besides Bakhmut, Russian forces launched offensive actions on the Donetsk settlements of Lyman, Avdiyivka, Maryinka, and Shakhtarsk, the Ukrainian military said.

Russian forces launched five missile strikes and 18 air strikes, and carried out dozens of salvoes from rocket systems.

Heavy Russian shelling of the Donetsk settlement of Kostyantynivka wounded six civilians and damaged dozens of houses and civilian infrastructure, the military report said.

The southern city of Kherson was shelled 13 times in 24 hours, the region's military governor, Oleksandr Prokudin, said early on March 17. One person was wounded. Prokudin said that the whole region of Kherson sustained 76 attacks mainly launched from heavy Grad rocket-launching systems.

Ukrainian forces liberated Kherson city, on the right bank of the Dnieper River, in November, forcing Russian troops to retreat to the left bank.

Since then, Russian troops have been constantly shelling the city of Kherson and other parts of the region under Ukrainian control, causing numerous civilian deaths and injuries and repeatedly damaging energy infrastructure and leaving large areas without electricity during the winter months.

Since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has persistently denied targeting civilians despite abundant evidence to the contrary.

On the diplomatic front, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged Ukraine's allies to speed up deliveries of weapons, warning that delays were measured in human lives lost on the battlefield.

"If one delivery is postponed for one day, it means that someone is going to die on the front line," Kuleba told the BBC in an interview in Kyiv.

He added that Ukraine won't forget who helped it in its hour of need and who did not.

"War is a moment when one has to make a choice. And every choice has been recorded," Kuleba said.

Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry said on March 17 that it had decorated the pilots involved in an incident over the Black Sea earlier this week that resulted in the crash of a U.S. surveillance drone which further raised the tensions between Washington and Moscow.



The United States on March 16 released a video clip showing two Russian Su-27 jets dumping fuel as they fly closely by the MQ-9 Reaper drone in an apparent attempt to blind the drone's camera.



The Pentagon says the video feed was interrupted as a result of a collision between the drone and one of the Russian planes. At one point in the video it appears as though part of the drone's propeller has been damaged.



Moscow, however, maintains the aircraft was downed after it lost control.



Russian political analyst Sergei Markov said in a post on his Telegram feed that the commendation of the pilots "is a clear sign that Russia will continue to shoot down American drones if they continue to participate with their intelligence in attacks on Russian cities in Crimea."



Russia illegally annexed Ukraine's Crimea in 2014 and last year unilaterally declared a no-fly zone in the area near the peninsula.



The United States has said it will "continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows."

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and the BBC
I'm Steve Gutterman, the editor of RFE/RL's Russia/Ukraine/Belarus Desk.

Welcome to The Week In Russia, in which I dissect the key developments in Russian politics and society over the previous week and look at what's ahead. To receive The Week In Russia newsletter in your inbox, click here.

As Moscows war against Ukraine grinds on and mounting evidence of atrocities by his troops emerges, President Vladimir Putin turns to the false claim that it is a defensive struggle for Russias survival.

Here are some of the key developments in Russia over the past week and some of the takeaways going forward.

'Pull It To Pieces'

Both before and since he launched the large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin has repeated a number of false narratives and groundless assertions in efforts to justify the unprovoked assault.

For example, he has wrongly claimed that Ukraine is run by neo-Nazis, and also that the goal is to protect the people of the Donbas  thousands or tens of thousands of whom have been killed as a result of the invasion, and hundreds of thousands driven from their homes as Russian bombs have destroyed cities and towns. An unknown number have been tortured, raped, or otherwise abused by Russian forces.

This week, Putin turned to one of the biggest or broadest of these narratives, and one that he and other Russian officials have been reaching for with increasing frequency: The claim that the West is bent on tearing Russia apart.

For us, this is a struggle for the existence of Russian statehood itself, because as we have been convinced over the decades, our opponents, whom I used to call our partners, have a single goal: to shake [Russia] up and pull it to pieces, Putin said in televised comments at a meeting with workers at an aircraft factory in Ulan-Ude, near Lake Baikal, on March 14. Moscow, he claimed, is fighting for the survival of Russian statehood.

It's not a new narrative. It stretches back at least as far as 2004, when militants seized the main school in Beslan, in Russias North Ossetia region, on the first day of classes, starting a 52-hour hostage crisis that ended with more than 330 people dead, more than half of them children, after security forces stormed the building in a botched rescue effort.

'No Publicly Available Evidence'

In the wake of what Russian officials called their countrys 9/11, Putin suggested that Washington and the West were supporting Islamic militants operating in the North Caucasus in hopes of tearing a vulnerable post-Soviet Russia apart and devouring whatever tasty morsel they could snap up in the process.

Putin and other Russian officials have provided little evidence to support claims that the West gave material backing to militants from inside or outside Russia.

There is no publicly available evidence that the U.S. ever provided direct material support to armed Chechen separatist groups, much less North Caucasus-based militants who have engaged in terrorist attacks, the Belfer Center at the Harvard Kennedy School said after a review of Putins repeated assertions on the subject.

Putin has doubled down on those accusations and embellished them over the years, however. At the factory in Ulan-Ude, he falsely claimed that the West sent whole hordes of international terrorists against us, who began to operate in various regions of the country, including and primarily the North Caucasus.

Its part of a pattern of blaming external factors -- usually the West -- for Russias problems. Immediately after the Beslan attack, Putin took steps to roll back democracy and civil rights in Russia -- and then, in 2011, blamed the United States when large protests erupted over the latest steps in that direction.

Western governments have neither stated nor signaled any intention to break Russia apart or destroy it as a state, but Putin has made the claim with what seems to be increasing frequency and insistency since he unleashed the large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

'Deliberate Choices'

That may be because it allows him to portray an aggressive war of choice against Ukraine as, instead, a defensive war that Russia has been forced to wage to beat back an existential threat from Washington and the West.

But while Putin and other Russian officials often say that Russias actions abroad are a necessary response to pressure from the West, some analysts suggest thats the opposite of the truth.

Russias current trajectory was not predestined, andthere were many chances for the Kremlin to do things differently, Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia-Eurasia Center in Berlin, wrote in a summary of his March 13 article in the journal Foreign Affairs.

The deplorable foreign policy course and the tragedy of the Ukraine war are the result of deliberate choices by President Putin and the inability of Russian society to push back, Gabuev wrote.

Russias war against Ukraine is existential, of course -- for Ukraine: Putin is seeking to subjugate a country he has repeatedly suggested has no right to exist as a fully sovereign state, if at all. And he evidently expected to bring the country to heel within days or weeks of the February 24, 2022, invasion.

That did not happen. But Ukrainians are fighting an existential battle every day -- and every day brings both new death and destruction and new revelations about the actions of the invading Russian forces earlier in the conflict.

In a report issued on March 16, an investigative commission appointed by the UN Human Rights Council last year said that Russia has perpetrated large-scale violations of international human rights and humanitarian norms -- some of them amounting to war crimes -- since the start of the large-scale invasion.

The commission has documented patterns of willful killings, unlawful confinement, torture, rape, and unlawful transfers of detainees in the areas that came under the control of Russian authorities in Ukraine, it said. Violations were also committed against persons deported from Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

One Year Ago

Citing Ukrainian prosecution files, the Reuters news agency reported this week that Kyiv says two Russian soldiers sexually assaulted a four-year-old girl and raped her mother at gunpoint in front of her father, part of what authorities say was a spree of sexualized violence committed by members of a Russian brigade in the Brovary district, in Kyivs suburbs, in March 2022  a year ago this month.

As these reports emerged, the deadly battle for the ruined Donbas city of Bakhmut continued, as Moscow sought ways to bring more men into a war that Western officials estimate has killed or wounded as many as 200,000 Russian troops.

Meanwhile, March 16 marked one year since Russia bombed a big theater in Mariupol where residents were seeking shelter in the basement amid the assault on the Azov Sea port city in the Donbas, killing hundreds of people despite huge painted letters on the ground outside the building that said there were children inside.

In a story about the attack, its survivors, and the dead, The New York Times cited a woman named Elyzaveta Fatayeva as saying she had been separated from her mother for a time as they escaped the smoldering ruins. Later, she asked her mother where she had been.

Reluctantly, her mother told her: When she got outside, following Elyzaveta, she had seen a womans bloodied face in the rubble. The woman was pinned under a slab of limestone, the Times reported. Elyzavetas mother went to the woman. She and a boy tried to pry the slab off her. It was too heavy. She had to go.

She looked into the pinned womans petrified eyes.

Im sorry, she said, and ran off.

That's it from me this week.

If you want to know more, catch up on my podcast The Week Ahead In Russia, out every Monday, here on our site or wherever you get your podcasts (Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts).

Yours,

Steve Gutterman

RFE/RL intern Ella Jaffe contributed to this report.
Rogue Claiming to be a PMO Officer Arrested

A Case has been registered against Kiran Patel

SRINAGAR: Police have arrested a rogue, who claimed to be a PMO officer in Jammu and Kashmir. The accused has been identified as Kiran Bhai Patel from Gujarat. He used to describe himself as Additional Director of PMO. Reportedly, the accused was availing the facilities of Z Plus Security, Bulletproof SUV and five star hotels.

On the basis of suspicion, the police started investigation and the officer turned out to be fake. He was arrested 10 days ago but the probe was kept a secret. Police disclosed the arrest on Thursday. The Rogue has written in his Twitter bio that he is a Ph.D qualified. However, the police is also investigating his degree. Kiran Patel visited Jammu and Kashmir for the first time in February. During the visit, he availed all the government facilities. He has posted several videos of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir on his Twitter handle.

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According to the reports, Kiran Patel held meetings with officials on ways to bring more tourists from Gujarat. According to sources, the police were alerted about the rogue by the intelligence agency. A case has been registered against Kiran Patel under sections 419, 420, 467, 468, 471 of the IPC.
NCRB Registers Nearly 1 Crore Crime Cases Against Women in Last 5 Years: Centre

NCP leader Fouzia Khan Sought Details about Crimes against Women

NEW-DELHI: The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has registered nearly 1 crore cases of crimes against women in the last five years, central government informed the Parliament.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Fouzia Khan had sought details about crimes against women and questioned the government over the steps being taken to prevent such incidents.

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In response to this, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra said that in the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018, it has been ordered to complete the investigation and file the charge sheet in the rape cases within 2 months. In the rape cases under Section 173 of the CRPC, the examination is also directed to be completed within 2 months.




Police Arrests 3 Members of Lawrence Bishnoi Gan

The 3 Accused were acting on the orders of Anmol Bishnoi: Police

JAIPUR: After an Encounter with the police in Rajasthan's Ganganagar, three members of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's gang were arrested last evening. According to the police, the gang was trying to extort money from a businessman. Anmol Bishnoi, brother of Lawrence Bishnoi, threatened the businessman over the phone before sending two of his assistants to their house, police said.

Last month, police formed teams to track down three members of the gang, all believed to be residents of Punjab's Fazilka district. However, investigations revealed that the criminals were hiding in Ganganagar, Rajasthan, bordering Punjab.

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An encounter ensued when a police team arrived in the city to hunt down the gang members. A criminal opened fire on the police and was shot in the leg in retaliation. The encounter ended with three criminals being taken into police custody, one of whom is undergoing treatment at a government hospital. According to the police, these three were acting on the orders of Anmol Bishnoi.
PPCC Chief Raja Warring

AAP Govt had not fulfilled the poll promise of Rs 1000 for every woman above 18 years age: Raja Warring

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government has recently presented the budget for the financial year 2023-24, but many poll promises made by the state government to Punjabis have not been included in the budget yet. Opposing this, the Punjab Congress will gherao the Legislative Assembly on March 22 which is the last day of the budget session of Vidhan Sabha.

State Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Waring has appealed to all women workers along with others to reach the Chandigarh Congress Committee office at 10:00 am on March 22.

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All Congress leaders of the state will participate in this protest under the leadership of PPCC Chief. Raja Warring said that the AAP government had promised to deposit Rs 1000 to the bank account of every woman above 18 years of age in Punjab during the assembly election campaign, but this promise has not been fulfilled even after completing 365 days tenure. He said, "To get the rights of the sisters, the Punjab Congress will gherao the Vidhan Sabha and demand the government to fulfill its promises."

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Waring said that the 'AAP' government had also promised to pay a pension of Rs 2500 which is also not fulfilled yet.
Singapore Regained the Title of World's Best Airport

Changi Airport is honoured to be named Worlds Best Airport for the 12th time: Lee Seow Hiang

Singapore has regained the title of World's Best Airport. Earlier, Qatar airport had the crown but now Singapore's Changi has taken its spot. In fact, during the Coronavirus pandemic, several restrictions were imposed on travel. At that time, this title was in the name of Qatar for two years, but now Singapore has won this title.

According to the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2023, this Asian airport (Changi Airport, Singapore) has now overtaken Doha's Hamad International Airport to the second position. Tokyo's Haneda Airport, the capital of Japan, is in third place. Also, no US airport has made it to the top 10. On the other hand, Delhi Airport has improved by one place to the 36th position.

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Lee Seow Hiang, Chief Executive Officer or Changi Airport Group said, "Changi Airport is honoured to be named Worlds Best Airport for the 12th time. This recognition is great encouragement to our airport community, who stood firmly together to battle the challenges of Covid-19 over the past two years. We thank them for their dedication to serve Changis passengers and the perseverance to keep Singapore connected to the world. To our passengers, we are deeply grateful for your vote of confidence. Your continued support encourages us to keep pursuing service excellence as we expand our offerings to redefine the Changi Experience. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Changi Airport as we rediscover the magic of travel again."

In Europe, the Charles de Gaulle Airport in the French capital Paris has been considered the best by moving up to fifth place. The best performer in North America was Seattle's Tacoma International Airport, which rose nine spots to No. 18 from last year's No. 27.

New York's JFK fell three spots to 88th. China's Shenzhen jumped to 31st place, two places above Hong Kong. Melbourne was Australia's top airport in 19th place, up from 26th last year. London's Heathrow Airport dropped nine places to 22nd.

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Skytrax also handed over other awards, including regional prizes. Changi Airport won the title of Best Airport in Asia, as well as winning Worlds Best Airport Dining and Worlds Best Airport Leisure Amenities.

Meanwhile, 2nd place Hamad International Airport also clinched Worlds Best Airport Shopping, Best Airport in the Middle East and Cleanest Airport in the Middle East, while 3rd place Tokyo Haneda Airport bagged the overall cleanest airport award. Bahrain International Airport won Worlds Best Airport Baggage Delivery and Incheon Airport got the title of the best staff and immigration processing airport.

Top-20 Airports in the World......

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1. Singapore 'Changi'

2. Doha Hamad

3. Tokyo 'Haneda'

4. Sol Incheon

5. Paris Charles de Gaulle

6. Istanbul

7. Munich

8. Zurich

9. Tokyo Femininity

10. Madrid Barrages

11. Vienna

12. Helsinki-Vantaa

13. Leonardo da VinciFiumicino Airport

14. Copenhagen

15. Kansai

16. Centire Nagoya

17. Dubai

18. Seattle-Tacoma

19. Melbourne

20. Vancouver
Among animals, humans stand out in their consummate propensity to self-induce altered states of mind. Archaeology, history and ethnography show these activities have taken place since the beginnings of civilization, yet their role in the emergence and evolution of the human mind itself remains debatable. The means through which modern humans actively alter their experience of self and reality frequently depend on psychoactive substances, but it is uncertain whether psychedelics or other drugs were part of the ecology or culture of ancient hominins. Moreover, non-human great apes in captivity are currently being retired from medical research, rendering comparative approaches thus far impracticable. Researchers from the University of Warwick and the University of Birmingham circumvented this limitation by harnessing the breadth of publicly available YouTube videos to show that apes engage in rope spinning during solitary play; when spinning, the apes achieved speeds sufficient to alter self-perception and situational awareness that were comparable to those tapped for transcendent experiences in humans, and the number of revolutions spun predicted behavioral evidence for dizziness.

Seeking altered mental states is seemingly a human universal, historically and culturally.

The biological and behavioral precursors of such experiences are, however, unclear, notably because it is challenging to confidently confirm if substance use was viable within the highly diversified ecological and cultural human paleobackdrop.

Whether altered state experiences within the hominid family shaped the emergence and evolution of the modern human mind remains one of the major and most thought-provoking unknowns in cognitive science.

Wild primates consume fermented foods with alcoholic content. Consumption of these foods typically depends on natural availability and the opportunistic use of scarce resources.

Though consumption of fermented foods by primates suggests that they may indeed experience drunkenness, consumption may be primarily driven by the high caloric content of alcohol, and thus a side-effect and unavoidable consequence of frugivory.

Medical research has also focused on drug- and alcohol-related behaviors in primates, but has primarily focused on substance abuse and addiction, where subjects are externally administered these substances.

Evolutionary interpretation is, thus, tenuous at best.

Every culture has found a way of evading reality through dedicated and special rituals, practices, or ceremonies, said Dr. Adriano Lameira, a researcher at the University of Warwick.

This human trait of seeking altered states is so universal, historically, and culturally, that it raises the intriguing possibility that this is something that has been potentially inherited from our evolutionary ancestors.

If this was indeed the case, it would carry huge consequences on how we think about modern human cognition capacities and emotional needs.

To test and provide a proof of concept for the assumption that spinning induces altered mental states in great apes, and potentially did so as well in human ancestors, Dr. Lameira and his colleague, University of Birminghams Dr. Marcus Perlman, searched YouTube for publicly posted and publicly available videos of great apes spinning.

They used image-based measures to quantify rotational speeds and rotational duration.

They focused on rope spinning, which in their sample mainly occurred as solitary play without evident causes or goals beyond the act itself.

Through analyzing over 40 online videos, the authors found that on average the primates revolved 5.5 times per episode of spinning, with the average speed 1.5 revolutions per second and the primates did this on average three times.

They compared great ape spinning speeds and found that they can spin while holding on a rope as fast as professional human dancers and circus artists, as well as Dervish muslims who take part in whirling ceremonies to achieve a spiritual trance.

Spinning alters our state of consciousness, it messes up with our body-mind responsiveness and coordination, which make us feel sick, lightheaded, and even elated as in the case on children playing in merry-go-rounds, spinner-wheels, and carousels, Dr. Lameira said.

What we wanted to try to understand through this study is whether spinning can be studied as a primordial behavior that human ancestors would have been able to autonomously engage in and tap into other states of consciousness.

If all great apes seek dizziness, then our ancestors are also highly likely to have done so.

We asked ourselves what role these behaviors play when it comes to the origins of the human mind, he said.

The apes were doing this purposefully, almost as if they were dancing  a known mechanism in humans that universally facilitates mood regulation, social bonding and heightens the senses and is based on rotation movements.

The parallel between what the apes were doing and what humans do was beyond coincidental.

In many of the videos, the primates were using ropes or vines to spin, and it was in these videos where they were spinning the fastest and for the longest amounts of time.

The researchers analyzed the videos and compared it to videos of purposeful human pirouettes, for example, ballet dancing, traditional Hopak (Ukrainian folk dance), whirling dervishes and aerial silks performances.

They then self-experimented spinning at these speeds and times and found it difficult to achieve the third bout of spins at these speeds, as great apes did.

Apes were noticeably dizzy at that point in the videos, and they were likely to lose their balance and fall down.

This would indicate that the primates deliberately keep spinning, despite starting to feel the effects of dizziness, until they are unable to keep their balance any longer, Dr. Perlman said.

Further research is needed to understand primates motivations for engaging in these behaviors, to understand why our own ancestors might also have been driven to seek out these spinning and mind-altering experiences.

There could be a link to mental health here, as the primates we observed engaging in this behavior were mostly captive individuals, who may be bored and trying to stimulate their senses in some way, Dr. Lameira said.

But it could also be a play behavior. If you think about a childs playground, almost all the playground apparatus  swings, slides, seesaws and roundabouts or merry-go-rounds  they are all designed to challenge your balance or disrupt the body-mind responses.

There are some interesting parallels that should be investigated further, in order to understand why people are motivated to engage in these behaviors.

It could very well be that we have been seeking and engaging in mind-altering experiences before we were even modern humans.

A paper describing this research was published in the journal Primates.

_____

A.R. Lameira & M. Perlman. Great apes reach momentary altered mental states by spinning. Primates, published online March 14, 2023; doi: 10.1007/s10329-023-01056-x
South Africa: Eskom welcomes decision to temporarily bypass pollution rules

Eskom says it welcomes the decision to exempt it from certain requirements in terms of its application to build temporary stacks at Kusile Power Station.

The Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister, Barbara Creecy, announced this week that Eskom has been granted an exemption from the lengthy process required to amend its Atmospheric Emission License, subject to certain strict conditions.

The application had been brought due to the urgent need to alleviate the electricity crisis in the country.

This follows a failure of the Unit 1 flue gas duct on 22 October 2022, which subsequently affected units 2 and 3 as the ducts for all these three units are welded together.

The exemption given does not provide Eskom approval to operate the temporary stacks. The exemption allows Eskom to submit its application to operate the stacks based on presently available information and with a reduced public participation process.

Based on the exemption provided by the Minister, Eskom intends to submit its final application for approval to operate the temporary stacks, to the relevant authorities in April 2023, Eskom explained.

Approval of the final application, according to Eskom, means it will be able to operate the three units without the use of the flue gas desulphurisation (FDG) mechanism, which is an emission-abatement technology, for 13 months while the flue gas ducts are being repaired.

The repair of the damaged stacks will be completed by December 2024 and during this time the necessary steps will be implemented to mitigate the impact of sulfur dioxide emissions on air quality.

According to Eskom, the temporary structure will be completed by the end of November 2023, which will enable the return of 2 100MW.

This will further alleviate pressure on the power system and reduce load shedding by almost two stages.

Eskom will comply with the conditions of the exemption.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-03-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
In what is certainly an indication of India's dynamic on the world stage, the Indian Rupee (INR) has been approved by 18 countries across the globe for transactions. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed banks from 18 countries to create Special Vostro Rupee Accounts (SVRAs) to settle payments in rupees, according to Union Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad.

Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Karad said that 60 such approvals have been given by the RBI. Elaborating upon the matter, Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Kumar Sarangi said - "About 30 banks from overseas countries have signed up with 30 banks on our side, so 30 accounts." "The transaction has started in bits and pieces," he said.

Botswana, Fiji, Germany, Guyana, Israel, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda and the United Kingdom.

Sberbank and VTB Bank, the largest lenders in Russia were among the first ones to receive a go-ahead from Russia. Gazprom, another Russian bank that does not have a presence in India has also opened its account. The move may be viewed in line with the Narendra Modi government's push to promote the Rupee on a global stage as an international currency. Last year, the RBI and the Finance Ministry had asked the top management of banks to push export and import transactions in INR.
The Ministry of Ayush and the Ministry of Rural Development signed an MoU to transform the rural youth into economically independent and globally relevant workforce.

The MoU was signed at Transport Bhawan by Manoj Nesari, Advisor, Ministry of Ayush, and Karma Zimpa Bhutia, Joint Secretary, Rural Skills, Ministry of Rural Development in the presence of Union Minister of Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal and Giriraj Singh, Union Minister of Panchayati Raj.

Minister of State for Ayush, Munjapara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai, Secretary Ayush, Rajesh Kotecha, Pramod Kumar Pathak, Special Secretary Ministry of Ayush and Shailesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Prof. (Dr) Tanuja Manoj Nesari, Chairperson of Ayush Sub Sector Skill Council and Director, All India institute of Ayurveda were also present at the occasion.

Sarbananda Sonowal welcomed the Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh and said that both the ministries will collaborate in boosting the spirit of self-employment. Singh in his speech praised the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ayush Ministry for the growth seen in the Ayush sector, which scaled from $3 billion in 2014 to $19 billion in the year 2022.

The minister also thanked PM Modi for scaling and giving the opportunity.Talking about DDU-GKY (Deen Dayal Upadhyay-Grameen Kaushal Yojana), he said that he would empower self help groups of women and the collaboration with the Ministry of Ayush will help the achieving growth in self-employment and skill development.

Speaking on the occasion, Director of All India Institute of Ayurveda Prof (Dr) Tanuja Manoj Nesari said that the collaboration between both the ministries will play an important role in enhancing the skill and service sector related to Ayurveda.

Training to Rural Poor Youth will be provided in collaboration with the Ayush Ministry in the following courses on a pilot basis:-

Panchakarma Technician

Panchakarma Assistant

Ayurvedic Masseur

Kshara Karma Technician

Cupping Therapy Assistant

To be a milestone in the history of skill development. The purpose of this collaboration is to help in developing skilled personnel for AYUSH Healthcare system and AYUSH management sectors, training will be benchmarked to global standards, to enable growth of skilled human resources in such sectors, to serve both national and international demand.

The association between the two Ministries will help in providing training to Rural Poor Youth in the National Skills Qualification Framework aligned courses available on National Qualification Register under DDU-GKY Scheme.

Mission of the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) to skill rural youth from the humble background will combine with the Ministry of Ayush (MoA) through Deen Dayal Upadhyaya-Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY) it will open new doors in the horizon of opportunities and development empowering rural youth.
Krithivasan is set as the next CEO of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Indias biggest IT services company. Rajesh Gopinathan, who announced his departure as chief executive and managing director, would be succeeded by him. With effect from March 16, the board appointed Krithivasan as CEO-designate.He will take over as CEO and managing director in the next financial year, subject to shareholder approval. The effective date of his successor will be intimated in due course, TCS said.

Gopinathan, 52, has been at TCS for 22 years and was CEO for six years. His last date will be September 15, according to the company statement. He had been reappointed for a second five-year term in March 2022. Krithivasan is currently president and global head of the banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) business group, which contributes the largest revenue share (31.5%) of the $25 billion company. Krithivasan joined TCS in 1989.

Thoroughly Enjoyed Tenure: Gopinathan

This is certainly a surprise as the companys performance has been strong under Gopinathan, said Phil Fersht, founder of IT research firm HFS Research. Krithi has a very strong track record leading the BFSI business and has 33 years in TCS, and will be a very solid presence to take things forward for the firm Krithis appointment to the top leadership role spells continuity.

N Ganapathy Subramaniam (NGS), chief operating officer of TCS, is also set to retire in 2024.

Krithivasan will take over at a time when the demand for technology projects is stressed due to macroeconomic concerns and geopolitical tensions. After growing at a frenzied pace due to pandemic-driven spending on digitization, IT spending have been sharply scaled back as organizations are dealing with the uncertainty in the global economy. According to Gartner estimates, growth of tech spending is expected to moderate to 2.4% compared with 5.1% estimated last year for 2023. Companies are banking on their ability to mine large deals focussed on driving cost efficiencies to tide over the crisis.

It makes sense to have a market-facing candidate as the new CEO in the next phase of the companys growth, said Pareekh Jain, an outsourcing advisor. It is important from the employee, clients and shareholder perspective that the CEO transition goes smooth as that from N Chandrasekaran to Gopinathan in 2017. During Gopinathans tenure, the stock rose 160%. He was elevated from the role of chief financial officer to CEO in February 2017 after Chandrasekaran was appointed chairman of Tata Sons.

In his last interview, which was in December, Gopinathan had reiterated his goal to double revenue to $50 billion by 2030. He also led a major restructuring of the organization in April 2022 to make it more customer focussed. The previous reorganization at TCS was by Chandrasekaran in 2009. At 46, Gopinathan had been one of the youngest CEOs at the company. He joined it in 2001 from Tata Industries and worked to drive TCS newly established e-business unit in the US.

Gopinathan said he had thoroughly enjoyed his 22-year tenure at TCS. It has been a pleasure working closely with Chandra, who has mentored me through this entire period, he said in a statement. The last six years of leading this iconic organization have been most enriching and fulfilling, adding over $10 billion in incremental revenues and over $70 billion increase in market capitalization.

He took the decision to resign after reflection and in discussion with the chairman and the board. We decided that the end of this fiscal year is a good time for me to step aside and pursue those (other) interests, he said. Having worked with Krithi over the last two decades, I am confident that he is best positioned to take TCS to greater heights along with the leadership team. I will be working closely with Krithi to give him all the support that he needs.

Tata Sons and TCS chairman Chandrasekaran said, I have had the pleasure of working with Rajesh for the past 25 years. During this period, Rajesh has always distinguished himself with exemplary performance in various roles, including his former role as the chief financial officer.

During his time at TCS, Krithivasan has held various leadership roles in delivery, customer relationship management, large program management and sales. Krithivasan is also a member of the board of TCS Iberoamerica, TCS Ireland and the supervisory board of TCS Technology Solutions AG. He holds a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Madras and a masters degree in industrial and management engineering from IIT Kanpur.
Irrespective of the private sector boom, government jobs have not lost their sheen because of the security and perks associated with them. Although getting to know about the exams or vacancies has always been a tough task, as there is no place where one can get information about when and how to apply for these vacancies. The lengthy selection process, test syllabus, and scattered examination centers make it even more difficult to go through this. However, there is a platform that has been the best partner to go through the process. Sarkari Result Net is a website where one can get complete information on almost all government sector-related exams, vacancies, and results.

Government job vacancies go through multiple steps, and the selection process might take from a few days to a few months. From filling up the form to getting admit cards, multiple levels of tests and interviews, and then final results could be an overwhelming procedure if candidates are unable to get a platform where they can get complete and on-time information. Sarkari Result has made it possible for candidates to appear for such exams and interviews.

The website has been developed, considering ease of use for the candidates. The interface is user-friendly and even a person with little or no knowledge about the internet can easily use it. The website not only includes exams and interview dates but links for the syllabus to admit cards and results, one can find everything here. It has made the complete process so hassle-free that even people who find the government job process tedious will love to apply for exams and jobs. Platforms such as Sarkariresult can play an important role in attracting youngsters to the government sector. It is even helpful in perception building that appearing for a government sector job in any state could be a hassle-free process as every detail is available in a single place, one does not have to run from pillar to post to appear in these exams and interviews.

Another positive change this platform has brought is that it has saved a lot of efforts of the state and central government to spread the information about the exams, as the platform takes care of every single date and formalities required to appear in the exams and interviews. Users just need to log in on this website and fill out the application, by finding the link to the desired exam, they will get everything from admit card to the syllabus and results in one place, which saves more than 90% time and energy and efforts and candidates can focus solely on their preparation.

The platform also keeps track of every government sector exam throughout the country. Both state and central government vacancies and exam dates eligibility criteria and every other detail are provided in detail in exact form. Earlier candidates had to run to different centers to download and fill out the form which involved huge planning and resources by the government as well, the platform has saved that as well. SarkariResult can definitely be said to be a trailblazing concept that has brought a huge positive change in how government sector exams and vacancies were announced and conducted.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has developed a Centre of Excellence for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Startups (CII CIES) at T-Hub in Hyderabad in collaboration with the Telangana government and Infosys co-founder Kris Gopalakrishnan's Pratiksha Trust as part of efforts to strengthen the startup ecosystem in the nation.

The CIES, the 10th CoE in India and the second in Hyderabad after the Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre, was first launched as a corporate-driven resource platform to support the growth of successful entrepreneurs but has now evolved into a collaborative workspace for innovation.

Noting that a dozen corporations, including Skoda Auto, Vedanta, Forbes Marshall, and Apollo Hospitals, have committed to collaborating with startups to develop novel solutions to issues, According to Kris Gopalakrishnan, head of CII CIES, CoE will concentrate on ensuring that startups funded by CIES become businesses with $100 million in revenue and that CII member companies collaborate with and acquire startups.
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Pub veteran Arthur Laundy has set up the new headquarters in Sydneys north shore after buying the former Aristocrat building for $33 million to cater for its growing empire.

The expansion of the business underpinned the move after Laundy hotels took over the operations of the Sydney Collective partnership it had with fellow publican Fraser Short.

That entailed taking over the reins of the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, Park House Mona Vale, Northies at Cronulla, Lennox Head Hotel, Illawong Hotel and The Farm at Byron Bay, and thought to be worth up to $300 million.

The Laundy Hotel group has bought 71 Longueville Road, Lane Cove, Sydney Credit:  2022 Mark Merton Photography

Laundy will move staff into one of the floors at 71 Longueville Road, Lane Cove for its new head office, which is a modern office block in the heart of the busy Lane Cove business precinct.
An award-winning graphic memoir about sexuality and gender aimed at teenagers and young adults - which has been banned in dozens of US school districts - faces potential censorship in Australia following a complaint from a conservative activist.

The Australian Classification Board has called in Gender Queer, by non-binary cartoonist Maia Kobabe, saying there are reasonable grounds to believe the publication should be classified.

The book has been banned in dozens of US school districts and topped the American Library Associations list of most challenged books in 2021. Credit: AP

The decision to call in the text for assessment came after a complaint to police by conservative blogger Bernard Gaynor and subsequent contact between Queensland Police, the federal arts department and the classification board.

It does not mean the book will necessarily be banned or restricted. Typically, once a copy of the text has been obtained, it will be assigned to a board member to decide whether it is a submittable publication, meaning it should be classified.
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Eating outFine dining Soul Dining moves to CBD hotspot as Korean dining takes off across Sydney The hatted contemporary fine-diner joins the blossoming Wynyard precinct as Korean spots pop up all over town. Scott Bolles March 17, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

Sydneys Korean food movement is about to take off, and the unlikely ingredients for its propulsion can be found in Squid Game, K-pop and the global popularity of Parasite. When we started 4 years ago, the concept [of contemporary Korean] was very foreign, but Korean culture with film and TV and music has brought more interest in the food, says Illa Kim, co-owner of Surry Hills hatted Soul Dining. Daero Lee, left, and Illa Kim of Soul Dining. Tim Bradley In July, Soul Dining will take its pioneering Korean gastronomy to the CBD, securing premises near Wynyard Station at 50 Carrington Street. The relocated Soul Dining is placing itself at the epicentre of Sydneys new dining action  its neighbours will include Shell House, Kabul Social and the recently relocated Toko.

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Kim explains the larger space will allow them to amp up their food and service, while adding a new clientele. Soul Dinings moody dining room at the OG site in Surry Hills. Edwina Pickles Restaurateur David Bae is also driving the growth of Korean food, with a posse of venue openings planned over the next 12 months. Bae, whose father is a pioneer of Korean barbecue restaurants in Australia, pinpoints a change in attitude to the fortunes of the cuisine. It feels like everyone watched Netflix over the lockdowns and it put Korea on the map, Bae says.

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Our Korean barbecue restaurant [Kogi, in Haymarket] is doing double what it did pre-COVID. Buoyed by its success, in April hell open Soot, a Korean barbecue restaurant at Barangaroo that will also blend a little of the elements of premium Australian steakhouses. Following Baes success with chef Jacob Lee at the 12-month-old Kobo, an eight-seat restaurant at Quay Quarter Lanes, in May the duo will open a yet-to-be-named Bap Sang Korean omakase at Sydney Place, the near-completed development near the old Jacksons on George. Itll be even more adventurous than Kobo. Chef Jacob Lee behind the Kobo counter. Flavio Brancaleone They wont have the precinct to themselves. On the corner of Pitt and Bridge Streets, a Korean mega-venture is opening mid-2023.

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Two venues in one, Allta  a 15-seat omakase plastered with gold and marble  has lured Jung-su Chang, executive chef at South Koreas two Michelin-starred restaurant Jungsik Seoul, to Sydney, while sister restaurant Funda has snared chef Dongha Kim, a graduate of Andrew McConnells Melbourne restaurants Supernormal and Gimlet. Korean ingredients are already etching themselves on our broader culinary consciousness. Earlier this year, Good Food reviewer Callan Boys noted his local pub started serving salt-and-pepper squid with gochujang aioli over summer. Freshly cooked claypot rice at Soul Dining. Edwina Pickles Bae points to the evolution of Korean, from quick-fix fried chicken to its shared culture of food and fun. His plans also include a Korean drinks venue in Surry Hills. Soul Dinings Illa Kim is also keen to foster the next generation of Korean chefs. After Soul Dining moves to the CBD in July, its Surry Hills digs will hold pop-ups until the lease runs out later in the year.

Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up
Police have renewed their appeal for an elderly man who has been missing since Tuesday from Sydneys northern beaches.

He is known to frequent the North Head and Manly areas. Credit: NSW Police

Richard Gottschald, aged 81, was last seen at a home on Reddall Street in Manly about 5pm Tuesday.

Police were notified after Gottschald could not be found or contacted.

Despite a search operation and an SMS campaign, he is still missing.
Disaster payments of up to $1000 per person are available for flood-hit north-west Queensland as the scale of the recovery slowly becomes clear.

The full damage bill to homes, businesses and cattle stations is not yet known, and thousands of livestock are believed to have perished in the monsoonal event.

The flooding in Burketown was expected to peak late on Sunday. Credit: Queensland Police

Essential services including sewerage and electricity in Burketown are slowly being restored and damage assessments are under way to ensure its safe for evacuated residents to return once the water level drops.

The federal disaster recovery payments are now available for residents in Boulia, Burke and Mount Isa.
Students from Newman College who witnessed an abseiling instructor fall to his death during an outdoor education camp activity near Margaret River arrived home late on Thursday night.

Principal Lucie McCrory said the college extended sympathies and condolences to the mans family and loved ones.

Brides Cave in Boranup, near Margaret River.

It is with deep sadness that I write to confirm that Newman College Year 11 students and staff were involved in a tragic incident that occurred on the afternoon of Thursday 16 March during the Year 11 outdoor education ATAR camp at Brides Cave, Boranup, she said in a statement.

One of the external instructors who was participating in the camp, fell at the scene.
The nations schools could open when they like and graduate their students based on how quickly they progress through their own syllabus under proposals from the Productivity Commission that would touch every part of the economy.

From overhauling the skilled migration system to creating a national digital identity card, the commission has used its first economy-wide report in five years to advocate changes that also include requiring all residential and commercial property sales to come with a climate change risk analysis.

The commission advocates giving local schools more control over their operating hours, which could include longer days or different starting times. Credit: iStock

Commission chairman Michael Brennan said the country had to start lifting the nations economic speed limit if living standards were to improve, but Treasurer Jim Chalmers warned some proposals would be ignored as they conflicted with the governments own values.

The commissions report, Advancing Prosperity, made 71 recommendations across more than 1000 pages of analysis. It follows a long-term decline in Australias productivity growth rate, which over the past decade has slipped to its lowest level since the 1950s.
Thousands of Australians with type 1 diabetes will receive six more months of subsidised access to a popular medication they say allows them to live a normal life, before it is withdrawn from the pharmaceutical benefits scheme and the price soars from $30 to $230 a month.

The federal government has made a legal supply order that means drug manufacturer Novo Nordisks fast-acting insulin product Fiasp  which is used by about 14,000 people  will remain on PBS until October.

Health Minister Mark Butler said the government would do everything it could to ensure there was an equivalent product on the PBS when the six-month legal order expired. Credit: Simon Schluter

The pharmaceutical giant had planned to remove the drug from the PBS from April 1, saying it was no longer commercially viable to leave it on the scheme due to government price cuts.

Thousands of people were blindsided this month by the manufacturers controversial decision, which will lift the yearly cost of their insulin by more than $2000, saying they were left with little time to make alternative arrangements.
Police arrested four people after a group of anti-coal and gas protesters occupied Premier Dominic Perrottets Epping electorate office on Friday morning.

About 15 protesters from climate action group Rising Tide Australia, carrying signs and banners accusing the premier of committing a climate fail for allowing new coal and gas projects, arrived at the foyer of the office at 10.15am, before occupying his main electoral office for 45 minutes.

Protesters have entered Dominic Perrottets electorate office in Epping. Credit: Twitter

Police were called soon after and moved the group on. But four protesters who refused to leave  two men, aged 62 and 64, and two women, aged 40 and 65  were arrested and charged with trespass.

The protesters said they were conducting a teach-in at the premiers office.
The Australian government is expected to ban the popular short form video app TikTok from its devices once a seven-month-long review of security risks posed by social media platforms is completed.

Sources in Canberra, who were not authorised to speak publicly, said Australia would join the United States, United Kingdom and European Commission in barring the app from government phones.

New Zealand made a similar move on Friday, with its parliamentary service banning TikTok on devices connected to government applications, amid growing fears that the app could be used by the Chinese Communist Party for influence operations or espionage abroad.

TikTok has consistently dismissed fears, bolstered by a submission from foreign interference expert John Garnaut this week, as being without foundation. The social media platform insists user data is safe and that it does not moderate content based on any governments desires.
Dramatic footage confirms Russian fighter jet did strike American spy drone

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Al-Bashir was issued with arrest warrants in 2009 and 2010 for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity following the conflict in Darfur in 2003 and led to the deaths of 300,000 people. The Gaddafi arrest warrant for crimes against humanity was issued by the ICC during anti-regime protests in 2011. He was killed just months later. Loading Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia last year of stealing his countrys children from the besieged city of Mariupol and other areas, some of them without their parents. Kyiv estimates that at least 16,000 children were deported to Russia between February 2022 and last month. Zelensky on Saturday called the arrest warrant a historic decision, from which historical responsibility will begin, saying Putin and his offsider had officially become suspects in a war crime.

The deportation of Ukrainian children is the illegal transfer of thousands of our children to Russian territory, he said. It would be impossible to carry out such a criminal operation without the order of the top leader of the terrorist state. In Washington, US President Joe Biden called the ICCs decision justified, telling reporters as he left the White House for his Delaware home that Putin clearly committed war crimes. Biden said it makes a very strong point to call out the Russian leaders actions in ordering the invasion. Loading Russia has not concealed a program under which it has brought thousands of Ukrainian children across the border, but presents it as a humanitarian campaign to protect orphans and children abandoned in the conflict zone. The pre-trial chamber of the court found there were reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children.

Hofmanski said in a video statement that while the ICCs judges have issued the warrants, it would be up to the international community to enforce them. The ICC is doing its part of work as a court of law. The judges issued arrest warrants. The execution depends on international cooperation, he said. eople hold flares in colors of the Russian national flag during an action to mark the ninth anniversary of the Crimea annexation from Ukraine with an image of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Credit: AP The court has no powers to arrest suspects, and can only exercise jurisdiction within the 123 countries that are signed up to the agreement that set up the court. Russia  along with the United States, India and China  is not a signatory to that agreement and has said it would never surrender its officials.

The warrants came a day after a United Nations-backed inquiry accused Russia of committing wide-ranging war crimes in Ukraine, including the forced deportations of children in areas it controls. From the early days of the invasion last February, Kyiv has accused Russia of forcibly transferring children and adults. The Kremlin, which has repeatedly denied accusations that its forces have committed atrocities during the invasion of its neighbour, said the courts move was meaningless. Loading The decisions of the ICC have no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view, Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said on her Telegram channel.

Russias embassy to the US said last month that the country had taken in children who were forced to flee the fighting. Ukraine also is not a member of the court, but it has granted the ICC jurisdiction over its territory and ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has visited four times since opening an investigation a year ago. Ukraines prosecutor general, Andriy Kostin, hailed the courts decision to issue an arrest warrant. The world received a signal that the Russian regime is criminal and its leadership and henchmen will be held accountable, he said in a statement on social media. This is a historic decision for Ukraine and the entire system of international law. With Xi to visit Moscow from Monday, US and European leaders have said they are concerned Beijing may send arms to Russia after Beijing and Moscow struck a no limits partnership shortly before the invasion.
Jerusalem: Jerusalem awoke to the sight of a long red line painted by protesters along roads leading to Israels Supreme Court, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a compromise deal for his governments planned judicial overhaul.

The hard-right governments drive to limit Supreme Court powers while increasing its own power in selecting judges has caused alarm at home and abroad about the countrys democratic checks and balances. Anti-reform protests have swelled for weeks.

An aerial view of a road, which was painted with red and pink stripes, leading through Jerusalem to Israels Sumpreme Court. Credit: Getty

President Isaac Herzog warned on Wednesday the country was at a turning point and stressed hed been involved in mediation efforts and speaking with thousands of people for weeks.

A civil war is a red line, the president said. I wont let that happen at any cost or any way. He said Israel was in the depths of a real crisis but also in front of a huge opportunity and at a fork in the road.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Student Support Services Division (SSSD) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport is organizing a free workshop entitled My Study, My Choice: Careers You Didnt Know About That Make Bank.

This workshop will be held on Thursday, March 23, 2023, in the meeting room on the first floor of the Government Administration Building from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

The aim of this workshop is to ensure that students attending will receive information on how to prepare for the career that they want, but also names of careers they did not know about but could potentially interest them. Students will also be introduced to careers that have higher earning potential and what factors they should consider before pursuing a career or study. Alongside this information, students will also learn what educational or skills requirements are needed for the career of their choice.

This workshop is geared towards students who are recent or soon-to-be graduates of secondary school who are interested in planning for their careers. Aspects such as length of training or study will be discussed as well as tips for finding out if a career choice is a good match for a students personality. Parents are also urged to encourage their children to attend since this is beneficial to them.

Students and parents are encouraged to contact SSSD at 543-1235 for more information or to register for the workshop on March 23, 2023. They can also visit the SSSD office, which is located in the Gaspys Building across from the Police Station and next to WIB.
Trillium Gold and Pacton Gold Combine to Create Dominant Strategic Land Position in Red Lake

Trillium Gold Mines Inc. (TSXV: TGM, FRA: 0702) (aTrilliuma  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/trillium-gold-mines-inc/ ) and Pacton Gold Inc. (TSXV: PAC, OTC: PACXF, FSE: 2NKM) (aPactona) are pleased to announce that they have entered into an arrangement agreement dated March 15, 2023 (the aAgreementa) to combine the two companies to create the leading gold explorer and dominant strategic land holder, over 15 projects covering over 1,260 km2 in the prolific Red Lake Mining District of Northern Ontario (the aTransactiona).

Under the terms of the Agreement, Trillium and Pacton will merge on an at-market basis, with each common shareholder of Pacton (each, a aPacton Shareholdera) entitled to receive 1.275 common shares of Trillium (each whole such common share, a aTrillium Sharea) in exchange for each Pacton common share held (each, a aPacton Sharea). Upon completion of the Transaction, existing Trillium and Pacton shareholders will own 53% and 47%, respectively, of the combined company.

Transaction Highlights

Establishes dominant and strategic land position in the prolific Red Lake Mining District: With over 1,260 km2 of properties extending across the Red Lake Mining District, the combined companya?s property holdings will be larger than major gold producers in the district such as Evolution Mining Limited (aEvolutiona) and Kinross Gold Corporation (aKinrossa).

Substantial synergies: The companies expect material cost savings and synergies from the consolidation of corporate overheads and exploration programs across this prolific mineral district. Pactona?s Red Lake Gold Project is located within 20 km of Trilliuma?s Newman Todd Complex and the western portion of its Confederation Belt properties. In addition, Trilliuma?s Leo and Pakwash properties are located immediately south of Pactona?s Dixie and Pakwash properties.

Enhanced capital markets profile: The proposed Transaction will result in a greater combined market capitalization and an expanded institutional investor base. Shareholders are also expected to benefit from enhanced trading liquidity and a more robust treasury following completion of the Transaction.

Proven leadership and technical team with expanded board: The combined companya?s forward leadership and technical team represents over 150 years of exploration and corporate development experience, with several senior geologists each having decades of exploration expertise in the Red Lake Mining District. The proposed Transaction will also add two experienced directors from Pacton to Trilliuma?s existing board, increasing board depth and providing continuity for Pacton Shareholders.

Russell Starr, President, CEO and Director of Trillium, commented, aThis combination literally changes the map of the prolific Red Lake Mining District. With the addition of Pactona?s neighbouring projects, Trillium will become the leading strategic landholder in the region. With over 1,260 km2 of prospective ground, we will effectively increase and diversify our opportunities, while realizing financial and operating synergies.A Being the most dominant and strategic land holder in the jurisdiction for gold, we will also seek to leverage the lithium and critical element opportunities that exist throughout the combined land package.a

Nav Dhaliwal, President, CEO and Director of Pacton, further commented, aThe combination of Trillium and Pacton represents an all too rare outcome in our sector  real synergy. Our projects are proximal, our corporate philosophies are consistent and cost efficiencies will be realized. The new company shall be properly diversified and well positioned to achieve exploration success, while putting under one roof an extensive land position that we expect will present strategic value to other players in the industry.a

Benefits to Trillium Shareholders

Increases Trilliuma?s land holdings in the Red Lake Mining District by over 36,000 hectares (40% growth).

Addition of Pactona?s Red Lake Gold Project, which is a 28,000 hectare land package located in the heart of the Red Lake gold camp between Kinrossa? Great Bear gold project (acquired in February 2022 from Great Bear Resources for US$1.4 billion) and Evolutiona?s Red Lake Operations.

Leverages the significant work completed by Pacton at the Red Lake Gold Project, including 79 drill holes totaling 26,719 m and 1,011 surface samples. In 2022, a 15-hole drill program totaling 5,698 m intersected multiple high-grade gold targets, including 0.5 m of 17.2 g/t Au, of which high-grade surface samples included 126.5 g/t Au and 23.3 g/t Au. Pacton also identified a 2 km long gold-bearing trend at the Claremont Target, which has widespread, anomalous gold with exposed zones that are up to 60 m long and 50 m wide.

Addition of Pactona?s 46.7% interest in the Sidace Project pursuant to its joint venture with Evolution. Sidace is an 8,600 hectare property located at the northern extent of the Red Lake Greenstone Belt. Over 80,000 m of past and recent drilling have defined three zones of high-grade and widespread gold mineralization. In 2021, 17 of the 18 holes drilled at Sidace intercepted gold, including 9.0 g/t Au over 2.3 m, 1.3 g/t Au over 75.2 m, 1.5 g/t Au over 61.2 m and 20.6 g/t Au over 1.0 m.

Pacton has a strong existing balance sheet of cash and cash equivalents.

Benefits to Pacton Shareholders

Ownership in a larger, more diversified gold exploration company with substantial exposure to over 89,600 hectares of prospective properties in the Red Lake Mining District.

Trilliuma?s extensive Confederation Belt property holdings spans over 115 km along favourable structures, which is several times larger than Kinrossa? LP Fault Zone. In addition to gold targets, these properties have substantial potential to host significant critical metals including copper, nickel, cobalt, lithium, zinc, molybdenum, indium and gallium.

Trilliuma?s greater Newman Todd project hosts over 20 high-grade zones and has a sizable historic NI 43-101 resource estimate. More than 31,000 m of drilling over 2020 to 2022 has been completed by Trillium, targeting high-grade veins with comparable widths to historical drilling (>55,000 m up to 2013), on the Newman Todd and Rivard projects, located 26 km from Evolutiona?s Red Lake Operations.

Enhanced market capitalization in combination with research coverage, a strong institutional and retail investor base, and greater trading liquidity.

Transaction Procedures

The proposed merger will be completed by way of plan of arrangement (the aArrangementa) under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) resulting in Pacton becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Trillium. The Transaction will require approval of at least 66 2/3 percent of the votes cast by shareholders of Pacton at a special meeting of shareholders expected to be held in the second quarter of 2023 (the aPacton Meetinga). All of the directors and senior officers of Pacton have entered into voting and support agreements with Trillium in support of the Transaction.

The Arrangement will also provide for the issuance of Trillium stock options to Pacton optionholders in exchange for their existing Pacton options. Pacton optionholders who do not exercise their Pacton options prior to the effective time of the Arrangement will receive Trillium stock options to purchase Trillium common shares, in number and at exercise prices adjusted by the exchange ratio. Under the Arrangement, all existing warrants of Pacton will become exercisable to acquire Trillium common shares, in number and at exercise prices adjusted by the exchange ratio.

In addition to Pacton shareholder approval and court approvals, the Transaction is subject to applicable regulatory approvals including approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (aTSX-Va) and the satisfaction of certain other closing conditions.

The Agreement includes customary provisions including non-solicitation provisions, a right for Trillium to match any superior proposal, and a termination fee payable in certain circumstances. Currently there are 79,586,665 Trillium shares issued and outstanding. Upon closing of the Transaction Trillium is expected to have 149,070,735 shares issued and outstanding. Full details of the Transaction will be included in the management information circular of Pacton describing the matters to be considered at the Pacton Meeting, which is expected to be mailed to the Pacton Shareholders in the second quarter 2023, and made available on SEDAR under Pactona?s issuer profile at www.sedar.com.

The Transaction is a result of arma?s length negotiations between the parties and there is no finder\-s fee associated with the Transaction. Financial advisors to Pacton are expected to receive advisory fees customary of transactions of this nature which will be described in more detail in Pactona?s management information circular in respect of the Transaction.

Board of Directorsa? Recommendations

The Board of Directors of Pacton has unanimously approved the proposed Transaction and unanimously recommends that Pacton Shareholders vote in favour of the proposed Transaction. Haywood Securities Inc. has provided a fairness opinion to the Board of Directors of Pacton stating that, as of the date hereof, and based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations, and qualifications set forth therein, the consideration to be received by Pacton Shareholders pursuant to the proposed Transaction is fair, from a financial point of view, to the Pacton Shareholders.

Additionally, the Board of Directors of Trillium has unanimously approved the proposed Transaction.

Board and Management

It is intended that, upon the closing of the Transaction, the Board of Directors of the combined company will consist of six members, of which two members shall be selected by Pacton and four members shall be selected by Trillium.

Qualified Persons

William Paterson, P.Geo., VP Exploration of Trillium, is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101 a Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (aNI 43-101a). Mr. Paterson has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release relating solely to Trillium.

Dale Ginn, P.Geo., Executive Chairman of Pacton, is a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101. Mr. Ginn has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release relating solely to Pacton.

Advisors and Legal Counsel

Red Cloud Securities Inc. is acting as financial advisor to Trillium and its Board of Directors. Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP is acting as legal counsel to Trillium.

Haywood Securities Inc. is acting as financial advisor to Pacton and its Board of Directors. Cozen Oa?Connor LLP is acting as legal counsel to Pacton.

Webcast

Trillium and Pacton will host a joint webcast tomorrow, March 17, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. A Eastern Time / 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time to discuss the Transaction.

Login to the webcast: https://redcloudfs.com/rcwebinar-tgm-3

About Trillium Gold Mines Inc.

Trillium Gold Mines Inc. is a growth focused company engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in the Red Lake Mining District of Northern Ontario. As part of its regional-scale consolidation strategy, the Company has assembled one of the largest prospective land packages in and around the Red Lake mining district in proximity to major mines and deposits, as well as along the Confederation Lake and Birch-Uchi greenstone belts. The Company recently closed acquisitions effectively extending its contiguous land position over more than 100 km of favourable structures on trend with Kinross Golda?s Great Bear Project and Evolution Mininga?s Red Lake Operation. In addition, the Company has interests in highly prospective properties in Larder Lake and Shining Tree, Ontario.

Visit Trilliuma?s website atA www.trilliumgold.com.

About Pacton Gold Inc.

Pacton Gold is a Canadian exploration company with key strategic partners focused on the exploration and development of high-grade mineral resource properties in Ontario, Canada. The Company also owns a strategic portfolio of prospective projects in Western Australia.

Visit Pactona?s website at www.pactongold.com.

For further information, please contact:

Trillium Gold Inc.

Russell Starr

President, CEO and Director

Donna Yoshimatsu

VP Corporate Development and Investor Relations

Tel: (416) 722-2456

Email: dyoshimatsu@trilliumgold.com or info@trilliumgold.com

Website: www.trilliumgold.com

Pacton Gold Inc.

Nav Dhaliwal

President, CEO and Director

Tel: 1-(855)-584-0258

Email: info@pactongold.com

Website: www.pactongold.com

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger & Marc Ollinger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectations. This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectations. Forward-looking information includes but is not limited to, completion of the proposed Transaction, receipt of all shareholder and court approvals, the completion of other regulatory approvals, the mailing of the management information circular, the completion of a concurrent private placement and, anticipated cash balance and anticipated cost savings following completion of the Transaction among other things. These statements are based on each of the management of Trillium and Pacton, respectively, reasonable assumptions, estimates, expectations, analyses and opinions, which are based on each managementa?s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, and other factors that management believes are relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, but which may prove to be incorrect. Such factors, among others, include: impacts arising from the global disruption caused by the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, business integration risks; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold or certain other commodities; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The companies disclaim any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
The Romanian Border Guards (RBGs) on board of the maritime patrol vessel MAI 1102 of the Coast Guard have left on a new two-month FRONTEX mission, which will take place in the Mediterranean Sea, representatives of the institution informed on Friday.

The 28 crew members of the Romanian Border Police vessel will carry out patrol, search and rescue missions at the maritime border in southern Italy, told Agerpres.

"From 17.03.2023 to 22.05.2023, the maritime patrol vessel MAI 1106, newly joined to the Romanian Border Police, will participate in the Joint Operation 'THEMIS 2023', organized by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX), which will take place at the external maritime borders of the EU. The Romanian Border Police ship has a crew of 28 members and will carry out individual patrol, search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean Sea, at the maritime border in southern Italy, together with the police and law enforcement forces of all EU Member States participating in the mission. The aim will be to undertake joint measures to control migration flows at the EU maritime borders, to increase the efficiency of data and information exchange between the law enforcement authorities of these countries, and the effective experience exchange between European border guards," says a press release issued by the Coast Guard.

According to the cited source, the acquisition of this maritime patrol ship gives the Romanian Border Police a boost in the operational intervention capacity, aimed at carrying out specific missions in order to ensure respect for the rights of the Romanian state in maritime waters in the area of competence, surveillance and control of the maritime border, preventing and combating illegal migration and specific acts of cross-border crime, searching for vessels in danger and rescuing their crews.

Moreover, in the context of the management of the migration phenomenon at the external borders of the EU, the acquisition of new means of naval mobility is opportune for the fulfillment of the commitments of the Romanian Border Police towards FRONTEX, regarding the deployment of technical equipment in joint operations carried out at the external maritime border of the EU.

"The main objective of the Joint Operation 'THEMIS 2023' is to assist the Italian authorities in the surveillance and control of the European Union maritime borders, as well as in the search and rescue of persons in distress at sea at the external border of the European Union. The activity is a continuation of the border control operations organised by FRONTEX, in which the Romanian Border Police has made a significant contribution, both in terms of technical means and in terms of the number, profiles and professionalism of the experts deployed, having gained the appreciation of both the Italian authorities and FRONTEX. The operation is financed by FRONTEX," the press release reads.
Save Romania Union (USR) announced that the president of the National Audiovisual Council (CNA), Monica Gubernat, will come to the Culture Committee of the Chamber of Deputies on March 28, for a discussion about the media situation in Romania and the role of CNA.

According to a press release sent to AGERPRES by USR on Friday, the president of CNA, Monica Gubernat, will appear before the Committee for culture, arts, mass media in the Chamber of Deputies, at the invitation of the committee's president, USR deputy Iulian Bulai.

"We need a more effective inter-institutional dialogue and an exchange of opinions on the media situation in Romania, a sometimes worrying situation. The CNA must and can better fulfill its duties provided for by the law," said Bulai, according to the press release.

The invitation to the discussions is for Tuesday, March 28, at 1:00 p.m., and the topic is the situation of the mass media in Romania and the role of the CNA.

USR claims that Monica Gubernat confirmed the participation, along with the other members of the CNA.

AGERPRES
The distribution companies of the E.ON group have announced that, by 2030, they will set up 13,000 km of green corridors along the high voltage overhead lines, from the Black Sea to Sweden, of which 370 km in Romania, told Agerpres.

According to a company release sent to AGERPRES on Friday, for this year, E.ON is taking into account the inventory of the biotope of approximately 200 hectares and the implementation of the Ecological Corridor Management concept on an area of 60 hectares in the six counties of Moldavia where Delgaz Grid operates in the electricity area (Bacau, Botosani, Iasi, Neamt, Suceava and Vaslui).

"Ecological management of power line routes requires that only vegetation which poses a direct threat to power lines be removed. Slow-growing trees, bushes and shrubs are preserved as much as possible. Cut branches are left on the ground, creating important opportunities for birds nesting. This increases the biodiversity of the flora and fauna below the lines. The company collaborates within the project with the managers of the forest fund, universities, NGOs of Romania, but also with the European Institute for the Management of Ecological Corridors in Germany. Healthy and stable ecosystems are an important element to reduce global warming, because they stores CO2," the release shows.

E.ON is a partner of the United Nations Environment Programme, which declared the 2020-2030 period as the "Decade on Ecosystem Restoration."

Delgaz Grid, the distribution company within the German E.ON Group, operates a natural gas network of 25,000 km in 20 counties in the North and West of Romania (Cluj, Bistrita Nasaud, Maramures, Satu Mare, Salaj, Timis , Arad, Bihor, Caras-Severin, Hunedoara, Mures, Sibiu, Alba, Harghita, Iasi, Botosani, Vaslui, Suceava, Neamt and Bacau) and an electricity grid of over 81,000 km in six counties of Moldavia (Bacau, Botosani, Iasi, Neamt, Suceava and Vaslui).

Since entering the local market in 2005, E.ON has invested 2.1 billion EUR, mainly for the modernization of the gas grids and electricity networks and transferred to the state three billion EUR of taxes and fees.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Finance (MF) drew RON 60 million off banks, in a benchmark government bond issue of a residual maturity of 98 months and an average yield of 7.51% per year, according to data published by the National Bank of Romania (BNR).

The nominal value of the additional issue was RON 60 million, and the banks signed up for 150 million lei, told Agerpres.

The ministry has planned for March 2023 borrowings off commercial banks of RON 5.2 billion, of which RON 720 million through additional offer of non-competitive bids

The total amount of RON 5.920 billion is by 245 million higher than the 5.675 million planned in February and it will be used to refinance public debt and the government deficit.
The minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, reiterated, on Friday, during the consultations held with the secretary general of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), Louise Mushikiwabo, Romania's deep commitment to the common values and principles of La Francophonie.

"I expressed Romania's firm support for the effort made by Mrs. secretary general in strengthening the organization's profile at the multilateral level and the Francophonie's action in favor of peace, democracy and human rights. Our common assessment is that the OIF must have an active and dynamic role in numerous areas of action, such as the identification of solutions and projects aimed at reducing the democratic and security deficits in certain regions of the French-speaking area, the identification of appropriate responses to armed conflicts, climate change or hybrid threats," declared Aurescu, at the end of the discussions held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) headquarters, in a joint press conference with the OIF official.

The discussions also focused on the importance of strengthening relations between the European and African areas, Bogdan Aurescu saying that strengthening the resilience of the Francophone area in the face of threats also involves combating disinformation, gender and opportunity inequalities, as well as discrimination.

The two dignitaries also discussed security and the implications of the war that the Russian Federation launched against Ukraine, which is an observer state at the International Organization of La Francophonie. Bogdan Aurescu mentioned the assistance that Romania offered to Ukrainian refugees, over 3.7 million citizens who entered the territory of Romania, as well as the support given to facilitating the transit of grain and other Ukrainian agricultural products through Romania - over 14 million tons of agricultural products.

Aurescu and Mushikiwabo also discussed "the security risks which the Republic of Moldova is exposed to, as a result of the war started by the Russian Federation", but also about the political and security situation in Africa, Bogdan Aurescu reiterating the constant political support and the national contribution consistent with the stabilization and reconstruction processes in the Sahel and, in general, in Africa.

"We share the conviction that the Francophonie of the future can only develop in a climate of peace, stability, democracy and unity. And, in this sense, Romania, together with the other countries in the Francophone family, actively promotes the involvement of young people in democratic processes. Gender equality, as well as (...) education for sustainable development represents direct investments in our future, including for combating the most acute threats to our common desideratum of the core of Francophone values," said the minister of Foreign Affairs.

AGERPRES
Four Pakistani nationals intending to illegally cross the border from Romania into Hungary with the intention of reaching Italy were caught by the Satu Mare county border police.

"In the town of Berveni, four citizens of Afro-Asian origin have been found. They did not justify their presence in the area, and initially claimed to be Syrians and not to have any identity documents on them. After being checked by the Satu Mare bodrer authorities, they were found to be Pakistani nationals between the ages of 27 and 40. Three of them were asylum seekers in Romania, and the fourth applied for the same status yesterday. They said that they wanted to reach Italy but they did not have legal documents for such a trip, which is why they tried to illegally cross the border from Romania into Hungary, with the aim of finally reaching Italy," according to the Sighetu Marmatiei local border police inspectorate.

They are being investigated for attempted illegal entry, told Agerpres.
The government will support all the necessary measures to protect the interests of the insured affected by the negative developments in Romania's auto civil liability market, governmental spokesman Dan Carbunaru said on Friday.

"The Financial Oversight Authority (ASF), following an analysis carried out by it, will send solution proposals to the Ministry of Finance for submission to the government," Carbunaru said

The ASF Council has decided to withdraw the business licence of the Euroins Romania company, noting the signs of the company's state of insolvency, ASF reported on Friday.

The council also decided ASF promoting a request for the opening of the bankruptcy procedure and the appointment of the Insurance Guarantee Fund (FGA) as the interim administrator of the company for the purpose of providing the administration and management of the insurer's activity and the adoption of the necessary measures for the preservation of its assets, told Agerpres.

The duties of the company's management are suspended by law. FGA's mandate ceases upon the appointment of a judicial liquidator.
The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that, on Thursday, a number of 69,634 people entered Romania through border points, of whom 7,608 were Ukrainian citizens.

According to a release sent to AGERPRES on Friday, approximately 144,800 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with more than 46,100 means of transport, completed the control formalities at the border crossing points nationwide, both on the way in and on the way out.

As of 10 February 2022 (the pre-conflict period), a number of 3,762,619 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania, told Agerpres.

In the relevant areas - the border crossing points and the "green border," the border policemen discovered 66 illegalities (28 offences and 38 contraventions) committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens, with the amount of fines enforced exceeding 38,500 RON.

Assets of an estimated value of approximately 129,100 RON were impounded.

On Thursday, a number of 14 foreign citizens were not allowed to enter the country because they didn't meet the requirements stipulated by the law, while a number of 17 Romanian citizens were not allowed to leave the country for various legal reasons.
REPER MEP Dacian Ciolos requested, on Friday, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) chairman, Marcel Ciolacu, to urgently remove the minister of Agriculture, Petre Daea, "for the disastrous way in which he negotiated the compensations from the European Commission".

"Romanian farmers are wronged because of the inability to negotiate at the top of the Ministry of Agriculture and the incompetence of the administration," Ciolos said in a press statement.

According to the former European commissioner, Romanian grain producers, the most affected by imports from Ukraine, will receive the smallest compensations from the EU's crisis reserve. Romania will receive a total of 10 million euros, compared to Poland, which will receive 30 million euros, and Bulgaria, which will receive 16 million euros, Ciolos said.

"The responsibility for the negotiations belongs entirely to minister Daea and, as the political responsibility belongs to the party that appointed him as minister, Marcel Ciolacu is directly guilty of his minister's behavior and must answer for every minute he spends at the helm of the Ministry of Agriculture," argued Dacian Ciolos.

In the opinion of the MEP, "the irresponsible way in which minister Daea handled these negotiations, the bombastic requests and the inability to produce data that would facilitate the estimation of the real impact on Romanian farmers, the fact that Romania does not comply with the stock reporting regulation introduced by the European Commission at the beginning of the war in Ukraine discredited Romania's negotiating position and led to this unfair result for Romanian grain producers".
Romania's Nuclearelectrica corporation is advancing the development of nuclear medicine in Europe under an innovative agreement with BWXT Medical Ltd., part of BWX Technologies, Inc., the company announced in a press statement on Friday.

The agreement between Nuclearelectrica and BWXT Medical will explore the possibility to enhance cooperation in the field of nuclear medicine in Europe, for the production of medical isotopes, told Agerpres.

"The nuclear industry nowadays is essential both for generating clean electricity and to ensure the production of medical isotopes. In light of recent developments in the medical isotope market, the need for a secure supply of medical isotopes is growing, and therefore we believe this is the perfect time to pursue this opportunity for a medical radioisotope production project in Cernavoda nuclear power plant," says Nuclearelectrica Chief Executive Officer Cosmin Ghita.

The initial scope of the agreement is to conduct a specific market analysis, based on which the collaboration may develop into subsequent phases.

"Our exciting collaboration with Nuclearelectrica is a significant step toward helping to improve the health and well-being of millions of people around the world, and further positioning our business to meet growing global demand," says BWXT Medical President and CEO Jonathan Cirtain.

Nuclearelectrica has 26 years of operating experience, being considered one of the most efficient companies at the global level. Through its 3 strategic investment projects, (Cernavoda NPP Unit 1 Refurbishment, Cernavoda NPP Units 3 & 4 Development and SMR Deployment), the company is looking to provide clean energy, reduce its carbon footprint, support the Paris Agreement and, based on its ESG strategy, to also support human health impact initiatives, such as this agreement.

The Nuclearelectrica is a national Romanian corporation that produces electricity, heat and nuclear fuel operating under the authority of the Romanian Ministry of Energy, with the Romanian state holding 82.49% of shares and other shareholders holding 17.50%, after the listing of the company at the stock exchange in 2013.

BWXT Medical Ltd. manufactures custom radiopharmaceuticals, radiotherapies and medical isotopes. BWXT Medical is a subsidiary of BWX Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BWXT). BWXT is a Fortune 1000 and Defense News Top 100 manufacturing and engineering innovator that provides safe and effective nuclear solutions for global security, clean energy, environmental remediation, nuclear medicine and space exploration.
President Klaus Iohannis will pay an official visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saturday to Tuesday, at the invitation of the President of the Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

"Further developing Romania's relations with states of the Gulf region is an important objective of our country's foreign affairs policy, taking into account the solid tradition of the bilateral relations, the impact of the current global developments on the strategic interests of both sides, but also a series of pragmatic objective regarding the joint development of several sectorial projects with states from this region," reads a press release of the Presidential Administration sent to AGERPRES on Friday.

According to the same source, the attention Romania pays to these relations is also included in the new directions of global action of the European Union which stipulate the development of a strategic partnership between the EU and the Gulf area.

"These directions of actions have been vastly reflected through the adoption of a Joint Communication of the EU, on 18 May 2022, intended for these new strategic approach, a document to which Romania brought its own active contribution. In this developing global, European and regional context, the visit of Romania's President to the United Arab Emirates is part of the very good dynamics of the Romanian-Emirati bilateral dialogue at all levels, in the last period and reflects the solidarity and complexity of the bilateral relation. The United Arab Emirates continues to represent one of the most important partners in the region, being the first trade partner of our country in the Gulf area," the Presidential Administration mentions.

The main objectives of the visit are the following: the deepening of the political-diplomatic dialogue on topics of maximum interest for both sides, the boost of economic relations between the two states, which are already on a significant upward trend, attracting investments in the Romanian economy through projects in the area of infrastructure, energy, fight against climate change, cyber-security and food security, the diversification of direct sectorial contracts in these priority areas and in others with emerging potential (education, research and innovation, culture, inter-human contacts), so that these can additionally deepen the political and economic dialogue.

"The meetings occasioned by the visit will set the concrete guidelines for intensifying the activity of the Cooperation Committee between the Government of Romania and the Government of the United Arab Emirates, which will be organized in the second part of the year, in Bucharest," the quoted source mentions.

On the occasion of the official visit to the UAE, the head of state will have meetings with the president of the Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and with the vice president, prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, who also serves as the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The official visit of President Klaus Iohannis is Romania's first presidential visit to this country in the last 20 years," the release said.

The cooperation in terms of combating climate change will be a special topic on the agenda of discussions, taking into account the priorities of Romania's president in this area and the role of the UAE as the host of the future Conference of Parties on the topic of climate change (COP28), the Presidential Administration added.

Several bilateral documents are to be signed by the relevant Romanian ministers and officials in the areas of energy, cyber-security and education and, within the discussions, a special attention shall be paid to tacking topics of shared interest such as the developments in the Middle East, especially those having a direct impact on the security in the vicinity of the EU and NATO.

Moreover, Romania's president will present the developments related to the aggression war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, its regional and global consequences and will promote the provision of sustained support for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.
The initiative to introduce legislation regarding the admission of Romania to the Visa Waiver Program represents a signal of the increasing importance of our nation as a "vital" ally of the USA in Europe, stated, on Friday, Social Democratic Party (PSD) chairman Marcel Ciolacu.

"I very much appreciate the initiative of Senators Shaheen and Durbin to introduce legislation regarding Romania's admission to the US Visa Waiver Program, a signal of the increasing importance of our nation as a vital ally of the US in Europe," Marcel Ciolacu said in a post on Twitter.

US Senators Richard Durbin, number two in the Democratic leadership in the US Senate, and Jeanne Shaheen, the president of the Subcommittee on Europe within the Committee on Foreign Relations of the United States Senate, on Wednesday introduced a bill recommending the inclusion of Romania in the Visa Waiver Program, informed, on Thursday, the Embassy of Romania in the United States of America in a press release, told Agerpres.

The legislative initiative follows a visit that the two senators made to Romania last month, writes the quoted source.
Romania did not support the initial form of a proposal for an EU directive that would have brought more restrictions to farmers and would have imposed an additional, administrative and financial burden on them in the process of reducing methane and ammonia emissions, according to Romanian Minister of the Environment, Waters and Forestry Barna Tanczos.

"Romania did not support the proposed directive from Brussels that would have disadvantaged farmers! In its initial form, the proposed directive would have brought more restrictions to farmers, which would have imposed an additional, administrative and financial burden on them in the process of large-scale reduction of methane and ammonia emissions Although in the past we submitted many proposals to amend the directive, some of which were included in the new version, considering that the amended directive proposal also contained questionable provisions against farmers, Romania abstained from voting on the proposal, the directive passed with the support of the majority of the member states," Tanczos wrote on Friday in a social media post, told Agerpres.

According to the minister, among the amendments included in the text voted by the majority of EU member states, Romania managed to introduce the provision according to which the transition for large farms should be postponed until 2029, and innovative technologies should be used only on farms with over 600 cows. "Another important and very useful change is that, during the preparatory work, it was possible to exclude extensive farms from the regulations," adds the minister.

Further negotiations over the text of the proposal for a directive will begin in the legislative procedure of the European Union, in a European Parliament-EU Council- European Commission trialogue.
Claudiu Tarziu, president of the National Governing Board of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) and chairman of the Senate Committee on Romanians Everywhere, met on Thursday with Romanian ambassador to Bulgaria Brandusa Predescu, with the two approaching among others the difficult cultural situation of the Romanian and Romanian-speaking community in Bulgaria.

"Romanians and Romanian speakers who live in Bulgaria need concrete support from the Romanian governmental, parliamentary and diplomatic authorities. They are not recognized as a minority in Bulgaria and do not benefit from specific rights, despite Romania granting an exceptional treatment to Bulgarians on its territory, on equal footing with all the other national minorities," Tarziu said on Friday as cited in a release by AUR, told Agerpres.

He mentioned that in a discussion with the Romanian ambassador in Sofia, he emphasized the importance of "any approach aimed at preserving the Romanian language and culture in the heart of our kindred community."

"In the discussion I had with Romanian ambassador in Sofia, Brandusa Predescu, I drew attention to the importance of any effort aimed at preserving the Romanian language and culture in the heart of our kindred community. Ethnic Romanians and Romanian speakers want to be informed, consulted and supported. I will take special care that these natural grievances are met," Claudiu Tarziu said.

According to AUR, on the same day Tarziu also met with Father Nelu Oprea, parish priest to the Romanian Church of the Holy Trinity in Sofia, who spoke about the difficulties faced by the Romanian community in the capital of Bulgaria.
The value of online purchases in Romania in 2022 was 6.3 billion euros, up slightly from the previous year, when 6.2 billion euros were recorded, according to the latest report by GPeC, the Romanian Association of Online Shops (ARMO) and the main players on the market.

According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS), quoted in the release, two-thirds (66%) of internet users placed at least one online order in 2022, up 8.7 percentage points from 57.3% in 2021. From this point of view, Romania was ahead of Bulgaria (41%), Turkey (42%) and Italy (49%), according to Eurostat statistics, told Agerpres.

At the same time, private surveys conducted in 2023 indicate that the share of internet users who would have ordered at least once online in the last year has already reached 79%. Of those, 25% also bought from online stores located on the European continent, up from 21% in 2021, says an iSense Solutions research conducted for GPeC in September 2022.

Across Europe, the number of online shoppers has increased by 20 percentage points over the last ten years, from 55% in 2012 to 75% in 2022. The biggest increases over the last decade have been in Estonia (+47%), Hungary (+43%), the Czech Republic (+41%) and Romania (+41%).

According to the same survey, before placing an order, 54% of all respondents actively seek opinions about the online shop they are about to buy from and say they would not buy at all if they did not find other customers' opinions about the shop.

In 2022, market research company iSense Solutions conducted quantitative research on a sample of 1,025 respondents, internet users aged 18 to 65, an urban representative sample.

The sources of the figures and market estimates published in this report are: 2Performant, ARMO, Brand Finance, eMAG, Euromonitor, Eurostat, Global Data, GPeC, INS, iSense Solutions, McKinsey, PayU, Semrush and Statista.
Romfilatelia joined the initiative of the Politehnica University of Bucharest (UPB) regarding the marking of 30 years since Romania became a full member of the institutional Francophonie, launching a special philatelic product dedicated to the House of Francophonie in Romania.

"By participating in this anniversary event, the Romanian postage stamp highlights the value and diversity of Romania's contribution within Francophonie, supporting the actions taken to promote Francophonie and its values, with the promise that it will continue its mission as a vector of public diplomacy and cultural ambassador," Romfilatelia conveyed on Friday.

A plaque of the House of Francophonie in Romania was unveiled on Thursday at the Regie Student Complex of the University Politehnica of Bucharest. Romania became a full member of the institutional Francophonie 30 years ago, told Agerpres.
Two migrants from Syria were spotted by the Suceava border police and handed over to the Regional Centre for Accommodation and Procedures for Asylum Seekers in Radauti.

The police detected two Syrian citizens who did not justify their presence in the border area, later being handed over to the Radauti Regional Centre for Accommodation and Procedures for Asylum Seekers, told Agerpres.

The source specified that, on Thursday, at 2:00 p.m., the border police officers from the Siret Border Police Sector detected and detained two citizens of Afro-Asian origin.

Since they did not justify their presence in the border area, our colleagues took the measure of driving them to the headquarters of the border police, in order to continue the investigations.

During the checks, the border police found out that the two are Syrian citizens, aged 24 and 26, respectively.

Investigations continue in this case.
Leader of the Save Romania Union (USR) Catalin Drula on Friday said, in Bistrita, that the party he leads submitted a request to Parliament to remove the entire management of the Financial Supervision Authority (ASF) over the withdrawal of the operating authorization of the Euroins company.

"It is a new scam on the insurance market, a scam in which ASF is complicit. We had City Insurance, today it is Euroins. Let's be clear: ASF let Euroins sell A4 papers as RCA. ASF was complicit in a hole which, we learn from their press release today, was RON 1.75 billion below the absolute minimum capital requirement, which they had to supervise to be met. The ASF even says it in today's press release that from 2022 we have a hole of RON 1.75 billion and they still let the people from Euroins sell RCA, obviously some insurances that, the company being in the situation it is in, no longer have any coverage. Therefore, we've submitted today to the Parliament a request to revoke the leadership of the ASF, both the president and the council," Drula said.

He underscored that he expected this request for revocation to be voted on by the leader of the PSD (Social Democratic Party), Marcel Ciolacu, and the social democratic MPs, and later for the Parliament to appoint professionals to lead the ASF, told Agerpres.
Not since the Know Nothing Party disappeared in the 1850s has a public figure boasted about his ignorance with as much gusto as Kevin McCarthy does. It doesn't seem to matter what you ask the speaker of the House. He hasn't read it, seen it or heard about it.

The explosive documents from the Dominion case showing Fox News hosts privately said Donald Trump's election lies were hokum but promoted the lies on air anyway?

"I didn't read all that. I didn't see all that," McCarthy told The Washington Post.

The way Fox News' Tucker Carlson manipulated the Jan. 6 security footage that McCarthy gave the propagandist, giving the false appearance that the bloody insurrection was "mostly peaceful"?

"I didn't see what was aired," McCarthy asserted. Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, in an implicit rebuke of McCarthy, blasting the Carlson propaganda while holding up a statement from the Capitol Police chief denouncing Fox News's "outrageous," "false" and "offensive" portrayal of the insurrection?

You guessed it. McCarthy "didn't see" McConnell do that.

The benighted McCarthy has been amassing this impressive body of obtuseness for some time. If ignorance is bliss, the California Republican has been in nirvana for years now.

How about Trump's speech on the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021, provoking the sacking of the Capitol?

"I didn't watch it," McCarthy said.

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Georgia, calling the insurrectionists' rampage a "normal tourist visit?"

"I don't know what Congressman Clyde said," quoth McCarthy, and "I didn't see it."

When his own designated negotiator reached a bipartisan agreement to form a commission to probe the Jan. 6 attack (a commission McCarthy ultimately killed)?

"I haven't read through it."

Trump, in a recorded phone call, demanding Georgia's secretary of state "fi nd" enough votes to overturn the election results?"

"I have to hear it first." Trump telling four congresswomen of color (three of them U.S.-born) to "go back" where they came from, prompting chants of "send her back" among his rallygoers?

"I didn't get to see the rally."

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, harassing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, with shouts and slander just off the House floor?

"I didn't see that. I don't know what happened."

At best, McCarthy's willful cluelessness is just a dodge. But last week, McCarthy's see-no-evil approach was just plain evil.

After Carlson aired his phony portrayal of the insurrection, several Republicans finally spoke up about Fox News's lies. But then there was McCarthy, questioned by reporters just outside the speaker's office, which the supposedly "peaceful" insurrectionists had ransacked on Jan. 6.

"Do you regret giving him this footage so he could whitewash the events of that day?" asked CNN's Manu Raju.

"No," McCarthy replied, adding some gibberish about "transparency" (which is the very opposite of Carlson's fabrication).

"Do you agree with his portrayal of what happened that day?" Raju pressed.

"Look," McCarthy said. "Each person can come up with their own conclusion."

Given a choice between fact and fiction, between law and anarchy, between democracy and thuggery, the speaker of the House proclaimed his agnosticism. Of course, were McCarthy to turn against Fox News, the speaker, weakened by the promises he made to secure the speakership, would be swiftly replaced by the likes of GOP caucus chair Elise Stefanik of New York (who claimed Carlson's propaganda "demolished" the "Democrats' dishonest narrative" about Jan. 6), or Rep. Tom Massie, R-Kentucky, who went on Carlson's show to congratulate him on his deception.

So McCarthy sells out democracy to preserve his title.

The latest Fox News lies have proven too much for the Senate GOP leader. Though McConnell has enabled Trump at crucial moments, he said at a news conference last week that it was "a mistake" for Fox News to portray the insurrection "in a way that's completely at variance with what our chief law enforcement official here in the Capitol thinks."

Yet McCarthy continues to put himself before his country. And he isn't finished with his depredations. Greene, given a position of influence and respectability by the speaker, is launching a probe, complete with a field trip to a District of Columbia jail, into the "inhumane treatment" allegedly suffered by the accused insurrectionists awaiting trial. McCarthy has also given the green light to a new probe designed to challenge the conclusions of the Jan. 6 committee. The man who will lead that panel, Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Georgia, declared that Americans "didn't see the other side" of the insurrection.

"I think the truth is going to be somewhere between the violent videos and the supposedly peaceful actions there," he said.

No. The only truth is that Jan. 6 was a violent attack on the seat of American democracy. There was nothing peaceful about an armed insurrection attempting to overturn an election  even if some people there that day weren't themselves violent.

But that truth  and this democracy  are threatened by a dangerously weak speaker of the House, who has concluded that the only way to preserve his own power is to support Fox News in its sabotage of this country.

Dana MilbankOn Twitter: @Milbank
To crack down on price gouging, proposed legislation in Missouri calls for allowing felony charges against health care staffing agencies that substantially raise their prices during a declared emergency.

A New York bill includes a cap on the amount staffing agencies can charge health care facilities. And a Texas measure would allow civil penalties against such agencies.

These proposed regulations  and others in at least 11 more states, according to the American Staffing Association industry trade group  come after demand for travel nurses, who work temporary assignments at different facilities, surged to unprecedented levels during the worst of the covid-19 pandemic.

Hospitals have long used temporary workers, who are often employed by third-party agencies, to help fill their staffing needs. But by December 2021, the average weekly travel nurse pay in the country had soared to $3,782, up from $1,896 in January 2020, according to a Beckers Hospital Review analysis of data from hiring platform Vivian Health. That platform alone listed over 645,000 active travel nurse jobs in the final three months of 2022.

Some traveling intensive care unit nurses commanded $10,000 a week during the worst of the pandemic, prompting burned-out nurses across the country to leave their hospital staff jobs for more lucrative temporary assignments. Desperate hospitals that could afford it offered signing bonuses as high as $40,000 for nurses willing to make multiyear commitments to join their staff instead.

The escalating costs led hospitals and their allies around the country to rally against what they saw as price gouging by staffing agencies. In February 2021, the American Hospital Association urged the Federal Trade Commission to investigate anticompetitive pricing by agencies, and, a year later, hundreds of lawmakers urged the White House to do the same.

No substantial federal action has occurred, so states are trying to take the next step. But the resulting regulatory patchwork could pose a different challenge to hospitals in states with rate caps or other restrictive measures, according to Hannah Neprash, a University of Minnesota health care economics professor. Such facilities could find it difficult to hire travel nurses or could face a lower-quality hiring pool during a national crisis than those in neighboring states without such measures, she said.

For example, Massachusetts and Minnesota already had rate caps for temporary nurses before the pandemic but raised and even waived their caps for some staffing agencies during the crisis.

And any new restrictions may meet stiff resistance, as proposed rate caps did in Missouri last year.

As the covid omicron variant wave began to subside, Missouri legislators considered a proposal that would have set the maximum rate staffing agencies could charge at 150% of the average wage rate of the prior three years plus necessary taxes.

The Missouri Hospital Association, a trade group that represents 140 hospitals across the state, supported the bill as a crackdown on underhanded staffing firms, not on nurses being able to command higher wages, spokesperson Dave Dillon said.

During the pandemic there were staffing companies who were making a lot of promises and not necessarily delivering, Dillon said. It created an opportunity for both profiteering and for bad actors to be able to play in that space.

Nurses, though, decried what they called government overreach and argued the bill could make the states existing nursing shortage worse.

Theresa Newbanks, a nurse practitioner, asked legislators to imagine the government attempting to dictate how much a lawyer, electrician, or plumber could make in Missouri. This would never be allowed, she testified to the committee considering the bill. Yet, this is exactly what is happening, right now, to nurses.

Another of the nearly 30 people who testified against the bill was Michelle Hall, a longtime nurse and hospital nursing leader who started her own staffing agency in 2021, in part, she said, because she was tired of seeing her peers leave the industry over concerns about unsafe staffing ratios and low pay.

I felt like I had to defend my nurses, Hall later told KHN. Her nurses usually receive about 80% of the amount she charges, she said.

Typically about 75% of the price charged by a staffing agency to a health care facility goes to costs such as salary, payroll taxes, workers compensation programs, unemployment insurance, recruiting, training, certification, and credential verification, said Toby Malara, a vice president at the American Staffing Association trade group.

He said hospital executives have, without understanding how a staffing firm works, wrongly assumed price gouging has been occurring. In fact, he said many of his trade groups members reported decreased profits during the pandemic because of the high compensation nurses were able to command.

While Missouri lawmakers did not pass the rate cap, they did make changes to the regulations governing staffing agencies, including requiring them to report the average amounts charged per health care worker for each personnel category and the average amount paid to those workers. Those reports will not be public, although the state will use them to prepare its own aggregate reports that dont identify individual agencies. The public comment period on the proposed regulations was scheduled to begin March 15.

Hall was not concerned about the reporting requirements but said another of the changes might prompt her to close shop or move her business out of state: Agencies will be barred from collecting compensation when their employees get recruited to work for the facility where they temp.

It doesnt matter all the money that I have put out prior, to onboard and train that person, Hall said.

Dillon called that complaint pretty rich, noting that agencies routinely recruit hospital staff members by offering higher pay. Considering the premium agencies charge for staff, I find it hard to believe that this risk isnt built into their business model, he said.

Of course, as the pandemic has waned, the demand for travel nursing has subsided. But pay has yet to drop back to pre-pandemic levels. Average weekly travel nurse pay was $3,077 in January, down 20% year over year but still 62% higher in January 2020, according to reporting on Vivian Health data by Beckers.

With the acute challenges of the pandemic behind hospitals, Dillon said, health system leaders are eyeing proactive solutions to meet their ongoing workforce challenges, such as raising pay and investing in the nursing workforce pipeline.

A hospital in South Carolina, for example, is offering day care for staffers children to help retain them. California lawmakers are considering a $25-per-hour minimum wage for health care workers. And some hospitals have even created their own staffing agencies to reduce their reliance on third-party agencies.

But the momentum to directly address high travel nurse rates hasnt gone away, as evidenced by the legislative push in Missouri this year.

The latest proposal would apply to certain agencies if a gross disparity exists between the prices they charge during an emergency and what they charged prior to it or what other agencies are currently charging for similar services and if their earnings are at least 15% higher than before the emergency.

Malara said he doesnt have much of a problem with this years bill because it gives agencies the ability to defend their practices and pricing.

Kentucky last year applied its existing price gouging rules to health care staffing agencies. The rules, which set criteria for acceptable prices, allow increases driven by higher labor costs. Malara said if the Missouri bill gains momentum he will point its sponsor to that language and ask her to clarify what constitutes a gross disparity in prices.

The sponsor of the bill, Missouri state Sen. Karla Eslinger, a Republican, did not respond to requests for comment on the legislation.

Hall said she is opposed to any rate caps but is ambivalent about Missouris new proposal. She said she saw agencies raising their prices from $70 an hour to over $300 while she worked as a hospital nursing leader at the height of the pandemic.

All these agencies that were price gouging, Hall said, all they were doing was putting that money in their own pockets. They werent doing anything different or special for their nurses.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

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Erin Morrow Hawley, an attorney and wife of one of Missouris senators, is at the center of a federal lawsuit in Texas that could cancel approval of a common drug used to terminate pregnancies.

Hawley is one of the key lawyers fighting to end the Food and Drug Administrations decades-old approval of mifepristone, one of the two drugs used in medication abortions, after the U.S. Supreme Court last year overturned Roe v. Wade.

Hawley, an appellate attorney who was also involved in that case, is married to Republican Sen. Josh Hawley.

Whether or not Hawley and the other attorneys on the Texas case are successful, they are pushing the legal envelope following the end of Roe. Hawley is helping to pioneer a new frontier of abortion litigation targeting existing  sometimes longstanding  laws and regulations that help uphold abortion access.

Hawley is senior counsel at the Alliance Defending Freedom, which pursues lawsuits on behalf of social conservative causes. ADF helped draft a challenged Mississippi anti-abortion law that led to the decision overturning Roe.

The Hawleys have together worked to limit abortion in ways that complement each other. Sen. Josh Hawley has previously sought to block judicial nominees he deems insufficiently anti-abortion. Thats helped shape the federal courts in ways that ultimately make it more receptive to lawsuits brought by Erin Hawley and other conservative attorneys.

The couple has at times cultivated a joint public image. The Hawleys in 2021 co-hosted a podcast, This is Living, paid for by Sen. Hawleys campaign, that explored issues like parenting and marriage. The last regular episode was posted in December 2021, but bonus episodes about the overturning of Roe v. Wade were released last July.

While Erin Hawley has been involved in the Texas lawsuit since it was filed in November, she took a more public role this week in the litigation, participating in oral arguments Wednesday in federal court in Amarillo, Texas, over whether Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, should issue a preliminary injunction that could effectively end the use of mifepristone in abortion.

The lawsuit has been brought on behalf of Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a group of doctors objecting to the FDAs approval of mifepristone. Hawley and other Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys are representing the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine.

On Wednesday, Hawley told the court that doctors in this group have been forced to treat patients who have had complications and in some instances have had to use surgical procedures to complete abortions against their deeply-held beliefs, NPR reported.

Hawley also argued that agency gamesmanship by the FDA through changing guidance about the drug and changes to its dispensing requirements had given the court an opening to reconsider FDA approval, the Texas Tribune reported.

Alliance Defending Freedom didnt respond Thursday to a request to interview Hawley. Erik Christopher Baptist, who is the lead plaintiffs attorney in the lawsuit, didnt respond to a request for comment.

We have turned the page on Roe and started a new chapter in Americas journey to better protect women and their unborn children, Hawley said in written testimony to the U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee last July.

The judicially manufactured right to abortion a gruesome symptom of our collective failure to take care of one another  has been interred, opening the door for a new birth of public and private efforts to celebrate and value mothers and the precious lives they carry.

During an appearance on the American Moment podcast last year, Erin Hawley described traveling to Mississippi with an ADF team in April 2021 to talk about strategy surrounding the Dobbs case, which eventually led to the end of Roe. She said she took her child, Abigail, with her on the trip.

There was also something really special, and kind of tangible, about the fact of having Abigail with me at the time we were considering this case that might have the potential of overruling Roe vs. Wade and allowing every state to protect Abby, she said.

In a statement Thursday, Sen. Josh Hawley said: Erin is a smart, fierce lawyer, and Im proud of her work.

While overturning Roe allowed states to ban abortion, the Texas lawsuit holds the potential curtail access to abortion even in states where it remains legal because medication abortion is one of the most common methods of ending a pregnancy. While Missouri immediately banned abortion, it remains legal in neighboring Illinois and Kansas.

The U.S. Department of Justice has urged Kacsmaryk not to overturn the authorization for mifepristone, warning it could wreak havoc on reproductive health care across the country.

An injunction here would interfere with the interests of every state in the country, said Julie Straus Harris of the U.S. Justice Department, which represented the FDA, said during the hearing, according to the Associated Press.

The immediate impact of a decision blocking mifepristone may be minimal in Missouri because the state already bans abortion. But it could make it more difficult for Missouri residents to obtain medication abortions in other states, such as Kansas and Illinois.

At times, Erin Hawley, who was previously a law professor at the University of Missouri, has attracted controversy beyond the inherently divisive nature of her legal work related to abortion.

A March 1 appearance by Hawley at Georgetown Law about where the pro-life legal movement can and should go in a post-Roe world drew condemnation from the law schools LGBTQ student group and others. The event was organized by the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organization.

ADF and Ms. Hawley provided the model legislation for the Dobbs case and boasts their involvement with a slew of other anti-choice cases at the state level, the groups said in a joint statement ahead of her appearance. The Washington Examiner reported the event wasnt disrupted.

Erin Hawley also filed a criminal complaint against an activist who led a protest outside the couples northern Virginia residence in January 2021 over Senator Hawleys attempts to block certification of the 2020 presidential election. The couple has residences in both Missouri and Virginia.

The complaint was later dismissed after the activist reached an agreement in which he would have pleaded no contest if he violated the conditions that he have no contact with Erin Hawley and did not visit the familys home. Because he met those conditions, the case was dismissed.
Aisha Sultan Aisha Sultan is a columnist and features writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Aisha Sultan Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Two weeks before podcaster Anna Stoecklein was set to interview Cherie Blair, international human rights lawyer and wife of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, she made a bold request.

Stoecklein asked if Blair would text one of her close friends to see if she would do the interview along with her.

The gamble paid off: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would be joining Blair on Stoeckleins podcast, The Story of Woman.

Stoecklein had never done an in-person interview before. Her podcast  about womens long march to equality, how we got here and what still needs to be changed  was barely a year old with fewer than a hundred subscribers on YouTube. So, how did this former ER nurse from St. Charles nab an exclusive interview with two of the worlds most influential women?

Stoecklein, 32, has been remaking her own life in recent years. She was born and raised in St. Charles, graduated with a nursing degree from the University of West Florida, came back to work in St. Louis and, within a year, moved to New York City with her boyfriend. They married a year later.

She worked as an ER nurse in Manhattan for a few years  overworked and burned out  until she realized her job had become untenable and dangerous.

I spent all my days off Googling nonclinical nursing jobs, she said. She landed a position in the medical device sales industry. A few years later, her husband was offered a job opportunity in London, and the couple jumped at the chance to live abroad. Stoecklein found another position in medical device sales, then moved to a health tech startup.

During the pandemic, she started reading nonfiction books centered around gender and feminism. She said she had never really thought about how the world was designed by and for men.

It was the first time I was exposed to some of these ideas, she said. Reading these types of books really blew my mind.

This new knowledge gave her the words to understand her own experiences and ideas. She felt compelled to share what she was learning with others. Around the same time, she was realizing that her marriage was no longer working, despite the couple still loving and supporting each other. She quit her job to start her podcast, moved out a few months later and took on freelancing work to pay the bills.

When something doesnt feel right, I feel like I have to change, even when I dont know exactly where Im going, she said.

But wasnt it daunting to tackle so much life-altering change at once?

My parents instilled in me a belief and confidence in myself, she said. They taught her that she could figure things out on her own. She credits that with her ability to adapt and thrive in the midst of uncertainty.

So when her podcast caught the ear of a friend who worked at Blairs foundation, Stoecklein put together a proposal for an interview and persisted for months to lock it down.

Once she nabbed her high-profile guests, she reread their autobiographies, watched Clintons documentary and prepared for the interview around the clock. The day of the interview, she was full of emotions.

I felt the enormity of the weight of history in the room, she said. Clintons warmth and kindness put her immediately at ease. The conversation between Blair and Clinton flowed like banter between good friends.

They had this incredibly beautiful energy, Stoecklein said.

She used the moment to launch a series of woman changemakers on her show. In addition to world leaders, shes interviewed Nobel Laureate and Yemeni journalist Tawakkol Karman, Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn, and several bestselling authors, CEOs and global activists.

Stoeckleins passion for her work is evident when she talks about her own journey.

Shes living proof that big ideas can transform lives.
VINITA PARK  DNA found in a rape kit led to charges Thursday in a violent 2018 rape and robbery.

Delano Coleman, 24, of Spanish Lake, was charged Thursday with first-degree rape and first-degree robbery in a June 2018 attack on a woman at gunpoint in the 1600 block of Maldon Lane in Dellwood.

Charging documents say the woman called 911 to report that a man jumped out of bushes near a residence and robbed her at gunpoint sometime between June 20 and June 21, 2018.

The man then forced the woman to get into her car and raped her, according to court documents.

DNA later found in a rape kit was identified as a match to Coleman through the CODIS DNA database, Vinita Park police wrote in charging documents.

Coleman was on probation for a vehicle tampering charge at the time, court documents say.
EAST ST. LOUIS  Illinois State Police announced election interference charges for the East St. Louis city clerk on Friday.

Debra Hamilton-Tidwell, 67, was charged with one count of misdemeanor election inference by the St. Clair County States Attorneys on Wednesday. She was arrested and posted bond, police say.

The charges stem from accusations that Hamilton-Tidwell used her official title, signature and letterhead during an ad campaign on January 20 to promote her re-election as the East St. Louis City Clerk, police say.

Her next court date is set for June 1.
UPDATED at 10:30 a.m. with additional details, comment from defense attorney

WASHINGTON COUNTY  The sheriff of Iron County and two of his deputies are accused of "criminal street gang activity" in what prosecutors allege was a parental kidnapping plot to help a friend.

Jeff Burkett, in his first term as sheriff of Iron County, was in jail Friday, along with the pair of Iron County deputies and a fourth man, Donald Rickie Gaston.

Prosecutors allege the sheriff and deputies tried last month to help Gaston kidnap his daughter after a fight with the child's mom over a $50 bottle of liquor.

The sheriff is charged, among other things, with lying to a 911 dispatcher to report the child's mother had kidnapped the girl and that the child was in danger. They also are accused of using "pings" from the mother's cell phone to try to track her whereabouts.

One of the charges lodged against the Iron County sheriff by the Washington County prosecutor is that he and the other three men were part of a "criminal street gang" because they were organized to commit the crimes.

Gabe Crocker, the sheriff's attorney, said the small-town politicians in Iron County were hellbent on taking the sheriff down.

"These charges are 100% politically motivated," Crocker said. "It's simply another chapter in the long-term effort to remove the outsider sheriff."

Iron County is southwest of Farmington, in Missouri's lead belt, and is home to parts of the Mark Twain National Forest and Taum Sauk Mountain State Park. Nearly 10,000 people call Iron County home.

Without the sheriff working, state law throws control of the department to the county coroner, Tim Harbison. But who will patrol the 550 square miles of Iron County, with the already short-staffed sheriff's office down to three? The sheriff one county over, Washington County's Zach Jacobsen, told the Post-Dispatch he's offered to help and is talking with the coroner to see if they can work out something.

Thursday, prosecutors in Washington County filed four felony charges against Burkett, including attempted kidnapping and being an accessory to stalking. He also faces four misdemeanors, including making a false report and misusing the 911 system. Washington County's 911 system dispatches for Iron County.

Missouri law defines a criminal street gang as any "organization, association or group of three or more (people) whether formal or informal" who "engage in a pattern of criminal gang activity."

Under that law, the criminal gang commits at least two of the 17 crimes spelled out in the statute. Crimes on that list include assault, soliciting, trafficking, abuse and "any dangerous felony."

The punishment for a single count of that charge alone is up to 15 years in prison.

The four men charged are:

 The sheriff, Burkett, 46, who lives in Des Arc, Missouri, in Iron County. Among the eights charges, the patrol said his crimes included obtaining criminal history record information under false pretense.

 Iron County Deputy Matthew Cozad, 39, who lives in Bixby, Missouri, in Iron County. Prosecutors allege that Cozad asked dispatchers to check for other vehicles the woman had registered in her name, and asked that area law enforcement agencies detain her if they stopped her for any reason.

 Iron County Deputy Major Chase Bresnahan, 31, who lives in Centerville, Missouri, in Reynolds County. Part of what prosecutors accused him of doing is contacting a wireless phone company to get information on the woman's phone location.

 Donald Rickie Gaston, 62, who lives in Caledonia, Missouri, in Washington County. The patrol said Gaston's crimes included second-degree stalking and attempted parental kidnapping.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested them Thursday. The patrol's Division of Drug and Crime Control conducted the investigation.

Bresnahan, Cozad and Gaston face similar charges as the sheriff. The sheriff was moved to the Jefferson County Jail, where he was being held Friday in lieu of 500,000 cash bail. His three co-defendants each has a bond of $400,000 cash. They will be asking a judge next week to reduce the bond.

Burkett, elected sheriff in 2020, is halfway through his four-year term. His salary is $63,000, according to January county commission minutes. Before he was sheriff, Burkett worked as a deputy.

Gaston was not in law enforcement but is known around town as a big property owner. Gaston and Burkett knew each other. "They're thick as thieves," said one source, who asked that he not be identified.

Charging documents allege the case began on Feb. 8 when Gaston and the mother of his child got into a quarrel.

A 4-minute audio recording from the 911 dispatch center and a cell phone video picked up details of the quarrel between Gaston and the woman. They were fighting over a $50 bottle of liquor, police said, and Gaston was agitated and cursing. A female voice is heard on the recording, yelling, "Touch her again and I swear to god I'll call the ... cops." The video ends with Gaston saying that someone punched him in the face.

Two days later, on Feb. 10, Burkett called 911 dispatch and asked for a cell phone "ping," saying he was trying to check "the well being" of someone, documents say. He said the woman had fled the county with a child and a court order said the father should have been notified. While on the phone with dispatch, Burkett said he was Gaston, charges say.

Later, Cozad asked dispatchers to put a "stop and hold" on the woman.

After 11 p.m. that night, a Jefferson County police sergeant told dispatchers he found the woman and her child and they were fine. When Burkett heard that the Jefferson County officer didn't arrest the woman, Burkett replied by saying, "Well they're gonna have another issue because Gaston is on his way there."

Burkett's mugshot Thursday, taken at the Washington County jail in Potosi, shows him with an oxygen line leading to his nose and wrapped behind his ears.

Last week, days after Burkett was interviewed by patrol investigators, he checked himself into the hospital. The Iron County Sheriff's Department told people on Facebook that Burkett was hospitalized March 10 for complications from COVID-19.

"Sheriff Burkett is awake and alert, however, his symptoms are quite severe," the post said.

Later that day, the office updated its message to say that Burkett was heading home for rest.

Last year, the sheriff was hospitalized for nearly four months, part of that time spent on a ventilator because of COVID, the Sheriff's Office said.

While he was sick, he claimed some county officials were trying to remove him from office.

"Sheriff Burkett battled back," the Sheriff's Department said, "and the frivolous coup attempt failed ... It is no secret that Sheriff Burkett is an outsider to many of the current elected officials."

Jacobsen said he knew of Burkett but knew the previous Iron County sheriff better. Burkett unseated the incumbent, Roger Medley, in the August primary of 2020. Jacobsen said a citizen of another county told him about the issues with Burkett, and Jacobsen turned the investigation over to the Highway Patrol. It turned into the charges of criminal enterprise.

The charge of being part of a criminal street gang activity is a rarity. "I've been in this business 20 years and I've never heard of it," Jacobsen said, adding that the prosecutor has a unique approach.

Word of Burkett's arrest spread quickly Thursday at the twice-annual Missouri Sheriffs Association conference in Osage Beach.

"The fact that we arrested one of our own sent shockwaves through the conference," Jacobsen said in an interview from the conference. "We have over 100 sheriffs here."

Crocker, the lawyer defending Burkett, said the Iron County Commission has had it in for Burkett since he won the election. They tried to remove him from office when he was hospitalized, and Crocker said they slashed the sheriff's budget requests.
The Iron County sheriff, two Iron County sheriff's deputies, and another man have been criminally charged in Washington County this week.

Iron County Sheriff Jeffery L. Burkett, 46, Deputy Matthew A. Cozad, 39, Deputy Major Chase R. Bresnahan, 31, and Donald R. Gaston, 62, were reportedly taken into custody Thursday afternoon on multiple felony charges.

Burkett has been charged with eight counts, including participating knowingly in criminal street gang activities, first-degree attempted kidnapping, first-degree stalking, second-degree stalking, obtaining criminal history record info under false pretense, misusing 911, making a false report, and conspiracy to commit a class a/b/c felony or unclassified felony exceeding 10 years.

Bresnahan is charged with seven counts, including participating knowingly in criminal street gang activities, first-degree stalking, second-degree stalking, obtaining criminal history record info under false pretense, misusing 911, and two counts of conspiracy to commit a class a/b/c felony or unclassified felony exceeding 10 years.

Cozad faces six counts, including participating knowingly in criminal street gang activities, first-degree stalking, second-degree stalking, misusing 911, and two counts of conspiracy to commit a class a/b/c felony or unclassified felony exceeding 10 years.

Gaston has been charged with six counts, including participating knowingly in criminal street gang activities, attempted parental kidnapping, first-degree stalking, second-degree stalking, making a false report, and conspiracy to commit a class a/b/c felony or unclassified felony exceeding 10 years.

Burkett's bond was set at $500,000 cash-only. Cozad, Bresnahan, and Gaston are in custody, each with a $400,000 cash-only bond set in their cases.

If released on bond, the men are required to comply with GPS monitoring and have been ordered not to have contact with or photograph any of the state's endorsed witnesses, alleged victims, or witnesses "who may be involved in future prosecutions in other jurisdictions," according to the bond text.

Burkett, Cozad, and Bresnahan are further prohibited from serving as law enforcement officers in any capacity or possessing firearms if released on bail.

Released from the hospital

In a Wednesday update to the press release posted March 10 on the Iron County Sheriffs Office Facebook page, the sheriffs office reported Wednesday Iron County Sheriff Jeff Burkett was released from the hospital and was headed home for rest and immediate follow-up appointments.

In the March 10 press release, the Iron County Sheriff's Office said earlier that day, Burkett had been hospitalized due to issues from his ongoing battle with lingering COVID-19 symptoms and complications. Burkett at the time was awake and alert, but the symptoms were severe.

In January 2022, the Iron County Jail had an outbreak of COVID-19, during which Burkett had contracted the virus. Burkett was hospitalized for four months, undergoing eight surgical procedures and experiencing a month-long coma.

In January 2023, Burkett was presented the Law Enforcement Purple Heart by Judge Michael Randazzo of the 42nd Judicial Circuit of Missouri. The designation is issued to any law enforcement officer who is injured, wounded or killed in the line of duty.

Sheriff Burkett remains committed to providing the best level of service to the citizens of Iron County, the post said. He hopes to rejoin his already short-staffed Deputies and Civilian Employees as soon as possible.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available from official sources.
ST. CHARLES  Shawn Kavanagh was found guilty Friday of three counts of first-degree murder for the 2014 Valentines Day killings of two women and a 7-year-old old boy.

Prosecutors will now seek the death penalty against Kavanagh, 32, who tracked down his then-wife, Jessica Powell, in a friends Warren County trailer the evening of Feb. 14, 2014, after she backed out of Valentines Day plans. There, he stabbed Powell before repeatedly stabbing and killing her friends, Tara Lynn Fifer, 22, and Lexy Vandiver, 29, along with Vandivers 7-year-old son, Mason.

Powell and Vandivers 18-month-old daughter, Jeanette, survived.

St. Charles County Circuit Judge Rebeca Navarro-McKelvey convicted Kavanagh Friday on nine charges including counts of first-degree murder, domestic assault, burglary and armed criminal action.

Kavanaghs public defenders admitted he was behind the killings in the three-day trial in St. Charles this week, but sought the lower charge of second-degree murder because, they argued, the killings were not premeditated.

The verdict was a long time coming for the families of Kavanaghs victims. Delays were prompted by turnover on his defense team, the COVID-19 pandemic, illness among attorneys and the death of a defense attorneys family member.

It was constant stress and worry every time the trial date would get moved, said Fifers younger sister, Hayley Roberts.

Roberts attended all three days of the trial.

Hearing that first guilty was like a light coming on for me, an emotional Roberts said just after the verdict. Maybe it was my faith in the justice system being restored.

Roberts said she would be satisfied with a sentence of either the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

Kavanagh told police he flew into a rage the night of the stabbings when he spotted his wife with Fifer.

Powell and Fifer worked together as nursing assistants at a New Florence nursing home and developed a romantic relationship, according to Fifers family and texts presented during the trial.

My sister was the most genuine kind of sweet, Roberts said. She was so trusting.

Fifer loved her pickup truck and always smelled like good cologne, Roberts said. A nursing home resident cut her hair into the faux mohawk Fifer wore after her death to honor her.

She was so loved by so many people, Roberts said.

Lexy Vandivers sister-in-law, Heather Vandiver, now has joint custody of Jeanette, the 18-month old baby who was also in the trailer the night both her mother and 7-year-old brother, Mason, were killed.

Heather Vandiver carried a framed photo of Mason into court every day of the trial and cried tears of relief when the verdict was read.

She said she hopes Kavanagh gets the death penalty in the case.

With all the trauma hes caused so many people, he deserves to be put to death, she said.

Jeanette is now 10 and lives in Lincoln County.

She doesnt know the story yet, Heather Vandiver said. She just knows theyre in heaven now.

Warren County Prosecuting Attorney Kelly King is personally prosecuting Kavanagh with help from the Missouri Attorney Generals Office.

King said in closing arguments Wednesday that Kavanagh told police only Fifer deserved it because she was having an affair with his wife and trying to steal her.

Jessica, to him, was a possession, King said. He wasnt going to let anyone take his possession  particularly Tara Fifer.

Defense attorney Anthony Davidson said in closing arguments that Kavanagh has mental disorders that made him incapable of deliberation while in a rage. The defense called two psychiatric experts who testified that Kavanagh has borderline personality disorder and intermittent explosive disorder.

Davidson argued Kavanagh was likely in a dissociative state and became remorseful soon after the stabbing ended, calling 911 to report the stabbings himself and screaming at a mirror: Why did I do this?

Beginning Monday both the prosecution and defense are expected to present victim statements and character testimony that the judge will consider for sentencing.

Kavanagh waived his right to a jury trial and requested the case be held outside Warren County, so it will be up to Judge Navarro-McKelvey to decide if he will be sentenced to death for his crimes.
ST. ANN  The day before Katherine Pinson died in their custody, St. Ann jail officials had twice called paramedics but then refused medical advice that she be taken to a hospital, according a wrongful death lawsuit filed in federal court this month.

Pinsons mother, Patricia Becker, says records show officers repeatedly ignored her daughters rising blood pressure, vomiting, chest pains from the moment she arrived at the St. Ann jail Aug. 21. Pinson was incarcerated for outstanding municipal and traffic warrants.

Video cameras in her cell, which officers are supposed to monitor, showed Pinson having convulsions at about 3:10 p.m. on Aug. 22. No one checked on her until just after 4 p.m., when she was found dead, the petition states.

Yet, records show that officials marked her as OK during wellness checks at least five times from 7:37 p.m. to 11:16 p.m. that night  after her body had been taken to the hospital, according to the lawsuit against St. Ann and its police and jail officers.

Becker says she wasnt informed by police about her daughters death until three days later.

Im not against police officers. We need them. But, we need to weed out the ones that are weighing them down  and theres a lot in that police department, Becker said.

St. Anns jail is in the midst of another federal suit filed by civil rights law firm ArchCity Defenders for running a debtors prison to hold people from multiple municipalities who couldnt pay their court fines and fees. The firm has also sued St. Anns municipal courts for unjust practices, which resulted in the municipalitys end of using cash bail.

St. Ann police did not return a request for comment.

Becker described her daughter as quick-witted and funny, someone who loved constructing home projects. Growing up, she was a great student and daughter, her mom said, but started suffering with depression and cutting herself in high school.

At 19, Pinson was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and started becoming addicted to opioids after a medical procedure to remove a tumor in her 20s.

Pinson died at age 45, leaving behind two daughters, a son and a big Irish family, her mother said.

She would give anyone her last five dollars  and then call me to come borrow it, said Becker. When she was abusing, it just wasnt my Kate.

Officers need better training on how to handle incarcerated people who may be experiencing drug overdoses, withdrawals and other medical needs, Becker said, changes she hopes her lawsuit will prompt.

St. Louis County Police arrested Pinson on Aug. 19, and initially took her to a hospital to determine if she was medically fit to be incarcerated. The hospital staff decided she was, but noted her heroin/fentanyl use and said she would need over a dozen medications when she was released to the jail.

Those prescriptions were never filled at the county jail, where Pinson was first held, or by St. Ann officers, the lawsuit states.

Pinsons medical need was so obvious that even a layperson would easily recognize the need for medical attention, stated Beckers attorney, Lynette Petruska, in the lawsuit. Nonetheless, she was not provided additional medical care, against medical advice.

An autopsy performed by a St. Louis County Medical Examiner found that Pinson died of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and gabapentin intoxication. Becker said the last time Pinson ingested any drug was at noon on Aug. 19, the day she was arrested.

The lawsuit seeks punitive and compensatory damages.
BYRNES MILL  Allegations made by a resigning city official of voided tickets and questionable police spending reveal what prompted the criminal investigation now facing the towns police force.

The Jefferson County Sheriffs Department last week confirmed its investigation into Byrnes Mill police for alleged criminal violations. The review was prompted by claims made in a 190-page document written by city prosecuting attorney Allison Sweeney upon her resignation. The document was released this week to the Post-Dispatch in response to a public records request.

The report alleges Byrnes Mill police officers  at the direction of Chief Frank Selvaggio  voided cases for DUIs and other crimes without Sweeneys knowledge. It also details examples when Selvaggio spent city money without a vote from the Board of Aldermen and alleges sexism on the force, including claims the chief did not allow a female officer to wear makeup because the officers couldnt control themselves.

Sweeney wrote in her March 1 resignation letter that she collected her observations to show why the citys trajectory is no longer compatible with my own moral and ethical values.

Selvaggios attorney Travis Noble said Friday that the police chief denies all the allegations of wrongdoing.

The chief maintains he did nothing inappropriate or illegal, Noble said.

Selvaggio was appointed in 2018 to lead the department for the city of about 3,200 people in northern Jefferson County.

Sweeney served as city attorney and Byrnes Mill prosecuting attorney for more than a decade, along with a stint as interim city administrator. She declined to comment on her claims, citing attorney-client privilege.

The claims

Sweeney writes that as prosecuting attorney, its her, not the police, who in most cases can dismiss a misdemeanor citation in Byrnes Mill municipal court.

But, she claims in her memo, she discovered police officers and a city clerk acting at their direction voided tickets for DUIs and other offenses without her knowledge. Some of the case files stated they were sent to the higher Jefferson County Circuit Court under the police chiefs request, but, Sweeney writes, she discovered a few actually just disappeared.

I do not know why the tickets were voided, she wrote. Best-case scenario: The tickets were voided because staff was sloppy or incompetent. The worst-case scenario is that someone of influence is dismissing DUI tickets as favors to friends.

Sweeney wrote that the actions violated her authority and included using her signature stamp without her knowledge.

The staff and I take the prosecution of DUIs very seriously, she wrote of her concerns. I believe this offense to be the most dangerous and serious crime I am authorized to prosecute.

Sweeney also alleges that Selvaggio moved forward with spending city money without the required vote from the Byrnes Mill Board of Aldermen for items including a shed, a fingerprint machine, and several police Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs. She claims the department also entered a $50,000 five-year contract with Flock, a license-plate reader camera company, without a board vote.

The city can absolutely not afford this reoccurring expense, Sweeney wrote of the Flock contract. She adds: Good news: The contract is void. Bad news: You have already paid for the first year.

Sweeney alleges that Selvaggio also asked a city employee to care for his dogs during work hours and mistreated female staff.

Sweeney wrote Selvaggio had all the male officers vote on whether a female officer could work lighter duties during parts of her pregnancy.

I should not have to say this, Sweeney wrote. Under no circumstances should all the men be asked to make a management decision regarding a pregnant co-worker.

Sweeney writes that the chief told her he would never hire another female officer because the maternity leave almost killed the department.

After Sweeney says she detailed her concerns, she claims the chief eventually told her he did hire another woman, but shes the perfect female officer because shes gay, so she wont get pregnant, Sweeney wrote in the memo.

What now?

The investigation into the allegations of crimes in Sweeneys memo continues, according to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office.

Jefferson County sheriffs investigators also seized municipal court computers last week as part of the investigation.

The sheriffs department will eventually send the findings to the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorneys Office, the Missouri Attorney Generals Office and the municipal presiding judge, the department said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Byrnes Mill municipal court remains temporarily closed until the city can hire a new prosecuting attorney.

The city hopes to approve the hire of a new attorney in the position at the next Board of Aldermen meeting April 5, Mayor Rob Kiczenski said in an email.

Kiczenski declined to comment on Sweeneys allegations but said the city has hired attorney Craig H. Smith.

We have provided information to our new legal counsel for his review, Kicenski said.

The Byrnes Mill police department, which now has 12 officers, made news over the last six years when two officers were charged with crimes.

A former interim police chief, Michael Thomas Smith, pleaded guilty to federal charges in 2018 for stealing $7,000 found inside a Bible during a police raid. Another former Byrnes Mill officer was convicted of sodomizing a boy he met on a dating app in 2019.
ST. LOUIS  One of the regions premier helpers of the homeless is looking to expand into far south city. But residents may not make room.

Leaders at Peter & Paul Community Services say moving from a 60-bed basement in Soulard to a church in Carondelet will allow them to house up to 100 men at a time and offer more services to help them get their lives on track.

But they need to rezone that church first, and rezoning takes support from a majority of the people who would be some of their closest neighbors. And a vocal group of those neighbors has lambasted the idea of putting the shelter in a residential area in recent community meetings, saying it will have criminals prowling the streets, investors fleeing and property values plummeting.

Ask yourself if you would have purchased or rented your home if there was a shelter for 100-plus homeless men directly across the street, and be honest, Aiden McNamara said at a recent community meeting. I would not have taken the risk.

The spat is a familiar one in the regions ongoing struggle with homelessness. Advocates say they need more resources to get people off the streets and places to send them. But those places have to go somewhere, and residents and politicians are almost always wary.

Nobody wants people who are seen as a blight, said Anthony DAgostino, CEO of St. Patrick Center, which works with thousands of homeless people every year.

Downtown residents complained for years about the Rev. Larry Rices New Life Evangelistic Center on Locust Street, alleging it fostered loitering, public urination and drug dealing, among other things.

And when the city shut Rice down in 2017 and opened Biddle House in Carr Square, North Side politicians cried foul, saying the move promoted segregation.

More recently, when Mayor Tishaura O. Jones proposed setting up intentional encampments to get mental health and job training services to those resisting traditional shelters, 12 aldermen declared their wards off-limits.

Peter & Paul boasts of being an exception to the rule at its 40-year-old shelter in Soulard. Aldermen past and present hail their good work and professionalism. And CEO Steve Campbell said the organization, which also runs Biddle House and other facilities throughout the region, wants to be a cornerstone of Carondelet, too.

It makes sense for Peter & Paul. The Soulard shelters 60 bunk beds are crammed into just 5,000 square feet of space. Theres precious little room for case management, group meetings and other services clients could use. And its a nighttime shelter, so people have to leave in the morning.

Sts. Mary and Joseph Chapel, on Minnesota Avenue in the middle of working-class Carondelet, solves most of those problems. The church, vacated by the Archdiocese of St. Louis last year, offers 25,000 square feet of space, enough to house 100 men as well as offices for caseworkers and room for groups to meet and learn life skills or talk about staying sober. Theres also a commercial kitchen, and outside, theres plenty of parking and space for recreation.

We want to do more than just provide people with a bed, Adam Pearson, Peter & Pauls operations chief, said at a recent meeting.

But neighbors worry they wont share in the benefits.

McNamara, who lives on Minnesota Avenue near the old church, gave a presentation last week predicting the average home would be worth $50,000 less after the shelter moves in, and drew whoops and applause.

Others raised concerns about dozens of sex offenders coming into the neighborhood, and shelter residents stashing drugs in places where kids might play to get around sobriety restrictions. There was a question of why the shelter wasnt in St. Louis County, or somewhere else in the city.

Peter & Paul officials pushed back on some issues. It wont offer walk-in availability except in extreme conditions, so there shouldnt be a bunch of people hanging out outside. And while the shelter does sometimes work with sex offenders, officials said their goal is to have clients onsite where they can work through the problems that landed them at the shelter in the first place. The shelter will also work hand-in-glove with local law enforcement, they said.

There were some at the meetings who were supportive.

Ivey March, who also lives close to the church, said she was initially skeptical of the proposal: She has a young daughter, and talk of sex offenders moving in nearby was frightening. But she said most abuse is between people who know each other. And she said the neighborhood shouldnt shirk its responsibility to the homeless just because other areas do.

Can we be the community that says it ends with us, she asked, and that we take care of our people whether theyre homeowners or renters or unhoused?

Yusef Scoggin, who oversees the citys human services department, also offered a vote of confidence.

Investment in people who are struggling is an asset to the community, he told residents at a recent meeting. We revitalize: just as churches did, shelters do.

But as of Thursday, Peter & Paul had just 15 signatures for its rezoning petition. Theyll need just over 80. And their agreement with the church gives them only until early May.

That deadline could be extended. But if it isnt close, Campbell said, Peter & Paul will likely just have to look someplace else.

Perhaps in a more industrial area of Carondelet, he said.
ST. LOUIS  Alderman Laura Keys says her opponent in the new 11th Ward is ineligible for office, and is asking a judge to kick her off the ballot.

In a lawsuit filed late Thursday, Keys accuses community organizer Carla Coffee Wright of falling short of a city charter requirement that candidates live in their wards for a year before an election.

Wright filed to run in the ward, which runs from Midtown to OFallon Park on the North Side, claiming an address in the 4500 block of Holly Avenue. City tax records list her as a co-owner of the property in each of the last three years.

But Keys says records indicating, among other things, that there is no city water service at the house, cast doubt on Wrights residency. She also points out Wright was registered to vote at a home in Vandeventer neighborhood, in the new 12th Ward, until late December.

The lawsuit goes on to say that Wright had outstanding water bills at the house in late January, despite requirements that candidates be current on such bills. And it accuses Wright of concealing from city officials her ownership of another house, on North Newstead Avenue, where property taxes have not been paid in years  which would have made her ineligible for office.

Wright denied the allegations in an interview Friday evening. Its a shame that she would put this stuff out there, she said. Its horrible.

On the residency question, Wright said she moved to her house on Holly Avenue in March 2022, when a lease expired at the home in the Vandeventer neighborhood. She conceded she doesnt have water service on Holly Avenue, but said that was because she didnt need it. I have rainwater capture, she said. Im natural.

Given that, she said had no idea why there would any outstanding water bills. And she said she didnt own the house on North Newstead, with the unpaid taxes, when she filed for office.

City land records indicate Wright signed paperwork giving up her claim to the house a week before she declared her candidacy.
ST. LOUIS  Major floods in the St. Louis region are increasing in frequency and severity, turning high waters on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, rare a century ago, into events that now strike every few years.

St. Louis' stretch of the Mississippi, for example, cumulatively spent more than a year of the 2010s  373 days  at or above flood stage, well more than triple what it once was.

The trends are fueled by multiple factors, from the reliance on levees that constrict rivers and push water higher to a climate growing explosively wetter as it warms. The changing rivers present widespread challenges, especially because evaluating risk and flood protection measures generally rely on historic climate trends and flooding predictions  an approach becoming less and less trustworthy.

"We can't use the past to look forward," said Jon Remo, a professor at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale focused on flooding and river issues.

Thirty years after the Great Flood of 1993  when the Mississippi and Missouri swelled to record-shattering heights in the region, unmooring boats, engulfing farmland and structures, and forcing towns to relocate to higher ground  some experts are still trying to raise the alarm, warning that crucial lessons have gone unlearned.

These are predictable problems, said Bob Criss, a professor at Washington University who has long studied local flood issues. I see no end in sight.

His research has shown that official flood level predictions at sites along the Mississippi have less than a 1% chance of being right.

"The flooding history they've told us to expect is not correct," said Criss. "The water levels are just much higher."

And more high water could be on the way this spring, with the latest National Weather Service outlook projecting minor to moderate flooding along regional stretches of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

'A heck of a lot more floods'

Regional flood data stretch back to the Civil War and even earlier in certain places. At the site of the Eads Bridge in downtown St. Louis, for instance, some water-level readings exist from floods in 1785 and 1844, while a continuous record goes back to 1861.

Key gauges in the region on the Mississippi, Missouri and Meramec rivers over the past century show long-term increases in annual peak river heights  meaning that flood waters are now routinely reaching higher than they once did, in St. Louis, Hermann, Eureka and beyond.

The 1940s marked the first time in recorded history that St. Louis saw the Mississippi spend more than 100 days of a decade at flood stage, but that has since become the norm  while the total shot far higher in the 1990s and 2010s.

That prolonged exposure to high water comes with a list of impacts and risks. It can prevent farmers from planting or accessing their fields, disrupt barge and shipping activity, and puts strain on levees, many of which were designed to withstand floods that only last a couple weeks at a time, elevating their risk of failure, experts say.

"At some point, something's got to give," said Remo, the Southern Illinois professor. If, or when, the region sees another flood of 1993's magnitude, he expects some levees to fail  or "'not to perform as designed,' as the engineers say"  particularly given the deferred maintenance on certain ones.

The era of more common extremes put regional river towns like Kimmswick in a precarious position, on the front lines of increasingly volatile waterways.

Thanks to feverish flood fights, the historic Jefferson County town with a population of just over 100 people has managed to stay relatively dry, but has still paid a steep price. Floodwaters nearly topped its levees in 2013, the winter of 2015-2016, and again in 2019.

Weve had a heck of a lot more floods," said Mayor Phil Stang.

Financial harm to the town has come in different forms, including the flood-related cancellation of its Strawberry Festival, which can draw tens of thousands of people, and  along with the separate Apple Butter Festival  is vital to sustaining Kimmswicks businesses and tax revenue. In 2019, for example, high water closed some of the only roadways to the town, choking off access and forcing officials to call off the Strawberry Festival.

And even though the town narrowly dodged severe flood damage that year, it faced an additional economic headache: The federal government wouldn't reimburse the roughly $150,000 Kimmswick spent staving off the river  which Stang described at the time as punishment for not drowning.

Compounding the problem

Climate change is one factor setting the table for these wilder extremes, as the warmer atmosphere holds onto and unleashes more moisture, leading to a rise of more intense downpours, like what the St. Louis area experienced last July, when a storm dumped more than 9 inches of rain and smashed the local single-day record for rainfall.

That rain is hitting landscapes blanketed by pavement and impervious surfaces designed to whisk rainfall to waterways as quickly as possible  easily overwhelming smaller creeks and streams in urban settings, and amping up the risk of deadly flash floods in neighborhoods miles from the big rivers.

Water comes rushing from farms, too, as features like drainage tiles funnel excess water away from cropland.

"We do all kinds of things that rush water to the creeks," said Criss. "It doesn't allow the water to spread out and slow down, so we've got these big floods."

That can be especially dangerous when it comes to flash flooding in small watersheds and creeks within cities, as happened across the region after the deluge last July.

On big rivers, constriction by levees is another contributor blamed for worsening floods. Although the structures can protect specific areas from floodwaters, they also stir controversy about how they can make flooding worse, by preventing rivers from spilling across natural floodplains and pushing water higher in neighboring areas.

Warnings about the structures are anything but new. For instance, an engineer named Charles Ellet sounded the alarm as far back as 1852, when he identified "the extension of levees" along the Mississippi as a top factor threatening to progressively worsen flood risks over time.

He wrote that water that was formerly allowed to spread over many thousand square miles of low lands, is becoming more and more confined to the immediate channel of the river, and is, therefore, compelled to rise higher and flow faster.

Today, the modern river has been channelized and constricted so dramatically that the Middle Mississippi  the stretch between its confluences with the Missouri and Ohio rivers  is now half as wide as it was naturally.

The reduced riverways often leave water with only one place to go: higher. Major rivers respond to flooding more slowly than creeks and tributaries, but still flood faster than they used to.

"In other words, most Midwestern streams of any size have become more chaotic and less predictable," said Criss.

Some piecemeal changes, including levee setbacks and a growing emphasis on "green infrastructure" like wetlands, have been pursued in certain places along major rivers, but not in ways that are systematic, experts say.

"We're kind of locked into the status quo," said Remo. "We've made some improvement, but we still want to have 500-year levees for everybody."

In Kimmswick, Stang says towns up and down the river are stuck fighting the floods and finding money to pay for those very efforts. It's a common topic of conversation among mayors in the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, he said.

A more volatile climate and river doesn't only mean flooding, but a seesaw of conditions. Though still bearing economic scars from recent flood fights, last year Kimmswick faced extreme drought that gripped the region and disrupted boat traffic up and down the Mississippi.

The low water meant far fewer river boat cruises stopped in Kimmswick last year for town sights, among them its famous Levee-High Apple Pie.

Wed have been better off with camel drives going by than boats, last year, said Stang.

But he and others around town said it was better than the alternative  and increasingly familiar  threat of severe flooding.

If you had to make a choice, he said, I would prefer a drought any day.

This article is the first installment in an occasional series on river and flood issues.
Twenty-eight years. Think of all the things that you have done in the past 28 years. Gatherings with family and friends; concerts, sporting events, and vacations; birthdays and Christmases; a lifework that gave you dignity and purpose. I spent those days in prison for a crime I did not commit. On Feb. 14, the truth was finally acknowledged, and I walked from a St. Louis courthouse a free man.

On Nov. 3, 1994, when I was just 20 years old, I was arrested for the murder of my best friend. From the moment I was accused, I told everyone I was innocent, including in my first conversation with police. I told them I was with my girlfriend nearly three miles away. She confirmed my alibi and so did others who were there, but the police didnt even interview them. It didnt matter. The police had already decided I was their suspect, and they relied on false testimony from a jailhouse informant to convict me.

Jailhouse informants are detained or incarcerated people who provide information  usually about a defendant confessing to a crime  and typically expect to be rewarded for the help they provide. Prosecutors often offer jailhouse informants a host of benefits, including reduced charges in their pending criminal case, sentence reductions, special inmate privileges, assistance to their family and sometimes even money. Seems like a pretty strong incentive to fabricate a story, doesnt it?

Unfortunately, jailhouse informant testimony is one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions. Since 1983, unreliable jailhouse informant testimony has contributed to sending 10 people to Missouri prisons for crimes they didnt commit. Collectively, they spent more than 120 years behind bars. Im one of them.

At my trial in July 1995, a jailhouse informant testified that he overheard me in a crowded holding area of the jail discussing the murder. That was a lie. He told police and the jury that I was yelling out this information to a Lamont, but jail records proved there was not a Lamont in the jail. He testified that he hadnt asked for much in exchange for testifying against me  only that the prosecutor write to the parole board on his behalf. Another lie. He testified that he only had three felony convictions and wasnt ever treated in a psychiatric hospital. Yet another lie.

Throughout the years, the two men who actually committed the murder repeatedly confessed. One of them wrote me a letter days after I was convicted and admitted that he killed my friend, not me. No one cared. Both of the men who killed my friend executed multiple sworn affidavits stating that I had no part in the murder. Even so, I sat in prison because court after court denied me a hearing to present my evidence of innocence.

I never gave up. I did a lot of background work, requesting documents about the informant using open records laws. Those documents, which had always been available to the state, proved he had an extensive criminal history and had been an informant before. It proved he lied.

Everyone is denied justice when someone is wrongfully convicted based on unreliable jailhouse witness testimony. Without proper protections in place, the use of jailhouse informants will continue to send innocent people to prison and victims of crimes will continue to wait for true accountability.

Republican state Sen. Nick Schroer filed Senate Bill 489 this session, which aims to make sure a jailhouse informant is reliable before his or her testimony is used in a criminal case. His legislation would require prompt disclosure of specific jailhouse witness evidence  including the deal informants expect to receive for their testimony, their criminal history, and other cases where they have testified before  as well as tracking jailhouse witness testimony, requiring pretrial admissibility hearings, and instructing the jury to use caution when evaluating the reliability of an incentivized witness. Other states, like Nebraska, have already adopted similar measures, and our neighbors in Kansas have passed a similar bill through their House. Missouri should be next.

Had a law like this existed when I was convicted, I might have had a fighting chance at trial. Nothing can give me or my family back those 28 years. But passing this legislation would be an important step toward ensuring accuracy and reliability in our criminal trials by requiring safeguards before the state can use jailhouse informant testimony. A fair and reliable criminal justice system is our shared goal and this legislation gets us one step closer to equal justice for all Missourians. I support this legislation and I hope you will, too.

Lamar Johnson was exonerated on Feb. 14 after spending more than 28 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.
When top administrators of St. Louis Public Schools and the citys two largest charter districts unite to deliver an important educational message, St. Louisans should take notice. These are school leaders who often are at political odds when it comes to competition for state funding and, more crucially, for student enrollment. This time, however, theyre recognizing a common problem that puts all their students at higher levels of risk: too much churn. The instability of withdrawals and transfers is bad for the kids, their classmates, the schools and, ultimately, for taxpayers.

There are various forces at play behind the churn. It can be as simple as parents deciding to move to a safer neighborhood, getting kicked out of their apartment or being dissatisfied with the performance levels at their childs school. They enroll the child in a new school but dont necessarily find what theyre looking for. The following semester or school year, the child is on the move again. New school, new teachers, new set of friends.

According to Nicole Williams, the interim St. Louis Public Schools superintendent, and Candice Carter-Oliver, chief executive of Confluence Academies, 38% of St. Louis school children have switched schools, often multiple times. Just before the pandemic, they wrote in a Post-Dispatch op-ed, more than half of St. Louis schools  charters as well as the main school district  saw 20% to 50% of their students withdraw or transfer. Those rates are the highest in the state, and theyre not a healthy sign.

This churn in and out of our schools is harmful to all our childrens learning. If a student changes schools multiple times during elementary school, that student can fall a full school year behind stable peers, the school officials wrote. But this doesnt affect just the children who swap classrooms. It negatively impacts the classmates left behind as well as the social bonds and friendships made among children, which are so vital to their development.

The state Legislature has helped feed the problem by expanding school-choice options and encouraging parents to shop around. The net effect has been for students to withdraw from St. Louis Public Schools in favor of charter or private schools. But when the switch doesnt quite meet parents expectations or the student isnt happy in the new school, the process starts all over again.

Teachers get to know the kids they teach, recognizing strengths and weaknesses. They can help them work out ways to overcome learning deficits. If the student leaves, the entire process starts over from scratch.

Even if lawmakers were to scale back the options or somehow find a legislative way to limit school transfers  not a likely development  that wouldnt necessarily solve the problem. The ultimate decision lies with parents, who need to understand that stability is an essential ingredient to bringing up a healthy, educated and well-adjusted child.
Bystander Training was an irrational requirement

Lynn Schmidts column Dragged kicking and screaming into the culture wars (March 14) is yet another indication of the pathetic and dangerous swill that is being forced upon young minds in academia and, sadly, in our everyday lives.

Common sense would have exempted Schmidt immediately from the online Bystander Training she had to take. It also should be noted that any college or university that has an office with a title similar to the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center is one that I think should be avoided at all costs.

Steve Farrow  St. Charles

Learning bystanders responsibility has some value

Although I appreciate columnist Lynn Schmidts voice as a traditional conservative opposed to the populist pretenders of the extreme right wing, she is rather uncritically adopting their views on wokeness.

She objects to the Bystander Training being mandatory and covering topics that she says she will never experience. I was subjected to mandatory fire drills and CPR training many times in my career, and yet I never experienced a fire or a person having a heart attack in my presence. I do not believe that made the training unnecessary.

Schmidt lamented that there was no consideration of personal responsibility during breakout sessions to discuss various wokeness training scenarios. Here, I believe, she seems to miss the point of the training, which was to consider the personal responsibility of bystanders. Perhaps, irresponsibility on the part of a potential victim changes the obligation on a bystander. Whether that is true and to what degree would have been a relevant topic in a discussion of bystander responsibility, Schmidt appears to have missed that opportunity.

Still, this was a useful column because it got me thinking in some new ways about the question of what is a bystanders responsibility. I wish someone would offer me this training.

Wes Gilliland  Sappington

Two-hour Zoom is a reasonable price for well-being

Congratulations to Lynn Schmidt on surviving an entire two-hour Zoom session in which she endured someone elses social agenda. Schmidt appears to be describing a universitys personal conduct training standards, which probably leverage open-mindedness and critical thinking to focus on behavior, safety and well-being.

Who would want all that wokeness? Not Schmidt. She closes by boasting that you cant make her think. So much for personal responsibility.

Jonathan Fisher  St. Louis

Call-a-Ride could seek alternatives to service cut

I am concerned and frustrated with the Metro Call-a-Ride service, which declined 18,000 trips out of 47,000 requested in January and now is reducing their service area. (Metro Transit to reduce paratransit coverage area in St. Louis County, March 3.)

As a member of the disability community who relies heavily on Call-a-Ride services, I believe it is unfair to put the burden on us to fix the problems they let fester. It is essential that Metro Call-a-Ride resolves the staffing shortage and ensures that individuals with disabilities can access the services they require.

I urge the service to look into alternative solutions that have worked for other transit agencies across the country. The disability community deserves better, and it is time for Metro Call-a-Ride to take responsibility and find a better solution.

Mark Detjen  St. Louis

DeSantis view on Ukraine should disqualify him as president

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis postures as a champion of freedom while in reality he acts like an ayatollah with his own narrow view of freedom. His view excludes women, scientists, educators, students, minorities and gays.

Far more disturbing is his recent pronouncement that Russias invasion of Ukraine is just a territorial dispute not of strategic interest to the U.S. Is he ignorant of Hitlers territorial dispute with Czechoslovakia? All Hitler wanted was a little Lebensraum.

Maybe it hasnt occurred to him that the former Russian republics near Ukraine, which are our NATO allies, might have an understanding that this is not a territorial dispute. DeSantis cant possibly believe that Vladimir Putins ambition ends at the Donbas region of Ukraine. Chinas Xi Jinping must be celebrating the thought that an American presidential candidate might be dumb enough to view a Chinese invasion of Taiwan as just a territorial dispute.

DeSantis has clearly established that he is unqualified to be president.

Dennis Ayden  St. Louis

There are better ways to spend money than bombs

Defense spending seems to be the elephant in the halls of Congress. Currently the Defense Department is being allocated $848 billion for the 2024 fiscal year.

In the budget-making process, some items are not up for cutting. Medicare and Social Security are non-discretionary categories. Most other major categories are discretionary ones in which Congress can decide to cut or increase funding. Yet Congress and the president do not want to cut defense spending, even though it accounts for more than 45% of all discretionary spending.

At best these weapon systems will be used as a threat or deterrent. At worst, they could be used to cause untold destruction and death. What if the money for some of the weapons systems could be used to promote life and goodness at home and around the world? I think the image of the U.S. would improve more by global acts of goodness rather than by threats and bullying.

Bill Miller  St. Louis

Read letters online at STLToday.com
St. Louis ranks among the 10worstmetropolitan areas in the country for fine-particle air pollution, according to a recent study,which should come as no surprise to the thousands who suffer from respiratory illnesses like asthma. A new interactive map of the United States depicting the most dangerous air-pollution levels focuses attention on one particularly troubling aspect: the most heavily polluted air tends to be found in neighborhoods dominated by Black and Hispanic residents.

When people talk about environmental racism, this is what they mean: urban-planning decisions from long ago, but never corrected, that established low-income housing in close proximity to industrial and heavy-commercial zones. While modern America is far more attuned to environmental concerns than industrialists and planners many decades ago, polluting businesses remain tucked into many low-income or minority-dominated communities. In the case of St. Louis, the pollutants people are breathing appear to result from being downwind from steel mills and other heavy industry across the river in East St. Louis, along with the area's large coal-burning power plants.

"We are ringed by power plants. We have three of the 10most polluting power plants in the nation,"Steve Mahfood, a former director of the Missouri department of natural resources, told the Guardian newspaper.

The Guardian compiled an interactive map of the entire United States using data from a University of Washington study. The cleanest air, by far, is located west of Texas,Oklahoma,Kansas and Minnesota, except for pockets of severe pollution around Los Angeles and Bakersfield,California. Air problems mount in the industrial belt running from St. Louis to Chicago and encompassing Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. Several areas in and around St. Louis have reached such hazardous levels of air pollution that they are close to meriting intervention by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Aside from a few pockets of pollution in white-dominated neighborhoods of south St. Louis city and county,most of the polluted areas are in the north as well as in East St. Louis and Granite City with 90% or more of those populations consisting of people of color, the Guardian reported.

The University of Washington study cited is based on measurements of airborne fine particulate matter, known as PM 2.5. The World Health Organization regards levels around 5 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter as safe,while others say anything below 12 is acceptable. The critical areas in and around St. Louis measured right at the cusp 11.5 to 11.9. Numbers were averaged from samples collected between 2011 and 2015, but researchers say such numbers tend to remain steady over time without dramatic action to shut down the major polluters.

St. Louisans are pretty much at the mercy of state and federal regulators for action against polluters, which means residents shouldn't hold their breath. On second thought
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This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230316005760/en/

Abra Dental Jersey City Office Front Desk (Photo: Business Wire)

The practice will be a multi-specialty one, featuring general dentists, certified pediatric dentists, and orthodontists to provide comprehensive dental care for families. Patients can expect to receive the highest quality of care in a comfortable and welcoming environment.

Abra Dental Jersey City will be open six days a week, including Saturdays, to accommodate busy schedules. The practice is located near the Infinity Institute and on the NJ Transit #6 bus (Merritt Street Via Ocean Ave) route making it easily accessible for residents in the area.

"We are thrilled to open our doors to the Jersey City community and provide families with exceptional dental care," said Dr. Michael Skolnick, DMD, CEO, and founder of Abra Dental. "Our team of highly qualified professionals is dedicated to ensuring each patient receives personalized care in a warm and friendly atmosphere."

To mark the grand opening, Abra Dental Jersey City will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 17, 2023, at 11:00 am. The event will feature remarks from several distinguished guests, including Mayor Steven Fulop, Councilwoman Denise Ridley (Ward A), and other City Council members.

"Abra Dental's commitment to providing quality, affordable dental care to our residents is admirable," said Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop. "We are delighted to welcome Abra Dental to the Greenville neighborhood and are grateful for their investment in our community. We look forward to seeing the positive impact their multi-specialty practice will have on the health and well-being of our community. This is yet another example of how Jersey City continues to attract top-notch businesses that prioritize serving our residents."

We are looking forward to Abra Dental joining the Greenville community. It is great to have new and innovative dental services in this area of Jersey City. This additional access to healthcare is greatly needed, added Denise Ridley, Ward A Councilwoman.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony is open to the public and will offer attendees a chance to tour the facility, meet the Abra Dental Jersey City team, and learn more about the services the practice provides.

Abra Health is poised for substantial expansion this year, with plans to launch multiple large-footprint multi-specialty dental and pediatric primary care clinics across northern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. The new offices will accommodate 100+ dental chairs, paving the way for increased access to quality healthcare in the region.

About Abra Health

Founded in 2008 by Doctors Michael and Brooke Skolnick, a husband-and-wife dental team, Abra Health, the group formerly known as The ChildSmiles Group, is a rapidly expanding family of health practices. With multiple recent acquisitions and new locations opening regularly, the group includes several pediatric primary care and dental clinics for patients of all ages in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Our singular mission is to provide access to high-quality, affordable care to underserved communities. By firmly placing our patients first, we aim to deliver an exceptional experience as we improve their well-being, from teeth to toes. Our vision is to become a leading provider of integrated medical and dental care to underrepresented communities in the areas that we serve. Our ownership and leadership teams are mostly comprised of dentists. With over 700 employees, our large-footprint practices can accommodate hundreds of patients every day in an inviting, comfortable environment for both patients and staff alike.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230316005760/en/

Media Contact Information:

Emmy Ansinelli

Abra Health

Email: [email protected]

Group website: www.abrahealthgroup.com

Abra Dental Website: www.abradental.com

Source: Abra Health
HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of a- (Excellent) of Nan Shan General Insurance Co., Ltd. (Nan Shan General) (Taiwan). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect Nan Shan Generals balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management (ERM).

Nan Shan Generals risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), has materially deteriorated as of year-end 2022, due to large claims arising from pandemic insurance products. Unfavourable capital losses from investments and a dividend payout during the first half of 2022 also weakened the companys capital position. AM Best expects the company to restore its capital strength from explicit financial support provided by its immediate parent, Nan Shan Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (Nan Shan Life), as well as resume its capital growth through the retention of net profits derived from non-pandemic insurance underwriting and investment over the intermediate to long term, based on the companys business and capital plans. AM Best expects the companys risk-adjusted capitalisation to restore to a supportive level in the second half of 2023.

Nan Shan General reported a significant net loss of TWD 1.3 billion as of the end of September 2022. AM Best expects the company to record a major loss for full-year 2022, compared with a net profit of TWD 351 million for full-year 2021, predominantly attributed to pandemic insurance claims. AM Best expects the ultimate claims amount to remain stable in the first half of 2023. The companys monthly gross claims paid has shown a consistent declining trend since November 2022. AM Best considers the pandemic insurance loss as a one-off event, and the company should be able to gradually recoup its losses via the traditionally profitable non-pandemic insurance underwriting and investment results, although it is unlikely to do so over the short to intermediate term.

Nan Shan Life is the third-largest life insurance company in Taiwan in terms of total assets. While Nan Shan Generals business scale is small within Nan Shan Life, the company benefits from parental support in terms of the shared brand recognition, strong distribution support and operating and capital commitments.

Negative rating actions could occur if Nan Shan General exhibits material and sustained deterioration in operating performance, particularly in terms of the non-pandemic traditional underwriting portfolio and investment results. Negative rating actions also could occur if there is a material or continued decline in the companys risk-adjusted capitalisation; for example, due to adverse deviation from its capital plan or a much faster-than-expected expansion in underwriting risks. Negative rating actions also could occur if Nan Shan Life experiences a significant deterioration in its credit fundamentals, which AM Best would view as having a material negative impact on Nan Shan General.

Ratings are communicated to rated entities prior to publication. Unless stated otherwise, the ratings were not amended subsequent to that communication.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Bests Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright  2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005233/en/

Madison Fan

Financial Analyst

+852 2827 3416

[email protected]



James Chan

Associate Director

+852 2827 3413

[email protected]



Christopher Sharkey

Manager, Public Relations

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159

[email protected]



Al Slavin

Senior Public Relations Specialist

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5098

[email protected]

Source: AM Best
COQUITLAM, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Following three days of failed negotiations, CUPE 561 says its members who work for First Transit will commence a full walkout on Monday. HandyDART will operate at essential service levels for passengers requiring treatment for cancer, multiple sclerosis, and renal dialysis. All other transit services in the Fraser Valley will cease indefinitely until a fair deal is reached, the union said.

CUPE 561 President Jane Gibbons described the full shutdown as a result of the companys intransigence at the table.

This employer has completely refused to meaningfully discuss the regional wage disparity and lack of a pension, said Gibbons. Its gotten so bad that were left with no alternative but to shut down services.

First Transit, a U.S.-based, for-profit company subcontracted by BC Transit, was recently purchased by Transdev, a global corporation owned by a French sovereign wealth fund that has $1.3 trillion in assetsan amount equal to last years GDP for Australia and greater than the GDP of Spain or Indonesia.

We find it hard to believe that a company with this much wealth refuses to pay our members what other transit operators in this region make. Without fair wages, public transit in the Fraser Valley will continue to suffer, added Gibbons.

On March 16, BC Transit issued a statement to Fraser Valley Today expressing confidence in Transdev and its subsidiarys operations in the region.

Given First Transits steadfast refusal to address the concerns of our members, its clear that BC Transits confidence in Transdev is grossly misplaced. In our mind, BC Transita provincial Crown corporation responsible for public transit servicesis abandoning the communities it is entrusted to serve. It is leaving our community and transit users at the mercy of a profit-driven foreign conglomerate with no connection to the Fraser Valley.

cope491

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005274/en/

Liam ONeill, CUPE National Representative: 672.514.5426

Dan Gawthrop, CUPE Communications Representative: 604.999.6132

Source: Canadian Union of Public Employees
Flow brand net revenue increased 40% in Q1 2023

Gross margins improved to 30% in Q1 2023

$26 million in cash as of January 31, 2023

Cash flows used in operations of $4.8 million in Q1 2023, an improvement of $7.1 million or 60%

Delivering expected results from strategic initiatives and operational improvements

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Flow Beverage Corp. (TSX:FLOW; OTCQX: FLWBF) (the Company or Flow), today announced its financial results for the fiscal quarter ended January 31, 2023 (Q1 2023). All currency amounts are stated in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted.

Nicholas Reichenbach, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Flow, stated: Fiscal 2023 is off to a strong start. We have successfully expanded our product portfolio, and have added retail and foodservice partners, resulting in Flow brand net revenue growth of 40%. We expect the Flow brand to gain further traction through new partnerships in the food service sector, increasing orders from partners signed in the past year, and more retailers adding Flow Vitamin-Infused water to their shelves.

We are making substantial progress on the transformation plan we previously communicated, with significant improvement in key indicators, such as gross margin of 30%, and ongoing progress in streamlining our operating model and related expense reductions. We expect the benefits of the Verona production facility sale will become even more pronounced in the second half of the fiscal year as we complete the restructuring of functional areas including logistics, warehousing, distribution and shipping. All told, we believe fiscal 2023 will be a transformational year on the path toward our goal of achieving sustainable profitable growth of the Flow brand.

Operational Highlights During and Subsequent to Q1 2023

Increased number of North American stores carrying Flow products to over 46,600, from 24,690 in January 2022, an 89% increase

Maintained market share leadership in carton format and shelf stable water in the United States at 45% in Q1 2023

Concluded a distribution agreement with Foodbuy, the largest food procurement organization in North America, with over 11,000 points of distribution

Launched Flow Vitamin-Infused Water line of products in three new organic flavors in the United States through flowhydration.com and over 100 Fred Meyer locations and, in Canada, with 22 retail partners, representing over 800 locations

Signed a distribution agreement with Starbucks for Flow water to become available in over 1,000 locations across Canada

Closed the sale of the Verona production facility to BioSteel for US$19.5 million

Secured up to $20 million from Senior Secured Debt Facility

Financial Results for Q1 2023

Consolidated net revenue was $9.9 million in Q1 2023, as compared to $11.9 million for the fiscal quarter ended January 31, 2022 (Q1 2022). Consolidated net revenue includes 40% growth in Flow brand revenue to $7.9 million. The increase in Flow brand revenue was due primarily to new partners in the club channel and recent innovations performing ahead of expectations. Net co-packing revenue decreased 61% to $2.6 million, reflecting the expected impact of the sale of the Verona production facility at the beginning of Q1 2023.

Gross margin1 was 30% in Q1 2023, up from 26% in Q1 2022. The improvement in gross margin1 reflects the sale of the Verona production facility, which was under utilized in Q1 2022.

Flow reported an EBITDA2 Loss of $7.0 million in Q1 2023, as compared to an EBITDA2 Loss of $7.9 million in Q1 2022, resulting primarily from decreased stock-based compensation and salaries and benefits expenses. EBITDA2 Loss also includes $0.6 million in restructuring expenses realized as part of its operational transformation.

Flow reported an Adjusted EBITDA2 Loss of $6.2 million in Q1 2023, as compared to and Adjusted EBITDA2 Loss of $5.7 million in Q1 2022. The Adjusted EBITDA2 Loss is attributable to the same factors that impact EBITDA2 Loss, removing stock-based compensation and restructuring charges.

Flow reported $25.8 million of cash as of January 31, 2023. In addition to the $31 million in contribution from recent strategic initiatives, cash also includes approximately $7.5 million in working capital improvements realized in Q1 2023. The working capital improvement is primarily related to the sale of the Verona production facility and other recently implemented operational improvements.

In Canadian Dollars Three-month periods ended January 31, 2023 January 31, 2022 $ % of $ % of Revenue Revenue Net revenue 9,851,465 100 % 11,887,935 100 % Cost of revenue 6,931,906 70 % 8,804,646 74 % Gross profit 2,919,559 30 % 3,083,289 26 % 30 % 26 % Operating expenses Sales and marketing 1,411,391 14 % 1,463,595 12 % General and administrative 4,080,215 41 % 4,108,991 35 % Salaries and benefits 3,364,240 34 % 3,664,813 31 % Amortization and depreciation 298,434 3 % 504,154 4 % Share-based compensation 256,049 3 % 2,178,981 18 % 9,410,329 96 % 11,920,534 100 % Loss before the following (6,490,770 ) (66 %) (8,837,245 ) (74 %) Other income 27,890 0 % 8,683 0 % Finance expense, net 390,112 4 % 1,128,180 9 % Foreign exchange loss (gain) 238,349 2 % (84,932 ) (1 %) Reverse take-over costs  0 % 23,785 0 % Restructuring 551,227 6 % 0 % Loss before income taxes (7,698,348 ) (78 %) (9,912,961 ) (83 %) Income tax expense  0 %  0 % Net loss for the period (7,698,348 ) (78 %) (9,912,961 ) (83 %) Other comprehensive gain (loss) Item that may be reclassified subsequently loss: Exchange gain (loss) on translation of foreign operations (264,626 ) (3 %) 673,412 6 % Net other comprehensive gain (loss) for the year (264,626 ) (3 %) 673,412 6 % Comprehensive loss (7,962,974 ) (81 %) (9,239,549 ) (78 %) EBITDA loss(2) (7,006,240 ) (71 %) (7,892,485 ) (66 %) Adjusted EBITDA loss(2) (6,198,964 ) (63 %) (5,689,719 ) (48 %) Adjusted net loss(2) (6,891,072 ) (70 %) (7,710,195 ) (65 %)

(1) Gross margin is a supplementary financial measure and is used throughout this MD&A. See Non-IFRS and Other Financial Measures for more information on the supplementary of financial measure. See How We Assess the Performance of Our Business for an explanation of the composition of such measure. (2) This is a non-IFRS financial measure and is used throughout this MD&A. See Non-IFRS and Other Financial Measures for more information on each non-IFRS financial measure. See How We Assess the Performance of Our Business for an explanation of the composition of such measure.

Three-month periods ended In Canadian dollars January 31, 2023 January 31, 2022 Consolidated net loss: (7,698,348 ) (9,912,961 ) Income tax expense   Finance expense, net 390,112 1,128,180 Amortization and depreciation 301,996 892,296 EBITDA loss (7,006,240 ) (7,892,485 ) Share-based compensation 256,049 2,178,981 Reverse take-over costs  23,785 Restructuring 551,227 Adjusted EBITDA loss (6,198,964 ) (5,689,719 ) Three-month periods ended In Canadian dollars January 31, 2023 January 31, 2022 Consolidated net loss: (7,698,348 ) (9,912,961 ) One-time debt settlement costs   Share-based compensation 256,049 2,178,981 Reverse take-over costs  23,785 Restructuring 551,227 Adjusted net loss (6,891,072 ) (7,710,195 )

Conference Call Information Date: March 17, 2023 Time: 8:30 a.m. ET Conference ID: 20886485 Dial-in: (416) 764-8646 or (888) 396-8049 Webcast: Link Replay: (416) 764-8692 or (877) 674-7070 Passcode: 886485 Available until April 17, 2023

About Flow

Flow is one of the fastest-growing premium water companies in North America. Founded in 2014, Flows mission since day one has been to reduce environmental impacts by providing sustainably sourced naturally alkaline spring water in a recyclable and up to 75% renewable, plant-based pack. Today, the brand is B-Corp Certified with a best-in-class score of 126.5, offering a diversified line of health and wellness-oriented beverage products: original naturally alkaline spring water, award-winning organic flavours, collagen-infused and vitamin-infused flavours in sizes ranging from 330-ml to 1-litre. All products contain naturally occurring electrolytes and essential minerals and support Flows overarching purpose to bring wellness to the world through the positive power of water. Flow beverage products are available online at flowhydration.com and are sold at over 46,000 stores across North America.

For more information on Flow, please visit Flows investor relations site at: investors.flowhydration.com.

Non-IFRS and Other Financial Measures

This press release makes reference to certain non-IFRS measures. These measures are not recognized measures under IFRS, do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS, and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Rather, these measures are provided as additional information to complement those IFRS measures by providing further understanding of our results of operations from managements perspective. Accordingly, these measures should not be considered in isolation nor as a substitute for analysis of our financial information reported under IFRS. We use non-IFRS measures including Adjusted EBITDA Loss, Adjusted Net Loss, and EBITDA Loss.

The Company uses a supplementary financial measure to disclose a financial measure that is not (a) presented in the financial statements and (b) is, or is intended to be, disclosed periodically to depict the historical or expected future financial performance, financial position or cash flow, that is not a non-IFRS financial measure as detailed above. We use the supplementary financial measure gross margin.

These non-IFRS and supplementary financial measures are used to provide investors with supplemental measures of our operating performance and thus highlight trends in our core business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS financial measures. We also believe that securities analysts, investors and other interested parties frequently use non-IFRS and supplementary financial measures in the evaluation of issuers. Our management also uses non-IFRS and supplementary financial measures in order to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period, to prepare annual operating budgets and to determine components of management compensation. For definitions and reconciliations of these non-IFRS measures to the relevant reported measures, please see How We Assess the Performance of Our Business and Selected Consolidated Financial Information sections of the Companys Management Discussion & Analysis available on sedar.ca and investors.flowhydration.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws (Forward-Looking Statements). The Forward-Looking Statements contained in this press release relate to future events or Flows future plans, operations, strategy, performance or financial position and are based on Flows current expectations, estimates, projections, beliefs and assumptions. Such Forward-Looking Statements have been made by Flow in light of the information available to it at the time the statements were made and reflect its experience and perception of historical trends. All statements and information other than historical fact may be forwardlooking statements. Such ForwardLooking Statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as may, would, should, could, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, plan, foresee, believe, continue, expect, believe, anticipate, estimate, will, potential, proposed and other similar words and expressions.

Specific Forward-Looking Statements contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Flows business strategy or outlook and future growth plans, expectations regarding the elevated pace of revenue growth, potential operational efficiencies to be realized and anticipation of profitability.

Forward-Looking Statements are based on certain expectations and assumptions and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond Flows control, that could cause actual events, results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those anticipated in these Forward-Looking Statements. Forward-Looking Statements are provided for the purposes of assisting the reader in understanding Flow and its business, operations, prospects, and risks at a point in time in the context of historical and possible future developments, and the reader is therefore cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-Looking Statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these Forward-Looking Statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the Forward-Looking Statements contained herein are provided as of the date hereof, and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any Forward-Looking Statements as a result of new information or future events, or for any other reason.

The following press release should be read in conjunction with the managements discussion and analysis (MD&A) and consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as at and for the three months ended January 31, 2023. Additional information about Flow is available on the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, including the Companys Annual Information Form for the year ended October 31, 2022 dated January 29, 2023.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005062/en/

Trent MacDonald, Chief Financial Officer

1-844-356-9426

[email protected]

Investors:

Marc Charbin

[email protected]

Media:

Natasha Koifman

[email protected]

Source: Flow Beverage Corp.
LONDON & NEW YORK & AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE), a leading global provider of data, technology, and market infrastructure, today announced record open interest (OI) across its global commodity and energy futures and options markets, with record volume in oil options.

On March 15, 2023, ICE hit record OI of 51.1 million contracts across commodities futures and options, up 10% since the start of the year, as well as record OI in energy futures and options of 47 million. Across ICEs global oil markets, OI is up 18% since the start of the year at 11.37 million contracts, with OI in Brent futures and options up 28% at 4.98 million contracts.

On March 15, 2023, a record 567,731 oil option contracts traded on ICE, including a record 513,567 Brent options. Both records were last set three years ago on March 9, 2020. Brent is used to price an estimated 80% of oil traded on the global market and is the most liquid crude oil futures and options market in the world.

Elsewhere in the oil portfolio, Gasoil, where OI is up 19% since the start of the year, saw 308,400 tons of diesel headed for delivery to North-West Europe at its most recent expiry, the highest since November 2021. Other ICE oil benchmarks performing strongly since the start of the year include ICE Dubai (Platts) where OI is up 9%, with ADV of 55,000 contracts, up 33% year-over-year (y/y); Murban where OI is up 16% at 47,300 contracts, with ADV of 8,400 contracts, up 77% y/y; Midland WTI (HOU) where OI has grown to 14,000 contracts with ADV of 4,700; and Wet Freight, which is used to manage price risk associated with shipping oil, up 7% in OI at 158,100 contracts and ADV up 27%.

The increase in trading activity across ICEs markets reflects the breadth of ICEs commodity benchmarks, with customers utilizing our liquidity and transparency to hedge their risk, said Jeff Barbuto, Global Head of Oil Markets at ICE. The resilience of ICE Brent through the shocks the market witnessed last year, and its outperformance this year versus other oil benchmarks, shows how the market depends on its ability to reflect global fundamentals.

Meanwhile, OI across ICE's global natural gas futures and options portfolio is up 9% since the start of the year at 30.4 million contracts, with OI across North American natural gas futures and options, which includes Henry Hub and U.S. Basis Markets contracts, up 8% at 27.8 million. OI in ICE TTF natural gas futures and options is up 29% since the start of the year at 2 million contracts, with ICE seeing the first trades this week in TTF Calendar Year 2031.

Across ICEs global environmental complex, which alongside ICEs energy markets provides price signals and liquidity to help companies transition to alternative forms of energy, OI is up 16% since the start of the year at 1.9 million contracts.

About Intercontinental Exchange

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE) is a Fortune 500 company that designs, builds and operates digital networks to connect people to opportunity. We provide financial technology and data services across major asset classes that offer our customers access to mission-critical workflow tools that increase transparency and operational efficiencies. We operate exchanges, including the New York Stock Exchange, and clearing houses that help people invest, raise capital and manage risk across multiple asset classes. Our comprehensive fixed income data services and execution capabilities provide information, analytics and platforms that help our customers capitalize on opportunities and operate more efficiently. At ICE Mortgage Technology, we are transforming and digitizing the U.S. residential mortgage process, from consumer engagement through loan registration. Together, we transform, streamline and automate industries to connect our customers to opportunity.

Trademarks of ICE and/or its affiliates include Intercontinental Exchange, ICE, ICE block design, NYSE and New York Stock Exchange. Information regarding additional trademarks and intellectual property rights of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. and/or its affiliates is located here. Key Information Documents for certain products covered by the EU Packaged Retail and Insurance-based Investment Products Regulation can be accessed on the relevant exchange website under the heading Key Information Documents (KIDS).

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 -- Statements in this press release regarding ICE's business that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see ICE's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors in ICE's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as filed with the SEC on February 2, 2023.

Category: EXCHANGES

ICE- CORP

Source: Intercontinental Exchange

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005084/en/

ICE Media:

Rebecca Mitchell

[email protected]

+44 7951 057 351

ICE Investors:

Katia Gonzalez

[email protected]

(678) 981-3882

Source: Intercontinental Exchange
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (NYSE: LICY) (Li-Cycle or the Company), will hold its 2023 annual general meeting of shareholders (the Meeting) on Thursday, April 27, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) in a virtual format, via live audio webcast. All interested parties are invited to attend the Meeting by using the live webcast link here: www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/LICY2023. Only registered shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders as of the record date on March 6, 2023 will be entitled to vote and ask questions at the Meeting.

Meeting Materials

The Companys Management Information Circular and other Meeting materials are available at https://materials.proxyvote.com/50202P, and on Li-Cycles website at Li-Cycle - Investor Relations, as well as on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

To further its commitment to environmental sustainability and to reduce its printing and mailing costs, Li-Cycle is using notice-and-access procedures for the delivery of Meeting materials. Under notice-and-access, the Company can deliver Meeting materials by posting the materials on a website other than sedar.com (instead of mailing them to shareholders), and sending a notice informing shareholders that the Meeting materials have been posted online and explaining how to access such materials.

Your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to virtually attend the Meeting, please vote as soon as possible by one of the methods described in the Meeting materials, to ensure that your shares are represented and voted at the Meeting.

Annual Report on Form 20-F

Li-Cycle has also filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended October 31, 2022, including the Companys audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022 and related managements discussion and analysis. This is available for download from the Investors section of the Company website at Li-Cycle - Financials - Annual Report and Circular. It is also available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Interim ESG Report

The Company recently issued a 2022 Interim Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Report, providing insight into the integration of ESG across our business and how it shapes our relationships with our key stakeholders, including our employees, investors, customers, and communities. We are on track to publish our first ESG Report in 2024 and to achieve alignment in 2025 with the Financial Stability Boards Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures. For a copy of our 2022 Interim ESG Report, refer to link here: https://li-cycle.com/sustainability/.

About Li-Cycle Holdings Corp.

Li-Cycle (NYSE: LICY) is on a mission to leverage its innovative Spoke & Hub Technologies to provide a customer-centric, end-of-life solution for lithium-ion batteries, while creating a secondary supply of critical battery materials. Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are increasingly powering our world in automotive, energy storage, consumer electronics, and other industrial and household applications. The world needs improved technology and supply chain innovations to better manage battery manufacturing waste and end-of-life batteries and to meet the rapidly growing demand for critical and scarce battery-grade raw materials through a closed-loop solution. For more information, visit https://li-cycle.com/.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21 of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements may generally be identified by the use of words such as believe, may, will, continue, anticipate, intend, expect, should, would, could, plan, potential, future, target or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Forward-looking statements in this press release include but are not limited to statements Li-Cycles expectation to publish its first ESG Sustainability Report in 2024 and to achieve alignment in 2025 with the Financial Stability Boards Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures . These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, made by Li-Cycle management. There can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be correct and, as a result, actual results or events may differ materially from expectations expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of Li-Cycle and are not guarantees of future performance.

Li-Cycle identifies the principal risks and uncertainties that affect its performance and the assumptions upon which the forward-looking information is based in the sections entitled Item 3D. Risk Factors and Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and ProspectsKey Factors Affecting Li-Cycles Performance and elsewhere in its Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Ontario Securities Commission in Canada on February 6, 2023.

Li-Cycle assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Li-Cycles assessment as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005050/en/

Investor Relations

Nahla A. Azmy

Sheldon DSouza

[email protected]



Media

Louie Diaz

[email protected]

Source: Li-Cycle Holdings Corp.
HANGZHOU, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MOGU Inc. (NYSE: MOGU) (MOGU or the Company), a KOL-driven online fashion and lifestyle destination in China, announced the resignation of Mr. Qi Chen (Mr. Chen) as the Chief Executive Officer of the Company (the CEO) due to personal reasons, effective March 17, 2023. Mr. Chen will retain his position as the chairman of the board of the directors (the Board).

Mr. Chen has confirmed that he has no disagreement with the Board and there is no other matter relating to his resignation as the CEO that needs to be brought to the attention of holders of securities of the Company or The New York Stock Exchange.

The Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Yiming Fan (Mr. Fan) as the new CEO of the Company, effective March 17, 2023.

Mr. Fan has been serving at the Company since 2014, and served as a brand director, a vice president of marketing and a general manager of business of Mogujie prior to his appointment as the CEO. At his prior position, Mr. Fan was in charge of the Companys live video broadcast, platform operation, marketing, branding public relations and other businesses. At the same time, Mr. Fan serves as a visiting professor at Suzhou University and acted as the final judge of various international marketing communication awards. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Fan worked at an advertising company for 5 years, which is a member of The American Association of Advertising Agencies. Mr. Fan graduated from Jiangsu Normal University, majoring in advertising.

I want to congratulate Mr. Fan on his new role at the Company, commented Mr. Qi Chen as the chairman of Board. Mr. Fan is a proven business leader with a strong track record. His leadership and extensive experience will strengthen the Board and help MOGU fulfill its mission of making fashion accessible to everyone. I look forward to working with him closely as we enter the next exciting phase of our growth story.

About MOGU Inc.

MOGU Inc. (NYSE: MOGU) is a KOL-driven online fashion and lifestyle destination in China. MOGU provides people with a more accessible and enjoyable shopping experience for everyday fashion, particularly as they increasingly live their lives online. By connecting merchants, KOLs and users together, MOGUs platform serves as a valuable marketing channel for merchants, a powerful incubator for KOLs, and a vibrant and dynamic community for people to discover and share the latest fashion trends with others, where users can enjoy a truly comprehensive online shopping experience.

For more information on MOGU, please visit: http://ir.mogu-inc.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as will, expects, anticipates, future, intends, plans, believes, estimates and similar statements. MOGU may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about MOGUs beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in our annual report on Form 20-F, the 6-K and other documents filed with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and MOGU does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005125/en/

For investor and media inquiries:

MOGU Inc.

Ms. Qi Feng

+86-571-8530-8201

[email protected]

Christensen Advisory

In China

Mr. Eric Yuan

+86-10-5900-1548

[email protected]

In the United States

Ms. Linda Bergkamp

+1-480-614-3004

[email protected]

Source: MOGU Inc.
Monday, March 20, 2023

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority will hold its regular meeting on Monday, March 20, 2023, beginning at 9:15 a.m. A quorum of the Port Commission, along with executive leadership, will be present in the boardroom of the Port Houston Executive Office Building, located at 111 East Loop North, Houston, TX 77029.

It will be conducted as a hybrid meeting open to the public to attend in person or accessed virtually via WebEx webinar. The agenda and instructions for accessing Port Houston public meetings are available at https://www.porthouston.com/about/public-meetings/agendas-minutes/

The Port Commission Community Advisory Council (PCCAC) will also meet the same day on Monday, March 20, 2023 beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Upcoming Port Commission Regular Meetings (subject to change):

Tuesday, May 2 at 9:15 a.m.

Tuesday, May 23 at 9:15 a.m.

Sign-up for public comment is available up to an hour before the meeting by contacting Erik Eriksson at [email protected] or Liana Christian at [email protected].

About Port Houston

For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the public wharves and terminals along the Houston Ship Channel  the nations largest port for waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas, and the U.S. nation. The more than 200 private and eight public terminals along the federal waterway supports the creation of nearly 1.35 million jobs in Texas and 3.2 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling $339 billion in Texas  20.6% of Texas total gross domestic product (GDP)  and a total of $801.9 billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information, visit the website: https://porthouston.com/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005292/en/

Lisa Ashley-Daniels, Director, Media Relations, Port Houston

Office: 713-670-2644; Mobile: 832-247-8179; E-mail: [email protected]

Source: Port Houston
ONTARIO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Prime Healthcare Services, Inc. will announce its 4th Quarter 2022 financial results on March 31, 2023. The Company will host a conference call on April 3, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. (ET) to discuss the 4th-quarter results.

To access the call, please dial (786) 496 5601 (U.S.) or (866) 571 0905 (toll-free) and request to join the Prime Healthcare Services, Inc. Schedules 2022 4th Quarter Earnings Conference Call. Please dial into the call 15 minutes prior the start time to allow the operator to register you and transfer you into the call by the scheduled start time.

For those who are unable to listen to the conference call live, there will be a replay available through May 2, 2023, which can be accessed by dialing (866) 583-1035 (U.S. Toll Free), passcode 8435595#.

About Prime Healthcare: As an award-winning health system headquartered in Ontario, California, operating 45 hospitals and more than 300 outpatient locations in 14 states, Prime Healthcare provides more than 2.6 million patient visits annually. It is one of the nation's leading health systems with nearly 50,000 employees and physicians. Fourteen of the Prime Healthcare hospitals are members of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity. Please visit www.primehealthcare.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005065/en/

Elizabeth Nikels / 909-235-4305 [email protected]

Source: Prime Healthcare Services, Inc.
PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced that it will begin the technical review of NuScale Power Corporations (NYSE: SMR) second Standard Design Approval (SDA) application. NuScale, the industry-leading provider of innovative advanced nuclear small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) technology, submitted the application in late 2022, which is based on the VOYGRTM-6 (6-module) power plant configuration powered by an uprated 250 MWt (77 MWe) SMR design. The design reflected in this application features the same fundamental safety case and passive safety features approved by the NRC in 2020, with a focus on the power uprate and select design changes to support customers capacity needs and further improve economics.

The commencement of the NRCs review brings us closer to another important regulatory milestone and the commercialization our SMR technology, which will provide affordable, carbon-free power to our customers, said John Hopkins, President and Chief Executive Officer of NuScale. We look forward to working alongside the NRC toward the achievement of our second design approval.

About NuScale Power

NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE: SMR) is the industry-leading provider of proprietary and innovative advanced small modular reactor nuclear technology, with a mission to help power the global energy transition by delivering safe, scalable, and reliable carbon-free energy. The companys groundbreaking VOYGR SMR plants are powered by the NuScale Power Module, a small, safe, pressurized water reactor that can each generate 77 megawatts of electricity (MWe) or 250 megawatts thermal (gross), and can be scaled to meet customer needs through an array of flexible configurations up to 924 MWe (12 modules) of output.

As the first and only SMR to have its design certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NuScale is well-positioned to serve diverse customers across the world by supplying nuclear energy for electrical generation, district heating, desalination, commercial-scale hydrogen production, and other process heat applications.

Founded in 2007, NuScale is headquartered in Portland, Ore. To learn more, visit NuScale Powers website or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005406/en/

Media Contact

Diane Hughes, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, NuScale Power

[email protected]

(503) 270-9329

Investor Contact

Scott Kozak, Director, Investor Relations, NuScale Power

[email protected]

(541) 452-7583

Source: NuScale Power
Conducted by Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research, findings from the study of Colleges doctoral candidates inform student success model for online doctoral programs

PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies faculty Mansureh Kebritchi, Ph.D, chair, Center for Educational and Instructional Technology Research (CEITR), Mark McCaslin, Ph.D., and Ryan Rominger, Ph.D., published a study based on the experience of the Colleges doctoral students, Contributing Factors for Success of Nontraditional Students at Online Doctoral Programs, in the publication, Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice.

Our programs are designed to meet the needs of working adults seeking a practitioner experience in their doctoral studies, states Hinrich Eylers, Ph.D., vice provost of College of Doctoral Studies. The study findings help demonstrate the success of our student experience and serve as a model for online doctoral programs.

Purposefully sampling to recruit 136 doctoral alumni, faculty and administrators of the University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies, the researchers conducted a mixed method study exploring the nature of student success and contributing factors to improving student success for nontraditional students in an online doctoral program. Focusing on completion of a degree and professional advancement as part of the definition for student success, the study offers a student success model that factors in student characteristics, alignment between student and program, and supportive program structure.

The participating alumnis grittiness and personality traits were measured by the Grit scale and Big Five personality scale, and the study found a strong correlation between their grittiness and the quicker speed with which they tended to complete their doctoral programs.

We had established a model for student success at the College in 2017, Kebritchi shares. This study offered additional insights that inform the revision of that model by including an understanding of the value of student Grit, the value of program-student goal alignment, and the impact of the broader context of a supportive, flexible doctoral program structure. Bringing the components together within a supportive program structure allows for optimal doctoral student success.

Kebritchi is the founder and chair of CEITR, where she supervises more than 300 faculty members, alumni, and students to conduct research in the field of education. Interested in studying innovative ways to improve quality of teaching and learning in K-12, higher education, and corporate settings in online and face-to-face formats, her recent publications address topics such as critical thinking, meditation and higher education, social media and cultural competency, diversity in higher education, promoting STEM in K-12 and higher education, and issues and challenges for teaching successful online courses. Kebritchi has supervised dozens of doctoral students in completing their doctoral dissertations. She completed her doctorate in Instructional Technology at the University of Central Florida.

Kebritchi has been a faculty member with the University of Phoenix since 2010.

McCaslin is University Research Methodologist in the Center for Leadership Studies and Organizational Research (CLSOR) at the College of Doctoral Studies. An academic leader with a lengthy history of teaching, educational programming, and administration, McCaslin earned his doctorate at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Rominger previously served as associate chair of CEITR and is currently a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Montana and the founder of Rominger Counseling, and an Adjunct faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies serving as a dissertation committee member. He earned his doctorate with Sofia University and completed his masters degree in clinical mental health counseling with Capella University.

The published article is available online at Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice.

About the College of Doctoral Studies

University of Phoenixs College of Doctoral Studies focuses on todays challenging business and organizational needs, from addressing critical social issues to developing solutions to accelerate community building and industry growth. The Colleges research program puts students in the center of an effective ecosystem of experts, resources and tools to help prepare them to be a leader in their organization, industry and community. Through this program, students and researchers work with organizations to conduct research that can be applied in the workplace in real time.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix is continually innovating to help working adults enhance their careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, and Career Services for Life help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005037/en/

Sharla Hooper

University of Phoenix

[email protected]

Source: University of Phoenix
FILE PHOTO: A pump jack of Wintershall DEA is pictured in Emlichheim near the northern German city of Meppen, Germany, March 9, 2022. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo

By Laura Sanicola

(Reuters) -Oil prices settled lower Friday, reversing early gains of more than $1 a barrel as banking sector fears caused both benchmarks to reach their biggest weekly declines in months.

Brent crude futures settled down by $1.73, or 2.3%, to $72.97 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell $1.61, or 2.4%, at $66.74.

At their session low, both benchmarks were down more than $3. Brent fell nearly by 12% in the week, its biggest weekly fall since December. WTI futures fell 13% since Friday's close, its biggest since last April.

"The underlying fundamentals aren't as terrible as what is being priced in here, but there is concern the oil is not as safe a place as cash or gold," said John Kilduff, Partner at Again Capital LLC in New York.

Oil prices tracked equity markets lower, dogged by the banking sector crisis and worries about possible recession.

All three indexes were sharply lower in afternoon trading, with financial stocks down the most among the major sectors of the S&P 500 following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank and with trouble at Credit Suisse and First Republic Bank.

Prices had recovered some ground after support measures from the European Central Bank and U.S. lenders, but dropped again when SVB Financial Group said it had filed for reorganization.

Pressure stemmed from "the continued fragile state of the market", said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

Analysts still expect constrained global supply to support oil prices in the foreseeable future.

OPEC+ members attributed this week's price weakness to financial drivers rather than any supply and demand imbalance, adding that they expected the market to stabilise.

WTI's fall this week to less than $70 a barrel for the first time since December 2021 could spur the U.S. government to start refilling its Strategic Petroleum Reserve, boosting demand.

And analysts expect China's demand recovery to add price support, with U.S. crude exports to China in March heading towards their highest in nearly two and a half years.

Saudi Arabia and Russia in a meeting on Thursday affirmed their commitment to OPEC+'s decision last October to cut production targets by two million barrels per day until the end of 2023.

An OPEC+ monitoring panel is due to meet on Apr. 3.

(Reporting by Laura Sanicola in Washington and Rowena Edwards in LondonAdditional reporting by Florence Tan and Trixie Yapin SingaporeEditing by David Goodman and David Gregorio)
FILE PHOTO: The Credit Suisse logo is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

By Shankar Ramakrishnan, Stefania Spezzati and Sumeet Chatterjee

(Reuters) -At least four major banks, including Societe Generale SA and Deutsche Bank AG, are restricting new trades involving Credit Suisse Group AG or its securities, according to five sources with direct knowledge of the matter, as the Swiss bank struggles to restore confidence.

Credit Suisse declined to comment.

The cautious stance adopted by Credit Suisses rivals, details of which have not been reported before, comes after the Swiss central bank threw a lifeline to the lender after its shares were pummelled in the aftermath of the U.S. banking crisis this week.

Credit Suisse intends to borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs ($54 billion) from the Swiss National Bank in what it called "decisive action" to boost its liquidity on Thursday.

The curbs add to the banks problems as it tries to restructure operations and find its footing after a series of costly scandals. Credit Suisse's chief financial officer Dixit Joshi and his teams will hold meetings over the weekend to assess strategic scenarios for the bank, other people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday.

The five people with direct knowledge of the bank's trading counterparties requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

Societe Generale has maintained existing counterparty positions with Credit Suisse, which it had cut back in recent weeks, but it is not increasing them, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

Societe Generale declined to comment.

Deutsche Bank, meanwhile, this week slashed the lending value it assigns to Credit Suisse securities, such as bonds, put up by its wealth management clients as collateral for loans, according to a top executive at a European wealth manager that has business ties with the German lender. Earlier, the bank would value them at about 70% to 80% of face value, the source said.

Deutsche Bank declined to comment.

HSBC Holdings Plc's private banking business has also started scrutinizing its loans linked to Credit Suisse securities, which are in the hands of clients in Europe and Asia, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said. The source added that the bank has not taken any decision yet on lowering its exposure to the Swiss lender but was watching developments closely and will take a decision early next week.

HSBC declined to comment.

Another source at a major global bank, who deals directly with Credit Suisse in Asia, said their bank had started asking the Swiss lender to gross settle, a trading scenario where the counterparty demands up-front payment instead of collecting any money that might be due as a result of a trade later.

Another global bank has reduced its unsecured exposure to Credit Suisse, which includes all lending with no collateral, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The bank is still providing repurchase agreements, which is secured lending.

In Asia, a mid-sized Chinese brokerage which was previously trading bonds and entering derivatives contracts with Credit Suisse, on Friday stopped assuming counterparty risk with the Swiss lender, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Credit Suisse has said that it is a strong, global bank. "We fulfill and basically overshoot all regulatory requirements. Our capital, our liquidity basis is very strong, Chief Executive Ulrich Koerner said earlier this week in a media interview.

The lender told Reuters on Thursday that its average liquidity coverage ratio, a measure of how much cash-like assets the bank has, was 150% as of March 14, the same measure as on March 8 before the U.S. had to step in to guarantee deposits at two US banks triggering a sell-off in lenders' stocks and bonds.

Still, with investor confidence remaining weak, some analysts have said the loan from the central bank has only bought Credit Suisse time to work out what to do next strategically to restore profitability.

Among possible scenarios, analysts, bankers and investors speculate that Credit Suisse could sell or wind down some of its existing businesses with a break-up potentially on the cards.

(Reporting by Shankar Ramakrishnan, Sumeet Chatterjee, Stefania Spezzati, Vidya Ranganathan, Elisa Martinuzzi, Selena Li and Oliver Hirt; Editing by Paritosh Bansal, Edward Tobin, Elaine Hardcastle)
FILE PHOTO: Destroyed SVB (Silicon Valley Bank) logo is seen in this illustration taken March 13, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) - First-Citizens Bank & Trust Co, a unit of First Citizens BancShares Inc, said it will acquire $110 billion in assets, $56 billion in deposits and $72 billion in loans of failed lender Silicon Valley Bank.

SVB was the largest bank, since the 2008 financial crisis, to collapse when California regulators closed the bank on March 10, sparking massive market disruption and heightened stress across the banking sector globally.

Santa Clara, California-based SVB was the sixteenth biggest U.S. lender at the end of last year, with about $209 billion in assets, while First Citizens has around $109 billion.

Below is a timeline of key events leading to the acquisition:

Date Development

March 8, 2023 SVB says it intends to raise $2.25 billion in

common equity and preferred convertible stock

after it sold a portfolio of US Treasuries and

mortgage-backed securities at a $1.8 billion

loss

March 9, 2023 SVB clients pull their money from the bank on

the advice of venture capital firms such as

Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, sources tell

Reuters, leading to $42 billion of deposit

withdrawals on that day

March 10, 2023 A California regulator shuts Silicon Valley

Bank and appoints the Federal Deposit

Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver to

take control of its parent company, according

to the agency's statement

March 11, 2023 Employees of Silicon Valley Bank offered 45

days of employment at 1.5 times their salary

by the regulator FDIC, according to an email

to staff seen by Reuters

March 12, 2023 "Depositors will have access to all of their

money starting Monday, March 13," the U.S.

Treasury, Federal Reserve and FDIC said in a

statement, adding that no losses associated

with the resolution of Silicon Valley Bank

will be borne by the taxpayer

March 13, 2023 The defunct holding company says it is

planning to explore strategic alternatives for

its businesses and names William Kosturos as

its chief restructuring officer.

President Joe Biden vows to take action to

ensure the safety of the U.S. banking system.

March 14, 2023 SVB says that Goldman Sachs acquired the bond

portfolio on which it booked a $1.8 billion

loss, a transaction that set its failure in

motion.

March 15, 2023 Canada's financial regulator says it has taken

permanent control of the assets of Silicon

Valley Bank's Canadian branch and was winding

up the institution.

March 15, 2023 Regulators at the U.S. Federal Deposit

Insurance Corp (FDIC) have asked banks

interested in acquiring failed lenders Silicon

Valley Bank and Signature Bank to submit bids

by March 17, Reuters reported.

March 16, 2023 U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says that

Silicon Valley Bank had to be closed because

of a liquidity risk that meant the bank could

not meet depositors' withdrawal requests.

March 17, 2023 SVB says it filed for a court-supervised

reorganization under Chapter 11 bankruptcy

protection to seek buyers for its assets, days

after its former unit Silicon Valley Bank was

taken over by U.S. regulators.

March 19, 2023 SVB Financial lost access to its financial

records after the bank was placed into

receivership by the FDIC, according to court

documents filed in Manhattan.

March 20, 2023 The FDIC decided to break up Silicon Valley

Bank and hold two separate auctions for its

traditional deposits unit and its private bank

after failing to find a buyer for the failed

lender.

March 27, 2023 First Citizens BancShares Inc said it will

acquire the deposits and loans of failed

Silicon Valley Bank.

(Reporting by Mehnaz Yasmin in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Priyamvada C; Editing by Maju Samuel, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Sriraj Kalluvila and Savio D'Souza)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Asante Gold Corporation (CSE:ASE | GSE:ASG | FRANKFURT:1A9 | U.S.OTC: ASGOF) (Asante or the Company) announces the appointment of David Anthony, Chief Executive Officer of Asante, and Edward Nana Yaw Koranteng, Chief Executive Officer of Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF), to the Companys board of directors and the resignation of Nadia Abdul Aziz as a director of the Company, all with immediate effect.

Douglas MacQuarrie, Chair of the Board, stated, The Board will derive significant benefit from these two new appointments. Daves appointment follows naturally from his role as Asantes Chief Executive Officer for the past year and previously as Chief Operating Officer. Edwards appointment reflects both his deep experience in mine finance and his perspective as a representative of MIIF, a significant Asante shareholder and a strong supporter of Asantes gold mining operations in Ghana. We thank Nadia for her outstanding contributions to Asante on the Board, the ESG and the Audit Committees. We look forward to her continued involvement in Asantes community initiatives.

David Anthony has more than 40 years of experience in mine project development and operation at the senior management and executive levels. He worked with Barrick in Africa for 10 years and became COO of African Barrick Gold. He has also worked in Canada, Ecuador, Brazil, Indonesia, Chile and Argentina to design, deliver and operate open pit and underground mines. Prior to Asante, he was Chief Operating Officer of Cardinal Resources Limited before its takeover by Shandong Gold for more than $500 million. At the time, Cardinal was developing the 5 million oz (reserve) Namdini Gold Mine in Ghana.

Edward Koranteng is a lawyer and an experienced corporate and investment banker with over 23 years working experience. Since 2021, as Chief Executive Officer of MIIF, a sovereign minerals wealth fund, he oversees the management of Ghanas equity interest in mining companies and manages all royalties paid to the state from mining activities. Prior to his appointment to MIIF, Mr. Koranteng was the Business Head for East, Central and Southern Africa for Ghana International Bank plc (GHIB) in the United Kingdom, and was stationed primarily in Nairobi, Kenya where he was also responsible for GHIBs energy and mining portfolio and led various financing projects in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya and Malawi. Prior to that, Mr. Koranteng worked with the Chase Bank Group (Kenya), now SBM Bank of Mauritius, which included Genghis Investment Bank, as the Group Head for Energy, Oil, Gas and Mining. He has held executive and senior managerial positions covering corporate, oil and gas and mining for Ecobank Ghana, Access Bank Ghana and Fidelity Bank. He began his career as a Management Consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers in 1999 in Ghana. He holds a Master of Laws Degree in International Banking and Finance from the University of Leeds.

In other news, with the Company having fully investigated the matters that arose at the Annual and Special General Meeting held on December 21, 2022, the Executive Committee of the Board that was formed has now been dissolved.

About Asante Gold Corporation

Asante is a gold exploration, development and operating company with a high-quality portfolio of projects and mines in Ghana. Asante is currently operating the Bibiani and Chirano Gold Mines with combined forecast production of approximately 400,000 ounces of gold for 2023. The Company continues with detailed technical studies at its Kubi Gold Project for early production. All mines and exploration projects are located on the prolific Bibiani and Ashanti Gold Belts. Asante has an experienced and skilled team of mine finders, builders and operators, with extensive experience in Ghana. The Company is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange, the Ghana Stock Exchange and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Asante is also exploring its Keyhole, Fahiakoba and Betenase projects for new discoveries, all adjoining or along strike of major gold mines near the centre of Ghanas Golden Triangle. Additional information is available on the Companys website at www.asantegold.com.

About the Bibiani Gold Mine

Bibiani is an operating open pit gold mine situated in the Western North Region of Ghana, with previous gold production of near 5 million ounces. It is fully permitted with available mining and processing infrastructure on-site consisting of a newly refurbished 3 million tonne per annum process plant and existing mining infrastructure. Mining commenced in late February 2022 with the first gold pour announced on July 7, 2022. Commercial production was announced November 10, 2022.

For additional information relating to the mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates for the Bibiani Gold Mine, please refer to Asantes press releases dated July 18, 2022 and September 1, 2022 and the technical report filed on its SEDAR profile (www.sedar.com) on September 1, 2022.

About the Chirano Gold Mine

Chirano is an operating open-pit and underground mine located in the Western Region of Ghana, immediately south of the Companys Bibiani Gold Mine. Chirano was first explored and developed in 1996 and began production in October 2005. The mine comprises the Akwaaba, Suraw, Akoti South, Akoti North, Akoti Extended, Paboase, Tano, Obra South, Obra, Sariehu and Mamnao open pits and the Akwaaba and Paboase underground mines. Gold Equivalent Production in 2021 was 154,668 oz on a 100% basis (source Kinross Gold Corporation).

For further information please contact:

Dave Anthony, President & CEO: +1 647 382 4215 (Canada) or +233 55 879 3309 (Ghana), [email protected] Frederick Attakumah, Executive Vice President, [email protected]

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including the resources, reserves, exploration results, development programs and increases in mine-life and potential synergies between Chirano and Bibiani. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, the Companys inability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its planned activities, the Companys inability to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and the price of gold. The reader is referred to the Companys public disclosure record which is available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Except as required by securities laws and the policies of the securities exchanges on which the Company is listed, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

LEI Number: 529900F9PV1G9S5YD446. Neither IIROC nor any stock exchange or other securities regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Source: Asante Gold Corporation
TORONTO, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Forsys Metals Corp. (TSX: FSY) (FSE: F2T) (NSX: FSY) (Forsys or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on strategic developments at the Companys Norasa Uranium Project (Norasa Project or Norasa) located in Namibia, Africa. The Norasa Uranium Project is wholly-owned by the Companys subsidiary Valencia Uranium (Pty) Ltd. (Valencia Uranium) and comprises the Valencia Uranium Project (ML149) and the Namibplaas Uranium Project (EPL3638) in the Erongo region of Namibia.

A Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) was originally completed by Amec Foster Wheeler in 2015 for the Norasa Project, and subsequently, various metallurgical testwork programs and desk top studies have been undertaken.

Ausenco Limited (Ausenco) were contracted by Forsys Metals in 2022 to review the 2015 DFS for any potential technical gaps and upgrades and to identify cost saving initiatives. Several aspects were identified by Ausenco and recommendations were made for technical optimisation and cost saving opportunities, compared to the original DFS.

Technical trade-off studies will now be conducted to evaluate the options for practical and economical benefit, in comparison to the 2015 DFS. In this regard, Valencia Uranium has appointed DRA Mineral Projects Pty Ltd (DRA) as the engineering consulting company to conduct the trade-off studies. DRA are highly experienced in Namibian mining as well as uranium mining studies and resource projects in Southern Africa.

The scope of work includes a review of testwork information to confirm optimal grind size considering uranium recovery, costs, materials handling and tailings handling. Balance of trade-off studies include the comminution circuitry design; leach circuitry design and layout; and dewatering circuit configuration and design. A tailings deposition option study will also be undertaken. Techno-financial evaluations will be done, in addition to qualitative risk assessments to select the best design basis for further DFS validation.

An eight week time frame is planned for the trade-off studies. A drilling program for confirmatory and variability metallurgical testwork will also be undertaken. The Company will provide further updates on these ongoing studies as they become available.

Mark Frewin, Forsys CEO said We are pleased to appoint DRA to conduct these studies as they are highly qualified and have a strong understanding and experience with uranium mining. The appointment is a key element towards engineering and design optimization at Norasa. We are confident that the studies will highlight opportunities to improve the project economics in a market where uranium is now being treated as a environmentally sound renewable energy source.

About Forsys Metals Corp.Forsys Metals Corp. is a uranium focused development company with 100% ownership of the Norasa project that comprises the Valencia and Namibplaas uranium projects in Namibia, Africa, a politically stable and mining friendly jurisdiction. Information regarding current National Instrument 43101 compliant Resource and Reserves at Valencia and Namibplaas are available on the Company website forsysmetals.com.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Forsys Metals Corp. Richard Parkhouse, Director, Investor Relations.

For additional information please contact: R ichard Parkhouse, Director, Investor Relationsemail: [email protected] email: [email protected]Phone: +44 (0) 7730 493432

Source: Forsys Metals Corp
Harvia Plc Stock Exchange Release 17 March 2023 at 9:00 am EET





Harvias Annual Report 2022 has been published and can be found on the company website as a PDF file at https://harviagroup.com/investor-relations/results-reports/ .

Annual Report includes the Board of Directors Report and the Financial Statements consisting of the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Parent Company Financial Statements. Harvias Annual Report includes also the Corporate Governance Statement and Remuneration Report for 2022.

The financial statements are published in accordance with the European Single Electronic Format (ESEF) reporting requirements. The audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Oy has provided an independent auditors reasonable assurance report on Harvia Plcs ESEF Financial Statements in accordance with ISAE 3000 (Revised).

All of the documents are attached to this release as a PDF file and the Annual Report also as an XHTML file. The documents are also available in Finnish and in English on Harvias website at https://harviagroup.com/ .





For further information:

CEO Tapio Pajuharju, [email protected] , tel. +358 50 577 4200

CFO Ari Vesterinen, [email protected] , tel. +358 40 505 0440





Harvia is one of the leading companies operating in the sauna and spa market globally, as measured by revenue. Harvias brands and product portfolio are well known in the market, and the companys comprehensive product portfolio strives to meet the needs of the international sauna and spa market of both private and professional customers.

Harvias revenue totaled EUR 172.4 million in 2022. Harvia Group employs more than 600 professionals in Finland, China and Hong Kong, Romania, Austria, United States, Germany and Estonia. The company is headquartered in Muurame, Finland, adjacent to its largest sauna and sauna component manufacturing facility.

Read more: https://harviagroup.com

Attachments
Today the Government Debt Management on behalf of the Treasury and primary dealers signed agreements regarding Issuance and Market Making in Treasury securities. The objective of the agreements is to maintain the Treasurys access to financing and to enhance price formation in the secondary market for Treasury securities.

As of 1 April 2023, five financial institutions have been appointed as primary dealers in Treasury securities. They are: Arion Banki hf., Fossar Investment Bank hf., Islandsbanki hf., Kvika banki hf. and Landsbankinn hf.

The following bullet points describe the main content of the Agreement:

Primary dealers have exclusive access to auctions of marketable Treasury securities.

Primary dealers have exclusive access to special facilities such as repurchase agreements offered by the Government Debt Management on behalf of the Treasury.

Primary dealers are obliged to submit bids at each auction for a minimum of 100 m.kr. nominal value.

Primary dealers are Market Makers in the secondary market for Treasury benchmark series. They are obliged to submit bid and ask offers on the stock exchange for at least 60 to 100 m.kr. nominal value in each benchmark series (as laid out in the agreements).

Primary dealers are in their bid and ask quotes governed by maximum spreads as laid out in the agreements.

Primary dealers are obliged to renew their offers within ten minutes after execution of transaction. The primary dealer is entitled to depart from the maximum spread requirement if certain conditions are fulfilled.

The agreement is valid from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

Further information can be obtained from Bjorgvin Sighvatsson, head of the Government Debt Management at +354 569 9600.
WASHINGTON, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HOMER BUILDING; On the eve of St. Patricks Day at a ceremony in Washington D.C., the Speaker Emerita of the U.S. House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, received a prestigious Honorary Doctorate from Ulster University. The honour, which is the highest award a university can bestow, recognises the remarkable contribution Speaker Emerita Pelosi has made to her country through the promotion of human rights and protection of people, and her unwavering support for peace making.

It comes as Ulster University marks the 25th Anniversary of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement through a programme of events in Northern Ireland and the United States, recognising the importance of sustaining peace and inspiring the next generation of leaders who will shape Northern Irelands future.

The degree was conferred upon her by the Chancellor of Ulster University, Dr Colin Davidson, at the ceremony in Washington DC, attended by political and civic representatives from Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the United States

As a giant of global politics for 40 years, Speaker Emerita Pelosi has been a trailblazer for women in high office in US and across the world. Following the Congressional midterm elections of 2006, she became the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives in US History and has played a critical role in delivering major legislative achievements. These have included: leading the Dodd-Frank Act which regulated the financial markets after the crash of 2008; the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 refloating the US economy; the Affordable Care Act of 2010, which was the most significant expansion of medical insurance coverage for 40 years; and the American Rescue Plan of 2021, which propelled America out of the COVID pandemic.

Chancellor of Ulster University, Dr Colin Davidson said: The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita of the U.S. House of Representatives, has been recognised and honoured by Ulster University for the outstanding contribution she has made to her country as a steadfast ally in the promotion of human rights and a relentless advocate in the struggle to end discrimination.

Her work to honour the dignity and worth of every human being through the promotion of rights and the protection of people has been instrumental in developing inclusive and diverse schools and workplaces that strengthen communities and help people to flourish.

Speaker Emerita Pelosi has taken an active and high-profile interest in Northern Ireland and is an ardent supporter of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.

Vice-Chancellor and President of Ulster University, Professor Paul Bartholomew commented: Ulster University was honoured to host the Speaker Emerita and a Congressional delegation on our Derry~Londonderry campus in April 2019 during a trip to Northern Ireland.

On that visit, the Speaker Emerita Pelosi recognised the strong bond between the United States of America and Northern Ireland, and the importance of people, reconciliation and hope for the future. As we mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, it is fitting that we celebrate the Speaker Emerita as a pioneering leader whose passion for and commitment to peace building has and will continue to inspire all of those continuing this important work in Northern Ireland and across the world.

Ulster University is an esteemed academic institution, earning the respect of the world and producing many outstanding alumni, Speaker Emerita Dr Nancy Pelosi said. Ulster stands as a pillar of the peace of the Good Friday Agreement: moulding the minds of many young people who have never known the bloody conflict, who as young leaders are helping build a brighter future.

It is my privilege to join in welcoming Ulster to our Nations capital and, with great pride and humility, accept an Honorary Doctorate, Speaker Emerita Pelosi continued. For a quarter-century, the Good Friday Agreement has enabled the transformation of Northern Ireland and served as a beacon of hope to all freedom-loving people. It has been my honor to work alongside Chairman Richard Neal to preserve the promise of the Agreement for Northern Ireland, for the Irish Republic and for the world  now and for decades to come.

Ulster Universitys plans to mark BGFA at 25

Last week Ulster University announced a varied programme to mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement which will reflect on the remarkable resilience of the Northern Ireland community in sustaining peace. The programme will engage with all sectors on the work still to do and actively prepare the next generation of leaders to see it through.

Highlights of the programme include:

Year-long arts programme to commemorate and reflect on the pivotal moment of Belfast Good Friday Agreement 25 years ago

[email protected]: a new leadership programme will be launched to nurture 25 high potential young leaders who are committed to building a better Northern Ireland for everyone

Finding your voice - Lyras Literary Legacy: a youth project in the Northwest will explore the role of creative writing in contributing to peace building and nurturing reconciliation

Tourism Summit: The Open and Beyond - fair winds, fairways and fine fayre. Looking at the boost to tourism delivered because of the peace dividend and whats next for the positioning of Causeway Coast/Northwest region

Further information on the entire programme, each of the events and how to get involved is available here: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/bgfa

Imagery and Video

A gallery of imagery and a video from the conferment ceremony is available to download here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ph7h86kh77vrj9o/AAADVjlsH9V5npXZx0J6Fx_Fa?dl=0

A video of the livestream is also available here: https://www.youtube.com/UlsterUniversityOfficial

Media enquiries: please contact [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5aa1622c-f8bd-408d-9f67-e2823d85e8e7

The photo is also available at Newscom, www.newscom.com, and via AP PhotoExpress.

Speaker Emerita Dr Nancy Pelosi with Ulster University Chancellor Dr Colin Davidson Speaker Emerita Dr Nancy Pelosi receives an honorary doctorate from Ulster Universitys Chancellor Dr Colin Davidson while Chairman Richard Neal looks on. On the eve of St. Patricks Day at a ceremony in Washington D.C., the Speaker Emerita of the U.S House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, received a prestigious Honorary Doctorate from Ulster University. The honour, which is the highest award a university can bestow, recognises the remarkable contribution Speaker Emerita Pelosi has made to her country through the promotion of human rights and protection of people, and her unwavering support for peace making. It comes as Ulster University marks the 25th Anniversary of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement through a programme of events in Northern Ireland and the United States, recognising the importance of sustaining peace and inspiring the next generation of leaders who will shape Northern Irelands future. The degree was conferred upon her by the Chancellor of Ulster University, Dr

Source: Ulster University
Sacramento, Calif., March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sutter Health welcomes 86 medical doctors into residency programs for the coming academic year, filling 100% of its residency program openings throughout the organization. It is a record amount of resident physicians for the not-for-profit, integrated health system, which announced the milestone on Match Day  an annual tradition when the National Resident Matching Program releases results to resident applicants.

Tomorrows best medicine will be shaped by todays top practicing physicians, medical scholars and clinician-researchers. At Sutter, our graduate medical education programs offer doctors a training experience that will prepare them to lead the field, said Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Sutter Health. Expanding the ranks of physicians is more critical than ever. Graduate medical education programs like ours help widen the pipeline for high-quality, high-caliber physicians from all walks of life to meet the growing and diverse healthcare needs across California and the country.

Sylvie Umuhoza, senior director of academic affairs at Sutter Health, says that the health systems graduate medical education programs have been growing over time. Sutter has nearly 200 resident and fellow physicians in its existing 16 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited programs that span across six locations. She explained that they are looking to expand program offerings and locations over the next several years. Sutter most recently applied for and received a federal grant to develop an obstetrics and gynecology residency in partnership with WellSpace Health, a federally qualified health center that focuses on supporting underserved populations.

Umuhoza said Sutter Healths goal is to eventually train more than 400 resident and fellow physicians annually in a variety of specialties and subspecialties, enhancing access to care and helping retain talent to the region. This focus will help elevate Sutters already strong offerings into one of the top physician training programs in Northern California.

We are proud to offer robust programs that deliver cutting-edge knowledge and expertise, enabling these doctors to stay abreast of emerging best practices for unparalleled patient care, she said. Here at Sutter, residents and fellows train with some of the nations best physician-mentors who have studied and practiced at our hospitals, as well as top medical institutions across the U.S.

Dr. Archana Ganta joined the Family Medicine Rural Residency Program in Amador County in 2022. She works at the Sutter Family Medicine Continuity Clinic in Jackson, Calif., along with rotations at nearby Sutter Amador Hospital. She is from California and received medical training in the Midwest, and plans to continue her career in rural California.

Being in a more rural community, you are able to see and care for whole generations of families, said Dr. Ganta, who hails from the rural town of Hemet, an hours drive from Los Angeles. Dr. Ganta knows a little about family medicine physicians in rural areas; her father, Dr. Sanyasi Ganta, is one in Hemet. I feel that the relationships those rural family physicians have with their patients are much closer and deeper compared with those in more populated areas. I really enjoy that.

Sutter offers resident and fellow physicians an attractive array of clinical avenues to explore. The training and exposure they gain can lead to long-term careers providing impactful, life-changing care to patients and families. In fact, 43% of the resident/fellow physicians in the training programs have been hired into medical group practices that are affiliated with Sutters health system, helping serve the diverse healthcare needs of the region. Physician residency programs at Sutter include those in emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, ophthalmology, psychiatry and surgery. Physician fellowship programs include advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology, cardiology, clinical ethics, endocrinology, family medicine, gastroenterology, hand surgery, health psychology, hematology/oncology, neurocritical care, pediatric neuropsychology, psychology, pulmonary and critical care, retina, shoulder and upper extremity, transplant hepatology and transplant nephrology. Locations for these programs range from urban centers in San Francisco and Sacramento, to more suburban settings like Davis, Roseville and Santa Rosa, Calif., and the more rural in Jackson.

Given how diverse the region is, Sutter resident and fellow physicians have the opportunity to care for patients from a variety of racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. This array of training sites helps them deliver more culturally competent carelearning skills to care for patients with unique health concerns and multifaceted, complex social drivers of health.

We foster an open, welcoming environment built on a foundation committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, said Leon Clark, Sutter Healths chief research officer who also serves as the designated institutional official for the systems graduate medical education programs. While physician residents and fellows will gain immeasurable value from the training they receive inside hospital and clinic walls, they will also have opportunities through our programs to go out into the community. They will see firsthand what is happening with those who are underserved and gain tremendous insight from those types of immersive experiences.

For more information about Sutter Healths graduate medical education programs, as well as other medical training opportunities, visit https://www.suttermd.com/education.

Attachments

Angie Sheets Sutter Health 916-494-9547 [email protected]

Source: Sutter Health
TORONTO, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Topicus.com Inc. (TSXV: TOI) subsidiary Topicus.com BV has signed a purchase agreement for the acquisition of Five Degrees Holding B.V. (fivedegrees), pending closing conditions such as merger control approvals, among others.

fivedegrees was founded by tech and banking professionals in 2010 and has been a digital banking technology provider in Western Europe, the United States and Canada. Velocity Fintech Ventures has been a major shareholder of the company since shortly after its foundation. In 2018, fivedegrees added a lending- and securities suite to its product portfolio through the acquisition of Libra in Iceland. In 2023 over 40 banks in Europe and North America use the technology. In addition, the group consists of the neo cloud-native core banking platform allowing clients to meet ever-changing market demands.

About Topicus.com

Topicus.com is a leading pan-European provider of vertical market software and vertical market platforms to clients in public and private sector markets. Operating and investing in countries and markets across Europe with long-term growth potential, Topicus.com acquires, builds and manages leading software companies providing specialized, mission-critical and high-impact software solutions that address the particular needs of customers.

For further information, contact:

Topicus.com Inc.Jamal Baksh, Chief Financial OfficerTel: (416) 861-9677

Source: Topicus.com Inc.
On March 9, 2023, a group of nonpartisan Congress legislators penned a letter to senior Biden administration figures asking for transparency on the presidents ongoing review of marijuanas legalization. A draft of the letter was recently distributed by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) among Congress for signatures before being sent to Xavier Becerra, secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and Merrick Garland, United States attorney general.

According to the letters content, Bidens scheduling directive presents a chance to evaluate the causes and effects of

Read More>>

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to India Globalization Capital Inc. (NYSE American: IGC) are available in the companys newsroom at https://cnw.fm/IGC

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FILE PHOTO: The logo of Uber is seen at a temporary showroom at the Promenade road during the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2023, in the Alpine resort of Davos, Switzerland, January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) -A U.S. appeals court on Friday revived a lawsuit by Uber Technologies Inc and subsidiary Postmates Inc challenging a California law that would require them to provide more proof that workers are independent contractors, a classification that helps the companies save millions.

In a major win for app-based services that heavily rely on contractors, the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the state must face claims that the law known as AB5 is unconstitutional because it improperly singles out app-based transportation businesses while exempting many other industries.

Uber hailed the 9th Circuit decision in a statement.

"This is yet another signal that efforts to take away drivers' independence and flexibility will ultimately fail," the company said.

The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, said in a statement that it was reviewing the decision and assessing its next steps.

"We will continue to defend laws that are designed to protect workers and ensure fair labor and business practices," Bonta's office said.

AB5, which took effect in 2020, imposes a higher bar to show that workers are independent contractors rather than employees, who have greater legal protections and can cost companies up to 30% more.

California lawmakers exempted many jobs and businesses from AB5's reach, including "referral agencies" that connect workers and customers, but explicitly did not exempt app-based transportation and delivery services.

That means Uber is subject to the law while pet-sitting service Wag, which has been called "Uber for dogs," is not.

A three-judge 9th Circuit panel on Friday said the "piecemeal fashion" of the exemptions to the law was enough to keep Uber's lawsuit alive.

"The exclusion of thousands of workers from the mandates of AB5 is starkly inconsistent with the bill's stated purpose of affording workers the 'basic rights and protections they deserve,'" Circuit Judge Johnnie Rawlinson wrote for then court.

The court said the federal judge in Los Angeles who dismissed the case must also reconsider her earlier ruling declining to block AB5 pending the outcome of the lawsuit.

The decision comes after a California state appeals court on Monday revived a ballot measure passed by nearly 60% of voters in 2020 that exempts app-based transportation services such as Uber and rival Lyft Inc from the scope of AB5. The ballot measure had been struck down by a judge.

The 9th Circuit decision and the ruling reviving Prop 22 may not have an immediate effect, as the state and a labor union that challenged the ballot measure are likely to appeal them.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by David Gregorio, Alexia Garamfalvi and Aurora Ellis)
FILE PHOTO: A general view as the Hungarian parliament starts debating the ratification of Finland and Sweden's NATO membership in Budapest, Hungary, March 1, 2023. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's legislature will vote on the ratification of Finland's NATO accession on March 27 and the majority ruling party bloc will unanimously support the bid, the leader of the ruling Fidesz party's parliamentary group said on Friday.

Mate Kocsis said in a Facebook post that the Fidesz parliamentary group will decide on Sweden's NATO accession "later," without specifying.

Sweden and Finland applied last year for membership of the transatlantic military alliance after Russian forces invaded Ukraine. All 30 NATO members must ratify the applications, and Hungary and Turkey have held back their approvals.

"We will bring forward the parliamentary vote (on Finland's NATO accession) to March 27 and will unanimously vote yes," Kocsis said in his statement.

"On the issue of Sweden, the parliamentary group will decide at a later date."

Kocsis' announcement comes on the same day as Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey will start the process of ratifying Finland's NATO membership bid in parliament after the country took concrete steps to keep its promises.

Erdogan said Turkey will continue discussions with Sweden on terrorism-related issues.

Erdogan had met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday in Ankara.

Hungary's ratification process has been stranded in parliament since July, and in February Orban accused Finland and Sweden of spreading "outright lies" about democracy and the rule of law in Hungary.

Earlier this month, Fidesz lawmakers visited Finland and Sweden for talks.

(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
CHICAGO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackDoctor.org (BDO), the leading online health & wellness destination for Black consumers, announces the highly anticipated list of distinguished honorees for the 8th Annual Top Blacks in Healthcare Awards Gala and Thought Leadership Event. This is the return of BDO's signature event after a brief hiatus during the pandemic.

The celebration of Black excellence will be held on Thursday, April 20, 2023 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC (1150 22nd St. NW). The historic day begins with the Thought Leadership Summit from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET and will culminate with the Top Blacks in Health Awards Gala from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m ET.

The Awards Gala, hosted by radio and television legend Donnie Simpson, will honor 14 individuals who have made outstanding contributions to healthcare. The award is recognizing their leadership through the intersection of healthcare advancement and disease prevention. Their vision, superior performance, and commitment to health equity are paramount to moving our community forward.

"These individuals have reached a very high level in their careers and BlackDoctor.org is honored to celebrate their success. Role models are important in the Black community and BDO is pleased to be able to shine a bright spotlight on their journey," said Reggie Ware, CEO of BlackDoctor.org.

The 2023 Top Blacks in Healthcare award recipients include:

Reshema Kemps-Polanco , Executive Vice President and US Head - Novartis Oncology

, Executive Vice President and US Head - Novartis Oncology Reed Tuckson MD, FACP , Co-Founder - Black Coalition Against COVID

, Co-Founder - Black Coalition Against COVID Rodney Cotton , Senior Vice President  Roche Diagnostics Corporation

, Senior Vice President  Roche Diagnostics Corporation Erica Taylor PhD , Vice President. Chief Marketing Officer  Genentech

, Vice President. Chief Marketing Officer  Genentech Sam Conaway , President U.S. Sales Cardiology Group - Boston Scientific

, President U.S. Sales Cardiology Group - Boston Scientific Andrew Otoo PharmD , President, Global Vaccines - Merck & Company

, President, Global Vaccines - Merck & Company Will Station , Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer - McKesson Medical Surgical

, Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer - McKesson Medical Surgical Veronica Jones , Chief Procurement Officer  Gilead Sciences

, Chief Procurement Officer  Gilead Sciences Torod Neptune , Senior Vice President, Chief Communications Officer  Medtronic

, Senior Vice President, Chief Communications Officer  Medtronic Sheri Humphrey , US Oncology Marketing Leader  Merck & Company

, US Oncology Marketing Leader  Merck & Company Monique Adams , Executive Director, Global Head, D&I in Clinical Trials  Sanofi

, Executive Director, Global Head, D&I in Clinical Trials  Sanofi Ponda Motsepe-Ditshego MD , V.P. and Therapeutic Area Head Global Medical, General Medicine - Amgen

, V.P. and Therapeutic Area Head Global Medical, General Medicine - Amgen Dr. Christina Harris , Chief Health Equity Officer - Cedars-Sinai

, Chief Health Equity Officer - Cedars-Sinai Anthony P. Mack, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer - Virpax Pharmaceuticals

Award recipients will also be featured on the BlackDoctor.org website, BDO's social media platforms, and other related media. Currently, BlackDoctor.org has a total monthly audience reach of more than 20 million.

Executive Editor, Jade Curtis, sums it up perfectly by stating, "Celebrating our honorees and sharing their incredible accomplishments will inspire our audience to keep pushing toward their own personal greatness".

The Thought Leadership Summit consists of several panels of healthcare leaders discussing topics to make health equity a reality. The panels will be live-streamed to BDO's 20 million FB audience.

For sponsorship and ticket information, contact BDO directly at [email protected] or at 312-222-1205.

About BlackDoctor.org

BlackDoctor.org (BDO) is the leading online health & wellness destination for Black consumers. With a monthly total audience reach of 20 million on Facebook and 6.5 million monthly visitors to their website, BDO leverages culture, content, and technology to transform peoples' lives for the better. BDO also boasts the largest online database of Black physicians and dentists as part of its free doctor search tool. BlackDoctor.org: Where wellness and culture connect!

Media Contact:Ellis Dean[email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2023-top-blacks-in-healthcare-awards-announced-301775225.html

SOURCE Black Doctor.org
AUSTIN, Texas, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Abracon, LLC (Abracon), a leader in electronic components, welcomes Cole Sikes as the company's new Vice President of Global Distribution and EMS for Abracon, reporting to Mike White, Vice President of Global Sales.

Sikes will be responsible for developing and executing growth strategies while partnering with the company's global distribution network and managing our EMS partners. With over nine years of experience in the industry, Sikes brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Abracon.

"Abracon is pleased to add Cole to our organization. His experience, skills, and reputation align with our core values and market needs in support of our global partnerships. We're excited to have him take our distribution and EMS partners to new heights," said Mike White.

Sikes holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University and has participated in ECIA committees to drive best practices in business reviews and technology training. In his most recent role at onsemi, Sikes was responsible for the high-service and specialty distribution segment, where he grew annual revenue and rapidly expanded market share.

"I'm thrilled to join Abracon as Vice President of Global Distribution and EMS. Abracon has built an impressive portfolio and reputation for excellence in the electronics industry. I'm eager to collaborate with the team to take Abracon's position to the next level, forging strong partnerships and delivering world-class solutions to our customers and partners," said Sikes.

About AbraconHeadquartered outside of Austin, Texas, Abracon enables global customers to design next-generation products by offering innovative and high-performance Frequency Control, Timing, Magnetics, Power, Inductors, Connectivity, and RF and Antenna solutions. Abracon accelerates customers' time to market by focusing on technical expertise, service excellence, and providing reliable electronic components through a global distribution network. With service, quality, and technical knowledge at the company's core, Abracon empowers innovative connected technology in markets spanning data communication, transportation, industrial, medical, aerospace, defense, and beyond.

Learn more at www.abracon.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/abracon-welcomes-cole-sikes-as-vice-president-of-global-distribution-and-ems-301774190.html

SOURCE Abracon, LLC
MIAMI, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand Institute, the world's #1 naming agency and the global leader in pharmaceutical and healthcare-related name development, is proud to announce the promotion of Kurt Yoon, R.Ph., to Divisional President, Asia. In his new role, Mr. Yoon will be responsible for managing client services across a significantly expanded region, including the rapidly growing pharmaceutical market in China.

Mr. Yoon brings extensive experience in the biopharmaceutical industry to his new position, having previously served as Senior Vice President of Brand Institute's office in Seoul, Korea. During his time at Brand Institute, Mr. Yoon has led numerous successful branding and naming projects for pharmaceutical and healthcare clients that include Samsung Bioepis, Celltrion, Daewoong Pharmaceuticals, and Henlius.

Commenting on his promotion and the opportunity that lies ahead, Mr. Yoon noted, "China has emerged as a major player in the biopharmaceutical industry, with the government investing heavily in research and development. It is pivotal that Brand Institute be available to provide Chinese and other clients in Asia with our much-needed services. Navigating the global regulatory environment can be very challenging, as can the development of regional or global brands that are trademarkable and commercially appealing."

"Overall, the biopharmaceutical industry in Asia is poised for significant growth, driven by increasing demand for innovative medicines," said James L. Dettore, the Chairman and CEO of Brand Institute. "Kurt's success in this region makes him an ideal candidate to take on this expanded role."

About Brand Institute and our wholly owned regulatory subsidiary, Drug Safety Institute

Brand Institute is the global leader in pharmaceutical and healthcare-related name development, with a portfolio of over 4,000 marketed healthcare brand names, 1,300 USAN/INN nonproprietary names for 1,200 clients. The company partners on over 75% of pharmaceutical brand and nonproprietary name approvals globally every year with healthcare manufacturers. Drug Safety Institute is composed of former naming regulatory officials from global government health agencies, including Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), Health Canada (HC), American Medical Association (AMA), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Contact:[email protected]www.brandinstitute.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/brand-institute-promotes-kurt-yoon-rph-to-divisional-president-asia-301773271.html

SOURCE Brand Institute, Inc.
Twelve diverse student leaders to conduct a study of social justice leadership in America, South Africa, and Ireland.

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) is pleased to announce the 2023 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows, twelve exceptional student leaders who will participate in a three-continent global journey that will take them to Washington, D.C.; Cape Town, South Africa; and Dublin, Ireland; for a comparative study of social justice leadership.

During the four-week summer program, Fellows will explore the legacies of Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, John Lewis, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Daniel O'Connell, John Hume, and other giants of social change.

The outstanding students of color selected for this prestigious award were chosen based on their demonstrated commitment to advancing peace in our world by building bridges between people with different viewpoints.

The 2023 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows are:

Daniel Hernandez  Arizona State University , Health Service Administration

, Health Service Administration Akil Cole  Georgetown University , Interdisciplinary Studies

, Interdisciplinary Studies Samuel Li  Georgetown University , International Business

, International Business Ife Martin  Howard University , Computer and Information Sciences

, Computer and Information Sciences Ja'Niya Howard  Indiana University , Interior Design and Business Management

, Interior Design and Business Management Ryan Javier  Lehigh University , Engineering and International Studies

, Engineering and International Studies Hufsa Ahmed  Macalester College , Political Science and Economics

, Political Science and Economics Darius Butler  Oberlin College , African American Studies and Law and Legal Studies

, African American Studies and Law and Legal Studies Charlotte Yeung  Purdue University , Political Science

, Political Science Malavika Kannan  Stanford University , Comparative Literature and Ethnic and Cultural Studies

, Comparative Literature and Ethnic and Cultural Studies Florence Onyiuke  University of Pennsylvania , International Relations and International Business

, International Relations and International Business Gregory Perryman  University of Virginia, Public Policy Analysis and Environmental Science

You can meet the 2023 Fellows in this personal video.

"The 2023 cohort of Frederick Douglass Global Fellows is an extraordinary group of student leaders, selected from a record number of outstanding applicants representing a rich diversity of academic and cultural backgrounds," said Kyndall Cox, Director of the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship.

The Government of Ireland will co-sponsor the 2023 Frederick Douglass Global Fellows in honor of the meeting between 27-year-old abolitionist Frederick Douglass and the great Irish reformer Daniel O'Connell in Dublin in 1845  an experience that expanded Douglass' view of social injustice and influenced his style of agitating for positive change through non-violent social and political efforts in the United States.

"Just as Douglass' style of agitating for positive social change through non-violent social and political efforts was influenced by his meeting with Daniel O'Connell, the Fellows' future changemaking efforts will be shaped by their comparative study of international peacebuilders and the personal connections they forge with their peers during the program," said James P. Pellow, President and CEO of CIEE. "The students on this program will return home from their time abroad with an enhanced global perspective on advancing social justice and will be better prepared to be agents of positive change in their communities and in our world."

Welcoming the announcement, Ireland's Ambassador to the U.S., Geraldine Byrne Nason remarked: "When 27-year-old Frederick Douglass met and spoke alongside the Irish abolitionist Daniel O'Connell in Dublin, Douglass was, in his own words, 'completely captivated.' Three months later, as he readied to leave Ireland, the young American reflected that he had spent some of the happiest moments of his life in Ireland and now lived 'a new life.' To celebrate that legacy, and reinforce the ties between our nations, I'm delighted that, through the Frederick Douglass Global Fellows, twelve brilliant young Americans from minority backgrounds will have the opportunity to travel to Ireland this year."

The Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship was launched in 2017 as part of CIEE's commitment to increasing access to study abroad by students in underrepresented groups. In addition to funding the 12 Fellows, CIEE will provide the nearly 600 students who applied for this year's fellowship with a $1,500 Frederick Douglass Scholars Grant that can be applied on any CIEE study abroad program for the next year, committing more than one million dollars in grant funds to help diverse students study abroad.

Each year, the CIEE Frederick Douglass Scholars Grant is matched by more than thirty college presidents who are champions of international education, further reducing the cost of studying abroad for their students. CIEE is proud to partner with these global leaders to open doors for all students from all backgrounds and significantly increase diversity abroad.

To learn more about the Frederick Douglass Global Fellowship, visit ciee.org/FDGF.

About CIEE

CIEE builds bridges between different people, different countries, and different cultures. For 75 years, we have helped young people participate in high-quality international exchange and study abroad programs that bring the world together. We change lives, our alumni change the world. Learn more at ciee.org.

Press contact: Leslie Taylor, [email protected], (207)553-4274

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SOURCE Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)
ATLANTA, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cor Partners ("Cor"), the parent company to a number of market-leading businesses serving the insurance, risk management and legal communities, announced today that it has acquired DBI Construction Consultants ("DBI"), a leading national provider of building and construction consulting services based in New York, NY.

Founded in 2002, DBI Construction Consultants (www.dbi-cc.com) is a premier brand built by a team of construction experts, with 10 U.S. offices and a global reach. DBI provides a robust set of in-house independent loss and damage measurement services, as well as specialized practices for insurance and legal industry clients around the world. Over the last 20 years, DBI has developed a best-in-class reputation for delivering conclusive, evidence-based expertise that brings clarity to complex problems at the intersection of insurance and construction.

With the acquisition, DBI will form a new fourth division inside the Cor Partners family of companies focused exclusively on building and construction consulting. As part of this, the existing team of building consulting experts and leaders within the U.S. operations of Envista Forensics will transition to DBI in the coming months. This partnership significantly enhances the combined group's capabilities, coverage, and strategic position. The newly combined team at DBI, consisting of over 125+ industry recognized experts, will be a market leader in building and construction consulting in the US providing greater reach, expertise and support to its clients than ever before.

John Quinn, Chief Executive Officer of Cor Partners, said, "We are extremely excited to bring another world-class firm into the Cor family. DBI's strong reputation as a premier brand and its long track record of success in the space aligns well with our commitment to expand our offering of customer-focused insurance services. By bringing our existing building consulting team together with DBI, we will position both enterprises to provide customers with the best possible expert-driven service."

When asked about the acquisition, Dennis Di Millo, Partner & Managing Principal of DBI, said, "Partnering with Cor creates immediate opportunities to better serve our growing list of clients by leveraging resources that will allow us to enter new markets as well as grow our team and menu of services. Finding a partner that shares our vision, culture, respect for team members, and reverence for our clients is what makes this alliance exceptional. Knowing that the DBI brand will move forward executing our far-reaching goals adds extra excitement for us."

About Cor PartnersCor Partners is the parent company to a diverse set of insurance services business including Engle Martin & Associates, a provider of commercial property, casualty loss adjusting and third-party administration services, Eberl Claims Service, a national provider of personal and commercial lines claims services, and Envista Forensics, a global provider of multi-disciplinary forensic consulting services (see more below). Visit our website at www.corpartners.com for more information.

About Envista ForensicsEnvista Forensics is a global leader in forensic consulting services. We provide failure analysis, fire and explosion investigations, digital forensics, accident reconstruction, building and construction consulting, geotechnical engineering, damage evaluations, and equipment restoration services following disasters of all kinds. Envista has served the insurance, legal, and risk management industries for more than 30 years. Our experts travel globally to more than 40 offices located across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Visit our website at www.envistaforensics.com for more information.

Media Contact: Jennifer GasterChief Marketing Officer, Envista Forensics+1 224 406 9809[email protected]

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SOURCE Cor Partners
TORONTO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Cybeats Technologies Corp. ("Cybeats'' or the "Company") (CSE: CYBT) is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed 'System and Organization Controls' (SOC) 2 certification, achieving a significant organizational maturity milestone. SOC 2 certification provides credibility with customers in specific target verticals such as industrial controls, healthcare, and automotive industries, where high levels of data security are essential.

Today, tech companies often require SOC 2 certification, as it signals a high degree of organizational maturity and internal information security. Cybeats has been confirmed by MHM Professional Corporation1 to meet the AICPA Trust Service Criteria, verified through an in-depth independent audit focusing on security, availability, and confidentiality. With SOC 2 compliance, Cybeats is equipped to meet specific needs of key industries and provide customers with confidence that their sensitive data is protected by a trusted partner.

"Cybersecurity is not a destination, but a continuous journey. SOC 2 compliance certification demonstrates an important milestone for Cybeats and provides the validation of our continued commitment to protecting our current and prospective clients," said Evgeniy Kharam, CISO of Cybeats.

About SOC 2

SOC 2 is a comprehensive audit that evaluates a company's internal controls, specifically regarding how customer data is protected and how well those controls are functioning. This audit also examines the design suitability of security controls within the Cybeats platform and products. SOC 2 Trust categories consist of four key areas: access controls, which include logical and physical restrictions on assets to prevent unauthorized access; change management, which is a controlled process for managing changes to IT systems and methods for preventing unauthorized changes; system operations, which include controls that can monitor ongoing operations, detect and resolve any deviations from organizational procedures, and; mitigating risk, which involves methods and activities that allow the organization to identify risks, respond to and mitigate them, while addressing any subsequent business impact. By successfully completing a SOC 2 audit, a company can demonstrate to its customers that it has implemented strong security measures and that it is committed to protecting their sensitive data.

About Cybeats

Cybeats is a cybersecurity company providing SBOM management and software supply chain intelligence technology, helping organizations to manage risk, meet compliance requirements, and secure their software from procurement to development and operation. Our platform gives customers comprehensive visibility and transparency into their software supply chain, enabling them to improve operational efficiency and increase revenue. Cybeats. Software Made Certain. Website: https://cybeats.com

SUBSCRIBE: For more information, or to subscribe to the Company's mail list, visit: https://www.cybeats.com/investors

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement

Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for the products described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Company filings are available at sedar.com.

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SOURCE Cybeats Technologies Corp.
TORONTO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Cybeats Technologies Corp. ("Cybeats'' or the "Company") (CSE: CYBT) is pleased to announce the signing of a software evaluation agreement, effective March 1, 2023, with a 'Big Five' technology company for Cybeats SBOM Studio.1

"The interest from a 'Big Five' technology company is a clear indication of the growing demand for SBOM consumption and SBOM management, and software supply chain security, and it further validates the effectiveness of SBOM Studio in addressing critical needs. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work closely with our partner to trial our innovative security solutions that elevate their internal capabilities to mitigate cyber risks across their product offerings. With our cutting-edge technology and expertise, we are confident that this partnership will be a long-lasting and fruitful one, benefiting both companies and their customers alike," said Yoav Raiter, CEO, Cybeats.

About SBOM Studio

Cybeats' SBOM Studio enables organizations to efficiently manage, distribute, and view their software bill of materials (SBOMs) in a single interface. By doing so, they can easily identify and address cybersecurity vulnerabilities, reduce the cost of protection, and improve compliance. SBOM Studio is specifically designed to support software producers and consumers who use open source and 3rd party software components and who are transitioning to more transparent software development practices. The platform is compatible with various SBOM generation tools and can validate and correct imported SBOMs to improve their accuracy. With the recent addition of the SBOM Quality Score, the key features of SBOM Studio now include:

Ability to ingest SBOMs from any source

Semantic evaluation of SBOMs

SBOM Quality Score

Automated SBOM Management

Accelerated Vulnerability Management

Improved Workflow for Security Operations

SBOM Sharing and Exchange

Data-Driven Business Decisions

Regulatory Compliance and Licence Infringement

VEX functionality

About Cybeats

Cybeats is a cybersecurity company providing SBOM management and software supply chain intelligence technology, helping organizations to manage risk, meet compliance requirements, and secure their software from procurement to development and operation. Our platform gives customers comprehensive visibility and transparency into their software supply chain, enabling them to improve operational efficiency and increase revenue. Cybeats. Software Made Certain. Website: https://cybeats.com

SUBSCRIBE: For more information, or to subscribe to the Company's mail list, visit: https://www.cybeats.com/investors

Forward-looking Information Cautionary StatementExcept for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the CSE. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for the products described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Company filings are available at sedar.com.

_____________________1 https://www.cybeats.com/sbom-studio

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SOURCE Cybeats Technologies Corp.
Logistics Workers Unite to Join Teamsters, Improve Their Working Conditions

HEBRON, Ky., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, March 17, DHL Express workers at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) responsible for the domestic and international movement of goods held an action to demand management stop interfering with their right to organize with the Teamsters Union.

As they fight for their rights to freely join the Teamsters and improve their working conditions, the essential ramp and tug workers engaged in a "DHL-CVG Workers United for Change" campaign demanded that DHL Express and its publicly traded German parent company, Deutsche Post DHL Group, respect U.S. and German laws that govern workers' rights to form unions.

DHL Express workers demand a safe working environment, humane treatment, transparent policies that are fair and equitable, and the right to choose a union without employer interference.

"For almost a year, my co-workers and I have been fighting to join the Teamsters Union, but we've faced harassment, intimidation, and retaliation just for exercising our rights," said Steven Fightmaster, a DHL Express-CVG ramp lead. "The frustration and exhaustion have taken a toll on me and my family. We won't be silenced because we deserve respect, safety, and dignity at work. We will continue standing up for our rights until we become Teamsters!"

DHL Express and Deutsche Post DHL Group already have collective bargaining agreements with workers across the U.S. and Europe.

Rather than remain neutral and allow workers to freely and fairly vote on union representation, DHL Express managers have increased pressure on CVG workers with repeated acts of intimidation, threats, and retaliation for supporting the union. Teamster organizers have already filed 17 unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board as they seek justice for DHL Express workers.

The recent termination of Linsey Farrell, a DHL Express worker fighting for a safe workplace, has rallied the workforce to organize.

The worker organizing committee strongly believes that DHL has not only violated the National Labor Relations Act, governing a worker's right to form a union without interference, but has also failed to abide by the terms of its National Neutrality Agreement between the Teamsters and DHL Express. In the neutrality clause contained in the DHL Express USA National Agreement with the Teamsters covering other locations, DHL pledged not to interfere in employee efforts to join the Teamsters in nonunion facilities.

The company is also failing to live up to its own stated core principle of respecting workers' rights to join a union as expressed in its Global Declaration of Worker and Human Rights.

Contact: Kara Deniz, (202) 497-6610 [email protected]

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SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Recently retired state superintendent of education for Illinois will be presented with the Voice4Equity Lifetime Achievement Award at the When Women Lead Summit on June 19, 2023 in Vancouver Washington.

VANCOUVER, Wash., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Voice4Equity is excited to announce Dr. Carmen I. Ayala as recipient of the first annual Voice4Equity Lifetime Achievement Award. Each year it will be given to one education leader who is recognized as a major contributor to the work of equity and social justice in our nation's schools and school systems. Dr. Ayala exemplifies lifelong dedication to the field of education and leadership at the classroom, school, district and state level. She will be formally recognized in person at the When Women Lead Summit, taking place in Vancouver, WA, June 19-21, 2023.

"It is a great honor to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from Voice4Equity. What makes this award so incredibly special is that it comes from an organization that honors the authentic stories and contributions of women leaders across the country," said Dr. Ayala, who retired at the end of January, 2023.

Dr. Ayala became superintendent of the Illinois State Board of Education in March 2019. Prior to her appointment at the state level, she served as the superintendent of Berwyn North School District 98, where she made a lasting impact by steadfastly turning around lower-performing schools.

"Dr. Ayala is a dear colleague that I deeply respect. She has dedicated her career to leveraging the power of the education profession to change the trajectory of students, communities and her home state of Illinois. She is so deserving of having her many contributions recognized and being lifted up as a role model to be emulated by leaders that follow," said Dr. Christina Kishimoto, CEO of Voice4Equity.

Throughout her career, Dr. Ayala has served in numerous policy-making roles, including as an executive board member on the Latino Policy Forum, where she championed equitable funding and increased resources for English Learners. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Loyola University of Chicago.

About Voice4EquityVoice4Equity was founded to be an advocate for equity and inclusion with a mission to increase the number of women and leaders of color at the policy table. Voice4Equity provides programs, resources, access to data and an e-networking platform for women currently serving as superintendents, as well as those aspiring to executive leadership. Voice4Equity also delivers programs, in partnership with other organizations, that provide opportunities for high-school girls, women in college, and entry-level educators to develop greater policy knowledge and voice.

Learn more at www.voice4equity.com

https://www.voice4equity.com/blog/laa-carmen-ayala

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SOURCE Voice4Equity
SILVER SPRING, Md., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an at-a-glance summary of news from around the agency:

Today, the FDA issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Cue Mpox (Monkeypox) Molecular Test for use in a point-of-care (POC) setting. The Cue Mpox (Monkeypox) Molecular Test is molecular-based test intended to detect monkeypox virus DNA in lesion swab specimens from individuals suspected of monkeypox by their healthcare provider. This EUA is the latest example of the FDA's ongoing commitment to advance greater consumer access to tests for infectious diseases.

On Thursday, the FDA updated the webpage Medical Device Shortages During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency to reflect changes to expected shortage durations for:

Radiological devices



General plastic surgery devices



Cardiac diagnostic, and monitoring products



General ICU/ hospital products and



Specimen collection - testing supplies and equipment and



Ventilators - ventilation-related products.

The FDA also added several medical devices to the device discontinuance list including:



One trade name of surgical masks (product code FXX)



One trade name of surgical apparel (product code LYU)



One trade name of surgical caps (product code FYF)



Multiple trade names of portable oxygen generators (product code CAW).

The FDA continues to work with federal partners and other supply chain stakeholders to help mitigate and prevent shortages of medical devices. The FDA will continue to monitor the supply chain and update the device shortage list and device discontinuance list as new information becomes available.

On Wednesday, the FDA announced a final guidance, Definitions of Suspect Product and Illegitimate Product for Verification Obligations, as part of the agency's implementation of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA). The guidance clarifies FDA's interpretation of specific terms used in the definitions of "suspect product" and "illegitimate product" to assist trading partners in meeting verification obligations (including notification). The specific terms discussed in the guidance are counterfeit, diverted, stolen, fraudulent transaction, and unfit for distribution. This guidance replaces the draft guidance of the same name. The DSCSA establishes requirements for product tracing, verification, and product identification for certain drug products that are distributed in the U.S. to enhance FDA's ability to help protect consumers from exposure to drugs that may be counterfeit, stolen, contaminated, or otherwise harmful. These requirements add safeguards to improve detection and removal of potentially dangerous drugs from the drug supply chain to protect U.S. consumers.

On Wednesday, the FDA issued a draft guidance, Development of Local Anesthetic Drug Products with Prolonged Duration of Effect, to assist sponsors that are developing local anesthetic drug products to produce postoperative pain relief for a prolonged duration. The administration of these drug products has been used to reduce or eliminate the pain associated with surgical procedures, such as inguinal hernia repair or total knee arthroplasty. Many of the local anesthetic drug products currently available are only effective for several hours. This guidance focuses on local anesthetic drug products that prolong the duration to a period of days rather than hours. This guidance is part of FDA's efforts to reduce or eliminate the use of opioid analgesic drug products. The agency continues to explore ways to use our current authorities to improve the availability of non-addictive treatments for pain. Comments and suggestions regarding this draft guidance should be submitted within 60 days of publication in the Federal Register of the notice of availability of the draft guidance.

On Wednesday, the FDA issued a warning letter to a leading manufacturer of endoscopes, Olympus Medical Systems Corporation, following an inspection of an additional facility in Tokyo, Japan that manufactures endoscopes and endoscope accessories. This is the latest step in the Center's extensive and ongoing efforts with Olympus to address compliance issues related to the reprocessing of endoscopes, which are medically-necessary devices used in the diagnosis of certain conditions, including some cancers of the digestive tract and associated structures. This warning letter follows previous warning letters issued to the firm and one of its subsidiaries on January 10, 2023, and describes additional violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act at another Olympus manufacturing facility. "Olympus' continued failure to meet FDA requirements demonstrates a troubling disregard for patient safety," said Jeff Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "The FDA's Quality Systems requirements are essential to protecting public health." The recent warning letter cites numerous violations of the FD&C Act, including failure to evaluate user reports of adverse events (Complaint Handling) and, when necessary, report the event to the FDA (Medical Device Reporting). Additional violations cite Olympus' failure to correct and prevent recurrence of quality problems and verify and validate that its preventive, as well as corrective actions are effective (Corrective and Preventive Actions). The FDA will continue to ensure that Olympus fully addresses the violations described in the warning letters.

COVID-19 testing updates:

As of today, 445 tests and sample collection devices are authorized by the FDA under emergency use authorizations (EUAs). These include 300 molecular tests and sample collection devices, 84 antibody and other immune response tests, 60 antigen tests, and one diagnostic breath test. There are 78 molecular authorizations and one antibody authorization that can be used with home-collected samples. There is one EUA for a molecular prescription at-home test, two EUAs for antigen prescription at-home tests, 28 EUAs for antigen over-the-counter (OTC) at-home tests, and five for molecular OTC at-home tests.



The FDA has authorized 45 antigen tests and eight molecular tests for serial screening programs. The FDA has also authorized 1298 revisions to EUA authorizations.

Additional Resources:

Media Contact: FDA Office of Media Affairs, 301-796-4540 Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation's food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

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SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration
MONTREAL, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Haivision Systems Inc. ("Haivision" or the "Company") (TSX: HAI) announces that it has adopted a shareholder rights plan (the "Rights Plan") with Computershare Investor Services Inc. as rights agent effective as of March 17, 2023 (the "Effective Date"). While the Rights Plan is effective immediately, it is subject to ratification by the Company's shareholders within six months of its adoption. The Company will be seeking shareholder ratification of the Rights Plan at its upcoming annual general meeting of shareholders on April 26, 2023. If the Rights Plan is not approved by the shareholders it will terminate and cease to be effective. Approval of the Rights Plan at the upcoming annual general meeting of shareholders is not being proposed in response to or in anticipation of any pending or threatened take-over bid, nor to deter take-over bids generally. The Board is not aware of any third party preparing any take-over bid to acquire control of the Company.

On March 6, 2023, the Company received a non-binding expression of interest from Evertz Technologies Limited ("Evertz") outlining a proposal to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company for $4.50 per share (the "Evertz Non-binding Expression of Interest"). The Evertz Non-binding Expression of Interest expired on March 9, 2023 and provided that prior to entering into and completing due diligence Evertz was unable to provide a binding transaction structure or price. As a result of the Evertz Non-binding Expression of Interest, the Company has been notified by the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") that the TSX will defer consideration of the acceptance of the Rights Plan until such time as the TSX is satisfied that the appropriate securities commission will not intervene pursuant to National Policy 62-202  Take-Over Bids  Defensive Tactics.

A summary of the principal terms of the Rights Plan will be included in the management information circular in connection with the upcoming annual general meeting of shareholders and a complete copy of the Rights Plan will be available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may include "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "targets", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "an opportunity exists", "is positioned", "estimates", "intends", "assumes", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, nor guarantees or assurances of future performance but instead represent management's current beliefs, expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events and operating performance.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Haivision as of the date of this release, are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from those indicated by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the risk factors identified under "Risk Factors" in the Company's latest annual information form, and in other periodic filings that the Company has made and may make in the future with the securities commissions or similar regulatory authorities in Canada, all of which are available under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect Haivision. However, such risk factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. There can be no assurance that the non-binding expression of interest will result in a formal offer or that any such offer will ultimately result in a completed transaction. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Haivision undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, except as required by applicable securities laws.

About Haivision

Haivision is a leading global provider of mission-critical, real-time video streaming and visual collaboration solutions. Our connected cloud and intelligent edge technologies enable organizations globally to engage audiences, enhance collaboration, and support decision making. We provide high quality, low latency, secure, and reliable live video at a global scale. Haivision open sourced its award-winning SRT low latency video streaming protocol and founded the SRT Alliance to support its adoption. Awarded four Emmys for Technology and Engineering from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Haivision continues to fuel the future of IP video transformation. Founded in 2004, Haivision is headquartered in Montreal and Chicago with offices, sales, and support located throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Learn more at haivision.com.

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SOURCE Haivision Systems Inc.
LIMA, Peru, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Intercorp Financial Services Inc. ("IFS" or "the Company") (BVL/NYSE: IFS) announced that, in accordance with the Company's Bylaws, its Virtual Annual Shareholders' Meeting will be held on March 31, 2023, with the first call at 09:30 a.m. Peru Standard Time. If the first call does not achieve a quorum, as set forth under IFS' Bylaws, a second call will take place on April 10, 2023 at the same time and also conducted virtually. The following agenda will be discussed during the meeting:

2022 Results Presentation. Approval of the Annual Report for the fiscal year 2022. Approval of the Audited Separate and Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal year 2022. Presentation of results of IFS' participation in the S&P Global 2022 Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) and the Company's progress in matters of sustainability (ESG). Approval of Net Profit Allocation and Dividend Distribution for the fiscal year 2022. Approval of Dividend Policy for the fiscal year 2023. Appointment of Board of Directors for the period 2023-2025. Approval of Share Repurchase Program and granting of powers. Approval of power of attorney to formalize decisions approved at the 2023 Annual Shareholders' Meeting.

Shareholders may attend the 2023 Annual Shareholders' Meeting virtually or by proxy. Proxies must be registered with the Company, by sending an email to IFS' Investor Relations Office ([email protected]) at least 48 hours in advance of the scheduled time for the 2023 Annual Shareholders' Meeting.

Accordingly, it is hereby evidenced that all information regarding the agenda to be discussed at the Company's 2023 Annual Shareholders' Meeting, as well as a valid proxy for shareholders' representation and related guidelines, are available on IFS' website (www.ifs.com.pe).

About the Company:

Intercorp Financial Services, Inc. ("IFS"), is a company incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Panama, and has securities listed on the Lima Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. IFS is a leading provider of financial services in Peru. IFS' main subsidiaries are Banco Internacional del Peru, S.A.A.-Interbank ("Interbank"), Interseguro Compania de Seguros, S.A. ("Interseguro"), Inteligo Group Corp. ("Inteligo") and Procesos de Medios de Pago S.A. and its subsidiary Izipay S.A.C. ("Izipay"). Interbank is a full-service bank providing general banking services to retail and commercial customers. Interseguro is a leading insurance company, providing annuities, individual life insurance, disability insurance and survivor benefits, and mandatory traffic accident insurance. Inteligo is a fast-growing provider of wealth management services through Inteligo Bank Ltd. and Interfondos, as well as brokerage services through Inteligo SAB. Izipay is a payments company and provider of products and services related to payments acquirer, correspondent banking and credit cards processor.

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SOURCE Intercorp Financial Services Inc.
CANTON, Conn., March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kelyniam Global (OTC: KLYG), a maker of custom cranial implants, today announced results for its year ended December 31, 2022.

"2022 was the sixth year in a row that Kelyniam has meaningfully increased sales while successfully competing against much larger competitors," said Ross Bjella, Kelyniam's CEO. "Neurosurgeons rely on our ability to manufacture and ship PEEK custom cranial implants within 24 hours, a service level that none of our competitors can match. Hospital buyers appreciate the savings associated with our patented, fully integrated fixation system that eliminates the need for plates and requires fewer screws."

Financial highlights for the year ended December 31, 2022 and the same period in 2021 include:

Total revenue of $3,017,599 compared to $2,664,434, an increase of 13.2%

Operating income of $69,322 compared to $180,445

Net Loss of $97,560 compared to net income of $201,741

Operating income is not comparable to 2021 numbers because of PPP loan forgiveness. Net income in 2022 was affected by non-cash legacy stock award grants dating back to 2017. The complete financials can be found on the company's website at www.Kelyniam.com.

Events that significantly affected the year:

Significant investment in the infrastructure necessary to support growth and for compliance with regulatory requirements,

Execution of a distribution agreement for Fin-Ceramica's Customized Bone cranial implant

The addition of personnel to support sales and marketing

Bjella added, "Kelyniam's focus in 2023 and beyond is to invest in developing and licensing unique products for the neurosurgery market. Our intention is to leverage our knowledge of bringing high value medical devices to market and our expertise in custom and additive manufacturing."

Kelyniam Inc., specializes in the rapid production of custom prosthetics utilizing computer aided design and computer aided manufacturing of advanced medical grade polymers. The Company develops, manufactures, and distributes custom cranial and maxillo-facial implants for patients. Kelyniam works directly with surgeons, health systems and payors to improve clinical and cost-of-care outcomes. Kelyniam's web site address is www.Kelyniam.com.

As a cautionary note to investors, certain matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such matters involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the following: changes in economic conditions; general competitive factors; the Company's ability to execute its service and product sales plans; changes in the status of ability to market products; and the risks described from time to time in the Company's SEC reports.

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SOURCE Kelyniam Global, Inc.
RICHMOND, Va., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LINGERFELT announced today that it closed on a $105.6 million acquisition of Northlake and Walthall Distribution Centers in a joint venture with Partners Group, a leading global private markets firm acting on behalf of its clients. The portfolio includes four Class A multi-tenant logistics facilities totaling 1,161,716 square feet in the Richmond, Virginia MSA. The facilities are 100% leased to a total of 18 diversified tenants including major, creditworthy multinational firms.

Walthall Distribution Center (1964-1984 Ruffin Mill Road, 1900-1934 Ruffin Mill Road, 1936-1962 Ruffin Mill Road) is a three-building, 868,601 square-foot logistics portfolio situated along I-95 in the highly sought-after Walthall/Ruffin Mill submarket in Chesterfield County, VA.

Northlake Distribution Center (11800-11900 N Lakeridge Parkway) is a 293,115 square-foot logistics facility located along the premier I-95 North distribution corridor in Ashland, VA.

Developed between 2000 and 2003, the institutional-quality logistics facilities provide all of the functionally relevant attributes required by today's modern industrial user, including cross-dock and rear-load configurations, market-appropriate 32' clear heights, a high ratio of dock positions, ESFR fire protection and ample auto parking spaces.

"This is an attractive opportunity for our partnership to acquire a portfolio of high-quality, stabilized industrial buildings with solid cash flow at current rents which are far below where the market has trended over the prior 3 years," said Rob Valentine, Principal at LINGERFELT. "These buildings really cater to the under-served small to mid-size industrial user which characterizes the vast majority of the users in the Richmond market."

LINGERFELT and Partners Group will make a number of immediate capital improvements to the properties, including full replacement of the buildings' roofs, interior and exterior lighting upgrades, cosmetic enhancements and paint, as well as significant asphalt repairs, replacements, and sealing and re-restriping of parking areas.

Matt Anderson and Harrison McVey of Colliers International will handle the marketing and leasing of the portfolio. Colliers International will also provide property and facility management services for the properties and tenants.

ABOUT LINGERFELT

LINGERFELT is a vertically integrated real estate investment and asset management company investing and developing throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Together with its predecessors, LINGERFELT has maintained a reputation of quality and excellence in the commercial real estate industry dating back to 1957. LINGERFELT and its partners have built, acquired, and managed over 25 million square feet of commercial real estate valued at approximately $3 billion across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. To learn more, visit www.lingerfelt.co.

ABOUT PARTNERS GROUPPartners Group is a leading global private markets firm. Since 1996, the firm has invested over $195 billion USD in private equity, private real estate, private debt, and private infrastructure on behalf of its clients globally. Partners Group seeks to generate superior returns by capitalizing on thematic growth trends and transforming attractive businesses and assets into market leaders. The firm is a committed, responsible investor and aims to create sustainable returns with lasting, positive impact for all its stakeholders. With over $135 billion USD in assets under management as of December 31, 2022, Partners Group provides an innovative range of bespoke client solutions to institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and private individuals globally. The firm employs more than 1,800 diverse professionals across 20 offices worldwide and has regional headquarters in Baar-Zug, Switzerland; Denver, USA; and Singapore. It has been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 2006 (symbol: PGHN). For more information, please visit www.partnersgroup.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Contact:Brian WitthoefftManaging DirectorLINGERFELT804-270-0015[email protected]

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SOURCE Lingerfelt
Magnet is Continuing to Justify the Transaction Based on Outdated, Misleading Information

Four Software Takeovers at Higher Premiums Since Magnet's Takeover Announcement

Nellore Urges Shareholders to Follow Leading Independent Proxy Advisor Glass Lewis' Recommendation AGAINST, Comments on ISS

Nellore Suggests Shareholders Read Recent Notes From Brokers Quoted by Magnet

PALO ALTO, Calif., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Nellore Capital Management LLC ("Nellore) today provided final commentary to explain its opposition to the proposed C$1.8 billion takeover of Magnet Forensics Inc. ("Magnet") (TSX: MAGT) by the private equity firm Thoma Bravo.

Sakya Duvvuru, Founder and Portfolio Manager of Nellore Capital, said "the Software PE market continues to be strong and Magnet stands out as an especially weak negotiation in comparison. The presentation put out today by Magnet is further proof that the Special Committee doesn't understand the value of the company, which continues to be justified by outdated and misleading information."

Ending Where We Started: Magnet is a Special Business Creating Continued Shareholder Wealth

Magnet's operating and financial model are such that roughly every 4 years, revenue converts into free cash flow ("FCF"). For instance, the company generated US$27mmof revenue in 2018 and generated US$33mmof FCF in 2022. The company generated US$50mmof revenue in 2020, and per Management Forecast, expects US$65mmof FCF in 2024. The company is expected to generate the equivalent of 2022 revenue, US$99mm, in 2026 FCF -> a compounding machine! Thus, one could pay up to 20x 2023 revenue (>100% above current offer price), and still earn a double digit return over 4 years.

Materiality of Q4 FCF on Realizing Fair Value

It seems like Magnet (and its Special Committee) are either not aware of, or don't appreciate, how FCF can drive returns for the buyer. Consider that by waiting for March 9th instead of January 19th, Magnet's Last Twelve Months ("LTM") FCF doubles, and at the offer price, is actually trading 13% below the average over the last twelve months!

EV / LTM FCF

This is especially significant because the last twelve months have been especially punitive toward high growth, technology companies. Yet, here we are with an offer price that is below the average in that punitive period. Applying the unaffected average of 43x on LTM FCF post Q4 results and Thoma Bravo's 37% median premium results in a offer price of C$60 per share. Or, using the unaffected stock price on January 19th of C$38.15, we derive a multiple of 32x LTM FCF. Using the same multiple on 2024 FCF and discounting back to today, we get to C$60 per share.

Further, using the same methodology Magnet uses on slide 3 of today's presentation to justify the transaction, we can see that not only is Magnet not trading at 56x estimated 2023 FCF, it is trading at just 38x twelve months trailing FCF and well below the peers:

EV / LTM Free Cash Flow

Not only is there no control premium here, Magnet consideration is not even at the level of transaction unaffected, slower growing, lower margin public comps. Applying the median multiple of peer group results in a stock price of C$66. Applying a further control premium results in a price >C$80. The Special Committee should have understood this and negotiated using this information.

Four Software Takeovers at Higher Premiums

Since the Magnet transaction was announced on January 20th, takeovers by private equity ("PE") firms have been announced for four other public software companies with one-day unaffected premiums ranging from 29% to 62%. Clearly, the 15% premium for Magnet is far too low.

Notably, three of the takeovers were announced just this week, highlighting the underlying demand for recurring revenue and software business models even in the face of Silicon Valley Bank issues and general macro uncertainty. Further, the size of the deal values, the variety of players investing, and the unaffected premiums paid all highlight the vibrancy of the Software PE market.

Unaffected Premia Date Target Acquiror Deal Value Rule of 40 1-Day 30-day VWAP 01-20-23 Sumo Logic Francisco Partners 1.7bn 15 % 57 % 50 % Post SVB / SBNY: 03-13-23 Momentive STG 1.5bn 10 % 46 % 51 % 03-13-23 Qualtrics Silver Lake + CPP 12.5bn 33 % 62 % 73 % 03-14-23 Cvent Blackstone 4.6bn 28 % 29 % 54 % Mean 22 % 49 % 57 % Median 22 % 52 % 53 % 01-20-23 Magnet Forensics Thoma Bravo 1.4bn 74 % 15 % 12 %

Moreover, high growth, high quality software companies Kinaxis and Docebo have both reported strong earnings in the last two weeks and are both trading above their pre-earnings reports. Cellebrite is also trading up 15% since its strong Q4 report.

Don't fall for Magnet's downside risk scare tactic. To the contrary, Nellore believes the stock will start to price in US$65 million of FCF in CY'2024 and trade above the deal price.

Comments on ISS

We believe even the cautionary support recommendation from ISS is not warranted. We can just agree to disagree about the significance of Jim Balsillie choosing the Rolling Shareholder option, procedural depth of the market check of reaching out to just two financial sponsors, the differential consideration and the lack of value for Grayshift synergies for SV shareholders. But we will not let the following ISS assertions go unchallenged:

Valuation methodologies:

ISS claimed "it is not illogical or unprecedented to think about software transactions through a FCF multiple lens, and such an approach would likely ascribe a higher intrinsic value to MAGT. However, there is not enough evidence to conclude that the valuation supporting this transaction was not credible"; The facts below indicate that the supporting valuation is not credible

The facts below indicate that the supporting valuation is not credible We believe that you do not HAVE to use FCF multiples as a valuation methodology, but methodologies based on other financial metrics, especially revenue, require more careful consideration of growth, margin, and quality characteristics in the reference range

As Glass Lewis points out, the issue is not the methodology chosen but the "the multiples applied by MS here are substantially misaligned with the Company's stand-alone trading patterns (e.g. application of 2.5x and 4.5x 2023 revenue multiples, despite the Company's average NTM revenue multiple of 7.0x in the one-year prior to announcement and while trading at NTM revenue multiple of 8.9x on market close the day prior to announcement; we see similar discrepancies with respect to NTM EBITDA)."

ISS specifically points to Datto's fairness opinion as lacking FCF-based valuation methodologies. That is true but they use an EBITDA range of "16.0x  30.0x" and highlight "unaffected EBITDA Multiple for Datto was 23.2x"

If Datto deserves 16-30x for a 20% revenue grower and the unaffected multiple was 23.2x, then how about Magnet? Magnet's reference range is 22.5x  27.5x for a 35% grower and the unaffected multiple prior to announcement was 42.0x, 53% above the high end of the range.

Similarly, the "unaffected Revenue Multiple for Datto was 5.4x based on the Analyst Projections" and the financial advisor's range for Datto's fairness opinion was "4.5x to 7.5x."

and the financial advisor's range for Datto's fairness opinion was "4.5x to 7.5x." Again, Magnet is a 35% grower versus 20% for Datto and only gets 2.5  4.5x, while the unaffected multiple is 8.9x.

Lastly, we believe Independent Valuator's otherwise pristine DCF analysis is also flawed by a poor terminal value assumption, which again doesn't jive with reality: "considered the implied terminal enterprise value to LTM revenue multiple, which ranged from 2.1x to 3.0x, and the implied terminal value to LTM EBITDA multiple, which ranged from 7.5x to 10.6x"

In the end, we just believe that it is easiest to look at FCF, since Magnet consistently produces it, but we are open to the appropriate Revenue and EBITDA multiples, as long as they are adjusted for growth rates, margins and cash flow generation

Standalone Path:

Worth repeating that only 60% of Magnet's business concerns Public Safety, Grayshift is not relevant to the Private Sector business.

Within the Public Safety business, the vast majority of customers REQUIRE dual sourcing or triple sourcing extraction vendors. CEO says so himself on 08.02.22 at the CG conference

It has been over 8 months since Magnet lost Grayshift to Thoma Bravo and changed their friendlier GTM partnership structure, Magnet has reported two of its strongest quarters ever

Further, Cellebrite is also available as a mobile extraction M&A target, and is available at a similar enterprise value as Grayshift. Lastly, Grayshift has a heavy debt load and has a very small revenue base  are they really going to pose a threat to Magnet's Artifact Library? I think Thoma Bravo/Grayshift needs Magnet more than Magnet needs Grayshift

Share Price Volatility:

ISS claims "Magnet share price was volatile and lost ground in late 2021 and early 2022  Magnet fell 76.4 percent from its all-time high to its all-time low closing price (Aug. 31, 2021 to June 16, 2022)"

Nellore considers that period in July to September 2021 to be driven by non-fundamental buying in a very tight float, immediately post IPO. The Board agrees given their call out of the "No News" press release released on 08/31/21 on Slide 12 of the February 10th presentation

Thus we believe that ISS should only consider the period of trading following Magnet's secondary transaction on December 14, 2021. Abiding by this ourselves, we start our EV/LTM FCF analysis starting on January 1, 2022

Comments on Research Analyst Commentary

The tone of the analyst community has moved significantly toward our favor since our initial press release on February 9th, the release of the management forecast on February 22nd, and finally the release of Q4 results on March 9th. Even so, Magnet again continues to highlight research reports from January 20th despite more recent commentary from the same institutions.

RBC, March 9th: "Solid Q4 adds fuel to the takeout debate" "Strong results reaffirm that purchase price too low for investors."

CG, March 9th: "Outstanding Q4 ahead of the March 23 vote" "Q4 results were outstanding again and would normally have led to a big jump in the shares if this was still trading on fundamentals."

NBF, March 9th: "standard beat from Magnet and given the Company is in the process of a takeover, the only thing the results would do is to add further uncertainty to the shareholder vote"

Nellore Capital Signing Off: Protect Your Interest, Vote AGAINST

Nellore is the only party that is 100% aligned with its fellow SV shareholders. We are sincerely trying to present the facts as they are and attain full value for all of our Magnet shares.

Nellore continues to urge shareholders to use to GOLD proxy to vote AGAINST the proposed takeover.

If you have already voted another proxy, you can still vote the GOLD proxy AGAINST the takeover. Only the later-dated vote will be counted. The voting deadline for the GOLD proxy is Monday, March 20 at 5pm Toronto time.

About Nellore Capital Management LLC

Nellore Capital Management invests in entrepreneurially managed, competitively advantaged technology businesses globally for the long term.

For further information:

Investor contact

Sakya Duvvuru, Founder & Portfolio Manager, Nellore Capital Management LLC, Ph: 501-551-0128, Email: [email protected]

If you require assistance with voting your shares, please contact Carson Proxy Advisors:North American Toll Free Phone: 1-800-530-5189; Local (Collect outside North America): 416-751-2066 Email: [email protected]

1 Based on closing stock prices as of March 16th, 2023, except for Magnet at offer price of C$44.25. FCF is defined as Cash Flow From Operations less Capital Expenditures and Capitalized Software. 2 In good conscience, we couldn't bring ourselves to include TDC as a comparable for Magnet, despite the Board and its advisors choosing it as one. It is a legacy data warehouse provider that is declining in revenue. If we were forced to include TDC, we would also include SNOW, an innovative data warehouse provider that has a Rule of 40 that is more like Magnet's. Including both TDC and SNOW cancel each other out, leading to mean / median of 60x FCF. Including TDC only leads to a mean of 54x FCF and median of 46x FCF. Both are still materially above Magnet's 38x.

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SOURCE Nellore Capital Management LLC
CHICAGO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Old Republic International Corporation (NYSE: ORI) today announced J. Eric Smith (65) has joined its Board of Directors as of March 17, 2023. He has concurrently been appointed to the Board's Compensation and Governance and Nominating Committees, as well as to the Directorship of ORI's major regulated insurance company subsidiaries.

Prior to his retirement, Mr. Smith served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Swiss Re Americas and was a member of Swiss Re's Group Executive Committee. Further, he was previously President of USAA Life Insurance Co and President of Allstate Financial Services. In making the announcement, Spencer LeRoy, Chairman of the Board, noted "our Company will benefit greatly from J. Eric Smith's insurance, reinsurance, and executive management experience and we are most grateful and pleased with his acceptance to join us."

Including J. Eric Smith, ORI has added seven new, highly qualified individuals to ORI and its major regulated insurance company subsidiaries' Board of Directors in the last 5 years. In the same time frame, five Directors have departed from the Board. ORI continues to make significant progress to provide greater diversity of talents, profession, and other backgrounds to the Board.

About Old Republic

Chicago-based Old Republic International Corporation is one of the nation's 50 largest shareholder-owned insurance businesses. It is a member of the Fortune 500 listing of America's largest companies. The Company is organized as an insurance holding company whose subsidiaries actively market, underwrite, and provide risk management services for a wide variety of coverages mostly in the general and title insurance fields. Old Republic's general insurance business ranks among the nation's 50 largest, while its title insurance business is the third largest in its industry.

At Old Republic: At Financial Relations Board: Craig R. Smiddy, President and CEO Analysts/Investors: Joe Calabrese 212/827-3772

For Old Republic's latest news releases and other corporate documents: Please visit us at www.oldrepublic.com Alternatively, please write or call: Investor Relations Old Republic International Corporation 307 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 346-8100

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SOURCE Old Republic International Corporation
New Patent granted for System and Method for Multimodality Soft-agent for Query Population and Information Mining

SOMERSET, N.J., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Openstream.ai, the leading provider of Conversational AI and Virtual Assistant solutions, today announced that the US Patent Office has granted Openstream.ai a patent for its unique approach to multimodality. Patent US20220114463A1 entitled 'System and Method for Multi-modality Soft-agent for Query Population and Information Mining'. The patent details how human requests relayed via dialogue with virtual agents can access data sources and applications to provide more efficient and effective ways for users to interact with them, regardless of modalities of input.

"We are pleased that the US Patent Office has recognized the uniqueness of our approach and granted this patent," said Magnus Revang, Openstream's Chief Product Officer. "The release of GPT-4 has heightened the market's awareness of the importance of multimodality to Conversational and Generational AI." Revang continues, "Organizations that need enterprise-class Conversational AI require multimodality to deliver the highest fidelity possible for relaying and interpreting interactions between virtual agents and people."

Multimodality is critical to businesses seeking to adopt conversational AI-based solutions because, natural conversation happens through all sensory modalities, not just text, and enterprises need to combine the signals from various modalities to drive the types of inferences or insights they need. Since its founding, Openstream.ai has led the market in multimodality. It is core to the DNA of Openstream.ai's conversational AI platform, Eva, a solution that leading enterprises are heavily employing around the world. Today's patent announcement is the company's latest milestone in this endeavor.

"As companies flood the enterprise-class Conversational AI arena, Openstream is proud to be able to continually differentiate itself by standing on the strengths of its intellectual capital," said Rama Eyunni, Vice Chairman of Openstream.ai. "Our customers have come to expect that our enterprise-class conversational AI platform, Eva, will continually deliver best-in-class multimodal capabilities thanks to our deep bench of world-renowned experts and portfolio of IP."

Openstream's Eva platform represents the culmination of well over 25 years of collaborative research and a portfolio of patents by Openstream thought leaders and experts across multiple fields of study including: artificial intelligence, human-computer dialogue, multimodal interaction, computational linguistics, natural language understanding, knowledge extraction, non-verbal behavior generation, machine translation and more to deliver the most state-of-the-art Enterprise-Class Conversational AI ecosystem for customers.

Openstream.ai serves enterprises in industries that must capitalize on conversational AI quickly to thrive and compete more effectively which includes healthcare, banking, finance, and insurance as well as others. Eva's Conversational AI ecosystem addresses the unique needs of enterprises by including features for Explainability, Reasoning, Trust, Data Governance, and Privacy Protection to provide them with solid foundations for growth while reducing risk.

Learn more about Multimodal Conversational AI here: https://openstream.ai/blogs/what-is-multimodal-conversational-ai

Additional resourcesFollow Openstream.ai on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Openstream.aiOpenstream.ai, is the pioneering provider of the Enterprise Conversational AI platform, Eva, is headquartered in Somerset, NJ, and offers its solutions and expertise to Fortune 2000 enterprises worldwide. Learn more about Eva and Enterprise-Class Conversational AI solutions from Openstream.ai at https://openstream.ai.

Media Contact:Lorene Bagley-Kane[email protected] 732-507-7030

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SOURCE Openstream.ai
DPR Construction leads discussion on the interdependencies and efficiencies on the rise in the Richmond life sciences ecosystem

RICHMOND, Va., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A Virginia Bio panel discussed the need for a balanced approach to the life sciences ecosystem, leveraging the life science, healthcare, and higher education community, especially in light of recent momentum in the life sciences market in Richmond. The panel brought together Kipton Currier, Vice President of Operations at Activation Capital, Don Bush, Principal at HKS, Matt Magruder, Director of Construction Management at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Jay Stoda, Business Unit Leader at DPR Construction.

Largely attributed to a late 1990s vision, recent statewide investments have fueled VCU's research and construction plans, as well as Activation Capital's initiative to support entrepreneurs and researchers through a new 102,000-sq.-ft. Innovation Center in downtown Richmond.

A facility analysis is currently underway at VCU that will allow for a better understanding of the current spatial needs for labs and research & development space, and the anchor programs that will drive growth. Activation Capital is working in parallel with VCU in the collection of data. The anticipated results will include information on operational essentials and life cycle costs as well as food access, childcare, and housing.

Some of the biggest questions include the current utilization rates of lab facilities in the area, the high cost of entry into the market, and recruitment and community engagement.

"From flexible suites for cGMP research in clinical settings to lab conversions in office buildings dealing with more vacancy in a post-COVID world, there is a complexity to fitting new programs into existing spaces," Stoda said. "Our customers need adaptability to support interdisciplinary goals, necessitating a shift away from compartmentalized design and construction."

About DPR Construction

DPR Construction is a forward-thinking, self-performing general contractor and construction manager specializing in technically complex and sustainable projects for the advanced technology, life sciences, healthcare, higher education and commercial markets. DPR's portfolio of work ranges from large-scale new construction to small tenant improvements and special projects. Founded in 1990, DPR is a great story of entrepreneurial success as a private, employee-owned company that has grown to a multi-billion-dollar organization with offices around the world. Strategically focused on delivering more predictable outcomes through applications of virtual design & construction, prefabrication, its team of self-perform craft, and leveraging data to learn and improve from DPR consistently ranks among the top building contractors and employs approximately 13,000 professionals across its family of companies. For more information, visit http://www.dpr.com.

For more information, please contact:

Lisa RuanoDPR ConstructionTel: 908-451-9622Email: [email protected]

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SOURCE DPR CONSTRUCTION, INC
KENDALL PARK, N.J., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently circulated in The Inner Circle, Duncan Hartley is acknowledged as a Life Achiever for his contributions in photography.

Dr. Hartley earned a Bachelor of Arts in English History in 1964 at the University of Michigan. He completed a Master of Arts in English History at Wayne State University in 1966 and concluded his studies at Wayne State University in 1971, from which he graduated with a Doctor of Philosophy in English Literature.

Dr. Hartley is fine arts photographer with more than 65 years of experience in the field. He has exhibited more than 150 photographs through private collections and esteemed national museums, including the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. He provided his photography to the book "The Little Italy," and also authored "Shakespeare's Living Cities." Dr. Hartley is also the author and co-editor of "The Sociology of the Arts," and is a contributing author for "The Art of the CEO".

Since 2008, Dr. Hartley has been the owner of Duncan Hartley Fine Art Photography since. He began his career as the owner of Duncan Photography from 1955 to 1964 before working as an instructor in the department of English at Wayne State University from 1969 to 1971. He has also served as an assistant professor at William Paterson University from 1971 to 1974, an administrator for educational resources for the Young Presidents Organization from 1973 to 1978, was the director of planned giving at Carroll University from 1978 to 1980, and the director of capital gifts with the Greater New York Council for the Boy Scouts of America from 1980 to 1984.

Dr. Hartley also served as an executive director of the president's council and the director of individual giving for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center from 1984 to 1996, as well as the associated dean for development and alumni affairs at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine from 1996 to 2003.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-inner-circle-acknowledges-duncan-hartley-as-a-life-achiever-for-his-contributions-in-photography-301775182.html

SOURCE The Inner Circle
A logo is seen on the headquarters of Swiss bank Credit Suisse on Paradeplatz in Zurich, Switzerland March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

By Joice Alves and Alexandra Hudson

LONDON/ZURICH (Reuters) - Shares in Credit Suisse resumed their decline on Friday as investor sentiment remained fragile following a $54 billion lifeline the Swiss bank secured this week.

A ratings downgrade and a U.S. lawsuit on Thursday offset some of the relief that stemmed from the emergency liquidity line offered by the Swiss central bank on Thursday.

Credit Suisse shares lost a further 8% on Friday following two days of sharp swings, which saw its shares recoup 20% on Thursday after a 24% drop on Wednesday when its largest investor said regulations meant it would not be able to increase its stake to inject capital.

"Whether depositors are sufficiently reassured to stem outflows over the next few days is a key question, in our view," said Frederique Carrier, head of investment strategy for RBC Wealth Management.

"While markets are relieved that the Swiss central bank stepped in, sentiment is bound to remain very fragile, particularly as investors will likely worry about the eventual economic impact of aggressive monetary policy tightening by the European Central Bank (ECB)," she added.

Credit Suisse has seen more than $200 million net outflows from its U.S. and European managed funds since March 13, Morningstar Direct said on Friday.

DBRS Morningstar on Thursday became the first global rating agency to cut the bank's credit score, with a downgrade to "BBB", which is still investment grade.

The head of the Credit Suisse's Swiss business said late on Thursday the new funding would allow the bank to continue with its turnaround plan, although it could take time to win back client confidence.

"We are still a little cautious here but there certainly has been more positive news on Credit Suisse," said John Milroy, investment adviser at Ord Minnett.

In a further sign that concern about banking stress remains elevated, the ECB Supervisory Board convened an unscheduled meeting on Friday to discuss stress and vulnerabilities in the euro zone bank sector.

The ECB supervisors were informed that deposits remained stable across euro zone banks and exposure to Credit Suisse was immaterial, a source familiar with the meeting's content told Reuters.

BANK LIFELINES

Credit Suisse became the first major global bank to take up an emergency lifeline since the 2008 financial crisis, fuelling doubts over whether central banks will be able to sustain aggressive rate hikes to rein in inflation.

The ECB pressed forward with a 50 basis point rate hike on Thursday as it prioritized trying to bring inflation, currently at 8.5%, back to its 2% target. The central bank said euro zone banks are in better shape than they were in 2008.

A $30 billion lifeline for U.S.-based First Republic Bank on Thursday also failed to reassure the market as investors remained concerned about cracks in the sector after the collapse of two other mid-sized U.S. lenders over the past week. Shares in First Republic were down 27.5% on Friday.

Credit Suisse shares had their worst week since the beginning of COVID 19 lockdown in March 2020, losing 25.5%.

(Graphic: Credit Suisse goes off piste - https://www.reuters.com/graphics/CREDITSUISSEGP-STOCKS/akveqegdgvr/chart.png)

Underscoring the febrile state of markets, European banking stocks fell almost 3% on Friday and nursed heavy weekly losses - down almost 12% in their biggest weekly fall in a year.

The banking sector has been in turmoil following the collapse last week of U.S. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB).

U.S. shareholders of Credit Suisse sued the bank on Thursday, claiming it defrauded them by concealing problems with its finances. Credit Suisse declined to comment on the lawsuit.

Swiss lawmakers on Friday vowed to bring those responsible for Credit Suisse's problems to account and urged it to clean up its act after years of scandals, as they sought to contain the crisis and limit any reputational damage to the country.

($1 = 0.9259 Swiss francs)

(Reporting by Joice Alves in London and Alexandra Hudson in Zurich; writing by Dhara Ranasinghe and Joice Alves, editing by Jason Neely and Elaine Hardcastle)
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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q/A 2

 QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended

 TRANSITION REPORT UNDER SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Commission file number: 000-55000

EARTH SCIENCE TECH, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Florida 80-0931484 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

8950 SW 74th CT

Suite 101

Miami , FL 33156

(Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)

(305) 724-5684

(Registrants telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered Common Stock $0.001 par value ETST Over the Counter Bulletin Board

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes  No 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T ( 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes  No 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, and emerging growth company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer  Accelerated filer  Non-accelerated filer  Smaller reporting company  Emerging growth company 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes  No 

As of March 17, 2023, there were 256,695,496 Common and 1,000,000 Preferred shares of the registrants stock outstanding.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The sole purpose of this Amendment No. 2 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended December 31, 2022 of EARTH SCIENCE TECH, INC. (the Company) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 3, 2023 (the Form 10-Q) is to correct a Promissory Note disclosed in the filing.

No other changes have been made to the Form 10-QA No. 1. This Amendment No. 2 to the Form 10-Q speaks as of the original filing date of the Form 10-Q, does not reflect events that may have occurred subsequent to the original filing date, and does not modify or update in any way disclosures made in the original Form 10-Q.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2

PART I  FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Earth Science Tech, Inc. & Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

December 31, 2022 March 31, 2022 ASSETS Current Assets: Cash $ 24,188 $ 26,942 Accounts Receivable(net allowance of $ 0 and $ 101,404 respectively ) $  $  Prepaid expenses and other current assets   Inventory   Total current assets 24,188 26,942 Other Assets: Due from RxCompound 397,382 25,000 Prepaid Acquisition Costs 98,000 25,000 Telemedicine Platform 17,806 Total other assets 513,188 50,000 Total Assets $ 537,376 $ 76,942 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS EQUITY Current Liabilities: Accounts payable $ 119,331 $ 202,270 PPP Loan  31,750 Accrued Settlement II 158,846  Promissory Note I 220,000  Convertible Note II 150,000  Convertible Note III 200,000  Loan Advance  50,000 Revolving Promissory Note 250,000 50,000 SBA EDIL Loan 102,956 106,800 Accrued expenses 86,183 311,610 Accrued settlement I  585,886 Accrued settlement  585,886 Interest Payable Convertible Notes IV  83,475 Interest Payable Promissory Note  14,429 Interest Payable Convertible Notes IV  326,838 Convertible Notes Promissory Note  30,000 SBA Payable 10,359 Due to RxCompoundStore.com, LLC. 110,363 1,895 Note Payable  27,500 Note Payable Interest  344 Notes Payable - related party  59,558 Total current liabilities 1,407,726 1,882,355 Commitments and contingencies - - Stockholders (Deficit) Equity: Common stock, par value $ 0.001 per share, 750,000,000 shares authorized; 257,964,406 and 53,851,966 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and March 31, 2022 respectively 257,966 53,853 Preferred stock B par value $ 0.001 per share 1,000,000 authorized and outstanding as of December 31, 2022 1,000  Additional paid-in capital 29,106164 28,264,452 Accumulated deficit ( 30,265,697 ) ( 30,123,718 ) Total stockholders (Deficit)Equity ( 870,350 ) ( 1,805,413 ) Total Liabilities and Stockholders (Deficit) Equity $ 537,376 $ 76,942

F-1

Earth Science Tech, Inc. & Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Operations

For the Three Months Ended December 31, 2022 For the Three Months Ended December 31, 2021 For the Nine Months Ended December 31, 2022 For the Nine Months Ended December 31, 2021 Revenue $ 2,533 $ 3,997 $ 2,533 $ 13,942 Cost of revenues 825 2,467 825 7,544 Gross Profit 1,708 1,530 1,708 6,398 Operating Expenses: Compensation - officers 9,654 30,846 86,173 46,058 Officer compensation stock   4,500  General and administrative 5,599 61,526 161,540 99,035 Professional fees 22,233 5,165 31,433 6,065 Loss on disposal of assets    1,712 Bad debt expense  4,944  4,944 Marketing 4,200  4,200  Litigation Expense   512,725  Cost of legal proceedings 8,297  18,497 7,267 Total operating expenses 49,983 102,481 819,068 165,081 Loss from operations ( 48,275 ) ( 100,951 ) ( 817,360 ) ( 158,683 ) Other Income (Expenses) 166,037  724,062 3,408,930 Other Income Interest expense ( 18,321 ) ( 2,452 ) ( 29,565 ) ( 8,040 ) Interest Expense-Convertible Notes IV  ( 9,289 )  ( 32,203 ) Interest Expense-Promissory Note  ( 1,361 )  ( 4,068 ) Interest Expense  ( 1,361 )  ( 4,068 ) Note Payable Interest   ( 1,104 )  Interest SBA Loan ( 977 ) ( 995 ) ( 5,929 ) ( 1,995 ) Total other income (expenses) 146,739 ( 14,097 ) 687,464 3,362,624 Net Profit/(Loss) before income taxes 98,464 ( 115,048 ) ( 129,896 ) 3,203,941 Income taxes     Net Profit/(Loss) $ ( 98,464 ) $ ( 115,048 ) $ ( 129,896 ) $ 3,203,941

F-2

Earth Science Tech, Inc. & Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders (Deficit) Equity

For Three Months Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021

Description Shares Amount Shares Amount Capital Deficit Total Common Stock Preferred Stock Additional Paid-in Accumulated Description Shares Amount Shares Amount Capital Deficit Total Balance September 30, 2021 52,851,966 $ 52,853 $   $ 28,245,452 $ ( 29,977,989 ) ( 1,679,684 ) Common stock issued for cash 500,000 500   9,500  10,000 Common stock issued for services        Common stock issued for officer compensation        Common stock issued for Conversion on Note        Net Profit/(Loss)      ( 115,048 ) ( 115,048 ) Balance December 31, 2021 53,351,966 $ 53,353 $   $ 28,254,952 $ ( 30,093,037 ) ( 1,784,732 ) Common stock issued for cash 500,000 500   9,500  10,000 Common stock issued for services        Common stock issued for officer compensation        Common stock issued for Conversion on Note        Net Profit/(Loss)      ( 30,681 ( 30,681 ) Balance March 31, 2022 53,851,966 $ 53,853 $   $ 28,264,452 $ ( 30,123,718 ) ( 1,805,413 ) Common stock issued for cash        Common stock issued for services        Common stock issued for officer compensation        Common stock issued for Conversion on Note        Net Profit/(Loss)      ( 154,682 ) ( 154,682 ) Balance June 30, 2022 53,851,966 $ 53,853 $   $ 28,264,452 $ ( 30,278,400 ( 1,960,095 ) Common stock issued for cash        Common stock issued for services 1,700,000 1,700     1,700 Common stock issued for officer compensation 3,500,000 3,500     3,500 Common stock issued for Conversion on Note        Preferred stock B issued for officer compensation   1,000,000 1,000    Net Profit/(Loss)      ( 73,678 ) ( 73,678 ) Balance September 30, 2022 59,051,966 59,053 1,000,000 1,000 28,264,452 ( 30,352078 ) ( 2,027573 ) Common stock issued for cash 62,600,000 62,600   253,900  316,500 Common stock issued for debt settlement 136,312,440 136,312   587,812  724,124 Common stock issued for officer compensation        Peaks Curative retained earnings      ( 12,084 ) ( 12,083 ) Peaks common units       30,217 Net Profit/(Loss)      ( 98,464 ) ( 98,464 ) Balance December 31, 2022 257,964,406 257,965 1,000,000 1,000 29,106,164 ( 30,265,697 ) ( 870,350 )

F-3

Earth Science Tech, Inc. & Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

For the Nine Months Ended December 31, 2022 For the Nine Months Ended December 31, 2021 Cash Flow From Operating Activities: Net Profit/(Loss) $ ( 129,896 ) $ 3,203,941 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Increase/Decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets  6,691 Increase/Decrease in accrued settlement ( 565,663 ) 18,761 Stock issued for debt settlement 724,124  Increase in inventory  6,644 Decrease in other assets ( 397,039 ) ( 3,408,637 ) Decrease in accounts payable ( 300,780 ) 127,638 Net Cash Used in Operating Activities ( 669,254 ) ( 40,462 ) Investing Activities: Purchases of property and equipment  1,712 Net Cash Used in Investing Activities  1,712 Financing Activities: Proceeds from issuance of common stock 316,500 38,175 Proceeds from Convertible Notes 350,000  Intrinsic value of Conv Notes-Addtl Paid-in-Capital   Net Cash Provided by Financing Activities 666,500 38,175 Net Decrease in Cash ( 2,754 ) ( 5,575 ) Cash - Beginning of period 26,942 16,161 Cash - End of period $ 24,188 $ 10,586

F-4

EARTH SCIENCE TECH, INC.

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

December 31, 2022

(UNAUDITED)

Note 1  Organization and Nature of Operations Earth Science Tech, Inc. (ETST or the Company) was incorporated under the laws of the State of Nevada on April 23, 2010, subsequently changed to the State of Florida on June 27, 2022. As of November 8, 2022, the Company is a holding entity set to acquire companies with its current focus in the health and wellness industry. The Company is presently in compounding pharmaceuticals and telemedicine through its wholly owned subsidiaries RxCompoundStore.com, LLC. (RxCompound), Peaks Curative, LLC. (Peaks), and Earth Science Foundation, Inc. (ESF). RxCompound is a compounding pharmacy that has historically focused on mens health, specifically medical products directed at ED such as Tadalafil, and Sildenafil Citrate (the generic names for Cialis and Viagra, respectively) and longevity. Currently licensed to dispense in the state of Florida, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Colorado, Rhode Island, and Arizona. RxCompound is in the application process to obtain licenses in the remaining states in which it is not yet licensed to dispense prescriptions. Furthermore, RxCompound recently obtained its hazardous room to compound hormonal creams within the month of December 2022 and is anticipated to have its sterile compounding room operational early 2023 to provide sterile products for injection. Peaks is the telemedicine referral site facilitating asynchronous consultations for branded compound medications prepared at RxCompound. Peaks is currently positioned to prescribe to all 50 states utilizing Smart Doctors consultation services, but only able to fulfill prescriptions within RxCompounds licensed states. Peaks will be able to fulfill more states as RxCompound obtains dispensing licenses in additional states. Patients who order Peaks via monthly subscription will be automatically enrolled into Peaks Loyalty Program. As a member of the loyalty program, members will receive credit to cover the costs on their Peaks facilitated online doctor consultations. The Peaks membership enrollment will occur automatically once becoming a monthly subscriber and automatically renewed at the time of the prescription renewal order. At the time of the renewal order, credits will be applied to cover the Peaks facilitated online doctor consultation. Peaks strategy has been to launch the website within three phases to insure efficiency and proper performance. Peaks launched its first Phase, Phase I, in the month of June 2022, offering one product, Tadalafil in a gummy form within 3 different dosages and quantity offerings. After months of feedback, successful orders and refills, Peaks commenced its Phase II website upgrade. Phase II will enhance the patient experience as well as offering Tadalafil in the form of gummies and tablets (generic Cialis), and Sildenafil in the form of capsules and tablets (generic Viagra) all in three different dosages and quantity offerings. Once Phase II has been completed, Peaks plans to execute a marketing campaign within the RxCompound dispensing states to increase brand exposure and sales leading to Phase III. Phase III includes over the counter (OTC) (non-prescription) products such as supplements and topicals. The OTC products will be custom manufactured or fulfilled through partnered companies under Peaks brand and offered worldwide. ESF is a favored entity of ETST, effectively being a non-profit organization that was incorporated on February 11, 2019, and is structured to accept grants and donations to help those in need of assistance in paying for prescriptions.

Note 2  Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of presentation The Companys accounting policies used in the presentation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (US GAAP) and have been consistently applied. F-5 Principles of consolidation The accompanying consolidated financial statements include all the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries Peaks and ESF. The Companys acquisition of RxCompound was consummated on November 8, 2022, along with Peaks; however, RxCompound completed its PCAOB audit after the fiscal quarter that subsequently to period ended December 31, 2022, completed on February 3, 2023, (see Note 4, Related Party Balance and Transactions and Note 8, Subsequent Events). All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated on consolidation. Use of estimates and assumptions The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. The Companys significant estimates and assumptions include the fair value of financial instruments; the accrual of the legal settlement, the carrying value recoverability and impairment, if any, of long-lived assets, including the estimated useful lives of fixed assets; the valuation allowance of deferred tax assets; stock-based compensation, the valuation of the inventory reserves and the assumption that the Company will continue as a going concern. Those significant accounting estimates or assumptions bear the risk of change since there are uncertainties attached to those estimates or assumptions, and certain estimates or assumptions are difficult to measure or value. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Management regularly reviews its estimates utilizing currently available information, changes in facts and circumstances, historical experience, and reasonable assumptions. After such reviews, and if deemed appropriate, those estimates are adjusted accordingly. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Carrying value, recoverability, and impairment of long-lived assets Company follows Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 360 to evaluate its long-lived assets. The Companys long-lived assets, which include property and equipment and a patent are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The Company assesses the recoverability of its long-lived assets by comparing the projected undiscounted net cash flows associated with the related long-lived asset or group of long-lived assets over their remaining estimated useful lives against their respective carrying amounts. Impairment, if any, is based on the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of those assets. Fair value is generally determined using the assets expected future discounted cash flows or market value, if readily determinable. If long-lived assets are determined to be recoverable, but the newly determined remaining estimated useful lives are shorter than originally estimated, the net book values of the long-lived assets are depreciated over the newly determined remaining estimated useful lives. The Company considers the following to be some examples of important indicators that may trigger an impairment review: (i) significant under-performance or losses of assets relative to expected historical or projected future operating results; (ii) significant changes in the manner or use of assets or in the Companys overall strategy with respect to the manner or use of the acquired assets or changes in the Companys overall business strategy; (iii) significant negative industry or economic trends; (iv) increased competitive pressures; (v) a significant decline in the Companys stock price for a sustained period of time; and (vi) regulatory changes. The Company evaluates assets for potential impairment indicators at least annually and more frequently upon the occurrence of such events. Impairment of assets, if any, are included in operating expenses. F-6 Cash and cash equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less to be cash and cash equivalents. Related parties The Company follows ASC 850 for the identification of related parties and disclosure of related party transactions. Pursuant to this ASC related parties include a) affiliates of the Company; b) entities for which investments in their equity securities would be required, absent the election of the fair value option under the Fair Value Option Subsection of Section 825-10-15, to be accounted for by the equity method by the investing entity; c) trusts for the benefit of employees, such as pension and profit-sharing trusts that are managed by or under the trusteeship of management; d) principal owners of the Company; e) management of the Company; f) other parties with which the Company may deal if one party controls or can significantly influence the management or operating policies of the other to an extent that one of the transacting parties might be prevented from fully pursuing its own separate interests; and g) other parties that can significantly influence the management or operating policies of the transacting parties or that have an ownership interest in one of the transacting parties and can significantly influence the other to an extent that one or more of the transacting parties might be prevented from fully pursuing its own separate interests. Commitments and contingencies The Company follows ASC 450 to account for contingencies. Certain conditions may exist as of the date the consolidated financial statements are issued, which may result in a loss to the Company, but which will only be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. This may result in contingent liabilities that are required to be accrued or disclosed in the financial statements. The Company assesses such contingent liabilities, and such assessment inherently involves an exercise of judgment. In assessing loss contingencies related to legal proceedings that are pending against the Company or unasserted claims that may result in such proceedings, the Company evaluates the perceived merits of any legal proceedings or unasserted claims as well as the perceived merits of the amount of relief sought or expected to be sought therein. If the assessment of a contingency indicates that it is probable that a material loss has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be estimated, then the estimated liability would be accrued in the Companys consolidated financial statements. If the assessment indicates that a potential material loss contingency is not probable but is reasonably possible, or is probable but cannot be estimated, then the nature of the contingent liability, and an estimate of the range of possible losses, if determinable and material, would be disclosed. Loss contingencies considered remote are generally not disclosed unless they involve guarantees, in which case the guarantees would be disclosed. Management does not believe, based upon information available at this time, that these matters will have a material adverse effect on the Companys consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. However, there is no assurance that such matters will not materially and adversely affect the Companys business, financial position, and results of operations or cash flows. Revenue recognition The Company follows and implements ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers for revenue recognition. Although the new revenue standard is expected to have an immaterial effect, if any, on the Companys ongoing net income, management did implement changes to the Companys processes related to revenue recognition and the control activities within them. These included the development of new policies based on the five-step model provided in the new revenue standard, ongoing contract review requirements, and gathering of information provided for disclosures. F-7 The Company recognizes revenue from product sales or services rendered when control of the promised goods are transferred to the companys clients in an amount that reflects the consideration to which management expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. To achieve this core principle, management applies the following five steps: identify the contract with the client, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to performance obligations in the contract and recognize revenues when or as the Company satisfies a performance obligation. Inventories The Company did not hold any inventories during the period ended December 31, 2022. During the Period ended December 31, 2022, the Companys operating entity Peaks fulfilled its sales directly through RxCompound, owned by the Company, but did not complete its PCAOB audit during the period ended December 31, 2022. RxCompound completed its PCAOB audit on February 3, 2023, (see Note 4, Related Party Balance and Transactions and Note 8, Subsequent Events). The Company will have its inventories stated at the lower of cost or market using the first in, first out (FIFO) method after the period ended December 31, 2022. A reserve will be established if necessary to reduce excess or obsolete inventories to their realizable value. Cost of Sales Components of costs of sales include product and shipping costs to customers and any inventory adjustments. Shipping and Handling Costs The Company accounts shipping and handling costs to customers as cost of revenue. Research and development Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. The Companys research and development expenses relate to its engineering activities, which consist of the design and development of new products for specific customers, as well as the design and engineering of new or redesigned products for the industry in general. Income taxes The Company follows ASC 740 in accounting for income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the estimated future tax effects of net operating loss carry forwards and temporary differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their respective financial reporting amounts measured at the current enacted tax rates. The Company records a valuation allowance for its deferred tax assets when management concludes that it is not more likely those assets will be recognized. The Company recognizes a tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the consolidated financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has no t recorded any unrecognized tax benefits. Interest and penalties related to liabilities for uncertain tax positions will be charged to interest and operating expenses, respectively. The Company has net operating loss carryforwards (NOL) for income tax purposes of approximately $ 6,150,613 . This loss is allowed to be offset against future income until . The tax benefits relating to all timing differences have been fully reserved for in the valuation allowance account due to the substantial losses incurred through September 30, 2022. There was no change in the valuation allowance for the periods ended December 31, 2022, and 2021. F-8 Internal Revenue Code Section 382 (Section 382) imposes limitations on the availability of a companys net operating losses after certain ownership changes occur. The Section 382 limitation is based upon certain conclusions pertaining to the dates of ownership changes and the value of the Company on the dates of the ownership changes. It was determined that an ownership change occurred in October 2013 and March 2014. The amount of the Companys net operating losses incurred prior to the ownership changes are limited based on the value of the Company on the date of the ownership change. Management has not determined the amount of net operating losses generated prior to the ownership change available to offset taxable income subsequent to the ownership change. Net loss per common share The Company follows ASC 260 to account for earnings per share. Basic earnings per common share calculations are determined by dividing net results from operations by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the year. Diluted loss per common share calculations are determined by dividing net results from operations by the weighted average number of common shares and dilutive common share equivalents outstanding. During periods when common stock equivalents, if any, are anti-dilutive they are not considered in the computation. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has no warrants that are anti-dilutive and not included in the calculation of diluted loss per share. Cash flows reporting The Company follows ASC 230 to report cash flows. This standard classifies cash receipts and payments according to whether they stem from operating, investing, or financing activities and provides definitions of each category, and uses the indirect or reconciliation method (Indirect method) as defined by this standard to report net cash flow from operating activities by adjusting net income to reconcile it to net cash flow from operating activities by removing the effects of (a) all deferrals of past operating cash receipts and payments and all accruals of expected future operating cash receipts and payments and (b) all items that are included in net income that do not affect operating cash receipts and payments. The Company reports separately information about investing and financing activities not resulting in cash receipts or payments in the period pursuant this standard. Stock based compensation The Company follows ASC 718 in accounting for its stock-based compensation to employees. These standards state that compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized over the service period, which is usually the vesting period. The Company values stock-based compensation at the market price of the Companys common stock as of the date in which the obligation for payment of service is incurred. Company accounts for transactions in which services are received from non-employees in exchange for equity instruments based on the fair value of the equity instrument exchanged in accordance with ASC 505-50. Property and equipment Property and equipment are recorded at cost net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method based upon the estimated useful lives of the respective assets as follows: Schedule of Property Plant and Equipment Leasehold improvements Shorter of useful life or term of lease Signage 5 years Furniture and equipment 5 years Computer equipment 5 years F-9 The cost of repairs and maintenance is expensed as incurred; major replacements and improvements are capitalized. When assets are retired or disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from accounts and any resulting gains or losses are included in operations. Recently issued accounting pronouncements In August 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2016-15, Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. The new standard will change the classification of certain cash payments and receipts within the cash flow statement. Specifically, payments for debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, including third-party costs, premiums paid, and other fees paid to lenders that are directly related to the debt prepayment or debt extinguishment, excluding accrued interest, will now be classified as financing activities. Previously, these payments were classified as operating expenses. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted, and will be applied retrospectively. The Company does not expect that the adoption of this new standard will have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases. This ASU requires lessees to recognize most leases on their balance sheets related to the rights and obligations created by those leases. The ASU also requires additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures related to the nature, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this new standard will have on its consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-09, Compensation  Stock Compensation. The new standard modified several aspects of the accounting and reporting for employee share- based payments and related tax accounting impacts, including the presentation in the statements of operations and cash flows of certain tax benefits or deficiencies and employee tax withholdings, as well as the accounting for award forfeitures over the vesting period. The new standard was effective for the Company on April 1, 2017. The Company does not believe that the adoption of this new standard will have a material effect on its consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. This guidance will supersede Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, in addition to other industry-specific guidance, once effective. The new standard requires a company to recognize revenue in a manner that depicts the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date, as a revision to ASU 2014-09, which revised the effective date to fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted but not prior to periods beginning after December 15, 2016 (i.e., the original adoption date per ASU 2014-09). In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations, which clarifies certain aspects of the principal- versus-agent guidance, including how an entity should identify the unit of accounting for the principal versus agent evaluation and how it should apply the control principle to certain types of arrangements, such as service transactions. The amendments also reframe the indicators to focus on evidence that an entity is acting as a principal rather than as an agent. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which clarifies how an entity should evaluate the nature of its promise in granting a license of intellectual property, which will determine whether it recognizes revenue over time or at a point in time. The amendments also clarify when a promised good or service is separately identifiable (i.e., distinct within the context of the contract) and allow entities to disregard items that are immaterial in the context of a contract. The Company continues to assess the impact this new standard may have on its ongoing financial reporting. The Company has identified its revenue streams both by contract and product type and is assessing each for potential impacts. For the revenue streams assessed, the Company does not anticipate a material impact in the timing or amount of revenue recognized. In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. This guidance will supersede Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, in addition to other industry-specific guidance, once effective. The new standard requires a company to recognize revenue in a manner that depicts the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Deferral of the Effective Date, as a revision to ASU 2014-09, which revised the effective date to fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017. Early adoption is permitted but not prior to periods beginning after December 15, 2016 (i.e., the original adoption date per ASU 2014-09). In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Principal versus Agent Considerations, which clarifies certain aspects of the principal- versus-agent guidance, including how an entity should identify the unit of accounting for the principal versus agent evaluation and how it should apply the control principle to certain types of arrangements, such as service transactions. The amendments also reframe the indicators to focus on evidence that an entity is acting as a principal rather than as an agent. In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers: Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, which clarifies how an entity should evaluate the nature of its promise in granting a license of intellectual property, which will determine whether it recognizes revenue over time or at a point in time. The amendments also clarify when a promised good or service is separately identifiable (i.e., distinct within the context of the contract) and allow entities to disregard items that are immaterial in the context of a contract. The Company continues to assess the impact this new standard may have on its ongoing financial reporting. The Company has identified its revenue streams both by contract and product type and is assessing each for potential impacts. For the revenue streams assessed, the Company does not anticipate a material impact in the timing or amount of revenue recognized. F-10 In January 2017, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other, which simplifies the accounting for goodwill impairments by eliminating step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Instead, if the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss shall be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this new standard will have on its Consolidated Financial Statements. All other newly issued accounting pronouncements not yet effective have been deemed either immaterial or not applicable. Intangible Assets The Companys balance of intangible assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheet net of accumulated amortizations $ 17,806 and $ 0 as of December 31, 2022, and December 31, 2021, from its Peaks telemedicine web platform. Reclassification Certain amounts from the prior period have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

Note 3  Going Concern The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern. On December 31, 2022, the Company had negative working capital, an accumulated deficit of $ 30,265,697 . These factors raise substantial doubt about the Companys ability to continue as a going concern. The Company as of November 8, 2022, became a holding entity set to acquire companies with its recent two acquisitions, RxCompound and Peaks both operating in the health and wellness industry. The Companys cash position may not be sufficient to pay its obligations and support the Companys daily operations. Management intends to raise additional funds by way of a public or private offering. Management believes that the actions presently being taken to further implement its business plan and generate sufficient revenues may provide the opportunity for the Company to continue as a going concern. While the Company believes in the viability of its strategy to generate sufficient revenues by acquiring companies and in its ability to raise additional funds, there can be no assurances to that effect. The ability of the Company to continue as a going concern is dependent upon the Companys ability to further implement its business plan and generate sufficient revenues. The condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary if the Company is unable to continue as a going concern.

Note 4 - Related Party Balances and Transactions On November 8, 2022, the Company amended the Purchase Agreement for the Membership Units of the RxCompound and Peaks, dated November 3, 2021. Pursuant to the terms of the Amendment, the parties modified the Purchase Price on the November 3, 2021, agreement such that the Company agreed to issue a cumulative total of 53,700,000 shares of its restricted Common Stock in exchange for all outstanding Membership Units of both RxCompound and Peaks, (see Note 4, Related Party Balance and Transactions). On December 29, 2022, Peaks completed its PCAOB audit and RxCompound completed its audit after the period ended December 31, 2022, on February 3, 2023, (see note 8 Subsequent Event). F-11

Note 5  Stockholders Equity During the three months ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, the Company issued 62,600,000 and 0 restricted common shares for cash of $ 316,500 and $ 0 respectively, (see ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS). During the three months ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, the Company issued 136,312,440 and 0 restricted common shares for debt settlements at a fair value of $ 724,124 and $ 0 respectively, (see RESULTS OF OPERATIONS and ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS).

Note 6  Commitments and Contingencies Legal Proceedings The Company is not currently a party to any material legal proceeding. Lease Agreements The Company is presently located at RxCompounds location at 8950 SW 74th Court Suite 101, Miami, FL, 33156 after the Purchase Agreement was consummated on November 8, 2022, (see Note 4, Related Party Balance and Transactions). RxCompounds location sits in sq ft composed of offices, cooking room, hazardous room, sterile compounding room, lobby, and storage. The lease requires monthly payments of $ 7,057 for a term of 36-months plus the single lump sum payment of $ 40,000 upon execution in June 2022.

Note 8  Subsequent Events On February 3, 2023, the Company received RxCompounds audited financials pursuant to the previously announced Purchase and Sale Agreement dated November 8, 2022, and for the purposes set forth therein, the seller of RxCompound entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement, pursuant to which the Company agreed to acquire the Seller. The Company received an email on February 9, 2023 from the Autorite des Marches Financiers (the AMF) with a complaint, in French dated January 23, 2023. The Complaint alleges that the Companys former CEO, Dr. Michele Aube, improperly raised capital for the Company and is claiming Forty Thousand Dollars in damages. Dr. Aube resigned in 2019. The Company has retained legal counsel in Quebec and will vigorously defend this claim.

F-12

Item 2. MANAGEMENTS DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATION

The following section, Managements Discussion and Analysis, should be read in conjunction with Earth Science Tech Inc.s financial statements and the related notes thereto and contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, such as statements of the Companys plans, objectives, expectations, and intentions. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. When used, the words believe, plan, intend, anticipate, target, estimate, expect, and the like, and/or future-tense or conditional constructions (will, may, could, should, etc.), or similar expressions, identify certain of these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements in this Report on Form 10-Q. The Companys actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this Report filed on Form 10-Q.

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the companys unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes and other financial data included elsewhere in this report. See also the notes to the Companys consolidated financial statements and Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contained in the Companys Registration Statement filed on Form 10-12g and the Companys Annual Report filed on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022, as well as the Companys Quarterly report filed on Form 10-Q for the period ending September 30, 2022.

OVERVIEW

The Company is a holding entity set to acquire companies with its current focus in the health and wellness industry. The Company is presently in compounding pharmaceuticals and telemedicine through its wholly owned subsidiaries RxCompoundStore.com, LLC. (RxCompound), Peaks Curative, LLC. (Peaks), and Earth Science Foundation, Inc. (ESF).

RxCompound is a compounding pharmacy that has historically focused on mens health, specifically medical products directed at ED such as Tadalafil, and Sildenafil Citrate (the generic names for Cialis and Viagra, respectively) and longevity. Currently licensed to dispense in the state of Florida, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Colorado, Rhode Island, and Arizona. RxCompound is in the application process to obtain licenses in the remaining states in which it is not yet licensed to dispense prescriptions. Furthermore, RxCompound recently obtained its hazardous room to compound hormonal creams within the month of December 2022 and is anticipated to have its sterile compounding room operational early 2023 to provide sterile products for injection.

Peaks is the telemedicine referral site facilitating asynchronous consultations for branded compound medications prepared at RxCompound. Peaks is currently positioned to prescribe to all 50 states utilizing Smart Doctors consultation services, but only able to fulfill prescriptions within RxCompounds licensed states. Peaks will be able to fulfill more states as RxCompound obtains dispensing licenses in additional states. Patients who order Peaks via monthly subscription will be automatically enrolled into Peaks Loyalty Program. As a member of the loyalty program, members will receive credit to cover the costs on their Peaks facilitated online doctor consultations. The Peaks membership enrollment will occur automatically once becoming a monthly subscriber and automatically renewed at the time of the prescription renewal order. At the time of the renewal order, credits will be applied to cover the Peaks facilitated online doctor consultation.

Peaks strategy has been to launch the website within three phases to insure efficiency and proper performance. Peaks launched its first Phase, Phase I, in the month of June 2022, offering one product, Tadalafil in a gummy form within 3 different dosages and quantity offerings. After months of feedback, successful orders and refills, Peaks commenced its Phase II website upgrade. Phase II will enhance the patient experience as well as offering Tadalafil in the form of gummies and tablets (generic Cialis), and Sildenafil in the form of capsules and tablets (generic Viagra) all in three different dosages and quantity offerings. Once Phase II has been completed, Peaks plans to execute a marketing campaign within the RxCompound dispensing states to increase brand exposure and sales leading to Phase III. Phase III includes over the counter (OTC) (non-prescription) products such as supplements and topicals. The OTC products will be custom manufactured or fulfilled through partnered companies under Peaks brand and offered worldwide.

ESF is a favored entity of ETST, effectively being a non-profit organization that was incorporated on February 11, 2019, and is structured to accept grants and donations to help those in need of assistance in paying for prescription.

3

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The discussion and analysis of the Companys financial condition and results of operations are based upon the Companys condensed financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses. In consultation with the Companys Board of Directors, management has identified the following accounting policies that it believes are key to an understanding of its financial statements. These are important accounting policies that require managements most difficult, subjective judgments.

Basis of Presentation

The Companys accounting policies used in the presentation of the accompanying consolidated financial statements conform to accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (US GAAP) and have been consistently applied.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include all of the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. The subsidiaries include Peaks and ESF (all intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated on consolidation).

Use of Estimates and Assumptions

The preparation of the condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods.

The Companys significant estimates and assumptions include the fair value of financial instruments; the accrual of the legal settlement, the carrying value recoverability and impairment, if any, of long-lived assets, including the estimated useful lives of fixed assets; the valuation allowance of deferred tax assets; stock-based compensation, the valuation of the inventory reserves and the assumption that the Company will continue as a going concern. Those significant accounting estimates or assumptions bear the risk of change since there are uncertainties attached to those estimates or assumptions, and certain estimates or assumptions are difficult to measure or value.

4

Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources.

Management regularly reviews its estimates utilizing currently available information, changes in facts and circumstances, historical experience, and reasonable assumptions. After such reviews, and if deemed appropriate, those estimates are adjusted accordingly. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Carrying Value, Recoverability, and Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company follows Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 360 to evaluate its long-lived assets. The Companys long-lived assets, which include property and equipment and a patent are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.

The Company assesses the recoverability of its long-lived assets by comparing the projected undiscounted net cash flows associated with the related long-lived asset or group of long-lived assets over their remaining estimated useful lives against their respective carrying amounts. Impairment, if any, is based on the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of those assets. Fair value is generally determined using the assets expected future discounted cash flows or market value, if readily determinable. If long-lived assets are determined to be recoverable, but the newly determined remaining estimated useful lives are shorter than originally estimated, the net book values of the long-lived assets are depreciated over the newly determined remaining estimated useful lives.

The Company considers the following to be some examples of important indicators that may trigger an impairment review: (i) significant under-performance or losses of assets relative to expected historical or projected future operating results; (ii) significant changes in the manner or use of assets or in the Companys overall strategy with respect to the manner or use of the acquired assets or changes in the Companys overall business strategy; (iii) significant negative industry or economic trends; (iv) increased competitive pressures; (v) a significant decline in the Companys stock price for a sustained period of time; and (vi) regulatory changes. The Company evaluates assets for potential impairment indicators at least annually and more frequently upon the occurrence of such events. Impairment of changes, if any, are included in operating expenses.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less to be cash and cash equivalents.

Related Parties

The Company follows ASC 850 for the identification of related parties and disclosure of related party transactions.

Pursuant to this ASC related parties include a) affiliates of the Company; b) entities for which investments in their equity securities would be required, absent the election of the fair value option under the Fair Value Option Subsection of Section 825-10-15, to be accounted for by the equity method by the investing entity; c) trusts for the benefit of employees, such as pension and profit-sharing trusts that are managed by or under the trusteeship of management; d) principal owners of the Company; e) management of the Company; f) other parties with which the Company may deal if one party controls or can significantly influence the management or operating policies of the other to an extent that one of the transacting parties might be prevented from fully pursuing its own separate interests; and g) other parties that can significantly influence the management or operating policies of the transacting parties or that have an ownership interest in one of the transacting parties and can significantly influence the other to an extent that one or more of the transacting parties might be prevented from fully pursuing its own separate interests.

5

Commitments and Contingencies

The Company follows ASC 450 to account for contingencies. Certain conditions may exist as of the date the consolidated financial statements are issued, which may result in a loss to the Company, but which will only be resolved when one or more future events occur or fail to occur. This may result in contingent liabilities that are required to be accrued or disclosed in the financial statements. The Company assesses such contingent liabilities, and such assessment inherently involves an exercise of judgment. In assessing loss contingencies related to legal proceedings that are pending against the Company or unasserted claims that may result in such proceedings, the Company evaluates the perceived merits of any legal proceedings or unasserted claims as well as the perceived merits of the amount of relief sought or expected to be sought therein.

If the assessment of a contingency indicates that it is probable that a material loss has been incurred and the amount of the liability can be estimated, then the estimated liability would be accrued in the Companys consolidated financial statements. If the assessment indicates that a potential material loss contingency is not probable but is reasonably possible, or is probable but cannot be estimated, then the nature of the contingent liability, and an estimate of the range of possible losses, if determinable and material, would be disclosed.

Loss contingencies considered remote are generally not disclosed unless they involve guarantees, in which case the guarantees would be disclosed. Management does not believe, based upon information available at this time, that these matters will have a material adverse effect on the Companys consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. However, there is no assurance that such matters will not materially and adversely affect the Companys business, financial position, and results of operations or cash flows.

Revenue Recognition

The Company follows and implements ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers for revenue recognition. Although the new revenue standard is expected to have an immaterial effect, if any, on the Companys ongoing net income, the Company did implement changes to the Companys processes related to revenue recognition and the control activities within them. These included the development of new policies based on the five-step model provided in the new revenue standard, ongoing contract review requirements, and gathering of information provided for disclosures.

The Company recognizes revenue from product sales or services rendered when control of the promised goods are transferred to the Companys clients in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. To achieve this core principle, the Company will apply the following five steps: identify the contract with the client, identify the performance obligations in the contract, determine the transaction price, allocate the transaction price to performance obligations in the contract and recognize revenues when or as the Company satisfies a performance obligation.

The Company recognizes its retail store revenue at point of sale, net of sales tax.

Inventories

The Company did not hold any inventories during the period ended December 31, 2022. During the Period ended December 31, 2022, the Companys operating entity Peaks fulfills its sales directly through RxCompound, owned by the Company, but did not complete its PCAOB audit dur9ng the period ended December 31, 2022. RxCompound completed its PCAOB audit subsequently to the period ended December 31, 2022, on February 3, 2023, (see Note 4, Related Party Balance and Transactions and Note 8, Subsequent Events). The Company will have its inventories stated at the lower of cost or market using the first in, first out (FIFO) method subsequently to the period ended December 31, 2022. A reserve will be established if necessary to reduce excess or obsolete inventories to their realizable value.

Cost of Sales

Components of costs of sales include product and shipping costs to customers and any inventory adjustments.

6

Shipping and Handling Costs

The Company accounts shipping and handling costs to customers as cost of revenue.

Research and Development

Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. The Companys research and development expenses relate to its engineering activities, which consist of the design and development of new products for specific customers, as well as the design and engineering of new or redesigned products for the industry in general.

Net Loss Per Common Share

The Company follows ASC 260 to account for earnings per share. Basic earnings per common share calculations are determined by dividing net results from operations by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the year. Diluted loss per common share calculations are determined by dividing net results from operations by the weighted average number of common shares and dilutive common share equivalents outstanding. During periods when common stock equivalents, if any, are anti-dilutive they are not considered in the computation.

As of December 31, 2022, the Company has no warrants that are anti-dilutive and not included in the calculation of diluted loss per share.

Cash Flows Reporting

The Company follows ASC 230 to report cash flows. This standard classifies cash receipts and payments according to whether they stem from operating, investing, or financing activities and provides definitions of each category, and uses the indirect or reconciliation method (Indirect method) as defined by this standard to report net cash flow from operating activities by adjusting net income to reconcile it to net cash flow from operating activities by removing the effects of (a) all deferrals of past operating cash receipts and payments and all accruals of expected future operating cash receipts and payments and (b) all items that are included in net income that do not affect operating cash receipts and payments. The Company reports separately information about investing and financing activities not resulting in cash receipts or payments in the period pursuant this standard.

Stock Based Compensation

The Company follows ASC 718 in accounting for its stock-based compensation to employees. These standards state that compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is recognized over the service period, which is usually the vesting period. The Company values stock-based compensation at the market price of the Companys common stock as of the date in which the obligation for payment of service is incurred.

Company accounts for transactions in which services are received from non-employees in exchange for equity instruments based on the fair value of the equity instrument exchanged in accordance with ASC 505-50.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are recorded at cost net of accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method based upon the estimated useful lives of the respective assets as follows:

Leasehold improvements Shorter of useful life or term of lease Signage 5 years Furniture and equipment 5 years Computer equipment 5 years

The cost of repairs and maintenance is expensed as incurred; major replacements and improvements are capitalized. When assets are retired or disposed of, the cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from accounts and any resulting gains or losses are included in operations.

Liquidity and Capital Resources.

For the Nine-Month Period Ended December 31, 2022, versus December 31, 2021

During the nine months ended December 31, 2022, net cash used in the Companys operating activities totaled $(817,360) compared to $(158,683) during the three months ended December 31, 2021. During the nine months ended

December 31, 2022, net cash used in investing activities totaled $0 compared to $1,712 provided by investing activities during the nine months ended December 31, 2021. During the nine months ended December 31, 2022, net cash provided by financing activities totaled $350,000 compared to $0 from financing activities during the nine months ended December 31, 2022.

Revolving Promissory Note Issa El-Chelkh issued 1/28/22 for cash received $50,000 will accrue at a rate of 5% on a 360-day year. Maturity date January 23, 2023. The Revolving Promissory Note from Issa El-Chelkhs $250,000 revolving credit agreement issued on August 31, 2021.

Revolving Promissory Note Issa El-Chelkh issued 4/1/22 for cash received $200,000 will accrue at a rate of 5% on a 360-day year. Maturity date March 27, 2023. The Revolving Promissory Note from Issa El-Chelkhs $250,000 revolving credit agreement issued on August 31, 2021, now holds $0 in remaining credit.

7

Convertible Note VCAMJI IRREV. TRUST issued 6/10/22 for cash received $150,000 will accrue at a rate of 10% on a 360-day year. Maturity date is June 5, 2023.

Promissory Note Robert Stevens issued 6/3/22 in the principal of $220,000, together with any interest. Maturity date is May 29, 2023.

Convertible Note VCAMJI IRREV. TRUST issued 7/02/22 for cash received $200,000 will accrue at a rate of 10% on a 360-day year. Maturity date is June 27, 2023.

On December 31, 2022, the Company had total liabilities of $1,407,726 with $829,348 in a month-to-month payment plan, (see filed period ended September 30, 2022, 10-Q Note 6, Legal Proceedings). In addition, the current liabilities also include $677,500 from friendly creditors, all being large shareholders, $220,000 in a settlement promissory note, $102,956 from a SBA EIDL loan and $110,363 due to RxCompound currently in a pending acquisition transaction, (See Note 4, Related Party Balances and Transaction and Note 5, Stockholder Equity).

On December 31, 2022, the Company had a stockholders equity totaling $(870,350) compared to an equity of $(1,805,413) for the period ending December 31, 2021.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

For the Nine Months Ended December 31, 2022, versus December 31, 2021

The Companys revenue for the nine months ended December 31, 2022, was $2,533 compared to December 31, 2021, revenue totaling $13,942. The decrease in revenue is primarily attributed to the Company consummation Peaks on November 8, 2022, (see Note 4, Related Party Balance) and provided audited financials on December 30, 2022, (see Note 8, Subsequent Events) recently launching their platform with no marketing during its first phase, (see note 8, Overview).

8

The Companys current liabilities for the nine months ended December 31, 2022, was $1,407,726 compared to December 31, 2021, current liabilities totaling $1,882,355. The decrease in current liabilities is primarily attributed to the Company settlement on October 25, 2022, with Giorgio R Saumat for his acquired debt totaling $625,624 in exchange for 62,562,440 shares of its restricted Common Stock and 1,000,000 shares of its Series B Preferred Stock, Dr. Issa El-Cheikhs promissory note dated within 2014 totaling $155,791 in exchange for 16,300,000 shares of its restricted Common Stock, and a Loan Advance convertible note dated within February 2021, and Mario Portela for his convertible note dated within February 2022 $27,500, Note Payable I and Note Payable I Interest, in exchange for 2,750,000 shares of its restricted Common Stock, (see October 28, 2022s 8-K filing).

The Company incurred operating expenses for the nine months ended December 31, 2022, totaling $918,068, compared to $165,081 during the nine months ended December 30, 2021. The increase in operating expenses can be attributed to the Companys litigation expenses, settlements, and general and administrative expenses, (see filed period ended September 30, 2022, 10-Q Note 6, Legal Proceedings).

Officer compensation for the nine months ended December 31, 2022, was $4,500 in cash and $0 in stock-based compensation compared to $86,173 in cash and $46,058 in stock-based compensation during the nine months ended December 31, 2021. This increase is due its CEO, CFO, and the addition of its new president. On October 25, 2022, both the Companys CEO and President agreed to defer receiving salary compensation until the Company is cash flow positive for 3 consecutive bi-week payroll periods, (see October 28, 2022s 8-K filing)

The Company incurred general and administrative expenses of $161,540, during the nine months ended December 31, 2022, compared to $99,035 during the nine months ended December 31, 2021. This increase is due to the accrued receivership fees and cost, (see filed period ended September 30, 2022, 10-Q Note 6, Legal Proceedings).

The Company paid professional fees of $31,433, during the nine months ended December 31, 2022, compared to $6,065 during the nine months ended December 31, 2021. This increase is due to SEC legal and auditor fees.

The Company incurred costs of legal proceedings of $18,497 during the nine months ended December 31, 2022, compared to $7,267 during the nine months ended December 31, 2021.

The Company generated a net loss from continuing operations for the nine months ended December 31, 2022, and 2021 of approximately $(129,896) and $3,203,941, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, and March 31, 2022, the Company had current assets of $537,376 and $76,942, respectively, which included the following as of December 31, 2022: cash and cash equivalents of approximately $24,188; amounts due from RxCompound of $397,382; prepaid acquisition costs of $98,000; and telemedicine platform valued at $17,806; compared to the following as of March 31, 2022, cash and cash equivalents of approximately $26,942; amounts due from RxCompoundStore.com of $25,000; and prepaid acquisition costs of $25,000.

The Companys Plan of Operation for the Next Twelve Months

The Companys auditors have expressed doubt as to the Companys ability to continue as a going concern in part, because on December 31, 2022, the Company had negative working capital, an accumulated deficit of $30,265,697.

The Companys current liabilities have historically exceeded the Companys Current Assets; and as of December 31, 2022, that trend was continued with the Companys current liabilities of totaling $1,407,726 exceeding the Companys current assets of $537,376 by $870,350. While this trend is certainly has not been part of the Companys objectives, management does not see it as particularly significant because in considering the Companys current liabilities, $600,000 of them are represented in a related party note held by friendly creditors, two who are also large shareholders, VCAMJI IRREV. TRUST in the amount of $350,000 in a convertible note and Dr. Issa El-Chelkh in the amount of $250,000 in a revolving promissory note. The remaining creditors are from the recent litigation settlements, $378,846 are composed of Fox Rothchild in the amount of $158,846 in a month-to-month payment plan and Robert L. Stevens in the amount of $220,000 in a promissory note, (see filed period ended September 30, 2022, 10-Q Note 6, Legal Proceedings).

9

Regardless of the forgoing issues, the Company will require additional debt or equity financing for its operations as currently conducted. The Company on November 8, 2022, consummated its two merger candidates that will generate revenues in the compounding pharmaceutical and telemedicine industries, (see Note 4, Related Party Balance and Transactions and Overview).

Historically the Company has had a strong base of existing shareholders who are committed to its vision. They have historically demonstrated a willingness to purchase shares of stock when they are offered and friendly convertible notes. If these shareholders were to cease purchasing shares and notes when offered, if the Company were unable to secure other sources of debt or equity financing, or if the Company were unable to secure sufficient financing and on terms that are acceptable to it, the Company would not be able to continue operations as currently planned. Additional funding primarily allows the Company to expedite the Companys business plan. During the periods ending December 31, 2022, and December 31, 2021, the Company has met its capital requirements through a combination of operating activities and through external financing through the sale of its restricted common stock and convertible notes. The Company intends to continue through friendly convertible notes and the sale of its restricted common stock.

ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

The Company is a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and are not required to provide the information under this item.

ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Disclosure controls and procedures are controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the Companys reports filed under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported, within the time periods specified in the SECs rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Companys reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Companys management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Although the Companys management has not formally carried out an evaluation under the supervision and with the participation of the Companys Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Companys disclosure controls and procedures pursuant to Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Exchange Act), because of the relatively thin management structure that the Company currently maintains, the Company believes that the Companys Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer have sufficient timely information to allow them to make necessary disclosures in a timely manner.

Based on this informal evaluation, the Companys principal executive and principal financial and accounting officer concluded that the Companys disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) were effective as of December 31, 2022.

Managements Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). The Companys internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

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Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Changes in Internal Control and Financial Reporting

There were no other changes in the Companys internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the Companys most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Companys internal control over financial reporting.

PART II  OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

The Company is not currently a party to any material legal proceeding.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

The Company is a smaller reporting company as defined by Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is not required to provide the information under this item.

ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

During the three months ended December 31, 2022, the Company issued 197,312,440 shares of its common stock for $1,032,724, in transactions that were exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended pursuant to Section 4(2) and/or Rule 506 promulgate under Regulation D. No gain or loss was recognized on the issuances. On October 8, 2022, the Company issued 2,000,000 shares and 2,000,000 shares to two creditors at $0.001 per share to settle claims. On October 10, 2022, the Company issued 16,300,000 shares, 4,000,000 shares, and 200,000 shares to three creditors at $0.001 per share to settle claims. On October 18, 2022, the Company issued 500,000 shares to an investor at $0.012 per share for cash. On October 18, 2022, the Company issued 1,000,000 shares, 2,000,000 shares, and 400,000 shares to three investors at $0.005 per share for cash. On October 20, 2022, the Company issued 400,000 shares, 500,000 shares, and 2,000,000 shares to three investors at $0.005 per share for cash. On October 21, 2022, the Company issued 2,000,000 shares, 1,000,000 shares, and 400,000 shares to three investors at $0.005 per share for cash. On October 24, 2022, the Company issued 62,562,440 shares to a creditor at $0.01 per share to settle claims. On October 25, 2022, the Company issued 2,000,000 shares, 1,000,000 shares, 1,000,000 shares, 400,000 shares, and 13,000,000 shares to five investors at $0.005 per share for cash. On October 25, 2022, the Company issued 2,750,000 shares to a creditor at $0.01 per share to settle claims. On October 25, 2022, the Company issued 19,750,000 shares, 17,000,000 shares, and 9,750,000 shares to three creditors at $0.001 per share to settle claims. On November 2, 2022, the Company issued 600,000 shares to an investor at $0.005 per share for cash. On November 3, 2022, the Company issued 1,200,000 shares to an investor at $0.005 per share for cash. On November 4, 2022, the Company issued 10,000,000 shares to an investor at $0.005 per share for cash. On November 7, 2022, the Company issued 1,000,000 shares to an investor at $0.005 per share for cash. On November 8, 2022, the Company issued 4,000,000 shares, 2,000,000 shares, 2,000,000 shares, 2,000,000 shares, and 1,000,000 shares to five investors at $0.005 per share for cash. On November 9, 2022, the Company issued 600,000 shares to an investor at $0.005 per share for cash. On November 14, 2022, the Company issued 1,000,000 shares to an investor at $0.005 per share for cash. On November 14, 2022, the Company issued 1,000,000 shares, 200,000 shares, 200,000 shares, 3,000,000 shares, 3,000,000 shares, 1,000,000 shares, 100,000 shares, 200,000 shares, 200,000 shares, 300,000 shares, 200,000 shares, 200,000 shares, 200,000 shares, 200,000 shares, 200,000 shares, and 400,000 shares to sixteen investors at $0.005 per share for cash.

ITEM 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES

None

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

None

ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION

None

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ITEM 6. EXHIBITS

12

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

EARTH SCIENCE TECH, INC. Dated: March 17, 2023 By: /s/ Giorgio R. Saumat Giorgio R. Saumat Its: CEO and Director Dated: March 17, 2023 By: /s/ Wendell Hecker Wendell Hecker, Its: Chief Financial Officer

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U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth aircraft have been training out of a Philippine air base that was once part of Americas largest overseas military community.

Photographs of the Raptors  the first deployed by the Air Force to the Philippines  were tweeted Wednesday and Thursday by numerous accounts in the Philippines, including by the U.S. Embassy in Manila.

For the first time in history, two F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets from @PACAF (Pacific Air Forces) landed at Clark Air Base to reinforce commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty, the embassy tweeted Thursday.

U.S. and Philippine pilots discussed training, aircraft capabilities and future collaboration, the embassy wrote.

The planes belong to the 525th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, PACAF spokeswoman Capt. Allison Delury wrote in an email Friday to Stars and Stripes.

This exchange emphasizes the strong military relationship between historic allies and confirms our commitment to our partnership with the Philippines, she said.

The fifth-generation fighters are worth $143 million each and can fly more than twice the speed of sound with a range of more than 1,850 miles, according to the Air Force. Its inventory includes 183 of the air superiority fighters.

Clark and nearby Subic Naval Base formed the largest U.S. overseas military community before both were damaged in the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo and, soon after, returned to the Philippines.

Late last year, a pair of Japanese F-15J Eagle fighters visited Clark, the first time the Japan Air Self-Defense Force deployed its fighters to a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the service said in a Dec. 8 tweet.

Raptors from Tinian, near Guam, also took part in the Agile Reaper exercise, which recently concluded, according to an Air Force news release Wednesday.

The exercise, on Guam and Tinian, involved airmen from the 673rd Air Base Wing and 3rd Wing at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, the release said.

The training focused on agile combat employment, the ability to move aircraft rapidly to a network of smaller airfields in the Western Pacific to avoid being targeted by Chinese missiles in the event of war.

I've told all the Wing Commanders, the numbered Air Force commanders and PACAF that I expect them to take risk, Gen. Ken Wilsbach, Pacific Air Forces commander, said in the release. I expect them to get better and better. They've got to be able to meet the mission taskings, all the communication, all that's required to be in the right place, at the right time, with your airpower. Thats why we have Raptors at Tinian, so that they can practice those skills.

The F-22s involved in Agile Reaper were assigned to the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, which is deployed to Kadena Air Base, Japan, according to the news release.

The Air Force on Nov. 1 began a two-year phased withdrawal of two squadrons of F-15 Eagle fighters from Kadena. Alaska-based Raptors began a rotation at the base on Nov. 4.

The presence of advanced aircraft in the region demonstrates their potentially wider role, and the possibility of a permanent presence expressed in June by the head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Adm. John Aquilino.

I would envision that that capability is certainly  well, its certainly desirable, but we would like to get to that, he told the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a think tank in Washington, D.C. That ability to, like I said, operate in contested space, fifth-generation capabilities, whether they be F-22, F-35, are critically important to the ability to deliver deterrence.

A permanent contingent of Air Force fifth-generation fighters west of the International Date Line is a desirable option as the U.S. seeks to deter an increasingly assertive China, Aquilino said.
AUSTIN, Texas  The noncommissioned officer set to take the top enlisted position at Fort Bliss will no longer get the job after an Army investigation found allegations that he misused government resources to be credible, officials at the west Texas Army post said Thursday.

Command Sgt. Maj. Samuel Rapp moved to Fort Bliss last month from his position as the operations and training command sergeant major for III Corps at Fort Hood, which is also in Texas, Fort Hood officials said.

The investigation is complete, and the investigation determined the allegations to be founded, Fort Bliss officials said. We expect soldiers to adhere to our Army values and abide by our ethical obligations under federal law, and senior leaders of the 1st Armored Division are no exception.

Rapp was set to become the next top soldier for the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss on March 3, the base said.

However, Maj. Gen. James Isenhower, the division commander, received notification of a potential concern related to the improper use of government resources prior to the ceremony and launched an administrative investigation known as a 15-6, Fort Bliss said.

The ceremony took place but only to mark the retirement of the divisions previous senior enlisted adviser, Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Williams.

Fort Bliss officials said Friday that they will not release the findings of the investigation or any further details due to privacy concerns. The findings will not be forwarded to the Army Criminal Investigation Division, base officials said.

The allegations against him did not occur while assigned to III Corps, Fort Hood officials said.

Rapp served as the command sergeant major of the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colo., before moving to Fort Hood in March 2019, according to a 2019 Army news release.

Command Sgt. Maj. Steve Devot of the 1st Armored Divisions artillery unit is serving as the acting division command sergeant major until a new candidate is selected, according to Fort Bliss.
NAHA, Okinawa  A Japanese court on Thursday struck down a pair of legal challenges brought by Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki to stop the construction of a Marine Corps runway at Camp Schwab.

A three-justice panel of the Fukuoka High Courts Naha branch dismissed two lawsuits seeking to block changes to construction permits required by Japans Ministry of Defense to finish the project.

The judges disregarded Okinawas argument and held instead that Tamakis denial of the change request was illogical and an abuse of power, according to a copy of the decision released after the hearing.

The court dismisses this appeal, Presiding Justice Yutaka Taniguchi told the packed courtroom Thursday. The hearing lasted less than a minute.

Runway construction at Camp Schwab on Okinawas rural northern coast is decades behind schedule. It is meant to replace Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in urban Ginowan, which Japanese officials consider inherently dangerous due to its central location in a densely populated area.

Tamaki disagreed with the courts decision and promised an appeal, he said in a statement posted Thursday afternoon to the prefectures website.

I dont think that my decision to deny the change of plans was wrong, Tamaki wrote. He called the ruling unacceptable and said it violated local autonomy.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense did not respond to an emailed request for comment Friday.

The lawsuits, filed with the high court on Aug. 12 and Aug. 24, challenged a series of decisions in April by Tetsuo Saito, the minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism, that struck down Tamakis denial of the permit changes and forced his approval.

Tamaki argued that the soft seabed in the construction zone poses a hazard and that Tokyo had failed to consider the environmental impact on the endangered dugong, a cousin of the manatee protected by Japanese law and whose numbers are dwindling.

Saito called Tamakis permit denial illegal and unreasonable and gave him until April 20 to approve the changes.

Oral arguments in both suits were heard on Dec. 1.

About 50 people, mostly elderly Okinawans, filed into the court room Thursday afternoon in anticipation of the panels ruling. About 30 activists carrying flags and banners peacefully rallied in a park across the street.

The first lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice because Okinawa lacked standing to challenge Saitos decision, the judgment states. In the second case, the panel ruled Tamakis argument was irrational and they chastised his decision to file suit.

The prefecture on Dec. 8 lost a similar lawsuit before Japans Supreme Court in Tokyo. It has lost seven lawsuits over the project and has withdrawn four others. One remaining lawsuit goes before Naha District Court in April.
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa  The Marine Corps says it is investigating a pair of unrelated incidents in which a part containing a small amount of explosive went missing from an attack helicopter and a gate guard inadvertently fired his pistol while on duty.

A device containing about 0.16 ounces of TNT went missing from an AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter Thursday, a spokeswoman for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing told Stars and Stripes by email Friday. The missing device, an ejection system part, was reported during a post-flight inspection, according to Capt. Tess LaBossiere.

The Viper returned to Marine Corps Air Station Futenma shortly before noon Thursday from a flight off Okinawas southern coast, she said. The device measures 1.47 by 1.15 inches and weighs less than 1/10th of one pound.

Neither of the two-person crew saw the part fall from the aircraft, LaBossiere said. The Vipers flight path took it mostly over water.

The device presents no risk of detonating, and if found should be reported to the Okinawa Defense Bureau, according to a statement on the bureaus website.

1st MAW takes all aviation related events seriously and is conducting a thorough assessment of the incident, LaBossiere said.

Separately, Marine Corps Installations Pacific is investigating after a Japanese guard at Camp Foster inadvertently fired his weapon Feb. 14 while on duty at No. 1 Gate.

No injuries or damage resulted when the guard accidentally fired his sidearm in front of the headquarters for the installation command and Camp Butler, Yoshii Higa, a spokesman for the All Japan Garrison Forces Labor Union, said by phone Friday.

The guard said he did not pull the trigger, according to Higa, who said he did not know where the round struck.

The union has been calling for the abolition of armed guards due to safety concerns, Higa said.
(Tribune News Service)  Approximately 1,500 gallons of concentrated firefighting suppressant containing toxic chemicals spilled at the Navys Red Hill underground fuel facility on Dec. 7, 2019, the Navy disclosed to regulators this week, bringing the number of known spills at the facility to three and elevating concerns that dangerous chemicals, called PFAS, still may be lurking in the environment as a result.

The fire suppressant, called aqueous film-forming foam, or AFFF, is used to suppress fires caused by flammable liquids such as fuel but also poses its own risks. The foam contains PFAS, referred to as forever chemicals because they degrade so slowly in the environment. The chemicals have been linked to a higher risk of kidney and testicular cancer, increased risk of high blood pressure in pregnant women and immune disruption, among other health problems.

The Environmental Protection Agency has grown so concerned about PFAS that this week it proposed the first federal limits on the chemicals in drinking water, limiting them to the lowest possible level that tests can detect.

The 2019 spill at Red Hill was disclosed by the Navy this week as part of an extensive request for information from the EPA for details about past releases of AFFF at the beleaguered facility. The agencys law enforcement arm requested the information after the Navy announced that on Nov. 29, 1, 300 gallons of AFFF concentrate had spilled at Red Hill. The spill, which a top state Department of Health official at the time called egregious, sparked worries that the toxic chemicals could find their way into the groundwater.

The Navy has since conducted extensive remediation and testing at the site of 2022s spill, where workers donning hazmat suits dug up soil, storing it in more than 130 55-gallon drums, and sopped up the fluid with absorbent pads. The work has been overseen by DOH and EPA officials, and follow-up tests at the site have indicated that the Navy was successful in quickly containing the spill.

It was not clear late Thursday what steps were taken to clean up the 2019 AFFF spill at Red Hill or whether state and federal regulators had been alerted at the time.

The EPA, as part of its information request that was due Wednesday, required the Navy to describe all known releases of AFFF at Red Hill, as well as any other spills of material that contained PFAS, the amounts, the circumstances that led to the releases, maps that showed the contaminated areas and any associated PFAS monitoring data. The Navy was also required to detail its efforts to clean up the spills, including how material was stored, treated and disposed of, and provide photographic evidence of remediation.

The EPA says the Navy turned over the requested information by Wednesdays deadline, but officials say its still being reviewed to determine whether portions need to be redacted for security reasons before releasing it publicly.

The Navy, in response to queries from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, provided a few pages of documents that list the 2019 spill but provide no other details other than that it was caused by a system malfunction in building 1721  and that response /repair actions  were completed. No further details about what those actions were, or where exactly the release occurred at the Red Hill facility, were available late Thursday, according to a Navy spokesperson.

The document also lists another spill of approximately 5, 000 gallons of AFFF-impacted water  that was released in an underground pump house on Sept. 29, which was first reported by Honolulu Civil Beat in December based on information provided by a former Red Hill employee. The Navy told the Star-Advertiser following that report that water had been discharged through piping that previously held AFFF and that the liquid had been captured and placed in tanks. The Navy said that there had been no requirements at that time to report the spill to DOH.

A Navy spokesperson said the Navy is still reviewing documents to determine whether there were other spills at Red Hill, an inquiry that it has extended to all of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.

(c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Visit The Honolulu Star-Advertiser at www.staradvertiser.com

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WASHINGTON  An experimental military project that will test laser beaming technology has arrived at the International Space Station and will spend a year in orbit, Navy officials said.

The Navy sent the project into space on a SpaceX Dragon cargo vehicle that launched late Tuesday at Cape Canaveral in Florida, officials said. The vehicle docked at the space station on Thursday.

The SpaceX flight carried several other pieces of equipment to the space outpost and the laser package  part of the Pentagons Space Test Program  will carry out various experiments to test power beaming, a technology that transfers energy instantaneously through electromagnetic waves. Its also known as wireless power transfer.

Power beaming has already proven to be safe and feasible on Earth, the Navy said. The new project  officially known as the Space Wireless Energy Laser Link, or SWELL  will test its effectiveness in low Earth orbit in zero gravity.

Power can be transferred on electromagnetic waves through multiple techniques, such as lasers and microwaves. If it works in low Earth orbit, naval officials said the technology could offer significant potential for space defense applications.

With this modest experiment, we will identify key focus areas for developing links of greater power and longer distance for space, said Paul Jaffe, electronics engineer and SWELL principal investigator. By employing laser transmitters  power beaming links will be established that will pave the way for rapid, resilient and flexible energy delivery systems.

The Naval Research Laboratory demonstrated laser power beaming on the Earth during an event at the Naval Surface Warfare Center near Washington in 2019. The laser, which transferred 400 watts of power more than 1,000 feet between two 13-foot-high towers, is invisible to the naked eye.

By eliminating the need for moving fuel or batteries, or for stringing wires, SWELL could be a compelling option for the utilization of lunar resources and development on the moon, the Naval Research Laboratory said.

Officials said the SWELL project will collect and study data that the Navy expects will shed light on how power transfer equipment behaves in space. The project is also expected to uncover any issues that could create problems with the technology later.

The Navy isnt the only service experimenting with wireless power beaming in space. Last year, the Air Force said its researchers were testing beaming technology with energy collected from the sun and transmitted back to Earth for military use on the ground.

There is a high possibility that this technology could be a highly valued asset in the commercial sector as well, the Air Force Research Laboratory said at the time. Much like the Global Positioning System, which started out as a military asset and transitioned to a technology now used by people everywhere, this solar power beaming system could transition to broader usage, providing solar energy regardless of weather, time of day, or latitude.

Space solar power beaming has the potential to provide energy anywhere on Earth at any time, said Tara Theret, director of the solar beaming program at Northrop Grumman, which partnered with the Air Force on the project. This technology could make power available to remote locations that need medical and communications equipment.

The Navy said its newly launched SWELL program also might lead to discoveries that will pave the way for power delivery from space to the Earth.

Power beaming might also be used for distributing power for and around Earth, including from satellites that collect solar energy in space, Jaffe said. SWELL is the next step into this new frontier.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, July 11, 2003: Sida Mehanovic, too weak to stand, prays over a picture of her missing family members at the eighth Srebrenica memorial ceremony at the nearby town of Potocari. Between 7,500 and 10,000 mostly Muslim men were killed after the fall of Srebrenica on July 11, 1995. The first 600 identified victims whose bodies were exhumed from mass graves were buried in March at the site.

Read Ivana Ivramovics story on the Srebrenica massacre ceremony here. Her story on the DNA identification process can be found here.
MEXICO CITY (Tribune News Service)  Mexico's economy is facing economic and political challenges with a weakening U.S. dollar and drop in demand for goods. Protesters recently filled the streets here, repudiating what they called the leader's push to dismantle a pillar of democracy. And insecurity cuts deeper into the fabric of society, spotlighted by the kidnapping of four Americans in Matamoros.

Still, Mexico's perils have done little to put a dent in the popularity of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

He remains virtually unscathed. His approval numbers have increased, thanks in part to GOP leaders whose threats of U.S. intervention against cartels and fentanyl labs on Mexican soil has AMLO, as the president is known, whipping the country into a nationalistic frenzy.

This week, AMLO sent his foreign minister, Marcelo Ebrard, to Washington, D.C., to mobilize Mexico's 52 consulates, the most anywhere on U.S. soil. Ebrard began a nationwide information campaign "in defense of our country," he said, following "unacceptable attacks" by Republican legislators.

"We will not allow ourselves to be pushed around," Ebrard told the Mexican ambassador to the U.S. and 52 consuls in the U.S.

Invasions

If any country knows about invasions, it's Mexico.

The country has been invaded at least three times by the U.S.  the last time in 1917 when Gen. John J. Pershing led an expedition of 1,000 troops into Mexico to hunt down Pancho Villa. Mexico lost more than half its territory to the U.S. These lessons are taught to children from a young age.

Lopez Obrador, a history buff, has been using his daily press conferences, known as La Mananera, to lash out against what he calls "Mexico's "enemies."

"AMLO has been trying, for a really long time, to pick a fight with the United States," said Carlos Bravo, a political analyst and columnist in Mexico City. "So this works perfectly. It serves not only as a distraction to Mexico's pressing problems, but as an alarm whistle, a sense of urgency and nationalistic cry."

On Saturday, Lopez Obrador will lead a march to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Petroleum Expropriation, when President Lazaro Cardenas in 1938 nationalized the oil industry. Crowds are expected to be huge, largely because of the political climate in the country, Bravo said.

Congressional leaders

The timing also coincides with visits by delegations of U.S. congressional leaders. This week, members of the trade-focused House Ways and Means Committee met with Lopez Obrador in Mexico City, hoping to dig into disputes surrounding the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement that replaced NAFTA.

Mexico is the second-biggest trading partner of the U.S., and the countries are bound together by geography and culture  for better and for worse.

Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, said in a statement their meeting was overshadowed by Lopez Obrador's "irresponsible threats to intervene in American elections and his desire to ignore escalating violence being inflicted by Mexican drug cartels against the American people."

Van Duyne said the U.S. delegation delivered to Lopez Obrador a "frank and serious message" that his failure to stop the cartels is endangering Americans.

"There were multiple instances where I felt compelled to interrupt propaganda that President Obrador was pushing, such as blaming American families for U.S. fentanyl deaths," Van Duyne said. "Obrador refused to recognize Mexican drug cartels are targeting fentanyl to our children by disguising it as candy or lacing it into everything from Adderall to Xanax."

Trading barbs

Van Duyne is among the Texas Republicans who have co-sponsored a proposed Authorization for Use of Military Force against the cartels, legislation introduced by Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas.

Crenshaw has traded barbs with Lopez Obrador, including a tweet in flawless Spanish. He kept it up when he tweeted Wednesday: "Just one day before @lopezobrador_ claimed Mexico doesn't produce or consume fentanyl, Mexican soldiers found over 1 million fentanyl pills at a stash house in Tijuana. Guess he's not very good at lying."

U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officials have said fentanyl is mass-produced by Mexican drug cartels, smuggled mostly by U.S. citizens through legal ports of entry and then distributed by American criminal networks throughout the U.S, including North Texas.

Roberto Velasco, a top diplomat and chief officer for the North America Unit at the Foreign Ministry, said fentanyl is not "produced" in Mexico but rather "finished." He praised cooperation with the U.S.  "but we're not going to do this based on the idea that we're not doing anything, and we're especially not going to do this under threats of our sovereignty."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has been one of the loudest voices calling for U.S. military intervention, saying the country has the legal and moral right to attack the cartels unilaterally if Mexico refuses to cooperate.

"Americans across the political spectrum feel like Mexico is a lousy partner when it comes to dealing with fentanyl, that Mexico is not safer than America," Graham said.

'Narco terrorists'

Graham said he would like the U.S. to have a working relationship with Mexico similar to Colombia, with the two sides joining forces to tackle "narco terrorists." But, he said, Lopez Obrador seems dug into his position.

"At the end of the day, he's responsible for the safety of his people. And, you know, he has some bearing on our safety and I think the results are in for me  his policies are not working," Graham said.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is leading a bipartisan group of lawmakers this weekend to meet with Lopez Obrador in Mexico. He said the group will push for more assistance on border security and the cartels.

Cornyn told reporters Thursday that Lopez Obrador has not done enough on those fronts, but he also acknowledged the sensitivities in Mexico when it comes to U.S. military intervention. He said threatening unilateral action isn't going to be a constructive path to solutions.

"We'd like to lower the temperature a little bit in some of the rhetoric by having a candid, private conversation with him and his administration about what we can do together to enhance Mexico's security and their prosperity," Cornyn said.

In Mexico City, David and Belen Rocha, who were visiting from the Mexican state of Michoacan, say they're worried about what they call Lopez Obrador's attacks on key institutions. That includes his efforts to cut funding for the country's National Electoral Institute, which runs the country's elections.

"My wife and I actually voted for him," said David Rocha, a commercial merchant. "But he's too impulsive and doesn't respect our democracy, which is young and fragile. He's a growing concern."

Still, as the couple perused the newspapers in Condesa's Parque Mexico, Belen Rocha added, "At this moment I think it's important to stand together with our president.

"Who do they think they are? Sending in the military? Militarize Mexico even more?" she said. "Why don't they take care of their own [narcotics] demand before they point fingers at us?"

Alfredo Corchado reported from Mexico City, and Joseph Morton reported from Washington, D.C.

2023 The Dallas Morning News.

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MIAMI (Tribune News Service)  A Miami federal judge has issued a gag order in the assassination case of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, barring defense attorneys from disclosing any evidence to outside parties based on "safety concerns" about witnesses involved in the high-profile case as well as law enforcement personnel, U.S. citizens stationed abroad and their relatives.

The protective order bars defense attorneys from sharing "restricted material" with anyone other than their clients, their legal staff and their experts. In particular, the order prohibits them from sharing evidence with "any foreign non-U.S. attorneys or foreign individuals," including relatives of the defendants or their lawyers abroad.

The order could pose challenges for an ongoing assassination investigation in Haiti, where an investigative judge is still trying to determine who killed the president and why.

The 11 defendants charged in the assassination conspiracy case are mostly from Haiti and Colombia, with a few from South Florida. A trial date is set for May 8 in Miami federal court, though one defendant, convicted Haitian drug trafficker Rodolfe Jaar, has indicated he plans to cut a plea deal, court records show. His lawyer could not be immediately reached for comment.

The protective order, granted Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Jose Martinez, was sought by prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office in a joint request with the defense attorneys representing the defendants. An indictment accuses the defendants of either conspiring to kidnap and kill Haiti's president or smuggling bulletproof vests to a Colombian mercenary group that murdered Moise in his home on July 7, 2021. The murder conspiracy charges carry up to life in prison and the smuggling offenses up to five years.

So far, the judge has signed off on protective orders involving eight of the 11 defense attorneys involved in the highly sensitive case, court records show. Prosecutors approached each defense attorney about the gag order on an individual basis.

In federal court, protective orders are commonplace in cases involving national security, violent crimes and drug trafficking. But the order in the Haiti assassination case is more restrictive than usual because it requires defense attorneys to return or destroy witnesses' statements shared by federal prosecutors at the end of trial or any appeals.

"They sought the protective order to protect the physical integrity of their witnesses," said Henry Bell, a Miami attorney for one of the 11 defendants and who is also a representative for a group of 175 private attorneys regularly assigned to criminal cases involving people who can't afford to pay for legal representation.

"The bottom line is, they don't want to have to explain why something happened to a witness who testified in this case," Bell said.

Kenneth Swartz, a Miami attorney representing another defendant in the Haiti assassination case, agreed with his colleague.

"Protective orders restricting evidence have become all too common in our world of instant internet dissemination through social media," Swartz said. "It's one way of preventing the information about a witness from falling into the hands of someone with bad intent."

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami declined to comment.

The protective order applies to lead defendant Antonio "Tony" Intriago, the owner of a Miami-area security firm, Counter Terrorist Unit Security, and the other defendants implicated in the plot to kill Haiti's president.

Intriago was arrested last month in South Florida along with three other defendants, including Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, operator of the affiliate CTU Federal Academy LLC, and Walter Veintemilla, head of Miramar-based Worldwide Capital Lending Group. All three have been charged with supporting a conspiracy to kidnap and kill the president of Haiti.

Another defendant, Frederick Bergmann Jr., was also arrested last month and released on bail. He is charged with conspiring to smuggle ballistic vests to former Colombian soldiers who allegedly carried out the fatal shooting of Moise and seriously wounded the president's wife, Martine Moise. He's also charged with failing to file valid export paperwork in connection with 20 bulletproof vests that were smuggled into Haiti prior to the assassination. The vests were shipped on June 10, 2021, from Miami to Port-au-Prince and marked as "medical X-ray vests and school supplies."

The men were arrested two weeks after the U.S. government brought four other defendants to South Florida from Port-au-Prince, where they had been imprisoned but not yet charged.

In late January, Investigative Judge Walther Wesser Voltaire in Haiti reluctantly agreed to allow the United States to transfer the group of Haitian-American and Colombian suspects from Port-au-Prince to Miami to face federal conspiracy charges in connection with the assassination. According to a source familiar with the Haitian investigation, Voltaire did so hoping he would also have access to the defendants or any new ones to help him in his ongoing probe.

But, because of the new protective order, that may not happen.

The order is the latest development in the case, which has been partly shrouded in secrecy. Last year, Miami federal prosecutors asked a judge to protect classified evidence in the case to seal off sensitive information  presumably about some of the defendants' past activities. When authorities arrested Ortiz last month, they acknowledged that he had been an FBI informant at the time of the assassination. The Miami Herald was the first to report the identity of the informant and his connection to the FBI.

2023 Miami Herald.

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The Air Force has revived a recruiting incentive that pays off student debt in an effort to attract new recruits and meet the services yearly enlistment quota.

The service is bringing back the Enlisted College Loan Repayment Program that it curtailed nine years ago, Air Force spokeswomen Leslie Brown told Stars and Stripes by email Thursday.

The program offers repayment of up to $65,000 per active-duty recruit and remains open until annual funds are exhausted, according to an Air Force press release March 10.

Since Air Force Recruiting Service is experiencing a recruitment deficit we have been examining all programs, old and new, to spark interests while remaining relevant and competitive with the rest of the Department of Defense, Brown said.

This fiscal years goal is 26,877 active-duty recruits, she said. The Air Force barely met last years mark of 26,141.

The Army and Navy offer similar programs; the Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Space Force do not.

"Air Force Recruiting is excited to see the return of the Enlisted College Loan Repayment Program and continued work on the Reserve Student Loan Repayment Program," Brig. Gen. Lisa Craig, deputy commander of the recruiting service, said in a statement emailed to Stars and Stripes on Thursday.

The average federal student loan debt in the United States is $37,574 per borrower, according to educationdata.org. On average, 19% of Air Force enlistees have some level of college, and student debt along with it, Brown said.

The Air Force understands the importance and value of continuing education and lifelong learning, Craigs statement said.

Having this as an incentive for those who have incurred debt provides relief if they qualify for the program," she added.

Last year, the Biden administration attempted to roll out a three-part plan to cancel student debt up to $20,000 for qualified students but was met with opposition. The legal challenge to the program is before the Supreme Court.
(Tribune News Service)  Chinese leader Xi Jinping is making his first state visit to Russia since it invaded Ukraine, in a strong show of support for President Vladimir Putin.

Xi will be in Russia from Monday to Wednesday next week, according to a statement from China's Foreign Ministry. Xi, who secured a third term as president a week ago, will be the most prominent international leader to visit Putin since his February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

"Xi's visit to Russia will be a journey of friendship" and deepening mutual trust, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Friday at a regular press briefing in Beijing.

During the trip, Xi is expected to discuss China's 12-point blueprint for ending the war, a document dismissed by most Western governments. The criticism of the plan was more muted from Kyiv, which has sought talks at a leader level with China since the war broke out, while also urging Beijing to take a more critical stance against Russia.

The Kremlin confirmed the state visit, saying it was at Putin's invitation. The two leaders will discuss "developing the no-limits partnership and strategic cooperation between Russia and China," the Kremlin said in a statement.

Xi and Putin will "exchange views in the context of deepening Russo-Chinese cooperation in the international arena," it said, adding that several bilateral documents will be signed, without providing details.

The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index extended its loss after the news of the visit, falling as much as 0.5%.

This visit comes as Xi is rebooting his image as a global statesman. He already got a significant win by recently helping broker a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran to restore diplomatic ties.

Soon after he returns from Russia he will host Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing said. Xi and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy also plan to speak by video link soon, in what would be their first conversation since Russia's invasion, a Ukrainian official familiar with the preparations said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang spoke Thursday with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba about bilateral ties and the invasion. Xi and President Joe Biden may also hold their first call since the crisis over an alleged spy balloon that flew over the US.

The Chinese leader needs to strike a careful balance on the visit to Russia, on the one hand seeking to project an image as a potential neutral mediator, while also managing his close ties with Putin.

"Russia's economic isolation has already benefited the Chinese economy in certain ways," said Joseph Torigian, an assistant professor at American University who researches Chinese and Russian politics. "We don't know whether Xi will push for even more beneficial deals or whether he will try to avoid a sense in Moscow that he is exploiting their position."

Xi last visited Russia in mid-2019, while Putin wen to Beijing in early 2022 to attend the opening of the Winter Olympics. At that meeting the two leaders agreed to a "no limits" friendship and signed a series of long-term energy supply deals.

The two met in September last year at a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Forum, where Putin said he understands Beijing's "questions and concerns" about his invasion of Ukraine, a rare admission of tensions between the diplomatic allies.

With assistance from Jing Li.

2023 Bloomberg L.P.

Visit bloomberg.com.

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YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan  Three military hospitals in Japan are relaxing their rules on access to medical care for Defense Department civilian employees and other clients not covered by Tricare Prime, the militarys highest level health care plan.

Health care providers at Yokota, the airlift hub in western Tokyo; Camp Zama, the headquarters of U.S. Army Japan southwest of Tokyo; and Naval Hospital Okinawa at the Marine Corps Camp Foster all freed additional time for DOD civilians to make space-available appointments for chronic medical conditions.

Starting March 27, patients limited to space-available appointments at Yokotas 374th Medical Group may schedule visits up to three days in advance for routine care like annual check-ups, urgent-care follow-ups and care for chronic issues like diabetes and high blood pressure. The medical group announced the change Wednesday on its Facebook page.

Space-available patients at Yokota have been checking a morning Facebook post for available slots, then dialing quickly before theyre filled. The change announced Wednesday yields additional time.

Starting Jan. 1, DOD civilian employees in the Indo-Pacific region on health-care tiers below Tricare Prime were restricted to space-available appointments for acute, or immediate, health care, only.

The Defense Health Agency on March 3 retreated from that policy after hundreds of DOD employees unleashed torrents of criticism at visiting Pentagon executives during January town halls at bases across Japan. DHA amended the rule, based on a congressional mandate, and permitted DOD civilians to schedule chronic care to the extent base hospitals can accommodate them.

It is progress but still not good enough, Kristin Pine-Duarte, a fourth-grade teacher at Yokota West Elementary School, told Stars and Stripes on Wednesday over Facebook. As teachers, we have meetings and plan weeks ahead so the inability to plan our medical as well, especially for chronic conditions, continues to negatively impact us as well as our students.

Stepping out of a classroom for an hour or two on short notice to book a space-available appointment at the base hospital is unrealistic, Pine-Duarte said during a Yokota town hall on Jan. 5.

Because of the limited number of appointments, the three-day window necessitates that we call back daily until we can finally get an appointment, she said Wednesday. This is still limiting our access to care.

Naval Hospital Okinawa also loosened its rules to permit space-available clients to schedule appointments at any time at the hospital and branch clinics, according to a post on the hospitals Facebook page Monday. Active-duty service members, their families and other priority patients still have priority on the appointment calendar, according to the post.

The precedence of care is still the same; active-duty service members and their families have priority. All other patients will be seen on a space-available basis, while efforts will be made to maximize space-available access, said a March 8 post on the hospitals Facebook page.

The Brig. Gen. Crawford F. Sams Army Health Clinic at Camp Zama rolled out a pilot program Monday that permits DOD civilians and others not covered by Tricare to schedule same day and some future space-available appointments at its primary care and optometry clinics.

Patients must call starting at 10 a.m. to schedule same day appointments or sign up for open slots or cancellations over the next three days, according to a Monday post on the hospitals Facebook page.

Local exceptions apply. For example, obstetrics is unavailable to space-available patients on Okinawa, but the Yokota medical group still provides care to expectant mothers. The mental health and physical therapy on Okinawa have been at capacity since December 2022 and are closed to space-available patients, the hospital said.
The Wagner Group was trying to seduce men to join their mercenary war in Ukraine with an advertising campaign on one of the worlds most popular porn websites.

Pornhub reportedly hosted Wagner ads seeking people with "special skills" to join the ranks of the pro-Kremlin private military group, which had previously been recruiting Russian prisoners.

The ads have been removed, a Pornhub spokesperson told Newsweek, adding that the website does not allow any politically related advertisements.

Pornhub did not return a message requesting comment on Friday. Stars and Stripes was able to verify that the phone number listed on the advertisement reached an operator who said they represented the Wagner Group.

Screen recordings published by Ukrainian online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda and other agencies show an advertisement seeking men from all Russian regions to join their ranks and fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.

The video ad, later posted to Twitter, featured a woman twirling a lollipop in her mouth as a female voice encouraged viewers to join Wagner instead of watching pornography.

The advertisement drew criticism and mockery, but one person who seemed to approve was Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Russian businessman known as "Putin's chef" for his close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Prigozhin was asked by pro-Kremlin Russian media outlet the Daily Storm whether Wagner was advertising on Pornhub and responded affirmatively in an audio recording on his Telegram social media channel, Prigozhin's Cap.

"Advertising PMC Wagner on porn sites is a very good idea of our marketers, Prigozhin wrote. This advertisement says: 'Go to fight in the Wagner PMC, stop (expletive) off.' Who disagrees with this argument?"

The recruiting campaign comes as British intelligence officials say they believe Prigozhin lost access to Russian prison recruits due to his ongoing criticism of Russian military leaders.

Prigozhin is highly likely pivoting recruitment efforts towards free Russian citizens, the U.K. Defense Ministry said Monday on Twitter.

The use of a porn site for recruitment may seem like a marketing stunt, but the Ukrainian military and civilians caught up in the ongoing conflict havent taken the threat posed by the Wagner Group lightly.

Its combatants have contributed to Russian forces recent advances west of the Bakhmutka river in the center of Bakhmut, which Ukraine continues to defend at high cost in lives and resources, Western officials have said.

The recent attempt to recruit Russian porn viewers also may stem from Wagners continuing high rate of battlefield losses.

Russian forces have temporarily depleted (their) deployed formations combat power to such an extent that ... local offensive actions are not currently sustainable, according to a British intelligence report shared Friday on Twitter.

Offensive actions are likely to resume once reinforcements arrive, the report said.

The U.S. State Department has sanctioned the Wagner Group and designated it a transnational criminal organization.
Two Russian pilots who harassed a U.S. drone over the Black Sea this week and caused it to crash into waters near Ukraine will receive military awards for their actions, a top Russian official said Friday.

Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu said the pilots will be decorated with state awards for refusing to allow a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone on Tuesday to violate the airspace restricted for use during the special military operation in Ukraine. Special military operation is the phrase that the Russian government uses to describe its war in Ukraine, which was a former Soviet Union republic before the fall of the USSR in the early 1990s.

The Pentagon has rejected Moscows claims. U.S defense officials have said the drone was flying through international airspace on a regular surveillance mission when a pair of Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercepted it.

Shoigu did not name the pilots who were involved in the incident or specify exactly what award they will receive. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said hes spoken to Shoigu by phone and promised American aircraft will continue to fly anywhere thats allowed by international law.

U.S. officials said the Russian jets initially dumped fuel on the drone. Almost an hour later, one of the pilots clipped the drones rear propeller with his aircraft, damaging it enough that U.S. Air Force officials had to let it crash into the Black Sea. The Pentagon said Thursday that U.S. defense officials arent certain whether the pilot wanted to hit the drone.

But it clearly demonstrates either poor airmanship or reckless behavior because, just from an airman standpoint, why would you hit another aircraft with your aircraft in the sky? Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagons top spokesman, asked reporters on Thursday at the Pentagon.

The top two U.S. military leaders on Wednesday also condemned the Russian intercept. Austin called it reckless and Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it was unsafe and unprofessional.

The Pentagon officials said they took unspecified measures to keep another country such as Russia from mining information from the downed drone. Milley said the unmanned aircraft is likely at the bottom of the Black Sea in many pieces.

CNN reported on Friday that another U.S. military drone has been detected over the Black Sea  this one identified as an RQ-4 Global Hawk. The report cited data from the website flightradar24.com that indicated the drone flew in international airspace southeast of Crimea and west of the Russian city of Sochi. The RQ-4 is larger than the MQ-9 Reaper.

Russias war in Ukraine is now in its second year and Russian President Vladimir Putin has given little indication that it will end soon. The conflict has killed or injured tens of thousands of troops and civilians, according to U.N. estimates, and Russian missiles have regularly targeted civilian infrastructure such as apartment buildings.

Also on Friday, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin for illegally moving hundreds of Ukrainian children from occupied areas in Ukraine for adoption in Russia. It also issued a warrant for Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the Kremlins commissioner for children's rights, on similar accusations.

There are reasonable grounds to believe that President Putin and Ms. Lvova-Belova bear criminal responsibility, ICC Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan said, noting he personally witnessed evidence of abductions during a recent visit to Ukraine. We must ensure that those responsible  are held accountable and that children are returned to their families and communities. We cannot allow children to be treated as if they are the spoils of war.
Leonor, the teenage princess of Spain, is shipping out.

The soon-to-be high school grad is set to spend a year at the Army Military Academy in Zaragoza. She will then attend naval school, where she'll sail the famed training tall ship Juan Sebastian Elcano, before joining the Spanish Air Force Academy.

"As in all parliamentary monarchies, (the heir) has to have a military background and a military career," defense minister Margarita Robles said. "In due course, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces will be a woman, and in recent years we have been making a very important effort to incorporate women into the armed forces."

"It's an essential step in the life of Her Royal Highness  toward the leadership of our country," Robles added.

Leonor, who is referred to as Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias, is the oldest child of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. She will become the head of state when her father steps down or dies, unless a male heir is born.

King Felipe also spent a year at each of Spain's military academies in the 1980s. He took the throne in 2014 after his father, Juan Carlos, abdicated amid a number of financial scandals.

Leonor, who turns 18 in October, will begin her training in August after she graduates from UWC Atlantic College in Wales. At a press conference on Tuesday, Robles said the princess could study for university degrees after completing her training.

"Princess Leonor knows of the demands and sacrifice that military life entails and she is very aware of the honor of training and serving alongside the men and women of our Armed Forces," King Felipe said in a statement.

"Military education provides very complete and adequate technical and human training to guarantee the commitment of permanent service to Spanish society," he added.

2023 New York Daily News.

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(Tribune News Service)  Just off an arid stretch of highway in western Arizona, a Saudi dairy company pumps unrestricted amounts of groundwater from underneath its fields, uses it to grow thousands of acres of alfalfa and ships the bales of hay overseas to feed cows more than 8,000 miles away.

Arizona officials now want to stop them.

As the American West battles its worst megadrought in more than 1,200 years, state elected officials throughout the region are rethinking how groundwater is used and who gets access to it  with some even targeting foreign-owned companies.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Arizona, California, Texas, Utah and Washington state are considering legislation that aims to protect their states' water supplies by banning foreign companies from owning or leasing land. Elsewhere in the United States, state lawmakers have rushed to try to ban foreign companies, especially from China after the recent spy balloon saga, from owning land  primarily for national security reasons.

In Arizona, Republican-sponsored legislation seeking to ban companies from China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Venezuela from leasing or owning land passed the state House with some Democratic votes. The state Senate is now considering the legislation.

During a hearing last month of the House Land, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, Republican state Rep. Leo Biasiucci, the bill's primary sponsor, said it was a "pretty simple bill" aimed at protecting "our water."

"We want to make sure the water is not being pumped and used for reasons that are not benefiting us at all," he said. "If we stop them from getting the land, they can't pump the water, and that's the goal. We want to stop that altogether."

Democratic state Rep. Mariana Sandoval, who voted against the bill both in committee and on the House floor, said she agreed with the spirit of the bill but expressed doubt that it would actually protect water. The legislation would not affect existing leases or ownership, which Sandoval sees as a major omission.

"I think none of us want our groundwater pumped by out-of-state entities, whether they're even American ones," she said at the February committee hearing. "Water is important for us here in Arizona. The bill is missing that part. It's not addressing the real issues on groundwater supplies being exploited by entities."

The legislation does not target the United Arab Emirates, even though one of its companies, Al Dahra, also grows alfalfa in Arizona and ships it overseas.

An effort to ban "Chinese Communist Party" members from owning land in Arizona passed a state Senate committee last year but never received a floor vote. Fourteen states restrict foreign ownership of agricultural land, according to the National Agricultural Law Center  a list that is sure to grow during legislative sessions throughout the country.

While there is a desperate need to conserve water, several water and agriculture experts told Stateline the problem Western states face is less about foreign entities owning land and over-pumping wells, and more about the need for broader changes to groundwater management. Those experts also voiced concern that the bills tread into dangerous nationalism.

Rhett Larson, a professor of water law at Arizona State University, said he is not sure how legislation that bans foreign entities from owning farmland would help to conserve groundwater.

"If you're really worried about groundwater, then it's better to pass laws that manage groundwater," he said.

The Saudi saga

In 2014, Fondomonte, a subsidiary of Saudi dairy giant Almarai, took over the lease of an existing alfalfa farm, spending around $50 million to build a high-powered well and upgrade the irrigation system.

Because the land is outside of an active management area, there are virtually no regulations or monitoring of groundwater pumping.

Fondomonte acquired around 10,000 acres from the state at a rate of $25 per acre, well below the market value. The company did not have to purchase the groundwater it pumps without limit, just the land above it. The deal has since caused an uproar in the state.

Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes, who was just elected in November, called it a "sweet deal" and is investigating the agreement, which during her campaign she labeled the "Saudi water grab."

"Water is a top topic in any regard, and when you talk about these leases that are egregious in many ways, that has risen to an area of concern," said Richie Taylor, communications director for Mayes. "We can't afford to do things like that anymore."

While he declined to specify what actions Mayes may take, he said a historic lack of water regulations should be looked at more closely. He added that Mayes has not taken a position on the legislation making its way through the state legislature.

Rose Law Group, which represents Fondomonte Arizona, did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.

The company also grows alfalfa in the Palo Verde Valley, a Southern California region that has stronger water rights than metropolitan areas around Los Angeles and San Diego.

Last year, the California legislature unanimously passed a ban on foreign governments purchasing or leasing agricultural land in the state. However, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill, writing that the measure is beyond the purview of state departments and would create "new and arduous responsibilities."

In Arizona, years of state inaction has frustrated residents who live in the communities where foreign-run farms operate, including La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin.

The deal the state gave the Saudis hurts the community, she said. Since a portion of money from leased land goes to local education in the county, any discount takes funding away from children's schooling, she argued. And she claimed the company is overusing the state's water supply.

"I have a big issue with foreign companies pumping our water and depleting our natural resources because they depleted theirs," said Irwin, a Republican. "That's not OK, whether it's the Saudis, the Chinese, whomever. If you don't start changing something, we're not going to have water."

Nationalism concerns

The Saudis have a long history with Arizona agriculture that led to the current situation, said Natalie Koch, a professor of political geography at Syracuse University, who authored the book "Arid Empire: The Entangled Fates of Arizona and Arabia."

Before the country ever acquired land in the Southwest, Saudi Arabia received a delegation of Arizona farmers that the U.S. State Department sent in the 1940s to consult on agricultural practices. Around the same time, members of the Saudi royal family came to Arizona to tour its agricultural industry.

In the 1970s, the Saudi government invested heavily in subsidies trying to promote its domestic dairy production, which led to unsustainable agricultural and water use policies, Koch said. Several decades later, the Saudis essentially depleted their aquifers.

Knowing the country was running out of water, the Saudi government incentivized domestic dairy companies to purchase and lease land in countries that weren't likely to ban grain exports, weren't regularly disrupted by farmer protests and had favorable water regulations, including Argentina, Romania, Serbia and the U.S.

"The U.S. has always been promoting and setting up this entire thing," Koch said. "It's not like the Americans are passive in this. We have absolutely helped sow the seeds for that Saudi agricultural industry that has come back to us now."

Foreign companies are working within an agricultural system in the American West that has long-standing problems with water management, said Alida Cantor, an assistant professor of geography at Portland State University. Farmers grow water-intensive crops, propped up by decades-old water rights, even as the region experiences the worst megadrought in a millennium, she noted.

She also pointed to a company from Minnesota that has drawn minimal pushback even though it owns farmland in Arizona, pumps its groundwater, grows alfalfa and sends it back to the Midwest. Discussions over use of limited groundwater should not be wrapped up in "racist, nationalist" arguments, she said.

"If the problem is around exporting water-intensive crops grown in the desert or rethinking the way water rights allow that to happen, I think we need to have those conversations," she said. "But pinning it on landowners from certain countries is not the right way to go."

While concern about foreign ownership is "understandable," it's not the most pressing issue for state water supplies; more water storage and infrastructure fixes are needed, said Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition. Foreign ownership bans also ignore the role that American agriculture plays on the global market, he added.

Indeed, alfalfa, which is what Fondomonte primarily grows in Arizona, is the "building block" of the state's agricultural and food industry, said Phil Bashaw, chief executive officer of the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation, which has not taken a position on the legislation. Agricultural exports have been a "shining star" when it comes to trade relationships with foreign countries, he added.

"The fact that we are producing viable, usable commodities that's wanted for export should be something we're proud of," he said. "The things that we grow in Arizona, we are typically growing them much more efficiently than anywhere in the world."

2023 The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Visit at stateline.org.

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AUSTIN, Texas  The family of a soldier found dead Monday at Fort Hood said they are asking for an investigation into her time at the Texas Army base because she told them she was sexually harassed there.

Pvt. Ana Fernanda Basaldua Ruiz, 20, of Long Beach, Calif., died at a work facility at the base after 15 months as a combat engineer with the 91st Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division, according to Fort Hood officials. The preliminary investigation has not found any foul play, base officials said Thursday.

Basalduas family has since enlisted support from the nonprofit veterans advocacy group The Pink Berets.

Our family wants to ensure that women serving in the United States military can be safe and protected. The United States cannot be protected by soldiers who are victims of heinous crimes. The family is asking for support and a formal investigation into Anas death, according to a statement from the group.

Lucy Del Gaudio, chief operating officer of The Pink Berets, said Thursday that she is working with the family to ensure that the case is being handled appropriately and the Army is responding to the family. They are also helping Basalduas family navigate Army terminology and processes that are not easily understood by civilians, she said.

We want to make sure that Fort Hood is aware that they have a strong force behind them to make sure that we get the answers we need, Del Gaudio said.

She also noted the similarities of Basalduas story to the case of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, who also served at Fort Hood.

Guillen, 20, disappeared during the workday on April 22, 2020. After more than two months, investigators found her body buried along a river miles from Fort Hood. Spc. Aaron Robinson, a fellow soldier her unit, is believed to have killed Guillen with a hammer in an arms room that he supervised. When confronted by local law enforcement July 1 in nearby Killeen, Robinson shot himself dead.

Guillens family said at the time that the soldier told them prior to her death that she was sexually harassed at Fort Hood.

An Army investigation later confirmed a noncommissioned officer in the 3rd Cavalry Regiment had harassed Guillen and nothing was done when she reported the incident to another leader.

Investigations also determined the Army bungled the Guillen case from the beginning, including in its communication to the family and the public about the search for the missing soldier, the criminal investigation process and that Robinson was able to escape from Fort Hood despite being under observation in a conference room.

Guillens family pushed for answers and change, which led Congress to pass sweeping military justice reform last year that is slowly being put into action.

The I Am Vanessa Guillen Foundation, which was formed in honor of the soldier, and Protect Our Defenders are other military justice advocacy groups working with Basalduas family, Del Gaudio said.

It is meaningful for us to show them we will always, always work hard to find any answers, make an impact and drive momentum when we find that a soldier has been sexually harassed and a young soldier has passed under the Army's watch, said Stephanie Gattas, founder of the Pink Berets.

Fort Hood said Thursday that the Army Criminal Investigation Division is continuing its investigation into Basalduas death and will gather evidence and facts to understand what happened.

Information related to any possible harassment will be addressed and investigated fully, Fort Hood said in a statement.

Allegations of harassment do not fall within criminal investigators purview. Instead, sexual harassment is investigated by an officer from outside the brigade in which it was reported.

Commanders of Basalduas unit said they are in constant contact with the family and are providing support and resources to those who knew the young soldier.

Our hearts and thoughts go out to the family, friends and colleagues of Ana, Col. Christopher Dempsey, commander of 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, said in a statement.
WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service)  As a junior U.S. congressman from Florida in 2014, Ron DeSantis accused Moscow of "violating Ukrainian sovereignty," accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of creating a "pretext" to invade its neighbor, and sought assurances from the Obama administration that the United States would stand by its NATO allies.

In contrast, DeSantis now calls Russia's invasion of Ukraine a "territorial dispute" that is not core to U.S. interests, a position he made clear earlier this week in a statement to a Fox News host.

DeSantis' apparent policy reversal comes amid a debate within the Republican Party over whether the United States should continue supporting Ukraine and the NATO alliance  the foundation of security in Europe since the end of World War II  that began when former President Donald Trump in 2016 openly questioned U.S. commitments to European defense.

Russian forces invaded and occupied the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014, and supported a separatist movement that year in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine that preceded Putin's full-scale invasion of the country last year.

In a May 2014 congressional hearing, DeSantis pressed Victoria Nuland, then a senior diplomat in the Obama administration, on whether the White House was assuring NATO allies that the U.S. would "clearly" invoke Article 5 of the NATO charter  which states that an attack on one member nation is an attack on all  in the event that Putin were to strike the alliance.

DeSantis asked Nuland whether the administration had assessed "that the actions of Russia may require us to relook at our force posture in Europe, and our requirements for future deployments, exercises and training in the region."

"In light of what has happened with Ukraine, Putin has taken this position that well, look, all these people are Russians  I am actually saving them by violating Ukrainian sovereignty," DeSantis said. "And that same argument could obviously be applied to Latvia, Estonia, and some of our NATO allies, because they have ethnic Russian populations."

"If that kind of pretext were used in some place like Latvia," he continued, "the administration's position would be that Article 5 of NATO would, clearly, be invoked?"

"Absolutely. We have a solemn treaty commitment to our NATO allies," Nuland said.

DeSantis replied that NATO allies such as Latvia seemed to be in doubt that Obama would stand by U.S. commitments to Article 5, fueling fears in eastern Europe.

"Even though we have assured them that we stand shoulder to shoulder, there is a lot of fear about what would happen and whether we would be willing, if push came to shove, to actually stand with them," DeSantis said.

Previously reported comments from DeSantis' tenure as a congressman show that he pushed the Obama administration to provide weapons to the Ukrainians.

"We in the Congress have been urging the president, I've been, to provide arms to Ukraine. They want to fight their good fight. They're not asking us to fight it for them. And the president has steadfastly refused. And I think that that's a mistake," DeSantis said in 2015.

DeSantis' latest comments on the matter were issued through a statement to Tucker Carlson, a Fox News host who has said for years that he is "rooting" for Russia in its war against Ukraine.

"While the U.S. has many vital national interests  securing our borders, addressing the crisis of readiness with our military, achieving energy security and independence, and checking the economic, cultural and military power of the Chinese Communist Party  becoming further entangled in a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia is not one of them," DeSantis told Carlson.

DeSantis' office did not respond to a request for comment.

The Florida governor's statement has led to an outcry among top Republican lawmakers who have declared Ukraine's fight for freedom and democracy as a vital U.S. interest.

While a majority of Americans support continuing U.S. support for Ukraine, polls show that Republican voters are split on the matter.

On Thursday, Oleg Nikolenko, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, invited the Florida governor to visit the country to witness the conflict himself.

"We are sure that as a former military officer deployed to a combat zone, Governor @RonDeSantisFL knows the difference between a 'dispute' and war," Nikolenko wrote on Twitter. "We invite him to visit Ukraine to get a deeper understanding of Russia's full-scale invasion and the threats it poses to U.S. interests."

Miami Herald reporter Mary Ellen Klas contributed to this article.

2023 McClatchy Washington Bureau.

Visit at mcclatchydc.com.

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A former assistant chief of staff for U.S. 7th Fleet who accepted lavish gifts and prostitution services in the largest and longest-running bribery scandal in Navy history was sentenced to 2 years in prison, according to federal prosecutors.

Retired Capt. Jesus Vasquez Cantu also was ordered to pay a $75,000 fine and $100,000 restitution to the Navy as part of a plea agreement, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of California said in a statement Feb. 23, the day of Cantus sentencing.

Cantu admitted that he had given proprietary information to wealthy Malaysian defense contractor Leonard Glenn Fat Leonard Francis in return for drinks and dinners at top-notch restaurants, nightclubs and karaoke bars and the services of sex workers in 2012 and 2013, according to the statement.

At the time, Cantu was the deputy commander of Military Sealift Command Far East in Singapore and oversaw logistical sustainment to Navy ships in 7th Fleet.

Cantu also admitted in the plea agreement that he and others participated in a bribery conspiracy with Francis in 2007, when he was assistant chief of staff for logistics for the 7th Fleet commander aboard the amphibious command ship USS Blue Ridge, prosecutors said.

Francis, who pleaded guilty in 2015 to bribing military officials to obtain classified and unclassified information to benefit his Singapore-based business, Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., was under house arrest in San Diego and awaiting sentencing when he cut off his monitoring bracelet on Sept. 4, 2022, and fled the United States.

He was captured a little more than two weeks later in Venezuela as he attempted to board a flight to Russia. Francis remains there as U.S. officials seek his extradition, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported Thursday.

Francis bribery scheme took place from 2006 to 2014, mostly targeting Navy officials and others associated with the Japan-based U.S. 7th Fleet. That ultimately allowed him to overcharge for servicing Navy ships by at least $35 million.

As of September 2022, 34 military officials had been charged by federal prosecutors in the case. Four were convicted at trial and 29 pleaded guilty.

Just one, retired Rear Adm. Bruce Loveless, had the charges dropped. Loveless was accused of conspiracy, bribery and fraud.

Dozens of others who were ensnared in the investigation received administrative punishments. Among them were three rear admirals who were censured in 2015.
(Tribune News Service)  U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, has introduced a bill that would allow working military dogs to be buried in national cemeteries.

House of Representatives HR Bill 918, named the Sgt. Fieldy Act, would allow military working dogs to be buried at any national cemetery, such as the Veterans Cemetery in Mission.

The bill is co-sponsored by Republicans Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., and Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla.

The Sgt. Fieldy Act is named after a working dog named Sgt. Fieldy, who served three tours of duty in Afghanistan along with her handler U.S. Marine Cpl. Nicolas Caceres, Gonzalez said.

They both reside in South Texas.

Military working dogs have saved countless lives by detecting explosives and leading search and rescue missions. It is time they are honored as the heroes they are, stated Gonzalez. The story of Cpl. Caceres and Sgt. Fieldy is one of many across the nation and shows that the bond between a soldier and their working dog is unlike any other. I am proud to introduce Sgt. Fieldy Act named after Sgt. Fieldy, a South Texas hero.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, there are about 1,600 military dogs working to keep America safe.

They are as lovable as they are loyal, but make no mistake  these are highly skilled warriors, trained by the best to serve alongside them, the DOD said on its page about the military dogs.

Troop members are provided the opportunity to adopt the dogs after they are retired from the military, which is what Caceres did.

As a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I understand how integral military dogs are to the mission of our troops. Im glad to cosponsor this legislation which will help to properly honor the life and work of military dogs, said Steube.

Gonzalez said during Sgt. Fieldys deployment she detected several explosive devices saving the lives of many. Fieldy served as a bomb detecting dog, and in 2016 was awarded the K-9 Medal of Courage award for canines service in the military.

And in 2018, she was selected as the Military Hero Dog in the Hero Dog Awards.

According to Gonzalez, Caceres was recently informed that Sgt. Fieldynow 15 years oldis unable to be buried in the State Veteran Cemetery in Mission.

A portion of HR 918 reads, the remains of any covered dog may be interred in any open national cemetery under the control of the National Cemetery Administration.

The DOD said dogs didnt have an official role in the U.S. military until the creation of the Army K-9 Corps in 1942.

But theyve joined American troops in battle since the nations earliest days, and many are still remembered today for their acts of canine courage, the DOD said.

(c)2023 The Brownsville Herald (Brownsville, Texas)

Visit The Brownsville Herald at www.brownsvilleherald.com

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Joseph Rogerson (73) returned home to Ireland after 18 years in Tenerife to face the music

A man in his 70s who fled the country 18 years ago after pleading guilty to possessing over 146,000 worth of drugs has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Joseph Rogerson (73), formerly of Elmgrove, Ballybrack, south Dublin, and lately of Tenerife, admitted possessing cocaine and heroin for sale or supply on June 12, 2005, in his car on Rock Road, Blackrock, and later at a house in Ballybrack, Co Dublin.

Rogerson had been due to face sentence in November 2006, but took a bench warrant and went to the Canary Islands, where he remained until his return to Ireland last Wednesday, March 8.

Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Martin Nolan said Rogerson has lived a relatively blameless life since he left this jurisdiction. Judge Nolan said Rogerson had come back to this country for his own personal reasons and had made himself known to gardai.

If he had faced sentence when he should have done, his sentence would have been spent at this time, said the judge, although he added that the sentencing regime was probably more rigorous in 2005.

I shouldnt say this too loudly, but I suspect it has thawed out a little bit, said Judge Nolan, referring to the current sentencing regime for drugs offences.

The judge said Rogerson had had a gambling debt which made him vulnerable to third parties, but said he was a mature man and should have known better.

Obviously there was pressure on Rogerson, but the pressure was self-made, said Judge Nolan

Inspector Ger Walsh told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that in June 2005, gardai got a warrant to search an address in Ballybrack, where they saw Rogerson leaving in a car. His car was stopped and searched on the Rock Road and gardai found three packages containing heroin in the sun visor area of the car.

Rogerson was taken to Dun Laoghaire Garda Station where cocaine was found in one of his socks and heroin in the other sock. A further search was carried out at Rogersons house in Ballybrack, where drugs were found in a dressing gown pocket in a bedroom and also under the bonnet of a different car parked in the driveway.

In total, gardai seized just over a kilo of cocaine and some heroin with a combined value of 146,552. Rogerson told gardai he had a gambling debt and had been asked to hold onto the drugs as a way of paying off his debt.

He has 31 previous convictions, including 23 for larceny and others for assault. Aside from these drugs offences in 2005, Rogerson had not offended since 1987.

The court heard that Rogerson alerted gardai that he would by flying into Cork Airport last week to visit a family member. Garnet Orange SC, defending, said Rogerson surrendered himself voluntarily to gardai and knew it was time to come home and face the music.

Mr Orange said his client had become lonely and homesick and people he knew were getting unwell. The court heard Rogerson had a troubled youth and spent time in a residential institution.

As an adult, Rogerson received a substantial amount of compensation arising out of mistreatment in that institution, counsel said, but unfortunately squandered it all in gambling.

Mr Orange said Rogerson ran up a significant debt in 2004 and 2005 which somebody else bought and used this debt as leverage to compel him to hold and transport drugs.

The court heard there was nothing to suggest that Rogerson was profiting from these transactions, but rather that his debt was being incrementally reduced by holding and delivering drugs.

Mr Orange also said that before Rogerson fled the country, he got a threatening phone call from someone he didnt know, saying no cooperation and no naming of names.

Inspector Walsh said he was unable to confirm this. Mr Orange said Rogerson put himself under an obligation to more sinister individuals and was compelled to hold drugs and become a significant cog in the operation.

Judge Nolan said it was a significant aggravating factor that Rogerson had not stayed to face his sentence, but he took into account the guilty plea, cooperation with gardai and the fact that Rogerson is aged 73. The four-year sentence was backdated to March 8.
Its an allegation of harassment of a female in the Clondalkin area, the court was told

A GARDA sergeant has appeared in court charged with harassing a woman in Dublin over a period of nearly two years.

Eamon Moran (48) was granted bail and the case against him was adjourned at Blanchardstown District Court.

Sgt Moran, with an address in south Dublin, is charged with harassing the alleged victim at an unknown location on dates between April 3, 2021 and January 14 this year.

Inspector Daniel Callaghan told Judge Ciaran Liddy he arrested the accused at Clondalkin garda station and later charged him.

In reply after caution, he had nothing to say, Insp Callaghan said.

He applied for an adjournment and said he had no objection to bail.

Judge Jones asked the Inspector what the gist of the case was.

Its an allegation of harassment of a female in the Clondalkin area, he replied.

Asked if the alleged victim was related to the accused, the Inspector said no.

The judge asked if he was legally represented. The Inspector said there was nobody in court acting for the accused but he did have a solicitor.

Judge Jones granted bail in the accused's own bond of 100, with no cash lodgement required. Under conditions, he must not have any contact with the alleged victim, including electronically or by phone.

He is also to stay away from Clondalkin village and Dublin 1.

The judge asked the accused if he was willing to abide by the conditions.

Absolutely, judge, yes, Sgt Moran replied.

It might be wise to have a solicitor here on the next day, the judge advised.

No further details of the alleged offence were heard by the court and the sergeant left the courthouse after taking up bail. He has not yet indicated how he intends to plead to the charge, which is under Section 10 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
Mureddu hit the headlines when he was arrested about his encouraging Covid-sceptic patient Joe McCarron to leave hospital.

A notorious anti-vaccine campaigner has been fined a total of 725 for the non-payment of parking fines and not having tax displayed on his car.

Antonio Mureddu failed to appear at a special sitting of Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal.

Instead, a young woman who handed in documents to the court and claimed to represent Mr Mureddu saying she had a right of audience with the court on behalf of the accused.

However, Judge Vincent Deane refused to allow the woman to continue to address the court in the matters.

He said that unless the woman was a solicitor or a barrister or the person involved in the case then she had no right of audience.

Solicitor for Donegal County Council, Mr Kevin McElhinney, said there were a number of cases against Mureddu of Main Street, Headford, Co Galway.

Four of the charges related to parking at Market Street in Ballybofey in May 10th, May 16th, June 13th and July 1st without a valid parking permit.

Two other charges related to not displaying a valid tax certificate on his vehicle on June 13th and July 1st.

Judge Deane fined Mureddu 50 for not having a valid parking permit on May 10th and a further 75 fine for a similar offence on May 16th.

Antonio Mureddu

He was fined a further 300 for not displaying a valid tax certificate on June 13th and a further 300 for a similar offence on July 1st.

Two other parking offences were taken into consideration.

Mureddu made headlines in February last year when he was arrested in Donegal and questioned about his encouraging 67-year-old Covid-sceptic patient Joe McCarron to leave hospital the previous September, when he was gravely ill.

Mr McCarron returned to Letterkenny University Hospital two days later, but subsequently died.

Gardai later sent a file to the DPP in relation to the Italians role in that incident, but the state prosecutor advised last May that no criminal charges be pursued.
Hughie Myers smashed the front living room and rear kitchen windows as well as an upstairs window.

The case was heard at Drogheda court.

A 19-year-old man who caused more than 2,000 damage to his aunts house has been jailed for a total of six months.

Hughie Myers, Tredagh View, Marleys Lane, Drogheda, pleaded guilty to criminal damage charges after he smashed windows at the residence in Rathmullen Park on June 18, 2022.

Judge McKiernan remarked it was absolutely horrendous what occurred after she heard at the district court on Monday how the victim had been woken by the defendant outside.

Evidence was presented that he kicked the front door and smashed the front living room and rear kitchen windows as well as an upstairs window and shouted, Ill burn you out of it.

The damage amounted to 2,650.

There were previous convictions.

Finalising a number of charges arising from separate incidents, Judge McKiernan remarked that she nearly knew Hughie Myers too well.

The court had exercised considerable forbearance and given him every opportunity.

The judge added the Probation Service had assisted him and I know well they are fed up with him.

Its extremely unfortunate as I always thought there was hope for him.

However, Judge McKiernan continued to do that to his aunt was unacceptable on every level.

There were three criminal charges and the court said it was sorry but was left with no other option.

For a separate matter of using or engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour or words at Centra, Rathmullen Road, on 5 March 2022 a two-month term was imposed.

A consecutive four-month sentence was handed down for criminal damage in Rathmullen Park.

Other charges were taken into consideration.

Judge McKiernan directed that Mr Myers gets medical attention and treatment for an alcohol addiction while in custody.

Legal aid was granted.

Bail in the event of an appeal was set at a personal bond with an independent surety of 1,000 cash to be lodged.
They told him I was in septic shock and they gave him a room because if I died, he would identify me.

Cosmetic surgery is not without risks, so it's important to do your research and follow aftercare guidance. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto   Getty Images/iStockphoto

An Irish woman who nearly died after she opted to go under the knife in Turkey has revealed the terrifying ordeal that has left her like a walking timebomb.

She said she hopped on the bandwagon of a cheap gastric sleeve operation, booking it in Turkey where it was nearly 10,000 cheaper than in Ireland.

Leanne has now warned listeners of Lunchtime Live on Newstalk that the surgery almost killed her.

The woman confessed she first knew something was wrong when she work up from the operation and was instructed to put on a surgical gown.

Other patients had been able to put on pyjamas, she said, while in the meantime, I was vomiting blood.

"The surgeon came up to me and said, That can be normal, some blood can go into your stomach after us cutting your stomach.

Leanne came home to Ireland, but collapsed from dizziness the day before she was due to return to work.

She had been fine, but suddenly was being rushed to hospital by an ambulance.

Leanne learned she had a serious infection and internal bleeding from her spleen.

They had to ring my partner as my next of kin to come and say goodbye to me because I was dying.

They told him I was in septic shock and they gave him a room because if I died, he would identify me.

They were saying, Its touch and go, we dont know whether shes going to make it - were just praying that she will.

Despite having her spleen removed, Leanne has not fully recovered and her health has been permanently impacts.

She is vulnerable to infection, finds it painful to stand for too long and is constantly fatigued, she admitted to listeners.

Dr Michael Crotty told listeners that Leannes story should serve as a warning for those thinking of going abroad for healthcare or cutting corners when it comes to cost and quality.

"Its very difficult to know the quality of the hospital, he said.

Some clinics might be very reputable centres but others are not.

Were seeing in acute hospitals around the country, people being admitted with complications.

Some of the clinics, for what theyre charging for the procedure, they couldnt possibly be able to afford the equipment and number staplers and devices that are required - thats why people are having leaks and complications.
Wall  real name Dolores Webster  has been at the forefront of a surge in anti-migrant protests south of the border.

FAR-right firebrand mouthpiece Dee Wall was part of a group that picketed a hotel housing asylum seekers in Bangor, Co Down.

The presence of the Dubliner will raise concerns at the prospect of a resurgence of protests against refugees in the UK.

Agitator Wall  real name Dolores Webster  has been at the forefront of a surge in anti-migrant protests south of the border.

Webster joined the group of agitators outside the seafront hotel in the Co Down city last weekend.

The gathering last Friday night remained violence-free, aside from some chants and people carrying placards and banners calling for the foreign nationals to be removed.

The hotel, which has been used to house refugees since the start of last year, had up to now escaped the sort of direct protest action seen at other locations across the North.

There are now fears it could be targeted again.

But with the UK Government putting forward draconian legislation to stop the boats on Englands south-coast together with increasing unrest towards immigration south of the border, there are concerns that the influence of the far right is on the rise again.

Webster has a string of court appearances for public order offences in the South.

A fervent anti-vaxxer during the Covid pandemic, she once called on fellow vaccine sceptics to drag Irish President Michael D Higgins out of Aras an Uachtarain and dance on his head.

She also claimed the Covid vaccine was developed to wage genocide against the elderly.

Last month she welcomed English jailbird Tommy Robinson to Dublin for an anti-immigration march.

She said she gave the Islamophobic founder of race hate group English Defence League 100 blessings to come here.

Hotels protests in Northern Ireland

Robinson is due back this month for a protest march in the capital.

His presence has produced a split in the anti-immigration movement there because of Robinsons close connections and support of loyalist groups in the North.

However, Webster praised her far-right pal and said he had more courage than Irish men.

Men in Ireland claim to have two balls, she said. Where were they all the way through the lockdown when the elderly were being genocided [sic].

Where were these men? They couldnt even come up to have one ball as big as Tommy Robinsons.

During lockdown Webster took part in anti-vax protests outside the home of the then Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and in a video outside his house accused medical workers of being involved in the murder of Irish people.

Tommy Robinson

She has also appeared to encourage violence against public figures telling a protest outside the Dail she would not stand in the way if they stormed the building.

And I will not open my mouth if you take every head out of it and f***ing stand on it.

Links between Irish and British extremists are nothing new.

Nick Griffin, formerly of the British National Party (BNP) has also made an appearance as well as Jayda Fransen, formerly of Britain First but currently leader of the British Freedom Party (BFP).

The BFP, like the BNP from which it split, is a far-right, Islamophobic group.

Fransen set up home in Co Down a number of years ago as Britain First helped orchestrate a wave of race hate attacks across Northern Ireland.

She has since moved on following a bitter split with former lover and fellow Britain First chief Paul Golding.

The Bangor protest drew stinging criticism from politicians and human rights groups.

Patrick Corrigan of Amnesty International accused those taking part of demonising asylum seekers who had fled violence and persecution in their own countries.

These protestors should be ashamed of themselves, he said, instead of demonising people seeking asylum we should welcome and support them.

I know there are good people in Bangor who are doing just that, reaching out and offering the hand of friendship.

North Down MP Stephen Farry said: These protestors are sadly deploying disgusting and inaccurate tropes to demonise vulnerable people.

History provides many sad lessons when particular groups of people are scapegoated.

There are an estimated 3,000 asylum seekers staying in hotels used by the Home Office.
Leo Varadkar told US president his upcoming visit to Ireland would be like no other

U.S. President Joe Biden takes a question as he meets Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on St Patrick's Day. Photo: Reuters   REUTERS

Irish was spoken in the Oval Office for the first time as Leo Varadkar used our first national language at his meeting with US President Joe Biden.

The Taoiseach thanked President Biden for the USAs help over Brexit over the last seven years, for its support of Ukraine, and also referred to excitement in Ireland over his forthcoming visit. He said people were already looking forward to his arrival and there would be large crowds. We would love to see you, he said.

"I really want to thank you for your help and support and understanding for our position on Brexit in recent years, it really made a difference and we've got to a good place now, I think, with the Windsor Framework, where we can have an agreement that lasts which is important for Northern Ireland, and also important for British, Irish and European relations," Mr Varadkar said.

President Biden spoke in a low voice and said Ireland had always been a good friend of the United States. He then quoted WB Yeats: Think where man's glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was I had such friends.

US President Joe Biden meets Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the White House. Photo: PA   PA

But there was no further information from the president as to where he would go and what he would do on his Irish trip next month as the press opportunity lasted only two minutes.

President Biden appeared low-key in attitude, after returning from San Diego earlier this week where he had hosted British prime minister Rishi Sunak.

Speaking in Irish following President Bidens remarks, the Taoiseach said: "Ta athas orm bheith anseo sa Teach Ban, agus taimid buioch duit a Uachtarain don tacaoicht maidir le Brexit, agus do ceannaireacht maidir leis an cogadh in Ukrain.

Ta me ag tnuth le do cuirt mor go hEireann. Beidh se cuirt den scoth, geallaim.

Mr Varadkars use of Irish included a reference to an cogadh in Ukrain with praise for the leadership of the United States in response to the Russian invasion over a year ago.

The Taoiseach also hailed Mr Biden's role in supporting Ukraine.

"America is at its best when it stands with its European partners to defend freedom and democracy," he said.

"Thank you for that. I know you'll stay the course for us, with us, and we'll stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes."

Both men, clad in green ties, referred to the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, which falls on April 10 next.

The Taoiseach told a nodding president that his tour in Ireland would be a visit like no other".

"I promise you that we're going to roll out the red carpet and it's going to be a visit like no other," he said.

"Everyone's excited about it . We're going to have great crowds who'd love to see you."

The brief remarks and questions lasted only two minutes before aides and staffers ushered the press out of the office.

The Taoiseach ignored a shouted question, "what were you thinking about your comments on interns?" as he left the Oval Office following his meeting with President Biden.

There were no further comments or questions to throw further light on President Bidens programme in Ireland in what is expected to be a five-day visit, with up to three days in the West of Ireland.

Full remarks by US president Joe Biden and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in the Oval Office

Joe Biden:

"Its good to have you back in the Oval Office, Taoiseach. Its a big day in my grandparents' household, our household, big day here. And I know a bigger day at home. But thank you very much.

(After quoting Yates) "Weve been great friends. Youve been a great friend to the United States, and Ireland and the United States share great friendship and long, long traditions.

"We have a joke  we have an event I used to do as vice president and is now done up at the Hill, which is we invite all the friends of Ireland, all the Irish members of Congress, and those who wish they were.

I want to thank you on a substantive matter for standing together with Ukraine. It means a great deal, speaking out against Russian aggression, and our deepening economic ties. We have a lot to talk about.

"I spent some time with the Prime Minister of Great Britain. And I'm very much, very strongly supportive of the Windsor Framework, which I know you do, too. Maybe we'll get a chance to talk about that. And, for us, the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement is something that a very good friend of mine devoted a lot of his life to, George Mitchell So Im looking forward to meeting you and having our celebration together, and, lot to talk about.

Leo Varadkar:

(As Gaeilge)

"Ta athas orm bheith anseo sa Teach Ban, agus taimid buioch duit a Uachtarain don tacaoicht maidir le Brexit, agus do ceannaireacht maidir leis an cogadh in Ukrain.

Ta me ag tnuth le do cuirt mor go hEireann. Beidh se cuirt den scoth, geallaim.

So first of all, thanks so much for inviting me to be here. I really appreciate the invitation. I really want to thank you for your help and support and understanding for our position on Brexit in recent years. It really made a difference. And we've got to a good place now, I think, with the Windsor Framework where we can have an agreement that lasts, which is important for Northern Ireland, and also important for British-Irish and European relations.

I really profoundly want to thank you and America for your leadership in relation to Ukraine. I never thought we'd see a war like this happen in Europe in my lifetime. America is at its best when it stands with its European partners to defend freedom and democracy. And thank you for that, and I know you're staying the course with us, and we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

And also really looking forward to your visit. I promise you that we're going to roll out the red carpet and it's going to be a visit like no other. Everyone's excited about it already. We're going to have great crowds who would love to see you, and look forward to walking about some of the details a bit later.

Joe Biden:

"I look forward to that.
Child had never asked to be called by they pronoun, email to school states

A parent of the transgender student who Enoch Burke refused to call by a new name has said they were never told by Wilsons Hospital School that their child was the one referred to in legal proceedings against the fired teacher.

In an email to the schools principal in January, the parent said they only learned the child in question is my child after reading a court judgment which outlined what year the unidentified student was in.

The school did not inform me and I feel now that theres a safety concern for my family. This whole situation could have been avoided, the parent wrote.

The parent also said their child had never requested they be called by the they/them pronoun.

They also expressed concern that personal information may be out there, saying they received a letter from the Co Westmeath school last August stating my familys personal data may have been stolen.

Further details of the alleged data breach have not been disclosed. The parent was seeking an update on the issue because now my familys information may be out there and with everything going on, this could be serious.

The contents of the email, which went on to be at variance with aspects of the schools account of the affair, were revealed in an affidavit filed with the High Court by its principal Frank Milling.

Mr Burke was suspended last August pending a disciplinary process after clashing with school management over a request from then principal Niamh McShane that the child be called by a new name and by they/them pronouns.

The teacher, an evangelical Christian, refused to comply with the request on religious grounds. He spent 108 days in prison last year over his refusal to abide by court orders requiring him to stay away from the Church of Ireland diocesan school in Multyfarnham.

Mr Burke was eventually dismissed in January, a decision he is appealing.

The High Court yesterday gave him a week to pay fines totalling 23,800 for his continued breach of one of the court orders, after which he could face enforcement action from the school.

Mr Millings affidavit was one of four filed on behalf of the school to correct factual errors made in earlier legal filings in the case ahead of a full trial later this month.

In an affidavit last August, the schools chairman, John Rogers, said a meeting took place the previous May between the student, their parents and Ms McShane at which the then principal was advised the student wanted to transition and to be addressed by a new name and pronoun going forward. Mr Rogers based his account on a report compiled by Ms McShane.

However, the parent said in the email to Mr Milling they wished to be clear that the purpose of the meeting was to re-engage [their child] back to school. The parent also said that while the child had requested to go by a new name, the they/them pronoun came from Wilsons and there was no principal or deputy principal at the meeting.

Mr Burke has pounced on the discrepancies, claiming the orders secured against him were obtained on the basis of false statements.

In a responding affidavit, the teacher said he believed the parent of the pupil who attended the meeting had no desire to see the school litigate or take disciplinary action against him.

The High Court previously heard about inaccuracies in Mr Rogers affidavits in January, when lawyers for the school applied for leave to file corrective affidavits. It is now clear the parents email was the catalyst for the application.

The affidavit filed by Mr Milling outlining the parents email was one of four filed by the school to deal with the issue. Between them, the four affidavits clarified that the meeting was attended by the student, one parent, a year head and another member of school staff. Ms McShane was only present for a short part of the meeting.

Lawyers for the school have argued the inaccuracies have no bearing on the granting of orders against Mr Burke.

Mr Milling, who became principal last November, said: The students parents email could be interpreted as a suggestion the change in pronouns was a decision by the school and the school alone.

However, I understand from my enquiries of the two members of staff who were at the meeting that is not the case.

The student was clear that they did not want to use their previous gender-specific pronouns and all, including the parent, agreed that they/them would be used going forward in the school.

He also said he understood from his predecessor that the word parents in her report as opposed to parent was a generalisation on her part.

Mr Milling added: I believe nothing turns on this. However, it is embarrassing and very unfortunate that this error was made.

In his ruling on the fines issue yesterday and in a ruling last month, Mr Justice Brian OMoore said if Mr Burke wanted to raise the issue of erroneous affidavits, he could go back to the relevant judges and ask them to revisit their orders.
Mr Varadkar told an American audience he was a Washington intern when some parents would have had cause for concern about what would happen to interns in Washington".

Mr Varadkar was aged 21 when he served as an intern in Congress. Bill Clinton was in the White House at the time and famously had an affair with intern Monica Lewinsky that led to an impeachment process.

Some of the audience laughed when Mr Varadkar made his comment at the Washington Ireland Programme event during his St Patricks Day trip to the US.

Earlier, Mr Varadkar met former US first lady Hillary Clinton at a Women at the Helm conference at Georgetown University in Washington.

She became Secretary of State after the scandal and ran for the presidency herself in 2016, defeated by Donald Trump.

The former US presidents affair with Ms Lewinsky occurred in 1995 and 1996 when she was 23 and he was 50. Ms Lewinsky has spoken of how she was publicly shamed for years over the events.

A spokesperson for the Taoiseach said: At the Washington Ireland Program event today the Taoiseach was reminiscing about his time in Washington DC as an intern 23 years ago. He made an ill-judged off-the-cuff remark which he regrets. He apologises for any offence caused to anyone concerned.

Mr Varadkar was an intern for congressman Jack Quinn in the year 2000  under the Washington Ireland Programme when it was operating under the name Future Leaders.

Bill and Hillary Clinton are due in Ireland next month to help mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
The star thinks a United Ireland could happen as long as the views of Protestants are respected.

Liam Neeson (70) has revealed he expects to see a United Ireland become a reality in his lifetime.

I think itll happen. I think Britain will be pleased, the actor told Sky News. They dont have to put 50 billion into the Northern Ireland Exchequer every year I think thats what it costs now.

"I think it could happen. But everybody has to be appeased.

The Taken star said he hears the perspective of Protestants in Northern Ireland, but believes there is a way to strike a balance.

The Protestants in the North of Ireland have a strong voice. I hear them, I know where they're coming from, and they have to be respected.

"If there's going to be a united Ireland, their voice has to be heard and they have to be represented, if a united Ireland comes about.

Neeson admitted he was just in a bubble during most of The Troubles as he was young and wrapped up in his acting career.

"There were a couple of nights where the theatre would get a telephone call to be told there's a bomb, and we'd have to go out onto the street with the audience, and the soldiers came in and searched, and maybe an hour I say, okay, you can go back in again.

"It was dangerous but I guess because of my age and because I loved what I was doing, I was just in a bubble."

His rude awakening came when thirteen people were killed and at least 15 were injured when members of the British armys Parachute Regiment opened fire on civil rights demonstrators on Bloody Sunday.

The star also praised the extraordinary achievement of the Good Friday Agreement, saying: There was just a feeling in the air, you know, of change  and change for good.

He had choice words for Stormont politicians however, telling them to get back to work.

"They're representing the people of the North of Ireland - get back to work. You're drawing the salary still.
"His energy and smile was contagious and made everyone feel so special.

Tributes have continued to pour in following the death of the son of The Dubliners Barney McKenna.

Daragh Aherne Clarke (McKenna) passed away suddenly at his home earlier this week, and his funeral service will take place on Tuesday morning in Dardistown Crematorium in Dublin.

He is predeceased by his dad Barney, a founding member of the iconic Irish band, and is described in his death notice as the beloved son of Helen Aherne OBrien and David Clarke, stepfather Kevin OBrien.

He will be missed by his brother Liam, sister-in-law Pamela as well as his nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, cousins and large circle of friends.

Tributes continue to pour in for the kind young man who was full of life and love, one mourner said.

"We will never forget his kindness and laughter.

"So sorry to hear of Daraghs passing he is such a lovely, kind, friendly, fun, quirky man and a joy to everyone he met, another added.

The world is poorer by your passing, said another, while one wrote: He was way too young to move on. My heart goes out to you.

One mourner said: "Sending huge love to Daragh and his family at this difficult time. Daragh was such a rare and beautiful soul.

"His energy and smile was contagious and made everyone feel so special. Love always. Rest easy.

Barney McKenna passed away in April 2012 at the age of 72.
The Aer Lingus IT engineer and Russian national, Maria Prochukhan, was awarded Irish citizenship last year.

Nadia, Tatiana and Maria Prochukhan with their citizenship certificates in New Ross last year.

Wexford woman Maria Prochukhan realised a life-long dream when she got to pole dance at a Snoop Dogg gig to her idols songs in Belfast Tuesday night.

The Aer Lingus IT engineer and Russian national  who was awarded Irish citizenship last year  said her pole dancing hobby saw her tagged on Instagram by a famous American pole dancer, Nicole Byer.

"My friend Sinead and I were randomly tagged and invited to audition. We thought wed never get it.

Having grown up listening to the Californian rappers songs, she never imagined Snoop Dogg would be asking her, whats her name.

It was my biggest dream to perform at a big venue with someone as big as him. Having recorded some auditions of them pole dancing, Maria and Sinead sent them off on a wing and a prayer.

Maria Prochukhan with Snopp Dogg at the SSE Arena, Belfast.

"Nicole randomly called me on Saturday and told me I got the part. I was screaming; I couldnt believe it. Sinead was the same.

Maria (24), who previously competed in Ms Bikini Ireland, drove with Sinead to the SSE Arena in Belfast and got a tour of the facility, which has a capacity of 11,000.

Maria Prochukhan when she posed for Miss Bikini Ireland.

"It was insane seeing the whole crowd from a different perspective. I started feeling sick before I went onstage but once on stage it was natural.

Maria was meant to perform during four songs but due to illness some other dancers had to withdraw and she ended up dancing for eight songs in a row.

It was really intense but the adrenaline kicked in. I was proud of how I did for my first time.

Nadia, Tatiana and Maria Prochukhan with their citizenship certificates in New Ross last year.

She met the rapper after the gig and he thanked her and posed for some photos with the New Ross woman.

"He was super chilled and very sweet. He was talking to us and was just like I imagined him. Hopefully this will propel me on as Id love to open my own studio for theatre studies.

Maria said she is looking forward to seeing the official videos and photos form the gig, which she will keep as a treasured keepsake.

She is now hoping to be called up to perform at his Dublin gig on March 26.
In August 1950 a disastrous fire destroyed the Farmers store and adjacent fish and chip shop on Main Street, Katikati.

Townspeople could only watch helplessly as the buildings were burnt to the ground.

This catastrophe led directly to the formation of the Katikati Volunteer Fire Brigade as founding members David Hume and Alex Taylor rallied, says Western Bay Museum manager Paula Gaelic.

This month the museum opened it latest exhibition  titled 70 Years of the Katikati Volunteer Fire Brigade  to celebrate this outstanding seven decades of community service.

These volunteers are true heroes that dedicate and commit to serving our community, to keep us all safe. They volunteer their time and their families make sacrifices, says Paula.

Museums callout

She now wants the community to answer the museums callout  to go and view the exhibition to learn what others do in the name of service and protecting our community.

We have spent many hours interviewing these quiet superheroes who are very reluctant to let you into their private space  they dont do it for honour or glory, but to help others. The comradery is another reason that is constantly spoken of amongst this family of firefighters, says Paula.

In March 1953, three years after the disastrous August 1950 fire, 14 firemen were officially made active members of the Katikati Fire Brigade. There was no fire station and practice sessions were held at the Uretara Domain grounds in Crossley St every Sunday.

A glimpse inside Western Bay Museums new exhibition 70 Years of the Katikati Volunteer Fire Brigade now open to all. Photo: supplied.

Within a year this changed to 7pm Tuesday evenings  a day and time when members still meet at the station today. In October of that year the Chamber of Commerce met with the Tauranga County Council and both agreed that a brigade should be formed.

In August 1951, approval was given from Wellington and the TCC created the Katikati Secondary Urban Fire District and a Fire Brigade Committee to set up the fire brigade and build a fire station.

The Committee bought a Ford truck ute that was converted to a fire truck fitted with equipment lockers, a reel of hose and a 40-gallon water tank.

Shares stories

The truck was delivered on March 3, 1953  at the same time 14 firemen were made active members of the new Katikati Volunteer Fire Brigade. Land was provided by TCC and after a successful fundraising effort the building was eventually completed late-1955.

Paula says the museum exhibition shares stories of the honours and Gold Star service awards, the fire chiefs, the never-ending training in todays conditions, and the changes from firefighting to emergency response.

The callout statistics in this past year recorded at 181 callouts, which is interesting to see the breakdown. They are all covering so many different incidents from fires, false alarms, road accidents and health calls until St Johns can get there.

We truly hope that everyone comes to visit this exhibition. It is free to all ratepayers and residents of Western Bay of Plenty district.

We hope to educate the public and make them think about their actions, and what and who is at risk when the siren calls.

Paula thanks exhibition sponsor, Taylor Bros. Transport Ltd.

When the sirens sound, I used to think: Someone is in trouble and now I think: Oh my, who is going to this call out?

They are regular people doing a regular job or running a business; they drop tools and head out to help others, selflessly, without pay and a strong will to serve with pride.
MetService has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for Coromandel Peninsula, Auckland and northern Waikato.

The watch is valid from 1pm Friday March 17 until 5am Saturday March 18.

"A very moist air mass covers the upper North Island ahead of several fronts approaching from the south," says a MetService spokesperson.

"There is a low to moderate risk of thunderstorms with heavy rain through the area today and during Saturday morning.

"In addition, for Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula and northern Waikato there is a moderate risk of localised downpours (25 to 40 mm per hour), whether thunderstorms occur or not, mainly this afternoon and early evening, and again during the early hours of Saturday morning."

Rainfall of this intensity can cause surface and/or flash flooding, especially about low-lying areas such as streams, rivers or narrow valleys, and may also lead to slips.

Driving conditions will also be hazardous with surface flooding and poor visibility in heavy rain.

People are urged to keep up to date with the latest forecasts, in case additional areas are added to this Watch.

Note: A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are favourable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area. People in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and monitor for possible Severe Thunderstorm Warnings.

For information on preparing for and keeping safe during a storm, see the Civil Defence Get Ready website
The Coromandel scallop fishery has been fully closed to commercial and recreational fishing to allow it to recover.

Most of the Coromandel scallop fishery - which stretches from Leigh, Rodney in the north to Maketu in the Bay of Plenty - and all of the Northland scallop fishery were closed in 2021 due to sustainability concerns, says Fisheries New Zealands director of fisheries management, Emma Taylor.

In December 2022, new information led to a temporary emergency closure of the two remaining open areas, one around Little Barrier Island and the other in Colville channel. This new 2023 sustainability closure will see those areas remain closed.

The use of emergency measures to close a fishery is rare, and they are not used lightly.

Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, Stuart Nash, made the decision based on new survey information which showed the two open areas in the fishery could no longer sustain harvesting.

The initial closures followed extensive surveys in 2021, which revealed sustainability concerns. Results from surveys in the areas around Little Barrier Island and the Colville Channel in 2022 revealed further serious declines in scallop numbers.

In light of this evidence, feedback received during public consultation supported a full and ongoing closure of the fishery as well as reductions to the total allowable catch to give the fishery the best chance of recovery.

The Minister has decided to set the commercial and recreational allowances at zero, reflecting that no fishing will take place while the closure is in effect. The closure will not affect the relatively small amount of customary allowance. We note iwi in the region strongly support the recovery of the fishery and issuing of customary fishing permits has been limited if not completely ceased.

Id like to thank iwi for their continued input and support in managing the recovery of this important shared fishery, says Emma.

Environmental, iwi and recreational fishing interests in the Hauraki Gulf are celebrating the Ministers decision to close the Coromandel scallop fishery indefinitely.

Ngati Hei led the closure with a rahui prohibiting the harvest of scallops on the eastern side of the Coromandel Peninsula in 2020. Since 2021 a 2-year temporary closure has been in force.

Ngati Hei are overjoyed the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries has aligned with iwi and community wishes by closing the fishery to help it rebuild. Watching the scallops disappear over the years has been worrying, today we celebrate this decision, says Ngati Hei Rangatira, Joe Davis.

Its very pleasing the Minister has acted on the latest evidence that shows scallop populations in the Hauraki Gulf are at all time lows. However, its sad that the scallop beds have almost disappeared before action is taken. Lets hope Fisheries New Zealand is more responsive to community concerns in the future, says Tairua based New Zealand Sport Fishing Council vice president Warren Maher.

Since 2020, LegaSea has worked with Hauraki Gulf iwi Ngati Manuhiri and Ngati Paoa in supporting rahui for scallops in their rohe. LegaSea has also been an integral part of the Hauraki Gulf Alliance seeking to have dredging, bottom trawling and Danish seining banned from Gulf waters.

LegaSea is stoked that a rebuild plan is now in place. Its great because it means the scallop beds will finally get a rest from dredging. This is good for the environment and the Hauraki Gulf communities who have worked so hard to protect the fishery for future generations, says LegaSea Project Lead, Sam Woolford.

The Opito Bay Ratepayers Association was the first of many Coromandel groups to support a restoration plan and the rahui laid down by Ngati Hei in 2020.

The Coromandel community and businesses came together in 2020 to initiate the first scallop survey in Opito Bay. We will be monitoring progress to ensure officials follow through with the Ministers commitment to survey the scallop beds in the next three years, says Chris Severne, chairman of Opito Bay Ratepayers Association.

In summary:
A swarm of earthquakes has been occurring overnight south-west of Kawerau, and felt across the Bay of Plenty.

"We have recorded more than 40 earthquakes so far, the largest of which have been a M4.8 and M4.6," says a Geonet spokesperson on their Facebook page.

"This swarm is in a similar area to swarms that occurred in 2018 and 2019."

The earthquakes started at 3.29am with the most recent being recorded at 6.47am.

"Feeling earthquakes close together in time can be unsettling, but this is typical activity for the area, and our team is keeping an eye on things," says Geonet on Facebook.

Over 2000 people reported feeling the 4.6M quake at 4,31am which was located 25 km south-west of Whakatane at a depth of 5km.

Nearly 3000 people reported feeling the 4.8M quake at 4.46am which was also located 25km south-west of Whakatane at a depth of 5km.

NZ Civil Defence also posted to their Facebook page early Saturday morning.

"Hope everyone is okay! Our friends at GeoNet tell us this is an earthquake swarm, causing a series of shakes which have woken quite a few people up. These can be pretty worrying - just a reminder that in an earthquake, make sure you drop, cover and hold."

Keep up to date with earthquake information at GeoNet www.geonet.org.nz and check out https://getready.govt.nz for more on what to do in an earthquake.
Tauranga Historic Village is celebrating all the different cultures today that make Tauranga a vibrant, diverse place to live.

Tauranga Multicultural Festival has been a flagship event in the city since 1998, providing yummy food, a variety of performances and more. Head to the Village today, Saturday March 18 from 10am  5pm, and dont miss the parade of nations at noon. Entry is by gold coin donation.

Kick off your multiculturalism day at The Villages new hospitality spot Asidle, run by mother and son duo Berta and Ivan. Try a delicious boere breakfast, a South African-style fry-up that takes place every Saturday morning. Make sure you book as there are limited places available.

Taurangas creative community hub has a packed weekend of art, film, music and delicious food to enjoy.



On Friday evening The Incubator Creative Hub launched its Hawkes Bay Arts Community Fundraiser Exhibition. The exhibition is made up of art donated by the community, so youre bound to find something unique and affordable. All funds raised will be donated to the grassroots arts groups in the Hawkes Bay that were impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle flooding.

Donated art for the Hawkes Bay Arts Community Fundraiser Exhibition. Photo: The Incubator Creative Hub.

The Jam Factory has three great gigs over the weekend. Band and Deliver is a youth/college band event which featured four groups from across Tauranga and Waihi on Friday evening. On Saturday, The RVMES will play an energy-packed indie gig, and on Sunday Red Street takes the stage playing their original tunes.



Detour Theatre, the Villages resident theatre, is showcasing Hardcase Hotel on Saturday night. This is a classic murder mystery with a twist of comedy not to be missed!



What's on

The Hawkes Bay Arts Community Fundraiser at The Peoples Gallery. Opening 17 March at 5.30pm. Find out more at www.theincubator.co.nz/hawkes-bay-fundraiser-exhibition

Asidle Boere Breakfast, Asidle on 18 March, from 9am. Find out more at http://www.historicvillage.co.nz/visit.

Tauranga Multicultural Festival, Village-wide on 18 March, 10am  5pm. Find out more at www.mytauranga.co.nz/whats-on/event-details/eid/6161/tctl/7663

The RVMES at The Jam Factory on 18 March, 6.30pm. Find out more at https://fb.me/e/5t5QFHKA6

Red Street at The Jam Factory on 19 March, 3pm. Find out more at https://fb.me/e/URsQ8T2m

Hardcase Hotel at Detour Theatre, 17 and 18 March, 7.30pm, Find out more at www.detour.co.nz/

Make sure you head to The Historic Village, 17th Avenue West, Tauranga to check out whats on from Saturday March 18 Sunday March 19.
Kawerau businesses and residents are cleaning up following a swarm of earthquakes in the early hours of Saturday.

Kawerau Hammer Hardware owner Murray Evans says the quakes have knocked some items off shelves into aisles. Staff are keeping the store open on Saturday for emergency requirements only.

SunLive talked with Murray and staff at the Liverpool Street store at 9.24am. They are busy clearing up the aisles, including a tin of paint that opened and some oil spilt, following a 4.7M quake at 8.58am.

A swarm of quakes between 2.5M and 3.7M have been ongoing since 3.29am.

"We have our fast shoes on ready to run out into the carpark," says a staff member.

The existing crack in the floor. Photo: Carole Meredith.

A crack that was already visible in the floor has appeared to open wider on Saturday morning, but Murray says structurally everything is fine.

"We are not closed, as we are open for emergency services," says Murray.

Kawerau Hammer Hardware is staying open despite the ongoing quakes, so that tradespeople such as plumbers needing emergency supplies can call in.

Kawerau Hammer Hardware staff have stacked items into bins as repeated quakes would otherwise tip them off the shelves again. Photo: Carole Meredith.

Since the phone call with Murray, a 4.2M quake at 9.52am and a 4.1M quake at 9.54am occurred, both about 20-25km west of Whakatane.

Staff member Carole Meredith says a slip happened earlier on the hillside directly opposite the Hammer Hardware carpark.

She filmed fellow staff member Damien Waalwijk who witnessed the slip.

The slip on the hillside opposite Kawerau Hammer Hardware. Photo: Carole Meredith.

"I was biking around here {into the Hammer Hardware carpark], and when the earthquake hit, I heard trees cracking, and I looked up there, and the whole side of the hill just started sliding down," says Damien.

"It was pretty freaky, that's for sure."

A swarm of earthquakes has been occurring overnight southwest of Kawerau, and felt across the Bay of Plenty.

"We have recorded more than 40 earthquakes so far, the largest of which have been a M4.8 and M4.6," says GeoNet.

"This swarm is in a similar area to swarms that occurred in 2018 and 2019. Feeling earthquakes close together in time can be unsettling, but this is typical activity for the area, and our team is keeping an eye on things."

Kawerau resident Arthur Carr recorded one of the quakes, posting the footage to Facebook

Kawerua Library and Museum closes Kawerau District Council have closed the Kawerau District Library and Museum today. " Council wishes to advise that the Library will be closed this morning partly due to staff shortages, and also to enable staff to clean up their whare after the earthquakes swarm (that are continuing)," says a Kawerua District Council spokesperson. The Council is also reminding people about what to do in an earthquake - Stop, Cover, Hold:

STOP - get to a safe spot (close by) away from windows and glass COVER - your head and neck area HOLD - take hold of a sturdy table leg, or couch etc. where you can be safe and protected from any falling objects "Please keep safe whanau, ensure you are talking about what to do and where your whanau will meet," says a Council spokesperson.

The slip on the hillside opposite Kawerau Hammer Hardware carpark. Photo: Carole Meredith.

Road closures on SH34 and SH30 through Rotoma Gorge

Waka Kotahi NZTA have traffic management in place due to road slips between Kawerau and Rotoma.

State Highway 34 Kawerau to State Highway 30 Rotoma have multiple slips along the road including through the Rotoma Gorge.

"Due to multiple slips in this area Stop/Go traffic management and speed restrictions will be in place along the highway from Kawerau to the intersection with SH30," says a Waka Kotahi NZTA spokesperson.

"Speed restrictions may be in place along SH30 in the Rotoma gorge.

"Take extra care and expect delays."
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OnlyOffice is an online office suite integrated with a collaboration platform to manage documents, projects, team and customer relations in one place. 100% compatible with Microsoft Office formats.

Individual and group rights

Share your documents with an individual or whole team and set different permission levels. Public sharing is also available.

Different co-editing modes

Co-author documents with one of two co-editing modes: (1) Fast: display all changes right after input, or (2) Strict: see co-authors' changes only when they save them.

Tracking changes

Get more control over your documents with Review mode Track your collaborators' changes and reject or accept them when needed.

Version History

Track all changes to your document. Check who made changes and when. Recover previous versions if necessary.

Document comparison

Easily compare two documents to see the differences with revision marks. Accept or reject changes one by one or all at once. Merge the changes and save them as a new version of the original document.

Efficient communication

Tag co-authors and leave comments for them. Communicate in real-time using the built-in chat.

Other Features:

Use various styling and formatting tools

Insert and manipulate different objects

Do even more with a collection of integrated plugins

Community Server is a free open source collaborative system developed to manage documents, projects, customer relationship and email correspondence, all in one place.

Functionality

Cross platform solution: Linux, Windows

Document management

Integration with Google Drive, Box, Dropbox, OneDrive, OwnCloud

File sharing

Document embedding

Access rights management

Customizable CRM

Web-to-lead form

Invoicing system

Project Management

Gantt Chart

Milestones, task dependencies and subtasks

Time tracking

Automated reports

Blogs, forums, polls, wiki

Calendar

Email Aggregator

People module (employee database)

Instant Messenger

Support of more than 20 languages

This guide will show you how to install Community Server Linux version to your machine.

What's New

New Features

All Editors

Unified appearance for tooltips (Windows, Linux)

Window shadow effect (Windows only)

Jump List (Tasks) for the application shortcut in the start menu and taskbar (Windows 7 and later)

Abandoning the third-party update window and reworking the Check for updates automatically option (Windows 7 and later)

Dialog windows (file manager and print) are replaced with the system ones (Linux only)

Support for xdg-desktop-portal in the file dialog window (Linux only)

Use the file name when printing to PDF by default (Linux only)

Equation quick access panel

3D Rotation settings for 3D charts

Display of chart error bars (for opening only)

Inserting Smart Art objects

Uzbek dictionaries for spell checking: Uzbek (Cyrillic) and Uzbek (Latin)

Presets for inserting horizontal and vertical text boxes

Ability to hide left and right panel on the View tab of the top toolbar

Width of the styles / themes panel now fits the whole number of items

Grouping for table templates

Cell styles in the OLE object editor

Ability to resize dialog windows for editing charts, OLE objects, and mail merge recipients

Unified appearance for dialog windows, context menus, toolbar, etc.

Optimizing display of comments

Changed metafiles conversion to SVG

Reading and writing PDF are combined in a single library to optimize work

Quick print function (Windows, Linux)

Changed default logic of work with local documents locked for editing (Windows, Linux)

Document Editor

Support for entering equations in two modes (Unicode and LaTeX)

Ability to protect a document by setting a restriction on editing

Button for accessing to statistics in the status bar

Support of relative links to local files

Spreadsheet Editor

Watch Window

Ability to select multiple items using Ctrl/Shift in the Watch Window

Support for new functions: TEXTBEFORE, TEXTAFTER, TEXTSPLIT, VSTACK, HSTACK, TOROW, TOCOL, WRAPROWS, WRAPCOLS, TAKE, DROP, CHOOSEROWS, CHOOSECOLS

Support for updating links to external files and the ability to create these links

Ability to add a link between files within the portal using Paste Special

Ability to insert data from the XML file (XML Spreadsheet 2003 is supported)

Changed preview size for cell styles

Support of relative links to local files

Presentation Editor

Support for entering equations in two modes (Unicode and LaTeX)

Guides and Gridlines settings in the View tab and the context menu

Tooltips when moving guides and the ability to remove the selected guide

Paste Special parameters for a slide

Ability to save a shape (graphic object) as a picture in the context menu

Forms

New fields: Date and time, Zip Code, Credit Card

Managing roles: adding, editing, removing roles, assigning them to fields

Ability to preview the DOCXF file from the point of view of each created role

Fixes

All Editors

Fix display of the editor window minimized in the Maximize mode (Bug 58402)

Fix moving the file placed in a separate window (for Linux) (Bug 45037)

Fix display of the application window when connecting the second monitor (Bug 60899)

Fix the year in the About section (for MacOS) (Bug 61421)

Fix the application vulnerability which allows to load a library from the home directory (for Linux) (Bug 60244)

Fix a new file name when creating in Polish interface language (Bug 60764)

Fix display of the Help contents (Bug 61144)

Fix an encrypted file name when saving, if it is specified in Cyrillic (Bug 61243)

Fix display of the More button when the application scaling is more than 100% (Bug 61219)

Fix crash of the editor when opening a document in a separate window (Bug 61262)

Fix display of the Print to PDF button in the Print preview window for German interface language (Bug 61510)

Spreadsheet Editor

Fix hangup of the editor when printing the XLSX file (Bug 61019)

Fix display of the Edit formatting rule window when the interface scaling is 125% and 175% (Bug 60952)

Fix printing a spreadsheet if the page size settings are specified (Bug 61214)

Fix changing the date format when saving the workbook to PDF (Bug 56499)

Fix saving data to the PDF format from the XLSX file (Bug 60334)

Presentation Editor

Fix crash when uploading a presentation to the Private Room (Bug 51001)

Fix display of the presentation themes in the Private Room with the Classic, Green leaf, Lines, Safaryi templates (Bug 61430)

Forms

Fix crash when opening the OFORM files (Bug 61142)

PDF
The bleeding edge: In case you haven't noticed, AI technology is all the rage with the kids lately. If it's not Dall-E or Stable Fusion; it's ChatGP, Bart, Bing Chat, or some other company's large language model. Not wanting to get left in the dust, the UK sank a sizable investment into building the next exascale supercomputer.

The UK has announced plans to invest 900 million ($1.1 billion US) in a new supercomputer to create its own GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) AI model. Tentatively dubbed "BritGPT," it will be one of the world's most powerful computing devices, capable of performing over one billion billion simple calculations per second (exaflops). Currently, the only supercomputer built to this scale is "Frontier" at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the decision Wednesday, saying, "Because AI needs computing horsepower, I today commit around 900m of funding ... for an exascale supercomputer."

The Guardian notes that the UK aims to use the supercomputer to develop AI technology it can use across various industries, from healthcare to finance. The nearly 1 billion investment is part of a broader push to establish the UK as a leader in AI technology. Officials and industry leaders fear falling behind in the AI industry, which the US and China currently dominate.

"We think there's a risk that we, in the UK, lose out to the large tech companies, and possibly China, and get left behind ... in areas of cybersecurity, of healthcare, and so on," said BT Group's Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer Adrian Joseph. "It is a massive arms race that has been around for some time, but the heat has certainly been turned up most recently."

That heat being the recent developments and wide-range releases of OpenAI's ChatGPT and other companies' large language models (LLM). The UK government has already invested heavily in R&D and initiatives to support the growth of AI-related businesses in the country.

One of the critical features of BritGPT will be its ability to process vast amounts of data quickly and accurately. This power will enable researchers to train AI models more effectively, leading to more accurate predictions and better decision-making. It will also allow companies to analyze large datasets more quickly, improving efficiency and reducing costs.

"[This investment will] allow researchers to better understand climate change, power the discovery of new drugs, and maximize our potential in AI," said a spokesperson for the British Treasury.

The 900 million investment includes 10 million ($12 million US) earmarked for annual AI innovations. Each year for the next ten years, research groups can compete for a 1 million award the Treasury dubbed the "Manchester Prize," named after the Manchester Baby---an early computer built at the University of Manchester in 1948. The grant goes to the most notable AI breakthrough for the year.

Image credit: OLCF at ORNL
TechSpot is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust

The big picture: Qualcomm may be the leading mobile chipmaker at the top end of the market, but in the mid-range, the company faces serious competition from Taiwanese fabless semiconductor company MediaTek, whose SoCs have become increasingly more common in affordable devices, especially in China, India and other international markets.

Qualcomm recently announced the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 mobile chipset for premium mid-range smartphones. It is the second Snapdragon 7-series SoC announced by Qualcomm, and an upgrade over last year's Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 SoC. The company never announced a '+' variant of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1, nor did it release a standard Snapdragon 7 Gen 2.

In terms of hardware specs, Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 packs an octa-core CPU with a 1+3+4 core configuration that includes a Cortex-X2 Prime core at 2.91GHz, three Cortex-A710 Performance cores at 2.49GHz, and four Cortex A510 Efficiency cores at 1.8GHz.

The new chip also comes with an unspecified Adreno GPU with Vulcan 1.1 support, select Snapdragon Elite Gaming features, and Adreno Frame Motion Engine. The AI duties will be taken care of by the Hexagon DSP that's said to offer up to 2x better AI performance than the last-gen chip.

In terms of performance, Qualcomm did not offer any benchmark results, but claimed the custom Kryo CPU cores will offer more than 50 percent improved performance over its predecessor. The Adreno GPU is said to pack 2x the performance of the last-gen chip.

Qualcomm also claims the new chip is up to 13 percent more power efficient than the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 in "extended daily use," thanks in no small measure to TSMC's 4nm process node. For comparison, the Gen 1 chip was fabricated on Samsung's 4nm process node.

Like its predecessor, the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 also supports LPDDR5 memory (not LPDDR5X) running at 3,200MHz. The new SoC also has an integrated Snapdragon X62 cellular modem with 5G NR sub-6 and mmWave support. Qualcomm claims the modem supports up to 4.4Gbps download speeds and dual-active 5G. Other connectivity features include Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth v5.3.

Photography is one major area of improvement in the new chip, with Qualcomm's triple 18-bit Spectra ISP from the Snapdragon 8 series replacing the 14-bit unit found in the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. Qualcomm said the change will make for better photos and videos with improved dynamic range. It is also expected to enable brighter shots with less noise in low-light situations.

The Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 will be used by a number of Android vendors, including Xiaomi and BBK Electronics in their Redmi and Realme brands, respectively. Devices powered by the new chipset will start hitting the market before the end of this month.
TechSpot is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust

Recap: Micron last year announced plans to spend up to $100 billion to build a massive semiconductor manufacturing facility in Clay, a suburb of Syracuse in Upstate New York. Construction is expected to get under way in 2024 and should everything go according to plan, products could start rolling off the assembly line in the latter half of the decade. The Syracuse-area campus isn't expected to be fully built until 2045, however.

The chipmaker cited several reasons for selecting the site including its proximity to higher education institutions, reliable access to power and water, and a strong military population that aligns with its commitment to hiring veterans.

Micron will also benefit from the recently established CHIPS and Science Act designed to boost domestic chip manufacturing, and will receive $5.5 billion in subsidies from the state of New York.

Micron may have been the first to agree to build in the region, but it wasn't the first tech company offered the plot of land. Both Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and Intel Corp. had been pitched the site but opted out after evaluating the area. TSMC decided to build in Arizona and Intel selected Ohio for its new factory.

Both companies declined to comment when reached by The Wall Street Journal. It's possible that the plot of land originally offered by Onondaga County was too small, which prompted officials to expand the site. But perhaps TSMC and Intel identified another issue with the region - that the talent pool needed to fill highly specialized tech jobs wasn't deep enough.

Micron is planning to eventually employ 9,000 tech workers at the Syracuse-area campus, and is taking steps to ensure the community will be ready to supply qualified workers when the time comes. Micron is dishing out $10 million to help K-12 schools boost their science, technology, engineering and math programs, and is also working with local training centers as well as community colleges and universities in the area to get students ready to work for them.

Syracuse University is also revamping its engineering degree, and has assigned each engineering student a career adviser, a student success adviser and a faculty adviser

Image credit: Fritzchens Fritz
TechSpot is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust

In brief: Researchers from Pusan National University in South Korea are one step closer to creating economically viable, solution-processed organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that don't skimp on durability or efficiency. In other words, much more affordable OLED-equipped devices like smartphones, televisions and monitors might not be too far away.

As the researchers explain, current OLED production is both expensive and labor intensive. Solution-processed OLEDs promise to be more affordable but thus far have been limited by efficiency and durability issues owing to difficulties in manufacturing.

To circumvent the problem, researchers synthesized and characterized a cross-linkable hole injection layer (HIL) material boasting over 99 percent solvent resistance, and fabricated a solution-processed red phosphorescent OLED device using it.

The team said the novel HIL material possesses an optimal energy level as well as high mobility and excellent film-forming properties, which are crucial for commercial viability. In fact, according to Professor Do-Hoon Hwang from Pusan National University, the material achieved a greater efficiency and lifetime compared to the most widely used HIL material.

Related: The Best Gaming Monitors - Early 2023

OLEDs have been around for decades, with the first practical device dating back to Eastman Kodak in 1987. Mainstream implementations were still many years away, and it wouldn't be until 2007 that the first OLED television hit the market in the form of the Sony XEL-1.

Sony's display measured just 11 inches diagonally and had a resolution of 960 x 540 meaning it technically didn't even qualify as an HDTV. It debuted with an MSRP of $2,499 and was more of a technology demonstration than something you'd actually buy for daily use.

Only recently have OLED devices started to gain more mainstream adoption as pricing has come down from the stratosphere. OLEDs typically afford a much better picture quality compared to LEDs. They are also generally more power efficient and weigh less than LED counterparts, and have superior response times.

The research paper on the matter was recently published in Chemical Engineering Journal.
The latest report of the Alzheimer's Association, a voluntary health organization, claims that Alzheimer's disease patients could double by 2050.

(Photo : Photo credit should read SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images)

A nurse holds the hands of a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease on September 21, 2009 at Les Fontaines retirement home in Lutterbach , eastern France.

The health agency shared this detail via its 2023 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report. Alzheimer's Association explained that there are over six million Americans suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

The organization added that one in every nine 65-year-old and older individuals has Alzheimer's.

Due to various challenges, the Alzheimer's Association expects the number of six million patients to increase by more than 13 million.

Alzheimer's Disease Patients Could Double in 2050!

According to Fox News' latest report, Alzheimer's Association released its new ADFF report on Wednesday, Mar. 15.

(Photo : Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP via Getty Images)

A woman, suffering from Alzheimer's desease, walks in a corridor on March 18, 2011 in a retirement house in Angervilliers, eastern France. AFP PHOTO / SEBASTIEN BOZON (Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP)

Also Read: Researchers Claim New Blood Test Accurately Predicts Alzheimer's in Patients Years Before Symptoms

In this annual report, the health organization highlighted the reasons why Alzheimer's disease patients might drastically increase in 2050:

Lack of communication with doctors and other health professionals.

Missed opportunities for early-stage diagnoses and intervention.

The population of old people (65 years old and older), who are at risk of Alzheimer's disease, is expected to reach 88 million in 2050.

Based on the reasons provided above, the number of Alzheimer's disease patients is affected by various healthcare problems and the rising number of old individuals.

"Since age is the greatest single risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, as our population ages, so does the number of people afflicted with the disease," explained Gary Small, MD, chair of psychiatry at the Hackensack University Medical Center.

Alzheimer's Disease Takes Lives

The latest Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report warned that this condition doesn't only cause memory loss.

Alzheimer's Association warned that this dementia condition also takes the lives of its victims. The health agency claims that one out of three seniors dies with Alzheimer's disease or other dementia condition.

It added that Alzheimer's disease takes more lives than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. If the prediction of the Alzheimer's Association really happens in 2050, then health experts and organizations need to make major efforts to help Alzheimer's patients.

In other news, a new study revealed that high blood caffeine levels could lessen body fat. Meanwhile, many health professionals claim that natural immunity outperforms COVID-19 vaccines.

For more news updates about Alzheimer's disease and other health topics, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: AI Predicts Alzheimer's Risk With Above 90% Accuracy

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Maerdang hydropower station in China is expected to begin its operations in March 2024, as reported by Electrek.

(Photo : STR/AFP via Getty Images)

This aerial photo taken on September 7, 2020 shows water being released from the Three Gorges Dam, a hydropower project on the Yangtze river, in Yichang, central China's Hubei province.

The hydropower station is considered the highest-altitude facility of its kind, constructed in Qinghai province. It stands at 5,000 meters above sea level on the Yellow River.

The facility will have a total installed capacity of 2.2 million kilowatts and can generate an average of over 7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year once operational. China Energy's first integrated renewable facility includes hydropower, solar, and energy storage.

The hydropower station will help eliminate 2.56 million metric tons of standard coal equivalent consumption and 8.16 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Still the World's Largest Coal Miner

(Photo : GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

This photo taken on December 18, 2019 shows an art work depicting coal miners at a museum outside the closed Muchengjian coal mine in Mentougou, west of Beijing.

Despite being the leader in renewable energy in the world, it's still known that China is the largest coal miner and consumer. In the first two months of 2023, the country's coal output rose by 5.8 percent, according to Reuters.

The spike is due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in which Beijing had to prioritize its energy security.

Also Read: Research Links Hydropower Dams To Species Extinction

Making Significant Progress

The Chinese government has urged miners to speed up coal production since the power crunch in 2021, but the country is generating less coal-based power. Also, in 2021, the country added around 23 GW of new hydropower capacity, which brought total hydro capacity to 16 percent of the power mix.

Solar is also growing rapidly in the country. Indeed, China is well ahead of everybody else in the country regarding renewable energy.

Also, the abundant hydropower is shutting down the demand for LNG, which helps cap global prices. The drop in demand can move it down a notch to become the world's no. 2 importer after Japan.

Gas may be used only as a last resort when more cost-competitive options have been used.

In 2022, the country also finished the construction of its second-largest hydropower facility on the Yangtze River, the Baihetan hydropower plant. The facility is equipped with sixteen 1-gigawatt turbines that make it the second-largest hydropower generator in the country and the world.

The facility can generate 62.44 kWh every year, saving around 90.45 million tons of coal each year and cutting annual carbon dioxide emissions by 248.4 million tonnes.

The Baihetan is one of the six giant hydropower stations along the Yangtze River, and it was also one of the country's biggest and most challenging engineering projects.

Overall, China is moving forward with hydropower construction to maintain its position as the world's renewable energy leader. The Maerang hydropower station will significantly impact the country's net zero goals.

Related Article: China's Three Gorges Dam's Flood Prevention Stopped the Upcoming "Stronger Flood"

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
"The Elder Scrolls 6" will be an Xbox exclusive, the PlayStation maker, Sony, now says, despite rumors claiming it would release on PS5.

As Sony expresses its disappointment with the Starfield Xbox exclusivity, the gaming giant blurts out that the next "Elder Scrolls" game is following the same path.

(Photo : FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (R) and host Ryan Seacrest (L) watch as Craig Davison, Senior Director for Xbox makes his presentation during the keynote address for CES 2012 at the annual Consumer Electronics Show on January 9, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

'Elder Scrolls 6' Will Be an Xbox Exclusive, Sony Claims

According to a report by PlayStation Lifestyle, Sony now claims that the upcoming "Elder Scrolls 6" is going to be exclusive to Xbox consoles. It now dismisses early rumors, saying it might be released to the PS5.

Sony says "Microsoft is fond of arguing that, with its prior acquisitions, it did not make the existing, already released games it acquired exclusively to Xbox."

Game Rant reports that Microsoft has already signed a partnership, which should bring "Call of Duty" titles to various gaming platforms, at least for the next decade.

As of writing, the Xbox maker, which seeks to buy Activision, the makers of Call of Duty games, has signed deals with Nintendo and Nvidia. Not to mention it has forged a partnership with cloud gaming services like Ubitus and Boosteroid.

However, the PlayStation maker argues that the concern is with future "Call of Duty" games.

The Japanese gaming firm notes that "it is about the impact of Microsoft making new Call of Duty releases (which are launched every year) exclusive."

It is worth noting that Microsoft also reportedly reached out to Sony to forge a deal to bring "Call of Duty" titles in the next 10 years. However, the PlayStation maker refused to accept the offer.

And now, the Japanese giant is raising concerns about the possibility of future Call of Duty titles ending up as Xbox exclusives. Sony adds that it might follow the same route as "Starfield" and "Elder Scrolls."

The PlayStation maker notes that "Starfield" is set to be an Xbox and PC exclusive, following Microsoft's acquisition of ZeniMax.

And on top of that, Sony also believes that "The Elder Scrolls 6" is going to be an Xbox exclusive as well.

Read Also: Unreal Engine 5 Fan Remake of 'Elder Scrolls 4' Surfaces Online--Can 'ES6' Look This Good?

Sony PS Plus vs. Xbox Game Pass

In a separate story, PlayStation Lifestyle reports that Sony concedes that the Xbox Game Pass service is way ahead of its PlayStation Plus gaming subscription platform.

(Photo : Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Game enthusiasts and industry personnel walk between the Microsoft XBox and the Sony PlayStation exhibits at the Annual Gaming Industry Conference E3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center on June 16, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.

The Japanese firm admits that "it is beyond doubt that Game Pass is far ahead of PlayStation Plus."

And Sony thinks the gap between the two services will remain huge if the Microsoft and Activision deal pushes through. The PlayStation maker says that "Microsoft could manipulate the price of its license to weaken" the Xbox Game Pass rival.

Related Article: 'Elder Scrolls' Arena, Daggerfall Coming to Steam: What to Expect-Other Titles Also Coming

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
After 16 years of service in Twitch, Chief Executive Officer and co-Founder Emmett Shear will step down from his position effective immediately. This decision comes after the birth of his first child as he moves to the next phase of his life.

(Photo : Eoin Noonan /Web Summit via Getty Images)

LISBON, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 07: LISBON, PORTUGAL - NOVEMBER 07: Emmett Shear, Twitch, on the Contentmakers 1 Stage Stage during day two of Web Summit 2018 at the Altice Arena on November 7, 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Leaving Twitch

Twitch's Emmett Shear resigns from his position as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. According to The Verge's report, served 16 years in the company and has been at Twitch since its launch.

As he becomes a father, he stated that he has been reflecting on his future with the company. "Twitch often feels to me like a child I've been raising as well. And while I will always want to be there if Twitch needs me, at 16 years old it feels to me Twitch is ready to move out of the house and venture alone," he noted.

Shear will remain as the company's advisor despite stepping down as the CEO. Meanwhile, the executive will be replaced by Twitch President Dan Clancy, who has been serving in the company since 2019. He was originally hired as the company's Executive Vice president of Creator and Community Experience.

Although the company has been experiencing setbacks recently, he remains confident in the future of Twitch. He stated that with the company's leadership, along with the people and the product, Twitch will last longer. He added, "For many years I truly felt Twitch might die without my guidance and input, but I no longer feel that is true."

He expressed his sincerest gratitude to the company, including Amazon who acquired the company in 2014. Shear also described the company as the best acquirer he could have hoped for.

Shear as Twitch CEO

Reuters reported that Shear co-founded the company with former Chief Executive Officer Justin Kan. The platform was previously called "Justin.tv," where Kan streamed his life 24/7. In 2011, the company revamp its services to focus on popular gaming live streams and called the platform "Twitch."

Three years later after that, Amazon acquired the company for $970 million. As per him, Amazon supported them and allowed a product as different as Twitch to show growth in the company.

Also Read: AI Stream 'Nothing, Forever' Is Back on Twitch Following Ban for Hate Speech Violation

Despite these successes, Dexerto reported that Twitch also experienced a lot of setbacks during his stay as the CEO. The company faced increased competition in recent years as other platforms enters the world of live streaming, including YouTube and Facebook.

Twitch has also been criticized by its creators for having a lower subscription revenue split than its competitors, with only 50/50. This is much lesser than YouTube's 70/30, hence the call from streamers to increase these digits.

Related Article: Streamer Kai Cenat Breaks Record for Highest Subscriber Count on Twitch

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Microsoft announced the integration of new artificial intelligence tools into its office software such as Word, Excel, and Outlook emails on Thursday, March 16.

The tech giant unveiled a new feature called Microsoft 365 Copilot, which combines the power of large language models with business data and Microsoft 365 apps to unleash creativity, unlock productivity, and upskill workers. It is currently in testing with select commercial customers.

Copilot and Business Chat

According to Jared Spataro, Corporate Vice President, Modern Work and Business Applications at Microsoft, Copilot will not only help users perform tasks in a better way but will also enable an entirely new way of working.

The tool will work alongside Microsoft 365 customers in two ways: it will be embedded in the Microsoft 365 apps people use every day, and it will offer an entirely new experience called Business Chat.

Business Chat works across large language models, the Microsoft 365 apps, and a customer's calendar, emails, chats, documents, meetings, and contacts to do tasks that were previously not possible.

With natural language prompts like "tell my team how we updated the product strategy," Business Chat will generate a status update based on the morning's meetings, emails, and chat threads. This feature is similar to the highly popular ChatGPT.

The customer will always be in control when using Copilot. They will decide what to keep, modify, or discard, according to Microsoft.

Read Also: #TechTimesLifeHack: Save Time by Speaking Instead of Writing with Microsoft's Voice Commands

How Copilot Works

Copilot in Word writes, edits, summarizes and creates alongside people as they work. Copilot in PowerPoint enables the creation process by turning ideas into a designed presentation through natural language commands.

In Excel, Copilot enables users to quickly uncover insights, spot trends, or produce visually appealing data visualizations. Copilot in Outlook can assist organize and manage the inbox so that more time can be dedicated to speaking with people.

Copilot in Teams improves the effectiveness of meetings by providing real-time summaries and action items that are relevant to the conversation at hand.

In Power Platform, the feature will also enable two new features within Power Apps and Power Virtual Agents, enabling developers of all skill levels to expedite and streamline development with low-code tools.

Business Chat brings together data from across documents, presentations, emails, calendars, notes, and contacts to help summarize chats, write emails, find key dates, or even write a plan based on other project files.

Microsoft introduced Dynamics 365 Copilot earlier this month as the first AI Copilot in both CRM and ERP, bringing next-generation AI to every business sector.

All of the Microsoft productivity products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, Microsoft Viva, Power Platform, and more, will now support Copilot.

Information on costs and licenses will be released soon. A small number of users are already using Microsoft 365 Copilot to get the crucial feedback needed to enhance these models as they scale.

Related Article: Microsoft's AI Ethics Team Layoff Concerns Experts; Critics Say Regulators Should Get Involved

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
YouTube TV's monthly subscription fee is increasing by roughly 12% or about $8 a month, Google announced, citing rising content costs. So if you are a current subscriber, you will be paying more starting next month unless you end your membership.

(Photo : by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MARCH 23: The YouTube and Netflix app logos are seen on a television screen on March 23, 2018 in Istanbul, Turkey.

YouTube TV Price Increase

The updated price of $72.99 monthly takes effect on March 16 for new subscribers, as per a report by Variety. But for current members, the new pricing applies on April 18.

The Google-owned service understands that the new pricing might be a bit too expensive for its existing users. As such, they have a choice to end their membership before the new price takes effect.

So if you are a YouTube TV subscriber, you may still opt out before the new heftier pricing begins. Here's how to cancel your subscription, whether using a PC, an iPhone, or an Android phone.

How to Cancel YouTube TV Subscription on Your PC

If you are a PC or a Windows laptop user, canceling your YouTube TV subscription is pretty straightforward.

(Photo : by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

The Google and YouTube logos are seen at the entrance to the Google offices in Los Angeles, California, November 21, 2019. - YouTube Space LA is one of ten facilities worldwide where content creators can produce video content, learn new skills, and collaborate with the YouTube community. YouTube Space and its resources are available at no charge to YouTubers with at least 10,000 subscribers.

Start by opening your preferred web browsers, such as Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

From there, head straight to YouTube TV by entering this URL: "tv.youtube.com." Then, sign in to your account. Once that is out of the way, click your profile picture found in the top right corner. Select the "Settings" option and click "Membership." Then, select the "Manage" button and choose "Cancel."

How to Cancel YouTube TV on Your iPhone or iPad

If you are using an Apple iOS device, either an iPhone or iPad, you may cancel your subscription using a mobile web browser, according to USA Today. The YouTube TV app for these devices does not have any option that allows its users to end their membership. So they would have to visit the website of the service to do so.

Visit the YouTube TV website (tv.youtube.com) on your mobile browser. Sign in to your account to proceed. From there, tap your profile picture in the upper right corner. Then select the "Settings" menu and head straight to "Membership." To continue, tap the "Pause or cancel membership" option and select "Cancel Membership." Lastly, tap the "Cancel" button to end your subscription.

Read Also: YouTube Music to Offer Podcasts like Spotify, But Do You Need a Subscription?

How to Cancel a Subscription on Your Android Mobile Device

Android users may cancel their subscriptions via the YouTube TV app.

As mentioned, you have to open the YouTube TV Android app. Then, select your profile picture in the top right corner. From there, open the "Settings" menu and tap "Membership." From there, select the "Manage" option. To proceed, choose "Cancel membership" and tap the "cancel" button.

Related Article: YouTube TV Raises Monthly Subscription Prices to $73, Cites Rising Content Costs

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Chinese technology company, Baidu, has announced that its driverless taxi services can now operate without human drivers in a part of Beijing.

The development may reduce the cost of operating self-driving taxis up to the permitted number of cars, according to a report by CNBC on Friday, March 17.

Baidu's Autonomous Vehicle Operation

The Beijing suburb of Yizhuang, home to several corporations such as JD.com, has been initially permitted for Baidu's autonomous vehicle operation, which includes ten driverless taxis.

This region is the primary site for Baidu's robotaxi public road testing and operation in Beijing.

The Chinese government has first given Baidu permission to drive 10 autonomous vehicles in Yizhuang, a suburb of Beijing that is home to many businesses, including JD.com.

This area is where Baidu's robotaxi public road testing and operation in Beijing mostly occurs, according to CNBC.

Local governments granted Baidu and Pony.ai permission to charge for their autonomous taxi services in November 2021, and customers of public transportation may now book discounted robotaxi rides using their apps.

In major Chinese cities since Q3 2022, Baidu's self-driving taxis have completed an average of over 15 rides per car every day, which is comparable to conventional ride-hailing services.

In August 2022, Baidu announced that it has been granted authorization to operate a small number of staff- and driverless robotaxis on the outskirts of critical Chinese cities including Wuhan and Chongqing.

With no human drivers aboard, Alphabet's Waymo and General Motors' Cruise unit have begun offering public driverless taxi services in the United States.

Read Also: Baidu's New Robotaxi With Detachable Steering Wheel Will be 48% Cheaper than the Previous Model

Significant Success

In an earnings conference on November 2022, CEO Robin Li reported significant success in the field of self-driving taxis. According to a transcript of the conference, the company's autonomous taxis completed an average of over 15 trips per day in several major Chinese cities during the third quarter.

The company, which received regulatory permission to charge fares for robotaxi rides in a suburban area of Beijing, has been conducting public road testing of its self-driving taxis in the area.

The company's robotaxis are equipped with safety features including a safety operation network, redundant monitoring, and remote driving.

Previously, the company required a human employee to be present during robotaxi trips. However, after receiving regulatory approval in certain areas, the vehicles may soon operate without safety drivers.

Wuhan and Chongqing had granted licenses allowing commercial robotaxis to operate without human safety drivers. However, there are still limits to these permissions. In Wuhan, for example, robotaxis can only operate in a 13-square-kilometer service area.

While regulatory permission is still limited, the successful implementation of autonomous taxis without safety drivers could have significant implications for the transportation industry of China.

Related Article: China's Huawei, Baidu, Xiaomi Invests $19b on Electric Vehicle Ventures, Self-Driving Technology

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China has urged other governments to treat its companies fairly after several countries, including Britain and New Zealand, joined the United States in restricting the use of TikTok over security concerns, according to a report by AP on Friday, March 17.

"Non-Discriminatory Environment"

Governments worry that ByteDance, the owner of the Chinese-owned short video app, might share users' browsing histories with the Chinese government or spread propaganda and misinformation.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, urged concerned nations to acknowledge "objective facts" and uphold the ideals of a "non-discriminatory environment" for all businesses in response to the bans.

China and other countries are at odds over TikTok due to technological and security vulnerabilities that have affected several businesses, including processor chips and cell phones.

TikTok is now subject to limitations in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In New Zealand, it is now forbidden for lawmakers and government workers to use the app on their phones.

The British government has also banned TikTok from being used on any government phones. Congress, the armed forces, and more than half of state governments in the US have all barred their employees from using the app as well.

Read Also: Experts Say TikTok Ban on Australian Government-issued Phones Should Also Apply To Other Social Media Apps

Countries that Banned TikTok

Chinese platforms such as the messaging app WeChat and TikTok, have previously been blocked in India over security and privacy concerns.

The US has also limited Chinese companies' access to processor chips and other technologies because of security and human rights concerns as well.

TikTok and American company Oracle have established a collaboration that will retain all US data on Oracle's cloud to allay these concerns.

However, ByteDance was ordered to sell its stake in TikTok by the US Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS), which threatened to prohibit the app within the country, effectively closing off the vast American market for TikTok.

TikTok installation on official devices is forbidden by the European Union Council, the European Commission, and the European Parliament.

In December 2022, Taiwan also outlawed TikTok after the FBI claimed that the app posed a threat to national security. On government-issued handsets, it is forbidden to use Chinese-made software, including apps like TikTok, its Chinese version Douyin, or Xiaohongshu, a Chinese lifestyle app.

The ongoing dispute between China and other governments over the use of TikTok reflects a broader conflict over technology and security issues.

While China continues to appeal to other countries to provide a "non-discriminatory environment" for its companies, concerns over privacy and data security remain paramount, prompting several governments to take action against the popular video-sharing app.

Related Article: TikTok Ban? Senator Asks Apple, Google to Remove it-Platform Sees New Executive from Douyin

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Qualcomm's newest chipset, the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2, has been released today, Mar. 17. It is the company's successor to last year's Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 mobile platform.

A slew of mid-range smartphones is expected to be powered by this newly revealed processor. The companies that will use the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chip include Redmi and Realme.

When compared to its predecessor,

According to Business Insider India, the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 processor is a major upgrade compared to its predecessor. In its presentation, the firm claimed that the new chipset enhances central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU) performance, artificial intelligence (AI), and power efficiency.

Snapdragon has become a byword for high-quality mobile services. With the release of the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 today, Qualcomm Technologies has shown its capacity for bringing some of the most sought-after flagship features to its Snapdragon-7 series, making them available to a wider audience.

An Efficiency Boost of 50%

The Qualcomm Kryo Processor in the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 chipset boosts performance by more than 50% compared to the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset, reaching a maximum speed of 2.91 GHz. Moreover, it is said that the new Adreno GPU is two times as fast as its predecessor.

The enhancements are not simply in the performance aspect. Reportedly, the new Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 processor is 13% more power efficient than its prior model. Hence, the processor consumes less power while performing better than the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset.

Moreover, the new chipset has built-in AI that is accessible throughout the whole platform.

The chipmaker has announced that beginning this month, smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 processor would be released by manufacturers including Redmi and Realme.

Read Also: Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max Costs 3.7% More than iPhone 13 Pro Max: A16 Bionic Chip Costs $11 More than A15

For Gaming and Photography

Qualcomm's auto variable rate shading (AVRS) technology, included in the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 processor, reduces the resolution of the backdrop while keeping the foreground at full resolution. This improves battery life and processing speed for gaming.

The players will appreciate the low latency of the Snapdragon Sound with Qualcomm aptX.

Also, the chipset's 18-bit triple image signal processor (ISP) allows for high-quality photo capturing even in dim lighting. The ISP takes 30 separate shots and combines the finest portions of them into one brighter, sharper picture. It works with high-resolution sensors up to 200MP.

Better Transfer Rates

Reports indicate that the chipset includes the Snapdragon X62 5G Modem-RF System, which allows for download rates of up to 4.4 Gbps and dual-SIM dual-active (DSDA) connectivity for both 4G and 5G networks.

While using the Qualcomm FastConnect 6900 Mobile Connectivity System, users may experience wireless data transfer rates of up to 3.6 Gbps.

Wi-Fi speeds have increased from the 2.9 Gbps provided by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor, but mobile data rates have remained the same.

Read Also: AI Chipmaker Hailo Launches New Processor Designed for Intelligent Cameras

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Amazon will discontinue distributing existing Kindle Newsstand subscriptions in September and will no longer be selling new Kindle Newsstand subscriptions for magazines and newspapers, as announced in a recent statement. This seems to be another cost-cutting effort for the tech giant.

Unfortunately, those who were previously satisfied with receiving their subscriptions via the Kindle Newsstand will likely be disappointed with the new arrangement.

Outline of New Changes

Amazon has decided to stop selling print magazine and newspaper subscriptions in addition to terminating Kindle Newsstand subscriptions.

In a report by The Verge, the subscriptions were no longer available for purchase on Amazon as of last week, Mar. 9.

It has been announced that starting Jun. 5, Amazon will no longer allow users to manage print subscriptions. When it comes to subscriptions, you'll have to deal with the publishers independently.

On the Kindle Newsstand, monthly subscriptions will only be supplied until Sep. 4. Delivery for annual subscribers will continue until the mentioned date or until the subscription expires, whichever is sooner.

After Sep. 4, members will get a prorated refund for any unread issues left in their Kindle Newsstand membership.

On the other hand, if you are looking for alternatives, Apple is more than pleased to provide access to a wide variety of periodicals through Apple News Plus.

Also Read: Amazon Reveals Three Terminals to Receive Kuiper's Satellite Internet, But When Is It Coming?

Greater Effort to Reduce Expenses

"As part of our annual operating planning review process, we always look at each of our businesses and what we believe we should change," Amazon's spokeswoman Julia Lee told The Verge.

She added, "Following an assessment of our magazine and newspaper subscriptions and single-issue sales, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue these services. We don't take these decisions lightly and are winding down these offerings in a phased manner over several months. We will continue to support customers, sellers, and publishers during that time."

Good e-Reader was able to get a copy of an email in which Amazon made a similar assertion to publishers.

Amazon announced on Mar. 9 that its Kindle Unlimited service will provide access to a curated selection of digital literature. The changes, however, are indicative of a withdrawal from the distribution of periodicals and are consistent with the discontinuation of other innovative forms of publications, such as Google's "print replicas" of magazines and the iPad-only newspaper The Daily.

Amazon's alterations are part of a larger cost-cutting initiative that has included the layoffs of almost 18,000 people.

Also Read: Amazon Halts Construction of Second Headquarters in Virginia, Following Layoffs

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According to experts, new genetic evidence from a Wuhan live food market ties Covid-19 to raccoon dogs, supporting the notion that infected animals sold there triggered the coronavirus outbreak.

'More Than a Market Origin'

According to The Guardian, Covid and human DNA were previously identified in swabs taken from Huanan seafood market booths two months after the market closed on January 1, 2020. Chinese scientists reported detecting no animal DNA in the samples when they released their results last year.

An international group of scientists has since disproved such a theory. In several Covid-positive samples, they detected a high DNA concentration from raccoon dogs after analyzing gene sequences provided by the Chinese researchers on the scientific database Gisaid. Covid-positive samples also included traces of DNA from other animals, including civets.

Scientists presenting their results to an expert committee at the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday, Mar. 14, said that although the findings do not show that raccoon dogs or other animals infected with Covid sparked the pandemic, it does increase the likelihood of such a scenario.

Professor Kristian Andersen of Scripps Research in La Jolla, California, told Science magazine that "the data does point even further to a market origin."

Florence Debarre, an evolutionary scientist at the French National Institute for Scientific Research, discovered the newly uploaded gene sequences. She then approached evolutionary scientist and University of Arizona professor Michael Worobey, who has published studies supporting the idea that the pandemic originated in a commercial setting.

Related Story: Likely Lab Leak: Energy Department Reveals Origin of Covid-19 Pandemic

Various Speculations

The cause of the greatest outbreak in a century has become a hot topic of frequent discussion.

A hypothesis floating around says the virus first appeared in wild animals and then jumped to people through contaminated food at the grocery store. One more thinks it could have gotten out of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which studies viruses like this one.

An intelligence report from the US energy department and Republican-led investigations probing the origins of the virus have both brought attention to the lab leak hypothesis in recent weeks. Neither argument has any hard evidence to back it up, and that proof may never be uncovered.

Recent genetic evidence does not support the hypothesis that raccoon dogs or other creatures carried and disseminated Covid in the marketplace. A possible means of transmission for the animals would be contacted with infected people. The results, however, do suggest that an infected animal and, eventually, the illicit wildlife trade may have been to blame.

Experts anticipate the argument to continue, but they wonder why the Chinese team did not share the genetic information sooner. The previous director of China's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, George Gao, said the patterns showed "nothing new" to the scientific community.

It also needs to be clarified why the information was removed from the Gisaid server at a later date.

Related Story: 7 Misconceptions About Covid-19 Exposed by Experts

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More studies are highlighting what Apple Watch can do to help patients suffering from certain conditions.

Recently, a team of researchers from Duke University and other institutes came up with interesting results about the smartwatch's capability in predicting the pain of people who have sickle cell disease.

Apple Watch Helps Scientists to Better Understand Pain

To start, sickle cell disease or SCD is a group of red blood cell disorders that is inherited by a person. People with this kind of condition have a crescent-shaped or sickle-shaped red blood cell.

While a bone marrow transplant is possible to treat this disease, it still comes with a variety of significant risks to consider.

According to 9to5Mac, the researchers were able to understand how Apple Watch data helps them in predicting the pain experience from vaso-occlusive crises or VOCs.

Apple Watch Experiment

As part of the study, the researchers asked the patients from Duke University's Day Hospital if it was fine for them to participate in the trials. All of them have sickle cell disease.

The report says that the data collection for the research took place between July 2021 and September 2021.

All of the participants wore the Apple Watch Series 3. The team recorded all health-related trackers including calorie count, calculated heart rate variability, and more.

Furthermore, the researchers utilized machine learning models to see the potential methods that can help them understand the trends in pain from patients suffering from VOCs.

"Data were analyzed using 3 different machine learning models: multinomial logistic regression, gradient boosting, and random forest, and 2 null models, to assess the accuracy of pain scores. The evaluation metrics considered were accuracy (F1-score), area under the receiving operating characteristic curve, and root-mean-square error (RMSE)," the researchers said in a study.

As MyHealthyApple writes, the team was amazed to see that the Apple Watch is proven to be a feasible and low-cost approach that can help in the treatment of sickle cell disease.

To view the study entitled "Predicting Pain in People With Sickle Cell Disease in the Day Hospital Using the Commercial Wearable Apple Watch: Feasibility Study," visit Pub Med for more details.

Related Article: Apple Watch Battery Life Will Get Better in Next Upgrades, Marketing VP Says

Apple Watch as a Key to Help Stuttering Patients

Apple's research scientist Collin Lea submitted a new study where the Apple Watch is showcased to be a helpful tool to address the needs of people with speech disorders.

According to Macrumors, the smartwatch is seen to be effective for people who often stutter. The study says that using Apple Watch can decrease errors in words and utterances by almost 80%.

The study entitled "From User Perceptions to Technical Improvement: Enabling People Who Stutter to Better Use Speech Recognition" is now accessible in PDF.

Read Also: Never Get Lost Again With Apple Watch's Backtrack Feature

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Former US President Donald Trump's YouTube channel restrictions have been lifted two years after they were imposed for inciting violence during the January 2021 Capitol Hill incident.

This is a big step for the former US president as he prepares to launch a presidential campaign in 2024. Trump now has access to his 146 million followers on three major internet platforms.

YouTube Lifts Restrictions on Trump's YouTube Channel

Reuters reports that YouTube announced the decision on Friday, March 17, citing "careful evaluation of the continued risk of real-world violence, while balancing the chance for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run-up to an election."

This follows after Meta restored Trump's Facebook and Instagram profiles earlier this year. New owner Elon Musk reinstated his Twitter account in November 2022 following a user-wide "amnesty" poll.

It has been revealed that the former president would have access to crucial tools for political fundraising and communication, allowing him to connect with his network of followers. Trump's campaign staff has yet to respond to this development.

Internet Reacts

Critics, however, have questioned Trump's return to social media, claiming that the statements he has recently placed on his new platform, Truth Social, show that he continues to endanger public safety.

On Twitter, users demanded that YouTube provide the standards used to evaluate Trump's channel. Some noted that the decision came at the same time as the former president issued a statement regarding releasing imprisoned Capitol Hill rioters.

A number of users also commented on how ironic YouTube's decision to remove a ban on a user who incited violence on the site, given the platform's firm stance on "harmful" content on other channels.

Read Also: YouTube TV Raises Monthly Subscription Prices to $73, Cites Rising Content Costs

In addition, Trump is facing a $250 million civil fraud action launched by the state of New York, with the Manhattan District Attorney's office investigating criminal charges against him.

What happened on January 6, 2021?

Supporters of then-President Donald Trump met in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, for a rally dubbed "Save America."

BBC reports that during a speech to a crowd outside the White House, Trump exhorted his followers to "fight like hell" and claimed that the election had been stolen from him. Note, that Trump also told the attendees to peacefully exercise their freedom to assemble.

After Trump's address, a large crowd of his supporters marched to the Capitol Building, where rioters broke into the building, vandalized and looted offices, and clashed with police officials.

What's next?

It remains to be seen how this will impact Trump's future political goals, but his return to social media will definitely be viewed as a significant step in the run-up to the presidential race in 2024.

YouTube's move to lift restrictions from Trump's channel comes as social media platforms face heightened scrutiny for their role in propagating harmful content, particularly in the aftermath of the Capitol Hill incident.

This has prompted calls for further social media regulation, with some suggesting that sites like YouTube should be held accountable for spreading misinformation and incitement of violence.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: Donald Trump's Truth Social Conducts Layoffs, Affecting Half a Dozen People

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Researchers in China have announced a groundbreaking discovery in the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, a leading cause of blindness in humans.

The research team used a new CRISPR-based genome editing technique to successfully restore vision in mice.

New CRISPR System

While previous studies have used genome editing to restore vision in mice with genetic diseases that affect the retinal pigment epithelium, which is a layer of non-neuronal cells in the eye that supports the light-sensing rod and cone photoreceptor cells, most inherited forms of blindness, including retinitis pigmentosa, are caused by genetic defects in the neural photoreceptors themselves.

Led by Kai Yao, a professor at Wuhan University of Science and Technology, the researchers used a new and versatile CRISPR system called PESpRY to correct a mutation in the gene encoding PDE6, a critical enzyme required for vision.



The PESpRY system is programmable to fix various types of genetic mutations, regardless of their location in the genome.



After targeting the mutant PDE6 gene with the PESpRY system, the researchers corrected the mutation and restored the enzyme's activity in the retinas of the mice. This prevented the death of rod and cone photoreceptors and restored their normal responses to light.

The study's behavioral tests confirmed that the gene-edited mice retained their vision even into old age. For example, the mice were able to navigate through a visually guided water maze almost as well as healthy mice and displayed typical head movements in response to visual stimuli.

Retinitis pigmentosa is caused by mutations in over 100 different genes and is estimated to affect one in every 4,000 people. The condition starts with the dysfunction and death of dim light-sensing rod cells, which eventually spreads to the cone cells required for color vision, leading to severe and irreversible vision loss.

Read Also: Scientist Behind CRISPR Babies is Back and Will Now Venture into Gene Therapy - Will He Gene-Edit Babies Again?

PESpRY in humans?

While this discovery offers hope for those with retinitis pigmentosa, Yao warns that much work still needs to be done to establish the safety and efficacy of the PESpRY system in humans.



However, he remains optimistic about the potential applications of this new genome-editing strategy in treating inherited retinal diseases like retinitis pigmentosa.

"Our study provides substantial evidence for the in vivo applicability of this new genome-editing strategy and its potential in diverse research and therapeutic contexts, in particular for inherited retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa," Yao said in a statement.

The researchers' innovative approach to genome editing represents a significant milestone in the fight against retinitis pigmentosa, offering the possibility of restoring sight to millions of people worldwide.



Further studies may help to establish the long-term safety and effectiveness of this strategy in humans, paving the way for novel therapies for other genetic disorders.

The team's findings were published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Related Article: CRISPR Gene Therapy Volunteer's Death Raises Questions; Is Gene-Editing Really Safe?

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The U.S. Senate sent a letter to CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) due to the risks posed by DJI drones.

(Photo : Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

A drone is flown for recreational purposes as an airplane passes nearby in the sky above Old Bethpage, New York on September 5, 2015.

For the past few years, DJI's UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) have been criticized because of the drone manufacturer's alleged ties with the Chinese government.

In 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense even identified DJI as a Chinese military company; this detail was also highlighted in the latest letter from U.S. senators.

US Senate Warns CISA About DJI Drones

According to Security Magazine's latest report, the new letter was sent by a group of senators leading a bipartisan effort to urge CISA to assess DJI drones' potential risks.

(Photo : Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

An operator controls a drone using a remote transmitter for recreational purposes in the sky above Syosset, New York on August 30, 2015.

Also Read: DJI, Other Chinese Companies Now on US Investment Blocklist for Alleged Ties to Uyghur Muslims Surveillance

"We write today regarding the cybersecurity risks posed by the widespread use of dronesmanufactured by Shenzhen DJI Innovation Technology Co., Ltd," said the U.S. Senate in its official letter.

Involved senators explained that an "unacceptable security vulnerability could be presented if the use of DJI's drones continues.

They added that this could happen because of the drone manufacturer's identified connections to CCP (Chinese Communist Party).

They also pointed out that the use of DJI drones remains widespread in 2021 despite all various warnings; DJI reportedly controlled around 90% of the consumer market in North America in 2021.

What US Senate Wants From CISA

Because the use of DJI drones is still widespread, the U.S. Senate believed that the company might already be allowing CCP to have access to numerous proprietary information.

Senators said that they appreciate the efforts made by CISA to address the risks posed by DJI drones, especially the agency's 2019 "Industry Alert."

However, the U.S. Senate urges CISA to re-check its analysis of DJI drones' posed security risks.

The government department added that once CISA conducts its re-assessment, the results of the analysis should be released publicly through the National Cyber Awareness System.

As of writing, CISA hasn't confirmed if it will do the request of the U.S. Senate. You can expect to hear more announcements from both parties soon.

If you want to learn more details about the latest letter from the U.S. Senate to CISA, you can click here.

In other news, Pentagon's footage showed a Russian aircraft pouring fuel on a U.S. Air Force drone. We also reported about the new fighter jet deal, which was recently discussed by Japan, Italy, and U.K. ministers.

For more news updates about drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: DJI is Gatekeeping Its Drones to Avoid Weaponization-Stops Delivery to Russia and Ukraine

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According to cybersecurity experts who testified at a recent Senate hearing, rural hospitals in the United States are constantly being targeted by ransomware attacks.

TechRadar tells us in a report that these institutions are especially vulnerable to such cyberattacks due to a lack of cybersecurity resources and qualified personnel, which can be disruptive to the provision of healthcare services.

Rural Hospitals Need More Funding to Stop Cyberattacks

According to Cyberscoop, at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on March 16, cybersecurity experts stated that while private industry and federal government agencies provide information on how to combat ransomware, rural hospitals require more funding to implement cybersecurity measures effectively.

Experts state that hackers have moved their target to small and rural hospitals, which have lagged in bolstering their defenses.

According to Kate Pierce of the cybersecurity firm Fortified Health Security, rural hospitals confront unprecedented budget limitations, with some running in the red by as much as 30 percent.

The cybersecurity law advocate noted that the approaching end of the public health emergency in May had heightened the challenges these hospitals face.

Given the volume of sensitive data collected by most hospitals, the increased prevalence of cyberattacks against healthcare providers in the United States is a reason for alarm.

Read Also: Cybersecurity Experts Advice US Businesses, Organizations to Brace for Cyberattacks Amidst Russia's Attack on Ukraine

Hospital data typically contains health and medical records, payment information, employment status, and other personal information, making them valuable targets for ransomware operators and data hackers.

Greg Garcia, executive director for cyber security at the Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating Council, adds that the healthcare industry is also facing a slew of changes that make it difficult for hospitals to secure their networks.

Increasing Cyberattacks Targeting Hospitals

In ransomware attacks, cybercriminals access medical facilities' computer networks, seize critical data, and warn people in control that the data will stay locked until paid.

Ransomware attacks in the healthcare business have escalated after the COVID-19 pandemic; according to data from Recorded Future, there were 297 attacks in 2021.

In January 2022, a hospital data breach in Florida compromised the extensive personal information of over 1 million Broward Health care system patients and staff employees.

According to TechRadar, recent high-profile attacks on healthcare businesses include Independent Living Systems (ILS), which exposed over 4.2 million user details, and Zoll Medical, which had over a million customers' and employees' records taken.

Other countries are also reporting the same issue. The Australian health insurance firm Medibank Private was hacked in November 2022, exposing the data of 9.7 million current and former members and their authorized agents.

Effects of Hospital Ransomware Attacks

A study revealed that cyberattacks against healthcare institutions frequently result in an increase in patient mortality rates. More than 600 information technology specialists from 100 healthcare facilities in the US were interviewed for the study.

Around 59% of respondents to the research have suffered ransomware attacks and acknowledged that disruptions in hospital care drain resources and lengthen patients' stays. This frequently results in higher death rates in hospitals.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: Hospital Data Breach Exposes Personal Info of 1.3 Million Patients, Staff

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The Tesla mystery magnet, which aims to remove the use of rare-earth elements in EV engines, was recently introduced at the Investor Day 2023 event.

(Photo : Photo credit should read GUUS SCHOONEWILLE/AFP via Getty Images)

A view of a fully electric Tesla car on an assembly line at the new Tesla Motors car factory in Tilburg, the Netherlands, during the opening and launch of the new factory, on August 22, 2013.

The EV maker boastfully unveiled this new technology, its next-gen drive unit will rely on a permanent magnet motor. If Tesla pulls this off, then it can free itself from the supply chain problems caused by limited rare earth elements.

However, many experts doubt that the Tesla mystery magnet can be achieved. Here's why.

Why Tesla's Mystery Magnet Doubted by Experts

According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Spectrum, many critics doubt the Tesla mystery magnet.

(Photo : Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, unveils the dual engine chassis of the new Tesla 'D' model at the Hawthorne Airport October 09, 2014 in Hawthorne, California. The 'D' is the faster and all-wheel-drive version of the Model S electric sedan, capable of accelerating to 60 miles per hour in just over 3 seconds.

Also Read: Tesla Repair Monopolization Accusation Leads to New Class-action Lawsuit!

These include Alexander Gabay, a researcher at the University of Delaware. "I am skeptical that any non-rare-earth permanent magnet could be used in a synchronous traction motor in the near future," he explained.

One of the major challenges highlighted by experts is physics. They explained that if Tesla wants to achieve permanent magnetism, the automaker needs to rely on 3D electrons.

However, these electrons' strengths are not strong enough to be used on EV motors.

On the other hand, if Tesla really wants to have non-rare-earth permanent magnets, it needs to use the ferrite magnets. But, these magnets are also weak to be used for car motors; they also rely on cobalt supply, which is really limited.

Tesla Decreasing Use of Rare Earth Elements

Interesting Engineering reported that Tesla was able to reduce the use of rare earth elements in its Model 3 drive units by 25%.

The giant automaker was able to do this by improving the efficiency of the drivetrain.

Now, the EV developer wants to rely on its mystery permanent magnet to completely remove the use of rare earth elements in its electric car engines.

As of writing, Tesla hasn't confirmed the exact materials it plans to use.

The automaker explained that it is a trade secret that it doesn't want to disclose to the public.

In other news, the new FSD Beta V11 was teased by Elon Musk. We also reported about the new Tesla dummy camera, which was spotted in the new Hardware 4.0.

For more news updates about Tesla and its upcoming EV technologies, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Tesla Investor Day 2023: New Cybertruck Prototype Unveiled, New Features Appear on EV

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10 restaurants to eat (very good) for less than 40 euros in Madrid

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Osaka Prefecture, etc. "There is a possibility that permission may not be obtained from the author for IR video"

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 Communities 2019 - Privacy

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The developers who bought the Savers building and its neighbour on a key corner site of Greensboroughs Main Street are close to flipping the entire complex.

It is understood that a build-to-rent group is in due diligence on the 2375-square-metre Savers shop at 106 Main Street, paying about $27 million in a deal brokered by Colliers agents Andrew Ryan, Joe Kairouz and Hamish Burgess.

The old Union Flour Mill on the banks of the Barwon River in Newtown. Credit:

A twin-tower project of up to 22 levels is being master planned and would bring 300 apartments to the north-eastern suburb.

Meanwhile, an adjoining shop at 96 Main Street will go to auction on Tuesday after a speedy two-week advertising campaign.
When we meet up the morning after her Melbourne event, Williams is entirely relaxed: warm-hearted, engaging, keen for a chat and without the sort of airs and graces some bestsellers have. If its a different world shes publishing into, its a familiar one for her and her readers that she writes in The Bookbinder: shes back in Oxford, back around the time of the First World War, back at Oxford University Press, and back with a cast of strong female characters. And two main characters from The Dictionary, suffragette Tilda Taylor and compositor Gareth Owen, return with her. I loved these lovely characters who I felt perhaps needed a bit more breath in their bodies. The Bookbinder is about orphan sisters Peggy and Maude Jones, who live modestly on a narrowboat on the Oxford canal in Jericho. They work in the bindery at the press, where they fold the printed sheets to be stitched and bound and turned into books. The Clarendon Building in 1920 when it was the home of Oxford University Press. Credit: Getty The First World War is breaking out and soon men will be leaving the press for the trenches, Oxford will see an influx of refugees from Belgium, and the suffragettes will ease campaigning in favour of backing the war effort.

But Peggy is frustrated. She wants more. She feels restricted by obligations to her less robust sister who has some form of echolalia. Peggy wants to read more than the incomplete pages she folds. She yearns for knowledge, but is restricted by her gender and her class. Across the road from the press is Somerville College and thats where she really would like to be. Fat chance, though, given the nature of society at the time. I wondered whether Williams felt nervous going back to the world of her first book. Its success could have piled extra pressure on her, aware that she had a large readership she could disappoint. But no, she was writing it before The Dictionary appeared. It was when she made her final research trip to Oxford that the idea came to her. She needed information about the women who worked in the bindery because in that first one Gareth had the eponymous dictionary bound and printed as a love token for Esme, who had collected the womens words excluded from The Oxford English Dictionary. A still from the 1925 film Oxford University Press and the Making of a Book showing women at work in the bindery. Credit: Oxford University Press The bindery was split quite literally into the mens side and the girls side, which is interesting. There was so little about them, but I did find some photographs from the 1920s, which were just wonderful, so that gave me this setting.

She also found a film from 1925 called Oxford University Press and The Making of a Book, which goes through all the processes at OUP. The Dictionary of Lost Words has been adapted for the stage, optioned for a TV series and is the inspiration for a concerto. Credit: Theres this one little section in the bindery where they have the women folding the pages and there was footage of a woman gathering the sections and it was so beautiful and thats when I wondered if she ever read the pages. When Williams was doing academic work, she would start with a question, and she approaches her fiction similarly. For the new novel she was interested in various forms of censorship, but particularly systemic censorship. For working-class people and women in particular at that time, theres a certain amount [of censorship] that goes on because you have no access to the books, to the systems, to the colleges, to the workplaces. The question really was who gets to make knowledge, who gets to access it. And whats the consequence when it is denied.

Peggy sees the war as an opportunity. Before, as Williams points out, it was difficult for many women to break free of the class and gender restrictions. The war changed everyones perception of what women were capable of. Women were required to take the jobs of men for England to keep running, she said. The women who took on all those male jobs were working-class women. So the bus drivers, the factory workers, the bomb makers  they were working-class women. And so theres the argument that if women can do mens work they should be able to vote, yet working-class women were denied their vote for another 10 years. TAKE 7: THE ANSWERS ACCORDING TO PIP WILLIAMS Worst habit? I seem unable to leave my seatback in the upright position, even on the shortest domestic flight. Greatest fear? Self-censorship - not speaking against injustice when I see it/hear it/feel it. The line that stayed with you? Tell all the truth but tell it slant  (Emily Dickinson) Biggest regret? Self-censorship - not speaking against injustice when I should have. Favourite room? The room my partner built out of strawbales. It has an old stained-glass window and an eccentric bookcase made from recycled timbers that reaches to the ceiling and spans an entire wall. The artwork/song you wish was yours? I am undone by music played in the minor key, and Erik Saties Gnossienne No 1 brings me to tears. If you could solve one thing There is a temptation to aim high (climate change, inequality, greed), but on a more modest note, if I could solve WORDLE, in hard mode, Id start the day happy. Williams was also struck by the historical parallels. In her book traumatised refugees flee the horrors inflicted by the Germans in Belgium to the physical safety of Oxford. The five sections of The Bookbinder are each headed by the title of the book Peggy is folding. One is The Oxford Pamphlets, a series that included Thoughts on the War by the Sydney-born Oxford classics scholar, Gilbert Murray.

Theyre an amazing resource for how people were thinking at the time. They were written by all sorts of people, all of them men. Gilbert Murray wrote a few, and you could read them and simply replace Russia for Germany and Ukraine for Belgium and it would almost be contemporary. We shouldnt be shocked when history repeats itself, but its constantly repeating itself, which is a sad indictment on humanity. Pip Williams with her first edition of The Oxford English Dictionary after winning the Independent Booksellers book of the year award for The Dictionary of Lost Words two years ago. Credit: Ben Searcy As a young child, Williams lived with her parents in Wales, but was three when they moved to Queensland in search of the surf. Her father was obsessed. It was South Africa, Cape Town, or the Gold Coast or the Sunshine Coast. It was all about surf ... Im not sure how much mum had to do with it. Her father got a job in the cane fields but found it just too hot so they moved south and into a flat on Manly beach. She went to Mackellar Girls High School and, after a spell overseas, to Charles Sturt University for a degree in social science and psychology, to UNSW for her masters, and Adelaide for her PhD in public health.

But she never thought of writing as a career even though she always wrote  three first chapters of a Puberty Blues-type novels by the time she was 13 and a poem published in Dolly magazine when she was 15. Dyslexia didnt help. She reads fluently, she says, but slowly and finds it tiring. Thats why creative-writing courses were out; she didnt want to read long books. It was bad enough doing HSC. I never read them, I just read the bridging notes. I remember my English teacher telling all of us so seriously, you will not pass if you rely on them. Well, Im here to tell you, you can.  Her first book, Time Bomb, was written with two other academics and was about how work makes us time poor. By then she certainly was and at the end of her academic tether as well. She and her partner Shannon and their two boys had moved to the Adelaide Hills, wanting a simpler life and to grow their own food. They spent a summer in Italy working on organic farms for inspiration. But the move wasnt really working out, partly because of my job. Being a researcher and writing research papers and grant applications is kind of relentless and uses up all creative energy, she said. The call to writing was getting louder and louder. I had managed to subdue it for 30 years, but it was starting to impact my mental health. I knew I couldnt do it while I was doing intellectual writing and research. The Italy trip was to be a circuit breaker but when she returned it seemed nothing had changed. Shannon was the one who said why not write about Italy and sort out what it means. And I did. One Italian Summer was published in 2017.

Loading Williams thinks of her books as children: At some point you have to stop taking credit for them. So others have now adopted The Dictionary. It has been adapted for the stage by Verity Laughton in a production to be directed by Jessica Arthur, and will premiere in September in Adelaide before a season at the Opera House. It has been optioned for a limited TV series, and Canberra composer Marian Budos is writing a book-concerto for harp and orchestra based on it. The characters will be represented by individual instruments  Esme is the harp. If the outcome of reading that first book made you think about dictionaries and how their words are chosen, The Bookbinder of Jericho will make you look at the physical making of your books, in addition to further questions about class and gender. Theres no stitching or hand folding involved here; the bindings all glue. And there are certainly no bindery women involved  theyre all within the pages. Pip Williams will be appearing at the Sydney Writers Festival on May 26 and 27 The Bookbinder of Jericho is published on March 28 at $32.99.
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 Book critics Cameron Woodhead and Steven Carroll cast their eyes over recent non-fiction and fiction releases. Here are their reviews. Fiction pick of the week Credit: Different for Boys

Patrick Ness, Walker Books, $24.99 If you disapproved of the recent Roald Dahl scandal, you may set your mind at rest with Patrick Ness Different for Boys. This unvarnished young adult novel examines sex and intimacy between adolescent boys, and it basically tells sensitivity readers to go f--- themselves by doing the job for them. The text redacts all f-bombs and other seriously rude bits in black texta, a rebuke to the unspoken censorship of YA publishing (much more serious and pervasive than the Dahl episode) that tends to soften or discourage, if not outright forbid, realistic representations of how readers in the age group might speak and think. Ant Stevenson isnt pulling any punches. Encounters with three different boys cover difficult, arousing, and confusing experiences: violent homophobia, sexual discovery, the contradictions of nascent gender identity and sexual orientation. And, of course, love. This brief and powerful book speaks directly to its audience in their own language, and sports poignant illustrations from Tea Bendix.

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Credit: The Death of John Lacey

Ben Hobson, Allen & Unwin, $32.99 The Death of John Lacey is billed as an Australian western. Its a fair description. We begin amid the goldfields around Ballarat, with the demise of the titular character, a violent, avaricious settler-tyrant. This ruthless villain rules a town named after himself, and hes overseen its rapid expansion from a mere smattering of tents. When desperadoes Ernst and Joe Montague ride into Laceys orbit  on the run from the law and willing to break it to stay free  Lacey commands his lackeys to hunt them down. Its a fatal move on his part. The book couldve been even more chilling, had a better balance been struck between Laceys inevitable comeuppance (and the backstory of those behind it) and a more granular portrayal of how he becomes such a monster. Treatment of Aboriginal characters doesnt skimp on the racist brutality of colonisation, and if it has less literary ambition than his Snake Island, Ben Hobsons taut prose and talent for dark atmosphere make it a gripping tale of revenge. Credit:

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A Dangerous Business

Jane Smiley, Abacus, $32.99 Set during another gold rush, this time in California, Jane Smileys A Dangerous Business follows two women who work in brothels on the trail of a sex murderer. And with that description, youd expect it to be a page-turner. It isnt. Eliza Ripple escapes an abusive marriage when her husband is killed in a bar fight, and sustains herself through sex work. She services men who treat her better than her former spouse, under the watchful eye of a benevolent madam. When workers from the towns brothels start dying, she teams up with her friend Jean, who somehow runs a lesbian brothel and dresses like a man without social opprobrium, and turns detective. (Eliza has read her Edgar Allan Poe.) Despite the author having won a Pulitzer Prize in 1991, this novel is as bland and unsatisfying as it could be. The mystery isnt especially mysterious; the characterisations flat and implausible, and the books descriptive passages complete the trifecta: beige all the way down. Credit: Children of Tomorrow

J.R. Burgmann, Upswell, $29.99 This near-future intergenerational cli-fi saga begins in the present, with Tasmanian bushfires. It unfurls episodically, with two millennials, Arne and Evie, living and studying in Melbourne. Theyre conscious of impending ecological disaster but unable to prevent it.

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By the 2040s bees and many other species have become extinct, green grass is a thing of the past, the seas have risen, displacing entire populations and redrawing global maps, and the next generation inherits a ruined planet. (As young adults, theyre every bit as resentful and full of blame as the millennials were towards those who came before them.) Some of the dialogue, scenes and characters are thinly sketched  the fate of the planet is the main game, of course, and thats very bleak indeed. Perhaps J.R. Burgmann should have focused more on deeply on people, the systems, culture, and ethos that made the ecocide happen, and our collective responsibility for failing to avoid a foreseeable catastrophe. Otherwise, we just wallow in the despair of dark futures, rather than understanding how they come to pass. Non-fiction pick of the week Credit: Women and Whitlam: Revisiting the Revolution

Ed., Michelle Arrow, NewSouth, $34.99 The three years that constituted the Whitlam government mark a transformational before and an after in Australian political history. Especially concerning women. This compilation, including essays by women who were part of the Whitlam government such as Elizabeth Reid (appointed womens advisor to the government in 1973, a world first), records the depth of the reforms introduced.

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Camilla Nelson reminds us of the hysteria that attended the Family Law Act of 1975, church and conservatives calling it an attack on the institution of marriage. Others write of the dramatic impact of Medibank, free universities, single mothers benefit and how they all affected women, not to mention contraception on the PBS scheme and so much more. This very readable volume documents a pivotal, revolutionary period in our history. Credit: How They Fought

Ray Kerkhove, Boolarong Press, $39.99 In this detailed and informed study, historian Ray Kerkhove addresses the long-accepted myth that Indigenous Australian resistance to colonialism was largely passive. In what he calls a guide book he examines the way Aboriginal people fought back, with the six chapters covering key components of their military activity: from just what constituted the Frontier War zone (probably everywhere), alliances and organisation, the chains of command usually overseen by elders, weaponry and defence, and the strategies employed such as the surprise of the thoroughly co-ordinated ambush, which he characterises as the guerrilla tactic of dispersion. Part of the ongoing reassessment of the Frontier Wars, Kerkhove puts together a convincing picture of First Nations response to invasion and their robust resistance.

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For the Aussie theatre producer, his Almost Famous panning proves the point that in showbiz, its not if but when you fail  and how you respond.

March 18, 2023

by Konrad Marshall
A new wave of COVID has hit Victoria, with case numbers and hospitalisations rising 20 per cent in the past week.

But experts say despite the significant jump in case numbers, the latest wave in infections will not be as severe as previous ones due to a great wall of immunity in the community.

Positive test numbers are increasing in Victoria. Credit: Istock

Data released by the Victorian Health Department on Friday shows there were 3960 new cases of COVID-19 recorded over the past week.

There has been a daily average hospital occupancy of 114 patients, four Victorians are in intensive care units and 29 deaths have been reported in the past seven days. It mirrors a national trend, with daily cases across Australia up almost 15 per cent this week.
The state governments preferred proponent to construct and manage Western Australias long dreamed-of movie studio, Home Fire Creative Industries, has bounced back from their Fremantle Harbour debacle with a proposal thats getting the thumbs up from industry observers.

Located at the southern end of Whiteman Park in Malaga, and far enough away from major population centres to be relatively noise free, the second stab at building a world-class film and television facility appears free of the problems associated with the Victoria Quay site.

An artists impression of the proposed movie studio located at the southern end of Whiteman Park in Malaga.

According to the plans unveiled by the WA Planning Commission, the Malaga studio will have four sound stages, space for offices and workshops, an extensive car park, a decent back lot and plenty of room for expansion.

The relocation from the cramped spaces of Victoria Quay to the expanses of Whiteman Park in Perths north should result in state-of-the-art production facility capable of drawing movie-makers from around the world as well as servicing the local industry.
Midnight Oil frontman and former Labor cabinet minister Peter Garrett has slammed Australias decision to acquire Virginia-class nuclear submarines, describing it as a major departure from half a century of foreign policy leadership from the ALP.

In a four-page statement released on Friday afternoon, the long-time anti-nuclear campaigner criticised the astronomical costs of the submarine purchase and the risks associated with acquiring the technology.

Then-Labor leader Kevin Rudd, Anthony Albanese and Peter Garrett in 2007. Credit: Louise Kennerley

AUKUS stank when it was stealthily revealed in the dying days of the former government. It still stinks. This unprecedented commitment deserves proper consideration and debate, not just a rubber stamp, he said.

Garrett questioned the Defence Departments ability to deliver the project on time and within budget, and highlighted the risks to future generations of having to store high-grade nuclear waste at the end of the boats lifetime.
The beauty of the exoskeleton was its resilience. Even if a structural component is damaged or removed, the load can be redistributed very efficiently, said Takamatsu. The strongest structure in the world is an exoskeleton: the geodesic dome popularised by architect Buckminster Fuller last century. The American Institute of Architects hated Fullers domes initially. But in a dramatic change of mind in 1970, they said these domes were the strongest, lightest and most efficient means of enclosing space known to man. They span large distances without internal posts, load-bearing walls or deep beams or trusses. Sydney architect Dr Melika Aljukic worked with the Zaha Hadid Architects team for a year to develop the facade of the Morpheus Hotel. It was only achieved using the latest parametric modelling, she said. Buckminster Fuller with a geodesic dome. Credit: Roger White Stoller

Aljukic said the Morpheus Hotel project developed a new tower typology featuring the first external load-bearing steel structure with a free-form high-rise exoskeleton and a glass lattice shell. The exoskeleton geometry morphs from an external flat facade into the central building section to define a 40-storey building with three voids integrated between two vertical circulation cores connected at podium and roof levels, she said. This kind of design was only made possible by improvements to computer graphics that introduced algorithmic design programming into computer-aided design, she added. An artists render of the $915 million campus for the Powerhouse Museum, due to open in Parramatta in 2025. Credit: Moreau Kusunoki and Genton Companies like New Zealands Exxovantage are also adapting exoskeletons for construction workers that also spread a load more evenly. Exxovantage global chief executive Arnaud Daurat said it had developed a range of exoskeletons that increased safety and wellbeing. Roofers who wore one of their suits slept better, were less stressed and were 61 per cent more productive.

The public loves an exoskeleton, said Fraser. Everyones always fascinated when we lay bare the workings of something. Think of watches with a glass back. It is meant to be inherently honest, to say, this is the workings of the building and we dont need to cover it up. A render of Atlassians new headquarters in Sydney. Credit: Up to this point, Sydney didnt have many buildings that used an exoskeleton. But 1 Shelley Street, designed by Fitzpatrick + Partners for the Macquarie Group about 15 years ago, had become iconic because it put the structure  Sydneys first diagonal grid (diagrid)  on the outside. It has been used endlessly in commercials, said Fraser.

A Sydney specialist in architectural facades, Troy Donovan  a principal with Prism Facades  expects to see an increase in exoskeletons in Australian architecture and construction. We need to put more solid into our buildings to reduce energy load on the towers, he said. By moving the structure to the outside, it reduced the carbon footprint of a building by reducing the use of glass. Now under construction, Atlassians new Sydney headquarters at Central Station by Shop Architects and BVN will have a diagrid steel-tube exoskeleton and staggered glass envelope surrounding an internal wooden structure. It will reduce carbon emissions by 50 per cent. Buildings like the Gherkin (formerly known as 30 St Mary Axe) were, Donovan said, a really great example of an expressive structure. Its exoskeleton, complemented by an internal support, winds around the building. Loading

The Gherkin wasnt inspired by a vegetable, as most people thought, but it mimicked the lattice arrangement of the Venus flower basket sea sponge (Euplectella aspergillum), wrote Caroline Wood in The Biologist, the magazine of the UKs Royal Society of Biology. This exquisite creature is named after its hollow tubular structure (or basket), supported by a lattice-like skeleton E. aspergillum, wrote Wood. Here are some top exoskeletons nominated by architects: 1 Shelley Street, Sydney by Fitzpatrick + Partners with Woods Bagot, designed for the Macquarie Group, is the citys most recognisable exoskeleton. 1 Shelley Street, Sydney. Credit: The Georges Pompidou Centre, also known as Beaubourg, in Paris, France, by architects Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano, was the citys most hated building because it clashed with the 600-year-old homes nearby. Now the building attracts three million visitors a year. Like the new Powerhouse Museum in Parramatta, the decision to place the structure and services outside was driven by the need for internal flexibility.
Former Victorian Liberal Party state director Sam McQuestin says hes perplexed at how two advertisements appeared in a regional newspaper during last years federal election without the proper authorisations.

The Australian Electoral Commission has launched action against McQuestin in the Federal Court after deeming the full-page ads, which were published in News Corps Geelong Advertiser, unlawful for failing to properly disclose they came from the Liberal Party, or were authorised by him.

Sam McQuestin is being sued by the Australian Electoral Commission.

McQuestins barrister Paul Jeffreys told the court on Friday his client had been unaware of the court action against him until last month.

But McQuestin said he knew the electoral commission had sent a notice about the advertisements to Font PR, the firm contracted to the Victorian division of the Liberal Party during the election campaign who had responsibility for overseeing and designing them.
Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Moscow next week, offering a major diplomatic boost to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the same day the International Criminal Court announced it wants to put the Russian leader on trial for alleged war crimes.

Xis visit was the latest sign of Beijings emboldened diplomatic ambitions, and came amid sharpening East-West tensions over the war in Ukraine, now in its 13th month.

Russias Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping last met in Beijing in early February. Credit: AP

The US on Friday said it would oppose any effort by China at the meeting to propose a ceasefire in Ukraine as the ratification of Russian conquest.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby encouraged Xi to reach out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to get his countrys perspective on the war and avoid any one-sided proposals.
Batavia, NY (14020)

Today

Cloudy early, then off and on rain showers for the afternoon. High 53F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Rain and snow showers this evening transitioning to snow showers overnight. Low near 35F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precip 60%.
A Sudden and Ominous Nuclear Gap

Commentary

With the original Cold War long faded in the rear-view mirror, there are terms of art that have been forgotten. Two key terms drove the dialogue on the AmericanSoviet nuclear standoff of the Cold War: bomber gap and missile gap. They were powerful terms that the average American citizen or average politician could understand.

The Bomber Gap term was used in politics to justify American bomber programs beyond the iconic B-52. The B-52 is still flying today and is about to be totally updated with new engines, avionics, and other components to keep the 76 operational B-52s flying for several more decades. Bombers forgotten in American Cold War history were the B-47, the B-58, the FB-111, the B-70, and others. America had no shortage of bomber programs during the Cold War.

With the CORONA Program, the original spy satellite, American national security leaders were confident by the late 1960s that the Soviets actually had far fewer bombers and missiles than first estimated. Most of the bombers flown over Moscow during propaganda displays of military might were simply the same small number of aircraft being flown in loops. There were many Soviet missiles, but still fewer than the large numbers calculated. There were significant debates over the reliability, accuracy, and safety of the Soviet missiles, but through various measures, the Soviets were brought to the negotiation table and several treaties were signed that capped the number of bombers, missiles, and deliverable warheads.

Russia Walks Away from New START Extension

After assuming office, the Biden Team offered the Russians an extension to the existing New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).

The New START Treaty comes from a long series of treaties. President Ronald Reagans axiom of negotiating from a position of strength is foundational, though, for a truly successful treaty. Treaties negotiated from a presumption that all will follow the treaty or from a position of surrendering an advantageous position with little or nothing in return are foolhardy. The Kellogg-Briand Pact in 1928 made all the elite signatories feel good, but it was soon swept aside by world conflict. Everyone meant well, but aspirational platitudes are cover for those intent on ascendency or those intent on delaying an unavoidable showdown with ascendant powers.

Russia has now walked away from the New START Treaty. The possible result: Russia is now unrestrained to deploy additional strategic warheads beyond the 1,550 cap. This, while Americas nuclear arsenal is composed of elderly delivery means and warheads, which is being generous.

I would suggest America has been caught off guard by the Russian New START suspension and that the Russian action reveals an under-prepared America. This time the bomber and missile gap is real. Its even worse though: America is dealing with not one but two large nuclear peers simultaneouslyand these two countries have agreed to take down America in their no-limits partnership.

China Nuclear Build-Up Accelerating Briskly

For years, the Chinese nuclear threat has been rationalized away in the national security dialogue. Even when I left government in early 2018, Chinas nuclear capability was still not one of the higher-tier topics of discussion. Things have changed radically; China is now on a nuclear build-up sprint. China wasnt a participant in any of the classic Cold War nuclear treaties, so theres no institutional experience or tradition within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of being compliant or constrained in any way in the nuclear domain.

There was a concern that the Soviets were non-complying (a polite way of saying lying) during the treaty periods and was a cited reason why the United States departed the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty, signed during the Reagan era. But at least there was a baseline for understanding the Soviet nuclear force and knowing how and where they were cheating. Nothing equivalent to that baseline of understanding exists for the CCPs nuclear force. With the rapid build-up of missile silos, hypersonic missiles, bombers, and submarine-launched missiles, the former commander of Strategic Command said two years ago that shortly, We will be the ones deterred by Chinas nuclear build-up.

American Modernization Years Away

The good news is that there are four new American nuclear starts in progress: the B-21 bomber, the new long-range stand-off cruise missile, the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, and the Columbia class sea-launched ballistic missile submarine. The bad news is that these four systems wont begin introducing alert-ready units for several years (the mid-2020s, 2030, 2029, and 2031, respectively).

Furthermore, the bombs, missiles, and warheads for each of these new systems are based upon aging and refurbished units that were last made in 1992older than most of the service members operating them. To ensure a proper deterrence effect on China and Russia, these systems must be produced faster and in greater numbers, with newer nuclear bombs, missiles, and warheads.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.Anne Judson-Yager attended Shen Yun Performing Arts at The Fred Kavli Theatre on March 16.

An actress, Ms. Judson-Yager gave her overall impression of the performance. The only way I can explain it is: Pewww! Because all of the senses are engaged, your heart, your soul, everything gets just kind of tingled. And the colors and the visuals and the emotions, its stunning! she said.

She was inspired by many aspects of Shen Yun. The work ethic of the dancers and their connection to the stories, and their desire to tell it, is really inspiring. And the colors and the fabrics and the designs and everythingits creatively inspiring. Even if Im not a dancer or a stylist, its inspiring for my own art.

Based in New York, Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by leading Chinese artists and quickly became the worlds premier classical Chinese dance and music company. Shen Yuns mission is to revive traditional Chinese culture, but is still banned in China.

Shen Yun presents that spiritual aspect inherent to traditional Chinese culture on stage. You know its interesting, Ms. Judson-Yager said. This is our third time seeing it, and I didnt really realize that, because the first time I saw it I was just so enthralled with the art of it that I wasnt taking in the story.

And so the concept of Divinity coming down to earth is very interesting because thats not what most Americans have grown up with, that idea. So thats very interesting. And I just love that the stories continue to be told even when theyre not allowed to be told in China where they come from. So, I love being able to support that.

To the Shen Yuns Artistic Director and performers, Ms. Judson-Yager said, Thank you, thank you, thank you! There is no doubt that you have pulled out all the stops and done everything that you can do to create a phenomenal show, and it is absolutely flawless. So, thank you!

Ms. Judson-Yager says she recommends the show. All the time, I do, she said.

Dynamic Background Integrates Everything: Artist

Artist Timothy Jobst attended the March 16 performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts and appreciated the quality of the backdrop. I paint murals and scenery, he said. So I like the backgrounds you see here. I do something similar to that in the TV and film industry.

Mr. Jobsts career in art spans 35 years. I work on stages and sets for events, similar to this, so I really enjoy what you have. Heres a lot of work: costumes, choreography, background sets. And then I like how they video integrated everything.

Its natural for an artist to notice how the colors connect the stories together, he said. Love. Theres just tons of color, huge palette. So not only in the performances, and the actors, but also in the backgrounds. And I saw the costumes matching the backgrounds, you know, which was pretty awesome.

But he was most impressed with the amount of work that went into the choreography in the dancing and, of course, a lot of the costumes are so amazing.

History and Culture

Mr. Jobst goes to a variety of cultural events as a way to travel to different lands.

And any chance we get to go out and experience some multicultural staged events: live performances are best. You know a lot of work that the actors put in the choreography, stage lighting the music, all ties in, he said.

Discovering Chinese culture at Shen Yun was more than he expected. Finding a little bit more about Chinese history is why were here. But he said there was more. A lot more. Its a wonderful surprise.

What surprised him was the unexpected. The unexpected is good, so as well as the expected. Dont know a lot about Chinese culture. So thats what I came for.

His experience of the performance was spiritual for him. I would consider [myself] spiritual, so that part I enjoyed very much. They brought in meditation as a form of art. And we have to meditate as well. And I saw the story about the meditation, the oppression of that. So that was very interesting.

We practice something called ascension; thats our meditation. And we saw the ascension in the story on stage. Even the lion went and ascended, and the villain or the antagonist ascended, which is pretty awesome, too.

A Group Effort

Mr. Jobst said his favorite aspect of Shen Yun is how people work together. I really liked how the Chinese integrate with a lot of unity, meaning the performance is based on governing dynamics, meaning everyone working together, otherwise it doesnt happen.

Theres no solo actors, no one taking precedence over anyone else, he said. In fact, if they dont work together, it doesnt come off well. Thats what I really liked about it, that everyones working as a team, a group effort, which is really different than a lot of American performances.'

But he liked Shen Yuns approach of working as one. Thats why it works so well. Without everyone working together, the show wont even come off. I like that. I noticed that in the second half. I see that now.

This was Mr. Jobsts first time to see Shen Yun. He heard about it on social media and he would recommend others see it. Definitely recommend, he said.

Reporting by Linda Jiang and Jana Li.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
At Least 5 Killed in Mysterious North Iraq Helicopter Crash

DOHUK, IraqA mysterious helicopter crash in northern Iraq has killed at least five people, allegedly including terrorists belonging to an outlawed Kurdish insurgency group, according to statements Thursday from the Iraqi Kurdish-run counterterrorism agency and the regions president.

The AS350 Eurocopter crashed in the district of Chamanke in Dohuk province in Iraqs semi-autonomous Kurdish region on Wednesday night, the counter-terrorism agency said in a statement posted on social media.

At least five passengers were killed, said Lawk Ghafuri, spokesperson for the Kurdish regions President Nechirvan Barzani.

The investigations are ongoing by security officials to determine the ownership of the helicopter, Ghafuri said in a post on Twitter.

The helicopter was carrying terrorists belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, the counter-terrorism statement said. No party has of yet claimed ownership of the chopper.

Iraqs government, the U.S-led coalition and Turkey had been contacted by the Iraqi Kurdish regional government about the crash, but each denied the helicopter was theirs, the statement added.

Zagros Hiwa, a PKK spokesperson, said the group does not possess helicopters and they were also investigating the incident. He also cast doubt on the presence of PKK terrorists onboard the flight, saying they may have a coalition helicopter carrying fighters with the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, a Syrian Kurdish group allied with the U.S.-led forces.

A spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition declined to comment, saying the crash fell outside the scope of the coalitions operations.

Turkish defense ministry officials said that initial reports that the helicopter had been Turkish were completely untrue and that there was no helicopter flight belonging to the Turkish military in the region.

The PKK has been waging an insurgency against Turkey since the 1980s and is considered a terrorist group by Ankara, the United States, and the European Union. Its terrorists have established safe havens in northern Iraq and frequently come under attack by Turkey in the region.
Australian Politics: A Conservative-Free Zone?

New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet leaves the New South Wales Liberal party campaign launch, ahead of the 2023 New South Wales state election, at Liverpool Catholic Club in Sydney, Australia, on March 12, 2023. (AAP Image/Flavio Brancaleone)

Commentary

Pollster Graham Young recently predicted that the last centre-right Liberal government on the mainland looks set to fall in the upcoming New South Wales election.

If his prediction comes true, all states and territories on the mainland will have centre-left Labor governments.

It is sometimes argued, in the right-of-centre press, that this development is due to the Liberal Partys inability (or unwillingness) to act in accordance with liberal and conservative principles and values, thereby alienating its support base.

This argument assumes that the Liberal Party has abandoned, or is disregarding, its founding principles and values and, hence, its policies have become indistinguishable from Labors policies with only small variations at the edges.

Indeed, the economic policies of the major parties are essentially the same with the Liberals claiming to be better economic managers.

On the social front, parts of its traditional supporter base have expressed disappointment at the party for not standing firm on conservative values.

When left-of-centre parties are in power, its expected that social engineering laws will be implemented.

The front entrance of Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on March 4, 2021. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

During the last 20 years, Australia has experienced a tidal wave of changes ushering in greater intervention in peoples lives. From cradle to grave welfare, same sex marriage, euthanasia, abortion, gender dysphoria legislation, gender identification policies, affirmative action, zero emissions and climate change rhetoric, among others.

These developments are all aimed at implementing some vision of equality above all other principles.

It reminds us of the iconic statement of Associate Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. of the American Supreme Court who said: I have no respect for the passion of equality, which seems to me merely idealising envy.

Where Are the Representatives Who Will Protect Our Values

The Liberal Partys record on such legislation has not been better.

For example, in 2021 the Victorian opposition preferred to abstain when the Parliament adopted the Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Act 2021with only two Liberal MPs voted against it.

Furthermore, former Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy vowed that the Liberals would never bring back gay conversion therapy.

And federally, when the Liberal Party was in office, it failed to remove section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, which prohibits so-called offensive speech. It also failed to adopt a freedom of religion law, and it proposed to amend the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 to remove the current exemptions for religiously affiliated schools.

The current government has now enthusiastically taken over the task of eroding the ethos and values of traditional religious schools.

The pandemic also revealed that both major parties share an unquestioned belief in science leaving no room anymore for faith (or even common sense).

In this context, governing parties appear to condone The Humanist Manifesto II, which stated in 1973 in Article I that traditional dogmatic and authoritarian religions apparently do a disservice to the human species.

Shunned by His Own Party

There are few Liberal politicians who wish to stem the tide of rampant secularism, but face vilification.

An example in point is the case of Nick Goiran MLC who represents the metropolitan south region of Perth in the Western Australia (WA) Legislative Council.

In 2021, a complaint was filed against him because of his contribution to the WhatsApp group called The Clan that apparently discussed branch stacking and preselection. In August 2022, he was cleared of all wrongdoing after a nine-month internal party investigation.

However, the new Liberal leader of WA, Libby Mettam MLA, stripped him of his Shadow Attorney-General portfolio and removed him from the Shadow Cabinet.

There is speculation that this action was taken because he failed to apologise to the party for his alleged involvement in The Clan.

West Australian Liberal MP Nick Goiran speaks to the media during a press conference outside the Parliament of Western Australia in Perth, on Nov. 24, 2020. (AAP Image/Richard Wainwright)

Goiran had made it clear that he was never going to apologise, considering that he had been cleared of any wrongdoing and did not violate the Liberal code of conduct.

In WA, following Labors landslide victory in the elections of March 2021, only 15 Liberal members serve in the Parliament.

Fourteen of these were appointed to the Shadow Ministry, with Goiran the only Liberal member excluded from the frontbench.

Goirans exclusion is ironic, considering that he has used his office to constantly rail against Labors social engineering legislation, which his constituency considers to be incompatible with Christianity, conservative values, and common sense.

Goiran is the only Liberal MP with legal qualifications and so there is a reasonable expectation that he would have been named the Shadow Attorney-General.

However, the opposition leader appointed another member to the job, but had to downgrade that position to Shadow Minister of Justice when it was discovered that the person appointed did not have legal qualifications.

Clearly, this is not a good look, and one could well say that it is imprudent to leave Goiran out of the Shadow Cabinet.

Goirans case shows that the Liberal opposition on the mainland needs a long period of rejuvenation and is likely destined to spend an extended time in opposition in every state.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Australia Set to Buy 220 Tomahawk Cruise Missiles From US

In this handout released by the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) launches a Tomahawk cruise missile in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn in the Mediterranean Sea on March 29, 2011. (U.S. Navy via Getty Images)

The Pentagon has approved the sale of 220 Tomahawk cruise missiles to Australia under the tri-nation AUKUS security pact.

The $1.3 billion (US$895 million) deal follows the confirmation that Australia will be acquiring up to five nuclear-powered attack submarines over the next decade under the security alliance that will cost Australia up to $368 billion (US$245 billion).

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed the deal on March 17.

We are working with the U.S. on having more missile capability because its a really important part of what we need to be doing with our posture, which is to have a greater ability to project, Marles said on Nine news.

Thats at the heart of what were doing with submarines, of course, but making sure we have longer range strike missiles is a really important capability for the country.

It enables us to be able to reach out beyond our shores further and thats ultimately how we are able to keep Australia safe.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L), US President Joe Biden (C) and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (R) hold a press conference after a trilateral meeting during the AUKUS summit in San Diego, California, on March 13, 2023. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Up to 200 Tomahawk Block V All Up Rounds, and up to 20 Tomahawk Block IV All Up Rounds will be included in the deal.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the missiles were able to be fired from the U.S. Virginia-class submarines that the Australia would be acquiring.

We certainly want the best possible capability for the Australian Defence Force so that includes the ability to strike opponents as far away as possible from the Australian mainland, he told ABC TV.

The cruise missiles are a critical part of that, as are the submarines that launch them.

These Tomahawk cruise missiles have an operational range of more than 1,600 kilometres (994.2 miles) with the capability to hover over a battlefield before a target is chosen.

Deal Supports US Foreign Policy and National Security Objectives

In a press release (pdf), the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale of the Tomahawk cruise missiles will contribute significantly to peace and economic stability in the Indo-Pacific.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States, the department said.

Australia is one of our most important allies in the Western Pacific.

It is vital to the U.S. national interest to assist our ally in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability.

Australia will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense.

The department added that the sale of the missiles and support will not alter basic military balance in the region.

However, former Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating delivered a stinging rebuke of the submarine deal saying it will make Australia subordinate to the United States.

Keating called AUKUS the worst international decision by a Labor government since Billy Hughes introduced conscription in World War I.

A contemporary Labor government is shunning security in Asia for security in and within the Anglosphere, he said on March 15.

Anthony Albaneses government has picked up and has taken ownership of the strategic architecture of the Morrison governmentbut taken it up in full and with unprecedented gusto.

The former prime minister also blamed Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles for backing the Liberal-National Coalition in its approach towards Beijing.

Former Prime Minister Paul Keating appears virtually to address the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia, Nov. 10, 2021. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)

In response, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Keatings comments only diminished the former leader.

I think it is unfortunate that Mr Keating chose such very strong personal statements against people, I dont think that does anything other than diminish him, frankly, but thats a decision that hes made.

Albanese added that Keating continued to have the prime ministers utmost respect for his leadership during the 1990s, but the world had changed.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said while he had a lot of respect for the senior Labor figure, the submarine deal was the right decision.

I talk to him about the economy very frequently, sometimes multiple times a week. I talked to him about superannuation and other issues, and Ill continue to do that, he told ABC Radio.

Weve made the right call here. Weve made it for the right contemporary reasons. Its a big investment in our national security, but also in our national economy.

On March 11, Albanese told reporters while visiting India that AUKUS is the single-biggest defence investment in the nations history, and that workers in South Australia and Western Australia would benefit from the deal, saying it is about jobs, including jobs in manufacturing.

Beijing Continues with Disinformation Campaign

Chinas ruling communist party has accused Australia, the U.S. and UK of undermining the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.

The Chinese regime has also accused the three nations of fuelling an arms race and threatening peace in the Indo-Pacific.

Beijing also operates nuclear-powered submarines.

Foreign Minister Wong said Australia had an impeccable record when it comes to non-proliferation.

We will observe, to the highest standard, our obligations under the non-proliferation treaty, under the Treaty of Rarotonga, Wong said.

We will ensure that we have  the highest standards when it comes to the safety of the construction of this capability.

Australian authorities say nuclear energy used for propulsion is in line with the non-proliferation regime, which provides for the use of non-military nuclear technology.

Nuclear waste will be disposed of in Australia once the submarines need to be defuelled in the 2050s.

AAP and Daniel Y. Teng contributed to this report.
Biden Health and Human Services Rule May Force Doctors to Perform Abortions

A doctor examines an eight-month pregnant woman at a health center in Denver, Colo., on March 15, 2017. (Jason Connolly/AFP via Getty Images)

A proposed Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rule may force doctors to perform abortions against their conscience, according to the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds).

Doctors deal with life-and-death moral decisions constantly, and moral decisions have long been part of the medical profession, ACPeds said.

But recent modifications to how the HHS enforces congressional conscience laws leave doctors vulnerable to being forced to perform abortions.

This proposed rule corrupts the practice of medicine, will hurt those who are most vulnerable, and undermines the enforcement of our federal conscience laws. Conscience rights are not second-class rights, Dr. Mike Artigues, president of ACPeds, stated in a press release.

Two doctors perform surgery in Chongqing, China, on Aug. 9, 2013. (Peter Parks/AFP/Getty Images)

Artigues called the rule an affront to the conscience rights of doctors.

The rule change resembles a 2011 rule passed under former President Barack Obama, which the HHS deemed inadequate to protect conscience rights.

According to a letter by ACPeds, the new rule ignores congressional law and states that HHS must balance conscience protections and patient interest.

The procedures that must balance patients needs against conscience rights include abortion, sterilization, and assisted suicide, according to the proposed rule.

But on multiple votes, Congress chose conscientious objectors over balance, the letter states.

Even if it is true that Congress sought to strike a balance between competing interests in matters of conscience, it is the responsibility of HHS to respect that balance by enforcing the laws as Congress has written them, not to unilaterally restructure the rules to fit the Departments idea of what such a balance should look like, the letter reads.

A further provision of the Biden administration rule prioritizes providing patients with all the abortions they want.

Our health care systems must effectively deliver servicesincluding safe legal abortionsto all who need them in order to protect patients health and dignity, the rule reads.

When providing abortion is a must, then the right to conscience comes second, the ACPeds letter argues.

The proposed rule leaves the public wondering how the Department will both enforce federal conscience laws while, at the same time, force health care professionals (in contradiction of these laws) to act against their consciences, it states.

Abortions Over All

Already, the Biden administration has allowed the University of Vermont Medical Center to force a nurse to participate in an abortion despite her religious objections, the letter states.

The administration has also compelled nuns and others to provide insurance coverage for abortion, it also stated.

We, as doctors, must not be forced to participate or train in procedures that kill one of our patients, the preborn baby, or fear being driven out of the health care field, Artigues said.

To force objecting doctors into aiding in abortions, the new HHS rule simply steps back from enforcing laws, according to the ACPeds letter.

A doctor performs an ultrasound scan on a pregnant woman at a hospital in Chicago on Aug. 7, 2018. (Teresa Crawford/AP Photo)

Instead, it notes that the HHSs Office of Civil Rights (OCR) can investigate complaints and removes the penalties for violating the rules.

The proposed rule does not require that incidents of discrimination be reported, relying instead entirely on voluntary reporting, which  OCR may not even choose to investigate, the ACPeds letter reads.

This lack of official reporting and formal complaint resolution leaves any conscientious objectors vulnerable to reprisal if they complain, according to the letter.

As it stands, the proposed rule serves to discourage victims of discrimination from coming forward, as they cannot with any confidence expect that they will receive justice or even be protected from further injustice, the letter reads.

Sacrificing Medicines Future

The implications of this new rule will drive conscientious people away from medicine, ACPeds stated.

If the government forces ethical doctors to choose between their job and their conscience, they will leave their job, the ACPeds letter states. It also stated that these choices would decrease the number of doctors when the United States already has a doctor shortage and would decrease the moral quality of doctors.

This appears to be an intentional attempt by the government to purge from the system pediatricians and other physicians who practice ethical health care. This will dramatically worsen both the quality and accessibility of care in an already struggling health care system, the letter reads.

Besides decreasing the number of ethical doctors, the HHS rule will reduce the overall number of doctors, the letter states.

A doctor looks at a patients X-rays. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Already, the American Medical Association predicts that by 2034, the United States will have at least 17,800 fewer doctors than it needs.

By making it more difficult to be a doctor, the HHSs actions will incentivize current doctors to leave medicine and prospective doctors to reconsider joining the profession, the letter states.

If the government forces health care professionals to choose between conscience and career, America will lose current physicians and other health professionals who are already in high demand and short supply, the letter reads.

Public comment on the HHS rule ended on March 6. Its unclear when the rule could go into effect.

The HHS didnt respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.
Bidens ESG Agenda Puts Americans Pensions at Risk, Say DeSantis, Noem, 17 Other GOP Governors

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions from the media in the Florida Cabinet following his "State of the State" address during a joint session of the Florida Senate and House of Representatives at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee, Florida, on March 7, 2023. (Cheney Orr/AFP via Getty Images)

Nineteen Republican governors, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, penned a letter calling out President Joe Bidens commitment to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), which they say poses a direct threat to the American economy, individual economic freedom, and the countrys way of life. The governors asserted that the proliferation of ESG has placed investment decisions into the hands of the woke mob and that financial institutions should return to profit-driven strategies.

The letter comes in response to a new rule proposed by the Department of Labor that would require fiduciariesentities that manage assets or provide financial adviceto elevate the importance of the economic effects of climate change and other ESG factors when making investment decisions. Congressional Republicans attempted to block the change but Biden has said he would use veto power to uphold the new rule.

Yet again, President Biden put his political agenda above the wellbeing and individual freedoms of hardworking Americans, the letter from GOP governors reads. Retirees, already suffering from the reckless fiscal policies of the Biden Administration, will continue to experience diminished returns on the investment of their hard-earned money while the corporate elite continue to use their economic power to impose policies on the country that they could not achieve at the ballot box.

Under current financial laws, fiduciaries must exercise prudence when making investment decisions. Traditionally, this requirement was in place in order to minimize the risk of large losses, according to the Department of Labor.

The departments new rule would add greater weight to ESG issues, potentially exposing asset managers to liability for omitting environmental or equity-related data when assessing investments.

The governors accused Biden of putting the pensions of thousands of hardworking Americans at risk by threatening veto power. They also accused the president of trying to bypass the ballot box and inject political ideology into investment decisions.

In addition to DeSantis and Noem are Govs. Kay Ivey of Alabama, Mike Dunleavy of Alaska, Sarah Sanders of Arkansas, Brian Kemp of Georgia, Brad Little of Idaho, Kim Reynolds of Iowa, Tate Reeves of Mississippi, Mike Parson of Missouri, Greg Gianforte of Montana, Jim Pillen of Nebraska, Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, Doug Burgum of North Dakota, Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Bill Lee of Tennessee, Spencer Cox of Utah, Jim Justice of West Virginia, and Mark Gordon of Wyoming.

The signatories vowed to enact state-level policies to counteract the administrations ESG push.

As Governors, we are committed to protecting the interests of our constituents and will keep fighting the Administrations decision to jeopardize retirement savings for millions of Americans to promote far-left priorities, they wrote. This may include blocking the use of ESG in all investment decisions at the state and local level.

While not giving firm commitments for any particular action, the governors suggested forbidding state and local regulators from including ESG-related calculations in decisions related to the use of taxpayer money and the issuance of government bonds. It is unclear how such a mandate might clash with environmental considerations.

Another suggestion mentioned the prohibition of Social Credit Scores when determining whether an entity is eligible for financial services.

As the letter put it, this could mean stopping financial institutions from discriminating against customers for their religious, political, or social beliefs, such as owning a firearm, securing the border, or increasing our energy independence. This follows recent controversies surrounding the surveillance of firearm-related purchases by several credit card companiesincluding Visa, Mastercard, and American Express.

The letter marks the latest stand by conservatives to confront woke ideology. The Biden administration has yet to comment on the letter.
Bills Banning Drop Boxes and Private Election Grants Sent to Arkansas Gov. Sanders to Sign

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivers the Republican response to the State of the Union address by President Joe Biden in Little Rock, Ark., on, Feb. 7, 2023. (Al Drago/Getty Images)

Legislation to ban drop boxes in Arkansas has been delivered to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders for her signature. A separate bill banning private grants for the administration of elections was also passed on March 16 and sent to the governors desk.

Sanders, a Republican, has not publicly announced whether she will sign the bills. The Epoch Times reached out to the governors office for comment but did not receive a response by press time.

Drop Boxes No More

Senate Bill 258 states that county clerks, public employees, or election officials shall not establish or use a drop box for the purpose of collecting absentee ballots.

The legislation (pdf) further states that no voter in the state shall deliver an absentee ballot through a drop box. Instead, all absentee ballots in the state not delivered by mail are required to be hand delivered inside the physical office of the county clerk.

The bill passed strictly along party lines, with the Senates six Democrats voting against the bill and the chambers 29 Republicans voting to send the bill to the governors desk.

The same was true of an earlier House vote, where 80 Republicans voted to approve the bill, 16 Democrats voted against the bill, and two members of each party abstained.

Democrat Opposition to Drop Box Bill

Democrat state Rep. Tippi McCullough spoke against the drop box bill, KUAR reported.

She said voter fraud is virtually nonexistent in Arkansas and ballot boxes are rarely used anywhere in the state, according to the outlet.

We already have abysmal voter turnout in our state, and this bill does nothing to help increase our civic engagement, McCullough said, adding that ballot boxes may have afforded a voter the chance to cast their first vote.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Arkansas Democratic Party for comment but did not hear back before press time.

Private Grants for Election Administration

Senate Bill 255 restricts the source of election funding in the state. Current law only prohibits county boards of election commissioners from accepting private grants.

The new legislation (pdf) would prohibit state or county employees or officials from taking or accepting any funding, grants, or gifts, services, or anything else of value, for the purpose of paying election related expenses or performing his or her other duties.

The Arkansas State Flag and U.S. flag fly in front of the State Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., on Dec. 1, 2022. (Janice Hisle/The Epoch Times)

It further states funding is only allowed from sources such as municipal, county, state, and federal governments.

This bill was less controversial, as no Democrat in either chamber voted against it. In the House, four Republicans and one Democrat abstained.

Similar Legislation Introduced Federally

Proponents of private election funding argue that private grants help fund election offices with few resources.

Democracy Docket, a progressive advocacy organization focusing on voting rights and elections, makes this argument.

Though private grants can be crucial to running elections, they have become a target for Republican lawmakers since 2020 when Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg donated over $400 million to election offices through the Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL), Democracy Docket wrote in a statement about the legislation passing, describing it as an anti-voting bill.

There are already 24 states with restrictions or outright bans on private election funding, according to the Capital Research Center, a conservative think tank. Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia.

The Montana Legislature is also considering a bill to prohibit private election funding.

In Congress, Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) introduced similar legislation in the House this week to prohibit such funding at the federal level.

Tenney reintroduced the End Zuckerbucks Act on March 15, which would direct the IRS to block 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations from directly funding official election organizations.

CTCL funneled Mark Zuckerbergs personal wealth to election agencies of his choosing without a shred of transparency or accountability, she said in a press release. This kind of influence operation by a third party in Americas elections undermines public confidence in the democratic process. It puts private donors in charge of dictating to government agencies what should and should not be done. We cannot allow organizations like this to flout the law or continue their partisan, private funding of our elections.
The story of blind cat Babys finding his forever home begins in the water. A neighbor with binoculars spotted two little triangles off Tampa Bays seawall that were actually cat ears piercing the surface.

How It Started

[My neighbor] had been watching the cat swim aimlessly, pulled along by the current, meanwhile birds were circling and swooping down, Lindsay Buchanan told The Epoch Times. She then went outside to find help, when she saw me and told me what was happening.

Buchanan, who had been heading to work that morning in 2014, alerted family members to the cats plight. Just as her sister was about to swim outit was a good ways offa male neighbor appeared with a paddleboard and ladder and offered to help.

As Tampa Bay lacks a shoreline and is surrounded by a concrete, unfenced seawall, anyone (or any cat) can easily fall in.

Just a couple weeks earlier, [the male neighbor] and I had been discussing the danger of the seawall, and how animals and people would have no way to get out if they fell in, Buchanan said. And that conversation had inspired him to purchase the ladder.

(Left) A view of the water near Lindsay Buchanans home in Tampa Bay, Florida; (Right) Lindsay Buchanans neighbor rescues the cat from the water. (Courtesy of Lindsay Buchanan and @bubbsybabyboy)

Lindsay Buchanans neighbor with the cat on his paddleboard. (Courtesy of Lindsay Buchanan and @bubbsybabyboy)

Placing a small container to carry the cat on his paddleboard, the neighbor paddled out while Buchanan kept binoculars trained on the flagging feline in case it went under.

It was nerve-racking watching the neighbor paddle out, she said. He finally got there, grabbed the cat, and placed [it] on the paddle-board. He didnt need to put the cat inside the container; the cat didnt struggle. [It] was exhausted and meowing loudly the whole ride back to the seawall. We were all so relieved and thankful [it] was saved!

Once they got the animal ashore, as it was so large, everyone wondered if it was a pregnant female though they soon discovered it wasnt.

Buchanan named the cat Baby.

Babys Blind?

Babys misadventures werent over. Buchanan soon noticed it was running into objects while walking and wondered if Babys vision was impaired. When she saw a large infected wound on Babys back, she took it to the vet where they determined the cat was blind and wasnt a pregnant female after all but a large male.

Baby the cat in various stages of his recovery. (Courtesy of Lindsay Buchanan and @bubbsybabyboy)

A shot showing the wounds on Babys back.(Courtesy of Lindsay Buchanan and @bubbsybabyboy)

Ive asked various vets about his vision and if theres any hope of restoring it, Buchanan said. Theyve told me its likely he was born blind or went blind at a young age, so nothing can be done.

The vet shaved Babys back, revealing more wounds. Antibiotics were prescribed and the cat underwent surgery, yet the wounds didnt heal and more wounds appeared.

Tests showed that Baby had contracted a flesh-eating bacteria from the water, and though an aggressive treatment exists, there were risks. If left untreated though, the bacteria would kill him, so we had no choice, Buchanan said.

Treatment wasnt easy. At times, he grew weak and mostly slept. Sometimes Buchanan thought he wouldnt make it. She administered his medicines for many weeks and he received laser surgery for his wounds. It was hard, but Baby made it.

He would now face another challenge: living blind in his new home.

Though blind, Baby is just as capable and independent as other cats, Buchanan said. He maps out rooms quicklymemorizing every chair leg and corner of furnitureso when he hears cat food being opened he comes bounding, navigating obstacles with no problems.

Baby the cat after his recovery.(Courtesy of Lindsay Buchanan and @bubbsybabyboy)

Baby the cat enjoying some of the pleasures of his new forever home.(Courtesy of Lindsay Buchanan and @bubbsybabyboy)

But he is blind, after all. So they worked out a sound-based system: I use auditory cues to communicate with him, and he knows certain words, Buchanan said.

Shell tap on the floor to help him locate a treat, dish, or object and make different sounds with her fingers to indicate if shes feeding or offering to pet.

I will pat the edge of the couch or the floor so he can gauge distances before jumping up and down, she said. If he hesitates, I will say, Help? Babys body language indicates if he wants to be carried up or down, or if he wants to do it himself. The latter is often the case.

How Its Going

Hows Baby today? Baby is doing great! Buchanan said. We have gotten more cats over the years, and they all consider him the leader of the pack. They love to snuggle up with him, which is funny to see considering hes a bit of a stoic, grumpy type, but he seems to enjoy it, too.

Buchanan has searched for Babys owners, but to no avail. So, he has settled into his new forever home where, Buchanan admits, he gets treated like a king.

I wasnt intending on having pets at that time but when it became clear there wasnt a loving home to return him to, I couldnt resist making him a member of my family! Buchanan said.

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
A week after the second largest bank collapse in U.S. history, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testified before the Senate. She says Americans can feel confident in the banking system, but some lawmakers arent buying it.

In a drastic escalation, the Biden administration threatens to ban TikTok if its Chinese owners dont sell their shares. This is amid reports that Chinese companies are shipping rifles to Russia.

The House Homeland Security hearing at the southern border Wednesday prompted new questions. Is the border actually secure? Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.), a member of the Homeland Security Committee, will be with us to assess.

Poland says it will send fighter jets to Ukraine within the next few days after an American drone was downed over the Black Sea.

A trial discussing the legality of abortion pills is ongoing in Texas. We spoke with an expert to find out more about how the issue of abortion affects politics and the 2024 presidential election.
Carlsbad Unified Approves Controversial Ethnic Studies Course

Carlsbad Unified School District board members unanimously approved a controversial ethnic studies course recently at one of its high schools.

The course is part of Carlsbad High Schoolcalled Film Academy Ethnic Studiesand will focus on past representations of minorities in Hollywood films as well as emerging voices in the film industry.

The proposal to add it to the curriculum was originally made at the Feb. 15 board meeting. But it was not approved at that time, because the course description included what the board deemed inflammatory language such as institutional racism and white Eurocentric dominant culture.

The board instructed the staff to remove the controversial language and bring it back for consideration at the March 8 board meeting, where it was approved as amended.

Students at Carlsbad High will be able to enroll in the film academy in either their freshman, sophomore, or junior year. However, the newly-approved ethnic studies course will only be required for freshmen.

The course curriculum will be written at a future date after which it will be brought before the board for approval.

Under California law Assembly Bill 101, completion of an ethnic studies course will be required for high school students starting for the graduating class of 2030.

Carlsbad Highs course will be based on the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum that was adopted by the California State Board of Education in March 2021, which is intended to encourage understanding of the struggles and cooperation between different groups of people.

At the March 8 board meeting, members of the public expressed support and opposition to including the ethnic studies course in the district. Among those dissenting, a student said a critical race theory history class she took at a nearby school district taught her America is bad, Christianity is the basis of racist white male patriarchs, and people of color are the only ones discriminated against.

I never imagined that I could dislike any class so much, she added.

Among those supporting the curriculum, one member of the public spoke about the benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Ive noticed that there are assumptions that these initiatives only benefit one side when all the net benefits are non-partisan, he said.

After the comments period, Trustee Williamson said she had received concerns from community members that rather than promoting inclusivity the course could instead promote division.

She asked staff for confirmation that the class would not include criticizing America using themes of dominant culture that was created by empires and based on white supremacy who oppressed non-white cultures.

Assistant Superintendent Rob Nye quelled these concerns by answering No, and reiterated that the course would follow the guidelines listed in the course description which no longer include such themes.

Students would be asked to examine and draw their own conclusions as it relates to historical events through the lens of film and that controversial courses at the district are to be taught without bias or promoting any particular point of view, he said.
CBC Refuses to Testify at Senate Committee on Islamophobia, Citing Journalistic Independence

The Senate of Canada building and Senate Chamber are pictured in Ottawa on Feb. 18, 2019. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) has refused to answer questions posed by a Senate committee studying Islamophobia, citing journalistic independence.

Shaun Poulter, CBCs executive director for public affairs and government relations, in a March 2 letter declined the request of the Senates Standing Committee on Human Rights to meet with CBC/Radio-Canada news leaders, as reported by Blacklocks Reporter.

It would not be appropriate for our editorial leaders to also be participants in the Committees work. Our journalists regularly report on issues like Islamophobia, and must do so independently, said Poulters letter.

He said journalists cannot risk being perceived as advocates or agents subject to a Committees scrutiny and recommendations.

Senators questioning news leaders about their editorial decisions and practices undermines the journalistic independence guaranteed in the Broadcasting Act, he added.

CBC Director of Media Relations Leon Mar was asked why CBC managers, executives, or directors, who were not on the front-line reporting news, were unable to cooperate with a Senate committee.

Mar told The Epoch Times that any questions on the topic should be put to the [Senate] Committee.

I dont have anything further for you, he said.

Poulters letter to the Senate committee listed some of CBCs standards and policies on journalism. He stated CBC does not mention national or ethnic origin, colour, religious affiliation, physical characteristics or disabilities, mental illness, sexual orientation or age except when important to an understanding of the subject or to help provide identification.

The executives letter also indicates that CBC is internally committed to the goal that one out of every two hires or promotions should come from underrepresented groups.

Poulter provided the committee with two favourable links to ombudsman findings concerning CBCs reporting on Islam; however, he did not provide a 2022 ombudsman report that determined that CBC breached its own code of ethics.

The ombudsmans report followed a website commentary by Zeehaa Rehman, an Elections Canada poll worker, who described herself as Muslim.

The first-person article read, On Election Day I greeted people who voted for parties that hate people like me. Elections provide numerical evidence of the rise of right-wing politics and that should worry us all.

It was jarring to realize that many of the people who had seemingly been nice to me throughout the day had chosen to vote for the Conservative Party, she wrote.

CBC Ombudsman Jack Nagler declared the article was not okay.

It was not okay to publish a headline that declared political parties and by inference their voters as hating people, he said, adding the CBC article was neither fair nor precise enough to be considered accurate.

Declaring a politician to be hateful should be based on their policies and their actions not just the colour of their lawn signs, said the ombudsman.

The article was posted for almost a month before being revised.
CCPs Suppression of Religion Mirrors Cultural Revolution: Former US Freedom Ambassador

Chinese Catholic worshippers kneel and pray during Palm Sunday Mass during the Easter Holy Week at an "underground" or "unofficial" church on April 9, 2017 near Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China. China, an officially atheist country, places a number of restrictions on Christians, allowing legal practice of the faith only at state-approved churches. The policy has driven an increasing number of Christians and Christian converts 'underground' to secret congregations in private homes and other venues. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

The suppression of religion in China under the rule of Xi Jinping mirrors that of the Cultural Revolution, according to Sam Brownback, former U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom.

The Cultural Revolution took place in China from 1966 to 1976. Mao Zedong declared a class war and a war on everything traditional, bringing chaos and violence to the country. During the 10-year period, schools were closed, historical relics and artifacts were destroyed, and cultural and religious sites were ransacked. The economy stagnated, millions were persecuted for their political and religious beliefs, and an estimated 1.5 million people died.

What youre seeing in Xinjiang with concentration camps with ideological indoctrination thats taking place, with limitations on people being able to practice Muslim faithyou cant name a child Muhammad in the entire countrythats out of the Cultural Revolution playbook that [former communist dictator] Mao put forward, Brownback told China in Focus on NTD, the sister media outlet of The Epoch Times.

He pointed to the situation of the Early Rain Covenant Church, saying that prior to Xis rule, the faith group was tolerated.

Prior to Xi Jinping, this was something of an opening by the Chinese Communist Party that they were showing: Yes, we can have effective independent churches operating in China. It doesnt threaten us, were willing to let it exist, he said.

Then Xi Jinping comes in and he goes back Full Mao, or Full Cultural Revolution, and says, Were not going to let these sorts of things survive in this country, were going to do everything we can to shut them down, he added.

And its just been a complete change of thought, from the opening prior to Xi, to the closing and back to a Cultural Revolution-type of norm by Xi Jinping.

Brownback noted that the suppression of religion in China is now facilitated by high tech surveillance systems.

What is different now is that theyve blended it with a virtual police state and the use of high-tech weapons, he said.

So now theyve got a camera for every other person in all of China, youve got these data centers for knowing what the genetic code of most people is, certainly in Xinjiang, and in many places, he added.

As the CCP controls all economic activity, and theyre moving to digitize the currency, they can victimize any group that they dont like by turning their money off, Brownback said.

As for the suppressed, he said that theyre going to have to go begging to the government or somehow comply with the government to be able to operate in that economy.

Atheistic by Nature

The CCP goes after people of faith because communism is atheistic by nature, he said.

As a result, the regime wants to get religion under their control. To that end, he said, the CCP is trying to decimate and destroy anything with the capacity to stand up to them.

Meanwhile, people of faith are generally moving to a higher authority, they feel a call from God. Their allegiance is to something thats eternal, not something thats temporal, its the Kingdom of God versus the kingdom of man, he said.

Religious adherents are looking for the eternal, looking for hope beyond a world that has so many difficulties, and so much evil in it, he noted.

As such, religion is the only entity that has enough organization, has enough adherence to it, has enough passion of the people associated with it, to stand up to a government, to stand up to the Chinese Communist Party, he said.

Standing Up to the CCP

Brownback urged the United States to help religious adherents in China by raising awareness about how the regime is dealing with religion in the country.

We should ask the people in Africa and South America, where the Chinese are really trying to move in aggressively: Is this how you want your dominant religious beliefs treated by the state, subservient and really not even being allowed to exist? And ask them is that the system you want? he said.

Because China and the communist party seeks to rule the world. They seek to be the dominant global guiding country  we should be much more aggressive on projecting this out around the world about how Chinas Communist Party wants your faith treated.
Chinese Stocks React Negatively to Xi Jinpings Third Term

Elderly Chinese investors watch a stock price board at a private securities firm in Shanghai on May 9, 2007. (Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images)

News Analysis

On the eve of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) rubber stamp conferences that kicked off on March 3, Chinese A-shares instantly surged, fell in successive days, then hit a one-month low on March 10, the day Xi Jinping was announced as leader of communist China for a third term.

On March 10, Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index (SSE Composite Index) and Shenzhen Stock Exchange Component Index (SZSE Component Index) plunged 1.40 percent and 1.19 percent to close at 3,230.08 points and 11,442.54 points, respectively, while the Growth Enterprise Index (GEM Index) closed at 2,370.36 points, down by 0.10 percent.

Hong Kong stocks also plummeted after March 6, and like A-shares, touched the bottom on March 10. The Hang Seng Index of Hong Kong stocks tumbled 605.82 points, or 3.04 percent, to close at 19,319.92 points, among which Hang Seng China Enterprises Index (H-shares Index) and Hang Seng Technology Index fell 3.06 percent and 3.78 percent, respectively.

It appears that the Chinese stock market is not entirely optimistic about Xis upcoming third term in power, in contrast to the positive response to the CCP leaders first two elections.

(LR) Members of the new Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China, CCP head Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Can Qi, Ding Xuexiang, and Li Xi as they arrive for a group photo at a meeting with Chinese and Foreign Journalists at The Great Hall of People in Beijing, on Oct. 23, 2022. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

On March 5, 2013, the opening day of the two sessionsNational Peoples Congress and Political Consultative Conferencethe SSE Composite Index rose 2.33 percent, then rose again 0.28 percent on March 14, 2013, when Xi first took office as head of the CCP and extended upward the next day by another 0.36 percent.

Likewise, on March 5, 2018, the SSE Composite Index rose a modest 0.07 percent and 1.00 percent the next day. Xi was re-elected on March 17, but it was a Saturday, so the stock market rose 0.29 percent on Monday, March 19, 2018, and then 0.35 percent the following day.

This is a rare occurrence in CCP history, Fang Qi, a UK-based Chinese financial professional, spoke to The Epoch Times on March 13. As a practice, the CCP officials should have informed listed companies and securities firms and let the national team act as per the political events.

For example, the stock market would keep rising during the so-called election of the CCP leader and can only fall afterward, Fang said.

However, the A shares and Hong Kong stocks slumped during this years two sessions, he said.

Its a sign that investors have lost hope for the economic prospects, Fang continued.

The more than 8,000 proposals of the 3,000 delegates to the two sessions have not made any decision on issues about the national economy and peoples livelihood, such as the ChinaU.S. relationship, real estate, foreign trade, unemployment, increasing income, food security, retirement, and health care, he said.

Prolonged severe Zero-COVID policies caused the country to decline economically.

On Oct. 24, 2022, Chinas A-share stock market encountered a Black Monday, with Chinese and Hong Kong stocks diving shortly after the 20th National Congress concluded on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022.

Investors who shorted stocksmeaning they bet the stocks would decline in price and they could buy them at a lower price in the futurewere thus rewarded with lucrative returns in this round of stock devaluation. They earned as much as $4.4 billion in profits from their shorting trades on Oct. 2425, 2022, alone, according to Bloomberg.

A short sale is an investment term that refers to selling assets that one does not currently own in the hope that the asset will depreciate to benefit from the transaction.

According to Fang, Xis being unanimously elected as leader of China and chairman of the military commission reflects a collective lying flata passive attitude of letting things happen and not doing anything for or againstof the entire CCP bureaucracy, from the top to all levels of officials in the administrative system.

Ellen Wong contributed to this article.
Climate Is Important, but Oil Is Vital, Admits BlackRock CEO: Were Not Environmental Police

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink attends a session at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 23, 2020. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink admitted in a 2023 annual letter to investors that oil and gas are vital to global energy demanda shift from his earlier stance promoting a climate change agenda which focused on progressive values that denounce fossil-based fuels.

For years now, we have viewed climate risk as an investment risk. Thats still the case, the letter states. However, the transition toward a low-carbon economy will not be a straight line, with various industries and nations moving at different speeds in terms of adoption. Oil and gas will play a vital role in meeting global energy demands through that journey, Fink said in the letter. To ensure the continuity of affordable energy prices during the transition, fossil fuels like natural gas, with steps taken to mitigate methane emissions, will remain important sources of energy for many years ahead.

Finks admission that fossil fuels are vital to the economy is a marked change from the past years when the CEO aggressively promoted energy transition.

In his 2020 letter to CEOs, for example, Fink predicted that there will be a significant reallocation of capital in the near future while pointing to climate change. I believe we are on the edge of a fundamental reshaping of finance.

Fink also talked about BlackRock exiting investments that present a high sustainability-related risk, such as thermal coal producers and launching new investment products that screen fossil fuels in the 2020 letter.

However, BlackRock has suffered losses in recent times, putting the company under pressure. Between 2021 and 2022, BlackRocks revenues fell from $19.37 billion to $17.87 billion. Its assets under management fell from $10.01 trillion to $8.59 trillion.

In October 2022, BlackRock was downgraded by UBS, with analyst Brennan Hawken stating that the downgrade was because of environmental pressure to earnings and risk from the firms ESG positioning, referring to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues.

Engineering ESG Change

In the recent investor letter, Fink stated that many of the institutions clients seek BlackRocks help to determine the future paths of carbon emission to make investment decisions, including on government policies.

Fink stressed in the letter that it is not the role of an asset manager like Blackrock to engineer a particular outcome in the economy.

As I have said consistently over many years now, it is for governments to make policy and enact legislation, and not for companies, including asset managers, to be the environmental police.

However, BlackRock has been blamed for pushing an ESG agenda by numerous U.S. state governments. In August 2022, a coalition of 19 state attorneys general from Republican-leaning states sent a letter (pdf) to Fink criticizing BlackRock for having committed to implementing an ESG engagement and voting strategy across all assets under management.

The letter points out that BlackRock held more than 2,300 company engagements on climate and took voting action against 53 firms for climate issues while putting 191 businesses under watch.

BlackRock has been a prominent member of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) which is pushing for a systemic change aimed at altering the planets climate trajectory by bringing together over 450 leading financial enterprises united by a commitment to accelerate the decarbonization of the global economy, said the state attorneys general.

The investment firm had also committed to ensuring that all assets under its management achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 or sooner, said the letter. BlackRocks belief that the world will require net zero by 2050 could be a pretext to force companies to adopt your preferred climate policies.

BlackRocks coordination with other financial institutions to impose net-zero standards also raises antitrust concerns, it said.

State Action

States have taken action against BlackRock for pursuing ESG policies. In October, Louisiana informed the company that the state will be liquidating all its investments with the firm. Your blatantly anti-fossil fuel policies would destroy Louisianas economy, Treasurer John Schroder wrote in a letter to Fink.

In December 2022, Florida announced that its treasury will start divesting $2 billion worth of assets managed by BlackRock.

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink is on a campaign to change the world. In an open letter to CEOs, hes championed stakeholder capitalism and believes that capitalism has the power to shape society, said Florida chief financial officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis, according to a press release on Dec. 1. I think its undemocratic of major asset managers to use their power to influence societal outcomes.

If Larry or his friends on Wall Street want to change the worldrun for office. Start a nonprofit. Donate to the causes you care about. Using our cash, however, to fund BlackRocks social-engineering project isnt something Florida ever signed up for.
Conspiracy at Its Height: Fauci Responds to Message Saying He Prompted Anti-Lab Leak Paper

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 14, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Dr. Anthony Fauci responded on March 15 to a newly released email that said he was among those who prompted work on analyzing how COVID-19 came about, which resulted in a paper that claimed the laboratory origin theory was not credible.

A special U.S. House of Representatives panel on March 5 released the email, sent by scientist Kristian Andersen in February 2020 to the journal Nature.

There has been a lot of speculation, fear mongering, and conspiracies put forward in this space and we thought that bringing some clarity to this discussion might be of interest to Nature, Andersen wrote at the time. Prompted by Jeremy Farra[r], Tony Fauci, and Francis Collins, Eddie Holmes, Andrew Rambaut, Bob Garry, Ian Lipkin, and myself have been working through much of the (primarily) genetic data to provide agnostic and scientifically informed hypothesis around the origins of the virus, Andersen added.

In another message that had previously been made public, Andersen said the work was focused on trying to disprove any type of lab theory.

Anderson was one of the co-authors of a paper published without peer review in February 2020. Both that version and one later published by Nature Medicine said the analysis shows that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct nor a purposefully manipulated virus. SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19.

Fauci was asked about the emails on Wednesday during an appearance on NewsNation.

Absolutely not, he said when host Chris Cuomo inquired whether the paper was drafted to disprove the lab origin theory.

Fauci referenced the secret phone call involving himself, Andersen, and others that took place on Feb. 1, 2020, and involved several expertsincluding Andersensaying characteristics of COVID-19 pointed to it being engineered.

During the phone call on Feb. 1, where very competent evolutionary biologists were going back and forth, and they decided on the phone call, listen, lets take a little time and go back and really carefully examine those sequences and see if, in fact, theres anything to that, Fauci said.

They did that and they came to the conclusion that, in fact, it is more likely that it was not something that was engineered, but something that actually escaped from a wet market [in Wuhan, China]. And in order to get it peer reviewed, they wrote a paper to let the peer review system evaluate whether it was valid, and it did and thats how the paper came about, Fauci added. So this idea of saying, write the paper to definitively disprove something is conspiracy at its height. Its really ridiculous.

Grateful for Advice and Leadership

According to other emails made public after being acquired through the Freedom of Information Act, Fauci was involved in looking over drafts of the paper before it was published. In one email, Andersen thanked Fauci and several others for your advice and leadership as we have been working through the SARS-CoV-2 origins paper.

Thanks for your note. Nice job on the paper, Fauci responded.

Faucis boss, Dr. Francis Collins, was also thanked. In a later email to Fauci, he said that the lab origin theory was very destructive and that he had hoped the paper would settle this but that it probably didnt get much visibility.

I would not do anything about this right now. It is a shiny object that will go away in times, Fauci wrote. In April 2020, Fauci cited the paper during an official White House press conference without mentioning his involvement, telling reporters that a group of highly qualified evolutionary virologists looked at the sequences there and the sequences in bats as they evolve and the mutations that it took to get to the point where it is now is totally consistent with a jump of a species from an animal to a human.

For the natural origin theory to be true, a host animal must have passed the virus on to humans. No such animal has been identified.

Fauci has maintained during recent interviews that hes kept an open mind as to the origin of COVID-19.

If that is true, why did Dr. Fauci tell the American people at a White House briefing televised on April 17, 2020, that COVID-19 was totally consistent with a natural origin and never mentioned that half the scientists on a February 1, 2020, conference call thought it was a lab leak, Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.), a member of the special U.S. House panel, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, told The Epoch Times via email.

That doesnt sound like someone with an open mind. That sounds like someone misleading the American public, Lesko added.

Ties to Wuhan

Before the paper was published, Andersen and some other scientists said the virus appeared to be engineered.

I just cant figure out how this gets accomplished in nature, Robert Garry, one of the papers co-authors, said in one missive.

Also prior to the publication, Andersen said in an email that the group was working to disprove any type of lab theory, but we are at a crossroad where the scientific evidence isnt conclusive enough to say that we have high confidence in any of the three main theories considered. Soon, though, Marion Koopmans, who was involved in discussion with the group, said that he was against talking about the possibility of lap escape because it could backfire and generate  conspiracy theories.

More than one of the scientists involved with the paper had ties to the laboratory experimenting with bat coronavirus located in the same Chinese city, Wuhan, where the first COVID-19 cases were detected in 2019. Fauci, for instance, headed a U.S. agency that provided taxpayer money to the lab. He left the position around the end of 2022.

Jeremy Farrar, head of the Wellcome Trust and the incoming chief scientist for the World Health Organization, was also involved in the discussions. Farrar later signed onto a letter in The Lancet that said, We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin. One of the citations was to the Andersen paper. Among the co-authors was Peter Daszak, whose EcoHealth Alliance group was the intermediary between Faucis agency and the Wuhan lab.

Farrar actually prompted an edit to the Andersen paper, according to newly released emails, compelling the authors to change it is unlikely that SARS-CoV-2 emerged through laboratory manipulation of a related SARS-CoV-like coronavirus to it is improbable that SARS-CoV-2 emerged through laboratory manipulation of a related SARS-CoV-like coronavirus.
CSIS Said Info on Beijings Interference in Vancouver Not Getting Through to Upper Levels: Ex-Mayor

Vancouver mayoral candidate, incumbent Kennedy Stewart, picks up his civic election ballot from a polling station worker as he votes at an advance poll in Vancouver on Oct. 13, 2022. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

A former mayor of Vancouver says national intelligence officials came to warn him about Chinese interference before the 2022 municipal election because the information wasnt getting through to authorities at upper levels.

Kennedy Stewart told CTVs Vassy Kapelos that a senior official at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and one of its China specialists briefed him last May on foreign interference, and when he asked why they came to warn him, the officials said it was because there was information that they had that wasnt getting through to upper levels, and they thought it was important that people knew what was happening or at least had some sense that something was happening.

Stewart said he believed himself to be a target of interference by the Chinese regime in the 2022 municipal election, in which he lost to Ken Sim of ABC Vancouver by a margin of over 36,000 votes, according to an article by The Globe and Mail.

The Globe cited a Jan. 10, 2022, CSIS report that outlined how Chinas then-consul-general in Vancouver, Tong Xiaoling, had discussed the grooming of ChineseCanadian municipal politicians for higher positions as a way to advance Beijings interests, seeking to elect a new mayor and a city councillor. The Globe report made references to Sim and Vancouver city councillor Lenny Zhou, though it said the CSIS document didnt name those who Beijing targeted for influence.

The Epoch Times reached out to Sim and Zhou for comment but didnt immediately hear back.

Sim, who is the first Vancouver mayor of Chinese descent, expressed outrage in response to the Globe report, saying that race is a factor behind the allegations.

Ill just say it: If I was a Caucasian male, were not having this conversation, he said at a press conference on March 16.

A Very Easy Target

When asked if he had observed any irregularities or interference during the 2022 campaign, Stewart told CTV that the Chinese consulate was openly hostile toward him due to his support of Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing claims to be part of its territory.

This wasnt a secret to me, he said. I was warned by a number of colleagues  that the consul-general was very angry with me, and was going to do what they could to make sure I wasnt re-elected.

Stewart said that despite holding this knowledge, he had nowhere to go to try to have the alleged interference stopped.

I cant call the Chief Electoral Officer of the city because thats our clerk; I cant call Elections BC because they have no oversight in this; I cant call Elections Canada because they dont do anything with local elections; I cant call the Vancouver Police Department because theyre connected to thispolice cant investigate their own municipalities, essentially. So there was really nowhere for me to go with this information.

Stewart, who has taken the position of director of the Centre for Public Policy Research at Simon Fraser University, said Canada has a strong electoral oversight system at the federal level, but lacks scrutiny at the municipal level, making it susceptible to foreign interference.

If there was an easy way into influencing Canadian government, I think municipalities are one way to do it, as are nominations that are overseen by party, he said. If China is interfering, or other countries are interfering, municipalities are a very easy target.
Deputy Commissioner Mike Duheme Becomes Interim Top Mountie as Lucki Retires

Deputy RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme appears as a witness at the Public Order Emergency Commission, Nov. 15, 2022 in Ottawa. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

The federal government announced Friday that Mike Duheme will be the interim commissioner of the RCMP until a replacement is found for Brenda Lucki.

Lucki, who was appointed commissioner in April 2018, is retiring. She had announced her intention to step down last month, shortly before the expiry of her five-year term.

Her tenure as the top Mountie has been marked by internal and external challenges, including allegations of systemic racism within the force, growing calls to defund the police and questions over the response to the devastating mass shooting in Nova Scotia in 2020.

She also steered the force through the COVID-19 pandemic and the Freedom Convoy early last year, when protesters decrying COVID-19 health restrictions and Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government clogged the streets around Parliament Hill and at several U.S. border crossings.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said Duheme, who currently oversees federal policing for the Mounties, will take over the job on Saturday.

I have every confidence that his extensive experience in policing across the country and around the world has prepared him well to lead our national police force, the minister said in a statement.

I also want to take this opportunity to salute Commissioner Brenda Lucki for her years of service, including as the first woman to serve as permanent commissioner. She has dedicated her life to keeping Canadians safe, and we thank her.

Duheme was among the RCMP officials to testify during last falls Public Order Emergency Commission into the federal governments decision to use the Emergencies Act during the convoy protests.

According to his biography, he enters the role after 34 years as a police officer. He began his career in Nova Scotia.

Some First Nations leaders have already made the call for Trudeau to appoint an Indigenous officer to serve as the Mounties next permanent commissioner.

Lucki had been given the mandate of advancing reconciliation with Indigenous communities when she started the job.

The RCMP polices most Inuit, Metis and First Nations communities in Canada, due to its responsibility to police much of rural Canada under contract agreements with the provincesexcept in Ontario and Quebec, which have their own provincial forces.

During a recent stop in Winnipeg, Trudeau said appointing an Indigenous RCMP commissioner is an excellent idea, but he stopped short of making any commitment, saying the next appointment will be made through a yet-to-be-announced process.

Mendicino said Friday that the details of that process will be revealed in due course.

When Lucki announced that she was retiring last month, she said in a statement that she is leaving the position knowing I did my best.
DeSantis: 3 Years Later, Biden Still Pushing Failed Fed COVID Policies

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers questions from the media in the Florida Cabinet following his State of the State Address during a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla., on March 7, 2023. (Cheney Orr/AFP via Getty Images)

On March 16, 2020, President Donald Trump and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) issued 15 Days to Slow the Spread of COVID-19, guidance that advised individuals and businesses to adopt social distancing measures such as working from home and closing many retailers and restaurants.

Citing that guidance from the CDC, many states and local governments that had not already imposed pandemic restrictions on businesses, schools, and public gatherings did so.

Among those states was Florida where, the next day, St. Patricks Daya huge day for restaurants and barsGov. Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-68, suspending all sale of alcoholic beverages for 30 days, along with a host of other restrictions on restaurants, non-essential retailers, and gatherings of 10 or more people in public spaces, such as a beach.

What would happen over the next two months would set the course for continuing battles between DeSantis and federal agencies, local governments, school boards, and the Biden administration over Floridas refusal to adhere to the experts crafting the federal advisories and launch DeSantis as a leading 2024 Republican presidential contender.

By April 2020, he said, the stateand many otherscould ascertain from mounting data that mask mandates were not stopping the spread.

By May 2020, he said, there was evidence the virus did not pose as great a risk to children and adolescents as missing school did. There was also research confirming those who had caught COVID-19 had developed antibodies that made them more resistant to the disease, he said.

When vaccines became available, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) rubber-stamped accelerated approvals to make the shots availableand mandatorywith little research on potential side effects and no concern for peoples individual rights, he recalled.

Yet, DeSantis said, while the CDC was wringing its hands over children in school, people shopping in shops, workers working, and diners dining, in May 2020 the agency said it was okay to go out and protest with [Black Lives Matter], but not to go out and protest against lockdowns.

This was presumably a woke virus, he said, noting that in May 2020, it was clear to him that CDC pandemic protocols were more about them having an agenda than about using data and science to protect public health.

A woman receives a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the UHealths pediatric mobile clinic on May 17, 2021 in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Reality Had No Impact

Were here looking at this three years out and the experts who designed these policies, the experts that were hectoring everybody, they were wrong about everything, he said. They were wrong about lockdowns. We were attacked mercilessly because we were not doing that. Lockdown policies did not work. They were wrong about school closures, mask mandates, antibodies, and many other things.

Speaking at The Fire Restaurant, a steakhouse in downtown Winter Haven, on March 16, DeSantis said reality had no impact on how the CDC and National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci managed the COVID-19 pandemic despite those flippant decisions having direct, immediate impacts on families, businesses, and students.

Florida is still battling with federal agencies over pandemic protocols, the governor said, opposing the Biden administrations attempt to reimpose mandatory masks for airline passengers and the requirement that foreign nationals present up-to-date vaccine records to be admitted into the country.

For three years, he said, the experts got it wrong. We are not going to let this state descend into a Faucian dystopia, allow this whole infrastructure theyre trying to impose on society to control behavior.

DeSantis did not address the Trump 2024 campaigns state ethics complaint that his shadow campaign for the GOPs 2024 presidential nod is violating state election laws, did not update efforts in Tallahassee to get state lawmakers to repeal Floridas resign to run law, did not elaborate on calling the Russian invasion of Ukraine a territorial dispute of little strategic importance to the United States earlier this week, nor did he respond to sharp rebukes from many congressional Republicans about that statement, a reversal from his public stances supporting Ukraine while a congressional representative in 2014.

The governor did not declare he was running for presidentno one expects him to until after the Florida Legislature adjourns in early Maythough he recently concluded a book tour to Iowa and Nevada, which are early primary states, with a mid-April book tour visit planned to early-primary New Hampshire.

None of that was discussed by DeSantis in the Winter Haven steakhouse. His focus was on the three-year anniversary of the lockdowns he ordered in good faith because he believed federal health agencies were following the data and science in developing policies to respond to the virus.

Now he knows better, DeSantis said, and that experience has shaped a leadership style that challengesand bettersunelected government bureaucrats to be more responsive to leaders elected, and accountable, to the people.

As result, he said, We saved countless jobs, kept many, many businesses afloat, and Florida public schools 4th-grade reading and math scores are in the top four nationally, out-performing states such as New York and California, including in containing the spread of COVID-19, hospitalizations, and deaths, that had sustained strict lockdowns and other restrictive protocols.

The states economy would have failed had we adopted the policies of other states, DeSantis said, and other states economies would have fared better in the summer and fall of 2020 had they adopted Floridas policies.

After all the criticism and incoming his administration received in 2020 and 2021, theres general acknowledgment that the CDC, FDA, and Biden administration pandemic policies were a total disaster, he said, Yet here we are three years later and they are still clinging to failed policies.

DeSantis said the federal government needs to lift its ban on allowing foreign nationals entry at airports without updated vaccine records and warned that the Biden administration is still arguing in court now to reimpose the mask mandate in air travel. You cant make this stuff up. Three years later, theyre still trying to do that, theyre still clinging to failed policies, still pursuing an agenda.

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo (L) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the governors office in Tallahassee on Feb. 24, 2022, in a still from video. (Florida Governors Office/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

Feds Dispute Florida Vax Findings

DeSantis said the CDC and FDA have been obfuscating data regarding the efficacy and safety of the mRNA vaccine.

Right from the beginning, they said the mRNA shots would prevent you from getting the virus, he said. We know that is not true and especially not true with the booster jabs. Its just not true. Its not about public safety. They are pursuing an agenda.

DeSantis said as the efficacy of [the mRNA shot] was coming into question, that is when they wanted to coerce people into being vaccinated. Biden wanted a national mandate, he said, to impose a jab or job mandate on law enforcement, first responders, nurses, and truck drivers.

We came in and stopped coercion, he said, and became the first state to investigate claims by pharmaceutical manufacturers, the CDC, and the FDA about the efficacy of the shots with an empaneled grand jury looking into everything surrounding the COVID jabs and learning how decisions defied data.

The CDC has whiffed on so many different things related to this. Now they put something out and you just dismiss it, DeSantis said, including the CDCs and FDAs refusal to recognize data analysis by Floridas Department of Health (DOH) that shows the shots lose efficacy over time and enhance health risks for many.

In a Feb. 15 letter to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Lapado said the state has seen a steep rise in the number of adverse health events reported to the national Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) by those who have taken COVID-19 vaccines.

Walensky and Califf, in a March 10 response, said Floridas findings were incorrect, misleading, and potentially harmful to the American public.

The agency chiefs, along with a vast majority of other public health experts, said Lapado had incorrectly interpreted data, noting that its reporting of adverse events after receiving vaccines failed to incorporate standard adverse event rate ratios into its calculations.

Focusing on adverse events in the absence of causal association and without the perspective of countervailing benefits is a great disservice to both individuals and public health, they wrote. Not only is there no evidence of increased risk of death following mRNA vaccines, but available data have shown quite the opposite: that being up to date on vaccinations saves lives compared to individuals who did not get vaccinated.

Lapado, who accompanied DeSantis, double-downed on Floridas claims about vaccine efficacy and safety.

These vaccines have a terrible safety profile. At this time in the pandemic, I dont think anybody should be taking them, he said, calling the CDCs and FDAs objections deceitful.

The CDC and FDAthe most consistent thing they have done is deny the truth, Lapado said, noting the agencies still say masks prevented virus spread when data shows mask mandates didnt do squat in stopping the disease.

He cited a study on the mRNA vaccines published in British medical publication The Lancelet and noted that the federal agencies dont cite the study findings that after seven months, protection declines by about 70 percent.

That data literally means the people taking that vaccine are more likely to get the virus than those who dont. Has the CDD or FDA ever said a word about that? These guys, theyre geniuses in rewriting reality, Lapado said, adding he doesnt know what the hell the federal government is basing its policies on.

It is not your well-being. It is not my well-being. It is someone elses agenda, he said. The fight isnt over. The rewriting of reality to control your behavior, thoughts, and beliefsit is an ongoing battle they are fighting. Our job is to supply you with the truth, and were going to keep doing that.
On March 27, 1979, Yvonne Kason, a young medical doctor at the time finishing her residency, was on a medical air evacuation when the planes engines failed and sent Kason, a nurse, the patient, and the pilot down in a crash.

Kason, in her split-second realization that she was going to die, thought Oh, God! Help! and in retrospect thought perhaps this was close enough to a prayer that it set her following experience into motion. Even before the plane hit the ground, Kason felt a force of peace descend upon her, pushing down her fear. She felt the word of God permeate her soul and let her know everything would be alright whether she survived the crash or not.

The pilot then heroically made a belly landing on the ice, Kason said, and they would have been safe, except the ice was too thin and as soon as the plane stopped moving, it sunk in a nosedive into freezing watersthe patient did not survive.

In heavy winter clothing, the pilot, nurse, and Kason had to try to swim to shore in the treacherous waters of the Devils Gap lake. Suddenly, she found herself about far above her body.

And I went into this incredible, white light realm that was full of loveabsolute, incredible love. The most powerful love Id ever felt in my entire life, said Kason in an interview with NTD Television for the show Mysteries of Life.

And nobody had to tell me, nobody had to explain it to me, I just knew somehow, I just knew in my soul that that incredible feeling, that incredible love, that was the love of a higher power, what I had been raised as a child was called God.

It was not an old man with a long white beard sitting on a throne judging me, she said. What I was actually experiencing was this love power behind the universe, it was more like an infinite force that is infinitely intelligent, that knows everything past, present, future, and loves all of us with the most incredible, unconditional love.

A tremendous series of coincidences resulted in their rescue, and the three were helicoptered to a hospital and treated for hypothermia.

And I was brought back into my body, Kason said. It felt like a genie being sucked back into a bottle.

It changed me profoundly, Kason said.

In the 1970s, little had yet to be written about near-death experiences, and no one had any medical explanation for what Kason had experienced.

Colleagues she consulted with suggested hallucinations or confusion under distress, but Kason had treated patients with hallucinations and confusions and she knew this was quite different. There was no name for what she had experienced.

So by day, Kason was a conventional, Western medicine family doctor. In secret, she started researching what it was she had experienced.

Kason is the doctor who coined the term spiritually transformative experiences, co-founder and president of Spiritual Awakenings International, former president and board member of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS). In 1990, she became the first Canadian medical doctor to specialize in counseling people who have had these experiences. Today, near-death experience is a robust field of study.

By twist of fate or divine design, I dont know why, but I have had five near-death experiences in my life, she said. Two of these were in her childhood, and three she experienced as an adult.

It was the last of these that solidified Kasons mission.

The More Difficult Choice

On Nov. 8, 2003, Kason was visiting Niagara Falls when she slipped on black ice and smashed her head against the rock pavement.

I suffered really serious traumatic brain injury with a brain hemorrhage, and I instantly died, Kason said.

As soon as Kasons head touched the pavement, she felt her soul pulled from her body by a force more powerful than myself, and then she was rushing into a dark expanse of space.

By now, Kason had been studying near-death experiences for decades, and had some expectation of what would happen next.

Near-death experiencers commonly report things like being above their wounded bodies and observing their own resuscitation as Kason did after the plane crash. They also frequently report moving towards a bright light, being welcomed into another realm by familiar souls, or coming before a higher power. Many describe this taking place in a meadow or valley with nature similar to that of earth but infinitely more beautiful. Also common is the life review, similar to ones life flashing before the eyes in an instant, except the instant is timeless and infinite, and the experiencers can feel the emotions of those around them instead of their own.

I was being welcomed into the realm, it was sort of like there was an entranceway that was radiating light, and standing there in the entranceway was two beings of light, two saints from my spiritual tradition, Kason said. For Kason, this was yogi Paramahansa Yogananda and yogi Mahavatar Babaji, and they welcomed her into what she said felt like a celebration, and being enveloped in joy and love.

But then a little part, my ego, a little voice on my shoulder was going, uh-oh, here comes the life review, she said. And I mean I try to be a good person and have a good life but everybody makes mistakes, so I was sort of not looking forward to my life review.

And it was so incredible, because it was like the two saints could read my mind  because one of them just turned and glanced at me, and with that glance blew away my worries like blowing a fleck of dust off my shoulder, she said. The understanding that came with that glance was that, just like a loving parent, if a child is learning, learning to walk, stumbling, falling, skinning its knees, bumping its head, it might even break something. When it falls, the loving mother doesnt punish the child. But instead, the loving mother comforts the child and says, thats OK. You can try again, youll do better next time.

With that, Kason let go of any worry. She had what felt like an instant download of vast amounts of information all at once. She re-experienced not just her lifetime as Dr. Yvonne Kason, but many lives.

It was like aha! Because suddenly when I remembered all my past lives, it felt like oh yes, Ive always known this, how could I have forgotten it? she said. I could see how they all fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, just fitting perfectly together.

Kason had always thought that her life as a medical doctor teaching at the University of Toronto, and having all sorts of spiritual and mystical experiences, was quite unusual. Now she saw it as part of a larger cosmic plan. She felt profound joy and consciousness as she experienced it all, and then the two saints, the beings of light, appeared again and gave her two choices.

They said, you may now choose whether to incarnate in the body of a babe, or to return to the body of the maimed form to further serve the divine, Kason said.

And for me, this was the perfect question because my prayer for many, many years had been I wanted to be Gods instrument in whatever small way I could. And so to be given a choice of two different ways to serve was the perfect choice for me.

In that expanded state that I was in on the other side, with my heart wide open, completely trusting the wisdom and the love of the higher power behind the universe, my heart just instantly responded: Oh masters, please guide me. What is the higher choice? I want to do Gods will, Kason said.

Without words, but with complete understanding, the saints so lovingly, so sweetly communicated to Kason: It will be more difficult, but to return to the injured body.

Her heart responded I accept and in an instant she was waking up in her bodythe body that had just suffered a severe traumatic brain injury.

It was like my life had flattened, Kason said.

Volcano  Erupting in the Center of My Brain

Prior to the injury, Kason led a very active life. She practiced medicine, had written books, was a speaker, and volunteered often at her sons school where she was very involved.

With a traumatic brain injury, I couldnt do any of that. I was disabled, Kason said.

She underwent neurorehabilitation for many years, and worked hard at getting back to prayer and meditation, which had been a big part of Kasons life, and very difficult to do with such a brain injury.

Then on Feb. 24, 2016, Kason was meditating on a holy spot in Encinitas, California during a retreat, when all of a sudden, inwardly, I perceive this volcano of liquid light erupting in the center of my brain.

The center of my brain had been in darkness for over 12 years, and now the lights came on, she said. It felt like waking up. And my brain healed. I experienced a miracle: my brain was healed.

With the disability, Kason had been in something of a locked in state unable to access large parts of her brain; now it felt like the floodgates opened.

All these ideas, my experiences, and what to share in my future books were pouring out of my consciousness, and this strongly inspired urge to write, to write, to writeand I got the very strong inner guidance: Pass on what you have learned.

(Courtesy of Yvonne Kason)

In the first year after the healing, she wrote the first draft of two new books.

I am living proof that miracles do happen, Kason said. Never give up hope. No matter what our problems are in life, miracles do happen. If one can happen to me, maybe one could happen to you.

Kason has just recently published her latest book, Soul Lessons from the Light, which shares her full story.

In 2020, months after the pandemic hit, Kason started Spiritual Awakenings International, an online educational nonprofit organization for people to share their spiritually transformative experiences.

The almost three-year organization now has subscribers from 77 countries, and Kason is seeing more and more of these spiritual experiences and stories emerge than she has in her career.

Everyone, the whole planet, is in a spiritual awakening right now, Kason said.

With reporting by NTD News.
Drone Strikes on Fentanyl Plants in Mexico Pretty Good Idea, Says Texas Congressman

Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) has joined a growing number of legislators calling for military action against Mexican cartels due to the growing fentanyl crisis in the United States.

Hunt was asked if, because of his military background, he believes that the United States should use its military against the cartels in Mexico. The Texas Republican told Stuart Varney during the March 17 interview on Fox Business, Thats something that we absolutely should take a look at.

The lawmaker went on to say that there are some legislative steps that have to be followed, but the idea of U.S. drones striking these fentanyl plants in Mexico sounds like a pretty good idea to me.

Americans are dying, Hunt added. Its the federal governments responsibility to keep our citizens safe, and we are failing them. If it takes military action and if we do it the right way, legislatively, then sign me up. Im ready for that.

The National Sheriffs Association (NSA) said it supports recent attempts in Congress to undercut and dismantle the drug cartels, which have caused havoc at the border and are responsible for the smuggling of illegal immigrants and deadly narcotics such as fentanyl into the United States.

NSA is calling on Congress to take immediate action on cartels, especially considering the Americans killed in Mexico last week, the group said in a statement sent to The Epoch Times.

Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) made a statement about the importance of designating Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and authorizing the U.S. military to retaliate.

The senators argued in their March 8 press briefing that these cartels are responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans every year and that the United States needs to take drastic action to stop them.

Drug cartels in Mexico have been terrorizing Americans for decades. Were going to destroy their business model and their lifestyle because our national security  depends on us.

The bill proposed by Graham and Kennedy would include the following cartels in the FTO designation: Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Gulf Cartel, Los Zetas, Northeast Cartel, Juarez Cartel, Tijuana Cartel, Beltran-Leyva Cartel, and La Familia Michoacana.

Graham noted that law enforcement could bring Chinese chemical companies with known ties to the cartels into court in the United States to stand trial.

Heres what I hope will happen: were going to terrorize the terrorists, Graham said. If you get on the cell phone, it may be the last call you make. The terrorists live in caves; theyre committed to their cause. The narco-terrorists live in mansions out in the open, buying fancy cars.

We know where you live, and we know how you make your money. My goal is to make sure that you dont sleep well at night. That the cost of doing businesswhen it comes to poisoning Americagoes up.
Elon Musk: Children Being Fed Transgender Propaganda by Adults

Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his security detail depart the companys office in Washington on Jan. 27, 2023. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Tesla founder and Twitter CEO Elon Musk criticized the idea of allowing minors to undergo gender transition procedures on March 16, holding that children were being fed propaganda to convince them to undergo such severe treatments.

Musks revelation of his stance on the issue came in response to a video posted to Twitter on March 9 of Minnesotas Lt. Gov. Penny Flanagan, a Democrat, promoting such procedures as life-affirming and life-saving health care.

When our children tell us who they are, it is our job as grownups to listen and to believe them, Flanagan said. Thats what it means to be a good parent.

Disagreeing with that assessment, Musk replied Thursday: Not when theyre fed propaganda by adults. Moreover, every child goes through an identity crisis before their personality/identity crystallizes. Therefore, we shouldnt allow severe, irreversible surgery or sterilizing drugs that they may regret until at least age 18.

Not when theyre fed propaganda by adults. Moreover, every child goes through an identity crisis before their personality/identity crystallizes. Therefore, we shouldnt allow severe, irreversible surgery or sterilizing drugs that they may regret until at least age 18.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 16, 2023

Flanagans comments were made at a March 8 press conference, during which Minnesotas Democratic Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order supporting gender-affirming care in his state.

The order directs state agencies to coordinate to protect people or entities who are providing, assisting, seeking, or obtaining gender-affirming health services, including all medical, surgical, counseling, or referral services, including telehealth services an individual might seek to affirm their gender identity.

The directive prohibits the state from assisting other states law enforcement investigations into individuals seeking those services while also instructing state agencies to investigate and take administrative actions against unfair or deceptive practices relating to gender-affirming care.

As states across the country move to ban access to gender-affirming care, we want LGBTQ Minnesotans to know they will continue to be safe, protected, and welcome in Minnesota, Walz said in a statement. In Minnesota, you will not be punished for seeking or providing medical care. This Executive Order delivers the urgent action that our LGBTQ Minnesotans deserve.

The executive order coincides with the recent national push to allow minors injured by health care professionals who performed gender transition procedures on them to sue for medical malpractice.

In Arkansas, Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law to that effect on Monday, giving minors up until 15 years after they turn 18 to file a lawsuit.

Similar legislation was introduced last year in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and in the House by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), though neither bill has come up for a vote.

Meanwhile, some ex-transgender individuals, like Chloe Cole, have already begun to seek legal recourse.

The adults who were supposed to take care of and guide me as a child failed to do so and they will take responsibility for it, Cole told The Epoch Times in November after filing a lawsuit against Kaiser Permanente. My parents were sold a lie, just like I was.

Cole was prescribed puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones and had her breasts removed at age 15 by Kaiser Permanente medical professionals. Now 18, she recently founded the group Detrans United to support other detransitioners like herself, who are looking to reverse the procedures performed on them.

My teenage life has been the culmination of excruciating pain, regret, and, most importantly, injustice, Cole said in a Nov. 10 statement. What is worse is that I am not alone in my pain. I will see to the fact that the blood and tears of detransitioners like myself will not lay waste. It is impossible for me to recoup what I have lost, but I will [ensure] no children will be harmed at the hands of these liars and mutilators.
EXCLUSIVE: Jacob Chansleys Lawyer Intends to File to Vacate Conviction

Jacob Chansley, also known as the "QAnon Shaman," inside the U.S. Senate chamber after the U.S. Capitol was breached on Jan. 6, 2021. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Bill Shipley, the lawyer representing Jan. 6 defendant Jacob Chansley, started the process of requesting the court to vacate Chansleys 41-month sentence next week, Shipley confirmed in an exclusive interview with The Epoch Times on Friday.

Shipley said he intends to file a vacate-conviction motion pursuant to 28 U.S. Code  2255 (remedies on motion attacking sentence) next week, pending government response to a letter he sent to the DOJ on Friday requesting information about Chansleys case. That provision in the law states that a prisoner in custody under sentence of a court established by Act of Congress claiming the right to be released upon the ground that the sentence was imposed in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States.

On Friday, Shipley sent a letter to Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall to ask about the factual basis of the governments representation of Chansleys case in a separate lawsuit. He said hes prepping the battlefield for a prospective filing to request the court to vacate Chansleys conviction.

Surveillance Footage Release

Shipleys move came as part of the ripple effect from newly surfaced surveillance footage of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach aired by Fox Newss Tucker Carlson Tonight on March 6.

Among the footage was a clip showing Chansley, unarmed, walking along with several Capitol Police officers who didnt attempt to remove him from the Capitol building, which Carlson said shows that Chansley was not violent on Jan. 6, 2021.

The newly aired CCTV videos appear to be materially exculpatory to Mr. Chansley on the question of guilt, as well as with respect to potential mitigation of sentencing. As such, the [Government] was obligated to produce them to the defense pursuant to the Due Process clause of the Fifth Amendment as interpreted by the Supreme Court in Brady v. Maryland, Shipleys letter reads. He cited Brady v. Maryland, a 1963 case in which the Supreme Court held that prosecutors must make available to the defense counsel exculpatory evidence.

Production is also mandated by Justice Manual Section 9-5.001 and DC R.C.P. 3.8, he noted, citing legal guidance for prosecutors on issues related to discovery.

In the letter, Shipley noted that Chansley and his former attorney, Albert Watkins, both did not see the tapes aired on Fox featuring Chansley prior to their broadcast on Fox.

Had the videos been properly disclosed as required by law they would certainly have been used as a counterpoint to the one-sided and factually inaccurate portrait of Mr. Chansley painted by the Government in its Sentencing Statement and arguments at the sentencing hearing, the letter continues.

Pezzola Case

Shipley based his Friday inquiry on a March 12 filing that the DOJ submitted in a separate case, namely, the prosecution of Jan. 6 defendant Dominic Pezzola. In that case, the government confronted, for the first time in court, the newly surfaced surveillance footage.

The CCTV footage is core evidence in nearly every January 6 case, and it was produced en masse, labeled by camera number and by time, to all defense counsel in all cases, the DOJ wrote in its filing.

Pezzolas Brady claim therefore fails at the threshold, because nothing has been suppressed, the DOJ wrote, basing it on the claim that it had provided Watkins with the necessary tools to identify relevant CCTV evidence notwithstanding the voluminous discovery.

According to Shipley, however, the legal bar for establishing suppression of evidence is much lower.

Suppression  is not the nefarious burying of evidence, Shipley said in a separate interview with The Epoch Times on March 13. It just means it wasnt brought to light by the government. The government knew what was there and did not illuminate the fact that it was there.

He said that the DOJ may have violated Brady in prosecuting Chansley because they didnt identify the footage and its nature as potentially exculpatory evidence during Chansleys trial.

Suppression simply means it went undiscovered by the defendant beyond a point at which it could be made use of, said Shipley, who was a federal prosecutor for 21 years. If the government produced thousands of hours of video and said, Theres a minute of evidence thats favorable to Jacob Chansleygood luck, that production is not an effective Brady disclosure.

The DOJ declined to comment.

Due Process

The video footage is relevant for reasons beyond its probative value to Chansleys innocence or guilt, Shipley said, emphasizing that its important to answer the question of whether Chansleys sentence was determined following fair due process.

The question is: Were Jacob Chansleys rights to due process and effective assistance of counsel violated? Were the procedural requirements complied with such that the process and outcome of his case was a fair proceeding? Shipley asked.

Theyre clearly the kinds of videos that, had Judge [Royce Lamberth] seen them at sentencing, he might have concluded that Mr. Chansey is not the personification of evil in the way the government has made him out to be.

Lamberth presided over Chansleys trial and sentencing.

That might have caused Judge Lamberth to think that maybe 41 months was too much time to give him, taking into consideration all of his conduct, as opposed to just the precise conduct the government gave, Shipley said.

In Shipleys letter, he asked the DOJ to answer the following questions, including:

Were the recently aired exculpatory CCTV videos produced to Mr. Chansleys then attorney Albert Watkins? If so, please identify the date and provide contemporaneous documentation of that disclosure. If the exculpatory videos were disclosed to Mr. Watkins en masse with a large amount of other CCTV video, what effort was made  if any  to alert the defense to the recently aired exculpatory video(s) prior to the change of plea or sentencing hearing? What is the identifying number of each CCTV camera that captured the video played in the national media beginning on March 6, 2023, with its broadcast by Fox News? In what manner was the identification of each involved CCTV camera communicated to Mr. Watkins prior to the sentencing hearing on November 17, 2021? The identities of all USCP Officers who are captured in any of the CCTV videos showing Mr. Chansley in the interior of the Capitol. Memoranda, transcripts, or other records of interviews, affidavits, or testimony under oath  including before a grand jury  of any Officer identified in No. 6 above, as each are potential witnesses with information favorable to Mr. Chansley.

Shipley asked the government to respond by Monday.
About $3 million moved from China to the United States, and over $1 million ended up in Biden family accounts. Hunter Bidens business deals are coming under renewed scrutiny. A new memo names three Biden family members, with a fourth bank account named Biden receiving Chinese funds as well. The House Oversight Committee is investigating the Biden familys business dealings with a now-bankrupt Chinese energy conglomerate. This comes amid President Joe Bidens promises to take a harsher stance on China. Critics call it a potential conflict of interest.

Topics in this episode:
The family of a Vietnam War veteran has been reunited with a piece of their loved ones history that was lost in a rice field 57 years ago.

The late U.S. Marine Cpl. Larry Hughes lost his dog tag while serving in Da Nang in 1966. Decades later, on a Vietnam field trip with 20 University of Notre Dame students in October 2022, professor Michael Desch and Jim Webb, a former Virginia senator and ex-Marine, ran into a local farmer who approached them with the lost tag.

[The farmer] said he had found this dog tag when he was working his fields, Desch told The Epoch Times. We decided if we could get him to part with it, it would be neat to bring it home and see if we could find the Marine who lost it, or his family.

A rice farmer approaches the field trip group and hands Hughes lost dog tag to Jim Webb. (Courtesy of Christian Wirtz/Sharp Wilkenson)

Former Virginia senator and ex-Marine Jim Webb receives a dog tag from a local farmer in Da Nang during a field trip in October 2022. (Courtesy of Christian Wirtz/Sharp Wilkenson)

Former Virginia senator and ex-Marine Jim Webb examines the dog tag. (Courtesy of Christian Wirtz/Sharp Wilkenson)

Hughes likely dropped the tag while serving, said Desch, but since the veteran never told his storynot even to familywe dont know for sure.

The first thing that came to my mind was my father, who had served as a Navy doctor with the Marines, Desch said. He kept his dog tags on his keychain.  The second thing that occurred to me was, it might be a way for us to close the loop on somebodys service in Vietnam.

The task of returning the tag was both an experience for the students and a chance to help those military family members. It was the right thing to do, Desch said.

Returning to Indiana, he tried to access military personnel records kept by the National Archives at St. Louis but was told they could only be released to next of kin. Webb, who served as a first lieutenant and captain in Vietnam in 1969 and 1970, and taught a fall course on the war at Notre Dame, happened to have contacts at the Senate. He stepped in.

The dog tag lost by Hughes in 1966 is returned 57 years later. (Main: Courtesy of Christian Wirtz/Sharp Wilkenson; INSET: Courtesy of Carl Hughes)

Photos of Hughes as a young man. (Courtesy of Carl Hughes)

Detail of Hughes now-returned dog tag. (Courtesy of Christian Wirtz/Sharp Wilkenson)

The key to locating Hughes surviving family was a Marine colonel and Notre Dame alum whom Desch had known years ago.

The Notre Dame connection came back, Desch said. They found that the last address within the system was in Inglis, Florida.  One of the [non-commissioned officers] in public affairs came up with the idea of calling the mayor;  he was the connection with Carl Hughes, Larrys son, also a former Marine. And through him, we connected with his other son and his sister, Patricia.

Webb had the idea of framing the dog tag in a shadow box alongside Hughes campaign ribbons and a picture of the university group on their field trip, presenting a full commemorative package. In February 2023, Webb and Desch traveled to Florida to reunite the long-lost tag with Carl, Patricia, and Larry Hughes Jr., its rightful owners.

They were first just shocked that this whole thing came together the way it did, Desch said. Secondly, I think they felt that Corporal Hughes was a very quiet, unassuming man. He was proud of his service, but he also didnt talk, so it was, in a way, an opportunity to connect directly with an important part of their father and brothers life.

Photos of Hughes while serving as a U.S. Marine. (Courtesy of Carl Hughes)

(Left) (L-R) Professor Michael Desch, Patricia Pickett, Carl Hughes, Larry Hughes, Jr., and former U.S. Senator Jim Webb; (Right) A shadow box containing Vietnam veteran Larry Hughes returned dog tag. (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Pedro A. Rodriguez)

The field trip group poses for a photo in Da Nang, Vietnam, in October 2022. (Courtesy of Christian Wirtz/Sharp Wilkenson)

Hughes, who died in 2019 after a heart attack, had enlisted in the Marines as a teenager. When he returned from the war, he reintegrated by working as a boiler maker in a nuclear power plant.

Desch recounted a story from Carl about visiting a mobile Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall with his father, that came to their hometown when Carl was a child.

His father was looking at all the names, and apparently found somebody who served, Desch said. It was obvious that his father [felt] deeply about his time in Vietnam, but it was also not something he talked a lot about.

During the presentation, family members expressed how proud they were of Larry and how glad they were that he finally received recognition. It was also symbolic of something else.

The two sides hated each other, and look how they come together now, how quickly you can build that friendship, that bond, Carl said. And thats what the world needs, is everybody can get along and love each other.

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
FBI Is Now a Weaponized Apparatchik of the Presidential Administration: Whistleblower

Theres a growing divide between the rank-and-file officers of the FBI and upper management, according to FBI agent-turned-whistleblower Steve Friend, and its those at the top who are pushing a political agenda.

I spent close to nine years in the FBI, spent a good chunk of my time just keeping my head down and working the cases in front of me, Friend noted in a March 14 interview with NTD News, The Epoch Times sister outlet.

There are a lot of agents that sort of share that sentiment and just want to drive the mission forward. Unfortunately, theres a big disconnect between the rank-and-file and the management class, and as you climb that ladder, its tending to become more and more political.

The evidence, Friend said, could be seen in the bureaus disparate treatment of pro-life activistslike Mark Houck, whose home was raided by the FBI over an altercation outside of a Planned Parenthoodand pro-abortion activists, like those who protested outside of Supreme Court justices homes and were never investigated.

I think theres an argument to be made that the FBI has now just become a weaponized apparatchik of the presidential administration, he added, holding that public trust in the agency has diminished largely as a result of the perception of political bias.

Blowing the Whistle

Friendnow a senior fellow at the Center for Renewing Americapreviously worked as a special agent in the FBIs Jacksonville, Florida, office, but was suspended from the agency after he came forward last September with concerns about how the bureau was handling child sexual abuse cases and allegations that cases were being inappropriately assigned.

Friend had also objected to the FBIs use of SWAT teams to arrest individuals suspected of committing misdemeanors during the Jan. 6 Capitol breach.

According to a March 6 letter (pdf) written by whistleblower organization Empower Oversight, Friend was informed in December by the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) that, after careful consideration, the OIG had decided against opening an investigation into his allegations.

However, on March 16, DOJ Assistant Inspector General Sean ONeill responded that DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz still intends to schedule an interview with Mr. Friend regarding his disclosures.

Views on Jan. 6

Prior to his suspension, Friend was involved in investigations relating to the Jan. 6 Capitol breachan incident he said could only be fully understood through radical transparency.

Im hoping that this slow drip of surveillance footage is just eventually abandoned, and we just get the whole amount of it, he said, alluding to the recent exposes aired by Fox News Tucker Carlson.

Theres no reason why it should be leaked out slowly because that just gives cannon fodder to both sides to accuse the other of cherry-picking their information.

As for his views on the events of that day, Friend said he thought the incident involved a mixed bag of people who did some deplorable and abhorrent things and should be held accountable and those who were just there to exercise their First Amendment rights.

And the Capitol Police, he noted, did appear to give protesters permission to enter the building.

Whether or not the Capitol Police were trying to deescalate the situation doesnt mitigate the fact that they gave permission to those folks and assured them that they were within the law to walk through the Capitol peacefully and admire the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The Oath Has to Mean Something

Given the stresses of the internal conflict between the rank-and-file officers and leadership, Friend noted that some officers might be tempted to keep quiet about misconduct at the bureau until they can collect their pensions and leave.

But that temptation, he said, should not supersede their oath of office.

You swear an oath in the very beginning, and that has to mean something at the end of the day, he said. I stood up and I swore an oath before God, my family, and my colleagues that I was going to protect the Constitution and my fellow countrymen. And I joined the FBI to do the work of the FBI, not to retire from the FBI.

As for others on the inside looking to speak out, Friend encouraged them to do sobut smartly.

You should look into the proper whistleblowing procedures and make sure your concerns are brought forward. And hopefully, the select committee looking at government weaponization will protect whistleblowers, so that youre not going to have to sacrifice that career.

The Epoch Times has contacted the FBI for comment.
FCC Cracks Down on Scam Text Messages for the First Time

A view of the commission's hearing room before a hearing at the Federal Communications Commission on December 14, 2017 in Washington. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took its first-ever steps to crack down on text-message scams this week, imposing new regulations on mobile phone service providers.

Under the new FCC rules announced Thursday, mobile service providers are required to block certain robotext messages that are considered highly likely to be illegal. These likely-illegal text messengers come from invalid, unallocated, or unused numbers, numbers individuals mark as never sending text messages, and numbers that government agencies and other well-known entities identify as not used for texting.

An additional FCC rule requires mobile wireless providers to establish a point of contact for text senders, or have providers require their aggregator partners or blocking contractors to establish such a point of contact, which senders can use to inquire about blocked texts.

The FCC is further proposing requirements for mobile service providers to block texts from entities the FCC has already cited as illegal robotexters. One idea the FCC is considering would apply the Do Not Call Registry to text messages, blocking messengers from using either method of communication to contact people on that restricted list.

The FCC has another proposal to close down what it called the lead generator loophole, which allows multiple marketing firms to deliver robocalls and text messages based on a single instance of a consumers consent to receive marketing messages. The regulatory agency said this lead generator loophole allows companies to use a single consumer consent to deliver robocalls and text messages from multipleperhaps thousandsof marketers on subjects that may not be what the consumer had in mind.

Robotext Complaints Growing

The new FCC rules and proposals against scam texts come as consumers have expressed increased concern over robotexts.

According to the FCC, there has been a more than 500 percent increase in robotext complaints in recent years. Such complaints reportedly rose from about 3,300 in 2015 to about 18,900 in 2022.

According to Robokiller, a firm that provides scam-blocking services, there were more than 225 billion robotexts received in the United States in 2022. That number marks a 157 percent year-over-year increase, and a 307 percent increase from 2020. Robokiller estimates that consumers lost more than $20 billion as a result of robotext scams in 2022.

Robotexts pose a unique threat to consumers, the FCC said. Unlike robocalls, scam text messages are hard to ignore or hang-up on and are nearly always read by the recipientoften immediately. In addition, robotexts can promote links to phishing websites or websites that can install malware on a consumers phone.

These robotexts are making a mess of our phones. They are reducing trust in a powerful way to communicate, said FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. So today we take our first step to stop these unwanted texts at the network level.

Rosenworcel said the new FCC rules have the support of Attorneys General from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Potential Privacy Implications

While the new FCC rules are ostensibly aimed at curbing a rise in scam text messages, the portion of the new FCC rule that requires wireless providers to establish a point of contact for text senders may impact the privacy of phone users who wish to maintain their anonymity.

The Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF) has raised concerns about law enforcement agencies using cell-site simulators, also known as Stingrays, to track people attending protests through their phones.

In a 2020 article, The Intercept described using a pre-paid phone servicewith a carrier that doesnt require personal identificationas a way of maintaining anonymity at protest events. The FCCs rule requiring a point of contact for each text sender could potentially eliminate the anonymity afforded to protesters who use pre-paid phone services.

NTD News reached out to several digital privacy advocates for comment, but they did not respond before this article was published.

From NTD News
Federal Agency Comes Closer to Gas Stove Ban

Consumer Product Safety Commission one of multiple agencies now eyeing gas stove regulations

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has made a formal request for information about the possible health hazards of gas-powered stovesanother signal that the United States may be moving towards a ban on those appliances under the Biden administration.

This RFI does not constitute or propose regulatory action, but rather is intended to inform the Commission and the public, the request states.

The request can be viewed here. It has already received hundreds of comments. The comment period ends May 8.

The request states that it is seeking input and proposed solutions from stakeholders such as consumers, manufacturers, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and researchers on chronic chemical hazards associated with the use of gas ranges.

Media Comments

The latest move from that federal agency comes just two months after its commissioner, Richard Trumka, Jr., suggested that a gas stove ban could be in the offing.

This is a hidden hazard. Any option is on the table. Products that cant be made safe can be banned, he told Bloomberg News on Jan. 9.

Trumka Jr. is the son of the late former leader of the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka Sr.

U.S. President Joe Biden posthumously awards the nations highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to Richard Trumka as Richard Trumka Jr. accepts, during a ceremony honoring 17 recipients, in the East Room of the White House in Washington on July 7, 2022. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

The commissioners comments, including a late December statement floating the possibility of an outright ban, touched off a flurry of critical responses, mainly from Republican lawmakers.

In a joint letter with other Senate Republicans, Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-W.Va.) sought answers from the CPSC.

Gas stoves tend to result in lower utility bills than their electric counterparts. Gas stoves are also generally more durable, with less parts being susceptible to breakages or other defects. A ban on these stoves would therefore likely result in higher utility bills, disproportionately affecting low-income populations, Lummis Jan. 19 letter stated.

CNN reported that the White House on Jan. 11 told it Biden does not support banning gas stoves, adding that the GPSC, which is independent, is not banning gas stoves.

Later reporting from Fox News revealed that Trumka Jr. had circulated an internal memorandum in Oct. 2022 stating that a gas stove ban could be proposed.

The memo was reviewed by The Epoch Times and can be read here.

The need for gas stove regulation has reached a boiling point, he wrote in the memo.

CPSC has the responsibility to ban consumer products that emit hazardous substances, particularly, when those emissions harm children, under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act.

There is sufficient information available for CPSC to issue an NPR in FY 2023 proposing to ban gas stoves in homes, he added. NPR means notice of proposed rulemaking.

In a March 15 letter, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) asked CPSC regulators to retain any documents related to its efforts to regulate gas stoves.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks in Washington on Sept. 23, 2020. (Greg Nash/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Last month, Cruz and his colleague Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) introduced a bill that would bar a CPSC-led gas stove ban.

The CPSC isnt the only Biden administration agency that has trained its sights on gas stoves.

The Department of Energy on Feb. 1 proposed a rule that could outlaw a sizable fraction of gas stoves.

The request can be viewed here. It has received not hundreds but thousands of comments to date. Its comment period ends on April 3, 2023.

Research from China-Linked Think Tank

Trumka Jr.s Jan. 9 comments followed the publication in Dec. 2022 of a peer-reviewed article that traced 12.7 percent of childhood asthma to gas stoves.

That paper was authored in part by researchers with the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), an environmental think tank that focuses on carbon-free buildings, among other topics.

The RMI also has a China Program involving a Beijing-based team. It advertises its connection to that state, which is run by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

In China, we partner with the government to help the nation profitably surpass its existing national energy and emissions targets, RMIs website on that program states.

RMIs Brady Seals told the Washington Examiner its study does not assume or estimate a causal relationship in the association it documented between childhood asthma and gas stoves.

Others are skeptical of the putative link between gas ranges and poor health.

The American Gas Association, an industry group, issued a statement on Jan. 10 criticizing the RMI study, saying it was not substantiated by sound science.

The authors conducted no measurements or tests based on real-life appliance usage, and ignored literature, including one study of data collected from more than 500,000 children in 47 countries that detected no evidence of an association between the use of gas as a cooking fuel and either asthma symptoms or asthma diagnosis,' the group stated.

As Goes California, So Goes the Nation

The federal ban would follow developments in California, which has led the way in implementing restrictions on natural gas in the United States.

The city of Berkeley banned new natural gas hookups in 2019, making it the first place in this country to do so.

Students pass through Sather Gate of the college campus at the University of CaliforniaBerkeley in a file photo. (David A. Litman/Shutterstock)

In late 2022, the California Air Resources Board approved a measure that would ban new water heaters and furnaces powered by natural gas by 2030.

The California Bay Areas Air District Board of Directors has moved to amend regulations on nitrogen oxide emissions from new water heaters and natural gas furnaces, effectively banning those appliances by 2030.
Federal Bill Would Defund States That Allow Secret Gender Transitions at School

Dozens of parents and parental rights advocates displayed signs and banners with slogans such as No More Secrecy outside the Chico, California, school district office on March 15 in support of proposed federal legislation that would defund states that allow the secret gender transitioning of school children without parental consent.

On March 14, Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) introduced a bill in the U.S. House known as the Prohibiting Parental Secrecy Policies in Schools Act (H.R. 1585), which would require states receiving funds under Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to implement a nationwide policy prohibiting secret social transitioning at school.

At a news conference, LaMalfa said the measure intends to put parents back in charge of the education decisions for their children and personal family decisionsvalue decisions.

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) holds a press conference on H.R. 1585, a U.S. House bill known as the Prohibiting Parental Secrecy Policies in Schools Act, in Chico, Calif., on March 15, 2023. (Screenshot via Facebook/Rep. Doug LaMalfa)

The bill comes in the wake of a lawsuit filed by the Center for American Liberty on the behalf of Aurora Regino, the mother of a child in the Chico Unified School District, against school district staff. She alleges that a school counselor affirmed her 10-year-old daughters gender identity as a transgender male for about three months at Sierra View Elementary School without her knowledge. The lawsuit seeks to end the districts policy of secret gender transitions.

Shes very young and didnt understand what being transgender really meant or the obstacles she would face going through a transition. The school transitioned her and left her to figure it out by herself. This is wrong, Regino said at the news conference.

Regino says she will continue to love her daughter no matter what gender identity she chooses, but that keeping important information a secret from parents is not the answer.

Prior to suing the school district, Regino said she pleaded with school officials and staff to communicate with her about her daughters social transition after her daughter stated that she had transitioned.

At every level within our district, they shut the door in my face and told me that this is law, and they cant tell me. This is a lie. Its not law  and if any parents have experienced the same lie, please know that this is a hoax, Regino said. If this bill was in place, it could have prevented a lot of stress and emotional trauma for my child and me last school year.

Aurora Regino looks out a window in Chico, Calif., on March 12, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

The California Department of Education has issued guidance to school districts, teachers, and counselors to keep gender transitions secret from parents, unless a student wishes to tell them. State law, based on 2013s Assembly Bill 1266, however, doesnt specify that, La Malfa told The Epoch Times after the news conference.

Schools have no business getting between parents and their children, especially on matters of gender and sexuality, LaMalfa said.

Its completely outrageous that these bureaucrats think theyre going to get away with this. It erodes the confidence in the public school system, he said.

LaMalfa introduced the bill by title only, meaning the text of the legislation hasnt yet been received by Congress.

Meanwhile, on March 13, California Assemblymen Bill Essayli (R-Riverside) and James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) introduced parental rights legislation that would require teachers, counselors and other school staff to notify parents in writing within three days if they find a student is identifying as a gender other than what is stated on their birth certificate.

If enacted, the measure would end the states current policy of keeping the gender transition of some students secret, depending on whether the child wants to inform his or her parents.
Fiji Backs AUKUS Deal as Albanese Takes Family First Approach With Island Nation

People's Alliance Party leader Sitiveni Rabuka gestures during a press conference while counting resumes after the Fijian election in Suva, Fiji, on Dec. 17, 2022. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image via AP)

Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has assured Australia that the AUKUS deal has his countrys backing following efforts by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to ease regional concerns over the security pact.

The meeting, which occurred on March 15 during a diplomatic visit in Fijis capital Nadi, comes a day after Indonesia and Malaysia issued statements outlining their ongoing concerns with AUKUS.

Indonesia said Australia would need to develop an effective verification mechanism to ensure that the deal would not fall foul of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. While Malaysia warned that AUKUS could potentially trigger an arms race in the region.

In contrast, Fijis Rabuka said he received assurances from Albanese that the acquisition of the nuclear-powered submarines will not prevent Australia from complying with the Treaty of Rarotonga. The Treaty, which entered into force on Dec. 11, 1986, declares the South Pacific a nuclear weapons-free zone.

In response to Rabuka, Albanese said Australia was investing in its capabilities and relationships.

Thank you for the conversation we had and thank you for your warm support and for confirming that you want a family first approach to security, which is our approach as well, Albanese said.

Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka during the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) in Fiji, on Feb. 23, 2023. (AAP Image/Ben McKay)

Rabuka, who won the prime ministership in December 2022, has been critical of Beijings encroachment in the Indo-Pacific region.

He previously said that governments needed to engage in frank, responsible dialogue to stop Beijings influence have a negative affect on the peaceful atmosphere of the region, reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

Rabuka also said that he did not expect imminent conflict within the Indo-Pacific, and that he saw the Australian government as a stabilising force in the region, reported The Sydney Morning Herald.

Australias Penny Wong Responds to Concerns

In response to Indonesian and Malaysian concerns, Australias Foreign Minister Penny Wong has reiterated that the nuclear-powered submarines would not be armed with nuclear weapons.

Wong said that Australia, like Indonesia, shared the same vision for the region, which is to maintain peace and stability.

Obviously weve engaged very closely with our region in the lead up to this and made sure they werent blindsided in the way they were under the Morrison government, Wong said, in a salvo against the former government.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong listens to a question during a joint news conference after the 32nd annual Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations at the U.S. State Department in Washington D.C. on Dec. 6, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said dealing with Beijings rapid military build-up was the priority of ushering in the secret deal AUKUS between the United States and the United Kingdom. Morrison said he could be described as the father of the AUKUS deal, in an interview with ABCs 7:30 report.

Under the agreement, Australia will buy three Virginia-class hunter submarines by the early 2030s, with an option to buy two moreperhaps Los Angeles-class attack submarines.

The submarines will be added to Australias ageing six submarine Collins-class fleet.

The move comes as democratic allies move to response to Beijings increasingly aggressive posture in the Indo-Pacific, especially in the South China Sea, where its building military bases on artificial islands abreast of shipping lanes and air trade routes.

More Defence Investment Needed: Morrison

Morrison has urged the Albanese government to continue boosting its defence investment warning that no country could counter an attack by Beijing.

Were a country of just over 25 million people, their defence budget is multiple, multiple, multiple times that of Australias, Morrison said, reported Sky News.

Being prepared isnt just having your own capability, its having the interlocking alignments and alliances that actually provide the counterbalance to the threat.

That is what changes the calculus in the region.

Morrison argues that Australias defence budget needs to reach 2.5 percent of GDPa marked increase from the current two percent outlined in Octobers budget that amounts to $48.7 billion (US$32.5 billion).

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Sydney, Australia, on May 21, 2022. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Beijing, which also has nuclear subs, claimed AUKUS would undermine the international non-proliferation system, fuel an arms race, and claimed the deal would hurt peace and stability in the region.

Beijings growing encroachment in the Indo-Pacific has raised concerns, particularly with Western nations, with the U.S. State Department saying that the CCP is using military and economic coercion to bully its neighbors, advance unlawful maritime claims, threaten maritime shipping lanes, and destabilise territory along the periphery of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC).

This predatory conduct increases the risk of miscalculation and conflict.

The United States stands with its Southeast Asian allies and partners to champion a free and open Indo-Pacific.

On March 16, Admiral John Aquilino, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said AUKUS would boost its defence capability.

As good partners, United States and the United Kingdom will go ahead and assist in the ability for Australia to defend themselves, he said.

We are intending to move as fast as possible. And as safe as possible.

On March 17, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed that Australia would purchase 220 Tomahawk cruise missiles from the U.S.
Floridas Proposed Heartbeat Bill Ignites Emotional Debate

Pro-life demonstrators hold signs outside the California Capitol in Sacramento on April 19, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

A bill that would make getting an abortion more difficult in Florida has moved another step closer to becoming law.

The Healthcare Regulation Subcommittee, after emotional and heated debate on March 16, passed the Pregnancy Planning and Support bill, with 13 Republicans voting in favor and five Democrats opposed.

To become law, the bill would still need to pass the states Republican-controlled House of Representatives and Senate, before moving to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

A hearing on the bill drew a crowd and stretched beyond two hours. Of the 142 people signed up to speak at the meeting, most were vehemently opposed to the bill.

Speakers at a Florida House of Representatives committee meeting at the state Capitol in Tallahassee wait on March 16, 2023, to share testimony on a bill that would prohibit most abortions after six weeks gestation. (Dan M. Berger/The Epoch Times)

Not all would-be speakers showed up. But dozens, many of them college students, came to the podium.

Vastly outnumbered were those who came to speak in favor.

Committee chairman Chuck Clemons, the speaker pro tempore, cautioned the crowd to maintain decorum and keep interactions civil.

There was the potential for fireworks, Clemons said later. The committee was respectful of the viewpoints and offered empathy to those attending and [those who] spoke.

Clemons thanked each speaker, including those who had criticized committee members or spoken disrespectfully to them.

Proposed Abortion Restrictions

With some exceptions, the proposed bill would ban abortions after six weeks of gestational age. Under a current state law, signed in April 2022 by DeSantis, abortions are limited after 15 weeks of fetal development.

Two months later, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which had established a constitutional right to abortion in 1973.

The courts June 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization sent decisions on abortion back to the states.

Pro-life activists demonstrate in front of the Supreme Court after its ruling in the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization case in Washington on June 24, 2022. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

The proposed Florida bill maintains existing exceptions that allow later abortions to save the life of the mother or in cases when the developing baby has fatal abnormalities.

It also would allow abortions in cases of rape and incest up to 15 weeks gestation.

In 2022, the state reported more than 82,000 abortionsthe highest number of procedures in a single year since 2008. Of those, 115 were attributed to rape and seven to incest. As other states have tightened restrictions on abortion, Florida has become known as an abortion destination, where, despite the 15-week ban, the procedures currently are easier to obtain than in other parts of the Southeast.

Under the proposed law, for later abortions to be allowed, two doctors would have to agree that the exception is warranted.

The proposed bill also would require that abortion-inducing drugs are dispensed in person by a physician. And it would prohibit the use of telehealth for abortion-inducing treatments.

It also would prohibit using state funds to pay for travel out-of-state to obtain an abortion.

Fireworks

The fireworks Clemons had predicted were confined to what numerous speakers said as they came to the dais. Both speakers and lawmakers shared intensely personal experiences.

State Rep. Chuck Clemons, a Republican, serves in the 2023 Florida Legislature as speaker pro tempore of the House of Representatives and chairman of the Healthcare Regulation Subcommittee. (Courtesy of the Florida House of Representatives)

Rep. Allison Tant, a Democrat, said her mother nearly died of preeclampsia seven months into pregnancy in the late 1940s. The condition forced her to abort a baby she fiercely wanted.

She went blind due to a complication of the pregnancy-related condition, and was hospitalized for a year, Tant said. Twelve years later, Tant was born.

My mother never described this as anything but the most grief-stricken, traumatic experience of her life, Tant said. But it was a necessary procedure that saved her life, so that I could be here, and my sister could be here, and so that my children could have a grandmother.

The two-doctor rule would have posed a problem for her mother, who lived in a rural area with just one doctor, Tant said. Rural residents often live where doctors are scarce and hospitals are far away, others argued in agreement with her.

The six-week limit doesnt provide enough time for many women to realize theyre pregnant, see a doctor, determine if their pregnancy is safe, and confirm that the baby is healthy, some said. And then, they still may need time to plan, pay for, and get an abortion.

Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, a Democrat, said her irregular menstrual cycle meant she didnt know she was pregnant with her two children until 8-9 weeks into each pregnancy.

A womans right to choose and make choices for herselfthis really bothers me as a woman, she said. We talk about being a free state. And this is literally the antithesis of that.

Some speakers testified about unwanted pregnancies resulting from rape, and said those instances surely happen, along with incestuous encounters, more frequently than state records reflect or that people realize.

Tears of Remembrance

Pro-life Rep. Joel Rudman, a Republican and a family doctor, said hes delivered more than 110 babies. Hes often the person who tells a woman shes pregnant.

Id say, nine times out of 10or more than that, maybe 99 times out of 100the news is well-received, he said.

Theres that occasional one where you get that sense of shock on their face. Ive seen that look. Ive seen that look on teenagers, who are in high school. Ive seen that look in 48-year-old women.

When patients are uncertain about the pregnancy, Rudman advises that they go home, think about the implications of what theyre considering, and come back the next day to discuss it.

Nearly all of them choose to keep their babies, he said.

He witnesses a range of emotions when those mothers return with their babies for check-ups.

Each time the visit ends with the mother crying, because she remembers just how close she came to ending the life of the most important thing in her life, he said, pausing to swallow hard, fight back tears, and regain composure.

He said he donates to a pregnancy crisis center a few doors down from his clinic.

A vandal left pro-abortion slogans on Loreto House, a crisis pregnancy center in Denton, Texas, on May 7, 2022. (Courtesy of Loreto House)

Those centers will receive more funding, if the bill becomes law, were targeted by many of the bills opponents. One called them fake medical clinics.

Crisis pregnancy centers, which seek to offer women alternatives to abortion, have been the targets of violence nationwide, with dozens of acts of arson and other vandalism.

A Duty to Protect

Democrats on the committee questioned the need to revisit the issue so soon after tightening restrictions on abortion not quite a year ago. They listed nearly 20 professional medical associations that publicly oppose the legislation.

They also offered amendments. None passed.

The bills sponsor, Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, a Republican, made no apologies for her stance.

Life begins at conception, she said, and theres a duty to protect the unborn.

The bill that is before you is not solely a reflection of my personal beliefs, she said, but of listening in an attempt to build consensusconsensus around policy that will promote life and support all of our mothers and children and families in the State of Florida.
Former Amazon Delivery Driver Sentenced for Stealing Encinitas Womans Dog

VISTA, Calif.A former Amazon delivery driver who stole an Encinitas womans dog while delivering packages was sentenced March 16 to a one-year probation term.

Dena Vindiola, 37, was arrested last October, about three weeks after golden retriever Finn went missing from his owners Hollyridge Drive home.

As part of her probation, Vindiola must abide by a number of conditions, including performing 10 days of community service involving animal care, staying away from any San Diego County dog parks, and prohibitions against owning any dogs.

According to the San Diego County Sheriffs Department, Denise Reppenhagens dog went missing on Oct. 9, 2022, after her garage door was left open by a family member.

PLEASE HELP US FIND FINN $500 REWARD. NO QUESTIONS ASKED! pic.twitter.com/ZNr5aSVPi4  Denise Reppenhagen (@Deniseswellyoga) October 15, 2022

On Oct. 26, a neighbor discovered on home camera surveillance footage that a woman who appeared to be an Amazon driver delivering packages, including at Rappenhagens home, loaded Finn into her car and drove off, the sheriffs department said.

After the video footage of Finns theft was aired on local news, the sheriffs department received a tip from someone who recognized Vindiola, who was arrested Oct. 29 at a home in San Diego.

Sheriffs officials said Vindiola worked for a third-party delivery service that contracts for Amazon deliveries. She told sheriffs investigators that she tried to give Finn to a friend and then to her mother, but neither wanted the dog, leading her to turn Finn in to an animal shelter in El Centro.

The dog was reunited with Rappenhagen the following day.

Vindiola pleaded guilty earlier this year to a count of grand theft of personal property.
Several studies have linked a common heart arrhythmia to dementia. Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common type of heart arrhythmia and affects at least 3 to 6 million people in the United States alone and over 37 million worldwide. It becomes increasingly common with advanced age and affects up to 9 percent of the population by age 80. While AFib is already proven to increase the risk of stroke, recent studies show it may also play a part in the development of dementia and Alzheimers disease.

What Is Atrial Fibrillation?

Atrial fibrillation is an abnormal heartbeat caused by an electrical malfunction inside the heart. When your heart beats regularly, it contracts and relaxes in a steady rhythm. But when your heart is in AFib, the upper chambers beat quickly, essentially quivering, making it feel like your heart skips a beat, is racing, or is fluttering. Many people describe it as feeling like there is a butterfly inside of their chest.

Atrial fibrillation can be constant, or your heart can intermittently go from AFib and back to a regular rhythm.

Strangely, some people never feel their hearts beating abnormally. Other times, symptoms can get uncomfortable and cause shortness of breath, dizziness, or weakness.

The risk of stroke with AFib is high because when your heart isnt beating properly and the upper chamber is only quivering, blood tends to pool and create blood clots that travel from your heart where they lodge inside smaller arteries in your brain, blocking blood flow and potentially resulting in a stroke.

But a series of studies performed by Dr. Jared Bunch, a cardiologist from The University of Utah, and his colleagues, have shown that patients with AFib had higher rates of multiple types of dementia, including Alzheimers, than patients without AFib. [1][2]

Other studies have found the troubling reality that although AFib and dementia are typically diseases of the elderly, theres an elevated increase in relatively young AFib patients (less than 67 to 70 years of age).

How Atrial Fibrillation Increases Dementia Risk

A healthy brain requires regular blood flow, which is its source of oxygen. During episodes of AFib, the heart is beating quickly and at variable rates, making it difficult for blood to pump to the brain effectively. The resulting decreased blood flow to the brain eventually reduces its volume, causing atrophy and cognitive decline.

Researchers also believe that the small blood clots formed inside the heart during AFib can travel deep inside the brain and cause ministrokes. These ministrokes dont come with typical stroke symptoms and can go undetected. Unfortunately, without sufficient blood flow and oxygen, the brain cells in these areas die, resulting in cognitive decline.

Bunch and his team also recognize that patients with Alzheimers disease and those with AFib often show signs of inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular dysfunctionsymptoms that may relate to hypertension, obesity, physical inactivity, and metabolic syndrome.

The mechanism behind dementia and the cognitive decline related to AFib. (The Epoch Times)

Dr. Atif Zafar, a board-certified neurologist and chief of the stroke program at St. Michaels Hospital at the University of Toronto, told The Epoch Times that another potential link between AFib and dementia could be at the molecular level. He notes studies that show specific molecules called NT-proBNP can be elevated in patients with AFib. [1][2][3]

This molecule is likely prothrombotic, and while many of us are curious to see how these molecules impact stroke, we are also concerned about the long-term cognitive decline in patients with AFib, said Zafar.

For those who may or may not know if they have AFib and want to reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive decline, Zafar says to be aware of symptoms and assess your risk factors.

Symptoms of AFib

Some symptoms of AFib to watch out for are heart palpitations, fluttering in your chest, or feeling like your heart skips a beat. Many people dont realize their heart is beating irregularly; their only symptom is fatigue and lack of normal energy. Additional symptoms may include:

Shortness of breath

Sweating

Anxiety

Weakness

Dizziness

Confusion

Chest pain and pressure

The most common risk factors for AFib are advancing age and high blood pressure. Additional risk factors may include diabetes, obesity, alcohol use, and smoking.

When you have symptoms, especially with associated risk factors, it is imperative to get a diagnosis to treat the AFib and deter further complications.

Zafar strongly advocates utilizing smartwatches and other devices to monitor your heart rhythm.

Do I see an instrumental role of smartwatches and digital screening devices? Absolutely! said Zafar. He and other colleagues see patients who have been alerted to AFib by their smartwatches. Zafar believes these types of health gadgets will help improve heart and brain health by triggering physicians to screen for AFib. These screenings arent routinely recommended for everyone over 50, yet can help identify more people who arent necessarily symptomatic but do have an abnormal heart rhythm.

Treating AFib to Decrease Risk of Dementia

There are various treatments for AFib, including lifestyle changes, medications, and other procedures. Healthy lifestyle changes, according to Zafar, include losing weight if you are obese, reducing your blood pressure, exercising at least 20 to 30 minutes daily, and managing sleep apnea. These will minimize your risk of AFib and positively impact your brain health.

However, even if you follow these lifestyle recommendations, your cardiologist or primary care physician may recommend a blood thinner or medications that regulate your heart rhythm, based on your overall health and to reduce your risk for cognitive decline and dementia.

Another possible intervention is a procedure called a catheter ablation, which may be recommended when your AFib persists, despite lifestyle changes and medications. An ablation is described by the American Heart Association as a generally safe procedure where an electrophysiologist places a catheter at the exact site in your heart where abnormal electrical signals are causing the AFib. Radiofrequency energy is then used to destroy the small area causing the electrical problems. The catheter ablation can resolve your AFib symptoms, but its not a guarantee. Some people find the AFib persists and may be advised to stay on blood thinners and heart rhythm medications to control symptoms and to help the heart pump adequately.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that Americans living in eight northeastern U.S. states should be aware of the signs of babesiosis, a tick-borne disease that is on the rise.

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont have seen increases in babesiosis, while the disease is endemic in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire, according to the CDC report. Thats based on data that was collected between 2011 and 2019.

Unlike Lyme disease, caused by several types of borrellia bacteria, babesiosis is caused by the babesia parasite that can infect red blood cellsnot unlike malaria. Some medical professionals describe babesiaalong with anaplasmosis, the Powassan virus, sometimes bartonella, and othersas a co-infection to Lyme disease that are transmitted via tick bites.

Members of the public and health care providers in states with endemic babesiosis and bordering states should be aware of the clinical signs of babesiosis and risk factors for Babesia infection. Persons spending time outdoors in states with endemic babesiosis should practice tick bite prevention, including wearing long pants, avoiding underbrush and long grass, and using tick repellents, said the CDC.

It noted that the parasitic disease is generally spread by black-legged or deer ticks, Ixodes scapularis, which are common across the eastern and southern portions of North America. Theyre considered the main vector of Lyme disease, which federal officials have said is also on the rise across the United States.

People can also contract the babesia parasite through contaminated blood transfusions and organ transplants. Pregnant mothers who have babesiosis can transmit it to their babies, the CDC said.

While Lyme disease is often described as a chronic disease, babesiosis can cause mild illness with no symptoms ranging to an acute illness with multi-organ failure. According to a decades-old New York Department of Health report, babesiosis is often associated with case-fatality rates as high as 10 percent. But Dr. Peter Krause, a senior research scientist at the Yale School of Public Health told NBC News this week that the disease has a fatality rate of 1 to 2 percent.

Babesia is much more of a problem than the general public recognizes and can be fatalup to 20 percentin people who have HIV/AIDS or severe cancer with chemotherapy or individuals who lack a spleen, Krause told the outlet.

A tick is seen at the French National Institute of Agricultural Research in Maison-Alfort, France, on July 20, 2016. (Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images)

Symptoms and Treatment

To treat babesiosis, the CDC recommends prescription antimicrobial medications such as atovaquone including azithromycin or a combination of clindamycin and quinine in acute cases.

Like Lyme disease, several common herbal supplements may be able to kill off a babesia infection, according to LymeDisease.org. A test-tube study shows that Cryptolepis sanguinolenta (Ghanaian quinine), Artemisia annua (Sweet wormwood), Scutellaria baicalensis (Chinese skullcap), Alchornea cordifolia (African Christmas bush), and Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed) could show some promise, the website says.

Symptoms of babesiosis include a flu-like illness with a chill, sweats, malaise, fatigue, and headache. Other symptoms that arent as common include cough, arthralgia, sore throat, abdominal pain, nausea, emotional lability, and depression, according to federal officials. Some sufferers, meanwhile, have reported air hunger.

High-risk patients may suffer multi-organ dysfunction, including respiratory distress, congestive heart failure, renal failure, splenic rupture, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), hepatitis, or coma, says the National Institutes of Health.

It can take one to six weeks for symptoms to arise, and some 20 percent of adults and 50 percent of children who contract babesia do not suffer any symptoms, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Fridays CDC report said that a total of 16,456 cases of babesiosis were reported to the agency in 37 states between 2011 and 2019. New York state reported the highest number of cases, or about 4,738 in total, while Massachusetts was No. 2 and Connecticut was No. 3.

The CDC noted that some states, including Pennsylvaniawhere Lyme disease is considered endemicdo not report babesiosis. The report further stated that Fridays data likely dont represent all incident cases of babesiosis in reporting states while patients with nonspecific symptoms might not be tested for babesiosis.
Vitamin D deficiency is often accompanied by symptoms and diseases that are casually dismissed as old age.

Vitamin D, which acts more like a hormone than a vitamin, plays several important roles and can affect everything from cognition to cancer. Among its roles, it helps control calcium and phosphate levels in the body.

What sometimes appears to be rapid physical and cognitive deterioration associated with aging, can actually be vitamin D deficiency, which proponents argue could be avoided with supplementation. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, and depression. A majority of the population worldwide is vitamin D deficient.

Vitamin D deficiency has a murky list of symptomssuch as the fatigue, weakness, brain fog, and anxiety that accompany a plethora of diseases. Its also possible that vitamin D deficiency may be lurking with no symptoms at all.

The only way to know for sure if your vitamin D level is low is to test, but the test isnt always covered by insurance, and Medicare rarely pays for itassuming a doctor recommends it in the first place. One test costs $30$100. Theres also no universal lab value or vitamin D level that offers meaningful guidance to those who want to protect themselves against the list of diseases associated with deficiency.

Research has shifted and swayed as to how much vitamin D we need and any risks associated with too much. That situation is confusing to patients and even doctors who may suffer from analysis paralysis. But there are specific findings applicableespecially to seniorsthat indicate that supplementing with vitamin D does make a difference.

Understanding Vitamin D Levels

The first step is to test, rather than guess, your vitamin D levels.

Vitamin D is produced in your skin with a lesser amount being absorbed through your food. Then, its sent to your liver, where its converted to 25-hydroxycholecalciferol, also known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or 25 (OH)D. This is what the test measures.

Exactly how much 25 (OH)D you should have in your blood is up for debate.

GrassrootsHealth, a nonprofit public health research organization made up of 48 scientists, issued a call to action that recommends that people of every age need to reach and maintain a 25 (OH) D serum level of between 4060 nanograms/milliliter (ng/ml) for optimal health. A 2017 report in Nature Reviews Endocrinology states that despite varying recommendations from medical organizations, all of them agree that anything less than 10 ng/ml should be avoided at all ages. Some experts say 25 ng/ml is normal, while others argue that its too low.

The aging process is complicated by vitamin D deficiency, in part because it becomes more difficult to synthesize vitamin D from the sunlight as we get older. Intake of vitamin D from foods such as salmon, tuna, milk, eggs, pork, and beef liver is also lower in senior years. We know most older adults are deficient, but what to do about it has become a medical stumbling block.

Its an issue thats been complicated to the point of controversy as research creates new, confusing headlines every few months. Even a quick glance through undated articles on Todays Geriatric Medicines website doesnt settle questions about the benefits of vitamin D, who should take it, and how much they should take.

On top of this, the number of stories on vitamin D dangers and toxicity seems disproportionate to the actual risk. Theres a small group of people who dont tolerate vitamin D supplementation, which is why levels should be monitored by lab testing and a physician.

How Much Is Enough?

The Institute of Medicine last set standards in 2019 for a tolerable upper limit dose of vitamin D at 4,000 international units (IU) per day, while the Endocrine Society at about the same time recommended 10,000 IU per day as the upper limit.

The National Institutes of Health recommendation is 600 IU daily for people aged 51 to 70 and 800 IU for those older than 70 but not more than 4,000 IU each day. But whether that will allow a patient to reach a serum level of 25 ng/ml, which some consider a health level, is a case-by-case basis. The Epoch Times recently reported on the trend of higher doses of vitamin D being used for incurable diseases, and research shows that there are benefits to getting the level between 40 and 60 ng/ml.

Dosing is more of an art than a science, as a 2017 study in Dermato-Endocrinology noted. One goal of the study was to achieve an average serum level of 40 ng/ml among the 3,882 participants. Another goal was to closely study toxicity.

Participants at the beginning of the study were taking an average of 2,100 IU vitamin D daily with an average serum level of 35 ng/ml. The researchers found that it required 6,000 to 7,000 IU (depending on weight) to achieve a vitamin D level of 40 ng/ml. At the end of the study, the average serum level for all participants was 51 ng/ml. Vitamin D intakes of up to 15,000 IU per day were found safe in the study.

Dr. Ellie Campbell, an integrative primary care specialist, told The Epoch Times that her level was at less than 20 ng/ml when she first checked in 2006, and it took her 1.6 million IUs of vitamin D to reach a level above 50 ng/ml. Since then, she has found that it takes 5,000 IUs daily to keep it at that level.

Many patients arent aware of their vitamin D levels, and it frustrates her that labs report levels of 25 ng/ml and 30 ng/ml as normal.

Normal is determined by a scattergraph by the last 100 or so specimens, Campbell said. Theyre not reporting optimal.

In other words, dont have a good scientific basis for making any specific claims about what ideal 25 (OH) D levels are. What we do know is that diseases arise when levels get too low and that people with higher levels do better.

There are at least four reasons elderly populations should consider vitamin D supplementation.

1. Vitamin D Lowers the Risk of Dementia

A new study examining the vitamin D supplementation habits of 12,388 participants from the National Alzheimers Coordinating Center data linked supplementation to significantly lower rates of dementia. Results were published this month in Alzheimers & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring.

Among the nearly 3,000 participants who developed dementia over the decade-long study, 75 percent had no vitamin D and the other 25 percent had only baseline exposure. Overall, the study found vitamin D was associated with a 40 percent lower risk of dementia.

There are currently about 50 million people living with dementia worldwide, a number thats expected to triple by 2050, according to the study.

Professor Zahinoor Ismail of the University of Calgary and the University of Exeter, who led the research, said in a statement:

We know that vitamin D has some effects in the brain that could have implications for reducing dementia, however, so far, research has yielded conflicting results. Our findings give key insights into groups who might be specifically targeted for vitamin D supplementation. Overall, we found evidence to suggest that earlier supplementation might be particularly beneficial, before the onset of cognitive decline.

2. Vitamin D Reduces Recurrent Vertigo

A study published in 2020 in Neurology found that those who supplemented with vitamin D (and calcium) to get to a minimum level of 20 ng/mL of 25 (OH) D reduced their chances of recurrent episodes of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, the most common type that happens when a change in head position causes a spinning sensation.

Conducted in Korea, the study compared a group of 445 people taking vitamin D to 512 people in an observation group that didnt receive supplements or have their levels monitored. There was a 24 percent reduction in the annual recurrence rate for those who took vitamin D, according to a statement about the study.

Traditional treatment involves a physical movement performed by a doctor that shifts the particles in the ear that are causing the vertigo, which can contribute to falls, fractures, and head trauma.

Our results are exciting because so far, going to the doctor to have them perform head movements has been the main way we treat benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, said Dr. Ji-Soo Kim of Seoul National University College of Medicine in South Korea. Our study suggests an inexpensive, low-risk treatment like vitamin D and calcium tablets may be effective at preventing this common, and commonly recurring, disorder.

3. Vitamin D Helps Prevent Cancer

When it comes to advanced cancer, vitamin D supplementation can extend life, according to a 2020 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In a clinical trial of 25,871 patients, vitamin D reduced the risk of metastatic or fatal cancers in those with a normal body mass index.

The Vitamin D Council highly recommends women with breast cancer take 5,000 to 15,000 IU per day of vitamin D and check levels to ensure that they stay above 70 ng/ml. For prevention, the level recommended is 60 ng/ml. Several studies show a benefit associated with reducing breast cancer.

Because of a family history of cancer, Campbell said shes adamant about keeping her vitamin D levels high. Depending on dosing, vitamin D was shown to lower breast cancer risk by up to 83 percent from 30 percent at an American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in 2008.

Theres no drug on the market that can lower your breast cancer risk to that level, she said. Everyone should know about this.

4. Vitamin D Reduces Falls and Fractures

Older studies show as much as a 72 percent reduction in falls among those with higher vitamin D levels in nursing homes. On the other hand, a recent and highly publicized study in The New England Journal of Medicine concluded that there was no correlation between vitamin D and fractures in older adults.

Critics of that study, which had dosing inconsistencies, as well as a few other 2022 studies, say theres a distinct benefit for taking vitamin D. One of those studies in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Metabolism reviewed 28 studies of 61,744 cases and 9,767 hip fractures and concluded that low serum vitamin D levels in the elderly are associated with an increase in the risk of hip fracture.

What a difference we could make to the nursing home population because they fall less often, Campbell said. Its one of the cheapest, easiest interventions. If we push those levels to where the science tells us it should be, our patients are recipients of the benefits.

The New England Journal of Medicine study received plenty of publicity, but its drawn some criticism, too. Participants in the trial were given an initial high dose of vitamin D and then received a smaller daily dose of 2,000 IUs, while the placebo group was permitted to take up to 800 IUs per day. Grassroots Health was critical of this type of research for creating skepticism and preventing optimal dosing.

Additional research has found that not only does low vitamin D translate to more falls, but its also associated with muscle weakness and pain, as well as gait disorders. Data demonstrated that those with a level of 20 ng/ml of 25 (OH)D and higher had better use of their lower extremities.

The Vitamin D Council keeps an updated list of conditions that may benefit from using this hormone, along with links to studies. Grassroots Health also has information about vitamin D, testing, levels, and transformation stories.
Hong Kong Police Arrested Two People in Possession of Banned Childrens Picture Books

On July 22, 2021, the current Senior Superintendent, Steve Li Kwai-wah of the National Security Department, held a press conference and arrested the chairman, deputy chairman, secretary and treasurer, and others of the General Union of Speech Therapists for allegedly conspiring to publish seditious publications, including three children's picture books, "The Guardians of Sheep Village, The 12 Heroes of Sheep Village, and The Garbage Collectors of Sheep Village," in violation of Section 10 of the Crimes Ordinance. Lee said in July 2021 that possessing a single publication would not result in criminal liability. (Sung Pi-lung/The Epoch Times)

On March 13, the officers of the National Security Department arrested two men for allegedly possessing the Sheep Village picture book, which was described as an incitement publication. The current Senior Superintendent, Steve Li Kwai-wah of the National Security Department, said in July 2021 that possessing a single publication would not lead to criminal liability.

The police never explained clearly how the arrestees broke the law, asking the public to self-censor and questioning whether possession of books such as Apple Daily, 1984, and Animal Farm would also break the law.

Some commentators criticized the incident as similar to the incident of burning the Confucian classics and burying alive the Confucian scholars committed by the first Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang.

In a joint operation with the National Security Department and Customs and Excise Department, two men, aged 38 and 50, were arrested in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island on suspicion of possession of seditious publications, contrary to section 10(2) of the Crimes Ordinance, Cap. 200.

Under court warrants, the police searched the homes and offices of the two arrested men. They seized several items which were said to be seditious publications that have the effect of arousing hatred or contempt for the Central Government, the HKSAR Government, and the administration of justice in Hong Kong, inciting others to violence and counseling others to disobey the law. It is reported that the publications are the Sheep Village Guardian series.

On July 22, 2021, the current Senior Superintendent, Steve Li Kwai-wah of the National Security Department, held a press conference and arrested the chairman, deputy chairman, secretary and treasurer, and others of the General Union of Speech Therapists for allegedly conspiring to publish seditious publications, including three childrens picture books, The Guardians of Sheep Village, The 12 Heroes of Sheep Village, and The Garbage Collectors of Sheep Village, in violation of Section 10 of the Crimes Ordinance.

Lee said on that day, if the store has the relevant picture books, it should stop distributing them, but also advised parents to dispose of the relevant publications. However, a single possession will not lead to criminal liability.

The Five Defendants in the Picture Book Case were Sentenced to 19 Months in Prison

On Sept. 7, 2022, Designated National Security Law District Court Judge Kwok Wai Kin found the five defendants in the picture bookcase guilty of conspiracy to publish seditious publications. It sentenced them to 19 months in prison. Between their arrest in July 2021 and their trial, all five were denied bail.

According to the judgments made by W.K. Kwok, the picture book created by the defendants was, in effect, a brainwashing exercise with a view to guiding the very young children to accept their views and values.

Kwok pointed out that the defendants also mobilized other persons sharing the same values as the seed of instability will be sown in China and Hong Kong. Kwok also mentioned an intention to incite persons to violence or to create a public disturbance or disorder for the purpose of disturbing constituted authority.

Kwok said the political situation appears to be calm on the surface but very volatile underneath. Under these circumstances, there is a strong pressing need to safeguard national security in Hong Kong to prevent riots and civil unrest of any magnitude from happening again.

He also said restrictions to freedom of expression and publication are necessary for the protection of national security and the protection of public order, making sedition an offence should be an even more important tool for the protection of national security

On Oct. 10, 2022, the five defendants were released from prison.

The Forwarding of the Picture Book Website Was Also an Offence

In January, the former elected representative of the Chinese University Student Unions CW Chu College, Wong Ho Cheong, was charged with one or more counts of doing an act or acts with seditious intention.

The police alleged that he posted seditious messages on online social media platforms between November and December 2022, including re-posting messages from the Sheep Village 2.0 page with the download URL of the Sheep Village picture book, and the words Catch me if you can, motherfxxker in his posts.

He also made a post on the LIHKG Forum, publishing the slogan Liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our times and calling for resistance to mandatory building inspection measures.

UN Urges Hong Kong to Repeal Sedition Provisions

On July 28, 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) released an expert report expressing deep concern about the impact of the Hong Kong Extradition Bill and the crime of sedition on human rights.

The report states that the seditious offense under the Crimes Ordinance, which has been in place for many years, will be used again by the Hong Kong government in 2020.

The Commission is concerned about the arrest and prosecution of academics, journalists, and members of civil society for allegedly violating the crime of sedition and urges the Hong Kong government to repeal the National Security Law and the crime of sedition.

On Sept. 26, 2022, the representative of the European Union spoke at the United Nations Human Rights Council meeting, in which he specifically mentioned the human rights situation in Hong Kong and expressed deep concern about the National Security Law of Hong Kong and the re-invocation of the crime of sedition by the Hong Kong government, among which he mentioned the five people sentenced to imprisonment in the Sheep Village Picture Book case, reflecting the continuous deterioration of the freedoms protected by the Basic Law.
House Oversight Seeks Testimony From Key Biden Partner Who Transferred $1 Million

Hunter Biden spokesperson says allegations are 'baseless'

President Joe Biden, with son Hunter Biden, arrives at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

The Republican-led House Oversight Committee asked a Hunter Biden business associate to testify before the committee, coming a day after the panel released information from financial documents showing that Walker transferred $1 million to Biden family members days after receiving a wire from a Chinese energy firm.

Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) wrote a letter to John Robinson Rob Walker Friday and asked him to appear for a transcribed interview before the panel. Walker was told to contact the committee to schedule an interview before March 24, the letter said.

Subpoenaed financial records reveal that from 2015 to 2017, Biden family membersHunter Biden, James Biden, Hallie Biden, and an unknown Bidenand their companies collectively received over $1.3 million in payments from accounts related to Rob Walker, his office wrote. Most of the payments to the Biden family came after Rob Walker received a $3 million wire from a Chinese energy company.

On Thursday, a new disclosure found that $3 million was wired from State Energy HK Limited on March 1, 2017, to Walkers Robinson Walker LLC, according to the House Oversight panel. Later, between March and May 2017, payments were sent incrementally to Biden family accounts, including those belonging to Hunter, James, and Hallie Biden, it said.

After the Robinson Walker, LLC account received $3 million from State Energy HK Limited, Biden family members and their companies began receiving incremental payments over a period of approximately three months, a memo from the committee said. The recipients of the money included Hallie Biden, companies associated with Hunter Biden and James Biden.

An unknown bank account with the identity Biden also received payments up to around $70,000, according to the memo. Its unclear who operated that account.

Although Republicans asserted that the transfers were evidence that a Chinese state energy firm was linked to the Biden family, their letters only indicated that the funds were transferred from Walkers account to Biden family accounts in March 2017. There was no direct evidence provided showing that the money came from China.

The Epoch Times has reached out to a lawyer for Hunter Biden, a spokesman for James Biden, and an email account associated with Hallie Biden regarding Comers memo about the money wires. Walker, meanwhile, has not issued a public comment on the matter.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) questions witnesses during the first public hearing of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 8, 2023. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

In a statement Friday, Comer described Walker as a key witness in Republicans investigation into the Biden familys dealings. Citing a recorded conversation with another Walker and Hunter Biden associate Tony Bobulinski, Comer wrote that Walker once said that exposing him would bury all of us, man.

These records reveal that the three parties likely all received a third of the money from China and it is unclear what services were provided in return, the chairman added. The Oversight Committee has many questions for Rob Walker, he said, and we look forward to getting answers for the American people.

Baseless

A spokesperson for the White House on Thursday disparaged Comers recent findings and said the House Oversight investigation is a waste of time, suggesting members of President Bidens family should be considered off-limits. The spokesperson suggested that in particular, Hallie Bidenthe widow of Beau Bidenis being unfairly singled out by Republicans.

Instead of bizarrely attacking the presidents family, perhaps House Republicans should focus on working with the president to deliver results for American families on important priorities like lowering costs and strengthening health care, the spokesperson told news outlets.

And a spokesperson for Hunter Bidens lawyers told Fox News: Here we go again as Rep. Comer takes something old and tries to make it new by wrapping it in a wild and baseless right-wing conspiracy. The spokesperson did not address Comers claims or questions about the 2017 wire transfers, but they did confirm that members of the Biden family received those payments, without elaborating.

The accounts so dramatically listed by Rep. Comer belonged to Hunter, his uncle and Hallienobody else, the spokesperson said.

In December 2020, Hunter Biden issued a statement saying that federal prosecutors are investigating his tax affairs. Since then, few details about that probe, which is headed by U.S. Attorney David Weiss, have been divulged.

Comers request comes as Hunter Biden filed a lawsuit against Delaware-based laptop repairman John Paul Mac Isaac for allegedly invading his privacy after Mac Isaac sued him. The younger Biden is reported to have dropped off his laptop at Mac Isaacs repair shop years ago.

No matter how they came into his initial possession, Mac Isaac improperly accessed files that he admits were none of [his] business even though he was never given permission by Mr. Biden to access or review any data of Mr. Bidens, the suit says. The shop owner later made copies of the data and distributed the copies to others.
My son Remy was supposed to bring cheese and crackers for the ski team potluck, so of course he wanted to bring California rolls. It was a lot more work, but a good idea. Everyone loves California rolls. And I am well-trained in making them.

The California roll is actually from Canada. Japanese-born chef Hidekazu Tojo first served it in the 1970s at Jinya, a restaurant in Vancouver. Tojo wanted a sushi roll that would appeal to a North American audience that was often skeptical of eating seaweed and raw fish. He concealed the seaweed by rolling it with the rice on the outside, and he used fake crab and avocado to mimic the experience of eating raw tuna. It was originally called the Inside Out Roll, but the staff at Jinya noticed that guests from California were especially enthusiastic about it, so they changed the name.

I was Remys age when the California roll was new and still exotic, but today, its normal. My local supermarket stocks them pre-made, and it stocks every ingredient, including the imitation crab, aka krab. This pink-and-white processed food is made from pollock, a fish thats abundant in the cold, northern waters. The pollock fishery is so healthy that fake crab is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to eat ocean protein.

Seaweed is light on the earth as well. Its farmed in the ocean and needs no soil, water, or fertilizer. Both ingredients deliver wild, umami-rich complexities.

I made my first California roll in a sushi class when I was 15. We met one night a week for eight weeks. My teacher was disciplined and precise, like a martial arts master, and drilled us in the techniques, such as fanning the rice while you stir it just so. The California roll was only a few years old at the time, and it was popular and revolutionary enough that we spent a class learning how to make the trendy roll. We used plastic wrap to keep the rice from sticking to the bamboo mats as we rolled them inside out.

The rice gets mixed with a surprising amount of sugar, to balance the salt and vinegar thats also there. Altogether, the sweet, salty, and sour flavors in the rice alone account for three out of the five basic tastes. Bitterness is present in the California roll from the seaweed and wasabi. The fifth and final basic taste, umami, is in the seaweed, avocado, fake crab, and soy sauce.

These universal flavors appeal to everyone, old and new, including those who dont purport to love sushi. At the potluck at the base of the chairlift, Remys rolls were the toast of the party. Kids were running around in their ski boots with their fists full of sushi rolls, and the platter was quickly wiped clean.

Sushi rice is made from Japanese short-grained rice, which is shorter and sticker than other varieties and perfect for making sushi rolls.(joanna wnuk/Shutterstock)

Sushi Rice

This is how we made rice in sushi class. You will need a pot with a lid, a large mixing bowl, and a wide, thin wooden or plastic spoon. And you will need a fan, or some type of flat, lightweight object to wave at the ricea large Tupperware lid works well.

Makes enough for 8 rolls

2 cups sushi rice (short-grain, Japanese)

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons sugar

Rinse the rice by covering it with water in a pot and agitating it with your fingers. When the water gets milky with rice starch, dump and replace it. Do this as many times as necessary for the water to run clear. Drain the rice of all rinse water, and place it in a pot with 1 3/4 cups of water. Let soak for 30 minutes.

Put it on the stovetop and turn the heat to high for 5 minutes. Then turn down to medium-low for 10 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, dissolve the salt and sugar in the vinegar in a bowl. It will take some stirring with a whisk or fork.

Transfer the rice to a large bowl, ideally a wooden bowl. Then, with one hand fanning the rice, use the flat spoon with your other hand to slice into the rice and fluff it. Always slide it into the rice edge first, and be careful not to mush the rice. You will see the steam flying from the fan. Keep fanning until there is no more visible steam. Pour the sweet and salty vinegar over the rice, and gently slice it in with the flat spoon until mixed.

Let it cool to room temperature.

Imitation crab is made from pollock, a fish thats abundant in the cold, northern waters. (aboutsung/Shutterstock)

California Rolls

To roll, you will need a bamboo sushi mat (available in large supermarkets, Asian supermarkets, and online) and a sharp knife. If you want to roll inside out, you will also need plastic wrap.

2 cups rice, prepared as above, at room temp

1 package of nori seaweed

1 12-ounce package fake crab, preferably in stick form

1 cucumber, peeled and cut into long, thin pieces

2 avocados, cut into long, thin pieces

Soy sauce and wasabi for serving

Mayonnaise (optional)

1/4 cup rice vinegar (optional, for preparing)

In a little bowl, combine the rice vinegar and 1/4 cup of water. Use this to keep your hands wet so rice wont stick to them, to wet the end of the sushi roll to seal it, and to wet the knife to keep the rice from sticking to it when you cut the rolls.

Lay a sheet of nori on a rolling mat. Spread 1/3 cup of cooked rice over two-thirds of a sheet, leaving the final 3 inches empty.

If you want to make inside-out California rolls, flip the riced nori onto a piece of plastic wrap atop the sushi mat.

Pull a stick of fake crab in half the long way, along the grain. Lay the two pieces end to end across the middle of the rice, flanked by cucumber, avocado, and mayonnaise. Carefully curl the mat around the sushi so the rice goes all around the contents, squeezing the mat as you roll it a little bit at a time, keeping everything as tight as you can.

Wet the knife with vinegar water and slice each roll into 6 to 8 pieces. (If you rolled it inside out, peel off the plastic before slicing.)
Human Rights Group Urges Canada to Launch Foreign Agent Report Hotline as CCP Sends Life Threats to Hongkongers

On Nov. 15, 2022, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended the G-20 Leadership Summit in Bali, Indonesia, and briefly met with Xi Jinping, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party. According to media reports, Trudeau raised pressing concerns about the interference activities of the Chinese Communist Party in Canada. (Adam Scotti/Prime Minister's Office Canada/AFP)

On March 10, the federal government of Canada announced a public consultation on establishing a foreign influence transparency registry.

Hong Kong Watch Canada welcomed the idea. However, since consulting the public would take a few years to form legislation, the human rights group urged the Canadian government to set up an independent reporting hotline first. The group stated an urgent need for a hotline to prevent any suspected agents of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from continuing to intimidate Hongkongers in Canada.

Public Safety Canada began a public consultation on the foreign influence transparency registry on March 10.

The Canadian authorities are carrying out relevant legislation because of the regime interfering in Canadas 2019 and 2021 elections.

Beijing government and agents pose serious threats

Katherine Leung, a policy adviser of Hong Kong Watch and assistant to a former member of Congress, pointed out that in early November 2021, Sen. Leo Housakos, supervisory sponsor of Hong Kong, had proposed the S-237 Act.

The bill emphasizes the need for the Canadian federal government to set up a registry of foreign government agents to identify and counter foreign agents in Canada, posing an increasingly serious threat to Canadian nationals.

The bill requires foreign government agents to submit declaration forms. If a declarant makes false statements in the declaration, they are subject to being fined or imprisoned to deter threats and thus protect Canadas people.

Leung believes that the S-237 Act is already the best solution. Hong Kong Watch Canada takes responsibility for protecting human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong. It has never been absent from the topic discussion and will continue actively to participate in the consultation promoted by the Canadian government.

The human rights group stated that the CCP had been intimidating Hongkongers in Canada in various forms in recent years.

Multiple media outlets revealed that the CCPs Overseas Police Department has been operating in many Canadian cities, deeply disturbing the Chinese people in Canada, especially Hong Kong people who have migrated to the local areas.

In October 2022, when Aileen Calverley, co-founder, and trustee of Hong Kong Watch, attended the Canada-Peoples Republic of China Relations (CACN) hearing, she asked the Canadian government to legislate on the foreign agents registry against the CCPs Overseas Police Department.

In addition to infiltration, suspected foreign agents of the CCP are creating white terror in Canada.

Report Hotline is The Fastest Temporary Solution

Hong Kong Watch Canada mentioned receiving many assistance requests from Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary. Due to political differences, the people needing assistance have received anonymous threats and intimidation by pro-China individuals.

Some people had to report to the Royal Canadian Police and the Canadian Security Intelligence Agency. Unfortunately, their cases were only filed as complaints.

Katherine Leung told The Epoch Times that people who have received threats in the Hong Kong-Canadian community are not just active political members or figures. Hongkongers with little or no political involvement, such as immigration consultants, travel agents, and community members, are also affected.

Other than receiving messages asking them to stop their political acts, some people also received videos of beheading that terrorist organizations had used.

The organization said it recommends a reporting hotline should be launched as soon as possible before before introducing the Foreign Agents Registration Office to receive and investigate cases suspected of being harassed by foreign agents in Canada.

Life Threat Victims to Speak to Canadian Congress

Hong Kong Watch Canada will arrange for affected and intimidated migrants to attend a closed-door round-table meeting held in Ottawa at the end of March. The conference will ensure attendees can state their case to the Canadian federal government and Congress.

A poll conducted by local polling agency Nanos Research to conduct a poll from Feb. 26 to March 1, 2023, showed that over 90 percent of Canadians are worried about Beijings interference in Canadian society.

Of the interviewees, 59 percent are worried, while 32 percent said they are quite worried.

Regarding Canadas protection of the country from foreign interference, 15 percent of the respondents said the governments performance was satisfactory, while only 13 percent thought the government did an excellent job.

On the contrary, people who thought the government was doing a poor job said that he, like Canadians, they worried about interference from the Chinese regime and other foreign governments.

However, Trudeau pointed out that the government had already introduced a system in 2015 to protect Canadas public institutions from foreign interference and improve their ability to detect, prevent and counter those attempts.

However, a poll released by Nanos Research in December 2022 also showed that 88 percent of Canadians supported establishing a foreign agent registry, exposing people who work for foreign governments, trying to infiltrate Canadian politics, and increasing transparency.

In 2021, House of Commons Conservative Party member Kenny Chiu proposed the Registration of Foreign Influences Act. He hoped the government would build a system to monitor the activities of foreign government agents. Chiu, therefore, was labeled as anti-China.

Later, the Canadian Security Intelligence Agency (CSIS) and the Communications Security Agency (CSE) confirmed with the Conservative Party that during the 2021 federal election, 13 electoral districts had become the target of foreign forces in the Chinese-based Toronto and Greater Vancouver areas.

There are Conservative Party candidates in a total of 13 Conservative Party candidates of electoral districts who became the target of foreign interference.

It included specific election campaigns funded by foreign governments, illegal advertising, and removing the Conservative Partys campaign news on WeChat.

During the election, many posts on WeChat falsely accused the Conservative Party of being anti-China and attacked the Conservative Party candidates, including Kenny Chiu.

In an interview with The Epoch Times in 2021, Kenny Chiu said that pro-communists attacked him fiercely via social media posts, radio comments, and online articles during the election.

Many attacks distorted the content of Chius proposed foreign influence registration bill.

On Nov. 7, 2022, Trudeau publicly condemned the Beijing government for meddling in Canadian elections and invading democratic countries.

Canadian Police Close CCP Illegal Police Stations in Canada

Moreover, the illegal overseas police stations set up by the Chinese government in Canada are also notorious.

Among them, the Canadian police announced on March 2, 2023, that they had closed four illegal police stations set up by the Chinese Communist Party; and the Chinese embassy officials would always complain whenever the Canadian police took action.

The Canadian Mounted Police Commissioners revealed earlier that they found four unofficial overseas police stations of the Chinese government in the country, three of which are in Toronto and one in Vancouver.

According to a report by the international human rights organization Safeguard Defenders in 2022, the regime had set up at least 102 underground illegal police stations worldwide, five of which were in Canada.

Xi Jinping Threatened Trudeau

During the G-20 summit on Nov. 15, 2022, Trudeau had a 10-minute conversation with CCP leader Xi Jinping.

At the time, the Canadian intelligence agency reported to Trudeau and his cabinet members the interference from China, which included the 2019 federal election.

The Beijing government funded at least 11 candidates, including the office of an Ontario provincial councilor, allocating 250,000 Canadian dollars to the candidate.

The agency also reported that the Chinese Consulate in Toronto orchestrated it.

The CCP also sent agents into the office of Congress members in an attempt to bribe former Canadian officials to influence the direction of Canadian policy. The CCP also carried out defamatory attacks on politicians regarded as opposition to their interests.

Xi Jinping snapped at Trudeau the following day that he should not have told the media the content of their meeting and threatened the prime minister with unpredicted consequences if he continued to be disrespectful.

The CCP leader also called Trudeau naive as he walked away.
Hunter Biden Sues Laptop Repair Shop Owner Over Alleged Invasion of Privacy

President Joe Biden (L) alongside his son Hunter Biden exit Holy Spirit Catholic Church after attending mass in Johns Island, S.C., on Aug. 13, 2022. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)

President Joe Bidens son on March 17 sued a laptop repairman for allegedly invading his privacy.

Hunter Biden countersued John Paul Mac Isaac, who owned a computer store in Delaware at which Hunter Biden was said to have dropped off his computer years ago.

Mac Isaacs sharing of information from Hunter Biden constitutes invasion of privacy, the 42-page filing states.

No matter how they came into his initial possession, Mac Isaac improperly accessed files that he admits were none of [his] business even though he was never given permission by Mr. Biden to access or review any data of Mr. Bidens, it says. He later made copies of the data and distributed the copies to others, including former President Donald Trumps lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Mac Isaacs knowing and intentional distribution of Mr. Bidens personal and sensitive data was not carried out for any reasonable or legitimate purposes, but rather to try and expose Mr. Bidens data to those that he knew or should have known would intend to create embarrassment and harm for Mr. Biden, the countersuit says.

In addition, Mac Isaac decided to use the data in his possession for commercial purposes and to make money, which he has done by including portions of the data in his book and making reference to and/or making some or all of the data available at appearances he has made.

The filing, lodged in U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, asks for a jury trial.

We are still reviewing Hunter Bidens claims and will respond appropriately in court, Ronald Poliquin, representing Mac Isaac, told The Epoch Times via email.

John Paul Isaacs Mac Shop in Wilmington, Del., on Nov. 1, 2020. (William Huang/The Epoch Times)

Original Suit

Mac Isaac in 2022 sued Hunter Biden, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and news outlets for alleged defamation.

Mac Isaac said he was defamed by statements about himself and how he handled a computer he says was dropped off by Hunter Biden.

Hunter Biden committed defamation, according to the suit, when he said in a televised interview: There could be a laptop out there that was stolen from me. It could be that I was hacked. It could be that it was thethat it was Russian intelligence. It could be that it was stolen from me. Or that there was a laptop stolen from me.

The filing includes an email from Hunter Bidens attorney George Mesires to Mac Isaacs repair shop. Thank you for speaking with me tonight. As I indicated, I am a lawyer for Hunter Biden and I appreciate you reviewing your records on this matter, Mesires wrote.

Hunter knew it was his laptop, the suit states.

Mac Isaac dropped the Daily Beast from the case after it apologized to him and corrected some of the claims it had made.

A quote from John Paul Mac Isaacs repair shop. (DOJ via The Epoch Times)

Hunter Biden Response

Hunter Biden admitted Mesires was his lawyer. He said in the new filing he was without knowledge sufficient to admit or deny the allegations that he knew the computer was his, but denied knowingly offering defamatory information.

According to a document Mac Isaac has filed in court, Hunter Biden on April 12, 2019, asked for a quote for data recovery from three MacBook computers. Mac Isaac recovered the data and notified Hunter Biden of the development. He also sent an invoice. But Hunter Biden never returned to the shop to retrieve the data nor did he pay the invoice, according to the suit.

Hunter Bidens attorneys confirm that Mac Isaac has come into possession of materials from Hunter Biden.

This is not an admission by Mr. Biden that Mac Isaac (or others) in fact possessed any particular laptop containing electronically stored data belonging to Mr. Biden. Rather, Mr. Biden simply acknowledges that at some point, Mac Isaac obtained electronically stored data, some of which belonged to Mr. Biden, the new countersuit states.

They noted that Mac Isaac initially said he didnt get a clear look at the person who dropped off the computer but later claimed he was 100 percent sure it was Hunter Biden.
Illegal Channel Boats a Major Issue Among Infuriated Britons: Pollster

Illegal immigrants who crossed the English Channel from France give V signs on UK Border Force boat Valiant as they arrive in the port of Dover, England, on June 14, 2022. (Chris Eades /Getty Images)

The public overwhelmingly supports a reduction in small boats illegally crossing the Channel, according to a number of polls and pollsters.

Earlier in the month, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed to put an end to illegal immigration under new legislation, which will ban Channel crossings by those seeking asylum.

Recent figures from the Home Office show that 2,950 illegal immigrants already have crossed the English Channel in small boats this year after more than 45,000 illegal immigrants made the trip to reach the UK in 2022.

Polling experts and academics spoke to The Epoch Times about what the British public thinks about illegal small-boat crossings.

Recently, JL Partners, the firm of James Johnson, Theresa Mays former No 10 pollster, polled exclusively for Channel 4, on Red Wall voters. These are constituencies in the Midlands and Northern England which historically supported the Labour Party, though after the 2019 general election, supported the Conservative Party.

Detainees inside the Manston short-term holding centre for illegal immigrants wave to members of the media outside, near Ramsgate, Kent, southeast England, on Nov. 3, 2022. (Daniel Leal /AFP via Getty Images)

Small Boats

The poll found that 59 percent of Red Wall voters supported stopping migrants in small boats from illegally crossing the Channel using any means necessary, while only 25 percent opposed it.

The same proportion of voters also supported withdrawing the right to appeal against deportation for those who cross the Channel in small boats, by a margin of almost three to one.

JL Partners found there are also slim margins of support for leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), if it prevents the government from implementing its plans to crack down on illegal immigration, though this is below a majority, 46 percent vs 31 percent who opposed.

The issue of housing migrants who crossed the Channel in small boats was deeply unpopular, with 59 percent actively opposed, as was fast-tracking routes for countries with higher application success rates.

The British public back the governments Illegal Immigration Bill by a margin of two to one, Johnson told The Epoch Times.

For all the polarisation amongst Twitter influencers, the data is clear: people are infuriated by what they see as people coming to the UK illegally, and being given a free pass to the countrys resources while they themselves struggle with the cost of living and deteriorating healthcare, he added.

According to JL Partners polling done exclusively for The Times of Londons Redbox, including the word illegal when polling on the UK governments small boats policy makes no statistically significant difference to support.

Weakens Our Democracy

Academic, political scientist, and pollster Matthew Goodwin told The Epoch Times that looking at the polling on illegal immigration, the message is crystal clear that the large majority of people say that the government currently does not have illegal migration under control.

The professor of politics at the University of Kent said that the trend of high numbers of illegal small boats in recent years blows apart the notion that the British people have regained control of our borders ever since the Brexit referendum.

This, he said, taps into notions of democratic accountability and that the government is not taking their concerns seriously or not responding to them.

If anything it weakens our democracy, he said.

Goodwin said that he has run focus groups in Red Wall areas, who say they are upset and confused.

Given some of the stories that have emerged in recent weeks, for example, regarding assaults on school children and young girls, I think many people are wondering why on earth this is being allowed to happen in the first place, he added.

Goodwin said that in his new book Values, Voice, and Virtue, he argues that we have just got through 10 years of people trying to push back against the political consensus that has been largely imposed by a more liberal graduate class.

The big risk here is that if we do not respond to public concerns over this issue, then were going to end up back where we were during the 2010s with large numbers of voters looking for far more radical options, so we do need to get controlled with the borders in order to neutralise any potential space for far more radical and divisive politics, he added.

An inflatable craft carrying illegal immigrants crosses the shipping lane in the English Channel off the coast of Dover, England, on Aug. 4, 2022. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Polling expert Sir John Curtice told The Epoch Times that the results are pretty similar to what youd expect from other polls, which is around a half of the population are in favour of the governments illegal small boats policy, a third are opposed and the rest dont express a view.

Curtice said while the majority of people are in favour of the policy, its different whether they believe the government can deliver.

One of the other things were rapidly learning is that Brexit has not reduced immigration, he said.

On Thursday, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) projected that net migration flows will settle at 245,000 a year, rather than the 205,000 assumed in its November forecast.

Curtice said that the issue of immigration in the Brexit vote was not really about numbers, it was about control.

It is arguably a failure of control to the thing that makes the public concerned about immigration policy, he added.

Basically this government has to succeed in doing what David Cameron failed to do in 2010, which is to deliver, said Curtice.

High Levels of Immigration

I think it is pretty clear that the public wants to end illegal crossings and dont see the need to have to flee France as it is a safe country, Professor Eric Kaufmann, a politics lecturer at Birkbeck College, told The Epoch Times by email.

I think John Curtice is, however, correct that the public may be annoyed about illegal immigration but they also are aware that the Tories have had 13 years in office, have presided over continuing high levels of immigration despite promising to reduce numbers, and have not been serious about addressing small boats until very recently, he added.

So delivery on this issue will be vital: the public will not reward the Conservatives in the polls until there is concrete evidence the trend is moving in the right direction, he said.

The Epoch Times contacted The Home Office for comment.

Alexander Zhang contributed to this report.
Illinois Prison Guard Gets 20 Years for Inmate Beating Death

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.A former Illinois state corrections officer was sentenced on Thursday to 20 years in federal prison for his role in the beating death of a prison inmate in May 2018.

Alex Banta, 31, of Quincy was caught up in the culture of silence surrounding violence against inmates but there was no excuse for his treatment of 65-year-old Larry Earvin at Western Illinois Correctional Center, U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough said.

In a statement to the court, Banta expressed regret and took responsibility for his actions, but corroborated trial testimony that rough treatment of prisoners was not only condoned but expected at the prison in Mount Sterling, 250 miles southwest of Chicago.

Following a four-week trial, a jury convicted Banta in April 2022 of conspiracy to deprive civil rights, deprivation of civil rights, obstruction of an investigation, falsification of documents, and misleading conduct.

Trial testimony revealed that Banta and co-defendants Todd Sheffler and Willie Hedden escorted Earvin, handcuffed behind his back, to the segregation unit vestibule where there were no security cameras, threw him so that his head banged into a wall, then kicked, punched, and stomped him. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Bass declared that the fatal blow to Earvin came when Banta jumped up and landed on the inmates abdomen with both knees.

He faced up to life in prison. Myerscough sentenced him to 15 years on the civil rights charges and five years on the other counts, to run consecutively.

You were one of the younger officers caught up in the culture at Western of see no evil and snitches get stitches, which you learned from your superiors, but it in no way excuses your conduct, Myerscough said. The governor has replaced the warden and implemented other reforms, so hopefully this culture has changed already.

Earvins beating on May 17, 2018, resulted in 15 broken ribs and abdominal injuries so severe that a portion of his bowel was surgically removed. He died June 26.

What type of person does it take to assault a 65-year-old man whos handcuffed behind his back? remarked Earvins brother Willie Earvin Jr., 74, who testified for the prosecution. Im a Vietnam veteran and we werent allowed to do that to prisoners.

In his statement to the court before sentencing, Banta, who looked downward during the bulk of the proceedings, noted his apology would mean little to a federal judge who likely heard it repeatedly from defendants before her, but said he regretted his actions and the pain he caused Earvins family.

He said he went to work at Western in 2014 to support his family but I had no idea how the job was going to change me. He described an atmosphere where he was instructed from the get-go to look away from indiscretions.

On my first day, during orientation, Internal Affairs [officers] asked the supervisory staff to leave and then started to tell us, Forget what you learned at the academy. We do things differently here, Banta said. Things will happen that you might need to ignore. If things happen with an inmate, aim for the body and not the face.'

A request for comment was emailed to the Illinois Department of Corrections spokesperson.

Earvin, who suffered from mental illness, was serving a six-year term for theft of merchandise under $300 in Cook County and was scheduled for release in September 2018. He also had a rap sheet dating to 1984.

But his son, Larry Pippion, 51, questioned why he was locked up for a petty crime when he was mentally ill.

Isnt there another way to get him help instead of just throwing him away? Pippion asked. Myerscough later called that fact an indictment of our system.

Other guards at Western that day testified that Earvin, having reported too late for a break in the yard, refused to return to his cell and allegedly became combative. That prompted an officer in distress call to which all available officers are required to respond. Dozens did so and then several, including Banta, escorted him to the segregation unit.

Sheffler was tried with Banta but the jury that convicted Banta was hung on Sheffler. He was retried last summer and convicted of the same counts as Banta in August. Hedden pleaded guilty in March 2021 to the more serious charges and testified against both Banta and Sheffler.

Hedden testified Thursday that he witnessed Banta punch and kick another inmate a few years before the incident with Earvin. On cross-examination, he wouldnt go so far as to say violence against inmates was unstated policy, but he said superiors were aware of it and it was too prevalent. It happened all too often.

Sheffler is scheduled for sentencing on Monday and Hedden on Wednesday.

By John OConnor
International Arrest Warrant Issued for Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been formally accused by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of war crimes and faces an arrest warrant, which the Kremlin considers illegitimate.

ICC president Piotr Hofmanski said in a video statement Friday that an arrest warrant has been issued for Putin for the alleged war crimes of deportation of children from Ukrainian occupied territories into the Russian Federation.

International law prohibits occupying powers from transferring civilians from occupied areas to other territories.

Hofmanski said the contents of the warrants would be kept secret to protect the identities of the allegedly abducted children.

Nevertheless, the judges of the chamber dealing with this case decided to make the existence of the warrants public in the interest of justice and to prevent the commission of future crimes, he said.

International Cooperation?

While the ICCs judges have issued the warrants, it will be up to the international community to enforce them as the ICC has no police force of its own.

The execution depends on international cooperation, Hofmanski said.

While its unclear what type of international cooperation would lead to Putins arrest, Russia has made clear it has no intention of cooperating.

The Kremlin said earlier this week that it doesnt acknowledge the ICCs jurisdiction or authority.

We do not recognize this court; we do not recognize its jurisdiction, Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told journalists in Moscow on Tuesday.

Peskovs dismissal of the courts authority came amid media speculation that ICC prosecutors would open two war crimes cases and issue several arrest warrants for those deemed responsible for the targeting of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and for the mass abduction of children.

Besides seeking Putins arrest, the ICC on Friday also announced it had issued an arrest warrant for Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Childrens Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, on similar allegations.

The ICC said in a statement that both Putin and Lvova-Belova are allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022, the court said, which marks the date of Russias invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a special military operation.

The arrest warrants come about a year after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan opened an investigation into possible war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Ukraine.

Khan has said that, during four trips to Ukraine, he was looking at the alleged targeting of civilian infrastructure and crimes against children.

Ukraines Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin hailed the ICCs decision in a statement on social media.

The world received a signal that the Russian regime is criminal and its leadership and henchmen will be held accountable, he said. This is a historic decision for Ukraine and the entire system of international law.

Andriy Yermak, Ukraines presidential chief of staff, said the move was just the beginning.

There were no immediate comments from Russia following the ICCs announcement.

On Thursday, a United Nations-backed inquiry accused Russia of committing numerous war crimes in Ukraine, including forcibly deporting children to Russian territory.

Tensions Mount

The ICCs announcement came as Slovakia on Thursday announced that it would send its fleet of Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.

With the move, Slovakia joined Poland, which on March 16 became the first NATO country to send its fighter jets to its embattled neighbor.

Ukraines leaders have repeatedly asked Western powers for fighter jets to help them in the fight against Russian forces.

Analysts say that neither Moscow nor Kyiv has air superiority in the skies above Ukraine, with the decision to send in the jets seen as a potential turning point in repelling Russias offensive.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly requested jet fighters, while Washington and other NATO allies have refused, citing concern about escalating the alliances role in the conflict.

Peskov downplayed the decision to send Polish and Slovak planes to Ukraine.

In the course of the special military operation, all this equipment will be subject to destruction, Peskov said. It feels like all of these countries are thus engaged in the disposal of old unnecessary equipment.

Poland, which considers Russias regional ambitions a threat to its security, has been one of Kyivs staunchest supporters since the conflict began.

Warsaw has already provided Ukraine with some 250 combat tanks and pledged dozens more last month, including advanced German-made Leopard tanks.
Kari Lake Attorneys File State Supreme Court Response to Disingenuous Maricopa County Claims

Attorneys for Kari Lake on Thursday filed a response in court after Maricopa Countys attorneys told the Arizona Supreme Court that the GOP candidates election lawsuit should be tossed.

Her attorneys accuse Maricopa County of misleading the court and said that its attorneys have not answered a question about why there were 35,000 ballots that were unaccounted for. Lake alleged that those ballots were illegally mingled with the others.

In the initial petition to the Supreme Court, her attorneys said that records showed a discrepancy of the ballot totals. They alleged that 263,379 ballots were delivered to a third-party contractor and that incoming scan receipts show that 298,942 ballots were returned to Maricopa from the contractor, or a difference of 35,563 ballots.

Respondents accuse Lake of raising a new argument regarding certain chain-of-custody forms and the 35,563 unaccounted for ballots injected into the election, the filing said, adding that Maricopa attorneys have disingenuously misrepresented her arguments. It said county officials erroneously cited chain-of-custody forms in her Petition that she alleged in the trial court did not even exist  this issue is not new, was properly raised below, and is properly before this Court.

Maricopa Countys disingenuous arguments and tired calls for sanctions while blatantly misstating the record illustrate the apparent arrogance of election officials who, without restraint, unapologetically ignore clear and unambiguous statutory requirements and evidence precisely why this Court should accept the Petition, her lawyers wrote.

Election data shows that Lake lost to Hobbs, a Democrat, by about 17,000 votes during the Nov. 8 midterms. Her petition to the Supreme Court asks judges to re-do the election in Maricopa County or declare her the victor.

Previously, Lake argued that Election Day problems at dozens of Maricopa voting locations suppressed would-be Republican voters, pointing to public statements from top county officials about widespread printer issues. Maricopa officials later said that those printing problems were ultimately resolved and that Election Day voters could place their ballots in secure drop-boxes for later tabulation, and in court, a lawyer for the county blamed the error on a printer toner problem.

Bill Gates, chair of the Maricopa Board of Supervisors, speaks about voting machine malfunctions at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Elections Center in Phoenix, Ariz., on Nov. 9, 2022. (Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images)

Lakes filing on Thursday came after attorneys for Maricopa County on Monday said that Lake presented a misleading factual theory about chain-of-custody documents and said that no argument was made in explaining why the Arizona Supreme Court should review a previous decision that was made by the Arizona Court of Appeals. Several weeks ago, the states appeals court rejected Lakes lawsuit before her attorneys transferred the petition to the high court.

Meanwhile, lawyers for former Secretary of State and current Gov. Katie Hobbs and now-Secretary of State Adrian Fontes issued a response to Lakes petition to the Supreme Court. Both Fontes and Hobbs asked the court to sanction Lake and her attorneys over the suit, although previous attempts to sanction her and other Republicans failed.

Those who invoke our Courts must do so in good faith, Craig Morgan, a lawyer for Fontes, wrote to the Supreme Court. We cannot allow a disgruntled vocal minority to weaponize our Courts, sow unfounded distrust in our election processes, malign our public servants, and undermine our democracyall for the purpose of trying to overturn the Peoples will and topple an election.

Responding to the allegations that 35,563 ballots were illegally mingled after the Nov. 8 election, Abha Khanna, an attorney representing Hobbs, said Lake blatantly misrepresents key facts from the record. Khanna wrote, Now, Lake argues that not only did those records exist, but that they show that 35,563 more ballots were inserted and were sent back to the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center were tabulation.

Ms. Lake and her counsel continue to push false claims of election fraud, now on appeal going so far as to misrepresent the record and the law, Morgan also wrote. This Court is the last opportunity for our judiciary to remind those who seek its recourse that they must do so with integrity. If this Court sits silent in the face of what has occurred, then those who would due (sic) our union harm will continue to malign and erode the foundations upon which our great state stands.
Killers With History of Coercive Behaviour Towards Partners Face Longer Prison Sentences

Barrister who led domestic violence review 'disappointed' by government response

A model flinches in the a shadow of a man with a clenched fist in an image taken in England in March 2015. (PA)

The government has agreed to tougher sentences for murderers who have a history of coercive or controlling behaviour against their partners.

The Ministry of Justice said excessive or gratuitous violence, sometimes dubbed overkill, would also be made an aggravating factor for judges when sentencing in murder cases.

The changes were among a number of recommendations made in a report by Clare Wade, KC, in her Domestic Homicide Sentencing Review, which was commissioned by the government in 2021.

Domestic homicide is defined as a death owing to violence, abuse, or neglect by a partner, former partner, relative, or member of the same household.

Wade told the BBC she was disappointed the recommendations in her review had not been adopted in full.

Wade defended Sally Challen, who in 2019 became the first woman to have a murder conviction quashed because she had been under coercive controlChallen killed her husband Richard in 2010 after enduring 40 years of emotional abuse.

In her review Wade recommended introducing special defences for people who are prosecuted after killing an abusive partner.

Justice Secretary ad Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab arrives for a Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street, London, on March 15, 2023. (Jordan Pettitt/PA Media)

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said the two measures announced were ones which could be delivered quickly, but he said he wanted more time to look at the wider recommendations and said the government would set out a full response to the review in the summer.

Raab said: This government will do everything we can to protect vulnerable women and keep in prison for longer those who attack or threaten them.

The changes I am announcing today will mean longer jail sentences for those who kill women in the home by taking greater account of the specific factors involved, whether it is controlling and coercive behaviour or cases involving particular savagery known as overkill, he added.

In September 2021 Wade was commissioned by the government to review sentencing guidelines after ministers were warned about systemic misogyny within the criminal justice system by the Victims Commissioner, Dame Vera Baird, and Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs.

Campaigners Call for Root-and-Branch Reform

Carole Gould and Julie Devey, co-founders of the campaigning group Killed Women, said in a joint statement, After years of campaigning, we welcome the governments announcements today, but they must be just the start of the root-and-branch reform that is needed to ensure killers of women face sentences that reflect the cruelty and brutality of their crimes.

Controlling or coercive behaviour was introduced as a criminal offence in the Serious Crime Act 2015 and can include economic, emotional, or psychological abuse and threats.

A public consultation will be launched to determine whether a higher sentencing starting point of 25 years should be applied in murder cases where there is a history of controlling and coercive abuse.

Currently, the 25-year starting point only applies to murders where a knife has been taken to the scene with intent.

Wade has pointed out that currently a woman who stabs an abusive partner could be given a longer sentence than a man who strangles his wife.

The government said it had also asked the Sentencing Council to review the manslaughter sentencing guidelines in light of controversy of the so-called rough sex defence.

Poppy Devey Waterhouse was murdered by her ex-partner, Joe Atkinson, after he failed to come to terms with their three-year relationship ending.

Atkinson was jailed in 2019 for life but was given a minimum tariff of just of 15 years and 310 days.

Earlier this month Devey Waterhouses mother, Julie Devey, joined campaigners and MPs gathered in Parliament to read out the names of women who lost their lives to violence by men.

Where Is the Justice?

Devey said, We gather here now listening to this years needless death toll and ask where is the action, where is the urgency, where is the justice?

She added: As bereaved families, we have faced endless failures from the agencies that were supposed to deliver justice for our daughters, or protect our mothers, aunts, nieces and loved ones. We will not stop demanding action from government to save womens lives. We will be a force to be reckoned with.

Karen Ingala Smith, who compiled a list of names for the Counting Dead Women project, said: These killings should not be accepted as inevitable. They are a symptom of the lack of strategic priority afforded to ending mens violence against women.

Raab also announced he planned to change the law to prevent killers serving whole life sentences from getting married in prison.

It comes as news broke that serial killer Levi Bellfield, 54, had launched a legal challenge to demand the right to marry his girlfriend.

Bellfield is serving a whole life sentence for the murders of Milly Dowler, 13, Marsha McDonnell, 19, and Amelie Delagrange, 22, who were all attacked with hammers on the streets of London.

A Downing Street said it was deeply inappropriate for such criminals to be able to get married and it said details of the planned legislation would be announced in due course.

In the United States a number of notorious criminals have got married behind bars, including Richard Ramirez, a California serial killer known as The Night Stalker, who married in San Quentin prison in 1996 and died on Death Row in 2013.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Los Angeles Unified Teacher, Staff Strike to Start Next Week; Schools to Close for 3 Days

Union leaders in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) announced they will strike for three days next week, canceling classes for about 430,000 students in the nations second-largest school district.

SEIU Local 99the union representing 30,000 cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodians, special education assistants, and other non-teaching staff at LAUSDannounced the strike at a rally in downtown Los Angeles March 15.

At the rally, United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA)the union which represents LAUSDs 35,000 teachersannounced they would strike as well in support.

According to organizers, the strike will begin March 21.

SEIU Local 99s executive director, Max Arias, acknowledged in a March 15 statement that the strike will be a sacrifice, but said the district pushed them to do so.

Families have been sacrificing for far too long on poverty wages, Arias said. Students have been sacrificing for too long in school environments that are not clean, safe or supportive for all. Too many workers have been subjected to harassment simply for demanding change. Enough is Enough!

The union, which has been negotiating a new contract for its members with the district since April 2022, said the strike was necessary because it had reached an impasse with LAUSD.

Its proposal requests good wage increasesthough it does not specify amountswith increases at the 10th year and includes a so-called Me Too clausemeaning if any other LAUSD bargaining unit receives a wage increase, the union would receive one as well.

Other benefits the union is seeking are full-time hours, pay for mandatory training and certifications required for work, no split shifts, and substitute relief for absent coworkers.

It also requests the district notify and bargain with the union before changing schedules and hours.

In a March 14 statement, LAUSD said it offered union members a 5 percent wage increase for 202223 and a one-time 4 percent bonus. For the following year, the district offered the same pay increase, and a five percent one-time bonus.

Additionally, it offered market-driven pay increases to the annual salaries of some staff$20,000 for nurses, $3,000 for school psychologists, $2,500 for special education teachers, and $1,000 for early education teachers in addition to the wage increases.

Despite this, SEIU is simply refusing to negotiate, LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said in a March 15 statement.

With a historic offer on the table that was created in direct response to SEIUs demands, and with additional resources still to be negotiated, it is deeply surprising and disappointing there is an unwillingness to do so, he said.

In the statement, Carvalho called on union leaders to come to the table to reach a deal before the strike disrupts school for the districts students.

Lets work together to avoid a strike and keep our students in schools, he said.

Carvalho also spoke directly to parents regarding the potential disruption of their childrens schooling.

I want to personally apologize to our families and students, he said. You deserve better. Know that we are doing everything possible to avoid a strike.

The last time Los Angeles public schools were disrupted by a strike was in 2019 when UTLA walked off the job for six days demanding higher pay for teachers, smaller class sizes, and more nurses, librarians, and counselors for schools.

The strike ended after LAUSD and the union struck a deal on all issues, including a 6 percent raise for teachers.
Largest Railroad Merger in 2 Decades Approved, Linking US, Canada, Mexico

An intermodal freight train is pictured passing through at sunrise in Waddy, Kentucky, on Jan. 7, 2014. (Luke Sharrett/Getty Images)

After two years of deliberations, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) this week approved the acquisition of Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCS) by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP)subject to a number of conditions and an extended oversight period. 800 new jobs are set to be created in the Unites States as a result of the merger, according to the board.

The combination will be known as Canadian Pacific Kansas Cityor CPKC, and will link the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In the first railroad merger of this magnitude in two decades, Canadian Pacifics $30 billion acquisition of Kansas City Southern was approved on March 15, and involves the combination of the two smallest major railroads operating in the United States. CPKC will remain the smallest of all the major freight routes, with an estimated 20,000 miles of track.

On balance, the merger of these two railroads will benefit the American economy, and will be an improvement for all citizens in terms of safety and the environment, said STB Chairman Marty Oberman at a press conference announcing the decision.

Following the controversial merger of Union Pacific and Southern Pacific in 1996, which shippers said negatively affected rail traffic over a prolonged period, new regulations were imposed that effectively raised the bar significantly for railroad mergers.

An unprecedented seven-year oversight period will be implemented for the new combination, alongside multiple stipulations which include mitigating environmental impacts, preserving competition, protecting railroad workers, and promoting efficient passenger rail travel.

The STB forecast stated that it expected service, employment, and oversight to improve with the merger.

CPKC will be the first railroad with single-line service through Canada, the United States, and Mexico, according to the STB statement. Shipping of grain, automotive parts and vehicles, and intermodal goods will improve with new single-line options, and shippers will have opportunities to expand their market reach. The STB maintained that the conditions imposed will ensure competition, and that shippers options will not be not reduced.

The initial application by the companies was filed in October of 2021. This sparked a barrage of almost 2,000 comments and other filings, and the STB also held a seven-day public hearing. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) drafted by the Boards Office of Environmental Analysis ran to more than 5,000 pages.

Overall, the Board says, it anticipates that the merger and conditions will benefit the public.

The Board has carefully considered the full record, weighed the public benefits against potentially harmful impacts, and imposed appropriate conditions to mitigate those impacts in its approval of the merger, the STB stated.

CPKC will continue to be the smallest Class I railroad, at around half the size of the Western railroads. With the two companies rail networks only connection being in Kansas Citya so-called end-to-end mergerthere will be little to no track redundancies or overlapping routes between the two railroads.

The STB said that travel time over the single-line service will be greatly reduced, which in turn is expected to provide added incentives for investment and lead to greater internal efficiencies.

Dissenting voices, however, including other railroads, expressed concern that the merger will quash competition and lead to increased commuter traffic. Concerns had also been expressed regarding the capacities of rail hubs such as Houston, Texas and Chicago, Illinois to deal with potential increases in rail traffic.

The other Class I railroads, in opposing the transaction, are simply seeking conditions and other remedies that appear aimed at protecting their own traffic from competition with CPKC and at limiting the ability of the combined CPKC to meet its potential, the STB responded.

Consistent with the Boards policy to protect competition and not competitors, the Board is denying those requests while also ensuring that existing competitive gateway options are preserved, the STB wrote.

RSI Logistics, Inc. a rail logistics solution provider, said in a previous statement that the new CPKC network should be welcomed by rail shippers, and that this was especially true in the agricultural and automotive business segments. RSI believes that the new merger can deliver reduced costs and faster delivery times.

There will no doubt be resistance from other Class I railroads, but it appears that a CP-KCS merger should be successful. Shippers who are engaged in automotive, agriculture, energy, and lumber should be very excited about the possibilities, the statement read.

Implementing Safeguards

The STB added that numerous conditions will be imposed to mitigate risks for competitors.

The Board is imposing numerous conditions to preserve existing rail service options at affected gatewaysinterchange points between CPKC and other railroadson commercially reasonable terms, which should ensure competitive options are not reduced for shippers served by CP or KCS, according to the STB statement. The decision also restricts CPKC from terminating reciprocal switching access for shipper facilities served by CP or KCS that have such access today.

The STB claimed that the merger would be a safer and more efficient option environmentally, in that it will reduce the number of trucks on American roads, thus achieving significant reductions in congestion and emissions.

The Board also commented on safety concerns in the wake of the recent derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

As always, the Board has carefully analyzed the proposed merger from a safety perspective. It is important to underscore that rail is by far the safest means of transporting any freight, including hazardous materials, it wrote in its statement.

Following community concerns about train lengths, the STB wrote that the projected average train length is expected to decrease on most CPKC line segments as a result of the merger. In addition, the General Code of Operating Rules state that trains must avoid blocking public crossings for longer than ten minutes.

The Board said that the expected increase in train traffic will not add a significant amount of delay.

One of the remaining concerns, however, is the increased level of noise, and particularly in areas where rail traffic is expected to increase significantly.

Increases in traffic are predicted to be highest between Chicago and Laredo, Texas. Across Iowa, some rail lines could see more than 14 additional trains per day. The route between Kansas City, Missouri and Beaumont, Texas is also likely to see an increase of around a dozen trains per day.

Shares of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. jumped 5 percent after the STBs announcement of the merger.

From NTD News
Legal Advocacy Group to Launch Charter Challenge Over Calgary Protest Bylaw

A new Calgary bylaw banning protests near public pools, recreation centres, and libraries will be challenged in court by the Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF).

The CCF said it is deeply troubled by the recent decision by Calgary City Council to pass a blatantly unconstitutional bylaw that restricts protests, in a March 16 news release.

The right to peaceful protest becomes essentially meaningless if local governments are permitted to target the wrong kind of protest through new regulations like this, said the Calgary-based group, a charity which specializes in defending constitutionally protected rights and freedoms.

Calgarys city council voted 105 in favour of passing the Safe and Inclusive Access Bylaw on March 14, using an expedited basis that did not include the usual committee meetings and public consultation process. The city also voted 114 to change a bylaw about street harassment to include intimidation.

The bylaw, which came into effect immediately, bans specified protests inside and within 100 metres of city libraries and recreation centres, following a number of protests against transgender individuals being allowed in pool change rooms and drag queen story hour for children in public libraries.

The specific types of protests banned are those that express objection or disapproval toward ideas or actions related to race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income, family status or sexual orientation, according to a city council release.

This bylaw is not content neutral, said CCF litigation director Christine Van Geyn.

It only prohibits specific types of protests that the government disapproves of. The courts have been very clear that the right to freedom of expression is content neutral.

She noted that the content of a protests expression, no matter how offensive, unpopular or disturbing, cannot deprive a protestor of their constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and association.

It is not for the government to tell Canadians what they may or may not protest. This proposed bylaw and the $10,000 fine associated with it is unconstitutional and should never have been passed. We are preparing to bring a Charter challenge, Van Geyn said.

Drag Queen Protests

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek posted on Twitter last month that she had pushed for a way to address protests rooted in hatred.

We have performers being targeted for weeks & now vitriol in front of children at the library. These are not peaceful protests. This is hate. The kind of hate we rallied against for so long, said the mayor.

Van Geyn said the bylaw is a clear example of a short-sighted council pushing through an unconstitutional bylaw because of a current cultural touchpoint.

She said it was clear from the Council debate that the rush to enact the protest ban is protests at Drag Queen Story Hour.

Councillors Sean Chu, Dan McLean, Jennifer Wyness, Sonya Sharp, and Andre Chabot all voted against the bylaw.

The bylaws are to be reviewed in one month by city council.
Los Angeles Metro Station Blasts Classical Music to Deter Homeless

Passengers use the Westlake/MacArthur Park train station in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 20, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

In an approach to combating crime and homelessness, the Los Angeles Metro has taken to blasting classical music at one of its stations.

The music at the Westlake/MacArthur Station on Metros Red Line, which runs from Downtown Los Angeles to North Hollywood, is part of a larger pilot program by the agency to deter criminal activity and reduce police calls.

Many of you have noticed that were playing music over the public-address speakers, as do many other types of businesses and municipalities, Metro officials said in a February statement. The idea is to create an atmosphere that is comfortable for spending short amounts of time transiting through our station, but not conducive to hours-long loitering.

Passengers use the Westlake/MacArthur Park train station in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 20, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Crime is now down about 20 percent, and the number of emergency service calls dropped by 75 percent after the music program and other safety measures were launched in mid-February, Dave Sotero, LA Metro spokesman, told the Los Angeles Daily News via email.

The agency also received 50 percent fewer reports of vandalism and requests to remove graffiti, while illegal drug activity and loitering also declined significantly, according to Sotero.

The type of music chosen, according to Stephen Hammel, assistant professor of music at the University of California-Irvine, is strategic on Metros part and is not a new tactic.

Many cities worldwide have adopted this approach to prevent loitering, which was first introduced in 1985 by a Canadian 7-Eleven store.

7-Eleven stores in Los Angeles susceptible to theft also began to play classical music in 2019, to discourage loitering and homelessness, according to media reports.

Hammel said it falls in the realm of hostile architecture, like a park bench split in half with an armrest, for example, to prevent homeless people from sleeping on it.

Its alienating music on purpose, he told The Epoch Times. Its the musical equivalent of turning up the heat to a relatively intolerable temperature.

LA Metro, the state agency that operates funding throughout the Los Angeles County transportation system, has been facing an increase in crime and drug overdoses over the last year.

A homeless man in LA Metros Westlake/MacArthur Park station in Los Angeles on March 20, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

During a February Metro board meeting, board members reported a 99 percent rise in the number of complaints by transit users in 2022 regarding passengers possessing or using illegal drugs when compared to the previous year.

According to Gina Osbornchief safety officer for LA Metro2022 also saw a significant surge in the incidence of major crimes such as rape, aggravated assault, robbery, and murder, with a spike of 24 percent compared to 2021.

Additionally, less severe crimes also increased by 14 percent during the same time period, she said during a recent Metro board meeting.

In addition to playing Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven, the pilot program will also have so-called ambassadors stationed at transportation hubs to offer aid to passengers, address concerns, and cultivate a welcoming environment, Metro officials said, as well as outreach teams to connect the homeless with housing resources.
Marine Commandant Says Zero Evidence Diversity Training Is Distracting From War Readiness

General David Berger, commandant of the Marine Corps, speaks during the U.S. Naval Academy 2022 Graduation Ceremony at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md., on May 27, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

General David H. Berger, the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, said he has seen zero evidence supporting claims that the militarys diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program which critics have accused of being wokehave hindered the militarys overall readiness for battle.

Berger appeared for an interview with Defense One on Thursday to discuss the state of the Marine Corps.

During the interview, reporter Caitlin Kenney asked Berger about concerns shared by some U.S. lawmakers that engaging in DEI training is a distraction from the militarys warfighting training. Berger disputed that notion in his response, saying he has seen no evidence to support such claims.

At the end of the day, the goal is to make sure that the unit is prepared for combat. Thats why we have a Marine Corps, to try to prevent a conflict and if one comes to make sure that we win, Berger said. So building cohesive teams is part of that. I have seen zero evidence of any policies that detract from that.

Berger said he travels on a weekly basis to review the Marine Corps capabilities and Im looking for anything that distracts them from their warfighting focus, but he said he hasnt seen anything to cause concern so far.

DEIs Impact on Retention and Recruiting

Further disputing the premise that DEI is hurting readiness, Berger argued that if there was any actual concern within the ranks about DEI training, the military would be struggling with retention.

If they sense that the focus was not in fact on being prepared, being ready, but the focus was on other things and it was distracting  I think they would leave. And thats not the case at all, Berger said. In fact, retention last year exceeded our goals. This year, [the Marine Corps is] way in front of last year. Just the opposite has happened. People want to stay in the Marine Corps.

The Marine Corps reported it hit its Fiscal Year 2022 retention goal in mid-July, two and a half months before the fiscal year ended in September. It was the first time the service hit its retention goal in 10 years.

While Berger pointed to troop retention as his metric to assert that DEI training is not having a negative impact on the military, critics of DEI training have pointed to the recent recruiting shortfalls as an indicator that DEI programs are indeed undermining the military.

In addition to meeting its retention goals, the Marine Corps was one of the few U.S. military branches that hit all of its recruiting goals in fiscal year 2022.

The U.S. Navy hit its recruiting goal for active-duty enlisted personnel, but missed its goals for recruiting new active and reserve officers and reserve enlisted personnel. The U.S. Air Force also met its active-duty recruiting goals but missed its recruiting goals for the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard.

The U.S. Army missed its active-duty recruiting goal by a full 25 percent, falling 15,000 recruits short of its 60,000 recruit goal for fiscal year 2022.

Wokeness at the DoD has harmed recruitment, retention, and morale, Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) wrote in a February press statement addressing the Armys recruiting shortfalls. Banks is the chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel and is a U.S. Navy Reserve officer.

The Army has disputed the idea that woke programs are specifically to blame for its recruiting shortfalls. The Army recently shared some select internal survey results with the Associated Press, claiming its recruiting shortfalls have less to do with wokeness and more to do with potential recruits perceptions that military service is not relevant to their life or too potentially dangerous to be worth considering. The Army has not publicly released the full results of these survey findings.

From NTD News
Marine Veteran Warns of Continued Concerns Despite Military COVID Mandate Repeal

Tommy Waller, the president and CEO of the Center for Security Policy, speaks with NTD, in a still from a video released on March 15, 2023. (NTD)

Tommy Waller, an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, ended his military career last year after being denied a religious accommodation to avoid the military-wide COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Though the vaccine mandate was recently repealed, Waller remains concerned that remaining unvaccinated troops could still be targeted.

Waller, who served as the commander of a reserve Force Reconnaissance Company, was denied his religious accommodation request on Nov. 10, 2021the official birthday of the Marine Corps. Waller believes the way the Marines handled the vaccine mandate was unlawful and, though he was denied his request, Waller held out for another year in hopes of a different outcome.

I waited a year for the Marine Corps to be able to wake up to the fact that what they were doing was unlawful, Waller told NTD News. And then of course, after a year, I decided to go ahead and retire.

Not long after Waller retired from the Marines, Congress included a provision in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (pdf) to repeal the vaccine mandate. Despite his objections to the vaccine provision, President Joe Biden signed the NDAA, thus bringing about the official repeal of the militarys COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Waller, who now serves as the president and CEO of the Center for Security Policy, raised the possibility that unvaccinated service members could still be punished for declining the COVID-19 vaccine.

Last week, Fox News published a letter by Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Gilbert Cisneros, which stated that 69,000 of the 2 million active service members never received a vaccine. Cisneros wrote that about 53,000 of those unvaccinated service members sought a medical exemption or religious accommodation, and that no Service members currently serving will be separated based solely on their refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccination if they sought an accommodation based on religious, administrative, or medical grounds. The wording of Cisneros letter seemed to leave open the possibility that the 16,000 unvaccinated service members who did not request some kind of exemption or accommodation could still face a discharge from the military.

Though the vaccine mandate is gone, the military could potentially argue that the 16,000 unvaccinated troops who never requested any exemption or accommodation disobeyed a lawful order to be vaccinated, and thus warranted discharge from the military.

Was FDA-Approved Vaccine Available?

Waller argued that the legal basis for the vaccine mandate may be tenuous if an FDA-approved version of a COVID-19 vaccine was not actually available to the military.

What happened is [Defense Secretary] Lloyd Austin gave an order that was lawful and said, Youll inoculate the force with an FDA-approved vaccine,' Waller said. [But an FDA-approved vaccine] did not exist. In fact, I think its still a question whether or not you can get the version of the vaccine that Pfizer got FDA approval for.

The first COVID-19 vaccines became available in the United States through emergency use authorizations (EUAs). The FDA eventually granted full approval for a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine version called Comirnaty in August of 2021.

After the FDA approved Comirnaty, Austin issued the military vaccine mandate (pdf), which stated that the mandatory vaccinations will only use COVID-19 vaccines that receive full licensure from the  FDA in accordance with FDA-approved labeling and guidance.

Though Comirnaty had FDA approval, military plaintiffs filed lawsuits arguing that the FDA-approved drug label was not actually publicly available, but only the EUA version of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and other EUA-based vaccines. Last May, a Navy administrative separation board ruled that U.S. Navy Lt. Bill Moseley was within his rights to refuse to be vaccinated without requesting any exemption or accommodation, because the military had not made the FDA-approved version of a vaccine available.

Waller Says Mandate Was Political Purge

While the vaccine mandate is gone and the original legality of the mandate is in dispute, Waller said the leadership that brought about the mandate is still in charge.

We think that just because the National Defense Authorization Act  repealed or rolled back this mandate that the problem is over, but the same people who inflicted it upon the Department of Defense personnel are still there, Waller said.

The retired Marine argued that the now-defunct vaccine mandate served as a tool to purge people from the military for political reasons, and I think its been highly effective at removing those that wont break the law for those that are in charge.

NTD News reached out to the Department of Defense for comment but has not received a reply.

From NTD News
Mass to Be Held in Honour of Victims in Quebec Town Where Pedestrians Struck by Truck

People gather among tributes left on the steps of the church in Amqui., Que., Mar. 14, 2023 in Amqui, Que. (The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot)

A memorial mass will be held this evening in the Quebec town where two people were killed and nine injured when a pickup truck crashed into pedestrians.

Two men, Gerald Charest and Jean Lafreniere, died after being struck on Monday afternoon.

Police have said those injured in the crash range in age from less than a year old to 77, and on Thursday a Quebec City hospital said two injured adults remained in critical condition.

The mass will be held at Saint-Benoit-Joseph-Labre church in Amqui.

A candlelight vigil was held in front of the church Thursday evening in the town about 350 kilometres northeast of Quebec City.

Steeve Gagnon, 38, is facing two counts of dangerous driving causing death, and prosecutors have said more charges will follow.
Michael Zwaagstra: Education Schools Do a Poor Job of Training Teachers

Commentary

Nearly a century ago, Lawrence Lowell, the retiring president of Harvard University, described his universitys education school as a kitten that ought to be drowned. While Lowells words were offensive, his point was clear. Education schools have a poor reputation. This was true in the early-20th century and it remains true today.

In 2006, Arthur Levine, former president of Columbia Teachers College (arguably the most prestigious teacher training institution in North America), wrote a devastating report about the status of teacher education, concluding that the teacher education curriculum is a confusing patchwork.

Not only that, Levine also observed that research on teacher education is criticized by the academic community for its low quality and is ignored by policy makers and practitioners. As a case in point, theres a huge gulf between math professors and math education professors. Math professors have long been some of the harshest critics of teaching methods promoted in education schools.

In far too many cases, education schools have an inordinate focus on social justice education. For example, York Universitys program of studies for prospective primary-junior teachers includes courses such as Inclusion, Disabilities, and Education, and Teaching for Diverse and Equitable Education Classrooms in Ontario. However, there appear to be no courses about classroom management, reliable and valid assessment methods, or research-based reading instruction. These omissions should worry parents.

One of the most popular textbooks used in education schools is Paulo Freires Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Freire, a Brazilian educator, wanted students to direct their own learning. This is often called student-centred or child-centred education. It closely parallels the romantic progressive approach espoused by 18th-century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

Modern-day education professors are, almost to a person, drawn to this philosophy because it appears to fit with an emphasis on social justice. However, what students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, really need are knowledge-rich and orderly classrooms.

Reading is the most important skill taught in school. If students dont learn how to read, not much else that happens there will likely matter. Sadly, education schools remain beholden to whole language instruction where students are taught to guess words based on various contextual clues. However, research is clear that phonics instruction (learning how to sound out individual letters and letter-combinations) is far better than whole language.

In fact, this research is so clear that the Ontario Human Rights Commission recently released a report on this topic titled Right to Read, which found that students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, were being shortchanged by substandard reading instruction programs. Much of the blame ultimately lies at the feet of the education schools where teachers never learned the importance of phonics.

Research is equally clear that reading comprehension (understanding what you read) is closely tied to background knowledge. The more you know about a topic of an article or book, the more likely you are to be able to read and understand it. Thus, teachers should provide students with knowledge-rich instruction. Of course, they wont learn about this in education schools since professors remain beholden to the misguided theories of Freire and Rousseau.

Fortunately, theres plenty of help available. Dr. Daniel Willingham is a cognitive psychologist at the University of Virginia who specializes in translating research about learning to K-12 classroom teachers. His latest book, Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy, is filled with practical suggestions for students and teachers alike.

For example, Willingham provides many helpful tips about how to read textbooks, how to study for tests, how to take notes, and even how to avoid procrastinating. These are the kinds of things that all prospective teachers should learn. It would certainly be a better use of their time than writing yet another personal reflection paper based on irrelevant education philosophies.

When one book contains more practical insights and wisdom than all the courses in the entire teacher education programs, something is wrong with the state of teacher education. Both teachers and students deserve better than what theyre getting now.

Education schools are doing a poor job of training teachers. Serious changes need to happen, and they need to happen soon.

Michael Zwaagstra is a public high school teacher and a senior fellow with the Fraser Institute.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Microsoft Windows Users Advised to Update Computers Now

Security researchers say two flaws under active attack

A federal cybersecurity agency this week advised users and administrators to update Microsoft Windows due to multiple vulnerabilities that can allow an attacker can exploit some of these vulnerabilities to take control of an affected system.

The Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency wrote on March 14 that it encourages users and administrators to review Microsofts March 2023 Security Update Guide for necessary updates. Microsofts patch, issued Tuesday, was rolled out to deal with about 80 security flaws in the Windows operating system, two of which are being actively exploited.

Eight of the 80 vulnerabilities are rated as critical, while 71 are rated important. Two of those eight have become actively targeted, including a Microsoft Outlook privilege escalation issue and a bypass of the Windows SmartScreen security feature, Microsoft said in a bulletin.

The aforementioned Outlook flaw can be triggered when an attacker sends a message with an extended MAPI property with a UNC path to an SMB (TCP 445) share on a threat actor-controlled server, Microsoft said. No user interaction is required.

Microsofts Threat Intelligence discovered limited, targeted abuse of a vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook for Windows that allows for new technology LAN manager credential theft, it said. Microsoft has released [the bug] to address the critical elevation of privilege vulnerability affecting Microsoft Outlook for Windows. We strongly recommend all customers update Microsoft Outlook for Windows to remain secure.

Cybersecurity blog Krebs on Security noted that a malign actor can send a booby-trapped email that triggers automatically when retrieved by the email serverbefore the email is even viewed in the Preview Pane.

The vulnerability effectively lets the attacker authenticate as a trusted individual without having to know the persons password, Kevin Breen, director of cyber threat research at Immersive Labs, told the blog. This is on par with an attacker having a valid password with access to an organizations systems.

For the SmartScreen critical flaw, it likely means that malicious files that would usually be rendered harmless, for example by having built-in macro code suppressed, might be able to spring into life unexpectedly when viewed or opened, said cybersecurity website Sophos. Once again, the update will bring you back on par with the attackers, so: Dont delay/Patch it today.

Earlier this week, Adobe also released eight patches addressing about 105 security problems across a number of its products, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Cold Fusion, Experience Manager, Dimension, Commerce, Magento, Substance 3D Stager, and Cloud Desktop Application. On Thursday, CISA warned that ColdFusions bug is now being exploited, while Adobe noted that the company is aware that [the bug] has been exploited in the wild in very limited attacks targeting Adobe ColdFusion.

And earlier this month, a nonprofit security group issued an advisory telling Google Android smartphone users to update their systems as soon as possible due to multiple vulnerabilities that could allow for an attacker to remotely install programs or delete data.

The most severe of these issues is a critical security vulnerability in the System component that could lead to remote code execution with no additional execution privileges needed, an Android bulletin states. User interaction is not needed for exploitation.
Millions of Tiny, Suspicious Political Donations Questioned by Watchdog Group

Voters cast their midterm election ballots in New York on Nov. 8, 2022. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

An 80-year-old Midwestern woman from an affluent suburban area made nearly 9,000 small donations totaling more than $330,000 to political causes and candidates in four years, according to federal election records.

She says she didnt.

That would not slip by me, she told The Epoch Times. If I was losing money, Id know it. It wasnt my money.

I am a frequent and generous giver. I estimate I contribute about 50 times per year. I know every penny I donate.

More than 100 people gathered outside the office building of Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich in Phoenix in support of election integrity on Dec. 17, 2021. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

The woman, known as Donor C, was also surprised to learn that Federal Election Commission (FEC) reports show small donations appearing in her name after she stopped giving.

Theres a hole somewhere that needs to be plugged, and Id like to see that done. Id like to know if this is elder abuse, she said.

Election Watch, a national election integrity watchdog group, is raising questions about more than 10,000 individual donors who are listed on the FEC database as having each contributed thousands of times in four years.

The data are raising eyebrows among investigators because surveys have shown that American political contributors donate far less often.

In the following examples taken directly from the FEC database, the donors identities wont be disclosed.

One of many examples cited by Election Watch is a 77-year-old Colorado woman referred to as Donor A. She contributed more than 59,000 times in separate donations totaling more than $279,000 in the 2020 and 2022 election cycles.

Another contributor, Donor B, 74, a woman from Kansas, donated 65,489 times, giving more than $223,000, over the same time period.

FECs Explanation

When asked by The Epoch Times about Donor Cs situation and the above comments, FEC spokesperson Christian Hilland answered in an email, I wouldnt be able to speculate or comment on specific financial activity.

However, duplicate contributions may appear in our database if they were earmarked through a conduit committee.

The same contribution is reported by both the conduit committee and the recipient committee.

It is the responsibility of a committees treasurer to monitor contributions to ensure that they comply with the legal limits and source prohibitions of federal campaign finance law and agency regulations.

Christopher Gleason, an Election Watch computer analyst, responded to the FEC explanation, telling The Epoch Times: We are not just seeing duplications. We are looking at thousands of transactions recorded in FEC reports showing individual donors making multiple small contributions dozens of times a day, week in and week out, to the same recipient.

Repetitive Patterns

Another example from the Election Watch study is an individual referred to as Donor D. The FEC database shows Donor D making more than 37,000 separate small contributions during the 2020 and 2022 election cycles, as well as a few in early 2023, totaling more than $139,000.

Most of those contributions went to a handful of political action committees (PACs) in increments of $3 or $5 each. The same PAC is listed as receiving 10 to 15 $3 and $ 5 donations per day from Donor D, day after day.

FEC records show that many of Donor Ds multiple daily contributions were made on consecutive days and that the pattern of donations repeats multiple times over the course of several years.

Effective Fund-Raging

Donor D, 84 years old, told The Epoch Times that his donating 20 times per day is possible, saying, We have to get the GOP out!

Donor Ds scenario may be a classic illustration of the internet fundraising phenomenon some pundits call fund-raging.

Fund-raging is an online solicitation technique in which a single donor is emailed numerous politically or socially incendiary messages, followed by an urgent request for an immediate digital donation.

Donor D said of his online solicitors, They love me.

Donor Ds son told The Epoch Times in a phone interview, I knew my dad was an active donor, but I had no idea it was that often and that much. He will click on anything.

Multiple Versions of the Same Name

The FEC database shows several instances of scores of donations being attributed to a name or address remarkably similar to Donor Ds personal information.

When thousands of names are listed on official FEC records donating thousands of times per year, that in itself raises questions. And so do the derivations that clearly stem from those original names, Gleason said.

Derivations are other entirely separate contribution listings that appear with names and addresses that vary slightly from the main listing in spelling, the use of a middle initial, nickname, house number, street name spelling, or employer.

An individual contributor referred to as Donor E, 72, from Louisiana, is recorded by the FEC as donating 6,554 times in the 2020 and 2022 election cycles with contributions totaling $421,112.

Election Watch researchers discovered other contribution entries attributed to 24 variations of Donor Es personal identity information.

Draza Smith, a licensed engineer and computer control specialist working on the Election Watch team, said: The differences appear to be deliberate. These are not mistakes that are found and then corrected on next years report. They remain year after year.

These permutations are recognized by the human eye as being slight variants of an original, but a computer reads and treats them as a completely different entry.

We are seeing the same pattern on the Florida voter registration rolls.

Smith said she hasnt discovered any campaign contribution limit violations and suggested that name and address derivatives are a way of keeping donors under the limit.

Done by Computer?

The frequency and sheer volume of the transactions over years makes me think the activity is not likely a little old man clicking his PCs pay button 50,000 times, Gleason said.

In my opinion, it is behaviorally impossible for thousands of Americans to each be making thousands of donations per year. It is so methodical and structured that it appears to be done by a computer program.

The beauty of our study is it is based on the FECs own data. When I asked them for an explanation, I heard nothing. What can they say?

Donors Profiled

Gleason said he and the Election Watch team profiled hundreds of the most prolific donors around the country. The study found that most of them are unemployed, elderly, white, flaming liberals that hate Trump and live in fairly affluent neighborhoods.

The five donors mentioned above come from areas with homes ranging in value from $240,000 to $800,000.

They are good prospects for bad actors because these people may not be very computer-savvy or financially vigilant and already have an established record of making numerous online donations, he said.

Election Watch is encouraging individual donors and their family members to go to the FEC online database and check out their own listings. All listings are public information.

Digital Payments

Some of the largest credit card processing services dealing with the collection and distribution of political contributions do not verify credit cards. And some charge a small fee per transaction, Election Watch investigator Peter Bernegger said.

Two of the most successful of these organizations are ActBlue, a Democrat fundraising workhorse, and WinRed, on the Republican side.

ActBlue didnt respond to an email from The Epoch Times. WinRed couldnt be reached for comment.

Maryland attorney, CPA, and well-known election integrity crusader Walter Charlton told The Epoch Times that hes hiring private investigators to contact his states most prolific and repetitive small donors to determine whether their names are being used to make political contributions without their knowledge.
John Rivera with his wife at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, Fla., to see Shen Yun on March 16, 2023. (Sally Sun/The Epoch Times)

ORLANDO, Fla.As a surprise for his wife, John Rivera, CEO and entrepreneur, drove her two and a half hours from Jacksonville to attend the Shen Yun Performing Arts concert at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

My wife tried to see the show in Argentina and was unable to do it, so I surprised her today, and I brought her here to see the show, said Mr. Rivera on March 16.

It was an excellent performance  the orchestra was outstanding, he said.

For [the dancers] to be able to move to live music that way and be on cue was amazing, he said. The movement, the flow [and] the costumes were really, really wonderful to see  the colors, the saturation, everything combined.

Mr. Rivera was impressed to learn that classical Chinese dance and music have roots in ancient Chinese culture, dating back 5,000 years.

According to the companys website, Shen Yun has preserved the true aesthetics of the costumes and colors as well as this classical dance systemthe way it has been passed down from antiquityand presents this authentic culture in its purest form.

It had a very deep cultural aspect to it, and the music combined with the dance was telling a real story, said Mr. Rivera. The combination of all of it really hit home.

Based in New York, Shen Yun Performing Arts is the worlds premier classical Chinese dance company. Along with folk dances and solo performances, the production depicts story-based pieces that tell tales from ancient times to the modern day.

One of Shen Yuns unique features is its orchestra. Its the first in the world to permanently combine classical Western and Chinese instruments within a Western symphony orchestra.

When I listened to the cues and the music, it sounded like the music was being played off of a DVD or a CD, he said. The orchestra was exceptional.

Phenomenal Erhu

Mr. Rivera was amazed by the erhu: a traditional Chinese two-stringed instrument that has been called the Chinese violin.

An incredibly expressive instrument, the erhu is capable of conveying a broad range of emotions, even imitating sounds from chirping birds to neighing horses, Shen Yuns website explains.

To see someone make that kind of sound with that kind of depth with two strings is phenomenal, he said.

I think more young people should see it [Shen Yun] because it sends a message, he said. Its important for young people to understand that music [and culture] goes back thousands of years.

Formerly in show business for 25 years, Mr. Rivera understood and appreciated the depth and commitment of Shen Yun.

Its a pleasure for both of us to be here, he said. Im glad that we were able to make it tonight.

Reporting by Sally Sun and Jennifer Schneider.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
MP Says Big Game Hunting Trophy Ban Virtue Signalling at Expense of African Wildlife

Shadow minister says trophy hunting should be put in 'dustbin of history'

MPs and campaigners against big game hunting, including explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes (3rd from R) actress Vicki Michelle (5th from R) and former ski jumper Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards (far R) in the Houses of Westminster, England, on March 15, 2023. (PA Media)

A Conservative MP has told the House of Commons a private members bill that would ban the importation of big game hunting trophies was a classic case of virtue signalling at the expense of African wildlife and the conservation efforts of African people.

The Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Billwhich is supported by actors Charles Dance, Joanna Lumley, and Vicki Michelle and TV presenter Gary Linekerwas debated in Parliament on Friday.

Bill Wiggin, MP for North Herefordshire, said some of the high profile celebrities who have been campaigning and lobbying on the issue had very little experience on the subject but he said, their voices seem to speak louder due to their fame than the African community leaders and scientific experts who have objected to the Bill.

The Bill, which was tabled by another Conservative MP, Henry Smith, would stop the import into Britain of body parts from thousands of species including lions, rhinos, and elephants killed abroad.

Wiggin, who initially tabled more than 30 amendments to the Bill, said it could have unintended consequences and open the floodgates to poachers.

MPs Accused of Ignoring Scientific Evidence

Wiggin said: Ive been concerned throughout the progress of this Bill that it is not motivated by a desire to see African wildlife flourish and prosper. If it were, then it would have paid heed to the scientific evidence provided by experts in conservation.

He said British conservationists Amy Dickman and Adam Hart have both argued 90 percent of protected areas with lions were severely underfunded and removing trophy hunting without providing a suitable alternative of funding would expose those areas to the risk of poaching.

Anti-Poaching Teams with seized ivory in an undated photo. (Courtesy of The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust)

Wiggin said: According to the IUCN Red List, trophy hunting is not considered to be a threat driving any species to extinction, instead trophy hunting generates revenue for anti-poaching and habitat conservation.

Earlier this week the representatives in London of the governments of South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, and Botswana issued a joint statement supporting sustainable hunting.

The statement said: What advocates for a UK ban on the importation of hunting trophies should appreciate is that hunting in Africa, when practised sustainably, feeds families, puts children through school, funds anti-poaching units and, ultimately, secures the long-term viability of the habitats and species we all care about so much, the statement said.

Wrong for British People to Kill Animals for Pleasure

But Alex Sobel, the shadow environment minister, said: We can say that its wrong for British people to kill animals for pleasure and momentoes. We can set an example  We human beings have a responsibility to look after this planet and its animals. We need to put trophy hunting in the dustbin of history along with the slave trade, female infanticide, and witch-hunting.

Wiggin said when Botswana brought in a temporary ban on paid hunting, in 2014, there was a 593 percent increase in the discovery of fresh elephant carcasses.

The banwhich was lifted in 2019also had unintended consequences in some villages in Botswana.

Thebeyakgosi Horatius, a former head of human-wildlife conflict for Botswanas Department of Wildlife and National Parks, told National Public Radio said because [the elephants] are feeling comfortable, they are not feeling disturbed by shootings, they come through the villages. They are free to go wherever they want to go.

Wiggin said Dickman, a conservation biologist and director of wildlife conservation research at the University of Oxford, had argued this legislation would actually lead to, more painful and prolonged deaths from poachers than from a hunters bullet.

Wiggin said: The concern held by both conservationists and African community leaders is enforcing the removal of the vital source of revenue supplied by trophy hunters to these communities will open the floodgates to poachers who will cause far more cruelty and pain to the animals and will pose a far greater threat to endangered species.

He went on: I am very, very sensitive of racism. And I spoke out against this bill because I fundamentally believed that it was a NEO colonial attempt to control conservation management programs of African democratic countries. I know that not one of us here today is a racist or has that really nasty streak of wanting to judge people by the color of their skin. But we have to be pretty careful that we dont signal that we know best to countries that are emerging.

Earlier this week the founder of the Campaign to Ban Trophy Hunting, Eduardo Goncalves, said the view expressed by Wiggin was, the most Orwellian argument Ive ever heard: killing an animal for kicks and saying its for the good of the animal and the good of the species.

Goncalves also said: When I hear these people on the other side say this Bill is neocolonialist, please, can anyone tell me if theres a better definition of colonialism than white people flying to Africa and saying Im going to shoot all these animals for fun, its my right to do so?

Trudy Harrison, a junior minister in the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, said: I do recognise that some of the income from trophy hunting has contributed towards the protection of habitat and the prevention of poaching. But to bring the body part of endangered species in is not the way forward. This government recognises this, the country recognises that and I am absolutely clear that it is time for change. It is absolutely what the public expects.

Cecil the Lion Didnt Die in Vain

Referring to a case that caused a global backlash against trophy hunting in 2015, Harrison said: Dare I say, Cecil the lion didnt die in vain.

But another Tory MP, Christopher Chope, queried why the Bill would not apply to Northern Ireland and he asked Harrison: What solution does the minister have to The Daily Telegraph headline, Brexit loophole allows input of Hippo heads and stuffed tigers?

DUP MP Sammy Wilson echoed Chopes concerns in the light of the Windsor framework.

Harrison responded: Let me reassure the House that we will do everything we possibly can to ensure that this is not the case, that Northern Ireland will not be a back door for so-called trophies from endangered species to enter Scotland, England, or Wales. It will not be a stepping stone for imports to Great Britain.

The Bill was given its third reading, without a vote, and is now likely to become law, if approved by the House of Lords.

PA Media contributed to this report.
New Zealand Bans TikTok From Parliamentary Devices, Citing Unacceptable Risks

The download page for the TikTok app is displayed on an Apple iPhone in Washington, on Aug. 7, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

New Zealand has moved to ban the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok from all parliamentary devices, citing the unacceptable level of risks posed by the popular video app.

Parliamentary Service Chief Executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said on Friday that TikTokowned by Beijing-based firm ByteDancewould be removed from all devices with access to the parliamentary network.

However, he said that those who require the app to perform their democratic duties may be granted an exemption from the ban, according to a statement released by the New Zealand Parliament.

This decision has been made based on our own experts analysis and following discussion with our colleagues across government and internationally, Gonzalez-Montero stated.

Based on this information, the [Parliamentary Service] has determined that the risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand Parliamentary environment, he added, without elaborating on the apps risks.

New Zealands Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has declined to provide further details regarding the security risks associated with TikTok, saying that he has not received a briefing on the matter, according to local media.

Id expect that departments and agencies, including the Parliament, would consider the advice of the GCSB and making those decisions, he said, referring to the Government Communications Security Bureau.

A TikTok spokesperson told The Epoch Times by email that the company was disappointed with the New Zealand Parliaments decision, saying that it was made without consultation with, or notification, to TikTok.

Data security is of the highest importance to TikTok, and there is no evidence to suggest that TikTok poses a security risk to New Zealanders. We believe it is important that decision making is based on fact, not misinformation, the spokesperson said.

We have written to Parliamentary Service, offering to engage and seek an explanation of their decision and we look forward to working with them to address any issues identified in their analysis, they added.

Sensitive Government Data

New Zealand is the latest country to ban TikTok from parliamentary devices, following similar actions by the United States and Canada. The United Kingdom on Thursday also banned TikTok from government devices.

The UKs Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden said the decision was based on an official review which concluded that it is clear that there could be a risk around how sensitive government data is accessed and used by certain platforms.

Social media apps collect and store huge amounts of user data, including contacts, user content, and geolocation data. On government devices, that data can be sensitive, he said.

Meanwhile, TikTok has claimed that it could be facing a total ban in the United States unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells its stake.

The U.S. regulator for foreign investments in America, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, issued the warning to TikTok, the company told Reuters on Wednesday.

TikTok has more than 100 million users in America, with many earning an income from the app. Some lawmakers and security experts have described the app as a spy balloon into your phone.

In line with actions taken by global leaders, the White House on Feb. 20 ordered TikTok purged from all government devices and systems to keep U.S. data safe.

Brainwashing App

The Epoch Times previously revealed that ByteDance had been employing Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members in its highest ranks.

The company, like many organizations in China, is bound by the regimes National Intelligence Law, which requires all organizations and citizens to support, assist, and cooperate with national intelligence efforts.

TikTok has said that users personal data collected by the app can be remotely accessed in China but denied it had or would ever provide the data to the CCP. The promise has done little to assure security experts who warned against trusting the Chinese regime.

Arthur Herman, a senior fellow at the U.S. think tank the Hudson Institute, previously told The Epoch Times that the app harvests an enormous amount of data that can be used to picture, in the case of the United States, where American vulnerabilities lie.

Its algorithms can also turn the app into a brainwashing app by filtering content disliked by the CCP, Herman said.

Caden Pearson and Lily Zhou contributed to this report.

This report was updated with TikToks statement.
Newsom Plans to Cut Californias Homeless Crisis With Tiny Homes

Californias homeless crisis is on the rise as the state grapples with solutions to help the homeless community.

The Golden State will continue building tiny homes in four of its largest cities and reward cities committed to cutting homelessness with a piece of a $1 billion prize, Governor Gavin Newsom announced Thursday.

Newsom stopped in Sacramento as part of a statewide tour to announce major policy developments. To the crowd gathered at Cal Expo, Newsom focused on the issue of homelessness.

Newsom told the event that California was on track to cut the number of unsheltered people by 15 percent in two years, reported the Los Angeles Times.

As part of his plans, he said at least 1,200 tiny homes will be available to use as interim housing for unsheltered people. They can be assembled within one hour, depending on brand and size, and the state will help install and identify available land to place them.

Two hundred will go to San Jose, 500 to Los Angeles, 350 to Sacramento, and 150 to San Diego County.

Were hoping to get them constructed in a matter of months, not years, he said. The press may attack us if we fall short, so were saying in the fall.

Newsom also said cities, counties, and regional agencies across the state turned in plans committing to cut homelessness to 15 percent by 2025. He said they will be held accountable to earn a piece of a new $1 billion to use toward their stated plans.

Tiny homes became a popular solution for cities seeking to rapidly shelter homeless populations during the pandemic because of the relative ease and cost-effectiveness of using prefabricated, modular units.

Jason Elliott, a top adviser to Newsom, said the funding will come from unspent funds previously appropriated in the state budget for behavioral health programs.

Republican state Senate Leader Brian Jones criticized the proposal, saying its another example of Newsom throwing money at the problem without solutions.

While I appreciate the governors creativity to construct 1,200 tiny homes, that is a drop in the bucket, he said in a statement.

There are more than 171,000 homeless people in California, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (pdf) Thats a 6.2 percent increase since 2020.

California accounted for half of all unsheltered people in the country, said the departments 2022 report on homelessness to Congress. This is more than nine times the number of unsheltered people in the state with the next highest number, Washington.

A homeless encampment lines a street in the Skid Row community in Los Angeles, Calif., on Dec. 14, 2022. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Between 2019 and 2022, the number of unsheltered homeless people in Sacramento grew to 6,664 from 3,900.

Data released Wednesday by the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness showed 725 individuals were housed in February, with most renting places themselves, while 1,036 individuals experienced homelessness for the first time.

In Los Angeles, where skid row is located, newly elected Mayor Karen Bass declared a state of emergency in the City of Los Angeles on Dec.12, and the Board of Supervisors pledged a week later to support those efforts. On Jan. 10, the Board went further, declaring a state of emergency in the County of Los Angeles.

My mandate is to move Los Angeles in a new direction, with an urgent and strategic approach to solving our citys toughest challenges and creating a brighter future for every Angeleno, Bass said. Today, on my first day in office, we hit the ground running, with a sea change in how the city tackles homelessness.

Since her first day in office, Bass launched the Inside Safe program to quickly move unhoused Angelenos indoors. The vast majority are in a temporary motel or hotel rooms, though the goal is to place them all in permanent housing while providing mental health services, substance abuse treatment, or other support services.

Despite her efforts, Bass has a different set of concerns for the rising homeless population.

(With) the eviction moratorium ending, Im very, very worried that were going to see another spike in homelessness, Bass said. Now, you know the City Council passed tenant protections, but  Im worried that a lot of people wont know that the tenant protections actually are there, so we are setting out to do outreach to make sure that tenants know.

Basss goal is to house more than 4,000 homeless Angelenos will have been housed, including more than 1,000 through her Inside Safe initiative, by next week when she hits her 100-day mark in office.
Newsom Seeks to Move Californias Oil Profit Cap Decision Away From Skeptical Legislature

Instead of letting the California Legislature decide whether to impose a profit cap on oil companies, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on March 16 a proposal to give the California Energy Commissionmade up of the governors appointeesthe ability to do so.

The proposed change came after lawmakers from both sides of the aisle voiced skepticism in a special meeting in late February about the governors plan to penalize the oil industry for windfall profits. Industry and energy experts also told legislators during the meeting that the penalty or any additional taxes could drive up the cost of fuel even more.

The new proposal also calls for creating a watchdog division at the Energy Commission that would be staffed by market experts, economists, and investigators, with subpoena power to investigate the oil industrys sales and pricing activities. The division could also refer violations to the California Attorney Generals Office for prosecution, according to Newsoms office.

What were asking for is simple: transparency and accountability to drive the oil industry out of the shadows, Newsom said in a March 16 statement. Now its time to choose whether to stand with California families or with Big Oil in our fight to make them play by the rules.

The Western States Petroleum Association told The Epoch Times that the new proposal still doesnt address ongoing supply challenges that leading experts have identified as the main driver of increased costs.

Empowering unelected bureaucrats and giving them the authority to tax and penalize refiners will likely lead to the same unintended consequences as his initial proposalless investment, less supply, and higher costs for Californians, the associations spokesman, Kevin Slagle, said. That is exactly why the [Legislature] rejected his initial proposal.

Gas prices of more than $7 per gallon displayed at a Chevron gas station in Menlo Park, Calif., on May 25, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Newsom has repeatedly blasted oil companies for ripping Californians off beginning last year as the states average gas prices reached $6.42 per gallon in October 2022, a record $2.61 more than the national average.

Oil companies reported record profits following the high prices, which the governor asked the Legislature to investigate in December 2022 during a special legislative session where he unveiled the penalty proposal.

Opposing adding new fees, Republicans have called on Newsom to take steps to reduce gas prices by delaying the states yearly transition to a costly emissions-reducing summer-blend gasoline and stopping a planned gas tax hike set for July 1.

California drivers pay more than they should because of the taxes, fees, and regulations imposed by Governor Newsom and his extreme liberal allies, Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement. If Democrats give unelected bureaucrats the authority to impose this new tax, they will be responsible for the shortages, rationing, gas lines, and price spikes that come with it.
North Korea Says It Launched ICBM to Warn US, South Korea Over Drills

People watch a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, on March 16, 2023. (Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

SEOULNorth Korea said that Thursdays launch was its largest Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), fired during a drill to demonstrate a tough response posture to ongoing U.S.South Korea military drills, state media reported.

Photos released on Friday by North Koreas state media showed Kim Jong Un watching the launch with his daughter, and included pictures from space apparently shot by a camera mounted on the missile.

North Korea fired the ICBM into the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan on Thursday, hours before South Koreas president flew to Tokyo for a summit that discussed ways to counter the nuclear-armed North.

The launching drill of the strategic weapon serves as an occasion to give a stronger warning to the enemies intentionally escalating the tension in the Korean peninsula while persistently resorting to irresponsible and reckless military threats, state news agency KCNA said.

The Norths ballistic missiles are banned under United Nations Security Council resolutions and the launch drew condemnation from governments in Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo.

South Korean and American forces began 11 days of joint drills, dubbed Freedom Shield 23, on Monday, held on a scale not seen since 2017 to counter the Norths growing threats.

Kim accused the United States and South Korea of increasing tensions with the military drills.

He stressed the need to strike fear into the enemies, really deter war and reliably guarantee the peaceful life of our people and their struggle for socialist construction by irreversibly bolstering up the nuclear war deterrent, KCNA reported.

China, which has a defense pact with North Korea, also blamed the United States for the current tensions.

The Hwasong-17 is North Koreas biggest missile yet, and is the largest road-mobile, liquid-fueled ICBM in the world.

It is believed to have the range to potentially deliver a nuclear warhead to targets anywhere in the United States.

The missile was launched from Pyongyangs airport, and KCNA said it traveled up to a maximum altitude of 6,045 kilometers (3,756 miles) and flew a distance of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) for just over 69 minutes, before falling into the open sea. The launch did not pose a safety threat to any neighboring countries, the report said.
Northern Ireland, Scotland Should Pursue Independence After Brexit: Northern Irelands First Minister

North Ireland First Minister-elect Michelle O'Neill speaks at the National Press Club in Washington on March 16, 2023. (Joseph Lord/The Epoch Times)

Northern Irelands first minister-elect says that Scotland and Northern Ireland should reconsider independence from the UK in the aftermath of the 2016 decision to leave the European Union.

At an event hosted by the National Press Club in Washington, Michelle ONeilla member of the pro-Northern Irish independence Sinn Fein partysaid Brexit was never compatible with the Good Friday Agreement that brokered a peace between Irish unionists and separatists in the second half of the 20th century.

Although the voters of England and Wales supported the 2016 referendum to leave the EU, the move was far less popular in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Northern Ireland and Scotland, ONeill suggested, should reconsider independence so that they can remain in the EU, which grants its members certain economic and commercial privileges.

Northern Ireland grappled in the 20th century with about 30 years of internecine warfare between Irish separatists, supporting Irish independence from the UK, and unionists, who supported a continued union with the UK. Known as the Troubles in Ireland, the period from the 1960s to 1998 was marked by guerrilla warfare between unionists and separatists, acts of terrorism, and general social distrust.

The Troubles were brought to an end in 1998 with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, which put in place a power-sharing arrangement between the Irish republican separatists and the unionists. This year, the Good Friday Agreement celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Under the terms of the agreement, power in Northern Ireland is shared between unionists and republicans. Specifically, this means that representatives from both sides of the dispute have to share power in the government.

Brexit

Ongoing disputes between ONeills Sinn Fein party, which opposes Brexit, and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which supports Brexit, mean that ONeill has been unable to form a government despite being elected to the post in May 2022.

Consequently, Northern Ireland has been without a true executive figurehead for nearly a year now.

The 2016 referendum to leave the EU inflamed political passions in Northern Ireland again after decades of tranquility.

Only in England and Wales did a majority of voters express the wish to leave the EU. The decision to leave the EU, which would revoke the free trade laws governing EU member states, was least popular in Scotland, where 62 percent of the population voted to remain. The move was the second least popular in Northern Ireland, where 56 percent of voters said the UK should remain in the EU.

However, the DUP disagrees with the Windsor protocol, a trade agreement between Northern Ireland, the UK, and the EU that seeks to clarify Northern Irelands economic relationship with the UK and EU. The DUP has demanded reconsideration of the Windsor protocol before it will agree to the formation of a government with Sinn Fein.

ONeill said she has her own disagreements with the Windsor protocol but was overall laudatory of the deal.

[The Windsor protocol] in itself mitigates against the worst impact of Brexit on our island, ONeill said.

She told the audience that the deal does a number of fundamental things, including protecting the Good Friday peace, ensuring Northern Irish access to both UK and EU markets, and avoiding the creation of a hard border on the Irish island. Currently, Irish citizens from both of the islands two states can freely travel between the two despite their divided political governance.

[Brexit has been the] root cause of the political and economic problems that we have, ONeill said.

She criticized the UK government, which she said had failed to respect the Good Friday Agreement and Brexits impact on that agreement.

Past referendum efforts at independence for Northern Ireland and Scotland have been rejected by voters of the two nations.

In 1973, for instance, 98.9 percent of Northern Irish voters voted in favor of remaining in the UK.

In 2014, Scotland held a referendum to leave the UK, but this vote failed to garner the support needed for a political separation. About 55 percent of Scottish voters rejected independence, with 45 percent in favor.
In a video posted on March 17, former President Donald Trump said Democrats are using their prosecutors to try and steal another election. This comes as his former attorney said hes prepared to testify against Trump if hes indicted. And dozens of Mar-a-Lago staff have been subpoenaed in the classified documents probe.

The House Oversight Committee is now formally asking Hunter Bidens business partner Rob Walker to testify on the record. It comes right after the committee, citing bank records, revealed on Thursday that three members of the Biden family received a total of more than $1 million from Walker.

Chinese scientists now say COVID-19 did come from animalsnot from a lab. However, their findings have not yet been peer-reviewed. Meanwhile, the latest installment of the Twitter Files appears to show that the Virality Project at Stanford University directed Twitter to censor stories about COVID-19 and vaccineseven though the Virality Project knew the stories were true.

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. They allege that Putin committed war crimesin particular deporting children from Ukraine to Russia. And Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping will fly to Moscow next week to meet with Putin. Their talks will be centered around the war in Ukraine.
30 Percent Chance of Government Failing Fiscal Goal of Reducing Federal Debt Over Next Decade: Study

The Parliament Hill Peace Tower is framed in an iron fence on Wellington Street in Ottawa on March 12, 2020. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

With a little over a week before the federal government releases Budget 2023, a stress test of the current fiscal policy shows that Ottawa has a 30 percent chance of failing to achieve its core fiscal goal of reducing federal debt over a 10-year period, says a Fraser Institute study.

The study, titled Stress Testing the Federal Fiscal Anchor, was co-authored by Bev Dahlby, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute, and Ergete Ferede, professor of economics at MacEwan University in Edmonton.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the governments fiscal anchor was to maintain its debt-to-GDP ratio at 30 percent. But with federal borrowing to finance the massive pandemic-related spending, the debt ratio shot up to 47.5 percent in 2021, the authors said in an executive summary released on March 16.

Instead of introducing a fiscal restraint to bring the debt ratio back to the previous level, the government embraced a new fiscal anchor of gradually reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio over the next 45 yearsa goal that is based on assuming a constant annual economic growth rate of 1.6 percent.

This assumption of constant economic growth, however, contradicts historical experience, the authors said.

The federal government has committed to gradually reducing federal debt as a share of the national economy over the medium term, but they have not accounted for the impact of recessions, which will make it difficult to achieve this stated goal, Jake Fuss, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and co-author of the study, said in a press release.

The study also noted that the government projections have excluded forecasts of recessions in the future. The authors noted that there is a 32 percent chance of a recession happening in the next 20 years. There is also a 28 percent chance that two recessions will occur in that time frame, which will drive up the possibility of increased federal debt-to-GDP ratio to 60 percent, according to the press release.

The authors warned that direct and indirect effects of a recession could set off a debt doom loop, meaning that debt will continue to increase relative to the size of the economy if the government does not quickly respond by reducing its post-recession budget deficits.

The combination of the high likelihood that Ottawa will miss its current fiscal goal coupled with the abandonment of previous fiscal goals, indicates the federal government lacks any effective fiscal rules or constraints, Fuss said.

It is critical policymakers evaluate how major economic downturns like a recession could affect the public debt in the future, and conclude the best way to lower budget deficits and public debt is through government spending restraint that would keep federal finances in check.
Parliamentary Committee to Recommend Ottawa Increase Ties With Taiwan: Report

A Canadian flag hangs from a lamp post along the road in front of the Parliament buildings ahead of Canada Day in Ottawa on June 30, 2020. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

A parliamentary committee is expected to soon recommend that the federal government strengthen Canadas ties with Taiwan, according to a report.

The recommendation is expected to be tabled in a report by the House of Commons Special Committee on CanadaChina Relations when the House reconvenes as soon as next week, according to Blacklocks Reporter.

Canada has not had official diplomatic relations with Taiwan since 1970.

MPs on the committee finalized the text of the report, titled Canada and Taiwan: A Strong Relationship in Turbulent Times, in an off-camera meeting.

The committee is also requesting in the report that cabinet table a comprehensive response to its recommendations.

The committees expected report comes several years after cabinet voiced support for Taiwan to be granted observer status at the World Health Organization (WHO), despite Beijings position that Taiwan is a Chinese province and should be under its rule. Taiwan is a de facto independent country, with its own military, democratically-elected government, and constitution.

Then-Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne told The Canadian Press that Canada supports Taiwans meaningful participation in international multilateral fora.

The House also unanimously voted in October 2022 that Taiwan should be granted membership in the WHO as an independent nation after Conservative MP Michael Barrett introduced the motion.

Taiwan deserves a seat at the table and must have a seat at the table. That is not only in Taiwans interests: it is in Canadas interests and the worlds interests, Conservative MP Michael Cooper told the House on May 16, 2022.

However, a federal government webpage titled Canada-Taiwan relations says Canada maintains its One China policy, but also has unofficial but valuable economic, cultural and people-to-people ties with Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Assistant Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Paul Thoppil told the Commons CanadaChina Relations committee in November 2022 that the federal government had previously held exploratory discussions with Taiwan on a foreign investment protection agreement for several months starting in January 2022.

Now an assessment is underway as a result of those discussions, Thoppil said, adding that International Trade Minister Mary Ng told her Taiwanese counterpart that Ottawa will soon make a decision on the matter.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer recalled millions of prescription migraine drugs that dont meet packaging requirements, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Some 4.2 million Nurtec ODT (rimegepant) orally disintegrating 75 milligram tablets that were in blister packs lack the child-resistant packaging that is required under federal law. The recall notice said that the packing issue could present a child poisoning risk.

The recalled prescription drugs must be in child resistant packaging as required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA). The packaging of the products is not child resistant, posing a risk of poisoning if the contents are swallowed by young children, said the notice.

The notice said that no injuries or reports of accidental poisonings have been reported in connection to the packaging, which was made by Biohaven Pharmaceuticals Inc. Pfizer acquired Biohaven last October.

Consumers were advised to immediately secure the recalled product out of the sight and reach of children and contact Pfizer for a free child resistant pouch to store the product and that once the product is secured, consumers can continue to use it as directed.

Pharmacies around the United States distributed Nurtec ODT as a prescribed medicine between December 2021 and March 2023. The prices of the drug varied owing to health insurance terms and other reasons, the notice said.

In a statement, Nurtec said that it was Pfizer that recently determined the drugs packaging doesnt meet the requirements. Patients who use Nurtec ODT should continue to use the drug as prescribed, according to the company, which added that the recall does not change the established safety profile of the drug when used as prescribed for its intended uses.

There is also need to return Nurtec ODT packages to the company, it said. Migraine patients will continue to have access to Nurtec ODT via their pharmacy, the statement also said.

Pfizer is quickly working to create new packaging for Nurtec ODT to comply with the necessary child-resistant packaging requirements, the firm added. In the meantime, pharmacists will place Nurtec ODT blister packages into vials with child-resistant lids when filling patient prescriptions.

Pfizers website says that there is limited clinical experience with Nurtec ODT overdoses and does not provide examples of possible overdose symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic, there have been no studies on the drugs effects in children and safety profiles havent been established.

Treatment of an overdose of NURTEC ODT should consist of general supportive measures including monitoring of vital signs and observation of the clinical status of the patient, it says. No specific antidote for the treatment of rimegepant overdose is available. Rimegepant is unlikely to be significantly removed by dialysis because of high serum protein binding.

According to Pfizer, Nurtec ODT is given to adults for treatment of migraine attacks with or without aura. Common side effects include nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain, it says.

For more details, consumers can contact Pfizer at 800-879-3477 Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET. They can also visit Nurtecs website to get more information.

Other Drug Recalls

Last month in an unrelated recall, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the recall of blood pressure medication made by Sun Pharmaceuticals after the agency posted an enforcement report.

Sun Pharmaceuticals said it was voluntarily recalling diltiazem hydrochloride in a 360-milligram dosage form across the United States, according to the notice. Diltiazem hydrochloride is used to treat chest pain, high blood pressure, and some heart rhythm disorders like atrial fibrillation or rapid heartbeats.

Weeks before that, the agency announced IBSA Pharma Inc. was voluntarily recalling Tirosint-SOL, or levothyroxine sodium, a medication used to treat an underactive thyroid gland. It said that the voluntary recall has been initiated because these lots may be subpotent, the FDA notice said.
Planes in Florida Close Call Were Cleared to Use Same Runway

The American Airlines logo on top of the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Dec. 19, 2017. (Michael Ainsworth/AP Photo)

Federal investigators say an air traffic controller cleared a plane to take off from Sarasota, Florida, while an American Airlines jet was making its final approach to the same runway last month, leading the American pilots to abandon their landing.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that the American and Air Canada Rouge planes were separated by six-tenths of a mileabout 3,000 feet (900 meters)at their closest point. That is much farther apart than planes in several recent close calls.

In its preliminary report, the safety board did not state a cause for the Feb. 16 incident, but it said it formed a group to investigate air traffic controller actions. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association and the Federal Aviation Administration, which hires and trains controllers, are taking part in the investigation, the NTSB said.

The early findings came a day after officials from the NTSB, the FAA, airlines, and airline unions met outside Washington for a safety summit.

National Transportation Safety Board Member Bella Dinh-Zarr speaks during a news conference at the National Transportation Safety Board headquarters in Washington on Dec. 18, 2017. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo)

According to an FAA readout of summit sessions that were closed to the public and press, a group that discussed air traffic recommended closer examination of data to find the causes and solutions for planes being on or near the same runway at the same time. The FAA said it asked industry to find technology to help air traffic controllers track equipment on the ground.

The NTSB is investigating six recent events involving conflicting runway use. The board did not start any similar investigations in 2022 and only two in 2021, according to a spokesman.

Overall runway incursions, as they are called, are lower in the last six months than the same period last year, according to FAA figures, but those include the vast majority of incidents that are deemed low- or no-risk.

In Sarasota, a controller cleared the American Airlines flight to land on runway 14 when the plane was about 10 miles from the airport. When it was about 3 miles out, the controller cleared the Air Canada Rouge plane to take off from the same runway.

The American crew elected to cancel their landing, turn to the right and return to land. No injuries were reported.
Biden Urges Congress to Toughen Penalties for Executives of Failed Banks

President Joe Biden has called on Congress to give his administration the authority to bar top executives of failed banks from working in the banking sector again.

The White House on March 17 released a plan to hold senior management more accountable when their financial institutions collapse and enter Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) receivership. In addition, the administration urged Congress to make it easier for federal regulators to punish bank executives when they engage in mismanagement and take excessive risks.

The announcement highlighted recent reports that Silicon Valley Bank CEO Gregory Becker sold about $3 million worth of shares in the entity just days before its failure, citing a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

One measure would be to claw back compensation from executives at failed banks, such as Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank. According to President Biden, this would include gains from stock sales.

The FDIC possesses clawback power under the DoddFrank Act, but it only covers larger banks.

That authority should be extended to cover a broader set of large banks, including banks the size of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, the White House stated.

The FDIC can currently restrict executives from taking jobs at other banks if they are found to have participated in willful or continuing disregard for the safety and soundness of their bank. Biden suggested enhancing that law by trimming the legal standard for implementing such a ban when a bank is put into FDIC receivership.

The president believes that if youre responsible for the failure of one bank, you shouldnt be able to just turn around and lead another, the White House stated.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp logo at its headquarters in Washington, on Feb. 23, 2011. (Jason Reed/Reuters)

Finally, Biden wants to expand the FDICs authority to impose fines against executives of failed banks.

The administration demanded to bolster its power to obtain fines from executives of failed banks if their actions contribute to the failure of their firms.

The president is eager to work with Congress to strengthen accountability in these three areasand others that members of Congress identify. As the president has said, in his administration, no one is above the law, the White House said.

Biden reiterated that the U.S. banking system is more resilient and stable today because of the measures his administration employed.

I told the American people and American businesses that they should feel confident that their deposits will be there if and when they need them. That continues to be the case, he stated.

In a joint statement on March 12, the Treasury Department, the FDIC, and the Federal Reserve unveiled an emergency plan to designate SVB and Signature Bank as systemic risks. The plan included the FDIC using its Deposit Insurance Fund to cover all insured and uninsured depositors. The central bank established a new Bank Term Funding Program that extends loans of up to one year to banks, savings associations, and credit unions. The Treasury also presented a $25 billion backstop in the event of possible losses.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who reiterated the presidents assurance at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on March 16, pledged that our banking system is sound, and that Americans can feel confident that their deposits will be there when they need them.

Are Bidens Proposals Enough?

Some say these recommendations dont go far enough.

Rohit Arora, an expert on small-business finance, for example, suggested that the federal government should enact legislation that would allow the FDIC to insure commercial deposits of up to $10 million, covering approximately 90 percent of U.S. businesses.

It would get bipartisan support, Arora, CEO and cofounder of Biz2Credit, told The Epoch Times in a statement. The banks will be able to charge a higher fee for this extended insurance, which has been far too low for well over a decade. Banks will pass along the costs to their commercial customers, and thus taxpayers will not have to foot the bill for this action.

Others have also asserted that the FDICs $250,000 limit could be raised in the fallout of the SVB and Signature failures.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), who is the ranking Democratic member of the House Financial Services Committee, told The New York Times that Congress should consider increasing the limit.

When you have something like Silicon Valley Bank with over 90 percent of its depositors uninsured, do we increase the amount of premiums that banks will pay in order to have a bigger insurance fund or do we just remain the way that we are and take it on a one-by-one basis for consideration? she said.

Barney Frank, the former congressman who co-authored legislation that bears his name to tighten banking regulations after the financial crisis and who served as a director at Signature Bank, told The Wall Street Journal that policymakers should consider raising the deposit insurance limit for business customers.

But Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, championed a private-sector approach to this crisis.

At a time of uncertainty, bank managers and supervisors must be laser focused on controlling risk to bolster the stability and resiliency of our financial system, he said in a statement. Responsible leaders should reinforce the publics confidence in our financial system, rather than pushing their preferred agenda.
Protests Erupt Across France After Government Forces Through Pension Reform, Raising Retirement Age

A protester shoots a firework at police officers, with the Eiffel tower seen in the background, during a demonstration on Place de la Concorde in Paris on March 17, 2023 (JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)

Protests erupted across France on March 17 after French President Emmanuel Macrons government invoked a special constitutional power allowing him to push through controversial pension reforms that raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

Thousands of people gathered in the capital Paris after French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced the use of Article 49.3which allows the government to pass a bill without a vote by lawmakersto push the pensions reform bill through.

The move triggered widespread protests that quickly turned violent, with police using tear gas and water cannons to clear protesters on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, where some 7,000 people had gathered and a fire was lit, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. Buildings, including shop windows and bank fronts, were also damaged, according to reports.

Reuters reported that some police officers were hit with cobblestones during the protests. Around 217 people were arrested on suspicion of seeking to cause damage, Paris police said.

Video footage that aired on local television showed large crowds gathered at Place de la Concorde chanting while multiple fires burned, sending thick clouds of smoke into the air.

Demonstrators also took to the streets in other cities such as Marseille, Rennes, Nantes, and Lyon following the announcement, according to reports.

Vote of No-Confidence Largely Expected

Protests across France have been ongoing since the plan was first reported in January. Nearly 500,000 people protested against the bill across the country on Wednesday, prior to the decision.

However, the protests turned more violent after Borne made the announcement of the triggering of Article 49.3, just hours after the Senate, Frances upper house, adopted the reform plan Thursday morning in a 193114 vote.

That vote was largely expected as the conservative majority of the Senate predominantly favors a higher retirement age, however, the outcome of a vote in the National Assembly was unclear, promoting the government instead to use the special constitutional power.

The move is expected to trigger a quick no-confidence motion in Macrons government. Lawmakers have 24 hours to file such a motion and if it is approved by more than half the seats, it will be rejected and the government would need to resign.

If not, the bill will be adopted and passed into law.

Marine Le Pen said Thursday her National Rally party would file a no-confidence motion.

The use of 49.3 is a personal failure for Emmanuel Macron, a failure also for the government, Le Pen wrote on Twitter. We are therefore going to vote for the motions of censure to censure this government which has decided to go through with force to impose this reform.

Speaking to reporters later in the day, Le Pen accused the French president of governing the country with brutality.

Leaders Voice Opposition

Leader of left-wing party La France Insoumise, Mathilde Panot, also took aim at the French president, writing on Twitter: Macrons brutality amazes beyond borders. In what other democracy does a single man decide against a whole people? Macron humiliates France in the eyes of the world.

Meanwhile, union leaders who have opposed the retirement age, including the Confederation Generale du Travail, vowed to continue another day of strikes and demonstrations next week.

By resorting to [constitutional article] 49.3, the government demonstrates that it does not have a majority to approve the two-year postponement of the legal retirement age, Laurent Berge, the head of the CFDT, one of the unions leading the protests, wrote on Twitter.

Opposition lawmakers have also demanded the government step down.

Macron, who has argued that changes to the retirement age are essential to make the French economy more competitive, has not yet commented on Thursdays decision and the subsequent protests.

His plan would raise the minimum age by two years gradually, increasing by three months every year, beginning in September until it reaches 64 in 2030.

The aim is to balance the accounts without raising taxes or cutting pensions. Various options are on the table, but all include raising the retirement age, government spokesman Olivier Veran told journalists in January.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Punished for Doing the Right Thing: The Battle for Ethical Medicine in Ontario

Commentary

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) continues to pursue disciplinary proceedings against three Ontario doctors for providing vaccine exemption letters and making allegedly misleading statements questioning the health benefits of CPSO policy on COVID-19.

The stakes are high for Crystal Luchkiw, Patrick Phillips, and Mark Trozzi. With their medical licences indefinitely suspended, they are risking their right to practise medicine, their income, and their reputations as health-care professionals in a struggle over both the right of patients to receive personal health-care and advice from their physicians, and the right of physicians to debate medical matters of public concern.

For Dr. Trozzi, it all comes down to following the golden rule of doing no harm, and the Hippocratic oath to uphold the medical professions ethical standards. The ethical practice of medicine is simply the non-negotiable means and end of being a real doctor. For Dr. Crystal Luchkiw, the ethical and effective practice of medicine depends upon doctors freedom to make independent clinical judgments based on the doctors knowledge of both the relevant medical domain and the patients unique needs. It is imperative that such judgements proceed from both expertise and cornerstone medical fundamentals, and that they be exercised free from any and all coercive external interference.

According to Luchkiw, Phillips, and Trozzi, the COVID-19 related restrictions that the CPSO has imposed upon doctors in Ontario are not only unethical and contrary to best medical practice, but they are also unlawful. As Dr. Phillips has explained, none of the policies imposed by the college have any formal legal force or effect to lawfully prosecute physicians. According to the most recent amendment of the Medicine Act of 1991, legally binding regulations may only be made by the CPSOs council subject to the approval of the Lieutenant Governor in Council and with prior review by the Minister [of Health].

As Dr. Phillips pointed out, the CPSOs COVID-19 policies do not have the Lieutenant Governors approval and were not reviewed by the minister, therefore they do not meet the criteria of legally binding regulations. The point might seem insignificant at first glance, but it is of major importance. Essentially, if the COVID-19 policies imposed by the CPSO have no legally binding power, then the CPSO has no grounds for launching investigations against Luchkiw, Phillips, and Trozzi, no grounds for disciplinary proceedings and charges against them, and no grounds for suspending their medical licences.

A recent CPSO hearing panel rejected a motion to dismiss the colleges investigations and disciplinary proceedings against Luchkiw, Phillips, and Trozzi. This means that all three of these highly qualified and ethically conscientious doctors continue to have their licences suspended. In spite of this disappointing outcome, the hearing panel did result in several significant victories for the trio of physicians. In fact, the CPSO conceded that its restrictions on speaking out against public health orders, on prescribing off-label lifesaving treatments for COVID-19, and on writing exemptions for vaccines are only suggestions properly characterized as guidance documents, not binding rules.

Now clearly, there is tremendous irony in this concession. The hearing panel has essentially exonerated all three doctors by admitting that the CPSOs COVID-19 restrictions are recommendations that do not have the force of law and are not mandatory. At the same time, the panel refused to dismiss the CPSOs disciplinary proceedings against the three doctors, and their licences to practice medicine remain suspended.

As Dr. Phillips has explained, what he and his two colleagues are facing in the ongoing litigation with the CPSO should be of major concern to all Ontarians and to all Canadians. What is at issue is, firstly, the right of all Canadians to receive personalized medical advice, treatment, and care; secondly, who determines the nature of that care; and thirdly, what advice and opinions medical doctors can express privately to patients and publicly to their communities. By depriving physicians of the freedom to treat and to communicate with patients in accordance with their medical experience and expertise and knowledge of individual patients needs, the CPSO effectively prohibits the basis for informed consent and compels patients to accept whatever advice is promoted by the CPSO in lieu of proper personalized care.

The threat to doctors Luchkiw, Phillips, and Trozzis continued medical practice constitutes a real crisis in Canadian medicine that needs to be addressed immediately. The crux of the problem is that the colleges have been given virtually unlimited power to investigate, discipline and de-licence doctors. Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms states that Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice. This section of the charter should protect Canadian citizens from both investigations that are unconstrained by fact-based allegations, and from punishments being imposed before the allegations have been determined. Contrary to common sense, however, courts have ruled that section 7 does not apply to investigations related to professional licences. Alarmingly, this restriction of section 7 rights and freedoms grants regulatory bodies like the CPSO unreasonably broad powers to investigate and to suspend medical practice licences prior to a hearing. As Dr. Phillips writes, this means that the College can charge anyone for absolutely anything and get away with it.

The CPSO panel chose to schedule a hearing of the allegations against Luchkiw, Phillips, and Trozzi even after conceding that its own statements upon which the proceedings were basedregarding speaking out against CPSO COVID-19 policies, prescribing off-label lifesaving treatments for COVID-19, and providing individual vaccine exemptionwere only ever suggestions and not binding rules. For a great many Canadians following these proceedings, it must surely appear self-evident that such suggestions should not be used as grounds for suspension, investigation, or punishment of any doctor.

Indeed, it seems highly questionable whether the CPSO panel acted in good faith during the hearing. To wit, the panel refused even to address the three doctors key submissions that the CPSO Registrar, Dr. Nancy Whitmore, did not have reasonable and probable ground to order [their] investigations [ and that] the College  failed to establish that [they] had violated a standard of practice. Quite frankly, to ignore these submissions has all the earmarks of hubristic folly, appearing contrary to the principles of fundamental justice and the spirit of law in Canada. Dr. Phillips expressed the matter succinctly when he tweeted, In a free and democratic society, citizens are protected from laws that are so broad you cant know if youre violating them beforehand.

Discussions of legal proceedings rarely make for good reading. The plodding pace of legal arguments and the barrier posed by technical vocabulary inevitably get in the way of visceral understanding. Thats why its absolutely essential that, in closing, we return to the fundamental issues. Crystal Luchkiw, Patrick Phillips, and Mark Trozzi have lost their licences, their careers are under threat, and their lives are being marred by the unpleasant necessity of enormously costly ongoing legal battles. The personal cost they are paying is no laughing matter, but that personal cost is not whats driving them, and its not where the gravity of this situation lies. These doctors are fighting for the right to care for their patients in the best way they know how, as determined by their medical knowledge and the individual needs of each individual patient.

In reminding us what is at stake with the COVID-19 related restrictions imposed upon doctors by the CPSO, in a Jan. 21 Twitter post Dr. Phillips pulls no punches:

Countless patients have needlessly died from COVID while being denied early treatments with life-saving medications. Countless patients have been deprived of informed consent around the risks of vaccines. Countless patients were denied exemptions even though they had horrendous adverse events after the first dose. Countless patients have been forced to take genetic therapy against their will and many of those patients have died or been maimed by that therapy.

Dr. Phillips, for one, has had enoughin view of the terrible harms associated with the CPSOs unchecked power over medical care throughout the declared pandemic, he is calling for a complete dismantlement of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and the subsequent creation of a new college, one with leaders who respect the rule of law and whose power is limited to prosecutions of offences that are in line with the charter and protect the rights of all.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Qualified-Pilot Members of Congress Battle Over Bidens FAA Nominee

Republican Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina is ceremonially sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris for the 118th Congress in the Old Senate Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 3, 2023. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Lawmakers with aviation experience are weighing in on President Joe Bidens decision to nominate Phil Washington to lead the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) despite his having no prior aviation expertise.

Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), who is a member of the Commerce Committee and has a pilots license, organized a letter (pdf) to Biden on Thursday urging him to withdraw Washingtons nomination. Budd was joined by other Republican lawmakers who have aviation qualifications, including Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Reps. August Pfluger (R-Texas), Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Scott Franklin (R-Fla.), Jake Ellzey (R-Texas), Scott Perry (R-Pa.), John James (R-Mich.), Mike Garcia (R-Calif.), Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), and Chris Stewart (R-Utah).

As pilots who have collectively logged tens of thousands of flight hours, including for some of us in the military, we write to urge you to withdraw the nomination of Phillip Washington to serve as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Republican lawmakers wrote. While Mr. Washington honorably served our nation in the Army, he did not serve in an aviation unit. He is not a pilot, has zero aviation safety experience, and is entirely unqualified to lead the federal agency responsible for keeping the flying public safe.

During a hearing on March 1, Budd quizzed Washington on a number of existing aviation regulations. Budd said that he asked Washington seven questions on aviation policy, but that the Biden nominee was unable to answer any of them.

What are the operational limitations of a pilot flying under BasicMed, Budd asked at one point.

Well some of the restrictions I think would be high blood pressure, Washington said in response.

Its more like how many passengers per airplane, how many pounds in different categories and what altitude you can fly under, soand then the amount of knots, its under 250 knots, so it does not have anything to do with blood pressure, Budd replied.

As Budd continued his line of questioning about various flight regulations, Washington said, Senator, Im not a pilot, but I would lean on our career employees and our safety folks within the FAA.

Washingtons nomination comes as several airline pilots have narrowly avoided collisions in recent weeks. The FAAs Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) system also experienced an outage in January that led to thousands of commercial flights being grounded across the United States.

Duckworth Defends FAA Nominee

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who flew Black Hawk helicopters for the U.S. Army and who lost both of her legs after her helicopter was shot down in Iraq in 2004, has come out in support of Bidens decision to nominate Washington.

As Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation, and as a former Black Hawk helicopter pilot who flew combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Im proud to support the nomination of Phil Washington to be the next Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, Duckworth said in a press statement on Friday.

Earlier this month, Duckworth said that she had secured a commitment from Washington to maintain a 1,500-hour flight time rule for people to serve as commercial airline pilots.

Mr. Washington has promised to defend critical aviation safety standardsand withstand pressure from industry special interests to cut corners and water down pilot requirements, such as cutting the 1,500-hour rule, Duckworths Friday press statement reads. Simply put, Mr. Washington possesses the experience and leadership expertise to strengthen the FAA to meet the complex challenges facing our civil aviation system. At this seminal moment for FAA, we need a strong and principled leader who recognizes that restoring confidence in our civil aviation system will require more than business as usual. However, 49 U.S. Code  106(c)(3) states that an FAA administrator must have experience in a field directly related to aviation. Washington has served as the CEO of Denver International Airport, which is the third busiest airport in the world and which employs about 35,000 workers. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) has presented Washingtons lack of deep ties to the aviation industry as a positive sign that he wont be easily swayed by industry insiders. I think Phil breaks the mold of past FAA Administrators in important ways. Hes not an airline industry insider using this role as a position for the industry to be policing itself, Hickenlooper said upon introducing Washingtons nomination.

From NTD News
The Udumbara has been discussed in religious communities throughout the ages. Those who have seen these reputedly near-microscopic flowers in real life are awestruck by their fragile-yet-resilient beauty, and those who havent come across them dismiss them as just a myth or as insect eggs. But whatever the truth may be, the Udumbara has reportedly been sighted in several places worldwide in the last couple of decades.

Udumbara is a word from Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language, meaning an auspicious flower from heaven. Its said that their fragile, silky stalks and translucent bell-like petals are so tiny that one marvels at chancing upon them. These mysterious flowers are also known for thriving for a long time, even persisting for over a year.

A magnified photo of the udumbara. Under a microscope, even its petals and stamens are said to be visible, a feature that is not observed when the eggs of a lacewing insect are examined. (The Epoch Times)

The udumbara. (The Epoch Times)

Lacewing eggs are greenish to whitish in color and elliptical, and darken before hatching. (Yuangeng Zhang/Shutterstock)

The following two photos were taken nearly two years apart by Hien Nguyen, a housewife based in Vietnam. She told The Epoch Times that the udumbara were found growing on green tea leaves in May 2021, and nearly two years later, though the leaves have dried up, the flowers are still intact and fresh as they were originally.

The possible udumbara on a fresh green tea leaf in May 2021. (Courtesy of Hien Nguyen)

A photo taken in early 2023, shows the same udumbara still intact while the leaves have dried up. (Courtesy of Hien Nguyen)

Heres what religious scriptures and science say about these purportedly highly fragrant flowers. Yes, those who have seen them say their pleasant fragrance can be smelt from afar.

The Legend and the Faith

Since antiquity, both Eastern and Western cultures have nurtured the belief that there is one true almighty Godthe creatorthough different languages have honored him with different names, and that he would offer salvation one last time during the end of days. And one such faith-based legend is said to be connecting the mysterious udumbaras origin to the much-talked-about salvation when only kind and goodhearted people would be redeemed by the creator.

According to Buddhist mythology, this sacred flower blooms once every 3,000 years and marks an epoch of unprecedented eventsboth virtuous and sinful. The udumbaras appearance in the mortal world is said to signify a special cosmic phenomenon that will unfold, reminding the masses of their faith in the divine and the importance of the sacred path of morality and tradition.

One of the earliest modern udumbara sightings goes back to May 2005 when 10 udumbara were discovered on the face of a Buddha statue in the Sumi Zen Temple in Gyeongju city, South Korea. A monk at the temple reportedly said that one could only fathom the significance of the udumbara from a spiritual perspective.

The udumbara seen blooming on a Buddha statue in South Korea. (Xu Liangyu/The Epoch Times)

The udumbara flower. (Edward Dai/ The Epoch Times)

The udumbara on a pine needle photographed under a microscope by Mr. Li of Malacca, Malaysia. (Courtesy of Mr. Li)

Udumbara is mentioned in Volume 8 of the Buddhist scripture Huilin Phonetics and Interpretation, which states that it is a celestial flower that doesnt exist in the mundane world but is the product of ominous and supernatural phenomena. The scripture states that when the holy kingTathagata Chakravartin, a Sanskrit term meaning one who turns the cosmic wheeldescends to the human world, the udumbara will manifest due to his great virtue and blessings. The legend says that the holy king will offer salvation to all, irrespective of their religion, caste, or cultural background, opening the compassionate gates of heaven widely.

The Lotus Sutra of Mahayana Buddhism also describes the udumbara as a mythical flower that heralds the arrival of the King of the Golden Wheel.

The scriptures also say that Buddha Shakyamuni (Gautama Siddhartha) told his disciples that udumbara blossoms would signify the arrival of a great sage who would descend to the human world to preach the dharma one last time.

Insect Eggs or Celestial Flowers?

In the recent past, the udumbara has been seen in many parts of the world. These miracle flowers are unique for they are seen growing and thriving in unimaginably diverse places and almost every season. However, some critics dismiss the existence of the udumbara saying that they are just the eggs of green lacewing insects. But what are they really?

Those who have seen these rarest of rare blossoms note sharp differences between the udumbara and the eggs of green lacewing insectsincluding how they look under a microscopeeven though they appear to be similar when observed with the naked eye.

Inspected under a microscope, the eggswhich are deposited at the top of a hair-like filamentare elliptical and grain-like, while udumbara exhibit petals and even stamens. Lacewing eggs are green to off-white, hatching in around 4 to 15 days, depending on the ambient temperaturewhile udumbara is cream to white and have been reported to last for months, or even over a year, regardless of temperature. In addition, they emit a pleasant fragrance.

A magnified shot of an udumbara. (Courtesy of Ngo Thanh)

Female lacewing insect and the eggs. (natfu/Shutterstock)

Lacewing eggs are equally sized, elliptical, and grain-like. (Brett Hondow/Shutterstock)

Lacewing eggs usually turn dark in color before hatching. (Tan Yee Ping/Shutterstock)

What People Are Saying?

Thanh Van, a 3D designer from Vietnam, says the flowers appeared in his home at the beginning of 2017 and some of them lasted for up to two years. The udumbara can grow anywhere, on windowsills, on doors, on leaves, on tree branches, Van said.

People who dont believe in God, they will assume [the udumbara] is just a legend. But there are things that exist beyond your knowledgewhether you believe in them or not, those things still exist, he said.

(Courtesy of Ngo Thanh)

Dr. A. Gedam, 62, a retired medical professional from India, says he saw udumbara in his home in October 2021 which persisted until April 2022. Born into a religious family, Gedam has believed in the divine since childhood. He claims to have seen over 20 tiny bell-like flowers hanging upside down from the steel railing of a staircase.

They were very attractive and pure white. My wife spotted them and asked if they were Udumbara, he said, adding that they werent lacewings eggs as their stalks were bigger and they thrived for months while the eggs live for only a couple of weeks before hatching. Our family believes that there are divine beings looking after us and that there is one creator. I have been a very religious person since childhood. This is a supernatural flower, a celestial flower. This is not seen in routine.

While R. Dable, 59, a retired Indian Air Force personnel, says udumbara bloomed on a bedroom wall in his house. It was his eldest daughter who spotted them in the last week of December 2021.

The udumbara flowers thrived until the mid of May 2022, before suddenly disappearing, he said.

The udumbara that appeared in Dr. Gedams home. (Courtesy of A. Gedam)

Ngo Thanh, a civil engineer from Hanoi, Vietnam, saw the flowers in a friends house around the 2021 Lunar New Year day. (Courtesy of Ngo Thanh)

Ngo Thanh, a civil engineer from Hanoi, Vietnam, saw the flowers on a jackfruit tree leaf in a friends house around the 2021 Lunar New Year.

In modern society, with the development of science, we are increasingly losing faith in God. I believe that the appearance of these flowers is a special sign for humans from the divine Thanh said. The prophecies made in the ancient, old scriptures all have the same conclusion that God will come to save people at the end times.

Regardless of the debate, the legendary udumbara teaches us a profound lesson in faith and cultivating a compassionate heart. And our world needs loads of both, at these end times. So stay good and kind!

Here are some more selected photos, enjoy:

(Courtesy of Thanh Van)

(Courtesy of Thanh Van)

(Courtesy of R. Dable)

(Courtesy of Thanh Van)

(Courtesy of Thanh Van)

(The Epoch Times)

(The Epoch Times)

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
Refilling Nations Depleted Petroleum Reserves Not Happening Overnight: Biden Official

President Joe Biden speaks about the banking system in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on March 13, 2023 in Washington. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Biden administration remains undecided about replenishing the nations strategic petroleum reserves (SPR) even as oil prices have fallen to favorable levels and resources are at multi-decade lows.

Last year, the Biden administration sold 180 million barrels of oil from the SPR. In January 2021, when Biden became president, Americas SPR reserves stood at 638 million barrels. But, it has fallen to 371.58 million barrels as of the week ending March 10, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. This is the lowest level since the 1980s. The Department of Energy (DoE) has said that it intends to replenish the reserves. However, there has been no update on when this will be done.

President Biden is still committed to replenishing the SPR after extraordinary draws last year, Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Security Amos Hochstein said in a Bloomberg interview. Nothing happens overnight. You have to decide that this is the right environment, so therefore, you wait to see where the prices are going to be landing.

The administration had earlier stated that it would refill the SPR if oil could be purchased at around $70 per barrel. At the NYMEX exchange, oil prices remained above this level for much of the yearuntil recently. Prices are trading below $70 per barrel as of 10:00 a.m. EDT on March 17.

Weve seen a decline in oil prices, were seeing some crunch there  We should take a deep breath and wait and see how this crisis right now impacts the oil and gas industry, production, and what the profile is, Hochstein said.

So far, prices have come down. Were watching it very closely; well continue to watch it over the next several days.

Compromising Energy Security

During a March 8 hearing (pdf) at the House Oversight Committee, Alex Epstein, the think-tank Center for Industrial Progress president, blamed the Biden administration for abusing the SPR and, as a result, threatening our oil security.

The purpose of the SPR is to aid the United States in securing a reliable supply of oil and fuels, to be used during supply disruptions like a disaster or sabotage, Epstein said during his testimony.

However, the SPR is only an aid to Americas oil security. The core of oil security is ensuring that the American oil industry is free to invest, produce, refine, and transport oil.

By dangerously depleting SPR for political purposes and attacking the freedom of the oil industry, Biden has damaged the countrys oil security, he said.

The SPR stockpile is supposed to be maintained at up to 1/10th of the countrys annual oil consumption. But since only around 370 million barrels exist in reserves, SPR now sits at just 1/20th of yearly consumption.

The administration claims Putins war is exactly the kind of emergency the SPR is designed for. Wrong. Putins war is not an oil emergency that justifies depleting the SPR now; it is a potential oil emergency that justifies keeping the SPR as full as possible, Epstein said.

Since oil prices have gone down since Bidens biggest SPR withdrawals, the Administration is bragging that they can profitably refill it. But even if they can, it doesnt change the fact that the depletion was reckless, putting our oil security in jeopardy at a critical time.

Limiting SPR Sales

Multiple bills have been introduced to limit SPR withdrawals. On Jan. 27, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed the Strategic Production Response Act to mandate a plan for additional oil and gas leasing on federal properties to offset SPR drawdowns.

On Feb. 1, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, introduced legislation to block the Biden administration from selling crude from the SPR to China or any company controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The bipartisan effort was supported by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.).

Meanwhile, even though the SPR reserve is at one of its lowest levels, the Biden administration still plans to withdraw 26 million barrels from it this fiscal year as part of laws enacted by Congress during the Obama administration in 2015.
Republicans, Democrats Trade Barbs Over Border Field Hearing

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Reform hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 8, 2022. (Andrew Harnik-Pool/Getty Images)

Congressman Clay Higgins (R-La.), a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, criticized the Democrats on the committee for boycotting a field hearing on the border in Pharr, Texas, on Wednesday.

The highest-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), announced on Tuesday that the Democratic side of the committee would not be attending what he described as a Republican effort to score political points. Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee also skipped a field hearing at the border in Yuma, Arizona, last month.

Higgins told NTD News that Homeland Security Committee members are already required to visit the border. So putting a hearing together with a border trip just works very well for scheduling and for the purposes of allowing our members, the Republican members and Democrat members of the Homeland Security Committee, to have firsthand interaction on the border.

Unfortunately, the Democrats did not attend yesterday, Higgins continued. That means they missed the entire border congressional delegation trip, and they missed the entire hearing that we had down there.

Committee Chairman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) also criticized the Democrats on the committee during his opening remarks at the hearing on Wednesday.

The Democrats also talk about bipartisanship, how this committee is supposed to be a bipartisan committee. I guess for them, bipartisanship is only when you agree exactly with them, Green said. To me, bipartisanship is where you sit down together and debate the issues and talk to try to find common ground. You cant have bipartisanship if the other side fails to show up for their duty.

During the hearing, Republican lawmakers asked witnesses to explain what it means to have operational control of the border. Under U.S. law (pdf), operational control of the border means the prevention of all unlawful entries into the United States, including entries by terrorists, other unlawful aliens, instruments of terrorism, narcotics, and other contraband. The Secure the Fence Act of 2006 requires the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to achieve and maintain this operational control.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas testified in April 2022 that we do have operational control of the border when asked under oath by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas).

During the Wednesday hearing, Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz testified that the border authorities do not have operational control of the border, as defined by U.S. law.

Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee have assessed that there have been more than 1.2 million known gotaways under President Joe Bidens administration. Known gotaways are individuals who made an unlawful border crossing that border authorities could not stop or apprehend. Committee Republicans have also noted apprehensions of dozens of individuals at the border who are on terrorist watchlists.

Democrats Say Republicans Trying to Score Political Points

House Republicans have brought articles of impeachment against Mayorkas over his handling of the U.S. border. Impeachment articles brought by Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) in January allege Mayorkas willfully provided perjurious, false, and misleading testimony to Congress with his comments about operational control at the border.

Ranking Member Thompson said committee Democrats elected to skip Wednesdays border hearing because they believed Republicans scheduled it for primarily partisan reasons.

Unfortunately, it has become clear that Republicans planned to politicize this event from the start, breaking with the committees proud history of bipartisanship, Thompson wrote in a statement shared with the Washington Examiner. Instead of a fact-finding mission to develop better border security and immigration policies, Republicans are traveling to the border to attack the administration and try to score political points with their extreme rhetoricdespite having voted against the resources border personnel need.

In his first days in office, Biden supported a bill called the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021. The bill includes an eight-year pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million people illegally living in the United States.

White House spokesman Ian Sams tweeted at House Republicans on Thursday with a link to a report showing illegal border crossings have dropped sharply in recent months to their lowest level since February 2021.

Sams also alleged that Republicans are pursuing funding cuts that could decrease resources available for border security efforts.

Perhaps House Republicans could take the time at this hearing to look the Chief of the Border Patrol in the eye and honestly explain to him why they want to slash the funding needed to combat fentanyl trafficking, stop unlawful border crossings, and conduct other important law enforcement efforts at the border, Sams said in a statement shared with ABC News.

Green argued that policies, rather than a loss in funding, cause increased illegal border crossings and drug smuggling efforts under the Biden administration.

When Secretary Mayorkas took over, we didnt suddenly cut the ranks of the Border Patrol. They have roughly the same number as the last administration. So clearly, the size of the Border Patrol is not the reason for this massive surge in people, crime, and drugs, Green said. Not that we dont need more Border Patrol agents, and not that we cant put money in certain places.

From NTD News
Republicans Introduce Major Reform Package to Restore US Energy Independence

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, December 10, 2019. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

House Republicans on March 14 introduced a new reform package aimed at restoring Americas energy independence, though Democrats have already signaled it will face challenges passing through a divided Congress.

The nearly 200-page bill (pdf), known as H.R. 1 or the Lower Energy Costs Act, was initially announced by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) last week but it was officially introduced on March 14.

It is co-sponsored by Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Sam Graves (R-Mo.).

The billwhich would scale down environmental regulations and expand oil and gas drilling in an effort to tackle the energy crisis, among other thingswill be considered on the House floor at the end of March.

For the last two years, President Biden and his extremist friends in Washington have waged a war on American energy, and hard-working families across the country are paying the price, said Majority Leader Steve Scalise in a statement introducing the bill.

I am proud to introduce today H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act, to cut red tape and increase energy production here at home so we can lower energy costs and stop our dependence on hostile foreign countries for our energy and minerals. With todays introduction of the Lower Energy Costs Act, we will show the country how to end the war on American energy, become energy independent again, and lower costs for hard-working families who are struggling under the weight of President Bidens radical agenda, said Scalise.

Key Measures in Bill

The bill includes a string of energy policy proposals aimed at increasing fossil fuel production, including fast-tracking fossil fuel projects, expanding oil and gas drilling on public lands and waters, and streamlining and expediting energy infrastructure and exports by reforming the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), an environmental rule requiring federal agencies to consider the impacts of their actions on the environment, which is considered sacred by Democrats.

Biden suspended oil and gas lease sales after taking office.

The bill would also boost the domestic production and processing of critical materials that are used in advanced technologies, and cut red-tape regulations to open up pipelines.

The bill also requires more offshore oil and gas lease sales to be held and would ban Biden from declaring a moratorium on the use of fracking unless such a moratorium is authorized by Congress.

A string of other measures are featured in the bill, which includes legislation led by 26 individual members and produced by the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Natural Resources, and Transportation and Infrastructure.

Republicans say the energy reform package will serve to boost domestic production, reverse Bidens anti-energy policies, and save Americans money at a time when gas prices have soared more than 40 percent.

Democrats Criticize Bill

A coalition of 27 groups, led by the conservative political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity (AFP), has already voiced support for the bill in a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Fox News reported.

Rodgers, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said in a statement that the bill boosts energy production, lifts regulatory burdens for the construction of more energy infrastructure, cuts China out of our critical materials supply chains, and lowers costs across the board.

However, Democrats promptly took aim at the reform package, calling it a non-starter in the Senate.

In a speech delivered on the Senate floor on March 15, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) accused House Republicans of rolling out a partisan, dead on arrival, and unserious proposal for addressing Americas energy needs that they have laughingly labeled H.R. 1.

Republicans so-called energy proposal is as bad and as partisan as it gets. H.R. 1 will lock America into the most expensive and volatile dirty sources of energy and will set America back a decade or more in our transition toward clean, affordable energy, Schumer said.

He later branded the bill a wish list for Big Oil, gutting important environmental safeguards on fossil fuel projects, while doing none of the important permitting reforms that would help bring transmission and clean energy projects online faster.

Amid the ongoing energy crisis, Republicans reform package will likely face challenges among Democrats as the Biden administration continues to focus on advancing clean energy and has canceled the Keystone XL pipeline and drilling leases on public lands.

Bidens $6.9 trillion fiscal year 2024 budget plan is largely aimed at shoring up clean energy technologies and scrapping billions of dollars in oil and gas industry subsidies.
Canada Revenue Agency Launches New Underground Economy Strategy During Tax Season

A sign outside the Canada Revenue Agency in Ottawa on May 10, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld)

The Canada Revenue Agency has launched a new strategy to combat non-compliance with its taxation regime as Canadians are currently going through the filing process.

The agency says its strategy is centred around three pillars to target the underground economy, with the first one being identifying the activities through data research, analysis, and third party collection processes.

The other pillars are prevention through early outreach and addressing the activities with tailored approaches based on the level of risk of non-compliance.

The strategy was released in mid-March and first reported on by Blacklocks Reporter.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) says the underground economy includes economic transactions in goods or services which are unreported, resulting in failure to comply with tax laws.

This can include services paid in cash to a contractor who then doesnt report the income and the GST/HST, or the failure of a business to remit taxes collected.

The underground economy also includes illegal activities.

Income earned from activities such as theft, fraud, and the sale of narcotics is taxable and has to be reported as income, despite its illegal nature, says the CRA.

The agency says the size of the underground economy in Canada was estimated at 2.7 percent of the gross domestic product in 2021, or $68.5 billion.

This is a 50 percent increase since 2016, according to Statistics Canada.

The CRA strategy document says there were four industries in 2021 which accounted for more than half of all the underground economic activity.

The top sector was residential construction at 35 percent, followed by finance, insurance, real estate, rental, leasing, and holding companies at 12.7 percent, retail trade at 10.5 percent, and accommodation and food services at 7.3 percent.

While the residential construction business has historically been the largest contributor to underground economic activity it was particularly high in 2021 as underground economic activity in this industry increased 32.8 percent, wrote Statistics Canada in a February report.

The CRA identified factors leading to non-compliance through research conducted by a third-party.

It found that 20 percent of tax intermediaries and small and medium-sized businesses feel that taxes are too high for the level of service provided by the federal government.

The same research also found that less than half of small and medium-sized enterprises and tax intermediaries believe that businesses are very likely to get caught if they cheat on their taxes.
Rolls-Royce Receives UK Funding to Develop Nuclear Reactor for Moon Exploration

Undated handout photo of a Space Flower Moon Micro-Reactor, issued by Rolls-Royce on March 17, 2023. (Rolls-Royce via PA Media)

Rolls-Royce has received UK government funding to develop a nuclear reactor for a future moon base.

Scientists and engineers at the British company are working on the Micro-Reactor programme to develop technology that will provide power needed for humans to live and work on the moon.

The UK Space Agency on Friday announced 2.9 million ($3.5 million) of new funding for the project, which will deliver an initial demonstration of a UK lunar modular nuclear reactor.

This comes after a 249,000 study funded by the agency in 2022.

Undated handout photo of a space colony, issued by Rolls-Royce on March 17, 2023. (Rolls-Royce via PA Media)

All space missions depend on a power source, to support systems for communications, life-support, and science experiments.

Experts suggest nuclear power could potentially dramatically increase the length of lunar missions.

Compared to other power systems, a relatively small and lightweight nuclear micro-reactor could enable continuous power regardless of location, available sunlight, and other environmental conditions.

Rolls-Royce plans to have a reactor ready to send to the moon by 2029.

It will work with a variety of collaborators including the University of Oxford, University of Bangor, University of Brighton, University of Sheffields Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and Nuclear AMRC.

The New Moon Race

The new funding comes at a time when a new space race is heating up between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime.

In December, NASA completed its 26-day Artemis I mission, during which an unmanned Orion spacecraft circled the moon. It was the first significant step in NASAs goal to send astronauts to the moon in 2025 to start establishing a more permanent human presence there.

The Artemis I unmanned lunar rocket sits on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Sept. 3, 2022. (Gregg Newton/AFP via Getty Images)

NASA said that the next moon mission, Artemis II, is set to take place within two years and with a crew of astronauts taking part in the expedition.

That flight, if successful, will pave the way for a planned Artemis III astronaut expedition to the lunar surfacethe first ever to the moons south polelater in the decade.

The programme, named for Apollos twin sister from Greek mythology, is aimed ultimately at establishing a sustainable lunar base as a stepping stone to future human exploration of Mars.

But NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has warned that China could claim parts of the moon as its own territory and force out U.S. astronauts.

In an interview with Politico published on Jan. 1, Nelson expressed concerns that China might try to limit access to the moons resource-rich areas from the United States and other nations seeking to explore the lunar surface.

The Chinese space programme has made a number of significant advancements, according to a recent Pentagon report (pdf) to Congress.

Zhao Xinguo, head of the aerospace department of the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, a state-owned contractor responsible for most of Chinas space launches, said that Chinas first manned lunar space launch vehicle, known as the Long March-5G, would fly for the first time by 2027, Chinese state media reported in November 2022.

It is true that we better watch out that they dont get to a place on the moon under the guise of scientific research. And it is not beyond the realm of possibility that they say, Keep out, were here, this is our territory, Nelson told Politico.

Transformational

Commenting on the new UK investment in its space programme, science minister George Freeman said: Space exploration is the ultimate laboratory for so many of the transformational technologies we need on Earth: from materials to robotics, nutrition, cleantech, and much more.

As we prepare to see humans return to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, we are backing exciting research like this lunar modular reactor with Rolls-Royce to pioneer new power sources for a lunar base.

Partnerships like this, between British industry, the UK Space Agency, and government are helping to create jobs across our 16 billion space tech sector and help ensure the UK continues to be a major force in frontier science.

Abi Clayton, director of future programmes for Rolls-Royce, said the firm is proud to work collaboratively with the UK Space Agency and the many UK academic institutions to showcase the best of UK innovation and knowledge in space.

She said: This funding will bring us further down the road in making the Micro-Reactor a reality, with the technology bringing immense benefits for both space and Earth.

The technology will deliver the capability to support commercial and defence use cases alongside providing a solution to decarbonise industry and provide clean, safe, and reliable energy.

Paul Bate, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said the investment will boost sector growth across the UK.

He said that developing space nuclear power offers a unique chance to support innovative technologies and grow Britains nuclear, science, and space engineering skills base.

He added: This innovative research by Rolls-Royce could lay the groundwork for powering continuous human presence on the moon, while enhancing the wider UK space sector, creating jobs, and generating further investment.

Hannah Ng, PA Media, and Reuters contributed to this report.
Saskatchewan First Act to Stop Federal Overreach Passed

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe speaks to media after a meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Legislative Building in Regina on March 9, 2018. (Michael Bell/The Canadian Press)

The Saskatchewan First Act (SFA), designed to give the province autonomy and jurisdiction over its natural resources, has passed in the legislature.

This is a major step in defending our economic potential from federal overreach while we continue to build a strong and growing economy that benefits everyone in SK. Thats growth that works for everyone, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said on Twitter March 17.

Bill 88 amends the Constitution of Saskatchewan to confirm its autonomy over three areas that are laid out in the Canadian Constitution in a section on resources: exploration for non-renewable natural resources; the management of non-renewable and forestry resources; and the operation facilities for electrical energy production.

Additionally, the SFA will create an independent Economic Impact Assessment Tribunal, tasked with assessing impacts that federal initiatives have on the provinces projects, businesses, and people.

The act will protect the province from constitutional overreach by the federal government, Saskatchewan Justice Minister and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre said in a release March 16. We will always stand up for Saskatchewan people against policies that hurt our economic potential and growth, she said.

Eyre previously said that the federal government was infringing on provincial jurisdiction through its federal carbon tax, environmental impact legislation, and the incoming Just Transition legislation aimed at a transition to a low-carbon economy.

First Nations groups have said, however, that the SFA infringes on their rights.

First Nations Groups Opposed

According to the province, following discussions with First Nations and Metis organizations, amendments to the bill were introduced by Athabasca MLA Jim Lemaigre, stating that nothing in the Act abrogates or derogates from Aboriginal and treaty rights.

Treaty rights are already enshrined and protected in all provincial legislation, as well as Section 35 of the federal Constitution Act, 1982, said Eyre. However, I welcome the amendments from the member from Athabasca which provide even further clarity and certainty about our governments respect for treaty rights.

Several indigenous leaders, including members of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and Metis Nation Saskatchewan, attended the Saskatchewan legislature Thursday to express their displeasure with the passing of Bill 88.

The SFA infringes upon Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, which recognizes and affirms the existing Aboriginal and treaty rights of Canadas aboriginal people, Vice President of Metis Saskatchewan Michelle LeClair said at the legislature, according to Global News.

We have 80,000 Metis people in this province, and their rights are being disrespected, LeClair said.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and Metis Nation Saskatchewan for comment, but did not receive a response as of publication.

In December 2022, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron threatened there would be blockades if the SFA passed.

We have mandates from the chiefs in assembly to move forward legally [and] politically, he said at a press conference at the time, according to the CBC. And were about to the point where were going to start blockading.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
Slovakia Joins Poland in Sending MiG-29 Fighter Jets to Ukraine

A MIG-29 fighter jet, at the 11th SIAF International Aviation Day at the Malacky-Kuchyna Air Base, in Kuchyna, Slovakia, on Aug. 27, 2022. (Jaroslav Novak/TASR via AP)

The Slovak government on Thursday announced that it would send its fleet of Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, becoming the second NATO member to do so.

Slovakia joined Poland in this action. Warsaw announced on March 16 that it would send MiG-29s to Kyiv. Both NATO members and Eastern European countries are neighboring Ukraine.

In a tweet on Friday, Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger said supporting Ukraine with military aid is key to ensuring Kyiv can defend itself and the entire of Europe against Russia.

A total of 13 MiG29s will be supplied to Ukraine, Heger said, adding that Bratislava would also provide the country with part of its KUB air defense systema Soviet-era short-range missile system.

Slovak Air Force MiG-29s fly over an airport during an airshow in Malacky, Slovakia, on Aug. 27, 2022. (Petr David Josek/AP Photo)

Slovakias fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets was retired last summer, and most were not operational. It will send the operational ones, while the rest will be used for spare parts.

In 2018, Slovakia ordered U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to replace the aging MiG-29s. The first U.S. warplanes are expected to arrive in 2024 following a delay.

Today, the government decided, and unanimously approved, an international agreement [on the donation], Heger said during a news conference. The process of handing over these fighter jets is closely coordinated with the Polish side, with Ukraine, and, of course, with other allies, he added.

The move could be a turning point for Kyiv in repelling Russias offensive. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly asked Western nations for fighter jets over the year-long invasion. Still, Washington and other NATO allies refused, citing concern about escalating the alliances role in the conflict.

Slovakia will receive financial compensation from the European Union for its military contribution to Ukraine, Heger said. It has also reached an agreement with the United States on deliveries of military materials worth over $700 million.

Subject to Destruction

Responding to Western nations supplying Ukraine with additional equipment, a Russian spokesman said during a news briefing on Friday that Moscow would destroy all donated military equipment.

In the course of the special military operation, all this equipment will be subject to destruction, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. It feels like all of these countries are thus engaged in the disposal of old unnecessary equipment.

On Thursday, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said that Polands move would not prompt the United States to send fighter jets, namely F-16s.

An F-16 Fighting Falcon flies a mission in a file photo. (U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby)

It doesnt change our calculus with respect to F-16s, Kirby said, adding that these are sovereign decisions for any country to make, and we respect those sovereign decisions.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also said on Thursday that it remains up to each nation individually whether to aid Ukraine, noting that Polands position has no bearing on President Joe Biden, who has refused to provide F-16s to Kyiv.

We continue to closely coordinate with our allies and partners, including Poland, as we provide assistance to Ukraine, she said, noting that Poland notified the United States of its decision to send fighter jets to Ukraine.

NATO allies in the former communist east, such as Poland and Slovakia, have been particularly vocal supporters of Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

Reuters contributed to this report.

From NTD News
South Korea, Japan Rebuild Ties in Face of North Korean Threat

Leaders of both nations hope to 'open a new chapter' in bilateral relations.

Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea's president, left, and Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, attend a joint news conference at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan on March 16, 2023. (Kiyoshi Ota/Pool/Getty Images)

The leaders of Japan and South Korea have agreed to restore bilateral ties, including the complete normalizing of a military intelligence-sharing pact to counter North Koreas nuclear and missile threats.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at a summit in Tokyo on Thursday, where both promised to turn the page on years of animosity over their countries difficult, shared history.

Yoons visit to Japan is the first visit by a South Korean president in 12 years.

The lack of cooperation between the two countries has long undercut U.S.-led efforts to present a united front against China and North Korea.

The urgency of the regional security situationand the threat posed by North Koreawere underscored hours before Yoons arrival when North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that landed in the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan.

At the summit, Yoon said he had declared the complete normalization of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).

I believe the two countries should be able to share information on North Koreas nuclear missile launches and trajectories and respond to them, Yoon said at a joint press conference, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Both nations signed the GSOMIA in 2016. In 2019, the former Moon Jae-in administration considered scrapping the deal after Japan tightened export controls on South Korea amid a wartime forced labor dispute.

Kishida said at the summit that Japan would lift its export controls on key industrial materials used for semiconductors and displays to South Korea.

We have decided to launch consultations on economic security between Japan and the ROK. Progress has also been made in the area of export controls, Kishida said, using the acronym for South Koreas official name, the Republic of Korea.

Kishida said he hoped to open a new chapter in the relations between South Korea and Japan by resuming bilateral visits from both sides without being bound by formality.

Historical Disputes

The two countries relations have been hampered by historical disputes, including the forced labor of Koreans by Japanese companies during Japans 1910-1945 colonial rule of Korea and the exploitation of Korean women in Japanese military-run brothels.

In 2018, the South Korean Supreme Court ruled in favor of compensation by Japanese companies that benefitted from forced labor. However, Japan argued that all compensation issues had been resolved under a 1965 treaty between the two nations.

Last week, South Koreas government said that it would use local funds to compensate victims of forced labor instead of pushing Japanese companies to pay compensation.

North Korea Fires ICBM

North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), particularly the Hwasong-17, into the East Sea of Korea just hours before Yoon landed in Japan for the summit.

The ICBM was launched from the Pyongyang International airport and traveled up to a maximum altitude of 6,045 kilometers (3,756 miles). It flew some 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) before falling into the open sea, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

A test-fire of a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at an undisclosed location in North Korea on March 24, 2022. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

The Hwasong-17 is known to be North Koreas largest ICBM, estimated to have a range of over 13,000 kilometers (8,077 miles), making it capable of striking any location in the continental United States.

KCNA said that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launching drill, which confirmed the North Korean militarys reliability and the war readiness of the ICBM unit.

Kim emphasized the need to strike fear into the enemies, really deter war and reliably guarantee the peaceful life of our people and their struggle for socialist construction by irreversibly bolstering up the nuclear war deterrent, it stated.

The ICBM launch was part of North Koreas retaliatory response to the U.S.-South Korea joint military drill, known as the Freedom Shield, which North Korea perceived as a hostile act. The drill began on Monday and will last for 11 days.

Kim warned that such persistent expanded anti-DPRK military moves will bring an irreversible, grave threat to them. DPRK is the acronym for North Koreas official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

North Korea also fired two strategic cruise missiles on March 12 and two short-range ballistic missiles on Tuesday in response to the Freedom Shield exercise, all of which are banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Ben Zhao and Reuters contributed to this report.
Swiatek, Rybakina Reach Semifinals at Indian Wells

Iga Swiatek, of Poland, celebrates after defeating Sorana Cirstea, of Romania, at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, Calif., on March 16, 2023. (Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo)

INDIAN WELLS, Calif.Top-ranked Iga Swiatek breezed past Sorana Cirstea 62, 63 to reach the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday.

Swiatek, the defending champion, took a 40 lead in the second set and converted her second match point to close it out.

Im happy that I played so intense that I could start both sets well, Swiatek said. Im feeling like Im handling things pretty well and just playing my game.

Next up for Swiatek is No. 10 seed Elena Rybakina, who outlasted Karolina Muchova 76 (4), 26, 64. It will be a rematch from the Australian Open in January, when Rybakina won 64, 64 in the quarterfinals.

Jannik Sinner beat defending champion Taylor Fritz 64, 46, 64 to become the first Italian man to reach the semifinals of the 47-year-old tournament.

Sinner, the 11th seed, advanced to the semis at a Masters 1000 for the second time. He will meet top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz, who beat No. 8 Felix Auger-Aliassime 64, 64. Alcaraz needs to win the title to reclaim the worlds No. 1 ranking.

Sinner had 32 winners to 25 for Fritz; both had 17 unforced errors.

Sinner connected on 80 percent of his first serves and won 15 of 18 points at the net.

Fritz said Sinner handled the windy conditions better down the stretch.

Id say the two games that I got broken in the third, I just didnt really feel like I could do much in the points, Fritz said. I had to just kind of like hope that hed get a miss, just because of how strong the wind was in my face.

Sinner said he stepped in against Fritzs serve in the middle of the match and tried to take the ball earlier to throw off the Americans rhythm.

I moved a little bit in, especially on the deuce side, he said. But only on first serve, because I felt like I didnt have any chance to see the ball toss or where he was serving. So I tried at least, if the ball is there, to catch it as soon as possible to give him less time.

Rybakina became the first woman from Kazakhstan to earn a semifinal berth at Indian Wells.

She dropped her first set of the tournament in the second, but turned it up in the third. The 2022 Wimbledon champion won 15 of 16 first-serve points and never faced a break point in the set.

I served much better in the third, Rybakina said on court. I didnt start that well in the beginning of the match, I was a bit slower than usual and here the conditions are not that easy for me. In the end, in the important moments I played well.

Rybakina and Swiatek are 11 against each other in their careers.

In Australia, I just know that when I went to play against her, I had really nothing to lose. Shes number one and kind of pressure on her in that moment, Rybakina said.
Teacher Shortage Solution More Complex Than Just Raising Wages: Education Minister

NSW Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell takes questions during a COVID-19 update and press conference in Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 27, 2021. (Lisa Maree Williams-Pool/Getty Images)

SYDNEYResolving the teacher shortage in New South Wales (NSW) requires a more complex solution beyond just hiring and more wages, hinted Education Minister Sarah Mitchell ahead of the state election.

In an election debate at the Centre of Independent Studies on March 14, Shadow Education Minister Prue Car claimed that solving the teacher shortage was really simple and that having 2,000 vacant positions was unacceptable.

For the first time ever in the last 12 months, weve seen resignations outstrip retirements, we do not have enough teachers in our classrooms, she said.

[Labor] will work straight away from day one if were elected to get to the structural systemic reasons why we have such a chronic teacher shortageuncompetitive pay, overburdening workloads, actually getting more teachers permanent from temporary.

NSW Deputy Labor leader and education spokesperson Prue Car speaks to media during a press conference with Labor leader Chris Minns, in Sydney, on Feb. 21, 2023. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

But Mitchell argued that it was important to look beyond that figure, suggesting schools were actually near-capacity.

So, we know at the moment, half of our schools in New South Wales dont have a single vacancy. About 25 percent have one vacancy, she said. Weve got 2,200 public schools, so when youre talking about 2,000 vacancies, what that means is, on average, 75 percent of schools have either one vacancy or none.

Mitchell acknowledged that some schools were facing staffing challenges, most often in regional and remote areas or in high-demand subjects like STEM.

Whats actually more important is to look at, where are the vacancies? What are the trends? What are we seeing in the non-government sector as well? And where do we see particular areas where you need support. And thats exactly what our Teacher Supply Strategy does, she said.

Recruiting and Retaining Teachers

Labor and the unions have been critical of the governments Teacher Supply Strategy, saying it has failed to recruit enough teachers.

The states teacher union, NSW Teacher Federation (NSWTF), said in January that the $125 million (US$83 million) scheme has been an expensive failure.

[Premier Dominic] Perrottets Teacher Supply Strategy has been a hopeless failure with three teachers recruited from overseas in a year, NSWTF President Angelo Gavrielatos told The Epoch Times, referring to answers to Budget Estimate supplementary questions (pdf).

But Mitchell said training qualified teachers took time.

You cant do that overnight, she said. At the minimum at the moment, its two years for somebody who already has an undergraduate degree in four years for someone whos coming straight out of school.

The minister also told The Epoch Times that the program has delivered 520 teacher and teacher trainees since it launched at the end of 2021.

Car said that there was a need to address the underlying structural problems. However, detailed long-term solutions were not discussed.

Students are not attracted to go to teaching and then when they get in there, not only are they not paid enough, theyre not valued enough  theyre leaving because theyre overburdened with a crippling workload, she said.

Her solution was to remove the wage cap and to cut workloads by at least five hours per weekyet how this would be achieved was not outlined.

Beyond actual teaching, educators often have to deal with lesson preparation, constant communication with parents, and administrative tasksall outside of teaching hours.

Meanwhile, NSW Labor leader Chris Minns has campaigned to abolish the current governments public sector worker wages cap, which applies to public school teachers.

However, during the Channel Nine leaders debate with the premier on March 15, Minns avoided promising that the scrapping of the current 3 percent wages cap would translate to higher wages for workers.

We need to do that around the table and that needs to be a negotiation that can only happen in government, he said.

A combined image shows (left) NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and (right) NSW Labor leader Chris Minns during an election Leaders Debate in Sydney, Australia on March 8, 2023. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi)

Meanwhile, the unions agree with Labor that workloads and salary numbers were critical to reducing teacher shortages.

It is only by addressing the real causes of the teacher shortagesunsustainable workloads and uncompetitive salariesthat we can recruit and retain the teachers we need, Gavrielatos said.

This crisis will only get worse without immediate action. We have two-thirds of teachers saying they are burnt out and 60 percent looking to leave in the next five years.

The NSWTF referred to an internal document (pdf) dated to November which revealed that almost two-thirds of schools had at least one vacancy, where 76 schools had six to 10 vacancies and seven schools had 11 to 15 vacant positions.

More to the Numbers Than Vacancies

But in an explanation note at the end, it said that a large influx of vacant positions had opened up after a number of additional roles had been created, which would continue to impact total vacancies for the next few months.

The NSW Education Department said vacancies levels were higher in remote areas. Science and maths subject areas accounted for the highest number of vacancies, at three percent and four percent, respectively, and spread widely across other subjects.

According to the department, the state has almost 95,000 teachers in total, of which 8,600 positions were filled last year.

More than half of our schools have no vacancies as of Monday, March 13, 2023, and 27 percent of schools have only a single vacancy, a NSW Education spokesperson told The Epoch Times.
Top House GOP Leaders Call for Stronger Action Over Russia Helping China Fuel Its Strategic Nuclear Breakout

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, on Dec. 12, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Top House Republican national security leaders have called on the United States to take stronger action over Russia helping China fuel its strategic nuclear blackout.

In a March 16 letter to U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-Ohio) expressed alarm over what they said are concerning reports that Russias state-owned nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, is helping the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) acquire enough weapons-grade plutonium to fuel its strategic nuclear breakout.

Rosatom has had an office in Beijing since 2016, according to the letter.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines were ccd on the letter, which comes as China reportedly has been considering whether to send lethal assistance to Russia for its war in Ukraine.

Rogers, McCaul and Turner remarked that Rosatom helps fuel [Russian President Vladimir] Putins war efforts in Ukraine. The three warned that this assistance is a direct threat to U.S. security and more evidence that Russia and China are working in tandem against the United States.

They stated that Russia and the PRCs nuclear cooperation goes much farther than just civilian projects. For example, Rosatom now appears to being supplying equipment and highly enriched uranium (HEU) for Chinas CFR-600 sodium-cooled fast breeder nuclear reactors, which will produce plutonium, fissile material critical to the PRCs nuclear breakout.

The House chairmen noted that Russian deliveries of HEU to the PRC are slated to begin this year.

In a 2022 report to Congress, the Defense Department warned that the PRC is also supporting this expansion by increasing its capacity to produce and separate plutonium by constructing fast breeder reactors and reprocessing facilities. The report noted that the CFR-600 reactors will be able to make enough plutonium for dozens of nuclear warheads annually.

Make no mistake, the PRC and Russias actions constitute an acceleration of their ongoing arms race, wrote Rogers, McCaul, and Turner.

The three also warned that Rosatom, according to The Washington Post, has been working to supply the Russian arms industry with components, technology, and raw materials for missile(s) enabling the Russian military to commit crimes against humanity by murdering Ukrainian civilians.

On Feb. 24, the one-year anniversary of Russias invasion of Ukraine, the Biden administration announced it sanctioned three Rosatom subsidiaries.

These actions do not begin to scratch the surface as to what needs to be done, however. Stronger action is required and it needs a whole-of-government approach, wrote the three Republican leaders. We ask that you use all the tools at your disposal, such as the full application of sanctions, export controls, and diplomacy, to stop Putin from using Rosatom to challenge U.S. interests across the globe.

The Biden administration has been considering sanctioning Rosatom as of March 9.

Rogers, McCaul and Turner requested a briefing no later than April 17 on how the administration is responding to Rosatom.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the White House National Security Council for comment.
Tory Government Would Freeze Infrastructure Money to Cities That Dont Get Housing Built: Poilievre

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre holds a press conference in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Jan. 25, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

As a strategy to get more homes built in Canada, a Conservative government would link the number of infrastructure dollars cities get to the number of houses completed, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said on Friday.

City governments that block construction will be fined with clawbacks to their federal infrastructure money, while those that get out of the way, speed up building permits, and free up land to build more will get bonuses with extra infrastructure dollars, Poilievre said during a press conference in Vancouver.

Poilievre said housing has become more unaffordable than ever. He pointed out that the average rent has risen $2,200. Thats a 12.4 percent increase just since November last year, according to Rentals.ca.

Poilievre accused the Liberal government of continuing to shovel billions of dollars to the government gatekeepers and city halls, like Vancouvers, that block construction.

The Conservative leader cited Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation data that found Vancouver City Hall only approved about 6,000 housing units in 2022. If those numbers are true, its a disgrace, Poilievre said. Thats why our young people are living in despair, in their parents basements, across the city. Its the reason why we have record homelessness.

The City of Vancouver did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times inquiry about housing units approved in 2022.

In response to a reporters question, Poilievre confirmed that his governments clawbacks would not apply to funding commitments made under previous governments.

Funding for future gas tax transfers and for transit projects will all be linked to getting the gatekeepers out of the way, speeding up building permits, and freeing up land to build houses across Canada, he said.

Poilievre said his government would also require that every federally funded transit station is surrounded by high-density apartments and condos, which would negate the need for young people and seniors in the areas to own cars.

Poilievre reiterated his previously announced promise to sell off 15 percent of the 37,000 big, ugly, empty federal buildings. Many of them are not even in use because people are working from home, why not sell them off and turn them into housing? he asked.

Were talking about 5,000 or 6,000 buildings and other brownfield lands that are doing nothing, that could be housing for our working-class, young people across this country.

The Conservative leader said millions more homes need to be built across Canada, so that our young people, our working class, and our brilliant immigrants can afford to live in it.
Trudeau Says Claim of CCP Interference in Vancouver Elections Uncorroborated, Unverified

Canadians should be careful about reacting to allegations the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) interfered in Vancouvers municipal elections last year, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, because the claims are based on uncorroborated, unverified information.

Leaked intelligence information reported on by the Globe and Mail March 16 said then-Chinese consul general Tong Xiaoling attempted to elect pro-Beijing politicians to Vancouvers city council.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) documents reportedly said Tong looked to increase the ethnic voting percentage to elect a specific Chinese-Canadian candidate. The documents did not name any particular candidate. CSIS noted that the activity is consistent with CCP efforts to have more ethnic Chinese individuals enter politics in Western countries, as they are seen to be easier to influence.

I think we have to be very, very careful when little bits and pieces of uncorroborated, unverified information get put out and people instantly react with perspectives and reactions that can undermine the ability of the duly elected mayor of Vancouver to do his job, Trudeau told reporters in Guelph, Ont., on March 17.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim spoke out against the election interference allegations during a press conference on March 16, saying hed be as mad as hell as anybody else if there is proof of interference.

Sim also claimed race plays a factor in the allegations, noting that he is Vancouvers first mayor of Chinese descent and saying there would be no conversation about municipal election interference if he were a Caucasian male.

Trudeau told reporters on March 17 that the allegations undermine the confidence of Vancouver residents in the integrity of their elections, and also said Sim is being attacked by allegations that are incomplete and leaked.

He cant even really respond to [them], Trudeau said of the interference reports.

The prime minister acknowledged that the allegations need to be taken seriously, but also said they are causing some individuals to jump to conclusions that are harmful to Sim and Vancouvers election integrity.

Thats why we have to be careful about respecting national security when we talk about allegations like this that are leaked out, Trudeau said.

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre also commented on the Vancouver election interference reports on March 17 while speaking to reporters in the city.

Poilievre said that its difficult to comment on the allegations since he is outside of the citys politics, but added that the CCPs interference across the country is an obvious problem.

His comments came a day after NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also called the allegations deeply concerning.

As somebody who represents Burnaby, a neighbouring city [of Vancouver], the idea of a foreign government influencing our municipal election is deeply concerning. It should not be happening, Singh told reporters in Toronto on March 16.

Noe Chartier contributed to this report.
TSMC Founder: Chip Globalization Is Dead

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) founder Morris Chang declared that the globalization of the chip industry is over, and Taiwan is indispensable in the global chip industry for its unique work ethic.

Speaking of the future of the chip sector, many countries strive to reshore manufacturers back to their territory to ensure supply chain resilience for the sake of national security.

Theres no question in my mind that, in the chip sector, globalization is dead. Free trade is not quite that dead, but its in danger, Chang said at a semiconductor forum in Taipei by the Taiwan-based CommonWealth Magazine on March 16.

A Foreseeable Higher Cost

The 91-year-old chip founder said he agreed with the U.S. industrial policy to slow down Chinas progress in the semiconductor industry with the sanction and entity list, although he also said, in manufacturing technology, China is at least, at least, five or six years behind Taiwan.

He introduced the key reason for the popularity of chips and semiconductors is mainly due to the continuous reduction in costs. However, with the ongoing manufacturing base moving to the United States, they will rise.

He anticipated costs will increase at least 50 percent and even double. As a result, it will slow down or even end the popularization of the chip, and the industry will enter a completely different competition.

Chang criticized Washingtons friendshoring high technology manufacturing for excluding Taiwan as one of the friendshoring destinations as not making much sense.

Last July, the U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the U.S. dependence on Taiwan for chips is untenable and unsafe, referring to the Chips Act intended to increase the manufacturing of American-made semiconductors.

Work Ethic Matters

In the forum, Chang explained chip manufacturing has been concentrated in a few countries because each is competitive in what they do. He said, for example, the United States has excellent design capability because they are close to the markets needs.

On the other hand, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea have a competitive advantage in manufacturing. Chang said he believed that its the people and the work cultures that create their unique advantages in chip manufacturing.

He gave an example, when the machine breaks down in the United States at 1:00 a.m., it wont get fixed until the next morning. In Taiwan, however, it will be fixed at 2 a.m., Chang said.

Zhang Ting contributed to this report.
Twitter Files Alleges Collusion Between Government, Stanford Project to Censor COVID Vaccine Misinformation

The logo of the US social networking website Twitter, on a smart-phone screen in Lille, northern France, on Sept. 4, 2019. (Denis Charlet/AFP via Getty Images)

Investigative journalist Matt Taibbi released the latest version of The Twitter Files on March 17, this time about alleged collusion between Stanford Universitys Virality Project and Twitter to censor what they deemed misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Virality Project (VP) also colluded with the U.S. government, alleged Taibbi.

Though the Virality Project reviewed content on a mass scale for Twitter, Google/YouTube, Facebook/Instagram, Medium, TikTok, and Pinterest, it knowingly targeted true material and legitimate political opinion, while often being factually wrong itself, posted Taibbi on Twitter.

Taibbi called the VP a smash success as government, academia, and an oligopoly of would-be corporate competitors organized quickly behind a secret, unified effort to control political messaging. Additionally, said Taibbi, it accelerated the evolution of digital censorship, moving it from judging truth/untruth to a new, scarier model, openly focused on political narrative at the expense of fact.

On Feb. 17, Twitter agreed to partner with the VP, which went on to inform Twitter that, regarding the vaccines, there is true content which might promote vaccine hesitancy including stories of true vaccine side effects. The VP said such content should qualify under Twitters censorship of COVID-19 posts. Twitters censorship rules on such content required it to be demonstrably false or misleading and that misleading claims must be an assertion of fact (no opinion).

The VP lamented to Twitter what conservatives and others decried as vaccine passports, where institutions, including restaurants, required people to show proof of vaccination. This backlash, according to VP, had driven a larger anti-vaccination narrative about the loss of rights and freedoms.

By March of 2021, Twitter personnel were aping VP language, describing campaigns against vaccine passports, fear of mandatory immunizations, and misuse of official reporting tools as potential violations, reported Taibbi.

The VP went as far as to say that those just asking questions about the vaccines are using a tactic commonly used by spreaders of misinformation to deflect culpability. According to Taibbi, the VP also described a Worldwide Rally for Freedom planned over Telegram as a disinformation event.

In April 2021, the VP called breakthrough infections of COVID-19 for vaccinated people extremely rare events.

Even in its final report, VP claimed it was misinformation to suggest the vaccine does not prevent transmission, or that governments are planning to introduce vaccine passports, wrote Taibbi. Both things turned out to be true.

The VP partnered with [Department of Defense]-funded Graphika, the National Science Foundation-funded Center for an Informed Public (CIP), the GEC-funded DFRLab, and the NYU Center for Social Media and Politics, or CSMaP, according to Taibbi, who added that the VP would later say it partnered with several government agencies, including the Office of the Surgeon General and the CDC. It reportedly also worked with [the Department of Homeland Security]s CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) and Government Engagement Center, among others.

The Government Engagement Center, which is part of the State Department, reportedly funded the UK-based Global Disinformation Index to recommend censoring conservative outlets over claims they spread disinformation.

At the end of the day, wrote Taibbi, Americas information mission went from counterterrorism abroad, to stopping foreign interference from reaching domestic audiences, to 80% domestic content, much of it true and that while DHSs Disinformation Governance Board is out  truth-policing is not.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Office of the Surgeon General, the CDC, the State Department, and CISA for comment.

CISA declined to comment.
Vancouver Mayor Criticizes Allegations of Beijing Regime Interference in Citys Election

Vancouver Mayor-Elect Ken Sim arrives for a news conference in Vancouver on Oct. 17, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck)

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim is pushing back on recent allegations that the Chinese communist regime played a role in the 2022 municipal election.

If theres proof of foreign interference in our election, I want to know about it, because Im a Canadian, Sim said in a press conference on March 16. If there was proof of this, Id be as mad as hell as anybody else.

The citys first mayor of Chinese heritage says that race is a factor in the allegations.

Ill just say it: If I was a Caucasian male, were not having this conversation, he said.

Sim was reacting to a Globe and Mail article published on March 16 based on a leaked document from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS).

The document explains how then-Chinese consul general (CG) Tong Xiaoling sought to mobilize the Chinese diaspora to help elect preferred candidates.

With regards to the 2022 City of Vancouver mayoral election, CG Tong stated that they need to do all they could to increase the ethnic voting percentage. They needed to get all eligible voters to come out and elect a specific Chinese-Canadian candidate, reportedly says the CSIS document.

CG Tong emphasized this work was necessary, as the candidate will rely on those votes, it adds. In parallel, CG Tong indicated they needed someone within the Vancouver City Council.

The CSIS information also spoke of Tongs desire to groom a local politician who could later reach higher office.

CSIS reportedly stated, The activity is also consistent with PRC [Peoples Republic of China] efforts to have more ethnic Chinese individuals enter politics in Western countries, as they are seen to be easier to influence and access, particularly by leveraging community proxies.

The CSIS document did not name any individuals.

Sim won the 2022 contest by nearly 37,000 votes against the incumbent Kennedy Stewart.

Stewart, a former federal NPD MP who took positions running counter to the Chinese regimes, told the Globe he believes he was the target of foreign interference.

The Epoch Times contacted Sim and Stewart for comment but neither responded.

Sim called the allegations without proof a bunch of insinuations at his press conference and attributed his win to the hard work of his campaign.

Federal opposition party leaders have commented on the most recent national security leak pertaining to interference in Canada by Beijing.

On March 16, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh called the allegation deeply concerning and Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said the leaks show theres unease within the security establishment.

But Blanchet cautioned against saying the interference has impacted the election because it cannot be demonstrated.

Does it have an influence? Id say yes. Did this influence pick the winner? This cannot be demonstrated.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
VIA Rail Breached Code of Conduct in Firing Engineer Over Vaccination Status, Federal Arbitrator Rules

A Via Rail passenger train makes its way along the tracks in Ottawa on July 11, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

VIA Rail violated the Canada Labour Code when it terminated the employment of a locomotive engineer in January 2022 because of his vaccination status, a federal arbitrator has ruled.

Arbitrator Graham Clarke ruled that VIA Rail, a Crown corporation, didnt have just and sufficient cause to fire the engineer for refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Blacklocks Reporter.

Louison Tessier had been an engineer with railway for nearly 20 years when he was dismissed without pay on Jan. 24, 2022, for not having a COVID shot.

The Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, which represented Tessier, challenged VIAs decision shortly after, citing the unions contract that said no member could be fired without a fair and impartial hearing.

In his case ruling, Clarke wrote that VIA had decided on its own initiative to add disciplinary consequences for non-vaccinated employees and said there were no new recommendation from public health authorities at the time that supported the companys reasons for dismissing Tessier.

VIA never explained why on January 24 it was necessary to immediately terminate Mr. Tessiers employment rather than keep him on leave without pay, Clarke wrote.

The policy was unreasonable.

Clarke ordered Via Rail to rehire Tessier and to remove from his employment file any reference to his being fired by the company in January 2022.

However, the ruling did not include any order for VIA to compensate Tessier pending negotiations between his union and the railway.

Federal Vaccine Mandates

In November 2022, a group consisting of hundreds of federal employees launched a legal challenge of Ottawas COVID vaccine mandate, which went into effect in October 2021 and was suspended in June 2022.

The governments mandate required that all federal workers either get two vaccine doses or be suspended without pay unless they obtained exemptions approved through the policy.

Launched by Quebec-based group United Servants, the challenge against the mandate seeks to obtain a court ruling that will make it impossible for the government to ever again implement a policy such as its previous vaccine mandate, according to the groups coordinator, Bernard Desgagne.

When it suspended the mandate in June 2022, the government noted the possibility of reintroducing it should scientific evidence point to a need for further public health measures.

The Treasury Board of Canada said at the time that over 2,100 federal employees, which represented less than 2 percent of the federal workforce, had been put on leave without pay for either refusing to disclose their vaccination status or to get two COVID shots while the mandate was in place.

Isaac Teo contributed to this report.
Victoria Adds Just 74 New Public Dwellings Despite Multi-Billion-Dollar Program

The Australian state of Victoria has added a sliver of new social housing stock over the past four years, despite introducing a multi-billion-dollar program to boost social housing.

The latest annual report by the Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing revealed that the state had a total social housing stock of 86,887 dwellings by June 2022, a marginal increase from 86,813 dwellings recorded four years ago.

While there was barely an improvement in the available social housing units during the period, Victoria reported a sharp rise in the number of people applying for such services.

According to Homes Victoria, there were 64,168 applications for social housing in June 2022, compared to around 44,000 in June 2018.

The figures come despite the Victorian government introducing the Big Housing Build program in 2020, which was touted as Australias biggest ever investment in public and community housing.

Details of the Big Housing Build Program

In November 2020, the Victorian Labor government announced that it would spend $5.3 billion (US$3.55 billion) to erect over 12,000 new homes across the state, with 25 percent of funding to be allocated to regional areas.

This included 9,300 new social housing homes for Aboriginal Victorians, pensioners, people with disability, family violence victims, and single-parent families, as well as 2,900 new affordable and low-cost homes for low-to-moderate income earners.

The program would also replace 1,100 old public housing units with new ones.

Notably, the Victoria government said the package will lift the states social housing supply by 10 percent by 2026.

In July 2022, the Victorian government announced that it had hit the halfway milestone with 6,300 homes completed or underway.

It also said more investments had been added to the program so that the government could build at least 16,000 social and affordable homes by 2026.

What Was the Reason for the Insubstantial Growth in Social Housing Stock?

Libby Porter, a professor at the centre for urban research at RMIT University, said the weak result was due to the government knocking down old social housing homes.

We are demolishing many [dwellings] at the same time we are building, she said, as reported by The Guardian.

In addition, Porter explained that the Big Housing Build project was not all about building new social housing in new areas.

It also involved replacing old public housing dwellings with new ones with the participation of private developers.

A general view of public housing towers is seen from Morehead Street in Redfern in Sydney, Australia, on Sept. 16, 2021. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

To give an example, the professor said the government demolished six public housing sites in the suburbs of Ascot Vale, Flemington, Hawthorn and Heidelberg, which provided a total of 446 social housing units.

Later, the government replaced the estates with a mix of 540 private and 500 social housing units, resulting in a small gain at hefty prices.

Its total net gain of 54 social housing dwellings across six sites, at the cost to the public of $532 million, which is $9.85 million per dwelling, she said.

Porter believed that the government would be better off if it maintained and refurbished public housing instead of knocking down and rebuilding.

She said RMIT modelling showed that such a plan would deliver around 20,000 new units with a $5.3 billion investment.

Economist Believes Building Social Housing Not the Solution

While calls for more public housing have been prevalent in recent years, some economists do not think that is the right way to deal with the issue.

Chief Economist Peter Tulip from the Sydney-based Centre for Independent Studies told The Epoch Times that public housing was an expensive and ineffective solution.

Building work continues at Edgewater Estate on September 1, 2008 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

He pointed to the Labor federal governments pledge to build 30,000 new social dwellings over the next five years, saying the plan would only increase national housing stock by 0.3 percent, which would do little to address housing problems.

However, such a move would put a heavy burden on Australian taxpayers.

The typical social housing dwelling costs the taxpayer about $15,000 a year, Tulip said.

That is a lot, particularly as the expenditure is so badly targetedrelatively few public housing tenants are among the most disadvantaged.

Furthermore, the economist said that state and federal governments had become aware that Commonwealth Rental Assistance (CRA) was more efficient, effective and equitable than building social housing.

The Henry Report, the McClure report and the recent Productivity Commission report all recommend that housing subsidies for the poor be directed through CRA rather than public or social housing, he told The Epoch Times.
Ukraines History of Corruption a Growing Concern as US Military Aid Surges

Airmen with the 436th Aerial Port Squadron use a forklift to move 155 mm shells ultimately bound for Ukraine, April 29, 2022, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the United States has provided Kyiv with military, economic, humanitarian, and other forms of aid.

According to official sources, the total U.S. contribution to the Ukrainian war effort now stands at some $113 billion, vastly exceeding contributions made by Kyivs other allies.

But as the bills have continued to mount, so have calls for greater oversight as to how those funds are being spent. Recent corruption scandals in Kyiv have raised fears that U.S. taxpayer dollars are, in the absence of accountability, being squandered.

Whats more, dissident voices are pointing out that the war shows littleif anysign of ending soon, despite the Wests seemingly boundless support for Ukraine.

Military aid, delivered as part of the U.S. security assistance to Ukraine, is unloaded from a plane at the Boryspil International Airport outside Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 13, 2022. (Serhiy Takhmazov/Reuters)

Breaking It Down

Responding to questions from The Epoch Times, the Washington-based Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) confirmed that the $113 billion figure was still accurate.

This figure, it explained, includes only the funding packages Congress approved through December 2022, and Congress has not approved any further packages in 2023 thus far.

According to CRFB data, roughly three-fifths of the $113 billion, that is, $67 billion, has been allocated for defense needs, while the remaining two-fifths, $46 billion, has been earmarked for non-defense concerns.

More precise breakdowns can appear bewildering, with official and semi-official sources (state agencies, think tanks, media outlets, etc.) often appearing to contradict one another.

The confusion tends to be in how money is appropriated and spent by the government, stated the CRFB, a nonpartisan group with the stated aim of educating the public on issues with significant fiscal policy impact.

Congress, the group stated, has constitutional authority to decide how much federal spending there should bethe power of the pursewhile the Executive Branch (the president and other agencies) are charged with spending that money.

Depending on when you account for that spending will get you different amounts, the CRFB stated, because it takes the Executive time to actually spend the money Congress appropriates.

Pallets of aid to Ukraine are stacked behind Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (R) and Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) as they speak with reporters after returning from their trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, and meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Poland near the Ukraine border on April 25, 2022. (Alex Brandon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Complex Channels

The fact that disbursements are made through a complex medley of bureaucratic channels, typically involving multiple agencies, tends to compound the confusion.

In the case of military aid, for instance, these channels includebut arent limited tothe Presidential Drawdown Authority, the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, and Foreign Military Financing.

According to the CRFB, the Presidential Drawdown Authority lets the president send U.S. weapons straight to Ukraine, while the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative lets the governmentin tandem with the private sectorprovide equipment and training to Ukraines military.

The Foreign Military Financing, meanwhile, allows the government to replenish the stockpiles of NATO allies that have given their own military hardware to Ukraine.

Nonmilitary forms of assistanceincluding economic, humanitarian, and government aidare funneled to Ukraine through similarly complex channels.

For example, since the conflict began, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has given Kyiv $13 billion in direct budget support.

According to a USAID report released on the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion, these funds are meant to help Kyiv pay for basic public services, such as health care and education.

Theyre also meant to help Ukraine maintain a well-functioning state with strong institutions free of corruption and a vibrant, inclusive economy, a free press, and robust civil society.

Workers unload a shipment of military aid delivered as part of the U.S. security assistance to Ukraine, at the Boryspil airport, outside Kyiv, on Jan. 25, 2022. (Efrem Lukatsky/file/AP Photo)

Mounting Concerns

While these lofty objectives appear well-intentioned, a recent string of corruption scandals in Kyiv has served to raise questions as to whether U.S. largesse was being spent as intended.

Two days before USAID published its report, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability sent a powerfully worded letter to the heads of USAID, the State Department, and the Defense Department.

In the Feb. 22 letter, committee head James Comer (R-Ky.) called on the heads of the three federal agencies to ensure that funds bound for Ukraine were being used for their intended purposes so as to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.

The letter cites a Jan. 25 statement by John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council (NSC), in which he claimed the NSC had not seen any signs that U.S. budgetary assistance to Kyiv had fallen prey to any kind of corruption.

Kirbys assertion, the letter goes on to note, came one day after several high-ranking Ukrainian officials were removed from their posts amid graft allegations.

According to the letter, Kirbys remark suggested the NSC was unaware of the corruption scandal in Kyiv, thus heightening concerns that U.S. agencies are not conducting oversight of taxpayer assistance to Ukraine.

The three agencies were then given until March 8 to hand over a wide range of documents and information pertaining to how they were conducting oversight of these funds.

Two days before the deadline, the State Departments Bureau of Legislative Affairs sent a letter to Comer stressing the three agencies commitment to working closely with his committee to ensure that the funding was being used effectively, efficiently, and for its intended purpose.

In the letter, the agencies offered to hold an interagency briefing for members of the Oversight Committee to address your questions and to provide requested information.

As of the time of writing, however, a date for the proffered interagency meeting had yet to be made public.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press conference following talks with the president of the European Commission in Kyiv on Sept. 15, 2022. (Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images)

Scandal in Kyiv

Before Russias invasion, the Western press didnt shy away from reporting on corruption plaguing the Kyiv government. In 2015, British newspaper The Guardian famously described Ukraine as the most corrupt nation in Europe.

But after Russia sent troops into Ukraine early last year, the media abruptly changed its tune, seldom portraying Kyiv in anything other than glowing terms.

According to the mainstream narrative, Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were defending the West and its democratic idealsalmost single-handedlyfrom the depredations of Russian autocracy.

A former comedian and television actor, Zelenskyy won the presidency in 2019 on pledges to combat endemic government corruption.

Time magazine celebrated Zelenskyyand the amorphous Spirit of Ukraineas its person of the year for 2022. Any criticism of Kyiv, or its TV-friendly wartime president, was denounced by mainstream media pundits as Russian disinformation.

This aura of infallibility, however, took a major hit on Jan. 24 when a raft of top Ukrainian officials abruptly resigned or were sacked amid corruption allegations.

The deputy defense minister stepped down following claims he had procured rations for troops at inflated prices, while a deputy infrastructure minister was arrested on charges of taking kickbacks for overpriced generators.

Several other high-ranking officials, including regional governors and an assistant attorney general, were likewise forced from their posts amid similar allegations.

Internal problems that interfere with the state are being cleaned up, Zelenskyy said at the time. It is necessary for our protection and helps our rapprochement with European institutions.

Weapons and other military hardware delivered by the U.S. military at Boryspil Airport near Kyiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 25, 2022. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Black Hole

The NSC, for its part, responded to the dismissals by praising Zelenskyys quick action  to ensure effective monitoring and accountability of public procurement and to hold those in positions of public trust to account.

Last April, CNN, whose pro-Kyiv bona fides are hardly open to question, cited an unnamed intelligence source who alleged that U.S. arms fell into a big black hole after crossing the Ukrainian border.

In August 2022, CBS News aired a documentary titled Arming Ukraine, which featured interviews with Jonas Ohman, the head of a pro-Kyiv NGO that funnels Western arms and equipment into Ukraine.

In the documentary, Ohman claims that only about 30 percent of these arms and equipment actually reaches its final destination. He later attributes the alleged shortfall to interference by local powerlords, oligarchs, and political players.

Elsewhere in the 23-minute documentary, Ohman claims that his organization has been bringing arms into Ukraine since the summer of 2014.

Despite the documentarys overtly pro-Ukraine stance, it was swiftly retracted by CBS two days after it aired following an outcry by Kyiv.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused the broadcaster of having misled a huge audience by sharing unsubstantiated claims and damaging trust in supplies of vital military aid to a nation resisting aggression and genocide.

Writing on Twitter, Kuleba went on to demand an internal investigation into who enabled this [documentary] and why.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at NATO headquarters in Brussels, on April 7, 2022. (Evelyn Hockstein/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Long History of Corruption

Yet despite Kyivs protestations, it wasnt the first time such claims were made.

The Kremlin has repeatedly warned that Western arms bound for Ukraine were ending up in the hands of criminal gangs and terrorist groups. In June 2022, Jurgen Stock, secretary-general of Interpol, issued a similar warning.

At a Feb. 28 hearing of the House Armed Services Committee, Pentagon Inspector-General Robert Storch was questioned by lawmakers regarding concerns that U.S. weapons were falling into the wrong hands.

Storch, for his part, said his office had found no evidence that this was the case, but added that investigations were still in their early stages.

His office, he added, would continue to make independent oversight of assistance to Ukraine a matter of the highest priority.

And we will continue to keep the Congress and the public informed about our work, he added.

However, when further pressed by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), a vocal critic of unfettered aid to Kyiv, Storch conceded that theres a long history of issues with corruption in Ukraine.

Concerns regarding the potential diversion of Western arms and equipment bound for Ukraine havent been confined to the United States.

In July 2022, the Ottawa Citizen, citing multiple defense sources, reported that Canada has no idea about the whereabouts of the equipment it has provided to Ukraine as it does not actively monitor the distribution of gear.

Volunteer soldiers prepare to fire toward Russian positions close to Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on March 8, 2023. (Libkos/AP Photo)

Facts on the Ground

Since Russias invasion of Ukraine last year, the United States has provided the latter with a vast array of offensive equipment, including tanks, armored vehicles, artillery systems, and munitions of all shapes and sizes.

But theres little evidence that Ukraine is winning the conflict, despite frequent claims to the contrary by the Western mainstream media.

Last years Ukrainian counter-offensives in Kharkiv and Kherson were widely hailed as victories.

Since then, however, Russian forces have shored up their positionsespecially in the eastern Donbas region, which remains the primary focus of its special military operation.

Recent weeks have seen Russian forces capture several positions in Donetsk, with the strategic town of Bakhmut, a key Ukrainian transport hub, all but surrounded.

Last September, Russia effectively annexed Donetsk and Luhansk (which together comprise Donbas), along with the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. It now considers all four regions as Russian Federation territory.

Last years annexations coincided with the mobilization of 300,000 fresh troops, many of whom will likely take part in an anticipated springtime offensive.

But while the mainstream press plays down Russian battlefield gains, a handful of dissenting voicesincluding respected military expertshave issued stark warnings regarding the course of the conflict.

Last November, retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor, who advised the secretary of defense under the Trump administration, warned that heavy Ukrainian casualties had dangerously eroded Kyivs combat capabilities.

Writing in The American Conservative magazine, Macgregor asserted: Contrary to the western medias popular Ukrainian victory narrative, which blocks any information that contradicts it, Ukraine is not winning and will not win this war.

A Ukrainian T-64 tank rolls along a muddy lane from the town of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region to Bakhmut, Ukraine, on March 9, 2023. (Sergey Shestak/AFP via Getty Images)

As Long as It Takes

Meanwhile, prospects for a diplomatic solution appear more distant than ever.

On March 10, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow saw no chance for holding talks at the moment.

Six days later, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed these sentiments. I see no evidence that, right now, Russia is interested in a diplomatic resolution  that would end this war.

So the question begs itself: In the absence of a solution, either military or diplomatic, how long is the United States willing to throw money and arms into Ukraine?

According to most U.S. officials and their like-minded counterparts in Europe, the answer is obvious: For as long as it takes.

We are committed to standing with Ukraine for as long as it takes, State Department spokesman Ned Price reiterated at a March 13 press briefing. We are committed to our Ukrainian partners.

In response to a question from The Epoch Times, Price added, Its important for the United States to be resolute, along with the dozens of countries around the world who have not only stood with Ukraine but endorsed the U.N. system, the U.N. Charter, international law, and the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a Security Council meeting concerning the war in Ukraine at United Nations headquarters in New York on Feb. 24, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Ukraine Fatigue

But as the cost of arming and funding Ukraine continues to rise, others in government arent willing to wait so long.

On Feb. 10, a handful of Republican lawmakers, led by Gaetz, unveiled a bill in Congress calling for an end to military and financial assistance to Kyiv.

The bills 11 proponents sought to justify the legislation by citing the steadily mounting cost to taxpayers, the risk of escalation with a nuclear-armed Russia, and the erosion of U.S. military stockpiles.

The resolution, dubbed the Ukraine Fatigue bill, calls on all parties involved in the conflict to reach a negotiated solution.

We must suspend all foreign aid for the war in Ukraine and demand that all combatants in this conflict reach a peace agreement immediately, Gaetz said in a press statement.

Claiming the United States was in a period of managed decline, the firebrand congressman warned of further deterioration if Washington continued to hemorrhage taxpayer dollars by prolonging the war.

The text of the bill includes a long list of U.S. military contributions to Ukraine, which, it asserts, have severely depleted U.S. stockpiles, weakening U.S. readiness in the event of conflict.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) walks to a closed-door GOP caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 10, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

On the Precipice

The bill has little chance of being adopted, and its sponsors still represent a minority opinioneven among fellow Republicans. Nevertheless, it appears to reflect mounting public opposition to boundless support for Ukraine.

Days after the bill was introduced, a poll conducted by The Associated Press found that public support for U.S. assistance to Kyiv had fallen to 48 percent from 60 percent since the opening months of the conflict.

On March 14, after Russian warplanes downed a U.S. drone near the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula, Gaetz reiterated his call to end our involvement in this conflict.

With todays loss of a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone in the Black Sea, we are once again reminded of the treacherous reality of our involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war, he wrote on Twitter.

It is impossible to ignore the dire risk of total war with Russia as we teeter on the precipice of direct conflict.
Warning of Nuclear Armageddon, Trump Calls for Peace in Ukraine, End of Proxy Battle

The 'globalist neocon establishment' is dragging America into endless wars, he said

President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 25, 2019. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

All other issues pale in comparison to the issue of preventing World War III, former President Donald Trump says.

We have never been closer to World War III than we are today under Joe Biden, Trump declared in a March 16 video message. A global conflict between nuclear-armed powers would mean death and destruction on a scale unmatched in human history. It would be nuclear Armageddon. Nothing is more important than avoiding that nightmare.

To avoid such a devastating conflict, new leadership is needed, Trump said, along with peace without delay.

In February, on the first anniversary of Russian forces crossing the Ukrainian border, President Joe Biden approved an additional $2 billion in military aid for Ukraine.

Tallies of U.S. humanitarian, military, and financial aid rendered to Ukraine vary, but the Council on Foreign Relations set it at $77 billion.

Every day this proxy battle in Ukraine continues, we risk global war, Trump said in his video. We must be absolutely clear that our objective is to immediately have a total cessation of hostilities.

Trumps new video, shot at his home at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, expands on a topic he advanced during a speech in early March at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington.

He declared: Im the only candidate who can make this promise: I can prevent, and very easily, prevent World War III.

He asserts that he knows what to say to leaders of Ukraine and Russia to halt the conflict.

During his presidency from 20172021, Trump touted positive meetings with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Trump, who left the White House after Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 election, is now campaigning to become the Republican Partys presidential nominee for the 2024 contest.

Dispute Over Priorities

Earlier this week, several other Republican presidential hopefuls also publicly stated they disagree with making Ukraine such a priority at a time when America faces significant threats from China.

Others also say America should not be meddling in Russia and Ukraines affairs, which are complex, and that the United States needs to cease sending aid to Ukraine because America is already mired in too much debt.

Supporters of aiding Ukraine say the United States has a moral and strategic obligation to help a fledgling democracy fend off unjustified Russian aggression. Putin has asserted that he needed to take action against rising Nazism and genocide against ethnic Russians in Ukraine.

The U.S. Department of Defense says America is protecting Ukraines right to be a sovereign nation. Biden has pledged to continue the aid for as long as it takes. Questions have swirled around Bidens foreign policy motives considering the past business dealings in China and Ukraine involving his son, Hunter Biden.

Bidens surprise visit to Ukraine in February drew criticism about his administrations priorities. He traveled there on Feb. 20 instead of visiting East Palestine, Ohio, a small community suffering from a train derailment and toxic environmental disaster since early February.

Trump visited the town on Feb. 22, while Biden has yet to travel there.

Neocon Establishment Blamed

To forge worldwide peace, Trump said its necessary to dismantle the entire globalist neocon establishment, referring to liberal-leaning conservatives who advocate using military means to promote democracy in foreign lands.

This faction is perpetually dragging us into endless wars, pretending to fight for freedom and democracy abroad, while they turn us into a third-world country and a third-world dictatorship right here at home, Trump said.

He called for a complete overhaul of the U.S. Department of State, the defense bureaucracy, the intelligence services, and all the rest. Trump wants to rid the government of the so-called Deep State, entrenched bureaucrats trying to perpetuate their jobs.

People protest against the delivery of weapons to Ukraine and support peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, in Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 25, 2023. (Christian Mang/Reuters)

Anti-US Forces at Work

Trump said a key component to ensuring world peace would be to finish reevaluating NATOs mission.

Our foreign policy establishment keeps trying to pull the world into conflict with a nuclear-armed Russia based on the lie that Russia represents our greatest threat, Trump said. But the greatest threat to Western Civilization today is not Russia. Its probably, more than anything else, ourselves and some of the horrible, U.S.A.-hating people that represent us.

Instead of addressing globalists havoc at home, Americans are being distracted by monsters and phantoms overseas, Trump said.

He blamed Marxists for trying to transform America into a godless nation worshipping at the altar of race and gender and environment.

The globalists have made the nation totally dependent on China and other foreign countries that basically hate us, Trump said.

These forces are doing more damage to America than Russia and China could ever have dreamed, he said. Evicting the sick and corrupt establishment is the monumental task for the next president. And Im the only one who can do it. Im the only one that can get the job done.
We Wont Tolerate Voter Fraud: Ohio Secretary of State Discusses Role of New Election Integrity Office

People vote on Election Day at a polling location at Indianola Church of Christ in Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 8, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose says many municipal and county elections are decided by one vote, so its vital that citizens cast their votes with confidence.

If an election can come down to a single vote, then a single fraudulent vote is too many, LaRose told The Epoch Times.

LaRose set up Ohios first Public Integrity Division. The office has been open since Oct. 2022, and is tasked with ensuring allegations of election fraud or chicanery.

Its all about increasing confidence which drives greater participation, LaRose said.

LaRose said that when he took office in January 2019, one of the first things he did was read the statute listing the duties of the secretary of state. He was surprised to find something that appeared to have been overlooked.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 6, 2018. (Justin Merriman/Getty Images)

In Ohio, as in many other states, it is the secretary of states job to oversee and ensure election security. This includes investigating claims of fraud or irregularity in polling. But there was one thing missing.

Youd think I would have investigators if Im going to investigate, LaRose said.

According to LaRose, his office has handled 630 cases of suspected voter fraud in the past four years. The allegations included voting in multiple states, forging signatures, and voting multiple times.

Of the cases referred to the secretary of states office, only four were prosecuted.

In most instances, he said, election fraud is found by poll workers or other local election officials. Historically, they have investigated and turned their findings over to a county prosecutor or the secretary of state.

Supporters of President Donald Trump protest outside State Farm Arena as ballots continue to be counted on Nov. 5, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)

LaRose said well-meaning individuals had inadvertently damaged their cases because they didnt understand how to gather, handle, and preserve evidence. Or they may not have understood what was illegal.

Then came the election of 2020. With allegations of ballot harvesting, rigged processes in Pennsylvania, and burst water pipes in Georgia, LaRose said the race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump made one thing clear: People were losing confidence in their elections.

Broward County canvassing board member Judge Robert Rosenberg uses a magnifying glass on Nov. 24, 2000, to examine a disputed ballot at the County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File)

LaRose said the Public Integrity Division has three investigators with experience in law enforcement and investigating financial crimes. He has also hired a data analyst because investigating elections is a game of numbers. It often consists of looking for statistical trends.

For example, he said, an investigator may compare changes in voter rolls with the number of vacant properties in the state.

While a single trend doesnt prove fraud, LaRose said a trained investigator could determine if such a trend merited a closer look. That investigator would also know how to gather and preserve the evidence they found.

2020 Was Not the First Controversy

According to LaRose, Ohio isnt the only state to take election security more seriously. State officials in West Virginia and Louisiana have set up similar offices. But 2020 wasnt the first controversial election.

Florida has had one of the most secure election systems in the nation since the 2000 presidential racean election that many remember as a fiasco.

In that race, the results of the contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore were not known for three weeks.

The issue centered on tabulating votes cast in a punch-card system. Some of the cards didnt punch cleanly. Others appeared to have been partially punched for multiple candidates. The term hanging chad became a staple of late-night comedy shows.

The U.S. Supreme Court eventually decided the dispute. And Florida officials learned a lesson that year.

After that election, Florida officials modernized their voting machines and instituted new polling place security measures.

During a March 10, 2023, hearing before the Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administrations Subcommittee, LaRose and other secretaries of state said the effect of security measures instituted after previously contested elections have proven to increase voter turnout.

According to subcommittee chair Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.), the overall impact of tighter security has proven to be greater voter turnout.

An End Voter Suppression poster rests on the Working Families Party table outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on Nov. 6, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Its simple: When voters have more confidence that their ballot will count, they are more likely to vote, Lee said during the hearing.

One of the witnesses claimed the security efforts had discouraged some voters.

The fact is that some peoplepredominantly voters of colorface barriers to the ballot box that make it more difficult and more costly for them to vote than for other people, said Damon Hewitt, president, and executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

Hewitt said his organization has dealt with cases in which threats, state laws, and disinformation have been used to suppress minority votes.

LaRose told The Epoch Times that the Public Integrity Division is ready to handle those allegations because voter suppression is as dangerous and damaging as election fraud.

We wont tolerate voter fraud, and we wont tolerate voter suppression, LaRose said.

Our job is to investigate any kind of election crime.
White House Says Biden Wants to Meet With Xi After China-Brokered Iran-Saudi Arabia Deal

Vice President Joe Biden (R) and Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping talk during an expanded bilateral meeting with other United States and Chinese officials in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington on Feb. 14, 2012. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Communist China is engaged in a relentless march for influence throughout the globe, according to the White House, and President Joe Biden wants to meet with its leadership.

The White House is acknowledging that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is making strides in puffing up its international reputation following a CCP-brokered deal to reestablish diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

China has made no secret of the fact that it wants to expand its influence around the world, whether thats in Africa, Latin America, or the Middle East, said National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby during a March 17 press call.

Kirby said that the CCP was using the newly brokered deal to inflate its standing in propaganda. But when asked whether the deal was part of a wider CCP strategy to expand its legitimacy and undermine the United States, Kirby demurred.

I would be cautious in speculating that theres some sort of grand strategy afoot, Kirby said.

Its more a part of their attempts to increase their influence and to look as though their influence is in fact increasing.

The surprise announcement of the deal comes shortly after the CCPs failed attempt to position itself as a peace broker in the ongoing Russian conquest of Ukraine.

The regime issued a 12-point peace plan in late February, despite never having met with Ukrainian officials on the matter. The document repeated several Russian propaganda points and claimed that the United States and its NATO partners were at fault for the war.

There are some things I disagree with, that I think the entire world disagrees with, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said of the document at the time.

[But] I want to believe that China is going to side with the idea of peace and fairness, which is our side.

Still, the CCPs increasing engagement in international affairs and its efforts to rally authoritarian powers against the United States have not gone unnoticed by the White House.

To that end, Kirby said that the Biden administration was in the early stages of setting up an in-person meeting between the president and CCP leader Xi Jinping.

The President has said he wants to talk to President Xi in the near future, Kirby said. We will work to set that up.

To my knowledge theres been no outreach to the Chinese to work on the logistics at this point.
White House: No Firm Confirmation That China Is Sending Assault Weapons, Body Armor to Russia

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks during the daily press briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, on Feb. 27, 2023. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

WASHINGTONChinese companies, including ones with direct links to the regime in Beijing, are reportedly sending assault rifles, body armor, and drone parts to Russia. Chinese firms have exported 1,000 assault rifles and other equipment to Moscow that could be used in the conflict with Ukraine, according to a new report by Politico.

When asked about these claims, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that there is no firm evidence that China is sending lethal weapons that could result in sanctions against the regime or Chinese entities.

Ive seen that press reporting, but I cant confirm that, Kirby told The Epoch Times. We dont think that China has taken lethal assistance off the table, but we havent seen firm confirmation that theyre moving in that direction.

Based on data obtained from ImportGenius, a customs data aggregator, Politico reported that the shipments occurred between June and December 2022, with some passing through Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In June 2022, for example, Russian firm Tekhkrim imported rifles from China North Industries Group Corporation Limited, a large state-owned defense contractor. The data also showed that Russian companies received 12 shipments of drone parts and over 12 tons of body armor from China via Turkey in late 2022.

China is providing Russian companies with commercial items that could also be used in the war with Ukraine. However, it remains unclear whether Moscow is employing any of the rifles listed in the shipment records on the battlefield.

Chinese drone maker Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) announced in April last year that it would suspend its business activities in both Russia and Ukraine as it opposed the use of civilian drones on the battlefield. According to the customs data, however, DJI sent drone parts to a small Russian distributor via the UAE in November and December 2022.

The company has been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department since 2021 for supplying the Chinese regime with drones to surveil the Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region.

It is unclear whether the Biden administration would regard these shipments as Beijing providing military assistance to Russia. Kirby echoed Secretary of State Antony Blinkens remarks when asked whether this would provide sufficient evidence to sanction China.

There would be ramifications if they decided to provide lethal assistance. But again, we havent seen them do that yet. And so, I dont want to get ahead of where we are, Kirby said.

The Biden administration has repeatedly expressed concern that communist China may provide lethal assistance for Russias war against Ukraine.

On Feb. 19, Blinken warned that any attempt by China to provide Russia with lethal support for use in Ukraine would have serious consequences.

We have seen them provide non-lethal support to Russia for use in Ukraine, Blinken said during an interview with CBS.

The concern that we have now is based on information we have that theyre considering providing lethal support, and weve made very clear to them that that would cause a serious problem for us and in our relationship.
Xi Jinping to Meet Vladimir Putin In Moscow Next Week

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping meet in Beijing on Feb. 4, 2022. (Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinese and Russian officials have announced that Chinese leader Xi Jinping will visit Moscow next week to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in an apparent show of support amid the conflict in Ukraine and as East-West tensions sharpen.

The Kremlin said in a statement that Xis visit would strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries and that important bilateral documents would be signed.

A spokesperson for Chinas foreign ministry said that Xis trip to Moscow aims to deepen trust between the two nations and is one of friendship, cooperation and peace.

Xis trip, scheduled for March 2022, comes after China has sought to position itself as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Peace Plan?

Last month, Beijing published a 12-point framework for a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis that it touted as a peace plan.

While it called for an end to hostilities and a resumption of peace talks along with respecting the sovereignty of all countries and abandoning the Cold War mentality, the plan was panned as vague and largely reflecting Kremlin talking points.

We would certainly be concerned by any proposals coming out of [China] that would be one-sided and reflect only the Russian perspective, said U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby at a March 16 press conference.

The United States and NATO have said Chinas mediation efforts arent credible as Beijing refrained from condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine, which the Kremlin calls a special military operation to defang Ukraines military and topple from power in Kyiv people it calls Nazis.

Amid unconfirmed rumors that Xi is considering meeting Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or at least making a phone call, Kirby said that it would be a very good thing if the two of them talked.

We think its really important for the Chinese to get the Ukrainian perspective and not just Mr. Putins, Kirby said, adding that the White House has been encouraging a meeting between Xi and Zelenskyy for quite some time.

Zelenskyy, for his part, said that he hopes to meet with Xi and that Beijings proposal is a positive sign.

China started talking about Ukraine, and I think this is a good thing, he said, while questioning the sincerity of Chinas plan.

There are some things I disagree with, that I think the entire world disagrees with, Zelenskyy said of the document.

But it actually begs the question, what will these words be followed with? Because the steps that are to be taken this is whats important.

Zelenskyy said that China would need to push Russia to leave Ukraine if Beijing actually believed in what it had written.

What they are saying looks like respect for territorial integrity, Zelenskyy said. It doesnt mention the country, but its our territorial integrity that has been breached.

Territorial integrity implies withdrawal of Russian troops. If its not there, that means it is not okay with us.

Likewise, Zelenskyy commented on U.S. fears that Chinas communist regime may provide Russias military with lethal aid.

I want to believe that China is going to side with the idea of peace and fairness, which is our side, Zelenskyy said.

I really want to believe that China is not going to supply weapons to Russia. This is very important. This is priority number one for me and Im doing my best to prevent that from happening.

No Limits

Ahead of Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Putin visited Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympics and the two leaders announced a no limits partnership.

Since then, Beijing and Moscow have taken steps to firm their ties, with bilateral trade between the two soaring.

China has ramped up its purchases of Russian oil, a key source of revenue for Moscow.

Russia, meanwhile, has welcomed Chinas plan for resolving its conflict with Ukraine, saying its paying a great deal of attention to it while vowing to make a nuanced study of its content.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said shortly after the release of the plan that Beijings voice should be heard, but the details and implications of the proposal are crucial.

Any attempt to formulate theses for reaching a peaceful settlement of the problem is welcome, but, of course, the nuances are important, Peskov told Russian daily Izvestia, adding that for now, the Kremlin didnt see any signs suggesting that a peaceful resolution to the conflict could be accomplished.

U.S.-Russia tensions, already at their lowest point since the Cold War, took a further hit when Russian forces destroyed an American drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday.

This hazardous episode is part of a pattern of aggressive, risky, and unsafe actions by Russian pilots in international airspace, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters at a news conference.

Austin spoke to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu after the incident, with a Pentagon readout of their call indicating that Austin emphasized that the United States will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows.

Shoigu, for his part, told Austin that U.S. drone flights near Crimeas coast are provocative in nature and could lead to an escalation, according to a statement from Russias Defense Ministry said.

The Kremlin said that the episode shows that the United States is directly involved in the war, something that the West has taken painstaking efforts to avoid to prevent an escalating conflict between two nuclear powers.
Yellen Confirms Chinese, Other Foreign SVB Depositors Will Be Protected

Questions raised amid concerns that hostile, foreign adversaries could benefit from banks collapse

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies about the Biden administration's FY2024 federal budget proposal before the Senate Finance Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 16, 2023. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

As part of the U.S. governments extraordinary measures to shield insured and uninsured depositors at Silicon Valley Bank from losses, foreign clients also will be protected, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen confirmed.

The rescue package will be funded partly by special assessments levied on U.S. banks to recoup these losses and make customers whole.

Since the collapse of the Santa Clara, California-based financial institution, it has been reported that the bank had many Chinese funds and startups as clients, including companies with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Will my banks in Oklahoma pay a special assessment to be able to make Chinese investors whole from Silicon Valley Bank? Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) asked Yellen during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on March 16.

Yellen said that uninsured depositors would be made whole at SVB, then stated, I suppose that could include foreign depositors.

I dont believe theres any legal basis to discriminate among uninsured.

Other Republicans have expressed concern about handing payouts to Chinese investors and companies.

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) speaks in Washington on Sept. 16, 2020. (Anna Moneymaker/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

In a letter to Yellen, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) requested that the U.S. government work to ensure that hostile, foreign adversaries not benefit from SVBs collapse.

I ask the department to ensure that foreign adversarial regimes, as well as companies subject to their jurisdiction, are unable to exploit this moment for their own material benefit, he wrote.

As the Department of Treasury, in tandem with the Federal Reserve and the FDIC [Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.], continues its response, I request information from the Department of Treasury regarding depositors from the PRC [Peoples Republic of China], including Hong Kong and Macau, that can expect to receive federal reimbursements from the Deposit Insurance Fund and other federal relief.

Its estimated that SVB had $13.9 billion in uninsured or uncovered foreign deposits.

In a March 11 statement, SPD Silicon Valley Banka joint venture with the Chinese state-owned Shanghai Pudong Development Bankconfirmed that its operations were sound.

The bank has a standardized corporate governance structure and an independent balance sheet, the company stated.

Chinas Andon Health, a medical devices manufacturer, confirmed in a filing to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange that all of its deposits at SVB can be used in full and have not suffered any losses. BeiGene, one of the largest drug companies in China, announced that it had $175 million in uninsured cash deposits at SVB, while pharmaceutical firm Zai Lab maintained $23 million in deposits.

Others, such as Everest Medicines and CStone Pharmaceutical, assured investors that the SVB failure wouldnt affect their overall operations.

A customer stands outside the headquarters of the shuttered Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in Santa Clara, Calif., on March 10, 2023. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

SVBs History in China

Industry experts note that Silicon Valley Bank was critical for China since many funds and small businesses, especially biotech companies, held their money at SVB before bringing it home.

SVB first dipped its toe in the Chinese market in 1999 and established a Beijing office to offer venture capital investors and technology firms advisory services and client support.

SVB Financial, the parent company of Silicon Valley Bank, took pride in serving the innovation economy.

An innovation company in China can grow two to five times faster than in the U.S., said then-SVB CEO Greg Becker in a 2019 interview with the American Banker. There are more people, and theyre embracing technology at an incredibly fast pace. If you find the right company with the right idea, the growth can be amazing.

In 2012, the bank joined a 50-50 venture with the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank to extend working capital solutions, trade finance solutions, CNY/FCY wealth management, deposits and conversion services in the country.

SVB was also an attractive choice because it allowed customers to open U.S. checking accounts for foreign customers in under two weeks, a process that had usually taken longer at other financial entities.

In the aftermath of SVBs collapse, Chinese investors, businesses, and regulators will attempt to mitigate the damage and navigate the current turbulent landscape.
YouTube Restores Trumps Channel After 2-Year Suspension

Former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before his speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, Md., on March 4, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

YouTube restored former President Donald Trumps channel after two years of restrictions, a spokesperson confirmed to The Epoch Times.

According to Leslie Miller, VP of YouTube Public Policy, the former president will be able to upload new content following the companys assessment of the value of voters having access to information from the presidential candidate.

Starting today, The Donald J. Trump channel is no longer restricted and the ability to upload new content is restored, Miller said in a statement sent to The Epoch Times on March 17.

We carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence, balancing that with the importance of preserving the opportunity for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run-up to an election. This channel will continue to be subject to our policies, just like any other channel on YouTube.

After the upheaval on Jan. 6, 2021, YouTube first suspended Donald Trumps account, saying it had broken its rules by broadcasting content that encouraged violence.

After a month, the business announced that it would remove the limitations, which prevented Trump from uploading fresh films, once it had concluded that the risk of violence has decreased.

Also, YouTube implemented restrictions, such as blocking comments on videos hosted on Trumps channel. However, its as yet unclear whether Trump will begin to use the streaming platform again.

Since the start of his social media site, TruthSocial.com, the former president has extensively used that medium for conveying his messages to the American people, despite Twitter having reinstated Trumps account.

Meta, who owns Facebook and Instagram, reinstated Trumps Facebook and Instagram accounts just weeks ago after a two-year suspension.

However, on Feb. 20, Trump acknowledged that many of his followers have been waiting for him to return to both Twitter and Facebook after two years of him being banned from the sites, but said that he prefers to use his own Truth Social platform instead.

Ive been invited back, Trump said. Its waiting, I guess. Twitter has close to 90 million people waiting. But I think I get a very strong word out on Truth, and theres something very beautiful about it.

They want me back so badly on Twitter, the 45th president said. They want me back on Google. They want us back badly on Facebook.

Multiple reports have claimed that Trump was preparing to return to Facebook and Twitter but, on Monday, he dubbed the platforms boring and said they are riddled with fake accounts.

Late in January, the American Civil Liberties Union made a statement backing Trumps reinstatement to Facebook, saying, This is the right call. Like it or not, President Trump is one of the countrys leading political figures and the public has a strong interest in hearing his speech.
That release could not be found.
Since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, the country has been ruled at different times by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). The PDP, which assumed power 24 years ago, lost out to the APC in the 2015 general elections. Most citizens seem to share the view two parties are two sides of the same coin since there is little to show for the performance of each at the federal level. The people now desire change.

Even in Enugu, which has been described as a one-party state because no party has made a significant impact here other than the PDP, the wind of change has been blowing. From 1999 till the February 25 presidential and federal legislative elections, whoever got the PDP nomination for any post in the state was as good as elected. The Labour Party has changed everything.

The PDP has since been grasping for breath, to borrow the words of Dr Obiora Okereke of the Enugu State College of Technical Education. The Labour Party won seven federal constituencies in the state, conceding only one seat to the PDP.

The PDP lost the Enugu North senatorial race rather disastrously. Okey Ezea of the Labour Party defeated PDPs sitting Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi by an unbelievable 104,492 to 46,000 votes. The governor lost his polling booth, his polling unit and his ward! Of all the state governors who contested to go to the Senate on February 25, none was beaten mercilessly as Ugwuanyi.

The PDP and its administration underrated the Labour hurricane, and so paid a heavy price, declared Jonas Nnamchi of the Enugu State University of Technology, noting that the party is likely to pay a heavier price this weekend in the Enugu East senatorial race. The election was shifted to this weekend following the assassination of the Labour Party candidate in the election, Chief Oyibo Chukwu, a former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in the state, only three days before the vote. Chief Chukwu was murdered along with his personal assistant, Sunday Igwesi, at Amechi Uwani in Enugu South Local Government Area, and their bodies were burnt by the assassins who also lit their vehicle.

Chukwus younger brother, Sir Kelvin Chukwu, a businessman who studied law and mass communication, will now fly the Labour Partys flag in the Enugu East senatorial district election. Dr Nnamchi argues that the killings and the manner they were executed which have attracted both national and international attention will earn the Labour Party a lot of sympathy votes. The Labour Party, he states categorically, "will win the election by a big margin.

Worse for the PDP, it is doubtful that it is participating in the Enugu East senatorial race. Its candidate, former Governor Chimaraoke Nnamani, has been expelled from the PDP by its national leadership, which has accordingly written two letters to the electoral commission dissociating the party from the election on the ground that Nnamani is no longer its member. Dr Nnamani insists he is still running, even though the law provides that every candidate in any election must be sponsored by a registered political party.

To exacerbate the situation for the PDP, its gubernatorial candidate, Peter Mbah, is having a couple of grave issues, including his arrest and detention for several months by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the manner the Enugu State governments resources were managed when he served as Nnamanis Chief of Staff and later the Commissioner for Finance. The most pressing now is that he is accused of submitting a forged National Youth Service (NYSC) to the electoral commission.

To forge a document and submit it to the commission or any other body is a serious criminal offence, notes Ikenna Ogbuagu, a lawyer in Enugu. This is the precise reason the Supreme Court recently stopped, through its well-considered judgment, the swearing-in of the APC candidate who won the last Bayelsa gubernatorial election. The apex court decided that he would not be sworn in because his deputy submitted false information to the electoral commission. The implication of the judgment is that even if Peter Mbah, the Enugu PDP candidate, wins the governorship election, he will not assume office.

Yet, Mbah has been approaching the governorship race as if there are no huge legal constraints against him. He has obviously outspent all his opponents put together. Critics allege that he may be spending on politics the N10 billion and the N3bn he borrowed from Fidelity Bank and Polaris Bank respectively to fund the operations of his Pinnacle Oil and Gas Company.

As for the APC and its gubernatorial candidate, Uche Nnaji, it doesnt appear they will make a dent in the election. Despite being the government party at the national level, they exist only on billboards in Enugu State.

Enugu people have, for all practical purposes, passed a vote of no confidence in Nigerias two largest political parties. They will this weekend pitch their tent with the Labour Party for the second time in the 2023 general elections.
China increases Phuket flights amid demand

PHUKET: Three more air companies have added Phuket to their lists of destinations since last Friday (Mar 10) and one more is expected to follow suit nearer to the end of the month. All the carriers are Chinese and include both full-service and low-cost airlines.

Chinesetourismtransport

By The Phuket News

Friday 17 March 2023, 02:19PM

Nine Airs first flight from Guiyang to Phuket on Mar 14. Photo: AOTGA

New flights from the Mainland China to Phuket have been confirmed in a series of publications by AOT Ground Aviation Services (AOTGA), an Airports of Thailand (AOT) and SAL Group joint venture, providing ground handling services at Phuket International Airport and other airports operated by AOT.

The flights had been previously announced by AOT itself when the company posted Phuket Airports flight schedule for March. They include:

West Airlines, a Chinese low-cost carrier based in Chinas New North Zone, started flying from Chongqing from Mar 10. The company currently provides four Phuket flights per week using A320 airliners. Starting from Mar 26 daily fights will be available.

Nine Air (9 Air), a budget carrier operating from Guangzhou in Central China, sent its first Boeing 737-800 from Guiyang to Phuket on Mar 14. Three flights per week are available currently.

Shenzhen Airlines resumed flights to Phuket from Shenzhen on Mar 15. Three flights per week are provided using A320 airliners.

According to Phuket International Airports schedule posted by AOT, from Mar 26 flights from Kunming to Phuket will be resumed by Kunming Airlines. The company will immediately provide daily flights.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) hosted a roadshow in China in late February to lure more Chineses travellers. Speaking at the event, TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said that even though average airfares had decreased since last year, prices for March and April for every Chinese city are still higher than before the pandemic.

At the same time, the average spending per Chinese traveller increased as the more expensive travel costs prompted them to consider longer stays of five to 10 days, according to Dragon Trail research.

Mr Yuthasak said the structure of post-pandemic Chinese travel will see individual trips dominate the market, outpacing mass tour groups, which have yet to resume.
Kathu election halted by court order

PHUKET: The election for a new Kathu Mayor, scheduled to be held on Sunday (Mar 19), has been suspended by court order.

politics

By The Phuket News

Friday 17 March 2023, 06:42PM

The Kathu election scheduled to be held on Sunday (Mar 19) has been suspended by court order. Image: Kathu Municipality

The announcement was made by Dechakorn Kaenmuang, Election Director at Kathu Municipality, earlier today (Mar 17).

The election was called after years-long incumbent Chai-anan Suthikul was summarily dismissed from office by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew in late January following an investigation into allowing a private operator to pump water from a lagoon at the Tin Mine Museum in Kathu.

In his notice issued today, Mr Dechakorn explained that the Phuket Administrative Court had in its hearing of Black Case No. 17/2566 on Wednesday (Mar 15) had deemed that the office of Kathu Mayor was not vacant until the court had completed its proceedings

The enforcement of Phuket Provincial Order No. 439/2560 dated January 20, 2023 and and Phuket Provincial Order No. 440/2560 dated January 20, 2023 have been temporarily rescinded, therefore resulting in the Phuket Provincial Orders temporarily ceasing to be in force pending the proceedings of the Phuket Administrative Court and the post of Mayor of Kathu is considered to not yet be vacant, Mr Dechakorn wrote.

Therefore, I would like to announce the suspension of the election on Sunday, March 19, 2023 temporarily until the court orders otherwise, Mr Dechakorn added.

The matter will be raised with the Phuket office of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT Phuket) to determine guidelines and to ensure compliance with legal regulations, Mr Dechakorn noted.

As an aside, with the election now suspended there will no longer be a ban on the sale of alcohol throughout the Tambon Kathu constituency as was previously required in accordance with election law.
Patong Police transferred after sex trafficking raid

PHUKET: Five senior officers at Patong Police Station, including Patong Police Chief Col Sujin Nilabadee, have been removed from duty after a raid on a bar on Bangla Rd, saw six underage prostitutes taken into protective care and two women charged with child sex trafficking.

patongsexcrimepolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Friday 17 March 2023, 09:13AM

Maj Gen Wasan Techaakasem, Deputy Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, Inspected the bar involved in the sex trafficking, Velvet bar on Soi Sea Dragon yesterday (Mar 16). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Maj Gen Wasan Techaakasem, Deputy Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, Inspected the bar involved in the sex trafficking, Velvet bar on Soi Sea Dragon yesterday (Mar 16). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Maj Gen Wasan Techaakasem, Deputy Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, Inspected the bar involved in the sex trafficking, Velvet bar on Soi Sea Dragon yesterday (Mar 16). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Maj Gen Wasan Techaakasem, Deputy Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, Inspected the bar involved in the sex trafficking, Velvet bar on Soi Sea Dragon yesterday (Mar 16). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Maj Gen Wasan Techaakasem, Deputy Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, Inspected the bar involved in the sex trafficking, Velvet bar on Soi Sea Dragon yesterday (Mar 16). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Maj Gen Wasan Techaakasem, Deputy Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, Inspected the bar involved in the sex trafficking, Velvet bar on Soi Sea Dragon yesterday (Mar 16). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Maj Gen Wasan Techaakasem, Deputy Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, Inspected the bar involved in the sex trafficking, Velvet bar on Soi Sea Dragon yesterday (Mar 16). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Maj Gen Wasan Techaakasem, Deputy Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, Inspected the bar involved in the sex trafficking, Velvet bar on Soi Sea Dragon yesterday (Mar 16). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Sermphan Sirikong ordered the transfers yesterday (Mar 16), through Phuket Provincial Police Order No. 110/2566.

The transfers are effective immediately.

The order marked that the transfers had been ordered in accordance with Sections 68, 205(4) and 179 of the Royal Thai Police Act B.E 2020.

The Patong Police officers removed from duty were listed as:

Pol Col. Sujin Nilabadee, Superintendent Pol Lt Col Somporn Surin, Deputy Superintendent, Head of Crime Suppression Pol Lt Col Naruebodin Pangleesen, Deputy Superintendent, Head of Investigation, Pol Lt Col Wutthiwat Leangboonchinda, Inspector, Crime Suppression Pol Lt Col Suchart Chumphusang, Inspector, Investigation

Through a separate order, Order No. 111/2566, the following officers were ordered to report to Patong Police Station to assume the following positions:

Pol Col Peerapong Chaiarun, Deputy Commander of Phuket Provincial Police, to serve as Acting Superintendent of Patong Police Station Pol Lt Col Pongpichan Chayanonpiriya, Deputy Superintendent, Head of Crime Suppression, at Kamala Police Station, to serve as Acting Deputy Superintendent, Head of Crime Suppression, at Patong Police Station Pol Lt Col Sathit Nurit, Deputy Superintendent, Head of Investigation, at Cherng Talay Police Station, to serve as Acting Deputy Superintendent, Head of Investigation, at Patong Police Station

The officers are to continue to serve their new positions at Patong Police Station until further notice.

Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Sermphan Sirikong yesterday made no mention of any legal action against the five Patong officers.

The transfer orders came after Maj Gen Wasan Techaakasem, Deputy Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8, yesterday Inspected the bar involved in the sex trafficking, Velvet bar on Soi Sea Dragon.

Maj Gen Wasan also visited Patong Police Station, where he spoke with now-former Patong Police Chief Col Sujin and other senior officers.

Maj Gen Wasan told reporters that he was following up on the case according to an order issued by the Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas, in order to be able to expand the investigation to all involved parties.
Police search for pickup driver after woman ploughs into temple wall

PHUKET: A woman escaped serious injury after she was cut off by a passing pickup truck, causing her to swerve and drive straight into a temple wall.

transportSafetypolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Friday 17 March 2023, 01:04PM

The incident occurred at about 6am yesterday morning (Mar 16), reported Capt Kornpoompot Pongpaiboon of the Thalang Police.

Police were notified of the accident by Srisoonthorn Municipality rescue workers, Capt Kornpoompot said.

Officers arrived at the scene to find a Phuket-registered Toyota Yaris with heavy damage to its front after colliding into the roadside boundary of Wat Srisoonthorn (also called Wat Lipon) on Thepkrasattri Rd northbound.

The driver, Maliwan Kwansri, 41, suffered only minor injuries in the impact as the steering wheel airbag had deployed. Regardless, she was taken to Mission Hospital Phuket as a precaution and for treatment.

Ms Maliwan told police that a pickup truck had cut sharply across in front of her, causing her to swerve to avoid a collision, sending her into the temple wall.

Her car was taken to Thalang Police Station while police search for the pickup driver, Capt Kornpoompot said.
Thief arrested for dangerous bag snatch in Cherng Talay

PHUKET: Police have tracked down and arrested a 27-year-old man in Cherng Talay after he committed a dangerous bag snatch from a German man who was on the road while the thief sped off on his motorbike.



By Eakkapop Thongtub

Friday 17 March 2023, 02:54PM

Officers arrested Nissan Islam, 27, at a house in Moo 5, Cherng Talay yesterday (Mar 16), police confirmed.

The dangerous bag snatch occurred in Soi Cherng Talay 14, officers noted.

German man Fred Haugg, 56, was riding along when Nissan approached him from behind on a black Phuket-registered Yamaha Mio.

While both were still in motion on their motorbikes, Nissan grabbed Mr Hauggs brown shoulder bag, which had his red Samsung S20 mobile phone inside, and sped off.

The bag snatch saw Mr Haugg fall onto the road. Luckily, he suffered only minor injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, police explained.

Officers tracked Nissan through CCTV to the home in Moo 5, Cherng Talay, where he was placed under arrest.

Nissan confessed to the bag snatch, officers reported. He has now been charged with the offence.

Mr Hauggs bag, and phone, were returned to him, police confirmed.
Warning issued after shooting range catches fire

PHUKET: Officials have issued another fire warning following an outside area of a shooting range in Sakhu, near Phuket International Airport, catching fire late yesterday (Mar 16).

weatherSafety

By The Phuket News

Friday 17 March 2023, 01:29PM

Trin Panyawai, President of the Sakhu Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor), said he was notified of the fire, at the Asian Shooting Range, at 6pm.

Three fire trucks dispatched from Sakhu OrBorTor and Thepkasattri OrBorTor arrived at the scene, halfway between Thepkrasattri Rd and Nai Yang Beach on Route 4031, and took one hour to douse the flames.

Officers at the scene believe the fire was started by a discarded cigarette butt.

A key concern was that the outdoor area of the shooting range that had caught on fire bordered on a protected forest area that forms part of Sirinat National Park.

Firefighters at the scene urged people to be mindful that Phuket is currently in its dry season, making wildfires much more likely, and more dangerous.

People were urged to report any wildfires in the area to Disaster Prevention and Mitigation officers at Sakhu OrBorTor at 076-328146.

Additional reporting by Eakkapop Thongtub
Today

Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. High 66F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Low 39F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Cloudy skies with periods of rain later in the day. High 53F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Rain likely. High around 55F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch..

Tonight

Rain likely. Low 41F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 76F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 56F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph.
Have an interesting bit of news youd like to see mentioned in the Along the Way column? Email it to Natasha Connolly at news@thesunchronicle.com .
Bob Foley is a Sun Chronicle columnist. His essays are published here each Friday.
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The FBI has released an updated report on hate crimes in 2021, revealing that incidents of antisemitic hate crimes had increased by almost 20% from the previous year. The majority of religious-based hate crimes committed in 2021 were also found to be antisemitic. The new data recorded a total of 817 incidents targeting Jews, representing an increase of 500 incidents from initial statistics released late last year, which had severely undercounted antisemitic incidents in 2021.

Anti-Jewish hate crimes ranked fourth in proportion to other hate crimes, following anti-Black, anti-white, and anti-gay male hate crimes and ahead of anti-Asian hate crimes. Religious-based hate crimes accounted for 14.1% of all reported incidents, with an overall 11.6% increase in hate crimes from 2020 to 2021.

Of the reported anti-Jewish offenses, almost 61% involved destruction or vandalism, 30.1% involved intimidation, and 12.8% involved assault, which represents a 16% increase from 2020. The 817 antisemitic incidents in the new report involved 851 individual criminal offenses and 869 victims.

The FBIs transition from the Summary Reporting System (SRS) to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) resulted in initial reporting gaps, which affected data collection from areas with significant Jewish populations, such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and almost all of Florida. As an interim measure, the FBI accepted SRS reports for 2021, which boosted participation from 63% to 79% of law enforcement agencies, representing 91% of the US population.

The initial data release had been criticized for being woefully incomplete, with lawmakers from the House antisemitism task force pushing for more complete data. Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt suggested making hate crimes reporting mandatory for state and local law enforcement agencies receiving federal funding, a proposal also floated by some lawmakers. The American Jewish Committee welcomed the new report, stating that it was the only official record on the state of hate in America.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




The Senate took a first step Thursday toward repealing two measures that give open-ended approval for military action in Iraq, pushing to end that authority as the United States marks the 20th anniversary of the Iraq War.

Senators voted 68-27 to move forward on legislation that would repeal the 2002 measure that greenlighted that March 2003 invasion of Iraq and a 1991 measure that sanctioned the U.S.-led Gulf War to expel Iraqi leader Saddam Husseins forces from Kuwait. Nineteen Republicans joined Democrats in supporting the measure.

The bipartisan effort comes at a time when lawmakers of both parties are seeking to reclaim congressional powers over U.S. military strikes and deployments, arguing that the war authorizations are no longer necessary and subject to misuse if they are left on the books. President Joe Biden has backed the push, and the White House issued a statement Thursday in support.

Repeal of these authorizations would have no impact on current U.S. military operations and would support this administrations commitment to a strong and comprehensive relationship with our Iraqi partners, the White House said.

Its unclear whether leaders in the Republican-controlled House would bring the bill up for a vote. Forty-nine House Republicans supported the legislation when then-majority Democrats held a vote two years ago, but current House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., opposed it.

Senate Republicans are also split on the legislation. While the 19 GOP senators voted for it, opponents argue that the repeal could project weakness to U.S. enemies. They have pointed out that President Donald Trumps administration cited the 2002 Iraq war resolution as part of its legal justification for a 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani.

The October 2002 votes to give President George W. Bush broad authority for the invasion  coming just a month before the midterm elections that year  became a defining moment for many members of Congress as the country debated whether a military strike was warranted in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks against the United States.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat who was in the Senate at the time and voted against the resolution, said on the floor before Thursdays vote that I look back on it, as Im sure others do, as one of the most important votes that I ever cast.

The repeal of this authorization of use the use of military force does not mean the United States has become a pacifist nation, Durbin said. It means that the United States is going to be a constitutional nation and the premise of our Founding Fathers will be respected.

The Bush administration, seizing on the publics rage over the terrorist strikes on U.S. soil, had drummed up support among members of Congress and Americans for invading Iraq by promoting false intelligence claims about Saddams weapons of mass destruction. Iraq, it turned out, had played no part in the al-Qaida attacks.

After the initial March 2003 invasion of Iraq, American ground forces quickly discovered that the allegations of nuclear or chemical weapons programs were false. But the overthrow of Iraqs security forces precipitated a brutal sectarian fight and violent campaigns by Islamic extremist groups in Iraq. Car bombings, assassinations, torture and kidnapping became a part of daily life in Iraq for years.

Nearly 5,000 U.S. troops were killed in the war. Iraqi deaths are estimated in the hundreds of thousands.

In the statement of policy, the White House said Biden would work with Congress to replace the authorizations with a narrow and specific framework more appropriate to protecting Americans from modern terrorist threats. It said the president want to ensure that Congress has a clear and thorough understanding of the effect of any such action and of the threats facing U.S. forces, personnel, and interests around the world.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in the hours before the vote that he was glad that the repeal is a bipartisan effort after the Iraq conflict was the cause of so much bitterness in the past.

Americans are tired of endless wars in the Middle East, Schumer said.

(AP)




In a matter of days, Saudi Arabia carried out blockbuster agreements with the worlds two leading powers  China and the United States.

Riyadh signed a Chinese-facilitated deal aimed at restoring diplomatic ties with its arch-nemesis Iran and then announced a massive contract to buy commercial planes from U.S. manufacturer Boeing.

The two announcements spurred speculation that the Saudis were laying their marker as a dominant economic and geopolitical force with the flexibility to play Beijing and Washington off each other. They also cast China in an unfamiliar leading role in Middle Eastern politics. And they raised questions about whether the U.S.-Saudi relationship  frosty for much of the first two years of President Joe Bidens term  has reached a detente.

But as the Biden administration takes stock of the moment, officials are pushing back against the notion that the developments amount to a shift in the dynamics of the U.S.-China competition in the Middle East.

The White House scoffs at the idea that the big aircraft deal signals a significant change in the status of the administrations relations with Riyadh after Bidens fierce criticism early in his presidency of the Saudis human rights record and of the Saudi-led OPEC+ oil cartel move to cut production last year.

Were looking forward here in trying to make sure that this strategic partnership really does in every possible way support our national security interests there in the region and around the world, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said of the U.S.-Saudi relationship. He spoke after Boeing announced this week the Saudis would purchase up to 121 aircraft.

But Chinas involvement in facilitating a resumption of Iran-Saudi diplomatic ties and the major Boeing contract  one the White House said it advocated for  have added a new twist to Bidens roller-coaster relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

As a candidate for the White House, Biden vowed that Saudi rulers would pay a price under his watch for the 2018 killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the kingdoms leadership. More recently, after the OPEC+ oil cartel announced in October it was cutting production, Biden promised consequences for a move that the administration said was helping Russia.

Now, Washington and Riyadh seem intent on moving forward, and at a moment when China is at least dabbling in a more assertive Middle East diplomacy.

Saudi officials kept the U.S. up to date on the status of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia on restarting diplomatic relations since they began nearly two years ago, according to the White House. Significant progress was made during several rounds of earlier talks hosted by Iraq and Oman, well before the deal was announced in China last week during the countrys ceremonial National Peoples Congress.

Unlike China, the U.S. does not have diplomatic relations with Iran and was not a party to the talks.

The Iran-Saudi relationship has been historically fraught and shadowed by a sectarian divide and fierce competition in the region. Diplomatic relations were severed in 2016 after Saudi Arabia executed prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Protesters in Tehran stormed the Saudi Embassy and Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed divine revenge for al-Nimrs execution.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan earlier this week said China was rowing in the same direction with its work at quelling tensions between the Gulf Arab nations that have been fighting proxy wars in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq for years.

This is something that we think is positive insofar as it promotes what the United States has been promoting in the region, which is de-escalation, a reduction in tensions, Sullivan said.

But privately White House officials are skeptical about Chinas ability, and desire, to play a role in resolving some of the regions most difficult crises, including the long, disastrous proxy war in Yemen.

Iran-allied Houthis seized Yemens capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and forced the internationally recognized government into exile in Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition armed with U.S. weaponry and intelligence entered the war on the side of Yemens exiled government in 2015.

Years of inconclusive fighting created a humanitarian disaster and pushed the Arab worlds poorest nation to the brink of famine. Overall, the war has killed more than 150,000 people, including over 14,500 civilians, according to The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project.

A six-month cease-fire, the longest of the Yemen conflict, expired in October, but finding a permanent peace is among the administrations highest priorities in the Middle East. U.S. special envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking is visiting Saudi Arabia and Oman this week to try to build on the U.N.-mediated truce that has brought a measure of calm to Yemen in recent months, according to the State Department.

Beijing swooped in on the Iran-Saudi talks at a moment when the fruit was already ripening on the vine, according to one of six senior administration officials who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private White House deliberations. The Iran-Saudi announcement coincided with Chinese leader Xi Jinping being awarded a third five-year term as the nations president.

The official added that if China can play a reinforcing role in ending hostilities in Yemen the administration would view that as a good thing. But both the White House and Saudi officials remain deeply skeptical of Irans intentions in the Yemen war or more broadly acting as a stabilizing force in the region.

While these discussions were going on, in the last 90 days, we have interdicted five major weapons shipments coming from Iran to Yemen, Gen. Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, told lawmakers on Thursday. One of those shipments included components, inertial navigation systems for short-range ballistic missiles. So again, I think the implementation is a completely different matter.

To date, China, which has a seat on the U.N. Security Council, has shown little interest in the Yemen conflict, Syria or the Israeli-Palestinian situation, according to administration officials. Yet, Xi this week called for China to play a bigger role in managing global affairs after Beijing scored a diplomatic coup with the Iran-Saudi agreement.

It has injected a positive element into the peace, stability, solidarity and cooperation landscape of the region, Chinas Deputy U.N. Ambassador Geng Shuang told the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday. We hope it can also create conducive conditions for improving the situation in Yemen.

The administration officials said Beijing has shown modest interest in reviving the seven-party Iran nuclear agreement  of which it is a signatory  that President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from in 2018. The Biden administration put efforts to revive the nuclear agreement on hold last fall after protests broke out in Iran following the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained for allegedly flouting Irans strict dress code for women.

To be certain, China  a major customer of both Iranian and Saudi oil  has been steadily increasing its regional political influence. Xi traveled to Riyadh in December and received Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Beijing last month.

But Miles Yu, director of the China Center at the Hudson Institute, said Xis call to be a more active player on the international stage would require Beijing to dramatically change its approach.

Chinas diplomatic initiatives have been based on one thing: money, said Yu, who served as a China policy adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during the Trump administration. Theyve made friends in Africa and Asia, but mostly it was monetary. These kind of transactional dealings do not forge permanent friendship.

Not every move China takes to engage more deeply with the Middle East necessarily harms the United States, noted Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat and a frequent critic of Saudi Arabia.

But its probably true that China should pick up some of the cost of securing the oil that  frankly, is probably more important to them than to the United States in the long run, Murphy said. I think China has benefited by being a free rider on U.S. security investments in the region for a long time.

The White House is not particularly concerned at the moment about the Saudis reorienting themselves toward China for several reasons, including that the Saudis entire defense system is based on American weapons and components, administration officials said. The officials added that it would take the Saudis at least a decade to transition from U.S. weapons systems to Russian or Chinese oriented systems.

Saudi Arabias reliance on U.S.-made weapons systems and the American military and commercial presence in the kingdom  some 70,000 Americans live there  have played a big part in the relationship weathering difficult moments over the years, said Les Janka, a former president of Raytheon Arabian Systems Co. who spent years living in the kingdom.

It would take an unbelievable amount of activity to dismantle, given the reliance on American weapons, American technology, American training, everything that goes into it, Janka said.

(AP)




Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that California will build 1,200 small homes across the state as part of an effort to help house the nations largest homeless population and to address an issue that has persistently plagued the state during his time in office.

Newsom announced the plans in Sacramento on the first stop of a planned four-city tour, during which major policy announcements are expected on housing, health care and public safety. The tour is replacing the governors traditional State of the State address.

With prototypes of the homes on display behind him during a speech at the state fairgrounds, Newsom said he hoped to have all of them constructed by the fall. They will be spread across four cities  Sacramento, San Jose, San Diego and Los Angeles  with local governments deciding exactly where to place them and being responsible for managing them.

The goal, he said, is to provide more options for homeless people who are living out in the streets and sidewalks in these extraordinary and horrid conditions.

There were more than 170,000 people on Californias streets in 2022, according to federal data. Newsom said the 1,200 new homes are just one part of wide-ranging state efforts to tackle the issue. Hes approved more than $22.3 billion in spending on new housing and homelessness since taking office, according to the Legislative Analysts Office.

I get it, you want to see progress and you want to see it now, Newsom said.

Republican state Senate Leader Brian Jones criticized the proposal, saying its another example of Newsom throwing money at the problem without solutions.

While I appreciate the governors creativity to construct 1,200 tiny homes, that is a drop in the bucket, he said in a statement.

Newsom dedicated his 2020 State of the State speech to homelessness, calling it a  disgrace  in a land of so much wealth. California, home to nearly 40 million people, has nearly one-third of the nations homeless population, and their numbers are growing much faster than in other states, according to an analysis of federal data by the Public Policy Institute of California.

His goal is to have the new homes placed on public land to house people living in encampments along roads and rivers. Sacramento will get 350 homes, Los Angeles will get 500, San Jose will get 200 and San Diego will get 150.

The homes will cost an estimated $30 million, Newsom spokesman Anthony York said.

Newsom also announced that hed released more money to local governments to tackle homelessness following their commitment to be more aggressive about reducing the number of people on the streets.

Last fall Newsom delayed $1 billion of funding for local government homelessness programs because he didnt like how they planned to spend it. Cumulatively, the local governments plans aimed to reduce the homeless population by just 2%. Newsom later released the money after a meeting with local leaders.

On Thursday the governor said local leaders have revised their plans with a goal of a 15% reduction.

Californias homelessness problem is in part a byproduct of its shortage of affordable housing, an issue that advocates say impacts many more people than simply those living on the streets.

Leaders of the states biggest cities and counties want Sacramento to define more clearly their role in addressing homelessness and how the state will measure the success of local programs that receive state funding.

Currently state homelessness funding has all sorts of rules that have to be put in and half a dozen different state departments involved in order to find one program, said Graham Knauss, executive director of the California State Association of Counties. That needs to change. That is not government at its best.

The associations solution is to ask the state Legislature to pass laws clearly defining the responsibilities of local and state government, coupled with recurring state funding for local governments every year. Knauss said the association is talking with lawmakers and the governors office about passing legislation.

We certainly should not expect that were going to get ongoing progress on homelessness while using one-time funding to do it, he said.

The stakes are high for people like Nathen Avelar, 18, who has struggled with unstable housing most of his life. Avelar grew up with his mother and twin brother in the Central Valley city of Merced, where he said there is plenty of new housing but all out of their reach.

For a few years, they lived in a home that was infested with mold, which aggravated his brothers asthma and forced them to leave. They moved in with his grandmother; if not for her home, which they often shared with multiple other family members, Avelar said they likely would have been homeless.

I remember a couple of times we drove around looking for houses, and we always saw these nice houses on the street and I knew we would never be able to afford them, he said. That was really disheartening.

Avelar, who worked part-time for a voter engagement group that supported Newsom during an unsuccessful 2021 recall attempt, said he wants the governors administration to build more affordable housing.

(AP)




By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

This year, many frum people are mourning the loss of Shatzer Matzah. It was one of the most beloved Matzos in the nation and people are at a loss as to why, exactly, it had closed. The reason for its popularity? It was thin, fresh, and crunchy.

But how did Matzah become so thin? Didnt it used to not be the case? And what about that Syrian Matzah that is sold?

***PLEASE DONATE MAOS CHITTIM TO AN ALMANAH AND A SINGLE MOM***

https://thechesedfund.com/zechornilah/maos-chittin-for-an-almanah

To get into the thick of things on the issue, it might be a good idea to examine the history of Matzah making. We can possibly trace the development of this history by examining at least four different types of sources. The Machon Moreshes Ashkenaz in Bnei Brak is an important resource when it comes to understanding Ashkenazic history in general and particularly when it comes to Matzos (see Yerushasainu Volume VII)

The first source is how the Rishonim and Acharonim describe Matzah and the processes involved. The problem is that there are clearly different frames of references and not always can we be sure as to what they mean exactly. Regardless, however, we need to know the Gemorah background.

The second method is, believe it or not, is through pictures found in old Haggadahs.

The third method is through the halachos of Eruv Chatzeiros. How so? If an Eruv Chatzeiros spoils, rots or molds, it needs to be redone. Thick Matzah spoils  thin Matzos last.

The fourth method is through the recollections of older people as to when specific changes happened and their mesorahs handed down from older people as to when they recall that specific changes happened.

DEBATE HOW TO INTERPRET THE BAVLI

The first mention of thickness is in the Jerusalem Talmud (Psachim 2:4). One fulfills the obligation with thick Matzah up to a hand-breadth, just like the Lechem HaPanim.

THE DEBATE BETWEEN BAIS SHAMMAI AND BAIS HILLEL

The issue of thick versus thin is further found in the Babylonian Talmud (Psachim 36a-37a), and therein lies the heart of the matter. Bais Shamai says you cannot bake matzah aveh for Pesach*, Beis Hillel says you can. [Matzah aveh  at this point seems to be translated as thick Matzah  but we will soon see otherwise. Also, there is a possibility that the word here by the asterisk is Yom Tov and not Pesach but we will also soon see what that is about.]

THE DEBATE BETWEEN RAV HUNA AND RAV YOSEPH

Rav Huna says, And how much is thick?  a handbreadth. Rav Yoseph attacked with a number of objections: If they said it regarding a hot oven in the Bais HaMikdash, will they also say it is permitted with regard to a cool oven? The lechem hapanim was baked in a metal oven that could be heated quickly, will they say the same with regard to a clay oven which doesnt? Rav Yoseph rather answered that Matzah Aveh  thick Matzah means merely that it required a large amount of kneading or that in this particular town it meant that there was a lot of bread.

FOUR POSSIBLE UNDERSTANDINGS

There are no less than four different possibilities of understanding Rav Yosephs attack. The first two possibilities are premised on the notion that Rav Yoseph is only attacking Rav Hunah on his equating it to the Lechem HaPanim and that you can learn things out from there, but NOT on that the debate between Bais Hillel and Bais Shammai centers on whether there is a concern or not for thickness making things more susceptible to becoming chometz. But, according to this understanding, WE DO NOT KNOW THE PARAMETERS FOR WHAT IS THE THICK MATZAH that they are debating.

The next two possibilities (3 and 4) understand Rav Yoseph as fundamentally disagreeing that the underlying issue is chometzability  rather, the issue is whether it is forbidden on Yom Tov because it is too much work.

The Bach and Bais Yoseph in Siman 460 learn, or seem to imply, that Bais Hillel holds that as long as we keep it less than a tefach -thick Matzah is permitted. We should be machmir and not make it thick Matzah, but we see from here that the Matzah does not have to be the thinnest of the thin  since Bais Hillel holds that thick is okay. We should be machmir and NOT make thick Matzah, because only the Lechem HaPanim had safeguards in place to ensure that it not become Chometz. We should, therefore, not make thick Matzah  but only because they had knowledgeable kohanim who knew what they were doing, and it had a controlled baking environment. The first Lubavitcher Rebbe and the Machatzis HaShekel on the Mogain Avrohom 460:4 seem to understand that there are a number of other factors that cause the Matzah to become susceptible to become chometz. They imply that we can only make tefach-thick Matzah with the lechem hapanim, but if there was someone knowledgeable and careful who can address the other factors  it would be fine. Indeed, perhaps  even thicker than a tefach may be permitted.

THE THREE POSSIBLE HALACHIC POSITIONS

These 4 different possibilities yield 3 different halachic positions.

Matzah less than a tefach is permitted to bake . We should make the thinnest of the thin (based on possibility 2). Any thickness is okay (based on possibilities 1 and 3).

SEFARDIC RISHONIM

Many Rishonim, particularly among the Sefardic authorities ruled like position B. Among them were the Rashba, the Raah, the Ritva, the Maharam Chalava, and the Shita Mekubetzes on Baitzah.

The Raavad, Raavya, the Ohr Zaruah and the Rashbatz, on the other hand, were all lenient and adopted the first position that anything less than a tefach was permitted.

The Ohr Zaruah Hilchos Challah 26 seems to suggest that there was a practical reason for the more lenient position. He indicates that the need for thin was only because the individual ovens that the stringent Poskim held (mostly among Sefardic Poskim) took a long time to get hot. However, once the switch to larger, communal ovens transpired, they could be more lenient.

Eventually, Matzos developed that had drawings on them. These drawings were either stamped onto the Matzos or quickly etched into the Matzos by those manufacturing it. Evidence for this can be seen in the both the writings of the Poskim immediately after the era of the Rishonim. There was a huge caveat here, however. The drawings could only be permitted if the Matzos were thin. Otherwise, there would be significant problems of Chometz.

There were geographic areas in Ashkenazic Europe where the trends went back and forth, but eventually the Ashkenazic community soon fully shifted to take the B position. Mind you, this was all before the advent of Machine Matzah. In other words, the eventual halachic ideal of position B combined with the technological advances brought on by Machine Matzah production  eventually yielded the ability for Matzos to get thinner.

THE MACHINE MATZOH REVOLUTION

1856, was the year everything changed, at least for some people. In Vienna, Austria, a Jewish baker created an international stir. He introduced machinery in the production of Matzoh. There was an earlier machine created in 1837 too, but that one did not stir up any controversy, perhaps because it did not automate as much as the latter version.

When the issue became known in Galicia, the controversy began. Rav Shlomo Kluger wrote a response about the issue to his student, Rabbi Chaim Nosson Dembitzer, the famous Rabbi and historian in Cracow and Rabbi Leib Horowitz (Cracows Chief Rabbi). The responsa is found in HoElef Lecha Shlomo (Hashmatos 32).

THE HAND/MACHINE WAR BEGINS

Later, in 1859, Rav Kluger joined up with Rav Mordechai Zev Ettinger, the author of the Maamar Mordechai and published together the Modaah LBais Yisroel where the two great luminaries categorically forbade the use of machine Matzos and placed it under the ban.

They gave a number of reasons for forbidding it. Rav Ettingers brother-in-law and Chevrusah, Rav Yoseph Shaul Nathanson, author of the SHoel UMaishiv, was a world-class posaik in his own right.

Shortly after the printing of the Modaah LBais Yisroel, Rav Nathanson printed a booklet permitting the Matzos entitled Bittul HaModaah. Needless to say, the chevrusahschaft with his brother-in-law the Maamar Mordechai ended on a somewhat sour note. A twenty-five year collaboration on dozens of great halachic works came to a tragic end because of the argument.

Initially, the Maharsham of Brezen (Responsa Maharsham Vol. II #16) also issued a ruling permitting machine Matzoh  even for use at the Seder. This heter was based on the notion that the machinery required constant turning by human labor. Later, he rescinded the heter (Vol. IV #129) based upon the idea that the power was emanating from electricity and the human labor was merely a grama  a cause. The Divrei Malkiel, however, permitted it even with the electricity being the power source.

Another authority of those who permitted the Matzos was the Ksav Sofer, the some of the famed Rav Moshe Sofer known as the Chsam Sofer.

THE REASONS FOR THE PROHIBITION

What were Rav Klugers reasons forbidding the Matzoh?

There were four reasons for his strict ruling. 1] He felt the requirement of Lishma was lacking 2] He was concerned for crumbs and leftover dough that would stick to the machines 3] He was concerned that the feeling for whole or broken wheat kernels which is normally done by hand would no longer be performed and 4] He provided a sociological reason for the poor. Since the cost of Matzos would lower considerably  people would no longer provide them with charitable contributions.

THE REBBES GET INVOLVED

The Sanzer Rebbe, Rav Chaim Halberstam (Divrei Chaim OC #23, and #24), agreed with the position that forbade the Matzos. The Sochetchover in Avnei Naizer (OC #537) also came out strongly against Machine Matzos and cited the Sanzer Rebbe as well as the Gerrer Rebbe forbidding it.

RAV ELYASHIV ZATZAL VERSUS RAV CHAYIM ZATZAL

In modern times it is well known that Rav Elyashiv zatzal and his family used machine Matzos. Rav Chaim zatzal, and his family uses hand Matzos.

Lets keep in mind that whatever Matzah is used is, we should remember that the more we eat of it the greater Dveikus Bashem and to Emunah that we develop. The Zohar calls it food of Emunah for a reason.

Have a chag kasher vsameach!

***PLEASE DONATE MAOS CHITTIM TO AN ALMANAH AND A SINGLE MOM***

https://thechesedfund.com/zechornilah/maos-chittin-for-an-almanah

The author can be reached at [email protected]




by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Sfas Tamim Foundation

ON HALACHA

QUESTION: I work in a public school providing certain special services to students. My frum predecessor at work, Rachel, gave me shalach manos to give to a very nice (non-religious) Jewish co-worker. It was a donut and a drink. I put it in my own fridge at home to bring to her the next day.

In the interim, my husband ate half of the donut and left me the other half. When I saw the half-eaten donut I realized what had happened and, although I was touched that my husband had left me half, I was in a quandary as to what to do.

Should I convey the entire story to the co-worker and give her the half donut and beverage? Should I replace the donut with chocolate chip cookies that I could re-purpose from another shalach manos? In terms of emes, do I have to tell Rachel what happened? Ultimately, I gave her the cookies instead, but I would like to find out what the best course of action would be. I did not tell Rachel.

ANSWER: This is an excellent question. We know that two reasons are brought down for Mishloach Manos.

The Terumas HaDeshen (Siman 111) writes that it is to ensure that the recipients not run out of food items to serve for their meals.

The Manos HaLevi on Megillas Esther (9:19), written by Rav Shlomo Alkabetz and cited by the Chasam Sofer, writes an altogether different reason: to increase peace and brotherly love. This is the opposite of the characterization of the Jewish people by Haman as a nation Mefuzar umefurad spread and standing apart on account of internal arguments.

It would seem that according to the Manos HaLevi, your co-worker would completely fulfill the Mitzvah with the cookies because it was accepted on her behalf on the day of Purim and the underling purpose is to increase peace. According to the Trumas HaDeshen she would not because it is the next day and the reason is for the seudah.

The odds are, however, that she was not relying on this to actually fulfill the Mitzvah, especially if she gave you Mishloach Manos as well. Giving a half donut would be shabbym so dont do that. You do not have to tell Rachel because she may feel bad. You also do not have to tell the co-worker either (who may also feel bad) and you can still say that it came from Rachel since the cookies are a direct replacement of the donuts.

ON THE PARSHA

And the princes brought the Shoham stones and filling stones for the Ephod and for the Choshen. (Shmos 35:27) Rashi quotes a Midrash, that the princes (Nesiim), pledged to donate whatever would be missing after the rest of Bnei Yisrael finished giving to the construction of the Mishkan. They underestimated the peoples generosity and enthusiasm. The only things left to be donated were the precious gems needed for the Kohen Gadols breastplate and garments. These are the precious stones referenced in the Possuk above that were given by the Nesiim.

However, since the Nessim were remiss in their enthusiasm to dedicate to the Mishkan and let everyone else go first, they were taken to task, and the word Nesiim is written defectively without a Yud between the Aleph and the Mem  .

This Midrash requires some clarification, as the underlying rationale and intentions of the Nesiim seem to have been correct and noble. They were willing to donate whatever would be needed to build the Mishkan that was still missing after Bnei Yisrael had finished with their donations  they put themselves at risk of providing whatever was missing which could have been substantial and come at an enormous cost to them. And they did so, apparently, to ensure that there would be no delay in the building of the Mishkan. With such a generous offer and apparently noble intentions, why were they punished with the misspelling of their name?

Rav Boruch Sorotzkin ZTL in his Eitz HaChaim, cites Rav Chaim Mordechai Katz ZTL, the founding Rosh Yeshiva of Telze Chicago, and explains that we see a fundamental insight into human nature. It is possible to perform an action which, at first glance, appears to be correct and proper, and yet, nonetheless, if we delve into the matter further  we discover motivations that are not correct. In truth, the Nesiims offer of You go first, and we will fill in the rest. was not motivated by generosity, but rather by laziness. The Torah highlights that unfortunate motivation by misspelling their name and that if they truly wanted to be generous and not lazy, they would have donated generously and be the first ones to do so.

In conclusion, when we decide on a course of action that appears to be correct and our intentions appear to be noble, we must be honest with ourselves and look for deeper, hidden motivations that may not be so noble. It may also be a good idea to discuss our motivations with a trusted friend which, as an unbiased third party, may be able to help us see ourselves in a more objective fashion.

Why not subscribe to a weekly newsletter about emes written by Rabbi Yair Hoffman? Just send an email with the word subscribe in it to [email protected]




Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to visit Russia from Monday to Wednesday, an apparent show of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin amid sharpening East-West tensions over the war in Ukraine and the latest sign of Beijings emboldened diplomatic ambitions.

Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine is expected to dominate Putin and Xis discussions. China has refused to condemn Moscows aggression and sought to project itself as neutral in the conflict even while Beijing declared last year that it had a no-limits friendship with Russia.

Both China and Russia announced Xis trip to Moscow on Friday. The visit offers a diplomatic shot in the arm for Putin as Western leaders have sought to isolate him over the war, which is now in its 13th month.

Chinas refusal to condemn Russia while denouncing Western sanctions and accusing NATO and the United States of provoking Putins military action has irked Washington as it competes with Beijing for influence.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin and Xi would have a one-on-one meeting over an informal dinner Monday. Broader talks involving officials from both countries are scheduled for Tuesday. Peskov would not provide details about the discussions.

During the war in Ukraine, China has said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected. However, it remains unclear whether its position is intended to position China as a neutral peacemaker or suggests Beijing sympathizes with Moscows claims to seized Ukrainian territory.

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang reached out to his Ukrainian counterpart, Dmytro Kuleba, telling him that Beijing was concerned about the war spinning out of control and urging talks on a political solution with Moscow.

China has always upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks, Qin said.

Kuleba later tweeted that he and Qin discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity. Ukraine has listed Russias withdrawal from the occupied areas as the main condition for peace, and China has its own territorial integrity issues with Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory to be brought under its control by force if necessary.

I underscored the importance of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys)s peace formula for ending the aggression and restoring just peace in Ukraine, wrote Kuleba, who spoke the same day with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Beijings apparent deeper dive into Ukraine issues follows its success last week in brokering talks between Iran and its chief Middle Eastern rival, Saudi Arabia. Those two countries agreed to restore their diplomatic ties after years of tensions.

The agreement cast China in a leading role in Middle Eastern politics, a part previously reserved for longtime global heavyweights like the U.S.

On the back of that, Xi called for China to play a bigger role in managing global affairs.

Washington has marshaled Western military and diplomatic efforts against Putin, but the Russian leader has showed no signs of softening his belligerent stance.

The destruction of a U.S. drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday following an encounter with Russian fighter jets further escalated U.S.-Russia tensions, although it also prompted the first conversations between the countries defense and military chiefs since October.

China last month called for a Ukraine cease-fire and peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow. Zelenskyy cautiously welcomed Beijings involvement but the overture appeared to go no further.

Putin invited Xi to visit Russia during a video conference call the two held in late December. The visit, Putin said, could demonstrate to the whole world the strength of the Russian-Chinese ties and become the main political event of the year in bilateral relations.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Friday that Xi will have an in-depth exchange of views with President Putin on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of common concern, promote strategic cooperation and practical cooperation between the two countries, and inject new impetus into the development of bilateral relations.

Currently, the world is entering a new period of turbulences and reform with the accelerated evolution of changes of the century. As permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and important major countries, the significance and impact of the China-Russia relations go far beyond the bilateral sphere, he added.

The Kremlin on Friday also announced Xis visit, saying it would take place at the invitation of Vladimir Putin.

Xi and Putin will discuss issues of further development of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China, as well as exchange views in the context of deepening Russian-Chinese cooperation in the international arena, the Kremlin said in a statement.

The two leaders will also sign important bilateral documents, the statement read.

(AP)
Piggy in the middle: Could UK plc be the best home for this year's Isa cash?

These are unnerving times for anyone deciding how and where to invest this year's Isa allowance.

The April 5 deadline is just 19 days away. Yet the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), the Californian tech firm lender, has sent shockwaves through global stock markets.

Questions are being posed about the solidity of American, European and other banks. Who would not be spooked by such events?

But the unexpected should be the spur to reconsider your position on any subject.

The SVB scandal is yet another sign of how the ending of the era of easy money is hitting the US tech companies that make up a large element of many portfolios (you may hold much more than you think).

In light of this, could UK plc be the best home for this year's Isa cash? Such a choice would diversify your portfolio, with a sector for every taste, from construction giants to video games.

Global investment banks are eyeing the UK, yet British investors have been selling shares in UK companies. This is against the background of the other major controversy of spring 2023  the UK-listed groups leaving London for more fame and fortune and razzle-dazzle in Wall Street.

Unpredictably, however, this flight is turning more attention onto the hidden allure of UK plc, in the wake of improved economic forecasts in this week's Budget.

Alec Cutler, Bermuda-based manager of the Orbis Global Balanced fund, says: 'There are lots of UK-quoted companies that would have double the market capitalisation in Wall Street, yet Brits don't seem to care about this.'

Cutler cites names like Balfour Beatty  'the best construction company in the world', Headlam, Europe's leading floor coverings group, and Rolls-Royce, the aero-engine manufacturer.

David Battersby, of the wealth manager Atomos, suggests that Isa investors with an above- average appetite for risk could even exploit SVB's adverse impact on the share prices of Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest and HSBC, which snapped up SVB's British arm for 1.

Alexandra Jackson, manager of the Rathbone UK Opportunities fund, says: 'The UK market is trading at a record-wide 40 per cent discount to the US. Among those optimistic about the outlook are businesses exposed to American infrastructure spending, like Ashtead, CRH and Hill & Smith, which we hold in our fund.'

Jackson also highlights the chance to get involved in the UK's creative sector, saying: 'We have a stake in Team 17, the video games company based in Wakefield which has a back catalogue of family-friendly indie games.'

Rathbone UK Opportunities is one of my bets on UK plc. In my Isa, I hold Jupiter UK Alpha for its spread of big British names, like AstraZeneca and Drax, the UK's largest renewable energy supplier.

Since the outset, I have made monthly contributions, rather than committing the entire 20,000 allowance in one chunk. This is a system that should suit those rattled by current circumstances and who feel happier to move gradually into the markets.

Jason Hollands, of BestInvest, suggests the Murray Income investment trust for those keen to back FTSE 100 names.

The share price of this trust is at a 5 per cent discount to the value of its net assets. Hollands also suggests the Fidelity UK index fund. He adds: 'For a more high-octane approach, I like Artemis UK Select fund which looks for undervalued companies. The managers can also take short positions in companies where they think the share prices will fall.'

CJ Cowan, of Quilter Investors, recommends JO Hambro UK Dynamic, which also scouts out companies with 'underappreciated value'. The fund's manager Alex Savvides perceives the UK market to be brimming with bargains.

The SVB affair is forecast to place a premium on companies with strong free cash flow (the money left over after maintaining capital assets and meeting costs) as opinion turns more against the former tech darlings, with their dependence on borrowing and jam-tomorrow promises.

This week's Budget removed the Lifetime pension saving allowance. But the right to also save an annual 20,000 tax free in an Isa remains an important concession. Isa stands for individual savings account. Could this be the year when you make a personal bid to back Britain?
Press Release

March 17, 2023 Dela Rosa backs teaching supplies allowance for public school teachers SENATOR Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa threw his full support for the passage of a measure that would reduce the need for teachers to bear the cost of teaching supplies while providing quality education to their students. Dela Rosa commended Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. for sponsoring Senate Bill No. 1964 or the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act during his co-sponsorship speech on the said proposed bill earlier this week. Under the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act, each public school teacher would be secured with P7,500 pesos for School Year 2023-2024; and P10,000 pesos for school year 2024-2025, and thereafter, as the measure also highlights that its value would be adjusted every three years to respond to the changing prices of teaching supplies. The said amount shall be charged from the appropriations of the Department of Education (DepEd) under the General Appropriations Act (GAA). In the Philippines, a public school teacher currently receives only P5,000 worth of teaching supplies allowance which is equivalent to just P25 per day. Consequently, some teachers would have to dip into their savings to deliver and to perform their classroom duties. While Dela Rosa hailed the selflessness and ingenuity of our educators, the senator reiterated that this is too much for our them to afford. "Sa tingin ko, matagal nang tinitiis ng ating mga guro ang pag-iisip na 'kaya naman, napagkakasya naman.' Wala na palang chalk dito sa classroom ko, bibili na lang ako. Wala na palang pang-internet ang aking estudyante, bibigyan ko na lang. At iba pang mga pangangailangan na sa tingin natin ay 'maliit na bagay,'" Dela Rosa said. The former top cop also related the same concern of the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) whose daily subsistence allowance used to be only equivalent to P150. "Of course, as a former soldier and police officer myself, I know that this is not impossible. But if I were a lay person, I would not be able to imagine how a meager P150-peso allowance can account for an entire day. How such an amount can account for the survival of those responsible for securing the safety of our country in general, and our communities in particular. And yet, we have made it work, Mr. President. Lagi namang napagkakasya," Dela Rosa said. "At some point, Mr. President, the 'napagkakasya naman' mentality prevents us from providing the best services, especially when the truth of the matter is, those responsible for educating our children and youth deserve nothing but the very best from us," he added. The Mindanaoan Senator further appealed to the government to put an end to this crisis and for the Senate to offer what it can for our teachers. "Hindi na natin maaaring pilitin ang ating mga gurong pagkasyahin ang kung ano man ang meron sa kanila. Let us allow our teachers to do what they do best, which is to teach, to ignite the fire of knowledge in our children, and to keep it burning," Dela Rosa stressed. Dela Rosa also filed Senate Bill No. 1831, his own version of the proposed measure.
Rolls-Royce has received funding to build a nuclear reactor for a base on the Moon, as part of a project that looks at how humans could eventually live and work on Earth's natural satellite.

The UK Space Agency has given the engineering giant 2.9million to construct an initial demonstration of a UK lunar modular nuclear reactor.

The Micro-Reactor project will look into how nuclear power could be used to support a future base on the Moon for astronauts.

Rolls-Royce plans to have a reactor ready to send to the Moon by 2029 (Roll-Royce/PA)

Rolls-Royce plans to have a reactor ready to send to the Moon by 2029.

Its aim would be to provide enough power source to support systems for communications, life-support and science experiments.

Experts suggest nuclear power could potentially dramatically increase the length of lunar missions.

This comes after a 249,000 study funded by the UK Space Agency in 2022.

Science minister George Freeman said: 'Space exploration is the ultimate laboratory for so many of the transformational technologies we need on Earth: from materials to robotics, nutrition, cleantech and much more.

'As we prepare to see humans return to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years, we are backing exciting research like this lunar modular reactor with Rolls-Royce to pioneer new power sources for a lunar base.

'Partnerships like this, between British industry, the UK Space Agency and Government are helping to create jobs across our 16billion Space Tech sector and help ensure the UK continues to be a major force in frontier science.'

It will work with a variety of collaborators including the University of Oxford, University of Bangor, University of Brighton, University of Sheffields Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and Nuclear AMRC.

This funding will bring us further down the road in making the Micro-Reactor a reality, with the technology bringing immense benefits for both space and Earth Abi Clayton, Rolls-Royce

Compared to other power systems, a relatively small and lightweight nuclear micro-reactor could enable continuous power regardless of location, available sunlight, and other environmental conditions.

Abi Clayton, director of future programmes for Rolls-Royce said: 'This funding will bring us further down the road in making the Micro-Reactor a reality, with the technology bringing immense benefits for both space and Earth.

'The technology will deliver the capability to support commercial and defence use cases alongside providing a solution to decarbonise industry and provide clean, safe and reliable energy.'

Dr Paul Bate, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said: 'This innovative research by Rolls-Royce could lay the groundwork for powering continuous human presence on the Moon, while enhancing the wider UK space sector, creating jobs and generating further investment.'

Earlier this week, Rolls-Royce received a boost from Jeremy Hunts plans to plough more cash into mini-nuclear power plants.

The Chancellor promised to co-fund exciting new technology if it works.

FTSE 100-listed Rolls has spearheaded a British programme to design small modular reactors (SMRs), which have become a key pillar of the UKs energy strategy.

The Government has now kicked off a selection process that will determine this year which design and which company can be used to build a fleet of reactors.
Apollo Global Management has been given another four weeks to put forward a takeover proposal for the engineering services business John Wood Group.

The private equity giant had until Wednesday next week to declare a 'firm intention' to make an offer but has now been granted an extension to 19 April.

Wood's board has already turned down three takeover bids and is 'minded to reject' the fourth and latest proposal from Apollo because it believes they significantly undervalue the company, which has a current market capitalisation of 1.4billion.

Deadline: Apollo Global Management has been given another four weeks to put forward a takeover proposal for the engineering services business John Wood Group.

Last month, the Scottish business revealed it had received three separate offers from Apollo, the highest being worth 230p per share, before announcing that it had been offered a 237p per share deal a fortnight later.

Wood Group shares were 0.8 per cent higher at 203.9p on Friday lunchtime.

The approach for Wood comes amidst a spree of acquisitions of London-listed firms by overseas private equity houses taking advantage of a weaker pound and relatively low valuations.

British stalwarts to fall victim to foreign buyouts in recent years include outsourcer G4S, Ultra Electronics, and supermarket chain Morrisons, which Clayton, Dubilier & Rice bought for 7billion in October 2021.

On Wednesday, events planner Hyve Group agreed to a 481million takeover from US-based Providence Equity Partners after rejecting two previous offers.

Providence's accepted bid of 108p per share is more than 80 per cent below Hyve's share price in January 2020.

Shares in the exhibitions organiser plummeted during the Covid-19 pandemic as lockdowns and cross-border travel restrictions caused conferences to be either cancelled or postponed.

Hyve took a further blow when it pulled out of Russia, where it employed over 200 people, following the start of the Ukraine war 13 months ago.

Wood Group shares have also failed to recover to their pre-Covid levels after they were hit by the massive lockdown slump in oil prices in 2020 and the delayed commissioning of new projects.

This is despite the firm returning to profit in the first half of last year amid surging petroleum prices and the $1.8billion sale of its built environment division to WSP Global, one of the world's largest professional services businesses.

At the end of December, the company had a record book of $6billion, having won renewed contracts with oil supermajors BP and Shell, as well as a four-year contract with INEOS to build a petrochemicals complex in Belgium.

Headquartered in Aberdeen and with operations in about 60 countries, Wood Group has traditionally provided engineering and consulting services to the oil and gas sector but has increasingly broadened into the renewables sector.

On Tuesday, it completed the disposal of its offshore labour supply operations in the Gulf of Mexico to Danos, an energy services contractor situated in Louisiana.

Chief executive Ken Gilmartin said the 'divestment signals the proactive steps we're taking to selectively high grade the group's portfolio and invest in the markets and solutions where we see the strongest profitable growth.'
Jes Staley will face a two-day grilling next week over his links to the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The former Barclays and JP Morgan boss is accused of covering up key information about Epstein's sex trafficking operation.

He will be quizzed on Thursday and Friday by lawyers for JP Morgan, which has accused him of 'intentional and outrageous conduct' for concealing key information about the late paedophile.

Nothing to say?: Jes Staley is accused of covering up key information about Epstein's sex trafficking operation

The American bank is being sued by the government of the US Virgin Islands, where Epstein had an island, over claims it turned a blind eye to Epstein's operation.

But JP Morgan has sued Staley, claiming he should be 'solely liable' for any damages that would need to be paid out because he breached his duty of care as a senior executive. JP Morgan accuses Staley, 66, of breach of fiduciary duty, among other claims.

Staley, who resigned as Barclays boss in 2021, has denied any involvement in Epstein's alleged crimes. JP Morgan was asked to comment.
The Budget has been branded a 'missed opportunity' to put the stuttering electric vehicle revolution in Britain back on track.

Industry figures and two former transport secretaries spoke out amid mounting fears that the UK will not be ready for the ban of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030.

Problems include a lack of charging points and the often sky-high price of buying and plugging in an electric vehicle (EV).

Driven to distraction: Problems include a lack of charging points and the often sky-high price of buying and plugging in an electric vehicle

And while Chancellor Jeremy Hunt froze fuel duty for the 13th year in a row  saving petrol and diesel drivers around 6billion a year  there were no policies to encourage the switch to greener cars.

Andy Palmer, former chief of car maker Aston Martin, called Hunt's Budget 'counter-intuitive' when it came to electric, especially given plans to outlaw the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in seven years.

'The frozen fuel duty seems like a missed opportunity to incentivise a move towards EVs,' he said.

Adrian Hallmark, chairman and chief executive of Bentley, welcomed tax breaks to boost investment, which were outlined in the Budget, as 'a great first step'. But he said ministers must do more to 'incentivise the transition to green technology'.

'Only then can we be an attractive proposition for car manufacturers looking at where to build the next generation of batteries and much more,' he said.

A string of problems  from a lack of charging points to the collapse of plans to build a 3.8billion car battery gigafactory in Northumberland  have highlighted a lack of progress.

Lord Darling, who was transport secretary under Tony Blair, said the high turnover of transport ministers  five in the past five years  means Britain's electric car revolution is careering off course.

'Frankly, there's been so many transport secretaries that you lose count, which is actually part of the problem with the Department for Transport,' said Darling.

Geoff Hoon, transport secretary under Gordon Brown, called the Budget 'disappointing' especially with its lack of focus on charging points.

Just 8,680 charging devices were installed nationwide in 2022.

And there is a north-south divide with nearly a third in London. Westminster has more than Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield and Birmingham combined.

Hoon said: 'We're moving to a situation where by 2030 there will no longer be any production of petrol and diesel cars  people have got to make that change sooner rather than later. You'd have thought that a tax break or some incentive there would have made eminent sense.'

Quentin Willson, former Top Gear host and now frontman of the FairCharge campaign, accuses the Treasury of 'sabotaging the EV revolution by using archaic laws that it refuses to change'.

He has been pushing for the Government to reduce VAT on public charging (currently at 20 per cent) to be in-line with taxation on domestic use at 5 per cent.

He blasted Mr Hunt's decision to support fossil fuels with the continuation of the 5p duty cut while offered nothing for EVs.

'This could have been a low-cost intervention to help grow EV adoption as well as stimulating capital investment in the UKs public charging infrastructure but, sadly, was brushed aside,' Willson said.

'The difference between charging at home and on the public network is now as much as 50p per kWh  which, across a year, adds up to such a shocking difference in charging costs.'

RAC spokesman, Simon Williams, added: 'The Pavement Tax prevents over a third of all households going electric, simply because they cant charge at home.

'No one should be penalised just because they dont have private parking. And with recent rises in charging costs, its absolutely right that the government should end this unfairness now.'
Bank shares tumbled on both sides of the Atlantic as efforts to shore up the financial system failed to calm investor nerves.

After a brutal week on markets around the world, troubled lenders in the US and Europe were on the slide once again  despite the bailouts of Zurich-based Credit Suisse and San Francisco-based First Republic.

The latest sell-off came just a day after First Republic was handed a 25billion lifeline in a desperate bid to boost confidence.

In the red: Troubled lenders in the US and Europe were on the slide once again

That rescue package itself came just hours after the 45billion bailout of Credit Suisse.

But it did little to calm the markets left reeling by the collapse of three US regional banks in quick succession  Silvergate on March 8, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) on March 10 and Signature Bank two days after that.

With investors fearing worse is still to come, First Republic crashed another 32.8 per cent in early trading.

Other regional lenders to feel the heat included Pacific West which fell 7.2 per cent, Western Alliance which lost 15.1 per cent, Zions Bancorporation which dropped 3.9 per cent and Comerica which dipped 5.2 per cent. In Europe, Credit Suisse plunged 10.9 per cent.

The fallout was felt on stock markets around the world with the FTSE 100 giving up early gains to close down 1 per cent, or 74.63 points, to 7335.4.

Neil Wilson, a strategist at Markets.com, warned of 'fear and loathing in banking and markets', adding: 'We are not out of the woods.'

It sets the scene for a rocky weekend for industry chiefs, regulators, central bankers and government ministers and officials before the markets reopen on Monday morning.

The sell-off came despite the fact that, late on Thursday night, a group of the largest banks in America came together to pump 25billion into First Republic.

There are now serious questions over what can be done to stem the crisis engulfing the banking sector as confidence continues to be eroded.

Investors heavily criticised the decision to pump aid into First Republic, saying it was a mistake to expose the country's biggest lenders to such a high risk asset. Bill Ackman, of hedge fund management company Pershing Square, said in a tweet that it had created 'a false sense of confidence' in the lender and spread financial contagion.

'It raises more questions than it answers  it's bad policy,' the investor continued. 'I have said before that hours matter. We have allowed days to go by. Half-measures don't work when there is a crisis of confidence.'

The European Central Bank yesterday called an unscheduled meeting to discuss how to stop contagion and the state of banking in the eurozone.

The Bank of England said it was monitoring the situation and remains 'engaged' with the banks and regulators at all times.

But there was little respite for Credit Suisse as the bank, founded in 1856, was hit with legal action from a group of investors who claim it overstated its prospects before this week's crash.

The Swiss authorities are exploring a possible tie-up with UBS to shore up Credit Suisse  but it is understood that there is push-back on the idea. UBS wants to focus on its own wealth management strategy and is reluctant to take on risks related to Credit Suisse, sources say.

Analysts believe a break-up of Credit Suisse is still the most likely solution.

Last week, Credit Suisse admitted it had 'material weaknesses' in its reporting and controls procedures when it published its delayed 2022 annual report.

Stuart Cole, head macro economist at liquidity provider Equiti Capital, said: 'We're not out of the woods yet by any means.' Craig Erlam, analyst at Oanda, said: 'We need to get through the weekend without more drama.'
Chinese President Xi Jinping will be in Russia from March 20-22 for a state visit after he was invited by President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin said on Friday.

The visit comes as China offers to broker peace in Ukraine, an effort that has been met with scepticism in the West given Beijings diplomatic support for Russia.

During the talks, they will discuss topical issues of further development of comprehensive partnership relations and strategic cooperation between Russia and China, the Kremlin said.

A number of important bilateral documents will be signed, it added.

China and Russia struck a no limits partnership in February 2022, when Putin was visiting Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympics, weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine.

The two sides have since continued to reaffirm the strength of their ties. Trade between the two countries has soared since the invasion, and China is Russias biggest buyer of oil, a key source of revenue for Moscow.

SOURCE: REUTERS
Joe Bidens presidential trip to the island of Ireland will be a visit like no other, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

The Irish premier pledged to roll out the red carpet for President Biden for his expected visit next month.

The President is set to travel to both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in April in a visit with a strong focus on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace agreement.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has already invited Mr Biden to come to Northern Ireland to mark the anniversary.

No further details on dates or locations were revealed by the President and Taoiseach as they talked to reporters in the Oval Office on Friday.

The leaders were taking part in the traditional bilateral engagement between the President and Taoiseach to mark St Patricks Day.

I promise you that were going to roll out the red carpet and its going to be a visit like no other, Mr Varadkar told the President.

Everyones excited about it already. Were going to have great crowds whod love to see you.

The President did not give much away about the visit in his remarks in the Oval Office, though he did describe Ireland as home when talking about St Patricks Day.

Its a big day in my grandparents household, our household, a big day here, and I know a bigger day at home, he said.

After the meeting, Mr Varadkar again spoke to reporters about Mr Bidens visit.

He certainly hopes and expects to come to Ireland hopefully in the future and itd be very much a homecoming visit, as well as an official visit as well, he said.

White House officials have visited both Belfast and Dublin as part of planning for the visit.

Former US president Bill Clinton and his wife and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton will be in Belfast next month for events to commemorate the landmark accord that largely ended the Troubles.

Other key figures involved in securing the deal are also due to travel to the city.

A visit by Mr Biden to Northern Ireland to mark the Good Friday deal has long been anticipated but there has been speculation that it might not materialise if the powersharing impasse at Stormont is ongoing in April.

The DUP is blocking the operation of the institutions created by the Good Friday deal in protest at Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol.

The party is currently deliberating on whether to accept a new UK/EU deal on post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland  the Windsor Framework  and return to Stormont.

It is understood the devolution impasse will not be a determining factor for US officials planning the potential visit by Mr Biden.

The President has a deep affection for his Irish ancestry and a visit to the island has always been on the cards since his election.

Paraphrasing James Joyce, one of his favourite Irish writers, Mr Biden once wrote that north-east Pennsylvania would be written on his heart when he dies but Ireland will be written on my soul.

His Irish Catholic heritage is not only a source of intense pride, it also frames much of his political back story.

The number of times Joyce and other Irish literary greats, such as Seamus Heaney and William Butler Yeats, find their way into his speeches is apparently somewhat of a running joke in Washington.

When welcoming Mr Varadkar to the Oval Office on Friday, the President again referenced a line from Yeats  Think where mans glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was I had such friends.

Mr Biden said: Well, youve been a great friend, a great friend, to the United States. Ireland and the United States share friendship and long, long traditions.

The Democratic politician can trace his ancestry to Irelands west and east coasts, specifically Ballina in Co Mayo and the Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth.

His great-great-grandfather Owen Finnegan emigrated to the United States from the Cooley peninsula while another great-great-grandfather Patrick Blewitt was born in Ballina, leaving during the Irish famine in 1850 to sail to America.

Distant relatives celebrated his election win in November 2020 and gathered again in January 2021 to mark his inauguration.

Champagne corks were popped, cakes were baked and a huge mural of the 46th president was painted on a wall in Ballina.

The affection is reciprocated and prior to becoming president, Mr Biden had visited both counties in recent years to meet long-lost cousins.

Any visit to Ireland as president would be anticipated to include aspects related to his ancestry.
The Taoiseach has hailed the US as trailblazers on LGBT rights issues as he met vice president Kamala Harris in Washington.

Mr Varadkar thanked Ms Harris for her own advocacy and for being a strong ally to the LGBT community as he and partner Matt Barrett attended a breakfast event at her residence on St Patricks Day morning.

The Taoiseach and Mr Barrett were also guests at the traditional breakfast held by then-vice president Mike Pence in 2019.

There had been questions at that time whether Mr Barrett would attend due to Mr Pences views on homosexuality.

In his speech on Friday, Mr Varadkar said: Thank you very much Madam Vice President for inviting Matt and me to be here in your beautiful home and for continuing that very special tradition, which was initiated by President Biden when he was resident here.

As doctors and as proud members of the LGBT community, allow us to say how inspired weve been by your personal advocacy for marriage equality, particularly in relation to Proposition 8 (a move to prohibit same-sex marriage in California that Ms Harris campaigned against), also your defence of affordable healthcare.

Mr Varadkar said America had led the way when it comes to LGBT equality.

I dont think I would be here today were it not for what America did, he added.

I know youve been such a strong ally to our community in that regard.

The morning meeting at the vice presidents residence was the starting point for the Irish premiers day of high-level engagements in the US capital.

Mr Varadkar and Mr Barrett posed for photos with Ms Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff when they arrived at her residence early on Friday morning.

The vice president said she was pleased to resume a tradition that had been paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

She also used her remarks at the breakfast event to describe the new EU/UK deal on post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland as an essential step to ensure peace and progress in the region.

Ms Harris highlighted President Joe Bidens support for the Windsor Framework.

She said Northern Irelands peace was hard-won and should be cherished.

The vice president said the US administration viewed issues around Northern Ireland and the need to preserve the fundamentals of the Good Friday peace agreement very seriously.

As President Biden has said, the Windsor Framework is an essential step to ensure peace and progress, and to ensure that it is strengthened and preserved, she said.
Politicians must fulfil the promise of the Good Friday Agreement to deliver reconciliation  not just peace, the Taoiseach has said.

Leo Varadkar spoke about the unfinished legacy of the 1998 accord as he reflected on the upcoming 25th anniversary of the settlement that largely ended the conflict in Northern Ireland.

In the traditional St Patricks Day lunch on Capitol Hill, this year hosted by new Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the Irish premier hailed the achievement of the agreement in breaking the 30-year cycle of violence in Northern Ireland.

Now we have to complete that work to fulfil the agreements promise not just of peace but also reconciliation, build a shared island together, he said.

I know the people of Northern Ireland want to see their political assembly and devolved government back up and running, and their politicians working to improve their lives.

So much has been achieved since 1998. Today, new generations of young people are growing up with no memory of the conflict that their parents endured and, as somebody who grew up in the 80s and 90s when political violence was an almost everyday occurrence, that is something to be profoundly grateful for.

Mr Varadkar said an end to the political impasse brought on by disputes over Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol could deliver great economic prosperity for the region.

The Taoiseach highlighted the potential he saw in the new Windsor Framework struck by the EU and UK.

I believe there are now incredible opportunities for economic development in Northern Ireland, especially with the potential of the Windsor Framework recently agreed with the European Commission and the UK Government, he said.

Our task now is to complete that mission to help the people of Northern Ireland to build a more peaceful and more prosperous future together.
[March 16, 2023] Advancements in Deep Learning Reinforce Machine Learning Industry Growth - Grand View Research, Inc.

SAN FRANCISCO, March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The machine learning industry size will witness a notable gain in the wake of the growing use of AI and IoT devices, according to the "Machine Learning Industry Data Book, 2023  2030," published by Grand View Research. Forward-looking companies have exhibited traction for machine learning (ML) to streamline tasks with efficiency, agility and reliability across business verticals. For instance, ML has received an impetus in cybersecurity to create antivirus software. An unprecedented spike in data and the use of various sorts of data to train ML models will further gain ground. Organizations are expected to bank on ML-powered services for applications, including voice transcription, sentiment analysis, text-to-speech, translation and anomaly detection. The upheaval created by the COVID-19 pandemic furthered the demand for ML across the healthcare and e-commerce sectors. Notably, customized experiences accentuated the trend for hyper-personalization and enhanced customer experience. The technology also provided impetus in the early detection of diseases, research and treatment. Additionally, AI has the innate ability to update patients' charts and assess images and tests, thereby helping doctors in diagnoses. Deep learning technology has become sought-after to learn from past instances to make judgments in complex situations. Chipset manufacturers and cloud service providers are expected to receive an impetus from surging penetration of data mining and image recognition. The trend for face-recognition technology in smartphones, diagnostic imaging in healthcare and the rising demand for self-driving cars have come on the back of the soaring footfall of deep learning. Moreover, manufacturing sites have shown an inclination for deep learning to automate and streamline operations. Order your copy of the Free Sample of "Machine Learning Industry Data Book - Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Natural Language Processing Market Size, Share, Trends Analysis, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030" Data Book, published by Grand View Research In essence, Japan is counting on technology to foster industrial robots. The robots use image recognition technology with deep learning and 3D images to enhance operation. Besides, the manufacturing sector has depicted traction for deep learning to reduce turnaround and expedite throughput in production. The deep learning market was valued at USD 34.83 billion in 2021 and will witness 34.3% CAGR during the forecast period.



Industry leaders have upped their investments in natural language processing (NLP) to boost decision-making, reduce cost and bolster productivity. NLP has provided a fillip to companies counting on chatbots to enhance customer experience. Sentiment analysis has received an uptake in search engines to complete queries, while the trend for NLP has become pronounced to decide patterns in voice recognition to offer expected responses from smart assistants. The natural language processing market size stood at USD 18.51 billion in 2021 and could expand at 41.3% CAGR during the assessment period. The growth trajectory is partly attributed to increasing adoption of language-based AI tools across emerging and advanced economies. Go through the table of content of Machine Learning Industry Data Book to get a better understanding of the Coverage & Scope of the study

Some trends that are expected to redefine the global outlook are highlighted below: The advent of ChatGPT, the brainchild of OpenAI, has brought a paradigm shift in NLP and AI to store information and offer detailed responses based on a prompt of user inputs. In January 2023 , Microsoft announced an infusion of USD 10 billion into OpenAI following the former's investment in the latter in 2019 and 2021.

, Microsoft announced an infusion of into OpenAI following the former's investment in the latter in 2019 and 2021. The use of ML algorithms will be noticeable for data processing, reasoning and automated computation.

The Asia Pacific market will contribute significantly towards the global market in light of the rising penetration of ML in automotive, healthcare and manufacturing sectors and electronic products. North America machine learning industry share will witness an upward trajectory with bullish demand across defense, BFSI, healthcare, retail and manufacturing sectors. The manufacturing industry has invested in the technology for quality control, predictive maintenance, cybersecurity, product development and inventory management. To put it in perspective, the U.S. and Canada have sought ML to foster intelligence and surveillance and forecast any anomalous, illegal or threatening activities. ML can be used to combat cyberattacks and propel intrusion detection. For instance, in January 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense chose Scale AI to provide readily available technology, underpin operational AI/ML capabilities and solve AI challenges across the U.S. government. The company will focus on ML, neural networks and deep learning with an emphasis on NLP-powered products and services, image analysis and autonomous systems, among others. The competitive scenario alludes to investments in organic and inorganic strategies to tap potentials and bolster RoI. An emphasis on product offerings, technological advancements, innovation, collaboration and mergers & acquisitions will encourage forward-looking companies to enhance their footprint. To illustrate, in October 2022, Google was reported to be contemplating pouring at least USD 200 million into Cohere, an AI start-up. It is worth mentioning that the latter makes NLP software that can be used for Chatbot tools. Check out more Industry Data Books, published by Grand View Research About Grand View Research Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research Helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead. Contact: Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc.

Phone: 1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: [email protected]

Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/sector-reports-list

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[March 16, 2023] New Research from HiLabs Shows that 81% of Physicians had Incorrect Entries in Health Insurer Provider Directories

The study, published in JAMA, is the first to assess provider directory data since the implementation of the No Surprises Act BETHESDA, Md., March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Patients rely on health insurer provider directories to find a doctor in their plan's network. However, 81% of physicians in these directories had inconsistent entries, raising questions about their accuracy, according to a new analysis of health insurer provider directory data published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study from researchers at the University of Colorado and HiLabs , makers of an automated data quality platform for health plans, looked at listings for over 440,000 U.S. physicians (nearly half of all the nation's physicians). Titled "Consistency of Physician Data Across Health Insurer Directories," the study sought to determine if and how the state of provider directories as changed since the No Surprises Act went into effect on January 1, 2022. The Act established protections for patients related to surprise billing and transparency in healthcare. One of the Act's requirements is for health plans to maintain accurate, up-to-date provider directories. While previous studies have investigated provider directory error rates, none have examined the accuracy of provider directories on a national scale. This is also the first such study since the implementation of the No Surprises Act.



Researchers evaluated provider directory data across five large national health plans using technology developed by HiLabs. They found that only 19% of physicians had consistent data on physician address and specialty information across all directories in which they were found. The significant number of inconsistencies was primarily driven by 72% of physicians whose practice location addresses differed from directory to directory. The directories also had inconsistent specialty information for 32% of physicians. The study did not establish which provider's directory had the correct data, only whether data for the same physician differed from directory to directory. "These findings indicate that there has been little progress in improving provider directory accuracy since implementation of the No Surprises Act," said Neel Butala, MD, Assistant Professor at University of Colorado, who was the lead author of the study. "Beyond surprise billing, inaccurate provider directories can lead to delays in care due to difficulty finding the correct physician, challenges in regulators assessing health plan network adequacy, and misrepresentation of network depth and breadth as consumers select health plans."

"The scope of this problem affecting provider directories is tremendous. This is a long-standing, industry wide dirty data problem and no one actor is responsible for the state of provider directory accuracy" added Amit Garg, CEO of HiLabs "At HiLabs, we're glad to be part of the solution, proactively and rapidly cleaning dirty data in healthcare." Inefficient and redundant directory reporting mechanisms cost US physician practices a collective $2.76 billion annually . The JAMA study's findings highlight the magnitude of the challenge, and indicate the need to engage both physicians and health plans to address provider directory quality. HiLabs partners with the nation's leading health plans to help them refine dirty data and comply with the requirements of the No Surprises Act. HiLabs is the only player in the industry to collect and enhance provider directory information using automated ingestion. Its solutions have improved CMS secret shopper-type audits by greater than 25 percent. To learn more about HiLabs, please visit https://hilabs.com/ About HiLabs HiLabs was founded at Yale with the mission of refining dirty healthcare data. A team of healthcare professionals worked alongside data scientists and AI experts to perfect a platform capable of accurately discovering data patterns and errors in provider, claims, clinical, and value-based care data. HiLabs' AI platform, MCheck, has analyzed over 34 billion health data records covering 24% of the US healthcare population and serves 4 out of the 10 largest health plans and multiple regional plans across the US. For more information, visit http://www.hilabs.com . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-research-from-hilabs-shows-that-81-of-physicians-had-incorrect-entries-in-health-insurer-provider-directories-301774212.html SOURCE HiLabs

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[March 16, 2023] The Pulte Family Expands Their Reach to Pennsylvania with New Acquisition

BOCA RATON, Fla., March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pulte Family, the founding family of Fortune 500 PulteGroup Inc, recently invested in Topline Heating and Air, a leading home services company in Lancaster Pennsylvania. "Led by founders Lyle Horst and Sam Matsuk, Topline is thriving in the Lancaster market and ready to take the company to the next level. With the addition of parts of the Pulte Plan, the brainchild of Pulte Homes Founder and Patriarch of The Pulte Family, William J. Pulte (1932-2018), The Pulte Family feels confident that Topline will dominate Lancaster and surrounding markets with their superior service," said a spokesperson for The Pulte Family "When The Pulte Family is looking to invest in companies, we are not just looking at the company, but at the founders and their vision as well. My grandfather William J. Pulte, founder of Pulte Homes, taught methat it takes a certain kind of person to be able to grow their company. Lyle and Sam are the type of people who can stomach the hard work and dedication it takes to grow this company. I look forward to seeing the continued success of Topline," said Bill Pulte, CEO of Pulte Capital and a former PulteGroup Director.



"Partnering with William J. Pulte and The Pulte Family just makes sense. My team and I are excited to learn from the best and grow Topline to become Pennsylvania's best HVAC company," said Sam Matsuk, Co-Founder of Topline Heating and Air. The Pulte Family may or may not disclose its sale of these securities and reserves the right to acquire more or dispose of said securities without notification.

The Pulte Family

William J. "Bill" Pulte founded Pulte Homes, today PulteGroup Inc, in 1950 at age 18. Over the decades, Bill Pulte built Pulte Homes into The #1 USA Homebuilder. In 2016, after retiring the first time, William J. Pulte (1932-2018) and Bill Pulte (b. 1988), his grandson, successfully turned PulteGroup Inc around, even when non-business family members supported the failed Dugas Management Team versus the Pulte Homes Founder William J. Pulte. Mr. Pulte (b. 1988) was a PulteGroup Director from 2016-2020. Bill Pulte's Twitter Philanthropy became a giant success starting in June 2019, helping thousands of people and inspiring millions of people worldwide. Even after the passing of William J. Pulte (1932-2018), their work together continues through a collection of Pulte founded organizations, including The Bill Pulte Foundation. The Pulte Family has multiple companies and investment vehicles. See disclaimers for affiliated and unaffiliated organizations: PulteDisclaimers.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-pulte-family-expands-their-reach-to-pennsylvania-with-new-acquisition-301774294.html SOURCE The Pulte Family

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[March 16, 2023] Eric Dalius Foundation Scholarship Opportunities for 2023 Are Now Accepting Submissions

Eric Dalius is a noted entrepreneur and long-time Miami resident who serves as Executive Chairman of the Music Discovery platform MuzicSwipe. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230316005759/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) In addition, he is chairman of the Eric Dalius Foundation, which today has announced that submissions are being accepted for the following 2023 Scholarship opportunities. Eric Dalius Scholarship (www.ericdaliusscholarship.com)

Eric Dalius Giving (www.ericdaliusgiving.com)

Eric Dalius Grant (www.ericdaliusgrant.com)

Eric Dalius Fortitude Award (www.ericdaliusfortitudeaward.com)



As a 1992 graduate of Penn State University, Mr. Dalius believes in the power of education to transform lives and communities. And as an advocate of equal opportunities for all, he has dedicated much time and resources to dozens of young people through the years, helping them achieve their full potential, regardless of financial circumstances.

Eligibility Criteria and Application Process: To be eligible for one of the 2023 Eric Dalius Scholarship opportunities, applicants must: Be a high school senior or a current college/university student in the United States.

Hold a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or equivalent.

Demonstrate a solid commitment to community service and leadership.

Provide proof of acceptance or enrollment in an accredited college or university for the 2023 academic year. Submissions must include the following: An introductory essay detailing the applicant's academic achievements, leadership qualities, and plans for the future.

An 800-word article that answers the question specific to each scholarship (found on each scholarship website).

Proof of acceptance or enrollment at an accredited U.S.-based college or university. All applications must be submitted by their respective deadlines. Eric Dalius carefully reviews all application submissions and personally selects each scholarship recipient based upon their academic performance, leadership potential, and dedication to community service. Winners are notified via email and announced on the four 2023 Eric Dalius Scholarship websites. About the Eric Dalius Foundation: The Eric Dalius Foundation is a non-profit organization that empowers young people through education, mentorship, and community service initiatives. By providing scholarships, resources, and support, the Foundation helps students achieve their dreams and become the leaders of tomorrow. Eric Dalius encourages all eligible students to seize this opportunity and apply for one of his foundations four 2023 scholarships. His scholarship programs and the foundations' other activities are a testament to Mr. Dalius' unwavering belief in the transformative power of education. For more information about any of the four Eric Dalius Scholarship programs, and the Eric Dalius Foundation itself, please visit the following five websites: ericjdaliusfoundation.com

ericdaliusscholarship.com

ericdaliusgrant.com

ericdaliusgiving.com

ericdaliusfortitudeaward.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230316005759/en/

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[March 16, 2023] K11 Group's Flagship K11 MUSEA Ushers in a New Era ofCultural Commerce at the Iconic Global Landmark Victoria Dockside

10 years in the making with 100 creative powers, anchored by the museum-retail pioneer  K11 MUSEA HONG KONG, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- K11 Group, the pioneering concept brand uniquely combining culture and commerce, is ushering in a bold new era of cultural commerce offering unparalleled art, culture, retail, leisure, hospitality and work experiences centred around its ground breaking project at the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade - Victoria Dockside. As one of the newest mega projects in Hong Kong, the US$2.6 billion, 3 million-square-foot mixed-use district has transformed the Victoria Harbourfront into a sought-after destination for both locals and international visitors, marking a turning point in Hong Kong's cultural and tourism development. An architectural marvel 10 years in the making traversing three generations, the masterplan that brought the grand vision of Victoria Dockside to fruition was spearheaded by Adrian Cheng, K11 Group Founder and Chairman, in collaboration with 100 Creative Powers across the globe. Acclaimed architects and designers such as Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), James Corner Field Operations (JCFO), local design firms LAAB and OMA have contributed to this shining testament to K11 Group's aspiration to become a global enterprise that pioneers cultural commerce and champions the soft power of contemporary Chinese culture. This revolutionary art and design district seamlessly blends culture, creativity, and innovation changing the way people interact with art and culture. Creating unique experiences through the power of innovation, culture and creativity Victoria Dockside's rich portfolio of offerings leads visitors on "a journey of imagination" that immerses them in a uniquely dynamic experience catering to their every need: At its heart is K11 MUSEA, Hong Kong's "Silicon Valley of Culture", a revolutionary cultural-retail destination that transcends traditional shopping malls with its avant-garde design fused with a year-round celebration of arts and culture.

"Silicon Valley of Culture", a revolutionary cultural-retail destination that transcends traditional shopping malls with its avant-garde design fused with a year-round celebration of arts and culture. Work productivity is optimised at K11 ATELIER, as the first-ever office building to pioneer the "Vertical Creative City" Concept that transforms the design, purpose and culture of workplaces.

K11 ARTUS, the Asia's first luxury residences with a social mission to preserve and promote fast-disappearing Chinese artisanship, redefines the ultra-luxury residential experience with the pioneer "Artisanal Home" concept, that is infused with marvellous design and a world-class art collection.

first luxury residences with a social mission to preserve and promote fast-disappearing Chinese artisanship, redefines the ultra-luxury residential experience with the pioneer "Artisanal Home" concept, that is infused with marvellous design and a world-class art collection. The sophisticated and modern urban sanctuary Rosewood Hong Kong offers gastronomic journeys, exceptional service, wellness experiences and breathtaking views; along the seaside, the revitalised Avenue of the Stars celebrates Hong Kong's film industry as a popular hot spot that adds glitz and glamour to the district. True to its core values Victoria Dockside has been at the forefront of incubating the local cultural scene by hosting a top-notch rotation of art events, collaborations and workshops throughout the year. Just to name a few:



K11 Art Karnival, the Group's annual flagship programme, is on its third run in March this year since 2021. The highlight of this year is "City As Studio", China's first major exhibition of graffiti and street art, Curated by Jeffrey Deitch . The event will be extended to 7 K11 sites in 6 mainland cities.

first major exhibition of graffiti and street art, Curated by . The event will be extended to 7 K11 sites in 6 mainland cities. Asia's Met Gala "K11 Night", one of the most prestigious fashion and cultural events in Hong Kong , returned for the second year to Victoria Dockside last December. Together with the K11 MUSEA's annual couture exhibition "The Love of Couture: Artisanship in Fashion Beyond Time" held last year in collaboration with London's Victoria and Albert (the "V&A") Museum and co-chaired by internationally acclaimed Production Designer William Chang Suk Ping, Victoria Dockside became the focus of the City.

Met Gala "K11 Night", one of the most prestigious fashion and cultural events in , returned for the second year to Victoria Dockside last December. Together with the K11 MUSEA's annual couture exhibition "The Love of Couture: Artisanship in Fashion Beyond Time" held last year in collaboration with and Albert (the "V&A") Museum and co-chaired by internationally acclaimed Production Designer William Chang Suk Ping, Victoria Dockside became the focus of the City. Hong Kong's first large-scale NFT art showcase "METAVISION" in 2022 uphold its commitment to promoting and preserving art and culture. It was Hong Kong's most diverse NFT exhibition to date featuring a curation of the most iconic and coveted NFT creations. Over 150 prestigious awards and international recognition Attesting to its world-class standards, Victoria Dockside has received over 150 prestigious awards and accolades as well as international recognition for its architecture, services, art and design, hospitality, marketing, sustainability excellence and more since its opening in 2019. Among the notable accolades it has garnered in recent years are the MIPIM Asia Awards 2020 Best Mixed-Use Development (known as the "Oscars of the Asian real estate world"); RICS Awards 2021 Property Management Team of the Year; RICS Awards 2020 Sustainability Achievement of the Year and Retail in Asia Best Retail Experience Awards 2019.

Commenting on the success of Victoria Dockside, Adrian Cheng said, "Victoria Dockside marks a momentous milestone of K11 Group in introducing a new phase of cultural commerce not only in Hong Kong but also globally. The premier destination has continuously made waves by offering an invaluable platform for artists, designers and businesses to unleash their creativity and create one of the most promising neighborhoods' for the future." Please download high-resolution photos with the following link:

https://nwdrive.nwplatform.com.cn:443/link/70247132BBEC467AFDCD1DC7FF5F59A7

Valid Until: 2023-03-29 23:59

Password: i0kE About K11 Group K11 Group is a unique concept brand that combines culture and commerce, sustaining an ecosystem that caters to all walks of life. Founded in 2008 by renowned entrepreneur Adrian Cheng, the Group encourages a deeper look at the interconnectivity between creativity, culture and innovation. Through K11 Group, Cheng's aim is to enrich the daily lives of next-generation consumers and create a new global identity for Chinese millennials, as well as cultivate opportunities for communities to thrive, connect, work and shop. K11 Group is based in Hong Kong SAR with operations in Greater China and investments in Europe and the US. By 2026, K11 Group will have gained a footprint of 38 projects (GFA 2.80 million sq m) in 10 cities across Greater China. In addition to its flagship K11 MUSEA, 11 SKIES and K11 Art Malls, the Group operates K11 ATELIER, K11 ARTUS and K11 Select. In addition, it cultivates cultural richness through the Hong Kong non-profit K11 Art Foundation and the K11 Craft & Guild Foundation, alongside educational platforms like K11 KULTURE ACADEMY & K11 Future Taskforce. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/k11-groups-flagship-k11-musea-ushers-in-a-new-era-of-cultural-commerce-at-the-iconic-global-landmark-victoria-dockside-301774753.html SOURCE K11

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[March 16, 2023] Sungrow Signs MOU with Amp at PV Expo 2023 in Japan

TOKYO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sungrow, the global leading inverter and energy storage system solution supplier, announced that the Company signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Amp Co., Ltd., one of Japan's largest renewable energy Independent Power Producers (IPP) at PV Expo in Japan during March 15-17. The Company displayed diversified solar and storage applications tailored to various Japanese applications; thus, fueling the transition to a low carbon economy and overshooting Japan's 2050 carbon neutrality target. Cutting-edge inverter solutions for solar projects Japan sees a large number of utility-scale solar plants being built in mountainous areas. Sungrow offers the 1+X Modular Inverter tailored to this application, which is an innovation combining the advantages of both central and string inverters. The product can be configured up to 8.8 MW with 1.1 MW modular capacity and one MPPT for each unit, making the plant design unprecedentedly flexible and easier for operation and maintenance (O&M), especially for hilly terrains. Optimized to address the Japanese growing demands for distributed PV plants, Sungrow offers a broad product portfolio including the 1500V string inverter SG125HX-JP. The product which is rated at 125 kW streamlines the configuration and maximizes the LCOE significantly. A comprehensive ESS portfolio for diversified installations The energy storage system (ESS) is an ideal solution to tackle the issue of the current rising electricity price and power failure in Japan. Sungrow offers a cmprehensive ESS portfolio for utility-scale, commercial & industrial, and residential energy storage applications in Japan.



Japan's utility-scale energy storage market holds great potential, especially for the demand for frequency regulation. Sungrow offers its liquid cooled ESS PowerTitan tailored to this market. Through liquid cooled thermal management, the system has a superior lifespan. The DC-DC controller can charge and discharge battery racks individually, increasing the overall system performance. Thus far, Sungrow already signed nine gigawatt hours of orders with PowerTitan globally. Japan has an economically beneficial environment and a relatively matured residential solar-plus-storage market. Sungrow's residential Hybrid and Battery Solution comprises the single-phase hybrid inverter SH5.5RS-JP and the high voltage SBR battery, featuring higher yields, simplicity, enhanced safety, and intelligent O&M. The solution enables seamless switch to the off-grid mode during power outages due to natural disasters like typhoons and earthquakes.

All of the Sungrow's solutions can be monitored and managed via the Company's iSolarCloud platform. "We're ready to embrace increasing opportunities and challenges in the Japanese market, expanding our presence and providing cutting-edge products and localized services to facilitate the energy transition," said Michael Zhang, Country Manager of Sungrow Japan. The company has spent years in Japan and was involved in many local solar and energy storage projects, such as the 100 MWp Azuma Kofuji solar project, and the 21 MWh DC-coupling solar-plus-storage in Hokkaido, Japan. About Amp Energy Amp Energy is a well-established global energy transition development platform, which delivers renewables, battery storage, and hydrogen at scale, together with proprietary AI-enabled grid flexibility through its Amp X platform. Since its inception 14 years ago, Amp Energy has fully developed 7GW of assets and is backed by major investments from institutional capital partners including global private equity firm the Carlyle Group, who has invested over US$440 million. The company has global operations throughout North America, the UK, Australia, Japan, and Spain. About Sungrow Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. ("Sungrow") is the world's most bankable inverter brand with over 340 GW installed worldwide as of December 2022. Founded in 1997 by Professor Cao Renxian, Sungrow is a leader in the research and development of solar inverters with the largest dedicated R&D team in the industry and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter solutions and energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial & industrial, and residential applications, as well as internationally recognized floating PV plant solutions, NEV driving solutions, EV charging solutions and renewable hydrogen production systems. With a strong 26-year track record in the PV space, Sungrow products power over 150 countries worldwide. Learn more about Sungrow by visiting www.sungrowpower.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/sungrow-signs-mou-with-amp-at-pv-expo-2023-in-japan-301774756.html SOURCE Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd.

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[March 17, 2023] MyyShop Makes Waves at SXSW with Social Commerce Empowerment Plans for Content Creators

AUSTIN, Texas, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MyyShop, a cross-border social commerce platform launched by DHGATE Group in 2020, completed a successful four-day exhibit at SXSW Creative Industries Expo, held from March 12-15, 2023 in Austin, Texas. MyyShop booth at the Austin Convention Center attracted thousands of attendees who were eager to learn about the platform's AI-powered capabilities, including empowering creators to discover viral products quickly, build customized stores, and earn commission on sales. "We are thrilled with the positive responses we received at SXSW," said Diane Wang, founder, chairperson, and CEO of DHGATE Group. "As the only exhibitor from China in this year's CIE, MyyShop's AI-powered platform and the insightful panel discussion at SXSW Next Stage resonated well with attendees. We believe that we have the right tools and the right message to help content creators and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) entrepreneurs reach their full potential." MyyShop held a panel discussion themed Unlocking the Power of Social Commerce at the Next Stage of CIE on March 15, giving visitors an opportunity to learn how social commerce is trasforming the retail landscape in America. The panelists discussed how social commerce had taken Asia by storm and would shake the US and global market in the future, how MyyShop enable creators to conveniently "Share to Earn" by sharing a shoppable link on their own social accounts, for the trending products they love, with their followers and fans. They also shared the success stories of some content creators and discussed the future of social commerce in America, including how individuals like stay-at-home moms, unemployed adults, and young entrepreneurs could cash in on this retail revolution.



MyyShop panelists also shared, only in 2022, content creators made over $3.5 million from recommending their favorite DHgate products to shoppers on various social media platforms. The event's highlights included a content creator specializing in home decor who shared with the audience how she built her store and recommended chairs, tables, and vases that went viral on TikTok. In the past two years, Myyshop has worked and built partnerships with global content creators with experience in social commerce, empowered creators through the Academy program, and hosted events to support their entrepreneurial dreams. Looking to the future, MyyShop will expand small business catalogs from local small businesses in the US to MyyShop, create a custom product line for selected partners and content creators, and allow merchants to directly access a functional creator marketplace.

"We are on a journey to guide creators through the social commerce trend that will take over the world and change the way creators work with brands, and we plan to do so with transparency, inclusivity, and heart," the panelists expressed the mission of MyyShop at Next Stage. Outside the SXSW venue, MyyShop brand appeared in Times Square, one of the iconic commercial intersections in New York City, on March 15, spreading its signal to change the retail landscape in the US in a more magnificent way. About MyyShop MyyShop is a pioneering social commerce platform launched by DHGATE Group that allows effortless selling on social media. MyyShop aims to provide content creators with online store creation tools, as well as AI-powered, tailored product recommendations that their audiences will find irresistible, allowing them to sell with confidence knowing the products are in demand and backed by a world-leading supply chain that delivers to increase earnings quickly. For more information, please visit MyyShop.com and follow @MyyShopOfficial About DHgate Founded in 2004, DHgate has become the leading B2B cross-border e-commerce marketplace in China. Through our global operations and offices, including in the US and UK, we reach millions of people with trusted products and services. As of December 31, 2022, DHgate served more than 59.6 million registered buyers from 225 countries and regions by connecting them to over 2.54 million sellers in China and other countries, with over 34 million live listings on the platform annually. For more information, please visit dhgate.com and follow @DHgate.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/myyshop-makes-waves-at-sxsw-with-social-commerce-empowerment-plans-for-content-creators-301774792.html SOURCE DHGATE Group

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[March 17, 2023] ACEN acquires portfolio of eight operating wind projects in Texas, USA

Joint venture company acquiring a total of 136 MW of wind assets from US-based GlidePath Power Solutions LLC

Strong growth US platform leveraging the combined expertise of ACEN and its partners: Pivot Power Management and UPC Solar & Wind Investments

Will generate approximately 360 GWh of wind energy per year, enough to power around 24,000 households and avoid ~127,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions MANILA, Philippines and AUSTIN, Texas, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ACEN, the listed energy platform of the Ayala group, through its joint-venture company, UPC Power Solutions LLC, signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement with GlidePath for the acquisition of a portfolio of eight operating wind projects located in northern Texas, USA. The latest milestone marks ACEN's anticipated entry to the fast-growing US renewables market as it expands its geographic footprint beyond the Asia Pacific region. Announced in April 2022, ACEN, through its subsidiary ACEN USA LLC, formed a strategic partnership with Pivot Power Management (PivotGen) and UPC Solar & Wind Investments LLC to pursue opportunities to acquire operating wind projects in the US, and explore strategies for extending their useful life through preventative maintenance and repowering. The partners share the same vision of building a sustainable energy future with the aim to maximize economc impact while providing environmental benefits for all stakeholders.



Patrice Clausse, CEO of ACEN International, said: "We've long set our sights on the US as our next market following our sustained success in the Asia Pacific. We are committed to enact the accelerated green energy transition globally, and these new partnerships ensure that ACEN is well-placed to harness the vast opportunities in the US renewables space." Tim Rosenzweig, CEO, and co-founder of PivotGen, said: "We are excited to announce this acquisition. We look forward to successfully repowering the portfolio so that these projects can continue to deliver clean, renewable power and provide jobs and economic opportunity in local communities."

This sale will be subject to regulatory approvals including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), an independent agency that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. Related news:

ACEN enters partnership to repower wind farms in the US About ACEN ACEN (PSE:ACEN) is the listed energy platform of the Ayala Group. The company has ~4,000 MW of attributable capacity from owned facilities in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, and Australia, with a renewable share of 98%, which is among the highest in the region. ACEN's aspiration is to be the largest listed renewables platform in Southeast Asia, with a goal of reaching 20 GW of renewables capacity by 2030. ACEN is committed to transition the company's generation portfolio to 100% renewable energy by 2025 and to become a Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions company by 2050. www.acenrenewables.com About PivotGen PivotGen (Pivot Power Management, LLC), is a developer of wind and solar energy projects throughout the United States. With a focus on creative problem solving, PivotGen develops new energy generation projects and engineers solutions to refurbish and give new life to older projects. Our team shares a commitment to achieving a sustainable energy future and we are dedicated to maximizing economic impact and environmental benefit for our partners and the communities we work in. https://pivotgen.com DISCLAIMER: This disclosure may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risk factors and opportunities that may affect ACEN's plans to complete the transaction/s subject of this disclosure. Each forward-looking statement is made only as of the date of this disclosure. Outcomes of the subject transaction may differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this disclosure. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/acen-acquires-portfolio-of-eight-operating-wind-projects-in-texas-usa-301774841.html SOURCE ACEN

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[March 17, 2023] GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS REFRESHED, REFIRE UNVEILS NEW PRODUCTS AT FCEXPO 2023

TOKYO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- REFIRE Group, the world's leading deployer of commercial hydrogen fuel cell technologies, unveiled its latest heavy-duty fuel-cell system PRISMA XXII at Tokyo's FC Expo. At the world's leading hydrogen technology fair, REFIRE joined its worldwide partners to showcase a range of hydrogen fuel cell products and application cases. MORE POWER WITH PRISMA XXII REFIRE Vice President, International Markets, Ms Audrey Ma discussed the potential of PRISMA XXII at FC Expo: "PRISMA XXII will be a special product as it gets customers a big step closer to cost parity with diesel vehicles. It's also versatile in heavy-duty use cases with its power and all-weather and elevation operational envelope". PRISMA XXII hydrogen fuel cell system breaks new ground within the existing line-up of products. Its 160kW to 220kW power range output is a major increase from siblings in the PRISMA product line. REFIRE POWERS SWISS-MADE RACING GRADE FUEL CELL SYSTEM REFIRE and Swiss fuel cell veteran integrator GreenGT S.A. (GreenGT) jointly presented to launch GreenGT's NGT 75 Series of fuel cell systems, powered by REFIRE-supplied, UNILIA-branded ELECTRA stacks. Shortly after its launch in 2021, the stack was awarded the world's first Performance Certification from independent testing body TUV Rheinland. To date, over 3,000 UNILIA stacks have been integrated into ful cell-powered vehicles and power products.



Presenting at the NGT 75 Series launch, Mr Robert Artibise, R&D Vice President of UNILIA under REFIRE GROUP, said: "The choice of materials enables ELECTRA to be a reliable and compact product that fits the required form factor of GreenGT's NGT 75 system series. The precise configuration is tailored to the high specification use cases of GreenGT's niche customers". FIRST FUEL CELL POWER PROJECT IN HONG KONG, SUPPORTING CITY'S GOAL FOR CARBON NEUTRALITY

Hong Kong green mobility R&D think tank, APAS (Automotive Platforms and Application Systems) together with REFIRE, unveiled Hong Kong's first fuel cell-electric vehicle charging prototype and off-grid power unit. Powered by a REFIRE fuel cell system, the 32kW device is not only a first for the city but will also support the Hong Kong government's plan to become carbon neutral by 2050. APAS Deputy Head, Green Transportation, Mr Ralph Xu, and REFIRE Vice President, International Markets, Ms Audrey Ma, unveiled the project together at Tokyo's FC Expo. Announcing the project publicly for the first time, Xu said: "We're thrilled to be sharing at FC Expo what we've been working on in Hong Kong for the past two years, as here we are surrounded by global hydrogen technology experts. APAS aims to create technical solutions for smart mobility and green energy. Key to this is to solve current problems relating to storage, refuelling, and the variety of use cases for hydrogen energy in transport and power in one of the densest cities in the world. We want to share these solutions with regulators and industry for faster hydrogen-electric energy adoption". Ma said: "Even though the project is a proof of concept, it underlines the feasibility of safely deploying hydrogen-electric power in one of the world's densest cities. Moreover, it opens up a path to alleviate the problem of land and infrastructure required for charging commercial vehicles between shifts. Hydrogen-electric chargers can now operate fully off-grid". REFIRE made its FC Expo, Tokyo, debut in 2018. Since launching in 2005, the event has been the world's largest international exhibition and conference focusing on Hydrogen and Fuel Cell technologies. Production, transportation, storage, and use cases for hydrogen energy are all represented at the event. Media Inquiries:

Tel: +86 21 6025 7133

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.refire.com

Presskit: www.refire.com/presskit View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/global-partnerships-refreshed-refire-unveils-new-products-at-fcexpo-2023-301774904.html SOURCE REFIRE

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[March 17, 2023] Trip.com Group hosts China Traveler's Forum, focusing on Chinese travel revival in post-pandemic times

WENZHOU, China, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading travel service provider Trip.com Group hosts its China Traveler's Forum (CTF) in Wenzhou, China, on March 17, 2023, focusing on the post-pandemic future of Chinese tourism, and promoting world-class tourism destinations in China. China Traveler's Forum is an annual event hosted by Trip.com Group, offering cross-border communication opportunities for tourism industry leaders, experts, and professionals. This year, the event comes to Wenzhou, a historic city located in southeastern China, known for its vibrant business environment and unique culture. Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group, comments, "In a time when Chinese mainland is welcoming back international travellers, CTF provides a great opportunity for the tourism industry to look forward to the post-pandemic future of Chinese tourism, and further boost and promote more Chinese destinations." Chinese mainland's reopening for international travellers has been a major focus ofthe Forum, with the event held two days after the country announced the resumption of all visa types to international visitors.





In a panel discussion focusing on the return of Chinese inbound travel, Kimi Liu, the CEO of Tripadvisor China, shares, "We are ready and eager to welcome our international travelers back to China. As the first stop for many international travelers to look for travel inspirations, Tripadvisor China will continue to provide the most helpful travel guidance for travelers coming back to the country." Tripadvisor China is a travel guidance platform helping millions of travellers to plan their best trips to China. The platform not only provides travel information of more than 350,000 attractions, hotels, and restaurants in China, but also presents over six million reviews made by users who have visited the country. Trip.com Group's Traveler's Forum has been held in various cities across China, including Lijiang, Chengdu, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chongqing, Guiyang, Anyang, and Sanya. The Forum has become a significant platform for local tourism authorities, industry leaders, and experts to exchange insights on emerging trends in Chinese tourism, and strengthen cross-border cooperation. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/tripcom-group-hosts-china-travelers-forum-focusing-on-chinese-travel-revival-in-post-pandemic-times-301774916.html SOURCE Trip.com Group

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[March 17, 2023] Sisco Sapena reaffirms his confidence in Lleida.net with the purchase of 36,680 new shares

MADRID, Spain, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The founder and CEO of Lleida.net (OTC.US) (ALLLN.PA) (LLN.MA), Sisco Sapena, acquired this week 36,670 shares of the company he founded in 1995 at a weighted average price of 1.98 euros per share.

With this purchase, Sapena's stake in the company now stands at 35.16 percent directly and 0.75 percent indirectly, and in total amounts to 35.91 percent of the company. "I continue to have confidence in the company and its extraordinary long-term future. The work being done by our technical and commercial teams is bearing significant fruit, and will continue to do so in the long term. And no one is more confident than I am in the future of Lleida.net," explained Sapena. This week, the company announced the granting of 72new patents in some 30 European countries, bringing its intellectual property portfolio to nearly 300.



The company, which is listed on Euronext Growth in Paris, BME Growth in Madrid and OTCQX in New York, has already obtained worldwide patent recognition in more than 60 countries. Lleida.net's growth strategy includes a solid growth policy in intellectual property and R&D, as well as a reinforcement of its internationalization policy.

The company also recently announced the launch of its USVC product, the first universal validator of electronic signatures. The system, for which a patent application has already been filed in several countries, makes it possible to confirm the origin of any electronic signature and provide certainty as to its origin and authenticity. It can verify the veracity of any digital signature, regardless of the platform with which it was signed, be it DocuSign, Adobe, qualified electronic signature or any other. The company's latest results presentation took place last week, with the announcement of the best sales results since its founding, with more than 20 million in revenues.

Pedrosa IR [email protected]

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[March 17, 2023] Li-Cycle to Host Annual Shareholders Meeting on Thursday, April 27, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. (ET)

Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (NYSE: LICY) ("Li-Cycle" or the "Company"), will hold its 2023 annual general meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") on Thursday, April 27, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) in a virtual format, via live audio webcast. All interested parties are invited to attend the Meeting by using the live webcast link here: www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/LICY2023. Only registered shareholders and duly appointed proxyholders as of the record date on March 6, 2023 will be entitled to vote and ask questions at the Meeting. Meeting Materials The Company's Management Information Circular and other Meeting materials are available at https://materials.proxyvote.com/50202P, and on Li-Cycle's website at Li-Cycle - Investor Relations, as well as on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. To further its commitment to environmental sustainability and to reduce its printing and mailing costs, Li-Cycle is using notice-and-access procedures for the delivery of Meeting materials. Under notice-and-access, the Company can deliver Meeting materials by posting the materials on a website other than sedar.com (instead of mailing them to shareholders), and sending a notice informing shareholders that the Meeting materials have been posted online and explaining how to access such materials. Your vote is important. Whether or not you plan to virtually attend the Meeting, please vote as soon as possible by one of the methods decribed in the Meeting materials, to ensure that your shares are represented and voted at the Meeting.



Annual Report on Form 20-F Li-Cycle has also filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended October 31, 2022, including the Company's audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022 and related management's discussion and analysis. This is available for download from the Investors section of the Company website at Li-Cycle - Financials - Annual Report and Circular. It is also available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

Interim ESG Report The Company recently issued a 2022 Interim Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Report, providing insight into the integration of ESG across our business and how it shapes our relationships with our key stakeholders, including our employees, investors, customers, and communities. We are on track to publish our first ESG Report in 2024 and to achieve alignment in 2025 with the Financial Stability Board's Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures. For a copy of our 2022 Interim ESG Report, refer to link here: https://li-cycle.com/sustainability/. About Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. Li-Cycle (NYSE: LICY) is on a mission to leverage its innovative Spoke & Hub Technologies to provide a customer-centric, end-of-life solution for lithium-ion batteries, while creating a secondary supply of critical battery materials. Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are increasingly powering our world in automotive, energy storage, consumer electronics, and other industrial and household applications. The world needs improved technology and supply chain innovations to better manage battery manufacturing waste and end-of-life batteries and to meet the rapidly growing demand for critical and scarce battery-grade raw materials through a closed-loop solution. For more information, visit https://li-cycle.com/. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release may be considered "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21 of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements may generally be identified by the use of words such as "believe", "may", "will", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "should", "would", "could", "plan", "potential", "future", "target" or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Forward-looking statements in this press release include but are not limited to statements Li-Cycle's expectation to publish its first ESG Sustainability Report in 2024 and to achieve alignment in 2025 with the Financial Stability Board's Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures . These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, made by Li-Cycle management. There can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be correct and, as a result, actual results or events may differ materially from expectations expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of Li-Cycle and are not guarantees of future performance. Li-Cycle identifies the principal risks and uncertainties that affect its performance and the assumptions upon which the forward-looking information is based in the sections entitled "Item 3D. Risk Factors" and "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects-Key Factors Affecting Li-Cycle's Performance" and elsewhere in its Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Ontario Securities Commission in Canada on February 6, 2023. Li-Cycle assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Li-Cycle's assessment as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005050/en/

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[March 17, 2023] Algonquin College and Queensway Carleton Hospital Partner for Hands-On EHR Training using MEDITECH Expanse

Algonquin College and Queensway Carleton Hospital (QCH) are teaming up to provide students with valuable hands-on experience to prepare them for working with a real electronic health record (EHR). As part of the College's digital health programs, they are using MEDITECH Expanse to teach EHR configuration, workflows, collaboration, and security in lab sessions this semester. "By having our students engaged with applied labs using real world technology, we are ensuring they can develop the employable skills they need to be successful in digital health roles," said John Dallas, Academic Chair, Information and Communications Technology - Security, Systems & Networking, Algonquin College. "It's important to us to develop a curriculum that can extend and support integrated learning opportunities. We look forward to growing the partnership and exploring opportunities in other related programs." The labs are part of two Algonquin College programs in collaboration with the School of Advanced Technology and the School of Health and Community Studies: Bachelor of Technology (Digital Health) and the Digital Health Ontario Graduate Certificate. In developing the course, Algonquin College sought industry ssistance to help develop the lab components of the course. QCH, which uses MEDITECH Expanse, agreed to make its training platform available to students.



"This partnership provides students with unique EHR training, using the same technology we have at the hospital," said Queensway Carleton Hospital Vice President, Mental Health, Diagnostic Services, Chief Information Officer, and Chief Privacy Officer Tim Pemberton. "This first hand experience will give students a competitive advantage when they enter the workforce and also helps address the healthcare industry's need for skilled digital health workers." This marks the first time Algonquin College's Bachelor of Technology - Digital Health program has offered an applied learning EHR lab, since it was launched in 2021. Digital Health graduates leave prepared to find employment as project/program managers, outcomes specialists, process improvement specialists/directors, change managers, digital health strategists, clinical informatics managers, solutions architects, or information technology directors.

MEDITECH Director Nick Palmieri agrees that hands-on technology training can help to give candidates a leg up when pursuing digital health careers. "Technology changes so fast, but a program like this can give students a strong foundation in the skills they will need to be successful after graduation," he says. "I'm glad that MEDITECH is a part of helping to prepare this next generation of healthcare professionals." About MEDITECH As Canada's leading HIS solution provider for over four decades, MEDITECH software is used in nearly every jurisdiction. We're also the leading supplier of complex health authority and multi-site clustered environments. MEDITECH empowers healthcare organizations everywhere to expand their vision of what's possible with Expanse, the world's most intuitive and interoperable HIS. Expanse lays the foundation for the next digital era, enabling connected care across delivery settings, designing cloud-based systems to drive better outcomes, and providing mobile, personalized solutions to improve efficiency for an overburdened workforce. Visit ehr.meditech.com/global/meditech-canada and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230317005034/en/

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[March 17, 2023] Quest Global Reinforces Commitment to Encourage India's Future Engineers, Concludes 11th Edition of Ingenium in Kochi

Winners will receive an all-expense paid educational trip to an Alstom facility in Europe KOCHI, India and BANGALORE, India, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Quest Global, one of the world's leading engineering services firms, has concluded the 11th edition of Quest Global Ingenium 2023 in Kochi, Kerala. The contest is a platform that offers engineering students a chance to bring their unique tech solutions to life, further strengthening Quest Global's belief that innovative engineering solutions are significant in building pathways to a brighter future. India's brightest young minds from top engineering colleges took part in the contest. There were 1800+ submissions from across the country in the 11th edition of Quest Global Ingenium, reflecting the widespread appeal of this innovative platform for aspiring engineers. The jury selected the team from Jayawantrao Sawant College of Engineering, Hadapsar, Maharashtra as the winners of the 11th edition of the contest. The team focused on multipurpose EVs and worked on an innovative solution intended to make commuting easier for elderly and disabled. The group comprised of Surana Sanyam Nilesh, Ankit Sahal, Abhinandan Jain and Aditya Malapure. The winning team will visit the Alstom facility in Europe, and experience first-hand cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions developed by the company. This educational trip will provide students with valuable industry exposure and insights into rail signalling systems and next-generation trains. The mentorship and networking opportunities that come with this visit will prove to be a great asset for the students, helping them build relationships and contacts that will benefit them in furthering their careers as engineers. Speaking at the occasion, Lakshminarayanan Ramalingam, Chief Operating Officer, Quest Global, said, "Quest Global is in the buiness of engineering solutions for the real world, but what we're really building is a brighter future. We believe engineering has the unique opportunity to solve the problems of today that stand in the way of tomorrow. Quest Global Ingenium is a platform that brings innovation in engineering to the forefront and has the potential to internalize revolutionary ideas and find solutions across industries. I take this opportunity to congratulate all the winners. Seeing various innovative ideas from the young engineering talent was undeniably remarkable."



He added, "We thank Alstom, for their support and encouragement in making this contest a success. Due to their support, we can provide experiential learning to these young engineers. Our shared vision of fostering innovation and providing a platform to the young talent leaves me excited for the future, where I will witness this level of creativity from the next generation of engineers." The team from School Of Engineering And Technology, Jain University Bangalore, emerged as the first runner-up. They prioritized artificial intelligence and developed a project that proposes to be a unique platform to detect and prevent diseases in plants. The team was comprised of Diksha Chakravarty, Aakash Rajaraman, Yashas S and Nishtha Jain. Meanwhile, the second runner-up was the team from Chandigarh University, which focused on carbon emissions. Their project aims to improve air quality for the future generation. The team was composed of Abhilash Gaurav and Abhigyan Pal.

Quest Global Ingenium, in the past, has impacted the lives of many talented students by offering a pathway to their dreams through proper mentorship and global exposure. With an objective to make students industry-ready, the contest is designed to let the participants get a first-hand experience from industry leaders. Quest Global, as an organization, strongly believes in nurturing talent to drive innovative solutions to modern problems. Through these events, the company wants to help the next generation of engineers explore their innovative side, addressing the industry's acute talent shortage. About Quest Global We are Quest Global. We're in the business of engineering, but what we're really building is a brighter future. It's not just what we do, but why we do it that makes us different. We believe engineering has the unique opportunity to solve the problems of today that stand in the way of tomorrow. For 25 years, we have strived to be the most trusted partner for the world's hardest engineering problems. As a global organization headquartered in Singapore, we live and work in 17 countries, with 56 global delivery centers & offices, driven by 17,000+ extraordinary employees who make the impossible possible every day. Quest Global brings deep industry knowledge and digital expertise to deliver end-to-end global product engineering services. We bring together technologies and industries alongside the contributions of diverse individuals and their areas of expertise to solve problems better, and faster. This multi-dimensional approach enables us to solve the most important and large-scale challenges across the Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Energy, Hi-Tech, Healthcare, Medical Devices, Rail, and Semiconductor industries. Read more. For more information, please contact: Anubhuti Agarwal,

Email: [email protected] Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1830310/Quest_Global_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/quest-global-reinforces-commitment-to-encourage-indias-future-engineers-concludes-11th-edition-of-ingenium-in-kochi-301775020.html

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[March 17, 2023] Flow Computer Market worth $1,067 million in 2028 - Exclusive Report by MarketsandMarkets

CHICAGO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The flow computer market in oil & gas is projected to grow from USD 798 million in 2023 to USD 1,067 million in 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.0% from 2023 to 2028 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The growth of the market is attributed to the technological advancements in oil & gas industry and suitability in many functions of the oil & gas industry. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=204499128 Browse in-depth TOC on "Flow Computer Market"

146  Tables

48  Figures

183  Pages Hardware segment to account for largest market during the forecast period In the hardware component, the market for flow computer devices is considered. The flow computers are used in upstream, midstream, and downstream oil and gas operations. These flow computer devices perform significant tasks of accurate flow calculations and therefore are employed at multiple operation points. Upstream segment is expected to register highest CAGR in the forecast period A flow computer is used in upstream while metering the oil and gas coming out of the ground. Crude oil is produced either with the help of natural underground pressure or by injecting liquid or gas into the well to force the oil out. The steam is injected into the well, particularly where heavy crude is accommodated. Flow computers are required to measure and monitor the production and control the injection of fluids. The flow computer outputs of the injection process and production rate provide necessary information to the reservoir engineer of how effective the injection process is and also the condition of the well. This information allows the reservoir engineer to better understand and estimate, if further action is needed to increase or optimize production of the reservoir or the well. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=204499128 North America is expected to register larger market share in 2023 and is expected to grow at a significant rate from 2023 to 2028 North America dominated the flow computer market in oil & gas and is expected to hold the same position during the forecast period. The region is home of some of the key players of flow computer such as Emerson Electric Co. (US), Honeywell (US), Thermo Fisher Scientific (US), and OMNI Flow Computers (US) Furthermore, Canada has one of the biggest reserves of oil & gas, while market in the US contributes the highest to the flow computer market in oil & gas. As per the statistics of the Statistical Rview of World Energy 2022 report published by BP (UK), US was the largest oil & gas-producing country in the world.



Key players operating in the flow computer market in oil & gas include Emerson Electric Co. (US), Honeywell International, Inc. (US), ABB (Switzerland), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (US), Schneider Electric (France), Krohne Messtechnik GmbH (Germany), Yokogawa Electric Corporation (Japan), TechnipFMC plc (US), OMNI Flow Computers, Inc. (US), Dynamic Flow Computers, Inc. (US), Contrec Limited (UK), Kessler-Ellis Products (KEP) Co, Inc. (US), Sensia (US). Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=204499128

Browse Adjacent Market: Semiconductor and Electronics Market Research Reports &Consulting Related Reports: Process Automation and Instrumentation Market by Instrument (Field Instruments, Process Analyzers), Solution (PLC, DCS, SCADA, HMI, Functional Safety, MES), Industry and Region (2022-2027) Flow Meter Market by Type (Differential Pressure, Positive Displacement, Magnetic (In-line, Insertion, Low Flow), Ultrasonic (Spool piece, Clamp-on, Insertion), Coriolis, Turbine, Vortex)), End-use Industry, and Region (2021 - 2026) Magnetic Flowmeter Market by Type (In-Line, Insertion, Low Flow), Component (Flow Tube, Sensing Electrodes), Application (Water & Wastewater, Food & Beverages, Chemicals, Pulp & Paper), and Geography - Global Trends & Forecasts from 2014 to 2020 Intelligent Flow Meter Market by Type (Magnetic, Coriolis, Ultrasonic, Vortex, Multiphase, Thermal, Turbine, Variable Area, & Differential Pressure), Offering, Communication Protocol, Industry, and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 Human Machine Interface Market by Product (Hardware (Basic HMI, Advanced PC Based HMI, Advanced Panel Based HMI) and Software (On Premise HMI and Cloud Based HMI), Configuration (Embedded HMI, Standalone HMI) and Region - Global Forecast to 2027 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

SA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]

Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/

Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/flow-computer-oil-gas-market.asp

Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/flow-computer-oil-gas.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/flow-computer-market-worth-1-067-million-in-2028---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-301774821.html

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[March 17, 2023]

Canadian securities regulators warn public about unregistered trading platform Nova Tech Ltd

TORONTO, March 17, 2023 /CNW/ - The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) is warning the public that Nova Tech Ltd (NovaTech), which operates the website www.novatechfx.com, is not registered with a securities regulator in any province or territory in Canada. This means they are not authorized to offer trading in any securities or derivatives to anyone located in Canada.

NovaTech may be operating in breach of provincial and territorial securities and derivatives law, including provisions related to unregulated trading and the illegal distribution of securities. NovaTech appears to offer investment products and trading services through its website. On February 5, 2023, NovaTech announced a temporary freeze in trading account withdrawals for a period of 60 days.

On March 2, 2023, the Capital Markets Tribunal (Ontario) extended a cease trade order issued by the Ontario Securities Commission, which requires, among other things, that NovaTech temporarily ceases all trading in any securities.







Anyone trading securities or derivatives or providing investment advice in relation to securities and derivatives in Canada, including platforms that facilitate the trading of products based on forex and crypto assets, must comply with applicable securities or derivatives legislation. Investors should always check the registration of any person or business trying to sell them an investment or give them investment advice. To do this, investors can visit AreTheyRegistered.ca.

For more information on how to spot and avoid investment fraud, please visit the CSA website.

Canadian investors who have been approached by NovaTech or purchased its investment products can contact their provincial or territorial securities regulator.

The CSA, the council of the securities regulators of Canada's provinces and territories, co-ordinates and harmonizes regulation for the Canadian capital markets.

For investor inquiries, please contact your local securities regulator.

SOURCE Canadian Securities Administrators
[March 17, 2023]

Government of Canada invests up to $37 million to bring high-speed Internet and mobile connectivity to economic regions across Saskatchewan

MEADOW LAKE, SK, March 17, 2023 /CNW/ - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

All Canadians need reliable, affordable high-speed Internet and cellular service, no matter where they live. That is why the Government of Canada is taking action to bring high-speed Internet access and mobile connectivity to unserved and underserved regions across the province.

Today, the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, announced up to $37 million in funding for projects that will bring high-speed Internet access and mobile connectivity to communities across Saskatchewan. Thanks to this funding, over 5,000 homes in Northern Saskatchewan, Prince Albert, SaskatoonBiggar, ReginaMoose Mountain and YorktonMelville, including over 2,700 homes in Indigenous communities, will benefit from improved high-speed Internet access, and mobile connectivity will be improved along up to 500 kilometres of highway.

Today's announcement builds on the Government of Canada's progress toward ensuring that 98% of Canadians have access to high-speed Internet by 2026, and 100% by 2030.

Quotes

"We all know that Internet and mobile connectivity are no longer a luxurythey're a necessity. That's why our government made a historic commitment to connect 98% of Canadians to high-speed Internet by 2026 and why we continue to improve mobile connectivity across the country. Today's announcement in Meadow Lake marks a significant milestone for connectivity in Saskatchewan. The funding committed will bring reliable high-speed Internet access to more than 5,000 underserved homes in communities across the province."

 The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development

Quick facts







The Universal Broadband Fund is a $3 .225 billion investment by the Government of Canada designed to help provide high-speed Internet access to 98% of Canadians by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100% access by 2030.

.225 billion investment by the Government of designed to help provide high-speed Internet access to 98% of Canadians by 2026 and achieve the national target of 100% access by 2030. Already, 93.5% of Canadian homes today have access to high-speed Internet or will be covered by a project currently under way, compared to just 79% in 2014.

Since 2015, the Government of Canada has invested more than $50 million in connectivity projects in Saskatchewan .

Associated links

Stay connected

Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on social media.

Twitter: @ISED_CA , Facebook: Canadian Innovation , Instagram: @cdninnovation and LinkedIn

SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
[March 17, 2023] HILLARY SCHAFER, MULTIPLYING GOOD CEO, ANNOUNCES SHE WILL STEP DOWN IN 2023

Longtime CEO, Hillary Schafer informs Multiplying Good Board of Governors her intent to step down from position in 2023 and board begins work to search for successor. NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Multiplying Good, the nation's leading nonprofit focused on fueling personal growth and leadership through public service, announced that CEO Hillary Schafer is stepping down after 10 years of service. The executive search firm Korn Ferry has been retained by the Board of Governors to assist in the search for a new CEO. She will remain as CEO until her successor is named and will move into a leadership role on the Board of Governors when the transition is complete. Hillary Schafer informs Multiplying Good Board of Governors her intent to step down as CEO in 2023. "After an amazing and transformative decade at Multiplying Good, I've decided that my efforts will have maximum impact as a leader on our Board of Governors," stated Schafer. "We have the opportunity to bring in a world-class leader who has the skills, energy and experience necessary to execute against a bold strategic vision. I am excited for this next chapter  both for Multiplying Good and for myself." Over the last ten years, Schafer led the organization to new heights as one of the largest champions and leaders in the power of public service and good n the country. She led the rebranding of the organization, formerly known as the Jefferson Award Foundation, to Multiplying Good. The new name better reflects the nonprofit's mission to transform individuals through service and multiply the good they create. She oversaw the deepening and strengthening of the organization's in-depth leadership training and development for youth through the Students in Action program, which has mobilized 62,000 youth across the country, build up the work celebrating organizations through corporate partners, and increased partnerships to recognize local changemakers across the country through its many established media partners.



"Hillary's leadership has been transformational. During her tenure, the organization has tripled in size and has created significant national impact when it comes to service," said Jack Russi, Chair of Multiplying Good Board of Governors. "Like all great leaders, through her commitment to our mission and values, she has built an impressive team, and positioned Multiplying Good for the next stage of its growth and impact journey. The next CEO will be the beneficiary of this exemplary work, and I personally look forward to having Hillary play a significant role on the Board of Governors and continue to invest a meaningful amount of her time and energy into the success of Multiplying Good." The organization also continued to honor the best in public service with the Jefferson Awards, which in 2022 celebrated its 50th anniversary, with a list of honorees that is unparalleled. They include hundreds of national figures - both public and private - more than 65,000 unsung heroes, tens of thousands of employees, and young people in communities across the county.

Prior to joining Multiplying Good in 2013, Schafer worked on Wall Street for 12 years. She served as Head of U.S. Institutional Equity Sales at Citigroup in New York City and during that time was one of the highest-ranking women in the equity business. As a prominent woman in the world of finance, Schafer honed her ability to process information quickly and then take precise action at the right time, skills that transferred seamlessly to her stewardship of Multiplying Good over the past decade. About Multiplying Good Multiplying Good is a national nonprofit that believes in the power of service to others to unleash potential, inspire individuals, and transform lives. Multiplying Good fuels personal growth and leadership development through a continuum that starts with engagement and culminates in recognition. It has offices in 11 communities across the country, delivering on-the-ground impact where it is needed most. Founded in 1972 by Sam Beard, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Senator Robert Taft, Jr., the organization has recognized the extraordinary public service of thousands with its Jefferson Award. To learn more, visit MultiplyingGood.org. CONTACT: Amy Reiland

VP, Marketing & Communications

(714) 606-3267

[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hillary-schafer-multiplying-good-ceo-announces-she-will-step-down-in-2023-301775257.html SOURCE Multiplying Good

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[March 17, 2023] FTX Debtors Share Summary Presentation of the Filed Schedules and SOFAs

Presentation Intended to Aid Stakeholders in Review of the Schedules and SOFAs WILMINGTON, Del., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FTX Trading Ltd. (d.b.a. FTX.com), and its affiliated debtors (together, the "FTX Debtors") today announced that they provided the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors with a presentation summarizing the filed Schedules and SOFAs. The presentation will be filed on the docket in the Chapter 11 cases today. This is the third in a series of presentations that the FTX Debtors have prepared for the benefit of all stakeholders. The FTX Debtors are providing this presentation as a helpful and informative way t assist stakeholders in their review of the voluminous information contained in the filed Schedules and SOFAs. The information contained in the presentation is disclaimed by the Global Notes accompanying the Schedules and SOFAs. The Schedules and SOFAs are unaudited and subject to potential adjustment, revisions and/or amendments, which may be material.



The presentation and information can be found on the docket of the chapter 11 cases and posted on the quick links section of the FTX Debtors Kroll site at https://cases.ra.kroll.com/FTX/. Advisors

The FTX Debtors are represented by Sullivan & Cromwell LLP as legal counsel and are assisted by Alvarez & Marsal North America, LLC as financial advisor, Perella Weinberg Partners LP as investment banker, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP as special counsel and Landis Rath & Cobb LLP as Delaware counsel. The UCC is represented by Paul Hastings LLP as legal counsel, FTI Consulting as financial advisor, Jefferies LLC as investment banker and Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor LLP as Delaware counsel. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ftx-debtors-share-summary-presentation-of-the-filed-schedules-and-sofas-301775309.html SOURCE FTX

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[March 17, 2023] DSM - delivery of shares

This is a press release by Koninklijke DSM N.V. (Royal DSM), pursuant to the provisions of Sections 13 paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Dutch Decree on Public Takeover Bids (Besluit openbare biedingen Wft) (the Decree) in connection with the public offer by Danube AG (to be renamed DSM-Firmenich AG) for all the issued and outstanding ordinary shares in the capital of DSM (the Exchange Offer). This press release does not constitute an offer, or any solicitation of any offer, to buy or subscribe for any securities. This press release is not for general release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, in or into, directly or indirectly, the United States or any other jurisdiction where such release, publication or distribution would violate applicable laws or regulations. HEERLEN, Netherlands, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the Offering Circular published on 22 November 2022, Royal DSM is required to announce transactions relating to the ordinary shares in its capital in accordance with the Dutch public offer rules. This includes the delivery of treasury shares to employees in view of settling the vesting of share units or the exercise of stock options. Pursuant to commitments entered into prior to issuing the Offering Circular, DSM has on 17 March 2023, delivered 690 ordinary shares to employees in view of settling the exercise of an equivalent number of stock options granted under the respective DSM Incentive Plan (average exercise price 97.61). On the date hereof, the total number of issued and outstanding DSM ordinary shares is 173,153,342. As a consequence of the delivery included herein, the number of outstanding DSM ordinary shares increased by 0.0004%. DSM

Royal DSM is a global, purpose-led company in Health, Nutrition & Bioscience, applying science to improve the health of people, animals and the planet. DSM's purpose is to create brighter lives for all. DSM's products and solutions address some of the world's biggest challenges while simultaneously creating economic, environmental and societal value for all its stakeholders  customers, employees, shareholders, and society at large. The company was founded in 1902 and is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. More information can be found at www.dsm.com. Or find us on:

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/3108

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DSM

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DSMcompany

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/dsmcompany For more information







DSM Media Relations Gareth Mead tel. +31 (0) 45 5782420 email [email protected] DSM Investor Relations Dave Huizing tel. +31 (0) 45 5782864 email [email protected]

Forward-looking statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements with respect to DSM's future (financial) performance and position. Such statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections of DSM and information currently available to the company. DSM cautions readers that such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and therefore it should be understood that many factors can cause actual performance and position to differ materially from these statements. DSM has no obligation to update the statements contained in this press release, unless required by law. The English language version of the press release is leading. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/329419/3944895/dsm_logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/dsm---delivery-of-shares-301775230.html

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Our editorial stance . . .

The historic rise in deadly crime SHOULD BE KANSAS CITY'S TOP CONCERN.

Sadly . . . That's not the case despite an election season rush and so much posturing for money and power.

Given that fact of life . . . We're a bit bummed out but still dedicated to helping our readers learn more about threats right in their backyard.

And so we take a quick look at police action and all manner of crime reporting . . .



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Victim dies in the hospital several days after shooting in Kansas City The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department has opened a homicide investigation after a late death in a shooting that occurred over the weekend. It's the latest in a string of homicides in the city. Just before 11:45 p.m. on March 11, 2023, officers were called to the 1500 block of West 12th Street in response to a shooting call.

Kansas City Police lawyer accused of withholding public records leaves department Holly Dodge, the Kansas City Police Department general counsel who was accused by a former department attorney of wrongly withholding public records, is no longer with the police department. According to KCPD officials, Dodge chose to leave the department and her last day was Wednesday. She joined the department Aug.

Olathe family crushed after attack at boarding facility kills one dog, injures another OLATHE, Kan. (KCTV) - The Crowells are heartbroken at the loss of Bauer. He was a 15-year-old Pomeranian-Shih-Tzu mix that weighed 10 pounds. He was attacked by another dog at a boarding facility in Olathe. One bite killed him. Their other dog, Henry - a mini labradoodle mix - was at the same facility.

Missouri sheriff, deputies charged in criminal conspiracy involving kidnapping plot POTOSI, Mo. - Iron County Sheriff Jeffery Burkett has been charged in a criminal conspiracy involving a kidnapping plot. Two of Burkett's deputies and an Iron County resident were also charged. The Washington County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is handling the case.

New ATF forensics lab in Kansas will help solve gun crimes WICHITA -Steven Dettelbach, Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives joined Director of Bureau of Justice Assistance Director Karhlton Moore and Senator JerryMoran to announce construction of a new ATF Forensics Laboratory on the gourds of Wichita State University's Innovation Campus.

Missouri man wanted to ban words like 'riot' and 'mob' from Jan. 6 trial. Judge says no Prosecutors can use the words riot, mob and breach at next week's trial of a Missouri locksmith who they say invaded the Capitol on Jan. 6 dressed as George Washington, a federal judge ruled this week. At a hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Royce C.

Silver Alert issued for missing 61-year-old man from Kansas City Kansas City Police Department A Silver Alert was issued for Juan Cerritos, who was last seen on Thursday morning walking in the area of Gladstone and N. Belmont. SOURCE: Kansas City Police Department Kansas City police are looking for a missing 61-year-old man who may be endangered.

Whiskers Cat Cafe asking for donations after thieves break door, steal cash register KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Whiskers Cat Cafe is asking for help after thieves targeted their business. Owner Audrey Boese said workers arrived to Whiskers Thursday morning to find the glass to their front door shattered and their cash register taken .

Developing . . .
If you've been reading this blog for awhile you know that Dave is a great friend of the blog and one of our favorite denizens of the community.

Tonight Super Dave shares A GREAT HOMESPUN READ on all things election, Kansas City and politics.

Here's the word . . .



Super Dave: Be Smart & Vote Smart

In less than a month people all over the Kansas City Metro area will be headed to the polls to vote on a variety of issues that will be on the ballots everywhere. And as usual there will probably be a very low voter turnout and who does get out to vote seems to always put back into power those that should never have been voted into office in the first place. I cant understand why people continuously say my vote will make no difference. Your votes do make all the difference in the world. If at least 80% of the voters get out and vote a person into office or approve a tax or bond issue then you know that the majority has spoken but when only a minority of the voters speaks you have no idea what mightve taken place if everybody had gotten out and voted. I find it very puzzling that people will go to places like Worlds of Fun, NASCAR race tracks, Chiefs games and such where they spend lots of money to do so while standing in line for hours on end or all day long there in lines such as WOF but they dont have time to stand 30 minutes or 45 minutes in line to cast a vote which costs them nothing. I mean come on dont you agree with that? If its really important they dont have time but if its for goofing off they have all the time in the world. People can take time off work to attend parades and drinking in the streets yet they dont seem to have the time to go vote on matters that really matter.

The upcoming election here in a few days is a chance for voters all over the metro area to send a huge message to our politicians. The message that you could send that will definitely shake up the status quo would be to not vote anybody back into office that is currently in office in the Kansas City Missouri elections. Those currently in office in Kansas City Missouri have displayed time and time again reasons voters should not want them back in office. Elect a whole new group of people to fill the current positions in these elections. Send a very, very, loud message that says if you cant do the job you dont get to stay on the job.



The most powerful tool any resident has anywhere in this country is your vote on political and government elections. And at the same time you should be demanding and protesting for honest legal elections. I cant understand for the life of me why anybody would be against photo IDs in order to vote. You have to have a photo ID to drive a car but you dont think you need a photo ID in order to do something such as voting people into office to run the governments of our cities, states and country. How do we get honest elections? It is very possible to have it happen but would entail a lot more scrutiny and results may be a day in the making but then again whats 24 to 48 hours difference going to make? Nobody takes office till months later anyway. Only the media would have issues since they wouldnt be able to predict anything. A deadline should be set at lets say 12 noon two days after an election for each election board to release all at once the results, for one that would eliminate the putting out of fake votes if one side or the other is behind. There can be put into place checks and balances to establish the legality of the votes being made. Have those votes checked through two or three different vote counts along with the elimination of mail-in balloting except for members in the service who are out of country or away from home at the time along with those unable to vote due to medical conditions that keep them from going to the polls. Mail in voting needs to have a clear cut off time and no exceptions at all. Early voting in nursing homes and such can take place by the local electoral election board simply by having that board go out to these nursing homes and conduct the voting and making sure that the person doing the voting is a registered voter and who is actually placing their mark on the ballot. This really sounds like a complicated issue but in all reality its not, it just takes some simple and I mean very simple planning and putting in place the procedures. Good grief we can send a flipping spaceship to another planet that half the people dont even know where it exists in the sky but we cant put on what appears to be legal honest unquestionable elections. Anybody that says our elections are totally honest is only kidding themselves as I even know theyre not honest as I saw issues in the last election with the machine I was using but the workers wouldnt take it out of service. We have to start being honest with ourselves and start making sure legal elections are taking place and at the elections the questions for voters to approve or not are honestly described on the ballot without any trick wording. Voters should be able to go to the polls and not be totally confused about how to vote because somebody wrote up the issues in a manner that could cause voters to think they voted correctly when they didnt. Personally I liked the old school way of filling in the circle beside the issue youre voting for rather than relying on a machine to do so.



In the Kansas City Mayor position this coming election there appears to only be two candidates unless somebody and a lot of people do a lot of write-ins. I find it interesting that Mayor Lucas wont do a debate as he has a legally qualified candidate running against him based on the current laws on the books for a candidate in the city of Kansas City Missouri. Now I guess Mayor Lucas thinks hes got this thing won hands down and maybe he does or is he scared to come off looking bad if he were to debate? Failing to debate strikes me as Mayor Lucas thinking he is too good to do so. Is Clay Chastain the man for Kansas City? I absolutely have no idea and Ill be very honest with you in saying so. A lot of people dislike him because of his light rail ideas. Well Id really doubt in four years he could shove any kind of light rail thing on the people of Kansas City. Some question his character in the past on some polls and whatnot. That was a lot of questionable actions and nothing was really ever legally proved one way or the other technically. But look at Mayor Lucas, what about his questionable character actions? Mayor Lucas is not squeaky clean either by any means. But the voters know what Mayor Lucas has done in the past and I cannot believe that they will stand by and support more of that activity. So many people say the actions of Mayor Lucas is all for his own personal political scene in years to come in higher offices, well nows the time the voters could shut that down from taking place. Im not making it a point to say I am supporting Clay Chastain for mayor any more than Im supporting Mayor Lucas for mayor but I will make it well-known what is in place now is not working and anybody that believes it is working is not able to objectionably really look at the issues at hand and be willing to be a part of making changes because changes have to take place as Kansas City cannot continue to go in the direction it is going. The voters have a chance to make it well-known of their displeasure and not just blindly vote for more of the same. Ive been told often in different adventures all through the years that sometimes change is good and more often than not change will be good. Now is the time for the people to make the changes take place.

######################



You decide . . .


Our traditional nicer local links in lieu of so much news poison manufactured by MSM so that strangers can ague with each other online rather than thinking about issues that might impact their lives.



And so . . .

Here's a nicer view of Kansas City and stories that others might be tempted to overlook . . .



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Parade of Hearts to hold public reveal event in April for 40 new hearts KANSAS CITY, Mo. - It won't be too long before 40 brand new hearts from Parade of Hearts will be displayed across the Kansas City metro and you could be the first to see them. Parade of Hearts announced Wednesday is will be holding a ticketed public reveal event.

Sauer Castle ownership transferred to LLC KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The story of the 150-year-old Sauer Castle may be entering a new chapter. KCTV5 obtained a copy of a general warranty deed that appears to transfer ownership of the property from its longtime owner, Carl Lopp, to Sauer Castle, LLC.

Local bridal designer honored for her dedication to putting Kansas City on world map LENEXA, Kan. - A local designer is being recognized for putting the Kansas City area on the world map for bridal fashion. Martine Harris started her bridal line, Essense of Australia, as a two-person team in Perth, Australia, more than 20 years ago.

College students from Virginia volunteer time to help Kansas City's homeless population For many area college and universities it's spring break week, ut not all students are looking for time off during that break. A group of students from James Madison University in Virginia drove 14 hours to Kansas City to donate their time to help the homeless.

Northland couple hopes their story will inspire others to learn CPR NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A northland woman is recovering after her husband saved her life using CPR. The mother of seven and grandmother of five is happy to be alive. Jennifer Shueddig's heart stopped for more than 20 minutes. Dr. Justin Maxfield said a big reason for that is her husbands quick action - performing CPR.

'I teared up': Over 300 become American citizens at naturalization ceremony in Overland Park There are more than 340 new Americans following a naturalization ceremony in Overland Park on Thursday. A federal judge presided over the event at Johnson County Community College. During the naturalization interview, a person must answer 10 civics questions, ranging from what the Declaration of Independence did and how many amendments the Constitution has.

Ten Things To Do In KC This Weekend, March 16-19 Here are ten great things to do in KC this weekend, March 16-19, including: St. Patrick's Day at KCLive!, Planet Comicon, and Blake Shelton at T-Mobile Center. Colony House Tennessee based indie-rock band Colony House is stopping in KC on their US tour in support of their new album, The Cannonballers, before ending their tour and making their Bonnaroo debut in their home state.

Hopefully, we'll have more for the morning update . . . STAY TUNED!!!
Actually . . .



It sounds like the guy crafted some kind of dystopian mace . . .



Here's the story . . .



"Court documents state the defendant beat the victim in the head with an industrial metal bolt that was tied to fabric."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Kansas City man accused of fatally beating individual with metal bolt in apartment A Kansas City man is accused of fatally beating another man with a metal bolt. Charles Stamper, 57, has been charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Court documents state the defendant beat the victim in the head with an industrial metal bolt that was tied to fabric.

Kansas City man charged in deadly beating of another man with a metal bolt KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A 57-year-old Kansas City, Missouri man is charged in the deadly beating of another man with a metal bolt Wednesday afternoon at a Kansas City apartment. Jackson County prosecutors on Thursday charged Charles E. Stamper with second-degree murder, armed criminal action and violation of an order of protection.

Developing . . .


Since COVID and the BLM riots/uprising there really hasn't been a great deal traffic enforcement in Kansas City. It just isn't worth it . . . Stopping a speeder isn't really worth another bout of deadly civil unrest that burns down American cities fueled by social media & MSM hate.

Meanwhile . . . There are a few funny social media outlets dedicated to laughing at temp tags dating back to 2020.

The consequence . . . We always warn our readers that driving is a lot more dangerous than it has been in recent years.

This year a tragic crash claimed the life of a KCPD officer . . . In the aftermath there was anger at the Jackson County prosecutor because the guy made bail easily. However, as more deets from his case become available . . . It turns out there are quite a few people/institutions responsible for keeping him on the street before inevitable tragedy.



Here's the detail that stands out . . .



"During the two years prior to that deadly Feb. 15 crash at the intersection of Truman Road and Benton Boulevard, SUSPECT received a warning after another incident when he allegedly ran a red light while speeding and had the careless driving conviction, but there is no indication that his license was ever suspended or revoked."



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
With so much focus on climate change and the need to take care of our planet now before its too late, the employment landscape is changing. Today and into the future, green is the colour of choice  whether that be the type of energy we generate, the kind of home we live in or the foods we eat.
A role for Desperadoes Steel Orchestra..in suppressing crime..as it gets a spanking new state-of -the-art pan theatre.

At this afternoon's handing over ceremony.. at George Street in Port of Spain.., Prime Minister Rowley called on Despers.. to be a catalyst for change in the community.. and to prevent violence from infiltrating the space..at all cost.
The Government of Slovakia has approved handing over to Ukraine a batch of 13 MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets.

Thats according to the countrys Prime Minister Eduard Heger, who broke the news on Twitter, Ukrinform reports.

"Slovak government just approved sending 13 MiG29s to #Ukraine! Promises must be kept and when President Zelensky asked for more weapons including fighter jets, I said well do our best. Glad others are doing the same. Military aid is to ensure Ukraine can defend itself and the entire Europe against Russia," he wrote.

As reported by Ukrinform, Polands President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday that the first four of the MiG-29 fighter jets promised by his country would be handed over to Ukraine in the coming days.

Denmarks Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also said on Thursday that Western nations are discussing whether to send fighter jets to Ukraine.
Ukrinform continues to publish a series of articles "Legionnaires of the Free World. Anti-Terror"

Imagine a situation: somewhere on the other side of the planet, a beautiful woman is resting on her yacht. In her background she has years of challenging service and high-risk rescue operations. Finally, all dangerous adventures have been left behind. She is enjoying her favorite boat, the ocean and well-deserved rest. Under such circumstances, someone might treat a phone call from a friend with an invitation to go to war in Ukraine as an improper suggestion. But this woman watches the story of one huge terrorist state, Russia, attacking its neighbor, much smaller in terms of area and population. She sees how Ukrainians try to survive amid shelling and bombing, and how fiercely they resist. So, she cannot stand aside, and no later than in two months she is rescuing people out of the ruined buildings in the war-torn city of Lysychansk, saving the lives of the wounded and fighting her way out of the ambushes. It is not a work of fiction, nor an action movie storyline. She is an Armed Forces of Ukraine servicewoman of New Zealand origin, call sign "Kiwi," a combat medic in the 2nd International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine.

"Kiwi"

HONOR AND GRATITUDE

"During all the time we know her, since May 2022 till today, she never refused to go on a mission, and spent three months on the frontline without rotation. Ive been impressed with her ability to multitask, shes like a perfect multi-purpose tool. If needed, she can shoot a rifle, or pilot a drone. We had real combat situations when she guided small units with a drone. In the most dangerous moments, when we were repelling the assaults of large enemy forces, she was the one who motivated the adjacent units to keep fighting. Without knowledge of the Ukrainian language, she was able to deliver the message by gestures: Stand up and fight! And it worked. She always understands from half a word, or even without words, what to do. When I hear the callsign Kiwi, I feel deep gratitude. And it is an honor for me to serve in the same unit with her," says "Santa," the commander of the 2nd International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine.

"Santa"

THE LEGION'S LEGEND

"Its hard to find a more heroic soldier. She saved many lives. And she handles her rifle maybe even more eagerly than her syringes and needles. She is more than a hero; she is a true legend within the International Legion. A legend of this war. Once, guys from a neighboring unit were hit with some heavy weaponry, and we evacuated them from the rubble. There were dead and wounded people among them. One wounded guy had his leg trapped between a concrete slab and a log. Neglecting her personal safety, she continued doing her job, while mortar rounds landed closer and closer. She agreed to take cover only after Viking and myself told her that we are not going anywhere without her. We waited a while, and then we managed to pull the wounded man out. When he was being loaded on a pickup truck, she ran to us and said He cannot be transported like that. I need to fix his foot, or otherwise he is going to lose the leg. So, she hopped in the truck and went all the way with him, with a high chance of getting hit by enemy fire. Only after completing all necessary procedures, she jumped off the truck when it slowed down, and returned back to the units position," says "India," the deputy commander of the 2nd International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine.

"India"

"I FEEL LIKE IVE KNOWN HER ALL MY LIFE"

"Not everyone can even imagine the things she does. I never call anyone a hero, but if it wasnt for her, at least ten good people wouldnt be alive. Pulling people out of the rubble under mortar fire Evacuating wounded soldiers with a driver who does not speak English, takes a wrong turn, and instead of driving to the hospital, approaches the enemy positions When the disoriented driver realized what was going on and told the team: The orcs [Russian soldiers  Ed.] are over there, Kiwi instantly crossed the language barrier and, adding a bit of harsh vocabulary used by soldiers all around the globe, helped him to deal with the shocking news: Grab your rifle and shoot in that direction! Luckily, they managed to get the wounded to the hospital. She is from New Zealand, but for us she is no longer a foreigner. A very strong and very kind person. I feel like Ive known her all my life," says "Mukha," a serviceman in the 2nd International Legion for the Defense of Ukraine.

"Mukha"

FACE TO FACE WITH THE LEGEND. DIRECT SPEECH

 How can we call you?

 My name is Kiwi.

 What brought you to Ukraine, and why did you decide to go to war?

 Its a hard question to answer, because an important thing to me at this stage, so many months in, is not why I came, but what keeps me here, like the team and the guys I work with. But what drove me to come here? I originally came to help as a civilian doctor, to do whatever I could. To help Ukraine, obviously. Almost all of the rest of the world sees this illegal invasion by Russia. I put myself in a position of an average Ukrainian, thinking what would happen if my country was invaded tomorrow by somebody. So, I just came over to help in any way I could.

 What impressed you the most from what youve seen here in Ukraine?

 The people and the food! They are great! All the guys I served with, and all the civilians Ive met have been just straight up good people, really welcoming, really enjoyable to spend time with. Its very similar to New Zealand in a lot of ways. People really appreciate the agricultural sector, the producers, and the land, this is the breadbasket of the world. This feels very familiar to me from New Zealand. People just want to have a good time with their friends and their family. They are resourceful people as well. As weve seen on some of the Youtube videos with tractors pulling tanks. Ukrainians are very resourceful people. It feels very familiar to a Kiwi.

 Please tell us about your combat experience. What will you remember the most?

 I spent most of the last year in Donbas. It was quite a different war from the one the guys in Kharkiv, Kherson had, who were on the offensive. We were mostly in defensive ops. I think, one of the villages we were operating in has got a dubious honor of being the most shelled place in the world. There was a lot of artillery. Look, any story when we saved one of our guys is a sad story, because he got hit in the first place. Its never my favorite thing to talk about. We definitely had some lucky escapes  guys trapped in buildings, buildings on fire, basement collapsed... I dont know where to start. There are too many scenarios.

 Did you have a chance to provide medical care to civilians as well?

 Yes, a few civilians here and there... But often the areas where we are operating are almost evacuated of civilians, or, unfortunately, people have died with the onslaught of the artillery. Also, our company provided a lot of medical assistance to other units, who didnt have their own medic. So, we were mostly busy with that. But yes, some civilians, even without injuries, but just the fact they couldnt get out to see a doctor about certain things, like skin problems, or diabetes, or something like that.

 Combat medics often joke that the best medical assistance in combat is to suppress the enemy with fire. What do you think about this based on your experience?

 Yes, sure. I always tell all the medics I expect them to be soldiers first, and medics second. You cant be on the battlefield if you dont know how to fight. There were a couple of places where we had to fight our way out of things, or do all-round defense, when nobody was sure what was happening. There was this place near Bakhmut, where, unfortunately, we were forced to retreat from, fighting our way out of those positions. Completely overwhelming numbers of Russians, exactly as everyone sees on TV. You know, dozens of guys for every our guy, and so much overwhelming firepower. So, we were pretty lucky to fight our way out.

 What brings you energy to do this extremely difficult and dangerous job?

 I think, its kind of collective energy of the group, everyone keeps everyone else going. Everybody would rather be somewhere else doing something else, but its just not possible at the moment  until the victory. So, you just have your mates motivating you to keep going.

 How, in your opinion, the situation will develop, and what will be the end of this war?

 Its a pretty big question. I think, for the freedom of the world, for the good of everyone, it has to end with Ukrainian victory. We cant allow bully to use force to take what they want, while the rest of the world stands and looks on. In my opinion, and that of many others, the rest of the world is fortunate to have Ukraine fighting its war for it. Because its not just about Ukraine. I think, we all know that.

 What are your plans for after the war?

 Im going to sail my yacht around the world and sit on the beach somewhere. Or go to the mountains, which always feel like home

Volodymyr Patola

Translated by Oleksandr Goral
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a phone call with Slovakia's Prime Minister Eduard Heger thanked him for a powerful air defense package for Ukraine.

The head of state said this on Twitter, Ukrinform reports.

"Our Brussels agreements are working! During a phone call, I thanked Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger for a powerful package of air & air defense weapons, including MiG aircraft. I appreciate his personal role in supporting Ukraine. I look forward to continuing our dialogue in Kyiv," Zelensky said.

The Government of Slovakia earlier agreed to send 13 Soviet MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Great Britain will financially support Moldova and Georgia against the backdrop of Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine.According to British reports, the UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, during his visit to 2 countries, will announce additional funding, which will be used for economic reforms in Moldova, and strengthening security for Georgia during the 2024 elections.The UK is providing an additional 10m to support economic and governance reforms in Moldova, and 500,000 for security in Georgia's elections next year."To strengthen democracy in Georgia, the United Kingdom will allocate 500,000 pounds to create the necessary environment for free, fair elections in 2024, which will be protected from external interference," the statement reads.NATO handed over vehicles to the Defense Forces of Georgia. Six units of Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 150 equipped with special equipment were delivered to Georgia within the NATO-Georgia Essential Package (SNGP) military police initiative.According to the reports, the Minister of Defense of Georgia, Juansher Burchuladze, the head of the NATO Liaison Office, Alexander Vinnikov, representatives of the Defense Forces and the main group of NATO attended the ceremony of handing over vehicles.The Ministry of Defense said that the vehicles, which are equipped with special sets necessary for various types of investigative and criminal investigations, will be used by the Military Police of the Defense Forces for official purposes. Specialized vehicles will further improve the military police's quick and effective response capabilities.The vehicles were purchased by the NATO Trust Fund and the total cost is 542,520.00 Euros. Latvia and Australia are contributors to the project.
March 17 2023

Cruden Building has commenced work on 20 affordable town centre homes in Bonnyrigg on behalf of Midlothian Council.

Part of a broader commitment to deliver 182 such homes, billed as the largest Passivhaus build in Scotland, the development the AHR designed flats offer a mix of assisted living and over-55s housing within an energy-efficient structure.

In a project overview, AHR wrote: "Inside, each room is designed with plenty of space to easily adapt in the future, catering to peoples changing and varying needs with the construction and detailing to enable ceiling hoists to be retrofitted should they need to.

"The external site benefits from a brick colour throughout, helping to gracefully blend into its surrounding buildings. Importantly, the supported living development then becomes indistinguishable from regular market housing by avoiding institutional features whilst enhancing the character of the local area."

Each home at 83 High Street will be fitted with Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery units with work set to complete in July 2024.
March 17 2023

Glasgow Life has put forward plans to stabilise the subsidence hit Mitchell Library following the spread of cracks across floors walls and ceilings in the southern bay of the 1911 wing.

Worsening conditions prompted a decant of books from the historic Jeffrey Room in 2018, with a subsequent investigation by Network Rail laying the finger of suspicion at the Finnieston tunnel beneath Kent Road. Engineers discovered large deposits of sand and silt building up on the track bed after a sink hole was discovered on the carriageway back in 2021.

Now Narro have been engaged to help stabilise the existing foundations, a stepped masonry platform which bottoms out just 1.5m below pavement level. Leaching of soil beneath these foundations has caused the Kent Road facade to drop 24mm relative to the rest of the building.

In their report the council's Property Consultancy Services department wrote: "The settlement of the facade appears to have happened in a timeframe much less gradual than the erosion of the sub-soil: years or months, instead of decades. This is thought to be due to the building structure storing strain, due to the very robust and rigid construction of the massive four storey stonework wall, its strong structural connections to internal steel beams and columns, and there-by to the general floor structures, which were designed to support extremely high bookstack loads.

"This structural rigidity and cohesion probably kept the facade relatively stable until a recent significant underground leaching event created a matrix of voids large enough for the facade to slowly sink in to, dragging the Jeffrey Room and lower floor beams with it to create the cracking evident in the floor and walls of this wing of the original building."

The preferred solution is to underpin the foundations using piles to transfer loads to the underlying rock in tandem with repairs to the railway tunnel - although all occupants and contents of the affected wing must be decanted for the duration of this work.
A lesser spotted flowering bread tree Carbuncle judges refused to sit on the fence, branding Linwood Scotland's most dismal town

Ghost town: Tesco claim they will be on site within three weeks Pigeons are now the soul occupiers of upper levels

Renfrewshire Council have refused to maintain the site whilst Tesco prevaricate Residents must traverse a decaying mall to access Linwood's library, health centre and town hall

This church awaits divine intervention Vandals have broken off shutters to parts of the mall interior

Who you gonna call?
The Federal Cabinet on Friday approved the winding down of the SME Bank on the recommendation of the State Bank of Pakistan with the instructions to ensure protection of consumers' deposits

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Mar, 2023 ):The Federal Cabinet on Friday approved the winding down of the SME Bank on the recommendation of the State Bank of Pakistan with the instructions to ensure protection of consumers' deposits.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, chairing the meeting of the Federal Cabinet, instructed that the protection of the customers' deposits should be ensured during the winding down process. It was decided that all of the bank customers would be paid Rs 5.557 billion, in the first phase.

The Cabinet also approved the Lawyers Protection Bill 2023 for its onward tabling before the Parliament, a PM Office press release said.

The Prime Minister said that the lawyers had played a key role in the constitutional evolution of Pakistan.

He said approval for the support price of Rs 8500 per 40 kilograms of cotton had also been granted to make the crop profitable for the growers.

On the Finance Ministry's recommendation, the Federal Cabinet granted ex-post facto approval to 15 bilateral and two multilateral MoUs of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan with different countries and international institutions.

The Cabinet approved the constitution of an inquiry committee under the Additional Deputy Commissioner for the extradition of a citizen Muhammad Waseem, son of Muhammad Aslam to Saudi Arabia under the Extradition Act 1972.

Muhammad Waseem Aslam is wanted by the Saudi government in a murder case. An agreement for the extradition of criminals between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia already existed.

The body approved the reconstitution of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbadhak Committee, on the recommendation of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony. The 13-member committee would consist of Sikh community representatives from all the provinces.

The committee would be mandated to take care of the Gurdwaras, facilitate Sikh pilgrims, and run other administrative matters.

The Federal Cabinet endorsed the decisions of the Cabinet Committee on Legislative Cases, made in its meeting held on March 13, 2023, including the approval of the Lawyers Protection Bill 2023 which was drafted on the lawyer community's request for their protection.

The meeting also endorsed the decisions of the Economic Coordination Committee, made in the meetings on March 14 and 15, 2023 including the setting of Rs 8500 per kg as the support price of cotton.
Foreign Secretary Dr Asad Majeed Khan on Friday met China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing and discussed matters of mutual interest and bilateral ties

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Mar, 2023 ) :Foreign Secretary Dr Asad Majeed Khan on Friday met China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Beijing and discussed matters of mutual interest and bilateral ties.

The foreign secretary stated that Pakistan and China were iron brothers, trusted friends and enduring partners for peace and development.

State Councilor Qin Gang reiterated China's strong commitment to China-Pakistan All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership and to extend continued across-the-board support to Pakistan.

They reaffirmed the significance of China-Pakistan strategic ties in the evolving regional and international milieu and noted with satisfaction the steady momentum in the relationship.

They agreed to further build on the consensus reached during the visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Beijing in November 2022 to further advance comprehensive cooperation across diverse domains such as China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), trade and investment, financial cooperation, socio-economic development, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people ties.
The United States has allocated over $140 million in humanitarian aid and $31 million in development assistance for Venezuela, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Friday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th March, 2023) The United States has allocated over $140 million in humanitarian aid and $31 million in development assistance for Venezuela, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Friday.

"The United States announced today more than $140 million in additional humanitarian assistance and more than $31 million in development assistance to respond to the needs of vulnerable Venezuelans in Venezuela, Venezuelan refugees and migrants, and their generous host communities across the region," Blinken said.

"This assistance includes more than $56 million through the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) and more than $115million through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)."

Blinken underscored that Washington works with trusted organizations to deliver funds and to ensure they are not acquired by the government.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th March, 2023) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell discussed their support for normalizing ties between Serbia and Kosovo as well as the importance of the so-called Western Balkan nations' accession to the European Union, State Department spokesperson Ned price said on Friday.

"The Secretary and High Representative discussed their strong support for normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo in the run-up to the upcoming leaders' meeting in... Macedonia," Price said. "They also noted the importance of advancing merited EU accession of countries throughout the Western Balkans and the enduring strength of transatlantic unity in support of Ukraine."

On March 18, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo leader Albin Kurti are scheduled to meet in Macedonia with the participation of Borrell and EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak.

The leaders will discuss issues regarding the political settlement between the two sides, involving the program for the implementation of the European-US plan for a settlement in Kosovo and Metohija.

On February 27, Borrell published the full text of the European Union's proposal that contains clauses on mutual recognition of documents and state symbols and Belgrade's consent not to prevent Pristina from joining international organizations.

The EU and US leaders insist that Kosovo Albanian authorities form a Community of Serb Municipalities complete with autonomy rights - in accordance with the 2013 Brussels Agreement.

US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier has said there is no better plan than the European Union's proposal for a Serbia-Kosovo settlement, which Washington fully supports.

However, Vucic has insisted that Serbia has fulfilled its part of the Brussels Agreement, while Kosovo, the independence of which Belgrade has never recognized, only started to develop the charter of the Community of Serbian Municipalities and then suspended the process.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th March, 2023) Thousands of people are taking part in a spontaneous demonstration in Paris on Friday protesting against the government's pension reform, with clashes between the police and protesters reported by a RIA Novosti correspondent.

By the time the rally approached the square near the parliament building, protesters were demanding the resignation of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Protesters began to build barricades of fences and boards and also started setting fire to barriers installed by the police in the central part of the city, according to the correspondent.

Police officers blocked access to the Palais Bourbon where the National Assembly is located by using water cannons.

At Place de la Concorde, officers fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.

On Thursday, another rally against the reform took place at Place de la Concorde, with the police using tear gas and water cannons in response to stone throwing at them. Earlier that day, the French government adopted a law on raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years without holding a final vote in the parliament, triggering Article 49.3 of the constitution, which allows the government to adopt legislation with no need for a parliamentary vote. The eighth nationwide demonstration against the reform was already on at the time when the law was adopted.
(@FahadShabbir)

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Friday that nine of their fighters were killed in the crash of two helicopters in northern Iraq

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th March, 2023) The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Friday that nine of their fighters were killed in the crash of two helicopters in northern Iraq.

"While the two helicopters carrying our group of fighters were on their way to al-Sulaymaniyah city on the evening of March 15, 2023, they crashed due to bad weather conditions, leading to the martyrdom of nine of our fighters," the SDF said in a statement.

The statement added that SDF fighters flew to Iraqi Kurdistan to exchange combat experience.

The SDF called on the Iraqi Kurdistan authorities to help transport the bodies of the dead back to northeast Syria.

The United States backs Kurdish armed groups in Syria despite protests from Damascus.

The US military currently controls parts of the provinces of Al-Hasakah, Raqqa, Aleppo and Deir Ez-Zor, where the largest Syrian oil and gas fields are located.

The Syrian government does not recognize the so-called autonomous administration of northern and eastern Syria, and calls the presence of the US military on its territory an occupation and its theft of Syrian oil  state piracy.

The armed conflict in Syria has been ongoing since 2011, with various insurgent groups, including terrorist organizations, fighting the Syrian Army to oust the government of President Bashar Assad.
Ten million children in west Africa's central Sahel region are now in "extreme jeopardy" and desperately need humanitarian help due to worsening violence, the United Nations warned Friday

Geneva, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Mar, 2023 ) :Ten million children in west Africa's central Sahel region are now in "extreme jeopardy" and desperately need humanitarian help due to worsening violence, the United Nations warned Friday.

The number of children in dire need of aid in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger is twice as many as in 2020, the children's agency UNICEF said.

Meanwhile a further four million children are at risk in neighbouring countries as battles between armed groups and security forces spill across the borders.

"Children are increasingly caught up in the armed conflict, as victims of intensifying military clashes, or targeted by non-state armed groups," Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF's regional director for west and central Africa, said.

"The year 2022 was particularly violent for children in the central Sahel. All parties to the conflict need to urgently stop attacks both on children, and their schools, health centres, and homes." The region has been caught in a spiral of jihadist violence for years, with Mali struggling with an 11-year-old insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.

Meanwhile, Burkina Faso, one of the world's most volatile and impoverished countries, witnessed two military coups in 2022.

UNICEF said the armed conflict engulfing the region had become increasingly brutal, with some groups that operate across vast swathes of territory blockading towns and sabotaging water networks.

- Schools burned, looted - In Burkina Faso, three times as many children were verified as killed during the first nine months of 2022 as in the same period in 2021, according to UN data.

Most died from gunshot wounds during attacks on their villages or as a result of improvised explosive devices or explosive remnants of war.

Armed groups which oppose state education "systematically burn and loot schools, and threaten, abduct or kill teachers", said UNICEF.

More than 8,300 schools have shut down across the three countries: more than one in five in Burkina Faso, while nearly a third of schools in Niger's Tillaberi region are no longer functional.

James Jones, UNICEF spokesman for the region, detailed "the extreme jeopardy facing the lives and futures of children in the central Sahel".

"Things have been accelerating downhill at an alarming pace," he told reporters in Geneva.

"Slowly and surely it has been spreading, and children -- millions of them -- are increasingly in the middle of it." He said there were several factors behind the worsening trends, including higher food prices, chronic underfunding of humanitarian and development work, a lack of national commitment to child services, and climate change, with temperatures rising in the Sahel 1.5 times faster than the global average.

UNICEF called on all parties to the conflict to fulfil their "moral and legal obligations" towards children under international law, including ending attacks on youngsters and schools.

- Spreading southwards - UNICEF said the violence was spreading from the central Sahel into the northern regions of Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Togo, which are remote communities where children have very limited access to protection and services.

"Insecurity is growing in these coastal countries, linked to similar activities by non-state armed groups," said Jones.

In 2022, UNICEF received only a third of the $391 million sought for the central Sahel appeal.

In 2023, it has appealed for $473.8 million for the humanitarian response plan in the central Sahel and neighbouring coastal countries.

The crisis needs long-term investment to foster "social cohesion, sustainable development, and a better future for children," Poirier said.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th March, 2023) The authorities of the US state of Virginia have charged seven sheriff's deputies and three medical workers with a second-degree murder of a 28-year-old Black inmate, Irvo Otieno, who died in hospital presumably due to asphyxiation, media reported.

On March 6, Otieno was transported from the Henrico County jail to a local psychiatric facility by the Henrico Country sheriff's office deputies when he reportedly became combative during the admission process, US broadcaster CBS news reported. The patient was restrained and died during the intake process, the report said.

A surveillance video, which has not been published and reportedly showed Otieno's torturing, serves as an evidence in the case that resulted in the detention of 10 people in connection with Otieno's death, the broadcaster reported.

"A key element of that evidence is the surveillance video from Central State Hospital that captures the intake process," Dinwiddie County Commonwealth's Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill said in a statement cited by the broadcaster on Thursday.

A preliminary report by the Office of Chief Medical Examiner identified asphyxiation as possible cause of Otieno's death, the report added.

A Dinwiddie County grand jury is scheduled to meet next week to determine and finalize the charges.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th March, 2023) Different US law enforcement and security agencies are preparing for a possible indictment of former President Donald Trump, NBC news reported on Friday.

The indictment could happen next week, the report said, citing five senior officials familiar with the matter.

The New York Police Department, the US Secret Service, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office are taking preliminary measures, the report said.

The law enforcement and security agencies are assessing possible security plans inside and near the Manhattan Criminal Court, the report added.

Trump may be charged in connection with alleged payments to pornography actress Stormy Daniels, but officials have said no charges have so far been filed and all planning is preliminary at this time.

US prosecutors began an investigation when Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen said he paid Daniels $130,000 before the 2016 presidential election to buy her silence about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump years before, according to the report.
USM Hosts MGCCC & PRCC Students for STEM in the Sound Day

Fri, 03/17/2023 - 09:13am | By: Gabriela Shinskie

The University of Southern Mississippis Coastal Operations granted special access to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College & Pearl River Community College students for STEM in the Sound day to engage with faculty, scientists, and engineers aboard the research vessel Jim Franks.

Coastal USM specializes in providing students with unique learning experiences working side-by-side with our educators through hands-on experiences along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Students learned how remote underwater vehicles operate, identified local species, and studied coastal environments as they relate to the blue economy.

These students received one-on-one time with educators, scientists, and engineers experienced in the natural sciences and technical programs focused on the blue economy.

The blue economy is sustained and advanced with a workforce that has the skills critical to employers in that environment, and those positions often require a high degree of expertise and training and are in high demand, said Dr. Jacob Breland, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Coastal Operations.

Students boarded the research vessel R/V Jim Franks and cruised into the Mississippi Sound working alongside faculty researchers and engineers experienced in the natural sciences and technical programs focused on the blue economy. The expedition focused on raising awareness of important topics like resilient ocean and coastal environments.

Coastal USM programs include marine science, hydrographic science, geoscience, sustainability science, and other technology- based programs like engineering and logistics. All programs integral to coastal communities.

Our direct access to the MS Sound and Gulf of Mexico is a game changer, said Breland. We offer one of the only areas in the United States where both shallow and deep water access is available year round, and the University has been working with our partners to create a research landscape where both the government and private companies can build and test prototypes in real time with immediate access to the marine environment where they refine their models as they bring them to bear to respond to issues relevant to those living and working in coastal and maritime settings.

Visit the USM Coastal Operations page to learn about blue economy, academic programs, and more.
USM Professors Team Up to Produce 3D Tracheas for Military Training

Fri, 03/17/2023 - 09:46am | By: Van Arnold

From left to right Dr. Stephanie Parks with Dr. Anna Wan

One might contend that University of Southern Mississippi (USM) nurse anesthesia Professor Stephanie Parks breathes a whole lot easier knowing her colleague, Dr. Anna Wan, is part of the USM team.

Parks, Assistant Professor in USMs Nurse Anesthesia Program, collaborated with Mathematics Professor Wan to create a 3D printed trachea now being used as part of Parks medical training thousands of miles away in Syria. In addition to her academic duties, Parks serves as a major in the United States Army Reserves.

The innovative device was produced at USMs Eagle Maker Hub, the first public makerspace available at a Mississippi university, providing access to tools for digital fabrication, rapid prototyping, and coding. Wan developed Eagle Maker Hub six years ago with the support of faculty and staff.

Last December, Parks approached Wan with a simple question: Can you print something for me? For her deployment to Syria, Parks needed a way to maintain airway proficiency for herself and other medical team members. She serves on a forward-deployed surgical team where medical training relies on the ingenuity of team members and on-hand supplies from the environment.

We often have more than one casualty, and I must ensure everyone knows my job and how to assist me when faced with multiple casualties or a complex patient, said Parks, the teams only anesthesia provider.

Wan explained that once Parks provided the framework for the proposed trachea the production process proved seamless.

Dr. Parks sent me the file she wanted to print. All I had to do was adjust it for printers in the Eagle Maker Hub, said Wan. The more detail you want on a print, the longer it takes. Since Dr. Parks use for these was mainly for training and the 3D print would replace the trachea bone, how it looked did not matter. Thus, these prints took roughly four hours each.

Wan notes that this particular request marked the first time Eagle Maker Hub printed material to mimic bone for medical training purposes.

Parks carried a dozen of the 3D tracheas with her upon deployment and Wan shipped another 72 to the deployment zone soon thereafter. Parks has conducted emergency cricothyrotomy training with all medical personnel at her base using the tracheas and other on-hand materials.

It is a critical skill to master since most emergency airways occur from traumatic injuries, as often seen in deployed environments due to blood in the airway or when the patient has facial fractures, said Parks.

Her work as an anesthesia training supervisor has not been solely confined to in-person instruction. Recently, Parks conducted a class via Zoom with a different surgical team. I packed up some tracheas and put them in a helicopter that was flying to another surgical team. A week later, we had an emergency airway class online using the tracheas that arrived in a Blackhawk, said Parks.

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, Wan and her Eagle Maker Hub team created a 3D respirator mask for Hattiesburg-area health care organizations. Thousands of the masks were eventually produced and distributed to area healthcare professionals.

Wan professes that her love for the USM community, particularly those with whom she collaborated during the pandemic, makes assignments like the 3D trachea print especially rewarding.

I will do whats needed to support goals to better serve others, said Wan. These (tracheas) were made for training purposes, and they seemed like a need for Dr. Parks training goals. I have worked on drone and artillery projects before, and they were less desirable to work on. This is a positive aspect of the combat zone to work on.

Though she is constantly on guard in a hot and hostile part of the world, Parks continues to feel a unique kinship with colleagues like Wan who embody the Universitys core values of service to the community and to deployed servicemembers.

With that, Parks offers a sincere sentiment: Hooah to you Dr. Wan!
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((PKG)) VIETNAMESE COFFEE SISTERS

((TRT: 05:25))

((Topic Banner: Vietnamese Coffee Sisters))

((Reporter/Camera/Editor: Scott Stearns))

((Map: Denver, Colorado))

((Main characters: 3 female))



((NATS))

((Sashaline Nguyen

Co-owner, ti cafe))

We knew we always wanted to open up our own business together. We come from a family of entrepreneurial parents. They did their own business for the longest time and we were always around that environment.

((Courtesy: Nguyen Family))

We each embrace creativity, innovation, something new,

((end Courtesy))

and we each bring something different to the table. So, we wanted to go into business. We thought, you know, whatswhats special to us? Vietnamese culture, embracing it, bringing something new. So, Vietnamese coffee shop.

((NATS))

((Shominic Nguyen

Co-owner, ti cafe))

So the name ti, we say tee just so its easy to pronounce, but its actually pronounced thee in Vietnamese. It is a term of endearment. It means small or tiny. But Vietnamese people, they also use it as a nickname for

((Courtesy: Nguyen Family))

like their kids or whatever.

((end Courtesy))

So, we just wanted to use it for our brand because we really pride ourselves on just like family. We are all very close-knit. Even in Vietnamese culture, family is a very big thing. And we thought it was important to name our shop that because we do value family so much.

All of these little characters, they are our drawings that my mom kept when we were little. She kept all of our doodles and everything. So, each of these characters represents one of us. This one is my doodle when I was little.

((NATS))

((Shasitie Nguyen

Co-owner, ti cafe))

I think that having a Vietnamese coffee shop is impactful for our generation just because we have so many coffee shops, and coffee shops is such a culture for everybody. But how many Vietnamese coffee shops can you actually think of?

I think that Vietnamese coffee is completely underrated and not a lot of people know what exactly Vietnamese coffee is. And it is a huge part of coffee culture in general.

((NATS))

((Sashaline Nguyen

Co-owner, ti cafe))

This is how we brew our coffee. This is the phin-drip process. These are little phin filters. We have the tamper to put on top. So, its essentially a slow-drip coffee. We source it directly from Vietnam, but we roast them here in America, so that they are super fresh. This is what we saw growing up in our childhood. My dad always made Vietnamese iced coffee.

((NATS))

((Shasitie Nguyen that

Co-owner, ti cafe))

We definitely have to cater towards our parents, who were more traditional in their views and ways, and also be more modern and trendy and up to date with whats going on. So, I think that being a Vietnamese coffee shop right in the middle of Denver, it kind of gives a home for those people who are in that third-culture realm.

((NATS))

((Shominic Nguyen

Co-owner, ti cafe))

We are taking a more modern take on coffee. We are not doing its traditional, traditional Vietnamese. We are doing it a little bit more modern, blending it with traditional. So, we were very nervous in the beginning that older, older Vietnamese groups would judge us for that. They would comewe were so scared they would come in and be like, This is not Vietnamese coffee. But we were willing to take that step because we want to push it more towards modern. I think thats very important with Vietnamese culture because we are so stuck in tradition, we need to take that step forward.

((NATS))

((Shasitie Nguyen

Co-owner, ti cafe))

I think that we opened during a peak time for people just because everybody was cooped up for such a long time and they were excited for new businesses. I think everybody came out of the pandemic a lot more open-minded. So, having new places to go visit, like Vietnamese coffee shops, the first Vietnamese coffee shop in Denver, everybody was just wanting to experience something that was new.

((NATS))

((Shominic Nguyen

Co-owner, ti cafe))

As a business, as a brand, one of our biggest values is community. And so, opening during the pandemic was great because, I mean obviously, theres a six-foot difference [distance] thing, but being able to talk to people face-to-face again was a really comforting thing for people that really needed it, who have been like indoors all the time. Being those like consistent faces you see every single day, being able to interact with people was definitely really important to a lot of our regulars now, to our customers. So, I think opening during the pandemic was very vital and helpful for the world because we all needed that interaction. Its just so important to celebrate our culture as Vietnamese, Asian Americans in America. We wanted to open this business for that.

((NATS))

((Sashaline Nguyen

Co-owner, ti cafe))

As sisters, we are comfortable with each other. But we know, we know what pushes each others buttons, and sometimes, we do it just out of spite. But in the end, you know, we know that we have to put our differences aside to make it work essentially, like we have our moments, but were sisters and we are always going to be sisters first, for sure.

You know, its all about compromise in a relationship, whether its any kind of relationship. But for the most part, we are lucky that we can go into business as sisters and make it work.

((NATS))

Thank you so much. We really appreciate you.




Officials in northern Pakistan say a fire erupted at a wooden home in the Seri area of Pattan, killing 10 family members.

Three other people were injured in the blaze and have been hospitalized.

Lower Kohistan Rescue spokesperson, Farman Ali, told Dawn.com, a Pakistani news website, that an electrical short circuit ignited the fire that caused the homes roof to collapse as the family slept.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Thursday publicly pushed back on criticism of a large seaport construction project, saying that China's military and forces from other nations will only be visitors at Ream Naval Base.

Since Cambodia and China broke ground on construction last June, there has been speculation that the base, which was built with a grant from China as well as construction workers from the Chinese military, would become more than just a port for Cambodian vessels and visiting navies.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony for students in Phnom Penh, Prime Minister Hun Sen rejected suggestions that any foreign troops would be stationed there, saying the base is part of Cambodia's right to defend its territory.

"Cambodia would like to reiterate that there are no Chinese military or troops from other countries present in Cambodia. Once completed, Cambodia would welcome all countries to dock their ships in Cambodia's seaport, and we could conduct joint military exercises together," the prime minister said.

The prime minister said the government has wanted to expand the port as part of greater capacity building of Cambodian armed forces and to fight against crimes such as drug smuggling and illegal fishing in waters off Cambodia's coast.

U.S. officials have repeatedly raised concerns over Cambodia's plans for the base. In November, the White House said President Joe Biden raised concerns regarding the situation at Ream Naval Base in a meeting with Hun Sen on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit. A statement said Biden, "underscored the importance of full transparency about activities by the PRC military at Ream Naval Base."

Cambodia analyst Seng Sary, who works outside the country, told VOA that other allies, including Australia, have raised concerns over China's intentions at the port.

"The ASEAN region, seen in the angle of geopolitics, is in direct confrontation with Indo-Pacific region  that is Australia. If China could expand its influence in ASEAN and could have a military base in a country that it could use to expand influence, it means that China could move closer or confront with a country allied with the U.S. like Australia," he said.

Sary said there is no real way for Cambodia to clarify China's status at the base until Cambodia demonstrates how it will use the base. "If it's about using it to enhance the capacity building of its naval force with the aims to promote its sea trade services, then time will tell to the world and superpower countries Cambodia's position over the issue."
China is hoping there will be a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine and is urging Russia and Ukraine to come to the table for peace talks, Chinas foreign minister told his Ukrainian counterpart in a telephone conversation Thursday.

Chinas foreign ministry said in a statement that Qin Gang told Dmytro Kuleba China has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks.

Qin also said China hopes that all parties will remain calm, rational and restrained, according to the statement, as Russians invasion of Ukraine has recently passed its one-year anniversary.

The U.S. military released a video Thursday of a Russian military intercept that resulted in the downing of a U.S. surveillance drone Tuesday over the Black Sea.

The video shows a Russian Sukhoi Su-27 dumping fuel as it approaches the U.S. MQ-9 drone from behind and passes over the top.

A second Sukhoi Su-27 approaches in a similar manner, and as it reaches the drone, the video feed is disrupted at the moment the U.S. military says the Russian fighter aircraft collided with the drone.

A final shot shows the video feed restored and that one of the drones propeller blades has been bent.

The videos release came a day after U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to his Russian counterpart about the encounter.



The United States will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows, and it is incumbent upon Russia to operate its military aircraft in a safe and professional manner, Austin told reporters after announcing that he had just got off the phone with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

It was the first call between the two defense leaders since October, according to officials.

Meanwhile, Poland became the first NATO country to dispatch fighter jets to Ukraine, agreeing to send four Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to Kyivs forces in the coming days. The U.S. and other Western allies far have balked at Kyiv demands for attack jets.

The downed U.S. MQ-9 drone was conducting routine operations in international airspace Tuesday, according to the U.S. military, when the pair of Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft intercepted it. U.S. forces brought down the drone in international waters after the Russian jet struck the drones propeller.

We know that the intercept was intentional. We know that the aggressive behavior was intentional. We also know it is very unprofessional and very unsafe, General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters Wednesday.

Milley said he was not sure yet whether the physical contact between the Russian aircraft and the drone was intentional.



Russia said it is considering whether to try to retrieve the drone, but U.S. officials said its operatives were able to remotely erase sensitive software on the drone to prevent Russia from collecting secret information before sending the aircraft into the Black Sea.

The U.S. does not have ships in the Black Sea, which is largely controlled by Russia.

But we do have a lot of allies and friends in the area, and we'll work through recovery operations. That's U.S. property, Milley said.

Another top U.S. military leader, Gen. Erik Kurilla, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that since March 1, the U.S. is seeing an increase in the unprofessional and unsafe behavior of the Russian Air Force." He said armed Russian fighter jets fly over U.S. bases in Syria in an attempt to try and be provocative."

Kurilla said that Russia tries to "renegotiate the deconfliction protocols that they violate every day."

Russia denied that its Su-27 jets came into contact with the U.S. drone and pinned blame for the crash on the operation of the drone. A U.S. military official told VOA the unmanned MQ-9 has not yet been recovered. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Tuesday the United States summoned the Russian ambassador to protest the incident.

The Russian Defense Ministry Telegram channel reported Wednesday that Shoigu has blamed the incident on the United States "non-compliance with the restricted flight zone declared by the Russian Federation, which was established as part of a special military operation."



Earlier Wednesday, Austin and Milley hosted the 10th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group more than a year after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The virtual meeting included 51 participants. Milley said the group promised a broad mix of air defense systems, in addition to providing more artillery, armor and ammunition. For example, Sweden will provide 10 more Leopard tanks to Ukraine, and Norway will partner with the United States to provide two additional National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS.

Ukraine matters. It matters not to just Ukraine or to the United States, it matters to the world. This is about the rules-based international order, Austin told reporters Wednesday.

Russia is running out of capability and out of friends, he added. Putin still hopes he can wear down Ukraine and wait us out, so we cant let up, and we wont.
China's ability to move quickly on military sales is costing the United States in two key regions and could have even more dire consequences in the years to come, top U.S. military officers are warning lawmakers.

The blunt assessments from the commanders of U.S. Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East and South Asia, and from U.S. Africa Command come as a growing number of defense officials voice concerns about the rapid military modernization that has already made China the Pentagon's "pacing challenge."

"This is a race to integrate before China can penetrate," Central Command's General Michael Kurilla told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, pointing to an 80% increase in Chinese military sales to the region over the past 10 years.

"Our security partners have real security needs, and we are losing our ability to provide our equipment," he said, citing long waits for U.S. military sales to be approved and for the equipment to be delivered.

"What China does is they come in [and] they open up their entire catalog. They give them express shipping. They give them no end-user agreement. And they give them financing," Kurilla said. "They are much faster."

Africa Command's General Michael Langley shared a similar story regarding U.S. partners on the African continent.

"Even with our significant security cooperation initiative, that process is not any faster," Langley said.

"The sense of urgency, especially in West Africa, across the Sahel, across Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Benin and Togo, they need equipment. They need weapons now," he told lawmakers. "So, they make choices, and they make the wrong choices in going with the PRC or Russia for, especially, lethal aid."

Such concerns about Chinas weapons sales are not new and have persisted despite Washingtons overall dominance in arms exports.

According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the U.S. was the worlds top weapons exporter from 2018 to 2022, accounting for 40% of all arms exports. China ranked fourth, accounting for just over 5% of sales.

State Department data released earlier this year said arms sales by the U.S. government jumped even higher, growing by almost 50% in fiscal year 2022 to $51.9 billion, buoyed in part by the war in Ukraine. Commercial arms sales also increased, hitting $153.7 billion.

Still, U.S. defense and intelligence officials have been continually warning about the impact of arms deals between Beijing and African countries, in particular, for years. One report, in February 2020, noted China even then was supplementing the sales to African countries with military and technical training.

And SIPRI data, analyzed in a report issued this month by the Washington-based Atlantic Council, showed that China is gaining a considerable edge in sub-Saharan Africa, where Beijing recorded more than $2 billion in arms sales between 2010 and 2021, trailing only Russia.

More recently, between 2017 and 2020, Chinese arms exports to sub-Saharan Africa outpaced the United States by a ratio of nearly 3-to-1, the report said.

The commanders of CENTCOM and AFRICOM told lawmakers Thursday that the more China is able to make inroads with arms sales, the more the U.S. will struggle to work with countries that would otherwise choose to be partners with Washington.

"If there's Chinese equipment there, we cannot integrate it with U.S. equipment," Kurilla said.

"Whether that's a radar or whether that's an actual air defense system, we can't let that touch our network based on what we know about the Chinese equipment," he said, describing the Chinese outreach in the Middle East as aggressive.

But there are concerns from some researchers that the data, which give many cause for alarm, do not give a full picture.

Pieter Wezeman, a senior researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers program, said despite overall growth in Chinese arms exports over the past two decades, sales over the past five years fell by 23%.

"Expectations about Chinese arms exports based on the rapidly developing quality and advancement of the products that [they] have on offer haven't really come true yet," he said Wednesday at a webinar hosted by the Washington-based Stimson Center.

"We also see that China has not been able to become a major supplier to at least one region where you would expect it to have significant chances to develop as such, and that is in the Middle East," Wezeman said. "We haven't seen any major sales of things like submarines or combat aircraft to Saudi Arabia or Qatar or any of the other larger recipients in the Middle East. We've even seen that Chinese exports to Egypt have decreased."
Mozambiques health minister said Friday a cholera outbreak in the area hit by Cyclone Freddy killed eight people this week and hospitalized 250  part of 600 sickened since the record storm made landfall in February.

Health Minister Armindo Tiago told state-run Radio Mozambique the cholera victims were in the port city of Quelimane, capital of Zambezia province, the area most affected by the cyclone.

Tigao said cholera prevention is focused on 133 centers in the city that are sheltering up to 50,000 people displaced by flooding. He added that more work is needed in other provinces hit by Cyclone Freddy, a record storm that hammered the region since February.

Tiago said everyone must work to control the outbreak by boiling drinking water, cleaning and washing food, and disposing of garbage properly - especially human waste. And, if people have symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting, they must go to health units.

The World Health Organization Wednesday confirmed that Mozambique is seeing a rise in cholera cases, while cases are dropping in neighboring Malawi after a record outbreak.

The WHO said more than 40,000 cases of cholera were reported this year in Africa, more than half of them in Malawi.

Malawi gave out close to 5 million vaccination doses since the outbreak a year ago, but health authorities fear the numbers could spike there and in Mozambique if adequate measures are not taken.

Malawi was hit the hardest by the cyclone, which has weakened to a low-pressure system, leaving hundreds dead and spreading floodwaters could be contaminated with cholera bacteria.

As the cyclone approached the southeast coast of Africa in February, Mozambique vaccinated more than 700,000 people in four provinces deemed at high risk for cholera, but Zambezia province was not among the regions targeted in the WHO-partnered vaccine drive.

Reuters reported Mozambique on Wednesday received approval for an additional 1.3 million cholera vaccine doses to help control the spread.
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has caused panic not just in the U.S. tech industry but also in China, where the bank has been a key player for years among Chinese startups.

In recent days, many startups in China have issued statements to reassure their investors that their deposits with SVB will not impact their operations.

Before the bank failed and was taken over by U.S. regulators this month, Silicon Valley Bank was the 16th-largest American bank. In foreign markets, SVBs reputation for financing about half of all U.S. venture-backed technology and health care companies made it a popular choice for companies, including those based in China and backed by U.S. venture capitalists.

BeiGene, one of China's largest biotech companies that specializes in the development of cancer drugs, said that the collapse of SVB would have no major impact on its operations, and that its uninsured cash deposits in Silicon Valley Bank totaled only $175 million, or about 3.9% of its cash and other investments.

Zai Lab, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Shanghai, issued a statement saying that SVBs collapse would have no impact on its operations, including the ability to pay wages and make payments to third parties.

Other startups, including Andon Health, Sirnaomics, Everest Medicines and Jacobio Pharma, have issued similar statements.

After SVB failed, the Biden administration stepped in and ensured that all customers would be able to get their deposits back, even those who had more than $250,000 in their accounts. Thats the maximum amount that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation typically covers when a bank fails, but more than 90% of Silicon Valley Bank accounts were above that amount.

With their SVB deposits frozen, many companies could have been at risk of failing themselves, so the Biden administration said it would step in to guarantee they would get their funds back.

FDIC reimbursements for Chinese customers?

On Chinese social media, there has been concern that the reimbursements may apply only to customers in America.

"Is it true that only depositors who are U.S. citizens can get their money back? What about us?" asked one post on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter.

William Hanlon, a partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP, told VOA Mandarin in an email that the FDIC as receiver will not categorize account holders by nationality and will treat all depositors equally based on their status as depositors.

David M. Bizar, another partner at Seyfarth Shaw, said the FDIC is continuing to operate SVB as a full-service bridge bank while it searches for buyers of the bank's assets.

It can be expected that the United States will continue to maintain these deposit accounts and keep them from losing their value so long as it maintains them in its receivership, and that the FDIC as receiver will not sell these deposit accounts to purchasers who would be permitted under the sale agreements to reduce their values after the transfers, he told VOA.

So far, several Chinese companies have publicly said they were able to withdraw all their deposits at SVB.

SVBs role in China

The now-failed SVB carved out a unique role in the Chinese banking scene. It served roughly 2,200 clients and advised government regulators who were eager to build the countrys tech sector. The Santa Clara, California-based bank supported startup companies that not all banks, especially the big commercial ones in China, would accept because of higher risks.

In 2010, then-CEO Ken Wilcox brought the entire board of directors to China to showcase the importance he attached to the China market, according to Chinese media reports. In a 2019 interview, when he was SVBs chief credit officer, he said SVB was a model bank for China.

SVB approached China in two different ways. One involved wholly owned operations in major tech centers, including Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai, where it advised startups on how to manage overseas funding. The other involved a 50-50 joint-venture with Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, also known as SPD Silicon Valley bank, that operates under a similar model as SVB.

Following the collapse of SVB, the Chinese policymakers signaled stricter oversight to improve financial market security.

The South China Morning Post quoted Liu Xiaochun, deputy director of the Shanghai Finance Institute, as saying it was inappropriate to set up a similar specialist bank in China.

He argued that to avoid potential losses in supporting tech and health startups, large commercial banks should establish branches to finance innovation, while managing risk exposure at headquarters.
The international Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. What Ukraines ex-leader thinks about how the war is being led by his former political rival. The story of 60 Ukrainian ballet dancers who fled to the Netherlands, where they continue to dance.
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant Friday for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of war crimes for his alleged involvement in the abduction of children from Ukraine.

Putin and a Russian official, Maria Alekeseyevna Lvova-Belova, commissioner for children's rights, are accused of deporting people, particularly children, from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia beginning Feb. 24, 2022, the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A prosecutor presented the allegations, which were reviewed by independent judges who decided "there is a sufficient reason to believe that these crimes have been committed by these persons and as a result of this consideration, the arrest warrant was issued by the court today," ICC President Piotr Hofmanski told VOA.

U.S. officials initially appeared hesitant to publicly cheer the ICC action, given past American antipathy for the court. The United States was one of only seven countries (along with China, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Qatar and Yemen) to vote against the courts establishment in 1998 at the United Nations.

Considering the sometimes "very tense" history between Washington and The Hague, "it would not be surprising that it would take them a moment to think through their position," Leila Sadat, a Yale Law School fellow and international criminal law professor at the University of Washington in St. Louis, told VOA.

The U.S. ambassador at the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, walked away from reporters on Friday when asked to comment about the court's arrest warrant for Putin.

"I think this is just breaking news," responded National Security Council spokesman John Kirby when asked about it by VOA. "We're going to have to take a look at this before we can make any kind of official comment."

President Joe Biden, departing the White House on Friday evening, was asked about the courts action.

I think it's justified, he replied, noting the ICC is not recognized by the United States. But I think it makes a very strong point."

Biden added that Putin has clearly committed war crimes."

Numerous U.S. administrations have expressed concern that American soldiers could face trial by the international court at The Hague in the Netherlands. That fear escalated in 2012 when proceedings were opened into war crimes in Afghanistan possibly committed by the Taliban, Afghan government forces and the U.S. military.

The administration of then-President Donald Trump, in 2020, imposed sanctions on the ICC's chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda and other senior officials of the court, a year after the United States imposed a travel ban on ICC personnel. The sanctions were lifted by the Biden administration.

Ukraine, like the United States, is not a member of the ICC, but it has granted the court jurisdiction over its territory.

"A historic decision from which historic responsibility will begin," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on social media. "The head of the terrorist state and another Russian official have officially become suspects in a war crime. The deportation of Ukrainian children is the illegal transfer of thousands of our children to Russian territory."

"This is a big day for the many victims of crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine since 2014," said Balkees Jarrah, associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch.

"With these arrest warrants, the ICC has made Putin a wanted man and has taken its first step to end the impunity that has emboldened perpetrators in Russia's war against Ukraine for far too long. The warrants send a clear message that giving orders to commit or tolerating serious crimes against civilians may lead to a prison cell in The Hague," he said.

"This is an important decision of international justice and for the people of Ukraine," said European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

"No one responsible for crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, regardless of their status, should escape justice," said the foreign affairs ministry of France.

Russia, also not a member state of the ICC, has repeatedly said it does not recognize the court's jurisdiction. The official reaction in Moscow on Friday was expectedly one of rejection.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the very questions raised by the ICC were "outrageous and unacceptable."

"Decisions of the International Criminal Court are of no consequence in our country, including from the legal perspective," said foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on the Telegram messaging app. "Russia isn't a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and is under no obligation arising from it. Russia doesn't cooperate with the organization, and any potential arrest recipes' originating from the international court will be null and void for us."

The ICC does not have its own police force or other ways to enforce arrests. But the warrant compels ICC member states to arrest Putin or Lvova-Belova if they were to travel to their country.

"There are political consequences" if those countries do not enforce the arrest warrants, ICC President Hofmanski told VOA. "But obviously, nobody can force the states to comply with a legal obligation of the treaty."

Asked if Putin now feared traveling to countries that recognized the ICC, Kremlin spokesman Peskov replied: "I have nothing to add on this subject."

Law professor Sadat, who is a special adviser to the ICC on crimes against humanity, said from The Hague that the warrant for Putin "could definitely dampen his travel plans if he wished to travel abroad."

Sadat added that while the repercussions on the political stage may be more significant when a head of state is involved, "in terms of the principles of justice, all defendants are equal before the court."

VOA's Misha Komadovsky, Paris Huang and Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.
Iranian security forces rearrested prominent activist and journalist Sepideh Gholian hours after she walked free from jail chanting slogans against supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, activists said Thursday.

Gholian, 28, was freed Wednesday from Tehran's Evin prison after spending over four years behind bars following a conviction related to her reporting on a strike movement in 2018.

According to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, Gholian was rearrested late Wednesday while being driven from Tehran by her family to their home in Dezful in Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran.

It said there was no information on where she was being held or what she was accused of.

Immediately after her release from Evin prison, she had defiantly shouted slogans against Khamenei in a video she shared on her social media accounts.

She shouted twice over, "Khamenei the tyrant, we'll drag you into the ground!"

She was also not wearing a headscarf, in defiance of the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women, and in the video urged the release of other women seen as political prisoners by activists.

Mother taken, too

Reports in media based outside Iran said her arrest, which took place on a road close to the city of Arak in central Iran, saw a confrontation between her family and the security forces.

Her mother was initially taken away in the police car as well but then was dumped by the roadside as the vehicle sped away with her daughter inside, Iran International TV said.

In prison, Gholian has, through letters and messages to supporters, become a strong voice against the abuses that she says women are subjected to in Iranian jails.

Many of the women held in Iran were arrested well before the protests sparked by the September 16 death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Iranian Kurd who had been detained for allegedly violating the dress code for women. But their numbers swelled in the ensuing crackdown.
French President Emmanuel Macron is moving forward with a controversial plan to reform the countrys pension system without a parliamentary vote, as protests continue across the country and opposition parties prepare to call a no-confidence vote Friday.

Macron on Thursday used a constitutional power to pass legislation raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a parliamentary vote.

The Senate passed the bill Thursday, but right-wing politicians in the National Assembly opposed the measure, which meant the bill did not have enough votes.

Two-thirds of French voters oppose the pension overhaul, according to polls.

Strikes protesting the reform have been staged around the country since January, affecting trains, schools, public services and ports. Thousands of protesters demonstrated outside Parliament on Thursday.

I feel like Im being cheated as a citizen, said 55-year-old teacher Laure Cartelier.

Unions have called for another day of protest around the country for next Thursday.

A rolling strike by municipal garbage collectors in Paris who oppose the pension reform has resulted in mounds of trash, which have attracted rats and disgusted tourists.

Some information in this report came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera has declared two weeks of national mourning for the more than 200 people killed by Cyclone Freddy this week. In a televised address Wednesday night, Chakwera also ordered all flags to fly at half-staff for the first week. Chakwera announced he would head efforts to assist Malawians affected by the record storm.

Chakwera said the decision to declare a 14-day period of mourning came after he witnessed the scale of devastation from the cyclone  one of the longest-lasting tropical storms on record  and the agony victims went through to save their lives.

He asked Malawians not to lose hope.

Even so, we cannot afford to mourn while being passive, he said. Ours must be an active mourning accompanied by action. Our immediate action, which I am here for in the southern region to coordinate, will be focused on four objectives. One, the actions that I am now coordinating from here are to ensure that all those we have lost are given a proper and dignified burial. And all those that are missing are accounted for.

Chakwera also said he will make sure that all those who are stranded and trapped are brought to safety.

Additionally, he announced that at an emergency Cabinet meeting he held Wednesday evening, officials authorized the release of about $1.6 million to assist the thousands of Malawians who were badly affected by the storm.

Chakwera, however, noted that money was not enough, and appealed for global support to assist the thousands of people now in evacuation camps.

Shorai Ng'ambi, a behavior change specialist for UNICEF, told VOA at the Naotcha evacuation camp in Blantyre on Thursday that the situation in the camps is challenging, especially for children.

At all the camps that we have been to, the situation is really pathetic, because we have seen that a lot of people who are in the camps are children, she said. There are a lot of things that are lacking. For example, you talk of food, accommodation and bedding. We are also looking at issues of health, water and sanitation, nutrition.

Ngambi, however, said the U.N. childrens agency was working to address some of those challenges.

As you have seen, we are bringing in chlorine and buckets for people who are in the camp so that there is hygiene to contain cholera, she said. Also, we are assessing the health of the children in the camps. But we also want to make sure that there is continuity of education.

The government has extended the closure of schools in the southern region until next week, following continued rains in the region.

Weather experts in Malawi say Cyclone Freddy has now gone and that the rains are due to an incoming weather front from Congo.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger with a pledge of humanitarian assistance for displaced people and support for the countrys efforts to combat violent extremism.

Residents in the capital city of Niamey interviewed by VOA had mostly positive things to say about the first visit by a U.S. secretary of state.

We see how today the American military forces, which are on Nigerien territory, are training the defense and security forces, a woman in Niamey told VOAs French to Africa Service. But she said cooperation should not be limited to security.

There are several cooperation opportunities in the context of climate change. There is also clean water, there are many things, she said.

Blinken used the trip to announce $150 million in new humanitarian assistance to help meet needs in Western and Central Africa and the Sahel region created by instability.

Beyond immediate assistance to refugees and other vulnerable groups, the United States is committing to investing in the long-term stability of the region, Blinken said.

The U.S. will assist in making Nigers law enforcement more effective in combating terrorism, strengthening border security, enhancing counternarcotics capacity, stemming trafficking, and helping to investigate, prosecute and ultimately reduce terrorism and violent extremism, Blinken said during a joint news conference with his Nigerien counterpart in Niamey.

The United States has military personnel stationed at two air force bases in the country and has supported the Nigerien armed forces with training, equipment donations, and support for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to combat violent extremism.

Another Niamey resident interviewed by VOA said the military equipment donations have been helpful, but urged political leaders to be cautious.

Our leaders would have to be very vigilant with regard to the clauses of the contracts signed with these powers because, in reality, they have no friends, he said. They only pursue their interests. Some may be greedier, pettier than others, but we have a duty to the youth, as a civil society to ask our leaders to be very clairvoyant.

Another person interviewed said she can see the impact of the U.S. involvement in the security situation.

Well, on the Niger-America relations, it is visible and palpable and they helped us, she told VOA. Regarding the insecurity and all that, that is really this case, we appreciate the relationship of the United States and Niger.

Niger is on the forefront of an escalating violence and fighting in the western Sahel, Joseph Siegle, director of research at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies said. The country experienced a 43% increase in violent events in 2022, but fatalities decreased by half, the ACSS said.

While neighboring Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad have experienced coups or political upheaval, Niger has maintained a functioning democracy.

Niger is a linchpin right now towards stability in the Sahel and it has done significantly better than its neighbors. It has a more democratic government. Remember that in Mali and Burkina Faso, weve seen military coups, and so you have great governance turmoil in those countries, Siegle said.

Niger is an island of stability in comparison. This is going to be critical towards reversing the instability trends that weve seen in the Sahel. And Niger has played a role in that regional effort to regain some stability for neighboring countries.

One Niamey resident was skeptical of Blinkens visit, bemoaning the inequality of the U.S.-Niger relationship.

I say that it's a relationship of subordination because the United States, in general, has always held the top position since the end of World War II, he told VOA. We can deal with you, but not as equals.

This story originated in VOAs French to Africa Service. VOAs Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine contributed to the report.
North Korea says its Thursday intercontinental ballistic missile launch was a response to ramped up U.S.-South Korea military exercises that began this week.

State media released photos showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, alongside his young daughter, observing the launch of what the North said was a Hwasong-17 ICBM.

North Korea conducted the "launching drill" in response to "the large-scale provocative and aggressive war exercises of the United States and the South Korean puppet traitors," according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

"We will make them realize of their own accord that the further their military maneuvers against the DPRK last and expand, the more serious the irretrievable threat to them will be," Kim was quoted as saying, using an abbreviation for North Korea's official name.

The United States and South Korea are in the middle of an 11-day major joint military exercise, which includes the allies' biggest field exercises in five years. The drills have been ramped up over the past year, as North Korea launched a record number of missiles.

At a briefing Thursday, Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Patrick Ryder reiterated the U.S. position that the exercises "are defensive in nature and meant to bolster our interoperability and meant to deter potential aggression in the region."

Ryder said North Korea's reaction to the drills is "inappropriate  destabilizing and concerning."

While North Korea insists its latest launch was a response to the drills, in reality it has been firing missiles, including ICBMs, at an intensified level for well over a year.

In 2022, North Korea launched more than 90 missiles, by far the most it has ever fired in a single year. In early November, it launched 23 missiles on a single day.

U.S. and South Korean officials have for months warned that North Korea has completed preparations for another nuclear test, which would be its seventh since 2006.

North Korea has many possible motivations for conducting weapons tests, including developing new capabilities, demonstrating deterrence and signaling resolve to its own people.

Thursday's ICBM launch came just hours ahead of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's summit in Tokyo with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The highly symbolic Yoon-Kishida meeting was meant to signal a greater willingness by Seoul and Tokyo to look past historical animosities and focus on shared threats, such as North Korea.

North Korea has reacted furiously to increased Japan-South Korea security cooperation, as well as trilateral cooperation with the United States.
By the time he was 12 years old, North Korean defector Joseph Kim had seen his father starve to death, his sister sold to a man in China, and his mother imprisoned. Left alone, he begged, stole and worked in coal mines to survive.

Even though North Korea is a dark place, it is still my home and home to 25 million North Korean people today, Kim said. North Korea is a land with darkness, not a land made of darkness.

This was his message to an informal meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Friday, intended to show the link between North Koreas human rights abuses and its illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

SeoHyun Lee defected with her family in 2013. Until then, she said, she led a life of relative privilege as her father was a high-ranking government member.

Being a part of the elite, ironically, meant you are heavily scrutinized, monitored or punished, she said.

Lee said the regime monitored her familys telephones around the clock. She said she learned at a young age to control her curiosity and thoughts for the sake of her and her familys safety.

In 2010, living as a student in China, she began to gain awareness of the situation in her country. She told the meeting that most North Koreans do not fully comprehend the extent of the oppression they live under.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his family were able to build nuclear weaponry with no resistance from the North Korean public, while thousands of the people starved to death, because they have never learned about the concept of human rights, so they didnt understand their human rights were violated, Lee said. Even if some do understand, they are held hostage by guilt by association and systematic oppression.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who co-hosted the meeting with her counterparts from Japan, South Korea and Albania, said for every defectors story, there are countless others that are never heard.

This, of course, is by design. The regime in Pyongyang does everything in its power to hide its atrocities from the outside world. But time and time again, they have failed, she said.

China, Pyongyangs closest ally, blocked the broadcast of Fridays meeting on the U.N. website, but it could be seen on some internal building feeds, and the Albanian delegation streamed it live on its Facebook page. The Chinese also objected to the holding of the session, saying it was not constructive in any way.

Instead of easing tension, it may rather intensify the conflict and therefore is an irresponsible move, said counsellor Xing Jisheng.

Crimes against humanity

North Koreas human rights abuses are well known. The U.N. Commission of Inquiry (COI) and other independent human rights experts have documented testimony from hundreds of defectors.

In 2014, the COI found that North Koreas violations had risen to the level of crimes against humanity. Among them the report found: extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortions and other sexual violence, persecution on political, religious, racial and gender grounds, the forcible transfer of populations, the enforced disappearance of persons and the inhumane act of knowingly causing prolonged starvation.

Thomas-Greenfield said the connection between the regimes rights abuses and its threat to global collective security could not be clearer.

In the DPRK, the pursuit of weapons always, always trumps human rights and humanitarian needs of its people, she said, using the abbreviation for the countrys official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

"The regimes use of forced labor drives their unlawful weapons program forward, she said. Food distribution policies favor the military at the expense of more than 10 million North Koreans who are food insecure.

North Koreas obsession with its WMD program was underscored by its latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch on Thursday.

In a statement Friday, North Korea blamed the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula on joint military exercises that the United States and South Korea carry out. It said Pyongyang launched the ICBM under the guidance of leader Kim Jong Un to confirm the operation and reliability of its nuclear war deterrent and to strike fear into the enemies.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the latest launch and reiterated his calls for North Korea to immediately stop taking destabilizing actions, comply with its international obligations, and resume dialogue that could lead to sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Slovakia Friday approved a plan to provide Ukraine with MiG fighter jets.

Slovakia is the second NATO country, following Poland, that has answered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys many requests for the aircraft to help his countrys battle against the Russian invasion.

Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger said his country is on the right side of history in providing the retired fleet of 13 MiG-29s to Ukraine.

Russian military and Wagner Group forces have recently gained footholds west of the Bakhmutka River in the town of Bakhmut, according to a British Defense Ministry intelligence update.

The river, the ministry said, had recently marked the front line of the battle in the fighting in the Donbas town of Bakhmut. Ukrainian forces continue to defend the western portion of the town, the report said.

Meanwhile, the report said, Russia is conducting some of its lowest rates of local offensive fighting since January.

This is most likely because Russian forces have temporarily depleted their combat power to such an extent that even local offensive actions are not currently sustainable, it said.

The Russians will likely increase their offensive potential once personnel and munitions stocks are replenished. Until then, the ministry said, Russian commanders will likely be forced to choose between carrying out offensive operations and conducting a credible defense of the full line.

China is hoping there will be a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine and is urging Russia and Ukraine to come to the table for peace talks, Chinas foreign minister told his Ukrainian counterpart in a telephone conversation Thursday.

Chinas foreign ministry said in a statement that Qin Gang told Dmytro Kuleba that China has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks.

Qin also said China hopes that all parties will remain calm, rational and restrained, according to the statement, as Russians invasion of Ukraine has recently passed its one-year anniversary.
Russia has long been the biggest exporter of arms to sub-Saharan Africa, but a new study indicates Western sanctions are making it harder for Moscow to sell weapons, opening the door for more Chinese-made arms.



Even before the Ukraine war, China had increased its sales of weapons to sub-Saharan Africa, exporting almost three times as many arms to the region between 2017 and 2020 as the United States, according to a report this month by the Atlantic Council. The lions share went to just five African countries where China has invested heavily in its key infrastructure program, the Belt and Road Initiative.

For example, in 2021, Nigeria  which is fighting an Islamist insurgency and spent $4.5 billion on its military that year  purchased 34.4% of its arms from China, with Russia accounting for more than 6% and the U.S.  while still by far the largest arms exporter globally  just over 2%.



The Atlantic Council researchers say this trend will likely continue.



Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine may open additional opportunities for Chinese military influence in Nigeria. International sanctions in the wake of that invasion may limit the benefits of Nigerias 2021 agreement with Moscow for military equipment and trainingand could mean an increase in Nigerias arms imports from China, the report said.



U.S. sanctions of many Russian defense contractors are forcing Nigeria to consider alternatives: China is clearly the default option as the growing relationship between China and Nigeria in the past few years has also made China the top arms exporter to Nigeria, surpassing Russia in arms exports for two consecutive years, it found.



China, Russia exporting arms to Africa



The Atlantic Council estimated that between 2010 and 2021, Russia accounted for 24% of all arms exports to sub-Saharan Africa, China for 22% and the U.S. for 5%. China's arms exports peaked in 2013, the year the Belt and Road Initiative was launched.



Oluwole Ojewale, a Nigerian researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, told VOA there were two reasons behind Nigeria and other African nations turning to China for arms. One, he said, is the fact that China is Africas largest trade partner generally. The other is that sales of Chinese arms  unlike U.S. arms exports which are governed by International Traffic in Arms regulations  dont come with strings attached.



Its lax on the part of China, on the part of Russia, some of these autocratic countries, compared to the U.S., he said, noting that in the past Nigeria has turned to Russia for arms in its fight against Boko Haram because the U.S. was concerned their weapons could be used in abuses.



Paul Nantulya, a research associate at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, said the Atlantic Council data showed a big jump in recent Chinese arms sales compared to previous data.



I believe that the sanctions that have been incurred by Russia, by the Russian government, by Russian defense companies is obviously a boon for China China really stands to benefit, he said, adding that strategically speaking China and Russia are actually competitors when it comes to weaponry on the African continent.



I think one also has to mention the fact that African countries have been quite disappointed at what theyve seen in how Russian hardware, especially tanks and heavy weapons have fared in Ukraine, Nantulya said. Theyve not fared very well.



In terms of what exactly African countries are buying, Nantulya said that early on, Rwanda purchased Chinas Red Arrow missile system, and Namibia procured patrol craft and attack vessels from China, as has Algeria. China has always had a monopoly on weapons and training in Tanzania, he said, and in Cameroon, the countrys naval assets have been fitted with high caliber Chinese guns.



The Atlantic Council said China also has graduated from selling mainly small arms to selling heavier weaponry to Africa, and Nantulya noted that unmanned aerial vehicles have become a very popular defense article among African militaries.



Selling drones, shopping for jets



This year, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is fighting a rebel movement in the east, purchased nine Chinese attack drones.

The DRC is also reportedly looking to buy fighter jets and, just last week, a high-level delegation from the China-Africa Aero-Technology Import and Export Corporation based in Beijing was in Kinshasa along with Peoples Liberation Army officials to discuss a deal.



Thomas Newdick, a defense journalist at the U.S.-based War Zone defense technology website, told VOA that Russia does not have anything to offer comparable to Chinas drones. Armed drones, he said, are good for insurgency-like situations  which abound in Africa  and countries are turning to China to purchase them because the U.S. export guidelines for armed drones in particular are extremely strict.



China also is selling more aircraft, where Russia used to dominate, he said.

The Chinese footprint in terms of arms sales has been expanding rapidly, even before the war in Ukraine, said Newdick, noting that now however, because of the war, the Russian arms industry is struggling even to meet its domestic requirements.



Asked for comment on its increasing arms exports to Africa, the Chinese Embassy in Washington referred questions to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, which did not respond. The Chinese Mission to the African Union also failed to respond to request for comment, as did an A.U. spokeswoman.



As well as military hardware, China also provides regular training for African forces, as does the U.S.



For decades, the United States demonstrated this commitment through sustained efforts to build defense capacity, particularly through professional military education, grant assistance, security agreements, joint exercises, training, and military exchanges, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told VOA.



Regardless of where they buy their weapons, analysts say both Western-supplied weapons and Chinese weapons can fall into the wrong hands or be used in human rights abuses.



The U.S. sells billions of dollars worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, an autocratic regime that has been accused of rights abuses in the war in Yemen.



It matters less where governments of African countries choose to buy arms. What we need to underscore is that irrespective of the source, arms can still fall into the hands of organized criminal groups including terrorists, said Ojewale.



With African governments increasingly turning to more sophisticated weapons like attack drones and missile systems, analysts expect insurgent and terrorist groups to upgrade their weapons to keep pace.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that his government would move forward with ratifying Finland's NATO application, paving the way for the country to join the military bloc ahead of Sweden.

The breakthrough came as Finnish President Sauli Niinisto was in Ankara to meet with Erdogan. Both Finland and Sweden applied to become NATO members 10 months ago in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, abandoning decades of nonalignment.

NATO requires the unanimous approval of its 30 existing members to expand, and Turkey and Hungary are the only countries that have not yet ratified the Nordic nations' bids. The Turkish government accused both Sweden and Finland of being too soft on groups that it deems to be terror organizations, but expressed more reservations about Sweden.

"When it comes to fulfilling its pledges in the trilateral memorandum of understanding, we have seen that Finland has taken authentic and concrete steps," Erdogan told a news conference in Ankara following his meeting with Niinisto.

"This sensitivity for our country's security and, based on the progress that has been made in the protocol for Finland's accession to NATO, we have decided to initiate the ratification process in our parliament," the president added.

With Erdogan's agreement, Finland's application can now go to the Turkish parliament, where the president's party and its allies hold a majority. Ratification is expected before Turkey holds its presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for May 14.

Commenting on Turkey's willingness to consider ratifying Sweden's accession to NATO, Erdogan said it would "depend on the solid steps Sweden will take."

Explaining the difference between the Nordic countries from Ankara's viewpoint, Erdogan claimed that Sweden had "embraced terrorism," and cited demonstrations by supporters of Kurdish militants on the streets of Stockholm. "Such demonstrations do not take place in Finland," he said. "For that reason we had to consider [Finland] separately from Sweden."

Niinisto welcomed Turkey's willingness to move on his country's bid but also expressed solidarity with its neighbor. "I have a feeling that Finnish NATO membership is not complete without Sweden," he said.

Referring to a NATO summit scheduled for July in Lithuania's capital, Niinisto added: "I would like to see in Vilnius that we will meet the alliance of 32 members."

Turkey, Finland and Sweden signed a memorandum of understanding in June of last year to resolve differences over the Nordic states' membership.

The document included clauses addressing Ankara's claims that Stockholm and Helsinki did not take seriously enough its concerns with those it considers terrorists, particularly supporters of Kurdish militants who have waged a 39-year insurgency in Turkey and people Ankara associates with a 2016 coup attempt.

A series of separate demonstrations in Stockholm, including a protest by an anti-Islam activist who burned the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy, also angered Turkish officials.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and lawmakers have promised to ratify the two country's NATO membership applications. But the country's parliament has repeatedly postponed a ratification vote.

The parliamentary head of Orban's Fidesz party said Friday that a vote on Finnish accession would be held on March 27. Mate Kocsis said in a Facebook post that lawmakers for Fidesz, which holds a two-thirds majority in parliament, would "vote unanimously in favor."

Niinisto arrived in Turkey on Thursday and toured areas affected by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that killed more than 52,000 people in Turkey and Syria last month.

"I have known Erdogan for a long time. I am sure he has important messages," Niinisto said Thursday while visiting Kahramanmaras, one of the provinces worst-hit by the magnitude 7.6 earthquake on Feb. 6 that killed more than 52,000 people in Turkey and Syria.

Prior to Friday's announcement, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Sweden hoped for "a rapid ratification process" after Turkey's elections.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the decision would strengthen the security of NATO, Finland and Sweden. "The most important thing is that both Finland and Sweden become full members of NATO quickly, not whether they join at exactly the same time," he said.

Turkey's parliament is set to go into a pre-election recess in three weeks but an "accelerated process" to endorse Finland's NATO membership was expected, Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, director of the German Marshall Fund in Ankara, said.

He predicted a tougher path for Sweden after the elections, regardless of whether Erdogan is returned to office after 20 years in power or the opposition takes charge.

"While there is now a president who commands a majority in parliament, the next president, whoever is elected, will likely not have a majority in parliament," Unluhisarcikli said.

Three political alliances made up of more than a dozen parties are taking part in the elections, including a left-wing alliance of politicians who tend to be ideologically opposed to NATO.

"Now it's enough to persuade to President Erdogan, but several parties will need to be persuaded after the election," Unluhisarcikli said.
Two Hong Kong men have been arrested by national security police for merely possessing what the authorities say are seditious childrens books  the latest in a slew of arrests over the past week that have caused widespread unease across the city.

Police said two men, aged 38 and 50, were arrested this week in a joint operation with customs officers who raided their homes and offices and found copies of the comic books that allegedly incited hatred or contempt against the Chinese and Hong Kong governments and the judiciary. Hong Kong media reported the arrests this week, citing a press release.

Police said the books were seditious publications that could incite others into using violence and disobeying the law, adding that they were related to a sedition trial that happened last year.

The books were part of a series of three that portrayed Hongkongers during the 2019 unrest as sheep trying to defend their village from wolves, an apparent reference to Chinese authorities. The titles were ruled seditious in a controversial trial last year in which five speech therapists were sentenced to 19 months in prison for conspiring to publish, distribute and display three books with seditious intent.

The Chinese-language Mingpao newspaper reported Wednesday that several copies of the books were mailed to the duo from Britain. The men, who have not been named by police, have been released on bail but must report to police next month, according to police officers quoted.

This case is believed to be the first time that police have detained citizens for merely possessing the books. It was not the first time, however, that arrests have been made in connection with the books. In January, a 24-year-old man was arrested by national security police for posting a link to a download site for the sheep and wolves series. He was charged with being involved in an act with a seditious intention and was refused bail, according to online news portal Inmediahk.net.

The convictions used a colonial-era sedition law that authorities now often use alongside the national security law to prosecute government critics. The sedition law outlaws incitement to violence, disaffection and other offenses against the administration. Sedition cases are overseen by designated national security judges, and defendants charged with sedition also face a more stringent national security bail assessment.

The sweeping national security law, imposed by Beijing to stamp out the monthslong, sometimes violent anti-government protests that started in 2019, codifies penalties as severe as life imprisonment for crimes including acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.

The case has caused widespread unease across the city and many posted comments on social media voicing their fears.

I dont understand whats so seditious about these comic books? How would we know which books are seditious and which are not? said one comment on Facebook.

Johannes Chan, former chair of public law at the University of Hong Kong and visiting professor at University College of London, said the arrests highlight the vagueness of the definition of sedition charges. He said people should not be guilty for merely possessing the publications if they didnt know they were seditious or didnt have seditious intention.

Otherwise, if a cartoon in [a newspaper] is considered seditious, every single reader who has kept a copy of the newspaper could be guilty of the possession offense. This could hardly be compatible with the guarantee for free speech in the Basic Law or the Bill of Rights, he said.

Hong Kong's Basic Law is a mini-constitution that guarantees that its civil freedoms and rights should remain unchanged for 50 years after Hong Kongs return to Chinese rule, which happened in 1997.

At the time of the speech therapists 2021 arrests, a senior national security police official said merely possessing those publications should not pose a problem. But police advised people to destroy the radical books because they instilled in children the ideas to confront and oppose the government.

This time, the police press release said that the possession of seditious publications is a serious crime and warned it could lead to imprisonment.

Despite officials efforts to promote the city internationally after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, this was the latest in a series of arrests on national security charges during the past couple of weeks that highlight the fragile state of civil freedoms Hong Kong.

A 23-year-old woman was arrested March 15 under the national security legislation for allegedly publishing messages online advocating Hong Kong independence.

Veteran labor rights activist Elizabeth Tang was arrested a day later on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces, after visiting her husband - prominent former opposition lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan - in prison. Its an offense under the national security law.

Two days later, Tangs sister, Marilyn Tang, and a lawyer, Frederick Ho, were arrested for allegedly removing evidence from her home. They were accused of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
Health officials in Tanzania are investigating an illness that killed five people in the country's northwest with Ebola-like symptoms, raising fears that it could be the deadly virus.

Tanzanias Ministry of Health late Thursday issued a statement saying seven people in northwest Kagera region showed symptoms such as fever, vomiting, bleeding and kidney failure.

The ministry sent audio comments by Chief Medical Officer Tumaini Nagu to media.

She said rapid response teams at the regional and council level have been sent to probe the unknown disease to understand and analyze it further. Nagu said samples have been taken from patients to identify the source of the disease.

Social media posts in Tanzania noted the symptoms were like those for Ebola, a deadly virus that causes high fevers, severe bleeding, and organ failure.

Kagera borders Tanzanias northern neighbor Uganda, which had an outbreak of the rare Sudan strain of Ebola from September last year to January that was blamed for 77 deaths.

Albert Chalamila, regional commissioner of Kagera, said in audio comments that his office sent to the media that officials are taking precautions.

Chalamila said they have continued to educate residents regarding the importance of taking all necessary precautions, including for COVID-19 and other illnesses such as Ebola. He said so far there are no reports of anyone having contracted the Ebola virus.

Tanzania is not unfamiliar with rare and mysterious diseases but has never recorded a case of Ebola.

An outbreak in the southeast last year of leptospirosis, a bacteria spread by rat urine, sickened 20 people and caused three deaths.

In 2019, a disease with Ebola-like symptoms that killed one woman who had visited Uganda led the WHO to question the governments response and lack of sharing information.

At the time, the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo was struggling with an Ebola outbreak that was the second largest on record, lasted nearly two years and killed more than 2,000 people.
U.S. former officials and experts are urging greater efforts to thwart Chinese espionage, which many believe has enabled Beijing to develop a range of advanced weaponry on the back of stolen American technology.

James Anderson, a former acting undersecretary of defense for policy, said China stole U.S. military technology for developing its J-20 fighter jet and has benefited immensely.

"They have profited greatly from their thievery over the years," he said. "They've put it to good use, and they've come up with an advanced fifth-generation fighter," noting that its "hard to say, short of actual combat," how the J-20 matches up against the U.S. F-22 Raptor fighter.

Matthew Brazil is a researcher and writer with Jamestown Foundation who served in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, where he both promoted and controlled U.S. high-technology exports to China. He said the FBI doesn't have enough people to keep track of Chinas activities in the U.S.

Brazil told VOA Mandarin, Chinese communist espionage is not like an army of cockroaches crawling up our arms with daggers between their teeth. It's spying. We can handle it with a better counterespionage system that includes both the government and the private sector working more closely together.

He noted the FBI lacks enough agents trained in Chinese language, culture and area studies. Congress should step in here and fund this sort of program to train people.

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Mark Warner last month urged the Biden administration to expand the use of existing tools and authorities at the Treasury and Commerce departments to prevent Chinas military-industrial complex and entities from benefiting from U.S. technology, talent and investments.

As of March 14, Warners office told VOA Mandarin, We have not yet received a response and are following up with the relevant departments.

VOA Mandarin emailed the Chinese Embassy in Washington asking for a comment but did not receive a response in time for publication. Anderson, who made his remarks to Fox News Digital last week, was sworn in on June 8, 2020, and resigned in November 2020.

US tech in Chinese weapons

China claims to have independently developed its fifth-generation stealth fighter J-20, which entered service in 2017. John Chipman, head of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said on February 15 at an IISS event that China's J-20A production is expected to surpass that of the U.S. F-22 Raptor fighter jet by the end of 2023.

Chinas sixth-generation fighter jets, hypersonic weapons and missiles, and even the spy balloons that crossed the continental United States last month all appear to incorporate elements of American technology, according to DefenseOne, a Washington news site devoted to military issues.

U.S. defense officials say China has the world's leading hypersonic arsenal.

Terry Thompson, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and war planner at the Pentagon who blogs, told VOA Mandarin that China lacks a solid technological foundation and has a long history of stealing technology.

He said, If you look back at the epic progression of Chinese aircraft, they say they've produced an aircraft that looks like and flies like the F-16 and like the F-15 and the F-18. I mean, they look just like our aircraft. They're not building something new that comes from their own base of technology. They don't have a base of technology.

Thompson said China targets engine and power system technology, but also the aerodynamics. They didn't have the capability to coat airplanes with stealth material. They stole that from us.

But now China is making its way right up to the table that the rest of the free world is playing on, because they are just stealing their pathway to that table.

Old-style spies and cyberattacks

Anderson told Fox News Digital that China's intelligence practices include the old-fashioned  spies and bribes to buy American contractors, university professors and government officials  and high-tech cyberactivity to steal key information on military weapons.

In effect, we end up subsidizing a portion of their research and development budget because they are successfully stealing some of our secrets," Anderson said.

Kris Osborn, president and editor-in-chief of the U.S. Military Modernization Center, said in an article published last month that China has hired at least 162 Chinese scientists who had worked at the U.S. Los Alamos National Laboratory on deep-penetrating warheads, new hardened heat-resistant nanocomposite materials, vertical-takeoff-and-landing drones and a new generation of submarine "quiet" technologies.

However, to put things simply and clearly, many of the U.S.-driven technological advances in these critical areas appear to have been stolen by Chinese spies, Osborn wrote.

A report published in April 2022 by BluePath Labs, a consulting firm commissioned by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, said, Despite a wide body of research on Chinas scientific progress, the laboratory system remains a less understood component.  This opacity not only leads to gaps in our knowledge of Chinese defense research, but in many cases has allowed these labs to fly under the radar, leading to cases of close interaction, and even cooperation between Chinese defense labs and U.S. and allied academic institutions.

In 2023, China's military expenditure will expand significantly, by 7.2% to $224.8 billion, according to the official budget discussed in an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

When meeting with a delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force on March 8, Chinas President Xi Jinping said China should accelerate the promotion of high-level technological self-reliance.

Emily de La Bruyere, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told VOA Mandarin that China wants semiconductor technology for military functions, development of algorithms and valuable data.

Stealing technology has been an escalating priority. And I also say that just general aggressiveness of China when it comes to the development of these capabilities, but also its use of international presence in order to coerce - all of those are increasing, she said. Not only are they working to catch up, but also if they're stealing technology from the international system for their military modernization, they're then able to modernize more cheaply than anybody else.

Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
In a first for a U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken was in the African nation of Niger Thursday to offer humanitarian, economic and security aid.

Blinken's visit to Niger follows a stop earlier in the day in Ethiopia, a trip viewed by analysts as an effort to bolster U.S. relations in a part of the world where Russia and China have been seeking to gain influence.

At a news conference with his Niger counterpart, Blinken announced a $150 million humanitarian aid package for the west and central region of African known as the Sahel, which includes Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Mauritania.

As he announced the aid package, Blinken credited Niger and other nations in the region for their commitment to democratic principles. He said the United States is "committed to continuing to invest in the resilience of democracies to a wide range of threats and challenges."

Blinken also discussed programs designed to address food insecurity in the nation, which he made a point to note had been exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The conflict in Ukraine became further part of the discussion when Blinken was asked to comment on Poland's decision to send MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine to help in its defense efforts. Ukraine has requested more advanced air power to counter the Russian offensive, but the U.S. has so far resisted.

Blinken said this was a sovereign decision by Poland, and "different nations are doing different things" to help Ukraine defend itself against the Russian aggression.

He said it has always been the U.S. focus to do everything to ensure Ukraine has what it needs in the moment, and he said it was a mistake to focus on any specific weapons system at any given time.

Blinken said what is important is not only that the Ukrainians have the right weapons system, but also that they know how to use it and that it fits into a comprehensive plan.

The secretary of state was also asked about the growing influence of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group.

Many nations in the region have turned to Russia and the Wagner Group for security assistance after unsuccessful efforts by the U.S. and France to quell terrorist and extremist group attacks in the region.

Blinken first lauded Niger for rejecting and criticizing Russia and the Wagner Group. He said that in areas where Wagner has been active, things have ended badly and that it has not been an effective response to insecurity.

"We've seen countries find themself weaker, poorer and less independent as a result of an association with Wagner," he said.

Blinken added there have been cases in which the Wagner Group has engaged in exploitation of a country's resources, as well as corruption, violence and human rights abuses. He said nations found themselves less secure as a result of that association.

Blinken said it was incumbent upon the United States to demonstrate how its more comprehensive approach to security can deliver concrete results.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Thirty-five years ago this week, Vietnamese fighters aboard ships HQ 604, HQ 605 and HQ 505 and stationed on three reefs in the Spratly Island archipelago faced off against the Chinese navy defending Beijing's claim to the South China Sea outcroppings.

Sixty-four Vietnamese died in the skirmishes over Gac Ma, Co Lin and Len Dao, also known as Johnson South Reef, Collins Reef, and Lansdowne Reef. Two unarmed Vietnamese cargo ships were sunk in the incident that left 11 wounded and landed nine in a Chinese prison for three years.

The 1988 battle remains a politically charged issue for the Vietnamese government, which must navigate a 2,000-year history with its largest trading partner and sees the event as sensitive enough to keep dissidents from official ceremonies.

In the years afterward, police often dispersed people who attempted commemorations.

The Vietnamese government held no official commemorations until 2022.

This year, news organizations affiliated with the government ran editorials calling the 1988 incident "unfair" and the state-controlled TV channel VTC aired an 8-minute documentary affirming "the inviolability of the sacred sovereignty of the Fatherland in the East Sea."

Authorities also allowed only approved participants such as uniformed military, veterans and government officers to attend incense-lighting ceremonies and to release lanterns on March 14 at the Gac Ma memorial site in Khanh Hoa province, according to local media.

Dissidents banned

Dissidents told VOA Vietnamese that they were banned from the official ceremonies and similar events elsewhere.

Former prisoner of conscience Nguyen Huu Vinh in Hanoi, who blogs as Anh Ba Sam on Facebook, told VOA Vietnamese by phone that while state media commemorated "the Gac Ma event, and there is a delegation to celebrate the anniversary of the fallen ... patriotic people who perform such celebrations are often blocked by authorities, security, police."

Nguyen added that the government was careful not to fuel anti-China sentiment with events like the Gac Ma commemoration.

"They don't allow activists to engage in these activities because it is hard for them to control the public sentiment," he said.

Tran Thi Thao, 70, an anti-China activist in Hanoi, told VOA Vietnamese by phone on Thursday that two men, one of them a local police officer who had watched her before, stopped her from leaving her apartment building as she headed to the statue of Ly Thai To, who in 1010 founded the city of Thang Long, which later became Hanoi.

The statue is where people burn incense to remember those who have died during Chinese invasions since China's Han Dynasty conquered the kingdom of Nam Viet in roughly 111 B.C. A February 17, 1979, invasion is the most recent, and occurred after Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1978, a move that historians say Beijing considered provocatively expansionist.

"When I came to the ground floor, I saw them sitting there watching me," Tran told VOA Vietnamese on Thursday. " I was troubled because they stopped me from expressing my reasonable patriotism. They violated my rights of free movement."

China claims sovereignty

China rarely mentions the skirmish. Days after the 1988 battle, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Vietnam of preparing for war over the contested Spratly Islands.

Since then, China has reiterated its claim to sovereignty over the Spratly Islands and their surrounding waters. Known in China as the Nansha Islands, the area is rich in fish and natural resources and is claimed in whole or part by Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines as well as Vietnam.

Beijing continues to ramp up activity in the islands by reclaiming land around the Johnson South Reef and building artificial islands, including airstrips with the potential to host military jets.

Pham Thu Hang, deputy spokeswoman for the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry, said, "Vietnam requests China to respect Vietnam's sovereignty, cease militarization and refrain from activities that escalate tension in the region" when she was asked on April 21, 2022, to comment on China's militarization of some islands in the South China Sea.
Lack of access to clean drinking water is being exacerbated by climate change. In fact, less than 1% of the world's water is fresh and accessible, according to Melissa Ho, senior vice president of freshwater and food at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

"Although we see water all around the planet, we do not necessarily realize what a precious and finite resource it is," she said.

Ho cited that statistic during "This is Climate: Water," a Washington Post event that featured leaders at the forefront of water crisis initiatives discussing possible solutions to address global water inequities and the role of water in sustainable development.

Ahead of Wednesdays World Water Day, Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper outlined growing demands on the Colorado River, which drains a watershed from seven Western U.S. states and Mexico.

While lack of access to clean water is especially prevalent in developing nations, more than 2 million Americans are without running water in their homes.

"In the U.S., race is the No. 1 predictor of water access," said DigDeep co-CEO Julie Waechter. "Native American households are 19 times more likely than white households to not have running water, and Black and Latino households are twice as likely."

According to Waechter, when water infrastructure was expanded in the U.S., "many communities of color were not included in that expansion."

"So communities of color that are trying to catch up and get that water infrastructure are having a really hard time finding the funding to do that."

WWF's Ho said women and girls are disproportionately affected by inaccessible water, with millions of girls worldwide routinely walking more than 3 kilometers to fetch water. "Think of what that means for their safety and health and access to schooling and educational opportunities," she added.

Contaminated water in US

Even when water is accessible, in too many instances it is unsafe to drink. Ho said water quality is an issue that should be of "prime concern" given that chemicals, heavy metals, hormones and other potentially toxic substances are routinely present in the U.S. water supply.

The White House on Tuesday announced the first-ever national drinking water standard for six polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also referred to as "forever chemicals." The proposal would enforce limits on the amount of PFAS allowed in drinking water.

Water use in industry

Speakers also addressed the use of water in industry, where it's needed but often wasted.

In the United States, agriculture, including farming and ranching, is the biggest user of water, with 70% of fresh water going to agriculture. World Environment Center CEO Glenn Prickett said that makes farmers "also the most vulnerable to climate impacts in terms of drought or flooding."

With all industries depending on water in some way, limited availability of water worsened by climate change is an economic reality.

"Water scarcity is a key portion of what companies should be thinking about as they think about their water sustainability programs so that they can be more water resilient into the future," said Calvin Emanuel, vice president and general manager of Sustainable Growth Solutions at Ecolab. "It has to be a part of their growth strategy and path forward."

"Some are obvious, like food and beverage manufacturing," Prickett said, "but others may be less obvious but highly valuable to our economy, like fabrication of microchips or data centers for the cloud or chemical manufacturing. All use water, and if they didn't have it, it would be a big impact on their business and their profitability."

Environmental activist Alexia Leclercq closed the session with thoughts on how activists are trying to conserve clean water sources for future generations.

"Not to diminish the complexity of policy and of these solutions that we direly need, but I think that if we shift away from prioritizing profit, I think that gives us a lot of space to imagine what our future could look like and actually put our resources towards finding those solutions and working on those solutions," the Start: Empowerment co-founder said. "It's really limitless what we can create."
The U.N. says in the past week, 100,000 people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have fled their homes following fighting between M23 rebels and government forces. The UN accuses Rwanda of backing the rebels, a claim Rwanda denies. As Henry Ridgwell reports, critics say European powers should pressure Rwanda to end the fighting.
U.S. President Joe Biden hosted Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Friday, part of the longstanding White House tradition of St. Patricks Day celebrations of Irish culture in the United States.



"Its a big day in my grandparents' household, our household, big day here, Biden told Varadkar in reference to his Irish heritage. Ireland and the United States share great friendship and long, long traditions, added the president, who was wearing a green tie and shamrock in his suit pocket, traditional Irish symbols.



Varadkar thanked Biden for his support and understanding for our position on Brexit.



During negotiations on the United Kingdoms withdrawal from the European Union, also known as Brexit, the Irish government pushed to include the Northern Ireland Protocol, designed to maintain an open border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member.



The Irish government feared that a hard border could threaten the U.S.-brokered Good Friday Agreement, the 1998 peace deal that ended decades of sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland over the question of whether it should unify with Ireland or remain part of the UK.



Under the 2021 protocol, Northern Ireland remains in UK customs territory, but it follows many EU rules and regulations.



And we've got to a good place now I think with the Windsor framework, where we can have an agreement that lasts," Varadkar noted, referring to the post-Brexit deal designed to fix trade issues under the Northern Ireland Protocol.



The White House said the framework is an important step in maintaining the peace accord.

Biden is expected to visit Ireland in coming weeks to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. The White House has not officially announced the trip, but Varadkar said he was looking forward to it.



I promise you that were going to roll out the red carpet and its going to be a visit like no other, Varadkar said.



Support for Ukraine



Biden thanked Varadkar for his support in Ukraine. It means a great deal, speaking out against Russian aggression, he said.



The taoiseach, as the Irish prime minister is officially known, in turn thanked Biden for his leadership against Moscow.



I never thought we'd see a war like this happen in Europe in my lifetime, Varadkar said, repeating a line often used by Western leaders that his country will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.



After their meeting, Biden and Varadkar headed to Capitol Hill for a Friends of Ireland Caucus luncheon hosted by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, before returning to the White House for a St. Patricks Day reception in the evening, where the taoiseach presents the president with a crystal bowl full of shamrocks, as per tradition.



St. Patricks Day in-person meetings at the White House and lunch with congressional leaders at the Capitol were suspended the past two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 44-year-old Varadkar served as prime minister from 2017 to 2020 before returning to the office in December 2022 and was the last Irish leader to visit the White House in person in March 2020 under former president Donald Trump. Biden met with Varadkars predecessor, Micheal Martin, virtually in 2021 because of the pandemic, and virtually in 2022, after Martin tested positive for COVID-19 while already in Washington.



With Indian heritage from his fathers side, Varadkar is the first minority taoiseach in the countrys history. He also is the first openly gay Irish leader.



Prior to his White House engagement, Varadkar and his partner, Matthew Barrett, attended a breakfast with Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, at the vice presidents official residence.
South Koreas left-leaning opposition forces blasted the country's president, Yoon Seok Yeol, on Friday as he returned from a summit aimed at opening a new era in South Korean-Japanese relations.

Yoon on Thursday became the first South Korean president in 12 years to hold a bilateral summit with his Japanese counterpart when he met Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo.

The two agreed to restore regular visits to each others countries, took steps to ease trade tensions, and vowed to strengthen security cooperation to deal with shared threats such as China and North Korea.

The summit results were not enough to satisfy the South Korean left, which fiercely opposes Yoons efforts to look past historical disputes that have long strained relations with Japan.

Yesterdays Korea-Japan summit was the most embarrassing and disastrous in South Koreas diplomatic history, said Lee Jae-myung, the head of the main opposition Democratic Party.

Speaking at a party meeting, Lee said it looked as if we were paying tribute to Japan, begging for reconciliation and surrendering.

The backlash, though largely expected, highlights the challenge Yoon faces in moving ahead with efforts to improve Japan ties.

Forced labor proposal

Last week, Yoon unveiled a plan to resolve one of the thorniest disputes between the two countries  Japans use of forced labor during its brutal 1910-1945 occupation of the Korean Peninsula.

Under Yoon's plan, Seoul dropped a demand that Japanese companies compensate South Korean forced labor victims; instead, South Korean businesses will offer compensation through a government-backed foundation.

About 60% of South Koreans oppose the plan, according to multiple opinion polls.

A collection of left-leaning politicians and activist groups have called for demonstrations against Yoons forced labor proposal, recalling large anti-Japan protests in Seoul in 2019, during the peak of the forced labor dispute.

Yoons calculus

It is not clear how much any backlash will hurt Yoon, whose approval rating is already relatively low  just 33%, according to a poll released Friday by Gallup Korea.

Yoon still has more than four years left in his five-year presidential term. Like all South Korean presidents, he is constitutionally barred from running for a second term.

He may be betting that political pressure related to the forced labor issue will lessen by the time his party must field a candidate for the 2027 presidential elections, according to Mason Richey, associate professor of international politics at Seoul's Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.

Thats the gamble Yoon is making  I think hes pretty much willing to take the heat for the moment, Richey said.

Shaky ground

The question is whether the Democratic Party will eventually stop using the issue to attack Yoon  and whether the countrys next liberal president will undo the forced labor proposal.

Recent history suggests Yoons efforts are on shaky ground.

In 2015, South Koreas last conservative president, Park Geun-hye, reached an agreement under which Japan would compensate South Korean women who were forced into sexual slavery. President Moon Jae-in, a liberal, later repudiated the deal.

If Yoon is unable to convince his political opponents of the merits of the proposal, then it will meet a similar fate, predicted Robert Kelly, a political science professor at South Koreas Pusan National University.

This is a pretty big rock that Yoons got to roll up the hill, Kelly said. And Kishidas got to give him some help or its not going to work.

Historical matters

So far, there are few signs Japan will agree to the kinds of concessions demanded by South Korean progressives, such as a fresh apology over wartime atrocities or direct compensation for forced labor victims.

At Thursdays summit, Kishida did not offer a new apology. Instead, he reaffirmed that the Japanese government inherits on the whole the historical perceptions of past governments, including a 1998 declaration that included an apology.

Speaking alongside Kishida, Yoon said he has no plans to seek reimbursement from Japan.

Japan insists the forced labor and all other compensation issues were resolved by a 1965 treaty that established relations between Japan and South Korea. Under the treaty, South Korea received $300 million in economic aid and $500 million in loans from Japan.

However, South Korean forced laborers began demanding compensation starting in the 1990s and subsequent South Korean court rulings have sided with the victims.

Shared challenges

For many South Korean conservatives, there are bigger issues at stake  such as dealing with the rapidly expanding North Korean nuclear missile threat and securing global supply chains.

This is why Yoon proposed a solution to the issue of forced labor despite huge political risks," read an editorial in the conservative Chosun Ilbo newspaper. "This summit offers a chance to make things right again."

Choi Eun-mi, a researcher at the Seoul-based Asan Institute, said Yoons proposal was not meant to be a comprehensive solution to the forced labor issue, but represents an important first step.

There is no way to satisfy everyone, Choi said. I wish we could, but its not that easy.

U.S. President Joe Biden last week praised Yoons proposal, saying it marks "a groundbreaking new chapter of cooperation and partnership between two of the United States closest allies."

Improved Japan-South Korea relations could be hugely beneficial for the United States, which has long sought greater trilateral cooperation on regional threats.

Some U.S. analysts believe the Japan-South Korea rapprochement may outlast Yoon and Kishida, given Chinas increased military assertiveness and North Koreas near-constant missile tests and other threats.

At least for now, many South Korean opposition politicians seem to disagree.

Ko Min-jung, a senior Democratic Party lawmaker, told VOA on Friday it is possible for South Korea to both deal with its security challenges and avoid what she called surrender diplomacy.

There is good reason to question the benefit of South Korea giving up everything, unconditionally, to Japan, she said.
Zambian authorities have arrested the countrys auditor general and 17 others at the Ministry of Finance on charges of corruption and theft of public funds. The suspects allegedly benefited from $25 million in payments for fictitious activities.

Anti-Corruption Commission spokesperson Timothy Moono confirmed the arrests to reporters in Lusaka on Friday. He said the commission was not targeting any one person at the Finance Ministry.

The commission has subsequently restricted several bank accounts held by individuals suspected to be involved in this saga as part of ongoing investigations, Moono said.

The investigations stemmed from a special audit of the governments financial management information system for the period from 2018 to 2021.

Cabinet Secretary Patrick Kangwa, in an earlier statement, said that President Hakainde Hichilema has directed that the ongoing investigations must be conducted without any interference.

Transparency International's representative in Zambia, Sampa Kalunga, recently complained on a local radio station that the governments anti-corruption program was "disjointed, archaic and does not show results.

Many previous arrests have ended in bail, with defendants denying the charges and investigations not resulting in any convictions.
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Bridge plan dates back to ancient Romans.

The cabinet of Italian premier Giorgia Meloni on Thursday approved a decree reviving a contentious plan to build a bridge across the Strait of Messina, linking Sicily to the mainland.

The 3.2 kilometre long suspension bridge, whose planned construction was scrapped a decade ago over budget constraints, is now back on the table in a multi-billion euro project championed by Italy's deputy premier and infrastructure minister Matteo Salvini.

Hailing it as an "historic day", Salvini wrote on Twitter: "After so many years of defeatism and distrust, this government is reviving the project for the bridge over the Strait, which will connect Sicily with Calabria, the rest of Italy and Europe."

Qui Roma, APPROVATO in Consiglio dei ministri il DECRETO PONTE.



Giornata storica: dopo tanti anni di disfattismo e sfiducia, questo governo riaccende il progetto del Ponte sullo Stretto, che colleghera la Sicilia con la Calabria, il resto dItalia e lEuropa. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/h6SVHz7LTQ  Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) March 16, 2023

Addressing concerns over its structural viability, environmental impact and safety in an earthquake-prone area, Salvini said the bridge would represent "the crowning glory of Italian engineering" and would be built according to "new technical, safety and environmental standards.

The long-discussed project, which was rejected by previous governments due to high costs and engineering impracticability, would create tens of thousands of jobs, Salvini claims.

Former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, a partner in Italy's right-wing coalition, welcomed the revival of the project which he had backed as premier in 2009.

"We plan to approve the executive project by 31 July 2024", Salvini said, before starting to build what he hailed as "the most beautiful, greenest and safest single span bridge in the world".
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Japans colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula ended almost eight decades ago, yet its legacy still roils everyday politics. South Korea and Japan, major trading partners, have been at loggerheads over what constitutes proper contrition and compensation for Koreans conscripted to work in factories and mines that supplied Japans imperial war machine, and those  euphemistically called comfort women  who were forced to work in military brothels. The long-festering situation has impaired the two countries ability to cooperate on security and other issues. A new plan from South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol won praise from the US, which wants its two allies to help counter growing Chinese influence in Asia. It also led to the first formal bilateral summit in Tokyo for more than a decade, at which Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida declared they had thrown off a long winter. But like previous accords, the attempt at a resolution could fall prey to domestic politics.

1. What are the roots of the labor dispute?

Hundreds of thousands of Koreans were conscripted during the 1910-1945 colonial period to work, often in brutal conditions, at dozens of Japanese companies. At the time of a 1965 treaty that established diplomatic ties between the two countries, Japan paid the equivalent of $300 million  $2.5 billion in todays money  and extended $200 million in low-interest loans on the understanding all claims were settled completely and finally. The then-struggling South Korea invested the money in industries that eventually helped turn it into an economic powerhouse. Japan contends all claims were settled under the 1965 agreement and a fund set up in 2015. However, South Korean court rulings since late 2018 have said some conscripted workers were not properly compensated for their emotional suffering.

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2. What was the fallout for the companies?

South Koreas Supreme Court ruled in 2018 against two of Japans largest companies: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. was ordered to pay about $134,000 to each of 10 claimants, while Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. was ordered to pay $88,000 to each of four plaintiffs. A South Korean court in August 2020 ordered the seizure of shares, then valued at about $356,000, that Nippon Steel has in a joint venture with South Korean steelmaker Posco Holdings Inc, a move Tokyo called unlawful. Fears grew that those assets could be liquidated at any time, something Japan has said would inflame tensions.

3. What were the broader repercussions?

In 2019, the Japanese government removed South Korea from a list of trusted export destinations that benefit from less-stringent trade checks. That followed a move to restrict exports of materials vital to South Korean manufacturers of semiconductors and computer displays. South Korea removed Japan from its list of most-trusted trading partners. It also said it would withdraw from a military intelligence-sharing agreement, but backed down in the face of heavy US pressure. In July 2020, the World Trade Organization agreed to mediate the dispute over Japans trade restrictions, which South Korea described as politically motivated.

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4. What is the plan to improve ties?

In March this year, Yoons government unveiled a plan to have South Korean companies such as Posco that benefited from Japans postwar payments compensate the victims. For its part, Japan marked Yoons visit to Tokyo by saying it would remove export restrictions. Kishida reiterated that his government will uphold the views of past cabinets on history, which include a 1998 apology by then-premier Keizo Obuchi in a joint statement with South Koreas then-President Kim Dae Jung. Yoon and Kishida agreed to restart regular visits and launch a forum on economic security.

5. Will the agreement hold?

South Korea has a record of backtracking on deals when its leadership changes, while occasional comments from prominent members of the Japanese ruling party that appear to whitewash history are seen by many in South Korea as showing that Tokyos commitments lack substance. In 2015, Japan and South Korea announced a final and irreversible agreement on the comfort women that came with a personal apology from then-prime minister Shinzo Abe as well as about $9.6 million for a compensation fund. But many South Koreans opposed the arrangement, which was signed without consulting the victims, some of whom refused the money in protest. Under President Moon Jae-in, who took office in 2017, South Korea shut down the fund, angering Tokyo. Yoons new plan to resolve the forced labor issue provoked an immediate backlash from the opposition Democratic Party, which accused him of subservience to the Japanese. A group representing the forced-labor plaintiffs complained that the government was trampling on their human rights and dignity. Even if the deal works in the short term, it could be overturned by Yoons eventual successor, especially given the lack of additional Japanese funding or new apologies. On the other hand, recognition of the need to cooperate amid the growing threat from North Korea could help preserve the agreement.

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6. Has Japan apologized for its past misdeeds?

Several times. In 1990, then-Emperor Akihito expressed his deep regret for colonial rule. In 1993 Japan issued the Kono Statement, where it offered its sincere apologies and remorse to the comfort women. The statement has been Japanese government policy since then. The apologies have been undercut by comments from leading Japanese politicians seen as whitewashing the militarist past, and visits made to Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, where the countrys wartime military leaders  including Class A war criminals  are among those honored. South Korea has also been angered by what it sees as Japans repeated failure to acknowledge that the human rights of Korean conscripted workers were abused at Hashima, one of a group of sites recognized by UNESCO as representing Japans industrial revolution.

7. What would improved ties mean for the region?

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US President Joe Biden hailed the rapprochement as groundbreaking, and said it would open the way for more cooperation on maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific. Military coordination between Japan and South Korea has always been hampered by historical sensitivities, a problem that became more urgent after Russias invasion of Ukraine intensified concern that China could make a similar grab for the democratically governed island of Taiwan. North Koreas firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile hours ahead of the Yoon-Kishida summit underscored the precariousness of the security situation.

--With assistance from Sohee Kim and Jeong-Ho Lee.

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government, a coalition of right-wing and religious parties that came to power in December, has made overhauling the countrys judicial system a top priority. Its plan has sparked massive protests mostly by secular Israelis in the center and on the left who argue that the proposals would undermine the countrys democracy. The fight over the issue provoked Israeli President Isaac Herzog to warn that a civil war is within touching distance.

1. Why does the government want to change the judicial system?

The government complains that the Supreme Court has become overly interventionist, such that judges are usurping powers that rightfully belong to elected officials. In recent decades, as the right triumphed politically, the court  a last bastion of progressivism  has waded increasingly into political matters by expanding the kinds of cases it takes on. It lowered so-called threshold requirements that had previously filtered out cases  for example those that werent tangible disputes between two parties. And for the first time in 1995, it declared that it had the power to strike down legislation it found incompatible with rights established by Israels Basic Laws, which together form the closest thing the country has to a constitution. In reviewing actions by the executive branch, critics say the court has applied the test of reasonableness  would a reasonable public authority make such a decision?  in a way that goes beyond that typically used in other common law countries.

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2. What sort of rulings does the government object to?

For the far-right members of Netanyahus coalition, court decisions supporting the rights of Palestinians are particularly unpalatable. For example, in 2020, the court struck down a law that had authorized the government to expropriate private land owned by Palestinians if Jewish settlers had built on it. The two parties in the coalition that represent ultra-orthodox Jews object to the courts invalidation of laws exempting men from their community from mandatory military service. Further annoying one of the parties, Shas, the court in January applied the reasonableness standard to rule that its leader, Aryeh Deri, could not serve in Netanyahus cabinet given that hed promised not to enter public service as part of a plea deal in his conviction for tax offenses.

3. Whats the governments plan?

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The proposed overhaul is made up of a number of initiatives, each of which is being or will be considered by the Knesset, Israels parliament, separately. They include:

 Limiting judicial review of legislation. Under a proposed change, the Supreme Court could only invalidate legislation if it plainly violates a provision of the Basic Laws. Currently, the court interprets the legal guarantee of the dignity of the person as also protecting the right to equality, freedom of speech and freedom of religion, but those rights arent explicitly provided for. A decision to quash legislation would require a unanimous vote of the court under one version of the plan or 80% of the 15 justices in another version. Currently, such decisions require a simple majority of a panel of judges.

 Allowing the Knesset to override judicial reviews of legislation. Currently, the courts word is final. Under the governments plan, the Knesset could vote, by a simple majority, to preempt any judicial review of legislation or to annul it after the fact.

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 Changing the way judges are chosen. Currently, Supreme Court justices are selected by a committee made up of two ministers, two lawmakers (one of whom is traditionally from the opposition), two members of the bar association and three justices. Under the governments plan, lawmakers from the government coalition would hold a majority on the committee. The courts presidency would be opened up to candidates who had not served on the court and who arent judges.

 Abolishing the reasonableness test as a standard for reviewing executive decisions.

4. What do critics say about the plan?

Even many opponents of the overhaul acknowledge there is a case to be made for rethinking the Supreme Courts power, notably the dominant role judges play in selecting their successors and the open-ended rules about which cases it takes. At the same time, critics worry that the governments plan will remove the only significant check on the power of the executive branch. In Israels political system, to form a government requires having a majority in the Knesset. Because Knesset members are elected not as individuals but on party slates, they owe their allegiance to their parties. Thus, a ruling coalition can pass any law it wants, unless it is checked by the court. Given the nature of the current government  which includes ministers who have openly dismissed equal rights for Arabs, women and LGBTQ people  critics fear that it will undermine human rights and give greater privileges to the ultra-orthodox community at the expense of other Israelis.

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When NATO invited Sweden and Finland into the military alliance in June, its leaders hailed a historic decision that showed their collective determination to face down Russian aggression in Ukraine. But the expansion plan has splintered, with Turkey indicating it would green-light Finland while refusing to allow Sweden to join unless it does more to crack down on groups outlawed in Turkey, including the Kurdistan Workers Party, the PKK. As the dispute drags on, its complicating efforts to present a united front against Moscow.

1. What does Turkey want?

Its demanding that Sweden extradite suspected Kurdish militants and alleged coup-plotters wanted by Turkey and stop supporters of Kurdish movements in Sweden displaying their allegiances openly. (Swedens laws on freedom of speech make it hard for the government to stifle public expressions of support for Kurdish independence.) Initially Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opposed Finlands bid too. But he lifted the block on March 17, saying he hoped to complete the approval process for Finlands accession before the Turkish elections due May 14. Turkey effectively deferred a decision on Swedens membership bid until after the Nordic countrys new anti-terrorism laws go into force in June. The law, long in the works, will ban participation in a terrorist organization and give authorities tools to intervene in terrorist activity at an earlier stage. Also on March 17, the other holdout, Hungary, said it would approve Finlands entry, while delaying a decision on Swedens membership. Unlike Turkey, Hungarys ruling party didnt give a reason for decoupling the NATO bids of the two Nordic countries.

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2. Whats Turkeys problem with the Kurds?

The Kurds are an Indo-European people, about 30 million strong, and one of the worlds largest ethnic groups without a state of their own. Their homeland is divided among Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. The PKK has fought Turkish forces on and off since the mid-1980s as it seeks an autonomous region for Kurds inside Turkey. Turkey is particularly focused on the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, a Kurdish militia in Syria that was instrumental in the defeat of the Islamic State there. Turkey views the YPG as a security threat due to its ties to separatist Kurds in Turkey.

3. Why is Sweden involved?

Sweden has long sought to promote human rights and respect for minorities abroad, and the countrys welcome of refugees has made it home to as many as 100,000 Kurds. Some are Turkish opposition members sought by Erdogans government. Sweden has tended to align with other European nations in the way it treats Kurdish demands for self-determination and was the first country after Turkey to designate the PKK as a terrorist organization, in 1984. Erdogan wants some 120 individuals extradited, while Sweden has said it cant just hand people over without due process. The countrys Supreme Court, which makes decisions on extradition requests, has rejected appeals from Turkey on various grounds, including risk of persecution. Since they could do not give them to us, it is not possible for us to look positively to Sweden, Erdogan said on March 17. Thats why we had to separate Sweden from Finland.

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4. Why does the dispute matter?

Sweden and Finland conduct military exercises with NATO and increasingly share intelligence with it. However, they didnt join the group earlier for historical reasons. Having Sweden and Finland in the alliance would arguably make it easier to stabilize the security of the area around the Baltic Sea and to defend NATO members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Those countries are often seen as potential targets for Russian aggression. Including Finland and Sweden would add to NATO two sophisticated, well-equipped militaries whose gear is already compatible with that used by the alliance. It would double the length of NATOs border with Russia, which now comprises just 6% of Russias land perimeter, and enable the alliance to improve its surveillance of the countrys western flank.

5. What are the chances of a resolution?

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Erdogan faces presidential and parliamentary elections in May and maintaining a tough stance against Sweden could consolidate his support in nationalist circles. The Nordic countries fulfill NATOs criteria and their terrorism legislation and treatment of Kurds align with those of alliance members. The US, the most powerful country in the alliance, has repeatedly urged Turkey to ratify their applications, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has repeatedly said that Sweden has delivered on the pledges it made to Turkey in an agreement between the countries signed in June last year. The tougher law thats entering into force in Sweden June 1 may help sway Erdogans mind. The Turkish president said talks with Sweden will continue.

6. Where does this leave Finland?

While joining NATO improves Finnish security, doing so without Sweden risks hampering supply routes and NATOs ability to provide security guarantees. It would also entail rolling back some military cooperation the two counties have developed over the years, if Swedens accession is significantly delayed. The two are close allies and had always insisted the process toward NATO accession would be coordinated.

--With assistance from Onur Ant, Firat Kozok and Kati Pohjanpalo.

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The misstatements are part of a pattern that has raised questions about how the justice views his obligation to report details about his finances to the public.
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 Six days after the catastrophic earthquake struck south-eastern Turkey, Dr Rob Scott pulled the bodies of two teenage girls from the rubble that was their home. They were sisters, Scott recalls. Their extended family were all waiting on the side of the road. I wont forget the sounds, the emotion, when we brought these girls out and gave them back to their family. They were absolutely distraught. They had already lost the girls parents  their little brother, who must have been about three or four years old, was sitting there crying with the rest of them. As Scott looked down the road, he saw the same scene play out again and again as families waited for rescue crews to help recover their dead loved ones from under several tonnes of cement and twisted metal. The trauma doctor and specialist anaesthetist from Sydney had only just arrived in the destroyed city of Antakya, the Hatay province capital. He was among a team of 72 Australians trained in urban search and rescue operations who had been sent to help local rescue crews search for survivors and recover the dead from the rubble that had just days earlier been apartments, hospitals, schools and businesses.

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Scott volunteered for the mission within 48 hours of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on February 6 at 4.17am local time. It would be the first overseas deployment for the medico who usually splits his time between St George Hospital in south-east Sydney and rescuing seriously injured people with NSW Ambulance. My heart was in my mouth when I agreed to go, and asked my wife and told the kids what was happening, the father of three young daughters aged 10, eight and five years old, said. The team consisted of two trauma doctors and five paramedics from NSW Ambulance, 60 Fire and Rescue NSW personnel, a NSW Police officer and four members of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trades National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). They flew out the following day. It would take more than two days to get to Antakya. This would be Murray Traynors fourth overseas deployment. The paramedic of 36 years had been on the ground in Samoa after the 2008 tsunami, in Christchurch in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and in Vanuatu following the 2015 cyclone. But even Traynor found the extent of the destruction in Antakya overwhelming.

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The whole city about the size of Parramatta was rubble, Traynor said. The damage caused by the earthquake and its aftershocks spread across an area of about 350,000 square kilometres (about the size of Germany) through Turkey and across the Syrian border. It is the deadliest natural disaster in Turkeys modern history, with more than 55,700 deaths - 48,400 in Turkey and more than 7200 in Syria. An estimated 2.4 million people have been left homeless, seeking shelter in tents and temporary shelters, and more than 850,000 children remain displaced, the UNs International Organisation of Migration says. Antakya, a whole city the size of Parramatta, was in ruins. The Australians knew there was little chance they would find large numbers of survivors so many days after the initial earthquake. They heard accounts of other rescue crews finding a handful of people alive in basements and other air pockets beneath the rubble, but the Australians found no living victims during their 10 days in the field. We had all the instruments and machinery, and other countries had dogs that we could use to find possible live victims  but unfortunately that wasnt the case, Traynor said.

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Retrieving the dead and returning their bodies to their families became their primary task. In one day, the crew recovered 12 victims, including children as young as two, Traynor said. There were a lot of children that we pulled from the rubble. That would get to anyone, I dont care what anyone says, he said. Retrieving the dead and returning their bodies to their families became the Australians primary task. Families would implore you to go in. To be able to hand back their loved ones, so they could mourn and bury them with dignity  that was how we coped. The father of a 12-year-old girl buried under the remnants of their apartment building had to be dragged away from the site for fear that he would injure himself. But at the end of the day, he was so grateful that we found his daughter. At least he had his child back to mourn. Every one of us will have a memory like that, Traynor said.

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The Australian paramedics and doctors were responsible for the health and wellbeing of their fellow Australians as they searched the dangerous terrain. The team did some heroic stuff to make sure the deceased could be taken back to their families, and they had the expertise to do that safely, Traynor said of the crew working amid rubble piles underneath buildings amid aftershocks and the possibility of more earthquakes. They were set up to manage severe trauma and acute injuries, but thankfully there were none. The team searched dangerous terrain for survivors. Overall, the team brought 22 tonnes of equipment with them to ensure they were completely self-sustaining and put no further burden on local resources. They set up their base of operations in the carpark of a showground, sleeping in tents as the temperature overnight dipped below minus 10. At the end of the deployment, the Australians donated a lot of their medical supplies (medications and consumables) to Turkish health facilities.

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Professional firefighter Bronnie Mackintosh could not let the stereotype go unchallenged, that to be a firefighter in Australia you need to be a burly man.

The former Wallaroos rugby player decided that rather than focus solely on pushing herself up the career ladder, she would put into action her desire to see more women get a place in fire and rescue services by igniting the passion of girls.

Firefighter Bronnie Mackintosh (centre) with camp participants (from left) Bridie Newman, Caitlin Weppner, Claire Schultz and Annabelle Forsyth. Credit: Jason South

To use a rugby metaphor: You cant all have the same body shape, size, profile, personality and capabilities because otherwise youll only be able to solve the problems those skills and traits are best suited for, said Mackintosh, who created the Girls on Fire education camps for teens in NSW in 2018.

Five years on, at the camps first interstate outing, 14-year-old Lana Wilson felt the weight of the gear and the power of holding the extinguisher at a session in regional Victoria.
The lawyer defending a woman accused of fatally stabbing her partner during an argument has lashed detectives after they upgraded her charges to manslaughter.

Claudia Maria Federico, 34, sobbed uncontrollably as details of her alleged offending were read out in Perth Magistrates Court on Friday, where she appeared via video link from Melaleuca Prison.

Claudia Maria Federico is facing manslaughter charges over the stabbing death of her partner. Credit: Facebook

The court heard how on March 4, Federico became embroiled in an argument with her partner and the father of her one-month-old baby, Joseph Michael Nicoli, 35, after the FIFO worker returned to their West Perth home allegedly high on methamphetamine.

Federicos lawyer, Jeremy Noble, said her nine-year-old daughter told police she saw Nicoli run down a tile stairwell and onto a 35-centimetre kitchen knife Federico was holding. Federico was allegedly holding the couples newborn son in her other arm, he said.
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 March 18 edition of Good Weekend. See all 17 stories . Its like in the great stories, Mr Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didnt want to know the end  because how could the end be happy? J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers (as adapted by Peter Jackson: spoken by Samwise Gamgee) It really hit him in New Zealand. Weird things had been happening for a while: his legs giving way when he got out of the car, strange dreams, headaches. But in quarantine in Auckland in September 2020, and during filming of Amazons enormous, and enormously hyped, The Lord of the Rings prequel The Rings of Power, things got really strange. He began drawing faces: wide-eyed, staring at the viewer, sometimes (unbeknownst to him at the time, but clear enough if you look closely) with a slight swelling behind one eye  just above the eyelid and below the eyebrow. Hed been making art for more than 20 years, but hed specialised in abstract collages made from tiny, pixelated pieces of old lino. Not faces; and especially not these faces. Morrell playing Waldreg in The Rings of Power. During its filming, he found himself feeling unsettled and anxious. Credit:Amazon Added to this, he felt unsettled and anxious on the Rings set  an experienced actor whod worked on four productions a year for more than 20 years. But now his lungs were irritated by the smoke machines and the flaming torches of hundreds of orc-extras; his forearm was gashed by the thorn claw of bad guy Adar (aka actor Joseph Mawle); his feet got horribly sunburnt in a barefoot peasant scene. Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Shmings, he thought, waiting for his scenes as publican-cum-servant-of-ultimate-evil Waldreg. One night he had a dream like a movie cliche in which he was at a train station, watching the train leave without him. Im not finished! Im not finished! he kept calling.

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When he got back to Australia, he went to see his GP. By this time, his ears were making a kind of pulsing hum  Schm, schm, schm  and this, combined with balance issues, made him worry. He went for tests, then back to his doctors surgery. His GP sat down holding a sheaf of scans. Then he delivered the words that, in every single case, must change a life forever. Youve got a massive brain tumour. Sam Gamgee was right. How could the end be happy indeed? I wish it need not have happened in my time, said Frodo. So do I, said Gandalf, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring The myth in Geoff Morrells family about his birth is that his mother went into labour at a Labor party meeting. His father drove her home to Fairfield in Sydneys west in the side-car of his motorbike, and it was there, on his grandparents chicken farm on Smithfield Road, that he was born on February 19, 1958. He grew up surrounded by politics  his father, Ted Morrell, was Gough Whitlams first campaign manager  as the third of four children. Mum always remembered Dad coming home with Whitlam and Tom Uren. They were both very tall men, and we lived in this tiny ramshackle house, and they both had to duck to get into the kitchen. Theyd sit there talking politics all night. He and his younger brother Peter both suffered from asthma, and when Morrell was only a year old he was given the last rites during an attack. The priest had actually left, thinking I was done for. And then I was saved by the new miracle drug  cortisone  rushed from Lithgow hospital. Forever after, he was understood to be the sickly one in the family. And when thats your family narrative, you buy into it, he says. Youre the one who gets sick, falls over, has the accident.

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Nonetheless, at 14, it was he who witnessed the death of 12-year-old Peter in the living room of their home in Wollongong. It was the night before the School Certificate, I remember. Petey and I were always the ones whod get asthma in the middle of the night. Wed go into the bedroom, Dadd get up, sit us by the heater, make us a cup of tea. That particular night, I heard a thump, and I got up, and  Im not sure if Pete was gone or not, but I do remember trying to give him mouth-to-mouth. I remember the sound of it  the rattle of the lungs as you do it. Morrell, left, with siblings John, Peter and Judy, and mother Joan, around 1961. Credit:Courtesy of Geoff Morrell Peters death was both a defining event in his childhood, and a moment that was never, somehow, fully acknowledged by his family  except by an even more heightened sense of physical fragility, a greater fear of death, a more immediate sense of panic at illness. Id talk to my mum on the phone and shed be like, Are you okay? Youve got a bit of a wheeze. She used my little brothers death to underline how vulnerable I was. Loading Despite this personal uncertainty, Morrells professional life was blessed for many years. His parents  who both loved the theatre  thought acting a wonderful career, and while studying arts at Wollongong University, he made his stage debut as Algernon in The Importance of Being Earnest. He went on to become one of the founding members of Wollongongs Theatre South; he ran his own short-lived theatre company offering absurdist and German Expressionist works to the steelworkers of the Illawarra (apparently with some success); and was a regular in Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir, ABC and commercial TV productions. Indeed, his most famous roles  Grass Roots, Changi, Blue Heelers, Cloudstreet  made him one of that handful of Australian male actors whose face is instantly recognisable, though his name might escape you.

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Id talk to my mum on the phone and shed be like, Are you okay? Youve got a bit of a wheeze. She used my little brothers death to underline how vulnerable I was. He also worked on his pictures, and played music  tenor guitar, banjo, mandolin, clarinet. As with acting and art, he was never formally trained in music; he picked it up as he went along. He married his (now amicably ex) wife Megan in the early 1980s, and they had two daughters, Rosheen and Minerva. He and fellow actor Caroline Brazier then married, divorced and also remain friends. For many years he had a happy, contented life in Wollongong and, later, Sydney. Morrell with his two daughters, Rosheen, left, and Minerva in 1987. Credit:Courtesy of Geoff Morrell And then, slowly, something began to change. He became doubtful about his creative value: afraid of being hurt, of failing, of looking like an idiot. At the same time, he became interested in First Nations people and their history, which fuelled his unease. Eventually I thought, Im just not that interested in white people and their problems. Im an old white man: the worlds been listening to my story for hundreds of years. And I dont know about the world, but Im kind of over it.  Even among the old white-man roles, moreover, all the good ones were taken. I just wasnt being offered anything interesting any more. I mean, it was Bryan Brown. Or, if it was a slightly more educated and whimsical character, itd be Sam Neill. Or a hard nut, Anthony LaPaglia. But if its one episode of a series where its a father, who maybe has a bit of a cry; hes maybe a schoolteacher? Thatd be me. And it got to the point where I just didnt want to do it any more. Loading There was another thing wearing him out: fear. I think I am an artist, he says. I am a storyteller. But it can be hard to stick your head up and do something creative. And even though it looked like I was working in a creative field, I think I became more and more afraid of failing, of being criticised. Artistic expression has an incredible power to shame us, and I think as the years passed, and I wasnt being challenged, I became afraid to challenge myself. I got the yips.

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Of course, The Rings of Power, released last September, was different. It was pure make-believe, pure dress-ups. And it was great to be on that big stage. Still, the whole time I was in New Zealand I just didnt want to be there. He thought it must be just his professional ennui, rising up despite the big budget and the picturesque rag costumes and the friends he made on set (many of whom he painted in his new face-obsessed artworks). Looking back, of course, he knows now that there was also something else on his mind. Literally. Morrell, right, playing in a band with fellow actor David Field at a charity event in 2018. Credit:Courtesy of Geoff Morrell I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King Before his tumour operation, Geoff Morrell, now 65, took his two granddaughters (he also has a grandson) to the beach. He gave them pieces of pounamu stone  a sacred stone to Maori people  and sat looking at the water while the girls ran around. I still remember thinking, Am I never going to experience the feeling of diving under a wave again? I had the feeling that it might, really, be all taken away. I was pretty calm on the surface of things, but underneath I was going, F---! F--- f--- f---! 

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One of the founders of Victorias anti-corruption commission has criticised the premiers record on integrity and called on the Greens, crossbenchers and the Coalition to unite and establish an upper house inquiry.

Former Victorian Court of Appeal judge Stephen Charles, KC, said he was speaking out because he thought recent comments made by Daniel Andrews were disgraceful and the government should take matters of integrity much more seriously.

Former Victorian Court of Appeal judge Stephen Charles. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Andrews is alleging that his government is one of great integrity, the former judge said. His attitude should lead the people of Victoria to have the most spurious doubts about any suggestion that this government is concerned about integrity at all.

The integrity expert also had a strong message for upper house crossbenchers: Use the power youve been given because the way the government has been behaving gives a very serious indication that things are going wrong, and they know it.
PEOPLES UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES (PUCL), DELHI

PRESS RELEASE

17TH March 2023

PUCL, Delhi, strongly deplores the notice of Delhi Police directing Gandhi Peace Foundation (GPF), New Delhi to cancel the meeting on Media Blackout and State Repression in Kashmir organized under the banner of Campaign Against State Repression(CASR) comprising various organizations to be held on 15th March 2023 at the GPF. The reason given by the police in its letter is that the police had received input about a disturbance to law and order in the area. Another reason given by the police is that no permission was sought from the police for holding the meeting.

It is obvious that the reasons advanced by the police do not hold any ground. The meeting was to be held inside the auditorium of the GPF and no permission is required to hold an indoor public meeting. There is no such law. If the police suspected any disturbance, it could have taken adequate measures to control the law and order situation. Large number of indoor public meetings are held in Delhi on various burning issues and there is no requirement to take permission.

Another reason given by the police is that an anonymous group was organizing the meeting and it could not verify the details of its members in spite of its efforts. This reason is also baseless. Campaign against State Repression (CASR) is a well-known body of civil rights activists and organisations which has been organizing public meetings, demonstrations from time to time in Delhi and its activities are covered by the media. On 5th December 2022 it held a Press Conference at Surjit Bhawan, New Delhi demanding unconditional acquittal of Prof. G.N.Saibaba & others who have been in jail for years in cooked up charges in Bhima Koregaon case. This press conference was also addressed by D.Raja, well known leader of CPI. CASR also held a public hearing on 12th January 2023 at Surjit Bhawan demanding release of political prisoners framed under the yoke of laws like Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act i,e, UAPA which was addressed by well-known professors and activists and was very well covered in the media.

This meeting on Kashmir was to be addressed by eminent personalities in public life like Justice Hussain Masoodi, a Rajya Sabha MP and retd. High court judge, Prof. Nandita Narain, well known activist and former Chairperson of DUTA, CPI(M) leader MYTarigami, film maker Sanjay Kak and Mr. Shahid Saleem, the Chairman of the United Peace Alliance. All are well known figures in public life. It is quite clear that the law and order problem is not the issue, real motive was to gag the freedom of speech on an important public issue involving rights of the people of Kashmir. Banning an indoor public meeting is totally arbitrary, malicious and unconstitutional. Even during the infamous emergency (June 1975 to March 1977) indoor meeting opposing the emergency were not banned. The present government and the police must remember what Gandhi ji said as far back as 1921, in a message he wrote in Young India,  In a democracy people are not like sheep. In democracy we must jealously guard freedom of expression and thought and action

PUCL Delhi therefore urges upon the government and the Police to desist from following such unconstitutional and unlawful methods which are in violation of the constitutional rights of the citizens and are harmful to our democratic system.

N.D.Pancholi, President

T.S.Ahuja, General Secretary

Ashok Bharti, Secretary

PEOPLES UNION FOR CIVIL LIBERTIES, (PUCL), DELHI
London: Lawyers for Prince Harry have asked a judge to rule that a tabloid newspaper defamed the British royal with an article about his quest for police protection when he and his family visit the UK.

Harry is suing Mail on Sunday publisher Associated Newspapers over an article alleging he tried to hush up his separate legal challenge over the British governments refusal to let him pay for police security.

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan after Queen Elizabeths funeral. Credit: AP

During a hearing at the High Court in London, Harrys lead attorney asked Judge Matthew Nickin either to strike out the publishers defence or to deliver a summary judgment, which would be a ruling in the princes favour without going to trial.

Lawyer Justin Rushbrooke said the facts did not support the publishers substantive pleaded defence that the article expressed an honest opinion.
Warsaw: Poland will deliver an initial batch of four Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday, ramping up pressure on other NATO allies to make similar commitments.

The planes are in full working order and will be delivered in the next few days, Duda said at a news conference in Warsaw alongside his Czech counterpart, Petr Pavel. The delivery would mark the first time any of Ukraines NATO allies have delivered jets.

Two Mikoyan MIG-29 from the Polish Air Force take part in a NATO shielding exercise last year. Credit: Getty Images

We are literally sending these MiGs to Ukraine at this moment, he said. Poland did not say how the planes would be delivered, whether flown by Polish or Ukrainian pilots, or disassembled and taken by truck or rail. Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said in Kyiv that the method of delivery was highly secret information.

An agreement to transfer the fighter jets marks a new level of Western aid to Ukraine, again crossing what Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has called the Rubicons of allied decision-making. In sometimes halting decisions, the West supplied short-range anti-aircraft and anti-tank equipment to repel Russias initial invasion, before progressing to include heavy artillery, multiple-launch precision rockets and main battle tanks over the past year as battlefield conditions changed.
London: French President Emmanuel Macron has used controversial special constitutional powers to bypass parliament and force a rise in the pension age, sparking mass protests and risking a national shutdown amid chaotic scenes in Paris.

Macron, facing defeat on a policy he has invested much of his shrinking authority on, took a last-minute decision to avoid a knife-edge vote in the National Assembly and instead push through his unpopular plan to increase the pension age from 62 to 64.

Firefighters put out a fire near the Place de la Concorde, after angry anti-reform demonstrations in Paris. Credit: AP

Just moments before MPs in the lower house were to vote, Macron was holding a series of frantic meetings with senior political figures, and suddenly chose to use the special power granted to the prime minister instead of risking a vote. According to reports, Macron had told cabinet ministers that the financial risks were too great if the law had been rejected by parliament.

Radical-left MPs  who bitterly oppose the change alongside members of the far right  sang La Marseillaise at the top of their voices to drown out Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, from speaking.
What in the World, a free weekly newsletter from our foreign correspondents, is sent every Thursday. Below is an excerpt. Sign up to get the whole newsletter delivered to your inbox.

Im writing to you on the San Diego waterfront, next to a 7.6-metre installation known colloquially as the kissing statue, which recreates a famous embrace between a sailor and a nurse celebrating the end of World War II. Behind it sits the USS Midway, a retired aircraft carrier filled with planes and helicopters that have been used in combats from WWII to Operation Desert Storm.

The Unconditional Surrender statue (aka the kissing statue) on the waterfront in San Diego. Credit: iStock

Not far away, on West Harbour Drive, Top Gun fans fill the tables at Kansas City Barbecue, an iconic restaurant and bar where Tom Cruise shot some of the movies most famous scenes (though to be honest, I was more interested in the baby back ribs than the film memorabilia).

Known as the birthplace of California, San Diego is very much a military city, which made it a fitting location to unveil the biggest military leap in Australias history this week.
Washington: A fresh analysis of radar images obtained more than three decades ago has yielded new evidence indicating Venus, Earths planetary next-door neighbour, is currently volcanically active. In other words, its a dynamic world with eruptions and lava flows.

Researchers say radar images taken by NASAs Magellan spacecraft showed a volcanic vent about 1.6 kilometres wide on the Venusian surface has expanded and changed shape over an eight-month span. The vent is situated on Maat Mons, which at about nine-kilometres tall is the planets highest volcano and second-highest mountain.

A new study found evidence of volcanic activity as recently as the early 1990s on the north side of Venus Maat Mons, seen in this image from the JPL Multi-mission Image Processing Laboratory. Credit: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

A February 1991 image showed the vent as a circular formation covering about 2.6 square kilometres. An October 1991 image showed the vent with an irregular shape covering about 3.9 square kilometres.

What we definitively can demonstrate is that a volcanic vent got larger and looks to have gone from conical and hundreds of metres deep in its interior to a flat, nearly filled interior, said Robert Herrick, a University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute research professor and lead author of the study published in the journal Science.
From 14 to 16 March 2023, at the invitation of Mr. Shahin Baghirov, the Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, the Secretary General of the World Customs Organization, visited Baku, Azerbaijan to address the Multilateral meeting on the simplification of Customs procedures along the Middle Corridor, linking Asia and Europe through Central Asia.

In his keynote speech, Secretary General Mikuriya underlined the importance of using international standards and digital technology to harmonize customs transit procedures. In this connection, he referred to the WCO Railway Guidance (2022) to facilitate and control electronic customs transit in cooperation with railway and other government agencies. Dr. Mikuriya suggested that there is a need to invest in human resources capacity building to enable the implementation of standards and the use technology for appropriate customs control, based on risk management. He also stressed the potential of the transit for landlocked countries to be used as basis for economic development.

The meeting, which saw the participation of Customs administrations of countries in Central Asia and its adjacent region, agreed on launching the data exchange portal. The participants supported this initiative that could lead to more harmonized and efficient customs transit procedures in the Middle Corridor.

Dr. Mikuriya met the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ali Asadov and discussed the improvement of the Middle Corridor and WCOs capacity building support in this regard.

He also visited the Customs Academy to meet students, in line with WCOs theme of the year Nurturing the next generation.

During his stay in Baku, Dr. Mikuriya gave a lecture on global trade and the role of Customs at the Azerbaijan State University of Economics. He also received a honorary doctorate degree in economics.
EXETER TWP., Pa. - A Berks County couple is on a mission to help people impacted by the Norfolk Southern train crash in Ohio.

Currently, they are packing up to head to the PA-Ohio border, they say, to deliver much-needed supplies to people in need.

"I care about people, and I think people need to care about each other more," said Marci Shelton Bortz, owner of Hair We Are.

Saturday morning, the Exeter Township hair stylist is putting the scissors aside for a day, for the five-hour drive.

"First of all, it shouldn't have happened," said Bortz. "Because they should've had more regulations on the railroad."

The Bortz's are heading to the East Palestine, Ohio area, where the train derailment has left people on edge, feeling like they can't use the items they need. They're bringing all of the things they have been collecting, thanks to generous community members.

"Blankets, baby food, formula," said Bortz. "Every single thing in their house was contaminated. Toys, they need wipes, toilet paper, paper towels."

They've also received just under $200 in monetary donations to buy blankets and other essentials.

"I'm the driver and the muscle. She's the brains behind it, and we work together," said Brian Bortz, owner of Bortzy's Garage. "My dad will be passed ten years this year, and he was a truck driver. He always used to stop and help people on the side of the road."

The couple is packing up their Yukon with the items and filling up an attached trailer with cases of water.

They say they are thankful for the support they've received; however, they are looking to collect even more donations.

If they receive enough, they say they will take another five-hour trip to the border.

"If it would happen here, I would hope someone would take the time to help us if we needed it," said Brian.
READING, Pa. - The effort to restore passenger rail service to the city and county took a step forward this week.

The Greater Reading Chamber Alliance was awarded $142,346 in funding for its Franklin Street Transit-Oriented Development Strategic Plan. The grant was part of several Local Share Account funding projects announced Thursday.

We are thrilled to receive these funds as we continue to work with our public and private sector partners to lay the groundwork for restoration of passenger rail service to the city and county, said Jim Gerlach, President & COO of GRCA.

The funding, which was distributed by the Commonwealth Financing Authority, was a part of $4.62 million awarded to various projects in the 11th Senatorial District.

The focus of the strategic plan is to determine the most appropriate course of action to support the redevelopment and revitalization of residential, commercial and industrial properties within the neighborhoods adjacent to the train station.

This process is being undertaken by the Franklin Street Working Group, comprised of representatives from GRCA, City of Reading, Berks County Government, Berks Alliance, Berks County Community Foundation, South Central Transit Authority and Franklin Street business owners.

Officials say the reestablishment of an intercity passenger rail system has the potential to bring in billions of dollars in income generation, economic development and tax revenue.

The Schuylkill River Passenger Rail Authority is also in the process of applying to the Federal Rail Administrations Corridor Identification and Development Program in hopes of being awarded recognition of the railroad corridor.

The authority is a joint venture between Berks, Montgomery and Chester counties. Its long-term goal is the restoration of passenger rail service from Reading to Philadelphia
READING, Pa. - A man was taken to the hospital Thursday night after being shot in Reading.

The 20-year-old was shot around 8 p.m. near Pershing Boulevard and McClellan Street in the city's Oakbrook section.

The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and is in stable condition.

Police did not release any information on the shooter or a possible motive.

The investigation is ongoing.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A three-alarm fire broke out early Friday morning at the Trexler Park Apartments in Allentown.

"Everybody was screaming, and then we heard people banging on each other's doors like, 'the building's on fire, please get out,' stuff like that," Trexler Park Apartment resident Natassia Tyner said.

Flames broke out just after 1 a.m. at an apartment in the 500 block of Benner Road.

The Allentown Fire Department quickly responded and had the flames knocked back in a few hours.

Capt. John Christopher said the fire started in apartment 201, which was heavily damaged in the fire. Neighboring apartments sustained water damage.

"The power line going into this building was impinged upon by the fire, so we had to have PPL de-energize the whole building, which forced the evacuation of 23 apartments," Christopher said.

Displacement of the residents is mainly because the fire damaged the main electrical power line that supplies electricity to the building. Once the power line is fixed, most of the residents will be able to return to their apartments. PPL was called out to take care of the issue.

There do not appear to be any injuries.

65 people were displaced, but according to the American Red Cross spokesperson, most of those people had renters insurance.

"it doesn't really ring for people until something like this happens," Peter Brown said. "And then [they start asking] well, 'how do I replace my laptop,' 'I have to replace my TV."

Emergency officials notified the Red Cross of the fire around 2 a.m., prompting the Red Cross Disaster Action Team to mobilize and provide immediate support for the displaced residents.

A construction worker tells 69 News the fire burned power lines and it will take longer than originally believed to let people back in; the earliest anyone who was evacuated will be let back inside is Monday, but that will just be to get their belongings.

The Red Cross has opened a reception center at the First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, located at 3231 W. Tilghman St., Allentown, PA 18104. The Allentown Emergency Management Agency is arranging bus transportation for residents from the apartment complex to the reception center.

The reception center will offer a safe place for residents to receive information, refreshments, and care.

Anyone in need of Red Cross assistance should call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Their code was to return with honor. The inhumane treatment can hardly be understood by most of us. As prisoners of war in Vietnam, it was desperate at times after the torture, but Capt. Robert Biss says he always knew he was coming home.

As a pilot in the Air Force, his love of flying began at an early age.

"My mother used to tell people I would run around the couch with my arms stuck out pretending to be an airplane. so I guess it's something I always wanted to do," Biss said.

On the family farm near Johnstown, Bob would read comic books filled with stories of war heroes flying planes. After high school, he took a few classes at Penn State before joining the military when he was just 19.

Not long after, he was flying F-4Cs, a large fighter jet known as The Phantom, and he says flying one over Vietnam was demanding.

"I've often described it as being super speed. I mean your mind is working so fast processing everything that's going on," Biss said.

You had to rely on your senses. More than 100 missions in, he was on alert during a bombing mission on November 11, 1966. He was just north of the DMZ when he was shot down.

"Came down, didn't have much chance to evade, they were standing there with guns and then that meant we were about to begin a long march to Hanoi," Biss said.

It took 38 days to get there.

"They had this little prison in the countryside where they pretended they were going to execute me every day, once a day or whatever," Biss said.

"There were four of us that went together in a group, including my backseater. We weren't supposed to talk. In fact, they did make an effort to keep us separated for 38 days but we did communicate some."

When they got to Hanoi, Bob spent months in solitary confinement. After the first couple of years, he said any optimism faded. He was imprisoned for 2,306 days. Three years would go by before his wife and small children knew he was alive.

More than six years after being shot down, he was released on March 6, 1973.

He stayed in the Air Force and after 20 years in, he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel, a decorated airman. He began a second career flying corporate airplanes, remarkably with his sense of humor intact.

"Oh it's not so bad if people aren't shooting at you," Biss said.

He was no longer with the woman he was with when he left for Vietnam but he did find love again, and he was there as his children had children of their own. He flew all over the world, no longer missing out on life with a view from up above.

Lt. Colonel Robert Biss, American Red Cross Hero.
EASTON, Pa.  Lou Pektor said Thursday that River Pointe Logistics will proceed even if Northampton County pulls a tax break, but the 800-acre industrial development may be "less competitive."

Developer Pektor discussed the plan before Northampton County Council on Thursday, as council looked at a plan to extend the LERTA, or Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance program. LERTA provides a property-tax break on new construction that declines and then expires over 10 years.

Pektor said without the tax break, RPL could lean more toward warehouses than manufacturers. Council and County Executive Lamont McClure have opposed tax benefits for warehouses.

"While we would like to have the LERTA extended, whether it's extended or not, our project will go ahead," Pektor said, but without the break, attracting manufacturers and better-paying jobs will be difficult.

Council President Kerry Myers said Council will vote April 6 on whether to extend the break on Pektor's Upper Mount Bethel Township development for five more years. The township and the Bangor Area School District have also granted LERTAs to the site, accepting less tax revenue up front to build a future tax base.

Pektor plans to put up 13 buildings on the site. He said River Pointe, along the Delaware River and near the Portland-Columbia Toll Bridge, has the rail access and power capacity to bring in value-added manufacturing companies. Most of the traffic will travel about a quarter mile to the bridge instead of taking Route 611, he said.

RPL will bring in thousands of jobs and generate millions in tax revenue for the county, township and school district, Pektor's team has said. Opponents say the development will hurt their quality of life by adding more traffic and wrecking Delaware River views.

The county has no authority over land use in the township, but it can drop the LERTA subsidy. The tax break was approved in 2018, with a clause requiring renewal after five years. Pektor owns the land and it is in an industrial zone. Township officials have said they could not stop him from building, even if they wanted to.

Without the LERTA, RPL might not bring in top manufacturers and jobs, Pektor said. Instead, it might have to target "the lower end of the curve." He said New Jersey, just a few hundred yards across the river, provides better incentives to draw employers.

His daughter Lisa Pektor, project manager for RPL, said Wednesday that manufacturing buildings cost more than warehouses, making the LERTA essential for bringing in the best employers.

Lou Pektor has said before that misinformation has plagued the development process.

"There are so many misconceptions," he told Council on Thursday. While opponents complain about a zoning amendment that allows him to put larger, taller buildings on the site, "the same amount of square footage would be put in this property" under previous zoning rules. There would be more small buildings, and more likelihood of them being logistics (warehouses).

"I want the board to understand that our goal is to get the manufacturing side of the market," he said. "It makes more sense for this site."

Eight RPL opponents also addressed Council. Richard Wilford-Hunt warned of automated, high-cube warehouses and lots of trucks. He asked Council not to subsidize warehouse construction with a LERTA.

Another regular opponent, Charles Cole, said much of RPL is on open space and not the blighted industrial land that is suited for tax breaks.

"I don't consider my township to be economically depressed," Cole added.

Other RPL foes brought up traffic and scenic views, and Sandra Newman, a supervisor from neighboring Lower Mount Bethel, said her township's board opposes the plan.

"This project is going to bring fleets of trucks down (Route) 611," said Regina Marinelli of Lower Mount Bethel.

Upper Mount Bethel Township Manager Ed Nelson spoke in favor of the development. He has pointed out before that more than 80% of UMBT's 44 square miles pay no property tax or reduced tax because the acreage is preserved open space or farmland, or otherwise shielded from paying.

The 800 acres that River Pointe will cover amounts to 3% of UMBT's land, Nelson said Wednesday. He said the development will lift the property tax burden on the 6,800 residents. His position was backed at a Wednesday meeting by Rich Grucela, a former Northampton County Council president and former Pennsylvania representative.
EASTON, Pa. - As the country awaits Bryan Kohberger's next court appearance in June, the question continues to surface online and in communities throughout our region: did he commit any crimes in Pennsylvania?

"This is a very rare case, right? This is horrendous conduct. So right away, you know, your natural instinct is to wonder," said Northampton County District Attorney Terence Houck.

Houck was just as shocked as the rest of the country when he discovered the Idaho killings suspect's ties to the area.

"We recognized right away that he had no contacts with the criminal justice system here," said Houck. "We have no open kind of cases at all that fit that MO or that we are wondering about."

The Lehigh County DA's Office tells us it did the same type of search and found nothing.

When Kohberger appeared in court in the Poconos, the Monroe County DA's Office said it would be looking into the Pleasant Valley grad's past, though our several interview requests over the last few months to follow up on that have gone unanswered.

"When we have crimes committed in the area, we have a Regional Crime Information Center that keeps reports," said Houck.

That's something utilized by Bethlehem Township Police, whose chief tells us once he found out Kohberger went to DeSales University and Northampton Community College, his department also reviewed its records: no contact, no suspicious activity, and no unsolved crimes needed to be re-examined.

We checked in with DeSales too, which found no evidence of criminal behavior.

Northampton Community College simply told us it has no information to share regarding allegations.

State Police cited the gag order for why it couldn't say anything more about Kohberger, and added it doesn't comment on, or confirm the existence of, any pending or active investigations.

So, despite a constantly swirling rumor mill, the big takeaway from what local agencies have gathered so far is, "nothing happened here," said Houck.

Houck says of course if anyone has evidence of any crimes to report it, and his office will investigate.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Chinese President Xi Jinpings plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow next week highlighted Chinas aspirations for a greater role on the world stage. But they also revealed the perils of global diplomacy: Hours after Friday's announcement of the trip, an international arrest warrant was issued for Putin on war crimes charges, taking at least some wind out of the sails of China's big reveal.

The flurry of developments  which followed China's brokering of an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume diplomatic relations and its release of what it calls a peace plan for Ukraine  came as the Biden administration watches warily Beijing's moves to assert itself more forcefully in international affairs.

U.S. President Joe Biden said Friday he believes the decision by the International Criminal Court in The Hague to charge Putin was justified. Speaking to reporters as he left the White House for his Delaware home, he said Putin clearly committed war crimes.

While the U.S. does not recognize the court, Biden said it makes a very strong point to call out the Russian leader for his actions in ordering the invasion of Ukraine.

Other U.S. officials privately expressed satisfaction that an international body had agreed with Washingtons assessment that Russia has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

Asked about the Xi-Putin meeting, Biden said, Well, well see when that meeting takes place.

The Biden administration believes China's desire to be seen as a broker for peace between Russia and Ukraine may be viewed more critically now that Putin is officially a war crime suspect, according to two U.S. officials. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the matter publicly, said the administration hopes the warrants will help mobilize heretofore neutral countries to weigh in on the conflict.

A look at the Xi-Putin meeting and how it may be affected by the warrant.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF XI MEETING WITH PUTIN?

The visit to Russia will be Xi's first foreign trip since being elected to an unprecedented third term as China's president. It comes as Beijing and Moscow have intensified ties in steps that began shortly before Russia's invasion of Ukraine with a meeting between the two leaders in Beijing during last year's Winter Olympics at which they declared a no limits partnership.

Since then, China has repeatedly sided with Russia in blocking international action against Moscow for the Ukraine conflict and, U.S. officials say, is considering supplying Russia with weapons to support the war. But it has also tried to cast itself in a more neutral role, offering a peace plan that was essentially ignored.

The meeting in Moscow is likely to see the two sides recommit to their partnership, which both see as critical to countering what they consider undue and undeserved influence exerted by the U.S. and its Western allies.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ICC ARREST WARRANT ISSUED FOR PUTIN?

In the immediate term, the ICC's warrant for Putin and one of his aides is unlikely to have a major impact on the meeting or China's position toward Russia. Neither China nor Russia  nor the United States or Ukraine  has ratified the ICC's founding treaty. The U.S., beginning with the Clinton administration, has refused to join the court, fearing that its broad mandate could result in the prosecution of American troops or officials.

That means that none of the four countries formally recognizes the court's jurisdiction or is bound by its orders, although Ukraine has consented to allowing some ICC probes of crimes on its territory and the U.S. has cooperated with ICC investigations.

In addition, it is highly unlikely that Putin would travel to a country that would be bound by obligations to the ICC. If he did, it is questionable whether that country would actually arrest him. There is precedent for those previously indicted, notably former Sudanese President Omar Bashir, to have visited ICC members without being detained.

However, the stain of the arrest warrant could well work against China and Russia in the court of public opinion and Putin's international status may take a hit unless the charges are withdrawn or he is acquitted.

WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM WASHINGTON?

U.S. officials have not minced words when it comes to Xi's planned visit to Moscow. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby called Beijings push for an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine a ratification of Russian conquest and warned that Russians could use a cease-fire to regroup their positions so that they can restart attacks on Ukraine at a time of their choosing.

We do not believe that this is a step towards a just, durable peace, he said. Bidens national security adviser Jake Sullivan this week called on Xi to also speak with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian leader has also expressed interest in talks with Xi.

WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM KYIV?

Speaking before the ICC warrant was unveiled, Ukrainian analysts cautioned against falling into a potential trap ahead of the Xi-Putin meeting. We need to be aware that such peace talks are a trap for Ukraine and its diplomatic corps, said Yurii Poita, who heads the Asia section at the Kyiv-based New Geopolitics Research Network.

Under such conditions, these peace talks wont be directed toward peace, said Nataliia Butyrska, a Ukrainian analyst on politics related to Eastern Asia. She said the visit reflects not so much China's desire for peace but its desire to play a major role in whatever post-conflict settlement may be reached.

China does not clearly distinguish between who is the aggressor and who is the victim. And when a country begins its peacekeeping activities or at least seeks to help the parties, not distinguishing this will affect objectivity, Butyrska said. From my perspective, China seeks to freeze the conflict.

WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM MOSCOW?

Even if China stops short of providing military assistance to Russia as the U.S. and its allies fear, Moscow sees Xi's visit as a powerful signal of Chinese backing that challenges Western efforts to isolate Russia and deal crippling blows to its economy.

Kremlin spokesman Yuri Ushakov noted that Putin and Xi have very special friendly and trusting personal ties and hailed Beijings peace plan. We highly appreciate the restrained, well-balanced position of the Chinese leadership on this issue, Ushakov said.

Observers say that despite Chinas posturing as a mediator, its refusal to condemn the Russian action leaves no doubt about where Beijings sympathy lies.

The Chinese peace plan is a fig leaf to push back against some Western criticism on support for Russia, said Alexander Gabuev, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The optics that it creates is that China has a peace plan, both parties of war endorsed it and were ready to explore the opportunities and then it was killed by the hostile West.

WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM BEIJING?

Chinese officials have been boasting about their new-found clout in the international arena as their country's foreign policy has become increasingly assertive under Xi.

In announcing the Xi visit, China's foreign ministry said Beijing's ties with Moscow are a significant world force. As the world enters a new period of turbulence and change, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and an important power, the significance and influence of China-Russia relations go far beyond the bilateral scope, it said.

It called the visit a journey of friendship, further deepening mutual trust and understanding between China and Russia, and consolidating the political foundation and public opinion foundation of friendship between the two peoples for generations.

Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani in Washington and Hanna Arhirova in Kyiv contributed to this report.
After a short stint of performances, everyone was waiting for Parade to land on Broadway.

And it has  in style, according to critic Hayley Levitt, who reviewed the production this week.

With a Tony-winning book by Alfred Uhry and a Tony-winning score by Jason Robert Brown, Parade, first seen on Broadway in the winter of 1998-99, tells the true story of Leo Frank, a Jewish factory superintendent who was accused of raping and murdering an employee.

The story takes place in and around Atlanta in 1913, when die-hard confederate sentiments and resentment of Northern capital make it impossible to receive a fair trial.

The show had to reschedule its press night following an issue with projections, but was still met with unadulterated praise, with Levitt saying this new production "transcends documentary and proves its power as a piece of theatre."

She also had praise for star Ben Platt, saying he "has beautifully graduated from his period as Broadway's most controversial teenager, delivering a mature, textured, and fabulously sung performance as this cultural fish-out-of-water. He draws on some familiar tics and mannerisms, but they all add up to a man who baffles his neighbors with high-brow sensibilities and a stoic demeanor that might fit comfortably at a New York shul but is hostile to every sense of Southern decorum."

There was also praise for co-star Micaela Diamond, who "was introduced to Broadway as the youngest of the Chers in The Cher Show, proves the breadth of her talent as Leo's Southern-born and fully assimilated wife Lucille. Her accent may slip in and out, but her yearning for connection with her character's distant husband is palpable, and her performance of "You Don't Know This Man" is one for the ages."

She continues: "Brown's composite score epitomizes the range of cultures bumping up against one another in the early 20th-century South, and Michael Arden's staging (a beautiful collaboration with choreographers Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant) shows precisely how these frictions can burst into flames. When his cast is not peering from the sidelines, they are churning with motion that is alternatingly exhilarating and terrifying  often both at the same time (lighting designer Heather Gilbert artfully follows these tonal shifts)."
In campaign stops across the state and in media interviews, conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Dan Kelly has consistently emphasized his devotion to the state Constitution.

After qualifying for the April 4 election in last months primary, Kelly praised voters who reaffirmed the centrality of the Constitution to the work of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. In a 10-minute speech before the Wisconsin Counties Association Legislative Conference on Wednesday, he used the word Constitution or constitutional 14 times.

Referencing liberal opponent Janet Protasiewiczs repeated references to personal values, Kelly said later that he had no doubt that (voters are) going to come out in droves to protect the Constitution, because they know thats what protects the liberties that they treasure so much.

But some conservatives worry Kellys broad appeals to the Constitution may not be a winning strategy.

Its very difficult to imagine voters keying in so strongly on the notion of protecting the Constitution because its relatively esoteric, longtime Republican strategist Brandon Scholz said. Voters respond to issues, whether theyre for or against. But something like defending the Constitution is almost nebulous.

Its even more abstract for voters considering most probably dont know much about the state Constitution, Scholz said. They might know the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, but who knows the Wisconsin Constitution?

Kellys focus on defending the Constitution compared with Protasiewiczs concentration on specific issues makes Kellys challenge even tougher, and it makes Protasiewiczs challenge even easier, Scholz said.

Theres no public polling to show whether Kellys messaging prioritizing the Constitution is working, said Bill McCoshen, a Republican operative who had supported and given conservative candidate Jennifer Dorow advice during the primary.

But I dont think its a broad enough message, he said. The people who are hardcore supporters of the Constitution are already with Kelly. So hes not broadening his base.

Outcomes in Wisconsin Supreme Court race, challenge to abortion law seen as inextricably linked

Kellys strategy would be more effective if he talked more about Protasiewiczs embrace of issues such as abortion and redistricting and less about the state Constitution, McCoshen said.

Given what I know from our own research about the different sorts of democratic attitudes Wisconsinites hold, talking about the Constitution and ones fidelity to it probably feels good to most people, said UW-Madison journalism professor Mike Wagner, who studies political communication. But its probably not at the top of their list when theyre making a decision about who they want to be a Supreme Court judge.

Campaign spokesperson Jim Dick dismissed such concerns, adding there was an obvious reason for Kelly to focus on the states charter: The Constitution is the center of our judicial system, not something to be cast aside in favor of ones personal political ambitions.

He also criticized what he said was Protasiewiczs political ploy of hinting at how she would rule on cases, even if she wont say so outright.

In response, Protasiewicz spokesperson Sam Roecker said while she was a prosecutor and judge for decades following the Constitution, Dan Kelly has been a partisan extremist, picking and choosing what parts of the Constitution hed like to follow.

Roecker did not clarify what parts of the Constitution he alleged Kelly didnt follow.

Kellys strategy has two likely purposes, UW-Madison political science professor Barry Burden said.

Its a kind of general way to convey that youre serious about following the Constitution and enforcing the law and not overstepping the boundaries of your institution, Burden said. But its also kind of a nod to conservative activists  that my philosophy is like yours.

Kelly has been far less willing than Protasiewicz to discuss specific issues such as abortion and redistricting. He says thats because the race shouldnt be about political issues. But the resulting difference in the candidates messages is largely in line with how liberals and conservatives typically run campaigns.

Republicans do best in races when they make appeals to broad values, such as defending liberty, while Democrats do better when they discuss the specific changes they want to see in government, according to Michigan State University political science professor Matt Grossman and Boston College associate political science professor David Hopkins, who together wrote the book Asymmetric Politics: Ideological Republicans and Group Interest Democrats.

Abortion, crime

Which kind of messaging engages voters most depends on how the public perceives the race. As it stands, abortion is and will remain a top concern for Wisconsinites on both sides of the debate, Burden said.

After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade last year, Wisconsins moribund 1849 near-total ban on abortion has come back into play. Opponents are challenging the law in a case that will likely be decided by the state high court.

Janet Protasiewicz has massive early spending advantage in Wisconsin Supreme Court race

Eighty-four percent of registered voters in Wisconsin favor abortion exceptions for rape and incest, which arent included in the current ban, according to a Marquette Law School Poll from November. And only 37% of Wisconsinites favored overturning Roe v. Wade.

Crime has also become issue in the race, with conservatives going after Protasiewicz over instances where they say she was lenient on defendants. But Protasiewicz has also emphasized public safety in her ads, accusing Kelly of being soft on crime and saying he defended child sex predators in court.

Protasiewiczs crime message, Burden said, does put Kelly on the defense on an issue where he should probably have the greatest strength. So if hes having to explain or backpedal a little in that area, hes going to have real, real difficulty confronting her on the issues where she might be advantaged.

With Protasiewicz largely defining the stakes of the race and liberals making up the majority of primary voters, Kelly and conservatives have the incentive to release more hard-hitting ads and take a more aggressive position toward Protasiewicz, Burden said.

But conservatives didnt run any TV ads promoting Kelly in the first week after the primary. A conservative group since put down $1 million to boost Kelly, but thats a small fraction compared with the $7 million liberals have reserved, as of last week, in ads between the primary and general election.

This is really kind of a key point in time in the general election where conservatives have to step forward if they want to keep the seat, Scholz said.
Alex Galeros and Elena Hildebrandt have tapped into their lifelong dreams.

The Wisconsin Dells couple, both of whom have worked in the restaurant industry in various capacities for years, have opened Draft City Taproom in Baraboo at 602 West Pine Street.

What once was a Kwik Trip is now a place that the couple hopes Baraboobians take their time in, relax, have a self-serve pint or two and a spicy soprano pizza fresh made from the kitchen, or some other plate off their menu of homemade food.

This is a great place, Galeros said. The community has been awesome. Everyone is very welcoming to us.

The establishment opened at the end of January. Its not a typical taproom. Guests can pour their own. Want a full pint? Pour yourself one to the rim. Want just a splash to taste what a particular beer is like? You can do that, too. Guests get a card, walk over to the tap wall, and can pour their own glasses with as little, or as much, as they want.

We love the fact that we can offer something different, Hildebrandt said of the self-service tap wall. It is the only establishment of its kind in the area. Galeros said there is a self-service taproom in Mount Horeb but offers fewer taps than they do at Draft City.

The new taproom in Baraboo offers 30 taps that include beers, ciders, and seltzers. With plans for expanding to 45 taps in the future, the selections rotate frequently. A beer available this week might not be available next week. It is an exciting opportunity for craft beer aficionados to have that sort of selection.

As of this writing, according to Untappd, a nationally recognized social networking beer app, Draft Citys current tap list includes MObCraft Beers Limonata Love, Young Blood Beer Companys Weird Hat Band, Great Dane Pub and Brewing Companys Crop Circle Wheat, Tumbled Rock Brewery and Kitchens Chuck Brown Dog, Broken Bat Beer Companys YAZ, and many others.

Ive always loved craft beer, Galeros said. Of local breweries, he said, Everyone has something special to share.

That everyone includes Galeros and Hildenbrandt.

Hildebrandt, Russian by birth, came to the United States in 2004 with a degree in hospitality management. Shes been working in restaurants for more than 14 years.

Galeros, a Greek, has spent his lifetime in restaurants. His parents owned one in Illinois when he was a child. The industry has been in his blood ever since.

The couple met working at the Wisconsin Dells supper club The Del-Bar. Theyve been talking about starting their own business since.

As a side gig, Galeros would clear beer lines for businesses. He was doing training for it in Rockford and, driving back, began thinking, Why cant I start my own taproom? Why cant I do this?

And so he and his wife did.

With the help of friends, family, the community, and the West Baraboo Professional Center, their management company, Draft City Taproom is already finding ways to tap deeper into their new community.

Theyre eager to find, and work with, local breweries. There are thoughts of having taproom takeovers once a month. There are thoughts of having an Oktoberfest weekend, where most all the beers on tap will be Oktoberfest beers. There are thoughts of having an event with bourbon barrel aged beers and cigars. There are thoughts of charity events and home brew competitions.

All the while, Hildebrandt and Galeros will continue to make their new space inviting. With Hildebrandt at the counter, and Galeros in the kitchen, perhaps handcrafting a habanero bacon jam grilled cheese sandwich or a barbacoa beef quesadilla, they hope the place will feel, to locals, like a second home.

We want this to be a place that the community can come to, they said, their long tap lines behind them, cold and inviting.
A bill that passed the Wisconsin State Assembly this week would benefit county jailers, including those working in the Dodge County Jail, if it were made into a law.

The State Assembly passed Assembly Bill (AB) 28, which was authored by Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) and Senator Howard Marklein (R-Spring Green). It aims to give county jailers an opportunity to be classified as protective occupation participants and allow them to access the important benefits that come with this status. Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt also supports the bill.

I have been working on this bill for over four years with Mark Born who has been working on it for closer to eight or more years, Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt said. This bill impacts only county correctional officers in the county jails and has no impact on state correctional officers in the prisons.

Guards in the state system are classified as a protective status employee, Schmidt said. Currently, county correctional officers are not given protective status at all. This bill, if it passes the Senate and the governor signs it, will allow all county correctional officers to be part of the protective status classification. It allows for full retirement at age 53 and the ability to draw on duty disability if injured in the line of duty.

Currently correctional officers must work 30 years or until they are 65 years old, which for some at that age can be dangerous as their capabilities certainly change, Schmidt said. This presents a potential officer safety concern for that officer who may have diminished capabilities and those that rely on that officer in emergencies.

In addition, the bill would prevent the counties from assuming additional expenses, Schmidt said. All the expenses for entering into the protective status retirement system by county correctional officers must be paid entirely by the employee.

While the bill isnt exactly written as we would like it to be, it is a great compromise for progress in this area, as we work to better take care of our county correctional officers around the state, Schmidt said.

Born is a former correctional supervisor for the Dodge County Sheriffs Office, Schmidt said. He commended Born for his persistence and leadership in getting this bill through the Assembly with the hopes of all going well in the Senate and ultimately a signature from the governor.

I want to thank my Assembly colleagues for recognizing the challenges and dangers county jailers experience on a daily basis by supporting this important piece of legislation, said Rep. Born. No matter the situation, county jailers are tasked with ensuring all inmates, visitors and staff inside their facility are not harmed.

Supporting the bill are the Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association, the Wisconsin Counties Association and the Badger State Sheriffs Association, for which Schmidt currently serves as president.

This legislation reflects our ongoing effort to provide more support for our law enforcement officers who routinely risk their own safety to protect members of their community, Born said.
JUNEAU  A 27-year-old Waupun man made his initial appearance in court on Thursday, March 16 charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornographer.

Gregory Starnes could face up to 15 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision for each count. He appeared before Dodge County Circuit Court Commissioner Steven Seim on Thursday and was placed on a $2,000 cash bond. As conditions for his bond, he may not have unsupervised contact with minors. He also may not use the internet, electronic devices, nor possess pornography. He must delete any information he has off electronic devices.

According to the criminal complaint:

A Waupun Police Lieutenant received an email from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, division of criminal investigation, on Nov. 14 that referenced a Waupun man who was in possession of child porn. The person in question was Starnes, and Waupun Police had been in contact with Starnes in 2020 after he allegedly accessed a single piece of child porn. At the time, Starnes told the police he would refrain from repeating that behavior in the future.

The police drafted two separate search warrantswhile investigating the case prior to contacting Starnes. On Wednesday, three members of Waupun Police Department, five members from the Department of Justice, division of criminal investigation and two members of the Dodge County Sheriffs Office met at the Waupun Police Department to review the operational plan for the execution of a search warrant on Starnes apartment.

During the search, Starnes was taken into custody and questioned. He was told that they were going to speak to him about the cloud-based storage for his wireless cellular account and how they found multiple images and video files that met the statuary definition of child pornography.

Starnes allegedly told the police that people would just send him random links and that is how he got the files. He said that he had been told online to search a word that ended up being a Russian-based file sharing search engine. He then began to receive child pornography files. He said that when he realized what the files were that he closed the links as quickly as he could and did not believe he had saved anything.

A special agent spoke to Starnes about his history of accessing child pornography and Starnes allegedly admitted that he did not accidently access the child pornography files.

A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for March 23.
CCTV: China announced today that President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia. Could you share the program of the visit? What goals does China hope to achieve through this visit?

Wang Wenbin: In recent years, President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin have maintained close exchanges. They have charted the course and provided guidance for the sustained sound and steady growth of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era. The two sides have found a path of major-country relations featuring strategic trust, good neighborliness and cooperation, setting a new model for international relations. During his upcoming state visit to Russia, President Xi will have an in-depth exchange of views with President Putin on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues of mutual interest, boost strategic coordination and practical cooperation between the two countries and inject new impetus into the growth of bilateral relations.

At present, the situation unseen in a century is evolving at a faster pace and the world has entered a new period of instability and transformation. China and Russia are permanent members of the UN Security Council and major countries, and the significance and influence of the China-Russia relationship goes far beyond the bilateral scope.

President Xis upcoming state visit to Russia will be a trip for friendship. It will further deepen mutual trust and mutual understanding between China and Russia and cement the political foundation and public support for the long-standing friendship between the two peoples.

President Xis visit will be a trip for cooperation. It will boost mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation across the board, form greater synergy and deepen cooperation between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, and help both countries achieve our respective goals of development and rejuvenation.

President Xis visit will be a trip for peace. On the basis of no-alliance, no-confrontation and no-targeting of any third party, China and Russia will continue to practice true multilateralism, promote greater democracy in international relations, work towards building a multi-polar world, improve global governance and contribute to development and progress in the world. China will uphold an objective and fair position on the Ukraine crisis and play a constructive role in promoting talks for peace.

China News Service: On March 16, ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol started his two-day visit to Japan. On that day, he held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and jointly met the press. The summit was viewed differently in the ROK. Some people believed that the ROK government made too much concession unilaterally on issues like forced recruitment of laborers, and that the servile, humiliating diplomacy was not reciprocated by Japan, as Japan was reluctant to repeat its remorse and apology. Whats Chinas comment?

Wang Wenbin: We have noted the different views in the ROK on the leaders meeting between the ROK and Japan.

As to the issue of forced recruitment of laborers, Chinas position is consistent and clear. Forced recruitment and enslavement of laborers is a grave crime against humanitarian law committed by the Japanese militarism during its aggression and colonial rule against the people of Asian countries, including China and the ROK. The facts are backed by ironclad evidence and shall not be denied or altered. Japan should face its history squarely and deeply reflect on it, properly handle historical issues with an honest and responsible attitude, and on that basis, grow normal state-to-state relations with its Asian neighbors.

Xinhua News Agency: Despite the world economy in the doldrums, practical cooperation across the board between China and Russia has maintained steady development. What effect will President Xi Jinpings upcoming visit to Russia have on enhancing bilateral practical cooperation? What expectations does China have?

Wang Wenbin: China and Russia are each others largest neighbors and major emerging markets, and the cooperation between the two countries boasts strong resilience, ample potential and wide space. China and Russia have continued to deepen and expand practical cooperation across the board guided by the principle of mutual respect and mutual benefit. This is in the fundamental interest of the two countries and the two peoples.

This year marks the beginning of Chinas new journey of building a modern socialist country in all respects. We will accelerate high-quality development, expand high-standard opening-up and foster a new development paradigm. We believe that this will provide new opportunities for countries in the world, including Russia.

During President Xis visit to Russia, the two heads of state will have an in-depth exchange of views on issues of mutual interest related to practical cooperation. Following the principle of mutual respect and mutual benefit, the two sides will continue to take concrete steps to seek greater synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, jointly keep the industrial and supply chains stable and unimpeded, step up exchanges at various levels, cement the public support for friendly relations between the two countries, work together for the sustained progress in China-Russia cooperation, bring more benefits to the two peoples and inject more positive energy into the world economic recovery.

The Hindu: Weve seen the readout of the phone conversation Foreign Minister Qin Gang has had with his counterpart from Ukraine. I just wanted to ask, did they discuss any potential phone conversation between President Xi Jinping and President Zelenskyy? Is that something that might take place next week?

Wang Wenbin: You must have learned what the two sides mainly talked about since your have gone through the readout. Chinas position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. We maintain communication with all parties.

The News York Times: The Atlantic reported that several foreign scientists analysis of genetic samples from the Huanan Seafood Market may point to raccoon dogs at the market as a possible intermediary host for COVID. Does the ministry have any response?

Wang Wenbin: I would refer you to the experts. What I can say is that China always supports and participates in the global cooperation on science-based origins-tracing. We have invited WHO experts to China for cooperation on COVID origins-tracing, and facilitated the sharing of data and research results between competent authorities and experts and the WHO several times, making important contributions to the global origins-tracing. We will continue to do so. Many clues from the international science community are pointing the origins of virus to sources around the world. We also expect that the WHO and relevant countries can share with us the research results of origins-tracing in other parts of the world in a timely manner.

AFP: New Zealand and the UK have both announced over the past day that they will ban TikTok on government devices citing security concerns. How does China view this?

Wang Wenbin: We have noted relevant reports. China always believes that data security should not be used as a tool to overstretch the national security concept to hobble foreign companies.

We call on countries concerned to earnestly abide by the rules of the market economy and the principle of fair competition, stop overstretching and abusing the concept of national security, and provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for foreign businesses.

CGTN: Some Western politicians describe Chinas relationship with Russia as an alliance of evil or an alliance of autocracy, believing that closer China-Russia relations will pose a challenge to the international order. During President Xis visit to Russia, will he talk with President Putin about forming an alliance? And will they discuss the establishment of an international order that is dominated by China and Russia?

Wang Wenbin: The China-Russia relationship is built on the basis of no-alliance, no-confrontation and no-targeting of any third party. The two countries always follow the path of partnership over alliance and dialogue over confrontation, and grow a new type of major-country relations featuring mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation.

China has been committed to the UN-centered international system and the international order underpinned by international law. We uphold true multilateralism, work for a multi-polar world and greater democracy in international relations, and make global governance more just and equitable. The way China and Russia develop our strategic partnership of coordination will benefit the two peoples and the world at large. It is entirely different from what certain countries have been doing, including holding on to the Cold War mentality, ganging up with other countries, putting up cliques and stoking bloc confrontation, and engaging in hegemonic, domineering and bullying practices.

During President Xis visit to Russia, he will have an in-depth exchange of views with President Putin on bilateral relations and major international and regional issues, jointly draw a new blueprint for the development of bilateral relations, and further deepen China-Russia mutually beneficial cooperation across the board.

NBC: Back to TikTok. Will China allow the sale of TikTok with its advanced technology by the Chinese owner to American or foreign buyers?

Wang Wenbin: Weve stated Chinas position on this issue on multiple occasions. Id like to reiterate that data security should not be used as a tool to overstretch the national security concept and abuse state power to hobble foreign companies. It also needs to be stressed in particular that the US has yet to prove with evidence that TikTok threatens its national security.

We firmly oppose the USs overstretching of the concept of national security and its abuse of state power to hobble and plunder foreign companies. The US should respect the principles of market economy and fair competition, stop suppressing foreign companies and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for foreign businesses to invest and operate in the US.

CCTV: The Chinese side has announced the visit by Brazils President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to China. How does China see the current China-Brazil relations? Can you share the program of this upcoming visit and Chinas expectations?

Wang Wenbin: China and Brazil are both major developing countries and important emerging markets and each others comprehensive strategic partners. Since diplomatic relations were established nearly half a century ago, China-Brazil relations have maintained steady growth amid changes in the international landscape and achieved fruitful outcomes in practical cooperation across the board, setting a good example for major developing countries pursuing joint development through solidarity and cooperation.

We believe President Lula da Silvas visit this time will open up new prospects in China-Brazil relations in the new era at the heads-of-state level, bring our comprehensive strategic partnership to a new height, and make new contributions to regional and global stability and prosperity.

Shenzhen TV: Recently some media reports have alleged that China is providing military aid and dual-use articles to Russia and assisting it with systematic sanctions evasion. Will the issue of various sorts of Chinese assistance to Russia come up in the meeting between the two presidents?

Wang Wenbin: China engages in normal economic and trade cooperation with all countries, including Russia, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit. China-Russia cooperation is completely aboveboard. It serves the purpose of delivering benefits to both peoples and promoting global growth. It shall be free from disruption or coercion from any third party.

I would like to reiterate that China always handles export of military items in a prudent and responsible manner and regulates export of dual-use articles in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. At the same time, we are consistently opposed to unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction with neither basis in international law nor UN Security Council mandate. Chinas consistent position and practice stands in sharp contrast with the acts of certain countries that apply double standards on arms sales and keep adding fuel to the fire on the Ukraine crisis.

Beijing Youth Daily: According to reports, a Japanese foreign ministry spokesperson said that Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will travel to India on March 19. During the visit, he will make a policy speech on a free and open Indo-Pacific and announce a new action plan. Reports also said that Japan probably aims to further boost infrastructure cooperation with and economic assistance for ASEAN and Pacific island countries to counter Chinas influence. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: The Asia-Pacific is not an arena for geopolitical games. Cooperation between certain countries should be conducive to enhancing mutual understanding and trust between regional countries and regional peace and stability, rather than target any third party or harm its interest. Certain countries have been vocal about promoting freedom and openness in what they called Indo-Pacific, but they are in fact putting up a small circle featuring bloc confrontation. We have no interest in such action plans. What we are concerned about is Japans plan to willfully discharge the nuclear-contaminated water into the Pacific.

The New York Times: Since China resumed visa applications this week, what kind of demand has the government seen for visitors to come to China? And will there be new measures to meet that demand with flights, especially from the US?

Wang Wenbin: As we have shared with you, recently the Chinese government rolled out a series of measures to facilitate cross-border travel, which has been widely welcomed. China resumed outbound group tours on a pilot basis. We improved pre-departure COVID protocols for some countries, and allowed the replacement of nucleic acid tests with antigen tests before boarding. These policies are in sound implementation. In light of the evolving COVID situation, China will continue to better facilitate the safe and orderly cross-border travel of Chinese and foreign nationals based on scientific assessment. At the same time, we hope other parties will also make cross-border exchange much easier. As to the matter of flights you were referring to, I have noted that not long ago, the competent Chinese authorities have released relevant information. Generally speaking, the number of international flights is on steady rise. I would refer you to the competent authorities for the specifics.

AFP: The Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee in Myanmar has called on China to help end domestic conflicts. Whats Chinas response to this? And does China have any plans to be involved in conflict resolution in Myanmar?

Wang Wenbin: As Myanmars friendly neighbor, China has been closely following the situation in Myanmar. We hope all parties and factions in Myanmar can find a proper solution through dialogue and consultation, restore stability as soon as possible, and resume the political transition process within the framework of the Constitution and laws with an eye on the long-term interests of the country and the nation. China stands ready to work with the rest of the international community to play a constructive part in this process.

Hubei Media Group: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said recently that the AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation is the advancement of NATO military infrastructure into Asia, which makes a serious bet on many years of confrontation in the region. Do you have any comment?

Wang Wenbin: The US, the UK and Australia are putting up an Anglo-Saxon clique and creating the so-called AUKUS trilateral security partnership to advance nuclear submarine cooperation and other cutting-edge military technology cooperation. This is typical Cold War mentality and a move that opens a Pandoras box, which will seriously impact regional and global peace and security.

First, it will seriously impact the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. The AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation marks the first time for nuclear weapon states to transfer naval nuclear propulsion reactors and weapons-grade highly enriched uranium to a non-nuclear weapon state. There is nothing in the current IAEA safeguards system that can ensure effective safeguards. Therefore, such cooperation poses serious nuclear proliferation risks, seriously compromises the authority of the IAEA and deals a blow to the Agencys safeguards system. If the three countries are set on advancing the nuclear submarine cooperation, other countries will likely follow suit, eventually leading to the collapse of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Second, it will seriously impact the ASEAN-centered regional cooperation architecture. The AUKUS cooperation is designed to serve the USs geopolitical agenda with the means of military deterrence. It runs counter to the ASEAN way of mutual respect, openness and inclusiveness, consensus through consultation, and accommodating the comfort levels of all sides, undercuts ASEAN countries effort to establish a Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone and seriously undermines the ASEAN-centered regional cooperation architecture in East Asia.

Third, it will seriously impact peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific. AUKUS introduces group politics and Cold War confrontation into the Asia-Pacific, and is aimed to create a NATO-replica in the region. If this attempt succeeds, it forebodes unprecedented threats and challenges to the decades-long stability and prosperity in the region.

The US, the UK and Australia should listen to the call of the international community and countries in the region, stop pursuing bloc politics and confrontation, stop putting their selfish geopolitical agenda above nuclear non-proliferation obligations and stop coercing the IAEA into endorsing their nuclear submarine cooperation.

Bloomberg: The US State Department has approved a potential sale of Tomahawk missile system to Australia. That deal is worth $895 million. How does the foreign ministry respond to that?

Wang Wenbin: We have noted relevant reports. Defense and security cooperation between countries should be conducive to regional peace and stability and should not target any third party or harm its interest. The sale you mentioned will exacerbate tensions and undermine peace and stability, and could trigger an arms race in the region. We call on relevant sides to discard the obsolete Cold War zero-sum mentality and narrow geopolitical mindset.

China Daily: Not long ago, China released a document titled Chinas Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis. Russia responded positively to it. Will President Xi further elaborate Chinas position and proposal to Russia during the visit, and try to influence Russia for a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis?

Wang Wenbin: President Xis visit to Russia is also about peace. Safeguarding world peace and promoting common development is our foreign policy goal. On the Ukraine issue, China always stands on the side of peace and dialogue and stands on the right side of history. The recently-released Chinas Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis reiterates the core ideas of President Xis call for joint efforts in four areas, four principles and three observations. It fully lays out Chinas objective and fair position on the Ukraine issue. What we call for boils down to supporting talks for peace.

We always believe that political dialogue is the only way to resolve conflicts and disputes. Fanning the flames, fueling the fight, unilateral sanctions and maximum pressure will only fuel the tension and make matters worse. This does not meet the interest and the expectation of the vast majority of countries in the world. China will uphold the objective and fair position on the Ukraine crisis and other international and regional hotspot issues, and continue to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis.

RIA Novosti: Will President Xi visit any other city apart from Moscow when he is in Russia?

Wang Wenbin: As to the program of President Xis visit to Russia, we will release information in a timely manner. Please check back for updates.

NBC: The US-proposed budget for fiscal year 2024 has been released. It has over $800 billion defense spending in response to Chinas increase in defense spending, some $9 billion Pacific deterrence and $400 million to counter Chinas influence and other items that apparently target China. Do you have any comments?

Wang Wenbin: President Xi Jinping has pointed out on multiple occasions that China-US relations should not be a zero-sum game where one side out-competes or thrives at the expense of the other. The two sides should respect each other, coexist in peace, and pursue win-win cooperation. To outcompete China means to contain and suppress China in all respects as the biggest geopolitical challenge and competitor. It is a huge gamble that ventures the fundamental interests of the two peoples and the future of humanity. China firmly rejects this.

China always follows the principle of mutual respect, equality, win-win cooperation, and openness and inclusiveness in growing its relations with Asia-Pacific countries. We do not target any third party and have no interest in geopolitical contests. The US needs to abandon the Cold War mentality rather than seek bloc confrontation in the name of cooperation.
Weather Alert

...Gusty Winds and Elevated Fire Conditions Today, Frost Potential Tonight... Westerly winds will be sustained around 15 to 20 mph today with gusts of 30 to 40 mph. The strongest gusts are expected to be across portions of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, and northwest Kentucky. This may cause small tree limbs to break and loose outdoor objects to be blown around. In addition to the gusty winds, relative humidity values are expected to fall below 25 percent in many areas. This combination will lead to elevated fire weather concerns today. Caution should be used in any outdoor burning. Tonight, winds will decrease, setting the stage for temperatures to fall into the mid to upper 30s across northern portions of southern Illinois and southwest Indiana. This may lead to patchy frost developing, mainly for areas north of the I-64 corridor.
(CNN)  Turkey's president says his government will begin ratifying Finland's bid to become a NATO member, paving the way for the country to join the security alliance after months of delays.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the announcement speaking alongside Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, saying Finland had taken "concrete steps" to address concerns over groups Turkey sees as terrorist organizations.

Finland announced its intention to join NATO in May 2022, along with Sweden, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine caused the two countries to abandon their long-held non-aligned status.

The move was a setback for Moscow, with the war in Ukraine triggering the kind of NATO enlargement that Russia invaded Ukraine to prevent.

Finland and Sweden's applications were welcomed by almost all of NATO's leaders, but under NATO rules just one member state can veto a new applicant's membership.

Turkey's Erdogan threw in a spoke in the wheel when he said he was not looking at both countries joining NATO "positively," accusing them of housing Kurdish "terrorist organizations."

"We have decided to start the parliamentary ratification process of Finland's NATO Accession Protocol," Erdogan said at the news conference in Ankara.

Erdogan said he believes NATO "will become even stronger through Finland's membership."

"It is very good to hear this news," Niinisto added.

Senate votes to ratify NATO membership for Sweden and Finland NATO formalized its invitation to Sweden and Finland to join the alliance at the end of June and the decision must go to the 30 member states' parliaments and legislatures for final ratification.

Erdogan's blessing removes the major obstacle to Finland's membership of Nato.

In a separate development, Hungary's ruling party said it would also approve Finland's accession. A parliamentary vote had been stalled, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban accusing Finland and Sweden of spreading "outright lies" about his country's rule of law record.

In late February, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said that although Turkey had expressed some concerns about both Sweden and Finland's applications, it was predominantly concerned by that of Sweden.

On Friday, Niinisto pushed for Turkey to reappraise Sweden's bid.

"I have a feeling that Finnish NATO membership is not complete without Sweden," he said.

But Erdogan said Turkey would not change its approach to Sweden's NATO bid unless "positive steps" were taken.

Turkey accuses Sweden of harboring members of terror groups, something Sweden denies.
These remarks were delivered by Ulas Atesci, a leading member of the Social Equality Group in Turkey, to a meeting of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality at New York University on March 11, 2023.

The international significance of the earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria

I am glad to address this meeting in the United States on the massive earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria last month, and I would like to thank the comrades in the IYSSE for this opportunity.

It is extremely important that this social catastrophe is discussed and understood all over the world because it is a global and historic event in every sense. But it must be emphasized that this devastation is not unique to Turkey and Syria. In 2015, scientists estimated that around 1.5 billion people live in earthquake-prone areas, and this population is growing. Most strikingly, the official death toll from major earthquakes in this century alone is around 750,000.

On February 6, two massive earthquakes within nine hours caused unprecedented destruction and loss of life in Turkey and Syria. The total official death toll in the two countries is still rising and is approaching 60,000. It is thought that the real death toll could be over 150,000.

Turkey is an earthquake-prone country, and the area hit last month has witnessed countless major earthquakes in the past. However, the last time a loss of life of this magnitude is thought to have occurred was around 1,500 years ago.

Vast changes in human culture and technology have taken place over the past 15 centuries. The industrial revolution and the scientific-technological revolution of the last decades in particular are an unprecedented advance in human history. It is not possible to control the tectonic plates, but it is now entirely possible to make cities, infrastructure and buildings resistant to major earthquakes. Alerting masses of people of an impending earthquake, even if only a short time before it strikes, can now be done through early warning systems.

However, despite decades of warnings by scientists about the expected earthquakes in the region, no safety measures were taken by the ruling elites of Turkey or Syria. Millions of people living in unsafe buildings were left to their fate. Not even an early warning system was invested in. That is why people in Hatay, where the earthquake hit the hardest, continued to sleep, unaware of the earthquake in Maras, which started about a minute earlier. The masses in Syria would probably have had a longer time to leave their buildings. In short, it was possible to prevent all the destruction that occurred in these earthquakes. Tens of thousands of deaths could have been prevented.

The catastrophe caused by the earthquake in Syria cannot be understood outside of the historical context of the decades-long imperialist wars throughout the Middle East. Following the devastating wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, the US-led NATO powers, including Turkey, launched a war of regime change in Syria in 2011. They and their proxies have devastated and divided the country. Moreover, the crippling sanctions and blockade imposed by the US-led imperialist powers against Syria have prevented the rescue of thousands of people under the rubble. Virtually no aid has been delivered to the survivors.

This point is of immense importance. The US and other NATO powers have spent more than $100 billion on the war in Ukraine. One hundred billion dollars for massive slaughter and destruction! According to US estimates, which claim that Russia has suffered 100,000 casualties, this means that $1 million has been spent to kill or wound every Russian soldier in the war. In contrast, the US administration pledged only $185 million last month for earthquake victims. It is equivalent to about $7.50 for each of the 25 million people affected. And now the Biden administration is requesting $1 trillion for its 2024 military budget to prepare for world war against Russia and China. Trillions of dollars for war! But there is no money for emergency needs after the earthquake, let alone to ensure that people can live in safe houses!

For Turkey, the responsibility of the President Erdogan government for this massive social crime is evident. It has been in power for over 20 years.

The right to life, first clearly articulated in the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776, has been declared sacred in countless constitutions all over the world. This includes Turkeys constitution. It says: Everyone has the right to life, to protect and improve his material and spiritual existence. And the government is legally required to ensure this.

However, in todays capitalist society, which is divided along class lines, governments are first and foremost obliged to fulfill the interests of the ruling class they represent. And these interests prioritize capitalist profit and wealth accumulation over long-term investments in public health and safety. In this context, it must be emphasized that all political factions of the ruling class bear responsibility for this preventable catastrophe. This is, in the final analysis, a catastrophe resulting from the capitalist system that all the establishment parties defend.

This means that this urgent and vital problem facing the masses cannot be solved by a simple change of government. In Turkey, over 20 million people in the Marmara region, including Istanbul, live under the threat of an impending earthquake. One month after the catastrophe in February, nothing has been done to ensure the safety of this great mass of people. The obstacles to this are social, not natural.

The earthquake disaster has also clearly demonstrated the need for an international response to such global events. But there is another obstacle to this response: The capitalist division of the world into rival nation states.

The same obstacles stand in the way of a worldwide scientific response to the COVID-19 pandemic and global climate change. The profits before lives policy during the pandemic has led to the deaths of over 20 million people. And still thousands of people die globally every day from this preventable pandemic.

The fact that humanity is on the brink of a nuclear third world war also stems from the same fundamental contradictions of the capitalist system.

However, the same contradictions of capitalism that led to these social disasters are also driving the working class all over the world into struggle. This is the only social force that can prevent new disasters.

All of these fundamental problems arising from the global capitalist system can only be solved on an international and socialist basis. The reorganization of the world economy on the basis of social needs, not private profit, is a task that only the international working class can fulfill.
In a highly revealing 81-14 bipartisan vote earlier this month, the US Senate approved a Republican-sponsored House resolution that would block the implementation of newly revised Washington D.C. criminal statutes that had been approved by the elected City Council in January 2023.

President Joe Biden has publicly indicated he will sign the bill once it reaches his desk, which is expected shortly. He was siding with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who objected to the bill on a right-wing basis, and with House and Senate Republicans, who denounced the largely toothless measure as too lenient.

Then-Democratic presidential candidate, now-current President Joe Biden, speaking after he was endorsed by South Carolina Democratic Representative Jim Clyburn, background right, in North Charleston, S.C. Wednesday February 26, 2020. [AP Photo/Gerald Herbert]

The Republican House resolution aimed at overturning the City Council action was sponsored by Georgia Representative Andrew Clyde, a fervent Trump supporter who has claimed that the failed January 6 coup was just a normal tourist visit. Despite his prominent role in supporting Trumps coup, before and after the attack, Clydes bill passed the House with over 30 Democrats supporting it.



Once the bill arrived in the Senate, 33 senators who caucus with the Democratic Party joined the fascistic Clyde in overriding the D.C. City Council vote. These included Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Virginia senator and Hillary Clintons running mate Tim Kaine, right-wing West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin and self-styled progressive senators Ron Wyden (Oregon) and Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin).



This is the first time in over 30 years that Congress, which retains jurisdiction over the US capital, has overridden legislation approved by local lawmakers. Unlike residents in the 50 US states, residents of the District of Columbia (D.C.) do not have representation at the federal level or the final say on local ordinances.

The bipartisan line-up against the D.C. residents right to self-governance exposes as lies all the claims from the Democrats that they, any more than their Republican colleagues, support democratic rights.

They share the general orientation to deadly and punitive law-and-order policies against the working class. Whatever minor differences they have with the Republicans, the Democrats are more than willing to set these asideunder conditions of flagging public support for the US-NATO-led war against Russia in Ukrainein order to win a few Republican votes for more military spending.



In a statement issued prior to the Senate vote, Biden explained why he was siding with the far-right Republicans, who have attacked the new D.C. statutes as another example of far-left Democrats being soft in crime in big liberal cities.



Biden wrote on Twitter: I support DC Statehood and home-rulebut I dont support some of the changes DC Council put forward over the Mayors objectionssuch as lowering penalties for carjackings.



He added that if the Senate votes to overturn what DC Council didIll sign it.



Bidens March 2 tweet came as a surprise to some Democrats, considering that less than a month prior, the administration had released a statement declaring its supposed opposition to the Republican bill, writing at the time that it was akin to taxation without representation, a denial of self-governance and an affront to the democratic values on which our Nation was founded.



Firmly declaring a position that would be reversed in a few weeks, Bidens aides added, Congress should respect the District of Columbias autonomy to govern its own local affairs.



The proposed criminal code would be the first major revision to the Districts laws since 1901. The new measures, the product of years of wrangling between D.C. politicians, police, district attorneys and judges, would not eliminate mandatory minimum sentences in all cases or decrease sentences for violent crimes across the board.



The proposed code revisions would provide new statutes for crimes that did not exist when it was originally written. The new code, which would take effect in 2025, is known as the Revised Criminal Code Act, or RCCA.



The RCCAfar from the false characterization that it represents a retreat from mass incarceration, as claimed by Republicans, Democrats and much of the capitalist pressactually expands the degrees of severity for certain crimes, allowing judges more latitude in sentencing. This latitude will allow judges to stack prison sentences and include enhancements, as explained in a recent article by Slate:

The RCCA allows judges to stack sentences in some instances by running them consecutively. It also includes sentence enhancements for offenders who are armed or who have a criminal record (to give just two examples). A felon who commits armed carjacking can be charged not only with armed carjacking but also with possession of a firearm by an unauthorized person and carrying a dangerous weapon. And their sentence can be enhanced due to the prior convictions. Under the new code, a carjackers sentence can easily stretch beyond 30 years.



In many cases, the RCCA would actually increase criminal penalties. In an interview with the local Fox station, D.C. District Attorney Brian Schwalb noted that currently the maximum sentence for attempted murder is five years; the RCCA would increase this to 22.5 years.



The other aspect of the RCCA which has come under attack from Mayor Bowser and others is the fact that the new code would expand the right to a jury trial for people accused of low-level offenses. Between 1924 and 1994 D.C. residents had access to a jury trial for such charges, but those were eliminated in 1994, and now residents who are accused of misdemeanor crimes will have their cases decided by a judge.



According to the PrisonPolicy.org, the District of Columbia has the eighth highest incarceration rate in the country, with 899 per 100,000 people currently incarcerated in prisons, jails, immigration detention and juvenile facilities throughout the district. Roughly 8,300 D.C. residents are currently behind bars, while another 10,000 are under supervision through probation or parole.



For decades Democratic politicians have offered lip service to the over 700,000 residents of Washington D.C., nearly half African American, claiming they support D.C. statehood and their right to home rule. The latest bipartisan vote in Congress, once again exposes decades of Democratic rhetoric as nothing but hot air. This underscores that the fight to expand democratic rights and defend those previously won requires that workers and youth break from the two parties of capital and any illusions of reforming the police, courts and the capitalist system they defend.
More than 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the war with Russia Politico reported Wednesday, according to statements by US officials.

Based on the precedent of other 21st-century wars, this would mean that total Ukrainian casualties (killed and injured) since the start of the war last year are half a million or more.

This figure is four times greater than earlier statements, such as the declaration in November by US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, that over 100,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed or injured.

A Ukrainian serviceman sits on a boat during an evacuation of injured soldiers participating in the counteroffensive, in a region near the retaken village of Shchurove, Ukraine, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

The latest figures would mean that Ukrainian soldiers are being killed at a rate comparable with World War I, during which 450,000 Ukrainian soldiers died over the course of four years.

But even this figure, however, is a significant underestimation.

Describing the bloody battle of Bakhmut, Politico wrote: Moscow and Kyiv are continuing to throw bodies into the fight for a southeastern city the US does not consider strategically important.

Despite the tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers that died in Bakhmut, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters that the city is more of a symbolic value than it is strategic and operational value.

In reality, the public cannot know the actual number of dead, because both the Ukrainian and Russian governments are keeping the true number of casualties hidden from their populations.

Regardless of the death toll and a significant deterioration on the ground, the United States is determined to force half-trained Ukrainian conscripts to once more go on the offensive against entrenched Russian lines.

Politico reports that:

U.S. officials are more focused on getting Ukraine ready for a major spring offensive to retake territory, which they expect to begin by May. Hundreds of Western tanks and armored vehicles, including for the first time eight armored vehicles that can launch bridges and allow troops to cross rivers, are en route to Ukraine for the offensive U.S. aid packages going back four or five months have been geared toward what Ukraine needs for this counteroffensive, said one U.S. official.

While funding, arming and directing Ukrainian forces, Politico writes that U.S. officials are careful not to appear to tell Kyiv how to fight the war.

If they are keen not to appear to be directing the bloodletting, it is because they are. While repeatedly asserting that the goals and outcome of the war are to be determined by the Ukrainians, the United States has completely taken over the countrys political structures, which have banned all anti-war parties.

Despite the massive amounts of weaponry the US and NATO are surging into the country, Ukrainian forces continue to lose ground. The Ukrainian military is throwing vast numbers of raw recruits into battle in Bakhmut, where media reports have said the average lifespan on the front is as short as four hours.

On Monday, the Washington Post published an interview with a Ukrainian commander who described how his entire command of 500 men had been wiped out, and that he was the only one left.

He said that even if the coming offensive turns into a massacre and corpses ... there will be a counteroffensive either way.

There are only a few soldiers with combat experience, the commander told the Post. Unfortunately, they are all already dead or wounded.

The commander, in the words of the Post, described going to battle with newly drafted soldiers who had never thrown a grenade, who readily abandoned their positions under fire and who lacked confidence in handling firearms.

Predictably, the commander, who goes by the callsign Kupol, was relieved of command, for disseminating inaccurate information.

A spokesperson for the Ukrainian defense ministry declared, 100% of the servicemen of the airborne assault troops, called up for mobilization, underwent basic and professional training before being appointed to positions in military units.

He continued, Proper training of Ukrainian paratroopers and their motivation were repeatedly noted by foreign instructorspresumably from the United States.

But even as the extent of the bloodbath is becoming clear, the US and NATO are escalating their preparations for ever more direct involvement.

On Thursday, Polish President Andrzej Duda announced that the country would be sending Mig fighter jets to Ukraine literally in the next few days.

The Migs, which are reported to be upgraded to use NATO-standard weaponry, are a critical stepping-stone to a looming decision by the United States to send modern NATO-standard fighter jets such as the F-16.

The announcement by Poland crosses yet another threshold of what the United States and its allies pledged they would not do in Ukraine.

In March 2022, the Pentagon declared that we assess the transfer of the MIG-29s to Ukraine to be high risk and could increase the prospects of a military escalation with NATO.

The announcement follows the publication of a letter Tuesday by a group of senators calling for sending F-16 fighters to Ukraine. Declaring that we are now at a critical juncture in the conflict, the senators called on the Pentagon to take a hard look at providing F-16 aircraft to Ukraine.

Ultimately, the achievement of the United States sweeping war aims will not be possible without the deployment of NATO ground troops directly into the conflict.

The downing of a US reaper drone by a Russian fighter aircraft earlier this week is a testament to the extent to which, amid horrifying casualties on both sides, the conflict is emerging ever more openly into a direct clash between NATO and Russia.
Brian Higgins, one of five men charged with state offenses in the plot to kidnap and kill Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, pleaded guilty on Wednesday in an Antrim County court.

Brian Higgins [AP Photo/Columbia County Sheriff's Office via AP, File]

Higgins, 54, from Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, admitted in court that he attempted to provide material support for terrorism, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

According to a report by the Associated Press, Higgins appeared via video from Wisconsin Dells, where he has been free on bond. I wish to plead guilty, the defendant told the court in Bellaire, a town of 1,000 people near Grand Traverse Bay in the northwest lower peninsula of Michigan.

Higgins said he rigged a camera to his pickup truck and went on a trip in the middle of the night to stake out the Elk Rapids vacation home of Governor Whitmer in September 2020. Whitmer was not at home at the time.

According to the AP, Prosecutors also had evidence that Higgins trained with key members of the conspiracy at a kill house on the same weekend as the ride to Elk Rapids.

A total of 14 men were arrested in an FBI sting operation in October 2020, when they attempted to buy materials for explosives that were to be used as part of the plot to seize the governor from her Elk Rapids residence.

The plotwhich included plans to engage the governors security detail in a gunfight and then kill the governor by abandoning her in a boat in the middle of Lake Michiganwas being prepared by the men as part of a fascist campaign to spark a civil war in the US prior to the 2020 presidential election.

Other possible scenarios for the kidnapping of Whitmer included storming the Michigan Capitol building, seizing the governor and transporting her to Wisconsin where she would be put on trial and executed by hanging or beheading for acts of treason.

Nine kidnap plotters were previously tried on state and federal charges. Joe Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar were convicted on similar state charges in Jackson County in October and sentenced to between 7 and 12 years in prison.

In federal court in Grand Rapids, a jury found Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr.who were characterized by prosecutors as the ring leaders of the kidnapping schemeguilty of conspiracy charges. Fox, 39, of Wyoming, Michigan, was sentenced to 16 years in prison; and Croft, 47, of Bear, Delaware, was sentenced to 19.5 years in prison in late December.

Two defendants in the federal trial, Ty Garbin and Kaleb Franks, pled guilty to the charges and received lesser sentences of between 2.5 and 4 years in prison. Two other federal defendants, Brandon Caserta and Daniel Harris, were acquitted by a jury in an earlier trial in Grand Rapids.

Most of the kidnap plotters were members of a militia group known as the Wolverine Watchmen that had been founded in response to the Stay Home, Stay Safe order imposed by Whitmer in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. The order directed all businesses to suspend operations, except for those considered to be providing essential services.

The members of the Wolverine Watchmen held meetings and training exercises to prepare the governors kidnapping and espoused far-right and white supremacist views about inciting a boogaloo, a term used by fascists to denote a race war in the US.

The Wolverine Watchmen were active in several protests at the Michigan Capitol in Lansing, one of which included members of the militia entering the building with long arms and looking for the governor who was not there that day.

Although prosecutors have not confirmed it, the guilty plea by Higgins appears to have been offered in exchange for his cooperation in the prosecution of the other four state defendants: Michael and William Null, both 40, of Plainwell and Shelbyville, respectively; Shawn Fix, 40, of Belleville; and Eric Molitor, 38, of Cadillac.

These men all pled not guilty to one count of providing material support for an act of terrorism and one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The state trial is scheduled to begin in August.

Higgins was arraigned on May 4, 2021 and released on $100,000 bond. On Tuesday, media reports said Higgins had changed his plea. The defendant had originally sought to block his extradition to Michigan from Wisconsin on the grounds that the order was signed by Governor Whitmer and represented a conflict of interest.

Commenting on Higgins guilty pleas, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said, Anti-government extremism poses a threat to the safety of public officials, law enforcement officers and residents all across our state. ... We will keep fighting to deliver justice as the remaining prosecutions continue to play out.

Consistently over the past two and half years, Democratic Party officials, including Whitmer herself, have refused to characterize the kidnapping plot as the work of fascists. They have also avoided drawing any connection between the activities of the 14 men and the attempted coup of January 6, 2021, that was organized by then-President Donald Trump and a cabal of conspirators in the Republican Party from the White House.

By focusing exclusively on the criminal prosecution of the plotters for kidnap conspiracy and excluding any discussion of the political motivations and connections of these individuals with the increasingly fascist Republican Party, the Democrats are themselves blocking the public from access to critical information about the far-reaching threat to democratic rights.

Even though Whitmer has called attention to the fact that the courts and media have concealed the fact that the plotters intended to murder her, she has refused to point to the incitement of the Wolverine Watchmen by Donald Trump, who issued a call through social media for his fascist supporters to Liberate Michigan.

While many of the Michigan defendants have been given substantial prison terms, the full details of their connections with a nationwide network of fascists, neo-Nazis, anti-Semites and white supremacists has yet to be uncovered.
The University of Washington in Seattle has taken up the role of political censor against opponents of the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine.

On March 13, Code Pink, an antiwar activist group known for opposing US wars abroad, published an article noting that a scheduled talk for March 15 at the University Book Store by one of the groups cofounders, Medea Benjamin, had been canceled at the behest of a pro-Ukrainian student group at the university.

U.S. activist Medea Benjamin, co-founder of the anti-war group Code Pink speaks at a news conference in front of the Lincoln Memorial, Wednesday, July 3, 2019, in Washington. [AP Photo/Andrew Harnik]

The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) unequivocally denounces this blatant act of censorship. The cancellation of the event with Benjamin is an attempt to suppress antiwar sentiments among workers and young people and an attack on the democratic rights of the entire working class.

According to a press release from the Seattle Antiwar Coalition on the cancellation, The University Book Store had received complaints about the event from some UW faculty members, a Ukrainian student group on campus, and members of the broader Seattle Ukrainian community.

Benjamins talk was a part of a nationwide book tour at more than 100 locations, including many universities, promoting her book War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict. To date, this is the only event that has been canceled by a host venue.

The censorship of Benjamin and Code Pink can only be understood as a political manifestation of the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine. The administration has so far spent more than $110 billion arming Ukraine with increasingly sophisticated weapons to use as a proxy against Russia. And just last week, Biden revealed the proposed 2024 budget, which includes $1 trillion for war with Russia, China and ultimately with all the US ruling elites geopolitical rivals.

Neither the location nor the timing of Benjamins censorship are coincidental.

A principal social basis for the war against Russia are layers of the privileged upper middle class, especially in academia. During the first year of the war, leading universities had hosted one pro-war event after another, providing a platform for NATO officials, the US military and figures associated with the Zelensky regime in Ukraine and the right-wing anti-Putin opposition in Russia.

The University of Washington itself has numerous ties to the Department of Defense, including collaboration that stretches back to 1943 and an active ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) program. It hosts the Navy-sponsored Applied Physics Laboratory and has an Institute for National Security Education and Research sponsored by the Defense Intelligence Agency. The university works with the NSA, FBI, Homeland Security and numerous other state agencies and is one of the most militarized campuses in the United States.

The university also has stated its open support for Ukraine. A statement issued by the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures declares its faculty members are outraged by the brutal invasion of Putins forces into a sovereign country. No mention was made of the instigation of the war by the US and NATO, nor of the openly fascist and neo-Nazi forces operating inside the Ukrainian military and government.

The act of censorship of Medea Benjamin comes just days before the March 18 antiwar demonstrations called by Code Pink and affiliated organizations, including a demonstration in Seattle. It is a clear act of intimidation against those holding and attending the protest.

Workers and youth must oppose these acts of censorship and intimidation by the University of Washington and, by extension, the American state.

Despite our well documented political differences with the organizers of the March 18 demonstration, including Code Pink, the IYSSE encourages the broadest possible participation in the rallies in Seattle and other cities. The IYSSE will be intervening in these demonstrations to fight to orient the developing antiwar movement toward an open struggle against capitalism. This requires the political mobilization of the working class, independent of both the Democratic and Republican parties, on a socialist and internationalist basis.

Those interested in joining this fight to build a global socialist antiwar movement of workers and young people should contact the International Youth and Students for Social Equality and the Socialist Equality Party today.
Federal Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk heard arguments Wednesday from anti-abortion groups seeking an injunction ordering the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to withdraw its more than two-decades-old approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, removing access to the medication across the country in an unprecedented case which would effectively ban most abortions.

Protesters gathered outside the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on September 13, 2021 in Chevy Chase, Maryland. They were protesting a decision in which the court declined to step in to stop a Texas law banning most abortions from going into effect. [Credit: AP Photo/Patrick Semansky]

Mifepristone is taken along with misoprostol for a safe and effective medical abortion and is responsible for the majority of abortions in the country. Both drugs are on the World Health Organizations Essential Medicines List, meaning the organization has determined them critical for meeting the needs of a health care system.

According to the New York Times, Judge Kacsmaryk said he would decide as soon as possible whether to issue a preliminary injunction that could, at least temporarily, take the pill, mifepristone, off the market.

Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, heralds from the same reactionary crowd as the bigots filing the case, having previously worked as a counsel for the right-wing anti-abortion outfit First Liberty Institute, as previously reported here by the WSWS.

The plaintiffs were represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a far-right evangelical organization which opposes democratic rights for LGBTQ individuals and works to impose Christian practices in public schools in addition to fighting to outlaw abortion. The ADF has been designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group and was involved in the Mississippi case overturning Roe v. Wade last year.

There is a question of whether the plaintiffs have legal standing to bring the lawsuit. The FDA and mifepristone distributor Danco Laboratories argued that the plaintiffs have no standing given their claimed harm was several steps removed from the approval of the drug.

Erin Morrow Hawley, a lawyer for the ADF, is the wife of ultra-right Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri. She argued that doctors among the plaintiffs had suffered concrete harm because providing abortions for women required them to divert medical resources from other patients, and it required them to act against their morals by providing a follow-up surgery after an incomplete abortion. The complainants are effectively asking for the government to establish their religious beliefs as law, violating the separation of church and state contained in the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

This was in fact argued by the plaintiffs, who claimed that mifepristone was not treating a disease and therefore could not be approved under Subpart H of FDA regulation that allows for approval of drugs that have been studied for their safety and effectiveness in treating serious or life-threatening illnesses.

Erik Baptist, one of the plaintiffs lawyers, argued pregnancy is not an illness. A Justice Department lawyer, Daniel Schwei, countered that pregnancy can be life-threatening for some and that the term illness used at the time is appropriate for both diseases and conditions.

The lawyers for the plaintiffs also called for a return to Comstockery, claiming the FDA decision violated the 1873 Comstock Act, which included wide-reaching censorship and violations of constitutional rights, including the First and Fourth amendments.

The plaintiffs also argue that mifespristone is unsafe. Their arguments are not based on science and are aimed at providing a scientific facade to essentially religious arguments. As we previously wrote, mifepristones safety has already been settled. As Bloomberg previously reported in February 2022, mifepristone sends fewer people to the ER than Tylenol or Viagra. The two-pill method is 96 percent to 98 percent effective at ending early pregnancies.

FDA and Danco lawyers cited years of studies showing complications are rare and that hospitalization is needed in less than 1 percent of the time. Addressing the claims that chemical abortion causes cramping, heavy bleeding and severe pain, the defendants cited that these are normal consequences of terminating a pregnancy.

The argument by the plaintiffs is made further ridiculous considering, as a lawyer representing the FDA noted, the agencys approval did not require anyone to prescribe or take mifepristone and said that it simply said we are giving our stamp that mifepristone is safe and effective.

The Times reports that Kacsmaryk took some unusual steps leading up to the hearing, including asking the parties in the case to to keep quiet about the fact that a hearing had been scheduled and told them he planned to delay making the public aware of it and would only enter it into the public court record the evening before. As the Times explains, The federal government generally objects to closed hearings unless they are necessary to protect national security interests.

The explanation Kacsmaryk gave in transcripts of the calls with the parties lawyers obtained by the Times was that he wanted to avoid an unnecessary circus-like atmosphere that would supposedly disrupt the lawyers presentations in court. He also claimed that the court staff had faced death threats and that the injunction was for security.

Kacsmaryk stated he would delay disclosing the hearing date until Tuesday night and that the case would be on Wednesday morning, asking lawyers to keep the information secret as a courtesy, withholding from issuing a gag order which would legally bar participants from sharing the information. Apparently a document from the case docket was sealed in connection to the meeting, according to people familiar with the case speaking to the Times.

As the Times wrote, while the court said it would provide seating for the public and press, the judges plan to provide little advance notice seemed likely to have the practical effect of minimizing the number of people who would attend.

Essentially, the unusual steps were made out of fear of an explosion of public outrage in response to the latest attack on the right to abortion. The vast majority of the American population supports abortion and are disgusted at the essentially conspiratorial efforts by a tiny minority of religious bigots to further restrict access to it and to attack democratic rights more broadly.
Together with a campaign team member, on Wednesday I was denied access, as a Socialist Equality Party (SEP) election candidate, to speak to residents of the East Lismore Village of modular homes (called pods) that is temporarily housing some victims of last years floods.

As part of the SEPs intervention into the March 25 NSW state election, we are campaigning in the states Northern Rivers region, where thousands of people are still living in makeshift accommodation, one year after climate-related floods inundated low-lying homes.

Rows of pods at the East Lismore government accommodation village [Photo: WSWS]

The state governments isolated encampment of 52 shipping container-type units, housing up to 200 people, is located at the end of a narrow road past the East Lismore General Cemetery, on the outskirts of the regional city. This makes it remote and inaccessible, except by car or an infrequent bus service.

A fence surrounds the site, and people must register with a security guard to visit a resident.

Despite it being a state government facility, the village manager insisted that we were not permitted to enter what he described as private property. When challenged to state the legal basis for this ban, he said we could be charged with trespass. He said he was carrying out the policy of the NSW Reconstruction Authority, a government agency.

The manager claimed that any discussions we had with residents would be upsetting because they had been traumatised by the floods. That flew in the face of the many interviews and other discussions we have had with flood victims, including scores published on the WSWS, over the past year.

To block such discussions with a candidate amid an election campaign is a clear violation of basic democratic rights, both of the SEP and the residents themselves. The residents must have the right to speak out about their situation, still living in stopgap housing more than 12 months after the disaster, and to discuss the socialist criticism and response advanced by the SEP.

We wrote to the NSW Reconstruction Authority yesterday to ask if this was its policy, and if so why. We also asked if the residents had signed agreements that barred them from speaking to candidates or the media, and whether any other media or election candidate been blocked from speaking to them. We have received no reply.

The East Lismore village residents include home owners still waiting for answers to their applications for the state and federal government buyback, lift or repair scheme jointly promised last October by Labor Party Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Liberal-National state Premier Dominic Perrottet.

Other residents are former tenants who were rendered homeless by the floods and offered even less in government assistance, leaving them exposed to the near doubling of rents in the region since the catastrophe.

Outside the village entrance, George, a retired worker who was visiting a friend, opposed the managements political censorship. These are the victims of the floods! he said. You should be able to talk to them. They dont have to talk to you if they dont want to.

One resident who was rushing to a medical appointment said the facilitys units were better than living in a tent. She explained that her family had been in an evacuation centre for a month, then lived in their wrecked house for months.

We spoke to a young construction worker on the site, assisting with the crane removal of a pod that had dangerously caught fire, reportedly due to a stovetop mishap. He commented that the facility was run like a concentration camp.

The pods residents come from Lismore and across the Northern Rivers region, where thousands of homes in many towns and villages were rendered uninhabitable. About 550 households are accommodated in the East Lismore facility and 10 other sites in the region, but the demand is much greater.

In fact, such is the affordable housing crisis that flood victims are on indefinite waiting lists for pods. According to the NSW government temporary housing website: Due to high demand, pod villages in the Northern Rivers are currently at capacity. New applicant details will be collected as part of a waitlist should a pod become available in the future.

The government website states that the housing is for up to two years only. Homeowner flood victims can also apply for a At-home caravan program for a caravan in which to live on their property while they wait endlessly for their homes to be replaced or repaired.

These conditions, and the trampling on democratic rights at pod encampments, are another expression of the government contempt and indifference shown toward working-class people throughout the ongoing disaster, starting with the failure to rescue victims, many of whom could have perished except for heroic efforts of volunteers in small boats.

Every aspect of the floods crisisfrom the lack of preparation and warnings to people, to the poor basic infrastructure and the inadequate assistance offered to thousands of flood victimshas been the direct result of the subordination of society to the dictates of corporate profit.

This is not simply a natural disaster. The destructive outcomes are the result of cost-cutting business and political decisions, as well as the refusal of governments, Labor and Liberal-National alike, to take the necessary measures to halt climate change, which is driving such extreme weather events.

The ongoing floods fallout, like the devastating 201920 bushfires and the continuing COVID pandemic, demonstrates the need for the total reorganisation of society on a socialist basis so that it is planned rationally and democratically to protect health and lives, and meet social need, not feed private profits and wealth accumulation. That would include:

* Providing billions for public healthcare, education, housing and other essential services, not militarism and war.

* Vastly expanding paid civilian emergency services to respond to crises such as fires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic.

* Placing the banks, insurance companies, property developers and other corporate giants under public ownership and democratic working-class control.

As our election statement explains, the SEP is standing candidates in the March 25 NSW state election to take forward the fight for such a socialist program, against the policies of war, austerity, climate disaster and let it rip COVID supported by every other party.

These are the issues that we intend to keep discussing with flood victims and all workers and young people, and providing them with a means to speak out. We appeal to all our readers to support our election campaign and demand our right to conduct it without political censorship.

Contact the SEP:

Phone: (02) 8218 3222

Email: sep@sep.org.au

Facebook: SocialistEqualityPartyAustralia

Twitter: @SEP_Australia

Instagram: socialistequalityparty_au

TikTok: @sep_australia

Authorised by Cheryl Crisp for the Socialist Equality Party, Suite 906, 185 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000.
Nearly 1.8 million state government employees in the western Indian state of Maharashtra began an indefinite strike from March 14 to protest an attack on their pension rights. The strikers main demand is the restoration of the government-funded Old Pension Scheme (OPS). They are opposing the contribution-based New Pension Scheme (NPS), which imposes on workers themselves the financial burden of maintaining their pensions.

Maharashtra government employees on strike, March 14, 2023. [Photo: Ritvick Arun Bhalekar @ritvick_ab]

Striking workers have also raised several other demands, including the regularisation of contract employees, the filling of vacant posts and an extension of the benefits of the in-service advancement scheme to teaching and non-teaching staff. The authorities in Indias second-most populous state have responded aggressively to the strike, including by employing contract workers as strikebreakers and making threats to criminalize the job action by reactivating essential services legislation.

Striking workers joined protests in districts throughout the state, including about 68,000 in Pune, 80,000 in Kolhapur and 17,000 in Chhatrapati Sambhaji. Their main slogan was, Only one mission, restore old pension. The strike has affected several state government services, including in state-run hospitals, offices and schools.

According to Vishwas Katkar, the convenor of a committee of nearly 35 unions functioning among state government employees, semi-government staffers and teachers, their members in all 36 districts of Maharashtra are participating in the strike. He said: Services in hospitals, educational institutes, government establishments, tax offices and even the district collector offices were completely shut.

The indefinite strike against the NPS is a powerful indication of the readiness of Indian workers to fight governments pro-investor economic reforms, including harsh austerity measures. At the centre, the Modi government is spending huge amounts to modernise Indias military so it can act as a junior partner of US imperialism in its reckless preparations for war with China. The provision of billions for new weaponry and incentives for foreign investors necessitates a massive onslaught on public services and workers rights by all levels of government.

The trade unions were reluctantly forced to call the strike due to the growth of opposition among the workers. They continued discussions with the Hindu-supremacist Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena state government in a desperate attempt to achieve a face-saving solution to avert a strike, but failed.

The NPS was first introduced in 2003 for central government employees by the BJP-led government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as part of its pro-investor economic reforms. Under the new system, all central government employees who joined the service on or after January 1, 2004, lost benefits under the OPS and had to join the NPS. Ten percent of their salary was deducted for the pension fund, while the government contributed 14 percent. The pension fund is governed by a central government body called the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). Each employee can choose how their share is invested by the PFRDA. Retirement benefits depend on returns from the investment, rather than being guaranteed by the government as under the old scheme.

The demand for restoration of non-contributory OPS has gained momentum as worker opposition mounts to the current BJP-led central government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state governments, which are intensifying their offensive against the working class in favour of big business.

While the NPS was first introduced by the BJP, it has been supported by all parties of the political establishment. The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government continued with the NPS for central government employees. At the state level, it was introduced by various state governments throughout India, whether they were led by the BJP, Congress or regional bourgeois parties. As for the Stalinist Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM, it has failed to consistently oppose the NPS. When the CPM-led Left Democratic Front was returned to power in Kerala, it refused to revoke the previous governments decision to introduce the NPS. Only under enormous opposition from the workers did five state governmentsPunjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarhfeel compelled to restore OPS recently.

To gain popular support ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections early next year, the opposition Congress party and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have claimed that they support the restoration of OPS. However, this is nothing but fraudulent posturing, as can be seen by the records of central and state governments led by or including these parties in implementing the NPS.

Expressing the opposition of big business to any reversal of the NPS amid growing worker opposition, former Reserve Bank of India Governor D Subbarao told the media: That [restoration of OPS] will be a decidedly regressive move both for our commitment to fiscal responsibility and more broadly for the credibility of our reforms.

The BJP-Shiv Sena government is counting on the ability of the trade unions to betray the movement. But it is also holding repressive state powers in reserve to ruthlessly suppress the strike in order to send a message to the entire working class. Last Tuesday, the Maharashtra state legislative Assembly passed the draconian Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act, 2023 (MESMA). The act revived essential services legislation that was previously allowed to lapse. Should the government decide to do so, it is now in a position to invoke the new law to ban the strike.

The strike by well over a million Indian government workers is part of a growing wave of class struggles in India and around the world. These struggles are developing internationally against the intensified assault by governments and bosses on workers basic social and democratic rights. The ruling elites in every country aim to unload the full burden of the economic crisis, which has been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost of the US-NATO war against Russia, onto the working class.

Hundreds of thousands of public and private sector workers across Sri Lanka defied government essential service orders and walked out in a one-day strike on March 15 against the Wickremesinghe governments austerity measures and attacks on democratic rights.

A huge militant strike movement is developing across Europe. In the UK, 400,000 workers took strike action this week. In France, millions of workers have protested President Macrons draconian gutting of the pension system to pay for French military rearmament and the further enrichment of the wealthy. In Germany, public sector workers have waged a series of militant warning strikes in opposition to miserable working conditions and low wages.

Like their class brothers and sisters throughout the world, the main obstacle facing striking Maharashtra workers is the treachery of the trade unions. Having only called the strike under immense pressure from the workers, the unions are keen to send them back to work at the first opportunity. On the evening of March 14, two unions representing primary teachers and health workers decided to withdraw from the job action as of Wednesday. Sambhaji Thorat, president of Prathamik Shikshak Sangh which has 350,000 members, said the central union of the state employees that called the strike should abandon its adamant attitude, discuss the issue with the government and end its protest.

On this basis, Thorat and his union were willing to give the government more time to find a solution Seeking to placate public anger, senior Minister Chandrakant Patil told the state assembly that his government had not rejected the unions demand, but was seeking to form a committee of retired officers to find a suitable solution to the problem.

Striking workers should have no illusions in the ability of the unions to conduct a genuine struggle for their pension rights. As already indicated by the withdrawal of two unions, the Maharashtra workers struggle is in immense danger if it remains under the control of the unions. The strikers face the same threat as the 70,000 Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation workers, whose courageous five-month strike in early 2022 was deliberately isolated by the unions and broken by a draconian Bombay High Court ruling ordering an end to the job action without any of the workers demands being met.

Workers must take the struggle into their own hands by forming rank-and-file strike committees independent of the unions. Such committees will enable the strikers to unify their struggle with those of workers throughout India and internationally who are fighting similar attacks by governments and corporations alike. The International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) launched by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) provides the organisational framework and political leadership to establish unity among workers internationally in opposition to capitalist austerity and imperialist war.
After the French government announced that it would force through the widely opposed pension reform using Article 49.3 of the Constitution without a vote of deputies in the National Assembly, a wave of spontaneous protests broke out across Frances major cities. Seventy percent of the population oppose the reform, and around 60 percent support blocking the economy until the government withdraws it.

Pallets burn as protesters demonstrate at Concorde square near the National Assembly in Paris, Thursday, March 16, 2023 [AP Photo/Thomas Padilla]

On Thursday afternoon, French President Emmanuel Macron told his cabinet, before the announcement of the governments decision to pursue Article 49.3 to impose the reform bill, that he could not allow a vote on the law because the financial and economic risks are too great.

Thursdays protests took place amidst a wave of strikes throughout Frances critical sectors which began last week after a series of one-day mobilizations against the reform which have been ongoing since January. Thousands took to the streets in cities across France to express their opposition to Macrons pension cuts.

Macron intends to rely on the violent state security forces to push through his reform, and Thursdays protests were met with police repression in almost every major French city. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has augmented personal security for deputies in the National Assembly in the coming days.

In Paris, a protest of tens of thousands occupied the Place de la Concorde on Thursday afternoon. As police began to clear the square, makeshift barricades were temporarily erected by protesters. The square was only cleared by multiple violent charges and the use of tear gas by heavily armed riot police. Water cannon was also used against protesters. According to the police on Thursday night, 73 people were arrested at the Place de la Concorde alone.

After clearing the square, police assault units and gendarmes chased protesters through the center of Paris, assaulting them with gas grenades and batons.

Clashes continued throughout the night in Paris, and multiple fires were lit. Barricades were put in place by protesters along Rue Saint Honore as protesters marched toward the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the French president. As of midnight, the police announced they had made 217 arrests in Paris.

Scenes of spontaneous protest and police repression were repeated across Frances major cities on Thursday evening, although arrest figures outside of Paris were not published as of this writing.

In Toulouse, the Capitole saw a huge protest, which was also dispersed by riot police using tear gas late on Thursday evening. Thousands also protested in Bordeaux.

In Nantes, police also used tear gas to disperse 3,000 protesters, which led to a similar series of makeshift barricades and fires. On Wednesday, Nantes had also been the scene of major clashes between police and protesters which saw 34 arrests. Elsewhere in Brittany, thousands gathered in Brest and Rennes and were dispersed with tear gas.

In Lille, spontaneous protests in the Wazemmes district were tear-gassed by the police. There was also a gathering of thousands at the Place de la Republique. Thousands gathered in front of the Hotel de Ville in Le Havre, in Normandy. In Amiens, 1,500 protesters were also dispersed with tear gas.

In the East, there were major protests in Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Dijon and Saint-Etienne. In Lyon, tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the city center before being dispersed with tear gas, amid violent clashes with police.

In the South of France there were major protests in Montpellier and thousands gathered in central Marseille. Police assaulted both protests with volleys of tear gas. The alleged looting of boutique stores in Marseille has already being seized upon by the bourgeois press to claim that the protests do not reflect popular revulsion toward the reform and the Macron government.

Before Thursdays events, strikes were already underway at French refineries, ports, on the rail networks, amongst waste disposal workers and at the airports. With anger mounting against the whole apparatus of bourgeois political rule in France, including the pro-Macron union bureaucracies, millions of French workers preparing to strike must have the political perspective necessary to take forward the fight.

The movement in France, alongside a nationwide protest strike in Greece, is an especially sharp expression of the current revolutionary situation developing all over Europe. In this context, French workers must break from the bankrupt framework of social dialogue with Macron enforced by the national union bureaucracies and form independent rank-and-file committees to wage a struggle against pension reform and bring down the widely hated Macron government.
In an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday, former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating denounced this weeks AUKUS nuclear-submarine deal as an aggressive attempt to maintain US hegemony in Asia.

Former Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating addressing the National Press Club, March 15, 2023. [Photo: @PressClubAust]

Keating sharply rejected claims that Australias acquisition of the submarines had anything to do with repelling Chinese aggression. Instead, the advanced crafts were being purchased to conduct offensive operations throughout the Indo-Pacific, including near the Chinese coastline.

Underscoring the historic implications of the AUKUS announcement, Keating described it as the last link in the chain of a full-scale US military encirclement of China aimed at preparing for war.

The event with Keating was held the day after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stood alongside his British counterpart Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden to announce the agreement.

Australia will purchase between three and five US Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines off the shelf in the early 2030s. Later in the decade, it will assist in the manufacture of a new fleet of six to eight subs, based on the British Astute design but fitted with American military technology. Far sooner than either of these initiatives, however, Australia will host a growing number of British and US nuclear-powered subs.

Keating, who was Labor prime minister from 1991 to 1996, remains a prominent political personality. He is a right-wing figure directly implicated in Australias participation in criminal US-led wars and military interventions.

Keating is not criticising AUKUS, the militarist pact between Australia, Britain and the US, from the standpoint of opposition to war or imperialism. Instead, he speaks for a minority wing of the ruling elite itself, which is fearful of the disastrous consequences for Australian capitalism of participating in a full-blown war with China, its largest trading partner.

Keatings remarks, however, have struck a broader chord, because they are a rare exception to near universal support for the US alliance and each new step of a military build-up within the political and media establishment. He spoke certain basic truths, which are generally all but forbidden in official discussion.

Whereas it is always asserted that the US and its allies, such as Australia, are responding to Chinese threats and a purported military build-up by Beijing, Keating pointed to the real dynamic. China had committed the mortal sin of having grown as large as the United States economically.

The US wished to remain the primary strategic power in East Asia. To that end, Its geostrategic priority is to contain China economically and militarily.

Keating lambasted claims that China posed a military threat to the US or Australia. The US was protected by two vast oceans. To invade Australia, the Chinese would need to launch an armada that would be wiped out on the more than 6,000-kilometre journey between the two countries. The US, moreover, remained the worlds preeminent military power.

And China, Keating noted, had no such ambitions for offensive military operations. He cited the US Defence Departments 2022 annual report to Congress, which said that Beijings only military aim was to restrict the US from having a presence on Chinas periphery. Or, as Keating spelled out, Beijing wishes that the US and its allies would cease provocative military operations and patrols off the Chinese coastline.

The former PM drew the obvious parallel of how the US would respond to similar actions. Imagine how the US would react if the Chinese blue water navy did its sightseeing off the coast of California, he said. The US would be in a state of apoplexy.

In his most significant and disturbing comments, Keating pointed to the real purpose of Australias acquisition of the submarines. This is widely known in strategic circles, but generally hidden from the population. They are, he said, Designed to attack in Chinas peripheral waters. In a war crisis, the submarines would sit off Chinas coastal shelf, in preparation for an all out military conflict.

The implications of such a war would be catastrophic, rapidly engulfing the entire Indo-Pacific region, and likely the world. Almost inevitably, nuclear weapons would be involved.

But the Australian press corps has been transformed, almost to a man, into propagandists for just such a disastrous war aimed at maintaining American imperialist hegemony. No less striking than Keatings remarks was the response.

A conga line of journalists, from every major publication, queued up to challenge the former prime minister with the talking points of the US and Australian governments and their intelligence agencies.

Their lying remarks were duly despatched by Keating. The exchanges frequently descended into farce. One insisted that China was a strategic threat to Australia. When Keating demanded to know how this threat manifested itself, the reporter pointed to Chinese trade tariffs on Australian products such as lobsters and wine. Keating noted that Australia and the US had instituted their own trade sanctions against China and suggested that such measures were not grounds for war.

Matthew Knott of the Sydney Morning Herald demanded to know whether Keating would have sharp words for the Chinese Communist Party and its oppression of the Uighur people, as he did for journalists and the Australian government.

Keating noted that Knott was coauthor last week of the Sydney Morning Heralds Red Alert series. It purported to be an independent examination of Australian foreign policy, based on the statements of five experts. But all of them were affiliated with the government or hawkish think tanks funded by the US, Australia and major arms dealers.

Red Alert declared that Australia needed to prepare for war with China within three years. It demanded the stationing of US nuclear weapons in northern Australia and the imposition of mass conscription.

Keating replied by denouncing Red Alert as the most biased and egregious presentation he had ever seen and by telling Knott to do the right thing and drum yourself out of Australian journalism. Keating noted that the extent of the persecution of the Uighurs was contested. The Australian media, moreover, was entirely indifferent to the Indian governments attacks on Muslim citizens, because India is aligned with the war drive against China.

The condemnation of Knott, and Keatings description of Red Alerts co-author Peter Hartcher as a psychopath who has fanned the flames of war for years, have drawn widespread condemnations from the official media. The Sydney Morning Heralds editor Bevan Shields yesterday published an opinion piece describing Red Alert as proud journalism and condemning Keatings remarks as unfair.

In effect, calls for nuclear war are permissible. Heated denunciations of such warmongering are impolite and even beyond the pale.

Other publications have referred to Keating as a relic. His basic position, that Australia should not join the US in a disastrous war with China, has been presented as an expression of idiosyncrasy verging on senility. Albanese and other Labor government ministers have rejected Keatings statements out of hand, without responding to their substance.

This only goes to show how fully aligned the Australian political and media establishment has become with the US war drive against China. It is also a preemptive strike against any broader questioning of AUKUS, under conditions where the ruling elite is well aware that there is mass hostility to war among workers and young people who have until now been kept entirely in the dark about the dangers they face.

The response to Keating also demonstrates that the minority wing of the ruling elite, which warns against full Australian commitment to a US war against China, is increasingly marginalised.

This layer, and Keating himself, offer no way forward in the fight against war. Keatings remarks were suffused with Australian nationalism. He repeatedly denounced the submarine deal, because the $368 billion spend is subsidising British and US arms manufacturers, Keating says to the detriment of the Australian state.

Keating and others of his view have pointed to the weakening of American imperialism. He said that the US could create a military catastrophe in the Indo-Pacific, and then walk away, as it had from Afghanistan. This wing is effectively warning that the US is not in a position to wage a successful war against China.

Keatings own proposals were militarist and hawkish. The former PM said that the AUKUS spend could have been used to build a fleet of 40-50 diesel-powered Collins-class submarines that would patrol the Australian coast. His and Bob Hawkes Labor governments participated in US-led wars and interventions, including the first Gulf War. They carried out various neo-colonial activities in the Pacific region, aimed at advancing Australian imperialisms interests.

Keating is fearful that war with China will threaten those interests. In his remarks, he noted the opposition of Indonesia and other southeast Asian states to AUKUS.

Finally, as an astute politician, Keating is well aware that the Labor government risks provoking a mass anti-war movement. That was the significance of his description of the nuclear submarines decision as the worst international policy adopted by a Labor government since the attempt to introduce conscription in World War I. That move resulted in a split within the Labor Party and massive opposition from workers and young people.

Keatings positions, however, are a reactionary utopia. As a middle-order power, Australia has always prosecuted its own imperialist interests under the umbrella of the dominant power of the day, first Britain and then the US. Australia, moreover, is so integrated into the US military build-up that its participation in a war with China would be automatic and immediate.

That only underscores the fact that the way to fight war is through the development of an international movement, uniting the strength of the working class all over the world. Such a movement will bring together Chinese, Russian, American, Australian and all other workers, against their own governments. It must be based on a socialist and revolutionary perspective, aimed at abolishing the source of conflict, the capitalist system itself.

Contact the SEP

Phone: (02) 8218 3222

Email: sep@sep.org.au

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Authorised by Cheryl Crisp for the Socialist Equality Party, Suite 906, 185 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000.
Amidst a deepening military and political crisis in the country, the right-wing government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky moved last week to oust Orthodox monks attached to the Russian-affiliated Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) from their base at the 980-year-old Pechersk Lavra monastery complex in Kiev.

The UOC has had a long-standing affiliation with the Russian Orthodox Church but declared its independence from Moscow in May 2022, in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine. The Russian Orthodox Church still includes UOC-affiliated clergy in its work, however.

Regarding the escalating prosecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Zelensky appealed to both Ukrainian nationalism and religious separatism in justifying the move, claiming that One more step towards strengthening our spiritual independence was taken this week.

The move is a clear signal to ramp up religious and ethnic conflicts in the war-torn country. In an indication that this is just the beginning of a broader campaign, Zelensky stated, We will continue this movement. We will not allow the terrorist state any opportunity to manipulate the spiritual life of our people, to destroy Ukrainian shrinesour Lavrasor to steal any valuables from them.

In 1991, only 39 percent of Ukrainians identified as Orthodox Christian. In the years following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and amid the widespread deindustrialization and poverty that followed, religious sentiments and obscurantism grew as did various rival sects of the Orthodox Churchall with their own separate geopolitical orientations. By 2015, a Pew Research Center study found that approximately 78 percent of Ukraines adult population identified as Orthodox Christian.

Following the 2014 Western-backed coup of elected President Viktor Yanukovych, the right-wing nationalist government of Petro Poroshenko intervened strongly in the creation and promotion of a single Kiev-aligned Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in opposition to the Moscow-aligned Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Both antecedent separate Orthodox churches of the OCU had supported the 2014 Maidan coup and would become a central part of the NATO-aligned Poroshenko governments push to promote nationalism, militarism and anti-Russian sentiments.

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine was formed in 2018, out of the two smaller rival but pro-Maidan Orthodox churches, both lay claim to representing all of Ukraine. In 2019, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine was granted independence or autocephaly from the Moscow-based Patriarch. The move by the Patriarch of Constantinople to formalize a split with the Russian church to which it had been tied since 1686 was strongly opposed by the Moscow Patriarchate led by Putin-ally Patriarch Kirill, who broke off relations with Constantinople in response.

Since the 2019 split from Moscow, the rivalry between the two separate churches over property, parishioners and religious sites continued. In this conflict, the Kiev-aligned OCU was granted the full backing of the right-wing Ukrainian government, of which it has become an integral part.

The February 2022 invasion of Russia marked a new stage in the religious war between the two churches with Kiev moving quickly to denounce the UOC as collaborators.

Later in October of last year, the Ukraines Security Service (SBU), which maintains close ties to the Ukrainian far-right, began to regularly carry out raids in search of anti-Ukrainian materials at UOC churches, impose sanctions on its bishops and supporters, and open criminal cases against dozens of its clergymen.

The Pechersk Lavra monastery located in Kiev is viewed as one of the most important historical and religious sites within Ukraine and all of Eastern Europe. Until recently, the site was administered jointly by the National Kyiv-Pechersk Historic-Cultural Preserve and the Moscow-aligned UOC.

In January of this year, the Ukrainian government terminated the UOCs lease of the site and intervened to allow the government-backed OCU to celebrate a Christmas service at the sites Dormition Cathedral.

The announcement Friday gave the remaining UOC monks until March 29 to fully vacate the premises. Initial media reports following the eviction notice suggest that the UOC monks are refusing to leave and will likely be forcibly removed and arrested by the SBU after the deadline passes.

The Orthodox Church in both Russia and Ukraine has for centuries promoted obscurantism, nationalism and anti-Semitism with its own clergy members guilty of participating in some of the worst pogroms of the previous centuries.

However, there is clearly nothing progressive in Zelenskys crackdown on one religious organization while supporting its equally backward rival. It speaks to the reactionary character of the Zelensky regime that it has embraced Ukraines spiritual independence in order to promote Ukrainian nationalism, anti-Russian chauvinism and ethnic conflict.

It is no accident that the Ukrainian government announced the eviction just as it made public plans to continue pouring troops into the meat grinder of Bakhmut, where Russian and Ukrainian soldiers have died in the thousands and Ukraine appears to be losing.

On Tuesday, in his evening video address, Zelensky said that Ukraine's top military command unanimously favors defending the sector of eastern Ukraine including Bakhmut to destroy the occupiers to the maximum.

In a further indication of an intense political and military crisis, on the same day, Zelensky removed the governors of Luhansk, Odesa, and Khmelnytskyi provinces with no reason given for their sudden dismissals.

Regarding the ongoing mass death at Bakhmut, a Ukrainian soldier recently stated plainly to the Kyiv Independent that, When they drive us to Bakhmut, I already know I'm being sent to death.
A hospital worker in Michigan gave the following interview to the WSWS about his experience with Long COVID and how this condition is being ignored by those who control the medical industry. He asked to remain anonymous to avoid victimization.

Have your own story to tell? Contact the WSWS by filling out the form at the bottom of this page. All submissions will be kept anonymous.

Michigan Medicine nurses discharging patient [Photo: Michigan Medicine]

WSWS: Can you tell us how Long COVID has impacted you?

Michigan hospital worker: Ive listened to a couple things on the WSWS about the person from New Zealand who got Long COVID, lost his job and his life. I have been through similar things, although I havent lost my life or my job. I dont know how much of an impact it has had on my work. I have had outbursts while working and I dont know how much Long COVID has contributed to it. Im constantly agitated. I realize there is only so much one person can do.

WSWS: Could you describe the conditions in your workplace early on during the pandemic?

MHW: We didnt have choice in health care. We were taking care of patients. Initially the workload was lower, and we were pretty much taking care of only COVID patients. The people I felt bad for were those working in grocery stores. They had little to no protection. Im not saying we didnt have people coming into the hospital that werent sick. We were exposed and that happened all the time. Then two months later, Kroger workers were told they would receive hazard pay but it was then taken away.

WSWS: After the passage of the CARES Act, there was a campaign by employers to force workers back on the job in dangerous conditions so they could continue the flow of profits.

MHW: It coincided with reopening of restaurants in June 2020. We thought maybe things were not that bad, but that was prior to the Delta variant. Thats likely what I got. My whole frustration with Long COVID is there is no care. That was confirmed with people on Facebook. This person got help from a holistic doctor, but that is expensive. The Long COVID clinic locally is more about mental health.

That person in New Zealand was labeled as anxiety-ridden and they were more active than me. The medical industry treats it like a mental health issue, Its all in your head. My Long COVID is not in my head. I had a friend tell me, You are two years out now. You shouldnt be rehashing and not feeling up to par. Its in your head. I said it is not. These are damaged organs that do not regenerate.

The medical community doesnt know what to do, and they discount you. Ive been discounted and was given oxygen just for exercise. I thought about using it for this interview. My oxygen drops into the low 80s using the finger probe. If your lungs are functioning with a normal pulse ox, saturated oxygen is 95-100 percent. I am rarely averaging 94 percent. If I come home from work its as low as 83. This is recent, like this year.

During my tests, I fell to 83 percent in three minutes. Thats why I have oxygen at my house. My condition can be compared to COPD. I was told by doctors that I had lungs like a person who was smoking for 20 years. Thank god I didnt smoke. From what Im hearing, I wont worsen hopefully, but with age things usually do. How can they project 20 years from now [what will happen]?

I want to see if other people will share their experiences and knowledge. There should be resources, but they dont share them. Im not saying the doctors are deliberately not helping. There are stipulations saying that I can call to get help, but that doesnt mean you will get help or you can get an appointment the next day.

WSWS: Why is that the case? It must be an issue that is far broader.

MHW: The reason it is happening is because the system is destroyed. I see it every day in our emergency room. The health care system in America is not functioning anymore. It has fallen apart and were constantly patching. Ill say this, our ER is staffed to the dock. A couple people have died in the ER. Would they have died if they were triaged and put into a room? Very likely. How would you feel waiting in the ER and the person next to you dies?

WSWS: What is the ER waiting time like?

MHW: It is utter chaos and a hard place to work. The waiting room is a triage, there is a seat for you to get into a room. But some people wait in waiting rooms for quite a while. It is because the system is so broken. The other problem is people use the ER as the doctors office. Theres no room. They dont have time to wait, if its serious.

WSWS: What do you think is the cause of these conditions?

MHW: They are making money off of our backs and the patients backs. Like insurance, it is the biggest cheat we deal with. If you dont have insurance, you pay it all. Insurance might cover a fraction of that. They put the responsibility on your back. Theyre taking the most from the people who have the least.

WSWS: The Biden administration and other governments around the world are saying the pandemic is over. Why do you think they are doing this?

MHW: Its not in your interest and not in mine. They could care less. I dont want more money, but I want an acknowledgment that I need help. I dont even get the response of deal with it. They dont want to give us bad news, so no news is good news as far as they are concerned. The system is mishandled.

I can tell you, from the beginning, they are not for us. The higher ups are at another level, just production is wanted. I worked in a manufacturing plant before. We were fighting for our coworkers to get a raise, but the company was pushing for a written test, in a state where the education level already was low. They just want us to work. One owner said he could get a bunch of monkeys to do what we do. They dont care about us. The people that owned the plant dont care.

There is a lack of humanity. Some people lost their 401(k)s in the last year. For the rich, its not affecting them. It isnt over unfortunately. Its like losing a child, it will always be there. Im always reminded that I caught COVID. This is only the beginning. Go back 40 years with AIDS, they werent worried about the population, just a segment of society that would die. Its them. Too bad. AIDS is still here.

Pharmaceutical companies are making money from PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis) and other medication. People still die from this. Thats what will happen with COVID. I still see COVID in the hospital. Its the issue of letting their guard down. The mask mandate was released on the buses. Now, if we are with coworkers and are healthy, we dont have to wear masks. For me its a double-edged sword, my oxygen might be better, but I am now working with people who didnt vaccinate and have their mask off. We have coworkers that are struggling.

This has been my experience in health care for decades. It is deplorable for workers. We notice it everywhere. It is the breakdown of the social system. We lift patients and our bodies are stressed over time. Thats why health care workers are crippled later. The change now has to be a societal change.
Under paragraph 8 of the Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS Agreement, WTO members had agreed to make a decision before 17 December 2022 on whether to extend this Decision to cover the production and supply of COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics, confirming members' right to override the exclusive effect of patents and provide greater scope to take direct action to diversify production of these products through clarifications of existing flexibilities and a targeted waiver over the next five years.

Given that consensus was elusive on the extension, the TRIPS Council decided in December last year to recommend to the General Council to postpone the deadline for such a decision. The General Council on 19 December 2022 agreed to this recommendation and resolved to return to the question of the duration of the extension at its next meeting, held on 6-7 March 2023, where members again agreed to keep the issue open for discussion while substantive discussions continue in the Council for TRIPS.

Facilitated by Ambassador Lansana Gberie of Sierra Leone in his last meeting as Council Chair, members reiterated well-known positions on this issue. Developing and least developed country (LDC) members expressed disappointment at the failure to meet the December 2022 deadline set by ministers at MC12. Some members remarked that the extension of the TRIPS Decision was a credibility issue for the WTO, as a solution for vaccines alone was insufficient to make a critical contribution to the lifesaving efforts for COVID-19 patients.

They argued that the concentration of manufacturing contributes to the inequitable rollout of COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics, threatening to undo public health gains achieved during the pandemic. These members called for a multilateral solution in the form of a trigger-ready mechanism as part of the preparedness for future pandemics.

Other members urged more evidence and fact-based discussions before taking any decision on the TRIPS Decision extension, noting that further assessment and internal consultations were ongoing to help inform the discussion and address open questions. Some questioned whether an IP-induced access problem existed for therapeutics and diagnostics and warned against any change to the international IP framework without substantial evidence, as this could weaken investment and innovation, risking members' ability to tackle health and other emergencies both now and in the future.

Ambassador Gberie thanked members for a constructive dialogue and called on them to plan well in advance if they want to achieve results and find convergence in the coming months. The next TRIPS Council meeting is scheduled for 14-15 June.

Under the IP and COVID-19 discussion, members considered the Secretariat compilation of COVID-19 related IP measures. The item also serves to continue or initiate work to analyse lessons learned and challenges experienced during the pandemic as indicated under paragraph 24 of the Ministerial Declaration on the WTO Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Preparedness for Future Pandemics, and to address any communications that may be received from members under paragraph 5 of the Ministerial Decision on the TRIPS Agreement. On the latter, the chair noted that thus far no such communication had been received.

Notifications of domestic IP laws and regulations

Under the TRIPS transparency requirement to notify domestic laws and regulations pertaining to intellectual property, the Council received more than 120 new notifications from over 20 different members, most of whom provided detailed information on the legislation they had shared. The Secretariat also introduced its Annual Report on Notifications and other Information Flows which provides the status, tracks submission rates, and identifies trends in members' activities under the TRIPS Agreement's transparency mechanisms.

IP and innovation

Following up on past items on IP and innovation regularly added to the TRIPS Council agenda since 2012, co-sponsors Australia, Canada, the European Union, Hong Kong China, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, Chinese Taipei, the United Kingdom, and the United States submitted a communication (IP/C/W/697) on Cross-border cooperation among IP offices. The document highlights that the development of free trade systems and the evolution of information technology have increased the cross-border movement of information, people, services, goods, and monetary funds, increasingly globalizing companies' economic activities.

The communication notes that from the perspective of industrial property, the total number of patent applications filed by innovators worldwide has increased from around one million in the 1990s to more than 3.4 million in 2021. This increasing trend applies also to trademarks and designs, with a record 13.9 million trademark applications and 1.2 million design applications filed worldwide in 2021.

In addition, the numbers of international applications/registrations under the World Intellectual Property Organization's PCT (patent), Madrid (trademark) and Hague (design) systems, as indicators of multilateral industrial property activities, reached record levels in 2021. Even in the midst of the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the paper indicates, businesses, creators and innovators have remained strongly engaged in industrial property-related activities, helping the world recover from the pandemic in a resilient manner.

In this context, the co-sponsors underlined it is vital for patent applicants that there is an established environment in which they can obtain industrial property rights smoothly and predictably when seeking industrial property protection worldwide. Acknowledging the important role domestic IP offices play in ensuring, promoting and protecting industrial property rights, the co-sponsors underlined that the sharing of cooperative efforts among IP offices in each region and country will serve as a reference for each member to consider future policies and efforts in developing a more globalized industrial property system.

Members highlighted examples of the potential benefits of cooperation between IP offices, the forms of cooperation that would directly benefit users of the industrial property system, and unsuccessful attempts of cooperation. They also shared their views on areas for improvement in the current cooperation efforts among IP offices and their plans to introduce cooperative efforts in the future.

Non-violation and situation complaints

Following up on another MC12 decision, members discussed the longstanding issue of the examination of scope and modalities for non-violation and situation complaints (NVSCs) under the TRIPS Agreement. Ministers adopted in June 2022 a Decision on TRIPS non-violation complaints, directing the Council for TRIPS to continue its examination of this issue and to make recommendations to the 13th Ministerial Conference, scheduled for February 2024. It was also agreed that, in the meantime, members would not initiate such complaints under the TRIPS Agreement.

Members reiterated their well-known positions, which have historically differed on whether such non-violation cases are feasible in the area of TRIPS. Some delegations consider NVSCs essential to maintaining the balance of rights and obligations within the TRIPS Agreement while helping to ensure that legitimate obligations are not circumvented or avoided. Others believe there is no place for the application of NVSCs in IP because of the legal insecurity and curtailment of flexibilities that could ensue and favour their complete ban in the TRIPS area.

Non-violation and situation complaints refer to whether and under what conditions members should be able to bring WTO dispute complaints where they consider that another member's action, or a particular situation, has deprived them of an expected advantage under a WTO agreement, even though no obligation under the Agreement has been violated.

Technical cooperation and capacity building

Ahead of the TRIPS Council meeting, 30 government officials from 18 LDCs attended a workshop aimed at analyzing and strengthening the benefits of the technology transfer transparency mechanism as established under Article 66.2 of the TRIPS Agreement. Article 66.2 calls on developed countries to provide incentives to enterprises and institutions in their territories for the purpose of promoting and encouraging technology transfer to LDCs in order to enable them to create a sound and viable technological base.

The event allowed participants to enhance their understanding of LDC priority areas for technological development and improve coordination between LDCs and their cooperation partners in support of technology transfer projects, in line with the work and recent developments in various WTO bodies. As part of the workshop programme, some of the participants attended in person the TRIPS Council meeting.

Following requests in past meetings, a dedicated annual workshop, similar to that organized for Article 66.2, is envisaged to enable dialogue on IP-related technical cooperation under Article 67 of the TRIPS Agreement. The WTO Secretariat is planning to organize such a workshop on 12-14 June 2023. The programme will consist of two segments: a two-day workshop segment on 12-13 June, and a final segment, on 14 June, involving participation in the discussions of the TRIPS Council.

Other items

Sharing information on WTO disputes involving the TRIPS Agreement, the chair informed members of the communication by China requesting consultations with the United States regarding US export control and related measures with respect to certain advanced computing semiconductor chips and manufacturing products, supercomputer items, as well as related technologies and services, destined for or otherwise related to China.

The chair also recalled that the current period for depositing the instrument of acceptance for the protocol amending the TRIPS Agreement runs until 31 December 2023. To date, 136 members have accepted the amended TRIPS Agreement. Ambassador Gberie encouraged the 28 remaining members to complete their domestic procedures and deposit their instrument of acceptance with the WTO Director-General as soon as possible.
Laman Ismayilova

Mexico is a dream for any photographer, who enjoys traveling. The country is filled with incredible backgrounds that are rich in color and history.

For Azerbaijani photographer Aydin Sadigov, Mexico is one of his all-time favorite photography destinations. The photographer has recently presented a series of photos taken in this wonderful place, which boasts a rich architectural heritage and awe-inspiring natural wonders.

The exhibition is the fourth event organized within the photo project "Architectural masterpieces of the World".

"As part of the exhibition, I have demonstrated around 20 magnificent photographs that provide insight into the historical and architectural masterpieces of Mexico. I would like to note that Baku has previously hosted photo exhibitions dedicated to Mexico's remarkable sights. However, all of them highlighted the Mexican architecture of the later period. Unlike previous ones, this exhibition is the first photo project in Azerbaijan that demonstrates Mexico's ancient architecture," Aydin Sadigov told Azernews.

Recall that the "Architectural masterpieces of the world" was launched last November by Italy-Azerbaijan Design Center and acclaimed photographer, art-curator Aydin Sadigov at the Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction.

The project features separate events including photo exhibitions and presentations on the architectural masterpieces of different countries.
From small wonders to cascading hills, these are some of the best waterfalls in Georgia.

TK

Few things capture our incredible natural surroundings like waterfalls. Maybe its the sound of rushing water, or maybe its the light mist that tickles your face as you take it all in. Regardless of what is so captivating about waterfalls, one thing is for sure: The South is dotted with some of the most beautiful natural water features. Thanks to Georgias location at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the state is home to beautiful state parks and more waterfalls than we can count. From small wonders to cascading hills, these are some of the best waterfalls in Georgia.

Minnehaha Falls

Explore Georgia

If its at the end of an unpaved road, you know its bound ot be good. Approach Minnehaha Falls near Lake Rabun from a short just under 0.2 mile hike. As you walk, take in several smaller instances of tumbling water along the way. Youll see the main event once you enter a clearing below the magnificent drop off of several rock terraces.

:Learn More

Tallulah Falls

courtesy of Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites

Located within magnificent Tallulah Gorge State Park, Tallulah Falls is not just one waterfall; its a series of six. On a usual day, the water at the falls travels over the dam into the Gorge is around 75 cubic feet per second. However, each spring and fall, the Georgia Power Company releases extra water from the dam to showcase what the falls might have looked like historically. When that happens, water gushes at 200 cubic feet per second.

:Learn More

ADA-Hi Falls

Peter McIntosh

While not the largest or tallest waterfall, ADA-Hi Falls is its own oasis. Located within Georgias highest-elevation state park, Black Rock Mountain, this waterfall is at the end of a strenuous yet rewarding hike. After passing rhododendron and climbing the elevation, the trail ends at the ADA-Hi observation deck where finishers can take in a small cascade.

:Learn More

Anna Ruby Falls

courtesy of Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites

Located in the charming Bavarian town of Helen, Anna Ruby Falls is another popular destination. The falls are at the end of an easy, 0.8 mile paved trail. Bonus: It is stroller, pet, and even wheelchair friendly.

Story continues

Related:Learn More

Amicalola Falls

courtesy of Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites

This natural wonder is the third-highest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi River. Rightly named for the Cherokee word for tumbling waters, the waterfall collapses 729 feet into the pool below. Thanks to its towering size, this is one of the most popular waterfalls in the state.

:Learn More

DeSoto Falls

Explore Georgia

This park has not one but two waterfalls to take in. Both are easy to moderate hikes from the DeSoto Falls Recreation Area campground. The lower falls can be found a quarter mile downstream from this point while the Upper Falls are three-quarters-of-a mile upstream. Since these cascading waters are so close together, DeSoto is a lovely family outing.

:Learn More

Hemlock Falls

PapaBear/Getty

Found within Moccasin Creek State Park, Hemlock Falls is found near beautiful Lake Burton. The one-mile trail follows a defunct railroad bed, crosses a small bridge, and opens to a small, natural pool. Hikers warn this is a damp trail, so appropriate shoes are a must.

:Learn More

High Falls

courtesy of Georgia State Parks & Historic Sites

Situated just a short drive from Atlanta near Macon, High Falls is an easy day trip from the city. Here, the Towaliga River provides a beautiful cascade, the largest waterfall south of Atlanta. It falls 135 feet and is found along a double-looped trail.

:Learn More

Panther Creek Falls

Explore Georgia

For those seeking a longer, more intense hike, Panther Creek Falls might be the stop for you. Follow Panther Creek 3.5 miles to reach the base of the spectacular view. According to Explore Georgia, youll encounter some basic rock climbing as well as a few steep elevations. They also suggest allowing about an hour and a half to reach the falls and two hours for your return. The trail is 5.5 miles total.

:Learn More

Toccoa Falls

Explore Georgia

Standing taller than Niagra Falls, Toccoa Falls is one of the highest freefalling waterfalls east of the Mississippi River. It is actually situated on the Toccoa Falls College campus. Its only 100-yards to the base of the falls to the observation area. This short walk is fully ADA-accessible.



:Learn More

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Read the original article on Southern Living.
Vaughn "Sam" Humphrey, a veteran of World War II who turns 102 on Saturday, is seen in portrait at Palagio Senior Living Center in Orange Park. He moved to the Jacksonville area after his Bonita Springs home was damaged by Hurricane Ian last year.

Vaughn "Sam" Humphrey has quite a story to tell: He's a World War II Army veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, he turns 102 on Saturday and just this last fall a neighbor carried him out of his Bonita Springs home as the water inside it rose and rose during Hurricane Ian's onslaught.

But he insists none of that's really worth making a fuss about. And while he's patient and good-natured and accommodating, he'll give it to you straight.

I dont like talking about it. In fact, I didnt even want this today, he said this week.

By this, he means a reporter and photographer, there to meet him at Palagio Senior Living in Orange Park.

And as for the Saturday birthday party that's been planned for him by local chapters of Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution?

Veteran's story: With diary revealed, Jacksonville woman tells of reticent father's life as a POW in Germany

Veteran honored: France gives its highest honor to 100-year-old WWII paratrooper from Live Oak who fought on D-Day

'We stick together:' WWII's Sullivan brothers remembered at Mayport

I would rather they didnt do it. It was all Davids idea, he said of his nephew. "I dont like publicity."

DAR's Betty Reed, who's helping organize the party, was sitting at a table with him inside the Palagio. She smiled. Humble and modest, she said.

That's the way Sam Humphrey has always been, said his nephew, David Humphrey, 85, the David who came up with the idea for the party.

He and his wife Carolyn live at Palagio next door to Sam, who moved up to join them after selling his hurricane-damaged home in Southwest Florida.

Growing up in Iowa, David, a Vietnam veteran, never heard his Uncle Sam tell much of anything in the way of war stories. He would just say he didn't remember much about it and anyway he didn't want to talk about it.

"I think its been a good defense mechanism, a coping mechanism, and a lot of guys are like that," David said.

Sam Humphrey during World War II. He turns 102 on Saturday.

He did manage to interest his uncle in a Band of Brothers tour, which takes visitors to war sites from Normandy to Munich. But that interest disappeared as soon as Sam saw a concentration camp on the agenda. His division had liberated two concentration camps.

Story continues

Thats the ones you want to forget," Sam Humphrey said.

Farm life and Hurricane Ian

Sam Humphrey chuckled slyly at the inevitable question asked of any centenarian: What's the secret to a long life?

It wasnt good clean living when I was younger," he said. "I was 46 years old before I ever got married, and you can imagine the running around we done.

Its remarked that he doesnt look 102.

Well, theres days I feel that way," he said. "No, I feel pretty good most of the time. Ive always walked a lot, but now I just shuffle along. But I go out in the back every day and make the circles out there, sit down a little while and get up and walk them again. Or shuffle them along.

He's always gone by Sam instead of his given name of Vaughn. He's not sure why. He's heard that it's because he had red hair when he was young and an aunt started calling him Sandy, which turned into Sam, but he can't vouch for the accuracy of that.

'I didn't know any better:' Wounded WWII medic from Jacksonville Beach downplays heroism

He grew up on a farm outside North English, Iowa, where his parents, Clarence and Alba, raised animals and grew corn, along with crops such as soybeans and wheat. The family lost their farm in the Depression and had to rent a property until they could another farm years later.

Even though there were six Humphrey children, Clarence and Alba took in other kids during the Depression, kids from town who were hungry and at least had some food on the farm.

Young Sam worked hard, waking up early, milking cows by hand, doing whatever else was needed.

During World War II, Sam Vaughn wrote a letter to his mother back home in Iowa, bearing an Army censor's stamp on the top left. In it, he expressed gratitude for news from home, noting at one point: "I got Joe's letter yesterday. I bet Johnie sure was mad when they put that chicken in his water tank."

During high school he rode a horse 13 miles each day, into North English, to go to classes. Sometimes, if it was storming, he spent the night at a cousin's house in town, but otherwise that was his routine.

It was a good life, he supposes, the only one he knew at the time.

He drove a truck after high school, until he was drafted in November 1942 and sent to Camp Dodge, Iowa. After the war he came home and drove a truck again, delivering farm goods to markets, until he eventually became a machinist at a big company that made radio and communications equipment.

Colin Kelly Jr: North Florida's 'No. 1 hero of World War II' after Pearl Harbor

'Your mother wears Army boots': 100-year-old Clay County vet remembers her WWII service in New Guinea and the Philippines

His late wife Burnadean was some six years older. She had an uncle in Bonita Springs near Naples, and after Sam retired in 1983 they visited there. After that, they split the year between Iowa an Bonita Springs until going fulltime Florida in 1993.

Burnadean was killed in a car accident in 2010, and after that Sam lived alone in their house in Bonita Springs. He was doing fine on his own until the hurricane.

He said he wasn't scared  the winds actually weren't too bad  but there was nothing he could do about the water overflowing from a nearby canal and invading his home.

Neighbors came to check on him. "By the time they got there, the water was coming in my house and they carried me out of there," he said. He ended up selling the house and moving up to Northeast Florida next to his nephew.

He's OK with that, he said. It's not worth making a fuss.

A Bronze Star

In Europe, Sam Humphrey, the truck driver, drove a Jeep in the 41st Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, 11th Armored Division, much of the time with his commanding officer, Lt. Col. Herbert M. Foy Jr., as a passenger.

Asked if he felt in danger in that Jeep, he chuckled.

Oh, youre right out in the open. They had a canvas top you could put up, but  

Sam Humphrey, who served in the Army at the Battle of the Bulge, lives in a senior living center in Orange Park after his southwest Florida home in Bonita Springs was damaged by Hurricane Ian.

David Humphrey mentions that his uncle won a Bronze Star during his service, but has never told him how that happened.

A few days before his 102nd birthday, Sam Humphrey's not about to change that.

All they told me," he said, "was bravery beyond the call of duty, so I dont know. I dont know what it was.

Then he's asked: Is he proud of what he did in Europe, so long ago?

Oh yeah, I guess," he said. There was a long pause. "Proud the way it turned out, I guess.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: WWII vet in Jacksonville survived Battle of the Bulge, Hurricane Ian
DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC)  Ten people, including three Virginia mental hospital employees and seven sheriffs deputies, have been charged with murder in the death of a 28-year-old Black man seen in security video being pinned to the ground, according to officials.

Irvo Otieno was arrested by Henrico Police on March 3. Days later, on March 6, Henrico Sheriffs deputies took him to Central State, a psychiatric hospital in Dinwiddie. They claimed he became combative and the deputies restrained him. He was later declared dead.

The medical examiners preliminary ruling was that Otienos death was a homicide caused by asphyxiation.

Otienos case marks the latest example of a Black mans in-custody death that has law enforcement under scrutiny. It follows the the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee, and the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.

WATCH : Family of Irvo Otieno talk after viewing video of his death

The three employees of Central State Hospital now charged with second degree murder in Otienos death, along with the seven deputies charged Tuesday, are Darian M. Blackwell, 23, of Petersburg; Wavie L. Jones, 34, of Chesterfield; and Sadarius D. Williams, 27, of North Dinwiddie.

Three Central State Hospital employees have now been charged with murder in the death of Irvo Otieno. Darian M. Blackwell, 23, of Petersburg; Wavie L. Jones, 34, of Chesterfield; and Sadarius D. Williams, 27, of North Dinwiddie were taken into custody at Meherrin Regional Jail. (Virginia State Police)

On Thursday, Otienos family was joined by their lawyers  Ben Crump and Mark Krudys  to speak about the surveillance footage, which Krudys said showed all seven deputies pushing down every part of his body with absolute brutality.

Caroline Ouko, mother of Irvo Otieno, holds a portrait of her son with attorney Ben Crump, left, her older son, Leon Ochieng and attorney Mark Krudys at the Dinwiddie Courthouse in Dinwiddie, Va., on Thursday, March 16, 2023. There is goodness in his music and thats all Im left with now  hes gone, Otienos mother, Caroline Ouko, said at the news conference while clutching a framed photo of her son. (Daniel Sangjib Min/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

Caroline Ouko, mother of Irvo Otieno, holds a portrait of her son as she walks out of the Dinwiddie Courthouse with attorney Ben Crump, center left, and her older son, Leon Ochieng, in Dinwiddie, Va., on Thursday, March 16, 2023. Attorneys for the family of Irvo Otieno, who died in police custody say video of the incident shows seven sheriffs deputies pushing down every part of his body with absolute brutality. (Daniel Sangjib Min/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

Visitors walk toward Building 114, the S.T.A.R. Center, at Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie County, Va., on May 17, 2018. Seven Virginia sheriffs office employees have been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a 28-year-old man at Central State Hospital last week, a local prosecutor said Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP)

I was not really prepared to see this, Krudys said of the video footage, stressing that Otieno was in handcuffs and leg irons.

You can see that theyre putting their back into it. Every part of his body is being pushed down with absolute brutality. You cannot even see his image many times.

Otieno, a 28-year-old from Henrico County, had a history of mental health struggles and was experiencing mental distress at the time of his initial encounter with law enforcement earlier this month, according to statements from his family and one of their attorneys.

Story continues

Krudys said the footage from the hospital showed a lack of urgency to help Otieno after the deputies determined that he was lifeless and not breathing.

They smothered him: Dinwiddie top prosecutor points the finger at seven Henrico deputies in Irvo Otienos death

And then you see people standing around with their hands in their pockets and looking away, Krudys said at the news conference. And theres an appreciable period of time before any kind of rescue efforts are started.

After CPR is administered, the deputies drift away out of the room and into a conversation by themselves, Krudys said.

Otieno, whose family is from Kenya, was a deeply loved and well-regarded young man, an aspiring musician who had been a well-known high school athlete in the area, Krudys said. Otieno was 4 years old when he moved to the U.S.

Irvo is as American as apple pie. This is what he knows. This is home for him, Otienos mother Caroline Ouko said. This was my baby. He cared for people. He cared that people were treated right. That was at the core of his upbringing in our home. He cared that people were treated equally.

WATCH: Family of Irvo Otieno makes first public appearance after viewing video of his death

I cannot be at his wedding. Ill never see a grandchild  because someone refused to help him, Ouko said. No one stood up to stop what was going on.

As of Thursday, the surveillance footage of the events leading to Otienos death had not been made public.

A key element of that evidence is the surveillance video from Central State Hospital that captures the intake process, said Dinwiddie Commonwealths Attorney Ann Baskervill. To maintain the integrity of the criminal justice process at this point, I am not able to publicly release the video.

Prosecutor: Videos show Henrico deputies smothered victim, pepper-sprayed him in cell

Otieno was first taken into custody March 3, according to a timeline provided by Henrico County Police, a separate agency.

The police department said in a news release that officers encountered Otieno while responding to a report of a possible burglary March 3 in suburban Richmond, and that based on his behavior, put him under an emergency custody order and took him to a local hospital for evaluation. The news release did not describe the behavior that led to the order.

Krudys said a neighbor called police over concern about Otieno gathering lawn lights from a yard. He said Otienos mother tried to de-escalate the initial police encounter and the family supported his being taken to a hospital, believing that he needed mental health treatment.

While he was at the hospital, police said he became became physically assaultive toward officers, who arrested him and took him to a local jail that is managed by the Henrico Sheriffs Office, where he was served with several charges.

Around 4 p.m. on March 6, employees of the sheriffs office arrived at the Central State Hospital south of Richmond to admit Otieno, Baskervill said.

Krudys said Otieno was not provided access to needed medications while he was in jail. He also said the family does not understand why Otieno was taken from the jail to the state hospital about 45 minutes away rather than to a local, much closer mental health facility.

During a hearing for the seven Henrico deputies on March 15, Baskervill alleged that Central State Hospital employees stood by while Otieno was smothered by the Henrico deputies, despite the fact that by the end of the 12 minutes he was held down, he offered no resistance.

They smothered him: Dinwiddie top prosecutor points the finger at seven Henrico deputies in Irvo Otienos death

Seven Henrico deputies charged with second-degree murder in connection to inmates death. (Virginia State Police)

At some point hes pulled down to the ground or slumps and then what follows is 12 minutes of him being splayed out on the ground with all seven and then ultimately some Central State people as well on top of him, Baskervill said. No one assisting, no one blocking the others from having their hands on the victim who then died of asphyxiation by smothering.

The judge set bail for two of the deputies Wednesday. It wasnt immediately clear if they have been released. The other deputies were in the process of securing legal counsel and remained in custody, news outlets reported.

Edward Nickel, an attorney for Deputy Bradley Disse, one of the defendants, said in an email Thursday that Disse has served honorably during a 20-year career with the sheriffs department.

He is looking forward to his opportunity to try this case and for the full truth to be shared in court and ultimately vindicated, Nickel said in an email.

Another defense attorney could not immediately be reached for comment. The Henrico Fraternal Order of Police-Lodge 4 stood by the deputies in a statement posted to social media on Tuesday, urging against a rush to judgment and stressing that the charges are yet to go through the rigors of the legal system.

Baskervill has said the Virginia State Police, which is handling the investigation, was not called to the hospital until several hours after Otieno died. Additional charges and arrests are pending, according to the news release Thursday from her office.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Inside the halls of Axis International Academy, one isnt sure which language theyll hear when they walk into a classroom. Kindergartners learn to write Chinese characters just down the hall from first graders practicing their French pronunciations.

In another wing on a recent Monday, fourth and fifth graders spent the morning preparing for their science fair, listing different types of liquids in Spanish before they transitioned to their afternoon classes during which they would learn in English.

But, come August, these children won't be learning languages, eating lunch in a cafeteria adorned with flags from around the world or roaming the halls of the west Fort Collins building; Axis, one of the most recent charter schools to open in Fort Collins, will be moving to another location.

The decision to move came after Colorado Early Colleges, which shares a building with Axis, announced it would close the location at the end of the current school year due to low enrollment projections.

With the departure of Axis and closure of CEC, the school building on the corner of Horsetooth and Taft Hill roads will have housed three different charter schools in four years, all of which will have left shortly after opening in the space.

More: Liberty Common Elementary School announces expansion, likely into former charter building

Colorado charter schools struggle to stay open

As Colorado experiences rapid population growth and parents place added value on autonomy and school choice, the number of public charter schools hoping to provide alternatives to district-run neighborhood schools has risen by more than 34 schools in the past five years.

From 2010 to 2018, an average of 13 new charter schools opened annually across Colorado, according to the Colorado Department of Educations 2019 State of Charter Schools in Colorado report.

The report showed that nearly 3.5 charter schools closed each year over that same period.

Essentially, for every four charter schools that open each year in Colorado, one closes. That volatility can create added social and emotional strain to students and families tasked with finding new community supports and educational opportunities upon a school's closure.

Story continues

More: Wondering about Colorado's charter schools? Here are 4 things to know.

Neighborhood public schools don't see nearly the same closure rates. In Poudre School District, no neighborhood schools have closed in the last decade, according to a district spokesperson. In Thompson School District, a spokesperson said just two schools have closed in the last decade and both buildings were repurposed for district needs.

Experts across the state attribute charter school volatility to high facility and startup costs combined with low funding relative to district-run neighborhood schools, and the challenge of staying on top of finances and operations in a school's early years.

Colorado charter school experts and local charter school leaders spoke to the Coloradoan about the unique challenges these organizations face, and how they can be navigated.

We do it all ourselves: Funding, financial knowledge are crucial to success

Terry Croy Lewis, executive director of the Colorado Charter School Institute, said the No. 1 reason that charter schools close are financial and operational challenges.

Charter schools operate either through a school district or the state and are funded with private dollars, donations and per-pupil revenue from the state. But, unlike neighborhood schools, charter schools dont benefit from additional taxpayer funding through things like mill levies or bonds.

Because of that, the money they receive per pupil has to be split between operational costs  like building fees and teacher salaries  and learning costs. Charters can get money through loans, private donations, grants offered through the state or private organizations or other fundraising efforts, but the path to funding is simply more difficult.

Public neighborhood schools, on the other hand, fund new buildings through taxpayer dollars, meaning they can spend the states per pupil revenue fully for schooling purposes.

Croy Lewis said CSI works with schools to help get funding, but the organization is limited. We don't have near the resources that a district has, she said of CSI, which approves charters for new schools applying through the state.

You're trying to purchase everything you need, you're trying to be competitive in terms of teacher salaries, trying to get a facility, maybe renovate that facility, she said. So, you know, funding does matter.

But getting funding is only half the battle: Once a school secures funding, its leaders need to know what to do with it.

How easy is it to open a charter school?

Drew Goltermann, director of new school development for the Colorado League of Charter Schools, echoed Croy Lewis emphasis on funding and said one of the most common issues he sees when a school is starting is a lack of training in operations among leadership.

In Colorado, there are no restrictions regarding who can apply to open a charter school. Organizations like the League recommend having a steering committee with broad expertise, but individuals can also turn to consultants to fill gaps on their teams.

To formally apply, the founders must fill out a charter application, a comprehensive document that asks for things ranging from the school's mission and vision to food and transportation services to how students will be evaluated, to be submitted to either CSI or their home district. They are also evaluated on proof of need for the school in the desired area and the school's plan for operations and staffing, among other things.

When schools are in their foundation they need to be really mindful about the steering committees, the sounding boards, the partnerships that they build, Goltermann said, adding that it helps to have people who are experts in real estate, finance, marketing and more who can serve different roles.

It's impossible to expect anybody to be an expert in all of those areas and so you really want to encourage that when people are building up their team of founders to be really mindful.

Kari Calarco, principal and co-founder of Axis, believes broad expertise on the school's board and use of mentorship offerings helped them be successful, despite never having operated a school in a non-pandemic year.

They were conscious when building their board, Calarco said, to have people with varying expertise and experiences rather than trying to be the experts in every topic.

Even so, there is a lot of responsibility on founders and school leadership and she understands how it could be overwhelming and lead to troubles.

"We do it all ourselves, without the help of a district that would usually do these things for schools," Calarco said.

For example, Axis relies on word of mouth for marketing  something neighborhood schools don't have to worry about  and Calarco's co-founder Jenny Whitaker taught herself school and nonprofit finance. The pair created and defined job listings themselves  all without the help, knowledge or oversight a district school would have.

Goltermann said that oftentimes if a school fails, its leadership simply wasnt prepared for the undertaking of running a school from a business standpoint.

Really, running a school is running a nonprofit business, he said. You have to have a really strong and solid operational and business acumen and I think that's something that a lot of schools are not fully prepared for.

Charter schools: Proposed Windsor charter school won't receive Weld RE-4 land, will seek other options

AXIS International Academy students wait for their rides after school in Fort Collins, Colorado, on Tuesday, April 19, 2022.

High cost, low availability of facilities present challenges

Before it housed CEC and Axis, the building on the corner of Horsetooth and Taft Hill roads was built for and home to Global Village Academy, a charter that opened in 2013.

But the school operated there just five years before it was ordered to close by CSI, in part because of persistent financial risk (and) leadership and governance instability.

At the time it closed in 2018, Global Village's building  which housed three different tenants, one of whom had a history of failing to pay rent  had a $315,000 annual rental cost, according to previous Coloradoan reporting.

Representatives from Global Village Charter Collaborative, which operates schools in Aurora, Northglenn and Parker, did not respond to the Coloradoan's request for comment. A Colorado Springs campus cut ties with the collaborative in 2019.

Croy Lewis and Goltermann both said facility costs are another of the main reasons a charter school is forced to close, and that Colorados skyrocketing rental prices are only worsening the matter.

A study done on facility costs for charter schools in Colorado in 2018 found that new school operators faced challenges in obtaining facilities in areas where real estate costs continue to rise.

The analysis found that 17% of schools had to delay their opening date due to facilities-related issues, ranging from financing, acquiring property or land, construction or lack of facilities in the area.

Facilities is huge, Croy Lewis said. How do we secure a facility that's going to meet the needs of our school? Particularly if the desire is to start small and grow, you can imagine that is really challenging to do, to pay for a large building when you want to start small.

"So how do you find that facility, especially (with) how things have changed in Colorado in the last 20 years, and afford it?

There are a number of different paths charters can take when looking for a location, ranging from working with districts to get unused space to renting space from a nonprofit like a church to acquiring land and building a school from scratch.

When it leaves its current building at the end of the year, Axis will move into Clearwater Church, which previously housed Ascent Classical Academy before it moved to Windsor in January. Calarco and Whitaker said the Clearwater space was originally where the school wanted to open, but they began in the shared school building to save money and grow enrollment. By moving into a space already prepared to house a charter, the school can also save money on renovations and equipment that would need to be bought if it was building from scratch.

Goltermann said theres no best option, its just crucial that school leaders are willing to be creative with their locations, something leaders of American Legacy Academy, a charter school working towards opening locations in Windsor and Severance, are learning now.

The school hopes to open in the fall of 2023 and be chartered through Weld RE-4. But it cant open without a building, and its board of directors has yet to secure a location.

On Monday, the school board for the Windsor and Severance district voted not to give the charter district the main property it was eyeing for its Windsor location, citing the need for more information from the community.

Chairman of the schools board Julie Babcock said the district's decision was disappointing, but they won't be deterred. They have not identified other possible locations in the area but are working with the district to. In the meantime, Babcock said they will look for rental space to operate out of until they secure a place for their building.

Windsor charter proposal: Proposed Windsor charter school won't receive Weld RE-4 land, will seek other options

AXIS International Academy in Fort Collins, Colorado, is pictured on Tuesday, April 19, 2022.

Opening now is more challenging than ever, but the need for options persists

Despite the challenges, experts say demand for charters is clear, so people will likely keep starting them knowing theres a risk of failure.

Last year, the charter school institute was one of few public school districts in Colorado that saw an increase in enrollment, and local leaders say waitlists have gotten longer and parents have regularly shown more interest.

The number of high quality seats that are needed for students hasn't changed. It is still there, and the need is there, Goltermann said. So ultimately, if what we care about is  that every student should have access to high quality education, that is not a true statement right now. And therefore, whatever the challenges may be, it's still important that we do this work.

Ensuring that students have access to education and options is more than just opening schools, however. According to Croy Lewis, even if the desire is there for options, leaders and founders need to have a strong sense of what potential families want out of the school and how it can set itself apart from other offerings.

You may have the most amazing school model that you think is just perfect for this community, but if the community is not interested, and they don't see a need  then you're never going to get the enrollment, she said.

Liberty Common Charter School Headmaster Bob Schaffer believes one of the reasons his Fort Collins school has been so successful for more than two decades is because when it opened, it offered something the community wanted and no other school was offering  a classical education  and it has kept a focus on that original vision.

If schools do not think through, in their early days, how to preserve their mission, the integrity of their mission and their vision, well then it gets lost as kids come and go, Schaffer said. The schools that have endured, like Liberty  found a good way early on to establish clear communication to the future.

Now, even knowing the challenges Liberty is up against, the school hopes to expand to accommodate the 800 people Schaffer said are on its waitlist  "families that want this product, and this kind of education, and they can't get it, he said. I believe we have an obligation to those families to try to serve our community."

On Wednesday, Schaffer announced Liberty Common plans to expand by opening a second elementary school in the building at Horsetooth and Taft Hill roads in the fall of 2022 after Axis and CEC have left the facility.

In Windsor, American Legacy Academy board member Cheryl Brown is sure the need and want for diverse curricula is there  We instantly knew that they were asking us to create something totally different than what was being offered to the current public schools  but she also sees the school as addressing the districts needs.

In the Weld RE-4 district now, four of the nine school buildings are operating at over 100% capacity. And because American Legacy Academy doesnt need to pass a bond to fund the building of its school like the district would  it just needs to secure private funding  it can provide students a place to go sooner than a new neighborhood school.

ALA has more than 400 letters of interest from families who indicated they may send their child there, according to Brown and Babcock, which would help alleviate the crowded schools, and said they expect more once they announce a location for the school.

Croy Lewis said when charters work alongside districts to address issues like this, it can be really positive for the community.

It's a very intentional, purposeful kind of growth plan that can meet the needs both of the district and then the people that are living in the district, the community, she said.

American Legacy Academy submitted its application to Weld RE-4 on Monday and will receive a decision from the school board by early July. Though writing the charter application and making her way through the many challenges of starting a school has not been an easy task, Babcock said she believes the work will be worth it when she sees children in the hallways of a school providing a unique education.

It is probably more challenging now than ever, Goltermann said of opening a successful charter in todays climate. It still is really important.

Molly Bohannon covers education for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter @molboha or contact her at mbohannon@coloradoan.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: 31 Colorado charter schools have closed. Still, demand is peaking
Fewer young criminal defendants are getting sentenced to life in North Carolina prisons due to a series of U.S. Supreme Court decisions spread over years.

Over years, justices placed significant limits on punishments permitted for people convicted of crimes committed that occurred while they were minors.

Our decisions rested not only on common sense  on what any parent knows  but on science and social science as well, Associate Justice Elena Kagan wrote in a key 2012 Supreme Court opinion limiting punishment for minors.

As North Carolina youth are charged in violent murders, DAs will have to decide whether they will seek to send youth to prison for the rest of their lives.

Prior to that ruling, a 2005 decision known as Roper v. Simmons banned death penalty sentences for defendants convicted of crimes that took place before they turned 18, calling it cruel and unusual punishment.

In Graham v. Florida, the Supreme Court forbade in 2010 the use of life without parole sentences for youths convicted of anything except homicides. A state isnt required to release all young offenders from prison, but there needs to be a realistic opportunity for release, a majority of justices agreed.

Those two cases established that children are constitutionally different from adults for the purposes of sentencing, according to the often-cited 2012 Supreme Court opinion in Miller v. Alabama, which banned automatic life sentences for minors convicted of murder.

The decision recognized that juveniles lack of maturity leads to recklessness and risk taking, and they are more vulnerable to others influences. The decision also pointed out that juveniles sentenced to life terms end up spending more time in prison than adults, even though they were likely less culpable due to their age.

It also concluded that an automatic sentence of life in prison for a homicide is cruel and unusual punishment for juveniles. The court didnt ban discretionary life-in-prison sentences for juveniles, but said they must be uncommon and imposed only after judges consider defendants ages.

In 2021, Gov. Roy Cooper formed Juvenile Sentence Review Board to review the cases of young defendants sentenced to life without parole here. The board can recommended clemency or reduced sentences, though some activists say North Carolina has been too slow to release deserving applicants.

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Ben Finholt is the director of the Just Sentencing Project at Duke School of Laws Wilson Center for Science and Justice. .

In North Carolina, 95 young defendants were sentenced to life without parole from 1994 to 2022, according to a study led by Ben Finholt, director of the Just Sentencing Project at Duke Universitys law school.

As the law changed, judges have reheard some of cases to ensure the sentences are constitutional.

Here are where the cases stand, according to Finholt:

 Forty-five people sentenced to life with parole were made eligible for parole after 25 to 40 years of incarceration.

 Eight received a new plea offer for less than first-degree murder.

 Two received clemency from Gov. Roy Cooper.

 Four obtained eligibility for parole but are seeking earlier release under 2022 North Carolina Supreme Court rulings.

 Five are appealing their conviction. Eight successful at appeals seek plea deals for charge ess than first-degree murder.

 Thirty are waiting for resentencing hearings.

 One is serving a life sentence and has no current litigation.

Virginia Bridges covers criminal justice in the Triangle and across North Carolina for The News & Observer. Her work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The N&O maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
Republicans in Montana are moving forward with legislation that advocates say would effectively eliminate the legal existence of trans, nonbinary, two-spirit and intersex people in the state by codifying the definition of sex to be based on a persons reproductive system.

The 61-page bill, SB 458, is part of a torrent of anti-LGBTQ legislation that Republicans are seeking to implement nationwide. According to experts, the bill would leave trans, nonbinary and two-spirit folks out of policies against discrimination and would ban same-sex marriage, among many other legal implications. (Same-sex marriage is currently protected by federal law.)

I think this bill is trying to solve a problem that doesnt really exist, and in doing so, theyre using a really faulty understanding of biology to try to change the legal code in ways that I dont think theyve fully thought through, Dr. Lauren Wilson of the American Academy of Pediatrics told HuffPost.

Introduced in late February by Montana state Sen. Carl Glimm and passed via an initial vote in the state Senate, the bill would define sex as the organization of the body and gametes for reproduction in human beings and other organisms and states that among human beings, there are exactly two sexes, male and female, with two corresponding gametes.

In order to be considered a female, the bill says, a person would have to produce a relatively large, relatively immobile gamete, or egg, during her life cycle and have a reproductive and endocrine system oriented around the production of that gamete. For males, a person would have to produce small, mobile gametes, or sperm, during his life cycle and have a reproductive and endocrine system oriented around the production of that gamete.

After some debate, the bill was amended to include some exceptions for intersex individuals, who are born with anatomy or chromosomes that dont fit into a male or female binary. However, the bill forces these individuals to align with the male or female gender, ignoring years of biological research that recognizes the existence of dozens of variations on the intersex spectrum.

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Wilson added that some intersex people are not easily or neatly placed into the bills definitions of male or female.

Some intersex people, they identify themselves as a third category, Wilson said. Having the definitions really be centered around peoples reproductive capacity means that there are certain people who just will never be able to be categorized that way. And this bill appears to give them no legal status whatsoever, she added.

This misdefining of sex has massive implications on everyone in the state of Montana.Shawn Reagor, Montana Human Rights Network

Experts say the bill would make it nearly impossible for people who dont fall into the bills stringent categories of sex to live in Montana without misgendering themselves, outing themselves or facing everyday roadblocks.

This misdefining of sex has massive implications on everyone in the state of Montana, Shawn Reagor, the Montana Human Rights Networks director of equality, told HuffPost. The bill itself is 61 pages long and touches over 41 pieces of code and inserts these inaccurate and frankly disturbing definitions of sex that are definitions that take us back hundreds of years of understanding of biology and completely erase intersex people and try to miscategorize trans people.

Kyndra Nevin, a volunteer at the Montana Gender Alliance, told HuffPost that the bill is likely the worst thing theyve ever seen in anti-trans legislation efforts nationwide.

It seems like the point is the cruelty, and as hard as they can make it for trans people to exist in this state the better, as far as theyre concerned. Basically, it seems like its just a campaign to drive trans people out of public life in Montana, and maybe out of the state altogether, Nevin said. Because this bill is so bad that its going to make it harder for all of us to navigate public life altogether, everywhere from looking for jobs, trying to get into schools, things like that. Theyre basically erasing us from, I guess, existence, as far as being defined as a person in Montana.

Montana lawmakers have passed other harsh pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation, such as SB 99, a bill aimed at limiting gender-affirming care for minors that is currently awaiting a vote in the state House. Theres also been an effort, by way of HB 359, to ban minors from attending drag shows. The House approved it on Feb. 24, and the bill currently sits in the Senate.

According to the Movement Advancement Project, approximately 30,000 people in the state 13 and older identified as LGBTQ as of 2020. But Montana Republicans outsized obsession with implementing policies to muzzle LGBTQ expression and identities in its culture war persists.

I think its really important that people know, especially folks in the trans, nonbinary and two-spirit community know, that there are people that are fighting for them and that we will do everything that we can to prevent these bills from being implemented, Reagor told HuffPost. And whether theyre in Montana or Louisiana, trans people belong in this country. Weve been here for thousands of years, and were going to continue to exist.

Glimm, the bills author, did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment.

Related...
Former U.S. Senator Al Franken will appear on March 31, 2023 at the Richards Center for the Arts a Palm Springs High School as part of the Palm Springs Speaks lecture series.

Even though comedy writer and former Saturday Night Live cast member Al Franken wrote books about politics and hosted a political radio show, he never intended to run for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota  let alone win.

The 71-year-old said his friendship with the late Minnesota Democratic Sen. Paul Wellstone, who died in a 2002 plane crash while running for a third term against Republican Norm Coleman, inspired him to run. Franken described Coleman, who succeeded Wellstone, as a lapdog for former president George W. Bush and was determined to run against him in 2008.

Three months after (Coleman) took office, he was interviewed by a Capitol Hill newspaper and said he was a 99% improvement over Paul Wellstone. When he said that, I thought I wonder who is going to run against him. Franken said in an interview with The Desert Sun. (Coleman) was chairman of an oversight committee that was supposed to study waste, fraud and abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he didnt do a single hearing about it either, so I was determined to beat him.

Franken defeated Coleman in one of the closest elections in Senate history, beating him by 312 votes following an eight-month legal battle.

In 2017, Franken was embroiled in controversy after a photo taken during a 2006 USO tour surfaced of him holding his hands above model and radio personality Leann Tweedens breasts while she slept wearing body armor and a helmet. He said the entertainers were goofing off with each other by taking inappropriate photos that were intended to be a joke. Other women, including a congressional aide, came forward with accusations of inappropriate behavior.

He later resigned after leadership from both parties referred Tweeden's accusations to the Senate Ethics Committee.

I didnt mind living my life under the microscope until I got hit with this at the absolute worst moment. It was deliberate and a right-wing hit, Franken said. (Tweeden) went the whole nine yards and lied about it. Only one reporter looked at this thing and it was Jane Mayer, and if you read The New Yorker, you can see this was unbelievably unfair, but it happened at a time where it just freaked people out.

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In this Nov. 27, 2017 photo, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., speaks to the media on Capitol Hill in Washington. Franken is denying an accusation by a former Democratic congressional aide that he tried to forcibly kiss her after a taping of his radio show in 2006. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Since Franken resigned, he moved back to New York, started the Al Franken Podcast and did a comedy tour last year.

Franken will appear on March 31 at the Richards Center for the Arts at Palm Springs High School as part of the Palm Springs Speaks lecture series.

Adding an important amendment to the Affordable Care Act

During Frankens Senate career, he proposed legislation on issues he called close to my heart, such as getting veterans with PTSD matched with service animals, and adding an amendment to the Affordable Care Act that required health insurance companies to spend at least 80% of consumers premiums on actual health care.

This has gotten billions of dollars back to people, but the important thing about that is it forced insurance companies to be more efficient. If you look at the insurance companies, the profit margins are somewhere in the 4% to 6% range.

What is it like to go from a career performing and writing comedy to the U.S. Senate with an outsiders perspective? Franken said each states two senators are all dealing with different economic issues. As he worked on the Affordable Care Act, he discovered one of Minnesotas prominent industries was medical devices. Subsequently, he pushed to cut taxes for the manufacturers of those products.

You dont know what an organization is until you have to deal with it. But you learn quick and it becomes part of your culture. You think, OK, this is how I get things done. Its who you talk to to get a bill in Veterans Affairs, and who to persuade to get some budgeting for wind turbines. You learn your way around the place.

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., arrives with his wife Franni Bryson, left, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday morning, Dec. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

During the 2010 midterm elections, the radicalism of the conservative Tea Party movement resonated with many Americans, and Republicans won majorities in the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. Franken noticed some of the incoming Republicans were very extreme, and Donald Trump was able to further that same energy during his campaign to win the 2016 presidential election.

Following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol after Trump lost the 2020 election to President Joe Biden, and as more video footage of the day is released under House Speaker Kevin McCarthys leadership, Franken said the current state of the government is a travesty and a joke.

Hes concerned about issues such as the debt ceiling and Medicare and said Democrats are likely to take back the House of Representatives in the 2024 election because I dont think people like what theyre seeing.

A lot of the legislation (Republicans) are talking about, such as getting rid of Medicaid expansion, is crazy. Medicare expansion is extremely popular in red states. There are some red states that didnt adopt it at the beginning and have it now like Idaho, Nebraska, Utah, Oklahoma and Missouri. It covers more people who need Medicaid and because it does that, these hospitals in rural areas where if someone without Medicaid came into their emergency rooms, the hospital had to eat the cost. Now Medicare pays for it and that means the hospitals in these rural areas have more money, more care and better equipment, Franken said.

During Frankens 15 seasons on "Saturday Night Live," he worked with legendary cast members such as Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and Chris Rock. He said when he watches the show now as an old fart, he doesnt recognize the music or the tone of sketches.

I did a lot of satire with a guy named Jim Downey and we tried to have a kind of sophisticated political satire that rewarded people who were pretty sophisticated and knew what was going on, but didnt punish people who didnt. I watch the show now and thats not their intention.

When asked if he ever would revive his beloved character Stuart Smalley, an effeminate man who attends numerous support groups with a self-help show sharing positive affirmations, Franken said he still owns the wig and it could happen at some point if he finds the sky-blue cardigan sweater.

Theres always a place for Stuart, and I havent done it in a long time. Im not sure if young kids know the 12 steps (of Alcoholics Anonymous) anymore, they might need a little reminder on how to live life, Franken said.

If you go

What: "An Evening with Al Franken"

When: 6 p.m., Friday, March 31

Where: Richards Center for the Arts, Palm Springs High School, 2248 Ramon Road, Palm Springs

How much: $35 to $175

More information: palmspringsspeaks.org

Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Al Franken talks political career ahead of Palm Springs Speaks event
Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday approved to a plan to spend $1 billion in federal COVID relief funds on broadband, health care, and water and sewer projects. The Alabama Legislature gave its final approval earlier Thursday.

The Alabama Senate approved the legislation, HB 1, Thursday morning on a 29 to 3 vote. The Alabama House concurred in Senate amendments a few hours later on a vote of 96 to 0. Six Democrats abstained.

I commend the Alabama Legislature for, once again, answering the call to invest these one-time funds wisely to make improvements in Alabamians quality of life, including water, sewer and broadband expansion projects, as well as health care. Alabama can now look to a future of greater promise thanks to the steps we have taken this week to invest these funds wisely," Ivey said.

Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund chair Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, who handled the bill in the Senate, said after the vote that he believes the funds will provide benefits to Alabamians.

In Alabama, thats gonna make generational differences, he said. Im excited about it.

Passage of the measure ended a special session Ivey called last week to consider the expenditure of the funds.

The bill allocates $400 million to water and sewer projects, up to $260 million for broadband expansion, up to $100 million for nursing and another $100 million for hospitals.

The debate in both chambers Thursday focused on how the money would be spent, and unmet needs. A Senate committee Wednesday amended the bill to direct about $200 million to stormwater projects, and to require about $100 million to go to projects where local governments can post a 35% match. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) will oversee the distribution of the water and sewer money.

Alabama Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, said a state plan for federal COVID relief money will make "generational differences."

The amendment drew criticism from some senators on Thursday. Sen. Rodger Smitherman, D-Birmingham, said that he believes that Alabama needs to address stormwater in the way that Boston needs to address snow. Smitherman also said that smaller areas need ways to access that money in ways that will not be overly complicated or strenuous.

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Some of these small towns dont even have boots, let alone some straps, he said.

Rep. Thomas Jackson, D-Thomasville, echoed those concerns during the House debate, saying his rural counties could not afford the match.

What do we need to do to get ADEM to look at us differently to access water? he said.

House Ways and Means General Fund chair Rex Reynolds, R-Huntsville, who sponsored the bill, said the match did not apply to all the grants.

The first $195 million requires no match, he said.

Rep. Sam Jones, D-Mobile, also had concerns about the 35% matching part of the bill.

The fact of the matter, what it does, without saying so it actually makes it impossible for not a number of citizen participants, he said.

More:From grocery taxes to prisons: What to watch in upcoming legislative session

Reynolds said that the 35% matching is not necessarily a requirement.

You get people there with great needs projects out, and again, I go back is not a requirement in that $100 million, he said. That is not a requirement. Its just available to increase that matching fund. And then well see how it is. I mean, it just might be an area that we have to evaluate as an oversight commission.

After the meeting, Reynolds said ADEM gets to decide who gets a match.

Youre looking at citys ability to pay a match, he said. And I mean, youre talking about public funds. So thats typically you know, you see that you see peoples budget, so you can pretty quickly tell whether theyre able to pay the matching funds or not. And thats the main reason that first $195 million line item, theres just absolutely no match required on that.

Smitherman later offered an amendment saying that applications could not be rejected on a technical deficiency. The senator said that his amendment would help small towns access the money.

If youre in a metropolitan area you probably have someone there who will address that, he said. But, our small towns, they cannot afford that.

Alabama Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, attends the first day of the legislative session.

Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, said that he would vote for the amendment, but also criticized the spending of the current ARPA funds, saying the states counties got around $490 million.

Some of them chose not to do any stormwater with their money, he said. Now theyre crying to us and trying to make it urgent that we do this for them. Thats why Im not feeling that urgency.

Education and rural health care

Others expressed concerns about neglected areas. Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, the chair of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education committee, said he was called by higher authorities to speak.

Orr told Albritton that he could not support the bill because there was not enough money for Public Education Employees Health Insurance Plan (PEEHIP), the state health insurance program for education program. Orr said in an interview after the vote that the PEEHIP expenditures are directly attributable to the pandemic, which is why he wanted them included.

But other than that, good job, he said to Albritton.

Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, had questions about matching funds in the bill. She was also concerned about federal regulators looking into the money sent to counties, and counties needing to pay back money because there wasnt proper documentation.

She also asked Albritton why domestic was placed before violence in the bill.

Albritton explained that it was because victims of domestic violence increased during the pandemic.

The Council on Criminal Justice found that domestic violence increased by 8.1% during lockdown.

Coleman-Madison withdrew her amendment.

Some legislators, including Sen. Will Barfoot, R-Pike Road, asked the Senate to think about rural healthcare. Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Reed, R-Jasper, also said that the Senate needs to stay focused on nursing and healthcare when the regular session resumes on Tuesday.

We had a lot of areas of my district, if we didnt have a nurse practitioner in those areas, we wouldnt have healthcare in some of those communities, he said.

Alander Rocha contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama lawmakers give final approval to $1B COVID relief plan
Amanda Knox has a history of using social media to share tongue-in-cheek witticisms and she gleefully took the opportunity to weigh in on a college student's essay on why studying abroad in Italy  sound familiar?  was an awful experience.

NYU student Stacia Datskovska penned the essay for Insider titled Im an NYU student who studied abroad in Florence. I hated every aspect of my semester abroad, outlining the ways she felt her time in Italy fell short of expectations. Among her complaints, the journalism and international studies major wrote that she found it difficult to connect to her seven roommates and that some of the locals were "hostile" and "inconsiderate."

Knox, of course, was infamously and wrongfully convicted of murdering her British roommate, 21-year-old Meredith Kercher, while studying abroad in Perugia, Italy in 2007.

RELATED: Killer Of Amanda Knox Roommate Meredith Kercher Given Early Release From Sentence For Good Behavior

Chiming in on Datskovska's essay, Knox tweeted, Girl, what are you talking about? Studying abroad is awesome!

Amanda Knox on GMA

Amanda Knox on "Good Morning America," Wednesday, May 2, 2018. Photo: Getty Images

Knox was a 20-year-old University of Washington student when she began studying abroad in Perugia in 2007. She'd begun dating 23-year-old Italian student Raffaelle Sollecito and had been out with him when they returned to the apartment she shared with Kercher and two other women on the morning on Nov. 2. They noticed blood and couldn't get into Kercher's bedroom because it was locked. Kercher also wasn't answering her phone, so they called police and Kercher was ultimately found dead in a pool of blood in her room, her throat having been slashed, according to reporting by NBC News.

Knox and Sollecito were repeatedly questioned by Italian investigators who quickly became suspicious of the American. They were arrested four days later. The case became a media sensation in Italy and the U.S., with the Italian press dubbing Knox "Foxy Knoxy." She and Sollecito were convicted in 2009 and served four years in prison before their convictions were overturned in 2011. At that point, Knox returned home to the U.S., but an Italian court reinstated the conviction in 2014 before being fully exonerated by Italy's highest court in 2015.

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Rudy Guede, an acquaintance of both Knox and Kercher, had also been implicated in the crime, with his bloodstained fingerprints being found at the scene. He was tried and convicted in 2007 and served 13 years in prison before he was granted early release for good behavior in 2021.

Knoxs response to Insiders article is not the first time she has turned to Twitter to make light of a controversial situation.

Another one of Knoxs tweets went viral after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2020 election year. Knox voiced her opinions about then-Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, urging Saturday Night Live to feature her in an upcoming episode, according to previous Oxygen.com reporting.

Oxy App

People keep telling me I resemble Amy Coney Barrett. I do! In that neither of us are qualified for the supreme court. @nbcsnl, you know where to find me.

Knox, who is now married and recently welcomed a daughter, argues for reform of the criminal justice system. She advocates on behalf of other wrongfully incarcerated individuals.
PHOENIX  Arizona is in no position to conduct an execution, according to attorneys for the prisons director and the governor in a death row case that could lead to an unprecedented separation-of-powers showdown.

Gov. Katie Hobbs is facing criticism from a victim's family for planning to defy an execution order for a prisoner on death row convicted of a 2002 murder. The execution of Aaron Gunches was set for next month, but Hobbs said she wouldn't act on the order and would pause executions until she is confident they can be carried out humanely and in accordance with the Constitution.

In legal briefings filed Wednesday, lawyers for the state argued the corrections department lacks staff with expertise to carry out an execution. They said the state doesn't have a pharmacist who can prepare the lethal injection drugs, and that officials couldn't find records from the previous administration about where the drugs came from or who prepared them.

While the Director continues to gather important information about the Departments recent practices and assess its present ability to carry out an execution, one thing is clear: the State is in no position to conduct an execution on April 6, 2023, attorneys for the state wrote.

To order the Director to do so, particularly under these circumstances, would be unprecedented, contrary to law, and contrary to the public interest.

READ MORE: Arizona Supreme Court will consider ordering governor to execute Aaron Gunches

State supreme court orders execution in April

Gunches was sentenced to death for the 2002 murder of Ted Price, a former longtime boyfriend of Gunches' girlfriend. Gunches kidnapped and shot Price multiple times.

Gunches and the previous Arizona attorney general sought and received a warrant of execution from the Arizona Supreme Court for the death sentence to be carried out. Gunches initially asked for his death sentence to be carried out as soon as possible, to deliver justice to the victims family. But he changed his mind and filed a subsequent motion asking the court to withdraw his request, citing concerns about the states ability to execute people safely and effectively.

Story continues

The warrant sets Gunches execution for April 6, and the state Board of Executive Clemency has scheduled a clemency hearing for March 23.

Newly elected Attorney General Kris Mayes and Hobbs paused executions, pending a review of the death penalty process by an independent commissioner. After the Supreme Court granted the warrant, Hobbs stated she would not act on it.

Aaron Gunches was sentenced to death in February 2008 for the 2002 murder of a man near Mesa. Gunches kidnapped and killed Ted Price in the desert off the Beeline Highway. Gunches pleaded guilty to the crimes.

Victim's family criticizes governor

In a statement, the victim's sister Karen Price said the relief her family felt when the court scheduled Gunches execution was dashed by Hobbs announcement.

Not only has our family been victimized by inmate Gunches and the emotional aftermath of Teds murder, we are now being victimized by the governors failure to recognize and uphold our constitutional rights to justice and finality, Price said.

Price's family is asking the Supreme Court to force Hobbs to carry out the execution warrant.

Attorneys: State lacks staff, knowledge for proper executions

In a joint response from attorneys for Hobbs and newly appointed Department of Corrections Director Ryan Thornell, the state argued it was not currently able to exercise its most awesome and irreversible power.

Thornell said in a declaration that the Department of Corrections lacks the staff with the necessary institutional knowledge and expertise to conduct an execution.

According to Thornell, the drugs used for executions require updated efficacy testing, and the department has not been able to identify and contract with execution team members who would administer the drugs.

The state said these factors lead it to believe it cannot carry out an execution in a constitutional matter, if it could perform one at all.

ALABAMA EXECUTIONS: Alabama governor asks to pause executions after third failed lethal injection

Arizona resumed the death penalty in 2022 after a nearly eight-year hiatus, executing three men, but execution team members struggled to insert the IV lines in all three cases.

In one instance, death row prisoner Frank Atwood offered guidance to the execution team as he lay strapped to the gurney in the death chamber. The state currently has 110 prisoners on death row.

Can the governor defy an execution warrant?

The attorneys argued that the execution warrant merely authorizes an execution, but it does not mandate the state carry it out. Compelling the state to do so, they said, would be an extraordinary and drastic step that would go against separation of powers and constitutional avoidance principles.

There absolutely is a clear basis for us to pause these executions, said Attorney General Kris Mayes in an interview with The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network. The governor and I have a duty to uphold the law and the Constitution. And we are doing that by ensuring that we can carry out executions in a constitutional and lawful manner.

I don't think it's any secret that we inherited one of the worst, most incompetent and most ill-funded Department of Corrections in the country, Mayes said. And I don't think that it takes a leap to suggest that we should understand whether they are capable of carrying out the death penalty before we do it.

Mayes said she is not personally opposed to the death penalty, but she wants to make sure the state can carry it out in a lawful and constitutional manner."

Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell has also argued to the state's highest court that Hobbs doesn't have the authority to ignore the execution order.

Nicholas Klingerman, an attorney representing Mitchell, said no constitutional violations have been found with the states execution protocols and that carrying out execution warrants isnt optional for the governor.

Nothing in the Constitution or laws of Arizona or the warrant gives the governor discretion to ignore the warrant and grant what essentially constitutes a temporary reprieve from the death penalty, Klingerman wrote.

Gunches, in his most recent filing, said he has "not changed his mind" and still wants to be executed. Gunches asked to be transferred to Texas "where the law is still followed and inmates can still get their sentences carried out."

The court denied his request.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Governor: Arizona lacks expertise to execute Aaron Gunches
Hulton Archive - Getty Images



"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."



Content warning: This article contains discussions of murder and sexual assault some may find upsetting reader discretion is advised.



The Boston Strangler terrorized women across the Massachusetts state capitol for two years, killing over a dozen women in mysterious attacks that would remain mostly unsolved for decades. Hulu's new film, Boston Strangler, highlights Record-American newspaper reporter Loretta McLaughlin, played by Keira Knightley, as she begins to piece together the truth connecting the murders. The film also showcases the rampant sexism that McLaughlin and her colleague Jean Cole experience on their quest to uncover the truth about who was responsible for the heinous crimes.

More than 50 years after the last victim was discovered, officials in Massachusetts announced that DNA test results taken from the remains of Albert DeSalvo provided an "unprecedented level of certainty," proving that DeSalvo raped and strangled Mary Sullivan. According to USA Today, DeSalvo initially admitted to killing Sullivan and 12 other women between 1962 and 1964 but later recanted. He was never charged with the crimes, as he was serving life in prison for other crimes. DeSalvo was killed in 1973 by another inmate in prison.

With new true crime series and films emerging about DeSalvo being the Boston Stranger, new conversations have emerged about who he was and the identities of his victims. Read ahead for everything we know about the Boston Stranger and his murder victims.

How many people did the Boston Strangler kill?

Bettmann - Getty Images

According to Biography.com, the Boston Strangler raped and killed 13 women across Boston. He began a life of crime and sexual assault against women in the late 1950s. The outlet claims DeSalvo was nicknamed the "Measuring Man" after he would knock on the doors of young women, claiming to represent a modeling agency, and "crudely fondle" them with his tape measure. He was arrested and spent nearly a year in prison for those crimes.

Story continues

Upon his release DeSalvo began breaking into the homes of women across New England, where he'd tie them up and sexually assault them while wearing green handyman clothes, earning him a new nickname, "Green Man." DeSalvo's crimes continued to worsen, and in 1962, he killed his first victim Anna Slesers with her housecoat and tied the ends, which later became his signature. According to Biography.com, DeSalvo began raping and killing older women throughout the summer of 1962 and attacking younger women that winter.

On October 27, 1964, DeSalvo was arrested after a victim he raped reported him to the police. According to The New York Times, DeSalvo confessed the details of the slayings of 13 women to a psychiatrist, but he was never charged or convicted for the Boston Strangler murders due to lack of physical evidence. He did receive a life sentence for the "Green Man" assault. An unidentified inmate stabbed DeSalvo to death at Walpole State Prison on November 26, 1973.

When did the Boston Strangler kill his victims?

Bettmann - Getty Images

The Boston Strangler killed 13 women of different ages and races between June 14, 1962, and January 4, 1964.

June 14, 1962: Anna Slesers, 55

June 28, 1962: Mary Mullen, 85

June 30, 1962: Helen Blake, 65

June 30, 1962: Nina Nichols, 68

August 19, 1962: Ida Irga, 75

August 20, 1962: Jane Sullivan, 67

December 5, 1962: Sophie Clark, 20

December 31, 1962: Patricia Bissette, 23

March 6, 1963: Mary Brown, 69

May 6, 1963: Beverly Samans, 23

September 8, 1963: Evelyn Corbin, 58

November 23, 1963: Joanne Graff, 23

January 4, 1964: Mary Sullivan, 19

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Auburns top slugger continues to dominate at the plate.

Bri Ellis is following up a stellar freshman campaign by belting out home runs and posting runs to the scoreboard. Through 26 games, Ellis has belted eight home runs and has plated 28 runs while slugging at a .862 clip. Each of those stats is ranked as the teams highest among consistent starters.

Ellis continues to catch the eye of those at D1Softball, as the publication lists her among the top five first basemen of college softball in this weeks position power rankings. Ellis joins Arizona States Jordyn VanHook, Clemsons Valerie Cagle, Oklahomas Jocelyn Erickson, and Utahs Ellessa Bonstrom as the sports top corner players.

Ellis and the No. 19 Auburn Tigers travel to Oklahoma to compete in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame Classic at OGE Energy Field at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. The Tigers will face Weber State, Northwestern, and Oklahoma as part of this weekends competition.

More Softball!

Auburn softball at Georgia: How to watch/listen to this weekend's series

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire
It has been over 20 years since Cedric Klapisch delighted audiences with his 2002 comedy The Spanish Apartment about a group of twentysomethings sharing a flat in Barcelona.

Featuring the likes of Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Cecile de France and Yellowstone star Kelly Reilly, the film  also known as Pot Luck  has spawned two sequels: Russian Dolls and Chinese Puzzle.

More from Variety

Now, French director is putting the old team back together in the Amazon Prime Video series Greek Salad, which opens Series Mania on March 17. But there is a twist.

People often asked me if I would make another film about these characters. They are my family, but I kept saying no, he says.

When Amazon approached me about a series, I thought it would be interesting if I would talk about their children instead. Suddenly, it wasnt as if I was making Indiana Jones 4 or Fast & Furious XII. I was telling another story with the same ingredients.

In the eight-episode Series Mania opener, which will debut on April 14, Tom and Mia (kids of Duris character Xavier and Reillys Wendy) end up in Athens. But the world around them has changed, and so has Greece, plagued with economic instability and refugee crisis.

I thought it would be interesting to compare these two generations of Europeans, coming of age in the 2000s and now in 2023. When I look at The Spanish Apartment, there was so much enthusiasm about Europe coming together. Now, we have already gone through Brexit. This joyful Europe I described 20 years ago is very fragile, suddenly facing all these conflicts.

Story continues

New characters, played by Aliocha Schneider, Megan Northam, Amir Baylly or Fotini Peluso, have to deal with misogyny, racism, inequality or even their own privilege in the show, navigating parts of Athens that tourists dont get to see. But there is still a chance for a bright future, says Klapisch. Also for the young actors who play them.

Cedric Klapisch

The first time we met Kelly Reilly, she hadnt really done anything but we just loved her. We thought she was so British. With Audrey Tautou, I remember her saying to me: I just made this other movie, I hope it will do alright. It was Amelie, he laughs.

I dont know if its luck, but I became known for discovering new actors  the same thing happened with Call My Agent! Its impossible to explain, because if you compare Romain to Kelly, or to Camille Cottin, they are all so different. Its the same with this show: No one is well-known, but I know they will be.

Klapisch enlisted the help of younger writers to ensure the shows relevance: Agnes Hurstel, Paul Madillo, Thomas Colineau, Eugene Riousse and Charlotte de Givry. Lola Doillon and Antoine Garceau co-direct.

I couldnt write it alone. I am 61 years old!, he says.

I really wanted to work with the people from that generation and I have discovered so many new things. At first, I thought it would be all about these new tools, social media or dating apps. But it goes deeper than that. We have a trans character now and 20 years ago, we wouldnt have approached this topic in the same way.

He wouldnt mind continuing the story in another season. But not right away.

Everything is possible, but just like with these movies, I will need time. Who knows what will happen to Europe in five, 10 years? Thats what I used to say when people asked me about another film. It depends on what will happen to the world.

Now, I would be curious to hear what 20-year-old people think about this series and what is the take of their parents. There is a scene [in Greek Salad] when parents look at their children and say: Thats how old we were when we first met. When we shot that, it was so emotional for all of us: Kelly, Romain, Cecile, Kevin Bishop, he says, recalling the surprising success of the first film.

Its the only movie where people come up to me, saying: It changed my life. One day, this woman showed me her child and said: This baby? We have it because of you. She was Swedish, her husband Italian. They saw the film, travelled and fell in love. Its so crazy to hear a sentence like that.

Greek Salad

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Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
HOPKINTON  The hiking trails on the western edge of Rhode Island follow some of the same footpaths walked by the Narragansetts and other tribes to reach hunting and fishing grounds, trade routes, ceremonial sites and villages.

I recently hiked one of those trails, called Tippecansett South, and enjoyed the natural setting that included dark tunnels of mountain laurel, granite ledges and outcroppings, log bridges over wetlands and a canopy of oak, maple, pine and beech trees.

I found few visible signs of the Native Americans who lived and traveled here for thousands of years. However, I did spot  almost hidden in the overgrown brush along the path  the remains of the settlers and farmers who pushed out the Native Americans. There are stone walls and cellar holes, mill foundations and a cemetery  if you search hard enough.

The Tippecansett South Trail is a lengthy and at times strenuous hike, but its also invigorating.

More:These 10 Rhode Island trails should be on your bucket list

A 5-foot-tall stone pillar marks the trailhead at the Rhode Island/Connecticut border.

Three trails, one path on the Rhode Island-Connecticut border

A hiking buddy and I set out from the trailhead on Camp Yawgoog Road, across from a 5-foot-tall stone pillar that marks the state border and is carved with RI on one side, Conn. on another, and 1990 on a third.

At the start, three trails follow the same path and are marked with different colored rectangles: yellow for the Tippecansett Trail; pastel blue (the color used by the Connecticut Forest and Park Association) for the Narragansett Trail; and dark blue for the Freeman Trail. More on those later.

The flat first segment of the path passes a green sign that says the property is owned by the Rhode Island Boy Scouts, which allows hikers to cross the land at their own risk.

Just ahead, the trail turned wet and muddy in places, and we crossed several streams and wetlands on bog bridges and two moss-covered, square logs.

Walking RI:Stroll through industrial history in Slatersville, America's first planned mill village

Story continues

Walking RI:See rugged coastline and 100-year-old ruins at Narragansett's Black Point

In the mood to explore some caves?

After that, the trail turns rockier and climbs to exposed granite outcroppings and ledges, named Dinosaur Caves and Cliffs, that are split by deep crevices. One high point overlooks a 30-foot drop. When I hiked this area a few years ago, a colleague did some spelunking and went down about 8 feet into one of the small caves. But thats not for me these days.

Three trails  Tippecansett South, Narragansett and Freeman  follow the same path along the states western border.

Along the ridge, we spotted and tasted some sprigs of wintergreen, which reminded me of the Teaberry gum I chewed as a kid.

After crossing the ledges, the trail splits. One leg, on the right, runs steeply down through a ravine to the bottom of a cliff. We decided to stay left on the ridge, though, and soon came to a junction.

The pastel blue blazes break off to the west into Connecticut and mark the Narragansett Trail. Another segment of the Narragansett Trail runs southeast through Rhode Island. In Connecticut, the path covers about 15 miles and travels all the way to Lantern Hill. The first section of the trail skirts Green Pond to an impressive 40-foot dam, where water tumbles down to a stream that flows through a deep, mossy ravine.

The yellow and dark blue-blazed trail continues north across a massive, smooth, exposed ridge, lined with small pine trees, that some call Dinosaur Rock and may remind hikers of the bald, rocky summits of small mountains in New Hampshire.

At the north end of the ledge, the dark blue-blazed Freeman Trail breaks to the right and east. It runs through the back of Camp Yawgoog and intersects with the white trail on its way to Hidden Lake.

Walking RI:Roughing it on the Pachaug Trail

In June, the trail will lead through brilliant blooms of mountain laurel

We stayed left on the yellow-blazed Tippecansett, which derives its name from a Narragansett word meaning at the great clearing.

The trail flattened and passed through dense underbrush and more thickets of mountain laurel that will bloom with brilliant white flowers in June. The trail then turns east for a short section before eventually shifting north and again running close to the Connecticut border. I learned later that the trail, marked in the 1940s, had been rerouted at least a couple of times to curb an erosion problem and avoid the western section of the Boy Scouts camping area called Curtis Tract.

The trail stayed flat for about another mile before leaving the Boy Scout property and following an old grassy road that widened and passed some stone walls, clearings and second-growth forests on the right.

Walking RI:Take a refreshing winter hike by a peaceful stream at Tucker Woods Preserve in Charlestown

One section of the Tippecansett South Trail includes a steep climb up a rocky ledge.

Hidden in the brush: A historical cemetery

Theres an old graveyard in the underbrush to the east of the trail. The Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Commission lists the graveyard as Hopkinton 79 and has documented 13 unmarked fieldstones in a plot that measures 25 by 30 feet. But many hikers report that the heavily overgrown cemetery is difficult to find.

The old farm lane turned into a gravel road, and I heard cars and trucks on Route 138. To the right I saw some stone walls, cellar holes and foundations.

This area was first settled by Colonists in the 1740s and became the sparsely populated rural part of the village of Rockville. Early inhabitants included Benjamin Maxson and his family and later the Burdick family.

Walking RI:Want a great place for an educational family hike? Try Browning Woods Farm in S. Kingstown

The trail crosses a smooth, flat granite ledge that may remind hikers of the bald summits of small mountains in New Hampshire.

Some people still live there.

On the gravel road, workers were building a new house on the right. Several older houses stood on the left.

When the short road ended at Route 138, we turned left on the paved road and walked about 100 yards. At a sign for Exeter, the yellow-blazed Tippecansett Trail continues north for a short distance on a wooded dirt road lined with laurel and rhododendrons before reaching a fork. The Tippecansett Trail goes left through the Arcadia Management Area to Beach Pond, across Route 165, and then farther north to Escoheag Road.

We decided to save that for another day and turned east at the fork to follow the blue-blazed Dye Hill Trail that ran along a raised dirt road above a swampy area before a slow, gentle incline to the crest of a small hill.

On the left, we found a large, rectangular stone foundation next to a pile of rubble that may have been a chimney or fireplace. On the right, a dirt driveway led by cleared fields, an old electrified fence and a cabin.

Walking RI:Spectacular bay views and Colonial and tribal history at Mount Hope Farm

Flooding on the path? A sign of beavers at work

We took a right on Grassy Pond Road and walked downhill until reaching a flooded section of the road. We walked on the berm to keep our feet dry.

Continuing down the road, which recently had been regraded, we passed a farm with a horse out front, the start of a side trail to Brushy Brook and a high wooden tower in the front yard of another house.

Grassy Pond is east of the Tippecansett South Trail and just south of Route 138.

The road intersects with Route 138, just south of Grassy Pond. We met some local residents along the route who said the flooding results from beaver activity that blocks a stream that feeds Grassy Pond. State workers and other volunteers regularly pull down the beaver dam to unclog the waterway.

One local also pointed out the foundation of an old mill on flat, cleared land adjacent to the stream that runs to Grassy Pond.

After studying the pond, we headed right on Route 138 and then turned south into the woods on a wide, stone wall-lined path that was once Spring Street, the original route through the area.

Walking RI:Discover why hikers and anglers love the 'wild and scenic' Beaver River

Walking RI:Follow in the footsteps of Trappist monks in Cumberland

About a hundred yards later, we passed another stone foundation before reaching the Tippecansett Trail that we had walked in on. We retraced our steps to the trailhead.

In all, we hiked 6.5 miles over 3.5 hours.

To me, the best part of the hike was the untouched, natural terrain, which probably hasnt changed much since the Indigenous peoples walked through these forests and crossed the outcroppings, ledges and cliffs.

As we completed our walk and passed the Boy Scouts sign, I recalled that part of the Scouts Code is to leave no trace. That certainly fits much of the Tippecansett South Trail.

If you go ...

Access: Off Route 138, turn onto Camp Yawgoog Road to the gates of the Scout camp. Turn right and drive 1.2 miles to the trailhead.

Parking: Available for a few cars at a turnout.

Dogs: Allowed but must be leashed.

Difficulty: Moderate to difficult over ledges, outcroppings and cliffs.

Trail Tip: RI Cemetery Weeks

Dozens of free tours, cleanups, gravestone conservation demonstrations, talks and other programs about historic cemeteries will be held in April and May, organized by the Rhode Island Advisory Commission on Historical Cemeteries and the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission.

For a calendar of events, visit preservation.ri.gov/ricw-calendar.

John Kostrzewa, a former assistant managing editor/business at The Providence Journal, welcomes email at johnekostrzewa@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Up for a challenge? Hike the Tippecansett South Trail | Walking RI
Jordan Brand is continuing the expansion of its signature EX lineup with an all-new iteration of its classic Air Jordan 1 Low silhouette.

Arriving in a creamy "Coconut Milk" colorway, the popular sneaker boasts a neutral color palette -- perfect for the upcoming Spring season. A subtle evolution of the Air Jordan 1 Low OG silhouette, the reimagined iteration features a slightly modified upper, offering a continuation of its signature utilitarian design.

Crafted with a deconstructed base layer, the new colorway features visibly exposed overlays on its Swooshes in a bid to add to its three-dimensional aesthetic, paired with a clean, white base. Rounding out the milky sneaker's design are soft, grey sail overlays and a black Swoosh. Elsewhere, the shoe boasts a sail-colored midsole, designed with a black rubber outsole, finished with a pink-hued tongue.

Finally, the sneaker features Nike Air branding across its tongue tab and insoles, complete with embroidered Air Jordan branding on its heel.

Take a look at the Air Jordan 1 Low OG EX in "Coconut Milk" above, set for release on May 25 on Nike and select retailers, for $140 USD.
Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz.

It didnt take freshman Congressman Juan Ciscomani long to draw attention in Washington, D.C.

The Republican who won a Tucson-based seat from retired Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick prominently threw his backing for the House speakership to Kevin McCarthy when three of his fellow Arizona Republicans had misgivings.

McCarthy rewarded Ciscomanis loyalty with a coveted seat on the House Appropriations Committee.

It was only last year that Ciscomani made his first run for office, narrowly defeating former state Sen. Kirsten Engel, a Democrat, to win a seat in the House of Representatives. But his name is already being kicked around in some corners as a Republican to watch in next years U.S. Senate race or in the 2026 Arizona gubernatorial race.

These are heady times for the former adviser to Gov. Doug Ducey. He delivered the Spanish-language response to President Joe Bidens State of the Union Speech last month. Hes pushing bills to relieve a backlog of disability payments to veterans and create a fourth national park in Arizona.

Today on The Gaggle, Rep. Juan Ciscomani joins hosts Ron Hansen and Mary Jo Pitzl over Zoom to talk about the work he's doing in Congress.

Who is Juan Ciscomani? What to know about the Republican who will replace Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick

Listen to the episode

The Gaggle is intended to be heard. But we also offer an A.I. translated transcript of the episode. Please note there may be slight deviations from the podcast audio.

Catch up on previous Gaggle episodes here:

Contact the producer at kaely.monahan@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter @KaelyMonahan .

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gaggle podcast talks to Arizona's Rep. Juan Ciscomani, new to Congress
The conservative Heritage Action group is calling on the House to repeal the 1991 and 2002 war authorizations against Iraq after a bill that would do so advanced in the Senate on Thursday.

Over the last several decades, Congress has allowed the executive branch to have nearly unchecked powers and unlimited authorities to act when it comes to the use of military force abroad, the groups Executive Director Jessica Anderson said in a statement. This constitutional reset would put Congress back in the drivers seat and force lawmakers to regain the muscle memory necessary to carry out its war powers and authorize military force in the future.

Lawmakers for years have clamored for the repeal of the war authorizations, which give power to the executive branch to undertake military operations by citing the force authorizations without further congressional approval. Former President Trump justified a strike in 2020 against Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in part through the 2002 force authorization.

While previous attempts to repeal the measures have stalled, this push has picked up significant bipartisan momentum, including an endorsement from President Biden. The White House said the bill would be in keeping with President Bidens longstanding commitment to replacing outdated authorizations for the use of military force.

The White House also pointed out that that the U.S. is not conducting ongoing military activities that are primarily reliant on the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) for the Iraq War. There are no ongoing military activities reliant on the 1991 AUMF, the White House said.

Congress has long faced criticisms similar to Heritage Actions, with critics accusing lawmakers of abdicating its authority on issues of military force and ceding much of the power to the executive branch. The criticism has come as public trepidation over the involvement of the U.S. in prolonged foreign conflicts has also grown.

Story continues

Heritage Action argued that the purpose of the military authorizations was accomplished long ago, and the group encouraged the Senate to pass the legislation and House lawmakers to act if it gets to the chamber.

The 1991 and 2002 AUMFs are outdated authorizations that deal with U.S. forces against Iraq and their purpose was fulfilled years ago, the statement said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Florida man who served more than 34 years of a 400-year sentence for an armed robbery conviction was released Wednesday after prosecutors discovered he was likely misidentified.

The release of 57-year-old Sidney Holmes comes less than a week after a New York man, Sheldon Thomas, was freed after 18 years following a wrongful murder conviction.

The week before Thomas' release, Maurice Hastings was declared innocent in California after nearly 40 years in prison.

All three men were exonerated after conviction review units in local prosecutors' offices reinvestigated their cases. These units, also called conviction integrity units, have grown exponentially in recent years and experts say their impact could stretch beyond freeing the wrongfully incarcerated.

"A CIU both looks back to identify cases in the past that need to be revisited," said Marissa Bluestine, assistant director of the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. "But it's also learning from that error to prevent those errors from happening in the future."

What are conviction review units?

Conviction review units conduct extrajudicial investigations into past convictions to determine if they should be vacated because the person who was convicted is innocent or because the process of convicting them was flawed, said Bluestine, who ran the Pennsylvania Innocence Project for a decade.

She said some units also conduct audits of cases involving bad actors and issue case corrections, where prosecutors determine a person was convicted of a more serious crime than they should have been and adjust sentencing.

Some units have multiple attorneys, investigators and support staff. However, others are essentially "one-man or one-woman shows," said Jessica Weinstock Paredes, a researcher at the National Registry of Exonerations.

"My experience and my visceral impression based on years of talking to these units is several of them could use a lot more help and if there were more resources and more funding would be bigger and would be producing more," she said.

Story continues

How many conviction review units are there?

The first conviction review units emerged in the late 2000s and there are now more than 115 in the country's more than 2,500 prosecutor's offices, according to Bluestine.

"It's been a leapfrog forward, but there's still quite a ways to go to getting it a little bit more ubiquitous throughout the system," she said. "I think people are starting to demand it more and request it more."

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal announced the creation of a statewide conviction review unit and statewide cold case network during a press conference at the Hughes Justice Complex in Trenton on April 11, 2019. Judge Carolyn Murray, pictured, was named director of the conviction review unit.

How many people have been exonerated?

Conviction review units have been involved in more than 670 of the country's over 3,280 exonerations, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. The most common contributing factors leading that lead to an exoneration are official misconduct, perjury or false accusation, false or misleading forensic evidence, false confession, mistaken witness identification and inadequate legal defense, Paredes said.

More than half of the 96 units listed on the registry's website have not produced an exoneration. Bluestine said older units in large jurisdictions not having an exoneration could be a cause for concern, but generally, it is a reflection of how long and challenging reinvestigations can be.

How do conviction review units exonerate the wrongfully convicted?

Unlike in an appeal, conviction review units often work with organizations like the Innocence Project and defense attorneys to reinvestigate cases, Bluestine said.

"Under post-conviction laws, it's very onerous for somebody to get into court to overturn their conviction," she said.

It can be difficult to track down witnesses who are willing to testify or find physical evidence that can be tested, Bluestine said. Even if prosecutors believe someone is innocent, they may not be able to get back into court, she said.

Bluestine pointed to the case of Lamar Johnson, who was freed in February after spending nearly three decades wrongfully imprisoned for murder. Missouri's attorney general's office fought to keep Johnson in prison, but a state law was passed to make it easier for prosecutors to get new hearings when there is fresh evidence of a wrongful conviction.

The final decision is then up to the judge, Bluestine said. The process includes "extraordinary obstacles" and could take years, she said.

"It's an extraordinary effort which requires dedicated resources, but it also requires luck and a favorable judicial environment," she said.

Conviction review units have improved, but need more resources

Conviction review units have made meaningful changes in their structure that lean toward "values of transparency, flexibility and independence," Bluestine said

She said most units were initially run by career prosecutors, but now more than half are led by a person with experience as a defense attorney.

Bluestine said if run well, these units could have a broader impact on how prosecutor's offices are run, but they need more support.

"You can announce a unit, but if you're not resourcing it, giving it the right independence, giving it the right flexibility, giving it the right amount of transparency, or allowing it to be transparent, then it really is an open question about whether it's a sincere effort or not," she said.

Dig deeper

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: Conviction review units: How do prosecutors free wrongfully convicted?
It's finally Friday, friends. I'm Diamond Naga Siu, and I'm pretty tired of the gloomy weather here in San Diego. It's the rainiest start to a year around here for decades. And it's an alarming welcome back to the state.

This California couple also didn't get what they expected when they moved away. They were in search of a more chill and affordable lifestyle in Charlotte, North Carolina. But the lack of diversity and lower salaries are boomeranging them back to California.

They told my colleague Jordan Pandy that Charlotte seemed affordable and diverse on paper. But it disappointed them in-person.

Before I contemplate moving back to New York City, let's dive into today's tech.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Insider's app here.

Dark red office with a photo of a white employee in blackface on a computer screen, on top of the photo a pixelated version of the ROKT logo flashes

Insider Source; Alyssa Powell/Insider

1. A white employee posed in blackface as Michael Jackson. The photo was shown at a company-wide meeting to highlight how "fun" working at $2 billion ad-tech startup Rokt was, an Insider investigation reveals. Employees were stunned.

A series of apologies were issued after. But CEO Bruce Buchanan later doubled down. He said blackface isn't a big deal in Australia, where the company was founded and where the photo was taken.

Rokt is consistently named a top place to work. But more than 30 current and former employees told my colleagues Jack Newsham and Madeline Stone that they had a different experience.

They described a culture of execs who engaged in or tolerated sexist behavior. Excessive drinking and drug use was common, they said. They describe a culture where executives resisted holding employees accountable for bad behavior.

Come behind the scenes of Rokt with us, where Insider reports that booze and blurred lines flow rampantly.

In other news:

Biohacking

kentoh/ Getty Images

2. The hunt for eternal life goes mainstream. Wealthy techies have a history of searching for ways to live longer. But anti-aging trends are sweeping the nation. Cold exposure and hormone therapy are two popular ones right now. Get the full list of trends here.

Story continues

3. Salesforce salaries revealed. The company grew aggressively during the pandemic  and it paid top dollar for talent. Insider analyzed government records for employee salaries across departments. Check them out here.

4. How one viral TikTok inspired hundreds of thousands of car thefts. The "Kia challenge" video demonstrated how to hack certain Kia and Hyundai models with just one USB cable. Dive into how this video sparked an unprecedented wave of car thefts.

5. Dating app CEO spent $50,000 on a phone game. In just three months, Bernard Kim of Match Group (the parent company of Tinder, Hinge, and other dating apps) spent $50,000 on Clash of Clans. More on his "shame" here.

6. Insider's database on top influencer agencies and managers. The influencer industry keeps growing. So Insider built the database to reveal who's guiding and representing the top internet stars. Check out the overhauled resource here.

7. Peter Thiel held $50 million of his own money in Silicon Valley Bank. The billionaire was accused of fueling the digital bank run after telling companies to pull their funds. Yet, his $50 million remained in the bank when it collapsed. More on his personal money matters here.

8. The "BlackBerry" movie trailer just dropped. The upcoming film shows the rise and fall of the now-defunct keyboard phone. Critics and BlackBerry fanatics alike are singing their praises for the new trailer. Check out the nostalgic teaser here.

Odds and ends:

The Nintendo switch charging dock with two joycons resting in front of it

Crystal Cox/Insider

9. The Nintendo Switch after six years. No other console offers as much value for just $300, writes my colleague William Antonelli. It's affordable, portable, and uniquely versatile. Here's everything you need to know about the console, more than half a decade after its release.

10. Fighter jets are "worthless" over Ukraine. US Air Force officials said this is a preview of what US troops could face in the future. Read the full story here.

The latest people moves in tech:

Curated by Diamond Naga Siu in San Diego. (Feedback or tips? Email dsiu@insider.com or tweet @diamondnagasiu) Edited by Matt Weinberger (tweet @gamoid) in San Francisco and Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A motorcycle crash in Lake County Thursday afternoon left a Daytona Beach man dead, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

The crash occurred at 1:50 p.m. at County Road 42 and West Fourth Street, according to troopers.

The Harley Davidson was traveling east on County Road 42 and drifted into the westbound lane, west of West Fourth Street, colliding with a Hyundai Veloster, said FHP Lt. Tara Crescenzi.

The front of the motorcycle struck the front of the car. The impact caused the car to run off the road and strike some trees, Crescenzi said.

14-year-old loses control of pickupNew Jersey man killed after 14-year-old loses control of pickup near Bunnell

The Daytona Beach motorcyclist died at the scene of the crash, troopers said.

The driver of the Hyundai, a 23-year-old man from Paisley, was airlifted as a trauma patient to a hospital with serious injuries but was in stable condition, Crescenzi said.

The crash remains under investigation.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: A man from Daytona Beach died in motorcycle crash in Lake County
Denison Universitys Laura C. Harris Series welcomes Zahra Ali, sociologist and assistant professor at Rutgers University-Newark, presenting a lecture, "Iraq 20 years after the US invasion: Uprising and the Political Imagination" at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 23. Register for this free virtual event in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. For more information contact Robin Brown at 740-587-6297 or visit Denison.edu.

Twenty years after the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, this talk takes the October 2019 uprising as a framework to understand contemporary politics of protests and social movements. It centers the mobilizations of women, youth and ordinary people and looks at issues of urban space, gender and sexuality, affects, and "politics of life and death." It argues that centering Iraqi protesters' subjectivities, trajectories and experiences can expand the theoretical and political imagination on empire, feminism and emancipation.

Ali's research explores dynamics of women and gender, social and political movements, in relation to Islam(s), the Middle East, and contexts of war and conflict with a focus on contemporary Iraq. She is interested in empire, (racial) capitalism, (post)coloniality, decolonial and transnational feminisms as well as critical knowledge production and epistemologies. Ali is the author of "Women and Gender in Iraq" and co-author of "Decolonial Pluriversalism."

Information submitted by Denison University.

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Denison hosts lecture looking back at Iraq invasion 20 years later
The logo of Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse is seen on October 17, 2017 in Zurich. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images)

'Everything is fine' at Credit Suisse, according to Saudi National Bank chairman Ammar Al Khudairy.

There's been no discussions about the Swiss bank needing more capital or assistance, he said.

Saudi National Bank insisted that raising its stake above 10% is a red line for regulatory reasons.

'Everything is fine' at Credit Suisse and the recent volatility in its stock reflects a bit of market panic that's 'completely unwarranted,' said the chairman of its biggest backer Saudi National Bank.

"Markets are skittish and they're looking for stories or things that validate concern," said Saudi National Bank Chairman Ammar Al Khudairy in a Thursday interview with CNBC. "It's panic, a little bit of panic, I believe completely unwarranted, whether it be for Credit Suisse or for the entire market."

"They're very well capitalized. I think if you look at what even the Swiss central bank said yesterday, is that we've looked at all the ratios, they're all sound, everything is fine. I don't think they'll need more capital," Al Khudairy said.

Credit Suisse shares plunged to a record low on Switzerland's stock exchange Wednesday after its Saudi backers ruled out investing any more into the bank. Investor concerns eased after the Swiss central bank stepped in later and extended a $54 billion loan to the lender. The shares were up about 20% in Zurich at last check on Thursday.

But Al Khudairy has insisted that raising Saudi National Bank's stake above 10% is a red line primarily because of regulatory reasons. "We articulated very clearly that we would not go beyond 9.9% even if we desire to, there are too many complications from a regulatory and compliance point of view globally to do that," he said.

Khudairy added that there has been no discussion about the Swiss bank needing more capital or requiring assistance. "The red line we have is 9.9%. We will not go above that. To our knowledge, they are not looking for capital."

"That was a manifestation of unfortunate reporting or chatter in the system that we had refused assistance, but we were never asked and to my knowledge there has not been any assistance sought," he said.

Story continues

The Saudi bank took up a 9.9% stake last year as part of the Swiss banking giant's capital raising program.

"There has been no discussion with Credit Suisse about providing assistance. I don't know where the word assistance came from. There has been no discussions whatsoever since October about Credit Suisse needing more capital or requiring assistance," Al Khudairy said.

The Swiss banking giant has been beset by problems since October, when concerns over its financial health fanned fears of another Lehman Brothers-style moment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
OPED-FLA-RACETHEORY-EDITORIAL-OS - Credit: Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

A federal appeals court has denied a request from Floridas government to block an injunction against the enforcement of Governor Ron DeSantis Stop-Woke act in the states public universities and colleges. The law seeks to place a widespread ban on the teaching of topics deemed related to Critical Race Theory, and the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Judges on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the November injunction put in place by Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker, which prevented the law from taking effect in the states public institutions of higher learning. Upon its passage, the law received several challenges, including from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).

More from Rolling Stone

Any law that limits the free exchange of ideas in university classrooms should lose in both the court of law and the court of public opinion, FIRE wrote on social media.

In a statement to Politico, DeSantis Press Secretary Bryan Griffin said that the court did not rule on the merits of our appeal, and that the administration remained confident that the law is constitutional.

DeSantis and the Florida government have made public education a central target in the states legislative culture war. In January, the governor proposed widespread reforms of the states higher education system aimed at banning schools from supporting campus activities or programs that promote divisive concepts like DEI and CRT. Earlier that month, the Florida College System (FCS), an organization of 28 public community and state colleges, announced that it would be evaluating and removing any instances of DEI and CRT from its curriculum by February 2024.

Story continues

Despite challenges to the implementation of his policies at colleges and universities, the effects of DeSantis policies are already being felt in the state. Last year the state recalled more than 50 math textbooks under vague complaints that they contained political and ideological language, and classrooms are restricting access to books until they can be reviewed by a state-accredited specialist for any offending wokeness. In February, the state rejected a pilot AP African American Studies curriculum under the guise that it violated the tenets of Stop-WOKE.

While DeSantis mulls over a potential run for the presidency in 2024, the governors record on education in Florida is already being touted as a potential national model by Republicans. With the GOP emboldened in its efforts to codify state censorship in education, it remains to be seen if the attention-grabbing legislation favored by DeSantis and his admirers will stand the test of the courts.

Best of Rolling Stone

Click here to read the full article.
NORMAN  In a hidden room occupied by strangely angular snails, otherworldly sounds match the colorful glimmers illuminating the undersides of soft, squishy toadstools.

Elsewhere in this rainbow-hued section of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, a giant kaleidoscope slowly turns overhead, velvet coral reefs, crocheted mosses and gauzy storybooks beckon visitors to touch, and bucket drums and clanging chimes invite adults and children alike to make music.

"It's our newest immersive art experience ... so, of course, we have the sound elements, the lights and other kinds of technology," said Kelsey Karper, one of the co-founders of Factory Obscura.

"It's more abstract than, I think, anything else we've ever done, and I think it's because we were ... starting from the colors and trying to figure out, 'How do you create an experience of color: What does that color sound like? What does that color smell like?'"

A rainbow archway offers an ideal spot for selfies inside Factory Obscura's art experience "Synesthesia" at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman, Okla., Thursday, June, 23, 2022. Open to the publish through June 4, 2023, the interactive exhibition is inspired by works from the permanent collection at the University of Oklahoma's art museum.

The Oklahoma City artist collective partnered with the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art for "Synesthesia," an interactive art exhibition inspired by colors and textures in the museum's permanent collection. Open to the public through June 4, admission to "Synesthesia," along with the rest of the University of Oklahoma's art museum, is free.

"I love to introduce even more people to what we do. (Being) here lets us introduce more people to have these kinds of wonderous and joyful experiences," said fellow Factory Obscura co-founder Tammy Greenman.

"Now, we're getting some college-age kids, which I think is super fantastic, and they can take that when they go home for their breaks. Now, they're taking a part of Factory Obscura, part of Oklahoma, part of the Fred, back with them, and they're going to tell their friends and family, 'Oh, maybe Oklahoma is a place that we need to be. We need to go there. We need to see and spend some time there.'"

OKC spring break guide: Free activities, day trips and shows for families, kids and teens

Story continues

How did a former OU art student's work influence 'Synesthesia?'

The exhibit's title comes from the extraordinary sensory condition of the same name. People who experience synesthesia  from the Greek for "to perceive together"  automatically experience one sense through another. Synesthetes might hear in colors, taste in shapes or literally feel music (on their skin and not just in their emotions), according to the American Psychological Association.

In the case of the Norman exhibit, the 20-person "Synesthesia" team also was inspired by the dynamic works of Olinka Hrdy (1902-1987), an Oklahoma native who studied art at OU from 1923-1928.

Born to Czechoslovakian immigrant parents in a one-room sod hut in Prague in 1902, Hrdy is widely regarded as Oklahoma's first modern artist. After studying at OU, she painted murals for influential Oklahoma architect Bruce Goff at Tulsa's Riverside Studio and was invited by icon Frank Lloyd Wright to paint more murals.

"The pieces that we were specifically looking at were studies for those murals she did for the music conservatory in Tulsa, where each panel represented a different style of music," said Karper, Factory Obscura's director of logistical creativity.

A mobile of shapes and lights decorate a tunnel inside Factory Obscura's art experience "Synesthesia" at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman, Okla., Thursday, June, 23, 2022. Open to the publish through June 4, 2023, the interactive exhibition is inspired by works from the permanent collection at the University of Oklahoma's art museum.

One of Hrdy's watercolor mural studies, along with her oil on canvas painting with color pencil titled "Moving Sound," are exhibited just outside the entrance to "Synesthesia."

"When she passed away, she left a huge body of work to the museum. ... They're stunning to look at and realize there are so many layers in the color and the texture  and that's what we really took off from," said Greenman, Factory Obscura's director of strategic creativity.

The goal of "Synesthesia" was to engage all five senses  sight, sound, taste, touch and smell  while letting visitors experience what it might be like if they could step inside a Hrdy painting.

"At every level, we were trying to dig deeply ... like, 'What does fuchsia taste like? What does chartreuse smell like?' We were really trying to get in there and figure out the texture and the personality of each color," Greenman said.

A free trip to the Oklahoma City Museum of Art during spring break? Don't miss these highlights

A large kaleidoscope turns inside Factory Obscura's art experience "Synesthesia" at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman, Okla., Thursday, June, 23, 2022. Open to the publish through June 4, 2023, the interactive exhibition is inspired by works from the permanent collection at the University of Oklahoma's art museum.

What can people expect from Factory Obscura's newest art experience?

Although it is notably smaller than Factory Obscura's flagship Mix-Tape experience on downtown Oklahoma City's Automobile Alley, "Synesthesia" features many of the signature elements fans of the art collective's immersive exhibitions have come to expect: It's full of color, whimsy and mystery.

"Synesthesia" boasts a hidden mushroom kingdom where all but the smallest children will have to crawl to visit, and a green mezzanine level with a squashy couch and intriguing scenes visitors climb stairs to access. From a towering aquamarine slug whose mouth is the opening to a twisty tunnel to a tiny bubble-bathing praying mantis tucked into a cubbyhole, the team pays homage to the natural world and its many odd inhabitants.

Factory Obscura's immersive art experience "Synesthesia" features whimsical scenes of snakes, toadstills and caterpillars at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman, Okla., Thursday, June, 23, 2022. Open to the publish through June 4, 2023, the interactive exhibition is inspired by works from the permanent collection at the University of Oklahoma's art museum.

"We get to do those levels that we like to do: We have our 'zippers,' and those are the folks that they're just gonna walk straight through. They'll look at some stuff, so we've got to have that high-impact stuff for them: the bold color and the bold texture and the bold sound," Greenman said.

"Then, you've got your wanderers, and they're going to spend some time. They're not gonna look in every nook and cranny, but they're gonna look. And then you've got your deep divers, and those are the folks that are looking in every possible corner. And they will come back over and over and over again. So, we've got to be able to hit them on all those levels."

Factory Obscura co-founder Laurent Massenat said it is unusual for art collectives like Factory Obscura to partner with more traditional art museums.

"To our knowledge, we can't think of another artists' collaborative building an immersive experience inside an institutional museum. I think that's very special," said Massenat, Factory Obscura's director of structural creativity. "That was a dream that came true."

Pieces of various shapes and textures adorn the curved yellow walls leading into Factory Obscura's art experience "Synesthesia" at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art in Norman, Okla., Thursday, June, 23, 2022. Open to the publish through June 4, 2023, the interactive exhibition is inspired by works from the permanent collection at the University of Oklahoma's art museum.

How did current OU students help with 'Synesthesia?'

Along with the Factory Obscura artists, a half-dozen OU art students helped build "Synesthesia," which gave them a chance to gain experience in the fast-growing field of immersive art.

"We worked on this for about nine months. ... I did most of the yellow stuff coming in, so I helped build the walls, the framing, the welding, stuff like that. Mainly, I'm a really good hands-on person," said Jordan Lawson, who is studying ceramics at OU.

Special spring events in the space include SENSEsational Saturdays at "Synesthesia" on March 25 and May 20; 2nd Fridays at the Fred on April 14; "Synesthesia" After Hours on May 26; and a closing reception on June 1.

Saddle up, thrill-seekers. OKC's wild west theme park, Frontier City, opens

'SYNESTHESIA'

When : Through June 4.

Where : Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, 555 Elm Ave., Norman.

Admission : Free.

Gallery hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Mondays, Easter and Memorial Day.

Parking : Spaces are designated in a lot across Boyd Street from the museum.

SENSEsational Saturdays: 2 to 4 p.m. March 25 and May 20, with sensory hour from 1 to 2 p.m.

2nd Fridays at the Fred: 5 to 7 p.m. April 14.

'Synesthesia' After Hours : 5 to 7 p.m. May 26.

Closing reception: 6 to 7:30 p.m. June 1.

Information: https://www.factoryobscura.com and https://www.ou.edu/fjjma.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Factory Obscura's 'Synesthesia' comes to Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art
From TV mom to real mom!

The Georgia & Ginny star announced that she is expecting her first child with husband Matt Ziering. The actress debuted her baby bump in a brown maxi dress at the Boss spring 2023 fashion show in Miami March 15, confirming the news on social media the following day.

Alongside a photo of herself from the event, she captioned her March 16 Instagram post, "@boss show with my forever new +1. Thanks for having us! Loved every second of the new collection #hugoboss."

And Brianne's TV children were among those sharing their excitement with her. Antonia Gentry, who plays her character's teenage daughter Ginny, commented on her Instagram post, "So. happy. for. you," while Diesel La Torraca, who plays Georgia's son Austin, wrote, "I can't wait to be a big brother!!! Sooooooo excited!!!"

The sweet baby news comes a year and a half after Brianne, 33, and Matt, 37, tied the knot in front of family and friends at a private residence in Palos Verdes, Calif. in 2021.

Celeb Baby Bumps

The couple, who met five years prior to getting hitched, are dog parents to Bodie, an Australian Shepherd mix they welcomed as a puppy during the early days of the pandemic.

instagram.com/briannehowey

Also in 2021, Brianne spoke about getting to play a mother on TV in an interview with DuJour magazine.

"I've always looked forward to the day I get to play a mom," she said. "My mom has passed but it made this role all the more special because it took me places and I got to sort of live on the other side of the table. I definitely have more of an appreciation for teenagers and parenting after this."

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
NEW BEDFORD - Gov. Maura Healey is proposing to dedicate 1% of the state's budget to help make Massachusetts a "global leader in transitioning to a clean energy economy."

It's a first in state history, she said, and she chose New Bedford to announce the proposal Thursday morning at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Centers New Beford Marine Commerce Terminal.

That 1% in dedicated funding would go to the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

She also unveiled a proposal to triple the Massachusetts Clean Energy Centers budget to further that effort, including in the pursuit of wind energy.

"One day we will power our lives with wind energy, and become a world leader in off shore wind technology. That's what our budget seeks to do," she said.

The New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal, which was completed in 2015, is the only United States port built expressly to support the offshore wind industry.

"New Bedford made history with the construction of the Marine Commerce Terminal and will make history once again when New Bedford, Massachusetts becomes the global capital of the offshore wind industry," Healey said.

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell and Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kimberley Driscoll converse, left, while Governor Maura T. Healey speaks with some of the site authorities during her stop at the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal where she highlighted climate-related investments in their FY24 proposal.

She said it will take time, "but our vision will get us there."

It was plenty windy at the terminal for the outdoor press conference Thursday morning.

Mayor Jon Mitchell joked, "Don't worry about the breeze here. It's appropriate. It's always a bad hair day on the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal."

But it was also auspicious, he said.

The first components to begin constructing Vineyard Wind's offshore turbines to generate energy for up to 400,000 homes are a little over a month away from arrival at the terminal, he added.

Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey speaks during a visit to the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal to highlight climate-related investments in their FY24 proposal.

Massachusetts' first commercial scale offshore wind project

It will be the first commercial scale, offshore wind project off the coast of Massachusetts.

"The offshore wind industry is finally arriving on the shores of the United States and it's arriving right here in New Bedford," Mitchell said.

Story continues

While climate change is the big challenge of our time, he said, it also brings economic opportunities.

"We can attract capital here. That industry has a whole lot of money to invest here in New Bedford," Mitchell said.

He praised Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll for getting out of the gate fast to address issues identified on the campaign trail.

Healey said "she would solve problems and tackle the big issues. That's what she's doing," he said.

Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey makes a stop at the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal to highlight climate-related investments in their FY24 proposal.

Healey said the climate crisis is "our greatest threat," but it also offers tremendous opportunity for jobs and economic opportunities.

Clean energy:New Bedford mayor has a plan to capitalize on the economic benefits of offshore wind

What is Massachusetts' clean energy strategy?

Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center was "at the nexus of our clean energy strategy."

And the dedicated 1% funding to the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs "is a lot of money when you're talking about a $50 billion-plus budget," she said.

Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper said the dedicated funds proposed for the agencies she oversees will help in "bringing sustainable jobs and training workers to take those jobs."

Putting it all together:New Bedford's Pope's Island will play a key role in Vineyard Wind construction. Here's how

She added the state was in a race when it comes to addressing climate change.

"We cannot afford not to do this work."

What is the purpose of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center?

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Jen Daloisio said the agency was created in 2009.

Its purpose was to "make progress on our most challenging, hardest-to-solve climate problems," Daloisio said.

"One of the first things we did was to undertake an offshore wind port and infrastructure assessment."

She added, "We have laid the foundation for the U.S. offshore wind industry right here in Massachusetts."

She added, "We're here at the start of an industry with the first commercial scale offshore wind project in the country happening right here at this facility."

Healey's budgeting proposals will propel efforts to solve climate-change problems. It will also "create well-paying, equitable jobs accessible to all our residents," she said.

The state has ambitious climate goals to hit by 2030 and 2050, she added.

"We need to significantly grow the workforce to meet these goals." The budget proposals will help accomplish that, Daloisio said.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Gov. Maura Healey celebrates New Bedford's role in off shore wind
Special Project Allows Ukrainian Schoolchildren To Continue Education As War Continues

Early Starters International Early Starters International

Even as Russia's invasion of Ukraine enters its second year, children from the war-torn country are getting a sliver of reprieve, thanks to a humanitarian organization offering them a safe space in which to play and learn.

Early Starters International is operating a series of spaces for Ukrainian refugee children in Moldova, Czech Republic, Poland and within Ukraine itself.

Yulie Khromchenco, the Eastern Europe programs coordinator for the organization, explains that offering children a semblance of normalcy is crucial during wartime.

"As we know now from research, the imprint of childhood experiences is the strongest in the early childhood years  because in many ways it determines the life, development and well-being of a child in his adulthood," Khromchenco, 48, tells PEOPLE.

She continues: "The good news about early childhood is that when working correctly with children at that age, due to the relative flexibility of their brains, the traumatic imprint might be reversed or at least reduced."

RELATED: A Ukrainian Summer Camp Is Giving Kids Displaced by War a Second Chance at Childhood

Special Project Allows Ukrainian Schoolchildren To Continue Education As War Continues

Early Starters International

The longtime educator says the experience of working with the children and "seeing the kids happy, and engaging in kids stuff despite the situation" is rewarding. But it's not without obvious challenges.

"I think one of the hardest tensions for our staff is the [balance] between aspiring to make the space safe and knowing that our ability to ensure the safety of the kids can go only to some extent," she says.

RELATED: Angelina Jolie Says That Without an End to the War in Ukraine 'Children Will Pay the Highest Price'

Early Starters' Ukrainian safe space is located in a shelter in Lviv, a city not usually hard-hit by Russian missiles. But that could change in an instant.

"Last week a missile fell in Lviv area, wiped a building and killed five people," Khromchenco notes, adding: "We got another proof that our ability to control even the basic conditions for our space as safety is limited."

Story continues

Special Project Allows Ukrainian Schoolchildren To Continue Education As War Continues

Early Starters International Yulie Khromchenco (left) at the opening event for the Lviv, Ukraine, center

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.

Still, the Lviv educators "try to pass this feeling of safety and security to the children." Conveying an attitude of positivity isn't always easy in an environment that simply isn't safe. In fact, even playtime is often clouded by the atmosphere of war and tragedy.

"One of the most loved games by the children is to play 'Air alarm': one kid makes air alarm sounds, and the other kids hide in a toy house," she says.

Special Project Allows Ukrainian Schoolchildren To Continue Education As War Continues

Early Starters International

But now, more than a year into the Russian invasion, Khromchenco says she and the other educators have noticed a change in many of the children they teach.

"Many kids come to our spaces as 'hedgehogs,'" she says, using an an expression coined by one of the group's staff members, a former Ukrainian refugee from Dnipro. "They are frightened, shy, and sometimes very sad or aggressive."

She continues: "The chance to socialize with other kids in the same situation, the diverse activities kids can choose from and mainly the deep connection that was created with good adults helps the kids open up. After several months, and sometimes after only several weeks, we see different kids  lively, smiling, creative, willing to give and receive hugs. This change is a great moment to celebrate."

The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.
On paper it was a mismatch, but on the court ... well, it was a mismatch. That's just the way it is on the women's tour right now as world No. 1 Iga Swiatek is as confident as ever.

Swiatek defeated Sorana Cirstea, a surprise quarterfinalist from Romania ranked No. 83 in the world, 6-2, 6-3 on Thursday to reach the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open. She is the defending champion here and has now won 10 straight matches at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

There were other streaks at play on Thursday that didn't bode well for the veteran Cirstea who was participating in her 11th BNP Paribas Open. Swiatek has now won 44 straight matches against players outside the top 50. She also hasn't dropped a set in Indian Wells this year, or in any of the matches she's won in 2023.

Swiatek will play No. 10 seed Elena Rybakina, the woman who knocked her out of this year's Australian Open, in one of Friday's semifinal. The other pits Aryna Sabalenka and Maria Sakkari.

BNP Paribas Open order of play for Friday: Best of the best in women's tennis on display

Iga Swiatek hits a shot during her quarterfinal victory over Sorona Cirstea during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, Calif., March 16, 2023.

"She's playing really well," Swiatek said of her next opponent Rybakina who beat her 6-4, 6-4 in Australia. "In the semifinal, you're always going to play against a top player so I'll be ready. Obviously, last time we played was in Australia which is entirely different conditions, so I'll prepare the same and give it 100 percent."

Swiatek's win means the reigning champion at all four Grand Slams will be in the semifinals of this year's BNP Paribas Open. Swiatek punches that box for both the French Open and the U.S. Open, Sabalenka just won the Australian Open and Rybakina won Wimbledon. Sakkari made the final at this event in 2022.

Cirstea finished a remarkable tournament for her, going to the quarterfinals, her deepest run in 11 attempts at Indian Wells. Her victory over No. 5 seed Caroline Garcia in the previous round was her first over a top 10 player in two years.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: BNP Paribas Open: Iga Swiatek cruises into semis, wins 10th straight at Indian Wells
The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant Friday for Russian President Vladimir Putin and an official in his office responsible for children's rights because of their alleged involvement in the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia.

The ICC, which is based in The Hague, Netherlands, alleges Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova are responsible for war crimes.

Ukraine has already arrested and convicted some Russian soldiers, all of them low-ranking, for war crimes in Ukraine. The ICC's arrest warrant for Putin and Lvova-Belova marks the international court's first arrest warrant since Russia invaded Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied allegations of war crimes in Ukraine.

Ukrainian children: Taken to Russia brings back fear, memories of a similar Nazi effort

Putin's war in Ukraine is driving a hidden horror: Sex trafficking of women, children

The ICC did not provide any details about the number of cases or children the allegations refer to, citing the need to protect victims and witnesses and to "safeguard" the ongoing investigation. It said it was making the arrest warrants public because it believed doing so could prevent the "further commission of crimes."

"There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes ... for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others ... and for his failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission, and who were under his effective authority and control, pursuant to superior responsibility," the ICC said in a statement.

David Scheffer, the first U.S. Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues, said the charges are significant for both the war in Ukraine and for the global geopolitical stage.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his speech during a meeting of the Federal Security Service board in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023.

This is not the first time the ICC has indicted or issued an arrest warrant for a head of state. It did so before with Bashir in Sudan and with Qaddafi in Libya," he said, referring to Omar al-Bashir, former President of Sudan and Muammar al-Qaddafi, Libya's former leader. "Henceforth, Putin will always be described as not only the President of Russia but as an indicted fugitive of the International Criminal Court as a war criminal."

Scheffer, who is now the director emeritus of the Center for International Human Rights at Northwestern University's law school, said there's no statute of limitations on the war crimes which Putin's charged with.

Since the start of the war, Lvova-Belova, Putins presidential commissioner for childrens rights, has been the public face of one of the most distressing consequences of Russias year-long war in Ukraine: The deportation, including by coercion and force, of potentially tens of thousands of Ukrainian children without their families.

War crimes experts said that while Lvova-Belova might seem to be a surprise choice as only the second person to be charged by the ICC, her symbolic value to the war crimes prosecution effort cannot be understated.

"Frankly, given her central role in the commission of the war crime of forced deportation of children to Russia, she is an exceptionally logical individual for indictment by the ICC," Scheffer said. "She is the person who implements both in a leadership and then in an administrative fashion, the war crime. So there's no way of avoiding her culpability, and she has been very public about it. Both Putin and she have incriminated themselves publicly.

It's 6 mos. since Russia launched its war on #Ukraine. UA is also marking its #IndependenceDay amid fears of renewed Russian strikes. Our in-depth story on UA's complex effort to get justice for war crimes https://t.co/kp5fHuOvye



Visuals by @jakoscielniak

Editing by @jsusong  Kim Hjelmgaard (@khjelmgaard) August 24, 2022

The only conflict comparable to the situation in Ukraine has been World War II, when about 200,000 Polish children were taken to Germany by the Nazis under Heinrich Himmler's notorious "Germanization program," said Michael Scharf, the dean of the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, who is a human rights lawyer who tries cases at the ICC.

At the ICC, there is no immunity for officials, including sitting leaders such as Putin, according to Nigel Povoas, senior prosecutor with the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group investigating alleged war crimes in Ukraine. He said that a head of state can be arrested but the ICC does not have its own internal enforcement mechanism, so it is reliant on ICC member states to make the actual arrests.

Povoas noted that Sudan's Bashir was able to travel to 14 countries who did not arrest him. He was eventually handed over to the ICC by his own country after he was ousted from power.

He added that the evidence against Putin has only been examined by an ICC judge and that confirmation of the charges he's likely to face "won't see the light of day" until if and when he's arrested.

"Putin is highly unlikely to be arrested whilst he remains in power. Nor can there be trials in absentia," he said. "So the strength or nature of the evidence will remain unknown and untested (except by an ICC judge) for the foreseeable future."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ICC judges issue arrest warrant for Putin, accuse leader of war crimes
The family of Irvo Otieno, a man who died in police custody earlier this month, reacted to the recent death of the Virginia man during a Thursday news conference.

Three days after being arrested on March 3, Otieno was transported to Central State, a psychiatric hospital in Petersburg, Virginia from Henrico County jail after reportedly suffering a mental health crisis. The same day on March 6, Otieno was pronounced dead.

On Thursday, family attorneys Ben Crump and Mark Krudys alongside family members of Otieno viewed videos from the day leading up to his death.

According to attorneys for the family at the press conference, there were seven deputies who held Otieno down for around 11 to 12 minutes, eventually causing him to suffer from asphyxia.

"You see in the majority of the video that he seems to be in between lifelessness and unconsciousness, but yet you see him being restrained so brutally with a knee on his neck," Crump said during the conference. "The weight of seven individuals on his body while he's face down, handcuffed with leg irons.  It is so unnecessary, it's so unjustifiable."

PHOTO: Seven Henrico deputies have been charged with second-degree murder following an incident that occurred prior to Irvo Otieno's death at Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie. (Courtesy of Ben Crump Law)

Caroline Ouko, Otienos mother, described during the conference that her son was having a mental health crisis and was initially transported to Henrico Doctors Hospital on March 3, a hospital farther than the familys residence. While in the hospital, Otieno was arrested and taken to Henrico Police Department without the ability to see his family, according to his mother.

Even though Irvo was going through mental illness, what I saw today was heartbreaking America. It was disturbing. It was traumatic. My son was tortured, Ouko said. Mental illness should not be your ticket to death. There was a chance to rescue him, there was a chance to stop what was going on. And I dont understand how all systems failed him.

Although the Henrico County Sheriffs Office is conducting an independent review of the incident alongside an investigation by Virginia State Police, the attorneys call the DOJ to intervene.

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Seven deputies from the Henrico County Sheriff's Office were arrested and charged with second-degree murder in the death of the 28-year-old on Wednesday and during their court appearance, Dinwiddie County Attorney Ann Baskervill, alleged that Otieno had been victim to hours of assaults prior to his death.

MORE: 7 Virginia deputies charged with murder in death of inmate

Krudys told the press that Otieno had been subject to previous brutality in his cell while he was handcuffed before he was taken to Central State.

"He's naked. He's lost.  There's feces on the ground. It is so inhumane," Krudys said. "We also saw a glimpse of the video where it's like an animal being carried by legs and arms, with his pants falling off him, into the vehicle."

PHOTO: Seven Henrico deputies have been charged with second-degree murder following an incident that occurred prior to Irvo Otieno's death at Central State Hospital in Dinwiddie. (Courtesy of Ben Crump Law)

Henrico County Sheriff Alisa A. Gregory released a statement the week after Otieno's death, extending her "deepest sympathies and condolences" to Otieno's family and friends.

"The events of March 6, at their core, represent a tragedy because Mr. Otieno's life was lost. This loss is felt by not only those close to him but our entire community," Gregory said in the statement.

Otieno's older brother emotionally spoke during the press conference, telling the public that after viewing the footage, he'd "witnessed a homicide."

"What I saw was a lifeless human being, without any representation. No regard to his human life," he said. "At what point do we stop preserving life? At one point do we consider mental illness a crime? Can someone explain to me why my brother is not here right now?"

The seven deputies arrested were Randy Joseph Boyer, 57; Dwayne Alan Bramble, 37; Jermaine Lavar Branch, 45; Bradley Thomas Disse, 43; Tabitha Renee Levere, 50; Brandon Edwards Rodgers, 48; and Kaiyell Dajour Sanders, 30.

Each of the seven deputies appeared in court on Wednesday.

A lawyer for Branch spoke in court Wednesday, saying the officer allegedly "did not administer any blows to the deceased, or violence towards him, other than simply trying to restrain him."

Branch's lawyer, Cary Bowen, told ABC News by phone that Cabell Baskervill was trying to fashion the case as something that is "malicious."

"There was no weapon used. There was no pummeling or anything like that. I think everybody agrees," Bowen said. "And the way she was casting it was that they ended up suffocating. He couldn't breathe. And she's acting like the guy didn't resist and he wasn't manic or bipolar or whatever. Just a nice guy who they're picking on."

Three more individuals were arrested Thursday: Darian M. Blackwell, 23; Wavie L. Jones, 34; and Sadarius D. Williams, 27.

No plea deals have been entered as of Thursday. The three additional people involved in the arrest will appear in court on Tuesday.

He was murdered, Ouko said. They smothered the breath out of my baby. They murdered my baby.  Why did they do that? What right did they have to do that?

Editor's note: This story has been updated.

ABC News' Nadine El-Bawab, Beatrice Peterson and Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.

Irvo Otieno's family, attorneys react to viewing police video for 1st time originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Insider's reporter has spent 20 hours traveling 950 miles on business class trains in the US, Canada, and Italy, and ranked them. Joey Hadden/Insider

I've spent 20 hours traveling 950 miles on business class trains in the US, Canada, and Italy.

I had the best experience in Italy, where the train had the comfiest seats and nicest bathroom.

My Amtrak US ride had stiff seats and minimal perks, making it the lowest-ranked of the bunch.

I've traveled on business-class trains in the US, Canada, and Italy in hopes of having luxurious, comfortable experiences.

The author rides in business class on train in Italy (left), Canada (top), and the US (R). Joey Hadden/Insider

Read more: I compared the best business-class trains I've ever taken in Canada and Italy, and my favorite cost half the price

First, I took a 10-hour, 306-mile train ride in business class from NYC to Niagara Falls in New York on Amtrak.

The author rides in business class on an Amtrak train. Joey Hadden/Insider

Read more: I paid $168 for a 10-hour Amtrak business-class ride from New York City to Niagara Falls. It wasn't worth it.

Next, I spent six hours on a Via Rail business-class train traveling 315 miles from Toronto to Montreal in Canada.

The author rides in business class in Canada. Joey Hadden/Insider

Read more: I'm a seasoned Amtrak rider who spent 6 hours in business class on a Canadian train for the first time. It was better than any train I've taken in the US.

Lastly, I took a 4-hour business-class Trenitalia train from Venice to Rome, which covers 327 miles. Here's how they ranked from best to worst.

The author prepared to board a business-class train in Italy. Joey Hadden/Insider

Read more: I traveled in first and business class on trains across Europe. There was just a $3 difference but the cheaper one was better.

I thought Italy's train was the most comfortable of the three rides, and gave me the best overall business-class experience.

The author enjoys a business-class ride on a Trenitalia train in Italy. Joey Hadden/Insider

I booked the trip through Trenitalia, the largest train operator in Italy that runs several different fleets.

A Trenitalia ticket sales agency in Paris. Michel Stoupak/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Source: Trenitalia

A business-class ticket on this route cost about $100 and included complimentary refreshments.

The author's tickets on a Trenitalia train. Joey Hadden/Insider

On the train, the configuration was two seats on one side of the aisle and one seat on the other. Most single-row seats faced each other with a table in between, while most double-row seats faced another row of two seats.

Inside a business-class car on a Frecciarossa train in Italy. Joey Hadden/Insider

I sat in a single seat across from my partner and thought it was the most comfortable train seat I'd ever experienced.

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The author gets comfortable on the train in Italy. Joey Hadden/Insider

It was 25 inches wide, according to ACP Rail International, with a curved headrest and reclining function. It felt like a small couch.

A business-class seat on the Trenitalia train. Joey Hadden/Insider

I also thought we had adequate legroom on Trenitalia, with 31.5 inches each, according to the train booking site, ACP Rail International.

The author's legroom on the Trenitalia train. Joey Hadden/Insider

Source: ACP Rail International

The seats had a table in the middle that folded out on either side for additional space. I thought it gave me enough room to eat, drink, and work.

A table across from the author's. Joey Hadden/Insider

There was also a shared trash can for each grouping of seats, which I found convenient.

The author's shared trash can at her seat. Joey Hadden/Insider

After the train departed from Venice, attendants greeted passengers with complimentary snacks and drinks. They came by once more towards the end of the trip with more trail mix and beverages.

The author's snacks and drinks on the table. Joey Hadden/Insider

When I went to use the bathroom, I was surprised by how spacious and clean it appeared, with blue lighting and a large mirror above the sink.

The business-class bathroom on the Trenitalia train. Joey Hadden/Insider

Around the car, I spotted multiple informative screens with a map previewing the route. I've never seen this inside a train car prior to my trip to Europe, and thought it was a nice touch that made me sure I was getting off at the right stop.

An informative screen on the train. Joey Hadden/Insider

While my Trenitalia business-class ride was my top pick overall, I ranked my Canadian business-class trip from Toronto to Montreal on Via Rail second.

The author prepares to board a business-class train in Canada. Joey Hadden/Insider

Read more: I compared the best business-class trains I've ever taken in Canada and Italy, and my favorite cost half the price

Via Rail is one of the most accessible and popular ways to travel by train in Canada. It serves more than 400 stations in eight provinces across Canada with economy seating, business class, and sleeper accommodation, according to their website.

Passengers exit a Via Rail train in Canada. Joey Hadden/Insider

Source: Via Rail

For $200, my ticket included station lounge access, priority boarding, as well as snacks, meals, and beverages during the ride.

The business-class car on the author's train. Joey Hadden/Insider

The trip started off with access to an exclusive lounge at Toronto's Union Station with plenty of seating and free refreshments. This was my only business-class ride that included this perk.

The lounge at Toronto's Union Station. Joey Hadden/Insider

This was also the only business-class ride where I experienced priority boarding. When it was time to depart, I was able to skip a long line of economy passengers.

The author boards the train to Montreal. Joey Hadden/Insider

Like the Trenitalia cars, the Via Rail's configuration was two seats on one side of the aisle and one seat on the other.

Inside the business-class train car. Joey Hadden/Insider

Via Rail business-class seats are 18.5 inches wide, according to The Toronto Star, and have a curved head rest. I thought it was quite comfortable, but not as cozy as the Trenitalia seat.

The author's business-class seat. Joey Hadden/Insider

The Toronto Star reported that Via Rail business-class seats have a 39-inch seat pitch. I also noticed that the seat had a foot rest, which I used to extend my legs when they started to feel stiff.

A seat (L) and the author's legroom (R) on the train. Joey Hadden/Insider

Source: Toronto Star

In front of me was a seatback tray table, which is typical of most train rides I've taken. There was also side table to the left of my seat that I used to hold my coffee while working.

The side table (L) and tray table (R) at the author's seat. Joey Hadden/Insider

Shortly after departing, a train attendant came around with complimentary drinks and breakfast: a warm bagel with cream cheese. It was no New York bagel, I thought, but it was decent and filled me up.

The author's breakfast on the train. Joey Hadden/Insider

At lunchtime, I heard a brief menu announced over the loudspeaker and ordered a rigatoni dish with sides of corn salad, bread, and carrot bread for dessert. The meal was better than I expected with an al dente cook on the pasta.

The author's meal on a business class Via Rail train. Joey Hadden/Insider

Throughout the trip, attendants also came by with hand wipes and snacks, which I thought made the ride feel a tad more luxurious.

Additional perks included snacks and warm wipes before and after meals. Joey Hadden/Insider

Just before we arrived in Montreal, I used the train's bathroom. I was impressed by how clean it was compared to most train bathrooms I've used.

Inside the Via Rail business-class bathroom. Joey Hadden/Insider

Finally, my business-class ride from NYC to Niagara Falls ranks last on this list.

The author exits a business-class Amtrak train. Joey Hadden/Insider

Read more: I compared every aspect of business-class train travel in Canada and the US. One is worth the higher price.

I booked my ride with Amtrak, a US-based train operator that runs across 21,000 miles in 46 US states, the District of Columbia, and three Canadian provinces, according to its website.

A business-class Amtrak train stopped in Baltimore, Maryland. Joey Hadden/Insider

Source: Amtrak

for $168, my ticket included a business-class seat that came with a complimentary beverage.

An Amtrak train stopped in Baltimore. Joey Hadden/Insider

Like the Trenitalia and Via Rail trains, the seat configuration inside the Amtrak business-class car was two seats on one side of the aisle and one seat on the other.

Inside the business-class car. Joey Hadden/Insider

An Amtrak representative told Insider that their business-class seats are 20 inches wide. Since my seat appeared big, I thought it would be comfy and plush. However, once I sat down, I thought it felt stiffer than expected.

The author's seat on the Amtrak train. Joey Hadden/Insider

The seat pitch was 42 inches, according to the Amtrak representative. I thought I had enough leg room to stretch out.

The author's leg room on the Amtrak train. Joey Hadden/Insider

In front of me was a standard tray table. I thought it looked to be around the same size as the one on the Via Rail train.

The tray table folded up (L) and down (R). Joey Hadden/Insider

Halfway through my trip, I noticed that I hadn't seen any attendants checking in with passengers or delivering meals or snacks, so I went to the cafe car to get my complimentary drink.

The author drinks a complimentary diet coke and eats her own snack. Joey Hadden/Insider

When I went to the bathroom, I thought it looked like a typical train bathroom, although the trash can was overflowing.

The business-class Amtrak bathroom. Joey Hadden/Insider

While the Amtrak business-class train was still an upgrade over coach, it ranked last for me when compared to my other business-class rides, as it had fewer perks and less impressive seats.

Inside the business-class car. Joey Hadden/Insider

"We are constantly evaluating ways to improve the customer experience, including further differentiating the classes of service across the network," a representative from Amtrak told Insider.

A first-class car on an Amtrak train. Joey Hadden/Insider

I would definitely ride in business class in Canada and Italy again, but in the US, I'll stick to coach to save money.

The author gets on a train in Italy. Joey Hadden/Insider

Read more: I compared a shared bunk-style cabin and a regular seat on overnight trains in Europe. I wouldn't book either again.

Read the original article on Insider
Emma Wall and Jeremy Strong arrives to the 74th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Microsoft Theater on September 12, 2022

Evans Vestal Ward/NBC

Jeremy Strong may be a star in front of the camera, but his wife Emma Wall, works behind the scenes.

Wall, a Denmark-born documentary director, married the Succession star in 2016 after meeting him at a party in 2012. Together, the couple shares three daughters.

Though they tend to keep their relationship private, Wall chimed in during Strong's 2021 interview with The New Yorker when asked if she noticed a difference in her award-winning husband while he was playing Kendall Roy.

"He does a really good job of maintaining what he's doing but also creating a space for the family and a normal life," she said.

However, Strong said his wife's answer surprised him. "I think she feels a sort of energy shift," he said. "But it does make me feel like I'm living a double life."

Here's everything to know about Jeremy Strong's wife, Emma Wall, and her relationship with the actor.

She married Strong at a castle in Denmark

Jeremy Strong and Emma Wall attend the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on March 13, 2022 in Los Angeles, California

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

Strong and Wall met in October 2012 at a party in New York being held during Hurricane Sandy.

In 2016, Strong and Wall tied the knot at Dragsholm Slot, a castle in Zealand, Denmark. One of the oldest secular buildings in Denmark, the original castle was built around 1215, but it has undergone restorations over the years to conserve the building.

She is a psychiatrist

Jeremy Strong and Emma Wall attend the screening of "Armageddon Time" during the 75th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 19, 2022 in Cannes, France

Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

Wall is a child psychiatrist, who most recently worked in the Los Angeles foster care system and as a clinician and educator at UCLA.

She received her BA from Brown University, and went on to attend Oxford University Medical School, where she graduated with honors. Wall completed her fellowship and residency at both Columbia University and Cornell University, and has worked with refugees and volunteered in hospitals around the world.

She is a documentary filmmaker

Emma Wall, Sigrid Dyekjr and Jeremy Strong attend National Geographic Documentary Films' New York Premiere Screening of THE TERRITORY at the CPC Summer Film Festival on August 16, 2022 in New York City

Bryan Bedder/Getty

In addition to her work as a psychiatrist, Wall is also a documentary filmmaker and the co-founder of Guest House Productions. With her Guest House cofounder Betsy Hershey, she co-directed Guerilla Habeas, a documentary that tells the story of two lawyers fighting US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over immigrants threatened by deportation.

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"We started on this film at a time when I think so many of us were really appalled by what was happening in the immigration system," she told Deadline. "So we started this in the beginning of 2019, following the Muslim ban, following Trump's zero-tolerance policy that was separating families at the border. And we  as so many people, I think, in this country  were feeling incredibly helpless and hopeless. It felt like these grave injustices, these human rights violations, and we didn't know what to do about it."

The documentary had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in September 2022, and premiered in February 2023 as a part of MSNBC's "The Turning Point" documentary series.

She and Strong share 3 daughters

Jeremy Strong and Emma Wall attend W Magazine 50th Anniversary presented By Lexus at Shun Lee on October 12, 2022 in New York City

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty

Strong and Wall are the proud parents of three daughters: Ingrid, Clara and a third daughter whose name has not been shared.

In April 2018, Ingrid was born in Copenhagen after season one of Succession wrapped filming. Strong says becoming a father changed him for the better.

"My life has changed a lot in the sense that there's some sort of stable center," he told GQ in 2019. "I never had that before  I was always just kind of a transient and work was the only thing. And that feels different now, in a very good way. There's something to come home to."

Clara was born in November 2019, and the father of two later shared a special way he keeps both of his daughters close to him. During a virtual appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden in October 2020, Strong showcased a custom necklace dedicated to his girls.

"On the back is my daughter's footprint," he told the host, referencing his eldest daughter. "And then my other daughter, I've got a bell. Her name is Clara, and the bell felt sort of clear and shining and bright, which is what her name means."

Wall and Strong welcomed a third daughter in September 2021, but have not publicly revealed her name.

They split their time between New York and Denmark

Emma Wall (L) and actor Jeremy Strong attend the closing night gala premiere of Paramount Pictures' "The Big Short" during AFI FEST 2015 at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 12, 2015 in Hollywood, California

Michael Kovac/Getty

The couple and their kids split their time between apartments in Brooklyn, New York, and Copenhagen, Denmark. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they bought a summer home in Tisvilde, Denmark, a seaside town north of Copenhagen.

"I love Denmark. I find it a very sane and gentle place," Strong told The Guardian in 2021. "It feels like a refuge for me, and it's great to have somewhere that's a docking station after all this work, which I find very enervating and scary and stressful."
Jim Gordon Of Traffic - Credit: Brian Cooke/Redferns

Jim Gordon, a drummer who played on Derek and the Dominos Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and the Beach Boys Pet Sounds, died Monday at the age of 77. The musician, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was serving a prison sentence for killing his mother in 1983, died in a state-run medical facility in Vacaville, California. Publicist Bob Merlis confirmed Gordons death in a statement, adding that Gordon died of natural causes.

In addition to his incredible catalog of recordings, Gordon is also known for sharing a songwriting credit on Layla with Eric Clapton, as he was credited for the songs famous piano coda. (Organist Bobby Whitlock has since claimed that Gordon plagiarized the part from something Gordons ex-girlfriend, Rita Coolidge, had written. Coolidge also accused Gordon of physical abuse.)

More from Rolling Stone

Before the Layla album, though, Gordon  who was born James Beck Gordon on July 14, 1945 and grew up in Sherman Oaks, California  was a member of the group of session players called the Wrecking Crew, a protege of drum legend Hal Blaine. When I didnt have the time, Blaine told Rolling Stone in 1985, I recommended Jim. He was one hell of a drummer. I thought he was one of the real comers.

Gordons drumming features on recordings by John Lennon, Cher, the Byrds (The Notorious Byrd Brothers), Jackson Browne, Joan Baez, Alice Cooper, Tom Waits (The Heart of Saturday Night), Neil Diamond, George Harrison (All Things Must Pass), Yoko Ono, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Mel Torme, and many others. He can be heard on Carly Simons Youre So Vain, Mason Williams Classical Gas, and Glen Campbells Gentle on My Mind.

Gordon, ranked Number 59 on Rolling Stones list of the 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time despite his shortened career, was so highly regarded for his precision and craft that he even became the go-to session drummers for some of rocks most notorious perfectionists, including Frank Zappa (who enlisted him for his Grand Wazoo band as well as Apostrophe, for which Gordon received a co-writing credit) and Steely Dan, who hired Gordon to play on their 1974 LP Pretzel Logic and that albums hit Rikki Dont Lose That Number.

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Gordon also served as drummer on half of Harry Nilssons classic Nilsson Schmillson, and provided the famed drum solo on that albums Jump Into the Fire, which  like Layla  later soundtracked a key sequence in the film Goodfellas.

Gordon also became an unlikely figure in the rise of hip-hop after DJ Kool Herc started inspiring Bronx dancers with Gordons drum break from the Incredible Bongo Bands Apache. Everybody started searching for the perfect beat, trying to beat that record, Herc recalled. They still cant beat that record until this day.

However, by the mid-Seventies, Gordon started having trouble with addiction. I guess I was an alcoholic, he told Rolling Stone in 1985. Before, I was drinking every night, but I wasnt getting up in the morning for a drink; I would put a needle in my arm. When I stopped taking the heroin, I began to drink all day. He began to hear voices in his head and by the late Seventies, his mother urged him to get help. He checked into a psychiatric hospital, where he told doctors his mom was the only friend he had.

He used to talk to me about hearing voices, but I told him that it was his consciousness speaking to him, Whitlock told Rolling Stone in 2013. He said it was someone else. Evidently he never stopped or even lightened up on his drug and alcohol intake. The end result was the destruction of his family.

I couldnt cope with being outside anymore, Gordon said. The voices were chasing me around. Making me drive to different places. Starving me. I was only allowed one bite of food a meal. And, if I disobeyed, the voices would fill me with a rage, like the Hulk gets.

As Gordons mental state deteriorated, so did his standing in the music industry, and despite over a dozen voluntary trips to psychiatric hospitals, he was never diagnosed with mental illness. While Gordons mind housed multiple voices, the most dominant was that of his mothers, which had grown louder and more relentless in his head, Gordon said, even threatening to destroy his gold records and forcing him to abscond from a gig as Paul Ankas drummer during a Las Vegas residency.

On June 3rd, 1983, Gordon murdered his mother, Osa Marie Gordon, using a hammer and a butcher knife. The following year, he was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison. I had no interest in killing [my mother], Gordon told Rolling Stone in 1985. I wanted to stay away from her. I had no choice. It was so matter-of-fact, like I was being guided like a zombie. She wanted me to kill her, and good riddance to her.

I had no idea that he had a psychotic history of visions and hearing voices, from an early age, Clapton told Rolling Stone in 1991. That was never apparent when we were working together. It just seemed like bad vibes, the worst kind of bad vibes. I would have never said that he was going mad. To me, it was just the drugs.

While Gordon had been eligible for parole for decades, he never attended hearings on his own behalf, including in 2013 and 2018, when a parole board deemed he stilled posed an unreasonable risk of threat to public safety.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese received a pair of aviator-style sunglasses from U.S. President Joe Biden in California.

The aviator sunglasses have been Biden's fashion accessory of choice since the 1960s.

The duo appeared alongside U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to discuss the AUKUS security pact.

Some presidents have a signature look: Abraham Lincoln rocked a top hat. Teddy Roosevelt had his mustache. Martin Van Buren had those mutton chops. And current President Joe Biden is no exception, looking sharp in a pair of aviator sunglasses whenever he's out and about.

Biden, who has been sporting this style of sunglasses since his days as a lifeguard in the 1960s, has also been known to gift custom-made pairs to dignitaries and heads of state to celebrate new partnerships and try and bridge divides.

The most recent recipient of the stylish gift is Australia's current Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. Albo, as the Daily Mail calls the Prime Minister who took power in May 2022, was actually stateside, in California, when he received Biden's gift. And his subsequent Instagram post is inviting some very Hollywood comparisons.

The Australian Prime Minister met with President Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in San Diego to announce details of the historic trilateral AUKUS security pact. AUKUS is a pact first formed in September of 2021 between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, wherein the first two countries will assist the third in achieving nuclear-powered submarines.

While the trio of nations are already, alongside New Zealand and Canada, part of an intelligence alliance known as "Five Eyes," AUKUS is a specifically military- and military hardware-focused partnership.

And while the AUKUS presentation was focused on aquatic submersibles, the commenters on Albanese's Instagram post are thinking instead about the skies. Specifically, the skies patrolled by Tom Cruise in Top Gun.

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The smash success of the 1986 film's recent legacy-sequel Top Gun: Maverick has put aviatorsboth the sunglasses and the professionback in the mainstream. So it's only natural that when the Albanese donned the Biden's shades, people were reminded of Goose, Ice Man, and naturally, Maverick.

"Love the Top Gun vibes PM," one commenter wrote, while some nicknamed him "Anthony Cruise" or "Anthony Alphanese." One seemingly confounded commenter even wrote "Why is Albo hot?" which is the kind of PR win you can only hope for in politics, and a reminder that a good pair of shades can go a long way.

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Kansas officials are working to strip a Mission animal rescue of its license.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture issued an updated order of revocation late Tuesday ordering Unleashed Pet Rescue to surrender its license. Officials updated their previous order after more information about the shelter came to light, said department spokeswoman Heather Lansdowne.

According to its website, Unleashed works to find homes for animals that previously lived in high-kill facilities. The organization says it is a nonprofit that relies entirely on community donations.

Late last week, Kansas officials issued an emergency order halting the rescue from taking new animals. Unleashed can continue business operations for 15 days after the order or until a hearing has been held.

Generally, Lansdowne said the department takes administrative action because a facility has repeatedly put animals health and welfare at risk.

The pet rescue, she said, has had quite a few health inspections over the last few years. Facilities without violations or complaints typically have inspections every 18 months.

Unleashed referred questions to attorney Court T. Kennedy, who said the organization will be appealing the revocation and requesting a hearing. He declined to comment further on allegations regarding the condition of the shelter.

The rescue has 15 days since the revocation order to request a hearing. Once scheduled, it would be conducted by the Kansas Office of Administrative Hearings.

On Tuesday, Unleashed urged patrons on Facebook to send donations immediately to keep our doors open. The shelter didnt mention the license revocation order, but said it is experiencing a financial emergency that has forced them to lay off workers and take in less animals.

If our shelter is unable to remain open due to lack of funding, thats nearly 5,000 animals that will die just this year alone, Unleashed wrote.

With every other shelter and rescue in the KC area at capacity or over, there would be no place that could absorb that number of animals we help, the post continued. There is no other place for them to go.
At a sustainable fashion event held Thursday morning, Kering and Marie Claire unveiled the launch of a joint podcast.

A spin-off from the consumer magazine and luxury conglomerates partnership that began in June 2022, the Fashion Our Future podcast expands on in-person learnings. The Thursday event, which took place in Manhattan, trails an inaugural flagship event that convened in Paris last year, showcasing panel talks, workshops, design expositions and more focused on fashion and sustainability.

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After a seated breakfast, media, influencers, industry professionals and students donned plush headphones to sample the sound of rushing streams and songbirds, while seated, ironically, multiple stories above the skyline. A voiceover repeated phrases like: Were overconsuming, or Isnt it nice to slow down?, all underscoring that sustainability necessitates slowing down by principle. The first consumer-geared podcast episode drops Thursday on Spotify.

The news accompanied a handful of panel conversations and precedes further news from Kering. For the first session, Kerings sustainability head Marie-Claire Daveu spoke of the companys feat in ditching fur, as well the optimism that drives her profession.

You dont work in sustainability if you arent optimistic, underscored Daveu.

The conversation continued with actress Kerry Washington and sustainable designers Brother Vellies founder Aurora James, Angel Chang and Studio 189 cofounder Abrima Erwiah.

Washington, who recently wore an archival Donna Karan dress to the Oscars, said storytellers are the true power wielders in shifting the sustainable fashion narrative. Real change happens when the message is being delivered in multiple stages in the process. If people are walking down the street and they see a huge [billboard] of what Kering is doing they [can] turn on their phone and scan a QR code, and they walk past the store. People get information in multiple places and understand this is not just a fashionable moment. This is not a trend. This has to be a life shift for the health of our planet.There are multiple opportunities to contribute to that narrative.

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Erwiah spoke on a panel with Hassan Pierre, cofounder of ethical retailer Maison de Mode, and Natasha Franck, founder of digital supply chain tool Eon. The final conversation was between Fashion Institute of Technology president Joyce F. Brown and sustainable fashion and climate activist Saad Amer.

A selection of sustainability-inclined FIT student designers also showcased their work. These conversations and more are whats expected of the podcast, though further details were not revealed.

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Fans of the Harry Potter franchise will soon have another attraction to look forward to  and this time, itll be in Japan.

"Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo - The Making of Harry Potter," the worlds largest indoor Harry Potter attraction, will officially open on June 16.

The new attraction, which is also the first Warner Bros. Studio Tour to open in Asia, is currently where Toshimaen, Japans oldest amusement park, used to be.

Visitors of the attraction will get to see original costumes and real props used in the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films. There will also be interactive exhibitions and iconic sets, such as Diagon Alley and the Forbidden Forest.

More from NextShark: Netflix reveals first look at Michelle Yeohs character in new fantasy film The School for Good and Evil

More from NextShark: Everything Everywhere All at Once' star Ke Huy Quan joins Loki Season 2

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo notably has two gift shops that make up the worlds largest Studio Tour shop, as well as several restaurants and cafes.

Fans will be able to take a look around the Studio Shop and the Railway Shop for exclusive items and Wizarding World products.

As for food and drinks, visitors can try Butterbeer at the worlds biggest Butterbeer Bar, afternoon tea at the Backlot Cafe and countless treats at the Chocolate Frog Cafe.

More from NextShark: Thousands of Fans Rally Behind Continuation of Live-Action Naruto Project

In addition to Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo, there are two other official Warner Bros. Studio Tours: Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood and Warner Bros. Studio Tour London  The Making of Harry Potter.

More from NextShark: Ken Jeong to star in upcoming Chinese American comedy Tiger Mom

Tickets for the Tokyo attraction will be available for purchase starting on Thursday.
Image via Getty

A drive-by shooting on a Laval highway just north of Montreal left Leonardo Rizzutoson of the late Vito Rizzuto, who once led the Montreal mafiawith mild injuries.

Surete du Quebec, the provincial police, closed the highway shortly after the shooting occurred.

At 4:40 p.m., a vehicle was fired upon on Highway 440, near (Highway 13) in Laval. One person was injured. We dont fear for his life, SQ spokesperson Stephane Tremblay said to the media.

Rizzutos car showed multiple bullet holes, with some on the window and others on the body of the car. The tires took major damage as well as pictures taken by the Montreal Gazette showed the rubber almost completely removed from the tires themselves.

Rizzuto managed to take his car onto the adjacent Highway 13 and pulled into a funeral home where police then arrived. As of 1:00 a.m., Highway 440 and Highway 13 were both still closed as police still hadnt left the scene.

In 2017, a TV series called Bad Blood told the tale of the Rizzuto family from the early 2000s into the 2010s. The show starred Anthony LaPaglia as Vito Rizzuto and the late Paul Sorvinoknown to many as Paulie Cicero in Goodfellasas Nicolo Rizzuto. Bad Blood is available to watch on Crave in Canada.

In 2011, CBCs The Fifth Estate docuseries aired the episode Death of the Don which focused on the rise and fall of the Rizzuto family, detailing their history from the 1980s until the late 2000s.

Upon news of the elder Rizzutos sudden death in 2013, the Toronto Star called Vito Canadas most notorious mobster.
An upcoming event sponsored by a Christian organization at USC Aiken is getting a lot of backlash, even some from religious leaders.

Baptist Collegiate Ministry is organizing a "Conversation on Sexual/Gender Identity" at the Penland Administration Building at 6 p.m. March 25.

The student ministry has invited Patti Heights from Out of Egypt Ministries in California to speak to students. According to Out of Egypt's website, Heights is a former lesbian who now believes homosexuality is a deception and a sin.

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Fighting for change: Augusta activist walks in ancestors' footsteps

"I think that God put us on this earth to be our authentic selves and ... when we start doing that we will become happy, fulfilled, contributing to society and we can achieve our optimum life," said Rev. Debra Guthrie from Aiken Unitarian Universalist Church in reacting to the news.

News of this event is also troubling activists on this side of the Savannah River.

"I think it's a bold move to schedule this during the week of LGBTQIA+ Health Awareness Week, not to mention it's the week prior to Transgender Visibility Day," said Augusta Pride President Michael Barnard. "I think this sends mixed signals and it makes USC-Aiken feel like an unsafe environment."

The university's student handbook has language addressing issues like this, including its harassment/bullying policy that prohibits conduct that creates or attempts to create a hostile or offensive environment for another person or group, including conduct directed at someone's gender and sexual orientation.

When asked for comment on the complaints and a potential violation of university policy, USC-Aiken released a statement affirming that while they did not invite or endorse Heights, they have a responsibility to uphold the First Amendment protections of their student organizations' and their events.

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"The student organization followed all event and publicity policies. Further, the organization's faculty/staff advisor does not approve student events, but ensures compliance with university policies, which they have done," the statement read. "We know that words can be hurtful and harmful, and we stand ready to provide resources and support to any community members who may be adversely affected by the speakers presentation.

Old Catholic Churches International Bishop Gregory Godsey from North Augusta is organizing a protest called "PRIDE Out at USC Aiken" the same day as the event from 5 to 7 p.m. on campus in the grassy area between Penland and Parking Lot A.

"It is appalling that in 2023 we have to explain to campus administrators the lasting damage that can be done to young LGBTQIA+ individuals by such hate speech," Godsey said via Messenger.

Online messages and emails were sent to Heights and members of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry to ask for comment, but no immediate response was received Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: USC-Aiken student ministry invites LGBTQ conversion speaker March 25
A 44-year-old man was killed with a kitchen knife after he tried breaking into someones home, according to police in Illinois.

Officers with the Rockford Police Department were called to the home at about 1:50 a.m. Thursday, March 16.

The residents, an adult man and woman, reported a man tried to force his way through their door, according to a news release shared on Facebook. They said they were able to block the door, preventing it from being pushed open.

But then the home intruder broke out a window, authorities said, and struck one of the residents with lumber.

As the suspect continued to attempt to gain entry, the male resident retrieved a kitchen knife and was able to strike the suspect in the neck/shoulder area, police said. He fled after being stabbed and was located in the street in front of the residence.

Upon arrival, officers immediately began life-saving measures, police said, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities ask anyone with additional information to call police at 815-966-2900.

Rockford is about 90 miles northwest of downtown Chicago.

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Yoshiyoshi Hirokawa / Getty Images

Researchers at Indiana University developed a new blood test that can measure anxiety level and risk.

If proven effective, the test might be able to help providers better match treatment options to individual patients.

Experts say current anxiety treatments dont always work well or are addictive.

What if a simple blood test could quantify your anxiety and match you to the right treatment? Thats what researchers out of Indiana University are proposing with the launch of a new blood test for anxiety.

The test is not designed to diagnose anxiety, but it can help measure someones anxiety levels and even determine future risk for developing anxiety.

Alexander Niculescu, MD, PhD, a professor of psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine who helped develop the anxiety blood test, said the test is like a glucose test for diabetes because both tests give healthcare providers objective information to help make clinical assessments.

The anxiety blood test is not yet covered by insurance, but the researchers hope that it will eventually be included as part of the annual physical exam.

Thats the place where I think this would make a big impact, Niculescu said. It removes some of the stigma. Its just another biological abnormality that can be identified, treated, monitored, and prevented.

In the report published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, Niculescu and his team identified 19 biomarkers that could track and predict anxiety. All of the biomarkers have medications associated with them, Niculescu said, so that treatments can be assigned based on which biomarkers are identified.

The researchers used these biomarkers to determine if any currently available medications could be repurposed to treat anxiety so patients wouldn't have to wait for a new drug to be developed.

Zachary A. Cordner, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins Medicine whos not affiliated with the study, said the findings are very compelling, but the technology needs to be further tested.

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I do think that it will be important to see whether this technology produces similar results in different clinical settings. And that is just yet to be determined, Cordner told Verywell.



Will This Blood Test Change How Anxiety Is Diagnosed?

Providers currently evaluate patients based on the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). They may ask questions about the frequency of anxiety-related symptoms, such as trouble concentrating, restlessness, and muscle tension.

The way that we do things now is actually fairly effective, Cordner said.

But research has found that among the DSM Task Force members who oversaw the creation of the previous edition (DSM-5), nearly 70% had financial ties with pharmaceutical companies. This was also true of 51% of the members of the work group that updated the section on anxiety disorders.

The new blood test, which was designed in part to provide an additional measure for anxiety, could be useful in monitoring high-risk patients, Cordner added.

Niculescu said the blood test could be an additional tool in preventative mental health care. Even if the blood test shows that someone doesnt currently have anxiety, providers can keep an eye on the results year after year and offer preventative treatments for anxiety if they notice changes.

These are not DNA where you test once and youre one and done. These are RNA that fluctuates with disease severity, with treatment response, and with different stages of your disease, Niculescu said.



Related:How Anxiety Disorder Is Diagnosed

Will Anxiety Blood Tests Become Part of a Care Routine Soon?

Current anxiety treatments are sometimes based on trial and error and they dont always work well or are addictive, according to Niculescu. He said the blood test would help mental healthcare providers better determine treatment for the patient based on specific anxiety biomarkers identified in the test.

However, some mental health experts say it is too early for these blood tests to be used to guide anxiety screening and treatment plans.

Paul S. Appelbaum, MD, a professor of psychiatry, medicine, and law at Columbia University, told Verywell that more studies are needed to confirm that using the blood test really allows for more effective treatments than what a mental healthcare professional can currently prescribe without the blood test.

Whenever you see a finding like this, which is interesting, but clearly preliminary, what you want is to see it confirmed, not just by the original researchers, but by other groups as well, Appelbaum said.

Its too soon to know how much a test like this would cost if it were covered by insurance, but Niculescu said the current self-pay test available online would be cost-prohibitive for many people.

These anxiety blood tests are not yet commercially available. If you're experiencing anxiety, consider speaking with a mental health professional about screening options.
Inside the VU Manufacturing plant in Mexico workers prepare vinyl and plastic interior pieces for the automotive industry.

The government of Mexico said it has found "serious irregularities" and company actions that hindered workers' rights at a plant operated by a Detroit-area auto supplier following a review request by the Biden administration.

The situation marks the second time in less than a year that the Mexican government has been asked to intervene in a case involving VU Manufacturing, based in Troy.

A message seeking comment was left for company President Don Cunningham.

More:Biden administration pushed Mexico to act in case involving metro Detroit auto supplier

VU Manufacturing has the distinction of being the only company so far to face two complaints under a rapid response mechanism developed as part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which sets trade rules between the countries.

The announcement posted Thursday about VU Manufacturing and reported earlier by Reuters said the Mexican government would initiate a 10-day consultation period with the United States to try to reach a reparation plan. It noted the company's actions had hindered freedom of association and collective bargaining rights at the plant.

More:GM offers workers in Mexico a raise and benefits in new union contract

The VU Manufacturing plant is based in Piedras Negras, which is across the Rio Grande from Eagle Pass, Texas. The plant supplies plastic and vinyl interior automotive pieces.

The company has also been accused of not bargaining in good faith, among other issues after workers chose a new union to represent them last year.

Workers who spoke to the Free Press described difficult conditions at the plant and low wages, such as a base rate of 312 pesos per day (less than $16, based on the current exchange rate) and bonuses that are a challenge to get.

VU Manufacturing isn't the only Detroit-area company facing issues. Earlier this month, U.S. Trade Rep. Katherine Tai's office announced that Mexico had been asked to review whether workers at a Unique Fabricating facility in Santiago de Queretaro in central Mexico were being denied rights of free association and collective bargaining, which marks the seventh time the rapid response mechanism has been used. Unique Fabricating is an automotive supplier based in Auburn Hills that says it serves Tesla, Toyota, Ford, General Motors, BMW, Nissan and Stellantis.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mexico says Troy-based VU Manufacturing hindered workers' rights
FARMINGTON  A draft restoration plan from the New Mexico Office of the Natural Resources Trustee that will determine how $10 million in settlement money from a Gold King Mine spill lawsuit will be allocated is expected to be released by the end of the month.

Maggie Hart Stebbins, New Mexicos natural resources trustee, told The Daily Times in an email that her agency is on track to release the draft restoration plan on March 31. The plan will list projects that have been selected for funding and the justification for selecting them, she said.

State officials received 17 proposals totaling more than $28 million in October 2022 from government entities in San Juan County, the Navajo Nation and New Mexico. The $10 million earmarked for the program is part of a $32 million settlement between the state of New Mexico and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its role in the 2015 incident, which saw millions of gallons of toxic waste released from the abandoned Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado. That was eventually wound up in the Animas and San Juan rivers.

More:Navajo farmers still seek justice 7 years after a toxic spill turned river waters yellow

More than half that money  $18.1 million  was designated for response costs, while $3.5 million was set aside for water quality and cleanup activities through Clean Water Act and Superfund grants. The remaining $10 million goes to the restoration of injured natural resources, with state officials saying the money could be used to fund outdoor recreation opportunities in northwest New Mexico.

Hart Stebbins had said her agency initially hoped to vet and analyze all the proposals, and release the draft restoration plan in January. But that deadline was pushed to the end of February and then, finally, late March. She said the delay was caused in part by a decision to add an engineering feasibility review step to the process.

State officials are expected to release a draft restoration plan by the end of March that will determine how $10 million in Gold King Mine spill settlement money will be spent on projects related to the Animas and San Juan rivers.

Once the draft restoration plan is released, a 30-day public comment period will follow, Hart Stebbins said. Those comments will be reviewed, then a final plan will be released a few weeks after the end of the comment period, she said.

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Hart Stebbins said she hopes to have memoranda of agreements signed with the Office of the Natural Resources Trustees project partners by the start of its fiscal year on July 1.

The list of 17 projects that Hart Stebbins agency received includes one proposal from the City of Farmington, two from the City of Aztec, one from the City of Bloomfield, three from San Juan County, one from the Navajo Nations Department of Fish and Wildlife, and one from the Navajo Nations Upper Fruitland Chapter.

Farmingtons request was for $2 million, a sum that would be used to partially cover the cost of a $3.1 million project that would create a permanent whitewater wave in the Animas River that would be suitable for surfing near the Farmington Museum at Gateway Park. The project also would fund the replacement of a failing dam structure that would allow for fish migration, a new intake for the North Farmington Ditch and a fish ladder.

San Juan Countys requests included nearly $3.5 million for a new office and training center for the San Juan County Cooperative Extension Service, along with $680,000 for improvements to staging, signage, parking and restroom facilities at existing recreation boat ramps owned and maintained by the county at McGee Park and Lions Park. The county also is seeking $1 million for improvements to a water and wastewater system for the Totah Vista subdivision south of Farmington.

Officials in Aztec are seeking $950,000 for a project to rehabilitate the citys Reservoir 1, and $480,000 to build restrooms and a pump station for a plaza designed for public activities.

More:Officials outline plans for grant money awarded from Gold King Mine spill settlement

The City of Bloomfields request for $1.5 million is designated for a preliminary engineering report for a new, 44-acre reservoir that would provide more than five times the storage capacity of the citys existing reservoir and would extend the citys water storage from one month to eight months.

Officials from the Navajo Nation Department of Fish and Wildlife requested nearly $70,000 for improvements to an existing road and the construction of a boat ramp on the San Juan River designed to provide river access for members of the Nenahnezad Chapter. The Fruitland Chapter requested nearly $92,000 for a project to clear nearly 10 miles of debris and vegetation from the Upper Fruiltland main irrigation canal.

The remaining requests were submitted by the New Mexico Tourism Department, New Mexico State Parks and New Mexico State Universitys Water Resources Research Institute.

Hart Stebbins previously had noted that the $28 million in requests was much greater than the amount of money available.

We cant fund everything, she told The Daily Times in December. But we feel like there are some really exciting proposals in the pool (of applicants) that will get funded.

Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com.

Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.

This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Draft restoration plan for Gold King Mine spill expected March 31
Library shelves with books upon them.

A school superintendent in Michigan, involved in a book-banning controversy, admitted to his schools community that he took it upon himself to remove several books  which he referred to as "R-rated"  from a high school library to avoid conflict with angry conservative parents who had expressed their discomfort with their children being exposed to topics including ones related to the LGBTQ+ community.

The administrator emailed parents admitting after previously denying that he unilaterally removed six books from school library shelves. He now admits he was wrong for doing so.

Forest Hills school superintendent Dan Behm apologized to district staff in a letter he sent on Wednesday night. He tried to explain the reasoning behind single-handedly intervening and taking reading materials off library shelves.

After two years of contentious board meetings and angry parents reading graphic excerpts from library books and accusing schools of indoctrination, he said he tried to turn down the temperature around books, so he had some removed.

For 24 months, our board meetings typically contain a crowd of people angrily commenting about a variety of issues and topics, he wrote. I mistakenly jumped at the realization that some of these books were rarely checked out, and I thought that weeding them was acceptable. This was wrong. I take full responsibility for this mistake. I should have brought any questions about books to our very capable professionals who care for our media centers or one of our teachers who have formal expertise in this area."

The National Coalition Against Censorship accused the superintendent in February of secretly removing books, which violated district procedures. In a statement to Grand Rapids Fox affiliate WXMI, the NCAC explained that the district must approve book removals, the station reports.

Behm also acknowledged that many targeted books are specific to the LGBTQ+ community.

We have to treat all people with kindness, respect, and love. Too often, people who identify as gay, lesbian, trans, or nonbinary are marginalized or much worse, he wrote, according to local NBC affiliate WOOD. We need books in our libraries that reflect the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community. Everyone should be able to see themselves  their identity, their faith tradition, their culture, their family structure, and so much more  in some of the books that they choose to read.

People ought to be able to read and learn about communities, cultures, and unfamiliar stories, Behm wrote.

I am sorry that I did not do better sooner in this issue, he said. I remain fully committed to my own learning and supporting you and your selfless efforts to help all kids learn, grow, and thrive.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Wednesday that he has vetoed two bills dealing with insurance because he thinks they would increase the cost of health care.

One is a bad idea, and I cant see myself supporting it. One is a good idea that just includes some correctable mistakes, the Republican governor said in a statement.

Reeves said the bad idea was in Senate Bill 2224, which would have given the state insurance commissioner the ability to set rates for all health insurance.

Other news:Gov. Tate Reeves signs bill restricting electric car stores in Mississippi

He said Senate Bill 2262 would have made changes to the prior authorization process that insurance companies use to tell providers whether a procedure or drug is covered. Reeves said he liked that the proposal would have required insurance companies to give quicker answers, but the bill would have had "unintended consequences.

The bill has a number of technical components," Reeves said. These include administrative hearings that are in an incorrect place, increased costs for Medicaid and other issues that cause me not to be comfortable signing it."

Overriding a governor's veto would take two-thirds majorities in the House and Senate.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves vetoes two bills on health insurance
When Missouri's education department released their annual report cards on public school districts last week, officials urged families, schools and the public to exercise caution while analyzing them.

The state's education commissioner emphasized that the state's new annual performance review used new metrics this year, saying to "focus less on the APR score and more on the underlying data." And the director of the Missouri Association of School Administrators called it a "snapshot" that "needs to play out over time to see exactly where we are."

But that didn't stop state lawmakers in Jefferson City from expressing strong concerns over various aspects of the reports in the days after they were released, as members questioned both the efficacy of some districts and how the department evaluated the districts.

The Missouri State Capitol building in Jefferson City on Jan. 4, 2023.

The annual performance reports come at a key point halfway through the legislative session, as the Republican-controlled General Assembly zeroes in on public schools while considering a variety of bills that would expand educational options outside of those districts. Democrats, meanwhile, are dubious about the new metrics being used to evaluate those schools, calling DESE's methods into question while continuing to push for raises for teachers and more money for public education.

Far fewer schools scored among the highest category under the new scoring method  just four districts hit that mark for the 2021-22 school year, compared to 320 districts four years earlier. The bulk of districts landed in the "average" category overall.

More:New report cards for Missouri schools show 'impact' of teacher shortage, pandemic

Speaker of the House says results are 'appalling' as Republicans push for school choice measures

"I think it's appalling that so many schools are failing," Speaker of the House Dean Plocher, a St. Louis Republican, told reporters, the same week the House approved legislation that would allow students to attend districts outside of the one assigned to their residential area.

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"I think parents should have choices, I think children should have choices and children should be challenged," Plocher said. "Teachers should be rewarded and given the resources that they need to teach. So I think we made progress this week."

Missouri Speaker of the House Dean Plocher, center, speaks to reporters in Jefferson City on Jan. 4, 2023.

Republicans see the new performance scores as further justification to advance legislation expanding school options  which includes the open enrollment plan now heading to the Senate. It remains to be seen whether any of those bills, including others that would expand a 2021 tax credit program granting some families K-12 scholarships, will see significant progress this year.

"This unfortunately is not a new trend, but the culmination of years of decline," Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden of Columbia wrote on social media about the data. "We must be more interested in educating kids & empowering parents than protecting the educational status quo that is clearly failing Missourians."

Springfield Public Schools, the largest district in Missouri, earned 73.7% of the available points under the reworked evaluation criteria  outperforming most of its "benchmark" districts but scoring lower than many of its suburban neighbors.

Rep. Alex Riley, a Springfield Republican, said he was "disappointed" with SPS' results, and that the solution was not just to send more dollars to districts.

"I think that shows we can't just try and solve the problem with lack of educational attainment in our public schools by pumping more money into the system," Riley said. "We need to look at other options as well. And that would include increasing the school choice options for families."

Republican candidate for Missouri House of Representatives Alex Riley talks with supporters at the Greene County GOP watch party on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

Another Springfield Republican, Rep. Melanie Stinnett, met with SPS superintendent Grenita Lathan this week after saying "it's important to have open conversations" about the direction of education.

"I was supportive of the open enrollment bill and will continue to be supportive of educational options for my constituents and others throughout the state," Stinnett said. "But I also think it's important that we have conversations with our public schools and find out what their needs are, and help support them. I think a lot of that probably looks like teacher pay and other teacher retention type of increases."

For subscribers:Missouri's legislative session is halfway over. What Springfield lawmakers think so far

Democrats scrutinize DESE, performance of charter schools

Democrats, who have pushed for increased investment in public schools and mostly stand opposed to the expansion of charter schools or non-public options, turned the focus to Missouri's education department and the performance of charter schools after the performance scores released.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade of Springfield, asked about the scores, pointed to charter schools in Missouri that are provisionally accredited or unaccredited, calling it "an important part of this conversation." The open enrollment plan passed by the House last week would not allow direct transfers to charter schools, but Quade warned it could "open Pandora's box."

"I do think that open enrollment is step one, and Republicans have actually said this before," Quade said. "Open enrollment first, charter school second."

She also questioned the new metrics being used by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

"We have a lot of concerns about the scoring mechanism, we have a lot of concerns with where DESE is currently at," Quade said. "But for this to be pivoted into any sort of conversation of 'oh, we need more school choice, our public schools are failing,' the numbers alone don't support that."

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade speaks to reporters at the State Capitol in Jefferson City on Jan. 4, 2023.

She urged lawmakers to have "an actual conversation" about how teachers and schools are graded, and what student testing looks like, as well as continue to push for raises for teachers to retain the educational workforce.

The commissioner of education has said lower scores reflect in part the challenges imposed on schools by COVID-19, some of which linger in classrooms and homes. Rep. Stephanie Hein, a Springfield Democrat, expressed a similar sentiment.

"It's the first time we've had an assessment model come out since the pandemic, and I'm not surprised we saw dips," Hein said. "It's just figuring out, how do we navigate that challenge, to get the scores back up where we want that to be? Sometimes that's through financial resources, sometimes that's through processes and procedures. It's not a one-size-fits-all kind of solution here."

Rep. Betsy Fogle, another Springfield Democrat, said she had "questions about those metrics that are being used" by DESE, but also said proponents of school choice should acknowledge the subpar performance of some charter schools under the new system.

"I think that's what the question boils down to, is are both sides willing to use this as a metric that we're going to use to forecast the future of education in this state?" Fogle said. "If so, that's a conversation we'll have. Or are both sides ... going to agree that this isn't the best metric, and we need to figure out what that looks like."

Democrats aren't the only ones who have lobbed complaints toward DESE in recent months; Republicans, too, have been critical of the department's bureaucracy and called for changes to how schools operate and are overseen.

Rowden, the Senate president pro tem, in his opening remarks this session called for lawmakers to "redefine" education in the state, urging for "world-class" teachers and students to be treated as such. And Rep. Doug Richey, an Excelsior Springs Republican who chairs the legislature's joint education committee, wrote on social media Thursday that the department is "a problem for a number of reasons," and said lawmakers could "weaken DESE first by freeing families from arbitrary bureaucratic structures."

Galen Bacharier covers Missouri politics & government for the News-Leader. Contact him at gbacharier@news-leader.com or on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: MO lawmakers criticize districts, testing metrics in wake of new data
In Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, Great Wolf Lodge is getting a refresh by celebrity designer Nate Berkus.

Courtesy of Great Wolf Lodge

The beloved Great Wolf Lodge, a family-friendly indoor water park resort in Pennsylvanias Pocono Mountains, is getting even better with a stunning $125-million expansion.

The expansion will introduce a new lodging option on the property: private villas. Slated to welcome guests in October, each of the 30 Woodland Villas will come with their own private outdoor space created by celebrity designer Nate Berkus.

Courtesy of Nate Berkus

Great Wolf Lodge is a popular, family-friendly indoor water park resort with 18 locations across the United States. Now, its Pocono Mountains location, which has been welcoming visitors since 2005, is elevating the guest experience for parents and kids with these new villas.

The villas will be in a secluded part of the property, with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Though the villas are separate from the main resort, guests will still have access to all the resort's amenities, plus additional perks like a private lounge, an outdoor recreation space, and a separate check-in area. (Guests will receive Woodland Villas exclusive robes, slippers, and a keepsake beach bag, too.)

Each of the 1,500-square-foot villas can accommodate up to 10 people  with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a living area with a queen-size pull-out sectional. The living space will connect to a kitchenette with a stove, refrigerator, pantry, and a large dining table. You can even opt to have the fridge and pantry stocked prior to check-in, so you dont have to worry about leaving the villa for meals and other provisions. (Though, the resort has seven food and beverage spots, including a market with grab-and-go fare, a pizza spot, a lunch and dinner buffet, and an ice cream shop.)

Courtesy of Great Wolf Lodge

What truly makes these villas special are the outdoor living spaces that were thoughtfully designed by Berkus with families in mind. This is one of the first times Ive been given this sort of exterior square footage and been asked the question, What would you do? said Berkus, a father of two, in an interview with Travel + Leisure.

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The outdoor area features a custom-made sectional and two chairs by a gas fire pit. Theres also a barbecue and dining table to host family meals. Finally, the villas will have plenty of multifunctional design elements, like dining tables that double as ping-pong tables, or the end tables with built-in game boards.

I want parents to feel like the vacation is also for them and theyve been considered, which is not easy to do, Berkus said. It's really about making it easier for parents to enjoy their time with their kids. In the end, thats really the point of a family vacation.

Courtesy of Great Wolf Lodge

Berkus also designed eight outdoor pool cabanas that will come stocked with fresh towels, a mini fridge, and a small eating area. (The cabanas are available to all resort guests.) The patios and the cabanas will have a soothing color scheme that mimics nature  think deep browns, beiges, and greens.

What's stimulating about the Great Wolf Lodge is the sense of adventure and all of the activities people can do. So, I had to think about what I felt should not be stimulating, and should be tranquil and natural, Berkus said. I asked myself, Where would you spend the end of the day to take a break? Thats what all of these colors were really designed to do.

The expansion will also add 200 family-friendly guest rooms to the main resort, as well as a 40,000-square-foot extension to its indoor water park.

I think the Great Wolf Lodge is a really unique and special place children always remember, Berkus said. A water park is something that I loved as a kid. So Im sort of marrying my childhood fantasy with my now-adult reality of what it's like being a dad and a designer.

Great Wolf Lodge is currently accepting reservations for the Woodland Villas from Oct. 1, onward. Rooms start at $500 per night and, as with all room bookings, access to the indoor water park is included. Learn more at greatwolf.com.

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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
Its now exactly a year since Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released from her six-year detention in Iran, and we all know the relatively happy ending to her ordeal and that of her family. What we certainly do not know, however, is precisely how she and her loved ones coped, suffered and persevered through the mental torture of indefinite containment.

Channel 4s new documentary, Nazanin, vividly conveys that tension in a way that is raw and sometimes almost unbearable to witness, but watch it we do because we want to be there when it dissolves. Because the filmmaker Darius Bazargan and his team spent so much time filming with Nazanins family and her tirelessly campaigning husband Richard, and has been able to use previously unseen smartphone video recordings by Nazanin herself, it is almost as if we are there with them.

This is a very intimate piece of storytelling, almost entirely through the familys words, with Richard always unscripted and calmly straightforward. We are there with them at home as Richard and, later daughter Gabriella, take the calls from prison or house arrest in Iran. We share the frustration of the Zoom call with British ministers. We feel the cold and the tummy cramps as he sleeps rough outside the Iranian Embassy and the Foreign Office on hunger strike  this was a six-year fight for his right to a family life. We share the heartbreak when Nazanin says she cant go on or reveals that shes been arrested by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards yet again, and told, before a trial, that shed better pack a bag because shes obviously going back to prison. Nazanin kept a kind of audio diary, and we now hear recordings that reflect her private thoughts at the time.

These days I am a lonely mother, she says. I was left behind, while outside passes by fears filling my mind. Solitude is too often my friend and doubt my relentless foe. What if they never let me go? Laughter becomes my past. Sorrow only my present, and hope on the horizon hard to see.

Above all, this film is a love story, a testament to how the power of a family united in love can overcome the most appalling of hardships.

From the film as well as the contemporary coverage, there seems little doubt that Nazanins incarceration was down not to spying or even geopolitics, but a simple matter of money, and this becomes more and more apparent as Richard talks to journalists and officials about the plight of Nazanin and the other dual national people held hostage in Iran. Back in the 1970s, the Shah of Iran, a friend of the West in the way the ayatollahs are enemies today, placed a sizeable order with the UK for tanks for his army. After the Iranian revolution, the British still had 400m of Irans money, and Tehran wanted it back. The UK refused for reasons of international sanctions and because the policy was not to pay ransom for hostages. Only in Jeremy Hunts time as foreign secretary  he has a cameo role in the film  was the money paid back and Nazanin released. It was really as simple as that.

Hunt, the fifth foreign secretary Richard dealt with, comes out of it relatively well. Boris Johnson does not, and no one should ever forget the moment when he blundered and told a Commons committee in 2017 that Nazanin was simply teaching people journalism, as I understand it, at the very limit. What the f*** did you just do there? Richard asks in the back of a cab on his way to yet another fruitless meeting with our diplomats. All Gabriella got out of it was a cuddly toy modelled on Larry the Downing Street cat, and Johnsons unforgivable remark was gleefully seized on by the Iranians as confirmation that she was a spy.

Even so, Richard is perfectly clear that, for all his moans about the British, they are not the principal bastards here, and we have to agree. Yet change is surely coming, and these days its the theocrats in Tehran who are feeling the heat, and some of the same tension about their own future as Nazanin endured. It feels pre-revolutionary. As the protesters chant in Iran, in a slogan that might have been inspired by Nazanin herself: woman, life, freedom.
No Foul Play in Death of Female Soldier in Fort Hood, Officials Say

Army officials say there was no foul play in the death of a 20-year-old soldier whose family said she was being harassed at Fort Hood.

Pvt. Ana Basaldua Ruiz, a combat engineer, died on March 13. She had been serving with the 1st Cavalry Division for 15 months, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division said in a release on Thursday. She was 20.

CID officials said "no foul play was evident" in her death, adding that it will continue investigating the case, including any "information" about "possible harassment."

While officials did not release Basaldua Ruiz's cause of death, her family told Telemundo, during a heartbreaking interview, that officials said she died by suicide.

"A loss of any one of our Soldiers is a tragedy and it is no different in the death of Private Ana Basalduaruiz. Our hearts and thoughts go out to the family, friends and colleagues of Ana," said Col. Christopher Dempsey, commander of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. "We have remained in constant contact with both parents of Private Basalduaruiz, and will continue to keep them updated."

The Criminal Investigation Division said it is staying in touch with her family and updating them on any developments.

RELATED: U.S. Army Parachute Team Member Dies During Training Accident After 'Hard Landing'

Basaldua Ruiz was born in Mexico and was a naturalized U.S. Citizen, per Telemundo. She joined the army in 2020, however, because of the coronavirus pandemic her military training was postponed for a year. Her father, Baldo Basaldua of California, told the outlet she was set to complete her three-year contract in August.

Ahead of her death, Basaldua Ruiz told her dad "she was no longer comfortable, that her whole life was wrong, that she wanted to die," he told Telemundo. He had his final conversation with his daughter on Saturday. On Sunday, she didn't respond to any messages.

"The next day [Monday, March 13] I sent her messages and they didn't reach her anymore, the delivered one no longer appeared. I went to look for her [satellite] location and then it appeared that she was like in a park inside the base and that was it. I just put a message to her that the one who was going to die was going to be me of anguish," he said.

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On Monday morning, military officials showed up at a restaurant where he worked and told him his daughter had died.

Her mother, Alejandra Ruiz Zarco, said, per Telemundo, that Basaldua Ruiz had told her she was being harassed by her superior and others at the base were making sexual advances toward her.

"She told me 'mom, everyone wants me to sleep with them, but they are a-------,'" the grieving mother said.

Ruiz Zarco last talked to her daughter on March 8, she said in a phone interview with the outlet from Michoacan, Mexico.

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.

"She told me that she was very sad, that a lot of very strong things were happening, that things were not as normal as I thought, that she couldn't tell me much, but that there was going to be a moment when we were going to be together and she could say everything," Ruiz Zarco said.

Ruiz Zarco added, "[She told me] that she wanted to see me, that she wanted to hug me, and she wanted me to hug her a lot, like when she was little."

Reflecting on her late daughter, Ruiz Zarco said, "She liked to read a lot, she was a smiling, bold, brave and free girl. Loving with her mother."

RELATED: Missing Man, 26, Found Dead a Month After He Drowned in Michigan River While Boating with Friend

She noted that officials in the U.S. are working on getting her a humanitarian visa so she can go to Texas.

Ruiz Zarco mourned the death on Facebook, sharing a photo of Basaldua Ruiz with the caption, "It hurts my soul," along with a silly video of her daughter dancing on TikTok with the caption "You leave me the joy and honor of being your mom!"

Basaldua Ruiz's death is reminiscent of that of Vanessa Guillen, who disappeared on April 22, 2020. She was later found murdered.

The main suspect, Army Specialist Aaron Robinson, died by suicide when confronted by police just hours after Guillen's remains were found. Authorities arrested his girlfriend Cecily Aguilar who is accused of helping to cover up her murder and dispose of her body. She pleaded guilty in November.

Guillen's family said she had previously told them she was a victim of sexual harassment at the hands of others in the military. An investigation by the U.S. Army concluded that Guillen was sexually harassed twice by one of her supervisors.

Officials determined Robinson was not the one who sexually harassed her, and that the harassment wasn't related to her death.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
Antiabortion Groups Rally in Washington, D.C. - Credit: Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The North Dakota Supreme Court upheld an injunction on Thursday against the states proposed ban on abortion. The court found that the law violated the states constitution, and the guaranteed right of enjoying and defending life and pursuing and obtaining safety.

The law was crafted as a trigger law set to take effect after the repeal of Roe v. Wade, but was placed under a preliminary injunction in October by Judge Bruce Romanick, who cited a substantial probability that the law would face constitutional challenges. As of now, abortion remains legal in the state up to 22 weeks of gestation.

More from Rolling Stone

In the majority opinion issued by the states Supreme Court, Chief Justice Jon J. Jensen wrote that while the regulation of abortion is within the authority of the legislature under the North Dakota Constitution, the plaintiff had demonstrated, that there is a fundamental right to an abortion in the limited instances of life-saving and health-preserving circumstances, and the statute is not narrowly tailored to satisfy strict scrutiny.

That plaintiff is the Red River Womens Clinic (RRWC), the states only abortion provider, and the party attempting to make sure that abortion remains legal in the state. Despite the legal challenges against the ban, the RRWC was forced to move its clinic in Fargo across the state border to Minnesota in order to continue serving the region.

In a statement, Republican North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley accused the states Supreme Court of having taken on the role of a legislative body, a role our constitution does not afford them. Wrigley promised that more legislation was coming, adding that our legislature has spent the past two months working on legislation that recrafts North Dakotas abortion laws, and they will now have the opportunity to enact the will of North Dakotans.

Story continues

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Cooling towers release heat generated by boiling water reactors at Xcel Energy's Nuclear Generating Plant on Oct. 2, 2019, in Monticello, Minn. Minnesota regulators said Thursday, March 16, 2023, that they're monitoring the cleanup of a leak of 400,000 gallons of radioactive water from Xcel Energy's Monticello nuclear power plant in late November 2022. The company said there's no danger to the public.

Evan Frost/Minnesota Public Radio via AP

Regulators are monitoring the cleanup at a Minnesota nuclear power plant after it leaked 400,000 gallons of radioactive water in November.

The incident at Xcel Energy's plant in Monticello, just northwest of Minneapolis, came to light on Thursday, after state officials said they wanted to gather more information before going public, according to the Associated Press.

Officials said the water contains tritium, which occurs naturally in the environment, but is of no risk to the greater public.

"We knew there was a presence of tritium in one monitoring well, however Xcel had not yet identified the source of the leak and its location," Minnesota Pollution Control Agency spokesman Michael Rafferty said, per the AP.

RELATED: What to Know About the Ohio Train Derailment and Chemical Spill: A Timeline of Events

He added, "Now that we have all the information about where the leak occurred, how much was released into groundwater, and that contaminated groundwater had moved beyond the original location, we are sharing this information."

The Minneapolis-based utility company also released a statement regarding the spill on Thursday, per the AP, noting that it "took swift action to contain the leak."

RELATED: Missing Radioactive Cylinder Sparks Intensive Search Across Thailand

Power plant officials believe the leak occurred in a pipe between two buildings at the facility, which has been storing and processing the contaminated water since then.

"Ongoing monitoring from over two dozen on-site monitoring wells confirms that the leaked water is fully contained on-site and has not been detected beyond the facility or in any local drinking water," Xcel said in its statement. "We understand the importance of quickly informing the communities we serve if a situation poses an immediate threat to health and safety. In this case, there was no such threat."

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.

About 25% of the spill has been contained so far, according to ABC 5 in Minneapolis, and recovery efforts are ongoing as the company moves toward a "permanent solution" in the coming months.
State Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, and Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, stand in the Senate chamber during a January business session at the Capitol.

The Oklahoma Senate has advanced part of its education agenda that would funnel more money to public schools and teacher development.

The package consists of six bills that would cost the state an estimated $81 million. After passing the Senate, bills need approval from the House of Representatives and the governor to become law.

However, the Senate bills face an uphill battle in the House, after Speaker Charles McCall said last week that the Senate's education priorities were "dead on arrival" unless the Senate passed his own slate of education bills  without any amendment.

McCall, R-Atoka, told reporters that he would interpret any amendments to his legislation on school choice tax credits, teacher pay raises and school funding as an act of "sabotage." Senate leader Greg Treat has said the speaker's bills don't have enough votes to pass without being amended.

The bills adopted by the Senate on Tuesday include the creation of a mentorship program, teacher scholarships, a reworking of how schools are funded and the creation of a task force to study child literacy.

More:Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall gives ultimatum to Senate on school funding, tax credit bills

"I firmly believe in the bills that we are advancing through the Senate. I cannot control what the other chamber does, and it's certainly their purview to bring bills to the floor or not," said Pugh, who said he spent months speaking with teachers, parents, school administrators to develop a bipartisan education plan that addresses some of the state's most important education needs.

After Pugh's bills passed the Senate, McCall's office confirmed that his threat to block Senate education policy still stands.

The Oklahoma Senate has passed these education bills

Senate Bill 529 would create the Oklahoma Teacher Corps, a program that would provide scholarships for people earning a teaching degree at a college or university. The bill requires recipients to work for four years in schools with high numbers of impoverished students.

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Senate Bill 359 adjusts the public school funding formula so that schools will receive state aid based on a more accurate set of data, Pugh said. The current formula allots money to school districts based on projected ad valorem, or property tax revenue, which can fluctuate; if this legislation becomes law, the formula would account for actual ad valorem collections.

Typically, a school that receives significant revenue from local ad valorem taxes will receive less (or no) state aid.

Senate Bill 522 creates a $500 stipend for teachers who mentor new teachers. Another bill that passed Tuesday, Senate Bill 525, would let a school be reimbursed for covering some of its teachers' certification costs.

Additional legislation included in the Senate's education plan would create an early childhood literacy task force, modify the state report card system and provide a bonus to schools that improve students' college, career and military readiness.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What education bills have passed the Oklahoma Senate so far?
SEAN GLADWELL - Getty Images

In November 2022, Xcel Energy's Monticello nuclear power plant leaked 400,000 gallons of radioactive water.

The leak was reported to regulators, but it wasn't made public until now.

Officials report the leak is contained on Xcel's property and offers no immediate public health risk.

You never want to hear about the leak of 400,000 gallons of radioactive water from a nuclear power plant. And you certainly don't want to hear about it four months after it happened. That's the situation in Minnesota, where Xcel Energy's Monticello nuclear power plant northwest of Minneapolis leaked the contaminated water in November and the situation was just made public.

"Xcel Energy took swift action to contain the leak to the plant site, which poses no health and safety risk to the local community or the environment," the company says in a statement.

Xcel Energy notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the state the day the leak was confirmed on November 22, 2022. Since that time, the company has pumped, stored, treated, and reused the leaked water on site, ensuring it now contains levels of tritiuma compound naturally present in the environment and that emits low levels of radiationconsidered safe.

While government officials knew about the presence of tritium, it was waiting until Xcel identified the source of the leak, says Michael Rafferty, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency spokesman, according to the Associated Press. "Now that we have all the information about where the leak occurred, how much was released into groundwater, and that contaminated groundwater had moved beyond the original location, we are sharing this information," he says.

The company says there was no threat to the health and safety of the public.

Over two dozen on-site monitoring wells confirms that the leaked water is fully contained on the site and has not seeped beyond the facility or to any local drinking water, according to Xcel. "State agencies continue to monitor Xcel Energy's remediation work to ensure the continued safety of the local community and surrounding environment," the company says.

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The source of the leak was a faulty water pipe running between two buildings.

The company is gathering and treating all potentially affected water. Xcel says that the radiation levels in the leaked water are "so low" that even if the water reaches a drinking water source, it will still be safe for a person to drink. Tritium is compound found in everyday food items and is considered a weak form of beta radiation.

To contain the leak, the facility diverts water to an in-plant water treatment system and plans a permanent solution this spring. The company has recovered about 25 percent of the tritium released and expects to recover the rest in the next year.

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A man was arrested for illegally killing at least one elk and mortally wounding three others near the Oregon Coast.

A 66-year-old man blamed elk fever, officials said, for illegally shooting into a herd of elk, killing one animal and mortally wounding three others in January in the Nehalem area on the Oregon Coast.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife didnt name the man due to an ongoing investigation, the agency said in a news release.

The man was charged with multiple counts, including: hunting via a prohibited method; shooting from the roadway; unlawful taking/possession of antlerless elk; and unlawful taking/possession of bull elk.

Troopers seized a .308 rifle for evidence, along with the elk the man had tagged and processed.

The Oregon State Police said in a news release that State Police Fish and Wildlife troopers responded to a call into the Turn in Poachers tip line and found three wounded elk in a herd of about 30. Troopers at that time put down a mortally wounded cow elk.

The hunter, who had a late-season cow elk tag and permission to hunt in the area from the landowner, had already left with a cow elk.

The next day, troopers again checked the herd and put down a mortally wounded bull. A wounded cow elk ran into the Nehalem River and is believed to have drowned.

State Police said the landowner reported the hunter had stopped at the road and started shooting. The landowner later called the man and encouraged him to turn himself in for poaching. The man did turn himself in.

The bull elk and cow elk that troopers were forced to put down and the cow elk the subject had processed were donated. Two elk went to the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and one elk went to the Tillamook County Jail, according to State Police.

Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Urness is the author of Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon and Hiking Southern Oregon. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon man accused of shooting into herd blames 'elk fever'
Pinocchio co-directors Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson are going in separate but equally exciting directions. Both are continuing the partnership fostered with ShadowMachine Animation during the production of their highly lauded collaborative effort, which nabbed Netflix its very first Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

Announcing Milepost 88, a mystery series described as sort of Coen brothers-esque, Gustafson said, Now that weve set a certain famous wooden boy loose on the world, Im excited to launch another great adventure of my own in stop-motion animation. The show will be set in Nevadas Great Basin, where two brothers and gas station proprietors meet a traveler who has a strangely acute knowledge of their familys history. A parallel story takes place in 1969 and follows a cosmonaut trying to become the first man to walk on the moon. Before teaming with del Toro on Pinocchio, Gustafson was Wes Andersons animation director on Fantastic Mr. Fox. Milepost 88 is based on an original idea he conceived.

More from GoldDerby

SEE Guillermo del Toros Pinocchio lands Netflix its first animated feature Oscar

Del Toro, on the other hand, is busy casting a live-action, Netflix-financed Frankenstein adaptation. The internet naturally buzzed with excitement at news that hes eyeing Mia Goth, Andrew Garfield, and Oscar Isaac. Presumably, Garfield will play Dr. Frankenstein, Goth his love interest, and Isaac his ungodly creation.

Before beginning production on Frankenstein, del Toro is scheduled to complete his stop-motion adaptation of Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguros The Buried Giant, also for Netflix. The 2015 fantasy novel is set in a fictional post-Arthurian England in which no-one is able to retain long-term memories. Matilda the Musical writer Dennis Kelly penned the script with del Toro.

Story continues

SEE Netflix Top 10 (Week of March 6): Luther: The Fallen Sun tops the English language film charts

The Pans Labyrinth and Nightmare Alley directors densifying schedule leaves the fate of his rumored plans to adapt H.P. Lovecrafts At the Mountains of Madness with Phil Tippett increasingly uncertain.

After winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature on March 12 and taking the stage with Gustafson, del Toro said, Animation is cinema, animation is not a genre, and animation is ready to be taken to the next step. We are all ready for it. Please help us keep animation in the conversation. Gustafson said, Its so good to know that this art form that we love so much, stop motion, is very much alive and well, and gave thanks to ShadowMachine.

In addition to Pinocchio and The Buried Giant, the Portland-based animation house, founded by Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico, has worked with Netflix on BoJack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie.

PREDICT the 2023 Emmy nominees through July 12

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The Ponderosa Lodge went up in flames on March 10, 2023, leaving owners David and Jennifer Sharp with little to nothing. The lodge was known as the cornerstone of its small mountain community.

In Central California, high within the Sierra Nevada mountains sits a small, tight-knit community.

With a population of fewer than 80 people, Ponderosa residents livelihoods have been threatened due to the recent atmospheric rivers sweeping through the state.

The Ponderosa Lodge  known as the cornerstone of its small mountain community  burned to the ground on March 10, leaving owners David and Jennifer Sharp with nothing but charred rubble.

The whole entire thing has just been one wild ride, David said. We are devastated and heartbroken, to say the least... Heart, soul, and everything we had was in that place.

Like the firefighters desperate to get to the lodge late Friday, the duo was basically trapped on the outside looking in. The storm left behind feet of snow, making travel throughout the area impossible.

The Ponderosa Lodge went up in flames on March 10, 2023, leaving owners David and Jennifer Sharp with little to nothing. The lodge was known as the cornerstone of its small mountain community.

They had to wait four days before they could travel into town.

Closure was actually seeing it, David said. Its been like a pill thats been stuck in your throat that you have to swallow over the last four days, and you cant.

Finally, you get it down... and then its done.

It is believed that falling ice created by the severe storm struck and damaged a propane tank, causing the fire. Residents told the owners they heard a crash before flames engulfed the building.

Unfortunately, the property was uninsured after being dropped by their carrier during the recent wildfires, leaving David and Jennifer feeling helpless.

The Ponderosa Lodge went up in flames on March 10, 2023, leaving owners David and Jennifer Sharp with little to nothing. The lodge was known as the cornerstone of its small mountain community.

Photos from the aftermath show the rubble left behind.

Before the fire, the Ponderosa Lodge had a general store, tavern, mercantile and restaurant with themed foods, like the Pondo Fries, Ponderosa burger and Ponderosa cheesesteak.

Handpicked and one-of-a-kind items and local artisan products were also sold by the lodge.

The lodge has meant so much to so many, but no one more than its current owners, Chris Adams, organizer of the Ponderosa Lodge GoFundMe said. They have dedicated their money, blood, sweat and tears, tirelessly working to keep the lodge running and creating a magical space for so many of us to enjoy.

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The lodge has provided community members and travelers with a place to eat, sleep and drink since the 1960s.

This was the pinnacle of where people came in, not only in the community, but this whole entire mountain, David said. This is where everybody comes.

David and Jennifer purchased the lodge for over $500,000 in 2018. Two years later, when the surrounding area was under evacuation due to the SQF Complex Fire, they provided shelter to firefighters and journalists and handed out over 11,000 meals in just four weeks.

The Castle Fire has burned more than 10,000 acres in the Sequoia National Forest, blanketing the mountain in heavy smoke and sparking a voluntary evacuation notice across Camp Nelson and Ponderosa.

Since taking over the Ponderosa Lodge, the couple has poured their life savings into making upgrades to the area. All of it was lost in a matter of minutes.

Now, the owners are focusing on moving forward. Thanks to the GoFundMe page Adams created, David and Jennifer have a $60,000 start on rebuilding; however, the overall monetary goal hasnt been met yet.

We got a call this morning from a friend of mine, and he talked about rebuilding, David said. We couldnt even fathom the idea, but now, he put some pep in my step... maybe we can actually get some things done.

Memories of the Ponderosa Lodge

After sharing the news over the weekend, hundreds of people have shared personal memories or stories about the Ponderosa Lodge on social media.

Favorite lunch place in the mountains, Donnetta Murray wrote, sharing a photo of two people riding horses. Sitting on the deck in the summer, you never knew how people would arrive in the parking lot.

A handful of community members said they enjoyed the chili cook-offs each year, others described the area as the perfect motorcycle and snowmobile pit stop. A few couples spent an anniversary or two at the lodge.

But the best thing of all about Ponderosa Lodge is you were family, they never forgot your name, always welcomed you and made you feel at home always, Shona Torix wrote. This tradition never wavered through the different owners. I pray that you can rebuild.

Employees at the Ponderosa Lodge lode up a hauler with the winter's firewood as the Windy Fire climbs up Slate Mountain just west of the town.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Ponderosa Lodge 'a total loss' following structure fire during storm
Prince Joachim (R) and Princess Marie of Denmark look on as they leave The Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on September 30, 2019, following a luncheon after a church service for former French President Jacques Chirac. - Former French President Jacques Chirac died on September 26, 2019 at the age of 86.

BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Princess Marie and Prince Joachim of Denmark

Prince Joachim of Denmark is coming to America!

The palace announced on Friday that Prince Joachim and his wife, Princess Marie, are moving to Washington, D.C. this summer. The second son of Queen Margrethe will start a new job at the Danish Embassy under the Ministry of Defense on September 1, helping strengthen the defense industrial cooperation with the United States and Canada in the coming years.

The announcement said that Prince Joachim and his "family" will make the move, likely meaning the couple's two children, 13-year-old son Henrik and 11-year-old daughter Athena, will join them. Joachim is also a father to sons Nikolai, 23, and Felix, 20, from his previous marriage to Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg.

Prince Joachim, 53, and Princess Marie, 47, moved to France four years ago. "The reason was that Prince Joachim initiated France's highest-ranking military training course as a supplement to the Prince's long-term commitment to the Defense," the palace said. "After completing the education, both the Prince and Princess were associated with the Danish Embassy in Paris as the Defence Attache and Special Cultural Representative, respectively."

RELATED: Denmark's Royal House Updates Website After Prince Joachim's 4 Children Officially Lose Their Titles

The news comes after Queen Margrethe announced last year that she was stripping Prince Joachim's four children of their prince or princess titles and "His/Her Highness" styling. At the start of 2023, they became known instead by His Excellency Count of Monpezat or Her Excellency Countess of Monpezat.

The announcement created strain within the Danish royal family. Prince Joachim told the press he felt blindsided by the bombshell and claimed he was only given five days' notice of the news. Queen Margrethe, however, maintained that the plans had been in motion for a while and said the decision was made in the best interests of her grandchildren.

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Shortly after the announcement was made, the monarch issued an apology saying she "underestimated" how greatly the shock of the news would affect the family dynamic and calling the change "necessary future-proofing of the monarchy."

Prince Felix, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim, Princess Athena, Prince Henrik and Prince Nikolai

MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images Prince Joachim with his wife, Princess Marie, and four children

While Prince Joachim and Princess Marie are about to call the United States home, another royal resident is leaving the country. The Swedish palace announced earlier this month that Princess Madeleine of Sweden will return to her home country after living in Florida with her husband and their three children since 2018.

"HRH Princess Madeleine and Mr. Christopher O'Neill, together with their children, will move to Stockholm in August 2023," they said in a statement, adding that they'll relocate to Sweden "indefinitely." They will reside in an apartment at Stockholm's Royal Stables.

Their two eldest children, 9-year-old Princess Leonore and 7-year-old Prince Nicolas, will begin elementary school in Stockholm in the fall, while 4-year-old Princess Adrienne will start preschool.

Princess Madeleine, Princess Adrienne, Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas and Christopher O'Neill attend Prince Julian's baptism outside Drottningholm Castle Chapel

Rune Hellestad/Getty Images Princess Madeleine of Sweden with her husband and three children

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Prince Joachim will join some other royal residents in the U.S. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle relocated to her home state of California in 2020 after stepping back from their royal roles within the British royal family. They live in Montecito with their children, 3-year-old son Prince Archie and 1-year-old daughter Princess Lilibet.

Royal sisters (and Prince Harry's cousins) Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie have also lived in the United States at points in the recent past.

Japan's former Princess Mako gave up her royal status to marry her college boyfriend. The couple moved to New York City in 2021, and Mako reportedly got a job assisting curators at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Chris Jackson - Getty Images

The Prince and Princess of Wales made an elegant appearance today at the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Aldershot, England.

While there, Prince William and Princess Catherinewho is the new Colonel of the Irish Guardsjoined the regiment in the celebration and honored Ireland with their ensembles.

They both gave speeches at the event. Prince William bid the Irish Guards farewell as he passes the title onto Kate. "It has been one of the great honours of my life to hold that title," he said. "I may be stepping aside, but in Colonel Catherine you have a committed, focussed, and already incredibly loyal 11th Colonel."

Chris Jackson - Getty Images

Princess Kate said, "I really couldn't be prouder to stand in front of you here today. It really is a true honor to be your Colonel. I am here to listen to you, to support you, and to champion you in all you dothis is a responsibility I do not take lightly."

Chris Jackson - Getty Images

For the occasion, Kate wore a stunning teal coat dress by Catherine Walker & Co. with sharp shoulders, a mock turtleneck collar, long sleeves, and large buttons at the front. She styled it with teal suede heels and a matching fascinator with a dramatic pleated chiffon embellishment.

Chris Jackson - Getty Images

Kate also paid tribute to Ireland in her accessories, which included diamond drop earrings with green stones, her sapphire-and-diamond engagement ring, and a fresh green leaf and clover arrangement which she wore as a brooch. William wore a similar one pinned to his military cap. The prince dressed in full military attire, as is custom, for the event.

Samir Hussein - Getty Images

Kate was recently given the role of colonel by King Charles III. Prince William is now the Colonel of the Welsh Guards, as he is the Prince of Wales.



The parade marks Kate's second outing with the Irish Guards since becoming colonel of the regiment. Just last week, she visited some of the troops in bound Salisbury Plain Training Area wearing full camo.

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A South African wildlife photographer was out on Sunset Beach when he came across something unusual.

A small shark, with an incredibly long tail fin, was washed up on the beach.

Its not often we get to see this remarkable shark, the photographer, Alex Aitkenhead, told IOL, a news site in South Africa.

The rare sighting was a juvenile thresher shark, Aitkenhead said in a Facebook post.

Thresher sharks are a group of three shark species that are known for their long, scythe-like tails that account for half their body length, according to Shark Advocates International.

Their tails arent just for show.

Thresher sharks are aggressive predators that use their tail to hit and stun fish species, knocking them out before taking a bite, according to NOAA Fisheries.

Thresher shark tail fins can account for half of the sharks total body size, and aids in their ability to hunt and kill prey.

The sharks have a large environmental range, reaching from the North Atlantic to the central Pacific, but they are not common to South Africa, Shark Advocates International says.

Deputy Mayor of Cape Town Eddie Andrews told IOL that the last time a thresher shark washed ashorewas multiple years ago in Strand, 30 miles outside the city.

Its not common for this species to wash ashore in Cape Town, due mainly to the fact that these sharks prefer warm, temperate or tropical waters and are pelagic, meaning found in the deep sea, Andrews said.

Sightings of the shark are rare for another reason.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has the thresher shark listed as vulnerable on their Red List, meaning the populations are in decline and are at risk of becoming endangered.

Thresher sharks typically like warmer, deep water, but this juvenile found its way to a South African beach.

Shark Advocates International says that thresher sharks are fished for their meat, their skin is used for leather and their livers are used for oil in some countries. They are also fished recreationally, including in the United States.

At the time we did not realize the significance of such a find as we know this shark, Aitkenhead told Newsweek. This shark was in a very good state  no damage or any sign of injuries or predation.

Story continues

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Forgot to put in your loyalty number when book a flight? No problem.

Getty Images

So, youve planned, booked, and actually gone on a vacation. Good for you. You deserve it. But you arrive home only to realize you forgot to pop in your airline loyalty code, potentially missing out on valuable airline points, which can snag you upgrades, discounts, and even free flights along the way. But hang on. You can, in fact, still nab those points, even long after youve returned home.

"In all of the excitement  and sometimes stress  of booking a trip, it can be easy to overlook the details," Scott Keyes, founder of Going, shared with Travel + Leisure. "Luckily, most airlines recognize that if youre going to stick around as a loyal customer, its in their best interest to let you claim those miles retroactively."

As Keyes explained, there are two simple ways to remember to get those hard-earned points: Use a password manager and save your loyalty program login information for each airlines website, making it easy to log in with your loyalty number attached, or create a spreadsheet of all loyalty account numbers so you have an easy-to-find place to snag them from.

But if you forgot, its OK. Most airlines, Keyes said, allow travelers to request miles three to 14 days after booking and within 12 months of travel.

For example, Keyes said, Alaska Airlines, which uses the Mileage Plan, allows fliers to request points seven days after a domestic flight and at least 14 days after an international or partner flight, with up to 12 months to request points.

To request, Keyes said, "Youll need your Mileage Plan number and 13-digit ticket number, which you can find in your confirmation email or in the description field of your credit card statement if you paid that way. If you dont have your Mileage Plan number, a customer service representative can help you add your miles using the confirmation code on your purchase receipt."

Meanwhile, American Airlines, which uses AAdvantage, allows travelers to request three days after a flight. Like Alaska, "youll need your AAdvantage number and 13-digit ticket number." Keyes added, "If you dont have an AAdvantage number, you should sign up for the program first and then use your new number to request your miles."



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Then, theres Delta, with its SkyMiles program. While travelers can request points seven days after travel, they only have nine months after their flight to get them. You dont need to be a member at the time of travel, so if you do sign up post-trip, make sure to request your points. Others, like JetBlue, United, and Southwest, offer similar timelines and ways to request. All you need to do is look for the individual airlines customer service website.



"Getting airline miles for a flight you already took is about as close to a free lunch as youll ever find," Keyes said. "Its free to sign up for airline loyalty programs, and the miles you earn can be redeemed for upgrades or even free flights."

For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
No agonizingly sweet drinks or colorful mixers needed.

Eva Kolenko

'Party drinks' have become synonymous with St. Patrick's Day but there's no need to go for overly complicated cocktails that are filled with artificial colors or loads of sugar. Ireland produces some of the best spirits in the world after all, so why not mix up a drink that celebrates those complex flavors rather than mask them. These classic drinks reflect the artfully crafted spirits from around the country and are just the drinks to showcase your skills at your next party, say, your St. Patrick's Day party.

Related:21 Recipes to Make This St. Patrick's Day, From Corned Beef and Cabbage to Traditional Brown Bread

Irish Coffee

Brent Hofacker / Getty Images

This list wouldn't be complete without an Irish coffee, but skip the Bailey's. This recipe is a classic that calls for real whipped cream, Irish whiskey, good coffee, and sugar.

:Get the Recipe

Gaelic Punch

 Tina Rupp

Looking for a crowd pleaser for your St. Patrick's Day party that's no fuss? The Gaelic Punch is the answer. This make-ahead recipe serves 14 and is bound to be a hit. Pro tip, use young Irish whiskeys for your hot punches. Heat intensifies the tannic edge of older whiskey, whereas young ones stay smooth.

:Get the Recipe

Once Upon a Paris Bar

Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Don't let the name of this cocktail fool you, created by Oisin Kelly at Dublin's Sidecar Bar, the Once Upon a Paris Bar is a riff on the classic Sidecar. The cocktail highlights Irish whiskey (the team at Sidecar prefers Roe & Co., but another fruit- or vanilla-forward Irish whiskey will do) and the presentation is first-class.

:Get the Recipe

Mr. J

Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Ariel Sanecki spent years overseeing the drinks program at Adare Manor, one of Ireland's more revered luxury hotels, earning a reputation as one of the best bartenders in the country. He's now mixing up drinks at Hilliard's in Killarney, a restaurant and cocktail bar recently opened in a landmark department store. He's shared one of his favorite drinks that combines the richness of chocolate bitters and coffee, and highlights the complexity of the Scotch.

Story continues

:Get the Recipe

Tipperary

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon

Since Ireland produces some of the best whiskey in the world, we wanted to highlight the spirit as much as possible in the drink. We use one-and-a-half ounces of Irish whiskey, plus equal parts green Chartreuse and sweet vermouth to compliment the sweet and spicy flavors. Then just two dashes of angostura bitters to add an extra bite and an expression of orange peel oils to brighten it up.

:Get the Recipe

Hums of Aisling

 Lucas Allen

New York City mixologist Pamela Wiznitzer describes this hot Irish whiskey drink as perfect on a bitter-cold day. According to Wiznitzer, many women in the 1700s and 1800s snuck whiskey into their hot drinks. Thank goodness theres nothing taboo about a woman enjoying a hot whiskey drink these days, she says.

:Get the Recipe

Hot Toddy

Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Lucy Simon

While this recipe calls for Bourbon, supplementing with an Irish whiskey packs an extra punch of flavor. And while most think of a Hot Toddy on cold winter nights, this really could (and should) be enjoyed year round. It's just too good to relegate to one season per year.

:Get the Recipe

Irish Buck Cocktail

Eva Kolenko

Light yet oaky, Irish whiskey joins tart lemon juice, honey, and spicy ginger beer in this refreshing, fizzy, basil-scented Irish Buck cocktail.

:Get the Recipe

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Read the original article on Food & Wine.
Spring Books Preview

Spring 2023 Books Preview

April is the cruelest month for many things  but not, thank the publishing gods, your Goodreads new-releases queue. This spring's literary cup overflows with fresh tales from major names (Verghese, Lehane), thrilling debuts, and masters of nonfiction in all its forms.

<i>The Trackers</i> by Charles Frazier

The author of dad-bookshelf stalwarts Cold Mountain and Varina pivots from the Civil War to the Great Depression with another richly panoramic doorstopper  this time about a young WPA painter tasked with tracking down a wealthy man's runaway wife from the Wyoming plains through San Francisco to the swamps of Florida. (April 11)

Spring Books Preview Charles Frazier, The Trackers

<i>Sea Change</i> by Gina Chung

Call it My Octopus Teacher II: Depressive Boogaloo. In Chung's lightly fantastical debut, 30-year-old Ro is in the thick of a quarter-life crisis: Her marine-biologist father disappeared years ago, her ex-boyfriend is off to train for a mission to Mars, and a giant cephalopod named Dolores may be her only friend at the mall aquarium where she begrudgingly cleans the tanks and does other menial tasks. Can Ro find a leg (or eight arms) to stand on? (April 11)

Spring Books Preview Gina Chung, Sea Change

<i>Small Mercies</i> by Dennis Lehane

The bard of Boston returns with a raw-knuckled tale of school integration, racial tension, and a pair of suspicious deaths that rattles both sides of that divide circa 1974. Readers of Gone Baby Gone and Mystic River will recognize the broad outlines: blue-collar clashes, tenacious detectives, ornery moms. And of course Southie: an indelible place where "most kids came out of the womb clutching a Schlitz and a pack of Luckies." (April 11)

Spring Books Preview Dennis Lehane, Small Mercies

<i>The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder</i> by David Grann

Few writers working today spin buried histories into gold quite like Grann; the Killers of the Flower Moon scribe's heavily researched recounting of a wrecked British vessel that washed up on the shores of 18th-century Brazil  and the tangle of wildly conflicting narratives that ensued  has already been snapped up for adaptation by Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese, who will release their film version of Moon later this year. (April 18)

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Spring Books Preview David Grann, The Wager

<i>Ascension</i> by Nicholas Binge

Why did a brilliant scientist spend 30 years in a madhouse, then violently take his own life? It might have something to do with a snow-capped mountain that suddenly materialized in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a long-ago mission he never spoke of, but you'll have to read deep into Binge's eerie metaphysical thriller  which recalls literary nightmare fodder like Scott Smith's The Ruins and Jeff Vandermeer's Annihilation  to find out. Sleep tight! (April 25)

Spring Books Preview Nicholas Binge, Ascension

<i>Chain-Gang All-Stars</i> by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

The title is not a metaphor: Gladiator meets Mad Max at the penal colony in the brutal, world-building latest from Adjei-Brenyah (Friday Black), in which two women fight to earn their freedom in a dystopian near-future prison system, or die trying. (May 2)

Chain Gang All Stars: A Novel by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

<i>Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma</i> by Claire Dededer

Roman Polanski, Michael Jackson, Picasso: How do we navigate the moral obstacle course of loving the art but not the artist? And how do we shape our own private hierarchies of what we will and won't accept? Springboarding off her viral Paris Review essay, author and essayist Dededer delves into the deeply personal clash between ethical obligation and aesthetic pleasure. (Perhaps not surprisingly, one sex dominates here, but men are not the only culprits; J.K. Rowling gets her own chapter.) (April 25)

Spring Books Preview Claire Dederer, Monsters

<i>The Half Moon</i> by Mary Beth Keane

Once again, Keane mines the family strife and secrecy that made her absorbing 2019 debut Ask Again, Yes one of the bigger book-club breakouts of the last several years. Here, a full marriage story is compressed within the span of a single week as charming, gregarious bartender Malcolm and his conscientious lawyer wife Jess confront the longtime fissures in their union and the many dreams deferred. (May 2)

Spring Books Preview Mary Beth Keane, The Half Moon

<i>The Covenant of Water</i> by Abraham Verghese

Verghese's 2009 novel Cutting for Stone spent more than two years on the New York Times bestseller list and sold over one million copies (Obama was a fan). Fourteen years later, the Ethiopian-born physician and Stanford professor returns with this shimmering 700-page epic set on the Malabar Coast of India amidst a family beset by a singular sort of curse: in every generation, at least one member drowns. (May 2)

Spring Books Preview Abraham Verghese, The Covenant of Water

<i>The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece </i> by Tom Hanks

A novel by a major motion-picture star about the making of a major motion picture? Oscar winner and general American treasure Tom Hanks is too universally beloved to make pure Malkovich-Malkovich chaos out of all that; instead, his warmhearted storytelling winds from post-WWII to the present day, as an underground comic book inspired by a war-hero uncle becomes a, well, you know. (May 9)

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<i>Yellowface</i> by RF Kuang

The recent mini-boom in satirical lit-world metafiction gets a wicked boost from Kuang's sly, ruthless portrait of a white Yale grad who steals her late Asian classmate's unpublished masterwork and passes it off as her own, complete with a new nom de plume and ethnically ambiguous makeover. Will it all go to hell in a karmic hand-basket? Your first two guesses don't count. (May 16)

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<i>The Guest</i> by Emma Cline

While the world awaits an elusive screen adaptation of her sensational 2016 debut The Girls, Cline (Daddy) quietly continues to be one of the best and most discomfiting young writers working today. In Guest, she turns her X-ray gaze to Alex, a 22-year-old grifter with more than a little Mr. Ripley Goes to the Hamptons in her survival-of-the-fittest schemes and machinations. (May 2)

Spring Books Preview Emma Cline, The Guest Publisher  :  Random House

<i>Quietly Hostile</i> by Samantha Irby

"This is not an advice book. And I don't know anything," Irby's latest begins. Instead, the bottle-rocket wit behind the bestselling essay collections Wow, No Thank You and We Are Never Meeting in Real Life loosens herself like a one-woman fun-kraken on whatever topic catches her keen observational fancy: pelvic floors, rest-stop convenience stores, a deep abiding love for the Dave Matthews Band. (May 16)

Samantha Irby, Quietly Hostile Publisher  :  Vintage

<i>Good Night, Irene</i> by Luis Alberto Urrea

Urrea (The Hummingbird's Daughter, The House of Broken Angels) bends a fertile bough from his own family tree in Irene, a sweeping novel loosely based on his mother's experiences as a plucky, rebellious Red Cross volunteer with the so-called Donut Dollies on the battlefields of WWII, and the love stories  both romantic and platonic  that followed her home. (May 30)

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<i>The Celebrants</i> by Stephen Rowley

"Big Chill, but make it Gen X-y and at least 30% more gay": That's one potential logline for the fizzy, emotionally intelligent latest from Guncle author Rowley, in which a group of college friends continue to reunite decades after the death of one of their own, having vowed to give each other "living funerals"  without realizing how literal the next one might be. (May 30)

The Celebrants by Stephen Rowley Publisher  :  G.P. Putnam's Sons

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Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Wikimedia Commons/Pixabay

A Virginia lawmaker who previously warned of a coming Civil War in America is proposing a law that would make it a felony to pass gun laws.

Virginia delegate Marie March made national headlines in 2021 when she was among a crop of candidates who won election despite attending a Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally in D.C. that preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol. March has not been charged with a crime and says she left the rally before the attack. Now shes running a tense reelection campaign against an opponent shes accused of assaulting her (which he denies) and being weak on gun laws. And to distinguish herself from rival Virginia Republicans, shes proposed a baffling new gun policy.

In a Wednesday email, first reported by Virginia political journalist Brandon Jarvis, March solicited funds from supporters who oppose Joe Biden and his anti-gun schemes.

Jan. Sixers Are Using Sovereign Citizen Defenses to Try and Get Out of Prison

If re-elected, March wrote, I will lead the effort to outlaw every single Federal Anti-Gun Edict or rule change here in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and make it a felony to try to push these anti-gun schemes on law-abiding citizens.

Its unclear how such legislation would possibly work, even in the unlikely event that it is enacted. Would U.S. senators who voted for gun laws be extradited to Virginia? March did not return a call or email request for clarification.

In her email, March offered a baroque legal theory to support the hypothetical bill.

You see, James Madison, who wrote the Constitution, and Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence both authored another key piece of legislation that passedthe 1798 Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, she wrote. In these Resolutions Jefferson said States must nullify any and all unconstitutional actions by the Federal Government and Madison said it is the duty of State Delegates to do so.

Those writings, Jarvis noted, have previously been cited by Civil War-era secessionists and more modern opponents of school desegregation. In 1800, Madison wrote (and the Virginia General Assembly passed) a report declaring that states had no legal grounds to overturn federal law.

Story continues

Meanwhile, March has struggled to enact more reality-based laws, leading to conflict with fellow Virginia Republicans. Amid an intra-party feud this year, March released a video implying that Virginias lieutenant governor (a Republican) had called her swine.

I just want you to know that Ive held to my guns to the point that Ive even had someone from way up here come in my office and scream at me and call me swine, she came in my office, she slammed my door, and she said that she will not throw down pearls before swine over me not willing to vote for a bad bill, March said in the video.

Sources told Virginias Cardinal News that some of the conflict began when March appeared not to recognize Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who had visited her office to discuss a bill. (March denied the allegation.)

She also filed assault charges against her reelection opponent, delegate Wren Williams. March alleged that, during a gala, Williams intentionally pushed/shouldered slammed her. Surveillance footage obtained by the Cardinal News shows March reenacting the alleged event dramatically, although footage of the supposed attack appears to show Williams bumping into March and apologizing while leaving the event with his wife, who was pregnant. He was acquitted of the charges.

March blamed some of the trials outcome on supposed political corruption. Judges are appointed by politicians and the swamp is deep, folks, she wrote on Facebook. Our country is in a sad state of affairs.

Republicans Court the Red Scare Left With Roger Stone Martini Hour

In previous Facebook posts, she has warned of potential bloodshed between political factions.

Will the coming War be us killing each other in order to reset this Country? she wrote amid racial justice protests in 2020. Will we kill off the old OR will we kill off the young? Can we live with our conscience when we actually take human life and end their potential? What about the folks in the middle, how will you side when you see the faults of both sides and you also see the potential of both? HOW can we work together? Or can we? I personally will fight and die for my family. I will also die for my small businesses because I have dedicated my life to them, and these businesses will help to employ my family and feed them.

Her small businesses arent waiting for a civil war before they die. One of the restaurants she owns, Due South BBQ in Christianburg, announced this month that it is closing due to the continued high cost of food and labor. Late last year, she also closed her nearby restaurant Fatback Soul Shack. Shes also selling off a property that houses the Bear Dance Market & CBD Cafe (independently operated) and clashed with local officials over an attempted sale of the Big Red Barn, an agritourism destination. Officials found that March was operating the venue in non-compliance with zoning laws. March, in response, accused the officials of conspiracy to hurt her business. A special prosecutor who reviewed Marchs allegations said she did not provide even reasonable suspicion, much less probable cause.

In her Wednesday email suggesting felony charges for legislators who pass gun laws, March again hinted at a conspiracy against her and her businesses.

I am going to be honest, I am being attacked by the fake news, the bureaucracy and the Richmond Swamp, she wrote. My small businesses are under attack and I am being personally targeted by lies and threats.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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View of the Tampa Bay skyline, Florida.

View of the Tampa Bay skyline, Florida. Credit - Joe SohmVisions of America/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Floridas city du jour is eager to earn permanent status on travelers lists of sunny, accessible escapes worthy of a weekend stay, as a cutting-edge, multi-billion-dollar landmark development project redefines its downtown. Water Street Tampa wrapped phase one late last year with the unveiling of the citys first true five-star hotel, The Tampa EDITION (there are currently only five in the US, including one in Miami), with Michelin-starred chef John Fraser at the helm.

Backed by Bill Gates and Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik, the project has already seen the Verge, its main pedestrian promenade, mushroom with restaurants like Boulon Brasserie, with spectacular interiors by a Montreal designer and ridiculously good escargot, and The Pearl, a stylish oyster bar across the street, as well as lifestyle hotels and residences including ROOST Apartment Hotel. The neighborhood was recently named the worlds first WELL-certified City District, too, thanks to its focus on sustainability and livability, and rentable electric scooters make it easy to zip around downtown.

The development is at the crux of a downtown renaissance thats seen Tampa finally take full advantage of whats been here all alongwater, water, everywhere, between the Hillsborough River and Tampa Bay. The city has become an entrepreneur- and millennial-magnet, with bleisure a way of life at spots like Sparkman Wharf, where top chefs proffer light bites and cocktails from within shipping containers astride a busy shipping canal, and Armature Works, a chic food hall inside a restored trolley warehouse along the 2.6-mile Tampa Riverwalk.

With Tampas first nonstop flight from Heathrow via Virgin Atlantic debuting late last year; easy access to the art-loving, dog-friendly city of St. Pete; and plenty of sun, sand, and sea in nearby Pass-a-Grille Beach and Clearwater; theres never been a more appealing time to touch down.
The Concord City Council disbanded a task force meant to help a financially struggling historic Black college, citing a lack of transparency, cooperation and continued obstruction from school leadership.

Concord officials started the effort six years ago to create a revitalization plan for Barber-Scotia College, located in downtown Concord. The task force was established to partner with the school.

In the past several years, the 155-year-old college has faced staggering declining enrollment amid financial challenges and other hardships since losing its accreditation in 2004.

Despite our efforts and financial commitment, Barber-Scotia College officials refuse to work in partnership with us, and have continuously obstructed the work of the Task Force, Lindsay Manson, a spokesperson for the City of Concord, said in a news release Thursday. We no longer believe it is possible for the Task Force to work effectively in pursuit of a revitalized campus.

Members of Barber-Scotias Board of Trustees did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday. Trustee chairwoman Roberta Pinckney previously told The Charlotte Observer that leadership acknowledges the schools financial challenges, but remains hopeful this school could rise again.

This latest blow is among a few the beleaguered HBCU has faced in recent months. Barber-Scotia remains open to students to receive four-year degrees. At present, four students attend the college.

City council member JC McKenzie co-chaired the task force. The city offered funds for an engineering and construction study on the campus building, Manson said.

The task force also started a community survey in 2021 to generate new ideas for the campus.

Unfortunately, all of them were met with resistance by college officials, and often times met with no response at all, Manson said.

Recent Challenges

Last year, Barber-Scotia announced its five-year plan seeking to have its accreditation restored.

Story continues

Goals from the plan included to strengthen and evaluate current programs through internal academic reviews and increase enrollment to roughly 20 students per program.

Other objectives from the five-year plan are create a student retention plan, to build operational capacity, focus on leadership and financial strength by seeking new donors and creating a facilities plan.

Amid the execution of this plan, in February, school officials learned they could face a new bill. In a Feb. 16 letter to school leadership, Cabarrus County tax administrator David Thrift denied tax exemption for several parcels of the colleges land for not meeting statutory requirements.

School officials could face an estimated $127,000 property tax bill based on last years tax rate, according to county tax records. The college has until March 20 to appeal the decision.

Manson said since the college lost its accreditation, six of the 15 buildings have been deemed uninhabitable. Another three were hit with violations. She said city officials remain hopeful the legacy of Barber-Scotia will not whither despite the dissolution of the task force.

For any task force to be successful it takes a shared commitment and true collaboration, she said.

This is a developing story. Check back at charlotteobserver.com for updates.
Irvo Otieno Ben Crump Law

Seven sheriff's deputies and three Virginia state hospital workers have been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a 28-year-old Black man who died in custody after deputies allegedly pinned him to the ground for 12 minutes while his hands and legs were shackled.

Irvo Otieno died while he was being admitted to Central State Hospital in Petersburg, Virginia, on March 6, while Henrico County sheriff's deputies were transferring him from the county jail to the state mental health facility. Dinwiddie County Commonwealths Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill said deputies arrived at the hospital at 3:58 p.m. to admit Otieno as a patient. At 7:28 p.m., the Virginia State Police were called in to investigate his death.

State police investigators were told that Otieno, who was initially taken into custody on March 3 when his family says he was experiencing a mental health crisis, had become combative during the intake process, Baskervill said in a statement. But, according to Otieno's family and their lawyers, video of the incident shows that the 28-year-old was not violent or aggressive and posed no threat.

The medical examiner's office determined that Otieno died of asphyxiation, according to Baskervill.

"They smothered the breath out of my baby," Caroline Ouko said during a news conference Thursday afternoon after viewing the footage. "Why did they do that? What right did they have to do that?"

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is one of the attorneys representing the family, said that throughout the video Otieno appears to be "in between lifelessness and unconsciousness."

"But yet you see him being restrained so brutally with [a] knee on his neck the weight of seven individuals on his body while hes face down handcuffed with leg irons," Crump said, "and you say, My god, why?"

(Upper row from left to right) Wavie Jones, Darian Blackwell, Sadarius Williams, Brandon Rogers, and Dwayne Bramble (Lower row from left to right) Jermaine Branch, Kaiyell Sanders, Randy Boyer, Tabitha Levere, and Bradley Disse Meherrin River Regional Jail via Virginia State Police

Baskervill has charged the seven deputies involved  Randy Joseph Boyer, 57; Dwayne Alan Bramble, 37; Jermaine Lavar Branch, 45; Bradley Thomas Disse, 43; Tabitha Renee Levere, 50; Brandon Edwards Rodgers, 48; and Kaiyell Dajour Sanders, 30  with second-degree murder. During an arraignment hearing on Wednesday, Baskervill told the court that surveillance video from the hospital showed the deputies smothered Otieno to death with the weight of their bodies over the course of 12 minutes, WTVR CBS 6 News reported.

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On Thursday, Baskervill announced that she has also filed second-degree murder charges against three employees of the state hospital in connection with Otieno's death. They were identified as Darian M. Blackwell, 23, Wavie L. Jones, 34, and Sadarius D. Williams, 27.

The charges filed against all 10 individuals are defined as "criminal information," the commonwealth's attorney said, adding that the case will be presented to a Dinwiddie County grand jury next week for a final charging determination.

The criminal information warrants are based on the evidence collected, analyzed and evaluated to-date, Baskervill said in a statement. A key element of that evidence is the surveillance video from Central State Hospital that captures the intake process.

Caroline Ouko, center, holds up a picture of her son Irvo Otieno as she stands with civil rights attorney Ben Crump, left, and Otieno's brother Leon Ochieng, right, during a news conference on March 16, 2023. ABC 8News - WRIC / Via fb.watch

She said she won't be releasing the video publicly at this point in order to "maintain the integrity" of the criminal justice process.

Speaking to reporters after the arraignment on Wednesday, Cary Bowen, an attorney for Branch, one of the deputies charged, questioned Baskervill's decision, calling her approach "very aggressive."

"It's pretty unusual to go about things the way it's been done," Bowen said, according to WTVR. "This could've been done with a warrant or by direct indictment, which would have been the normal course of doing it."

While speaking with reporters Thursday, Crump compared Otieno's killing to that of George Floyd as he questioned the deputies' actions. Otieno was face-down for about half of the time the deputies were piled on top of him, Crump said.

"Why would anybody not have enough common sense to say weve seen this movie before?" Crump said. "If we continue to put pressure and weight and a knee while a person is in a prone position, we know how this movie is going to end."

The Henrico County Sheriff's Office has previously said that deputies were responding to a report of a possible burglary when they first made contact with Otieno on March 3, according to local news outlets.

Lt. Matt Pecka said officials placed Otieno under "an emergency custody order" after interacting and observing him and then took him to a local hospital for evaluation, where he "became physically assaultive towards officers," WTVR reported. Picka said Otieno was then taken to a county jail on suspicion of assaulting law enforcement, disorderly conduct, and vandalism, according to the local station. Three days later, he was taken to the state hospital, where he died.

Attorney Mark Krudys, who is also representing Otieno's family, told reporters that deputies presented "a huge show of force" when they showed up on Ouko's doorstep that day and took her son into custody, adding Otieno "went peacefully." Ouko had made it clear to officials that Otieno needed mental health help from physicians, Krudys said, adding that the family questions why he was at first removed from the hospital.

"It was at that facility that he should have gotten help," the attorney said, "but he was actually whisked out of that hospital."

The family's attorneys said they also viewed a video on Thursday of five deputies removing Otieno from a small cell at the jail before transporting him to the state hospital on March 6. Krudys said the footage shows Otieno naked in his cell, where there is feces on the floor, while deputies place handcuffs on him and then carry him out by his arms and legs.

"He's carried ... almost upside down being carried like an animal into the vehicle, almost lifeless," he said.

Ouko said her family emigrated from Kenya to the US when Otieno was 4 years old and that her son went to elementary school through high school in Virginia before going to California for college.

"Irvo is as American as apple pie," she said. "This is what he knows. This is home for him."

This is Irvo Otieno. A 28-yo aspiring musician deeply loved by his parents, who emigrated from Kenya when he was 4. On March 6, he was handcuffed and brutally smothered to death for 12 mins. by 7 Henrico County (VA) Sheriffs deputies at a state mental health facility. 05:13 PM - 16 Mar 2023

Ouko described her son as a young man with "a big heart" and a leader  not a follower.

"If there was a discussion, he was not afraid to go the other way when everybody else was following," she said. "This was my baby. He cared for people. He cared that people were treated right."

And even though he had been living with a mental illness since his senior year of high school and had long stretches when he was in distress, Otieno was an aspiring hip-hop artist and was "happy with what he was doing," Ouko said.

"He would write a song in less than five minutes," she said. "He was working towards his own record label."

But now, he'll never be able to achieve those dreams.

"What I saw today was heartbreaking, America," Ouko said, referring to the surveillance video of her son being allegedly smothered by deputies at the state hospital. "It was disturbing, it was traumatic. My son was tortured."

"Mental illness should not be your ticket to death," she continued. "There was a chance to rescue him. There was a chance to stop what was going on. And I don't understand how all systems failed him."

Ouko said she wants justice for her son and answers for why he was allegedly murdered. She encouraged people to take a moment to listen to his music, which he has uploaded under the name Young Vo, saying that's all she's left with of him now.

"I cannot be at his wedding, Ill never see a grandchild ... because someone refused to help him," Ouko said. "No one stood up to stop what was going on. We have to do better. We have to do better."
Update

A recent bomb threat made via social media for the Tempe campus Wednesday night was ruled a hoax by Arizona State University police after further investigation.

The threat, originating on Reddit, caused confusion and concern for ASU students and staff and prompted a thorough investigation by campus police.

"The original post did come from Reddit, and that site did take down the post. We did just conclude the investigation, and it was found to be a hoax," an ASU police spokesperson told The Arizona Republic.

Police were expected to provide an update later in the day.

No other information had been released.

A threat posted last night on social media has been thoroughly investigated and is a hoax. Multiple reports of the same threat were made and it may have originated overseas. pic.twitter.com/8vtVRZhWLx  Arizona State University Police Department (@ASUPolice) March 16, 2023

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bomb threat for ASU Tempe campus ruled a hoax
Joe Exotic is trying to claw his way into the 2024 presidential race, even though he's currently sitting behind bars. Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Maldonado-Passage and who famously was the focus of the Netflix documentary series "Tiger King," is in prison on multiple convictions.

Those convictions include two counts of attempted murder for hire for trying to arrange the killing of rival Carole Baskin, founder of a big cat rescue organization. His 21-year prison sentence also covered his convictions on eight counts of violating the Lacey Act for falsifying wildlife records, and nine counts of violating the Endangered Species Act.

RELATED: Arkansas Teen Who Went Missing After Date Found Shot To Death In Remote Wilderness

Exotic, 60, is running as a Libertarian, and he had a message for anyone questioning his ability to enter the race from prison. "Yes. I can run for President from prison, as a felon," his Twitter account posted Wednesday. "Please go learn your constitution, before you vote."

A convicted felon can indeed run for president of the United States, according to the website Recording Law.

Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as Joe Exotic

Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as Joe Exotic, is seen at the zoo he used to run in Wynnewood, Okla., on Aug. 28, 2013. Photo: AP

Exotic also called on President Biden and former President Donald Trump to debate him on justice and prison reform in an earlier tweet Wednesday. Biden, a Democrat, has not yet officially announced his intention to run for re-election, though he's widely expected to. Trump, a Republican and Biden's immediate predecessor, announced his candidacy for the upcoming race last November.

Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor; and self-help author Marianne Williamson are among the others who have officially entered the race.

Among the platforms listed on Exotic's campaign page, titled "Joe Exotic for a Free America," are: "Keep your right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Free America from the controlling left and right"; "Live how you want, love who you want, and be what you want, without hurting others"; and "When you allow the government to tell you what you can or can't do with your own body, you no longer own yourselves."

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The 2020 Department of Justice statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Western District of Oklahoma detailed that evidence showed that beginning in July 2016, Exotic repeatedly tried to find someone to murder Baskin in exchange for money, which led to him meeting an undercover FBI agent in 2017. A recording of this meeting included discussions of details of the planned murder.

A police mugshot of Alejandro Arellano

Evidence was also presented that Exotic shot and killed five tigers in October 2017, in violation of the Endangered Species Act.

In his campaign statement, Exotic defended that act by writing, "The only thing I did was put five very old, crippled tigers to sleep in the most humane way possible and it was approved by my USDA Inspector, so it's time to get over it. PeTA kills thousands of animals a year. Carole has killed over 226 big cats and most of you eat some kind of animal everyday, so it's time to move past this issue."

Exotic also claimed he was convicted due to corruption. "I have been put here only because of the corruption in the Department of Justice," he claimed. "Three felons that were told how to lie under oath to further this agenda, two corrupt Assistant U.S. Attorneys, two corrupt FBI Agents. and one corrupt Federal Wildlife Agent."

Oxy App

The "Tiger King" star previously was a 2016 write-in candidate for president, according to FOX10, and declared that he was running as a Libertarian candidate for Oklahoma governor in 2017, a race that he finished third in during a three-way primary.

Exotic made news last month for reportedly refusing medical treatment after finding out that his prostate cancer was spreading.

"Tiger King" fans, be sure to check out the original scripted series Joe Vs. Carole, streaming now on Peacock.
NEENAH - Happy Birthday, Neenah!

The community commemorates its 150th year as a city today with a Celebration Kick-off starting at noon at City Hall. The event is part of a series of activities planned this year to honor Neenah's rich history.

Historian Peter Adams, who has lived in Neenah for 50 years, said Neenah's influence on the world has been greater than that of other cities of comparable size.

"Here you have a small town, essentially in the middle of nowhere, in terms of the big world, that has so many connections to the rest of the world," Adams said. "That just doesn't happen everywhere.

"There's almost no point in all of the history of Neenah that you don't find significant and important connections to larger historical events in the nation. That takes you everywhere from (George) Edwin Bergstrom designing the Pentagon to Kimberly-Clark, which introduced Kleenex to the lexicon of the English language."

Neenah Foundry manufactures iron grates and manhole covers stamped with the Neenah name that are shipped around the world. To this day travelers who spot Neenah Foundry castings take pictures of them and post them to social media.

Neenah native and renowned concert pianist Arthur Shattuck performed for President Taft at the White House and for royalty in Europe. Hollywood film director Howard Hawks lived in Neenah. His list of credits includes "Scarface," "His Girl Friday," "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "Rio Bravo."

"The connections are everywhere," Adams said. "There aren't other communities in Wisconsin of the same size who can make this claim. I would say that it would outrank just about any other comparable town in the United States."

The Post-Crescent assembled a timeline of important events in Neenah's history. The list isn't inclusive of all the community's milestones, but provides a synopsis of how Neenah has grown and prospered.

More: It started with flour mills; here are the businesses that shaped Neenah over 150 years

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Neenah starts as an agricultural and industrial mission for the Menominee

Early 1830s: The U.S. government establishes an agricultural and industrial mission for the Menominee at Neenah, then known as Winnebago Rapids.

1836: Under the Treaty of the Cedars, the Menominee cede 4 million acres of land to the U.S. government.

1843: Harrison Reed purchases the Winnebago Rapids settlement.

1845: Territorial Gov. James Doty builds the Grand Loggery on the Neenah island, later to be known as Doty Island.

Doty Cabin stands at its original site in Neenah. It was built in 1845 as the home of Territorial Gov. James Doty. It was moved and restored in 1948.

1848: Oak Hill Cemetery is established, making it one of the oldest municipal cemeteries in the U.S.

1849: Neenah and Menasha compete for the site of a government canal and lock on the Fox River. Menasha wins, but Neenah builds its own canal, finishing it in 1852.

1850: Brothers Harvey L. Kimberly and John R. Kimberly build the Neenah Flour Mill.

A bridge is built between Neenah and Doty Island at Cedar Street (now Commercial Street).

1856: Neenah incorporates as a village, and the plats of Neenah and Winnebago Rapids are consolidated as Neenah.

1860: The U.S. Census shows 1,296 people living in Neenah.

1861: The First National Bank of Neenah is founded. It would consolidate with two other banks in 1970 to form Associated Bank, the largest Wisconsin-based bank.

The Chicago & Northwestern Railway reaches Neenah.

Men wait by the Soo Line Passenger and Freight Depot at 435 Sherry St. in Neenah in 1910.

1864: Neenah-Nodaway Yacht Club is established.

1866: German immigrant Wm. Krueger starts a hardware business. It remains in operation today as Krueger's True Value and is in its sixth generation of family ownership.

1868: John R. Kimberly, John A. Kimberly and Havilah Babcock build the Reliance Flour Mill.

Four businessmen join forces to found Kimberly, Clark & Co.

1872: Kimberly, Clark & Co. is founded by John A. Kimberly, Charles B. Clark, Havilah Babcock and Frank C. Shattuck. They open the Globe Mill, the first in Wisconsin to produce newspaper from linen and cotton rags.

William Aylward establishes Aylward Plow Works, the forerunner to Neenah Foundry.

Neenah buys 20 acres for Riverside Park.

1873: Neenah incorporates as a city.

Neenah Paper begins operation as the Neenah Mill of the Patten Paper Co. It would incorporate as Neenah Paper in 1885.

1876: George O. Bergstrom, Dedric W. Bergstrom and Havilah Babcock purchase Neenah Stove Works and rename it Bergstrom Bros. & Co. and then Bergstrom Stove Works Co. Hafemeister Machine Corp. now occupies the west part of the property.

1885: The Old Council Tree, a large elm under which the chiefs of Native American tribes gathered in council, is cut down when the federal government makes improvements to the Fox River.

1899: Jens Jersild creates the Jersild Knitting Co. to produce Scandinavian-style sweaters. The business would grow into one of the largest knitwear manufacturers in U.S.

1900: J. E. Chapin founds the Boys' Brigade after talking with six boys who wanted a place to meet and have military training.

1902: The Neenah Opera House, later known as the Neenah Theatre and Neenah Cinema, holds its first performance, which is Shakespeare's "Hamlet."

Complications from childbirth lead to Theda Clark Memorial Hospital

1903: Theda Clark Peters gives birth to a daughter at home. Three days later, with no hospital nearby, she dies from complications of childbirth. In her will, she leaves $96,000 for a community project. Her family uses the money to build a hospital.

1904: D. W. Bergstrom and his son John N. Bergstrom purchase Winnebago Paper Mills and establish Bergstrom Paper.

The Neenah Public Library opens in a stand-alone building along the Fox River.

The Neenah Public Library is adorned with two large U.S. flags circa 1910. Theda Clark Memorial Hospital can be seen across the Fox River on the right.

1908: The Neenah-Menasha Visiting Nurse Association is established to meet the health needs of families in their homes.

1909: Theda Clark Memorial Hospital opens with 20 beds, one operating room, one emergency room and one delivery room. Today it operates as ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah.

1911: The Young Womens Club, the forerunner to the Neenah-Menasha YMCA, is established.

1913: National Jewelers Mutual Fire Insurance Co., now known as Jewelers Mutual Group, is organized.

Kimberly-Clark introduces Kotex and Kleenex following World War I

1914: Kimberly-Clark develops Cellucotton, which is used as surgical dressing during World War I. Recognizing the commercial potential of Cellucotton, it introduces Kotex sanitary napkins in 1920 and Kleenex tissues in 1924, turning the company's attention to personal care products.

1915: Shattuck Park is gifted to the city by Clara A. Shattuck.

1929: Helen Kimberly Stuart donates land to the city for Kimberly Point Park.

Neenah Senior High School opens on Division Street. Today it is Shattuck Middle School.

1932: Edwin Pierce Galloway purchases an interest in Neenah Milk Products Co. The Galloway family would fully acquire the business in 1956 and rename it Galloway Co.

Neenah City Hall towers over cars on the street in the 1930s.

Neenah gets Olympic-size outdoor swimming pool along Lake Winnebago

1940: The city's Olympic-size swimming pool opens at Recreation Park overlooking Lake Winnebago, after C. B. Clark Jr. and S. F. Shattuck donated land and money for the construction.

1944: J. C. Kimberly donates money to have the Kimberly Point Park lighthouse built to guide boaters into the Neenah Harbor.

1949: Neenah opens the Oak Street bridge, providing a second crossing over the Fox River.

1952: Bergstrom Paper begins dumping paper sludge along the south shore of Little Lake Butte des Morts. The filled area would later become Arrowhead Park.

1954: About 20,000 people line Neenah's waterway on July 4 for the city's first Venetian Parade.

Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass opens to the public

1959: The John Nelson Bergstrom Art Center opens to the public. Today it is the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass.

1962: Neenah purchases the 160-acre Henry Swatcheno farm on Tullar Road. The city keeps 105 acres for Memorial Park and sells 55 acres to the school district.

1966: James B. Conant Junior High School opens on the former Swatcheno property.

1972: Neil Armstrong High School opens on the former Swatcheno land, and Pickard Auditorium holds its first public event.

1975: The city's 1888 City Hall is demolished, but the clock tower is saved.

1979: Plexus Corp., a contract manufacturer of electronic products, is founded.

Bergstrom Paper is sold to P.H. Glatfelter Co.

Neenah Mayor Marigen Carpenter explains the workings of city government to Brownie Troop 27 from Clayton Elementary School during a tour of City Hall in 1986.

1982: Marigen Carpenter wins the first of four consecutive terms as mayor. She is the first woman elected mayor in the city's 109-year history.

1983: Future Neenah, a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting economic and cultural vitality, is incorporated.

Kimberly-Clark moves its headquarters to Texas

1985: Kimberly-Clark moves its world headquarters to Irving, Texas, sending shockwaves through Neenah.

1993: A group of local investors led by businessman John Bergstrom opens two seven-story office towers in downtown Neenah. They are known as One Neenah Center and Two Neenah Center.

"Playing in the Rain," Neenah's first major outdoor piece of art, is dedicated at Riverside Park.

1995: Alta Resources, a telemarketing and customer care company for clients like Disney and SC Johnson, is founded.

1999: A third seven-story office tower, known as Three Neenah Center, opens.

Alta Resources and Plexus build corporate headquarters in downtown Neenah

2005: Alta Resources opens a $20 million corporate headquarters in downtown Neenah.

2006: The Glatfelter paper mill in downtown Neenah closes.

2007: Neenah completes the West Cecil Street overpass, giving the city its fourth east-west bridge over the Canadian National railroad tracks. The city also has bridges at Main Street, Winneconne Avenue and Breezewood Lane/Bell Street.

2010: Plexus builds a $20 million global headquarters in downtown Neenah on the site of the former Glatfelter paper mill.

Lights illuminate The Plaza at Gateway Park in this aerial photo.

2021: The Plaza at Gateway Park, featuring a refrigerated ice rink that's the same size as the iconic Rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City, opens on the west end of downtown.

2023: Neenah celebrates its sesquicentennial.

Sources: The Post-Crescent; "History of Neenah" by G. A. Cunningham; "A History of Neenah" by S. F. Shattuck; "The Parks of Neenah" by William Dunwiddie; "Furs, Fir and Fourdrinier" by William Brehm; "A Tale of Twin Cities" by the Neenah Historical Society; Wisconsin Historical Society

Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke.

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM: Our subscribers make this coverage possible. Click to see The Post-Crescent's special offers at postcrescent.com/subscribe and download our app on the App Store or Google Play.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Happy Birthday! Neenah's rich history spans from Kleenex to Plexus
Collage on left a man in small cage on right image of woman standing above Canadian lake with words upsize to Canada

Think your New York City apartment is THE SMALLEST? Prove it and Destination Canada (the official government tourism board) will help you escape to the Great White North. The creative new tourism campaign, suggests that even New Yorkers believe the only thing better than calling New York City home is escaping it. Pointing to a recent survey a statement to the press argues that nearly 70 percent of surveyed New Yorkers want to get away but cant always afford to.

Also from the survey:

To save money, 32 percent of New Yorkers would be willing to go without a major appliance in their home and 27 percent would live in a 5th-floor walkup.

Twenty-four percent of New Yorkers admitted they maintain friendships with people just to spend time in their larger homes.

And 71 percent of New Yorkers say they already endure oddball living conditions in order to save money to travel. It's true, people really do use their ovens for shoe storage.

But dont despair, Destination Canada is here to rescue New Yorkers from small apartments by giving away free escapes to Canadas vast open spaces.





And theyve teamed up with TikTok legend Caleb Simpson (the can I see your apartment guy) to do it. As Simpson explains in a recent Instagram post:

UPSIZE TO CANADA: CONTEST DETAILS

WHY : New Yorkers have always made sacrifices when it comes to living space, but nowadays, it seems weve reached a fever pitch  with apartments in Brooklyn being as cramped as 351 sq ft.

WHAT : Three (3) lucky winners will receive a custom experience (valued at $5,000 USD) - trip will include transportation, accommodations, excursions, and more, curated by Canadian travel experts.

WHEN: March 6 - April 3

HOW: Its simple to enter: Visit UpsizeToCanada.com and enter the square footage of your apartment and submit a 15-second video tour of your small living space.

Canada has lots of open spaces to offer from the coasts

Courtesy Destination Canada





To the far northern interior
To subscribe to this weekly newsletter, go to newsobserver.com/newsletters.

Happy Friday! Its Danielle here, with the privilege of taking over the newsletter this week.

What Im not privileged to share with you is that the United States experienced its second-largest bank collapse in history a week ago.

Silicon Valley Bank set off the collapse, and while it would be easy to overlook this as not a North Carolina issue since the banks branches are located in California and Massachusetts, thats just not the case.

Lets talk about it.

First, we have Charlottes status as the countrys second-largest banking center, according to the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance. SVB collapsed after its customers rapidly began pulling their money from the bank. When that happens, there is an immediate fear of customers panicking and doing the same where they bank. And that happened at Signature Bank in New York. Word around the U.S. Capitol Thursday morning was another unnamed bank was closely being monitored for a repeat.

The North Carolina Bankers Association tried to quell customer concerns Tuesday by sending out a news release stating: North Carolinas banking industry has long been a source of strength and stability for businesses and consumers. North Carolina bankers take great pride in the growth and prosperity of the customers and communities they serve. Banks in North Carolina are highly capitalized, diversified and are a safe place for your money.

Second, theres Rep. Patrick McHenry, a Republican from Lincoln County. McHenry spent his congressional career hoping to be named chair of the House Financial Services committee. He reached that goal in January just as the country hit its debt ceiling, and now this. What a time to be alive! I dont envy him, but I also never wanted to chair that committee.

McHenry is now tasked with being the face of House Republicans response to what is nearly a financial crisis, and while many want to blame President Joe Biden for bailing out SVB customers to ensure they can access all of their money, McHenry has largely backed him and the federal response.

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This was the first Twitter fueled bank run, McHenry said in a written statement Monday. At this time, it is important to remain levelheaded and look at the facts  not speculation  when assessing the right path forward. I have confidence in our financial regulators and the protections already in place to ensure the safety and soundness of our financial system.

To follow that up, McHenry tweeted Thursday that his committee plans to get to the bottom of the SVB and Signature Bank failures.

While some in Washington are busy advancing their personal agendas, Im focused on getting the facts to guide Congress response, McHenry wrote.

Third, we have Rep. Jeff Jackson. The first-term Democrat from Charlotte somehow found himself as Congress face of the collapse after filming a 2 a.m. Sunday video explaining in the most basic terms what was happening, why it mattered and why panicking would only make things worse. He posted the video Sunday morning across his social media platforms, and it went viral on TikTok, where by early Thursday afternoon it had amassed 55.6 million views.

Jackson told McClatchy Wednesday that he followed the 2008 financial crisis closely and understood what was happening this week. As for talking about it in understandable terms, he said he doesnt think hes been in Congress long enough to be affected yet by the vernacular on the Hill.

On Thursday, the National Republican Congressional Committee called out Jackson for using the app. Like other TikTokers, Jeff Jackson will do anything for clicks and likes, even at the expense of Americas national security, said Delanie Bomar, spokeswoman for NRCC.

The app is being banned on government phones across the country, as allegations circulate that its creators in China are using the app to spy.

Jackson told MSNBC he has a dedicated or burner phone to record TikTok videos because of security concerns.

Lastly, North Carolina businesses  including some of the states startups  were among the customers of SVB and Signature, and North Carolinas pension fund had investments in both, Brian Gordon reported.

OTHER STORIES FROM THE TEAM THIS WEEK

Gov. Roy Cooper released his version of the state budget this week. Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan tells you what he hopes to see including raises for teachers and state employees.

Democrats are mad as hell at Speaker Tim Moore for a decision he made on a gun bill, and Avi Bajpai tells you why.

The North Carolina Senate passed Medicaid expansion, and Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi walks you through the next steps.

Thousands could lose NC Medicaid coverage starting April 1. Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi tells you what you need to know.

Thanks for reading. See you next week. In the meantime, tune into our stories, our tweets and our Under the Dome podcast for more developments.

 By Danielle Battaglia, reporter for The News & Observer. Email me at dbattaglia@newsobserver.com.
As the railroad industry continues to reel in the aftermath of the environmental catastrophe in East Palestine, Ohio, the question seems inevitable: Could it happen here?

HOLLAND  As the railroad industry continues to reel in the aftermath of the environmental catastrophe in East Palestine, Ohio, the question seems inevitable: Could it happen here?

According to the Department of Transportation, Michigan has over 3,600 miles of railroad track  and about two-thirds of that track is located in the Lower Pennisula. The system carries about 17 percent of the states freight tonnage and 21 percent of the commodities by value.Four of the seven "Class I" railroad corporations operate in Michigan, including Norfolk Southern, the company involved in the 38-rail car derailment on Feb. 3 in East Palestine.

In Holland, residents frequently see freight trains from CSX Transportation, based out of Jacksonville, Florida. In all, the company operates more than 1,100 miles of rails in the state.

With such a robust line, trains across the state transport a little of everything.On any given day, a Michigan train might carry agricultural products, iron ore, timber, coal, coke, chlorine, flammable gasses, hazardous chemicals, home building materials, finished automobiles and household appliances.

When it comes to CSX, 19 percent of shipped items are automotive, 18 percent are metals and equipment, nine percent are chemicals, and one percent are phosphates and fertilizers. The rest is a mix of agricultural items, paper and forest products, minerals and other items.

Most products could be salvaged in the event of a derailment, but not all.

A photo taken with a drone shows portions of a Norfolk and Southern freight train that derailed Friday, Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio.

In the East Palestine derailment, 20 of the 150 freight cars on the Norfolk Southern train carried the following hazardous chemicals:

Isobutylene

Butyl acrylate

Ethylene glycol

Benzene residue

Monobutyl ether

Combustible liquids

2-ethylhexyl acrylate

Chloroethene (vinyl chloride)

Of the 38 cars that derailed, 11 were tank cars that dumped about 100,000 gallons of hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride, benzene residue and butyl acrylate. Derailed cars burned for two days following the crash, as emergency responders performed a controlled burn to release hydrogen chloride and phosgene into the air. All residents within a one-mile radius were evacuated.In a statement, CSX acknowledged concerns the Norfolk Southern derailment has unearthed, but said safety is their top priority.CSXs approach to delivering our customers goods safely is holistic, focusing on infrastructure and equipment investment, training and operational improvements, technology deployment and community outreach and preparedness," the company wrote.

Story continues

A view of the scene Friday, Feb. 24, 2023, as cleanup continued at the site of of a Norfolk Southern freight train derailment.

Freight rail remains the safest and most environmentally-friendly way to transport essential hazardous materials, with a 99.9 percent success rate and preferable to transporting them via highways.While CSX transports a range of products, the company said only a small percentage are hazardous materials. The company said, despite the risks, hazardous chemicals are an important part of American commerce, and are transported in rail cars that meet strict federal regulations.

A good portion of CSX's business in Holland comes from recycling giant PADNOS. According to Executive Vice President Mitch Padnos, 100 percent of the scrap moving from their Holland location travels through CSX in open railroad cars called gondola cars.Those cars carry loose, essentially inert steel and cast iron products, Padnos wrote in an email. We do not handle liquids in any form, nor do we handle (buy or sell) any hazardous material.Padnos acknowledged the company does handle standard automotive batteries at locations across the state, including in Holland  but those batteries travel by truck and under DOT rules.Batteries have shipping requirements that (ensure) not only secure packaging but in a manner that reduces the risk of fire due to contact sparking, Padnos wrote.

CSX does not disclose how or where it transports sensitive materials to the public, but the company does provide county and state emergency management agencies with a comprehensive list of the hazardous commodities transported through their communities to ensure local first responders are prepared.Despite derailments, state officials seek to remind residents that railroads serve an important role in Michigan, supplying nearly 3,400 jobs and transporting 90 million tons of essential cargo.Trains today move 75 percent of the over 17 million new cars and light trucks purchased in the United States," said Dan Papineau, director of tax policy and regulatory affairs at the Michigan Chamber of Commerce.

"More than this, theyre involved in every stage of auto manufacturing, from hauling the raw iron ore and coke for steel to delivering finished auto parts."

Subscribe:Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage

CSX says its ultimately training that ensures similar incidents don't happen along their rails. In 2022, the company held 40 training events totaling close to 3,000 hours educating over 3,600 first responders, contractors and local government officials.We work closely with first responders across our network and regulatory agencies to ensure proper planning and safety protocols are followed to protect our communities, employees and customers," the company wrote.

 Freelancer Ren Brabenec contributed to this report. Contact freelancer Austin Metz at ametz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: In wake of Ohio disaster, local freighter CSX addresses Hollanders' concerns
An Oakland County judge set bond at $1 million cash for a woman who fled to her native Thailand on Jan. 3  two days after police said she killed a Michigan State University student as he walked on a road in Rochester Hills in the pre-dawn hours of Jan. 1.

Tubtim "Sue" Howson, 57, of Oakland Township was charged Friday, March 17, 2023 with failure to stop at the scene of an accident resulting in death.

Tubtim Sue Howson, 57, was charged with failure to stop at the scene of an accident causing death  a 5-year felony  in the crash that killed 22-year-old Benjamin Kable. Judge Lisa Asadoorian of 52-3 District Court said the global reach of numerous law-enforcement agencies, led by the Oakland County Sheriff's Office and the FBI, showed that "you can run but you can't hide." Asadoorian demanded that Howson surrender her passport, and driver's license and if she is able to post bond, not leave her home for any reason other than to appear in court.

Benjamin Kable

Howson's attorney, Bloomfield Hills-based Jalal Dallo, told the court that federal agents already had stripped Howson of her driver's license and two passports. He argued that she posed no flight risk, having surrendered to authorities in Thailand. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said his department was thankful to the judge "for her attention to the fact that clearly, the defendant has been a flight risk to the extreme." The county's crash investigators believe that Howson was driving the 2015 BMW that a witness saw strike Kable, a Shelby Township resident, while he was either standing or walking on Rochester Road south of Whims Lane in Oakland Township. The crash happened at 5:49 a.m., according to a news release from Bouchard's office.

According to the release, Howson, who lived in Oakland Township not far from the crash, fled the scene. The release said that investigators "obtained a description of the vehicle and believed the driver was a female of Asian descent. A tip led Investigators to identify Howson as the driver. Howson, who is a dual citizen of both the United States and Thailand, left Michigan two days after the crash and flew to Bangkok."

Story continues

More:Opinion: I'm an MSU student. 1 month after shooting, we're still healing

More:Michigan Senate OKs proposals to expand gun safety measures in step forward for Democrats

Howson, her lawyer told the court, "left the scene in a panic" and flew to Thailand not to evade responsibility but instead "for support, to "sit down with her husband," who was in Thailand for his job, "and decide what to do." She has been in the United States for 12 years, has worked for Whole Foods for 11 years, and has been married for more than 20 years, her lawyer said.

"The Thai authorities didn't feel she needed to be in custody. She returned (to the U.S.) on her own. The federal (extradition) case has been dropped," he said. Soon after Howson arrived in Thailand, her husband flew back to the U.S. and told law enforcers that she would turn herself in, her lawyer said.

"No way is she going to miss" any court hearings, Dallo said. But Asadoorian denied the defense attorney's requests that his client be allowed to return to her job and visit a doctor if necessary.

Kable, a senior in electrical engineering at MSU, was walking along Rochester Road after attending a New Year's Eve party and had been forced out of an Uber vehicle for an unknown reason shortly before the accident, according to previous reports. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His father, Michael Kable of Shelby Township, said after the hearing that his son's death was ruinous to the family. With his tearful wife standing nearby, Michael Kable said he'd been especially close to Benjamin, the couple's youngest child.

"We're just happy to see justice finally happening," Michael Kable said, adding: "The Oakland County Sheriff's Office was really instrumental in making this happen. And (U.S. Rep.) John James really reached out to us. ... It's very difficult to lose a child. It's an emotional roller coaster."

More:Michigan launches dashboard for data about violent deaths

Michael Kable of Shelby Township stands inside a courtroom in Rochester Hills on March 17, 2023, after a woman was charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing death in the vehicle crash that killed Kable's son, Benjamin Kable.

Contact Bill Laytner: blaitner@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Woman who fled U.S. charged in hit-run death of MSU student
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Russia next week in what appears to be a show of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the sharpening global tensions over the war in Ukraine.

Xis trip, which is expected to span from Monday to Wednesday, could be a diplomatic opportunity for Putin as Western leaders have looked to isolate the Russian president over his invasion of Ukraine, which is now in its 13th month. The war is expected to be the main topic of discussion during Xis visit.

China has refused to condemn Russia but has denounced Western sanctions and accused NATO And the United States of provoking Putin, further straining relations between the East and West especially as Washington continues to compete with Beijing for influence.

While China has not criticized Russia, it has said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all counties should be respected, but its unclear whether Beijing plans to position itself as a neutral peacemaker or Moscow supporter.

More: China President Xi to visit Russia in apparent show of support for Putin amid Ukraine war

Developments:

Concerned over the war in Ukraine spinning out of control, China urged Ukraine on talks with Russia for a political solution.

Expert calls Russian jet interception an accident after analyzing Pentagon footage.

White House says China should include Zelenskyy in its war discussion with Putin

The Biden administration on Friday warned against China pushing a one-sided peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

White House spokesman John Kirby said Chinese President Xi Jinping should reach out directly to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy now that hes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The so-called peace plan China has proposed, Kirby said, would formalize Putins gains and allow Russia to continue to occupy parts of Ukraine.

It would be a classic part of the China playbook to go into a meeting like this, come out of it saying `Look, were the ones calling for an end to the fighting and nobody else is, Kirby said. The reason why the rest of the world is not calling for that right now is because it would effectively ratify Russias geographics gains inside Ukraine and it would put Mr. Zelenskyy at a distinct disadvantage.

Story continues

-- Maureen Groppe

Turkey backs Finland's NATO bid, paving way for membership

Turkey will start the process to ratify Finland's NATO membership, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Friday, the country's state media reported.

The move paves the way for Finland to join the military alliance, which it and its Nordic neighbor Sweden vowed to do after Russia invaded Ukraine. Hungary's Parliament is set to vote on whether to admit Finland to NATO later this month. Hungary has signaled support for Finland's NATO application, though its Parliament has delayed voting on the issue several times.

Erdogan said he hopes Turkey's Parliament will ratify Finland's NATO bid before a planned election in May. Turkey is still refusing to start the ratification process for Sweden's NATO application because it claims Sweden has harbored militants from Turkey's banned Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.

--Kim Hjelmgaard

Slovakia follows Poland in sending fighter jets to Ukraine

Slovakia on Friday became the second NATO member to approve sending fighter jets to Ukraine.

Prime Minister Eduard Heger pledged to send 13 Soviet-era MiG-29 aircraft. His announcement came a day after Poland said it would send four MiG-29 fighters jet to Ukraine to help it resist Russia's invasion. The U.S. and other countries have been reluctant to send Ukraine jets.

"Promises must be kept & when @ZelenskyyUa asked for more #weapons incl. fighter jets, I said well do our best," Heger wrote on Twitter. "Glad othersre doing the same. #Military aids (key) to ensure (Ukraine) can defend itself & the entire #Europe against #Russia."

-- Kim Hjelmgaard

Chinese urged Ukraine to have talks with Russia

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba that Beijing was concerned about the year-old conflict spinning out of control and urged talks on a political solution with Moscow.

China has always upheld an objective and fair stance on the Ukraine issue, has committed itself to promoting peace and advancing negotiations and calls on the international community to create conditions for peace talks," Qin said.

Kuleba later tweeted that he and Qin discussed the significance of the principle of territorial integrity. Ukraine has listed Russia's withdrawal from the occupied areas as the main condition for peace, and China has its own territorial integrity issues with Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory to be brought under its control by force if necessary.

I underscored the importance of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys)s peace formula for ending the aggression and restoring just peace in Ukraine, wrote Kuleba, who spoke the same day with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Forensic expert analyzes Russian jet interception

Forensic expert David Notowitz called the crash of the U.S. drone by a Russian fighter jet an accident, following his analysis of the Pentagon-released video of what it said was a Russian jet dumping fuel on a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone before clipping the drones propeller and leading to its crash in the Black Sea.

This drone is quite large, so hitting it with another plane would be a very dangerous thing to do, said Notowiz, the president of the National Center for Audio and Video Forensic. From that logistical standpoint it seems like it must have been an accident, cause youre not going to risk your fancy planes just for a drone and they could have taken it down other ways, so I think this was an accident.

Two Russian fighters intercepted the drone Tuesday, dumping fuel on it and flying in front of it during which one of the fighters clipped the propeller of the drone, forcing U.S. operators to bring it down in international waters, U.S. officials said.

While interception attempts arent uncommon, the incident amid the tense relations between Washington and Moscow have has raised it could bring the two countries closer to a direct conflict.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Xi Jinping to visit Putin in show of support amid war: live updates
Sidney Holmes, who was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to 400 years, was exonerated after 34 years in prison. Lamar Johnson was wrongfully convicted of a shooting without physical evidence connecting him to the incident and sentenced to life in prison. Leon Benson has been freed after 25 years of a more than 60-year sentence for a crime he maintains he did not commit.

These men are just a few in the more than a dozen people have been exonerated so far this year, due to wrongful convictions based on misidentifications, false confessions, police failure to disclose evidence and more.

These exonerations have been recorded by the National Registry of Exonerations since 1989, an exoneration-tracking project hosted by University of California Irvine, University of Michigan Law School and Michigan State University College of Law.

There have been at least 3,287 exonerations recorded by the National Registry of Exonerations since 1989.

More than 29,100 years have been lost in prison due to wrongful convictions that have been uncovered thus far, according to the registry.

We've all been raised to believe that our system is a great system that works well, that we identify the right people, we convict the right people, we give people the right sentences, said attorney Marissa Boyers Bluestine, Assistant Director at the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice, in an interview with ABC News.

It has been a very hard awakening for a lot of people to realize that that's just not always the case.

PHOTO: Wrongfully convicted Sidney Holmes is released from prison after 34 years, March 13, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (WPLG)

The registry found that the most often cited factors for wrongful convictions are: witness misidentification, false accusation, false confession, faulty forensic evidence, inadequate legal defense, police misconduct and prosecutorial misconduct.

In some cases, the methods used to collect evidence in the past have since been proven to be scientifically unreliable, according to experts. This was the case with Sidney Holmes, whose armed robbery conviction was recently overturned in part because of misidentification, which was partly due to outdated photo and live lineup practices commonly used by law enforcement in the 1980s, officials say.

Story continues

MORE: Men exonerated in killing of Malcolm X to receive $36 million settlement after suing New York

Black people represent 53% of the 3,200 exonerations listed in the National Registry of Exonerations, despite making up just 13.6% of the American population. Black people represent 38% of the incarcerated population, according to the Prison Policy Initiative.

Innocent Black Americans are seven times more likely than white Americans to be falsely convicted of serious crimes, the registry said in a 2022 report.

According to Bluestine, the only way to overturn someones conviction is to have something new, something different that wasnt heard by the trial court.

That's why it takes 10, 15, 30 years to undo those convictions because we have to wait for that evidence to become available to change how we're seeing a conviction, she said.

The list of exonerated people is long. Here are just some of the wrongfully convicted cases that have been overturned so far in 2023:

Sidney Holmes

Holmes, 57, served more than 34 years of a 400-year prison sentence before the Broward State Attorneys Office Conviction Review Unit (CRU) in Florida reinvestigated the case and determined he did not commit armed robbery.

The CRU found that there is "no evidence" connecting Holmes to the robbery besides a flawed identification of him and the vehicle involved in the robbery.

The CRU found that witness identification of Holmes was likely a "misidentification," partly due to the photo and live lineup practices commonly used by law enforcement at the time, which are "scientifically unreliable," according to the state attorney's office.

Lamar Johnson

In Missouri, Lamar Johnson spent roughly 28 years behind bars for a murder he said he did not commit. He was convicted of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in 1994, according to Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner's motion to vacate his conviction. Johnson was sentenced to life in prison.

Gardner asserted that Johnson was innocent and erroneously convicted, citing Johnsons alibi and a lack of physical evidence connecting Johnson to the murder.

According to Gardner, the identification of Johnson was the states only direct evidence.

MORE: He was exonerated in the killing of Malcolm X but his fight for justice is not over

Judge David Mason vacated Johnsons conviction in February.

Today the courts righted a wrong  vacating the sentence of Mr. Lamar Johnson following his wrongful conviction in 1995, said Gardner in a Feb. 14 statement on the decision. Most importantly, we celebrate with Mr. Johnson and his family as he walks out of the courtroom as a free man.

PHOTO: Lamar Johnson, center and his attorneys react, Feb. 14, 2023, after St. Louis Circuit Judge David Mason vacated his murder conviction during a hearing at Mel Carnahan Courthouse in St. Louis. (St. Louis Post-dispatch/TNS via Getty Images)

Leon Benson

Leon Benson was convicted of first-degree murder in 1999, and spent roughly 25 years in prison before the Marion County Superior Court Judge Shatrese M. Flowers in Indiana threw out his conviction in early March.

A joint re-investigation by the University of San Francisco School of Law Racial Justice Clinic and the Conviction Integrity Unit of the Marion County Prosecutors Office revealed that evidence buried in the police file by the lead detective pointed to another man as the murderer.

Researchers found that conflicting testimony and the missing evidence identified someone else in the 1998 shooting death of Kasey Schoen in Indianapolis.

Truth never dies, Benson said, according to a press release from the University of San Francisco. It is only rediscovered.

The fight for exoneration: Over 29,100 years 'lost' in prison in wrongful convictions, database finds originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Police escort controversial Hindu Godman Swami Nityananda (2nd L) after appearing for his bail plea at the judicial magistrate court at Ramanagar District, some 50 kms from Bangalore, on June 14, 2012. Manjunath Kiran/AFP/GettyImages

The city of Newark says it was fooled into signing a sister cities agreement with a fake country.

The so-called nation of Kailasa was fabricated by a Hindu guru who fled rape charges in India.

The group has posted photos of meetings with UN ambassadors in a bid to legitimize itself.

The city of Newark, New Jersey, has admitted that it was duped into signing an official partnership with a supposed Hindu nation. The country, however, doesn't exist.

At a January 12 ceremony, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and several city officials signed an agreement to become sister cities with the "United States of Kailasa."

Two women representing Kailasa, garbed in what appears to be traditional clothing and jewelry, attended the ceremony. One of them gave an eight-minute speech before the city council, thanking Newark for the partnership and speaking of creating an "enlightened Hindu civilization."

But Kailasa is the fabrication of Swami Nithyananda, a Hindu guru who fled India in 2019 when he was charged with rape.

Nithyananda, a self-styled holy man who titles himself the "Supreme Pontiff of Hinduism," claims to have created Kailasa as a "revival" of a Hindu nation. The BBC reported that he also says he's purchased an island off the coast of Ecuador, though the Ecuadorian government told the outlet it has neither helped him nor given him asylum.

Newark's city council, realizing six days after the ceremony that the city was fooled, voted on January 18 to rescind its partnership with the faux nation, CBS first reported on March 8.

The city told CBS in a statement that the signing was a "regrettable incident," but that it "remains committed to partnering with people from diverse cultures in order to enrich each other with connectivity, support, and mutual respect."

It added that no money was involved in the signing of the ceremony, per CBS.

Story continues

The Newark City Council did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Kailasa appears at United Nations meetings

Meanwhile, the same woman who spoke at the Newark signing appeared twice at United Nations meetings in Geneva in February, claiming to represent Kailasa.

Calling herself Vijayapriya Nithyananda, she spoke at a discussion on how women are represented in decision-making systems on February 22, and at another meeting on sustainable development on February 24, per the BBC.

A UN spokesperson told the BBC that her contributions made at the meetings weren't relevant or would be scrapped from consideration.

A Twitter account for Kailasa has in the meantime posted multiple photos of its representatives meeting with UN diplomatic staff or ambassadors for various countries. These include ambassadors or staff for the United Arab Emirates, Gambia, Bangladesh, Equatorial Guinea, Montenegro, Lebanon, Lithuania, Egypt, and Burundi.

KAILASA's SPH Nithyananda (@SriNithyananda) March 11, 2023

It's unclear if the staff or ambassadors were aware of Kailasa being a fake country at the time. They have also not clarified whether they met these women in an official capacity or during chance encounters.

A spokesperson for Lithuania's mission to the UN confirmed to Insider that one of its employees had met with the Kailasa representatives to "listen to their concerns." "Since this meeting did not take place with the official representative of Lithuania, it does not represent any national position of Lithuania towards Kailasa," they said.

The UN missions for the rest of the above nations did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Kailasa is signing agreements with cities like Newark and trying to be seen with international officials in a bid to legitimize itself through disinformation, Mohan Dutta, the dean's chair of communication at Massey University in New Zealand, told Insider.

"What they are doing is taking something that is entirely a falsity, that is non-existent, and materializing it through these performances," said Dutta, who's tracked Kailasa since it was founded in 2019. "It's really powerful and shows how disinformation works."

Nithyananda, the organization's founder, has claimed that Kailasa is now issuing tourist visas, has a currency, and has established embassies around the world, though it has no internationally recognized territory, Dutta said.

The guru also claims to be able to disprove Einstein's theory of relativity and possess paranormal abilities, Dutta said.

KAILASA's SPH Nithyananda (@SriNithyananda) March 15, 2023

Groups like Kailasa that center on a holy man who espouses pseudo-scientific claims are typically motivated either by the monetary gain from donations, or exploit followers through sexual and physical violence, Dutta added..

And Newark's failure to spot any warning signs before partnering with Kailasa is particularly worrying, he said.

"It is flabbergasting that you have bureaucrats and politicians at the local government in a democratic state having failed to do their duty of due diligence," Dutta said.

In a statement to Insider, a representative for Kailasa denied the rape accusations against Nithyananda. The representative also said the guru never claimed to own an island, and compared Nithyananda to the Dalai Lama.

Read the original article on Insider
WASHINGTON  The Biden administration on Friday warned against China pushing a one-sided peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

White House spokesman John Kirby said Chinese President Xi Jinping should reach out directly to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy now that Xi is meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The so-called peace plan China has proposed, Kirby said, would formalize Putins gains and allow Russia to continue to occupy parts of Ukraine.

It would be a classic part of the China playbook to go into a meeting like this, come out of it saying `Look, were the ones calling for an end to the fighting and nobody else is, Kirby said. The reason why the rest of the world is not calling for that right now is because it would effectively ratify Russias geographic gains inside Ukraine and it would put Mr. Zelenskyy at a distinct disadvantage.

Related: International Criminal Court members issue arrest warrant for Putin over war crimes

Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for a photo prior to their talks in Beijing, China, Feb. 4, 2022.

The latest

Chinas leader is spending several days in Russia next week for what Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman said would be a trip for peace.

China has called for a cease-fire and peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, along with releasing a vaguely worded proposal to end the fighting.

China claims to be neutral in the war but has avowed a no limits friendship with Russia and has criticized the sanctions against Russia.

China's rising influence

President Xis trip to Russia comes days after Beijing brokered talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia to re-establish diplomatic ties.

China has made no secret of fact that it wants to expand its influence around the world, whether thats in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Kirby said Friday.

The United States has been making its own efforts to counter Chinas growing influence. On Monday, Biden joined the leaders of Australia and the United Kingdom to unveil a highly anticipated plan to modernize Australias submarine fleet as a counterweight to Chinas military buildup.

Story continues

Nuclear warfare?: China arming Russia? Fears of new Cold War rise.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (L), US President Joe Biden (C) and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (R) hold a press conference after a trilateral meeting during the AUKUS summit on March 13, 2023 in San Diego, Calif.

Lethal aid possible?

The upcoming meeting between Xi and Putin also follows warnings from Washington that China is considering providing lethal support to Russia.

Politico reported Thursday that between June and December of 2022, Chinese companies  one of them a state-owned defense contractor  shipped 1,000 assault rifles and other equipment with military use to Russian entities.

Kirby said the sales were part of pre-existing, long-standing business transactions between Chinese companies and the Russians. Nothing indicates those rifles are intended for use on the battlefield, he added.

But while theres no sign Beijing has decided to provide lethal support to Russia, Kirby said, the administration also hasnt seen indications theyve taken that option off the table.

'It's hard, but they're holding on': On the ground in Ukraine, the war depends on U.S. weapons

No call set between Biden and Xi

Biden, who has stressed the importance of keeping the lines of communication open with Xi, last met with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in November.

After the U.S. shot down Chinese spy balloon that flew through American airspace last month, Biden said he planned to speak with Xi.

Kirby said Friday that call has not yet been arranged.

Contributing: Associated Press.

US President Joe Biden (R) and China's President Xi Jinping (L) shakes hands as they meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on November 14, 2022.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: China should include Zelenskyy in peace talks with Putin: White House
The model is also the founder of a company that encourages women to pursue careers in STEM.

Haley Kalil was photographed by Yu Tsai in Kenya. Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Haley Kalil made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2018 as part of the brands open casting call. Named co-winner of that years Swim Search (alongside Camille Kostek), she returned to the magazine the following year to pose for photographer Yu Tsai in Kenya.

In 20, Kalil traveled to the British Virgin Islands with photographer Josie Clough. For her most recent SI Swimsuit Issue photo shoot in 2021, the model was captured in Hollywood, Fla., by shutterbug James Macari.

Kalil attended St. Cloud State University, where she received her bachelor of science degree in biomedical sciences and psychology. Today, she is founder of The Nerd Herd, a company that empowers women to pursue careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics through education and empowerment.

Kalil told SI Swimsuit she was fascinated by the sciences from a young age.

A self-proclaimed nerd, she also shared that her academic achievementsshe graduated summa cum laude from the honors college with a 4.0are among her proudest accomplishments.

I entered the SI Swim Search because it was a dream of mine to model for this iconic brand, she stated. And now, I have been given the privilege of contributing to the legacy... because SI Swimsuit is so much more than beauties in bikinis, its a bold depiction of strong, unapologetic women embracing their truths.

Below are 10 of our favorite images captured at Kalils rookie SI Swimsuit photo shoot in Kenya with Tsai.

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Yu Tsai/Sports Illustrated

Make sure to follow SI Swimsuit on YouTube!
A juvenile in central Virginia is facing felony charges after authorities say five horses were shot and killed.

The Appomattox County Sheriff's Office said it was notified by animal control officials Tuesday of multiple horses that were shot in the town of Spout Spring, about 50 miles south of Charlottesville.

Responding authorities said five of the horses were found fatally shot and another three horses were wounded. Veterinary care was summoned to treat the wounded horses, as investigators worked to determine who was behind the shooting.

On Wednesday, Appomattox County sheriffs "were able to develop information" that led to a juvenile being charged for the offense of the wounded horses.

NPS: 56-year-old man dies on hiking trail at Arches National Park

Netherlands: Man convicted of removing condom during sex without consent, or 'stealthing,' in the Netherlands

Juvenile charged with felony

Appomattox County Sheriff Donald Simpson told USA TODAY the juvenile, who was not named, is facing "multiple counts" of animal cruelty, which is a felony. He added the juvenile will have a court appearance soon.

Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Juvenile charged after 5 horses shot and killed, 3 wounded in Virginia
Hulton Archive - Getty Images



"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."



Content warning: This article contains references to murder and sexual assault some may find upsetting. Reader discretion is advised.

Between 1962 and 1964, 13 women were killed in the Boston area by a notorious serial killer known as the Boston Strangler. The assailant targeted single women, aged 19 to 85, in their homes and apartments in Boston and its surrounding towns. City police and homicide detectives hadnt uncovered the killer until March 6, 1965, when Massachusetts native and convicted criminal Albert DeSalvo confessed to the murders.

Hulus latest true crime thriller, Boston Strangler, recounts the infamous killings that terrorized the city for years. The film places a specific focus on the two Record-American investigative reporters, Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole, who connected the murders and gave the killer his moniker, Boston Strangler.

But the Boston Strangler case didnt close in the 1960s. Although he confessed, DeSalvo was never charged for the gruesome murders of the 13 women, who were sexually assaulted and strangled to death with stockings, ropes, and cords in their homes. According to ABC News, DeSalvo couldnt be prosecuted due to a lack of physical evidence. And before his death in 1973, he recanted his confession, according to USA Today.

Hulton Archive - Getty Images

When he claimed to be the Boston Strangler, DeSalvo was serving time for a separate series of crimes, including sexual assault and burglaries against four other women, according to The New York Times. He was arrested in November 1964 and imprisoned at Bridgewater State Hospital, a medium-security facility in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, the Boston Herald reported.

Psychiatrist Dr. Robert R. Mezer said that, during an examination for trial, DeSalvo had confessed to the killings of the 13 women. DeSalvo told me he was the strangler . . . He told me he strangled 13 women . . . and he went into details of some of them, telling me some of the most intimate acts he committed, he said, per The New York Times.

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Still, DeSalvo was not tried for the murders. But he was convicted for the aforementioned crimes in January 1967 and was sentenced to life in prison. With DeSalvo sentenced to prison for life, with an appeal to a higher court pending, and with the convicted man already in a mental hospital of the maximum security type as Bridgewater, it is doubtful that any prosecutor in the three counties involved  Suffolk, Middlesex and Essex  will take immediate steps to indict DeSalvo for the stranglings, in the opinion of most legal observers, the Boston Herald wrote in a January 19, 1967 report.

Bettmann - Getty Images

How did Albert DiSalvo die?

On November 27, 1973, while serving his life sentence at Walpole State Prison in eastern Massachusetts, Albert DeSalvo was stabbed to death by another prisoner. The prison authorities said the 40-year-old inmate's body was discovered in his cell bed in the prison's hospital wing at 7 o'clock, The New York Times reported at the time. Police said that a possible suspect had been questioned, but no one was ever arrested for DeSalvos death.

In 2013, nearly 50 years after the stranglings, DNA evidence linked DeSalvo to the death of his alleged last victim, 19-year-old Mary Sullivan. The DNA was recovered from a water bottle left at a construction site by DeSalvos nephew, according to ABC News.

This is good evidence. This is strong evidence. This is reliable evidence, Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley said at the time, at which Massachusetts law enforcement affirmed that the DNA from Sullivan can be connected with 99.9 percent certainty to DeSalvo.

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You can no longer buy either print or Kindle Newsstand magazine and newspaper subscriptions from Amazon, as the company appears to implement yet another cost-cutting measure. The e-commerce giant announced that it was halting Newsstand subscriptions on March 9th (via The Verge) and that the change was going to take effect that very day. If you have an annual subscription, it will not be renewed, as well.

You can continue managing your subscriptions  such as changing your delivery address  through Amazon until June 5th at 11:59PM PST. But after that, you'd have to get in touch with the publisher for any inquiry. Finally, Amazon will only be sending you the latest issues for your magazines and newspapers until September 4th. The good news is that you'll still be able to access all the digital issues that have already been delivered, and Amazon will send you a pro-rated refund for any undelivered issue.

In a statement, Amazon spokesperson Julia Lee told The Verge that the company looks at each of its businesses to see what it should change as part of its annual operating planning review process. Lee explained: "Following an assessment of our magazine and newspaper subscriptions and single-issue sales, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue these services. We don't take these decisions lightly and are winding down these offerings in a phased manner over several months. We will continue to support customers, sellers and publishers during that time."

Based on Lee's statement, the company wasn't making money from subscriptions, and they likely became a casualty that could be attributed to its cost-cutting efforts. Back in January, Amazon expanded its planned job cuts to cover 18,000 roles in the company after hiring thousands of new people to keep up with the heightened demand during the previous years' COVID lockdowns. Amazon also paused construction on its second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia and shut down several cashierless Go stores over the past few months.

If you want to keep receiving the newest issues of your magazines and newspapers, you'll have to look at alternative subscription options from their publishers. Some of them, however, will still be available as part of Amazon's Kindle Unlimited service.
Jailed Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger is not allowed to interact with other inmates, according to reports from a source.

New details about the conditions of Mr Kohbergers arrest were revealed on Ashleigh Banfields NewsNation segment on Wednesday.

An unnamed source who reportedly has access to Mr Kohberger within the Latah County Jail told the network that, despite being in solitary confinement, the quadruple murder suspect is allowed to attend mass every Sunday.

However, the source noted that Mr Kohberger is barred from interacting with other inmates and usually keeps his head down during service.

Mr Kohberger had just finished his first semester at Washington State University when he was arrested on 30 December for allegedly murdering Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chaplin on 13 November.

The former criminology PhD student, who was linked to the crime thanks to DNA found at the scene, is set to appear in court on 26 June for a preliminary hearing. He has not entered a plea but said earlier this year through a public defender that he was eager to be exonerated.

Among other revelations made by the unnamed source is that Mr Kohberger has access to mental health services but has yet to request to use those resources.

Ms Banfield also said Mr Kohberger has access to a TV and can ask guards to switch channels for him.

Since Mr Kohberger is reportedly banned from engaging with the other 16 inmates at Latah County Jail, he keeps to himself when he attends mass every Sunday, the source told NewsNation.

The other inmates, we are told, are very curious about Bryan Kohberger. They are also relieved, we are told, that he keeps his head down and hasnt made any trouble for anyone, Ms Banfield told her audience.

Inmates were purportedly impressed by Mr Kohbergers imposing frame, Ms Banfield said, adding that they expected him to be thinner.

Bryan Kohberger, left, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022

Upon setting eyes on Kohberger for the first time in person, it was a whole other image, she said. On television the description was that he looked like a toothpick, a skinny toothpick on TV, but the toothpick image on TV, according to this source, in person it looks like he is well over 200 lb and that he is quite imposing.

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One of the people jailed at the facility reportedly said that Mr Kohberger does not look like a psychopath, Ms Banfield said. Ex-inmate Larry Levine, who was brought on the segment as a consultant, said that in his own experience, accused murderers didnt always look out of the ordinary.

I flew on con-air, they call it JPATS, [Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System], I was chained up next to a guy that was a serial killer, he killed like five people, Mr Levine said.  ... this guy seemed as normal as you or I do. You really cant tell.

Mr Levine added: He was really intelligent, the things he said, he admitted to me, yeah, well I killed them and they deserved it.

But he seemed level-headed. Bryan Kohberger is not stupid, maybe more arrogant than anything.

Asked about reports that Mr Kohberger is being taunted by other inmates, Mr Levine theorised that they did so to get under his skin.

I see this happening in prisons a lot of the time, theyre probably telling him that hes going to get the electric chair, that theyre going to fry him, Mr Levine said.

The prosecution has not announced plans to ask for the death penalty but Mr Kohbergers attorney Ann Taylor is one of 13 qualified public defenders in the state to represent defendants in a potential death penalty case.

In addition to the DNA found at the scene, Mr Kohberger was linked to the murders through cellphone data and surveillance video of what prosecutors believe to be his white Hyundai Elantra leaving the scene after the slayings, according to the affidavit for his arrest.

Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21 (Instagram)

One of the victims surviving roommates was also able to partially describe the killer to investigators after she came face to face with him in the aftermath of the murders. The murder weapon  a fixed-blade knife  was not recovered during the searches and it is still unclear where it may be.

Two warrants made public last month and obtained by The Independent show that investigators collected a Glock .40 caliber gun, empty gun magazines, a knife, a pocket knife, black face masks, black gloves, electronic devices, and more clothing items from the home of Mr Kohbergers parents in Pennsylvania, where he was arrested.

Mr Kohbergers family home was raided on the same day as another search at his apartment in Pullman, Washington, which was a 15-minute drive from the crime scene in Moscow.

The warrant from the Washington search was made public in January, revealing investigators seized a collection of dark red spotting and a pillow with a reddish/brown stain at Mr Kohbergers Pullman apartment. A Fire TV stick and possible animal hair strands were also taken by law enforcement.
MILAN  Apparel interlinings manufacturer Chargeurs PCC has been providing structure, literally, to fashion for more than half a century. Now, the company is ready to scale up the business via sustainable luxury fashion, acquisitions and services.

Much of Chargeurs strength has laid in the companys ability to evolve and adjust, and to sense where the market was headed, for example, fashions embrace of stretch fabrics for enhanced practicality.

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Weve always pioneered and championed innovation, said Gianluca Tanzi, Chargeurs PCCs chairman and chief executive officer, referencing the warp knit weft insert conceived more than 50 years ago in partnership with loom maker Karl Mayer.

The second driver of growth is that weve grown into a multinational company with widespread distribution. We develop a global collection aimed at all clients across regions, he said, highlighting that Chargeurs PCC has 30 regional offices.

In 2022, the company posted 220 million euros in sales, up 33.4 percent versus the previous year.

Sustaining momentum is Tanzis main task going forward.

The company generates the bulk of its revenues in the U.S., followed by France and Italy, where the luxury industry is overperforming and beating other segments.

Its global presence has come in handy to tap into emerging markets, too, including Colombia and Peru, currently go-to manufacturing hubs for garment-makers in the American continent. Plus, the company has leaned into its expertise to serve nascent luxury fashion businesses, including in Asia, where it is courting local designers.

In addition to growing our market share and opening new markets, Turkey and Mexico currently being the ones on our radar, we believe that we should be able to sell products from different categories to our existing clients, Tanzi said.

The executive is confident that the companys diversification  for instance it also owns the Senfa enterprise located in Frances Alsace region that specializes in coatings  will help Chargeurs exploit new business avenues and simultaneously bank on cross-selling.

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Its wide-ranging products includes interlinings weighing around half an ounce that are particularly useful for tulle gowns, but also linings and paddings.

The latter category includes the trademarked Nativa woolen stuffing, a luxurious alternative to man-made fibers and down typically employed for puffers.

Through its a Nativa product, Chargeurs forged ties with Gucci, inking a four-year, renewable partnership for the supply of the trademarked blockchain-backed woolen padding sourced from regenerative agriculture farms.

Chargeurs Luxury Fibers trademarked Nativa woolen padding.

The product was developed and distributed through the companys Chargeurs Luxury Fibers division and includes 100 percent woolen paddings, as well as a soon-to-launch product blending of 50 percent Thindown and 50 percent wool, both partially recycled.

The executive noted that the company generates 30 percent of its overall revenues from sustainable products.

We are most dedicated to clients operating in the luxury segment, he said, noting how premium companies are also a driver in research and development. Case in point, the Zero-Water interlinings dyed with a waterless formula were the result of couture clients upping the ante on their sustainability requests.

With R&D centers spread across production sites and three Innovation Studios strategically located in Milan, Paris and New York, key cities for the fashion business, Tanzi highlighted the companys speed in developing new solutions.

Counting 7,000 clients overall, including European and U.S. designer brands and haute couture houses, the company sees further growth opportunities in the M&A space.

Chargeurs PCC is part of France-based Chargeurs, a holding company publicly listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, and its current composition is the result of acquisitions made over the years, of Peronne, France-based Lainiere de Picardie in 1972, and PCC in 2018.

We are always very attentive to opportunities and our goal is to grow both organically and by way of M&A activities geared at acquiring know-how and markets where we are lagging behind, he said.

He dodged questions about whether the company has already spotted an acquisition target, beyond saying the team is carefully assessing a few businesses.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia next week to meet with President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin announced on Friday, according to Russian state media.

The March 20-22 visit, Xis first trip to Russia in nearly four years, comes amid Moscows ongoing invasion of Ukraine and Beijings efforts to present itself as a neutral arbiter of the conflict.

The two leaders are set to discuss pressing issues related to the future of relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China, the Kremlin said on Friday, per the Russian state-run news agency TASS.

Putin announced last month during a visit with Chinas top diplomat Wang Yi that Xi planned to visit Moscow but had not provided a specific time frame.

China recently presented a 12-point peace plan for a political resolution of the Ukraine crisis, which was followed by calls for a cease-fire and negotiations alongside Belarus. However, the U.S. has eyed Beijings peace efforts with skepticism, accusing China of strongly considering providing Russia with lethal aid for its war effort.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
SURFS UP: Dior has teamed up with environmental organization Parley for the Oceans for the second time on its annual mens beachwear capsule collection.

Their first collaboration last year was honored with the Forbes Green Ecological Transition Prize at the inaugural awards held by Forbes France last October.

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Im very proud of this second collaboration with Parley for the Oceans. We succeeded in doing a 96 percent eco-responsible collection which is amazing, said Kim Jones, artistic director of menswear at Dior.

This capsule is committed and very desirable, its a mix of innovation and technical performance but still very elegant, he said in a statement.

Dior and Parley started a joint research project in 2019, which has resulted in new yarns and fabrics made with upcycled marine plastic debris and fishing gear recovered from coastlines and islands around the world, including the Maldives, Dominican Republic and Sri Lanka.

Dior specified that 59 percent of the items in the collection used ocean plastic in their composition, and 37 percent used fabrics with a certification such as GOTS, which limits the use of toxic bleaches, dyes and other chemical inputs during the production process of textiles.

A look from Diors capsule mens beachwear collection with Parley for the Oceans.

Working in a palette ranging from coral and lemon to the brands signature gray, the teams at Dior used the upcycled alternative to virgin polyester developed by Parley to create fabrics including seersucker and a silky knit, used for mix-and-match pieces such as shorts, pants, T-shirts, polo shirts and sweaters.

Dior said the capsule line reflects its desire to move toward a more eco-innovative, sustainable future for fashion. It also chimes with Jones personal commitment toward preserving the environment and rare animals.

The collection featured two additional collaborations: with surfwear maker Vissla on wetsuits made from recycled jerseys incorporating 50 percent of recycled cotton, and with French specialist Notox on an eco-responsible surfboard.

Story continues

Parent company LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton has said that by 2030 all of its new products should result from eco-design  which it described as being produced with a minimal environmental footprint, from the extraction of materials to their transformation.

Wearing a piece of Dior x Parley is an act of rebellion, it shows that you care dearly. It shows that you want to solve the environmental crisis we are facing in a creative and optimistic way, said Cyrill Gutsch, chief executive officer and founder of Parley for the Oceans.

Together with Kim Jones and his fantastic team we have delivered the proof that driving the material revolution is not a sacrifice, but answers to a new desire: to protect the oceans, to protect our climate and to protect our future, he said.

The collection will be available in Dior stores that carry menswear from mid-May.

Accessories from Diors capsule mens beachwear collection with Parley for the Oceans.

SEEING DOUBLE: Y/Projects Glenn Martens, guest couturier at Jean Paul Gaultier in January 2022, has returned for a second ready-to-wear collaboration, this time focused on prints that give the illusion of garment mash-ups.

The knit-enhanced mesh clothing gives the trompe loeil impression of jean jackets spliced with sailor shirts; wader jeans superimposed on narrow skirts, or lacy lingerie floating on slipdresses.

The collection drops on Friday on the e-stores of Jean Paul Gaultier and Y/Project, along with select retailers. Prices range from 320 euros for T-shirts up to 1,290 euros for long, tailored jackets.

The range includes looks for men, from T-shirts banded with a print of belt-encircled jeans to a tailored coat suggesting a pair of briefs and bare legs.

A tailored mens look from the Jean Paul Gaultier x Y/Project collaboration.

Martens was Jean Paul Gaultiers second guest couturier, after Sacais Chitose Abe, following the founding designers retirement from the runway in January 2020.

That was something of a homecoming for Martens, who was recruited by Gaultier shortly after graduating from Antwerps Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 2008 and became junior designer for his womens pre-collection and the G2 mens label.

After his high-fashion debut, Martens also turned out a capsule rtw collection, also in the trompe-loeil vein. It was based on Gaultiers spring 1996 Cyberbaba collection, and featured various body parts printed on unexpected garments.

One of Frances most iconic and popular fashion figures, Gaultier had the idea of inviting different designers to interpret his couture once he hung up his scissors.

Martens, who is also creative director at Diesel in Italy, likes to tumble together disparate references, from classical tailoring to streetwear to offbeat historical references, including Flemish Old Masters. He is also known for his avant-garde silhouettes that incorporate exaggerated and twisting volumes.

His latest Y/Project collection for fall 2023 included garments made of shredded denim, and other looks where shredded denim appeared as a photo print.  MILES SOCHA

A womens look from the Jean Paul Gaultier x Y/Project collaboration.

KITHS LATEST COLLAB: Ronnie Fieg has a new sneaker collaboration in the works. This time, the Kith founder has tapped Adidas and Clarks Originals for a three-way project coming soon.

Fieg shared an image on Twitter yesterday of a Clarks Originals suede hangtag donning his last name, along with Clarks branding and the Adidas Trefoil logo. Fieg is holding multiple iterations of the hangtag, which could indicate multiple iterations of the project are releasing.

Ronnie Fieg

At the time of publication, only teaser images of the forthcoming project have been shared. Seen on the feet of the models in Kiths spring 2023 look book are what appears to be the aforementioned three-way collab in the form of the Samba. The sneakers feature a traditional leather construction on the upper, but swaps out the tooling with Clarks crepe sole.

This assortment of new silhouettes across outerwear, knitwear, activewear and accessories promotes creative layering  elevating any wardrobe. Bespoke textiles including cotton poplin, wool, nylon, Nappa leather and denim allow for flexibility in warmth and texture. The patchwork and pre-treatment wash techniques utilized throughout provide a soft feel with a lived-in appearance. The collection benefits from the Kith palette, featuring rich earth tones inclusive of sage green, burnt orange, deep navy, Pacific blue and deep teal, Kith wrote for the description of its spring 2023 collection.

Fieg has collaborated with both Adidas and Clarks separately on numerous occasions, most recently with the 8th St. by Ronnie Fieg for Clarks Originals collection in May.

At the time of publication, release details for the three-way Ronnie Fieg x Adidas x Clarks sneaker collab have yet to be announced by any of the parties involved in the project.  VICTOR DENG

SUSTAINABILITY PODCAST: At a sustainable fashion event held Thursday morning, Kering and Marie Claire unveiled the launch of a joint podcast.

A spin-off from the consumer magazine and luxury conglomerates partnership that began in June 2022, the Fashion Our Future podcast expands on in-person learnings. The Thursday event, which took place in Manhattan, trails an inaugural flagship event that convened in Paris last year, showcasing panel talks, workshops, design expositions and more focused on fashion and sustainability.

Kering sustainability officer Marie-Claire Daveu and Elodie Brunstein in French Guiana.

After a seated breakfast, media, influencers, industry professionals and students donned plush headphones to sample the sound of rushing streams and songbirds, while seated, ironically, multiple stories above the skyline. A voiceover repeated phrases like: Were overconsuming, or Isnt it nice to slow down?, all underscoring that sustainability necessitates slowing down by principle. The first consumer-geared podcast episode drops Thursday on Spotify.

The news accompanied a handful of panel conversations and precedes further news from Kering. For the first session, Kerings sustainability head Marie-Claire Daveu spoke of the companys feat in ditching fur, as well the optimism that drives her profession.

You dont work in sustainability if you arent optimistic, underscored Daveu.

The conversation continued with actress Kerry Washington and sustainable designers Brother Vellies founder Aurora James, Angel Chang and Studio 189 cofounder Abrima Erwiah.

Washington, who recently wore an archival Donna Karan dress to the Oscars, said storytellers are the true power wielders in shifting the sustainable fashion narrative. Real change happens when the message is being delivered in multiple stages in the process. If people are walking down the street and they see a huge [billboard] of what Kering is doing they [can] turn on their phone and scan a QR code, and they walk past the store. People get information in multiple places and understand this is not just a fashionable moment. This is not a trend. This has to be a life shift for the health of our planet.There are multiple opportunities to contribute to that narrative.

Erwiah spoke on a panel with Hassan Pierre, cofounder of ethical retailer Maison de Mode, and Natasha Franck, founder of digital supply chain tool Eon. The final conversation was between Fashion Institute of Technology president Joyce F. Brown and sustainable fashion and climate activist Saad Amer.

A selection of sustainability-inclined FIT student designers also showcased their work. These conversations and more are whats expected of the podcast, though further details were not revealed.  KALEY ROSHITSH

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Click here to read the full article.
SURFS UP: Dior has teamed up with environmental organization Parley for the Oceans for the second time on its annual mens beachwear capsule collection.

Their first collaboration last year was honored with the Forbes Green Ecological Transition Prize at the inaugural awards held by Forbes France last October.

More from WWD

Im very proud of this second collaboration with Parley for the Oceans. We succeeded in doing a 96 percent eco-responsible collection which is amazing, said Kim Jones, artistic director of menswear at Dior.

This capsule is committed and very desirable, its a mix of innovation and technical performance but still very elegant, he said in a statement.

Dior and Parley started a joint research project in 2019, which has resulted in new yarns and fabrics made with upcycled marine plastic debris and fishing gear recovered from coastlines and islands around the world, including the Maldives, Dominican Republic and Sri Lanka.

Dior specified that 59 percent of the items in the collection used ocean plastic in their composition, and 37 percent used fabrics with a certification such as GOTS, which limits the use of toxic bleaches, dyes and other chemical inputs during the production process of textiles.

A look from Diors capsule mens beachwear collection with Parley for the Oceans.

Working in a palette ranging from coral and lemon to the brands signature gray, the teams at Dior used the upcycled alternative to virgin polyester developed by Parley to create fabrics including seersucker and a silky knit, used for mix-and-match pieces such as shorts, pants, T-shirts, polo shirts and sweaters.

Dior said the capsule line reflects its desire to move towards a more eco-innovative, sustainable future for fashion. It also chimes with Jones personal commitment toward preserving the environment and rare animals.

The collection featured two additional collaborations: with surfwear maker Vissla on wetsuits made from recycled jerseys incorporating 50 percent of recycled cotton, and with French specialist Notox on an eco-responsible surfboard.

Story continues

Parent company LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton has said that by 2030 all of its new products should result from eco-design  which it described as being produced with a minimal environmental footprint, from the extraction of materials to their transformation.

Wearing a piece of Dior x Parley is an act of rebellion, it shows that you care dearly. It shows that you want to solve the environmental crisis we are facing in a creative and optimistic way, said Cyrill Gutsch, chief executive officer and founder of Parley for the Oceans.

Together with Kim Jones and his fantastic team we have delivered the proof that driving the material revolution is not a sacrifice, but answers to a new desire: to protect the oceans, to protect our climate and to protect our future, he said.

The collection will be available in Dior stores that carry menswear from mid-May.

Accessories from Diors capsule mens beachwear collection with Parley for the Oceans.

Best of WWD

Click here to read the full article.
This article was collaboratively written by Dao Nguyen + Buzzy, our creative AI assistant.

Let me tell you about the hidden gem that is Drake Bay, Costa Rica. This place will blow your mind, tug at your heartstrings, and make you question why you've never heard of it before. Here are the top 7 reasons why Drake Bay is the ultimate underrated travel destination:

1. Seclusion: Plane or Boat, Choose Your Adventure

This tropical paradise is so exclusive that you can only get there by plane or boat. No cars allowed! Your journey will be an adventure in itself, and by the time you arrive, you'll feel like you've discovered your own private island. Dao Nguyen

2. Nature: Channel Your Inner David Attenborough

From snorkeling with sea turtles to exploring the wonders of Corcovado National Park, you'll be immersed in some of the most incredible ecosystems on the planet. And if that's not enough, Drake Bay's beaches, birdwatching spots, and river tours are sure to keep your inner naturalist busy. Baird's trogon (Dao Nguyen)

3. Luxury Meets Eco-Friendly: Who Says You Can't Have It All?

You may be surrounded by nature, but that doesn't mean you'll be roughing it. There are tons of amazing eco lodges where you can kick back in style while blending in seamlessly with your natural surroundings. Dao Nguyen

4. Disconnect to Reconnect: Say Goodbye to Cell Service

While it may be a downside for some, the lack of consistent cell service in Drake Bay is honestly a blessing in disguise. Take this opportunity to truly unplug, recharge, and connect with nature (and maybe even yourself) without the constant barrage of texts, emails, and social media notifications. Dao Nguyen

5. Wildlife Galore: Get Ready for a National Geographic Experience

You might just spot a spider monkey, tapir, or yellow-throated toucan during your stay. But don't worry, they'll probably be too busy living their best life in the wild to notice you snapping photos like a paparazzo. One day, a spider monkey swiped pizza crust off of my lunch plate! Just remember to respect their space (even if they arent respecting yours!), and appreciate the chance to observe these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. Dao Nguyen

6. Off-the-Beaten-Path: Bragging Rights for Days

Let's be real, we all love discovering something before it becomes mainstream. Visiting Drake Bay will give you major travel cred, as you regale your friends with tales of your incredible adventures in this lesser-known gem of Costa Rica. Plus, you'll be able to enjoy the experience without the swarms of tourists that flock to more popular destinations. Dao Nguyen

7. The Perfect Time to Go: The Dry Season Awaits!

To make the most of your trip, visit Drake Bay between December and April, when the dry season offers sunny days, warm temperatures, and less chance of rain. I went at the beginning of the rainy season, in July, so it was even less crowded than usual. It only rained an hour or two per day, so we were still able to enjoy our slice of paradise in peace.
Albania moves to the forefront of river protection by making the Vjosa River the first wild river national park in Europe.

Franz Aberham / Getty Images Vjosa river valley, Nemercka mountains in background, Albania

For years, environmental NGOs, the clothing company Patagonia, and even a few celebrities (hi, Leo) have been campaigning for the protection of the Vjosa River. As one of the last wild rivers in Europe, the Vjosa is host to more than 1,100 animal and plant speciesincluding 13 animal species and two plant species assessed as globally threatened by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). And like most rivers, its delicate ecosystem has been under threat from human interference.

In the rush for green energy, at one point, as many as 45 hydropower plants were planned across the region, portending a dismal fate for the species that call the river home.

But now, in a historic action by Albania, the Vjosa has been declared the first wild river national park in Europe. In creating the 31,500-acre (12,727-hectare) protected area, the action puts the small Balkan country at the front of river protection.

The Mighty Vjosa

The Vjosa winds its way for 168 miles from the Pindus mountains in Greece to Albania's Adriatic coast. It is considered one of Europe's last wild big rivers because, somehow, it has been spared manmade barriersnamely, it has no dams or power stations. Among its rich biodiversity, it is home to otters, the endangered Egyptian vulture, and the critically endangered Balkan lynx, of which, by some accounts, no more than 10 remain in Albania, and 40 remain in total.

George Pachantouris / Getty Images A Balkan lynx in the wild

Albanias prime minister, Edi Rama, described the creation of the national park as a truly historic moment for nature, but also for social and economic development, adding that national parks attract 20% more tourists compared with non-protected areas.



Today we protect once and for all the only wild river in Europe, Rama said. This is about to change a mindset. Protecting an area does not mean that you enshrine it in isolation from the economy.



Story continues

Goran Safarek / Getty Images A hanging bridge over the Vjosa River, Albania

As explained by IUCN:

Gaining IUCN Category II National Park status means the Vjosa will be afforded protection, to the highest international standards, ensuring its ecological integrity, allowing natural processes to occur, and sustaining populations of all native species. The designation will take place in two phases, with Phase I being declared ... 15 March 2023:

In Phase I, the active channel of the river will be given National Park status, plus some lands and river vegetation within the active channel, or at risk of flooding or erosion  over 400km in total length. The area will be managed as a National Park and is expected to be fully operational by early 2024.

Phase II, in the coming years, will add other free-flowing tributaries and areas that are integral to the rivers ecosystem, plus some private land, following consultation with stakeholders.



"Vjosa is a symbol of human history and also a very important part of the history of our country," said Mirela Kumbaro Furxhi, Albania's Minister of Tourism and Environment, at a 2022 ceremony to sign a commitment to create Vjosa Wild River National Park.

"Maybe Albania does not have the power to change the world, but it can create successful models of protecting biodiversity and natural assets and we are proud to announce the creation of this first National Park on one of the last wild rivers in Europe."



With this beauty of a wild river protected foreverand hopefully serving as an inspiration to other governmentsmaybe Albania does have the power to change the world after all.



Read Next:8 Threatened Rivers Around the World
Joe Raedle - Getty Images

Former Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro is under fire for his staff's alleged failure to declare $3.2 million in jewelry at customs during his presidency.

Bolsonaro's lawyers insist the President did not violate the law.

The right-wing leader has been residing in the United States since his election loss.

It hasn't been the smoothest of sailing for ex-President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro, what with the lost election, and the post-election riots, and the accusations of crimes against humanity and all. And while Bolsonaro is currently enjoying fun in the Florida sun, he's also, according to NPR, now in hot water for a simple gift.

After all, who amongst us hasn't allegedly brought roughly $3.2 million in jewelry from the Saudi government in the backpack of a government aide accompanying our energy minister into Brazil and failed to declare it at customs or pay taxes on it?

As NPR reports, "the jewels," which include a diamond necklace, matching earrings, a watch and a ring, "...were reportedly a gift from the Saudi government to Michelle Bolsonaro, the wife of Brazil's then-President Jair Bolsonaro, and have been held by customs officials since then."

Customs agents discovered the jewelry in the backpack of a government aide accompanying then-energy minister Admiral Bento Albuquerque, both of whom were returning home from a mining conference in Saudi Arabia.

NPR notes that "...travelers to Brazil have to declare and pay taxes on goods worth more than $1,000, which the former Brazilian officials reportedly failed to do."

"Nobody can just get a present of 16 million reals," Brazil's Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said. Brazil's Justice Minister Flavio Dini asserted this week that former President Bolsonaro will even be subpoenaed as officials determine whether or not he broke the law.

Wagner Meier - Getty Images

For his part, Bolsonaro, who departed Florida this month to attend the CPAC Conference in Maryland, insisted that he did nothing illegal. "I'm getting crucified for a present I never received," he recently told a Brazilian TV station. "I've never abused my authority."

Story continues

"However," NPR goes on to note, "...the ex-president later acknowledged there was a second case containing a ring, watch, cufflinks, a rosary and a pen. Those items apparently did get past Brazilian customs officials, and local media reported their estimated worth of more than $75,000."

Bolsonaro's lawyer sent a letter to Brazillian federal police insisting that the former President was perfectly willing to cooperate in the investigate, and informed NPR of their continued assertion that Bolsonaro acted entirely in line with the law.

Many are questioning how this new scandal may impact a potential comeback for Bolsonaro, who has recently been staging speaking engagements and podcast appearances in far-right media circles within the U.S., including CPAC, as well as that of his wife, who was expected to be a major power player in Brazilian right-wing politics.

For her part, the former first lady took to social media to assert that she had no knowledge of the jewelry, and both she and her husband have stated that they had no intention of keeping the jewelry.

As for why, then, the GloboNews TV channel was able to find footage, from a day before the ex-President left for Florida, of a Bolsonaro aide allegedly "...trying to persuade a customs official to release the jewelry" if they had no intention to keep it, the answer appears unclear.

The investigation is still ongoing.

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South Africa: Countdown to 2023 Buy Local Summit & Expo

By Anele Zikali

All roads lead to the Sandton Convention Centre for the 11th edition of the Proudly South African Buy Local Summit and Expo.

Speaking at a media launch on Thursday, Proudly SA Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Eustace Mashimbye, said the intention of the summit is to ensure locally produced products are exposed.

In this way, we can save jobs in those companies and get them to create much needed new job opportunities because you will be buying from them.

Now in its 11th year, the 2023 edition of the two-day summit will for the first time be held in a physical venue post the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also be livestreamed.

The theme this year is Growing the Economy and Creating Jobs through Localisation.

One of the key highlights of the summit this year will be the honoring of the legendary writer and actor, Dr. John Kani, who will be given a lifetime achievement award by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The President will also give a keynote address at the localisation dinner.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi will do the welcoming on the first day, and the Minister of Trade and Industry (dtic), Ebrahim Patel, and the Minister of Small Business Development, Stella Ndabeni Abrahams, will also address the gathering.

Proudly South African expressed words of gratitude to its supportive partners, sponsors in business and government.

Proudly SA Chief Marketing Officer, Happy Ngidi, gave a sneak preview of what people can expect at the summit.

There will be robust discussions that will take place, and this includes the energy crisis. The focus will be on looking for localised solutions on the existing renewable energy products.

We will showcase the value chain behind the local fashion and clothing textile industry, local brewery and its beneficiaries, automotive industry, family businesses and the food industry. The question for everyone is, Are you buying local?, said Ngidi.

There will be a presentation by Mashimbye of local procurement pledges from 20 companies.

Consumer registration for the 11th annual Buy Local Summit & Expo is free and visitors can join in any of the sessions. For more, visit www.proudlysa.co.za.

This story has been published on: 2023-03-17. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
By Azernews

Sabina Mammadli

The discrimination of a group of people on their differences is when humanity hits its lowest point. The coexistence of various ethnic groups in multicultural, diverse societies could prevent hatred, which dominates in monoethnic Armenia.

As Baku hosts International Conference dedicated to International Day to Combat Islamophobia, the attention of the country is particularly drawn to the rising wave of religion-based hatred in Europe. However, religious hatred is not novel to Azerbaijanis as Armenias anti-Azerbaijani policy was not lacking in religious hatred on top of racial one.

During its nearly 30 years of bloody occupation, Armenia destroyed not only hundreds of Azerbaijani cities and villages but also Azerbaijani religious sites and cemeteries. Armenia destroyed 65 out of 67 mosques in Karabakh and East Zangazur, and the remaining two were used as pig and cow cowsheds throughout the occupation.

The complete erasure and destruction of Azerbaijani Muslim sites is a clear manifestation of deeply-rooted Islamophobia in Armenia. Such aggressions did not end there either; Armenia has also destroyed Azerbaijani cultural heritage, mosques, and historical sites in present-day Armenia.

Our fellow compatriots suffered from ethnic cleansing in Western Azerbaijan have now united in the Western Azerbaijan Community. They have set the goal of a peaceful return to their historical lands. According to the Concept of Return developed by the Western Azerbaijan Community, an international legally binding agreement with an appropriate verification and guarantee mechanism for the return of Azerbaijanis expelled from the territory of present-day Armenia should be put in place. Just as we, the state of Azerbaijan, will guarantee the individual rights and security of the Armenian residents living in Karabakh, Armenia must guarantee the rights and security of the Western Azerbaijanis based on the principle of reciprocity, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at Extraordinary Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States in Ankara on March 16.

However, to this day Armenia refuses to admit the forcible displacement of Azerbaijanis from the territory of current-day Armenia in the continuation of its crimes. No words are needed when the facts lay bare in front of us: there left no single Azerbaijanis in modern-day Armenia where thousands of them lived before.

Today Islamophobia is on the rise in Europe, especially in countries like Sweden and France. Such cases as the burning of the Koran outside the Turkish embassy in Sweden and the verbal and physical violence against the Muslim population of France are particularly of great concern.

In a comment to Azernews, Israeli-based pundit, journalist Rachel Abraham remarked that such actions are not new as Europe has traditionally been prejudiced against others going back hundreds of years.

And it doesnt only include the hatred of Muslims but it also includes hatred of Jews, hatred of gypsies, anyone else who is different. I think that the hatred of the other is deeply rooted within the European culture and that explains the actions such as what happened in France or in Sweden, Abraham stressed.

Although the pundit disagreed that Islamophobia in France could be connected to pro-Armenian policy, she stated that behind this lies deep-seated hatred against others and not just of Azerbaijanis and Turks.

Talking about the ways to combat the rising Islamophobia in the West, Abraham referenced education and exposure to multiculturalism.

I think the best way to combat this is through education. I think European children should be exposed to people of different ethnic groups from a very early age and be raised on a policy similar to Azerbaijans multiculturalism policy. I dont think these people have hatred in their hearts but people tend to hate what they do not know. So, I think ignorance is the root of this, the expert finalized.
Federal regulators have approved a major rail merger expected to bring more freight trains through parts of the Chicago area. The move will create the first rail line linking Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, but was lambasted by Metra, suburban towns and Illinois members of Congress.

The decision to allow the $31 billion merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern to move forward, announced Wednesday, marks the first major railroad merger since the 1990s, and carries far-reaching implications for local communities, Amtrak passenger rail and shippers looking to move goods through the country and across borders.

In the Chicago area, already a busy freight hub, the effects are expected to reverberate through communities along Metras Milwaukee District West line, which shares tracks with Canadian Pacific. The number of daily freight trains is projected to increase by an average of about eight extra freight trains per day along the line, bringing the total number to an average of just over 11 per day by 2027.

The end of the lengthy federal review process comes weeks after a fiery Norfolk Southern train derailment in Ohio led to evacuations and fears of air and water contamination when toxic chemicals were released and burned, and after four Democratic Illinois members of Congress urged the Surface Transportation Board to delay a final ruling pending more study.

It also comes despite repeated concerns raised by Metra and suburban communities that additional freight trains on Metras Milwaukee District West line would increase delays for commuter trains and drivers, exacerbate safety issues and pose problems for first responders who find their paths blocked by trains at road crossings.

Amtrak, for its part, supported the merger. Canadian Pacific committed to working with the company to expand service, including opening new routes, offering more service between Chicago and Milwaukee and extending additional service to St. Paul, Minnesota.

Story continues

On Wednesday, Democratic U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth and U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Delia Ramirez said they were deeply disappointed that the Surface Transportation Board has sided with corporations over our constituents in the Chicago region.

The STB has rushed through this decision without contemplating the impacts of what weve learned in East Palestine, (Ohio), Krishnamoorthi said at a news conference, describing the decision as disastrous and a rubber stamp.

Surface Transportation Board Chairman Martin Oberman, a former Chicago alderman and Metra board chairman, said the merger, which involves combining the two smallest of the major railroads that operate in the country, would improve competition.

He emphasized the safety and environmental benefits of moving hazardous materials by rail rather than road, and said concerns from Metra and local communities about the increased length and frequency of trains were not supported by the data the board reviewed.

The board is establishing a seven-year oversight period following the merger and is requiring the new rail company to report data. If community concerns materialize during that period, the board could take further action, he said.

If theres more interference with Metra, if there are more blocked crossings, if there are safety concerns that we do not project to be there now, the board stands ready and has the explicit statutory authority to hear those complaints, he said at a news conference. And, if the facts are established, to add or further orders to make sure that these communities and these other railroads like Metra are protected.

Asked if the board should consider additional study of safety concerns, Oberman dismissed the idea.

People have said to us, hold off on the merger, study the data further, he said. I am confident in saying this data cannot be studied any further. It has been studied until your eyeballs are falling out.

The boards approval of the merger came with conditions, including some intended to protect Metra service and others intended to maintain commercial competition. It is requiring the new company to establish community liaisons in Chicago.

Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern could combine as soon as April 14.

In its decision, the board said it expects that this new single-line service will foster the growth of rail traffic, shifting approximately 64,000 truckloads annually from North Americas roads to rail, and will support investment in infrastructure, service quality, and safety. It is also expected to add more than 800 union jobs in the U.S., and provide opportunities for Amtrak service, the board said.

Canadian Pacific executives also said the merger would create jobs and competition.

These benefits are unparalleled for our employees, rail customers, communities and the North American economy at a time when the supply chains of these three great nations have never needed it more, President and CEO Keith Creel said in a statement. A combined CPKC will connect North America through a unique rail network able to enhance competition, provide improved reliable rail service, take trucks off public roads and improve rail safety by expanding CPs industry-leading safety practices.

Kansas City Southern and Canadian Pacific have little overlapping track, meaning the merger likely wont be anti-competitive or lead to major job cuts, said David Clarke, former director of the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Youll now have the ability to run a rail car on a single railroad from points of Canada all the way into Mexico, he said. Probably for shippers thats going to have some positive benefits.

In Elgin, an increase in freight trains has the potential to block all of the suburbs downtown access points and hinder the ability of police, firefighters and other first responders to get to emergencies, Elgin Mayor Dave Kaptain told the Tribune.

He was also concerned about the potential environmental impacts of a train derailment. Spills could end up in the Fox River, threatening the areas drinking water.

The people in my community became a little less safe today, he said.

Elgin is part of a coalition of nine suburban communities that opposed the merger,all expressing similar concerns about grade crossings being blocked.

To say we are disappointed is a gross understatement, Bensenville Village President Frank DeSimone said at a news conference. Todays Surface Transportation Board Ruling shows us three things: it ignored our concerns for safety, it ignored our concerns for the quality of life and it ignored our concerns about the negative consequences on economic development in our communities.

Coalition members had asked for measures like quiet zones and the construction of overpasses. They did not receive much of what they sought as part of the decision, though the board did require the new railroad to work with the communities on certain issues, like getting funding to create quiet zones and installing and funding technology to notify residents and emergency responders of blocked crossings.

They continued to dispute numbers reviewed by the STB about train frequency, length and hazardous materials, saying the board used incorrect factors to calculate average train lengths and relied heavily on disputed data provided by Canadian Pacific.

The Surface Transportation Board has a long and storied history of siding with the railroads, and not on the side of safety, Itasca Village Administrator Carie Anne Ergo said.

The communities vowed to continue fighting the merger, she said. The coalition is joining calls for congressional hearings on rail safety, and is considering appealing the decision.

Metra said it also remained concerned about the merger.

We will count on the merged railroads commitments and the STBs oversight to make sure we can operate safely and reliably and continue to provide service that meets the needs of the residents of the Chicago area, agency officials said in a statement.

sfreishtat@chicagotribune.com

eleventis@chicagotribune.com
Correction: This article originally stated that the bill had passed in the Florida House. It had not yet been voted on and changes have been made to reflect that.

The Florida Legislature is debating a bill that would ban state colleges and universities from using funds to "promote, support, or maintain any programs or campus activities that espouse diversity, equity, or inclusion [DEI] or Critical Race Theory rhetoric." The bill would also give the state's board of governors the ability to remove "any major or minor that is based on or otherwise utilizes pedagogical methodology associated with Critical Theory."

Opponents of the bill, H.B. 999, worry that its language is too vague, and could be used to ban activities promoted by multicultural student unions, Black fraternities and sororities, and courses in Jewish history, women's studies and LGBTQ+ studies.

An official analysis of the bill cited examples of current courses that would be banned under the proposed legislation, including Florida Atlantic University's "Gender and Climate Change" and Florida State University's "Social (In)Equalities: Social Construction of Difference and Inequalities."

A tweet about the bill from comedian D.L. Hughley outlining some of the other programs thought to be at risk even went viral on social media.

While the bill does not explicitly ban many of the groups mentioned in the tweet, activists and lawmakers alike have voiced concern over how the language could be used to target certain programs.

When asked Monday by Democratic state Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson how the bill would impact student centers such as "Black student unions, pride centers, multicultural student centers and multi-faith advisory boards," the Republican who introduced the bill, state Rep. Alex Andrade, said that for the "vast majority" of the groups mentioned, "It doesn't. The bill does not apply to them."

Story continues

"Those student groups may continue to operate how they see fit currently, subject only to the policies and procedures that are content-neutral that apply to all student organizations on campus," he added.

Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon attempted to amend the bill to offer further protections for specific groups she believes are at risk. Her amendment was voted down by the House.

Providing students of all backgrounds the programs that serve their needs, that they themselves have created in many cases, should be prioritized, not politicized. pic.twitter.com/R80cKFya6d  State Rep. Angie Nixon (@AngieNixon) March 13, 2023

"Let's stop going down this dangerous road of censorship and limiting free speech in our public institutions of higher learning and get back to solving the problems that Floridians ask for," Nixon tweeted Monday.

Andrade on Wednesday took to Twitter after former state Rep. Carlos Guillermo, an opponent of the legislation, noted that Andrade was the only Republican who offered any debate or explanation on the bill, writing "It's tough to debate while being shouted down and threatened by angry liberals DEI advocates HATE open debate."

When Guillermo responded and accused Andrade's fellow Republicans of being "scared" of their consituents, Andrade replied, "This is your brain on DEI."

The American Historical Association has condemned the bill, writing in a statement, "We express horror (not our usual "concern") at the assumptions that lie at the heart of this bill and its blatant and frontal attack on principles of academic freedom and shared governance central to higher education in the United States."

"This is not only about Florida. It is about the heart and soul of public higher education in the United States and about the role of history, historians, and historical thinking in the lives of the next generation of Americans," the AHA added.

Andrade, who has taken to Twitter to seemingly promote the bill, writing "DEI advocates HATE open debate" in a quote tweet response to former Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, who publicly denounced H.B. 999.

Its tough to debate while being shouted down and threatened by angry liberals



DEI advocates HATE open debate. https://t.co/O8v3G7cg8W  Alex Andrade (@RAlexAndradeFL) March 15, 2023

Andrade has also responded to multiple tweets of varying subject matter, "This is your brain on DEI."

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It all got a little tense on Fox & Friends Friday morning as the hosts rowed with each other about President Bidens media arrangements.

Brian Kilmeade went on a rant after showing a clip of White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre answering questions about why Biden isnt holding a joint press conference with Irish leader Leo Varadkar during Varadkars visit to Washington, D.C., this week.

Obviously she has no message, she plays defense and just deflects every single question she gets, Kilmeade said of Jean-Pierre. Think about whats happened over the last 48 hours. We had a banking crisis. [Biden] gives a three-minute speech and literally turns away from all these questions.

Kilmeade went on to say, Then we get a drone, a Predator drone, shot out of the sky by the Russians, referring to the incident involving a MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday. Steve Doocy could be heard interrupting his colleague to say the drone was actually clipped by Russian jetswhich is what the Pentagon says brought the drone downbut Kilmeade rolled on anyway, calling the incident one of the most substantial clashes between two powers that weve seen over the last 50 years.

Kilmeade also bemoaned that Biden was instead talking about guns and attending a fundraiser instead of explaining his responses to various crisesincluding fentanyl and the borderto the American people. This is the type of thing youd want to do if you run to be leader of the country, Kilmeade said. Instead, he runs from the press. It is so disrespectful to the people and to the press corps.

SNLs Fox & Friends Confuses Rupert Murdoch for Alex Murdaugh

Well, he gets away with it, Doocy replied. They want to keep a clean slate until he declares hes running for re-election, and so thats what theyre gonna do.

Tell that to the Russians, Kilmeade hit back. He cant do it! Youre president of the United Statesits not up to you to have a clean slate. Youre not running for office, youre in office.

Story continues

Doocy and Kilmeade then started talking over each other as Doocy pointed out that, as president, Biden can do what he wants as Kilmeade continued to insist its not acceptable. By who? Doocy asked. By us! Kilmeade said. Is it acceptable to you? Are you OK with that? Turning your back on the press?

Doocy said he wanted to hear from Biden as much as possible but that it was ultimately the presidents decision whether or not to speak. Its a terrible choice, Kilmeade grumbled.

At that point, host Ainsley Earhardt tried to make a diplomatic intervention. Listen, if thats gonna be [Bidens] choice, then he has to be open to criticism, she said. The American people want to hear from him, and when our banks are collapsing and people are scared, the president should come out and speak. But it is his choice not to.

But Kilmeade wasnt done.

If Donald Trump chose not to talk about the pandemic and avoid criticism, that would be a terrible decision because you have an opportunity to lead. he said. The Russians just shot a $50 million Predator drone out of the sky and theyre trying to fish out the cutting-edge technology, Kilmeade continued, repeating his inaccurate version of events.

This time Doocy didnt set the record straight, instead bringing the row to an end on a conciliatory note. Actually, were probably the only channel thats talking about the fact that hes not having a press conference, Doocy said, before the program moved swiftly on to a segment about March Madness.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Cheri Branham plays Jenga with her youngest daughter, 3, in their home in Howard, Wis.

Cheri Branham hoped her first child would share her birth date. The due date, after all, was the day before Branhams birthday.

But the day of her child's birth wasnt up to Branham.

It ultimately was decided by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Pregnant women in the DOCs care often have their labor medically induced.

Branham was one of them.

I did not have an option, Branham said, who, in 2014, was in Taycheedah Correctional Institution for a rule violation.

Her probation was revoked when she sought medical treatment for substance abuse after learning she was pregnant. Authorities considered that a violation -- getting prescribed medication without her probation officer's consent.

More:At age 15, Marlin Dixon went to prison for a killing that appalled the nation. Now free, he's determined to prove his life has value.

She was sent back to prison while six months pregnant.

What was supposed to be a joyous event was filled with fear and uncertainty when prison guards came to her cell at 4 a.m. to take her to a Green Bay hospital to give birth to her now 8-year-old daughter. Branham felt alone and isolated, despite being surrounded by prison guards.

She had no time to call anyone. Not even her mother.

This was my first birth. I didnt know what was going on. I had no preparation. I had no family, Branham said. It was very terrifying. Nobody shouldnt have to go through that at all.

Cheri Branham, 32, in this undated photo, is holding her three-month-old daughter. Branham was in prison when she gave birth -- through a medically induced labor -- to her now-eight-year-old daughter. She called the experience traumatic. Now she is advocating for the creation of the Wisconsin Prison Doula Project which will allow trained practitioners to support pregnant incarcerated women and girls.

This new bill could lead to doulas helping women who are incarcerated

Branham, 32, of Howard, is lending her voice to support proposed legislation to ensure pregnant women in the DOCs care receive better maternal healthcare.

The Dignity for Incarcerated Women and Girls bill seeks to create the Wisconsin Doula Prison Project. The project would allow trained doula practitioners to provide support for birthing women and individuals before, during and after delivery in state prisons. The bill also seeks to ban the practice of shackling pregnant and postpartum individuals in the DOCs care.

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State Sen. Lena Taylor and state Rep. Jodi Emerson are sponsoring the bill. Taylor and Emerson, both Democrats, announced it earlier this month during a news conference in Madison.

Women comprise 6.5 percent of the states prison population of 20,000, according to DOC figures. Six of the 800 women housed at Taycheedah gave birth last year, according to a DOC spokesperson.

More:Housing is the toughest problem for people released from prison. The Family House offers a room, a plan and a hand.

Women come into the system pregnant all the time, said Peggy A. West-Schroder, executive director of FREE, a statewide advocacy nonprofit led by and for justice-impacted women. Her organization is part of a coalition pushing for the bills passage.

It is the systems responsibility to care for them and their infant. Up until this point, there hasnt been a lot of attention to this subject," said West-Schroder, whose mother gave birth to her while in DOC custody.

Wisconsin's prison doula project would mirror a similar effort in Minnesota. There, the doulas provide a continuum of care for expectant mothers throughout their pregnancies, visiting moms while incarcerated and accompanying them to the birth. Doulas provide parenting and prenatal classes as well as follow-up care after the mother is released. The Minnesota program also created a designated lactation room in the state's only womens prison.

Having a prison doula program for expecting mothers provides not only a support system, but empowers them also, said Erica Gerrity, who founded the Minnesota Prison Doula Project in 2010, but now lives in Wisconsin.

Most incarcerated women have experienced trauma and abuse in their lives, including sex trafficking, she said. That trauma continues when placed in a carceral system that controls a womans every move down to when she gives birth, noted Gerrity, executive director, of the Ostara Initiative, a nonprofit supporting justice-involved parenting and pregnant people.

A lot of prisons and jails chose inductions; they chose when you will have your baby, she said. The truth is you can make decisions about your body even if you are incarcerated.

More:'Art Against the Odds' shows works made by prisoners in Wisconsin

Doulas provide three things -- emotional, informational, and physical support, said Gerrity, a trained doula.

They connect expecting moms with resources, help them determine where their baby would be placed, assist with that initial separation from their infants in the hospital and help them find the joy in their childs birth even though they are incarcerated.

Doulas are becoming the standard of practice for pregnant incarcerated people, she said. Her nonprofit, over the next five years, plans to establish five doula projects in federal prisons. For now, Gerrity wants to reach out to justice-involved women in the state who gave birth while in DOCs care to help facilitate this work.

"If we want people to grow and heal and change  we need to have supportive programs like doula care," Gerrity said.

Having a support person would have made the process easier, said Branham, who suffered a mental breakdown once she returned to prison. I had severe postpartum and was suicidal.

The only thing that saved her was the promise her mom made to bring the baby daughter to the prison. But the experience led Branham, now a married mother of four, to get a degree in social work and to become a doula herself.

The advocacy is huge, Branham said. While a doula doesn't give medical advice, our main role is to support and to make sure the person gets what they want. Those women dont have anyone advocating for them at that point. They are alone.

The benefits of a doula program are huge. She said studies show improved birth weight, low infant mortality, and improved mental health outcomes for mothers.

The DOC currently doesn't shackle pregnant women in labor, except when the safety of mother or child is at issue, West-Schroder said. The bill aims to codify banning shackling altogether, so it cannot be discretionary, she said.

"We are just asking them to make it a law, so the next DOC secretary cant come in and change that, West-Schroder said. There are many states across the U.S. that have outlawed the shackling of pregnant women. Lets not be that state left on the books, where we shackle pregnant women.

Funding for the program could come from grants. The cost, West-Schroder said, would be minimal to DOC other than the additional staff time needed to monitor when the mother goes into labor naturally.

This is Taylors second attempt to pass an anti-shackling bill. She introduced a similar measure in 2019, but it failed to get out of committee, as did a similar 2017 bill. Taylor is hopeful this time around.

She said theres more awareness about doulas and the role they play in improving birth outcomes. She noted the states infant mortality rate is high, especially among Black mothers.

More:Wisconsin's policy barring clergy from visiting inmates over COVID-19 is ruled unconstitutional

Since more jails statewide have begun implementing anti-shackling policies, theres data that shows this is not a security issue, she said. Pregnant women in the throes of labor dont pose a flight risk, she added.

I dont think that is a thing we have to be concerned about, Taylor said. I dont believe we have to create that additional inhumanity and trauma for that newborn and that mother.

She hopes the legislature would err on the side of dignity and decency.

La Risa Lynch is a community affairs reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Email her at llynch@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin prison induced her labor; now she fights for new law
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Every year, on March 17, St. Patricks Day is celebrated in earnest all over the world. Although the holiday has become synonymous with wearing green and downing pints of Guinness among other libations, theres much more to it. The festivities surrounding the holiday honor the life and teachings of Saint Patrick, Irelands patron saint who is believed to have been born as Maewyn Succat and later adopted the moniker by which hes known today.

But what exactly is Patricks story and how do we separate the fact from fiction when it comes to the traditions and religious symbols he inspired hundreds of years ago? Here are seven lesser-known facts about the national apostle of Ireland.

Saint Patrick wasnt Irish.

The biggest misconception about Saint Patrick was that he was Irish. Born in England circa 385 AD, Saint Patrick didnt make his way to Ireland until Irish pirates kidnapped him at age 16 and sold him into slavery. Later, he dedicated his life to converting the Irish to Christianity.

He taught himself to read and write.

Because of his enslavement, its believed Saint Patrick missed out on education opportunities such as learning to read and write in his youth. Saint Patricks education seemed limited to religious teachings where he studied under a French bishop and was eventually ordained. Still, lack of a formal education embarrassed Saint Patrick, who is believed to have taught himself to read and write beyond his basic Latin. According to a blog on the Oxford University Presss website, Saint Patricks success as a missionary was due to tenacity and dogged determination, even in the face of uncertainty and second guesses about his own self-worth.

Some believe that Saint Patrick created the Celtic cross.

Atlantide Phototravel - Getty Images

Although the exact origins of the Celtic cross remain uncertain, some believe that Saint Patrick created the symbol. The Celtic Cross features a circle, which some refer to as a halo or circle of light, around the center of a traditional Christian cross. It is frequently seen on tombstones in cemeteries, sometimes with intricate designs carved onto its surface. It is said that Saint Patrick created the Celtic cross by embedding pagan symbolismthe circle of lightto help him convert pagans to Christianity.

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Saint Patrick used a shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity.

The shamrock (or three-leaf clover, as its often called) has long been an Irish symbol, and according to Time, is also recognized as the unofficial national flower of Ireland. According to some, Saint Patrick used the shamrock as an aid to explain the Holy Trinity to people he tried converting to Christianity. In fact, botanist Caleb Threlkelds 1726 treatise on native Irish flora mentions Saint Patricks use of the shamrock as a religious tool. Although the religious meaning Saint Patrick mightve applied to the plant hundreds of years ago depicted the three holiest entities in Christianity, today the shamrock endures as an image of Irish pride.

The original color for St. Patricks Day wasnt green.

Green wasnt the original color used to represent St. Patrickit was blue. After the Order of Saint Patrick was established in 1783, the organizations color had to stand out from those that preceded it. And since dark green was already taken, the Order of Saint Patrick went with blue.

There were no snakes for Saint Patrick to banish in Ireland.

According to folklore, Saint Patrick chased away snakes in Ireland, thus protecting townspeople from the mysterious creatures and sending them to the sea. However, Ireland didnt have snakes at the time. Surrounded by icy water, Ireland was the last place that these cold-blooded reptiles would want to go. Its much more reasonable to think that the snakes that St. Patrick banished were representative of the Druids and Pagans in Ireland since they were considered evil.

Saint Patrick was never canonized by a pope.

Despite his name, its worth noting that a pope never canonized Saint Patrick, making his saintly status somewhat questionable. In all fairness, Saint Patrick wasnt the only saint that didnt go through a proper canonization. In the Catholic Churchs first millennium, there wasnt a formal canonization process at all, so most saints from that period were given the title if they were either martyrs or seen as extraordinarily holy.


Hunter Biden is suing the Trolley Square computer repair shop owner who claimed Biden dropped off his computer and never retrieved it, which led to the leak and publication of private photographs and correspondence belonging to the presidents son.

Biden's legal claims, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Delaware, are that John Paul Mac Isaac had no right to access and copy the data on the laptop and then invaded Bidens privacy by disseminating the ill-gotten content.

Here's a rundown of what you need to know.

First, who is John Paul Mac Isaac again?

Mac Isaac is the former owner of The Mac Shop in Wilmington, which is now closed.

He claims that in April 2019, a man who identified himself as Hunter Biden brought three liquid-damaged laptops to his small repair shop in the Trolley Square shopping center. Mac Isaac claims Biden never returned to retrieve the electronics and so they became his property and, motivated by his concern about the content, as well as his political leanings, he disseminated information stored on the devices.

John Paul Mac Isaac, owner of the Mac Shop in Wilmington, Delaware, says a man who identified himself as Hunter Biden brought damaged computer equipment to his small repair shop in April 2019.

Eventually, the hard drive's contents made their way into the hands of former President Donald Trump's associates and the New York Post during the fever of the last presidential campaign.

Mac Isaac was rocketed into the national spotlight in October 2020 when the New York Post published an expose on information purporting to be from Hunter Biden's laptop.

MEET JOHN PAUL: Meet the computer repairman at the center of New York Post's Hunter Biden laptop story

The publication's piece inadvertently outed Mac Isaac as the source of the laptop's data, which included financial documents, personal correspondence and more lurid content like pictures depicting the president's son in the nude and using drugs. Mac Isaac, who can still be seen from time to time in Trolley Square, has since gone on to write a book and portray himself as a victim in the scandal.

Last year, he filed a lawsuit against Hunter Biden, as well as news publications CNN, The Daily Beast and U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, for defamation, claiming he'd been characterized as a thief and a Russian agent and this caused him to shutter his business.

Story continues

What does Hunter Biden's lawsuit claim?

Biden's lawsuit is a rejection of the claims in Mac Isaac's complaint, as well as a countersuit against Mac Isaac for invasion of privacy.

PREVIOUSLY: Wilmington computer repairman at center of Hunter Biden laptop story sues news outlets

It claims that Mac Isaac had no right to access and copy the data on the laptop and that the shop owner further invaded Bidens privacy by disseminating the ill-gotten content.

It references a signed receipt that purports to forfeit the devices to Mac Isaac if they were not retrieved within 90 days. Biden's lawsuit states that document may give Mac Isaac rights to the devices, but not to the data stored within.

It goes on to claim that Delaware law deems personal property as abandoned only after one year and after other efforts to reach the rightful owner.

Hunter Biden walks along the South Lawn before the pardoning ceremony for the national Thanksgiving turkeys at the White House in Washington, Nov. 21, 2022. Lawyers for President Joe Biden's son Hunter have asked the Justice Department to investigate close allies of former President Donald Trump and others who they say accessed and disseminated personal data from a laptop he dropped off at a Delaware computer repair shop in 2019.

The 42-page filing also draws on reporting and Mac Isaacs recently published book outlining a narrative of how the photographs came into the hands of Republican operatives and others.

The countersuit makes several claims under Delaware civil law for invasion of privacy, seeks a jury trial and ultimately compensatory damages from Mac Isaac.

What happens next?

Mac Isaac's attorneys have not responded to Biden's most recent court filing and countersuit as of Friday.

The escalation in litigation comes as President Joe Biden prepares for a 2024 run for reelection, as well as while Republicans in Congress seek to investigate Biden family finances, according to reporting by CNN.

It also comes as a criminal investigation into Hunter Biden remains pending by federal prosecutors in Wilmington.

Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or xwilson@delawareonline.com. Follow @Ber_Xerxes on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Hunter Biden sues Delaware laptop repairman for privacy invasion
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow appeared on NBC's "Today" Friday between 9 and 10 a.m.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and NFL legend Joe Montana appeared on NBC's "Today" show Friday morning to discuss their recent community service.

In September, Burrow joined Montana in the Guinness outreach program, committing to hours of community service. On Friday, the two quarterbacks said they worked with City Harvest, a food rescue nonprofit in New York City, as part of the initiative.

"We were bagging some sweet potatoes yesterday and of course this guy made it a competition, so we got after it a little bit," Burrow said on "Today" about the experience.

Football stars Joe Montana @JoeMontana and Joe Burrow @JoeyB are teaming up with City Harvest to support their communities facing food insecurity.



The two also weigh in on the sport  past and present. pic.twitter.com/1soq1uGDsw  TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 17, 2023

'Congratulations Joe Burrow':Skip Bayless reacts to Bengals' Orlando Brown Jr. deal

Cincinnati Bengals:Team continues to add to offensive line by signing tackle Cody Ford

The QB added that food insecurity is an issue "very important to my heart" and that he's enjoyed volunteering with Guinness Gives Back. The 26-year-old launched the Joe Burrow Foundation to address food insecurity and mental health needs in Ohio and Louisiana in October.

Burrow also talked about his relationship with Montana.

"To be around a guy like him is exciting for me because he's had all the success in the world that I plan on and want to have in my profession, and he's a great person to hang out with," he sad. "(He) helps in the community and has a lot of the same values I have."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow, Joe Montana appear on 'Today' show
Kansas Citys annual St. Patricks Day Parade, one of the nations largest stepped off at 11 a.m.

Tens of thousands of Kansas Citians were expected to descend on the parade route along Broadway Boulevard in Midtown and Westport. The parade starts at Linwood Boulevard and ends at 43rd Street around 1:30 p.m.

Conditions were hovering right around freezing at the start of the parade, which might keep the crowd size a little lower than previous years.

Members of the Staley High Schools Onyx Step Team went through step moves to warm up prior to the parade.

Kathy Nelson, president and CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission and Visit KC, will be grand marshal of this years parade, which has the theme of 23 in KC: Our Irish Ancestry.

Happening now, the Kansas City St. Patricks Day Parade! pic.twitter.com/b4IJl9a04Y  Kansas City (@KansasCity) March 17, 2023

Update 12:45 p.m.: Troopers with the Missouri Highway Patrols Troop A, which covers the Kansas City area, were helping Kansas City police at the parade.

Come on out and see us & everyone else who is going to be part of the parade! they said on Twitter. But mostly us . . . right?

We are here with @kcpolice ready to be part of the @kcirishparade! Come on out and see us & everyone else who is going to be part of the parade! But mostly usright?#MSHP #StPatricksDay2023 pic.twitter.com/OV66XlgIu0  MSHP Troop A (@MSHPTrooperA) March 17, 2023

Meanwhile, the Kansas City Police Department posted a video to TikTok accompanied with an Irish jig to get people into the spirit.

Story continues

Update 12:25 p.m.: Members of the Kansas City Marching Falcons pumped up the crowed as its members performed their routine in the parade.

The Marching Falcons has won numerous awards and traveled around the country, performing at events, parades and festivals.

The drill team, founded by Shakina Dawkins, is an after-school of the arts program where members receive tutoring if needed.

The KC Marching Falcons pumping up the crowd during the #StPatrickDay parade! Stay up to date with all your things #stpaddysday @KCStar. pic.twitter.com/2URnn046YX  shortlittlekidd (@shortlittlekidd) March 17, 2023

Update 5 a.m.: No Parking signs went up in advance along the parade route. Police started enforcing the parking restrictions at 5 a.m., ticketing and towing vehicles off the route.

The entire route was to closed to traffic about 8 a.m., said Officer Donna Drake, a spokeswoman for the Kansas City Police Department.

Romell Law sported a green mustache Friday, March 17, 2023, during the annual St. Patricks Day parade in Kansas City.

Staging areas will be along Linwood between Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue as well as along Broadway between 31st and Linwood. The parade will end in an area along Mill Creek Parkway, between 43rd and 47th Street/Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard.

People can park at available spots on the streets in the area. Various parking lots along the route also are available for a fee. See the events website for a map and cost of parking.

The following lots are not available for public parking and vehicles parking there may be towed: Uptown Shoppes at 3600 Broadway, Housing Authority of Kansas City at 3822 Summit St., Sun Fresh in Westport and World Market in Westport.

Tori McDonald-Kershaw was decked out in green and other things Friday, March 17, 2023, during the annual St. Patricks Day parade in Kansas City.

People are allowed to bring coolers, preferably personal sized, but glass containers and alcohol are not allowed on the parade route. Under city ordinances, police may search and confiscate coolers, according to the events website.

Because of the expected crowd, people are encouraged to leave their pets at home for their safety and the safety of others. Portable restrooms will be set up along the parade route.
If you enjoy sipping on a classic Old Fashioned, you most likely have a bottle of Angostura bitters in your home bar. Adding a dash to classic cocktails or even plain soda water is a simple way to integrate more nuance to whatever you're drinking.

With its iconic yellow cap and extra-tall paper label, Angostura bitters is a fixture in any liquor cabinet. But did you know how it was invented? Delish stopped by the House of Angostura in Port of Spain, Trinidad, to learn more about the brand's nearly 200-year history.

The recipe for Angostura bitters was invented in 1824 and still remains a secret to this day. However, it wasn't made to be a cocktail flavoringit was originally intended to be medicinal.

German surgeon Dr. Johann Siegert created Angostura bitters to be an elixir for stomach problems. Its name was derived from the town of Angostura, Venezuela (now Ciudad Bolivar), where he lived with his family. As the surgeon general for Simon Bolivar's army in Venezuela's fight for independence from Spain, these bitters were distributed amongst the soldiers as a medicinal tincture.

As the popularity of Angostura bitters grew, Dr. Siegert started exporting bottles to England, the Caribbean, and the United States. Eventually, the entire operation moved to Trinidad in 1875right around the time the Manhattan was invented.

Cut to present day, and the House of Angostura is a major player in the international spirits industry. They ship their products to over 170 countries around the world and have expanded their lineup to include multiple types of bitters, rums, and liqueurs.

Want to learn more about how the House of Angostura makes their world-renowned spirits? Check out the video above.

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Keira Knightley is on a style streak promoting her newest film, Boston Strangler.

The actress stepped out this week in a string of fabulous looks to attend interviews and show appearances ahead of the thriller's release. On Wednesday alone, she debuted four fabulous ensembleseach edgier than the next.

One standout look consisted of a long white furry skirt, which she paired with a simple gray sweater, a dainty diamond necklace, and silver and gold rings. Knightley had her hair down in a breezy, wavy do for the occasion and wore natural rosy makeup.

Raymond Hall - Getty Images

The unique outfit was a contrast to her next sleek look, an all-black ensemble consisting of a sheer collared jumpsuit with shimmery polka dots, which she cinched with a thin leather Chanel belt with a silver buckle featuring the brands logo. Over the jumpsuit, the Pirates of the Caribbean star layered a black blazer emblazoned with a rose print, and she finished the look with silky black platform heels embellished with clear crystals. Her bronzy makeup look, wavy hairdo, and maroon manicure perfectly complemented the look.

Getty Images

The actress wore another furry look for the press tour: a beige trench coat paired with a feathery boa, shiny black flats, each with six tiny straps. Her glam included a dark eye, pink blush, and a wavy do.

Raymond Hall - Getty Images

Knightleys fourth great look was a ruched golden dress with billowing short sleeves by Simone Rocha, which she wore for an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. She paired it with glossy platform shoes with crisscrossing laces and ankle straps. For that occasion, she wore brown eye makeup and her usual wavy hairdo.

NBC - Getty Images

Boston Strangler tells the story of a man who murdered 13 women in the Boston area during the early 1960s. The film premieres today, March 17, on Hulu.

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Kentucky lawmakers have passed a bill that would make the state a so-called Second Amendment sanctuary, prohibiting local law enforcement from enforcing federal firearm bans.

Kentuckys bill passed the state House in a 78-19 vote last month, and cleared the state Senate on Wednesday 27-9. Both are Republican-majority chambers. It now heads to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear for his signature.

If Beshear approves, the bill would prohibit any law enforcement, as well as any public agency, officer or employee, from enforcing or helping to enforce a federal ban on firearms, ammunition or firearm accessories.

Those same entities also wouldnt be able to adopt and enforce any rule or policy that would enforce or cooperate with a federal ban on the weapons and would prohibit the use of public funds or resources for those purposes.

A federal judge in Missouri struck down a similar law in that state earlier this month on the grounds that state law cant trump federal law, and that a law doing so would be unconstitutional.

Many in Congress are pushing for stricter gun control amid heightened gun violence and several high-profile mass shootings in recent months. President Biden has repeatedly urged a federal assault weapons ban, re-upping the call on Twitter on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Biden announced an executive order to increase the number of background checks conducted before gun sales.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
PARIS  Kering is pledging to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent.

The parent of Balenciaga, Gucci, Saint Laurent and other luxury brands aims to make those cuts in absolute terms by 2035, using 2021 emissions as a baseline. Forty is a key number for Kering, which in 2017 laid out a 40 percent reduction in environmental footprint by 2025, a goal surpassed this year.

More from WWD

The new reduction targets will include its own operations and its external value chains, covering scopes 1, 2 and 3 under the GHG Protocol in an effort to decarbonize the company and its suppliers.

We are setting this new absolute target, spanning scopes 1, 2 and 3 of the greenhouse gas protocol, because if we want to truly decarbonize our global businesses, we need to move from carbon-intensity reductions to absolute reductions. I am convinced that impact reduction in absolute terms combined with value creation must be the next horizon for truly sustainable companies, said Francois-Henri Pinault, Kering chairman and chief executive officer.

Speaking to WWD, chief sustainability and institutional affairs officer Marie-Claire Daveu delved into the companys ambitious cuts.

When you look at what is happening all over the world linked with climate change, we would want to go a step further. We are really taking into account all the greenhouse gas emissions [that] are linked with our production, she said.

Looking at the companys previous targets, Daveu noted that they were focused on intensity, but that if companies continue to grow, so do their emissions. This new target makes a direct connection between Kerings growth and its GHG emissions, and caps it.

That means the company will have an overall emissions pie, with various brands adding to the mix. As emissions are upped in one category or brand, the company will make cuts or compromises elsewhere. Daveu emphasizes these reductions will be achieved without using offsetting, and adds that large-scale events, such as a destination fashion show, are taken into account.

Story continues

Most people are speaking about intensity, so to change to a target that is in absolute value is very important, she said. For us, its a game changer.

Each brand will have the same 40 percent target and time frame, though Kering is approaching each brand differently and working with specialized teams within each brand. Fashion and fine jewelry have vastly different needs, she noted, particularly with waste, and those tradeoffs will have to be very pragmatic within the companys overarching conglomerate structure.

And, pragmatically, that will lead to new business models and a different approach to pricing.

In the luxury sector, we prioritize value and less volume. Its also a way to increase the craft and sophistication of your product, increase the quality, durability and to develop more exclusivity for your clients, she said. At the end of the day, you increase also the pricing. So this is where you make the correlation between the growth of the business and the de-growth of the greenhouse gas emissions. It will be in the DNA of the price.

The target will require overhauls and upgrades of many systems, Daveu said. These include an AI solution in a trial phase to better predict production quantity and product mix, and to increase the quality of raw materials. Design teams will be tasked to improve the durability and recyclability of its materials, and embed circularity into products.

Because it includes scope 1, scope 2 and scope 3, we will also have to work with our suppliers to continue to push them to have and to use more sustainable materials and more sustainable processes, said Daveu, citing as an example energy and emissions cuts at the factory level. Then we will have to put that to scale. For me, thats key.

The company unveiled its Circular Lab in Milan under Gucci in February, and Daveu said developing new ways of using and reusing materials in a closed loop will be a major pillar of the reduction. She also cited Balenciagas mushroom-based Ephea, and Guccis biobased wood pulp, wheat and corn material Demetra, as two examples of more eco-friendly textiles the company has developed that can be taken to scale. The company is also working with VitroLabs to create lab-grown leather.

At a Kering sustainability event held Friday at The Shed in Hudson Yards in Manhattan, Guccis executive vice president of corporate affairs and sustainability Antonella Centra spoke about the houses cross-fertilization efforts regarding circularity.

Weve had a strong endorsement from our shareholders and top management for this [circular] approach, began Centra, citing the companys pre-existing history in sustainability. Gucci is developing the path  or the way  for the group with the open-source [Circular Lab] platform. As we say, sustainability is not a competitive thing. You need to join forces to be able to grow and scale.We didnt have to reinvent the wheel, we simply maximized what was already effective and efficient within our organization.

VitroLabs founder and CEO Ingvar Helgason also joined in on the morning conversations, alongside Kering partners Conservation International and Business for Social Responsibility.

Kering is working with 255 start-ups on innovations from the raw-material stage to end-of-life, up from 120 two years ago.

Daveu said she hopes the idea of reducing GHGs by absolute value will change the mindset in the fashion industry. Im sure that it will become the way of thinking, not only for companies, but also for people. You have to plan in comparison to something else, but at the end of the day, you have to be responsible for how many tons of C02 you emit.

Daveu added that the biggest challenge is implementing in various jurisdictions that have varied regulations. She compared that to when she first took on the role at Kering in 2012 and launched the idea of the Environmental Profit and Loss account in 2015.

People have conviction about the fact that we have to act, and the diagnosis is very clear. Ten years ago when I joined the company that was not the case, she said. Now its not a question of what the challenge is, its a question of speed.

Kering is set to release its full EP&L on March 22.

Best of WWD

Click here to read the full article.
The purchase and use of recreational marijuana are now legal in nearly half of U.S. states, but thats not yet the case in Pennsylvania.

However, the commonwealth maintains a medical marijuana program that has developed since its introduction in early 2018. The ever-growing program leaves some questions for Pennsylvanians as the state grapples with limited legalization.

From pushes for full legalization to qualifications for a medical marijuana card, heres what you need to know about cannabis in Pennsylvania.

Is recreational marijuana use legal in Pennsylvania?

No. Pennsylvania is one of 29 states that has not yet legalized adult-use marijuana products.

However, former Gov. Tom Wolf supported a state Senate bill in 2016 that legalized the medical use of cannabis, paving the way for licensed sales to begin in February 2018. Wolfs repeated calls for full legalization went unfulfilled during his tenure from 2015 through early 2023.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, who took office in January, previously voiced support for marijuana legalization while working as the Keystone States attorney general, though state legislators have not agreed to support such a policy. Shapiro again called for legalization, as well as a potentially hefty tax on marijuana products, in his 2023-24 budget request, which debuted in early March.

While campaigning for governor in 2021 and 2022, Shapiro publicly said he supported the legalization of marijuana and called for the expunging of criminal records for those who are serving time for possessing small amounts of marijuana. The latter is already in the works through the Pennsylvania Marijuana Pardon Project, which launched in September 2022 and accepted applications from approximately 2,600 people facing certain low-level marijuana convictions.

Axios reported in December the pardon project resulted in roughly 230 applications reaching the governors desk. After assuming office, Shapiro said he hopes to expand such efforts during his tenure.

Story continues

Several notable cities across Pennsylvania have revised their municipal ordinances over the past decade to lessen penalties for minor cannabis-related offenses, typically enforcing only small fines for the possession of 30 or fewer grams. Such reforms exist in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Harrisburg and State College, among other locales.

Here are 5 ways Pennsylvanias marijuana laws could change in 2023

Medical marijuana regulations in Pennsylvania

While recreational cannabis use remains illegal at the state and federal levels, Pennsylvania provides access to marijuana products for patients with specific medical conditions.

There is no age requirement for Pennsylvanias medical marijuana program, but those under the age of 18 must pair with an adult caregiver who can pick up products at dispensaries on the patients behalf. Caregivers must be at least 21 years old and are required to possess a valid, state-issued ID, pass a criminal history background check and have proper program registration.

All medical marijuana patients must have one or more qualifying medical conditions appointed by the state and certified physicians. According to Pennsylvanias medical marijuana program page, these conditions include:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Anxiety disorders

Autism

Cancer, including remission therapy

Crohns disease

Damage to the nervous tissue of the central nervous system (brain-spinal cord) with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity, and other associated neuropathies

Dyskinetic and spastic movement disorders

Epilepsy

Glaucoma

HIV/AIDS

Huntingtons disease

Inflammatory bowel disease

Intractable seizures

Multiple sclerosis

Neurodegenerative diseases

Neuropathies

Opioid use disorder for which conventional therapeutic interventions are contraindicated or ineffective, or for which adjunctive therapy is indicated in combination with primary therapeutic interventions

Parkinsons disease

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin or severe chronic or intractable pain

Sickle cell anemia

Terminal illness

Tourette syndrome

Eligible patients can purchase products at licensed dispensaries across Pennsylvania. A full list of medical marijuana dispensaries is available through the state government website.

Medical marijuana patients can purchase up to a 90-day supply of marijuana as prescribed by their physicians. Possessing more than a 90-day supply could attract a charge, according to state law, though possession limits have been decriminalized in select municipalities across Pennsylvania. Medical marijuana patients are prohibited from transporting cannabis products across state lines.

The first iteration of Pennsylvanias medical marijuana law limited purchases and possessions to a 30-day supply. Those limits were tripled in 2021 when the commonwealth passed sweeping revisions to its program.

At-home marijuana growth is illegal in Pennsylvania, though businesses and individuals can apply for licenses related to growing and processing. Violations can result in a felony charge punishable by up to five years in prison or a fine worth up to $50,000, state law says.

Despite the legalization of medical marijuana, Pennsylvania maintains a zero-tolerance policy for the use of marijuana in public or while operating a motor vehicle. Medical marijuana patients can face charges if cannabis, which is still considered a controlled substance in Pennsylvania and at the federal level, is found in their systems while driving.

Some limited state laws protect workers from being fired or denied a job for using medical marijuana, but most employers fall into a gray area of interpretation, according to a 2022 Spotlight PA investigation. Officials argue Pennsylvanias murky regulations open the door to potential lawsuits and workplace safety issues, among other concerns.

Pa. law protects workers who are approved for medical marijuana  but once they use it, its a different story

How to get a medical marijuana card

Prospective medical marijuana patients must first register with Pennsylvanias Medical Marijuana Registry by creating a profile, which includes basic personal information like your legal name, address and contact information. Registration requires a valid Pennsylvania drivers license or state-issued ID card.

While completing registration forms, prospective patients under the age of 18 can designate up to two individuals to serve as caregivers.

The next step requires an approved physician to certify you have one or more of the states qualifying conditions for medical marijuana use. The Pennsylvania Department of Health maintains an online list of approved physicians who can recommend medical marijuana to patients. Physicians who recommend medical marijuana in the commonwealth are required to register with the state health department.

Once your applicable health conditions have been certified by an approved physician, you can apply for a medical marijuana ID card through the Medical Marijuana Registry. Cards cost $50, but those who already participate in assistance programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, could be eligible for fee reductions.

Annual payments are required to keep a patient enrolled in the medical marijuana program. The commonwealth sends patients an email 30 days before annual payments are due.

If annual payments arent fulfilled, medical marijuana ID cards will automatically deactivate, the commonwealth says. Cards will reactivate immediately after annual payments are processed.

Possessing and maintaining a medical marijuana card is key in Pennsylvania. Those who use cannabis products without proper documentation, even if theyre enrolled in the program, can face charges.
The mother of a teen killed in a tragic accident at an amusement park last year visited the attraction to witness the rides demolition.

Fourteen-year-old Tyre Sampson died on 24 March 2022 while riding the FreeFall drop tower ride in Floridas ICON Park. The teen slipped out of the harness halfway down the 400-foot drop and plummeted to his death.

Tyre was visiting Orlando from St Louis, Missouri, while on spring break with his friends. On Wednesday, his mother Nekia Dodd visited the attraction for the first time after the Florida Department of Agriculture and the park reached an agreement to demolish the ride, WFLA reported.

Unfortunately, when he passed, I wasnt there for him. So, I had to do this, Ms Dodd said. I didnt want to come under these circumstances, but I had to do this.

She added: Its heartbreaking. Its devastating. Its a feeling that I hope no parent ever has to go through.

Ms Dodd described her visit to the park as a bittersweet moment.

Im thankful for the ride coming down, she said. But my son is not coming back. I do appreciate the state of Florida, the Department of Agriculture for allowing this ride to come down ... it should have never been built.

Michael Haggard, an attorney for Ms Dodd, said that demolishing the ride was one of their goals to ensure Tyres legacy was not forgotten.

With Nekias absolute determination to take this ride, that has been accomplished, Mr Haggard said.

Tyre Sampson fell from a ride at ICON Park on 24 March 2022 (Tyre Sampson / Facebook)

Mr Haggard also said Tyres family has reached an undisclosed settlement with Icon Park and the ride operator Orlando Slingshot. A lawsuit against the manufacturer is still ongoing.

An incident report filed with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services last year found that Tyres slipped out of the ride and that his harness was still in a down and locked position when the ride stopped.

Work crews assemble the cranes that will be used to dismantle the Orlando FreeFall at ICON Park, on Tuesday, March 14

He sustained severe injuries and was rushed to the hospital soon after, but was later declared dead.

It also emerged that the teen, who was 65 and 380 pounds, had been turned away from two other park rides due to his size. He reportedly weighed more than 100 pounds over the limit for the FreeFall ride.

The family thanked Florida Senator Geraldine Thomson for proposing the Tyre Sampson Act, a bill that would require amusement parks to make height and weight requirements visible and seat belts for rides taller than 100 feet.

No matter that the seats were intentionally manipulated. No matter that the sensors were manipulated. A seatbelt would have saved Tyres life and that is what Nekia wanted in that bill. Senator Thompson put that in there and it has passed unanimously, Mr Haggard said.
Two recently re-collared North Park wolves killed a working cattle dog and fatally injured a pet dog at different ranches four miles apart Monday and Tuesday, the first domestic wolf kills by the splintered pack since November.

The deaths occurred on ranches in southwestern Jackson County.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife confirmed in an email response to Coloradoan questions that a working livestock dog was killed by wolves Monday and another was euthanized after being injured by wolves Tuesday.

Wildlife officers found wolf tracks in the vicinity and GPS collar data for both incidents indicating wolves were in the area during the time the dogs were attacked.

The agency said the owner of the working cattle dog will be compensated for the loss but it does not compensate for depredations of pets.

'The best hired man I ever had'

Greg Sykes told Shannon Lukens of Steamboat Radio the wolves killed his dog, Cisco, a 7-year-old border collie, after he let his dogs out about 4 a.m. Monday. He said one of his dogs did not come back when called and he found Cisco dead 30 yards from his house after sunrise.

"The best hired man I ever had," Sykes, the ranch foreman, told Lukens.

Sykes said he called Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which he said verified two collared wolves were near his house at 4 a.m.

Tuesday morning, the same two wolves came back near his house around midnight and went to a neighbor's ranch and attacked their dog, Sykes said.

Cisco, left, was found killed by wolves in Jackson County, Colorado on March 13, 2023. Blaze was fatally injured by wolves March 14, 2023, four miles away.

'He was part of the family, no doubt'

That neighbor is Roy Gollobith.

He said he was up about 6:30 a.m. and saw his pet dog, Blaze, standing with his head down.

"I called him and he just turned around with this glazed looked,'' Gollobith told Lukens. "Then I saw blood on his throat. Sure enough he was pretty tore up.''

He called Colorado Parks and Wildlife and his wife took Blaze, a mixed-breed dog, to a veterinarian in Laramie, Wyoming.

"They said there was too much damage to his throat and abdomen to do anything, so they put him down," Gollobith said.

Story continues

He said there was a blood trail and wolf tracks about 10 feet from his house.

"He was part of the family, no doubt," Gollobith said. "He'd go out there and make buddies with the yearlings and prance around like he was one of them. He never turned out to be much of a cow dog, so he was just a pet.''

Gollobith said his wife saw two wolves about 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning, about a mile from the house. He said last year the wolves came closer to the house, resulting in a fight between Blaze and a gray wolf (presumed to be the pack's breeding male).

"He (Blaze) had it behind the front leg,'' Gollobith said. "The wolves turned on him and chased him back to the house. There was blood and hair out there but it wasn't Blaze's, it was the wolf's. I've seen him attack bears. He just doesn't give up.''

Meeker cattle deaths:Pack of dogs in Meeker area casts doubt on wolf involvement

First confirmed wolf kills in four months

The first seven confirmed North Park wolfpack kills were located in the northeastern part of Jackson County.

The last four confirmed wolf kills, including the recent dogs, have all taken place in the southwest part of the county. Previous to Monday's incidents, the last confirmed wolf depredation was Nov. 18, on the Park Range Ranch, just north of where this week's kills took place.

Four cows, four dogs and three calves have been confirmed killed by the North Park pack since the breeding male and female naturally migrated to the state and gave birth to six pups in spring 2021. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has paid $12,929.75 for eight confirmed depredations with three claims pending and two claims denied, according to the state wildlife agency.

The two wolves involved in this week's depredations were the pack's breeding male and one of the pack's grown pups. The two were captured and fitted with GPS collars by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in the same general area of Jackson County on Feb. 2. The breeding male slipped his collar several days later but was recaptured and collared Feb. 18.

The North Park wolfpack numbered eight at its height, including the breeding male and female and six pups.

Three of the pups were legally killed in Wyoming, just north of the Colorado border in early October. There has not been a confirmed sighting of the breeding female in about a year, leading many to believe the approximately 6-year-old wolf has died.

North Park ranchers believe the lull in depredations on cattle is largely due to the pack losing four of its members, making its killing of livestock more difficult.

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission will release its final wolf recovery plan at its May 3-4 meeting in Glenwood Springs.

One of the more controversial issues in the plan is the lethal take of depredating wolves, which is not currently allowed. Wolves in Colorado are listed as endangered, which only allows killing of wolves if human life is threatened.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service is currently undergoing a process that would allow lethal take of wolves in Colorado under certain conditions.

More: Political pressure?Some say Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is putting pressure to change wolf plan: What we know

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado wolves kill cattle dog, fatally injure pet dog
This article was collaboratively written by Anthony Jackson + Buzzy, our creative AI assistant.

I recently visited Osaka, Japan, and boy was I in for a treat! Often overshadowed by Tokyo and Kyoto, Osaka has a charm all its own. From its delicious food to its amazing people and attractions, Osaka is a must-see destination.

Here are six reasons why this incredible city should be at the top of your travel bucket list, even if it's a bit of a trek to get there:

Anthony Jackson / BuzzFeed

1. Home to the famous "kuidaore" (literally "eat until you drop"), this city is an absolute wonderland for foodies.

Known as the kitchen of Japan, Osaka is famous for its takoyaki (octopus balls), okonomiyaki (a savory pancake), and kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers). You can find these delicacies in every corner of the city, but the Dotonbori area is a must-visit for foodies.

2. Osaka boasts some fantastic attractions that will keep you entertained for days...

From the Osaka Castle, which provides a stunning view of the city, to Universal Studios Japan, which is packed with excitement for all ages, Osaka has something for everyone. Id personally recommend treating yourself to an out-of-this-world adventure at Osaka's Kaiyukan Aquarium, home to over 30,000 marine creatures including some colossal whale sharks. It's an enchanting, picturesque spot that guarantees a tidal wave of Insta-worthy snaps.

3. ...including a world-class art scene.

The city is home to some of Japan's finest art galleries and museums, making it a paradise for art lovers. The National Museum of Art, Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts, and the Osaka Museum of History are must-visits!

4. Kawaii culture has never been so...well, kawaii.

For fans of Japanese pop culture, Osaka is the ultimate paradise. Stroll through its streets filled with quirky cafes, niche shops, and utterly adorable plushies that will give you heart palpitations from their cuteness overload.

5. Osaka is a shopper's paradise.

From high-end luxury brands to department stores and street markets, there is something for everyone. Make sure you visit Shinsaibashi-suji and the Kuromon Ichiba market, which is known for its fresh produce and seafood. Wirestock / Getty Images

6. Finally, when we say nightlife, we mean *NIGHTLIFE*.

Neon lights, karaoke clubs, and a booming underground music scene rivaling Tokyo  what else could you possibly want? Get ready for some serious late-night adventures in Osaka's hottest areas such as Namba, Umeda, and Kitashinchi.

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Jake Jung / Getty Images

The only downside to Osaka is the distance from Tokyo, the nearest international airport. However, with multiple domestic flights and the bullet train, you can reach Osaka within a few hours. Trust me; the travel time is definitely worth it!
Lady Amelia Spencer

Mike Marsland/WireImage

Lady Amelia Spencer is getting married!

The glamorous niece of Princess Diana is set to wed Greg Mallett, and the couple alluded that the date is on the horizon in a joint Instagram post shared on Thursday. "Not long now" they captioned the snap, which shows Amelia holding a loving hand to her fiance's face before a beautiful mountain range.

Ahead of the celebration, here's everything to know about the bride-to-be.

Lady Katya Amelia Spencer was born in London in July 1992, arriving in the world with twin sister Lady Eliza Victoria. The twins are the daughters of Princess Diana's brother, Charles, 9th Earl Spencer, and his first wife, Victoria Aitken. The couple were already parents to daughter Kitty, born in 1990, and would welcome son Louis in 1994.

Viscount Althorp (earl Spencer) and his wife Victoria spencer, Kitty Eleanor, Eliza Victoria and Katya Amelia

Mathieu Polak/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images

RELATED: Princess Diana's Niece Amelia Spencer Posts Photo with Future Husband Ahead of Wedding: 'Not Long Now'

The family moved to South Africa in 1995, and Charles and Victoria divorced in 1997, months after Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris at age 36. Lady Amelia and her siblings grew up in South Africa but traveled back to the U.K. for certain royal events. These occasions included the dedication of the Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in 2000, the Service of Thanksgiving on the tenth anniversary of Diana's death in 2007 and the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton in 2011.

Earl Spencer

Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

Amelia wasn't pictured at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, though her mother and siblings attended together.

Though Amelia was only 5 when Diana died, she told Hello! she feels a special connection to her aunt.

George McCorquodale,Kitty Spencer, Viscount Althorp, Lady Amelia Spencer, Lady Eliza Victoria Spencer and George Rupert Freud

Lewis Whyld - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

"I feel that I have quite a compassionate nature and I hope that's something I inherited from her," she said in a 2020 interview. "Diana was an incredible icon, and I know she touched a lot of people's hearts and lives."

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According to Tatler, Amelia attended college at the University of Cape Town, where she met her future husband Greg. After 11 years of dating, the couple announced their engagement in July 2020.

"Best day of my life  I can't wait to spend forever with you @gregmallett I couldn't love you more," she wrote of a kiss pic on Instagram, her new diamond ring on display.

@gregmallett I couldnt love you more

Amelia Spencer Instagram

RELATED: Princess Diana's Brother Charles Spencer Slams Donald Trump's Claim About the Late Royal

Opening up about the proposal, Greg told Hello! he popped the question at Clouds Estate in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

"I had one big pink box, inside which I put in eight smaller boxes, decreasing in size," he said in 2020. "In each box was a photograph of a 'first time'. The final box contained a note instead of a picture, that said: 'But most importantly, I know that you will remember tonight as the night that I proposed.' As Amelia was reading the note, I dropped to one knee with the ring."

Princess Dianas Niece Amelia Spencer Shares Scenic Photo with Fiance Ahead of Wedding: Not Long Now

Greg Mallett Instagram

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Though the wedding date remains under wraps, Lady Amelia likely enjoyed planning. According to her Storm Models bio page, outside of the spotlight, she has had "a very successful career as a wedding planner in South Africa, and has arranged 36 weddings to date."

Lady Amelia Spencer and Lady Elisa Spencer are seen at the Martinez Hotel during the 75th annual Cannes film festival on May 18, 2022 in Cannes, France.

Arnold Jerocki/GC Images Lady Amelia Spencer and Lady Elisa Spencer

Now focusing on modeling and luxury brand ambassadorship full-time, she and her sister moved to London in 2021. Through the last year, the twins have attended glamorous events like the Cannes Film Festival and sat front row at Milan Fashion Week.

In February 2023, Amelia and Eliza made their London Fashion Week catwalk debut when they walked the runway for Josh Birch Jones.

Lady Amelia Spencer

Dave Benett/Getty Images

The twins graced the cover of Tatler in 2021, where Amelia spoke about her engagement and where she might get married. The bride-to-be said their father Charles suggested Althorp House, the Spencer family's ancestral home in Northamptonshire, England, as a possible venue, but that she was also considering South Africa.

"It's our family home, it's beautiful. We would be very lucky to get married there, but Cape Town is where we grew up and there is a possibility that we might do it here, too," she told the magazine.
A new report shows Republicans are gaining footholds in some California electoral districts where Latinos make up the majority population, a development that might concern some Democrats moving forward.

The report from Third Way, a self-described center-left national think tank, shows although those areas lagged in voter turnout last year, Republicans saw marginal gains.

One expert says the results are an indicator Republicans are continuing to receive a higher level of support from one of Americas fastest-growing voting blocs.

The data examines heavily concentrated Latino congressional districts in seven states  Arizona, California, New York, Texas, Nevada, New Mexico and Florida.

In Californias 14 Latino-majority districts, for example, where a Democrat and a Republican both made the 2022 ballot, 10.8% more voters swung Republican from 2020 to 2022, compared to 7.1% from 2018 to 2022, the data shows. Most of the districts were located in Central and Southern California.

The report highlighted the Central Valleys 13th and 22nd Congressional Districts, where conservatives Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, and Rep. John Duarte, R-Turlock, triumphed over Democratic competitors in close November races respectively.

Lucas Holtz, political analyst and author of the report, said the research differentiates midterm and presidential election results as they are ideologically varied as midterms are generally known for receiving less turnout.

California Democrats have a major challenge on their hands, Holtz said. Theyre not driving turnout ... even with an insane amount of investments and those that they are turning out, theyre clearly not persuading.

Holtz warned against making broad conclusions about the Latino vote, since the report only examines voting at the geographic level. Regardless, Holtz said the report reveals Democrats will need to improve at persuading Latino voters as 2024 approaches.

Matt Barreto, president of BSP Research in Los Angeles, which studies Latino voting trends, also cautioned against making definitive statements about what the data says about how Latinos as a group are voting.

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Barreto said historically, in areas with a growing Latino population, white voters will turn out to vote at higher rates. This would mean that white voters in a congressional district could result in a rightward shift.

Case in point: A district heavily composed of Latinos does not necessarily mean they are the majority voting.

Theres a long history in American politics that shows that when a minority group starts to increase in presence, it can cause whites to vote more conservative, Barreto said.

More conclusive numbers on the Latino vote will be available in the coming months, with the release of the precinct and individual data.

California Latino vote no longer a certainty for Democrats?

Latino support for Republicans has fluctuated over the years, but a rightward trend became apparent during the Trump administration. Between 2016 and 2020, Trump garnered 37% support to Joe Bidens 63%.

California Latinos were regarded as the exception to the trend, reflecting the legacy of the anti-immigrant rhetoric Republicans employed in the 1990s. Most notably, Proposition 187 in 1994 sought to ban immigrants from receiving social services, health care and education. The measure is regarded for setting a decades-long anti-Republican narrative.

But that may soon change, according to a Republican Latino voting trends expert Mike Madrid.

It is more pronounced outside of California, but it is now finally happening, Madrid said. One of the great ironies of California is that it prides itself on being sort of the preview of coming attractions, but in the largest demographic shift in the history of the country, California is behind the rest of the country.

Madrid believes Latinos in the Golden State are entering a post-Prop. 187 era, where Democrats will need to improve their economic agenda to drive the Latino electorate. He said Latino lawmakers, in particular, have for too long focused on issues that wont help solve the economic concerns of the community. Madrid added that Democrats also need to invest money to fix the Latino turnout problem.

Democrats just never had to worry about it, because the Republicans have never been a viable alternative, Madrid said. But now when you see a rightward shift, some alarm bells go off.

While Latinos make up almost 40% of the states adult population, they only account for 22% of likely voters, according to an August 2022 report from the Public Policy Institute of California.

Mindy Romero, director of USCs Center for Inclusive Democracy, called the 2022 midterm election turnout for California Latinos deeply disappointing. She said, unlike other states, California saw a reduction in turnout compared to 2018.

A lot of people working in Latino communities across the state are trying to grapple with not only lower turnout, but why, Romero said.

Low midterm election turnout  particularly for Latinos  has long been an issue, Romero said. This trend stems from outdated voter outreach models and a perceived lack of sincerity from candidates who do not visit a community until election season. Other people might not participate for fear of choosing the wrong person or option.
PROVIDENCE  The war has begun anew over legal responsibility  and more specifically, who should be made to pay  for the sexual abuse of children, with the Rhode Island Catholic Church, the state's insurance lobby and the ACLU on one side and those who say they were victims on the other.

Rep. Carol McEntee has revived her campaign for the total repeal of the time limit on the filing of lawsuits against pedophiles and the institutions that shielded them, akin to what Maine has done.

And she has done so while a legal test of the state's law is still winding its way through state court.

The bill (H 5510) is not specific to any profession or institution, but the majority of those who spoke at Thursday night's House Judiciary Committee hearing, or sent written accounts of the sexual abuse they said they suffered as children, blamed priests  alive and dead  in Rhode Island, Maine and Boston.

And once again, McEntee's sister, Ann Hagan-Webb, a licensed psychologist who specializes in work with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse, told an abridged version of the story she has told Rhode Island lawmakers year after year for six years.

"I was sexually abused by a Catholic priest ... kindergarten through seventh grade in West Warwick in the '50s and '60s. It ended more than 50 years ago. "

"I am recovered from the original abuse." But not entirely. "Nightmares during Lent and some minor PTSD symptoms ... are all that remain. I hope I speak for so many who cannot," said Webb, who is now in her 60s.

More:Can the Diocese of Providence be sued over clergy sexual abuse? Appeal argues it was a perpetrator

Rep. Carol McEntee, upon filing similar legislation in 2019.

Alleged victims share stories of abuse

Other alleged victims also wrote the lawmakers, including Jeffrey Thomas, who identified himself as a 62-year-old "survivor of clergy abuse" by the Rev. Brendan Smyth, an Irish priest who was at Our Lady of Mercy Church in East Greenwich from 1965 to 1968. Smyth returned to Ireland and pleaded guilty to 141 counts of sexual abuse. He died in prison in 1997.

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In his letter, Thomas recounted the crushing after-effects on his adult life and his failed attempt to sue in 2008. And he alleged "the Catholic Church had full knowledge of Brendan Smyths pedophilia prior to sending him toOur Lady of Mercy Parish and School in East Greenwich, Rhode Island."

Michelle Ross talked about the devastating effect of molestation on her now deceased brother, David Ross.

Others followed. Still, Michael Kieloch, the spokesman for the Catholic Diocese, asked on Twitter why a news account of the hearing on a bill to allow older sex abuse lawsuits "focused solely on the Catholic Church & accusations from decades ago," and not "contemporaneous accusations of minor sexual abuse."

More on credibly accused priests: Providence Diocese's full list of credibly accused clergy, with assignments

Catholic Church, ACLU again oppose the bills

In his own letter to the lawmakers, The Rev. Bernard Healey, representing the Rhode Island Catholic Conference, said that having a "statute of limitations ... enables claims to be investigated and decided fairly, while facts are fresh, memories are vivid, and relevant evidence is still available ... [while] ensuring that long-past actions will not be judged by contemporary standards."

Echoing his arguments, the ACLU of Rhode Island wrote: "Memories fade, and exculpatory evidence that a person has no chance to recover ceases to exist. To ask a person to defend him or herself against a lawsuit like this fifty years or more after the fact imposes enormous challenges."

Insurance industry cautions lawmakers, referencing current court case

The lead State House lobbyist for the insurance industry, Francis O'Brien assured legislators the members of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association "abhor violence against children," "believe perpetrators must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law" and would support "legislation that strengthens criminal sanctions against perpetrators of child sexual abuse."

But he strongly cautioned the lawmakers against using their powers to "interfere in a case and controversy currently before the Rhode Island Supreme Court," and doing so in a way that "could have a disruptive impact on Rhode Islands insurance market."

More on the issue:At the State House, another emotional debate over time limit on sex-abuse claims

He referenced an appeal pending in the state Supreme Court of an earlier judge's decision on the reach of a 2019 law that extended the deadline for victims of childhood sexual abuse to file lawsuits against those who abused them.

The new law extended the deadline from seven years to 35 years after the victim's 18th birthday (or age 53). But it allowed a retroactive extension of that deadline only if they were suing a perpetrator  not a non-perpetrator."

In 2020, Superior Court Judge Netti C. Vogel in 2020 dismissed three priest-abuse lawsuits against the diocese and its leaders, finding that the law defined perpetrator as the person who committed the abuse.

"Non-perpetrators" were those who may have caused or contributed to the abuse  maybe even committed a crime in doing so  but they couldnt be sued retroactively under the law, Vogel determined.

The three alleged victims appealed to the high court, which heard arguments in early February on whether the Diocese of Providence can be defined as a perpetrator of child sexual abuse.

The decision is pending.

"For reasons too numerous to enunciate, the General Assembly should not take the pen out of the handsof the court  especially in a situation where arguments have been heard and the parties are awaiting adecision" O'Brien argued.

He said the lawmakers should wait for the decision of the court and then change any provision of the law the legislature "believes the [court] has misinterpreted or misapplied."

To do otherwise would expose insurers to currently "time-barred claims ... in a wide array of situations in which adults and children interact, from schools to medical professionals to sports clubs to churches to foster care ... [for which] exposures were never anticipated, premiums were never charged, and reserves were never set by insurers," he argued.

But Atty. Gen. Peter Neronha weighed in from the other side, urging passage of the legislation to "allow more victims of child sexual abuse to hold their abusers accountable."

Anticipating every argument, Webb told lawmakers during the arguments for the 2019 "Annie's Law" passed by state lawmakers in her name, was "a compromise ... [that] has failed to hold the Big Culprits accountable."

"RI is in dark ages!," she wrote, recounting the moves by other New England states  Maine, Vermont, Connecticut  to eliminate their civil statutes of limitations on child sex abuse or create what she called a "revival window."

Rep. Sherry Roberts made an impassioned plea for passage of a second bill to require minimum mandatory sentences for child abusers, born out of her own decades-long fight for the conviction of her former stepfather, 40 years after she reported his abuse to police.

He pleaded guilty in November to second-degree sexual assault and was given a 10-year suspended sentence with probation.

Her legislation (H 5757) would not allow a suspended or deferred sentence. It would require jail time for first 10 years of a sentence for first-degree sexual assault and first 5 years for second-degree sexual assault.

As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse ... I can affirmatively state that we have not created adequate laws to sufficiently protect children from sexual assault, nor have we made it easy for victims to receive justice," she told colleagues Thursday night.

She said it took her "a lifetime to figure out how to navigate the system," but even then "the perpetrator can receive a simple slap on the wrist with a reduced sentence to avoid jail time. Make no mistake, this result is not justice."

The ACLU was among the opponents of the legislation, arguing: "Approval of such a penalty would be an unfortunate step backward in this states efforts to promote criminal justice reform."

This story replaces an earlier version that erroneously referred to clergy in the headline.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bill would remove statute of limitations on child abuse lawsuits
A horseshoe and clover leaf on a green wood background.

Every year on March 17, millions of people gussy themselves up in green attire, hold big parades and guzzle pints of beer, all in the name of an old Irish saint. But what's the story behind this emerald-hued holiday, and why do we celebrate it with shamrocks and alcohol?

St. Patrick wasn't actually Irish

St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain  not Ireland  near the end of the fourth century, according to a 2006 report in the publication History Ireland . He came from a wealthy family, and although his father was a Christian deacon, historians think he didn't have a particularly religious upbringing. When he was 16, Irish raiders ransacked his family's estate, kidnapped and enslaved him, and brought him to Ireland where he worked as a shepherd. He spent six years in captivity, turning to religion for solace. It's believed that in his fear and loneliness, he began to dream of converting the Irish to Christinanity.

Patrick wrote in his spiritual autobiography " Confessio " that God's voice came to him in a dream, commanding him to escape back to Britain. There, he described having a second revelation: an angel told him to return to Ireland as a missionary. He trained to become a priest for 15 years before setting off on a dual mission to convert the Irish and minister to Christians already living there  contrary to popular belief, St. Patrick didn't introduce Christianity to Ireland. Rather than uprooting pagan Irish rituals, he incorporated them into his teachings. For instance, the Irish used to honor their gods with fire, which inspired Patrick to light bonfires to celebrate Easter.

Patrick died on March 17, 461 A.D. (although some sources give the year 465 A.D.) which became St. Patrick's Day.

St. Patrick's Day was originally celebrated with blue, not green

The color green has become emblematic of St. Patrick's Day, but the holiday was originally celebrated in blue. The shift to green was probably inspired by the many Irish symbols that contain green  its flag, the shamrock  as well as the island's nickname, "The Emerald Isle." People have paraded in green ribbons and shamrocks since the 17th century and Irish soldiers wore green on March 17, 1798, as a political statement during the Irish Rebellion against British Rule, Time reported . Legend has it that wearing green makes a person invisible to leprechauns that will pinch anyone they see.

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In Ireland, some people still adhere to the tradition of Catholics wearing green and Protestants wearing orange on St. Patrick's Day, the colors that represent them, respectively, on the Irish flag.

Every St. Patrick's Day, the leaders of Ireland and the U.S. chitchat over shamrock

Nothing screams Irish like the simple shamrock, which comes from the Gaelic word "seamrog," meaning young clover. According to folklore, St. Patrick used the three-leaved plant to illustrate the Christian Holy Trinity in his teachings. Every year, the Irish prime minister, or taoiseach (pronounced "taysha"), presents a bowl of shamrock to the U.S. president during an audience at the White House. The tradition began in 1952, when the Irish Ambassador to the U.S. John Hearne delivered a box of clovers to President Harry Truman.

St. Patrick's Day turns everything  even beer  green

It's no secret that St. Patty's Day is a boozy occasion. While the Irish Guinness remains many people's drink of choice, green beer is also a favorite. The bright concoction is an American invention from 1924, which Thomas H. Curtin, a New York toastmaster and coroner's physician, is said to have served at his St. Patrick's Day bash. Green beer is simply beer mixed with green food coloring, although Curtin's recipe used "one drop of wash blue," a laundry whitener that was unfortunately poisonous to humans, according to Irish Central .

The world's largest St. Patrick's Day parade is not in Ireland

St. Patrick's Day wouldn't be complete without flamboyant parades, festivals and ceilithe (pronounced "kaylee"), which are social gatherings that involve Gaelic folk music and dancing. The largest parade in the world happens every year in New York City. It was first held in 1762, 14 years before the Declaration of Independence, by a group of homesick Irish expats and soldiers who served with the British Army in the American colonies, according to the parade's website .

The world's shortest St. Patrick's Day parade is held in the Irish village of Dripsey, in County Cork, and stretches just 75 feet (23 meters) from one of the village's pubs to the other.
This article was collaboratively written by Amy Asciutto + Buzzy, our creative AI assistant.

When I first heard about Stanley, Idaho, I sort of thought it was a made-up place. But after a quick Google search, I discovered this hidden gem nestled right in the heart of the Sawtooth Mountains did, in fact, exist. I'm talking about a place that offers river rafting, yurt stays, and small town vibes all in one little slice of paradise.

Here are just a few reasons why Stanley, Idaho, should be at the top of your travel bucket list.

1. The Sawtooth Mountains are breathtaking.

Let's start with the obvious. I'm talking snow-capped peaks, pristine lakes, and endless hiking trails kind of breathtaking. If you're an outdoorsy type, then you need to add this spot to your list. Trust me, the photos don't do it justice. Anna Gorin / Getty Images

2. Theres river rafting and kayaking galore.

If you're looking for a little bit more adventure, Stanley has got you covered with its river rafting and kayaking experiences. From calm cruises to white-knuckle rapids, there's something for every level of thrill seeker. And if you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of some local wildlife along the way. Steve Smith / Getty Images/Tetra images RF

3. Even with all the available adventure, there are still plenty of small town vibes.

One of the things that makes Stanley so special is its small town vibes. Sure, it might be a bit out of the way, but that's part of its charm. You won't find any big chain stores here. Instead, you'll be greeted with smiling faces, local shops, and a real sense of community. And if you're lucky enough to visit during one of the town's many festivals, then you're in for a real treat. Christiannafzger / Getty Images/iStockphoto

4. Did I mention the yurts???

Last but not least, we can't forget about the yurts. Stanley offers some truly unique yurt stay experiences that are unlike anything you've ever seen before. Imagine waking up to the sound of the river outside your door or falling asleep under a blanket of stars. It's the perfect way to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Amy Asciutto / BuzzFeed

Now, I should mention that there is one downside to all of this awesomeness  and that's getting there. Stanley is a bit hard to reach. You'll need to fly into Boise, which can be a bit pricey, and then rent a car to drive. But trust me, it's worth it. Once you're there, you'll feel like you've stumbled upon a secret paradise that only a select few are lucky enough to experience.

Amy Asciutto / BuzzFeed
In his new cookbook, the Atlanta chef uses international flavors to make cooking vegetables more exciting and delicious.

Andrew Thomas Lee

Vegetables are chef Steven Satterfields muse. The James Beard award-winning executive chef of Atlantas acclaimed Miller Union has long championed vegetable-forward cooking. He published his first cookbook, Root to Leaf, a 500-page tome on seasonally-driven cooking, in 2015, and is back eight years later with his second book, Vegetable Revelations, which builds on his career-long love affair with veggies.

From top to tip, Satterfield sees potential in every part of the vegetable, in the same way another chef might look at every part of an animal. As co-author Andrea Slonecker writes in the beginning of Vegetable Revelations, "There are parts of vegetables that I never considered worth saving, but now do: things like fennel stalks, broccoli stems, and squash seeds. His recipes have taught me that fennel stalks can be used interchangeably with the bulb, perhaps sliced thinly for a crunchy salad. I now peel the bottoms of broccoli stems and cut them into tender coins for roasting, and puree squash seeds to thicken soup.

Meat is not absent from Satterfields cooking, but is often used to highlight vegetables. This is a reversal of the norm, where vegetables are typically the supporting character for proteins. His new book also has a pointedly international perspective, drawing on flavors, spices, and techniques from his travels, and the global pantry of ingredients at his fingertips in the multicultural city of Atlanta, especially places like the Buford Highway Farmers' Market.

Andrew Thomas Lee

Root to Leaf was a very controlled, restrained, and beautifully simple presentation of where my head was at the time, really honoring the ingredients and doing very little to them, says Satterfield. By contrast, recipes in Vegetable Revelations have layers of flavor that can be a lot more punchy and lively on the palate, and are derived from other cultures, taking inspiration and guidance from them, he says.

Story continues

Atlantans already know what a gem the Buford Highway Farmers' Market is. The sprawling store has long been a resource for produce and other ingredients not sold in commercial grocery stores, with aisles divided regionally, representing every part of the world. From fresh galangal and rambutan, to affordable freshly packed bulk spices, the Buford Highway Farmers Market is just as much an asset to chefs like Satterfield as it is to home cooks, and in particular, the many immigrant communities that make up Atlanta.

Beyond just the market, the highway it sits on, Buford Highway, is home to a stretch of restaurants and small-businesses that offer some of the most diverse dining experiences in the Southeast. This coupled with his travels to Italy, Mexico, and England has enriched Satterfields cooking style, and he wants it to enrich yours too. This is why the first half of Vegetable Revelations is a glossary of flavorful recipe building blocks, which sets you up with a roster of global spice blends, sauces, and condiments that are then folded into full recipes in the second half of the book.

Take Satterfields Mole Crunch: A crunchy topping inspired by the complex flavors of the rich sauce from Mexico and made from raisins, pumpkin seeds, guajillo chile, and cacao nibs. The topping can be used on any vegetables you have on hand, or protein for that matter, but is also specifically used in a recipe for Buttery Roasted Parsnips later on in the book.

In this way, the cookbook is designed to be used both prescriptively as a recipe resource, but also as a jumping off point for your own dish development using the fundamentals it provides. The book is also broken down by botanical family (nightshades, brassicas, and more), as vegetables within each plant family are often interchangeable, which allows readers even more room to experiment.

Different people have different things that excite their palate. And a lot of times when Im making a recipe from a cookbook, I might desire a bit more acid, a little more salt, or maybe even a touch less fat, Satterfield says, so I want people to use this book as a guide, not a hard rule.

Vegetable Revelations comes out April 18th. You can preorder a copy, and try out his recipe for Peas And Ramps With Mushrooms And Semolina Gnocchi from the upcoming book.

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Read the original article on Southern Living.
Former President Donald Trump blasted Gov. Ron DeSantis for wanting to give insurance companies widespread protections from lawsuits, calling it the worst Insurance Scam in the entire Country!

Taking to Truth Social just after midnight, Trump said Thursday Floridians are getting crushed by their insurance companies.

Ron DeSanctimonious is delivering the biggest insurance company BAILOUT to Globalist Insurance Companies, IN HISTORY, Trump wrote. Hes also crushed Florida homeowners whose houses were destroyed in the Hurricane  Theyre getting pennies on the dollar.

DeSantis has supported House Bill 837, one of the priorities of House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, and the companion Senate Bill 236. That legislation would make it harder for Floridians to sue their insurance companies. The bills are being fast-tracked through the Legislature this year.

READ MORE: Florida lawmakers answer to insurance crisis: Make it harder to sue insurers

Trump also appeared to criticize DeSantis insurance commissioners, who approve rate increases. Former Commissioner David Altmaier stepped down in December and took a job this week as an insurance industry lobbyist.

His Insurance Commissioner does NOTHING, while Floridas lives are ruined, Trump wrote. This is the worst Insurance Scam in the entire Country!

Altmaiers replacement, his former chief of staff Mike Yaworsky, was sworn in on Monday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis gives his State of the State Address during the Joint Session in the House of Representatives on the opening day of the 2023 legislative session on Tuesday, March 7, 2023.

The sponsors of the House and Senate bills defended the legislation on Thursday.

That sounds like fake news, said Rep. Tommy Gregory, R-Lakewood Ranch. I have a hard time believing that he would misunderstand the issue that much.

I just disagree with him, said Sen. Travis Hutson, R-Elkton.

Trump has stepped up his criticism of DeSantis in recent months as the two head for an expected clash during the 2024 GOP presidential primary. DeSantis has not announced plans to run for president but is widely expected to do so.

But Republicans within the Florida Legislature have also been divided on whether to award insurance companies with long-sought legal reforms while Floridians pay the highest auto and homeowners insurance premiums in the nation.

Story continues

Proponents say reducing litigation will help insurance rates go down over time. DeSantis and state lawmakers have previously passed bills making it harder to sue property insurance companies.

This year, they want to extend those protections to all lines of insurance, such as automobile, life, liability and health. The changes include making it riskier for lawyers to take cases against insurance companies and making insurance companies pay less in injury cases.

Some Republican lawmakers have said the bills tilt the scales too far in favor of insurance companies and note that homeowners insurance premiums continue to rise despite years of legislation limiting lawsuits.

We are not sticking up for small businesses and individuals in the state of Florida, who are being taken advantage of by a number of these insurance companies who are not doing right by them, Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, an attorney, said on Wednesday.

DeSantis office did not respond to two emailed requests for comment as of early Thursday evening.
This took us by surprise.

Some of you might already know that turkeys are quite vocal due to their infamous gobbles. And if you didnt know that turkeys are loud, just ask any turkey owner. Theyll tell you just how noisy these animals can be. Some will even tell you that you can talk with turkeys.

An example of this comes from TikTok user @hardhatkas. In a clip that has over 2.2 million views within the first few days of being posted, this TikToker showed us how she gets a turkey to respond. Both the method and the response are totally unexpected and hilarious. Take a look!

View the original article to see embedded media.

O.M.G. Why have we never known this is the case before?! Not that we're ever really near a pack of turkeys, but just in case we are, we now know what to do. LOL!

Another TikTok user, @breounanmcculloug, commented, I laughed way too hard at this. HA! So did we! We were completely shocked that they talked back like this. And then of course we had to play it a few times over because we couldnt get enough! As it turns out, were late to the party about knowing this trick.

TikTokers are saying turkeys will respond pretty much to any loud noise. Fun factturkeys will talk back even when you simply start talking to them. But the whistle is amazing and Im definitely going to try, said @alexisburger12. We dont care if they gobble back if you say anything loudly to them. Its so much cooler when you whistle. LOL! Have to try that one, added @tisbill. You definitely wont be the only one!

Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.

READ THE COMMENTS
Canada Edmonton Officers Shot (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Two police officers in Canada were killed while on duty as they responded to a domestic dispute.

The officers, whose names have not been released, responded to a family dispute in the Inglewood neighbourhood at around 1am MDT, Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee said during a press conference on Thursday.

Fellow officers transported the victims, aged 30 and 35, to the hospital but they were pronounced deceased shortly after. A female was also taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and has since been stabilised, The Guardian reported.

The shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to law enforcement.

[They] went inside the building, approached the suite, and were shot by a young male suspect, Mr McFee said.

At this time, all indications are they did not have a chance to discharge their firearms, he added. These [officers] were doing their job. This is unthinkable. Its not imaginable. Its horrific. Its a tragedy.

Responding to the tragic news, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted: Every day, police officers put themselves in harms way to keep people safe.

The news that two @EdmontonPolice officers have been killed in the line of duty reminds us of that reality. Im sending my condolences to the officers loved ones and colleagues  were here for you.
This article originally appeared on Backpacker

Two hikers are dead and one injured after being caught in a flash flood in a canyon on the Utah/Arizona border over the weekend.



According to Lt. Alan Alldredge of the Kane County Sheriff's Office, a group of three men began hiking towards Lees Ferry on Friday for what was supposed to be a three-day expedition. It's likely a flash flood caught the group on Saturday, as moisture from the atmospheric river that engulfed California last week flowed east.



One of the hikers' wives alerted authorities on Monday, when the group was scheduled to finish their hike. Authorities quickly launched a search, which led an air team to a campsite that likely belonged to the hikers.



They were able... to find some areas where it looked like camping equipment, [like] a backpack [were located], Alldredge told Salt Lake Citys KSL.



Searchers soon found the body of one of the missing hikers. Airborne rescuers found the survivor with an infrared camera while investigating flood debris and winched him into a helicopter. The surviving hiker was hypothermic after spending days in an exposed and wet environment and he had suffered bodily injuries, and was still in the hospital as of publishing time. On Wednesday, a team located a second deceased hiker on land in the middle of the Paria River, about 4 miles south of the Arizona border, while investigating a tip from a hiker who said they had seen a body.



Law enforcement reported the name of the survivor as Ed Smith. The two deceased hikers were Bill Romaniello and Jeff Watson.



The trio weren't the only hikers who got into trouble in Buckskin Gulch in recent days: the Utah Department of Public Safety said that it had rescued an additional 10 additional hikers from two separate groups from the area. Alldredge told KSL that unusually heavy rain across the west meant that conditions in Buckskin would remain unusually dangerous "for probably a couple of months."



Although fatal incidents from flash floods are statistically rare, they occur nationwide every year. Nearly 2,000 people have lost their lives from floods and flash floods between 1995 and 2021. And fatalities seem to be on the rise, with 146 deaths in 2021 alone. According to one analysis, flash floods are the deadliest weather-related events in the United States.

Story continues

Most flash flood fatalities occur when vehicles end up in flooded roadways. But slot canyons like Buckskin Gulch can also be extremely hazardous to outdoor enthusiasts.



Instagram-famous Buckskin Gulch is known for its beauty, featuring 12 miles of narrow slot canyons with sheer walls. The entire canyon is more than 20 miles long, and it has very few locations that can be used as safe extraction or exit points, meaning that hikers who tackle the canyon are generally committed once they enter. As one of the longest continuous slot canyons in the world, it can be deadly when it floods. Thanks to its fame, it's not unusual for adventurers to wander in without a proper understanding of the mechanics of flash flooding. (Alldredge told Salt Lake Citys Fox 13 that the stricken hikers were properly equipped, and that the conditions were above and beyond what anybody expected.

Flash Floods: A Desert Danger

Flash flooding takes place when a large amount of rain falls faster than the soil can absorb it. It tends to happen most frequently in the spring, when the snow is melting, or during monsoon season. The longer it rains, and the more intense the rain, the more likely a region is going to receive a flash flood. In the arid southwest, the soil is also naturally less absorbent, making it particularly at risk of flash flooding.



While flash floods can be very dangerous no matter where they happen, canyons like Buckskin Gulch that have narrow, towering walls, can become inundated with a large amount of water in just minutes, potentially drowning those inside.



Canyons can even flood under blue skies: Since canyons are usually extensive networks, precipitation far away can quickly flow downstream. This means, for example, that a canyon like Zion's Narrows could flood if the Kolob Reservoir receives a lot of rain during a short period of time, despite the Narrows themselves never receiving a drop of rain.



To avoid being caught in a flash flood, hikers should speak with a ranger or someone else knowledgeable about local conditions prior to beginning their trip. They should also monitor the canyon's boundary waters and the forecast there to determine whether there's a risk of flash flooding during their trip's timeframe. As GPS units don't consistently work in steep-sided canyons, a paper map with potential escape routes is a must.





For exclusive access to all of our fitness, gear, adventure, and travel stories, plus discounts on trips, events, and gear, sign up for Outside+ today.
Screengrab from the Utah Department of Public Safety's rescue video

Screengrab from the Utah Department of Public Safety's rescue video

Three men in their 50s set out to hike one of the words longest slot canyons in Utah.

As they began a 50-mile trek on March 10, starting in Buckskin Gulch, heavy rain moved into the area, halting their progress through the narrow sandstone canyon and prompting a days-long search after they were reported missing.

One man was rescued and two were found dead, Kane County Sheriffs Office Lt. Alan Alldredge told McClatchy News by phone Thursday, March 16.

Worried family members first reported them missing on Monday, March 13, when they never returned, Alldredge said. Their hiking trip was supposed to end the day before.

Rescuers began searching for the men that day.

Conditions were not what you normally find in this canyon, Alldredge said.

Hikers get separated in canyon

The men were barely 10 miles into the canyon when they got caught in flash floods on Saturday, March 11, Alldredge said. The canyon is deep, dark, cold and long.

Alldredge said the flash flood carried the hikers through the canyon.

Two hikers found each other after and began searching for their friend, he said.

One hikers leg was injured from earlier in the hike, so he stayed behind in the canyon as his friend kept going in search of help.

The hiker looking for help made it a few more miles down the canyon before stopping. A helicopter spotted him in the canyon on March 13 and was able to hoist him to safety.

He was extremely cold and worn out, Alldredge said. He was taken to a hospital.

Rescuers continue search for two other hikers

The rescued hiker gave directions to where he left his friend in the canyon, but rescuers couldnt find the man.

Rescuers spent 12 more hours in the canyon looking for the two missing hikers. Around 4 a.m. Tuesday, March 14, they found the body of the hiker who had become separated from the other two during the flash flood.

As rescuers continued their search efforts, other groups called for help. Rescuers airlifted 11 people out of the canyon, including the first missing hiker, Alldredge said.

Story continues

The third missing hiker was found dead Wednesday, March 15, past Buckskin Gulch, and about 3.5 miles into Arizona.

Buckskin Gulch is a popular 16-mile hike through towering sandstone walls near the Utah-Arizona border.

The canyon is typically dry with some pools of water hikers might have to wade through, Alldredge said.

But the area has had a wet winter, he said, and recent heavy rain caused more water to flow through the canyon.

Search-and-rescue training leads volunteers to injured 16-year-old skier in Wyoming

Hiker dies on trail in Arches National Park as rangers try to save him, officials say

Video captures harrowing escape from avalanche. I couldnt move, breathe or see
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources released 11 folders with dozens of files Thursday detailing their efforts and materials collected during their search of missing boater Tyler Doyle.

The files, which contain photos, reports and phone records reviewed during the investigation, were released as part of a Freedom of Information request by The Sun News.

In one of the files, the name of the friend with Doyle the evening he disappeared was revealed for the first time since Doyle went missing almost two months ago.

Christian Holden and Doyle were duck hunting Jan. 26, when Doyle dropped off Holden on the north jetty in Little River and then went to scout out ducks, according to the SCDNR.

Doyle had called Holden, 21, of Aynor, stating his jon boat was taking on water and sinking.

The SCDNR will continue searching for Doyle, using routine boat patrols and assistance from Brunswick County, N.C., officials and family and friends, department spokesman Greg Lucas said Tuesday by text. Lucas said there are no plans to end (the search) that I have heard.

A boating accident report from SCDNR attributes weather, hazardous waters, fault of machinery and fault of hull as contributing factors to the accident.

The report states Doyle told Holden to call the U.S. Coast Guard and Sea Tow. In addition, Doyle called a boat mechanic who advised Doyle on several things that may be able to fix the boat, which was swamped, the report said.

The boat began drifting backward out to sea.

Thursdays files follow 911 tapes that were released earlier this month by Horry County officials. The four 911 calls align with what SCDNR officials have said previously about the investigation of the missing boater. The SCDNR has said that no foul play is suspected in the case of the 22-year-old, who is from Loris.
The U.S. Border Patrol has named Anthony "Scott" Good as chief of the El Paso Sector, which includes El Paso, part of West Texas and all of New Mexico.

Good previously served as sector chief in Grand Forks, North Dakota. In 22 years with the federal government, he has served at the northern and southern borders and at Border Patrol headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Anthony "Scott" Good

Good takes over the sector after former El Paso Sector Chief Gloria Chavez departed in October to lead the Rio Grande Valley Sector in South Texas. Acting Chief Patrol Agent Peter Jaquez, who directed the El Paso Sector in the interim, returns to his role as deputy chief patrol agent in El Paso.

Border Patrol Sector Chief Gloria Chavez kept migration crises at bay in El Paso. Will the next chief do the same?

The El Paso Sector includes 264 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. El Paso has been one of the busiest sectors along the border in the past year, with hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers and other migrants seeking entry to the United States.

Good will oversee roughly 2,000 agents assigned to the sector and is likely to face numerous challenges as the number of migrants arriving in Juarez grows and frustrations boil over.

On Sunday, hundreds of migrants  acting on a rumor that the U.S. would admit them  rushed onto the Paso Del Norte bridge in Downtown, prompting U.S. Customs and Border Protection to shut down the bridge for roughly five hours. Dozens of other migrants amassed at the borderline; some threw rocks from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande Canal and Border Patrol agents responded by firing pepper balls to disperse the group.

The El Paso Sector reported nearly 308,000 migrant encounters in fiscal 2022, up 59% from more than 193,000 in fiscal 2021. The sector has nearly reached the 2021 total in the first four months of fiscal 2023, with more than 192,000 encounters recorded October through January.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: US Border Patrol names Anthony 'Scott' Good new El Paso Sector chief
Seven officers and three hospital workers are facing murder charges after being accused of smothering a Black man to death at a Virginia state psychiatric institution.

At the officers first court hearing Wednesday, Dinwiddie County Commonwealths Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill said that Henrico County sheriffs deputies held down 28-year-old Irvo Otieno on the floor of Central State Hospital for 12 minutes while he was shackled and handcuffed, according to local outlets. The incident occurred while Otieno was being admitted to the state mental institution on March 6.

Contrary to authorities claims, Baskervill said that security camera footage from the institution shows Otieno did not appear combative before the incident and was sitting in a chair when officers pulled him to the floor, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Otieno suffocated from the weight of the deputies lying on top of him, Baskervill reportedly argued, describing it as an act of deliberately cruel treatment. The prosecutor said there was no justification for the officers actions, which she called a demonstration of power that was unlawful, according to the newspaper.

You can see theyre putting their back into it, attorney Mark Krudys said at a press conference Thursday alongside Otienos family and civil rights attorney Ben Crump. The family and attorneys viewed the security footage of the attack earlier Thursday. Officials have declined to release the video to news outlets, citing the pending investigation by Virginia State Police.

Every part of his body is being pushed down with absolute brutality, Krudys continued. You cannot even see his image many times.

This is Irvo Otieno. A 28-yo aspiring musician deeply loved by his parents, who emigrated from Kenya when he was 4. On March 6, he was handcuffed and brutally smothered to death for 12 mins. by 7 Henrico County (VA) Sheriffs deputies at a state mental health facility. pic.twitter.com/biyd8Mewph  Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) March 16, 2023

Seven Henrico County deputies were arrested earlier this week and charged with second-degree murder in Otienos death. The deputies are Kaiyell Sanders, Randy Boyer, Tabitha Levere, Bradley Disse, Dwayne Bramble, Jermaine Branch and Brandon Rogers.

Story continues

A judge granted bail to Branch and Disse after their attorneys argued the two deputies had clean backgrounds and were not a flight risk, though its unclear whether they have posted bail. The remaining deputies told the judge they are still working to retain counsel, and they will continue to be held until at least next week, the Times-Dispatch reported.

It is truly shocking that nearly three years after the brutal killing of George Floyd by police, another family is grieving a loved one who allegedly died in nearly the exact, same manner  being pinned down by police for 12 agonizing minutes, Crump said in a statement Thursday.

According to the familys attorneys, Otieno was an aspiring musician and well-known high school athlete in Henrico County. Immigrating here from Kenya with his family as a child, Otieno was deeply loved by his parents, Crump said.

This was my baby. He cared for people. He cared that people were treated right. That was at the core of the upbringing in our home, Otienos mother, Caroline Ouko, said at the Thursday press conference.

Otieno had a history of mental health battles and was experiencing distress at the time of his first encounter with law enforcement. According to Henrico County Police  a separate agency from the county sheriffs department  officers were responding to a report of possible burglary on March 3 in suburban Richmond and encountered Otieno, putting him under an emergency custody order based on his behavior and taking him to a local hospital for evaluation. The polices statement on the incident did not describe Otienos behavior that led to the order.

Krudys told The Associated Press on Thursday that he believes the incident stemmed from a neighbor calling police over a concern about Otieno gathering lawn lights from a yard. Otienos mother attempted to deescalate the encounter with police, and the family was initially supportive of him being taken to a hospital because they believed he was going to receive needed mental health treatment.

Police alleged that Otieno became physically assaultive toward officers, who arrested him and took him to Henrico County jail, where he was served with several charges and held over the weekend without most or all of his medications. According to Baskervill, Henrico jail video shows several deputies tackling and beating Otieno while he is naked, local outlets reported.

Can you imagine how he is feeling? He was naked in his cell and not receiving his medications. They were potentially abusive to him. According to the prosecutor, they pepper-sprayed him, Krudys told WTVR-TV on Wednesday.

On March 6, authorities transported Otieno from the jail to Central State Hospital, a state-run psychiatric institution. According to Krudys, Otienos family was confused as to why their relative was sent to a state institution and not a facility meant to help heal and treat patients struggling with their mental health.

He was treated deplorably, Krudys told WTVR. He was treated with force and not love when he was in a mental health crisis.

Otieno died when deputies allegedly attacked him during the intake process. Defense attorneys argued that two medical injections administered to Otieno during the incident may have played a part in his death, according to the Times-Dispatch. Baskervill disputed the claim, reportedly saying that Otieno probably died before the injections because his heart already stopped by the time the injections were administered.

The Henrico County medical examiners office has not yet released to the public its final determination on the cause and manner of Otienos death. According to the newspaper, Baskervill said the medical examiner ruled preliminarily that Otienos cause of death was asphyxiation and the manner was homicide  however, the doctor who performed the autopsy reportedly plans to view video from Central State and Henrico jail.

Mental illness should not be your ticket to death. There was a chance to rescue him. There was a chance to stop what was going on. And I dont understand how all systems failed him, Ouko said.

They smothered the breath out of my baby.

Related...
Spend a laid-back weekend peeling spice-coated shrimp, tipping back local oysters, and sipping frozen cocktails in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Alabama Tourism Department

Its just past five oclock, probably, and Im drinking rum out of a pineapple while my children rollick with strangers kids on a pirate ship. Were waiting for a table at a waterfront restaurant after spending the day on a nearby beach with sugar-white sand and clear turquoise water. It felt a little like a vacation in the Caribbean.

Were overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, though, on the coast of Alabama. Gulf Shores, along with its neighbor Orange Beach, are resort towns just about an hours drive from Floridas Pensacola airport. There, we spent a laid-back long weekend peeling spice-coated shrimp, tipping back local oysters, and sipping tropical cocktails, all with a backdrop of a white-sand coastline.

Its not hard to find a room in this seaside community, but only one hotel is situated inside Gulf State Park, a 6,500-acre recreation area on the Gulf of Mexico. Opened in late 2018, The Lodge, a sustainability-focused Hilton property, makes a convenient diving off point for immersing into the areas beaches, outdoor activities, and restaurants. Onsite, find Woodside restaurant, an all-day venue for indoor and outdoor dining amid live oak trees, with cornhole games and music in the evenings.

Gulf Shores Orange Beach Tourism

Related:This Old Gas Station in Mobile, Alabama, Is the Cheese Shop of Our Dreams

For more live music, theres Lulus, situated on a quiet little stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway. Run by Lucy Buffett, the sprawling seafood mecca channels the fun, easygoing vibe her brother Jimmy Buffett is also known for. The allergy-friendly menu includes crab-smothered nachos, fresh snapper, and cheeseburgers. (This is paradise, after all.) Dont skip a slice of the stand-out Key lime pie for dessert. Diners with kids will especially appreciate on-site activities like an arcade, caricature artist, and a full-fledged ropes course, making the often-long wait for a table feel like part of the fun.

Story continues

Another stellar spot for families is GTs on the Bay, where a table on the terrace overlooking Wolf Bay also overlooks a massive wooden play structure shaped like a pirate ship. Kids can burn off energy in the sand, while parents get a few brief minutes of respite to feast on fried Gulf shrimp paired with the aforementioned boozy pineapple cocktail.

Courtesy of The Lodge at Gulf State Park

For a quintessential coastal lunch, stop by The Gulf and dont be surprised when you accidentally stay all day. Repurposed shipping containers are home to a bar and restaurant, which spills out onto the palm tree-shaded sand. After ordering from the menu of salads, shrimp tacos and fish sandwiches, take a seat at a picnic table and watch the boats float by.

Related:A Highly Opinionated Guide to Eating in Birmingham

Another stay-all-day spot, CoastAL opened in late 2022 from the same team behind boisterous waterfront venue Flora-bama Yacht Club. At the new beachfront locale, pull up one of the 400 bar seats to sample some of the regions best bar snacks, including tuna poke nachos, marinated crab claws and a housemade pimento cheese platter. (The 600-plus seat restaurant is slated to open this spring, and will be breaking down whole fresh fish on site.)

While nothing feels especially extravagant in these breezy beach towns, there are a few restaurants to seek out for a special meal. Located on the Orange Beach marina, Fisher's Upstairs is helmed by five-time James Beard Award semi-finalist chef Bill Briand, whose menu includes elevated classics like Gulf shrimp and grits and sweet corn fritters with house-smoked fish.

Gulf Shores Orange Beach Tourism

Downstairs, Fishers Dockside features a slightly more casual menu of Southern coastal cuisine, with fried fish baskets, crawfish and artichoke dip, and icy platters of local Murder Point oysters. The recently-opened restaurant at Zekes Landing and Marina serves steaks and seasonal fish, plus a stand-out seafood tower with local oysters, crab legs, and ceviche  inside a stylish dining room or on the outdoor patio.

Related:Some of America's Best Sausage Comes From a Tiny Town Down South

For a frozen daiquiri or mimosa in flavors you didnt know you needed, head to High Tide Daiquiris and Mimosas, where Key lime, Red Bull, and the Mardi Gras special king cake are offered alongside all the classic flavors. The shop also sells elaborate charcuterie boards and, for those on the run, offers 16-ounce bags filled with daiquiris to go, perfect for bringing to the beach.

For our last meal in town, we sought out what we heard was some of the Gulf Shores best seafood at longstanding family-run shop Lartigues. The specialty market is packed to the gills with rows of shrimp and crab boil seasonings and trays filled with mountains of fresh shellfish, crab, and shrimp. Theyll steam your order on the spot, and add sides like red potatoes and corn on the cob. We took the haul, including a few mini Key lime pies, to the picnic tables in the back of the shop. Theres no views of the water, but in the midst of feasting on sizzling shrimp, no one noticed.

For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Food & Wine.
For 28 years, Jim Truitt made sure the wheels of justice ran smoothly in Richland County, guiding generations of citizens, lawyers and judges through the court system.

At 69, hes retiring from the position of clerk of court administrator, and the legal community is making sure he gets a proper sendoff.

Some people are just simply essential, retired S.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal said, describing Truitt as an unflappable problem solver who took the fear out of the system for many who came through the court.

An official proclamation, read by Columbia City Councilwoman Tina Herbert, declared March 15, 2023, as Jim Truitt Day in Columbia.

The proclamation commemorating more than three decades of service to Richland County was read before a crowd of approximately 100 people. Among them were Truitts wife, Leslie, his daughter, Sarah, court staff, judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys. Clerk of Court Jeanette McBride as well as retired judges James Barber III and Casey Manning also offered words of congratulations and praise to Truitt.

Originally from Indiana, Truitt moved to South Carolina and spent seven years with the Richland County Sheriffs Department and five years as a bailiff in traffic court before he served for almost three decades as the administrator of the Richland County court.

He became part of the fabric of the Midlands legal community. Herbert recalled how both she and her daughter worked with Truitt, despite clerking at the courthouse two decades apart.

The proclamation celebrated Truitts passion and dedication of the courtroom system... which touched so many lives.

Many remembered Truitts kindness, humanity and his easy way with jurors, many of whom showed up nervous and uncertain on Monday mornings after receiving a summons for jury service.

He made everybody feel at ease, said 5th Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson, who remembered how Truitt filled that role in Gipsons own early days as an attorney.

Story continues

In 1996, as a law clerk for Manning, newly out of law school, Gipson recalled how Truitt helped him bridge the chasm between the book knowledge of school and the day-to-day machinery of court operations, as he had for so many others.

He was the go-to person for anything and everything you might need in this courthouse for decades, said Fielding Pringle, the 5thCircuit public defender.

He will be replaced by Jackie Pendergrass, the current Floor Manager, who works with Truitt.

Richland County was lucky to have him and he will be missed beyond measure, Pringle said.
Memories Aicha Luxury Camp, in Aqaba, Jordan.

Memories Aicha Luxury Camp, in Aqaba, Jordan. Credit - Shutterstock

Set against the rust-colored Wadi Rum mountains, Aqaba is the only coastal city in the country of Jordan, on the northern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. The ancient city of Petraa New Wonder of the Worldis just 78 miles away through desert haze. The otherworldly landscape might look familiar to visitors as the planet Arrakis in Dune. The sci-fi franchises second installment, which premieres this November, was also filmed in the extraordinarily dramatic scenery of the Wadi Rum reserve, referred to as the Valley of the Moon and previously famous as the backdrop for Lawrence of Arabia.

But its not just the dunes that are bringing new visitors to Aqaba this year; its the sea. In the Gulf of Aqaba, Aqaba Marine Park aims to preserve its marine biosphere, which includes coral reefs and 19 dive sites, as well as an underwater walking experience or glass-bottom boats for those looking to stay dry.

Jordans first cruise terminal, inaugurated in January, welcomes an influx of cruisers to Aqaba as well. The Port of Aqaba anticipates a 25 percent increase in passenger ships for 2023, including an inaugural visit from luxury cruise line Windstar. From the mega ships of MSC Cruises to superyacht Emerald Azzurra, sailing the Middle East demands a part of call at the tip of the Red Sea where four countries meet. For those watching from shore, theres the five-star Marriott property the Al Manara, a Marriott Luxury Collection Hotel.
Asda has extended its 1 meals for children to the Easter holidays. (Asda)

Asda has extended its 1 meals for children to run through the Easter holidays, as families continue to find ways to save money throughout the cost of living crisis.

The Kids Eat for 1 meal deal in the supermarkets 205 cafes has been available since June 2022 for any child under 16.

Asda say that the initiative has seen 1.3 million meals served to children over the last few months  and they are now planning to offer vegan and healthier options.

The updated menu, available from 20 March, will offer pasta and meatballs and a vegan-friendly vegetable pasta meal, with the option of swapping out chips for salad or peas in the existing hot meals selection.

The Kids Eat for 1 meal deal in the supermarkets 205 cafes has been available since June 2022 for any child under 16. (Getty)

A free piece of fruit will also be offered with every hot meal, the supermarket added.

Jelly and whole fruit pieces will be offered as a healthy alternative to crisps to go with sandwiches in the cold pick and mix selection.

Watch: King praised volunteers during surprise visit to food bank

Asda say that parents will also be able to buy meals throughout the Easter holidays at the beginning of April after their income tracker found UK households were 91 a month worse off compared to January 2022, with the average family spending power at 215 a week.

It comes as figures analysed by trolley.co.uk found that Asda had the third highest price rises compared to other supermarkets.

There has been a 7.6% increase in prices in Asda since March 2022  below Co-op and Iceland and higher than price rises seen in stores including Aldi and Waitrose.
Meta could stand to benefit from a TikTok ban. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

A TikTok sale or US ban could be a boon for Mark Zuckerberg and Meta.

Instagram Reels could see a boost from a shift away from TikTok in the US, experts say.

Zuckerberg has warned that the company faces "unprecedented" competition from TikTok.

Mark Zuckerberg and Meta are likely quietly celebrating the news that the US government is once again threatening to ban TikTok.

On Wednesday, the social media company confirmed that the Biden administration had given TikTok's owner ByteDance an ultimatum  sell your shares in the app or face a ban in the US. While a spokesperson for TikTok said divesting the video-sharing app from its Chinese owner would not address national security concerns, the company's leadership is actively discussing the possibility, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

It's not the first time US politicians have threatened to ban the app, but the Biden administration's rhetoric around the issue has appeared to "sharpen," Wedbush tech analyst Dan Ives told Insider. Ives said he places the odds of a spinoff or shutdown below 50% because the move could face similar legal issues that the Trump administration encountered in 2020.

Zuckerberg has much to gain from a TikTok ban. It would be like Christmas coming early for Meta, which is looking to boost engagement of its rival service, Instagram Reels. Meta's stock advanced as much as about 3% on Thursday morning.

"Any bad news or added scrutiny for TikTok is a significantly bullish sign for Zuckerberg and Facebook," Ives said. "They're just a natural beneficiary."

Even before US politicians began to publicly threaten a ban on TikTok, Zuckerberg "stoked Washington's fears about TikTok, according to a 2020 report from the Wall Street Journal, telling the White House at a dinner that Chinese companies should be scrutinized more heavily than Facebook. More recently, the Washington Post reported last year that Meta paid a Republican consulting firm to set up an anti-TikTok campaign.

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At the time, a Meta spokesperson appeared to defend the effort. "We believe all platforms, including TikTok, should face a level of scrutiny consistent with their growing success," the spokesperson said.

'That time that was spent on TikTok will have to go somewhere'

Instagram Reels (pictured left) would likely get a boost if US users no longer had access to TikTok (pictured right). Soumyabrata Roy/NurPhoto via Getty Images;Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images;Chesnot/Getty Images

TikTok has been a thorn in Facebook's side since it became wildly popular. Last year, Zuckerberg reportedly warned staff that the company faces "unprecedented" competition from the video-sharing app.

TikTok quickly became one of the most popular social media platforms in the US, boasting more than 1 billion active monthly users and capturing the attention of younger generations  a demographic Facebook and Instagram have struggled to attract, according to a 2022 study from the Pew Research Center.

In recent years, Zuckerberg has looked to Instagram Reels in an attempt to answer TikTok's popularity, even introducing a controversial redesign that inserted more Reels videos in people's feeds. The billionaire has said that the company plans to continue zeroing in on Reels as a growth driver.

But, Reels doesn't have TikTok's secret sauce, an algorithm designed to keep users hooked. Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Instagram users spend 17.6 million hours a day watching Reels, while people spend an astounding 197.8 million hours a day on TikTok.

Social media expert Matt Navarra told Insider Meta's algorithm is still in the early learning phases, but any disruption to TikTok could give the company some time to catch up.

"That time that was spent on TikTok will have to go somewhere," Navarra said. "It's reasonable to expect that these companies that have sort of created clones of the app would absorb at least some of that time."

In the short term, apps like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts could also see a boost. Navarra said social media creators are likely to look to further diversify the social media sites they use in the face of a potential ban.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is scheduled to testify before Congress on March 23 about the company's ties to China, as well as its handling of user data and child safety issues on the app.

Spokespeople for Meta and TikTok did not respond to a request for comment ahead of publication.

Even if TikTok were to spin off from ByteDance or agree to a sale, it could be a win for Zuckerberg. When the company was exploring the prospect of a sale in 2020, ByteDance said the sale would not include TikTok's algorithm, according to a report from the South China Morning Post.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Most Tennesseans are unaware, but Tennessee hospitals receive significantly lower reimbursement rates for Medicare patients than hospitals in other states providing the same care. Unfortunately, our health systems know this firsthand. This is in large part because the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services use a flawed reimbursement formula known as the Medicare Area Wage Index. Even CMS itself recognizes that the AWI perpetuates and exacerbates the disparities between high and low wage index hospitals. The consequence of this problematic formula is that it leads to significant losses year over year when you consider that roughly half of hospital patients are covered by Medicare.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24. Blackburn spearheaded a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that calls for an extension of the Low Wage Index Hospital policy.

In fact, the losses are so great that rural hospitals are shutting down at record rates. According to the American Hospital Association, between 2010 and 2021, 136 rural hospitals have closed nationwide. Nineteen of these closures occurred in 2020, the most of any year in the past decade. The AHA notes that low Medicare reimbursement rates have resulted in $5.8 billion in Medicare underpayments to rural hospitals, and that these underpayments grew by nearly 40% from 2016 to 2020. These factors have had a devastating toll on hospitals in Tennessee, which has the second-highest number of rural hospital closures in the country.

Hear more Tennessee voices:Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought-provoking columns.

In Washington, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn has been a leader we can count on to right these wrongs. Blackburn has consistently worked with bipartisan colleagues to introduce legislation and apply pressure on CMS to help struggling Tennessee hospitals with this challenge.

Most recently, Blackburn spearheaded a letter to CMS that calls for an extension of the Low Wage Index Hospital policy, which corrects the problems caused by the AWI. Sen. Blackburn coordinated with her Democratic colleague, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, to pitch their Senate colleagues on the need for an extension of this policy, which is set to expire in September unless CMS acts. The pair persuaded more than a dozen of their bipartisan colleagues, including Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty, to join them in advocating directly with CMS. CMS would be wise to listen.

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Blackburn has long championed policies that support rural residents access to health care. It is not surprising then that Blackburn encouraged her colleagues to support an extension of the LWIH policy because she recognizes its value to Tennesseans. The policy has been a valuable lifeline for more than 800 hospitals in 23 states since 2020, including nearly 75% of all Tennessee hospitals. The support allows hospitals to recruit and retain health care staff and protect access to care, especially in rural areas. Blackburn should be thanked for taking a lead role in working to preserve the policy.

Additionally, Blackburn has for years led and supported Area Wage Index-related efforts and legislation to ensure hospitals are fairly reimbursed for their services by the federal government. This includes Blackburns role as lead co-sponsor of the Save Rural Hospitals Act, which would establish an appropriate national minimum for the Medicare Area Wage Index reimbursement rate.

Tennesseans are fortunate to have not only Blackburn but the entire Tennessee congressional delegation fighting for access to rural health care and keeping our local hospitals open. Hagerty and U.S. Reps. Diana Harshbarger, Tim Burchett, Chuck Fleischmann, Scott DesJarlais, Mark Green, John Rose, David Kustoff and Steve Cohen have consistently supported regulatory and legislative solutions on this issue. Even the delegations newest member, Rep. Andy Ogles, recently joined a letter to CMS.

All Americans should have equal access to care and not be punished for living in rural areas. We appreciate Blackburn and our congressional delegation for leading the way in Congress to preserve rural hospitals and patient access in Tennessee and across the nation.

Joe Landsman is the president and chief executive officer of the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville. Hal Naramore, M.D., is the chief executive officer of Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville. Jim VanderSteeg is the president and chief executive officer of Knoxville-based Covenant Health.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Opinion: Blackburn, colleagues champion rural patients, hospitals
A Boston-area pizzeria chain owner has been arrested on federal charges that he physically assaulted and verbally abused an immigrant employee for a period of about 14 years, authorities announced Thursday.

Stavros Papantoniadis, 47, was apprehended Thursday morning on one count of forced labor, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts reports. The Stash's Pizza owner, who goes by Steve, targeted undocumented workers and underpaid them, prosecutors said.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins described the allegations against Papantoniadis as "horrific."

"Nobody has the right to violently kick, slap, punch or choke anyone, and certainly not an employer to an employee," Rollins said. "This case illustrates the manipulative, violent and abusive tactics some employers utilize for their own greed and financial gain."

The Justice Department said he created a climate of fear at his chain of pizzarias, which has locations in Dorchester and Roslindale, Massachusetts. Papantoniadis previously had pizzerias in Norwood, Norwell, Randolph, Weymouth and Wareham.

The victim, identified in charging documents as "Victim 1," worked for Papantoniadis from 2001 to 2015, officials said. Over that span, Papantoniadis pushed the employee to the floor, kicked him in the genitals and broke his teeth on different occasions, the Justice Department said. He also slapped and choked the victim, prosecutors allege, and repeatedly made derogatory comments about the man's religious faith.

Papantoniadis threatened to kill the employee or report him to immigration authorities if he didn't return to work, prosecutors said, prompting the victim to continue working for Papantoniadis.

When a different employee planned to quit, Papantoniadis made a false police report about the worker, who was later pulled over and cited by police, according to prosecutors.

Papantoniadis also demanded his employees work six to seven days per week, federal investigators found, and often worked more than eight hours per day without breaks or overtime pay.

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If convicted, Papantoniadis faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The pizzeria owner appeared in court on Thursday morning and remains in custody pending a detention hearing set for March 20.

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Throughout South Central Indiana, many individuals and agencies are working hard to strengthen housing security. These agencies provide emergency shelter, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing and other supportive services that transform the lives of our neighbors experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.

Since joining Heading Home of South Central Indiana a year ago. Ive witnessed the compassion, grit, and problem-solving that happens every day in our region, as people work to move our neighbors into housing, or to keep them stably housed.

This work can be grueling and is often unappreciated or even unseen by the general public. So last fall, Heading Home hosted a regional celebration to recognize the success stories of these agencies, their staff and the people they serve. At the celebration, a different kind of joy filled the room as we heard stories of changed lives. We celebrated families who were reunited. We celebrated people who were once chronically homeless become housed. We celebrated a future that did not seem as bleak as before. We celebrated simply being together as a community.

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It was inspiring to see such a diverse group of people together in one place with one goal: to celebrate hard-won successes. Those successes were only possible because of the dedication of individuals working together. But I wondered why expressions of gratitude are so often reserved for special events and milestones, when we should be doing this daily.

Why is that important? Because gratitude is empowering. It lifts us up. It makes us more invested in our work. It connects us to our community, and makes our community stronger. Thats why we need to give meaningful thanks and recognition to the people who, every day, dedicate themselves to ensuring that everyone has a safe, stable place to live.

So after all the speeches and stories were shared and the Heading Home team began to clean up, I kept thinking: This cant end here.

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To keep the spirit of celebration alive, Heading Home has launched a multimedia project called People of Housing Security. This project  similar to the Humans of New York and People of IU  focuses on staff in South Central Indiana who are working to strengthen housing security in a variety of ways.

Join the conversation:How to submit a letter to the editor or guest column to The Herald-Times

Every week, we publish blog posts with a corresponding video at HeadingHomeIndiana.org/news/ and on Heading Homes Instagram and Facebook pages. These posts allow readers to learn more about front-line staff, including what motivates them and what theyd like the community to know about their work.

The goal of People of Housing Security is two-fold. Direct service providers have difficult roles and carry heavy responsibilities. We hope to share their stories to raise awareness of their work and to thank them for their service. We often hear the misconception that little to nothing is being done to decrease homelessness. We hope to dispel that perception by highlighting the hard work thats happening every day. We hope that People of Housing Security helps educate our community about all the efforts underway to make homelessness rare, brief and non-repeating. And as you get to know these people, please tell them how grateful you are for their life-changing work!

Tatiana Wheeler is Assistant Director of Housing Security at Heading Home of South Central Indiana. Learn more about Heading Home at HeadingHomeIndiana.org.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Column: Heading Home highlights work of people fighting homelessness
Water security has been a top issue for the Cornwall Borough council and community for the last several months after the City of Lebanon Authority, the Boroughs singular water supplier, announced that it would raise their rates by 10% in 2023.

COLA previously reduced the boroughs allotment of water from 500,000 gallons of water a day to 250,000 gallons a day. Because they were already using around 270,000 gallons a day on average, their administrator was able to work with COLA to bump that number up to 325,000 gallons a day, according to board president Bruce Harris.

The boroughs concern now is to have their own water sources and become less dependent on COLA, as rapid development across the county will likely stretch water resources even further.

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During Monday's meeting, resident Jo Roussey shared her concern that the borough could find themselves in a situation similar to California or Nevada where residents could have to drastically cut back on their water usage if Lebanon has a couple of dry years and COLA must reduce gallons again.

If we have our own water, that could even be a back up if that ever happens, she said. Water is the new oil. You might as well learn that right now.

During the March 13 Cornwall borough council meeting much was discussed in regards to the boroughs ongoing water issues.

One popular idea the board has previously discussed is acquiring Miners Lake, a former iron ore mine that has since flooded and is now the largest body of water in Lebanon County.

The borough has been in talks with Elizabethtown, who currently owns the open pit, about the possibility of purchasing the land or rights to the water.

The pit has 6.25 billion gallons of water in it and has a refresh rate of about a half million gallons day.

Harris later told the Lebanon Daily News that there have been no major developments concerning Miners Lake, but the borough received a letter from Elizabethtown outlining some things they would like them to do. The borough is also waiting on results from tests on that water to determine how much treatment would be needed for safe use.

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If the borough does get the rights to the lake, they would likely be able to sell the water to other municipalities and authorities, including COLA.

Looking for other avenues, the council passed a resolution to hire a hydrogeologist for $7,800, who will conduct a study to determine where it might be best to build test wells, what could come from them, and the effect that the wells could have on local water resources.

Several exploratory wells, placed strategically throughout the borough, could have the potential to yield enough water to supply the borough.

Two dams, which the borough still has water rights to, were also briefly discussed as possible solution. Those dams were previously used as a water source before the borough's water authority was dissolved about six years ago.

The board also agreed during the meeting that it will allow the water and sewer committee to hold public meetings to discuss the reestablishment of a water authority as well as other possible projects in their search of water sources.

How many meetings, or when they will be held, will not be determined until the hydrogeologist's report comes in.

Those meetings will focus on if a water authority would be advantageous when it comes to receiving grants or loans to build the infrastructure they need.

Regardless of what solution the borough finds, they will have to build a water treatment plant, according to Harris.

A treatment plant would take about an acre of land and cost several million dollars to build.

The board also voted to hire Reynolds Ferrante, who has been working gratis as a grant writer for many of the borough's water related projects for the last several months.

Bruce Conrad, who is being tutored by Ferrante in grant writing, said that they believe theyll be able to acquire funding for the test wells.

Hes very innovative, in what he tries to get done, Conrad said.

More from Cornwall

During the meeting the council approved immediate emergency repairs to a collapsed sewer line in Tice Lane Field for the amount of $8,600. According to borough manager Cody Rhoads, Sunoco has agreed to pay up to $10,000 for the repairs.

The council also approved to appropriate $250,000 from their rainy day fund to apply for a 50/50 match amount in hopes to acquire a DCNR grant that would allow them to make the first steps in their recreation master plan.

The funds taken from the borough would act as a 0% interest loan to the recreation department, where further grant funding will be used to pay back the $250,000 over the next year.

If the DCNR grant doesn't come through, the borough money will not be spent.

The funding will be used for phase one of the Snitz Creek Park project, which largely includes walking paths and trails, pickleball courts and a restroom building.

Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated how much the hydrogeologist was hired for

Daniel Larlham Jr. is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at DLarlham@LDNews.com or on Twitter @djlarlham

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Cornwall borough continues to search for a new water source
A criminal conspiracy case against a group of activists in San Diego is headed toward a trial that could prove crucial in defining the much-misunderstood political movement known as Antifa.

Six members of the San Diego 11 have negotiated plea deals with the San Diego District Attorney. But the five remaining defendants have vowed to take the case to trial, aided by defense attorneys known for taking on high-stakes political cases in California.

The defendants are charged with felonies, including conspiracy to riot, stemming from a day of unrest in Pacific Beach on Jan 9, 2021. As a USA TODAY investigation found in 2022, groups of anti-fascists clashed with white supremacists and supporters of former President Donald Trump throughout a day of protests and counterprotests, but only the self-professed anti-fascists were ever charged with crimes, despite video evidence showing white supremacists attacking people.

Counterprotesters, some carrying Antifa flags, wait to confront demonstrators for a "Patriot March" demonstration in support of former President Donald Trump on Jan. 9, 2021, in the Pacific Beach neighborhood of San Diego.

Experts say the San Diego case could inspire prosecutors around the country to take similar aim at anti-fascists, treating adherents as if theyre members of a gang or criminal enterprise rather than a political movement. While the argument may sound conceptual, the legal impact is significant: Gang-style conspiracy charges could also effectively double any prison sentences.

So the San Diego case has become a bellwether during a time when leftist protests are flaring up across the country.

This month alone, dozens of protesters who opposed an Atlanta police training facility were arrested in Atlanta and charged with domestic terrorism under a new Georgia state law, and in Ohio, two people were arrested during a faceoff between neo-Nazis and leftist supporters over a drag storytelling performance in a city park.

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A makeshift memorial for environmental activist who was killed by law enforcement on Jan. 18 during a raid to clear the construction site of a police training facility that activists have nicknamed "Cop City" near Atlanta, Georgia.

The stakes grow higher as the country moves into a new election cycle, said Stanislav Vysotsky, a professor of criminology and author of the book "American Antifa." A successful prosecution in San Diego could become a model for conservative prosecutors around the country, he said.

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It would give a really powerful tool of repression that could be used against not just anti-fascist activists but really any left-wing counterprotesters or left-wing protesters because you could just sort of slap them with a broad Antifa label, Vysotsky said. It actually creates an Antifa entity that doesn't exist to begin with.

But as trial draws closer, the case will also test the influence and conduct of right-wing media interests  some of the same elements that have helped drive clashes between right- and left-wing activists.

An attorney for one Antifa defendant has asked the court to deny a local journalist media privileges in the courtroom, alleging that she obtained her media credentials by filing documents with the court under an assumed name  something the attorney argues is a felony under California law  and that her reporting was used for a right-wing harassment campaign against the defendants.

The journalist in question has published stories for years under the false name and recently co-wrote a series of stories about the San Diego case with a far-right provocateur.

The same defense attorney says he will also soon file another motion asking the judge to dismiss the case that takes aim at the prosecutions key expert witness. The motion claims the witness  who, as USA TODAY reported last year, has a history of writing for far-right websites  holds speculative and biased opinions that are not based on facts.

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The San Diego 11

A pedestrian jogs past counter-protesters, some carrying Antifa flags, as they wait to confront a "Patriot March" demonstration in support of Donald Trump near the Crystal Pier on Jan. 9, 2021 in the Pacific Beach neighborhood of San Diego, California.

USA TODAY examined the case of the San Diego 11 in an in-depth investigation last September. At the time, a grand jury had recently indicted the defendants on a combined 29 felony charges, including conspiracy to riot.

The case is extraordinary not just because prosecutors chose only to charge one side involved in the days violence but also because it seeks to define Antifa as a criminal enterprise that uses force, fear, and violence to further their interests and suppress the interests of others, according to the district attorneys office.

In recent years, Antifa has been portrayed by far-right-wing media, commentators and conspiracy theorists as a shadowy bogeyman intent on destroying America. Experts told USA TODAY that, if successful, the San Diego case could create a powerful precedent for prosecutors across the country  especially prosecutors looking to make a name for themselves with conservatives aligned with Trump.

The defense attorneys pledging to take the San Diego Antifa case to trial said it represents a watershed moment not just for anti-fascism but for freedom of speech in America.

This is the criminalization of an ideology, said Curtis Briggs, defense attorney for Jeremy White, one of the remaining Antifa defendants. Really it's McCarthyism, and the United States went through this already.

Briggs, who recently successfully defended Black Lives Matter protester Tianna Arata, who was charged with multiple crimes for participating in a protest that blocked a California freeway, said he decided to take on the San Diego case after reading about it in USA TODAY.

This was a political case from the start, and it required a specific type of lawyering, Briggs said.

Vysotsky said experts across the country who study the anti-fascist movement are closely watching the San Diego case. A successful prosecution defining Antifa as an organization, rather than a political movement, could have serious repercussions, he said.

There's definitely something about this case that makes it unique in terms of the precedent it is going to set, Vysotsky said. If this is successful, this will be a prosecutorial strategy that will be picked up by other prosecutors.

The five remaining defendants are due to stand trial in November.

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The strange saga of Eva Knott

The San Diego Antifa case also took a bizarre turn last month when one of the defense attorneys filed a motion accusing a local journalist of committing numerous felonies.

According to the motion, filed by attorney John Hamasaki, journalist Catherine Cranston has, for years, used the false name Eva Knott to write for the San Diego Reader, a local free magazine. The Readers editor and publisher did not respond to a request for comment but has confirmed to USA TODAY that Eva Knott is a pseudonym.

Under the Knott byline, Cranston recently co-wrote several stories about the San Diego case with Andy Ngo, who has made a name for himself as an antagonist of anti-fascists across the country. He is the editor-at-large of the Canadian conservative website the Post Millennial, for which he regularly writes stories that are highly critical of Antifa. Ngo and Knotts stories about the San Diego case, similarly, are critical of the defendants.

Hamasakis motion notes that Cranston filed paperwork with the San Diego court seeking permission to record and take photographs in hearings for the case. She filled out multiple court documents in the false name of Eva Knott, Hamasaki claims, which the court filing asserts is a felony under California state law.

Cranston then shared the photographs she took in court with Ngo, who published them on social media and on his website, the motion claims. As a result of this publicity, the defendants were subject to a campaign of harassment by right-wing extremists, the motion says.

John Donohue, a professor at Stanford Law School, said its doubtful Cranstons actions fell afoul of the law cited by Hamasaki. Cranston would have to be filing the documents with improper intent, Donohue said.

If she regularly writes using that pen name, one imagines that she could make an argument that she was using an official name, Donohue said. In the same way that maybe a movie star might have a name that they're using in their movie performances.

Cranston did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement, Ngo wrote:

The San Diego Antifa conspiracy case you contacted me about involves suspects who have already pleaded guilty to planning and carrying out extreme acts of violence on the public, something they'd likely wish on my colleague and me for reporting about their crimes.

(As USA TODAY reported last year, the victims attacked by the anti-fascist activists include people identified by activists as white supremacist agitators notorious for spurring fights in neighborhoods where they're not welcome. At least one has a criminal record and has long been involved with neo-Nazi groups.)

A USA TODAY reporter asked Cranston about the name outside a court hearing for the case last year. Asked if Eva was her real name, Cranston stated Yes, didnt you see my press pass?

My name is Eva Knott, she continued.

Knotts press pass was revoked by the San Diego Police Department in October. (While a press pass is not required in California to attend court hearings, it can be helpful to access areas from which the public have been prohibited.)

The San Diego Sheriffs Department, which has jurisdiction over crimes committed in San Diego Superior Court, did not respond to a request for comment asking whether Cranston is being investigated for her alleged misrepresentations.

In a recent hearing for the Antifa case, Cranston was asked by the bailiff to leave the front row of the court, where media usually sits. It is unclear whether she will be allowed to continue to attend the hearings.

Defendant seeks to dismiss case

Hamasaki said he will move to have the case against his client dismissed because, he says, it is based upon inaccurate and misleading testimony from the prosecutions main expert witness, who testified during the grand jury that indicted the San Diego 11 last year.

Dawn Perlmutter, who bills herself as an expert in investigating religious terrorism and symbology, as USA TODAY reported last year, has a history of writing screeds against Antifa and Black Lives Matter protesters in right wing publications.

Hamasaki said he will argue Perlmutter provided the grand jury with incompetent and irrelevant evidence that tainted the grand jury proceedings to such an extent that the Indictment was obtained in violation of his clients constitutional rights.

An argument against the main witness will be, in essence, a microcosm of the case itself.

Hamasakis argument is that Perlmutters definition of Antifa, as described to the grand jury, is inaccurate, biased and not borne out by facts. Her description of the movement was so far out of sync with the reality of what Antifa is, Hamasaki argues, that it unfairly tainted the grand jurys decision to indict his client.

In a separate case, a Pennsylvania court issued an injunction against Perlmutter for claims that had already led her to be dubbed a vexatious litigant. The injunction stems from civil lawsuits that Perlmutter filed, unsuccessfully, for more than a decade, in seven different lawsuits filed in federal and state courts, according to court records.

Perlmutter did not respond to a call for comment.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: San Diego Antifa trial tests legal theory, examines right-wing media
The Senate on Thursday, in a procedural move, cleared the way for a final vote on repealing decades-old war powers measures that authorized two wars with Iraq -- first under former President George H. W. Bush in the Gulf War, and then by his son, former President George W. Bush -- with supporters fearing that the outdated authorizations could be misused by a future president.

In a strong bipartisan showing, the Senate voted 67-27 in a test vote to repeal the authorizations.

It's now all but certain to pass the Senate in a final vote next week, but it's less clear is how a Republican-controlled House will handle the legislation.

Noting that the U.S. and Iraq are now security partners in the region, lead co-sponsor Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia argued on Wednesday that it is long past time for Congress to reassert its constitutional authority to declare war, saying, "After 20 years, it's time to repeal this and show again that Congress can exercise that Article I muscle," referencing the war declaration powers spelled out in the Constitution.

Kaine, whose son is a Marine infantry officer, recalled being angered by what he called a rush to war in Iraq ahead of the 2002 midterm elections, when he was a lieutenant governor, and then later fought to get on the Senate Armed Services Committee and Foreign Relations Committee to repeal the two Iraq "AUMFs" -- or authorizations for the use of military force.

PHOTO: Sen. Tim Kaine joins the Senate Democratic leadership to speak to reporters about ending the 2001 authorization for use of military force enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, at the Capitol in Washington, March 15, 2023. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

MORE: Senate panel votes to scrap both Iraq war authorizations

"Americans are tired of endless wars," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, Wednesday ahead of the debate.

He argued much the same Thursday, saying, "The nation of Iraq has changed dramatically since 2002, and it's time the laws on the books catch up with the changes. The Iraq war has itself been long over. This AUMF has outlived its purpose and we can no longer justify keeping it in effect."

Shortly before the Senate was set to vote, the White House weighed in with President Joe Biden's support.

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"President Biden remains committed to working with the Congress to ensure that outdated authorizations for the use of military force are replaced with a narrow and specific framework more appropriate to protecting Americans from modern terrorist threats," it said in a statement.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week voted 13-8 to repeal both the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMF).

Schumer has confirmed that there will be votes on amendments next week before final passage. Kaine said he thought it likely that those would include the two GOP amendments rejected by the committee.

PHOTO: Over 1,000 US Marines from Fort Bragg disembark from a Lockheed C-5 Galaxy transport plane at Dhahran air base in Saudi Arabia, August 21, 1990. (Gerard Fouet/AFP via Getty Images, FILE)

MORE: 10 Years After the Iraq Invasion

One -- by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas -- is at the core of GOP opposition to repeal. Some Republicans have argued that repealing the laws might risk sending a dangerous message in an ever volatile part of the world, particularly with regard to Iran. The top Republican on the committee -- Jim Risch of Idaho -- has repeatedly maintained that repealing the measures would send a message to Iran that the U.S. lacks resolve.

The Cruz amendment would affirm that the U.S. has the authority to attack Iran, though the committee last week rejected that measure 13-8.

GOP Sen. Todd Young, a lead sponsor of the repeal effort with Kaine and a Navy and Marine Corps veteran, argued that while he, too, shares his colleagues' concerns about Iran, a future administration should come to Congress and seek a specific approval for military action.

"I believe that the threat from Iran is so significant and so different from the wars since 9/11 or Saddam Hussain's Iraq, that we must pass a new AUMF should the situation require it," Young contended when the bill was first introduced. "Those advocating for leaving the 2002 AUMF in place as a means of deterring Iran, when that was in no way the intention of this authorization, would be building on past abuses and advocating for precisely the kind of expansion of war power authorities that ultimately makes Congress and this committee irrelevant."

And the chairman of the panel, Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, contended Wednesday that any future administration still has authority to go after ISIS and other Iranian backed groups through the still-viable 2001 AUMF that Congress approved for the war in Afghanistan and to go after al-Qaeda - the perpetrators of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, as well as to pursue the Taliban, ISIS, and affiliated terror groups.

"This will have no impact on defending against any Iranian threat. The president already has the authority under the '01 AUMF and the constitution for military operations against ISIS or Iranian backed groups that threaten US personnel," Menendez said Wednesday.

The second GOP-sponsored amendment would have repealed that 2001 use-of-force authorization but was roundly rejected by all committee members but its sponsor, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

The Biden administration said back in 2021 when the House first voted to repeal the 2002 authorization that it supported the effort.

"The administration supports the repeal of the 2002 AUMF, as the United States has no ongoing military activities that rely solely on the 2002 AUMF as a domestic legal basis, and repeal of the 2002 AUMF would likely have minimal impact on current military operations," the administration said in a statement of administration policy.

The repeal effort's fate in the now GOP-controlled House, though, is unclear, despite its sponsors spanning the political spectrum from the far right via Chip Roy of Texas to moderate Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.

One senator, a veteran of the Iraq War herself, made a passionate case for repeal Wednesday.

"The documents set the legal framework for military action that are supposed to define the mission for the Americans who are going downrange, but lately, too many in these halls of power in Washington have shrugged off that duty, hiding behind this outrageously outdated document. They've been scared of the political risks that come with bringing these wars back into the spotlight. They've been staring down election days," said double amputee Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.

"Congress has shirked responsibility to our troops. For more than 20 years since passing these AUMF's those in power have stretched and skewed their original intent. They've left our troops without a clearly defined mission," she said.

ABC News' Allison Pecorin and Justin Gomez contributed to this report.

Decades later, Senate on track to repeal authorizations for Iraq wars originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Rick Allen had lost one of his arms after a car crash in December 1984 (Getty Images)

Def Leppards drummer Rick Allen was attacked outside a Fort Lauderdale hotel in Florida this week.

The 59-year-old drummer was reportedly smoking a cigarette near the valet at the Four Seasons Hotel And Residences, Fort Lauderdale, when a 19-year-old male suspect ran toward the musician and knocked him over.

The attack caused Allen to fall and hit his head on the ground, causing injury, according to the police.

The Independent has contacted Allens representatives for comment.

The person who allegedly hit Allen has been identified as Max Hartley. He is also said to have allegedly attacked a woman who came to help the drummer when he fell down.

According to Fox News, Hartley struck the woman before she attempted to run back to the hotel.

He was later arrested by the police in the parking lot of a neighbouring hotel, the Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach Hilton.

According to the authorities, he was found by Conrad hotel staff in the parking garage allegedly damaging vehicles.

(Getty Images)

The attacker was charged with one count of abusing an elderly or disabled person without great harm.

Allen also gave a statement to the police and said he would like Hartley to be punished.

The authorities released tapes of the 911 calls that led to Hartleys arrest, reported Fox News.

Apparently a guest, some guy assaulted her and was actually beating her up in front of the front of our building, a woman from the Four Seasons told the police.

Another caller, who spotted Hartley breaking into his restaurant near the Four Seasons hotel, said: Send the police here right now Im sitting on a f****** suspect.

I was sitting out front. This guy, I caught him throwing chairs inside our establishment and then he ran, another man on the same call explained.

I have an individual who has been running around breaking windows and has beat up a couple of guests at the Four Seasons, as well, said one caller from the Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach Hilton.

Allen had lost one of his arms after a car crash on the A57 near Sheffield in December 1984. In November last year, the drummer told Page Six that he had to re-teach himself how to play drums.
A Ukrainian soldier launches a drone in the area of the heaviest battles with Russian invaders in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 15, 2023. | Roman Chop, Associated Press

Over one year into the war in Ukraine, top Republican presidential contenders answered questions from Fox News on how they would handle the conflict if elected to the White House in 2024.

Fox anchor Tucker Carlson, who is opposed to Americas involvement in the war, posed questions on the war to both declared and potential candidates. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is typically tight lipped when asked whether he will run for president, but his willingness to answer Carlsons request is the latest signal the Sunshine State governor is planning on running.

Below are summaries of their responses. The GOP presidential hopefuls full statements can be viewed here.

Former President Donald Trump

Donald Trump, the former president and first to declare a 2024 presidential campaign, said he does not view the Ukraine war as vital to Americas national strategic interest, and said Americas objective should be to secure Europe, but only if European leaders do more to help themselves.

Trump blames Bidens handling of Americas pullout from Afghanistan for incentivizing Russia to invade. Looking to the future, he says European countries must pay at least equal to what the U.S. is paying to help Ukraine. He called for peace negotiations, which he said, can be easily done if conducted by the right President.

Gov. Ron DeSantis

DeSantis called the war in Ukraine a territorial dispute between Ukraine and Russia and said he does not believe it is a vital national interest for the U.S. He accused the Biden administration of supporting Ukraine with a virtual blank check without any defined objective or accountability.

The governor, who is a Navy veteran, said peace should be the objective, and that pursuing a regime change in Russia would greatly increase the stakes of the conflict, making the use of nuclear weapons more likely. He accused Bidens actions for driving Russia and China closer together.

He ends his comments by saying American leaders should prioritize securing the nations southern border before intervening in an escalating foreign war.

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Related

Former Vice President Mike Pence

Former Vice President Mike Pence also hasnt announced a campaign yet, but he is holding town halls in early presidential primary states Iowa and New Hampshire. He released a memoir late last year and has said he is considering a presidential run.

In his answer, Pence evoked President Ronald Reagan, saying, we support those who fight our enemies on their shores, so we will not have to fight them ourselves. He said the Republican Party cannot caucus with Putin apologists, referencing Russian President Vladimir Putin, and said if Russia is not stopped in Ukraine he believes Russias army will inevitably move toward our NATO allies, and America would then be called upon to send our own.

Pence referenced China in his responses. (B)y supporting Ukraine, we have told China we will support Taiwan, he said, and, Russia is currently being propped up by China.

Other candidates and GOP leaders

Carlson asked declared candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, a regular Fox News contributor and biotech entrepreneur, for his answers to the Ukrainian-Russia war. Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also submitted answers at Carlsons invitation.

Ramaswamy said the war is not vital to American national strategic interests, while Noem and Abbott identified China and other domestic issues as more pressing. Scott also spoke about China as part of a nuanced answer.

While Christie said, Russias aggression against Ukraine is a national security issue that threatens our alliances and our standing in the world.

Carlson said he reached out to other GOP presidential hopefuls, but did not receive responses from several, including former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who announced her presidential campaign last month, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former ambassador John Bolton and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu.
Avelo Airlines will soon be landing at the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport.

Avelo Airlines announced Wednesday that the carrier will begin service between Rochester and the Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina in mid-June.

Service between the two airports will begin June 14 and Avelo will operate the route to Raleigh-Durham twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays.

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said Avelo will bring the first nonstop service in two decades to North Carolina's Research Triangle.

"Rochester, say hello to Avelo," said Avelo Airlines Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy. "We believe Avelos combination of everyday low fares, industry-leading reliability and friendly service, coupled with ROCs time-saving convenience, will inspire people from across the region to enjoy everything the Raleigh-Durham region has to offer.

Airport Director Andy Moore said he thought the airline and its destination in North Carolina is a "good fit" for Rochester.

Moore said he has been working with Avelo for more than a year to secure the service and is excited to welcome the low cost airline carrier to Rochester since it will offer more options and a new destination for passengers. Moore said he is already speaking with Avelo regarding possibly adding routes between Rochester and additional destinations.

The airline is offering a introductory one-way fares between Rochester and Raligh-Durham, starting at $39. Customers can make reservations at AveloAir.com.

The announcement came just days after Frontier Airlines announced it will be suspending service as of May 9. Moore said the two changes were not related, and that the timing was a coincidence.

What is Avelo Airlines?

Avelo Airlines will begin service in Rochester in mid-June.

Founded in April 2021, Avelo has flown more than 1.8 million Customers on more than 15,000 flights, according to the company.

The Houston-based discount airline carrier prides itself on "convenient, affordable and reliable air travel."

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Avelo flies to more than 40 locations in the continental United States. Rochester is the second New York airport Avelo will service. Already, Avelo flies nonstop routes between Binghamton and Orlando.

#HelloAvelo We have exciting news! @AveloAir is coming to ROC!



On June 14, Avelo will begin nonstop service from ROC to Raleigh/Durham, NC (RDU)! Introductory one-way fares start at $39*!



 Learn more & book at https://t.co/EENC2Xe6YF! #FlyROC #ROCairport #Avelo pic.twitter.com/QvAzsy17Xx  ROC Airport (@ROCAirport) March 15, 2023

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Avelo Airlines to begin service between Rochester NY and Raleigh-Durham
Senator Elizabeth Warren slammed a 2018 piece of legislation that deregulated the financial industry as contributing to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.

The Massachusetts Democrat and longtime critic of the financial industry made the remarks during a Senate Finance Committee hearing with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Specifically, Sen Warren cited a 2018 piece of legislation that former president Donald Trump signed called the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act and said it led to the Federal Reserves actions and to the collapse of the bank.

Over the weekend, Ms Yellen, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Chairman Martin Gruenberg announced it would protect the money of depositors who banked with the California bank.

Sen Warren noted how the law weakened aspects of the 2010 Dodd-Frank law that passed after the 2008 financial crisis, specifically, enhanced liquidity requirements that ensured that banks had enough money to meet their obligations in times of stress; requirements for banks to hold a certain amount of capital so they could absord losses; and that they had regular resolution plans to help financial regulators safely wind banks down in times of crisis.

All of these were weakened in 2018, and when SVB failed, this is a part in my view of the Feds actions that led to weaker regulation, he said. Sen Warren said that many Republicans have sought to blame regulators for being asleep at the wheel.

Believe me, I have questions for a lot of the banking regulators, she said. But Congress handed chair Powell the flame thrower that he aimed at the banking rules.

Sen Warren quoted a line from when Mr Powell implemented the regulations saying the Federal Reserve was using the discretion Congress gave them.

Translation, Congress opened the door to weaker, weaker regulations and I'm waltzing right through it, Sen Warren said. Thats true. Congress needs to close that door.
Editor's Note: This story has been changed to reflect the correct name of the business that is considering opening a marijuana facility in Swansea.

SWANSEA  A Special Town Meeting next week will decide whether to change zoning laws in order to green light a marijuana facility thats looking to open in town.

The Board of Selectmen have called a Special Town Meeting for Thursday, March 23, to vote on a single article: whether to create a Marijuana Establishments Overlay District for two parcels of land on the Grand Army of the Republic Highway.

According to the Cannabis Control Commission, Northeastcann Inc. has applied for a license to operate a site at GAR Highway. The new dispensary would be at 610 Grand Army of the Republic Highway at the former site of a Suzuki Triumph dealership. It would join a handful of similar businesses in Greater Fall River and Solar Cannabis Co. on Brayton Point Road in Somerset.

The overlay district would not change the current zoning restrictions on the district, except to allow for marijuana establishments. As defined under Massachusetts law, a marijuana establishment could involve several different kinds of businesses including cultivation, manufacturing or retail establishments.

Northeastcann Inc. is looking to site a marijuana business on the GAR Highway property where a former Triumph dealership was located.

The Special Town Meeting is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, at Joseph Case High School, 70 School St.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Northeast Alternatives eyes site in Swansea on Special Town Meeting
The mother of Irvo Otieno, a man who died while in custody at a state hospital, spoke about her son's "inhumane" death at a news conference on Thursday after viewing surveillance video of the incident. The conference was held on the same day it was announced three employees of the hospital had been arrested in relation to Otieno's death.

Otieno, 28, was being transported from the Henrico County jail to the psychiatric facility by Henrico County Sheriff's Office deputies on March 6 when, investigators were told, he became combative during the admission process. Otieno was restrained and died during the intake process, Virginia State Police officers were initially told when they arrived to investigate Otieno's death.

But the surveillance video tells a different story, his family said Thursday after viewing the video with attorneys Benjamin Crump and Mark Krudys. "My son was tortured," Otieno's mother, Caroline Ouko, said, adding that the deputies were on top of Otieno until "he took his last breath."

Irvo Otieno, 28, with his mother and brother. Ten people have been charged with second-degree murder in connection with his death while in custody. / Credit: Ben Crump Law

His family said that Otieno struggled with mental health issues, but he had a "big heart" and was a "great listener."

"Irvo is as American as apple pie," said his mother, who shared the family's journey of moving from Kenya to the United States when Otieno was four-years-old. He attended Freeman High School and then attended college in California, and was an aspiring hip-hop artist, his family said.

"Mental illness should not be your ticket to death," Ouko said.

The video, which has not been released publicly, is a central piece of evidence in the case that has seen arrests of 10 people in connection with Otieno's death.

"A key element of that evidence is the surveillance video from Central State Hospital that captures the intake process," said Dinwiddie County Commonwealth's Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill said Thursday in a statement.

Baskerville also announced that three Central State Hospital employees were arrested Thursday and facing charges of second-degree murder. Darian M. Blackwell, 23, of Petersburg, Wavie L. Jones, 34, of Chesterfield, and Sadarius D. Williams, 27, of North Dinwiddie were being held in Meherrin River Regional Jail in Brunswick County without bond, jail records show.

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Seven Henrico County deputies were arrested and charged with second-degree murder on Tuesday, court records showed.

The Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) preliminary report identifies asphyxiation as a cause of death, the statement said. A Dinwiddie County grand jury will meet next week for a final determination of charges, the statement said.

Fed to make interest rate decision amid banking turmoil

10 charged with murder in Irvo Otieno's death

Strike shuts down Los Angeles schools
The FBI is offering an up to $20,000 reward for information that leads to the rescue of an American woman who was kidnapped in Mexico last month.

The FBIs Los Angeles field office said in a statement on Thursday that it is offering the reward as part of its search for Maria del Carmen Lopez, a 63-year-old U.S. woman who was kidnapped from her residence in Pueblo Nuevo, Colima, in Mexico on Feb. 9.

Lopez is a Hispanic woman with blonde hair and blue eyes who is 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighed about 160 pounds when she was last seen, according to the statement.

The office said anyone with information about Lopezs location should contact their local FBI field office or the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate. The FBI is working with law enforcement in Mexico on the investigation into Lopezs whereabouts.

CBS reported that Lopez is a mother to seven children, and several of them live in Southern California.

Zonia, one of Lopezs daughters, said no threats were ever made against her mother and she had no enemies.

A cousin of Lopezs children said they saw a group of up to five people at Lopezs house when she disappeared, CBS reported.

Zonia said a car drove onto her mothers property, an exchange of words happened and the cousin heard Lopez say she would not get into a car. She said the people who picked Lopez up had their heads covered, and they covered her mouth.

CBS reported that Lopezs children believe what happened was a crime of opportunity, while Zonia said she does not believe it was an isolated incident.

The announcement of the reward comes after four Americans were kidnapped at gun point allegedly by members of a Mexican drug cartel just after they crossed into Matamoros, Tamaulipas, in Mexico earlier this month. Two of them were killed, while the other two were rescued.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
After approving an ordinance legalizing the recreational use and sale of marijuana, the Gaylord City Council will decide how to spend $311,000 received from the state's 10% adult-use marijuana excise tax for 2022.

GAYLORD  The ordinance legalizing the recreational use and sale of marijuana is now two years old and the city is beginning to reap the financial benefits.

Michigan communities that allow recreational marijuana sales will share $59.5 million in tax revenue for the 2022 fiscal year, according to the Michigan Department of Treasury. The 224 municipalities and counties that have recreational marijuana dispensaries or microbusinesses will split a piece of the revenue collected from the 10 percent adult-use marijuana excise tax, with each receiving about $52,000 for every licensed retail store and microbusiness.

Gaylord City Manager Kim Awrey said the city will receive $311,000 for the six retail outlets that were in operation as of Sept. 30, 2022. Otsego County also received $311,000 from the cannabis tax.

More:As one year anniversary passes, Gaylord's marijuana economy is thriving

There are three to four marijuana businesses that could come into operation in the city by next Sept. 30, meaning both the city and the county may receive over $500,000 each next year if the payout remains at $52,000 per outlet.

In addition to the jobs the marijuana businesses have created, Gaylord Councilman Alan Witt noted the buildings that have been renovated.

"I would say (the ordinance) is very successful and really it's been a blessing for the city," Witt said. "Look at what it has done for revitalizing decaying buildings. People have come in and spent money renovating buildings that has made our community look better."

Erik Varga and Michelle Willes inside the Green Arrow marijuana outlet on Main Street in Gaylord. The store is the third retail dispensary to open in the city since the council approved an ordinance legalizing the recreational use of the drug in 2021.

Otsego County had dedicated its $311,000 to the operation of the 911 emergency communication system. Now the city council has the pleasant task of deciding how to spend its tax revenue, which comes with no strings attached.

"It goes right into our general fund so it doesn't have to be earmarked for anything specific," Awrey said. "We collect about a five mill property tax assessment for our police services. I would like to see that reduced."

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Gaylord will spend about $2 million on police this year and the property tax assessment raises about $850,000. Council has the option of designating all or part of the pot tax revenue toward police operations.

Employees of Dunegrass in front of a mural that is located in the area next to the store on South Otsego Avenue in Gaylord.

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Awrey said the proposed elk viewing park could be another project that the revenue funds.

"We have the property on the corner of Elkview and Commerce that we want to develop into a year round elk-viewing platform," noted Awrey.

Awrey said the city has also been applying for grants to make the proposed park accessible for those with disabilities, build restrooms, parking and paths that connect to nearby Aspen Park.

"We could put the money into parks and maybe renovate some facilities," said Witt. "Really we can put toward anything we need to take care of as a city."

 Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Gaylord will now reap financial benefits from marijuana businesses
(Polizei Siegen-Wittgenstein)

A 12-year-old girl stabbed to death in Germany was reportedly killed for telling a school teacher she was being bullied.

The victim, known only by her first name Luise due to privacy reasons, was found stabbed to death on Sunday in a forest near the town of Freudenberg in western Germany, in a case that has shocked the country.

Two girls, aged 12 and 13, were taken into custody over the killing and have reportedly pleaded guilty to killing her.

According to German newspaper Bild, Luise was killed in an act of revenge, after she confided in adults that the two girls had been bullying her for months.

German police searching woodland where Luise was found dead (REUTERS)

The children are said to have confessed to stabbing Luise, according to German news outlet Welt.

Because of their ages, they are not subject to criminal law which in Germany only takes effect for minors from the age of 14.

They were therefore not arrested but were instead taken into custody of a youth welfare office.

Luise was reported missing by her parents on Saturday after she failed to return home from visiting a friend.

She was later found dead in a forest near a former railway station following a massive police search.

Prosecutor Mario Mannweiler told reporters that we must assume that the crime was committed by two children from the (victims) circle of acquaintances.

Flowers and candles at the scene (AP)

The two suspects, who are 12 and 13 years old, confessed to the killing, police officer Florian Locker said.

Police said Luise had several stab wounds and died of blood loss.

The governor of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Freudenberg is located, said he was appalled by the killing.

North Rhine-Westphalia is grieving, Hendrik Wuest said. It is incomprehensible and unbearable that children are capable of such horrible acts.

He promised that the authorities would do everything in their power to shed light on the reasons and circumstances of the crime.
A Minnesota Republican said he opposed a bill to guarantee meals for all students because he had "yet to meet a person in Minnesota who is hungry."

State Sen. Steve Drazkowski made the comments Tuesday as he argued against HF 5, a proposal to dedicate roughly $400 million of taxpayer money to feeding the state's children.

Drazkowski, elected to the state Senate last year, pushed to use the money instead to boost proficiency levels in reading and math.

"Hunger is a relative term," he added. "I had a cereal bar for breakfast. I guess I'm hungry now."

The bill's author, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Sen. Heather Gustafson, said that in fact, nearly 275,000 Minnesota K-12 students are on free and reduced meals. Roughly one in six are "food insecure," meaning they don't know when their next meal will be available, she added, citing state figures.

MORE: Video Americas growing hunger crisis

"I'm a mom. I have four kids. There are a lot of years that we couldn't afford much. I would have appreciated a policy like that," she said.

"Being hungry makes learning almost impossible," she added.

PHOTO: Rep. Steve Drazkowski speaks during a news conference, July 23, 2019 St. Paul, Minn. (Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP, FILE)

MORE: Families brace for possible end of universal free school meals

Drazkowski framed the bill as a form of "socialism" that would open the door to an array of expenses he deemed unnecessary.

"[Students] will be coming to buy their socks, buy their pants, buy their shirts, their hats, maybe their winter clothing. Who knows what's next?" he said.

"We should be using this nearly half a billion dollars of the taxpayers' money to make sure we have reading proficiency happening in our schools again, math proficiency happening, science proficiency happening, and that the kids are learning," he said. "That is what our schools are for. That is what parents pay tax money for. That is what our constitution provides them: to teach them, not to feed them."

Gustafson argued that the proposed increase accounts for "less than one percent of the state's education budget."

Citing her own experience working in classrooms, she said, "As a teacher, I've had countless students come into my classroom. They're looking for food, not just for themselves but for their siblings as well."

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The bill passed the state senate by a vote of 38-26.

Drazkowski's office did not immediately return requests from ABC News for comment.

Gov. Tim Walz said he would sign the legislation into law.

"As a former teacher, I know firsthand that kids cant learn on an empty stomach. When universal school meals reaches my desk  a historic, bipartisan bill  Ill be proud to sign it into law," Walz tweeted.

GOP state senator says he's never met a hungry person in Minnesota originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
In a move that puts Mississippi in line with the rest of the country, Gov. Tate Reeves signed into law Thursday legislation to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage from 60 days to 12 months.

Mississippi had been the last state in the country to neither expand Medicaid under the affordable care act nor extend postpartum coverage. Coverage was extended on the federal level as part of a COVID-19 response law, but that was set to expire next month.

"Today in Mississippi, we have turned our attention to furthering our new pro-life agenda, and delivering the support moms and babies need. As Ive said before, our new pro-life agenda will not be easy, and it will not be free. And theres little doubt that were going to face some difficult choices along the way. But if theres one thing we should all agree on, its that we must do everything in our power to lower barriers for expectant moms to bring new babies into the world and to choose life," Reeves said in a statement.

The moment comes as a victory for a Mississippi Senate that had repeatedly passed bills to extend coverage in recent years, an effort led by Sen. Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven, and Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and endorsed by a number of medical leaders in the state.

The bill reached the House floor for the first time this year, and it passed despite a no-vote from Speaker Philip Gunn. Reeves' endorsement of extension, a change that he credited to the overturn of Roe v. Wade, played a significant role in it passing the House. Gunn and House Medicaid committee chair Joey Hood, R-Ackerman, had said they would not bring it to a vote until the state division of Medicaid endorsed extension and assured them that it was not the same as expansion. Division of Medicaid Executive Director Drew Snyder sent them such a letter shortly after Reeves' pledge to sign the bill.

Gov. Tate Reeves signs a bill into law in Jackson on Tuesday, Feb. 28.

Reeves addressed his longtime opposition to Medicaid expansion, as allowed under the Affordable Care Act, in his statement Thursday.

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"Ive been against Medicaid expansion since it was first proposed by Barack Obama. I still am. And, as what many would call the leading advocate (along with Speaker Gunn) fighting against Obamacare expansion, I have plenty of scars to show for it," Reeves said. "In 2019, the media and politicians loved to attack me for saying we dont need to put hundreds of thousands more Mississippians on Medicaid. Theyll do it again this election year. Thats usually proof that youre on the right track. Theyll still find a way to attack me for this, because they hate conservatives."

Medicaid policy is likely to play a significant role in the upcoming elections. Reeves' Democratic opponent, Brandon Presley, had long supported extension, and has made the promise to fully expand eligibility to 133% of the poverty level a key part of his campaign.

In the race for lieutenant governor, Hosemann faces a primary challenge from state Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville. McDaniel voted against the extension bill on the Senate floor.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MS governor signs law to extend Medicaid coverage for new moms
Montana recently became the first state to pass a bill banning TikTok. It is unclear if the governor will sign it into law. Rafael Henrique/Getty Images

Montana on Friday became the first state in the US to approve a bill banning the social media app TikTok.

A growing number of countries are partially or totally banning the app over security concerns.

The US is threatening TikTok's Chinese parent company with a ban if it doesn't sell to another company.

A growing number of countries are placing partial or total bans on TikTok amid data security concerns, citing fears that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, could be forced into giving user data to the Chinese government, or be pressured into amplifying or suppressing certain topics based on China's interests.

The US recently threatened the app with a potential nationwide ban if its Chinese owners don't sell their ownership stake, but TikTok has said forcing a change in ownership would not address national security concerns. Montana lawmakers on Friday approved a bill that would ban the app from being downloaded in the state, and potentially fine companies like Google, Apple, and TikTok itself if it remains available on an app store.

"If protecting national security is the objective, divestment doesn't solve the problem: A change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access," a TikTok spokesperson previously told Insider. "The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, U.S.-based protection of U.S. user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification, which we are already implementing."

Here's a running list of countries with a partial or total ban on TikTok:

United States

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on Covid-19 on March 30, 2022. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

President Joe Biden's administration has supported bills introduced in Congress that would give the president greater authority to ban apps like TikTok.

This week, Montana became the first state where lawmakers approved a bill banning the app. The state's Senate approved it in March, and on Friday, it passed the Montana House of Representatives by a vote of 54-43. TikTok already has pledged to challenge it if it's enacted into law, and has called the bill "censorship" and a violation of the First Amendment.

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Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has not said whether he will sign the bill into law, but did ban the app on government-issued devices last year, according to the Wall Street Journal.

A bill that would forbid the app on all government-issued devices passed the Senate in December, and over two dozen US states including Ohio and New Jersey have banned it on state government devices. Several universities also prohibited TikTok from being used on campus wireless networks.

Former President Donald Trump threatened to ban the app several times, but that was never upheld by courts, and the executive orders against TikTok and other apps were revoked by Biden in the early months of his presidency.

Australia

James D. Morgan/Getty Images

Australia has become the latest country to ban TikTok from federal government devices. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the ban will take effect "as soon as practicable" and that exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.

With the addition of Australia, all of countries in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance  the US, Canada, Britain, New Zealand, and Australia  have taken action against TikTok.

The larger ban follows several department-specific bans that were enacted earlier this year, as the departments of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water, and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, as well as the departments of Defence, and Home Affairs banned the app, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

France

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Antoine Antoniol/Getty Images

France recently announced a ban on "recreational applications" like TikTok from being installed on government devices, citing security concerns.

"Indeed, recreational applications do not have the levels of cybersecurity and protection of sufficient data to be deployed on administrative equipment," a translation of the statement reads.

The French Minister for Transformation and Public Administration, Stanislas Guerini, told The Associated Press the ban includes more than just TikTok, and extends to other social media including Twitter and Instagram, as well as video games like Candy Crush and dating apps.

The ban will have exceptions upon request if a government employee needs to use one of the apps for professional reasons, like Guerini himself announcing the decision on Twitter.

The Netherlands

Amsterdam, Netherlands. Karl Hendon/Getty Images

The Dutch government said in a recent statement that government employees are "immediately advised against" having apps like TikTok on work devices.

While TikTok is not directly named, the statement said there is an increased risk of espionage when using apps from countries that have an "offensive cyber program against the Netherlands and/or Dutch interests."

"Recent parliamentary questions and international developments have led us to make a careful assessment that goes further than advising against one application," Minister for Digitalization Alexandra van Huffelen said.

The government said it is working toward a system where only pre-approved apps can be installed on government devices.

New Zealand

New Zealand, whose flag is pictured here, announced a ban of TikTok on government devices. Lynn Grieveson/Getty Images

New Zealand officials have prohibited TikTok from being installed on government phones, according to The Associated Press. However, New Zealand's ban is smaller in scope than those introduced by other countries, as it will only affect about 500 devices, per the AP.

The app will be removed from all devices connected to the parliamentary wireless network, and officials said they made the decision based on advice from the country's cybersecurity experts.

"This decision has been made based on our own experts' analysis and following discussion with our colleagues across government and internationally," Parliamentary Service Chief Executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said, according to the AP. "Based on this information, the service has determined that the risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand parliamentary environment."

India

The iconic Taj Mahal Pawan Sharma/AFP via Getty Images

India had a ban in place for years, originally introduced in 2020, and made permanent in January 2021, Insider previously reported.

The ban came after a dispute between India and China led to the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers in June 2020 in the Himalayas, the Post reported. India placed bans on dozens of Chinese-owned apps, including TikTok, in the weeks following the incident.

Forbes estimated at the time that the ban could cost TikTok about $6 billion if it permanently lost access to India's population. Analysts have told Insider's Grace Kay that a US ban would likely have the same effects it did in India, and competitors like Snapchat, Instagram, and YouTube would see boosts in usage.

United Kingdom

Houses of Parliament and Big Ben in London. Niklas Halle'n/AFP via Getty Images

The British government also announced a government device ban on TikTok, citing the vulnerability of sensitive government data amid a wider review of apps.

"The security of sensitive government information must come first, so today we are banning this app on government devices," said Oliver Dowden, a senior cabinet minister. "The use of other data-extracting apps will be kept under review."

The ban came just weeks after representatives from the social media company met with European officials as part of an initiative nicknamed "Project Clover" to address the data security fears. TikTok said it is building data centers in Ireland and Norway to allow data from an estimated 150 million users in the region is stored locally, Insider previously reported.

Insider also reported on similar efforts by TikTok to ease concerns among the cybersecurity community as it recruited and hired security experts to handle its data.

Canada

Alberto Pezzali/Associated Press

Canada joined the group banning the app on government devices late last month, as the Canadian government said a review found it presented an "unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security," according to The Washington Post.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters at the time that Canada did not yet know if this would be just the first, or the last step the country would take against TikTok, Reuters reported.

Canada's Treasury Board said in a statement that the ban only impacts government devices, but it encouraged citizens to be aware of the government's security concerns before using social media and other apps on their own devices.

Taiwan

The Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum in Taiwan. SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images

Taiwan introduced a government device ban in December, and has been considering a larger ban on the app amid tensions with China over its stated independence, according to local reports cited by The Washington Post.

Officials in Taiwan have questioned the effectiveness of an outright national ban, as users could use technology like a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, commonly used to get around geographic restrictions and hide online activity, the Taipei Times reported.

European Union

Flags of the European Union. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

With multiple EU bodies citing security concerns, the EU banned TikTok from being installed on staff phones last month.

TikTok's director of public policy and government relations told Reuters at the time that it was not consulted about the EU's concern or a potential ban, and said it felt there was a "lack of due process" in the decision.

Some EU member states including Belgium and Denmark also banned the app from government phones, the Washington Post reported.

Afghanistan

Alain Pitton/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The Taliban announced an outright ban on the app, along with multiplayer video game PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, commonly referred to as PUBG, last year to "prevent the younger generation from being misled," according to the BBC.

Wired reported last month that several TikTok creators and influencers in the country saw their views dip, but then rise again after people began using VPNs and other measures to circumvent the ban.

Indonesia and Pakistan (rescinded bans)

Jakarta, Indonesia. Getty Images

Indonesia and Pakistan each banned TikTok for a small period before concerns were addressed, the Post reported.

Indonesia banned the app in July 2018 over potential "pornography, inappropriate content and blasphemy," but revoked the ban after just six days when the company agreed to censor some content, according to Reuters.

Pakistan has introduced multiple temporary bans over content the government deemed inappropriate. However, it did the same with Wikipedia for alleged "blasphemous" content. Some of those bans have lasted only a few hours, according to the Post.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Like all important trends, the best desserts eventually find their way to Miami. Churros. Pastelitos. Key lime pie. Bunuelos. Flan. Dulce de leche, which, quite frankly, could be served atop pretty much anything including a pile of kale, and few would complain.

Now, a hot new European dessert is making its debut in Kendall, the only place you can find it in Miami.

If you havent traveled to Eastern Europe for the past several years, you may not have heard of chimney cakes. There have been a few appearances in Miami, but they have been fleeting.

But in cities from Prague to Transylvania to Budapest, the popularity of the sweet dough covered in sugar and baked around a roller until crispy has grown so much that more than one country claims it as its own.

Max Goldstein, owner of the new Chimney Cake & Co. opening at the Dadeland Mall, said that several countries, including Hungary, Romania and the Czech Republic, claim to be the origin of the cake, though most sources give that honor to Hungary.

He sells them from his porch or his cart: Meet the Key lime pie guy of Coconut Grove

A baker sprinkles sugar on the dough of a chimney cake.

All three countries, he said, want the European Union to make chimney cakes their historical dessert, much in the same way France has a special designation and protection for Champagne. Sparkling wine cant be labeled Champagne unless it comes from a particular French region.

Each country has a legend surrounding the chimney cake, he says. Recipes are passed down from grandmas to grandkids. This dessert has been a tradition for a very long time.

We will leave the EU to figure out the provenance and tell you that the cakes are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside and coated in a sugar glaze, cinnamon or sea salt. They take on the flavor of whatever you might want to stuff into them (theyre called chimneys due to their cylindrical shape and hollow middle).

Chimney cakes after baking, awaiting their filling (which is usually sweet but can be savory).

At Chimney Cakes, which is located next to the Apple Store, you can create your own cone of wonder. If thats too intimidating, order off the menu, which offers a variety of flavors (chocolate, Nutella, raspberry, lemon, coffee among them), with or without ice cream and special toppings. They cost $9.25.

Story continues

Though the cakes are primarily a dessert or a snack to go with coffee  Chimney Cake & Co. has a full coffee bar, serving Viennese premium brand Julius Mienl  there are also three savory options for $9.95, one with ham and Gruyere cheese, another with cream cheese and salmon and a third thats a play on the Caprese salad with mozzarella and tomato.

We dont want to be just a dessert place, Goldstein says.

A sweet chimney cake ready to eat.

To that end, the business also added a panini press and makes sandwiches on the chimney cake bread ($11.25). Picture hot ham and cheese dripping over crispy dough, the sugar carmelizing into something magnificent.

Miami, Goldstein says, is the perfect place to appreciate the dessert, which improves with every cultural tweak (his Argentine family makes theirs with dulce de leche, he says).

Miami isnt just the dessert capital. Its the food fusion capital, he says. Thats something unique about Miami.

Chimney Cake & Co. offers three savory cakes, including a Caprese-style version and another with salmon and cream cheese.

Chimney Cake & Co.

Where: Dadeland Mall, 7535 North Kendall Drive, Miami

Opening: March 18; open daily

His gorgeous pastries made Miami swoon. Now he has opened an upscale French restaurant
U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Tim Kaine of Virginia are putting their weight behind an initiative to reduce illicit arms trafficking and strengthen security and stability in the Caribbean basin, where an uptick in guns and migration trafficking is endangering small island communities and raising national security concerns for the United States.

The proposed Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Authorization Act, which passed the House of Representatives last April, has found support from Rubio, a Republican, and Kaine, a Democrat, in the Senate. The two are sponsoring the bipartisan and bicameral legislation.

The bill would authorize appropriations of $74.8 million each year in foreign assistance. The funds would go to promoting the rule of law in the Caribbean; reducing trafficking in narcotics, weapons, bulk cash, and other contraband, and reducing corruption and the influence of authoritarian regimes such as China and Russia. Money also is to be used to counter malign influence from authoritarian regimes, including China, Iran, Cuba, and Russia, according to the bill.

The proposed legislation also says that money is to be used to strengthen the ability of beneficiary countries to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, and to increase regional coordination and collaboration between beneficiary countries and Haiti.

Rubio, in promoting the bill, specifically cited the destabilizing gang violence in Haiti, which he says demonstrates the serious threat that corruption and drug trafficking pose to Caribbean countries.

At a time in which our region faces enormous challenges and hardships, its important the United States government assist our democratic allies to counter drug trafficking, prevent gang-related violence, and conduct criminal investigations, Rubio said in a statement.

Kaine said promoting stability and cooperation in the Caribbean strengthens the United States own national security, and counters the Chinese Communist Partys growing influence in the Western Hemisphere.

Story continues

Making these resources available to help counter drug trafficking, corruption, and the destabilizing impacts of climate change is a common sense step, and I urge my colleagues to join us in working to make the Western Hemisphere safer and more prosperous for all, he said.

Through its Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, the United States already currently provides some assistance with security to nations such as Haiti where its training a new SWAT team and helping to strengthen the Haiti National Police. However, those efforts often fall short, as highlighted by a newly published Government Accountability Office report on the U.S. governments efforts to help Haiti rebuild after its devastating 2010 earthquake.

U.S. activities to help the Haiti National Police achieved mixed results, auditors found. One example they highlighted focused on drug-trafficking busts. The report said that counternarcotics agents only disrupted one significant drug trafficking organization in Haiti, falling short of the target of disrupting at least three such organizations by September 2018.

The HNP counternarcotics unit conducted one joint operation with the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration outside of Port-au-Prince during the activitys final year, which did not meet the target for the unit to organize and coordinate at least four large-scale operations annually, the report added.

The lack of cocaine seizures, in particular in Haiti, a major transshipment point for U.S.-bound cocaine from Colombia, has long raised concerns and questions about the role drug trafficking has played in the countrys ongoing chaos, which deepened after the July 7, 2021, assassination of its unpopular and controversial president, Jovenel Moise.

Caribbean governments want more U.S. assistance

Caribbean governments have long complained that given their proximity to the U.S., the country can do more to help them stem the tide of violence and rising crime. This has especially become an issue in light of Haitis ongoing collapse and an increasing wave of migrants from Haiti, Cuba and Venezuela coming to U.S. shores.

While a top tourism destination, the Caribbean has also become a top smuggling destination for U.S.-made guns. Since 2020, the region has accounted for half of all firearms-export investigations by the Commerce Departments Bureau of Industry and Security, which collaborates with other federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations.

Last week, the Seventh Coast Guard District and the State Department hosted Caribbean leaders and law enforcement representatives from The Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United Kingdom, along with federal partners, for a three-day summit in Miami to discuss regional security interests. During the inaugural Northern Caribbean Security Summit, participants agreed on the need for greater strategic coordination, training to achieve improved interoperability, and the sharing of intelligence information to counter transnational criminal organizations that traffic migrants, drugs, arms and money.

We are at a difficult geographical crossroads between many Caribbean nations suffering serious problems: Guns from the U.S., drugs from the region, significant irregular migration, the movement of criminals on fast boats all impact on us, Nigel Dakin, the British-appointed governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, told the Miami Herald.

And of course the collapse of Haiti is particularly troubling for a territory 100 nautical miles from it and with extended archipelago borders, he said. As a small island we are stronger together and thats why this conference was so important to us and why we are so very grateful to our allies  the U.S. and the Bahamas.

The British-dependent territory has been in an alliance with the U.S. Coast Guard and The Bahamas for some time to protect its maritime borders. As a result of the cooperation, a U.S. surveillance aircraft is currently based there with support from the United Kingdom and U.S. agents in the territory.

Given the collapse of Haiti, the extraordinary uptick in migrant boats leaving their shores, this is existential for [Turks and Caicos] and the result of this conference hugely important, Dakin told residents last week as he updated them on the countrys participation in the Miami summit.

Last year, the island saw itself leading international headlines as the number of murders doubled and the territory became the regions deadliest country per capita, with 35 homicides. When you have a small population, roughly 45,000 residents, a very small number of criminals can significantly influence this pro-rata number, Dakin said.

Many of the murders occurred over a two-month period and we moved rapidly and successfully to suppress that gang violence through a combination of reinforcing our Tactical Firearms Unit with police from The Bahamas, an excellent U.K.-mentored and TCI-owned intelligence operation coming on stream plus now significant reinforcement of our Investigative cadre by U.K. detectives, he said.

A gang leader in Turks and Caicos was shot dead by police while resisting arrest, another is in police custody and a number of their associates arrested or gone to ground. Since then matters are far calmer, the governor said.
Lanzarote is a popular holiday destination for Britons in the Canary Islands (Shutterstock / Amy Corti)

The head of British airline Jet2 has hit back at inflammatory and offensive comments made by Lanzarotes president about British tourists.

Dolores Corujo told trade conferences last week that the Canary island, a popular holiday destination for Britons off the coast of West Africa, wanted to attract more high quality tourists from mainland Europe, such as from Germany, the Netherlands and France, so it didnt have to depend on British travellers.

More than 50 per cent of visitors to the island currently come from the UK, and overcrowding is an existential threat to the volcanic island, she added.

The Socialist party head of Lanzarotes local government said: Its essential to work on the diversification of the [tourism] sector and the growth of markets like the German market.

Ms Corujo said the government wanted to draw holidaymakers who spend more money and move the Atlantic Ocean island away from mass tourism.

The local opposition party has condemned the plans, claiming it would drive up prices for locals and devastate the local economy.

Jet2 chief executive Steve Heapy said he wrote a letter to Ms Corujo to clear up just how much she wants to reduce British tourism.

He told Travel Weekly: We heard about what the minister had said at ITB in Berlin last week, so on Monday, I took the initiative and wrote to her, copying in all the hoteliers in Lanzarote.

As the largest UK tour operator to Lanzarote, I contacted her for clarification over her inflammatory and quite frankly offensive comments about British tourists, to ask her what she means and to what extent she wants to reduce British tourism.

Its left the hotelier community asking the same questions.

In his letter, Mr Heapy said Ms Corujos comments could have a detrimental effect on British tourists and asks for clarification over the term higher quality tourism.

The Tourist Federation of Lanzarote (FTL) echoed Heapys call for clarification, and distanced itself from the comments.

Story continues

Jet2 is the largest tour operator in the UK and has put 625,000 flight seats on sale to Lanzarote for this summer and next winter, Canarian Weekly reports.

The UK market is by far the largest to the island, with 1.3 million UK visitors in 2019 compared to 309,000 from Germany and 115,000 from France, according to Canarian Weekly.

The island, administed by Spain, is known for its volcanic landscape, picturesque beaches and year-round warm weather. Timanfaya National Park, stretching 51 kilometres across Lanzarote, is made up entirely of volcanic soil.

Lanzarote is the latest of several Spanish islands to express concern over large volumes of tourists.

Last month, the government of the Balearic Islands - which includes Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza - announced plans to cap tourist numbers. In 2022, more than 16 million holidaymakers visited the islands, Euronews reports.

Mallorca revealed that it would not allow more than three cruise ships a day to the islands capital of Palma across 2023 and 2024.
Former President Donald Trump. Scott Olson/Getty Images

A federal judge ordered Trump's lawyer to provide more grand jury testimony in the Mar-a-Lago case.

The DOJ is investigating whether Trump potentially mishandled classified documents.

The judge rejected Trump's lawyers claims of attorney-client privilege.

Former President Donald Trump's lawyer, Evan Corcoran, must provide more grand jury testimony about Trump's potential mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home, a federal judge ruled on Friday, according to several news reports.

Corcoran had previously claimed attorney-client privilege, or the right to keep communications confidential between him and Trump, when testifying before the grand jury in Washington, DC, earlier this year, refusing to answer some of the investigators' questions.

Federal prosecutors sought to bypass the privilege by invoking the crime-fraud exception, which is raised in situations when it's believed legal advice has been given in furtherance of a crime.

US District Judge Beryl Howell, in Friday's order, dismissed Corcoran's claims of attorney-client privilege, finding that federal prosecutors had met the threshold for the exception.

The ruling compels Corcoran to provide additional testimony before the grand jury investigating the classified documents case  one of at least four major ongoing criminal inquiries involving Trump.

US special counsel Jack Smith, overseeing the Mar-a-Lago probe, is also in charge of the Justice Department's investigation into Trump's interference in the 2020 election results and his role in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

Georgia's Fulton County is also investigating Trump and his allies' efforts to overturn the state's 2020 elections results.

Separately, the Manhattan district attorney's office is investigating Trump's connection to an alleged hush-money payment made during his 2016 campaign to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, a case in which potential charges against Trump could be near.

Read the original article on Business Insider
As the war between Russia and Ukraine blows past its one-year mark, the human costs of the fighting continue to pile up.

Beyond the loss of soldiers, the abuse of civilians caught in the middle of the war have stockpiled.

The United Nations (U.N.) said last month that at least 8,000 non-combatants had been killed in the war  a figure that it says is most likely significantly higher.

A new U.N. report released this week said both Russia and Ukraine had committed war crimes.

Here is what you need to know about the report:

Russia has widely used indiscriminate attacks and bombings

The independent international committee that submitted the report to the U.N. on the humanitarian crises in Ukraine found that the Russian military has consistently committed indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks on civilian populations.

According to international humanitarian law, indiscriminate attacks are ones that are not directed at a specific military objective or use methods that can not be used to target specific military sites.

The committee investigated what it says is just a fraction of the total number of attacks in the war but concluded Russia has struck military and civilian targets without distinction.

The circumstance of the attacks launched or likely launched by Russian armed forces that the Commission investigated has led it to determine that a majority of them were indiscriminate, the report said. In several attacks, the Commission found that Russian armed forces failed to take feasible precautions to verify whether civilians were present.

The attacks include an April 2022 assault on a train station in Kramatorsk, located in the eastern part of Ukraine, that killed 59 people and a June 2022 attack on a shopping mall in the central city of Kremenchuk that killed 21 people.

It is likely Ukraine has violated international humanitarian law

The report found that the Ukrainian military has likely used cluster munitions and anti-personnel landmines in Russian-controlled areas, leading to grave civilian injuries and deaths.

Story continues

International law bans all use of anti-personnel landmines.

The report said that it identified three instances where the military likely used cluster munitions in the city of Izium when it was under Russian control. The three explosions last summer, the report said, killed at least five people and injured others.

After considering the context of these incidents, notably that attacks struck an area during a period when it was controlled by Russian armed forces, the weapons systems used, the fact that the attacks were repeated, and have impacted civilians or civilian objects, the Commission found it likely that Ukrainian armed forces have committed indiscriminate attacks, in violation of international humanitarian law, the commission said.

Russia carried out summary executions of Ukrainian civilians

The commission said it had confirmed the executions of at least 65 men, two women and one 14-year-old boy in areas that the Russian military controlled.

The report said that in more than half of the executions it investigated, witnesses said they last saw the executed individuals in the custody of Russian authorities. Some even reported to have seen the executions carried out by the troops themselves. Others were found near military bases, leading the commission to conclude that Russia was likely responsible.

The report said that detention, interrogation and torture frequently preceded the executions, which were most often carried out by gunshots to the head at close range.

After considering the context of these incidents, notably that attacks struck an area during a period when it was controlled by Russian armed forces, the weapons systems used, the fact that the attacks were repeated, and have impacted civilians or civilian objects, the Commission found it likely that Ukrainian armed forces have committed indiscriminate attacks, in violation of international humanitarian law, the report said.

The highest number of the executions took place in the Kyiv region.

The Russian military has committed widespread torture against soldiers and civilians

The commission found that the Russian military has used consistent methods of torture against both combatants and civilians alike, primarily targeting military members, their families and civilians with pro-Ukrainian views.

The methods included beatings with rifles, electric shocks with tasers, rape, prolonged exposure to the cold and the strapping of an electricity cable to the feet, fingers or genitalia that is connected to a military phone, which was dubbed the call to Putin.

Based on the cases it has documented, the Commission has concluded that Russian authorities have committed torture and cruel or inhuman treatment, which is a war crime and a violation of the prohibition against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the report said.

The report also said the targeting of specific groups of people and the constant use of the same methods may constitute crimes against humanity.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Arroyo Grande safe parking

Safe parking for persons who shelter in their vehicles provides a sense of stability that often becomes the foundation for that person taking the next step toward permanent housing. A group of safe parking advocates has been meeting with Arroyo Grande city officials in search of a pathway toward a solution for four years. A pilot program at St. Johns Lutheran Church was temporarily approved. The program functioned successfully for 18 months until when the permit was not renewed.

Then, following two meetings of church leaders with city staff, it took exactly one year for the city to draft a safe parking ordinance, which was addressed at the City Council meeting this month. The ordinance is a city attempt to manage programs run by potential volunteer churches.

The city appears not to own the problem and even proposes to charge volunteer churches a fee for what they want to do to help the city. Imagine what it would be like if the interested parties would sit around a table, agree on what the problem is and then craft a workable solution. When that happens, safe parking will become a reality in South County.

Garry Schmidt, Arroyo Grande

Why Utah doesnt want us

Im not anyone of real importance or position but I am a homegrown Utahn. Ill keep it short. Frankly, you and so many others who have written on what Gov. Spencer Cox meant by Stay in California are really grasping for an elegant and thoughtful, or economically driven agenda. There isnt one.

I promise it really is as simple and divisively dark as we dont want more overpaid, non-nationalist narcissistic Democrats and liberals to ruin the state. It is really that simple and unnuanced. They are already causing too many problems in Salt Lake City as it is. You see, the ones who come with businesses and money are tolerable, because they are often family oriented and quickly lose the ambition to change local politics. They bring gentrification and good buying power. Their children, however, are rotten to the core and are no substitute for their actual productive and profitable parents.

Story continues

What Gov. Cox was too nice to say is, while Californians are great to stimulate your local coffers, they will eradicate and corrupt the culture that made your state awesome to begin with. They are the rotten apple in the bucket that will sour the rest.

Kevin Stevens, Utah

Avoid harmburgers

You are what you eat, the saying goes.

A recent Tribune article suggests that the phrase, The climate is what you eat may be equally true. Researchers at Columbia University found that our eating habits, if unchanged, will add almost 2 degrees Fahrenheit to the planets temperature by 2100. The production of beef contributes the most to the problem. Red meat contributes to climate change, not only due to cows emissions of methane, but also by destroying forests as they are converted to grazing land.

Fortunately, we now have substitutes for beef that are quite tasty. I was skeptical at first, but after I sampled a Beyond Meat burger at Carls Jr. and then an Impossible Burger at Burger King, I became a convert. These substitutes for harmburgers come pretty darn close to the real thing, and they are easy for my wife and me to use in our home cooking.

Weve known for some time that regularly eating red meat can lead to diabetes, coronary disease, strokes and even colon cancer. Now we know that limiting beef can improve health, not only of our bodies, but also of our planet. I call that a win-win.

Dr. Don Gaede, San Luis Obispo

Can Forward Party make a difference?

There are enough people living in this country who would be very happy to live under both fascism and a dictatorship.

In my opinion, they are driven by a happy (unhappy?) combination of religious bigotry and blind ideology. Many of them occupy important positions in government, from the Supreme Court to the local school board.

The political party that should keep these individuals in check has been incapable of doing the job, perhaps because not enough of its members understand that politics is a blood sport and you do not take any prisoners. Or perhaps because they fear violence.

There is a new political party on the horizon called Forward, founded by a combination of moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats.

It is my sincere hope that this party will soon supply the third leg of what has been a two-legged stool and provide the stability our country needs to be successfully governed.

Fabrizio Griguoli, Shell Beach

Praise for Mamma Mia!

On March 10, I had the pleasure of attending the SLOHS production of Mamma Mia. With a cast of over 30 students, the show was entertaining, creative and quite professional. There was much talent on that stage, Bravo to everyone involved, and especially to director Noelle Eben, whose vision and hours of work paid off. Please go see it if you can; performances are scheduled for March 16, 17 and 18 at 7 p.m.

Robert Huttle, San Luis Obispo

A grocery store wont work at Trilogy

My wife and I are retired commercial real estate agents, so we are familiar with commercial real estate. We are also longtime residents of Trilogy.

You asked the question, How do we get a store?. Lets look at what criteria retailers classify as a must. First, they want high traffic volume. Other musts are maximum street frontage; parcel size that has room for expansion; and community population threshold. A grocery store or convenience store needs a 10,000 to 20,000 population base within its trade area. We already have Vons, Grocery Outlet and JJs within a few miles. We know a lot of our neighbors frequently shop at Trader Joes also.

Developers love to build. Houses, offices, retail and all other types of businesses. If Shea or Woodlands Ventures before them had tenants willing to lease space, they would have built that center in a nanosecond. Unfortunately, they dont have tenants. No tenants, no building. You mentioned our wine shop. In the beginning, the marketplace carried produce and other grocery items. (Actually, you can still buy milk and a few other goods, but it is vastly reduced from before.) However, no one bought these items, so they quit selling them. We had a weekend farmers market. Again, it didnt get sufficient business so it went away.

Believe it or not, retailers, including grocery stores, are in the business of making money. They would fail in Trilogy.

My wife and I are even skeptical of the success of only 28,000 additional square feet of retail space. However, the condominiums will allow the developer to keep rents and common area charges down. While we know nothing about the hotel business, we have more faith in it being successful than we do for a grocery store.

Randy and Nancy Christensen, Nipomo
Lil Nas X wants people to know hes not a role model  and rejects the very idea.

The rapper responded to a viral tweet earlier this week from a British podcast host who unfavorably compared him to Andrew Tate, a social media influencer and former kickboxing champion suspected of human trafficking and currently detained in Romania.

On the left, we have Lil Nas X twerking on Satan, the user tweeted Monday. On the right, we have Andrew Tate, who teaches young people to think critically, to take care of their physical health and build financial security.

He continued, Guess which one is deemed controversial and which is hailed as a role model.

The accompanying photos included a screenshot of the Montero (Call Me By Your Name music video, in which Lil Nas X dances for a red being, and an image of Tate aboard a boat. The rapper couldnt help but educate his critic  and denounce the role model title.

Lil Nas X reminded the user that Satan wasn't real  and didn't actually appear in his video.

Lil Nas X reminded the user that Satan wasn't real  and didn't actually appear in his video.

1. that is a CGI animated being, the rapper responded in a quote tweet Wednesday, not satan from the bible book. 2. theres no such thing as a good role model, yall need to find yourselves and stop looking for people to look up to.

Lil Nas X has never shied away from Twitter beef. He famously replied to a tweet that included a photo of him dressed in pink and a screenshot of rapper Pastor Troys homophobic insults against him by writing: damn, i look good in that pic on god.

Tate, meanwhile, galvanized legions of impressionable young men over the years by espousing misogynistic messages under the guise of masculinity. He reportedly moved his sex cam operation to Romania because he liked being able to do what I want.

As for the Twitter user who unfavorably compared Lil Nas X to Tate, he might not be aware that one is a passionate artist who donates to charity  while the other is currently facing criminal charges.

Related...
It was the late 6os, and when my husband began a job teaching in Fayette County, Georgia, we moved to a new town under development called Peachtree City. The community included a post office attached to a bank, one small grocery, a cafe, and a handful of new homes.

I began working as the youngest teller at the bank with fewer than 10 other employees. Floy Farr was the bank president, a founding father of Peachtree City, and in 1968 also chairman of the state's finance council for the Democratic Party. When Mr. Farr realized math was not my specialty, but people were, he appointed me the greeter. He also prayed one day that I might be able to balance my cash drawer.

Lynn, I have a lunch meeting with a gentleman from South Georgia. Please let me know when he arrives because I will be in my office until then." It was not unusual for Mr. Farr to receive dignitaries, politicians, CEOs, architects, and farmers throughout the day.

Hear more Tennessee Voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought provoking columns.

Our first conversation left me red-faced

Mr. Farrs guest was a bit late, but finally, a gentleman walked through the heavy glass doors to my window. "Hello," he said with a friendly smile, My name is Jimmy Carter, and I have a lunch appointment with Mr. Farr. "

First Lady Rosalynn Carter and President Jimmy Carter are greeting guests in front of the Blue Room of the White House April 17, 1978 for their gala reception for members of the Country Music Association.

He is expecting you but is on the phone now." I continued, "I hear you are considering running for governor of Georgia. What do you do now?"

Im a peanut farmer! he laughed as he replied.

Mr. Carter must have read my mind because he described his credentials and achievements. "Whoa, so you must be pretty smart, hey?" I responded with a red face.

When Mr. Farr heard the ensuing laughter, he decided to get the intelligent peanut farmer away from his over-friendly, borderline-brash employee. Once they retreated to his office, my main interest was preparing my sandwich in the back room.

The room was a storage area located off a small bookkeeping area. Complete with a card table that held a coffee pot, paper cups, a loaf of white bread, and enough room to make a sandwich. There was a small fridge where we housed a few sodas, condiments, and folks lunches. The only seating was a black vinyl and chrome loveseat, big enough for two, surrounded by stacked boxes of papers.

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They included me in the lunch

As I began slicing my one banana, Mr. Farr peered around the door. "Lynn, do you have enough lunch for two more folks?

"Yes, sir, I can share, but I thought the two of you would get fried chicken down at the cafe?" I questioned.

"Nope, we decided to stay here. Just slice the banana thin, and we can all eat lunch!" Mr. Farr stated with gusto while Jimmy nodded in agreement.

I prepared the thinly sliced banana sandwiches, placed them on paper plates with doled-out chips, and proceeded to take my lunch to the teller station when I heard, "No, please stay and eat with us," the two gentlemen insisted.

Lynn, let me show you my pride and joy, Mr. Carter exclaimed as he stood to retrieve a wallet from his back pocket. Here she is, my baby daughter, Amy Lynn!

I sat cramped between the two men on the old loveseat as they talked politics, a future governors race, and finance. With every idea they had, they asked a 20-year-old her opinion. Of course, I gave one, but I was still trying to figure out why I was involved.

Sign up for Black Tennessee Voices newsletter:Read compelling columns by Black writers from across Tennessee.

'I would have fried a chicken'

When my regular 30-minute break was over, Mr. Farr insisted I stay until the three of us walked to the lobby over an hour later. I hugged the man from Plains, Georgia, goodbye and began my return to the teller line when Mr. Farr stopped me.

Lynn Walker Gendusa

Lynn, watch Jimmy until you can no longer see him. Never forget this day because that man you see leaving is going to the top. And one day, you will tell your grandchildren how you shared a banana sandwich with a president."

I wrote President-Elect Carter a letter in 1976 recalling the day Mr. Farr insisted we share my lunch and his prediction as we watched him walk away. I ended the letter with, If I had known you were going to be elected president, I would have fried a chicken!

Of course, he responded with a note and an invitation to his presidential inauguration because sometimes decent, God-loving, family men don't fall prey to the charm of power.

I didn't have the money to travel to Washington, but today I have a story to tell my grandchildren about the kind, generous man whose humble character went to the top and far beyond. Plus, the insight of the remarkable, loving man who knew he would.

Lynn Walker Gendusa is a writer in Georgia and the author of the book "Southern Comfort." She is originally from Monterey, Tennessee.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: I met Jimmy Carter before he was a president and he was a gentleman
The Missouri College of Cosmetology after more than 40-years in business.

Before deleting its Facebook page on Wednesday, the Missouri College of Cosmetology in Springfield posted an announcement of its 41-year-old institution's closure.

A voicemail greeting echoed the news.

"We are saddened to inform everyone that Missouri College of Cosmetology, Barber, and Esthetics is permanently closed," the post read. "We want to thank our customers, students, staff, and friends for over 40 years of service to our community."

Its website MissouriCosmo.com is also offline.

Comments posted by former and current students online suggested the closure was due to dwindling finances, enrollment, and staff. The News-Leader's attempts seeking comment from owner Jeff Stanley were unsuccessful.

Stanley told KY3 on Wednesday that the pandemic was a contributing factor, and that he is issuing refunds to students forced to finish their schooling elsewhere.

The announcement of closure appears to have surprised students, who said they were informed at the school Monday morning, just before the business permanently closed its doors.

More:These 13 Springfield restaurants closed their doors in 2022

The Missouri College of Cosmetology after more than 40-years in business.

Springfield still offers multiple cosmetology school options. Ozark Technical Community College is also looking to incorporate an cosmetology school program that could be available as soon as 2024.

Salon Truth is among the businesses looking to pick up former students and staff.

"Missouri College of Cosmetology abruptly shut down yesterday, leaving many students and staff without jobs or finishing their paid-for education," the business said on its Facebook page. "Salon Truth can help you can work here while you finish up school somewhere else on a student certificate because we have a masters license."

The Missouri School of Cosmetology, located at 3014 E. Sunshine St. in the Southern Hills Shopping Center, sent hundreds of students into the workforce before its demise.

The business was founded in 1981 by Roddie Hughes before Stanley, a former student of the school, took over ownership in 1996. It was accredited through the National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences.

Correction: A previous version of this story noted a new cosmetology school at Ozarks Technical Community College. OTC is still in the planning stages of the program, and is aiming for a 2024 or 2025 start date.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Pandemic fallout leads to closure of Missouri School of Cosmetology
For Carrington Peavy, a Black sophomore journalism major at the University of Missouri, the small number of Black faculty at MU is concerning.

But, she said, its not surprising.

Were not currently seeing Black people in those positions of power, she said. Even just a Black person as a teacher, a Black person as a faculty member, dismantles peoples preconceived notions about Black people. So I think that were really missing that representation on campus.

In the fall of 2015, student-led protests erupted on the University of Missouri campus, criticizing inaction by university leaders after a string of racist incidents.

The protests thrust the states flagship institution into the national spotlight as students called on MU to improve the racial climate on campus, to be more inclusive of minority students and for faculty to be 10% Black by 2017.

While MU has made efforts in the nearly eight years since to add more diverse faculty members, progress has been slow. As of 2022, Black employees make up a dismal 3.7% of the universitys ranked professional faculty compared to 67.5% white.

The percentage of Black faculty is well below the percentage of Black people in Missouri, which hovers just below 12%. Ranked professional faculty typically includes professors, including assistant and associate professors.

University employees and students who spoke with The Star now worry that Missouri legislation aimed at eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hiring standards at public colleges would further threaten efforts to attract and retain diverse candidates. And they fear the proposed legislation will drive students away, sending a message to prospective minority students that the university is not a place of acceptance and diversity.

A DEI statement is a tool typically used when hiring to address a commitment to diverse and inclusive working environments.

For example, a job posting for an MU visiting assistant professor of sociology requires applicants to submit a DEI statement addressing contributions to diversity and inclusivity through teaching and service.

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Opponents of the legislation say similar statements can be useful to figure out whether job candidates can reach a diverse student population.

Without that tool we have no idea how a potential new professor will fit in  be they with students of color, LGBT+ students or folks from different political persuasions, said Chris Conner, an assistant teaching professor of sociology who serves on the MU Faculty Councils Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Committee.

One of the Missouri bills, filed by state Rep. Doug Richey, an Excelsior Springs Republican, would prohibit colleges from requiring DEI statements from applicants during the hiring process, and those violating the legislation could be fired. Among the rules, it would prohibit requiring applicants to disclose their views on or experience with race, color, religion, sex, gender, ethnicity.

Richey, in an interview with The Star, painted the hiring practice as politically-motivated, saying DEI statements prioritize activism over merit and achievement. The Republican lawmaker rejected the idea that his legislation would hurt MUs efforts to hire more diverse faculty.

We shouldnt care who is the professor of a particular course based on the color of their skin or their background, he said. We should first and foremost be concerned with  they know the content area well. Are they an expert in that field? Do they know how to teach and teach well?

Another Missouri bill, filed by state Rep. Ben Baker, a Neosho Republican, would ban licensing boards, medical providers and medical schools from having DEI requirements.

Students and staff say legislation threatens campus diversity

Bryson Ferguson, a junior at MU, is the president of the Legion of Black Collegians, which touts itself as the only Black student government in the nation. He said the Missouri legislation could potentially have significant negative impacts on both faculty and staff at MU.

Being a higher education institution, it is fundamental to most job responsibilities that youre going to be dealing with diversity and inclusion in some way, shape or form, Ferguson said.

He said eliminating DEI standards could potentially hinder efforts to hire more diverse faculty, but if the bill passes, Ferguson said he would be more worried about how to assess a non-diverse applicants views of diversity as it relates to a secondary education role.

How do you gauge their impact on the environment that theyre in, from both student and colleagues perspective, if you cant speak to that, as straightforward as diversity statements? Ferguson said.

The percentage of Black students at MU has decreased steadily since 2015 when the student population was just more than 7% Black. In 2022, 5.5% of MUs students were Black. Hispanic and Latino students make up 5.3% of the student population while Asian students are just below 3% as of 2022.

However, MU data does show that the number of Black, Hispanic and Asian faculty members have increased since 2015. Asian employees make up 18% of ranked professional faculty, while Hispanic or Latino employees are at 5% as of 2022. Just more than 4% of ranked faculty did not specify their race and .1% were multiple races or ethnicities.

The percentage of white faculty has decreased about 8.7% since 2015, when 76% of MUs faculty was white.

Christian Basi, a spokesperson for MU, did not comment on the legislation because it is pending but said in a statement that the university does not have a policy regarding DEI statements and does not discriminate based on any status protected by state or federal laws.

When hiring, we advertise our positions broadly to encourage as many qualified candidates to apply as possible, the statement said. The University of Missouri hires talented faculty from all over the U.S. and the world to achieve excellence in student success, research breakthroughs and meaningful engagement. Our faculty are also committed to an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone. We do not compromise on quality.

Conservatives in red states across the country have targeted DEI standards, arguing that the policies treat white people unfairly. Last month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agency and public university leaders to ban DEI hiring policies, arguing they violate federal and state employment laws.

Lawmakers in other states, such as Florida, have filed bills that would ban all DEI initiatives at universities, including curriculum. The Florida legislation would remove any major or minor in Critical Race Theory, Gender Studies, or Intersectionality, or any derivative major or minor of these belief systems.

Rebecca Graves, an MU librarian and former chair of the Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Committee, said the Missouri legislation would be detrimental to the universitys efforts to hire diverse staff.

Its basically saying we only want to hire people who look a certain way and think a certain way and follow a certain line, said Graves, who was not speaking on behalf of the university or the committee.

Graves said that she thinks the legislation will cause people to think twice about coming to Missouri.

Ferguson, the Legion of Black Collegians president, acknowledged that there are challenges to recruiting Black faculty to MU, such as drawing them to mid-Missouri. However, he said efforts could be stronger.

It is disappointing and disheartening. Because it feels like its not as much of a priority, and the impact that diversity has on the student experience is important, Ferguson said.

Connor, the assistant sociology professor, said hes heard some criticism that institutions that require DEI statements dont actually read them or, if they do read them, they evaluate them differently. But, he said, the statements are useful when hiring at a university that represents such a diverse population.

As an educator, you have got to be able to speak to a wide audience and thats hard, he said. That statement, when done correctly, I think can communicate how you teach, how you navigate these complex issues.

Basi, the MU spokesperson, said the university always casts a wide net when hiring.

We always want to make sure that we find the very best candidate and were doing that by reaching out as far and as wide as we can, he said.

He said diversity includes a variety of attributes and the university wants to have a broad representation on campus and provide a welcoming environment for everyone on campus.

Minority faculty members are underrepresented nationwide. In fall 2020, nearly three-quarters of full-time faculty at degree-granting postsecondary institutions were white, according to data released in 2022 by the National Center for Education Statistics.

Mizzou has a slightly larger percentage of Black faculty members than Kansas two largest universities. Black faculty members accounted for 3.1% at the University of Kansas, including its medical center, compared to white faculty members at 72.5%, according to 2022 data.

Meanwhile, Kansas State Universitys percentage of Black faculty in 2022 was 2.1%, while white faculty members accounted for 75%. Black people make up just more than 6% of Kansas population.

Republicans target diversity efforts in state agencies

Mizzou students and faculty members who spoke with The Star said they fear the legislation would also hurt efforts to attract other communities, including LGBTQ employees and students.

May Hall, a transgender senior at MU, said when there are problems in hiring a diverse staff, it will inevitably affect student behavior.

I wouldnt want to come to a school that had no one like me, like if it was an un-diverse campus. (...) As a trans person, I wouldnt feel safe within a campus that had no rep. whatsoever, Hall said.

Hall, who uses she/they pronouns, said as a transgender and disabled person on campus, she feels tolerated at best. Hall said the universitys support feels tenuous and accommodations for their disability can be difficult to navigate or slow to be approved.

Hall said if the effort to increase diversity in faculty was hindered, it would surely affect the culture of inclusion on campus.

Theres a really wide splash zone on the people affected by removing these protections, Hall said.

The focus on university DEI efforts comes as some Republicans are also beginning to target diversity efforts within state government. Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican expected to run for governor, last week criticized a job posting for a Diversity, Belonging and Inclusion Leader within the state Department of Natural Resources.

Jobs designed to push left-wing indoctrination in the workplace are the wrong use of taxpayer dollars, Ashcroft tweeted along with a screenshot of the posting.

A state jobs database indicates a few executive branch agencies, including the Missouri Department of Transportation, have diversity-oriented positions. The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is currently advertising for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Specialist.

According to the posting, the DEI specialist will co-lead DESEs standing DEI committee. We are an organization with a good foundation in diversity, equity and inclusion that wants to continue to grow, the posting says.

Connor, the MU assistant professor, said theres a lot of diversity in Missouri but the proposed legislation  and similar actions by local governments and state agencies  reinforce stereotypes about the state.

It looks really bad for the state and for the university because it kind of reifies that image that some people have about Missouri, he said.

Star reporter Jonathan Shorman contributed to this story.
Caroline Ouko, mother of Irvo Otieno, holds a portrait of her son with attorney Ben Crump, left, her older son, Leon Ochieng and attorney Mark Krudys at the Dinwiddie Courthouse in Dinwiddie, Virginia (AP)

The family of Irvo Otieno, a Black man who died in police custody in Virginia earlier this month, says video from a state mental hospital shows a large group of deputies smothering the 28-year-old to death.

"My son was treated like a dog, worse than a dog," Caroline Ouko said Thursday during a press conference. "He was murdered. They smothered the breath out of my baby. They murdered my baby."

According to the family and their attorneys, who have viewed the video, officers held down Otieno for at least minutes, a death reminiscent of the Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd.

It is truly shocking that nearly three years after the brutal killing of George Floyd by police, another family is grieving a loved one who allegedly died in nearly the exact same manner  being pinned down by police for 12 agonizing minutes, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is working with the family of Otieno, said in a statement.

Seven Henrico County Sheriffs deputies were charged on Tuesday with second-degree murder charges in the death, and three hospital workers were also hit with charges on Thursday related to the death.

Prosecutors said in court on Wednesday the officers can be seen on video smothering him to death, and that Otieno appeared non-combative and sitting on a chair before police pulled him to the ground. They added that other video obtained by state police, who are investigating the death, shows officers tackle and deliver blows to Otieno while he was naked in a jail cell.

Police, meanwhile, claim that Otieno became physically assaultive with officers when he was taken to a hospital on 3 March for an evaluation, following an encounter with police during a call about a potential burglary in progress. Otienos family say he was in the midst of a mental health crisis during the encounter.

He was later transferred to jail then a state mental hospital for evaluation.

The Independent has contacted the Henrico County Sheriffs Office for comment.

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Public safety is what we stand for as a Sheriffs Office, the agency said in a statement earlier this week. We will continue to maintain the highest professional standards in how we serve and protect those in our custody, the community at-large and our staff.

The police union representing the charged officers say they support the seven deputies.

We support our Brothers and Sisters, and hope for a quick resolution that clears their names, The Henrico Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 4 wrote in a statement on social media.

The sheriffs office is also investigating the death.

The deputies charged in the case are Jermaine Branch, Bradley Disse, Randy Boyer, Dwayne Bramble, Tabitha Levere, Brandon Rogers and Kaiyell Sanders. The hospital employees are Darian Blackwell, Wavie L Jones, and Sadarius D Williams.
A bipartisan pair of senators are laying the groundwork to check U.S. assistance to Saudi Arabia over criticisms of its oppression of human rights at home and alleged atrocities stemming from its military operations in Yemen.

Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced on Wednesday a privileged resolution to require the State Department to submit a report to Congress examining Saudi Arabias human rights practices, or risk Congress cutting off security assistance to the kingdom.

This is a resolution that has never been put before the Senate, Murphy told The Hill.

The authorities underlying the resolution rest with the Foreign Assistance Act, which allows Congress to vote to request information on a particular countrys human rights practices. The specifics of the bill say that if the administration fails to deliver such a report within 30 days of the resolution passing, U.S. security assistance to Saudi Arabia is cut off.

Weve never used this section of the Foreign Assistance Act but I think its an opportunity to have a debate on the Senate floor about the future of the U.S.-Saudi relationship, Murphy said.

The resolution comes at an inflection point of Washingtons relations with Riyadh.

China last week brokered a breakthrough deal reestablishing ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran that have raised concerns over waning U.S. influence in the region.

But some experts say the deal may bring new opportunities for regional stability and ease a key point of tension between Washington and Riyadh, in particular if it resolves Yemens Civil War, in which Saudi Arabia is militarily supporting the Yemeni government. Yemens war with the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels has created what is widely considered the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

The White House has cautiously welcomed the Chinese mediation and then, on Tuesday, welcomed an announcement by Saudi Arabia that it was signing a lucrative contract with U.S.-based Boeing airlines to outfit a new airline fleet.

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Its part of an effort by President Biden and his officials to ease acrimony with the kingdom and its de facto ruler and heir to the throne, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, after the president, in the early days of his presidency, put a premium on calling out the kingdom over human rights concerns.

Biden called the kingdom a pariah while a candidate, and then as president decided to publish a U.S. intelligence assessment saying bin Salman was behind the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, which was viewed in Riyadh as an effort to insult and humiliate the powerful ruler.

But Biden notably fist-bumped the crown prince during a trip to Saudi Arabia in July 2022, in an effort to put to rest the Khashoggi report, and the administration held back on following through on promised consequences for Riyadhs decision in October to cut oil production that risked increasing gas prices already high because of Russias war in Ukraine.

Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it is important for the U.S. to raise concerns about the massive political repression campaign happening in Saudi Arabia, especially in the wake of their decision to side with Russia, with respect to the war in Ukraine. Its important for us to have a conversation about the nature of our security relationship.

While Saudi Arabia, under bin Salmans leadership, has made dramatic shifts away from its strict interpretation of Wahabi Islam  allowing more freedom for women in the public space  those liberal reforms have been paired with heavy-handed repression against any political dissent.

Freedom House, a nongovernmental organization that tracks democratic freedoms globally, ranked Saudi Arabia as not free in its most recent report, documenting unusually large, mass executions for terrorism charges, draconian prison sentences for criticizing the government via social media, and saying that political dissent is effectively criminalized.

Still, the U.S. and Saudi relationship is considered an important strategic and security partnership. While Biden and Congress agreed to end U.S. assistance to offensive Saudi operations in Yemen, the U.S. is still an important weapons and defense supplier.

And Saudi Arabia is looking to Washington to commit more arms and security guarantees to the kingdom in exchange for opening relations with Israel.

Murphy said he had read a Wall Street Journal report that outlined the Saudi conditions for opening relations with Israel, saying he hadnt heard it publicly from Saudi officials or received confirmation from the Biden administration over such conditions.

We should encourage countries to recognize Israel but we shouldnt trade away our own security in order to secure that right now. Its not in U.S. national security interest to give a security guarantee to Saudi Arabia. That would be very bad policy, Murphy said.

If the reporting is correct, then Saudi Arabias current price to recognize Israel is unrealistically high.

Murphy said that he is in talks with the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), over the process for bringing the resolution to a vote in the Senate, with the privileged nature of the resolution compelling urgency.

With introduction of the resolution, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is given 10 days to put the request for information before the committee for consideration.

If the committee fails to do so, Murphy and Lee can force a vote on the Senate floor to discharge the resolution from committee.

Were going to talk with Sen. Menendez and the Foreign Relations committee about whether they would be interested in moving it through the committee or whether it would go straight to the floor, but we havent finished our consultations on it yet, Murphy said.

The Senate is in session for the rest of March before going on a two-week break in the beginning of April.

Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he had not seen the resolution, but met with bin Salman in Saudi Arabia earlier this month.

I was in Saudi two weeks ago, I met with him [Mohammed bin Salman], had good discussions about our relations, Risch told The Hill. We discussed our relationship. We want a relationship with them, they want a relationship with us, its a long, long-standing relationship and were going to work towards that goal.

When asked if he shook hands with the crown prince, Risch said Yes.

I know him, Ive met him previously.  Hes the head of a country that we have a long-standing relationship with and we need to deal with him.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Columbia-area businesswoman who loves fashion and enjoys bringing events to different cities in the Carolinas has chosen Myrtle Beach for her next project.

Donnah Bellah, 43, is organizing Myrtle Beach Fashion Week, an event geared toward bringing designers and models from all over the world to the tourist destination.

She said Myrtle Beach is a good market for two reasons: the beauty and the lack of fashion events.

I did my research and realized that Myrtle Beach has nothing about fashion, Bellah said. Theres nobody doing fashion shows, (and) the only thing thats been going on is maybe a photo shoot here and there.

The five-day event runs from March 21 to 25 and will feature free events for the public and a Saturday fashion show at The Hangout located at 1181 Celebrity Circle. Tickets for Saturdays show will range from $15 to $40 each.

Designers will be coming from Paris, France, Los Angeles and New York.

Since Bellah announced the event and began talking to businesses about her plans, she has gotten a positive response from the community.

Everybody just leeched onto it, wanting to be a part of it, so that turned out really good, she said. A lot more (people) than what I expected because its a brand new event to a city that had nothing.

It took a lot of legwork, she said, to get people involved. She visited a lot of big name clothing stores and local boutiques, and some of them will be a part of fashion week.

The two casting calls Bellah hosted brought out over 300 people. The first one was in person at Coastal Grand Mall and the second one was virtual. At those casting calls, designers were responsible for picking models to wear their clothes and represent their brand at the event.

Bellah, of Sumter, has started other events in South Carolina, including a Columbia Kids Fashion Week and a beauty pageant and fashion week back in her hometown.

She plans to bring the affair back next year and hopes itll encourage more fashion-inspired attractions.

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I want this to be the most talked about fashion event in Myrtle Beach. I want everybody to be interested in repeating the event for next year ... I want to leave (with people) that (it) was an amazing show and the type of designs that have been walking down the runway.

What to expect

Tuesday, March 21: MBFW photo shoot

Wednesday, March 22: The fashion panel

Thursday, March 23: The designer and retail spotlight

Friday, March 24: Model and designer mixer

Saturday, March 25: Sailing Into Fashion show (the grand finale)

For more information, visit the events Facebook page.
New Zealand has joined the growing list of countries and jurisdictions that have banned TikTok from certain government devices. Unlike elsewhere, the restriction doesn't apply to all government employees. It's limited to devices that have access to New Zealand's parliamentary network, though the country's defense force and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said they've banned TikTok on work devices too.

The ban will come into force by the end of March. However, there may be exceptions for those who need access to TikTok to carry out their jobs.

Officials made the move in the wake of advice from cybersecurity experts and talks between people in the government and with other countries. "Based on this information, the Service has determined that the risks are not acceptable in the current New Zealand Parliamentary environment, parliamentary service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero told Reuters .

Chris Hipkins, New Zealand's prime minister, shed some light on why the country limited the ban to devices linked to the parliamentary network. "Departments and agencies follow the advice of the (Government Communications Security Bureau) in terms of IT and cybersecurity policies ... we don't have a blanket across the public sector approach," he said.

Earlier this week, the UK announced an immediate TikTok ban on government devices. It said users of such devices would only be able to use third-party apps that are on an approved list. Over the last few months, the US , dozens of states, Canada and the European Commission have also banned TikTok on devices they own.

As with those other jurisdictions, New Zealand is limiting government access to TikTok due to security fears. Officials in many countries have expressed concern that TikTok's parent company ByteDance (which is based in Beijing) may be compelled to share sensitive user information, such as location data, with China for purported national security reasons.

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ByteDance has said it wouldn't share user data with China, but US officials have claimed the company would legally have to comply if the government demanded the information. TikTok has tried to assuage privacy worries in the US and Europe by routing traffic from each territory to domestic servers and conducting third-party security and data audits .

TikTok's troubles don't end with bans from government devices. This week, the company said that the US told ByteDance to sell the app or TikTok could face a nationwide ban. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has argued that, were ByteDance to divest his company, that wouldn't resolve politicians' security concerns and that data protection projects the company has set up in the US and Europe "are the real solutions." A whistleblower has claimed, however, that there are flaws in the US plan that could allow China to theoretically access data of American TikTok users anyway.
The North Dakota Supreme Court declared Thursday that the state's abortion ban is unconstitutional and will not be enforced.

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade during the summer, a trigger ban was set to go into effect that would make it a felony to perform an abortion with only exceptions for rape, incest or if the mother's life is in danger.

A lower court blocked the ban over the summer after North Dakota's only abortion provider, the Red River Women's Clinic, argued the right to an abortion was guaranteed under the state's constitution.

MORE: Judge promises to rule soon on challenge to abortion drug, with potentially vast implications

In the majority opinion, written by Chief Justice Jon J. Jensen, the state Supreme Court found the ban infringed on fundamental rights including "the right of enjoying and defending life and pursuing and obtaining safety."

"While the regulation of abortion is within the authority of the legislature under the North Dakota Constitution, RRWC has demonstrated likely success on the merits that there is a fundamental right to an abortion in the limited instances of life-saving and health-preserving circumstances, and the statute is not narrowly tailored to satisfy strict scrutiny," Jensen wrote.

PHOTO: Anti-abortion and abortion rights activists protest during the 50th annual March for Life rally in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on January 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, FILE)

With the state Supreme Court decision, it means the current 21-week limit on abortions will remain in place.

"Today, the court rightfully stopped one of the most extreme laws in the country from taking effect and depriving North Dakotans of their reproductive freedom," said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights -- which had filed the suit in North Dakota on behalf of abortion providers -- in a statement.

"Under the state constitution, North Dakotans are promised the rights to life, liberty, safety, and happiness, all of which protect the right to abortion," the statement continued. "In state after state, people have made clear that they want this right protected, yet state officials continue to ignore the will of their citizens. We will continue to work tirelessly to protect North Dakotans and the fundamental human rights of all people."

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Following the Supreme Court's decision, RRWC moved from Fargo to Moorhead, Minnesota -- a mile-and-a-half away  amid the legal battle.

Tammi Kromenaker, director of RRWC, applauded the decision but said there were no plans to return to North Dakota.

"The court made the right decision and sided with the people of North Dakota today," she said in a statement. "Those seeking abortion care know what's best for themselves and their families and should be able to access such essential services if and when they need it."

MORE: Utah governor signs bill banning abortion clinics across the state

She continued, "While I'm heartbroken that we have been forced to close our doors here in Fargo, we will continue to serve the region at our new clinic in Moorhead, Minnesota."

North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley, who had been asking the Court to reinstate the ban, criticized the ruling in a statement.

"Today's North Dakota Supreme Court decision does not bar the people of North Dakota from regulating abortion through the enactments by their elected representatives in our state legislature," he said. "Thankfully, our legislature has spent the past two months working on legislation that recrafts North Dakota's abortion laws and they will now have the opportunity to enact the will of North Dakotans aware of the latest North Dakota Supreme Court pronouncement."

North Dakota Supreme Court says state abortion ban is 'unconstitutional' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
East Lansing High School on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2023.

EAST LANSING  Former East Lansing High School Principal Shannon Mayfield lied on his resume and fabricated transcripts showing he had earned a doctorate degree from a Michigan university, acts school officials said they discovered just prior to his resignation earlier this month.

East Lansing Superintendent Dori Leyko and Chief Human Resources Officer Rulesha Glover-Payne met with Mayfield on March 7 at his home after determining the records were falsified, documents obtained Thursday by the State Journal through a public records request show. He resigned March 10, citing "ongoing health care and recovery as directed" in his letter of resignation obtained through a State Journal public records request.

An email Mayfield sent to Glover-Payne on Dec. 12 indicated he had completed a doctorate of education in ethical educational leadership from Wayne State University and included Wayne State transcripts and communications confirming the completion of the degree. District officials, after consulting with Wayne State's Registrars Office, learned he made up not only the degree but the name of an employee in the Registrar's Office who confirmed Mayfield had completed the degree, according to a memo Leyko sent to the school board.

School leaders are offered an awesome opportunity to influence the growth of young adults - we have a responsibility to the students we serve to be role models and to exhibit the highest level of honesty and integrity, Leyko said in a statement to the State Journal on Thursday. East Lansing Public Schools has high expectations for its school leaders and for the character demonstrated through their actions.

"As demonstrated by the documents you received under the FOIA request, Mr. Mayfields actions did not meet the expectations we have for school leaders in this district. Our East Lansing High School staff and students are in good hands with the leadership team weve put in place for the remainder of the school year."

Story continues

Mayfield, who joined the district as principal in July, could not be reached for comment Thursday. On Friday, he provided a statement to the State Journal that said he resigned because of injuries sustained breaking up a fight after a basketball game in January and a subsequent heart attack in February.

Mayfield did not directly address the allegations that he lied on his resume and fabricated transcripts.

"What led to my resignation are injuries sustained while breaking up a fight after a basketball game on the school campus and a recent heart attack on Feb 14," Mayfield said in Friday's email. "The claims you are referencing have not been formally addressed. With the health pieces ongoing, there are privacy and disclosure areas that preclude discussion."

His resignation happened during a challenging time for the district. Violence at the high school has been the subject of public meetings and the district has agreed to a number of changes, including returning security officers to the school and exploring bringing back a school resource officer.

Two on-campus high school fights happened in January, around the same time a district administrator was trying to confirm Mayfield's claims of receiving a doctorate degree to process a $4,000 stipend.

He had been on leave since Jan. 25. In January, then-East Lansing High School Assistant Principal Ashley Schwarzbek sent a communication to families to update their response to the recent concerns with violence in the high school. She wrote that Mayfield had been out with a non-covid-related health issue.

According to the memo Leyko sent the school board:

In his application for the principal position, Mayfield stated he had been attending Wayne State since September 2018 and expected to soon complete a doctorate degree.

On Jan. 9, after receiving the email in which Mayfield said he had earned the degree, Glover-Payne wrote to congratulate the principal on the completion of his doctorate degree. She also requested an official transcript and letter confirming completion of the program so that she could process a $4,000 stipend the degree made Mayfield eligible for.

Glover-Payne received what appeared to be Mayfield's Wayne State transcript on Feb. 27. It showed a doctorate of philosophy degree was awarded on Dec. 13, 2022, with a major in organizational leadership, not a doctorate of education in ethical educational leadership as mentioned in Mayfield's Dec. 12 email.

Glover-Payne scanned and forwarded a copy of the transcript and the envelope it was sent to her in to the Wayne State Registrar's Office. She requested the college verify the authenticity of the transcript. The administrative manager of the Wayne State Registrar's Office, Doris Davis, emailed Glover-Payne on Feb. 28 to notify her the transcript was not a Wayne State academic record and cc'd Registrar Kurt Kruschinska.

On March 1, Glover-Payne received another email from Wayne State, this time from Kruschinska, indicating the scanned transcript was not a Wayne State transcript.

Kruschinska wrote that the transcript wasn't legitimate for several reasons, including:

Wayne State transcripts are provided on green security paper or delivered as a green and white PDF

The watermark used on Wayne State transcripts is the university's seal, not a seal that says "Official Document"

The name of Wayne State Registrar Kurt Kruschinska appears on all transcripts. The transcript provided to Glover-Payne bears the name "Charles Bakersfield." Kruschinska said he had "no idea who Charles Bakersfield is or if they even exist."

Wayne State uses a four-digit course numbering system, unlike the three-digit course numbers included in Mayfield's transcript.

Mayfield's transcript references a Spring semester. Wayne State only has a Fall, Winter and Spring/Summer semester.

Additionally, Glover-Payne was told that the envelope that the fake transcript arrived in is not the envelope an official transcript would be sent in, according to the document. Additionally the envelope incorrectly includes Wayne State's Zip code as 48126. The envelopes also are not stamped, rather they are metered at the post office.

Leyko said she has consulted an attorney for guidance. At this time, we are not pursuing legal action," she said.

Terah Chambers, president of the ELPS Board of Education, said the school board has been in communication with Thrun Law Firm, which serves as the districts legal counsel.

"The East Lansing School Board was disappointed to learn about the actions of former ELHS Principal Shannon Mayfield that have come to light surrounding his recent resignation," she said. "As evidenced by the documents shared with LSJ, Mr. Mayfield did not uphold the standards that we hold for the school leaders who are ultimately responsible for the learning, safety and development of our students.

"We appreciate the swift response of our superintendent, human resources director and other members of our administrative team who thoroughly investigated the situation and implemented a transition plan to ensure consistent and effective leadership at the high school."

Leyko previously said Schwarzbek would remain as interim principal and Jeff Lampi as interim associate principal.

She announced Mayfield's resignation Monday.

Leyko concluded her memo to the Board of Education explaining that the district found two substantiated acts of Mr. Mayfields dishonest and fraudulent actions...: Resume fraud: Mr. Mayfield submitted his resume and application in April 2022. His  application states that he has been attending Wayne State University since 2018 and expected to earn a degree in Ethical Leadership in 12/2023. Mr. Mayfields resume states that he was expecting to earn his Doctor of Philosophy in Ethical Leadership from Wayne State University in 2023.

Leyko went on to explain Mayfield checked the box and electronically signed the portion of his application on April 28, 2022, that indicated all statements and information in the application was correct.

The second act Leyko listed was transcript fraud. Mr. Mayfield submitted a falsified transcript for courses he did not take, grades he did not earn, and a degree he did not complete (or even start) at WSU.

On Thursday, she sent an email to district staff:

"Good afternoon ELHS staff,

"Thanks to those of you who were available to come to the optional meeting after school  understandably, it was late notice and many of you have after-school commitments. So, Im following up with this email communication to ensure that everyone has an understanding of the facts.

"I want to provide you some additional information regarding Mr. Mayfields resignation as it is likely to hit the media later today or tomorrow as a result of a FOIA request.

"In December, Mr. Mayfield communicated via email to our HR department that he had recently completed his doctorate degree. I didnt learn about this communication until January. As typical protocol, our HR department requested documentation of this degree completion  an official transcript from the university. Administrators contracts provide a $4000 stipend upon completion of a doctorate degree.

"During the time between January 9 and February 27, 2023, our HR department remained in regular communication with Mr. Mayfield to provide guidance about how to obtain the transcript.

"On February 24, 2023, Ms. Glover-Payne, Chief Human Resources Officer, received confirmation from Wayne State University (WSU) that Mr. Mayfield had not earned any degree from their university and had not been enrolled as a student there since 1999.

"Subsequently, on February 27, 2023, our HR department received a Wayne State University transcript for Mr. Mayfield showing four semesters of coursework in 2021 and 2022 with an earned degree in Organizational Leadership. The registrar at WSU has confirmed that the transcript is fraudulent.

"Mr. Mayfield was provided due process as Ms. Glover-Payne and I scheduled a meeting with him last week to ask questions and offer him an opportunity to tell his story. He refused to answer our questions and submitted his resignation Friday.

"The Lansing State Journal has submitted a FOIA request since the announcement of his resignation Monday. We are fulfilling the FOIA request this afternoon.

"As an fyi we did collect and verify appropriate certification upon hiring Mr. Mayfield. The notification of the doctorate degree was not sent to HR until December 2022.

"A few reminders:

 Do not comment on this issue  including on social media. It is a personnel issue. Board President Chambers and I will respond to all media requests and be the spokespeople for the District.

 Any media requests should be directed to my office.

 There are brighter days ahead for ELPS .

Thanks - Dori."

According to his resume, Mayfield previously worked as an adjunct professor at the McCann School of Business and Technology in Pennsylvania from August 2016 to July 2018, Title I dean of students at Old Redford Academy Preparatory High School in Detroit from 2015 to 2016, turnaround principal for Overbrook High School in the School District of Philadelphia from 2013 to 2015 and as academic principal at William Allen High School in the Allentown School District in Pennsylvania from 2012 to 2013 and again from 2018 to 2021.

His resume additionally indicates that Mayfield was a federal air marshal in the Federal Aviation Administration in Atlanta from 1986 to 1991 and he was also a state trooper first class for the Georgia Department of Public Safety from 1983 to 1986.

Contact Mark Johnson at majohnson2@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByMarkJohnson.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Officials: Former East Lansing principal lied on resume, faked Wayne State transcripts
I love stories about outsiders who dont get Rhode Island, like folks who think were part of New York  but this one may be my favorite.

Youve doubtless come across the Chinese company Anker, which sells phone chargers, cables and so much other stuff theyve got a $24 billion market cap.

Well, sorry to break it to you, but if you live here, you could have trouble getting your purchase delivered.

Anker doesnt ship to islands.

Including Rhode Island.

This week, that news was amusingly posted on Reddit, a discussion website, by an R.I. user named Sesto.

Anker won't ship to RI because they think we're an actual island, Sesto wrote.

He was not pleased by this, so wrote to the company explaining RI is indeed part of the contiguous United States.

Jon Del Sesto

Ankers response?

They have doubled down and told me that it's an island, he posted.

Ankers customer service response to Sesto: We are sorry to say that we do not ship a product to an island as of yet.

This seemed to touch nerves among Rhode Island Redditors. Hundreds responded, and I agree. How dare Anker. Were ridiculed enough for being the smallest state  a sixth as big as tiny Hawaii. Casual U.S. maps sometimes leave R.I. out. I once heard of a visitor from England saying, Rhode Island's such a funny little state - is it necessary?

And now Anker declares us an atoll or reef? Its one thing to be the Ocean State, another to be cast into the sea.

Reddit commenters weighed in with amusing thoughts.

Maybe a snarky comment about how New England isn't in England? said EllisDee3.

More from Patinkin:Seriously, who still has AOL email? Why I held on until the shame was too much

Others, noting that Rhode Island was founded by outcasts and still acts that way, felt Anker had a point.

I mean mentally thats pretty accurate, said devinmarieb.

EpicSteak had fun with it, too: I live in Attleboro, is this Island you speak of close to me? Is there a ferry?

We managed to reach Sesto  real name Jon Del Sesto. Hes 34, born in Johnston, grew up in Smithfield, lives in Cranston and works for Warwicks Gamm Theater as manager of design and media.

Story continues

He is used to his home state getting no respect. Once, he flew to San Diego to work at Comic Con, and they assumed Rhode Island was a Boston suburb. The name badge they gave him read, Jon Boston."

Such moments prompted him to stand up this week for Rhode Islands geographical honor.

He explained that the Anker thinks were an island story was first posted by the states legendary online humorist, @rhodeislandprobz, who has 127,000 followers on Twitter and 90,000 on Instagram.

Del Sesto, his RI pride offended, followed up by contacting Anker to insist we really are part of the contiguous states.

I explained Rhode Island shouldn't be grouped in with The Marshall Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, etc., he said.

Ankers response?

If you have a friend or family member in the US mainland you may consider having the product shipped there, they wrote. Then they can forward it to your address. How convenient.

Admittedly, Rhode Island was originally the island of Aquidneck, which today, along with populous Jamestown, makes us a bit of an archipelago. But so Anker doesn't panic, we have these things called bridges.

Del Sesto vowed to make this a Reddit crusade, and by Thursday, with all the sharing, it went viral.

By Friday, the crowd had won.

Ankers website has a page explaining that U.S. orders only go to the contiguous states, not to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, a few others, and Rhode Island.

High times:A still-paranoid '70s guy visits a RI cannabis store and finds a brave new world

Friday morning, Del Sesto checked that page again, and Rhode Island was no longer on it. Apparently, someone in China determined were not a reef after all and restored us to the contiguous 48, a major victory in international diplomacy.

Im thinking the State Departments China desk might want to hire Jon Del Sesto.

I woke up today, he wrote on Reddit, and am very happy to announce that Anker now has 1 million more people to ship to.

Another poster observed: All it took was a little internet bullying.

Del Sestos victory became doubly clear midday Friday when he got a message from an Anker rep named Tina who apologized and said, Weve officially confirmed that Anker products can be shipped to Rhode Island.

Perhaps, Del Sesto mused, well all get Anker gift cards to make amends.

But either way, hes happy to say one more Rhode Island misconception has been cleared up.

Perhaps next, Reddit can convince people were not part of New York.

Nah  thats wishing for too much.

mpatinki@providencejournal.com

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Anker wouldn't ship to Rhode Island, until John Del Sesto stepped in
In this handout photo released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on April 20, 2022, a Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile is launched from Plesetsk in northwestern Russia. Russia said it conducted a first test launch of the missile, a new and long-awaited addition to its nuclear arsenal. | Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

Disarmament  is a continuing imperative.

That public statement is not from an ideologue on the left, but rather President Dwight D. Eisenhower in his Farewell Address. He delivered the address to the nation early in 1961, while preparing to leave office.

President Joe Biden raised arms control to a top policy priority, but that is now unraveling. In January 2021, the New START Treaty with Russia was extended for five years. The agreement, which was about to expire, limits nuclear warheads on each side to 1,550, plus limitations on missiles and bombers.

However, last November talks on inspections were suddenly suspended. Russia has announced the treaty is now in jeopardy. In January, Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Rablov denounced U.S. efforts to impose strategic defeat on Moscow in Ukraine.

The Trump administration experienced frustrations in arms control. Initial emphasis on ending North Koreas nuclear weapons program was unsuccessful. In August 2019, the administration withdrew from the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, complaining of violations by Russia.

The Obama administration emphasized Nuclear Summits involving large numbers of nations and international organizations. The 2016 Nuclear Summit in Washington, D.C., concluded with a formal statement underscoring nuclear weapons control.

Related

Unfortunately, Russia did not participate. That reflected strained relations with the U.S. and other nations following annexation of Crimea.

Nonetheless, the major conference reinforced the important, tangible U.N. framework to coordinate national efforts. The first Nuclear Summit took place in 2010, also in Washington, D.C.

In 1986, during a summit meeting in Iceland, Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev and President Ronald Reagan surprised their staffs, as well as the world, by pledging the abolition of all nuclear weapons. That utopian vision fostered a practical result: the INF Treaty signed in 1987.

Story continues

Reductions are desirable, but efforts to outlaw all nuclear weapons are fundamentally flawed. Destroying all known nuclear weapons would provide a decisive advantage to any power which decided  openly or secretly  to hold back even a few. Verification remains vexing.

Another benchmark in the history of nuclear weapons, arms control and the Cold War occurred in 1972, when the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) led to treaties between the U.S. and the Soviet Union limiting missile systems. A second round of negotiations resulted in a follow-on agreement in 1979, but the U.S. Senate did not ratify the treaty, in reaction to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan that year.

After the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 concluded when the Soviet Union withdrew nuclear weapons from the island, President John F. Kennedys political standing rose considerably. During the Christmas season, JFK held a televised discussion with network correspondents. He gave emphasis to a world soon to contain a number of nuclear powers.

In fact, proliferation has moved much more slowly than anticipated at the time. Various nuclear-capable nations, including our close ally Canada, have decided that any conceivable benefits are simply not worth the expense and risks.

Additionally, the International Atomic Energy Agency, an initiative of President Eisenhower, facilitates peaceful nuclear energy and provides a long-term drag on military pressures to get the Bomb. Ike, always comprehensive in vision, also achieved demilitarization of Antarctica.

International commitment to arms control is firmly established. Russia today clearly is on the defensive.

Military threats are not only external. Eisenhower closed his Farewell Address by warning of the dangers inherent in our massive arms establishment, which he termed the Military-Industrial Complex.

Learn more: Arthur Larson, Eisenhower: The President Nobody Knew.

Arthur I. Cyr is author of After the Cold War. Contact acyr@carthage.edu
Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, represents the faculty and students of two state universities and a community college in the Florida Legislature.

Many of them were in the audience Wednesday when the Higher Education Committee approved SB 266, a prohibition on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, known as DEI, in college and university curriculums. It also requires schools to eliminate majors or minors in critical race theory and gender studies, forbids the use of DEI metrics when hiring, and allows for the post-tenure review of faculty at any time with cause.

Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami, accused Republicans of trying to hijack higher education and called the bill a farce. Faculty, students, and parents warned lawmakers the proposal would lead professors and students to flee the state.

Supporters of the bill, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, maintain programs like DEI are "discriminatory" and make "political viewpoints" a condition of hiring, promotion or admissions.

Gaining traction:DeSantis push to overhaul Florida universities advances in House

Former FSU football player Corey Simon speaks at a news conference where Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he supports a bill to allow college athletes to profit from their likeness at the Capital Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019.

Investigative report:As DeSantis, legislature weaponize diversity initiatives, many are enshrined in Florida law

Whiplash:Florida universities were told to prioritize diversity plans. Now, DeSantis aims to gut them

It was a key vote for Simon, who was recruited by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year to run for the Florida Senate and he flipped a district in November Democrats had held for more than 100 years.

He called on his constituents to appreciate "nuance" as the key to understanding the political process and to avoid name-calling, which often ends discussions.

The following is edited for brevity and clarity

Sen. Corey Simon in debate of SB 266, March 16, 2023:

"I am a young Black man, I still consider myself young at 46, from Pompano Beach, Florida, on the other side of Dixie Highway that doesn't always get a chance to see differently, experienced different things.

And to many folks I've had an opportunity to make it out. This is a much more nuanced conversation. The unfortunate thing about politics and how heated it has gotten is that nuance gets lost. It gets lost for the folks that come up here to talk with their legislature. It gets lost oftentimes from the legislature.

Story continues

I say all that, to say this.

Sen. Corey Simon chats with other senators before the Senate Session begins on opening day of the 2023 Legislative Session, Tuesday, March 7, 2023.

Sen. Jones and I have become great friends. We work well together. I sit down and I pick his brain because I think he is exceptionally smart and understands the system. And as a freshman senator coming here, I think there's a lot to learn from him.

I can appreciate him and what he brings to the table because he speaks for a lot of us.

We don't always agree. The difference when we start to talk about diversity is he can walk into his neighborhood, and he can voice his opinion and I can walk into his neighborhood, and I can voice my opinion.

If my opinion differs from his, he is seen as a strong Black man standing up for the cause. And if I differ, if I provide a diverse opinion to his, I am seen as all of the names that you have heard Black men that don't succumb to the same thought process as others. I've heard the Uncle Tom's. I've heard all of the other ones over the years.

So, when we talk about diversity, are we only talking about diversity in the things that we agree with? Or does everybody have a voice? Does everybody have a chance to speak?

Let's think about all the students that wouldn't come up and voice their opinion if they agree with this because their university campuses will look at them harshly and they will define them as racist or other things and they just have a difference of opinion, a diversity of opinion.

That's what has been created. If a student disagrees, now they have to defend why they're not racist. The quickest way to shut down debate and dissent in conversation  and folks in the political space understand this  is to label someone.

Because now, they cannot actually argue for ways to fix the issue. They have to defend something that they never even thought had to be defended. They're put on the defense. The minute you call someone racist, the conversation stops. And we have used this as our dog whistle. It gets us all fired up.

We can be better. We have to be better. There is a generational divide and I get it.

Listen, I've gone through my district, and I've had these conversations over and over again. And there is a generation of my elders that I understand the life that they had to live and the choices that they've had to bear, and the things that they had to deal with. And I empathize with those.

And I carry some of those very same burdens. But it's the emotional intelligence, of being able to come down and actually see where we are, not where we were but where we are.

We have to be better. And if that's not what's going on on our university campuses, if that's not the discussion that is happening on our campuses, then we are doing it wrong.

I don't want to tell you what to think. I want you to discover how to think. That's what I think should be going on on our campuses."

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Corey Simon on effort to ban diversity, equity and inclusion in Florida
One of the keys to a perfect Irish coffee is getting the whipped cream to float on the top. There's a secret that'll help.

One of the keys to a perfect Irish coffee is getting the whipped cream to float on the top. There's a secret that'll help.

Legend has it that in the winter of 1943, Joe Sheridan, the chef at Foynes Port near Limerick, Ireland, decided to whip up something a little special for stranded airbase passengers  a mixture of whiskey and coffee with heavy cream floated on top. It became an instant hit and an airport specialty.

Nine years later, San Francisco Chronicle travel writer Stanton Delaplane tried the concoction at the airport and loved it so much that he asked a bartender in San Francisco (Jack Koeppler at the Buena Vista Hotel) to recreate it.

A few failed attempts and a trip to Irelands Shannon Airport later, the duo figured out how to successfully make the drink, selected the perfect glassware, and the Irish coffee as we know it officially landed in the United States.

The biggest issue in the drinks re-creation is the cream. Every early iteration ended in the cream falling to the bottom of the glass. Ultimately, the duo enlisted the help of the San Francisco mayor, who ran a dairy and suggested they use an aged cream and more sugar to help it float.

While the Buena Vista is the most widely accepted Irish coffee origin story, its possibly not the whole story. The drink also made an appearance in a New York Herald Tribune article by Clementine Paddleford in 1948. And some lore has it created at the Dolphin Pub in Dublin in 1940, rather than at the airport later that year. However, theres no denying that the Buena Vista, which even put out ads for the drink back in the 50s, is where it took off and became a hit.

But do Irish people actually drink Irish coffee? The answer is yes, although not as much as you might think.

The Irish coffee has become increasingly popular in Ireland alongside the countrys enthusiasm for coffee culture, but the hot whiskey or hot toddy remains the number one for a hot Irish whiskey drink in Ireland, said Alex Conyngham, the founder of Slane Irish Whiskey.

Story continues

The Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco currently serves up to 2,000 Irish coffees a day. If youre not near San Francisco and want to make one of your own, doing so is a relatively easy proposition. Youll just need some coffee, sugar, cream, and Irish whiskey.

Heres a good base recipe to get you started:

Irish Coffee

1 serving

1 ounce of whipped heavy cream cream

2 teaspoons of demerara sugar syrup (see below)

6 ounces of brewed coffee

1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) of Irish whiskey

Syrup:

To make the syrup, heat up 2 parts of demerara sugar and 3 parts of boiling water. (Youre going to probably want a few servings, so adjust your amounts accordingly.) Slowly add the sugar to boiling water and stir until it all dissolves. Once youre done, you can store your finished syrup in the fridge for up to a week for future coffees.

Whipped Cream:

Youll want to whip the cream to put on top of your drink to thicken it up. If you have a cocktail shaker you can shake it. Otherwise your favorite reusable container or travel mug, or anything with a lid will do. A 30-second shake of heavy cream in a protein shaker will do the trick, Conyngham advised.

To make the drink:

Start with a warmed glass. You get that by pouring in some hot water and then pouring it out. Afterward, pour in your whiskey and sugar syrup, and mix them together thoroughly. Kevin Denton Rex, the head of mixology and education at Pernod Ricard, Jamesons parent company, suggests slowly mixing in the sugar to gently release the alcohol vapor from the whiskey.

Afterward, add your coffee and then pour your cream very slowly into the cup over the back of a spoon. Using the spoon will help the cream float on top.

While many might be monitoring their sugar intake these days, Rex noted that the sugar is necessary not only for the taste of the drink, but also to help the cream float on top. This is one place where you dont want to cut back on the sugar.

If you want to try something a little different, Rex suggests using Kahlua as a sugar replacement. I also always top mine with nutmeg, he said. Slanes version uses vanilla-infused demerara syrup and is topped with dark chocolate orange shavings.

If youre looking for something completely different, Rex suggests swapping your coffee mug for a martini glass and trying an espresso martini using Irish whiskey.

Its kind of the same thing, he said, and can make for a fun spin on the original.

Related...
A Rockford man wanted in connection to a 2022 homicide has been taken into custody in Florida.

Rockford police announced 29-year-old Dylan Denham was arrested Thursday.

Denham was wanted in connection with an April 2022 fatal shooting in the area of 11th Street and 6th Avenue. Deontay Turner, 20, died in the shooting.

Denham was charged with first-degree murder.

Denham is currently being held in the Lee County jail in Ft. Myers, Florida, police said.

There's no word on when Denham will be brought back to Rockford.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Police: Rockford man wanted for 2022 homicide arrested in Florida
An aerial view of the 'Al-Mansur' yacht, once belonging to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, which has been lying on the water bed for years in the Shatt al-Arab waterway, in Basra. STRINGER/Reuters

Saddam Hussein's yachts were once luxurious signs of the dictator's power.

One boat is now a wrecked picnic site for fisherman. Another was reportedly almost a hotel.

Photos show these yachts today as Iraqi officials debate what to do with them.

Saddam Hussein's superyachts were once symbols of luxury, built in the 1980s and fitted with spacious presidential suites, marble tile, and various amenities.

But decades after his death, Hussein's vessels have met very different fates: one remains wrecked in a river a picnic site for fishermen  while the another nearly became a hotel.

The "Al-Mansur" multimillion-dollar yacht was once fitted to the personal requirements of Hussein, featuring gold trimming and an impressive atrium, according to Superyacht Content. Although it was never boarded by Hussein, the almost 400-foot boat remained moored at port for safekeeping.

When US forces invaded Iraq in March 2003, the "Al-Mansur" was a juicy target. Troops destroyed the boat, leaving it to sink in the Shatt al-Arab waterway.

The 'Al Mansur,' Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's private yacht, lies at the dockside in central Basra April 10, 2003. STR New/Reuters

20 years later, any sign of wealth or glamour is gone. "Al-Mansur" has been looted and stripped, its right side sunk deep into the riverbed.

But fishermen told Reuters it's not such a bad outcome. "When it was owned by the former president, no one could come close to it," said fisherman Hussein Sabahi, who enjoys a cup of tea on the wreck after a long day of fishing.

"I can't believe that this belonged to Saddam and now I'm the one moving around it," he added.

Saddam's rusting yacht serves as picnic spot for Iraqi fishermen. Reuters

Some Iraqis told Reuters they think the wreck should be preserved for history. Others say governments, which have not funded any preservation efforts, are right to leave it to the river.

Another one of Hussein's superyachts, the 270-foot "Bashrah Breeze," was built in 1981 for $25 million, or $100 million today, according to Yacht Harbour.

After Hussein's execution in 2006, ownership of the boat changed hands a few times.

But in 2008, a Cayman Island entity put the yacht up for sale, according to Boat International. NPR reported at the time that the boat  fitted with gold faucets, swimming pools, and a rocket launching system  could sell for as much as $35 million.

Story continues

A picture of the presidential suite of the yacht. Yacht Harbour

But it wasn't sold. Iraq stepped in and courts decided the "Bashrah Breeze" belonged to the government.

Since then, the yacht's briefly hosted researchers from Basra University on a marine trip, as reported by Yacht Harbour. At the time, officials said it was in good condition and functioning well.

In 2018, reports that "Bashrah Breeze" would be made into a hotel for pilots made international headlines. This was disputed by the former Director of the Marine Science Center at Basra University Ali Douabul, who told Boat International the rumors were "completely wrong."

"If they'd used it for pilots, they would have ruined it in no time. It's never been used as such. I got a very, very unpleasant call from the minister about that."

The 'Bashrah Breeze' superyacht owned by Saddam Hussein. Stephane-Danna/AFP via Getty

It's unclear if the boat will be made into a museum or moored somewhere permanently.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The new ARCHES Lodge, the former Capital Inn, on 1875 Fisher Road NE in Salem.

By early May, 74 new shelter and transitional housing units will be ready for veterans and medically fragile people experiencing homelessness in Salem.

The Capital Inn & Suites on Fisher Road NE near Sunnyview Road in northeast Salem was purchased by the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency and will be turned into the ARCHES Lodge. The 74-room motel will be converted into enough housing for 100 people, agency executive director Jimmy Jones said.

Who is paying for it?

The agency received a Project Turnkey 2.0 grant of $3.56 million toward the total project cost of $7.56 million to acquire and renovate the motel.

The round of funding was the second iteration of the state-funded grant program administered by the Oregon Community Foundation to increase the states supply of emergency and transitional housing.

The $10.6 million is expected to fund a dozen emergency shelters and 140 new transitional housing units in 2023.

Oregon Community Foundation officials said the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency is building on its success of the ARCHES Inn, another converted motel funded by the first round of Project Turnkey.

The unsheltered crisis in Oregon is a human tragedy, but thankfully, it is a tragedy we can bring to an end," Jones said. Our Project Turnkey Award from Oregon Community Foundation will end homelessness for another 100 impoverished and vulnerable residents of our community.

More:'Less a hotel and more of a home': Shelter opens at former Super 8 motel in Salem

Who the program helps

Through Project Turnkey, 19 motels transformed into shelters using $74.7 million in state funds. It added 865 housing units to the state's emergency shelter supply, according to the Oregon Community Foundation.

The ARCHES Inn opened in 2021 at the former Super 8 motel on Hawthorne Road. The 80-room motel prioritized those displaced by the 2020 wildfires.

Community leaders have stressed the need for more investment in supportive housing and shelter beds.

Story continues

Simply put, our unsheltered neighbors are suffering, said Ashley Hamilton, chief program officer of housing and homelessness for the agency. Not only are they living in often unsafe situations, but they also face fierce challenges when it comes to their own livelihood: chronic health conditions, mental health concerns, substance use, or even a combination of the above. When unsheltered, even trying to meet ones own basic needs is often a struggle.

What additional assistance will it provide?

Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency will operate the new property on Fisher through its ARCHES Project to provide shelter and services for veterans, medically fragile individuals and households referred by culturally specific partners.

With recent and ongoing renovations, including the conversion of up to 10 rooms into ADA-accessible units, the facility is suited for medical respite and allows for a trauma-informed approach to services that meets the Veterans Administration standards, agency leaders said.

The agency will connect with community partners to provide a range of supportive services including housing navigation, access to food and healthcare, and culturally specific supports.

Dying homeless:Melisa Blake was discharged from Salem Health to the streets. Hours later, she was dead

With 24/7 staffing, the lodge will offer wraparound services to residents, helping them move on to more permanent housing.

Staff will also coordinate addiction treatment, mental health services and primary medical care for residents and connect them to benefits, job training and employment opportunities.

By providing a safe space to begin the housing stabilization journey and offering case management, housing navigation and behavioral health services, MWVCAA can truly offer a holistic and multi-disciplinary experience at the ARCHES Lodge, creating life-long impacts for the people we serve," Hamilton said.

For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Capital Inn & Suites to house homeless vets, medically fragile
Mark Adams, founder and former owner of the California Receivership Group. Adams sold the business to his employees in August 2021.

Mark Adams began his company, California Receivership Group, more than two decades ago. Since then, he said he has worked with community organizations to clean up roughly 300 properties all over California.

Through a process called receivership, the company worked with community organizations to identify and abate properties that had become nuisances in their neighborhoods, whether they were vacant or belonged to landlords who refused to address health hazards in their properties.

RELATED: Renting in Milwaukee? Here are some things you need to know.

Adams, now 72, sold the company to his employees in 2021. Why? He said he wants to rededicate his time to expand the role of receivership to cities all over the country.

"(We) have cities and tenant groups pleading for remedies like this," he said. "(Milwaukee) has housing problems that would warrant the health and safety receivership remedy."

What is receivership?

A receiver is a party, typically nominated by the city or judge, who is responsible for ensuring abatement to a property that has been identified as a nuisance or as containing hazardous to human health.

The process usually involves a tenant identifying a nuisance property and reaching out to the city or a community organization. Then representatives of that organization (or a city or county) petition a city clerk or judge to have the location legally declared a nuisance or health hazard. Usually, they will bring photos and other evidence demonstrating the property is uninhabitable or has building code violations.

If the judge or clerk makes that declaration, the property owner is ordered to address the violations. If the property owner does not comply, the organization can nominate someone to be a health and safety receiver who can address the violations.

Adams noted property owners and lenders usually object to receiverships out of self-interest. "The type of owner who runs a slum property doesnt want to make capital investments in the property, and the lender is more concerned about the primacy of the trust deed over the poor people who are living there," he said.

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How does receivership work in Wisconsin?

According to Adams, any property in violation of a municipal ordinance, building code violation, or a citation from code enforcement is by definition, a nuisance property.

Once that occurs, Adams said there are two Wisconsin laws he believes are underutilized laws that allow receivership to occur: Wisconsin Statute 254.595 and Wisconsin Statute 823.23.

Wisconsin Statute 254.595

This statute states tenants living in a residence can petition their municipality to declare the property a nuisance. If the city doesnt do so in 20 days, the tenants can petition the court on their own.

If a violation is found, the property is declared a nuisance or human health hazard and the owner has 60 days to address the violation and provide evidence to the court. If the property owner fails to address the violation, the court can appoint a receiver to abate the issue. Attempting to sell or change ownership of the property does not remove the court's finding.

During the abatement, the receiver has a lien over the property, which means they essentially have possession over it until the costs of the abatement are paid for. The receiver is responsible for paying the mortgage of the property and/or the management of a rental property.

The receiver is also allowed to:

Collect all profits from the property

Borrow money using the property as collateral

Sell the property (at the request of the owner) to a price that is equal to its appraisal value plus the cost of repairs.

Wisconsin Statute 823.23

This statute establishes the procedure for appointing a receiver. It notes that a city, village or town may apply for the appointment of a receiver if no other interested party has done so.

Other parties eligible to be receivers include a housing authority, community development authority, housing-focused nonprofit or redevelopment company/corporation/authority. If none of those parties are able to be appointed, the court can appoint anyone it deems "competent."

The law also states that, during a receivership, neither the landlord nor the receiver can:

Increase rent

Decrease services for the tenant

Refuse to renew rental agreements

Retaliate against the tenants who reported violations

Finally, it notes that all court and abatement costs incurred by the receiver must be determined reasonable by the court. Once that occurs, the costs can be set as a "superior" lien against the property, which means it must be paid before any other judgments, mortgages or liens on the property, with the exception of property taxes. In California, this is referred to as "super priority," and Adams said it is one of the most powerful incentives for property owners to comply.

What is a public nuisance?

Wisconsin law defines a public nuisance as, "A nuisance is an unreasonable activity or use of property that interferes substantially with the comfortable enjoyment of life, health, or safety of others." The city of Milwaukee has a definition of what constitutes a chronic nuisance property under its code of ordinances (80-10-2) and has developed a handout describing how landlords, tenants and neighbors can address nuisance activity.

Health hazards are more broadly defined, and they usually require a tenant to (1) present evidence of the nuisance, (2) prove their behavior did not cause the nuisance conditions and (3) prove the nuisance is making them ill or has the potential to cause harm.

Health hazards typically include the following:

Pest/rodent infestations

Lack of heating

Lack of functioning plumbing

Roofing leaks

Gas leaks

Evidence of lead contamination, asbestos or other toxic chemicals

Vacant homes that are attracting rodents, criminal activity, etc.

The League of Wisconsin Municipalities also has more information regarding nuisance properties.

What are some limitations to receivership?

Receiverships tend to rely on building code violations, which are what are typically used to determine a nuisance or habitability issue. Cities with weak code enforcement departments or building codes typically make receivership less effective.

In addition, Adams said it is common for landlords to blame any building defects or issues affecting habitability on tenants.

"In my experience, especially with apartment building receiverships, the first thing that owners say (is), Oh this is the problem of the filthy tenants who live in these units," he said. "My answer to them is, under California law, the owner has an obligation to provide habitable housing  it is not '(provide) habitable housing unless the tenant has poor dishwashing habits.'"

"Its usually just a ruse by slumlords to claim it is the tenants fault," he added.

Finally, Adams noted that Milwaukee. and any other city interested in using receiverships, will likely need to start out with a test case.

"The first one I did in 1999 was for a slum apartment building in downtown Los Angeles," he recalled. "The case was taken on a pro-bono basis by Latham & Watkins on behalf of the tenants. I got involved because the (University of California-Los Angeles) law professor who had written our statute out here, I knew him, and they were looking for someone to take it on."

Winning that test case helped the city, and eventually, the state, realize the power of receiverships.

What's next in receivership?

Adams is currently working with partners in Memphis, Tennessee to develop a symposium for all interested municipalities across the country to come and learn about receiverships.

Adams said there are 21 states with receivership statutes as strong as those of Wisconsin and California.

And once it's used, Adams said it often becomes a regular tool for addressing nuisance properties.

"Once a city or county does one (case) and sees how powerful the receivership is, they become repeat business," he said. "They will call us."

Need more help with housing questions? The Milwaukee Resource Guide is here to help. Have something you want answered? Submit a question.

Talis Shelbourne is an investigative solutions reporter covering the issues of affordable housing and lead poisoning. Have a tip? You can reach Talis at (414) 403-6651 or tshelbourn@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @talisseer and message her on Facebook at @talisseer.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Receivership could force Wisconsin slumlords to clean up their properties
Datskovska on a trip to Rome while studying abroad Courtesy of Stacia Datskovska

Stacia Datskovska did not have a good time studying abroad. Now, thousands of internet strangers are mocking her about it.

Im laughing along with them, Datskovska told BuzzFeed News, her first interview since becoming Twitters main character of the day on Wednesday. The lower people went, the more empowered I felt.

In an essay for Insider titled I'm an NYU student who studied abroad in Florence. I hated every aspect of my semester abroad, the 19-year-old wrote about how her experience at NYUs Florence campus wasnt filled with the romantic rides on Vespas and strolls with gelato that she expected.

Datskovska in Florence where she studied abroad Courtesy of Stacia Datskovska

People accept this romanticized version of things and don't embrace anyone who deviates from that vision, Datskovska told BuzzFeed News. Society represses anything negative we have to say about travel and different cultures.

In the piece, the teenager, who skipped two grades and is set to graduate college early, said she grew to despise the sights and residents of Italy. She wrote that she couldnt wait to get back home to her college in New York City.

The story was published on March 9, but the online response reached its peak on March 14, when Twitter users responded with fury, calling Datskovska " entitled " and obnoxious. Amanda Knox , who was wrongfully imprisoned in connection with her roommates murder while abroad in Italy, chimed in with a joke.

Girl, what are you talking about? Studying abroad is awesome!https://t.co/xlEgCKTzqg 03:43 AM - 15 Mar 2023

Another person compared her to the oft-maligned Gen Z White Lotus character who has a very bad time in Sicily.

I thought it was an interesting essay 02:39 AM - 15 Mar 2023

Emily in Paris has caused irreparable cultural damage, one user tweeted . Going abroad isnt easy! But hating your time in Italy because it isnt the fantasy you created in your head is obnoxious! another wrote .

Story continues

Datskovska told BuzzFeed News that she didnt expect this story to go so viral, she figures its a rite of passage for any writer. She made one of the headlines,  Entitled American student sparks backlash, her Twitter header.

Others took issue with the editor who commissioned the piece for publishing an article that inspired so much outrage against a young freelancer. One person said the writer seemed to have been exploited.  Another called it malpractice.

Courtesy of Stacia Datskovska

Datskovska, a journalism and international studies major, was required to do a study abroad program in order to graduate. She had to choose between Washington, DC, close to her hometown, and Florence, Italy.

She had already experienced Italy, too  her parents, both Ukrainian, brought her on adventures through Europe at least twice a year growing up. She spent some of her childhood living in Kyiv, and in 2019, she worked in a hostel on the Amalfi Coast of Italy for a month.

Abroad in Florence, Datskovska spent her days wandering alone, looking at art, and making food with ingredients fresh from the market  a culturally rich Italian experience that tourists have coveted for centuries. But such a common dream was a nightmare for her.

Datskovska on a trip in Rome while studying abroad Courtesy of Stacia Datskovska

Its not what you do, its the mental state you do it in, she told BuzzFeed News. My general disillusionment with the culture and the people conditioned me to have a negative experience.

Datskovska was homesick, oceans away from her routine and professional network, anxious about the progress shed have to catch up on. She lived in a chaotic housing situation with seven people, forcing her to spend most of her time in a tiny room she compared to solitary confinement.

When her friends traveled, they did so lavishly with huge Airbnbs and expensive parties. She stayed back to be more frugal and ventured out a few times on her own to visit locations that interested her, like Rome and Dubai.

Datskovska found Florentine residents to be rude to visitors, though 5,000 students studying abroad stay in the neighborhood every semester. She said that she could speak Italian, but she still caught judgmental glances from locals.

Datskovska on a trip she took with her mom to Dubai Courtesy of Stacia Datskovska

If Datskovska could do it all again, she wouldnt go anywhere else. She just wouldnt set any expectations. Having a negative experience has shaped who I am as a person tremendously and illuminated values, she said.

Those values are the same ones shes learning from the experience of going viral in a bad way.

I will never be afraid to be a contrarian, she said. Ive learned from the Florence shenanigans that its OK to contradict what people are comfortable accepting as the norm.

More on this
Instructors Tina Tagorda and Isaiah Ferguson demonstrate how to throw the perfect punch at the women's self-defense workshop at Concepcion Academy of Martial Arts in Stockton on Saturday, March 11, 2023.

For 20 women inside the Concepcion Academy of Martial Arts at 8909 Thornton Road, their focus was intensely set on self-defense and preparing for anything.

They worked on kicking, punching, learning to break free after being pinned to the ground and various Muay Thai drills.

Tina Tagorda, an assistant taekwondo instructor at the martial arts center, hosted the class. While she typically teaches children, she's become passionate about teaching self-defense.

"The way I carry myself now, and the way I stand up straight and look up straight, is because of martial arts," Tagorda said. "It has made me learn that I can defend myself, whether it's against a man or a woman."

Since 2017, Tagorda has taught four self-defense workshops. The most recent workshop was organized to help Asian women feel safer amid a nationwide increase in hate crimes targeting their community.

"I grew up on the south side of Stockton for literally my whole life," Tagorda said, "so I was always afraid as a woman, but now that I have learned martial arts ... I feel more OK now."

Saturday was Lailani Chan's first self-defense class.

I took introduction to karate in college, but I dont remember anything, Lailani said.

Lailani, who has lived in Stockton for 40 years, said she moved to Stockton from the Philippines when she was only 6 years old. She said she believes its important for all women to be able to fight back.I wish my niece was here, Lailani said. Shes going away to college and you cant help but to worry about them with all of those stories. I definitely think I learned a lot today.

Rebecca Galas (left) and Melody Soriano (right), both of Stockton, practice throwing punches at the women's self-defense workshop at Concepcion Academy of Martial Arts on Saturday, March 11, 2023.

Hate crimes against Asians on rise

The workshop was in partnership with Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities, Healing PUSO, The 209 API Coalition and Little Manila Rising.

"Really what we've been seeing, especially with the hate crimes against the Asian community, is not understanding the basics of keeping yourself safe," said Nikki Chan, executive director of Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities. "I think that's really where the idea came from ... where at least if folks knew the basics of standing your ground or what to do when somebody attacks you, it'll help you be a lot safer."

Story continues

A previous workshop organized by Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities and Little Manila Rising in September was dedicated to personal safety and self-defense for older people. The organizations will be holding another self-defense workshop  open to both men and women  on Saturday, April 29 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m at the Concepcion Academy of Martial Arts.

Besides teaching members of the Asian community how to defend themselves, Nikki said she wants to educate community members on what constitutes a hate crime.

Stockton police officer Andres Morado said that between January 2022 and December 2022, there were two reported anti-Asian hate crimes in the city.

This year, no anti-Asian hate crimes have been reported to the Stockton Police Department, Morado said.

"I know there's definitely more out there that's not getting reported because of this misunderstanding of what exactly a hate crime is," Nikki said.

"We absolutely want to let our citizens know if they believe they're a victim of a hate crime to report it to us immediately," Morado said. "That way, it can go through the right channels and our investigators can take a look at it."

The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division defines hate crimes as "acts of violence or threats of violence motivated by bias based on statutorily-protected characteristics."

But Nikki said hate crimes can be more complex than the legal definition.

"What's really happening in Stockton that we're noticing is not necessarily someone walking up to somebody and saying, 'Go back to your country, I hate you,'" Nikki said. "What we're seeing is specific crimes targeted against our community."

Stockton residents CaseyAnn Carbonell (left) and Lailani Chan (right) practice escape techniques at the women's self-defense workshop at Concepcion Academy of Martial Arts on Saturday, March 11, 2023.

In February, an elderly Filipino woman had her purse snatched  which contained her immigration papers  by two men at Walmart at 3223 E. Hammer Lane. The woman's family later told CBS Sacramento they feared it was part of a trend in violence toward Asian Americans.

Nikki added that her organization recently created a fund to help support community members who have been victims of hate crimes. The fund was able to help pay for the Filipino woman's green card replacement  which can cost up to $540 to replace.

"We want to make sure that we put that out to the community," Nikki said. "We have some money to support you if you've been the victim of a hate crime or a victim of violence."

For more information on free program services including monthly community healing circles, Asian Health and Healing Clinics to promote holistic health, anti-hate crime resources, self-defense and safety trainings and financial support for victims of hate, visit littlemanila.org/puso.

To report an act of hate, community members can visit tinyurl.com/209stopthehate or contact the Stockton Police Department at (209) 937-8495.

Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton self-defense workshop for Asian women
GoFundMe

The family of a South Carolina teenager whose mysterious roadside death has been linked with the once-prominent Murdaugh family says his body will be exhumed.

The decision to exhume Stephen Smith for an independent autopsy comes seven years after the 19-year-old was found dead on a backcountry road in Hampton, South Carolinajust miles away from the Murdaughs family hunting estate. While his July 8, 2015, death was deemed suspicious, a medical examiner ultimately concluded he died from a hit-and-run and no one was ever charged in the case.

In June 2021, however, state authorities announced they would open an investigation into Smiths death based upon information gathered during the course of the double-murder investigation of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh.

Now, after Alex Murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his wife and son, Smiths family is taking matters into their own hands to figure out what happened to the aspiring nurse. After Murdaughs conviction, the Smith family started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the independent autopsyand as of Friday morning have amassed $43,000.

Our family is so very grateful to all of you who came together to help us in our fight for justice for Stephen. I could not have imagined when we began this fundraiser that it would take off the way that it did, Sandy Smith, the teenagers mother, wrote in a Thursday post on the campaign site. Thank you for not allowing Stephens story to be swept under [the] rug.

We will pursue the exhumation immediately and provide updates along the way. Thank you for the kind words, prayers, and donations, she added. You have made this possible, and it means the world to us. This is Stephens year.

Smiths family and their lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The decision to pursue an independent autopsy marks the most significant update into the case that has been tied to the Murdaugh family. A spokesperson for the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) told The Daily Beast that investigators have made progress in the death investigation of Stephen Smith, however, this investigation remains active and ongoing.

Story continues

The spokesperson, however, declined to comment about what information gathered from Paul and Maggie Murdaughs murder prompted a new look into Smiths deathor how the Murdaughs might have been connected to the teenager.

South Carolina Highway Patrol records obtained by the Island Packet detail how investigators probing Smiths death in 2015 unsuccessfully chased several tips about the Murdaugh familys possible connection to the case. Several witnesses, according to the records, suggested that Murdaughs elder son, Buster, now 26, could have been somehow involved in Smiths death.

Buster Murdaugh Calls Cops on Photogs Following Him

Authorities, however, could never corroborate the claims. Buster Murdaughwho went to the same high school as Smithhas never been charged in connection with the case.

The Murdaughs know that, then-SCHP Lance Cpl. Todd Proctor said in a Sept. 2, 2015, interview with a tipster, according to the Packet. They know that [Busters] on our radar.

Smiths sister also revealed in a July 2015 interview to authorities that Alex Murdaughs older brother called her family shortly after they learned the news about the teenagers death.

The day that Stephen passed away, Randy Murdaugh was the second person to call my dad after the coroner, Stephanie Smith said, according to the records obtained by the Packet. And he said he wanted to take the case, and it would be free of charge and everything.

Now Smiths family is focused on finding out answers themselvesand are leaning on the support of the community.

We need a new, unbiased look at his body and an accurate determination of his cause of death based on facts. There was no debris in the road, and his injuries were not consistent with a hit-and-run, Smiths mother said on the GoFundMe campaign site. We are hoping that with your support we can make this happen and finally get the answers we need.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here

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A 15-year-old accused of killing five people in an October shooting rampage within the Hedingham neighborhood in Raleigh.

A 17-year-old charged with shooting and killing a 14-year-old and 18-year-old as they run away from him in Orange County.

Two 16-year-olds charged with killing a 17-year-old moments after he stepped off a school bus in Charlotte.

In each of these cases, teens could be prosecuted for first-degree murder. If found guilty, they could face life in prison at a time when research and the courts say such punishment for young defendants can be inappropriate and inhumane.

North Carolina prosecutors are well aware of the science and rulings. But when asked about sending minors to prison for life, they say they want to keep their options open.

Wake, Orange, Durham and Mecklenburg county district attorneys said they would only send kids to prison for life in very limited circumstances.

Life sentences for juveniles should be reserved to a very limited number of heinous crimes, such as the Hedingham killings last fall, Wake District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said.

A 15-year-old has been identified as the shooter. He is not yet charged with murder in adult court, but Freeman has said she is in the process of transferring the case from the juvenile system.

That is an example of a case where we would be seeking a life sentence, she said of the mass shooting, unless mitigating evidence is uncovered.

Lorrin Freeman is the Wake County district attorney .

A recent increase in murder charges against minor-aged North Carolinians may require Freeman and other district attorneys across the state to make such difficult decisions more often.

There were 220 juvenile complaints, the equivalent to adult charges, of first-degree murder sought against minor-aged defendants during the fiscal year 2021-22. Thats a 90% increase from 116 complaints the previous year, according to the North Carolina Division of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

U.S. Supreme Court rulings

When assessing the fairness of criminal sentences, U.S. Supreme Court rulings over the past 18 years have recognized that the developing brains of minor-aged defendants make them more vulnerable to recklessness and outside influences than adults.

Story continues

Youth can still be sent to prison for life for murder, but such punishments should be uncommon and judges must consider their age, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled.

Activists say sending kids to prison for the rest of their life is always cruel and unusual punishment, however. Human Rights Watch says the United States is the only country that does it.

I dont think that any kid should get life without parole, said Ben Finholt, director of the Just Sentencing Project at Duke law school. The project studies extreme sentences, including juveniles sentenced to life in North Carolina, and racial disparities.

National civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, oppose life sentences for youth. So does a task force established by Gov. Roy Cooper.

Opponents point to research that has concluded that its impossible to know how the brains of teenagers or younger children charged with crimes will develop over time.

No one can tell the future, and because we cant tell the future it doesnt make any sense that someone has to spend the rest of their life in prison, Finholt said.

Five crosses memorialize the victims of the mass shooting at the entrance to the Hedingham neighborhood on Friday, January 13, 2023 in Raleigh, N.C. Victims James Thompson, Mary Marshall, Nicole Connors, Raleigh Police Officer Gabriel Torres and Susan Karnatz all lost their lives in the mass shooting on October 13, 2022.

Other arguments against life sentences focus on costs and disparities with the amount of time served.

A 50-year sentence for a 16-year-old was estimated in 2020 to cost about $2.25 million, according to Finholt and co-authors report on North Carolina minors sentenced to life.

It also costs thousands of dollars for each offender fighting for an earlier release following the Supreme Court decisions, the report states.

Supreme Court decisions have noted that juveniles sentenced to life in prison end up serving longer than adults.

The number of youths sentenced to life in North Carolina has dropped dramatically since the Supreme Court banned automatic life sentences for juveniles in 2012. Six have been sentenced to life since then, compared to about 50 from 2002 to 2012.

Youth sentencing rules differ

If an adult is convicted of first-degree murder in North Carolina, whether he or she fired a gun or participated in a robbery that led to a killing, the sentence is automatically life in prison.

Thats not the case for juveniles.

U.S. Supreme Court rulings between 2005 and 2016 barred courts from sentencing minors to death or to automatic life sentences, calling those practices cruel and unusual punishments for vulnerable youth.

District attorneys play a huge role in the process that can end with minors being sentenced to prison for life.

They decide what charges should be prosecuted. They also decide whether cases will be heard in juvenile court, which aims to be rehabilitation-oriented, or adult court, which is usually punitive.

Spencer Merriweather is Mecklenburg Countys district attorney.

The decision to pursue criminal charges against a young defendant in adult court is never taken lightly, said Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather.

Current science and research about childrens brains is why Merriweathers office reviews each of the cases carefully, he said. In Mecklenburg, about a dozen homicide prosecutors scrutinize cases before assessing whether to move young defendants to adult court, he said.

Ultimately that decision lands on Merriweathers desk. Merriweather said he couldnt share specific details of past cases because juvenile cases require confidentiality.

But in cases where youth defendants were not the shooters, or were egged on by adults, they are less likely to get moved, he said.

Sometimes cases involve a defendant who has an extensive list of issues in juvenile court, such as shooting multiple people before being charged with a murder.

I have got some responsibilities to the community to consider every option on the table, Merriweather said.

Juries, judges decide too

If the district attorney takes a young persons murder charges to trial, a jury will decide whether a youth defendant is guilty.

If a defendant is found guilty of first-degree murder, the district attorney could then argue that he or she fits the Supreme Court standard of being irreparably corrupt or permanently incorrigible.

But judges make the final sentencing decisions.

Since 1994, 95 young defendants have been sentenced to life without parole sentences in North Carolina. The youngest was 13 at the time the crime was committed. Four were 14 years old.

In recent years, that record has drawn criticism and scrutiny. In 2020, Cooper established the North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice. In its initial report, members expressed concerns about previous juvenile life sentences being concentrated in a small number of counties and plagued by racial disparities.

The task forces many recommendations for reform included guidance that young defendants should be eligible for parole after 25 years for first-degree murder convictions.

Prosecutors differ on sentences

Durham County DA Satana Deberry and Orange-Chatham counties DA Jeff Nieman have taken a hard line on the death penalty, the most severe punishment for adults. They have both pledged not to use it.

However, when contacted on sentencing of young defendants, they did not rule out advocating for sentencing young defendants to life without parole.

Deberry stressed that she is unlikely to pursue a life in prison sentence for a youth. I would make every effort not to, she said, citing the cumulative research and court rulings.

Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry speaks during a press conference held by a coalition of local law enforcement agencies to address the increase in violent crime in the recent weeks, including the death of 9-year-old ZYon Person four days prior, on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019, at the Durham Police Headquarters in Durham, NC.

Nieman said he plans to abide by the law as it is written, which includes the life without parole option for extreme cases, he said.

An example when it was appropriate, he said, was the Laurence Lovette case. It was especially heinous and cruel and premeditated, the district attorney said.

Lovette was 17 when he and Demario Atwater robbed and shot and killed UNC student body president Eve Carson to death in 2008.

Lovette was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 2012, with North Carolina courts reviewing and upholding the life sentence after the U.S. Supreme Court banned automatic life sentences.

Nieman declined to comment on whether he would seek juvenile life without parole for a more recent killing in Orange County.

Issiah Ross is charged with killing Lyric Woods, 14, and Devin Clark, 18, in September off a grassy trail on Buckhorn Road, near Efland. Ross was 17 on the early morning they were killed.

They were shot multiple times in their backs while running for their lives, she said.





Virginia Bridges covers criminal justice in the Triangle and across North Carolina for The News & Observer. Her work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The N&O maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
Transgender people in Tennessee would be prevented from changing their driver's licenses and birth certificates under legislation approved by the Republican senators on Monday.

The legislation, which still must clear the House chamber, would define male and female in state law and base people's legal gender identities on their anatomy at birth. Legislative officials have warned that enacting the bill could cost the state millions in federal funding because the definition conflicts with federal rules.

Concert:Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne, Jason Isbell and more set for benefit concert amid anti-LGBTQ legislation

Bills signed:Gov. Bill Lee signs ban on gender-affirming care for minors, drag restrictions into law

According to the fiscal review, this means Tennessee could potentially lose $1.2 billion of federal education funding and $750,000 of federal grants dedicated to help women and children. Other state and local governments could also be impacted, but the review did not detail a specific amount.

LGBTQ-rights advocates have long argued that having a driver's license or birth certificate match a person's identity is not only personally important but also beneficial to avoiding harassment.

Nevertheless, a handful of Republican-led states have introduced similar bills  including Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma  as GOP lawmakers have put transgender issues at the forefront of their legislative agenda

Republican Gov. Bill Lee has not publicly voiced whether he supports the legislation

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Senate OKs push to define 'sex'; may risk funding
Resolution pulled from Texas House floor after Republican lawmakers objected to honoring the couple who challenged the states ban on marriage equality.

A symbolic resolution honoring a gay couple was pulled from a vote in the Texas House after opposition from some Republican lawmakers.

House Resolution 85, authored by State Rep. Mihaela Plesa, a Democrat from Dallas, honored Mark Phariss and Victor Holmes, the gay Texas couple who challenged the states ban on marriage equality in 2013.

Ive spoken with Mark and Vic, and weve decided to pull this resolution down from consideration, Pleasa said in a statement announcing the move. We will not be a party to the hatefulness on display.

Phariss and Holmes sued the state of Texas in 2013 to overturn its ban on marriage equality. The state dropped its defense in the lawsuit following the Supreme Courts decision in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 recognizing marriage equality at the federal level. Phariss and Holmes were later awarded $605,000 in attorneys fees from the state.

State Rep. Tony Tinderholt, a Republican, was among those in opposition to HR 85.

Dade Phelans leadership team is placing another pro LGBTQ+ resolution in this weeks resolution packet (HR 85), Tinderholt tweeted on Tuesday.

None  (@)

The Dallas Morning News reports that hundreds of similar resolutions are passed every session  examples include congratulating the Houston Astros on their 2022 World Series win or recognizing a local barbecue competition.

Despite the setback, Plesa vowed to honor the couple in a resolution that did not require a House vote.



I wont allow a radical agenda of hatred and division to tarnish this resolution and above all else, I refuse to allow Texans to be used as political pawns or be subjected to harassment.

Texas has introduced several proposals targeting LGBTQ+ people, including banning transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming health care.

RELATED: PHOTOS: Meet the Men Taking on Texas's Marriage Ban
Three men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with the Nov. 17 armed bank robbery of Rockland Trust Bank in Tisbury on Marthas Vineyard, according to the U.S. Department of Justice on March 16.

Miquel Antonio Jones, 39, of Edgartown, and Omar Odion Johnson, 32, of Canterbury, N.H., were each indicted on one count of armed bank robbery and aiding and abetting.

Romane Andre Clayton, 21, of Jamaica, was indicted on one count of being an accessory after the fact to armed bank robbery.

Jones, Johnson and Clayton will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date, according to the Justice Department.

Three armed and masked individuals robbed a Rockland Trust Bank on Nov. 17, 2022, in Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard, according to the police and federal prosecutors. The individuals entered the rear door of the bank wearing dark clothing and masks resembling an older man with exaggerated facial features.

Attorneys for Jones and Johnson were not immediately available for comment Friday.

Two of the men remain in custody, and one was released with conditions

Miquel A Jones was arrested Nov. 18 after he was stopped by police while driving. Johnson was arrested Nov. 26 during a car stop in New Haven, Connecticut, and Clayton was arrested Dec. 9 in Connecticut.

Following their arrests, Jones and Johnson pleaded not guilty in state court to armed robbery and conspiracy. Bail for each man was set at $300,000 with conditions. The pair remained in custody as of March 16, according to the Justice Department.

Clayton was released on conditions imposed originally by a judge on Dec. 12 in New Haven, Connecticut, according to Christina Sterling, spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins. While on release, Clayton must not violate any laws, if authorized must cooperate in the collection of any DNA samples, must let the court know of any residence or phone number change, if ordered must sign an appearance bond and must appear in court as required and, if convicted, must surrender as directed to serve a sentence that the court may impose.

There are fines and prison time associated with the charges if the men are convicted.

Conviction of armed bank robbery carries a penalty of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine, according to the Justice Department. The charge of being an accessory after the fact provides for a sentence of up to 150 months in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

Story continues

The details contained in the charging documents are allegations, according to the Justice Department. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

On Nov. 17, at around 8:15 a.m., the Rockland Trust bank in Vineyard Haven was robbed at gunpoint by three people. According to police, robbers wearing dark clothing and masks that looked like an older man with exaggerated facial features entered through the back of the bank and held semi-automatic weapons. They forced a teller to open a vault at gunpoint, stealing $39,100. They also tied up employees with plastic ties and duct tape. They stole a vehicle from a teller, later driving it to Manuel F. Correllus State Forest next to Marthas Vineyard Airport where they abandoned it around 8:30 a.m.

Gain access to premium Cape Cod Times content by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Rockland Trust bank robbery on Vineyard: 3 indicted in federal court
On Feb. 5, 2020, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in Dane County. By March 6, 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Winnebago County. Four days later, local health officials announced the virus was also detected in Brown and Outagamie counties.

This week marked three years since the start of the pandemic that signified tragedy and loss for many and changed the way people lived their lives.

As the region goes into the next year, the levels of community transmission are low and there are some reasons to celebrate.

Bellin Hospital doctor: 'We're in a really good place now'

Thankfully, we don't have to think about COVID every single day like we had to early in the pandemic so that we could try to help protect our region and our population of people, said Dr. Bradley Burmeister, an emergency physician at Bellin Hospital. Looking back, I think we're in a really good place now. We still see some COVID cases, but they seem to be less severe. They have less of an impact on our system.

On March 10, 25 patients were hospitalized with COVID-19 in northeastern Wisconsin, the lowest number of hospitalizations since May 27, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

It took a lot of learning about the virus to figure out how to combat spread and the best ways to take care of people to get to where we are now, Burmeister said, highlighting the work of public health workers. There was also growth in peoples understandings of illness and precautions for prevention, he said.

The statewide mask mandate put in place by Gov. Tony Evers went into effect today, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2020, in the state of Wisconsin.

In the beginning

Gov. Tony Evers issued a safer-at-home order March 24, 2020. For some students, the order coincided around their spring breaks so they were excited to get a couple more weeks off school. They didnt know it would turn into months of remote learning.

Employees left the office thinking things would be back to normal in a couple weeks.

But slowly, the cancellations and postponements started rolling in  concerts, festivals, church services, sporting events, extracurriculars wouldnt be rescheduled until further notice. High school and college graduation ceremonies would be over a screen. Kids didnt know when they would see their grandparents again.

Story continues

Buildings, airports, and streets were suddenly empty. The world got quiet and shut down.

In April 2020, Brown County opened a community testing site at the Resch Center as more health systems also provided drive-through testing sites in the region.

By September 2020, Lambeau Field was prepping for the first home opener without fans in the stadium.

The virus showed no signs of stopping. Residents, nurses, and doctors began publicly pleading with Green Bay and Fox Valley residents to do what they could to reduce spread. Variants started tearing their way through the local health system. The delta variant outbreak in summer 2021 and the omicron surge wreaked havoc throughout the fall into 2022.

Vaccines first reached Green Bay in December 2020. Doses were administered to Prevea and HSHS health care workers  finally there was a shot of hope. As schools reopened and employers returned to the office, the world started opening up again.

Each year since then, more and more activities returned to their pre-pandemic pace.

This week marks the three-year anniversary since the first cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the region.

'Put more of the joy back into life': The future and vaccinations

Whether it was staying home or volunteering to make masks for the neighborhood, those efforts probably saved lives.

"Just what the communities did together to help us all get through this is something to celebrate," said Dr. Mark Cockley, chief clinical officer at ThedaCare.

The death toll has been enormous. As of March 15, 2023, 16,383 Wisconsinites have died of the virus. According to state data as of March 16, the confirmed COVID-19 deaths by county in central and northeastern Wisconsin:

Marathon: 485

Brown: 462

Outagamie: 389

Winnebago: 357

Sheboygan: 295

Fond du Lac: 285

Wood: 242

Manitowoc: 187

Portage: 165

In ThedaCare hospitals, about five to 10 people are coming in each week with COVID-19, most of them with less severe cases of the virus due to their vaccinations, Cockley said. Some employees are also calling in sick with COVID-19 symptoms, so it's important to continue taking some precautions, he said.

Wisconsinites should stay up to date on vaccinations, including the bivalent COVID-19 booster, he said. The booster shot provides protection specifically for the omicron variant. What was once a race to find an available dose, getting a vaccine appointment has now become quicker because of its ample supply.

In the northeast region, only just over 18% of residents got a booster shot, according to DHS. About half of the region's 65 and older got the booster.

About four in 10 people also have yet to get the original two-dose series of a COVID-19 vaccine.

More:As COVID turns 3, experts worry where the next pandemic will come from  and if we'll be ready

For subscribers:Health experts optimistic that even if COVID cases rise, hospitalizations and deaths should remain under control

"There's not anything saying that this virus can't mutate to something that's even worse again. We know it's very infectious," Cockley said.

Whether it's visiting family, vacations, trips they used to take, the family ritual trips, or the traditions that we carried out that we modified in the last couple of years, Cockley said. How do we get back to some of those again to put more of the joy back into life.

Benita Mathew is a health and science reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. Contact her at bmathew@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @benita_mathew.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Lives lost, changed due to COVID-19 in northeastern, central Wisconsin
Image via Getty/Ben Gabbe

The mountain range-mimicking chocolate bar Toblerone will no longer be allowed to claim its Swiss-made status due to a change of location in production.

Previously situated in Bern, parent company Mondelez International will move a portion of its production in Q3 of 2023 to the Slovakian capital of Bratislava. According to CNN, the triangle-shaped breakable delight will officially lose its well-known Matterhorn peak logo, which has adorned its package since 1970.

We need to adjust our packaging to comply with Swissness legislation. We have removed our Swissness claim from the front of the Toblerone pack and changed our description of Switzerland to established in, the spokesperson said.

Switzerlands 2017 Swissness Act states that national symbols and the Swiss cross must meet Swissness criteria for product use. The act requires that the creation, and 80 percent of the food ingredients, be in Switzerland except for the need for non-native natural products.

The company produces over 7 billion bars annually, with 97 percent of its products sent to 120 countries. It claims one Toblerone is sold every two seconds in airport duty-free shops alone.

Mondelezs new packaging will include an image of a different mountain and a distinctive new Toblerone typeface and logo with the signature of founder Theodor Tobler. Tobler and cousin Emil Baumann created the chocolate bar in the early 1900s.

Bern is an important part of our history and will continue to be so for the future, the spokesperson shared.

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U.S. Marshals Service seal

A Massillon-area man convicted of a sex offense last year in Stark County was arrested Friday by the U.S. Marshals at a Columbus-area hotel where he was staying with a minor.

The 23-year-old suspect was wanted by the Stark County Sheriff's Office and Stark County Adult Probation for allegedly violating the conditions of his probation.

The man pleaded guilty in June to a felony count of gross sexual imposition. According to court records, he had sexual contact with a 6-year-old girl during nearly a two-year period beginning between 2016 and 2018.

He was sentenced to five years of supervised probation and ordered to have no contact with anyone under 18. He also was required to register as a sex offender.

The U.S. Marshals Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team, acting on information received from the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force, arrested the suspect at a Columbus-area hotel.

During the arrest, the agency found a 14-year-old staying with him at the hotel. The juvenile was turned over to local authorities in Columbus for further investigation.

More:U.S. Marshals arrest Canton man in connection with Columbus strip club shooting

The man was transported to the Franklin County Jail where he will await extradition back to Stark County.

"A special thanks to Marshal Michael Black and his team of dedicated officers in Southern Ohio. The persistent efforts of our fugitive task force and our partners in Southern Ohio have taken this sex offender off the streets where he cant victimize anyone else," U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said in a prepared statement.

Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @aknappINDE

This article originally appeared on The Independent: Stark County sex offender arrested at hotel with 14-year-old
A prolific identity thief used stolen information to buy a $19,000 travel trailer from a Boise dealer that he turned into a mobile unit for producing false identifications and phony credit cards, prosecutors said.

Ryan M. Tichy, 43, of Seattle, was sentenced to 7 years in prison Thursday, March 16, in federal court in Boise, the U.S. Attorneys Office for Idaho said in a news release.

According to the release and court documents, including the plea agreement:

Tichy stole the identities of numerous people from May 2018 through November 2020. He equipped the travel trailer and a cargo trailer to serve as identity-theft labs.

He used stolen information to create false identification documents, open credit accounts, obtain loans, take over existing credit accounts and make purchases worth between $95,000 and $150,000 in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Nevada. The fraudulently obtained data included names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and account numbers.

In March and April 2019, he used a fake drivers license that hed created and went to Bretz RV & Marine in Boise, where he impersonated someone with the initials J.B. He submitted a credit application and bought an Aspen Trail travel trailer, which cost over $19,000.

When federal authorities served a search warrant in December 2020, they discovered the lab inside the cargo trailer. It contained computers, printers and other equipment for producing counterfeit identity cards.

Investigators also found foils, blank stock for drivers licenses, an embosser, a card punch, printers, counterfeit drivers licenses in various stages of completion, and counterfeit credit cards.

In the travel trailer from Bretz, authorities recovered a metal card punch, mail and paperwork belonging to numerous other people, a point-of-sale terminal, handwritten notes with personally identifying information, counterfeit identification cards, laminate, foil, and cards.

Mr. Tichy is a prolific identity thief who victimized dozens of individuals and businesses after cutting off his ankle monitor while under federal supervised release following his time spent in prison for prior identify-theft related offenses, said Gail S. Ennis, inspector general for the Social Security Administration.

Idaho Chief District Judge David Nye sentenced Tichy to 90 months in federal prison on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Idaho Statesman Business and Local Government Editor David Staats contributed.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) on Thursday said hell sign a divisive bill restricting minors from using social media without parental permission.

Cox said at a meeting with reporters that hell absolutely sign the social media bills sent to his desk this session: Utah Senate Bill 152 would require social media companies to verify that users in the state are 18 years or older in order to open an account, and Cox said he is willing to face any legal challenges to the initiative.

Im not gonna back down from a potential legal challenge when these companies are killing our kids, Cox said, according to footage from PBS Utah, shaking off First Amendment concerns.

Under the bill, Utah residents under age 18 would only be able open an account with a parent or guardians permission. The new restrictions would take effect March 1, 2024. The governor said he would be working with social media companies and third-party verification over the next year to work out the details of how the restrictions would be implemented.

Also on the governors desk is Utah House Bill 311, which would, among other measures, prohibit a social media company from using a design or feature that causes a minor to have an addiction to the companys social media platform.

Will there be legal challenges? Absolutely theres going to be legal challenges. We understand that. That has been clear from the beginning, Cox said of the bills.

Cox said he believes existing case law on the matter was wrongly decided, especially in light of the fact that we have new facts about the internet and about these social media platforms that were not available when those cases were decided.

The Utah governor noted that he wishes Congress would enact the same regulations so that states didnt have to do this, but he expects other states and even the federal government to move to follow the states lead on social media regulation.

The governor said social media poses a clear health and safety threat to kids and compared social media to assault weapons.

Even the most pro-gun lobby doesnt believe that we have to let 12 year olds buy AR-15s. And yet, the Constitution guarantees the Second Amendment right to Americans. Its a similar  I believe its similar in that this is something thats killing our kids, Cox said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has signed a bill into law banning abortion clinics in the state, making it the latest to restrict the procedure since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Cox, a Republican, signed H.B. 467 after it passed the state Senate on March 2 and state House on March 3, both along party lines.

Abortion clinics will be required to close either by the end of the year or when their licensee expires, whichever comes first.

MORE: How some providers are working around abortion bans since Roe v. Wade was overturned

Additionally, after May 2 of this year, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services will not be allowed to grant or renew a license of an abortion clinic.

Under the legislation, all abortions will be required to take place in a hospital, which is defined as "a general hospital licensed by the state."

PHOTO: Senators work in the chamber, March 2, 2023, at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City. (Rick Bowmer/AP)

Currently, Utah bans abortion after 18 weeks. The ban was passed in 2019 but didn't go into effect until the Supreme Court overturned Roe. H.B. 467 also removes the rape and incest exemption from this law.

Cox previously told reporters he would sign the bill, which also defined the term "abortion" to remove any confusion surrounding the law.

"One of the concerns with the trigger bill that medical providers had across the state was there a lack of clarity that would have made it hard for them to perform legal abortions," Cox said at the time.

The governor's office referred ABC News to Cox's press conference on PBS Thursday when reached for comment.

MORE: Do voters care about abortion heading into midterms?

Anti-abortion groups, such as Pro-Life Utah, applauded the decision.

"Thank you, Governor Cox for signing this bill into law!" the group said in a statement. "We value your commitment to protect the pre-born."

However, abortion rights advocates, slammed the bill and said it basically eliminates access in the state.

"HB 467 is nothing but shameful procedural and political maneuvering intended to get around a valid court decision and prevent Utahns from accessing abortion," Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement when the bill first passed the state House. "Today's passage is just one part of a nationwide campaign by anti-abortion extremists to end legal abortion throughout the United States, and it will have devastating impacts on Utah communities."

Story continues

PHOTO: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks during a news conference at the state Capitol, March 3, 2023, in Salt Lake City. (Rick Bowmer/AP)

Utah lawmakers also passed a law in 2020 banning all abortions except if the mother's health is in danger or in cases of rape and incest reported to the police.

However, the ban was blocked from going into effect after the 3rd District Court issued an injunction, which was upheld by the state Supreme Court.

Utah governor signs bill banning abortion clinics across the state originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
The public can sign up now for tours of the nations first full-scale nuclear reactor and the sites that tell the story of those forced from their homes to make way for the top-secret project at Hanford.

Registration for both of the free tours of historic National Park Service sites near Richland, Wash., is open now.

This is the second year the tours are being offered, after being shutdown for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2023 tours will begin April 3 and continue into November on as many as six days of the week. They include tours through the Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day holiday weekends.

Participants will board a bus in Richland to reach the Manhattan Project National Historical Park on the nearby Hanford nuclear reservation.

The Hanford site was created during World War II as the Allies raced to produce an atomic bomb ahead of Nazi Germany.

One tour will take visitors to historic B Reactor, which launched the atomic age.

Students tour Hanfords historic B Reactor, part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park since late 2015. The reactor opens for seasonal public tours in April.

It produced plutonium for the worlds first atomic bomb exploded over the New Mexico desert and then the plutonium used to fuel the Fat Man bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, helping end World War II.

The reactor looks much the same today as it did when it started up nearly 79 years ago.

Visitors can stand beneath the towering face of the reactor, where 200 tons of uranium slugs were loaded into aluminum tubes.

They also will see the control room, where a crowd of scientists and engineers gathered to start up the reactor for the first time in September 1944. They were unsure if the reactor would power up as hoped or whether a runaway chain reaction might blow it up.

Hanfords B Reactor, the worlds first full-scale production reactor, is shown from the air in 1944.

Neither happened, as visitors on the tour will learn.

The second tour takes visitors to four of the few buildings that remain to tell the story of settlers displaced from more than 580 square miles in Eastern Washington for a project so secret they were not told why their land was being seized by the federal government.

Story continues

The tour stops at the remains of the 1916 Hanford High School, the tiny First Bank of White Bluffs and the 1908 Hanford Irrigation District Pump House.

It also stops at the Bruggemann Warehouse, a building made of cobblestones.

The Bruggemann family was one of the most successful farming families in a region known for early-ripening fruits that were shipped all over the world.

Siblings Paula Holm and Ludwig Bruggemann toured the property in 2015 where they lived as children. Behind them is the Bruggemann warehouse, now part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

But in 1943 the family was given 30 days to leave the land the Bruggemanns had purchased in 1937. They were told the government needed it for a secret World War II project.

The government demolished most of the buildings on what would become the Hanford nuclear reservation, including the Bruggemann familys stone house and their barn and silo. It was a signal to families that nothing remained for them there.

Sign up for a tour

Each of the two tours take about four hours and are open to visitors of all ages and nationalities. Cameras, cellphones and other recording devices are welcome.

Visitors can register for up to six tour seats at a time.

School and group tours may also be available on a first come, first served basis with a minimum of 20 participants.

To register for a tour from April through fall 2023, go to manhattanprojectbreactor.hanford.gov.

Historic B Reactor building on the Hanford Nuclear Site near Richland, WA in August, 2022

Visitors who would like help scheduling a tour, or who have special requests including wheel chair transportation or American Sign Language interpretation, can call 509-376-1647 or stop by the Manhattan Project National Historical Park visitor center at 2000 Logston Blvd. in Richland.

Visitors also may claim a walk-on place on the tour without a reservation if there is space available.

Tours are offered by the Department of Energy in cooperation with the National Park Service.

The Manhattan Project National Historical Park also includes historic properties at Oak Ridge, Tenn., and Los Alamos, N.M., that tell more of the story of the WWII start of the atomic age.

Virtual Hanford cleanup tour

DOE also previously offered on-site bus tours focused on environmental cleanup of Hanford, but has replaced those with online tours.

The site continued to be used through the Cold War, with nine reactors along the Columbia River in Eastern Washington producing nearly two-thirds of the plutonium for the nations nuclear weapons program.

The work left millions of gallons of radioactive waste, plus contaminated buildings, soil and groundwater.

Hanford workers drill through a one-foot-thick concrete wind tunnel at the Hanford site REDOX irradiated nuclear fuel reprocessing plant to take radiological samples inside the tunnel.

DOE said interest in the tours decreased as some projects had been largely completed and there was less to see as cleanup work has focused on fewer, but significant projects such as preparing the massive vitrification plant to treat radioactive waste for disposal..

Two years ago DOE began offering virtual tours of the Hanford site with 25 tour stops with panoramic online views and information.

They include the vitrification plants main facilities, historic T Plant, the HAMMER hands-on training facility and plants to treat contaminated groundwater.

Go to vtours.hanford.gov.
an illustration of an asteroid in space

The near-Earth asteroid 2023 EY will pass close to Earth on Thursday evening (March 16), and you can watch it live thanks to a free telescope livestream.

Asteroid 2023 EY is roughly 52 feet (16 meters) across and is expected to pass within 149,000 miles (239,800 kilometers) of Earth's surface Thursday, or only about 62% of the average lunar distance , according to astronomer Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project. While this makes the encounter very close astronomically speaking, there is no chance of 2023 EY impacting our planet based on its current trajectory.

The close encounter with Earth means that larger ground-based telescopes should have no problem resolving the asteroid as it zooms by the planet. If you want to watch the flyby, the Virtual Telescope Project will host a free livestream Thursday beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST (0000 GMT on March 17) courtesy of the pro j ect's website or YouTube channel .

Related: What are asteroids?

an illustration of an asteroid in space

Asteroid 2023 EY was first discovered just days ago, on March 13, by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) operated by the University of Hawaii. ATLAS is the first to be able to scan the entire sky every 24 hours, enabling astronomers to better catalog and identify near-Earth objects such as asteroids.

The survey consists of four telescopes that are each able to survey an area of the sky 100 times larger than the full moon, according to NASA . Two of the telescopes are in Hawaii, while the other two reside in South Africa and Chile, respectively.

Together, ATLAS has discovered over 700 near-Earth asteroids so far, none of which has threatened the planet.

RELATED STORIES:

 Scientists hail DART success 6 months after historic asteroid crash

 Asteroids may have picked up building blocks of life from interstellar clouds

 Slam! Hubble sees strange changes in asteroid dust after DART collision (video)

"We have not yet found any significant asteroid impact threat to Earth, but we continue to search for that sizable population we know is still to be found. Our goal is to find any possible impact years to decades in advance so it can be deflected with a capability using technology we already have, like DART," NASA's Lindley Johnson, planetary defense officer at the agency's headquarters, said in a statement.

While 2023 BY was never predicted to strike Earth, another asteroid made waves recently when it was given a 1-in-600 chance of hitting our planet in 2046. That other space rock longer poses a risk and will most certainly miss the planet , NASA announced.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Thursday expanded the states civil rights law to include explicit protections for sexual orientation and gender identity, signing the first statewide law in Michigan to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ people.

It is a new day in Michigan, Whitmer said Thursday during a signing ceremony in Lansing. Michiganders are freer today; they are happier today and I am proud to be playing a small part of that.

Whitmer, whose daughter, Sherry, is openly gay, said she hopes the new law will send a message to LGBTQ people and their loved ones that, if youre looking for a place that will respect you and protect you, its time to come to Michigan.

The state legislatures new Democratic majority earlier this month passed legislation to amend Michigans Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, expanding the landmark civil rights law that has protected Michiganders from housing, employment, education and public accommodations discrimination since the 1970s.

The law as amended will take effect in June.

Former Michigan Republican Rep. Mel Larsen, for whom the ELCRA is partially named, said during Thursdays signing ceremony that the measures original intent was  and still is  to ensure that every resident of Michigan is protected under the law, including LGBTQ people.

Larsen sponsored the original draft of the 1976 ELCRA with former state Democratic Rep. Daisy Elliott, who died in 2015.

Were on this earth to move the pendulum a little bit in our lifetime, Larsen said Thursday. And if we do that enough, weve done some good.

Republicans in the legislature this year argued that passing the proposed amendment would infringe on the freedoms of religious organizations and institutions, claims Democrats denied.

In a landmark decision in July, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the ELCRAs definition of sex includes sexual orientation. The ruling stemmed from a 2020 case involving two businesses that had denied services to LGBTQ clients.

Story continues

That was an incredibly important win, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D), one of the only openly LGBTQ state attorneys general in the U.S., said Thursday. But until now, at this very moment, never has Michigan passed any law to enshrine legal rights and protections for the LGBTQ community.

Were all well aware that court decisions can change depending on the composition of the jurists, Nessel said Thursday in an apparent reference to the U.S. Supreme Courts decision last year to scrap federal abortion protections.

The LGBTQ community deserves to at long last see the words sexual orientation, gender identity and expression printed in black and white in our statutes, Nessel said. Those words matter.

LGBTQ advocacy groups on Thursday celebrated the new law as a history-making victory for the LGBTQ community.

This is an incredible and historic day for LGBTQ+ people, for the people of Michigan, and for all Americans across our nation, Kelley Robinson, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, said Thursday in a statement.

The passage of the ELCRA amendment is a beacon of hope for those fighting for their rights, Robinson said. In states like Tennessee or Florida or Oklahoma, this is a reminder that when we come together as one we can and we will build a better future for everyone, including for LGBTQ+ people.

Troy Stevenson, the director of state advocacy campaigns for The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ youth suicide prevention organization, said the new law sends a powerful message of acceptance to LGBTQ people nationwide.

[W]e work every day to protect the lives of LGBTQ youth, and days like today prove that in generations to come, both their legal and lived equality will no longer be fodder for political debate, Stevenson said.

The expansion of Michigans ELCRA comes as more than 400 bills targeting the rights of LGBTQ people  particularly transgender youth  are under consideration in state legislatures nationwide. Three anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced this year in the Michigan House, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, but stand little chance of passing.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
On March 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a phone call to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

During the phone conversation, the sides discussed practical measures aimed at ensuring security and stability in the South Caucasus based on the known trilateral agreements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.

They also exchanged views on the development of transport, logistics, and economic relations in the region.
[Source]

On Thursday, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol landed in Tokyo for the countries first bilateral meeting in 12 years.

While the Asian countries are seeking to mend diplomatic relations, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is taking an extra step to welcome Yoon, the first South Korean president to visit Japan since 2019.

On Thursday, the two leaders were scheduled for a summit meeting and a joint news conference before they shared a formal dinner of sukiyaki (beef hotpot) in Ginza.

According to the Yomiuri newspaper, Kishida also planned to take Yoon to the popular 128-year-old restaurant Rengatei for omurice, a Japanese classic.

More from NextShark: New Zealand prime minister welcomed to Japan by giant kiwifruits dancing to sad music

As an avid cook and foodie, Yoon reportedly made the request for omurice, which is popular in both Japan and South Korea and is often made at home.

Omurice is a Western-style dish consisting of a slightly underdone omelet made with fried rice and scrambled eggs.

According to Motoo Kawabata, a professor at Kwansei Gakuin University who specializes in the global strategy of Japanese restaurants, the omurice in Japan has a fluffy, almond-shaped image of eggs that blanket the ketchup-fried rice, while the South Korean version typically has a thinner and firmer layer of eggs.

More from NextShark: Man spends almost $23,000 on realistic costume to fulfill his dream of becoming a wolf

Yoon may have been impressed with the softness of Japanese-style omurice, Kawabata told Reuters, adding that the meal could be an effort to foster a laid-back mood through a casual dish that both Japanese and Koreans consider comfort food.

Yoon reportedly had unforgettable memories of the dish when he often visited Tokyo in 1996 while his father taught at Hitotsubashi University.

Yoon reportedly recalled his earliest impression of Japan as being a clean country with honest people, according to the Yomiuri newspaper.

Story continues

More from NextShark: South Korea and US 'effectively' agree on draft to end Korean War

I expect that normalizing bilateral relations will not only serve the interests of both countries, but also will send a very positive sign to the international community, Yoon said.

After his two-day visit, Yoon said he looks forward to frequent dialogues with Kishida as often as is necessary, without any restrictions by formalities and time, according to The Straits Times.

Japan and South Koreas diplomatic relations were soured over wartime forced labor during Japans colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.

More from NextShark: Chinese American scientist accused of spying for China wins $1.8 million settlement

Last week, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin announced that the government will compensate the World War II forced labor victims using an existing domestic fund rather than seeking reparations from Japan.

Yoon noted that the move, which prompted protests from victims and hundreds of supporters, is in the common interest of both countries. However, protesters called Yoons diplomacy humiliating and demanded the deal be withdrawn.
A woman is in custody after being accused of stealing $60,000 from her 93-year-old sister, Tennessee police said.

Memphis Police say the woman, 76, took her sister to First Horizon Bank on more than one occasion in 2022. The woman had her sister issue cashiers checks to her.

The woman received two cashiers checks from her sister, totaling $60,000, police said in an affidavit.

Police said that the woman also tried to withdraw another $30,000 from her sisters account, but that time the bank teller said that the 93-year-old was showing signs of memory issues, and they declined to make the withdrawal.

When investigators spoke with the 93-year-old, she said she did not remember being taken to the bank by her younger sister.

The 93-year-olds niece has power of attorney, and told police that her aunt had a major neurocognitive disorder. She said her aunts sister had no legitimate reason to take the money, according to the affidavit.

The woman was arrested on March 16 on felony charges of theft of property and financial exploitation of the elderly, and was booked into the Shelby County Jail, according to jail records. She was released on bail on March 17.

Man beat 63-year-old to death over card game, GA officials say. Hes going to prison

Mom working for DOJ exposes sons snitches after hes accused of robbery, feds say

Innocent and sweet 83-year-old found shot to death. Now, Georgia man is prison-bound

He used phony ID to buy a travel trailer from a Boise dealer, then made it a fake-ID lab
Topeka police arrested a 14-year-old male youth after a fatal shooting late Thursday in the 1300 block of S.W. Garfield Avenue.

A 14-year-old male youth was arrested after a fatal shooting late Thursday in the 1300 block of S.W. Garfield Avenue, Topeka police said.

The male victim's age and gender weren't being made public Friday morning.

The 14-year-old's name wasn't being made public. He was detained in the Shawnee County Juvenile Detention Center in connection with second-degree murder, said Lt. Ed Stanley of the Topeka Police Department.

Police were called at about 8:30 p.m. to the scene, where they found one person suffering from life-threatening injuries, Stanley said.

He said that person was taken to a Topeka hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

Detectives were investigating. It wasn't clear whether formal charges had been filed.

Kansas statute describes second-degree murder as the killing of a human being committed intentionally or unintentionally but recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life.

Thursday's homicide victim was Topeka's 10th homicide victim this year, with those killings coming in eight separate incidents.

The capital city recorded 18 homicides last year. One of those had taken place by March 17.

Topeka's record of 30 homicides was set in 2017.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Fatal shooting becomes Topeka's 10th homicide of 2023; arrest made
Crime and Courts Reporter

Donald W. Meyers is a multimedia journalist at the Yakima Herald-Republic covering crime and courts. He is also the writer behind It Happened Here, a weekly history column. Before coming to Yakima, Meyers covered a wide variety of beats at The Salt Lake Tribune, Daily Herald, and daily and weekly newspapers across New Jersey. He is also a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, serving as a regional officer in the organization as well as on the national Freedom of Information Committee.
Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business.
Budapest is and will remain a republic, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony said at the Freedom March organised in the capital on the March 15 national holiday marking the 175th anniversary of the 1848-49 revolution and freedom fight.

In a speech, Karacsony said the republic has been removed from the name of our country and removed from the operation of the state, too.



He added that the republic remains in free municipal councils, in the work of civil organisations, in the movements of teachers and students, in the Chamber of Physicians, in the struggles of defenders of the city and defenders of the law.



Pointing to local elections in 2024, he urged free cities to be protected and pressed for their numbers to grow.



He warned against allowing Hungary to become a pariah in Europe. He said the tragedy of 1848 originated in part from the truth that Europes peoples can only be free together.



Whoever is wearing a cockade, he said, referring to ribbon rosette of the national colours adopted by the 1848 revolutionaries, must also declare freedom and peace for Ukraine, Hungary and all peoples.
The fresh newsletter for the International Community in Hungary - described by readers as a "Great read each week" - is now available for your interest and use via the link below.

You can see the new edition of the Xpat E-Magazine here:

https://xpatloop.com/newsletters/2023/16-march.html



1. Firstly, here's an invitation for you to a special international community get-together:

St. George's Day Party, Budapest Marriott, Saturday 22 April - A Feast of English Music



You'll be in good company as these friendly guests of honour are confirmed to attend:

* His Majesty's Ambassador, * UNICEF Hungary's Executive Director, * Irish Ambassador



Every nationality is welcome, great value 'limited edition' Early-Bird Tickets are now available.

Come to enjoy a great variety of English music, food & drinks - see here for details + more below.



2. You can see example events happening these days below and in Xpat Calendar:

E.g. UK Education Event Tonight in Budapest - complimentary drinks, food & networking.

Note: to confirm your attendance email ruth.lawton@metropolis.co.uk asap!



3. Plus you can see the latest Movies + Specials, and fresh News, Information & Inspiration:

E.g. Hungarian Parliament Named Worlds Best Tourist Attraction, New Amazing Acts at Sziget.



We hope you like what's in it for you below.

Yours with best wishes, Team XpatLoop


Civil groups, unions and student organisations held a demonstration for the development of education on the March 15 national holiday in Budapest.

The demonstration, dubbed Freedom March, was organised by the Adom student organisation, teachers unions PSZ and PDSZ, the Civil Base group and the Unified Student Front.



Participants gathered at Heroes Square in downtown Budapest before marching along Andrassy Avenue to a stage at the intersection with Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Road.



Before the march, Fruzsina Schermann, the head of Adom, and Akos Bozai, the organisations spokesman, said they were fighting for a more loving and honest country in an increasingly illiberal democracy.



They criticised the government for treating teachers as scapegoats, blaming the interior minister, the state secretary in charge of education and politicians for the current situation.



Let this day be about unity and cohesion, they said. The protestors waved Hungarian and European Union flags, along with flags made from chequered shirts, a garment that has become associated with teacher demonstrations.



They chanted Free country, free education! and No teachers, no future!
April 21, 1946  March 6, 2023

Patricia Ann Welch passed on Monday, March 6 at the Josie Harper Hospice House died due to ovarian cancer. A Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday, March 18 at 12 p.m. at Omaha Eagles #38 in the ballroom located at 201 S 24th Street in Omaha. Lynn Hedell will officiate the service and the Eagle service will be done by the York Auxiliary #3990 directed by Teri OConnor. Lunch will be served following the service. Memorials may be given to the family for a designation at a later date.

Patty was born on April 21, 1946 to Otto and Fern (Hartson) Stithem. She spent her childhood in Broken Bow along with her three siblings. They moved to Grand Island where she graduated high school and attended cosmetology school.

While she came from humble roots, this is the place where Patty found so much love and appreciation for life. In her early years she told stories of how her brother Louis would work extra in the summers to make sure all the siblings had clothes for school, Christmas and Easter. She spoke about the heavenly smell of fried chicken cooked by her mom on Sunday mornings after church. Though, her childhood too had its fair share of challenges. Patty spoke of being picked on in school. While this would have torn some kids down, it made Patty tough. She learned early to ignore mean people and rejoice with good friends. In her life Patty was a fierce friend and family member who was always on the go, experiencing life, seeking to give back and match the love showed by her brother and the taste of the chicken cooked by her mother.

Patty was a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Nebraska. Her eagle career began playing the piano for Ritual and Drill and bowling with the old ladies. She followed her passion for the Ritual not only in competition, but also mentoring others to compete and judge. Patty worked at the Eagles #378 in Grand Island for years. She transferred to York #3990 when the Grand Island club closed. Patty served at State Madam President of Nebraska in 2009-2010 and the West Central Regional President in 2020-2021. During her year as State Madam President the Nebraska Eagles supported Special Olympics which was near and dear to her heart.

She married Bill Slatter and to this union was born a daughter, Rhonda Lynn. In May 1975 she married Jim Welch and they resided in York. During their time together, Jim and Patty had a business in Central City, worked at Epworth Village, worked at the Hearthstone, worked at Martin Luther Home and traveled many miles together along the Eagle trail. In their time together, she loved Jim with her whole heart. Jim showed her the joys of gambling and meaning of love. In Pattys own words, Hed call me over to show me hed won a thousand dollars, then hand it over and say, That should get you to Grand Convention next month. With all of the love and joy she was given, Patty too gave back to the world, having cared for many less fortunate than herself, her entire life. She cared for the elderly, children and adults with disabilities, and children in need of guidance.

Patty is survived by her daughter, Rhonda Schafer of York; grandson, Zachary Schafer of Lincoln; brother, Louis (Gwen) Stithem of Broken Bow and many nieces, nephews, friends and her Eagle Family. She is preceded in death by her parents; husband and sister, Evelyn Kraft.
In the black, pre-dawn hours this Tuesday the faithful 2012 GMC Canyon was enjoying a balmy 40- degree March morning in Nebraska. Then I backed it out of the garage.

In the time it took to motor from Fairview Drive to York General Wellness to torture a surgically altered hip the truck was shivering as it displayed 19 on the rearview mirror, a drop of more than half in those few short blocks. Of course it felt much colder than 19 because the wind raged in fury through the darkness.

Then comes Wednesday, a day so warm and wonderful (temp hit 70ish) I loaded up our young go-getter feature story specialist Naomy Snider and embarked on a mid- afternoon-until-dark sandhill crane photo safari.

It was shirt sleeve weather for me  as long as the shirt was a sweatshirt over a T-shirt, which it was.

We didnt have the best photo opportunities, however we saw cranes by the thousands feeding in mostly corn stubble fields during daylight and then later, as sunset approached and ultimately descended, pouring onto sandbar roosts on the Platte south of Alda in great soaring hordes.

We could have had a better day with our cameras, but it was Naomys first exposure to the only global spectacle to happen in our back yard every year so she seemed to enjoy our wee adventure just the same.

Then overnight Wednesday everything went south again on the heels of winters vicious return.

Heavy wind from the south was mildly annoying on Tuesday, but that was also what kept our world so toasty warm. Overnight came a complete reversal when the devil wind switched 180 degrees and blasted the bejesus out of us from the north. The result was immediate and predictable.

Heavy rain was pounding the north side of the house like a banshee when the dogs first asked for breakfast and gastrointestinal relief about 6. Daphne ventured out for a quick squirt, thought better of completing her big job and bolted straight back inside. Ebby didnt even get her entire head outside before declining the absolute certainty of being pounded and soaked by frigid water.

Fortunately the rain stopped not too long after, which opened a wiener dog waste window before we experienced a mishap.

You know what was next, dont you? Sure you do. Snow. Great big beautiful flakes of snow which, in what seemed only minutes, settled into fine, non-photogenic blah, boring white grit driven by crazy wind.

I searched ahead as far as the extended forecast extends and cannot find a single day possessed of even marginal crane pic prospects for 10 long, grey, dreary, awful, endlessly ponderous days.

So what do I say? I say enough, gall dang it. Knock it off. Right this minute.

Who do we see about this anyway? Surely theres a legislative oversight study commission or perhaps an ad hoc committee somewhere in our vast governmental wasteland whose charge it is to provide all the answers. I mean, what the heck do we pay taxes for, anyway, if not to assure personal cradle-to-grave security, comfort and relief for each and every one of us?
Delhi-Mumbai Expressway has had the attention of the whole nation since its construction began. The newly inaugurated expressway, famed as India's longest expressway, grabbed the attention of industrialist Anand Mahindra, Singapore's foreign ambassador to India, and now PayTM CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma. Besides being the longest expressway, the route's claim to fame is that it will significantly reduce the travel time between the two metro cities significantly, Once fully functional, people will be able to cover the distance in around 12 hours.

Vijay Shekhar Sharma recently travelled using the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and could not stop himself from appreciating the new e-way. Sharing his thoughts on Twitter, he wrote, "What a feeling! You have to come here believe it. Way better than anywhere in world #IncredibleIndia."

Also read: Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG Launched In India At Rs 9.14 lakh: Delivers 25.51 Km/Kg Mileage

Earlier, Simon Wong, the High Commissioner of Singapore in India, shared a similar appreciation post. Wong wrote, "Tried the new #Delhi_Mumbai_Expressway today. Only one word can describe it "Wow!". Amazing India." In addition, he added pictures, along with a video recorded from his car while traveling on the route. One of the pictures posted by the High Commissioner showed him making a funny pose on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.

What a feeling !

You have to come here believe it. Way better than anywhere in world #IncredibleIndia pic.twitter.com/xG6V0K02Qx March 16, 2023

The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway is India's longest highway, measuring 1,386 kilometres. It enhances connectivity between Delhi, India's capital, and Mumbai, the country's financial hub. Nitin Gadkari, the minister of state for roads and transport, also asserts that it is the motorway that has grown the fastest in the entire world. It should be noted that the expressway's construction started in 2018 and that the project's foundation stone was placed on March 9 of this year.

The highway will connect Delhi and Mumbai in addition to five other states, including Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Also, it would facilitate travel to numerous locations, including Jaipur, Ajmer, Kota, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Ahmedabad, Surat, and Vadodara, which would benefit many.
New Delhi: The Norwegian Ambassador to India, Hans Jacob Frydenlund, has objected to the representation of his country's child welfare policies in the recently released film 'Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway'.

The film stars Rani Mukerji in the lead and is based on the actual case with Sagarika Bhattacharya who was living there with her husband Anup Bhattacharya with two children.

Hans took to his Twitter and pointed out "factual inaccuracies" and said the story is a 'fictional representation of the case'. He also shared that the cultural differences in the film, which serve as the primary factor in the case, are "completely false."

Sharing a screenshot of an op-ed article on his Twitter that he wrote for a media house, he tweeted: "It incorrectly depicts Norway's belief in family life and our respect for different cultures. Child welfare is a matter of great responsibility, never motivated by payments or profit. #Norwaycares."

In the film, it is shown that feeding with hands and sleeping in the same bed become reasons for taking away the child of Rani's character by Child Welfare Services of the country.
New Delhi: In a move to encourage wellness practices among its employees, a business in Bengaluru today, March 17, declared an optional holiday for its staff in honour of World Sleep Day. On LinkedIn, Wakefit Solutions, a D2C home and sleep solutions start-up well known for its home furnishings goods posted a screenshot of the email that was sent to every employee. "Surprise Holiday: Introducing the Gift of Sleep," the mail's subject line said.

"We are delighted to announce that Wakefit will observe World Sleep Day on Friday, March 17, as an optional holiday for all its employees," the home solutions provider stated in a surprise email. We consider Sleep Day to be a holiday since we love to sleep, especially on Fridays! On the HR portal, you can apply for this leave just like any other holiday. (Also Read: This LIC Scheme Ending On March 31: Check Return Calculator, Other Details)

"Sleepiness during work hours has increased by 21 percent since 2022, and the number of people who wake up fatigued has increased by 11 percent, according to the sixth edition of our Great Indian Sleep Scorecard. What better way to honour Sleep Day given the prevalence of sleep loss than by giving the gift of sleep? the email was read in full.

The annual World Sleep Day, which is held on the third Friday in March, aims to raise awareness of the value of getting enough sleep and of issues associated with getting enough sleep. Consistent performance is ensured by getting enough sleep, which also improves concentration and makes one more motivated.

The business has already declared a sleep break for its staff members. Wakefit Solutions introduced a "Right to Nap policy" in May of last year, allowing workers to take a 30-minute sleep while on the job.

The official sleep hours for Wakefit personnel to take a well-earned break have been set at 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm, according to director and co-founder Chaitanya Ramalingegowda. He added that the company is aiming to build cosy nap pods and quiet areas in the workplace. The decision was met with a resoundingly positive response from the workforce, and it was extensively publicised on social media.
Chaitra Navratri 2023: Chaitra Navratri is a nine-day Hindu festival celebrated by people in India and even other parts of the world. Navratri is celebrated twice a year, and Chaitra Navratri is observed in March-April. During this festival, devotees fast and worship various avatars of Goddess Durga. Fasting during Navratri is a traditional belief that has been in practice for centuries. It is believed that during this time, the body and mind go through a process of purification, and fasting is one of the ways to achieve this.

Fasting has numerous health benefits as it can improve metabolism, promote weight loss, improve insulin sensitivity, and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. It can also promote mental clarity and reduce stress and anxiety. Additionally, fasting has been shown to have anti-aging effects, improve heart health, and boost the immune system. Hence, let's have a look at how fasting can help lead a healthy lifestyle.

Here Are 7 Health Benefits Of Fasting During Chaitra Navratri:

Lowers Blood Pressure:

Fasting is beneficial for people with hypertension, as fasting helps lower blood pressure.

Also read: Chaitra Navratri 2023: Date, Tithi, Shubh Muhurat and 9 Auspicious Colours To Don Till Ram Navami

Detoxification:

Fasting helps in detoxifying the body by eliminating toxins and waste products. It can help improve digestion and clear up the skin.

Weight Loss:

Fasting can lead to weight loss as it helps to reduce the overall calorie intake. This can also help in improving insulin sensitivity and lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Improved Metabolism:

Fasting can help improve metabolism and increase the body's ability to burn fat for energy.

Mental Clarity:

Fasting can help improve mental clarity and focus. It is believed to promote a sense of calmness and tranquility, which can help reduce stress and anxiety.

Improved Immunity:

Fasting can help improve the immune system by increasing the production of white blood cells and boosting the body's natural defenses against infection.

Improved Heart Health:

Fasting can help improve heart health by reducing inflammation, lowering blood pressure, and reducing the risk of heart disease.

Though fasting during Chaitra Navratri has numerous health benefits, it is important to ensure that it is done safely and healthily. It is recommended to consult a healthcare professional before starting any fasting regime, especially if you have any pre-existing medical conditions.
JAIPUR: In a major development, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday announced his government's decision to create 19 new districts and three new divisions in the state. The Chief Minister made these announcements while addressing the state assembly on Friday. With the formation of 19 new districts, the state will now have a total of 50 districts, the Chief Minister said.



Interestingly, Gehlot made these announcements ahead of the upcoming assembly polls in Rajasthan.

"We received demands for the formation of some new districts in the state. We had formed a high-level committee to examine these proposals and we have received the final report...I now announce the formation of new districts in the state," Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot told the Assembly.

WATCH CM RAJASTHAN CM ANNOUNCES FORMATION ON 19 NEW DISTRICTS

#WATCH | Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot announces the formation of new districts in the state; says, "...With the formation of 19 new districts, the state now has a total of 50 districts." pic.twitter.com/Fq7XQWdLYO  ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2023

CM Gehlot also, meanwhile, approved Rs 37 crore for various projects that aim to increase irrigation efficiency and prevent water wastage in canals and dams.

As part of the projects, the Kagdi dam in Banswara district will be renovated at a cost of Rs 10 crore. Another Rs 11.73 crore will be used to line the canal from the Gajadharpura sewage treatment plant to Kalakh dam in Jaipur's Kalwad tehsil, the government said in a statement.

The canal from Mora Sagar dam in Sawaimadhopur district's Bamanwas tehsil will be lined at an estimated cost of Rs 15.03 crore, it said.

The projects will improve irrigation efficiency and minimise water wastage. In the Budget for 2022-23, Gehlot had announced projects worth Rs 800 crore for the renovation of dams and canals. Of these, works worth Rs 611.95 crore has been approved.

Gehlot further told the assembly that the Rajasthan government will spend Rs 362.13 crore to provide drinking water in 367 villages of the Udaipur district. The Chief Minister said that he has approved the financial proposal for the project that will enable drinking water supply to these villages from the Som-Kamala-Amba dam.

The financial approval was given in compliance with Gehlot's announcement in the 2023-24 Budget.
Guwahati: Assam Director General of Police G P Singh on Friday said that two teachers have been identified as the masterminds of the SEBA HSLC Class 10 question paper leak. One of them has been detained, while the other, who was absconding, surrendered before police during the day, the DGP said. We have been able to establish the chain of events leading to the leak of the question papers and circulation. We have enough physical evidence with us in the case, Singh told a press conference.

Singh said the headteacher and centre in-charge of Luhit Khabalu High School of Majuli, Pranab Dutta, is one of the main accused and was detained from the island district on Thursday. He will be arrested today and produced before a local court, and brought to the CID headquarters here for further questioning, the DGP said. The other mastermind, Kumud Rajkhowa, a teacher of Daflakata High School in Lakhimpur, surrendered in the afternoon, police spokesperson Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan said.

Singh also said remnants of burnt question papers have been recovered from the house of Dutta, and those are being sent for forensic examination.

Altogether, 27 arrests have been made so far and another four detained, including Dutta, he said. He added that the CID is gathering more technical evidence, like details of social media interactions and monetary transactions through e-wallets.

Days after the general science question paper leak of the Class 10 state board exam, the Assamese paper also got leaked, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said on Thursday evening. The general science question paper was leaked on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu today announced that the board exam for Class 10 Modern Indian Language subjects will now be conducted on April 1. Pegu made the announcement on his official Twitter handle.

SEBA has rescheduled the exam of all MIL/English (IL) subjects on 1st April, 2023. Earlier, it was scheduled to be held on 18 March, 2023.@himantabiswa @CMOfficeAssam pic.twitter.com/2jcQrfVJaC March 17, 2023

An official notification issued by the Assam government said, This is to notify all to all concerned that in view of the ongoing Police investigation regarding the leakage of the Question paper of the HSLC Examination 2023, and in order to avoid holding of examination of MIL subjects in a comprised situation, the Board of Secondary Education, Assam has decided to reschedule the Examination of MIL / English (IL) subjects earlier scheduled to be held on 18th March 2023.
MUMBAI: In more trouble for Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, the self-styled godman of Bageshwar Dham, the Maharashtra unit of Congress has written to the Eknath Shinde government to not allow him to enter the state, accusing him of insulting saint Sant Tukaram Maharaj and offending lakhs of his devotees. In his letter to the Shinde government, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole urged the state government to deny permission for Bageshwar Dham chiefs religious events in Mumbais Vasai-Virar scheduled to be held on March 18-19.

Patole stated that Maharashtra is a progressive state and a person who spreads superstition has no place in the state. The Congress chief also warned that if the events of Bageshwar Maharaj are held in Mumbai, his party will strongly oppose them.

In his letter, Patole also accused Bageshwar Dham godman of insulting Saint Tukaram and hurting the religious sentiments of lakhs of his devotees.

"Dhirendra Shastri has hurt the sentiments of lakhs of devotees by making a statement insulting Sant Tukaram Maharaj," said the state Congress president and accused the religious leader of promoting superstitions. He said if Shastri's programme at Vasai-Virar is allowed, then people can be misled.

Shastri recently triggered another controversy by asking the Hindus to have at least 3-4 children. Shastri, while speaking at an event at his Ashram, said two children must be spared to serve the nation and lord Rama.

"While it's said that two children are enough (Bachche, 2 hi acche), but 1 child must be devoted in service of Lord Rama. Teach him to work for the nation in his childhood only," Shastri was quoted as saying by Zee Salaam.

Who Is Dhirendra Krishna Shastri?

Dhirendra Shastri is the head priest of Bageshwar Dham in Gada village in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. The godman hit headlines after he made a controversial remark saying "support me and I will give you a Hindu nation". Shastri, who is also known as Bageshwar Dham Sarkar, said that India is such a country where even a great sage like Goswami Tulsidas, who wrote the "Ramcharitmanas," had to face challenges.

Shastri also issued a warning saying, "Any priest, cleric or person who challenges the Sanatan Dharma will get a befitting reply. But then I am saying, you support me, I will give the Hindu nation," he appealed to his vast followers. On alleged religious conversions, Shastri said, "We are making Hindus return to the religion they acquired at birth. Some people are creating a nuisance. They have to be taught a lesson. As long as I am alive, I will make all Sanatani Hindus return to their original faith."

Several top BJP leaders, including Kailash Vijayvargiya and Kapil Mishra, have come out in support of the 26-year-old 'godman'. who is known to travel across the country for religious addresses known as "katha".
Bathinda: Two minor girls ran away from home to meet jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi outside Bathinda Central Jail, informed officials. The minor girls, who were taking selfies outside the jail, were handed over to the District Child Protection Department by the jail administration. Child Protection Officer, Bathinda, Ravneet Kaur Sidhu said the girls were taking selfies outside Bathinda Central Jail and wanted to circulate them in their friend circles, adding that they had been influenced by Lawrence Bishnoi on social media.

"The minor girls reached Bathinda after lying at home about where they were headed. Both had spent a night at Bathinda railway station as well. After interrogating the girls, we learned that the purpose of taking selfies outside Bathinda Central Jail was to show them to their friends. They have all been influenced by gangster Lawrence Bishnoi on social media. Bishnoi is lodged at Bathinda jail," said Ravneet Kaur Sidhu.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Gurpreet Singh said the family members of the minor girls have been called, and both the girls have been sent to Safi Center after getting medically examined."The whole matter is being investigated.

The family members of both the minor girls have been summoned. Both minors have been sent to Safi Center after getting medically examined. If anything comes up in the probe, legal action will follow," said Gurpreet Singh. On November 23, last year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Bishnoi in a case related to the alleged conspiracy to recruit youth to carry out terror strikes in Delhi and other parts of the country.
Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is in trouble as his Enforcement Directorate custody has been extended by five more days. However, there is another trouble for the former Delhi education minister as the Arvind Kejriwal government has asked his family to vacate the government bungalow within five days. It may be noted that Sisodia had resigned following his arrest in the Delhi liquor scam case earlier this month.

A notice was issued by the Public Works Department Secretariat allotted Bungalow No AB-17, Mathura Road to Atishi Marlena, who is recently inducted into the Kejriwal cabinet replacing Sisodia. Marlena currently handles Woman & Child Development, PWD, Power, Education, Art, Culture and Language as well as Tourism Ministries of the Delhi government.

A Delhi court today extended Sisodia's ED custody by five days after the Enforcement Directorate sought a week more to investigate allegations against him. The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said crucial information has been revealed by Manish Sisodia during his custody while seeking an extension of former Delhi`s deputy chief minister`s remand in connection with the Excise Policy case. ED further said, in view of the findings, they have issued summons to Rahul Singh, ex-Excise Commissioner, the then Excise Commissioner for March 20 (who was first issued summons for March 15 but had taken adjournment of at least 4 days as he is suffering from viral infection and fever).

Kejriwal ka Motto



Kaam khatam, paisa hajam, Manish Sisodia kaun ho tum ?



After publicly snubbing Manish Sisodia now Manish Sisodias official residence, Bunglow No. AB-17, Mathura Road allotted to newly-sworn in Minister Atishi; Sisodia's family given 5 days, that is till https://t.co/klhrBvKdMF pic.twitter.com/zqyhr1By7d March 17, 2023

Meanwhile, the BJP accused the Kejriwal government of making Sisodia a scapegoat in the excise case. "Kejriwal ka Motto- Kaam khatam, paisa hajam, Manish Sisodia kaun ho tum? After publicly snubbing Manish Sisodia now Manish Sisodias official residence, Bunglow No. AB-17, Mathura Road allotted to newly-sworn in Minister Atishi; Sisodia's family given 5 days, that is till March 21, to vacate the property. Guess Kejriwal is trying to make Manish the scapegoat of Sharab Ghotala & is sacrificing him to save himself?" said BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI in the liquor policy case on February 26 and was sent to 14-day judicial custody on March 6. The ED also made another arrest in the case earlier, as it took Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai into its custody.
Kabul: Over three million girls, once enrolled in schools have been denied their right to education since the Taliban takeover, and their future in Afghanistan seems bleak according to a report. The ban on the education of Afghan girls and women has resulted in a surge in the risk of early marriage, violence, and abuse in the country, according to TOLO news which cited the report by Save the Children, a humanitarian organization.

Female students in Afghanistan have repeatedly raised concerns over the education ban and have now called on the Taliban to reopen the schools for girls as schools return on March 21.

The Acting Country Director for Afghanistan of Save the Children, Olivier Franchi said in a recent statement, "Afghanistan is the only country in the world that has banned girls above sixth grade from education, yet girls here are striving for a better future, and they know the best path to success is through school," TOLOnews stated, citing the report.

The people of Kabul also demanded that the Islamic Emirate reopen the schools for girls."We hope that the Islamic Emirate based on Islamic religion will allow both girls and boys to study," said Zalmai, a resident of Kabul said, according to TOLOnews.

Several students also called on the Taliban to open schools for girls as soon as possible. "All girls in the nation want the doors of the schools to be reopened as only one week remains until the education year starts," said a student, Nageena, the Afghan news agency reported.

Many Islamic countries and organisations, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), have condemned the ban on women's and girls' access to work and education as a violation of Islamic law.

Since August 15, 2021, the de facto authorities have barred girls from attending secondary school, restricted women and girls` freedom of movement, excluded women from most areas of the workforce, and banned women from using parks, gyms, and public bathhouses.
KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress will go its own way, maintaining distance from both the Congress and BJP, senior Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said here Friday after a meeting of party leaders. He, however, said the party was not "talking of a third front at the moment", while warning that the Congress should not believe it was the 'big boss' of the opposition.

Following the meeting at TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's residence, Bandopadhyay said that in the coming days, the party would hold deliberations with "powerful regional parties" to formulate a strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

"We will go our own way, maintain distance from the Congress and the BJP. We are not talking about forming any third front at the moment... The Congress should not feel that it is the big boss of the opposition front," he told reporters here.

"Mamata Banerjee will meet powerful regional parties to fight the BJP," Bandopadhyay said.

He said that both in panchayat polls slated for this year and in the Lok Sabha elections scheduled next year, the party would prove to the country how it can single-handedly stop the BJP in West Bengal.

On the other hand, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Friday called on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her residence here and held a meeting. Yadav, a former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, was accompanied by SP national vice-president Kiranmoy Nanda.



Yadav had lent his party's support to the TMC during the 2021 West Bengal assembly poll, which was reciprocated by Banerjee when she campaigned for the former in Uttar Pradesh during the 2022 election in that state.
Srinagar: Kiran Bhai Patel, a conman who posed as a top official of the Prime Minister's Office has been sent to 15 days of judicial custody by the Srinagar city district court on Friday. Citing security concerns the police produced the accused in court through video conferencing. Patel, a Gujarat resident, was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police on March 3 from a 5-star hotel 'The Lalit Grand Palace' in Srinagar, where he was staying as a top official. The conman got the requisite perks, including a bulletproof car and scores of security personnel, and had three cases registered against him in his home state Gujarat, police said on Friday. The J&K Police says it got suspicious about him, gathered information about the accused, and informed the Srinagar Police Chief.

If sources are to be believed, the person had forged documents to cheat people in the security who had provided him with high-security cover during his stay in the valley, they accompanied him to the famous tourist spots like Dudpahari, where an SDM rank officer from the state received and accompanied him.

The fraudster reached the Kaman post on the Line of Control besides visiting several places including Dal Lake in Srinagar. He also held some meetings with the officials of the J&K administration and gave the impression that he has got a mandate from the Central Government to identify investment opportunities in J&K.

Meanwhile, the police have registered an FIR against the accused and the investigation is still on. Sources said that preliminary investigation reveals that the accused have managed to dupe gullible people for transfer and other benefits. Sources said The police are also questioning two senior officers in this matter to ascertain how the man managed to get high security and VVIP treatment in Kashmir.

The counsel of accused Kiran Bhai Patel, who appeared for him in the Srinagar court today, said that his client has denied all the allegations and informed him that security cover was given to two other persons who are related to politics in Gujarat. The counsel for the accused, Rehan Gauhar, further said that his client was with these two persons in the Valley and the council also submitted that if he was provided security without knowing his reality, then it is a failure of the administration. He said he was not produced in the court in person due to security reasons and was produced through video conference.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Police, who remained silent since yesterday, also issued a statement which reads. On March 2, 2023, the CID wing of the Jammu and Kashmir Police informed the police about a person in Kashmir. SSP Srinagar immediately sent a team to Lalit Hotel under the leadership of SP East, The details of this person were found to be Kiran Bhai Patel, son of Judesh Bhai Patel, resident of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, who was posing as Additional Director (Strategy & Operations), PMO, New Delhi. Finding his answers suspicious, he was taken to the Nishat police station, where he confessed to his crime. Ten fake visiting cards and two mobiles were seized from him.

Accused Kiran Bhai Patel was arrested on 03-03-2023 and he is on police remand till 17-03-2023. Many related people have been questioned in this matter. The matter is in the initial stage of the investigation. Detailed information on this matter will be shared later.

They added, It is also pertinent to mention that three cases are registered against the accused forger in different Police Stations of Gujarat.

According to the information, this was the second visit of the accused to Kashmir, he had come earlier in February, and now on his second visit in March, he is arrested by police. The fraudster is arrested but many questions related to the security system are still unanswered.
New Delhi: On the first day of the Delhi Assembly's 5-day budget session, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena praised the AAP government's efforts to improve the state's education sector. His comment came amid the ongoing tussle between the Governor's office and the AAP over the teachers' training program in Finland. He credited the Delhi government's focus on education for improvement in students' performance. In addition, he also said the government is upgrading the education and health infrastructure in the capital. "New hospitals will add 16,000 beds while existing hospitals are being upgraded," he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi LG also commented on the continuous war of words between the Lt Governor's office and the Arvind Kejriwal-led government. As he was concluding his address he said: "In the last few days, the dignity of speech has broken down."

On the other hand, Arvind Kejriwal claimed on Friday, "There is interference in the functioning of the government. Various obstacles are being put but we are crossing them and working with the support of the people of Delhi. Not only the people of Delhi but the entire country acknowledges this."

When asked to respond to Delhi LG VK Saxena's remarks on "dignity of speech", he said that these are "small things" and "it is not good to interfere in its functioning."

"These are small things. Democracy should be respected. If two crore people have chosen a government, it should be allowed to work. It is not good to interfere in its functioning," Kejriwal said.

Before the beginning of the Delhi Assembly Budget Session, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri had said in a statement that the BJP will bring a no-confidence motion against the Arvind Kejriwal government over its involvement in "corruption".
New Delhi: Devendra Fadnavis addressed the 'trap' set by the Maharashtra government and state police to catch a designer accused of trying to bribe and blackmail his wife, Amruta Fadnavis. According to the FIR, Amruta Fadnavis said that a woman named 'Aniksha,' pretending to be a designer, tried to bribe her by paying her 1 crore to interfere in a criminal case involving her father, a bookie. On February 20, she filed the complaint.

Devendra Fadnavis spoke at length about the subject after being cornered by the Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly. He told the House that Aniksha used to meet with Amruta Fadnavis in 2015-16, but that this had ceased. She met with Amruta Fadnavis again in 2021 and persuaded her that she is a designer, according to Maharashtra's deputy chief minister.

According to the FIR, Amruta Fadnavis stated that the woman sent her video clips, voice notes, and texts on February 18 and 19. The woman and her father have been charged with conspiracy under the Prevention of Corruption Act by the Mumbai Police.

Devendra Fadnavis told the House that the designer met his wife in order to save her father. According to the media reports, The FIR details the corruption and bribery attempt. Anil Jaisinghani is a bookie, missing for four or five years. There are 14 cases against him. His daughter Aniksha, who is educated, got in touch with my wife after the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) came to power," said Devendra Fadnavis.

Devendra Fadnavis stated that his wife's FIR was not made public on deliberately because cops want to arrest the accused. The police intended to question the suspects, who apparently believed they were unaware of the bribe and blackmail against Amruta Fadnavis.

"With the help from the police, we continued to engage the said person and in one conversation names of police officers and leaders were revealed. We were told that the previous police commissioner had started the procedure to take cases back," said Devendra Fadnavis, as per reports.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court stated, on Thursday (March 17), that it cannot reinstate Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister of Maharashtra when Thackeray put in his resignation before a floor test could happen. During a hearing on the Shiv Sena matter, the five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud told the Uddhav faction's lawyer that asking the apex court to reinstate Uddhav Thackeray as CM is like asking to reinstate a government that has resigned before the floor test.

The court quipped, "So, according to you, we do what? Reinstate you? But you resigned. That's like the court being asked to reinstate a government which has resigned before the floor test."

As per reports, the Thackeray faction had suggested that the court could restore the "status quo ante" and reinstate Uddhav as CM as it did in 2016 when it reinstated Nabam Tuki as the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh. "How can the court reinstate the chief minister, who did not even face the floor test," the court said to the Thackeray faction.

Along with Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, the bench comprised Justice MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli, and PS Narasimha. The verdict on the Shiv Sena row involving the Eknath Shinde faction and Uddhav Thackeray faction was reserved by the court on Thursday.

Abhishek Singhvi, part of the Uddhav faction's legal team, told the court, "My resignation is irrelevant. Your lordships are not reinstating anyone but restoring the status quo ante."

"The resignation of the ex-CM on June 29, 2022, would be irrelevant as once the illegal act of the governor is allowed to be implemented, the result of the trust vote was a known and foregone conclusion, and factually there was no need for the ex-CM to subject himself to it," he further said.

In February, the Election Commission allotted the name Shiv Sena' and its poll symbol to the group led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde instead of the Uddhav Thackeray faction. Uddhav Thackeray, disappointed with the decision, had said, "We will surely go to the Supreme Court against this EC order. We are sure that the SC will set aside this order and that the 16 MLAs will be disqualified by SC."
New Delhi: Terming attempts at the Khalistan referendum in a few Western countries by an outfit banned by India as "pakhand" and a handiwork of Pakistan`s ISI, Dal Khalsa founder Jaswant Singh Thekedar has said that it is an attempt to mislead people and has nothing to do with Sikhs in India. In an interview with ANI, Thekedar, who is a UK-based Sikh separatist leader, also said Pakistan is the real enemy of Khalistan and "some Sikhs are working as tools" in hands of the Pakistan government.

He said the people of Punjab are not demanding any referendum. "The referendum you are talking about, those in Punjab do not demand it. It`s an organization in 2020, that talks of a referendum on the instructions of ISI. A referendum does not mean... if Indian passport holders or Indian citizens want it then it is understandable, but it is not that Canadian, American, or British people vote. They do not have any right," he said answering queries.

"It is `pakhand` (sham) to mislead people. People are understanding it as a source of income for them," he added. Asked about reports last year of Khalistani slogans painted on walls of the Indian Consulate in San Francisco in the United States last year, he said such an act had never been done."It is not right (to write Khalistan Zindabad) on the consulate building. It was never done in the past, during the movement in the past 40 years. As I said, there is an ISI role in it.

They are misleading them, hiring people, and getting this done. There is no hand of Sikhs in this," he said. On Wednesday the Indian consulate in Brisbane Australia was forced to close down due to safety concerns following an unauthorized gathering by Khalistani supporters. Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday that India`s Honorary Consulate in Brisbane was "halted for a little while" and the matter had been taken up with Australian authorities and the teams of two countries are in touch.

Asked about `Warris Punjab De` chief Amritpal Singh, whose supporters had last month stormed Ajnala Police station in Amritsar seeking the release of his associate, Thakedar said Amritpal Singh does not know about Sikh history and he will not succeed.

"He (Amritpal Singh) himself, when he was in Dubai, was clean-shaven. He was not a (traditional) Sikh. He does not know anything about Sikh history. I must add that several Amritpal like him will come because those who are used by ISI, are not used for a lifetime.

When they feel that a person is no longer in use, they keep other people in line. They pick others then," he said."Amritpal is not a Khalistani, he knows nothing about it. But this is for sure, he has earned a lot in the name of Khalistan. I don`t think he will succeed further," Thekedar added. He said the Pakistan government now thinks that they do not need to fight with India.

"Some Sikhs are working as tools in their hands. They think they do not need to get into a war in which thousands will die (on their side). They now use and feed people, and disturb the Indian government." Thekedar said every issue has a political solution."For those who were previously pro-Khalistan, their committee should be constituted by the Indian government.

If solutions like these are found, the Khalistan movement will end." He also slammed the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab over the law and order situation in the state. "The Punjab government is not capable of dealing with this. There is no face in it that can handle this. I feel they, by not taking the right actions, are giving a boost to this movement," Thekedar said. He also said that Pakistan is the enemy of Khalistan and it wants to foment trouble.

"Pakistan knows that if a country of Sikhs comes into being, they will next come to Lahore only. They will come to Nankana Sahib and Panja Sahib. They themselves won`t let this happen. Pakistan is the real enemy of Khalistan," Thekedar said. He said Pakistan has never given political asylum to any Sikh because it does not want them to get any status."The Khalistanis know that Pakistan wants us to get killed and use us.

They know it internally," he added. Answering a query, he said that "movement" has almost ended in the United Kingdom. He said the Indian government should fulfill demands such as the release of Sikh political prisoners as it will create goodwill and check those who want separatism to rise.
New Delhi: Hitting back at BJP chief JP Nadda for his criticism of Rahul Gandhi's remarks made in the UK, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said those who are "anti-nationals" themselves must not preach his party about patriotism and must learn from it instead. Kharge's attack came after Nadda slammed Gandhi over his recent comments made in the United Kingdom on the state of Indian democracy, charging him with becoming a "permanent part of the toolkit" working against India. Kharge said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making such allegations to hide and divert attention from the "horrifying unemployment, backbreaking price rise and the scam of its 'best friend'".

Asked about Nadda calling Gandhi "anti-national", Kharge told reporters, "They are anti-nationals from before. Even at the time of independence, they (BJP people) did not participate in the movement to get freedom for the country. Those who are anti-nationals themselves are calling others anti-national."

          ,   Anti-National 



  ,           ,            



1/4  Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) March 17, 2023

In a series of tweets, Kharge said those who did not contribute even an iota in the freedom struggle are the real "anti-nationals".

"Modi ji himself has gone to six-seven countries and said on foreign soil that 'people of India are saying that what sin did we commit that we were born in India'. Such a person is calling us anti-national?" he asked in a tweet.

Accusing Modi of insulting the citizens of the country, Kharge called on the prime minister to apologise.

He said the Congress strongly condemns Nadda's remarks, adding that the BJP chief should know that Modi went to China, the United States, South Korea and "insulted the citizens of India".

"Modi ji should apologise. There is no question of our apologising," he added.

Also Read: 'PM Modi, BJP Are Scared Of Adani Row...': Rahul Gandhi On Why He Was Not Allowed To Speak In Lok Sabha

Lauding Gandhi, Kharge said someone who talks about democracy and shows concern over it cannot be an anti-national and is a "true patriot".

"If Rahul Gandhi ji gets a chance to speak in Parliament, we will give a befitting reply to these allegations of the BJP," he said.

Talking to reporters, Kharge said if Gandhi gets a chance, he will definitely air his views and that is why "the BJP people are scared".

"Not giving us a chance (to speak in Parliament). Every MP has this freedom, freedom of expression.... So why are you not allowing us to speak in the House? It means that you are scared and the issues that we are raising are the issues of the country," he said.

"Does the government create ruckus in Parliament? Here, everyday the government is instigating and not letting the House to function," he alleged.

"So they themselves are anti-national. Instead of preaching us about patriotism, they should learn themselves. Even during the British rule, they used to be in their service.When the freedom movement started in the country, they did not support that. What will such people teach us?" he asked.

In a statement, Nadda accused Gandhi of speaking the language of "anti-India" George Soros, a billionaire financier, and alleged that the Congress and the "so-called Left liberals" have become a part of the "deep state" conspiracy involving foreign forces against the country. "Anti-national" Congress leaders have been speaking the language of Pakistan, he added.

Gandhi will have to apologise to the people of India for his "sin" of seeking the "interference" of foreign powers in the country's internal affairs, the BJP president said.

Gandhi's remarks during his recent trip to the UK have rocked Parliament, with both houses failing to transact any significant business on the first five days of the budget session's second half.

During his interactions in the UK, Gandhi alleged that the structures of Indian democracy are under attack and there is a "full-scale assault" on the country's institutions.

The former Congress president also told British parliamentarians in London that microphones are often "turned off" in the Lok Sabha when an opposition member raises important issues.

Gandhi's remarks triggered a political slugfest, with the BJP accusing him of maligning India on foreign soil and seeking foreign interventions, and the Congress hitting back at the ruling party by citing instances of Modi raising internal politics abroad.
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday that 'PM MITRA mega textile parks' will be set up in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, and asserted that they will attract massive investments and create lakhs of jobs. "The PM MITRA mega textile parks will provide state-of-the-art infrastructure for the textiles sector, attract investment of crores and create lakhs of jobs. It will be a great example of 'Make in India' and 'Make For the World'," Modi tweeted.

He added, "PM MITRA mega textile parks will boost the textiles sector in line with 5F (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign) vision. Glad to share that PM MITRA mega textile parks would be set up in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP and UP."

In a Facebook post, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles Piyush Goyal said these mega textile parks will be set up with an outlay of Rs 4,445 crore and this would be the biggest ever initiative for infrastructure in this sector.

These parks will create 20 lakh direct/indirect jobs and attract an estimated Rs 70,000 crore of domestic and foreign investment, he added.

Goyal further said they will be shining examples of sustainability, with zero liquid discharge, common effluent treatment, use of emission-free renewable energy and adoption of global best practices.

Meanwhile, in a series of tweets, Goyal also described the announcement by the Prime Minister as "India's big leap towards becoming a global textiles hub".

He said this cluster-based approach will enhance the quality and competitiveness of products, boost exports and strengthen India's position in global supply chains.

"It is an unmissable opportunity for investors, manufacturers, exporters and international buyers," he said.

The minister congratulated the people of seven states who will "further fuel the Aatmanirbhar Bharat journey & make India a textiles hub".

In his Facebook post, Goyal said India's rich tradition of textiles, which dates back to the ancient era, is poised for a quantum leap that will make India a global investment, manufacturing and export hub.

He said inspired by the Prime Minister's 5F vision, PM MITRA park is a major step forward to achieve the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and 'Vocal for Local' initiatives.

"It will revolutionize the sector and create global champions with the help of world-class facilities, state-of-the-art infrastructure and an integrated value chain at each location. A Master Developer (MD) will be selected who will be responsible for designing, planning, building, financing, operating and maintaining the PM MITRA Park," he said.

Goyal further said this is a big jump for the industry as the value chain is currently scattered across the country, which adds costs and delays in each link of the chain.

"Indian industry will become globally competitive as the parks will help scale up operations, cut costs, improve efficiency and supply high-quality textiles and apparels," he said.

PM MITRA parks were selected through a transparent process, which was validated by the innovative PM GatiShakti National Infrastructure Master Plan, the minister said.

It is another example of collaborative federalism as both the Centre and the states concerned will be partners in the Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) that will set up and manage these parks, he added.

PM MITRA dovetails with the government's initiatives to sign free trade agreements, which open up developed markets for Indian textiles, apparels and several other sectors. India has already signed trade deals with the UAE and Australia, and is negotiating with Canada, the UK and the European Union.

These efforts, Goyal said will help Indian textiles get deeper access to profitable developed markets.

India is already one of the largest exporters of textiles and apparel in the world, but the aspiration in the Amrit Kaal, as the country marches to become a developed nation by 2047 under the decisive and visionary leadership of the Prime Minister, is to be the largest exporter in the world.
New Delhi: On the fifth day in a row, the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day on Friday within minutes of convening its proceedings as both the treasury and Opposition benches created a ruckus on remarks of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in London regarding democracy in India and over Adani issue. The chaos erupted soon after the papers were laid on the table as the Rajya Sabha assembled at 11 am.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members sought an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his democracy in India remarks in London and criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, Congress leaders also raised objections and they also started speaking against the government demanding a probe into the Adani Group by a Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Amid the disruptions, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned the House till 11 am on March 20. The row over Gandhi`s remarks in London reverberating in the House since March 13-- day one of the second phase of the Budget Session-- leading to continued adjournment of the House every day. The Rajya Sabha faced adjournment for the whole day on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday too amid pandemonium as treasury benches sought an apology for Gandhi`s remarks in London on democracy in India and the Opposition objecting the matter and demanded a probe into the Adani Group by a Joint Parliamentary Committee.

In a veiled attack on Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal on Tuesday raised the matter, pointing "this is the first time" that a Member of Parliament used words against the democracy of India while his visit outside the country, and sought his apology."He (Rahul Gandhi) should apologize...," Goyal had said.

However, the Opposition members had sought a probe into the Adani Group by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Tuesday and accused the Centre of being silent on a report by a US firm that alleged stock manipulation and accounting fraud by the group.

During his address to the British parliamentarians in London recently, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the "functioning microphones of Opposition leaders in Parliament are often silenced." He made several other allegations including on PM Modi, an `attack on democracy`, and the China issue. In Cambridge, the Congress MP again alleged that the Opposition`s voice was being stifled in Parliament.
New Delhi: Two meat vendors were allegedly beaten up and robbed by seven men, including three Delhi Police personnel, in east Delhi's Shahdara, a senior officer said. The incident took place in Anand Vihar area on March 7 when the two meat vendors were travelling in their car and hit a scooter. The accused, alleged to be 'gau rakshaks', urinated on the victims' faces and threatened to kill them, the police said on Thursday.

Reportedly, a case was registered four days later, even though the victims had approached the police immediately. All the seven men involved in the incident were booked and the three policemen, one of them an assistant sub-inspector, were suspended, the police said.

Nawab, who supplies meat to the Ghazipur slaughterhouse and a resident of Mustafabad, was headed home in his car with his cousin Shoaib when he hit a scooter near Anand Vihar. They were carrying meat in the car, according to the FIR.

The scooter driver demanded Rs 4,000 in damages from them. Just then a PCR van arrived there and one of the policemen took Rs 2,500 from the meat suppliers and gave it to the scooter driver, the FIR stated.

The policeman then demanded Rs 15,000 from the meat suppliers and threatened to take them to the police station if they did not pay up, it said. The victims alleged the policemen in the PCR van called four other people and took them to an isolated spot. Nawab and Shoaib were confined and thrashed by the accused, who also tried to cut their hands with a knife. The accused also urinated on their faces and threatened to kill them, it added.

The policemen also accused them of slaughtering cows and threatened to dump their bodies in a drain after killing them. The policemen allegedly extorted Rs 25,500 from the victims. The victims were "injected" with some narcotic and made to sign a few "blank papers" by the policemen, the FIR stated.

The victims sustained injuries on their limbs and back, and were taken to the GTB Hospital, the police said. A case was filed on March 10 against the accused on charges of extortion and voluntarily causing hurt, they said.

A senior police officer said they are verifying the allegations of the complainant. However, as per preliminary inquiry, departmental action has been initiated against the three policemen, who have been suspended till inquiry, the officer said.
Sikkim: The Indian Army rescued more than 1,000 tourists, who were stranded in the upper reaches of East Sikkim at Chhangu following a heavy spell of snowfall, officials informed on Friday. The rescued tourists included the elderly, women as well as children. Earlier, on March 12, the Indian Army, in collaboration with civil police and administration, rescued 370 tourists stranded due to heavy snowfall in East Sikkim, an official release stated.

The tourists were returning from Natu La & Tsomgo (Changgu) Lake when about 100 vehicles got stuck in heavy snowfall, it said. Troops of Trishakti Corps in collaboration with the civil police and administration launched a rescue mission -- `OPERATION HIMRAHAT,` which continued through late night on March 11, the statement said.

#WeCare



Troops of #TrishaktiCorps rescued & provided assistance to more than 1000 tourists including elderly, women & children stranded due to inclement weather in East #Sikkim on 15 Mar. Provided with shelter, warm clothing, medical aid & hot meals. @adgpi @easterncomd pic.twitter.com/K20K5Tu8gn March 16, 2023

Further, according to the statement, the tourists were moved to safe areas and provided shelter, warm clothing, medical aid, and hot meals. Detailed coordination was done with the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF) for road opening in the morning, the statement informed further.

On the morning of March 12, the road opening work was taken up with the assistance of GREF dozers. By 9 am, the road was cleared to enable the movement of vehicles to Gangtok, it said.

The quick reaction by the troops provided relief and comfort to the stranded tourists under inclement weather conditions and ensured early clearance of the road to enable the movement of vehicles to Gangtok, the statement said.

Stranded tourists and the civil administration of Sikkim expressed their gratitude for the timely relief provided by the Army, it said. The Army, while guarding the border in Super High-Altitude areas of the Himalayas, are always proactive in providing assistance to tourists and the local population, the statement stressed.
New Delhi: BJP MP Varun Gandhi has turned down the Oxford Union's invite to speak at a debate on whether India is on the right path under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he sees no merit or integrity in voicing domestic challenges at an international forum and that such a step will be a "dishonourable act".

The development comes incidentally at a time of a raging debate over his cousin and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's comments in London which have been described by the ruling party as "demeaning" to Indian democracy, more so as they were made from foreign soil.

The second leg of Parliament's budget session has been a washout so far, with the BJP demanding an apology from the Congress leader for his "grave insult" to Indian democracy.

A source reveals why Varun Gandhi declined the invite

A source said Varun Gandhi, who has been at times critical of the government's policies, took the decision to decline the invite as the noted debating society based at Oxford in England wanted him to speak against the motion that "This House Believes Modi's India Is On The Right Path".

The invitation for the debate, scheduled between April and June, was extended to the BJP lawmaker on behalf of the union's president Matthew Dick.

Declining the invite, he said in his reply to the union that citizens like him regularly have the opportunity to discuss topics like this with ease in India, raising criticism of government policies in the public square and the august Parliament.

Raising internal issues outside country a 'dishonourable act': Varun Gandhi

However, such criticism must be made within India to policy-makers and raising them outside the country would be inimical to its interest and a "dishonourable act", he said.

Politicians like him may have their differences on individual policies at the central and state levels, however, they are all together on the same path for India's rise, he said.

The union's invite to Gandhi said Prime Minister Modi's rule has catapulted India to greater prominence on the global stage, with many equating his policy agendas to robust economic growth, tackling corruption, and putting "India first".

On the other hand, his administration has been criticised for mishandling a growing discontent within the agricultural sector, "instigating" conflict between religious groups, and failing to revitalise the health and education sectors, it added.

"Against the backdrop of ever-strong popularity among voters, it is imperative to discuss whether the BJP's direction under Modi has been more polarising than unifying. The question then becomes: what (or who) is the right path for India as it forges ahead into the future?" the invite to him read.

When PTI in London sought a comment from the Oxford Union over the weekly debates planned between April 27 and June 15, a spokesperson said: "We have nothing to say on this."

While thanking for the "great honour", Gandhi replied that he believed the topic at hand is one with a "predefined conclusion" and declined the invitation.

He said, "As an elected representative, I see it as my job to strengthen our system by studying and evaluating policy initiatives and offering feedback; by taking up issues of national interest and suggesting possible solutions; by engaging with the public to raise and showcase legitimate concerns. It is a priority to participate in the national debate both within Parliament and through other fora in a constant and constructive manner."

The Pilibhit MP added, "However, such comment must be offered within India to Indian policy-makers. I see no merit or integrity in vocalising internal challenges in an international forum."

India is on the right path for development and inclusiveness, a path that has been laid out and pursued by governments of varied political affiliations over the past seven decades since Independence with a push for robust economic growth, revitalising agriculture, education and healthcare, and putting India's interests first, he said.

Every vibrant democracy offers its citizens the freedom and opportunity to engage with issues, he noted.

As an author, public policy commentator and Member of Parliament, participation in such an event is a meaningful contribution towards enabling discourse and dialogue to address and resolve public concerns, he said while underlining his discomfort with the chosen topic as it is not one that offers much scope for debate or dispute.
New Delhi: BJP President JP Nadda, joining senior BJP leaders, took aim at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his contentious remarks during his UK trip. He accused Gandhi of "insulting" the country and the Parliament abroad. Nadda also said that Rahul has become a part of the "anti-nationalist toolkit", criticising him for remarks made by Gandhi about Indian democracy in London. "Congress is now part of anti-national activities...Rahul Gandhi has now become a permanent part of this anti-nationalist toolkit," he said in a statement.

#WATCH | Rahul Gandhi must apologise...In Indias history since independence, even in most difficult times, none of Indias leaders ever appealed to foreign powers to act against the Indian govt. This is a very serious matter in independent Indias history: BJP President JP Nadda pic.twitter.com/V1GWfhouDL  ANI (@ANI) March 17, 2023

"Rahul Gandhi, what is your intention when you demand the intervention of another country in the internal matters of India? At a time when India is becoming the 5th largest economy in the world and G20 meetings are being held here, Rahul Gandhi on foreign soil is insulting the nation and the Parliament," he said.

Nadda further said, "Rahul Gandhi is also insulting the elected majority government and 130 crore Indians. What is this if not strengthening the traitors? Rahul Gandhi on foreign soil said that democracy has finished in India and Europe & US should intervene. What could be more shameful than this?"

For the past week, the ruling BJP and the Congress have been engaging in a war of words in Parliament over Gandhi's remarks on Indian democracy in London. The BJP alleged that Rahul Gandhi had defamed the country by making such remarks but the Congress has continued to defend the comments. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had indirectly snubbed Gandhi at an event in Karnataka wherein he called India the 'Mother of Democracy'.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur also took several digs at the Congress MP and asked him to apologise to the Parliament.

Rahul Gandhi, in London, had alleged that there was an 'attack' on Indian democracy and claimed that Opposition MPs were often prevented from speaking in Parliament as their mics were turned off.
New Delhi: Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit's mother Snehalata Dixit died on Sunday. She was 90 years old. The funeral of her mother Snehlata Dixit took place at a crematorium in Worli.

On Friday, Madhuri Dixit and family kept a prayer meet for the actress' mother Snehlata Dixit in Mumbai. Several celebrities from Bollywood attended the prayer meet to offer condolence to the departed soul. Actress Madhuri Dixit and her husband Dr. Shriram Nene greeted the media with folded hands and went inside the venue as they arrive for the prayer meet.

The actress was joined by fellow celebrities like Vidya Balan, Riteish Deshmukh, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Jackie Shroff, Sooraj Barjatya, Boney Kapoor, Ramesh Taurani among others.

Madhuri, who is the youngest of four siblings, had shared a heartwarming post on her mother's 90th birthday last year. "Happy Birthday, Aai! They say a mother is a daughter's best friend. They couldn't be any more right. From everything that you've done for me, the lessons that you've taught have been the biggest gift for me from you. I wish you only good health & happiness! Madhuri had penned, along with rare and unseen pictures of her mother," the actor wrote on Instagram alongside a series of pictures of her mother. The cause of her mothers death, however, is still not known.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Madhuri Dixit was last seen in Amazon Prime Videos film Maja Maa alongside Rithwik Bhowmik and Gajraj Rao.
New Delhi: Alanna Panday's husband Ivor McCray shakes a leg on the Oscar-winning song 'Naatu Naatu' and the internet is impressed. He brought the house down with his performance of at their wedding with his groomsmen and now the video is surfacing all over social media. The sweetest part is, he can be seen impressing all, including 'Pathaan' actor Shah Rukh Khan who can be seen cheering up the groom with his applause.

In the video, shared on Instagram, Ivor and his dance crew are performing the hook step of RRR song 'Naatu Naatu'. The group delivered a power-packed performance that not only received hoots from the bride but also had SRK cheering.

Naatu Naatu has clearly taken over the world. The 'RRR' song made history earlier this week after it became the first Telugu song to be performed at the Academy Awards. It even won the Oscar for 'Best Original Song' and the nation is proud.

Alanna married her longtime boyfriend Ivor McCray in a dreamy wedding ceremony in Mumbai. The couple chose to go for ivory outfits on their D-day, as the bride dazzled in a designer lehenga and the groom color-complimented her in a matching sherwani.
NEW DELHI: Renowned Bollywood actor Swara Bhaskar and Fahad Ahmad, who recently tied the knot in an intimate ceremony, hosted a grand wedding reception in the national capital on Delhi. The duo had registered their marriage in February. The wedding reception was attended by their close friends and family members and some big faces from the political circuit.

Pictures and videos of the guests from the wedding reception of Swara Bhaskar and Fahad Ahmad have now gone viral on the internet. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party leader Jaya Bachchan, and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor were among the guests who were spotted gracing the reception to bless the couple as they begin a new chapter of their life.

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi attended the wedding reception with his Z-plus security cover. He clicks pictures with the couple on the stage and even speaks to them for a while. A video of Rahul Gandhi from Swara and Fahad's wedding reception has gone viral on the internet with netizens flooding the comment section with their views and reactions.

Jaya Bachchan came dressed in a beautiful off-white-yellow salwar suit at the event. However, she was seen with a face mask and did not pose for the cameras.

Another video from the wedding reception showed Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal also attending the event and congratulating the couple. In a video, CM Kejriwal is walking up to the stage to meet and greet the couple while posing with their family members.

Swara shared several glimpses of the wedding ceremony on social media. The couple looked royal in their traditional outfits and fans loved their chemistry.

Swara and Fahad hosted a qawwali night on March 15 night where Niazi Brothers performed. The function was also attended by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Swara announced her wedding with a video on Twitter where she explained how the two fell for each other during a protest. Announcing her wedding with Fahad Ahmad, Swara wrote, "Sometimes you search far & wide for something that was right next to you all along. We were looking for love, but we found friendship first. And then we found each other! Welcome to my heart @FahadZirarAhmad Its chaotic but its yours!" The couple got married on January 6, under the Special Marriage Act.
New Delhi: 7th Pay Commission DA Hike latest Update: An important Cabinet meeting to discuss on the Dearness Allowance (DA) hike of central government will be held today, media reports have said. Post the meeting the announcement on DA Hike for government employees may be announced, media reports have added.

Previously media had reported that Modi government was supposed to hold a cabinet meet on March 15, however that did not happen.

The All-India CPI-IW for January, 2023 increased by 0.5 points and stood at 132.8 (one hundred thirty two point eight). On 1-month percentage change, it increased by 0.38 per cent with respect to previous month compared to decrease of 0.24 per cent recorded between corresponding months a year ago.

However, if the cabinet meeting does not discuss the issue of DA next week, then there might be a hint regarding the anticipated Dearness Allowance (DA) hike in the All India Consumer Price Index (AICPI) figures that the Labor Ministry releases by the end of the month. The next issue of CPI-IW for the month of February, 2023 will be released on Friday, 31st March, 2023.

The AICPI data for December 2022 were 132.3. The only factor used to calculate the daily pay for central workers is the AICPI index. The index covered 88 centres as well as the entire nation. The last working day of every month sees the release of the AICPI.

According to media reports, the dearness allowance would increase by 3%. As a result, the DA will rise to 41% from its current 38 percent.

How much will salaries increase if the government increases the DA by 3%, bringing it to 41 percent?



With a minimum basic wage of Rs. 18,000

If the DA is increased to 41% (Rs 7,380/month)

Actual 38% DA = Rs 6,840 per month

monthly salary rises of Rs 900 (Rs 7,380 minus Rs 6,840)

Increase in annual salary: Rs 900 x 12 = Rs. 10,800

Assuming a base income of Rs 56,900

If the DA is increased to 41%, the monthly salary would be Rs 23,329

Actual 38% DA = Rs 21,622 per month

monthly salary increments of Rs 1,707 (Rs 23,329 minus Rs 21,622)

Increase in annual salary: Rs 1,707 x 12 = Rs. 20,484

7th Pay Commission: DA increased by 4% to 38%

According to the percentage increase in the 12 monthly average of the All India Consumer Price Index for the period ending June 2022, the Union Cabinet had approved the release of an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief @ 4 percent to Central Government employees and pensioners due from July 1, 2022. With effect from July 1,2022, both Central Government employees and pensioners are now eligible to increased amounts of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief, respectively.

According to estimates, the additional financial effects of this increase in Dearness Allowance for Central Government Employees will total Rs. 6,591.36 billion each year and Rs. 4,394.24 billion in the fiscal year 20222023 (i.e. for a period of 8 months from July, 2022 to February, 2023).

According to estimates, this rise in Dearness Relief for Pensioners will have significant financial effects totaling Rs. 6,261.20 billion annually and Rs. 4,174.12 billion in the fiscal year 20222023 (i.e. for a period of 8 months from July, 2022 to February, 2023).

The combined burden of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief on the exchequer would be in the range of Rs.12,852.56 billion each year, and Rs.8,568.36 billion in the fiscal year 20222023 (i.e. for a period of 8 months from July, 2022 to February, 2023).
New Delhi: A major part of the proceeds of the multi-crore scam in the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in different state-run schools in West Bengal was invested in the Tollywood film industry, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court here on Friday.

ED Counsel Phiroze Edulji told the court that amounts as high as Rs 6.50 crore was transferred to a number of Tollywood actors and actresses from two bank accounts held by expelled and arrested youth Trinamool Congress leader Kuntal Ghosh over a period of time.

One such Tollywood actor, Bonny Sengupta aka Anupiryo Sengupta had admitted accepting Rs 40 lakh from Ghosh for purchasing a vehicle and late Thursday evening, he had already returned that amount to ED.

However, no other actor or actress who has received money from Ghosh has come up with a submission on this count. Sources said that the central agency sleuths will summon them for questioning in the coming days.

ED counsel said that despite repeatedly asking for the source of such huge funds, Ghosh had not come forward with any definite answer on this count.

Even the judge of the special court was heard telling the counsel of Ghosh that his client should divulge the sources of unaccounted money in his bank account. "If one earns Rs 5 crore from illegal means and then pays tax on Rs 2 crore, the entire money does not become legal," the judge observed.

Meanwhile, the ED has already freezed 10 bank accounts of Ghosh and 15 bank accounts of another expelled and arrested youth Trinamool leader Santanu Bandopadhyay, from where transactions of several crores of rupees were detected by ED sleuths.

After hearing arguments from both ends, the special court ultimately extended the judicial custody of Ghosh till March 30.
New Delhi: Microsoft Corp on Thursday trumpeted its latest plans to put artificial intelligence into the hands of more users, answering a spate of unveilings this week by its rival Google with upgrades to its own widely used office software. The technology company previewed a new AI "Copilot" for Microsoft 365, its product suite that includes Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations and Outlook emails. First open to some 20 enterprises for testing, AI will offer a draft in these applications, speeding up content creation and freeing up workers' time, Microsoft said.

The Redmond, Washington-based company, outpacing peers through investments in ChatGPT's creator OpenAI, also showcased a new "business chat" experience that can pull data and perform tasks across applications on a user's written command.

"We believe this next generation of AI will unlock a new wave of productivity growth," Satya Nadella, Microsoft's chief executive, said in an online presentation.

Microsoft's share price rose about 4% on the news.

This week's drumbeat of developments including new funding for AI startup Adept reflects how companies large and small are locked in a fierce competition to deploy software that could reshape how people work.

At the center are Microsoft and Google-owner Alphabet Inc, which on Tuesday touted AI features for Gmail and a "magic wand" to draft prose in its own word processor. The capabilities that Microsoft and Google showcased are similar.

The frenzy to invest in and build new products began with last year's launch of ChatGPT, the chatbot sensation that showed the public the potential of so-called large language models.

Such technology learns from past data how to create content anew. It has evolved rapidly. Just this week, OpenAI began the release of a more-powerful version known as GPT-4. This partly underpins Microsoft's Copilot features, along with an older GPT-3.5 model, business and application data, Microsoft said.

The new capabilities - offered through Microsoft's cloud - are poised to attract business and turn around slowing revenue growth, RBC analyst Rishi Jaluria said.

The Copilot will "drive more usage of Microsoft Office and increase the separation versus competitors," Jaluria said.

TAKING NOTES FOR YOU

One of the company's biggest updates on Thursday was in Excel. Microsoft said AI can open up the computational wizardry of its spreadsheet software, long the domain of trained analysts, to any person able to describe a calculation they would like in plain text. Similar to live notes that Google showed reporters this week, Microsoft said its Copilot can summarize virtual meetings as they happen in its Teams collaboration software.

In an interview, Jon Friedman, a corporate vice president at Microsoft, demonstrated this capability. The Copilot generated bullet points summarizing questions that Reuters asked, including whether Microsoft can roll out the technology profitably.

Large language models require lots of computing power and costs to run. Friedman said Microsoft will make the deployment work economically. The Copilot summarized his answer thus, during the interview: "Microsoft is working on lowering the cost and increasing the speed and fidelity of the models, but did not disclose the pricing or tiring of the copilot system." (It meant to say "tiering.")

Fine-tuning the technology and ensuring that its answers are factual is why Microsoft is testing Copilot with some customers before a wider rollout, Friedman said. An "amazing thing about large language models is they're very confident, and they get things wrong," Friedman added.

Friedman pointed to Microsoft's business chat experience as the biggest development on Thursday because it can handle tasks across applications. For instance, a user can ask, "Tell my team how we updated the product strategy," and the AI will take cues from a morning's worth of emails, meetings and chat threads, Microsoft said.

Longer-term, Friedman said, the vision is a more personalized AI. "We often make people adapt to the machines and systems we have built," Friedman said. "This is a thing that will start to adapt to you."
New Delhi: Generative artificial intelligence has become a buzzword this year, capturing the public's fancy and sparking a rush among Microsoft and Alphabet to launch products with technology they believe will change the nature of work.

Here is everything you need to know about this technology.

WHAT IS GENERATIVE AI?

Like other forms of artificial intelligence, generative AI learns how to take actions from past data. It creates brand new content - a text, an image, even computer code - based on that training, instead of simply categorizing or identifying data like other AI.

The most famous generative AI application is ChatGPT, a chatbot that Microsoft-backed OpenAI released late last year. The AI powering it is known as a large language model because it takes in a text prompt and from that writes a human-like response.

GPT-4, a newer model that OpenAI announced this week, is "multimodal" because it can perceive not only text but images as well. OpenAI's president demonstrated on Tuesday how it could take a photo of a hand-drawn mock-up for a website he wanted to build, and from that generate a real one.

WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

Demonstrations aside, businesses are already putting generative AI to work.

The technology is helpful for creating a first-draft of marketing copy, for instance, though it may require cleanup because it isn't perfect. One example is from CarMax Inc (KMX.N), which has used a version of OpenAI's technology to summarize thousands of customer reviews and help shoppers decide what used car to buy.

Generative AI likewise can take notes during a virtual meeting. It can draft and personalize emails, and it can create slide presentations. Microsoft Corp and Alphabet Inc's Google each demonstrated these features in product announcements this week.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT?

Nothing, although there is concern about the technology's potential abuse.

School systems have fretted about students turning in AI-drafted essays, undermining the hard work required for them to learn. Cybersecurity researchers have also expressed concern that generative AI could allow bad actors, even governments, to produce far more disinformation than before.

At the same time, the technology itself is prone to making mistakes. Factual inaccuracies touted confidently by AI, called "hallucinations," and responses that seem erratic like professing love to a user are all reasons why companies have aimed to test the technology before making it widely available.

IS THIS JUST ABOUT GOOGLE AND MICROSOFT?

Those two companies are at the forefront of research and investment in large language models, as well as the biggest to put generative AI into widely used software such as Gmail and Microsoft Word. But they are not alone.

Large companies like Salesforce Inc (CRM.N) as well as smaller ones like Adept AI Labs are either creating their own competing AI or packaging technology from others to give users new powers through software.

HOW IS ELON MUSK INVOLVED?

He was one of the co-founders of OpenAI along with Sam Altman. But the billionaire left the startup's board in 2018 to avoid a conflict of interest between OpenAI's work and the AI research being done by Telsa Inc (TSLA.O) - the electric-vehicle maker he leads.

Musk has expressed concerns about the future of AI and batted for a regulatory authority to ensure development of the technology serves public interest.

"It's quite a dangerous technology. I fear I may have done some things to accelerate it," he said towards the end of Tesla Inc's (TSLA.O) Investor Day event earlier this month.

"Tesla's doing good things in AI, I don't know, this one stresses me out, not sure what more to say about it."
New York: Self-proclaimed godman and fugitive Nithyananda's 'United States of Kailasa' has signed a 'cultural partnership' with over 30 American cities, a media report has said, days after the city of Newark in the US state of New Jersey said it rescinded a 'sister-city' agreement with the fictional country. The sister-city agreement between Newark and the fake 'United States of Kailasa' was inked on January 12 this year and the signing ceremony took place at City Hall in Newark. Nityananda, whose mind-bending spiritual homilies wrapped in a sheen of pseudo-science has provided much mirth on social media, claims to have set up a country called the "United States of Kailasa" in 2019.

According to its website, there are over 30 American cities that have signed a cultural partnership with the fake nation of Kailasa --- cities from Richmond, Virginia to Dayton, Ohio, to Buena Park, Florida literally all over the map.

A fake Indian guru scammed 30 American cities #FoxNews pic.twitter.com/Xhpc3XIzZO  Jesse Watters Primetime (@jesseprimetime) March 16, 2023

A report in Fox News on Thursday said that "we are finding out the supreme fake pontiff" has a long list of cities that he's duped. It said that it reached out to some of the cities in the US for a reaction on signing an agreement with the fake nation. "And so far most of the cities have confirmed these proclamations are in fact true," the report said.

Jacksonville, North Carolina told Fox News: " Our proclamations with Kailasa are not an endorsement. They are a response to a request and we do not verify the information that is requested."

Fox News blamed the cities for not 'googling' for information about the fake nation. "If someone wants a proclamation, someone gets a proclamation. They'll just say you're an exotic Hindu Island and they'll name a street after you," the Fox News anchor said.

The report added that it's not just mayors or city councils but "people running the federal government" who are falling for the fake nation too.

It added that according to the fake guru, two members of the Congress have given Kailasa 'special congressional recognition. One of them is Congresswoman Norma Torres of California, who is on the House Appropriations Committee.

"So, the person who decides what we spend our tax dollars on just got duped by an alleged rapist guru with a fake country," the Fox News anchor said.

Republican Troy Balderson from Ohio also presented "his divine holiness and pontiff of Hinduism congressional recognition."

Earlier this month, Press Secretary in the Department of Communications, City of Newark, Susan Garofalo had told PTI in an email that as soon as "we learned about the circumstances surrounding Kailasa, the City of Newark immediately took action and rescinded the sister city agreement on January 18.

Press Note: Kailasa Establishes Sister City Relationships for Humanitarian Services and Global Peace

Kailasa is the revival of the ancient enlightened Hindu civilizational nation.

Organizations representing Kailasa, have established sister city relationships with many cities https://t.co/37lBA1KBno pic.twitter.com/gYitUBRWTK  KAILASA's SPH Nithyananda (@SriNithyananda) March 17, 2023

Based on deception, the ceremony was groundless and void. "Although this was a regrettable incident, the City of Newark remains committed to partnering with people from diverse cultures in order to enrich each other with connectivity, support, and mutual respect," Garofalo said.

Newark Councilman at Large Luis Quintana sponsored the motion to rescind the agreement.

He said during official proceedings that going forward any city entering into a sister city agreement must be in good standards of human rights.

"We cannot bring Sister Cities International into an issue where there is controversy. This is an oversight, cannot happen any longer," he said, adding that Newark cannot put itself in a situation where there is a sister city that has no human rights.

He had said going forward, it must be ensured that while sister cities are encouraged, agreements cannot be entered into with 'governments that don't have human rights.'

The Fox News report quoted a Newark resident to say that the sister-city agreement with a fake nation was an embarrassing episode for the city. "I think that's embarrassing that he didn't do his background research before entertaining them."

Last month, USK representatives attended two UN public meetings in Geneva - a general discussion on 'Equal and inclusive representation of women in decision-making systems' organised by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on February 22, and the general discussion on the General Comment on economic, social cultural rights and sustainable development on February 24, hosted by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR).

Responding to questions on the United States of Kailasa's participation at the UN forums, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) had said registration for such public events is open to NGOs and the general public.

"Anyone can submit information to the treaty bodies, who will use their judgment to determine the credibility of the submissions received."

"On the day of the CEDAW general discussion, USK members were prevented from distributing promotional material in front of and inside the conference room. Their written submission to CEDAW will not be published by the Committee as it is irrelevant to the topic of the general discussion," OHCHR had said.

Nithyananda is wanted in India on several charges of rape and sexual assault allegations he denies. The Kailasa website counts "two billion practising Hindus" among its population.
New Delhi: A new variant of Covid has reportedly been found in Israel as per local media there. Several local media outlets quoted Israel's Health Ministry announcement about two people returning from abroad and testing positive for an unidentified Covid variant. The variant was detected after the two travellers were made to take a PCR test at Ben-Gurion International airport. The symptoms of the unidentified variant, however, seemed quite similar to the known variants such as headache, fever, and body aches.

Professor Salman Zarka, Israel's Covid head, told local Israeli publication Haaretz that the patients who were in their 30s had contracted the virus from their infant son. He explained the ambiguity of the Covid variant by citing the linking of two virus variants and termed it as a common phenomenon.

Meanwhile, India is still practising caution when it comes to Covid-19. Recently, the Centre requested six states, namely Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka to be cautious about the spread of a possible localised spread of Covid-19 infection. The states have been asked to follow a risk assessment-based approach to prevent the spread of the virus.

Amid the rise in other infections as well such as the H3N2 virus, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan cited changing weather conditions and behavioural reasons to explain the rising cases of influenza.

"While influenza is an annual seasonal occurrence, in the present season, a variety of weather conditions and behavioural reasons -- less than adequate attention to personal hygiene, coughing without adequate protection, closed indoor gatherings of people, etc. -- make the environment conducive to the circulation of a number of viral respiratory pathogens like Influenza A (H1N1, H3N2 etc.) and adenoviruses", he said.
The Declaration has been adopted the Extraordinary Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States held in Ankara at the initiative of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

Azernews presents the Ankara Declaration per Azertac.

The Extraordinary Summit of the Organization of Turkic States (hereinafter referred to as the OTS), upon the initiative of the Republic of Azerbaijan, was held in Ankara on 16 March 2023 on the theme of Disaster-Emergency Management and Humanitarian Assistance.

The meeting was hosted by H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, President of the Republic of Turkiye, and attended by H.E. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, H.E. Sadyr Zhaparov, President of the Kyrgyz Republic, H.E. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, H.E. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, National Leader of the Turkmen People and Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan, H.E. Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, H.E. Ersin Tatar, President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, as well as H.E. Kubanychbek Omuraliev, Secretary General of the OTS.

The Heads of State of the OTS,

Reiterating their deepest condolences to the brotherly Turkish people for the two devastating earthquakes which claimed thousands of lives and left thousands more injured and caused heavy destruction in the south-eastern region of Turkiye on 6 February 2023;

Expressing their gratitude to the peoples of Member and Observer States as well as other countries and international organizations/platforms for immediately extending a helping hand to those areas heavily affected by the earthquakes;

Commending the quick response of the Member and Observer States of the OTS and rapid deployment of their search and rescue teams following the devastating earthquakes in Turkiye;

Welcoming the announcement of the Turkiye Flash Appeal by the United Nations and an International Donors Conference to be co-organized by the European Union (EU) Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council to mobilize global support for Turkiye and Syria;

Emphasizing the importance of rapid deployment of search and rescue teams as well as quick delivery of humanitarian relief in response to the disasters;

Highlighting the necessity of bilateral and multilateral cooperation and coordination for preventing, responding, and overcoming natural disasters in the OTS region and around the world in line with the Turkic World Vision 2040;

Welcoming the outcomes of the Ministerial Meeting of the OTS on Disaster and Emergency Management held at AFAD in Ankara on 21 December 2022 concerning the establishment of a Civil Protection Mechanism in line with the paragraph 51 of the Declaration of the 8th Summit of the OTS in 2021;

Recalling their decision to instruct their relevant Ministries to initiate cooperation on green technologies and smart cities as endorsed in the Declaration of the 8th Summit of the OTS;

Praising the outstanding political, economic, and socio-cultural progress achieved by the Turkic States in realizing the vision and goals outlined in the Turkic World Vision 2040;

Reaffirming their commitment to supporting activities of the OTS to promote the values and interests of the Turkic World;

Stressing the ever-increasing central role of the OTS in deepening and strengthening cooperation and coordination of the Turkic World in the fields of trade, transport, investment, tourism, regional connectivity, and strategic human resources management;

Committing to explore all possibilities of furthering their cooperation in regional and international fora;

Commending the Chairpersonship of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the successful organization of the historic Samarkand Summit held on 11 November 2022, which marked yet another milestone in the transformation of the OTS and further integration of the Turkic World; and underscoring their determination to support the Chairpersons activities aimed at strengthening solidarity as well as ensuring peace, stability, security and prosperity of the peoples of Member and Observer States of the OTS;

Congratulating the Republic of Turkiye on the centenary of the founding of the Republic and the quincentenary of laying the foundation of the Turkish Foreign Service;

Stating their sincere wishes for the well-being and prosperity of the peoples of all the Member and Observer States on the occasion of Nowruz and holy Ramadan;

Alarmed by the recent hate crimes committed against the sacred values of Muslims in some countries; and, in this connection, stressing the crucial importance of mutual respect between different cultures so as to maintain peaceful coexistence, dialogue and harmony among people with different beliefs and culture;

Declared that they:

1. Expressed solidarity with People and the Government of the Republic of Turkiye in the recovery and reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of the earthquakes;

2. Applauded the devoted search and rescue operations carried out in the wake of the disaster by emergency response teams deployed by Member and Observer States as well as other countries and international organisations/platforms from all around the world; and extended their gratitude to the teams that saved many lives through their ceaseless efforts;

3. Expressed their readiness to strengthen cooperation among national medical rescue teams of the Member and Observer States of the OTS, and to engage in joint capacity building activities;

4. Reiterated their readiness to continue providing humanitarian relief for those who were affected by the earthquakes if/and when needed;

5. Encourage its members to take part in the International Donors Conference to be co-organized by the EU Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council which is planned on 20 March 2023 in Brussels;

6. Agreed to strengthen cooperation among national disaster management authorities of the OTS to address needs in an effective, coordinated, and timely manner in case of possible disasters and emergencies, and instructed in this regard the relevant authorities to conclude the Agreement on the Establishment of the Civil Protection Mechanism of the Organization of Turkic States by the 10th Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Turkistan, the Republic of Kazakhstan;

7. Noted that a post-disaster needs assessment will set a good reference point for the international community in continuing its support to Turkiye throughout the course of recovery and reconstruction of the affected regions; welcomed the aspiration/determination to base these efforts on the principles of Build Back Better and Energy Efficiency; highlighted the importance of more resilient, sustainable and green development in the Turkic World, and recognized smart cities particular role in revitalizing public goods;

8. Appreciated the active involvement of the Observer States in the activities of the OTS; and noted the participation of the TRNC at the Extraordinary Summit of the OTS;

9. Welcomed the signing the Agreement Establishing the Turkic Investment Fund which aims to mobilize the economic potential of Member States of the OTS and strengthen the trade and economic cooperation between them;

10. Reaffirmed their conviction of successful conclusion of upcoming general and presidential elections in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Turkiye, as well as referendum in Uzbekistan;

11. Extend their gratitude to His Excellency Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, the President of the Republic of Turkiye, for his robust and lasting contributions to the unity and solidarity as well as security and prosperity of the Turkic World, firm leadership in strengthening the unified spirit of the Organization of Turkic States and wish him success in the upcoming elections;

12. Reaffirmed their full commitment for the proclamation of a World Turkic Language Day by UNESCO;

13. Condemned in the strongest terms the recent hate crimes against our holy book, the Quran, that offended all Muslims and could pave the way for new racist, xenophobic and Islamophobic provocations and attacks in the future;

14. Condemned the deadly armed attack against the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran and called for a swift and comprehensive investigation to bring all those responsible to justice;

15. Commended the significant achievements in the activities of the Secretariat of the OTS and reiterated their resolve to further strengthen the capacity of the Secretariat for the implementation of the tasks assigned by and enshrined in the documents adopted by the Members;

16. Further agreed to instruct OTS Member States Ministries of Foreign Affairs and other relevant institutions to accelerate preparations for the upcoming 10th Summit of the OTS.

Kazakhstan reaffirmed its readiness to host the 10th Summit of the OTS in Turkistan, Republic of Kazakhstan in October 2023.

The Heads of State of the OTS express profound gratitude to H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, President of the Republic of Turkiye for steering the deliberations of the Ankara Extraordinary Summit of the OTS to a successful conclusion and appreciate the warm hospitality of the Government and people of Turkiye.

The Secretary General of the OTS is tasked to coordinate the mutual action and joint efforts stipulated in this Declaration.

Signed on 16 March 2023, in Ankara, in Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Turkish and Uzbek languages.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov

President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdo?an

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev
The heads of state of the Organization of the Turkic States have had a joint dinner in Ankara.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev attended the dinner.
Sabina Mammadli

Azerbaijani Emergencies Ministry's rescue forces are coming back from quake-hit areas of Turkiye, Azernews reports.

This morning, a convoy of eight vehicles headed from the city of Kahramanmaras to Azerbaijan.

To recap, the ministry sent rescue and medical personnel numbering 760 people, 8 specially trained rescue dogs, 3 special rescue vehicles, and other necessary rescue equipment from the first day of the earthquake in Turkiye.

As a result of the search and rescue operations, the ministry's forces rescued 53 people, including 17 children, as well as pulled the bodies of 780 people from the rubble.

Besides, the ministry delivered 2,630 tents of various sizes, 707 heaters, 5 generators, 540 beds, 650 tables, 2,000 chairs, 8,000 sets of clothes, 20,000 pairs of socks, 7,000 towels and other supplies as humanitarian aid to the country.

A total of 19,330 people were provided with food prepared in mobile kitchens installed in the Kahramanmaras region.




President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed a law approving the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Serbia on the readmission of persons living without permission, Azernews reports.

According to the law, the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Republic of Serbia on the readmission of persons living without permission, signed in Belgrade on November 23, 2022, has been approved.
President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on the release of Elshad Mammadov from the post of Head of the Executive Power of the Ordubad district of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Azernews reports.

According to the order, Elshad Mammadov was dismissed from the post of Head of the Executive Power of the Ordubad district of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a law approving the Memorandum of Understanding "On recognition of certificates (diplomas) in accordance with regulation I/10 of the International Convention on the Training, Certification and Watchkeeping of Seafarers (ICTC) 1978 (with annexes)" between the Ministry of Digital Development and the Transport Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure of the Republic of Serbia, Azernews reports.

According to the law, the Memorandum of Understanding "On recognition of certificates (diplomas) in accordance with regulation I/10 of the International Convention on the Training, Certification and Watchkeeping of Seafarers (ICTC) 1978 (with annexes)" between the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure of Serbia signed on November 23, 2022, in Belgrad, has been approved.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed the law "On approval of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the United Arab Emirates on mutual recognition and exchange of driving licenses," Azernews reports.

According to the law, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the UAE on the mutual recognition and exchange of driving licenses, signed on November 16, 2022, in the city of Abu Dhabi, has been approved.
Sabina Mammadli

The official ceremony of commissioning the "Khanoba" customs post located on the Azerbaijan-Russia border has been held on March 17, Azernews reports.

Azerbaijani and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev and Alexey Overchuk, as well as Chairman of the Government of Russias Dagestan Republic Abdulmuslim Abdulmuslimov and other officials, attended the ceremony.

Answering the questions on the sidelines of the ceremony, the Azerbaijani official stated that the issue of opening the land borders of Azerbaijan with neighboring countries is under the jurisdiction of the Operational Headquarters and the appropriate decision will be made depending on the epidemiological situation.

"I cannot name specific dates, but depending on the epidemiological situation, the Operational Headquarters will make appropriate decisions," Mustafayev added.

Besides, he informed that Azerbaijan and Russia have agreed to synchronize customs procedures

"The transport sector plays a huge role in fostering cooperation between our countries. Azerbaijan is committed to the Baku Declaration, signed in September last year. As part of it, the country is implementing projects aimed at increasing the capacity of border points. Also, work is underway to build roads and bridges," he said.

Then, Mustafayev added that within a month, the construction of a four-lane automobile road with a length of 24 kilometers between the border points of Samur and Khanoba will be completed. He also noted that a highway from Baku to the border with Russia is also being built, which is expected to be completed within two months.

"Today we see an increase in trade with Russia and work to expand transport projects between Azerbaijan and Russia is very important. We are ready to continue cooperation with Russia," he added.

Talking about the established custom point, Mustafayev stressed that the border crossing will also expand the transit possibilities of Azerbaijan and significantly increase cargo flows from the North to the South.

"The government of Azerbaijan gives priority to the development of the country's transport and logistics capabilities. Also, this sector is a priority in terms of socioeconomic development. The Khanoba border checkpoint is equipped with modern facilities and technologies, which will significantly reduce the border crossing time," he said.

Moreover, Chairman of the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee Shahin Baghirov said that work will be carried out to improve infrastructure capabilities at the border points of Azerbaijan with Georgia, noting that work on the design of reconstruction work is already underway.

He noted that the Khanoba checkpoint has 3 entrances for trucks and cars, and 2 entrances for buses.

Its territory is 7 hectares; 4.6 hectares are equipped with terminals and warehouses. In addition, the Khanoba checkpoint is equipped with the most modern means of checking cargo," he added.

Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said that the newly opened border point will ensure smooth and efficient transit of goods from India and Pakistan via Iran and Azerbaijan to Russia.

"This will be the most important transport highway of the 21st century, and in fact today the first element of this highway has been put into operation," he said.

The commissioning of the customs post is expected to allow for the passage of a thousand additional trucks per day. The decision to reconstruct the Khanoba customs post was made in order to reduce the throughput of the Samur customs post.




Elnur Enveroglu

Initiated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Ankara played host to the March 16 Extraordinary Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States designed to rally international support for Turkiye's post-quake rebuilding efforts.

Addressing the event, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked President Ilham Aliyev for his initiative to hold the Extraordinary Summit, entitled Disaster-Emergency Management and Humanitarian Assistance.

Speaking at the summit, the Azerbaijani president blamed Armenia for the 30-year-long occupation and deliberate destruction of hundreds of cities and villages, historical and religious sites, and cemeteries.

"Foreign experts describe the destroyed city of Agdam as a `Hiroshima of the Caucasus'," the president said, elaborating that Armenians destroyed 65 out of 67 mosques in Karabakh and East Zangezur, and the remaining two were used as pig and cow sheds. The president added that because of the Armenian occupation, Azerbaijan is now among the countries most contaminated with landmines and after the second Karabakh war, i.e., since November 2020, nearly 300 Azerbaijanis have been killed or seriously injured by mine explosions.

"Although Armenia recognized Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty in Prague and Sochi in 2022, it has not yet fully withdrawn its troops from the territory of Azerbaijan. Illegal Armenian detachments and criminal elements still remain in Karabakh. Armenia also evades the obligation to open the Zangazur corridor," the president added.

In remarks about the summit, Turkish political analyst, a professor at Turkiyes Dumlupinar University Husamettin Inac, emphasized once again that the solution to the Karabakh problem does not lie with Russia or Europe - the only decisive factor here can be the joint effort of the Turkic-speaking nations. On why the summit is crucial, Inac opined that the unity of the Turkic nations can be conducive to restoring peace in Karabakh and in the region amid Armenia's obstruction of the processes.

The extraordinary Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States held at the initiative of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is of great importance. As you know, the successive earthquakes that hit Turkiye in February and the massive floods that occurred in Turkey's Adiyaman and ?anl? Urfa provinces a few days ago caused serious economic, political, and humanitarian damages to Turkiye. All this was an extremely crushing blow for Turkiye. However, I must note that against the background of what happened, the Turkic-speaking nations did not remain indifferent. On the contrary, holding such an event to support Turkiye paves the way for closer relations between Turkic-speaking nations, the expert said.

Inac added that the summit once again proved that the Turkic-speaking countries as a joint body not only play the role of undertaking political commitment but also have the function of a beating heart within that whole body.

Speaking to Azernews on Karabakh and Pashinyans abortive maneuvers in the political arena, Husamettin Inac said that Armenia was ready to snatch at a chance and divert the processes for its own favor when it comes to Karabakhs future.

Currently facing a desperate situation, the Pashinyan government is delaying the peace process. In a way, this meeting took a very big step towards rendering harmless the so-called authority of the separatist regime in Karabakh, which is the eternal territory of Azerbaijan. The fact that Pashinyan completely closed his ears to Russia, came under the umbrella of Europe, as well as brought pro-France and pro-Armenian representatives to the border region clearly reveals Armenias belligerent stance. Although Armenia's game regarding Karabakh is not for the benefit of either side, it aims at least to display it to international organizations in the form of a so-called state. The summit emphasized once again that the solution to the Karabakh problem does not lie with Russia or Europe - the only decisive factor here can be the joint effort of the Turkic-speaking nations. The resolution of the Karabakh issue is interrelated to the Zangazur road, which will connect the entire Turkic world, and this was the main topic of the summit. Tukiye and our entire partners know that many works related to Zangazur have been completed as a result of the efforts of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Putting this road into operation is already considered the next main step, the expert added

In addition to his comment, the professor added that Turkiye is actively engaged in the upcoming presidential elections, drawing attention to difficulties triggered by the devastating quakes.

The presidential elections in Turkiye are about in two months' time. As for candidates, the rating of the ruling AKP was quite high in the period before the earthquake. You know, after the earthquake, being under western dictate, the alliance of 6 opposition parties formed against Erdogans AKP is trying to discredit the current government by spreading a lot of misinformation about the government. However, over the last few days, such propaganda has been overcome, and the rapid start of restoration activities in Turkiye and the reconstruction of cities managed to expose the slanders of the opposition once again. We hope that in the next two months, things will speed up and people's well-being will be brought back to normal also thanks to the consistent aids to Turkiye.

The political analyst, who prioritizes the interests of the West, noted that the elections in Turkiye are very important for the West. He noted that "certain forces, especially those waiting for Erdogan's defeat in the elections, are assuring the main opposition in Turkiye of all financial support".

As regards the scheduled presidential elections, it is not an ordinary event. Here, especially, the West has great interests, and of course, these interests are the interests of those who want to get rid of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and here the opposition alliance that serves the west cannot be overlooked. As for the final result, it is very difficult to predict how the current elections will end. In elections, every single day counts and can be crucial for changes in results. However, in my opinion, I can say that today the society in Turkiye trusts and sympathizes with Erdogan, who is currently in power.




Saudi Arabia's finance minister said on Wednesday that a decision on allocating last year's budget surplus of almost $28 billion will soon be finalized, with the bulk of the surplus expected to boost reserves.

Mohammed Al Jadaan told Reuters that a decision will be made within two weeks and that he does not think the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the country's sovereign wealth fund, will receive a part of the surplus.

It will take another one to two weeks to finalize the surplus distribution, Al Jadaan told Reuters on the sidelines of the Financial Sector Conference in the Saudi capital.

Most likely you will see the outcome in ours, or SAMA (the Saudi Central Bank) reports, in the reserves, he said, adding that the government focus was on ensuring adequate reserves to meet fiscal rules.

When asked whether PIF would receive a portion of the surplus allocation, the minister said he did not think so.

Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, recorded a budget surplus of 103.9 billion riyals ($27.68 billion) in 2022, beating its own estimates, as higher oil prices boosted government revenues by 31 percent.
The export from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan amounted to $191,000 in January 2023, which is an increase of 4.6 times compared to January 2022 ($41,000).

According to the service, there is no data on export operations from Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan in the corresponding period.

Overall, Kyrgyzstan's foreign trade turnover amounted to $767 million in January 2023, which is an increase of 1.9 times, compared to $384 million in January 2022.

Meanwhile, according to the State Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan, the value of trade turnover between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan amounted to $1.1 billion in 2022, which is an increase from $1 billion in 2021.

The value of export from Kyrgyzstan to Kazakhstan amounted to $438 million in 2022, increasing from $382 million in 2021. The value of Kyrgyzstans import from Kazakhstan made up $749 million last year, which is an increase from $661 million in 2021.

Last year, Kazakhstan was the second-largest trade partner of Kyrgyzstan among the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member-states.
? Gobierno traslada cerca de 30 toneladas de ayuda humanitaria para damnificados por lluvias en #Ancash.



?? Premier Alberto Otarola inspecciono zonas afectadas y recibio un informe de la situacion en que se encuentra esta region. https://t.co/TZVcoLi9fU
???? Union, esfuerzo colectivo y solidaridad por el Peru!

?? La presidenta Dina Boluarte lanzo la cruzada nacional Con Punche Peru Solidario: Actuemos juntos, a fin de atender a los damnificados por las lluvias, proteger a la poblacion e impulsar el desarrollo del pais. pic.twitter.com/THK5vrHNN5
?? #BoletinSemanal

Ya salio nuestro boletin #PeruExporta con informacion sobre el comercio exterior peruano ?? https://t.co/BightQNinP



???? EE.UU. se mantiene como lider indiscutible de agroexportaciones.

?? Importaciones empezaron en rojo el 2023. pic.twitter.com/l8J7ACHdVs
YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has responded to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs latest false claims and bellicose statements made during the Organization of Turkic States summit.

In a statement, the Armenian Foreign Ministry warned that Aliyevs speech was a clear manifestation of territorial claims against the Republic of Armenia and preparation of another aggression.

Below is the full statement released by the Foreign Ministry.

The speech of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev delivered on March 16 during the summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States was a clear manifestation of territorial claims against the Republic of Armenia and preparation of another aggression.

Presenting the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia under the fictitious name Western Azerbaijan the President of Azerbaijan grossly violates the UN Charter, the UN GA Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the UN Charter, the Alma-Ata Declaration, but also his own commitments undertaken by the Prague and Sochi statements to which he is referring in this exact speech.

Azerbaijan continuously obstructs the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions, while at the same time announcing that it is going to resettle the territories that came under its control as a result of the deportation of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Having violated basically all the points of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020 and with the narrative, which he himself admits as fictitious, about the corridors the President of Azerbaijan is obstructing the process of opening of regional communications.

The bellicose rhetoric of the leader of Azerbaijan is aimed at completely disrupting the efforts to establish stability in the South Caucasus and resorting to the use of large-scale force against both the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Moreover, the insulting language used against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is accompanied by actions aimed at creating a humanitarian catastrophe on the ground, demonstrates Azerbaijan's unconcealed policy of ethnic cleansing at the highest level.

Moreover, voicing such provocative theses in Ankara aims not only to undermine the ongoing peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also to hinder the positive dynamics in the process of normalisation of Armenia-Turkey relations.

All partners interested in the stability and peace of the region should give an assessment to this policy of the President of Azerbaijan without any hesitation and take active steps to eliminate the violations of international law by Azerbaijan and exclude the manifestations of the use of force.
STEPANAKERT, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Nagorno Karabakh authorities are sounding the alarm that the Sarsang Reservoir water levels keep dropping 50cm every day amid the Azeri blockade.

Since January 9 Azerbaijan has been barring Nagorno Karabakh authorities from accessing and repairing the damaged power transmission line which supplies Nagorno Karabakh with electricity from Armenia.

The only source of electrical energy we have now is the Sarsang Reservoir, Ararat Khachatryan, the acting chairman of the Water Committee of Artsakh told ARMENPRESS. The water levels are over 8 meters lower compared to the same period of last year. Today the inflow is 4 cumecs, which is a very low indicator. The Tartar flow can reach up to thirty, forty or fifty cumecs. The [consumption] is a lot higher now. When water levels are high, less water is actually consumed for obtaining electricity, but when the water levels drop, pressure also drops and it takes more water to get the same amount of electricity, Khachatryan explained.

The official expressed hope that the reservoirs levels would increase in springtime, but even if that were to happen the result wont be satisfactory.

Since January 9, Azerbaijan has been impeding and barring us from carrying out repair works in the territory under its control where the high-voltage electricity transmission line supplying Artsakh from Armenia passes. Before the blockade, especially in winters, when the electricity supplied from Armenia was insufficient, we were using the Sarsang Reservoir. After the war we are left with only five small HPPs in Artsakh, which work only under 20% capacity, Khachatryan said, warning that if the power line doesnt get fixed soon there will be insufficient water levels in Sarsang.

Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan earlier warned that the significant decrease of water resources in Sarsang Reservoir (which had a capacity of 600,000,000 cubic meters) will lead to a serious crisis in spring and summer first of all for the Azerbaijani farmers themselves because the water resources wont be sufficient enough for irrigating the 96,000 hectares in Azerbaijans Tartar, Aghdam, Bardi, Goranboy, Yevlakh and Akhjabad regions. The Artsakh authorities said that the residents of these regions should be aware that they wont have irrigation water and will subsequently lose income and harvest thanks to their own authorities and the self-proclaimed eco-activists.
YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. On March 16 the French Senate hosted a forum titled In Support of Armenia and Artsakh, where renowned French scholars and parliamentarians expressed their concern regarding the anti-Armenian policy and policy of ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan.

The forum was organized under the patronage of President of the Senate Gerard Larcher and the President of the National Assembly Yael Braun-Pivet.

The co-founder of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and Medecins du Monde Bernard Kouchner and Senator, head of the Republicans group and chairman of the Senate group for international awareness on Nagorno Karabakh Bruno Retailleau delivered opening remarks.

French writer and traveler Sylvain Tesson, novelist and member of the French Academy Erik Orsenna, writer, ex-envoy for human rights Olivier Weber, writer Pascal Bruckner, Le Point magazine editor-in-chief Valerie Toranian, filmmaker Costa-Gavras and other renowned scholars participated as speakers in the event.

The French scholars expressed deep concern over the continuous and explicit anti-Armenian policy and policy of ethnic cleansing by Azerbaijan and the existential threat facing the people of Artsakh. They called on the international community to take urgent actions to end the blockade of Artsakh which is taking place for nearly 100 days, and to guarantee the Artsakh peoples right to live free and in dignity on their own land.

The forum featured speeches by French lawmakers.
YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. In Saudi Arabia, master Tauasif bint Hamid bin Muqbil al-Unzi defended a thesis on the topic of the Armenian Genocide with distinction, reaffirming the historical fact that the Armenian Genocide really happened. She also spoke about the reasons behind the denial of this fact by some states.

She defended her master's thesis on "Great Britain's policy regarding the Armenian massacres of 1915" at the Department of History and Civilization, Faculty of Sociology, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University.

In a conversation with ARMENPRESS, Tauasif bint Hamid bin Muqbil al-Unzi spoke about the motives for choosing the topic, the process and results of the study.

I am ambitious and eager to delve into controversial historical issues such as massacres and atrocities, which are often avoided by historians due to their sensitivity. My interest in studying these topics stems from the following reasons:

Firstly, there is a scarcity of critical analytical studies specialized in Britain's policy towards the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

Secondly, there is a lot of debate and mystery surrounding the motives behind Britain's stance on the Armenian Genocide of 1915, which necessitates clarification and interpretation based on sources.

Thirdly, I am interested in exploring this complementary topic to previous studies that focused on European history, which has had a lasting impact to this day. It is important to interpret it objectively for future generations.

Fourthly, Britain's contemporary relevance and leadership in important historical events during that time cannot be ignored, as it played a prominent role more than any other neighboring country.

Finally, there are numerous important documentary materials related to Britain's policy towards the Armenian Genocide of 1915, and their connection to most aspects of this policy, especially military attache and officer correspondence, she told ARMENPRESS.

The purpose of her study is to uncover Britain's policy towards the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The study has several objectives, the most important of which are:

- Clarifying whether the Armenian Genocide of 1915 is attributed to the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid or the members of the Union and Progress Party.

- Tracing the historical policy of the Ottoman Empire towards the Armenians.

- Identifying the motives that led Britain to take a stance towards the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

- Revealing and documenting Britain's policy towards the Armenian Genocide of 1915 in both its political and military aspects.

According to Tauasif bint Hamid bin Muqbil al-Unzi, the study is based on a critical analytical historical approach that aims to observe, analyze, and criticize historical events to understand their course. It relies on documents to analyze them and interpret the reasons behind the events and positions taken, and then criticize them.

The author attaches importance to the thesis since it sheds light on a significant historical event and its impact on international relations. It also provides insight into the policies of major powers towards human rights violations and their role in shaping the world order.

One of the most significant findings is that it is difficult to attribute the Armenian Genocide solely to the Ottoman Empire or the Union and Progress Party. This is due to two fundamental reasons:

Firstly, there were a series of minor massacres committed by some Ottoman Empire sultans before the occurrence of the major genocide during World War I.

Secondly, there was a Turkish nationalist tendency towards non-Turkish ethnic groups since the days of the Ottoman Empire, which was characterized by superiority. This tendency continued until the Union and Progress Party came to power.

Secondly, the international intervention to protect Christian ethnic groups from the oppression of the Ottoman Empire was based on political pretexts. The ethnic groups that had a cause or demand for self-determination and independence paid the price for this intervention peacefully in their geographical and historical regions.

Thirdly, British motives towards the Armenian Genocide can be summarized in two important factors:

Firstly, the strategic motives, as the Armenian issue's continuity for Britain may have caused other European countries competing with it to refrain from intervening in Egypt and its attempts to impose protection on it. The strategic location of Armenia enables Britain to control the trade routes that connect it to Asia, reaching India, which may create many competitors for it, such as France and Russia. This motive led Britain to take a position towards the Armenian Genocide in 1915/1333 AH.

Secondly, the natural resources that Armenia is characterized by, which made Britain take a motive and position towards the Armenian Genocide, as well as the Armenian crisis since its inception. Britain also aimed to counter Russian competition in the region, which would affect British areas of influence and, therefore, its domination in general, she says.

Speaking about political motivations behind the Armenian Genocide, the author of the thesis notes,

The British motivations towards the Armenian Genocide were not impulsive, but rather had strategic and political roots that shaped their varied reactions towards the crisis. The governing principle of all these motivations was the application of the end justifies the means principle, according to the requirements of the international political circumstances.

The deeper political motivation, which is considered the cornerstone of Britain's stance towards the Armenian Genocide of 1915, was not to be challenged by any of the great powers in the region and to dominate the scene by adopting complex and thorny issues such as the Armenian issue. This policy left the issue to become more complicated through the policy of ebb and flow towards this crisis, and never sought to achieve independence for the Armenians or to find a radical solution for them.

It became clear that international colonial competition had a negative impact on the Armenian people. Hence, the Armenian issue clearly demonstrated the conflicting interests of the major European powers in a way that made their agreement against the Ottoman Empire unattainable. Therefore, we found that positions varied from time to time towards the Armenian crisis.

From Britain's political stance, it became clear that they used the Armenian issue as a pretext to intervene in the affairs of the Ottoman Empire with irregularity and according to their political and military interests. They pushed the Armenians to bear the tragedies of war and benefited from those tragedies, leaving them to their miserable fate. It is evident that the British press and public opinion played an active role in the crisis, forming a pressure factor on British politicians. They had varied reactions due to the influential public opinion within Britain, which reached the point of adopting some Armenian newspapers' publications.

It became clear from the British military position towards the Armenian Genocide that the British viewed Armenia as a strategic location that should not be dominated by rising great powers such as Russia. Therefore, Armenia was geographically a gateway for Britain to achieve its interests and cut off the road for the Russians who were aspiring for economic and political domination towards the Middle East and India.

The clarity of Britain's deep strategy towards the Ottomans was to make them drown in the largest number of crimes and then use them later for political blackmail and other purposes. One of the results of Britain's policy towards the Armenian issue was the occurrence of the Armenian Genocide during World War I in 1915, which resulted in the dispersion of Armenians around the world.

The important and influential role of embassies during World War I, especially military attaches, led to deep intelligence efforts that created many strategic opportunities and contributed to achieving the interests of the Allied forces, led by Britain.

There was a well-organized arrangement years before the trials by the Allied powers regarding the trial of many war criminals, including the Turks. Although the war itself was a crime, during World War I, it seems to me that the classification of massacres and atrocities as war crimes emerged due to their heinousness.

One of the most important results of Britain's policy towards the Armenian Genocide was the entry of the United States into World War I.

Noting that the massacre did indeed occur historically, the author adds that the denial arises due to the involvement of multiple superpowers in this heinous incident. Therefore, they cannot admit to it because of this entanglement.

Speaking about Armenia, Tauasif bint Hamid bin Muqbil al-Unzi noted that Armenia is one of the oldest regions in the Middle East, stretching from the western shores of the Black Sea to the eastern shores of the Caspian Sea and the Mediterranean. The Armenian ethnicity can be traced back to the Indo-European race, and they are considered one of the oldest peoples in western Asia. Some claim that they are descendants of Japheth, the son of the prophet Noah, and that Hayk is the father of the Armenians. He was the first to establish a state in Armenia, called the Haykian state, and was blessed with a son named Armen or Armenak. The Armenians were named after him.

To obtain scientific material, several scientific expeditions were conducted between 2019 and 2021 to a number of countries where Armenian communities exist. These communities are descendants of those who fell victim during the First World War genocide. These countries include Lebanon, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the United States of America. I faced many difficulties during my trips, especially in Lebanon, where I visited the Haigazian University in Beirut and met with Armenian professors and specialists in politics and history. The most prominent of them was Dr. Antranik Dakessian, who provided me with support. I also went on a scientific trip to Egypt, where I visited the Armenian Studies Center in Cairo, Armenian national committee office and met with Dr. Armen Mazloumian, the head of the Armenian National committee of Egypt, who provided me with all the support I needed. During my scientific visits, I had the opportunity to meet Christian clerics from different sects and visit historical Armenian cemeteries. Despite the difficulties I faced during my travels, I was determined to gather as much scientific material as possible to shed light on the rich history of Armenia and its people.

Overall, the Armenian people have a rich history and culture that deserves recognition and respect. It is important to acknowledge the atrocities they have faced and work towards justice and reconciliation, the author of the thesis concluded.
The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) supports the International Road Transport Union (IRU) in the introduction of information technologies in the field of international road transport in Turkmenistan.

She noted that the organization continues to support the digitization of customs procedures in Turkmenistan, which will further facilitate trade while maintaining the transparency of operations.

"In general, over the past year, Turkmenistan and the IRU have implemented several projects to increase the transit and transport potential of the country, as well as to optimize cross-border procedures. The purpose of these projects is to improve Turkmenistan's connectivity with neighboring countries," the representative of the organization said.

Furthermore, she added that the Government of Turkmenistan invited IRU to moderate the plenary of the Ashgabat Forum in July 2022.

"IRU also attended and spoke at the conference of Ministers of Landlocked Developing Countries in the Turkmen Avaza National Tourist Zone in August 2022, dedicated to facilitating recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic through harmonized rules and procedures proposed by UN instruments such as TIR (global transit system) and CMR (consignment note)," the director of the organization's department said.

The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) is a German development agency headquartered in Bonn and Eschborn (Germany), providing services in the field of international cooperation and international educational work.
YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. On March 17, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan received Imangali Tasmagambetov, the Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Armenia.

At the beginning of the meeting Minister Mirzoyan congratulated Imangali Tasmagambetov on assuming the position of the CSTO General Secretary, wishing him efficient work and success.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the current military-political situation in the region.

Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan emphasized the need for a clear and targeted response of the organization to the military aggression carried out by Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of Armenia, which is a member of the CSTO.

The humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh resulting from the blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan was touched upon. The Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the imperative to implement the provisions of the November 9, 2020 Trilateral Statement and the decision made by the International Court of Justice on February 22 regarding the request for provisional measures against Azerbaijan.

During the meeting the General Secretary of the CSTO shared his impressions from his visit to the city of Jermuk the day before.

The Foreign Minister underlined that the Azerbaijani side with its continuous provocations is disrupting the efforts to establish peace and stability in the region, while Azerbaijan's bellicose rhetoric is aimed at preparing ground for the use of large-scale force against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, as well as Nagorno-Karabakh. In this context, the importance of the need to undertake active steps by the allies and partners of the Republic of Armenia towards fulfilling Azerbaijans obligations and excluding manifestations of the use of force by Azerbaijan was highlighted.

In the morning of the same day the CSTO General Secretary, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, visited Yerablur pantheon.
YEREVAN, 17 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 17 March, USD exchange rate down by 0.35 drams to 388.28 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.37 drams to 412.90 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.03 drams to 5.07 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 3.08 drams to 471.18 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 29.76 drams to 24002.63 drams. Silver price down by 1.31 drams to 274.76 drams. Platinum price stood at 16414.1 drams.
YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Artsakh welcomed the adoption of resolutions by the European Parliament on EU-Armenia and EU-Azerbaijan relations, expressing its belief that the resolutions of the European Parliament, including the recommendations on imposing sanctions on Azerbaijani officials, will be an important contribution to the common efforts aimed at ending the blockade and preventing Azerbaijan's criminal plans to carry out ethnic cleansing and genocide in Artsakh.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from MFA Artsakh, the statement reads as follows,

We welcome the call in the European Parliament resolutions of 15 March 2023 addressed to the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure the free and secure movement along the Lachin Corridor, as prescribed by the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020, and to comply with their obligations under the Order of the International Court of Justice of 22 February 2023. In this regard, we support the call of the European Parliament on the EU Council to impose targeted sanctions against Azerbaijani government officials, if the Order of the International Court of Justice of 22 February 2023 is not immediately implemented.



We consider it important that in its resolutions the European Parliament has clearly acknowledged that the Azerbaijan-Karabakh conflict, which has lasted for more than three decades and has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties, immense destruction and the forced displacement of thousands of people, remains unresolved.



In particular, members of the European Parliament expressed their legitimate and justified concern over the fact that the ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020, introduced following the 44-day war waged by Azerbaijan in 2020, has not been fully implemented, deadly military clashes continue to erupt periodically, the ceasefire has been violated repeatedly resulting in hundreds of casualties and the occupation of new territory by Azerbaijani troops, including the territory of the Republic of Armenia, and since 12 December 2022, civilian traffic between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh along the Lachin Corridor has been blocked, which has a negative impact on deliveries of food and other essential supplies to Artsakh.



In its resolution on EU-Azerbaijan relations, the European Parliament also recognised and condemned Turkey's expansionist and destabilising role in the South Caucasus, which manifested itself, among other things, in sending Syrian mercenaries to the conflict zone to fight on the side of Azerbaijan, and expressed the position that for Turkey to play a constructive role in the region, it should reconsider its unconditional support for Azerbaijan and take tangible steps towards normalising relations with Armenia.



We share the position of European Parliamentarians that sustainable and lasting peace cannot be achieved through military means and the threat or use of force, but requires a comprehensive political settlement in accordance with international law, including the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, the 1975 OSCE Helsinki Final Act, in particular non-use of force, territorial integrity and equal rights and self-determination of peoples, as well as the Basic Principles of the OSCE Minsk Group of 2009.



In this regard, we concur with the European Parliament members that comprehensive peace requires an end to all violence and addressing the root causes of the conflict, including those related to ensuring the security and the rights of the Armenians of Artsakh and determining its final status, and the issue of the prompt and safe return of all refugees and internally displaced people to their homes.



We are confident that the resolutions of the European Parliament, including its recommendation to impose targeted sanctions against Azerbaijani government officials, will become an important contribution to the common efforts to end the blockade and stop Azerbaijan's criminal plans to commit ethnic cleansing and genocide in Artsakh.
YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. On March 17, Kavita Belani, the newly-appointed Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Armenia, handed over the letter of accreditation to Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Vahe Gevorgyan, ARMENPRESS was informed

Vahe Gevorgyan congratulated Ms. Belani on her appointment and expressed confidence that cooperation with the Representation will be further strengthened under her leadership.

The interlocutors touched upon the recent developments in the region, as well as the priorities of the Republic of Armenia on the issues concerning refugees, internally displaced persons, migration, as well as other related issues.

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia highlighted the involvement of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in ensuring the return of displaced Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh in accordance with the November 9, 2020 Trilateral Statement.
YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan received the head of the Armenian mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Iva Petrova and her delegation on March 17, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

Expressing satisfaction with the IMF-Armenia partnership, the Prime Minister attached importance to the IMF's support for the Government's reform agenda. Nikol Pashinyan emphasized that last year Armenia recorded high indicators of economic growth and state revenue growth. The Prime Minister of Armenia emphasized that the Government is determined to continue the reforms in various directions and emphasizes consistent work with international partner structures along the way.

The head of the IMF mission in Armenia thanked for the high assessment and noted that the IMF will continue to support the economic progress of our country and the reforms initiated by the Government. According to her, Armenia's economic indicators are quite noteworthy, and the IMF is interested in the development of effective cooperation.

The interlocutors referred to the partnership agenda, discussed issues related to the IMF-Armenia joint action plan.

The Prime Minister presented the reforms and recorded results in the diversification of the economy, ensuring financial and economic stability, improving the investment environment, infrastructure development, legislative regulations, fight against corruption, tax sector, and other directions as well.

The sides exchanged ideas on current economic trends and expectations from 2023.
YEREVAN, MARCH 17, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Khachatryan had a working meeting on March 17 with Iva Petrova, head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission in Armenia, and IMF Resident Representative for Armenia Mehdi Raissii.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the office of Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Khachatryan, at the beginning of the meeting, Deputy PM Khachatryan, welcoming the guests, highly appreciated the willingness of the IMF to constantly support the reform programs of the Armenian government.

Iva Petrova thanked for the reception and emphasized the high-level partnership relations with the Armenian government, expressing confidence that the effective cooperation will continue in the future.

The parties discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest, in particular, referred to topics related to the latest macroeconomic developments, capital expenditures and tax policy.

It is noted that at the end of the meeting, a number of agreements were reached to continue discussions of current programs in a working format in the near future.
At present, the United States prefers providing weapons and military equipment to the Kiev government over reconciliation-themed diplomatic contacts with Russia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.

March 17, 2023, 10:02 In Ukraine, US focused on delivering weapons, not diplomacy  secretary of state

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 17 , ARTSAKHPRESS: In Blinkens opinion, "there has to be a just and durable peace" in Ukraine. "Just in the sense that it reflects the principles of the United Nations Charter. If it's a peace that allows Russia to keep all the territory seized by force, that's not justice," the secretary of state said. He also explained that by durable, he implied "that no one wants to see Russia repeat this a year or two or three years later."

"With those principles in mind, every day we are looking for ways to see if we can bring the war to an end. I see no evidence that right now Russia is interested in a diplomatic resolution and negotiation that would end this war," Blinken told reporters during his visit to Nigers capital Niamey.

"And so the quickest way to end it is to continue to support Ukraine so that it is strong on the battlefield <> so that hopefully, at some point, Mr. Putin recognizes the reality that this has to stop, that he's not going to succeed. And he's prepared for diplomacy and for negotiation. When that day comes we'll be the first to engage to try to end things. But as I said, in this moment, at least, I don't see any evidence of that," he said.

The US top diplomat is now on an African tour that includes Ethiopia and Niger. His press conference was broadcast live via the Department of States official YouTube channel.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) facilitated the transfer of 12 patients from blockaded Nagorno Karabakh/Artsakh to Armenia for treatment, the Ministry of Healthcare of Artsakh reported Friday.

March 17, 2023, 12:40 ICRC facilitates transfer of 12 patients from Stepanakert to Yerevan

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 17 , ARTSAKHPRESS: "Due to the blocking by Azerbaijan of the only road connecting Artsakh with Armenia, 12 patients from the Republican Medical Center the Republic of Artsakh with serious diseases of the oncology and cardiovascular system have been transported today, on March 17, to specialized medical institutions of the Republic of Armenia with the mediation and escort of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

10 patients, who had been transferred to Armenia for medical treatment, returned to Artsakh together with an accompanying persons.

Scheduled surgeries continue to be suspended in the medical centers of the Republic of Artsakh.

7 children remain in the neonatal and intensive care unit of the Arevik medical centre.

5 patients remain in the intensive care unit of the Republican Medical Centre, 1 of them in critical condition.

A total of 194 patients have been transported so far from Artsakh to Armenia with the mediation and support of the International Committee of the Red Cross," the ministry's statement reads.
In order to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Artsakh, Hayastan All-Armenian Fund continues to provide humanitarian support to Artsakh in the form of essential products.

March 17, 2023, 13:35 Hayastan All-Armenian Fund continues to provide humanitarian aid to Artsakh

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 17 , ARTSAKHPRESS: The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund informed.

This time, the Fund has donated 200 tons of flour to Artsakh.

In total, since Azerbaijan's blockade of Lachin, the Foundation has donated 100 tons of food (pasta, buckwheat, rice, sugar), 200 tons of flour, 211,000 kg of potato seeds and 21,600 liters of sunflower oil to Artsakh.

On December 27th, 2022 Hayastan All Armenian Fund held an extraordinary Board meeting, during which the issue of provision of humanitarian aid to Artsakh by the Hayastan All Armenian Fund was discussed.Thanks to the global consolidation and united efforts, the Himnadram donated 100 tons of food products to the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Artsakh in the Republic of Armenia to relieve the humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade of the Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan.




Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a state visit to Russia from March 20-22 at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin press service said in a statement on Friday.

March 17, 2023, 14:44 Xi Jinping to make state visit to Russia on March 20-22  Kremlin

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 17 , ARTSAKHPRESS: According to the statement, the two leaders will discuss "pressing issues related to the future of relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction between Russia and China."

The parties are also expected to exchange views on ways to enhance Russian-Chinese cooperation on the international stage. In addition, the Kremlin press service specified that "a number of important bilateral documents will be signed" during the Chinese leaders visit.

Putin and Xi Jinping last met in person on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the Uzbek city of Samarkand in September 2022. In late December, Putin held a video conference call with Xi Jinping, inviting him to make a state visit to Moscow in the spring of 2023.

Earlier in March, Xi Jinping was re-elected as Chinese president for a third five-year term. Putin said in his congratulatory message that Moscow and Beijing would continue coordination on key issues. The Russian president also expressed confidence that together with the Chinese president, he would be able to boost cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

Following the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October 2022, Xi Jinping was also re-elected as General Secretary of the partys Central Committee for a third time. That said, this will be his first visit to Russia since the re-election.
The UN Security Council on Thursday adopted two resolutions concerning Afghanistan, both unanimously, one of which extended the mandate of the UN special political mission in the country for one year.

Resolution 2678 decides to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until March 17, 2024. It stresses the critical importance of the mission's continued presence and calls upon all relevant Afghan political actors and stakeholders, including relevant authorities and international actors, to coordinate with UNAMA in the implementation of its mandate and to ensure the safety, security and freedom of movement of United Nations and associated personnel throughout the country.

The other resolution, Resolution 2679, requests an independent assessment of recommendations for the efforts to address Afghanistan's challenges.

By the terms of the resolution, the 15-member council requests the secretary-general to conduct and provide, no later than Nov. 17, an integrated, independent assessment, after consultations with all relevant Afghan political actors and stakeholders, including relevant authorities, Afghan women and civil society, as well as the region and the wider international community.

The council also requests that the independent assessment provide forward-looking recommendations for an integrated and coherent approach among relevant political, humanitarian, and development actors, within and outside of the UN system, in order to address the current challenges faced by Afghanistan, including those relating to the humanitarian situation, human rights, security and terrorism.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held a meeting on March 17 with Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Imangali Tasmagambetov.

March 17, 2023, 16:54 Pashinyan, CSTO Secretary General discuss Armenian-Azerbaijani border situation

STEPANAKERT, MARCH 17 , ARTSAKHPRESS: PM Pashinyan congratulated Tasmagambetov on assuming office as CSTO Secretary General, wishing him effective work, according to a read-out issued by the Prime Ministers Office.

The Armenian Prime Minister and the CSTO Secretary General exchanged views on the current situation in the CSTO area of responsibility, regional developments and security challenges. In this context they also discussed a number of issues related to the Armenian-Azerbaijani border situation and the CSTO collective defense mechanisms.
The US provides the most military aid, followed by the UK and the EU (Joe Giddens / PA)

After months of campaigning, Ukraine has managed to convince one of its allies to provide fighter jets.

In providing Kyiv with heavy weaponry, Warsaw has taken a leading position among Nato partners. A step beyond the rest of the alliance's promises, Poland's statement that it will send the Soviet-designed aircraft may put pressure on other members to follow suit.

The US said that Polands move would not require Washington to act, given that other Nato countries have been unwilling to go much beyond their earlier decision to send tanks to Kyiv.

How many jets does Ukraine have?

According to Forbes, Ukrainians had around 105 MiG-29s, Su-24s and Su-25s before the Russians attacked  and, a year later, still have around 105 of these types.

It is estimated Ukraine still has up to 50 Su-27s. Forbes claims these might be Ukraines most useful jets as they are fast, maneuverable, and flexible.

How many jets is Poland sending?

Poland is sending four MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.

The planes, inherited from the former German Democratic Republic, would be handed over in the upcoming days after being serviced, according to President Andrzej Duda.

Even before Russia invaded Ukraine, Poland was one of the loudest opponents of Russia in Europe. Many people in Poland's political and diplomatic circles still view Russia from the perspective of the Cold War. Warsaw has always held the opinion that Putin is an unreliable leader and that any Russian expansion should be resisted at all costs.

It is one of the few Nato countries that by law is required to meet its two per cent of GDP defense spending commitment and is an active member of the European defense community.

Deploying MiGs is not out of the ordinary for Poland, and it fully complies with its Nato membership. That might alter the dynamic inside the alliance, serving as a stimulus for more nations to do so, or it might enrage nations like Hungary, who are against Nato getting more involved in the fight.

Story continues

According to the White House, President Joe Biden won't send F-16 planes since Poland's decision to send the fighter jets is a sovereign choice.

Who else is arming Ukraine?

By a wide margin, the US provides the most military aid, followed by the UK and the EU.

The US, the UK, and Germany are sending tanks, and Germany is allowing other Western countries to send German-made tanks from their fleets.

However, no Nato country has yet agreed to requests from Ukraine to send fighter jets, except for Poland.

Recently, Volodomyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has declared that his country's forces urgently require Western battle tanks to protect its borders and drive Russian troops out of occupied territory.

The US is sending 31 Abrams tanks, the UK is sending 14, Germany is sending 14, and the US is sending 14 Challenger 2 tanks.

Many European nations employ the Leopard 2, which is said to be more fuel-efficient and easier to maintain than the majority of Western tanks.

Six Leopard 2 tanks are reportedly being sent to Ukraine by Spain.
U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney is taking aim at what she calls "Zuckerbucks"  grants that were awarded in 2020 to nearly 2,500 election offices, including the Cayuga County Board of Elections, from a nonprofit organization supported by Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Tenney, R-Canandaigua, has reintroduced a bill that would prohibit 501(c)(3) organizations from donating money or services to election administration agencies.

The legislation is in response to the Center for Tech and Civic Life's giving before the 2020 presidential election. Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, donated $250 million to the organization.

Tenney claims the Center for Tech and Civic Life "flooded left-leaning county governments" in several states, including Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania, with donations to "influence election administration for their own purposes."

"CTCL funneled Mark Zuckerberg's personal wealth to election agencies of his choosing without a shred of transparency or accountability," said Tenney, who added that the funding by an outside group "undermines public confidence in the democratic process."

The Center for Tech and Civic Life's tax filings show it provided grants totaling $25.8 million to election offices in New York, with over $19 million going to New York City. Thirty-three counties received funding through the organization's COVID-19 response program.

The Cayuga County Board of Elections was awarded $37,125, according to the center's records. The county used its grant to cover the costs of mailing absentee ballots and hire temporary staff.

In a report published on its website, the Center for Tech and Civic Life outlined how the money was used by election offices. Many local governments used the funds to make voting easier amid the pandemic by installing ballot drop boxes or offering drive-thru voting. Election administrators also hired poll workers and temporary staff, bought absentee equipment and supplies, personal protective equipment for poll workers and rented polling places.

Tenney asserts that 92% of the center's grants were given to "left-leaning districts." Heavily populated cities that sought the grants received more money than small rural counties, but the organization said "there were no partisan questions in the grant applications" and funding decisions "were not made on a partisan basis."
A bridge that was built in 1953 and carries traffic over Interstate 90 in Onondaga County will be replaced.

The New York State Thruway Authority will hold a public information session from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 30, to outline the Schepps Corners Road bridge replacement project. The meeting will be held at the Minoa village office, 240 N. Main St.

Information boards and renderings of the new bridge will be displayed. Representatives from the Thruway Authority will be in attendance to answer questions.

The bridge, which is in the town of Manlius, is 70 years old and has reached the end of its useful life. The new bridge will have an increased vertical clearance, safety guiderail and surface improvements.
By the end of the year, New York will join nine states and nearly 20 others that offer mobile driver's licenses to its residents.

Mark Schroeder, commissioner of the state Department of Motor Vehicles, revealed during a budget hearing in February that his agency is developing mobile driver's licenses and plans to implement them later this year.

There was no other discussion about mobile driver's licenses at the hearing. A DMV spokesperson confirmed that mobile driver's licenses are in the development phase but that it's "too early in the process to talk about where or how it might be used."

Mobile driver's licenses, or mDLs, are digital forms of identification. Michael McCaskill, director of identity management for the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, told The Citizen that his organization has been working on mdL-related projects since 2012. Those efforts contributed to the International Organization for Standardization's adoption of a standard for mDL specifications in 2021. That standard is now being used by states to implement the digital driver's licenses.

State case studies

The Citizen interviewed officials from two states, Maryland and Utah, to learn more about their implementation of mobile driver's licenses.

Ryan Williams, who is the information technology and quality assurance manager for the Utah Department of Safety's Driver License Division, said his state began exploring an mDL option in 2016. It was three years later, in 2019, that state lawmakers passed a bill that launched the process for creating mDLs.

For Utah, it was a quick timeline for implementation. A request for information was issued in 2020, followed by a request for proposals in 2021. Last year, the state completed its pilot program and advanced production of the mDL.

One advantage Utah had was that the mDL standard had been adopted so it could develop its digital ID based on those parameters. Once they were ready to deploy the technology, they opted for what Williams called an "ecosystem-based pilot." They included businesses in the pilot program so that users would have a place to test whether their mDLs worked.

Maryland took a similar approach, according to Christine Nizer, administrator of the state Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Administration. She said the state initiated a digital driver's license pilot program in 2017 with about 500 participants  department employees and their family members. During that process, they gathered feedback from businesses that require age verification, such as casinos and liquor stores.

The key difference between Maryland and Utah is how they implemented the mDLs. Maryland opted for a digital wallet-based solution  offering mDLs through Apple Wallet. While you must have an Apple device to add the mDL to your wallet, Nizer said more than 130,000 Maryland residents are current mobile ID users. The state is planning to offer its digital ID on Google Play.

Utah, which has about 14,000 mDL users, chose to partner with a third-party vendor to develop an app where the digital license is stored. The app is available on Apple's App Store and Google Play.

The options may be different, but both states say the sign-up process is easy. In Utah, users download the app and then scan the front and back of their physical driver's license. They must fill out a form and then complete a likeness detection that confirms they are the license holder. From beginning to end, Williams said users can finish getting their mDLs in two to three minutes.

To sign up for an mDL in Maryland, the process is the same. You must have your physical license and a likeness verification is performed to confirm it's your ID. That information is reviewed, Nizer said, and users will either be approved for the digital license or asked to submit additional verification. Once enrollment is completed, users can access the mDL in their Apple Wallet.

Privacy

One concern raised about this fairly new technology is whether a user's privacy is protected.

As more states adopt mDLs, it is an issue that is being watched by Alexis Hancock, director of engineering at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an organization that focuses on digital privacy and other matters.

One of her concerns based on early discussions about mDLs is the pressure users face to get a digital license even if they don't want one.

"We believe there's a right to paper always and there shouldn't be a case or a matter where it should be a problem to present a physical driver's license," Hancock said.

In Maryland and Utah, mDLs are optional. Drivers are still issued a physical license.

Hancock also worried about adding a driver's license to devices that already store huge amounts of information. That, she said, can increase the risk of harm in certain situations.

Proponents of mDLs believe they offer more privacy and security than physical licenses. McCaskill said mDLs put the user in charge of how much information is provided when they present a digital license.

"They can always back out of a transaction before they share data," he said. "Even though the devices are connected, they are always in control."

In Utah, Williams offered this slogan, "It's not what you show. It's what you share."

"That was one of our big keys," he said. "You're not showing a picture to anybody. You're sharing information digitally through an encrypted transaction."

The digital licenses are not replicas of the physical licenses. With mDLs, there are controls for users to deploy in certain situations, such as when they are purchasing alcohol and a cashier needs to confirm their age. Instead of showing their physical license with all of their information, the mDL allows them to show their photo and confirmation that they meet the age requirement. No other information is displayed.

McCaskill thinks mDLs are better than traditional licenses because of that feature.

"You're not giving them everything," he said. "You're giving them what you want them to have... What they're doing is implementing a solution that's better than their physical solution but the relying parties are able to trust it and accept it."

What's next?

It's one thing to have an mDL. It's another to be able to use it.

Utah addressed this early on by including businesses, such as banks and grocery stores, in its testing. Businesses have easy access to verifiers  like mDLs, the verifiers used to check digital licenses are available as an app.

Mobile driver's licenses can be used elsewhere. In Maryland and Utah, the states have partnered with the Transportation Security Administration to allow the use of mDLs at airport checkpoints.

McCaskill and his team at the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators are working on a pilot program that would allow relying parties  businesses, government agencies and other entities that would need to verify an mDL  access to the public keys for each state's digital ID. AAMVA is compiling the list of public keys that would be available for relying parties.

Continuing education is important. With more states rolling out mDLs, there will be questions about security and how the digital IDs are used. But those tasked with overseeing the deployment of mDLs believe they are a good option for their constituents.

"We want our customers to have control of their own data," Nizer said. "(Mobile licenses) really provides that because you're only sharing the information that's necessary for that transaction... Controlling information in that way really puts the power back in the customer's hands."
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Great Wall Motor (GWM) signed a cooperation agreement several days ago with the auto distributor Cycle & Carriage for the plan to bring its intelligent new energy vehicles (NEVs) to the Singaporean auto market, according to a press release GMW issued on Mar. 16 via its WeChat account.

According to Zhang Jiaming, President of Great Wall Motor (ASEAN region), the latest move makes Singapore the newest member of GWMs ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) family, which has already contained Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, and Laos.

Photo credit: Great Wall Motor

According to some media outlets, the initial vehicle model to be introduced to Singapore through the cooperation is the Good Cat, a battery electric compact car under GWMs NEV-dedicated brand ORA.

Cycle & Carriage is a leading automotive group in Southeast Asia. It focuses on distributing and retailing new and used vehicles, and providing relevant aftersales services in Singapore, Malaysia, and Myanmar.

In Feb. 2021, the Chinese automaker officially launched the GWM brand to the Thai market, signing an all-new development stage for the companys expansion in the ASEAN market. It has had such models as the HAVAL H6 HEV and the ORA Good Cat sold in Thailand.

GWMs expansion into Thailand and Southeast Asia kicked off in 2020 with establishment of its Rayong plant as a Smart Factory that marries state-of-the-art production technology with eco-friendly manufacturing processes.
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

NIO to put ET5 onto Danish market on Apr. 12

The Chinese startup NIO said it plans to hold a product launch ceremony on Apr. 12 to officially introduce the NIO ET5 sedan to the auto market of Denmark.

NIO ET5; photo credit: NIO

Chery Tiggo 7 PLUS PHEV hits market

The PHEV (plug-in hybrid vehicle) version of Chery Automobiles Tiggo 7 PLUS SUV hit the market on Mar. 17. Coming with three trim levels, it is priced between 149,900 yuan and 166,900 yuan.

Chery Tiggo 7 PLUS; photo credit: Chery

Horizon Robotics to launch visual ADAS solution without HD maps this year

Horizon Robotics will launch this year a visual advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) solution that does not rely on high-definition maps, and is capable of real-time positioning and mapping of the surrounding environment, revealed by Yu Kai, Founder and CEO of the company.

Changan Mazda CX-50 rolls off line

The Sino-Japanese joint venture Changan Mazda saw the CX-50 crossover SUV roll off the production line on Mar. 16. The model is expected to hit the market on May 21 this year after the presale kicking off in late Apr.

Mazda CX-50; photo credit: Changan Mazda

CATLs subsidiary, Maritime Silk Road Highway ally on battery swap project

CATL GLP Digital Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (CATL GLP) on Mar. 16 signed an agreement with Fujian Maritime Silk Road Highway New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (Maritime Silk Road Highway) for the cooperation on a battery swapping project for heavy-duty trucks, according to a post on CATLs WeChat account.

NETA Auto, HiRain team up on intelligent EV development, core tech research

NETA Auto, a Chinese new energy vehicle maker under the company HOZON Auto, on March 15 inked an agreement with Beijing Jingwei Hirain Technologies Co., Inc. (HiRain), a leading Tier 1 solutions provider for the Chinese automotive market, to carry out the extensive cooperation on the development of intelligent electric vehicles, core technology research, etc.

BYD invests in Baidu-backed AI chip maker Kunlunxin

Kunlunxin (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. (Kunlunxin) recently added BYD and other entities onto its list of shareholders, according to the Chinese corporate database Tianyancha.

XPengs urban NGP function goes online in Shenzhen on P5 sedans

XPeng pushed its seventh Over-the-Air (OTA) software upgrade for its P5 sedan on March 16, which included the official launch of the urban NGP function.

Changan Lamore becomes first mass-produced model to carry Baidus ERNIE Bot

On March 16, Changan Automobile announced that its Changan Lamore (Yida) sedan will be the first mass-produced model in China to carry Baidu's ERNIE Bot AI technology.

Great Wall Motor joins hands with Cycle & Carriage to introduce NEVs to Singapore

Great Wall Motor (GWM) signed a cooperation agreement several days ago with the auto distributor Cycle & Carriage for the plan to bring its intelligent new energy vehicles (NEVs) to the Singaporean auto market, according to a press release GMW issued on Mar. 16 via its WeChat account.

Baidu greenlighted for fully-unmanned Robotaxi pilot service in Beijing

Today, Baidu's Apollo Go autonomous driving ride-hailing service (Robotaxi) received approval to conduct fully unmanned Robotaxi demonstration operation in Beijing.
The first direct flight route between Israel and Ireland was launched on Thursday, Israel's Ministry of Transport and Road Safety said in a statement.

Israel's flagship airline El Al inaugurated the route with a flight from Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv to Dublin International Airport.

Before takeoff, a ceremony was held at the Israeli airport with the participation of Israel's Transport Minister Miri Regev, Irish Ambassador to Israel Kyle O'Sullivan, and other senior officials.

"The direct flights will contribute to strengthening the economic, cultural, tourism, and academic ties between the two nations, and to improving the relationship between the governments," Regev said.

"Every new direct route connecting Israel to destinations around the world shortens flight times, saves fuel and carbon emissions, and contributes to competition between airlines," she added.

O'Sullivan said that "the relationship between the two countries is very important. Many Israelis work in Ireland, and thanks to the new route, tourism will flourish."

The new route, which includes three weekly flights, will shorten the travel time between Tel Aviv and Dublin from at least 8 hours with a stopover, to less than 5.5 hours.




Beijing (Gasgoo)- Today, Baidu's Apollo Go autonomous driving ride-hailing service (Robotaxi) received approval to conduct fully unmanned Robotaxi demonstration operation in Beijing.



Photo credit: Baidu Apollo

Up to now, Apollo Go has been permitted to provide driverless Robotaxi services in three Chinese cities, namely, Beijing, Wuhan, and Chongqing.

Apollo Go plans to deploy a total of 10 fully unmanned Robotaxis in a designated area of 60 square kilometers within the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone (Yizhuang) for demonstration applications.

Photo credit: Baidu Apollo

Notably, Yizhuang has become one of the areas with the highest user loyalty for Apollo Gos service. The area posts a daily average of more than 20 orders per vehicle, surpassing that of the traditional ride-hailing services in the area. Meanwhile, users are highly satisfied with the service of traveling by fully unmanned autonomous driving cars, as the Apollo Go Apps user satisfaction rating reaches 4.9 out of 5 points, of which 94.19% are five-star ratings, said Baidu.

Baidu Apollo's L4 autonomous driving operating test distance has exceeded 50 million kilometers, with more than 4,600 patents in its portfolio, including the world's largest number of high-level autonomous driving patents. In 2023, Baidu Apollo will continue to expand its business scale, aiming to build the world's largest unmanned driving operating service area.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- CATL GLP Digital Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (CATL GLP) on Mar. 16 signed an agreement with Fujian Maritime Silk Road Highway New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (Maritime Silk Road Highway) for the cooperation on a battery swapping project for heavy-duty trucks, according to a post on CATLs WeChat account.

Per the agreement, both parties will fully leverage the integration advantages of "high-speed + new energy" resources to invest in the construction and operation management of battery swapping stations dedicated to electric heavy-duty trucks.

Photo credit: CATL

The first phase of the project will pilot four electric battery swapping stations dedicated to heavy-duty trucks at the Changle and Luoyangjiang rest stops along expressways, providing timely energy replenishment services for electric heavy-duty trucks traveling between Ningde and Xiamen cities, and solving the "range anxiety" and "recharging anxiety" for the users of new energy heavy-duty trucks.

In the future, the duo will closely work on the high-quality and sustainable development of the expressway-based new energy vehicle industry, jointly promoting the comprehensive electrification of heavy-duty trucks.

According to the Chinese corporate information inquiry platform Tianyancha, CATL GLP is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CATL GLP Battery Technology Co., Ltd., a joint venture between CATL and Global Logistic Properties Ltd. (GLP), a leading global business builder, developer, and operator of logistics real estate, data centers, renewable energy and related technologies.

Maritime Silk Road Highway is majority owned by Fujian Expressway Energy Development Co., Ltd., which is entirely controlled by the state-owned Fujian Expressway Group Co., Ltd.
FERNDALE, Mich.Nalpac, a leading progressive adult distributor, has released its 2023 Lingerie Catalog in print and online.



The 72-page spring catalog highlights new releases from Magic Silk, Le Desir, Dreamgirl, Coquette, Fantasy Lingerie, Noir Handmade, Male Power, and Kixies.



When making selections for the upcoming season, Nalpac customers can enjoy some "much-needed curation in a sprawling but crucial category in adult retail," the company said.

Lingerie is a staple for adult retailers," said Phoebe Grott, Nalpacs director of marketing and strategic partnerships. "Whether you are drawing in new foot traffic, creating a date night destination for couples, or increasing your cart size, its an important category to keep fresh and seasonal.



The Nalpac 2023 Lingerie Catalog can be found online at here and will be arriving in Nalpac customers' mailboxes starting this week.



The catalog also captures current and upcoming trends and provides retailers with inspiration for merchandising.

Nalpacs Spring catalog focuses on Lingerie to support retailers in refreshing for the Spring Season and curating fun, new categories such as 420, Festival Gear, and Bachelorette," Grott continued.



Nalpacs spring catalog also exhibits a full range of products from bestselling brands, including Astroglide, Blush, COTR, Dame, Doc Johnson, Evolved, Femme Funn, Intimate Organics, Pipedream, Pjur, Screaming O, Shots, Sliquid, Sportsheets, Swiss Navy, System JO, Tantus, Wicked Sensual Care, WOW Tech, and Magic Wand. Other featured catalog categories include Sexy Strap-ons, New & Noteworthy, and Budget-Friendly Toys.



Customers can also pick up a copy of the Catalog from Nalpac's booth #406 at the Altitude Intimates trade show in Las Vegas from March 20th-22nd.



Nalpac customers with questions about items from the 2023 Lingerie Catalog or who want to place an order can contact their Nalpac sales representative. New perspective Nalpac customers can email [email protected] to set up an account. Nalpac offers more than 18,000 items, including PPE, to retailers at a wholesale price.

For more information on Nalpac, visit the company website nalpac.com and follow them through social media for updates on Twitter @NalpacWholesale, on Facebook (facebook.com/Nalpac), on Instagram @Nalpac and visit their YouTube channel.
DENVERThe Pleasure Parlor adult subscription box has been featured in a Glamour magazine article titled "8 Best Sex Toy Subscription Boxes That Deliver Endless Pleasure."

The Pleasure Parlor subscription box is the first subscription box to be owned and operated by a sex toy industry veteran, Casey Murphy, who is also a certified sex educator.

According to Murphy, who is also the founder of Bold Type Marketing, the service offers "a bespoke experience for subscribers with the most customizable options available, based on anatomy, experience level and interests."

In the article, Glamour selected The Pleasure Parlors "Just for Me" box as "Best for Solo Play." The Pleasure Parlor image in the article showcases the Yumi Rechargeable Finger Vibe by VeDO Toys, Bad Day Killer Arousal Balm by Bijoux Indiscrets, and "Big Pussy Energy" affirmation card deck by Vanessa Muradian.

The "Just for Me" box is a gender-inclusive subscription box, delivered quarterly. Murphy explained that the box contains "body-safe sex toys, arousal balms, lubricants and lifestyle items such as oracle cards, creative workbooks and other accessories centered around self-love and pleasure rituals."

Murphy stated, "The Pleasure Parlor has been my muse and passion project for the last seven years. I started the business, which is also an e-commerce boutique, when I was working as an account manager for an industry distributor. I believed that learning Shopify and drop shipping would help me better serve my e-commerce accounts who were navigating similar situations."

Murphy continued, "To avoid any conflicts of interest with my accounts, I created something a little different, which was a custom-tailored experience for my consumers, reflected in every unique subscription box and in my online product curation. To this day, The Pleasure Parlor continues to dance to the beat of its own drum in the adult subscription box space. I attribute receiving visibility in mainstream publications like Glamour, Buzzfeed and Women.com to this approach."

Murphy added, "This feature was not a result of paid media; a connection with Glamour, or an affiliate partnership. This was purely organic, and that feels so rewarding. Congratulations to each of the seven businesses featured in the article; cheers to your success in 2023, and beyond."

In addition, The Pleasure Parlor offers "Just for Us," a quarterly subscription for couples, and "The Zodiac Box," a one-time purchase containing a curated selection of intimate products for each astrological sign.

For all inquiries, contact [email protected].
Theres an exasperating trend in superhero movies that has reached the end of its shelf life and needs to be chucked. Back in the 2010s, a light touch on the tone seemed fresh and funny, with quippy, ironic dialogue popularized by Joss Whedon's The Avengers that felt revolutionary, and snarky, motor-mouthed performances from stars like Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool that were downright radical.

But one whiff of the "Shazam!" sequel, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and youll find that this overly jokey approach is well past its expiration date.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods is exceedingly grating, labored and annoying, and that's in large part due to star Zachary Levis utterly confounding performance as Shazam, the superhero alter ego of teenage Billy Batson (Asher Angel). In 2019's Shazam!, also directed by David F. Sandberg, there was something rather charming about Levis boyish performance, a grown man playing Superman with all the aw shucks wonder of a teenager. In the four years hence, the shtick has grown old, or Levi is simply laying it on too thick, adopting a vaguely urban accent, speech peppered with tired slang (trippin), and an extra-randy attitude.

The biggest problem with his performance is that its completely out of step with his younger counterpart, which was an issue in the first film too. Angels Billy is a more grounded, even an anxious teenager, worrying about his large, multicultural foster family and his role in it as he gets older. When he Shazams himself into Shazam, thanks to the magic granted to him by a wizened wizard (Djimon Hounsou), the Levi version of Billy suddenly becomes bratty, arrogant and mouthy.

Levis performance may be the crown jewel of nonsense swirling at the center of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, but the film around it doesnt help matters. It is ugly, noisy and poorly written (the script is by Henry Gayden and Fast & Furious writer Chris Morgan), which is a shame, because director Sandberg has churned out some reliably inspired genre gems, like Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation. But "Fury of the Gods," which boasts an almost laughably random cast (Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu and Rachel Zegler play a trio of goddess sisters, the daughters of Atlas), is excruciating.

We know this film is set in Philadelphia only because Shazam and his superhero pals have been dubbed The Philadelphia Fiascos, and Lucy Lius Kalypso plants a golden apple which sprouts mythological beasts in the middle of Citizens Bank Park, where the Philadelphia Phillies play. A Wolf Blitzer chyron reading Philadelphia trapped under strange dome is the only true laugh of the movie, an unintentional one at that.

Despite these references, there is no sense of place  the action mostly takes place during a strangely golden-hued magic hour on top of buildings, and theres a portal to a green-screen nightmare mythical realm where the goddess sisters do their evil business. Visually, it is a mess, with computer-generated imagery that looks straight out of a CW show. Everything is flat and framed in medium shots, missing the dark cityscape aesthetic of the first film, which jived with the ethos of modern mythology.

The juvenile tone, focus on a family-friendly story and painfully explicated themes and lessons clearly indicate that this film is squarely aimed at a younger audience. But just because this film is for kids doesnt mean it has to be this bad. The film may be a shoddily made Skittles ad masquerading as a superhero riff, but its Levis performance that sends it into the stratosphere of cringe. Heres hoping this is not only Shazams last outing, but the nail in the coffin of the smarmy superhero as well.
SEDONA  A flood warning for Oak Creek in Sedona was downgraded to an advisory Thursday, hours after some residents were told to prepare for evacuations.

The City of Sedona said in a statement around 6 p.m. Wednesday that a dozen areas including the Rancho Sedona RV park and the Center for the New Age were in go status, meaning they should evacuate immediately.

A shelter for the area was set up at the gym of Camp Verde Middle School as a precaution.

But the National Weather Service in Flagstaff said only minor to moderate flooding was expected Thursday along Oak Creek, Wet Beaver Creek, the Verde River and the Little Colorado River.

The weather agency said that because of snowmelt at higher elevations and rain, minor to moderate flooding was forecast along Oak Creek affecting access roads, buildings and residences.

The creek was nearing a flood stage level of 14 feet Wednesday evening, but weather officials said water had receded to about 9 feet by 4 a.m. Thursday.

State Route 89A was closed in both directions between Sedona and I-17 near Flagstaff before 8 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

There were several places along 89A between Sedona and the Scenic Overlook where rocks slid onto the road due to soil erosion after Wednesdays storm.

Near milepost 388, small rocks and debris heaped onto the highway accumulating in a roadblock large enough to force the state routes closure.

Crews are clearing the large amount of debris from the roadway, and have been at work since Wednesday night.

The biggest challenge is the narrowness of the corridor, an ADOT spokesperson told the Arizona Daily Sun. Theres a mountain on one side of the highway and a canyon on the other. Crews are utilizing dump trucks and other large equipment to haul away as much material as possible. There is no room onsite to stockpile rocks and material, so crews have to haul it to a yard offsite and return to collect more. Several maintenance units are helping with the clean-up.

ADOT had not estimated a reopening time as of Thursday afternoon.

Right now, ADOT is working with the Federal Highway Administration on an eleven million dollar improvement project on 89A. The project is set to be complete toward the end of this year, and is designed to mitigate the risk of rockfall, manage drainage and sediment control and rehabilitate the Pumphouse Wash Bride.

According to ADOT, despite ongoing mitigation efforts, more rockfalls are possible, with rain in the forecast.

Until the current road closure is lifted, ADOT is encouraging travelers to use alternative routes in and out of Sedona. They also direct travelers to call 511 or rely on az511.gov, the AZ511 app for the most updated closure information.

The likelihood of rain and snow showers persists into the middle of next week, according to the National Weather Service forecast, with a brief window of mostly sunny conditions on Saturday.
The Flagstaff Police Department now has one automated external defibrillator (AED) in every department patrol vehicle. For a person experiencing cardiac arrest, AEDs can be the difference between life and death.

The devices were awarded to FPD through a grant from Health First Foundation Northern Arizona, in partnership with Griffith Blue Heart. The latter is a nonprofit that specializes in preparing law enforcement officers to handle cardiac emergencies.

Police personnel often will arrive before emergency medical teams or paramedics when 911 is called. Seconds count, and a police officer who is both properly trained and equipped to handle a medical emergency can seamlessly hand off care to medical professionals without missing a beat -- ideally, keeping the patients heart pumping.

Only about 20% of law enforcement agencies have AEDs in the field in Arizona in 141 agencies -- 15,000 sworn cops, said Brandon Griffith, the founder and CEO of Griffith Blue Heart. We have a lot of work to do in order to get cops properly equipped, but its not enough just to throw AEDs in the back of a car. You have to have a system of care."

In establishing a system of care, FPD has partnered with Guardian Medical Transport. Once the AEDs are installed, Guardian will help keep them maintained and track data about their usage to help organizations like Griffith Blue Heart determine effectiveness.

Griffith Blue Heart trained the entire force of Flagstaff police officers first in the summer on 2022, then again in December on cardiac resuscitation and AED use.

At the time, supply chain issues had delayed the immediate delivery of the AEDs, but that didn't stop police from preparing for their arrival.

During practical testing on-site, officers performed at a 99 to 100% rate," Griffith said.

Live tests were administered and the performance of officers were overall successful after Griffith and his group provided training during the Law Enforcement High-Performance Resuscitation Course that took place at the department

The scores come from data collected by specialized feedback mannequins. Unlike typical CPR practice dummies, the pressure and rate of compression officers apply are measured in order to see if an officer's technique would work on an actual person in the field.

Its really cool to see the officers really engaged in the training, because its really life-saving stuff, said Josh Wilson, a captain paramedic with Guardian Medical Transport who attended the December training. Its important for me to be on the medical side of stuff and to see these guys be able to do it faster than I can do out there.

The trainers from Griffith Blue Heart plan to return to Flagstaff in six months to assess the officer proficiency, making sure officers have retained the information previously learned. It is part of the same system of care that will ensure the AEDs are not only installed but maintained.

Most of the time when we go into courses, our overall resuscitation scores are between 35 and 60%. By the time were leaving these guys are in the high 90s. The lowest score weve ever gotten on a final evaluation was 98.35%. But were going back 6 months to a year later and theyre still in the low 90s and high 80s. Theyre retaining the information. Because its not, throughout the day, heres 5 minutes of CPR. Theyre doing it throughout the day under stress, and theyre doing about an hour of compressions throughout the entire day, said Griffith. Theyre building that muscle memory and that skill set and keeping it.
The skies have been turbulent over the United States in 2023  and not just because of rogue balloons.

Since the start of the year, there have been a concerning number of high-profile "near misses" as planes involved in airport landing or taking off procedures came perilously close to potential disaster.

And then there's the turbulence. As all flyers know, bumpy air is a regular feature of plane travel, but not usually, as has been experienced recently, to the violent extent that passengers are hurt.

Plus, details emerged of an incident late last year, in which a United Airlines Boeing 777 plunged toward the Pacific Ocean for 21 seconds just after takeoff, apparently pulling up just 800 feet over the Pacific Ocean as passengers screamed in fear.

The litany of incidents that have clocked up less than three months into 2023 have prompted such concern that this week the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration convened a "Safety Summit."

Of course, flying remains an incredibly safe way to travel. Commercial plane crashes nowadays are very rare, with approximately 45,000 flights typically completed each day in the U.S., all without fatality. That's a number that continues to rise, post COVID.

So, given that the FAA has assembled aviation experts  and U.S. Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg  to take a closer look at what's going on in the U.S., should passengers be worried?

While officials, still investigating these incidents, and airlines say flyers can continue to board planes with the confidence that the industry's rigorous safety procedures will keep them out of harm's way, some say recent events are a warning sign of potential trouble to come.

"These recent incidents must serve as a wake-up call for every single one of us, before something more catastrophic occurs. Before lives are lost," National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said to government and industry leaders gathered for the summit on Wednesday.

A string of scary near misses

On paper, it has not been a great year, thanks mainly to the series of headline-making "runway incursions"  essentially near misses between aircraft that made headlines and prompted serious questions about aviation risks.

On Jan. 13, an American Airlines jet crossed a runway at New York's JFK International Airport as a Delta Air Lines aircraft was taking off.

Ten days later, a United Airlines jet crossed a runway at Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport as a cargo aircraft was coming in to land. At their closest, says the FAA, the two were 1,170 feet apart.

February saw a rash of incidents. At California's Burbank Airport, a Mesa Airlines plane had to make a go-around  essentially an aborted landing  when its crew realized a SkyWest plane was taking off from the same runway. Another go-around incident occurred at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport in Florida.

Perhaps closest to disaster was an incident on Feb. 4, when FedEx cargo pilots were landing at Austin, only to see a Southwest plane was on the runway, about to take off.

Air Traffic Control had cleared both planes, despite the airport being wreathed in fog. The aircraft came within 100 feet of each other.

In late February, air traffic controllers at Boston averted a crash when a Learjet took off without clearance as a Jetblue flight was coming in to land on an intersecting runway. The JetBlue aircraft "took evasive action and initiated a climb-out," according to an FAA statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which looks into incidents, is now investigating all six events. It is also investigating a December incident, in which a United Airlines Boeing 777 jet departing from Hawaii plunged towards the ocean after takeoff, coming within 775 feet of sea level.

The FAA, which is also investigating the recent spate of incidents, says it has not found a common cause.

It seems like stories like this are becoming increasingly common. Or are they?

Most incursions are not serious

Data from the FAA published in 2017 showed that reports of runway incursions have been on a largely upward trend since 1997, and steadily rising since 2011. The Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST), formed in 1997, encouraged a culture of data sharing and no-blame safety reporting.

The number of accidents has remained relatively constant, according to FAA analysis through 2016, and it shows the cumulative risk trending down.

The FAA says most incursions are not classed as serious  few of the 120 or so logged in January 2023 have made headlines. That figure includes all incursions, including those involving general aviation aircraft.

Some, however, can sound terrifying.

These include an event on Jan. 18, in which a Boeing 737 took off from Dallas Love Field without ATC authorization; fortunately no other traffic was involved. And another at Florida's Treasure Coast International, when a fire truck entered the runway as a business jet was taking off.

The latter is deemed "category A"  the most serious of runway incursions, "in which a collision is narrowly avoided," according to the FAA. And there's been a recent uptick in those cases. Both 2022 and 2021 saw seven of them  up on three in 2019 and four in 2018, according to the FAA's runway incursion database. However, there were 22 category A incidents in 2007, the sharpest peak in the past two decades.

Most of the incursions involving commercial airliners that have made headlines this year are not yet entered into the FAA database. The agency did not provide specifics about how those incidents will be categorized.

"The vast majority of runway incursions are not serious occurrences," the FAA said in a statement. "However, reducing the risk of them occurring remains one of the FAA's highest safety priorities and is a shared responsibility that encompasses pilots, air traffic controllers and airport vehicle drivers."

While incident numbers might not be on a dramatically upward trajectory, they are causing alarm. In February, acting FAA administrator Billy Nolen sent a memo to the agency instructing staff to "stare into the data and ask hard questions."

Nolen renewed that call at the summit on Wednesday.

Among the questions he posed for consideration by the assembled experts: "In light of these recent close calls and the attention being focused on even the most routine of go-arounds, are we emphasizing efficiency over safety? How much of what we see can be attributed to the sudden resurgence in demand following the pandemic?"

He said that over the past 25 years the industry has made "enormous strides" in its ability to scour data and identify risks before they manifest into serious incidents or accidents, but he called on members of the aviation industry to discuss "concrete steps" to make the system safer.

"America's aviation safety net is strong, our goal, our obligation, is to sew those threads even tighter," Nolen said.

System under pressure

It's about time, say some who work in the aviation industry amid fear that cuts made during the pandemic, plus a lack of scrutiny, have compromised America's long safety culture in aviation.

The United States' last fatal accident was in 2009, when Colgan Air flight 3407 crashed while flying from Newark to Buffalo, killing everyone onboard.

The NTSB investigation declared it to be pilot error, citing pilot fatigue as a factor.

The FAA revised duty times for pilots as a result, cutting them to a maximum of 14 hours, down from 16, including eight hours of flying. Minimum rest times rose from eight to 10 hours.

Cargo pilots can work slightly longer hours, despite sharing the runways with commercial pilots.

And whereas previously airlines have stayed well within them, some are now asking pilots to work closer to the maximums.

Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines captain and spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents 15,000 AA pilots, says that, since the pandemic started, the pressure on pilots is at an all-time high. The union is in ongoing negotiations with the airline.

"We've seen the system under pressure for well over a year, it was just a question of time before it was going to manifest itself in incidents," he says.

"Thankfully there've been no accidents  yet."

Pilot fatigue and shortages

Tajer cites a shortage of pilots caused by COVID lockdown layoffs as part of the problem. Last May, United CEO Scott Kirby said that there "simply aren't enough pilots."

A February 2023 analysis by management consultancy Oliver Wyman estimated a "supply gap" of 18% of the U.S. pilot workforce.

As a result, airlines have increased pilot hours  to within legal levels allowed by the FAA, but surpassing pre-pandemic schedules, says Tajer.

"We are exhausted. Fatigue doesn't happen in a moment  it can be chronic and that can affect your next flight. It's like running an engine at its maximum all the time. At first it looks good, but over time things start to crack and leak. That's what we're seeing now."

At the same time, he says, airlines are cutting back on training. In 2020, AA switched from retraining pilots every nine months, as it had done previously, to every 12 months  the FAA minimum standard.

AA said any changes were in line with FAA rules and followed a thorough risk assessment. "Safety is the foundation of every decision we make at American, and is the north star of our Flight Training program," it said in a statement to CNN.

"We have the best, most expertly trained pilots in the business who are unwavering in their mission of operating a safe airline for our customers and fellow team members."

Staffing  of positions including pilots, air traffic controllers and ground crew  was frequently cited as a pressure point among industry leaders at the summit. As was the importance of adequate training for both those who are new and those who are returning after absences brought on by the pandemic. The loss of experienced workers was also a key concern.

"With about half of our nation's qualified pilots facing their mandatory retirement within 15 years, we are going to be training and hiring tens of thousands of new pilots over the next two decades," said Faye Malarkey Black, president and CEO of the Regional Airline Association.

"And it is extremely, extremely important when we're doing this that we focus on building the right foundation from the start."

Nicholas Calio, president and CEO of trade group Airlines for America, said U.S. carriers have hired 100,000 new workers with a strong emphasis on training.

'A job that requires colossal concentration'

Terry Tozer, a British former airline pilot and author who now comments on safety, sees systematic issues with U.S. aviation protocols.

"America is a very aviation-orientated country," he says. "[Airports] pack a lot of traffic in... and if you put everyone under pressure, a cock-up [mistake] is more likely."

In particular, "the American air traffic control system is very pressurized," he says, pointing out that in the UK and the European Union, air traffic control workers get longer downtime.

"COVID seems to have exacerbated the situation  there's an issue with staffing levels, and that usually adds pressure on the people at the coalface. It's a job that requires colossal concentration."

FAA regulations state that air traffic controllers can work no more than 10 hours a day (including two hours overtime), and get regular breaks.

Last summer, Airlines for America claimed the East Coast network was "crippled" due to lack of ATC staff.

"Unfortunately, we have a staffing issue right now as air traffic controllers. We are 1,200 certified professional controllers less now than we were 10 years ago," Rich Santa, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said at the summit.

Nolen said the FAA is on pace to hire 1,500 controllers this year and 1,800 next year.

Tozer says that when he flew to the U.S., he'd feel "very uncomfortable" because of the way ATC in America clears aircraft to land when there will often still be a plane on the runway, about to take off. "In the UK and most of Europe, you won't get a landing clearance from ATC until the runway ahead is clear. [In the U.S.] they work on the assumption [pilots] will do as they're told once they're cleared to take off."

A spokesperson for the FAA told CNN that it continually evaluates procedures and that "line-up-and-wait procedures" were safeguarded either by technology or strict rules on visibility.

They said "extensive safety data" enables spot risks to be identified and issues resolved before accidents occur

As both pilots point out, the good news is that all we've seen so far are incidents, not accidents.

"So you could argue that the system works," says Tozer. "But the safety margins have been eroded a little."

___

The airlines with the most delays The airlines with the most delays #16. Endeavor Air Inc. #16. Hawaiian Airlines Inc. #15. Delta Air Lines Inc. #13. Horizon Air #13. Republic Airways #12. PSA Airlines Inc. #10. Envoy Air #10. SkyWest Airlines Inc. #9. Alaska Airlines Inc. #7. American Airlines Inc. #7. United Airlines Inc. #6. Mesa Airlines Inc. #5. Spirit Airlines #3. Southwest Airlines Co. #3. Frontier Airlines Inc. #2. JetBlue Airways #1. Allegiant Air The airlines with the most delays #17. Endeavor Air Inc. #16. Hawaiian Airlines Inc. #15. Delta Air Lines Inc. #14. Horizon Air #13. Envoy Air #12. SkyWest Airlines Inc. #11. PSA Airlines Inc. (tie) #11. Republic Airways (tie) #9. Alaska Airlines Inc. #8. American Airlines Inc. (tie) #8. United Airlines Inc. (tie) #6. Mesa Airlines Inc. #5. Spirit Airlines #4. Southwest Airlines Co. #3. Frontier Airlines Inc. #2. JetBlue Airways #1. Allegiant Air
Heavy Engineering Industries and Shipbuilding Company (Heisco) has announced that it has signed a contract with Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) for the construction of flowlines and associated works on the country's western side.

As per the KD68.5 million ($223 million) contract, the entire project will be competed within the next five years, stated Heisco in its filing to the Boursa Kuwait.

A major engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracting company based in Kuwait, Heisco caters to a diversified range of businesses.

These include oil and gas, petrochemicals, power, pressure equipment manufacturing, shipbuilding and repair, dredging and marine construction, civil construction and maintenance as well as other industrial services including Heavy Industry projects.

The revenue will be shown in annual financial statements from 2023 - 2027, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Nebraska's top income tax rate would drop by nearly one-third under a measure advanced out of the Revenue Committee Thursday.

Committee members voted 7-1 to send an amended version of LB754 to the full Legislature. The measure incorporates several pieces of Gov. Jim Pillen's tax cut and school aid plan.

Those pieces together would reduce state tax revenues by at least $3.3 billion over six years, based on estimates from the legislative fiscal office.

State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of the Omaha area, who chairs the Revenue Committee and introduced LB754, expressed optimism about the bill's chances of getting passed this year. She said it would make Nebraska income taxes more in line with those of neighboring states.

"It makes us more competitive," she said. "We have got to move or people" will leave the state.

The measure phases in rate cuts for both individual and corporate income taxes. The top rate for both would drop to 3.99% by 2027, bringing down the rate paid by the top two individual tax brackets and both corporate brackets.

The top individual rate is at 6.64% this year and the top corporate rate at 7.25%. Both are slated to drop to 5.84% by 2027 under a law passed last year.

One piece amended into the bill would make Social Security benefits fully exempt from income taxes by next year  one year earlier than under current law. The piece was based on LB641, introduced by Sen. Kathleen Kauth of Omaha.

Another piece, based on LB318, introduced by Sen. Eliot Bostar of Lincoln, would provide some tax relief to low-income parents and child care providers.

That piece would allow up to $15 million a year of tax credits for parents with children in child care, $10 million a year in credits for people who donate to child care programs and another $10 million in credits for child care programs and child care workers.

Linehan said that, with the child care credits, LB754 would offer something for everyone, including Nebraskans who are not in the top two income tax brackets or on Social Security.

But Sen. Dave Murman of Glenvil noted the bill would leave out parents who are caring for their children at home, instead of enrolling them in child care. Under the amendment, only parents with incomes below the federal poverty level could get tax credits for children at home.

LB754 likely will face other opposition once it comes up for debate. Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln, who cast the lone vote against the measure, said he objected to cutting the top tax rate to 3.99% out of concern that would not provide enough money to cover state needs.

"I'm worried that's too low," he said.

Rebecca Firestone, executive director for the OpenSky Policy Institute, a Lincoln-based think tank, said the bill would do little for ordinary Nebraskans, while providing the bulk of the tax cuts to the wealthiest Nebraskans and out-of-state corporations.

She said the child care credits pale in comparison to the tax cuts provided in the rest of the proposal. The credits available to parents would cover 15,000 children at most.

But Jim Vokal, chief executive officer of the Platte Institute, an Omaha-based think tank, praised the committee's action in advancing the bill.

"In Nebraska, we must lower taxes to increase growth and prosperity to all corners of the state and these reforms now in front of the Legislature do just that," he said.

The Revenue Committee plans to work on putting together a package of property tax bills next week. Linehan said the goal is to provide equal amounts of property tax and income tax relief to Nebraskans.

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Its often said that a handshake can reveal a lot about someone. Their confidence, personality and level of engagement are all believed to be on display to a degree, and a Billings sixth-grader has landed at a nationwide competition to show off those skills.

The national program Amazing Shake began in Billings in 2015 and has provided fifth-grade students here the opportunity to learn the nuances of professional human interaction like giving a proper handshake, giving a successful interview, and how to remain composed under pressure.

Castle Rock sixth-grader Harper Carsten is currently in Atlanta to compete in the national competition after winning last years regional competition, and is the first Montana student ever to participate.

Ive had so much fun with this. Its been awesome to learn all the things that I have, she said ahead of her departure.

The three-day competition is hosted at the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta and consists of 40-50 case-scenario stations set up around the school that every student passes through while exercising their etiquette, composure and savoir-faire.

Upon winning last years regional competition, Carsten got the call in January that she would be flying to Atlanta to compete with students from across the country and has been preparing ever since with Beartooth Elementary principal Travis Niemeyer.

Making a sales pitch for bacon-scented dryer sheets, fielding questions from unruly reporters at a news briefing and accepting a gag-gift as a prestigious award. These are some of the scenarios the two have been practicing ahead of the competition in preparation.

Theyve also received some examples of what Carsten may do ahead of time, but Niemeyer admits that theyre not entirely sure what to expect once they arrive.

Theyve shown little bits and pieces here and there, but theyve kept it under wraps a little bit, he said.

The origins of the Amazing Shake date back to the Ron Clark Academy as a way to get their own students engaged and prepared for their professional futures. With local sponsors like Delta Airlines and Coca Cola investing into the program over the years, it became widely successful with related competitions developing across the country. Billings is currently the only city participating in Montana and one of the most recent to reach the now-global competition.

Starting small

The first competition in Billings started in 2016 at Newman Elementary school when then-principal Niemeyer was first introduced to the competition during a teacher development trip to the academy. Seeing the opportunity it could provide Billings students, he quickly then began exploring how he might be able to begin a chapter at his school.

He managed to pull off one competition during his final year at Newman Elementary and carried it over with him to Beartooth Elementary where they have done it every year since. The program is primarily funded through donations by the business partnerships established with the various schools, but a trust account was recently approved by the Billings Public Schools Board of Trustees for anyone interested in contributing to the program going forward.

He explained that he wanted the program to involve more than just his school.

Ive kinda just been waiting and waiting to see if we could grow our Amazing Shake first before trying to hold a more Billings-wide Amazing Shake and then send one person from that down there rather than just the winner from my school, Niemeyer said.

To date, nine schools have begun their own contests. The first round is often mandatory to introduce their fifth graders to public speaking. The most exemplary students are then narrowed down with each following round that have often included working the room or interacting with multiple people effectively in a short span of time, conducting Zoom meetings to demonstrate technical competence and selling an idea to local business leaders.

Over the years, First Interstate Bank, KULR-TV, ExxonMobile, Rocky Mountain College and Buffalo Block Steakhouse have been among the participants to meet and grade students on their performances on communication, persuasion, listening, manners and etiquette.

Looking back at last years competition, Carsten said the biggest challenge she learned to overcome was the amount of preparation and studying needed to successfully present oneself and their message, regardless of the scenario.

She hopes to eventually become a teacher and believes that what shes already learned has her heading in the right direction to succeed going forward.

Its also helped me in middle school (this year) because you have to give a lot more presentations and memorize a lot more things," she said. "So, its helped me a lot to start before when I have time to do it rather than rushing everything before and not having enough information.

Long-term benefits

Over the years, students who have participated in the contest previously and their parents have approached Niemeyer off and on to tell him of the long-term impact the program has had on them. He mentioned a former student who is now a member of a local 4-H group presenting potential legislation to lawmakers in Helena. The students parents told him the work he's doing now can be traced back to what he learned through the Amazing Shake.

Carsten's elementary school principal Julie Hornsby said shes noticed differences in most of the kids who have participated in the competition. Students who were smart but shy are now leaders while others who were always charismatic are now more respectful and collaborative.

Ive heard so many of them say, I never saw myself being able to do this and even what Ive heard from some of the professors and business leaders is, I would have never been able to do that in the fifth grade, she said. So just being able to see these kids step outside of their comfort zones has been really cool to see.

Participating Billings schools are currently wrapping up their respective competitions ahead of this years regional match slated for early April. This years winner will qualify to attend next years national competition at Ron Clark Academy. With additional schools possibly joining next year, the hope is that the regional round will continue to grow and even include neighboring districts going forward.

Any school interested in beginning their own Amazing Shake competition can sign up for free at its official website and access resources and toolkits on how to implement it.

In addition to the skills students learn and the connections they can make, Niemeyer hopes that confidence is what they all take away to help them find and pursue their life goals.

Weve got kids that come from poverty in every schoolbut in every one of those schools there are kids that come from a life where we may not expect the struggles and challenges theyve had, he said. And for these kids to go out and say, I can do that, I can fit in to that world, Ive done more than I ever thought I could do.
A Billings man admitted Thursday in federal court to coercing an underage girl into producing child sex abuse material.

Jeffrey Eugene Herbert, 34, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Herbert used a social media app to sexually exploit a 13-year-old girl living in New York State.

In June 2022, according to court documents, a New York family reported to law enforcement someone was using the app Triller to pressure their daughter into sending sexually graphic videos. When investigators searched the girls phone, they found more than 850 messaged exchanged between the girl and an account under the name amberbaby14141.

During the exchange, the Gazette previously reported, the girl asked Herbert to stop messaging her. Herbert responded by threatening to send the videos to her friends and family.

Federal authorities tracked the Triller account to Herberts residence in Billings. In October 2022, the FBI, along with Montana Division of Criminal Investigation agents were granted a warrant to search Herberts home. Herbert agreed to speak with law enforcement, and said he used the amberbaby14141 account on Triller to coerce children in recording sexually explicit videos. Hidden in a folder in Herberts cell phone investigators found child sex abuse material involving a 10-year-old girl, court documents said.

Although every gender has been victimized in child sex abuse material shared online, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, underage girls are most frequently depicted. The majority of reports made to the center of online enticement, including sextortion, also involve underage girls. Since the creation of the NCMECs Child Victim Identification Program in 2002, the center has identified nearly 20,000 victims in child sex abuse material produced in the United States.

In November last year, Herbert was charged in Yellowstone County District Court with four counts of sexual abuse of children. Within a month, the county charges were dropped and Herbert was indicted in U.S. District Court with child pornography charges.

Herbert reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors earlier this month, and is currently scheduled to be sentenced before U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen in September. He faces up to 30 years in prison, along with a lifetime of federal supervision.

Tips of possible online child exploitation can be sent directly to the FBI and local law enforcement agencies at https://report.cybertip.org/ or by dialing 1-800-843-5678.
The 2023 Yellowstone Historic Preservation Board historic preservation awards will be presented at the 23rd Annual Historic Preservation Roundtable on March 21 at the Western Heritage Center in Billings from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

The 2023 Eugene Carroll Historic Preservation Award will be presented to Billings Mayor Bill Cole for his historic preservation efforts and enthusiastic promotion of Montana history. Mayor Cole is cited for his leadership role on behalf of Yellowstone Kelly Interpretive site, work with historical and cultural organizations in Yellowstone County, supporting local National Register nominations, and as an ambassador for Yellowstone County and Montana history.

The 2023 Best Practices Achievement Award will be presented to High Plains Architects of Billings for their adaptive re-use and facade renovation of the Monte Bar & Casino at 2824 First Avenue North. High Plains Architects is now a five-time recipient of the YHPB Best Practices Achievement Award. They were previously cited for restoration of the Swift building on Minnesota Avenue, George Tracy Loft on Montana Avenue, the L&L on South 27th Street and the Old Maverick Fire Station on Billings South Side.

The public is encouraged to honor Cole and High Plains Architects by attending the Historic Preservation Roundtable at Western Heritage Center on Montana Avenue. For more information or participation at the annual Roundtable contact the local historic preservation officer, Lora Mattox, at (406) 247-8622, or Kevin Kooistra, YHPB consultant at (406) 256-6809 ext. 127 or kevin@ywhc.org.
The inaugural Sue Hart Memorial Reading and Lecture Series will launch this spring at Montana State University Billings. The series kicks off March 22 with former Montana Poet Laureate Melissa Kwasny.

The event is being organized by MSUB's Department of English, Philosophy, and Modern Languages, in partnership with Writers Voice and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at MSUB, and will bring writers to campus to meet with students, and they will share their work with the community during the evening series.

Students study literature and write their own creative work, so its helpful to talk with writers who have met with significant success. It brings literature and writing to life for our students, said Tami Haaland, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at MSUB.

The series aims to connect students and the public with writers who share their work and process.

Experiential learning gives students the opportunity to learn firsthand from writers, ask them questions and engage in conversation, said Haaland.

The reading series is named for Sue Hart, who was a member of the english department at Eastern Montana College and later MSUB for 50 years. She was a veteran journalist and well-respected in the literary community throughout the state and beyond, and recipient of the Montana Governors Humanities Award.

Always a supporter of the local writers and much loved in the community at large, the Department of English, Philosophy, and Modern Languages has chosen to honor Sue Hart by naming this series after her.

The Sue Hart Memorial Reading and Lecture Series is sponsored by MSUB Department of English, Philosophy, and Modern Languages, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the Susan Webster Fund, Writers Voice, and Humanities Montana.

All readings are open to the public and will take place on campus in the Liberal Arts Building, Room 205, beginning at 6:30 p.m. This House of Books will be on-site offering books for sale by the visiting writers.
A plan to transplant grizzly bears into the Bitterroot Mountains thats been stalled for 22 years must be actively reconsidered, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday.

Because the (U.S. Fish and Wildlife) Service has unreasonably delayed in implementing its 2000 Record of Decision and Final Rule regarding grizzly bears and failed to conduct a supplemental EIS (environmental impact statement) based on the changed circumstances, plaintiffs succeed, U.S. District Judge Don Molloy wrote in his March 15 opinion in Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Native Ecosystem Alliance v. FWS and Idaho. Molloy ordered FWS to present a plan for updating the Bitterroot grizzly project by April 15, or he would impose a timeline himself.

The case stems from an effort in the 1990s to create an experimental population of grizzly bears in the Bitterroot Ecosystem  one of six recovery areas designated as grizzly habitat under the Endangered Species Act protection plan. While the 25,140-square-mile expanse of the Bitterroots along the Montana-Idaho border and an extensive roadless and wilderness complex farther west in Idaho were historic grizzly strongholds, the entire population was killed off in the early 20th century.

After almost 15 years of public debate and scientific research, FWS approved a plan to transplant 25 grizzly bears in the Bitterroot Ecosystem in 2000. Unlike naturally occurring grizzlies in the Northern Continental Divide and Greater Yellowstone ecosystems, those Bitterroot bears would be an experimental population managed through a local community advisory committee.

But the FWS plan was finalized just as President Bill Clintons administration was transitioning to that of President George W. Bush. Bushs Interior Department officials changed course in 2001 and chose a no action option. Confusingly, that 2001 proposed rule was never officially adopted.

Now, almost 40 years have passed, and nothing has been done; no bears, no community advisory committee, no community or other educational instruction in towns or schools for bear safety, safe practices in garbage storage techniques, and other ways to reduce attracting bears, Molloy wrote. Because the federal government had never officially dropped the reintroduction plan, Molloy ruled it was obligated to carry out its commitment.

However, the intervening 22 years have complicated everyones positions, to the point Molloy wrote further delay may be the most appropriate remedy to ensure that grizzly bear recovery efforts are based on contemporaneous and accurate scientific data  The remedy conundrum creates the unenviable prospect of forgiving one wrong to prevent another.

The biggest change came from the grizzly bears themselves. Along with a growing collection of sightings, tracking collar records and other evidence of grizzly presence, bear advocates decided to revive the debate over the dormant plan.

The Bitterroot ecosystem is the lynchpin to recovering and delisting grizzly bears because it is the connecting corridor between the Cabinet-Yaak, Selkirk, Northern Continental Divide and Yellowstone ecosystems grizzly populations," Alliance for the Wild Rockies Executive Director Michael Garrity said on Thursday. "Of all remaining unoccupied grizzly bear habitat in the Lower 48 states, this area has the best potential for grizzly bear recovery, primarily due to the large wilderness area. To recover and delist grizzly bears, there has to be one connected population."

Under FWS rules, the agency cant set up an experimental population in the same place a naturally occurring population has occupied. In his order, Molloy resolved that problem by ordering FWS to complete a new environmental impact statement reviewing how the bears are managed and what people must do to ensure they can persist there.

Grizzly bears received threatened status under the Endangered Species Act in 1975. At that time, fewer than 1,000 grizzlies still survived in the Lower 48 states  down from an estimated 50,000 at the time of the Lewis and Clark Voyage of Discovery in 1805. And while those grizzlies used to roam almost everywhere west of the Dakotas between Canada and Mexico, the remainder were restricted to about 2% of their former habitat.

Today, about 2,000 grizzlies occupy the Rocky Mountains between Glacier National Park and northern Idaho south to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of Wyoming and Idaho. The governors of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming have all petitioned to have the grizzly delisted from federal protection. In February, FWS began a formal review of the grizzlys ESA status. However, it noted that recent state efforts to liberalize grizzly killing could result in continued ESA management, rather than delisting.

The presence of grizzly bears in the Bitterroots can affect lots of other human activity. For example, proposals to log old-growth forests and mine in the Cabinet-Yaak grizzly recovery area of northwest Montana have to account for the impacts on the roughly 50 grizzlies living there. Grizzly activity in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem restricts the use of hounds for hunting black bears and access for snowmobiles. Molloy noted in his order that FWS delay in implementing the 2000 grizzly reintroduction plan resulted in nobody in the Bitterroots having policies in place to keep bears out of trash, keep hikers food secured in the backcountry or other adaptations common in places like Kalispell or West Yellowstone.

FWS spokesman Joe Szuszwalak said the agency was reviewing Molloys decision and had no further comment on Thursday.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that a grizzly had denned and produced cubs there. No grizzly reproduction has been confirmed in the Bitterroots so far. The story has been corrected.
The Montana Board of Regents unanimously approved the University of Montanas request to plan its first phases of academic restructuring spearheaded by Provost Pardis Madhavi.

Now the university will be able to continue mapping out the new School of Emerging and Applied Technologies and revising the scope and structure of the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation.

UMs requests to plan a joint Masters of Public Administration and Masters of Public Health degree and a Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree also got a green light from the board.

Simply put, students need to be prepared to solve unscripted problems, Mahdavi said. These are not things that can be solved with one disciplinary approach.

The new School of Emerging and Applied Technologies will house UMs new cybersecurity degree, as well as programs on data science, virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence. However, it will begin as the Emerging and Applied Technologies initiative to further develop the school.

The goal of the interdisciplinary school is to bring faculty together to study how emerging technologies affect, interact with and can be used to support learning effectively.

With approval from the board, the university will also begin the process of moving its geosciences department into Forestry and Conservation. Geosciences are currently in the College of Humanities and Sciences.

Mahdavi launched an inquest into academic renewal in late August, shortly after she took the reins of the provosts office. Since then, shes hosted multiple meetings, town hall events and surveys to solicit feedback from the campus community.

The goal of creating more interdisciplinary opportunities for students at the university is largely aimed at combating the increasing number of Americans who do not view higher education as being important or having a positive impact on society, according to several studies and reports released in the last decade cited by Mahdavi during her presentation to the Regents.

Obviously the work that you guys are doing is very large with a lot of implications as well, said Chair Brianne Rogers.

In addition to the first phases of academic renewal, the joint Masters of Public Health and Masters Public Administration will leverage the existing programs at UM, Mahdavi said, noting that there are no programs like this currently in Montana and the nearest ones are in Utah and Washington.

Mahdavi added that jobs in fields related to this new joint degree are expected to grow by 17% in the next seven years with an income earning potential of at least $70,000.

Jobs for physician assistants are also expected to increase by 37% by 2026, Mahdavi said. The only physician assistant programs in Montana are at Rocky Mountain College in Billings and Carroll College in Helena. UM previously brought a request to plan a physician assistant program to the Regents in 2020, but was put on the back burner with the onset of the COVID pandemic.

But we are now ready to engage and move forward, Mahdavi said.

Mahdavi will be leaving the provosts office at the end of the semester to lead a new higher education initiative to expand educational opportunities for UM and other universities. Adrea Lawrence, the dean of the Phyllis J. Washington College of Education, will move into the role as interim provost.

I really wanted to thank Dr. Mahdavi publicly because shes laid the groundwork for some really impactful and lasting innovation at our university, UM President Seth Bodnar said.
AD Ports Group, a leading global facilitator of trade, logistics, and industry, signed today (March 15) a Head of Terms (HoT) with the Ministry of International Cooperation and Promotion of Public Private Partnership of the Republic of Congo, for a new multipurpose terminal in Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo.

Under the HoT, AD Ports Group has the exclusive right to invest in the development, operation, and management of the New Mole Port that will handle containers, general cargo, break-bulk and other types of cargo.

Furthermore, the Group will provide the new facility with digital services and technology solutions to enhance its efficiency including design, implementation and operation of a single-window, software development, digital architecture, business analytics, digital operations support and digital transformation.

The HoT agreement runs for one year from the date of signing and could lead to a concession agreement subject to technical, legal, commercial, and environmental due diligence.

Pointe Noire is the main commercial centre of the Republic of the Congo, and its port plays a key role in the economy and development of the nation and wider region.

Executives are confident that the collaboration will help stimulate trade and enhance connectivity for the Republic of the Congo, which is pursuing a new National Development Plan (NDP) focusing on economic diversification and high, resilient, and inclusive growth.

Capt. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director and Group CEO, AD Ports Group, said: AD Ports Group continues to expand its operations globally, working with partners to develop world-class port, logistics and maritime facilities in key commercial hubs. We see significant potential for developing a multipurpose terminal at the Port of Pointe Noire, particularly given the ports key role in the energy sector. As always, we are grateful for the support of the UAEs leadership in enabling us to develop this new opportunity and supporting our international ambitions. We value the trust of the Congo Government in our capabilities and our commitment to deploying our expertise in supporting its development plans.

Denis-Christel Sassou Nguesso, Minister of International Cooperation and Promotion of Public Private Partnership of the Republic of Congo, said: AD Ports Group has quickly developed an outstanding reputation for the development of advanced, innovation-enabled port and maritime facilities, and we are pleased to work with them on the development of the new terminal at Pointe Noire Port. Their experience and global network will no doubt add significant value to our efforts to make the New Mole Port in Pointe Noire one of the best performing ports on the central west coast of the African continent.TradeArabia News Service
Gov. Gavin Newsom may have been prescient when he acknowledged free speech concerns as he signed Californias covid misinformation bill last fall. In a message to lawmakers, the governor warned of the chilling effect other potential laws may have on the ability of doctors to speak frankly with patients but expressed confidence that the one he was signing did not cross that line.

Yet the law  meant to discipline doctors who give patients false information about covid-19  is now in legal limbo after two federal judges issued conflicting rulings in recent lawsuits that say it violates free speech and is too vague for doctors to know what it bars them from telling patients.

In two of the lawsuits, Senior U.S. District Judge William Shubb in Sacramento issued a temporary halt on enforcing the law, but it applies only to the plaintiffs in those cases. Shubb said the law was unconstitutionally vague, in part because it fails to provide a person of ordinary intelligence fair notice of what is prohibited. His ruling last month clashed with one handed down in Santa Ana in December; in that case, U.S. District Judge Fred Slaughter refused to halt the law and said it was likely to promote the health and safety of California covid-19 patients.

The legal fight in the nations most populous state is to some extent a perpetuation of the pandemic-era tussle pitting supporters of public health guidelines against groups and individuals who resisted masking orders, school shutdowns, and vaccine mandates.

Californias covid misinformation law, which took effect Jan. 1, is being challenged by vaccine skeptics and civil liberties groups. Among those suing to get the law declared unconstitutional is a group founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has questioned the science and safety of vaccines for years.

But doubts about the law are not confined to those who have battled the scientific mainstream.

Dr. Leana Wen, a health policy professor at George Washington University who previously served as president of Planned Parenthood and as Baltimores health commissioner, wrote in an op-ed a few weeks before Newsom signed the law that it would exert a chilling effect on medical practice, with widespread repercussions that could paradoxically worsen patient care.

The Northern California affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union has weighed in against the law on free speech grounds, though the national organization has affirmed the constitutionality of covid vaccine mandates.

If doctors are scared of losing their licenses for giving advice that they think is helpful and appropriate, but they dont quite know what the law means, they will be less likely to speak openly and frankly with their patients, said Hannah Kieschnick, an attorney with the ACLU of Northern California.

The law establishes that doctors who give false information about covid to patients are engaging in unprofessional conduct, which could subject them to discipline by the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California.

Proponents of the law sought to crack down on what they believe are the most clear-cut cases: Doctors who tout treatments such as ivermectin, an anti-parasitic agent that is unproven as a covid treatment and can be dangerous; who exaggerate the risk of getting vaccinated compared with the dangers of the disease; or who spread unfounded theories about the vaccines, including that they can cause infertility or harm DNA.

But the law lacks such specifics, defining misinformation only as false information that is contradicted by contemporary scientific consensus contrary to the standard of care.

Michelle Mello, a professor of law and health policy at Stanford University, said the wording is confusing.

On a matter like covid, science is changing all the time, so what does it mean to say there is scientific consensus? she asked. To me, there are lots of examples of statements that clearly, with no vagueness involved, meet the definition of the kind of conduct that the legislature was going after. The problem is that there are all kinds of other hypothetical things that people can say that dont clearly violate it.

Dr. Christine Cassel, a professor of medicine at the University of California-San Francisco, said she expects the law to be applied only in the most flagrant cases. I trust scientists enough to know where theres a legitimate dispute, she said.

Cassels view mirrors Newsoms rationale for signing the legislation despite his awareness of potential free speech concerns. I am confident, he wrote in his message to lawmakers, that discussing emerging ideas or treatments including the subsequent risks and benefits does not constitute misinformation or disinformation under this bills criteria.

Plaintiffs in the Santa Ana case, two doctors who have sometimes diverged from public health guidelines, appealed Slaughters ruling allowing the law to stand. The case has been combined in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals with another case in which a San Diego judge declined to rule on a similar request to temporarily halt the law.

Newsom spokesperson Brandon Richards said in early February that the administration would not appeal the two Sacramento cases in which Shubb issued the narrow injunction. The plaintiffs lawyers had expected the state to appeal the decision, thinking all four lawsuits would then be decided by the appeals court, providing greater clarity for all parties.

Richard Jaffe, lead attorney in one of the Sacramento cases  brought by a doctor, Kennedys Childrens Health Defense, and a group called Physicians for Informed Consent  said Newsoms decision not to appeal is just going to increase the level of chaos in terms of who the law applies to.

But the Newsom administration has decided to wait for the appeals court to rule on the other two judges decisions that left the law intact for now.

Jenin Younes, a lawyer with the New Civil Liberties Alliance who is lead counsel in the other Sacramento case in which Shubb issued his injunction, said Newsom may be calculating that youre in a stronger position going up on a win than on a loss.

A victory for Newsom in the appeals court, Jaffe and others said, could dampen the impact of the two Sacramento cases.

Opponents of Californias covid misinformation law question why it is needed at all, since the medical boards already have authority to discipline doctors for unprofessional conduct. Yet only about 3% of the nearly 90,000 complaints the Medical Board of California received over a decade resulted in doctors being disciplined, according to a 2021 investigation by the Los Angeles Times.

That could be good news for doctors who worry the new law could constrain their ability to advise patients.

I dont see medical boards being particularly vigorous in policing physicians competence in general, said Stanfords Mello. You have to be really bad to get their attention.

This story was produced by KHN, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

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The Burleigh County Sheriffs Department and the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are seeking a high-risk sex offender who has removed his monitoring bracelet and can no longer be located.

Kilo Bowen-Davis, 25, was last seen wearing black sweatpants, black shoes and a black jacket and leaving the Bismarck District Parole and Probation Office around 11 a.m. Thursday. Authorities described him as African American, 5-foot-9, 150 pounds with brown eyes and short black hair.

He was convicted in 2018 in Burleigh County of sexual imposition, threat or coercion, for an offense involving a 17-year-old girl. The North Dakota Sex Offender Registry lists him as a lifetime registrant.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts should contact their local law enforcement agency or the Burleigh County Sheriffs Department at 701-222-6651.
Joseph Joyce has been named warden for the North Dakota State Penitentiary, the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced Friday.

Joyce, who most recently served as warden of transitional facilities, will begin moving into the role over the next few weeks as the department searches for his replacement.

Joyce succeeds James Sayler, who resigned on Feb. 16 as warden.

Joyce began his career with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in 2006 as a correctional officer and has held various positions. He is a 2001 graduate of Bismarck High School and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice and sociology from North Dakota State University. He was one of three candidates interviewed for the position.

In this new role, I look forward to continuing the departments mission of transforming lives, influencing change and strengthening community, Joyce said in a statement.

Sayler had been warden since 2019 and worked for the state for 21 years, the department said.
It's definitely been a pleasure to serve on the commission and it's been a very good education and a great experience.

-- Mark Splonskowski on his resignation from the Bismarck City Commission as he will be sworn in as Burleigh County auditor Monday.

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Curling is a good sport for hanging out with people, and its good exercise in the winter.

-- Alaina Schmit, an 11-year-old Bismarck student who urged state lawmakers to make curling the state's official sport.

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It is evidence-based care I was trained to provide. Denying patients access to this life-changing care is an unnecessary state law that will take away hope from the patients I serve and their families.

-- Dr. Amanda Dahl, a Fargo pediatric endocrinologist, on House Bill 1254, which she said would drive transgender youth to seek gender-affirming care in other states or on the black market.

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"Where does the state of North Dakota want gaming? Where do you want gaming to be conducted? If you want it in grocery stores, gas stations, hair salons, fine. But let us know so that our office can regulate it correctly."

-- North Dakota State Director of Gaming Deb McDaniel talking about waiting for legislative clarification on electronic pull tab machines.

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"There were hundreds of volunteer hours that went into the project; it was a tremendous amount of work. There were times it looked like we would never get to the finish line, so we're all pretty thrilled with the result."

-- Attorney Tory Jackson, one of the leaders of a two-year project to compile the history of Bismarck into a published timeline.

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"We'll be back every year until they pass this. I won't stop."

-- Tara Brandner, a Bismarck nurse practitioner and advocate for insurance coverage for fertility treatments. She has unsuccessfully lobbied the Legislature three times in the past five years to provide insurance coverage for fertility treatment for public employees.

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"There is simply too many unanswered questions and insufficient evidence to prove the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. Reasonable deductions, probable cause, and appearances are not sufficient at trial."

-- Ward County State's Attorney Roza Larson, telling state officials that no criminal charges will result from petition fraud allegations that surrounded the ballot measure North Dakota voters approved last fall for term limits on the governor and state lawmakers.

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"We had every reason during this process to believe we had submitted a sufficient number of signatures, and this is just one more indication of the attempted abuse of power to deny the people the right to vote on this important issue."

-- Jared Hendrix, chairman of last year's term limits ballot measure, on no criminal charges resulting from petition fraud allegations.

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"Public employees have historically been paid anywhere from 7% to 12% less than their similarly educated and experienced counterparts in the private sector. The state has the resources and now is the time to invest in the workforce that provides the vital public services that North Dakotans deserve and have come to expect."

-- Nick Archuleta, president of North Dakota United, which represents more than 11,000 public employees and schoolteachers, advocating for 8% salary increases for state workers in each year of the two-year 2021-23 budget cycle.

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"While we know who is dying by suicide, we don't know as much about why. What happened or didn't happen 30 days or 60 days before that death?"

-- Rep. Karla Rose Hanson, D-Fargo, on a bill making its way through the North Dakota Legislature that would set up a special group to review suicides in the state, in an effort to better understand how they can be prevented.
On Twitter, designer and writer, Jackson Greathouse Fall gave GPT-4 a budget of $100 and told it to make as much money as possible. Jackson is acting as its human liaison and doing anything it says to do.

Within the first two days, GPT-4 has created a business (an online seller of sustainable, eco-friendly products, called Green Gadget Guru, greengadgetguru.com), designed a website, logo, and website art (with an assist from DALL-E and Midjourney), and begun offering product ideas.

Jackson named his entrepreneurial AI boss HustleGTP and created a hashtag that others have started using to chronicle their own AI-driven side hustles.
An arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin has been issued by the International Criminal Court. The court, based in The Hague, Netherlands, accuses the dictator of war crimes in Ukraine, according to BBC, "including the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia."

"There are reasonable grounds to believe that Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes," according to the court, via NBC News.

The ICC also issued an arrest for Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, Russia's so-called Commissioner for Children's Rights.

From CBS News:

The ICC said that its pre-trial chamber found there were "reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children." Over the course of the last year, the prosecution  as well as the Ukrainian prosecutor's office  has been gathering evidence from a multitude of country and individual sources. CBS News' Pamela Falk reported earlier this week that ICC prosecutor Karim Khan was preparing to seek arrest warrants for individuals involved in the alleged abduction of Ukrainian children and targeting of civilian infrastructure. Earlier this month, Khan visited Ukraine for a fourth time. "I leave Ukraine with a sense that the momentum towards justice is accelerating," he said in a statement. An indictment of Putin would make the president of Russia an international fugitive, CBS News' David Martin reported.

"He is inevitably now trapped in Russia. He will never be able to travel internationally, because it would be too great a risk that he would be captured and brought before a court of law," said U.S. Ambassador-at-large Beth Van Schaack.

However, Putin, like Donald Trump, will most likely escape an arrest for his "alleged" crimes  as long as he stays out of countries within the ICC's jurisdiction.

From BBC:

Despite the warrant on Mr Putin and Ms Lvova-Belova, the ICC has no powers to arrest suspects, and can only exercise jurisdiction within countries who are signed up to the agreement that set up the court. Russia is not a signatory to that agreement  so it is unlikely either will be extradited.

But Ambassador Van Schaack has a more optimistic outlook: "Putin and will enjoy some impunity while they stay within Russia, but what we have seen is perpetrators don't stay within their home states. They want to go shopping in Europe or go on vacation somewhere, and they get identified, and then the law enforcement is activated. And we are never more integrated than we are now."
Florida state Rep. Stan McClain introduced a bill that would not only dramatically limit sex education for students in 6th-12th grade, but would prevent kids in elementary school (below 6th grade) from even talking to a teacher about their periods. In other words, if a 10-year-old child gets their first period while at a Florida school, they will have to go to the bathroom and figure it out by themselves, no questions asked.

For clarification on this absurd bill, Attorney and state Rep. Ashley Gantt asked, "Typically, the age is between 10 and 15, so if little girls experience their menstrual cycle in 5th grade or 4th grade, will that prohibit conversations from them, since they are in a grade lower than 6th grade?"

"It would," McClain  who, sadly, had 11 children of his own  shamelessly replied. (See video below, posted by Florida Planned Parenthood Action.)

It's not clear if the ignorant lawmaker received backlash for his medieval agenda, but he later backpedaled, saying he'd be open to tweaking the bill.

From Vice:

McClain later said that it "would not be the intent" of the bill to penalize teachers if students want to talk about their periods, and that he'd be open to amending the bill, the New Republic reported. McClain's office did not immediately respond to a VICE News request for comment on whether the bill would impact students' ability to get pads or other sanitary materials from school nurses. "They are restricting sex education, banning abortion, defunding birth control, and now going so far as to admit that young women cannot discuss menstruation under their absurd legislation," Annie Filkowski, policy and political director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, told HuffPost in a statement. "Young people start menstruation anytime between nine and 16 years old. It's ridiculous to prohibit them from discussing it with their teacher."
It's a shame that Batman isn't a Marvel writer because, boy, does the MCU need some help developing contingency plans. Even though the MCU's post-Avengers: Endgame deterioration has been apparent since the critical failure of The Eternals, people are finally starting to realize that the fabled House of Ideas might be running short on a strategy for phase five.

One of the primary critiques posed by fans is that Marvel's recent projects have become too goofy. One need look no further than the stomach-churning "comedy" that littered Thor: Love and Thunder to see that the MCU desperately needs to make their films slightly more serious, lest they lose all semblance of narrative tension. Hopefully, since it looks like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania might not break even, Marvel uses this opportunity to go back to the drawing board and restructure their film slate.

Or they can stay the course and cast Sacha Baron Cohen as the Marvel universe's canonical version of the devil. Whatever, I guess that works too. According to Comic Book Resources, Sacha Baron Cohen might play Mephisto in a Disney Plus special. Ya know, Mephisto, the guy that fought the Silver Surfer- one of the most powerful characters in Marvel's roster- and won. I guess when Mephisto fights the Silver Surfer this time around, he'll be doing it in an absurd accent while wearing a speedo.
Minnesota State Rep. Joe McDonald's is firmly against a bill that would provide school lunch and breakfast for all students. Making his case on the House floor, McDonald says the amount of food waste in schools is already "atrocious," and providing free meals to all students would only make it worse.

McDonald actually used his son's dislike for apples to argue against a program that would benefit tens of thousands of students. Because, you know, the preferences of one child clearly outweigh the needs of many.

It's also worth noting that McDonald's assertion that the bill would provide free meals to "families that don't need it" reeks of a lack of empathy for families who may be struggling financially.

McDonald seems not to care that providing free meals to all students reduces the stigma around free meals, and increases the consumption of fruits and vegetables. His comments are ridiculous, and short-sighted, and show a clear lack of concern for the well-being of students. Instead of using his son's food preferences to deny access to nutritious meals, McDonald should focus on finding solutions to reduce food waste while still ensuring that all students have access to the food they need to thrive.

But who needs facts when you have your son's apple aversion to back up your argument?
A Florida judge blocked Gov. Ron DeSantis's authoritarian "Stop Woke" act again yesterday, after first blocking it in November, allowing professors to continue teaching about race and sexism as they see fit.

Tallahassee U.S. District Judge Mark Walker called DeSantis's anti-democratic law "positively dystopian," and said, "It should go without saying that if liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."

Walker, a Bill Clinton-appointed judge, was part of a three-judge panel that rejected requests to "lift an injunction against enforcing the law imposed" by Walker in November, according to the Florida Phoenix. The other two judges  Britt Grant, and Barbara Lagoa  were appointed by Donald Trump. And years earlier, Lagoa had been appointed by DeSantis to the Florida Supreme Court.

"Our professors are critical to a healthy democracy, and the State of Florida's decision to choose which viewpoints are worthy of illumination and which must remain in the shadows has implications for us all," said Walker. "If our 'priests of democracy' are not allowed to shed light on challenging ideas, then democracy will die in darkness."

From AP News:

A federal judge in Florida on Thursday blocked a law pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in colleges.  The ruling is at least a temporary setback to the powerful Republican governor's agenda to combat what he describes as the "woke ideology" of liberals and critical race theory, a way of thinking about America's history through the lens of racism.  The governor has often said rulings that halt his legislative priorities are likely to be reversed by appeals courts in Florida that are generally more conservative. A spokesman for DeSantis said they would appeal the ruling.

As part of Walker's ruling, he used part of a George Orwell quote from the dystopian classic, 1984, to illustrate Dictator DeSantis's version of Oceania: "'It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen,' and the powers in charge of Florida's public university system have declared the State has unfettered authority to muzzle its professors in the name of 'freedom.'"
The British government banned the use of Tik Tok on government phones Thursday, citing the possibility that such use could provide useful intelligence to the Chinese-owned company's political masters. The ban follows similar prohibitions in the U.S. and Europe. Unlike the U.S., though, where the Biden administration is calling for a total ban on the app, the U.K. government stressed that everyday users, including government workers, would remain free to install it on their personal devices. NBC News:

Exemptions for the use of TikTok on government devices are being implemented where necessary for work purposes, but "will only be granted by security teams on a case-by-case basis, with ministerial clearance as appropriate, and with security mitigations put in place," the government said.

The minister also said that government devices will only be able to access third-party apps that are on a pre-approved list.

A TikTok spokesperson said that the company was disappointed with the U.K. government's decision.

"We believe these bans have been based on fundamental misconceptions and driven by wider geopolitics, in which TikTok, and our millions of users in the UK, play no part.
Yu Ming Is Ainm Dom is a 2003 short film written and directed by Daniel O'Hara, that's best for the fact that it's filmed mostly in the Irish language. But don't worry, it's quite accessible, even without the subtitles (though they'll certainly help). It's a touching story about a Chinese man named Yu Ming who gets bored of his life at home and decides to move to a random place on the globe  and his little game of chance ends up landing him in the Republic of Ireland. Yu Ming thoughtfully decides to prepare for his trip by learning the local language, not realizing that, while Irish is technically one of the national languages of Ireland, it's hard to find a Gaeilgeoir in Dublin. (Thanks colonialism!) But don't worry; this sweet little film has a happy ending. And who knows, maybe you'll learn a cupla focal yourself along the way.
The long-planned closure of Eastern Niagara Hospital, the financially struggling health care facility that has served Lockport for more than a century, is now only three months away.

Eastern Niagara Hospital announced Friday that it will close June 17. While the planned closure has been known for several years, the specific closing date is new.

The hospital also filed a notice Thursday with the state Labor Department, alerting the agency to the planned closure that will affect 337 employees  that includes 280 workers at the hospital site on East Avenue and 57 employees at the ambulatory care center at 5875 S. Transit Road.

But only a portion of those workers will lose their jobs. Many of them will continue employment with Buffalo-based Catholic Health System, which has had a management agreement with Eastern Niagara Hospital since October 2020.

"Yesterday, all ENH employees were notified of the hospital's planned closure date," said Ann Briody Petock, chair of ENH board of directors. "ENH management has been committed to assisting employees find employment with area health care employers. We are pleased that most Eastern Niagara employees have accepted employment offers with other hospitals."

Catholic Health takes a different approach with new Lockport hospital "The model was built for the community based on need, not based on what textbooks would say about hospitals," Catholic Health President and CEO Mark Sullivan said.

Catholic Health spokesperson JoAnn Cavanaugh said the system has so far hired about 120 employees from Eastern Niagara Hospital, more than half of whom have been hired for the under-construction Lockport Memorial Hospital.

Several dozen Eastern Niagara Hospital employees also have been hired at the Transit Road urgent care and ambulatory center, which will reopen immediately under Catholic Health management after June 17. Catholic Health previously purchased the ambulatory center and will provide urgent care, imaging, occupational medicine and ambulatory surgery services to the community.

Since Friday's announcement, Cavanaugh said Catholic Health has received several more applications and expects that to continue.

Eastern Niagara Hospital leadership has submitted the required closure plan to the state Health Department, which remains under review, Health Department spokesperson Jeffrey Hammond said. Per Public Health Law, the closure plan must be approved before a facility can close.

The financially pinched Eastern Niagara Hospital, which filed for bankruptcy in November 2019 and would have closed two years ago if not for the management agreement with Catholic Health, said in a statement Friday that it was only able to operate this long by relying on state grants. In fact, the hospital in January received $8.9 million in state Vital Access Provider Assurance Program funding, which will sustain hospital operations through June 17.

Under the agreement with Catholic Health, the plan was for Eastern Niagara Hospital to stay open until the opening of the $62 million Lockport Memorial, helping to preserve immediate hospital access for more than 80,000 residents in eastern Niagara County.

"We are excited construction is progressing on our new Lockport Memorial Hospital, which is expected to open this fall," Cavanaugh said. "Our health system will continue to provide care to residents throughout Niagara County at our other facilities as well as take over operations of ENHs Urgent Care and Ambulatory Surgery Center on Transit Road immediately following the hospital's closure."

Why Catholic Health, despite its financial struggles, is confident Lockport Memorial Hospital can succeed Catholic Health executives expressed confidence in their plan for Lockport Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, as the final steel beam was put into place.

In its statement Friday, Eastern Niagara Hospital advised residents in eastern Niagara County who require emergency medical services to call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department for care once the Lockport hospital closes in three months. It then listed those locations as Mount St. Mary's Hospital in Lewiston; Orleans Community Health's Medina Memorial Hospital; Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital; DeGraff Medical Park; Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center; or Kenmore Mercy Hospital.

Urgent care services also will be available at its ambulatory center on South Transit Road as well as WellNow Urgent Care at 5801 S. Transit Road.

The hospital also noted that its Reflections Chemical Dependency Program will close April 1 due to staffing limitations. It advised patients in need of substance use services to contact Clearview Treatment Center (716-298-2115), ECMC (716-898-3471), First Step Crisis Center (716-285-3421), GCASA (585-815-5248), or Recovery Center of Niagara (716-265-3700).

"We are proud of our over 100 years of commitment to health care in Lockport and look forward to the next chapter with the opening of a new hospital in Lockport," Petock said.
First it was Benderson Development Co. and another private developer that wanted to get into the light-industrial business in the Town of Hamburg, with proposals for new warehouse projects.

Now the town itself wants to do the same.

The Hamburg New York Land Development Corp. on Wednesday agreed to buy 26.2 acres of vacant land that it plans to turn into a business park from RP Oak Hill Building Co., at the northeast corner of Lakeshore and Milestrip roads, or Routes 5 and 179.

That's just north of the Ford Motor Co. Stamping Plant on the other side of Milestrip, and just across Route 5 from the Gateway Building  which is also owned by an RP Oak Hill affiliate, but is being sold to Cedarland Development Group.

Under the terms of the contract, the municipal agency  an affiliate of the Hamburg Industrial Development Agency - will pay $575,000 for the property, or about $21,950 per acre, with a closing expected this summer, after 90 days of due diligence that will include environmental assessments and wetlands delineation.

The plan is to prepare the property for redevelopment, for use by small light-industrial or logistics tenants, said Sean Doyle, executive director of the Hamburg IDA and the LDC, citing the demand for such space in the region and the lack of available options. CBRE-Buffalo reported last month that the vacancy rate for industrial space in Western New York is just 1.3%  a record low.

However, unlike the Benderson project  which calls for over 802,000 square feet of space in five buildings  the town's initiative is focused on small businesses, mechanical firms and service companies, with buildings of 30,000 to 40,000 square feet, Doyle said.

The agency expects to create the infrastructure on the site for developers, and might even subdivide the property and sell off slices of 3 to 5 acres for a user.

"Weve received a lot of interest prior to the acquisition, so were hoping to meet a market niche there that the 100,000- to 200,000-square-foot projects are not," Doyle said. "Theres a void in the smaller markets, and were hoping to fill that."

The new venture comes as Doyle says business demand is picking up in the town.

He told IDA directors that he had recently met with two companies "who are looking for smaller sites in Hamburg," but couldn't find what they needed. Another is seeking to expand into a 150,000-square-foot building. All three want to own their buildings, with the smaller two needing 3 to 5 acres, and the other needing 15.

"I'm providing them with the best options that we have, but it's not the appropriate match that they're looking for," he said. "It's the land availability that is key."
Nearly two years ago, Benderson Development Co. lost out on its bid to acquire the troubled McKinley Mall in Hamburg, after a state judge approved a sale to another suitor.

Now it's going to get a second chance  if it wants.

The mall's owner  whose bid beat out Benderson in 2021  is putting the mall up for sale through an online auction, with a $3 million minimum bid that is less than a third of the price that Benderson previously was willing to pay.

Sign up for the Buffalo Next free newsletter The News' Buffalo Next team covers the changing Buffalo Niagara economy. Get the news in your inbox 5 days a week.

Whether Benderson is interested is unclear. Company officials couldn't be reached to comment on Thursday.

But town officials are hoping it attracts the interest of either the Buffalo-based developer or other well-heeled bidders who could revive what was once the most popular retail site in the Southtowns or transform it into a new destination.

"I hope it gets lots of attention, because it's a nice piece of property and it's in a great location," said Hamburg Town Supervisor Randy Hoak, who was surprised to learn of the auction, not from the owner, but from a town resident who spotted the online listing. "We want to make sure we attract an owner that is really willing to maximize the potential for that parcel."

The mall has struggled in recent years, losing tenants  and its place at the top of the Southtowns retail hierarchy  to the Quaker Crossing complex two miles away in Orchard Park. About 44% of McKinley's space is vacant, according to a listing for the auction.

The Kohan Retail Investment Group  a Long Island firm owned and led by Mike Kohan  is putting the mall up for sale through an online auction that is scheduled to end on April 19. Kohan acquired the mall, located on nearly 75 acres at 3701 McKinley Parkway, in the summer of 2021 for $8.5 million after its previous owner defaulted on a loan.

The auction listing describes the 728,397-square-foot mall as a rare opportunity to acquire a super-regional mall with substantial value-add opportunity."

Bidding will run from noon on April 17 to noon on April 19, with a starting minimum bid of $3 million. That's just a little over one-third of what Kohan paid less than two years ago, although minimum bids are typically set artificially low to attract bidders to potentially drive the price up.

"I think there will be a larger regional and national appeal," Hoak said, citing the proximity to the new Buffalo Bills stadium that will be constructed in Orchard Park.

The auction listing cites the mall's proximity to downtown Buffalo and the Canadian border, less than 10 miles away, along with a "strong tenant roster" anchored by J.C. Penney, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Barnes & Noble and Old Navy. And it lists net operating income of $732,245.

McKinley Mall in Hamburg is up for sale through online auction The listing describes the mall, which has a 44% vacancy rate, as a rare opportunity to acquire a super-regional mall with substantial value-add opportunity."

Part of Kohan's vision for the mall called for seeking nontraditional tenants, in a bid to get spaces filled, vacancies down and traffic up. The mall has about 50 tenants, as well as nontraditional mall uses such as a cat rescue site, a mixed martial arts studio and a music school.

More recently, a car wash. Splash Car Wash has proposed demolishing the TGI Friday's restaurant at the mall's entrance and building a 5,200-square-foot facility. An indoor skate park called Food Court Skatepark, said last month that it would open in the mall in April.

But the mall has continued to lose traditional retail tenants, including Claires boutique, once a mall staple, which moved to Quaker Crossing.

Sean Doyle, executive director of the Hamburg Industrial Development Agency, said he hopes a new owner will diversify the property by adding housing and offices, following a model similar to what Uniland Development Co. is proposing at Eastern Hills Mall in Clarence or what Douglas Jemal's Douglas Development Corp. is planning for the Boulevard Mall in Amherst.

"I would hope it would become largely retail but then have a mixed-use residential component, like a town center concept." The back of the nearly 75-acre parcel "could lend itself to some industrial distribution," while the front would be good for for retail hospitality operations, like hotels and restaurants.

The town in 2021 passed an incentive zoning law for the mall and its ring properties, allowing incoming tenants to have flexibility in usage in exchange for guarantees to the town, such as aesthetic improvements, creation of jobs or money to go toward town initiatives.

"There's a lot of great neighborhoods and communities surrounding the mall that could support several different types of businesses," Hoak said. "The town would be happy to entertain creative ideas from developers that are looking to acquire that parcel."

Benderson has a natural interest and possibly an inside track to a deal, as well as prior support from the town. The developer already owns the former Macy's and its now-closed home store inside the mall, a 6-acre ring of property near the Dipson movie theater and the Hobby Lobby on one of the mall's outparcels.

As a result, it has the right  through prior encumbrances and deed restrictions  to reject certain types of projects on the mall property. Benderson already refused to allow Kohan to lease space in the former Sears store for a self-storage facility, and it denied efforts to bring a used car dealership to another of the malls outer parcels once occupied by a Pier 1 store.

When Kohan initially agreed to buy the mall, Benderson claimed that it had tried to make a higher purchase offer but was ignored by the real estate broker, Newmark  the same broker now representing Kohan in the auction. In an affidavit at the time, it asserted that Newmark didn't give it a chance to make an offer, but that it would have paid $10 million  $1.5 million more than Kohan, and close to the assessed value of $10.5 million.

With Benderson's support, the town sought to block the deal by contesting it in court and questioning Kohan's financial wherewithal and redevelopment capabilities. But State Supreme Court Justice Emilio Colaiacovo overruled their objections, allowing the sale to proceed.

Still, Kohan has a history of unpaid bills at its properties, resulting in utility shutoffs, and McKinley's main phone line has been shut off at least once since Kohan took over. Kohan also owes $176,069 in town, county and special district taxes that were due Feb. 15.

This was a concern from the beginning when Kohan Retail Investment Group acquired the property," Hoak said. "The Town of Hamburg is currently exploring our options, and we hope any sale of the property would contemplate the delinquent taxes so that taxpayers arent left on the hook."
Powerflow, an auto parts supplier, will close its Buffalo operation in mid-June, eliminating 66 jobs, the company said in a notice filed with the state Department of Labor.

The company's production and warehouse operations at 1714 Broadway, east of Bailey Avenue, will be moved out of state, the notice said. Powerflow did not specify where the operations are headed.

Powerflow was founded in 1969 and acquired in 2019 by Adell Group, a portfolio company of the private equity firm Kinderhook Industries. Representatives of Adell and Kinderhook did not respond to messages seeking comment on Friday.

Powerflow, which also has locations in Canada, makes injection-molded plastics trim parts that are sold to automotive vehicle manufacturers and dealers.
A new batch of revised job numbers has done nothing to ease concerns that the Buffalo Niagara job market remains unusually tight.

While the revised numbers  based on more detailed employment data  showed that the region has made more progress than first believed in recovering from its Covid-19-related job losses, the region still has nearly 13,000 fewer jobs than it did before the pandemic.

The good news is that shortfall is about half as big as the preliminary data indicated, so Buffalo Niagara is much closer to a complete recovery than first thought. The bad news is that the rest of the country recovered long ago and now is growing again.

Part of the problem is that hiring is hard here. The number of unemployed people has dropped steadily over the years, while the local labor force has been shrinking, leaving Buffalo Niagara companies with much slimmer pickings when they go to hire.

And so far, the economy is holding up, which means that workers who have jobs are hanging on to them, despite fears of a recession. The number of workers filing for unemployment benefits for the first time remains low.
Tamar and Kaelin Lamberson will tell you they arent just mother and daughter, theyre best friends, too.

And best friends do everything together like watching movies. For the Lambersons, who live in Cheektowaga, that doesn't mean catching the latest superhero film at the mall.

They are the co-founders of the new Valkyrie International Film Festival, an event which promotes independent films made exclusively by female directors. The festival has its inaugural run from March 24-28 in the Screening Room Cinema & Arts Cafe.

The goal, in the words of 17-year-old Kaelin, is to raise and empower women and thats where the festival gets its name. It references the female Valkyries of Norse mythology who symbolized strength and empowerment, the same characteristics they say are found in female filmmakers.

To be considered for the festival, there was one rule: The film must be directed by a woman and that includes all co-directors.

"There are more directors that are men who are getting their work appreciated. We definitely feel its important to boost women up," Kaelin Lamberson said. I think its really cool that we get to create a community of women who can come together, share their messages, show their works and support each other.

The Valkyrie Film Festival will screen 62 films in all genres and multiple formats such as shorts, documentary, features and experimental films. There are 18 international films from such places as France, Spain, Poland, Austria, Australia and Iran. Ten short films were made much closer to home with entries from Western New York filmmakers Kristen Skeet, Taylor Martin, Sabrina Pena Young, Victoria Hutton, Gayle Petri and Sami Carol.

Helping the Lambersons with judging are two impressive guests: actress and director Debbie Rochon, who directed the horror-thriller Model Hunger in Buffalo, and Julianne Donofrio, director of the award-winning documentary Pieced Together.

Rochon, who has attended other female-focused festivals, said that it is important to have them in places like Buffalo.

"The big cities do well curating and celebrating the women, and usually the already established women, of film, but the Valkyrie Film Festival shines a light on females working hard to share their vision in smaller metropolitan areas, and to be frank, on a far more fair playing field," Rochon said.

"I feel it's important to have a fest for women by women, because of the specific subject matter and the importance of the people looking at their work have more of a personal understanding of it," Rochon continued. "While we live in a time when there are more women working in the field, in every role, than there ever has been before, we still need a place for the female vision and storytelling that is just different than what men create."

The mother-daughter team's passion for sharing the stories and struggles of other women  and their belief in each other  comes from being two-thirds of a close-knit filmmaking family.

Tamar is the wife of Greg Lamberson, a filmmaker, producer and author whose most recent Buffalo-made movie Guns of Eden is now streaming on Tubi and available on DVD. Hes also the co-founder of the long-running Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival which Tamar and their daughter Kaelin have worked on, giving them experience to create their own event. Tamar also has produced films including "Johnny Gruesome," "Widow's Point" and "Guns of Eden." Kaelin has acted in "A Christmas in Vermont," "A Mother's Revenge" and "Widow's Point" (she also sang the end credits for that film).

Weve also traveled to other festivals, so we know theres not a lot of representation for female directors, Tamar Lamberson said. We thought how cool it would be to have a festival showing films directed by women.

Putting on a film festival  especially your first  is challenging enough, but the Lambersons added the pressure of a quick turnaround so they could hold Valkyrie during March, National Womens History Month. That gave them only seven months to prepare and that included Tamar creating a website for the first time ("she rocked it," Kaelin said), designing graphics, getting the submissions and taking care of logistics.

Its been crazy," Tamar said. "I was thinking we werent going to be able to do it. But we wanted to do it for womens history month. I didnt realize how much work it was but its worth it. Weve had filmmakers say 'we cant make it to the festival but thank you for doing this.' 

Now we understand why dad is so stressed when his film festival comes around, Kaelin laughed.

At least 100 films were submitted which was double their expectations and led the festival to grow from three to five days to accommodate all the movies they wanted to show.

We didnt know how many films we were going to get because it was a first-time festival. We were surprised that we got as many as we did, Tamar said.

Mom and daughter spent free time on weekends and during school breaks to watch and judge the films together. When they could find some time during the week around Kaelins heavy homework schedule  shes a junior in the honors program at Cleveland Hill High School  they would watch a few of the short film submissions.

It was time well spent and another bonding experience for them.

The great thing is watching the movies with her, Tamar said about her daughter. Were on the same page. It was nice how much we actually agree on things.

Another point of pride for Tamar was watching her daughter at the Shawna Shea Film Festival in Massachusetts last year where the family had traveled to screen Greg Lamberson's "Guns of Eden" (it won the Best of Festival feature award). "She decided she wanted to approach female filmmakers," Tamar recalled. "She introduced herself and told them about the film festival. I laughed that she was doing it. But they were listening and they liked what they heard.

"We got four submissions because Kaelin," Tamar added.

The bonus is that the movies that have been accepted  from 5-minute shorts to full-length features, music videos to documentaries  are rich in variety, cultural diversity and themes important to women including empowerment, education, domestic abuse and LGBTQ+ rights.

We were so excited that we received these types of films because thats what we were going for, Tamar said.

For Kaelin, that diversity in programming and the conversations they will spark are reasons enough to watch the films.

"If you are open to having these conversations and discussions, you should come," she said. "If it might not be your cup of tea, give it a shot anyway. Everybody needs to see films and share messages."

PREVIEW

March 24-28 at the Screening Room Cinema & Arts Cafe, Boulevard Mall (880 Alberta Drive, Amherst).

Movies will be shown in "blocks" of multiple films. March 24: Blocks start at 6 and 8:30 p.m. March 25: Blocks are at 1, 3:30, 6:30 and 9 p.m. March 26 blocks are at 1:30, 4 and 7:30 p.m.; awards from 6 to 7 p.m. March 27: Blocks are at 6:15 and 8:15 p.m. March 28, blocks start at 6:15 and 8:30 p.m.

Tickets can be purchased at the door only. Day passes are $20, except March 25 at $25; individual blocks are $12. A Pegasus Pass is good for the entire festival for $50 cash. The full schedule is online at valkyriefilmfest.com/home.
Three clergy members have filed a court petition seeking access to inmates wherever they are confined in the Holding Center and Erie County Correctional Facility, but Sheriff John Garcia is resisting what he called their demand for "unfettered access."

Their lawsuit says a section of the state's correction law allows them to conduct their visits in "any room where prisoners are confined."

"It's important to see how people are being confined," said attorney John N. Lipsitz, who represents the clergy members.

Garcia said his administration has expanded a religious services program to include granting clergy members access to incarcerated individuals, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"However, what is being sought by the petitioners is 24/7, unfettered access to all areas of the facility," Garcia said. "To be clear, people are not allowed to leisurely roam around the secured areas of our facilities at any time of the day or night for very obvious safety and security reasons."

The Sheriff's Office has conferred with the Erie County Attorneys Office, Garcia said in a statement, adding that he believes the administration's policy complies with the guidelines set by the New York State Commission of Corrections.

The clergy members in November suggested any one of three dates for a visit that would allow them to visit wherever the inmates were confined, proposing the visit start about noon and last 2 hours.

In their letter to Michael Phillips, superintendent in the Jail Management Division, the clergy members cited a section of state correction law that lists clergy members among those who "may visit at pleasure all local correctional facilities."

The areas they wanted to visit included housing units of all kinds as well as areas for medical treatment, detox and constant observation.

"We expect to have access to all such units at the time of our planned visit," they wrote in their letter.

"We expect to have access and to converse with all people in a given unit, not only those who are members of a particular faith," they wrote. "As clergy, our mission is to reach out to people of all faiths, and to assist them in their temporal as well as spiritual lives."

The clergy members acknowledged the Holding Center has its schedules and routines and said they were willing to come up with a mutually agreeable schedule and to work out other logistics.

The superintendent rejected their request.

Phillips, in his reply letter, said counsel for the Sheriff's Office advised that the state law the clergy members cited does not provide a legal basis allowing them to visit the jails in the manner they suggested.

"Your interpretation of this provision of law is flawed and without merit," Phillips wrote. "As such, we will not further contemplate requests/demands of this kind."

The clergy members' petition seeks a State Supreme Court order requiring the sheriff to allow them into the downtown Holding Center and the correctional facility in Alden "at their pleasure and to permit them to visit any room where prisoners are confined."

Filing the lawsuit were Claudia Scheda, a priest in charge at St. John's Grace Episcopal Church, 51 Colonial Circle, Buffalo; Miranda Hammer, a pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2669 Sheridan Drive, Tonawanda; and John Sullivan, pastor at New Cedar Grove Life Changing Church, 100 Old Maryvale Drive, Cheektowaga.

The lawsuit names Garcia as defendant in his capacity as sheriff, with overall responsibility for operating the Erie County Holding Center and the Erie County Correctional Facility.

Phillips, in his reply letter to the clergy members, said the Sheriff s Office would "continue to provide religious services, accept clergy visitation and provide visitation space for an incarcerated individual's confidential consultation with approved religious advisors."

The assertion the sheriff can decide which clergy can visit Erie County's jails and to refuse clergy entry to the rooms where prisoners are confined "flagrantly violates the letter of the law," the clergy members said in their court filing.

"We firmly believe that visits of this kind will benefit everyone: you and the sheriff as jail managers, your staff, detained and incarcerated people, and the community as a whole," the clergy members said in their letter to Phillips.

Among the benefits they cited:

 Increasing public confidence in the administration of the jail, so that when incidents such as suicides or disease-caused deaths occur, there is less tendency for people outside to immediately think that the jail is at fault and start taking actions hostile to the jail.

 Enlisting the public in feeling ownership of its jails, thus increasing the flow of volunteers assisting in jail programs, and of community involvement in improving jail conditions.

 Bringing concerns and issues to the administration's attention quickly, before they become crises, since incarcerated people may feel freer to talk with clergy visitors than with jail staff.

 Reducing feelings of isolation and helplessness experienced by many incarcerated people  feelings that can lead to unwanted behaviors.
A Buffalo man who is accused of causing a fatal crash in December drove Thursday under the influence of drugs to Town of Lockport court to face a felony charge related to the crash, state police said.

Troopers charged William C. Giambelluca II, 42, with driving while intoxicated-drugs after they saw him drive to court, where he was going to be charged with criminally negligent homicide in connection with a three-vehicle crash on Dec. 5 that killed a 72-year-old Town of Barker woman.

A drug recognition expert at the court evaluated Giambelluca, who showed signs of impairment, according to troopers.

Giambelluca was accused of causing the fatal afternoon collision at South Transit and Bartz roads in the Town of Lockport and was due in court on Thursday, troopers said.

Investigators determined Giambelluca was driving a 2016 Jeep north bound on South Transit Road when he crossed into the median lane and struck a south-facing 2016 Chevrolet that was waiting to turn onto Bartz Road.

The 2016 Chevrolet was slammed into a third vehicle, a 2020 Chevrolet Equinox that also was in the median.

The driver of the 2016 Chevrolet, Judith K. Schulz was conscious and transported to Erie County Medical Center by ambulance. Schulz died a day later from injuries in the crash.

Giambelluca was arraigned Thursday in Lockport Town Court and sent to Niagara County Jail without bail until a court date later this month.
A man who is wanted on two counts of murder in Atlanta, Ga., was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers Wednesday at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, according to a spokesman for the agency.

The spokesman said 36-year-old Dontavia Timmons was detained at the international border after Customs and Border Protection officers discovered he had an active National Crime Information Center warrant for homicide in Fulton County, Ga. Further investigation confirmed that the warrant also included charges for armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Area Port Director Gaetano Cordone said in a statement Thursday that Timmons' arrest was a prime example of the dangerous individuals Customs and Border Protection officers may encounter at U.S. ports of entry.

"The arrest of this individual will hopefully bring some solace to the victims family. We thank our law enforcement partners for working alongside us ensuring that this fugitive is brought to justice," Gaetano said.

After confirming the warrant with the Fulton County Sheriffs Office, Timmons was turned over to New York State Police and is being held in the custody of the Niagara County Sheriffs Office where he is awaiting extradition to Georgia.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg decried the Kensington Expressway as a "gash through the community" Friday morning, on a visit to Buffalo promoting a $55 million federal grant to help reconnect East Side neighborhoods torn apart by the highway's construction more than a half century ago.

The grant, announced last month, is the largest "Reconnecting Communities" grant of the 45 dispensed around the country in 2023 to address mostly Black and Brown communities harmed by the placement of federally funded highways in the 1950s and '60s. The money came out of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill championed by President Biden that Congress passed in 2021.

"We see patterns like this across the country, but few are as vivid as the Kensington Expressway," Buttigieg said. "It literally cuts like a gash through this community, and you can see how hard it is to get from one side to the other, except to cross a handful of bridges where you used to have a nationally significant parkway network connecting things."

Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., and 2020 presidential candidate, was joined by Gov. Kathy Hochul, who initiated the long-discussed project in January 2022, Sens. Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Brian Higgins and Mayor Byron Brown in a victory lap for one of Buffalo's biggest infrastructure projects.

The transportation secretary met for a roundtable with community members prior to the public event, and praised Restore Our Community Coalition for its persistence in advocating for the project and Western New York lawmakers for making the project a reality.

The Kensington Expressway "played out not overnight but in slow-motion, put in without voice or view from the local community," Buttigieg said to a gathering at the Buffalo Museum of Science, a stone's throw from the expressway. "That is why we are here. And so it's fitting we are here with the members of the local community that actually made this all happen."

"Oh, my goodness, I feel like I have to pinch myself," Stephanie Barber Geter, ROCC's chairwoman, said. "We have two big chunks of money  a billion and $55 million as of today  and we have a road and a community to restore. This is just awesome."

The Route 33 project, in the second year of a federally required environmental review, calls for a nearly milelong tunnel where the highway runs through the East Side. The project calls for an above-ground deck with greenery in an attempt to replicate part of the once-grand Humboldt Parkway that the highway destroyed.

Hochul has said she hopes to have construction begin by the end of 2024.

"You can't ignore the reality that this highway left this community more segregated and more isolated from the social and economic life of the rest of the city," Buttigieg said. "Some of the planners here and elsewhere built them directly through the heart of vibrant communities, sometimes to reinforce segregation, sometimes because they were the path of least resistance, and almost always because Black and low-income neighborhoods didn't have the power to resist or reshape those projects.

"Most of the people who made those decisions aren't around today, and no one here today is responsible for creating that situation in the first place," Buttigieg said. "But all of us are responsible for what we do in our time to repair it, and that is why we are here today."

Hochul also spoke of the harm the highway did to the East Side neighborhoods, and why she acted to remedy what she called a historic wrong.

"Last January, in my very first budget as governor of the State of New York, I had the resources, the knowledge of this community and the passion to right that wrong once and for all," she said.

Hochul said mandated local hiring for the project will ensure 1,500 good-paying jobs for a project she predicted would transform that part of the city.

"This will be one of the hottest properties in all of Western New York, mark my words," Hochul said.

Schumer also echoed the enormity of the project.

"The restoration of communities along the Kensington Expressway is going to be one of the most significant infrastructure projects in Buffalo ever. Ever," Schumer said.

"It's appropriate and maybe a little bit ironic that the expressway is just a few blocks from the Tops supermarket, where 10 people were murdered in a racist attack last year," he said.

"The federal government was responsible for segregating neighborhoods like this, and now the federal government has a responsibility to undo that," he said. "That's what this program does."

Schumer said he will be back to ride his bike along the green-filled deck when the project's completed.

"I'm not a Spandex guy, I don't ride 40 miles per hour, but I love riding my bicycle and I'll be here to do that," he said.

Brown said the needs of the East Side go beyond infrastructure.

"We have to focus on homes, we have to focus on Black businesses, we have to make sure there are Black and Brown workers when over $1 billion is being spent to reconnect the community, and all of these leaders up here have agreed to that," Brown said. "So I'm a happy person today."
Representatives with the Buffalo Bills and the Erie County Legislature say they are gearing up to have all tentative agreements for the new stadium completed and released for public review by next week.

Of course, their predictions have been wrong before. At one point, negotiating parties thought there was a chance for the $1.4 billion stadium deal to be completed before the end of last year. Since then, "maybe next week" has been a common refrain.

But Bills Executive Vice President Ron Raccuia said Thursday he is very confident all tentative deal documents will be finalized within a few days.

"I'd be extremely disappointed if it's not," he said.

County legislators also said they have been told to expect signeddocuments by next week.

The pressure is on for the tentative deal to be formally submitted so that the Bills' stadium construction timeline doesn't get squeezed. The Erie County Stadium Corp. already has begun approving budgets for stadium-related spending.

On Wednesday, board members started clearing the way for the state to spend the first $300 million of its contribution toward stadium construction. They voted for the corporation to budget $2.6 million to hire staff and pay consultants.

The Bills hired an architect for stadium design last year, at its own risk, with the expectation that a deal would be soon forthcoming.

"I'm not raising a huge red flag about it," said Legislature Chairwoman April Baskin. "But I am aware that everything will have to stop if we don't get a legally binding agreement."

Both Poloncarz and Baskin said no stadium construction will be allowed to start before the Legislature approves the deal reached between representatives with the county, the state and the Bills. That process is expected to take a minimum of 30 days from the time the Legislature receives all the final agreements.

The Legislature may not amend or change any of the deal terms, but it can demand explanations and string out the approval process, if necessary, before voting up or down on the agreements.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Thursday that the county is finished with the tentative agreement on its end and is just waiting on the Bills to finish up with the documents on the team's end.

"It's pretty much in the Bills' hands at this point," he said. "Everything that was the responsibility of the county is done."

He said that within the last 24 hours, another agreement was finalized and that the deal is "very close" to being finished.

Both Poloncarz and Baskin have been adamant that until the Legislature votes to approve the terms of the deal, there is no binding contract with the Bills and no stadium site work can begin.

"We just don't have documents that we can sign, and hopefully it will be done very soon, because I know the Bills want to put shovels in the ground," Poloncarz said. "Unfortunately, we can't put shovels in the ground until we have an agreement that is approved by the Legislature."

Raccuia said he would "respectfully disagree" with Poloncarz's suggestion that the Bills are holding up the completion of the stadium deal. All three sides still have a little work to do, he said, but the deal is "just about at the finish line." Nothing that remains outstanding should be cause for worry, he added.
The story is horrifically familiar to Western New Yorkers. An innocent person spent nearly two decades in prison for a murder he did not commit. Its a sign that neither the state nor the judicial system has done enough in response to the scandalous fact of wrongful conviction.

This time, the miscarriage of justice took place in Brooklyn. There, Sheldon Thomas was released on Thursday not because of a technicality, not for retrial because of appellate court decision, but because he didnt do it. The 35-year-old was a teenager when the state judicial system railroaded him  theres no other word for it  over the murder of a 14-year-old boy.

It gets worse. Not only was Thomas made to forfeit his freedom for 18 years, but whoever killed Anderson Bercy has never been apprehended. That person is either dead or still on the loose, potentially wreaking more violence.

Familiar names

Wrongful conviction has become sadly familiar in New York and around the country, largely because of the development of DNA science. In Erie County, the names of its victims carry weight: Anthony Capozzi. Lynn DeJac Peters. Valentino Dixon. Together, served a cumulative 62 years in prison for crimes they did not commit.

Peters died not long after she was exonerated for the crime of murdering her own daughter. Police and prosecutors had been too willing to believe the worst of an inattentive mother and put the wrong person behind bars.

Something similar may have happened to Thomas.

Capozzi went to prison as the Delaware Park rapist, and by the time he was exonerated  22 years later  the real rapist, Altemio Sanchez, had progressed from rape to murder, killing at least three women on the Ellicott Creek bike path. Nearly 20 years later, what has the actual killer of Anderson Bercy been doing?

Capozzi was convicted based in part on misidentification. Side-by-side pictures from the time show an eerie similarity between Capozzi and Sanchez, but there were enough dissimilarities to have prompted second thoughts by dutiful cops and prosecutors.

Misidentification of a different sort helped send Thomas to prison.

Valentino Dixon was wrongfully convicted of murdering 17-year-old Torriano Jackson in 1991. He was exonerated when another man, Lamarr Scott, 46, confessed to the killing. Scott was already in prison.

Dixon has filed a civil lawsuit claiming that the Erie County District Attorneys Office both destroyed and fabricated evidence and threatened defense witnesses. Even before the shooting, he says, Buffalo police were stopping him on the street, sometimes roughing him up. One of the BPD officers even warned Dixon that BPD would not stop until they gave him ten,  the lawsuit alleges.

A prosecutors acknowledgement

If such official misconduct seems unthinkable, Thomas wrongful conviction offers skeptics an opportunity to reconsider. In court last week, a prosecutor in the Brooklyn DAs Office enumerated the lies, deceptions and dismissals the judicial system employed to convict him.

In a photo array, for example, police knowingly used a picture of a different person with the same name. The two men dont look alike, yet it helped power Thomass arrest, trial and conviction, even though prosecutors and even the judge knew of the error. An appeals court also couldnt get it right. Even the admission of the lead detective that he provided false testimony about the photo array didnt save Thomas. Other mistakes, including by the defense attorney, made matters worse, the report said.

Each of these errors, on its own, deprived defendant of a fair trial, prosecutors wrote. Together the errors undermined the integrity of the entire judicial process.

Thats not a defense lawyer speaking. Its from the current iteration of the office that, years earlier, wrongfully sent this man to prison. In addition to the main benefit  Thomas exoneration  that admission is the only good thing to come out of this disgraceful episode.

Reforms made and still needed

This was the 34th conviction to be vacated by this office, alone. The National Registry of Exonerations reports 342 exonerations in New York since 1989, amounting to 3,464 lost years. Plainly, work remains.

New York has made valuable changes to diminish the likelihood of wrongful conviction. Among them are lineup procedures that guard against officers inadvertently guiding a witness to the suspect. Another reform requires videotaping of custodial interrogations in serious felonies.

But more work awaits. Rebecca Brown, director of policy for the Innocence Project, cites the need to expand the right for people who pleaded guilty to challenge a wrongful conviction. As incomprehensible as it may sound, she said, 20% of the nations approximately 3,000 known exonerees, pleaded guilty to crimes they did not commit. Fears of a longer sentence often drive those pleas.

Another essential change, she said, is to require  not just mention  legal counsel for juveniles before they are questioned. With such a law, the travesty inflicted on the wrongfully convicted Central Park Five in 1989 might have been prevented.

Both conservatives and liberals may have to get over their self-imposed limitations to make additional progress on these issues. On the left, critics need to acknowledge that more, better trained detectives who follow the rules can make a difference.

On the right, meanwhile, critics need to understand that criminal justice is a government program. Like infrastructure spending, environmental oversight and welfare, it is susceptible to all the defects of bureaucracy and human weakness. It requires controls.

And, of course, adherence to the Constitutions demand for equal justice and the right a fair trial is essential to the American character, whether on the left or the right.

Do any legislators disagree?

  

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.
Naples Creek trout sampling March 23

One indicator of spring is the Department of Environmental Conservations annual spring sampling of rainbow trout in Ontario Countys Naples Creek. Fisheries biologists will be conducting the sampling at 9 a.m. March 23 just north of the Village of Naples at the Route 245 bridge. Hundreds of people normally turn out for this spectator event.

This fisheries work allows for the netting of rainbow trout to allow biologists to record length, weight, gender and spawning conditions. Region 8 personnel will make their results available through the Avon office before the April 1 inland stream opener. Anglers are reminded that catch-and-release fishing for trout is available in most inland streams. However, Finger Lakes tributaries are closed until April 1. The main bodies of the Finger Lakes are open to fishing year-round.

Turkey Banquet set for March 26

The Niagara County Gobblers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will host its 27th Annual Hunting Heritage Banquet on March 26 in Youngstown. Site for the gathering is Youngstown Volunteer Fire Company, 625 Third St. Doors open at 3 p.m. and dinner is at 4:30.

The group is dedicated to the conservation of wild turkey and the preservation of the hunting tradition. For more information, contact Herb or Pam Lederhouse at 791-3151. You must purchase tickets in advance. Order tickets online at https://events.nwtf.org/events. Dinner and membership is $55. A JAKES membership and meal is $25.

Bear Harvest results released for 2022

The states Department of Environmental Conservation released bear harvest numbers for last fall, and New York big game hunters tagged an estimated 1,318 bruins during the 2022 hunting season. As in previous years, the Catskills Region led the way with the greatest bear harvest densities. According to wildlife biologists working the Big Game Unit, hunters totaled approximately 458 black bears in the Northern Zone  a 14% increase from 2021. There were roughly 860 bears taken in the Southern Zone, about a 9% decrease. The total harvest was about a 10% decrease from the five-year average.

There are always some interesting tidbits of information when these results are compiled. For instance, the youngest hunter tagging a bear was 13 while the oldest hunter was 93. The heaviest bear, taken from Windsor in Broome County, weighed in at 520 pounds.

The Wildlife Management Unit with the heaviest bear density was WMU 4R (western Greene County and portions of Schoharie, Delaware and Ulster counties). A total of 15.5 bruins were recorded per 100 square miles in the WMU. In the Southern Zone, 348 bears were harvested during the bow season and 274 were tagged in the regular season. A total of 234 came during the early season. For the Northern Zone, of the 458 estimated harvest, 434 were taken during the regular season. For a complete breakdown of the bear harvest summary, click through to dec.ny.gov/outdoor/42232.html.

DEC Conservation camp registration April 2

Online registration for the DEC's Summer Camps program will be opening at 1 p.m. April 2. Now in its 76th year, the program offers weeklong adventures in conservation education for children ages 11-17. DEC operates four residential camps: Camp Colby in Saranac Lake (Franklin County); Camp DeBruce in Livingston Manor (Sullivan County); Camp Rushford in Caneadea (Allegany County); and Camp Pack Forest in Warrensburg (Warren County). Camp capacities will be reduced again this next year to provide the safest experience possible.

Campers will have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of outdoor adventures and are encouraged to try new things. Activities may include fishing, bird-watching, fly-tying, archery, canoeing, hiking, camping, orienteering and hunter safety education. One hunter education program of gun, bow or trapping is offered at each camp during four of the weeks. Class size is limited for hunter education programs and campers must sign up during registration and complete the homework in advance.

All four camps offer at least six one-week sessions (Sunday to Friday) beginning July 2; Camp Colby, Rushford, and Pack Forest will operate for seven weeks. One week of camp remains $350 per child for 2023, and includes meals, trips and a T-shirt. Some of the local county federations offer scholarships to attend the camps on a first-come, first-served basis. For example, the Niagara County Federation of Conservation Clubs still has a few available. Contact Mike Johannes at 523-1727 for more information. The Erie County Federation of Sportsmens Club also offer scholarships. Contact Joe McAdam at 570-3436. For more information on the camps, visit dec.ny.gov/education/29.html.

Boston Valley Trap League begins March 26

Boston Valley Conservation Society, located at 9624 Zimmerman Road in Boston, will be starting its 10-week summer trap league March 26. Shooting times are from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays and from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays.

Teams, individuals and practice shooters are all welcome. Targets may be Amateur Trapshooting Association registered. If you have any questions, contact Ernie Miller at 335-4111.
File picture of International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi (AP)

About 2.5 tons of uranium have gone missing from a site in Libya, according to UN nuclear watchdog inspectors.

The finding is the result of an inspection originally planned for last year that had to be postponed because of the security situation in the region and was finally carried out on Tuesday, according to a confidential statement by International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi to member nations.

IAEA inspectors found that 10 drums containing approximately 2.5 tons of natural uranium in the form of UOC (uranium ore concentrate) previously declared by (Libya) ... as being stored at that location were not present at the location, the one-page statement said.

The agency would carry out further activities to determine the circumstances of the uraniums removal from the site, which it did not name, and where it is now, the statement added.

The loss of knowledge about the present location of nuclear material may present a radiological risk, as well as nuclear security concerns, it said, adding that reaching the site required complex logistics.

In 2003 Libya under then-leader Muammar Gaddafi renounced its nuclear weapons programme, which had obtained centrifuges that can enrich uranium as well as design information for a nuclear bomb, although it made little progress towards a bomb.

Libya has had little peace since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising ousted Colonel Gaddafi. Since 2014, political control has been split between rival eastern and western factions, with the last major bout of conflict ending in 2020.

Libyas interim government, put in place in early 2021 through a UN-backed peace plan, was only supposed to last until an election scheduled for December of that year that has still not been held, and its legitimacy is now also disputed.
Saurav Adhikari, an international student in business accounting at Fanshawe College in London, Ont., says not getting what you're promised by recruiters makes for a lot of stress. But Ontario colleges have agreed to a new set of rules so students like Adhiraki, 19, aren't given misleading guarantees about academic, immigration or employment outcomes. (Kate Dubinski/CBC - image credit)

While trying to figure out which Canadian college to attend, Saurav Adhikari was at the mercy of what recruiters in Nepal told him  about the best city for him, how difficult the course work would be and which program would help him land a job.

Thankfully, Fanshawe College proved to be the right fit on all fronts, said the 19-year-old, now three semesters into a business accounting diploma. But he knows other students who aren't so lucky.

"You hear of students being promised things, thinking it would be easier to study here, but now they have to drop out because of the schedule. The consultants promised it wouldn't be that difficult," Adhikari said.

"I think if we are not getting what we were expecting, you will end up having a lot of stress and you will go through depression and it would be a really hard thing for a student here. They need to be straight to the point."

Ontario's colleges are aiming to give international students a better experience.

They've agreed to a new set of rules to protect students like Adhikari from recruiters who make promises about job prospects and education standards they can't keep.

The standards  which colleges must comply with no later than June 2024  include not making misleading guarantees about academic, immigration or employment outcomes. They aim to provide students with a rewarding post-secondary experience, to support their well-being to help them achieve academic and personal success.

Fanshawe 'following what's expected of us'

Fanshawe College, for its part, is already meeting and exceeding those standards, said Jeff Wright, the college's vice-president of corporate strategy and business development.

"We're leaders in this space, and we've been doing these these things and have a maturity and a rhythm that is second to none. We're very well positioned and we've been following what's expected of us since we've been at this."

Story continues

Kate Dubinski/CBC

Almost half of Fanshawe's students are from abroad, and almost half of those international students are from India. The rest come from 120 countries, with Philippines, Nepal, Nigeria, China and South Korea sending the most students, Wright said.

"The world is global and we want to create this extraordinary immersive multicultural condition where domestic and international students alike are mixing with people from all over the world."

Fanshawe has routinely ranked in the Top 10 in the world and Top 3 in Ontario among international students for satisfaction, according to the iGraduate Barometer.

Adhikari was drawn to London because of the free student bus pass, which saves him several hundred dollars. He eventually hopes to move to Vancouver.

"Students need to know what they will go through as a student and what it will be like after so they won't be stressed about the future," he said.

His friend, Pramod Bhandari, said he knew what his accounting program would be like, but he's seen others who are taking different programs fail because they didn't know the workload would be so high.

"Between first semester and second semester, so many people drop out because it's very difficult, and then they opt for a different program and they lost their semester fees because they're taking a new course. It's a lot of money," said Bhandari, 20.

Colin Butler/CBC News

"The colleges must be genuine about stuff. They need to tell us, 'You might find this course difficult, you should have basic knowledge first.' They shouldn't give them an offer letter and not tell them how difficult it will be. They need to be up front."

Arriving in a foreign country with little support and having the pressure of being on your own for the first time and not succeeding can be draining, Adhikari said.

"It's a loss of time and money."
Poland has announced it will give Ukraine four Soviet-made MiG-29s within the next few days (file pic) (AFP via Getty Images)

Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Friday urged western allies to act faster in providing weapons for his countrys war with Russia, warning delays could lead to more casualties.

Mr Kulebas appeal came as it was announced that Chinas President Xi Jinping will visit Russia next week in an apparent show of support for Vladimir Putin.

The two leaders will use the visit to discuss closer strategic ties but it may spark fresh fears among western allies that Beijing could be about to supply lethal weapons to Russia.

With Ukraine looking to bolster its defences in the face of a renewed push from Russian forces in the east, Mr Kuleba told the BBC: We want partners to act faster.

And if one delivery is postponed for one day, it means that someone is going to die on the front line. It means that someone who could have been still alive is going to die.

The UK, US and other western nations are providing military equipment to Ukraine worth billions of pounds including tanks, missiles and ammunition.

But as the war grinds on into its second year, Kyiv desperately needs to re-stock ammunition supplies and is calling for state of the art western fighter jets to help defend its skies.

On Thursday Poland announced it would give Ukraine four Soviet-made MiG-29s within the next few days, with Slovakia expected to follow suit soon.

Polands air force will replace the planes it gives to Ukraine with South Korean-made FA-50 fighters and American-made F-35s.

The UK has begun training Ukrainian pilots but has so far stopped short of promising to supply any of Britains planes.

In a warning to other countries which have remained neutral or failed to back Ukraine in its fight against Mr Putins forces, Mr Kuleba said their stance would be remembered in years to come.

If anyone in the world thinks that the way this or that country behaved - or treated Ukraine at the darkest moment of its history - will not be taken into account in building future relations, these people just dont know how diplomacy works, he said.

Story continues

War is a time when you have to make a choice. And every choice has been recorded.

Confirming President Xis visit to Moscow starting on Monday, the Kremlin said it will take place at the invitation of Vladimir Putin.

President Putin invited the Chinese premier to visit Russia during a video conference call the two held in late December.

The visit, Mr Putin said at the time, could demonstrate to the whole world the strength of the Russian-Chinese ties and become the main political event of the year in bilateral relations.
Campus Activities

Details

CA staff members are collecting donations for the Faith House in honor of Women's History Month.
Republicans on Thursday advanced legislation to define what offenses constitute violent crimes in preparation for the anticipated passage of a state constitutional amendment that would allow judges to consider defendants past convictions in setting cash bail.

If passed and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, the measure would clarify that judges can consider dozens of defendants past violent crime convictions, from reckless homicide to intimidating a witness by use of force, when they set cash bail.

Democrats in the Senate judiciary committee Thursday criticized the bill as too expansive, pointing out that just spectating at a cockfight, dog fight or bullfight would also be considered a violent crime under the proposal.

The measure passed 5-3, along party lines.

If enacted, the measure would only become active if voters approve ballot questions in the April 4 election to allow judges to consider more elements in setting cash bail.

Currently, judges may only use cash bail to ensure defendants appear in court, not to keep defendants from engaging in criminal activity by keeping them locked up. Judges may, however, add conditions to a persons bail that seek to address public safety concerns.

The state Constitution also says defendants shall be eligible for release under reasonable conditions aimed at protecting community members from serious bodily harm. The proposal would change that standard to serious harm.

Because state law is inconsistent about what constitutes a violent crime, the amendment authors in January said they were working on a measure to clarify the definition. Unlike the amendment, which would be enacted if voters approve it in April, the bill to define violent crime would need Evers approval.

Evers spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Supporters of the proposed constitutional amendment maintain the change would fix Wisconsins bail system, which they say lags behind other states cash bail standards. Opponents have said the amendment would lead to some defendants being stuck in jail for longer periods of time without being able to pay bail, something they say could raise constitutional issues.

The measure to put the constitutional amendment on the April 4 ballot, alongside the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, was passed by the Legislature with bipartisan support, though most Democrats opposed the change.

Each of the original four Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates said they support the change.
After serving Lakeview Community Schools for seven years, Superintendent Aaron Plas will be saying farewell at the end of June.

Plas, who joined the Lakeview community in 2016, announced recently that he has accepted a superintendent position with Bennington Public Schools. Plas will start at Bennington with the 2023-2024 school year.

Plas grew up in McCook and had worked as the activities director and assistant principal of York High School before coming to Columbus. He is married with three children.

Bennington, Plas said, is a unique opportunity.

It is the fastest growing district in the state of Nebraska, with obviously a really enticing location next to Omaha and a really good reputation, Plas said. It was something we felt like our family needs to least take a look at and see if it was a good opportunity for us.

Plas described his seven years at Lakeview as awesome.

Its been the honor of my lifetime to serve here, he added. Ive really enjoyed working with our board, our staff, the community and its just been an incredible ride.

He noted the 2019 bond issue for renovations and additions to Lakeview Junior-Senior High School as a major accomplishment. The project added a series of classrooms, a new gym and commons area and a renovated HVAC and electrical system.

There are so many other things Im proud of, too, from the addition at Shell Creek to moving into a 1-to-1 (technology) environment, some of our academic program changes that weve made and also just creating a great environment for kids, Plas said, also noting the districts start of a preschool program.

The school district is continuing to grow, he added, and theyve undergone changes to their systems and processes to be more efficient and serve kids better.

The number of academic programs that we offer has changed significantly, the activities that we offer for kids have improved, Plas said. From top to bottom, the districts changed quite a bit in the last seven years and I think its a really great place for kids to go to school.

Outside of Lakeview, Plas has been involved in the community.

He serves on the boards of the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, Columbus Family YMCA and Lakeview Education Foundation, and previously served on the Columbus Area United Way board.

Columbus, he said, has been good to him and his family over the years.

People were so welcoming when we got here. It really just continued that afterward, of just treating our family well, Plas said. Columbus is a really nice community that were really proud to have spent seven years in.

And, of course, Lakeview has been great to his family.

We really love this place; its really special, Plas said. Were always going to be huge fans of the Vikings.

The Lakeview Community Schools Board of Education is already undertaking the task of finding Plas replacement. During its regular meeting on March 13, the board approved hiring the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association (NRCSA) to assist in the search for Lakeviews next superintendent.

A work session was planned with NRCSA, which will hopefully give school board members an idea of how the candidate pool will look. The board can hire Plas permanent replacement or opt for an interim superintendent until the ideal candidate comes along.

By the time we set up that work session, they (NRCSA) can walk in here and have a better feel of Youre going to have a good group or theyre going to come in here and say, You know what? Its probably a good decision to go with an interim, said Chad Anderson, vice president of the school board, during the March 13 meeting.

The board will see how the superintendent search goes in the next two weeks, he added.

If theres a bunch of quality candidates that jump out, well move forward, Anderson said. If not, well do it again in the fall.

Overall, Anderson said, Lakeview is being left in a good position and the hiring process will not be taken lightly.

We need to take our time and get the right person in and not be a year-and-a-half later down the road and say, Holy crap. We rushed this, and we really got ourselves into a bad position, Anderson said.

Its not the end of the world if we dont have a superintendent by the end of the year, because it means we werent happy or satisfied with the candidates that we got.

School Board President Keith Runge told the principals and administrative staff at the meeting that board members will value their input in this process.

Well see how it all goes and get your input and any concerns, give me a call or anybody on the board, Runge told them. Its going to be a team effort, just like everything always is, and everybodys opinion is worthwhile.

Runge added they appreciate Plas and everything hes done for Lakeview.

Hes got an opportunity to move, weve got our opportunity in the Lakeview district to get the best person in that chair that we can, and itll all work out, Runge said. I know Dr. Plas has told me that hell do whatever he can do to help us move forward in that direction.

Plas told the board that its been an honor to serve them.

Well finish strong, Runge responded.
An Enola man faces charges in an overdose death in September 2020.

Chandler Hernandez, 25, was charged with felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and drug delivery resulting in death.

Police investigating a Sept. 18, 2020, drug overdose death determined that Hernandez supplied dangerous drugs that caused the victims death, Upper Allen Township police said.

Police issued an arrest warrant in December 2021, but Hernandez had left the state after the victims death.

Police located Hernandez outside of Indianapolis, Indiana, on Feb. 26, and he was taken into custody by the Hendricks County Sheriffs Department.

Police said Hernandez was extradited to Pennsylvania and transported to Cumberland County Prison where he was unable to post the $100,000 monetary bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 4.
Cumberland County commissioners tabled a proposal Wednesday to accept a $1.5 million state grant to establish a firearms testing unit for the forensic investigation division of the District Attorneys Office.

The commissioners in October authorized District Attorney Sean McCormack to apply for a Gun Violence Investigation and Prosecution Grant through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

The crime and delinquency commission allocated the money toward the purchase of specialized testing equipment and the construction of an addition to the county forensics lab located at 1601 Ritner Highway.

The grant will also cover the salaries and benefits of two full-time lab employees for five fiscal quarters starting in early 2024, division director Eric Radnovich told the commissioners.

Once the grant is spent, however, the county would have to build into its general fund budget the cost to maintain the testing unit. Those annual costs would range from $152,657 in the first year to $176,929 by year five, according to cost projections by McCormack.

Funding the positions would be an ongoing obligation, Commissioner Chairman Gary Eichelberger said Wednesday.

Im not against it, Commissioner Vince DiFilippo said, referring to the concept of a firearms testing unit. My concern is future years. I request another week. DiFilippo made the motion to delay a decision on accepting the grant.

Commissioner Jean Foschi asked whether the county would be obligated under the grant to maintain both positions once the money runs out. She questioned whether there would be enough work to justify hiring two employees.

McCormack said that while it is possible to cross-train one person to do the work of both a firearms expert and NIBIN technician, there is plenty of caseload already to keep two people busy.

Short for the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, NIBIN is a database where expended bullet casings can be compared with ballistic imagery from other jurisdictions to generate leads on possible matches used in violent crime.

We talk all the time about how Cumberland County is the fastest growing county in Pennsylvania, McCormack said Wednesday. As commissioners, youre trying to manage that growth. As the chief law enforcement officer, I look at it from the perspective of how is this growth changing the ways crimes are committed in this county.

During his career as a prosecutor, McCormack said he has seen a shift in violent crime from fistfights and knife attacks to criminals who are very quick to use a gun.

Cumberland County is not immune to that, McCormack said. The Susquehanna River is not a barrier stopping gun violence from coming over here. We need to have a timely and comprehensive tracing of all guns being used in crimes.

Currently, police departments in Cumberland County have to ship firearms to the state police crime lab for testing. There, Cumberland County cases have to compete for priority with active cases from the states 66 other counties. As a result, it could take weeks or even months for test results to come back.

Back in October, McCormick said that Cumberland County could offset future personnel costs by opening the firearms testing unit to adjoining counties and then charging those counties a fee for processing firearms.

That idea came up briefly again during discussions Wednesday. McCormick said that while Dauphin County has expressed a verbal interest in using a Cumberland County testing unit, there is no written commitment because the testing unit has not been established.

Eichelberger said he was concerned about whether Cumberland County would have enough time and manpower to handle the additional demands of testing firearms from other counties.

I dont want us to become PSP [state police] lab, McCormick said. Weve be very careful to put the priority on Cumberland County cases.

When it comes to DNA and fingerprint analysis, the county has already seen the benefit of having its own forensics lab, McCormick said. Cumberland County has the opportunity to build out the capital costs of a firearms testing unit using grant funds, he said.

This is not just another shiny tool for the [forensics] lab, McCormick said. This is a tool that we definitely could use. It will put us in a position to be able to solve crimes and hopefully to prevent crime.

Photos: Medal of honor awarded posthumously at Cumberland County's annual Fire & EMS Memorial Service
Money serves different purposes during ones life. Spending, saving habits and career choice factor into these different stages of life.

As individuals progress through life, their financial strategies often change. Monetary needs of a 20-year-old are different than that of a 50-year-old.

This Q&A will help individuals achieve financial independence regardless of his or her age.

Q: How do you track your spending?

A: Inventory your expenses. Write down what you spend and where. This can be recorded in a notebook or on a phone or tablet. Once you see an overview of your finances, you can reduce costs if necessary. This will also give you the opportunity to set financial goals.

Q: How do you establish  and maintain -- a financial foundation?

A: The quickest way to do this is to open checking and savings accounts. These accounts are your core tools to manage your money. You can use your checking account to track your spending to help with your budget. Tracking your money can be done online using a smart phone or computer. This process will help you map your income to match your expenses so you arent living beyond your means.

Q: As I get older, should I adjust my financial goals?

A: Priorities change, so youll need to adjust your financial goals. From buying a house to planning for your childrens college tuition, these long-term plans factor into your financial goals. Youll also want to eliminate as much debt as possible, such as student loans or credit cards, before you take on other debt, like a home mortgage or loan to start a business.

Q: When is the right time to retire?

A: Most people retire when theyre in their 60s. Youll need to make the decision to retire after assessing your funds to see if you have achieved your retirement savings goal. Consider when  or if  you want to stop working and start collecting social security. Youll also need to calculate when to start spending your retirement savings, including the tax consequences and other factors. Youll need to revise your household budget to accommodate your life in retirement, including adjustments for cost of living and expenses such as travel.

First State Community Bank 1-877-955-3722

24-hour telephone banking

1-888-443-3722
A construction worker died after falling from a bridge at the Contemplative Commons project site at the University of Virginia on Tuesday, a university spokesman told The Daily Progress in a statement.

The worker fell Tuesday, March 14, from the west connector bridge that leads to the Ridley Building, which houses the School of Education and Human Development, and was transported to UVa Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries. His name has not been released.

The entire Hourigan team extends our deepest condolences to the family and friends who lost a loved one, as well as all workers who were impacted by this unfortunate incident, said Bryan Jones, President of Hourigan Construction at Hourigan. The Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Administration began its investigation on Wednesday. We are fully cooperating with the investigators and actively communicating with the University.

The Hourigan group, hired by the university, began laying the groundwork for the east tower of the new Commons in November 2022.

UVa spokesman Brian Coy told The Daily Progress that the Contemplative Commons construction manager, Hourigan, is conducting a thorough investigation into the incident alongside the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Keeping University employees and contractors safe on the job is a core value here at UVa and we are working with all of our construction partners to review this incident and apply what we learn to improve workplace safety going forward, Coy said in a statement to The Daily Progress.

The university broke ground on the Contemplative Commons in October 2021, two years after announcing the initial design for the new building. Located at the Dell pond on Emmett Street, the commons will be a hybrid space for learning and relaxation that is woven into the environment where it is located.

UVa is currently constructing a series of bridges that will connect high-traffic areas of university grounds with pedestrian bridges.

The university began installing another pedestrian bridge that will connect the Contemplative Commons with Newcomb Hall on central Grounds. The central Grounds connector is expected to be complete by the summer of 2024, according to University project manager Sarita Herman.

The 57,000-square-foot Commons is scheduled to open this fall and will add to the Contemplative Sciences Center, Coy said.
The latest exhibit on the first floor of the University of Virginias Albert and Shirley Small Collections Library honors some of Americas most impactful female writers with Women Making Books, a 23-item display in time for Womens History Month.

The new exhibition is a visual timeline that begins with a volume of poetry by Phillis Wheatley, the first Black woman to author publish a book of poetry, and an autobiography by Charlotte Charke from the 18th century and ended with a contemporary piece called She Feels Your Absence Deeply, which was created with wooden blocks and completed by UVa alumna Golnar Adili in 2021.

Annyston Pennington, the UVa English doctoral student and lead curator of the exhibit, told the library that the poetry book was the first item she chose for the display because she wondered what the volume would have looked like without the influence of her enslavers.

The exhibit is a catalog of the countless ways that women have transformed books to reflect a moment in time throughout history. While the appearance of bookslike the binding and fonthas evolved over the last 200 years, different variations of poetry books and scrapbooks have been consistent.

We hope to tell different stories of female agency when it comes to bookmaking, said Andy Stauffer, a UVa professor of English and co-curator of the exhibition. We were drawn to objects that still look like books, but have been productively reimagined, recreated, scrambled, or personalized by women of all different backgrounds.

Women Making Books will be displayed at the Small Collections Library through June 10, after the UVa English Department hosts the British Women Writers Conference on May 25.
The son of one Boulder mass shooting victim filed a lawsuit against Sturm, Ruger & Co., the maker of the pistol used in the March 2021 assault in the citys south-side King Soopers that killed 10 people.

Nathaniel Getz, the son of 59-year-old Suzanne Fountain, alleges in the new case that Ruger used deceptive marketing practices by giving its AR-556 pistol capabilities to essentially function as a rifle while being regulated as a pistol.

The pistol, designed in 2019 as a variant of Rugers 2014 AR-556 rifle, uses the same ammunition and magazines as AR-15 guns but uses an altered barrel and stock to avoid federal classification as a rifle, according to the lawsuit.

The case was filed March 10 in Connecticut, where the manufacturer is based. It accuses Ruger of marketing the AR-556 varieties as entry-level AR-15-style guns and promoting them as weapons specifically for killing people.

The Denver Gazette reached out to a Ruger spokesperson for comment.

The pistol version of the AR-556 has some differences from its rifle counterpart that are key to how its regulated. It comes equipped with a collapsible butt stock, which Ruger calls a pistol stabilizing brace. The company not calling it a stock makes a regulatory difference.

The brace  which allows the gun to rest on the shooters forearm  allowed its weapon to function as a stock-stabilized AR-15 rifle, while evading regulations targeted at limiting AR-15-style rifles, the lawsuit claims.

The accused shooter bought the pistol legally less than a week before the massacre, court papers have revealed. He pleaded guilty to third-degree assault as a high school senior for beating up a fellow student he claimed called him racist names. But the conviction didnt bar him from purchasing a gun.

Buyers have to pass a background check, as with other pistols. But owners do not need a license to carry it in Colorado, unless they want to carry it as a concealed weapon.

By contrast, owners of short-barreled rifles need a federal license as civilian collectors, and the process comes with paperwork, a $200 tax, a visit from a local agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and an extensive background check.

Lawsuits against gun-makers for the harm their products cause have generally been banned under a controversial 2005 federal law that shielded them from liability, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

The law, however, has exceptions. The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that gun-maker Remington could be sued under an exemption by families of Sandy Hook victims over how it marketed its Bushmaster XM15-E2S rifle. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Remington's appeal of that ruling in 2019, and the company settled with the families for $73 million.

The victims killed on March 22, 2021 include: Denny Stong, 20; Neven Stanisic, 23; Rikki Olds, 25; Teri Leiker, 51; Suzanne Fountain, 59; Kevin Mahoney, 61; Lynn Murray, 62; Jody Waters, 65; Tralona Bartkowiak, 49, and Boulder Police Officer Eric Talley, 51.

The accused shooter faces 115 counts in connection with the massacre, including 10 charges of first-degree murder, counts related to possessing banned high-capacity magazines and 47 crime-of-violence sentence enhancers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Recent mayoral debates have been combative, but the forum on Thursday, which focused on fentanyl, was much more collaborative.

Candidates were asked questions by students at 5280 High School, which specializes in providing education for youth dealing with substance misuse and addiction. Their queries, which all dealt with fentanyl use, treatment and support systems for young people, were framed by the students' own struggles with addiction and their successes with sobriety.

Of the 16 mayoral candidates  Kwame Spearman, who was invited, announced his withdrawal from the mayor's race earlier Thursday  11 participated.

The high school has welcomed about 500 students from all over the Denver area since it opened in 2018, according to Melissa Mouton, the school's founder.

She said some students come to school in a Tesla and others take a two-hour bus ride to get to the refuge and "place of hope."

"There are families out there struggling with a struggling teenager and they don't know where to turn," she said. "And they can come here. We really have students who thrive, not just survive. So, it's a good place."

The forum was personal for several candidates, like Ean Tafoya, a former educator who discussed the distribution of naloxone  commonly known as Narcan  in Denver.

"We know we need it in our hands, but the most important thing is that we deliver it to people," he said. "We need to make sure it's available to everybody, just like first aid training, CPR training and 'stop the bleed' training. Public health and safety is one of my platforms."

Tafoya's position drew support from other candidates. Kelly Brough, whose husband took his own life after a lifetime of struggling with addiction, agreed with Tafoya's positions. Brough said she wants to put Narcan in every public space in Denver and give it to all first responders. She also wants to partner with the private sector to put the life-saving drug in restaurants and stores.

"At the same time, I think we have to really find more resources to ensure you have access to treatment opportunities, particularly for kids," she said. "I would focus on not only making sure Narcan is available, but also providing you the opportunity to do just what you're doing here, finding a path to recovery."

Terrance Roberts, who positioned his campaign as providing more for Denver's young people, said he wants to invest in after-school programs and address poverty through a public banking system. He's been a vocal proponent of more public housing as well.

And he's one of the only candidates to say he has a shared life experience with the kids. He used to be in a gang, abused and sold drugs and had been shot twice. He said the city needs to completely rethink how it provides for the young people that make up nearly 20% of Denver's population, according to 2020 Census numbers.

"It's great when you come to school, you have 100 friends. But what about after school until 10 or 11 at night? What is there for kids to do?" he said. "We need more after school programming dedicated to youth so they can have these connections not only at school with teachers, but also when they get out of school."

Lisa Calderon also related to the students, saying she "was that young person." She had "suicidal ideation," lived through domestic violence and did not think she would live past 21. Being biracial  she is Latina and Black  she said she was subject to constant criticism for not being "Black enough" or "Latina enough."

"There was no one to talk to or to listen to or to share what I was going through," she said. "We want to build those social connections just like they were built for me, through teachers and mentors that said my life was worth living."

The debate was sponsored by Rise Above Colorado, a group focused on measuring the effects of teen perceptions and attitudes about the risks of substance abuse. Executive Director Kent MacLennan praised the students for sharing personal stories and highlighting the issues affecting their peers.

The debate, he said, will force the candidates to deal with fentanyl. In Denver alone, 233 people died due to a fentanyl overdose last year, making up more than half of all drug related overdoses, according to data from the Office of the Medical Examiner.

This drove Rise Above Colorado to frame the debate through the lens of the easy to manufacture and deadly drug. The organization earlier sent out a questionnaire to mayoral candidates and received responses from 11 of them, detailing how they would address the crisis. MacLennan described it as a "top tier issue" that deserves more discussion.

The mayoral forum is part of the group's campaign not only to keep policymakers' focus on the deadly crisis but also to keep the discussion at the forefront in homes and at schools.

Under its "What is Our Plan?" campaign, the group offers several resources on its website, such as a video about how to talk to teenagers about fentanyl, citing research that, when they trust an adult to deal with challenges, they are less likely to engage in unhealthy behavior. Other resources include links to a smartphone app on recognizing overdoses and reversing it with naloxone.

A big part of the campaign is focused on educators and their role in steering young people away from substance abuse, such as lessons on the dangers of abusing prescription drugs.

"The next mayoral candidate is going to have to be accountable and find solutions to solving this issue, or at least equipping all of us to take action," MacLennan said. "It's important to elevate the conversation because it claimed more lives last year than homicides and car crashes combined."
PLDT subsidiaries Smart Communications and Digital Mobile Philippines struck a sale and leaseback deal with Frontier Tower Associates Philippines, for 1,012 sites worth PHP12.1 billion (US$220.7 million), continuing its tower sale strategy.

In a stock exchange filing, the PLDT said the towers are primarily located on the island of Luzon and expect the deal to be finalised this year.

This deal brings the total number of towers sold and leaseback to over 7,500, which has a total value of PHP98 billion. Upon completing the deal, Smart will take a lease on the towers on a 10-year deal as an anchor tenant. Additionally, 550 new points of service will be launched by Smart over the next few years to expand its network and enhance customer experience.

PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said: This transaction cements our relationship with one of the largest independent tower companies in the country, providing the Group with another important partner to support our expansion, while unlocking additional value.

PLDT and Smart President/CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio added: This transaction represents another important milestone in our asset-light strategy focused on operational efficiencies and best-in-class customer experience, supportive of the governments digital roadmap for the Philippines.
The Panamanian National Public Services Authority (Autoridad Nacional de los Servicios Publicos, ASEP) revealed it received a bid for the telecoms licence vacated by Digicel Panama.

The sole bidder was General Internacional Telecom Panama (Gitpan), a subsidiary of General International Telecom Limited, it was awarded a 20-year licence with access to the following spectrum bands: 215MHz in the 1900MHz band (1850MHz-1865MHz/1930MHz-1945MHz) and 210MHz in the 700MHz band (738MHz-748MHz/793MHz-803MHz)

ASEP began the process to find a new licence holder on January 12 and closed the process yesterday (January) 16. The regulator stated it was looking for a company with strong credentials and at least five years of experience in the telecoms sector with a minimum of half a million mobile subscriptions.

Although not a well-known player, General International Telecom struck a deal with Telefonica Centroamerica Inversiones to acquire a 99.3% stake in Telefonica Moviles El Salvador for US$144 million, this deal closed in January 2022

Digicel Panama dropped its licence last year after rivals Cable & Wireless Panama and America Movil gained permission to merge their local units +Movil and Claro, stating the merger made the market unfair for competition.
Several of Digicel Groups major creditors have reportedly expressed reservations over Chairman Denis OBriens proposed agreement for restructuring the groups debt.

The agreement was first revealed on 28th February 2023 - one day before Digicels 1st March deadline for paying US$925 million in outstanding bonds. Together with a committee of its creditors, Digicel has agreed in principle to a debt-for-equity exchange projected to cut its consolidated debt by roughly US$1.8 billion.

OBrien currently owns 99.9% of Digicel, and under the proposed agreement this could fall to as little as 10% - with the possibility of dropping even lower if the restructure falls through, or creditors demand a harsher resolution.

The Jamaica Observer reports that this may yet happen, with the agreement failing to win the backing of the holders of 57% of term loans granted to Digicel International Finance Limited (DIFL), as well as 46% of the DIFL secured note holders. However, talks are still underway between all parties.

Once OBrien relinquishes his majority holding, Digicel will be controlled by Golden Tree Asset Management, PGIM Fixed Income and Contrarian Capital Management, reports Bloomberg.
The regime claims, to present Cuba's "elections" as democratic, that on the list of candidates for delegates to the National Assembly of Popular Power (ANPP), all the countrys territories are represented. The fact that there are nominees from all the provinces and municipalities does not mean, however, that all the territories are really represented in the Cuban Parliament. An analysis of the 470 candidates for the 470 seats proves this.

When was the last time Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, who has lived in Havana for years, visited the municipality of Gibara, in the province of Holguin, where he is a candidate for the National Assembly of Popular Power (AMPP)?

This is just one example of AMPP candidates nominated for provinces in which they do not live (they all reside in the capital) but are supposed to represent in the assembly when they are (as we know they will be) elected.

Similar cases include those of Raul Castro Ruz, a candidate for the municipality of Segundo Frente Oriental, as he has resided in Havana since 1959; Ramiro Valdes Menendez, the current deputy first minister of the Republic of Cuba, who is a candidate for Artemisa; Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, from Vueltas, Villa Clara, who serves as commander of the Army and is a candidate for Guantanamo; Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez, the current president of the Republic of Cuba and first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), who is a candidate for Santa Clara though he has not resided there for more than two decades; Lazaro Alberto Alvarez Casas, the current Minister of the Interior, is an ANPP candidate representing Union de Reyes; Teresa Maria Amarelle Boue, the current Secretary General of the FMC, is a candidate for Puerto Padre, without actually residing there; and Oscar Manuel Silvera Martinez, the current Minister of Justice and former Vice-president of the Supreme Court, is a candidate for Bayamo, a city he left more than two decades ago.

These are just some of the names that are repeated again and again in the ANPP.

Beyond the fact that the Cuban Electoral Law does not require candidates to reside in the provinces for which they are "nominated," is it really plausible that those who do live in those territories have never wanted to propose a different fellow citizen to represent them?

Before answering that question, it should be recalled that Cubans living in those provinces did not put these candidates forward. Rather, this was done by the Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC: Cuban Workers Union), the Committee for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), the Federation of University Students (FEU), the Federation of Secondary School Students (FEEM), the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP) and the municipal assemblies of popular power according to the figure corresponding to them, always with the mediation of the criterion of a National Candidacy Commission, which is located far from the base.

As the official press admitted last January, the CCN prepares the proposals of candidates for deputies to the ANPP. This body is a filter to almost ensure that Cubans will vote, if they choose to do so, for the candidates pre-selected by it.

The Cuban regimes propaganda is fond of repeating that its "elections" are transparent and democratic because the Party (the Party, because only is legal in Cuba) does not actually nominate candidates. And that is true, because it does not need to do so not directly, that is.

The fact is that all the organizations nominating candidates are subordinate to the Government, and their leaders belong to the CCP. The regime then points to them as proof of the representativeness of Cuban society and its elections, when membership in these organizations is not optional, but automatic and practically mandatory, in specific cases.

Another sign that this supposed territorial representativeness is fallacious is what happens when a seat in the Assembly is left vacant due to the death or termination in office of the deputy who occupied it. Faced with this situation, "the Council of State, if it deems it necessary, urges the delegates to the corresponding Municipal Assembly of Popular Power, constituted in the Electoral College, to elect another deputy to fill the position. If it makes such a decision, it informs the National Electoral Council, which, in turn, informs the National Candidatures Commission," in accordance with Article 232 of the Electoral Law.

Said article evidences that these vacancies are filled according to the interests of those in power. In fact, the ANPP faces this electoral process with more than 50 vacant positions, about which it has not given any explanations to Cubans.

Thanks to the same rule, a person (chosen by those in power) without ever residing in the municipality/province in question, or having ties to its interests, and without the direct approval of the electorate of a territory through any route of early democratic consultation, can still be proposed as a candidate and elected as a delegate and deputy of the Municipal Assembly with a vacancy.

Article 233 states that "the nominating commissions participate in the preparation of the draft candidature, which is approved by the National Nominating Commission and submitted to the delegates by the Municipal Nominating Commission. Article 234, meanwhile, states that "to fill a vacancy for a deputy who has acceded to the position in his capacity as a delegate to the Municipal Assembly of People's Power, the Candidacy Commission guarantees that the pre-candidate selected shall also be one."

The election is held on the date indicated by the Council of State and the review is carried out by the Municipal Electoral Council. The candidate, alone and not competing with other citizens, is declared elected if he obtains more than 50% of the votes.

We can recall, for example, the case of the rise of the late FAR general and GAESA Czar Luis Alberto Lopez Calleja, who was born on January 19, 1960 in the municipality of Santa Clara, a city distant from the municipality of Remedios in both miles (69) and in its particularities and customs, though both belong to the same province. His distance from Remedios and its residents grew after he graduated from college and moved to Havana, a city where he began to live as an active Party member and to execute "tasks" assigned him by the Revolution. Lopez Calleja, nevertheless, entered Parliament as a representative of Remedios.

We should not rule out journalist Humberto Lopez accessing the same position via the same route after the end of the present electoral process. Many of those pre-selected hope to enter through this back door, a mechanism that legalizes the inconsistent electoral system in force.

The regime also claims that in Cuba's "elections" there is no political propaganda, but what is really lacking are any candidates who present to the voters solutions to solve their economic and social problems, or different models for the country.

The candidates do not present Cubans with different alternatives because the Government has no intention of solving the peoples problems. Rather, its aim is to keep them subordinate so that the regime may endure.

Considering that the number of candidates coincides with that of seats in the ANPP, it does not matter if some do not receive all the votes, or even if they do not receive any, to become candidates. But, precisely because they are its candidates, the regime cannot tolerate rejection of even one of them.

This is why before each vote there is a media campaign to convince Cubans to vote for all their candidates. The leaders, in their tours of the provinces whose inhabitants they are to represent, speak of the problems of the territories, but invariably mention the importance of a "united vote." In fact, during his visit to the community of Anton Diaz, in Santa Clara, Miguel Diaz-Canel praised that voters spoke of the need for such a vote.
WASHINGTON  For the first time since 2001, the U.S. Army has introduced a new brand that redefines what it means to Be All You Can Be for a new generation. Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston made the announcement during a much-anticipated launch event at the National Press Club. The brand and its accompanying campaign spotlight the countless opportunities the Army provides youth to explore their passions, build community, and become the best versions of themselves.

At a time when political, economic and social factors are changing how young Americans view the world, the new Army brand illustrates how service in the Army is grounded in passion and purpose, said Wormuth. Serving our nation is a calling, and one that is fundamentally hopeful. We want a new generation of Americans to see the Army as a pathway to the lives and careers they want to achieve.

The brand transformation was a multiyear, research-based process designed to reflect todays Army accurately and authentically, while addressing the needs of a new generation. The brands new look and feel consists of a reengineered five-point star logo  (the box has been removed to reflect the limitless possibilities in the Army) coupled with the return of the popular Be All You Can Be tagline.

The Armys new visual identity brings the powerful Be All You Can Be tagline to life.

The logo and tagline are a part of a full-brand ecosystem that helps tell the Army story visually and verbally, including a new custom font, an expanded color palette, new iconography, photography, motion graphics and more.

All good brands must evolve to reflect internal and external changes to ensure an accurate depiction of the organization that also meets audience needs, said Maj. Gen. Alex Fink, Chief of Army Enterprise Marketing. We know youth seek purpose, passion, community and connection, but we also know many dont recognize the Armys ability to deliver on those needs. We need a brand that effectively communicates the possibilities of Army service.

Be All You Can Be is a phrase that has inspired many generations of soldiers, and its promise still rings true today, said McConville. This is the message for the moment and for the future.

At the center of the brand rollout are two films narrated by Emmy and Critics Choice Award nominated actor Jonathan Majors, star of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Creed III. With a focus on the Armys 247 years of achievement, the two films  Overcoming Obstacles and Pushing Tomorrow  showcase Army service as a driver of possibilities and serve as a bridge between the past and the future to connect with and inspire the American public.

These films and the multifaceted, multichannel campaign bringing them to audiences nationwide will be coupled with a mix of bold, immersive promotional assets across television, print, digital billboards, streaming video, social and community platforms, and audio channels. The paid media campaign tips off at the highly anticipated 2023 NCAA March Madness tournament with on-site activations, broadcast showcases, and digital campaign extensions. Starting in May, a first-of-its kind co-branded partnership with NBCUniversal will leverage high-impact programming moments across the entire NBCU ecosystem from hit shows across NBC and Peacock to the critically acclaimed reality programs to popular film franchises to on-the-ground integrations at Universal Parks and Universal Studios and more. Additional partnerships will follow with Complex and IGN.

A second phase of the campaign will be unveiled later this year, allowing Be All You Can Be to reveal a deeper, more personal look at the hopes, fears and dreams of todays youth.

For more information on the Armys new brand and the possibilities to Be All You Can Be, visit GoArmy.com.
DALEVILLE  Educating people with time, talent and treasure about all that the Daleville Boys & Girls Club has to offer the community is the challenge that Larry Dickens gave to those attending the clubs 2023 On the wings of change gala held at the Daleville Culture and Convention Center here Thursday evening.

Dickens, keynote speaker at the fundraising event for the three-year-old club, currently serves as the Unit Director for the Boys & Girls Club of the Wiregrass in Dothan. He has served with Boys & Girls Clubs since 1985 as Unit Director in Mobile; Director of Operations in Memphis, Tenn.; and as the Funding Executive Director, Executive Director, and Regional Service Director for clubs in Mississippi.

Dickens, a graduate of Dothan High School, said he grew up in the Boys & Girls club and credits the club for the success he has had in life. I was six years old and I walked three miles to the club that taught me and encouraged me so much, he said.

Dickens called Daleville Boys & Girls Club site director April Spencer the heart and soul of the club, and stressed that one of the main things that club members say that they remember about their club experience growing up is the staff.

Dickens outlined opportunities that Daleville citizens have to support their own club through their time, talent and treasure. I call this club your club because all of us in this room tonight are part of this club, he said. You have the type of community that can come together to support this Boys & Girls Club.

I know I am preaching to the choir, Dickens said. But choir members, share your vision of this club with someone in your community.

He believes in this club wholeheartedly, Dickens said about club board president and founder Joel Adams. He is the spirit of this club and when he shares his vision, other people see it.

The Daleville club was founded by concerned citizens some three years ago when the city-run after-school program closed due to lack of funding, Adams said. We decided to do something about it. We were convinced that Daleville not only had a need for the Boys & Girls Club, but that the community could support one.

I knew my town and I knew that we could make it happen, Adams said, crediting elected officials for their support. Adams thanked Dale County Commissioner Donald Grantham for helping get the back of the building cleared for the play area. We are also grateful for state Representative Steve Clouse and state Senator Donnie Chesteen for your continued support of the club and its programs, Adams said. Special thanks to Fort Rucker for allowing their soldiers to volunteer their time to help out at the club by painting, fixing railings, and other miscellaneous projects.

Other Daleville Boys & Girls Club officers Adams thanked for their support are Daleville Mayor Jayme Stayton, vice president; Yolanda Austin, treasurer; and Allie Coleman, secretary; and board members Jason Johnson, Melinda Achman, and Rachel Horne.

None of what the Boys & Girls Club of Daleville has accomplished could have been possible without all of the continued support received from the community and state, Adams said. Thank you for believing in the program and helping shape the minds of the youth in the city of Daleville.

The mission of the Boys & Girls Club of Daleville is To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens, said Stayton.

We are very proud of the work that is accomplished at our local Boys & Girls Club every day. This has truly become a place that the entire community can support, while knowing that each and every child is valued, loved, nurtured, and encouraged to improve each day. The Boys & Girls Club is the place where children grow to appreciate one another, their neighbors, and their community.

Many major projects have been accomplished this year that could not have been accomplished without major community support, said Stayton. One such project started when Commissioner Grantham made it his mission to clear out the dense forest behind our facility. This land clearing project created a wide-open space for children to be outside. We also received support from an All In Credit Union grant which allowed us to add some much needed fencing for safety and picnic tables in order to start our outdoor classroom.

The Boys & Girls Club provides a safe and structured environment after-school and during the summer months. The focus is not only on empowering young people to excel academically but also believe in meeting the emotional and social needs of each individual child. This is accomplished through the many structured programs and activities that are specifically designed to challenge individuals to work on problem solving, social skills, and also to explore talents.

This year the Boys & Girls Club of Daleville partnered with many businesses and organizations to learn how to start and manage a small business along with learning about profit margins, said Stayton. They learned about the importance of giving back to the community.

We have 47 students registered for the After-School program and we plan to have up to 55 students for the Summer Program, Stayton said. Our mission is to guide these children to reach their full potential as adults. We hope that you will consider investing in this mission, as these children might be the ones taking care of us in our old age.
Bamboo Airways has found a buyer who is also willing to help disgraced former chairman Trinh Van Quyet deal with the financial consequences of his alledged crime.

A spokesperson told VnExpress Thursday that the identity of the investor would be revealed later.

The buyer has agreed to take over the airlines entire debts and provide Quyet with the money he might have to pay as fines and indemnification for the stock manipulation which led to his arrest last year.

Property developer FLC held a 51.24% stake in Bamboo Airways, and Quyet personally owned 40.03%. His 30.3% stake in FLC took his total ownership of the airline to 55.5%.

Bamboo Airways said the sale of shares has been approved and supervised by authorities.

The carrier now flies to 21 out of 22 airports in Vietnam and in April will add Ca Mau to its destinations.

Internationally, it has been resuming services to Europe and Australia post-Covid.
Japanese-Vietnamese developers want to begin work on Hanoi smart city in 2023

Japanese trading company Sumitomo Corp and Vietnamese real estate developer BRG Group hope to start work on a US$4.2-billion smart city in Hanoi this year.

Sumitomo chairman and CEO Shiomi Keigo said during a meeting with Hanoi chairman Tran Sy Thanh and Japans ambassador to Vietnam, Yamada Takio, on Wednesday that he wished that the authorities would speed the progress of adjusting the 1:500-scale plan for the project soon so that the project could be implemented in 2023, when Japan and Vietnam celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.

BRG chairwoman Nguyen Thi Nga expressed a similar hope.

She said the smart city project would provide smart solutions in the fields of energy, traffic, administration, and education.

Takio too hoped the project would get under way this year and become a symbol of cooperation between Vietnam and Japan.

Thanh said he had directed government agencies to resolve possible problems to help speed up the project.

He said acquisition of land for the smart city was on course and promised to expedite the process of adjusting the 1:500 plan for it.

The two companies signed the agreement for the development in Dong Anh District in the north of Hanoi en route to Noi Bai airport in 2017, with Sumitomo being the contractor and BRG the main investor.

It will spread over 272 hectares.

Set to become the most modern city in Southeast Asia, its highlight will be a tower expected to soar 108 floors.

Sumitomo, which has been in Vietnam since 1995, owns the Thang Long 1 and 2 industrial parks in Hanoi and neighboring Hung Yen Province, and built the elevated section of Ho Chi Minh Citys metro line No.1, which is expected to begin commercial operations this year.

The 30-year-old BRG is a conglomerate with interests in finance and banking, real estate and retail.
A man looks at a scale model of Boeing's 787 dreamliner at their booth at the Singapore Air Show in Singapore February 19, 2008. Photo by Reuters

SpaceX, Netflix and Boeing are among the companies joining the "biggest-ever" U.S. business mission to Vietnam next week to discuss investment and sales opportunities in the booming Southeast Asian nation, the organizer said.

More than 50 companies, including defense, pharmaceutical and tech firms, will participate in the mission organized by the US-ASEAN Business Council, an industry body, according to a list seen by Reuters.

The delegation is a sign of rising interest in the global manufacturing hub, which is benefiting from a shift away from China amid Sino-U.S. trade friction.

Vietnam, with a population of 100 million people, also has a rapidly-growing consumer market as its middle class expands.

"This is the biggest-ever mission in Vietnam," said Vu Tu Thanh, the US-ASEAN Business Council's representative in the country, noting that the body had been organizing these events for three decades.

Streaming giant Netflix, which Reuters last month reported was planning to open an office in Vietnam, is among the companies joining the trip. Netflix did not respond to a request for comment.

Aerospace manufacturers Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Bell will hold meetings with state-owned Vietnamese defense procurement companies, Thanh told Reuters, adding that it was the first time in about a decade that security firms had decided to join the annual mission to Vietnam.

In December, the same companies held talks with Vietnamese government officials about the possible sale of helicopters and drones, as the country seeks new suppliers.

"Helicopters is one of the things the companies hope to sell to the Vietnamese," Thanh said, although he cautioned that defense deals took time to be completed and no immediate breakthrough was expected.
Rising bad debt from disappearing borrowers and the shutting down of unauthorized debt collecting agencies are damaging the reputation of legal financial companies and threatening to hurt their performance.

FE Credit, Vietnams top consumer lending firm, is struggling to collect debts as many borrowers are deliberately defaulting on their loans, said Ho Thi Nhu Ha, deputy CEO.

In recent months social media groups that advise people on how to borrow from financial companies without paying are mushrooming with up to hundreds of thousands of members.

Many members show each other how to use a pre-registered SIM card, which does not contain the authentic personal information of the subscriber, to borrow loans from different companies, and then disappear without getting caught.

Ha said that the current laws do not have high fines for this type of fraud, especially when the defaulted amount is of low value.

This is why there is a growing number of cheaters who even charge others a monthly fee to assist them in cheating.

Another consumer lender, PTF Vietnam, is also seeing a surge in unpaid loans, as many customers falsely believe that "not paying back a loan is the right of borrowers while collecting debts is illegal," a media representative said.

"In the last three months we have been reducing giving new loans and only focusing on customers with good credit scores," the representative added.

Difficulties seemed to increase for financial service firms with the recent arrests of individuals who set up companies and hired hundreds of employees to buy debts from lenders and threaten borrowers with death and defamation if they do not pay.

Le Quoc Ninh, CEO of financial firm MB Shinsei, which operates the Mcredit loans platform, said that many illegal financial companies are trying to confuse customers by telling them that they have operational licenses.

This creates a negative image of financial companies to the public and could affect payment as it will be even more difficult to collect debts, he added.

Ha of FE Credit said that many employees have quit due to the fear that they might be arrested, even though leaders have assured them that there is no need to panic if they do not break regulations.

Shinhan Finance employees also said that when they call borrowers to ask for repayment, they threaten to make a complaint to the police. This discourages the employees.

Ninh said that if the government does not impose strict fines on borrowers who fail to pay back their loans, authorized financial companies will face challenges in providing loans and this will rob low-income people, such as factory workers, of the opportunity to access loans.
Vietnam seeks Polish help to lift EC yellow card on seafood

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called on Poland to use its good offices to overturn a European Commission IUU yellow card issued to Vietnam's fisheries sector.

At a meeting with Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau on Thursday, he said the lifting of the warning  for falling short of tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing  would ensure livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese workers and satisfy consumers' demands in Poland and the rest of the EU.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) meets with Poland's Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau in Hanoi, March 16, 2023. Photo by Vietnam News Agency

He also called on the Polish government to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement to promote investment.

Rau expressed his countrys desire for closer cooperation with Vietnam in fields like IT, smart cities and green technologies.

Chinh thanked Poland for donating 1.4 million doses of Covid vaccines and eight tons of medical equipment worth US$4 million to Vietnam for post-pandemic recovery, and hailed the country as Vietnams largest commercial partner in central eastern Europe.

Rau is in Vietnam on Thursday and Friday.

Vietnam received the yellow card in 2017 after a number of its fishing vessels were caught trespassing in other countries waters.
The Ministry of Public Security has proposed prolonging the duration of e-visas granted to foreigners entering Vietnam from 30 days to a maximum of three months to help tourism recover.

The e-visa will be valid for single-entry or multiple entries, according to a draft amendment to The Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, for which the ministry is preparing to collect public opinions.

Vietnam currently offers a one-month single-entry e-visa to visitors from 80 countries and territories, including the U.S. and Australia.

Under the draft, the ministry also suggested extending the duration of stays for tourists from countries enjoying 15-day visa exemptions to 30 days.

Now, visitors from some European countries, Japan and South Korea, Vietnam's top tourism markets, are permitted to stay in the country for no more than 15 days without applying for a tourist visa.

The ministry said that since Vietnam reopened its borders in March last year, the number of foreign tourists has remained low, prompting tourism industry insiders to urge visa relaxations to save the tourism industry.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told a tourism conference that Vietnam will waive visas for more countries and extend the length of stay for foreign tourists to speed up the recovery of tourism.

Despite being one of the first Southeast Asian countries to fully reopen to international tourism post Covid, Vietnam received only 3.6 million foreign tourists last year, around 20% of the pre-pandemic figure.

This year, Vietnam aims to receive 8 million foreign visitors.
Respected Cambodian political leader Kem Sokha was recently sentenced to 27 years under house arrest. The former leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party was convicted of conspiring with the United States to oust Prime Minister Hun Sen. Sokha, who denies the charges, was also banned from running for office and voting in elections.

The United States is deeply troubled by the conviction and sentencing of Kem Sokha, said State Department spokesperson Ned Price. The multi-year process to silence him, based on a politically motivated charge, is unjust and profoundly diminishes the Kingdom of Cambodias standing in the international community. The United States has consistently called on the Cambodian government to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Kem Sokha and all people of Cambodia.

Kem Sokhas conviction is part of a larger pattern of threats, harassment, and other unacceptable actions by Cambodian authorities to target political opposition leaders, media, and civil society, said spokesperson Price. In 2017, the Cambodia National Rescue Party was dissolved by the country's Supreme Court two months after Sokha's arrest. Prime Minister Sen's Cambodias Peoples Party won all 125 seats turning Cambodia overnight into a one-party state. Moreover, at least 39 opposition politicians are held in Cambodian prisons, according to Amnesty International.

Prosecuting and convicting individuals like Kem Sokha and many other political figures for exercising their freedoms of expression and association undermines Cambodias constitution, international obligations, and past progress to develop as a peaceful, pluralist, and inclusive society.

Spokesperson Price urge(d) Cambodian authorities to ensure their citizens can freely exercise their human rights, including freedoms of peaceful assembly and expression, and are encouraged and able to participate in building a truly democratic system.
On March 13, standing alongside the Prime Ministers of Australia and the United Kingdom, President Joe Biden announced a major development of the 2021 trilateral security pact known as AUKUS.

As Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins explained in a recent interview, AUKUS is a partnership between the U.S, the United Kingdom and Australia, and one of the fundamental aspects of this partnership is to strengthen the peace and security in the [Indo-]Pacific region.

The first pillar is the U.S. and U.K. helping to provide Australia with a nuclear-powered submarine, she said. The second pillar is to work with the other countries in terms of trying to promote advanced technologies, and these include everything from artificial intelligence and autonomy, underwater sea capabilities, advanced cyber [capabilities], quantum capabilities, hypersonic and counter-hypersonic capabilities, as well as electronic warfare.

Under Secretary Jenkins noted that nuclear powered submarines have been in the Pacific Ocean for decades:

The U.S. and the U.K have had nuclear powered submarines for over 60 yearsThere are other countries that have used nuclear powered submarines, including the Peoples Republic of China, Russia, India, and France, as well.

Under Secretary Jenkins emphasized that while the vessels are nuclear powered these submarines are conventionally armed.

"All three partners to this agreement to AUKUS are members and states parties to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, she said. "Australia is a non-nuclear weapons state. It is committed to staying a non-nuclear weapons state. . .They will not be developing nuclear weapons.

In fact, from the first announcement of the AUKUS partnership, said Under Secretary Jenkins, President Biden has made clear that nuclear non-proliferation is a top priority.

All three partners have been traveling to Vienna regularly to meet with the IAEA to ensure that AUKUS is meeting partners obligations under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and setting the highest nonproliferation standards.

Under Secretary Jenkins underscored that the 21st century is really going to be defined by the Indo-Pacific.

And so its really important right now that we modernize our alliances with partners in the region ... to really ensure that the future is strengthened in terms of peace and security issues, she said.

We also see this as an opportunity, said Under Secretary Jenkins, for scientists and those in industry, as well as sailors, to all work together and develop their [common] capabilities and technology that promotes the goal.
ELKO  Elko County school trustees have approved policies for release time and class rankings after these policies were tweaked following first reading, and they also voted to change their meeting days beginning July 1.

The release time policy that allows high school students to skip an elective class to attend a religious education class off campus, a job internship, community service or off-campus dual credit courses passed unanimously on March 14, with a few edits to the draft.

The approved policy includes accountability of time release attendance and releasing the Elko County School District from financial liability, along with removing a one-fourth-mile distance requirement to simply say within the ECSD attendance zone.

Superintendent Clayton Anderson reiterated that students who take advantage of release time sacrifice an elective, but the district builds in extra credits so there is leeway, and he stressed that school principals have final say on whether a student can use release time.

Authority is vested with the principal, he said, adding that release time should be better voiced as a privilege not a right.

The LDS church in Spring Creek had pushed for the policy for students to attend religious instruction, and Quinn Westmoreland, speaking for the church, said in public comment on March 14 that the church would welcome students of any denomination.

He also said that we will make the building available to anyone who wants to hold instruction.

The approved policy states that the meeting space for religious instruction be located within the attendance zone of the students assigned high school campus, or such other location as approved by the students principal.

The release-time policy for religious education is for any high school student but only juniors and seniors can qualify for release time for employment, community service, internship or volunteer opportunities.

In addition, the policy says that parents/guardians assume all responsibility for student safety, transportation, and liability when off campus during release time.

The ECSD administration and trustees have been cleaning up, updating and proposing new policies throughout the past months and recently adopted a policy that calls for a first reading without a vote to allow trustee discussion and time for public comment.

Class ranking

The policy on class ranking was unanimously approved as edited, but school trustees informally agreed that students at the top or near the top of their graduating class should be honored. The district has done away with valedictorian and salutatorian designations in recent years and states in the new policy that it no longer provides those titles.

In public comment, Lee Hoffman said academic champions should be recognized, pointing to the honors athletes receive, and Lynne Hoffman said she would love to see the top three or four students invited to a board meeting to be honored publicly.

Trustee Matt McCarty said he would vote for the policy as edited but he said Lynne Hoffman had a good point. He said recognition doesnt need to be built into the policy, because the board has the ability to recognize students.

Anderson said graduating students wear stoles and medals in the ceremony and scholarships are announced, so it is not accurate to say there is no recognition of their accomplishments.

The recognition is with other words and other adornments, he said.

The guest student trustee, Esteban Perez, said academic achievers are recognized during assemblies in the fall, winter and spring.

The class ranking policy also covers grade point averages and computations, withdrawal from a course, dual credit courses, and an explanation on math courses.

High school math courses taken in 7th and 8th grade will be posted on a students high school transcript and included in the high school GPA and class ranking calculation, the policy states, but it allows for students to request those courses be excluded from their high school transcript.

Such a request must be made prior to the end of a students junior year and is irreversible, according to the new policy.

Board meetings

The board voted to change meetings from the second and fourth Tuesdays to the first and third Tuesdays of each month, so they dont conflict with other governmental meetings.

The example cited in earlier discussion is that Elko City Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays.

The regular meeting days will change in July but the 5:30 p.m. meeting time will remain the same, according to the new policy. The policy also continues the tradition of only one board meeting in July and December of each year.

The school board also held first reading of a new policy on student conduct on school buses, which Anderson said is just putting into writing what the district is already doing. He agreed with wording Trustee Brooke Ballard proposed to say that a principal will determine the most appropriate action for the most serious offense, if there are multiple offenses.

Trustees also held a first reading on a revised policy of the districts grading system that was originally adopted in 2019, and states that grade levels 3-12 are required to use letter grades.

The earlier grades must use standard-based grading, such as a 4 means exceeds standard level, a 3 meets standard, 2, approaches standard and a 1 means emergent in standard.
SPARKS  The Nevada Department of Agriculture is seeking information on the needs of farmers and ranchers experiencing extreme winter weather conditions.

Anyone who has been impacted is encouraged to submit photos and brief descriptions of the conditions and challenges to NDAEmergency@agri.nv.gov and work with their local emergency manager.

The NDA will use these on-the-ground reports to work with federal partners to identify potential assistance and resources to support Nevadas agriculture communities. Reports can range from difficulty accessing livestock, limited feed supplies and resources, structure failure, pasture or field loss, etc.

Thank you for your dedication to your livestock and operations during this challenging time, said NDA Director JJ Goicoechea. Please be safe and we hope to have assistance options and resources available soon.
SPRING CREEK  A new rule prohibiting pushing snow into the road or across a roadway in Spring Creek was approved in its first reading this week.

The Committee of Architecture voted 3-1 to move forward with the rule that came up after residents complained to the Spring Creek Association about neighbors dumping piles of snow into the roads or on the side of the road near culverts that melts and creates drainage issues.

The proposed rule states that pushing, plowing, or blowing snow into or across the roadway at any property is strictly prohibited. Any violations of the rule shall be treated as a nuisance.

According to the COAs Rules and Regulations, nuisance complaints submitted to the COA are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by any person whose property is injuriously affected or whose personal enjoyment is lessened by the nuisance.

If a violation appears three times within 12 months on a COA agenda, the matter will go to the Spring Creek Association Board of Directors who may consider legal action against the property owner.

COA Secretary Rikki Bundrock said shes received calls from property owners this winter with complaints ranging from blocked driveways to drainage ditches that were filled with snow that is now creating problems as it melts.

Right now we have a policy but its not a rule or regulation, she explained, adding that the proposed rule would become enforceable by the COA.

The proposal was to do something in the rules so the Committee could act upon it if it was a continuous nuisance because right now its not a rule, she said.

Attorney Katie McConnell said the rule is similar to snow removal plans for the City of Elko and Elko County that prohibit shoveling snow directly into the street.

Were trying to enforce [Spring Creek Associations] snow removal policy and plan, she said.

Spring Creek Association president and general manager Jessie Bahr added that without the rule some people could take advantage and dump excessive amounts of snow in an area that might cause drainage issues as it melts.

Committee Chair Kevin Martindale and members Bonnie Bawcom and Kenny Kelly approved the first reading, with Kelly DiLulo absent.

Kelly said that while neighbors were awesome about helping each other with snow removal, someone dumping snow onto a neighbors property is basically pushing your problem off onto them.

Member Nick Czegledi opposed the first reading, explaining he was concerned that the wording in the rule didnt specifically state the travel portion of the roadway and could include easements. He pointed to his former career in law enforcement that defines a roadway to include the travel portion and easement up to the fence line.

McConnell said the proposed rule did not stipulate pushing snow into the easement, but was intended to address concerns from residents who have complained that snow had been pushed to their driveways by a neighbor and blocked them from getting out.

When plowing, stay on your side, but once youre in the road or across the road, that is where the problems come in because youre venturing outside the area you have dominion or control over, she said.

Martindale suggested that the rule could be approved on Monday with a three-to-one vote and changes and suggestions could be made to meet Czegledis concerns at the next reading.

The second reading will be conducted by the Committee of Architecture on April 10.
Attention turned from Eureka County to Lincoln County on Thursday after the Echo Dam east of Pioche overflowed.

County commissioners advised residents in Dry Valley and Panaca to voluntarily evacuate after the surge late Wednesday night, according to a report in the Lincoln County Record. State parks were closed due to flooding concerns.

When the county put out a call for sandbags on Thursday morning, Eureka County responded with a pallet.

The resource would have been coming from Carson City, however, we had it available here, said Eureka County Sheriff Jesse Watts. We loaded it in the back of one of our patrol trucks and away they went to Panaca to help that community, as they had a greater immediate need than we did.

Meanwhile, the American Red Cross closed its evacuation center in Eureka on Thursday and opened centers at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Panaca and in Pioche.

According to Watts, the evacuation warning in Eureka remains in effect as more precipitation is expected to arrive beginning Sunday.

Work began Thursday on installing a temporary Hesco barrier to hold floodwaters and guide the flow away from structures.

Today, we put out a message asking for our community members help and Wow! We are overwhelmed with responses and we truly cant thank everyone enough, Watts said.

Also on Thursday, Gov. Joe Lombardo directed the Nevada Department of Transportation to formally request assistance through the Federal Highway Administrations Emergency Relief Program.

He also authorized the Lincoln County Commission to compel mandatory evacuations on account of potential flooding that may occur should one or more of the dams in Lincoln County breach.
As a role model for the world, Chinese modernization has provided great wisdom and opened up a new prospect for humanity's sustainable development.

"The ultimate goal of modernization is people's free and well-rounded development," Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said Wednesday in a keynote speech during the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-level Meeting.

"Modernization does not fall into our laps automatically. It is the result of hard work with strong historic initiative," Xi said, stressing that political parties worldwide should integrate party building with national modernization.

Xi also proposed the Global Civilization Initiative, emphasizing that tolerance, coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations play an irreplaceable role in advancing humanity's modernization.

International observers said Xi's remarks elaborate on the responsibilities of global political leaders in advancing humanity. As a role model for the world, Chinese modernization has provided great wisdom and opened up a new prospect for humanity's sustainable development.

CHINESE MODERNIZATION NOT BUILT IN A DAY

China's modernization embraces the masses while balancing development with the harmony of nature, setting an example for the world, said Dogu Perincek, chairman of the Patriotic Party of Turkiye.

"The modernization of the People's Republic of China has followed a path that embraces the society as a whole and attaches importance to the spiritual enrichment of humanity," he said, adding it is admirable to achieve modernization with a population of 1.4 billion people thanks to Chinese socialism.

Zaher Raad, foreign affairs commissioner of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party, said Xi's speech answered many questions of concern to the participating parties and proposed that political parties should take on the responsibilities of promoting modernization. Ensuring people-centered modernization is the key to advancing the modernization cause.

This aerial photo taken on March 16, 2023 shows a China-Europe freight train heading for Moscow at Mafang railway station in Pinggu District of Beijing, capital of China.(Xinhua/Ren Chao)

Xi further expounded his important proposition on modernization and development, which is conducive to reducing the Global North-South Gap and establishing a security and development model featuring fairness, justice, joint contribution and shared benefits, said Andres Alvarez, secretary of the International Relations Department of the Colombian Communist Party.

With this model, he added that people worldwide would have more rights to make their own choices.

The realization of Chinese modernization is not achieved overnight. It requires strong leadership and precise policy-making by a political party, said Benjamin Anyagre, general secretary of the Ghana-China Friendship Association.

He added that the CPC, which is leading the Chinese people on the path of modernization, has set an example for African political parties.

NEW TYPE OF INT'L RELATIONS

In his speech, Xi called for leveraging the strength of a new type of party-to-party relations for the building of a new type of international relations and expanding global partnerships by fostering stronger partners with world political parties.

Pakistan's political parties welcome the remarks, which promotes people-to-people exchanges, said Asif Luqman Qazi, director of foreign affairs of the Jamaat-e-Islami Party in Pakistan.

As one of the major political parties in Pakistan, he said the Jamaat-e-Islami Party looks forward to further enhancing cooperation and exchanges with the CPC through think tanks, youth organizations, women's organizations and other channels.

Wang Yi (C), a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, attends a closing meeting of the talks between the Saudi delegation led by Musaad bin Mohammed Al-Aiban (L), Saudi Arabia's Minister of State, Member of the Council of Ministers and National Security Advisor, and Iranian delegation led by Admiral Ali Shamkhani (R), Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Luo Xiaoguang)

Gustavo Pinto, a Brazilian professor, said China's role in facilitating the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran demonstrates its responsibility as a major country.

Pinto said Chinese civilization advocates inclusiveness and magnanimity, something other countries should understand further since it will create a better future for the world.

The CPC is committed to upholding international fairness and justice, promoting world peace and stability, advocating and practicing genuine multilateralism, and safeguarding the international system with the United Nations as its core, according to Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based international relations scholar.

"Without peace, no country can develop. The Communist Party of China has set a good example in this regard for other political parties in other countries," said Adhere.

NEW INITIATIVE MEETS NEEDS OF THE TIMES

Xi's Global Civilization Initiative respects different civilizations, said Vanxay Tavinyan, deputy chief of the Propaganda and Training Board of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee.

He noted that the initiative conforms to the call of the times and helps different civilizations coexist and learn from each other.

People visit Jianchang ancient city during the Spring Festival holiday in Xichang, southwest China's Sichuan Province, on Jan. 27, 2023. (Photo by Li Jieyi/Xinhua)

Attending the conference, Sergey Sanakoev, deputy chairman of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society and president of the Asia-Pacific Region Research Center, said that the initiative is a natural development in the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, adding that the new initiative would help build a multipolar world and promote common prosperity.

Eleni Karamalengou, director of the BA in Archaeology, History and Culture of Ancient Greece at the University of Athens, said that China's efforts to enhance mutual learning among world civilizations are significant.

Taking Greece-China cooperation as an example, Karamalengou, who has closely cooperated with Chinese universities in recent years, said deepening cooperation between the two countries in culture and education has helped promote more frequent and fruitful Greece-China collaboration.

Countries should develop peacefully, and civilizations should respect each other. The Global Civilization Initiative will help the world work together to meet pressing global challenges, reduce conflicts and confrontation, and realize harmonious coexistence, said Stephanos Stephanou, secretary general of Cyprus' Progressive Party of Working People.

Asadollah Badamchian, general secretary of the Islamic Motalefeh Party of Iran, noted that both Iran and China are ancient civilizations with thousands of years of history, and both have contributed to the development of world's civilization.

He added that the Global Civilization Initiative would help people of all countries emerge from the shadow of colonialism, imperialism and hegemony.
Last week, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced a new deal to resume bilateral relations in Beijing. The deal was brokered by China. It is a huge win for the Middle East, as it stabilizes ties between two traditional rivals, who sit on separate sides of the Islamic sectarian debate and have competed with each other for influence throughout the Middle East, resulting in indirect clashes in a number of proxy wars in the region. This is also good news for the people in the region who have been ravaged by decades of wars and upheaval.

China's willingness to broker such a deal shows its willingness to ensure stability and peace in the Middle East, as well as its commitment to building positive ties with every country in the region so as to bring them together.

China is serious about mediating conflicts and disputes throughout the world. The country's foreign policy doctrine is based on non-alignment and rejection of "bloc confrontation," non-interference, respect for national sovereignty, and, likewise, opting for stability over creating chaos. China has long reiterated its opposition to what it describes as a "Cold War mentality" and conducts its diplomacy with the view that countries should not be forced into binary ideological confrontations.

Therefore, when it comes to the Middle East, China wants not to build "exclusive alliances" but to develop warm relations with every single country simultaneously. As such, China also wants regional countries to resolve their differences through dialogue in order to achieve stability. Its mentality is to be a partner of both Saudi Arabia and Iran and it has developed strategic partnerships with both of them, taking neutral ground on their disputes. In doing so, China is building relations and encouraging both countries to resolve their differences "constructively" and to work towards peace, helping to normalize ties.

The recent new trilateral announcement has made a diplomatic breakthrough toward securing a more lasting peace in the troubled region, and it makes it easier for negotiations to move ahead in some of its most deadly and destructive proxy wars, such as in Yemen. However, disagreements and differences between Iran and Saudi Arabia will not be solved by one agreement, and challenges remain ahead. However, the Middle East deserves to have a shot at peace, and China is expected to continue to work for regional stability and development.
Initiative:Cultural diversity emphasized

Leaders of political parties and organizations from around the world have hailed the China-proposed Global Civilization Initiative, saying that it has great relevance, together with the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, to building up countries' consensus on addressing mounting global challenges in terms of peace, security, development and harmonious coexistence.

Their comments came as Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, unveiled the Global Civilization Initiative on Wednesday at the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting. The meeting's theme was "Path Towards Modernization: the Responsibility of Political Parties".

The initiative calls for respect for the diversity of civilizations, upholding the common values of humanity in pursuing peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, and promoting robust international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.

Political leaders who took part in the virtual meeting spoke positively about Xi's initiative and expressed their willingness to work with the CPC to play a guiding role in promoting exchanges and mutual learning of civilizations and pursuing a path toward modernization based on their own national contexts.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is also the president of the African National Congress, the ruling party of South Africa, said that he fully agrees with Xi's initiative.

The history of South Africa in struggling for national independence makes its people value the importance of unity, harmony, inclusiveness and mutual respect, he said.

The initiative is particularly important considering the destructive challenges that the world is facing, such as climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorism and geopolitical confrontation, Ramaphosa added.

He also said that South Africa appreciates China's foreign policy based on noninterference in domestic affairs and mutually beneficial cooperation, which are reflected in China's global initiatives and are crucial to promoting the collective growth of developing countries.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, also president of the Serbian Progressive Party, said that the world is expecting China to provide innovative solutions to coping with challenges amid the complex changes of the international landscape.

Vucic said humanity should work together to advocate the diversity of cultures and civilizations.

The Serbian president also said, echoing Xi's speech on Wednesday, that nations should uphold the principles of equality, mutual learning, dialogue and inclusiveness and should, as Xi said, "let cultural exchanges transcend estrangement, mutual learning transcend clashes, and inclusiveness transcend any sense of superiority".

In his speech, Xi, who is also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, underlined the need for all countries to refrain from imposing their own values or models on others and from stoking ideological confrontation.

At a moment when geopolitical competition has brought about crises and challenges, Xi's initiatives regarding development, security and civilization are very significant to international and regional peace and cooperation, said Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, who is also chairman of the Mongolian People's Party.

He added that Mongolia fully supports the initiatives, and mutual trust, dialogue and cooperation are common aspirations of humanity and represent the future of the world.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, who is also chairman of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, criticized a number of countries' reluctance to build an equitable and balanced global governance system. These nations are eager to instigate geopolitical competition, resulting in complex global security threats, he said.

Given the current international landscape, leaders of political parties need to carry forward the common values of humanity, advocate respect for various development paths and diversified cultures, and oppose ideological confrontations in various forms, Kiir said.

Xi also elaborated on Chinese modernization in his speech. "We must uphold the principle of independence and explore diversified paths toward modernization," he said.

It is the people of a country that are in the best position to say what kind of modernization best suits them, Xi said, adding that developing countries have the right and ability to independently explore a modernization path with distinctive features based on their national realities.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, also chairman of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, said there is no universal model for modernization that applies to all countries.

Some countries attempt to impose their own models on others in disregard of countries' differences in political, cultural and historical contexts, Maduro said.
Vietnam was Spains largest supplier of coffee by volume in 2022. - Illustrative image (Photo: vneconomy.vn)

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)'s Import-Export Department cited statistics of the Statistical Office of the European Communities (EUROSTAT) as saying that the market share of Vietnamese coffee in Spain's total imports from the global market accounted for 30.16% in 2022.

Statistics compiled by the department indicate that Vietnam exported 342,300 tonnes of coffee in the first two months of the year, earning 745.28 million USD, down 7% in volume and 9.5 percent in value year-on-year.

In February alone, the country shipped abroad over 200,000 tonnes of coffee worth 434.9 million USD to foreign markets, up 40.3% in volume and 40.1% in value compared to the previous month.

Notably, in the January-February period, Vietnam's coffee exports to almost traditional markets increased. The country recorded 2- to 3-digit growth rates to markets such as Algeria, the Netherlands, Mexico, Russia, and Italy.

According to the department, Spain is the 8th largest trading partner of Vietnam in the EU, and the 8th biggest importer of Vietnamese goods.

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Last year, the two-way trade between Vietnam and Spain hit 3.54 billion USD, 13% higher than that recorded in 2021. This was the highest growth rate ever.

The two countries have witnessed the sound development of bilateral relations and there is a bright prospect for the two sides to further expand their relationship, especially in economic, trade, and investment cooperation.

Spain's coffee sector is forecast to grow by 6.84% in the 2022-2025 period, therefore there is ample room for Vietnamese coffee exporters to exploit the European market.

Vietnamese localities and business associations have been advised to coordinate with the Vietnam Trade Office in Spain in organising seminars to introduce potential business and cooperation opportunities for businesses, exporters and importers of the two countries.

Export businesses need to improve and maintain the quality and brand value of their products in the Spanish market, the office said.

500 fastest-growing companies in 2023 announced

Tin Viet Finance JSC, Dolphin Sea Air Services Corporation and VPS Securities JSC are among the top 10 in the 500 fastest-growing companies in Vietnam (FAST500) this year as announced by the Vietnam Report JSC and the VietNamNet e-newspaper on March 16.

500 fastest-growing companies in 2023 announced. (Photo: Vietnam Report)

According to Vietnam News Agency, the others in the top 10 included Vantage Logistics Corporation, Bee Logistics Corporation, Super Cargo Service Company Limited, Deo Ca Traffic Infrastructure Investment JSC, MB AGEAS Life Insurance Company Limited, Thien Phu Si JSC and Mirae Asset Securities (Vietnam).

According to a survey by Vietnam Report, the compound annual revenue growth rate (CAGR) of the FAST500 has improved significantly as compared with the 2017-2023 period.

Notably, the private sector took the lead in terms of the CAGR this year with a growth rate of 2.3%, reflecting the strong recovery of the sector  the main engine of the national economy.

Up to 81.3% of the questioned firms said they maintained their revenue growth in 2022, and some 70% experienced increases in profits from the previous year, of which more than half recorded growth of over 75%.

However, only 69.6% of the enterprises recorded hikes in the number of orders, a drop from the previous years 82.1%.

Despite the reduction, the layoff rate in the 2021-2022 period was lower than that in 2020-2021.

According to Vietnam Report General Director Vu Dang Vinh, 62.5% of the businesses said they will expand their operations and 37.5% want to maintain their business scale.

FAST500, launched in 2011, is based on the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in terms of revenue and business performance. Other criteria such as total asset, after-tax profit, and companies prestige on the media are also taken into account to identify their scale and stature in the industries they operate in.

Dong Nai welcomes first freight train from China

The southern province of Dong Nai on March 16 received the first freight train running from Shandong (China) to Trang Bom district of Dong Nai, reported VOV News.

Vietnamese and Chinese officials pose for a group photo next to China's first Qilu Europe  Asia freight train arriving at Trang Bom railway station in Dong Nai from Shandong city. (Photo: laodong.vn)

The Qilu Europe  Asia freight train was run by China Railway Express of Shandong that operates a rail transport route from Qingdao City (China) to Vietnam.

Addressing the ceremony at Trang Bom station, Wei Huaxiang, Chinas consul general in Ho Chi Minh City, noted the launching of freight trains connecting Shandong (China) and Dong Nai (Vietnam) is expected to bring about trade and investment opportunities between Vietnam and China.

We do expect the parties will make an efficient use of the Qilu train to create a higher value and support cooperation and development of the two countries, said Wei.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Thi Hoang, deputy head of the Dong Nai provincial administration, highly appreciated the launching of the Shandong  Trang Bom rail route and hoped Dong Nai would receive more Qilu trains in future.

This will serve to promote economic cooperation and friendship between Dong Nai and Chinese localities, she said.

It is expected that by 2025 when Long Thanh international airport, the largest of its kind in Vietnam, is scheduled to be put into operation, Dong Nai will have all five modes of transportation by road, air, rail, inland waterway and international maritime, helping to promote strong economic development in the locality.

Dong Nai has developed a project to build a transshipment warehouse covering more than 614ha in Trang Bom district, which will be turned into the transshipment warehouse of Southeast Asia.

EU and US businesses keen to invest in Vietnam

Financiers from the EU and the United States have expressed their keen interest in investing in the Vietnamese market, especially in such fields as green energy, infrastructure, and logistics, VOV News quoted comments of industry insiders.

Photo for illustration. (Source: VOV)

A recent survey conducted by the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) for more than 1,300 EU firms indicates that 41% of the respondents planned to move their production facilities to the country, up 30% compared to data compiled during the previous survey.

Furthermore, approximately 35% of the respondents named Vietnam among the top five most attractive investment destinations.

Meanwhile, John Rockhold, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham Vietnam), revealed that investors from US also intend to pour a huge amount of capital into the countrys green energy, logistics, and infrastructure sectors.

Explaining the growing trend, the Vietnam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises (VAFIE) pointed to the fact that Vietnam effectively shifted to the implementation of the circular economy model in a number of industries throughout the 2021 - 2022 period.

Indeed, economic zones have gradually turned into ecological economic areas with a number of ecological urban industrial zones taking shape, a factor that has attracted the worlds large corporations to invest in high-tech products such as Samsung, LG, Intel, and Toyota.

Professor Nguyen Mai, chairman of the VAFIE, emphasised that among ASEAN member states, Vietnam can be considered as a rising star in the global supply chain, as it makes up a significant market share in multiple fields, including garments and textiles, footwear, and consumer electronics.

Vietnam has also emerged as a manufacturing hub for electronic products as part of the global supply chain. Its electronics exports hit a record high of US$100 billion in 2021, representing about one third of its total export value.

According to the 2022 annual report detailing foreign investment in the country, there remains a number of hurdles faced by foreign investors, including cumbersome administrative procedures and visa policy for foreigners.

The report outlines that although 68.5% of the FDI firms rated Vietnam as being more favourable in terms of investment location, labour costs and quality, taxes, the Government's capability to respond to emergencies compared to other countries, the quality of infrastructure, and public service delivery in the country must be improved moving forward./.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) and Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau at their meeting in Hanoi on March 16. (Photo: VNA)

The PM thanked the Government and people of Poland for their donation of nearly 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and 8 tonnes of medical equipment to help Vietnam overcome the pandemic and boost economic recovery, stressed that the move reflected sincere affection and deep attachment between the people of the two countries.

For his part, Rau said he is impressed with Vietnams socio-economic development achievements and stated that Poland wants to fortify its collaboration with the nation, the most important partner of Poland in Southeast Asia.

Regarding the Vietnam-Poland relationship, PM Chinh expressed his pleasure to see its positive progress over the past time and suggested the two sides increase the exchange of delegations, especially high-level ones and between sectors and localities, to boost political trust and mutual understanding, forming a basis for their bilateral cooperation expansion across all fields.

Poland has been Vietnams biggest trade partner in Central Eastern Europe for years and the two countries economic and trade cooperation maintains a strong growth momentum despite COVID-19, the Government leader said, adding that bilateral trade stood at a high level in 2021 and 2022, over 2.5 billion USD.

PM Chinh recommended Poland to create favourable conditions for Vietnam's agro-forestry-aquatic products to penetrate deeper into the Polish market; and encourage Polish businesses to step up investment in Vietnams pharmaceuticals, food processing, and manufacturing industries.

He proposed the European nation soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) to facilitate equal and mutually beneficial investment cooperation between the two countries; and urge the European Commission (EC) to soon remove its yellow card warning on Vietnam's seafood exports, meeting the interests of Polish and EU consumers and ensuring livelihoods for hundreds of thousands of workers in the Vietnamese fishing industry.

The host and guest exchanged views on a number of measures to beef up cooperation in education-training, culture-tourism, agriculture, and science-technology.

Rau pledged to encourage Polish ministries and branches to coordinate with the Vietnamese side to concretise the PMs recommendations, contributing to making the bilateral cooperation more practical and effective.

He expressed his desire to strengthen the bilateral partnership in areas where Poland has strengths such as IT, smart cities building, green technology, and environmental protection.

The PM and the Polish minister agreed that the two countries should strengthen cooperation at multilateral and regional forums.

Regarding the East Sea issue, they emphasised the importance of ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea as well as settling disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

PM Chinh thanked the Polish Governments support for Vietnamese expatriates in Poland as well as Vietnamese people in Ukraine who evacuated to the country. He proposed Poland further create favourable conditions for the expatriate community to stabilise their lives and make practical and effective contributions to the fine traditional friendship between Vietnam and Poland.

On this occasion, Rau conveyed Polish PM Mateusz Morawieckis invitation to PM Chinh to pay an official visit to Poland soon. The Vietnamese leader said he will arrange a trip to Poland at an appropriate time./.
The event offered an opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to explore and penetrate the market to strengthen the presence of Vietnamese products in Kuwait, creating a good political relationship between Vietnam and Kuwait.

The exhibition area of Vietnamese businesses attracted the attention of local people.

(Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Kuwait)

The Vietnamese delegation included small and medium enterprises in their business fields. With products suitable with the needs and spending levels of local people such as agarwood, chocolate, coffee, and frozen food, Vietnamese businesses have quickly won the hearts of visitors.

Not only with activities at the fair, Vietnamese businesses also showed their dynamism with local contact activities. During the tourism promotion music night called Hello Vietnam, many guests had the opportunity to experience many products brought by Vietnamese businesses, as well as have the opportunity to win some unique items.

According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Kuwait, in recent years, Vietnam-Kuwait trade relations have made impressive developments. In 2022 alone, Vietnams commodities export to Kuwait was valued at 500 million USD.

Vietnams main export items to the country are garments and textiles, electronics, processed goods, and agricultural products./.
PM Pham Minh Chinh meets with chiefs of Vietnamese representative offices abroad. (Photo: VNA)

Speaking at the meeting, the PM lauded significant contributions by the diplomatic sector to the cause of national construction, including those by representative agencies abroad.

He asked the diplomats to persistently and flexible implement the foreign policy of the Party and the State, and thoroughly grasp Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs instruction that is serving national development is the key task of the diplomatic sector.

Each of the mission chiefs should regard economic diplomacy as a high priority during their term, with the organisation of all-level external activities being the top focus, the leader said.

PM Chinh asked them to maintain close links with ministries, agencies and localities at home to facilitate investment attraction as well as market and supply chain expansion and diversification.

The diplomats were also requested to deepen relations with partners and identify key cooperation areas with each of them, while paying more attention to citizen protection and overseas Vietnamese affairs, thus encouraging OVs to contribute more to the home land and strengthening the great national unity bloc in national construction and defence.

The PM urged them to promote the image of Vietnam through diverse forms as well as Vietnamese language teaching in foreign countries.

The leader expressed his belief that the mission chiefs will maintain the solidarity within their circle and with other representative offices, carry forward traditions of the diplomatic sector and well implement diplomatic guidelines set by the Party and the State./.
BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- A group of Chinese astronomers identified a peculiar neutron star candidate in a binary system, 385 light years away from the Earth, which could be the nearest and lightest neutron star ever known if confirmed.

The researchers from Peking University and the National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences reported the discovery based on observations of China's Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) and the Nanshan 1-meter Wide-field Telescope (NOWT) in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The candidate, a dark companion to an old-age star, with only approximately 0.98 times the solar mass, is presumed to resemble an X-ray-dim isolated neutron star (XDINS), but in binary, according to the study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

To date, only seven XDINSs, peculiar objects with barely-detected radio signals, have been discovered. They are nicknamed the Magnificent Seven, about 391 to 1,630 light years away from the Earth.

The neutron stars are previously believed to have taken shape through the core-collapse supernovae, but they tend to be above 1.17 times solar mass.

LAMOST's spectral data also implied the presence of a small accretion disk around the neutron star candidate and/or a level of accretion disk activity, according to the study.

The new findings hinted at the radio-quite, XDINS-like compact object possibly being born in an alternative channel like the collapse of a white dwarf after it accretes, said the researchers.

Editor: WJH
In the future, Ukraine may become a supplier of nuclear fuel using the technology of American Westinghouse to European countries, Minister of Energy Herman Haluschenko said during a visit to a Ukrainian enterprise where it is planned to arrange the assembly of nuclear fuel (fuel assemblies (FA)) for Russian-made reactors VVER-1000 and VVER-440 on March 16.

"Ukraine, having abandoned Russian nuclear fuel, switched its nuclear power units to nuclear fuel from the American manufacturer Westinghouse. The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland, and Bulgaria also expressed their desire to make such a transition. And in the future, Ukraine can become a supplier of nuclear fuel to these countries," he noted.

According to the minister, at the first stage of establishing production of fuel assemblies of Westinghouse technology at the Ukrainian enterprise, it is planned to launch production of its individual components in the next two years. In particular, in 2023 it is planned to complete the licensing and enter the industrial production of liners, and in 2024 - head parts for fuel assemblies. These components will be used for production of nuclear fuel for the needs of Energoatom at the Westinghouse plant in Vasteras, Sweden.

As Energoatom President Petro Kotin added to the Minister, the company plans to start creating its own line for production of nuclear fuel in three years.

"It is planned that in three years we will reach the full cycle of nuclear fuel production in Ukraine. 2026 is the date when we will be able to fully produce our Ukrainian fuel from components manufactured here. And we will purchase elements that we cannot produce from partners," Kotin explained.

In addition, he noted the importance of manufacturing nuclear fuel for VVER-440 reactors, which was previously produced only by Russia.

Currently, 17 VVER-440 units are operating in Europe, which do not yet have an alternative to Russian fuel, and following the establishment of production of fuel assemblies for VVER-1000 reactors, Ukraine will begin to produce fuel for VVER-440 reactors.

As the head of Energoatom emphasized, the company, together with its strategic partner Westinghouse, can then become an alternative supplier of nuclear fuel for other European countries using Soviet-style reactors, such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland, and Bulgaria.

In turn, according to Haluschenko, Ukraine is one of the world leaders in the field of nuclear energy, and at present Ukrainian nuclear specialists, together with American partners, are working to force Russia out of the global nuclear technology market.
The financial company NovaPay, which is part of the Nova Poshta group of companies, the leader of express delivery in Ukraine, is in the process of obtaining a European license of the Electronic Money Institution (EMI), said Viacheslav Klymov, co-founder of Nova Poshta.

"NovaPay will develop, like the whole group - to create international expansion. And NovaPay has already applied to the European regulator for a license from a European financial institution. Now this process is underway. We apply for an Electronic money institution license," Klymov said on the sidelines of the Forbes Ukraine Exporters Summit on Thursday.

He specified that the company does not plan to become a bank either in Ukraine or abroad.

Once licensed, NovaPay will be able to provide money transfer services and e-commerce payments to customers, Klymov said. According to him, the company is also actively working with the NBU on the possibility of opening client accounts in Ukraine.

The company plans to develop services "package on credit" and credit cards from NovaPay in Europe, but not in the short term. "In Europe, this will be the next stage - first of all, these are transfers," Klymov said.

An EMI license allows companies to offer payment and certain other financial services, but not to operate as a bank or use a bank in their name or marketing materials.

Earlier it was reported that NovaPay intends to issue credit cards in Ukraine with additional services and discounts for Nova Poshta customers, as well as bonds.
As part of the green transition, Ukraine is considering the possibility of building up to 20 small modular reactors (SMRs) instead of thermal generation units destroyed during the war, Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko said during a visit to one of the energy companies on March 16.

"This is the best option to replace thermal generation. We will move within the green transition on SMR technology, this is the best technology," he said.

In turn, as noted by President of the State Enterprise Energoatom Petro Kotin, SMRs are very promising for Ukraine, and at present, nuclear scientists, together with the Ministry of Energy, are developing many programs with various global companies developing technologies for small modular reactors.

In particular, Energoatom is currently cooperating in the field of SMR with American Westinghouse, which offers its AP-300 reactor, NuScale and Holtec International, British RolIs Royce and a couple of other companies with which relevant memorandums have been signed.

"Currently, a sufficient number of companies are working on this topic and offering their projects. We are trying to keep track of everything that happens in this area, and we keep everything under control, and as soon as the technology with which we can move is determined, we will move into the plane of practical implementation," the head of Energoatom added.

As reported, Energoatom and NuScale signed a memorandum of cooperation in the construction of small modular reactors in Ukraine in September 2021.
All those guilty of war crimes against Ukrainians will end up in courtrooms of the International Criminal Court and national courts, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

"A year ago, the Russian military committed one of the worst crimes of this war. Russian bombs destroyed a theater in Mariupol. A building that was used as a shelter. There were women with children, pregnant women, and the elderly. A civilian object deliberately destroyed by the occupier. We still don't know the exact number of victims. Hundreds of people? A thousand?" the head of state said on his daily video address on Thursday night.

He emphasized that Russia will be held accountable for the war crime it had committed.

"The day will come when we will liberate Mariupol. Our entire south. Our entire east. Just like we liberated our other cities. The day will come when a tribunal will be established to bring justice to our people. A tribunal that will punish this aggressor in the same way as the aggressors of the past were punished. The day will come when all the perpetrators of war crimes against Ukrainians will be brought to justice in the halls of the International Criminal Court and national courts," Zelenskyy said.

"And if some terrorists hope to hide somewhere... It will not work for them. All those who bombed Ukraine. Who burned our villages, who shelled Ukrainian cities... Mykolaiv, Kherson, Nikopol and Marhanets, Zaporizhia, cities of Donbas, Kharkiv, Kharkiv region. [] All Rashists will be held accountable. They will be held to account for every Ukrainian life taken," he said.
The Government of Sweden will provide Ukraine with eight Archer artillery systems, according to the Swedish financial newspaper Dagens Industri.

They will help the Ukrainian army to disable Russian artillery systems, Defense Minister of Sweden Pal Henning Jonson said.

According to the publication, the Archer systems were on Ukraine's wish list, and back in January the Swedish government announced that it wanted to help Ukraine with a modern artillery system, however, adding that certain preparations were necessary.

"That work has now been completed: in an amended supplementary budget presented to parliament today, the government is asking for eight Archers to be sent. In the supplemented budget, the government is also asking for ten Leopard 2 tanks to be sent to Ukraine, which was announced in mid-February," it said.

At the same time, it is noted that Ukraine will be able to start using the Archer systems on the battlefield only after a few months. During this time, computer fire control systems will be installed on them, Ukrainian soldiers will be trained, and a "logistics center" will be created near the borders of Ukraine for the maintenance and repair of these artillery systems.

In general, the cost of eight artillery systems and ten tanks is estimated at slightly more than $570 million that the Swedish Armed Forces should receive during 2024-2026 in order to be able to replace what will now be given to Ukraine.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced further military aid to Ukraine and the addition of French forces to that training program for Ukrainian servicemen in the UK.

According to the information on the UK Government's website, Sunak said this during a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on March 16 in the afternoon.

"The Prime Minister reflected on his discussions with his French, US and Australian counterparts in recent days, and said the UK continued to work closely with allies to ensure Ukraine received the defensive equipment it needed. He added that it was vital Ukraine had the capabilities to change the battlefield equation as soon as possible, and updated on the delivery of further UK military aid," the UK Government said in the press release.

"Discussing the ongoing training of Ukrainian forces in the UK, the Prime Minister said marines were today out on exercise in the UK, and both leaders agreed the addition of French forces to that training programme would help give Ukraine an additional advantage on the battlefield," it said.
Over the last week, Russian attempts to assault Donetsk region town of Vuhledar have almost certainly slowed. This follows repeated, extremely costly failed attacks over the previous three months, according to a defense intelligence report published on Twitter by the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Thursday.

At the same time, it is noted that the only notable tactical success of the occupiers in recent years has been the advance in the area of the town of Bakhmut, Donetsk region, dominated by mercenaries of the private military company Wagner, currently involved in a public feud with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. There is a realistic possibility that Russias MoD has been insistent in its drive for success in Vuhledar, partially because it wants its own success to compete with Wagners achievements, the message reads.

One factor in Russias heavy losses in this sector has been Ukraines successful adoption of Remote Anti-Armour Mine systems (RAAM). RAAM is a specialist artillery shell which scatters anti-armour mines up to 17km away from the firing unit. In some instances, Ukraine has launched the mines over and behind advancing Russian units, causing disarray when Russian vehicles attempt to withdraw, the British Intelligence said.
Slovakia will send MiG-29 fighters and part of the Kub anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine.

According to the TASR agency, the temporarily appointed government of Eduard Heger made a decision on this at an online meeting on Friday.

Heger said at a press conference that the international agreement was unanimously approved by the government. He stated that the Cabinet had made a decision on the gratuitous transfer of technology in accordance with the Constitution of the Slovak Republic.

Back in February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially appealed to Slovakia with a request to supply MiG-29 fighters to protect against Russian aggression. Heger then said that Slovakia would do everything possible to fulfill this request.
Since the beginning of the fullscale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine, as a result of Russian shelling in Kherson region, more than 5,400 objects have been damaged or destroyed, 3,700 of them are residential buildings, said head of Kherson Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Prokudin.

"Now more than 5,400 objects in Kherson region are damaged or destroyed as a result of enemy strikes. Because of the shelling, people's homes - private and apartment buildings  suffered the most. This is more than 3,700 buildings," Prokudin said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

At the same time, answering the question about the amount needed to restore these facilities, the head of the regional administration said: "In order to carry out current and major repairs and dismantling, where it is needed, it will take more than UAH 27.4 million, technical inspection of damaged objects costs approximately UAH 100,524."
The Russian invaders deprived residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson region of access to basic human needs, in particular, medicine, education and social protection, said head of Kherson Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Prokudin.

"The situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson is extremely difficult and every day Russians make life there more and more unbearable. Local residents lack basic food and medicines. The Russians have deprived people of basic things: medicine, education, social protection, etc.," Prokudin said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

He noted that the invaders on the left bank of Kherson region are closing hospitals, robbing people, and also shelling the temporarily occupied territories in order to blame the Ukrainian army for this in their propaganda.

"The most terrible thing is the Russian terror. People are being kidnapped, tortured, and killed. Those who escaped from captivity talk about inhumane conditions of behavior  constant torture and beatings. They [the occupiers] do what they want there, because they feel impunity. If they dont like someone, they take them prisoner. When they want, they disconnect communication channels, leave people without electricity and water," Prokudin stressed.

At the same time, the head of the regional administration noted that the occupiers use the civilian population of the occupied territories as "hostages and human shields, which they use to hide from the Ukrainian army." "They put equipment, equip firing positions between houses where peaceful people live. They do it, because they know that the Ukrainian army, unlike them, does not fight with peaceful people," Prokudin said.
Kuleba: We deeply regret that Pope hasn been able to visit Ukraine since war start

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba expressed deep regret that Pope Francis has not yet found an opportunity to visit Ukraine since the beginning of the war.

As Kuleba said in an interview with the Ukrainian Air Force, his goal as foreign minister is to make sure that Ukraine sits down at the negotiating table after a decisive success on the battlefield."

This, as Kuleba noted, presupposes the creation of the strongest possible coalition to support the alliance, which, in his opinion, still does not include the Pope.

The minister said that it was not he who would judge the pontiff, but God, but added: "We deeply regret that the Pope has not found an opportunity to visit Ukraine since the beginning of the war."
The Belgian Ministry of Defense intends to transfer to the Armed Forces of Ukraine a batch of 240 military trucks of the Volvo Cargo, Volvo Shelter, Volvo Fassi and Volvo Manumat models. It is expected that the cars will arrive in Ukraine next week, according to the publication De Standaard.

"The trucks have been in operation since the early 1990s ('92-'93). Therefore, a major inspection and reconstruction operation was launched a few months ago. The Defense Ministry is convinced that 240 vehicles that are now being sent to the Ukrainian army are in good condition. Also included are all instructions and spare parts that were still in stock," the publication points out.

At the same time, the Belgian Defense Ministry emphasizes that nothing is transferred to the Ukrainian army that it would not request.

"Close consultations are being held on this in the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine. Ukrainians are not supplied with anything that they themselves would not ask for and what they did not need. Not everything we offer is immediately accepted. This is usually related to time. Because these are things they can't use yet at that time, or, for example, because they don't have the right staff for them. But in a few weeks the situation may look different," the representative of the Belgian army stressed.

Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder also pointed out that every Ukrainian request is checked for its feasibility in the defense department and the Belgian industry.

"I confirmed in the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine on Wednesday that our country is providing all possible support and will continue to do so," she stressed.

She noted that in addition to delivering trucks, hundreds of Belgian instructors are also being sent to train Ukrainian soldiers.

The main advantage of Volvo is its relatively simple mechanics. Thus, Ukrainian servicemen do not need any additional training in order to start work or independently provide maintenance.

Belgium has long planned to phase out the use of these trucks, new cars were ordered a few years ago, but now plans for the decommissioning of cars have changed.

"As a result, we are now in limbo. Volvo is already being decommissioned, and new cars will be delivered only from this year. This does not change the fact that we support this decision by 200 percent. The emphasis is often on the supply of weapons, but Ukrainian units are also very much waiting for these trucks. During the conflict, logistics is no less important than weapons," the Belgian Defense Ministry stressed.
The United Nations does not use the definition for "ecocide" the UN has no definition for it, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme Inger Andersen has said.

"This word is not a word that the UN has a definition for. It does not exist in our vocabulary, but obviously, everybody can understand that it is a heavy word," Andersen said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

She said the environment is never in a good situation after the guns irrespective of where and how.

"However, what I can say is that we understand that war has very negative impacts on the environment. The only thing that can stop that negative impact is peace," Andersen said.

Earlier, Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak met with UNEP Executive Director Andersen in Kyiv. At the meeting, he said Russia should be punished for the crimes of ecocide.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called on the world to counteract ecocide. In particular, at the G20 summit, he announced the colossal scale of ecocide in Ukraine caused by the Russian invasion. He also called on New Zealand to start consolidating the world, in particular the UN, and at the bilateral level with other states for the eighth point of the formula to counter ecocide.

Deputy Prosecutor General Viktoria Litvinova said environmental prosecutors were involved in the investigation of 104 war crimes that caused harm to the environment, some 11 of them were initiated on the fact of ecocide.
The Bureau of Economic Security (BES) and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), while investigating a criminal case, searched 14 gas distribution companies, the Shevchenkivsky District Court of Kyiv authorized the searches.

"On the morning of March 17, armed law enforcement officers entered the territory and premises of gas distribution companies. The searches were conducted on trumped-up charges of allegedly taking state-owned funds," RGC said on Friday.

According to the press service, at some enterprises, employees were taken out of their workplaces and kept in the corridor under the supervision of machine gunners. Their phones were confiscated and their personal belongings were searched.

RGC considers the conduct of searches, accompanied by egregious human rights violations, as pressure on employees of critical infrastructure enterprises. In the group's opinion, the criminal case, which became the reason for the searches, was initiated only with the aim of putting pressure on the enterprises that NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy, represented by state-owned Chornomornaftogaz, is trying to illegally seize.

"Making such steps against enterprises that provide vital services to millions of Ukrainians during the war is a crime against the country. After all, we have become convinced of the importance of the stable functioning of critical infrastructure. And employees of gas distribution companies do not deserve such behavior, regardless of the nature of the investigative actions," RGC said.

The press service recalled that since the beginning of the full-scale war, the employees of the group's enterprises, at the cost of heroic efforts, were able to maintain the efficiency of gas distribution systems in the territories controlled by Ukraine. Together with colleagues from other regions, they restored gas distribution as quickly as possible in Kyiv, Sumy and Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk regions, and the city of Kharkiv.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has received the official status of a suspect in a war crime  the illegal deportation and displacement of Ukrainian children. The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for his arrest, Prosecutor General of Ukrane Andriy Kostin has said.

"Now the Russian president has the official status of a suspect in an international crime - the illegal deportation and displacement of Ukrainian children. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Putin and Russia's Commissioner for Children's Rights Lvova-Belova," Kostin said on his Facebook page.

He said this means that during Putin's stay outside Russia he should be detained and brought to court, and "world leaders will think three times before shaking his hand or sitting down with him at the negotiating table."

"The world has received a signal that the Russian regime is criminal and its leadership and henchmen will be held accountable. This is a historic decision for Ukraine and the entire system of international law," the Prosecutor General said.

He expressed his gratitude to ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, stressing that the Prosecutor General;s Office (PGO) daily closely cooperates with the ICC in the investigation of crimes committed against Ukraine.

"In particular, on the forcible deportation of children, the PGO handed over to the ICC more than 40 volumes of materials, more than 1,000 pages. In total, in the proceedings in which the PGO exercises procedural guidance, the deportation of more than 16,000 children from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions was recorded. But the real figure could be much higher. There is no doubt that this is a planned policy of Russia aimed at destroying Ukraine as a state and Ukrainians as a nation. By kidnapping our children, Russia is literally stealing our future," Kostin said.

At the same time, according to him, law enforcement officers have already managed to return home 308 Ukrainian children.

"We must return them all. And condemn in Ukrainian and international courts everyone involved in the forced deportation of Ukrainian children. As well as other war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and a serious international crime  aggression," the Prosecutor General said.

"Today's decision is a historic step. But this is only the beginning of a long path to restoring justice. And we must go this path together with the entire free world. We expect all states that consider themselves part of the civilized world to take appropriate steps to attract suspects of international crimes to responsibility. Even if they are the top leaders of the Russian terrorist regime. Especially if they are the top leaders of the Russian terrorist regime," he said.

According to the ICC website, Vladimir Putin, born on October 7, 1952, is the President of the Russian Federation, "is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation (under articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute)."

It is indicated that the crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from February 24, 2022.

"There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, (i) for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others (article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute), and (ii) for his failure to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission, and who were under his effective authority and control, pursuant to superior responsibility (article 28(b) of the Rome Statute)," the court said.

In addition, the ICC believes that Maria Lvova-Belova, Commissioner for Children's Rights under the Russian President, born on October 25, 1984, is also allegedly responsible for the war crime of illegal deportation of children and their illegal transfer from the occupied territories of Ukraine to the Russian Federation (according to Articles 8(2)(a)(vii) and 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute).

"There are reasonable grounds to believe that Ms Lvova-Belova bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes, for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others (article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute)," the court said.

The ICC considered the warrants to be classified for the protection of victims and witnesses and for the security of the investigation.

However, the ICC suggests that informing the public about warrants can help prevent further crimes.

The aforementioned arrest warrants were issued on the basis of applications filed by the prosecutor's office on February 22, 2023.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General: After receiving ICC order warrant for Putin, measures being taken to search for detain suspect

Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin explained the procedure for actions after Russian President Vladimir Putin received the status of a suspect in the illegal deportation and displacement of Ukrainian children: measures will be taken to search and detain.

"First of all, after receiving a warrant from the judicial chamber of pretrial proceedings, measures are taken to search for and detain suspects. To do this, the International Criminal Court (ICC) appeals to the States Parties to the Rome Statute with a request to detain and transfer a person to the ICC," Kostin said on air national telethon.

According to the Prosecutor General, a State Party that has received such a request "is taking steps without delay to arrest the person concerned."

"The ICC can also take advantage of Interpol's opportunities. In case of detention and transfer of a person to court or after a voluntary appearance in court, the pretrial chamber holds hearings to confirm the charge. These hearings can be held even in the absence of the suspect," the Ukrainian Prosecutor General said.
The issuance by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on suspicion of illegal deportation and displacement of Ukrainian children is a signal to the whole world that the Russian regime is criminal, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said.

"This means that from now until his detention, the President of Russia and the Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces, as the head of a terrorist organization, will be afraid to travel outside of Russia because of the likelihood that he will be extradited to the International Criminal Court. This means that every politician, who considers himself civilized, who looks to the future, should think three times before dealing with the Russian leader or his accomplices, and even more so - shake hands or sit down at the negotiating table," Kostin said on the air of the national telethon on Friday evening.

He said the issuance of a warrant for Putin's arrest is "a clear signal to the whole world that the Russian regime is criminal."

"Criminals must be stopped, isolated and held accountable," Kostin said.
upport project for IDPs to be implemented in Cherkasy region  URCS

The Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) jointly with its partners from the Canadian and Spanish Red Cross societies will implement a new support project for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Cherkasy region.

"Representatives of the Canadian Red Cross and Cruz Roja Espanola together with Cherkasy regional organization of the URCS have discussed the implementation of the Livelihoods Program in the region," the URCS said on Facebook on Friday.

The Livelihoods Program is aimed at providing the IDPs with assistance to adapt at the local level and help persons with disabilities.

It is planned that the project implementation will provide the IDPs with new vocational training, re-training in working professions, specialization and upgrading qualification in professions and specialties taking into account the priority types of economic activities.

In addition, the program will provide financial assistance to individuals and households for the development of small businesses, especially in rural areas.

The program will also provide grants under clear and transparent criteria for the IDPs who want to resume or start their own business.
Stefanchuk at meeting with Chinese ambassador: It's important that China doesn't help Russia bypass sanctions, limits trade with it

Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk has called on China to refrain from helping the Russian leadership to bypass sanctions and consider the possibility of limiting trade with Russia.

"About sanctions. The whole world today stands united for Ukraine. And economic restrictions against Russia are being introduced to stop the war. Therefore, it is very important that China refrain from helping the Russian leadership circumvent sanctions and consider limiting trade with Russia," he said at a meeting with Ambassador of China to Ukraine Fan Xianrong in Kyiv on Friday.

The parties also discussed a range of pressing issues and the importance of observation of the territorial integrity principles.

"Ukraine is interested in a speedy end to Russia's unprovoked war against Ukraine. And China could play its part and convince Moscow to immediately stop the aggression and withdraw troops from the territory of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders," Stefanchuk said on Facebook, summing up the results of the meeting.

In addition, special attention was paid to the Peace Formula proposed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"Ukraine also took into account the publication by China of its position on Russia's war against Ukraine. We welcome the public presentation of China's vision. Separate paragraphs of this document are consonant with our Peace Formula. Therefore, I suggested that China join the implementation of any of the ten points of the Ukrainian initiative. For example, Beijing could, in close cooperation with the IAEA, make a significant contribution to the implementation of the Nuclear Safety item," Stefanchuk said.
The fiercest battles are taking place in the areas of Kreminna, Torske, Bilohorivka, and Spirne, while Bakhmut remains the epicenter of hostilities, Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrsky has said.

"In fact, the enemy is conducting offensive operations along the entire eastern front line, trying to break through the defense of our troops and advance into the depths of battle formations. The fiercest fighting continues in the areas of Kreminna, Torske, Bilohorivka, and Spirne. However, Bakhmut remains the epicenter of hostilities. The battles for the town continue," the Military Media Center quoted Syrsky as saying.

He emphasized that the enemy has used all its power and is trying to break through the defense in several directions and completely surround the town.

"Battles are going on in the north, east and south of the town. Thanks to the courage of our soldiers, the enemy suffers huge losses and once again rolls back without success. Unfortunately, we also have losses, but much lower than our defenders cause to the enemy," Syrsky said.

According to him, Ukrainian units have partial success in some areas.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved a draft agreement with Slovakia on the transfer of 13 MiG-29s to Ukraine, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said.

"The government of Slovakia today approved the dispatch of 13 MiG-29s to Ukraine. For our part, during a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, we approved a draft agreement necessary for the transfer of aircraft. We are working quickly and smoothly so that our military will receive new 'wings' as soon as possible," Shmyhal said on the Telegram channel following the results of the Friday government session.

He also thanked Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Geger for supporting Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue a warrant for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ombudsman for Children Maria Lvova-Belova historic and having real prospects.

"Today we have a weighty decision of international justice. In a case in which there is a real prospect. The International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Putin. A historic decision from which historical responsibility will begin," Zelenskyy said in a video address.

According to the president, separating children from their families, depriving them of any opportunity to contact their relatives, burying children on Russian territory, scattering them in remote regions  all this is "the state policy of the aggressor, state decisions, state evil."

"The evil that begins with the first official of this state. The head of a terrorist state and another Russian official have officially become suspects in a war crime, in the deportation of Ukrainian children," the head of state said.

Zelenskyy thanked the team of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, the International Criminal Court itself for their adherence to principles and for their readiness to really bring to justice those who are guilty.

He also said to date, Ukraine has managed to return a little more than 300 children illegally deported to Russia, and this process will continue.

"Obviously, we must return everyone, we will do everything for this. For the return of every Ukrainian, every Ukrainian woman, every child. And for the real responsibility of all those responsible for this deportation - from the head of the terrorist state to all the perpetrators," the president said.
At a meeting of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the key attention was paid to the battles in Donbas, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video address on Friday.

"The key attention is on the battles in Donbas: Avdiyivka, Bakhmut, Vuhledar, Maryinka, Bilohorivka. The main focus is on our soldiers, how to support our brigades, how to give them more strength, opportunities, more weapons and protection," he said.

According to Zelenskyy, "the Commander-in-Chief, intelligence, and direction commanders reported. The head of Khortytsia General Syrsky, the head of Tavria General Tarnavsky. It is these operational groups that operate in Donbas."
Ukraine is feeding the world, it is in the common interest to ensure that Ukrainian agriculture quickly gets fully operational - Executive Director of UNEP

Exclusive interview with Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme Inger Andersen to the Interfax-Ukraine agency

Text: Valerie Proschenko

According to UNEP, which areas of the environment have been most affected?

We have to look at it in its totality. We see six areas that we have to pay attention to (chemicals issues, destruction in urban centers and of critical infrastructure, damage to fuel and associated infrastructure, nature, agricultural sector, status of the waste sector). And our report (https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/40746/environmental_impact_Ukraine_conflict.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y) goes through each of these.

For example, Ukraine has a significant chemical industry and produces important industrial chemicals that are needed for modern society. But of course, someone would always be concerned about that. So in an area, if my house is next to something like this, that's my biggest concern. In an area, if my house is next to the forest that burned, then that's my biggest concern. In an area where maybe oil has spilled into the water, then that's the biggest concern.

What I'm trying to say here is that each of these is a priority to the people and the livelihoods of the people who are dependent on something that has been impacted and touched by this terrible war. And the report tries to tell the world these are the six areas which Ukraine would need support. These are the six areas that Ukraine itself is focusing on. And these are the six areas that will be critical to ensure rehabilitation to ensure restoration of the environment in the long run.

The Ukrainian Minister of Environmental Protection claims that the amount of damage to Ukraines environment from the russian aggression already amounts to 1,9 trillion dollars (https://www.kmu.gov.ua/news/rik-povnomasshtabnoho-vtorhnennia-rf-sered-zhertv-i-ukrainske-dovkillia). Does UNEP have its own data on the amount of damage?

No, that is not what we do. We support the environment and we do support governments to do environmental assessments, to understand the damage, and to understand what needs to be done to fix it. The government itself is very interested in understanding the costs involved.

How many years would it take to restore the pre-war state of the environment in Ukraine?

Ukraine is working incredibly hard right now, constructing, reconstructing impressively. we see power being affected, and then the next two days later, the electricity is restored. So I think the resilience and determination of the Ukrainian people are important.

But I have to say that some impacts will have long-lasting effects. Especially if you have places where you have heavy fuel, heavy oil, and fuels in the soil. That doesn't go away. And so that will be decadal in nature.

There are other areas such as the sad reality of debris management. And of course, where nature has been destroyed, forest fires, and so on.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called the actions of Russians in Ukraine ecocide. UNEP. How does UNEP look at this statement?

This word is not a word that the UN has a definition for. It does not exist in our vocabulary, but obviously, everybody can understand that it is a heavy word. What I can say is that protecting the environment in conflict is critical. And it is absolutely essential that we think about the long-term consequences for the people in any conflict situation.

And the truth is that the environment is never in a good situation after the guns irrespective of where and how. From the United Nations, however, what I can say is that we understand that war has very negative impacts on the environment. The only thing that can stop that negative impact is peace.

For 9 years we have been at war in Donbas. Its the largest industrial part of Ukraine. We see heavy battles now every day. What will we see there when the guns will fall silent? From an environmental point of view

I can't speculate because I haven't been there. But I can only tell you that from other wars and other conflicts, we know that the more intense the fighting, the longer it takes to restore and rehabilitate.

If we take the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, where 600 oil wells were set on fire, where you had oil spills everywhere, that took decades. And that was just oil. It was not other things and it was not a protracted war. So, you need to understand that you can have pollution three meters down in the soil. And that will take a very long time.

So you have some plans for some areas, which will be held by the UN now, or maybe our government has asked you about something

The government here is very much working. We work with the Ministry of Environment. And here the primary issue is dealing with the training of the inspectors, inspectors who are throughout the country will be able to assess environmental damage, to make sure that they have the skills. That is our first objective. And that is what we have been doing. In October, we had the first team sent to Switzerland to move through the training. And now the team will come here and continue training.

Are they Ukrainians? I mean inspectors. And how many people?

Yes, they are Ukrainians. 25 people. It was the first batch, but in the country you will have hundreds. The ministry will give you the number because we will bring the trainers here. And that will be more effective.

Environmental problems in Ukraine may have a negative impact on other countries, especially Europe. In how many years will people face it?

We want to be very accurate. When you speak science, we don't want to give guesstimates. But obviously, transboundary impacts are a concern, whether it be transboundary waters, the air, obviously, air pollution, forest fires. This has impacts that are transboundary in nature, waterways, as well as subterranean water aquifers. If you get the pollution that settles into the groundwater, it can also have transboundary impacts.

I think each of these is precisely the area that we would wish to look at in greater detail, together with the relevant governments in the transboundary setting.

Besides inspectors, what else are you doing now with the Ukrainian government to help us?

We have just arrived. And so the largest thing that we need to do is to listen and to understand. We did not have a presence in Ukraine up until now. Now we do. So what we have done so far has been to support from afar. Now we will work very closely with the Ministry of Environment to help them get the kinds of skills that they need to deal with this very catastrophic situation. From an environmental point of view.

Ukraine has played an active role within Europe. Ukraine has signed most of the environmental agreements, whether it is on biodiversity and nature, whether it is on climate change, or whether it is on chemicals and waste. Right now, this is not the priority, the priority is the people and the health and well-being of the people of course. But what we have seen in other places of conflict is if you take your eyes off the environment, the environment is not going to heal itself.

In particular, it is important that reconstruction and construction be carried out using cleaner and greener methods to ensure that the environmental pollution that was existing prior to the conflict will be abated and not exist subsequently. So there's a lot of work also to be done to ensure that the right regulatory settings are in place as reconstruction happens. And that's an area that we will definitely be supporting.

So, the UN in the future may create additional programs there or give money for environmental issues?

What we bring is scientific knowledge, an understanding of the pollution dimension, in this case of environmental destruction, and how best to restore. Yes, we will definitely bring some money but that is not the most important. Because you need to understand the dimensions or pollution dimension and how they can affect the well-being of people. And that's actually very important when you go into a reconstruction mode.

We will expect to be here for at least four years and to have an office and a presence here. Then we will expect to be able to provide all of the technical support, and the technical know-how that the government will need to enable a sound and sustainable recovery. That's our job. And that's what we are doing in Iraq. And we did it in Kuwait. And we did it in the Balkans. And we did it in Haiti. And right now we are in Turkey because of the earthquake. And we were in Beirut after the port explosion.

Ukraine is a huge agricultural country. But the impact of the war on agriculture is already tangible. What are the biggest problems with our land despite mines?

I think it's important to say that, you know, Ukrainian agriculture is feeding the world. And it's important to say that it is in the world's distinct interest to support Ukraine, doing whatever it needs to do to ensure that agriculture very quickly gets fully operational. Why? Because Ukraine is feeding the world. And we've seen the importance of the grain initiative of the United Nations. That's point 1.

Point 2, of course, is once a demining story has been resolved, which will be a massive story. There are also aspects of what else might be an issue. Luckily, many of the big agricultural fields are far away from Industrial facilities. So that's very good because we're not necessarily seeing chemicals or other things in these vast fields. But there might be other substances that will need to be assessed that are the consequences of conflict. And so that will be a dimension that the government will have to deal with. But clearly, the priority has to be the demining.
Unilever to invest EUR 20 mln in construction of factory for production of hygiene products in Kyiv region

The British-Dutch company Unilever Plc will allocate EUR 20 million for the construction of a factory in Kyiv region for production of personal hygiene products, shampoos and shower gels under the brands Dove, Axe, TRESemme and Clear, the press service of the company told Interfax-Ukraine.

Construction is scheduled to start in 2023 and the factory is expected to open in 2024, according to the announcement.

It is indicated that the new production will create about 100 new jobs and will provide mainly the Ukrainian market, and will also potentially produce products for European markets.

According to Unilever, the factory will be built to high environmental standards using renewable energy technologies.

Unilever operates in over 100 countries. It produces products under the brands Knorr, Dove, Omo, Cif, Domestos, Ax, Rexona, Black Pearl, Pure Line, Inmarko, etc.

To date, Unilever has more than 100 employees in Ukraine.

At the beginning of March 2023, Unilever announced the suspension of investments in the Russian Federation and exports to this country, as well as the freezing of spending on media and advertising.
On Monday, March 20, at 12.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency will host a discussion entitled "Eastern Europe, PostRussian space  issues of long-term cooperation." Participants political scientist, candidate of philosophical sciences Valentyn Hladkykh; political analyst Kostiantyn Matviyenko; political scientist, co-founder of the National Platform for Sustainability and Cohesion Oleh Sahakian (8/5a Reitarska Street). The event will be streamed on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. Admission of journalists requires registration on the spot.
Fierce fighting raged in Sudan's capital despite an hours-long pause Sunday to address humanitarian needs including the evacuation of wounded, on the second day of battles that left three UN staff among more than 60 civilians killed.
The Egyptian government spares no effort in providing the best medical service to Egyptian women in accordance with international standards," Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said earlier in the month.

Abdel-Ghaffar's comments came during a conference for enhancing women's healthcare services held on 8 March on the occasion of International Women's Day.

He stressed that the government attaches great importance to women-related issues, emphasising womens health and their empowerment on health and social levels.

The conference was held in cooperation with private sector companies like Novartis; individuals including Dr. Mohamed Hassani, assistant minister of health for public health initiatives; Dr. Muhammad Al-Tayeb, assistant minister of health for technical affairs and governance; health ministry senior officials; medical teams working on the presidential Womens Health initiative and other authorities managing the womens health portfolio.

This celebration is a culmination of Egypts achievements in all women-related fields, mainly promoting their health and their families health, said the minister.

These achievements were made by providing every woman with high-quality medical services via initiatives and campaigns under the Womens Health initiative's slogan "100 Million Healthy Lives."

Since July 2019, 33,827,901 women accessed medical services at 3,538 healthcare units and 102 hospitals across the country under the initiative, the minister added.

He noted that the initiative achieved its goals in early cancer detection, showing that figures for stage one and stage two detections were up.

In addition, the initiative has increased womens awareness on the importance of regular examinations, boosting their communication with basic care units, providing disease screening services, enhancing womens reproductive healthcare and providing free treatment protocols.

Health Ministry Spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar said the minister commended the cooperation between civil society, government authorities, concerned sectors and private companies on women's issues, including healthcare.

He asserted the ministry's keenness to provide women with health services, including mobile medical teams that can reach them at work or at home.

He also pointed to mobile units providing mammogram and ultrasound screenings, saying that they cover the largest possible number of women and provide access to necessary health services.

He asserted that the days celebration was a key step in improving women's health services, stressing the need for open channels of communication with international institutions to share expertise.

This can help reduce the number of female cancer patients by increasing awareness among medical professionals about the latest treatment methods and protocols.

On the sidelines of the celebration, the health minister honoured a number of female workers from the Womens Health initiative's medical teams and workers in the health sector for their distinguished efforts, wishing them success in their careers.

The Ministry of Health and Population has established centres, upgraded pathology laboratories, secured 27 mammogram and five ultrasound machines for advanced examination centres and enhanced the oncology treatment system in Egypt.

It has also provided training and education to 17,747 trainees from the ministry's departments since the initiative's launch, as per international standards.

In addition, the ministry has reached an agreement with the French Gustave Roussy Institute and the Dar Es-Salaam Oncology Center to upskill medical staff.

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Slovakia will donate 13 MiG-29 warplanes to Ukraine, the Slovak prime minister said Friday, making it the second NATO member to announce such a shipment following a similar move by Poland.

"We will hand over 13 of our MiG-29 jets to Ukraine," Slovak premier Eduard Heger told journalists, adding that Bratislava would also deliver a Kub air defense system to Ukraine.

Ukraine has long requested fighter jets from Western allies, although seeking primarily modern US-made F-16s.

"Our steps are fully coordinated with Poland and Ukraine," Heger said, adding that his government "stands on the right side of history".

The Kremlin in response on Friday said the fighter jets given to Ukraine by Poland and Slovakia would be destroyed, and repeated that Western arms deliveries to Kyiv would not change Russia's military aims.

"The supply of this military equipment -- as we have repeatedly said -- will not change the outcome of the special military operation... Of course, all this equipment will be destroyed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists, using the official term for Moscow's military intervention.

Polish President Andrzej Duda on Thursday announced that Warsaw would send four Soviet-made MiG-29 jets to Ukraine "in the coming days".

Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said the transfer of MiGs from Slovakia to Kyiv will take "a couple of weeks".

The Slovak batch will include 10 operational MiG-29 fighter jets and an additional three that have not been operational since 2008.

Slovakia also has one other Mig-29 that will be placed in a military museum at home.

Slovakia plans to replace the jets with American F-16s. The changeover should take place no later than January 2024.

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Ten million children in west Africa's central Sahel region are now in "extreme jeopardy" and desperately need humanitarian help due to worsening violence, the United Nations warned Friday.

The number of children in dire need of aid in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger is twice as many as in 2020, the children's agency UNICEF said.

Meanwhile, a further four million children are at risk in neighbouring countries as battles between armed groups and security forces spill across the borders.

"Children are increasingly caught up in the armed conflict, as victims of intensifying military clashes, or targeted by non-state armed groups," Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF's regional director for west and central Africa, said.

"The year 2022 was particularly violent for children in the central Sahel. All parties to the conflict need to urgently stop attacks both on children, and their schools, health centres, and homes."

The region has been caught in a spiral of jihadist violence for years, with Mali struggling with an 11-year-old insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives and forced hundreds of thousands from their homes.

Meanwhile, Burkina Faso, one of the world's most volatile and impoverished countries, witnessed two military coups in 2022.

UNICEF said the armed conflict engulfing the region had become increasingly brutal, with some groups that operate across vast swathes of territory blockading towns and sabotaging water networks.

Schools burned, looted

In Burkina Faso, three times as many children were verified as killed during the first nine months of 2022 as in the same period in 2021, according to UN data.

Most died from gunshot wounds during attacks on their villages or as a result of improvised explosive devices or explosive remnants of war.

Armed groups which oppose state education "systematically burn and loot schools, and threaten, abduct or kill teachers", said UNICEF.

More than 8,300 schools have shut down across the three countries: more than one in five in Burkina Faso, while nearly a third of schools in Niger's Tillaberi region are no longer functional.

James Jones, UNICEF spokesman for the region, detailed "the extreme jeopardy facing the lives and futures of children in the central Sahel".

"Things have been accelerating downhill at an alarming pace," he told reporters in Geneva.

"Slowly and surely it has been spreading, and children -- millions of them -- are increasingly in the middle of it."

He said there were several factors behind the worsening trends, including higher food prices, chronic underfunding of humanitarian and development work, a lack of national commitment to child services, and climate change, with temperatures rising in the Sahel 1.5 times faster than the global average.

UNICEF called on all parties to the conflict to fulfil their "moral and legal obligations" towards children under international law, including ending attacks on youngsters and schools.

Spreading southwards

UNICEF said the violence was spreading from the central Sahel into the northern regions of Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Togo, which are remote communities where children have very limited access to protection and services.

"Insecurity is growing in these coastal countries, linked to similar activities by non-state armed groups," said Jones.

In 2022, UNICEF received only a third of the $391 million sought for the central Sahel appeal.

In 2023, it has appealed for $473.8 million for the humanitarian response plan in the central Sahel and neighbouring coastal countries.

The crisis needs long-term investment to foster "social cohesion, sustainable development, and a better future for children," Poirier said.

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Lelly Yah was released on 13 March, gaining almost 900,000 views on YouTube and becoming the second highest trending music video in Egypt.

Pablo's last song, El-Helal, was released in August 2022.

Fans welcomed the rapper back on TouTube and applauded his new single.

One user wrote: "After seven months of not hearing from you, we deserve this great song," which deals with modern day challenges faced by many.

The 27-year-old Marwan Pablo, who hails from Alexandria, became one of the best-known Egyptian rappers in recent years.

Earlier this month, Marwan Pablo was featured in rapper Xander Ghosts latest single Ogra.

Since 2 March, Ogra garnered almost one million views, making it the seventh highest trending video in Egypt.

Pablo is known for taking time away from the fans before he strikes back with a successful new single.

In February 2021, following a year-long absence, he released one of his most successful songs Ghaba, garnering over 26 million YouTube views to date.

He attributed his absence at the time to the pressure that was forced on him, the different levels of expectations that people have cornered him within, and the constant labeling." In early 2020, Pablo announced he would step back from his rapping career and deactivated his social media accounts. Nevertheless, he reactivated the accounts during his comeback in 2021.

While he has a large fan base in Egypt, Pablo is equally well-known across the Arab world as he has performed in many venues across the region, including Riyadh Season, a several month long festival that features the biggest names in the regional music industry.

Having many hits under his belt - Free, Ghaba, El Gemeza, Sindbad, Barbary, etc - Pablo was among the many Egyptian artists who dominated the most-listened-to lists in the Arab region on Spotify in 2022. This was preceded by his equally strong presence in the charts in 2021 where together with other known rappers, he challenged the icons of Egyptian pop music.

As his popularity continues to soar, Pablo has over 430,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone.

His ongoing success did not come without backlash, as the Egyptian Musicians Syndicate has challenged the rapper on several occasions, including temporarily banning his performances and placing high fines on lyrics that are deemed offensive to Egyptian family values.

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The visit by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to Egypt on Saturday Egypt inaugurates a path to re-establish normal relations between the two countries, read a statement released on Friday by the Spokesperson of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ahmed Abu Zeid.

The visit launches a deep-level dialogue on bilateral relations and regional and international issues of concern to both countries with the aim of reaching a mutual understanding that achieves the interests of the two brotherly states and peoples, Abu Zeid added.

Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry will meet with FM Cavusoglu at the headquarters of the ministry in downtown Cairo, Abu Zeid explained.

The meeting will be followed by an expanded meeting that will include the two foreign ministers and delegations.

Afterward, FMs Shoukry and Cavusoglu will hold a press conference, Abu Zeid added.

Earlier on Friday, a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced that FM Cavusoglu will travel to Egypt on Saturday at the invitation of his Egyptian counterpart, in the first such high-level trip in more than a decade as Cairo and Ankara repair relations.

The ministers will discuss bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues, the Turkish foreign ministry said.

Cavusoglus trip follows Shoukrys recent visit to Turkeys earthquake-hit region last month.

Egypt has provided aid to Turkey following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit both Turkey and Syria on 6 February causing over 50,000 casualties.

On the day of the tragedy, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi expessed in phone call to his Turkish counterpart Erdogan his condolences for the victims of the devastating earthquake.

Egypt-Turkey: Thawing in relations

In recent months, relations between Egypt and Turkey have been thawing at the state level following a decade long rupture.

In November, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement that Turkish President Erdogan and President El-Sisi agreed during a brief encounter in Qatar during World Cup to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries and affirmed the deep historical relations binding the two countries and their peoples.

In media remarks made a few days after their encounter in Qatar, Erdogan said he told President El-Sisi that he is keen to end the nine-year rupture between Turkey and Egypt and to avoid a problem between the two countries in the Mediterranean.

In mid February, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly met in Cairo with a delegation of 14 representatives of Turkish companies, which are operating in Egypt or planning to start new investments in the country, to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries.

The Turkish president added that the process of building Egyptian-Turkish relations would start with ministerial-level talks, to be followed by a meeting with President El-Sisi.

In November, FM Cavusoglu indicated that his country may re-appoint an ambassador to Egypt in the upcoming months.

Uninterrupted economic relations

Despite frosty diplomatic exchanges, business never stopped between the two countries never stopped. In 2022, Turkey was the largest importer of Egyptian products totalling $4 billion.

According to recent figures provided by the Commercial Counsellor of the Turkish Embassy in Cairo Atilla Yenigun, 200 Turkish companies are currently operating in Egypt with an investment volume of EGP 2 billion.

"We hope to increase the number of companies and the percentage of investments in the future,  Yenigun said in remarks last year.

The Turkish business delegation which visited Egypt recently expressed to PM Madbouly their gratitude for the full support Turkish investments receive in Egypt.

The delegation stressed that Turkish companies in Egypt have not faced any discrimination from the government based on nationality in the past 15 years.

It added that Turkish companies seek to benefit from Egypts strategic position as a trade and investment hub in Africa in light of its preferential trade agreements signed with African countries.

The delegation also reviewed during the meeting with Madbouly plans to increase their new investments by $500 million.

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A top commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces was among nine fighters killed when two helicopters crashed in Iraq earlier this week, the group said on Friday.

The SDF, which controls most of the northeast, has been a key ally of the US-led coalition fighting jihadists of the Islamic State group in Syria and neighboring Iraq.

Two helicopters carrying SDF counter-terrorism units to Sulaimaniyah, in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, on Wednesday evening "crashed due to bad weather, leading to the death of nine of our fighters," the group said in a statement.

Among the dead was SDF counter-terrorism commander Shervan Kobani -- a cousin of SDF leader Mazloum Abdi.

The SDF said the delegation was on its way to Iraqi Kurdistan "to exchange security and military expertise".

Its statement did not say whether the two aircraft had collided or give any other details of the crash.

Iraqi Kurdish authorities had said Thursday that five people were killed when a single helicopter came down in Dohuk, the most northerly of the provinces that make up the autonomous region.

The regional government's head of foreign media relations, Lawk Ghafuri, said initial investigations suggested "some" of the dead were members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a rebel group that has been fighting the Turkish army since 1984.

Turkey and its Western allies blacklist the PKK as a terrorist group.

But, despite shrill complaints from Ankara, Washington supports the SDF, which is the Kurdish administration's de facto army in the northeast and led the battle that dislodged IS from its last scrap of territory in Syria in 2019.

Ankara regards the dominant faction in the Syrian Kurdish administration, the People's Protection Units (YPG), as an offshoot of the PKK and has mounted repeated armed incursions to force its fighters out of areas near the border.

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French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday faced intensified protests and a no-confidence motion in parliament after pushing through a contentious pension reform without a vote in the lower house.

Despite two months of strikes and some of the biggest protests in decades, Macron's government on Thursday imposed the bill to hike the retirement age from 62 to 64.

The move sparked angry demonstrations across the country in the evening, with more than 300 people arrested nationwide, according to the interior minister.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Thursday invoking article 49.3 of the constitution to impose the pension overhaul by decree also provoked tumult in parliament and moves to file a motion of no confidence in the government.

The situation presents Macron, who has only made occasional public comments on the matter, with one of his biggest challenges less than one year into his second and final mandate.

On Friday morning, some 200 protesters briefly blocked traffic on the ring road outside the capital.

Soumaya Gentet, 51, a CGT union member from supermarket chain Monoprix, said she was incensed and would continue to protest until the bill was revoked.

"They're not taking into account what the people want," she said.

Her colleague Lamia Kerrouzi agreed. "Macron doesn't give a fig about the people," she said.

"He doesn't understand the language of the people. It needs to be repealed."

In the energy sector, strikers were to halt production at a large refinery by this weekend or Monday at the latest, CGT union representative Eric Sellini said.

Strikers continued to deliver less fuel than normal from several other sites, he added.

Unions have called for another day of mass strikes and protests for next Thursday, branding the government's move "a complete denial of democracy".

'Total failure'

Macron put the pensions reform, which also seeks to increase the number of years people have to work to receive a full pension, at the center of his re-election campaign last year.

But the 45-year-old centrist lost his parliamentary majority in June after elections for the lower-house National Assembly.

"We can't take the risk of seeing 175 hours of parliamentary debate come to nothing," Borne told parliament as she invoked article 49.3 amid jeers and boos from opposition lawmakers.

The move amounted to an admission the cabinet lacked a majority in the lower house to make the changes, despite appealing to the right-wing opposition Republican party for support.

Borne has used the controversial constitutional loophole 11 times since becoming head of government last year.

A bill is then considered adopted unless lawmakers vote no confidence in the government.

Several opposition parties, including the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) and far-right National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen, were set to call the no-confidence vote by Friday afternoon.

Borne's cabinet is largely expected to survive, thanks to backing from the Republicans, despite an increasingly febrile political situation.

Le Pen has called Thursday's cabinet move "a total failure for the government", while Jean-Luc Melenchon of the LFI urged for "spontaneous rallies across the country".

'Wreaking havoc'

Trains, schools, public services, and ports have since January been affected by strikes against the proposed reform.

A rolling strike by municipal garbage collectors in Paris has caused about 7,000 tonnes of trash to pile up in the streets, attracting rats and putting off tourists.

Thousands of protesters massed opposite the parliament on Thursday evening.

Police used tear gas and water cannon in the evening to clear protesters after a fire was lit in the center of the historic Place de la Concorde, and similar scenes unfolded across France.

The ensuing unrest saw 310 people arrested around the country, including 258 in Paris, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told RTL radio on Friday.

"The opposition is legitimate, the protests are legitimate, but wreaking havoc is not," he said.

An AFP photographer on Friday morning saw damage including a burnt-out public bicycle, a shattered shop window, and a scorched car in Paris.

According to polls, two-thirds of French people oppose the pension overhaul.

The political implications of forcing through the reform are uncertain.

The head of the CGT union, Philippe Martinez, warned this week that Macron risked "giving the keys" of the presidency to Le Pen at the next election in 2027 when Macron will be barred from seeking a third term.

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French President Emmanuel Macron's government on Friday faced no-confidence motions in parliament and intensified protests after imposing a contentious pension reform without a vote in the lower house.

The situation presents Macron, who has only made occasional public comments on the matter, with one of his biggest challenges less than one year into his second and final mandate.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Thursday invoked article 49.3 of the constitution to impose the pension overhaul by decree, sparking angry demonstrations nationwide that saw 300 people arrested, according to the interior ministry.

French opposition lawmakers on Friday retaliated by filing a motion of no-confidence in the government, hoping to repeal the deeply unpopular law to hike the retirement age from 62 to 64.

"The vote on this motion will allow us to get out on top of a deep political crisis," said lawmaker Bertrand Pancher, whose motion was signed by independents and members of the broad left-wing NUPES coalition.

The far-right National Rally (RN) filed a second motion, but that was expected to get less backing.

RN lawmaker Laure Lavalette however said her party would vote for "all" no-confidence motions filed.

"What counts is scuppering this unfair reform bill," she said.

Borne's cabinet is largely expected to survive any vote, thanks to backing from the opposition right-wing Republicans, despite an increasingly febrile political situation.

'Won't give up'

Across France, fresh protests erupted on Friday in the latest show of popular opposition to the bill since mid-January.

"We won't give up," said Philippe Melaine, a 49-year-old biology teacher. "There's still hope that the reform can be revoked."

Dozens of protesters flooded onto the train tracks at the main station in the southwestern city of Bordeaux, an AFP photographer said.

Earlier in the day, some 200 protesters briefly blocked traffic on the ring road outside the capital Paris.

In the energy sector, strikers were to halt production at a large refinery by this weekend or Monday, CGT union representative Eric Sellini said.

Strikers continued to deliver less fuel than normal from several other sites, he added.

Unions have called for another day of mass strikes and protests for next Thursday, branding the government's move "a complete denial of democracy".

'Playing with fire'

Macron put the pensions reform, which also seeks to increase the number of years people have to work to receive a full pension, at the centre of his re-election campaign last year.

But the 45-year-old centrist lost his parliamentary majority in June after elections for the lower-house National Assembly.

Opposition lawmakers jeered and booed as Borne invoked the controversial article 49.3 to ram through the pensions law on Thursday.

The move amounted to an admission the cabinet lacked a majority in the lower house to make the changes.

The influential Le Monde newspaper accused Macron of "playing with fire".

"If the country slides into a new bout of anger or locks itself into vengeful paralysis, the executive will only have itself to blame," it said in an editorial.

Borne has used the contested loophole to bypass a parliament vote 11 times since becoming prime minister last year.

RN figurehead Marine Le Pen, who leads its MPs in parliament, has described Thursday's cabinet move as "a total failure for the government".

Jean-Luc Melenchon of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party earlier on Friday called for "spontaneous rallies across the country".

'Wreaking havoc'

Trains, schools, public services, and ports have since January been affected by strikes against the proposed reform.

A rolling strike by municipal garbage collectors in Paris has caused about 10,000 tonnes of trash to pile up in the streets, according to the mayor's office, attracting rats and putting off tourists.

Thousands of protesters massed opposite the parliament on Thursday evening.

Police used tear gas to clear protesters after a fire was lit in the center of the historic Place de la Concorde, and similar scenes unfolded across France.

The ensuing unrest saw 310 people arrested around the country, including 258 in Paris, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.

"The opposition is legitimate, the protests are legitimate, but wreaking havoc is not," he said.

According to polls, two-thirds of French people oppose the pension overhaul.

The head of the CGT union, Philippe Martinez, warned this week that Macron risked "giving the keys" of the presidency to Le Pen in 2027.

The far-right leader made it into the second round against Macron in both previous presidential polls.

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Egypts Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly witnessed the inauguration of a number of industrial mega projects in the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) carried out by the private sector, the cabinet announced on Thursday.

Madbouly noted that his visit to the zone shows the states keenness in encouraging and attracting such projects to propel investments and support the national economy.

FanYang

The first project visited by Madbouly was the Egypt FanYang factory for textile printing and dyeing, which is part of the China-Egypt TEDA cooperation zone near Ain Sokhna.

The project aims to produce 30,000 tons of clothing fabrics, blankets and home furnishings annually with a value of $150 million, according to the factorys owner.

The factory cost $60 million and spans an area of 120,000 square metres, he added.

The opening comes within the framework of advancing economic and trade cooperation between China and Egypt and aims to establish a domestic textile industrial zone in Egypt, the factory owner affirmed.

Jushi-Egypt

Also in the TEDA zone, Madbouly witnessed the inauguration of a new fibreglass production line from Jushi-Egypt, which is affiliated with the Chinese company Jushi.

Following the launch of the new production line, the factory ranks fourth worldwide for the production of fibreglass, according to Jushi CEO Woo Ben.

The factory exports its products through Egypts ports, Woo Ben added.

The new production line occupies a space of 120,841 square metres and includes an oven, a mill for quarried materials and storage space of the final product, he continued.

The new line cost $320 million to establish and aims to produce 200,000 tons of material annually, Woo Ben added.

He asserted that this project comes within the framework of strengthening economic cooperation and trade between Egypt and China.

Mercedes-Benz's logistics centre

Also among the projects inaugurated was a Mercedes-Benz logistics centre in the Sokhna Industrial Zone.

Head of the General Authority for SCZone Waleed Gamal El-Din underlined its importance, stressing that the project is attracting investments from major international companies to help achieve the goals of the countrys Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS): Egypt Vision 2030.

Gerd Bitterlich, the new CEO and president of Mercedes-Benz Egypt, said the logistics centre is worth EGP 35 million and spans an area of 20,000 square metres.

Bitterlich noted that the centre can handle 12,000 cars annually.

The centre includes a yard for storing cars, a place for spare parts and a maintenance workshop, he added.

Kadmar International for Shipping and Logistics

Furthemore, Madbouly oversaw the opening of the Kadmar International for Shipping and Logistics.

The project is a logistical platform for handling containers, goods and cars, as well as preparing goods, such as food products, for export, according to Vice Chairman of the Kadmar Group Medhat El-Qady.

The platform acts a middleman between sea ports, air ports, local markets, distribution zones and industrial zones, El-Qady added.

Among the benefits of the project will be the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, in part through the use of solar panels and reduction of wait times, he said.

The project was launched ahead of schedule due to the positive role played by the SCZone and thanks to the support of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, El-Qady said.

The project occupies an area of 109,000 square metres and had an investment cost of $35 million, he added.

Al-Ain Al-Sokhna GOEIC laboratories

Madbouly also witnessed the inauguration of the central laboratories of the General Organisation for Import and Export Control (GOEIC) at Ain Sokhna Port, which will test imports upon arrival.

The new laboratories will speed up the release of imports in line with international standards and ensure a prominent position for Egypt in foreign trade, Madbouly stressed.

Testing time will be reduced, avoiding the accumulation of products in Egyptian ports, Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir announced.

This will also ensure low-quality goods do not enter the country, protecting the health and safety of Egyptian consumers, Samir continued.

The laboratories trial run in September was a success, announced Chairman of the GOEIC Essam Al-Naggar.

The different testing laboratories cover a wide array of products, including leather and shoes, childrens toys, oil filters, fuel filters and pumps.

Furthermore, there highly specialised laboratories including ones for acid and dry battery testing, spectral analysis and environmental testing, hydraulic stress, fractional motor testing and for rims and tire testing.

There is also a laboratory dedicated to testing household appliances such as heaters, refrigerators, washing machines, billet ovens and heaters.

The GOEIC is keen on implementing the highest international quality standards in line with Egypts Vision 2030, he concluded.

Agricultural Quarantine Testing Laboratories

Madbouly also witnessed the inauguration of an agricultural quarantine testing laboratory.

The new laboratory aims to speed up the process of customs release, reducing the time spent at ports to no more than 48 hours, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation El-Sayed El-Quseir announced.

He noted that the establishment of laboratories at the ports greatly reduces this time as products will no longer need to be transferred to Cairo for testing.

Seven different agricultural quarantine laboratories have been constructed specialised in testing for different issues, said Head of Central Administration of Agricultural Quarantine Ahmed El-Attar.

This includes laboratories for examination of quarantine, fungal disease, insects and viral diseases, as well as a room for storing samples El-Attar continued.

Such measures will ensure that imports are free from pests, protecting Egypts agricultural wealth, he concluded.

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Syrians were caught off guard by the new role that China seems to be taking in the Middle East. Last week, China not only brokered a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran, it also publicly accused Washington of pillaging Syria and demanded that the US exit the country. Both these issues have backstories and long-term consequences, indicating that the Syrian question is likely change in unpredictable ways.

At a news conference last week, Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, accused the US of major and continued pillaging of Syria. Zhao said that US interference, especially militarily, resulted in major losses among civilians and immeasurable economic losses. It also displaced millions of people. He added that the US imposed harsh coercive measures that deprived Syrians of their basic needs. Control of 80 per cent of Syrian oil by US forces further compounds the humanitarian crisis. He concluded, the US measures of aggression, sanctions and support of terrorists rendered a once prosperous nation that welcomed refugees into a destroyed country that resembles a large refugee camp.

This unprecedented attack on the US by China serves two purposes. First, it is a message that Beijing, which used its veto power six times in favour of the Syrian regime against the opposition and is an organic partner of Russia that wholeheartedly supports President Bashar Al-Assad, is also an ally of the regime. And this relationship will continue, unlike the positions of most other countries that demand the regime should agree to a political solution before mending ties.

Ayham Rifaat, a Syrian political analyst, argues, China wants to support the Syrian regime by lifting sanctions and ending the international boycott of the regime. Therefore, it is radically trying to blame the US for the tragedies that have occurred in Syria over the past 12 years. However, Beijing is ignoring the roles of Russia, Iran and the regime itself in what has unfolded in Syria as well as the role of Iranian and Lebanese militias in the country. China sees them all as innocent while the only problem is the US. This is unrealistic and a deficient vision that lacks logic and political acumen.

The Saudi-Iranian agreement sponsored by Beijing came as a shock to the Syrian opposition, and it was even more disturbing than Chinas criticism of Washington. The deal paves the way for the return of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia, the oppositions main supporter, and Iran, a staunch ally of the regime. This worries the Syrian opposition because it could upset delicate balances and alliances. While the opposition grew anxious and concerned, the Syrian government warmly welcomed the deal and greatly appreciated Chinas sincere efforts.

This step will enhance security and stability in the region, government spokespeople said, hoping that these efforts will continue to include relations among our Arab countries. They hoped the agreement would also improve Syrian-Saudi relations, end sanctions against the Syrian regime, and open the door to broader Arab normalisation.

For 12 years, Iran supported the Syrian regime in its long war. Tehran provided financial and military assistance and partnered in the war effort through Iranian, Iraqi and Lebanese militias. To some extent, it also dominated Syrias political and military decisions. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia provided the opposition with political and military support, and was a key advocate of regime change in Syria.

Neither the opposition nor the regime know whether Saudi Arabia or Iran will change their positions on the Syrian issue due to this agreement, or whether the Syrian stage will be excluded and nothing will change because this is a sensitive issue and a global priority.

Chinas efforts come at a time when US-Chinese relations are very tense, especially after Chinese spy balloons were spotted over US territories and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cancelled a trip to Beijing to mend fences. Meanwhile, the US Congress is discussing Chinas threat to US hegemony around the world, amid ongoing tensions over Taiwan. Washington is also bolstering relations with Chinas neighbours by creating a four-party alliance with Japan, Australia and India. It has threatened to sanction China if it supplies Russia with weapons to support the war effort in Ukraine.

The deal also comes at a time when US-Saudi relations are obviously cold, especially after Saudi Arabia decided to reduce its oil production and ignored appeals by the US to postpone reducing oil production. Saudi and Russian relations, however, are notably improving.

The opposition anticipates that Iran will not uphold its side of the bargain and will continue interfering in the affairs of regional countries. It will not stop interfering in Syrias domestic affairs; it will not ease its hold on Syrian political decision-making; it will not withdraw its militias and Hizbullah militias from Syria. These requirements

are all stipulated in the agreement with Saudi Arabia.

A more optimistic camp in the opposition believes the Saudi-Iranian agreement may end disagreements between two heavyweights in the region. If the deal is implemented, it could be a means to douse the fire and so reduce tensions between the main supporters of the opposition and the regime. It could force all Syrian players

to implement international resolutions regarding a political solution in the country.

However, Brigadier General Ahmed Rahal, member of the Syrian opposition, believes Iran is certain to circumvent the agreement on issues pertaining to Syria and others. The reconciliation agreement stipulates that Saudi Arabia and Iran should stop interfering in the domestic affairs of other countries, Rahal said. But the dilemma lies in implementation. Even though China vouched to oversee implementation. Iran views its overseas centres of power as its first line of defence of the theocratic regime and its presence in these countries is based on understandings and requests by the governments there, but in fact they are subject to Tehrans will. Most people in the region reject this, and Iran will never end its interference on the pretext that it is the request of the governments of those countries.

Although the White House downplayed the significance of the Saudi-Iranian agreement and ignored Chinas accusations, it cannot ignore the repercussions of Chinas strategic pivot. It is a clear expansion of Chinas role in the Middle East at the expense of the roles of Europe and the US.

It is a victory for China to impose itself as a strategic player in the Gulf region, according to Syrian researcher Mahmoud Othman. It represents a geo-political challenge for Washington in the 21st century. The Saudi-Iranian deal is an unprecedented historic turning point, ushering in Chinas era in the Middle East and perhaps the world. This means any Iranian aggression against Saudi Arabia will be deterred by China (which guarantees Riyadhs security to some extent), not the US. More accurately, Gulf security in general, and Saudi security in particular, has become Chinas responsibility when in the past it was Washingtons.

It is difficult to predict what will happen next in Syria. It will be hard for Saudi Arabia to simply switch sides and support the Syrian regime. The agreement with Iran is one thing, and a deal with the regime is another based on many other factors and calculations. Nonetheless, it is clear that China, which attacks US presence in Syria and sponsors reconciliation agreements between Iran and Saudi Arabia, has launched a new phase in imposing itself as a powerful political player in the region, one that does not necessarily hide behind the Russians, but rather stands in the forefront like any other major country intervening in the Syrian conflict.

Irans infiltration of the Middle East is not limited to Syria alone, where Tehran dominates political decisions and has penetrated it economically and militarily. It also includes Lebanon, which is in a political and economic crisis under the influence of Hizbullah. In Iraq, Iran has dug its claws deeply through the Popular Mobilisation Forces and Shiite political players. Yemen, meanwhile, is mired in an absurd war. And all this is in accordance with the principle of exporting the revolution as enshrined in the Iranian constitution.

Will the export of the Iranian Revolution to the Arab countries ever cease? Will the Iranian Revolutionary Guard stop supporting jihad in Arab countries? Arabs must wait for an answer before they can judge the extent of Chinas ability to influence regional politics.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 16 March, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Britain said on Thursday it would ban TikTok on government phones with immediate effect, a move that follows other Western countries in barring the Chinese-owned video app over security concerns.

TikTok has come under increasing scrutiny due to fears that user data from the app owned by Beijing-based company ByteDance could end up in the hands of the Chinese government, undermining Western security interests.

"The security of sensitive government information must come first, so today we are banning this app on government devices. The use of other data-extracting apps will be kept under review," Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden said in a statement.

The British government had asked the National Cyber Security Centre to look at the potential vulnerability of government data from social media apps and risks around how sensitive information could be accessed and used. The United States, Canada, Belgium and the European Commission have already banned the app from official devices.

"Restricting the use of TikTok on government devices is a prudent and proportionate step following advice from our cyber security experts," Dowden said.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told lawmakers on Thursday the U.S. banking system remains sound even though two regional banks failed in the last week.

She told the Senate Finance Committee that Americans "can feel confident" their deposits "will be there when they need them."

Yellen said the government "took decisive and forceful actions to strengthen public confidence" in the U.S. banking system by ensuring that all depositors, including those holding uninsured funds exceeding $250,000, were protected by federal deposit insurance when Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsed.

Some critics of the government's action have called it a bailout, but investors have lost their financial stakes in the two banks, something that would not occur in the normal definition of a bailout, and their executives have been fired.
First lady Kim Keon-hee, who is visiting Japan with President Yoon Suk-yeol, met with Japanese first lady Yukio Kishida on Thursday.

The two women first socialized by making traditional Japanese sweets at the prime minister's residence in Tokyo.

A government official said, "Ahead of this summit, the Japanese government took a close look at the tastes of the president and first lady and prepared events that symbolize the strengthening of bilateral friendship. They put in a lot of effort into 'soft diplomacy' between the two first ladies."
Ssangyong released a couple of teaser images of its new SUV on Thursday.

The midsize SUV, named the Torres EVX, is the automaker's second electric model after its spacious Korando e-Motion SUV but the latest one comes with its own EV platform for the first time, which was co-developed with Chinese carmaker BYD.

The SUV-centric carmaker said the latter half of the SUV's name was coined from the word "extreme" to describe the vehicle's highly dynamic performance.
By Julia Longbottom, KYODO NEWS - Mar 17, 2023 - 15:17 | All, World, Japan

As the threats to our defense and security increase, so our nations will need to improve how we protect our territory, our citizens and our values.

The security environment in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions has deteriorated rapidly in the past decade and, sadly, all indications suggest this trend will continue. Authoritarian regimes are challenging regional stability and the rules-based international order.

Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine demonstrates this and shows how territorial integrity and the peaceful existence of neighbors can be challenged.

Political and military leaders in open, democratic states have a duty to act, both now and in planning for the future, to ensure we can protect our citizens.

Democratic nations with shared values have one great advantage over regimes who ignore the rule of law and put global peace and stability at risk. That strength is our ability to work with friends and allies across the world who share those values.

We cooperate in trade and in addressing global challenges, such as climate change, to assure our collective prosperity. And we cooperate to deter and defend ourselves against threats to peace and security, even when we are on opposite sides of the world.

Perhaps it should therefore come as no surprise that the United Kingdom, Japan and Italy have agreed to cooperate in combat air: an area of the defense industry and military capability that will remain at the heart of our national defense for decades to come.

The Global Combat Air Programme will be one of the many programs exhibiting at Defence & Security Equipment International Japan this week and will demonstrate how our three nations have come together in a truly ground-breaking partnership.

Collectively, we have some of the finest industrial and technological expertise in the world. And we each share deep and vital defense relationships with the United States.

As Britain's Ambassador to Japan, I am particularly excited about the opportunity this global partnership offers.

It is a tangible demonstration of the U.K.'s commitment to Indo-Pacific security and prosperity. It will provide high-tech jobs in all three countries and ensure we stay at the cutting edge of innovation. It will provide a platform for deeper people-to-people ties across government, industry and defense.

By investing in our respective and shared industrial bases, we will together develop technologies that can overcome rapidly evolving threats, while at the same time giving us the sovereign freedoms, affordability and prosperity benefits our citizens deserve.

The U.K. and Japan are each other's closest security partners in Europe and Asia respectively. GCAP is the latest example of our deepening security and defense relationship, building on the progress of the last five years. The 2021 deployment of our Carrier Strike Group led by the Queen Elizabeth to Japan, the ongoing presence of our offshore patrol vessels in the region and last year's joint land exercises in Japan were a visible demonstration of that partnership.

They have built a foundation for the future. We continue to look for opportunities to enhance security and defense collaboration across all domains including in cyber, AI and space.

GCAP will open many further opportunities for U.K.-Japan cooperation and shows that we are both fully committed to an ever deeper relationship, and to global peace and security.

(Julia Longbottom has been serving as Britain's ambassador to Japan since March 2021.)
KYODO NEWS - Mar 17, 2023 - 20:52 | All, Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pledged Friday to implement the necessary measures to allow 85 percent of male workers who have a child to take paternity leave by fiscal 2030 to tackle the falling birthrate.

Kishida said at a press conference that his government will also take steps to push up wages for young workers and boost economic assistance to them to create an environment conducive to raising their children free of concerns.

"In the 2030s, the young population in Japan will decline at twice the current rate. The next six to seven years will be the last chance to turn around the declining birthrate," Kishida said, adding his government will map out a child policy package by the end of March.

In Japan, 85.1 percent of eligible women took maternity leave in fiscal 2021 through March 2022, but only 13.97 percent of men did so. Many workers say they worry that taking time off may increase colleagues' workload.

The number of babies born in Japan in 2022 fell to a new record low for the seventh consecutive year, dropping below 800,000 for the first time since records began in 1899, government data showed late last month.

Kishida has expressed an eagerness to increase spending to fight the declining birthrate, saying that focusing on child policies is this year's most pressing agenda item, but he has stopped short of clarifying how to fund the budget.

Japan's public expenditures related to family support stood at around 10 trillion yen ($75 billion) in fiscal 2020, accounting for 2.01 percent of gross domestic product in the year and underscoring that the country has lagged behind developed European economies.

Sweden spent 3.46 percent, Britain 2.98 percent and France 2.81 percent of their GDPs on child care, according to data released in fiscal 2018 by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in Tokyo.

How Kishida plans to procure the budget for family support remains unclear, fueling speculation that his government will carry out large-scale tax hikes to finance the costs.

Kishida's remarks on Friday came with some critics saying he might turn to "pork barrel" policies in the run-up to a string of local elections in April.

The premier, meanwhile, has decided to roughly double Japan's defense spending over the next five years and to acquire enemy base strike capabilities to deter attacks in a major shift in security policy amid mounting regional military threats.

The Kishida administration has voiced its readiness to raise corporate, income and tobacco taxes "at an appropriate time" in fiscal 2024 or later to secure roughly 1 trillion yen ($7.5 billion) in fiscal 2027 to beef up Japan's defense capabilities.

Related coverage:

Japan births hit all-time low in 2022, below 800,000 for 1st time

FOCUS: Kishida set to be asked to boost economy after tapping new BOJ chief

Gov't revises PM's pledge to double Japan's budget for children
KYODO NEWS - Mar 18, 2023 - 01:40 | World, All

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a three-day state visit to Russia from Monday at the invitation of his counterpart Vladimir Putin, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Friday, his first trip to the country since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last year.

The two leaders are expected to discuss the Ukraine crisis, as well as ways to boost bilateral ties. In February, China sought a comprehensive cease-fire in Ukraine in a position paper issued on the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of the neighboring country.

If Xi makes a call for a cease-fire in Ukraine during the visit, the United States will oppose it, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said later in an online press briefing.

In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press conference that Xi's Russia visit will be a "trip for peace," pledging that Beijing will "uphold an objective and fair position" on the crisis and "play a constructive role" in promoting peace talks.

Wang said that Xi and Putin have maintained close exchanges in recent years to develop a comprehensive strategic partnership, and that Xi's upcoming trip will "further deepen mutual trust and understanding" between the two countries. The two leaders will "jointly draw up a new blueprint" for the development of bilateral relations, he added.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Friday that Putin and Xi will have an informal lunch on Monday in Moscow, with formal talks planned for the next day.

The Wall Street Journal has recently reported that Xi is planning to hold a virtual meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the Chinese leader's trip to Russia.

Asked about the Xi-Zelenskyy talks at the news conference, the spokesman only said that China will "maintain communication with all parties."

The U.S. government hopes Xi will also reach out to Zelenskyy rather than speaking only to Putin, Kirby said.

The Xi visit comes as the United States has expressed concern over allegations that Beijing is considering providing lethal weapons to Russia to support its Ukraine war effort.

Wang claimed at the press conference that China engages in "normal economic and trade cooperation with all countries, including Russia," and "always handles exports of military items in a prudent and responsible manner."

Beijing has said it is opposed to the unilateral sanctions Western countries have imposed on Moscow over the war but showed consideration for Kyiv's position in the document, saying, "The sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries must be effectively upheld."

Xi, who recently secured a norm-breaking third five-year term as president at China's parliament, last met Putin in person in September 2022 in Uzbekistan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

Earlier last year, the two leaders reaffirmed that their bilateral friendship has "no limits," but Xi later expressed his concerns about the war and objected to the use or threatened use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang talked with Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba over the phone and urged relevant parties to resume peace talks as soon as possible to settle the crisis in Ukraine, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Related coverage:

China "resolutely opposed" to external interference in Taiwan: Xi

China brushes off U.S. allegation it might supply weapons to Russia

Ukraine steps up efforts to bar Russian athletes from Paris Olympics
KYODO NEWS - Mar 17, 2023 - 17:19 | All, Japan, World

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday called for Japan to conduct a scientific analysis before releasing treated radioactive water into the sea from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, Japanese lawmakers said.

With concern lingering about the impact of the treated water on the ocean environment, Yoon's remarks came during a meeting with former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, the soon-to-be new head of a cross-party group of lawmakers promoting friendly ties between Tokyo and Seoul.

Suga was quoted by lawmakers as telling Yoon, who became the first South Korean president to visit Japan in four years on Thursday, that the government has "proceeded with the plan" to discharge the treated water in conjunction with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Regarding the treated water, the IAEA has carried out several safety reviews of the release plan to ensure the discharge is in line with international safety standards and poses no harm to public health and the environment.

In addition to South Korea, however, Japan's neighbors, China and Taiwan, have expressed opposition to Tokyo's decision, claiming the treated water would hurt the marine environment, food safety and human health.

In 2021, the government under Suga decided to release the treated radioactive water that is accumulating at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, damaged by the devastating March 2011 earthquake and ensuing tsunami.

Yoon and Suga held talks a day after the president and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to work together to normalize relations by resolving major disputes.

Suga said he evaluates the outcome of the summit highly, voicing eagerness to take measures to boost person-to-person exchanges between Japan and South Korea, while Yoon responded by saying the leaders made "big progress" on bilateral ties.

At the summit, Yoon and Kishida confirmed their countries will restart reciprocal leader visits after a 12-year hiatus and bolster security cooperation.

Suga, a lawmaker of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, will be the first former prime minister to take the South Korea outreach position since Yoshiro Mori held it between 2001 and 2010. He will replace former Finance Minister Fukushiro Nukaga as early as this month.

After serving as chief Cabinet secretary from 2012, Suga was premier from 2020 to 2021. He was involved in the negotiations leading to the 2015 agreement with South Korea to settle the issue of "comfort women" who were forced to work in Japanese wartime military brothels.

Relations between Tokyo and Seoul plunged to the lowest point in decades over a wartime labor row under Yoon's predecessor Moon Jae In after South Korea's top court in 2018 ordered two Japanese companies to compensate the plaintiffs.

But Yoon, who became president in May 2022, has been making efforts to improve ties with Japan while strengthening military cooperation with the United States as North Korean missile launches continue to threaten regional security.

On March 6, South Korea announced its solution to the wartime labor dispute, which centers on a government-backed foundation paying compensation to former Korean laborers and their relatives on behalf of the two Japanese firms.

As Kishida, who took office in October 2021, has been also willing to normalize communication with South Korea, former Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso visited Seoul and held talks with Yoon in November last year. Yoon and Aso met again on Friday.

Separately, Yoon on Friday vowed to boost economic cooperation between Japan and South Korea at a meeting held in Tokyo by the major business lobby groups of both countries, a day after their announcement that they will each establish a foundation to tackle common issues.

"We will do our utmost to support (companies) so they can create innovative business opportunities," Yoon said, adding there are many areas over which the business communities in both countries could collaborate, including semiconductor production.

The Japan Business Federation and the Federation of Korean Industries said Thursday that the "future partnership" foundations will aim to conduct research and undertake projects in areas such as energy security and decarbonization, alongside looking at how to deal with aging societies and shared geopolitical risks.

The two business lobbies will each contribute 100 million yen ($750,000) to their respective foundations and plan to solicit funding from private companies in the future.

Related coverage:

FOCUS: Japan, South Korea leaders' mutual visits key to balanced diplomacy

South Korea wartime laborers file suit to collect money from Japan firm

Japan, South Korea business lobbies to launch foundations to deepen ties
KYODO NEWS - Mar 17, 2023 - 18:23 | World, All

North Korea said Friday it conducted a launch drill for a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile the previous day to give "a stronger warning to the enemies" amid a large-scale military exercise being conducted by the United States and South Korea.

The launch drill, guided by leader Kim Jong Un, confirmed the war readiness of an ICBM unit and "the exceptional militancy" of the North's strategic forces and verified their reliability, the official Korean Central News Agency said.

The ICBM test took place just hours before the Japanese and South Korean leaders held a summit in Tokyo to discuss issues, including cooperation in responding to Pyongyang's threats.

In response to the missile firing and to ensure their readiness to respond to emergencies, Japan's Air Self-Defense Force and U.S. Air Force conducted a joint fighter jet drill over the Sea of Japan on Friday, Japan's Defense Ministry said.

North Korea conducted multiple launches last year of the Hwasong-17 ICBM, which can potentially travel over 15,000 kilometers and reach the U.S. mainland, but it is the first time Pyongyang has said the missile was used for a drill.

Kim expressed "great satisfaction" over the drill and stressed the need to "strike fear into the enemies" and "really deter war," KCNA said.

The leader also reiterated that North Korea would "react to nuclear weapons with nukes and frontal confrontation in kind" and called for strictly maintaining the rapid response posture of the strategic forces to cope with any armed conflict and war, it added.

Photos released by the media showed the leader was accompanied by his daughter during the on-the-spot guidance.

Kim accused the United States and South Korea of showing "open hostility" by frequently staging large-scale military drills on and around the Korean Peninsula, according to the news agency.

Seoul and Washington began the 11-day Freedom Shield exercise on Monday, the first large-scale springtime military drill in five years. North Korea has denounced such exercises as a rehearsal for invasion.

The Hwasong-17, launched Thursday from Pyongyang International Airport, traveled up to a maximum altitude of 6,045 km and flew a distance of 1,000.2 km for 1 hour, 9 minutes and 11 seconds before accurately landing on a preset area in open waters, KCNA said.

The launch drill "had no negative impact on the security of neighboring countries," the agency added.

Japan's Defense Ministry said Thursday the missile was believed to have fallen outside the country's exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan after flying for 70 minutes, with no reports of damage to aircraft or vessels.

The missile was fired on a steep vertical path or "lofted" trajectory, according to the South Korean military.

Related coverage:

North Korea conducts ICBM test ahead of Japan-South Korea summit
Xue Bing, special envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaks during a press conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 14, 2023. China supports the efforts of the Ethiopian government and people to achieve national peace, unity and development, said Xue. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

ADDIS ABABA, March 15 (Xinhua) -- China supports the efforts of the Ethiopian government and people to achieve national peace, unity and development, said Xue Bing, special envoy for the Horn of Africa Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The special envoy, while addressing members of the press here Tuesday, said the basic public services and humanitarian aid have resumed gradually, and the preparation for the interim administration in the Tigray region made positive progress.

The special envoy said Ethiopia has entered a new stage with a hope for peace and a focus on development. He said as Ethiopia's good brother, friend, and partner, China is sincerely pleased about the progress and extended congratulations.

China always believes that the Tigray conflict is the domestic affairs of Ethiopia and should be resolved by the Ethiopian people themselves through negotiation and dialogue, Xue said, stressing that the peace progress in Ethiopia demonstrates that the Ethiopian people have the wisdom and ability to independently resolve their internal differences through negotiation and dialogue.

The peace progress in Ethiopia shows African people solving African problems in African ways is the sure path toward the settlement of the complex issues of the region, he said.

Noting that China always respects Ethiopia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, he said China supports the efforts of the Ethiopian government and people to achieve national peace, unity and development.

He said China opposes interference in other countries' sovereignty and domestic affairs in the name of humanitarianism and human rights.

At the beginning of 2022, China proposed the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa, which envisages supporting countries in the region in seeking strength through unity and achieving prosperity and stability.

Xue said China supported the convening of the inaugural Horn of Africa Peace Conference, and made positive contributions to building consensus among all parties and promoting peace and development in the region.

China has provided multiple batches of food, vaccines and other humanitarian supplies to Ethiopia to help ease the difficulties of people in conflict-affected areas, said Xue, affirming that China will continue to do so and will actively participate in the reconstruction of conflict-affected areas.

The special envoy also reiterated China's call on the international community to increase humanitarian assistance to Ethiopia, lift unilateral sanctions on Ethiopia, and support the reconstruction and economic and social development of the relevant regions with concrete actions to help Ethiopia to achieve lasting peace, development and prosperity.

Ethiopia, Africa's second most populous nation, has seen a devastating conflict between government-allied troops and forces loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) since November 2020, which left thousands of people dead and millions more in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The Ethiopian government and the TPLF on Nov. 2, 2022, signed a cessation of hostilities agreement to end the conflict. 
BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense spokesperson on Thursday said the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will resolutely safeguard the country's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will leave no room for "Taiwan independence" separatist activities in any form.

Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China's defense ministry, made the remarks in response to a press inquiry on recent provocative acts by the United States, which have heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

The root cause of increasing tensions in the Strait is the Democratic Progressive Party authorities' provocative acts to collude with external forces in seeking "Taiwan independence," and their obstinate determination to stand on the opposite side of the Chinese nation's fundamental interests, Tan said.

It is justified for the PLA to carry out military operations in response to external interference and secessionist activities seeking "Taiwan independence," Tan added.

Taiwan is China's Taiwan, and the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair and the core of China's core interests, Tan said, stressing that the Taiwan question is the first red line that can not be crossed in China-U.S. relations.

China firmly opposes any form of official exchanges or military contact between the United States and Taiwan, and resolutely opposes the United States elevating its substantive relations with Taiwan in any form, Tan said.

"We urge the United States to give up its attempt to use Taiwan to contain China, and cease its 'salami tactics' and further action on the Taiwan question," Tan said. 
Photo taken on March 16, 2023 shows a building of Credit Suisse in Geneva, Switzerland. As the shares of Credit Suisse fell to a record low on Wednesday, the second largest bank in Switzerland said it would borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs (53.89 billion U.S. dollars) from the Swiss National Bank (SNB). (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

GENEVA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- As the shares of Credit Suisse fell to a record low on Wednesday, the second largest bank in Switzerland said it would borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs (53.89 billion U.S. dollars) from the Swiss National Bank (SNB).

Credit Suisse is taking decisive action to preemptively strengthen its liquidity by borrowing from the SNB under the latter's Covered Loan Facility and a short-term liquidity facility, which are fully collateralized by high quality assets, according to a statement issued by Credit Suisse on Thursday.

"These measures demonstrate decisive action to strengthen Credit Suisse as we continue our strategic transformation to deliver value to our clients and other stakeholders. We thank the SNB and FINMA (Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority) as we execute our strategic transformation," said Ulrich Koerner, chief executive officer of Credit Suisse.

The loan announcement came as Credit Suisse shares rose over 30 percent when the market opened on Thursday.

Credit Suisse also announced offers by Credit Suisse International to repurchase certain OpCo senior debt securities for cash of up to approximately 3 billion Swiss francs.

This additional liquidity would support Credit Suisse's core businesses and clients as the bank takes the necessary steps to create a simpler and more focused bank built around client needs, the statement said.

Since Tuesday, Credit Suisse's shares have fallen continuously, slumping by more than 20 percent on Wednesday.

The bank's shares opened at 2.28 Swiss francs per share on Wednesday morning, before falling to 1.55, and closing at an all-time low of 1.70.

Founded in 1856, Credit Suisse has an important influence on the global capital market.

Since 2021, the bank has been plagued by negative news, such as investment losses. The stock price of Credit Suisse has continued to fall, and its market value has significantly declined.

In early February, Credit Suisse posted a net loss of 7.3 billion Swiss francs for 2022, while in 2021 its net loss was 1.7 billion Swiss francs.

According to the bank's 2022 annual report released on Tuesday, there was "material weakness" in internal controls over financial reporting.

Meanwhile, the Saudi National Bank, a major shareholder of Credit Suisse, said on Wednesday that it would not increase its stake in the bank.

These two events have further battered Credit Suisse's stock prices, and the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in the United States has seen the stock prices of European banks generally plummeting.

Late on Wednesday, the SNB and FINMA issued a statement on market uncertainty. The SNB said it would provide the troubled investment bank with liquidity if required. (1 Swiss franc=1.08 USD) 

Photo taken on March 16, 2023 shows a building of Credit Suisse in Geneva, Switzerland. As the shares of Credit Suisse fell to a record low on Wednesday, the second largest bank in Switzerland said it would borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs (53.89 billion U.S. dollars) from the Swiss National Bank (SNB). (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

Photo taken on March 16, 2023 shows a signage of Credit Suisse in Geneva, Switzerland. As the shares of Credit Suisse fell to a record low on Wednesday, the second largest bank in Switzerland said it would borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs (53.89 billion U.S. dollars) from the Swiss National Bank (SNB). (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

A man walks past Credit Suisse in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 16, 2023. As the shares of Credit Suisse fell to a record low on Wednesday, the second largest bank in Switzerland said it would borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs (53.89 billion U.S. dollars) from the Swiss National Bank (SNB). (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

A woman is seen inside Credit Suisse in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 16, 2023. As the shares of Credit Suisse fell to a record low on Wednesday, the second largest bank in Switzerland said it would borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs (53.89 billion U.S. dollars) from the Swiss National Bank (SNB). (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

Photo taken on March 16, 2023 shows a building of Credit Suisse in Geneva, Switzerland. As the shares of Credit Suisse fell to a record low on Wednesday, the second largest bank in Switzerland said it would borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs (53.89 billion U.S. dollars) from the Swiss National Bank (SNB). (Xinhua/Lian Yi)
BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday urged the U.S., the UK and Australia to stop putting their selfish geopolitical agenda above nuclear non-proliferation obligations and stop coercing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) into endorsing their nuclear submarine cooperation.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a regular press briefing when asked to comment on Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's remarks that the AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation is the advancement of NATO military infrastructure into Asia, which makes a serious bet on many years of confrontation in the region.

Wang said the U.S., the UK and Australia are putting up an Anglo-Saxon clique and creating the so-called AUKUS trilateral security partnership to advance nuclear submarine cooperation and other cutting-edge military technology cooperation.

"This is typical Cold War mentality and a move that opens a Pandora's box, which will seriously impact regional and global peace and security," said Wang.

Wang said firstly, it will seriously impact the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. The AUKUS nuclear submarine cooperation marks the first time for nuclear weapon states to transfer naval nuclear propulsion reactors and weapons-grade highly enriched uranium to a non-nuclear weapon state.

There is nothing in the current IAEA safeguards system that can ensure effective safeguards. Therefore, such cooperation poses serious nuclear proliferation risks, seriously compromises the authority of the IAEA and deals a blow to the Agency's safeguards system, Wang said.

He said if the three countries are set on advancing the nuclear submarine cooperation, other countries will likely follow suit, eventually leading to the collapse of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.

Secondly, it will seriously impact the ASEAN-centered regional cooperation architecture, Wang said, adding that the AUKUS cooperation is designed to serve the U.S. geopolitical agenda with the means of military deterrence. It runs counter to the ASEAN way of mutual respect, openness and inclusiveness, consensus through consultation, and accommodating the comfort levels of all sides, undercuts ASEAN countries' effort to establish a Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone and seriously undermines the ASEAN-centered regional cooperation architecture in East Asia.

Wang said thirdly, it will seriously impact peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific. AUKUS introduces group politics and Cold War confrontation into the Asia-Pacific, and is aimed to create a NATO-replica in the region.

"If this attempt succeeds, it forebodes unprecedented threats and challenges to the decades-long stability and prosperity in the region," the spokesperson said.

Wang said the U.S., the UK and Australia should listen to the call of the international community and countries in the region, stop pursuing bloc politics and confrontation, stop putting their selfish geopolitical agenda above nuclear non-proliferation obligations and stop coercing the IAEA into endorsing their nuclear submarine cooperation. 
Khmer ancient statues are on display at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 17, 2023. Cambodia on Friday celebrated the return of hundreds of looted Khmer antiquities and ancient jewels to the Southeast Asian nation from abroad. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Friday celebrated the return of hundreds of looted Khmer antiquities and ancient jewels to the Southeast Asian nation from abroad.

Speaking at the event held at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said the returned artifacts were stolen from various temples and illegally exported to other countries during the 1970s when the country suffered a civil war.

"I'd like to appeal to museums, institutions and antique collectors who have possessed Khmer antiquities to return those ancient objects to Cambodia voluntarily," Hun Sen said. "Your return of Khmer antiquities to Cambodia, the rightful owner, will be highly appreciated, and it also contributes to promoting the culture of a nation."

Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona said recently, 77 pieces of looted Khmer ancient jewelry, handed over by the family of the late antique collector Douglas Latchford, had been returned to Cambodia from Britain.

In addition, many important Khmer cultural treasures in the possession of museums and private collectors had been returned to Cambodia from the United States and Britain, she said.

"Amongst the returned Khmer cultural treasures, there are some important Hindu and Buddhist statues, as well as ancient jewelries from the pre-Angkor and Angkor periods," Sackona said.

According to her, the returned large stone statues included some from Koh Ker, an ancient capital which had been the target of large-scale theft for many years during Cambodia's civil war. 

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen worships a Khmer ancient statue at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 17, 2023. Cambodia on Friday celebrated the return of hundreds of looted Khmer antiquities and ancient jewels to the Southeast Asian nation from abroad. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

Khmer ancient jewels are on display at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, March 17, 2023. Cambodia on Friday celebrated the return of hundreds of looted Khmer antiquities and ancient jewels to the Southeast Asian nation from abroad. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)
HONG KONG, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) John Lee and Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Ho Iat Seng on Thursday expressed firm support for the formation of the Hong Kong and Macao work office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

A Hong Kong and Macao work office of the CPC Central Committee will be formed on the basis of the existing Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, according to a plan on reforming Party and state institutions released by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. The new office will function as a working body of the CPC Central Committee.

Lee thanked the central authorities for their deepest care for Hong Kong, and for the great importance they attach to implementing "one country, two systems."

Lee said that along the new journey the country has embarked on towards fully building a great modern socialist country, the central authorities' plan of reform pertaining to the Hong Kong and Macao work office fully demonstrates the central authorities' resolute, full and faithful implementation of the "one country, two systems" policy, laying a more solid foundation for the steadfast and successful implementation of it.

The central authorities always serve the best interests of Hong Kong and its citizens, Lee noted, adding that the HKSAR government will remain committed to governing Hong Kong in accordance with the law, safeguarding national security, implementing "patriots administering Hong Kong," spearheading economic development, and improving people's livelihood, Lee said.

Ho expressed his gratitude to the central authorities for the importance they have attached to "one country, two systems" practices in the two SARs, noting that the reform demonstrates the central authorities' commitment to fully and faithfully implementing the policy of "one country, two systems".

Ho vowed to fully and firmly implement the "one country, two systems" policy to ensure the long-term economic and social prosperity and stability of Macao, and make new contributions to the steady and sustained development of "one country, two systems" practices with Macao characteristics. 
BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The 2023 intangible cultural heritage brand summit will be held from March 23 to 25 in southern China's Guangzhou, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) said Friday.

Co-hosted by the MCT and the Guangdong Provincial People's Government, this year's summit has been upgraded to a national intangible cultural heritage event.

During the three-day event, exhibitions will showcase the protection, inheritance, and development of intangible cultural heritage brands and relevant achievements.

Other activities, including performances featuring intangible cultural heritage, theme forums, creative intangible cultural heritage interactions, and intangible cultural heritage clothing displays, will also take place during the summit.

Holding the summit in Guangzhou will encourage more intangible heritage brands from Hong Kong and Macao to participate, thus jointly promoting the protection of intangible cultural heritage in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, and cultivating cultural brands in the Greater Bay Area, said Li Xiaosong, an official with the MCT. 
BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A recently released report titled "Toward Modernity: The Value of Xi Jinping's Economic Thought" has explored the origins of Xi's economic thought from the perspective of local governance.

When working in different localities, Xi put forward a series of new ideas, new ways of thinking and new measures concerning economic work. His years of solid practice on the ground have enriched his experience and enhanced the depth of his theoretical thinking, laying a solid foundation for his economic thought to take shape and evolve.

Recounting Xi's stories of economic governance when he worked at local levels, the report, which was released by New China Research, the think tank of Xinhua News Agency, has offered a vivid illustration on how Xi's economic thought helped promote local development.

The following piece tells Xi Jinping's story in Fujian.

From June 1985 to October 2002, Xi Jinping worked in Fujian Province, and held important positions in Xiamen, Ningde, Fuzhou, the Fujian Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and the provincial government of Fujian, and made a series of practical explorations and conceptual innovations which were forward-looking, pioneering and strategic. Xi once said with deep affection, "Fujian is my second hometown."

Fujian is an important breeding ground of Xi's economic thought and a place where it was put into practice. Xi once pointed out, "Some of the thoughts and explorations I made while working here are still being thought about and deepened in my later work, and some of them have been put into practice on a larger scale across the country."

"JINJIANG EXPERIENCE": AN IMPORTANT INSTRUMENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRIVATE ECONOMY

Jinjiang, with the spirit of "daring to be the first in the world and striving hard to win," has transformed from a "high-yield but poor county" with a large population and little land, to "No. 1 in Fujian" and "Top 10 in China" with a developed private economy, creating the "Jinjiang Experience."

While working in Fujian, Xi visited Jinjiang seven times in six years. At that time, Jinjiang took the lead in economic development among county-level regions in Fujian, and its private sector was booming but also faced "growing pains." Xi then conducted research, with private enterprises as the focus. Every time he visited the enterprises, he carefully asked whether they had introduced new technologies and developed new products, how the market was developed, how the enterprise could become bigger, and what difficulties they encountered.

For many times, he encouraged the enterprises to be market-oriented and do a good job in market innovation. In August and October 2002, he published signed articles twice, summarizing and putting forward "Jinjiang Experience" with "Six Adherence" and "Correctly Handling Five Relations" as its core connotations.

Over the years, under the guidance of "Jinjiang Experience," Jinjiang has blazed a path of county-level regional development supported by the private economy and the real economy.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, Xi has repeatedly mentioned "Jinjiang Experience." He emphasized that "Jinjiang Experience" is still instructive and put forward important instructions such as "focusing on developing industry," "allowing all types of firms to innovate," and "carrying forward entrepreneurial spirit." The "Jinjiang Experience" has been continuously improved and developed in practice and has played a vital role in developing China's private economy.

BUILDING XIAMEN SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE: A KEY MOVE OF REFORM AND OPENING UP

Xiamen has been a trading port since ancient times as well as a gateway for China's opening up and external cooperation. It is also one of the four earliest special economic zones in the country.

From June 1985 to June 1988, Xi served as Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Xiamen Municipal Committee, vice mayor, and executive vice mayor of Xiamen. He once recalled, "to work in the special economic zone was the first time that I took a leadership position at the municipal level, the first time that I directly participated in the work of reform and opening up in the more developed coastal region, and the first time that I personally engaged in the development and management of a city."

Adamant about pressing ahead with reforms, Xi was brave enough to blaze new trails in Xiamen. He once said, "The socialist cause will never progress without reform and opening up." He also noted that "reforms might present risks, but the country needs pathfinders who, when they succeed, will provide experience for and play an instrumental role in the country's future reforms."

He proposed the principle of "small government, big society" for the first time in China, supported financial institutions in operating like enterprises, and oversaw the establishment of investment companies by overseas Chinese, regional insurance institutions, and a center in Xiamen to regulate foreign exchange.

The bold, pragmatic, and effective measures of reform injected great vitality into Xiamen's economic and social development. He also led the formulation of a strategy for Xiamen's economic and social development from 1985 to 2000, which served as a blueprint for the medium- and long-term development of the city.

"Xiamen," he wrote in a 1986 speech, "means 'the gate of a mansion.' We can also view it as the gate of opening up to the outside world and sincerely hope that it will develop faster and better." He once led a research team to Singapore and organized China's first international seminar on export processing zones and free ports. After years of development, the Xiamen Special Economic Zone has evolved, with a deepening level of opening up, from an export processing zone, a bonded zone, a coordinated bonded port zone, and a bonded port area to a pilot free trade zone.

POVERTY ALLEVIATION: PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF LESS-DEVELOPED NINGDE

Xiadang Township in Shouning County of Ningde Prefecture is tucked deep in the mountains in eastern Fujian. Covered mostly by mountains and with scarce farmland, Xiadang had for a long time been a place with no roads, no tap water, no electric lighting, no fiscal revenue, and no government offices.

While working in Fujian, Xi made three arduous trips to Xiadang. During his first visit on July 19, 1989, he spent five hours by car and four and a half hours on foot visiting villagers and worked a total of 14 hours that day from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

"I will never forget the trip for the rest of my life," Xi said emotionally. "We will feel ashamed in the face of our fellow villagers if Xiadang is not lifted out of poverty."

Xiadang was a typical place in Ningde where poverty hindered development at that time. From June 1988 to June 1990, Xi served as the secretary of the CPC Ningde Prefectural Committee.

Working in the less-developed eastern Fujian following a stint in Xiamen, Xi thought deeply and at length about how to lift a region out of poverty. Leading cadres and the people in pursuing development, he supported poor regions in getting a head start, advocated a coordinated economic growth model, and stressed the importance of making persistent efforts in seeking development.

Xi pointed out that it is necessary to have the consciousness of "flying first," and put forward the idea of "boosting the confidence before relieving poverty." He called on people to abandon ideas such as "being content with a poor life" and "just waiting for, relying on and asking for the poverty-relief fund."

In practice, Xi emphasized adapting to local conditions. He pointed out that in order to make weak birds fly early, fast and high, it is necessary to explore ways to develop an economy according to local conditions. Regarding how to develop township enterprises in poverty-stricken areas, Xi pointed out that we must seek four footholds of "experts," "agriculture," "specialty" and "outside."

Now, when people walk into Xiadang Township, they will be impressed by marvelous and picturesque views of mountains, bridges and streams, while the air is filled with the smell of flowers, fruits and tea. After decades of joint efforts, Xiadang has developed from a poverty-stricken place to a well-known "new landmark of red tourism."

BUILDING "DIGITAL FUJIAN": SEIZING THE COMMANDING HEIGHTS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Ahead of the National Day in 2000, a "'Digital Fujian' Project Proposal" was placed on the desk of Xi who was then the governor of Fujian.

In a full page of instructions, Xi put forward that "to implement the strategy of revitalizing the province through science and education, we must seize the commanding heights of science and technology. Building 'Digital Fujian' reflects one of the most important commanding heights of science and technology in the world today." Soon after that, "Digital Fujian" was written into the outline proposal of the 10th Five-Year Plan put forward by the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee. Xi served as head of the leading group of the Fujian Provincial Government for the construction of "Digital Fujian."

"Digital Fujian" was a major project led and promoted by Xi in Fujian, which profoundly boosted the economic and social development of Fujian and became the exploration source and practical starting point of the construction of digital China.

Xi asked cadres and civil servants to strengthen efforts in "eliminating information illiteracy." He wrote in the article "Digital Fujian Coming to Us" published in February 2002: "Informatization is the general trend of today's world economic and social development, and it is a key step to the optimization and upgrading of industries and achieving modernization both in our country and in our province. None of the four modernizations can do without informatization."

"3820" STRATEGIC PROJECT: DRAWING A BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE

The city of Fuzhou is surrounded by mountains and rivers. People there were afraid of flood and fire, because most houses were made of wood. When a fire broke out in one house, a large area of the city would suffer together. Whenever the Minjiang River flooded, houses would fill with water. Hence, the city was given the nickname "Paper Fuzhou City."

A project, named the "3820" strategic project, has brought about the transformation from "Paper Fuzhou City" to "Happy Fuzhou City".

In 1993, Xi, then Party chief of Fuzhou, presided over "Fuzhou City's 20-Year Economic and Social Development Strategic Vision," which systematically planned the goals, steps, layout and key points of the three-year, eight-year and 20-year economic and social development of Fuzhou, defined the grand goal of "building a modern international city," and established the general program and general plan for Fuzhou's long-term development.

Under Xi's leadership, Fuzhou organized tens of thousands of people to complete questionnaires, thousands of people to do research, and hundreds of people to discuss the strategy.

With the implementation of the "3820" strategic project, Fuzhou has ushered in great changes, and achieved a leap from "sitting in the back row" to courageously striving for the best, from "Paper Fuzhou City" to a livable and happy city, and from a riverside city to a coastal city.

Xi laid out the plan with a forward-looking vision, and promoted the construction of "Golden Triangle Economic Circle at Minjiang Estuary" and "Fuzhou at Sea" as important components of the "3820" strategic project.

At that time, some people wondered, "How can we manage the sea when the land is not well developed yet?" Xi proposed to "attach as much importance to sea areas as to cultivated land, and as much to marine development as to food production, so as to extend the tentacles of speeding up economic development from land to sea." Now Fuzhou has developed into a coastal city with one of the most active marine economies.

At the 7th Party congress of Fuzhou in August 1995, Xi made clear the goal of "striving to build a modern international city." That is, on the basis of the "3820" strategic project, Fuzhou will strive to join the ranks of the international advanced cities after another 20 or 30 years.

"The development of a city should not only consider the medium- and long-term development goals of 10 years and 20 years, but also consider the long-term development goals of 30 years, 50 years or even hundreds of years," he pointed out. 
LONDON, March 17 (Xinhua) -- When setting new economic goals and envisioning a path to modernization for the country, the Chinese government hears what its people want and works on it, a British expert has said.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Stephen Perry, chairman of Britain's 48 Group Club, said China's aim to create around 12 million urban jobs in 2023 laid out in this year's government work report impressed him very much.

"I think that is what is driving the Chinese economy, the need to provide jobs for the young people coming out of universities and other situations," Perry said.

"That means China is focused not just on what is to be the GDP growth for the year, not just in which sections it's going to come from, but what is the main point of it. And it is to keep their country employed and active," he added.

China also aims to keep its grain output over 650 million tons in 2023, according to the report. Perry said the figure has increased much over the past decades.

"China of the same space has transformed the yields in its agricultural area. And the main way it's done that is by moving the peasantry to better conditions and better jobs, enabling the fields to be enlarged, production to be enlarged, and mechanization to occur. It is the most profound change," he noted.

When asked about China's path to modernization, Perry told Xinhua that it came as another result of the government hearing what its people want.

"The government's responsibility is to lay out the visions to try and hear what the people want, and try and express it in a more coherent and planned way, and then to give that back to the people of China and say to them, this is what we hear," he said.

It rings true that the Communist Party of China is a people-focused party and is doing its work in the interests of the people, said the expert, noting that the party really want to look after the long-term interest and the short-term interest of the people of the country.

Perry's experience was telling. When in China, "I see people getting on with their lives and there are various aspects of their lives," he recalled. "But, generally speaking, people are wanting to have a better life and people are prepared to work for it. People want social stability and they're prepared to support what it takes to have social stability."

"So I think that the Communist Party of China does hear what the people want, and I think the government of China does hear what the people want," he added.

Trips to China have impressed Perry as infrastructure has been improved for people. With high-speed trains, for example, the country has witnessed an incredible transformation, he said. "To see they've got to get on a train in so many cities and you can go to another city is just amazing, in high speed, in good comfort, and with good food."

Though air travel takes passengers to their destinations as well, the train is much more enjoyable in some ways, he added. "You look out the window, you see the agriculture, you see the hills, the mountains, the people of China."

Perry told Xinhua that China's path to modernization was all about economy back in the 1990s, about getting to some level in quality, quantity, and price, but now it is also about "how you live with each other, how you relate to each other, what are the values of your society."

"It's about the right way for people to deal with each other, the right way to look after old people, the right way to look after young people, the right way to make sure people are not poor, the vulnerable are taken care of," he said, noting that these are the values of China for thousands of years.

In his experience with Chinese people, the British expert said, "they're comfortable with being good, with being caring, with being kind, and that's something we aspire to in our societies."

"Maybe in this area, we will have to learn from China as it goes into the second half of this century, about how they have managed to organize their society so that they are productive, supportive, and provide opportunity," he noted. 
This aerial photo taken on Dec. 10, 2022 shows a view of the Yangpu international container terminal in the Yangpu Economic Development Zone, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)

High-quality development is the first and foremost task in building a modern socialist country in all respects.

 Chinese President Xi Jinping

Quote backgrounder: President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while attending a deliberation with his fellow deputies from the delegation of Jiangsu Province at the first session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's national legislature, on March 5, 2023. The quote was first mentioned in Xis report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2022.

During the deliberation, Xi stressed:

Speeding up efforts to achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology is the path we must take to promote high-quality development.

Accelerating the creation of a new development pattern is the strategic foundation for promoting high-quality growth.

Strong agriculture is the foundation of a strong modern socialist country, and promoting agricultural modernization is a prerequisite for achieving high-quality development.

Promoting high-quality development is for the wellbeing of the people.

About high-quality development:

High-quality development was first raised by the CPC leadership in 2017.

China's economy has been transitioning from a phase of rapid growth to a stage of high-quality development, Xi said in his report at the opening session of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2017.

China will unswervingly advance high-quality development on the new journey of building a great modern socialist country and advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Xi said when addressing the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress.

The priorities of high-quality development, as he set forth during the deliberation, include achieving greater self-reliance in science and technology, creating a new development pattern, and promoting agricultural modernization.

 Science and technology

Sci-tech innovation has played a decisive role in promoting China's high-quality development and modernization drive.

In 2022, China's total expenditure on research and development (R&D) amounted to 3.1 trillion yuan (450 billion dollars), up 10.4 percent year-on-year, maintaining a double-digit growth for seven consecutive years.

China saw its ranking in the Global Innovation Index jump from 34th in 2012 to 11th last year.

 New development pattern

One issue in focus is coordinating the expansion of domestic demand and the deepening of supply-side structural reform.

On the demand side, the Chinese leadership urged the formation of a complete domestic demand system at an early date, with efforts made to expand consumption demand supported by income, investment demand with reasonable returns, and financial demand with principal and debt constraints.

To create a favorable environment for all types of business entities, it is also imperative to refine the systems underpinning the market economy, take stronger action against monopolies and unfair competition, and conduct law-based regulation and guidance to promote the healthy development of capital.

 Agricultural modernization

Over the past 10 years, agricultural mechanization has made great progress, smart agriculture has taken off rapidly, and rural e-commerce has emerged as a new force in China.

This year's "No. 1 central document" called for enhanced efforts to stabilize production and ensure the supply of grain and important agricultural products, to boost the construction of agricultural infrastructure, to strengthen support for agricultural science, technology and equipment, to consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation, and to promote the high-quality development of rural industries.

Why development quality matters to China's modernization:

Pursuing the sheer speed of growth is unsustainable and too costly for today's China, which is already the world's second-largest economy. The improved handling of the relationship between quantity and quality of development will create continuous momentum for the modernization drive.

The fierce global competition on development has created an urgent need to foster new growth drivers and strength, which can only be realized through prowess in science and technology.

Self-reliance in key areas, be it advanced technology or grain production, is key to bringing modernity to over 1.4 billion people in China, and this cannot rely solely on the supply from the international market.

Reforms to let the market play a decisive role in resource allocation will unleash to the utmost the vitality of one of the world's biggest markets, while high-standard opening up will create more development opportunities, both for China and other countries.

The immutable goal of China's modernization drive is to meet the people's aspirations for a better life. This entails not just increased incomes and enough jobs, but also a narrower wealth gap, a richer cultural life, clean air and clear waters. All this can only be delivered through an economy of higher quality.

Extended reading:

Xi stresses high-quality development with Jiangsu delegation

China Focus: How innovation props up China's high-quality development

Xi Focus: China pursues development for people's well-being

Xinhua Special | What does President Xi Jinping say about high-quality development?

Xinhua Commentary: New pattern crucial for China's high-quality development

Xinhua Commentary: Why development quality matters to China's modernization
MACAO, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Visitor arrivals in Macao surged 143.1 percent year on year to 1,593,743 in February, the Macao Special Administrative Region's (SAR) statistical agency said on Friday.

The figure represented a month-on-month rise of 14.0 percent, showed the latest report from the Statistics and Census Service.

Overnight visitors and same-day visitors soared 201.8 percent and 99.5 percent year on year to 843,402 and 750,341, respectively.

The number of visitors from the Chinese mainland grew 64.8 percent year on year to 1,003,999, while visitors from China's Hong Kong SAR and Taiwan region rocketed by 1,163.7 percent and 372.6 percent year on year to 523,271 and 22,411, respectively. 
BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A foreign cargo ship with 21 crew members on board has been towed to safety in the Pearl River estuary by a Chinese professional rescue ship after it broke down off the Nansha Islands in the South China Sea on March 3, the Ministry of Transport said Friday.

At 2:20 p.m. on March 3, the Nanhai Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Transport received a report that a Panamanian cargo ship had suffered a main engine failure 120 nautical miles southwest of Wan'an Tan in China's Nansha Islands.

The engine could not be repaired on site and the ship had drifted 90 nautical miles southward by the time the report was received. The ship had 21 crew members on board but was not carrying any cargo.

Upon receiving the report, the Nansha maritime search and rescue center sent the large marine rescue ship "Nanhai Rescue 115" to undertake the operation. The rescue vessel was on duty at Yongshu reef, part of the Nansha Islands.

The rescue vessel arrived at the scene on the afternoon of March 4. After more than four hours of collaborative work, the two vessels were properly connected and the towing began.

After nine days of efforts, the ship was successfully towed into waters of the Pearl River estuary, having covered a distance of nearly 1,100 nautical miles, overcoming unfavorable conditions such as strong winds, high waves and deep water.

The Chinese government dispatched professional maritime rescue forces from the Ministry of Transport to the Nansha Islands and reefs on July 27, 2018. The force has carried out 69 rescue missions and sent out forces 135 times, rescuing 294 people and 17 ships in distress, and saving assets worth about 1.41 billion yuan (203.77 million U.S. dollars). 
BERLIN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A zoonoses expert said that a laboratory leak as the possible origin of the COVID-19 pandemic is "purely politically motivated," and political power games are behind the theory.

The expert, Fabian Leendertz, who had participated in the World Health Organization's (WHO) search for the origin of the coronavirus, told German Press Agency recently that "there are no new data that would strengthen the laboratory hypothesis that I am aware of. It remains the most unlikely hypothesis of all."

He emphasized that transmission was most likely via intermediate hosts that may have contracted the virus from bats, perhaps a wildlife farm, where a high density of insects also attracts bats. 




ISTANBUL, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A Turkish political party leader said that "Chinese miracle" aptly describes China's achievement in eliminating poverty among its 1.4 billion population, considering it an outstanding accomplishment for all of humanity.

Perincek specifically saluted China's success in launching a modernization policy covering all segments of society.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
A staff member dissects a grouper fry at a laboratory of Tianjin Leadar Marine Resources Development Co., Ltd in the Binhai New Area modern agriculture industrial park in north China's Tianjin, on March 16, 2023. The industrial park has more than 90 industrial aquacultural enterprises, with an annual breeding of about 18.6 billion fish fry. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

A staff member tests water quality at a laboratory of Tianjin Leadar Marine Resources Development Co., Ltd in the Binhai New Area modern agriculture industrial park in north China's Tianjin, on March 16, 2023. The industrial park has more than 90 industrial aquacultural enterprises, with an annual breeding of about 18.6 billion fish fry. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

A staff member checks water quality of the hatchery at Tianjin Leadar Marine Resources Development Co., Ltd in the Binhai New Area modern agriculture industrial park in north China's Tianjin, on March 16, 2023. The industrial park has more than 90 industrial aquacultural enterprises, with an annual breeding of about 18.6 billion fish fry. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

A staff member checks grouper fry at Tianjin Leadar Marine Resources Development Co., Ltd in the Binhai New Area modern agriculture industrial park in north China's Tianjin, on March 16, 2023. The industrial park has more than 90 industrial aquacultural enterprises, with an annual breeding of about 18.6 billion fish fry. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

A staff member monitors hatcheries at an aquacultural company in the Binhai New Area modern agriculture industrial park in north China's Tianjin, on March 16, 2023. The industrial park has more than 90 industrial aquacultural enterprises, with an annual breeding of about 18.6 billion fish fry. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

Staff members check the temperature of the hatchery at an aquacultural company in the Binhai New Area modern agriculture industrial park in north China's Tianjin, on March 16, 2023. The industrial park has more than 90 industrial aquacultural enterprises, with an annual breeding of about 18.6 billion fish fry. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

Prawn fry are seen at a hatchery of Tianjin Leadar Marine Resources Development Co., Ltd in the Binhai New Area modern agriculture industrial park in north China's Tianjin, on March 16, 2023. The industrial park has more than 90 industrial aquacultural enterprises, with an annual breeding of about 18.6 billion fish fry. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Science and Technology Friday released the top 10 domestic scientific advances of 2022.

At the top of the list is the Martian subsurface structure revealed by Mars rover Zhurong's radar instrument. The study not only showed detailed subsurface features of Mars but also provided the observation evidence of the water presence, which helps to shed light on the planet's geologic history and climate conditions.

The detection of active, repeating, fast radio bursts by the FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope) ranked second. This discovery has laid the observation foundation for revealing the origin of the mysterious radio waves.

The third place went to a new principle and technology for hydrogen generation directly from seawater. It solves a technical problem that has long plagued the industry.

Other advances include research on COVID-19 variants and immune escape mechanisms, the development of high-efficiency perovskite solar cells, and the synthesis of the organic compound ethylene glycol. 
UNITED NATIONS, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday adopted two resolutions concerning Afghanistan, both unanimously, one of which extended the mandate of the UN special political mission in the country for one year.

Resolution 2678 decides to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until March 17, 2024. It stresses the critical importance of the mission's continued presence and calls upon all relevant Afghan political actors and stakeholders, including relevant authorities and international actors, to coordinate with UNAMA in the implementation of its mandate and to ensure the safety, security and freedom of movement of United Nations and associated personnel throughout the country.

The other resolution, Resolution 2679, requests an independent assessment of recommendations for the efforts to address Afghanistan's challenges.

By the terms of the resolution, the 15-member council requests the secretary-general to conduct and provide, no later than Nov. 17, an integrated, independent assessment, after consultations with all relevant Afghan political actors and stakeholders, including relevant authorities, Afghan women and civil society, as well as the region and the wider international community.

The council also requests that the independent assessment provide forward-looking recommendations for an integrated and coherent approach among relevant political, humanitarian, and development actors, within and outside of the UN system, in order to address the current challenges faced by Afghanistan, including those relating to the humanitarian situation, human rights, security and terrorism. 
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne delivers a speech at the National Assembly in Paris, France, March 16, 2023. Borne on Thursday activated an article of the country's Constitution that allows the government to force passage of the controversial pension reform bill without a vote at the National Assembly. (Photo by Rit Heize/Xinhua)

PARIS, March 16 (Xinhua) -- French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Thursday activated an article of the country's Constitution that allows the government to force passage of the controversial pension reform bill without a vote at the National Assembly.

"We cannot gamble on the future of our pensions, this reform is necessary," Borne told the National Assembly, where the government does not have an absolute majority.

"Because I am attached to our social model, and because I believe in parliamentary democracy, it is on your reform that I am ready to engage my responsibility," Borne said.

According to Paragraph 3 of Article 49 (49.3) of the French Constitution, the prime minister may, after consulting with the Council of Ministers, impose the adoption of a bill by the National Assembly without a vote. The only way for the National Assembly to veto this is to pass a no-confidence motion against the government.

Just hours after Borne's announcement, major unions in France called on working people in the country to participate in a 9th general mobilization on March 23.

Some 6,000 people demonstrated at Place de la Concorde (Concorde Square) in Paris against the use of Article 49.3 by the government, leading to clashes with security forces and arresting 38.

On Thursday morning, the French Senate adopted the definitive version of the pension reform bill, which will raise the retirement age by two years to 64 from 2027.

A total of 193 French senators voted in favor of the bill, and 114 against. The text had been debated the day before by a joint committee of seven senators and seven members of the National Assembly.

Borne laid out details of the pension reform plan in January, under which the legal retirement age would be progressively raised by three months a year from 62 to 64 by 2030, and a guaranteed minimum pension would be introduced.

Under the plan, as of 2027 at least 43 years of work would be required to be eligible for a full pension.

In 2021, France's expenditure on the pension system equaled 13.8 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). However, the country's Pensions Advisory Council (COR) said that the share of pension expenditure would rise sharply from 14.2 percent to 14.7 percent between 2027 and 2032, due to a significant contraction in GDP.

In a report published by the COR in September 2022, the pension system watchdog said that from 2022 to 2032, the country's pension system would be in deficit. 

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne delivers a speech at the National Assembly in Paris, France, March 16, 2023. Borne on Thursday activated an article of the country's Constitution that allows the government to force passage of the controversial pension reform bill without a vote at the National Assembly. (Photo by Rit Heize/Xinhua)

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne delivers a speech at the National Assembly in Paris, France, March 16, 2023. Borne on Thursday activated an article of the country's Constitution that allows the government to force passage of the controversial pension reform bill without a vote at the National Assembly. (Photo by Rit Heize/Xinhua)

Parliament members hold placards during a speech by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne at the National Assembly in Paris, France, March 16, 2023. Borne on Thursday activated an article of the country's Constitution that allows the government to force passage of the controversial pension reform bill without a vote at the National Assembly. (Photo by Rit Heize/Xinhua)

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne delivers a speech at the National Assembly in Paris, France, March 16, 2023. Borne on Thursday activated an article of the country's Constitution that allows the government to force passage of the controversial pension reform bill without a vote at the National Assembly. (Photo by Rit Heize/Xinhua)
by Xinhua writers Liu Yanan, Huang Heng, Tan Jingjing

LAS VEGAS, United States, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Major Chinese construction equipment manufacturers are reinforcing their efforts to grow international business with the U.S. market as one of their priorities, according to industry insiders present at North America's largest construction trade show opened here on Tuesday.

Named CONEXPO-CON/AGG, the week-long trade show attracted over 150 Chinese exhibitors, or around 10 percent of the total.

GOING GLOBAL

Though Chinese construction equipment manufacturers made strides in overseas markets in the last few decades, record-making exports over the past two years and waning impacts of the pandemic prompt a new round of push for going global among the Chinese players.

The exports of Chinese construction equipment shrank 13.7 percent in 2020, but jumped 62.2 percent to 34 billion U.S. dollars in 2021 and 30.4 percent to 44.3 billion dollars in 2022, respectively, according to Shi Yonghong, vice president of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products.

The figure hit record highs in both 2021 and 2022 and would continue to grow in 2023 despite a slower pace, Shi told Xinhua.

Chinese construction equipment has relatively high market share worldwide and won acknowledgment from international clients, said Bruce Liu, general manager assistant with Zoomlion International.

"We hope to speed up the pace of going global and further expand the market through high quality products," he told Xinhua on Wednesday.

China-based heavyweight player Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group (XCMG) aims to increase its share of international business to 50 percent from 30 percent now, according to Liu Quan, chief executive officer with XCMG America.

"We're very optimistic about the overseas market, in particular the high-end markets in Europe and America, which is our priority for business expansion in the future," Liu Quan said in an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday.

Moreover, the XCMG would strive to integrate its operations on manufacturing, market and informationization across North America and South America in 2023 and 2024, said the CEO.

The firm has invited its dealers in both North America and South America to attend the trade show, taking the first step to integrate its business in the Americas, Liu Quan added.

Though the construction equipment industry is not booming in the last few years, Liugong had remarkable performance especially in the international market, according to Nocle Peng, branding and marketing manager with overseas business center of Guangxi Liugong Machinery Co., Ltd.

Liugong has over 30 percent of business coming from international markets with assembly plants in Brazil, Poland and India.

China-based tire maker Zhongce Rubber Group intends to proactively expand its overseas market with the help of innovations in designing and producing tires, said Teng Shan, sales manager with Hangzhou Yonggu Branch of Zhongce Rubber Group, adding the expo enables face-to-face talks with more global customers from South America and Europe.

U.S. MARKET AS GROWTH POINT

Major players from China attach high importance to the U.S. market and are trying to expand their operations to build a new growth point, according to insiders.

Sany Group, which set up a U.S. subsidiary as early as 2016, continues to expand its manufacturing team, dealers' network and investment in America.

The number of Sany America's dealers increased to 56, up from upper 40s three years ago; and Sany America's plant in Peachtree City, Georgia, employs over 200 people, up from around 80 in early 2020, according to Gabriel Weiss, director of marketing and digitization with Sany America.

"We've had excellent success in acquiring new dealers, expanding our dealer network, and building their business as well as Sany America's business," Weiss told Xinhua on Wednesday.

With over 30 years of history in the United States, the XCMG has built six service and spare part centers and developed over 20 dealers across the country. In 2014, it established a U.S. market research institute and recruited local technicians to design products for the North America market.

"The United States is XCMG's largest overseas market of construction machinery and we attach importance to the U.S. market," said Liu Quan, adding that the firm is mulling over a new plant in Atlanta, Georgia, in multiple phases with designed capacity of assembling around 2,000 to 3,000 machines each year.

Liu Quan said Chinese equipment manufacturers are competitive in the U.S. market though almost all brands in the industry have presence in the market. The bottom line is to supply reliable products, timely service and spare parts as well as information as a service.

The biggest strength of the XCMG now is the availability of products with a very good supply chain and the price point has been affordable to customers, said Loren Fehr, a dealer of the XCMG in Denver, Colorado.

Fehr sees plenty room for growth and expansion in the construction industry with always expanding infrastructure.

The expo offers a sound opportunity to crank up commitment to the U.S. market as the pandemic left an impact on operations in the last few years, said Bruce Liu.

Zoomlion plans to expand its operation in the United States including building a local team and introduction of more product lines, he said.

"We hope to make Zoomlion's operations in North America a growth point with high quality and sustainable development," as Zoomlion has formed sound systems of logistics and parts supply in North America since 2008, said Bruce Liu. 
* As China has dynamically optimized and adjusted its COVID-19 prevention measures, Chinese and overseas enterprises are looking forward to participating in more offline fairs this year.

* After the Spring Festival holiday, Guangzhou has held more than ten offline fairs and exhibits, with over 50 events lined up for the first quarter of the year, according to the municipal commerce authority.

* Fairs and conventions serve as bridges between supply and demand, gathering people, goods, capital, and technology to promote industrial upgrading, employment, consumption, resource allocation, and innovative development.

by Xinhua writers Hong Zehua, Ye Ting, Deng Ruixuan and Ding Le



GUANGZHOU, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Surrounded by butterfly- and rabbit-shaped lamps, workers are busy assembling illuminations, while others rehearse for the highly anticipated light show at the upcoming 28th China (Guzhen) International Lighting Fair (GILF).

Set to kick off on March 18, the fair in Guzhen Town, Zhongshan City, south China's Guangdong Province, has fully resumed offline exhibitions with an exhibition area of more than 1.5 million square meters, said Kuang Zhi, secretary of the Party committee of Guzhen Town.

Last year, the 28th GILF was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it has been rescheduled for this year and has attracted more than 3,500 companies and over 60,000 registered professional buyers, including more than 2,400 professional buyers from over 110 countries and regions.

Located in the Pearl River Delta, Zhongshan is one of China's manufacturing hubs featuring furniture, home appliances, and illuminations. Exhibitions and fairs are crucial for local enterprises as they facilitate transactions and cooperation.

As China has dynamically optimized and adjusted its COVID-19 prevention measures, Chinese and overseas enterprises are looking forward to participating in more offline fairs this year.

People visit the 27th China (Guzhen) International Lighting Fair (GILF) in Zhongshan, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 22, 2021. (Xinhua)

BOOMING EVENTS

"I will not lose this chance to see and check new items here," said Issam Sarakbi, a buyer from Syria visiting the GILF, who advised his friends working in the illumination industry to come to China. Face-to-face meetings are helpful for building trust and cooperation, he added.

Besides the GILF, the Fifth National Forest Fire Protection Equipment Exhibition and Emergency Rescue Equipment Exhibition was held on Feb. 8 in the southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou.

The fair featured hundreds of advanced products and technologies, including aviation firefighting equipment and intelligent unmanned aerial vehicles. It is estimated that over 80 percent of exhibitors who attended the fair received purchasing orders.

"It's a pleasure to meet our old friends face-to-face again. We are excited to take advantage of the event to showcase our advanced products to buyers nationwide," said Shen Dong, director of an exhibiting company.

After the Spring Festival holiday, Guangzhou has held more than ten offline fairs and exhibits, with over 50 events lined up for the first quarter of the year, according to the municipal commerce authority.

"Member companies of our association are eager to hold exhibitions as offline fairs resume," Lu Xiaokun, deputy director of Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Association.

The 13th China Guangzhou International Performing Arts Fair, part of the Guangzhou Cultural Industry Fair, concluded last week with an estimated turnover of about 500 million yuan.

The event attracted around 500 participants from 35 countries and regions, including performing arts groups, stage performing companies, management companies, and other industry players.

Offline fairs have seen a comeback as China optimized and adjusted measures for COVID-19 prevention and control. Exhibitors scramble to register for upcoming events.

Suspended last year due to the pandemic, the Beijing Book Fair has resumed offline, attracting over 100,000 visitors since commencing on Feb. 24. Over 700 publishers gathered at the exhibition center, bringing about 400,000 kinds of exquisitely printed books with rich content for the audience.

The whole industry was eager to see a business comeback, said Zhang Shuo, a publicity manager from the Beijing-based publisher CITIC Press Group. Many publishers sent out invitations to distributors nationwide, designed their exhibition booths and organized live-streaming teams for the fair after the Spring Festival holiday.

This photo taken on Dec. 29, 2022 shows the exterior view of an exhibition hall of the China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Lu Hanxin)

BUILDING CONFIDENCE

Fairs and conventions serve as bridges between supply and demand, gathering people, goods, capital, and technology to promote industrial upgrading, employment, consumption, resource allocation, and innovative development, said Chu Xiangyin, chief research fellow at China Convention/Exhibition/Event Society.

The long-established Canton Fair, also known as the China Import and Export Fair, will kick off both offline and online on April 15 in Guangzhou. The exhibition area will reach 1.5 million square meters this year, with more than 30,000 Chinese and foreign companies expected to partake in the fair's 133rd session.

As offline exhibitions resume this year, buyers and sellers from all over the world look forward to seeing the largest scale Canton Fair ever, said Harley Seyedin, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China.

Lu Xiaokun expects a surge in the exhibition industry in the first quarter of 2023, which will boost industry confidence and promote social consumption while also promoting the resumption of work and production.

Last year, the Central Economic Work Conference emphasized developing the modern service sector and unlocking the domestic market's potential. This year's government work report also mentioned that major trade events have delivered positive results, which boosted reform and development with high-standard opening up.

"Fairs are an important platform for building a modern market system and an open economic system, and have become a leading industry in promoting economic development," said Chen Xunchao, deputy director of the Trade Development Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce.

Chen added that fairs play a vital role in promoting high-level opening-up and high-quality development by connecting supply and demand and linking circulation and consumption.

The Boao Forum for Asia is a non-governmental and non-profit international organization committed to promoting regional economic integration and advancing the development goals of Asian countries. Its annual conference will be held entirely offline from March 28 to 31 this year.

Representatives of governments, business, academia and media from all over the world will be invited to attend the event, seeking strategies for development and ways to deepen cooperation in the international community, according to the forum's official website.

(Video reporters: Huo Siying, Li Jiale; video editors: Yang Zhixiang, Yin Le, Tang Jingyao, Peng Ying)
BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Russia will be a trip of friendship, cooperation and peace, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Friday.

Xi will pay a state visit to Russia from March 20 to 22 at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In recent years, President Xi has maintained close contact with President Putin. Under their leadership and guidance, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has achieved sustainable, sound and steady development, Wang told a daily news briefing.

The two countries have found a path of major-country relations featuring strategic trust and good neighborliness, setting a good example for a new paradigm of international relations, he added.

During his visit, Xi will have an in-depth exchange of views with Putin on bilateral relations as well as major international and regional issues of common concern, promote bilateral strategic coordination and practical cooperation, and inject new impetus into the development of bilateral relations, the spokesperson said.

The visit will be a journey of friendship, which will further deepen mutual trust and understanding between China and Russia and consolidate the political foundation of and public support for friendship between the two peoples for generations, Wang said.

He noted that Xi's visit to Russia will be a trip of cooperation to promote mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, deepen the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, and help the two countries achieve their respective goals of development and revitalization.

The visit will also be a trip to foster peace, Wang said, noting that China and Russia will, on the basis of non-alignment, non-confrontation and non-targeting of any third party, practice true multilateralism, promote a multi-polar world and greater democracy in international relations, improve global governance, and contribute to world development and progress.

"China will continue to uphold its objective and just position on the Ukraine crisis and play a constructive role in promoting peace talks," the spokesperson said. 
OTTAWA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Canadian senators Victor Oh and Yuen Pau Woo Thursday called attention to the injustice committed against early Chinese Canadians and contemporary prejudices.

Holding a press conference in Ottawa, the two senators announced a national remembrance ceremony on June 23 to mark the 100th Anniversary of the introduction of the Chinese Immigration Act, 1923.

The act, also known as the "Chinese Exclusion Act," was a Canadian Act of Parliament passed in 1923 banning most forms of Chinese immigration to Canada.

"This ceremony presents an opportunity to recognize the injustice committed against early Chinese Canadians, while increasing Canadians' knowledge of our shared history, while celebrating the many accomplishments of our community over the past 100 years," Oh said at the press conference.

Woo gave some background on the importance of the event, saying: "The act was the culmination of a series of racist laws passed by the Government of Canada as early as 1885." He explained why he felt it appropriate for the ceremony to be held in the Senate.

Stressing the importance of the Senate of Canada to take the lead in remembering the 100th anniversary, Woo wrote in his social media that "the event will recall a dark period in our history. It's an occasion to recognize the longstanding relationship between Chinese and Indigenous peoples, enhance belonging, and call attention to contemporary prejudices."

Action! Chinese Canadians Together (ACCT) Chair Teresa Woo-Paw, whose own family was affected at the time by those historic events, spoke about the effects of the Chinese Exclusion Act on Chinese-Canadians living in Canada.

"Their existence in Canada during this time period was one of enduring heightened racial stereotyping and individual and institutional racism. An example of the latter is the Dominion Election Act of 1920 which denied the Chinese in Canada and many other racialized minorities, the right to run for the Canadian Parliament," she said.

The event will be held in the Senate of Canada Chamber and will be attended by members of the Chinese community from across the country, as well as Members of Parliament, senators, and other dignitaries.

A proposal has been submitted to the Government of Canada for the commissioning of a commemorative plaque to mark the 100th anniversary. Specially prepared performances will take place and be live streamed to mark the occasion.

The senators also announced the launch of a website that serves as a non-partisan hub for groups across the country to post information about events and activities related to the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

According to Canadian Museum of Immigration, the act virtually restricted all Chinese immigration to Canada by narrowly defining the acceptable categories of Chinese immigrants. It is estimated that only 15 Chinese immigrants gained entry into Canada between 1923 and 1946. The act was repealed in 1947. 
TEHRAN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Friday slammed the European Parliament as "baseless" and "anti-Iran" to adopt a resolution on suspected poisoning of schoolgirls in the country.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said it was "surprising and regrettable" for the European side to make such a move while Iran was seriously investigating the issue at its highest levels, according to a statement published on the ministry's website.

The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution claiming that the poisoning attacks across Iran were aimed at preventing girls from attending education, calling for an independent "fact-finding" UN probe into the incidents and expanded EU sanctions on Iranian leaders, among others.

Nasser Kanaani argued that most Iranian high officials have vigorously condemned the "inhumane" acts and ordered probes into the cases.

He said based on initial findings by the Iranian judicial authorities, certain individuals involved in the perpetration of the "criminal acts" have been identified.

The Iranian spokesman regretted that the European Parliament has become a venue for "extremists" and people of dubious motives to hatemonger against the Iranian nation and spread Iranophobia.

More than 700 students from 30 schools across Iran have fallen victim to mysterious poisoning cases since Nov. 30. Most of them were soon discharged from hospitals after treatment.

The Interior Ministry revealed on March 7 that certain "stimulant substances" spreading among students had led to their poisoning symptoms.

An Iranian Police spokesman said Wednesday 110 suspects have been arrested for involvement in poisoning of students. 
BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The 17th China Yiwu Cultural and Tourism Products Trade Fair will be held from March 31 to April 2 in the city of Yiwu, the world's leading small commodities market located in east China's Zhejiang Province, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

For the first time, this year's event will set up new zones for digital trade and Chinese fashion goods, said the ministry, adding that the event will bring audiences new experiences with new technologies, such as naked-eye 3D, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR).

More than 3,300 standard booths will be set up, covering an exhibition area of over 60,000 square meters. The number of booths this year is 12 percent greater than last year, while the number of exhibited products stands at about 160,000, 7 percent more than the previous event. 
SAN FRANCISCO, March 16 (Xinhua) -- As the share price of San Francisco-based First Republic Bank fell and its credit was downgraded, 11 U.S. large banks said on Thursday they would make uninsured deposits worth 30 billion U.S. dollars into First Republic Bank to shore it up.

The deposits came from Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BNY Mellon, PNC Bank, State Street, Truist and U.S. Bank.

"This action by America's largest banks reflects their confidence in First Republic and in banks of all sizes, and it demonstrates their overall commitment to helping banks serve their customers and communities," said a statement from the group of banks.

The actions of the banks reflect their confidence in the country's banking system, the statement said.

"Together, we are deploying our financial strength and liquidity into the larger system, where it is needed the most," the statement said.

The announcement came in the wake of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and concerns that the trouble for the banking industry could spread.

The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement on Thursday that the show of support by a group of large banks "is most welcome, and demonstrates the resilience of the banking system."

A representative for First Republic Bank declined to comment on its financial health or the downgrading of its credit, as well as concerns it could see more customers pull their deposits, according to a report by The San Francisco Chronicle. 
Chinese Premier Li Qiang presides over the first plenary meeting of China's new-term State Council, in Beijing, capital of China, March 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday urged efforts to earnestly implement decisions and plans of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and ensure a good start for all work at a new starting point.

Li made the remarks while presiding over the first plenary meeting of China's new-term State Council. The plenum announced the division of duties for State Council leading officials and the setup of State Council institutions, adopted the newly-revised working rules of the State Council, and made arrangements for government work.

The five-year term of this government coincides with the crucial period for getting the efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects off to a good start, said Li, adding that the new-term government's mission is to ensure the sound and faithful implementation of the decisions and plans made by the CPC Central Committee.

Li also underlined the importance of pursuing high-quality development as the first and foremost task, urging efforts to prioritize economic stability and pursue progress while ensuring stability, implement macro policies in a systemic and targeted way, unleash the potential of domestic demand with comprehensive measures, and push for an overall upturn in economic performance.

The real economy should be the focus in seeking economic development, Li said, calling for breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields and accelerating the development of modern industrial system.

Li stressed further deepening reform and opening up, making plans for and implementing a new round of reform in state-owned enterprises, supporting the development and growth of the private sector, and stabilizing foreign trade and foreign investment.

The premier called for efforts to effectively prevent and defuse major risks, and ensure that no systemic risks arise.

Efforts should also be made to do a good job in work on agriculture and rural areas, ensure stable and safe supplies of grain and other important agricultural products, and consolidate and expand the achievements in poverty alleviation.

Li called for intensified efforts to prevent and control environmental pollution, continue to improve the quality of the ecological environment, and actively and steadily work toward carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

He also demanded efforts to promote the development of social undertakings, epidemic prevention and control, as well as work in other areas, to enhance people's sense of fulfillment, happiness and security.

Li stressed the importance for leading officials of the State Council and its departments to take the lead in maintaining political integrity, abiding by rules, strengthening self-discipline, refraining from seeking personal gain, remaining diligent and acting with a sense of responsibility. 
DAR ES SALAAM, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The East African Community (EAC), a regional bloc, has said preparations were in the final stages as Uganda readied to host the 10th East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition 2023.

The 2023 edition of the conference, under the theme "East Africa as a hub for Investment in Exploration and Exploitation of Petroleum Resources for Sustainable Energy and Socioeconomic Development," aims at showcasing the EAC as a destination of choice for oil and gas investment opportunities to enhance socioeconomic transformation, according to an EAC statement.

The conference and exhibition slated for May 9-11 will take place at a time when the EAC embarks on a journey to implement the EAC Vision 2050, said the statement issued Wednesday by the EAC headquarters in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha.

According to the statement, the objective of the energy sector development under the EAC Vision 2050 is to ensure a sustainable, adequate, affordable, competitive, secure and reliable supply of energy to meet regional needs at the least cost.

The statement said by 2050, the region's target is to transform the energy landscape to be characterized by an efficient distribution of petroleum products with sufficient strategic reserves.

Held biennially since 2003, the East African Petroleum Conference has provided increased awareness of the potential for the production of petroleum in the region and other important issues in the petroleum sector, including technological advancements in exploration, development and production, said the statement.

The EAC member states are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda. 
DAR ES SALAAM, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian health authorities has said that they have launched investigations after a strange disease killed five people and two others were admitted to a health center in the country's northwestern region of Kagera.

Tumaini Nagu, chief medical officer in the Ministry of Health, said in a statement late Thursday that the investigations followed reports that five people have died in two villages in the Bukoba rural district after they suffered fever, vomiting, hemorrhage, and kidney failure.

"Symptoms of the illness point out to an infectious disease," said the statement, adding that samples of the victims have been collected for laboratory tests.

It said rapid response medical teams have been dispatched to affected villages for further investigations.

People who experience fever, vomiting, bleeding in various parts of their bodies, and feeling fatigued should report to health centers for treatment, said the statement.

It also cautioned people against touching patients' sweat, blood, urine, and tears to avoid infection.

The statement reminded people to regularly wash their hands using soap, running water, and sanitizers, adding that people should also avoid shaking hands.

It urged people to remain calm as the government is working hard to establish the causes of the strange disease in the region. 
KAMPALA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday urged the West against imposing homosexuality on African countries and people.

"The Western countries should stop wasting the time of humanity by trying to impose their practices on other people," said Museveni in a televised address to parliament.

Museveni's comments follow threats from the U.S. and other European countries over Ugandan lawmakers tabling the contentious homosexuality bill in parliament to prohibit same-sex marriage.

The lawmakers on Monday commenced a public hearing of the anti-homosexuality bill to prohibit same-sex sexual relationships and the promotion of homosexuality, penalize homosexual practices, and provide compensation to victims of homosexuality.

The bill introduced by an opposition lawmaker aims to protect and strengthen the traditional family values, cherished culture, children and youth who are vulnerable to sexual abuse.

Uganda's parliament passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act on Dec. 20, 2013, before it was declared 'null and void' by the constitutional court in 2014, citing a lack of a necessary quorum of lawmakers to vote on it. 
TUNIS, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian Interior Minister Taoufik Charfeddine announced Friday evening his resignation for family reasons, private radio station Mosaique FM reported.

Charfeddine announced his decision on the sidelines of a ceremony at the National Guard school in Bir Bouregba in the northwestern province of Nabeul.

Speaking to reporters, Charfeddine said that he decided to devote more time to his children after the death of his wife last year.

Meanwhile, he thanked the Tunisian President Kais Saied who, according to Charfeddine, understood his situation.

It is the first resignation from Prime Minister Najla Bouden's cabinet, which has witnessed a reshuffle in recent months, including the dismissal of five ministers.

On May 16, 2022, an explosion rocked the house of Charfeddine, causing the death of his wife a few weeks later.

Investigations indicated that the explosion was caused by a natural gas leak. 
CANBERRA, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Poor sleep in middle age can have a negative impact on brain health, according to a recent study by researchers from the Australian National University (ANU).

The study, which was published on Thursday, examined the sleep habits of 29,000 people aged between 37 and 73.

It found that getting fewer than six hours of sleep a day or more than nine hours was associated with lower brain volume and cognitive measures, which are crucial for things like reaction time and memory. Daytime dozing was also found linked to impaired brain health.

Tergel Namsrai, leader of the research and a PhD candidate at ANU, said the findings could provide the basis for combating neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.

"The mechanisms underlying the link between sleep and brain health are not well understood - there's a lot of work to be done," she said in a statement.

"But our study shows it could be an important target if we want to improve brain health into old age and delay the onset of dementia."

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than 55 million people worldwide currently have dementia - a figure that is expected to rise to 150 million by 2050.

A report published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) in February revealed dementia has surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of disease burden in older Australians for the first time.

There is currently no cure for dementia, which Namsrai said made it more important to identify risk factors.

"Around 20 to 40 percent of dementia cases are attributable to modifiable, non-genetic factors," she said.

"The most well-known of these include smoking, alcohol misuse and obesity. But sleep is an emerging risk factor." 
ISLAMABAD, March 17 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were killed and three others injured after a fire broke out in a house in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police and rescue officials said on Friday.

The fire erupted due to an electric short circuit at the wooden house located in the Pattan area of Lower Kohistan district of the province early Friday morning, Farman Ali, an official at the district's emergency rescue service told local media.

He said that the fire caused the roof of the house to collapse, trapping the family members under the debris, adding that women and children were among the victims.

At least eight to 10 cows also perished in the huge fire that engulfed the adjoining farm as well.

Following the incident, rescue teams along with fire vehicles and ambulances reached the site and started rescue operations immediately, and shifted the injured people to a nearby hospital.

Rescue operation is underway as one person is reportedly still trapped under the debris, said the police, adding that local residents are also taking part in the rescue efforts.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident. 
COLOMBO, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's ministry of finance on Friday said it will provide a 1.1 million-rupee (about 3,200 dollars) interest-free loan each for 5,000 students who have financial difficulties in affording education at a state university.

State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said the scheme was introduced because bank loans are issued at a rate as high as 25 percent.

Students can apply for the loan at three state-run banks -- the Bank of Ceylon, People's Bank and the National Savings Bank.

The loan must be repaid after students find jobs, the state minister said.

Around 270,000 students sit for the university entrance exam each year and about 40,000 students are enrolled into state-run universities. 
NEW DELHI, March 17 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were killed and six others injured after a massive fire broke out in a multi-storey commercial complex in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, police said on Friday.

The fire broke out on Thursday evening in the Secunderabad area of the city.

"Six people - two men and four women- were killed in the fire," a police official said. "Six others are undergoing treatment in the hospital."

According to the police, four of the six injured had jumped from the complex to escape the fire. Twelve fire tenders rushed to the spot to contain the fire and the firefighting operation was undergoing until early Friday.

Police have registered a case in this regard and ordered an investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire.

A preliminary investigation conducted by the police suggested a short circuit be the reason behind the fire. 
BERLIN, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The recent wave of strikes by public sector employees and by airport security staff at four airports have "massively restricted" air traffic in the western and southern parts of Germany, the German Airports Association (ADV) said on Friday.

A total of 583 flights had to be canceled at the two largest western German airports, Dusseldorf and Cologne, and at Stuttgart and Karlsruhe in the south, according to ADV. More than 76,000 passengers were affected.

In Dusseldorf, two-thirds of the 391 planned departures and arrivals were canceled, and in Cologne, almost all flights were, while there were no regular operations at all in Stuttgart, the capital of the federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Passengers at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airport were only told to prepare for delays.

Public sector employees are demanding 10.5 percent more pay, but at least an increase of 500 euros (530 U.S. dollars) a month. The employers' offer, however, only includes a 5 percent wage increase in two stages and a tax-free one-off payment of 2,500 euros.

All-day strikes have already paralyzed German air traffic on several occasions in recent weeks. "The limit has been reached. The duration and scope of the strikes are disproportionate and go beyond the dimensions of a warning strike," ADV Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ralph Beisel told Xinhua on Friday.

"Such walkouts bring massive consequential problems," he warned. "The fact that airlines and airports are just recovering from the deepest crisis in aviation is completely ignored."

After passengers returned in the summer of 2022 as COVID-19 measures were being relaxed, understaffing caused flight chaos in Europe with thousands of cancellations.

Germany's largest airport, Frankfurt, has still not fully recovered from the pandemic. Last year, the hub's 48.9 million passengers fell 30.7 percent short of its 2019 pre-crisis level, according to operator Fraport.

For the current year, the "primary goal is to maintain stable operations and enhance our resilience in responding to irregular situations," Fraport CEO Stefan Schulte said on Tuesday. (1 euro = 1.06 U.S. dollar) 
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama speaks at a press conference in Tirana, capital of Albania, on March 16, 2023. Albania has scrapped the "golden passports" scheme, Prime Minister Edi Rama told a press conference here on Thursday during the meeting of the European Union (EU)-Albania Stabilization and Association Council. (Photo by Gent Onuzi/Xinhua)

TIRANA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Albania has scrapped the "golden passports" scheme, Prime Minister Edi Rama told a press conference here on Thursday during the meeting of the European Union (EU)-Albania Stabilization and Association Council.

The "golden passports" scheme promoted by the Albanian government in recent years had been suspended, Rama said at a joint press conference with Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell and European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi.

"Regarding the golden passports, we have made it clear that we have suspended the process until the position is clarified at the European level. We did not invent this. We took it from EU countries that have implemented it successfully," said Rama.

The EU has been strongly critical of the "golden passports" scheme which provides wealthy foreign investors with citizenship in return for their investment in the country.

The 12th meeting of the EU-Albania Stabilization and Association Council was held to review the country's accession to the EU. It was the first meeting of the Council to take place in Tirana.

Albania applied for the EU membership in 2009 and became the candidate country in 2014. The accession negotiations between Albania and the EU started in 2022. 

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama (L), Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell (C) and European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi attend a press conference in Tirana, the capital of Albania, on March 16, 2023. Albania has scrapped the "golden passports" scheme, Prime Minister Edi Rama told a press conference here on Thursday during the meeting of the European Union (EU)-Albania Stabilization and Association Council. (Photo by Gent Onuzi/Xinhua)
BELGRADE, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Montenegro will hold early elections on June 11, President Milo Djukanovic announced at a press conference on Friday. The day before, he dissolved Parliament with a decree.

Djukanovic heads into a presidential election on March 19, in which he is seeking his third five-year mandate.

Since the last parliamentary elections in 2020, Montenegro's Parliament has ousted two prime ministers. The most recent Prime Minister-designate, Miodrag Lekic, was unable to propose a new government within the constitutionally prescribed 90-day deadline.

"The leaders who claimed to have the required majority did not respond to the call for consultations. That is why today I am convinced that the best solution is to shorten the mandate and call for extraordinary parliamentary elections," Djukanovic said. 
OTTAWA, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Two police officers were shot and killed in Edmonton, Canada's western Alberta province, early Thursday morning while responding to a domestic dispute call, local media reported.

According to CTV News, at approximately 12:47 a.m. Thursday morning, the two patrol members responded to a family dispute in an apartment building in Edmonton. Upon arrival, they went inside the building, approached the suite, and were shot by a male subject.

The two members, Constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan, were rushed to hospital and they were both declared deceased, CTV News said.

A male suspect was also dead from what investigators believed was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. One person, a female who was related to the suspect, was in hospital with life-threatening injuries, CTV News reported, adding that the investigation into the officers' deaths was still in the early stages. 
Ukraine could replace Russia as nuclear fuel supplier to Europe, says energy minister 17 March, 06:00 PM Minister of Energy Herman Galushchenko and President of NAEK Energoatom Petro Kotin (Photo:-   )

Ukraine could replace Russia as the supplier of nuclear fuel to Europe, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on March 16.

The minister made the announcement while visiting an enterprise that will produce nuclear fuel both for Ukrainian reactors and for export to other countries.

As noted, 17 VVER-440 reactors are now operating in Europe, which have no alternative to Russian fuel.

Ukraine has already began producing components of VVER-1000 reactors and will later start producing fuel for the VVER-440 reactors. The project is implemented by national nuclear power company Energoatom and the US Westinghouse.

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Unfortunately, many European countries remain dependent on Russian nuclear technologies, Halushchenko said.

At the same time, having abandoned Russian nuclear fuel, Ukraine switched its reactors to nuclear fuel produced by Westinghouse. Czechia, Slovakia, Finland, and Bulgaria have also expressed the desire to make the same transition. And in the future, Ukraine may become a supplier of nuclear fuel for these countries.

According to the minister, relevant Ukrainian enterprises will produce the fuel element clusters of nuclear power plants.

In 2023, Ukraine plans to complete licensing and enter the industrial production of bottom nozzles, as well as start the industrial production of fuel cartridge heads in 2024. These components will be used to produce nuclear fuel for the needs of Energoatom at the Westinghouse plant in Vasteros, Sweden, Halushchenko said.

The company plans to create its own line to produce nuclear fuel in three years, Energoatom CEO Petro Kotin added.

Today, our nuclear experts, together with US partners, are working to oust Russia from the global nuclear technology market.

Ukraines nuclear power plants will fully switch to using Westinghouse fuel by late 2023, Halushchenko announced on March 2.

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An-225 Mriyas evacuation to Germany was canceled last minute, Bild reports 17 March, 12:14 AM An-225 Mriya after a Russian strike on the airfield in Gostomel, Kyiv region (Photo:REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)

The legendary Ukrainian Antonov An-225 Mriya cargo plane was scheduled to fly to Germany as the Russian full-scale invasion was imminent, but the plan was put on hold last minute, German newspaper Bild reported on March 16.

According to Bilds information, the Ukrainian plane was supposed to fly to Leipzig/Halle International Airport, which was considered Mriyas "second home"  the aircraft made 32 landings there in the past.

Bild notes that the evacuation of the aircraft was planned in advance. According to crew captain Dmytro Antonov, on Feb. 23, 2022  on the invasions eve  he was inside the fully fueled aircraft, ready to depart. The flight was ultimately cancelled "on orders coming from the top."

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The transfer of the An-225 and smaller An-124 aircraft was scheduled for Feb. 25th, a spokesman for Leipzig/Halle Airport said in a statement.

The decision was made on Feb. 21st. There had been discussions about this for weeks prior.

At the same time, Bilds journalists claim that parking spaces for the two Ukrainian planes in Germany were prepared by Jan. 26, 2022.

According to the report, satellite images of the airfield at Hostomel indicate that the most important aircraft were deliberately vulnerable to Russian attacks, with other planes remaining intact.

On March 10, Ukraines SBU security service charged the former top management of Antonov state enterprise on suspicion of deliberately sabotaging the defense of Hostomel Airport where An-225 was based. Antonov designed, built, and operated An-225  the worlds heaviest cargo airplane.

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Estonia, Lithuania approve new military aid; Latvian PM visits Kyiv 17 March, 10:50 AM Estonia will provide military aid to Ukraine (Photo:chris_robert/Unsplash)

Estonia will send a new military aid package to Ukraine, including sniper weapons and equipment for special forces, after the Estonian parliament backed the decision of Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, Estonias ERR reported on March 16.

Pevkur explained that the Baltic state is joining the EU initiative to purchase artillery shells, but that it is also necessary to continue sending smaller and more targeted aid packages.

Read also: Baltic countries call on Germany to deliver Leopard tanks to Ukraine as soon as possible

Reportedly, Tallinn will provide Kyiv with semi-automatic rifles, sniper rifles, optical sights, binoculars, ammunition, individual and special equipment, patrol boats and thermal imagers.

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Medical equipment will also be provided.

The total value of the military aid is EUR 494,300 ($525,000). Donations of equipment do not affect the capabilities of the Defense Forces.

Estonia has been one of Ukraines most ardent supporters since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The country has already provided military assistance to the Ukrainian army worth almost EUR 400 million ($425 million), or more than 1% of GDP.

Lithuania is also handing over a new military aid package to Ukraine.

According to Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anusauskas, it will include 155-mm ammunition, vehicles, and military rations.

He noted that the total value of military support provided by Lithuania to Ukraine will soon reach EUR 450 million ($478 million).

Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins traveled to Kyiv on March 16 to meet with Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy thanked Latvia for its commitment to Ukraine, which includes support in building mechanisms to hold Russia accountable for its war crimes as well as a total aid package equal to 1% of the countrys total GDP.

On Feb. 26, Pevkur arrived in Ukraine and met with Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. He announced another package of military aid to be transferred to the Special Operations Forces.

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Triptych mural unveiled in Kenyas Nairobi to promote Ukraine 18 March, 12:32 AM A mural dedicated to Ukraine appeared in Nairobi (Photo:@Port Agency)

A triptych (three-fold panel  ed.) mural about Ukraine created by street artists from Kenya and Ukraine was unveiled in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on March 16.

The mural, called Grains of Culture, was unveiled as part of the The Wall project, a series of iconic murals that appeared in Vienna, Berlin, Marseille, and Brussels.

Read also: Ghost of Kyiv mural unveiled in Ukrainian capital in celebration of Aviation Day

Painters included Kenyan artists Moha and Eliamin Ink and Ukrainian artists Alina Konyk, Andriy Kovtun, and Nikita Kravtsov.

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The painters hope to explain to the people of Africa what Ukraine means for Africa: that it is from Ukraine that birds fly to Africa, that Ukraine is currently throwing off the shackles of slavery and waging war with a colonial state, and that it is Ukraine that supplies grain to African countries.

Ukraines Tvorchi, who will represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest in May with the song Heart of Steel, performed at the mural presentation.

Member of the band Jimoh Augustus Kehinde is originally from Nigeria. He graduated from Ternopil National Medical University and chose to stay in Ukraine.

The Wall is a symbol of resistance, stability, and protection that fences off Europe from war, said Kate Taylor, founder of Port.agency and curator of the project.

At the same time, the name is associated with the cult album of Pink Floyd, a rock opera that tells the story of a hero who is separated from the rest of the world by a wall behind which he fights his inner demons. Ukraine is dealing with an external demon. But the metaphor allows to start a dialogue about the worlds attitude towards Ukraine as us vs them. We want to rethink and look at the mental and historical wall that still separates us. And which must be eliminated so that we feel like a united community.

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Description

"Over 25 years in comedy, Gary Gulman has established himself as an eminent performer and peerless writer. He has made countless television appearances as both a comedian and an actor and is one of only a handful of comedians to perform on every single late-night comedy program.

Today, Gulman is one of the most popular touring comics, selling out theaters around the country. He is currently on his Born On 3rd Base Tour, in which he hilariously chronicles his impoverished childhood on food stamps, free lunch and welfare checks while skewering our current Tale of Two Cities-esque wealth gap. Few, if any comedians have addressed class so deftly and entertainingly. In November 2021, Gulman performed for the first time to a sold-out crowd at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City for the NY Comedy Festival.

Gulman has made four masterful TV specials including his most recent universally acclaimed stand-up special for HBO, The Great Depresh, a tour deforce look at mental illness, which is equal parts hilarious and inspiring. In 2019 he appeared in the international blockbuster, Joker. He was most recently seen co-starring with Amy Schumer in the hit Hulu comedy series, Life & Beth, and is currently writing a memoir for Flatiron Books, tentatively titled K Through 12."
AD Solutions advances its Florida expansion plans with a second acquisition in two years.

ORLANDO, Fla., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AD Solutions, Inc's Best in Business 2022, an award-winning workplace technology provider and the leading Sharp Platinum Dealership with global headquarters in Orlando, Florida, announces that it has recently acquired Core Imaging USA, an office equipment dealership and Managed IT Services provider with offices in Longwood and Tampa, Florida.

Inc. Magazine recognizes AD Solutions for Best In Business for Business Products. (PRNewsfoto/AD Solutions)

Founded in 2014, Core Imaging USA is a Business Solutions company that provides Managed IT Services, VOIP Solutions, and document management services, including Konica Minolta copiers. With AD Solutions' dedicated worldwide partnership with Sharp and its unmatched services and products, AD Solutions is primed to expand its delivery of only the very best in print, document, software, network, display, IT solutions, and more to the greater Tampa area. This acquisition undoubtedly expands and improves the products, technology, and services available to Core Imaging and AD Solutions clients resulting in better services and workplace technology now available to a broader range of Florida businesses.

Moody Hamdan, Chief Executive Officer of AD Solutions, says," We are excited to have Core Imaging USA join the AD Solutions family. We believe this acquisition will help us further our mission of providing our customers with the best workplace technology solutions possible." Core Imaging customers will now benefit from a broader range of technology solutions, including SHARP's exciting copiers and printers, Dynabook laptops, Sharp Aquos Boards, interactive displays, and NEC video walls.

This marks the second acquisition for AD Solutions in two years and represents continued geographical expansion and service and product expansion in Managed IT Services and VOIP Solutions. Founded in 2009, AD Solutions has enjoyed organic growth resulting in two Orlando offices, offices in Deland and Jacksonville, and over 50 employees. As a result of this latest acquisition, AD Solutions clients can experience and test the newest office technology solutions by visiting one of its showrooms in Orlando, Jacksonville, Melbourne, and now, Tampa.

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About AD Solutions

AD Solutions is a workplace technology company headquartered in Orlando, Florida, that offers equipment, services, and software nationwide to simplify working and learning in a hybrid world. With the company's primary mission being "Service First and Foremost," AD Solutions helps businesses large and small by using a consultative approach to meet their unique needs. Solutions include Sharp copiers and printers, managed print and software services, interactive displays, NEC video walls, VOIP, IT Support, and more. Along with award-winning service and ongoing local support, AD Solutions utilizes remote diagnostic tools to be fast, reliable, and proactive. For more information about acquisitions, employment, and the best workplace technology, visit www.myadsusa.com .

Cision

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SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

SkyQuest has released a detailed research report on the aircraft lighting market, offering valuable insights into industry dynamics. The report is an indispensable resource for individuals and organizations seeking a comprehensive market understanding. It analyzes the latest market trends, consumer behavior, and competitive landscape extensively, providing a well-rounded perspective on the industry's current state and potential future developments. In addition, it provides insights into how companies respond to the evolving market dynamics and position themselves to succeed in the future.

Westford USA, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Asia Pacific led the major growth for the aircraft lighting market with healthy competition from the North American region. The growing demand for air travel worldwide is driving the need for more aircraft, which in turn is fueling demand for aircraft lighting solutions. The development of LED lighting technology has resulted in more efficient and cost-effective lighting solutions for aircraft, leading to increased demand. Passengers are increasingly looking for a comfortable and enjoyable travel experience, and lighting is important. Airlines are investing in high-quality interior lighting solutions to enhance the passenger experience, driving demand for advanced lighting systems.

According to SkyQuest's global research, the electric aircraft industry is poised to experience significant growth in the coming years, with a projected value of over USD 29.79 billion by 2028 with a high CAGR of 15.4%. The electric aircraft industry's growth is expected to impact the aircraft Lighting Market positively. With the adoption of electric aircraft, there will be greater demand for efficient, lightweight, and durable lighting solutions.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Aircraft Lighting Market"

Pages - 278

Tables - 89

Figures - 75

Aircraft lighting plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of flights. It is responsible for illuminating the airplane's interior and exterior during takeoff, landing, and flight. In addition, proper lighting is essential for pilots to navigate through different weather conditions, identify other aircraft in the airspace, and read instrument panels. The different types of lighting used in airplanes help pilots navigate different situations, while interior lighting provides passengers with a comfortable and relaxing environment.

Story continues

Prominent Players in Aircraft Lighting Market

Heads Up Technologies

Cobham

Honeywell International Inc.

Oxley Group

STG Aerospace

Astronics

Diehl Stiftung

Luminator Technology Group

Soderberg Manufacturing Company

Precise Flight, Inc.

Hoffman Engineering

AeroLeds

Bruce Aerospace

IFE Products

Beadlight Limited

Whelen Aerospace Technologies

Get a sample copy of this report:

https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/aircraft-lighting-market

LED Segment to Witness Significant Sales Growth as LED Lights are More Energy-Efficient than Traditional Lighting Sources

The aircraft lighting market witnessed substantial growth in the LED segment in 2021, and it is expected to continue its positive trajectory from 2022 to 2028. LED lighting technology has emerged as a game-changer in the aviation industry, and its increasing adoption is primarily driven by its cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and durability. The trend towards LED lighting is expected to continue in the coming years, driven by the increasing demand for efficient and sustainable aviation solutions. In addition, as airlines seek to reduce their carbon footprint, adopting LED lighting technology is likely to accelerate. It is an environmentally friendly option that consumes less energy and produces fewer emissions.

According to recent market research, the Asia Pacific region has emerged as the dominant player in the aircraft lighting market, holding the largest share in 2021. This trend is expected to continue, with the region projected to maintain its lead ahead of other regions by 2028. The growth of the Asia Pacific market can be attributed to several factors. First and foremost, the region has witnessed a significant rise in air passenger traffic, leading to an increase in the demand for new aircraft and retrofitting existing aircraft with advanced lighting systems. Additionally, the region's growing economy has enabled airlines to invest in upgrading their fleets to meet the changing demands of customers.

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

https://www.skyquestt.com/report/aircraft-lighting-market

Commercial Aircraft Segment to Drive Higher Traction Driven by the Increasing Number of Commercial Aircraft in Service

The aircraft lighting market has witnessed significant growth in recent years, and the commercial aircraft segment has been a major contributor to this growth. In 2021, the commercial aircraft segment held a significant revenue share in the market, and it is expected to continue dominating the market from 2022 to 2028. This dominance can be attributed to several factors, including the rising demand for air travel, especially in emerging economies, and the increasing number of airline aircraft orders. In addition, developing advanced lighting technologies, such as LED lights and mood lighting, has enhanced the passenger experience and increased demand for these features in commercial aircraft.

According to recent industry reports, the North American region recorded the highest growth rate in the aircraft lighting market in 2021, and this trend is expected to continue until 2028. The market growth can be driven by several factors, such as the increasing demand for advanced lighting systems in aircraft, rising air passenger traffic, and the need for better flight visibility. As a result, the market has rapidly evolved in recent years, with manufacturers introducing new and innovative lighting solutions to improve the overall flying experience. In addition, the increasing demand for LED-based lighting systems and smart lighting solutions is also driving market growth in North America.

The aircraft lighting market has experienced significant growth over the past few years, leading to a highly competitive and rapidly evolving market. To help companies and investors navigate this complex landscape, SkyQuest, a trusted market research firm, has recently released a comprehensive report providing a detailed industry analysis. By leveraging the insights provided in the comprehensive report, businesses and investors can stay informed and make strategic decisions that will help them remain competitive and succeed in the market.

Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements:

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Key Developments in Aircraft Lighting Market

Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group recently marked a milestone with the opening of their state-of-the-art Aerostructures hangar. The new hangar boasts cutting-edge technology and facilities that cater to the most complex aircraft engineering requirements. The facility in the UK is a testament to the company's motive to advance aerospace engineering and manufacturing.

TransDigm, a leading global designer and manufacturer of highly engineered aircraft components, has announced the acquisition of Calspan Corporation, a premier provider of advanced research and testing services for aerospace and defense markets. The acquisition is expected to enhance TransDigm's portfolio of innovative products and solutions while expanding its customer base and geographic reach.

Heads Up Technologies, a leading provider of avionics solutions, has recently announced its acquisition of STG Aerospace, a prominent player in the aircraft cabin lighting market. The move aims to bring together the strengths of both companies, offering customers a broader range of products and services. Heads Up Technologies' expertise in avionics will help STG Aerospace expand its reach in the aviation market. At the same time, STG Aerospace's innovative lighting solutions will provide Heads Up Technologies with a new avenue for growth.

Key Questions Answered in Aircraft Lighting Market Report

What are the current growth trends in the identified market segments and regions, and what factors drive this growth?

How can businesses adapt to new technologies and product advancements to stay competitive in the identified market segments and regions?

What are the potential obstacles and risks associated with entering and expanding into the identified market segments and regions, and how can businesses overcome them?

What marketing tactics have proven effective in capturing consumers' attention in the identified market segments and regions, and how can businesses leverage them for success?

Related Reports in SkyQuests Library:

Global Drone Logistics And Transportation Market

Global Ferrite Core Market

Global 3D-Printed Houses Market

Global Flexible Batteries Market

Global Crushers Market

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SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

SkyQuest's report on the market for airport ground and cargo handling services market is a highly informative resource for those looking to gain a deeper understanding of this rapidly expanding industry. The report is written in a clear and concise manner, making it accessible to a broad audience ranging from industry specialists to lay readers. Furthermore, it provides a comprehensive analysis of both primary and secondary market drivers, which grants readers a thorough understanding of the current state of the market as well as future projections.

Westford USA, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Airport Ground and Cargo Handling Services industry is anticipated to grow substantially in the North American and Asia Pacific regions, driven by various factors. These factors comprise the growth in air traffic, the surge in e-commerce, airport expansion, globalization, and government regulations. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the number of passengers is expected to reach 8.2 billion by 2037.

Furthermore, advancements in technology, including automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics, are expected to enhance the efficiency of ground and cargo handling services, creating lucrative growth opportunities. The expansion and upgrading of airport facilities also increase the demand for ground and cargo handling services to support the rising capacity.

According to SkyQuest's recent global research, airport operators and ground handling companies emphasize sustainability more, incorporating electric and hybrid ground handling equipment, renewable energy sources, and waste reduction programs. This trend indicates promising growth prospects for industries associated with the Airport Ground and Cargo Handling Services market. Moreover, there is a rising inclination towards collaboration and partnerships among airlines, airport operators, and ground-handling companies to optimize operations, decrease expenses, and enhance customer service.

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Browse in-depth TOC on "Airport Ground And Cargo Handling Services Market."

Pages - 242

Tables - 91

Figures - 74

Airport ground and cargo handling services are critical in ensuring airport and air travel's smooth and efficient operation. They provide the safety and security of passengers and cargo while reducing operational costs and improving the overall customer experience. The significance of airport ground and cargo handling services cannot be overstated in maintaining the efficient operation of airports and air travel. Without efficient ground and cargo handling services, airports would face difficulties handling the volume of air traffic and the complex requirements of modern air travel.

Prominent Players in Airport Ground And Cargo Handling Services Market

Swissport International Ltd.

Menzies Aviation plc

dnata

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS)

SATS Ltd.

Air France - KLM

Lufthansa Cargo AG

Cathay Pacific Services Limited

China Eastern Airlines Corporation Limited

Ground Handling International (GHI)

ASIG (Aviation Services International Group)

BBA Aviation plc

Celebi Aviation Holding Inc.

Cargo Airport Services (CAS)

AeroGround Flughafen Munchen GmbH.

Get a sample copy of this report:

https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/airport-ground-and-cargo-handling-services-market

Air cargo and Mail Handling Service Segment to Drive Higher Sales as there is a Rising Need For Air Freight to Transfer Items in Emergencies such as Natural Calamities.

As per a recent analysis, the Air cargo and mail handling services category has emerged as a critical player in driving the Airport Ground and Cargo Handling Services market's rapid growth in 2021. This trend is expected to continue from 2022 to 2030, with the segment maintaining its dominant position in the market. With the increasing requirement for air freight to transport emergency medical supplies during pandemics and natural disasters, the demand for Airport Ground and Cargo Handling Services is predicted to grow considerably.

According to the SkyQuest's research analysis, North America had the largest share in the base year of USD 11,37 Billion. Anticipating the increasing drivers, It will dominate the Airport Ground and Cargo Handling Services market from 2022 to 2030. Several factors, including the highest concentration of airports, a flourishing aviation business, and increased airport modernization spending, fueling the region's growth. SkyQuest's report suggests that implementing safety and security regulations by the North American governments will further drive market Demand. Additionally, many regional airports are expanding and upgrading their facilities to accommodate the passenger and cargo traffic surge following the pandemic.

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

https://www.skyquestt.com/report/airport-ground-and-cargo-handling-services-market

Cargo Airlines End-User Segment to Exhibit Strong Growth Due to the Rise of E-Commerce and Growth of the Global Trade Market.

The cargo airlines segment is experiencing the fastest growth in the airport ground and cargo handling market due to the surge of e-commerce and expansion of the global trade market. This growth has resulted in a substantial increase in air cargo volume. As a result, cargo airlines increasingly need ground-handling services that will guarantee efficient cargo handling, loading, and unloading. This trend is fueling the growth of the airport ground and cargo handling services market.

The Asia Pacific region has emerged as a significant player in the Airport Ground and Cargo Handling Services market and is projected to maintain its leading position by 2030. This growth can be attributed to several factors, including the increasing demand for air travel, rising trade activities, government initiatives promoting air cargo, and investments in airport infrastructure. China's newly constructed Beijing Daxing International Airport commenced operations in September 2019. Meanwhile, India's upcoming Boga Plum Greenfield Airport is slated to open shortly. Moreover, adopting advanced technology and automation may also enhance cargo handling and ground operations efficiency, which could drive the growth of the airport, ground, and cargo handling services industry, including the Isha Pacific segment.

According to a recent report on the Airport Ground and Cargo Handling Services market, the major players in the industry have been comprehensively analyzed. The report delves into various aspects, such as collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, which provide valuable insights into the key trends and significant breakthroughs in the market. Additionally, the report offers a detailed analysis of the market share of the top segments and an in-depth examination of the geographic landscape. The report also highlights the major players in the industry and their efforts to develop innovative solutions to meet the growing demand in the market.

Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements:

https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/airport-ground-and-cargo-handling-services-market

Key Developments in Airport Ground And Cargo Handling Services Market

Alliance Ground International (AGI), a company specializing in cargo ground handling, has acquired Airport Terminal Services (ATS), an aviation service provider in North America. This acquisition is part of AGI's ongoing growth strategy in the region.

Holland & Knight legal advisory firm, has guided Alliance Ground International LLC (AGI), a joint venture between Audax Management Company, LLC and Greenbriar Equity Group, in its acquisition of Airport Terminal Services (ATS).

Key Questions Answered in Airport Ground And Cargo Handling Services Market Report

What specific growth drivers will impact the market during the forecast period?

Can you list the top companies in the market and explain how they have achieved their positions of influence?

In what ways do regional trends and patterns differ within the global market, and how might these differences shape the market's future growth?

Related Reports in SkyQuests Library:

Global Drone Logistics And Transportation Market

Global Ferrite Core Market

Global 3D-Printed Houses Market

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Global Crushers Market

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BANGKOK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- AIS has taken its Aunjai CYBER program to represent Thailand, as the only Thai corporate entity able to win an international sustainability award, while also making the top five ranking of 1,800 programs around the world. The Champion of WSIS Prize 2023 was presented at the WSIS Prizes 2023 in the category of programs using technology for building confidence and security in use of ICTs, hosted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations (UN). The award once again validated a proactive approach to addressing cyber issues sustainably. AIS is committed to leverage the potential of its digital networks to develop tools to intervene, alongside up-skilling Thai people's digital skills, so they can be more aware, and inhabit the digital world safely and responsibly through the AIS Aunjai CYBER program.

AIS showcases capabilities on world stage as the only Thai corporate to win WSIS Prize 2023 by ITU and UN.

Saichon Submakudom, Head of PR at AIS, said, "All members of the AIS teams wish to thank the International Telecommunication Union and the United Nations for recognizing AIS' commitment to this issue, by ranking the Aunjai CYBER program in the top five of 1,800 sustainability programs entered from around the world. We were also graciously presented with the Champion of WSIS Prize 2023 for Building confidence and security in use of ICTs.

"AIS Aunjai CYBER program was initiated in 2019, at a time when the usage of Internet and social media had increased at a rapid rate, but various kinds of social problems had arisen. We were then the first network service provider to stand up and be counted as a social hub for building networks through the efforts of our partners, as a united front to address the issue of cyber threats sustainably. We wanted to promote society to use digital tech creatively, securely and responsibly, to benefit people at large."

Mrs. Suphatra SRIMAITREEPHITHAK, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary/ Permanent Representative, congratulated AIS on winning the Champion of WSIS Prize 2023 for its Aunjai CYBER program, which is a big boost to Thailand's reputation. "This program has the objective of consistency with the "Thailand 4.0" policy, which has the aim of upgrading digital know-how for the Thai population and protecting Thai users from cyber-threats. it promotes a safe online society and builds digital immunity. It also fulfills the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals under Goal no. 4, Guaranteeing a Quality Education for all, and supports opportunities for lifelong learning."

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Saichon added, "Aunjai CYBER was conceived as a program under the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SDG no. 4, Guaranteeing a Quality Education for all. This is aligned with our strategic plan for sustainable operations, which is to support the responsible use of digital networks, while promoting digital literacy and citizenship for Thai people in general. Today, the Aunjai CYBER program has been expanded into many other forms, so it has become a hub of safe and secure Internet usage."

"The Aunjai CYBER syllabus for cyber-immunity was the first of its kind in Thailand to be certified by the Ministry of Education as being compliant with Thai curricular standards. The syllabus itself was a joint effort between the state and private sectors, and it has been upgraded and rolled out to students at 29,000 schools around the country affiliated to the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC).

"Previous AIS programs such as Aor Sor Mor Online, Smart Kids Brave Hearts, and "Work Wizard" technology for the disabled, have also addressed sustainability issues and won the WSIS Prize. Winning the WSIS Prize 2023 is an achievement of which AIS teams are all immensely proud. We are the only Thai corporation to successfully win an award at the Champion level. We would like to reaffirm our intentions to continue ushering in positive and sustainable change to Thai digital society," concluded Saichon.

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SOURCE AIS
SINGAPORE, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the cloud company that powers and protects life online, revealed that Akamai mitigated the largest DDoS attack ever launched against a customer based in Asia. In a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, an attacker overwhelms its target with unwanted internet traffic so that normal traffic cannot reach its intended destination.

Fig. 1: The attack was intense and short-lived, and was fully pre-mitigated

On February 23, 2023, Akamai mitigated the attack which recorded traffic peaking at 900.1 gigabits per second and 158.2 million packets per second. The attack was intense and short-lived, with most attack traffic bursting during the peak minute of the attack. Traffic patterns returned to normal after only a few minutes (Figure 1).

The attack was distributed across Akamai's scrubbing network, with all 26 of Akamai's fleet of scrubbing centers witnessing some amount of attack traffic. However, this was most heavily sourced from APAC (Figure 2), with the top locations being Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Singapore, and Osaka, and forty-eight percent of traffic in-region.

Mitigation strategy

To thwart the attack and safeguard the customer, Akamai Prolexic, a cloud-based DDoS scrubbing platform, was deployed to pre-mitigate the assault. The dedicated defense platform, that scales to several times the size of the largest publicly reported attacks, was deployed after an optimized DDoS incident response plan was launched by frontline responders. Over 225 frontline responders across six global locations with decades of expertise mitigating the most sophisticated attacks for the world's largest, most-demanding organizations, were involved to stop the attack. As a result of the proactive defense posture, there was no collateral damage for the customer.

"The recent DDoS attack that Akamai mitigated in Asia serves as an important reminder that DDoS continues to be a pervasive threat that organizations here need to pay attention to. DDoS attacks continue to ramp up in the region because virtually every business is an online business today," explained Parimal Pandya, Managing Director, Asia Pacific and Japan, Akamai.

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"Customer experiences online are negatively impacted when a DDoS attack renders a site inaccessible, and connection is compromised. This inaccessibility jeopardizes consumer trust, and consistent disruptions will see them turning to alternative avenues instead," continued Pandya.

Guidance on minimizing DDoS risk

In the wake of heightened operational risk, having a proven DDoS mitigation strategy is imperative for online businesses to thrive. To stay ahead of the latest threats, Akamai recommends the following:

Immediately review and implement cybersecurity recommendations and guidelines by the local government

Review critical subnets and IP spaces and ensure that they have mitigation controls in place

Deploy DDoS security controls in an always-on mitigation posture as a first layer of defense to avoid an emergency integration scenario and to reduce the burden on incident responders. Organizations without a trusted and proven cloud-based provider are advised to start their search for one.

Proactively pull together a crisis response team and ensure incident response plans are up-to-date, including go-to contacts, and a runbook is available to provide guidance on procedures and operations that needs to be carried out in the event of a cyberattack.

"DDoS attacks have increased consistently in APAC, both in size and frequency, over the past couple of years and have become a serious threat to business growth and stability. As organizations across all verticals conduct their business online, attackers seek to disrupt and degrade customer experience and the reputation of these businesses for financial gain," said Dean Houari, Director of Security Technology and Strategy, Asia Pacific and Japan, Akamai.

"Specifically, cybercriminals continue to deploy DDoS as part of multi-faceted attacks to divert customer attention from data breaches and ransomware, or to coerce ransom payments. Thus, it is critical that organizations adopt the right DDoS security solution to detect and mitigate attacks at scale, while having the right teams to monitor such attacks, as suggested in the guidance on minimizing DDoS risks," he concluded.

About Akamai

Akamai powers and protects life online. Leading companies worldwide choose Akamai to build, deliver, and secure their digital experiences  helping billions of people live, work, and play every day. With the world's most distributed compute platform  from cloud to edge  we make it easy for customers to develop and run applications, while we keep experiences closer to users and threats farther away. Learn more about Akamai's security, compute, and delivery solutions at akamai.com and akamai.com/blog, or follow Akamai Technologies on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Fig. 2: The attack was distributed across Akamais scrubbing network, but was most heavily sourced from APAC

Akamai Technologies, Inc. logo

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SOURCE Akamai Technologies, Inc.
OTTAWA, ON, March 17, 2023 /CNW/ - World Press Freedom Canada (WPFC) is pleased to announce multi-award-winning journalist Anna Maria Tremonti will be the keynote speaker at its annual World Press Freedom Day luncheon in Ottawa on May 3. She will be joined by Torstar Vice President for Inclusion and Strategic Partnerships, Irene Gentle, for an armchair discussion.

WPEC Logo (CNW Group/World Press Freedom Canada)

Tremonti is a long-time journalist who has traveled Canada and the world covering societal change, political upheaval, and armed conflict. She has worked in radio and television for decades, mostly with the CBC. She was the founding host of CBC Radio's flagship, current affairs program The Current for 17 years.

Her latest podcast "Welcome To Paradise" explores her own story of intimate partner violence and the long-term consequences of such abuse. Her longform conversation podcast "More" was released by CBC in early 2020. She is the recipient of two Gemini Awards, a Gracie Award and an Outstanding Achievement Award from Women in Film and Television.

Gentle is a journalist, editor and writer who has held what is arguably one of the most important jobs in Canadian journalism as the first woman editor-in-chief at the Toronto Star from 2018 - 2021. She has also served as managing editor, city editor and business editor. Gentle had previously worked at the Hamilton Spectator in a variety of editorial roles.

"Women and marginalized journalists are increasingly on the receiving end of online harassment and attacks for reporting inconvenient truths. Online hate is not only an issue for the journalists themselves; it is a clear attempt to suppress their reporting and diminish the media," said WPFC president Heather Bakken.

"Governments worldwide are jailing media workers for the 'crime' of committing journalism, revoking broadcast licences of independent media, and engaging in disinformation campaigns that pollute the media space and undermine democracy. It is more important than ever to applaud the role of independent media that can hold to account those in a position of power."

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In addition to the armchair discussion, the following awards will be presented at the luncheon:

Press Freedom Prize is awarded to a nominee who demonstrates their public-interest work was frustrated by a cloak of secrecy, legal manoeuvres, political intimidation, or tactics that put their safety or career at risk.





Spencer Moore Award for Career Achievement honours the work of a Canadian journalist in pursuit of press freedom and freedom of information.





International Cartoon Contest is awarded to a cartoonist who best captures this year's theme, 'Free speech or free for all?'

Submissions to the Press Freedom and the Spencer Moore Award can be made here (March 22 deadline). Submissions to the International Cartoon Contest can be made here (April 7 deadline).

This year's emcees are Catherine Cano, President of CanoVision, and Karyn Pugliese, Executive Editor of the National Observer.

Tickets are available online through Eventbrite or the contact below.

Special thanks to our event partner the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and to our major corporate sponsor the Canadian Bankers Association .

About World Press Freedom Canada

World Press Freedom Canada is an Ottawa-based, non-profit volunteer organization that promotes free expression and media rights. It celebrates UNESCO's World Press Freedom Day by honouring the award winners. This year World Press Freedom Day is May 3.

Follow us on Twitter @CDN_WPF and Linkedin @worldpressfreedomcanada

SOURCE World Press Freedom Canada

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BANGKOK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ASEAN's 10 Tourism Ministers have agreed to establish a common professional standard for MICE professionals and event professionals with the goal of enhancing ASEAN's competitiveness as a destination for MICE. The ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals (ASEAN MRA on TP) for MICE Professionals and Event Professionals was approved during the 26th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Implementation of the approved standards will begin later this year.

Mr. Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)

Mr. Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), said: "ASEAN member countries have long prioritised professional development in tourism. Since its establishment in 2012, the ASEAN MRA on TP has guided ASEAN countries in the development of their tourism workforce in two areas: 1) Hotel Services and 2) Travel Services. In 2021, the scope of the MRA was expanded to include two new categories: 1) MICE Professionals and 2) Event Professionals. The move was aimed at fostering cooperation and promoting mobility among ASEAN's MICE professionals. Each category was assigned a host country whose task was to formulate a set of professional standards specific to that category.

"On behalf of Thailand, TCEB accepted the role as host for the Event Professionals category. We worked with partner agencies such as Thailand's Department of Tourism, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, MICE-related associations, and educational institutions to draft a professional standards proposal for 11 job roles  1. Project Manager, 2. Production Manager, 3. Show Manager, 4. Event Coordinator, 5. Marketing Coordinator, 6. Event Registration Supervisor, 7. Event Administration Supervisor, 8. Event Registration Staff, 9. Event Transportation Staff, 10. Liaison Officer, and 11. General Support Staff. We value the input we received from industry and tourism authorities from all ASEAN member countries in the process and are glad that TCEB's proposal was approved at the 26th Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Ministers."

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At the same meeting, ASEAN's Tourism Ministers also approved the proposal by Indonesia for the category of MICE Professionals which covered 21 job roles.

Mr. Chiruit added that with the approval of ASEAN MRA on TP for MICE Professionals and Event Professionals, TCEB has begun promoting the idea of certification for event professionals. For that reason, a forum was organised on 2 March 2023 at The Sukosol Hotel, Bangkok. It attracted more than 500 participants and brought to life the newly developed professional standards as private- and public-sector industry players discussed the mechanics of organising an international event and the specialist roles involved.

To further promote the professional standards in the region, TCEB has launched an "ASEAN Grand Master Training" programme to grow a pool of Master Assessor who can support the new standards' implementation in all ASEAN countries. The programme will kick off in Bangkok and run until September 2024. A "Thailand Assessor Training" programme will follow suit in 2025 to ensure there are enough qualified assessors for Thailand's domestic demand. Thailand's target is to produce 50 certified Event Professionals by 2026. This is part of a broader goal for ASEAN as a whole to produce more than 1,000 certified MICE Professionals and Event Professionals.

"The MICE industry in ASEAN is not only a growing sector but also an economic driver for many member countries. By adopting a unified standard for MICE Professionals and Event Professionals, we will be able to improve mobility for our MICE workforce and further liberalise trade and services as we harmonise learning, instruction and capacity training," added Mr. Chiruit.

Related pictures: https://we.tl/t-7AH9L1B8Sv

About TCEB

A LEADING AGENCY AT THE FOREFRONT OF THAILAND'S MICE INDUSTRY

Established in 2004, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB  the government agency under the supervision of the Prime Minister  has been assigned a role to promote, support and develop business events industry  corporate meetings, incentive trips, conventions, exhibitions, mega events and world festivals. Serving as a strategic partner, TCEB helps deliver creative ideas and solutions to bring success and fulfill the requirements of business events. The overarching goal is to drive Thailand to become a global MICE and mega events destination that can drive the country's strategic industries and national economy.

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SOURCE Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)
Better Choice Company Inc.

After polling over 30,000 pet owners in China, Halo was voted as one of the top picks in the imported cat food category

NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Better Choice Company (NYSE: BTTR) (Better Choice or the Company), a pet health and wellness company, today announced its pet food brand, Halo, has been awarded the "2022 Consumers Favorite Imported Cat Brand" by the China Pet Industry White Paper.



On March 9, 2023, the highly anticipated awards list from China Pet Industry White Paper was released, revealing the top pet products and brands of 2022. Halo Pet Foods, a leading provider of super-premium pet food, has been named the "2022 Consumers Favorite Imported Cat Brand" based on the results of the annual survey conducted by the China Pet Industry White Paper.

The survey, which polled over 30,000 pet owners across China, aimed to identify the most popular and trustworthy pet brands in the market. Halo Pet Food emerged as one of the top picks in the imported cat food category, with respondents praising its responsibly sourced ingredients and excellent taste.

"We are thrilled and honored to receive this award from China Pet Industry White Paper," Ryan Wilson VP of Marketing. "Our mission is to provide pets with the highest quality and most nutritious pet food available, and this recognition from the pet owners of China is a testament to the success of our efforts."

Halo Pet Food has been committed to providing pets with natural, high-quality foods since its inception over 30 years ago. The brand offers a range of cat and dog food products made with responsibly sourced ingredients without any artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Halo Pet Food is also known for its philanthropic efforts, donating to animal welfare organizations.

The "2022 Consumers Favorite Imported Cat Brand" award from China Pet Industry White Paper is a significant achievement for Halo Pet Food, reaffirming its position as a leading US pet food brand in China. The brand looks forward to continuing its mission to provide pets with the highest quality and nutritious pet foods.

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For more information on Halo Pet Food, please visit their website at www.halopets.com.

About Better Choice Company, Inc.

Better Choice Company Inc. is a pet health and wellness company focused on providing pet products and services that help dogs and cats live healthier, happier and longer lives. We offer a broad portfolio of pet health and wellness products for dogs and cats sold under our Halo brand across multiple forms, including foods, treats, toppers, dental products, chews, and supplements. We have a demonstrated, multi-decade track record of success and are well positioned to benefit from the mainstream trends of growing pet humanization and consumer focus on health and wellness. Our products consist of kibble and canned dog and cat food, freeze-dried raw dog food and treats, vegan dog food and treats, oral care products and supplements. Halos core products are made with high-quality, thoughtfully sourced ingredients for natural, science-based nutrition. Each innovative recipe is formulated with leading veterinary and nutrition experts to deliver optimal health. For more information, please visit https://www.betterchoicecompany.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words believe, may, estimate, continue, anticipate, intend, should, plan, could, target, potential, is likely, will, expect and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The Company has based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Some or all of the results anticipated by these forward-looking statements may not be achieved. Further information on the Companys risk factors is contained in our filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Company Contact:

Better Choice Company Inc.

Lionel F. Conacher, Interim CEO

Investor Contact:

KCSA Strategic Communications

Valter Pinto, Managing Director

T: 212-896-1254

Valter@KCSA.com




SNS Insider pvt ltd

Bioresorbable Polymers Market Segmentation By Type (PLA, PGA, PLGA, PCL, Others), By Application (Orthopedic devices, Drug delivery, Others), by Regions & Global Forecast 2023-2030

Pune, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SNS Insider has reported that the global B ioresorbable P olymers M arket was valued at USD 1.32 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to reach USD 3.16 billion by 2030, with a projected CAGR of 10.2% during the forecast period spanning 2023 to 2030. The global bioresorbable polymers market is experiencing significant growth, primarily driven by its widespread adoption in the healthcare industry for surgical implants. Moreover, the development of efficient drug delivery systems is another major factor driving the growth of the market. The growth is also being fueled by increasing awareness about sustainability and the need for environmentally friendly materials.

Report Attributes Details Market Size in 2022 US$ 1.32 Billion Market Size by 2030 US$ 3.16 Billion CAGR 2023-2030 10.2% Key Segments  By Type (Polylactic acid (PLA), Polyglycolic acid (PGA), Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), Polycaprolactone(PCL), Others)

 By Application (Orthopedic devices, Drug delivery, Others) Regional Coverage North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

The Middle East & Africa

Latin America Company Profiles Putnam Plastics, Evonik Industries AG, Ashland, DURECT CORPORATION, REVA Medical, Inc., Poly-Med Inc., Merck KGaA, KLS Martin, Corbion NV, Koninklijke DSM N.V, Foster Corporation., Groupe PCAS, and other players. Drivers  Growing demand in biocompatible medical devices



Buy Complete Research Report: https://www.snsinsider.com/checkout/2133

Major Trends Observed for Bioresorbable Polymers Market

The bio-polymers type segment is currently dominating the global market and is expected to continue its growth trajectory in the coming years. This growth can be attributed to several factors, including the enhanced quality and resistance against bad environmental conditions offered by bio-polymers.

The orthopedic application segment is currently dominating the global market and is expected to continue its growth trajectory in the coming years. This growth can be attributed to several factors, including the growing number of orthopedic patients and the increasing elderly population.

North America has been at the forefront of research and development in the field of bioresorbable polymers, with many of the leading manufacturers and suppliers of these materials being based in the region.

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Impact of recession on Bioresorbable Polymers Market

One of the main impacts of the recession on the market has been a reduction in investment in research and development (R&D) and innovation. Despite these challenges, there are also some opportunities for growth in the market during the recession. For example, there is increasing demand for sustainable materials in a range of applications, including packaging, agriculture, and automotive.

Download PDF Brochure: https://www.snsinsider.com/sample-request/2133

Key Developments Related to Bioresorbable Polymers Market

Ashland, a global leader in specialty chemicals and technologies, has recently unveiled its plans for expanding its Viatel bioresorbable polymer manufacturing and research and development site in Mullingar, Ireland. The expansion is considered to be a strategically significant move for the company, as it seeks to strengthen its position in the market.

Deep Polymers, a leading player in the polymer industry, has joined hands with IIT Guwahati to develop sustainable and eco-friendly solutions for the plastics industry. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two entities aims to develop biodegradable plastics that will replace traditional plastics, which are a major cause of environmental pollution.

About SNS Insider

At SNS Insider, we believe that businesses should have access to the best market intelligence and insights, regardless of their size or industry. That's why we offer a range of solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of each client, from startups to big corporations. With a passion for our work and an unwavering commitment to delivering value, we are dedicated to helping our clients achieve their full potential.

CONTACT: Contact Us: Akash Anand  Head of Business Development & Strategy info@snsinsider.com Phone: +1-415-230-0044 (US)




Contrive Datum Insights Pvt Ltd

According to a market research study published by Contrive Datum Insights, during the forecast period, Asia-Pacific is leading the global Blockchain IoT market.

Farmington, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Blockchain Iot Market Is Expected To Reach USD 124.58 Million By 2030, at a CAGR Of 93.4% During The Forecast Period. Blockchain Internet of Things is becoming a big market. This is a place where sensitive information about the industry is kept safe. The main reason for the high demand in this market is that IoT is becoming more and more popular. IoT makes every business more productive. Use it to make it easy to finish tasks, run administrative tasks, and store things safely. Software that is smart and can use AI can help any organisation. Blockchain is an example of a technology that prevents access to third-party resources in the Internet of Things (IoT). As more people learn about blockchain, the market is growing very quickly. There are both hardware and software parts on the market. Blockchain software is built into devices that are part of the Internet of Things. Bit deprogramming helps keep an organization's data safe. More people are interested in the motion sensor and encryption parts of the market. Blockchain IoT is safe when it comes to sharing and managing data. Blockchain IoT is quickly being used by big businesses. Because of these things, the value of the blockchain IoT market will go up by 124.58 million. During the forecast period, the market's rate of adoption will also rise by a large amount.

Request Sample Copy of Report  Blockchain IoT Market Size, Share & Trends Estimation Report By Component (Hardware, IoT Sensors, Crypto-wallets, Software and Platform, Services), By Applications (Smart Contracts, Security, Data Sharing/ Communication, Asset Tracking and Management, Other), By Organization Size (Large Enterprises, SMEs), By Vertical (Energy and Utilities, Transportation and Logistics, Manufacturing, Building Management, Healthcare, Retail, Wearable and Mobile Devices, Smart City, Other), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030 , published by Contrive Datum Insights.

Industry Developments:

In January 2021 , IBM partnered with Thai Reinsurance Public Company Limited (Thai Re) to launch the Insurer Network, a reinsurance smart contract platform on the IBM Cloud using IBM blockchain technology. IBM blockchain technology built on the highly secure IBM Cloud will enable Thai Re to increase the efficiency and speed of processing reinsurance contracts through a secure single version of the truth document.

In June 2020, Intel and ADDA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). It aims to accelerate Abu Dhabi's digital transformation by leveraging Intel's Innovation Center in Dubai and Intel's expertise in artificial intelligence, video analytics, edge computing, blockchain, IoT, workplace transformation, and augmented reality (AR). The MoU also supports Abu Dhabi Vision 2030.

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Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

Need for data security to grow: As the number of connected devices grows, it's more important than ever to share data in a safe way. Blockchain IoT solutions provide a safe and open way to store and share data, which can help address security concerns.

Integrating blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies can help improve supply chain management by making it possible to track goods in real time and by making the supply chain more transparent and traceable.

More efficiency and less money spent: Blockchain Internet of Things (IoT) solutions can help automate processes and reduce the number of middlemen who are needed. This helps businesses save money and work better.

Businesses will likely try to use the benefits of both blockchain and IoT to grow the blockchain IoT market. This is because blockchain technology is becoming more popular in all fields.

Restraints:

Need for data security to grow: As the number of connected devices grows, it's more important than ever to share data in a safe way. Blockchain IoT solutions provide a safe and open way to store and share data, which can help address security concerns.

Integrating blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies can help improve supply chain management by making it possible to track goods in real time and by making the supply chain more transparent and traceable.

More efficiency and less money spent: Blockchain Internet of Things (IoT) solutions can help automate processes and reduce the number of middlemen who are needed. This helps businesses save money and work better.

Businesses will likely try to use the benefits of both blockchain and IoT to grow the blockchain IoT market. This is because blockchain technology is becoming more popular in all fields.

Challenges:

Integration and interoperability issues: Because blockchain and IoT technologies are so different and because different devices and platforms need to be able to talk to each other, it can be hard to put them together.

Scalability: As the number of connected devices grows, it can be hard to scale blockchain IoT solutions, and it may be hard to keep the network's performance and efficiency high.

Regulatory problems: The regulatory landscape for blockchain and IoT technologies is still changing, which could make it hard for businesses to follow all the rules and regulations.

Regional Outlook:

Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe are all different parts of the blockchain IoT market. The rest of the blockchain IoT business will be led by Asia-Pacific. IoT and blockchain are in high demand in the area. Incorporating technology also makes operations run more smoothly. People will want to live in North America. During the forecast period, there is also a high rate of investment in the region. More problems are getting in the way of the growth of the IoT market because businesses are becoming more worried about security. Also, there isn't much market demand in Europe. All of these places will bring in the most money for the blockchain IoT market to grow.

Buy this Premium Research Report@

https://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/buy/4194

Scope of Report:

Report Attributes Details Growth Rate CAGR of 93.4% from 2023 to 2030. Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 124.58 Million By Component Hardware, IoT Sensors, Crypto-wallets, Software and Platform, Services, Others By Application Smart Contracts, Security, Data Sharing/ Communication, Asset Tracking and Management, Other By Organization Size Large Enterprises, SMEs, Others By Vertical Energy and Utilities, Transportation and Logistics, Manufacturing, Building Management, Healthcare, Retail, Wearable and Mobile Devices, Smart City, Others By Companies IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Amazon, Cisco Systems, Ethereum Foundation, The Linux Foundation, R3, Filament, KrypC Regions and Countries Covered North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America)

Europe(Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

The Middle East & Africa(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Latin America(Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)

Rest Of the World Base Year 2022 Historical Year 2017 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2030

Key Segments Covered:

Top Market Players:

IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Amazon, Cisco Systems, Ethereum Foundation, The Linux Foundation, R3, Filament, KrypC, and others.

By Component

Hardware

IoT Sensors Motion Sensors GPS Temperature Sensors Vehicle Information Connected Devices

Crypto-wallets

Software and Platform

Services Technology Advisory and Consulting Services Deployment and Integration Services Support and Maintenance

Others

By Application

Smart Contracts

Security

Data Sharing/ Communication

Asset Tracking and Management

Others

By Organization Size

Large Enterprises

SMEs

Others

By Vertical

Energy and Utilities

Transportation and Logistics

Manufacturing

Building Management

Healthcare

Retail

Wearable and Mobile Devices

Smart City

Others

Regions and Countries Covered

North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America)

Europe: (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific: (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

The Middle East & Africa: (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Latin America: (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)

Rest Of the World

Check out more related studies published by Contrive Datum Insights:

Artificial Intelligence Market - The global AI market size was valued at around USD 136.55 billion in 2022 and is projected to expand USD 1,811.75 billion, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 37.3% from 2023 to 2030.

Healthcare Cloud Computing Market - The Global Healthcare Cloud Computing Market Size Was Valued At USD 35.61 Billion In 2022 And Predicted To Surpass Around USD 127.04 Billion By 2030 With A Registered CAGR Of Around 17.2% During The Forecast Period 2022 To 2030.

Logistics Robots Market - The Global Logistics Robots Market Size Was Valued At USD 6.17 Billion In 2022. The Market Is Projected To Grow From USD 7.11 Billion In 2022 To USD 21.01 Billion By 2029, Exhibiting A CAGR Of 16.7% During The Forecast Period.

Customization of the Report: The report can be customized as per client needs or requirements.For any queries, you can contact us on anna@contrivedatuminsights.com or +1 215-297-4078. Our sales executives will be happy to understand your needs and provide you with the most suitable reports.

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Contrive Datum Insights Press Releases

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Brandi Glanville is feeling the fallout of her early exit from The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip season 4, though she believes she's done nothing wrong.

After noticeably being absent from The Traitors season one reunion, multiple sources have confirmed to PEOPLE that Glanville, 50, missed the sit-down due to the ongoing investigation involving an alleged incident from last month while filming RHUGT with Caroline Manzo.

"Brandi wanted nothing more than to attend The Traitors reunion," a rep for Glanville tells PEOPLE exclusively. "It has been one of Brandi's favorite projects."

"Brandi has been prohibited from sharing her side of the story and in turn, people have only heard unsubstantiated versions," the rep adds. "Brandi maintains her innocence and vehemently denies any wrongdoing."

At the time of the incident, representatives for Peacock and Shed Media told PEOPLE in a statement: "The safety and security of cast and crew while shooting is extremely important and we take all reports seriously. In this situation, production immediately launched a comprehensive review and is taking appropriate action."

THE TRAITORS -- Murder The Wrote Episode 103 -- Pictured: (l-r) Kyle Cooke, Brandi Glanville -- (Photo by: Euan Cherry/Peacock)

Euan Cherry/Peacock Brandi Glanville on The Traitors

RELATED: Brandi Glanville and Caroline Manzo Exited Ultimate Girls Trip Early After 'Unwanted' Kisses

Both Glanville and Manzo left the Marrakech, Morocco trip early after sources told PEOPLE Glanville took things too far with Manzo, 61, during a party, kissing her multiple times throughout the evening without her consent.

"It was unwanted," a source said at the time. "And Caroline's distress over the matter did not seem to stop Brandi. Things escalated and physical boundaries allegedly were crossed that Caroline felt were serious and uncomfortable."

Once Glanville was made aware of Manzo's feelings, she reportedly apologized in a text message the next day.

WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE WITH ANDY COHEN -- Episode 20007 -- Pictured: Brandi Glanville -- (Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty Images); NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 14: Caroline Manzo attends 'Legends Ball 2022 BravoCon' at Manhattan Center on October 14, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images)

Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty; Santiago Felipe/Getty

Following the incident, a decision was made by production to report what happened to higher ups.

Story continues

Glanville was later asked to leave while Manzo left on her own accord after deciding she didn't want to film anymore. Peacock also immediately launched an investigation into the incident.

RELATED: Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Heading to Morocco for Season 4 with a New Ex-Wives Club

Glanville has remained a mainstay on reality TV, even after leaving The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as an official cast member in 2015 after the show's fifth season. The mother of two has returned to the show frequently as a guest, and has been seen on other shows like Celebrity Apprentice, Celebrity Big Brother, Famously Single and My Kitchen Rules.

On The Traitors, Glanville was seen competing for $250,000 in grueling and terrifying challenges alongside other Bravolebrities and reality stars like Below Deck's Kate Chastain and Shah's of Sunset's Reza Farahan.

The 10-episode series, hosted by Alan Cumming, was filmed earlier in 2022  long before Glanville's time on RHUGT.

THE TRAITORS -- "Buried Alive" Episode 102 -- Pictured: (l-r) Christian De La Torre, Brandi Glanville, Cody Calafiore, Geraldine Moreno, Michael Davidson, Kate Chastain, Quentin Jiles, Cirie Fields, Andie Thurmond -- (Photo by: PEACOCK)

PEACOCK

The show, based on a Dutch format, was renewed by Peacock for a second season in early February after record ratings and critical acclaim.

On Tuesday's reunion, host Andy Cohen addressed Glanville's absence, simply telling cameras that she was "unfortunately not able to join us tonight."

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.

Season 1 of The Traitors, including Tuesday's reunion, is now streaming on Peacock.
Canada's B.C. province sets high emissions bar for new LNG projects FILE PHOTO: The entrance to Shell's LNG Canada project site is shown in Kitimat in northwestern British Columbia

By Nia Williams

(Reuters) - British Columbia's decision this week to toughen emissions standards for new liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects creates one of the most robust climate plans in North America, but sets a high hurdle for industry even as many countries look to Canada to become a global supplier of gas.

As part of a new energy action framework, the western Canadian province will require proposed LNG projects that are going through or entering the environmental assessment process to have a credible plan to be net-zero emissions by 2030.

While the tougher regulation will not impact the huge Shell-led LNG Canada project already under construction, a proposed export terminal adjoining the small-scale Tilbury LNG facility and the early-stage Ksi Lisims LNG project in northern B.C will fall under the new rule.

Canada is the world's sixth-largest gas producer and its west coast LNG industry has seen revived interest as the world tries to secure alternatives to Russian gas supply following the invasion of Ukraine.

The province will start exporting 14 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) when LNG Canada enters service in 2025.

"That (net-zero requirement) is a very high bar and a high hurdle to pass," said Mark Zacharias, executive director of think-tank Clean Energy Canada, adding the new framework rounds out B.C.'s plan to cut emissions 40% below 2005 levels by 2030.

"The B.C. roadmap to 2030 is probably North America's strongest climate plan but what was missing until now was answers on dealing with oil and gas. This fills in the missing gaps."

Ksi Lisims, proposed as a 12-MTPA plant, will achieve net-zero through a fully electrified facility that utilizes renewable hydro power and carbon offsetting, spokesperson Rebecca Scott said.

FortisBC, one of the companies behind the Tilbury Marine Jetty project, said it welcomed the clarity the framework provides for LNG development and "looked forward to engaging with government" on the 2030 guidelines.

Story continues

B.C. released its energy action framework alongside a positive environmental assessment for the C$3-billion ($2.2 billion) Cedar LNG project, a joint venture between Haisla First Nation and Pembina Pipeline Corp.

The province said it will sign an agreement with the Haisla Nation to explore ways to lower emissions to near zero by 2030.

OIL AND GAS CAP

B.C.'s new regulations also include an oil and gas emissions cap and plans to accelerate the electrification of the economy.

Tristan Goodman, CEO of the Explorers and Producers Association of Canada, said the framework is generally "constructive and positive", but the industry had some concerns about how the cap would be implemented.

"The message from the province is 'We believe we can develop natural gas and move forward broadly on Indigenous reconciliation while also meeting out climate ambitions'," Goodman said. "That's good, but the concern lies in the details."

TC Energy, which is building the Coastal GasLink pipeline that will supply LNG Canada and Cedar LNG, said in a statement on Wednesday it was "carefully reviewing" the framework.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government is targeting a 40-45% cut in emissions by 2030, and has also promised an emissions cap for the oil and gas industry, Canada's highest-polluting sector.

Canadian Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson praised the new provincial regulations.

"By committing to capping emissions from the oil and gas sector in the province, B.C. is setting the pace for bold environmental action," he said.

(Reporting by Nia Williams in British Columbia; Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Marguerita Choy)
CanadianSME

"CanadianSME Small Business Expo 2023 to Showcase the Latest Innovations in Technology, Empowering Small Businesses to Thrive in the Digital Era"

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The CanadianSME Small Business Expo 2023 is powered by CanadianSME, a leading podium for small and medium-sized enterprises across Canada. It is a one-day in-person event exclusively designed for Canadian small and mid-sized enterprises. This event is taking place on June 16, 2023, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.



The CanadianSME Small Business Expo 2023 is a continuation of our dedication to supporting Canadian SMEs. The theme of Small Business Expo 2023 is "Leveraging Technology For Small Business Growth.

The event will showcase the latest technological innovations and emphasize using digital solutions to grow small businesses. Attendees will access best practices from other organizations, networking opportunities, and expert social media and digital marketing workshops for SMEs, women entrepreneurship, small business finance and funding, entrepreneurial resilience during challenging times, and cloud and tech for SMEs.

The CanadianSME Small Business Expo 2023 will provide a unique opportunity for business owners to connect with over 2,000 industry professionals from across the country. With keynote sessions hosted by industry leaders, live Q&A from expert CEOs, and workshops from business experts, attendees will have the chance to share innovative ideas, knowledge, and insights, as well as showcase their best services and craftsmanship to Canada and the world.

The CanadianSME Small Business Expo is grateful for the support of its sponsors and partners, including UPS, the exclusive shipping partner, and Xero, the exclusive accounting software partner.

About CanadianSME Small Business Expo;

The CanadianSME Business Expo 2023 is the podium where business owners will get an unmissable chance to connect with over 2,000 industry professionals nationwide. Thats not all! With so many big and successful names from different industries all under one roof, everyone can share innovative ideas, knowledge, and insights and showcase their best services and craftsmanship to Canada and the world. We will have business expert workshops, keynote sessions hosted by industry leaders, and a live Q&A from expert CEOs so everyone can get their queries answered. Those are just some of the many wonderful things on the agenda for this exclusive event. Trust us when we say you dont want to miss this one!

Story continues

For more information, visit www.smeexpo.ca

Maheen Bari,

Client Manager,

info@canadiansme.ca

416 655 0205

6476685785




FRANKLIN, Tenn., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. ("CKE"), parent company of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, today announced the appointment of Max Wetzel as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Wetzel succeeds Ned Lyerly.

CKE Restaurants appoints Max Wetzel as Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Wetzel brings extensive experience in franchising, restaurants, and growing consumer brands. Mr. Wetzel was previously Chief Operating Officer of Papa John's International, Inc., one of the largest franchisors of restaurants in the world, with over 5,000 restaurants across 48 countries and territories, where he led the brand's dramatic turnaround to strong growth and profitability.

"The entire CKE team has built an incredible business and accomplished so much over the last several years. I see massive opportunity to build on these accomplishments and accelerate growth of the Carl's Jr. and Hardee's brands," stated Mr. Wetzel.

"We are excited to welcome Max to lead CKE. His proven record leading brands to realize their growth potential is ideally suited for Carl's Jr. and Hardee's as the brands set forth on their next chapter," said Sarah Spiegel, CKE Board Member.

About CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.

CKE, a privately held company based in Franklin, Tennessee, runs and operates Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, two beloved regional brands, known for premium and innovative menu items such as 100 percent Black Angus Thickburgers, Made from Scratch Biscuits and Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders. With both a US and international footprint, Carl's Jr. Restaurants LLC and Hardee's Restaurants LLC have over 3,800 franchised or company-operated restaurants in 44 states and 43 foreign countries and U.S. territories.

For more information about CKE, please visit www.ckr.com or its brand sites at www.carlsjr.com and www.hardees.com.

MEDIA CONTACT

Beth Gerstenberger

Communications Director

615-970-8363

bgerstenberger@ckr.com

CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc., is the parent company of Carls Jr. and Hardees

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cke-restaurants-appoints-max-wetzel-as-chief-executive-officer-301774632.html

SOURCE CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc.
Canadian National Railway Company

MONTREAL, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) is pleased to announce that the Diversity Dividends Collective (DDC), of which CN is an inaugural member, has been recognized by ALMs Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards 2023 as a finalist in the ESG Enablement Through Technology category. The nomination recognizes successful initiatives that advance environmental, social, and governance causes within an organization or for the broader good, through the use of technology.



More than 40 legal departments, including CN's, participate in DDC, a first-of-its-kind collective designed and initiated by Diversity Lab to propel the inclusion, equity, and diversity of legal departments outside counsel teams  broadening the scope of underrepresented lawyers at law firms who have access to high-quality work, regularly interact with in-house counsel, and receive credit for originating client work. The Collectives goals are threefold:

To form the first-ever consortium of legal departments working together to standardize how the legal profession evaluates and measures DEI performance of outside counsel teams.

To hold the members of the Collective accountable to take action on the data collected to propel law firms progress toward becoming more inclusive and diverse.

To hold law firms accountable for advancing inclusion on outside counsel teams by giving more work to those that do, and less work to those that dont.



Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core values at CN. I am extremely proud that our Law Department joined DDC and has also achieved Mansfield Rule for Law Departments 2.0 Certification. Our certification means that our Law Department has put concrete, transparent measures in place that bring rigor to our existing efforts to move the needle on DEI. We also took measurable steps to ensure the external counsel we engage share our values as a company. As a result, we have deepened our commitment to fostering a culture where differences are valued and make us stronger as a Law Department. We have now registered for Mansfield Rule for Law Departments 3.0 Certification to further embed Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in our Law Departments strategy and operations."

Story continues

- Jody Evely, Assistant Vice President and General Counsel  U.S., CN



Diversity Lab facilitated DDC Collective members requests to collect data from their top law firms on five metrics to evaluate their DEI performance. Nearly 90% of the firms that received requests completed the assessment, and the resulting data was passed on to their clients via an interactive dashboard. The combined effort included more than 250 law firms, reached more than 450 outside counsel teams, and impacted more than 10,000 lawyers. The Collective continues to gather important aggregate information that will be shared with the profession to set important benchmarks for inclusion on outside counsel teams.

About CN

CN is a world-class transportation leader and trade-enabler. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. As the only railroad connecting Canadas Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. South through a 18,600-mile rail network, CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship.

Contacts:

Media Investment Community Julien Bedard Paul Butcher Advisor Vice-President Media Relations Investor Relations 514-378-3688

media@cn.ca 514-399-0052

investor.relations@cn.ca




BlueWeave Consulting and Research Pvt Ltd

Global commercial building automation market covers five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa. Due to an increase in theft and burglary, security systems are gaining significant market traction in Germany at the moment. Over 1,483,000 thefts were reported in Germany in 2021, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office. This demonstrates the region's significant untapped market potential for security systems.

New Delhi, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global commercial building automation market is flourishing due to the growing deployment of automation systems in buildings, malls, and locations that serve as major public transportation hubs, such as train stations and airports.



BlueWeave Consulting, a leading strategic consulting and market research firm, in its recent study, estimated the global commercial building automation market size at USD 37.98 billion in 2022. During the forecast period between 2023 and 2029, BlueWeave expects global commercial building automation market size to grow at an impressive CAGR of 8.29% reaching a value of USD 65.94 billion by 2029. One of the major factors driving the market growth is an increasing demand for energy-efficient commercial buildings. Adoption of various automation protocols, IoT in building automation systems, and a rising demand for building automation in small and medium-sized buildings all contribute to the market's growth. The development of wireless commercial building automation systems as well as supportive government initiatives are expected to provide opportunities for the market expansion.

Global Commercial Building Automation Market - Overview

Building automation systems' main objectives are to increase building system efficiency, decrease operating costs and energy consumption, increase occupant comfort, and lengthen the utility life cycle. By offering straightforward software interfaces that can be accessed from anywhere using portable electronic devices like tablets and smartphones, they help ease infrastructure management tasks.

Story continues

Sample Request @ https://www.blueweaveconsulting.com/report/commercial-building-automation-market/report-sample

Global Commercial Building Automation Market  By Communication Technology

Global commercial building automation market is divided into two segments based on communication technology: Wired Technology and Wireless Technology. The wired technologies control lighting, heating, and ventilation systems. It includes power line carrier (PLC), Ethernet/IP network technology, LonWorks network-based products, and Z-Wave wireless protocol solutions. Wired building automation technologies are classified into two types: wired smart sensor systems and integrated wired systems.

Please Visit the Press Release: https://www.blueweaveconsulting.com/press-release/global-commercial-building-automation-market-size-expanding-to-reach-usd-66-billion-by-2029

Impact of COVID-19 on Global Commercial Building Automation Market

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the majority of commercial and industrial construction projects began more slowly, though some were abandoned. Some HVAC manufacturers were forced to halt production for several weeks, and installers discovered that sanitary regulations limited the scope of their new installation projects. Nonetheless, the increased ventilation demand driven by COVID-19 boosted AHU sales in European countries, such as Italy.

Competitive Landscape

Global commercial building automation market is fiercely competitive. Prominent players in the market include ABB Ltd., Cisco Systems Inc., Honeywell International Inc., Hubbell Inc., Emerson Electric Co., Johnson Controls International plc, Robert Bosch GmbH, Schneider Electric, United Technologies Corp., and Siemens AG. These companies use various strategies, including increasing investments in their R&D activities, mergers, and acquisitions, joint ventures, collaborations, licensing agreements, and new product and service releases to further strengthen their position in the global commercial building automation market.

Dont miss the business opportunity in the Global Commercial Building Automation Market . Consult our analysts to gain crucial insights and facilitate your business growth.

The in-depth analysis of the report provides information about growth potential, upcoming trends, and statistics of Global Commercial Building Automation Market. It also highlights the factors driving forecasts of total market size. The report promises to provide recent technology trends in Global Commercial Building Automation Market and industry insights to help decision-makers make sound strategic decisions. Furthermore, the report also analyzes the growth drivers, challenges, and competitive dynamics of the market.







Recent Developments

In September 2022 - Honeywell International announced the Australian launch of Fire-lite, a suite of fire protection systems designed to meet the need of small and medium businesses. Mid-rise residential, warehouses, and retail spaces across Australia. Fire-Litescustomizable and intelligent addressable fire panels are designed to meet a range of building requirements by providing flexible solutions to support a variety of installations.

In March 2022 - Trane Technologies announced its plans to expand its operations in Greenville country with an investment of USD 30 million. The company will add around 3,00,000 sq. ft of manufacturing capacity designed to enable and sustain the companys growth.

Scope of the Report

Attributes Details Years Considered Historical Data  20192022 Base Year  2022 Estimated Year  2023 Forecast Period  20232029 Facts Covered Revenue in USD Billion Market Coverage North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa Product/ Service Segmentation Product, Enterprise Size, Communication Technology, Region Key Players ABB Ltd., Cisco Systems Inc., Honeywell International Inc., Hubbell Inc., Emerson Electric Co., Johnson Controls International plc, Robert Bosch GmbH, Schneider Electric, United Technologies Corp., Siemens AG

By Product

HVAC

Building Management Systems

Security and Access Control Systems

Energy Management Systems

Lighting Management Systems

By Enterprise Size

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Large Enterprises

By Communication Technology

Wired Technology

Wireless Technology

By Region

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Latin America

Middle East and Africa







Please Find Below Some Related Topics:

About Us

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LITGRID

In accordance with the initiative and decision of the Board of LITGRID AB, ordinary general meeting of LITGRID AB shareholders is convened on 11 April 2023, 10:00 am (company code 302564383, registered address at Karlo Gustavo Emilio Manerheimo st. 8, Vilnius). The meeting will be held at the premises of the Company, room 229. The beginning of shareholders' registration: 11 April 2023, 9:30. End of shareholders' registration: 11 April 2023, 9:55.

The record date of the ordinary general meeting of shareholders has been set for 3 April 2023. The right of participation and voting in the ordinary general meeting of shareholders can be exercised only by the persons who remain shareholders of LITGRID AB by the end of the record date of the ordinary general meeting of shareholders.

The record date of rights of the ordinary general meeting has been set for 25 April 2023. The shareholders property rights provided in points (1) to (4) of Article 15 (1) of the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania will be exercised only by the persons who remain the company shareholders at the end of the record date of the rights of the meeting.

Agenda and proposed draft resolutions of the general meeting of shareholders:

LITGRID AB annual report for 2022.

Provided explanation:

The decision of the General Meeting of Shareholders is not required. The Board submits the annual report for 2022 for hearing at the general meeting of shareholders (annexed).

Independent auditor's report on LITGRID AB 2022 set of financial statements and annual report.

Provided explanation:

A decision of the general meeting of shareholders is not required. The general meeting of

shareholders should take into consideration the opinion presented in the independent auditors report for LITGRID AB shareholders when deciding on approval of LITGRID AB complete set of financial statements for 2022 (annexed).

Approval of LITGRID AB financial statements of 2022.

Proposed resolution:

To approve the financial statements of LITGRID AB of 2022 (annexed).

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Approval of LITGRID AB profit (loss) distribution of 2022.

Proposed resolution:

To approve the profit (loss) distribution for the year 2022 of LITGRID AB (annexed).

Approval of LITGRID AB renumeration report of 2022.

Proposed resolution:

To approve the remuneration report of LITGRID AB of 2022, which is part of the annual LITGRID AB 2022 report. (annexed).

Approval of the new wording of LITGRID AB Articles of Association

Proposed resolution:

"6.1. To approve the new wording of LITGRID AB Articles of Association (attached).

6.2. To authorise the Chief Executive Officer of LITGRID AB (with the right to sub-delegate) to sign the amended Articles of Association in accordance with the procedure established by legal acts and to register them in the Register of Legal Entities of the Republic of Lithuania, to submit and collect documents, to perform all necessary actions related to the implementation of this decision of the general meeting of shareholders."

The shareholders may familiarize themselves with the Draft Resolutions of the General Meeting of Shareholders and supplementary material thereof, also with the implementation of the shareholders rights on the Central Database of Regulated Information www.crib.lt and at Companys website www.litgrid.eu.

The shareholders of the Company, whose shares are entitled to at least 1/20 of the total number of votes, shall have the right to supplement the agenda for the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders. The proposal to supplement the agenda shall be submitted in writing and sent by registered mail or delivered to the head office of the Company to the address: Karlo Gustavo Emilio Manerheimo st. 8, LT-05131 Vilnius (the Head Office). Draft Resolutions on the proposed issues or, when it is not mandatory to adopt resolutions, explanatory notes on each proposed issue of the agenda of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders must be presented alongside with the proposal. The agenda will be supplemented if the proposal is received not later than on 28 March 2023.

The shareholders entitled to at least 1/20 of the total number of votes shall have the right, at any time before the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders or during the Meeting, to propose in writing new draft resolutions on the items put on the agenda of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders. Such a proposals must be executed in writing and sent to the Company by registered mail or delivered to the Head Office of the Company. The proposal submitted during the course of the Meeting must be executed in writing and handed over to the Secretary of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders.

The shareholders shall have the right to submit questions to the Company in advance, but not later than on 4 April 2023, in relation to the issues on the agenda of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on 11 April 2023. Questions must be executed in writing and delivered to the Company by registered mail or to the Head Office of the Company. The Company will not present any answer to the question submitted by a shareholder personally to him in the case relevant information is available on the Companys website www.litgrid.eu.

Any shareholder shall be entitled to authorize a natural or legal person to participate and vote in his name at the General Meeting of Shareholders. The proxy of the shareholder must present the document confirming the persons identity and the certified Power of Attorney issued and valid in accordance with the law, which must be delivered to the Head Office not later than before the end of the registration of the attendees of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders. During the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, the proxy exercises the same rights as the shareholder he is representing should. The form of the Power of Attorney to represent at the General Meeting of Shareholders is available on the website of the Company: www.litgrid.eu.

On the issues on the agenda of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, the Shareholders may vote in writing by filling in a General Ballot Paper. On the shareholders request, the Company, not later than 10 days before the day of the Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, will send a General Ballot Paper by registered mail free of charge or submit it in person against signature to the shareholder. The shareholder or his proxy must undersign the filled in General Ballot Paper. If the General Ballot Paper is signed by a person who is not a shareholder, a document certifying his right to vote must be appended to the filled in Ballot Paper. The duly filled in General Ballot Paper must be delivered to the Company by registered mail or submitted against signature at the Head Office not later than before the end of registration of the attendees of the General Meeting of Shareholders. The form of the General Ballot Paper is available on the website of the Company: www.litgrid.eu.

On the day of convocation of the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Shareholders the total number of shares was 504 331 380. All these shares grant voting right.

Information referred to in Articles 262 of the Law on Companies of the Republic of Lithuania shall be available on the website of the Company: www.litgrid.eu. Information about the additions to the agenda, as well as decisions made by the general meeting shall be also available on the Central Database of Regulated Information www.crib.lt.

ANNEXES:

LITGRID AB financial statements for 2022, prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards adopted by the European Union, together with the conclusion of the independent auditor and annual report; Profit (loss) distribution project for 2022; Project of the LITGRID AB Articles of Association Voting ballot; LITGRID AB Power of Attorney form.

More information:

Jurga Eivaite

Communications Project Manager

+370 613 19977

jurga.eivaite@litgrid.eu

Attachments




ATLANTA, March 17, 2023 /CNW/ -- Cor Partners ("Cor"), the parent company to a number of market-leading businesses serving the insurance, risk management and legal communities, announced today that it has acquired DBI Construction Consultants ("DBI"), a leading national provider of building and construction consulting services based in New York, NY.

Cor Partners is the parent company of a group of exceptional businesses that serve the insurance, risk management and legal communities.

Founded in 2002, DBI Construction Consultants (www.dbi-cc.com) is a premier brand built by a team of construction experts, with 10 U.S. offices and a global reach. DBI provides a robust set of in-house independent loss and damage measurement services, as well as specialized practices for insurance and legal industry clients around the world. Over the last 20 years, DBI has developed a best-in-class reputation for delivering conclusive, evidence-based expertise that brings clarity to complex problems at the intersection of insurance and construction.

With the acquisition, DBI will form a new fourth division inside the Cor Partners family of companies focused exclusively on building and construction consulting. As part of this, the existing team of building consulting experts and leaders within the U.S. operations of Envista Forensics will transition to DBI in the coming months. This partnership significantly enhances the combined group's capabilities, coverage, and strategic position. The newly combined team at DBI, consisting of over 125+ industry recognized experts, will be a market leader in building and construction consulting in the US providing greater reach, expertise and support to its clients than ever before.

John Quinn, Chief Executive Officer of Cor Partners, said, "We are extremely excited to bring another world-class firm into the Cor family. DBI's strong reputation as a premier brand and its long track record of success in the space aligns well with our commitment to expand our offering of customer-focused insurance services. By bringing our existing building consulting team together with DBI, we will position both enterprises to provide customers with the best possible expert-driven service."

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When asked about the acquisition, Dennis Di Millo, Partner & Managing Principal of DBI, said, "Partnering with Cor creates immediate opportunities to better serve our growing list of clients by leveraging resources that will allow us to enter new markets as well as grow our team and menu of services. Finding a partner that shares our vision, culture, respect for team members, and reverence for our clients is what makes this alliance exceptional. Knowing that the DBI brand will move forward executing our far-reaching goals adds extra excitement for us."

About Cor Partners

Cor Partners is the parent company to a diverse set of insurance services business including Engle Martin & Associates, a provider of commercial property, casualty loss adjusting and third-party administration services, Eberl Claims Service, a national provider of personal and commercial lines claims services, and Envista Forensics, a global provider of multi-disciplinary forensic consulting services (see more below). Visit our website at www.corpartners.com for more information.

About Envista Forensics

Envista Forensics is a global leader in forensic consulting services. We provide failure analysis, fire and explosion investigations, digital forensics, accident reconstruction, building and construction consulting, geotechnical engineering, damage evaluations, and equipment restoration services following disasters of all kinds. Envista has served the insurance, legal, and risk management industries for more than 30 years. Our experts travel globally to more than 40 offices located across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Visit our website at www.envistaforensics.com for more information.

Media Contact: Jennifer Gaster

Chief Marketing Officer, Envista Forensics

+1 224 406 9809

jennifer.gaster@envistaforensics.com

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SOURCE Cor Partners

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In February 2021, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currencya U.S. Treasury bureau tasked with overseeing federal bankinggranted conditional approval for the application of Washington-based Protego Trust Company to convert into a national trust bank.

More from Fortune:

After the OCC extended its conditional approval once, until Feb. 4, 2023, a spokesperson told Fortune on Friday that Protego didn't meet its pre-conversion requirements, meaning its conditional approval expired.

The failure of Protegos conversion to become a federally chartered bank, which would have allowed it to custody digital assets and grant it other credentialing privileges, is another setback for the crypto industrys banking aspirations in the United States.

Currently, Anchorage Digital is the only crypto firm to have received a national banking charter from the OCC, and Wyoming-based Custodia was denied membership to the Federal Reserve system in January.

Protego and another firm in the process of applying for an OCC national bank trust charter, Paxos, were the subject of rumors following the Feds rejection of Custodia, with speculation that the OCC would follow suit.

In early February, Protegos founder and executive chair, Greg Gilman, described it as categorically untrue that Protego had been asked to withdraw its application by the OCC, and sources familiar with the matter told Fortune they didn't believe Paxos had been asked to withdraw its applicationor been denied.

Paxos continues to work constructively with the OCC, a Paxos spokesperson told Fortune. An OCC spokesperson said that it does not comment on pending applications.

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The situation is more complicated with Protego.

As part of its conditional approval, Protego had financing requirementsa combined $54 million in tier 1 capital and liquidity, in addition to adequate operation capital, Fortune has learnedthat it had to secure prior to operation.

[The] pre-conversion requirements included policies, procedures, systems and other measures to ensure the safe and sound operation of the bank as well as meeting minimum capital and liquidity requirements, the OCC spokesperson told Fortune.

According to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, Protego had signed definitive agreements for investment in excess of that amount, which it submitted to the OCC on Feb. 3the day before its conditional approval was set to expireas part of a certificate of completion. The next day, the OCC informed Protego that it was not yet authorized to operate as a national trust bank, meaning it did not have an opening date. As part of this communication, the OCC did not tell Protego that the firm had failed to meet the conditional approval requirements.

On March 1, CoinDesk reported that Protego had laid off more than half of its workforce but that its charter was still in play.

On Friday, the OCC released its weekly bulletin with an addendum that Protegos time had expired for a conversionthe first public acknowledgment of the applicationwhich an OCC spokesperson confirmed to Fortune.

In a phone call with Fortune, Gilman said Protego now has two potential paths. The first is to meet the requirement with its chartering authority in its home state of Washington to operate as a state bank. The second would be reapplying with the OCC, especially because in Gilmans view Protego has met its capital requirements.

The expiration of Protegos application still represents another significant setback for the crypto industry in the U.S. Last week, two of the main U.S. crypto-friendly banks collapsed, with Silvergate announcing it would voluntarily liquidate and New York regulators taking control of Signature.

The OCC appears to also be closing its doors to crypto firms. Under the Trump administration's acting comptroller, Brian Brooks, the agency oversaw conditional approvals of several companies. His successor, Michael Hsu, reversed course, indicating he would roll back pro-crypto policies and ordering a review of the agencys actions.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

More from Fortune:






NEW YORK, March 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The data center market size is forecast to grow by USD 615.96 billion between 2021 and 2026, and the growth momentum will be accelerating at a CAGR of 21.98% during the forecast period. The increasing adoption of edge computing is identified as the key trend in the market. Edge computing reduces latency and improves service performance as the stored content is close to the client machine. The technology was initially implemented by SMEs. However, the growing demand for efficient and secure data management has also increased its implementation in large enterprises. The increasing popularity of this technology has encouraged many vendors to develop new edge computing platforms to help clients with their data management capabilities. All these factors are positively influencing the growth of the market. For more insights on the market size (2022 to 2026)  Request a report sample

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Data Center Market 2022-2026 2022-2026

Regional Analysis

By region, the global data center market is segmented into North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and MEA. North America will account for 35% of market growth during the forecast period. The increasing adoption of cloud services by enterprises across the US and Canada is driving the growth of the data center market in North America.

Company Profiles

The data center market report includes information on the key products and recent developments of leading vendors, including:

Alphabet Inc. - The company offers high-performing, secure, reliable, and efficient data centers throughout the world through its subsidiary Google.

Amazon.com Inc. - The company offers data centers through its subsidiary Amazon Web Services.

Cisco Systems Inc. - The company offers data centers namely Cisco Data Center for networking and computing.

Equinix Inc. - The company offers data centers with real time, online infrastructure monitoring, flexible power and usage solutions, and secure on-site deployment.

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Market Dynamics

The growth of the market is driven by factors such as the rise in adoption of multi-cloud and network upgrades to support 5G, demand planning and expansion by hyperscalers, and the growing demand among SMEs. However, cybersecurity issues will hinder the growth of the market.

Competitive Analysis

The competitive scenario categorizes companies based on various performance indicators. Some of the factors considered include the financial performance of companies over the past few years, growth strategies, product innovations, new product launches, investments, and growth in market share among others. Request a Sample

Market Segmentation

By component, the market is segmented into IT infrastructure, power management systems, mechanical construction, general construction, and security solutions.

By geography, the market is segmented into North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and MEA.

Why Buy

Add credibility to strategy

Analyzes competitor's offerings

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Grow your profit margin with Technavio  Buy the Report!

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The data center maintenance and support services market size growth is expected to progress at a CAGR of 12.04% and is estimated at USD 7.69 billion from 2021 to 2026. The rise in data center spending is notably driving the data center maintenance and support services market growth, although factors such as data security concerns and increasing cyber threat may impede market growth.

The data center server market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 15.27% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecast to increase by USD 115 billion. The investments in scaling up in-house data centers are notably driving the data center server market growth, although factors such as server workload optimization may impede the market growth.

Technavio's library includes over 17,000+ reports, covering more than 2,000 emerging technologies. Subscribe to our "Basic Plan" at just USD 5,000 and get lifetime access to Technavio Insights

What are the key data covered in this data center market report

CAGR of the market during the forecast period.

Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the market between 2022 and 2026

Precise estimation of the size of the data center market and its contribution to the parent market.

Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior.

Growth of the market across North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and MEA.

A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors.

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of data center market vendors.

Data Center Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 21.98% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 615.96 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 20.22 Regional analysis North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution North America at 35% Key countries US, China, UK, Australia, and Japan Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., DXC Technology Co., Equinix Inc., Huawei Investment and Holding Co. Ltd., International Business Machines Corp., Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp., and SAP SE Market dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Browse through Technavio's Information Technology Market Reports, ToC & LoE

Table of contents:

1. Executive Summary

2. Market Landscape

3. Market Sizing

4. Five Forces Analysis

5. Market Segmentation by Component

6. Customer landscape

7. Geographic landscape

8. Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

9. Vendor Landscape

10. Vendor Analysis

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

Contact

Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

US: +1 844 364 1100

UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: media@technavio.com

Website: www.technavio.com/

Data center market size to increase by USD 615.96 billion between 2021 and 2026 - Technavio

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SOURCE Technavio
BANGKOK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL. announced it was awarded the highest "A" grade as a "Supplier Engagement Leader" in the 2022 Supplier Engagement Rating (SER), by the CDP in recognition of action to measure and reduce climate risk within the company's supply chain. Delta Thailand joins the CDP Supplier Engagement Leaderboard for the first time and is among the top 8% of participants assessed for supplier engagement on climate change, based on the company's 2022 CDP disclosure.

Delta Thailand Earns A Grade Supplier Engagement Leader 2022 Recognition by CDP for Supply Chain Sustainability

Jackie Chang, Delta Thailand President, said, "Delta Electronics Thailand is honored to receive the "A" grade and leaderboard status as a CDP Supplier Engagement Leader. We sincerely appreciate the dedication and teamwork of our teams and our supply chain partners who are behind our continued success. As a member of RE100, Delta has the commitment to achieve 100% renewable electricity in our operations by 2030. From 2015 to 2022, Delta Thailand made a 55% reduction in accumulated electricity intensity and by 2022 we achieved a 50% reduction in GHG intensity with 2017 as a base year. Delta is committed to providing high-efficiency products to customers to reduce carbon emissions and collaborating with our partners to improve supply chain sustainability in line with the global industry trends of net zero carbon emissions."

The 2022 CDP disclosure had over 280 major supply chain members with a total procurement of US$6.4 trillion. This year, 16,462 suppliers reported to CDP, at the request of their customers, and their suppliers reported saving 70mt CO2, equivalent to the energy use of 9.8 million homes in a year. The CDP SER assesses performance on supplier engagement using a company's response to selected questions on governance, targets, scope 3 emissions, and value chain engagement in the CDP Climate Change questionnaire. Scope 3 emissions are all indirect upstream and downstream emissions that occur in the value chain of the CDP reporting company, excluding indirect emissions associated with power generation (scope 2).

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Delta Thailand regards suppliers as long-term partners in addressing global warming and actively supports the shift towards net-zero operations by implementing energy-saving solutions. Delta's Supplier Code of Conduct covers actions to address climate change and the company supports suppliers with training in green operations. Each year, Delta Thailand engages with more than 90% of its first-tier suppliers through ESG questionnaires, education and training and supplier engagement. Supplier performances in self-evaluation surveys, QBR, on-site audits and online engagement inform the company's improvement plans formulated according to ability and risk levels. Delta encourages suppliers to localize their operations to reduce GHG from upstream transportation and distribution and reduce waste generated in their products and packaging while removing environment-related substances in their products.

Delta Thailand evaluates climate risk, impact and opportunity and implements TCFD disclosure on a yearly basis. On an organizational level, Delta conducts quantification and reporting of GHG emissions and removals according to ISO14064-1. Delta also selects a certain number of high-efficiency products to study carbon footprints, get ISO14067 verification and manage carbon reduction accordingly. Delta Thailand's high-efficiency products saved 1,223 GWh of electricity for its customers worldwide from 2016 to 2021, which is equivalent to a reduction of 1.996 million tons of carbon emissions. In 2021, its production plants implemented energy-saving projects that reduced 7,280,640 MJ in energy consumption.

The CDP's annual environmental disclosure and scoring process is respected as the gold standard of corporate environmental transparency. Introduced in 2016, the SER enables CDP supply chain members to identify best practices in supplier engagement and to see how effectively they and their suppliers are cascading action on climate change into their supply chains. The SER Leaderboard highlights companies that achieve an "A" rating and respond publicly to requests from their customers or investors to share their best practices.

Sonya Bhonsle, Global Head of Value Chains, CDP, said, "This year's report shows that environmental action is not happening at the speed, scale and scope required to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees, with many companies still not acknowledging that their impact on the environment extends far beyond their operations and that of climate change. COP 15 couldn't have been clearer in the call to action on corporate reporting on nature. If a company is not preparing for future regulations on nature in the supply chain, they are open to a wide range of risks and could also be missing out on the opportunities that safeguarding nature will bring. Quite simply, if a company wants to be in business in the future, they need to start embedding nature into the way that they buy and collaborating with suppliers to drive action in the supply chain. Therefore, we need to see environmental leadership from companies right now by tackling their impacts on climate change and nature together, working with their suppliers in an integrated way that includes nature as standard, and incentivizing this engagement within their organization."

As a global corporate citizen, Delta holds thirteen Thailand Energy Awards and two ASEAN Energy Awards in recognition of its green operations and sustainable business in Thailand. Delta welcomes continued collaboration with CDP supply chain members to achieve its renewable energy transition and deliver on its brand promise: Smarter. Greener. Together.

About Delta Electronics (Thailand) Public Company Limited

Founded in 1988, Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL. is a global producer of power and thermal management products and solutions. The company is a subsidiary of Delta Electronics, Inc. with the mission statement, "To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow," which reflects the company's strong belief in sustainable development especially with issues related to the environment.

As an energy-saving solutions provider with core competencies in power electronics and innovative research and development, Delta's business categories include Power Electronics, Automation, and Infrastructure. The company's global presence is supported by its sales offices in key regions around the world; manufacturing facilities in India, Slovakia and Thailand; and several R&D centers located in Thailand, India, Germany and other countries.

Delta continues to earn numerous recognitions for its achievements in the region and domestically. Some awards won include the prestigious ASEAN Business Award, Stock Exchange of Thailand's Best Company Performance Award and the coveted Prime Minister's Best Industry Award.

For detailed information about Delta Thailand, please visit: www.deltathailand.com

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SOURCE Delta Electronics (Thailand) PCL
NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominari Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: DOMH) ("Dominari" or the "Company") today provided an update on the $2 million share repurchase program (the "Share Repurchase Program") authorized by the Company's Board of Directors on December 5, 2022.

Dominari Holdings Logo (PRNewsfoto/Dominari Holdings Inc.)

The Company reported that on March 16, 2023, the Company purchased 5,000 shares of common stock at $3.487 per share.

Additional shares may be repurchased from time to time in open market transactions, or other means in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and Rule 10b -18 of the Exchange Act. The timing, number of shares repurchased, and prices paid for the stock under this program will depend on general business and market conditions as well as corporate and regulatory limitations, including blackout period restrictions.

About Dominari Holdings Inc.

Dominari Holdings Inc. (f/k/a Aikido Pharma Inc.) until recently was focused primarily on the development of a diverse portfolio of small-molecule anticancer and antiviral therapeutics and related patent technology. In September 2022, the Company agreed to acquire a registered broker-dealer and transition its primary business operations to fintech and financial services. Upon the final closing of this acquisition, the Company's fintech and financial services business will be operated through its subsidiary, Dominari Financial Inc. The Company continues to develop its therapeutics and related patent technology, as well as other ventures, through its subsidiary, Aikido Labs, LLC.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "continue," "predict," "forecast," "project," "plan," "intend" or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company's filings with the SEC, not limited to Risk Factors relating to its business contained therein. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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Contact:

Investor Relations:

Hayden IR

Brett Maas, Managing Partner

Phone: (646) 536-7331

Email: brett@haydenir.com

www.haydenir.com

Dominari Holdings Inc. (f/k/a AIkido Pharma Inc):

Phone: 212-745-1373

Email: investorrelations@aikidopharma.com

www.aikidopharma.com

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SOURCE Dominari Holdings Inc.
NEW YORK, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The English Language Teaching (ELT) market size in Europe is estimated to grow by USD 4.31 billion from 2021 to 2026 at a CAGR of 9.75% during the forecast period. Factors like the rise in ELT franchises, growing focus from MNCs for ELT, and government initiatives drive market growth significantly.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Europe ELT Market 2022-2026

ELT Market in Europe  Market Dynamics

Major Drivers -

The rise in ELT franchises is a major factor driving the English language teaching market growth in Europe. Due to the rising demand to learn different languages among people, there has been a significant rise in the number of ELT franchises worldwide. Students enroll in private ELT franchises or institutions to excel in their exams, resulting in mushrooming of ELT franchises, which offer unique and innovative English language learning solutions for learners in Europe. This will in turn drive market growth. Employers also encourage potential candidates to enroll in English language learning courses to explore suitable onsite opportunities in the corporate segment. This is anticipated to result in a positive growth of the market during the forecast period.

Key challenges -

The considerable setup and implementation costs are a major challenge that may impede the growth of the European English language teaching (ELT) market. Due to the rapid adoption of digital solutions and the online delivery of language training, the demand for robust information technology (IT) solutions has also increased considerably. This results in educational institutes and corporates spending a significant amount on setup and implementation. The courses are designed to provide a collaborative learning environment with the help of advanced technologies and are often offered at comparatively higher prices. Educational institutions and language training providers with sufficient budgets can invest in setting up infrastructure to implement m-learning and e-learning, whereas, institutions with limited budgets are unable to invest heavily in establishing robust networks and IT infrastructure for implementing language training. This is known to result in limited use by educators and trainers. Hence, the high setup and implementation costs will hinder the market growth during the forecast period.

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Drivers, & Challenges have an impact on market dynamics and can impact businesses. Find some insights from a sample report!

Geographic Overview - Many Germany-based corporate ventures focus on geographical expansions. The growing workforce diversity further enhances the demand for English language learning solutions. However, German is extensively used as a medium of instruction and communication in Germany, but foreign languages like English are gaining importance in corporates. This triggers a significant demand for English language training courses.

ELT Market in Europe Insights -

Vendors : The ELT market in Europe is characterized by the presence of diversified international and regional vendors. Babbel GmbH, Benesse Holdings Inc., Busuu Ltd., digital publishing AG, Duolingo Inc., EF Education First Ltd., Europass Teacher Academy SRL, inlingua International Ltd., iTutorGroup Ltd., Kaplan Inc., Language and Training Sro, Lingoda GmbH, Linguaphone Group Ltd., Linguarama International Ltd., Memrise Ltd., Pearson Plc, Rosetta Stone Ltd., Sanako Oy, Sprachcaffe Languages Plus, and VivaLing are some of the major players in the market.

Coverage: Parent market analysis; key drivers, major trends, and challenges; customer and vendor landscape; vendor product insights and recent developments; key vendors; and market positioning of vendors

Segments: End-user (institutional learners and individual learners), learning method (online learning, blended learning, and classroom learning), and geography (Europe).

To understand more about the information services market, Request a Sample Report

ELT market in Europe - Vendor Insights

Technavio report analyzes the market's competitive landscape and offers information on several market vendors including 

Benesse Holdings Inc. - The company offers ELT services for professionals and the educational field.

Busuu Ltd. - The company offers ELT services such as applications with vocabulary training and written exercises.

Duolingo Inc. - The company offers ELT services such as vocabulary and grammar.

For more insights on vendors and their offerings - Request a Sample Report!

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Add credibility to strategy

Analyzes competitor's offerings

Get a holistic view of the market

Grow your profit margin with Technavio- Buy the Report

What are the key data covered in this ELT Market in Europe report?

CAGR of the market during the forecast period

Detailed information on factors that will drive the growth of the ELT market in Europe between 2022 and 2026

Precise estimation of the size of the ELT market in Europe and its contribution to the market with a focus on the parent market

Accurate predictions about upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

Growth of the ELT market across Europe

A thorough analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information about vendors

Comprehensive analysis of factors that will challenge the growth of the ELT market in Europe vendors

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Based on Technavio's market sizing methodology, the business English language training market size is predicted to surge to USD 7.20 billion from 2021 to 2026 at a CAGR of 9.76%. APAC is estimated to contribute to 46% of the market's growth during the forecast period.

The programming language training market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 15.15% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecast to increase by USD 5,375.55 million. The growing emphasis on blended learning is notably driving the market growth.

ELT Market in Europe Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2021 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 9.75% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 4.31 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 8.67 Regional analysis Europe Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Babbel GmbH, Benesse Holdings Inc., Busuu Ltd., digital publishing AG, Duolingo Inc., EF Education First Ltd., Europass Teacher Academy SRL, inlingua International Ltd., iTutorGroup Ltd., Kaplan Inc., Language and Training Sro, Lingoda GmbH, Linguaphone Group Ltd., Linguarama International Ltd., Memrise Ltd., Pearson Plc, Rosetta Stone Ltd., Sanako Oy, Sprachcaffe Languages Plus, and VivaLing Market dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, Market condition analysis for forecast period Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

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Table of contents:

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

3.3 Market size 2021

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2021-2026

4 Five Forces Analysis

4.1 Five forces summary

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

4.4 Threat of new entrants

4.5 Threat of substitutes

4.6 Threat of rivalry

4.7 Market condition

5 Market Segmentation by End-user

5.1 Market segments

5.2 Comparison by End-user

5.3 Institutional learners - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

5.4 Individual learners - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

5.5 Market opportunity by End-user

6 Market Segmentation by Learning Method

6.1 Market segments

6.2 Comparison by Learning Method

6.3 Online learning - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

6.4 Blended learning - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

6.5 Classroom learning - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

6.6 Market opportunity by Learning Method

7 Customer Landscape

7.1 Customer landscape overview

8 Geographic Landscape

8.1 Geographic segmentation

8.2 Geographic comparison

8.3 Germany - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.4 France - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.5 Spain - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.6 Italy - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.7 Rest of Europe - Market size and forecast 2021-2026

8.8 Market opportunity by geography

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

9.1 Market drivers

9.2 Market challenges

9.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

9.4 Market trends

10 Vendor Landscape

10.1 Overview

10.2 Vendor landscape

10.3 Landscape disruption

10.4 Industry risks

11 Vendor Analysis

11.1 Vendors covered

11.2 Market positioning of vendors

11.3 Benesse Holdings Inc.

11.4 Busuu Ltd.

11.5 Duolingo Inc.

11.6 EF Education First Ltd.

11.7 inlingua International Ltd.

11.8 Kaplan Inc.

11.9 Linguaphone Group Ltd.

11.10 Linguarama International Ltd.

11.11 Pearson Plc

11.12 Rosetta Stone Ltd.

12 Appendix

12.1 Scope of the report

12.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

12.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

12.4 Research methodology

12.5 List of abbreviations

About Us

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Europe ELT Market 2022-2026

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CHICAGO, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The flow computer market in oil & gas is projected to grow from USD 798 million in 2023 to USD 1,067 million in 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.0% from 2023 to 2028 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The growth of the market is attributed to the technological advancements in oil & gas industry and suitability in many functions of the oil & gas industry.

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146  Tables

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Hardware segment to account for largest market during the forecast period

In the hardware component, the market for flow computer devices is considered. The flow computers are used in upstream, midstream, and downstream oil and gas operations. These flow computer devices perform significant tasks of accurate flow calculations and therefore are employed at multiple operation points.

Upstream segment is expected to register highest CAGR in the forecast period

A flow computer is used in upstream while metering the oil and gas coming out of the ground. Crude oil is produced either with the help of natural underground pressure or by injecting liquid or gas into the well to force the oil out. The steam is injected into the well, particularly where heavy crude is accommodated. Flow computers are required to measure and monitor the production and control the injection of fluids. The flow computer outputs of the injection process and production rate provide necessary information to the reservoir engineer of how effective the injection process is and also the condition of the well. This information allows the reservoir engineer to better understand and estimate, if further action is needed to increase or optimize production of the reservoir or the well.

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Story continues

North America is expected to register larger market share in 2023 and is expected to grow at a significant rate from 2023 to 2028

North America dominated the flow computer market in oil & gas and is expected to hold the same position during the forecast period. The region is home of some of the key players of flow computer such as Emerson Electric Co. (US), Honeywell (US), Thermo Fisher Scientific (US), and OMNI Flow Computers (US) Furthermore, Canada has one of the biggest reserves of oil & gas, while market in the US contributes the highest to the flow computer market in oil & gas. As per the statistics of the Statistical Review of World Energy 2022 report published by BP (UK), US was the largest oil & gas-producing country in the world.

Key players operating in the flow computer market in oil & gas include Emerson Electric Co. (US), Honeywell International, Inc. (US), ABB (Switzerland), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (US), Schneider Electric (France), Krohne Messtechnik GmbH (Germany), Yokogawa Electric Corporation (Japan), TechnipFMC plc (US), OMNI Flow Computers, Inc. (US), Dynamic Flow Computers, Inc. (US), Contrec Limited (UK), Kessler-Ellis Products (KEP) Co, Inc. (US), Sensia (US).

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Magnetic Flowmeter Market by Type (In-Line, Insertion, Low Flow), Component (Flow Tube, Sensing Electrodes), Application (Water & Wastewater, Food & Beverages, Chemicals, Pulp & Paper), and Geography - Global Trends & Forecasts from 2014 to 2020

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Join the most important conversation in crypto and web3! Secure your seat today

Johan Van Overtveldt, a member of the European Parliament and former Belgian finance minister, called for a ban on crypto in the wake of banking sector turmoil in a Friday tweet.

Van Overtveldt, the economic spokesman for a grouping of 64 European Union lawmakers, made the comments as the European Parliament prepares to vote on landmark crypto licensing rules for the bloc.

Another lesson to be learned from the current banking commotion. Enforce a strict ban on cryptocurrencies, Van Overtveldt tweeted, saying that the assets were mere speculation with no economic or social value.

If a government bans drugs, it should also ban crypto, he added, as repercussions from the failure of crypto-friendly Silvergate Bank and Silicon Valley Bank spread to European markets, including sending shares of Credit Suisse (CS) to a record low and forcing it to borrow $53 billion from the Swiss National Bank.

Van Overtveldt represents the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformers, the fifth-largest political grouping in the Parliament, in the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee. He was Belgium's finance minister from 2014 to 2018. The ECR says it's dedicated to individual liberty, private property and limited government.

The Parliaments 705 lawmakers are due to vote as soon as next month on the Markets in Crypto Assets regulation, which will offer a regulatory framework for digital-wallet providers and exchanges.

Van Overtveldt led the Parliaments work on a new law to allow trading of securities based on distributed ledger technology, and has said that the technology underpinning crypto has great potential to improve productivity.
We shall be entertained!

The cast is shaping up for Sir Ridley Scotts sequel to his Oscar-winning Roman action-drama Gladiator. The latest addition, according to The Hollywood Reporter, is Barry Keoghan, the 30-year-old (but can pass for 15) Irish actor recently nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his turn in The Banshees of Inisherin. His previous work includes creepy supporting roles in The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Green Knight, and a quick appearance as the Joker in The Batman.

More from GoldDerby

Keoghan is thought to be playing Emperor Publius Septimus Geta. I just looked the guy up on Wikipedia and I think I just had the ending of Gladiator 2 spoiled in the opening paragraph, so advise against this! I suspect he will be the villain of the new picture.

Another hot relative newcomer in the cast is 27-year-old Irish actor Paul Mescal, similarly coming off an Oscar nomination. His was for Best Actor, for his performance in Aftersun. Word is that Mescal will be playing Lucius, the nephew of evil Joaquin Phoenixs character from the first picture who looked up to Russell Crowes Maximus (who was also heavy with the kids mom, played Connie Nielson). Logic would suggest Lucius will be our hero, fighting for vengeance in the Coliseum and riding around the Circus Maximus.

Gladiator was an awards juggernaut upon its release in 2000. It was nominated for 12 Oscars and won five: Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Costumes, Best Actor for Russell Crowe, and Best Picture for producers David Franzoni, Branko Lustig, and Douglas Wick.

Crowe was 34 when the film was shot in Great Britain, Morocco, and Malta. The New Zealand-born, Australia-raised actor was already a rising star  The Insider had been finished but not released  but the role of Maximus Decimus Meridius, the ex-slave turned murder-games champion, brought him the glory a virtuous Roman warrior deserves. His character, of course, does not survive the events of the film, but should Mescal or Keoghan consult some sort of Grecian oracle, its entirely possible Crowes essence could reappear as a vision or something in this new tale. We can only hope!

Story continues

The new projects script was written by David Scarpa, who collaborated with Scott on All The Money in the World. Some key department heads, like cinematographer John Mathieson, production designer Arthur Max and Oscar-winning costume designer Janty Yates are all returning, nearly 25 years later.

PREDICT the 2023 Emmy nominees through July 12

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Dont miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?

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MONTREAL, March 17, 2023 /CNW/ - Hema-Quebec is pleased to announce that an agreement in principle was reached on March 16 with the Syndicat des infirmieres et infirmieres auxiliaires d'Hema-Quebec (CSN). Said agreement in principle will be put to a vote at the meeting scheduled for March 19 .

"I'm grateful to the employer and union bargaining teams for their hard work throughout the bargaining process, especially in the last few days. This agreement in principle lays the foundation for an agreement that will enable us to look ahead and focus our energy in pursuing our inspiring mission," said Nathalie Fagnan, President and CEO of Hema-Quebec.

Out of respect for the ongoing union approval process, the details of the agreement in principle remain confidential, and Hema-Quebec will not comment on this matter.

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According to a market research study published by Contrive Datum Insights, North America remains the market leader throughout the evaluation period, Europe holds the second largest share of the global homomorphic encryption market

Farmington, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Homomorphic Encryption Market is estimated to reach a valuation of USD 265.85 Million by 2030, growing at 7.45% CAGR during the assessment period 2022 to 2030. Homomorphic encryption is a secure method of encryption that can generate an encrypted output by performing computations on a ciphertext. This allows you to control your data without sacrificing specifics in exchange for authorized access. Homomorphic encryption is extensively employed to safeguard valuable data. Encrypting data transforms it into a form or code that only those with the password can decipher. Homomorphic encryption is a form of encryption that enables data to be used without decryption. This technology is gaining popularity because it protects the privacy and security of data while allowing for its processing and analysis.

Request Sample Copy of Report  Homomorphic Encryption Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Opportunities, Future Trends, Covid-19 Impact, SWOT Analysis, Competition and Forecasts 2022 to 2030 , published by Contrive Datum Insights.

Homomorphic Encryption Market Recent Developments:

December 2020  IBM Security launched a new service that allows enterprises to experiment with fully homomorphic encryption (FHE), a new technology designed to keep data encrypted while being processed or analyzed in the cloud or in a third-party environment.

February 2020  Enveil, a pioneering US-based data security company, announced that it has raised $10 million for enterprise-scale homomorphic encryption. Companies are also looking for ways to enable safe data sharing and collaboration, or secure data monetization, due to privacy and privacy supporting features.

Story continues

Homomorphic Encryption Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

The prevalence of cyberattacks and data intrusions is increasing the importance of data privacy and security. Consequently, the need for secure data storage and transmission is increasing. Homomorphic encryption provides a high level of data security by permitting the processing of data without decryption. This makes it an excellent option for businesses and organizations that handle sensitive information.

Advances in cloud computing and large-scale data analytics: As cloud computing and big data analytics gain popularity, there is a need for more secure and efficient data management strategies. Homomorphic encryption makes it possible to securely process data in the cloud without compromising the data's confidentiality.

IoT devices are gaining in popularity. The Internet of Things (IoT) has increased the number of connected devices and data creation. Homomorphic encryption can help protect the data created by these devices, preventing it from being lost or stolen while being transmitted or processed.

The popularity of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) is increasing. Both require extensive data management, which poses security risks. Homomorphic encryption can allow these applications to securely process data. This allows businesses to utilize machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) without jeopardizing the privacy of their data.

Restraints:

Homomorphic encryption requires intricate computations, which can consume a great deal of resources and slow the processing of data. This makes it more difficult to use in applications that must process data rapidly and in real-time.

Homomorphic encryption is a difficult-to-implement technology that can only be utilized by those who know how to do so. This can make it difficult for businesses and organizations to use the technology and integrate it with their existing systems.

High cost: The use of homomorphic encryption can be costly, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. This can make it more difficult for smaller groups to utilize and more beneficial for larger groups.

Scalability is inadequate: Homomorphic encryption is particularly difficult to scale for large-scale applications. This can prevent its use in applications that must process large amounts of data.

Regional Outlook:

North America has maintained its market dominance since 2018 and may continue to do so throughout the evaluation period. Increases in the number of small and medium-sized businesses and the use of homomorphic encryption technology fuel the expansion of the market. Additionally, the scale of the homomorphic encryption market is affected by the steady expansion of the medical industry and the expansion of advanced medical facilities.

Europe has the second highest market share for homomorphic encryption worldwide. The homomorphic encryption market is propelled by factors such as the expansion of the banking and finance sector and the rising use of HE technology. Additionally, a large number of PE technology suppliers and substantial healthcare expenditures in the region contribute to market expansion. In addition, increasing demand in the homomorphic encryption market and rising investment from the private sector fuel substantial expansion.

The Asia-Pacific region is a burgeoning market for homomorphic encryption technology. Increased demand for homomorphic encryption in cloud security influences the expansion of regional markets. In addition, the widespread adoption of HE solutions as a result of accelerated industrialization generates substantial opportunities for the local homomorphic encryption industry. India, Australia, China, and Japan predominantly contribute to the market share of homomorphic encryption in the region.

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Scope of Report:

Report Attributes Details Growth Rate 7.45% from 2023 to 2030 Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 265.85 Million By Type Partially Homomorphism

Fully Homomorphism By Applications Government

Finance and Insurance

Health Care

Industry By Companies Microsoft (U.S.), IBM Corporation (U.S.), Galois Inc (U.S.), CryptoExperts (France), Enveil Inc (U.S.), and Others Base Year 2022 Historical Year 2017 to 2021 Forecast Year 2023 to 2030

Homomorphic Encryption Market Key Segments Covered:

Top Market Players:

Microsoft (U.S.), IBM Corporation (U.S.), Galois Inc (U.S.), CryptoExperts (France), Enveil Inc (U.S.), and Others.

By Type

Partially Homomorphism

Fully Homomorphism

By Application

Government

Finance and Insurance

Health Care

Industry

Regions and Countries Covered

North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America)

Europe: (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific: (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

The Middle East & Africa: (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Latin America: (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)

Rest Of the World

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Robotic Process Automation Market  The Global Robotic Process Automation Market Size Was Valued At USD 1.89 Billion In 2022 And Is Expected To Grow At A Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) Of 38.2% From 2022 To 2030. North America accounted for 37.26% of the revenue share in 2021 and is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period. This is estimated based on the high penetration of automation solutions and process management by government agencies and businesses in the region.

Mining Automation Market - The global mining automation market size was valued at USD 4.6 Billion in 2022 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3% from 2022 to 2030. The regional mining automation market is segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe. Increasing automation rate in the Asia Pacific region is leading to high market growth. New product launches and developments in the market are expected. The demand for high productivity and efficiency in mining is driving more adoption.

Industrial Greases Market  The Global Industrial Greases Market Is Estimated To reach US$ 1,905.9 Mn in value by 2022, Exhibiting A CAGR Of 5.5% Between 2022 And 2030. North America is one of the most developed regions for industrial grease and is expected to continue to dominate over the forecast period. The main reason for this growth is the growing demand from the automotive and mining industries in the region.

Industrial Gas Turbine Market - The Global Industrial Gas Turbine Market Size Crossed USD 5.8 Billion In 2022 And Is Expected To Register Over 5.8% CAGR During 2022 To 2030. Asia Pacific is projected to account for approximately 30% of the industrial gas turbine market share by 2030. Rapid modernization and retrofitting of power generation infrastructure is likely to propel regional market statistics. As the manufacturing sector expands, there is a real need for efficient power generation.

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Hyderabad, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a new market research report titled Hydrogen Gas Market - (2023 - 2028)", the market is expected to register a CAGR of <4%. Due to the pandemic and its associated restrictions, hydrogen gas production took a hit. However, with recent advancements in regulations and global health, output slightly increased in 2021. The medium term looks favorable for the market, with increasing demand from chemical industries and related refineries counteracting the downside of high production costs and heightened transportation/storage costs.



Hydrogen Gas Market - Some of the major trends shaping the market:

Ammonia is one of the world's top-produced chemicals, and its industrial production relies on the Haber-Bosch process - or, as it is often known, abiotic, artificial, or industrial nitrogen fixation. Developed by Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch at the start of the 20th century, it is the most employed industrial method for producing ammonia through a chemical reaction with atmospheric nitrogen and hydrogen in combination with a metal-based catalyst like uranium or osmium at high heat and pressure.

Hydrogen used in the Haber-Bosch process is typically derived from fossil fuel feedstocks.

The most prevalent technique for sourcing hydrogen is the reaction of natural gas feedstocks with steam in a steam reforming unit for deriving hydrogen.

Hydrogen is also produced from cracking crude oil fractions or subjecting coal to partial oxidation processes.

In 2021, global ammonia production amounted to around 150 million metric tons, registering an increase of about 2% compared to the previous year.

East Asia had the highest ammonia production in 2021, with approximately 64.6 million metric tons.

China is the top ammonia producer globally, producing around 39 million metric tons in 2021.

According to the US geological survey, the United States is one of the largest ammonia producers, producing 14 million metric tons at 35 facilities belonging to 16 companies.

The agriculture industry, with an estimated share of 80% in the ammonia market, is the primary driver of the rising ammonia consumption in fertilizers.

Southeast Asia is the major fertilizer consumer in Asia-Pacific, with China representing a 42.5% share in the Asia-Pacific fertilizer market in 2021.

In July 2022, the Brazilian company Unigel began constructing the world's most significant integrated green hydrogen and ammonia plant in the Camacari Industrial Complex.

The plant will have an initial production capacity of 10,000 tons per year of green hydrogen and 60,000 tons per year of green ammonia.

Costing around USD 120 million, the project will come on stream by the end of 2023.

Story continues

Therefore, the above factors are expected to impact the market in the coming years significantly.



Asia-Pacific accounts for an enormous demand for Hydrogen Gas:

The Asia-Pacific region has an immense demand for hydrogen gas, which is forecasted to be the quickest expanding area and continue leading the world in total hydrogen gas consumption at more than 45%. China and India are two of the largest countries in the world that have the highest demand. China is particularly dominant due to various initiatives in the country.

In March 2022, the Chinese government released the countrys first-ever long-term plan for hydrogen, covering the period of 2021-2035. The program is focused on a phased approach to developing a domestic hydrogen industry and mastering technologies and manufacturing capabilities.



In February 2022, the government of India announced a new green hydrogen policy. The policy aims to help the government meet its climate targets and make India a green hydrogen hub by reaching the production target of 5 million tons of green hydrogen by 2030.



According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India will spend USD 200 million over the next five to seven years to promote the use of low-carbon hydrogen.

Who are the key players in the Hydrogen Gas Market?

The hydrogen gas market is consolidated, where major players hold a significant share of the market demand. Some of the major players in the market include:

Air Liquide

Linde PLC

Air Products and Chemicals Inc.

Aditya Birla Chemicals

Messer SE & Co. KGaA

Equinor ASA

Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited

Gulf Cryo

Lords Chloro Alkali Limited

Matheson Tri-Gas Inc.

PAO NOVATEK

TAIYO NIPPON SANSO CORPORATION

Universal Industrial Gases Inc.

Recent developments in the Hydrogen Gas Market:

In July 2022: Air Products and VPI (a power generator company) signed a joint development agreement for driving the Humber Hydrogen Hub or H3, which seeks to develop an 800 MW low-carbon hydrogen production facility in Immingham, United Kingdom.

In June 2022: BASF and Shell evaluated and de-risked BASFs Puristar R0-20 and Sorbead Adsorption Technology for green hydrogen production.

In June 2022: Equinor and SSE Thermal jointly acquired Triton Power by purchasing the company from Energy Capital Partners (ECP) to contribute to decarbonization in the United Kingdom.

Concisely, the Mordor Intelligence Hydrogen Gas Market Research Report is a must-read for start-ups, industry players, investors, researchers, consultants, business strategists, and all those who are looking to understand the Hydrogen Gas industry. Get a glance at the https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/hydrogen-gas-market



About Mordor Intelligence:

Mordor Intelligence is a market intelligence and advisory firm. At Mordor Intelligence, we predict butterfly effects that could change or significantly impact market dynamics.

Our market research reports are comprehensive and provide exclusive data, facts and figures, trends, and the competitive landscape of the industry.



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GUANGZHOU, China, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 11, 2023, the 5th High-Quality Development Exchange Meeting and Quality Golden Shield Case Collection event hosted by China Quality News (www.cqn.com.cn) took place in Beijing.

Infinitus named Model Brand for Quality Reputation in 2022

Infinitus (China) Co., Ltd. attended the event together with leaders and professionals from the Science and Technology Research Center of China Customs, the China Quality Certification Center, and the Technology Innovation Research Institute at China's National Institute of Metrology. Top management executives from Mengniu Dairy, Miniso and other leading companies were also present. At the event, Infinitus was named the Model Brand for Quality Reputation in 2022 for its outstanding performance in quality management.

The award was designed to recognize companies and organizations that have made significant contributions to quality improvement actions by promoting improvements in the quality of Chinese-made products.

In a move to jointly advance China's modernization drive, the meeting, themed "Promoting Quality Development, Building a Quality Power", aimed to explore new opportunities for quality development given the latest emerging trends and industries, and the government's recently issued Outline for Building a Powerful Country with Quality.

At the exchange meeting, Li Gang, Secretary of the Party Committee and President of China Quality News, said that quality is not a matter of a single person, nor is it a matter of a single department or a single organization. The only way to build China into a country where quality becomes a key focus of every industry, product and service is to raise the awareness among all participants as to the importance of quality, to mobilize all parties to participate in the campaign, and to implement measures that drive the development of a quality-oriented mindset.

Mei Kebao, former Deputy Secretary of the Party Group and Deputy Director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said that currently, China's economy has shifted from a focus on high-speed growth to one of quality development, and that "quality" has become a key element of economic and social development. Quality is not only essential to national modernization, but is also an important symbol of a country's competitiveness.

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Infinitus was present at the exchange meeting and garnered the Model Brand for Quality Reputation in 2022 award, fully reflecting the recognition for the company's quality management by authoritative institutions and industry watchers. Infinitus will, by remaining true to its "100-1=0" approach (when it comes to quality, even 99% won't do), create qualitative value at every level across the industry chain, make the quest for quality a key component of the direction of the industry, and contribute to China's modernization.

Cision

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SOURCE Infinitus (China) Company Ltd.
Studio Makoto Agenzia di Marketing e Comunicazione

Bologna, Italy, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Studio Makoto is a marketing and communication agency located in the heart of Bologna, Italy, that is dedicated to supporting you in every digital project, from strategic consultancy and detailed measurement and evaluation of results based on identified KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to the creation of branded content.

The international digital marketing agency has now released a comprehensive timeline at aidrivensearch.com that is titled Google Towards a semantic, Multimodal and AI-powered Search Engine.

Studio Makotos timeline traces the evolution of Google from a lexical search engine to a semantic search engine based on the understanding of natural language. This transition has been made possible to the adoption of Tim Berners-Lees Semantic-web principles and the increasing use of machine learning technologies.

The timeline covers the major updates and core Google products based on ML (Machine Learning), including Translator, Google Photos, Lens, Google Assistant, and open-source algorithms for machine learning models, since the new announcement about Bard, the conversational agent (based on its LLM  Logic Learning Machine  Lambda2) that Google will integrate into the Search in 2023.

The release of this timeline marks the end of the retrieval era and the beginning of the machine learning era at Google. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, Googles parent company, stated in 2015, Machine learning is a core, transformative way by which were rethinking everything were doing.

Studio Makotos timeline features contributions from international SEO experts, including the late Bill Slawsky, Kevin Indig, Dawn Anderson, Cindy Krumm, and Adrea Volpini.

Taking The Search: Some Key Features

One of the key figures in Googles transition, who is also responsible for the internal training of Google engineers in ML, was David Pablo Cohn, ex-Tech Lead for Google Labs.

The ultimate turning point came when machine learning became an integral part of Search, forever transforming the SERP (Search Engine Result Pages), Googles flagship and most profitable product.

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To some extent, Search has always relied on artificial intelligence; however, for many years, Googles most precious algorithms, those that supplied the ten blue links in response to a search query, were thought too critical for MLs learning algorithms.

A Transformative Transition

While following Googles transformative transition, Studio Makoto has seen an exponential and progressive introduction of MUM (Multitask Unified Model), which was announced at the Search On streaming event on the 29th of September 2021, thus showing an evolution of a new Google and a further shift towards multimodality.

During the Search On streaming event, Google also unveiled a selection of new features that, taken together, represent the companys most ambitious efforts yet to persuade users to do more than input a few phrases into a search box.

The company intends to start a virtuous cycle using its new MUM machine learning technology to deliver more depth and context-rich answers to encourage users to ask more detailed and context-rich queries.

Prabhakar Raghavan, Senior Vice President of Google, is seeing a profound change not only in technology driven by Googles increasingly complex AI but also in its users search habits and in the daily practices of SEO companies and experts.

The approach to content marketing and the investments of companies will also have to change as they will have to produce more quality multimedia content. This will then join a part of a wider ecosystem able to cover extensively the topics on which companies want to establish their authority in the eyes of Google and their potential clients.

More information

To find out more about Studio Makoto Agenzia di Marketing e Comunicazione or to read more about its comprehensive timeline of Googles journey towards becoming an AI-driven company, please visit the website at https://aidrivensearch.com/.

Source: https://thenewsfront.com/international-digital-marketing-agency-studio-makoto-release-a-comprehensive-timeline-titled-google-towards-a-semantic-multimodal-and-ai-powered-search-engine/

CONTACT: Studio Makoto Agenzia di Marketing e Comunicazione Via del Borgo di San Pietro 22 Bologna Emilia-Romagna 40126 Italy 3935317466 https://aidrivensearch.com/




(Bloomberg) -- Shares of Korean electronics makers surged after Japan said itll roll back export restrictions of key semiconductor materials, laying to rest concern about the fragility of an important link in the tech supply chain.

Most Read from Bloomberg

SK Hynix Inc. jumped as much as 7.3%, the biggest intraday rise in more than two months Friday. Samsung Electronics Co. rose more than 2% and LG Electronics Inc. gained as much as 1.7%

Japan said it plans to ease licensing requirements on fluorinated polyimide, hydrogen fluoride and photoresists  all essential ingredients for the manufacture of displays and semiconductors that go into gadgets including Apple Inc. iPhones. The announcement was made during the first formal summit between the two nations leaders held on Japanese soil in more than a decade.

Japan began requiring licenses to export the compounds to South Korean firms in 2019, amid a dispute over compensation for Korean workers forced to work in Japanese mines and factories during its 1910-1945 colonial rule over the peninsula.

The curbs roiled South Koreas biggest companies, prompting Seoul to file a complaint to the World Trade Organization. While the restrictions did little to affect shipments of the materials, they were perceived as a threat to hurt Seoul economically, and helped drive the two US allies further apart.

A breakthrough came last week after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said companies from his country, rather than Japanese ones, would finance a foundation set up to address the forced labor dispute. South Korea has also said it will drop its complaint to the World Trade Organization.

The thaw has only begun, however. Japan hasnt decided when it will ease the export restrictions. Nor has it decided whether to categorize South Korea a most-favored trading partner again, Japans Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura told reporters Friday.

Story continues

The three materials that had most concerned Seoul are controlled almost wholly by Japanese companies such as JSR Corp., Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. and Tokyo Ohka Kogyo Co.  a left-over legacy from when Japan led the world in semiconductor technology in the 1980s.

Tokyo had expressed concerns about South Koreas export controls when it tightened exports on the three chemical products. At the time, some politicians claimed that there were unauthorized re-shipments of the chemicals to other countries, but Seoul disputed the allegations. Seouls export controls have since improved, Japanese trade ministry officials said.

(Updates with share reactions)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
10 years in the making with 100 creative powers, anchored by the museum-retail pioneer  K11 MUSEA

HONG KONG, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- K11 Group, the pioneering concept brand uniquely combining culture and commerce, is ushering in a bold new era of cultural commerce offering unparalleled art, culture, retail, leisure, hospitality and work experiences centred around its ground breaking project at the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade - Victoria Dockside. As one of the newest mega projects in Hong Kong, the US$2.6 billion, 3 million-square-foot mixed-use district has transformed the Victoria Harbourfront into a sought-after destination for both locals and international visitors, marking a turning point in Hong Kong's cultural and tourism development.

K11 Group is ushering in a bold new era of cultural commerce offering unparalleled art, culture, retail, leisure, hospitality and work experiences centred around its Victoria Dockside. (PRNewsfoto/K11)

An architectural marvel 10 years in the making traversing three generations, the masterplan that brought the grand vision of Victoria Dockside to fruition was spearheaded by Adrian Cheng, K11 Group Founder and Chairman, in collaboration with 100 Creative Powers across the globe. Acclaimed architects and designers such as Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), James Corner Field Operations (JCFO), local design firms LAAB and OMA have contributed to this shining testament to K11 Group's aspiration to become a global enterprise that pioneers cultural commerce and champions the soft power of contemporary Chinese culture. This revolutionary art and design district seamlessly blends culture, creativity, and innovation changing the way people interact with art and culture.

Creating unique experiences through the power of innovation, culture and creativity

Victoria Dockside's rich portfolio of offerings leads visitors on "a journey of imagination" that immerses them in a uniquely dynamic experience catering to their every need:

At its heart is K11 MUSEA, Hong Kong's "Silicon Valley of Culture", a revolutionary cultural-retail destination that transcends traditional shopping malls with its avant-garde design fused with a year-round celebration of arts and culture.

Work productivity is optimised at K11 ATELIER, as the first-ever office building to pioneer the "Vertical Creative City" Concept that transforms the design, purpose and culture of workplaces.

K11 ARTUS, the Asia's first luxury residences with a social mission to preserve and promote fast-disappearing Chinese artisanship, redefines the ultra-luxury residential experience with the pioneer "Artisanal Home" concept, that is infused with marvellous design and a world-class art collection.

The sophisticated and modern urban sanctuary Rosewood Hong Kong offers gastronomic journeys, exceptional service, wellness experiences and breathtaking views; along the seaside, the revitalised Avenue of the Stars celebrates Hong Kong's film industry as a popular hot spot that adds glitz and glamour to the district.

Story continues

True to its core values, Victoria Dockside has been at the forefront of incubating the local cultural scene by hosting a top-notch rotation of art events, collaborations and workshops throughout the year. Just to name a few:

K11 Art Karnival, the Group's annual flagship programme, is on its third run in March this year since 2021. The highlight of this year is "City As Studio", China's first major exhibition of graffiti and street art, Curated by Jeffrey Deitch. The event will be extended to 7 K11 sites in 6 mainland cities.

Asia's Met Gala "K11 Night", one of the most prestigious fashion and cultural events in Hong Kong, returned for the second year to Victoria Dockside last December. Together with the K11 MUSEA's annual couture exhibition "The Love of Couture: Artisanship in Fashion Beyond Time" held last year in collaboration with London's Victoria and Albert (the "V&A") Museum and co-chaired by internationally acclaimed Production Designer William Chang Suk Ping, Victoria Dockside became the focus of the City.

Hong Kong's first large-scale NFT art showcase "METAVISION" in 2022 uphold its commitment to promoting and preserving art and culture. It was Hong Kong's most diverse NFT exhibition to date featuring a curation of the most iconic and coveted NFT creations.

Over 150 prestigious awards and international recognition

Attesting to its world-class standards, Victoria Dockside has received over 150 prestigious awards and accolades as well as international recognition for its architecture, services, art and design, hospitality, marketing, sustainability excellence and more since its opening in 2019. Among the notable accolades it has garnered in recent years are the MIPIM Asia Awards 2020 Best Mixed-Use Development (known as the "Oscars of the Asian real estate world"); RICS Awards 2021 Property Management Team of the Year; RICS Awards 2020 Sustainability Achievement of the Year and Retail in Asia Best Retail Experience Awards 2019.

Commenting on the success of Victoria Dockside, Adrian Cheng said, "Victoria Dockside marks a momentous milestone of K11 Group in introducing a new phase of cultural commerce not only in Hong Kong but also globally. The premier destination has continuously made waves by offering an invaluable platform for artists, designers and businesses to unleash their creativity and create one of the most promising neighborhoods' for the future."

K11 MUSEA, Hong Kongs Silicon Valley of Culture, is the centrepiece of Victoria Dockside, a shining testament to K11 Group's aspiration to become a global enterprise that pioneers cultural commerce. (PRNewsfoto/K11)

K11 ARTUS, the Asias first luxury residences with a social mission to preserve and promote fast-disappearing Chinese artisanship, redefines the ultra-luxury residential experience with the pioneer Artisanal Home concept, that is infused with marvellous design and a world-class art collection. (PRNewsfoto/K11)

Hailed as Asias Met Gala, the prestigious K11 Night is celebrated at Victoria Dockside as one of the top-notch events to incubate the local cultural scene. K11 Night is chaired by Adrian Cheng (right), while in 2022, the internationally acclaimed production designer William Chang Suk Ping (left) was one of the co-chairmen. (PRNewsfoto/K11)

Please download high-resolution photos with the following link:

https://nwdrive.nwplatform.com.cn:443/link/70247132BBEC467AFDCD1DC7FF5F59A7

Valid Until: 2023-03-29 23:59

Password: i0kE

About K11 Group

K11 Group is a unique concept brand that combines culture and commerce, sustaining an ecosystem that caters to all walks of life. Founded in 2008 by renowned entrepreneur Adrian Cheng, the Group encourages a deeper look at the interconnectivity between creativity, culture and innovation. Through K11 Group, Cheng's aim is to enrich the daily lives of next-generation consumers and create a new global identity for Chinese millennials, as well as cultivate opportunities for communities to thrive, connect, work and shop.

K11 Group is based in Hong Kong SAR with operations in Greater China and investments in Europe and the US. By 2026, K11 Group will have gained a footprint of 38 projects (GFA 2.80 million sq m) in 10 cities across Greater China. In addition to its flagship K11 MUSEA, 11 SKIES and K11 Art Malls, the Group operates K11 ATELIER, K11 ARTUS and K11 Select. In addition, it cultivates cultural richness through the Hong Kong non-profit K11 Art Foundation and the K11 Craft & Guild Foundation, alongside educational platforms like K11 KULTURE ACADEMY & K11 Future Taskforce.

Cision

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SOURCE K11
ANNAPOLIS, MD / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2023 / Renovating or remodeling your home, car, or any property, for that matter, is a universal task many perform on their assets to keep them in top-performing shape while also increasing their value at the same time. There are many different benefits when it comes to upgrading your property, for current and future benefits when it comes time to sell. Potential buyers are more inclined and willing to pay a premium for well-kept, refinished, and up-to-date assets. For these kinds of jobs, it is best to contact a local company dedicated to providing great customer service.

Potomac Custom Remodeling Inc is a company that has been proudly serving the southern Maryland area for many years. The business was founded by Kenny Baden , an entrepreneur and multiple business owner, who's had experience in the roofing and remodeling industry for almost 14 years. PCR Inc has become a staple for its services in roofing, home remodeling, exterior services, siding, and bathroom/acrylics. They've become a go-to for many as they can always be counted on to treat their client's property with care and ensure excellent service.

Potomac Custom Remodeling Inc, Friday, March 17, 2023, Press release picture

As the company expanded, Potomac Custom Remodeling Inc launched a new company branch in solar energy called PCR Solar. PCR Solar works hand in hand with the parent company to offer customers guidance on the benefits of going solar and installation of solar panels and systems on their property. Depending on your situation, solar panels have become an excellent way to save money on your monthly electrical bill while also helping the environment.

The wide range of services that Potomac Custom Remodeling Inc offers with PCR Solar in the mix allows them to make a continual impact in their area. The company is always looking for options to expand its locations of service, and they have a goal to be operating in Texas and Florida soon.

To learn more or to contact them, visit their website:

Story continues

https://potomaccustomremodeling.com/

ABOUT:

Potomac Custom Remodeling Inc is a successful startup company founded by Kenny Baden, satisfying thousands of customers in the southern Maryland area. Their services include roofing, remodeling, exterior services, siding, bathroom/acrylics, and through their branch company PCR Solar, they also offer solar panel help and installation. If you are planning to upgrade your property in the area, look no further than Potomac Custom Remodeling Inc.

CONTACT:

https://potomaccustomremodeling.com/contact/

https://www.instagram.com/potomaccustomremodeling/

443-684-4448

SOURCE: Potomac Custom Remodeling Inc.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/744419/Kenny-Baden-and-Potomac-Custom-Remodeling-Inc-Are-Continuing-To-Make-An-Impact




SkyQuest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

The leak detection and repair market demands constant adaptation to remain competitive. To this end, businesses need to be aware of the latest trends and advancements in the market. Fortunately, SkyQuest's latest report offers valuable insights into the industry's key growth areas and innovations, making it an indispensable resource for those seeking to stay ahead of the curve. The benefits of utilizing reports extend beyond simply keeping up with the competition. Businesses can achieve increased profitability and improved customer satisfaction by taking a proactive approach to the market and implementing the latest advancements. They can also position themselves as leaders in the field, setting the standard for others to follow.

Westford, USA, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The leak detection and repair market is gaining traction in North America and is expected to grow rapidly in the Asia Pacific region as well. One of the key drivers for this growth is the increasing demand from utility companies for LDAR systems that offer a range of benefits, such as improving safety, reducing costs, and protecting the environment. In addition, as natural gas and petroleum infrastructure continue to develop worldwide, the need for reliable LDAR solutions becomes increasingly critical. This has resulted in a surge of investment from venture capital funding companies looking to support companies focused on developing AI-based LDAR solutions.

SkyQuest's research has shown that the global oil and gas EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) industry is poised for substantial growth in the coming years, with estimates projecting it to reach a value of USD 252.56 billion by 2028. As the oil and gas EPC industry continues to grow, the demand for lead detection and repair services is also expected to increase. This presents an excellent opportunity for companies operating in this market to expand their operations and increase their revenue.

Story continues

Browse in-depth TOC on "Leak Detection and Repair Market"

Pages - 272

Tables - 87

Figures - 70

Get a sample copy of this report:

https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/leak-detection-and-repair-market

Leak detection and repair (LDAR) is an essential process that involves identifying and fixing leaks in industrial facilities. These leaks can occur in various components such as pipes, valves, and fittings, releasing harmful gases and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere. LDAR programs are typically implemented to comply with regulatory requirements, prevent environmental pollution, and reduce the risk of workplace accidents.

Prominent Players in Leak Detection and Repair Market

Baker Huges Company

Team, Inc.

ABB Group

Picarro, Inc.

WorleyParsons Limited

Boreal Laser Inc.

Aeris Environmental Ltd.

PrecisionHawk

SeekOps, Inc.

Rebellion Photonics

Kairos Aerospace, Inc.

Summit Inspections Services, Inc.

Physical Sciences, Inc.

Ball Corporation

Avitas Systems

Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC):

https://www.skyquestt.com/report/leak-detection-and-repair-market

Services Segment to Register Higher Sales as Operators Increasingly Rely on Service Providers to Help Them Maintain Compliance and Reduce Costs

According to market research, the services segment of the leak detection and repair market saw significant growth in 2021 and is expected to continue its upward trajectory from 2022 to 2028. This strong growth trend be attributed to various factors, such as the increasing complexity of industrial processes, stringent government regulations, and the need for more sophisticated and accurate leak detection technologies. The services segment encompasses a wide range of offerings, including consulting, inspection, testing, maintenance, emergency response, and repair services.

In 2021, the North American region remained the leader in the leak detection and repair market. The region's dominance in the industry can be attributed to the stringent regulations to curb greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollutants. North America has taken the lead in this industry due to its advanced technology, skilled workforce, and significant investment in research and development. Moreover, the region has a well-established pipeline network and a robust infrastructure that supports the growth of the leak detection and repair industry.

VOC Analyzer Segment to Attain Strong Growth due to Its High Accuracy in Detecting Leaks, Making Them an Essential Tool

The leak detection and repair market is a rapidly growing industry expected to grow significantly in the coming years. In 2021, the VOC analyzer segment emerged as the major revenue contributor in the market. This segment is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period of 2022 to 2028. These highly accurate and reliable analyzers provide real-time data, which is crucial in identifying and controlling VOC emissions. Moreover, they are user-friendly and require minimal maintenance, making them a cost-effective solution for industries.

The leak detection and repair market in the Asia Pacific region has been projected to have a positive outlook in 2021, with strong growth expected by 2028. The pattern of high growth can be attributed to various factors, such as increasing awareness about the adverse effects of gas and oil leaks on the environment and the need for effective monitoring and maintenance of pipelines and storage facilities. In addition, the rapid industrialization and urbanization in the region have led to increased pipelines and storage facilities, which require regular monitoring and maintenance to prevent leaks.

SkyQuest, a highly-regarded market research firm, has recently published an in-depth report on the leak detection and repair market. This report thoroughly analyzes the industry, offering valuable insights into the current market conditions, emerging trends, leading companies, and innovative new products. This report is an invaluable resource for investors looking to make informed decisions and identify lucrative investment opportunities in this sector. The insights provided can help investors navigate the market with greater confidence and better understand the key factors driving growth and profitability in this space.

Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements:

https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/leak-detection-and-repair-market

Key Developments in Leak Detection and Repair Market

Recently, a Belgian company acquired Aquarius Spectrum, a leading provider of leak detection solutions. The move marks a significant step forward for both companies, with the acquisition set to benefit both parties in several ways. With the backing of a larger and more established company, the Israeli-based firm will be able to invest more heavily in research and development and potentially even bring new products to market.

Direct-C, an oil leak detection technology company, has raised $3.9 million in a Series A funding round from prominent investors Henkel and Greensky. The investment will enable the organization to scale its innovative technology that detects and prevents oil leaks in real-time. In addition, direct-C plans to use the funds to develop its technology further and expand its customer base.

Key Questions Answered in the Leak Detection and Repair Market Report

How can companies use consumer data to inform business strategies and improve customer satisfaction across various markets and industries?

What are some effective strategies for companies to stay competitive in high-growth sectors with rapidly changing market conditions, particularly in technology and e-commerce?

How can companies proactively identify and respond to emerging trends and technologies in their industry, and what are some effective approaches to staying up-to-date?

What are the top government policies and regulations that impact different industries, and what are some effective ways for companies to navigate and comply with them?

Related Reports in SkyQuests Library:

Global Reclaimed Lumber Market

Global Natural Stone And Marble Market

Global Faucet Market

Global Fire Sprinkler Pipes Market

Global Scissor Lift Market

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Future Market Insights Global and Consulting Pvt. Ltd.

The automotive sector contributes for almost 50% of the lubricants market share. Demand for food-grade industrial lubricants in the food processing industry is estimated to rise significantly during the forecast period. This is primarily due to a shift in demand toward automatic lubrication systems and automated factories

NEWARK, Del, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global lubricants market is anticipated to create a positive outlook over the evaluation period by accelerating with a CAGR of 4.5% from 2022 to 2032. The global market reached a valuation of US$ 160.2 Billion by the year 2022 and is anticipated to be valued at US$ 248 Billion by 2032 end. According to the historical analysis conducted by Future Market Insights, the global lubricants market reported its net worth of around US$ 142.5 Billion in 2017. Although the global lubricants market progressed at a staggering CAGR of 2.5% for consecutive 3 years, it experienced a major jolt throughout the flu season. The growth rate shifted to the negative side over these 2 years but is reviving at a greater rate following the uplifting of several government restrictions.



Over the next decade, it is anticipated that major growth in the lubricants market will take place with key trends and opportunities owing to rapid mechanization and industrialization around the world. Attributing to the growing demand for lubricating oils extracted from bio-based materials is forcing the lubricants market dynamics to shift in terms of raw materials. Furthermore, they are largely used in a variety of processes, including the compressor units in automobile engines and manufacturing facilities, demand for lubricants is increasing day by day for running working cycles and improving the operation of machinery that is subjected to high stress.

For More Insights on the Lubricants Market, Get a Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-10894

Within the regular car, truck, and motorbike divisions of the automotive industry, grease lubricants are optimally utilized in diesel engines, gearboxes, and transmission lines. And over the projection period, rising vehicle sales are anticipated to boost the global lubricants market growth. Countries like India, China, the United States, and Brazil are principally responsible for the increase in vehicle sales globally strengthening their lubricants market share indirectly.

Story continues

Report Highlights

The augmenting demand for lubricants utilized in automotive oils and component greases is anticipated to increase as the commerce in automobiles and subsequent replacement components expand. The passenger cars category is anticipated to grow immensely in the coming days, which is good news for the lubricants industry, as a result of the significant economic boom in low-income and emerging economies.

The surging expansion of specialized manufacturing industries like 3D printing and medical devices is anticipated to complement the lubricants market's future trends in the coming days. Therefore, it is anticipated that the increasing industrialization by adopting emerging technologies and robotics would also increase the sales of lubricants, which will then support the expansion of the global lubricants industry.

Interested to Procure The Data? Inquire here: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-10894

Recent Development

While operating in vacuum conditions and extremely high temperatures, vital components of aircraft need reliable, long-lasting lubrication. The aerospace industry is increasing quickly as a result of significant increases in defense spending by nations like the United States, Germany, India, and Brazil. This pattern is anticipated to increase the need for dielectric grease, boosting the lubricants market expansion throughout the anticipated years.

Owing to various concerns about the future of energy security for petroleum products, both government and lubricants company owners are concentrating on the application of bio-based natural products. However, due to their immaturity, bio-lubricants have several limitations, such as oxidative instability and thermal intolerance that could limit the emerging trends in the lubricants market.

Competitive Landscape

Primary lubricant manufacturing corporations have merged their corporate activities on a global scale. These companies comprise ExxonMobil Corporation, Total SA, Chevron, British Petroleum, Royal Dutch Shell, and Sinopec. It guarantees a consistent supplier base for the manufacturing of the necessary ingredients and petroleum distillates.

In order to guarantee the availability of raw materials for the lubricants manufacturing sectors, petroleum refineries utilize backward integration. This supply of raw materials is predicted to suffer as a result of strict environmental rules and decreased crude oil output which could pose a potential challenge to the lubricants market growth.



Learn about the contribution of each segment of the market, Request for Customization @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-10894

Lubricants Market by Segmentation

By Base Oil:

Bio-based Oil

Mineral Oil

Synthetic Oil



By Product Type:

Automotive Oil

Hydraulic Oil

Gear Oil

Compressed Oil

Greases

Metal Working Fluid

By End User Vertical:

Automotive

Industrial

Marine

Chemical

Oil & Gas

Aerospace

Others



By Region:

North America

Latin America

Europe

East Asia

South Asia

Oceania

Middle East and Africa



More Insights into the Lubricants Market

The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to dominate the global lubricants market over the assessment period. The region accounted for more than 50% of the proportional share in 2022. It is also projected by the FMI lubricants market analysis report to grow at a CAGR of 5.2% which would be the highest among all geographical regions.

To Gain More Insights about this Research, Visit@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/lubricants-market

Table of Content:

1. Executive Summary

1.1. Global Market Outlook

1.2. Demand-side Trends

1.3. Supply-side Trends

1.4. Technology Roadmap Analysis

1.5. Analysis and Recommendations

2. Market Overview

2.1. Market Coverage / Taxonomy

2.2. Market Definition / Scope / Limitations

3. Market Background

4. Global Market Analysis 2017-2021 and Forecast, 2022-2032

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Photoresist Chemicals Market: The overall demand for photoresist chemicals is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.6% between 2022 and 2032, totaling around US$ 4,537.2 Million by 2032.

About Future Market Insights, Inc.

Future Market Insights, Inc. is an ESOMAR-certified business consulting & market research firm, a member of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce and is headquartered in Delaware, USA. A recipient of Clutch Leaders Award 2022 on account of high client score (4.9/5), we have been collaborating with global enterprises in their business transformation journey and helping them deliver on their business ambitions. 80% of the largest Forbes 1000 enterprises are our clients. We serve global clients across all leading & niche market segments across all major industries.

Contact Us:

Future Market Insights Inc.

Christiana Corporate, 200 Continental Drive,

Suite 401, Newark, Delaware - 19713, USA

T: +1-845-579-5705

LinkedIn| Twitter| Blogs | YouTube

For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com




VANCOUVER, BC, March 17, 2023 /CNW/ - MANTARO PRECIOUS METALS CORP. (TSXV: MNTR) (OTCQB: MSLVF) (FSE: 9TZ) (the "Company") is pleased to announce it has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Offering"). Under the Offering, a total of 7,307,400 units (each a "Unit") at a price of $0.05 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $365,370.

Mantaro Precious Metals Logo (CNW Group/Mantaro Precious Metals Corp.)

Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (each a "Share") and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder to purchase one additional Share for a period of one year from the date of issuance at an exercise price of $0.10 per Share. The Company will have the right to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants if, at any time, the average closing price of the Shares is equal to or greater than $0.15 for 20 consecutive trading days on the TSX Venture Exchange.

The securities issued under the Offering will be subject to restrictions on resale for a period of four months from the date of issue. The Company paid finders a fee in cash of $3,000 and issued a total of 70,000 share purchase warrants exercisable at $0.05 per share for a period of two years.

Insiders subscribed for a total of 500,000 Units for gross proceeds of $25,000. The issuance of 500,000 Units to insiders is considered a related party transaction subject to Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company intends to rely on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 on the basis that the participation in the Offering by the insiders will not exceed 25% of the fair market value of the Company's market capitalization.

The proceeds of the Offering will be used for exploration at Santas Gloria silver property and general corporate purposes.

About Mantaro Precious Metals Corp.

Mantaro Precious Metals Corp. is a British Columbia company that holds a diversified portfolio of gold and silver focused mineral properties in Bolivia and Peru. The Company holds an option to acquire up to an 80% interest in the advanced Golden Hill orogenic gold property ("Golden Hill"), located in the underexplored Precambrian Shield, Bolivia.

Story continues

In Peru, the Company has a 100% interest in the high-grade Santas Gloria silver property as well as a 100% interest in each of the La Purisima, Cerro Luque and Huaranay properties.

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Company's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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SOURCE Mantaro Precious Metals Corp.

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Max Power Mining Corp

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MAX Power Mining Corp. (CSE: MAXX; OTC: MAXXF) (MAX Power or the Company) is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into an arms length marketing agreement effective March 17, 2023 (the Marketing Agreement) with Sideways Frequency LLC (SFLLC). As consideration for SFLLCs marketing and investor awareness services (the Services), the Company has agreed to pay SFLLC a fee of $166,000 (USD) for an initial term of two months (the Initial Term). The Company may elect to renew the agreement at any point during the Initial Term.



The Services will include, but are not limited to, email campaigns, native advertising, display ads, lead generation, creation of content, strategic planning, digital advertisement placement, and overseeing progress and results of digital campaigns.

Consideration offered to SFLLC does not include any securities of the Company. Aside from this engagement, the Company does not have any relationship with SFLLC and Mr. Wesley De Souza, CEO of SFLLC.

About Sideways Frequency LLC

Sideways Frequency LLC is in the business of preparing, from publicly available information, advertisements consisting of profiles overviewing publicly traded companies, running marketing campaigns including PPC marketing, email marketing, native advertising, and display ads, and maintaining or updating clients websites as the client sees fit. Sideways Frequency LLCs business address is 1389 Center Drive, Suite 200, Park City, Utah, 84098. Sideways Frequency LLC can be contacted by email at info@sidewaysfrequency.com.

For further information, please visit their website at http://www.sidewaysfrequency.com.

About MAX Power

MAX Power is a dynamic exploration stage resource company targeting domestic lithium resources to advance North Americas renewable energy prospects.

Contact: info@maxpowermining.com

MarketSmart Communications at 877-261-4466.

Forward-Looking Statement Cautions

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider, (as the term is defined in the Policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating to the future operating or financial performance of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this press release relate to, among other things: statements relating to the Marketing Agreement and the Consulting Agreement, and any particular outcomes thereof. Actual future results may differ materially. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, technical, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these times. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.




JEFF GUYTON TO BECOME MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION CFO & REPRESENTATIVE DIRECTOR

IRVINE, Calif., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today announced Tom Donnelly, currently Senior Vice President of Retail Operations, to be appointed President & CEO, MNAO leading the company's operations in the region. Donnelly's appointment, along with several additional changes to MNAO's leadership team, will be effective April 1, 2023.

Tom Donnelly

Jeff Guyton, currently MNAO's President & CEO, will become Mazda Motor Corporation's Chief Financial Officer and a Representative Director of the Company based in Hiroshima, Japan, after its annual meeting of the shareholders in June 2023. He will retain oversight of operations in North America, including U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Colombia markets. Donnelly will report to Guyton.

"Tom has played a key role in the growth of MNAO over the last 15 years. He has greatly progressed the Mazda brand in the U.S. while also improving the overall business operations and relationships with our dealer network," said Guyton.

"As MNAO continues to show year-over-year sales growth, I am thrilled to continue this momentum and focus on not only our product, but also our people," said Donnelly.

The news follows Mazda's announcement that Masahiro Moro, currently Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer, will be appointed President and CEO. Prior to his current role, Moro served as Chairman and CEO of North American Operations.

"The North American markets are crucial to Mazda's global success, and we have made significant investments to grow our business in the region," said Moro. "Jeff and Tom have been instrumental in delivering growth in the U.S. In Jeff's new role, he will continue to make significant contributions to MNAO while bringing new insights to Mazda globally."

The following additional MNAO executive changes will be effective April 1, 2023:

Ryuichi Umeshita, continues his role as MNAO's Executive Vice President and Assistant to the President, and will now oversee Mazda's sales operations in Canada, Mexico, Colombia, as well as manufacturing operations in the region

Theresa Barrera will become Senior Vice President of Human Resources

Tim Manning will become Senior Vice President of Retail Operations overseeing U.S. vehicle sales, aftersales, and U.S. regional office operations

Stefan Meisterfeld will become Vice President of Strategic Planning

Story continues

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Colombia through approximately 795 dealers. Operations in Canada are managed by Mazda Canada Inc. in Richmond Hill, Ontario; operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City; and operations in Colombia are managed by Mazda de Colombia in Bogota, Colombia. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at News.MazdaUSA.com.

Follow MNAO's social media channels through Twitter and Instagram at @MazdaUSA and Facebook at Facebook.com/MazdaUSA.

Jeff Guyton

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through nearly 700 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at www.mazdausamedia.com. (PRNewsFoto/Mazda North American Operations) (PRNewsfoto/MAZDA NORTH AMERICAN OPERATIONS)

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SOURCE Mazda North American Operations
VANCOUVER, BC, March 17, 2023 /CNW/ - The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan), will provide details on funding that will help several innovative businesses accelerate their growth and compete globally.

Government of Canada to make multi-million dollar funding announcement to help Vancouver-based businesses expand operations and reach global markets (CNW Group/Pacific Economic Development Canada)

The event will feature remarks from the Minister followed by a question and answer session with media.



Event: The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan) will announce funding to help Vancouver-based businesses expand operations and reach global markets.







Date: March 20, 2023







Time: 10:00 am PT







Location: Aspect Biosystems

1781 West 75th Avenue

Vancouver, B.C.



Stay connected

Follow PacifiCan on Twitter and LinkedIn



Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-9378

TTY (telecommunications device for the hearing impaired): 1-877-303-3388

SOURCE Pacific Economic Development Canada

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Vancouver --News Direct-- Metal Energy Corp.

Metal Energy Corp CEO James Sykes joined Proactive's Steve Darling to share details from the final hole of the companys Phase 2 drill program at the Manibridge project in Manitoba.

Sykes tells Proactive the results show a new zone of over 1% nickel mineralization in the Upper Lens which he feels demonstrates discovery potential for multiple high-grade nickel shoots within the overall mineralized shell at Manibridge. The mineralized shell is over 1 km of strike, traced down to 800 metres depth, and locally exceeds 90 metres thickness.

Contact Details

Proactive Canada

+1 604-688-8158

na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/metal-energy-releases-positive-assays-for-final-hole-of-phase-2-drilling-at-manibridge-project-347772648
Over $80.5 million in federal funding for an Edmonton-based initiative will enable early-stage companies to bring new pharmaceutical products to market and develop talent in Alberta's life sciences sector

EDMONTON, AB, March 17, 2023 /CNW/ - Canada is home to leading-edge research and expertise in the health and life sciences sector. The federal government is collaborating with all orders of government, industry, academic institutions, and businesses to strengthen Canada's biomedical industry and support the competitiveness of Canadian-made pharmaceutical solutions.

Minister Vandal announces federal investment to increase Canadas capacity to develop and manufacture critical medicines (CNW Group/Prairies Economic Development Canada)

Today, the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan, and the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, announced $80,514,000 over five years to support the Canadian Critical Drug Initiativean integrated research, development, and manufacturing initiative that will strengthen Alberta's biomedical sector and increase the domestic production of critical medicines. This project aligns with Canada's Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy.

This initiative is led by Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation, a not-for-profit organization that helps innovators commercialize life sciences innovations, in partnership with the University of Alberta.

Specific project activities will include:

Creating a new, 40,000 square-foot drug manufacturing facility in Edmonton to produce new and critical medicines. The facility will be a first-of-its kind in western Canada and will be capable of producing 70 million doses annually.

Upgrading infrastructure at Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation's existing 72,000 square-foot research and development facility at the Biotechnology Business Development Centre in Edmonton to support more early-stage companies in commercializing their products.

Enhancing research and development programs to train technicians and scientists in developing and producing new medicines. This will be done in collaboration with universities across the country, strengthening Canada's talent pipeline in the life sciences sector.

Supporting clinical trials and commercial development of new medical treatments that improve quality of life for Canadians.

Story continues

This PrairiesCan funding is expected to support the growth of at least 60 early-stage life sciences and biomanufacturing companies, the creation of more than 350 high quality jobs, and the training of 175 skilled workers.

Quotes

"This investment, through the Regional Innovation Ecosystem (RIE) program, provides these Canadian firms with the resources and support they need to grow our country's expertise in the life sciences sector and increase Canada's competitiveness in global markets. Today's launch of the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative will help enable Canadian innovators to strengthen our local supply chain for critical medicines while supporting the expansion of early-stage companies and creating good jobs."

- The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan

"Edmonton is a city on the cutting edge of technology, from its expert workforce to scientific innovations and world class educational institutions. With today's announcement, we'll also ensure our city becomes a vital hub for bringing Canadian-made biomedical solutions to global markets. This federal investment in the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative will bolster Edmonton's great strength in the life sciences sector and help realize the tremendous potential of these early-stage firms to drive economic growth and provide critical drug manufacturing capacity for Canadians."

- The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance

"Our government continues to take all necessary steps to protect Canadians' health and safety. This is why the launch of the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative is another step in the right direction for our country's biomanufacturing and life sciences sector. Aligned with our Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy, this project will transform our ability to produce critical medicines through strengthened research and manufacturing systems that will result in economic and health benefits to Canadians, while protecting them for years to come."

- The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

"Alberta has a vibrant and thriving research, development, and manufacturing ecosystem to develop and produce a domestic supply of essential pharmaceuticals with potential to reach global markets. I am proud of the Alberta government's support of these efforts with commitments of $20 million to the Li Ka Shing Institute and $5.6 million to Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation in connection with today's announcement from the Federal government. Together we can ensure that Alberta will be a competitive life sciences hub on the global stage."

- The Honourable Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation, Government of Alberta

"This announcement builds on the Edmonton region's long history of supporting medical innovation and our reputation as a world-class hub for the health and life sciences sector. With our highly educated workforce, connected community of experts, and low cost of doing business, we have the key ingredients to support new and upcoming companies."

- Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, City of Edmonton

"This extraordinary federal investment - one of the largest in the university's history - will build on the University of Alberta's global leadership in biomedical research, including the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2020. Along with the recent exciting announcement of federal funding in support of the PRAIRIE research hub for pandemic preparedness - with U of A in the lead - today's announcement will position the U of A and Alberta to play a leading role in strengthening Canada's healthcare system. The Canadian Critical Drug Initiative sets the standard for how partnerships between government, industry and universities can advance research and improve health outcomes for all"

- Bill Flanagan, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Alberta

"The Government of Canada's funding is an absolute game-changer. This integration of research, commercialization and manufacturing means API can support innovators and companies through the entire drug development process, particularly during clinical trials. There is significant opportunity in the life sciences sector to grow and diversify our economy, create rewarding jobs, and strengthen Canada's global competitiveness for drug manufacturing."

- Andrew MacIsaac, CEO, Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation

Quick facts

Currently, only 12 percent of the volume of generic medicines sold in Canada are produced domestically according to the Canadian Generic Pharmaceutical Association.

The Canadian Critical Drug Initiative will increase Canada's production capacity and supply chain to address Canada's dependency on foreign production of active pharmaceutical ingredients while supporting the commercialization of needed medicines.

This initiative will complement existing federal investments in the life sciences sector on the Prairies, including the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization in Saskatoon, and both the Life Sciences Innovation Hub and Alberta Precision Exchange in Calgary.

Federal funding for the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative is being provided through the Regional Innovation Ecosystem (RIE) program, administered by PrairiesCan.

The RIE program creates, grows and nurtures inclusive regional ecosystems that support what businesses need to innovate from start to finish and an environment where companies can innovate, grow and compete.

Associated links

Stay connected

Follow PrairiesCan on Twitter and LinkedIn

Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-9378

TTY (telecommunications device for the hearing impaired): 1-877-303-3388

SOURCE Prairies Economic Development Canada

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VANCOUVER, BC, March 17, 2023 /CNW/ - Montfort Capital Corp. ("Montfort" or the "Company") (TSXV: MONT) (OTCQB: MONTF) a leading alternative lender utilizing focused strategies, experienced management teams and advanced technology, is pleased to report selected preliminary unaudited results related to its consumer lending segment, which alone has established a significant investment base of over $365 million in Assets Under Management and Administration ("AUMA") as at December 31, 2022. For comparison, as at December 31, 2021, the Company had $nil AUMA in its consumer lending segment and $125 million in Total Assets. This consumer lending business' growth was driven exponentially through the acquisitions of Brightpath Capital Corporation ("Brightpath") in August 2022 and 78% of Langhaus Financial Partners Inc. ("Langhaus") in October 2022.

Montfort Capital Corp. Logo (CNW Group/Montfort Capital Corp.)

Brightpath is one of Canada's leading private providers of residential mortgages focused on Ontario and British Columbia. Langhaus is Canada's largest independent provider of insurance policy backed loans focused on high-net-worth individuals and entrepreneurs.

"Brightpath and Langhaus are two well known brands in the private credit sector and have significantly increased Montfort's overall capacity," said Andrew Abouchar, Interim CEO of Montfort Capital. "Our consumer lending segment has been strengthened in breadth of management and capital expertise across banking, insurance, and overall lending as a dedicated team."

"Montfort's consumer lending is a diversified and scalable operation which has contributed to establishing Montfort as an emerging leader in private credit," said Blake Albright, CEO of Brightpath and Chief Capital Officer of Montfort. "Led by dedicated management teams with extensive industry experience, the combination of Brightpath and Langhaus delivers superior risk management through rigorous underwriting practices within a scalable and efficient lending platform. We are backed by strong funding partnerships and focus on de-risking our loan portfolio through higher quality investments. Montfort offers access to private credit as an investment with diversified portfolios, oversight, and transparency not available through traditional private credit investments."

Story continues

Montfort divides its credit activities into two distinct segments: consumer lending made up of Brightpath and Langhaus, and corporate lending which includes TIMIA Capital and Pivot Financial. Montfort's overall AUMA includes assets under management plus loans managed on behalf of third parties.1 Montfort's overall AUMA, as at December 31, 2022, grew to $492 million, compared to $149 million in overall AUMA ($125 million in Total Assets) as at December 31, 2021.See the Company's press release on February 7, 2023 posted to the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com for more information on the year-over-year increase in Montfort's AUMA.

The Company also wishes to announce the appointment of Brooke Jutzi as Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Jutzi joined TIMIA Capital in September 2019 as Vice President Finance and has played a critical role in the integration of Pivot Financial, Brightpath Capital, and Langhaus Financial to the Montfort group of private credit companies. Ms. Jutzi is an experienced Canadian Chartered Accountant and held the position of Director with PwC Canada prior to joining TIMIA Capital.

Further to the news release of January 11, 2023, Montfort also announces the grant of 250,000 restricted share units ("RSUs") to Monique Morden, the new President of TIMIA Capital. The Company has also granted 250,000 RSUs to Brooke Jutzi, Chief Financial Officer , and 1,000,000 RSUs to Andrew Abouchar, Interim CEO of Montfort Capital. The RSUs will vest one year from the grant date and have a two year term. The grants of RSUs are subject to TSX Venture approval.

_____________________________ 1 "Assets under management and administration" and "assets under management" are non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to "Cautionary Note on Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section of this release for additional details.



Preliminary Unaudited Financial Information

The financial measures included in this news release are based on preliminary unaudited estimated results which have not yet been finalized or audited. These estimated results are subject to change upon completion of the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022 and the audit of such financial statements and such changes could be material due to, among other things, the completion of Montfort's financial closing procedures, final adjustments, review by the Company's auditors and other developments that may arise between now and the time the financial results are finalized. Accordingly, such estimated results are forward-looking statements (as defined below) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation and are subject to the limitations and risks described under "Forward-Looking Statements", below.

Montfort expects to file its audited annual financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2022 and related management's discussion and analysis on SEDAR in late April 2023.

About Montfort Capital Corp.

Montfort manages a diversified group of specialized private credit brands that utilize focused strategies and experienced management teams combined with advanced technology to improve fee-related performance. Montfort facilitates transparency for all of its investors through public company reporting. For further information, please visit www.montfortcapital.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Note on Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This release contains some non-Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) financial measures as defined in National Instrument 52-112 "Non-GAAP and Other Financial Measures Disclosure". Terms by which non-GAAP financial measures are identified include, but are not limited to, "assets under administration" and "assets under management". Non-GAAP financial measures are used to provide management and investors with additional measures of performance to help assess results where no comparable GAAP (IFRS) measure exists. However, non-GAAP financial measures do not have standard meanings prescribed by GAAP (IFRS) and are not directly comparable to similar measures used by other companies. Investors may find these financial measures useful in understanding how management views the underlying business performance of the Company.

Assets under Management and Administration (AUMA)

Assets under management and administration is a non-GAAP financial measure that provides an indicator of the size and volumes of the Company's overall business. Management and administrative services are an important aspect of the overall business of the Company and should be considered when comparing volumes, size and trends. "Total assets" is the most directly comparable financial measure to AUMA that is disclosed in the Company's financial statements.

Forward-Looking Information

Certain information and statements in this news release contain and constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements as defined under applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements normally contain words like 'believe', 'expect', 'anticipate', 'plan', 'intend', 'continue', 'estimate', 'may', 'will', 'should', 'ongoing' and similar expressions, and within this news release include any statements (express or implied) respecting the future growth of the Company and the Company's future financial performance.

Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, actions, or developments and are based on expectations, assumptions and other factors that management currently believes are relevant, reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances, including, without limitation, the assumption that the Company and its investee companies are able to meet their respective future objectives and priorities and assumptions concerning general economic growth and the absence of unforeseen changes in the legislative and regulatory framework for the Company.

Although management believes that the forward-looking statements are reasonable, actual results could be substantially different due to the risks and uncertainties associated with and inherent to Montfort's business. Material risks and uncertainties applicable to the forward-looking statements set out herein include but are not limited to: intense competition in all aspects of business; reliance on limited management resources; general economic risks; new laws and regulations and risk of litigation. Although Montfort has attempted to identify factors that may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in the forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, predicted, estimated or intended. Also, many of the factors are beyond the control of Montfort. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Montfort undertakes no obligation to reissue or update any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or events after the date hereof except as may be required by law. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified by this cautionary statement.

SOURCE Montfort Capital Corp.

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(Bloomberg) -- US regulators gave preliminary approval to rules for offering phone calls via direct links to satellites, a potential $30 billion market thats attracted Elon Musks SpaceX and competitors including AT&T Inc. partner AST SpaceMobile Inc.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The Federal Communications Commission on a 4-0 vote Thursday tentatively approved regulations for the service, which would expand mobile-phone reception to places beyond cell coverage, offering access in remote areas. The rules wont become final before a second vote that wasnt immediately scheduled.

By providing clear rules, I believe we can kick-start more innovation in the space economy, while also expanding wireless coverage in remote, unserved and underserved areas, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said before the vote at the agencys monthly meeting in Washington. We can make mobile dead zones a thing of the past.

Companies including Iridium Communications Inc. have long offered connections directly between handheld devices and satellites, using expensive specialized equipment. The new services aim to offer connections using normal consumer mobile phones.

Phone coverage directly from space, a years-long aspiration, is coming closer to reality. Musks Space Exploration Technologies Corp. plans to test calls via orbit this year as part of a partnership with T-Mobile US Inc., Jonathan Hofeller, vice president of commercial sales at SpaceXs Starlink unit, said at a conference on March 13.

The FCC changed draft language that proposed barring the use of frequencies eyed for calls-via-satellite by AT&T and Midland, Texas-based startup AST SpaceMobile, and now seeks comments on allowing their use, agency staff said in a news conference. Those airwaves are assigned to FirstNet, a wireless network for public safety officials operated by AT&T.

Story continues

In filings, both AT&T and AST SpaceMobile had asked the FCC to allow direct-to-satellite service on the FirstNet airwaves, which are being used to test the service.

We support the FCCs efforts to allow mobile networks to integrate supplemental satellite coverage, AT&T said in an emailed statement. We look forward to participating in the development of rules that facilitate increased coverage and foster competition.

Direct-to-satellite proponents plan to offer coverage when the worlds estimated 5 billion mobile phones stray from cell coverage areas. And they expect to offer service in places with no nearby cell signal at all, such as in remote mountains or far out at sea.

Industrywide revenue for such connectivity could reach $30 billion by 2035, or about 3% of total industry revenue, GSMA, a mobile industry body, said last year.

(Adds comment in eighth paragraph. A previous version of this story corrected the location of AST SpaceMobile.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Magnet is Continuing to Justify the Transaction Based on Outdated, Misleading Information

Four Software Takeovers at Higher Premiums Since Magnet's Takeover Announcement

Nellore Urges Shareholders to Follow Leading Independent Proxy Advisor Glass Lewis' Recommendation AGAINST, Comments on ISS

Nellore Suggests Shareholders Read Recent Notes From Brokers Quoted by Magnet

PALO ALTO, Calif., March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Nellore Capital Management LLC ("Nellore) today provided final commentary to explain its opposition to the proposed C$1.8 billion takeover of Magnet Forensics Inc. ("Magnet") (TSX: MAGT) by the private equity firm Thoma Bravo.

Sakya Duvvuru, Founder and Portfolio Manager of Nellore Capital, said "the Software PE market continues to be strong and Magnet stands out as an especially weak negotiation in comparison. The presentation put out today by Magnet is further proof that the Special Committee doesn't understand the value of the company, which continues to be justified by outdated and misleading information."

Ending Where We Started: Magnet is a Special Business Creating Continued Shareholder Wealth

Magnet's operating and financial model are such that roughly every 4 years, revenue converts into free cash flow ("FCF"). For instance, the company generated US$27mmof revenue in 2018 and generated US$33mmof FCF in 2022. The company generated US$50mmof revenue in 2020, and per Management Forecast, expects US$65mmof FCF in 2024. The company is expected to generate the equivalent of 2022 revenue, US$99mm, in 2026 FCF -> a compounding machine! Thus, one could pay up to 20x 2023 revenue (>100% above current offer price), and still earn a double digit return over 4 years.

Materiality of Q4 FCF on Realizing Fair Value

It seems like Magnet (and its Special Committee) are either not aware of, or don't appreciate, how FCF can drive returns for the buyer. Consider that by waiting for March 9th instead of January 19th, Magnet's Last Twelve Months ("LTM") FCF doubles, and at the offer price, is actually trading 13% below the average over the last twelve months!

Story continues

EV / LTM FCF

EV / LTM FCF (CNW Group/Nellore Capital Management LLC)

This is especially significant because the last twelve months have been especially punitive toward high growth, technology companies. Yet, here we are with an offer price that is below the average in that punitive period. Applying the unaffected average of 43x on LTM FCF post Q4 results and Thoma Bravo's 37% median premium results in a offer price of C$60 per share. Or, using the unaffected stock price on January 19th of C$38.15, we derive a multiple of 32x LTM FCF. Using the same multiple on 2024 FCF and discounting back to today, we get to C$60 per share.

Further, using the same methodology Magnet uses on slide 3 of today's presentation to justify the transaction, we can see that not only is Magnet not trading at 56x estimated 2023 FCF, it is trading at just 38x twelve months trailing FCF and well below the peers:

EV / LTM Free Cash Flow

EV / LTM Free Cash Flow (CNW Group/Nellore Capital Management LLC)

Not only is there no control premium here, Magnet consideration is not even at the level of transaction unaffected, slower growing, lower margin public comps. Applying the median multiple of peer group results in a stock price of C$66. Applying a further control premium results in a price >C$80. The Special Committee should have understood this and negotiated using this information.

Four Software Takeovers at Higher Premiums

Since the Magnet transaction was announced on January 20th, takeovers by private equity ("PE") firms have been announced for four other public software companies with one-day unaffected premiums ranging from 29% to 62%. Clearly, the 15% premium for Magnet is far too low.

Notably, three of the takeovers were announced just this week, highlighting the underlying demand for recurring revenue and software business models even in the face of Silicon Valley Bank issues and general macro uncertainty. Further, the size of the deal values, the variety of players investing, and the unaffected premiums paid all highlight the vibrancy of the Software PE market.

















Unaffected Premia

Date

Target Acquiror Deal Value

Rule

of 40 1-Day 30-day

VWAP





















01-20-23

Sumo Logic Francisco Partners 1.7bn

15 % 57 % 50 %

Post SVB / SBNY:













03-13-23

Momentive STG 1.5bn

10 % 46 % 51 %

03-13-23

Qualtrics Silver Lake + CPP 12.5bn

33 % 62 % 73 %

03-14-23

Cvent Blackstone 4.6bn

28 % 29 % 54 %





























Mean

22 % 49 % 57 %









Median

22 % 52 % 53 %





















01-20-23

Magnet Forensics Thoma Bravo 1.4bn

74 % 15 % 12 %





















Moreover, high growth, high quality software companies Kinaxis and Docebo have both reported strong earnings in the last two weeks and are both trading above their pre-earnings reports. Cellebrite is also trading up 15% since its strong Q4 report.

Don't fall for Magnet's downside risk scare tactic. To the contrary, Nellore believes the stock will start to price in US$65 million of FCF in CY'2024 and trade above the deal price.

Comments on ISS

We believe even the cautionary support recommendation from ISS is not warranted. We can just agree to disagree about the significance of Jim Balsillie choosing the Rolling Shareholder option, procedural depth of the market check of reaching out to just two financial sponsors, the differential consideration and the lack of value for Grayshift synergies for SV shareholders. But we will not let the following ISS assertions go unchallenged:

Valuation methodologies:

ISS claimed "it is not illogical or unprecedented to think about software transactions through a FCF multiple lens, and such an approach would likely ascribe a higher intrinsic value to MAGT. However, there is not enough evidence to conclude that the valuation supporting this transaction was not credible"; The facts below indicate that the supporting valuation is not credible

We believe that you do not HAVE to use FCF multiples as a valuation methodology, but methodologies based on other financial metrics, especially revenue, require more careful consideration of growth, margin, and quality characteristics in the reference range

As Glass Lewis points out, the issue is not the methodology chosen but the "the multiples applied by MS here are substantially misaligned with the Company's stand-alone trading patterns (e.g. application of 2.5x and 4.5x 2023 revenue multiples, despite the Company's average NTM revenue multiple of 7.0x in the one-year prior to announcement and while trading at NTM revenue multiple of 8.9x on market close the day prior to announcement; we see similar discrepancies with respect to NTM EBITDA)."

ISS specifically points to Datto's fairness opinion as lacking FCF-based valuation methodologies. That is true but they use an EBITDA range of "16.0x  30.0x" and highlight "unaffected EBITDA Multiple for Datto was 23.2x"

Similarly, the "unaffected Revenue Multiple for Datto was 5.4x based on the Analyst Projections" and the financial advisor's range for Datto's fairness opinion was "4.5x to 7.5x."

Lastly, we believe Independent Valuator's otherwise pristine DCF analysis is also flawed by a poor terminal value assumption, which again doesn't jive with reality: "considered the implied terminal enterprise value to LTM revenue multiple, which ranged from 2.1x to 3.0x, and the implied terminal value to LTM EBITDA multiple, which ranged from 7.5x to 10.6x"

In the end, we just believe that it is easiest to look at FCF, since Magnet consistently produces it, but we are open to the appropriate Revenue and EBITDA multiples, as long as they are adjusted for growth rates, margins and cash flow generation

Standalone Path:

Worth repeating that only 60% of Magnet's business concerns Public Safety, Grayshift is not relevant to the Private Sector business.

Within the Public Safety business, the vast majority of customers REQUIRE dual sourcing or triple sourcing extraction vendors. CEO says so himself on 08.02.22 at the CG conference

It has been over 8 months since Magnet lost Grayshift to Thoma Bravo and changed their friendlier GTM partnership structure, Magnet has reported two of its strongest quarters ever

Further, Cellebrite is also available as a mobile extraction M&A target, and is available at a similar enterprise value as Grayshift. Lastly, Grayshift has a heavy debt load and has a very small revenue base  are they really going to pose a threat to Magnet's Artifact Library? I think Thoma Bravo/Grayshift needs Magnet more than Magnet needs Grayshift

Share Price Volatility:

ISS claims "Magnet share price was volatile and lost ground in late 2021 and early 2022  Magnet fell 76.4 percent from its all-time high to its all-time low closing price (Aug. 31, 2021 to June 16, 2022)"

Nellore considers that period in July to September 2021 to be driven by non-fundamental buying in a very tight float, immediately post IPO. The Board agrees given their call out of the "No News" press release released on 08/31/21 on Slide 12 of the February 10 th presentation

Thus we believe that ISS should only consider the period of trading following Magnet's secondary transaction on December 14, 2021. Abiding by this ourselves, we start our EV/LTM FCF analysis starting on January 1, 2022

Comments on Research Analyst Commentary

The tone of the analyst community has moved significantly toward our favor since our initial press release on February 9th, the release of the management forecast on February 22nd, and finally the release of Q4 results on March 9th. Even so, Magnet again continues to highlight research reports from January 20th despite more recent commentary from the same institutions.

RBC, March 9 th : "Solid Q4 adds fuel to the takeout debate" "Strong results reaffirm that purchase price too low for investors."

CG, March 9 th : "Outstanding Q4 ahead of the March 23 vote" "Q4 results were outstanding again and would normally have led to a big jump in the shares if this was still trading on fundamentals."

NBF, March 9th: "standard beat from Magnet and given the Company is in the process of a takeover, the only thing the results would do is to add further uncertainty to the shareholder vote"

Nellore Capital Signing Off: Protect Your Interest, Vote AGAINST

Nellore is the only party that is 100% aligned with its fellow SV shareholders. We are sincerely trying to present the facts as they are and attain full value for all of our Magnet shares.

Nellore continues to urge shareholders to use to GOLD proxy to vote AGAINST the proposed takeover.

If you have already voted another proxy, you can still vote the GOLD proxy AGAINST the takeover. Only the later-dated vote will be counted. The voting deadline for the GOLD proxy is Monday, March 20 at 5pm Toronto time.

About Nellore Capital Management LLC

Nellore Capital Management invests in entrepreneurially managed, competitively advantaged technology businesses globally for the long term.

For further information:

Investor contact

Sakya Duvvuru, Founder & Portfolio Manager, Nellore Capital Management LLC, Ph: 501-551-0128, Email: sakya@nellorecapital.com

If you require assistance with voting your shares, please contact Carson Proxy Advisors:

North American Toll Free Phone: 1-800-530-5189; Local (Collect outside North America): 416-751-2066 Email: info@carsonproxy.com

1 Based on closing stock prices as of March 16th, 2023, except for Magnet at offer price of C$44.25. FCF is defined as Cash Flow From Operations less Capital Expenditures and Capitalized Software.

2 In good conscience, we couldn't bring ourselves to include TDC as a comparable for Magnet, despite the Board and its advisors choosing it as one. It is a legacy data warehouse provider that is declining in revenue. If we were forced to include TDC, we would also include SNOW, an innovative data warehouse provider that has a Rule of 40 that is more like Magnet's. Including both TDC and SNOW cancel each other out, leading to mean / median of 60x FCF. Including TDC only leads to a mean of 54x FCF and median of 46x FCF. Both are still materially above Magnet's 38x.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nellores-final-remarks-the-facts-just-dont-add-up-vote-against-301775358.html

SOURCE Nellore Capital Management LLC
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North American Unified Endpoint Management Market

North American Unified Endpoint Management Market

Dublin, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "North America Unified Endpoint Management Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The North America unified endpoint management market is expected to grow from US$ 2,619.88 million in 2022 to US$ 14,597.22 million by 2028. It is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 33.1% from 2022 to 2028.



Rise in Demand for Single Endpoint Management Solutions Across Industries is Driving the North America Unified Endpoint Management Market



The rise of smart consumer devices, the Internet of Things (IoT), business process automation, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) has led to the advent of smart workplaces. With the adoption of advanced technologies, the competition level is rising at an unprecedented rate across industries. Companies are striving to find solutions that help them achieve high operational efficiency while reducing costs.

Hence, the demand for advanced solutions such as unified endpoint management has been growing rapidly across IT & telecom, government & defense, healthcare, BFSI, education, and manufacturing sectors. The demand for a single and unified endpoint control and the limitations of various other models, such as Mobile Device Management and Enterprise Mobility Management, are boosting the growth of the North America unified endpoint management market .



Small and medium-sized businesses are increasingly focusing on streamlining their business models by implementing cloud services to increase market efficiency. However, SMEs lack strong security measures to protect their files, networks, endpoints, and apps from cyber-attackers. Therefore, cloud-based data management solutions and service providers are predicted to experience significant potential for innovation and the adoption of better endpoint security solutions as SMEs focus on cloud services, which will fuel the North America unified endpoint management market growth.

Story continues

Furthermore, according to a recent Interpol assessment on the rise in cybercrime during the COVID-19 pandemic, phishing, scams, and frauds accounted for nearly 59% of all reported cyber threats. The research says that this trend will probably get worse because of the economic downturn and changes in the corporate environment brought on by the pandemic. In this context, several companies have rolled out new initiatives.

For instance, in a partnership with Microsoft, Aruba unveiled new digital transformation solutions in March 2021 to accelerate the move from the edge to the cloud and guide the market's expansion. Thus, the substantial growth in number of endpoints across organizations and standardization of data protection rules is driving North America unified endpoint management market.



North America Unified Endpoint Management Market Overview



The US, Canada, and Mexico are key economies in North America. In the region, rising dependence on advanced technology, growing need for information and asset security, and increasing spending by SMEs on cybersecurity are a few factors encouraging enterprises to invest heavily in data security. Furthermore, the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) 2021 reports show that there were 1,001 data breaches in the US in 2020, up from an average of 614 in 2019. Furthermore, according to VMware's "North America Security Insights Report," most businesses in Canada experienced cyberattacks in 2020 as many employees were working from home. Hence, many security executives are enhancing their cybersecurity policies and securing endpoints to combat new cyberattacks. Therefore, the increasing cyberattacks and growing awareness toward endpoint security are anticipated to fuel the North America unified endpoint management market growth during the forecast period. Moreover, the growing investments by enterprises in advanced technologies to simplify their operations are also driving the regional market growth.



The North America unified endpoint management market growth is primarily driven by the presence of various key players, including IBM, VMware, Microsoft, Citrix Systems, and MobileIron. Owing to the growing demand for unified endpoint management solutions and increasing competition in the market, unified endpoint management solutions vendors adopt various strategies, such as partnerships, collaborations, and acquisitions, to maintain their market position.

For instance, in February 2019, VMware, Inc. announced the acquisition of AetherPal, a US-based smart remote solution provider for IT. With the acquisition, VMware, Inc. aimed to increase its Workspace ONE intelligent platform and its unified endpoint management solution capabilities by adding AetherPal remote support solution. Similarly, in September 2020, Ivanti acquired a MobileIron, a mobile-centric UEM solutions provider, and PULSE SECURE, a mobile security and secure access provider. The acquisition strengthens the position of Ivanti in the unified endpoint management market.

The market players in North America are also focusing on product launches and developments. For example, in September 2017, Microsoft introduced new Microsoft Intune features to expand its UEM capabilities. These features include conditional access improvements across all platforms, Jamf integration for compliance with macOS devices, and a new System Center Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) ecomanagement capability for modern Windows 10 management.



North America Unified Endpoint Management Market Segmentation



The North America unified endpoint management market is segmented into component, deployment type, platform, organization size, end user, and country.

Based on component, the North America unified endpoint management market is segmented into solutions and services. The solutions segment held the larger market share in 2022.

Based on deployment type, the North America unified endpoint management market is segmented into cloud based and on-premise. The cloud based segment held the larger market share in 2022.

Based on platform, the North America unified endpoint management market is segmented into desktop and mobile. The desktop segment dominated the market share in 2022.

Based on organization size, the market is segmented into SMEs and large enterprises. The large enterprises segment dominated the market share in 2022.

Based on end user, the North America unified endpoint management market is segmented into BFSI, government and defense, healthcare, IT and telecom, automotive and transportation, retail, manufacturing, and others. The IT and telecom segment dominated the market share in 2022.

Based on country, the North America unified endpoint management market is segmented into the US, Canada, and Mexico. The US segment dominated the market share in 2022.

Key Attributes:





Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 125 Forecast Period 2022 - 2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $2619.88 Million Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $14597.22 Million Compound Annual Growth Rate 33.1% Regions Covered North America



Key Topics Covered:



1. Introduction



2. Key Takeaways



3. Research Methodology



4. North America Unified Endpoint Management Market Landscape



5. North America Unified Endpoint Management - Market Dynamics



6. North America Unified Endpoint Management Market -Market Analysis



7. North America Unified Endpoint Management Market Analysis - By Component



8. North America Unified Endpoint Management Market Analysis - By Deployment Type



9. North America Unified Endpoint Management Market Analysis - By Platform



10. North America Unified Endpoint Management Market Analysis - By Organization Size



11. North America Unified Endpoint Management Market Analysis - By End User



12. North America Unified Endpoint Management Market - Country Analysis



13. Industry Landscape



14. COMPANY PROFILES



15. Appendix



A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes

Citrix Systems, Inc.

IBM Corporation

Ivanti

MICROLAND LIMITED

Microsoft Corporation

SCALEFUSION

STEFANINI

Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4yjvde

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Attachment

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900




Contrive Datum Insights Pvt Ltd

According to a market research study published by Contrive Datum Insights, The Asia Pacific region holds a dominant share of 38.9% of the global market, this region is also projected to grow the fastest during the forecast period.

Farmington, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Online Beauty and Personal Care Products Market Was Valued At USD 47.8 Billion In 2022 And Is Expected To Reach USD 90.4 Billion By 2030, At A CAGR Of 10.8% During The Forecast Period 2022-2030. Personal care and beauty products help people look better, stay healthy and clean, and feel better about themselves generally. Moisturizers, soaps, cleansers, toothpaste, hair dyes, perfumes, facial tissues, lipsticks, and feminine hygiene products are some of the most popular beauty and personal care products. Rapid urbanization and more people having access to the internet are driving sales of these goods through online channels that offer a wide range of brands and fast, easy shipping and return policies.

Request Sample Copy of Report  Online Beauty and Personal Care Products Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Opportunities, Future Trends, Covid-19 Impact, SWOT Analysis, Competition and Forecasts 2022 to 2030 , published by Contrive Datum Insights.

Online Beauty and Personal Care Products Market Recent Developments:

In November 2021 , Shiseido, one of the leading cosmetics manufacturers in the market, unveiled Inryu, an ingestible beauty brand that aims to enhance skin healthy from the inside

In September 2021 , Coty Inc., a prominent beauty and body care company, announced the launch of Kylie Baby, a gentle, safe, and conscious baby care range by Kylie Jenner. The products were available exclusively on the brands direct-to-consumer website

In January 2020, iconic beauty brand Revlon launched its PhotoReady Prime Plus Perfecting + Smoothing Primer, the first mass cosmetic product that meets the clean beauty standards of the Environmental Working Group (EWG)

Story continues

Online Beauty and Personal Care Products Market Dynamics:

The market for beauty and personal care goods has grown because people's lifestyles have changed and society has become more aware of beauty. People who are younger spend more on beauty items. So, the main things driving the growth of the online beauty and personal care goods market are how they shop and what they buy. There are some reasons why the biggest players in the market could move to the online segment. These include the digitization of business, platforms that save money, and the costs of running a retail store. These are the main reasons why there are always more new players in the online market. In the next few years, innovation and competition will drive the online beauty and personal care goods market. The e-commerce platform is mostly made up of well-known companies from all over the world.

Regional Outlook:

In 2021, 38.9% of the world market will be in the Asia-Pacific region. This region is also projected to grow the fastest during the forecast period. This is because more and more women in countries like China and India are getting jobs and are becoming more interested in and able to spend money on beauty and personal care goods. Also, the growing number of young people in these countries who have access to the Internet is likely to give the regional market a huge chance to grow in the coming years.

The European beauty and personal care products market is driven by the fact that more and more people, especially in the UK, France, and Germany, want natural and vegan makeup. In North America, especially the US and Canada, people are willing to pay a lot for beauty goods. The regional market will be driven by the ability of customers to spend more money and the presence of major players in these areas.

Buy this Premium Research Report@

https://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/buy/66940/

Scope of Report:

Report Attributes Details Growth Rate 10.8% from 2023 to 2030 Market Size in 2022 USD 47.8 Billion Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 90.4 Billion By Type Skincare products, Color cosmetics, Oral hygieneproducts, Male grooming products, Baby and childcare products, Depilatory products, Haircare products, Fragrances, Bath and shower products, Deodorants By Applications Natural, Organic, Others By Companies Beiersdorf, Estee Lauder, LaOREAL, Procter & Gamble (P&G), Unilever, Amway, Avon Products, Natura Cosmeticos, Oriflame Cosmetics Global, Clarins., and Others Base Year 2022 Historical Year 2017 to 2021 Forecast Year 2023 to 2030

Online Beauty and Personal Care Products Market Key Segments Covered:

Top Market Players:

Beiersdorf, Estee Lauder, LaOREAL, Procter & Gamble (P&G), Unilever, Amway, Avon Products, Natura Cosmeticos, Oriflame Cosmetics Global, Clarins., and Others.

Online Beauty and Personal Care Products Market by Types:

Skincare products

Color cosmetics

Oral hygieneproducts

Male grooming products

Baby and childcare products

Depilatory products

Haircare products

Fragrances

Bath and shower products

Deodorants

Online Beauty and Personal Care Products Market by Applications:

Natural

Organic

Others

Regions and Countries Covered

North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America)

Europe: (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific: (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

The Middle East & Africa: (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Latin America: (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)

Rest Of the World

Check out more related studies published by Contrive Datum Insights:

Recovered Packaging Market  The Global Recovered Packaging Market Is Projected To Grow At A CAGR Of 6.5% From 2022 To 2030. Asia Pacific dominated the global market in terms of revenue share in 2019. The region is expected to continue its dominance over the forecast period due to high demand for corrugated cartons and wood packaging from various end-use industries such as food and beverage retail and protective packaging.

Gable Top Packaging Market - The global Gable Top Packaging Market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.4% during the forecast period 2022 to 2030. Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as a prominent region in the global gable top packaging market, accounting for the highest market revenue share. The growth of the Asia Pacific gable top packaging market can be attributed to the ever-growing food and beverage industry in the region.

Packaging Robot Market - The Packaging Robot market size was valued at USD 4,352.1 million in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 14,475 million by 2030, at a CAGR of 12.3% from 2022 to 2030. In terms of region, the market is dominated by Asia Pacific. China is likely to show as high deal value as high volume in the global Packaging Robots market before long. The influx of Chinese manufacturers is expected to intensify the competition in the global packaging robotics market in Asia Pacific in the near future.

Loose Fill Polystyrene Packaging Market - The Global Loose Fill Polystyrene Packaging Market Is Estimated To Exhibit A CAGR Of 4.1% Over The Forecast Period. Asia Pacific held the dominant position in terms of revenue share in the global loose-fill polystyrene packaging market in 2017, accounting for a market share of 44.1%. End-use industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and personal care industries in the region are growing rapidly, driving the growth of the market in the region.

Customization of the Report: The report can be customized as per client needs or requirements.For any queries, you can contact us on anna@contrivedatuminsights.com or +1 215-297-4078. Our sales executives will be happy to understand your needs and provide you with the most suitable reports.

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Osisko Metals Incorporated

MONTREAL, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Osisko Metals Incorporated (the "Company" or "Osisko Metals") ( TSX-V: OM ; OTCQX: OMZNF ; FRANKFURT: 0B51 ) is pleased to announce that it expects to close its previously-announced transaction with a subsidiary of Appian Natural Resources Fund III LP ("Appian") in late March or early April 2023 , which will result in the formation of a joint venture for the advancement of Osisko Metals' Pine Point Project (the "Transaction"). To that end, the Company is pleased to announce that it has received the requisite shareholder and stock exchange approvals to close the Transaction.



Pursuant to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"), the Company is permitted to obtain shareholder approval of the Transaction by way of a written consent of the shareholders holding at least 50% of the outstanding common shares of the Company. As at March 17, 2023, the Company received written consents in respect of the Transaction from shareholders holding an aggregate of 122,018,186 Common Shares, representing approximately 54.1% of the outstanding common shares of the Company.

In addition, on March 16, 2023, the Company received the conditional approval of the Exchange to complete the Transaction. The Transaction remains subject to final acceptance of the Exchange.

Robert Wares, Chairman & CEO, commented: "We are very grateful for the support of our shareholders regarding the joint venture transaction with Appian on the Pine Point Project. Having expeditiously obtained the required shareholder and stock exchange approvals, we expect to be able to close the joint venture transaction in late March or early April 2023. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Osisko Metals, we thank our shareholders, management, and our advisors and partners for their hard work and long-standing support, and we look forward to rapidly advancing the Pine Point project with Appian."

Completion of the Transaction remains subject to, among other things, satisfaction of all conditions precedent to the closing of the Transaction pursuant to the investment agreement dated February 21, 2023 between the Company and Appian in respect of the Transaction (the "Investment Agreement"). Assuming that all conditions precedent to the completion of the Transaction are satisfied or waived, the Company anticipates the closing of the Transaction will occur in late March or early April 2023.

Story continues

For more details on the Transaction, please refer to the Company's news release on February 22, 2023, the material change report dated February 27, 2023 and the Investment Agreement, copies of which are available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) under the Company's issuer profile.

Advisors

Maxit Capital LP is acting as financial advisor to Osisko Metals and Bennett Jones LLP is acting as the Company's legal counsel.

McCarthy Tetrault LLP is acting as Appian's legal counsel.

About Osisko Metals

Osisko Metals Incorporated is a Canadian exploration and development company creating value in the critical metals space, specifically copper and zinc. The Company controls one of Canada's premier past-producing zinc mining camps, the Pine Point Project, located in the Northwest Territories, for which the 2022 PEA has indicated an after-tax NPV of $602M and an IRR of 25%, based on long-term zinc price of US$1.37/lb and the current Mineral Resource Estimates ("MRE") that are amenable to open pit and shallow underground mining. The latest MRE consist of 15.7Mt grading 5.55% ZnEq of Indicated Mineral Resources and 47.2Mt grading 5.94% ZnEq of Inferred Mineral Resources. Please refer to the technical report entitled "Preliminary Economic Assessment, Pine Point Project, Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada" dated July 30, which has been filed on SEDAR. The Pine Point Project is located on the south shore of Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories, near infrastructure, paved highway access, and has an electrical substation as well as 100 kilometres of viable haulage roads already in place.

The Company is also in the process of acquiring, from Glencore Canada, a 100% interest in the past-producing Gaspe Copper Mine, located near Murdochville in the Gaspe peninsula of Quebec. The Company is currently focused on resource evaluation of the Mount Copper Expansion Project that hosts a NI 43-101 Inferred Resource of 456Mt grading 0.31% Cu (see April 28, 2022 news release). Gaspe Copper hosts the largest undeveloped copper resource in Eastern North America, strategically located near existing infrastructure in the mining-friendly province of Quebec.

About Appian

Appian Capital Advisory LLP is a London-headquartered investment advisor to long-term value-focused private equity funds that invest solely in mining and mining-related companies.

Appian is a leading investment advisor in the metals and mining industry, with global experience across South America, North America, Europe, Australia and Africa and a successful track record of supporting companies to achieve their development targets, with a global operating portfolio overseeing nearly 5,000 employees. Appian has a global team of 60 experienced professionals with presences in London, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Lima, Belo Horizonte and Perth. The Appian team, through its private equity funds, has a long history of successfully bringing mines through development and into production, having completed 8 mine builds in the last 5 years.

For more information, please visit www.appiancapitaladvisory.com, or find us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.

For further information on this news release, visit www.osiskometals.com or contact:

Robert Wares, Chairman & CEO of Osisko Metals Incorporated

Email: info@osiskometals.com

www.osiskometals.com

Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves predictions, expectations, interpretations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and constitute forward-looking information. This news release may contain forward-looking information pertaining to the Pine Point Project, including, among other things, the results of the PEA and the IRR, NPV and estimated costs, production, production rate and mine life; the expectation that the Pine Point Project will be a robust operation and profitable at a variety of prices and assumptions; the ability to identify additional resources and reserves (if any) and exploit such resources and reserves on an economic basis; the expected high quality of the Pine Point concentrates; the potential impact of the Pine Point Project in the Northwest Territories, including but not limited to the potential generation of tax revenue and contribution of jobs; the Pine Point Project having the potential for mineral resource expansion and new discoveries; the timing and ability for the Pine Point Project to reach construction decision; the estimated costs to take the Pine Point Project to construction decision; the timing and ability to complete the Transaction on the terms contemplated (if at all); the ability of the Company to realize on the benefit of the Transaction; and the impact to the Company of the disposition of ownership interest and control in the Pine Point Project, which is a material property of the Company. There can be no certainty on the timing, costs and ability for the joint-venture parties to take the Pine Point Project to reach construction decision or pursue planned exploration and development as presently contemplated.

Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management, in light of management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, including, without limitation, assumptions about: favourable equity and debt capital markets; the ability and timing for the parties to fund cash calls to advance the development of the Pine Point Project and pursue planned exploration and development; the ability to complete the Transactions in the timing and terms contemplated (if at all); the ability to satisfy or waive on satisfactory terms any conditions to the completion of the Transaction; future prices of zinc and lead; the timing and results of exploration and drilling programs; the accuracy of mineral resource estimates; production costs; operating conditions being favourable; political and regulatory stability; the receipt of governmental and third party approvals; licenses and permits being received on favourable terms; sustained labour stability; stability in financial and capital markets; availability of equipment; the economic viability of the Pine Point Project; and positive relations with local groups. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information are set out in the Company's public documents filed at www.sedar.com. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.

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A landmark new exhibit will shine a light on Claude Monets brother and his impact on the impressionist movement.

Leon Monet  four years Claudes senior  has been largely overlooked by history, however, he is understood to have been a critical influence on his brother.

Leon was a colour chemist credited with the famed colour palette that created masterpieces like Claudes Water Lilies series.

Its never been known before, but without Leon there would not have really been a Monet  the artist the world knows today, said Geraldine Lefebvre, exhibit curator at the Musee du Luxembourg in Paris.

His rich big brother supported him in the first period of his life when he had no money or clients and was starving," she said. But more than that. The vivid palette Monet was famous for came from the synthetic textile dye colors Leon created in the town of Rouen  site of some of Claude's best-known paintings.

The groundbreaking exhibit is the fruit of years of investigation by Lefebvre, who visited Monets great-grandchildren, studied family albums and brought to light a masterly portrait of Leon by Claude that Leon hid away in a dusty private collection and has never before been seen by the public. The 1874 painting shows Leon with a black suit, stern expression and red  almost wine-flushed  cheeks.

The exhibit dispels a long-held view that Claude and his older brother were estranged.

A portrait of Leon Monet painted by his brother Claude (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Historians always thought the two brothers had nothing to do with each other. It was assumed because there are no photographs of Claude and Leon together, and no correspondence. In reality, they were incredibly close throughout their life, Lefebvre said.

The brothers had an argument in the early 1900s and that may explain why no direct traces of the relationship exist. Maybe Leon got rid of the traces, maybe it was Claude. Maybe it was jealousy. We will never know. It is a mystery, Lefebvre said.

What is now known is that Leon would wine and dine his younger brother, introduce him to other artists, give him money, and patronize his art  buying it up at auction at high prices to boost his reputation.

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One of the problems was because they shared the surname it seemed like (Claude) Monet was buying back his own pictures. But it was Leon, said professor Frances Fowle, senior curator of French art at the National Galleries of Scotland.

This exhibit is important as it throws light on Leon Monet, who up until now has been an invisible figure. It also reveals the wider network at work. Leon was a key figure, Fowle added.

Photos of Leon Monet, left, and his brother Claude Monet (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Leons influence went beyond his brother: He financially supported other impressionists such as Camille Pissarro, Auguste Renoir and Alfred Sisley  some of whom would connect around his dinner table in Rouen, where the wine would flow freely. Claude followed his brother to Rouen, where he painted his Rouen cathedral masterpieces.

Monet also worked for his older brother as a colour assistant, a pivotal moment not only in his life  but possibly in the emergence of impressionism as we know it.

Leon would dissolve carbon to create a chemical called aniline, which created incredible synthetic colours that natural pigments couldn't compete with. One of the earlier examples of Leons colour filtering down into Monets art is from an 1860s illustration  before he was famous  that is featured in the exhibit. Monet drew his future wife Camille in a dress with an eye-popping green that had never been seen before.

The French press coined the term Monet green, Lefebvre said, adding that journalists were initially mocking of it. At the time, they said he would make a good dye artist.

A painting pallet belonging to Claude Monet (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

However, both Monets had the last laugh.

Claude Monet founded impressionism  a term coined from his 1872 painting Impression, Sunrise  to become one of the most celebrated painters of the last two centuries. And by impressionism's height at the end of the 19th century, an incredible 80% of all impressionists work used the synthetic colours borrowed from Leon, according to Lefebvre.

These synthetic hues, which were cutting-edge at the time, enabled members of the group to depict the fleeting impression of the moment with shifting colours and luminosity.

Who knows the exact extent of the impact Leon had on the movement?" Lefebvre said with a shy smile. But it was extraordinary.

Leon Monet. Brother of the artist and collector runs at the Musee du Luxembourg in Paris from 15 March until 16 July.

Additional reporting from the Associated Press
HOUSTON, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PCS, a leading provider of innovative transportation management solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ted Pardee as the company's new Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Ted will be responsible for driving revenue growth and overseeing the sales and marketing initiatives. In his role, Ted will lead new business strategies to accelerate the company's expansion in the transportation management software market.

PCS Logo (PRNewsfoto/PCS Software)

Ted Pardee brings more than 30 years of sales and marketing experience to PCS as Chief Revenue Officer. Pardee has direct experience negotiating complicated agreements with Fortune 500 companies like Amazon, Ford Motor Company, Coca-Cola and Royal Dutch Shell. In addition to his experience building teams focused on the Global 500, Pardee has also led Sales and Marketing teams whose customers include the largest cities, counties and government agencies in the world including New York City & State, the State of California, Miami-Dade County, UK Ministry of Defence, The US State Department, USAID and the US Department of Defense.

"Ted's appointment as Chief Revenue Officer marks an important milestone in our company's growth trajectory," said Chris Poelma, CEO of PCS. "His proven track record of driving revenue growth and his impressive leadership skills will be instrumental in taking our sales organization to new heights. We are excited to have Ted on board and look forward to leveraging his expertise to further solidify PCS's position as a leader in the transportation management solutions space."

As CRO, Ted will focus on expanding the company's market share, establishing strategic partnerships, and enhancing the overall customer experience. He will work closely with the executive team and other departments to ensure that PCS continues to deliver industry-leading solutions that address the evolving needs of companies worldwide.

About PCS:

PCS is a leading provider of transportation management solutions, dedicated to empowering transportation and logistics companies to streamline their operations, improve efficiency, and maximize profitability. With a suite of advanced software tools, PCS supports shippers, carriers, and brokers in managing their end-to-end transportation processes, from planning and execution to compliance and analytics. Committed to innovation and customer success, PCS Software continually enhances its product offerings to address the evolving needs of the industry. To learn more about PCS Software, visit www.pcssoftware.com.

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Contact: Amanda Mueller

Email: amandamueller@pcssoft.com

Cision

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SOURCE PCS Software
Picton Mahoney Asset Management

TORONTO, March 17, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX: PFIA, PFSS, PFCB) Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the March 2023 monthly cash distribution of $0.0399 per unit for the ETF units (ETF Units) of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Income Alternative Fund.



Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the March 2023 monthly cash distribution of $0.0335 per unit for the ETF Units of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Special Situations Alternative Fund.

Picton Mahoney Asset Management announced today that it has declared the March 2023 monthly cash distribution of $0.0357 per unit for the ETF Units of the Picton Mahoney Fortified Core Bond Fund.

Unitholders of record of the ETF Units, at the close of business on March 24, 2023, will receive a per-unit cash distribution payable on March 31, 2023.

About Picton Mahoney Asset Management

Picton Mahoney Asset Management specializes in differentiated investment solutions and rules-based volatility management. Picton Mahoney helps its clients fortify their portfolios based on experience honed over the years through different market cycles and investing environments.

Founded in 2004 and 100% employee-owned, Picton Mahoney is a portfolio management boutique entrusted with over $9.3 billion (as at January 31, 2023) in assets under management. Pioneers of Authentic Hedge investment principles and practices in Canada, the firm offers a full suite of investment solutions, including mutual and alternative funds, to institutional and retail investors across the country.

Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees, performance fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. Alternative funds can only be purchased through a registered dealer and are available only in those jurisdictions where they may be lawfully offered for sale.

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For further information please contact:

Arthur Galloway

Picton Mahoney Asset Management

Tel: (416) 955-4108

Web site: www.pictonmahoney.com

Email: service@pictonmahoney.com